NFL Roundup: Colts take advantage of Pats' gamble for 35-34 win

INDIANAPOLIS — Bill Belichick risked everything on one play Sunday night.

It cost him a victory, and it may wind up costing him a trip back to Indianapolis for a rematch with Peyton Manning later this season.

After the New England coach failed on a stunning gamble deep in his own territory, Manning threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to Reggie Wayne with 13 seconds left that rallied the unbeaten Colts to a 35-34 win over the Patriots.

"It's a bummer," Patriots quarterback Tom Brady said.

Needing a first down to seal the game, Belichick decided to go for it on fourth-and-2 from his own 28 with 2:08 to go. The Patriots called their second timeout of the drive, leaving them with none, to set up the play: A short pass from Brady to Kevin Faulk, something the 2007 NFL MVP had repeatedly used to burn Indy's young, depleted pass defense all night.

Not this time.

Faulk made a juggling catch but safety Melvin Bullitt, who replaced Bob Sanders in the lineup, came straight up the field and drove the Patriots running back into the ground a half-yard short of the marker.

"We tried to win the game on that play," Belichick explained. "I thought we could make the yard. We had a good play, we completed it. I don't know how we couldn't get a yard."

It was the most improbable victory for the Colts (9-0) in their 18-game regular-season winning streak, which is now tied for the second-longest in league history with, of all teams, New England.

The Colts trailed by 17 points early in the fourth quarter. This marked the first time Belichick's Patriots had lost when leading by at least 13 in the final period.

"When you see them going for it on fourth down, you get a little nervous, but our defense blitzed them, pressured them and got the stop," Manning said. "It certainly changed our philosophy. In practice, we're going 60 or 70 yards. So we figure we're going to have to go five, six, seven plays. In the huddle, I said, 'Obviously, we need a touchdown, but let's not be in a hurry."

The Patriots didn't dare second-guess their coach, though everybody else did.

"That fourth-down play, that's one of your best plays, and you go to one of your best guys," Brady said. "We've got our offense on the field. We have over 450 yards of offense at the time. We've got a lot of great players on our offense. They stopped us."

The miss gave Manning 1 minute, 57 seconds and all three timeouts — an eternity for the three-time MVP — and he went right to work.

Manning hooked up with Wayne for 14 yards. He let Joseph Addai carry the ball for 13 yards, down to the Patriots 1. He sent Addai inside again on first-and-goal, the same play Addai scored on to win the 2006 AFC Championship game, but he got nothing. So Manning went back to Wayne in the end for the win.

Manning's deft play-calling left New England with only one option: A 9-yard pass to Wes Welker that ran out the clock.

It wasn't the first time Belichick tried it this season. At Atlanta, he went for it on fourth-and-1 from his own 24. But that was in the third quarter — not with a seemingly secure victory in serious jeopardy.

Indy is now 9-0 for the third time in five years and only plays one team with a record better than 5-4 the rest of the way, Denver at 6-3.

New coach Jim Caldwell still has not lost, and Manning, who was 28 of 44 for 327 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions, now has eight 300-yard games this season. The NFL's single-season record is 10 and he passed Fran Tarkenton for fourth on the career victories list with one that he will always remember.

New England (6-3) has lost five of the last six in this series, one that has often had long-term implications. Since 2003, the regular-season winner has claimed the AFC title four times and become the Super Bowl champion three times.

And the Pats now trail Indy by three full games, and a tiebreak, with seven games remaining, meaning they'll likely have to return to Indy if there is a rematch.

"Give the Colts credit," Belichick said. "That's why the Colts are the Colts. They're a good football team. That's about as close as it gets."

Brady was 29 of 42 for 375 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. Randy Moss finished with nine catches for a season-high 179 yards and two TDs, while Welker had nine receptions for 94 yards.

Manning made sure that wasn't quite enough.

Wayne caught 10 passes for 126 yards and two touchdowns.

The difference in this classic was that Brady dominated early, Manning when it mattered most.

After trading jabs in the first quarter, Brady took control in the second. He led the Pats to a tie-breaking field goal, hooked up with Moss on a 63-yard TD pass that floated perfectly over the hands of safety Antoine Bethea and then threw a 9-yard TD pass to Julian Edelman to give New England a 24-7 lead with 7:19 left in the half.

