The Giants were hoping to get on track after a bye week, but were undone by missed opportunities on both offense and defense, and timely big plays by Andrew Luck in a 40-24 home loss that puts them at 3-5.
The Colts, now 6-3, got out to an early 10-0 lead, as they followed a 48 yard field goal by Adam Vinatieri in the first quarter with a pair of Luck passes to Coby Fleener, one for 21 yards and the other a 32 yard touchdown to a wide-open Fleener in the first minute of the second quarter. The Giants were attempting to challenge the previous catch, with coach Tom Coughlin reaching in his sock to throw the red flag, but were unable to before the snap.
New York answered with a Josh Brown 38 yard field goal midway through the second quarter, but Vinatieri kicked two more to make it 16-3 at halftime. The Giants had a few dropped passes, a dropped interception by Antrel Rolle, and couldn’t recover a Luck fumble in his own territory, failed chances that plagued them in the first half.
Indianapolis put the game away with a phenomenal third quarter, as they took the opening possession 84 yards in 8 plays, with Luck going to T.Y. Hilton in the end zone, and Hilton stealing what looked like a sure interception by Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie for a 31 yard touchdown just over three minutes into the first half. The Giants answered right after, as Eli Manning found rookie receiver Odell Beckham for a 59 yard catch, and fellow first-year player Andre Williams scored on a one-yard touchdown run to cut the lead back to 13 less than two minutes after the Colts score.
On the ensuing possession, Luck drove Indianapolis 80 yards in 8 plays, and threw a quick out to Reggie Wayne while staring down a blitz, with Wayne running much of the 40 yards for a touchdown to go up 30-10 with 6:22 left in the third quarter. When New York got the ball back, Manning was striped sack by rookie linebacker Jamie Newsome, with safety Sergio Brown taking the recovery 26 yards to the Giants’ 4, and Luck throwing to a wide open Dwayne Allen for a touchdown two plays later.
Another Vinatieri field goal early in the fourth quarter were proceeded by a pair of Manning touchdown passes to Larry Donnell and rookie Corey Washington (his first NFL touchdown) that were little more than window dressing. In his seventh straight game with 300 or more yards passing, two shy of the NFL record held by Drew Brees, Luck was 24 of 45 for 350 yards and four touchdowns, and set an NFL record with his fifth straight road game with 350 or more yards passing.
Manning was 27 of 52 for 359 yards, three touchdowns and a lost fumble, finding Beckham five times for a career-high 115 yards.
For New York, starting cornerback Prince Amukamara left the game in the first half, and was later announced to have a torn bicep injury, one that could end his season, joining fellow corners Trumaine McBride and Walter Thurmond as those likely not to return to the field in 2014. The Giants go to Seattle on Sunday to play the Seahawks, while the Colts are on a bye before playing the Patriots in Indianapolis on Sunday Night Football.
