INDIANAPOLIS – Rob Chudzinski spent most of this week tucked inside the Colts’ team complex in search of answers.
Five days after changing play-callers, Andrew Luck looked like his old self, the Colts played like the contender they were supposed to be and their 42-year-old kicker made a 55-yard field goal with 6:13 left Sunday, giving Indianapolis a momentum-building 27-24 victory over Peyton Manning’s previously unbeaten Broncos.
Indy (4-5) snapped a three-game losing streak, retained its lead atop the AFC South and ruined what was supposed to be a milestone day for Manning in his old building.
Manning was 21-of-36 for 281 yards with two touchdown and two interceptions – with the second one allowing Luck to take the final 6 minutes off the clock.
Denver’s quarterback fell three yards short of breaking Brett Favre’s career record for yards passing (71,838) and left him in a tie with Favre for most regular-season wins by a quarterback (186). Manning is now 1-3 all-time against Indy and 0-2 at Lucas Oil Stadium, where the 39-year-old might have just played for the final time.
“We got beat by a better team today. The Colts played well,” Manning said. “When you don’t play as well as you’d like on the road, it’s hard to win against good football teams. They are a good football team.”
Manning rallied the Broncos with a 64-yard touchdown pass to Emmanuel Sanders and by setting up Brandon McManus for a short field goal in the third quarter, tying the score at 17.
Luck broke the tie with an 8-yard touchdown pass to Ahmad Bradshaw early in the fourth.
