Packers make a statement

Wow! I think you can call the Green Bay Packers’ defense the real thing. I also think we are seeing the continuing maturation of Aaron Rodgers who just keeps getting better and better with each game. Being at the game tonight and from my damn near field level seats next to the Packers’ tunnel I see the faces of the players and the mannerisms up close and Rodgers amazed me today.

Rodgers was calm, cool and collected at all times, you couldn’t tell if the play was a 40-yard gain or a 15-yard penalty against the offense. I’d like to say it was a coming out party but Rodgers has been lights out since he took over the starting job. The numbers he is putting up are Peyton Manning-like and he is now starting to get that same respect level in the locker room. This is Aaron Rodgers’ team and tonight he proved beyond a doubt he is one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL

Does anybody want to question Dom Capers anymore? Twelve games into his tenure in Green Bay and the Packers have the best defense in the NFL. Oh, and ah, they are still getting better. A.J. Hawk has found his system and rookies Clay Matthews and B.J. Raji are playing well beyond their years. All of a sudden the Packers’ defense is complementing the explosive offense and the Packers appear to be playoff bound.

A trip to Chicago next week presents another must win game because the Bears are, well, they Bears are who we thought they were – they suck. A loss in Chicago would be akin to a loss to Tampa Bay. It would be a season killer.

I’ll have more to say as I sober up, but damn, what a great day to be a Packers’ fan!

This entry was posted on Tuesday, December 8th, 2009 at 2:35 am and is filed under Al Davis. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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  • iccyfan

    It’s the job of the fans to sift thru possible scenarios but I hope the team is focusing on one game at a time! I haven’t spoken with the relatives in Chicagoland this AM, but I’m sitting 240 miles west with a foot of snow on the ground, freezing temps and howling winds. I haven’t looked at the weekend forecast but I’m assuming it’s going to be nasty; will the Packers be able to get Ryan Grant and the ground game rolling?

    I don’t see the Vikes collapsing but they’re not the juggernaut being portrayed by the media. They should be 8-4 right now, just like us, if not for a miracle defensive breakdown by the 49ers and a missed 43 yard field goal by the Ravens. Momentary lapses, such as those and our fourth quarter debacle at Tampa Bay, define playoff positioning. I like our chances going forward…

  • roy jamison

    I have criticized TT for various personnel moves. Still can’t believe the Jon Ryan one and never will. However, I got to give credit where credit is due. He went against his normal instincts of adding veterans and signed Tauscher and Green. Those helped show the young players that veterans have a place.

  • http://Orlando Mark

    Roy, he signed them because they came cheap and he was desperate. Give him credit for Matthews, getting Capers and signing #12 to a long term contract.

  • Larry

    Mark, TT signed the best players that could help the team. Both players were healthy…knew the system..and could still play at a high level for at least 1/2 a season. Cheap had nothing to do with it and TT has always been bringing in players each week for tryouts. Obviously someone agrees with him as our practice squad keeps getting raided.

    Give this guy some credit for bringing the right people into the right place at the right time. He’s not perfect but this team looks really good right now and is very young.

  • iccyfan

    Larry Says: “TT has always been bringing in players each week for tryouts. Obviously someone agrees with him as our practice squad keeps getting raided.”

    I was trying to remember when, if ever, the Packers have signed a player from somebody else’s practice squad to their 53 man roster. I actually tried to web search for signings from practice squads in 2009, as I was curious whether other teams are raided the way the Packers have been; I couldn’t find anything. I don’t know why, but I was more bummed about losing Jamon Meredith than I was either QB. Prior to the draft, scouts were pretty high on Meredith and he felt like a steal where we got him. Potential left tackles are a prized commodity and I was surprised Ted put a third center, Evan Dietrich-Smith on the roster and left Meredith exposed. He has started six games in Buffalo, though he’s currently listed as the backup RT.

  • roy jamison

    The remaining four games should favor the Packers
    Packers – Bears, Steelers, Seahawks, Cardinals with 3 wins…11-5
    Dallas – Chargers, Saints, Redskins, Eagles with 1 win 9-7
    Philly – Giants, 49ers, Broncos, Cowboys…with 3 wins 11-5
    N.Y. Giants – Eagles, Redskins, Panthers, Vikes…with two wins 9-7
    Queens – Bengals, Panthers, Bears, Giants with 2 wins 12-4

    The Cowboys look to have the toughest road. They could lose 3.
    Philly could wrap up East by winning 3.
    Giants look to win 2
    Queens probably will win 2 of 4 but number 4 will have to play on Dec. 28 in the cold.

