I have been waiting to give my postgame thoughts on the NFC Championship for a while, but I was pretty busy with my first week back at school and then the Senior Bowl on Saturday. My apologies! Anyway, I wish I would have had time to write this last week where I was still really excited that we won. Now my focus is already looking forward to this Sunday instead of last week, but it shouldn't be too hard to recall one of the biggest wins in Packers history.
1) Sam Shields is a complete stud. I was really nervous about our nickel cornerback position heading into this season after what Kurt Warner did to this team last postseason. I didn't know much about Shields before the season other than he was really fast and really raw. I started to think he wasn't half bad after having a nice preseason. Then he held DeSean Jackson to 4 catches in Week 1. Then you didn't start hearing his name for a while, which is a good thing as a defensive back. Then he had a great interception on Sunday Night Football against the Cowboys on national television. Soon he was intercepting Eli Manning and playing out wide to let Charles Woodson play in the box as a slot blitzer. And finally last week happened. First, Shields came heavily on the corner blitz and hit Jay Cutler, knocking the ball loose and him out of the game. On Shield's first interception he went up as the wide receiver and shielded Johnny Knox away from the ball. It was a huge pick only a few plays after Rodgers threw an interception to Lance Briggs. It forced the Bears to head into halftime shut out by the Packers defense. Shields came again later in the 4th quarter on a corner blitz and forced Hanie to unload the ball quickly, only to be intercepted by B.J. Raji. And on the Bears final drive, Shelds made the interception that Packer fans will always remember: the interception that sealed a trip to the Super Bowl on their biggest rival's home turf. Not bad for an undrafted free agent huh? If there was a redraft of the 2010 NFL Draft, is there any doubt Shields would go in the first round? He played better than 3 of the 5 first round corners this season, only losing out to a Pro Bowler Devin McCourty of the Patriots and Joe Haden of the Browns- the 7th overall pick in the Draft. What an amazing find again for Thompson and the Packers scouting department.
2) B.J Raji. We knew he was going to be good, but this good and this dominant this soon? He is only in his second year in the league and he has proven that he is a complete stud in the middle of the 3-4. Raji started proving his dominance in the Patriots game towards the end of the season and just took off from there. He helped stuff the run and sack his former college teammate Matty Ice in the Divisional game. Then he made the big play for the pick six in the fourth quarter of the NFC Championship Game (note to Raji: I love you man, but try not to make that stretching the ball across the goalline so much like Leon Lett). 6.5 sacks from a 3-4 NT is unheard of in today's NFL, since the main focus of a 3-4 NT is to stop the run and have the linebackers fill the gaps. However, Raji is so quick that he is able to beat either the guards or centers with a quick shove or else simply piledrive him back. His combination of quickness and strength is just unbelievable for a man his size. He is without a doubt a top 5 defensive tackle in the league and I would only take Ngata, Suh, and Wilfork over him at this point. Remember, Raji is only 24 years old. I'm drooling as I write this.
3) Tim Masthay. He showed no fear punting the ball to Devin Hester and he was flat out phenomenal. He and Jarrett Bush have developed some kind of special teams chemistry that I can't really describe in writing, but it just seems Bush always knows where Masthay is punting the ball. Who wouldve known that I would be a writing a paragraph on our special teams, but in order to beat the Bears, we knew that it had to loom large. Masthay's final punt may have been one of the best punts I have ever seen in such a big moment. The Packers had gone 3 and out after going ultra conservative with about 3:30 left in the game and Masthay was forced to kick it to Hester again, making every Packer fan hold their breath. However, Masthay hit a boomer that went about 60 yards in the air and was caught right on the sideline. It gave Hester no real room to work with and he was contained for a very minimal game. It forced Hanie to drive a longer field that was thought, which proved to be huge because the more plays he had to throw the ball, the more likely a mistake: and that is exactly what happened. Masthay has shown that he is prehaps the best Packers punter since the Packers last Super Bowl punter, Craig Hentrich.
4) We are in the Super Bowl. You see, it really didn't hit me that we were in the Super Bowl at all last week. I don't know if that is because I went back to Vikings territory or if it was because the only thing the media could talk about was Jay Cutler. Or maybe it was just because I am still stunned. The Packers became the first 6 seed to win the NFC, making it through the 1,2, and 3 seeds all on the road, which was simply remarkable. Deep down, I knew we had a chance, but as you all know based on my predictions, I didn't think we would actually do it. I believed all year that we had the most talented roster in the NFL and still had not played a complete game in the regular season. This postseason, we still have not played a complete game (Atlanta was very close, except for the special teams blunder), and we find ourselves in the Super Bowl.
I had the weirdest reaction after the Bears game. After Shields' interception I just stuck my hands up while everyone around me was cheering. Yet, when Tramon picked off Vick I went crazy. It got me thinking how crazy sports are: When the moment is that big, you really aren't used to it. I do not recall the last time the Packers won an NFC Championship, since I was only 6 so I didn't know how I would actually react if the Packers won. I was quite surprised, and like I said, it still really hasn't hit me that my Packers are playing for a Super Bowl championship. I am simply just trying to appreciate that we are playing for a Lombardi. The Packers could be back next year, or they could be back in twenty years: You just never know with sports, which is why I am such a big fan.
I meant to end on that, but I just want to let everyone know that I watched the Senior Bowl last Saturday so if you want to check my reports on any names you may recognize below, feel free to go right ahead.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Senior Bowl Thoughts
My first post on the 2011 NFL Draft! Yipee! My attention was diverted from the Super Bowl today because of the Senior Bowl. I know many people don't watch the Senior Bowl because most players are picked in the middle rounds but I love watching and scouting each player and base their play on what their potential is in the NFL. Anyway, here are my Senior Bowl thoughts on the game played today: the first stepping of many stepping stones to the April Draft.
- Christian Ponder (QB) of Florida State was the game MVP in my mind. I didn't think much of him before this game based off of my previous experience watching him but he looked like the best quarterback of the day. He had excellent timing on a comeback route to Leonard Hankerson for his first touchdown pass of the day. On his 2nd touchdown pass in the 4th quarter, Ponder looked off the free safety and then threw a beautiful seam throw to Jeremy Kerley. Ponder also showed off some running ability and overall really improved his stock today.
- Sam Acho (DE) of Texas played a good game. He owned Colordo tackle Nate Solder with a quick shove and seemed like he was always in the backfield when he was on the field.
- Titus Young (WR) of Boise State had a great week of practices at the Senior Bowl, but he committed two big 3rd down drops today on passes thrown by Jake Locker. Both would have been tough catches but nevertheless, the ball hit his hands both times. However, he proved today that he is without question the best at getting out of his routes. It is insane how quick he is.
- Leonard Hankerson (WR) from Miami had a prett big day. He ran a nice comeback route on his touchdown from Ponder and also made some good adjustments to the ball on a few underthrown passes his way. However, Hankerson also did have soem questionable drops too, most notably at the end of the half after beating Richard Sherman on a double move.
- Christian Ballard (DT) from Iowa is one of the quickest defensive tackles I have seen from a player at his stage. He could sneak his way into the bottom of the first round.
- Anthony Allen (RB) from Georgia Tech isn't quick by any means and missed a few reads from his linemen. He really didn't end up playing all that much if at all in the 2nd half.
- Derek Sherrod (T) from Mississippi State uses his hands very well and can really stay in front of his man. Solid showing from him today.
- Ricki Stanzi (QB) from Iowa didn't look really comfortable in the pocket, but he does have very good pocket awareness and made some plays throwing on the run. However, he also did throw the ball into what looked like triple coverage and off of his back foot on a ball that should have easily been picked off. He also showed he wasn't afraid to throw the ball into tight spots. He forced one into Lance Kendricks rolling out to his right, and then on the next play he threw a strike on a quick slant between two defenders to Vincent Brown. It appears he has a stronger arm than I imagined and he also looked smart out there directing the offense and letting them know where they had to be.
- Richard Sherman (CB) from Stanford wasn't on my radar at all before this game, but he looked good on his ball skills and also has great size at 6'2. Before the end of the half with 6 seconds left, he got beat on a double move by Hankerson, which just baffled me.
- Greg McElroy (QB) from Alabama showed some good mobility, but not as great of decision making. I noticed when under pressure he tends to throw flat footed.
- Jeremy Beal (DE) from Oklahoma looked good in pursuit and recognizing a play action slip. He also had a great play crashing hard down hill on 3rd and goal from the 1 to stop Devin from reaching the endzone. And lastly, he had a great timed jump on a sack of Andy Dalton...looks like he could be a good 3-4 outside backer.
- Noel Devine (RB) from West Virginia didn't do much between the tackles and was dancing in the hole too often. However, he looked decent in space and could be a good 3rd down back for some team.
- Kendric Burney (CB) from North Carolina, despite being beaten for a touchdown, looked very good coming up and making plays. He also showed good coverage skills on a ball that he batted away from Ronald Johnson. Burney also was fantastic on special teams and could be a great value pick by a team that is looking to improve in that area.
- DeMarcus Love (T) from Arkansas just looked terrible. One play after being beaten off the edge by Kerrigan, Fua just plowed him over on a run play.
- Andy Dalton (QB) from TCU just doesn't have the arm strength to make every throw, but he is indeed very accurate. Looks like a game manager to me at the next level, and the NFL doesn't really like those. Still could be a very solid backup.
- Derrick Locke (RB) from Kentucky simply puts one foot in the ground and heads south. He is a very fast downhill runner and should be a solid third down back. He looks to me a lot like McCluster last year but probably not as fast.
- Von Miller (LB) of Texas A&M is so explosive. He needs to add some weight to his 235 pound frame but wow does he have a burst. It just seemed like he was always around the ball when he was in the game.
- Colin Kaepernick (QB) from Nevada looked ok in my opinion. He had a nice throw to Sanzenbacher on a 15 yard in. However, he looks to scramble too much instead of trusting his protection, which I kind of expected. He really does have a strong arm and is a really intriguing prospect. I could see a team taking a flyer on him as early as the 3rd round.
- Colin McCarthy (LB) from Miami looked very good in his pursuit downhill against the run. He really wsa flying to the football from sideline to sideline.
- Da'Rell Scott (RB) from Maryland is a prospect that I really like. He has good size for an every-down back in the NFL and has pretty good vision.
