1987 Indianapolis Colts season

1987 Indianapolis Colts season
1987 Indianapolis Colts season
Owner	Robert Irsay
General manager	Jim Irsay
Head coach	Ron Meyer
Home field	Hoosier Dome
Local radio	WIBC–AM 1070
Results
Record	9–6
Division place	1st AFC East
Playoff finish	Lost Divisional Playoffs; (at Browns) 21–38
Pro Bowlers	6 K Dean Biasucci; LB Duane Bickett; RB Eric Dickerson; C Ray Donaldson; OT Chris Hinton; OG Ron Solt;
AP All-Pros	6 K Dean Biasucci; LB Duane Bickett; RB Eric Dickerson; C Ray Donaldson; OT Chris Hinton; OG Ron Solt;

Dickerson rushing the ball during an away game against the Cleveland Browns in 1987.

The 1987 Indianapolis Colts season was the 35th season for the team in the National Football League (NFL) and fourth in Indianapolis. It was also their first full season under head coach Ron Meyer, who had taken over an 0-13 Colts team the previous season after Rod Dowhower was fired.

The team finished the strike-shortened season with a record of 9-6 and won the AFC East division.

This season marked the first winning season, division championship, and the first trip to the playoffs for the Colts in Indianapolis. It was the franchise's first playoff appearance in ten seasons.

NFL Films produced a documentary about the team's season entitled Off and Running; it was narrated by Jeff Kaye.

Offseason

NFL draft

1987 Indianapolis Colts Draft
Round	Selection	Player	Position	College
1	2	Cornelius Bennett	LB	Alabama
2	30	Choice to Washington
3	58	Chris Gambol	OG	Iowa
4	85	Randy Dixon	OG	Pittsburgh
5	114	Roy Banks	WR	Eastern Illinois
6	142	Freddie Robinson	DB	Alabama
7	170	Mark Bellini	WR	Brigham Young
8	197	Choice to Tampa Bay
8	200^{(Choice from Buffalo)}	Chuckie Miller	DB	UCLA
9	225	Choice to N.Y. Giants
9	247^{(Choice from Cleveland)}	Bob Ontko	LB	Penn State
10	253	Chris Goode	DB	Alabama
11	281	Jim Reynosa	DE	Arizona State
12	309	David Adams	RB	Arizona

NFL replacement players

After the league decided to use replacement players during the NFLPA strike, the following team was assembled:

1987 Indianapolis Colts replacement roster

Quarterbacks

5 Blair Kiel QB/P

7 Gary Hogeboom

14 Terry Nugent

Running backs

30 Mel Carver

36 Chris McLemore

37 Chuck Banks

42 Gordon Brown

Jeff Atkins

Wide receivers

80 Steve Bryant

80 James Noble

84 Kelley Johnson

85 Tim Kearse

86 Walter Murray

87 Mark Bellini

Clyde Duncan

Todd Feldman

Tight ends

81 Joe Jones

83 Greg Hawthorne

88 John Brandes

Deron Miller

Mike Russell

Offensive linemen

60 Mark Boggs

61 Marsharne Graves

62 Jeff Criswell

67 Ron Plantz

68 Milt Carthens

69 Sid Abramowitz

73 Steve Knight

79 Shawn Heffern

Defensive linemen

62 Don Thorp

63 Steve Knight

65 Jim Merritts

94 Chris Scott

94 Scott Kellar

95 Bob Hamm

96 Bill Elko

97 Frank Mattiace

Mark Smythe

Linebackers

54 Will Benjamin

52 Ricky Chatman

56 Ed Grimsley

92 Jeff Leiding

51 Bob Ontko

90 Gary Padjen

90 Roger Remo

59 Brad Saar

57 Brian Bulluck

Defensive backs

27 Terry Wright

28 Lee Davis

29 Jitter Fields

33 Bryant Jones

39 Mike Prior

40 Pat Ballage

41 John Simmons

43 Jim Perryman

45 Craig Curry

Richard Peavy

Special teams

6 Steve Jordan K

Manny Matsakis K

5 Craig Colquitt P

Roster

**1987 Indianapolis Colts final roster**

	Quarterbacks 7 Gary Hogeboom 10 Jack Trudeau 13 Sean Salisbury Running backs 20 Albert Bentley 29 Eric Dickerson 34 George Wonsley Wide receivers 86 Roy Banks 87 Mark Bellini 85 Matt Bouza 80 Bill Brooks 86 Walter Murray Tight ends 81 Pat Beach 88 John Brandes 84 Mark Boyer 49 Mike McCloskey		Offensive linemen 74 Bob Brotzki T 71 Kevin Call T 69 Randy Dixon 53 Ray Donaldson C 75 Chris Hinton T 65 Joel Patten G 66 Ron Solt G 64 Ben Utt G Defensive linemen 79 Harvey Armstrong DT 72 Byron Darby NT 78 Jon Hand DE 76 Jerome Sally NT 99 Donnell Thompson DE 62 Don Thorp DE		Linebackers 57 Dave Ahrens 50 Duane Bickett 98 Johnie Cooks 58 June James 55 Barry Krauss 56 Orlando Lowry 93 Cliff Odom Defensive backs 38 Eugene Daniel CB 25 Nesby Glasgow SS 37 Chris Goode 43 Jim Perryman 39 Mike Prior FS 47 Freddie Robinson 42 Willie Tullis CB 27 Terry Wright Special teams 4 Dean Biasucci K 3 Rohn Stark P		Reserve lists -- Chuck Banks RB (IRTooltip Injured reserve) 31 Leonard Coleman CB (IRTooltip Injured reserve) 74 Chris Gambol T (IRTooltip Injured reserve) -- Ed Grimsley LB (IRTooltip Injured reserve) 94 Scott Kellar NT (IRTooltip Injured reserve) 92 Jeff Leiding LB (IRTooltip Injured reserve) 32 Randy McMillan RB (PUPTooltip Physically unable to perform) 48 Chuckie Miller DB (IRTooltip Injured reserve) 52 Micah Moon LB (IRTooltip Injured reserve) 83 Tim Sherwin TE (IRTooltip Injured reserve) Rookies in italics

Pre season

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Time	TV	Result	Record	Venue	Attendance
1	August 15	at Detroit Lions	7:00 p.m. EST	WTHR	W 22–19	1–0	Pontiac Silverdome	45,753
2	August 22	at Minnesota Vikings	7:00 p.m. EST	WTHR	L 19–37	1–1	Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome	49,304
3	August 29	Houston Oilers	7:30 p.m. EST	WTHR	W 17–6	2–1	Hoosier Dome	51,975
4	September 5	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	7:30 p.m. EST	WTHR	W 23–6	3–1	Hoosier Dome	50,111

Preseason Game summaries

Week P1 (Saturday, August 15, 1987): at Detroit Lions

Preseason Week 1: Indianapolis Colts at Detroit Lions – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Colts	3	10	2	7	22
Lions	0	13	6	0	19

at Pontiac Silverdome • Pontiac, Michigan

Date: August 15, 1987
Game time: 7:00 p.m. EST
Game attendance: 45,753
TV announcers (WTHR): Don Hein (play-by-play) and Darrel Burnett (color commentator)

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
IND	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
DET	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

Scoring summary

Quarter	Time	Drive			Team	Scoring information	Score
Quarter	Time	Plays	Yards	TOP	Team	Scoring information	IND	DET
"TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football.							22	19

Point spread:
Over/Under:
Time of Game:

Colts	Game Statistics	Lions
	First downs
	Rushes–yards
	Passing yards
	Passes
	Sacked–yards
	Net passing yards
	Total yards
	Return yards
	Punts
	Fumbles–lost
	Penalties–yards
	Time of possession

