Colts learn their lesson well in 23-20 win over Vikings

Colts

Related Photos

First six: Indianapolis tight end Dwayne Allen (83) congratulated by his teammates after he scored in the first half against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday in Indianapolis. (Tribune-Star/Joseph C. Garza)
Tribune-Star/Joseph C. Garza Take down: Indianapolis linebacker Jerry Hughes tackles Minnesota running back Adrian Peterson during the Colts' 23-20 win Sunday in Indianapolis.
Tribune-Star/Joseph C. Garza Feels good: Indianapolis wide receiver Reggie Wayne acknowledges the crowd's applause after he scored against the Minnesota defense in the first half of the Colts' game against the Vikings Sunday in Indianapolis.
Tribune-Star/Joseph C. Garza Game winner: Indianapolis kicker Adam Vinatieri kicks one of his several field goals during the Colts' win over the Minnesota Vikings Sunday in Indianapolis.

Discussion

Welcome to our online comments feature. We welcome your thoughts and your opinions, including unpopular ones. We ask only that you keep the conversation civil and clean. We reserve the right to remove comments that are obscene, racist or abusive and statements that are false or unverifiable as well as posts that are attacking other users. Repeat offenders will be blocked. You may flag objectionable comments for review by a moderator.

comments powered by Disqus

September 17, 2012

Colts learn their lesson well in 23-20 win over Vikings

Week 2 learning experience ends on right foot

Tom James Tribune-Star Correspondent The Tribune Star Mon Sep 17, 2012, 06:42 AM EDT

INDIANAPOLIS — A learning experience. That’s how Indianapolis Colts coach Chuck Pagano described Sunday’s 23-20 win over the Minnesota Vikings in the team’s regular-season home opener at Lucas Oil Stadium.

The Colts squandered a 20-6 lead and were forced to rally with a last-ditch drive in the game’s final seconds. Adam Vinatieri — perhaps the greatest clutch placekicker in National Football League history — nailed the 24th game-winning kick of his 17-year career, notching a 53-yarder with eight seconds remaining to lift Indianapolis to its first victory of the season.

“Our motto, we’ve said it many times, 60 minutes, one play at a time, all you’ve got. We’ll never apologize for winning no matter how you win, how you get it done. These guys fought, hung in there and found a way to win at the end of the game,” Pagano said after the game.

“There’s a lot of plays there at the end of that game that we’d love to have back. It’ll be a great learning experience for a young football team to go back and look at the tape and get some of those things cleaned up. But for the majority of the football game, we played well on both sides of the football. I’m just really proud of the guys.”

Vinatieri’s field goal was the longest game-winning kick of his career and his second-longest field goal overall, only surpassed by a 57-yard effort he had against Chicago during the 2002 season while playing for the New England Patriots.

“Hats off to the [kick] protection unit, the snap, the hold and certainly the kick by Adam,” Pagano said of the game-winning play.

The game-winning drive covered 45 yards in just four plays as rookie quarterback Andrew Luck completed three straight passes — consecutive 20-yard tosses to wide receivers Donnie Avery and Reggie Wayne and a 7-yard flip to Avery — before a spike to stop the clock set things up for Vinatieri.

“I had two timeouts in that situation. First play, I knew we needed a chunk. A 5-yard gain is not going to do anything for you in that situation. I think I saw a little pressure come up the middle and a guy get free. I rolled left and Donnie did a great job of stopping in his drop and coming back and getting in the hole, making the catch and getting down immediately as opposed to trying to run so we could get a timeout,” Luck explained afterward.

“Second play, [Minnesota] brought the full-zone pressure. The line did a great job of recognizing it and picking up the pressure. Got the ball out to Reggie on another chunk. I think the next play, I hit Donnie. I knew we needed to quick-hitter and then get down so we could spike it [before the kick attempt].”

Indianapolis was forced to rely on the record-setting kicker, who had three field goals on the day, because of an inconsistent offense. Injuries along the offensive line — guard Joe Reitz (knee) and tackle Winston Justice (concussion) were both pregame inactives and center Samson Satele left late in the second quarter with a knee injury — played havoc with the Colts’ game plan.

Running the football with much long-term success became next to impossible with the makeshift offensive line. Indianapolis had 84 yards total on the ground, 21 coming on scrambles by Luck, and pass protection was iffy at best. Luck was sacked twice and was pressured on six other occasions.

Still, the Colts managed to move the football through the air in the first half as Luck completed 11 of 17 passes for 146 yards, four of those throws going to Avery for 75 yards and three to Wayne for 44 yards.

