Colts vs. Patriots final score, result: Indianapolis wins ugly to turn up heat on Mac Jones, Bill Belichick

Bryan Murphy

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Colts vs. Patriots final score, result: Indianapolis wins ugly to turn up heat on Mac Jones, Bill Belichick image

Sometimes in the NFL, you have to win ugly games. That was the case Sunday in Germany, as the Colts escaped Frankfurt with a 10-6 win over the Patriots. 

Colts running back Jonathan Taylor's score in the first quarter ended up being the lone touchdown of the day. After the Patriots opened the game with a field goal, the Colts running back took in a one-yard score on the ensuing drive to answer right back and give Indianapolis the early lead. 

After that, the defenses dominated, as both teams were held off the scoreboard until the fourth quarter when the two sides exchanged field goals.

New England had a chance late in the game to potentially win the final international series game of the 2023 slate. The Patriots had the ball in the red zone with under five minutes to go, but instead of hitting a wide-open Mike Gesicki in the end zone, Patriots quarterback Mac Jones under-threw the attempt right into the hands of Colts cornerback Julian Blackmon. 

While the win for the Colts (5-5) keeps them alive in the AFC playoff picture, the loss for the Patriots (2-8) could come with major ramifications. Jones was benched late in the game for the third time this season, as Bill Belichick tabbed backup Bailey Zappe to lead the Patriots' final offensive drive. 

In addition, Belichick's name had been brought up in rumors leading up to the Germany game. There were reports that if New England lost to Indianapolis, that could be the final straw for Robert Kraft with the longtime head coach. 

Both teams have byes next week coming off the international game. The Patriots will travel to East Rutherford in Week 12 for a matchup against the Giants, while the Colts host the Buccaneers. 

MORE: Watch Colts vs. Patriots in Germany live on Fubo (free trial)

The Sporting News tracked the latest updates and highlights from Colts vs. Patriots in the Week 10 NFL Germany game. 

Colts vs. Patriots score

  1 2 3 4 Final
Colts  7 0 0 3 10
Patriots 3 0 0 3 6

Colts vs. Patriots live updates, results, highlights from 2023 NFL Germany game

(All times Eastern)

Final: Colts 10, Patriots 6

12:16 p.m. — Interception! Zappe fakes the spike and launches it downfield to Smith-Schuster, but it goes right into the arms of Rodney Thomas. That is going to do it, as the Colts hang on for a 10-6 win. 

12:15 p.m. — Zappe hits Douglas for a gain of nine and third-and-10. New England hands it off to Stevenson on fourth down and it appears he gets it. 

12:14 p.m. — New England picks up a first down thanks to a 12-yard reception by Henry on third down. The Pats still have about 1:30 left, but they do not have any timeouts. 

12:12 p.m. — Indianapolis plays it safe and punts it away. With 1:52, it won't be Mac Jones leading the New England offense — it's Bailey Zappe. It appears the Patriots starter has been benched after that awful INT near the goal line. 

12:08 p.m. — The Colts can't convert on third-and-11, as Pittmann Jr.'s receptions comes up two yards short. The two-minute warning hits, but we will see if the Colts elect to try and go for it to ice the game, or if they will punt it away and trust their defense to stop Jones and the Patriots' offense. 

12:05 p.m. — What a catch by Josh Downs to potentially ice the game! The Pats had the Colts at third-and-six, but Minshew dances around the pocket again, lofts one deep and Downs makes a diving catch to keep the drive alive. New England is forced to use its first timeout with 2:38 to go. 

12:02 p.m. — Interception! Jones has Gesicki in the end zone wide open, but he under throws the ball and it goes right into the arms of Julian Blackmon. That's a massive mistake by Jones, as the Colts' defense comes up with a huge stop and take over possession with 4:24 to go. 

12 p.m. — Stevenson and the offensive line have been great today in the run game for New England. On third-and-five, the Pats RB rumbles for six yards to move the chains down to the Colts' 13-yard line. 

11:58 p.m. — Pop Douglas comes through for New England on third down. Needing six yards, the rookie WR collects the pass and races for a gain of 21, taking the ball down to the Indy 24-yard line. 

11:54 p.m. — Elliott rushes for a pickup of 18 yards, but the play is called back due to a Smith-Schuster penalty. 

