I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and like the Packers it is time to get back to business. The Packers face a must-win game tomorrow at Lambeau Field that really should be a laugher. Of course we all know what happened last time we thought that. I think the Packers will be ready to play after getting an extra day off for Christmas, something I’m sure the players appreciated and would love to repay the favor to coach Mike McCarthy with a victory.
Unless there is a major upset in New York or Washington the Packers will go to the last week of year with their playoff hopes undetermined, other than two wins and in of course. Tomorrow and Monday night will determine more about how hard Arizona tries against the Packers in week 17. Tomorrow I will be Panthers and Redskins fans. Not much hope there.
As far as the Seahawks are concerned, weather conditions will be fine tomorrow so I can see the Packers employing a similar game plan as they did in Pittsburgh, throw early and often. The thinking is this time they jump on top and grind it out on the ground in the second half. Ryan Grant has had some success against the Seattle in the past, let’s hope it continues tomorrow.
The Packers are fairly healthy for this late in season, the only major injury was Al Harris, which certainly did come into play last week. While the Packers should be able to hide Harris’ loss again this week, doing so in Arizona perhaps twice in a row is another matter.
It’s the last home game of the season and a win would put the Packers 6-2 at home. The Pack will get to ten, but will it be enough?
Packers will crush the Seahawks tomorrow. Seahawks have been terrible the last two weeks and appear to be mailing in the rest of the season.
Looking like we’ll have to wait until the last game to seal the playoffs. If Cardinals had anything to play for, I’d be nervous. Thankfully, the only thing they’ll be playing for is to avoid injuries and give some guys rest for the playoffs.
This has to be their ‘complete game’ to set the tone and jump start the play-off run. They definitely don’t want to limp in.
We lose to Seattle we don’t deserve the playoffs.
I think we’d payoff someone’s contract, Larry!
GO PACKERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I was a little concerned with the way a team ranked 28th in the league in rushing was cramming the ball down our throats, but that Hawk pick bailed us.
Not sure how much credit to give Hawk as it was a terrible throw, but hey, we’ll take it and Hawk has been making plays for several weeks now.
Beautiful play call on that screen pass, and great execution. We’ve got’em playing from behind now, just what we want. GO PACK GO!
well,…. letting Ryan (punter) go was a mistake.
Thanks Bush. Does he know that he is in an NFL game right now? Sure wish we could move the ball 15 yards every play.
note to Jarret: turn the f ck around!
We have been fortunate so far this game. Seattle seems intent on self destructing. I’ll take it, especially with the Giants getting their asses kicked. Let’s just hope Seattle doesn’t get their shit together or this could get close.
McCarthy’s challenges seem to always be wrong!
Scratching my head about how we handled the clock at the end of the half, although I felt Havner got screwed on that ticcy tack penalty.
There should be no way we lose this game. Carolina hangs on and we’re in the playoffs today. WOO HOO!
Agreed PB, phantom PI call?
LarryTex, Bush finally did you proud! (Although I think Hasselback is just forcing the ball at this point.)
Nice post-Christmas gifts from the Seahawks and Panthers.
Packers are playoff bound!!!
As we’ve learned in the NFC the last several years, get to the playoffs and anything can happen.
The coaches have been raving for awhile now about how well Brandon Jackson was doing on blitz pickup and other 3rd down dirty work. I think it’s pretty cool they’re calling his number and giving him a chance to shine today…
Congratulations to Jarrett Bush! Interception #1 of his career and on his way to catching Darren Sharper…
Looks like the Saints are looking like a normal NFC football team… Could they be the next victims of the Tampa Bucs? Never would have imagined that the Saints would be struggling against the Bucs…
I feel better about losing to the Bucs now. At least when we did it it was there, not at home trying to ice home field advantage throught out the playoffs!
Maybe we’re peaking at the right time. Hard to take this win too seriously though. Still, we’re in the playoffs baby! Wasn’t sure I’d be saying that when we were 4-4.
Great packer win! Must give credit to O line over the last 6 games…that was a great turnaround! Didn’t appear like Rodgers had one of his best games…that being said a bad game for #4 was 3 or 4 picks. A bad game for Rodgers is 200 yards or so. BIG DIFFERENCE
PLAYOFF BOUND!!!!!!!!!! really the only team that scares me is Philly. Vikings and Saints are looking more mortal with each passing week.
I wouldn’t go that far, although I guess it depends on your definition of scared. I don’t think there’s anyone in the NFC that we are sure to lose to, but I wouldn’t be overly confident of a road win against any of the potential playoff teams.
But hey, we’re in! Maybe we put together a run like the Cardinals last year!
p_b and iccy, an INT does not a season make, its true. Bush has not, and won’t have the opportunity to prove he is more than a ST guy this year. But, I remember the Harris history before GB. A nickle that couldn’t break into the PHI starting lineup. So who knows; thats all I was saying anyway.
This game didn’t prove much other than we are starting to win games we should.
