The Sports Xchange
Sep 11, 2016
INDIANAPOLIS -- Matt Prater's 43-yard field goal with four seconds remaining, and then a safety on the ensuing kickoff, gave the Detroit Lions a wild 39-35 victory against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday in Lucas Oil Stadium.
Prater redeemed himself after missing what was a crucial extra point after a Lions' touchdown with 4:04 remaining. Detroit led 34-28 at that point.
Indianapolis took a 35-34 lead with 37 seconds to go on Andrew Luck's 6-yard touchdown pass to Jack Doyle and Adam Vinatieri's extra point.
But Matthew Stafford completed four passes for 50 yards, and then Prater nailed the game-winner. Indianapolis was called for an illegal forward pass in the end zone on the kickoff pushing the final margin to four points.
Stafford finished 31 of 39 for 340 yards and three touchdowns. Luck was 31 of 47 for 385 yards and four TDs.
The Colts tied it at 28 with 8:19 remaining on Luck's 16-yard touchdown pass to Jack Doyle. Indianapolis drove 94 yards in nine plays.
Adam Vinatieri's 40-yard field goal with 14:17 remaining pulled Indianapolis to within 28-21.
After the Colts had scored 15 unanswered points, Stafford threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to Ameer Abdullah, pushing the Lions' lead to 28-18 with 2:20 to go in the third quarter. That seven-play drive covered 71 yards.
Indianapolis sliced its deficit to 21-18 with 8:41 left in the third quarter on Luck's 19-yard touchdown pass to Dwayne Allen and a two-point conversion pass to Allen. That nine-play drive covered 85 yards.
The Lions drove 80, 82 and 75 yards for first-half touchdowns, building a 21-10 lead through 30 minutes.
Theo Riddick's 21-yard touchdown run capped a nine-play, 80-yard drive the first time Detroit had the ball, good for a 7-0 lead with 4:43 remaining in the first quarter. Stafford completed 4 of 5 passes for 48 yards on that drive.
Detroit extended its lead to 14-0 with 9:11 remaining in the second quarter on Dwayne Washington's 1-yard run, capping a 15-play, 82-yard drive that was highlighted by Stafford's 27-yard pass to Marvin Jones, Jr., to the Indianapolis 37.
The Colts pulled to within 14-3 with 4:50 left in the half on Vinatieri's 50-yard field goal.
The Lions responded with an eight-play, 75-yard touchdown drive, capped by Stafford's 6-yard pass to tight end Eric Ebron, giving Detroit a 21-3 lead.
Indianapolis pulled to within 21-10 at intermission on Luck's 2-yard touchdown pass to Donte Moncrief with five seconds left in the second quarter. The Colts drove 75 yards in eight plays for that score.
NOTES: Indianapolis' already shorthanded secondary lost backup FS T.J. Green to a sprained knee in the second quarter and then lost starting left cornerback Patrick Robinson to a concussion in the same quarter. Regular starting RCB Vontae Davis has been injured and was inactive Sunday. ... Lions RB Theo Riddick left the game in the third quarter to be evaluated for a head injury but returned with 6:19 left in regulation. ... The meeting was the first between the teams since Dec. 12, 2012 when the Colts won, 35-33. ... Before Sunday, Indianapolis led the all-time series, 21-18-2. ... Detroit coach Jim Caldwell was the Colts' head coach from 2009 through 2011.