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4th Quarter

6:21 p.m.  :00  Packers' 3rd Drive
Let Grant just blast for more yards and end this thing.  He gets to 100 yards, the first time his year, on 31 carries.  NICE.

Victory formation, and the best regular season win this year.  Did they need this - not just a win, but a domination - a complete victory.

6:17 p.m.  1:41  Colts' 3rd Drive
Green Bay 34, Indianapolis 14
Now there's no worry on my part...Manning with less than five minutes left producing four scores?  Uh, not gonna happen.

You've got to give MAJOR kudos to the Packers' defense against Manning.  I can't think of the last defense that outscored Peyton Manning...oh, wait, Manning just hit Gonzalez for a 15-yard score.

Whoa, there....replay says it's incomplete.  Mr. referee, it DID hit the ground.

As I was saying, it's such an accomplishment to have your defensive unit outscore Manning.

4th down and a late call as Clark extended the ball beyond the pylon...uh, no he didn't.  REPLAY again.

Well, it just delays the celebration, the happy happy joy joy.

Replay agrees with me again.  Think I've got a future as a replay guy in the booth?

Anyway, 1st and goal on the 1 and Rhodes ends the "drama."

5:57 p.m.  4:27  Colts' 2nd Drive
Green Bay 34, Indianapolis 7
Aaron Rouse 98 yd INT return TD
Three scores in 10 minutes?  Manning's done it before.  Or am I just sounding like the total nincompoop being mister woe-is-Green-Bay right now?

Manning's using the two-minute offense already. 

KGB, why are you giving Manning help?  Don't cause a five-yard penalty on an offsides!

Kampman, you're doing it now!  Lining up in the neutral zone.  Manning doesn't need any help wearing green.

3rd-four on the GB 37...it's four down territory.  Manning's receiver fell down and there's no flag on 3rd.

Fourth and 4?  Incompletion but a flag on Chillar after Wayne screamed at the ref.  That is WRONG.  That's a really iffy call, anyway, and you call it later than bar time in Green Bay?

2nd down delivery to Rhodes and a FUMBLE!  Wait, it's incompletely?  The replay doesn't say so.  Uh, you'd better check that one.  The ruling is that it wasn't a fumble.

Manning finds Clark, but on 3rd down it's short of the first down by five yards.  Hmmm...4th and the dagger if it fails? 

It didn't.  Gonzalez caught it at the GB 20.  More nervousness.

A delivery to Rhodes sets up a first-and-goal at the five...which starts to really scare me. 

AARON ROUSE!   INTERCEPTED!  TO THE HOUSE!  GAME OVER!!!!!   DAGGER!!!!

5:41 p.m.  9:51  Packers' 2nd Drive
A little less worried at this point about Manning when he produces three-and-outs like he just did.  A long drive, though, would really make things easier.

3rd and 4: gotta convert here.  Jackson on a second effort GETS the first down at the GB 37...fantastic individual effort to shake up Bethea.

3rd and 7: you're 5-10 today so far, Packers...get it done...puhleeze...ah, Rodgers had to throw it away because the pressure was about to destroy Rodgers. 

Not much you could do.

5:36 p.m.  13:36  Colts' 1st Drive
Pass-fest begins for Indy with an incompletion as Wayne juggles a pass.  Get Reggie some mime's makeup and calliope music.  Hmm...that looks like a catch.  No red flag by Dungy, though.

An illegal substitution flag by Indy - their 2,410th penalty of the day - negates a 15-yard Manning-to-Rhodes completion.  Oopsy, Indy.

Nice job KGB on a run stuff for a 2-yard gain on 2nd and 15...3rd down?  Deep pass to Harrison?  INCOMPLETE!  Barely.  We like three-and-outs.

5:29 p.m.  14:56  Packers' 1st Drive (continued from 3rd quarter)
How to start the quarter - with a 3rd down and three situation.  Colts win this one and a momentum swing could ensue.

What happens?  An incompletion.  I've never been more scared with a 20-point lead.

3rd Quarter

5:26 p.m.  0:00  Packers' 2nd Drive
Oh, to be up 20 at the start of the fourth quarter against Indy.  The scary thing is, that's not a safe lead.

