Blex's 2014 Green Bay Packer Review
A personal blog/review of each Packer Game during the 2013 season.
Another year of NFL football is here! Although I didn't plan on doing a game-by-game review this year, I actually got some requests from people to do one again! It seems people actually enjoy my reviews of games! I did one in 2010 when we won the Super Bowl and (without having a job and having very easy graduate school classes) did one again last year. This year, I figure I'm going to change the format and remove the phrase, that sums things up and just toss all my thoughts down on the games in single paragraph format with a creative title. With all that said, enjoy !!! Note: having written a plethora of scholarly papers in my life (check them out) my care factor of having good grammar on this page = 0.
Jump To Week: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, DV, CH
Week 1: September 4th, 2014 at Seahawks: Lose 36-16

No Surprises!

I don't know why, but I was confident the morning of the game that the Packers were going to kick the shit out of the Seahawks and win about 35-21. With the revamped "more physical" defense, Ha Ha at Safety, Aaron Rodgers healthy, and the always strong and dependable Sam Shields and Tramon Williams at the corners, I figured that the Packers would execute the MOST OBVIOUS game plan and focus on shutting down Marshawn Lynch and Percy Harvin. I should have known better !!!

If you read my past blogs, follow me on Twitter, or simply know me in person, you know that when it comes to baseball I find blaming the manager when the team is doing bad is a bird-brained thing to do because there is far less responsibility and methods a manager has in effecting the outcome of a game. Really, bullpen decisions, when and when not to bunt, and order of the starting lineup are all dependent upon the players getting the job done. Thus, in regards to the beyond all realms of frustrating losing streak the Brewers had, I wasn't a big fan and often clashed with fellow Twitterites who were screaming for Ron Roenicke's head to be put on a stick on marched city-to-city through Wisconsin Benito Mussolini style.

Not to get too off topic, but the Brewers losing streak was the worst streak of bad luck I've ever seen a team go through. As you all know (the billions that have read my past years reviews), when the Packers were the most finely-tuned offensive team in 2011, eventually the defense collapsed and unable to stop opposing teams and the year ended with a playoff loss. It when then, that I realized that the Dom Capers defense was in decline. Unlike baseball, in the NFL a coach CAN make the difference. Case in point, because there are so many injuries year after year, teams that adapt well have solid coaching schemes where players are put in a position to succeed. All of the good teams have one thing in common and you hear it said a lot that "it doesn't matter who you put in there they always seem to get the job done." Why? Good coaching and a good scheme !!! In specific, NFL offensives each year go through fads. Remember the Run and Shoot, Wildcat, and Read-Option from years past? Eventually, defenses figured them out and eventually you always see a return to the conventional west-coast offensive system that every team in one way or another uses. I expected the Packers offense to struggle because as we all know the Seahawks defense last year was dominant and the best in the league. However, the Seahawks offense was predicated upon ball control, power running, and Russell Wilson not being forced to throw 50 times a game.

I won't comment much on the offense this week because there were little surprises there and their play was exactly as I assumed it would be. Instead, I'll comment most on the defense which, after an entire off-season to prepare to stop Lynch and Harvin and force Wilson to beat us. So what happened? SAME OL' SAME OL' !!! The defense was NOT PHYSICAL, OUT OF POSITION, MISSING TACKLES, DROPPING INTERCEPTIONS, BITING ON PLAY FAKES AND RUNNING IN THE COMPLETE WRONG DIRECTION WHILE THE PLAY GOES THE OTHER. HERE'S THE THING: IT'S BEEN LIKE THIS FOR THE PAST 3 YEARS !!! NOTHING HAS CHANGED DEFENSIVELY. I SAID IT LAST YEAR AND THE YEAR BEFORE that DOM CAPERS IS USELESS AND SHOULD NOT BE OUR DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR !!!

A good scheme is imperative in the NFL and solid coaching is a MUST. But, what did we see? BRAD JONES, as poor a linebacker as his name is generic and uncreative, getting run over, not getting off blocks, and SINGLEHANDEDLY COSTING THE TEAM TWO POSSESSIONS WITH COMPLETELY BRAINLESS PENALTIES ON THIRD DOWN AND LONG !!! There's not a fan on the team who ever says "I can't wait to see Brad Jones play!" I've been advocating for him to be released and shipped to the Arena League for over 2 years now !!! HOW CAN Dom Capers not see this? Why was this not addressed in the off-season? Why are Jones, Clay Matthews, and the linebackers STILL making the same mistakes year after year !!! I do acknowledge that Ted Thompson can receive some blame and rightfully so probably does. But, REMEMBER 2010? We won the Super Bowl with no-name guys at the time like Charlie Peprah, Tramon Williams, Sam Shields, Desmond Bishop, Erik Walden, Pat Lee, Howard Green, and even Jarrett Bush being placed on defense and GETTING THE JOB DONE. Why can't that happen now? My theory is because Dom Capers has made ZERO tweaks and came up with ZERO new changes in his system. Oh wow, we run double-a gap and corner blitzes, other teams ADJUSTED TO THAT YEARS AGO Teams adapt! Remember in 2011 when the Packers offense was so good? What happened? Teams adapted by playing man-under two-deep safeties to not get beat deep and because Mike McCarthy is a good coach ADAPTED by ADAPTING the offense the next few years and adding a solid running game!

I'm not going to comment much on individual play this week because the first week is always a mulligan and it's definitely too early to determine any trends. For example, Ha Ha missed important tackles but I'll give him a pass (this time) for being young and inexperienced. But, the same culprits responsible once again for the defense being flat and looking mostly UNPREPARED! Lynch ran wild and ran free for what seemed like 10-15 yards a carry, the end-around to Harvin (ran often last year by the Seahawks) seemed to mystify the Packers defensive players and they looked like they never saw the play ran before !!! In summary, the defense looked UNPREPARED and in the NFL preparation and game planning can be EVERYTHING !!!

I'll stop there!

Game MVP: Clay Matthews: He looked like the only one who was actually fired up, prepared, and more aggressive on the defense.
Game LVP: Brad Jones: See above, 2010 blog, 2013 blog, and game film if you want to torture yourself focusing in on his play.

NEXT WEEK: The Jets suck. They have ZERO offensive threats and despite all the shit I wrote about the defense above I think they will rebound come Sunday (it is Sunday now but I'll type that anyways to give the impression to readers that I didn't wait 10 days to start this week's writings). Hell, they can't be THAT bad are they? Plus, some of the greatest news came out Friday, BRAD JONES IS INJURED AND WON'T BE PLAYING !!! The offense, I expect a normal performance. Rodgers throws for 220 yards and 2 TDs, Lacy runs for 80 and a TD, and the defense bends but doesn't break leading the Jets to kick a ton of FGs and score late.

Prediction: Packers 27 - Jets 19
Week 2: September 14th, 2014 vs Jets: WIN 31-24
Getting The Shit Together

The J-E-T-S came out and played like I thought. They are who I thought they were! Geno Smith proved again he is useless and Chris Johnson proved that old running backs are as good as a horse without his cock! The defense, which was outright brutal to start the game made me think "here we go again" but thankfully got their act together and once they shutdown the Jets' running game they put the game into Smith's hands and, as expected, S-U-C-K-E-D! Yet, I'm still hesitant to give too much credit to the defense mostly because Jets penalties, undisciplined play (the ejections, etc..), and poor coaching (the timeout called) arguably showed the Jets beat themselves as much as the Packers beat the Jets. To brag a bit, I was only four points on the Packers score prediction and five off on the Jets!

Eddie Lacy was a huge addition last year and with the offensive line to my naked eye has been run blocking better than in years past. But, I've been saying it since the Brett Favre era of the 90s, you win in the NFL and put points on the board with a pass-first offense. Although the Jets shutdown the run nicely, we saw Sunday why Aaron Rodgers is an MVP and Jordy Nelson is a top-5 WR in the league as together they put the team on their back and after the 80 yard TD pass I knew the game was over.

