How will the TEAM respond........

[Michael Lebron]

My prayers are with Pagano and his family.........

In the past, I have seen teams take their play up a level in the midst of such adveristy but I have also seen teams demoralized. Our hearts go out to coach, but these players are much more closer to Pagano, the man and coach. How will respond?

[Nobody]

The players could rally around their fallen leader...

Or....

We could be the Saints.

Time will tell.

[HungarianColtsFan]

My prayers are with Pagano and his family.........

In the past, I have seen teams take their play up a level in the midst of such adveristy but I have also seen teams demoralized. Our hearts go out to coach, but these players are much more closer to Pagano, the man and coach. How will respond?

They must be shocked.

I hope they shape up and beat the Packers, to hand over the Game's ball to Pagano!!!!

[GoColts8818]

If they can channel their emotions that they must be feeling they could very well do what the colts back ups did when they beat the cardinals for dungy in his first game back openly admitting they wanted to give the game ball to dungy and did with the stop on the last drive. Hayden I think, could be wrong, ran the ball over to dungy and told official I am giving this to my coach and you can't stop me when he tried to tell him they needed it. It was one of the most emotional screens I've seen in football and just to hear the old dome explode for dungy when he lifted the ball in the air was awesome and frankly it was one of the few times we saw dungy show emotion it was just awesome to see after what had been an extremely sad two weeks.

With that said this is young team trying to find its way they could go into a little bit of a tail spin or they could come out overly fired up and burn out after the packers weather the storm. It's hard to predict right now. It's going to be a week to week thing. We saw that with the 2005 colts Jeff Saturday said later that what happened with Dungys son did impact them in the playoffs. So one can only guess what that will do to a team whose coach is fighting cancer. It could tear them apart or it might give them the extra motivation to gain that extra yard.

[Michael Lebron]

I think our TEAM will rally around their coach with Luck stepping it up as well. I hope they make him proud and dedicated the season to him.

[oldunclemark]

They must be shocked.

I hope they shape up and beat the Packers, to hand over the Game's ball to Pagano!!!!

I'm shocked........I guess he's been in the hospital since the midle fo last week...

they say he'll be okay....but lukemia means cancer to me...and cancer is very scary...

[Lacie Ben Larue]

My wife and I have lost parents to this terrible disease! Football is great! We love it, but family is so much better! To Coach and his family, we give our prayers and this reminder, No matter how great the challenge, or how tall the mountain, Our God is bigger and stronger and He Loves Us So Much! Be couragous brother!

[GoColts8818]

I think our TEAM will rally around their coach with Luck stepping it up as well. I hope they make him proud and dedicated the season to him.

If Luck steps up anymore for a rookie I am going to start looking for superman sightings in Indianapolis and double checking to see if had a phone booth put in his locker.

[betheafan41]

The players could rally around their fallen leader...

Or....

We could be the Saints.

Time will tell.

We are better then the Saints. look at our record lol.

[hambone35]

Well I certainly hate to hear this for pagano I really like him as a coach I think he is exactly the coach to take Indy in the direction it's been missing for ages I do pray the Lord heals him and a full speedy recovery and colts let's rally behind him and play for coach pagano go Colts

[swflacoltsfans]

Go see the movie Trouble with the Curve. There is a line in there "no. It is only a game." it fits very well here.

Get well coach. our prayers are with you.

[superrep1967]

We've lost our coach for the season and that's no good from a football propective. But beyond horrible from a human and family propective. I'm know the players love there coach more than most players in the league love there coach.I know from all accounts coach Pagano is a outstanding human being. I for one admire very much. I know being in the hospital for 4 days for me was rough. I can't amagine 6 weeks. So that alone will be a major challenge for our coach. But I know he'll have great family and friends there for him along the way to help him through this.

[Qwiz]

Hopefully the team will rise in the face of this bad news. Of course playing good football is not as important as supporting their head coach and praying that he gets better.

[HtownColt]

buckle up Colts, Arians is going to let loose with Luck with 2 weeks to prepare and get this win for Chuck then go to the hospital and hand deliver him the game ball to keep him in great spirits to see his team rally up and play their hearts out as the team Chuck envisions us to be. then destroy the Jets the following week

[stat2883]

We've all seen it before from other teams who faced this kind of adversity -- '91 Lions made it all the way to the NFC Championship game when Mike Utley broke his neck. The skins buried Sean Taylor mid season, lost to the Bills a couple days later, then won out to make the playoffs. Neither team was what you would consider dominant by any means, but emotion can carry you an awful long ways. This could be a catalyst for that kind of performance, but like was said above - only time will tell.

I hope for the best for all parties involved.

