Indianapolis • Carson Palmer’s late rally got the Arizona Cardinals into overtime Sunday and Tyrann Mathieu’s interception set up Phil Dawson for a 30-yard field goal to help them leave Indianapolis with a 16-13 win.
Dawson made the most of his second chance after pushing a 42-yarder wide right as time expired.
Arizona (1-1) never led until the final play. It hasn’t started 0-2 since 2005.
Coach Bruce Arians won his 42nd career game and tied Don Coryell for the second-most wins in Cardinals history on the same field he called home when he won his first NFL Coach of the Year award in 2012.
Indy, which is 0-2 for the fourth consecutive year, thought it may have changed directions after switching quarterbacks. But newcomer Jacoby Brissett was picked off on the first offensive play of overtime.
Palmer looked erratic most of the day, but came up big in the final 7½ minutes. He started the rally with a 22-yard completion to Jaron Brown and got another 15 yards on the play on a roughing the passer call. On the next play, J.J. Nelson split two defenders for a 45-yard TD pass that made it 13-10.
Palmer took the Cardinals 40 yards in six plays on their possession, setting up Dawson for a 40-yard field goal to tie it.
Arizona thought it had the win in regulation when Dawson made the 42-yarder — after the Colts called time out. But he missed the second kick.
Palmer wound up 19 of 36 with 332 yards, one TD and one interception.
The Colts’ quarterback change initially looked genius. Brissett led them to a touchdown on their first drive and a field goal on their second drive. Then, things bogged down.
Indy didn’t even have a chance to score again until Vinatieri’s 29-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter made it 13-3, and his inability to move the offense late in the game helped Palmer finally get in sync.
Brissett was 20 of 37 for 216 yards in his third career start — his first with the Colts, who traded for him on Sept. 2.
Frank Gore scored on a 5-yard touchdown run and Adam Vinatieri made two field goals for the Colts.
RECORD BREAKER
Vinatieri’s 29-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter gave him another NFL record.
He has now made 177 field goals from 20 to 29 yards, breaking a tie with Morten Andersen.
Vinatieri actually broke the record twice Sunday, but the first field goal came off the board when the Cardinals were called for leverage. Gore closed out the drive with his TD run.
INJURIES
Cardinals: Started the game without the left side of their offensive line — tackle D.J. Humphries and guard Mike Iupati — or their top running back David Johnson because of injuries. Arizona appeared to come out of Sunday’s game without any additional serious injuries.
Colts: An already banged-up secondary pressed Indy into giving safety Malik Hooker and cornerback Quincy Wilson, both rookies, their first career starts. It didn’t appear the Colts had any major injuries, either.
UP NEXT
Cardinals: Host Dallas after opening the season with back-to-back road trips to the Midwest.
Colts: Host Cleveland to complete their longest homestand this season.