It took Peyton Manning six years to win a playoff game. Andrew Luck did it in two. The Colts were down by 28 points in the third quarter, after the Chiefs converted a Luck interception into a touchdown throw by Alex Smith. Andrew Luck and the Colts scored 35 points in the rest of the game, and the comeback was capped off by a 64 yard touchdown throw to sophomore wide receiver TY Hilton, who had a game-high 13 catches and 224 yards.
The Chiefs suffered many injuries in the game, as they lost Pro-bowl running back Jamaal Charles on their opening possession. Other Chiefs to suffer injuries included Justin Houston, Brandon Flowers, and Knile Davis, Charles’ replacement
The game started very well for Kansas City, who executed a drive that lasted almost 7 minutes, which was capped off by an Alex Smith to Dwayne Bowe touchdown. The Colts quickly answered for a score, as Luck went 7 for 7 including a touchdown throw to Hilton. On the ensuing Kansas City position, Dwayne Bowe ripped off a huge gain down the middle of the field, and set up the Chiefs with a first and goal. A Ryan Succop field goal made it 10-7.
The Chiefs added another score on a 79 yard throw from Smith to former Colt Donnie Avery. Trent Richardson fumbled on the next posession, and a beautiful shovel pass from Alex Smith to Anthony Sherman put the Chiefs up by 17. At half time, the Chiefs led 31-10. The Kansas City offense scored on all of its possessions in the first half, except the final one in which they ran out of time.
Any thoughts of a comeback were initially squashed when Andrew Luck threw his second interception of the game in the first minute of the second half. The Chiefs converted with a Knile Davis receiving touchdown. However, this was when the tide started to turn.
An out-of-this-world catch by Colts receiver Da’Rick Rogers put the Colts in good scoring position, and they capped it off with a Donald Brown touchdown. On the next possession, longtime Colt Robert Mathis stripped Alex Smith of the ball, and the Colts recovered in Kansas City territory. Donald Brown scored on a touchdown on a screen pass, and the Colts cut the deficit to 38-24.
After a stop by the Colts defense, Andrew Luck was intercepted deep in Colts territory, and a Ryan Succop field goal put the Chiefs back up by 17. On the next drive, Coby Fleener caught a perfectly placed ball from Andrew Luck, and the Colts were within 10, their smallest deficit since they were down 17-7.
Another stop by the suddenly rejuvenated Colts defense led to a goal-to-go situation for Indianapolis. On a gut-wrenching play for Chiefs fans, Donald Brown fumbled the ball, but the ball bounced perfectly to Andrew Luck, who alertly scooped it up and ran it in for a touchdown.
After a Kansas City field goal, the Colts offense put the game away on a 64 yard throw from Luck to Hilton. The Chiefs were threatening in Colts territory, but on second down, Alex Smith, faced with pressure, threw the ball out of bounds while in the pocket. Because there was no eligible receiver in the area, intentional grounding was called. The Chiefs could not convert a 4th and 11, when Dwayne Bowe was only able to get one foot in bounds on a play that might have won the game for Kansas City.
Both quarterbacks were excellent in this game, as Smith threw for 378 yards, while Luck threw for 443. Depending on the result of tomorrow’s game between the Bengals and the Chargers, the Colts will travel to either New England or Denver next weekend.
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