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Colts at Packers (experts in alphabetical order)
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| Our Expert |
When Packers have the ball |
When Colts have the ball |
Prediction |
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Lance Allan
Pregame Analyst, Packers Gameday
Sports Anchor/Reporter, Today's TMJ4
More
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Run, run and run some more.
Colts defensive tackles Keyunta Dawson and Eric Foster are undersized, weighing 265 or less. The Colts traded for Bills DT John McCargo because they were so desperate for help. He flunked his physical, so Indy is back to square one. Ryan Grant ran the ball 33 times last week for 2.7 yards per carry. The Packers ran 39 times overall. Time to do it some more, to keep Peyton Manning and company off the field. Also with Bob Sanders out, they can do damage if they can get to the second level. With top corner Kelvin Hayden out, Greg Jennings should have another big week vs. Tim Jennings or Marlin Jackson..
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Watch Manning at the line.
Peyton Manning loves the theatrics near the line of scrimmage. Whether he's changing the play or not, the Packers need to be wary of his line calls. No Joseph Addai and Mike Hart should make the Colts one dimensional, but that dimension of Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark getting passes from Manning is tough to stop..
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Green Bay 30, Indianapolis 27.
I think the Colts are the better team. That being said, I still think if the Packers run the ball, they win. They found Ryan Grant in week 7 last year. Who's to say he doesn't re-emerge in week 7 this year. If they don't run, forget this prediction..
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Jeff Falconio
Studio Anchor, Packers Gameday
Host, Wisconsin Sports Weekend
Contributor, Sportsbubbler |
Control the football.
The Packers need to convert on third down and win the time of possession battle to keep Peyton Manning and company off the field.
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Disrupt Peyton Manning.
The Colts have shuffled in different lineups along the offensive line, and as such, teams have been able to pressure Manning. If Peyton has time, he will pick apart a depleted secondary for the second straight week.
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Indianapolis 31, Green Bay 20.
Even without Joseph Addai, the Colts have too many weapons and are playing their best football of the season.
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Greg Matzek
Co-Host, Wisconsin Sports Weekend
Contributor, Sportsbubbler |
Improved yards per carry.
It would be outstanding if the Packers could approach the same time of possession as they did against the Seahawks. They will be able to do this by running the ball and generating a 'yards per carry' of 4.0 or better.
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Don't let them have the ball very much.
The Colts are heating up, and their passing attack is downright scary. The Packers must disrupt their timing and keep Manning on the sidelines wearing a hat and sipping Gatorade.
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Green Bay 31, Indianapolis 29.
I think the grass surface and damaged run game (with Joseph Addai out two to four weeks) are enough to slow down the Colts this week. Tramon Williams and Will Blackmon will be the most important players on the defense. They must make enough plays to keep Manning from playing catch with his receivers. I think they bend, but don't break.
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Bill Michaels
Host, Packers Gameday and Sports Central
Contributor, Sportsbubbler
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Run Ryan Grant.
The Colts have the 29th-worst rush defense in the league. The Packers' best defense will be their offense. Keep Peyton Manning off the field with long drives that result in points.
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Colts' WRs vs. Packers' CBs.
Watch the match-ups between Marvin Harrison/Reggie Wayne and Charles Woodson/Tramon Williams. The Packers will try to play hard bump-and-run coverage at the line of scrimmage to take away Manning's primary receiver, thus allowing their pass rush to put the Colts' QB on the run with that tender knee. You're also going to see a chess match at the line of scrimmage with a lot of audibles on both sides of the football.
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Green Bay 24, Indianapolis 21.
Packers fans will hopefully make the difference with the noise levels.
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Dan O'Donnell
Host, Wisconsin Sports Weekend
News Anchor/Reporter, 620WTMJ |
Running game.
The Packers need to get this going against a Colts defense that surrenders the fourth-most rushing yards per game in the league. The Packers, however, have averaged fewer than 100 yards per game.
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Pass rush.
Ummmmm, I've heard that Peyton Manning guy is pretty good. We might want to put some pressure on him or something, especially since star running back Joseph Addai is listed as doubtful.
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Indianapolis 28, Green Bay 20.
Addai's absence won't matter, as the suddenly smoking Colts offense faces the suddenly suspect Packers defense.
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Jay Sorgi
Postgame Anchor, Packers Gameday
News and Sports Anchor/Reporter, 620WTMJ
Contributor, Sportsbubbler |
Productivity from their possessions.
It's one thing if the Packers control the ball for a long time, but against the suddenly re-explosive Colts, you can't go on long drives and not get something significant out of them. The Packers must avoid going on six or seven-minute drives that just result in turnovers or Mason Crosby field goals. 36 minutes of possession and a TD and four Crosby 3-pointers on the board won't cut it against a team that can score anywhere at anytime.
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Please, don't blitz.
The same Peyton Manning, Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne the '08 Packers will face Sunday played them in 2004. In that game, the Colts' passing game completely decimated Green Bay's early blitzes for 320 first-half yards and five scoring throws. It's better to drop seven or eight guys back and force Manning to throw underneath (with linebackers and safeties limiting the yards-after-catch) than let Harrison and Wayne streak past you, like they did against the Ravens' then-top ranked defense last week. With no Joseph Addai, the Packers can afford to stay back in coverage, too.
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Indianapolis 31, Green Bay 27.
This game will be nip and tuck, and close, late game situations against playoff-caliber teams haven't recently gone the Packers' way. They let Tampa Bay and Atlanta beat them this year due to late mistakes, and even last year, the Dallas game and the NFC final against the Giants turned into defeats. Peyton Manning usually doesn't lose these games. If Rodgers pulls out a late win over the current king of NFL quarterbacks, he may prove that he ranks as a top 10 NFL signalcaller in more ways that just statistics.
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Todd "The Llama" Welter
Producer, Sports Central
Reporter, 620wtmj.com
Contributor, Sportsbubbler |
Run the ball.
The best defense the Packers have against Peyton Manning is to keep him on the bench.
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Force some turnovers.
Getting a pass rush on Manning will be tough with a banged-up Packers defensive line. Getting a few takeaways will have to make up for the lack of pressure.
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Indianapolis 31, Green Bay 21.
The Colts proved they are back last week, and the Packers showed they have bounced back with that win over Seattle. The problem for the Packers is that the Colts are a better team.
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