If I've said it once I've said it a thousand times, Tramon Williams is one of the greatest corners in Packers history. He always looks for the ball, gets interceptions in big moments (playoffs 2010 anybody), and big plays (which will always happen even to the best corners) are kept to a minimum. No surprise he picked off a Geno Smith pass in the game!

In my opinion, a two-back attack is necessary to win in the NFL. All great Packers teams have had at least two running backs lead the ground attack. For example, to name some off the top of my head, Edgar Bennett and Dorsey Levels, Ahman Green and Najeh Davenport (before he took a crap in his girlfriend's closet), James Starks and Brandon Jackson in the 2010 playoff run, and the infamous wooden tandem of Brent Fullwood and Keith Woodside (JUST KIDDING there). Thus, I was disappointed to see Starks not get any carries. But, trailing big in the first half of the game made the focus shift to the passing game so I guess I can't complain too much.

I was surprised to see Davante Adams as the third WR and not Jarrett Boykin. Boykin was excellent last year and, after consistent playing time, looked like a young Donald Driver out there. The coaches must see something in Adams and I must say he looked good out there. When the Packers go 4-wide, it seems they like to put Quarless in the slot a lot and stick to having 3 WR on the field. Personally, I would rather have 4 WR in the game because Boykin is more of a threat than Quarless in my book!

Game MVP: Aaron Rodgers and Jordy Nelson: You can't give Rodgers the MVP without crediting Nelson and vice versa. Giving it to both seems logical!
Game LVP: Geno Smith: Simply because he sucks. Tip of the hat as well to Marty Mornhinweg for calling a timeout preventing a touchdown. That definitely made any Jets fans who wear wigs on their heads "MOURN IN THEIR WIGS!" Get it? AHHHHHHhahahaa SO FUNNY I KNOW !!!

Next Week: In order to win, the Packers must win the game in the trenches. The offensive line has to create holes for the running backs and keep Aaron Rodgers upright against the blood-hungry Lions defensive line! The defensive line has to at least get some pressure on Stafford here and there to fluster him. Of course, Calvin Johnson is the best WR in the game. However, like I've said many times in the past, Sam Shields and Tramon Williams are pro-bowl quality corners. He'll probably get his catches and get 100 yards mostly because I expect Dom Capers to put in some stupid zone coverage with secondary guys giving the Lions receivers a 10-yard buffer zone to catch the ball and run. But, we prevent the big play to him and I think we win the game!

Remember all the agony and pain we all had when early in Brett Favre's career he had to play in domes? Aaron Rodgers is the complete opposite. Offensively, to offset the pass rush, I think quick 3-5 step passes to the WRs, check downs to running backs, and the occasional screen and deep ball let the Packers move the ball. Because Eddie Lacy didn't have a lot of carries, although I previously mentioned that pass-first is the best way to go in the NFL, there are always exceptions and I think Lacy gets some good runs in and runs for 90-110 yards on around 17-23 carries. Aaron Rodgers I think will hit receivers other than Nelson and Cobb catches 8 for 90 yards. I got some confidence this week!

Prediction: Packers 34 - Lions 26
Week 3: September 21st, 2014 at Lions: Lose 19-7

Shit Sandwich

I should have known better !!! With the sample size being only 2 games, that because the Lions secondary was banged up the Packers would dominate in the passing game and Aaron Rodgers would toss 15 touchdowns in the game. Furthermore, all the so-called experts also took the bait and they too predicted a high-scoring game. Yet, after only 2 games, indeed it's too small a sample size as the sample is not sizable enough to make accurate predictions week-to-week. Last week, as indicated by the title in my review, we got our shit together. But, this week, it's like all the players, coaches, and fans were given a gigantic shit sandwich of which we all had to take a bite (yes, that's a Full Metal Jacket movie reference).

Every team and player says their fans are "the best in sports." When a player gives a speech, like Derek Jeter did Thursday night after hitting a walk-off single, they mention the fans and how great they are and you always hear the fans explode in applause that their devotion and loyalty to the player and/or team is a mutual relationship. Yet, obviously, it's just a cliche and a quick way for a player to get labeled as a "fan favorite." Packers fans, indeed to me are the most devoted, loyal, and die-hard fans in professional sports. I'm sure fans of other teams would think otherwise and I'm biased because I am a Packers so to that I say back off !!! HOWEVER, great I say my fellow Packers fans are, I've always said that we are definitely NOT THE SMARTEST and most LOGICAL fans in the world. Nothing proves my point than when after losses it seems an insurmountable amount of fans scream like idiots that knee-jerk reactions need to be made such as fire the coach, release this guy, trade for this guy, fire the GM, etc.. Listening to the post-game show it seemed a lot of fans were screaming that the play-calling by Mike McCarthy was bad. When things don't work and points aren't put up on the board, that's simply one of the most bird-brained things fans can say. It reduces failures to the lowest common denominator as blaming the play calling makes the assumption that, for instance, if a pass was called instead of a run the game would have been won. That doesn't take into account that with Rodgers having around a 50% average in completions might like the flip of a coin throw an incomplete pass, interception, or get sacked.

In my opinion, THE DEFENSE LOST THE GAME MORE THAN THE OFFENSE !!! Look at the time of possession, they couldn't get off the field on third down. Unlike the defenses Dom Capers unleashes every week, we saw great game planning, execution, and fundamentally sound play by the Lions defense. Most importantly, they were prepared as with two seemingly picked-up-off-the-street guys in the secondary, they ran their man-under two safeties deep shell and regardless of who was out there they shutdown the Packers offense as indicated that we pathetically scored a whole 7 POINTS the whole game.

So, where are the big-play guys and high draft picks we've taken year after year on defense? Offensively, rookies and practice squad guys go out there year after year and get success. For instance, Davante Adams, has made his presence felt this year and has already jumped in and made some good plays. BUT ON DEFENSE, WHERE ARE THE IMPACT PLAYERS WE DRAFTED? Our linebackers are weak, undersized, fall for obvious fakes, over pursue, and are inconsistent. So, where are the prospects? ON THE BENCH AND NOT OUT THERE !!! Nick Perry, Datone Jones, and Casey Hayward are seemingly MIA every game. If they are ACTUALLY not that good then they are BUSTS and you have to give some of the blame to the scouting, draft analysts, and Ted Thompson. Mike Daniels and Mike Neal has came on as of late they are nowhere near pro-bowl quality. Instead, Brad Jones, a 7th round pick, Jamari Lattimore an undrafted free agent, and the useless Morgan Burnett still go out there every game.

Game MVP: Devon House and Tramon Williams played solid games and each had an interception. Of course, the offense didn't capitalize when they got the ball back.
Game LVP: I can't really think of any individual who deserves it so I'll go with the entire team.

Next Week: The PERPETUALLY DRUNK LOOKING Jay Cutler is not going to get any better or worse. HE IS WHO HE IS and that is what I've been saying his entire career: A POOR MAN'S BRETT FAVRE !!! While Brett Favre would usually throw 2-3 horrible passes a game right to defenders, Jay Cutler will throw 3-5 and if the defense intercepts the ball the Bears end up losing. As good as their receivers are, I think our corners are the best part of our defense (especially Williams and Shields) and I'm expecting them to be up to the task defensively. Like all Packers Bears games, despite the bombastic qualities of both offenses, I expect a sloppy and ugly game like usual between the teams. While I just wrote the Packers corners are a strength, I have no confidence in our front seven to stop the Bears. I think our offense does better than last week but, once again, hamstrung by the defense the Bears pull it out on a last second FG.

Prediction: Bears 23 - Packers 20
Week 4: September 28th, 2014 at Bears: Win 38-17

Some Things Never Change

Well Well Well! Just like I said last week, Jay Cutler had a great first half, the Packers defense totally sucked and fans and I on Twitter were using #firecapers every bad play, the running game didn't work too good, and the offense stagnated. UNTIL, UNTIL, UNTIL, the half closes and Michael Hyde who had a horrible game made the play OF the game by standing in the right place at the right time so HA HA Dix tackle at the 1 yard line ran out the half and the Bears didn't score!

