For one they were at home to face the Bills on Sunday-a place which they'd lost just once so far in 2012. Plus there was the fact that an average Buffalo team was lining up ahead of them instead of the Patriots, a team with an experienced moxy that took it to them a week earlier in Foxborough.
On that topic, Andrew Luck only has two interceptions in Lucas Oil Stadium-one less that he had last week.
Indeed the Colts have taken advantage of these things in their favor as they beat the Bills 20-13 Sunday afternoon at Lucas Oil Stadium. The Colts improve to 7-4 on the season and still hold onto a Wild Card playoff spot in the AFC.
Oddly enough it was something the Colts weren't used to seeing that helped them to the early lead. Rookie T.Y. Hilton took a punt back 75-yard for a touchdown, coasting the final 30 yards to give the Colts a 7-0 lead.
Buffalo responded with an 11-play, 65 yard drive later in the quarter but stalled out inside the Colts ten-yard line. Rian Lindell completed the drive with a 33-yard field goal to cut the Colts lead to four.
The second quarter was a series of long drives by each team that failed to reach the endzone. The Colts went 82-yards down the field but had to settle for an Adam Vinatieri 21-yard field goal to extend their lead to 10-6.
A 63-yard catch by Stevie Johnson put the Bills in position to finally get in the endzone, but the Colts defense got a sack by Robert Mathis to force another Lindell field goal to make it 10-6.
In the final minute, the Colts got the ball inside the Buffalo five and nearly got a touchdown when Andrew Luck hit Reggie Wayne on a slant. But he was short of the goaline and Luck had to get to the line to spike the ball with one second left.
Vinatieri hit a 19-yard field goal to make it 13-6 at the half.
Hilton struck again for the Colts in the third when he caught an eight-yard touchdown pass from Luck to make it 20-6.
The Bills finally reached paydirt in the fourth when Ryan Fitzpatrick completed a long drive with a three-yard touchdown pass to Lee Smith. After that, however, the Colts defense remained strong and kept the Buffalo offense limited.
Luck and the offense got the ball back with 3:22 to go in the game and were able to pick up a few first downs to run out the clock.
