The 1982 Baltimore Colts season was the 30th season for the team in the National Football League (NFL), and the Colts’ penultimate season in Baltimore. It was their first under former Arizona State coach Frank Kush, who was hired to replace Mike McCormack after he recorded a 2–14 record in 1981.[1]
The Colts finished the NFL's strike-shortened 1982 season without a victory, finishing with eight losses and one tie in their nine games. The Colts became the third team since the league’s expansion era began in 1960, after the 1960 Dallas Cowboys and the 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the second team since the AFL-NFL merger to finish a regular season winless. Since then, the 2008 Detroit Lions and the 2017 Cleveland Browns have posted winless seasons; the Colts are the only one of these five teams that did not do so in a full, uninterrupted season (the Cowboys played twelve games, the Buccaneers fourteen, and the Lions and Browns sixteen, as per the league standards of the time). The Colts are also the only winless team to not have a winning percentage of .000 due to the tie giving them a percentage of .056 which is the worst non-zero win percentage for a team in post-1900s North American sports history. It would be the final season the Colts tied a game for 40 years. This record is only breakable by an NFL team going 0–16–1 (.029) in a season, an MLB team going 8–154 or worse, an NBA team going 4–78 or worse, or by an NHL team finishing with 9 points or fewer.
As mentioned above, the NFL's 1982 season was disrupted by a strike by the league's players. In the Colts’ first game after the end of the strike on November 21, they were shut out by the New York Jets 37–0. The following week, they were shut out by the Buffalo Bills 20–0, in a game in which the Colts’ offense never crossed the 50-yard line.[2] Nevertheless, the week after that, they lost by only three points to the playoff-bound and defending AFC champion Cincinnati Bengals.
Offseason
NFL draft
Undrafted free agents
Personnel
Staff
1982 Baltimore Colts staff
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Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
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Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
- Special Teams – Bob Valesente
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Roster
Regular season
Schedule
Week
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Date
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Opponent
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Result
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Record
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Venue
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Attendance
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1
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September 12
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New England Patriots
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L 13–24
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0–1
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Memorial Stadium
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39,055
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2
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September 19
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at Miami Dolphins
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L 20–24
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0–2
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Miami Orange Bowl
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51,999
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NFLPA strike
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3
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November 21
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at New York Jets
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L 0–37
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0–3
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Shea Stadium
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46,970
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4
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November 28
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at Buffalo Bills
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L 0–20
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0–4
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Rich Stadium
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33,985
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5
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December 5
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Cincinnati Bengals
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L 17–20
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0–5
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Memorial Stadium
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23,598
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6
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December 12
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at Minnesota Vikings
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L 10–13
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0–6
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Metrodome
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53,981
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7
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December 19
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Green Bay Packers
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T 20–20 (OT)
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0–6–1
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Memorial Stadium
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25,920
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8
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December 26
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at San Diego Chargers
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L 26–44
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0–7–1
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Jack Murphy Stadium
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49,711
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9
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January 2, 1983
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Miami Dolphins
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L 7–34
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0–8–1
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Memorial Stadium
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19,073
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Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
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Game summaries
Week 1: vs. New England Patriots
Game information
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First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
- BAL – Mike Wood 30-yard field goal. Colts 13–10.
- NE – Ken Toler 30-yard pass from Matt Cavanaugh (Rex Robinson kick). Patriots 17–13.
Fourth quarter
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Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
- NE – Tony Collins – 4 receptions, 56 yards, TD
- BAL – Matt Bouza – 6 receptions, 76 yards
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Week 2: at Miami Dolphins
Game information
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First quarter
Second quarter
- BAL – Ray Butler 53-yard pass from Mike Pagel (Mike Wood kick). Dolphins 14–7.
- BAL – Mike Wood 51-yard field goal. Dolphins 14–10.
- BAL – Barry Krauss 5-yard pass from Mike Wood (Mike Wood kick). Colts 17–14.
Third quarter
- MIA – Tommy Vigorito 33-yard run (Uwe von Schamann kick). Dolphins 21–17.
- MIA – Uwe von Schamann 29-yard field goal. Dolphins 24–17.
Fourth quarter
- BAL – Mike Wood 48-yard field goal. Dolphins 24–20.
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Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
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Week 3: at New York Jets
Game information
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First quarter
Second quarter
- NYJ – Mike Augustyniak 1-yard run (Pat Leahy kick). Jets 17–0.
- NYJ – Lam Jones 23-yard pass from Richard Todd (Pat Leahy kick). Jets 24–0.
- NYJ – Pat Leahy 37-yard field goal. Jets 27–0.
Third quarter
- NYJ – Freeman McNeil 32-yard pass from Richard Todd (Pat Leahy kick). Jets 34–0.
