DATE: Sunday, October 19, 2008
SITE: Lambeau Field
KICKOFF: 4:15 p.m. (EDT)/3:15 p.m. (CDT)
CAPACITY: 72,928
SURFACE: DD GrassMaster
Traveling to one of the NFL's most storied venues to renew a rivalry that started in 1953, but has been waged only six times during the club's 25 years in Indianapolis, the Colts, 3-2, venture to Lambeau Field to meet the Green Bay Packers, 3-3. Kickoff for the contest, telecast by CBS Sports, is 4:15 p.m. (EDT)/3:15 p.m. (CDT). Westwood One provides national radio coverage.
The Colts and Packers are meeting for the first time since 2004, when the Colts earned a 45-31 home win on September 26. Indianapolis is appearing in Green Bay for the first time since November 19, 2000, when the Packers gained a 26-24 win. The overall series is tied, 20-20-1, but a rivalry that was fought on a twice-yearly basis from 1953-66 has been renewed only sporadically in the last quarter-century. Indianapolis reaches Sunday's contest after a 31-3 victory last Sunday at home over Baltimore. Green Bay posted a 27-17 victory last Sunday at Seattle. Indianapolis will be playing its third game against the NFC North. The Colts fell at home to Chicago, 29-13, on September 7, then posted an 18-15 win on September 14 at Minnesota.
Owners of the NFL's best regular-season record (105-44) since the start of the 1999 season, while being the only team to earn eight playoff appearances in the last nine seasons, Indianapolis has won 50 of its last 62 regular-season games. Indianapolis' winning ways include a 29-9 record in AFC South play, while the club has owned or shared the lead in 95 of 108 weeks of the division's existence. The Colts have won the past five AFC South championships, the best divisional-title streak in club history. Indianapolis became the only NFL team with five consecutive 12 -victory seasons. The Colts were tied with Dallas (1992-95) as the only teams to do it four consecutive seasons.
PERSONNEL REPORT: DB-Bob Sanders (knee), DB-Kelvin Hayden (knee), WR-Roy Hall (knee) were out; DE-Dwight Freeney (hamstring), WR-Anthony Gonzalez (concussion), DB-Marlin Jackson (ankle), LB-Clint Session (calf), OG-Jamey Richard (shoulder) were questionable. Last game's inactive players were: DB-Nick Graham, LB-Buster Davis, OT-Dan Federkeil, DT-Daniel Muir, DE-Marcus Howard, Hayden, Hall and Sanders.
TELEVISION/RADIO: CBS Sports telecasts with Jim Nantz and Phil Simms. 1070-The Fan/HANK-FM, 97.1 broadcasts with Bob Lamey and Will Wolford. Westwood One provides national radio coverage with Mark Champion and Mark Malone.
NEXT WEEK: Indianapolis visits Tennessee on Monday, October 27 at 8:30 p.m. (EDT).
**WWW.COLTS.COM**: Please check the official website of the Indianapolis Colts for the latest in team information and merchandise.
HEAD COACHES
TONY DUNGY is 76-25 at the Colts' helm. Dungy joined the Colts on January 22, 2002, after serving as Tampa Bay's head coach for six seasons (1996-01). Dungy's career regular-season record is 130-67, and he has an overall record of 139-76. Dungy became the 35th coach in NFL history to earn 100 career victories with a 38-20 win at Houston on 10/23/05. Dungy became the 20th coach since entering the league in 1970 to win 100 career games. Of those 20, only George Seifert (132), Joe Gibbs (148), Mike Ditka (151), Mike Holmgren (160) and Mike Shanahan (161) reached 100 career wins faster than Dungy's pace of 163 games. Dungy recorded his 100th regular-season victory vs. Tennessee 12/4/05, becoming only the 6th coach to win 100 regular-season games in the first 10 years as a head coach (113, Seifert; 105, Don Shula; 103, John Madden; 102, Dungy; 101, Gibbs; 101, Ditka). With an overall mark of 83-30, Dungy became the winningest coach in Colts history with a 31-7 win at Carolina on 10/28/07, bettering the prior total of 73 by Shula and Ted Marchibroda. Dungy owns a 106-43 mark since the start of the 1999 season (30-18 at Tampa Bay; 76-25 with Colts), and he is the NFL's winningest coach during that span. He has directed 10 of his 12 teams into the playoffs, while leading Tampa Bay (1999) and the Colts (2003, 2006) to the conference championship game, and his 2006 Colts squad won Super Bowl XLI. Dungy took Tampa Bay to four playoff appearances during his tenure as field general. From 2002-07, Dungy has directed the Colts to 10-6, 12-4, 12-4, 14-2, 12-4 and 13-3 records, becoming the only coach in club history to produce 10 victories and playoff berths in the first six seasons with the team. In 2007, Dungy helped produce the 17th 10 -victory season in franchise history, and he is one of five Colts head coaches to earn double-digit victory totals (6, Dungy; 4, Shula; 3, Marchibroda; 2, Don McCafferty; 2, Jim Mora). Dungy has nine career double-digit victory seasons (10-6, 1997; 11-5, 1999; 10-6, 2000 with Tampa Bay; 10-6, 2002; 12-4, 2003; 12-4, 2004; 14-2, 2005; 12-4, 2006; 13-3, 2007 with Colts), and he was the first coach to defeat all 32 NFL teams. Under Dungy, Indianapolis has six consecutive 10 -victory seasons (2002-07), tying the third-longest streak in NFL history (16, San Francisco, 1983-98; 7, Dallas, 1975-81; 6, Dallas, 1968-73; 6, Miami 1970-75; 6, LA Rams, 1973-78; 6, Dallas, 1991-96; 6, Colts, 2002-07). The Colts have produced a 105-44 regular-season