WOLF RIVER MEDIA

WEEK 9 PACKERS vs. COLTS

NOVEMBER 4, 2016

A SHOT AT LUCK
Packers ready to chase Colts QB
SEE PAGE 2

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

ALSO INSIDE: Pro Football Weekly Rosters Schedule Standings Around the North

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2016

GREEN & GOLD EXPRESS

WOLF RIVER MEDIA

Packers see chance to attack Colts line

Game Vitals

GREEN BAY PACKERS (4-3)

VS. INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (3-5)

WHEN: 3:25 p.m. Sunday

WHERE: Lambeau Field
TV: CBS
RADIO: 620 WTMJ, 92.3
WJMQ-FM, 101.1 WIXX-FM

Locker Room

Thats how the league

goes. Theres going to be
years like this with a lot
of injuries.
AARON RODGERS, on
dealing with injuries on
offense

The Series

Packers vs. Colts

All-time, Regular season:
20-21-1
All-time, Postseason: 1-0
All-time, in Green Bay:
8-3-0
Streaks: The Packers and
Colts have alternated wins in
the past six regular-season
contests.
Last meeting, regular season: Oct. 7, 2012; Colts won,
30-27, Lucas Oil Stadium

Schedule

Date Opponent
Sept. 11 at Jacksonville
Sept. 18 at Minnesota
Sept. 25 Detroit
Oct. 2 Bye
Oct. 9 New York
Oct. 16 Dallas
Oct. 20 Chicago
Oct. 30 at Atlanta
Nov. 6 Indianapolis
Nov. 13 at Tennessee
Nov. 20 at Washington
Nov. 28 at Philadelphia
Dec. 4 Houston
Dec. 11 Seattle
Dec. 18 at Chicago
Dec. 24 Minnesota
Jan. 1 at Detroit

Time TV
Win 27-23
Loss 17-14
Win 34-27
Win 23-16
Loss 30-16
Win 26-10
Loss 33-32
3:25 p.m. CBS
12 p.m. Fox
7:30 p.m. NBC
7:30 p.m. ESPN
12 p.m. CBS
3:25 p.m. Fox
12 p.m. Fox
12 p.m. Fox
12 p.m. Fox

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Green Bay Packers linebacker Julius Peppers, left, and tackle Mike Daniels get to Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan during Green Bays 33-32 loss Sunday. The Packers this week
are going up against a Colts offensive line that has allowed 31 sacks this season.

Indianapolis QB sacked an NFL-leading 31 times in 8 weeks

By Chris Caporale
sports@wolfrivermedia.com

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck has been

sacked a league-high 31 times,
but that doesnt mean hes going to be easy to stop Sunday
when the Colts visit Lambeau
Field to take on the Green Bay
Packers.

The 240-pound quarterback

is still known for his playmaking
abilities, including escaping from
pressure and getting the ball
out of his hand with defenders
draped all over him.
Getting to him, youve got to
get up the field, disruptive and
penetrate, Packers rookie defensive tackle Kenny Clark said.
Youve just got to get in his face

first of all, and, hes a big guy, man.

Hes making throws sometimes when hes falling to the
ground. Its hard to bring him
down. Youve just got to front him
up, get square and wrap him up.
Just hold on tight. I dont know
how else.
The fifth-year quarterbacks
ability to extend plays puts added pressure on Green Bays de-

pleted secondary to cover wide

receivers longer on each snap.
The Colts receiving corps is
led by the speedy T.Y. Hilton,
who has racked up 709 receiving
yards in eight games. That mark
is the fourth-highest in the NFL
this season.
Youve got to latch on to your
SEE PACKERS, PAGE 3

ON THE COVER: The Green Bay Packers got after Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan for three sacks in a 33-32 loss Sunday. This week, Andrew Luck, the NFLs most-sacked QB, will
be at Lambeau Field.

GREEN & GOLD EXPRESS

WOLF RIVER MEDIA

PACKERS
FROM PAGE 2

guy, Packers cornerback

LaDarius Gunter said.
Green Bay may lose
Demetri Goodson for
the game, as he is in the
leagues concussion protocol, but could get Quinten
Rollins back from a groin
injury.
Any help will be needed
to slow down Indianapolis,
which averages 26 points
per game.
Luck has cut back on
his interceptions, throwing just five so far in eight
games and added 209
rushing yards on 36 carries.
When he gets out of the
pocket, the secondary will
be counted on to make the
necessary plays.
Theres a lot of pressure, Gunter said of facing Luck.
The Colts have allowed
five or more sacks in four
games this season, going
1-3 in those contests.
Indianapolis starts two
rookies on the offensive
line, center Ryan Kelly
and right tackle Joe Haeg.
Joining them are second-

year guard Denzelle Good

and third-year left guard
Jack Mewhort.
Youve got to put
in the work at practice,
and hopefully all of that
stuff is just a product of
the game, Clark said of
adding to the sack total.
Youve got dial up stuff
and just know your matchups with each player, and
guys just win at the end of
the day.
Green Bay, which will
likely get linebacker Clay
Matthews back on the
field after a hamstring injury, has tallied 19 sacks
in seven games. Matthews
was a late scratch in Sundays 33-32 loss to Atlanta.
With the combination of
Nick Perry, Datone Jones,
Julius Peppers and Clay
Matthews on the edges,
the Packers could find the
right matchups to exploit
to have success Sunday.
Just because he was
sacked 31 times doesnt
mean anything is going to
be handed to us, so weve
got to get after the passer
and their explosive offense, Clark said. Weve
just got to make that a focus for us, just stay in the
attack mentality.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2016

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Green Bay Packers defensive tackle Mike Daniels and the defensive front are looking for ways to exploit the Indianapolis offensive line, which starts
two rookies.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2016

GREEN & GOLD EXPRESS

WOLF RIVER MEDIA

Linsley comes
full circle after
hamstring injury
Packers still
cycling through
many injuries
The Associated Press

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers could have a new center Sunday against Indianapolis with the possible return of Corey Linsley. JC
Tretter is hampered by a knee injury.

The Packers offense

has changed a little from
the last time center Corey
Linsley snapped a football
to Aaron Rodgers.
More passing. Less running.
It is in large part by necessity as the Packers adjust their plans following
the spate of injuries that
have sapped depth at the
running back position.
It looks different and we
operate a little bit different.
But its the same stuff that
weve been going through,
Linsley said. Although
for us, as O-linemen, its adjusting to passing as much.
Linsley, the starting cen-

ter the previous two years,

hasnt played this season
because of a hamstring
injury. But he could be activated from the reserve/
physically unable to perform list for Sundays game
against the Indianapolis
Colts because of a knee injury to Linsleys replacement, JC Tretter.
Yeah, if that happens, obviously were going to have to get resituated there. Im not worried
about Corey, though. Corey
has been a center his entire
life, Rodgers said.
Still, it will be yet another personnel change to
which the Packers will have
to adjust because of their
lengthy injury report.
At running back, Eddie
Lacy (ankle) is on injured
reserve. James Starks is
coming back from a knee
SEE LINSLEY, PAGE 5

GREEN & GOLD EXPRESS

WOLF RIVER MEDIA

LINSLEY
FROM PAGE 4

injury, but did not practice

on Wednesday.
Receivers Randall Cobb
(hamstring) and Ty Montgomery (illness) were both
limited after missing last
weeks loss to Atlanta. Cobb
and Montgomery can also
take snaps in the backfield,
a role that Montgomery especially had excelled in this
season.
Green Bay also has running back Don Jackson,
elevated from the practice
squad a few weeks ago, and
fullback Aaron Ripkowski,
who had an impressive 34
yards on six carries against
the Falcons.
At Atlanta, Rodgers was
the leading rusher with 60
yards on six carries.
Im deceptively fast.
Thats what I like about it,
Rodgers joked.
But hes usually not
making keeper calls. If Rodgers is on the move, it is
usually because hes trying
to extend plays.
Its been a good weapon for us on third down at
times. But again, its a secondary thing. Extending

plays where Im hitting

guys on late-timing stuff
and second-reaction stuff.
Those are tough for the
defense to stop, Rodgers
said.
Against Atlanta, the
Packers used spread looks
at times by necessity. Rodgers was 28 of 38 for 246
yards and four touchdowns
in one of his best outings of
the year.
In the 26-10 win over
Chicago the previous week,
Rodgers was 39 of 56, setting a franchise mark for
completions in a game. He
threw for 326 yards and
three scores.
The offensive line, for
the most part, has played
well. But it looks the Packers may have to prepare
for a change there, too, because of an injury.
Linsley has come fullcircle after taking over as
the center as a rookie in
2014 after Tretter went
down with a knee injury.
When Linsley got hurt this
preseason, Tretter was
ready to step in.
Now, it looks like Linsley will be snapping the ball
again. The Packers have an
open spot on their active
roster following the release

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2016

of running back Knile Davis

earlier this week.
On Wednesday, Rodgers ran Linsley through the
cadences and adjustments
that have been made on offense.
Everything that he can
possibly throw at me, he
threw at me, Linsley said.
Im thankful for that.

INJURY REPORT

The cornerback carousel continued on defense.

