Colts upset Packers to honor ailing coach Pagano

INDIANAPOLIS -- All Chuck Pagano asked the Colts to do was focus on football. Andrew Luck and Reggie Wayne did a little more to honor their coach, who is battling leukemia.

The rookie quarterback and the 33-year-old wide receiver connected at the most critical moments yesterday, including a 4-yard touchdown pass with 35 seconds left to stun the Packers, 30-27. It capped a comeback from a 21-3 deficit to defeat Green Bay (2-3) on perhaps the most emotional day in Lucas Oil Stadium history.

"I'm sure we were all lying to everybody the whole week, trying to downplay it," Luck said after throwing for a career-high 362 yards. "I think we all went out there wanting to do it for Chuck more than anything else. To see all the emotions on Mr. Irsay's face, BA's, everyone in there, I think it's one of the greatest athletic moments I've ever been a part of."

Interim coach Bruce Arians, nicknamed BA, acknowledged he was fighting back tears when he spoke to reporters. Team owner Jim Irsay sniffled as he spoke inside a silent locker room before dashing to the hospital where Pagano is undergoing treatment. Irsay wanted to personally deliver the game ball.

Pagano made it clear Friday, in an emotional email to players and coaches, that he didn't want guys playing for him; he wanted the Colts (2-2) to play for themselves and match last season's victory total.

"Focus on being 500 by 4:30pm on Sunday. Nothing else," he wrote. "That has to be our mindset. 60 minutes, all you got, one play at a time! WIN!"

Turns out the players wanted this one even more for Pagano than he wanted it for them.

"I've got 12 years of [special] games," said Wayne, who has known Pagano since they were at the University of Miami in the late 1990s. "But this did mean a lot with how the week's been going. I talked to coach Pagano and he wanted us to win so bad.''

Team officials honored Pagano by hanging signs that read #Chuckstrong behind each goal post and wore lapel pins with orange ribbons on a white background.

Luck threw for two TDs and ran for one, and Wayne had 13 catches for a career-high 212 yards. Wayne wore orange gloves, instead of pink ones for breast cancer awareness month, because orange is the color for leukemia patients.

"I just wanted to do something for Chuck," Wayne said. "I had some equipment guys make some calls. If [NFL officials] fine me, they fine me. I really feel like that would be a terrible thing to do, but if so, so be it, I'll go ahead and take the fine and do it for Chuck."