Colts Defense Delivers Gritty Performance, But Seahawks Escape Late With Win
Heading into this one, the Seattle Seahawks had been lighting up scoreboards, averaging just under 30 points per game-second-best in the league. But against the Indianapolis Colts, they ran into a defense that didn’t just show up-it punched back.
Seattle’s offense, led by Sam Darnold, has built a reputation as a second-half sparkplug, often needing a little time to find its rhythm. So when they went into halftime trailing 13-6, it wasn’t exactly panic mode. But Colts defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo wasn’t about to let them heat up.
From the jump, Indianapolis set the tone defensively. They held Seattle to just six points in the first half-two field goals-and made life uncomfortable for Darnold in the pocket.
The Colts’ front seven was relentless, racking up five tackles for loss and a sack from second-year edge rusher Laiatu Latu. They completely bottled up Seattle’s ground game, holding them to just 3 total rushing yards in the first two quarters.
And on third downs, where Seattle usually finds ways to extend drives, Indy stood tall, allowing just one conversion on six attempts.
The second half? Same story.
The Colts’ defense came out and immediately forced Seattle to settle for a field goal on an 11-play drive. Even as Seattle began to find more success through the air-finishing with 264 passing yards, slightly above their season average-they never found the end zone.
Not once.
That’s not a typo. The Seahawks, one of the league’s most potent offenses, didn’t score a single touchdown.
Indianapolis held them to just 49 rushing yards total, well below their season average of 117.8. And on third downs, the Colts were lights out, allowing just 2 conversions on 13 attempts-a 15.4% clip, compared to Seattle’s usual 39.9%.
It was the kind of defensive performance that deserved to be the headline. And for 59 minutes, it was.
But football isn’t played in 59-minute chunks.
With 47 seconds left in regulation, Colts kicker Blake Grupe stepped up and nailed a career-long 60-yard field goal to give Indy a one-point lead. It was the kind of clutch moment that should’ve sealed a gritty, hard-earned win.
Only, it didn’t.
Just 29 seconds later, the Seahawks answered. Darnold led a quick-strike drive that set up a 56-yard field goal to reclaim the lead, leaving just 18 seconds on the clock. The Colts had one last shot, but 44-year-old Philip Rivers couldn’t engineer another miracle.
According to Stathead’s advanced metrics, this marks just the sixth time in franchise history that the Colts have lost a game without allowing a touchdown. That stat alone tells you how rare-and how frustrating-this one was.
Yes, the defense gave up that final drive. But let’s be clear: this loss doesn’t fall on Lou Anarumo’s unit.
They went into battle without three of their top defenders-All-Pro defensive tackle DeForest Buckner and lockdown corners Sauce Gardner and Charvarius Ward. And still, they held one of the NFL’s top offenses without a touchdown. That’s not just respectable-it’s impressive.
There are no moral victories in December, especially with the season winding down. But if you're looking for a silver lining in a tough loss, it’s this: the Colts’ defense showed heart, discipline, and toughness against a team that’s been steamrolling opponents all year.
They deserved better than a loss. But in a season that’s had more downs than ups, this was a reminder of what this defense is capable of-even when the odds are stacked against them.