NFL: The 30 most incredible duos in league history
By Brad Weiss
24. Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis, Indianapolis Colts
During the early 2000s and through the better part of the 21st century, the Indianapolis Colts were one of the more dominant teams in the AFC. While quarterbacks Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck get most of the credit for the success of the team, it was a pass-rushing duo that made their defense something special.
Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis were terrors coming off the edge for the Colts, playing together from 2003 through 2012. In total, the tandem racked up 186 sacks, which is equal to 19 per season. They would go on to finish their careers as the No. 1 and No. 2 sack men in the history of the franchise.
Mathis spent his entire NFL career with the Colts, amassing a team-record 123 sacks. A five-time Pro Bowl player, Mathis playing in four AFC title games, as he and Freeney helped the team become perennial playoff contenders, appearing in the postseason in nine of their 10 seasons together.
Outside of the four trips to the AFC title game, the Colts also made it to two Super Bowls with this tandem on the edge, coming away with one ring. That victory, a 29-17 victory over the Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XLI, was the franchise’s first since 1970 when they were back in Baltimore.