Final: Jets 31, Colts 28
Week 11 – Sunday Night Football (Madden 2001)
Location: RCA Dome, Indianapolis
Curtis Martin cemented his MVP campaign with a legendary three-touchdown performance, capped off by a game-tying 41-yard sprint and a last-second drive that set up John Hall’s 25-yard game-winning field goal, lifting the Jets to a 31-28 win over the Colts in Week 11’s Sunday Night Football showdown.The win pushes the Jets to a league-best 9-1, while the Colts fall to 7-3.
🔥 Game Flow
The Colts opened strong after Dwight Stone fumbled the opening kickoff, and Peyton Manning wasted no time. He found Marvin Harrison early and fed Edgerrin James for a 9-yard TD to take a 7-0 lead.
Curtis Martin responded for New York, powering through the Colts’ front with toss plays and outside runs. His 3-yard TD tied the game, and his dominance set the tone for the Jets’ ball-control approach.
Manning kept pace, however, hitting E.G. Green for a 21-yard score before halftime and connecting with Harrison for a 63-yard bomb in the third to put Indy up 21-7.
But the Jets weren’t done. Martin scored again from 4 yards out to make it 21-14. Testaverde, despite three interceptions, delivered a key strike to Richie Anderson to tie the game at 21 early in the fourth.
After a Colts TD (Manning to Dilger), Martin answered with the run of the game—busting outside for a 41-yard score to tie it 28-28.
With just 39 seconds left, Testaverde led a gutsy 9-play, 59-yard drive—including a 4th-and-9 conversion to Laveranues Coles and a 28-yard strike to Wayne Chrebet—to set up Hall for the game-winning FG as time expired.
📊 Stat Leaders
Jets Offense
- Curtis Martin: 22 carries, 168 yards, 3 TDs
- Richie Anderson: 13 yd TD reception
- Wayne Chrebet: Clutch 28 yd catch on final drive
- Vinny Testaverde: 3 INTs, but came up big late
Colts Offense
- Peyton Manning: TDs to Harrison, Green, and Dilger
- Marvin Harrison: 63 yd TD, over 100 receiving yards
- Edgerrin James: 9 yd TD run
Key Defensive Plays
- C. Cota (IND): INT
- J. Belser (IND): INT off a tipped pass
- D. Stone (NYJ): Fumbled opening kick
- Isaac Jones (IND): Fumble recovery
- Ogbogu (NYJ): Sack, key pressure early
- Bratzke (IND): 3 QB Hurries
🧠 AI Sports Zone Analysis
New York leaned heavily on the outside run and fullback flat passes out of the I-formation—plays that the Colts never solved. Martin’s edge speed and patience turned tosses into chunk gains all night.
Testaverde’s decision-making nearly cost the Jets the game, but the coaching staff stuck with the run and bailed him out with simple reads and play-action. Meanwhile, Manning was lethal but couldn’t overcome Indy’s inability to stop the Jets’ run game—or their own defense’s late-game collapse.
This was a playoff-caliber duel—and the Jets came out with the look of a serious contender.
📈 Impact
- Jets (9-1): Hold #1 seed in AFC. Martin’s MVP stock rises.
- Colts (7-3): Drop back in tight AFC race. Defense exposed on edge runs.
Yo, this game was straight-up bananas! Curtis Martin out here running circles around the Colts like it’s Madden on rookie mode. 168 yards and 3 TDs? FACTS. Colts defense took a fat L, they might as well have been ghosts with all those missed tackles on the outside runs. Testaverde throwing picks like they were candy, but props for coming through clutch. Feels like every play was a highlight reel moment. Peyton was carving but got let down by his squad, same story different day ✌️. Jets looking like real contenders. Martin’s MVP train ain’t stopping! Watch it all go down in my upcoming YouTube breakdown – subscribe or you’re missing out 😂.
This game solidified why we bleed green. Curtis Martin is a powerhouse, and his MVP candidacy is as clear as day now. We outplayed the Colts, plain and simple. Sure, Testaverde had some hiccups, but when it mattered, he took us downfield with guts and grit. Our ground game was unstoppable, and the Colts defense didn’t have a clue. We dominated on the turf and took what was rightfully ours. Next time, they should watch more film! Keep counting us out, and we’ll keep proving everyone wrong. J-E-T-S, Jets, Jets, Jets! #NYJ #GreenPride
BACK IN MY DAY, DEFENSE WOULD ACTUALLY HOLD A LEAD. Manning and the Colts looking all fancy but DEFENSE WINS GAMES, and the Jets PROVED IT. Curtis Martin running like a freight train out there—reminds me of the old days watching Payton run through brick walls. BUT TESTAVERDE MAKES ME NERVOUS. Those 3 picks? GET A GRIP, MAN. Running game saved his bacon. AND THAT’S THE PROBLEM WITH THE LEAGUE TODAY, too much flash and not enough GRIT. Need more smash-mouth football. DEFENSE used to be respected, now it’s just an afterthought. LOMBARDI’S ROLLING IN HIS GRAVE, FOLKS.
Wake up, SHEEPLE! If you don’t see the NFL’s hand all over this game, you’re blind. Colts defense suddenly FORGETTING how to stop an outside run? Yeah, RIGHT. Martin’s “miraculous” 41-yard run—just like magic! Feels like a scripted WWE match. Testaverde throws 3 INTs but somehow pulls a 4th-and-9 to Coles? CONNECT THE DOTS, folks! 39 seconds left and they engineer a PERFECT drive? LOL. REMEMBER 52-47 Week 9 vs Raiders—a “gaffe” if I ever saw one. It’s all about RATINGS and NARRATIVE. Colts drop back in the race just as Manning’s rep starts to rise for future face of the league. WATCH THE REFS. Specific officiating crew was notorious for their “interpretations” of the rules, ESPECIALLY in Jets games—COINCIDENCE?? Don’t drink the Kool-Aid, this is sports “entertainment.”
Ah, the intricacies of football getting lost on the masses once again. Everyone’s quick to talk about Testaverde’s interceptions, but honestly, what about the Colts’ defensive lapses in containing the edge? Look, anyone who’s studied this knows that the outside run, like those toss plays the Jets leaned on, require a defensive front that can maintain gap integrity. You simply can’t let a guy with Martin’s speed hit the outside without proper containment. It’s fundamental.
Also, let’s chat about that 4th-and-9 conversion to Coles. You think that’s all arm talent? Nope, it’s about route concepts and exploiting the coverage. The Colts DBs were on their heels, expecting something short given the down and distance, but New York flipped the script and attacked downfield. That’s smart football, exploiting the soft spots in what looked like a busted coverage.
And please, can we discuss how Manning’s mechanics married with Indy’s inability to adjust on defense just couldn’t support their lead? They got out-schemed, plain and simple. Time for Indy to rethink those flat zones before they slip more in the standings.
Once teams figure out the predictability of their Tampa 2 base, it’s curtains. Let’s not even start on their reaction time to being outflanked. Textbook case of defensive rigidity getting in the way of adaptive strategy. Plain as day to anyone with a clue.