Colts getting destroyed by now-suspended Bucs star Sunday feels unfair

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - NOVEMBER 28 Zach Pascal #14 of the Indianapolis Colts fumbles the ball while tackled by Mike Edwards #32 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Lucas Oil Stadium on November 28, 2021 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - NOVEMBER 28 Zach Pascal #14 of the Indianapolis Colts fumbles the ball while tackled by Mike Edwards #32 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Lucas Oil Stadium on November 28, 2021 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /
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Anyone else still not over the Indianapolis Colts‘ loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from last weekend?

That nauseous feeling probably won’t dissolve until Indy takes the field and (hopefully) destroys the 2-9 Texans this Sunday.

After all, it was almost a carbon copy of their Week 8 overtime loss to the Titans, which included a blown lead, poor late-game execution and back-breaking turnovers en route to putting Tennessee in the driver’s seat for the AFC South crown.

However, we’re not here to walk through the defining moments from Week 12. Fans have already done plenty of that since Sunday.

On Thursday, just days after the game was played, Mike Edwards, maybe the player of the game on the Bucs’ defense, was suspended three games for “misrepresenting (his) vaccine status under the NFL-NFLPA COVID-19 Protocols.”

Yeah, that nausea isn’t going away anytime soon.

The Colts were destroyed by Bucs CB Mike Edwards just a few days he was suspended three games.

Antonio Brown was also issued a three-game ban after his former chef alleged the star wideout obtained a fake COVID-19 vaccine card. It’s unclear if Edwards was part of that duplicitous scheme, but the fact he played and enjoyed his best game of the season while breaking NFL rules is just infuriating.

Of course he gets suspended AFTER he plays the Colts.

Speaking in terms of Edwards’ impact on the game, he forced a big fumble on Zach Pascal in the first quarter. The Colts were driving and up 3-0 at the time, and the turnover helped swing momentum in Tampa Bay’s favor.

Faced with a short field following the return, the Bucs capitalized in the form of a Leonard Fournette rushing touchdown to take a 7-3 lead.

Edwards finished the game with just three total tackles, the forced fumble and three pass breakups, but his biggest contribution came on the Colts’ final drive when he tackled Isaiah Rodgers on a kickoff return that seemed destined to result in a touchdown to tie the game in the closing seconds.

If not for Edwards sprinting from the other side of the field to close down the angle, Rodgers likely takes it to the house to force overtime.

We all know OT favors the team that has the wind in its sails, and Rodgers’ return would’ve done just that for the Colts.

Alas, Edwards made a whale of a play and the game ended just a few minutes later when the Bucs intercepted Carson Wentz’s Hail Mary attempt.

We didn’t think it was possible for this loss to sting even more almost a week after the fact, but Edwards’ suspension managed to do just that.

Please, just dismantle the Texans on Sunday.