Colts Win, Lose Shot at First Pick

The playoff picture remained fuzzy for a number of teams, but the focus on the top pick in next spring’s NFL draft sharpened here Sunday.

The Indianapolis Colts bowed out of the race for the first overall selection in the 1986 draft with a 31-23 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, leaving the Buccaneers with either the first or second choice.

Tampa Bay (2-13), Atlanta (3-12) and Indianapolis (4-11) are assured of having the top three picks although who gets the No. 1 choice, Tampa Bay or Atlanta, won’t be determined until the regular season ends next week.

Sunday’s victory snapped Indianapolis’ six-game losing streak and left the Colts talking about momentum they’re trying to generate for next season.

“We feel if we can beat Houston next week we’ll be taking a two-game winning streak into the off-season that would give us a springboard for next year,” quarterback Mike Pagel said. “That makes this a big win for us.”

George Wonsley scored first-half touchdowns on runs of seven and three yards, and Pagel and Albert Bentley added touchdowns on runs of two and 26 yards in the fourth quarter as the Colts won in front of a crowd of 25,577--smallest in the Buccaneers’ 10-year history.

Pagel’s two-yard quarterback keeper with 10:57 remaining capped a 67-yard drive the Colts launched after Buccaneers’ place-kicker Donald Igwebuike missed an extra-point that would have given Tampa Bay a seven-point lead five seconds into the final quarter.

Raul Allegre’s point-after gave Indianapolis a 24-23 advantage, and the Colts put the game away when Bentley ran 26 yards around right end for a touchdown with 4:55 left.

Tampa Bay Coach Leeman Bennett said: “We were beat up defensively and we couldn’t stop them is what it boiled down to. That team should not be able to score 31 points on us.”