Fourth quarter
- NYJ – Pat Leahy 19-yard field goal. Jets 37–0.
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Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
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Week 4: at Buffalo Bills
Game information
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First quarter
Second quarter
- BUF – Roosevelt Leaks 1-yard run (Efren Herrera kick). Bills 10–0.
- BUF – Roosevelt Leaks 1-yard run (Efren Herrera kick). Bills 17–0.
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
- BUF – Efren Herrera 41-yard field goal. Bills 20–0.
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Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
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Week 5: vs. Cincinnati Bengals
Week 5: Cincinnati Bengals at Baltimore Colts – Game summary
at Memorial Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland
- Date: December 5
- Game time: 4:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 61 °F (16 °C)
- Game attendance: 23,598
- Box score
Game information
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First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
- CIN – M. L. Harris 2-yard pass from Ken Anderson (Jim Breech kick). Bengals 20–10.
- BAL – Pat Beach 4-yard pass from Mike Pagel (Mike Wood kick). Bengals 20–17.
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Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
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Week 6: at Minnesota Vikings
Game information
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First quarter
Second quarter
- BAL – Mike Wood 39-yard field goal. Vikings 7–3.
Third quarter
- BAL – Jim Burroughs 94-yard interception return (Mike Wood kick). Colts 10–7.
- MIN – Rick Danmeier 23-yard field goal. Tied 10–10.
Fourth quarter
- MIN – Rick Danmeier 40-yard field goal. Vikings 13–10.
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Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
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Week 7: vs. Green Bay Packers
Week 7: Green Bay Packers at Baltimore Colts – Game summary
at Memorial Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland
- Date: December 19
- Game time: 2:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 29 °F (−2 °C)
- Game attendance: 25,920
- Box score
Game information
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First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
- BAL – Dan Miller 40-yard field goal. Packers 10–6.
- GB – Jan Stenerud 25-yard field goal. Packers 13–6.
Fourth quarter
Overtime
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Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
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Week 8: at San Diego Chargers
Game information
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First quarter
Second quarter
- SD – Rolf Benirschke 45-yard field goal. Chargers 10–0.
- SD – Wes Chandler 41-yard pass from Dan Fouts (kick failed). Chargers 16–0.
- SD – Kellen Winslow 13-yard pass from Dan Fouts (Rolf Benirschke kick). Chargers 23–0.
- BAL – Dan Miller 46-yard field goal. Chargers 23–3.
Third quarter
- BAL – Matt Bouza 15-yard pass from Mike Pagel (Dan Miller kick). Chargers 23–10.
- BAL – Dan Miller 58-yard field goal. Chargers 23–13.
- SD – James Brooks 8-yard run (Rolf Benirschke kick). Chargers 30–13.
- SD – Wes Chandler 44-yard pass from Dan Fouts (Rolf Benirschke kick). Chargers 37–13.
Fourth quarter
- BAL – Curtis Dickey 1-yard run (pass failed). Chargers 37–19.
- SD – Kellen Winslow 28-yard pass from Dan Fouts (Rolf Benirschke kick). Chargers 44–19.
- BAL – Tim Sherwin 0-yard fumble return (Rolf Benirschke kick). Chargers 44–26.
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Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
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Week 9: vs. Miami Dolphins
Week 9: Miami Dolphins at Baltimore Colts – Game summary
at Memorial Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland
- Date: January 2, 1983
- Game time: 2:00 p.m.
- Game weather: 37 °F (3 °C)
- Game attendance: 19,073
- Box score
Game information
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First quarter
Second quarter
- BAL – Zacahry Dixon 11-yard run (Dan Miller kick). Dolphins 10–7.
- MIA – Jimmy Cefalo 34-yard pass from David Woodley (Uwe von Schamann kick). Dolphins 17–7.
Third quarter
- MIA – Andra Franklin 1-yard run (Uwe von Schamann kick). Dolphins 24–7.
- MIA – Uwe von Schamann 25-yard field goal. Dolphins 27–7.
- MIA – Bruce Hardy 4-yard pass from David Woodley (Uwe von Schamann kick). Dolphins 34–7.
Fourth quarter
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Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
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Standings
See also
References
- ^ Lowman, Wayne (December 22, 1981). "McCormack's Fall Traced to Chaos in Front Office". The Evening Sun. Hanover, Pennsylvania. p. 8.
- ^ "Against Bills, Colts Have No Offense". Los Angeles Times. Times Wire Services. November 29, 1982. p. 6.
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Culture | |
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Lore | |
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Rivalries | |
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Division championships (16) | |
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Conference championships (7) | |
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League championships (5) | |
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Retired numbers | |
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Current league affiliations | |
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