Quinten Rollins returned
to practice for the first time
since missing three games
with a groin injury. He
was limited. But Demetri
Goodson missed practice
with a concussion. Starting cornerback Damarious
Randall remains out with a
groin injury.
LB Clay Matthews
(hamstring) was limited
after missing the Falcons
game.

TRANSACTION

RB Brandon Burks
was signed to the practice
squad. The 5-foot-9 rookie
initially signed with the
Packers as an undrafted
free agent from Troy in May
before being released after
training camp.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Green Bay Packers center Corey Linsley, the starting center the previous two years, hasnt played yet this season because of a hamstring injury. But he could be activated from the reserve-physically unable to perform list
for Sundays game against the Indianapolis Colts because of a knee injury to Linsleys replacement, JC Tretter.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2016

GREEN & GOLD EXPRESS

WOLF RIVER MEDIA

Colts still seek

solutions after
loss to Chiefs
Turnovers keep Indianapolis at 3-5
The Associated Press

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck was sacked six times in Sundays 30-14 loss to Kansas City. Luck turned the ball over twice.

Complete
Collision Repair
Your FULL SERVICE
Collision Location
in Shawano

Are You Ready For

Some Football?
W8061 County Road MMM,
Shawano, WI, 54166

715.524.5770
Fax: 715.524.5438

qualityautobodytodd@yahoo.com

Indianapolis
Colts
coach Chuck Pagano
looked as if he was ready
to seethe Sunday night.
He refused the temptation. A few more games
like this, and perhaps Pagano will lose his cool.
For now, he must focus
on finding solutions to the
Colts myriad ailments.
Instead of going in
there and throwing a tantrum and all that stuff,
that isnt going to fix what
needs to get fixed, its obvious, Pagano said after
the 30-14 loss to Kansas
City. We will go back in
(Monday) like we always
do and take a good hard
look at ourselves because
the same things keep
popping up.

The problems have

been constant throughout the first half of the
season.
After two weeks of better starts, the Colts reverted to their old form
and fell into an early
10-point deficit a big
enough deficit that Andrew Luck and the sluggish offense couldnt dig
them out of it.
The Colts defense
couldnt get off the field.
Indianapolis (3-5) had five
more penalties, pushing
their total to 63.
The Chiefs even
with a backup quarterback and only one healthy
running back easily
overpowered the beleaguered Colts.
SEE COLTS, PAGE 7

WOLF RIVER MEDIA

COLTS
FROM PAGE 6

And if Indy doesnt fix this

soon, any shot of making the
playoffs could soon fade, too.
I feel like I let the team
down, Luck said after throwing two TD passes, one interception and losing a fumble.
Turnovers are bad. Simple
things that you cant do in the
NFL and expect to win games.
Alex Smith left twice with
head injuries, the second diagnosed as a concussion. In between the departures, he still
managed to throw a TD pass.
Backup Nick Foles played
well in relief, throwing two TD
passes and leading the Chiefs

GREEN & GOLD EXPRESS

on four scoring drives.
Spencer Ware, who started
in place of the injured Jamaal
Charles, didnt play in the second half after also being diagnosed with a concussion.
But at least they have some
momentum.
Yeah, you never expect
that. Especially with a guy like
Alex whos so tough and hes
been very durable throughout
his career, Foles said. Hes a
warrior. For him, hes going to
continue to fight.
Here are some other things
we learned from Sundays
game:
NOT-SO SPECIAL: The
Colts could argue they have the
two best kickers in the league
Adam Vinatieri and punter

Pat McAfee. Unfortunately,

the coverage teams arent so
special. Chiefs punt returner
Tyreek Hill ran around the
Colts coverage three different
times, averaging 19.0 yards on
those returns. Indy, meanwhile,
fumbled two punts one of
which was erased by a penalty.
LOSING GROUND: Just
when it appeared Indys offensive line was starting to make
progress, it took a step back
against the Chiefs by allowing six sacks and more hits
on Luck. That wasnt the only
problem. Indy rushed 21 times
for 105 yards, 60 of which came
on Lucks scrambles. The Colts
have gone 28 consecutive home
games without a 100-yard rusher.-

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2016

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Indianapolis Colts defensive lineman Zach Kerr (94) chases down Kansas City quarterback Nick Foles in the Colts 16-point loss Sunday. The Colts have struggled to slow
opponents this season and face the Packers on Sunday.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2016

GREEN & GOLD EXPRESS

WOLF RIVER MEDIA

WOLF RIVER MEDIA

GREEN & GOLD EXPRESS

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2016

10

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2016

GREEN & GOLD EXPRESS

WOLF RIVER MEDIA

Power rankings: Patriots remain No. 1 heading into bye

The Associated Press

With the NFLs regular season

at about the halfway point, one
team clearly stands out above the
rest: the New England Patriots.
For the second consecutive
week, Tom Brady and Patriots
are the unanimous No. 1 in the
latest AP Pro32 poll, which was
released Tuesday.
The Patriots again received all
12 first-place votes for 384 points
from balloting by media members
who regularly cover the NFL.
The Patriots enter their bye
week at 7-1 and have a threegame lead in the AFC East.
Tom Brady has 12 touchdowns, no interceptions and no
losses, said Charean Williams of
the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
The Dallas Cowboys (6-1),
the leagues only other one-loss
team, remained at No. 2 after
rallying for a 29-23 overtime win
over the Philadelphia Eagles.
Dak Prescott was far from
perfect against the Eagles, but
his clutch play in overtime with
the game-winning TD pass to
Jason Witten off a scramble offers yet another glimpse into his
upside and offers further proof
that its not time for Tony Romo,
Newsdays Bob Glauber said.

AFC West rivals took the next

two spots, as the Denver Broncos
moved up a spot to No. 3 and the
Kansas City Chiefs jumped three
places to No. 4.
The Seattle Seahawks fell two
spots to No. 5 after losing 25-20 at
New Orleans.
The NFC South-leading Atlanta Falcons jumped four spots
to No. 6 after rallying for a 33-32
win over the Green Bay Packers,
who fell a spot to No. 9.
Behind MVP candidate
Matt Ryan, the Falcons head
into a Thursday night matchup
in Tampa leading the league in
scoring offense, total offense
and big-play capability, said
Ira Kaufman of the Pro Football
Hall of Fame.
The Oakland Raiders, who
are tied with the Broncos for first
in the AFC West at 6-2 and host
them on Sunday night, moved up
two spots to No. 7.
The Raiders have been perfect on the road, said Jenny
Vrentas of The Monday Morning Quarterback. Now, with the
Broncos coming to town, theyll
have to find a way to win at home
if they want to make gains in the
wide-open AFC West.
The Minnesota Vikings, who
have lost two straight after a 5-0

start and still have a one-game

lead in the NFC North, dropped
three spots to No. 8. The Eagles
dropped four spots to round out
the top 10.
Team
1. New England Patriots
2. Dallas Cowboys
3. Denver Broncos
4. Kansas City Chiefs
5. Seattle Seahawks
6. Atlanta Falcons
7. Oakland Raiders
8. Minnesota Vikings
9. Green Bay Packers
10. Philadelphia Eagles
11. Pittsburgh Steelers
12. Houston Texan
13. Washington Redskins
14. New York Giants
15. Cincinnati Bengals
16. Buffalo Bills
17. Detroit Lions
18. Arizona Cardinals
19. Tennessee Titans
20. San Diego Chargers
21. New Orleans Saints
21. Miami Dolphins
23. Carolina Panthers
24. Baltimore Ravens
25. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
26. Los Angeles Rams
27. Indianapolis Colts
28. New York Jets
29. Chicago Bears
30. Jacksonville Jaguars
31. San Francisco 49ers
32. Cleveland Browns

Points
384
372
357
333
325
321
320
304
287
282
269
239
238
214
202
190
185
174
160
149
140
140
117
113
108
107
104
73
56
34
26
13

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) remained perfect since his return in
Week 5, defeating the Bills, 41-25, Sunday. The Patriots are 7-1 heading into a bye and
hold the top spot in this weeks AP Pro32 poll.

Post Acute & Long Term Care

1436 South Lincoln Street

Shawano, WI 54166

715-526-6111

SINCE 1967

THURSDAY | NOVEMBER 3, 2016

Return of
the Raiders
THE

AFTER HIS RECORD

PERFORMANCE,
DEREK CARR AND
OAKLAND WILL BATTLE
DENVER FOR THE LEAD
IN THE AFC WEST

PLUS FANTASY FOOTBALL AROUND THE NORTH

PRO FOOTBALL WEEKLY |

ProFootballWeekly.com | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2016

With McPhee, Floyd healthy, plenty of potential for OLBs

ollow the money in the NFL,

and with the Bears, it brings
you to the outside linebacker position, where the team
has its highest ceiling for
the second half of the 2016 season.
According to Spotrac, no team in the
league is allocating more salary cap dollars on the position than the Bears, who
have Pernell McPhee, Willie Young
who got an extension in August and
first-round pick Leonard Floyd.
Putting that kind of capital into a
position tells you where the Bears expect their defense to get its spark, and
heading into the bye, those edge rushers showed a glimpse of how effective
they can be.
It builds a little success especially
for us and a lot of young guys, McPhee
said following the 20-10 win over Minnesota that featured five sacks and nine
QB hits four of those from McPhee.
Its going to build a mindset of coming
back and getting ready for Tampa Bay
and it builds a sense of urgency knowing we can win games and thats what

its all about.

