Things Are Changing in the North

The Packers dominating the Bears was just the beginning of a week of change for the four teams of the former NFC Central Division, now called the NFC North.

The Bears $45 million man Mike Glennon has been benched after the former Buc turned the ball over 4 times to the punchless Packers defense, including two absolutely terrible overthrown interceptions. Glennon spent his first 4 seasons with the Bucs having started 18 of his first 19 games, but the past two years he has been a backup appearing in only 2 games.

Offseason Moves During Postseason Play

Before we get started the news on Jordy Nelson is not good. He has at least 2 fractured ribs and while the BS coming out of 1265 Lombardi Avenue says he might still play Sunday against the Cowboys anyone with fractured ribs would not be playing. In fact he might miss the rest of the playoffs.

Even though the referees at the time didn't consider the hit penalty worthy I would hope the NFL fines Leon Hall a hefty sum for 2 infractions - leading with the crown of his helmet and hitting a defenseless receiver.

In a surprise move, at least to me, the Packers released defensive lineman Mike Pennel Monday. Pennel played very well last season becoming a valuable member of the rotation, but this year he was suspended the first 4 games by the NFL for performance enhancing drugs and the final 4 games for the same reason and in the middle 8 games was a non-factor.

It All Comes Down To Character

The 2016 NFL regular season ends Sunday January 1, 2017 with a battle between the Green Bay Packers and the Detroit Lions, two of the oldest NFL franchises, with the NFC North Division title on the line and possibly a playoff berth also on the line on Sunday Night Football.

The scenario is this. If the Packers win or tie the Packers win the North and hosts the New York Giants next week on Wildcard Weekend. If the Packers lose at Ford Field the Packers end up with a 9-7 record and would need help of the Giants to make the playoffs.

The Giants play the Washington Redskins on the road at 3:25 p.m. and that game has major implications. If the Giants win both the Packers and the Lions make the playoffs with only the seed yet to be determined.

The Packers Are SOOO Predictable

Before I face the wrath of the "Trust in Tedders" and "Ask Vic" I will state winning is a whole lot better than losing, so I am happy with the 34-27 win over the Lions keeping the Packers (2-1) in second place in the North behind the "Break Up The Vikings" (3-0) and ahead of the Lions (1-2) and the No Luck Bears (0-3).

 

Now I ask "Ask Vic" and the "Tedders" to tune out because I have something serious to say and those two are so far up Ted Thompson's ass they haven't seen daylight for eons or 11 years.

Week 3 - DO YOUR DAMN JOB!!!!!

Week 3 has arrived with the Packers opening their home schedule against the Detroit Lions after coming off a stinker of a game against a very flawed opponent the North's defending champion Minnesota Vikings.

 

The Packers lost 17-14 and had two chances to either send the game into overtime or win it with formerly All-World quarterback Aaron Rodgers at the helm. However, Mr. Rodgers fumbled the first time and threw the game-ending interception on the other.

Andrew Quarless Finally Finds Work

Conan and Jodie Foster Cheesing It Up

I keep track of the ex-Packers and was surprised when I was looking at the Detroit Lions roster Friday and found former Packers tight end Andrew Quarles' name. Somehow I missed this in the news I check each day when he was signed on August 15th.

If You Have Any Doubts

Rodgers Gets Knocked Down, But Always Gets Up

Replacing a living legend who never missed a game despite a broken thumb, two separated shoulders, a sprained knee and an ankle the size of Chicago is a tall task and if you have any doubts about how tough Aaron Rodgers is then all you have to know he played the last half of the season with a knee that needed surgery.

Rodgers pulled out of the Sunday's Pro Bowl because of an undisclosed injury and I figured it was the shoulder he hurt against the Chargers in week six. However, it was revealed that he actually is recovering from minor knee surgery from a low hit by Ezekiel Ansah on his left knee against the classless Lions in week 10.

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.

It Figures

 

The Packers can't win for losing. Hell, the Packers can't win period right now losing to one of the worst teams in the NFL at Lambeau Field.

 

1. As Timmer said two weeks ago all the superstitious and ritual things Packer Backers do mean nothing to the play on the field, but it seems an old nemesis, now a TV pitchman, has put a real curse on the Packers. IT FIGURES.

The most beloved Bears coach of all time Mike Ditka (sorry George Halas, but it's true) is currently doing a series of commercials for McDonalds and in them he has donned Packer regalia and is rooting for the Packers. When it first came out Bears fans to a man were mad as hell, but there was method in that old man's madness. Since they started running the Packers have lost three straight games. (this BEARS repeating) IT FIGURES!!!!!!!!!

