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INDIANAPOLIS –First Quarter Recap
The Patriots won the toss and deferred to the second half.
With the ball to start, the Colts couldn't get anything going offensively and went three-and-out. Pat McAfee boomed a 58-yard punt.
Backed up at their own 11-yard line, the Patriots didn't flinch. With 77 rushing yards on the drive, New England went 11 plays before Jonas Gray scored from four yards out. The Patriots took the early 7-0 lead with 8:37 left in the first quarter.
The Colts went back to the reliable Reggie Wayne on their second offensive drive. Wayne had three catches for 70 yards on the series. The Colts had to settle for a field goal though as Adam Vinatieri connected from 31 yards out. The Patriots led 7-3 with 4:19 remaining in the opening frame.
New England came into Sunday night leading the league in turnover margin but committed the first one. Erik Walden's pressure on Tom Brady forced an errant throw and Mike Adams ran under the interception.
At the end of the first quarter, the Patriots led the Colts 7-3.Second Quarter Recap
The Colts were able to get field position back in their favor but had to settle for a punt after the Adams' interception.
New England took over early in the second quarter but couldn't get the ball past midfield and punted for the first time on the night.
A promising Colts drive moved into Patriots territory thanks to Coby Fleener's two catches for 42 yards. However, the drive came to an end when Andrew Luck was picked off by safety Devin McCourty.
The Patriots would turn that interception into points. It was another 11-play drive from the Pats with Jonas Gray scoring from two yards out. New England's lead grew to 14-3 with 3:50 left in the second quarter.
The Colts punted on their next possession and it looked like New England was going to take a big lead into halftime.
But on a third-and-one, pressure again in the face of Tom Brady forced an up for grabs throw that Mike Adams caught for his second interception of the game.
The Colts then wasted little time going to work. On the third play of the drive, Hakeem Nicks caught a 10-yard fade pass for a touchdown to cut the Patriots lead to 14-10 late in the first half.
At halftime, the Patriots led the Colts 14-10.Third Quarter Recap
Getting the ball to start the second half, the Patriots chewed up another touchdown drive. This one took eight plays and went 80 yards before Tom Brady hit tight end Tim Wright for a two-yard touchdown. The Patriots lead was now 21-10 with 11:10 left in the third quarter.
The Colts answered with points of their own. Adam Vinatieri drilled a 53-yard field goal, his 28th in a row to cut the lead back to one possession at 21-13 with 8:31 left in the third quarter.
Once New England got the ball back though it was more of the same. A heavy dose on the ground and some key third-down conversions gave New England its fourth touchdown of the night. Jonas Gray scored his third touchdown of the night, this one from two yards out, to give the Patriots a 28-13 lead with 3:30 left in the third quarter.
With Dwayne Allen out for the game with an ankle injury, Coby Fleener continued to make plays. On the next Colts drive, Fleener had catches of 40 and 22 yards. Fleener's 135 receiving yards at this point of the game were a career-high. The drive reached the Patriots two-yard line before the quarter ended.
At the end of the third quarter, the Patriots led 28-13.Fourth Quarter Recap
Facing a third-and-goal from the one-yard line, the Colts got creative. With a tackle eligible on the field, left tackle Anthony Castonzo peeled off at the snap and was wide open for the touchdown catch. At the 13:32 mark of the fourth quarter, the Patriots lead was 28-20.
Just like they had done all night, the Patriots answered. Notre Dame product Jonas Gray scored his fourth touchdown of the night and the Patriots lead once again was at two possessions. New England now led 35-20 with 8:43 left in the fourth quarter.
Looking for another two-score comeback, the Colts offense sputtered. A fourth-and-10 final attempt went off the fingertips of Reggie Wayne and gave the Patriots tremendous field position.
From there, it was time for Rob Gronkowski to make his stamp on the game. Tom Brady found Gronkowski for a short gain before the All-Pro tight end did the rest with a 26-yard touchdown, breaking several tackles. The score gave the Patriots a 42-20 lead with 6:46 left in the game.
The final score on Sunday night was 42-20 with the Colts dropping to 6-4 on the season.Colts Inactives
51-Henoc Muamba
55-Victor Butler
60-Lance Louis
62-Khaled Holmes
71-Xavier Nixon
73-Kelcy Quarles
97-Arthur Jones
Colts Pre-Game Notes
-With a win tonight, the Colts will be tied atop the AFC with four other teams at 7-3.Weather Update
-The roof is closed tonight with snow beginning to fall in the Indianapolis area.
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