It was a Week 3 win against the Tennessee Titans, but it clearly meant a great deal to Chuck Pagano.
Already facing an uncertain future after the Indianapolis Colts didn't sign him to a contract extension beyond this year, and already frustrated enough with his team's performance and personnel to say so publicly after the Colts' Week 2 loss, and perhaps knowing his days in Indianapolis might be numbered if the losses continued to stack up, Pagano was emotional as he addressed players and coaches on Sunday after the Colts pulled off a 35-33 come-from-behind road win over the Titans.
"I can't tell you how damn proud...every man and every coach in this room," Pagano began, pacing in front of his players. "Grit always wins! Because I can guarantee you, when (expletive) hit the fan in that third quarter, the only ones that believed were in this room.
"Because you believed and you've got grit, and you've got resilience and you've got fight" - Pagano wiped his right eye - "You dig your way out of something that nobody thought you could dig yourself out of. And I'm telling you, this is bigger than a football game. This is about life, and learning lessons about life. You can do anything that you want to do. Anything!
"You have faith and you have family and you have belief in one another. And you have grit. You have intestinal fortitude. You've got resolve. You've got it, kid [points to unseen player]. You've all got it. This is as big a win as I've been part of in my life. I will cherish that one for the rest of my life; I can guarantee that."
Things started well enough for the Colts against Tennessee, as they were up 14-0 early in the second quarter, after the first of two interceptions by Dwight Lowery - Lowery returned the pick 69 yards for a touchdown.
But the Titans would score the next 27 points, and led 27-13 midway through the fourth before the Colts scored three touchdowns in four minutes, Lowery's second pick setting them up for the second. Tennessee scored with under a minute to play, but the defense stopped Jalston Fowler on the game-tying 2-point conversion, chasing him backwards, yards away from the goal line, sealing the victory.
- Sports & Recreation
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- Indianapolis Colts
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