Outside linebackers
Its a simple formula.
coach Clint Hurtt said
If McPhee, Floyd, Young
that Floyds improveand Sam Acho can get
ment with his hands has
after the quarterback
been significant, and
without Vic Fangio havthat should lead to more
ing to employ any blitzproduction.
es, it lets the Bears keep
In the pass rush, hes
more players in covermore active. When he
age, which is crucial for
initially got started, he
a very young secondary.
always rushed with his
The Bears barely blitzed
hands down, which is
Sam Bradford in that
bad, Hurtt said. RushMonday night upset, but
ing the passer is like a
KEVIN FISHBAIN fight you never see a
they still got to him.
kfishbain@ProFootballWeekly.com
McPhee missed the
boxer with his hands
@kfishbain
first six games of the
hanging down because
season (and the entire
youre going to get put
offseason training program) as he
to sleep. Having his hands up, a lot
came back from a knee injury. Floyd
more active, so hes winning at the
has missed two games and was in and
point of contact in the rush much earout of training camp with a variety
lier in the down, so its helped him.
of injuries. Getting those two healthy
Hurtt said Floyd was able to run
keeps this group ascending and allows
around everybody in college because
for more creativity. And with a focus
of his rare speed. Now, the rookie is
on the future, all eyes will be on Floyd
understanding the importance of usin the final two months.
ing strength and being versatile with

his rush to go inside and out.

Having McPhee back in the fold is
only going to help Floyd and the rest
of the D.
It makes a world of difference,
Hurtt said. The attitude, the edginess
that he brings to the defense, its infectious. I think we saw that last year and
its continued on this year. Its just
part of who he is. And you have the
opportunity to keep guys fresh. Willie
doesnt have to go out there and play
60-65 plays in a game. Keep guys fresh
going out there, keep pressure on the
offensive line.
Hurtt saw that look from McPhee,
the bug-eyed intensity, during the
Monday night upset. That attitude
makes McPhee a better pass rusher,
and along with Floyd and Young who
leads the team with six sacks there
is a lot of untapped potential for the
group that needs to anchor Fangios
defense.
Weve got guys who can hunt,
McPhee said, and weve got to keep
hunting.

20% off
Honora
NFL Pearls
All November

41 N. Williams Street
Historic Downtown Crystal Lake
815.455.3600 www.dalzelljewelers.com
SM-CL0407497

By J.C.

New York has no ground game to speak of. Rashad Jennings is averaging just 2.7 yards on 52 carries.
MUST START: Odell Beckham Jr.
SOLID PLAY: Giants D/ST
WORTH A LOOK: Manning, Jennings, Sterling Shepard
LAST RESORT: Victor Cruz, Will Tye, Larry Donnell
STAY AWAY: Paul Perkins

TALON

Fantasy writer | ProFootballWeekly.com

pproaching midseason, youd expect some clarity regarding the

relative quality of teams in the
NFL. In 2016, however, the league
seems to reset from week to week.
The Panthers had been terrible,
but dominated the Cardinals in
Week 8. Former powerhouses
Seattle and Arizona cant get out of their own way on
offense. The Packers were good, then they stunk, now,
theyre good again? The Vikings were going to ride a
dominant defense and cruise to an NFC North title
until a previously woeful Bears team pasted them on
Monday Night.
About the only thing fantasy owners can count on
right now is that the Patriots are really, really good. And
as sure as God made green apples we can always look
to the Browns as a matchup to exploit.
On to Week 9

MATCHUPS TO EXPLOIT
Dallas Cowboys

OPPONENT: AT CLEVELAND, SUNDAY, NOON

The Browns have overtaken (undertaken?) the Raiders to become the leagues worst defense. Cleveland has
given up an average of 421.5 yards and 29.8 points per
game. The Cowboys, on the other hand, can seem to do
no wrong. Super Rookie Ezekiel Elliott has 799 yards
and is averaging 5.0 yards per carry. With the Browns
rush defense giving up an average of 4.8 yards per carry, this is a dream matchup.
MUST START: Elliott
SOLID PLAY: Dak Prescott, Dez Bryant, Jason Witten,
Dan Bailey
WORTH A LOOK: Cole Beasley, Cowboys D/ST
LAST RESORT: Alfred Morris, Terrance Williams

New Orleans Saints

OPPONENT: AT SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS, SUNDAY, 3:05

Mark Ingrams fumble earned him a trip onto the
bench and into Sean Paytons doghouse. The thinking
here is he will return as the feature back, but monitor
the situation. The 49ers 30th-ranked defense is giving
up 31.7 points and 407 yards per game.
MUST START: Drew Brees, Brandin Cooks
SOLID PLAY: Ingram, Michael Thomas, Coby Fleener,
Wil Lutz
WORTH A LOOK: Tim Hightower, Willie Snead
LAST RESORT: Saints D/ST

Green Bay Packers

OPPONENT: VS INDIANAPOLIS COLTS, SUNDAY, 3:25

We werent sure that 1.5 quarters of offensive production against the Bears was proof that the Pack was
back, but their 32 points in Atlanta serves as a stronger
indication. With Brady on bye, Aaron Rodgers might
be the top QB play of the week. Green Bay is spreading
around the targets this season. That makes all of their
WRs capable of a good day, but it also means that none

Jacksonville Jaguars

AP PHOTO

Ezekiel Elliott should put up big fantasy numbers

Sunday when the Cowboys travel to Cleveland
of them is a lock. The over/under in this game (around
53) is the highest of the week. Monitor the injury status
of Randall Cobb and Ty Montgomery.
MUST START: Rodgers, Mason Crosby
SOLID PLAY: Jordy Nelson, Davante Adams
WORTH A LOOK: Cobb*, Montgomery*
LAST RESORT: Don Jackson, Aaron Ripkowski
STAY AWAY: Packers D/ST

ALSO CONSIDER
Denver Broncos

OPPONENT: AT OAKLAND RAIDERS, SUNDAY, 7:30

This game is unlikely to be a shootout, but Denver
should be able to churn out some yards against Oaklands 31st-ranked defense. The Broncos should score
around 20-24 points and it looks like a particularly good
matchup for Devontae Booker and Brandon McManus.

MATCHUPS TO AVOID
Detroit Lions

OPPONENT: AT MINNESOTA VIKINGS, SUNDAY, NOON

After a Monday Night thumping by Chicago (yes,
Chicago), the Vikings can no longer claim the No. 1 defense in the NFL. Having dropped two straight games,
Minnesotas arrow is pointing down. However, the Lions have been wildly inconsistent on offense and the
Vikes are still yielding an NFL low 14.9 points per game.
Their two losses have been on the road. This feels like a
bounce-back game, especially for Minnesotas defense.
MUST START: none
SOLID PLAY: Marvin Jones, Eric Ebron
WORTH A LOOK: Matthew Stafford, Theo Riddick,
Golden Tate, Lions D/ST
LAST RESORT: Matt Prater
STAY AWAY: Justin Forsett, Zach Zenner

New York Giants

OPPONENT: VS PHILADELPHIA EAGLES, SUNDAY, NOON

Philadelphia allows 16.7 points per game only New
England, Seattle, and Minnesota are stingier. The Giants have been decidedly mediocre on offense. Eli Manning has thrown just 8 TDs (6 INTs) this season and

OPPONENT: VS KANSAS CITY CHIEFS, SUNDAY, NOON

The Chiefs 15th-ranked defense could be considered
underachievers, but a closer look suggests a unit better than its ranking. In Week 4, they gave up 439 yards
and 43 points in a blowout loss to Pittsburgh. Factoring
out that game, since Week 2, Kansas Citys opponents
have scored 19, 3, 10, 21 and 14 points, respectively. The
only team to crest 20 was the explosive Saints and they
scored just 21, including a garbage-time TD. Last week,
the Chiefs gave up just 10 to the Colts in Indy. Meanwhile,
the Jaguars have regressed from a promising 2015. They
are ranked 26th offensively and average just under 20
points per game. This would be a good week to start the
Chiefs D/ST.
MUST START: none
SOLID PLAY: none
WORTH A LOOK: Allen Robinson, Allen Hurns, Julius
Thomas
LAST RESORT: Blake Bortles, T.J. Yeldon, Chris Ivory,
Jaguars D/ST
STAY AWAY: Jason Myers

Buffalo Bills

OPPONENT: AT SEATTLE SEAHAWKS, MONDAY, 7:30

Remember that 6-6 tie in Arizona a couple of weeks
ago? Dont be surprised if this game looks a little like
that one. The Seahawks have the leagues 6th-ranked defense in terms of yards. They allow the second-fewest
points (15.6) per game. On offense, the Bills are a below
average 24th in total yards and a dismal 31st in passing yards. Only the woeful 49ers produce fewer yards
through the air. If LeSean McCoy is sidelined, it is hard
to envision Buffalo producing at a level that would justify much interest from fantasy owners.
MUST START: none
SOLID PLAY: McCoy* (if active)
WORTH A LOOK: Mike Gillislee (if no McCoy), Bills D/
ST
LAST RESORT: Tyrod Taylor, Robert Woods, Charles
Clay*
STAY AWAY: Dan Carpenter

ALSO BEWARE
Miami Dolphins

OPPONENT: VS NEW YORK JETS, SUNDAY, NOON

The Jets defense isnt very good overall, but they are
No. 1 against the run, They give up just 74 rushing yards
per game and 3.3 yards per attempt. Jay Ajayi remains a
must start, but this is a below-average matchup for him.