Just a couple runs up the gut by Grant pad his stats and get us 15 minutes away, and 70,000+ applaud.

5:22 p.m.  1:22  Colts' 3rd Drive
Just think - if the Colts get a negative result in a quarter where they have the wind...that's HUGE for Green Bay.  Still, I don't trust Manning.  He can come back from seemingly ANY deficit.

AAAAHH!!!  Tramon Williams gets a flag thrown after a blitz flustered Manning into an incompletion on 3rd down.  Illegal contact on Williams while guarding Anthony Gonzalez.

Frustrating.

Charles Woodson nearly had a pick and a PICK SIX at the Indy 45...Colin Cole also rushed and reached Manning as he threw it.  Manning a very un-legend-like 11-20 for a pick so far.

A 3rd and 10 on the Indy 41...and a slip by Rhodes causes another incompletion!  Barnett got away with one there...an excess chip on Rhodes, and Manning is rather angry.

Punt return - a face mask call on Indy...that's nice for the field position.  Garcon, a wrenching of Will Blackmon's neck, please?

5:13 p.m. 2:37  Packers' 1st Drive
Green Bay 27, Indianapolis 7
Crosby 29 yd FG
They haven't been on the field for about a half hour, but they have a 17 point lead in their pocket.

Rodgers to Jenning 12 yards to start the drive.  Boys, don't sit on your lead.  Put another time-consuming touchdown march on the board.

3rd down...not gonna happen.  Jackson on a check-down completion and the Colts discovered and stopped it quickly.

Darn - first Frost punt today.  Interesting...hold the phone!  Defensive delay of game - Packers get the first down!  Supposedly the punt defense tried to copycat the cadence of the punt.  We'll take it.

New life for the Packers' drive...a VERY unusual situation with the Colts making so many penalties.

Kuhn past the Colts 30 with a hurdle move on a completion from Rodgers.  Channeling his inner Edwin Moses...ah, he probably would have knocked the hurdle down.

Grant with another gain of nine...keep pounding the ball.  What was the Jon Gruden credo?  POUND THAT ROCK!  POUND THAT ROCK!

Ain't it a pretty sight to see Manning sitting with his arms crossed on the sidelines?

UGH!  The Colts ran a stunt with Mathis outside and they well diagnosed a Grant outside run - five yard loss.

Colts blitz and they're offsides on 3rd and 15...nice, a more managable third and 10, though still long-ish.  10 penalties on Indy?  What is this, the 1973 Raiders?

So why did you run it off-tackle on 3rd and 10, Mike McCarthy?  That made no sense.  It's still a three score lead if Crosby converts on the 29 yarder, which he does.

I DO like the six-and-a-half minute drive, though.

5:01 p.m.  9:01  Colts' 2nd Drive
Barnett well-snuffed out a bubble screen on 1st down.  A 3rd and one in Indy territory: Rhodes pounds for another 1st down, even though the Packers did a good job sniffing out the play.  Sniffing, snuffing...is there a Mr. Snuffleupagus sighting anywhere?

Uh oh, Dallas Clark got wide open in the seam of the Green Bay defense for 29 yards.  Don't let Manning get in rhythm or you'll get toasted.

NICK COLLINS!  He tipped a pass by climbing the ladder with his 400" vertical leap to stop what would have been a touchdown pass on 2nd down.  3rd down?  ANOTHER TIP!  Colin Cole at the line of scrimmage. 

Did Karch Kiraly and Dikembe Mutombo become defensive coaches for Green Bay?

Vinatieri from 45 yards?  SUPER SHORT!  Did someone block it?

4:55 p.m.  12:28  Colts' 1st Drive
Now is when I get worried, knowing Manning has come back from huge deficits a million times before - including one time this year when the Colts were down to Houston by 17 points with about eight minutes left and came back to win.

The good news for Green Bay - they'll get the wind for the 4th quarter.  Indy has it for the 3rd stanza.

With the Packers in their 4-2-5, the Packers force a 3rd-and-2 - usually a guaranteed first for Indy...and it is again with an arcing pass to Rhodes.  Did anyone have a clue he was out there in the pass pattern?

