INDIANAPOLIS – The Indianapolis Colts’ playoff hopes are alive and well after scoring a late touchdown to beat the New England Patriots, 25-24 at Gillette Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
Anthony Richardson found Alec Pierce for a three-yard touchdown with 12 seconds to play, then ran in the two-point conversion for the win.
The Patriots’ Joey Slye’s 68-yard game-winning field goal attempt as time expired was just short.
The win is the Colts first at New England since Peyton Manning led the team to a 27-20 victory over Tom Brady and the Patriots on Sunday Night Football in 2006.
Both offenses started strong. New England drove 60 yards in 11 plays for a Slye 35-yard field goal, while the Colts drove 71 yards in eight plays, but found the endzone. Richardson hit Jonathan Taylor for a seven-yard touchdown for an early 7-3 lead.
The Patriots regained the advantage in the second quarter on Slye field goals of 31 and 54 yards. The second field goal was set up by a Christian Elliss interception of a deflected Richardson pass.
The teams then swapped touchdowns. Richardson put the Colts back ahead with a three-yard touchdown run, but rookie quarterback Drake Maye connected with Austin Hooper for a 16-yard touchdown four minutes later to give the lead back to New England, 16-14.
The Patriots had a chance for more points before halftime, but Slye missed a 25-yard field goal attempt to keep the score at 16-14 as the teams went to the locker room.
The Colts received the second half kickoff and marched down field 68 yards in 13 plays. Matt Gay converted a 25-yard field goal to give Indianapolis the advantage once again, 17-16.
New England was driving for yet another go-ahead score, but Zaire Franklin broke up a Maye pass at the goal line and Julian Blackmon intercepted the ball to keep the game, 17-16.
The offense couldn’t capitalize on the takeaway and New England immediately put another drive together, capped by an Antonio Gibson 11-yard touchdown run to put the Patriots back on top, 24-17.
Richardson threw his second interception as the Colts tried to respond to the New England score. Christian Gonzalez picked off a pass intended for Pierce.
The Indianapolis’ defense forced a three-and-out setting up the offense’s late-game heroics.
The Colts improve to 6-7 on the season as they enter the bye week. They’ll return to action on December 15 for a critical game in the AFC wildcard race at the Denver Broncos.