Luck throws 5 TD passes, Colts rout Washington
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Indianapolis, IN (SportsNetwork.com) - Andrew Luck threw for 370 yards with five touchdowns, leading the Indianapolis Colts to a 49-27 victory over the Washington Redskins on Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium.
It was supposed to be a matchup of the top two picks in the 2012 NFL Draft, but only Luck, the No. 1 selection, played. And he played very well.
Luck completed 19-of-27 throws, two of which went for scores of more than 70 yards. Coby Fleener hauled in TD passes of 30 and 73 yards, while Donte Moncrief had scoring receptions of 48 and 79 yards.
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"We have guys who are very explosive," Luck said. "We came in thinking we'd have a chance at some big ones."
Robert Griffin III, the second overall choice in 2012, was benched earlier this week by Redskins coach Jay Gruden after three straight losing efforts. Colt McCoy, the winning quarterback in Washington's last two victories, threw for 392 yards with three touchdowns, but the Redskins defense could not stop Luck.
The Colts (8-4) racked up 487 yards on just 49 plays, an average of 9.9 yards per play. Dan Herron added to the outburst with 88 yards on just eight carries, including a 49-yard touchdown run, as Indianapolis notched its second straight win.
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Washington (3-9) has lost four in a row since McCoy guided the team to an overtime win at Dallas on Oct. 27. The Redskins were productive with 425 yards of offense after mustering just 213 last week in a loss to San Francisco.
"Players have to start stepping up and taking some accountability at some point," Gruden said. "We've got to do a better job coaching, that's all I can say."
The Colts turned the ball over on each of their first two possessions, but Washington managed to convert only one mistake into points.
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Luck fumbled on the first play from scrimmage to give Washington possession at the Indianapolis 15, but it led only to a 25-yard Kai Forbath field goal. Luck then had a pass deflected four plays into the ensuing series and Ryan Clark came down with the interception near midfield, but again the Redskins failed to move and were forced to punt.
There were no mistakes on Indy's third series. Luck connected on each of his four passes, including a 30-yard scoring strike to a wide open Fleener along the left sideline.
The Colts extended their lead to 21-3 on consecutive possessions in second quarter, as Herron broke free for a 49-yard touchdown run and Luck found T.Y. Hilton with a 3-yard TD pass.
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Washington then finally put together a solid offensive series, marching 84 yards on nine plays for a score. McCoy capped it with a 21-yard TD pass to Roy Helu Jr.
The Redskins got one more chance after Herron fumbled near midfield on the next series, but an incomplete pass and a sack eventually forced a punt in the final minute of the half.
McCoy pulled Washington within 21-17 on the first series of the second half, throwing a 16-yard touchdown pass to Logan Paulsen, but the Colts answered just three plays after the kickoff when Luck hit Moncrief with a 48-yard scoring pass.
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The Redskins were moving again with their next possession, but McCoy was sacked again and lost the ball. D'Qwell Jackson recovered and raced 35 yards for a touchdown to give the Colts a 35-17 advantage.
McCoy and Luck then traded long scoring passes. McCoy hit DeSean Jackson with a 42-yard touchdown and Luck answered just 27 seconds later with a 73-yarder to Fleener.
Forbath kicked a 29-yard field goal three minutes into the fourth quarter to get Washington within two scores, but once again Luck had a quick response with a 79-yard TD pass to Moncrief just three plays later and Washington had no answer.
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Game Notes
The Colts scored a touchdown in the first quarter for the first time since Week 6 against Houston ... Luck set a franchise record with his 10th 300-yard passing game of the season, eclipsing Peyton Manning's mark of nine set in 2009 ... Fleener had four catches for 127 yards, while Moncrief amassed 134 yards on just three receptions ... Jackson caught five passes for 84 yards in defeat, while tight end Jordan Reed hauled in nine balls for 123 yards ... The Colts will visit Cleveland next Sunday, while the Redskins will host St. Louis.