Andrew Luck rallies Colts to thrilling win over Lions

DETROIT -- Andrew Luck was down to his last shot and his final option to lead the Indianapolis Colts to victory.

On a fourth-down play that began with three seconds left, Luck dropped back, then moved up to avoid pressure and buy time for a teammate to get open. He tossed a short pass to Donnie Avery, who raced untouched for a 14-yard touchdown with no time remaining to give the Colts a 35-33 win over the Detroit Lions yesterday.

"You always hesitate throwing the ball not in the end zone, for fear of the clock running out with a guy in bounds," Luck said. "Took the calculated risk that Donnie could get there in the end zone, and he did."

"I had no choice but to score," Avery said. "It was the slowest 11 yards that I ever felt like I ran."

Luck, again making his transition from Stanford to the NFL look relatively smooth, helped Indy win a game in a way it hasn't since just after his first birthday.

The last time the Colts scored a game-winning TD with no time remaining on the clock was Sept. 30, 1990, according to STATS LLC, to beat Philadelphia, 24-23.

Luck has won more games (eight) than any other rookie quarterback drafted No. 1 overall in the Super Bowl era. He broke the mark by Sam Bradford, who helped St. Louis win seven games two years ago, and also surpassed Jim Plunkett in New England during the 1971 season.

The Colts (8-4) stayed in control of the AFC wild-card race by winning for the sixth time in seven games. Luck helped them move a step closer toward being in the playoffs for the 10th time in 11 seasons, this time without Peyton Manning.

"Some teams find ways to win," Indy interim coach Bruce Arian said. "Others don't."

The Lions (4-8) lost for the fourth straight time, including three in a row at home after leading in the final quarter.

They're the first team to lose three straight games when leading with two minutes left in regulation since San Diego did it in 2000, according to STATS LLC, and the first since at least 1983 to blow leads that late in three home games in a row.

"This is a tough league for tough people,'' Lions coach Jim Schwartz said, "and we'll find out now who is tough."

Luck, who was 24-for-54 for 391 yards with four touchdown passes, made up for his three interceptions with his final TD on the final play. He had two interceptions in the first half and threw a third in the fourth quarter. He has thrown 13 of his 16 interceptions on the road.

Fellow rookie T.Y. Hilton had six receptions for 100 yards and Avery had five catches for 91 yards and two scores.

Calvin Johnson had a career-high 13 receptions for 171 yards, including a 46-yard touchdown that gave Detroit a 30-21 lead late in the third quarter.