2009 Indianapolis Colts

In the 2008 season, despite having a quarterback still recovering from knee surgery, the Indianapolis Colts managed to place 2nd in the AFC South and score a wild card berth in the playoffs. The Colts are starting out the 2009 season strong offensively and defensively, and they’ve addressed their one weakness, the center of the team’s run defense. Keyunta Dawson is moving from defensive tackle to defensive end, with the super-sized Fili Moala taking over the DT position. That means that the Colts are early favorites in the AFC and are expected to go deep into the playoffs. If you want to catch one of the best teams in the league, then don’t wait to get your tickets to Lucas Oil Stadium. Everyone will want tickets to see the Colts live in 2009.

Some Indianapolis Colts history: Colts football got its start in Baltimore. Professional football in Maryland dates to 1947, when the Miami Seahawks of the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) moved to Baltimore and became the Colts. The AAFC folded and the Colts joined the NFL, but after two consecutive seasons with 1-11 win-loss records, the franchise was dissolved.

The Colts were reborn in 1953 when the NFL's Dallas Texans moved to Baltimore and took the name Colts. Owner and business executive Carroll Rosenbloom promptly engineered the biggest trade in league history -- a deal that sent five Colts to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for ten players, including defensive back Don Shula.

Following four seasons of rebuilding, the Colts captured consecutive NFL titles in 1958 and 1959 under head coach Weeb Ewbank. Baltimore's overtime defeat of the New York Giants in the 1958 NFL Championship Game is regarded as one of the greatest NFL contests ever played. A year later, the Colts again bested the Giants for the NFL crown.

During the 1960s Baltimore remained a dominant power in the NFL as quarterback Johnny Unitas continued to power the team. In 1960 he became the first NFL quarterback to pass for more than 3,000 yards in one season. Shula replaced Ewbank in 1963, becoming one of the youngest head coaches in NFL history at age 33. Over the next seven seasons, he steered the Colts to four first-place finishes in their division.

The Colts enjoyed an outstanding season in 1968, winning 13 of 14 games. Earl Morrall replaced the injured Unitas and produced an MVP season, leading the league in passing while throwing for nearly 3,000 yards. The NFL-champion Colts, however, were upset (16-7) by the American Football League (AFL) champions, the New York Jets, led by quarterback Joe Namath.

Shula left Baltimore in 1970 to take over the Miami Dolphins. His replacement, Dan McCafferty, put together the league's most powerful offense, and the team won the Eastern Division title. The Colts then advanced to the Super Bowl, where they defeated the Dallas Cowboys 16-13 on a last-second field goal by rookie Jim O'Brien.

After having endured seven straight losing seasons from 1978 to 1984, and faced with dwindling fan support, the Colts moved to Indianapolis. Led by running back Marshall Faulk and quarterback Jim Harbaugh, the Colts reached the AFC Championship Game in 1995, but they lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers. In 1999 wide receiver Marvin Harrison, running back Edgerrin James, and quarterback Peyton Manning led the team to the Eastern Division championship, but the Colts lost to the Tennessee Titans in the playoffs.