Anthony Richarson’s late game touchdown and 2-pt conversion helped the Indianapolis Colts steal a win steal the New England Patriots 25-24 on Sunday at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts.

The Colts trailed 16-14 at halftime but would take the lead midway through the 3^rd quarter when Matt Gay nailed a 25-yard field goal.

Then, following an Indianapolis punt, New England’s Antonio Gibson would rush into the endzone from 11 yards out for a TD and Drake Maye would connect with Kayshon Boutte for the 2-pt conversion to re-take the lead.

Shortly after, Anthony Richarson threw a deep ball intended for Alec Pierce, but Christian Gonzalez would cut in front and intercept the ball, giving the Patriots an opportunity to put the game away.

Instead of being aggressive on offense, New England elected for a more conservative approach, which led to them going 3-and-out.

With the game on the line, Richarson led the Colts’ offense 71 yards downfield into scoring position.

After finishing short of the goal line on three consecutive rush attempts, Richarson connected with Alec Pierce for the score. Instead of taking the PAT to tie the game, the Colts played for the win and elected for two.

On the 2-point conversion attempt, Richardson would charge up the middle into the endzone to give Indianapolis a one-point lead.

On the final drive, New England moved 20 yards down the field in 11 seconds to set a game winning field goal from 68 yards out. Though Joey Slye’s attempt was on track, in fell short of the goal post and the Colts walked away with the victory.

The Colts were led by their 2^nd year QB Anthony Richardson, who was benched three weeks ago. The dual threat QB threw for 109 yards and 2 TDs on 12/24 attempts. On the ground, he compiled 48 yards and a TD on 9 rushes.

Since returning to the starting role, Anthony Richardson has led Indianapolis to two wins in three weeks and conducted two game winning drives.

Jonathan Taylor assisted by rushing for 96 yards on 25 carries. Michael Pittman Jr. added 5 receptions for 45 yards.

On defense, Zaire Franklin led the Colts in tackles with 12 total and added 1.5 sacks, 1 TFL, with a pass deflection.

Nick Cross recorded 9 total tackles, a sack, and a TFL. E.J. Speed assisted with 9 total tackles, a TFL, and a pass breakup.

Julian Blackmon compiled 5 tackles, a pass deflection, and an interception.

For New England, Drake Maye continues to be their leader on offense. Maye recorded 238 yards, a TD, and an interception on 24/30 passing attempts. He also rushed for 59 yards on 5 carries.

New England rushing attack was viable, as Rhamondre Stevenson and Antonio Gibson combined for 135 yards and a TD on the ground.

Tight ends, Hunter Henry and Austin Hooper, were security blankets for Maye. The pair totaled 117 yards, a TD, and 11 receptions.

The Patriots secondary were the leaders on defense, as a couple players returned to the field. Jabrill Peppers and Alex Austin returned to action and made an impact on the New England defense.

Peppers led the team in total tackles with 9 and a TFL. Austin recorded a tackle and 2 pass breakups.

Christian Gonzalez and Christian Ellis both were able to pick off Anthony Richardson.

Kyle Dugger added 8 tackles, a TFL, and a pass deflection.

With this win, the Colts keep their playoff hopes alive and have won two of their last three games. Meanwhile, the Patriots continue to accumulate losses, as they have lost their last three games.

New England’s Persistent Issues with Penalties

Over the past three weeks, the New England Patriots have struggled to play as a disciplined unit amounting costly penalties. This week against the Colts, the Patriots committed 7 penalties, which cost them 88 yards.

In the last three games, New England has been penalized 24 times for 208 yards.

“Penalties continue to show up,” said Jerod Mayo. “Both operational and post snap, which we’ve got to do a better job of.”

“We know, with this crew, in the first Miami game they threw ten holding penalties between the two teams. So, we went into the game knowing that’s one of the calls they make a lot,” said Mayo. “It just come down to, some of them was obviously questionable, but they called them, and we just got to fix them mistakes.”

Along with the issues with penalties, the New England offense struggled to finish off drives in the endzone. The Patriots entered the red zone six times against the Colts this week, but only punched into the endzone once.

“I’m going to go back and watch the film, but again its ultimate execution at that point,” said Mayo. “Now that safety, that usually play in the deep part out in the field, is a part of the count. We just have to do a better job at executing.”

Up Next

The New England Patriots will have some time to improve their ability to execute, as they have a bye next week. Meanwhile, the Indianapolis Colts will also head into their bye week next week, but with a victory.