or offside. In the third minute of extra time, Matt

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - For the past week, Tom Coughlin begged the New York Giants to simply make plays.Knowing the game plan was one thing, being a playmaker was the way the Giants were going to snap a two-game losing streak and get back into the playoff hunt.Guess who didnt make plays? It wasnt Eli Manning and company. It was Andrew Luck.Luck threw for four touchdowns and the Colts defence kept Manning and the Giants (3-5) off balance Monday night in Indianapolis 40-24 romp.At times we play as good as any team in this league, defensive captain Antrel Rolle said. And there are times we play as bad as any team in the league. You just dont know. We have to come together as a team, coaches, players, everyone included. Were so inconsistent, you just dont know what you are going to get.The Giants, who came off the bye and dropped their third straight game, didnt get much from anybody until the game was out of reach.Manning and the offence were limited to three first-half points in falling behind 16-3. The defence, which played well in the first half, totally blew a coverage on the first Colts touchdown. It also saw Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie have an interception ripped out of his hands in the end zone by T.Y. Hilton for a touchdown on Indianapolis opening second-half series. Luck then picked them apart the rest of the way.That one I definitely should have had, Rodgers-Cromartie said. Thats a play Im supposed to make. It took it out of my hands. We just didnt make plays.With his franchise-record seventh consecutive 300-yard game, Luck led the Colts (6-3) to a lopsided win one week after a 51-34 loss to Pittsburgh. Unlike the way Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger toyed with their defence in that game, the Colts didnt let Manning get going.We have to keep fighting, Manning said. We need to be better offensively. We have to find a rhythm. Were not helping ourselves. Were making it tough on ourselves.Luck hit Coby Fleener for a 32-yard TD in the first half. He had scoring throws of 31 yards to T.Y. Hilton, 40 yards to Reggie Wayne and 2 yards to Dwayne Allen in the third period.Adam Vinatieri added four field goals and is perfect on 20 tries this year.It was the eighth time this season that Luck had thrown for more than 300 yards and the 17th time in his three pro seasons. He was 25 for 46 for 354 yards.Wayne surpassed James Lofton for career yards receiving and has 14,070 in his 14-season career.Giants first-round pick Odell Beckham Jr. had 156 yards on eight receptions, by far his best game. Manning threw for 359 yards and two TDs, but most of that came with the game decided.The Colts opened a 16-3 halftime lead and blew the game open in the third quarter when Luck threw three touchdowns.The Colts held the Giants to 143 yards in the opening half, and then staged an 84-yard drive to Hiltons TD on the first series of the third quarter.New York matched that drive to finally get into the end zone. Beckham got loose for a 59-yard gain on a pass from Manning, and then Andre Williams later scored from a yard out.Luck simply picked New York apart on the next series to go over 300 yards in the air once again. He beat a blitz to hit former Giants running back Ahmad Bradshaw for 22 yards, did the same to hit Fleener for 11 on third down, and then connected with Wayne on a 40-yard play down the left sideline.Andrew loves to go in and we all know its tough to be flawless, but he tries to be, Wayne said. As a player, you want to go out there and give it everything youve got as a receiver for your quarterback. He challenges everybody in his game. Youve got to respect that. Rookie Jonathan Newsomes sack of Manning three plays later knocked the ball loose and safety Sergio Brown returned it 28 yards to the Giants 4. Luck got his fourth TD pass on a 2-yarder to an uncovered Allen.New York got a pair of late scores on Larry Donnells 5-yard reception and rookie Corey Washingtons 1-yard catch for his first career TD.___AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL Philadelphia Phillies Pro Shop . It was a move of some time in the making. “He hasnt thrown well, clearly some guys are being used more than him right now and the only way to get out of this funk is to pitch,” said general manager Alex Anthopoulos. Stitched Phillies Jerseys . The Opening Day starter played 53 games this season hitting .192 with nine home runs and 25 RBI. Red Sox manager John Farrell has decided to start Jose Iglesias at third base as of late instead of Middlebrooks. https://www.cheapphilliesjerseys.us/ . - David Tomasek had two goals in regulation time and was the lone scorer in the shootout as the Belleville Bulls upset the Oshawa Generals 6-5 on Wednesday in Ontario Hockey League action. Phillies Jerseys 2019 . After two months of mediocrity, perhaps the Washington Nationals have turned the page. Strasburg struck out 11 in seven innings Wednesday night and the Nationals kept the Philadelphia Phillies bats quiet yet again in an 8-4, rain-interrupted win. Philadelphia