Are You Ready for Some Touchdowns? Nope

The Buffalo Bills didn’t need a 26-point comeback this time. In fact, they didn’t even need a touchdown to beat the winless Indianapolis Colts.

Steve Christie’s third field goal, a 27-yarder as time expired, gave the Bills a 9-6 victory Monday night. It was a game that was nothing like their first meeting a month ago, and only the second game in NFL history without a touchdown or turnover.

“I was just trying to keep loose and focus and pay attention, really. From there, it’s just all technique,” Christie said of his wait on the sideline as Todd Collins drove the Bills before the game-winning field goal.

Collins completed passes of 20 and 16 yards to Quinn Early and added a 14-yarder to Andre Reed to get Buffalo (4-3) to the Indianapolis 20 with two minutes to go. Three runs by Antowain Smith took the Bills to the 7, then Collins let the clock run down to three seconds before calling a timeout.

Christie, who also made field goals from 22 and 47 yards, then kicked the game-winner, leaving the Colts and the Chicago Bears as the only winless teams in the NFL. The only other game to be played without a touchdown or a turnover was New England’s 6-3 victory over Miami in 1988.

“It’s hard when you don’t put the touchdowns in, but we got the points we needed. Hey, we’ll take it any way we can,” said Early, who had only one catch for seven yards in the first half.

“Our defense played good enough to win. You hold somebody to no touchdowns, that’s good enough to win,” Colt Coach Lindy Infante said. “We just didn’t generate enough offense.”

Indianapolis’ only points came on two field goals by Cary Blanchard.

The Colts (0-7) tied the score on a 32-yard field goal by Blanchard with 6:12 to go, but they never got the ball back.

The last time the Colts and Bills played the Colts led, 26-0, in the first half but lost, 37-35. Indianapolis never led this time.

“It’s frustrating and no one’s happy about it,” said Colt quarterback Jim Harbaugh, who left because of a sprained ankle in the third quarter.

The Bills found some unlikely offense in the first half with Eric Moulds, their kick returner who had only five receptions for 51 yards this season. He topped that with 52 yards on Buffalo’s first possession.

After two carries by Thurman Thomas, a 12-yard reception by Moulds took Buffalo to the Indianapolis 24. Five plays later, an eight-yard catch to the 4 set up a 22-yard field goal by Christie for a 3-0 lead.

Thomas, who became the 10th running back in NFL history with 11,000 yards, left the game late in the second quarter because of a sore knee after he was flipped upside down on a tackle by Quentin Coryatt after a two-yard gain that set up a 47-yard field goal by Christie. Thomas returned in the third quarter and finished with 10 carries for 42 yards.

Reed caught two passes in the second quarter to become the fourth player in NFL history with 800 receptions.