INDIANAPOLIS ― The Bucs looked like roadkill. They trailed the Colts by 10 points early in the second half and were retreating, on their way to another defeat as the visiting team.
They needed someone in a cape to save the day. Shaquil Barrett was the hero.
The Bucs outside linebacker sacked Indianapolis quarterback Carson Wentz, stripped the ball and recovered the fumble. It was one of five turnovers forced by Tampa Bay, which rallied to beat the Colts 38-31 on Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Barrett had two sacks, and after his fumble recovery the Bucs got an interception by Antoine Winfield Jr. and a muffed punt recovered by Scotty Miller.
The Bucs used the turnovers to score 20 second-half points, and Leonard Fournette added his fourth touchdown of the game on a 28-yard run with 20 seconds remaining. Fournette rushed for 100 yards and three scores on 17 carries and had a TD reception as well.
The Bucs made it interesting by allowing a 72-yard kickoff return by Isaiah Rodgers (Blake High product). But Pierre Desir intercepted Wentz’s final pass in the end zone.
When the Bucs play away from Raymond James Stadium this season, they struggle. New Orleans, Washington, Indianapolis — it’s all the same.
The only thing they can count on are penalties, turnovers and injuries, and all three plagued the Bucs in the first half Sunday.
Before the end of the first quarter, the Bucs lost linebacker Devin White (hip), cornerback Jamel Dean (shoulder) and guard Aaron Stinnie (knee).
Fournette tried to keep the Bucs in it with two first-half touchdowns, one receiving and one rushing. His second score cut the Colts’ lead to 17-14.
But the Bucs defense couldn’t get off the field.
The Bucs did bottle up star running back Jonathan Taylor in the half, limiting him to 25 yards on eight carries. But Wentz had a remarkable half and helped the Colts score 21 points in the second quarter.
Wentz went 16-of-24 for 197 yards and three touchdowns in the first half, including a 62-yarder to Ashton Dulin, the first touchdown of his career.
After cutting the Colts’ lead to a field goal, the Bucs defense collapsed.
Wentz drove the Colts 75 yards in 14 plays. Coach Frank Reich gambled on fourth and 1 from the Tampa Bay 4-yard line. Wentz flipped a pass to T.Y. Hilton, who beat Desir on the play for a 4-yard touchdown with 18 seconds remaining in the half.
Barrett then made a huge play. With the Colts driving to start the third quarter, he sacked Wentz, stripped him of the football and recovered it at the Tampa Bay 35-yard line.
Miller drew a 37-yard pass interference penalty on Rock Ya-Sin. Three plays later, the Bucs trailed only by a field goal.
Winfield kept the turnover vibe going when he intercepted a deep pass from Wentz to Michael Pittman Jr. near the goal line and returned it to the Tampa Bay 35.
Once again, Rob Gronkowski made the big play, a 38-yard catch-and-run in which he trucked George Odom and needed two players to bring him down.
Cameron Brate drew a pass interference penalty in the end zone on T.J. Carrie to set up Jones’ 1-yard TD run for a 28-24 lead with a minute left in the third quarter.
A muffed punt by Nyheim Himes was recovered by Miller. But Tampa Bay could only come away with Ryan Succop’s 25-yard field goal to expand its lead to a touchdown.
That’s when Taylor got started. He had five carries for 50 yards before scoring on a 4-yard TD run to tie the score at 31 with 3:29 left.
But the Bucs drove 75-yards for the winning TD, with Fournette high-stepping in the end zone.
