Lawless
All About Brad!
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Registered: Jun 2003
Local time: 08:52 PM
Location: Freezing in Colorado
Posts: 27143
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By MICHAEL MAROT, AP Sports Writer
INDIANAPOLIS - New England's Willie McGinest kept Edgerrin James out of the end zone to preserve yet another thrilling victory.
With 14 seconds left Sunday, McGinest shot around the right side of the Indianapolis Colts (news)' offensive line on fourth-and-goal and tackled James in the backfield to give the Patriots a 38-34 victory.
The Patriots have now won eight straight, the longest streak in the NFL, and are 10-2 for the first time in franchise history.
Indianapolis (9-3) dropped out of first place in the AFC South, at least momentarily, for the first time this year. Tennessee plays Monday night.
For the Colts, it was yet another wild game in which Peyton Manning brilliantly rallied them from a 21-point second half deficit. But this time, after completing 29 of 48 passes for 278 yards and four touchdowns, Manning's late-game heroics ran out.
He moved the Colts 47 yards on their final drive, getting three chances to win it from the 1-yard line in the game's final 37 seconds.
But the Patriots stuffed James on second-and-goal and Manning couldn't connect with Aaron Moorehead on third-and-goal. After a timeout, the Colts called a draw play to James, but McGinest blew it up by tackling the back for a loss.
Manning walked backward and smacked the ground in disgust.
It did not look as though New England would need any heroes after taking a 31-10 lead midway through the third quarter.
But Manning connected with Reggie Wayne on a 13-yard touchdown pass, Marvin Harrison on a 26-yard touchdown pass and Troy Walters on a 6-yard TD pass to tie the score with 10:21 left in the game.
Then New England went to the two players who made the difference.
Kick returner Bethel Johnson, who closed out the first half with a 92-yard kickoff return, set up the Patriots with a 67-yard runback. Four plays later, Tom Brady hit Deion Branch in the corner of the end for a 13-yard TD pass and a 38-31 lead.
Brady finished 26-of-35 for 236 yards and two touchdowns. Michael Cloud also ran for two touchdowns.
But Manning again led the Colts back.
They gambled with 3:27 to go by kicking a 29-yard field goal to make it 38-34, hoping Manning would get one more chance to win it.
New England obliged. Brady, surprisingly, threw on each of the next four plays, taking just 30 seconds off the clock. And when Ken Walter's punt went just 18 yards, the Colts had a chance.
Manning worked the field and the clock brilliantly, but the Patriots' defense stiffened and McGinest saved the game.
James finished with 88 yards on 25 carries and had eight catches for 50 yards.
Branch caught six passes for 64 yards.
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:::>^..^<::: ~*~The Journey is more important than the end or the start~*~ :::>^..^<::: |
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11-30-2003 10:48 PM