The rest was history, Cutler threw picks, Rodgers and Nelson DOMINATED THE GAME !!!  To their credit, I had confidence in the defense they were going to make plays and hold the Bears in the second half. SURE ENOUGH! THEY DID! HOW? Cutler being his usual self throwing picks and WHO ELSE, LIKE I'VE SAID ALL ALONG YEAR AFTER YEAR, TRAMON WILLIAMS AND SAM SHIELDS MAKING HUGE PLAYS THAT TURNED THE TIDE OF THE GAME AND MADE IT A BLOW OUT !!! MOMENTUM is the thing sabermetric nerds hate because you can't put a stat on it. But, the collective unconscious of players, fans, coaches, and probably sub-Saharan African peasants probably all went up when Dix made the stop. You can feel it, it's something all fans and players feel when or when not playing. That collective will and confidence.

Oh yeah, I mentioned a lot last year and so far this year, WHERE IS DATONE JONES? He's never in! Yet, go figure! He comes in, and gets a sack in the game! KEEP HIM IN THERE DOM CAPERS !!! Haven't been too impressed by Julius Peppers so far this year. Compared to Reggie White and Clay Matthews who could take over a game in the prime of their career, Peppers so far has been as useless as a horse without his cock. He better step it up against the Vikings and impress me!

Yeah I'm typing this up an hour before the Thursday night game. Thursday night games SUCK! Players hate them and as a fan on a Thursday it's just hard to get into FOOTBALL MODE when TOMORROW is Friday. Well, what can ya do? Nothing

Game MVP: It doesn't take an idiot to not give it to Rodgers, Nelson, and Cobb. So, I'm going Tramon Williams and Sam Shields WHO WERE AWESUM LIKE ALWAYS.
Game LVP: This year, I'm qualifying players from the other team. So, Jay Cutler of course.

Next Week: The Vikings without Adrian Peterson and a rookie QB with 2 games of experience? The Packers at home confident off the win Sunday. Not much to talk about with the match-ups because off the top of my head I can't name one guy who plays defense for the Vikings. So I'll just throw out my prediction and quick take a nap before the game starts. It's raining, storm clouds are on the horizon, my cat is on my bed sleeping after taking me for a walk a half hour ago, and at the first roll of thunder she'll get scared. Therefore, with wind, rain, slop, and shit on the field I think the Packers run it down the Vikings throat. Eddie Lacy with over 100 yards because when I watch him run in the slop he reminds me of another great mudder who played for the Packers ... Edgar Bennett !!!

Prediction: Packers 30 - Vikings 17
Week 5: October 2nd, 2014 Vs Vikings: Win 42-10

DOMINATING WIN

Damn, what a total ass kicking the game was! The offense was dominating and Rodgers didn't even throw the ball that much! Like I predicted, Lacy ran for over 100 yards and the highlight of the game to me was him running guys over like they were bowling pins! I've always thought that when Rodgers rolls out of the pocket on play action, loads up, and throws a bomb is a work of art. When he did that and hit Jordy Nelson that was it .. GAME OVER .. DAGGER !!!

Without Bridgewater (which is one of the weirdest names ever I think), the Vikings were hopeless with Christian Ponder at QB! Case in point, the idiot got sacked SIX TIMES and the pressure by LUTHER ROBINSON OF ALL PEOPLE created actual turnovers and a glorious pick-6 by Julius Peppers !!! The defense, which I've shit on so much, played excellent and (most importantly) they looked PREPARED, AGGRESSIVE, AND PHYSICAL !!! Then again, how much of it was the Vikings sucking and how much was it the Packers being good? I think more towards the later and indeed you have to give credit when credit is due. Unlike some people (some bird-brains on Twitter who tweet about the Brewers) who when a team plays bad blame everything on the manager and when they do good say "it was luck." The defense had 16 TOTAL QB HITS ... 16 !!! THAT IS EXCELLENT !!!

As much as he sucked last year, Morgan Burnett played a great game and here's hoping that the ACL injury he was coming off of the year before made him suck more last year compared to this year when he's back at full strength. Nick Perry had 2 sacks and perhaps that's a sign of good things coming for the rest of the year. Not much else to say about the game because I can just go on about how great everybody played so I'll keep it short this week. I obviously have more to say when the team does bad compared to when they play good and wax the floor with the other team !!!

Game MVP: Everybody
Game LVP: Nobody, but I'll go Greg Jennings just because he's an idiot and his signing was a total waste of money (wow, really in-depth detail here this week).

Next Week: Ryan Tannehill is not a good QB in my opinion so I expect greatness by the defense in stopping him. BUT, WHAT SCARES ME MOST (as I quick check the Dolphins statistics on ESPN.com) is their running backs are averaging 5 yards a carry. How many times this year have we seen opposing running backs fly through the first level of the defense and get hit first 10 yards down field? TOO MANY. So, if we take out their running game, I think we win the game. The offense, firing on all cylinders, I expect to come back down to earth and have a mediocre game. We should pull it out in the end but I think it will be close the entire game.

Prediction: Packers 27 - Dolphins 23
Week 6: October 12nd, 2014 At Dolphins: Win 27-24

WOW !!!

WOW !!!! LOOK AT THAT SCORE AND THEN LOOK ABOVE THE HORIZONTAL LINE ABOVE IT !!! MY PSYCHIC POWERS MUST HAVE BEEN FIRING ON ALL CYLINDERS WHEN I MADE THAT PREDICTION !!! OFF BY ONLY ONE POINT !!!

It's an almost orgasmic feeling when your favorite team pulls off a huge win in the final seconds and Packers fans everywhere experienced it ALL AT ONCE when Rodgers hit Quarless in the final seconds of the game for the TD !!! I jumped up off the couch, screaming YESSSSS YEEEEESSSSS YEEEEEEEESSSSSSS like an idiot while my beloved cat Bubbles stared at me wide-eyed in shock. THE LAST TIME I had such a feeling and was jumping up and down in my apartment was when Nyjer Morgan had the walk-off single in the 2011 MLB playoffs.

The defense showed their improvement the entire game and the offense was outstanding. BUT, the passing game was most effective. I found myself tweeting and thinking many times during the game "fuck the run, PASS IT NON-STOP!" When it counted though, with Lacy having a bad game, who else stepped up in the last drive and gave the Packers the momentum needed on the last drive? JAMES STARKS, who like I've said many times, just gets the job done when he's on the field (most the time).

What else can we say about Aaron Rodgers? And Jordy Nelson? And now Davante Adams? Sam Shields? Tramon Williams? The core superstars on offense and the most underrated corners in all of Packers history in Shields and Williams. Both got hurt during the game. Luckily they say nothing serious. But, if they miss any time, like Doc from Back to the Future said, "the consequences could be disastrous!"

As much as I complained last year, Morgan Burnett has had a solid year at safety. I give him credit for earning my approval back. EVEN MORE, LETROY GUION !!! I never heard of the guy before this year. Really, who cares who other teams defensive big guys are in the trenches who stop the run? Booooring, we all care more about the offensive guys because they put up the fantasy football points for people who play (I don't .. but did once last year on Fanduel and lost $10).

Game MVP: Aaron Rodgers. We must always remember how great it is to have a superstar QB to lead the team. All game, cool as a cucumber and showed he can lead the team to glorious victory when trailing in the final minutes.
Game LVP: TWO WORDS, LIKE USUAL, HE'S EARNED THIS HONOR SOOOOOOOO MANY TIMES = BRAD JONES !!! As soon as he came in the game because Lattimore got hurt the DEFENSE IMMEDIATELY STARTS SUCKING. Constantly missing tackles, out of position, and seemingly always carrying a plethora of flags in his pocket that refs toss out with impunity the entire game. HE WAS TRENDING ON TWITTER for how horrible he was during his time in the game. YOU MEAN TO TELL ME THERE'S NOT ONE LINEBACKER OUT THERE WHO COULD REPLACE HIM IN THE LEAGUE?

