Cheers & Jeers: Colts-Packers

At halftime, there were plenty of jeers from Colts fans. By game’s end in overtime, Colts cheers silenced Green Bay's "Cheeseheads" on Sunday.

INDIANAPOLIS — Green Bay Packers fans probably wanted to grab some of those yellow penally flags and use them as crying towels after the Indianapolis Colts rallied to a 34-31 overtime win Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium.

The Colts came back from a 28-24 deficit to take the lead, then needed a turnover in overtime to set up rookie kicker Rodrigo Blankenship’s deciding 39-yard field goal. Credit safety Julian Blackmon for splitting a double-team block to force a Marquez Vandes-Scantling fumble that defensive tackle DeForest Buckner recovered at the Packers’ 29.

There’s a lot to digest from this Colts win, which moves them to 7-3, the same as Sunday’s AFC South Division visitor, the Tennessee Titans. Before looking too far ahead, let’s review more cheers than jeers from the Colts-Packers game.

Cheers

— The Colts’ No. 1 defense came up with four takeaways, three fumbles and one interception. It’s the most Colts takeaways since 2017.

— The three recovered fumbles tied for the fifth-most in a game for the Colts since 1950.

DeForest Buckner recovers a Packers fumble in overtime.

Trevor Ruszkowski/USA TODAY Sports

— The Colts completed a four-game sweep of the NFC North.

— The comeback from a 28-14 halftime deficit marked the 12th time this season an NFL team has rallied to victory when down at least 14 points.

— In the last two games, the Colts have outscored their opponents 41-3 in the second half and overtime.

— Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has lost both of his road games against the Colts after leading by 14 points. The last time in 2012, he was up 18. In his career, he’s 1-2 when leading by at least 14 points against the Colts, and 95-2 against everyone else.

— The Colts are one of three teams to rally from such a deficit twice (Week 6, Cincinnati). The other teams are Dallas and New Orleans.

— The Packers’ only second-half points were a tying field goal in the final seconds to force overtime. The visitors gained just 15 yards on six plays in a pair of three-and-outs in the third quarter.

— Nickel cornerback Kenny Moore II led the Colts with 10 tackles, and most impressively, they were all solos. Both are career bests.

— Rookie safety Julian Blackmon’s forced fumble in overtime was the first of his career. He also had five solo tackles.

— Quarterback Philip Rivers had a 107.2 passer rating to tie Hall of Famer Brett Favre (108) for the fourth-most games with a 100+ passer rating. He completed 24-of-36 passes for 288 yards and three TDs with one interception. Rivers also tied Eli Manning (234) for the 10th-most games started in league history.

— Rookie kicker Rodrigo Blankenship made four-of-five field goals and two extra points for 14 total points. His 39-yard field goal in overtime was the first game-winning kick of his career. He tied his single-game high in field goals made. He’s just the second rookie to have at least 14 points in a game this season (Chase Claypool, Pittsburgh).

Kicker Rodrigo Blankenship (3) and holder Rigoberto Sanchez (8) celebrate the 39-yard field goal that decided Sunday's game in overtime.

Trevor Ruszkowski/USA TODAY Sports

— The Colts outgained the Packers 420-367 in total yards.

— The Packers rushed for just 66 yards on 18 carries.

— The Colts rushed for 140 yards, their second-highest total this year.

— The Colts dominated time of possession, 35:01-27:49, against a Packers team that led the NFL in the statistic.

— Rookie running back Jonathan Taylor had 90 yards rushing on 22 carries, as well as four receptions for 24 yards. He would have topped 100 yards easily if not for rushes negated by penalty, which included a 20-yard TD run.

— Rookie wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. led the team in receiving for a second consecutive week with three receptions for 66 yards and one TD. The touchdown was his first in the NFL. He celebrated in a “Lucas Oil Leap” with teammates who didn’t dress for the game and were seated in the end zone’s front row.

— Pittman, who like Taylor was drafted in the second round, has had at least 55 receiving yards in three consecutive games and is just the fifth Colts player to do so (Edgerrin James, Marvin Harrison, Andre Rison, and Bill Brooks).

— Tight end Jack Doyle made his only reception count with a 6-yard TD catch.

— Tight end Trey Burton caught two passes for 25 yards and one TD.

— Cornerback Rock Ya-Sin had four tackles, three solos, one pass defended, and his second-career interception. That tied his career high in total tackles and set a new career best in solo tackles.

— Linebacker Darius Leonard had six tackles, four solos, one pass defended, and one fumble recovery.

— Defensive end Justin Houston had the team’s only sack and the 10-yard loss came on third down to end a Packers possession. He finished with three total tackles, two solos, and one tackle for loss.

— Punter Rigoberto Sanchez had two punts for 71 yards, both downed inside the 20-yard line.

— Defensive end Cassius Marsh, promoted from the practice squad, forced a fumble on a kickoff return that Tavon Wilson recovered. That led to a Blankenship field goal and a 31-28 lead in the fourth quarter.

Jeers

— The Colts were called for nine holding penalties, seven accepted. Five of those penalties came near the end of regulation, which prevented the Colts from running out the clock and enabled the Packers to tie the game in the final seconds and force overtime.

— The Colts finished with eight penalties for 116 yards.

— The 28 points allowed in the first half were the most for a Colts defense since Kansas City scored 31 in an AFC wild card playoff game in 2014.

— Houston’s sack was the Colts’ only quarterback hit, a team season-low.

— Ya-Sin was flagged for pass interference on a deep pass to Marquez Valdes-Scantling near the end of the first half. The 51-yard penalty set up a Packers TD pass to make it 28-14 with 16 seconds remaining in the second quarter.

— Ya-Sin was also beaten on the game’s opening play as Rodgers hit Davante Adams with a 33-yard pass down the sideline.

— Tight end Mo Alie-Cox lost a fumble after a 9-yard reception in the first quarter.

— The Packers scored 14 points in drives after turnovers. The Colts didn’t capitalize with any points off the Packers’ first two turnovers. All of this was in the first half.

— The Colts had an obvious missed assignment when tight end Robert Tonyan was wide open on a 25-yard TD catch for the game’s first score.

— The Colts were just 6-of-16 on third down (38%), and two-of-four (50%) in the red zone.

— The Packers were three-for-four (75%) in the red zone and converted all three goal-to-go situations into touchdowns.