INDIANAPOLIS — The boxscore will show an eight-play, 53-yard drive taking 2:48 off the clock that culminated in a one-yard touchdown pass from Andrew Luck to Chester Rogers.
But let's take a closer look at the Indianapolis Colts' Week 16 Drive of the Game, presented by Hays + Sons:
———————————
It took all 60 minutes, but the Indianapolis Colts got it done on Sunday against the New York Giants.
After trailing the entire game, the Colts dug deep and put together a game-winning drive, scoring the game-winning touchdown and extra point with 55 seconds left in the fourth quarter and wrapping up a 28-27 victory over the Giants in the final regular season game at Lucas Oil Stadium in 2018.
In what was one of those "tale of two halves" types of games for Indianapolis (9-6), but after overcoming two separate 10-point deficits, head coach Frank Reich was satisfied with the effort from his team.
"Very slow start on both sides, offense and defense. It was pretty bad to start, but we hung in there, hung in there and then came out in the second half and give our guys a lot of credit, there's no quit," Reich said. "(It's) just a credit to the leadership in the locker room and how they've handled their business and just constant belief and then just making plays in the clutch in all phases."
The Colts were put in position to make their final push after punter Rigoberto Sanchez pinned New York inside its own 5-yard line with 6 1/2 minutes remaining. The Indy defense forced a three-and-out (with two Giants penalties mixed in), as punt returner Chester Rogers advanced the punt five yards to start the drive inside Giants territory.
With a hobbled T.Y. Hilton, and with Pro Bowl tight end Eric Ebron lost for the game due to a concussion, quarterback Andrew Luck led his troops from their own 47-yard line, down by six points, 27-21, with 3:43 remaining in the game.
With their quarterback delivering strikes with pinpoint accuracy, receivers Hilton, Dontrelle Inman and Rogers got to work. Each caught a pass before the two minute warning, mixed in with a brilliant move by Luck to climb the pocket, avoid pressure and scramble for 14 yards and a first down to get the ball deep into Giants territory.
By the the two-minute warning, the Colts were operating inside the red zone.
After a two-yard loss on a pass to running back Nyheim Hines, the offense quickly got the yardage back, and then some, on the next play on a 12-yard pickup from Luck to Hilton to get the ball to New York's 8-yard line, setting up 1st and Goal.
Working inside the 10-yard line, Luck took a shot at the end zone, zinging one toward the right side for Inman, who drew a pass interference penalty on the play. The Colts then had 1st and Goal from the Giants' 1-yard line.
After the call from the sidelines came in to Luck, he scanned New York's alignment and found something he didn't like. He turned to Hilton and Rogers to gauge their interest in a quick passing play, instead.
A few seconds later, the Colts had pulled even on the scoreboard as Luck zipped a pass to the left side to Rogers for the touchdown. Adam Vinatieri's extra point would then put the Colts ahead by one point, 28-27.