Next Week: Home against Carolina. For some reason, they seem to never be on national TV and I don't get to see them much to analyze. So, I always look to the QB as indeed wins and loses often come down to how a QB plays. With Cam Newton, I'm still not sold with his passing ability and if he throws a couple picks I think we win the game. If he doesn't, like they say in war movies before losing a battle, "I got a baaaaad feeling about this." I'm typing this Sunday morning and as high as we've been with the recent wins, I just get that feeling in my stomach that despite a strong start where we go up 14-3, we become complacent in the second half and end up losing. I thought of the final score while in that zoned-out state driving and I get a lot of good thinking in when thoughts come to me in the car. So ..

Prediction: Panthers 28 - Packers 27
Week 7: October 19nd, 2014 Vs Panthers: Win 38-17

What is this 2011!?

 4 words. “Firing on all cylinders” can be used to describe the game. The offense looked like it did in 2011 when it seemed like every drive was just TD, TD, TD, TD, TD, TD !!! Going into the game, I was afraid. Yes, I was. BUT, I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN that when it all comes down to it an elite QB in the NFL take singlehandedly lead a team to victory. Aaron Rodgers did just that. FIRING ON ALL CYLINDERS and hitting wide receivers left and right, short and deep, and with ease against a weak Panthers’ secondary. The offensive players were simply functioning like a finely-tuned athletic machine! The running game was exxxxxxcellent and Eddie Lacy and James Starks I think got a perfect ratio of carries in 12 to 7. I wouldn’t have minded seeing DuJuan Harris get in the game earlier and be fed the ball as many times as possible. He’s expendable and Lacy and Starks are not. Go figure, Starks turned an ankle when the game was completely out of hand! One thing I noticed with the running game, Richard Rodgers was a powerhouse blocking his guys. BUT, even better, our wide receivers blocking has to be TOPS IN THE LEAGUE! I saw Jordy Nelson pushing his guy like 20 yards down the field on a Cobb catch and run!

When you criticize a coach in any sport, as I have done an insurmountable amount of times with Dom Capers, it’s not fair to not give credit when things go well. With that said, I MUST GIVE DOM CAPERS A LOT OF CREDIT because the defense played physical, smart, and came out prepared and motivated. Yeah, Brad Jones wasn’t in the game too much either so that’s a plus. Instead, Sam Barrington saw more playing time and together with Lattimore I saw an improved interior line. The guy known as MIKE PENNEL (WHO?!) also stepped up and made some solid tackles! T-minus 6 minutes and counting until my lunch at work is over and I can email this to myself. Also, this Dunkin’ Donuts I’m eating tastes mighty good! Oh, got off subject there for a bit. But what else is there to say? The game was dominated start to finish by the Packers. The Panthers, as much of the scary stuff people say about them, looked like amateurs out there. Cam Newton, not impressed at all !!! Lunch is over, I just had my first ergonomic evaluation. The girl said I was really relaxed, comfortable, and asked me if I wanted a lazy boy. I said yes. But, unfortunately, she wasn’t serious. I’ll type the rest up at home and post later tonight (Monday).

Game MVP: The entire offense. And, of course, Aaron Rodgers who if the season ended today I think he SHOULD be a UNANIMOUS MVP SELECTION. Then again Peyton Manning exists but he's getting boring to watch. Even when he breaks Brett Favre's TD record, he's just got too boring for my tastes.
Game LVP: Roman Harper of the Panthers! Seeing him try to tackle was laughable! Not only that, on one of the TDs he simply jogged towards our guy and gave up. You would have think he was me out there playing safety in 1993 when I played! I did the same thing cause I couldn't tackle worth a shit at 5'2 90 pounds!

Next Week: AT SAINTS. OUCH! THE ULTIMATE TEST FOR THE DEFENSE. It was Casey McGehee who said one of the best cliches in the history of sports. When he played for the Brewers he said "you're never as good as you are when you're playing good and you're never as bad as you are when you're playing bad." And with that, the way the Packers offense has been playing lately has been night and day different compared to how it played earlier this year against the Lions. Granted, they are good. BUT, the NFL is a league of adjustments. With Jordy Nelson having a spectacular year, I expect the Saints to blanket him the entire game. He's been playing good, but the law of averages says his production eventually will decline. The Saints defense isn't that good. BUT, they aren't THAT bad so I figure they will step up. MORE IMPORTANTLY, the Packers defense lately has been playing good and shockingly Dom Capers group has looked .. GOOD !!! BUT .. BUT ... BUT are they THAT good? Going against a future HOF QB in Drew Breese? In the dome and on the road? Hmm .. if the defense comes out and shuts down the Saints I'll be damned because I'm still not sold on the defense so far this year. IF we get maybe 2-3 turnovers I think we win the game. If not, the Saints can control the ball and Jimmy Graham will run like an unshootable 80-point buck through our secondary. I'm gonna call a high scorer like most people predicting this week.

Prediction: Saints 38 - Packers 34
Week 8: October 26th, 2014 At Stains: Lose 44-23

Surprise Factor = Zero

Chris Collinsworth said it during the game that Sean Peyton told him he “had the Packers defense figured out.” We all know from watching Dom Capers’ defense that they haven’t shown anything new in years. The corner blitzes, the double-A gap blitzes, and the man coverage with the outside corners have pretty much been all he runs out there week after week year after year. Oh, they have a “nascar” package and that old “psycho” package. When a coach gets creative on defense, people are quick to jump and say “WOW, HOW WILL THEY EVER MOVE THE BALL WITH THAT WEIRD LOOK!!?” The thing is, teams DO move the ball on in those packages. I get the feeling Dom Capers gets CREATIVE FOR THE SAKE OF GETTING CREATIVE. It’s like a trick play on offense, when it doesn’t work you hear “throw that one out of the play book.” Well, you never hear that on defense. 

Exactly why going into the game I wasn’t confident our defense could stop the Saints offense. SURE ENOUGH! THEY DIDN’T! Run defense was abysmal and Drew Breese completed everything with hardly any pressure coming at him the whole game. Clay Matthews didn’t do squat and Devon House and Micah Hyde got picked on big time. Completely useless defense again. Do we see a trend over the past few years? YES, against GOOD quarterbacks and GOOD offenses the Packers defense just doesn’t get the job done. Granted, Shields and Burnett were out but the strategy and game-plan then needs to be adjusted to compensate for that weakness. It was not. FAIL! 

The Julius Peppers’ lined up at WR play was criticized a ton during and after the game. Here’s the deal, I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH IT! He was OPEN, it was a total MISMATCH, it adds a new threat for future games, the pass was perfect, but he flat out missed catching it and it popped off his chest. TO ME, WHAT WAS WORSE was Quarless not getting position on the slant pattern he ran in the end zone and the result was a tipped pass for an interception. THAT was the game changer because after that it was all downhill for the Packers defense. We needed a shootout to win and once the offense faltered after Aaron Rodgers pulled up funny IT WAS OVER.

I wrote the above three paragraphs during the remaining 10 minutes of my lunch the day after the game. I'm now typing this the day before the upcoming night game against the Bears. So, TO THE DISAPPOINTMENT TO THE AVERAGE OF 1 VIEWERS WHO READ WHAT I WRITE ON THIS PAGE, I can't remember anything else I wanted to comment on so I'll end it!

Game MVP: Seeing the defense "is what it is," all the Saints had to do to win was execute on offense ... THEY DID !!! I don't think I've ever named my game MVP from the other team but one can't help but notice how Drew Breese cut up the Packers' defense. So, I'll go with him as the MVP because, like a true professional, he tore us apart. Alright, I'll stop being a Jive Turkey and name a Packers player: Eddie Lacy ... he played good.
Game LVP: Can't remember much who I was mad at during the game so I'll go with the guy named No Body.