That was more points than Indy had allowed in any game this season.

"That man (Brady) will make you pay dearly if you don't get to him," Colts defensive end Robert Mathis said. "Even when we're behind, we know the game is not over."

Manning proved the theory still holds.

He answered with a 20-yard TD pass to Wayne, making it 24-14 at the half and after Brady connected with Moss for a 5-yard TD early in the fourth, Manning worked his magic again.

He took the Colts 79 yards in five plays, finding Pierre Garcon for a 29-yard score to get within 10. After Stephen Gostkowski booted a 36-yard field goal, Manning gave the ball to Addai for a 4-yard TD run with 2:23 to go. That made it 34-28.

Indy then elected to kick the ball deep instead of trying an onside kick, prompting Belichick to make his unusual decision — and Manning made him pay.

"Reggie called the last play," Manning said. "I threw a fade to him earlier in the game. He wanted the slant. He just kept fighting through and made an extended catch. Maybe not his best catch ever, but it sure was timely."

Notes: Colts DE Dwight Freeney did not record a sack, breaking his streak at nine straight games. ... The game was delayed briefly in the first quarter when fireworks hit the field. ... Indy punted six times in the first half, matching their season high for an entire game this season. ... The Patriots lost Tully Banta-Cain with a rib injury in the first half.

Manning-Brady a draw, but Belichick takes the loss

Few should doubt, though, which would make a better coach someday. Heck, Manning might be a better coach than Bill Belichick already.

With Sunday night's Patriots-Colts game on the line, Manning forced Belichick into a reckless gamble — even by his audacious standards — that wound up costing New England the game. Facing fourth-and-2 from his own 28 with 2:08 left to play, Belichick tried to protect a 34-28 lead by having his offense go for a first down instead of punting.

A quick pass from Brady to Kevin Faulk on the next play would have been enough — if Faulk hadn't bobbled the ball and been driven back to the 29-yard line by Colts safety Melvin Bullitt.

"I thought we could make the yard," Belichick said in the interview room afterward. "I thought we had a good play. We completed it and I don't know how we could not get a yard on that completion.

"But I guess," he added, "we didn't."

The funny thing is Belichick won't know for sure until he's had time to look at a replay Monday, but by then it will be too late. The call wasn't reviewed by the officiating crew because the play ended before the 2-minute warning. And Belichick didn't have a time-out to challenge it, having already burned two of his three time-outs in the second half during that final, fateful New England drive.

Belichick wouldn't say whether he'd lost confidence in his young, fast-tiring defense. But that was the implication in Brady's answer to a question about whether the fourth-down call surprised him.

"Not at all. ... They have a great offense. We'd just punted it to them at the 20 and they go 60 yards in a minute and a half," he said, describing the Colts' previous scoring drive, which actually began at their own 21-yard line with just over four minutes left.

"So it's not like as a coach, you're thinking, 'Wow, let's punt it to them again, and see if they can do that again.'"

Yet that's exactly what Belichick should have been thinking. Players and coaches who move into the broadcast booth are loathe to criticize their counterparts on the field, but former Indy coach Tony Dungy and Pats safety Rodney Harrison both gave Belichick's decision a thumbs-down.

"The worst coaching decision I've ever seen Bill Belichick make," Harrison said.

Dungy used to say Manning was like another coach on the field, and that was apparent as early as the first quarter Sunday night. Right around the 10-minute mark, he completed a 25-yard pass that Reggie Wayne hauled in along the sideline at the New England 26.

Before anyone had a chance to see a replay, Manning hustled the Colts back to the line and was about to engineer a quick snap, forcing Belichick to throw the challenge flag if he wanted to see one. Belichick did; the catch was good and he was down a time-out. Manning stayed in the shotgun formation the rest of the drive, completing three of his next four passes to march the Colts 90 yards for the score.

It was a small victory in what's become the NFL's best rivalry, but it underscored just how extensive Manning's grasp of the game is. Much is made about all his gesturing and last-minute adjustments at the line of scrimmage, but that's only the most visible manifestation. Despite what had been an off-night for the Colts and Manning, it's clear the quarterback was closing ground in a hurry.