Week P2 (Saturday, August 22, 1987): at Minnesota Vikings

Preseason Week 2: Indianapolis Colts at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Colts	3	10	0	0	13
Vikings	3	17	7	10	37

at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome • Minneapolis, Minnesota

Date: August 22, 1987
Game time: 7:00 p.m. EST
Game attendance: 49,304
TV announcers (WTHR): Don Hein (play-by-play) and Darrel Burnett (color commentator)

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
IND	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
MIN	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

Scoring summary

Quarter	Time	Drive			Team	Scoring information	Score
Quarter	Time	Plays	Yards	TOP	Team	Scoring information	IND	MIN
"TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football.							13	37

Point spread:
Over/Under:
Time of Game:

Colts	Game Statistics	Vikings
	First downs
	Rushes–yards
	Passing yards
	Passes
	Sacked–yards
	Net passing yards
	Total yards
	Return yards
	Punts
	Fumbles–lost
	Penalties–yards
	Time of possession

Week P3 (Saturday, August 29, 1987): vs. Houston Oilers

Preseason Week 3: Houston Oilers at Indianapolis Colts – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Oilers	6	0	0	0	6
Colts	0	3	14	0	17

at Hoosier Dome • Indianapolis, Indiana

Date: August 29, 1987
Game time: 7:30 p.m. EST
Game attendance: 51,975
TV announcers (WTHR): Don Hein (play-by-play) and Darrel Burnett (color commentator)

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
HOU	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
IND	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

Scoring summary

Quarter	Time	Drive			Team	Scoring information	Score
Quarter	Time	Plays	Yards	TOP	Team	Scoring information	HOU	IND
"TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football.							6	17

Point spread:
Over/Under:
Time of Game:

Oilers	Game Statistics	Colts
	First downs
	Rushes–yards
	Passing yards
	Passes
	Sacked–yards
	Net passing yards
	Total yards
	Return yards
	Punts
	Fumbles–lost
	Penalties–yards
	Time of possession

Week P4 (Saturday, September 5, 1987): vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Preseason Week 4: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Indianapolis Colts – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Buccaneers	6	10	0	0	16
Colts	3	20	0	0	23

at Hoosier Dome • Indianapolis, Indiana

Date: September 5, 1987
Game time: 7:30 p.m. EST
Game attendance: 50,111
Referee: Ben Dreith
TV announcers (WTHR): Don Hein (play-by-play) and Darrel Burnett (color commentator)

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
TB	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
IND	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

Scoring summary

Quarter	Time	Drive			Team	Scoring information	Score
Quarter	Time	Plays	Yards	TOP	Team	Scoring information	TB	IND
"TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football.							16	23

Point spread:
Over/Under:
Time of Game: 3 hours, 19 minutes

Buccaneers	Game Statistics	Colts
	First downs
	Rushes–yards
	Passing yards
	Passes
	Sacked–yards
	Net passing yards
	Total yards
	Return yards
	Punts
	Fumbles–lost
	Penalties–yards
	Time of possession

Regular season

On October 31, 1987, the Los Angeles Rams traded Eric Dickerson to the Indianapolis Colts in a three team trade involving the Buffalo Bills. The Rams sent Dickerson to the Colts for six draft choices and two players. Buffalo obtained the rights to Cornelius Bennett from Indianapolis. Buffalo sent running back Greg Bell and three draft choices to the Rams, while Indianapolis added Owen Gill and three of their own draft picks to complete the deal with the Rams.^[3]

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	Attendance	Recap
1	September 13	Cincinnati Bengals	L 21–23	0–1	Hoosier Dome	59,387	Recap
2	September 20, 1987	Miami Dolphins	L 10–23	0–2	Hoosier Dome	57,524	Recap
3	September 27	at St. Louis Cardinals	Canceled ^[4]	0–2	Busch Stadium
4	October 4	at Buffalo Bills	W 47–6	1–2	Rich Stadium	9,860	Recap
5	October 11	New York Jets	W 6–0	2–2	Hoosier Dome	34,927	Recap
6	October 18	at Pittsburgh Steelers	L 7–21	2–3	Three Rivers Stadium	34,627	Recap
7	October 25	New England Patriots	W 30–16	3–3	Hoosier Dome	48,850	Recap
8	November 1	at New York Jets	W 19–14	4–3	Giants Stadium	60,863	Recap
9	November 8	San Diego Chargers	L 13–16	4–4	Hoosier Dome	60,459	Recap
10	November 15	at Miami Dolphins	W 40–21	5–4	Joe Robbie Stadium	65,433	Recap
11	November 22	at New England Patriots	L 0–24	5–5	Sullivan Stadium	56,906	Recap
12	November 29	Houston Oilers	W 51–27	6–5	Hoosier Dome	54,999	Recap
13	December 6	at Cleveland Browns	W 9–7	7–5	Cleveland Stadium	70,661	Recap
14	December 13	Buffalo Bills	L 3–27	7–6	Hoosier Dome	60,253	Recap
15	December 20	at San Diego Chargers	W 20–7	8–6	Jack Murphy Stadium	46,211	Recap
16	December 27	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	W 24–6	9–6	Hoosier Dome	60,468	Recap
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Regular Season Game summaries

Week 1 (Sunday, September 13, 1987): vs. Cincinnati Bengals

^[5]

Week 1: Cincinnati Bengals at Indianapolis Colts – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Bengals (1–0)	13	0	0	10	23
Colts (0–1)	7	0	7	7	21

at Hoosier Dome • Indianapolis, Indiana

Date: September 13, 1987
Game time: 12 Noon EST
Game weather: indoors
Game attendance: 59,367
Referee: Gene Barth
TV announcers (NBC): Tom Hammond (play-by-play) and Dave Casper (color commentator)
^[6]

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
CIN	Passing	Boomer Esiason	17/26, 236 YDS, 2 TDs
	Rushing	James Brooks	19 CAR, 86 YDS 1 TD
	Receiving	Rodney Holman	3 REC, 79 YDS, 1 TD
IND	Passing	Jack Trudeau	13/23, 206 YDS, 1 TD, 3 INTs
	Rushing	Albert Bentley	25 CAR, 77 YDS, 1 TD
	Receiving	Bill Brooks	6 REC, 146 YDS, 1 TD

Scoring summary

Quarter	Time	Drive			Team	Scoring information	Score
Quarter	Time	Plays	Yards	TOP	Team	Scoring information	CIN	IND
1	6:21	13	79	5:43	Bengals	Brooks 18-yard touchdown reception from Esiason, Breech kick good	7	0
1	3:59	2	61	0:48	Bengals	Holman 61-yard touchdown reception from Esiason, Breech kick no good	13	0
1	1:25	5	68	2:34	Colts	Brooks 52-yard touchdown reception from Trudeau, Biasucci kick good	13	7
3	2:29	13	80	7:58	Colts	Bentley 2-yard touchdown run, Biasucci kick good	13	14
4	10:36	16	78	6:53	Bengals	20-yard field goal by Breech	16	14
4	7:50	3	25	1:19	Bengals	Brooks 1-yard touchdown run, Breech kick good	23	14
4	2:33	9	70	5:17	Colts	Sherwin 1-yard touchdown reception from Trudeau, Biasucci kick good	23	21
"TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football.							23	21

Point spread: Colts +5½
Over/Under: 44.0 (push)
Time of Game: 2 hours, 48 minutes

Bengals	Game Statistics	Colts
25	First downs	15
42–187	Rushes–yards	27–85
236	Passing yards	206
17–26–0	Passes	13–23–3
2–20	Sacked–yards	0–0
216	Net passing yards	206
403	Total yards	291
134	Return yards	129
3–52.0	Punts	4–52.3
4–1	Fumbles–lost	2–0
5–50	Penalties–yards	2–25
27:16	Time of possession	32:44

