COLTS.COM
In what began as a back-and-forth affair, the Colts were unable to find momentum to mount a second-half comeback against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, losing 30-20 at Lucas Oil Stadium.
The beginning of the game was dismal for the Colts, with limited cheers from the crowd at Lucas Oil Stadium. Quarterback Joe Flacco threw two interceptions on the team’s first two possessions of the game – the first one turned into a pick-six and the second kickstarted a Bills drive that ended in a field goal, quickly putting them up 10-0.
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Running back Jonathan Taylor elicited the loudest cheers of the first quarter, and among the loudest all game, with a 59-yard run to bring the Colts to the Bills’ nine-yard line. The Colts had to settle for a field goal to get points on the board, though, and trailed 10-3 at the end of the first quarter.
But right before the clock ran down, linebacker Zaire Franklin had a crucial tackle that forced the Bills to turn the ball over on downs. The Colts then went on an 11-play, 72-yard drive featuring an 18-yard pass to wide receiver Adonai Mitchell and a 16-yard pass to wide receiver Alec Pierce. It was running back Tyler Goodson, though, who – on his birthday – caught the touchdown pass to tie the game.
And as soon as the Bills got the ball back, linebacker E.J. Speed intercepted the first pass of the possession to bring the Colts offense back onto the field at Buffalo’s 33-yard line. The interception was Speed’s first of his career, and proved to be a crucial one as the Colts went on to score a field goal and take a 13-10 lead.
The Bills, however, scored on back-to-back drives – a touchdown and a field goal – to close out the half with a 20-13 lead.
At halftime, Taylor had 107 rushing yards on 16 carries; he had 103 yards on 14 carries with seven minutes left in the second quarter.
The two teams traded possessions in the third quarter, and while the Colts’ defense continued to pressure the Bills – cornerback Kenny Moore II had a stellar interception and Speed had a crucial pass breakup on third down – they couldn’t put any more points on the board, and the score remained 20-13.
The Bills were able to put up three more points with a 27-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter to make it a two-score game with 10 minutes and 58 seconds left in the game. Buffalo continued to dominate time of possession as the quarter went on, forcing another Flacco interception (his third of the game) and methodically marching down the field.
A 13-play, 84-yard drive that took up 6 minutes and 42 seconds extended the Bills’ lead to 30-13 with just over three minutes remaining. Flacco connected with Pierce in the end zone for the wide receiver’s fourth touchdown of the season, but with just two seconds remaining on the clock, the Colts were out of time, losing 30-20 in their first multi-possession loss of the season.