Kinda feels good to say the Packers are in the play-offs… Now it’s all about the NFC East and that little bit of drama over there. The Eagles and the Cowboys battling it out for the NFC East. The Broncos are making it interesting right now for the Eagles. My biggest fear, as usual, is the way the elite QB’s continue to pick our secondary apart… Ben with a 503 game and Favre tore our secondary apart twice. I think our offense has improved greatly so we can score and keep up with the best of them giving us a realistic shot at winning ANY game through the play-off stretch.
I liked what I saw today from Bush, I think he’s improving. I think Williams is improving as well – not like they’re Woodson or anything, but I think they are contributing. We really just need to tighten our defensive scheme and remember that three rushers will not get it done right now and the elite QBs will lick their chops at that kinda time… we need to git after a bit more and really mix up the scheme a little more IMHO.
We are going into the playoffs with our best foot forward!!!! GO PACK!!!!
Elite QB are all through the playoffs (no surprise there) what is needed is the pass rush. Weather will not be an issue unless we get Philly. Everything else is a dome or near dome. So in order to go far we’ll need everything Capers and the D have to offer.
I’m glad Lang, Jackson, Green got some reps today. They’ll be needed more in the playoffs
as well as the run game. Grant is coming on at the right time if we give him the carries.
Who knows what will happen. Ask the Saints after they loss to the jaugernaut Bucs!!!
Ryan Grant over 1200 yards now. Jennings over 1000 yards. Rodgers over 4000 — first qb in NFL history to have his first two seasons with over 4000 yards passing! Driver will be over 1000 yards next week. Jarrett Bush gets his first pick. Crosby makes a long field goal. Whoa! I can’t believe the Giants got hammered by the Panthers. But, I’ll take it, and a trip to the playoffs.
Hard to complain about today – Havner got hosed – sometimes surprising how much pressure they got on Rodgers, but he handled it better than Hasselbeck. Good job, Aaron.
Very good to see Jackson, Green and Grant running hard.
We seem to be coming together far better than I dared to hope.
I say let’s pound AZ and move into the playoffs with a real head of steam… If the Cowboys beat the Eagles in the final game of the season there’s a realistic chance that we could be heading to Jerry World for our first playoff game… if so, I’ll be there with bells on!!! We beat them once and based on what I saw tonight from Dallas, we could beat them again… they aren’t all that and a bag of chips… If they lose to the Eagles and we have to play AZ twice in a row, I’m a little worried – don’t like having to play the same team twice in a row – bad things can happen… Either way, GO PACK!!!! We’re in the play-offs for the first time in a few years and the first time without BF at the helm… I’m super excited for the playoffs this year…
It would seem to me that ARI comes out early and tries to matchup Fitz or Bolden on Bush. You cannot dbl both. Capers will have to think out of the box on this one, because ARI, I think, will be thinking ahead in prep for probably meeting us in the playoffs. This game, then, is kinda like the third game of a pre-season. Run like hell w/ starters for a half. Don’t know all the ramifications of home field implications for ARI, but I think they will try to start out on fire. Will be very interesting.
Congrats to Aaron Rodgers… first player in NFL history to throw for over 4,000 yards in his first two seasons.
I’m so glade the packers are making the playoffs congrats to them whatever was said in that team meeting they had after the tampa bay lost WORK they step up like men and played football I hope they keeping getting better and better
GO PACKERS
If you don’t push Warner, he’s gonna kill you no matter what your coverage looks like. He’s too good, and those receivers are too good. Rush him. Pound him. He’s a 38 year old QB. He will fumble, and he will throw INTs. He’s also going to burn you some. Count on Rodgers to outscore them.
Detroit came within a TD – SF kicked their asses. We can do this thing. I assume we’re going to have to score 30+ to do it. but I’m convinced we can do it. I’m dead on convinced that we need to if we’re going to make a real playoff run.
If I’m coaching the Colts, maybe I’d think differently. One of the best O-lines in football. Veteran QB – one of the best ever. A team stacked with veterans many of whom have already won a Super Bowl.
That’s not us. We’re the underdogs. Young team. A lot of outstanding but unproven talent. I think we have to go into the playoff like a pack of slathering dogs, and you don’t do that by laying down in Arizona.
“We’re in the play-offs for the first time in a few years and the first time without BF at the helm”
That’s it AATP…it’s the dawn of a new age!
Al booted me a while ago, but my guess is he won’t mind this eating crow post…
Well done, MMARTT. I stand fully corrected. My goal for this team was 9-7 and the playoffs, especially given our easy schedule this season(only 2 wins over winning teams). Being guaranteed of atleast 10-6 and football in January is good enough for me. Honestly, I think TT, through the performance of this years draft classs Raji, Matthews, Lang and Jones (as well other picks, such as Rodgers, Jennings, Collins, etc.) has clearly earned the right to lead this team for the foreseeable future. Even though I disagree with his lack of participation in free agency… I cannot argue with success.
Must give kudos to MM, for rallying this team at 4-4 and not letting them fold on him after that tampa loss. Think he earned the right to coach this team through the remainder of his contract by a job well done with this impressive 6-1 run and proving to us doubters that 13-3 wasn’t an anomalie by getting back to the playoffs. That being said, I still think his playcalling is suspect, but winning cures all.
