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Chicago 41, Indianapolis 21
FOURTH QUARTER UPDATE
A late Indianapolis possession ended with an interception of Luck. Chicago took the game's final possession to close out a 20-point triumph.
After the Colts could not move, Chicago took control with 4:48 to go at its 25-yard line. Chicago could not gain a first down.
Cutler teamed with rookie receiver Alshon Jeffery on a 42-yard touchdown pass to give Chicago a 41-21 lead with 6:08 left.
Luck threw his first touchdown pass, a four-yarder to Donnie Avery with 10:20 left to cut the count to 34-21. It was Avery's first scoring reception with the club. The drive was 12 plays and 80 yards, and the club converted a key fourth-and-10 play on the march. That play was a 13-yard Luck toss to Kris Adams.
THIRD QUARTER UPDATE
The Indianapolis defense produced a third straight three-and-out, giving the club possession in the final seconds of the period.
The Colts suffered a sack-fumble with 1:49 left to give Chicago possession at its 41-yard line.
Indianapolis re-gained possession at its 46 after a three-and-out, punctuated by a second sack by Mathis.
Indianapolis drove 11 plays to the Chicago 10-yard line, where Luck was intercepted in the end zone with less than five minutes left in the period.
Gould hit a 26-yard field goal for a 34-14 lead after the Colts' turnover. The Indianapolis defense forced a three-and-out prior to the field goal.
LaVon Brazill, returning the ball from six yards deep out of the end zone, fumbled and lost the ball at the Indianapolis 12.
Forte scored on a six-yard burst less than four minutes into the period, ending a 55-yard march in four plays.
Indianapolis could not move the ball on its opening possession. McAfee's 57-yard punt was returned 23 yards by Hester to the Chicago 45-yard line.
SECOND QUARTER UPDATE
Adam Vinatieri was wide right on a 37-yard field goal with two seconds left. It had been a crisp drive by Indianapolis with four completions by Luck, three to tight end Coby Fleener for 51 yards.
Bush scored on a second one-yard run with 44 seconds left in the half to end a 72-yard march for a 24-14 Bears lead. Chicago gained yardage in chunks on the drive with 17-, 25-, 13- and 15-yard completions.
Indianapolis trimmed the deficit to 17-14 with an 18-yard Donald Brown run with 3:17 left in the period. The drive was 77 yards in five plays. Brown rushed twice for 18 yards, while Wayne two receptions. The drive covered more yards than the Colts had totaled in all their previous possessions.
Chicago turned the Colts turnover into points when kicker Robbie Gould hit a 35-yard field goal with 5:32 left in the quarter. Cutler struck for 24-, 15- and nine-yard completions before an offensive pass interference call damaged the drive.
Luck suffered an interception on the second play of the Colts' first possession of the quarter. It came after a 17-yard connection with Reggie Wayne. Chicago took possession with 9:40 left in the period.
Chicago moved 95 yards on 11 plays to take a 14-7 lead. Cutler hit Brandon Marshall on a three-yard pass. Devin Hester had a 29-yard reception on the drive, while Forte had one for 31 yards. Chicago converted a second-and-20 with the Hester reception.
FIRST QUARTER UPDATE
Indianapolis could not convert a third-and-one near midfield. McAfee's punt was batted back to the Chicago five-yard line. Joe Lefeged made the special teams play for the Colts, the second time he batted a punt back and downed by the Colts deep in Chicago territory.
The Colts forced a three-and-out and Indianapolis took possession at its 44-yard line.
After a first-down producing rush by Andrew Luck, Indianapolis fizzled at its 37-yard line. McAfee punted 63 yards for a touchback.
Chicago knotted the score on a one-yard run by Michael Bush with 7:19 left in the period. It was an 11-play, 80-yard drive where Chicago converted two third downs, one via penalty. Matt Forte had a 32-yard dash early on the drive, then had a 15-yarder to the Indianapolis one-yard line.
After having a punt downed at the Chicago three, McAfee had a touchback on the kickoff.
Jerrell Freeman intercepted Cutler's pass on first down and returned the theft four yards for a score. Freeman is the first player ever to make the NFL from Mary Hardin-Baylor. It was the first scoring return for a touchdown by the Colts since Jacob Lacey vs. Tennessee on 12/18/11. It is the shortest scoring interception return in club history. The previous was a six-yarder by Jerraud Powers vs. Atlanta 11/6/11.
Starting from midfield, Indianapolis could not convert a second-and-short and had a three-and-out. McAfee's punt was downed at the Chicago three-yard line.
Robert Mathis sacked Jay Cutler on the opening play back at the Chicago four-yard line. It gives Mathis 84.5 career sacks. Spurred by the sack, the Colts forced a three-and-out.
Justin Hickman tackled Devin Hester on the opening return at the Chicago 16-yard line, producing the first tackle of the season.
Indianapolis won the toss and deferred. Chicago received the kickoff.