- Jake Locker (QB) from Washington looked a lot more comfortable in the 2nd half. He had a nice throw to Young coming out of his break and made a nice check-down to Scott for a big gain. However, the next play he scrambled and fumbled that ball which coincides to everything I have been saying about him- his inconsistency, which is why I have him graded as a 2nd rounder, even though he will probably be reached for in the first. Locker also tended to lock onto his receivers on fade routes and just throwing up jump-balls. On his last drive, he rolled out to his left, settled his hips, and threw across his body for a strike to Austin Pettis. However, on the very next play, he threw an ugly jump ball pass to Young.
- Ian Williams (DT) from Notre Dame was reported to have struggled this week in practice, but he looked good pushing back Georgia G Clint Boling for a sack on McElroy. Williams looks like he could be a good value pick in the later rounds.
- Bilal Powell (RB) from Louisville isn't too nimble or fast, but he has a nice burst and hits the hole hard. He had a very nice run in the fourth quarter where he used a spin to get out of trouble at the line of scrimmage and picked up an extra 5 yards for a first down to keep the chanes moving.
- Sinoa Fua (DT) from Stanford had a pretty strong day and showed that he could be a pretty good run stuffer at the next level.
- Jarvis Jenkins (DT) from Georiga had a sick jump off the line of scrimmage and made a play 3 yards in the backfield. For a man his size, he had some serious movement there, which was impressive.
- Phil Taylor (DT) from Baylor is really powerful. He built off his strong practice week and looked unblockable in this game at times. He is definitely climbing into 2nd round territory as a 3-4 NT.
- Niles Paul (WR) from Nebraska showed that being versataile on special teams help you land a roster spot in the NFL. Paul beat the antigunner in the 4th quarter and made a huge hit on the punt returner...yes folks, hes a wide receiver.
- Charles Clay (FB) from Tulsa reminds me a lot of Oakland's Marcel Reeese. A fullback, H-Back type of player who is a very good receiver.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Bears vs. Packers- 2010 NFC Championship Game
The two most storied franchises in the NFL meet in order to decide who goes to the Super Bowl. Does it get any better than that? Don't the chills travel down your spine when you read that statement? The Green Bay Packers vs. the Chicago Bears will meet at Soldier Field for the 182nd time and only the second time ever in the postseason.
Reasons why I am optimistic about this matchup:
1) Cutler usually plays horrible against the Packers defense. Cutler has touchdown pass, three interceptions, and has taken eight sacks this year when the Packers are in their nickel defense (3 corners out there). Cutler has never had a wow me game vs. the Packers and continually struggles, dating back to his first game as a Bear last season on Sunday Night Football where he threw for four inteceptions. He only had one interception in the first meeting this season on Monday Night Football, but he could have eailsy had three or four had it not been for Green Bay penalties. Cutler has tendencies to force the ball and throw off his back foot, which the Packers should take advantage of. Cutler also has not played well in the cold weather when it is under 40 degrees. Here are Cutler's numbers when the temperature is below 40 degrees this season: 60/114, 6.4 YPA, 6 TD, 6 INT, 68.2 rating. Most of the "good" part of those numbers came in the Bears best offensive showing of the season in their shootout with the New York Jets. The Packers have arguably the best secondary in the league and they should have some opportunities for interceptions. I just can't see Cutler carrying the Bears past this Packers defense. Thus, if the Packers can get up early, it will be tough for Cutler to lead the Bears back.
2) The Packers are the hottest team in the NFL. If Rodgers can play half the game that he played on Saturday night, I like the Packers chances. The Packers have had trouble scoring points against the Bears defense this season. They had no problem moving the ball in the first game in Chicago, but they only scored 17 points. In the second game, they could hardly move the ball, and only had a few big plays on their way to ten points. However, I believe if the Packers come out in their 4 wide receiver set and get the Bears four defensive backs on the field, the Packers will have the advantage. The Bears pass defense is one of the worst in the league, and it was obvious how the Packers can exploit teams with their four wide receiver sets after the Atlanta game. If the Packers can move the ball through the air again like last time in Soldier Field, and finish off their drives, the Bears will have no chance.
3) The field conditions. The Packers should benefit from the field conditions since the Bears biggest strength is their defensive line. The Bears will have trouble sustaining leverege and planting their feet in their rush to Aaron Rodgers. This should give Rodgers more time to survey the field and find an open receiver. Since the Packers are also a more aerial assaulting team than the Bears, it will be hard for the Bears defensive backs to maintain their footing and stay with the Packers receivers on cuts.
4) The emergence of James Starks. The Bears actually almost selected Starks in the 6th Round of the NFL Draft, but instead opted for Dan Lefevour. Now, Starks can show the Bears why they should have drafted him. The Bears have maybe the best run defense in the league and if Starks can average 4 yards a rush, like he did in the week 17 matchup, it will keep the Bears defense honest and it will not allow them play the pass on every down. Starks is the Packers workhorse back for the postseason and is going to have to put up some positive yards especially in the cold weather.
Reasons why I am worried about this matchup:
1) Devin Hester on special teams. Hester blew the game open the first time, which contributed to the Bears win in week 3 when he returned a punt for a touchdown. If the Packers can contain Hester on special teams, they will have a very good chance at winning. However, Hester's presence is solely enough to give the Bears great field position. The Packers actually won the special teams matchup in week 17, and showed how much the Bears offense struggles when they have rough field position. Kicking out of bounds may limit a Hester return, but it could still give the Bears great field position. It will be Masthay's job to pin the ball deep and accurately toward the sidelines, and not kick and line drivers, like he did on the week 3 return. The kickoff coverage must also not have any breakdowns in coverage, like they did in Atlanta last week. Danieal Manning is a great returner and more than likely the Bears will be starting near their 35 yard line every time no matter if the Packes squib it or not. However, hopefully Green Bay will be kicking off a lot.
2) Matt Forte could make or break this game. Martz has tendencies to go pass happy, but if this game is close throughout (which I expect it to be), Martz will probably pound the ball with Forte. Forte isn't flashy and likely won't break a long run, but he had a great game against the Packers in week 17, and was constantly picking up gains of 5 or 6 yards. The Packers are going to have to stop the run, much like I said they would have to with Atlanta and Michael Turner. If they are to do so or grab an early lead to make the Bears throw, they will be in control of this game. Forte may scare me more than Hester in this game, because he is also a big threat out of the backfield. I see Martz running many screens to counter against the the Packers blitzes that Capers will send, which could result in big gains.
3) The Bears Tampa 2 defense defitiely has given Rodgers problems. The corners play the flats like the normal cover 2, and the field is split in half by the safeties. However, Urlachers tends to drop back and take the gap in the middle of the field to take away any seem throws. Rodgers has tended to struggle against the Tampa 2 defense. Yet, the areas open in the defense tend to be the outside routes between the safety and corner. The Packers had a couple big plays in the week 17 meeting to Jennings on the outside before hte safety could get there in time and I look for the Packers to attack those areas again. The four wide receiver sets may also throw off the Bears and thoe short passing game to the slot receivers should be open against this defense.
Overall:
The Packers will win this game if they don't kick to Hester, limit Forte, and don't turn the ball over. Those are all big if's but the Packers are indeed capable of doing at least two of them. For the Bears to win this game, I believe they will need two of those three to happen and also for Cutler to make some plays. I am however, still very worried. I know the Packers have the better team, but the better team does not always win in these kind of games, especially with the game being at Soldier Field. I thought the Pack had a better team in 2007, yet mistakes doomed them in their game against the Giants. The Bears have had all of the breaks go their way this season. This game is going to be close throughout, I believe that the Bears will get another one of those breaks that may get them over the top and lead them to victory (just like a James Jones fumble that defied the laws of physics and refused to go out of bounds in week 3). It just seems like its that year for the Bears. I fear this may be talked about as one of those games where we look back ten years from now and say, "How did that happen?" kind of like the Owens catch, 4th and 26, and the 2007 NFC Championship Game. Hope I am wrong.
Bears 19, Packers 16
Reasons why I am optimistic about this matchup:
1) Cutler usually plays horrible against the Packers defense. Cutler has touchdown pass, three interceptions, and has taken eight sacks this year when the Packers are in their nickel defense (3 corners out there). Cutler has never had a wow me game vs. the Packers and continually struggles, dating back to his first game as a Bear last season on Sunday Night Football where he threw for four inteceptions. He only had one interception in the first meeting this season on Monday Night Football, but he could have eailsy had three or four had it not been for Green Bay penalties. Cutler has tendencies to force the ball and throw off his back foot, which the Packers should take advantage of. Cutler also has not played well in the cold weather when it is under 40 degrees. Here are Cutler's numbers when the temperature is below 40 degrees this season: 60/114, 6.4 YPA, 6 TD, 6 INT, 68.2 rating. Most of the "good" part of those numbers came in the Bears best offensive showing of the season in their shootout with the New York Jets. The Packers have arguably the best secondary in the league and they should have some opportunities for interceptions. I just can't see Cutler carrying the Bears past this Packers defense. Thus, if the Packers can get up early, it will be tough for Cutler to lead the Bears back.
2) The Packers are the hottest team in the NFL. If Rodgers can play half the game that he played on Saturday night, I like the Packers chances. The Packers have had trouble scoring points against the Bears defense this season. They had no problem moving the ball in the first game in Chicago, but they only scored 17 points. In the second game, they could hardly move the ball, and only had a few big plays on their way to ten points. However, I believe if the Packers come out in their 4 wide receiver set and get the Bears four defensive backs on the field, the Packers will have the advantage. The Bears pass defense is one of the worst in the league, and it was obvious how the Packers can exploit teams with their four wide receiver sets after the Atlanta game. If the Packers can move the ball through the air again like last time in Soldier Field, and finish off their drives, the Bears will have no chance.
3) The field conditions. The Packers should benefit from the field conditions since the Bears biggest strength is their defensive line. The Bears will have trouble sustaining leverege and planting their feet in their rush to Aaron Rodgers. This should give Rodgers more time to survey the field and find an open receiver. Since the Packers are also a more aerial assaulting team than the Bears, it will be hard for the Bears defensive backs to maintain their footing and stay with the Packers receivers on cuts.
4) The emergence of James Starks. The Bears actually almost selected Starks in the 6th Round of the NFL Draft, but instead opted for Dan Lefevour. Now, Starks can show the Bears why they should have drafted him. The Bears have maybe the best run defense in the league and if Starks can average 4 yards a rush, like he did in the week 17 matchup, it will keep the Bears defense honest and it will not allow them play the pass on every down. Starks is the Packers workhorse back for the postseason and is going to have to put up some positive yards especially in the cold weather.
