Rookie quarterback Andrew Luck connected with Reggie Wayne 13 times for 212 yards and a go-ahead touchdown as the Indianapolis Colts upset the Green Bay Packers by the score of 30-27.
It was an all-around bad day for the Packers who lost Cedric Benson (foot), B.J. Raji (ankle) and Jermichael Finley (shoulder) to injuries while allowing the Colts to score 27 points in the second half.
What It Means: If Packers (2-3) fans weren’t worried about the Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings before, they should be now. Green Bay’s offense went completely stagnant in the second half as wide receivers failed to get open, Aaron Rodgers held on to the ball too long and the run game was nowhere to be found. On the other side of the ball, the defense wasn’t bad as they did limit the Colts to three field goals, but that can only last so long when your offense can’t stay on the field. Rodgers and the Packers clearly miss Greg Jennings who is without a doubt the best wideout on the team, evident from them not being able to get open against a depleted Colts secondary. The recent injuries could be a huge concern, so stick around for an interesting ride in Green Bay.
Player of the Game: RB Alex Green (9 carries for 55 yards)
Hats off to the Colts’ Wayne, who is the real Player of the Game, but this article does come from a Packers perspective. With Benson leaving early in the second quarter, it was up to Green to take hold of the running game. The coaching staff didn’t give him a lot of opportunities, but he did show his value in the fourth quarter. With the Packers in need of a successful drive, he ripped off a 41 yard scamper showing some nifty moves. It was by far the longest run of the season thus far. If Benson is forced to miss some time, I don’t think they lose a lot with Green.
Highlight of the Game: I will go against Green Bay in this section as Wayne made an immaculate catch on a few different occasions. The best one can be seen here courtesy of Rant Sports. It was a one-handed catch that led to the Colts’ first field goal and ultimately the difference in the game.
Stat of the Game (18): The margin in which the Packers blew at half-time, the largest since November of 1957. Thanks ESPN Stats & Info.
What’s Next: It was a bad time for the Packers to have an unexpected loss as they now travel to Houston to take on a Texans (4-0, play Jets on Monday Night) team which many agree are the most complete team in the NFL. However, it also provides Green Bay with the chance to show the world (Sunday Night Football) that they can play with anybody if they compete with the Texans. A loss in Houston won’t be the end of the world, but it will seem like it with Packers fans.
What did you think of the Colts’ comeback win against the Packers? What is Green Bay’s biggest problem right now? Let me know by commenting below.
Nick Grays is a senior writer at the Sports Bank where he covers the Wisconsin Badgers and Green Bay Packers. He also enjoys to share Fantasy Advice and pretend to be a Golf expert from time-to-time. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here or visit his blog Nick Knows Best. If social media is not your thing, shoot him an email at grays@uwalumni.com.
Pictures courtesy of Packers.com and Colts.com.