This Sunday, my two favorite teams played against each other. It was a rare opportunity to watch a Colts vs. Bears game, and I wasn’t going to miss it.

The teams are in opposite conferences, and due to the structure of the NFL schedule, they can only play every four years unless they meet in the Super Bowl in between. That actually happened once, all the way back in 2006, long before my three-year-old self had even heard of the game of football. I remember watching the Colts and Bears facing off in 2012 and 2016, but the games themselves are an absolute blank.

I consider myself a cautiously optimistic Colts fan (like most Colts fans, I assume), but over the years, I have become a deeply cynical Bears fan. In the first season I watched football, the Bears had a solid season, winning the division and a playoff game before losing to the rival Packers. After that, they embarked on a continuous cycle of disappointment, squandering promising talent with terrible quarterback play. This season, they started 3-0, but I knew it was a mirage. All of their victories were four point miracles against the dregs of the league (the Lions, Giants, and Falcons). As the game kicked off, I confidently predicted a Colts victory to Dad.

The Colts blocked a punt on the first Bears possession, handing them a short field to start. Philip Rivers then unleashed his mighty sidearm for three crisp completions, and the Colts grabbed an easy 7 points. The rest of the first half rolled by, as both teams punted, mounted long drives, and kicked field goals. The only heart-stopping moment was a goal-line interception by Rivers, but it was called back by a penalty. The Colts had two drives within the Bears 10, but at the end of the half, they nursed a 13-3 lead.

The third quarter went like this: punt, punt, punt, punt, field goal, punt. When the commentators mentioned that this was the first time the Colts punted in a game all year, Dad and I were taken aback. Dad said, “I guess they’re making up for those lost punts in this game.” Anyway, After all of those punts, the Colts held a solid 16-3 lead against a hapless Bears offense heading into the fourth quarter.

The Bears then drew a long pass interference penalty on fourth down (Dad was furious), and found their way to the 26 yard line. Then, Nick Foles threw a high, inaccurate pass that was tipped by the receiver and intercepted by the Colts. With 11 minutes to go, the Colts immediately sprinted to the Bears side of the field in just two plays. What followed was a masterclass in stalling, as the Colts waited the full 40 seconds before each and every play. They converted a fourth down and a third down, and when they prepared to kick another field goal, there was only 3:45 on the clock. It was 19-3, and, barring another Bears miracle, the Colts were on top for good.

In the battle between my two favorite teams, the Colts were the ones who won ugly. Both teams are now 3-1, but I know who I am feeling optimistic about as the season rolls on.