Reasons why I am worried about this matchup:
1) Devin Hester on special teams. Hester blew the game open the first time, which contributed to the Bears win in week 3 when he returned a punt for a touchdown. If the Packers can contain Hester on special teams, they will have a very good chance at winning. However, Hester's presence is solely enough to give the Bears great field position. The Packers actually won the special teams matchup in week 17, and showed how much the Bears offense struggles when they have rough field position. Kicking out of bounds may limit a Hester return, but it could still give the Bears great field position. It will be Masthay's job to pin the ball deep and accurately toward the sidelines, and not kick and line drivers, like he did on the week 3 return. The kickoff coverage must also not have any breakdowns in coverage, like they did in Atlanta last week. Danieal Manning is a great returner and more than likely the Bears will be starting near their 35 yard line every time no matter if the Packes squib it or not. However, hopefully Green Bay will be kicking off a lot.
2) Matt Forte could make or break this game. Martz has tendencies to go pass happy, but if this game is close throughout (which I expect it to be), Martz will probably pound the ball with Forte. Forte isn't flashy and likely won't break a long run, but he had a great game against the Packers in week 17, and was constantly picking up gains of 5 or 6 yards. The Packers are going to have to stop the run, much like I said they would have to with Atlanta and Michael Turner. If they are to do so or grab an early lead to make the Bears throw, they will be in control of this game. Forte may scare me more than Hester in this game, because he is also a big threat out of the backfield. I see Martz running many screens to counter against the the Packers blitzes that Capers will send, which could result in big gains.
3) The Bears Tampa 2 defense defitiely has given Rodgers problems. The corners play the flats like the normal cover 2, and the field is split in half by the safeties. However, Urlachers tends to drop back and take the gap in the middle of the field to take away any seem throws. Rodgers has tended to struggle against the Tampa 2 defense. Yet, the areas open in the defense tend to be the outside routes between the safety and corner. The Packers had a couple big plays in the week 17 meeting to Jennings on the outside before hte safety could get there in time and I look for the Packers to attack those areas again. The four wide receiver sets may also throw off the Bears and thoe short passing game to the slot receivers should be open against this defense.
Overall:
The Packers will win this game if they don't kick to Hester, limit Forte, and don't turn the ball over. Those are all big if's but the Packers are indeed capable of doing at least two of them. For the Bears to win this game, I believe they will need two of those three to happen and also for Cutler to make some plays. I am however, still very worried. I know the Packers have the better team, but the better team does not always win in these kind of games, especially with the game being at Soldier Field. I thought the Pack had a better team in 2007, yet mistakes doomed them in their game against the Giants. The Bears have had all of the breaks go their way this season. This game is going to be close throughout, I believe that the Bears will get another one of those breaks that may get them over the top and lead them to victory (just like a James Jones fumble that defied the laws of physics and refused to go out of bounds in week 3). It just seems like its that year for the Bears. I fear this may be talked about as one of those games where we look back ten years from now and say, "How did that happen?" kind of like the Owens catch, 4th and 26, and the 2007 NFC Championship Game. Hope I am wrong.
Bears 19, Packers 16
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Postgame Thoughts: Falcons vs. Packers
We are back into the NFC Championship after a 2 year layoff and oh how great it is. And who are we playing...none other than the Chicago Bears. I will save the Bears for later in the week and talk about last Saturday's night victory over the Falcons. Here are my postgame thoughts:
1) Aaron Rodgers is kind of good. Ok, not kind of. He is amazing. If all the players in the NFL were put in a fantasy drafted pool, I would take Rodgers first overall. He only recently turned 27 years old and he has no flaws in his game. He has the arm strength and accuracy to make any throw and he also has the escape capability that makes him hard to sack. He takes the sack when something isn't there instead of forcing a bad throw. He demonstrated all of these qualities on Saturday night in a rout of the Atlanta Falcons. 31 for 36 with 300 plus yards and four touchdowns total. Going into that game, he was the highest rated playoff quarterback in NFL history. After that game, that rating went up. Are you kidding me?! Rodgers has been on in games this past season like against Dallas, at Minnesota, and vs. the Giants. Never though have I seen him that good and that in the zone. It seemed every throw that he made was going to be a completion and every 3rd down I wasn't nervous even once. The Falcons simply couldn't stop him.
2. Tramon Williams. 3 interceptions in 2 games. He had the memorable pick that Packer fans may never forget right here. With the Falcons driving and trying to give more room for Matt Bryant, Matt Ryan rolled out to his left with ten seconds left. Williams knew the outside route was coming to Roddy White and jumped it. He had a sick cutback on his way to the endzone to end the half and take control of the game for the Packers. The series before, Williams bated Ryan to an interception. Ryan tried looking off the safety Charlie Peprah and hit Michael Jenkins on 3rd and long, but Williams recovered and used every inch of his 41 inch vertical to pick off Ryan. Williams had turned into a stud and I wouldn't take many corners in the league over him.
3. Matt Ryan= melted. I know he has had many fourth quarter comebacks, but quite simply, this guy is overrated. I believe he has great accuracy but he just doesn't have the arm that a quarterback like Aaron Rodgers has. He is a good quarterback but he proved that he is nowhere near the elite Saturday night. He now will have the monkey on his back where he cannot win the playoff game much like Rodgers had going into thie postseason. Ryan is good but he has a lot of talent around him to take much of the load off of his shoulders like Turner and White.
On to Chicago!
1) Aaron Rodgers is kind of good. Ok, not kind of. He is amazing. If all the players in the NFL were put in a fantasy drafted pool, I would take Rodgers first overall. He only recently turned 27 years old and he has no flaws in his game. He has the arm strength and accuracy to make any throw and he also has the escape capability that makes him hard to sack. He takes the sack when something isn't there instead of forcing a bad throw. He demonstrated all of these qualities on Saturday night in a rout of the Atlanta Falcons. 31 for 36 with 300 plus yards and four touchdowns total. Going into that game, he was the highest rated playoff quarterback in NFL history. After that game, that rating went up. Are you kidding me?! Rodgers has been on in games this past season like against Dallas, at Minnesota, and vs. the Giants. Never though have I seen him that good and that in the zone. It seemed every throw that he made was going to be a completion and every 3rd down I wasn't nervous even once. The Falcons simply couldn't stop him.
2. Tramon Williams. 3 interceptions in 2 games. He had the memorable pick that Packer fans may never forget right here. With the Falcons driving and trying to give more room for Matt Bryant, Matt Ryan rolled out to his left with ten seconds left. Williams knew the outside route was coming to Roddy White and jumped it. He had a sick cutback on his way to the endzone to end the half and take control of the game for the Packers. The series before, Williams bated Ryan to an interception. Ryan tried looking off the safety Charlie Peprah and hit Michael Jenkins on 3rd and long, but Williams recovered and used every inch of his 41 inch vertical to pick off Ryan. Williams had turned into a stud and I wouldn't take many corners in the league over him.
3. Matt Ryan= melted. I know he has had many fourth quarter comebacks, but quite simply, this guy is overrated. I believe he has great accuracy but he just doesn't have the arm that a quarterback like Aaron Rodgers has. He is a good quarterback but he proved that he is nowhere near the elite Saturday night. He now will have the monkey on his back where he cannot win the playoff game much like Rodgers had going into thie postseason. Ryan is good but he has a lot of talent around him to take much of the load off of his shoulders like Turner and White.
On to Chicago!
Monday, January 17, 2011
Shut Up Mike Florio
If you guys haven't heard, NBC Sports and Pro Football Talk writer Mike Florio bashed Aaron Rodgers this past weekend right here. After word became clear that Rodgers provided the woman with a signed jersey the week before, Florio didn't apologize. Instead he continued to stick up for what he believed was an "ass" move by Aaron Rodgers right here. The amount of lack of professional journalism exhibited by Florio just baffles me. I go to PFT every day and I usually enjoy the articles he writes. But Mike, your site is supposed to be about facts and rumors. Its not a blog for your stupid opinions that no one cares about. How professional of you to post a huge article saying how Aaron Rodgers needs to learn about "where is money comes from" when you see him for all of 2 seconds walking past a fan seeking an autograph. He had no knowledge of Rodgers signing a jersey for the lady a week ago. He didn't include in his first article that Rodgers holds charity events from foster children and shows up anonymously to deliver Christmas presents to Green Bay children. He doesn't include that Rodgers was never told by the stewardess on the team bus that the lady was waiting for him with a camera nearby. (while it was reported the Clay Matthews was told, which was why he approached the woman in the video). What peeved me off was the second article that Florio wrote that I posted. Florio didn't have what it took to say that he was wrong and apologize (even after the lady said that she was taken aback and upset by what was reported). Instead, the guy defended his article even further and came off as the real jerk in this situation. One article was enough and to write an even longer article to defend himself makes him come off as arrogant and someone who is fighting a lost cause.
Maybe Aaron could have acknowldged her but there also could have been something else on his mind. Maybe he had to run to the bathroom or head to a meeting with coaches or was just unaware of his surroundings with his headphones in. You simply can't judge someone and write a long article bashing someone when you don't have all the information. This is just the ultimate of taking something out of context. Does Florio know if this is how Rodgers alwats treats people? As a Packer fan, I have heard from many sources that Rodgers is one of the nicest guys you will ever meet. Mike Florio, you truly are an idiot. You were trying to make a non-story into something big without all of the information and you came out looking like an idiot. It does not surprise me that Florio is a Vikings fan. What little bit of information he can find on Aaron Rodgers, while his team enters the NFC Championship game and his team is in flusters. In his first article he even mentions Michael Vick and Ben Roethlisberger. WHAT!? A dog killer and a rapist being compared to someone that may have just walked by a fan unnoticed? Something tells me Florio is just a bitter journalist who wants to make a name for himself. Just because she has cancer, this is no different than if Rodgers walked past a ten year old kid and didn't sign anything. Again, Florio is trying to stir the pot into something that isn't there: the sign of a terrible journalist. But hey Mike, whatever works. Now that the Packers are in the NFC Championship game, I think that Mike just wants more hits on his website to stir the pot with the hottest player in the NFL right now. What is ironic is slandering Aaron Rodgers character is much worse than Aaron walking past someone seeking an autograph. I will leave this idiot Florio with this last piece of advice: make sure you have all the facts before you draw such extrem conclusions or else you look like the "ass" in this situation.
