Cardiac Colts playoff aspirations alive after Anthony Richardson delivers second career game-winning drive

“Inside 30 seconds, felt good about the call,” Steichen told reporters after stealing Sunday’s must-win affair. “Obviously, you have got to feel good about the call to go for the win. If there was over two minutes left, maybe we take the field goal, but (I) felt good about the call.”

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson delivered his second career game-winning touchdown drive, plus the two-point conversion, in the final seconds to lift the Colts to Sunday’s 25-24 road win over the New England Patriots. The Colts second-year passer had 5:34 left to essentially keep any playoff aspirations alive and put the veritable Superman cape on his back to complete the comeback.

Richardson engineered a 19-play, 80-yard scoring drive, which featured three fourth down conversions. Faced with fourth-and-goal from the 3-yard line, Richardson found receiver Alec Pierce on a crosser in the end zone to bring the Colts within one point and just 12 seconds left to play.

Colts head coach Shane Steichen never took his offense off the field, nor had any doubts about putting the game in the hands of his 22-year-old franchise signal caller. With the season hanging in the balance of the next snap, Steichen orchestrated a read option for his dual-threat bulldozer. Richardson faked the handoff and kept it up the middle to pound his way across the goal line and score his second game-winning score in the last three weeks.

“Inside 30 seconds, felt good about the call,” Steichen told reporters after stealing Sunday’s must-win affair. “Obviously, you have got to feel good about the call to go for the win. If there was over two minutes left, maybe we take the field goal, but (I) felt good about the call.”

Despite entering Week 13 as one the NFL’s worst offensive units, it was the Patriots best offensive performance of the season. New England (3-10) scored on its first four drives as rookie quarterback Drake Maye, New England’s third overall draft pick, delivered dimes against the most predictable zone coverage and wrecked the Colts defense. Colts defensive tackle DeForest Buckner sacked Maye on third-and-goal to reject the Patriots from reaching the end zone on their opening drive. The Colts were spared twice inside their own 10-yard-line as Maye threw a pick at the goal line and Slye missed a chip-shot field goal at the end of the first half. New England produced eight of the nine longest plays from scrimmage, but its final five drives included two missed field goals at the end of both halves as Slye’s 58-yard FG attempt fell just short of the crossbar as time expired.

It took the Colts just three plays to enter Patriots territory once Richardson kept the read option and burst right for his first designed run of 10 yards. Richardson followed with a play action dime to tight end Drew Ogletree for 23 yards. After three consecutive runs for running back Jonathan Taylor set up the offense with first-and-goal, Richardson ran play action and found Taylor wide open near the pylon for a 7-yard passing touchdown to give the Colts a 7-3 lead.

Maye showcased elite mobility and gashed the Colts with a 41-yard run on the Patriots second series, which was the longest play from scrimmage. Within two plays, the Patriots marched downfield and set up just outside the red zone. Consecutive holding penalties set the Patriots back 12 yards behind the sticks, which ultimately forced them to settle for a 31-yard chip shot from Slye to cut the deficit to 7-6. The Colts second possession was short lived as Richardson tried to get one final play off at the end of the first quarter, but his pass was tipped by Patriots linebacker Jahlani Tavai and picked off by linebacker Christian Eliss inside Colts territory.

The pendulum continued to swing back and forth as the Colts retaliated with an 8-play scoring drive thanks to a defensive pass interference penalty against Tavai that set up the Colts inside the red zone. The Colts lined up in empty formation on first-and-goal and Richardson ran a designed keeper for a 3-yard rushing touchdown, capped off by his signature 360 spike in the end zone. Richardson completed 12-of-24 passes for 109 passing yards and added 48 rushing yards on nine carries with three total TDs.

Maye continued to punish the Colts defense and delivered a strike to Hooper at the pylon for a 16-yard TD. New England’s rookie passer completed 22-of-27 passes for 218 passing yards and one touchdown. New England outgained Indianapolis in the first half 279 to 108, yet only held a 16-14 lead at halftime. The main difference was the Patriots settled for three FGs inside the red zone, while the Colts reached the end zone twice.

Steichen fed JT on nine of the Colts first 11 plays to start the second half. After Richardson surged forward for an 11-yard gain, he faked the handoff and delivered a dart to receiver Alec Pierce just outside of the red zone. Colts kicker Matt Gay made a 25-yard FG to give the Colts a 17-16 lead. The Patriots continued to steamroll through the trenches as running back Antonio Gibson scored an 11-yard rushing touchdown to momentarily give the Patriots a 24-17 lead in the fourth quarter. The trio of Rhamondre Stevenson, Antonio Gibson and Maye combined for 200 rushing yards on 30 carries.

After Patriots first-year head coach Jerod Mayo successfully challenged the spot to change the ruling from short of the line to gain to a first down, Maye tried to force his pass into a tiny window at the goal line, but the leather never hit the ground. Instead, it bounced off the body of tight end Hunter Henry and landed into the arms of Colts safety Julian Blackmon as the goal line stand denied another scoring opportunity.

If the NFL’s 31st ranked offense was able to torch Indianapolis, what would the top-seed in the AFC do in an elimination game? It was the first time this season the Colts emerged victorious despite losing the turnover battle. Indianapolis (6-7) enters the Week 14 BYE with two weeks to prepare for the most important game left on the schedule with a pivotal Week 15 road game in Denver (7-5).