INDIANAPOLIS – It was a win that came thanks to plays being made in every phase.
Something we hadn't seen the Colts do this season was done in a big way on Sunday in Lambeau, with the visitors going home 31-26 winners over the Packers.
Here's a notebook look at the Colts (4-5) getting their first road win against the Packers (4-4) since 1988:
**No. 12 Shows His Resolve
**It was a first quarter Andrew Luck had never experienced in his five NFL seasons. And that wasn't a good thing.
Luck's two first-quarter interceptions on Sunday were the first time he had done that in his NFL career.
Resolve was needed from the franchise quarterback after the other Colts' units had more than done their part to grasp an early lead in Lambeau.
Like he has done so many times, Luck did bounce back.
Luck led touchdown drives of 96 and 71 yards, trying his best to outduel two-time MVP Aaron Rodgers.
Then with the game on the line, Luck shed potential sacks and iced the win with a 9-play, 52-yard drive, which included two massive third-down conversions.
"That's a beast," Frank Gore said of his quarterback. "That's Luck, man. He's a football player and I'm happy to be playing with him.
"When you see the way he prepares and every week, you see him on the field, his teammates are willing to do whatever for him. That's what it is."**
Frank Gore Finds End Zone Twice
**Establishing any semblance of a run game for the Colts wasn't going to be easy on Sunday.
Green Bay came into Week Nine second in the NFL in run defense, and the Colts were starting their sixth different offensive line of the season.
But Frank Gore trudged his way to find some production and his two touchdown scampers made the difference.
The O-line allowed just two sacks on Sunday and helped Gore poke his head into the end zone.
"They did a great job and they are getting better every day," Gore said of the trench play after Sunday's victory in Lambeau.
"They have been really working hard. They just fight. Our coaches have been doing a great job, too. They just stay together and keep fighting."
Overall, the Colts achieved some rare offensive balance from the skill group on Sunday.
Playing with a healthy skill group for the first time since the 2016 season opener, contributions came from everywhere.
T.Y. Hilton (82 receiving yards) and Donte Moncrief (55 receiving yards) led the wideouts.
The Colts also received third-down conversions from Jack Doyle, Jacoby Brissett, Robert Turbin, Dwayne Allen and Josh Ferguson.
It was needed for the Colts to avoid dropping three games below .500, a hole that might just have been insurmountable.
"We had to (have this)," Gore said after the Colts moved to 4-5. "We had to. Especially with how the first half of the season went when we gave away games.
"We played as one today and we got it done."**
Colts Head For Bye Week With Momentum **
"We've got to remember this feeling."
That was what Chuck Pagano told his team following Sunday's 31-26 victory over the Packers. It's a team that now enters a bye week off its best win of 2016.
The Colts are 4-5, tied for second place in the AFC South with the Tennessee Titans (4-5).
In Week Nine, the division-leading Houston Texans (5-3) had their bye, so they are two games up in the loss column over the Colts and Titans.
Jacksonville suffered their third straight loss on Sunday to fall to 2-6.
For the Colts, they will now play three divisional home games in the final seven weeks of the season.
After the upcoming bye week, the Colts will host Tennessee (11/20) and Pittsburgh (11/24, Thanksgiving).
A pivotal Week 14 home contest (12/11) versus Houston looms for the Colts, in a game that likely has to go Indy's way if they want postseason football to become a reality in 2016.**
Colts/Packers Snap Counts**
- In Green Bay, the Colts had their healthiest skill group since Week One. At receiver, the snap counts against the Packers went to Donte Moncrief (66-of-68), T.Y. Hilton (59-of-68), Philip Dorsett (42-of-68), and Devin Street (1-of-68).
- With Dwayne Allen back (44 snaps), we saw more multi tight end looks involving Jack Doyle (50 snaps) and Mo Alie-Cox (9 snaps).
- The running back snaps were as followed: Frank Gore (47-of-68), Robert Turbin (16-of-68) and Josh Ferguson (5-of-69).
- Without Jack Mewhort and Joe Reitz OUT, the Colts used this offensive line: LT-Anthony Castonzo, LG-Jonotthan Harrison, C-Ryan Kelly, RG-Denzelle Good and RT-Joe Haeg.
- Defensively, safeties T.J. Green and Clayton Geathers played all 74 snaps.
- Geathers led the Colts with eight tackles as he was used almost exclusively as a dime linebacker. Versatile veteran Darius Butler then slid back to play safety next to Green.
- With Henry Anderson and Kendall Langford out on Sunday, the defensive line snaps went to: Arthur Jones (41-of-69), David Parry (33-of-69), Hassan Ridgeway (32-of-69), Zach Kerr (21-of-69), and T.Y. McGill (20-of-69).
- The Colts hardly used a second "true" inside linebacker at all in their 3-4 scheme. It was Edwin Jackson (10 snaps) pretty much sidelined because of the Colts wanting to use Geathers more to match up with Green Bay's pass-happy attack. D'Qwell Jackson logged 64 snaps.
