The Indianapolis Colts finally made a comeback to the ranks of Super Bowl contenders as they defeated the Washington Redskins 27-24 on Sunday night.
The victory did not come easy as they lost three fumbles, which is a new record of sorts as the Colts have averaged less than one fumble per game in the last five years. Their performance this season is not as good as they have fumbled 11 times.
There were other follies too, including a number of missed tackles. Adam Vinatieri missed a field goal and blocked another one with mistakes coming from the kick return and kick coverage teams.
The Colts had the ball with a three-point lead, first-and-10 at the 20 with 2:42 remaining but they threw three incompletions in just 16 seconds that threatened a loss right at the cusp of victory. The team had a number of star players that averted that disaster from happening.
Peyton Manning threw for more than 300 yards for the 63rd time, which is the second-most behind Brett Favre, who had 72. Joseph Addai was also at hand and had a 46-yarder in the third quarter that helped his team to victory. Pierre Garcon caught an early touchdown pass that came in handy for the team's win.
Robert Mathis and Dwight Freeney of the Colts waged a strong defense and cornerback Jerraud Powers ensured that the game remained in a tight close until the end. The Colts ultimately clinched the victory in what was their first foray into the strong contenders' lineup for the Super Bowl.