[Smitto]

There was word that some players were even crying so i expect them to play their butts off

[Jules]

I think they will respond with some of the most passionate Colts football we have seen in some time.

And it makes tears come to my eye.

I won't be mad if they lose. But, I think they will give it their all for him. Pagano has won over OUR hears as fans too since he has been here. Imagine how the players feel.

[Gramz]

[buccolts]

This is really sad news, and I can only trust that Coach will pull through it O.K.

This is also where the men (emotionally, not in years) on the team step up and help to mature the younger players (emotionally, not in years).

[Coltsman1788]

I think they will respond with some of the most passionate Colts football we have seen in some time.

And it makes tears come to my eye.

I won't be mad if they lose. But, I think they will give it their all for him. Pagano has won over OUR hears as fans too since he has been here. Imagine how the players feel.

Win or lose...the best way the Colts can honor Coach Pagano is to continue to conduct their every day business in the same manner as they would if he was still with him. Continue to honor him in their work ethic and approach to the game. As fans, we have their back.

[Indyfan4life]

I think they will respond with some of the most passionate Colts football we have seen in some time.

And it makes tears come to my eye.

I won't be mad if they lose. But, I think they will give it their all for him. Pagano has won over OUR hears as fans too since he has been here. Imagine how the players feel.

I definitely feel like they're going to play at the highest level possible.

[OJl]

My sense is that the Colts will move on business as usual. I know the news today was shocking and sad but to be blunt, Pagano ain't dead! He's still kickin' and fightin' and I expect that he'll beat it and be back next season full go.

I expect that Arians will keep the ship afloat. I'd be a little surprised if Luck doesn't do get a little more freedom to attack especially during the meat of games when things are still up for grabs and not just in blowouts or in two minutes situations.

Defensively, we're gonna see how good Manusky is now though. Everyone knows Pagano can coach up a defense. So anything good that the defense did, he was gonna get the lion's share of the credit. But now Manusky needs to get the defense to really perform for him.

In the short term, I think the Colts will play a little harder against the Packers on Sunday. In the end though, emotions get you going but talent wins the day and this team is still highly under talented.

[Michael Lebron]

Just hope the fans will join me in the stands Sunday causing havoc! We need the stadium to be in playoff mode!!!

[oldunclemark]

There was word that some players were even crying so i expect them to play their butts off

We have so many rookies and rookie free agents and Pagano was their first head coach....

This has to be very upsetting and unsettling....

Kinda wish we had another bye week

[Smitto]

We have so many rookies and rookie free agents and Pagano was their first head coach....

This has to be very upsetting and unsettling....

Kinda wish we had another bye week

I dont im tired of watching other teams, like mathis said theyve been through something of that nature when dungy was around so they will help the rookies

[GoColts8818]

I dont im tired of watching other teams, like mathis said theyve been through something of that nature when dungy was around so they will help the rookies

Yeah but only like four guys are left from that team. Freeney, Mathis, Wayne, and bethea.

This is young team and as we even saw with that 05 team having something happen to your coach is hard to over come even for experienced teams.

[CR91]

with a good old fashion butt whooping of the packers. THIS ONE IS FOR YOU COACH!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Smitto]

Yeah but only like four guys are left from that team. Freeney, Mathis, Wayne, and bethea.

This is young team and as we even saw with that 05 team having something happen to your coach is hard to over come even for experienced teams.

Its a young team but they know they have a job to do so theyll do it with a lil more inspiration.

[Superman]

I'd just like to see better execution. The team has been playing hard all season, flying to the ball, hitting, fighting, scrapping, etc. Effort is not at question, not one bit. Just too many mistakes. We should be 2-1 at worst, and maybe with better execution we'd have made a game out of the opener. The effort is there. Just can't turn the ball over, give up big plays on defense, have penalties that kill drives or extend the other team's drives, etc.

And, unfortunately, I don't think any motivation the team might have to win for Pagano is going to make a difference in that regard. I hope we do win -- obviously -- but everyone, from 1-53, needs to focus on handling their assignments properly and minimizing mistakes.

[GoColts8818]

Its a young team but they know they have a job to do so theyll do it with a lil more inspiration.

No doubt they will have all the inspiration in the world they need but that doesn't always produce results. We such a more talented team and a more veteran team in 2005 have an issue as well as has been mentioned before. Jeff Saturday said after the playoff loss that what happened with Dungy son had more of an impact on them than people knew.

I have no doubt that this team is going to come out super fired up on Sunday and the Packers are going to have weather a storm but after a while that goes away and you have a bit of a let down from it. Also if they play with too much emotion it can easily have a negative impact on them. It can lead to mistakes because you aren't focusing on executing like you should.