Week 2 (Sunday, September 20, 1987): vs. Miami Dolphins

^[7]

Week 2: Miami Dolphins at Indianapolis Colts – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Dolphins (1–1)	7	9	7	0	23
Colts (0–2)	0	7	3	0	10

at Hoosier Dome • Indianapolis, Indiana

Date: September 20, 1987
Game time: 12:01 p.m. EST
Game weather: indoors
Game attendance: 57,524
Referee: Fred Wyant
TV announcers (NBC): Tom Hammond (play-by-play) and Dave Casper (color commentator)
^[8]

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
MIA	Passing	Dan Marino	23/32, 254 YDS, 3 TDs
	Rushing	Lorenzo Hampton	13 CAR, 44 YDS
	Receiving	Lorenzo Hampton	7 REC, 49 YDS
IND	Passing	Gary Hogeboom	27/43, 282 YDS, 1 TD, 1 INT
	Rushing	Albert Bentley	22 CAR, 84 YDS
	Receiving	Albert Bentley	9 REC, 69 YDS

Scoring summary

Quarter	Time	Drive			Team	Scoring information	Score
Quarter	Time	Plays	Yards	TOP	Team	Scoring information	MIA	IND
1	5:37	11	81	5:33	Dolphins	Stradford 18-yard touchdown reception from Marino, Reveiz kick good	7	0
2	12:37	8	57	3:43	Dolphins	27-yard field goal by Reveiz	10	0
2	6:12	7	62	2:25	Colts	Bouza 17-yard touchdown reception from Hogeboom, Biasucci kick good	10	7
2	1:12	11	80	5:00	Dolphins	Jensen 6-yard touchdown reception from Marino, Reveiz kick no good	16	7
3	7:19	8	60	3:50	Dolphins	Clayton 10-yard touchdown reception from Marino, Reveiz kick good	23	7
3	1:32	7	30	3:21	Colts	50-yard field goal by Biasucci	23	10
"TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football.							23	10

Point spread: Colts +5
Over/Under: 46.5 (under)
Time of Game: 3 hours, 0 minutes

Dolphins	Game Statistics	Colts
20	First downs	20
34–130	Rushes–yards	23–84
254	Passing yards	282
23–32–0	Passes	27–43–1
1–9	Sacked–yards	2–24
245	Net passing yards	258
375	Total yards	342
76	Return yards	113
4–42.8	Punts	4–37.5
2–2	Fumbles–lost	4–3
1–5	Penalties–yards	4–30
33:16	Time of possession	26:44

Week 3 (Sunday, September 27, 1987): at St. Louis Cardinals

Cancelled due to player's strike.

Week 4 (Sunday, October 4, 1987): at Buffalo Bills

^[9]

Week 4: Indianapolis Colts at Buffalo Bills – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Colts (1–2)	7	21	19	0	47
Bills (1–2)	0	0	0	6	6

at Rich Stadium • Orchard Park, New York

Date: October 4, 1987
Game time: 12 Noon EST
Game weather: 43 °F (6 °C); relative humidity 62%; wind 13 miles per hour (21 km/h; 11 kn)
Game attendance: 9,860
Referee: Dick Hantak
TV announcers (NBC): Sam Nover (play-by-play) and Dave Casper (color commentator)
^[10]

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
IND	Passing	Gary Hogeboom	17/25, 259 YDS, 5 TDs
	Rushing	Chuck Banks	16 CAR, 69 YDS
	Receiving	Walter Murray	7 REC, 161 YDS, 2 TDs
BUF	Passing	Willie Totten	4/12, 71 YDS, 1 TD
	Rushing	Johnny Shepherd	7 CAR, 38 YDS
	Receiving	Sheldon Gaines	6 REC, 98 YDS

Scoring summary

Quarter	Time	Drive			Team	Scoring information	Score
Quarter	Time	Plays	Yards	TOP	Team	Scoring information	IND	BUF
1	2:48	3	56	0:49	Colts	Murray 37-yard touchdown reception from Hogeboom, Jordan kick good	7	0
2	7:04	7	68	3:05	Colts	Murray 11-yard touchdown reception from Hogeboom, Jordan kick good	14	0
2	1:38	8	71	2:09	Colts	Jones 37-yard touchdown reception from Hogeboom, Jordan kick good	21	0
2	0:18	2	40	0:16	Colts	Jones 18-yard touchdown reception from Hogeboom, Jordan kick good	28	0
3	14:10	2	21	0:36	Colts	Jones 18-yard touchdown reception from Hogeboom, Jordan kick good	35	0
3	12:30	—	—	—	Colts	Clark tackled in the end zone by Leiding for a safety	37	0
3	7:11	10	50	5:07	Colts	36-yard field goal by Jordan	40	0
3	4:50	2	44	0:37	Colts	Brown 18-yard touchdown run, Jordan kick good	47	0
4	8:52	3	12	0:52	Bills	Brown 8-yard touchdown reception from Totten, Schlopy kick no good	47	6
"TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football.							47	6

Point spread: Colts –3.5
Over/Under:
Time of Game:

Colts	Game Statistics	Bills
28	First downs	14
41–166	Rushes–yards	28–81
306	Passing yards	148
20–30–0	Passes	12–35–3
1–9	Sacked–yards	6–66
297	Net passing yards	82
463	Total yards	163
87	Return yards	77
2–30.5	Punts	6–32.2
3–2	Fumbles–lost	7–4
5–30	Penalties–yards	10–70
31:44	Time of possession	28:16

This game was played with replacement players.

Week 5 (Sunday, October 11, 1987): vs. New York Jets

^[11]

Week 5: New York Jets at Indianapolis Colts – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Jets (2–2)	0	0	0	0	0
Colts (2–2)	0	3	3	0	6

at Hoosier Dome • Indianapolis, Indiana

Date: October 11, 1987
Game time: 12 Noon EST
Game weather: indoors
Game attendance: 34,927
Referee: Pat Haggerty
TV announcers (NBC): Tom Hammond (play-by-play) and Sam Rutigliano (color commentator)
^[12]

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
NYJ	Passing	David Norrie	17/35, 163 YDS, 3 INTs
	Rushing	Dennis Bligen	12 CAR, 35 YDS
	Receiving	Michael Harper	5 REC, 56 YDS
IND	Passing	Gary Hogeboom	15/28, 115 YDS, 1 TDs
	Rushing	Chuck Banks	25 CAR, 159 YDS
	Receiving	Chuck Banks	5 REC, 22 YDS

Scoring summary

Quarter	Time	Drive			Team	Scoring information	Score
Quarter	Time	Plays	Yards	TOP	Team	Scoring information	NYJ	IND
2	1:57	5	36	2:51	Colts	35-yard field goal by Jordan	0	3
3	7:28	12	67	5:51	Colts	25-yard field goal by Jordan	0	6
"TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football.							0	6

Point spread: Colts –11
Over/Under:
Time of Game:

Jets	Game Statistics	Colts
16	First downs	14
28–66	Rushes–yards	32–174
163	Passing yards	115
17–35–3	Passes	15–31–1
4–18	Sacked–yards	3–19
145	Net passing yards	96
211	Total yards	270
60	Return yards	73
8–39.4	Punts	7–34.6
5–2	Fumbles–lost	2–1
8–65	Penalties–yards	7–70
30:00	Time of possession	30:00

This game was played with replacement players.

