Tom James
Tribune-Star Correspondent
INDIANAPOLIS —
If NFL fans want to get a true look at how their favorite team will look when the regular season starts in a couple of weeks, what transpires in the third preseason game is usually the best indicator of things to come.
NFL coaches are more apt to play their offensive and defensive starters for a longer period of time, usually into the third quarter, before teams freely substituting rookies and lesser-known backup players. With the Indianapolis Colts set to play the Green Bay Packers on Thursday night at historic Lambeau Field (8 p.m., ESPN), coach Jim Caldwell plans to follow a similar plan.
“I would anticipate that, but the thing about it is that not everybody is going to be held to that exact same rhythm. But where we can, we will,” Caldwell said this week, adding that some of the starters will be on a play count while others
will be limited to a set number
of series.
“The big thing is execution, effectiveness, team-rhythm. We always look at a number of different things as we go from week-to-week, but this one hopefully you can play guys a little bit longer than they’ve played previously. So, we’re looking for more of an extended, quality effort. I think that’s important. Guys are finally getting to the point when they are going to have extended drives. They are going to be required to stay on the field a little more than usual, and within that we want to make certain that they have endurance and stamina, along with executing effectively — offensively, defensively and in our kicking game.”
He’ll take a wait-and-seen attitude when it comes to making a final decision on playing time for key players.
“It just depends on some guys. If a guy hasn’t played much this preseason, we’ll go by number of snaps. But other than that, we usually go by time period at this point in time,” Caldwell said. “Whether it’s a quarter, half-a-quarter, a quarter-and-a-half, whatever it might be. It just varies and you always have to be ready to adjust that due to injuries and things of that nature.”
• • •
• Rookie reaction — No matter how long the starters end up staying in the game, the Colts’ coach also wants to take a close look how some of his team’s younger players react to performing in a venue where the fans are often just as raucous in the preseason as they are for regular-season games.
“I think it’ll be a great test for everybody. Green Bay has great crowds no matter what the situation is, but I think it will be a good test. We have a lot of our games early in the season, including the opener, on the road,” Caldwell said.
“It’s a good test for us, and I think we’ll be able to face a lot of situations in this game; dealing with crowd noise, working against a number of different defenses. Green Bay really mixes it up, they are a blitz team, they play a lot of different looks. All of those things combined, it’ll be tough to execute. But it will be good for our team to see those different things in the preseason.”
Quarterback Peyton Manning is looking forward to facing a talented Packers team as well as their rabid fan base.
“I think it’ll be a great test for everybody. Green Bay has great crowds no matter what the situation is, but I think it will be a good test. We have a lot of our games early in the season, including the opener, on the road. It’s a good test for us. And I think we’ll be able to face a lot of situations in this game,” Manning said.
“Dealing with crowd noise, working against a number of different defenses. Green Bay really mixes it up. They are a blitz team, they play a lot of different looks. All of those things combined, it’ll be tough to execute. But it will be good for our team to see those different things in the preseason.”
• Returning home....sort of — While Caldwell grew up in Beloit, Wis., he was not a Packers fan as a youngster most of the time.
Instead, he followed the Chicago Bears of the mid-1960s and was enamored by the exploits of running back Gale Sayers and middle linebacker Dick Butkus. The allegiance to the Bears caused occasional discomfort at home.
“Even though back in those days when I was younger, everybody else in my family rooted for the Packers, I was a Bears fan. Other than when they played the Bears, I rooted for the Packers as well. It was just when they matched up against Butkus and Sayers and those guys is when I sat on the other side of the room,” he recalled with a smile earlier this week.
“[The Packers are] a great tradition. I think the entire state when we were growing up was affected by coach [Vince] Lombardi and the things that he did. Everybody watched his team. Our Pop Warner coaches, back in those days, we did 100 up-downs and things of that nature, which they made popular. So all the way through our entire formative years, they were a big part of that. And in our area, they’re still big, big fans.”
The loyalties of Packers fans run so deep that several of Caldwell’s friends from Beloit have informed him this week, he’s the enemy.
“As a matter of fact, I got a call from my high school coach who said to me, ‘Hey, this is the only game I can’t root for the Colts.’ He’s always been a big Packers fan. They are loyal and a great fan base,” he said.
• Just for kicks — With free agent running back Devin Moore not expected to play against the Packers and undrafted rookie running back Javarris James sidelined with a left knee injury, the Colts are expected to have undrafted rookie wide receiver Brandon James along with wide receiver Sam Giguere and rookie cornerback Ray Fisher handling most of the kickoff and punt return duties.
“We will probably give a couple guys a shot. Brandon will be back there. I think it’s all based upon whether they are healthy and they can go, those kinds of things. [But] we’ll try to give Brandon a little bit more of a dose this week,” Caldwell said.
What happens in the Green Bay game could loom large for Fisher, a former Indiana University standout who was a seventh-round draft pick by Indianapolis. Injuries early in training camp has slowed his progress and a muffed punt in last week’s preseason game with Buffalo could put him in danger of making the regular-season roster.
• Cut time — NFL training-camp rosters must be reduced to 75 players by 4 p.m. Sunday.
“There’s always questions [when it comes time to trim the roster], no question about that,” the Colts’ coach said. “And those are never easy decisions. They take a very thorough evaluation.
“We allow the performances to dictate what happens when we do have to reduce the squad. That will happen in the ballgames. That will happen this week. The guys will be able to solidify a position and move themselves into a little bit better position to make the team. It’s tough. Those decisions are tough. What we do is evaluate the film, watch the film, determine what we’ve seen in practice and make a decision from there.”
• Injury list — Among the Colts sitting out Tuesday’s practice were offensive tackle Ryan Diem, Moore, running back Javarris James, tight end Dallas Clark, wide receiver Austin Collie and cornerback Marcus McCauley.
Offensive guard Jaimie Thomas (foot) and rookie tight end Brody Eldridge both took part in the workout. It hasn’t been determined if either will play Thursday night at Green Bay.
Weak-side linebacker Clint Session, who has yet to play in a preseason game due to a pectoral injury, has declared himself ready to play against the Packers.
“I haven’t hit anybody since the Super Bowl. And that [game] left a bad taste in my mouth,” Session said.
• No practice — Today is a travel day as the Colts head off to Green Bay for Thursday night’s nationally televised game.
There will be a short practice Saturday afternoon. Caldwell is expected to give the team some off time Friday and Sunday.