A good swim-move run by Rhodes gets nine yards, as the Colts' line starts getting all lathered up, and Green Bay has to adjust with a typical 4-3-4.

3rd and six?  INTERCEPTION!  Collins down the sidelines and to the house!!!!  62 yards!!!  There's that three-score lead we wanted.

2nd Quarter

4:33 p.m.  0:02  Packers' 3rd Drive
The thought of a three-score lead on the Colts at halftime gets me rather pumped.  So does the fact that Ryan Grant's carried the ball 18 times already.

A third and six scares me since you give the best two-minute QB in the NFL another chance.  GOOD, Rodgers gets Nelson with a spin move to midfield for a first down.  Phew.

Aaron Rodgers must have gone to the Randall Cunningham school of running the ball, but he skipped the class about crazy running moves while doing it.  The first down on the scramble keeps the drive going.

A couple great open-field tackles by Colts defenders after catches force the kick attempt by Crosby with 0:08.  Why not take a shot at the end zone?  Either way, Crosby's kick is...no good?  He pushed it to the left.  Ooga.

4:23 p.m.  2:00  Colts' 2nd Drive
WOW!  To this point, the Colts have only half the plays in this game that the Packers have.  NICE.

Pierre Garcon downs the kickoff...Garcon, a nice dry chablis, please?  (Sorry, I couldn't resist.)

Give Pickett and Cole credit for snuffing out a draw play on 1st down.  GREAT job, and it turns into a 3rd and five...uh oh...quick play call here.  Better - big Ryan Pickett knocked down the pass that could have had the Packers off guard had he not come up BIG!

Just like DeShawn Wynn did when he saved a Blackmon fumble on the punt.

4:18 p.m.  2:49  Packers' 2nd Drive
Green Bay 17, Indianapolis 7
Grant 11 yd TD run
Now Green Bay can take some control...and they're going for it on 4th and 1 on the GB 44?  Hmm...Indy takes a time out.  I wonder if they're trying to make Green Bay think about its decision.

Oh, this is big, they're sticking with the call.  Grant!!  First down across the 50, but if he hadn't stumbled, he'd still be running - maybe to Iron Mountain. 

Rodgers just dinking and dumping to his hearts content - nine yard gain to Jackson for a first down.  Keep using the clock, boys, and turning it into a score.

Session nearly decapitated the Packers' receiver on a hit behind the line of scrimmage, but an illegal hands to the face helped out Green Bay's cause.  Still, looking at the replay, I'm not convinced it was a worthy call.

Rodgers finds Martin on a BEAUTIFUL catch and he got smashed helmet-to-helmet by Brackett...that's a possible fine?  Martin bounded right back up and pointed to the north end zone.  Replay says it was to the shoulder...perfectly legal hit.

Grant to the end zone!  That was a perfect off-tackle play and Spitz absolutely mauled his man on the run. 

They're executing the game plan to control the ball AND score perfectly!

4:04 p.m.  9:40  Colts' 1st Drive
Colts salvo number two today: not great on 2nd down with a tremendous string-out of a sweep by Kampman, Jolly and co.  This ain't Tom Matte running the power sweep like back in '65, boys.  Ah, but the scramble by Manning gets a 1st down on a throw to Clark.  Frustrating, isn't it?

3rd and 6 at the IND 44:  short of the first down on a completion to Harrison.  Will Blackmon's great coverage helped him get in position to stop the play from getting a first down.

MUCH needed defensive stand.

3:53 p.m. 14:13  Packers' 1st Drive (continued from end of 1st quarter)
Green Bay 10, Indianapolis 7
Rodgers-D. Lee 12 yd TD pass
The Packers' offensive line is getting holes to open, but pursuit is coming quickly to stop running plays.  Still, a 1st and 10 at the Indy 12 on a four-yard run.

Rodgers delivers to Donald Lee on a WONDERFUL leaping catch in the end zone.

Let the shootout begin.

1st Quarter

3:50 p.m.  0:00  Packers' 2nd Drive
Green Bay had better do something with this drive or this game could get nasty and quick.  We like Ryan Grant blasting through for seven yards, and...Jennings with pass interference on Jennings?  Oh, that's Tim on Greg.  The Packers will probably use that matchup a LOT with their secondary decimated.

