INDIANAPOLIS – Andrew Luck did it again. And he did it with the Indianapolis Colts’ playoff hopes hanging in the balance.
Luck, as he’s done throughout his seven-year NFL career, helped the Colts overcome a 14-point deficit and stay in the thick of things in the AFC playoff race when he threw a one-yard touchdown pass to receiver Chester Rodgers with less than a minute remaining in their 28-27 victory.
The AFC playoff race is cloudy as can be heading into the final week of the season. The Colts could move into the sixth seed in the AFC if Pittsburgh loses to New Orleans in a Sunday afternoon game. If that happens, it’ll be winner take all in the Week 17 game between the Colts and Tennessee Titans. Luck is 12-0 in his career against the Titans.
Pulling off come-from-behind victories is nothing new for Luck, who is one of the frontrunners for the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year award. He now has 21 game-winning drives in the fourth quarter and overtime in his career. He’s now tied with Aaron Rodgers and Philip Rivers with six victories where the Colts have trailed by at least 14 points, according to ESPN Stats & Information.
The Colts sealed the come-from-behind victory when Malik Hooker intercepted Eli Manning’s pass with 23 seconds left in the game.
The Colts left many wondering if they were going to be able to pull off the win the way they played for nearly three quarters.
The Colts looked more like the team that started the season 1-5 than the one that has won eight of their last nine games when they reverted back to their bad habits early against the Giants.
If there was a way for the Colts to hurt themselves and give the Giants some confidence they did it.
A dropped pass on the first play of the game. Two false starts. Too many players on the field on defense. Blown coverage on a 55-yard completion. And this was all in the first half of the game.
Those mistakes aided the Giants to help them jump out to a 14-0 lead.
But the Colts kept chipping away before Luck led them on the eight-play, 53-yard game-winning drive that was helped by two pass interference calls, including one that put the Colts on the Giants’ one-yard line.