DIFFERENT DEFENSE: For years, the Colts were criticized for not being big enough, tough enough or aggressive enough on defense. Times are changing. Indy signed six veterans in free agency, and five are expected to start 鈥?defensive tackles Aubrayo Franklin and Ricky Jean Francois, linebacker Erik Walden, cornerback Greg Toler and safety LaRon Landry. When the starters played during the preseason, they looked fast and aggressive 鈥?two components coach Chuck Pagano knows he must have in the 3-4 defense he brought from Baltimore. But, as Pagano noted, the Colts kept their defense pretty basic in August. So Sunday will be the first time Colts fans will get to see the whole defensive package.
HE'S BACK: One Raiders highlight should be the return of Charles Woodson. The 2009 defensive player of the year entered the league with Oakland in 1998 then signed with Green Bay as a free agent after the 2005 season. Now, a much older Woodson has come back at a new position 鈥?safety. The chess match between Luck and Woodson,Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale, the No. 4 overall pick in a draft that also included Peyton Manning and Ryan Leaf, should be interesting. While Luck tries to improve his completion percentage and interception totals, the crafty Woodson may just try to bait Luck into a mistake. If he does, Woodson could wind up tying one or two NFL records. He needs one interception return for a score to equal Rod Woodson's record (12) and one defensive score to match the mark shared by Rod Woodson and Darren Sharper (13).
