I have to admit I haven’t followed much of the conversation since my last entry, so pardon me if I repeat some of your thoughts, which I probably will. Either way, here goes.
First Quarter - No way on God’s green earth did I see the Packers starting out 2-2. I was sure 4-0 and was going to be the record. I could have saw 3-1 because of the trip to Minnesota, but never saw the Bengal loss coming. Of course the Bengals did end up making the playoffs and they were playing their best football arguably the first month of the season. Just the opposite for Green Bay. It was definitely a shocker and for whatever reason the Packers hit snooze on that wake-up call.
The loss in Minnesota was the first sign the Packers couldn’t stop the pass, a problem that ultimately ended their season. Brett Favre won a classic shootout between the past and present Packers’ quarterbacks. Aaron Rodgers astonishingly throw for almost 400 yards despite getting sacked eight times. Getting sacked was Rodgers’ and the Packers’ biggest problem of the first four games.
Second Quarter - The next four games featured three gimmies and a home date with the Vikings. The Packers rolled over Detroit and Cleveland but the ole’ gunslinger embarrassed the Packers in his return to Lambeau and the residual effect was a loss to Tampa Bay the following week. Six weeks later than they should have the Packers got the wake-up call that actually woke them up. The loss to the Bucs and a one-point last play loss in Pittsburgh ended up costing the Packers a division title, despite the two losses to Minnesota. Just goes to show how important every game is in the NFL.
Third Quarter - As low as the Packers were starting the second half of their season November 15th, it is amazing what they did in the third quarter of the season. They opened it by beating eventual NFC East Champion Dallas Cowboys and closed it by beating AFC wildcard team Baltimore, both quite handily I might add. In between they beat the 8-8 49ers and the annual patsy Detroit on Thanksgiving. From 4-4 to 8-4 in what seemed like overnight.
Fourth Quarter - The Packers continued their hot streak down the stretch but the blueprint to beat them was laid out by Pittsburgh in a shootout in Pittsburgh that was won on the last play of the game. The Packers got burned for 503 passing yards by Ben Roethlisberger and the Packers’ pass defense was never able to recover. Of course not having Aaron Kampman and Al Harris certainly played a role in that, but the Packers simply had no answer for top-flight quarterbacks like Favre, Roethlisberger and the Cardinal’s Kurt Warner in the playoffs.
Playoffs - In one of the funnest games to watch in playoff history the Cardinals beat the Packers 51-45. Neither team could stop the other and the Cardinals loss at New Orleans last Sunday is probably only slightly worse than what the Packers would have done down there. I’d like to think the Packers could have done better but the Saints dropped 50 on the Packers down there last year, so it wasn’t too likely.
In the end - I myself consider 2009 a successful season taking into account the Packers were coming off a 6-10 season and by most people’s account were headed for a repeat performance. I had much greater expectations and the Packers nearly achieved them. I can’t remember if I said 12-4 or 13-3 and don’t feel like looking it up, but I wasn’t too far off. I was indeed way wrong on Favre and the Vikings, who as much as I hate to say I believe are Super Bowl bound.
On that note, if anybody had any questions about what kind of a record-grubbing, selfish player Brett Favre is they got their answer Sunday with an explanation point. For Favre and the Vikings to go for a fourth-and-four at the Cowboys ten with 1:50 to go in the game and the Cowboys out of time outs was without doubt the most classless act I have ever seen in the NFL. And I remember the Mike Ditka days in Chicago and the Buddy Ryan days in Philly like it was yesterday. Not even Forrest Gregg would have stumped that low. Last I checked their isn’t a 24-point play in the NFL. Hopefully the Gods of football are just as unforgiving as the Gods of golf.
That said, I think the NFL wants a Peyton-Brett Super Bowl and that is what they will get. I would give the Saints a chance if they were any other team than the Saints. They are the NFL’s version of the Chicago Cubs and will be more loved for never winning a championship than they would be if they actually won one. Vikings win 49-31.
In the AFC I believe the Jets miracle run will come to an end in Indy. The Jets aren’t playing the Bengals or the perennial playoff chokers San Diego this week, this is the Indianapolis Colts. The Colts make the playoffs in their sleep and have won one Super Bowl in the Manning era and are primed to win another this year. The Colts might not be able to run the ball but like the Packers in years past it is mostly because they don’t try to. Why would you when you have a four-time MVP at quarterback? The Jets will probably control the ball for 45 minutes and lose 21-10.
I’ll worry about the Super Bowl later. I hope I’m wrong on both accounts as it would be great to see the #1 offense against the #1 defense in the Super Bowl. We could settle the old debate once and for all.