Colts vs. Panthers: Score and Twitter Reaction for 'Monday Night Football'

A torrential downpour, protesters rappelling from the upper deck, two former No. 1 picks at quarterback, an undefeated team that still doesn't get respect, a three-score comeback in the fourth quarter and overtime.

Welcome to Monday Night Football.

The Carolina Panthers controlled the majority of their 29-26 victory against the Indianapolis Colts on Monday, but they had to hold on for dear life at the end of the fourth quarter and overtime.

Indianapolis quarterback Andrew Luck looked lost on the field until he directed three scoring drives in the final 11 minutes of regulation to overcome a 23-6 deficit and force overtime. He kept the momentum going with a field-goal drive in the extra period, but the Panthers responded with three points of their own on the ensuing possession.

Then Luke Kuechly intercepted Luck, and Graham Gano played the role of hero with a game-winning 52-yard field goal. Bleacher Report weighed in on the outcome: 

It was a redemptive moment for Gano, whose missed extra point in the fourth quarter was one reason the game went to overtime in the first place.

Newton, the first overall pick in 2011, finished with 248 passing yards, 41 rushing yards, two touchdowns and an interception. Luck, the first overall pick in 2012, finished with 231 passing yards, 35 rushing yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions.

The visiting Colts got off to a terrible start. They turned the ball over with a botched snap on the first possession of the game and Charles Tillman picked off Luck on Indianapolis' second possession. The Panthers converted both turnovers into points with a field goal and a touchdown. It was 10-0 by the end of the first quarter, and ESPN Stats & Info highlighted the Colts' issues:

The first touchdown of the game came on a fourth-down run by Jonathan Stewart, as the NFL highlighted:

Carolina committed two turnovers of its own in the second quarter, and the Colts trimmed the deficit to 10-6 by halftime. The downpour was not helping the offenses, and ESPN's Skip Bayless weighed in on the weather:

The sloppy play continued early in the second half. While the offenses did little of merit, Carolina's defense shouldered the load and maintained the lead throughout the third quarter. Safety Kurt Coleman forced the Colts to punt on multiple occasions with his ability to lend support against the run, and Matt Miller of Bleacher Report recognized his play:

Carolina's offense finally rewarded the defense when Cam Newton and Greg Olsen connected for a 27-yard touchdown pass with less than a minute remaining in the third quarter. The score came after Newton fumbled a snap at the Indianapolis 1-yard line on the previous possession. But the Panthers defense forced the Colts to punt, and Carolina took full advantage.

The NFL passed along video of the play:

Things continued to spiral for Indianapolis when Coleman intercepted Luck in the fourth quarter and Corey Brown caught a touchdown pass on the subsequent possession. Gano missed the extra point, but Carolina still led 23-6. As it turned out, the miss was monumentally important.

Phillip B. Wilson of Scout.com believed the Colts would be better off without an ice-cold Luck on the field:

While the Colts' play was perplexing for those who expected them to make a run at the Super Bowl this season, things in the crowd also took an unusual turn when protesters descended from the upper deck with a large banner. According to Cory Collins of Sporting News, they were speaking out against Bank of America:

"

The pair rappelled from the upper deck of Bank of America Stadium during the third quarter and unfurled a sign that read "Dump Dominion." Their cause? They were protesting BOA's financing of Dominion's Cove Point, an export terminal that deals in liquefied natural gas and other gas materials produced by hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. 

"

Bill Hofheimer of ESPN shared an image:

Back on the field, the Colts cut the lead to 23-13 when Andre Johnson caught an 18-yard score with about seven minutes remaining. While Indianapolis was within striking distance, ESPN's Bomani Jones was not impressed with Luck's timing:

The Colts kept the momentum rolling on their next drive. Luck found Coby Fleener in the end zone with less than three minutes left to get his team within three points at 23-20. Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer urged those in attendance to take note of the developments:

Indianapolis got one final possession after another critical defensive stop, and Mike Sando of ESPN.com set the scene:

The Colts converted on fourth down with a Griff Whalen catch and managed to drive within field-goal range despite impressive plays by Carolina cornerbacks Tillman and Josh Norman. While Kuechly almost won the game with a near-interception in the end zone, Adam Vinatieri forced overtime with a chip-shot field goal.

Indianapolis got the ball first in overtime, and Vinatieri drilled a 50-yard field goal in the difficult conditions. It was the 42-year-old's 10th career overtime field goal, which is the most in NFL history, according to Mike Chappell of Indy Sports Central.

It looked as though the Panthers had the game won on the subsequent possession when Ted Ginn Jr. got behind the secondary. Newton hit Ginn perfectly in stride, but the ball fell through his hands. Sports Illustrated commented on the drop:

"

Oh, Ginn. You may have just dropped this whole game.

— SI NFL (@si_nfl) November 3, 2015"

The NFL shared the replay:

The Panthers still drove into field-goal range, though, and Gano tied the game with a 42-yard field goal. The Colts then had the ball with a chance to win, but Kuechly picked off Luck two plays later and Carolina set Gano up for a game-winning 52-yarder.

He nailed it, and suddenly that missed extra point didn't mean a thing.

What's Next?

The undefeated Panthers will remain at home for their next game, which is against the Green Bay Packers. It's a showdown with postseason implications. The Packers lost their first game of the season Sunday against the Denver Broncos and figure to be Carolina's stiffest competition for the No. 1 seed in the NFC.

A win would give Carolina a two-game cushion and the head-to-head tiebreaker in the chase for home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

As for the 3-5 Colts, the road doesn't get any easier. They return home to host the undefeated Broncos, who looked like world-beaters against the Packers on Sunday in their 29-10 victory. Peyton Manning will be back in Indianapolis, but the Colts need to start racking up wins if they hope to make the postseason.

Indianapolis can rely on the rest of the AFC South to continue losing for only so long.

Postgame Reaction

Despite the drastic momentum swings at the end of the game and in overtime, Newton apparently never lost faith given his postgame comments, per NFL Network: "There was never a doubt...as long as we have Captain America, Luke Kuechly, on our team...I like our odds."

While Newton praised Kuechly for his clutch interception and overall excellence, the quarterback also made a point of trusting Ginn after the overtime drop, per Will Brinson of CBS Sports: “That’s football. We can’t sulk. Nine out of 10, hell 10 out of 10 times, I’m throwing it back to him.”

The Panthers did not sulk, and they managed to come away with the victory. Olsen discussed that resiliency, per NFL Network: “Graham Gano hitting 2 huge FGs, us responding...it says a lot about us.”

As for the Colts, Luck pointed the finger at himself and his own turnovers following the loss, per Kevin Bowen of Colts.com: “It’s my problem and it is hurting the team. I’ve got to fix it…Disappointed in myself.”

Even with those turnovers, coach Chuck Pagano stressed that he never thought about benching Luck. Pagano was also complimentary of the other side of the ball, per Mike Berman of CBS 4 in Indianapolis: "Defense, other than a few miscues here and there...I thought they fought their tails off and played a good ballgame."

The only good news for the Colts is the fact they are still in first place in the AFC South at 3-5. Pagano talked about that, per Brinson: “We can still accomplish all of our goals. You guys know the record in the division right? I think we’re still tied for first.”

To the Colts’ credit, they are 3-0 in the division. That is a formula for a home playoff game in the NFL.