Week 6 (Sunday, October 18, 1987): at Pittsburgh Steelers

^[13]

Week 6: Indianapolis Colts at Pittsburgh Steelers – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Colts (2–3)	0	7	0	0	7
Steelers (3–2)	7	0	0	14	21

at Three Rivers Stadium • Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Date: October 18, 1987
Game time: 12 Noon EST
Game weather: 53 °F (12 °C); relative humidity 62%; wind 6 miles per hour (9.7 km/h; 5.2 kn) (Scattered Clouds)
Game attendance: 34,627
Referee: Tom Dooley
TV announcers (NBC): Tom Hammond (play-by-play) and Sam Rutigliano (color commentator)
^[14]

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
IND	Passing	Blair Kiel	17/30, 195 YDS, 1 TD, 3 INTs
	Rushing	Gordon Brown	9 CAR, 32 YDS
	Receiving	Mark Bellini	5 REC, 69 YDS
PIT	Passing	Steve Bono	11/23, 138 YDS, 2 TDs, 1 INT
	Rushing	Earnest Jackson	24 CAR, 134 YDS
	Receiving	John Stallworth	5 REC, 54 YDS, 1 TD

Scoring summary

Quarter	Time	Drive			Team	Scoring information	Score
Quarter	Time	Plays	Yards	TOP	Team	Scoring information	IND	PIT
1	7:06	2	11	0:42	Steelers	Stallworth 3-yard touchdown reception from Bono, Trout kick good	0	7
2	1:54	6	80	1:06	Colts	Murray 20-yard touchdown reception from Kiel, Jordan kick good	7	7
4	10:01	9	59	5:37	Steelers	Hoge 20-yard touchdown reception from Bono, Trout kick good	7	14
4	3:00	8	38	4:55	Steelers	Sanders 20-yard touchdown run, Trout kick good	7	21
"TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football.							7	21

Point spread: Colts +11½
Over/Under:
Time of Game:

Colts	Game Statistics	Steelers
15	First downs	23
22–75	Rushes–yards	47–252
195	Passing yards	138
17–30–3	Passes	11–23–1
0–0	Sacked–yards	2–12
195	Net passing yards	126
270	Total yards	378
68	Return yards	62
5–39.6	Punts	6–41.8
2–2	Fumbles–lost	4–0
8–69	Penalties–yards	6–57
23:21	Time of possession	36:39

This game was played with replacement players.

Week 7 (Sunday, October 25, 1987): vs. New England Patriots

^[15]

Week 7: New England Patriots at Indianapolis Colts – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Patriots (3–3)	3	3	7	3	16
Colts (3–3)	0	10	13	7	30

at Hoosier Dome • Indianapolis, Indiana

Date: October 25, 1987
Game time: 1:01 p.m. EST
Game weather: indoors
Game attendance: 48,850
Referee: Bob McElwee
TV announcers (NBC): Kevin Slaten (play-by-play) and Reggie Rucker (color commentator)
^[16]

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
NE	Passing	Tony Eason	22/42, 246 YDS, 1 TD, 1 INT
	Rushing	Mosi Tatupu	12 CAR, 39 YDS
	Receiving	Stanley Morgan	7 REC, 102 YDS, 1 TD
IND	Passing	Jack Trudeau	17/28, 239 YDS, 1 TD
	Rushing	Albert Bentley	16 CAR, 65 YDS, 1 TD
	Receiving	Albert Bentley	4 REC, 53 YDS

Scoring summary

Quarter	Time	Drive			Team	Scoring information	Score
Quarter	Time	Plays	Yards	TOP	Team	Scoring information	NE	IND
1	5:59	13	52	5:38	Patriots	30-yard field goal by Franklin	3	0
2	7:42	15	72	7:11	Patriots	31-yard field goal by Franklin	6	0
2	1:54	7	71	5:48	Colts	Bouza 25-yard touchdown reception from Trudeau, Biasucci kick good	6	7
2	0:28	6	33	0:46	Colts	48-yard field goal by Biasucci	6	10
3	11:11	9	55	3:49	Colts	38-yard field goal by Biasucci	6	13
3	6:56	6	36	2:36	Colts	24-yard field goal by Biasucci	6	16
3	5:14	—	—	—	Colts	Fumble recovery returned 28 yards for touchdown by Thompson, Biasucci kick good	6	23
3	1:42	9	76	3:32	Patriots	Morgan 17-yard touchdown reception from Eason, Franklin kick good	13	23
4	8:52	9	34	4:37	Patriots	49-yard field goal by Franklin	16	23
4	3:25	4	22	2:14	Colts	Bentley 12-yard touchdown run, Biasucci kick good	16	30
"TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football.							16	30

Point spread: Colts +6½
Over/Under: 44.0 (over)
Time of Game: 3 hours, 8 minutes

Patriots	Game Statistics	Colts
18	First downs	17
27–79	Rushes–yards	25–87
246	Passing yards	239
22–43–1	Passes	17–28–0
2–21	Sacked–yards	3–26
225	Net passing yards	213
304	Total yards	300
162	Return yards	129
4–45.0	Punts	5–44.6
2–2	Fumbles–lost	3–1
5–40	Penalties–yards	9–65
32:54	Time of possession	27:06

Week 8 (Sunday, November 1, 1987): at New York Jets

^[17]

Week 8: Indianapolis Colts at New York Jets – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Colts (4–3)	3	7	3	6	19
Jets (3–4)	0	7	0	7	14

at The Meadowlands • East Rutherford, New Jersey

Date: November 1, 1987
Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
Game weather: 53 °F (12 °C); relative humidity 62%; wind 9 miles per hour (14 km/h; 7.8 kn)
Game attendance: 60,863
Referee: Ben Dreith
TV announcers (NBC): Marv Albert (play-by-play) and Joe Namath (color commentator)
^[18]

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
IND	Passing	Jack Trudeau	14/23, 192 YDS, 1 TD
	Rushing	Albert Bentley	29 CAR, 145 YDS
	Receiving	Pat Beach	4 REC, 31 YDS
NYJ	Passing	Ken O'Brien	15/29, 174 YDS, 1 INT
	Rushing	Johnny Hector	5 CAR, 37 YDS, 2 TDs
	Receiving	Al Toon	7 REC, 79 YDS

Scoring summary

Quarter	Time	Drive			Team	Scoring information	Score
Quarter	Time	Plays	Yards	TOP	Team	Scoring information	IND	NYJ
1	7:56	12	59	7:04	Colts	36-yard field goal by Biasucci	3	0
2	10:23	5	89	2:53	Colts	Bouza 44-yard touchdown reception from Trudeau, Biasucci kick good	10	0
2	2:14	15	80	8:01	Jets	Hector 12-yard touchdown run, Leahy kick good	10	7
3	7:58	4	4	2:43	Colts	44-yard field goal by Biasucci	13	7
4	14:56	11	30	7:00	Colts	38-yard field goal by Biasucci	16	7
4	9:21	9	28	4:45	Colts	33-yard field goal by Biasucci	19	7
4	6:30	7	69	2:51	Jets	Hector 20-yard touchdown run, Leahy kick good	19	14
"TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football.							19	14

Point spread: Colts +7
Over/Under: 44.0 (under)
Time of Game: 2 hours, 50 minutes

Colts	Game Statistics	Jets
21	First downs	15
45–186	Rushes–yards	20–101
192	Passing yards	190
14–23–0	Passes	16–30–1
1–1	Sacked–yards	7–61
191	Net passing yards	129
377	Total yards	230
73	Return yards	142
3–40.0	Punts	5–35.8
1–0	Fumbles–lost	2–2
4–35	Penalties–yards	6–34
34:47	Time of possession	25:13

Eric Dickerson's first game with Colts

Week 9 (Sunday, November 8, 1987): vs. San Diego Chargers

^[19]

