Some ugly baby

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. You may say Monday’s 27-14 victory was ugly, I call it breathtaking. The Packers moved to 8-4 and right in the hunt for a wild card playoff spot. The Packers play at Chicago this week in what will be the Bears’ Super Bowl. The Bears aren’t going anywhere so they would love nothing more than to knock the Packers out. The Packers would love nothing more than to stick one of the final stakes in Bears’ head coach Lovie Smith.

The Packers had to overcome their own mistakes and the mistakes of the officiating crew and they accomplished both. Aaron Rodgers threw two interceptions and Donald Driver lost a fumble that briefly turned the game in the Ravens’ favor. However, when the Ravens closed the Packers’ 17 point lead to three, the Packers offense answered with a TD and the Packers defense intercepted the Ravens twice in the fourth quarter to put the game on ice. The Packers are learning how to close games finally and that should bode well as we start the final quarter of the season.

The offensive line is getting better now that Mark Tauscher is settling in at his old right tackle position and it appeared Chad Clifton made it through the game OK. If those two guys stay healthy the rest of the way the Packers offense should continue to improve even at this late stage of the season. The Packers also should have gotten a good feel for what the weather will be like in three of those final four games. Only a trip to Arizona the final week will be in warm weather. At Chicago and at Pittsburgh and home against Seattle will be games similar to Monday night when it was about 20 degrees at kickoff.

Lets focus on Chicago first. The Bears are not a very good team but they are a division rival who always plays good against the Packers since Lovie took over. Last week they barely got by the lowly Rams on their own turf breaking a three game losing streak. Lovie will have them ready to play this week that is for sure. In the first meeting between the two teams the Bears probably should have won, but a late touchdown pass to Greg Jennings saved the day for the Packers.

The Packers defense did rise to the occasion against Baltimore and can’t afford a letdown against Chicago. Many are already picking the Bears in an upset. Five in a row would sure be nice heading into Pittsburgh, which lost to the lowly Raiders in Pittsburgh Sunday. The fact that is the Bears makes me believe the Packers won’t overlook a lesser opponent. Certainly one game isn’t a reason to push the panic button, but one has to wonder if the Vikings are primed for their usual late season swoon, especially with a QB who has a three-year track record of poor play in December. Not saying the the Packers can still win the division, but a Packers win over the Bears and a Vikings loss to the Bengals would make things interesting. I’m not saying, I’m just saying…it could get interesting.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, December 9th, 2009 at 6:49 pm 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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  • http://jlworden1suddenlink.net LarryTex

    Yeah, right, re perceived value. I don’t care if he is the best OT in the business, PHI record is no better than ours, and what did they pay to be even with us.
    A #1, a #4, a #6, and over 10M a year, thats nuts. I appreciate that some of you would pay it, but where is the return? What is the value of that much coin dedicated to a position, that according to skill is behind QB, WR or RB, or an all pro LB or DE? Not me brother. Every individual on the team is subject to injury, and I can not get any guarantee that that won’t happen even to an all pro.

  • Larry

    LarryTex…bet your glad your not liking the Raiders…think of the coin invested in JaMarcus Russell (bust) , Heyward-Bey (bust to be), and Gallery…(a guard by default). Even McFadden seems ordinary. Let’s add the coin to sign another top 5 pick coming at them. I’m surprised they can stay under the cap!

    Don’t agree with your pecking order…many teams would build with QB then LT. I’m sorry but WR are a dime a dozen 2,3,4 and beyond for me..note Driver, Rice, Jennings. For every round 1 probowl receiver there’s a round 1 bust cut by Detroit.

    Same with RB…Bent Fullwood/Darrell Thompson lover. Give me Levens and Bennett any day

  • TRIP

    Let’s be interested in the PHI vs NYG game this week, too. In the playoff picture, that’s essentially #5 vs #7, with us being #6. Unless MIN loses out, the division is probably gone, so these games are near playoff games at this point.

  • http://jlworden1suddenlink.net LarryTex

    Oh, no question, Larry. Its the history that guides my thinking. We went bust for Anderson/Grabowski, Hadl, even Favre and REGGIE. Throw in Woodson and Dickey too. Sometimes it works, but mostly not. Min did it with Hutchinson, Allen, and Favre. Your mention of OAK, and the wonderful money machine, Snyder. The Haynesworth deal ruined two teams, the Titans and Wash.
    I’d like it like hell if TT could find a REGGIE out there, but you know how rare they are. Others counter that they don’t necesarily want a top dog, just some elderly veteran to settle down and teach the kids. Thats OK too if the right guys at the right price in the right position are available, but its not always possible.
    Overall, I like TTs approach better, build from within. Frustrating sometimes and you lose some good ones like Robinson, Walker, and McKenzie but I think a much better way to go in the long run. And, we have money in the bank for those worth keeping.

  • Larry

    Interesting enough we may have found two Reggies in a way…Kampy approached RW #’s when we were a 4-3 (nearly 60 sacks) and in the 3-4..you may see Clay M approach double digit each year. That is not to say they are RW by any stretch and your dead nuts correct about not necessarily wanting the best player at any position but rather a top 10 player at many positions.

