The NFL's most meaningless losing streak continues. A last-second collapse by the Colts -- is it too much to call a late-game loss in a preseason game a "collapse" -- means Indianapolis' preseason losing streak now stands at nine games. One suspects they'll take that in exchange for all the, you know, "real" games they've won over the years.
Packers Vs. Colts Score: Packers, Colts Play Like Imaginary Super Bowl On Line; Green Bay Wins, 24-21
It looked for a moment like the Colts might be able to break their run of quasi-bad luck. With Indy leading by one in the fourth quarter, Green Bay's Graham Harrell, out of Texas Tech, heaved a pass that sailed over the head of his intended receiver and into the arms of Mike Newton. Newton returned the ball to the Packers 3, and the Colts quickly cashed in to take a 21-13 lead.
Then things got strange. With time running low, the Packers drive down the field to the Colts 11. On fourth down, Harrell rolls to his left, wisely decides not to run out of bounds, steps back, and half-blindly slings the ball into the end zone. The ball is grabbed by Ryan Taylor, and the Packers then make the two-point conversion.
And suddenly we are facing the real prospect of overtime to decide who wins a game that doesn’t count. Which is about as far down the pointless rabbit hole as you can go. But Mike McCarthy calls for the on-sides kick, meaning we could be spared from that.
Harrell guides Green Bay back down the field to set up a 50-yard field goal attempt by Mason Crosby. But wait -- Jim Caldwell is going to ice the kicker. Yes, you can't take those meaningless timeouts into the meaningless locker room after the meaningless preseason game, so you might as well use them. (This is assuming that icing the kicker has a point when the games actually do count, but that's a discussion for another day.)
No matter. Crosby’s kick sails through the upright, the Packers win, and they ... um, well, nothing happens after that. But it’s nice to win, right?
For more on the Colts head over to Stampede Blue. For more on the Packers, visit Acme Packing Company. Follow the rest of preseason week three at SB Nation NFL.
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