Indianapolis 24, Atlanta 21
When: 1:00 PM ET, Sunday, November 22, 2015
Where: Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
Temperature:
Dome
Head Official:
Walt Anderson
Attendance:
70433
By The Sports Xchange
ATLANTA -- Indianapolis kicker Adam Vinatieri celebrated the 300th game of his career by kicking a 43-yard game-winning field goal in the Colts' 24-21 comeback win over the fading Atlanta Falcons on Sunday in the Georgia Dome.
The Colts overcame a dismal start to win their second straight game. After turning it over on each of their first two possessions, veteran quarterback Matt Hasselbeck led two long scoring drives to get Indianapolis back into the game. Hasselbeck threw two touchdown passes to running back Ahmad Bradshaw, the second trimming the Falcons' lead to 21-14 late in the third quarter.
The loss, Atlanta's third in a row, was especially painful, with running back Devonta Freeman leaving early in the first quarter with a concussion. Freeman, the NFL's third-leading rusher entering Sunday, left after three carries and did not return.
Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan threw three touchdowns in a game for the first time this season, but also tossed three interceptions, including a momentum-shifting pick and return for touchdown by Colts linebacker D'Qwell Jackson that tied the score 21-21 early in the fourth quarter.
"We have talked all week about win your box -- one play at a time, win your battles," Indianapolis coach Chuck Pagano said. "No judgment, it's a process play, 60 minutes with all you got and keep throwing haymakers."
The Falcons jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first half and were up 21-7 early in the third quarter, but Colts shut them down the rest of the game.
The Colts got the ball back on their own 19-yard line, with 4:54 to play. Hasselbeck, who was starting in place of the injured Andrew Luck, led an eight-play, 56-yard drive to set up Vinatieri's winning kick from the left hash mark. It was the 26th game-winning field goal for Vinatieri, who became the 10th player to reach the 300-game milestone.
"We all knew that if we could Adam Vinatieri in his range, he is Mr. Automatic," Hasselbeck said. "It was awesome."
Luck was sidelined with a lacerated kidney, but did make the trip to Atlanta and was on the sidelines. He is expected to miss two to four weeks. Tuesday marks two weeks since the Colts announced the injury and prognosis.
Hasselbeck completed 23 of 32 passes for 213 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Both of Hasselbeck's touchdown passes went to running back Ahmad Bradshaw, the second trimming the Falcons' lead to 21-14 late in the third quarter.
"All you have is 60 minutes," Hasselbeck said. "Don't judge the scoreboard and our defense did a great job of keeping us in it."
Ryan found fullback Patrick DiMarco on a 15-yard pass to put the Falcons up 7-0 at the end of the first quarter. DiMarco sneaked out of the backfield and no one picked him up. Ryan hooked up with DiMarco again in the second quarter, hitting the fullback in the flat on third-and-goal to extend the Falcons' lead to 14-0 with 8:54 left in the first half.
Ryan completed 25 of 46 passes for 280 yards with the three touchdowns and three interceptions. He said he never saw Jackson on the fourth-quarter interception.
"That's a tough play in the fourth quarter," Ryan said of the Jackson interception. "Obviously, I did not see D'Qwell Jackson popping back out off the line of scrimmage, but it is just a play I cannot make. In critical situations, you cannot turn the ball over, and I have to be better than that."
Trailing 14-0 midway through the second quarter, Hasselbeck led the Colts' best drive of the first half. He dumped off a middle screen to Bradshaw, who hustled in from seven yards out to cut the deficit in half, 14-7.
The Falcons extended the lead to 21-7 on their first drive of the second half, when Ryan found a receiver Leonard Hankerson on a 2-yard touchdown pass, but they wouldn't score again.
"The finish is such an important part of our messaging in our program," Atlanta first-year coach Dan Quinn said. "So for us to come down when we had the lead and not be able to answer is hard."
NOTES: Atlanta WR Julio Jones finished with 160 yards on nine catches. ... Indianapolis starting S Mike Adams, a Pro Bowler, who was tied the NFL lead in interceptions entering Sunday, was inactive with an ankle injury. Clayton Geathers got the start at strong safety in place of Adams. ... Atlanta WR Leonard Hankerson returned to the lineup for the first time since mid-October. Hankerson missed the last three games with a hamstring strain. ... There was an increased security presence Sunday at the Georgia Dome for the first Falcons game since the Paris terrorist attacks.
Top Game Performances
Rushing
Indianapolis |
|
Atlanta |
Frank Gore
|
Player |
Tevin Coleman
|
14 |
Attempts |
17 |
34 |
Yards |
48 |
2.4 |
Avg Yards |
2.8 |
0 |
Touchdowns |
0 |
9 |
Long |
10 |
Receiving
Indianapolis |
|
Atlanta |
Frank Gore
|
Player |
Julio Jones
|
5 |
Receptions |
9 |
46 |
Yards |
160 |
9.2 |
Avg Yards |
17.8 |
0 |
Touchdowns |
0 |
31 |
Long |
36 |
Team Stats Summary
|
Yards |
Scoring |
Defense |
Team |
Tot |
Rus |
Pas |
TD |
FG |
INT |
Sck |
FF |
Indianapolis
|
276 |
74 |
202 |
3 |
1 |
3 |
1.0 |
1 |
Atlanta
|
375 |
100 |
275 |
3 |
0 |
2 |
2.0 |
1 |
Upcoming Games
-
Atlanta will play their next game at home against Minnesota. The Falcons have a W/L % of .714 after a win and .333 after a loss.
-
Indianapolis will play their next game at home against Tampa Bay. The Colts have a W/L % of .750 after a win and .333 after a loss.