ST. LOUIS -- Andrew Luck threw his first touchdown pass of the preseason, helping the Indianapolis Colts get off to a fast start in a 24-14 preseason victory over the St. Louis Rams on Saturday night.
Nick Foles got his first TD pass in Week 3, too, hitting Chris Givens in stride on a 44-yard play in the second quarter for the Rams (0-3).
Adam Vinatieri had a big day for the Colts (1-2), hitting field goals on the first and last possessions of the half, plus his successful onside kick led to Andre Johnson's 32-yard reception for a 10-0 lead midway through the first quarter. Then he put it out of reach with a 55-yarder with 2:53 left.
Clayton Geathers recovered the onside kick and Luck hit Johnson five plays later, capitalizing on busted coverage in the middle.
Starters for both teams played the first half and some went even deeper before a sparse crowd in the Rams' first home game of the preseason. The team said 37,460 tickets were distributed, about half-capacity at the Edward Jones Dome that appeared to be no more than one-fourth full.
Threat of a franchise move back to the West Coast combined with an 11-year drought without a winning record has cut into enthusiasm. Rams owner Stan Kroenke has purchased land with the intention of building a new stadium in the Los Angeles suburb of Inglewood.
The teams exchanged costly turnovers in the second half, swapping the lead.
Colts rookie running back Josh Robinson fumbled a handoff on Luck's final snap early in the third period, leading to Trey Watts' 3-yard run that put St. Louis ahead 14-13.
Jalil Brown intercepted Rams rookie Sean Mannion on the last play of the quarter, setting up a 1-yard run by Tyler Varga, and Matt Hasselbeck hit Griff Whalen on the conversion pass.
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