Indianapolis Colts Earn Their Best Win of Season in Green Bay

The Indianapolis Colts continued their “Jekyll and Hyde” 2016 season by getting an unexpected 31-26 win over the Green Bay Packers.

Yet again, the Indianapolis Colts struggled to play consistently for a full 60 minutes. However, they still managed to record their best victory of the season in spite of their issues.

The Packers were seven-point favorites entering Sunday’s contest. However, the Colts came up with just enough plays to ink out a win in Green Bay.

The Colts got off to a terrific start thanks to a 99-yard kickoff return by Jordan Todman. The last time Indianapolis scored on a kickoff return was in 2012; so this play was very rare.

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The Colts’ defense played a key role in the team’s win. The Packers’ offense was on a roll coming into Sunday’s game. However, Indianapolis’ defense created enough chaos to slow Green Bay’s offense.

Even though Packers’ quarterback Aaron Rodgers threw for 297 passing yards and three touchdowns, they managed to  create pressure. The defense sacked Rodgers three times and constantly made him uncomfortable in the pocket.

At the same time, the secondary stayed glued to the Packers’ receivers for much of the night. Yes, some Packers’ passing targets made plays, but the Colts’ secondary forced Rodgers to make tough pinpoint throws all night. As a result, Rodgers threw 17 incompletions and one interception.

The Colts’ offense was not great, especially Andrew Luck. He threw for 281 passing yards and one touchdowns, but he intercepted twice.

Luckily, Luck got much-needed help to make up for his sub-par stats. Running back Frank Gore ran for 60 yards and two touchdowns. Meanwhile, T.Y. Hilton, Jack Doyle and Donte Moncrief made big catches on third down and down the stretch to help seal the Colts’ win.

Earlier in the week, head coach Chuck Pagano called the Packers’ front seven “unblockable.” This fact was proven true throughout the night because the Colts’ offensive line struggled to keep the Packers out of the backfield.

However, Luck was terrific avoiding pressure in the pocket. He was only sacked twice, and either threw the ball the way or quickly left the pocket before pressure got to him.

His mobility came in handy on the Colts’ final drive. Luck helped Indianapolis convert two long third downs after he bought some time by sliding around in the pocket or scrambling outside.

Next: Luck in Trouble Against Packers’ Unblockable Front Seven?

The Colts head into their bye week on an absolute high. Hopefully, they use the momentum to make some solid improvements during their time off. They need to be as ready as possible for their division showdown with the Tennessee Titans in Week 11.