INDIANAPOLIS -- Kicker Adam Vinatieri, the NFL's all-time leading scorer, went from looking like he was about to cost the Colts another game to being the hero for them.

Vinatieri, who missed a field goal and extra point earlier in the game, made a 51-yard field goal with 22 seconds remaining their 15-13 victory over the Denver Broncos on Sunday. Vinatieri has made 29 game-winning kicks during his 24-year NFL career.

The Colts started their game-winning drive at their own 11-yard line, but got a 35-yard completion from quarterback Jacoby Brissett to receiver T.Y. Hilton and a 15-yard horse collar penalty by Broncos linebacker Alexander Johnson on running back Nyheim Hines to help them get into field goal range.

Colts coach Frank Reich showed his faith in Vinatieri when he called back-to-back running plays to ensure they were in the middle of the field for the future Hall of Famer to make the kick.

Questions about Vinatieri's future with the Colts would have been raised had he missed the 51-yard attempt. Vinatieri missed a 45-yard field goal attempt on the Colts' opening drive of the game and then missed an extra point that would have tied the game at 13-13 late in the third quarter.

Sunday's struggles added on to a season of inconsistency for the 46-year-old Vinatieri.

He missed three kicks against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 1. Vinatieri immediately took complete blame for the loss to the Chargers after the game. Vinatieri then missed two more extra points in Week 2 against the Tennessee Titans to bring his total of missed kicks inside of the 35-yard line over a five-game span up to seven.

Vinatieri said later that week he was working to the "demons" out so that he could clear his head. Colts general manager Chris Ballard worked out six kickers as potential replacements for Vinatieri that same week.

Vinatieri has missed a career-high four extra points, which is tied for the NFL high, this season. Two of those missed extra points would have tied the game. The rest of the league went into Sunday with a combined four misses, according to ESPN Stats & Information.