Indy scored three times in the final quarter and it's a measure of how much Belichick respects Manning that he was willing to risk everything — even a so-so punt would have left the Colts with a 70-yard drive — rather than try and stop them again. What followed was the 40th game-winning drive Manning had engineered in the fourth quarter or overtime in his career, and his third against the Pats.

Exactly what the gamble cost Belichick is tough to say. It sends the wrong message to Belichick's defenders, but more important, it likely means New England will have to make the return trip to Indianapolis when playoff time comes.

"You understand people will question the decision to go for it?" a reporter asked.

"Sure, they question everything," Belichick replied softly, his voice barely audible in the room.

"What was that?" the questioner said.

Belichick shortened his original answer.

"Yeah," was all he said this time.

Jim Litke is a national sports columnist for The Associated Press. Write to him at jlitke@ap.org

Other Games

Bengals 18, Steelers 12

The Bengals beat the Steelers at their own game in their own stadium, relying on a defense that smothered Ben Roethlisberger and the Super Bowl champions by holding them to four field goals, and using one big special teams play for an 18-12 victory Sunday that put them in control of the AFC North.

Shayne Graham kicked four field goals in the second half even as the Bengals (7-2) failed to convert opportunity after opportunity to take control. Bernard Scott's 96-yard kickoff return in the first quarter proved pivotal as Cincinnati, despite playing the second half without ace running back Cedric Benson and failing to convert on the extra point after Scott's score, followed up a 23-20 win over the Steelers (6-3) on Sept. 27.

By sweeping the season series for the first time since 1998, the Bengals effectively lead the division by two games because they own the tiebreaker and, for the first time in their history, a 5-0 division record.

MIAMI — Chad Henne directed a 77-yard scoring drive in the final 1:10, and Dan Carpenter kicked a 25-yard field goal with 10 seconds left.

Henne spoiled the Bucs' comeback led by Josh Freeman, who rallied his team in the fourth quarter for the second time in two NFL starts. The rookie shook off an awful first half and led his team to a pair of late touchdowns.

The Dolphins (4-5) won despite losing running back Ronnie Brown to a right ankle injury in the third quarter. The Bucs (1-8) were unable to build momentum after beating Green Bay a week earlier.

An ill-advised pass by Henne was intercepted to set up the Bucs' go-ahead score with 1:14 left.

Henne, a second-year pro, finished 17 for 31 for 175 yards and improved to 4-2 as a starter. Williams ran for 102 yards, and Brown rushed for 82 and a touchdown before his injury.

ST. LOUIS — Reggie Bush helped the unbeaten New Orleans Saints overcome another bundle of mistakes and get off to the best start in team history.

Bush scored twice for the first time in more than a year and Drew Brees compensated for two interceptions with two touchdown passes in a 28-23 victory over the St. Louis Rams on Sunday.

Courtney Roby opened the second half with a 97-yard kickoff return and Robert Meachem's 27-yard grab early in the fourth quarter gave New Orleans (9-0) just enough breathing room to tie the franchise record with nine straight wins.

Marc Bulger's 19-yard pass to Donnie Avery shaved the deficit to five with 2:44 to go and the Rams (1-8) made it to the New Orleans 32 before Bulger threw incomplete into the end zone on the final play.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Jake Delhomme went turnover-free for the third straight game, finding Steve Smith for two touchdowns.

Matt Ryan twice seemed poised to lead Atlanta on the winning drive. First, his kicker let him down. Then his sophomore troubles popped up again.

The Panthers (4-5) built a 21-10 halftime lead, but the win wasn't sealed until Richard Marshall picked off Ryan, setting up Jonathan Stewart's 45-yard touchdown run with 2:07 left.

Earlier, Jason Elam missed a 34-yard field goal that would have given Atlanta (5-4) the lead.

Ryan completed just 7 of 19 passes for 48 yards and an interception in the first half, often overthrowing receivers and appearing rattled by Carolina's pressure.

MINNEAPOLIS — Brett Favre passed for a season-high 344 yards, 201 to Sidney Rice, and Detroit lost for the 31st time in 33 games.

The Lions (1-8) joined the Houston Oilers, from Nov. 21, 1982 through Nov. 4, 1984, as the only NFL teams to lose 31 games in a 33-game stretch, according to STATS.

They've played tough this season several times, as the Vikings can attest, but after a slew of injuries in this game and more poor pass coverage they dropped their 12th straight at the Metrodome.

