Week 17: Indianapolis at Buffalo
The Colts-Bills rivalry has simmered since the National Football League’s realignment in 2002. Prior to that time, the two clubs met twice a year as division foes in the AFC East since the Colts, then located in Baltimore, joined the AFC as part of the AFL-NFL merger in 1970.
All in all, this series has been relatively even with Buffalo holding a slim 34-30-1 edge. However, both teams have had their fair share of season sweeps over the years. The Bills swept the Colts 11 times while the Colts won both games in a season eight times.
Recently, the Colts have the upper hand having won the last six games between the two teams.
Why Colts at Bills?
First Time:
Nov. 15, 1970 – The Bills and Colts played to a 17-17 tie in Week 9 at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore. Buffalo rookie QB Dennis Shaw threw a pair of first half TD passes to put the Bills out in front. Baltimore responded behind the running of Norm Bulaich that helped get the passing game going.
Last Time:
Nov. 12, 2006 – The Colts won this Week 10 matchup in Indianapolis to become the first team in NFL history to start 9-0 in back-to-back seasons. The Bills had a chance to take the lead but missed a field goal with just more than six minutes to play. The Colts then ran out the clock to preserve the 17-16 win.
Hall of Fame Members
Buffalo has eight long-time members enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The most recent addition of a Buffalo Bill to the Hall’s honor roll was defensive end Bruce Smith who was enshrined this past August. One other Hall of Famer, wide receiver James Lofton who spent most of his career in Green Bay, also played with the Bills.
The Colts franchise has ten long-time members represented with a bronze bust in Canton and two other Hall of Famers who spent a brief period with the Colts. All of the enshrinees but running back Eric Dickerson have ties to when the team was located in Baltimore.
Enshrinees by Team
Records found in the NFL Record Book
The Bills and Colts share the NFL record for most first downs on penalties in a season. Buffalo had 47 first downs via penalties in the 2002 season. The Colts matched that mark two seasons later.
Throwback Game
Oct. 12, 1975
 |
| Buffalo’s Jim Braxton scored three TDs for the second straight week. |
The Bills and Colts met for the first of two meetings during a four-week stretch of the ’75 season. Buffalo, fresh off a playoff appearance the season before, entered this game at Baltimore’s Memorial Stadium at 3-0. The Colts, who beat the Bears in the season opener, were coming off back-to-back losses to the Oakland Raiders and Los Angeles Rams.
Baltimore jumped out to an early 14-0 lead courtesy of two Lydell Mitchell touchdown runs. It marked the first time of the season that Buffalo had trailed in a game. But, the Bills’ running game was at its prime with the backfield duo of Hall of Famer O.J. Simpson and fullback Jim Braxton.
The Bills battled back as Simpson led the way with 159 yards rushing and one touchdown, a 12-yard run in the first quarter. Meanwhile, Braxton found the end zone three times, all on short plays, the last of which came on a 3-yard game-winning touchdown run. Braxton’s third touchdown capped an 80-yard drive orchestrated by QB Joe Ferguson and helped by Simpson’s seven carries.
Buffalo WR John Holland, filling in for an injured Bob Chandler, led all receivers with 121 yards on six catches and scored one TD. It marked the first of his two career 100-yard games.
Mitchell, who finished with 107 yards rushing on 19 carries, also had two more touchdowns on pass receptions from quarterback Bert Jones. It marked the only four-touchdown game of Mitchell’s nine-year NFL career.
The Colts got revenge a month later in Buffalo with a 42-35 win over the Bills en route to one the NFL’s greatest turnarounds. Baltimore went from last to first in the AFC East. After finishing a disappointing 2-12 in 1974, the Colts won the AFC East with a 10-4 mark in 1975. Meanwhile, the Bills missed a return to the postseason after they finished 8-6.
| Buffalo |
10 |
14 |
7 |
7 |
- |
38 |
| Baltimore |
14 |
7 |
7 |
3 |
- |
31 |
| A– 43,907 |
| |
| BAL – Mitchell 6 run (Linhart kick) |
| BAL – Mitchell 11 run (Linhart kick) |
| BUF – FG Leypoldt 44 |
| BUF – Simpson 12 run (Leypoldt kick) |
| BAL – Mitchell 25 pass from Jones (Linhart kick) |
| BUF – Braxton 1 run (Leypoldt kick) |
| BUF – Holland 15 pass from Ferguson (Leypoldt kick) |
| BAL – Mitchell 23 pass from Jones (Linhart kick) |
| BUF – Braxton 5 pass from Ferguson (Leypoldt kick) |
| BAL – FG Linhart 19 |
| BUF – Braxton 3 run (Leypoldt kick) |
Game Program Cover | Official Gamebook (PDF)
More Bills & Colts on Profootballhof.com
Team histories
Bills | Colts
Photos
Bills Hall of Famers
Colts Hall of Famers
Bills wide receivers
Colts through the years
Artifacts
Colts marching band drum
Steve Christie’s shoe from greatest comeback
Billy Shaw’s AFL helmet
Marvin Harrison’s record-setting jersey
Some other stories on Bills & Colts
Bills have NFL’s greatest comeback
Bills beat Colts in greatest comeback in regulation
Colts won “Greatest Game Ever Played”
Johnny U’s “unbreakable” record
“Bermuda Triangle” anchors Buffalo turnaround
Bills, Colts involved in blockbuster trade
2009 Throwback Game of the Week archive>>>