Maybe Aaron could have acknowldged her but there also could have been something else on his mind. Maybe he had to run to the bathroom or head to a meeting with coaches or was just unaware of his surroundings with his headphones in. You simply can't judge someone and write a long article bashing someone when you don't have all the information. This is just the ultimate of taking something out of context. Does Florio know if this is how Rodgers alwats treats people? As a Packer fan, I have heard from many sources that Rodgers is one of the nicest guys you will ever meet. Mike Florio, you truly are an idiot. You were trying to make a non-story into something big without all of the information and you came out looking like an idiot. It does not surprise me that Florio is a Vikings fan. What little bit of information he can find on Aaron Rodgers, while his team enters the NFC Championship game and his team is in flusters. In his first article he even mentions Michael Vick and Ben Roethlisberger. WHAT!? A dog killer and a rapist being compared to someone that may have just walked by a fan unnoticed? Something tells me Florio is just a bitter journalist who wants to make a name for himself. Just because she has cancer, this is no different than if Rodgers walked past a ten year old kid and didn't sign anything. Again, Florio is trying to stir the pot into something that isn't there: the sign of a terrible journalist. But hey Mike, whatever works. Now that the Packers are in the NFC Championship game, I think that Mike just wants more hits on his website to stir the pot with the hottest player in the NFL right now. What is ironic is slandering Aaron Rodgers character is much worse than Aaron walking past someone seeking an autograph. I will leave this idiot Florio with this last piece of advice: make sure you have all the facts before you draw such extrem conclusions or else you look like the "ass" in this situation.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Falcons vs. Packers 2010 NFC Divisional Game
When you think about it, how big is this game on Saturday night for Green Bay Packers fans? FOX definitely thought it was a big game. Buck and Aikman who have always called the Sunday Divisional Game in the past, have been moved to Atlanta, while Albert, Moose, and Siragusa have been transported to Chicago. It will be the fourth straight game that the Packers will have with Buck and Aikman. Maybe that is a good sign for Packers fans since the Packers have won the last three straight that they have called.
As for the Packers, this is a game of revenge. Had the Packers won in week 12 on Thanksgiving Weekend in Atlanta, at the very least they would probably be playing in the Georgia Dome one round later. Green Bay would actually be hosting Seattle right now. There were many missed oppportunities in the game that we all know of: the missed challenge on Tony Gonzalez's first down catch, the fumble on the goalline by Rodgers, an the special teams mishap at the end of the game that gave Matty Ice only 20 yards in 45 seconds to set his team up for Matt Bryant's game winning field goal. The Packers played far from their best football that week and still had every opportunity in the world to win that game. It just speaks volumes of the job Mike McCarthy and Ted Thompson have done with this team. Now, let me say this. Atlanta is probably the most beatable number one seed that I have seen in the postseason in recent memory. That does not mean that they are a bad team by any means. There is just no really dominating aspect to Atlanta's game. Teams know what is coming whether that is Michael Turner running in between the tackles, or Matt Ryan getting the ball to Roddy White and Gonzalez. Their defense is ranked near the top, but do they have any dynamic Pro Bowl players that are gamechangers like the Packers have in Woodson and Matthews? I don't believe so, unless you call Curtis Lofton or John Abraham one to an extent. I will make this clear: John Abraham does scare the hell out of me if he is going against a banged up Brian Bulaga. However, this Atlanta defense reminds me of the Green Bay one last year, where they had a very good statistical defense, but were prone to give up some plays. If the Packers do a few things in this game, they should be able to win this game. On paper I believe the Packers have the better team, but Atlanta still does have the edge playing in the Georgia Dome. Here are the keys for the Packers in this game:
1. Stop Michael Turner. First and foremost, Green Bay must stop Michael Turner if they want to be in this game. Capers must design a gameplan where the priority is for Green Bay to shut down the run early and make Matty Ice beat you with his arm. Turner had 23 rushes for 110 yards and a score and that was the Falcons biggest weapon in that game. The Falcons used the Dolphins gameplan against Green Bay and ran it down the Packers throats, getting 4 or 5 yards at a time to wear down the Green Bay 3-4 defense. The run defense has been the defense's weakest link this year and I expect Atlanta to go to it early and often. However, Turner does lead the NFL with 334 carries and has not looked as explolsive in recent weeks. He has not run over 50 yards in his last 3 games and did not have a game anywhere close to the one he performed against Green Bay since that game. Turner may be wearing down and it will be up to Green Bay to hit Turner in the hole often before he is able to get his strong lower body moving for extra yards.
2. Limit mistakes. Costly mistakes led to the first loss like I said, notably the Rodgers fumble and the special teams facemask penalty. In recent weeks, the Packers have had many drops and are going to have to limit those if they want to beat the Falcons. The Falcons are an offense that does not turn the ball over, and are a defense which forces a lot of turnovers, which has made them so succesful. If the Packers do not make and stupid mistakes, then I think they win this game. However, if they play like they did against the Eagles and make a mistake here and there (Underwood and Rodgers fumbles, Jones drop), the odds will definitely be against them to win considering Ryan doesn't throw many interception and Turner almost never fumbles.
3. Make Matt Ryan beat you. Yes, Matt Ryan is slightly overrated for what he does. I just think the ESPN pundits love saying the name Matty Ice and I am sick of it. But there still is no denying that he is a good quarterback. He has many 4th quarter comebacks, and the Packers experienced one in week 12 (even if Atlanta only had to go 20 yards). However, he has still only played in one playoff game in his life and he lost it. Before we label Matty Ice one of the elite, he will have to win a playoff game. Aaron Rodgers is now a permanent top 5 quarterback in the NFL with his numbers and a playoff win. I think Ryan is near the bottom of the top 10 but a playoff win could bring that ranking up. However, I still think he does not possess the same skill set as Rodgers or Rivers or Roethlisberger. What makes Ryan good is he is very smart and takes what the defense gives him. He only averages 6.4 yards a completion which ranked 29th among starting quarterbacks, which means he checks down the ball a lot. If the Packers can do point number one and stop Michael Turner, they have to try and let Matt Ryan beat them, which is exactly what the Saints did when they defeated the Falcons a few weeks ago on Monday Night Football. Ryan looked like an average quarterback at best that night and was only 15/29 with 148 yards and a touchdown. However, if the Packers can pressure Ryan, they can win this game. The Bucs put a lot of pressure on Ryan in week 13 and forced him to throw two inteceptions. If the Packers can put pressure on Ryan and make him make mistakes, I like the Packers chances.
4. Establish the running game. Yes, it was another one of those games where Aaron Rodgers was the Packers leading rusher. Brandon Jackson had 10 carries for a mere 26 yards, while Rodger ran for 51 yards. The Packers may have found something in James Starks last week, but he needs to prove that he can do it on a consistent basis. If the Packers can get a around 50-75 yards from Starks, that should be enough to keep the Falcons defense honest and give Rodgers some chances to throw the ball downfield. The Falcons are more prone to the deep ball than the Eagles, who were taking the deep ball away from Rodgers pretty much the whole game. With Starks now to pay attention to, the Packers should have some opportunities. If they can run the football or at least attempt to do it, that should open up the play action to Jennings down the field.
The Packers have a very good chance of winning this game, but they will have to play mistake free ball. They actually have not played that well the last two weeks and still were able to get past two very good teams. The closest game that they have played to perfection was that Giants game and there were still obvious mistakes in that game too. Packer fans are waiting for their team to still play their best game this season and Saturday night would be a good start. I just don't know if this Packers team has it in them to limit their mistakes. They usually make a couple every game that proves costly in the end. It is that reason why I think they lose to another Matt Bryany gamewinning field goal in the end.
Atlanta 24, Green Bay 21
As for the Packers, this is a game of revenge. Had the Packers won in week 12 on Thanksgiving Weekend in Atlanta, at the very least they would probably be playing in the Georgia Dome one round later. Green Bay would actually be hosting Seattle right now. There were many missed oppportunities in the game that we all know of: the missed challenge on Tony Gonzalez's first down catch, the fumble on the goalline by Rodgers, an the special teams mishap at the end of the game that gave Matty Ice only 20 yards in 45 seconds to set his team up for Matt Bryant's game winning field goal. The Packers played far from their best football that week and still had every opportunity in the world to win that game. It just speaks volumes of the job Mike McCarthy and Ted Thompson have done with this team. Now, let me say this. Atlanta is probably the most beatable number one seed that I have seen in the postseason in recent memory. That does not mean that they are a bad team by any means. There is just no really dominating aspect to Atlanta's game. Teams know what is coming whether that is Michael Turner running in between the tackles, or Matt Ryan getting the ball to Roddy White and Gonzalez. Their defense is ranked near the top, but do they have any dynamic Pro Bowl players that are gamechangers like the Packers have in Woodson and Matthews? I don't believe so, unless you call Curtis Lofton or John Abraham one to an extent. I will make this clear: John Abraham does scare the hell out of me if he is going against a banged up Brian Bulaga. However, this Atlanta defense reminds me of the Green Bay one last year, where they had a very good statistical defense, but were prone to give up some plays. If the Packers do a few things in this game, they should be able to win this game. On paper I believe the Packers have the better team, but Atlanta still does have the edge playing in the Georgia Dome. Here are the keys for the Packers in this game:
1. Stop Michael Turner. First and foremost, Green Bay must stop Michael Turner if they want to be in this game. Capers must design a gameplan where the priority is for Green Bay to shut down the run early and make Matty Ice beat you with his arm. Turner had 23 rushes for 110 yards and a score and that was the Falcons biggest weapon in that game. The Falcons used the Dolphins gameplan against Green Bay and ran it down the Packers throats, getting 4 or 5 yards at a time to wear down the Green Bay 3-4 defense. The run defense has been the defense's weakest link this year and I expect Atlanta to go to it early and often. However, Turner does lead the NFL with 334 carries and has not looked as explolsive in recent weeks. He has not run over 50 yards in his last 3 games and did not have a game anywhere close to the one he performed against Green Bay since that game. Turner may be wearing down and it will be up to Green Bay to hit Turner in the hole often before he is able to get his strong lower body moving for extra yards.
2. Limit mistakes. Costly mistakes led to the first loss like I said, notably the Rodgers fumble and the special teams facemask penalty. In recent weeks, the Packers have had many drops and are going to have to limit those if they want to beat the Falcons. The Falcons are an offense that does not turn the ball over, and are a defense which forces a lot of turnovers, which has made them so succesful. If the Packers do not make and stupid mistakes, then I think they win this game. However, if they play like they did against the Eagles and make a mistake here and there (Underwood and Rodgers fumbles, Jones drop), the odds will definitely be against them to win considering Ryan doesn't throw many interception and Turner almost never fumbles.