Next Week: A bye week first and then a Sunday Night Game. I'm not worried about the Bears and that's what worries me. The Bears are in trouble with a defense playing horrible, locker-room fights, and Jay Cutler looking perpetually drunk and bored on and off the field. Coming off a bye week the Packers are good. But, the law of averages says they are due for a bad outing. With a defense DEAD LAST IN THE LEAGUE AND HURTING, they better step it up or Matt Forte will run wild and run free the whole game. The game plan will probably be the same because like I said in the first paragraph of this article, they are predictable. I expect the Packers to focus on stopping the run and stick to the "MAKE JAY CUTLER BEAT US GAME PLAN." He tries, tries, and tries, but never does and year after year I say it and he proves he's nothing but a poor man's Brett Favre. I was put on the stop Friday night at the bar for my game prediction. I closed my eyes, channeled in my psychic powers, drunk a sip of Jack and 7, and POP ... THE FINAL WILL BE .....

Prediction: Packers 31 - Bears 23 
Week 9: BYE WEEK

I don't want to leave a number out in my click-on-the-week-number-at-the-top-of-this-page-to-jump-to-that-weeks-article link line, so I figure I'll put this here.
Week 10: November 9th, 2014 Vs Bears: Win 55-14

The Bears Still (REALLY) Suck!

Do, the Bears still suck? They don't just suck this year and didn't just suck Sunday night but they REALLY REALLY REALLY SUCKED! I tweeted it during the game and I say it again, I've never seen a Bears team so lifeless, inept, uncaring, and poorly coached. They aren't just bad right now, they are HORRIBLE! Like most of you know (probably nobody actually), I don't hate the Bears. In fact, I'm older and I think much wiser and seasoned to hate teams. So if I was a Bears fan, I wouldn't tolerate how shitty they are playing. It's been disaster after disaster for them lately. Their defense is the worst in the league and their defensive coordinator and head coach belong in the Canadian football league. I mean, how can you NOT COVER Jordy Nelson when he goes deep? Remember the pass to Cobb to win the NFC north last year? DEJA VU! It's only a matter of time before the Bears fire their entire coaching staff, GM, and rebuild with a new QB. SO, WHY WAIT! Just do it, eat the contracts, and move on. In Packers land, if the team played like the Bears have this year heads would be rolling because LOSING IS NOT ACCEPTABLE in Green Bay! This year, in Chicago, apparently it is.

First and foremost, solid foundations and consistent play in the NFL depend upon having a stable GM, coach, and quarterback. Look at the Packers. NO DOUBT IN MY MIND, Mike McCarthy deserved the contract extension. HE WINS, WE ARE COMPETITIVE EVERY YEAR, AND THE OFFENSE AT ANY TIME CAN PUT UP 55 POINTS (like it did against the Bears!) But, the Bears, HOW STUPID CAN YOU BE? 2 DAYS AFTER NEW YEARS their GM gives JAY CUTLER a fucking $126 MILLION 7 YEAR contract! HE'S BEEN IN THE LEAGUE HOW LONG? It's not like all of the sudden he's going to have a smile on his face, lead the Bears to super bowls year after year and put up Peyton Manning like numbers! HOW CAN YOU EVEN COME CLOSE TO BELIEVING THAT? He flat out sucks and is an interception machine, doesn't win big games, and just his mannerisms on and off the field omit perpetual vibes of not caring. In every single job people do throughout life, a lot of it is ACTING! You HAVE TO BE A GOOD ACTOR when you're on the job. If you hate what you are doing, you have to smile, look good, be obedient, and act like you care. Jay Cutler doesn't.

Well, enough about the Bears. Some thoughts on the Packers play. I liked seeing Clay Matthews inside because we all know our middle-linebackers are as useful as a horse without a cock (Brad Jones comes to mind). It's good seeing Dom Capers and the coaching staff at least get the crap players off the field and give other players a shot (Brad Jones, again, comes to mind). While watching the game I kept thinking "it's only a matter of time before Cutler throws a pick-6." YEP, just for good measure, he threw one to Casey Hayward. Just good ol' Jay ... being Jay. Defense played EXCELLENT. Give them credit! Offensively, only a few comments. Mike McCarthy should take the starters out earlier. DuJuan Harris should have had 20 carries in the second half. The game was over. Don't risk injury to starters because Harris is expendable. BUT, he looked REALLY GOOD when he was in and hit the holes in the zone-blocking scheme to perfection! Wouldn't mind seeing him get some action when the weather gets cold and we need to run the ball more. McCarthy was an idiot for challenging the 4 yard incomplete pass when up by like 40 points.

Game MVP: The entire Packers team.
Game LVP: The entire Bears team.

 Next Week: I think we matchup good against the Eagles' offense because they play that high-tempo "get in 10000 plays a game offense" which, I admit, is fun to watch. As we all know, the Packers defense isn't the most physical in the league. But, they are fast and can keep pace with the Eagles' weapons. Oh, of course, Mark Sanchez is starting. I hope Dom Capers got that memo and uses a "MAKE MARK SANCHEZ BEAT US" game plan. He's played good so far but he's not THAT good. He'll come back down to earth on the road and I expect him to play like shit. So, if we stop the run and get off the field on third down we win the game. BOTH teams scored a ton of points last week and I think that doesn't happen this week (just a hunch). Close game till late, the defense bends but doesn't breaks, and in the end I think the Packers come out on top.

Prediction: Packers 27 - Eagles 20
Week 11: November 16th, 2014 Vs Eagles: Win 53-50

No Complaints!

The Packers played great. There. I summarized the game.

In the Seinfeld episode "The Switch," George Costanza says "Do you ever get down on your knees and thank God that you have access to my dementia?" Sometimes we have to realize just how thankful we are for some things. Whether it be Costanza's dementia or anything else God has blessed us with, one thing is for sure: Packers fans have been blessed since a game I was at when I was almost 13 years old. September 20th, 1992, the day when Brett Favre came in for an injured Don Majkowski. Since then, there has been no QB controversy or questions about the position for 22 FUCKING YEARS !!! 22 YEARS !!! Take a look at other teams in the NFL and the ones that have sucked for so long. Ultimate example = The Buffalo Bills, my second favorite team. How many QBs have they had that have all sucked since Jim Kelly? Too many to count!

This offense, when firing on all cylinders, reminds of me the 2011 Packers, Tom Brady and Randy Moss Patriots (I'm too lazy to look up what year), and the first and second years Kurt Warner played for the Rams. Practically UNSTOPPABLE when they have momentum.

I would estimate that at about 10 years old kids begin to get studious about the game. With that taken into account, you can (and I will) make a valid argument that IT'S JUST REALITY that Packers fans approximately age 32 and under have never experienced the team having a bad QB. TOTAL BLESSING ISN'T IT! You talk consistency like that and only Joe Montana and Steve Young come to mind as being back-to-back great QBs. Together, they lasted just 18 years. I rest my case.

NEW THIS WEEK: SOME FREE-FLOATING BITCHING FOOTBALL RELATED THINGS THAT JUST ANNOY ME!
Game MVP: Everybody.
Game LVP: Nobody.

Next Week: Remember the first month of the season when I said it was too early to determine trends this year? I do, you probably don't. Well, it's now the week before Thanksgiving and I think now you can start. Vikings? Ehh .. without that child-abusing, pathetic excuse of a human, jive-turkey, and bird-brained piece of shit Adrian Peterson, they don't stand a chance. Their defense? I can't name one player off the top of my head that scares me yet alone exists. Teddy Bridgewater's name itself just makes me think of other lackluster young QBs such as Pete Highwayice, Jack Alleyorangejuice, or Jimmy Railroadtrackscappuccino. We dominate and by halftime the crowd is in full Go Pack Go mode, Aaron Rodgers has a crap-load of TDs, and Matt Flynn comes in for mop-up duty late in the 4th quarter.