And one AR has won me over. And I’ll tell you when it happened. During the middle of the 3rd quarter against Dallas he led this team on a stellar drive to take a 10-point lead and take control of a close football game against a playoff caliber football team. It was those types of drives that I thought were lacking from his game and he has consistently put together critical drives to lead this team during their 6-1 stretch, the 2nd half of the season. He certainly has proven himself worthy as the new leader of the Pack!
At the end of the day, I just care about us winning!
Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go get my shotgun and thin out the crow population in the field behind my house, so I can have some dinner ready to eat while I joyfully cheer on the green and gold in the playoffs, here in a couple of weeks!
I just hope Al doesn’t shut the site down again, if we lose in the playoffs…
Well done Pack saving the best for last is a good thing. TT has proven beyond a reasonable doubt that Rodgers is the Long term and short term answer. I prefer to play Dallas they are least effective offense that will be in the playoffs. We have prove we can cover their guys and get to Romo. AZ has too much talent too mess with 2 weeks running. Philly has a mobile QB and home run talent all over the field.
GO Pack.
I think we all should join hands together now and sing Kumbya, or however it’s spelled.
Sorry to get ahead of myself here but I have a question, if we lose to Arizona will that help our draft position (if we don’t win the Super Bowl cuz they get to go last, don’t they)? Or, is draft position determined from playoff teams based on where they finish in the playoffs and sorted within their playoff depth according to their record?
GO PACK GO!!!
I loved yesterday’s game. My favorite parts besides the obvious complete team performance was seeing Green get in the end zone at lambeau again and the way the team reacted when Mason made that kick.
It changed this year, instead of record now, it’s where you finished in the playoffs. Example: Arizona last year….. picked at the 9-7 record spot but were in the SB. Now I have a question for whoever can answer it. Been scratching my head over it all season……. Why do teams only get to dress 45 of their 52 players??? They still have to pay the deactives full salary, right?? Been nice to have been able to put Barbre and Giocomini out there yesterday to get some playing time.
I too loved seeing AG getting into the endzone and doing a Lambeau Leap!!!
Being able to rotate backs will be huge in the playoffs.
How big were the signings of Green and Tauscher?
Do we still make the playoffs without him?
Tauscher I meant
Excellent Article on Pro Football Weekly about how the Bears ruined their organization giving Lovie Smith all the power. The Bears could have had, Cedric Benson, Justin Gage, Bernard Berrian at the skill positions. They fired Ron Rivera and look what he has done to the SD defense. The are locked into contracts with Urlacher,Harris and Cutler. It couldnt have happened to a nicer bunch of losers.
Bringing Tauscher in gives you three steady linemen rather than two or even one back when Clifton was touch and go. That seems like a pretty big deal to me.
I don’t think MM or Capers is going to show much game 16. He may even sit some players toward the end of the 3rd quarter. All this based on having to play Arizona first round.
I think I would rather lose game 16 playing vanilla 3-4 than give them a chance to see how the DB’s will line up in the playoff’s.
I expect to see a huge amount of nickle and dime when the game counts.
It was an incredible Sunday with the Packers big win and the Giants big loss. Looks like the road to a SB will be a dejavu visit to Arizona. I believe the Pack has the most momentum going into the playoffs with the Vikes and Saints stumblinig. It’s always tougher to go on the road to get to a SB, but the Giants showed everyone a couple of years ago it can certainly be done.
Larry Says: “I think I would rather lose game 16 playing vanilla 3-4 than give them a chance to see how the DB’s will line up in the playoff’s. I expect to see a huge amount of nickle and dime when the game counts.”
I expect to see nickel and dime in week 16; when the game counts I hope we man up and bring the house on blitzes! San Francisco beat Arizona twice by roughing Warner up and we’ll need to do the same. They have one good corner and a bunch of young guys – Capers should be curling up at night with their tapes…
Best case scenario, I’m hoping the Eagles play their way into the #2 seed and we get a third shot at the Vikings. It’ll be interesting to see how Brett fares in the cold weather tonight versus da Bears…
Roy, I think the Steelers went on the road and won in 2005. We’ve got a good shot except for our pass defense. We all saw what Roethlisberger did. Warner can do that as well. Our #4 and #5 DB’s can be beaten and all the rules favor the offense. We don’t turn the ball over and the ST and penalties are better but we have no chance without a pass rush. If we had a reliable run game to play keep away that would help.
Nobody wants to show anything in the Cardinal game or get anyone hurt so it looks like we might have to watch another exhibition game.
Boy do I hate being a Chicago Bears fan tonight, but I am and so far I’m liking what I’m seeing… Give ‘em hell Bears… Gotta go for the underdog here tonight…
If we’re going to see Arizona twice anyhow, I figure that’s all the more reason to beat Warner up in the first game.
Well, its true, our 4 and 5 DBs can be beaten; just like anybody elses.
Capers will have to take the Safeties deep, and use Chillar on the TE, he doesn’t have much choice. Both Woodson and Williams will need safety help.