Remembering two epic Packers-Colts games in Indianapolis
Both games ended in defeat, but the Green Bay Packers’ last two trips to Indianapolis produced epic games with the Colts.
The Packers return to Indianapolis for a showdown with the Colts on Sunday.
Under the new division format, the Packers and Colts now only play every four years. And they rotate between home and away. So the last two games in Indianapolis between the two teams came in 2012 and 2004.
Can the Packers and Colts create another classic in Indy on Sunday?
Here’s a quick look back at the two recent memorable games between the two franchises:
Week 3, 2004: Colts 45, Packers 31
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Thirty-five first-quarter points. Nine total touchdown passes from Hall of Fame quarterbacks. Almost 1,000 total yards. A pair of huge games from wide receivers. Brett Favre and the Packers engaged in a good ol' fashioned shootout with Peyton Manning and the Colts early in the 2004 season. The Gunslinger couldn't keep up with the onslaught delivered by Manning and the Colts. In the first quarter alone, Favre and Manning tossed five combined touchdown passes. The Colts went up 35-17 at the half and eventually ran away with the win, thanks to 393 passing yards and five touchdown passes from Manning and 11 catches and 184 yards from Reggie Wayner. But Favre and Javon Walker – who caught 11 passes for 200 yards and three scores – kept it interesting throughout. The game featured 912 total yards and 76 total points. The Colts threw 22 passes without a run in the first quarter and scored touchdowns on each of their first four possessions. The Packers blinked first, going three-and-out after two scoring drives in the first quarter. Favre had the ball with a chance to tie the game at 38 in the fourth quarter, but the Colts stripped Walker near midfield and then scored a touchdown to put the game away. You can watch the condensed version of the shootout below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mF5TEwMAq8k
Week 5, 2012: Colts 30, Packers 27
Thomas J. Russo-USA TODAY Sports
Aaron Rodgers and the Packers raced out to a 21-3 lead and looked ready to blowout the Colts, but Andrew Luck and Reggie Wayne mounted an inspired comeback and stunned Mike McCarthy's team early in the 2012 season. Luck, then a rookie playing his fifth career game, threw a short touchdown pass to Wayne with 35 seconds left, and Mason Crosby missed what would have been a game-tying field goal as time expired, handing the Colts an emotional win in the team's first game without coach Chuck Pagano, who stepped away to undergo treatment for leukemia. Rodgers threw three touchdown passes, including two to James Jones, but Luck and Wayne were too much to handle. The pair connected 13 times for 212 yards and the game-winning score. Luck threw two touchdown passes and ran for another. The Colts, with "Chuckstrong" plastered throughout Lucas Oil Stadium, outscored the Packers 27-6 in the second half. During a pivotal seven-possession stretch, the Packers punted five times, threw an interception and missed a field goal while the Colts scored 19 straight points to take a 22-21 lead. Rodgers hit Jones for the go-ahead touchdown pass with 4:30 left, but Luck marched the Colts down the field in 13 plays to re-take the lead, converting three third downs before hitting Wayne for the game-winning score.
AP Photo/AJ Mast
