INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Jonathan Taylor had two touchdown runs and Trey Sermon added another Sunday as the Indianapolis Colts held on for a 21-16 victory over the Chicago Bears.
Taylor ran 23 times for 110 yards as the Colts (1-2) avoided their first 0-3 start since 2021. Anthony Richardson completed 10 of 20 passes for 167 yards, but had two more interceptions.
Chicago (1-2) lost its second straight despite getting two offensive TDs — one more than its total in the first two weeks. Caleb Williams, this year's No. 1 overall draft pick, went 33 of 52 with 363 yards through the air — all season bests — and threw the first two TD passes of his NFL career. Williams also was intercepted twice.
The performances sure didn't win many style points.
Chicago and Indy combined for just 71 total yards in the first quarter and had five turnovers overall, and the league's two youngest starting quarterbacks each had passer ratings below 81.
Williams also was sacked four times and was under pressure much of the game, including on a 2-point conversion pass that fell incomplete midway through the fourth quarter. And the Colts finished with only 15 first downs.
Yet, Indy did just enough to hang on.
After the Bears endured a scoreless first half, they finally broke through with a 53-yard field goal on its first possession of the second half.
The Colts made it 14-3 when Richardson helped push Sermon across the goal line for a 1-yard TD with 21 seconds left in the third quarter.
Williams got the Bears within 14-9 with his first TD pass — a 1-yarder to Rome Odunze with 8:21 left in the game. But when rookie defensive end Laiatu Latu forced a strip sack of Williams. Indy capitalized with Taylor’s 1-yard TD run to seal it.
The Bears did make it a one score game on Williams' 6-yard TD pass to Cole Kmet with 2:01 to play, but the Colts ran out the clock.
Richardson got the scoring started after an early interception of Williams by hooking up with Kylen Granson on a 40-yard completion. Taylor followed then used a nifty jump cut to free himself for a 29-yard TD run on the next play to make it 7-0.
Kmet tied his career best with 10 receptions for 97 yards. Odunze, taken eight picks after Williams, finished with six catches and a season-high 112 yards.
Close call
Williams nearly got his first TD pass on the final play of the first half when his heave to the end zone was batted by Colts cornerback Jaylon Jones. DJ Moore alertly caught the pass near the goal line.
But Colts safety Julian Blackmon and linebacker E.J. Speed tackled Moore at the 1 to preserve the 7-0 lead.
Up next
Bears: Host the Los Angeles Rams next Sunday, the first of back-to-back home games.
Colts: Stay in Indy to take on the Pittsburgh Steelers next Sunday.
