Heart: An immeasurable attribute that even EA Sports’ Madden NFL video games don’t account for.

But the Indianapolis Colts no doubt are playing with more heart than any other team.

In late September, Indianapolis coach Chuck Pagano was diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia. Since then, the Colts have played inspired, posting a record of 5-1.

The first game after Pagano left the team to receive treatment, the Colts had to face one of the most high-powered teams in the league in the Green Bay Packers.

Before that game Pagano wrote a letter to the team saying, “WE WILL, WE CAN, WE MUST. WE HAVE NO CHOICE. BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY. WE WILL OVERCOME. IT’S ALL IN THE PROPER STATE OF MIND.”

The Colts, 1-2 at the time, heard his message loud and clear. Pagano continued to say, “Focus on being .500 by 4:30 p.m. on Sunday. Nothing else. … That has to be our mindset.” Finishing his letter with a simple three-letter word: “WIN.”

Andrew Luck broke the Colts’ single-game passing record by a rookie in that game and came away on top 30-27.

After a loss to the New York Jets the following week, the Colts have been riding a four-game winning streak. This should surprise no one.

The Colts have something to play for now. It’s not about winning, it’s about doing everything they can to make their coach proud.

This team has heart — more powerful than any throwing arm in the league, and more motivating than even the best of Ray Lewis’ pregame speeches.

Before the Thursday night game last week against the Jacksonville Jaguars, who had already beaten this team once, more than two dozen Indianapolis players and coaches, including Luck, shaved their heads to support Pagano.

What has become known as “Chuck Strong,” the Colts’ organization has started selling merchandise embedded with the coach’s name to raise money for cancer research.

The remaining schedule for the Colts has some tough matchups including New England this week and Houston in weeks 15 and 17. Even if they lose those three games they can still end the season at 10-6, most likely landing them in the playoffs.

This feel-good story resonates more than most in sports. With the emergence and popularity of 24/7 sports television and online media, this is about more than just a team, this is about a coach and others like him who are suffering.

The Colts have made a statement. The road to the Super Bowl is going to have to go through Indianapolis. They may not win their division, and their playoff game(s) most likely will not be at home, but this team is going to be one to reckon with.

Indianapolis and interim coach Bruce Arians have nothing to lose and everything to win. For this team there is no tomorrow, it’s all about the now.

Surely, at least for this season, the Colts have stolen the title from the Cowboys as America’s team. Even those who do not cheer for them respect them.

And those who do not respect them do not belong in sports.

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Isaac Hunt is a sophomore in pre-business and journalism from Wayland, Iowa.