Hmmm...I'm hearing the Badgers band going.  Will they do the march of the tubas?

Third and six at the 30 - GREAT scramble by Rodgers to step up and find Greg Jennings for the first down.

Defensive false start?  Is that the first time we've seen that all year with the Packers owning the football?  What a change of pace, refreshing.

3:39 p.m.  4:08  Colts' 1st Drive
Indianapolis 7, Green Bay 3
Rhodes 1 TD run
The Colts start their game with...HANG ON...an onside kick attempt caroms out of bounds.  Was that on purpose?  That doesn't help Green Bay since it gives Manning and company good field position.  WHAT?  It's an NFL rule you have to re-kick it if it's outside the last five minutes.

2nd version - and this one goes out of bounds, too, absolutely not on purpose.  The winds must really be making life havoc for kickers and passers today.  A guy on the receiving team cost his team 15 yards of field position with unnecessary roughness.  Thanks, Colts.  Ball on the 25 yd line.

Ryan Pickett came to play today!  He stuffed Rhodes on 2nd down.  3rd and 2?  Rhodes gets the first and did Tramon Williams get a late hit?  Yes!  To quote Vince Lombardi: "what the hell's going on out here?"

3rd and 3 at GB 31...Manning being Manning, the throw to Reggie Wayne to the 16.  Just sickening, and you can't stop it.

A horrible run defense gives up a first down to Dominic Rhodes.  Inside the 10?  He punches it twice, the second time past the goal line, the second time after the Packers' defense ran around like a Chinise fire drill - yep, it was 12 men on the field.

3:25 p.m.  8:06  Packers' 1st Drive
Green Bay 3, Indianapolis 0
Mason Crosby 31 yd FG
Great sign to see a 14-yard gain on the first play by Grant - that will up the yards per carry that was under 3.0 last game for Grant. 

Third-and-6 from the GB 38, the first 3rd down of the game....to Donald Lee - first down!  Ugh...penalty marker?  Personal foul on Indy.  Beautiful, but un-Dungy-like.

Agh - third and nine from the Indy 35...penalty marker down and it's holding on the Colts in the secondary.  Hmm...rare undiscipline by a Dungy team.

RYAN GRANT!   Stop your fumbleitis!  Thanks, Korey Hall for recovering.  Thanks, even more, for a run by Kuhn to smash into the red zone.

A well-defended play stopped the third down play int he red zone.  Thanks, Mason for the leading kick!

Still, we need more touchdowns than field goals on long drives, just like I said on Our Experts Predict.

Pregame

2:51 p.m. 
If this report by Fox Sports' Jay Glazer is correct, I will be putting all my Brett Favre jerseys and memorabilia into a box and storing it until time heals this wound...he helped the Lions with their game against Green Bay on Sept. 14?

If it's true, that's classless.

The grounds crew has cut the level of the grass at Lambeau Field and put sand on the field.  It looks like it needs a little H20, but from what the crews tell Wayne Larrivee, we're OK for the game.  It's meant to help players from slipping.

Pregame Story

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) -- Stopping a third-string quarterback is one thing. Now the Green Bay Packers' depleted defense must face Peyton Manning.

The Packers (3-3) came into the season hoping that a strong defense would lead them into the post-Brett Favre era. Instead, they've struggled through a string of injuries, finally snapping a three-game losing streak at Seattle last Sunday.

Of course, it didn't hurt that they were facing third-stringer Charlie Frye instead of Matt Hasselbeck. They'll get no such break in Sunday's game against the Indianapolis Colts (3-2) at Lambeau Field.

"You definitely don't want to play Peyton Manning with a banged-up defense," Packers defensive tackle Ryan Pickett said. "We're pretty beat up. But I think we've got a lot of talent, a lot of great matchups that's going to give Peyton Manning problems."

Help is on the way for the Packers, but it likely won't arrive by Sunday.

Cornerback Al Harris is close to returning from a spleen injury, but isn't expected to play. Safety Atari Bigby has missed four games with a hamstring injury.

