Please Say It Isn't So

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I've Come to a Few Conclusions

Rodgers and the Packers Left Arizona Dazed And Confused

The 2015 Packers are the worst playoff team in the league. The last time the Packers were this bad was 2008 the first year after Brett Favre when they finished 6-10 in Aaron Rodgers' first year as a starter. In fact, before the Cardinals debacle Mike McCarthy was complaining out loud that there was too much negativity concerning the Packers and people ought to realize they have won 10 games. One terrible loss later McCarthy and Aaron Rodgers are singing from the same songbook saying every thing will be all right next week against the Vikings. They need to take the bull by the tail and face the ugly situation.

 

You might be wondering why I call the Packers the worse playoff team in the league. I think anyone who has watched the Packers play know they are lucky to be in the playoffs and over .500. Since starting the season 6-0 the Packers are 4-5 and really should be 9-6 with luck combined with stupid coaching and playing causing the Hail Mary pass to work.

 

Aaron Rodgers is having his worse season since he became a starter. He is missing throws he normally makes in his sleep and hasn't made plays when it counts. If Rodgers was on his game the Packers would be 13-2 with a win over the Panthers (ouch), wins over the Lions and the Bears at home instead of losses (ouch and double ouch). I would say the loss to the Broncos was more on the defense than Rodgers even though he didn't have a good day and the loss to the Cardinals was a total collapse of mythic proportions.

 

We Need a Miracle

Will The Valley of the Sun Be A Garden of Earthly Delights or a Disaster in the Desert

The Packers are in the playoffs, but they still have things to play for. With games against the Arizona Cardinals on the road and the Vikings at home the Packers are masters of their own domain. If the Packers beat the Cardinals and Vikings the No. 2 seed is still in play and a first round bye. If the Packers lose to the Cardinals and then beat the Vikings they Packers win the North and clinch the No. 3 seed and a home game instead of having to hit the road as a wild card to play the Vikings again.

More Wonderful Woodson Musings

Charles Woodson's Hall of Fame Jersey

It seems now that retirement is all so real as is a spot in Canton Charles Woodson has changed his mind about which team he will represent when he goes into the Hall of Fame. The announcers said during the win over the Chargers that Woodson has now decided to represent both the Raiders and the Packers when he is enshrined after saying earlier he was going to represent the team he retired with, which is the Raiders.

Whatever epiphany hit Woodson between last week and this week the "Playmaker" realized one absolute truth about his storied career. If it wasn't for the Packers he probably would have been out of the league nine years ago and would never have had a Hall of Fame Career.

A Little Bit of This, A Little Bit of That and Charles Woodson

Charles Woodson Announcing His Retirement in Two Games

Evidently after not picking off Aaron Rodgers last Sunday Charles Woodson decided to call it a day as far as his career is concerned. It seems funny that he turned 180 degrees around from an earlier statement that he would be back next season and beyond. 

 

Actually I think what changed his mind was the injury he seemed to occur when he caused the fumble by James Starks. Even though he has played all season with a dislocated shoulder getting dinged on a normal hard hit he used to do in his sleep may have changed his mind.

 

No matter what caused it a part of me feels sad that Woodson is hanging up his cleats. I will cheer his Hall of Fame induction (even though it will be in a Raiders uniform). I know that part of the reason the Packers won their fourth Super Bowl trophy was the leadership and play of Woodson. 

FROM THE SUBLIME TO THE RIDICULOUS, PART NANYE & NAMBILI

THE SUBLIME
Today's 11th edition is "what's in a name" focusing on nicknames. Can you guess what the nicknames of the current Packers? Well, I won't make you look to the bottom of the page, so here they are.


The Original 'Curly' Lambeau

Defense

Busari Raji Jr.: His true nickname is B.J., but since he is using that as his real name he has now proclaimed himself "The Freezer" in reference to William "The Refrigerator" Perry.

Letroy Guion: "Gucci" because of his resemblance to rapper Gucci Mane.

Mike Pennel: "Baby Hayneworth" for looking like Albert Hayneworth before Hayneworth got lazy.

William Clay Matthews III: "Claymaker" for making plays early in his Packers career.

Jayrone Elliott: "Sackmaster" for the three sack game against the Rams he had in the preseason last season.

Demetri Goodson: "Meech". Goodson’s mother remembers Demetri as a baby who arrived two months early, weighing 4 pounds. "He’s always been a fighter," she said. He became "Meech," soon after, named after his godfather.

Ha’Sean Treshon Clinton-Dix: He was called "Ha Ha" by his grandmother when he was 3 or 4 years old.

"Black Hole" of Oakland Edition

The 'Black Hole'

Aaron Rodgers will be making his first trip back home to play at the O.co Coliseum, which is know more as the "Black Hole" in Oakland and the home of the Oakland A's. The Packers will be playing in Oakland for the first timein 12 years with the last game being the infamous Dec. 22, 2003 game the day after Brett Favre's father died. Favre threw four TD passes and beat the Raiders, 41-7. Ahman Green rushed for 127 yards.

 

We could only hope for a similar outcome, but not similar circumstances. The Packers go in with a one game lead in the North Division over the Vikings, who hosts at the Bears Sunday at noon.

