Green bay packers vs indianapolis colts live stream

CLEVELAND, OH - AUGUST 13: Starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers #12 of the Green Bay Packers warms up prior to the game between the Cleveland Browns and the Green Bay Packers at Cleveland Browns Stadium on August 13, 2011 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)

It's not easy to get excited about an NFL preseason game, but a tilt between two powerhouse teams like the Green Bay Packers and Indianapolis Colts might just do the trick.

For starters, it's a chance to see the defending Super Bowl champs in action. The Packers promise to be just as good in 2011 as they were in 2010, and a repeat is very much within the realm of possibility. They have essentially the same team they had last year, and they're going to have the added bonus of actually having (knock on wood) a healthy roster this year.

Meanwhile, the Colts are hoping at this point that just one of their guys can stay healthy this season. That guy, though, just so happens to be four-time MVP quarterback Peyton Manning. He has a legit pain in his neck, and his status for the start of the regular season is in doubt.

The Colts will have to cross that bridge when they get to it. For now, let's take a closer look at what's in store for both teams this Friday.

Where: Lucas Oil Stadium

When: Friday, 8 p.m. ET

Watch: CBS, streaming online at NFL.com (preseason package now $9.99), replay on NFL Network on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. ET

CHICAGO, IL - JANUARY 23: Cullen Jenkins #77 of the Green Bay Packers reacts after a sack of quarterback Jay Cutler #6 of the Chicago Bears in the first half in the NFC Championship Game at Soldier Field on January 23, 2011 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

Listen: WTMJ, Statewide Radio Network and Sirius 94 for Green Bay; AM 1070 WFNI, 97.1 HANK FM and Sirius 88 for Indianapolis.

Packers' Key Addition

Because the Packers didn't lift a finger in free agency, I'm going to have to turn to their draft haul. They drafted a number of quality players, but the one guy that sticks out right now is Alex Green, a running back from Hawaii that the Packers got in the third round.

There's not going to be much of a role for him in the offense, but it sounds like kick return duties are going to be his with fellow rookie Randall Cobb a bit banged up at the moment.

If he makes the most of his opportunity, he'll have carved out a nice niche.

Colts' Key Addition

They just signed him today, but I'm already going to go with Kerry Collins.

That the Colts saw fit to go out and talk Collins out of retirement is a pretty good indication of just how desperate their quarterback situation is.

It will be fine once Manning gets back out on the field, but the guys the Colts were trusting to pick up the slack have been pretty lousy so far in the preseason. Bringing in a wily veteran like Collins is definitely desperate, but it is also necessary.

Packers' Biggest Loss

Losing Cullen Jenkins to the Philadelphia Eagles could hurt more than the Packers are probably willing to admit right now. He's a very versatile defensive lineman, and he quietly finished second on the team with seven sacks last season.

His absence is not going to force the Packers defense to go from great to bad, but it will certainly be felt.

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - AUGUST 19: Mike Hartline #9, Dan Orlovsky#6 and Curtis Painter #7 of the Indianapolis Colts look at play sheets during the game against the Washington Redskins at Lucas Oil Stadium on August 19, 2011 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

Colts' Biggest Loss

I Have to go with Clint Session. The Colts have become somewhat notorious for having various deficiencies in their front seven every year, so losing a solid linebacker like Session is not exactly ideal.

He missed a lot of time in 2010 due to nasty elbow injury, but he was very productive in 2008 and 2009. To make matters worse, he now plays for a division rival in the Jacksonville Jaguars.

What They're Saying

Manning has plenty of reasons to worry about his own health at the moment, but you have to tip your cap to him with coming out with a statement (via the Indianapolis Star) in support of Pat Summitt, the longtime head coach of the Tennessee Lady Volunteers who was recently diagnosed with dementia.

"For many years, Pat has shaped countless lives through her sacrifice and dedication to Tennessee athletics. I ask others who admire her and who have been impacted by her work to join me in wishing Pat and her family every comfort as we respect their wishes for privacy," read the statement.

A classy gesture from one Tennessee great to another.

Elsewhere, Rob Demovsky of the Green Bay Press-Gazette wrote a pretty cool article about the Pack's success in the no-huddle offense so far this preseason. It's something that Packers coach Mike McCarthy has toyed with in the past, but choosing to implement it now has plenty of advantages.

"If nothing else, flashing it now and putting it on film for opponents to see will make preparing for the [Aaron] Rodgers-led offense that much more difficult," writes Demovsky. "But this time, the Packers seem more serious about using it."

He's a crafty one, that Mike McCarthy.

Packers Player to Watch

I love watching Aaron Rodgers play as much as anyone, but the guy to watch in this game is going to be running back Ryan Grant. You may not believe it, but Tom Silverstein of the Journal Sentinel says Grant may actually be fighting for a roster spot at this juncture.

I find it a little hard to believe that the Pack would cut a guy who rushed for over 1,200 yards in 2008 and 2009, but it could be that they have legit concerns about Grant's ability to bounce back from a 2010 season that was ruined by an ankle injury when it was just getting started.

Luckily for Grant, he'll get a chance to prove his worth against a Colts defense that is not without issues.

Colts Player to Watch

Good question. For lack of a better idea, I'm going to go with Curtis Painter. To put it lightly, he's looked pretty mediocre in two preseason starts, and that's more or less exactly why the Colts went out and signed Collins. With no indication that Collins will actually play against the Packers, it looks like Painter will get one more shot to show he's capable of stepping into Manning's shoes for a game or two.

Matchup to Watch

The quarterback position isn't the only place the Colts have issues. The guys in front of the quarterback represent one big work in progress, as Indy's O-line contains a pair of rookies in Anthony Castonzo and Ben Ijalana, and the line itself has become a game of musical chairs. There are plenty of issues still to be worked out, and that much has shown in Indy's first two preseason games.

And now the Colts O-line gets to go up against the Packers, a team that is well-known to be a nightmare for quarterbacks. They haven't gotten after the quarterback too much in their first two preseason tune-ups, but the Colts would be wise to assume there's no trend at work there. The Pack have heat to bring, and they will bring it if they see fit.

Packers' Position Battle

Speaking of offensive lines, the Packers have a pretty good position battle going on at left guard. Rookie Derek Sherrod was brought in to patch this particular hole, but he has since been overtaken by T.J. Lang. Whether Lang holds on to the job, or whether Sherrod can use his demotion as motivation, remains to be seen.

Colts' Position Battle

Duh. It's all about the quarterback situation. The whole thing is being a little overblown seeing as how Manning is probably only going to miss one or two regular season games, but those games could loom large in an AFC South that promises to be tight this year.

The Colts really can't afford any slip-ups, and that's exactly why they need to figure out their quarterback mess.

Key Storyline

He's not even going to be playing, but this game is going to be all about Peyton Manning. His neck is one of the prime stories around the NFL right now, and it will be discussed at length by the CBS crew throughout the course of the broadcast.

On the other side of the ball, it will be all about the Packers showing that they are still very much a force to be reckoned with. They won the Super Bowl last year, and there's no reason they can't win it again this year. Look for them to show why.

Prediction

Packers, 21-13

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