Colts: Rodrigo Blankenship game-winner caps monster second half
By Adam Weinrib
The Indianapolis Colts outworked the Green Bay Packers in the second half to take home a monster victory.
Consider us the worst analysts in this business. After all, we were worried about the Colts’ schedule in November! Ha! How stupid can you get?!
Faced with the daunting task of a trap game against the Lions, followed by the Ravens, Titans, Packers, and Titans again, we’ve now watched the Colts go to 3-1 in the month. As presently constructed, they’re licking their lips and waiting for a repeat date with Tennessee.
Against all odds and fueled by Darius Leonard’s intensity, a top defense, Michael Pittman Jr.’s breakout, and Jonathan Taylor’s comeback, among hundreds of other things, this is a 7-3 football team, which became official the second Rodrigo Blankenship’s field goal split the uprights in overtime on Sunday.
Ballgame. #RespectTheSpecs pic.twitter.com/SuB9ioSNgX
— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) November 23, 2020
The final was 34-31, though the story of the second half was (gasp!) Indianapolis’ defense, symbolized by Julian Blackmon’s (who else?!) forced fumble on a Marquez Valdes-Scantling completion to set up the kick.
Matt Eberflus’ mid-game scheme switch led to a 20-3 Colts advantage in the third and fourth quarters plus overtime, a complete transformation for a unit that gave up 28 points in the first, capped by an emblematic Rock Ya-Sin pass interference that let Green Bay off easy. It was the kind of penalty that usually marks a close, but no cigar loss to a far better team.
Yeah. About that.
Even as the referees attempted to swing the momentum in the final minutes of regulation, calling every hold in the books, from obvious to ticky-tack, in order to save all of the Packers’ timeouts for them, the swing in defensive intensity was simply too much for Matt LaFleur’s team to overcome.
FINAL: Colts 34, Packers 31, OT.
— Stephen Holder (@HolderStephen) November 23, 2020
I'm exhausted.
Suddenly, in a crowded AFC playoff picture, the Colts stand among the favorites for a spot instead of the dreaded “in the mix” also-rans. Philip Rivers appeared hobbled at points in this game, and looked every bit his age from time to time, but in the end managed to stay on the field and pilot the type of frenzied comeback we’ve seen from him repeatedly over the years.
This was a fantastic win marred by some bizarre sequences, but there’ll be plenty of time to analyze that in the morning.
The Indianapolis Colts, trailing 28-14 at half, have defeated the Green Bay Packers. It’s OK to feel complete elation. Darius Leonard gets the last laugh after all.