Rookie tight end Dwayne Allen hauled in just one pass in the half but he made it count, catching a 3-yard dart from Luck for a touchdown with 49 seconds left in the first quarter. Wayne added a 30-yard scoring toss from Luck with seven seconds remaining in the half as Indianapolis crossed up the Vikings defense by going deep down the seam on a third-and-3 play.

Vinatieri had a 26-yard field goal to account for the rest of the Colts’ early scoring. Blair Walsh’s two field goals, from 51 and 29 yards out, were the only scoring for Minnesota. Indianapolis went into the locker room with a 17-6 lead.

A second Vinatieri field goal, this one from 45 yards away with just over seven minutes left in the third quarter, pushed the Colts advantage to 20-6. But things got interesting late in the fourth quarter.

With five minutes remaining in the game, backup wide receiver Stephen Burton came up with a 7-yard touchdown pass from Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder. The ball was first tipped at the line of scrimmage by defensive end Cory Redding and then again by Minnesota tight end Kyle Rudolph in the front of the end zone. The score cut the Indianapolis lead to 20-13.

And with 31 seconds left in the game, the Vikings marched 47 yards in nine plays before Rudolph latched on to a pass from Ponder across the middle for a 6-yard touchdown. Walsh’s extra-point tied the score at 20-20. Minnesota’s touchdown drive was set up when Luck was sacked for a 22-yard loss by defensive end Everson Griffen. The Vikings began their game-tying drive at the Indianapolis 47-yard line.

The significance of the win, the first for Pagano as head coach as well as for Luck as the team’s starting quarterback, was not lost on the former Baltimore Ravens assistant.

“It’s huge because of everything you’re trying to sell your [team]. Everything that we’ve started, from culture to offensive system, defensive system, special teams, across the board, everything that you’re trying to sell to your kids from a confidence standpoint,” the Colts coach said afterward.

“To be able to come out of there with a victory is a testament [to the team] and it will go a long way moving forward.”

Luck ended the day completing 20 of 31 passes for 224 yards and two touchdowns. He did not throw an interception. Avery caught nine passes for 111 yards while Wayne added six receptions for 71 yards and a TD. Running back Donald Brown had 45 yards rushing on 16 carries.

For Minnesota, Ponder connected on 27 of 35 passes for 245 yards, two touchdowns and was sacked four times (Jerrell Freeman, Kavell Conner, Robert Mathis and Jerry Hughes).

Adrian Peterson, still recovering from offseason knee surgery, was limited to 60 yards rushing in 16 carries. Percy Harvin was all over the field for the Vikings, catching 12 passes for 104 yards and rushing twice for 13 yards. He also had two kickoff returns for a 39-yard average.

Indianapolis, now 1-1 for the season, will play host to AFC South rival Jacksonville next Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium. Minnesota, 1-1, returns to the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome this week to face San Francisco.

Colts 23, Vikings 20

At Lucas Oil Stadium

Minnesota 3 3 0 14 — 20

Indianapolis 7 10 3 3 — 23

Min—FG Walsh 51

Ind—Allen 3 pass from Luck (Vinatieri kick)

Min—FG Walsh 29

Ind—FG Vinatieri 26

Ind—Wayne 30 pass from Luck (Vinatieri kick)

Ind—FG Vinatieri 45

Min—S.Burton 7 pass from Ponder (Walsh kick)

Min—Rudolph 6 pass from Ponder (Walsh kick)

Ind—FG Vinatieri 53

   Min   Ind

First downs   19   17

Total Net Yards   327   278

Rushes-yards   26-95   30-84

Passing   232   194

Punt Returns   5-51   1-11

Kickoff Returns   4-111   1-19

Interceptions Ret.   0-0   0-0

Comp-Att-Int   27-35-0   20-31-0

Sacked-Yards Lost   4-13   2-30

Punts   4-48.0   5-53.6

Fumbles-Lost   2-1   0-0

Penalties-Yards   11-105   7-51

Time of Possession   30:22   29:38

RUSHING—Minnesota, Peterson 16-60, Gerhart 5-15, Harvin 2-13, Ponder 3-7. Indianapolis, D.Brown 16-45, Luck 4-21, Ballard 6-13, Avery 2-7, Allen 1-0, Moore 1-(minus 2).

PASSING—Minnesota, Ponder 27-35-0-245. Indianapolis, Luck 20-31-0-224.

