Negative Nellie's....time for you to POST (+/- Thread)

It was not pretty, not even close. The offense was mostly an utter ****show until late once again, but there were also positive moments sprinkled in.

Adams and Jones were benched for a series and the tidy whities actually were getting separation at times but then mostly went back to the bench.

Crockett seemed to run with a solid BFI.

I thought Lane Taylor did okay for a backup in the game, which is all we could probably hope for.

RRodgers wasn't getting separation, but did use his body well to screen defenders away from the ball and ARodgers made some nice very throws to him. RRodgers also caught the ball very well.

Bakhtiari held up pretty darned well against Ziggy Ansah's speed on the edge. 

The defense, in general, played pretty well after a rough patch in the first quarter. The first Lions TD was kind of a mess, but the second was good execution on a short field.  The pass rush was still a bit anemic but Capers had some good wrinkles for the D-backs in the game. 

As H5 wrote above, Jake Ryan was kind of all over the place and probably was most at fault for the first Lions TD, but he also made a number of solid plays too. 

I haven't read the rest of this thread, but I don't really have anything negative to add.  I've been to some fun games, but the feeling of walking out of Ford Field last night, high-fiving any packer fan I could find (and there were a lot) was awesome.  

GO PACK GO.

"Minus
This team may have hit rock bottom being down 20-0. "

that's a huge PLUS!!!

H5 thanks for posting. 

I win under those circumstances could be just the karmic boost for a team that has been walking around with storm clouds over their heads.  Or fools gold.  50/50.

I was mopey most of the game but then something switched and even after the Lions got that 3rd and long, thought we may still be able to win it.  I really hope this is the spark they need to get back to winning.  Perhaps it's going to be a Heart Attack Pack kind of year?  That hail mary was something special though. Rodgers' throw, WOW.

This has been a weird year to be a Packers fan.  As recently as week 5, this team did look like a bonafide Super Bowl contender.  Near halftime of that San Diego game in week 6 was when the team went from looking like Super Bowl contender to one that looked like it would be competing with teams like the Browns/Jaguars/Lions for worst in the NFL.  It was a shocking turnaround to see how far they fell and how FAST they fell into NFL oblivion. 

At least in the 2nd half of the game last night, there were signs that maybe they're coming out of the funk they had been in. 

Maybe the one saving grace for this season, is that the NFC for the most part is filled with absolutely awful teams and by default some of those awful teams will make the playoffs as there aren't enough quality teams to completely fill all those playoff spots.  The Packers are one of those awful teams right now, but if they can right themselves a bit, maybe they can step above some of the mediocrity and awfulness and make a bit of a run. 

The season so far has seen awful teams in both conferences with NE and CAR standing tall.  Some of those teams though are starting to heat up heading into december so I don't assume any playoff game (playoffs!?) will be anything but a tough battle.  Friggin SEA is coming around.

Get healthier and beat DAL.

Then.

Get healthier still and beat OAK.

Then.

Get healthier more, and beat ARI.

Then.

Complete the sweep of MIN.

2 seed still a possibility, but need to win the next one first.

Yeah, lets hope OL gets healthy, Ty can get healthy, and continue to play Crockett and Ryan.    

One game at a time. 

If MM had his hand in play calling during 2nd half of the game...please continue.

+  What was in the halftime snack?  Double that.

+  Happy to see the O trying something different with all the screens after the failure of GB's deep game the last few weeks. 

+  Practice?!  You're asking Julius Peppers about practice?  Seriously.  Have him sit out practice every week.

Get the OL healthy before the final three games.  Take care of business against Dallas.  Pray for one more Cardinal loss.

Let's GO PACK!

Get healthy is most important.  That may/should help the running game.  Get the full Monty back.  Is Crockett a tease or for real?  Love to see JJ again.  Any QB that can throw that ball and run like that is not injured, take that off the table.  Did MM have more say in the play calling, if so can we expect more?  if not why not?  I think the 3rd and short troubles last night can be attributed to the injured line but it needs to get fixed.  Janis is not ready for prime time Abby may be.   Lacy?  Off year, injured or attitude, it has to be addressed.   D held up well after the start but the start does count.

lots of questions, get the lads a couple of days rest, beat the Cowboys and go from there.  Go Pack

One positive I didn't see mentioned was Crockett's play.  He made a couple of critical 1st downs towards the end.  Dude looks really quick and shifty; runs powerful, too.

As we start playing more games overseas or as we become a more diverse society I expect those radical plays at the end of a game may be referred to Allahu Akbar vs Hail Mary.  Not that there is anything rong with that.

Thunderbird posted:

One positive I didn't see mentioned was Crockett's play.  He made a couple of critical 1st downs towards the end.  Dude looks really quick and shifty; runs powerful, too.