Week 9: San Diego Chargers at Indianapolis Colts – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Chargers (7–1)	0	0	6	10	16
Colts (4–4)	3	10	0	0	13

at Hoosier Dome • Indianapolis, Indiana

Date: November 8, 1987
Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
Game weather: indoors
Game attendance: 54,009
Referee: Jerry Markbreit
TV announcers (NBC): Marv Albert (play-by-play) and Joe Namath (color commentator)
^[20]

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
SD	Passing	Dan Fouts	16/30, 214 YDS, 1 TD, 3 INTs
	Rushing	Curtis Adams	13 CAR, 52 YDS
	Receiving	Wes Chandler	4 REC, 73 YDS
IND	Passing	Jack Trudeau	12/18, 127 YDS
	Rushing	Eric Dickerson	35 CAR, 138 YDS
	Receiving	Matt Bouza	3 REC, 53 YDS

Scoring summary

Quarter	Time	Drive			Team	Scoring information	Score
Quarter	Time	Plays	Yards	TOP	Team	Scoring information	SD	IND
1	6:26	16	59	8:34	Colts	37-yard field goal by Biasucci	0	3
2	10:39	4	5	1:31	Colts	27-yard field goal by Biasucci	0	6
2	0:55	13	80	6:28	Colts	Bentley 8-yard touchdown run, Biasucci kick good	0	13
3	11:04	10	55	3:56	Chargers	42-yard field goal by Abbott	3	13
3	3:12	6	21	2:43	Chargers	37-yard field goal by Abbott	6	13
4	12:47	7	47	2:55	Chargers	James 5-yard touchdown reception from Fouts, Abbott kick good	13	13
4	0:12	11	59	3:54	Chargers	39-yard field goal by Abbott	16	13
"TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football.							16	13

Point spread: Colts Pick'em
Over/Under: 45.0 (under)
Time of Game: 2 hours, 57 minutes

Chargers	Game Statistics	Colts
15	First downs	18
26–82	Rushes–yards	45–191
214	Passing yards	127
16–30–3	Passes	12–18–0
0–0	Sacked–yards	3–15
214	Net passing yards	112
296	Total yards	303
82	Return yards	150
4–43.0	Punts	3–34.0
3–1	Fumbles–lost	3–3
10–80	Penalties–yards	9–65
22:11	Time of possession	37:49

Week 10 (Sunday, November 15, 1987): at Miami Dolphins

^[21]

Week 10: Indianapolis Colts at Miami Dolphins – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Colts (5–4)	7	13	3	17	40
Dolphins (5–4)	14	7	0	0	21

at Joe Robbie Stadium • Miami Gardens, Florida

Date: November 15, 1987
Game time: 1:02 p.m. EST
Game weather: 77 °F (25 °C); relative humidity 76%; wind 14 miles per hour (23 km/h; 12 kn) (Scattered Clouds)
Game attendance: 65,433
Referee: Jim Tunney
TV announcers (NBC): Dick Enberg (play-by-play) and Merlin Olsen (color commentator)
^[22]

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
IND	Passing	Gary Hogeboom	22/37, 218 YDS, 1 TD
	Rushing	Eric Dickerson	30 CAR, 154 YDS, 1 TD
	Receiving	Matt Bouza	5 REC, 61 YDS
MIA	Passing	Dan Marino	14/34, 194 YDS, 2 TDs, 1 INT
	Rushing	Troy Stradford	8 CAR, 28 YDS
	Receiving	Tony Nathan	4 REC, 31 YDS

Scoring summary

Quarter	Time	Drive			Team	Scoring information	Score
Quarter	Time	Plays	Yards	TOP	Team	Scoring information	IND	MIA
1	12:07	4	57	1:03	Dolphins	Hampton 6-yard touchdown run, Reveiz kick good	0	7
1	5:08	9	62	4:32	Dolphins	Johnson 4-yard touchdown reception from Marino, Reveiz kick good	0	14
1	0:56	10	77	4:12	Colts	Dickerson 4-yard touchdown run, Biasucci kick good	7	14
2	14:11	2	27	0:49	Colts	Brooks 7-yard touchdown reception from Hogeboom, Biasucci kick good	14	14
2	5:19	6	20	1:47	Colts	22-yard field goal by Biasucci	17	14
2	0:48	10	81	3:31	Dolphins	Banks 10-yard touchdown reception from Marino, Reveiz kick good	17	21
2	0:00	5	39	0:48	Colts	32-yard field goal by Biasucci	20	21
3	1:12	19	90	8:36	Colts	25-yard field goal by Biasucci	23	21
4	9:22	13	60	5:38	Colts	23-yard field goal by Biasucci	26	21
4	3:36	8	55	3:41	Colts	Bentley 17-yard touchdown run, Biasucci kick good	33	21
4	1:03	6	26	1:58	Colts	Bentley 2-yard touchdown run, Biasucci kick good	40	21
"TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football.							40	21

Point spread: Colts +7
Over/Under: 46.0 (over)
Time of Game: 3 hours, 23 minutes

Colts	Game Statistics	Dolphins
32	First downs	22
44–239	Rushes–yards	23–77
218	Passing yards	209
22–37–0	Passes	16–38–2
0–0	Sacked–yards	0–0
218	Net passing yards	209
457	Total yards	286
187	Return yards	195
3–35.7	Punts	2–49.0
2–0	Fumbles–lost	3–3
13–126	Penalties–yards	8–63
35:23	Time of possession	24:37

Week 11 (Sunday, November 22, 1987): at New England Patriots

^[23]

Week 11: Indianapolis Colts at New England Patriots – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Colts (5–5)	0	0	0	0	0
Patriots (5–5)	0	10	14	0	24

at Sullivan Stadium • Foxborough, Massachusetts

Date: November 22, 1987
Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
Game weather: 24 °F (−4 °C); relative humidity 44%; wind 33 miles per hour (53 km/h; 29 kn); wind chill 9 °F (−13 °C) (Sunny)
Game attendance: 56,906
Referee: Gordon McCarter
TV announcers (NBC): Don Criqui (play-by-play) and Bob Trumpy (color commentator)
^[24]

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
IND	Passing	Gary Hogeboom	10/20, 122 YDS, 3 INTs
	Rushing	Eric Dickerson	27 CAR, 117 YDS
	Receiving	Bill Brooks	5 REC, 72 YDS
NE	Passing	Tom Ramsey	12/26, 183 YDS, 1 TD
	Rushing	Bob Perryman	10 CAR, 73 YDS
	Receiving	Stanley Morgan	5 REC, 102 YDS

Scoring summary

Quarter	Time	Drive			Team	Scoring information	Score
Quarter	Time	Plays	Yards	TOP	Team	Scoring information	IND	NE
2	14:56	9	82	3:53	Patriots	Fryar 8-yard touchdown reception from Ramsey, Franklin kick good	0	7
2	1:08	5	24	0:40	Patriots	34-yard field goal by Franklin	0	10
3	9:16	—	—	—	Patriots	Scott returned blocked punt 3 yards for a touchdown, Franklin kick good	0	17
3	2:32	—	—	—	Patriots	Interception returned 45 yards for touchdown by Lippett, Franklin kick good	0	24
"TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football.							0	24

Point spread: Colts +1
Over/Under: 39.0 (under)
Time of Game: 3 hours, 5 minutes

Colts	Game Statistics	Patriots
18	First downs	15
31–126	Rushes–yards	38–139
218	Passing yards	183
17–38–4	Passes	12–26–0
3–20	Sacked–yards	3–9
198	Net passing yards	174
324	Total yards	313
66	Return yards	93
5–34.8	Punts	8–33.6
1–1	Fumbles–lost	0–0
3–30	Penalties–yards	2–10
27:24	Time of possession	32:36

Week 12 (Sunday, November 29, 1987): vs. Houston Oilers

^[25]