* Check injury status

PRO FOOTBALL WEEKLY | ProFootballWeekly.com | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2016

At midseason, Patriots are the only sure thing

PRO FOOTBALL WEEKLY | ProFootballWeekly.com | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2016

4
By

ARTHUR
ARKUSH
OVERVIEW

Matthew Stafford may or may not have read

all the national media gushing about him last
week, but the Lions undoubtedly have to regroup after their three-game winning streak
was snapped in Houston with the offense managing a season-low 14 points. Just as Stafford
welcomed back Theo Riddick and Eric Ebron,
Marvin Jones and Golden Tate disappeared
against the Texans solid pass defense. To call
the Vikings secondary solid would be underselling them; the depth and talent at cornerback appears unrivaled league-wide. Thus,
if ever there was a need for Detroits defense
which, save for the whole covering tight ends
thing, was fine in Houston, its Sunday versus
the unimposing Vikings. Unimposing might
be overselling Sam Bradford and Co., who
have managed just two touchdowns both in
garbage time during their two-game skid. Indeed, if there was Super Bowl buzz surrounding the Vikings during their 5-0 start, its been
replaced by critics screaming fraud over a
team that cant protect Bradford (11 sacks, 20
QB hits over past two weeks) or sustain drives
on the ground or through the air. Minnesotas

Halloween horror show in Chicago was nothing short of stunning. In addition to an anemic offense, the D, usually adept at limiting
big plays and harassing quarterbacks, gave
up 403 total yards and 20 points both the
highest totals since last December. Well its
difficult right now, coach Mike Zimmer said
of the protection issues plaguing his offense.
We havent proven it yet, so I dont know if
hopeful is the right word right this second.
We got to get it fixed, though.

MATCHUP TO WATCH

Its likely youve never heard of Kerry Hyder, Detroits sack leader and top pass rusher
with Ezekiel Ansah yet to get Ziggy with it,
but the Vikings will be aware of No. 61 in
Honololu blue. Hell spend a lot of time lined
up across from RT T.J. Clemmings, but turnstile LT Jake Long better have an answer
for the vine-like levers of Ansah and Devin
Taylor, too. After sending first- and fourthrounders to Philadelphia in exchange for
Bradford, theres real concern a player with
a well-documented injury past wont last the
season.

OVERVIEW

The Packers might have uncovered

some new offensive weapons for Aaron
Rodgers Sunday, as rookies Geronimo
Allison and Trevor Davis, and third-year
player Jeff Janis, all caught their first career touchdowns. But Rodgers resourcefulness 73.7 completion percentage, four
TDs and 125.7 passer rating on a day he
was missing his top two backs and arguably two most versatile receivers wasnt
enough to cover for a defense lacking
even more key pieces. How soon No. 3 CB
Quinten Rollins and top pass rusher Clay
Matthews can return from their groin
and hamstring injuries, respectively, is
unknown, but it cant come soon enough.
Not with Green Bay, on the heels of its
33-32 defeat late in Atlanta, returning
home to battle another pass-happy team,
this one even more desperate for a win
than the Falcons. The pass rush, despite
a fourth quarter sack each for Mike Daniels and Julius Peppers, was M.I.A. on
Matt Ryans game-winning drive. Even

Rodgers, who was mostly sensational,

saw his accuracy wane with Green Bay
attempting to mount a potential gamewinning drive in the final 30 seconds.
The Colts are looking up at Houston and
Tennessee in the AFC South after a home
thrashing from the Nick Foles-led Chiefs
dropped them to 3-5 and still in search of
their first winning streak of 2016.

MATCHUP TO WATCH

With Sam Shields and Damarious Randall out, the Packers desperately need
Rollins to return from his three-game
absence to contend with Colts leading
receiver T.Y. Hilton. Rollins quickness
could be the potion to counter the explosive Hilton, whose 709 receiving yards
is No. 4 in the NFL. That would leave
LaDarius Gunter and Demetri Goodson
to deal with Donte Moncrief and Phillip Dorsett. Of course, the best cure for
what ails Green Bays secondary aside
from a magic healing elixir is consistently pressuring Luck, whos already
absorbed five or more sacks four times.

GREEN & GOLD EXPRESS

WOLF RIVER MEDIA

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2016

15

PACKERS NOTEBOOK
By Green & Gold Express Staff

FACING THE BEST

The Green Bay Packers are in

the middle of a gauntlet of top quarterbacks.
Last week, it was Atlantas Matt
Ryan. This week, its Indianapolis
Andrew Luck.
Luck, the No. 1 overall pick of the
2012 draft, was an immediate sensation. He earned Pro Bowl honors in
each of his first three seasons. In
NFL history, Luck was the fastest
to 15,000 career passing yards and
ranks second in touchdown passes
(86) and wins (33) in his first three
seasons.
He is the face of the franchise
but a struggling franchise, with the
Colts taking a 3-5 record into Sundays game at Lambeau Field.
I certainly put a lot of pressure
on myself, like every professional
player in every league does, Luck
said. I know were all in this together, all three units special teams,
defense and offense. Certain games,
we havent held up our end of the
bargain and the defense has bailed
us out, and its been the other way
some other games. We know it all
works together. But no extra pressure on anybody.
With their top three cornerbacks sidelined by injuries, the
Packers couldnt stop Ryan, with
Ryan throwing three touchdown
passes and only seven incompletions. Green Bay might get cornerback Quinten Rollins back after he
missed the last three games with a
groin injury. Theyll need him. One
of the fill-in cornerbacks, Demetri
Goodson, missed Wednesdays practice with a concussion. The injuries
have impacted defensive coordinator Dom Capers play-calling. One
of the most aggressive coordinators
in football, the injuries have turned
Capers into Capt. Conservative.
For 30 years Ive been known as
a blitz guy, and I would love to blitz
more, he said. Right now, I dont
know if thats the right thing to do.
I think that to blitz just to blitz, its
a double-edged sword. Weve certainly blitzed more in the past, more
than we have here the last two or
three weeks.

HEY, GOOD BUDDY

There will be three noteworthy

reunions on Sunday.

Outside linebacker Erik Walden,

a key player in the Packers Super
Bowl championship team in 2010, is
the Colts leader in sacks with six.
Erik is doing a great job, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers
said. Hes a teammate that I really enjoyed playing with. The joke
between us used to be that I had
no idea what hes saying because
he has that accent, but great teammate. He was a fun guy in the locker
room and a guy who really brought
it every day. He is a tough dude.
Dude played through some injuries,
played big for us, made some bigtime plays over the years, and its
fun to see him continue his career
playing at a really high level.
Scott Tolzien went from backing up Rodgers to backing up Luck.
Hes spending this week being Rodgers on the scout team and sharing
secrets in the meeting rooms.
Love him. Love him, Colts
coach Chuck Pagano said. Hes
going to try to do the very best impersonation that he possibly can. If
anybody can do it, its him. Hes a
great teammate. Hes a great guy,
and hes a smart guy. I know hes
got enough talent. Ive seen it on
tape before he got here and seen it
enough at practice since hes been
here; if hes got to go in and play he
can play at a winning level. Love the
kid.
Assistant head coach/offensive
line coach Joe Philbin was the Packers offensive coordinator for that
Super Bowl.
Joe is an excellent football
coach and, Ive said this about him
time and time again, hes an even
better person, Packers coach Mike
McCarthy said. The one thing Ive
always appreciated about Joe and
I think its critical to be successful,
especially in our business is hes
the same man every day. Excellent
work ethic, detail and committed.
Expresses his opinion. Hes a true
pro and he has a dry sense of humor
that I think we all enjoy and we all
miss.

ARMS AND LEGS

Rodgers and Luck not only lead

their offenses through the air but
theyre the second-leading rushers
on their teams.
Rodgers rushed for a career-high
60 yards against the Falcons. Luck
also rushed for 60 yards last week,

and hes tallied at least 20 rushing

yards in five of eight games. Rodgers burned the Falcons man-to-man
defense repeatedly last week. McCarthy expects more man-to-man
going forward, which could mean
more of Rodgers on the move.
Im deceptively fast, Rodgers said. Its been an asset
weve had in the offense the
last nine years, and always
as a thrower first outside
the pocket, which I think
can allow you to sneak
in some runs and get
some first downs. Its
been a good weapon for
us on third down on
times. But again,
its a secondary
thing. Look at
the
touchdowns
to
Geronimo
(Allison),
to Trevor
(Davis), to
Jordy (Nelson),
where Im hitting guys on late-timing stuff and second-reaction stuff.
Those are tough for the defense to
stop.