I agree. it looked like he was running at a completely different speed than Lacy and Starks. He reminded me a little of Ryan Grant when Grant was effective. Get the ball, see the hole, plant his foot, and go North-South. Lacy looks like he is running in slow motion until he takes 2-3 steps. Starks is not quite like Lacy, but he resembles Lacy in not being decisive. Crockett will get 2-3 yards on a play that Lacy or Grant might lose yardage on just because he was decisive in his cuts.

+ Unsung hero...Don Barclay with key block

The @packers 61-yard TD is 2nd-longest game-winner on run/pass as time expired in 4th (65 yards, Morrall-Gibbons, 12/4/60, Det20,Bal15

— Michael Signora (@NFLfootballinfo) December 4, 2015

How about Tretter knowing when the stop and not run beyond the line of scrimmage on that last play?  I think that was Tretter. 

Crockett could be the next 2010 Starks or the next Samkon Gado.

Yeah, we don't know, but we do know he is not Alonzo Harris. 

I thought for sure he had no chance to be successful behind that OL last night.  I was wrong about that. 

I never understood what happened with Gado.  He looked great behind our OL when first thrust into duty for the remainder of that season, then fell off the face of the earth. 

Gado was a great example of special human talent and true NFL-level talent. He was the former, not unlike Whisper Goodman.

Thunderbird posted:

One positive I didn't see mentioned was Crockett's play.  He made a couple of critical 1st downs towards the end.  Dude looks really quick and shifty; runs powerful, too.

You mean aside from the two on this very page, including the one immediately preceding your post, Thundergoldie?

The Loins weren't expecting a Hail Mary pass on the last play. After the 15 yard penalty, how could they not have expected it? They deserved to lose for being so stupid. They were playing a two time MVP with a cannon for an arm, not Teddy Bridgewater.

Tate probably figured he's just go out there and jump on whoever caught the ball.  "It worked before!".

ARI has @STL, vs MIN, @PHI, vs GBP, vs SEA.

MIN has vs SEA, @ARI, vs CHI, vs NYG, @GBP  --  The vs SEA then @ARI is Sunday to Thursday, that's tough and could be two losses.

http://uproxx.com/sports/2015/...rs-win-on-hail-mary/

The Lions completely blew coverage on the play and rushed only three players. Even worse, they were outnumbered in the end zone because they kept two linebackers in at midfield.

Many Lions fans questioned why Calvin Johnson, the tallest receiver on the team and the man with the 40-inch vertical, was not on the field for the final play. Johnson, for what it’s worth, has defended several Hail Marys for the Lions in the past.

+ They still control their destiny with regards to the Division.

- I have to root for the Seahawks on Sunday.

I'm not going to think about a #2 seed yet. This team still did lose 4 out of 5, and a lot of the problems are still there. One huge change was that Rodgers's accuracy was back last night. He had a couple bad passes early, but he obviously put that behind him. I fully expect them to wreck the Cowboys (how couldn't they?), but the three games that come after that one are all tough. No margin for error now.

I don't know how anybody can expect this team to wreck anyone right now.  Anyone.  I'll take a close win with improving play on O and consistency on D.

section19 posted:

+ They still control their destiny with regards to the Division.

- I have to root for the Seahawks on Sunday.

 

I'm rooting for the Vikings....TBH, I don't want Seattle even IN the playoffs no matter what seed.

P.S. It's the NFL. Every game is tough, yes even Cowboys. Their OL is damn good

The Cowboys are terrible, that's how. The Packers will beat them by at least two scores. The three teams that come after them are all going to be tough, but that one shouldn't be.

Barring a complete collapse by either team the division will be decided week 17.  Either one of those teams would need a 2 game lead for that game to be meaningless.

If the teams have identical records or are a game apart the winner will take the division.  Packers thanks to head-head sweep, Vikings thanks to better division record.  

 Edit - this is the Vikes we're talking about, so it's not like a complete collapse would be out of the question.  

Hungry5 posted:

Many Lions fans questioned why Calvin Johnson, the tallest receiver on the team and the man with the 40-inch vertical, was not on the field for the final play. Johnson, for what it’s worth, has defended several Hail Marys for the Lions in the past.

Heard that brought up last night on the post game - Announcer said Caldwell claimed it was because the Lions were not in Hail Mary defense, they were in lateral defense. Which seems to be true based on the video showing two LB's at the 40 yd line toward the sideline. 

You're telling me there's a coach dumber than ours?

I'll take a win any damn way we can. I know in seeing AR's reaction and his emotion last night, I don't know that I've seen him that excited after a win. It's like the whole team got a hit of dopamine to their brain. Just maybe this is what they needed to kick this offense in the ass and get them out of their coma.

We also have to remember while yes this was the Lions, when we played them WITH Jordy Nelson we still hadn't won their since 2012. So it's a huge win. Period.

A much needed mini-bye. Get these players healthy. Savor this win. We get a Romo-less Cryboys team at home in 10 days. MM/TC and Capers have a ton of time to get a game plan together.

