It was nice to see the other team falter
It was nice to see an opponent commit bonehead penalties and turnovers for a change.
That was us three games ago. We had three fumbles and two potential pass interceptions but the ball was bouncing our way this day.
Ryan Grant ran for 105 yards but could have had a much bigger day if he would start looking for the cut back.
It was there all day but he just kept running to a spot rather than cutting to the open field. Give credit to Mike McCarthy and his coaching staff for some back to basics preaching the last few weeks. It is starting to pay off.
Packers coaches Kurt Schottenheimer and Lionel Washington get my game ball for getting the defensive secondary ready. The defensive backs were aggressive and relentless. You could see the frustration on Peyton Manning’s face.
All of this occurred with two Packers starters on the sideline. It will be hard to break up this group and put Atari Bigby and Al Harris back on the field.
Brandon Chillar has proved once again that he should be the starter in place of Brady Poppinga. He led the team in tackles and is by far better in pass coverage.
And hey, Jarrett Bush didn't commit a penalty. Things are looking up!
Steve Greely, Kimberly
It was the best effort of the year
Kudos all around for the entire Packers team and coaching staff. Aaron Rodgers and Ryan Grant played their best game of the year.
Rodgers favorite sound this week will be cha-ching, cha-ching. Ted Thompson is going to let those mothballs out of his wallet and pay Rodgers tons of money to tie to a long-term contract.
Let's hope he doesn't play the injury card then and continues playing hard. He has improved so much the past week and shows signs of being the difference the Pack needs in the division -- a great quarterback.
The coverage from the safeties and corners was fantastic and improved the front line’s pass rush as well. Even the linebackers tackled in open field. Mike McCarthy's decision to go for it on fourth down gave the team the confidence that it could move the ball and they did all afternoon.
Looking at the schedule let's hope the Pack can continue being aggressive. So for now let's enjoy the break they deserve it.
Van J. Callies, Appleton
Defense manhandled Manning
The usually high-powered Colts offense was surprisingly shut down considering the extensive amount of injuries throughout the starting Packers defensive unit.
Linebacker Brandon Chillar was the team's leading tackler. He has shown his value to the Packers not only as a key special teams player, but as a linebacker who can consistently defend the pass on defense too.
Even though the Packers did not register a sack on Peyton Manning, the defensive line was able to deflect three passes and block a 45-yard field goal attempt,
keeping the momentum in favor of Green Bay.
Ryan Grant also rushed for his first 100-yard game and added his first touchdown of the season to set the tone in the first quarter.
Packers' receivers are once again making their case to be the best in the NFL in yards gained after the catch. Coach McCarthy has done a nice job stressing to these players the positives in playing hard and keeping the drive alive.
Although Aaron Rodgers only threw for 186 yards, he had a 75% completion percentage and made the smart decisions with excellent protection from his offensive line.
Fullbacks Korey Hall and John Kuhn have also impressed me since the first game this season and bring vital components to the offense, such as their blocking,
running, and catching abilities when the Packers need them most on third and fourth downs.
Manning looked to rally the Colts towards a comeback multiple times in the second half, but was picked off twice for touchdowns by the Packers' secondary.
Ryan Ellerbusch, Neenah
Packers played it to perfection
In a word, perfect.
Between injuries and player turnover, it sometimes takes NFL teams a few weeks to really start to gel. Your Packers just gelled. By far, this is the most complete game the Packers have played so far this year.
It will be very telling the next time the Packers play at Lambeau Field. The body language by many of the Packers seemed to indicate that this team is ready to reclaim Lambeau Field as a tough place for visiting teams to play.
The Packer offense was intent on frustrating defenses with patient, yet deliberate drives. The Packer defense was portraying an attitude of just being angry with the Colts hanging around in their house.
For those who were ready to lynch Ted Thompson and Mike McCarthy for their decision to go with Aaron Rodgers, get out your stationery.
It is time to send in your personal apologies to these guys who actually know what they are doing. Rodgers is the real deal. That was a flawless performance he put out on Sunday. He is not about heroics. He is not about flash. He is about putting his team in a position to win. Rodgers flat out gets it.
Chris Brouch, Appleton
Lambeau atmosphere ruled
It was an electric atmosphere at Lambeau Sunday.
It started with the pregame flyover of the F-16 Jets, continued with the University of Wisconsin marching band entertaining the 71,010 fans, along with the blimp hovering overhead.
And, oh yes, the Green Bay Packers played a superb football game against the surging Indianapolis Colts, and keeping future Hall of Fame Coach Tony Dungy's record intact of being 0-9 at Lambeau.
LInebackers Brady Poppinga and A.J. Hawk played sparingly Sunday with the Packers in the nickel package most of the time.
That was a good move as Will Blackmon, the extra D-back, covered very well, and linebacker Brandon Chillar did an admirable job on Colt's star tight end Dallas Clark.
In fact, Chillar was all over the field, leading Green Bay with nine tackles. Meanwhile Tramon Williams' play is making injured Al Harris a memory. Williams smothered all pro Marvin Harrison. He had only two receptions for 11 yards. Charles Woodson also shut down Peyton Manning’s other outstanding receiver Reggie Wayne with two receptions for 24 yards.
However, it was probably emerging pro bowl candidate safety Nick Collins's interception, and touchdown return early in the third quarter that served noticed to Manning and his high-powered offense that the Packers are for real.
And how about Aaron Rouse continuing to show his big-play abilities with his 99-yard touchdown return late in the fourth quarter? Rouse will be hard to keep out of the lineup when Bigby returns.
And we can’t forget the continued steady play of quarterback Aaron Rodgers along with the horse Ryan Grant. They kept mistakes to a minimum. It would have been nice to see Brandon Jackson with his fresh legs and quickness get some carries in the second half other than being the third down back. It would have given Grant an occasional rest.
Dick Koeppen, Clintonville