It could have a very good impact on us or it could have a negative one as well. None of us really know right now. I am sure this team is going to play hard but you know i heard I think it was Phil B. say this week that he wishes they were playing the Jags again, or someone like the Dolphins or Browns and not the Packers. IE playing for coach might not be enough to over come the talent gap that exists between the Colts and Packers at the moment.

I hope the team can channel what is going on into a positive but I am not going to blame them if they don't. They are young men who a large portion of them could very well be dealing with seeing someone they care about going threw this for a first time. That can be very hard to over come and just because we've had four guys who went threw something kinda like it with Dungy's son isn't going to make a huge impact IMO. One of those guys, Reggie Wayne, said on the radio today that you can tell Pagano is gone and things are just strange. Frankly the might very well still be in the shock mood on Sunday. It may take just a little bit for this to sink in.

[braveheartcolt]

Tragedy can motivate, that is for sure. But it can also have the opposite effect. Now did the James Dungy tragedy affect the 2005 Colts, or did the Steelers just do their homework? Did Seve really inspire the Europeans to glory in the Ryder Cup this weekend (sorry guys), or is it just down to a few lucky bounces here and there?

I don't know, but as long as we put the game into perspective, at all times, we will be better for it. When a famous Scottish football coach (Bill Shankley - Liverpool FC) once said "football is not a game of life and death, it's more important than that'...he was clearly playing up to the crowd.

Here's to a great game on Sunday, but more importantly, here's to the great doctors and nurses that will look after Pags these next few months.

[GoColts8818]

Tragedy can motivate, that is for sure. But it can also have the opposite effect. Now did the James Dungy tragedy affect the 2005 Colts, or did the Steelers just do their homework? Did Seve really inspire the Europeans to glory in the Ryder Cup this weekend (sorry guys), or is it just down to a few lucky bounces here and there?

I don't know, but as long as we put the game into perspective, at all times, we will be better for it. When a famous Scottish football coach (Bill Shankley - Liverpool FC) once said "football is not a game of life and death, it's more important than that'...he was clearly playing up to the crowd.

Here's to a great game on Sunday, but more importantly, here's to the great doctors and nurses that will look after Pags these next few months.

If you believe Jeff Saturday he said the James Dungy thing had an impact on them. How big of an impact he even said he doesn't really know. He also made sure to give credit to the Steelers as well as clearly that wasn't the only reason why the Colts lost that game or even the main reason and he also pointed out it wasn't only the Steelers game they felt it. He said it impacted them from the Seahawks game on. The main point I was just trying to get at is that if that group had trouble dealing with that I can easily see this team having the same issue if not a bigger one because they are frankly younger.

As for quotes Pagano told Brazil in the Bears game after he fumbled "young man it's better to die young than fumble." Seems really ironic now. Something like this happens people will rethink using death metaphors for a while but people will do it again sooner or later.

[Smitto]

No doubt they will have all the inspiration in the world they need but that doesn't always produce results. We such a more talented team and a more veteran team in 2005 have an issue as well as has been mentioned before. Jeff Saturday said after the playoff loss that what happened with Dungy son had more of an impact on them than people knew.

I have no doubt that this team is going to come out super fired up on Sunday and the Packers are going to have weather a storm but after a while that goes away and you have a bit of a let down from it. Also if they play with too much emotion it can easily have a negative impact on them. It can lead to mistakes because you aren't focusing on executing like you should.

It could have a very good impact on us or it could have a negative one as well. None of us really know right now. I am sure this team is going to play hard but you know i heard I think it was Phil B. say this week that he wishes they were playing the Jags again, or someone like the Dolphins or Browns and not the Packers. IE playing for coach might not be enough to over come the talent gap that exists between the Colts and Packers at the moment.

I hope the team can channel what is going on into a positive but I am not going to blame them if they don't. They are young men who a large portion of them could very well be dealing with seeing someone they care about going threw this for a first time. That can be very hard to over come and just because we've had four guys who went threw something kinda like it with Dungy's son isn't going to make a huge impact IMO. One of those guys, Reggie Wayne, said on the radio today that you can tell Pagano is gone and things are just strange. Frankly the might very well still be in the shock mood on Sunday. It may take just a little bit for this to sink in.

Tbh i think those players will take it much better than we think... Saturday and those guys knew dungy for years and saw him every day.... Just like luck said they wont really understand until the realize tbat hes not on the sidelines during practice.

The packers are a passing team which i actually think benefits the colts especislly freeney and mathis... Not to mention on offense i dont really see the huge talent gap everyone is talking about... Take out rogers and jennings... Now what?

This is gonna be a close game

[coltsfanatic24]

if we can stop clay matthews it should be a close game but no one has been able to do that thus far. not only will i pray for pagano that he fully recovers but also winston justice because he's gonna need it.