Let's see what happens.

Packers Fans: "WOO HOO!!!!!!!!!! WE WON!!!!!!"

Lions fans: "Typical Lions ending."

Bears fans: zzzzzzzzzz *snort*snorkle*zzzzzzzzzzz

Vikings Fans: "Why do the refs hate us?!?!? This is a conspiracy against the Vikings!!!!!!"

MM: "That's probably the best throw I've seen in my time in this game, just with the arch you want to put on the ball and the distance."

— Ryan Wood (@ByRyanWood) December 4, 2015

McCarthy said many QBs would go with flat toss: "The arch of the ball was critical to the success of the play. That's the way it's coached."

— Ryan Wood (@ByRyanWood) December 4, 2015

McCarthy comparing last night in context of his #Packers tenure: "Outside of the Super Bowl, to me that's our greatest regular-season win."

— Ryan Wood (@ByRyanWood) December 4, 2015

McCarthy on #Packers RB Eddie Lacy: "Nothing happened last week with Eddie. Frankly, it was an internal football decision with his reps."

— Ryan Wood (@ByRyanWood) December 4, 2015

When asked if it was disciplinary, McCarthy said "could be" but wouldn't discuss specifics.

— Rob Demovsky (@RobDemovsky) December 4, 2015

McCarthy said #Packers LT David Bakhtiari is "beat up," but he plans on practicing every day next week.

— Ryan Wood (@ByRyanWood) December 4, 2015

McCarthy asked if there has been any change in the play-calling operation: "No. I need to shut up more, frankly."

— Ryan Wood (@ByRyanWood) December 4, 2015

Pack-Man posted:

did lose 4 out of 5

And now won 2 of 3.

From the GBPG and packers.com:

Packers coach Mike McCarthy spoke to the media on Monday afternoon. Here are some highlights:

On excitement level:

I think we all slept a little bit. Had the players into today. We had an NFLPA meeting at 11, team meeting at noon. We had the workout. At conclusion of team meeting, training room was full. Most guys getting treatment.

On the plan:

We’ll be off for the weekend. We’ll have some things to get done Monday and we’ll be full speed Tuesday.

On using Hail Mary going forward:

It’s unique on a number of fronts. The personnel grouping was different than what we practiced. It came off a play that there was a lot of dispute of a potential penalty. To be able to get the play off was a tribute to the players. For Aaron to buy timing and get momentum into throw, that’s probably the best throw I’ve seen. Great throw. We’re in a different personnel grouping. You talk about a play that happens in that time frame, it’s a lot different than running a 12-yard hook. There’s some variance to it just like rebounding in basketball. Randall where he was at for the tip. Our guys did a really good job of playing football in space.

On Rodgers throwing it from the 39:

The way he threw it last night, he probably had a few more yards left. Mechanically and being in tune with his technique and how he processes information to get up to the 40-yard line and launch the ball. Confidence he has in his arm and throw it that far, the arch on the ball is critical to the success of the play where you want the ball to drop down in the end-zone area.

On when he watched it:

Watched it on the flight home. It’s the beauty of fast forward. Right to the last play and then watched the tape. Wanted to see the specifics of it. Saw it on TV this morning. Couldn’t sleep so I wanted it a few times on TV. It’s a phenomenal play. Outside of the Super Bowl, that’s our greatest regular-season win. The reaction on the sideline, to see our guys, the joy we had. I’m looking for flags like I always do when we have big plays. That’s your process as a head coach. What a great win. One win, a division win. This stretch we wanted about. We know this was going to be the trials of our schedule. It’s definitely been that. There’s a lot to learn from what we’ve been through.

On the officiating at the end:

I thought the referees handled it great. Running down to the end zone, Carl Cheffers was telling us we need to kick the extra point. I said I’ve never been on this. I said we should kneel it. I said OK.

On

I felt we were a lot closer than the scoreboard indicated. Detroit came out in the second half with the long drive. A little over six minutes and we held them to a field goal.

On Julius Peppers’ strip sack:

It was huge. If you look at after it’s 17-0, we had three three-and-outs. We got ball back with two minutes before the half. Didn’t take advantage of that.

On Eddie Lacy:

Nothing happened last week with Eddie. Leading up to the game, it was an internal football decision that was made. That’s what resulted in Eddie’s reps.

Was it disciplinary?

Could be, but we won’t discuss it in here.

On how Lacy bounces back:

He needs to build off his preparation, but he could be better. We could be better as a team.

On John Crockett:

Crockett has unbelievable energy. Has his nose in the playbook. It was time to give the young man an opportunity.

On play-calling:

Nothing changed with play-calling. Frankly, I need to shut up more.

On Jake Ryan:

I like what I saw. Haven’t watched the defensive tape yet.

On if the rebound pass had a name:

The play is called "2 Jet   Rebound Pass" but it turned into "Scat 2 Rebound Pass" because of the personnel.