Spokesman-Review
National Football League
Indianapolis 39, Denver 33
When: 8:30 PM ET, Sunday, October 20, 2013
Where: Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana
Temperature: Dome
Head Official: Carl Cheffers
Attendance: 67196

Colts 39, Broncos 33: Andrew Luck threw for three touchdowns and ran for another to spoil Peyton Manning's return to Indianapolis and knock Denver from the ranks of the unbeaten.

Luck threw for 199 of his 228 yards in the first half and Adam Vinatieri kicked three field goals as the Colts (5-2) snapped the Broncos' 17-game winning streak. Darrius Heyward-Bey had four catches for 44 yards and a touchdown while Coby Fleener and fullback Stanley Havili added scoring receptions for Indianapolis, which opened a two-game lead atop the AFC South.

Manning, who was cut loose by the Colts to pave the way for the drafting of Luck in 2012, overcame some early struggles and rallied Denver (6-1) by throwing for 386 yards and three touchdowns on 29-of-49. The Broncos cut a 19-point deficit to six with 8:44 to play but committed two costly turnovers - Manning's pick that led to Vinatieri's third field goal and a fumble by Ronnie Hillman at the Colts 3-yard line with 3:03 remaining.

Indianapolis seemingly was in command when Luck ran in from 10 yards out to cap a string of 23 unanswered points for a 33-14 lead with 5:00 left in the third quarter. After the teams traded field goals, Manning hit Demaryius Thomas with a 31-yard TD pass and Knowshon Moreno scored from a yard out following a Trent Richardson fumble to cut it to 36-30 with 8:44 to play.

The Colts turned a four-point deficit into a 12-point lead in the final 8:52 of the first half, ignited by Robert Mathis' sack of Manning that led to a safety. Luck moved Indianapolis 66 yards in seven plays on the ensuing possession, culminating with a 20-yard scoring strike to Havili before connecting with Fleener from 8 yards out with 10 seconds left in the half for a 26-14 advantage.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Manning threw a TD pass for the 30th straight game - the longest active streak in the league - and joined Brett Favre as the only QBs to throw a scoring pass against all 32 NFL teams. ... Colts DE Mathis took over the league lead with 10.5 sacks on the hit that led to the second-quarter safety. It marked only the sixth time Manning was sacked. ... Broncos CB Champ Bailey did not return after aggravating a left foot injury in the second quarter that caused him to miss the first five games this season, and Colts WR Reggie Wayne exited with a right knee sprain sustained midway through the final period.
Top Game Performances
Rushing
Denver   Indianapolis
Knowshon Moreno Player Trent Richardson
15 Attempts 14
40 Yards 37
2.7 Avg Yards 2.6
1 Touchdowns 0
9 Long 8
Receiving
Denver   Indianapolis
Eric Decker Player Reggie Wayne
8 Receptions 5
150 Yards 50
18.8 Avg Yards 10.0
1 Touchdowns 0
49 Long 14
Team Stats Summary
 
  Yards Scoring Defense
Team Tot Rus Pas TD FG INT Sck FF
Denver 429 64 365 4 2 0 2.0 1
Indianapolis 334 121 213 4 3 1 4.0 3
Upcoming Games
  • Indianapolis will play their next game on the road against Houston. The Colts have a W/L % of .500 after a win and 1.000 after a loss.
  • Denver will play their next game at home against Washington. The Broncos have a W/L % of .833 after a win and 1.000 after a loss.