3. Make Matt Ryan beat you. Yes, Matt Ryan is slightly overrated for what he does. I just think the ESPN pundits love saying the name Matty Ice and I am sick of it. But there still is no denying that he is a good quarterback. He has many 4th quarter comebacks, and the Packers experienced one in week 12 (even if Atlanta only had to go 20 yards). However, he has still only played in one playoff game in his life and he lost it. Before we label Matty Ice one of the elite, he will have to win a playoff game. Aaron Rodgers is now a permanent top 5 quarterback in the NFL with his numbers and a playoff win. I think Ryan is near the bottom of the top 10 but a playoff win could bring that ranking up. However, I still think he does not possess the same skill set as Rodgers or Rivers or Roethlisberger. What makes Ryan good is he is very smart and takes what the defense gives him. He only averages 6.4 yards a completion which ranked 29th among starting quarterbacks, which means he checks down the ball a lot. If the Packers can do point number one and stop Michael Turner, they have to try and let Matt Ryan beat them, which is exactly what the Saints did when they defeated the Falcons a few weeks ago on Monday Night Football. Ryan looked like an average quarterback at best that night and was only 15/29 with 148 yards and a touchdown. However, if the Packers can pressure Ryan, they can win this game. The Bucs put a lot of pressure on Ryan in week 13 and forced him to throw two inteceptions. If the Packers can put pressure on Ryan and make him make mistakes, I like the Packers chances.
4. Establish the running game. Yes, it was another one of those games where Aaron Rodgers was the Packers leading rusher. Brandon Jackson had 10 carries for a mere 26 yards, while Rodger ran for 51 yards. The Packers may have found something in James Starks last week, but he needs to prove that he can do it on a consistent basis. If the Packers can get a around 50-75 yards from Starks, that should be enough to keep the Falcons defense honest and give Rodgers some chances to throw the ball downfield. The Falcons are more prone to the deep ball than the Eagles, who were taking the deep ball away from Rodgers pretty much the whole game. With Starks now to pay attention to, the Packers should have some opportunities. If they can run the football or at least attempt to do it, that should open up the play action to Jennings down the field.
The Packers have a very good chance of winning this game, but they will have to play mistake free ball. They actually have not played that well the last two weeks and still were able to get past two very good teams. The closest game that they have played to perfection was that Giants game and there were still obvious mistakes in that game too. Packer fans are waiting for their team to still play their best game this season and Saturday night would be a good start. I just don't know if this Packers team has it in them to limit their mistakes. They usually make a couple every game that proves costly in the end. It is that reason why I think they lose to another Matt Bryany gamewinning field goal in the end.
Atlanta 24, Green Bay 21
Monday, January 10, 2011
Postgame Thoughts: Eagles vs. Packers
Whew! Wow that was fun! I probably lost a year of my life on that last drive by Philadelphia but Tramon Williams saved the day for Packers fans. Here are my postgame thoughts:
1. James Starks. I've been telling my friends ever since that San Francisco game when we ran for 77 yards that Starks was going to be a good one if he stayed healthy. Starks was a potential 2nd round pick by many draft pundits but blew out his knee in his senior season causing him to fall to the 6th round. Starks may run high at times but he does not go down easily and falls forward with his 6'2 frame when he runs. McCarthy has not played Starks as much because of his so called practice habits (he was inactive against the Patriots and Giants). However, after yesterdays 123 yard perfromance, it will be tough for the Packers to not use Starks as the featured back the rest of the playoffs. Starks reads the hole and is much quicker on his cuts, allowing him to have the potential to break some long runs as was evidenced yesterday. It is better than Brandon Jackson dancing in the hole and running into the back of Colledge of Wells every play. If Starks has the ability to stay healthy, he could turn into the featured back for next season and making either Ryan Grant or Brandon Jackson to be the backup. I expect one of the two to be back, but not both. Jackson is an unresticted free agent but a great third down back. Grant will be coming off a devastating ankle injury.
2. Mike McCarthy. Again, I am indifferent about McCarthy after this game. I thought he called a fantastic game. Shaun McDermott's gameplan for the Eagles was clearly to take the deep passing game away. My guess is the Eagles extensively studied that gametape from the New York Giants game where the Packers offense torched the Giants through the deep ball. McCarthy called for the short passing game, which included long scoring drives with dink and dunk passing to the likes of John Kuhn, James Starks, Andrew Quarless, Quinn Johnson, Tom Crabtree, Brandon Jackson, and Donald Driver. The one time the Packers had it open downfield, the players just didn't execute (I will get to that later). McCarthy's clock management at the end was however questionable. If he takes a timeout right after the Packers third down stop, he has roughly 1:50 and one timeout to take the Packers down the field for another score, which in my opinion is better than 1:10 and one timeout. However, the Packers still should have scored had it not been for the drop so that argument really doesn't have much merit. McCarthy however did get too conservative during the fourth quarter, but I don't blame him for riding the hot hand with Starks. Starks did pick up a few big first downs to keep the clock moving, but there was still a lot of time left in the game. McCarthy really hasn't demonstrated that killer instinct except against the Vikings at the dome earlier this season. A perfect example was when it was 24-3, and the Packers ran a play action on 3rd and 1, where Rodgers hit Jennings for the dagger. I am not saying the Packers should have run a vertical route and gone for it all, but a play action may have been effective especially with the linebackers strongly shooting the gaps. The Eagles were only down by eleven, and we all know how fast their offense could strike as was evidenced in the Miracle at the Meadowlands number 2. I had no problem with the 3rd and 10 call with Rodgers to throw the ball. The Eagles brought a good blitz, which you have to give credit for. However, I was not happy with the 3rd and 1 call to John Kuhn. Again, when Kuhn comes in on 3rd and short, have we even not given the ball to him? I don't recall any times. McCarthy needs to become less predictable, but for the most part, I thought he called one of his best games of the season. I just wish he didn't get so conservative in the fourth quarter because it almost cost this team the game.
3. James Jones. Goodbye, and don't let the door hit you on the way out. I am sick of Jones dropping sure touchdowns, which seems like every week. He has almost cost us numerous games this season with him not being able to hold onto or catch the football. He fumbled on the potential gamewinning drive against the Bears, he dropped a touchdown against Jets, Cowboys, and Giants. I usually defended and forgave Jones because he has got so much talent. But now, I am ready to move on when this season is over. Jones is an unresticted free agent and lets face it: If he catches that pass, the Packers go into halftime 21-3. Instead, the Eagles take momentum into halftime, force a fumble, and score a touchdown to make it 14-10. An 18 point defecit turns into 4 with the drop of one pass. Had the Packes ended up losing that game, I would have blamed Jones because that would have been the turning point. I know he caught the touchdown pass, but it seems for every good play, he makes a bad play. I cannot stand that inconsistency from a wide receiver and we have seen too much of it from Jones this season. I am in favor of letting Jones go and drafting a receiver in the first few rounds that can also return kicks. (AKA: Torry Smith from Maryland).
4. Aaron Rodgers. I am so happy we have him as our quarterback. In a game of this magnitude, we all know how Aaron's preceder would have played: he would have been erratic and wild and would try to force thorws downfield that were not there. Aaron took his checkdowns well and made some great plays with this feet to avoid the Eagles pass rush. Rodgers showed that scrambling ability on the 2nd scoring drive when he scrambled away on third down and went safely out of bounds. The next play, Rodgers scrambled ot his right, kept the play alive and found James Jones in the front of the endzone for his second touchdown pass of the game. Rodgers played with poise and came on with a strong scoring drive after his fumble. He threw away from the blitz and hit Driver on 3rd and 5 for a huge first down, when the Eagles had all the momentum. On the next set of downs, Rodgers had lots of time and found Driver over the middle on 3rd and 10 for another clutch first down. Aaron didn't have his best game, but he played very efficiently and gave the Packers a good chance to win.
5. The demon is behind us. No more 4th and 26 Packers fan. No more Michael Vick running all over the Pack at Lambeau in the snow. The Packers finally got revenge and literally killed two birds (or should I say Eagles) with one stone. Now Philadelphia fans can live with Green Akers and his two missed field goals. Although I must say, if Tramon Williams has been stripped when he realized that he was not touched after his interception, that probably would have topped 4th and 26, and would have been replayed on NFL Films the rest of my lifetime.
6. The Secondary. What else can you say about Tramon Williams and Sam Shields in coverage. Woodson was very good against the run and helped the Packers keep LeSean McCoy in check on the ground. Williams proved to everyone yesterday why he should have been a Pro Bowl corner. One play after near perfect coverage by Williams on Riley Cooper on a 3rd and 10 slant with 45 seconds left, Vick went back to Cooper, only to have the 5'10 Williams outleap the 6'3 Cooper and come down with the game-clinching interception. Williams also had great coverage on one of the deep shots the Eagles took- this one to DeSean Jackson. Sam Shields made a great play on the ball in the early 1st quarter on another deep shot and almost came down with the interception when he broke up the pass intended for Jeremy Maclin. Nick Collins also made a great open field tackle on Michael Vick, coming out of nowhere when Vick scrambled all the way to the opposite side of the field. Also props to Charlie Peprah for telling Tramon Williams to get down after he intercepted the pass.
I will have pregame thoughts on Atlanta and the other Divisional games later this week. For these next few days though, I will enjoy the victory. See you later this week.
1. James Starks. I've been telling my friends ever since that San Francisco game when we ran for 77 yards that Starks was going to be a good one if he stayed healthy. Starks was a potential 2nd round pick by many draft pundits but blew out his knee in his senior season causing him to fall to the 6th round. Starks may run high at times but he does not go down easily and falls forward with his 6'2 frame when he runs. McCarthy has not played Starks as much because of his so called practice habits (he was inactive against the Patriots and Giants). However, after yesterdays 123 yard perfromance, it will be tough for the Packers to not use Starks as the featured back the rest of the playoffs. Starks reads the hole and is much quicker on his cuts, allowing him to have the potential to break some long runs as was evidenced yesterday. It is better than Brandon Jackson dancing in the hole and running into the back of Colledge of Wells every play. If Starks has the ability to stay healthy, he could turn into the featured back for next season and making either Ryan Grant or Brandon Jackson to be the backup. I expect one of the two to be back, but not both. Jackson is an unresticted free agent but a great third down back. Grant will be coming off a devastating ankle injury.