Adrian Peterson lost a fumble but turned 18 carries into 133 yards and two touchdowns for Minnesota (8-1).

LANDOVER, Md. — The Washington Redskins broke the 17-point barrier for the first time this season and ended a four-game losing streak.

The Broncos lost their third straight and had to play the second half with Chris Simms at quarterback after Kyle Orton left with an ankle injury.

Denver (6-3) has struggled since opening the season with six wins.

Ladell Betts scored on a 1-yard run with 2:44 to play. With Clinton Portis sidelined after suffering a concussion in last week's loss at Atlanta, Betts made his first start since 2006 and ran for 114 yards on 26 carries.

Jason Campbell completed 17 of 26 passes for 193 yards for the Redskins (3-6). The 27-point outburst was their greatest since Week 2 of last season.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Chris Johnson ran for 132 yards and two touchdowns, and he caught nine passes for 100 more.

The Titans (3-6) are on a roll since opening the season 0-6, and they can thank Johnson, the NFL's leading rusher and the league's first back to top 1,000 yards this season.

Young also threw for a touchdown and finished with 210 yards passing in winning his seventh straight start. He also ran five times for 29 yards.

Buffalo (3-6) got Trent Edwards back and rookie Jairus Byrd picked off a pass in a fifth straight game. But the Bills lost their second straight.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Josh Scobee kicked a 21-yard field goal as time expired after the Jaguars passed up a touchdown in order to drain the clock.

With the Jaguars facing second-and-6 from the 10, Maurice Jones-Drew took a handoff up the middle and went to a knee at the 1 to give Jacksonville first and goal with just over a minute left. New York had no timeouts left.

David Garrard knelt the ball twice, giving Scobee the opportunity to kick the game winner for the Jaguars (5-4).

It was another devastating loss for the Jets (4-5), who came out of their bye-week break making the same types of mistakes that plagued them in the first eight games. New York has dropped five of six.

SAN DIEGO — LaDainian Tomlinson scored twice to continue his climb up the career rushing and scoring lists, and San Diego pulled into a tie atop the AFC West.

Tomlinson gained a season-high 96 yards on 24 carries to pass Thurman Thomas and Franco Harris and move into 12th place all-time with 12,145 yards. His two touchdowns gave him 146 and moved him past Marcus Allen and into third place on the all-time list.

The Chargers and Broncos, both 6-3, play next Sunday in Denver.

Donovan McNabb threw for a season-high 450 yards, completing 35 of 55, and two late touchdowns for Philadelphia (4-5). He was intercepted in the end zone by Antonio Cromartie on the game's last play.

Eagles running back Brian Westbrook was knocked out with another concussion. He had missed the previous two games after a concussion during a win against Washington on Oct. 26.

OAKLAND, Calif. — Jamaal Charles scored on a 44-yard run for Kansas City's first rushing touchdown of the season and the Chiefs used a late interception to win their seventh straight game in Oakland.

The Chiefs (2-7) have managed to win just five of their past 35 games. But three of those wins have come at the Oakland Coliseum, where Kansas City has the longest winning streak ever by a visiting team.

Ryan Succop kicked three field goals and Kansas City once again pulled out a close one against the Raiders (2-7) in the Chiefs' first game since releasing running back Larry Johnson.

The Raiders scored a touchdown on their opening drive and then managed just three points and 202 yards the rest of the way.

Cardinals 31, Seahawks 20

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Rookie Beanie Wells had second-half touchdown runs of 10 and 13 yards and Arizona rallied from an early two-touchdown deficit for its second home win in five tries.

Kurt Warner completed 29 of 38 for 340 yards and two touchdown passes as the Cardinals (6-3) stayed two games up on San Francisco in the NFC West. Warner also became the 29th player in NFL history to throw 200 touchdown passes, and had his 51st 300-yard passing game, tying Dan Fouts for fourth on the NFL career list.

With Julius Jones out early with a chest injury, second-year back Justin Forsett rushed for a career-high 123 yards, including an 11-yard touchdown run, for the Seahawks (3-6).

Matt Hasselbeck, who had been bothered by a sore shoulder, was 26 of 52 for 315 yards and a touchdown. He was picked off twice late in the game.