RECEIVING—Minnesota, Harvin 12-104, Jenkins 5-43, Rudolph 3-35, Peterson 3-20, Gerhart 2-17, Aromashodu 1-19, S.Burton 1-7. Indianapolis, Avery 9-111, Wayne 6-71, Fleener 2-16, Hilton 1-15, Moore 1-8, Allen 1-3.

Text Only | Photo Reprints

Colts

Colts not standing pat in looking toward 2013 season
Indianapolis Colts second-year general manager Ryan Grigson has quickly earned a reputation as someone who isn’t afraid to shake things up a bit.

June 14, 2013
Landry believes he'll acclimate to Colts system
Many Indianapolis fans have questioned why strong safety Laron Landry decided to skip the Colts' OTA workouts, especially since he was joining a new team with a somewhat different defensive system than what he was used to playing with the Jets.

He understands their concerns, but isn’t worried about learning the intricacies Colts’ 3-4 hybrid package.

June 12, 2013
Colts in harmony with new coordinator Hamilton
With new Colts offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton now running the show, the Colts are in the middle of a metamorphosis from the downfield, big-play system that was utilized by former coordinator Bruce Arians to more of a West Coast scheme that will look to make more use of the short, controlled passing game.

According to Andrew Luck, so far so good.

June 6, 2013
Pagano amazed by collection of veterans
May 30, 2013
Opening Day: Terre Haute Rex host Quincy
In his first season at the helm, first-year Terre Haute Rex manager Ronnie Prettyman is going to be surrounded by men he knows and trusts.

May 28, 2013 1 Photo
Luck having fun with his first OTAs
A year ago, quarterback Andrew Luck was unable to attend the Indianapolis Colts’ organized team activity practices due to school commitments at Stanford.
Luck, though, went on to have a stellar year for the Colts despite the lack of summer work with the team. Still, in a sense, he is a rookie during this year’s OTA workouts.
“These are my first OTAs. I missed these last year, so I think it’s great. It’s great to get on the field with the defense and trouble-shoot some stuff. Obviously, some of us ran some of this stuff [offense] at Stanford [under new offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton]. But to get out there with the defense and trouble-shoot some stuff is good,” Luck said Wednesday as the team wrapped up its first week of on-field voluntary practice sessions.

May 24, 2013
Colts' coordinators enjoying getting rookies acclimated
While the Indianapolis Colts put their rookies and a handful of second-year players through workouts this weekend at the team’s Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center, a pair of first-year coordinators are getting a chance to do some valuable on-field work as well.

May 12, 2013
Werner, 36 others open Colts’ mini camp
The Indianapolis Colts welcomed 37 players to the start of the team’s rookie mini camp Friday at the West 56th Street headquarters.

May 11, 2013 1 Photo
Colts hoping for more high marks on draft picks
A year ago, the Indianapolis Colts received high marks for the impact players the team added through the NFL draft.
Of the 10 players selected, five ended up either starting or seeing extensive playing time (quarterback Andrew Luck, tight ends Coby Fleener and Dwayne Allen, wide receiver T.Y. Hilton and running back Vick Ballard) during the Colts’ 11-5 season.
While this year’s class may not rival that group in terms of name recognition and flash, it may produce just as many major contributors once the 2013 season gets underway.

April 28, 2013
Werner at top of game
Bjoern Werner was a late comer to football. But after being selected in the first round of the 2013 National Football League draft by the Indianapolis Colts, Werner realizes that he has reached the pinnacle of the sport in a relatively short amount of time.

April 27, 2013 1 Photo
Colts select pass rusher Werner in first round
The Indianapolis Colts selected Florida State defensive end Bjoern Werner. The 6-foot-3, 266-pound defensive lineman can also play left outside linebacker.

April 26, 2013 1 Photo
Colts in wait-and-see mode for tonight’s NFL draft
As the 2013 NFL draft gets underway tonight at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, the Indianapolis Colts are continuing their wait-and-see stance in regard to the first-round pick.
The draft begins at 8 p.m. — televised by the NFL Network and ESPN — with the Kansas City Chiefs making the night’s first selection. Teams will have 10 minutes to make their decisions during the first round. Indianapolis will have the 24th overall pick in the first round.
There will be only one round tonight. The second and third rounds are scheduled for Friday, beginning at 6:30 p.m. with seven minutes allotted per pick in the second round and five minutes allowed in the third. The final four rounds are slated to begin at noon Saturday with four minutes between selections.
As it stands now, Indianapolis does not have a second-round pick. It was traded to Miami last fall in exchange for veteran cornerback Vontae Davis. But second-year general manager Ryan Grigson has nut ruled out the possibility of trading down from the first round if the Colts aren’t satisfied with the players available.