2. Mike McCarthy. Again, I am indifferent about McCarthy after this game. I thought he called a fantastic game. Shaun McDermott's gameplan for the Eagles was clearly to take the deep passing game away. My guess is the Eagles extensively studied that gametape from the New York Giants game where the Packers offense torched the Giants through the deep ball. McCarthy called for the short passing game, which included long scoring drives with dink and dunk passing to the likes of John Kuhn, James Starks, Andrew Quarless, Quinn Johnson, Tom Crabtree, Brandon Jackson, and Donald Driver. The one time the Packers had it open downfield, the players just didn't execute (I will get to that later). McCarthy's clock management at the end was however questionable. If he takes a timeout right after the Packers third down stop, he has roughly 1:50 and one timeout to take the Packers down the field for another score, which in my opinion is better than 1:10 and one timeout. However, the Packers still should have scored had it not been for the drop so that argument really doesn't have much merit. McCarthy however did get too conservative during the fourth quarter, but I don't blame him for riding the hot hand with Starks. Starks did pick up a few big first downs to keep the clock moving, but there was still a lot of time left in the game. McCarthy really hasn't demonstrated that killer instinct except against the Vikings at the dome earlier this season. A perfect example was when it was 24-3, and the Packers ran a play action on 3rd and 1, where Rodgers hit Jennings for the dagger. I am not saying the Packers should have run a vertical route and gone for it all, but a play action may have been effective especially with the linebackers strongly shooting the gaps. The Eagles were only down by eleven, and we all know how fast their offense could strike as was evidenced in the Miracle at the Meadowlands number 2. I had no problem with the 3rd and 10 call with Rodgers to throw the ball. The Eagles brought a good blitz, which you have to give credit for. However, I was not happy with the 3rd and 1 call to John Kuhn. Again, when Kuhn comes in on 3rd and short, have we even not given the ball to him? I don't recall any times. McCarthy needs to become less predictable, but for the most part, I thought he called one of his best games of the season. I just wish he didn't get so conservative in the fourth quarter because it almost cost this team the game.
3. James Jones. Goodbye, and don't let the door hit you on the way out. I am sick of Jones dropping sure touchdowns, which seems like every week. He has almost cost us numerous games this season with him not being able to hold onto or catch the football. He fumbled on the potential gamewinning drive against the Bears, he dropped a touchdown against Jets, Cowboys, and Giants. I usually defended and forgave Jones because he has got so much talent. But now, I am ready to move on when this season is over. Jones is an unresticted free agent and lets face it: If he catches that pass, the Packers go into halftime 21-3. Instead, the Eagles take momentum into halftime, force a fumble, and score a touchdown to make it 14-10. An 18 point defecit turns into 4 with the drop of one pass. Had the Packes ended up losing that game, I would have blamed Jones because that would have been the turning point. I know he caught the touchdown pass, but it seems for every good play, he makes a bad play. I cannot stand that inconsistency from a wide receiver and we have seen too much of it from Jones this season. I am in favor of letting Jones go and drafting a receiver in the first few rounds that can also return kicks. (AKA: Torry Smith from Maryland).
4. Aaron Rodgers. I am so happy we have him as our quarterback. In a game of this magnitude, we all know how Aaron's preceder would have played: he would have been erratic and wild and would try to force thorws downfield that were not there. Aaron took his checkdowns well and made some great plays with this feet to avoid the Eagles pass rush. Rodgers showed that scrambling ability on the 2nd scoring drive when he scrambled away on third down and went safely out of bounds. The next play, Rodgers scrambled ot his right, kept the play alive and found James Jones in the front of the endzone for his second touchdown pass of the game. Rodgers played with poise and came on with a strong scoring drive after his fumble. He threw away from the blitz and hit Driver on 3rd and 5 for a huge first down, when the Eagles had all the momentum. On the next set of downs, Rodgers had lots of time and found Driver over the middle on 3rd and 10 for another clutch first down. Aaron didn't have his best game, but he played very efficiently and gave the Packers a good chance to win.
5. The demon is behind us. No more 4th and 26 Packers fan. No more Michael Vick running all over the Pack at Lambeau in the snow. The Packers finally got revenge and literally killed two birds (or should I say Eagles) with one stone. Now Philadelphia fans can live with Green Akers and his two missed field goals. Although I must say, if Tramon Williams has been stripped when he realized that he was not touched after his interception, that probably would have topped 4th and 26, and would have been replayed on NFL Films the rest of my lifetime.
6. The Secondary. What else can you say about Tramon Williams and Sam Shields in coverage. Woodson was very good against the run and helped the Packers keep LeSean McCoy in check on the ground. Williams proved to everyone yesterday why he should have been a Pro Bowl corner. One play after near perfect coverage by Williams on Riley Cooper on a 3rd and 10 slant with 45 seconds left, Vick went back to Cooper, only to have the 5'10 Williams outleap the 6'3 Cooper and come down with the game-clinching interception. Williams also had great coverage on one of the deep shots the Eagles took- this one to DeSean Jackson. Sam Shields made a great play on the ball in the early 1st quarter on another deep shot and almost came down with the interception when he broke up the pass intended for Jeremy Maclin. Nick Collins also made a great open field tackle on Michael Vick, coming out of nowhere when Vick scrambled all the way to the opposite side of the field. Also props to Charlie Peprah for telling Tramon Williams to get down after he intercepted the pass.
I will have pregame thoughts on Atlanta and the other Divisional games later this week. For these next few days though, I will enjoy the victory. See you later this week.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Playoff Predictions
NFC
Seattle vs. New Orleans
Philadelphia vs. Green Bay
Atlanta vs. New Orleans
Chicago vs. Philadelphia
Chicago vs. New Orleans
AFC
Indianapolis vs. New York J
Kansas City vs. Baltimore
Pittsburgh vs. Indianapolis
New England vs. Baltimore
New England vs. Pittsburgh
Super Bowl
New England vs. Chicago
Seattle vs. New Orleans
Philadelphia vs. Green Bay
Atlanta vs. New Orleans
Chicago vs. Philadelphia
Chicago vs. New Orleans
AFC
Indianapolis vs. New York J
Kansas City vs. Baltimore
Pittsburgh vs. Indianapolis
New England vs. Baltimore
New England vs. Pittsburgh
Super Bowl
New England vs. Chicago
Other Wild Card Predictions In Depth
Seahawks vs. Saints- The Saints may have lose their two primary backs Pierre Thomas and Chris Ivory, but I still dont see them falling to the Saints. The Seahawks have no business being in the playoffs coming from the NFC Worst with a 7-9 record, the only losing record ever to make the playoffs. The Saints will not have to rely heavily on running the ball due to the horrendous pass defense of the Seahawks. The Saints already took it to Seattle in week 11, where Brees exploded for 384 yards and 4 touchdowns. Whoever the quarterback end up being in this one for Seattle will not matter. Greg Williams has the 4th ranked Saints defense flying and should be able to shut down Marshawn Lynch the same way they contained Michael Turner two weeks ago in Atlanta.
Saints 28, Seattle 13
Colts vs. New York Jets- This is probably the most intriguing matchup of the slate of wild card games aside from the Pack-Eagles. Quite frankly, I have a hard time seeing the Colts lose this game. In the Jets last meaningful game in Chicago, the Jets pass defense looked horrible. There was no pass rush, which allowed Cutler to sit back all day and pick apart the Jets defense. As long as teams throw away from Revis, Antonio Cromartie has been very vulnerable to the pass as of late. Even without Dallas Clark and Austin Collie, I see Manning taking advantage with Jacob Tamme and Blaire White. The only part where the Colts may struggle is against the Jets running game with Greene and Tomlinson, which is the only way I see the Jets staying in this game. But face it, if the Jets can make Jay Cutler look that good, I can't imagine what Manning will do in addition with that Bears game tape to study.
Indianapolis 24, New York 16
Chiefs vs. Ravens- I love what the Chiefs have done this year and I think it is great for the city of Kansas City to host a playoff game, but I just don't see them beating Baltimore. However, this will be a closer game than people expect in particular because of the top ranked Chiefs ground game. the Ravens are not the same run defense they used to be, giving up 3.9 yards a carry. If the Chiefs can get up early on the Ravens, I could see the Chiefs wearing down the Ravens defense with Charles and Jones the rest of the game. However, the Ravens offense is patient and hasn't had too many big plays, which is exactly the type of offense you need ot beat the Chiefs. The Chiefs possess a bend but don't break defense and I expect Ray Rice to be given the ball a lot in this one. I don't trust Matt Cassell beating the Ravens with his arm so if the Ravens just stick to their gameplan, they should be able to win this game.
Ravens 20, Kansas City 14
Eagles vs. Packers- See below
Saints 28, Seattle 13
Colts vs. New York Jets- This is probably the most intriguing matchup of the slate of wild card games aside from the Pack-Eagles. Quite frankly, I have a hard time seeing the Colts lose this game. In the Jets last meaningful game in Chicago, the Jets pass defense looked horrible. There was no pass rush, which allowed Cutler to sit back all day and pick apart the Jets defense. As long as teams throw away from Revis, Antonio Cromartie has been very vulnerable to the pass as of late. Even without Dallas Clark and Austin Collie, I see Manning taking advantage with Jacob Tamme and Blaire White. The only part where the Colts may struggle is against the Jets running game with Greene and Tomlinson, which is the only way I see the Jets staying in this game. But face it, if the Jets can make Jay Cutler look that good, I can't imagine what Manning will do in addition with that Bears game tape to study.
Indianapolis 24, New York 16
Chiefs vs. Ravens- I love what the Chiefs have done this year and I think it is great for the city of Kansas City to host a playoff game, but I just don't see them beating Baltimore. However, this will be a closer game than people expect in particular because of the top ranked Chiefs ground game. the Ravens are not the same run defense they used to be, giving up 3.9 yards a carry. If the Chiefs can get up early on the Ravens, I could see the Chiefs wearing down the Ravens defense with Charles and Jones the rest of the game. However, the Ravens offense is patient and hasn't had too many big plays, which is exactly the type of offense you need ot beat the Chiefs. The Chiefs possess a bend but don't break defense and I expect Ray Rice to be given the ball a lot in this one. I don't trust Matt Cassell beating the Ravens with his arm so if the Ravens just stick to their gameplan, they should be able to win this game.
Ravens 20, Kansas City 14
Eagles vs. Packers- See below
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Eagles vs. Packers- 2010 NFL Wild Card Game
Yes, I am reviving my blog everyone. However, I am probably going to make this only a football blog from here on out. With my desire to work as a potential NFL Scout or as a sports economist, I thought writing about football would help as a beginning stepping stone. Anyway. it is one of my favorite times of the year: the NFL Playoffs. And my favorite team, the Green Bay Packers snuck in this week with a win against the Chicago Bears, 10-3. Anyway, I will give you my thoughts on the huge Packers-Eagles game this Sunday.
