Giants "Luck" Runs Out Against Colts With 40-24 Loss

Andrew Luck completed 25 of 46 passes for 354 yards and 4 TDs against the Giants as the Colts beat the Giants 40-24. Eli Manning was 27 of 52 for 359 yards and 2 TDs in the losing cause.

This was the 1st game in Monday Night Football history when both quarterbacks threw for over 350 yards with no interceptions. The difference in this game may have been that Eli Manning overthrew his receivers, who appeared to have beaten the coverage in several instances, 11 times. The receivers can't help you when you are unable to get the ball close to them.

The Colt's Luck threw for 354 yards, his 5th consecutive road game with at least 350 yards, an NFL record. The NFL record book is at least as thick as the IRS instruction manual. The things they keep track of are amazing. Luck has also thrown for 300+ yards in seven straight games tying him for third place in NFL history with Peyton Manning. It was also Luck's 17th NFL game with over 300 yards in just 2 1/2 years of play.

The run game for both teams was average at best, just enough runs to keep the defense honest. Ahmad Bradshaw, ex Giants running back, led the Colt's with 50 yards on just 7 carries while the Giants could muster only 89 yards on the ground on 20 carries by 5 different backs, including Manning's 18 yards on 1 carry.

Tight End Coby Fleener caught a 32 yard TD from Luck. WR T.Y. Hilton (31 yards), WR Reggie Wayne (40 yards) and TE Dwayne Allen also caught TD passes from Luck. Corey Washington and Larry Donnell were on the receiving end of Manning's 2 TD passes.

Manning and Luck both fumbled twice but Eli lost one. Jonathan Newsome sacked Manning, causing a fumble that Sergio Brown returned to the Giants 4 yard line. Luck then threw his 4th TD pass, a 2 yard toss to TE Dwayne Allen.

The Colts sit atop the AFC South Division at 6-3, two games ahead of the much improved Houston Texans while the Giants fall to 3-5 in the NFC East, three games behind the Eagles and just 1/2 game in front of the hapless Redskins.

Colts Shutout Bengals 27-0

While Andrew Luck was completing 27 of 42 passes for 344 yards and 2 TDs with no INTs, the Colt defense was holding the Bengals to 135 yards of total offense. The 27-0 final score indicates that the Colt defense is quite formidable.

Cincinnati had 103 yards through the air and 32 yards on the ground for the game. Giovani Bernard was the leading ground gainer for the Bengals with 17 yards on 7 carries. Mohamed Sanu had 3 catches for 54 yards while Jermaine Gresham caught 10 passes from Andy dalton for 48 yards.

Dalton was 18 of 38 for 126 yards but was sacked 3 times for 17 yards.

The Bengals ran 54 plays and got just 8 first downs. Two of those first downs were the result of Colt penalties. Cincinnati was forced to punt the ball away 11 times during the game, tying a franchise record. They didn't get the ball into Colt territory until the 4th quarter.

T.Y. Hilton, of the Colts, had 7 catches for 107 yards, his second consecutive 100+ yard game. Reggie Wayne caught 4 passes for 15 yards that put him over 14,000 yards receiving for his career.

The Bengals fall to 3-2-1 on the year while the Colts are 5-2.