Colts win in the clutch
INDIANAPOLIS – A stunning gamble by Bill Belichick set up a stunning win for Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts.
After the New England Patriots were stopped short on fourth down deep in their own territory, Manning took advantage by throwing a 1-yard touchdown pass with 13 seconds left that rallied the Colts to a 35-34 win Sunday night.
Manning’s toss to Reggie Wayne capped the Colts’ rally from a 17-point deficit. A decision by the Patriots coach set up their 18th straight regular-season win.
Belichick decided to go for it on fourth-and-2 from their own 28 with 2:08 to go. Tom Brady threw to Kevin Faulk, who made a juggling catch, was pushed backward and came up short.
Manning needed just four plays before hooking up with Wayne for the winning score.
“We were preparing to go 60, 70 yards,” Manning said. “It was a great play by the defense, shortened our field.”
It was the most improbable victory for the Colts (9-0) in their winning streak, tied for the second-longest in NFL history with New England. It was the first time Belichick’s Patriots had lost when leading by at least 13 in the fourth.
The Colts trailed 34-21 with four minutes left and seemed all but written off. While it was another magical comeback for Manning, this one was set up by Belichick’s bungled play-calling.
Belichick called two timeouts on that key series, the second to set up the fourth-down play. Faulk came up about a half-yard short of the first-down marker, giving Manning the ball at the New England 29 with 1:57 left and all three timeouts. Manning ran three plays before finding Wayne in the end zone.
Manning passed Fran Tarkenton on the career victory list with No. 126, a win that Manning will remember for a long time and many reasons.
“Well, it’s a great win. It’s just one win. We’re still in the regular season. It tells us about our team. As much adversity as we’ve faced in a couple years,” Manning said. “Defense finally made some stops. Offense finally got some touchdowns.”
Colts 35, Patriots 34
| New England | 7 | 17 | 0 | 10 | — | 34 |
| Indianapolis | 7 | 7 | 0 | 21 | — | 35 |
Ind—Addai 15 pass from Manning (Stover kick)
NE—Maroney 1 run (Gostkowski kick)
NE—FG Gostkowski 31
NE—Moss 63 pass from Brady (Gostkowski kick)
NE—Edelman 9 pass from Brady (Gostkowski kick)
Ind—Wayne 20 pass from Manning (Stover kick)
NE—Moss 5 pass from Brady (Gostkowski kick)
Ind—Garcon 29 pass from Manning (Stover kick)
NE—FG Gostkowski 36
Ind—Addai 4 run (Stover kick)
Ind—Wayne 1 pass from Manning (Stover kick)
A—67,476.
| NE | Ind | |
| First downs | 24 | 25 |
| Total Net Yards | 477 | 407 |
| Rushes-yards | 28-113 | 18-91 |
| Passing | 364 | 316 |
| Punt Returns | 5-117 | 0-0 |
| Kickoff Returns | 3-82 | 4-90 |
| Interceptions Ret. | 2-17 | 1-19 |
| Comp-Att-Int | 29-42-1 | 28-44-2 |
| Sacked-Yards Lost | 2-11 | 1-11 |
| Punts | 4-44.0 | 7-48.4 |
| Fumbles-Lost | 2-1 | 0-0 |
| Penalties-Yards | 4-72 | 3-20 |
| Time of Possession | 35:02 | 24:58 |
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING—New England, Faulk 12-79, Maroney 13-31, Brady 3-3. Indianapolis, Addai 10-41, Simpson 4-36, Brown 4-14.
PASSING—New England, Brady 29-42-1-375. Indianapolis, Manning 28-44-2-327.
RECEIVING—New England, Moss 9-179, Welker 9-94, Stanback 2-17, Maroney 2-15, Edelman 2-14, Baker 2-13, Faulk 2-7, Watson 1-36. Indianapolis, Wayne 10-126, Collie 6-45, Clark 4-65, Garcon 3-50, Addai 2-27, Robinson 2-6, Brown 1-8.
MISSED FIELD GOALS—None.