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 unbeaten Colts to a 35-34 win Sunday night.
Manning's toss to Reggie Wayne completed the Colts' comeback from a 17-point deficit. A decision by the Patriots coach put them in position for 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 but was pushed backward and came up just 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 quarter.
The Colts trailed 34-21 with four minutes left and seemed all but written off — just as they have in several other prime-time games this decade.
Manning threw four touchdown passes and Brady had three in the matchup of AFC division leaders, and longtime rivals for the conference title.
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 — an eternity for the three-time MVP.
Manning ran three plays before finding Wayne for the winning score and left New England with virtually no chance to rally.
New England (6-3) has now lost five of the last six in this series.
Manning passed Fran Tarkenton on the career victory list with No. 126, a win that Manning certainly will remember for a long time and many reasons.
Breaking News
Related Photos
-
Darron Cummings
-
Nam Y. Huh
-
AJ Mast
-
Nam Y. Huh
-
AJ Mast
Related Links
Discussion
Week 10: Colts 35, Patriots 34
Indy, Manning capitalize on Belichick's gamble
- Breaking News
-
-
Wagging tails replace sad eyes in Westminster ads
Pet lovers won't have to look away anymore when those heart-wrenching TV ads appear during the Westminster dog show — the ones with the pitiful little faces peering out from behind those rusted bars of a cage and wondering "how I ended up in here."
-
Stocks fall at the open as Greek deal is held up
U.S. stocks opened lower Friday after Greece's bailout deal was put on hold, a day after it seemed that the country had satisfied its creditors.
-
AP sources: Obama revamping birth control policy
Retreating in the face of a political uproar, President Barack Obama on Friday will announce that religious employers will not have to cover birth control for their employees after all, The Associated Press has learned. The administration instead will demand that insurance companies will be the ones directly responsible for providing free contraception.
-
Advocates want no weakening of Indiana smoking ban
Anti-smoking advocates aren't happy about an 18-month exemption for bars that's included in a bill for a statewide smoking ban, and said Thursday they are aiming to prevent the proposal from being watered down any more as it moves through the Indiana Legislature.
-
Notre Dame tuition to increase by 3.8 percent
The University of Notre Dame is raising tuition 3.8 percent for undergraduates for 2012-13.
-
No. 23 Hoosiers hurry past Illinois 84-71
Illinois played like a desperate team Thursday night. That didn’t matter to Indiana. Cody Zeller scored 22 points and Victor Oladipo and Christian Watford each had 18, igniting No. 23 Indiana’s late charge to get past the Fighting Illini 84-71.
-
Wind turbine maker bringing jobs to southern Indiana
A manufacturer of small, "micro-wind" turbines has moved into a warehouse that had been unoccupied since one of southern Indiana's largest employers moved out more than a decade ago.
-
Family plucked from Pacific after boat capsizes
Three family members attempting their first voyage across the Pacific in a sailboat were left adrift in rough seas hundreds of miles from land when their mast broke in high winds.
-
Police report human remains in Grant County
Human remains were uncovered by police Thursday morning in Grant County.
-
FBI file: Steve Jobs was considered for government post
FBI background interviews of some people who knew Apple founder Steve Jobs reveal a man so driven by power that he sometimes lost sight of honesty.
- More Breaking News Headlines
-
Wagging tails replace sad eyes in Westminster ads
Denver's Largest-Ever Drug Bust Nets Dozens
Marines: No Punishment for Nazi-like Flag
Vets Look to Translate Military Skills Into Jobs
Expert: Removing LA School's Staff 'Appropriate'
Raw Video: School Bus Burst Into Flames
LA School Reopens Amid Sex Abuse Scandal
$25B Settlement Reached Over Foreclosure Abuses
Pentagon: Allow Women Closer to Front Lines
Obama Gives Education Waivers to 10 States
Giffords Aide to Run for Her Seat
LA School in Sex Abuse Scandal Reopens
Winter Slamming North Asia, Parts of Europe
Syrian Forces Renew Bombardment of Homs
States, Banks Reach Foreclosure-abuse Settlement
Raw Video: Italy's Mount Etna Bursts Into Life
Greeks March; Angry Despite Debt Deal
Raw Video: U.S. Pullout Celebration
Raw Video: Annual Empire State Building Run-Up
Man Killed in Courthouse Shootout
Air Force Airlines: Leaders Get Polished Service