Prediction: Packers 38 - Vikings 13
Week 12: November 23rd, 2014 At Vikings: Win 24-21
Well, I guess we aren't going to score 50 every game.

When it's late in the year and a win is a win. I've always believed and said that cliches are said repeatedly for a reason. Because they are true and there's only so many ways to say something about anything related to sports that hasn't already been said before. The scene in the movie Bull Durham summarizes how great cliches are:

Crash Davis to Nuke LaLooch: "You're gonna have to learn your clichés. You're gonna have to study them, you're gonna have to know them. They're your friends."
So, in relation to the Packers game.
THAT'S IT. IT WAS A GENERIC LATE NOVEMBER GAME AND THE PACKERS WON!

Game MVP: Definitely have to give it to Eddie Lacy. BUT, I don't think you can ever give it to ONE RUNNING BACK. Because blocking for him is a MUST and there were some good blocks thrown by the O-line. Not to mention, our WRs blocking has been and remains phenomenal.
Game LVP: As highly as I think of the guy, Tramon Williams had kind of a rough day. So did James Starks who fumbled on his only carry and never got the ball the rest of the game.

 Next Week: Home against the Patriots. Ohhhhhh yes! Even at the beginning of the year I knew this would be one of the most anticipated games on the schedule. Like we've seen many times with the Dom Capers defense, they hold up with and do a good job against bad to slightly above average QBs but great ones can torch them. Look no farther back than Drew Breese picking us apart. Is the defense this year good enough to get us to the Super Bowl? MAYBE. But this game is THE ULTIMATE TEST FOR DOM CAPERS. The Patriots offense ALWAYS attacks a defenses' weakness and usually finds success. Remember (as I wrote a couple weeks ago) what Sean Payton said about having figured out the Packers defense? If he can do it (an offensive minded coach), I expect Bill Belichick to be able to as well. I think Dom Capers will find some success early, as will the Patriots in stopping Eddie Lacy and Aaron Rodgers. At halftime I think we'll see about a 13-10 game. Then, in the second half, the offenses figure out the defenses and the high-scoring game that most people are predicting begins. We know we are a good team and a legitimate Super Bowl contender. I think the alcohol kicks in the second half and Packers fans roar the team to VICTORY on a last-minute Crosby game winning FG.

Prediction: Packers 30 - Patriots 27
Week 13: November 30th, 2014 Vs Patriots: Win 26-21

Yeeeeeeeeesssss!!!!

Well, not much to say about this game other than what Larry McCarren says when a big play happens in the Packers favor: Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeesssssss!!!!!! Definitely a statement win that proves we can go toe-to-toe with the BEST in the league and WIN! 

A few equations this week as I’ve been typing up so much week after week and judging from my access.log, NOBODY HAS BEEN READING SO EAT SHIT !!! Alright, that doesn't apply to everybody so if you're reading this you win one-hundred billion dollars.

Aaron Rodgers = MVP
Jordy Nelson = Pro-bowl player and if Aaron Rodgers wasn’t king I would put in MVP category!
Sam Barrington = STEPPING UP BIG TIME and he’s even taking time away from AJ Hawk! Brad Jones? Keep him on the bench. Or, preferably, inactive!
Randall Cobb = PAY THE MAN!
Davante Adams = GREAT DRAFT PICK AGAIN BY TT. His drop though .. ohhh so embarrassing!
Tom Brady = Potty Mouth
Legarrette Blount = Thank you Patriots for not giving him the ball in the second half when he was running through us like a madman!
Darrel Revis = BURNT TOAST (I like my toast that way, right mom?)

Game MVP: Other than the usual great players, NOTHING WAS BETTER THAN JUST 1 PLAY: THE MIKE DANIELS AND MIKE NEAL SACK! Just for that alone they both get the honors this week. Neeeeeeeeaaaaaaaallllll!!!!!!!!!
Game LVP: = NOBODY AGAIN!

Next week: Home against the Falcons, ehhh ... Monday Night. We all get to enjoy and listen to Jon Gruden explain that on every single play that occurs he's seen the greatest play by the greatest player he's ever seen. I'm too confident. In fact, it's almost like a game that is just getting in the way until we play some ones that REALLY will be good. BUT BUT BUT, I don't put it past the Falcons to come out and do good. IN FACT, I WOULDN'T BE SHOCKED IF SAY THEY CAME OUT AND WON BIG AGAINST US! Silver Lining? YES! Because it would remind us that we CAN NEVER LET UP UNTIL WE REACH THE PROMISED LAND AND WIN THE SUPER BOWL! But, right now in the NFL "it is what it is" so I'll just go with ...

Prediction: 27-23 Packers
Week 14: December 8th, 2014 Vs Atlanta: Win 43-37

Cause for Concern?

It it what is is offensively, the finely-tuned offensive machine led by Aaron Rodgers does what it's done almost all year as they threw 43 points on the board. Hence, there's generally no reason for me to voice any comments on the offense other than to say THEY ARE GREAT! I really liked seeing James Starks get in on the action and clinch the game. In 2010 he was awesum in December and ran us to a Super Bowl championship! Hopefully, the one-two punch of he and Lacy can do the same this year.

BUT, having a masters degree and 1 year of PhD-Applicant study in History, we MUST NOW TAKE A LOOK BACK AT THE DECEMBERS SINCE THE 2011 SEASON. See a trend? The defense just DECIDES TO NOT STOP THE OTHER TEAM. Remember the 2011 playoffs, 2012 playoffs, and 2013 playoffs and what ended our year each time? THE DEFENSE STOPS NOTHING! Although the Capers defense has been alright this year and getting turnovers (I've given him credit when it's due), I GOT THAT BAAAAAAAAAAAAD FEELING AGAIN in the second half of the game versus the Falcons. Remember not being able to stop Kaepernick from running wild through the defense WHEN WE KNEW read-options were going to be run? COULDN'T STOP IT! Remember 2011 and 2012 when the pass-defense gave up more yards than ever imaginable? Well, to quote Biff Tannen from Back to the Future, WELL LOOK AT WHAT WE HAVE HERE, the defense nearly blows a thousand point lead in the second half and despite knowing that Julio Jones was running through the secondary catching passes left and right, we STILL COULDN'T STOP HIM. HOWEVER, HOWEVER, HOWEVER, it's JUST ONE GAME and Matt Ryan is an above-average QB who can torch defenses despite not being too consistent. I have to remember back 2 weeks when we beat the Patriots. WE DID OK against a powerful passing offense.

So, should we expect anything else this year? Too early to tell! Buffalo's offense and Kyle Orton don't necessarily strike fear into my heart so we SHOULD STOP THEM. Tampa? Should be a walk in the park against God knows who is playing QB for them nowadays. The Lions? Ultimate test for the defense. If they can shut down their passing game I like our chances. Why do I keep typing everything in the phrase of a sentence and answering my own questions? Can you answer that? There, I answered a question in the form of a question.

Game MVP: Hmmmmmm decisions decisions decisions .... how about that guy at QB ... Aaron Rodgers (shock factor = 0).
Game LVP: I don't know why I even do a MVP and LVP of the game anymore because I always give it to an entity other than a player! Anyway, I'll go the ENTIRE DEFENSE in the second half (shock factor = 0).

Next week: A match-up against my SECOND FAVORITE TEAM the Bills. Their front-four is deadly and if they can shutdown the Packers offense they stand a chance because if it's a high-scoring game I think we win. We must not forget that NO ONE CIRCLES THE WAGONS LIKE THE BUFFALO BILLS. The key to the game is that the Packers defense needs to come together and stop their mediocre offense. So really, the Packers DEFENSE needs to CIRCLE THE WAGONS better than the Bills CIRCLE THE WAGONS as a team! I don't have faith in Kyle Orton to lead the Bills to victory because he's old with loose skin and old balls (Big Daddy movie reference). So I think we pull out an ugly win but a win nonetheless.