Defensive end Cullen Jenkins is out for the year, and two backup defensive ends are banged up, too. Pickett is nursing a triceps injury, and linebacker A.J. Hawk and cornerback Charles Woodson are playing with nagging injuries.

And here's more bad news for the Packers: Manning and the Colts finally are playing like themselves again.

"Last week, for the first time, I saw us play our type of game, where we did play with a lot of energy, we were clicking on all cylinders," Colts coach Tony Dungy said. "And it's been a long time. It really has. Maybe since late in the 2007 season. Hopefully, it's a sign of things to come."

Manning had surgery -- two, actually, as he admitted this week -- to fix an infected bursa sac in his left knee in the offseason. He struggled out of the gate, and the Colts lost two of their first three.

But Manning has been impressive in October. The Colts rallied from 17 points down for a fourth-quarter win at Houston, and Manning threw for three touchdowns in Sunday's 31-3 victory over Baltimore.

"It's still, 'What have you done for me lately?' and we still need to do it every single week," Manning said. "So it's about executing every week. I think on Sunday against Baltimore, we protected the ball better, didn't have any turnovers, and were able to execute some third downs and hit some plays down the field."

A major reason for Manning's resurgence: continuity on the offensive line. For the first time this season, the Colts used the same starting line two weeks in a row.

But Indianapolis' running game is still sputtering -- and now short-handed.

Pro Bowl running back Joseph Addai is expected to miss Sunday's game after hurting his hamstring, and rookie Mike Hart is out for the season with a knee injury. Former 1,000-yard rusher Dominic Rhodes is expected to carry the load against the Packers.

And despite all the injuries, the Packers still have a dangerous pass defense. Woodson is tied for the league lead with four interceptions, and Harris' replacement, Tramon Williams, has an interception in three straight games.

"They are aggressive with a lot of bump-and-run coverage and man-to-man type coverage," Manning said. "They really challenge you. They're in the right places and it makes you have to execute your offense and run your plays. You don't see anybody running wide open because of a busted coverage."

Playing hurt is nothing new for Manning, who has started 165 straight games, a streak second only to Favre among quarterbacks in NFL history. Manning doesn't take the streak for granted, especially after the surgeries.

"I've never taken for granted the opportunity to be out there, to be able to play every Sunday," Manning said. "It's such a physical game. I've never taken it for granted, but certainly I think it does reinforce just the opportunity being special to be able to go out there and play."

Manning has high praise for Packers starter Aaron Rodgers, who has played two straight games with a sprained right shoulder that has largely kept him out of practice.

"I think it says a lot about his toughness and his will to be out there when you have an injury, especially when you're dealing with a shoulder, to be out still there playing," Manning said. "So that's a credit to him and his toughness."

Rodgers doesn't want to be singled out for praise because so many of his teammates are playing through injuries, too. As a quarterback and new leader of the team, Rodgers says he's just doing what's expected.

"You need to be out there on the field every Sunday," Rodgers said. "I think guys know in this locker room, everybody's dealing with some level of pain, injury. But playing with pain and being effective with pain I think is pretty admirable and you can't help but respect that."

Despite the injury, Rodgers is playing well in his first year as a starter. He bonded quickly with wide receiver Greg Jennings, who is leading the league with 653 yards receiving.

But the Packers haven't been particularly successful in the running game, and will have a chance to turn that around against a defense that struggles to stop the run.

Indianapolis is expected to play without safety Bob Sanders, the 2007 Defensive Player of the Year, and starting cornerback Kelvin Hayden.

Dungy said the Colts can't use Sanders' absence as a crutch -- and they haven't lately. Since beginning their fourth-quarter comeback against Houston two weeks ago, the Colts have forced a whopping eight turnovers and allowed only three points in their last four-plus quarters of play.

"I think there's way too much emphasis on that, especially when we're not playing well. And I told the team that," Dungy said. "We can take the approach that Bob Sanders would fix everything and if he was in the lineup everything would be fine, but that's not the case. Bob can do his job, but it's an 11-person defense, and when we're all humming and playing well like we were last week, you know, we held a pretty good running team to about 50 yards rushing without Bob Sanders. So it's really a matter of everybody doing their job."

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)