Indianapolis Colts vs. Green Bay Packers (Preseason Recap)

This game could have been a preview of this season’s Super Bowl game, you have the Indianapolis Colts and the high flying offense with a speedy defense and the Green Bay Packers with a potent offense and a solid defense but the game didn’t go as expected. As we know it is preseason so many times things don’t really go as planned, but for the Colts they have never put much stock in preseason games this season with the umpire’s position changing on the field, Indianapolis is the team most effected by the change. On Thursday night they pushed the envelop to see how the rule change would effect them and they were flagged twice for an illegal snap this is something that the league will have to look at more closely because it will affect all the NFL teams at some point during the season. As Indianapolis traveled to Green Bay there was much anticipation for the quarterback match-up, Rodgers vs. Manning. Aaron Rodgers really is coming into his own he has now put his mark on the Green Bay offense and it is officially his team as for Manning he is as he always has been, consistent, hard working and a student of the game and it shows every time he steps on the field. This was a classic matchup (at least in the first half).

The fireworks happened early and often during this game at Lambeau Field, in the first quarter the Colts got on the scoreboard first as Peyton Manning connected with Pierre Garcon for an 18-yard touchdown pass, then the Packers marched down the field and Aaron Rodgers connected with Donald Driver for a 6-yard touchdown strike, to end the first quarter the Colts tacked on a Vinatieri 41-yard field goal to make the score 10-7.

Start of the second quarter Manning marched the offense down the field and connected with Reggie Wayne for a 10-yard touchdown pass making the score Colts 17 Packers 7. From that point on it was all Packers, Rodgers drove down and connected with Finley for a 15-yard touchdown pass, then on a punt Brandon James for the Colts muffed it and Korey Hall recovered it in the end zone for a Packers touchdown, finally to end the half Rodgers hit James Jones for a 6-yard pass in the end zone making the score at half time Colts 17 Packers 28.

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Beginning of the third more of the Packers, Mason Crosby kicked a 28-yard field goal and then Matt Flynn found John Kuhn for a 2-yard touchdown pass making it 38-17 before the end of the quarter Donald Brown had a 1-yard touchdown run for the Colts and at the end of the third the score was 38-24, it was definitely the shootout everyone had anticipated.

In the fourth it was all Green Bay, the rookie Quarless had an 11-yard touchdown reception, Lumpkin had a 1-yard touchdown run for the Packers and finally Jason Chery had a 75-yard punt return to make the final score Colts 24 Packers 59.

Green Bay Packers:

Aaron Rodgers 21/29 195 yards 3 touchdowns 0 interceptions

Ryan Grant 8 rushes 36 yards

Jermichael Finley 6 receptions 85 yards 1 touchdowns

Indianapolis Colts:

Peyton Manning 15/26 214 yards 2 touchdowns 1 interceptions

Joseph Addai 7 rushes 60 yards

Reggie Wayne 7 receptions 96 yards 1 touchdowns

Keynotes: Gary Brackett left the game for the Colts with an injury to his arm, reports were that X-rays were negative and Joseph Addai left the game with an apparent concussion more information to come.

There is a very good possibility that these two teams could meet again on down the road in this season. It will be a very interesting match-up to see these two teams battle during the post season, a match-up that will have everyone excited to see.

By Sam Adams
ProFootball-fans.com Staff Writer