First, I will start out optimistically. This is why I love this matchup:
1. The Eagles have one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL. Winston Justice should have a rough time blocking his former college teammate Clay Matthews, so I assume that Philly will give extra help to Justice on the right side with guard Max Jean-Gilles. Matthews will rush from the left side for the majority which will be Vick's blindside, much like he did in the first game of the regular season. With two guys mainly focusing on Matthews, I expect Capers to blitz Bishop or Hawk up the middle more times than we are used to. I am also expecting a lot of Charles Woodson bilitzes much like we saw last Sunday vs. Cutler and the Bears. The Vikings showed how Vick struggles against the corner blitz and I would take Charles Woodson (who I believe is the best blitzing corner in the league) over Antoine Winfield any day of the week. I am also intiruged that Capers now has a full week to prepare for Vick so it will be interesting what the rest of his gameplan will include and how he will contain Ron Mexico.
2. The Packers defensive backs match up very well with the Eagles speed receivers. As we have seen this year, Tramon Williams has locked down opposing number one wide receivers all year with the exception of Brandon Marshall earlier in the season. Thankfully, the Eagles don't have a huge physical receiver of Marshalls caliber. The Packers corners match up very well with speed receivers of the Eagles: Jeremy Maclin and Desean Jackson. I expect Sam Shields to be on Jackson for the most part much like the first game, where Shields held Jackson to only 4 catches for 30 yards. Shields showed in the first game he has the speed to stay with Jackson and I have much more confidence in Shields' coverage abilities since then. I expect Williams to be on Maclin who is the Eagles most complete receiver, but I also wouldn't be surprised to see him matched up with Jason Avant on certain situations since he is the Eagles possession receiver and could cause the Packers some fits on 3rd down situations. However, Vick isn't really known for checking down too often so I expect Williams to be on Maclin for most of the game. That should leave Charles Woodson open to play close to the line of scrimmage and show plenty of blitzes which could fluster Vick.
3. The Packers offense matches up very well with the Eagles. It is simple: Do not throw the ball towards Asante Samuel. He is really the only true playmaker the Eagles have left on defense aside from defensive end Trent Cole. Many Eagles on defense that played the first game against Green Bay are on injured or on I.R., most notably LB Stewart Bradley, FS Nate Allen, CB Ellis Hobbs, and LB Brandon Graham. Dmitri Patterson the corner opposite of Samuel is very poor in coverage from what I have seen including letting Mario Manningham go off for 3 touchdowns only 3 weeks ago. Trevard Lindley, the Eagles nickleback is a pretty good tackler but he also has his deficiencies in pass coverage. This should mean a field day for Aaron Rodgers and the passing attack against a horrible pass defense.
4. The Packers are due. If you see my last point, the Packers are 0-6 playing at 3:15 on Sundays in the playoffs since 2000. Its amazing how the NFL keeps scheduling them for that time almost every year. Well, I think it is the Packers time to win one of these. Last year's game was a heartbreak ending and they also have to get revenge from the 4th and 26 debacle in the 2004 divisional round. Had the Packers won that game, they would have hosted the NFC Championship and perhaps gone to the Super Bowl. They finally have a chance to get their revenge on Philly and its been long overdue. The Packers have had many tough postseason losses since the Owens catch in 1998 and I think they are long overdue for a big victory finally.
Ok, so that is all fine and dandy but these are reasons why I hate this matchup:
1. Mike McCarthy. Ok, so I have been critical of McCarthy this season especially after the Detroit game , but I do have to give the guy credit with how this team finished the season They played very hard against the best team in football on the road on national teleivision with. a backup quarterback. Then with their backs against the wall and knowing they had to win their last two to get in against two playoff caliber opponents, the Packers were able to. Add that in with all of the team's injuries and you have to give the guy a pat on the back with what he has done with this team this year. I think McCarthy is good coach who gets his team up for games that really matter when all the fans are expecting something else. We all thought the Patriots would destroy us, but McCarthy probably coached his best game of the season minus the debacle in the final minute with Matt Flynn. The offense looked great with a backup quarterback and were moving up and down the field with time consuming drives and keeping the lethal Pats offense off the field. It was a superb gameplan but remember only one week earlier where we thought we were guaranteed to beat Detroits and we eneded up having our worst performance of the year. I think he has a terrific offensive mind and is a good motivator for the most part, but his teams have been really inconsistent since he has gotten here. The fact of the matter is that they have lost all 6 of their games by a combined 20 points! When is the last time the Packers have really not had a chance to win at the end? That answer is last year on November 1st in Favre's welcome back game at Lambeau Field with the Vikings. Face it, with McCarthy the Packers rarely get blown out which I credit him for. However, even though they are always close they never seem to be able to win this close games, which is my biggest complaint of McCarthy. As a huge fan, it is really heartbraking to lose so many close and not have just one or two go your way. McCarthy is 5-14 in games decided by 4 points or less and that needs to be fixed if they want to win in January. Whenever I am watching a Packers game, I always have a feeling in the back of my mind that if this game end up being close, we will lose. McCarthy usually has some bad clock management or will call a bonehead play that leaves me scratching my head in these close games. Just like on 4th and 2 and throwing a deep pass with Matt Flynn against the Lions to end the game. I like McCarthy but the guy has to prove to me that he can win close games. Again, if this game is close, I don't expect the Packers to win it because I can't even remember the last time the Packers won a game by less than 4 or in the final seconds. Some of that blame lies on Crosby and Aaron Rodgers but I also believe McCarthy really does panic in these situations. Let's hope I am wrong.
2. Playcalling. Ok, I'm getting on McCarthy again and usually I am fan of his playcalling. For example, the last three games have been great for playcalling, more notably the Giants and Patriots games. In those games we established a decent running game. It has been proven that we do not need a really good running game to win; we just need a respectable one to set up the play action and get away from 2nd and 3rd and longs. We kind of got away from the running game in the Bears game, but the Bears know us well and Harris and Idonije don't match up well with our small interior line. However, I am really sick of the dive play to John Kuhn. The worst sequence of playcalling for McCarthy these last three weeks was that 3 down set inside the 1. Look, we are not a good short yardage team because we have one of the smallest interior lines in the NFL. Wells and Colledge are very small for their respective positions and big defensive tackles get too much push on them (see: Suh in the Lions game). Yes, Kuhn is our best short yardage back but that play starts with the line and we continuously get no push in short yardage situations. I would be a fan of running it once and then throwing the play action in there to keep the defense honest but when we kept running it last Sunday I wasn't a happy camper. I am also worried that since our receivers have favorable matchups that we'll go back to old McCarthy where all our receiver seem to run vertical routes leaving Rodgers prone to hold on to the ball too long since no one is open. Yes, we all have seen that. I am very worried about how McCarthy will call this game and am hoping for a game like he called against the Giants: a solid run game to keep the defense honest, which should open up the passing game.
3. Bonehead Mistakes from the Receivers. We saw them on Sunday from the receivers: Key Drops. Driver's fumble also didn't help. Listen, we all know if Jennings catches that pass against the Lions instead of pretty much handing it to the Lions safety, we will probably win that game. Jennings and Jones had numerous drops that may have cost us points agains the Bears. Driver fumbled in Bears territory which also cost us. The previous week against New York, Nelson fumlbed at the ten in Giants territory and James Jones dropped a sure fire touchdown on a great throw by Rodgers which would have ended the game earlier. I am just sick of the receivers making stupid drops or fumbles. It cost us last year in Arizona in the Wild Card when Driver fumbled and we went down 14-0 in a hole early. Listen, our receivers are one of the most talented groups in the NFL, which makes it so frustrating why they always have these mental lapses at times. They can't make any key drops when its time for the playoffs because you will need as many points as you can get especially on the road.
4. Special Teams. I am still not over that Dan Connoly return and probably never will be. I hope Slocum still gets fired but I have to give him creidt for us outperforming the Bears special teams last week. However, the Eagles havea scary good special teams, especially with Maclin back there returning punts. As we saw from the Miracle in the Meadowlands, the Eagles could also put Jackson back there if they need a big play. The Packers kickoff team is also probably the worst in the NFL and they cannot allow any big plays after scoring points to switch the momentum back to the Eagles' side.
5 LeSean McCoy. McCoy played very well in the first meeting between these two teams. He only had 7 carries, but he also had 5 receptions. McCoy is the scariest player on the Eagles after Mike Vick in my opinion because the Packers have good personnel to shut down the receivers on the outside. However, we have figured out that the Packers run D is the most vulnerable part of their defense and if Reid gives the ball to McCoy many times, he could be in stoer for a huge game. However, Reid has McCarthy syndrome sometimes and also gets too pass happy which could benefit the Packers.
6. Michael Vick. Yeah, he really scares me with his scrambling ability and I still have nightmares on what he did to the Packers in the playoffs in 2002 with Atlanta. However, I also have trust in Capers and his gameplan and if we are able to limit Vick in any way and force a few turnovers, the Packes should have a good chance in this one. What scares me is Vick can always pull a great play with his arm or feet out of nowhere that is almost impossible for a single coach to contain. Vick seems to play big in big games and I am very worried about his scrambling ablility. If the blitz doesn't get there he could be in for some long gains, which was evident in the Miracle at Meadowlands comeback. We all know Vick is going to have some big plays; it is going to be up to the Packers to limit them however.
7. The Game Time. Yep, its a 3:15 on Sunday, the exact time I didn't want. It's the last game, the premier game everyone watches. The same time where we lost to Arizona last year. I really didn't want to be the last game because I can't remember the last time we won a playoff game Sunday afternoon. In fact, the Packers are 0-6 this decade in the 3:15 time slot in playoff games. the 4th and 26 debacle...yes, that was one of those 6 games. I just have bad memories and it would be an awful start to the week if the Packers lose.
Prediction:
All the signs point to the Packers winning this one which is what scares me. Everyone thought the Pack would win against Arizona last year because they matched up really well with them and we couldn't stop them. All the national pundits are jumping on the Pack bandwagon, calling them "the Most Dangerous Wild Card Team Ever." Well, it is time for the Packers to show everyone on the field. In recent years, they have not been able to do that. If this game is close, which I believe it will, I just can't see the Packers pulling it out based on recent history because I have not seen it. If the Packers get off to a fast start, the Eagles could fold and I could see the Packers winning by two touchdowns. However, if the game remain back and forth a close throughout (which I see happening since it is the playoffs), I see the Eagles pulling it out in the end by...you guessed it: 3 points.
Eagles 27, Packers 24 F
More to come later this week about my other wild card picks.
