Heinicke leads late rally as Washington beats Colts 17-16

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Taylor Heinicke scored on a 1-yard plunge with 22 seconds left Sunday, capping an 89-yard drive in the final 2 1/2 minutes and sending the Washington Commanders to a 17-16 victory over the Indianapolis Colts.

Indy native Terry McLaurin set up the decisive score by wrestling the ball away from cornerback Stephon Gilmore, the 2019 NFL Defensive Player of the Year, for a 33-yard catch one play before Heinicke scored.

Washington (4-4) has won three straight.

Indy (3-4-1) managed only one TD in Sam Ehlinger's first career start. He took over at quarterback this week when coach Frank Reich announced longtime veteran Matt Ryan had been benched.

The Commanders carried a 7-3 lead into the second half. But Chase McLaughlin's third field goal of the day, a 20-yarder, gave Indy a 9-7 lead early in the fourth quarter.

Heinicke was picked off on the ensuing possession and the Colts needed two plays to convert the turnover into a 6-yard touchdown run by Nyheim Hines. Reich sent McLaughlin out for the extra point instead of going for 2.

Heinicke eventually made the Colts pay for that decision, converting a fourth-and-1 from his 20-yard line by buying enough time to hook up with Curtis Samuel for a 12-yard gain. He hooked up with McLaurin four plays later and eventually scored.

Heinicke was 23 of 31 for 279 yards, one TD and one interception.

Ehlinger finished 17 of 23 for 201 yards, and he also had six carries for 15 yards. He was sacked twice.

HOMECOMING WEEKEND

McLaurin made sure his homecoming was special, catching six passes for 113 yards and just missing out on the winning score.

The Indy native grew up attending Colts games in the upper deck with his father, and he won three high school state titles and two Big Ten titles on this field. So, naturally, McLaurin fulfilled nearly six dozen ticket requests in his pro debut at Lucas Oil Stadium.

RINGING IT IN

Former Colts left tackle Tarik Glenn was inducted into Indy's Ring of Honor at halftime, the 18th member of the club. Glenn started 154 games for Indy, primarily at left tackle, from 1997-2006 and was part of the Colts' Super Bowl-winning team.

Hall of Famers Peyton Manning, Marvin Harrison, Edgerrin James and Bill Polian attended the festivities, and former Colts center Jeff Saturday donned Glenn's No. 78 jersey before the game.

“I'm so grateful for this opportunity and I couldn't do it without a village," Glenn said. “I am so grateful to have played all my 10 years in Indianapolis.”

UP NEXT

Commanders: Host Minnesota and former quarterback Kirk Cousins next Sunday.

Colts: Renew their rivalry on a road trip to New England next Sunday.

___

More AP NFL coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL