INDIANAPOLIS — Vinny Testaverde has become the master of the comeback.
For the second straight week, Testaverde found Anthony Becht for the game-winning score in the fourth quarter. This time it was a 6-yard pass with 58 seconds left Sunday night, giving New York a 29-28 victory at Indianapolis.
The Jets stopped the Colts on downs on the next series to preserve the victory — and eliminated Indianapolis, Denver, Tennessee and Cleveland from playoff contention.
Against Cincinnati last weekend, Testaverde hooked up with Becht on a 2-yard TD pass. But Sunday night, Testaverde had to lead the Jets on a 76-yard drive in the final three minutes.
Testaverde performed masterfully on the drive that gave the Jets their second straight one-point win. He started by throwing 23 yards to Wayne Chrebet and hooked up again with a Chrebet on a 16-yard pass.
Then Testaverde improvised as he scrambled down the field, pitching the ball to Curtis Martin. The play gained 23 yards and put the Jets (9-5) in position to score.
On the next play, Testaverde found Martin for a 15-yard gain, and then he threw to Becht. John Hall's extra point won it.
Testaverde finished the game 27-of-48 for 285 yards and two touchdowns. He also threw two interceptions.
The Jets won their second straight game and are within one-half game of the AFC East-leading New England Patriots.
Peyton Manning was 25-of-35 for 228 yards and one touchdown, but the Colts' biggest play came on tight end Ken Dilger's pass that gave Indianapolis the lead.
On third-and-10, Manning threw a lateral to Dilger, who turned and fired a 39-yard touchdown pass to Marvin Harrison. Kevin McDougal ran the conversion in to make it 25-22 with 10:02 left.
It was the first touchdown pass of Dilger's seven-year career and the first by a Colts non-quarterback since Curtis Dickey on Sept. 16, 1984 against the St. Louis Cardinals.
The Colts got a 43-yard field goal from Mike Vanderjagt with 2:48 to go, making it 28-22. But that was too much time for Testaverde, who found the seams in the Colts' leaky defense.
The Jets were in control much of the night, with Curtis Martin rushing for 122 yards on 23 carries.
They led the entire first half and took a 10-0 lead when Testaverde threw a short pass to Lamont Jordan, who dodged a couple of defenders and scooted 25 yards for a touchdown to complete a 92-yard drive.
The Colts answered two possessions later when Dominic Rhodes sprinted 46 yards for a touchdown.
But after John Hall's third field goal, a 48-yarder in the third quarter, made it 16-10, Manning hooked up with Marcus Pollard on a 28-yard TD in which Pollard tiptoed the sideline. The Jets challenged the call, but the officials upheld the score, giving the Colts a 17-16 lead.
The Jets, the best team in the NFL in turnover margin, finally produced a couple of takeaways.
Rhodes, who carried 17 times for 126 yards, fumbled and the Jets converted it into a 46-yard field goal that made it 19-17.
On Rhodes' next carry, he fumbled again — his sixth of the season — but the Jets settled for Hall's fifth field goal, this time from 22 yards.
The Colts made New York pay on their next series with the trick play. Dilger, a former high-school quarterback, delivered the ball perfectly to Harrison, who sidestepped one defender and ran into the end zone.
But after Vanderjagt's 43-yard field goal seemed to seal the victory, Testaverde led the Jets back for the second straight week.