Hasselbeck, Vinatieri end Bucs’ win streak
INDIANAPOLIS — Lovie Smith watched in dismay as the mistakes piled up.
There was a dropped third-down pass that could have gone for a touchdown. After the ensuing field-goal try was hooked wide left, Tampa Bay was called for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty that led to an Indianapolis field goal. And then there was that darned leaping penalty. Again.
Jameis Winston was sacked five times, and the Buccaneers were shut out in the second half of a 25-12 loss to the Colts on Sunday.
“We did not play good football,” said Smith, who is in his second year as Tampa Bay’s coach. “Offensively, we never got into a flow. Passing, we were just off. We didn’t have a takeaway. The way you shift momentum is to take the ball away.”
Matt Hasselbeck threw for 315 yards and two touchdowns for Indianapolis (6-5), and Adam Vinatieri made four more field goals. T.Y. Hilton caught six passes for 95 yards and two TDs.
The Buccaneers (5-6) entered with two straight wins and a rolling rookie quarterback in Winston.
But they unraveled in Indianapolis at the most inopportune times.
The dropped pass, missed field goal and 15-yard penalty led to an Indy field goal that made it 19-12 late in the third quarter.
And that leaping penalty, which rekindled some bitter memories of Indy’s incredible Monday night comeback in 2003, gave the Colts a first down at the Tampa Bay 6. Two plays later, Hasselbeck hooked up with Hilton for the clinching 3-yard TD pass.
Tampa Bay never challenged again.
“They said we used one of our guys as a brace,” Smith said of the call against Chris Conte. “Good call.”
The Colts didn’t need any help.
Hasselbeck has been playing with the efficiency of a quarterback half his age — and he proved it in Indy’s third consecutive win, one that keeps the Colts tied for the AFC South lead.
In the first matchup between the oldest and youngest starting quarterbacks in the NFL since December 2010, according to STATS, Hasselbeck easily outplayed Winston.
Hasselbeck finished 26 of 42 with no turnovers. He had a 100.8 rating and joined Brett Favre and Warren Moon as the only 40-year-old quarterbacks during the Super Bowl era to win four consecutive starts.
Winston was 20 of 36 for 245 yards with one touchdown, one interception and a rating of 74.4.
Hasselbeck kept the Colts poised and in control — even after they settled for field goals on their first three scores.
“He’s not playing like he’s 40,” Hilton said. “He’s out there having fun, making sure guys are in the right spot and letting us make plays. He’s fired up and wants to make sure guys are in the right spot so he can make plays.”
The 42-year-old Vinatieri connected from 49, 27 and 26 yards before adding a 44-yarder after Indy took the lead for good late in the third quarter. He has made 16 consecutive field goals since missing his first two attempts this season.
A 56-yard run from Doug Martin set up Tampa’s only touchdown, a 20-yard pass from Winston to Cameron Brate that made it 12-6 with 1:54 left in the second quarter. Martin finished with 14 carries for 97 yards.
The Bucs’ defense forced only two punts in the first 55 minutes, and even when it appeared it could change course, Tampa failed.
It was a nice finish to a strong day for Hasselbeck, who has done more than just fill in with Andrew Luck recovering from a lacerated kidney and a partially torn abdominal muscle.