Anthony Richardson scored on a 2-point conversion run up the middle with 12 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter to give the Indianapolis Colts a 25–24 win over the New England Patriots on Sunday.
The Colts scored a touchdown on a 3-yard pass from Richardson to Alec Pierce to make it a 24–23 game. Coach Shane Steichen opted for the 2-point play after a grueling 19-play, 80-yard drive that took 5:22 to complete.
Richardson completed 6-of-11 passes for 46 yards on the methodical drive, adding 12 yards on three rushes. Jonathan Taylor got eight yards on five carries to help Indianapolis deliberately push the ball down the field. The key play and biggest gain on the possession came from a pass interference penalty on the Patriots’ Alex Austin for 14 yards.
New England moved the ball to the 50-yard line in the final 12 seconds with Hunter Henry catching two passes for 20 yards. But Joey Slye missed a 68-yard field goal attempt with no time left to end the game and drop the Patriots to 3–10 for the season.
The Patriots took a 24–17 lead with 8:43 remaining in regulation on an 11-yard TD run by Antonio Gibson. Maye then connected with Kayshon Boutte on a short pass for a 2-point conversion.
The loss squandered one of Maye’s best performances in his rookie season. He completed 24-of-30 passes for 238 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
Maye also rushed for 59 yards, highlighted by a spectacular 41-yard scramble out of a collapsing pocket on the Patriots’ second possession. New England finished off the drive with a field goal, closing to a 7–6 margin.
Rhamondre Stevenson led the Patriots with 73 yards rushing on 18 carries, while Gibson added 62 yards and a score on seven rushes. Henry caught seven passes for 75 yards, with Austin Hooper getting four receptions for 42 yards and a TD.
Going into the fourth quarter, Richardson had thrown for under 100 yards in an inconsistent performance. He finished with 109 yards on 12-for-24 passing with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Taylor rushed for 96 yards on 25 carries and caught a 7-yard TD pass, while Michael Pittman Jr. had five receptions for 42 yards.
With the victory, the Colts improve to 6–7. That puts Indianapolis eighth in the AFC, within striking distance of the 7–5 Denver Broncos, who face the Cleveland Browns on Monday night.
