Jonathan Taylor ran for two scores, Gardner Minshew added another and the Indianapolis Colts defense came up with a late turnover Sunday to preserve a 27-20 victory over Tampa Bay.
Indianapolis (6-5) won its third straight and climbed above .500 for the first time since the end of September with its second home victory of the season.
The two-time defending NFC South champion Buccaneers (4-7) have lost four straight road games, this one in uncharacteristic fashion.
Indy gashed the usually stingy Tampa Bay run defense for 155 yards and 5.7 yards per carry — numbers that would have been even higher if Taylor had not slid down inbounds to keep the clock running late before the Colts started kneeling down.
Taylor had 15 carries for 91 yards and his first multiple score game of the season. Zack Moss ran eight times for 55 yards.
The Colts took control early and never allowed the Bucs to completely recover after Baker Mayfield injured his right ankle on the game’s opening series, an injury that forced Tampa Bay to settle for a field goal after having first-and-goal from the Indy 1-yard line.
Matt Gay tied the score with his first field goal and the Colts converted Ronnie Harrison Jr.’s interception into Taylor’s powerful four-yard run to make it 10-3.
Minshew extended the margin to 17-3 with a nifty sidestep of Bucs linebacker Devin White en route to a two-yard TD run early in the second quarter.
Tampa Bay finally answered after Carlton Davis’ interception led to an easy one-yard TD lob from Mayfield to a wide-open Mike Evans late in the first half.
The Bucs pulled within 20-17 on Evans’ second score, a 23-yard TD pass early in the fourth, but the Colts converted a fourth-and-1 with a 30-yard completion and Taylor scored from one yard three plays later.
That made it 27-17 with 7:30 to play and the Bucs didn’t get in the end zone again.
Mayfield was 20-of-30 with 199 yards, two TDs, one interception and a game-sealing fumble that he lost.
Evans had six catches for 70 yards…
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Publish date : 2023-11-26 22:45:55
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