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Vinatieri boots former team as Colts edge Patriots

Nov 3, 2008 - 6:01 AM INDIANAPOLIS (Ticker) -- A former foe may have saved the Indianapolis Colts' season.

Peyton Manning threw a pair of touchdowns and Adam Vinatieri kicked a game-winning field goal as the Colts posted an 18-15 victory over the New England Patriots on Sunday.

Anthony Gonzalez caught both of Manning's TD passes, helping the Colts (4-4) avoid their first three-game losing streak since October 21-November 3, 2002.

A former Patriot, Vinatieri connected on a 52-yarder with 8:09 left in the fourth and Bob Sanders celebrated his return to the lineup with a game-clinching interception.

It was a virtual must-win game for the Colts, who trail the Tennessee Titans (8-0) in the AFC South and will likely be resigned to the playing for one of the wild cards.

"I've got all the respect and admiration for that team," said Vinatieri, who signed with the Colts as free agent after the 2005 season.

"I've still got a lot of good friends over there. I guess that's why it's that much sweeter when you have an opportunity to play well and help your current team beat your former team. I'm pretty happy about that."

Vinatieri's replacement, Stephen Gostkowski tied the game at 15-15 with 11:33 left by kicking a 25-yarder - his third field goal of the night. Manning then led an eight-play, 48-yard drive that was capped by Vinatieri's go-ahead kick.

It was the first field goal of over 50-yard in six years for Vinatieri, who helped the Patriots repeatedly beat the Colts en route to claiming three Super Bowls in four seasons.

Despite not making a field goal longer than 50 yards since kicking a 57-yarder against the Chicago Bears in 2002, Vinatieri was confident.

"Before (halftime), I told Russ (special teams coach Russ Purnell) that I felt good today," Vinatieri said.

"If we've got a long one, maybe up to 60, let's go for it. (In warm ups) we hit from 55-57-ish, so I kind of felt like we had enough distance today. You have to have the right situation and the right opportunity, and tonight it worked out all right."

Manning finished 21-of-29 for 254 yards and was as sharp as he's been after struggling following multiple knee surgeries this offseason.

"He was really in control of things and understood what we were trying to do," Colts head coach Tony Dungy said.

"He made some really big throws, especially in the red zone. The two balls to Anthony were very, very tight and they were throws that we needed. It was a very, very good performance against a defense that doesn't give you a lot."

BenJarvus Green-Ellis ran for 57 yards and a TD for New England (5-3), which entered the game as the least-penalized team in the league (22), but was hurt by a costly unsportsmanlike penalty.

With the Patriots driving for a go-ahead score, backup tight end David Thomas was flagged when he continued blocking after the whistle with 4:45 remaining. The penalty made it 3rd-and-16 at the Indianapolis 45-yard line - instead of 3rd-and-1 at the Colts' 32.

"I was just playing hard and didn't hear the whistle," Thomas said.

Minus a timeout, the Patriots decided to go for it on 4th-and-16, and Sanders picked off a poor pass to seal the win. It was the first game back for Sanders, who missed the last five contests with a sprained ankle.

New England offensive lineman Matt Light was upset with the penalty being called.

"It doesn't matter (if it was a questionable call), they called it," Light said. "I think one of these days they are going to let us play this game. Unfortunately, that didn't happen tonight."

In typical fashion, this rivalry game was highly entertaining and tense.

Green-Ellis' 6-yard scoring run put New England up, 12-7, with 7:12 left in the third. The Patriots missed the two-point conversion, and Manning answered with a 9-yard TD toss to Gonzalez exactly four minutes later.

Manning also connected with Reggie Wayne on the two-point conversion for a 15-12 lead.

"It was huge," said Wayne, who took a big hit on the play. "We have been working on that play for weeks and we finally had a opportunity to get it. I actually saw them coming, so I had a chance to catch it and close my eyes."

Showing a sense of urgency, the Colts looked good from the start. Manning capped a methodical 15-play, 91-yard drive with a 12-yard TD toss to Gonzalez with 2:18 to play in the first.

New England answered with a pair of field goals from Gostkowski, and trailed 7-6 at the half.

It was the first time since 2000 that a Patriots-Colts matchup did not feature Manning and reigning NFL MVP Tom Brady. Brady suffered a torn ACL and MCL in Week One. Brady's replacement, Matt Cassel completed 25-of-34 passes for 204 yards and an interception.

"We've come out here the last couple of times and it has been just like this - the last possession, the last couple of plays," Cassel said. "The Colts made a couple more plays than we did and that's how I would describe the game."