11:52 p.m. — The first play on the Pats' offensive drive is a 10-yard completion to Kayshon Boutte, but New England picks up an additional 15 yards thanks to unnecessary roughness call on Zaire Franklin.

Colts 10, Patriots 6

11:50 p.m. — Field goal! Indy answers the New England field goal with one of its own, as Gay sinks a 51-yard attempt. The lead is back to four for the Colts with 8:54 to go. 

11:46 p.m. — A Minshew screen pass results in a loss of five yards after a nice tackle by Shaun Wade. The Patriots' defense follows that up by deflecting a Minshew pass down behind the line of scrimmage, and the Colts are faced with fourth-and-11 at the Pats' 33-yard line. 

11:44 p.m. — Minshew dances around the pocket on third-and-two and eventually finds Pittman Jr. over the middle for the first down. The Colts have the ball at the Patriots' 31 after the 14-yard completion. 

11:42 p.m. — What a return by Isaiah McKenzie. The Colts returner takes Ryland's kickoff 41 yards to the Colts' 47-yard line, setting up Indy with great field position. 

Colts 7, Patriots 6

11:39 p.m. — Field goal! Ryland's 24-yard attempt is good, and for the first time since the first quarter, we have points on the scoreboard. It's a one-point game early in the fourth. 

11:38 p.m. — After two stops inside the 10-yard line, Jones can't connect with Henry in the end zone. Julian Blackmon nearly came up with the interception as the Pats QB overthrew his tight end. With the incompletion, New England will attempt another field goal. 

11:32 p.m. — The Pats go play-action on first down and Jones dumps it off to Elliott. The RB takes the pass for a gain of 15 yards, tackled at the Colts' nine-yard line. 

End of the third quarter: Colts 7, Patriots 3

11:32 p.m. — After the Jones' rush, Elliott rushes for a nine-yard gain. Jones follows that up by taking it himself on a sneak on second-and-1 to move the chains. The third quarter ends with the Patriots at the Colts' 24-yard line. 

11:31 p.m. — Jones doesn't using his legs often, but he does on first down at midfield. The Pats QB takes off to the left and races for a gain of 15 to the Colts' 35-yard line. 

11:29 p.m. — A false start pushes New England back five yards on third down, but Jones steps up and finds Smith-Schuster along the sidelines for the completion and first down. 

11:28 p.m. — Stevenson continues to be a pain out of the backfield for the Colts' defense. The Patriots hand it off to him four times in a row, picking up one first down and setting up a third-and-one. 

11:23 p.m. — The Pats' defense forces another failed third down for the Colts, as Minshew tosses the ball out of bounds on third-and-2. The Indy offense hasn't generated anything since its first drive that resulted in the Taylor TD. New England gets the ball inside its own 10-yard line with 5:48 to go in the third.  

11:22 p.m. — Tavai rocks McKenzie on second down, but he gets called for unnecessary roughness. It looked on replay like a clean play, with the NE linebacker hitting the Indy receiver shoulder-to-shoulder. 

11:16 p.m. — Missed field goal! Ryland's 35-yard attempt slices to the right of the uprights and narrowly misses. The Patriots fail to take advantage of the Minshew interception, and still trail by four. 

11:16 p.m. — Jones' pass falls incomplete on third down, and the Pats are going to have to settle for a field goal. 

11:14 p.m. — The Patriots are finding success on the ground. Elliott picks up 14 yards on two carries, and then Stevenson finds gains of 10, two and five to get the ball deep into Indy territory. It's now third-and-three at the Colts' 17-yard line. 

11:09 p.m. — Interception! Minshew attempts to find Pittman Jr, but his pass is tipped by Jahlani Tavai and into the arms of Myles Bryant for the turnover. The New England defense come sup with the first takeaway of the day, and the offense will start at the 50-yard line. 

11:07 p.m. — Minshew zips it on a line to Pittman Jr. for a pickup of 14 yards on the second offensive play of the half. 

11:05 p.m. — The Pats kick off the second half by booting it to the Colts. Indianapolis starts at its own 25-yard line. 

End of the first half: Colts 7, Patriots 3

10:51 p.m. — It looks like the Patriots were going to attempt a Hail Mary, but Belichick opts instead for a screen pass to Douglas as time expires in the half. Neither team records points in the second quarter, and it remains a 7-3 Colts lead heading into the intermission. 