Week 12: Houston Oilers at Indianapolis Colts – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Oilers (6–5)	0	10	7	10	27
Colts (6–5)	7	21	3	20	51

at Hoosier Dome • Indianapolis, Indiana

Date: November 29, 1987
Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
Game weather: indoors
Game attendance: 54,009
Referee: Bob Frederic
TV announcers (NBC): Tom Hammond (play-by-play) and Michael Jackson (color commentator)
^[26]

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
HOU	Passing	Warren Moon	24/44, 327 YDS, 3 TDs, 2 INTs
	Rushing	Mike Rozier	26 CAR, 122 YDS
	Receiving	Drew Hill	7 REC, 134 YDS, 2 TDs
IND	Passing	Gary Hogeboom	8/15, 149 YDS, 1 TD
	Rushing	Eric Dickerson	27 CAR, 136 YDS, 2 TDs
	Receiving	Matt Bouza	3 REC, 29 YDS, 1 TD

Scoring summary

Quarter	Time	Drive			Team	Scoring information	Score
Quarter	Time	Plays	Yards	TOP	Team	Scoring information	HOU	IND
1	11:07	9	82	3:53	Colts	Dickerson 19-yard touchdown run, Biasucci kick good	0	7
2	14:54	10	41	4:27	Oilers	28-yard field goal by Zendejas	3	7
2	13:21	3	76	1:33	Colts	Bentley 72-yard touchdown reception from Hogeboom, Biasucci kick good	3	14
2	12:19	2	27	0:51	Colts	Dickerson 13-yard touchdown run, Biasucci kick good	3	21
2	5:41	8	85	4:38	Oilers	Hill 7-yard touchdown reception from Moon, Zendejas kick good	10	21
2	0:10	5	68	0:34	Colts	Bentley 22-yard touchdown reception from Hogeboom, Biasucci kick good	10	28
3	9:39	8	30	4:18	Colts	36-yard field goal by Biasucci	10	31
3	2:27	15	80	7:12	Oilers	Williams 7-yard touchdown reception from Moon, Zendejas kick good	17	31
4	13:22	4	-3	1:55	Oilers	44-yard field goal by Zendejas	20	31
4	5:50	4	38	2:14	Colts	Bouza 4-yard touchdown reception from Trudeau, Biasucci kick good	20	41
4	4:48	4	83	1:46	Oilers	Hill 40-yard touchdown reception from Moon, Zendejas kick good	27	41
4	9:05	4	3	1:52	Colts	45-yard field goal by Biasucci	20	34
4	1:56	7	17	2:52	Colts	49-yard field goal by Biasucci	27	44
4	0:06	3	11	1:27	Colts	Wonsley 2-yard touchdown run, Biasucci kick good	27	51
"TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football.							27	51

Point spread: Colts –3½
Over/Under: 42.0 (over)
Time of Game: 3 hours, 30 minutes

Oilers	Game Statistics	Colts
26	First downs	18
32–136	Rushes–yards	38–211
327	Passing yards	159
24–44–2	Passes	10–19–0
1–9	Sacked–yards	1–11
318	Net passing yards	148
454	Total yards	359
154	Return yards	113
1–36.0	Punts	5–33.8
3–3	Fumbles–lost	1–1
4–65	Penalties–yards	3–40
31:12	Time of possession	28:48

Week 13 (Sunday, December 6, 1987): at Cleveland Browns

^[27]

Week 13: Indianapolis Colts at Cleveland Browns – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Colts (7–5)	0	9	0	0	9
Browns (7–5)	0	0	7	0	7

at Cleveland Stadium • Cleveland, Ohio

Date: December 6, 1987
Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
Game weather: 32 °F (0 °C); relative humidity 74%; wind 7 miles per hour (11 km/h; 6.1 kn); wind chill 26 °F (−3 °C)
Game attendance: 70,661
Referee: Dick Jorgensen
TV announcers (NBC): Charlie Jones (play-by-play) and Jimmy Cefalo (color commentator)
^[28]

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
IND	Passing	Jack Trudeau	20/34, 192 YDS
	Rushing	Eric Dickerson	27 CAR, 98 YDS
	Receiving	Bill Brooks	7 REC, 85 YDS
CLE	Passing	Bernie Kosar	16/35, 178 YDS, 1 TD
	Rushing	Kevin Mack	16 CAR, 61 YDS
	Receiving	Webster Slaughter	4 REC, 56 YDS

Scoring summary

Quarter	Time	Drive			Team	Scoring information	Score
Quarter	Time	Plays	Yards	TOP	Team	Scoring information	IND	CLE
2	8:44	5	21	1:53	Colts	33-yard field goal by Biasucci	3	0
2	4:00	7	44	3:39	Colts	37-yard field goal by Biasucci	6	0
2	0:09	10	62	1:55	Colts	41-yard field goal by Biasucci	9	0
3	3:38	5	36	3:08	Browns	Brennan 19-yard touchdown reception from Kosar, Jaeger kick good	9	7
"TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football.							9	7

Point spread: Colts +8
Over/Under: 42.0 (under)
Time of Game: 2 hours, 56 minutes

Colts	Game Statistics	Browns
18	First downs	15
30–114	Rushes–yards	26–87
192	Passing yards	178
20–34–0	Passes	16–35–0
1–9	Sacked–yards	3–18
183	Net passing yards	160
297	Total yards	247
48	Return yards	84
7–38.7	Punts	8–32.5
1–1	Fumbles–lost	2–1
3–20	Penalties–yards	4–20
30:18	Time of possession	29:42

Week 14 (Sunday, December 13, 1987): vs. Buffalo Bills

^[29]

Week 14: Buffalo Bills at Indianapolis Colts – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Bills (7–6)	7	6	0	14	27
Colts (7–6)	0	3	0	0	3

at Hoosier Dome • Indianapolis, Indiana

Date: December 13, 1987
Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
Game weather: indoors
Game attendance: 60,253
Referee: Pat Haggerty
TV announcers (NBC): Tom Hammond (play-by-play) and Dave Lapham (color commentator)
^[30]

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
BUF	Passing	Jim Kelly	18/34, 167 YDS, 2 TDs
	Rushing	Ronnie Harmon	18 CAR, 85 YDS
	Receiving	Chris Burkett	4 REC, 62 YDS
IND	Passing	Jack Trudeau	6/15, 78 YDS, 2 INTs
	Rushing	Eric Dickerson	11 CAR, 19 YDS
	Receiving	Bill Brooks	5 REC, 55 YDS

Scoring summary

Quarter	Time	Drive			Team	Scoring information	Score
Quarter	Time	Plays	Yards	TOP	Team	Scoring information	BUF	IND
1	7:49	13	75	7:11	Bills	Harmon 12-yard touchdown reception from Kelly, Norwood kick good	7	0
2	13:43	6	25	1:48	Bills	39-yard field goal by Norwood	7	3
2	8:07	4	9	1:43	Colts	30-yard field goal by Biasucci	10	3
2	1:57	13	69	6:10	Bills	25-yard field goal by Norwood	13	3
4	9:38	11	56	5:08	Bills	Johnson 8-yard touchdown reception from Kelly, Norwood kick good	20	3
4	1:11	—	—	—	Bills	Fumble recovery returned 0 yards for touchdown by Smith, Norwood kick good	27	3
"TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football.							27	3

Point spread: Colts –3½
Over/Under: 44.5 (under)
Time of Game: 3 hours, 12 minutes

Bills	Game Statistics	Colts
25	First downs	9
49–219	Rushes–yards	17–33
167	Passing yards	146
18–35–0	Passes	14–27–4
0–0	Sacked–yards	5–49
167	Net passing yards	97
385	Total yards	130
114	Return yards	112
6–37.5	Punts	8–40.9
4–4	Fumbles–lost	5–2
5–45	Penalties–yards	4–25
39:08	Time of possession	20:52