COLTS PRE-GAME REPORT
COLTS GAME-DAY DEACTIVATIONS:
QB-Chandler Harnish
WR-T.Y. Hilton
WR-Austin Collie
RB-Delone Carter
LB-Pat Angerer
OT-Mike Person
OG-Joe Reitz
EXPECTED LINEUP CHANGES FOR COLTS:
Jerrell Freeman starts at WLB for Pat Angerer
Seth Olsen starts at LG for Joe Reitz
Donnie Avery starts at WR for Austin Collie
NOTES:
The Colts' last appearance in Soldier Field was on November 21, 2004. Behind the running of Edgerrin James (204 yards) and a defense that forced multiple turnovers, the Colts won, 41-10.
The Colts are 2-2 in Soldier Field and were 9-7 in Wrigley Field against Chicago. The teams met twice annually from 1953-66, but have battled only 10 times (counting Super Bowl XLI) since the 1970 Merger and but seven times since the Colts moved to Indianapolis in 1984.
The only Colts still active from the Super Bowl XLI team that beat Chicago are Reggie Wayne, Dwight Freeney, Robert Mathis, Antoine Bethea and Adam Vinatieri.
Thirty players will be making their Colts debut today. Fifteen Colts will be playing in their first NFL game.
Reggie Wayne has receptions in 96 straight games. He leads active NFL receivers with 145 consecutive starts and 166 games played. Wayne's streak is second-longest in Colts history to Peyton Manning (208), and he joins only four other Colts with more than 100 consecutive starts (115, C-Ken Mendenhall; 104, DE-Fred Cook; 102, DB-Jason Belser; 101, OT-Tarik Glenn).
The Colts opened the 2008 season by playing Chicago, Minnesota and Jacksonville. Those are the same season-opening opponents for Indianapolis this year.
The Colts and Bears met to open the 2008 season and to christen Lucas Oil Stadium on September 7, 2008. Chicago won, 29-13.
The Colts will be looking for their 35th win on opening day. They currently rank second in the AFC in most wins on opening day.
Chuck Pagano looks to become the ninth Colts head coach to win his first game with the club (Keith Molesworth, 1953; Don McCafferty, 1970; Ted Marchibroda, 1975; Mike McCormack, 1980; Ron Meyer, 1986; Lindy Infante, 1996; Tony Dungy, 2002, Jim Caldwell, 2009). For Molesworth, McCafferty, Marchibroda and Caldwell, those were the first games of their head coaching careers.
Andrew Luck by starting today becomes the sixth rookie QB to start for the Colts on opening day. Luck joins the following rookies in this distinction:
George Shaw, 9/25/55 vs. Chicago, 23-17 Win (7-of-12 for 97 yards, 1 TD, 112.2 rating)
Bert Jones, 9/16/73 at Cleveland, 24-14 Loss (6-of-22 for 56 yards, 1 TD/1 int., 35.8 rating)
Mike Pagel, 9/12/82 vs. New England, 24-13 Loss (7-of-15 for 71 yards, 1 int., 32.9 rating)
Jeff George, 9/9/90 at Buffalo, 26-10 Loss (13-of-24 for 160 yards, 1 TD, 88.9 rating)
Peyton Manning, 9/6/98 vs. Miami, 24-15 Loss (21-of-37 for 302 yards, 1 TD/3 ints., 58.6 rating)
Luck is the 37th QB to start in Colts history. Luck will be the 10th rookie to start for the Colts. Ed Mioduszewski (1953, one game), Cotton Davidson (1954, one game), George Shaw (1955, 12 games), Jones (1973, five games), Mike Pagel (1982, nine games), Jack Trudeau (1986, 11 games), Chris Chandler (1988, 13 games), Jeff George (1990, 12 games) and Manning (1998, 16 games) preceded Luck.
Luck is one of five rookies named to start today. He joins Robert Griffin III (Washington, 2nd overall), Ryan Tannehill (Miami, 8th), Brandon Weeden (Cleveland, 22nd) and Russell Wilson (Seattle, 75th overall). Wilson was selected in the third round. The previous most was in 1968 (Dan Darragh, Buffalo; Greg Landry, Detroit; Dewey Warren, Cincinnati) and 1969 (Greg Cook, Cincinnati; James Harris, Buffalo; Roger Staubach, Dallas).
Luck will be one of nine other top picks in the draft scheduled to start on opening day (Cam Newton, Carolina, 2011; Sam Bradford, St. Louis, 2010; Matt Stafford, Detroit, 2009; Alex Smith, San Francisco, 2005; Eli Manning, N.Y. Giants, 2004 (selected by San Diego); Carson Palmer, Oakland, 2003 (selected by Cincinnati); Michael Vick, Philadelphia, 2001 (selected by Atlanta); Peyton Manning, Denver, 1998 (selected by the Colts).
Luck's former coach at Stanford, Jim Harbaugh, was 2-1 on opening day with the Colts (45-21 win vs. Houston, 9/4/94; 20-13 win vs. Arizona, 9/1/96; 16-10 loss at Miami, 8/31/97).
Adam Vinatieri is five-for-five in field goals in Chicago and is eight-for-eight for his career against the Bears.
