Packers Colts Preview

Posted by Mark Daniels on

Dragging luggage, TSA screenings, charter flights, hotel rooms and room service food are on the agenda for the Green Bay Packers for the rest of the month.  The first of three straight road games arrives Sunday as the Pack travels to Indianapolis to meet the Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium.  Indy, coming off a 2-14 season may be the most unrecognizable bunch in the league.  Where's Peyton Manning?  Denver of course after sitting out the year following neck surgery.  But the purge of this organization didn't stop at quarterback.  The GM, Bill Polian and his front office son got sacked.  Coach Jim Caldwell was fired.  Joseph Addai, Pierre Garcon, Dallas Clark were jettisoned and 13 year veteran center Jeff Saturday was cut loose and wound up in Green Bay.   Now first year coach Chuck Pagano, the former Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator gets three games under his belt and gets diagnosed with lukemia and is on leave while getting chemotherapy treatment that will likely have him back in 2013.   Offensive coordinator Bruce Airans is taking over the reigns.  The Colts were roughed up by the Bears on opening day, responded by handing Minnesota it's only loss to date and 2 weeks ago fell flat gainst a non-descript Jacksonville club 22-17.   Indy is coming off it's bye week so it should be well prepared for Green Bay, and the Pagano story provides an emotional spark.   The Colts have Andrew Luck, the number one overall pick learning on the job.  He's been just OK so far, a passer rating of 75.4, completing a sub-standard 53 percent of his passes.  There's not much running game to speak of and injuries have created a revolving door on the offensive line.  On defense, there are two premier pass rushers still wearing the blue horshoe.  Dwight Freeny will return after spraining an ankle in the opener and Robert Mathis leads the team with four sacks.  They are now outside linebackers in Pagano's new 3-4 system.  They might be the fastest tandem on the edge in the league, piling up 180 sacks between them in their careers.    The Packers will be without Greg Jennings with his groin injury but Cedric Benson appears to chugging into form, off an 84 yard game against New Orleans.  He'll be banging into a run defense allowing 131 yards a game.  If the run game produces again, Aaron Rodgers will have plenty of opportunities to find the remaining downfield targets.  Watch for the Packers to move Clay Matthews around defensively to give Mr. Luck a few more things to think about.   The Packers are 0-3 all time in Indianapolis, I'm having a hard time imagining it will be 0-4.   If they supress the early, win one for Pagano emotion, keep the pass rush in check and keep the crowd down, talent will win out.   I like the Pack to win 30-17.   On the link below, quotes from the coach and the guys on the key matchups Sunday.

Packers face Colts

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