10:50 p.m. — Missed field goal! Gay's 57-yard boot comes up just barely short. It had the right route, but needed another yard or two to sink through the uprights. The Pats get the ball with two seconds left at their own 47-yard line. 

10:49 p.m. — Minshew completes a pass to Downs on a slant route to get them into field goal range. Indy uses its final timeout, and Matt Gay will be called upon for a 57-yard attempt. 

10:48 p.m. — Its three straight incompletions for the Colts, but Shane Steichen is going to be aggressive on fourth-and-4. He's keeping the offense out with 11 seconds left. 

10:45 p.m. — A Pittman Jr. catch on second down goes for 14 yards. That play is followed by a Shaun Wade penalty on the Patriots, setting up the Colts with first-and-10 at their own 38-yard line. 

10:42 p.m. — On third down, it's another sack for the Colts, who are giving the Patriots' offensive line fits. This time it's Kwity Pawe recording the sack, and the Colts will get the ball back with 1:10 to go and two timeouts. 

10:38 p.m. — After a JuJu Smith-Schuster penalty pushes the Pats five yards back, Jones scrambles up the middle for a gain of eight. The two minute warning hits, and it'll be second-seven at the New England 30-yard line. 

10:37 p.m. — Jones connects with Pop Douglas and then Henry to move the chains to the Patriots' own 28-yard line. 

10:34 p.m. — Minshew had Josh Downs open downfield on third-and-seven, but the Indy QB overthrows his receiver. Despite a strong start to the drive, the Colts will have to punt again. The Patriots get the ball with 3:34 left in the half. 

10:32 p.m. — Indy crosses into New England territory thanks to back-to-back catches by Pittman Jr. The Colts have the ball at the Patriots' 46. 

10:30 p.m. — Minshew opens the Colts' drive by hitting Alex Pierce for a reception of 14 yards. 

10:27 p.m. — Make it sack No. 4 for this Colts' defense. On third-and-2, Tyquan Lewis comes off the edge and sacks Jones, forcing another three-and-out. After both teams had strong opening drives on offense, it has been the defenses stepping up in the second quarter. 

10:22 p.m. — The Patriots' defense responds by forcing a second-straight, three-and-out for the Colts. The New England front seven stuffs Taylor on third-and-1 for a loss of yards, and Indy has to punt it away with 8:20 left in the half. 

10:17 p.m. — On third-and-14, Jones hinds Gesicki for a completion, but the tight end only gets 11 yards, coming up three yards short of a first down. The Pats will have to punt. 

10:15 p.m. — The Colts get after Jones again, as Dayo Odeyingbo wraps up the Pats QB on first down. That's the third sack of the day for Indy so far. 

10:12 p.m. — It's three consecutive incompletions by the Colts as the Pats force a three-and-out.

10:07 p.m. — The Pats' second drive stalls out as Jones is sacked on third-and-4. Bryce Baringer boots his first punt of the day for New England, and the Colts take over at their own 25-yard line. 

10:06 p.m. — New England avoids disaster, as Hunter Henry fumbles a completion, but it's recovered by his center, David Andrews. 

10:05 p.m. — Stevenson takes a direct snap on third-and-1 and moves the chains with a pickup of three yards. 

End of the first quarter: Colts 7, Patriots 3

10:02 p.m. — A seven-yard catch by Stevenson is followed by a two-yard run by the RB, setting up the Pats on a third-and-1 at their own 34-yard line. That's how the second quarter will begin. 

Colts 7, Patriots 3

9:57 p.m. — Touchdown! ON fourth down at the one-yard line, the Colts opt to hand it to Taylor, who bounces to the right and scampers in for the score. The running back was a big reason for getting Indianapolis down to the red zone, and he gets the call to punch it in. The Colts respond to the Pats' opening drive with a solid series of their own, and take the lead with 58 second left in the first. 

9:57 p.m. — The Colts' attempt at the tush push is no good, and it'll be fourth-and-goal. 

9:55 p.m. — Michael Pittman Jr. comes inches away from a touchdown, but is ruled just short of a score. The WR takes a screen pass on second down and has space to the end zone, but gets wrapped up right before the goal line and is ruled down a yard short. 

9:53 p.m. — The Colts are just feeding Taylor, and it's working. On third-and-1, the running back moves the chains by picking up the necessary yard. It's first-and-goal at the 10-yard line. 

