INDIANAPOLIS - Andrew Luck spent most of Sunday’s game watching Russell Wilson and Marshawn Lynch run around.
But when the Colts’ quarterback finally got a chance to make some plays, he rallied Indianapolis in the fourth quarter for yet another victory.
He threw two touchdown passes and led the Colts on two time-consuming scoring drives in the fourth quarter, taking the lead on Donald Brown’s 3-yard TD run with 8:55 to play, to hand Seattle its first loss of the season, 34-28.
“This is the most resilient team that I’ve ever been around,” Coach Chuck Pagano said. “They’ve got more grit than anybody, any team I’ve been around.”
Both teams scored off a blocked kick. The Seahawks ran for 218 yards, averaged 6.4 yards per carry, had better field position and ran more than three dozen plays in Colts territory as they played keep away through the first three quarters.
To conclude a drive that took nearly seven minutes, Luck gave the ball to Brown, who squirted through the middle for the go-ahead score.
Luck then hooked up with his favorite receiver Reggie Wayne on a two-point conversion pass and took nearly five more minutes off the clock to set up Adam Vinatieri for a game-sealing 49-yard field goal.
Luck finished 16 of 29 for 229 yards with 2 touchdowns and picked up his ninth fourth-quarter comeback victory in 21 career games.
Seattle dominated the first half, seemed to be in control most of the game, and Wilson went 15 of 31 for 210 yards with two TDs before throwing an interception on the Seahawks’ final play. He also ran 13 times for 102 yards.
Lynch ran 17 times for 102 yards, and the defense limited Indy to just 317 yards of offense, 120 of that coming in the fourth quarter.
The Seahawks also blocked a punt that bounced into the end zone and was recovered out of bounds for a safety, one of many missed opportunities for the NFC West leader.
“We knew we were off to a good start,” Seattle Coach Pete Carroll said. “We could feel that we were ready to go and playing well and all that. But settling for a field goal and not getting any points on the blocked kick - that would have been a much different margin.”
Seattle started with a field goal and a 10-yard TD pass from Wilson to Golden Tate. McAfee’s blocked punt made it 12-0 barely 10 minutes into the game.
Luck got Indy back into the game with a 73-yard TD pass to T.Y. Hilton, and the Colts took the lead when Delano Howell returned a blocked field goal 61 yards for a score.
The Seahawks regained the lead 19-17 at halftime and appeared to be in good shape after two quick field goals in the third quarter.
49ERS 34, TEXANS 3 Tramaine Brock intercepted Matt Schaub’s first pass and returned it 18 yards for a touchdown, Schaub threw three interceptions in all before the embattled quarterback got replaced in the fourth, and host San Francisco pounded Houston. Colin Kaepernick threw a 64-yard touchdown pass to Vernon Davis and Frank Gore ran for 81 yards and a score. Anthony Dixon added a 2-yard touchdown run for the NFC champions, while Brock had a second interception and nearly a third.
RAVENS 26, DOLPHINS 23 Justin Tucker kicked a 44-yard field goal to put visiting Baltimore ahead with 1:42 left, and they withstood a frantic comeback bid. Ryan Tannehill completed a 46-yard pass to Brandon Gibson on fourth down to keep Miami’s hopes alive, but Caleb Sturgis then missed a 57-yard field goal attempt wide left with 33 seconds to go. The Ravens bounced back from a loss last week at Buffalo and won on the road for the first time this season. The Dolphins lost their second game in a row.
PACKERS 22, LIONS 9 James Jones caught a long touchdown pass from Aaron Rodgers, and the Packers defense contained the visiting Lions. Mason Crosby kicked five field goals. The Packers’ offense struggled to get into the end zone until Rodgers found Jones on an 83-yard completion down the left sideline for a 16-3 lead late in the third quarter. It provided enough of a cushion for a defense that had the luxury of facing the Lions minus star receiver Calvin Johnson, out with a knee injury.
EAGLES 36, GIANTS 21 Nick Foles threw for two touchdowns and led four scoring drives after taking over for an injured Michael Vick late in the second quarter, and visiting Philadelphia kept the Giants winless. Foles threw fourth-quarter touchdown passes of 25 yards to Brent Celek and 5 yards to DeSean Jackson as the Eagles snapped a three-game losing streak by forcing three interceptions by Eli Manning in the fourth quarter. Vick left the game with a hamstring injury late in the second quarter. LeSean McCoy added a 1-yard touchdown run and Alex Henery kicked five field goals for the Eagles.
CARDINALS 22, PANTHERS 6 Host Arizona sacked Cam Newton seven times, once for a safety, and intercepted him on three occasions to overcome a sluggish offensive performance. Daryl Washington, back after serving a four game suspension for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy, had two sacks and an interception for Arizona.
RAMS 34, JAGUARS 20 Sam Bradford threw three touchdown passes and Matt Giordano’s 82-yard interception return was one of several big plays from the St. Louis defense against winless Jacksonville.
OCT. 3 Cleveland 37, Buffalo 24 SUNDAY’S GAMES Green Bay 22, Detroit 9 New Orleans 26, Chicago 18 Kansas City 26, Tennessee 17 St. Louis 34, Jacksonville 20 Cincinnati 13, New England 6 Indianapolis 34, Seattle 28 Baltimore 26, Miami 23 Philadelphia 36, NY Giants 21 Arizona 22, Carolina 6 Denver 51, Dallas 48 San Francisco 34, Houston 3 San Diego at Oakland, (n) OPEN Minnesota, Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay, Washington TODAY’S GAME - All times Central NY Jets at Atlanta, 7:40 p.m.
THURSDAY’S GAME NY Giants at Chicago, 7:25 p.m.
SUNDAY’S GAMES Carolina at Minnesota, noon Oakland at Kansas City, noon St. Louis at Houston, noon Green Bay at Baltimore, noon Philadelphia at Tampa Bay, noon Pittsburgh at N.Y. Jets, noon Cincinnati at Buffalo, noon Detroit at Cleveland, noon Tennessee at Seattle, 3:05 p.m.
Jacksonville at Denver, 3:05 p.m.
Arizona at San Francisco, 3:25 p.m.
New Orleans at New England, 3:25 p.m. Washington at Dallas, 7:30 p.m.
OPEN Atlanta, Miami MONDAY, OCT. 14 Indianapolis at San Diego, 7:40 p.m.
Sports, Pages 19 on 10/07/2013