Eight Years Later, Finally Revenge

Blount went undrafted in '10, but Tampa
Bay recognized his pure talent.

Its been eight years since the last time the Indianapolis Colts visited the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday night and my what a visit it was. The Colts overcame a 21-point deficit in the games final four minutes to force overtime and eventually stun a Hall of Fame type defense.

A lots changed since then.

It was Oct. 6, 2003. Peyton Manning was under center not on the sideline. Tony Dungy was returning to Tampa for the first time since being fired not watching from home. Jon Gruden had a coaching head set on not a broadcaster's. Keyshawn Johnson was catching passes not in a studio While Derrick Brooks and Warren Sapp were both still active and dominant players.

Lets fast forward nearly eight years to the day, Oct. 3, 2011.

After starting 0-3, Colts head coach Jim Caldwell decided to go a different direction and bench veteran quarterback Kerry Collins in favor of rookie Curtis Painter for his career NFL start. Painter got his team off to a fast start with a field goal on Indianapolis' opening drive and later seizing a 10-0 first half advantage.

The Buc's Josh Freeman ran in for six right before the half, giving Tampa Bay their first points of the game, heading into the break down three. Freeman and Co. would march down the field on the opening drive of the third quarter to knot the game at ten.

After both teams swapped punts, Painter hit Pierre Garcon for the second time in the game with a 59-yard touchdown pass for a 17-10 lead.

Freeman answered with a strike of his own to receiver Preston Parker in the closing seconds of the third.

Tampa Bays' defense shut down the Colts offense in the fourth and relied on the legs of running back LeGarrette Blount to seal the deal. Blount ran for 35 of this 127 yards on a play that gave Raheem Mooris' Bucs their third touchdown of the game and win on the young season.

For the Colts it's the first time they have started 0-4 since Manning's rookie season in 1998. It just goes to show how valuable Manning really is to his team the past decade and a half, maybe more so than anyone else in the NFL. As if it couldn't get any worse for Indy they have seem to have lost defensive end Eric Foster for the reminder of the season due to a partially dislocated ankle.

On a good note, Painter finished his first start 13 for 30 with 281 and 2 TD, both going to Garcon for 146 yards, his only receptions of the game.

Not bad for a guys first professional start.

Kicker Mike Vanderjagt capped an improbable
comeback almost eight years ago to the day.

Freeman and Blount, two guys that had break out rookie campaigns in 2010, were the stars Monday for the Buccaneers. Freeman threw for a 287 yards and a TD with 0 INT in his Monday Night Football debut, while Blount scored the game-winning touchdown.

Tampa Bay is now 3-1 on the year which puts them in a first-place tie in the NFL South with the New Orleans Saints. Last years division win and owner of the best record in the NFC, the Atlanta Falcons have gotten off to a rough start at 2-2 compared to their '10 record of 13-3.

The last time Tampa played the Colts on Monday night it was the 2002-03 NFL season, that year they finished raising the Lombardi Trophy. Can they do it again?