Emotional Colts are Chuckstrong

Week 5
October 7, 2012 - 12:00 p.m. - FOX
Lucas Oil Stadium
Indianapolis, Indiana

Packers 27 - Colts 30

Prior to this week 5 matchup with the Indianapolis Colts, the head coach of the Colts Chuck Pagano announced that he had been diagnosed with a treatable form of leukemia and would miss several weeks to undergo treatment.  I want to say everyone including myself is pulling for you Chuck.  Situations like this are bigger than football and everyone is behind you and looking forward to seeing you back on the sidelines soon.

With that said, the Packers should have won this football game.  I had some concerns about winning this football game due to the Colts playing with emotion on their sleeve and coming off a bye week.  However, the Packers were leading 21-3 at halftime.  That is what makes this loss look pathetic.

We looked like the team of 2011 in the first half as James Jones and Randall Cobb were on the receiving end of Aaron Rodgers touchdown tosses along with John Kuhn adding his first rushing touchdown of the season.  The defense played lights out in the first half.  The game looked like it could lead to a blowout.

The Colts came to play in the second half.  Packers got the ball first and Aaron threw an interception which shifted the momentum completely for the rest of the game.  The defense couldn't stop rookie quarterback Andrew Luck who finished the game with 362 yards passing and two passing touchdowns.  The ageless wonder Reggie Wayne also had a pretty good day for the Colts.  Actually he probably had the best game of his career.  Wayne caught 13 passes for 212 yards and one touchdown.  Unbelievable.  I was sitting in front of my TV just watching the Colts move up and down the field in the 2nd half.  On their final game-winning drive, I just sat there knowing they were going to score.  It just felt like it was destined to happen.  The Colts might not have been the better team, but they were playing with more emotion.  They were playing with more energy.  They were playing for their coach Chuck Pagano.

Game-winning touchdown reception by Reggie Wayne

The Colts took the lead with 35 seconds left in the game.  Shockingly the Packers had an opportunity to tie this game with three seconds left, but Mason Crosby missed a 51-yard field goal badly.  He completely pulled the poop out of the kick.  Maybe it was just a game destined to go to the Colts.  However, all things considered for the Packers, this loss was horrible.  To be up 21-3 at halftime and blow it all away is bad.

More bad news as Packers running back Cedric Benson left the game in the first-half with an ankle injury.  It was later announced he suffered a lisfranc injury and is out eight weeks.  Benson was placed on the injured reserve list with the new option to come off the list later in the season.  Defensive tackle B.J. Raji also left the game with an ankle injury and tight end Jermichael Finley left the game with a right shoulder injury.

This season already has many similarities to the 2010 season.  That doesn't mean this year will have the same result though.