Prediction: Packers 27 - Bills 20
Week 15: December 14th, 2014 At Bills: Lose 21-13

Shit Sandwich

Before the game it's like the entire team ate a big shit sandwich and proceeded  to then shit out said shit sandwich on the field. Aaron Rodgers played probably the worst game of his entire career. Jordy Nelson dropped a sure touchdown, the defense couldn't get off the field when it mattered, and worst of all the special teams play was completely atrocious!

Eddie Lacy ran great and yeah yeah yeah people are going to say "we should have gave him the ball more!!" I DISAGREE, we are a passing team and have the arguably the best QB in the league. We were born a passing team and we if we lose or MISS the playoffs we'll die a passing team. I'm comfortable with that because (if I've said it once I've said it a million times)you win and put points on the board by passing and not running (most the time). You live by the sword and die by the sword and Sunday against the Bills, with Rodgers off, we died by the sword. Really, Bacarri RAMBO picked Rodgers off not once but TWICE! He's not a steroidal Sylvester Stallone out there but a guy who didn't play much all year! The offensive line did a pretty good job the entire game and they are actually a STRENGTH of the Packers this year. How often can we say that?

You definitely have to tip your hat to my second favorite team the BUFFALO BILLS. Yep, NO ONE CIRCLES THE WAGONS LIKE THE BUFFALO BILLS. Instead of the Packers doing the wagon circling, the Bills circled and protected their caravan of a lead better. Just looking at the stats of the game the Bills broke up a total of 10 passes. OUCH considering Rodgers can and has probably had games with ZERO!

Game MVP: Obviously nobody on offense deserves it other than maybe Eddie Lacy. Clay Matthews has miraculously been healthy all year (and as I say that he'll probably blow out an ACL against the Bucs on Sunday) and he had a good game so he gets it in my book. Also, Tramon Williams with yet another interception for one of the most underrated players since he's been on the team.
Game LVP: I got some to actually name this week. Sean Richardson played horrible special teams, JC Tretter played poorly in relief of Bulaga, and (I can't believe it either) but Aaron Rodgers just didn't have it.

Next Week: Buccaneers just flat out suck and off the top of my head I can't even name their QB! If whatever-his-name-is has a great game against the Packers and throws for a plethora of yards it's safe to say that if the team makes the playoffs, the Dom Capers defense will fail us for the last time. Anything less than a blowout win for the Packers would be INEXCUSABLE. I doubt that Rodgers and the offense will lay an egg 2 weeks in a row and I'm pretty confident that Mike McCarthy will have the team ready to lay down the law.

Prediction: Packers 34 - Buccaneers 24
Week 16: December 21st, 2014 At Buccaneers: Win 20-3

Noooice!

How in the Sam Hill did I predict the Buccaneers to score 24 points? Holy Toledo their offense was abysmal. Lovie Smith is a good defensive coach and you could see some talent and foundation being set there. This year and against the Packers the Tampa offense was laughable. They should tank and draft the best QB with the number 1 overall pick.

I figured in the first half it would take the Packers a little bit to get the cobwebs out of their system from the week before and sure enough I was correct. Red-zone troubles were concerning but offensively the yardage and performance was sharp and accurate. Aaron Rodgers threw for 300+ yards and Nelson and Cobb BOTH had 100 yard days. You don't see great WR tandems a lot. But, together, Nelson and Cobb are the best duo in the league. Just check out Nelson rebounded. 9 targets and 9 catches! PERFECTION there! I've said it before this year but in regards to Cobb ... PAY THE MAN !!!  I'm not sold on Adams yet with his inexcusable drops! Then again James Jones had a lot of drop problems throughout his career and has gone on to have an above-average career as a 2 or 3 WR.

Not much else to say about the game because it was pretty self-explanatory. In regards to the defense, I'm still not entirely confident in them because a high school defense could probably have stopped the Tampa offense. I must say that the defense HAS improved all year and indeed you have to give Dom Capers some credit. Yet, the question remains, is this a DOMINANT defense? As much as I want to say it is, it's not.

How did Eddie Lacy NOT make the Pro Bowl? Then again, who gives a shit! Because the Pro Bowl is stupid and the reward for good teams is that they can miss it by going to the Super Bowl instead.

Game MVP: It's flat out breathtaking how Morgan Burnett has improved since last year. When you got a quality safety alongside of you like Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, it makes the entire secondary better. Burnett has been PHENOMENAL against the run and his tackling has been OUTSTANDING. Therefore, he gets the honors this week.
Game LVP: The entire Tampa offense. It wasn't even a challenge and our defense has shown that they CAN be beat if playing against a formidable offensive foe.

Next Week: Well, we are already in the playoffs. I'm sometimes torn between whether that first-round bye is a good thing. When 2 weeks ago by, confidence, fluidity, timing, and execution can be lost strictly to the concept of time. So, if we win then great ... we can say and brag "we are NFC north champions!" BUT.. BUT BUT BUT .. HOWEVER .. in Green Bay we EXPECT TO WIN THE DIVISION EVERY YEAR. We don't strive ONLY for a division title. WE WANT AND WE EXPECT SUPER BOWLS !!! I think this Lions game is being hyped up too much. Yes, it's for the division. But, I'm not bat-shit-crazy fired up for it because win or lose both teams go to the playoffs and anything can happen there. I think we run some screens that work nicely. If we get 2 or more turnovers we win the game. The Lions defense is good yet I've always said it and I'll say it again. A GOOD OFFENSE BEATS A GOOD DEFENSE (with some exceptions such as the Seahawks in the Super Bowl last season).

Prediction: Packers 27 - Lions 24
Week 17: December 28th, 2014 Vs Lions: Win 30-20

VICTORY STRIKES AGAIN

It is what it is on offense as the usual superstars performed at a superstar level. Aaron Rodgers' calf injury was scary and I thought there was no way a guy that gets CARTED OFF THE FIELD would come back in the game. BUT SURE ENOUGH HE DID! A Favre-Like performance playing hurt and a herculean effort in one of the biggest games of the year. However, I said it last week, I wasn't too crazy about the game as most people. Sure, it was a good win. But, think back to the Super Bowl run a few years ago. We played 3 games on the road and were a 6th seed AND WON THE WHOLE FRICKEN THING. A first-week bye can be a blessing and a curse because the timing, momentum, and cohesion of a team can be lost to the passage of time. If I had to choose one or another, if a team is hot going in, I would rather NOT have the bye week. In this case though, the rest should help Rodgers ... right? I'm not so sure. Remember 2011? He took the last game off and when the playoffs came we were out in the first round and he was rusty. Hopefully that doesn't happen again come the divisional round game !!!

This year, I'm afraid of the Cowboys. They are the hot team going in and are playing good football. They'll probably beat the Lions in the wild-card game at home and that might setup a match-up in Green Bay against them. We are indestructible at Lambeau right? Wrong. Look at 2011 again. Lost! It's the hot team going in and regardless of what happened in the regular season a team can win on the road if they have the momentum and are firing on all cylinders. Look at 2010 and the Packers.

I have to comment on Suh unlike his wacko press conference when he said "next question" over and over. Indeed, he knew what he was doing when he was stepping on Rodgers. Having played baseball all through high school and softball for a few years in my 20s, when you are wearing cleats YOU KNOW WHEN YOU ARE STEPPING ON A LEG and not the ground! He knew what he was doing and if he claims otherwise that just MAKES HIM A JIVE TURKEY!

Game MVP: As great as Rodgers, Lacy, Cobb, Nelson, and the usual great ones played, special teams in big games and in the playoffs can turn the tide and change momentum in a teams favor (Desmond Howard anybody ???). Therefore, I give it to Micah Hyde as after his return for a TD that confidence I felt never ended the entire game. Begs the question, why isn't he back all the time and it's like every other return that Cobb is back? Just keep Hyde back there damn it!
Game LVP: Brad Jones ... just for the penalty and the sake he's still on the team yet alone still in the NFL.