Week 15 (Sunday, December 20, 1987): at San Diego Chargers

^[31]

Week 15: Indianapolis Colts at San Diego Chargers – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Colts (8–6)	7	6	0	7	20
Chargers (8–6)	7	0	0	0	7

at Jack Murphy Stadium • San Diego, California

Date: December 20, 1987
Game time: 4:00 p.m. EST
Game weather: 53 °F (12 °C); relative humidity 80%; wind 7 miles per hour (11 km/h; 6.1 kn)
Game attendance: 46,211
Referee: Jerry Markbreit
TV announcers (NBC): Don Criqui (play-by-play) and Paul Maguire (color commentator)
^[32]

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
IND	Passing	Jack Trudeau	20/39, 201 YDS, 1 TD
	Rushing	Eric Dickerson	23 CAR, 115 YDS
	Receiving	Matt Bouza	5 REC, 35 YDS
SD	Passing	Dan Fouts	22/37, 257 YDS, 3 INTs
	Rushing	Curtis Adams	7 CAR, 26 YDS
	Receiving	Gary Anderson	7 REC, 68 YDS

Scoring summary

Quarter	Time	Drive			Team	Scoring information	Score
Quarter	Time	Plays	Yards	TOP	Team	Scoring information	IND	SD
1	7:59	13	74	7:01	Chargers	Fouts 1-yard touchdown run, Abbott kick good	0	7
1	2:53	7	74	2:54	Colts	Brooks 42-yard touchdown reception from Hogeboom, Biasucci kick good	7	7
2	3:18	12	47	6:02	Colts	36-yard field goal by Biasucci	10	7
2	0:01	9	41	1:07	Colts	41-yard field goal by Biasucci	13	7
4	1:53	3	68	0:57	Colts	Bentley 3-yard touchdown run, Biasucci kick good	20	7
"TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football.							20	7

Point spread: Colts +3½
Over/Under: 42.0 (under)
Time of Game: 3 hours, 8 minutes

Colts	Game Statistics	Chargers
19	First downs	17
32–146	Rushes–yards	22–59
201	Passing yards	257
20–39–0	Passes	22–37–3
1–7	Sacked–yards	5–43
194	Net passing yards	214
340	Total yards	273
70	Return yards	79
9–41.9	Punts	7–39.1
2–0	Fumbles–lost	1–0
6–50	Penalties–yards	6–40
30:24	Time of possession	29:36

Week 16 (Sunday, December 27, 1987): vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

^[33]

Week 16: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Indianapolis Colts – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Buccaneers (4–11)	3	0	0	3	6
Colts (9–6)	7	3	7	7	24

at Hoosier Dome • Indianapolis, Indiana

Date: December 27, 1987
Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
Game attendance: 60,468
Referee: Jim Tunney
TV announcers (CBS): Jim Lampley (play-by-play), Ken Stabler (color commentator) and Will McDonough (sideline reporter)
^[34]

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
TB	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
IND	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

Scoring summary

Quarter	Time	Drive			Team	Scoring information	Score
Quarter	Time	Plays	Yards	TOP	Team	Scoring information	TB	IND
1	11:43	7	84	3:17	Colts	Dickerson 6-yard touchdown run, Biasucci kick good	0	7
1	4:02	7	39	2:54	Buccaneers	38-yard field goal by Igwebuike	3	7
2	0:08	8	68	0:58	Colts	30-yard field goal by Biasucci	3	10
3	5:39	2	70	1:05	Colts	Dickerson 34-yard touchdown run, Biasucci kick good	3	17
4	11:49	9	60	2:05	Buccaneers	39-yard field goal by Igwebuike	6	17
4	7:54	6	46	3:55	Colts	Bentley 2-yard touchdown run, Biasucci kick good	6	24
"TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football.							6	24

Point spread:
Over/Under:
Time of Game: 3 hours, 18 minutes

Buccaneers	Game Statistics	Colts
	First downs
	Rushes–yards
	Passing yards
	Passes
	Sacked–yards
	Net passing yards
	Total yards
	Return yards
	Punts
	Fumbles–lost
	Penalties–yards
	Time of possession

Standings

AFC East
	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
Indianapolis Colts⁽³⁾	9	6	0	.600	5–3	8–6	300	238	W2
New England Patriots	8	7	0	.533	6–2	8–4	320	293	W3
Miami Dolphins	8	7	0	.533	2–6	5–7	362	335	L1
Buffalo Bills	7	8	0	.467	4–4	6–6	270	305	L2
New York Jets	6	9	0	.400	3–5	6–5	334	360	L4

Stats

Passing

Passing
Player	Pos	G	GS	QBrec	Cmp	Att	Cmp%	Yds	TD	TD%	Int	Int%	Y/A	AY/A	Y/C	Y/G	Lng	Rate	Sk	Yds	NY/A	ANY/A	Sk%	4QC	GWD
Trudeau	QB	10	8	5–3–0	128	229	55.9	1587	6	2.6	6	2.6	55	6.9	6.3	12.4	158.7	75.4	13	100	5.4	6.14	5.52
Hogeboom	QB	6	6	4–2–0	99	168	58.9	1145	9	5.4	5	3.0	72	6.8	6.5	11.6	190.8	85.0	8	63	4.5	6.15	5.89
Kiel	QB	4	1	0–1–0	17	33	51.5	195	1	3.0	3	9.1	21	5.9	2.4	11.5	48.8	41.9	0	0	0.0	5.91	2.42
Salisbury	QB	2	0		8	12	66.7	68	0	0.0	2	16.7	11	5.7	-1.8	8.5	34.0	41.7	2	18	14.3	3.57	2.86
Nugent	QB	1	0		3	5	60.0	47	0	0.0	0	0.0	21	9.4	9.4	15.7	47.0	91.2	1	9	16.7	6.33	6.33
Team Total		15		9–6–0	245	447	57.0	3042	16	3.6	16	3.6	72	6.8	5.9	11.9	217.3	75.0	24	190	5.1	6.06	5.21
Opp Total		15			250	501	49.9	3073	19	3.8	20	4.0		6.1	5.10	12.3	204.9	65.2	39	313	7.2	5.10	4.10

Rushing

Rushing
Player	Pos	G	GS	Att	Yds	TD	Lng	Y/A	Y/G	A/G
Dickerson	RB	9	8	223	1011	5	53	4.5	112.3	24.8
Bentley	RB	12	4	142	631	7	17	4.4	52.6	11.8
Banks	RB	3	1	50	245	0	35	4.9	81.7	16.7
Brown	RB	3	0	19	85	1	18	4.5	28.3	6.3
Wonsley	RB	11	0	18	71	1	12	3.9	6.5	1.6
McLemore	RB	2	2	17	58	0	9	3.4	29.0	8.5
Kiel	QB	4	1	4	30	0	16	7.5	7.5	1.0
Trudeau	QB	10	8	15	7	0	9	0.5	0.7	1.5
Carver	RB	1	0	2	3	0	3	1.5	3.0	2.0
Hogeboom	QB	6	6	3	3	0	2	1.0	0.5	0.5
Nugent	QB	1	0	2	1	0	3	0.5	1.0	2.0
Brooks	WR	12	12	2	-2	0	1	-1.0	-0.2	0.2
Team Total		15		487	2143	14	53	4.3	153.1	35.5
Opp Total		15		463	1790	6		3.9	119.3	30.9

Receiving

Receiving
Player	Pos	G	GS	Rec	Yds	Y/R	TD	Lng	R/G	Y/G	Ctch%
Team Total		15		255	3042	11.9	16	72	18.2	217.3
Opp Total		15		250	2760	11.0	19		16.7	184.0

