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Packers offensive line may prove strength

GREEN BAY (AP) — Daryn Colledge, Jason Spitz and Tony Moll are neighbors in the same subdivision a few miles from Lambeau Field, and now, on the Green Bay Packers’ offensive line.

The former means they spend a lot of time together away from work. The latter could spell the difference between victory and defeat in Monday night’s regular-season opener against the Minnesota Vikings.

With center Scott Wells listed as questionable after missing his fourth straight practice with a recurring lower back injury and rookie Josh Sitton having been ruled out with a knee injury suffered Aug. 22, the Packers figure to start Colledge at left guard, Spitz at center and Moll at right guard against the Vikings’ mammoth defensive tackles Pat Williams and Kevin Williams.

Colledge (second round), Spitz (third) and Moll (fifth) arrived in the same 2006 draft class and have a combined 70 starts among them, but none bigger than this one, as the Packers begin the post-Brett Favre era with Aaron Rodgers as their new starting quarterback behind an offensive line that was in flux throughout preseason.

“We have gone through this before, where we’ve played different combinations of players up front,” Packers coach Mike McCarthy said. “We’ve forced our younger players to learn multiple positions up front, starting two years ago. We’re benefiting from that right now.”

McCarthy said he’s “comfortable” with how much practice time the three have had together since Sitton’s injury, and the coach smiled when recalling the ups-and-downs all three experienced as rookies in 2006, when they each started more than 10 games (Colledge 15, Spitz 13, Moll 10), including five all together.

“They have grown up a lot,” McCarthy said.