NEW YORK: Unheralded New England running back Jonas Gray scored four touchdowns to spark the Patriots to a 42-20 victory over the Indianapolis Colts yesterday.
In what had been billed as a showdown between marquee quarterbacks Tom Brady and Andrew Luck, Gray stole the show with 199 rushing yards and the first scores of his career.
The 24-year-old was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2012 and had appeared in just three previous games for New England this season before his breakout performance. Gray said he took his cue from the leaders in the Patriots locker room.
“All (I) do is follow, and if you follow their lead they’ll rely on you, and they’ll trust you,” Gray told reporters after finishing with 38 carries. “We got a lot of positive gains. If it’s working don’t change it up.”
It was the sixth straight win for the Patriots (8-2), who took sole possession of first place in the AFC after the Denver Broncos (7-3) lost earlier in the day. The Patriots’ rushing attack took the pressure off of Brady, who shook off two first-half interceptions to finish with 257 yards passing and two touchdowns. The Patriots quarterback said each opponent presented different kinds of problems.
“You have to be able to find different ways to win depending on matchups,” Brady said. “Tonight we showed great toughness on both sides.”REUTERS
