The Indianapolis Colts escaped Foxborough, Massachusetts with a win on Sunday, defeating the Patriots to keep their playoff hopes alive.
Defensively, the Colts struggled to contain New England's running game while Indianapolis' passing game struggled to find a rhythm. Things looked a bit bleak for the Colts at times in the fourth quarter.
However, all that was undone as Anthony Richardson led a winning streak for the second time in three weeks, which included a successful two-point conversion attempt.
While that was the result, what were the key elements that got the Colts to this point?
Now that the dust has settled and the game is over, let's take a look back at the Colts' performance and break it down.
Final result
It was over when…
…Patriots kicker Joey Slye's 68-yard attempt failed. After the Colts took a one-point lead following their two-point conversion, New England started with the ball at their own 30-yard line. With the Colts unwilling to give up on the big play, quarterback Drake Maye hit Hunter Henry on two easy balls for 11 yards and nine yards, setting up the really long attempt.
Key to the game
The Colts' poor run defense: This performance against the run was reminiscent of the Colts' run defense in Weeks 1 and 2 against Houston and Green Bay. The Patriots rushed for 200 yards and that set the stage for the rest of the offense. New England was often ahead of the sticks and operating from advantageous situations, which led to a very efficient day from Maye – who used his tight ends to pick apart the Colts' pass defense – and a lot of third-down successes that resulted in lots of yards and long ones trips.
The red zone: With all of the Patriots' yards and long drives, they visited the red zone a whopping six times. However, they left with just two touchdowns, and it felt like in most cases that was due to their own mistakes and not anything the Colts did. One possession was ended by penalties, another ended in a missed field goal, and what looked like a potential touchdown pass was deflected and intercepted. Indianapolis' offense, meanwhile, was 3-for-4 in the red zone.
Richardson and Taylor in the running game: The Colts' running game has struggled to get going over the last month, but a switch on the right side, along with more targeted runs for Richardson and some nifty play calling from Shane Steichen using heavy-set moves have finally got it going this one Element works. Indianapolis would rely heavily on the running game, with the combination of Richardson and Taylor totaling 34 carries for 144 yards. Although it wasn't easy to move the ball through the air, the running game provided the necessary stability throughout the game.
Anthony Richardson: Many of the things that went wrong in the first 55 minutes of the game that gave the Patriots the win can be fixed by a player of Richardson's caliber. On that final drive, the Colts marched 80 yards in 19 plays, with Richardson doing a little bit of everything. He was 6 of 11 passing and broke down two dropped passes. He ran the ball when necessary, converted two fourth-down attempts, which included the game-winning touchdown to Alec Pierce, and pushed his way into the end zone to convert the two-point try. That was an incredibly impressive five minute ride that he staged.
Stars of the game
Anthony Richardson: The stats weren't great and he threw two interceptions. But for all the reasons I just mentioned, he is the star of this game. With not only the game but likely the Colts season on the line, Richardson was at his best and came through again.
Jonathan Taylor: As mentioned, Taylor — plus Richardson — and the running game gave these Colts' offense something to hold on to for much of the game. Taylor finished the game with 96 yards on 25 carries and had one touchdown reception. Credit also goes to the offensive line for their play in the running game.
Julian Blackmon: There wasn't much good to be seen from the Colts' defense overall, but Blackmon got away with a red zone interception, and in a game that was decided by just one point, that obviously had a massive impact on the outcome.
Injury updates
We'll see if anything is revealed on Monday, but as far as we know, the Colts came out of this game flawless.
What's next?
The Colts finally have their long-awaited bye next week. They will enter the AFC playoff round at 6-7 and still be alive.