April 25, 2013
Direction clear for Colts in 2013 draft
The Indianapolis Colts head into the 2013 NFL Draft with some definite plans.

April 22, 2013
Colts veteran among those excited to see Luck's growth in 2013-14
Veteran defensive end Cory Redding is a big fan — literally and figuratively — of Indianapolis Colts second-year quarterback Andrew Luck.
Redding, who has become one of the Colts’ lockerroom leaders after just one season with the team, thinks he has some reasonable expectations of Indianapolis’ former No. 1 draft pick.

April 19, 2013 2 Photos
Heyward-Bey feeling fortunate to hook up with Luck
Add one more player to the list of veteran free agents signed by the Indianapolis Colts this offseason.
Former Oakland Raiders wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey agreed to a a deal with the Colts late Monday evening. Bey, who played collegiately at Maryland, was the seventh player selected in the first round of the 2009 National Football League draft.

April 2, 2013
Colts sign nose tackle
Another day, more player signings for the Indianapolis Colts.
Nose tackle Aubrayo Franklin agreed to terms with the Colts on Tuesday evening and officially signed with the team Wednesday. Franklin (6-1, 315) is a 10-year NFL veteran with stops in Baltimore (2003-06), San Francisco (2007-10), New Orleans (2011) and San Diego (2012).

March 21, 2013
Colts sign Matt Hasselbeck to back up Luck
The Indianapolis Colts’ roster moves just keep coming.
While the Colts haven’t yet added that big-name wide receiver that team owner Jim Irsay hinted at in tweets over the weekend, Indianapolis has addressed one area on offense.
Former Tennessee Titans quarterback Matt Hasselbeck had agreed Monday night to be the Colts’ primary back-up to second-year starter Andrew Luck. He officially signed a two-year, $8 million contract with the team Tuesday morning.
“We are very pleased to announce the signing of Matt Hasselbeck,” general manager Ryan Grigson said in a prepared statement. “His body of work, intangibles, and extensive league experience speak for themselves. Those factors, plus his familiarity with our offensive scheme, will make him a great asset to our team and its vision as we move forward.”

March 20, 2013
Colts likely done signing free agents, for now
With the possible exception of adding a few lesser-priced players, the Indianapolis Colts’ big-time foray into the veteran free-agent marketplace is pretty much done.

March 16, 2013
Landry, Jean Francois join Colts defensive unit
After adding five veteran free agent players to the Indianapolis Colts roster on Tuesday, general manager Ryan Grigson plucked two more plums late Wednesday night and Thursday afternoon.
New York Jets safety LaRon Landry and San Francisco 49ers defensive tackle Ricky Jean-Francois both signed contracts with the Colts. Landry, a strong safety who appears to be a bigger version of former Indianapolis Pro Bowler Bob Sanders, and the versatile Jean-Francois are expected to make immediate impacts on the Colts’ defensive unit.

March 15, 2013
Colts introduce free-agent signees
What the Indianapolis Colts accomplished last season — posting an 11-5 record and earning an AFC wild-card berth with a young team plus having that kind of success without its head coach on the sidelines for 12 games — didn’t go unnoticed by players around the NFL.
That was especially true for the five veteran free agents who were added to the Colts’ roster Tuesday. Offensive tackle Gosder Cherilus (Detroit), cornerback Greg Toler (Arizona), outside linebacker Erik Walden (Green Bay), offensive guard Donald Thomas (New England) and linebacker Lawrence Sidbury (Atlanta) admitted as much Wednesday.
“I felt like this would be the best fit for me at this point in my career. I really liked what I saw was happening with the program here and the way things have taken shape. I feel like we have a really great team here and it’s on the rise. I really wanted to be a part of that,” Thomas said during a teleconference interview with the Colts’ media.

March 14, 2013
Colts sign five free agents, filling needs at offensive line, cornerback
The Indianapolis Colts were a busy team on the opening day of the National Football League’s veteran free agent market, which got underway at 4 p.m. Tuesday.

March 13, 2013
Jeff Saturday retires as a Colt
An Indianapolis Colt for life. Pencil in Jeff Saturday for that honor.
The 14-year veteran center in the NFL put an official stamp on a career Thursday that began in Baltimore in 1998 and ended in Green Bay in 2012. But it was those 13 seasons in between — from 1999 to 2011 in which he played for Indianapolis — when Saturday earned his greatest rewards.