THREE FIRSTS

Against the Falcons, Packers receivers Jeff Janis,

Geronimo Allison and Trevor Davis all made their first
regular-season
touchdown catches. Thats the
first time a team had
done that since 2000.
The more experience those young guys
get, the better itll be,
veteran receiver Jordy
Nelson said. Weve
said throughout the
years that down the
stretch, those guys are
going to make plays for
us. And we try to prepare
them all the way back in
training camp for that and
obviously it showed up on Sunday, them making big plays for
us and helping us be in the game
and score some points. So, thatll
continue to grow and it gives
them that confidence that
they can play at that
level.

JEFF JANIS
PHOTO BY JIM LEUENBERGER

16

GREEN & GOLD EXPRESS

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2016

PACKERS DEPTH CHART

WOLF RIVER MEDIA

KEYS TO THE GAME

Offense

By Green & Gold Express Staff

FB
Aaron Ripkowski

QB
Aaron Rodgers
Brett Hundley

RB
Don Jackson
Ty Montgomery

The Green Bay Packers (4-3) face the

Indianapolis (3-5) at 3:25 p.m. Sunday at
Lambeau Field. The Packers are 7.5-point
favorites. Heres the breakdown.

WHEN THE PACKERS

HAVE THE BALL
WR
Randall Cobb
Ty Montgomery

C
LG
LT
RT
RG
TE
Jared Cook Bryan Bulaga T.J. Lang JC Tretter Lane Taylor David Bakhtiari
Richard Rodgers Kyle Murphy Don Barclay Don Barclay Don Barclay Jason Spriggs

WR
Jordy Nelson
Davante Adams

Defense

DE
Kenny Clark
Dean Lowry

LCB
Quinten Rollins
Micah Hyde

LOLB
Nick Perry
Julius Peppers

SS
Morgan Burnett
Micah Hyde

ILB
Jake Ryan
Joe Thomas

NT
Letroy Guion
Christian Ringo

ILB
Blake Martinez
Joe Thomas

DT
Mike Daniels
Kenny Clark

ROLB
Clay Matthews
Datone Jones

FS
Ha Ha Clinton-Dix
Kentrell Brice

RCB
LaDarius Gunter
Micah Hyde

Aaron Rodgers and a bruised-andbattered offense had little trouble moving the ball against a bad Falcons defense
last week. Regardless of whether Randall
Cobb and Ty Montgomery are back for the
Packers, they should have little trouble
moving the ball against a bad Colts defense this week.
The Colts pass defense is across-theboard terrible. It ranks 31st in yards per
game, 25th in yards per attempt, 32nd in
interception and 26th in sack percentage.
Put all of that in the stew, and you get an
opponent passer rating of 103.1 that ranks
30th.
We make no excuses, coach Chuck
Pagano said. Weve had some issues with
personnel being in and out, some injuries,
things like that. But we make no excuses.
Its always next man up. Well have our
hands full come Sunday with this Packers
offense and the quarterback were facing
and the skill positions that were going to
face. Nobody does it better in the National
Football League. Well have a huge challenge on our hands again.
That sounds a lot like Green Bays defensive woes. The Colts best defender is
cornerback Vontae Davis, but he has a
concussion and might not play. The other
corners in the nickel package have been
Patrick Robinson and Darius Butler, who
have been inactive in three games apiece.

Robinson, a first-round pick in 2010, has

been OK. Butler, who mans the slot, has
been battling through a broken finger.
Davis and Butler have the teams only interceptions. The top safety is 35-year-old
Mike Adams, a Pro Bowler the past two
seasons who led the NFL with seven takeaways in 2014 and added five interceptions
last season. Second-year player Clayton
Geathers is the other starter, though rookie second-round pick T.J. Green plays frequently. Geathers is a hitter; Green has a
great blend of size and speed.
You definitely see some openings in
their zone, Cobb said. You see guys running away from man coverage. Theres
plays out there to be made, but this is
still a professional game. Were going up
against pros. You never can take anything
for granted. You never can take anybody
lightly regardless of who they are.
Their second-best defender is former
Packers linebacker Erik Walden. He has
six of the Colts 14 sacks, good for eighth
in the league. Walden and 14th-year pro
Robert Mathis are the outside linebackers. Mathis is a six-time Pro Bowler with
a franchise-record 120 career sacks, including two this season. Inside linebacker
DQwell Jackson is a tackling machine. He
piled up a whopping 193 stops last year
and has a team-high 54 tackles this year.
Three players have started opposite Jackson at the other inside spot.

WHEN THE COLTS

HAVE THE BALL

As the Packers go with Rodgers, the

Colts go with Luck. Hes thrown for 2,284
yards with 16 touchdowns and five inSEE KEYS, PAGE 17

GREEN & GOLD EXPRESS

WOLF RIVER MEDIA

COLTS DEPTH CHART

KEYS

FROM PAGE 16

Offense
RB
Frank Gore
Jordan Todman

QB
Andrew Luck
Scott Tolzien

RB
Robert Turbin
Josh Ferguson

RG
RT
LG
TE
C
LT
WR
Joe Haeg Denzelle Good Ryan Kelly Jack Mewhort Anthony Castonzo. Dwayne Allen Donte Moncrief
Joe Reitz
Erik Swoope Chester Rogers
Jonotthan Harrison

WR
T.Y. Hilton
Phillip Dorsett

Defense

CB
Patrick Robinson
Darius Butler

DE
Kendall Langford
Henry Anderson

OLB
Erik Walden
Curt Maggitt

DT
Zach Kerr
Arthur Jones

NT
David Perry
T.Y. McGill

OLB
DQwell Jackson
Antonio Morrison

SS
Mike Adams
Matthias Farley

ILB
Josh McNary
Edwin Jackson

FS
Clayton Geathers
T.J. Green

OLB
Robert Mathis
Akeem Ayers

CB
Vontae Davis
Rashaan Melvin

terceptions, giving him a

passer rating of 96.2. Critically, Luck is taking care
of the football better than
the past couple of seasons,
when he threw 12 interceptions in just seven games in
2015 and 16 interceptions in
16 games in 2014. His 63.7
percent completion rate
would be the best of his career.
The Colts could field
a track team on the perimeter, which has to be
a concern for the Packers
and their injury-plagued
secondary. Receivers T.Y.
Hilton and Phillip Dorsett
arent big 5-foot-9 1/2
but they run like the wind,
with Hiltons 40-yard clocking in 4.36 seconds and
Dorsett in 4.28 seconds.
Donte Moncrief is 5 inches
taller than those two and
runs in 4.40.
Lucks prime target
is Hilton. Hes caught 46
passes for 709 yards (15.4
average) and four touchdowns, with all of those
figures ranking among the
league leaders.
Hes an intelligent football player, Luck said. He
puts the time in the meeting room, on the practice
field. Hes obviously very
athletic and has all the
physical skill. Its been fun.
We were both rookies to-

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2016

gether in 2012, so its been

fun to grow up in the NFL
together.
Lucks No. 2 target has
been tight end Jack Doyle,
who has 31 catches for
318 yards and four touchdowns. He is tied for No. 1
in the NFL among all tight
ends in touchdowns. Moncrief returned last week
after missing five games
with a shoulder injury. After catching 64 passes last
season, he has 11 this year.
The running game is
carried almost exclusively by 33-year-old Frank
Gore. He is one of only
11 players in NFL history
with eight 1,000-yard seasons. Hes on pace for another with 532 yards (4.2
average). The No. 2 back,
Robert Turbin, has carried only 16 times.
Ive had great respect
for Frank Gore, coach
Mike McCarthy said. I
remember coaching him
as a rookie (with San
Francisco in 2005). You
could see right away he
was going to be a great
player in this league. His
instincts and his ability
to run between the tackles and really bounce the
football, I thought, was
unique. Hes probably the
best Ive ever had at making yards out of very little.
His ability to get skinny in
the hole and slice a front,
he was special. His instincts are unique.

17

SPECIAL TEAMS

Kicker Adam Vinatieri

is a marvel. At age 43, hes
made a league-record 43
consecutive field goals.
Even at his age, hes 5 of 5
on field-goal attempts from
50-plus yards, with a long of
54. Of his 26 game-winning
field goals kicked in the
final minute of the fourth
quarter or in overtime, two
came last season. Most
memorably, he beat the
Rams in Super Bowl XXXVIII while with the Patriots.
Punter Pat McAfee ranks
second with 50.3 yards per
punt and sixth with a net
of 42.3. The return game
hasnt done much.

COACHING

Green Bays McCarthy is 116-65-1 in his 11th

season, including an 8-7
record in the playoffs. Indianapolis Pagano is 47-31
in his fifth season, which
includes a 3-3 mark in the
postseason. The Colts lead
the series 21-20-1. The difference came in the last
matchup in 2012. With
Bruce Arians serving as
interim coach with Pagano
being treated for leukemia,
the Colts won 30-27 in Indianapolis. Andrew Luck
hit Reggie Wayne for the
go-ahead touchdown with
35 seconds left to cap a rally from an 18-point deficit.
Mason Crosby missed a 51yard field goal on the final
play of the game.

18

GREEN & GOLD EXPRESS

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2016

NFL STANDINGS
East
Team
New England
Buffalo
Miami
N.Y. Jets
South
Team
Houston
Tennessee
Indianapolis
Jacksonville
North
Team
Pittsburgh
Cincinnati
Baltimore
Cleveland
West
Team
Denver
Oakland
Kansas City
San Diego

AFC
W
7
4
3
3

L
1
4
4
5

T
0
0
0
0

W
5
4
3
2

L
3
4
5
5

T
0
0
0
0

W
4
3
3
0

L
3
4
4
8

T
0
1
0
0

W
6
6
5
3

L
2
2
2
5

T
0
0
0
0

East
Team
Dallas
N.Y. Giants
Philadelphia
Washington
South
Team
Atlanta
Tampa Bay
New Orleans
Carolina
North
Team
Minnesota
Green Bay
Detroit
Chicago
West
Team
Seattle
Arizona
Los Angeles
San Francisco

L
1
3
3
3

T
0
0
0
1

W
5
3
3
2

L
3
4
4
5

T
0
0
0
0

W
5
4
4
2

L
2
3
4
6

T
0
0
0
0

W
4
3
3
1

L
2
4
4
6

T
1
1
0
0

NFL SCHEDULE
Sundays Games
Dallas at Cleveland, 1 p.m.
N.Y. Jets at Miami, 1 p.m.
Philadelphia at N.Y. Giants, 1 p.m.
Jacksonville at Kansas City, 1 p.m.
Detroit at Minnesota, 1 p.m.
Pittsburgh at Baltimore, 1 p.m.

New Orleans at San Francisco, 4:05 p.m.

Carolina at Los Angeles, 4:05 p.m.
Tennessee at San Diego, 4:25 p.m.
Indianapolis at Green Bay, 4:25 p.m.
Denver at Oakland, 8:30 p.m.
Mondays Games
Buffalo at Seattle, 8:30 p.m.

INJURY REPORT
Colts
S Mike Adams, groin
TE Dwayne Allen, ankle
DT Henry Anderson, knee
CB Vontae Davis, concussion
T/G Denzelle Good, knee
RB Frank Gore, rest
WR T.Y. Hilton, hamstring
DE Kendall Langford, knee
OLB Curt Maggitt, ankle
OLB Robert Mathis, rest
G Jack Mewhort, tricep
T/G. Joe Reitz, concussion

PACKERS ROSTER

NFC
W
6
4
4
4

WR Chester Rodgers, hamstring/foot

Packers
WR Randall Cobb, hamstring
TE Jared Cook, ankle
CB Demetri Goodson, concussion
G T.J. Lang, hip
LB Clay Matthews, hamstring
WR Ty Montgomery, illness
CB Damarious Randall, groin
CB Quinten Rollins, groin
RB James Starks, knee
C/G, JC Tretter, knee

#
2
7
10
11
12
17
18
21
22
23
24
25
27
28
29
34
33
35
36
39
42
44
47
48
50
51
52
53
56
61
64
65
67
68
69
70
73
75
76

715-526-3020 / 800-274-2926

See Our
Entire
Inventory
Online

www.SHAWANOAUTO.com
USED CAR SHOWROOM
600 E. GREEN BAY STREET
ACROSS FROM FAMILY VIDEO

NEW CAR SHOWROOM

939 E. GREEN BAY STREET
ACROSS FROM THE FAIRGROUNDS

715-526-3020 / 800-274-2926
www.shawanoauto.com

WOLF RIVER MEDIA

NAME
Crosby, Mason
Hundley, Brett
Schum, Jacob
Davis, Trevor
Rodgers, Aaron
Adams, Davante
Cobb, Randall
Clinton-Dix, Ha Ha
Ripkowski, Aaron
Randall, Damarious
Rollins, Quinten
Evans, Marwin
Lacy, Eddie
Hawkins, Josh
Brice, Kentrell
Jackson, Don
Hyde, Micah
Whitehead, Jermaine
Gunter, LaDarius
Goodson, Demetri
Burnett, Morgan
Starks, James
Ryan, Jake
Thomas, Joe
Martinez, Blake
Fackrell, Kyler
Matthews, Clay
Perry, Nick
Peppers, Julius
Goode, Brett
Pennel, Mike
Taylor, Lane
Barclay, Don
Murphy, Kyle
Bakhtiari, David
Lang, T.J.
Tretter, JC
Bulaga, Bryan
Daniels, Mike

POS.
K
QB
P
WR
QB
WR
WR
S
FB
CB
CB
S
RB
CB
S
RB
DB
S
CB
CB
S
RB
LB
LB
LB
LB
LB
LB
LB
LS
DT
G
T/G
T
T
G
C/G
T
DT

Active
HT. WT.
6-1 207
6-3 226
5-11 211
6-1 188
6-2 225
6-1 215
5-10 192
6-1 208
6-1 246
5-11 196
5-11 195
5-11 211
5-11 234
5-10 189
5-11 200
5-10 208
6-0 197
5-11 195
6-2 201
5-11 197
6-1 209
6-2 218
6-2 240
6-1 227
6-2 237
6-5 245
6-3 255
6-3 265
6-7 287
6-1 255
6-4 332
6-3 324
6-4 305
6-6 305
6-4 310
6-4 318
6-4 307
6-5 314
6-0 310

AGE
32
23
27
23
32
23
26
23
23
24
24
23
26
23
22
23
25
23
24
27
27
30
24
25
22
24
30
26
36
31
25
26
27
22
24
28
25
27
27

EXP. COLLEGE
10 Colorado
2
UCLA
2
Buffalo
R California
12 California
3
Fresno State
6
Kentucky
3
Alabama
2
Oklahoma
2
Arizona State
2
Miami (Ohio)
R Utah State
4
Alabama
R East Carolina
R Louisiana Tech
R
Nevada
4
Iowa
1
Auburn
2
Miami
3
Baylor
7
Georgia Tech
7
Buffalo
2
Michigan
2
South Carolina State
R Stanford
R Utah State
8
Southern California
5
Southern California
15 North Carolina
9
Arkansas
3
Colorado State-Pueblo
4
Oklahoma State
5
West Virginia
R Stanford
4
Colorado
8
Eastern Michigan
4
Cornell
7
Iowa
5
Iowa

78
80
81
82
83
87
88
89
91
94
95
97
98
99

Spriggs, Jason
Perillo, Justin
Allison, Geronimo
Rodgers, Richard
Janis, Jeff
Nelson, Jordy
Montgomery, Ty
Cook, Jared
Elliott, Jayrone
Lowry, Dean
Jones, Datone
Clark, Kenny
Guion, Letroy
Ringo, Christian

T
TE
WR
TE
WR
WR
WR
TE
LB
DE
DE
DT
DT
DT

NAME

Reserve/Injured
POS. HT. WT. AGE EXP. COLLEGE

20

Dorleant, Makinton

CB

5-11 182 23

Northern Iowa

32
37

Banjo, Chris
Shields, Sam

S
CB

5-10 207 26
5-11 184 28

3
7

SMU
Miami

38
77

Crockett, John
Steuck, Kyle

RB
C

6-0
6-2

1
R

North Dakota State

Northern Michigan

84

Abbrederis, Jared

WR

6-1

195 25

Wisconsin

90

Kuder, Tyler

DT

6-3

307 24

Idaho State

#
16
30
40
54
57
62
86
93
96

NAME
Waters, Herb
Burks, Brandon
Kerridge, Joe
Bradford, Carl
Flores, Jacob
Patrick, Lucas
Cajuste, Devon
Gilbert, Reggie
Price, Brian

Practice Squad
POS. HT. WT.
WR 6-0 188
RB
5-9 2-8
FB
6-0 245
LB
6-1 248
C
6-4 300
G
6-3 313
TE
6-4 235
LB
6-3 261
DT
6-3 318

NAME
Linsley, Corey

63

6-6
6-3
6-3
6-4
6-3
6-3
6-0
6-5
6-3
6-6
6-4
6-3
6-4
6-1

301
250
202
257
219
217
216
254
255
296
285
314
322
298

22
25
22
24
25
31
23
29
24
22
26
20
29
24

217 24
310 23

AGE
23
23
24
24
22
23
23
23
22

R
3
R
3
3
9
2
8
3
R
4
R
9
1

Indiana
Maine
Illinois
California
Saginaw Valley State
Kansas State
Stanford
South Carolina
Toledo
Northwestern
UCLA
UCLA
Florida State
Louisiana-Lafayette

EXP. COLLEGE
R Miami
R
Troy
R
Michigan
2
Arizona State
R
Dartmouth
R Duke
R Stanford
R Arizona
R Texas-San Antonio

Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform

POS. HT. WT. AGE EXP. COLLEGE
C
6-3 301 25 3
Ohio State

Roster as of Wednesday

GREEN & GOLD EXPRESS

WOLF RIVER MEDIA

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2016

COLTS ROSTER
# Name
1 McAfee, Pat
4 Vinatieri, Adam
10 Moncrief, Donte
12 Luck, Andrew
13 Hilton, T.Y.
15 Dorsett, Phillip
16 Tolzien, Scott
17 Smith, Tevaun
20 Butler, Darius
21 Davis, Vontae
23 Gore, Frank
25 Robinson, Patrick
26 Geathers, Clayton
28 Todman, Jordan
29 Adams, Mike
30 Melvin, Rashaan
32 Green, T.J.
33 Turbin, Robert
34 Ferguson, Josh
37 Williams, Frankie
41 Farley, Matthias
43 Carter, Chris
44 Morrison, Antonio
45 Overton, Matt
52 Jackson, DQwell
53 Jackson, Edwin
54 Parry, David
56 Ayers, Akeem
57 McNary, Josh
62 Clark, LeRaven
63 Blythe, Austin
71 Good, Denzelle
72 Harrison, Jonotthan
73 Haeg, Joe
74 Castonzo, Anthony
75 Mewhort, Jack
76 Reitz, Joe
78 Kelly, Ryan
80 Rogers, Chester

Pos.
P
K
WR
QB
WR
WR
QB
WR
CB
CB
RB
CB
S
RB
S
CB
S
RB
RB
CB
S
OLB
ILB
LS
ILB
ILB
DT
OLB
LB
T
C
T/G
C
T
T
T/G
T/G
C
WR

Active
Ht. Wt.
6-1 233
6-0 206
6-2 222
6-4 240
5-9 180
5-10 185
6-2 213
6-2 205
5-10 188
5-11 207
5-9 217
5-11 191
6-2 220
5-9 203
5-11 205
6-2 193
6-3
205
5-10 225
5-10 200
5-9 190
5-11 210
6-1 245
6-1 235
6-1 243
6-0 242
6-0 230
6-2 310
6-3 255
6-0 251
6-5 319
6-3 298
6-5 355
6-4 300
6-6 304
6-7 311
6-6 312
6-7 325
6-4 313
6-1 180

Age
29
43
23
27
26
23
29
23
30
28
33
29
24
26
35
27
21
26
23
23
24
27
21
31
33
24
24
27
28
23
24
25
25
23
28
25
31
23
22

Exp.
8
21
3
5
5
2
6
R
8
8
12
7
2
4
13
4
R
5
R
R
R
6
R
5
11
1
2
6
3
R
R
2
3
R
6
3
6
R
R

College
West Virginia
South Dakota State
Mississippi
Stanford
Florida International
Miami
Wisconsin
Iowa
Connecticut
Illinois
Miami (FL)
Florida State
Central Florida
Connecticut
Delaware
Northern Illinois
Clemson
Utah State
Illinois
Purdue
Notre Dame
Fresno State
Florida
Western Washington
Maryland
Georgia Southern
Stanford
UCLA
Army
Texas Tech
Iowa
Mars Hill
Florida
North Dakota State
Boston College
Ohio State
Western Michigan
Alabama
Grambling State

81 Street, Devin
83 Allen, Dwayne
84 Doyle, Jack
86 Swoope, Erik
90 Langford, Kendall
91 Ridgeway, Hassan
92 Maggitt, Curt
93 Walden, Erik
94 Kerr, Zach
95 Edwards, Lavar
96 Anderson, Henry
97 Jones, Arthur
98 Mathis, Robert
99 McGill, T.Y.

19

NFL LEADERS
WR
TE
TE
TE
DE
DT
OLB
OLB
NT
OLB
DT
DT
OLB
DT

6-3
6-3
6-6
6-5
6-6
6-3
6-3
6-2
6-2
6-4
6-6
6-3
6-2
6-0

200
265
267
257
305
317
250
250
334
275
300
320
245
310

25
26
26
24
30
22
23
31
26
26
25
30
35
23

3
5
4
1
9
R
R
9
3
4
2
7
14
2

Pittsburgh
Clemson
Western Kentucky
Miami (FL)
Hampton
Texas
Tennessee
Middle Tennessee State
Delaware
LSU
Stanford
Syracuse
Alabama A&M
North Carolina State

# Name
11 Bray, Quan
36 Williamson, Andrew
58 Cole, Trent
60 Cage, Isiah
69 Thornton, Hugh
80 McFarland, Mike

Pos.
WR
S
OLB
T
G
TE

Reserve/Injured
Ht. Wt. Age
5-10 186 23
6-1 212 23
6-3 270 34
6-5 312 23
6-3 320 25
6-6 262 24

Exp.
2
R
12
R
4
1

College
Auburn
Vanderbilt
Cincinnati
Wis.-Eau Claire
Illinois
South Florida

# Name
7 Morris, Stephen
14 Leak, Marcus
27 Mitchel, Tevin
40 Milton, Christopher
46 Rhodes, Luke
48 Mount, Deiontrez
61 Redmond, Adam
64 Quarles, Kelcy
65 Sokoli, Kristjan
67 Vujnovich, Jeremy

Pos.
QB
WR
CB
CB
ILB
OLB
G
DT
DE
T

Practice Squad
Ht. Wt. Age
6-2 218 24
6-0 210 23
6-0 183 24
5-11 190 24
6-2 242 23
6-5 249 23
6-6 290 23
6-4 312 24
6-5 300 25
6-5 300 26

Exp.
1
R
2
R
R
2
R
2
2
1

College
Miami FL
Maryland
Arkansas
Georgia Tech
William & Mary
Louisville
Harvard
South Carolina
Buffalo
Louisiana College

# Name
85 Miller, Mike

Pos.
TE

Practice Squad/Injured
Ht. Wt. Age Exp. College
6-6 255 25 R Taylor
Roster as of Wednesday

SCORING, NONKICKERS
Points
Gordon SD 60
Blount NE 54
David Johnson ARI 48
D. Murray TEN 48
Forte NYJ 42
L. McCoy BUF 42
Crabtree OAK 38
Mi. Evans TB 38
C. Hyde SF 38
T. Coleman ATL 36
Jo. Nelson GB 36

LEADING PASS RECEIVERS

Yards
A. Green CIN 896
Ju. Jones ATL 859
A. Cooper OAK 787
Hilton IND 709
Mar. Jones DET 656
Beckham NYG 630
Olsen CAR 621
Mi. Evans TB 595
Anto. Brown PIT 592
Jeffery CHI 583

SCORING, KICKERS
Points
Lambo SD 73
Du. Hopkins WAS 72
Sturgis PHI 67
McManus DEN 66
Novak HOU 65
Tucker BAL 63
D. Bailey DAL 62
Janikowski OAK 59
Nugent CIN 59
Santos KC 58

LEADING RUSHERS
Yards
E. Elliott DAL 799
D. Murray TEN 756
David Johnson ARI 705
L. Miller HOU 637
Blount NE 609
L. McCoy BUF 598
Gordon SD 572
D. Freeman ATL 543
Forte NYJ 542
Ajayi MIA 535
Gore IND 532

LEADING PASSERS
Rating
Brady NE 133.9
M. Ryan ATL 115.8
Brees NO 104.7
M. Stafford DET 103.4
D. Carr OAK 100.9
Prescott DAL 99.6
Roethlisberger PIT 99.2
Bradford MIN 98.2
Dalton CIN 98.0
Hoyer CHI 98.0
A. Rodgers GB 96.4

YARDS FROM SCRIMMAGE

Total
David Johnson ARI 1112
D. Murray TEN 953
E. Elliott DAL 949
A. Green CIN 896
Ju. Jones ATL 859
S. Ware KC 824
Gordon SD 791
A. Cooper OAK 787
L. Miller HOU 761
D. Freeman ATL 735
Hilton IND 70

20

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2016

GREEN & GOLD EXPRESS

WOLF RIVER MEDIA

AROUND THE NORTH

Vikings have
struggled coming
off of bye week
Minnesota offensive line not
keeping Bradford upright
The Associated Press

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Minnesota Vikings offensive guard Alex Boone (76) sits on the bench during Mondays 20-10 loss in Chicago. Quarterback Sam Bradford was sacked
five times in the game.

The bye week is usually met with eagerness by

NFL teams, that rare inseason opportunity to let
the body heal and rest and
give the mind a brief break
from the game-planning
and pressure to win.
The Minnesota Vikings
might as well have passed
on theirs this year. They
sure didnt put it to good
use.
After taking the leagues
only perfect record into the
week off, looking every bit
the Super Bowl contender
theyve been gearing up to
be, the Vikings have been
dismantled in consecutive

defeats by Philadelphia
and Chicago on the road.
Both the Eagles and
Bears used heavy pressure
on quarterback Sam Bradford and clogged rushing
lanes when the Vikings
handed off the ball, stymieing an offense that was far
from dominant in the first
five games but confident,
crisp and efficient enough
to complement the dominant defense.
The
Eagles
have
emerged among the NFCs
early-season elite, so that
one wasnt such a stunner.
The Bears, though, took
one victory into the game
SEE VIKINGS, PAGE 21

WOLF RIVER MEDIA

GREEN & GOLD EXPRESS

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2016

VIKINGS
FROM PAGE 20

on Monday night and racked up

403 total yards, the most allowed
by the Vikings this year. That included 158 yards rushing.
You just cant explain the
way we havent played well these
last two weeks, linebacker Chad
Greenway said.
As unexpected and, for a
playoff-caliber team, inexcusable as this more-lopsided-thanthe-score-indicated 20-10 loss
was, the context and timing of
the contest were not exactly in
Minnesotas favor. As bad as the
Bears had played before this,
they had 10 days to prepare for a
division foe. They also benefited
from a fresh Jay Cutler, all but
on his way out as the franchise
quarterback with nothing to lose
and a mind to prove his worth on
a prime-time stage.
Cutler is 9-5 in 14 career
starts against the Vikings, his
most victories against any team,
including a sparkling 7-1 at Soldier Field. Coach Mike Zimmer
offered scant insight about his
teams performance in a terse
postgame news conference,
keeping his comments to a mere
three minutes, but he credited
Cutler for his play.
We didnt make any plays.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Minnesota Vikings running back Matt Asiata (44) cannot catch a pass attempt during Mondays loss to the Bears. Since its bye week,
Minnesota has struggled to move the ball, leading to consecutive losses.