 

2. The last thing the Packers needed was to lose to the Lions before hitting the road against the first-place Minnesota Vikings and playing a Thanksgiving home game with the possible appearance of Bart Starr against the suddenly resurgent Chicago Bears. However, the Packers did lose. IT FIGURES.

 

3. Despite all the offensive woes during the game the Packers would have won the game if Mason Crosby had made a last-second field goal. Despite blowing the 2-point conversion the Packers recovered an on-side kick and gained enough yards to win the game. However, when you are snake bit things happen and Crosby's kick was blocked. IT FIGURES.

 

Sober and Somber

Lions snap 24-year old losing streak at Lambeau Field

It's a gloomy day and it has nothing to do with the rain coming down outside. The Packers have officially hit their low mark of this season with the loss to the lowly Lions for the first time at Lambeau Field since 1991. There are no knights on white horses coming to save this season, so it's now left to the players on the field, the coaches on the sideline and up in the sky box to dig deep down and come up with a solution, if there is one.

 

Packer Backers are very superstitious with our rituals and wearing the same clothes, etc, etc, etc, but something Timmer said during the loss to the Panthers, "nothing we do means anything," hit the problem right on the head. I guess I was the only one who heard him because he wasn't saying to anyone, he was just lamenting to himself about the futility of the fans and I would add pundits to do anything about the play of our beloved Packers. The Packers are now in free fall with a chance of a long losing streak in the offing.

 

Stark Reality

James Starks riding to the rescue

This week the Packers offense better be back to normal and maybe the benching of Eddie Lacy in favor of James Starks will be the catalyst. If it isn't this might be the beginning of the unraveling of the Packers season with the Vikings as the national doubleheader game coming up followed by the resurgent Bears and finally a rematch against the Lions.

 

As far as Starks is concerned this will be his 7th career start and 2nd this season. He also started the Chargers game even though Lacy wasn't on the injured list.

 

It's funny about Lacy. He went to the airwaves this past week to dispel rumors he was fat or hurt. After he said his ankle wasn't bothering him and he wasn't fat, he said "I honestly don’t know what it is. Definitely, I’m off to a different start. I’m not playing how I was the previous two years. Later on in the season, maybe it’ll pick back up. But as of right now, this is just the move that is going to be. This season [Starks] has definitely been the better player between the both of us. That’s just the move. Who knows how long it’s going to be like this," Lacy said. "Maybe things pick back up for me and it’s right back and we’re never having this discussion again. You don’t know where this could lead to. But as of right now, for the team, this is pretty much the best move."

Another Maalox Moment

Maalox Moment

I absolutely hate playing wounded teams and especially struggling quarterback, especially now that Defensive Coordinator Dom Capers has survived another week. The Lions are the epitome of dysfunction with both the team in general and quarterback Matt Stafford in particular stuck in a funk. With the last three games as my only yardstick I could be swigging Maalox early and often with a green liquor chaser (last week's desperation shot of choice).

 

Any hope for Capers being fired any time soon or possibly ever has been squashed after Head Coach Mike McCarthy was quoted as saying, "discipline in his approach" is Capers’ best attribute as a coordinator. "I think it says a lot about the man. He believes. He believes in the system. He believes in the players. He believes in the program. We’re very fortunate to have him here, and he’s been an excellent – not only defensive coordinator – but he’s been very good from a head-coaching perspective to bounce things off of." Like maybe asking how to cope when your area of responsibility sucks.

 

INTEREST HEATING UP FOR COBB

Randall Cobb

It seems someone does love Randall Cobb and I'm afraid its not the Packers. Reports today (Feb. 24) are the Raiders have put out the welcome mat for the Packers' No. 1B wide receiver/slot receiver/halfback, who was coming off an injury plagued season where he missed 10 games in the middle of the season with a broken shin only to put up big numbers during his contract year with career highs of 91 catches, 1,287 yards and 12 touchdowns.

 

The lack of movement on a new contract during the season was curious considering Cobb was going to attract attention and his demand of $9 million contract is very reasonable and isn't a budget buster. Thompson will have around $30 million cap money to spend and maybe more when he purges the roster of the expensive deadwood (i.e. hopefully Count Hawkula), so what's the deal?

 

First, it seems Thompson saw an $8 million saving when rookie wide receiver Davante Adams moved up the depth chart leaping over Jarrett Boykin to claim the No. 3 spot and then turning it up a notch at the end of the regular season and in the playoffs proving he could be the go-to man on the outside when Jordy Nelson was being double-teamed. I think that is the reason no contract talks were started during the season.