record since 1999, a victory total that leads the NFL. The Colts are the only team to qualify for post-season play eight times in the last nine seasons. Indianapolis has won the AFC South five consecutive seasons and has owned or shared the division lead in 95 of 108 weeks of AFC South existence. The Colts were wire-to-wire divisional leaders from 2005-07. Under Dungy during the regular season, the Colts are 39-12 at home and 37-13 on the road. Dungy (1999-07) has earned nine consecutive playoff appearances (1999-01 at Tampa Bay; 2002-07 with Colts), tying Tom Landry (9, Dallas, 1975-83) for the most consecutive playoff appearances by NFL coaches since 1970. Indianapolis (14-2, 2005; 12-4, 2003, 2004 and 2006; 13-3, 2007) has become the only team to earn 12 victories in five consecutive seasons, snapping the league mark it had shared with Dallas (1992-95). The Colts own a 73-23 record (counting the playoffs) since the start of the 2003 season and are 59-18 since 2004. Dungy held a 54-42 record as head coach with Tampa Bay, qualifying for the playoffs four times in six seasons. Dungy produced some of the NFL's stingiest defenses during his years at Tampa Bay. His units ranked no lower than 11th during his stay and ranked 6th or higher in four of his last five years. His 2007 Colts unit ranked 3rd in the NFL and 1st in scoring defense. Dungy also served 1981-88 with Pittsburgh, including 1984-88 as defensive coordinator. After serving 1989-91 as DB Coach at Kansas City, Dungy was the defensive coordinator at Minnesota from 1992-95. During his years in Minnesota, the Vikings intercepted an NFL-high 95 passes and made three playoff appearances. The Chiefs made two playoff appearances during Dungy's tenure. At Pittsburgh in 1984, he became the NFL's youngest coordinator (age 28). In five seasons as Pittsburgh's coordinator, the Steelers averaged 24 interceptions and 37 takeaways, while scoring 20 touchdowns. Dungy entered the coaching ranks in 1980 at his alma mater, Minnesota, where he was a quarterback (1973-76). He made the Steelers as a free agent in 1977 and was a member of the Super Bowl XIII title team, then was traded to San Francisco in 1979. Dungy is a native of Jackson, Mich.
MIKE McCARTHY became the 14th head coach in Green Bay history on January 12, 2006. McCarthy has led the Packers to 8-8 and 13-3 records, and his 2007 unit advanced to the NFC Championship Game. McCarthy spent 1999 with Green Bay as quarterbacks coach before spending 2000-04 with New Orleans and 2005 with San Francisco as offensive coordinator. Prior to Green Bay, he was with Kansas City 1993-98. McCarthy served collegiately at Fort Hays State and Pittsburgh. He was a two-year TE at Baker University. McCarthy is a native of Pittsburgh, Pa.
COLTS/PACKERS SERIES NOTES
The Colts lead the league series, 20-19-1, while Green Bay owns the only post-season decision in series history, a 13-10 overtime win on December 26, 1965 in the Western Division Playoff. These teams met twice seasonally from 1953-66, but have met only nine times since the 1970 NFL Merger and six times since the Colts' 1984 move to Indianapolis. In the last series meeting, passing on the first 22 plays from scrimmage and totaling 35 first-half points, the Colts produced a 45-31 home victory over Green Bay. QB-Peyton Manning (28-40-393, 5 TDs) had then the third 5 -TD game of his career, while WRs-Reggie Wayne (11-184, 1 TD), Brandon Stokely (8-110, 2 TDs) and Marvin Harrison (5-65, 1 TD) had big days. QB-Brett Favre was 30-44-360, 4 TDs, while WR-Javon Walker was 11-200, 3 TDs. The Colts led at intermission, 35-17. In the last series meeting at Lambeau Field, Green Bay scored the game's first 19 points, then held off a Colts rally in posting a 26-24 win. The Packers scored a safety and a field goal before Favre (23-36-301, 2 TDs/1 int.) ended consecutive 87-yard drives with scoring passes (1t to TE-Tyrone Davis; 17t to WR-Antonio Freeman). The Packers reached the Colts' one-yard line without scoring as time expired in the first half. Manning (25-44-294, 3 TDs/1 int.) tossed three touchdown passes in the fourth quarter as the Colts cut the deficit to 19-17 and 26-24. KR-Allen Rossum's 92t kickoff return prior to the final Colts' score provided the deciding points. Green Bay milked the final 2:39 off the clock in earning the win. RB-Edgerrin James was 17-71 rushing/7-66 receiving. The teams met in Indianapolis on November 16, 1997 as the 0-10 Colts topped the 8-2 defending Super Bowl champion Packers in the RCA Dome, 41-38. QB-Paul Justin (24-30-340, 1 TD) directed the Colts, while Favre was 18-35-363, 2 TDs/1 int. K-Cary Blanchard's 20-yard field goal at the gun provided the win after Justin took a knee on the Packers' one on the three plays prior to the kick. It marked Green Bay's final loss until the Super Bowl. The Colts hold a 3-6 overall mark in Lambeau Field.
BEST NFL RECORDS DURING 1999-2008 REGULAR SEASONS
COLTS ARE NFL'S WINNINGEST TEAM FROM 1999-2008: The Colts stand as the NFL's winningest team since the start of the 1999 season. The Colts own a 105-44 record during that span. Colts Head Coach Tony Dungy was 30-18 with Tampa Bay from 1999-2001. He is 76-25 with the Colts, and his 106 wins during that span are the most in the NFL.
