Colts too embarrassed about blowout loss to dwell on Deflategate
Losing to the Patriots over the last few years is common. In fact, the Colts haven’t beaten the Patriots since drafting Andrew Luck.
But losing 45-7 is not particularly common. And the Colts lost by that margin on one of the NFL’s biggest stages: the AFC Championship Game.
Deflategate and a Super Bowl win followed for the Patriots. And the Colts were left as second-best in the AFC — and by a large margin.
“Yeah, it certainly was an embarrassing defeat. You don’t want to be associated with those types of losses,’’ Andrew Luck told reporters Wednesday, via The Boston Globe. “But I don’t know if it has that much bearing on this week.’’
In the Championship Game, Luck was 12 of 33 for 126 yards with two interceptions and no touchdowns. Colts special teamer Josh Cribbs fumbled, and Adam Vinatieri missed his only field goal. It was a game where everything seemed to go wrong for the Colts.
An emotional fallout occurred in the Colts’ locker room as Deflategate dominated sports news.
“We probably just got caught up in it less than anybody because it was a reminder of us getting embarrassed on national TV in the AFC Championship Game,’’ Colts backup quarterback Matt Hasselbeck said. “They took it to us in that game, and played great and we played terrible. I would say in this locker room, every time that game gets brought up, it’s not something we really want to think about or want to talk about.’’
Luck may not feel like the AFC Championship Game blowout will affect the Colts in their Week 6 matchup with the Patriots, but former New England and current Indianapolis cornerback Darius Butler says it will.
“They kicked our [derriere] up and down the field. You definitely never want that feeling again,’’ Butler said. “You get a chance and an opportunity to get another shot to play them, I’m sure we’ll have that little extra chip on our shoulder.’’
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