Phillies Shirts . Trailing 4-1 in the final set, Sharapova steadied her erratic service game and took command again to beat the 56th-ranked American 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 on clay at the Magic Box tennis centre. The ninth-ranked Russian looked to be cruising before McHale broke late in the second set to tie the match and then took her commanding lead in the final set after breaking Sharapova.SALVADOR, Brazil -- They captured the hearts of America -- from coast to coast, big towns and small, all the way to the White House. Capturing the World Cup will have to wait. Just like four years ago, the United States is going home after the round of 16, beaten when Belgium scored twice in extra time Tuesday and then held on for a 2-1 win. "Thirty-one teams get their heart broken," goalkeeper Tim Howard said. "It has to end sometime. It ended a little bit early for us." Playing the finest game of his career, Howard stopped a dozen shots to keep the Americans even through regulation and force an additional 30 minutes. He wound up with 16 saves -- the most in the World Cup since FIFA started keeping track in 2002. Before exiting, the U.S. showed the spunk that won Americas attention. The Belgians built a two-goal lead when Kevin De Bruyne scored in the 93rd minute and Romelu Lukaku in the 105th. But then Julian Green, at 19 the third-youngest player in the tournament, stuck out his right foot to volley in Michael Bradleys pass over the defence in the 107th, two minutes after entering. "I was sure that we would make the second goal and we would go to the penalty shootout," Green said. The Americans nearly did. In the 114th, Clint Dempsey peeled away on a 30-yard free kick by Bradley, who passed ahead to Chris Wondolowski. He fed Dempsey, and goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois bolted off his line to block the 6-yard shot. At the final whistle, the U.S. players fell to the field in their all-white uniforms like so many crumpled tissues. "They made their country proud with this performance and also with their entire performance in this World Cup," said Jurgen Klinsmann, the former German World Cup champion who took over as coach three years ago. The Americans advanced from a difficult first-round group to reach the knockout rounds of consecutive World Cups for the first time. Four years ago, they were eliminated by Ghana 2-1 on a goal in the third minute of extra time. "Getting to the round of 16, if we dont do that, were very, very disappointed," U.S. Soccer Federation President Sunil Gulati said. "We get here and its kind of the swing game. We get beyond here, then its generally viewed as very successful -- this year was a little different because of the group we had in the first round, so that already was a success." The crowd of 551,227 at Arena Fonte Nova appeared to be about one third pro-U.ddddddddddddS., with 10 per cent backing the Belgians and the rest neutral. Back home, millions watched in offices, homes and public gatherings that included a huge crowd at Chicagos Soldier Field. President Barack Obama joined about 200 staffers in an Executive Office Building auditorium to watch the second half. "I believe!" he exclaimed as he walked in at the front of the hall. "I believe!" Belgium outshot the U.S. 38-14. The 35-year-old Howard kept the ball out with slides, with dives and with leaps. But he never felt it was his special night. "If this continues, then were in trouble," he recalled thinking. With forward Jozy Altidore still not recovered from the strained hamstring that had sidelined him since the June 16 opener, Klinsmann inserted Wondolowski as a second striker in the 72nd minute. He appeared to have a chance to win it in stoppage time when Jermaine Jones flicked the ball to him at the top of the 6-yard box, but with Courtois coming out, Wondolowski put the ball over the crossbar. While the linesman put out his flag, it was unclear whether he was signalling goal kick or offside. In the third minute of extra time, Matt Besler tried to intercept a pass to Lukaku but fell down as the Belgian striker fought free. Lukaku sped in alone, crossed, and the ball rebounded off defender Omar Gonzalez. Kevin De Bruyne controlled it, took three touches as he spun and beat Howard just over his right foot. "I thought I could make a play on the ball. I took a shot and missed and lost my balance," Besler said. Twelve minutes later, with the U.S. pushing for an equalizer, Bradleys shot was blocked and De Bruyne burst ahead on a counter. He fed Lukaku, who sent the ball over the left shoulder of Howard, his Everton teammate, and seemingly put the game out of reach. But Green, among five German-Americans on the U.S. roster and a surprise pick, woke up the team and its fans with his first touch, setting off raucous chants of "U-S-A! U-S-A!" There would be no final comeback this time, though. Bradley said the Americans had told themselves that regardless of when their run ended, they wanted to abandon their defensive style of the past. "We wanted to go home going for it," he said. "And," he added with satisfaction, "we did." ' ' '