For the second straight week on Sunday, Chuck Pagano’s emotions got the best of him after a football game. But this time, the Indianapolis Colts head coach was unable to contain his happiness.
Trailing 27-14 after three quarters, it appeared the Colts were going to start 0-3 and perhaps say goodbye to their chances of turning things around. However, they scored 21 points in the third quarter and came back to beat the Tennessee Titans 35-33. The win was capped off when Indy’s defense came up with a stop on a two-point conversion attempt.
“This is bigger than a football game,” Pagano said in the locker room after the game, clearly fighting back tears. “This is about life and learning lessons about life. That you can do anything that you want to do — anything!”
Pagano praised his team for having “grit” and called the game “as big a win as I’ve ever been a part of in my life.”
Pagano knows he is in a make or break season with the Colts, and there have been rumblings that he does not expect to be back with the team next season. A lot of that has to do with the obvious rift that exists between him and Indy’s front office.
Last week, Pagano surprised some people by harshly criticizing Andrew Luck after an embarrassing loss to the New York Jets. It’s amazing the difference a week can make in the NFL.