They made them all, Zimmer

said.
Last season, the Vikings ended a couple of ignominious losing
streaks, but theyre still 2-14 on

the road against Chicago since

2000 and 1-8 in their last nine
Monday night games regardless
of site. The coaches and players
have changed, of course, but fans

dont forget the Vikings are 10-21

in night games over the last decade.
Success for NFL teams is as
much about minimizing flaws

21

as it is about seizing opportunities presented by the opponents

weaknesses, and the Vikings
have done an awful job of this for
two straight weeks.
The offensive line is squarely
in the spotlight right now, with
struggles at every position, particularly tackles T.J. Clemmings
and Jake Long. The Vikings
have allowed 11 sacks over the
last two games, and Bradford
has thusly been largely out of
sync.
We havent proven it yet. So
I dont know if hopefuls the right
word, right this second, Zimmer
said when asked if he was optimistic about a rebound by the offensive line. Weve got to get it
fixed, though.
Bradford wasnt about to
blame the blockers. He overthrew Stefon Diggs, a pass that
wouldve been a 50-yard touchdown late in the first quarter after his best wide receiver badly
beat Bears cornerback Tracy
Porter on the route.
Regardless of whats going
on up front, I have to figure out
a way to move the football down
the field, Bradford said.
The Vikings host another division foe, Detroit, this weekend.
We just have to figure the
way we did it, what the formula was those first five weeks,
and do it, Bradford said.

22

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2016

GREEN & GOLD EXPRESS

WOLF RIVER MEDIA

AROUND THE NORTH

Lions cant rely on last-minute comebacks

Detroits 4 wins have come
from scores in final 2 minutes
The Associated Press

The Detroit Lions were

in a familiar spot, down a
few points with time running out only this time,
they couldnt get the ball
back.
Thats the problem with
putting yourself in that position too many times.
There would be no Matthew Stafford-led comeback at the end of Sundays
20-13 loss to the Houston
Texans. Instead, the Lions fell back to .500, which
seemed appropriate given
how many of their games
could have gone either way.
Detroit hasnt had a game
decided by more than seven points this season.
Despite
last
weekends loss, the Lions (4-4)
are certainly in a better
spot than at this time last
season, when they had

dropped seven of their first

eight games. This season,
Detroit has recovered from
a 1-3 start, so the second
quarter of the schedule
went considerably better
than the first.
We had a 3-1 quarter.
We had a little hiccup at the
end, coach Jim Caldwell
said. Were getting ready
to start all over again just
in terms of our next quarter coming up against
obviously a very tough opponent. So what I tell you
is that weve made some
improvement.
The Lions play at Minnesota on Sunday, the last
game before Detroits
bye week. At the midway
point, the Lions are certainly in the playoff race,
but in all four of their victories, the winning points
came in the final two minutes. They were certainly

cutting it close.
Against the Texans on
Sunday, Detroit kicked a
field goal with 2:53 left to
pull within a touchdown.
After an unsuccessful
onside kick, the Lions
couldnt stop Houston, allowing two first downs that
let the Texans run out the
clock.
Obviously, we wanted
to get on the field, it just
didnt work out, wide receiver Golden Tate said.
Weve got to do a better
job of not putting our team
in that situation where we
need to be playing from behind like that.
The Lions held Houston
to only 23 yards rushing in
the first half before allowing 82 in the second, and
although the Texans didnt
score much after taking
a 14-0 lead in the second
quarter, they moved the
ball enough to hold on for
the win.
I just think there were
some situations there

where they just did a little

bit better job at the end
than we did, Caldwell
said. They blocked us up
in a couple situations and
maybe a couple situations
where we missed a tackle
here or there. There were
a few things, there wasnt
just one thing. They did
a better job down the
stretch.
Detroit beat Indianapolis in its season opener on
a field goal with 4 seconds
left, and its victory over
Washington two weekends
ago came on a touchdown
with 16 seconds remaining.
The Lions have had some
close losses as well, but
their defeat against Tennessee was the only one
in which the lead changed
late. Theyve been on the
right side of most of their
exciting finishes so far, and
it was always fair to wonder if that would be sustainable.
Stafford has been very
good, and the addition of

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Detroit could not slow Houston Texans running back Lamar Miller (26)
and the Houston offense in the fourth quarter Sunday, allowing the Texans to put a stop the Detroits three-game win streak.

receiver Marvin Jones

has helped Detroit withstand Calvin Johnsons
retirement, but its going
to be hard for the Lions
to reach the postseason
if they need last-minute
comebacks in so many of
their games. That was one
of the main lessons from

the loss to Houston.

Youll have games like
that against good defenses that play well against
you, Caldwell said. You
know, you may not light it
up every single time, but
we certainly expect to be a
little bit more potent than
we were.

GREEN & GOLD EXPRESS

WOLF RIVER MEDIA

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2016

23

AROUND THE NORTH

Bears head into bye with confidence from 2nd victory

Cutler, Howard gash Minnesotas
vaunted defense in Week 8 win
The Associated Press

The Chicago Bears hit

the halfway point of the
season and their bye week
feeling at least a little better
about themselves.
After all, they just beat
the first-place team in their
division. Then again, thats
about the only positive for
them so far.
After stumbling through
their first seven games, the
Bears stunned the NFC
North-leading Minnesota
Vikings 20-10 on Monday
night.
We proved that last
night, that when we come
with our A game we can
beat anybody, running
back Jordan Howard said
Tuesday.
The Bears (2-6) certainly had it going for them
against the Vikings, with
Howard, Jay Cutler and the

defense all coming up big.

Howard, a fifth-round draft
pick, ran for a career-high
153 yards and a touchdown.
Cutler threw for 252 yards
and a TD after missing five
games with a thumb injury,
and the defense sacked
Sam Bradford five times.
I think it was important
to kind of have a game like
we had last night to build
confidence against a very
worthy opponent, coach
John Fox said. Its really
the first time I can remember all season that weve put
60 minutes of three-level
good performance. I think
that gives you confidence.
Something goods got to
happen to have confidence
and hopefully we can build
on that coming off our bye.
Yes, it was a good night
all around, the kind they
thought would happen on
a more regular basis. In-

stead, theyve been hit hard

by injuries and bogged
down by poor play. And instead of making a jump in
Foxs second season, they
have been heading in the
wrong direction coming off
a six-win season.
Whether they can build
on this is to be determined.
But the upcoming schedule
at least appears manageable, with only one of the
next five games against a
team that currently has a
winning record.
They play at Tampa Bay
(3-4) after the break and
then visit the New York Giants (4-3). This stretch also
includes two games against
.500 teams in Tennessee
and Detroit and the lowly
San Francisco 49ers, owners of the NFLs secondworst record at 1-6.
The Bears have given
their players a full week off
after they delivered their
most complete game of the
season. The team hopes
the down time will help sev-

eral players, including nose

tackle Eddie Goldman, return from injuries.
Chicago has gotten a few
back in recent weeks, most
notably linebacker Pernell
McPhee and Cutler. And on
Monday night, the Bears
took it to the Vikings in just
about every area.
Perhaps the biggest surprise was the way a shorthanded offensive line handled the No. 1 defense. That
group dominated from the
start even though starting
guards Kyle Long (triceps)
and Josh Sitton (ankle) sat
out with injuries.
Cutler got the protection
he needed and settled into a
groove after a shaky start.
Howard easily surpassed his previous high of
118 yards with the line blowing open holes for him. The
fifth-round draft pick broke
off a 69-yarder early in the
game that was the longest
run for Chicago in seven
years.
Throw in the first touch-

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler (6) and running back Jordan
Howard (24) had their best showings of the season in Mondays 20-10
victory over the Vikings. Heading into the bye, Chicago gained some
much-needed confidence.

down catch of the season

for Alshon Jeffery plus the
defense taking down Bradford, and it added up to a
stunning win for a struggling team.
Its supposed to con-

tinue to get better, linebacker Danny Trevathan

said. We feel weve just
kind of started. Were not
satisfied with it. Were going to continue to work to
get better.

24

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2016

GREEN & GOLD EXPRESS

WOLF RIVER MEDIA