The Indianapolis Colts (6-5) extended their winning streak to three games with a tough 27-20 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-7) at Lucas Oil Stadium on Sunday.
Despite jumping out to a 14-point lead in the second quarter, the Bucs fought all the way back to cut the lead to three points halfway through the fourth quarter. But the Colts came up with some timely plays, and head coach Shane Steichen was in his bag on fourth-down calls.
The Colts have now won three games in a row and have a winning record for the first time since starting the season 2-1.
Here’s everything we know from the Week 12 win:
Final Score: Colts 27, Bucs 20
| Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Final | |
| Buccaneers | 3 | 7 | 0 | 10 | 20 |
| Colts | 10 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 27 |
It was over when...
Colts defensive end Samson Ebukam strip-sacked Baker Mayfield with 1:29 left in the fourth quarter. Dayo Odeyingbo pounced on the loose ball, and the Colts were able to run out the clock.
Keys to the game
- The Colts won the turnover battle, 2-1.
- The Colts converted just 2-of-11 (18%) third-down attempts but converted 3-of-4 (75%) on fourth downs.
- While the Colts were 3-of-5 (60%) in the red zone, the Bucs converted just 1-of-3 (33%) trips into the red zone.
- On defense, Indy forced the Bucs to go three-and-out on four of their 10 drives.
- The Colts had a combined six sacks and nine quarterback hits.
3 Stars of the game
- RB Jonathan Taylor: Even though he didn’t have a target, Taylor took 15 carries for 91 rushing yards (6.1 per carry) and two touchdowns.
- WR Michael Pittman Jr.: MPJ was a certified dawg throughout what was a physical matchup. He recorded 10 receptions for 107 yards on 13 targets.
- DE Samson Ebukam: Leading the way with 2.0 sacks, Ebukam also had a tackle for loss and registered the game-sealing strip sack late in the fourth quarter.
Shane Steichen was in his bag
The Colts offense was humming on all cylinders, especially in the passing game, for the majority of the first half. Then, Gardner Minshew started to get spazzy in the pocket, leading to some killed drives and costly turnovers. While Steichen didn’t abandon the pass completely, he adjusted to get Jonathan Taylor and Zack Moss going in the run game. This worked beautifully and helped the Colts open up the passing game in the fourth quarter. He had some fantastic play calls on fourth down, including a 30-yard play to Mo Alie-Cox that helped set up the dagger touchdown in the fourth quarter. This was an impressive win for Steichen.
Injuries
- C Ryan Kelly (concussion), TE Drew Ogletree (foot) and CB Julius Brents (quad) were inactive due to injuries.
Quick Hits
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- The Colts recorded their 16th consecutive game with a takeaway. It is the longest active streak in the NFL.
- With two rushing touchdowns, RB Jonathan Taylor passed Marshall Faulk (36) for the most rushing touchdowns by a Colts player in his first four seasons.
- WR Michael Pittman Jr. recorded at least eight receptions in a game for the eighth time this season. It also was his fourth consecutive game doing so.
- S Ronnie Harrison Jr. recorded an interception for the first time in a Colts uniform. He was added to the active roster after the Colts waived Shaquille Leonard.
- K Matt Gay missed a 58-yard attempt before halftime, but he converted his other two attempts.
What's next?
Colts head coach Shane Steichen will meet with the media Monday for a conference call before the team prepares for a Week 13 matchup against the Tennessee Titans (4-7) at Nissan Stadium.
