Colts rally past Packers
INDIANAPOLIS – Reggie Wayne asked the Indianapolis Colts equipment manager to track down some orange gloves for him to honor ailing coach Chuck Pagano. He then turned those gloves into a day no one will soon forget.
Wayne caught 13 passes for 212 yards, and the biggest one of all was a 4-yard reception where he fought his way through two defenders for the game-winning touchdown in the Colts’ 30-27 win over the Green Bay Packers on Sunday.
The Colts not only erased an 18-point deficit, but they accomplished their improbable goal of earning a game ball for Pagano, who is in the hospital fighting acute promyelocytic leukemia.
“This is for Chuck,” Wayne said after he left an emotional, tear-filled Colts locker room.
Wayne has been friends with Pagano since they were at the University of Miami together, Wayne as a player and Pagano as an assistant coach.
“I wasn’t sure how it would go with being fined,” Wayne said. “If they fine me, they fine me. … But I’d take their fine and go do it for Chuck.”
The Colts won the game on a 13-play, 80-yard drive directed by rookie quarterback Andrew Luck, who finished 31 of 55 passing for a career-best 362 yards and two scores.
The Colts trailed 21-3 at halftime before they came back with a furious second half. Green Bay’s Mason Crosby missed a potential game-tying 51-yard field goal at the end.
“Greatest win I’ve ever been a part of,” interim coach Bruce Arians said. “A storybook ending, and we got a game ball for Coach Pagano.”
Colts 30, Packers 27
| Green Bay | 7 | 14 | 0 | 6 | — | 27 |
| Indianapolis | 0 | 3 | 16 | 11 | — | 30 |
GB—Kuhn 2 run (Crosby kick)
GB—Ja.Jones 6 pass from Rodgers (Crosby kick)
Ind—FG Vinatieri 24
GB—Cobb 31 pass from Rodgers (Crosby kick)
Ind—Allen 8 pass from Luck (Vinatieri kick)
Ind—FG Vinatieri 50
Ind—Luck 3 run (pass failed)
Ind—FG Vinatieri 28
GB—Ja.Jones 8 pass from Rodgers (pass failed)
Ind—Wayne 4 pass from Luck (D.Brown run)
A—67,020.
| GB | Ind | |
| First downs | 21 | 28 |
| Total Net Yards | 356 | 464 |
| Rushes-yards | 23-141 | 30-119 |
| Passing | 215 | 345 |
| Punt Returns | 4-19 | 2-13 |
| Kickoff Returns | 3-95 | 0-0 |
| Interceptions Ret. | 1-0 | 1-0 |
| Comp-Att-Int | 21-33-1 | 31-55-1 |
| Sacked-Yards Lost | 5-28 | 4-17 |
| Punts | 7-45.1 | 5-44.6 |
| Fumbles-Lost | 0-0 | 1-0 |
| Penalties-Yards | 9-89 | 9-100 |
| Time of Possession | 24:44 | 35:16 |
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING—Green Bay, Rodgers 5-57, Green 9-55, Benson 7-20, Kuhn 2-9. Indianapolis, D.Brown 17-84, Luck 6-24, Ballard 6-11, Hilton 1-0.
PASSING—Green Bay, Rodgers 21-33-1-243. Indianapolis, Luck 31-55-1-362.
RECEIVING—Green Bay, Cobb 4-82, Ja.Jones 4-46, Finley 3-11, Nelson 2-29, Benson 2-21, D.Williams 2-20, Driver 1-14, Green 1-8, Crabtree 1-6, Kuhn 1-6. Indianapolis, Wayne 13-212, Fleener 5-41, Allen 4-38, Hilton 3-37, Avery 3-22, D.Brown 2-8, Ballard 1-4.
MISSED FIELD GOALS—Green Bay, Crosby 52 (WR), 51 (WR). Indianapolis, Vinatieri 53 (WL).