The Green Bay Packers faced their stiffest test of the season yesterday and still found a way to win. This time it took a 5-play 68-yard drive in the final 58 seconds to set up Mason Crosby’s game winning field goal. The drive was an absolute thing of beauty. In a season full of amazing play by Aaron Rodgers, this might have been his finest hour.
Rodgers kept his cool against a fired up Giants defense and had to overcome a bad case of the drops by his receivers. Rodgers never got upset, at least not from what we saw on TV, and trusted his guys to make plays when the chips were down. They did. Finley, Jordy, and Jennings. Game over.
When it comes to the Packers’ defense there is no sense beating a dead horse any longer. They are what they are. They give up huge yards and big plays, but they get turnovers and score points. I think having three of the next four games in Lambeau will help the defense a little. It seems like the Packers have been on the road all year. Time for a little help from The G-Force!
It starts with the Oakland Raiders next Sunday. I don’t see much adversity here other than the Raiders’ running game. The Raiders are going to try and shorten the game with time consuming drives that keep Rodgers and Co. off the field. That can work if they can score every time. The Raiders’ defense is ranked 26th in the league which isn’t very good when you are trying to play keep away.
The Packers’ offense is going to need to adjust to the weather conditions that are so unpredictable this time of year. Some semblance of a running game could come in handy. The early forecast for next Sunday is 36 and sunny, but that will change about 100 times before now and then. Being early December if it isn’t snowing it’s probably not going to be too bad. The last two games could be a tad chilly. Bears are used to it, the Lions are not.
It doesn’t look like James Starks is going to be back anytime soon, they rushed him back the first time and it only made matters worse. Ryan Grant has not been the same since coming back from a major ankle injury last year. They say you are not the same until the second year after an injury but maybe Grant wil show some improvement down the stretch with a few more touches.
Jermichael Finley makes you want to pull your hair out. Great catch one play but hit him in the numbers and bounces off him like a super ball. I think he is trying so hard to make a play because his chances are down this year that he gets ahead of himself. Hate to see a drop like he had yesterday in the playoffs.
The Packers have achieved the first of their goals by winning the NFC North Division title but still have the 49ers nipping at their heels for home field advantage. Not time to let up now. I think Mike McCarthy will be able to keep them in check this week after such an anticlimactic division title. Usually you are in the locker room whooping it up but instead the Packers were relaxing on the plane on their way home from New York. Ho-hum.
Keep playing them one at a time and things will fall into place.