March 8, 2013
Saturday thrilled to retire as a Colt
The 14-year veteran center in the National Football League put an official stamp on a career Thursday that began in Baltimore in 1998 and ended in Green Bay in 2012. But it was those 13 seasons in-between — from 1999 to 2011 in which he played for Indianapolis — that Saturday earned his greatest rewards.

March 7, 2013 1 Photo
Saturday to retire as Colt on Thursday
Former Indianapolis Colts center Jeff Saturday will make his retirement from the National Football League official on Thursday.

March 5, 2013
Indianapolis franchises punter McAfee
A week ago, Indianapolis Colts coach Chuck Pagano said it was a priority that the team retain the services of punter Pat McAfee.
McAfee, an unrestricted free agent who’s contract is due to expire March 12, was designated as the Colts’ franchise player Friday. The move allows Indianapolis extra time to work out a long-term deal for the team’s special-teams ace.
“He’s huge. He’s a major priority in free agency. Obviously, we’ve reached out and are working to get Pat re-signed,” Pagano said during the National Football Scouting Combine. “We saw what he did for us last year. He’s a great weapon, not only kickoffs and touchbacks.

March 3, 2013
Colts GM enjoying time at combine
Indianapolis Colts second-year general manager Ryan Grigson makes no bones about it. He enjoys watching prospective football players strut their stuff.

February 25, 2013
Colts keeping eye on large crop of talented linemen in NFL Draft
According to most National Football League draft observers, this year’s crop of prospects is deep with quality offensive and defensive linemen.
Among the offensive line candidates who have been showcasing their talents at the National Football Scouting Combine, which began in earnest Thursday and wraps up on Tuesday, the spotlight has been on the offensive tackles. Offensive left tackles in particular.

February 23, 2013
Colts' Pagano back to full work schedule at combine
Back and ready to go.
That’s the attitude Indianapolis Colts coach Chuck Pagano is taking during the National Football Scouting Combine, which completed its second day of operations Friday at Lucas Oil Stadium. During a wide-ranging press conference at the combine, Pagano confirmed that he is back to a full work regimen after missing 12 games last fall as he battled a rare form of leukemia.
After undergoing cancer treatments that featured heavy doses of chemotherapy, the second-year head coach was able to return to the sidelines for Indianapolis’ final regular-season home game against Houston and for the team’s AFC wild-card matchup with eventual Super Bowl champion Baltimore.

February 23, 2013
Colts looking forward to different approach to draft in 2013
A year ago, the Indianapolis Colts had the first overall pick in the 2012 National Football League draft.
It was a foregone conclusion that the Colts would select former Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck with the selection. While Indianapolis front office and player personnel officials certainly had to do their due diligence in preparing for the draft, the Colts find themselves this year in a bit different situation.
The team will have the 24th overall pick in the first round, which is a double-edged sword. Indianapolis picks lower in the round due to a successful season. But the pool of available can’t-miss talent isn’t quite as plentiful as drafting earlier in the round.

February 22, 2013
Former Pro Bowl selection Freeney won't return to Colts
The news coming out of the Indianapolis Colts headquarters Friday afternoon was not totally unexpected. Team officials have confirmed that two veteran players – former Pro Bowl defensive end/outside linebacker Dwight Freeney and wide receiver Austin Collie — will not be returning for the 2013 season.

February 16, 2013 1 Photo
More Colts Headlines

Latest News

Right lane of U.S. 41 South closed at Harlan Road Posted 15 minutes ago
We want to know ... Updated 7 minutes ago 1 Photo
10 things to know for Wednesday Posted 1 hour ago 1 Photo
Lane restrictions next week on U.S. 41 at Shelburn Posted 17 hours ago
Frye Road Overpass work to restrict lanes on I-70 Posted 1 day ago

Community Calendar

Loading…

Events by eviesays.com

TribStar.com Poll

AP Video

Hoffa Mystery Still Fascinates After 4 Decades

Raw: NASCAR Driver Jason Leffler Dies in Wreck

Ex-NFL Star Chad Johnson Out of Jail

3 Charged in Ohio With Enslaving Mom, Daughter

NDN Video

Rihanna Hits Fan With Microphone During UK Concert

Miami Heat Wins in Overtime

Raw: Arizona Wildfire Scorches 8 Square Miles

Three Charged for Enslaving Mother and Daughter

Parade
Magazine
Click HERE to read all your Parade favorites including Hollywood Wire, Celebrity interviews and photo galleries, Food recipes and cooking tips, Games and lots more.