The Game Plan (cont.)

Under Pressure

Colts rookie CB Jacob Lacey will be tasked with slowing down the Patriots passing attack. AP

Jarraud Powers and Jacob Lacey, CBs, Indianapolis.

Last week, the two rookies -- Powers a third-round pick from Auburn, Lacey a college free agent from Oklahoma State -- started in tandem for the first time because of knee injuries to both Indy starters, Marlin Jackson and Kelvin Hayden. Though the Colts will play lots of nickel Sunday night and help Powers and Lacey in coverage, they still have this fact staring them in the face: Two of the most important players trying to stop Tom Brady and Randy Moss -- on the rug in the Indy dome -- will be rookies who a year ago were in the SEC and Big 12, respectively. That's a tough way for the Colts to enter the game.

Ten Things I'll Be Watching For This Weekend

1. Whether Aaron Rodgers has learned how not to take sacks. To have 260 attempts and 37 sacks in eight games is downright irresponsible on the part of Rodgers, and even though Mike McCarthy has played it down the past couple of weeks, everyone in Green Bay knows the Cowboys are coming to town with a good inside (Jay Ratliff) and outside (DeMarcus Ware) rush to get to the quarterback. Rodgers simply has to dump it off when he sees the roof caving.

2. Brett Favre's mobility. Never is heard a discouraging word out of Minnesota about the strained groin muscle Favre nursed through the bye week. But he's been limited in practice this week, and the obvious question is whether Favre, at 40, and starting his 300th straight game (including playoffs), can hold up for the next two-plus months if he can't move the way he needs to move.

3. Curtis Lofton answering the bell for Atlanta. Falcons at Panthers. Carolina sure to try to throw a 35- or 40-carry run game against Atlanta, so Matt Ryan stays glued to the sidelines. That's why Lofton, a legitimate top-five middle linebacker, needs to overcome his knee and ankle woes and be the roadblock for DeAngelo Williams. Lofton practiced fully on Wednesday, so it sounds like he's good to go. He'd better be.

4. Philip Rivers strafing the Eagles. With two of the Eagles' top four corners -- Ellis Hobbs (neck) and Joselio Hanson (league suspension) -- out, Rivers has to be licking his chops to send 6-foot-5 monsters Vincent Jackson, Malcom Floyd and Kassim Osgood deep in San Diego Sunday.

5. The Patriots taking Dallas Clark away from Peyton Manning. Rodney Harrison said the other day at NBC that the Patriots, above all, would not let Clark have the kind of chains-moving day he had against Houston last week, when he caught 14 Manning passes. My guess is the Pats will try to occupy the move tight end with a safety or corner as much or more than with a linebacker, and try to slow him in the five-yard bump zone.

6. Denver to struggle again. Just because the Broncos are at 2-6 Washington, don't look for a walkover. The 'Skins have a legit top-eight defense. Albert Haynesworth's going to pressure the pocket and Andre Carter will get around the edge enough to bother Kyle Orton. Tough road trip for Denver.

7. Brady Quinn trying to stick it to his own team. So Quinn at the start of the season was given the starting job for 10 quarters, then yanked, and became a nobody around the team. Then, because Derek Anderson was downright awful as the starter, Quinn gets another chance ... Monday night, against Baltimore. He badly wants to prove himself. But Quinn had better not push too hard. That never helps.

8. Motivation in Indianapolis. This is odd, because Pats-Colts is always such a big game. But this year, why, exactly? If the Patriots lose and exit the weekend with a one-game division lead, do you doubt they'll win the AFC East? If the Colts lose and lead the AFC South by three, there's still no chance they'll lose the division. Now, each team will be beyond fired-up to play this game, because it's such a good rivalry, and Manning and Brady will go nuts if they see a teammate not treating this game like the seventh game of the World Series. But when you really think about it, this game is great for the drama and the showdown. It's not great for the significance.

9. The perfect week for a bye. The Giants and Texans have the last two byes in the league, and it's the best time for a bye -- with nine games down and seven to go. You'd prefer your bye to come a little bit after the midpoint of your season, so you can get more people closer to healthy.

10. A break from Chad Ochocinco. I like the guy. He's fun, he's different, he's full of life. But enough already with the sixth-grade crappola, sending deodorant to the Ravens defensive backs (what does that mean anyway) and being stopped by his coach from sending mustard to the Steelers defensive backs (what does that mean anyway) and waiving a dollar bill at an official, "hoping'' he'd change his call. Can we have a week with just football with this guy? Just one?