COLTS ARRIVE FOR LAMBEAU SHOWDOWN
-Green Bay will look to end a two-game Lambeau Field losing streak today against its first AFC opponent of the season - the Indianapolis Colts.
-Last weekend, the Packers got back on the winning track with a 27-17 victory over the Seattle Seahawks to improve to 3-3 and create a three-way tie atop the NFC North.
-Green Bay would like to keep the momentum going, and get a much-needed home win, before it heads into the bye week. Three of its four games following the bye are away from home.
-Today marks the 273rd consecutive sellout (257 regular season, 16 playoffs) at Lambeau Field, the league's longest-tenured stadium.
-Despite losing two consecutive games at Lambeau, the Packers have won 10 of their last 13 at the stadium. The Packers have only dropped three consecutive games at Lambeau Field once under McCarthy - his first three home games as Head Coach.
-Standing in their way will be Peyton Manning and the Colts, who make their first appearance at Lambeau Field since 2000.
-The Packers and Baltimore Colts met twice a year from 1953-66, including the 1965 Western Conference Championship, but the two franchises have met just five times in the last 20 seasons.
-The all-time series has exhibited great parity and stands tied at 20-20-1. Green Bay owns a 6-3 advantage in games played at Lambeau Field.
-After the Colts dropped to 1-2 entering their Week 4 bye, they have since responded with two victories. Last Sunday, they defeated the Baltimore Ravens 31-3 behind three Manning TD passes - two to Marvin Harrison and one to Reggie Wayne.
TEAM OCTOBER
-As Green Bay looks to regain its winning ways at home, Indianapolis comes in with a streak of its own.
-The Colts last lost in the month of October in 2004 at Kansas City. Since that game, they have reeled off 13 consecutive wins in the month.
-Something has to give Sunday in terms of streaks. The Packers come in having won four straight against the AFC.
GETTING THE EARLY LEAD
-A key to Sunday's game might be who takes the early lead.
-Indianapolis has outscored its opponents 37-13 in the first quarter thus far, including a 17-0 first-quarter lead over Baltimore last weekend.
-Green Bay has had success with early leads as well. In its three victories, the Packers have held the lead for an average of 36 minutes and 42 seconds per contest. In their three losses, they've only held the lead for an average of 10 minutes and 22 seconds.
DRIVER SET TO MAKE HISTORY THIS SUNDAY
-Pro Bowl wideout Donald Driver, now in his 10th season in Green Bay, may reach a couple of historic milestones Sunday at Lambeau Field.
-Driver needs three receptions to surpass No. 2 James Lofton (530) on the franchise's all-time list. Driver enters with 528.
-He gets those receptions pretty consistently, too. Driver has caught a pass in 101 consecutive games, nearing Sterling Sharpe's franchise record of 103 consecutive games (1988-1994).
-Driver may also become the all-time receiving leader in Lambeau Field history Sunday as well. He needs just 19 receiving yards to surpass the stadium's all-time mark, held by Antonio Freeman (3,477 yards). Driver became the stadium's all-time leader in receptions last season.
THIRD-DOWN SUCCESS
-Pivotal to the Packers' success in Seattle was the third-down play. On offense, they converted 10-of-18 (56%) while holding the Seahawks to 4-of-11 (36%) on defense.
-On the season, the Packers have converted 38-of-84 (45.2%) third downs. That percentage ranks seventh among NFL clubs.
-Green Bay's third-down defense in Seattle looked like the dominant unit it was a year ago. So far this season, the defense is 31-of-79 (39.2%), 16th among NFL teams. Last season, the defense ranked third in the league on third down at 33.0%.
-QB Aaron Rodgers seems to be at his strongest on third downs. He ranks second among NFL signal callers on third-down passing with a 120.9 QB rating (39-of-59, 66.1%, 542 yards).
-Nine of his 11 TD passes have come on third down. Dallas' Tony Romo is the next closest passer with 6 TDs on third down.
{sportsad300}FLAGS ON THE FIELD
-Green Bay registered a season-low five penalties against Seattle, a marked improvement from the season's first five weeks.
-Still, penalties is an area the team must improve on if it expects to be a viable postseason contender.
-Through six games, the team has been flagged 57 times, tied for the NFL lead with Carolina and just one ahead of Dallas (56). All three clubs hope to be contending for NFC playoff seeds in the coming weeks and months.
-49 of the Packers penalties have been accepted, resulting in a league-high 464 yards. New Orleans is the next closest team with 412 penalty yards.
MANY HAPPY RETURNS
-The Packers are tied with the Buccaneers for the NFL lead with four touchdowns on returns.
-Things got going in Week 1 with CB Will Blackmon's 76-yard punt return against Minnesota.
-CB Charles Woodson and S Nick Collins both returned interceptions for touchdowns against Detroit in Week 2. Woodson returned another interception for a score at Tampa in Week 4.
-NFC North rival Chicago, New Orleans and Philadelphia are next closest with three touchdowns on returns.
-The Packers have allowed just one return TD this season - a 38-yard fumble return by Tampa Bay.
WEARING THE STRIPES
Today's officiating crew includes referee Ron Winter (14), umpire Tony Michalek (115), head linesman Jim Mello (48), line judge Tom Stephan (68), field judge Duke Carroll (11), side judge Tom Hill (97) and back judge Don Carey (126).
