In many ways, the Green Bay Packers missed out on a chance to measure their football team against the right type of opponent when the roster of the San Francisco 49ers splintered into a million pieces before the Week 9 matchup at Levi’s Stadium. Undermanned and overmatched, the backups of the 49ers were no match for Matt LaFleur’s team.
Two weeks later, the Indianapolis Colts should provide a suitable replacement in terms of a measuring stick for the Packers.
Tough and physical, with a quality offensive line, dominant defensive front and a veteran quarterback, the Colts have all the ingredients of a team the Packers have generally struggled with over the first two seasons under LaFleur.
Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium could be a telling game for the Packers.
Is this a team that crumbles against a certain type of opponent? Or will LaFleur’s team prove they can beat anyone?
The AFC South-leading Colts, fresh off an impressive road win last Thursday night in Tennessee and heading home with extra rest, provide challenges for the Packers on many fronts.
Quarterback Philip Rivers is getting the ball out of his hands in an average of 2.34 seconds after the snap, the sixth-fastest time among starting quarterbacks, per Pro Football Focus. Rivers has been sacked just eight times in nine games.
Rivers isn’t having his best season throwing the football, but he’s not to be overlooked. He averaged 10.5 yards per attempt and completed 75 percent of his passes in a blowout win over the Packers just last season. Now in his 17th season, Rivers has seen it all, and he has three games with a passer rating over 100.0 in his last four.
Overall, the Colts have just nine turnovers. This isn’t a team that is going to give up sacks or give the ball away.
The Colts defense ranks fourth in scoring and first in yards allowed entering Week 11. Opposing quarterbacks have a 78.9 passer rating against the Colts this season. No defense has been better. Teams are averaging only 3.5 yards per rush against the Colts. Only two teams have been better.
The Colts defense is allowing just 4.8 yards per play on average, the best number in football and the same number the Buccaneers were averaging when the Packers visited Tampa Bay and got crushed earlier this season.
Defensive lineman DeForest Buckner, formerly of the 49ers, is having an All-Pro type season. He tortured the Packers in two games last season.
Darius Leonard is the same type of athletic, do-it-all linebacker that teams like Tampa Bay, Minnesota and Jacksonville have used to slow down the Packers’ run game.
The Colts have a formidable secondary, led by the resurgent cornerback Xavier Rhodes and rookie standout safety Justin Blackmon. The defense has 11 interceptions, the second-most in football. The Colts rank in the top five in the NFL in completion percentage, touchdown percentage and yards per attempt allowed this season.
The Colts also have the NFL’s highest-graded special teams, per PFF. This is a complete football team.
Teams like the 49ers and Chargers last year and the Buccaneers and Vikings this year were all able to take away what the Packers do well on offense and score decisive victories at the line of scrimmage. The Colts are capable of following the blueprint on Sunday.
The NFL is all about matchups. The Packers have generally struggled in a specific type of matchup dating back to 2019. On Sunday in Indianapolis, they have a chance to show they can win any type of game against any type of opponent.
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