  • Michael Legat

    Hi Roy,

    My guess is
    Vikes win 3 for 13-3 and 2nd seed
    Eagles win 2 for 10-6 and 4th seed
    Packers win 3 for 11-5 and 5th seed (God willing!)
    Dallas wins 2 for 10-6 and 6th seed
    Giants win 2 for 9-7

    Something else I’d like to acknowledge is that while I’ve been highly critical of Mac as a HC, aside from the continuing debacle of the Special Teams and the frequent sloppiness of play, we have inarguably outcoached our last four opponents. I have VERY few complaints about the offensive and defensive playcalling the last month or so. Once the offense starts to execute a little better, things could get interesting.

  • http://Orlando Mark

    Larry, I’m quite willing to credit TT’s successes. But when it comes to veteran players, the best you can say about TT is that he’s been thrifty, to a fault. Every GM has an MO and his is to not pay older players. If he has a cheaper younger player like #12 great but if he doesn’t I hope he takes a hard look at some next off season when we’ll have real chance for a ring. BTW it was great seeing Hawk doing well in coverage.

  • roy jamison

    Larry makes a good point about bringing in players who apparently are attractive to other teams…like the Bills twice. With the recent additions of Francois a teammate of Raji at BC and Pizzotti a qb from Harvard, I think it shows a continuing commitment to trying to coach up guys who are fringe players with potential. When someone goes down, guys like this get their chance. If they impress while on the practice squad, other teams give them a shot.

  • roy jamison

    Michael, your guess may be better than my guess. I just hate the Cowboys so much, I couldn’t hide it! But, seriously, the Cowboys seem to fade when it comes December and it’ll be interesting how those last 4 play out.

  • Pete H

    I have fully acknowledged my u turn on TT. Legat, I disagree about MM’s coaching lately. He still coaches soft with a lead. He still can’t get a lick of discipline out of his team. He still makes inexcusable challenges. He still can’t come up with any plays from inside the twenty that actually get the ball into the end zone. The Packers have outplayed their opponents, not outcoached them.

  • Larry

    I’m up near Buffalo and Meredith got some play time but now seem relegated to the bench. I, like you, thought he would stay on the roster but the draft buzz was poor work ethic and soft. Maybe so. My complaint with the 53 man roster was 3 FB’s. I really liked that small running back Stanton was it? There seems to be a lot of success in the league for these mighty mites.

    I’m hoping Lang gets some more work at LT. Cliffy has been nursing bum legs all season and we’re going to need Lang. Maybe the Bears will hibernate early and we can see some subs get time.

  • Pack4life

    The AZ Cardinals and Tony Boselli agrees that MN Vikes LT tips Vikes Run or pass based on his stance and even Childress answered questions about Peterson tipping off the opposition today. Hmmm the Pack play this team how often and AZ picks up on it?? MM note see what you can learn when you are not stuffing your face. Seriously that means Chicago GB and well they could tell the Lions what theyre running and no big deal. Again MM is not top quality more reasons why

  • roy jamison

    Larry, you’re probably referring to Tyrell Sutton “who was one of the best stories of Packers training camp, but he surprisingly didn’t make their 53-man roster on Saturday.” I copied that line from a sports blog. But, I was surprised they didn’t keep him given the number of carries he got in preseason. They went with Jackson and Wynn instead. Jackson has developed into a third down guy. Wynn is hurt and that gave Ahman Green another chance. As for Sutton, looks like 9 carries for 53 yards. So the Panthers aren’t using him much. Still hard to figure.

  • Reid

    Current forecast for Sunday is 31 degrees and mostly sunny. Trap game for us coming off big win, short week and going on the road to play a division rival. How do we win this one?

  • Larry

    Pound the ball against Chicago to open the play action. There is nothing special left on this team so we need establish the run to free up Driver and Jennings deep and Findley over the middle.

    Once we get a lead, Cutler will press and throw a pick or two. I thought the Ravens game would be a blowout (maybe marginally it was) and they’re better than da Bears. If we get a lead we need to avoid kicking deep to Knox or Hester (could be a surprise there).

    I’ve got tickets to the GB/Steeler game…I’m looking past Chicago! (Hope the team isn’t)

  • Reid

    Larry – I’m going to the Steeler game too. Maybe we can have a beer?

  • http://jlworden1suddenlink.net LarryTex

    One need not look beyond WOODson to know TT would pay for quality, just like Wolf did, if truly available. Brandt article a must read, there always has been another factor to “convincing” a FA to come. Our history has always been that we have to outbid (like BUF) to get them to come.
    WOODson is about to achieve REGGIE status. For my money he he has passed Buchanon and Dillon and is even with Adderly. If he gets the MVP (based on others’ evaluation, not mine) he gets the full Caps.

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