LANDOVER, Md. (AP) – The Colts’ Peyton Manning threw touchdown passes of 57 yards to Pierre Garcon and 5 yards to Austin Collie, and Joseph Addai ran 13 yards for a score, helping Indianapolis take a 24-17 lead into the fourth quarter against the Washington Redskins on Sunday night.
The Colts turned the ball over twice in the third quarter, leading to 10 points for the Redskins. Manning’s fumble – caused by Brian Orakpo and recovered by Andre Carter – set up Washington on the Indianapolis 13, and Ryan Torain eventually ran the ball in from 1 yard.
Later, Kenny Moore fumbled a punt return, which Byron Westbrook recovered at the Colts 39. That led to Graham Gano’s 39-yard field goal, pulling Washington within 24-17.
And Addai fumbled in the first minute of the fourth quarter, too. He stayed down and was helped off the field.
Torain topped 100 yards rushing for the first time in the NFL, with 19 carries for 103 yards through three quarters. He scored twice, including a 9-yard run in the first quarter.
After his second TD, the Colts responded quickly – not via Manning’s arm, but Addai’s legs. The running back broke a 46-yard run on the first play of the ensuing possession and wound up with three carries for 63 yards, including the touchdown that made it 24-14.
Indianapolis’ first score of the game was set up when Jerraud Powers intercepted Donovan McNabb’s pass at the Colts 32, ending Washington’s first possession. Powers returned the ball to the 43, and on the very next play, Manning connected with Garcon for the longest completion allowed by the Redskins this season.
Garcon outran two defenders – cornerback DeAngelo Hall and safety LaRon Landry – up the right sideline, hauled in the ball and easily made it to the end zone, putting the Colts ahead 7-0 a little more than 5 minutes into the game. Manning pump-faked, then lofted a picture-perfect spiral for his 12th TD pass of the season. He would raise that total to 13 later.
Manning was 23 of 32 for 279 yards through three quarters.
Garcon had four catches for 103 yards in the first half. That included a spectacular, leaping, one-handed grab for a 21-yard gain late in the second quarter on a drive that ended in Adam Vinatieri’s 43-yard field goal to make it 17-7 right before the two-minute warning.
The Redskins had pulled even at 7-7 with a little under 1 1/2 minutes remaining in the opening quarter, with a 10-play, 89-yard drive that ended on Torain’s run around right end. Torain accounted for 42 yards on the drive, including a 16-yard run.
But the Colts answered right away, using a 12-play, 84-yard drive capped by Manning’s pass to Collie to go ahead 14-7 less than 2 1/2 minutes into the second quarter. Manning was 7 for 8 for 64 yards on the drive.
After forcing the Redskins to punt, the Colts drove downfield again but came away with no points, because Vinatieri sent a 38-yard field-goal attempt wide right – his first miss of the season after starting 8 for 8. After his make, he wound up missing a 48-yard try with 2 seconds left in the half.
That came shortly after Gano missed a 48-yard attempt.
On the game’s opening possession, Manning’s pass on third down from the Indianapolis 23 was grabbed by cornerback Carlos Rogers. He took a few stumbling steps then fell, dropping the ball, which was recovered by the Colts. The ruling on the field was an incomplete pass, and the Colts challenged, hoping it would be ruled a catch and fumble, but after replay review, the call stood.
More than 50 former Redskins were introduced to the crowd and lined up on the field shortly before the game as part of the team’s alumni weekend, and ex-Hog Russ Grimm was honored at halftime for his induction this year into the Hall of Fame.
Both teams came in at 3-2 – something the Redskins were far more thrilled about after last season’s 4-12 debacle than were the Colts, who went 14-2 in 2009.
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