Kicking

Kicking
		Games		0–19		20–29		30–39		40–49		50+		Scoring
Player	Pos	G	GS	FGA	FGM	FGA	FGM	FGA	FGM	FGA	FGM	FGA	FGM	FGA	FGM	Lng	FG%	XPA	XPM	XP%
Team Total		15				7	6	14	14	9	6	2	1	32	27		84.4%	31	31	100.0%
Opp Total		15												26	15		57.7%	28	25	89.3%

Punting

Punting
Player	Pos	G	GS	Pnt	Yds	Lng	Blck	Y/P
Team Total		15		75	2941	63	3	39.2
Opp Total		15		82	3050			37.2

Kick Return

Kick Return
Player	Pos	G	GS	Rt	Yds	TD	Lng	Y/Rt
Team Total
Opp Total

Punt Return

Sacks

Interceptions

Fumbles

Tackles

Scoring Summary

Team

Quarter-by-quarter

Quarter-by-quarter
Team	1	2	3	4	OT	T
Colts	48	120	61	71	0	300
Opponents	61	52	48	77	0	238

Playoffs

The team received a bye for the Wild-Card round of the playoffs and traveled to Cleveland for the divisional round. After being tied with Browns for most of the game the 4th quarter proved to be their undoing, as they were outscored 17–7.

Playoff Round	Date	Opponent (seed)	Time	TV	Result	Record	Game Site	Attendance	Recap
Wild Card	First-round Bye
Divisional	January 9	at Cleveland Browns (2)	12:30 p.m. EST	NBC	L 21–38	0–1	Cleveland Stadium	78,586	Recap

Playoff Game summaries

AFC Wild Card Playoffs: First-round bye

AFC Divisional Playoffs (Saturday, January 9, 1988): at (A2) Cleveland Browns

^[35]

AFC Divisional Playoffs: Indianapolis Colts at Cleveland Browns – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Colts (9–8)	7	7	0	7	21
Browns (11–5)	7	7	7	17	38

at Cleveland Stadium • Cleveland, Ohio

Date: January 9, 1988
Game time: 12:30 p.m. EST
Game attendance: 78,546
Referee: Red Cashion
TV announcers (NBC): Don Criqui (play-by-play), Bob Trumpy (color commentator), Paul Maguire (sideline reporter) and Ahmad Rashad (sideline reporter)
^[36]

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
IND	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
CLE	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

Scoring summary

Quarter	Time	Drive			Team	Scoring information	Score
Quarter	Time	Plays	Yards	TOP	Team	Scoring information	IND	CLE
"TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football.							21	38

Point spread:
Over/Under:
Time of Game: 3 hours, 15 minutes

Colts	Game Statistics	Browns
	First downs
	Rushes–yards
	Passing yards
	Passes
	Sacked–yards
	Net passing yards
	Total yards
	Return yards
	Punts
	Fumbles–lost
	Penalties–yards
	Time of possession

References

↑ "1987 NFL Pro Bowlers". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
↑ "1987 NFL All-Pros". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
↑ NFL 2001 Record and Fact Book, Workman Publishing Co, New York,NY, ISBN 0-7611-2480-2, p.286
↑ The 24-day players' strike reduced the 16-game season to 15, causing week 3 to be canceled.
↑ The Football Database. Retrieved 2022-Sep-07.
↑ Pro Football Reference; Cincinnati Bengals at Indianapolis Colts – September 13, 1987
↑ The Football Database. Retrieved 2022-Sep-07.
↑ Pro Football Reference; Miami Dolphins at Indianapolis Colts – September 20, 1987
↑ The Football Database. Retrieved 2022-Sep-07.
↑ Pro Football Reference; Indianapolis Colts at Buffalo Bills – October 4, 1987
↑ The Football Database. Retrieved 2022-Sep-07.
↑ Pro Football Reference; New York Jets at Indianapolis Colts – October 11, 1987
↑ The Football Database. Retrieved 2022-Sep-07.
↑ Pro Football Reference; Indianapolis Colts at Pittsburgh Steelers – October 18, 1987
↑ The Football Database. Retrieved 2022-Sep-07.
↑ Pro Football Reference; New England Patriots at Indianapolis Colts – October 25, 1987
↑ The Football Database. Retrieved 2022-Sep-07.
↑ Pro Football Reference; Indianapolis Colts at New York Jets – November 1, 1987
↑ The Football Database. Retrieved 2022-Sep-07.
↑ Pro Football Reference; San Diego Chargers at Indianapolis Colts – November 8, 1987
↑ The Football Database. Retrieved 2022-Sep-07.
↑ Pro Football Reference; Indianapolis Colts at Miami Dolphins – November 15, 1987
↑ The Football Database. Retrieved 2022-Sep-07.
↑ Pro Football Reference; Indianapolis Colts at New England Patriots – November 22, 1987
↑ The Football Database. Retrieved 2022-Sep-07.
↑ Pro Football Reference; Houston Oilers at Indianapolis Colts – November 29, 1987
↑ The Football Database. Retrieved 2022-Sep-07.
↑ Pro Football Reference; Indianapolis Colts at Cleveland Browns – December 6, 1987
↑ The Football Database. Retrieved 2022-Sep-07.
↑ Pro Football Reference; Buffalo Bills at Indianapolis Colts – December 13, 1987
↑ The Football Database. Retrieved 2022-Sep-07.
↑ Pro Football Reference; Indianapolis Colts at San Diego Chargers – December 20, 1987
↑ The Football Database. Retrieved 2022-Sep-07.
↑ Pro Football Reference; Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Indianapolis Colts – December 27, 1987
↑ The Football Database. Retrieved 2022-Sep-07.
↑ Pro Football Reference; AFC Divisional Playoffs – Indianapolis Colts at Cleveland Browns – January 9, 1988

Offseason

NFL draft

NFL replacement players

Roster

Pre season

Schedule

Preseason Game summaries

Week P1 (Saturday, August 15, 1987): at Detroit Lions

Week P2 (Saturday, August 22, 1987): at Minnesota Vikings

Week P3 (Saturday, August 29, 1987): vs. Houston Oilers

Week P4 (Saturday, September 5, 1987): vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Regular season

Schedule

Regular Season Game summaries

Week 1 (Sunday, September 13, 1987): vs. Cincinnati Bengals

Week 2 (Sunday, September 20, 1987): vs. Miami Dolphins

Week 3 (Sunday, September 27, 1987): at St. Louis Cardinals

Week 4 (Sunday, October 4, 1987): at Buffalo Bills

Week 5 (Sunday, October 11, 1987): vs. New York Jets

Week 6 (Sunday, October 18, 1987): at Pittsburgh Steelers

Week 7 (Sunday, October 25, 1987): vs. New England Patriots

Week 8 (Sunday, November 1, 1987): at New York Jets

Week 9 (Sunday, November 8, 1987): vs. San Diego Chargers

Week 10 (Sunday, November 15, 1987): at Miami Dolphins

Week 11 (Sunday, November 22, 1987): at New England Patriots

Week 12 (Sunday, November 29, 1987): vs. Houston Oilers

Week 13 (Sunday, December 6, 1987): at Cleveland Browns

Week 14 (Sunday, December 13, 1987): vs. Buffalo Bills

Week 15 (Sunday, December 20, 1987): at San Diego Chargers

Week 16 (Sunday, December 27, 1987): vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Standings

Stats

Playoffs

Playoff Game summaries

AFC Wild Card Playoffs: First-round bye

AFC Divisional Playoffs (Saturday, January 9, 1988): at (A2) Cleveland Browns

References

See also