Next Week: I hate the Cowboys. They cheated and probably paid off the refs in all games we played against them in the 90s. Fast Times at Ridgemont High Style:

!!! KILL DALLAS !!!

Prediction: Packers 143 - Cowboys 0. Or, 30-20 Packers
Divisional Playoffs: January 11th, 2015 Vs Cowboys: Win 26-21

DALLAS = KILLED

Daaaaaaaaamn this win was satisfying. I always remember all those times playing at Dallas in the 1990s and getting totally screwed over by the refs and simply not being able to win there. SO, IT'S ONLY SO FITTING that the Packers win the game on an unbelievably questionable call. Honestly, I didn't think there was conclusive evidence that showed the Dez Bryant would-be catch to be beyond reasonable doubt an incomplete pass. I for one need a smoking gun and I didn't see it on the play. BUT, FUCK IT! I'LL TAKE IT SO EAT SHIT COWBOYS !!! So fitting.... SO FITTING that the critical play of the game focused on Bryant and it was HIM that DROPPED THE BALL (I guess you can say he dropped it because it hit the ground and moved). One week prior he's on top of the world out on the field with his helmet off seemingly being successful in helping convince the refs that there was no pass interference on the play in question. His world turned upside down and left him disgraced. Like the Weezer song goes, he must have been thinking, "the world has turned, and left me here!"

So many what ifs to ponder about the game.
Like Bill Michaels says often. To win championships teams have to be 3 things. 1: Gotta be Good 2: Gotta be Health 3: Gotta be lucky. INDEED, the Packers HAD LUCK ON THEIR SIDE AND WHEN YOU WIN A LOT YOU GOTTA HAVE SOME GOOOOOD LUCK!

To me, there's some skill to luck. People can harness seize the moment and have luck work in their favor. How many great MLB hitters get a lot of hits that just seem to always land? Look at Ryan Braun, even when he's in a slump, he seems to have bloopers drop, grounders go threw the infield, or leg out base hits. I played baseball in high school with a guy like that and year after year, he just always seemed to get lucky hits. Maybe it is just random occurrence working in someones favor. But I just think otherwise.

Game MVP: Davante Adams! As you can see above, I didn't mention anything about players because this late in the year we know how good or bad everybody is and their play speaks for itself. BUT, in terms of stepping up, ADAMS HAD TO DATE THE GAME OF HIS LIFE. On his catches, he SINGLEHANDEDLY made plays after the catch and OWNED the Dallas defense!
Game LVP: Dez Bryant. Well, why not. Eh?

Next Week: AT SEATTLE! FULL CIRCLE FROM WEEK 1! AHHHHHHHHH I'll admit, I feel like a lot of fans that Seattle scares me. Then again, I said the game thing about Dallas and we kicked their ace! They are good. HOWEVER, IF I'VE SAID IT ONCE I'VE SAID IT A THOUSAND TIMES. AND IF YOU KNOW ME I'VE SAID IF I'VE SAID IT ONCE I'VE SAID IT A THOUSAND TIMES A THOUSAND TIMES IF YOU'VE BEENING READ MY PREVIOUS POSTS IN THE 3 YEARS I'VE WRITTEN WEEKLY REVIEWS. To me, A GOOD OFFENSE BEATS A GOOD DEFENSE. Well, most the time, because look at the Super Bowl last year. There are exceptions because sometimes a defense can just be dominant and make me look like an idiot when I say good offense beats good defense. I think the Packers win if the defense stops the Seahawks' offense. Is it possible? Yes! Remember week 1? After having an entire off-season to prepare, it looked like the Packers got too creative and over-thought themselves. Remember the 4-man line? Yeah, that didn't work. But remember too, the Seahawks scored on broken coverages too so if we eliminate them we got a good shot at at least keeping it close. Sometimes you just have to go out and play and let the chips fall where they may. As it's said in the movie Bull Durham, "don't think, it can only hurt the team." I had that problem my entire high school career. Anytime I had time to think I failed. Anytime I just played and my instincts took over, I succeeded. So, blah blah blah I'm typing too much again. With only 1 week to prepare, it's like cramming for a test or writing a paper at the last minute, sometimes with the little time to prepare you don't over think and the final outcome is better because you just wing it and not over think. LET'S HOPE THAT HAPPENS! But will it? Only time will tell and my soul is prepared if we lose because this is a match-up of the two best teams in the league right now. I think it's close and we CAN win the game. However, I think Seattle's defense if better than even if they play their best Dom Capers playoff defense.

Prediction: Seahawks 30 - Packers 20
Championship Game: January 18th, 2015 At Seahawks: Lose 28-22

FUCK IT!

Quite simply this was the the most excruciating, unbelievable, painful, and frustrating Packers loss I have ever lived through. At least when the Brewers collapsed in late 2014, it was slow and gradual so the pain was less intense. But this one, I didn't think we would win going in (see above) but after watching the defense absolutely dominate the Seahawks in the first half I COULD TASTE VICTORY and I began staring at the time remaining hoping it would tick down to zero with us going to the Super Bowl. Then, late in the fourth quarter, despite the great year Morgan Burnett had, he intercepts a pass and I said to my mom .. "DAGGE ... hmm .. why did he go down? There's 5 minutes left in the game!" When the Seahwaks got the ball back and started going down the field, I said to my mom and even tweeted out .. "I got a baaaaaaad feeling about this." It was almost like I was a soldier in Vietnam about to go on patrol for one last time had sensed that some how .. something .. would go wrong.

Then sure enough, the collapse began and as I write this a week later I still can't believe and don't even want to think or talk about the loss. I didn't even want to watch the AFC championship game because I couldn't stop thinking about the loss. Even when I woke up the next day, I figured I would get the loss out of my head. But, nope. First thing I hear when my alarm goes off were the words "Marshawn Lynch ...." and the entire day everybody in Green Bay seemed like walking zombies.

Such a collapse will always get bird-brained idiots who can't see the big picture or remember any games throughout the season screaming and hollering that they know the one reason why the Packers lost. Coaching, play-calling, specific plays, etc.. are all the far too convenient reasons given as one player or coach simply becomes a scapegoat.

You can't fault any single reason, there were so many plays that just ONE different outcome would have led to us going to the Super Bowl. Last week I did the WHAT IF list of how the Packers could have lost to the Cowboys. But this week, I never imagined I would do a WHAT IF list of why we lost. So, again it's a week after the game I'm writing this, here's what I will always remember about this game in the order that they pop into my head:
Well, off the top of my head that's the list I remember. Also, I'm pretty good at predicting scores I've realized. 28-22 final. Seahawks were 2 points less and Packers were 2 points more than I predicted. Aren't I special? This game was so painful that I think the damage done by it could leave scars that last a lifetime. Let's hope not. PRETTY MUCH NOBODY HAS READ THIS PAGE THIS YEAR! So eat shit assholes! Well, I much wrote this this week so I can look back on it when I'm even older than I already am and remember what I experienced through the season.

Game MVP: Fuck it
Game LVP: When it all comes down to it, you have to look at the evidence and choose the most important factor as to why we lost the game. Considering how every single fucking time we are eliminated in the playoffs the defense fails, I blame the defense the most. And with it, Dom Capers. Again, as how it's been since about midway through the 2011 season, the defense failed. THREE TIMES we could have stopped the Seahawks from scoring late in the fourth quarter and OT and all three times we didn't. They struck out and it ended with fucking Sean Richardson standing in the middle of the field with his thumb up his ace while Tramon Williams, who had blanket coverage on the play, gave up the winning TD. As big a fan of Tramon I have always been, it was probably his last play as a Packer as his play showed signs of waning in the second half of the year. A sad ending indeed.

I've said it after 2011, 2012, 2013, and now 2014 ... FIRE DOM CAPERS! I've just had enough of him.

There's only one thing left to say after this game and season, and that is what I always say when the Packers are eliminated ...

FUCK IT, GO BREWERS !!!!!!!