First, I will start out optimistically. This is why I love this matchup:
1. The Eagles have one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL. Winston Justice should have a rough time blocking his former college teammate Clay Matthews, so I assume that Philly will give extra help to Justice on the right side with guard Max Jean-Gilles. Matthews will rush from the left side for the majority which will be Vick's blindside, much like he did in the first game of the regular season. With two guys mainly focusing on Matthews, I expect Capers to blitz Bishop or Hawk up the middle more times than we are used to. I am also expecting a lot of Charles Woodson bilitzes much like we saw last Sunday vs. Cutler and the Bears. The Vikings showed how Vick struggles against the corner blitz and I would take Charles Woodson (who I believe is the best blitzing corner in the league) over Antoine Winfield any day of the week. I am also intiruged that Capers now has a full week to prepare for Vick so it will be interesting what the rest of his gameplan will include and how he will contain Ron Mexico.
2. The Packers defensive backs match up very well with the Eagles speed receivers. As we have seen this year, Tramon Williams has locked down opposing number one wide receivers all year with the exception of Brandon Marshall earlier in the season. Thankfully, the Eagles don't have a huge physical receiver of Marshalls caliber. The Packers corners match up very well with speed receivers of the Eagles: Jeremy Maclin and Desean Jackson. I expect Sam Shields to be on Jackson for the most part much like the first game, where Shields held Jackson to only 4 catches for 30 yards. Shields showed in the first game he has the speed to stay with Jackson and I have much more confidence in Shields' coverage abilities since then. I expect Williams to be on Maclin who is the Eagles most complete receiver, but I also wouldn't be surprised to see him matched up with Jason Avant on certain situations since he is the Eagles possession receiver and could cause the Packers some fits on 3rd down situations. However, Vick isn't really known for checking down too often so I expect Williams to be on Maclin for most of the game. That should leave Charles Woodson open to play close to the line of scrimmage and show plenty of blitzes which could fluster Vick.
3. The Packers offense matches up very well with the Eagles. It is simple: Do not throw the ball towards Asante Samuel. He is really the only true playmaker the Eagles have left on defense aside from defensive end Trent Cole. Many Eagles on defense that played the first game against Green Bay are on injured or on I.R., most notably LB Stewart Bradley, FS Nate Allen, CB Ellis Hobbs, and LB Brandon Graham. Dmitri Patterson the corner opposite of Samuel is very poor in coverage from what I have seen including letting Mario Manningham go off for 3 touchdowns only 3 weeks ago. Trevard Lindley, the Eagles nickleback is a pretty good tackler but he also has his deficiencies in pass coverage. This should mean a field day for Aaron Rodgers and the passing attack against a horrible pass defense.
4. The Packers are due. If you see my last point, the Packers are 0-6 playing at 3:15 on Sundays in the playoffs since 2000. Its amazing how the NFL keeps scheduling them for that time almost every year. Well, I think it is the Packers time to win one of these. Last year's game was a heartbreak ending and they also have to get revenge from the 4th and 26 debacle in the 2004 divisional round. Had the Packers won that game, they would have hosted the NFC Championship and perhaps gone to the Super Bowl. They finally have a chance to get their revenge on Philly and its been long overdue. The Packers have had many tough postseason losses since the Owens catch in 1998 and I think they are long overdue for a big victory finally.
Ok, so that is all fine and dandy but these are reasons why I hate this matchup:
1. Mike McCarthy. Ok, so I have been critical of McCarthy this season especially after the Detroit game , but I do have to give the guy credit with how this team finished the season They played very hard against the best team in football on the road on national teleivision with. a backup quarterback. Then with their backs against the wall and knowing they had to win their last two to get in against two playoff caliber opponents, the Packers were able to. Add that in with all of the team's injuries and you have to give the guy a pat on the back with what he has done with this team this year. I think McCarthy is good coach who gets his team up for games that really matter when all the fans are expecting something else. We all thought the Patriots would destroy us, but McCarthy probably coached his best game of the season minus the debacle in the final minute with Matt Flynn. The offense looked great with a backup quarterback and were moving up and down the field with time consuming drives and keeping the lethal Pats offense off the field. It was a superb gameplan but remember only one week earlier where we thought we were guaranteed to beat Detroits and we eneded up having our worst performance of the year. I think he has a terrific offensive mind and is a good motivator for the most part, but his teams have been really inconsistent since he has gotten here. The fact of the matter is that they have lost all 6 of their games by a combined 20 points! When is the last time the Packers have really not had a chance to win at the end? That answer is last year on November 1st in Favre's welcome back game at Lambeau Field with the Vikings. Face it, with McCarthy the Packers rarely get blown out which I credit him for. However, even though they are always close they never seem to be able to win this close games, which is my biggest complaint of McCarthy. As a huge fan, it is really heartbraking to lose so many close and not have just one or two go your way. McCarthy is 5-14 in games decided by 4 points or less and that needs to be fixed if they want to win in January. Whenever I am watching a Packers game, I always have a feeling in the back of my mind that if this game end up being close, we will lose. McCarthy usually has some bad clock management or will call a bonehead play that leaves me scratching my head in these close games. Just like on 4th and 2 and throwing a deep pass with Matt Flynn against the Lions to end the game. I like McCarthy but the guy has to prove to me that he can win close games. Again, if this game is close, I don't expect the Packers to win it because I can't even remember the last time the Packers won a game by less than 4 or in the final seconds. Some of that blame lies on Crosby and Aaron Rodgers but I also believe McCarthy really does panic in these situations. Let's hope I am wrong.
2. Playcalling. Ok, I'm getting on McCarthy again and usually I am fan of his playcalling. For example, the last three games have been great for playcalling, more notably the Giants and Patriots games. In those games we established a decent running game. It has been proven that we do not need a really good running game to win; we just need a respectable one to set up the play action and get away from 2nd and 3rd and longs. We kind of got away from the running game in the Bears game, but the Bears know us well and Harris and Idonije don't match up well with our small interior line. However, I am really sick of the dive play to John Kuhn. The worst sequence of playcalling for McCarthy these last three weeks was that 3 down set inside the 1. Look, we are not a good short yardage team because we have one of the smallest interior lines in the NFL. Wells and Colledge are very small for their respective positions and big defensive tackles get too much push on them (see: Suh in the Lions game). Yes, Kuhn is our best short yardage back but that play starts with the line and we continuously get no push in short yardage situations. I would be a fan of running it once and then throwing the play action in there to keep the defense honest but when we kept running it last Sunday I wasn't a happy camper. I am also worried that since our receivers have favorable matchups that we'll go back to old McCarthy where all our receiver seem to run vertical routes leaving Rodgers prone to hold on to the ball too long since no one is open. Yes, we all have seen that. I am very worried about how McCarthy will call this game and am hoping for a game like he called against the Giants: a solid run game to keep the defense honest, which should open up the passing game.
3. Bonehead Mistakes from the Receivers. We saw them on Sunday from the receivers: Key Drops. Driver's fumble also didn't help. Listen, we all know if Jennings catches that pass against the Lions instead of pretty much handing it to the Lions safety, we will probably win that game. Jennings and Jones had numerous drops that may have cost us points agains the Bears. Driver fumbled in Bears territory which also cost us. The previous week against New York, Nelson fumlbed at the ten in Giants territory and James Jones dropped a sure fire touchdown on a great throw by Rodgers which would have ended the game earlier. I am just sick of the receivers making stupid drops or fumbles. It cost us last year in Arizona in the Wild Card when Driver fumbled and we went down 14-0 in a hole early. Listen, our receivers are one of the most talented groups in the NFL, which makes it so frustrating why they always have these mental lapses at times. They can't make any key drops when its time for the playoffs because you will need as many points as you can get especially on the road.
4. Special Teams. I am still not over that Dan Connoly return and probably never will be. I hope Slocum still gets fired but I have to give him creidt for us outperforming the Bears special teams last week. However, the Eagles havea scary good special teams, especially with Maclin back there returning punts. As we saw from the Miracle in the Meadowlands, the Eagles could also put Jackson back there if they need a big play. The Packers kickoff team is also probably the worst in the NFL and they cannot allow any big plays after scoring points to switch the momentum back to the Eagles' side.
5 LeSean McCoy. McCoy played very well in the first meeting between these two teams. He only had 7 carries, but he also had 5 receptions. McCoy is the scariest player on the Eagles after Mike Vick in my opinion because the Packers have good personnel to shut down the receivers on the outside. However, we have figured out that the Packers run D is the most vulnerable part of their defense and if Reid gives the ball to McCoy many times, he could be in stoer for a huge game. However, Reid has McCarthy syndrome sometimes and also gets too pass happy which could benefit the Packers.
6. Michael Vick. Yeah, he really scares me with his scrambling ability and I still have nightmares on what he did to the Packers in the playoffs in 2002 with Atlanta. However, I also have trust in Capers and his gameplan and if we are able to limit Vick in any way and force a few turnovers, the Packes should have a good chance in this one. What scares me is Vick can always pull a great play with his arm or feet out of nowhere that is almost impossible for a single coach to contain. Vick seems to play big in big games and I am very worried about his scrambling ablility. If the blitz doesn't get there he could be in for some long gains, which was evident in the Miracle at Meadowlands comeback. We all know Vick is going to have some big plays; it is going to be up to the Packers to limit them however.
7. The Game Time. Yep, its a 3:15 on Sunday, the exact time I didn't want. It's the last game, the premier game everyone watches. The same time where we lost to Arizona last year. I really didn't want to be the last game because I can't remember the last time we won a playoff game Sunday afternoon. In fact, the Packers are 0-6 this decade in the 3:15 time slot in playoff games. the 4th and 26 debacle...yes, that was one of those 6 games. I just have bad memories and it would be an awful start to the week if the Packers lose.
Prediction:
All the signs point to the Packers winning this one which is what scares me. Everyone thought the Pack would win against Arizona last year because they matched up really well with them and we couldn't stop them. All the national pundits are jumping on the Pack bandwagon, calling them "the Most Dangerous Wild Card Team Ever." Well, it is time for the Packers to show everyone on the field. In recent years, they have not been able to do that. If this game is close, which I believe it will, I just can't see the Packers pulling it out based on recent history because I have not seen it. If the Packers get off to a fast start, the Eagles could fold and I could see the Packers winning by two touchdowns. However, if the game remain back and forth a close throughout (which I see happening since it is the playoffs), I see the Eagles pulling it out in the end by...you guessed it: 3 points.
Eagles 27, Packers 24 F
More to come later this week about my other wild card picks.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)