National Football League
Buffalo 13, Indianapolis 7
When: 1:00 PM ET, Sunday, December 10, 2017
Where: New Era Field, Orchard Park, New York
Temperature: 32°
Head Official: Brad Allen
Attendance: 60222

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- LeSean McCoy was the lead dog in conditions better suited for the Iditarod.

McCoy plowed through heavy snow for 156 yards and the game-winning touchdown in the Buffalo Bills' 13-7 overtime victory over the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.

"Being a Pennsylvania kid, I played in the snow before," McCoy said. "You knew it was going to be one of those games where we were going to run the ball and pound it."

McCoy set a career high with 32 carries, his last one a 21-yard touchdown with 1:39 remaining in overtime. The rushing total was his highest in three seasons with the Bills and put him over 1,000 yards in a season for the sixth time. He's 39 yards away from 10,000 for his career.

It wasn't the first time McCoy found traction in the snow. Playing for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2013, he rushed for a career-best 217 yards in similar conditions.

"I remember watching that game, actually, on film a few years ago," Bills head coach Sean McDermott said. "So I was just waiting for him to rip one off and he did. It was good to see."

The Bills (7-6) weathered relentless snow, swirling winds and near whiteout conditions at New Era Field to keep their playoff hopes alive. Long-time observers called it the worst weather conditions they have ever seen at the stadium.

Buffalo also won with third-string quarterback Joe Webb playing the fourth quarter and overtime.

Rookie Nathan Peterman started in place of the injured Tyrod Taylor and was 5-of-10 passing for 57 yards and a touchdown pass to Kelvin Benjamin before leaving the game late in the third quarter to be evaluated for a concussion.

Webb was 2-of-6 passing for 35 yards and also rushed for 27 yards. Webb connected with Deonte Thompson on a 34-yard pass, the longest play of the game, to set up McCoy's winning run.

Frank Gore rushed for 130 yards on a career-high 36 carries for the Colts (3-10). Jacoby Brissett completed 11-of-22 passes for 69 yards and a touchdown pass to tight end Jack Doyle.

The Colts were scoreless until Brissett found Doyle for a 3-yard touchdown with 1:16 remaining at the end of a 19-play, 77-yard drive that took nearly 10 minutes off the clock.

Brissett then connected with Doyle for what would have been the go-ahead two-point conversion, but an offensive pass interference penalty on Kamar Aiken forced the Colts to attempt a tying extra point from 43 yards out. Adam Vinatieri's kick just cleared the cross bar.

Colts safety Matthias Farley intercepted Webb at the Buffalo 28 with 43 seconds left in regulation, but Vinatieri's 43-yard field-goal attempt sailed wide left.

"I'm so disappointed and sick for these guys. They played their butts off, they played their hearts out and they deserved better," Colts head coach Chuck Pagano said. "End of the game, that's on me. We should've won that thing. I've got to get the ball on the right hash for Vinnie."

The weather affected nearly every aspect of play. The passing game was minimized. Runners struggled to gain footing. Placekicking was a challenge that required several players to clear the turf before an attempt. Punts landed softly in the snow.

More than two dozen stadium workers scrambled to clear hash marks and yard lines during breaks in play. Moments later, the field was again blanketed in snow. There was little to no visibility of the scoreboard and play clocks throughout the first quarter.

"It was crazy," Brissett said. "I never played in this in my life or played in the snow. Every time it snowed, I was in the house. It was definitely a different experience."

Brissett did not throw his first pass until six minutes remained in the second quarter after 17 running plays.

Both teams trudged through the snow and failed to sustain drives for much of the first half before Peterman led the Bills 80 yards late in the second quarter. Benjamin made a leaping 21-yard reception along the sideline, then caught an 8-yard touchdown in the corner of the end zone to give the Bills a 7-0 lead 27 seconds before halftime.

Snowfall was heaviest in the first quarter when Vinatieri missed badly on a 33-yard field-goal attempt.

"The only makes were the ones that had timeouts so you could clear some of that snow off and get a little bit better footing," Vinatieri said.

NOTES: Bills QB Tyrod Taylor was inactive after he was limited in practice during the week and listed as questionable with a bruised knee sustained in last week's loss to the New England Patriots. ... Colts C Ryan Kelly missed his second straight game with a concussion. ... Bills WR Kelvin Benjamin aggravated a right knee injury that had kept him out of the past two games, but was able to return.
Top Game Performances
Rushing
Indianapolis   Buffalo
Frank Gore Player LeSean McCoy
36 Attempts 32
130 Yards 156
3.6 Avg Yards 4.9
0 Touchdowns 1
10 Long 25
Receiving
Indianapolis   Buffalo
Marlon Mack Player Kelvin Benjamin
2 Receptions 3
21 Yards 38
10.5 Avg Yards 12.7
0 Touchdowns 1
11 Long 21
Team Stats Summary
 
  Yards Scoring Defense
Team Tot Rus Pas TD FG INT Sck FF
Indianapolis 227 163 64 1 0 1 0.0 1
Buffalo 319 227 92 2 0 0 1.0 0
Upcoming Games
  • Buffalo will play their next game at home against Miami. The Bills have a W/L % of .429 after a win and .667 after a loss.
  • Indianapolis will play their next game at home against Denver. The Colts have a W/L % of .000 after a win and .333 after a loss.
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