 

The Packers will be playing the game without cornerback Sam Shields (concussion) and wide receiver/kick returner Ty Montgomery (ankle). Wide receiver Davante Adams (foot), defensive tackle Mike Daniels (hamstring), guard T.J. Lang (shoulder/ankle) and center Corey Linsley (ankle) listed as questionable.

The Playmaker Before The Claymaker

The Playmaker

I don't know if any of you Johnny Come Lately Packer Backers remember there was a face of the defense that wasn't William "Claymaker" Matthews III, who during his brief 7-year stay with the Green and Gold was better than Clay Matthews has been and probably ever will be.

 

His name is Charles Woodson and Sunday when the Packers invade the "Black Hole" Aaron Rodgers and company will face him again as the starting strong safety for the Oakland Raiders. He is the oldest defensive player in the NFL at 39 years of age and is currently tied for 4th in the NFL with 5 interceptions.

 

During his time with the Packers Woodson (2006-2012) was as good as they come culminating in him being named NFL Defensive Player of the Year, something Claymaker has yet to achieve, and finished his time in America's Vacation Land tied for fourth on the Packers all-time interceptions list with 38 behind safety Bobby Dillon with 52 (1952-59), strong safety Willie Wood with 48 (1960-71), cornerback Herb Adderley with 39 (1961-69) and tied with strong safety LeRoy Butler (1990-01).

Back to the Future for the Packer Offense

Back to the Future-Mike McCarthy Calling the Plays

For whatever reason Head Coach Mike McCarthy taking back the play calling duties regenerized the lethargic Packers offense to its second best performance of the season with only 448 total yards gained against the Chiefs in week three topping it.

 

From what I saw there was four things going on that brought about this offensive explosion. First, the Packers were facing a Cowboys defense that has trouble stopping the run giving up an average of 104.6 yards a game coming in. I only mention this because it is true. Beyond the cold hard statistics the Packers this season haven't been known to take advantage of weaknesses and Sunday they did.

Which Packer Team Will Show Up?

The win over the Detroit Lions in the Miracle in Motown proved just one thing. You never know which Packers team will show up. Will it be the team that played the first 30 minutes of the Lions game or will it be the team that played the second 30 minutes.

 

The 2015 Packers are definitely a flawed team. The offense, of all things, is the problem right now. The line is beat up and even when it was healthy, or relatively healthy, it wasn't opening holes after the first three games. Eddie Lacy is up-and-down. The receivers don't get open and when they do they drop the pass. Aaron Rodgers has not been himself since the first three games missing and overthrowing open receivers when they do get free.

 

Rodgers Has To Be Healthy

Master of Their Domain

 

After Thursday's Miracle in Motown the Packer players had a weekend off to enjoy the win and prepare for the final month on the season. I also enjoyed the weekend with prep basketball games Friday and Saturday night won by the local teams and a very enjoyable Sunday starting with the Collapse in ChiTown and finishing with the Seahawk Slaughter before hosting the chili supper birthday party of my 94-year old uncle. It was a great weekend indeed.

Hail Aaron

Aaron Rodgers a bit excited after throwing the greatest pass of his life

Hail, Hail, the gang's alright! A win over the Lions usually isn't much to cheer about, but these Lions aren't your father's Lions. After the Lions matriarch Martha Ford took charge and made changes on the coaching staff that turned the Lions around starting with the win over the Packers at Lambeau Field the Lions won three in a row and were a force to be reckoned with. The win was a good win. This could be just what the up-and-down Packers need to finish the season strong.

 

Richard Rodgers making the greatest reception of his life

Take that all you Richard Rodgers haters. I said a few days ago that Aaron Rodgers needed to look for him because he and Justin Perillo, for that matter, were the only ones getting open and catching the ball.

 

Adding Injury to Injury

Season on the Line

Tonight's road game against the Lions will be more of gut check than I realized. The best offensive line in recent memory is hurting and hurting bad. With the season on the line the hopes and dreams of all Packer Backers may have to be shouldered by Josh Walker, Don Barclay and Lane Taylor.

Defensive Thoughts

Damarious Randall Picking Off Superman

Let me start off saying the defense got some recognition this week when rookie cornerback Damarious Randall was named the NFL's Defensive Rookie of the Month for November.

The man with the Johnny Unitas hightops led all rookies with two interceptions on back-to-back pickings of Peyton Manning and Cam Newton. He leads the team with 12 pass breakups and recovered the onside kick in the first game against the Lions to give the Packers a chance to win the game. Sadly they didn't.

Gut Check Time

These Green Bay Chill guts look good, but the Packers don't

I am one of many (I think) who feel Defensive Coordinator Dom Capers is a majority liability and should be fired today, if not yesterday, last week, last year, two years ago and five years ago the season after the Super Bow. But nobody listens to me.

With that being said who would have thought that the problems the Packers are current experiencing have nothing to do with defense (well not nothing, but more on that in the next post) during the current losing streak (4 of the last 5), but has everything to do with offense, Aaron Rodgers and the receiving corps.

The offense has never been this dysfunctional during the Mike McCarthy era (10 seasons) and it seems he has no clue there is a problem and/or no clue how to fix it. The crap that comes out of his mouth during every press conference is evidence of a man who is living in the same parallel universe the Republicans live in - one of their own reality, but not one that has anything to do with the real world.