Game 5: Packers at Colts - Noon - FOX

[MickeyDavis]

Walt Anderson is the ref.

[MickeyDavis]

Brenneman and Billick doing the game

[MickeyDavis]

FIVE THINGS TO WATCH

TOP ROOKIE: Two weeks ago, the Packers were defeated by a Seattle team led by a rookie quarterback, Russell Wilson. Now it's Andrew Luck, who ranks 24th in passer rating (75.4) compared to 27th for Wilson (73.5). "He's the real deal," said a defensive coach for a recent Colts opponent. "He can run. He can see the field when he's getting pressured. We had him three or four times in the backfield and he got away. He's legitimately a 4.5 (speed) guy. He's strong in the pocket, too. He's smart. He can thread a needle, but he will throw some (passes) that lay up there. We should have had four picks in that game." An executive in personnel added: "His arm isn't as strong as people think, but it's strong enough. He kind of reminds me of Jim Kelly a little bit. Little more mobile. Kelly had a little bit more of a power arm. In terms of his mechanics, that's who he reminds me of. And I think he's a legitimate tough guy."

OUTSIDE TEST: LT Anthony Castonzo, the 22nd pick in the 2011 draft, already has faced three good pass rushers: Chicago's Julius Peppers, Minnesota's Jared Allen and Jacksonville's Andre Branch. Now he gets Clay Matthews. "Clay will give him fits," the defensive coach said. "He's OK. He lacks strength. Average hand placement. He gets bulled a lot." One scout described both Castonzo and RT Winston Justice as finesse players. "Castonzo almost has a basketball build," the scout said. "Lean. Good enough feet. There is solid athleticism there. He can mirror and pass protect. But he's not an overly tough guy. He is more of a positional blocker and he lacks strength. Clay will figure out pretty quickly that Anthony lacks discipline with his hands. That's where Clay, if he's smart, will use his hands on slaps to give Anthony fits."

OLD PRO: In a somewhat surprising move, the Colts re-signed WR Reggie Wayne on the eve of free agency with a three-year, $17.5 million contract containing $8.5M in guarantees. A month from his 34th birthday, Wayne represents a security blanket for Luck. "He's the only one (wide receiver) that can hurt you," an opposing defensive coach said. "But he's not what he was." Wayne has been used a lot in motion, much the way the Steelers used to employ Hines Ward. "I don't think Reggie is the Reggie we all know," said one scout. "He has taken on the role of Hines Ward. He should be the veteran receiver that Luck can rely on. He will have some really good moments and then some where you see he's a really descending athlete."

RUSH THREATS: By far the best player on the Colts' defense has been LOLB Robert Mathis. On the other side, Dwight Freeney hasn't played because of the ankle injury he suffered in the first half of the Bears game. However, Freeney might return Sunday. "They're phenomenal players," said Packers RB coach Alex Van Pelt, who played and coached against them as a member of the Buffalo Bills. "Mathis right now is playing as well as I've seen him. He has speed and quickness, and he's strong." Freeney, 32, has 102½ sacks. "Freeney had that unbelievable spin move," one scout said. "Get you going up the field and all of a sudden spin back underneath. Short, compact, strong. For the old Colts, they were just hell-raisers on the edge. Both of them could just come off and duck under the big tackles."

CARRYING THE LOAD: The thrust of the Colts' ground game will fall on Donald Brown, the 27th pick in the 2009 draft. "He's a downhill runner," an opposing defensive coach said. "Sneaky fast. Average toughness." Brown has had 16 carries in each of the last two games after rushing just nine times against the Bears. "I like him," one scout said. "He has good enough size and really good speed. Good ball skills if they want to dump it to him on screens. Fights for extra yardage. With his speed, you look at him being more of a perimeter threat than a guy who will be between the tackles. He does fight hard."

[Aaron It Out]

He gets bulled a lot

[Ill-yasova]

My plan for the game?

[darklotus66]

w00t.

[Ill-yasova]

It's like everyone on this forum forgot this was a noon game.

[jr lucosa]

Finley should be able to break away from corners in one on one situations like that

[darklotus66]

Not used to seeing Rodgers with that much room to run.

[Ill-yasova]

Wide open.

[Bernman]

Rodg has statistically been struggling mightily to throw the deep ball since late last year. I knew that pass had no chance immediately out of his hand. Too flat, too far, too early. You'd have needed to be Usain Bolt to catch up to that.

[Aaron It Out]

Shields reminds me of how I tried to tackle in 5th grade.

[jr lucosa]

Rodg has statistically been struggling mightily to throw the deep ball since late last year.

Yeah the deep throws are definitely off.

[Ill-yasova]

Mike Neal was a man on that play.

[jr lucosa]

Looked like a first to me,

[darklotus66]

Well, we got lucky.

[BUCKnation]

Nice stuff.

[Ill-yasova]

Looked like a first to me,

I think the whistle was blown before he made his last surge forward.

[Ayt]

Neal looking explosive.

[jr lucosa]

I always find extremely predictable 4th & inches calls funny. NFL teams move the ball like crazy up and down the field but when you just need inches the defense can almost guarantee a QB or FB dive. Makes the defenses job that much easier.