COLTS ANNOUNCE 2018 REGULAR SEASON SCHEDULE

The Indianapolis Colts today announced its 2018 regular season schedule.

Along with their traditional matchups against AFC South Division opponents – Houston, Jacksonville and Tennessee – the Colts will face the AFC East and NFC East Divisions. Indianapolis also will host Cincinnati and travel to Oakland to face the Raiders.

In total, the Colts will face five playoff teams from the 2017 season, including Buffalo, Jacksonville, New England, Philadelphia and Tennessee. Indianapolis will play in one primetime game in 2018.

·         In Week 1, the Colts will host the Cincinnati Bengals. Indianapolis has a 17-11 overall regular season record against the Bengals and are 9-6 at home. Last season, the Colts traveled to Cincinnati in Week 8 and were defeated, 24-23. Tight end Jack Doyle set single-game career highs in receptions (12) and receiving yards (121) and added one touchdown reception.

·         Indianapolis will travel to Washington D.C. to face the Redskins in Week 2. The Colts own a 20-10 overall regular season series advantage over Washington and are 6-7 in the nation’s capital. The last contest between the teams was on Nov. 30, 2014, in the Circle City. Indianapolis won 49-27 as quarterback Andrew Luck completed 19-of-27 passes for 370 yards, a career-high five touchdowns and one interception for a 137.0 passer rating. Wide receiver T.Y. Hilton caught five passes for 62 yards and one touchdown.

·         In Week 3, the Colts will travel to Philadelphia to face the reigning Super Bowl champion Eagles. Indianapolis owns a 10-8 overall regular season series record against Philadelphia and are 5-5 on the road. In their last matchup on Sept. 15, 2014, the Colts were defeated, 30-27. Luck completed 20-of-34 passes for 172 yards with three touchdowns and one interception.

·         Indianapolis will host the Houston Texans in Week 4. The Colts own a 14-2 record against the Texans in Indianapolis. The Colts won 13 consecutive home games against Houston from 2002 to 2014. In the 2017 regular season finale, Indianapolis defeated Houston at home, 22-13. Defensive tackle Hassan Ridgeway tallied a safety after forcing a sack while cornerback Quincy Wilson registered his first career interception.

·         In Week 5, the Colts will travel to New England to face the Patriots on Thursday Night Football. New England holds a 47-28 overall regular season series lead and are 25-12 at home against Indianapolis. The last regular season matchup between the teams came on Oct. 18, 2015, when the Patriots won, 34-27. Luck completed 30-of-50 passes for 312 yards and three touchdowns while Hilton caught six passes for 74 yards and one touchdown.

·         The Colts will travel to New York to face the Jets in Week 6. Indianapolis owns a 41-28 overall regular season series advantage and are 22-13 against the Jets in New York. The last time the teams squared off was in New York on Dec. 5, 2016, when Indianapolis won, 41-10. Luck completed 22-of-28 passes for 278 yards and four touchdowns for a 147.6 passer rating. He completed 78.6 percent of his passes which was the second-highest in a single game in his career.

·         In Week 7, Indianapolis will host the Buffalo Bills. The Colts trail the Bills in the all-time regular season series, 31-37-1 overall and are 18-14-1 at home, including winning the last five in the Circle City. In Week 14 of last season, Indianapolis and Buffalo played in blizzard conditions in New York. The teams combined for 390 net rushing yards and the Bills won in overtime, 13-7.

·         Indianapolis will travel to Oakland to play the Raiders in Week 8. Oakland leads the overall regular season series record at 8-6 and are 4-2 at home. The last time the teams squared off was on Dec. 24, 2016, in Oakland. The Raiders defeated the Colts, 33-25. Oakland quarterback Derek Carr completed 21-of-31 passes for 232 yards and three touchdowns in the win. For the Colts, Hilton led all players with 105 receiving yards on four receptions.

·         Following a Week 9 bye, the Colts will host three consecutive home games.

·         In Week 10, Indianapolis will host the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Colts are 12-5 all-time against Jacksonville at home and 4-1 in their last five meetings in Indy. Last season, the Jaguars defeated Indianapolis 27-0 in Week 7. It marked Jacksonville’s first win in Indianapolis since 2012.

·         In Week 11, the Colts will host the Tennessee Titans. Indianapolis owns an 18-7 record against Tennessee in Indy and are 9-1 in the last 10 matchups at home. The Colts hosted the Titans in Week 12 of the 2017 season and lost, 20-16. Defensively, Indianapolis held Tennessee to nine net rushing yards in the first half.

·         Indianapolis will host the Miami Dolphins in Week 12. The Dolphins lead the overall regular season series record at 45-26, including a 22-14 record on the road. The last time the teams squared off was in Miami in 2016 when the Colts won, 18-12. Hilton led the Colts with four receptions for 64 yards.

·         In Week 13, the Colts will travel to Jacksonville. In Week 13 of the 2017 season, Indianapolis lost to the Jaguars in Florida, 30-10. Jacksonville has won their last three games as the home team against the Colts, including their 2016 victory at London’s Wembley Stadium as part of the UK International Series.

·         Indianapolis will travel to Houston in Week 14. The Colts are 11-5 all-time against the Texans in Houston and have won four of the last five road games. In 2017, Indianapolis defeated the Texans in Week 9, 20-14. Quarterback Jacoby Brissett registered his second career 300-yard passing game after completing 20-of-30 passes for 308 yards and two touchdowns. Hilton compiled five receptions for 175 yards and two touchdowns. His 175 receiving yards were the third-highest in a single game in his career.

·         In Week 15, the Colts will host the Dallas Cowboys for the first time since the 2010 season. Dallas holds the overall regular season series lead at 10-5 and has won the last three matchups. In their last meeting on Dec. 21, 2014, the Cowboys were victorious at home, 42-7.

·         Indianapolis will host the New York Giants in Week 16. The date and time for the contest will be announced at a later date. The Colts hold a 9-6 overall regular season series advantage over the Giants, including wins in the last three contests. In their last matchup on Nov. 3, 2014, Indianapolis defeated New York, 40-24. Luck completed 25-of-46 passes for 354 yards and four touchdowns for a 108.4 passer rating.

·         The Colts will conclude the 2018 regular season in Nashville against the Titans in Week 17. Since 2009, Indianapolis has a 7-2 record in Tennessee. In 2017, the Colts were defeated by the Titans in Week 6 on ESPN’s Monday Night Football, 36-22. In the third quarter, outside linebacker John Simon registered his first career interception and returned it for a touchdown. He led the team with a career-high 11 tackles and added 1.0 sack.