    It just seems that with just a few off-season moves and good health this team could be really good…and for all that the Vikings are this year they have been and will be a QB short next year or beyond and that’s a really big piece to try to find. Ask Chicago.

  • iccyfan

    I’ll respectfully disagree with your dismisal of the Jason Peter signing by Philadelphia. They gave up a very low first (#28), a fourth & a sixth; they’re paying him about what the Rams are paying rookie Jason Smith.

    “In total, Peters will make $60 million over the next six seasons.”

    “On July 30, 2009 the Rams agreed to terms with Smith on a six-year contract with $33 million in guarantees. The maximum value of the deal is $61 million.”

    I’d rather pay a 26 y/o established veteran that kind of money than a 22 y/o rookie who will probably work out, but could become the next Tony Mandarich or Robert Gallery.

    I think everybody is on board with Ted’s build from within program, but I’ve been convinced that he needs to go out and make those Ryan Pickett type acquisitions on the free agent market as well. Less Frank Walker and Anthony Smith’s – open the pursestrings when a Jason Peters comes on the market…

  • http://jlworden1suddenlink.net LarryTex

    I don’t think we’re that far apart, iccy. Like we’re dotting the i and crossing the t. The differences seem to be that I value the 28th and the cash more than you do. I’ll yield that you are the bigger gambler. When compared to the rookie, you are so right. Taken together I’m not bothered by the TT second level FA approach because sometimes you get that starter out of the bunch, ie, Woodson, Pickett, Harris, Matthews, etc. I’m mixing trades into the senario because it takes all three components to build – trade, FA, and draft.

  • packer_bob

    Rocky,

    You’re alive!

    (Old people—sometimes they need reassurance.)

  • packer_bob

    If Pittsburgh losing to Cleveland shows anything, it’s not to take a game for granted. This is all Chicago has to play for tomorrow, to screw up the Packer’s chance to make the playoffs.

    On paper I’d say we should kill them, and the local media is very dismissive of the Bears’ chances. Naturally, I’d like us to win by 55.

    But I think it’s very important we don’t look past this game. I’d be nice to see us avoid the penalties and special teams gaffes just once as well.

  • Larry

    Amen to that….I would greatly prefer a reduced yellow Xmas, especially on returns. And more than the Bears being dangerous the Packers can self destruct with turnovers and
    penalties. A couple weather induced defensive touchdowns by Chicago could be killers.

  • Sammy

    No game is ever a sure win!! Especially with this Packer team. I think we are getting hot at the right time but it was not too long ago that y’all were calling for TT/MM’s head after the Bucs game. I am still calling for at least MM’s head but let’s see what happens……Go Pack!

  • packer_bob

    Sure seems like we’re getting hot at the right time. I have been hard on MM and TT, but I’ve said all along 9-7 was my threshold for them to keep there jobs, and it sure looks like we’re capable of doing far better than that at this point.

    For better or worse, MM is not going anywhere, and I never thought TT was in any jeapordy, except if we had finished a disastrous 4-12 or something like that. We’re going to have to dance with what we’ve got at this point.

  • Devil’s Advocate…

    Wonder why I bitch about the reffing???? Monday night was fucking horrendus officiating, pardon my french. I’m sure we can expect a bunch of rainbows heading T. William’s way, for nothing other than to draw a penalty. Probably practiced it all week. But anyway, once those refs started calling the ticky-tacky stuff, then they had to call them all, then all the players wanted penalties all the time…….. then the game got dragged down yadda, yadda, yadda.
    Couple things………. the funny thing about the “arm bar” PI penalty is that it starts w/a offensive PI penalty when the WR sticks that arm back to shield the DB from the ball…….. but they don’t call that!!!! And then there’s that facemask penalty which was the most pathetic of the night. After what seemed like 5 or 10 seconds by Jennings to finally get the call, I find it pathetic. I would have to assume at least one ref is supposed to watch the tackle. He would have had to seen the facemask and chose to ignore it, what does that say about him/them? Maybe worse yet is that he actually missed it and threw a flag for a penalty he didn’t see and what does that really say about him/them???? The Packers have been flagged for simply brushing the facemask this year. Raji got tackled once in the open….. no flag. A hand hit A-Rod’s helmet, the Pack got called for that this year also. I saw someone come in on A-Rod’s legs….. no call. Brady gets those if anyone even touches his leg. Seems a little strange we have penalties that they only call for one player in the NFL. Then again it’s not the first time. Not only do the N.E. Cheaters get a special leg touching penalty for their QB, they also get the special “tuck rule” treatment. NFL must be the “Not Fair” League. I’m picking the Pack to win again………….. by about 14.

  • http://jlworden1suddenlink.net LarryTex

    DA, I’m in the trap too. Pack 20-0. Concentration on PIT already since I don’t think the Bearse have anything left on O or D, and all they have are runbacks.

  • http://cox/phx retiredgrampa

    I would assume (hopefully) that Crosby can squibb kick bouncers to the 20 or so, to reduce the chances of Manning and cohorts. If we kick away, bad things will happen.

  • packer_bob

    20-0? I would love it if we could pitch a shut out in their house, but I find that doubtful.

    I’ll go 24-10, Packers.

  • roy jamison

    Weather should be nice for Chicago tomorrow considering!

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