9:51 p.m. — Now it's the Colts immediately driving down the field. Indianapolis feeds Jonathan Taylor on four consecutive carries, picking up two first downs in the process and gettin the ball to the New England 21-yard line. 

9:50 p.m. — The Colts nearly had a three-and-out to start, but Gardner Minshew scrambles away from pressure on third down, steps up in the pocket and finds Isaiah McKenzie for 30-yard completion. 

Patriots 3, Colts 0

9:44 p.m. — Field goal! Chad Ryland's kick from 37 yards out goes through the uprights, and New England has three on the board. 

9:44 p.m. — A Stevenson run goes for no gain, and then DeForrest Buckner gets a sack on third down. The Patriots will have to settle for a field goal attempt. 

9:40 p.m. — New England sticks with Elliott on back-to-back plays, and he rushes for gains of six and then four to get into the red zone, setting up second down at the Colts' 14-yard line. The Pats are knocking on the door on their first drive, a great start for this offense. 

9:38 p.m. — The first big play of the day comes on an Ezekiel Elliott screen pass. The Pats running back takes a screen 19 yards to get the ball down to the Colts' 33-yard line. 

9:37 p.m. — Rhamondre Stevenson rumbles for a gain of seven, then five and then picks up a three-yard catch to get the Pats close to midfield. 

9:35 p.m. — On third-and-7, Mac Jones hits Mike Gesicki on a slant route to pick up a first down and keep their first drive alive. 

9:34 p.m. — The Colts kick it away to the Patriots, and the last international game of the 2023 NFL season is underway. 

Pregame

9:15 p.m. — The crowd at Deutsche Bank Park could be covered in navy blue and red today. Germany has become a hot spot for Patriots fans over the last decade, as the team has grown into one of the most popular NFL clubs in the country. 

8:58 p.m. — Here come the Patriots, who enter this week at 2-7 and in desperate need of a win. 

8:30 p.m. — Here are the inactives for both sides. Pats cornerback J.C. Jackson did not travel with the team due to "reliability" issues. 

8:15 p.m. — This is the fourth international game for the Patriots and seconds for the Colts. New England is a perfect 3-0 in global games, with its last win coming in 2017. Indianapolis dropped its only international contest in franchise history, a 30-27 loss to the Jaguars in 2015. 

8:10 p.m. — Bill Belichick's job has been under scrutiny for a majority of the season, and The Boston Globe reporters that the seat could be at its hottest if the Patriots lose to the Colts. 

What channel is Colts vs. Patriots on today?

Colts vs. Patriots will air exclusively on NFL Network in the U.S. Viewers can also stream the game on Fubo, which offers a free trial, in the U.S.

In Canada, fans can watch the Germany game through DAZN, which carries NFL Game Pass. 

Colts vs. Patriots start time

  • Date: Sunday, Nov. 12
  • Time: 9:30 a.m. ET | 3:30 p.m. CET

Colts vs. Patriots will kick off at 9:30 a.m. ET on Sunday, Nov. 12.

The game will be played at Deutsche Bank Park in Frankfurt, Germany.

MORE: What to know about Deutsche Bank Park

NFL international games 2023

The Colts and Patriots game marks the fifth and final contest of the NFL's 2023 international schedule.

This is the last of two NFL games scheduled to be played in Deutsche Bank Park in Frankfurt, Germany. The three previous global contests were played in London, with one at Wembley Stadium and two at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. 

Below is the schedule for the international games this season:

  • Falcons vs. Jaguars in Week 4 (Oct. 1)
  • Bills vs. Jaguars in Week 5 (Oct. 8)
  • Ravens vs. Titans in Week 6 (Oct. 15)
  • Dolphins vs. Chiefs in Week 9 (Nov. 5)
  • Colts vs. Patriots in Week 10 (Nov. 12)

Bryan Murphy

Bryan Murphy Photo

Bryan Murphy joined The Sporting News in 2022 as the NHL/Canada content producer. Previously he worked for NBC Sports on their national news desk reporting on breaking news for the NFL, MLB, NBA and NHL, in addition to covering the 2020 and 2022 Olympic Games. A graduate of Quinnipiac University, he spent time in college as a beat reporter covering the men’s ice hockey team.