Positives/Negatives Packers Vikings

Seattle isn't going to have the 12th man in Lambeau.

It suck that the "loss" to Seattle comes back to haunt us and keep us from getting a bye.

+ they had a very hard time stopping our offense
- we had a very difficult time stopping their offense.

Nope, but they'll be amped up over playing on the road at the NFL's premier venue just like the other inferior teams that won playoff games there in the past. That's what you hear every time, they're always blabbering about how excited they are to play a postseason game at Lambeau Field and show the world just how good they are, and unfortunately, they almost always pull it off these days. Lambeau Field is a liability for the Packers in big games (both due to the weather and the blather about a "mystique" that the opposing team goes gaga over), not an advantage. They're better off on the road in most situations in the playoffs. I expect them to win on Saturday, and then I'm going to pray that they do not have to play the NFCCG there. It makes me extremely sad to say it, but the Packers would be far better off playing that game in Atlanta.

It is only a liability if you cannot win.

Anybody notice how Seattle is HORRIBLE on the road? Other than a cheap stomping of the Bills, they've gotten worked over away from Seattle. They will be a 1 and done.

Let's see, if the Packers play the NFC championship game at Lambeau, it will be against either the Cowboys/Redskins, or Seahawks. And somebody would rather "pray" that they play that game on the road......?????

quote:

Anybody notice how Seattle is HORRIBLE on the road?

They did win in Chicago.

Cold weather + team that is tough in the trenches (Seattle) = near certain Packers loss. They'd do much better in a warm, comfy dome against a team that is even softer than they are.

Chicago should not be the gold std for anything. Their offense played like it was waiting for the defense to win the game for them most every game.

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Originally posted by Hungry5:
Seemed like the Vikes put everything into the game today. Wonder if they can do that again next week, on the road?

They kept the game close at Lambeau in the first meeting. They will ride AD again for obvious reasons. 409 rushing yards vs GB this year in 2 games. Pack need to show they can stop Peterson. Maybe 3rd times the charm

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Originally posted by Pack-Man:
Cold weather + team that is tough in the trenches (Seattle) = near certain Packers loss. They'd do much better in a warm, comfy dome against a team that is even softer than they are.

Not even close to a "near certain loss". You're really reaching now. But, how about we beat the Vikings, then beat the 49er's....then we can worry about the "near certain loss" at home to the Seahawks.

Niners are the bad matchup for this team. They don't stack up up front on either side and a mobile QB like Kaep gives them fits

but that's why you play the games. Need to get past the annoying Vikes first and foremost. AD vs this Pack D in cold weather is a bad match-up. Woody better be ready to go. Need everybody out there

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And somebody would rather "pray" that they play that game on the road

I agree; why would they rather



?

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Originally posted by CAPackfan:
Niners are the bad matchup for this team. They don't stack up up front on either side and a mobile QB like Kaep gives them fits

but that's why you play the games. Need to get past the annoying Vikes first and foremost. AD vs this Pack D in cold weather is a bad match-up. Woody better be ready to go. Need everybody out there

Really, the way I feel after today is that anything after putting the Vikings in their place next week will be gravy. I know the Packers will take care of business next week and win big, and anything beyond that will just be viewed as a pleasant surprise.

2010 Super Bowl champs.
2011 15-1 regular season.
There is no gravy/pleasant surprise.

+s

+Bears miss the playoffs.
+Peterson didn't get the record. It's bad enough that the Queens won....AP getting the record would have really sucked.
+Crosby has to have some confidence after today.
+Jennings is back. Jordy is back. Best receiving group in the NFL....Get Cobb back and it's not even close.
+Thought I heard AP had a career record number of carries today. That plus a short week has to have some effect on him.
+Frazier and Ponder will likely be around a little bit longer after today's game. That's good for Packer fans.
+Giants miss the playoffs.
+Cowboys are about to lose.
+Seattle sucks on the road, nobody is afraid of the Falcons, and the niners have had some downright awful games this year. Contain AP next week and I like our chances.

-s

-Man, the defense sucked today. Hopefully it's out of their system.

sidenote: If a defensive player so much as touches an offensive player with his helmet, it's a personal foul. Yet AP can lower his head and spear a defensive player with his helmet, and it's completely legal. I guess player safety doesn't matter if you happen to play defense.

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Originally posted by Hungry5:
2010 Super Bowl champs.
2011 15-1 regular season.
There is no gravy/pleasant surprise.

After today, I'd be lying if I said I "expected" the Packers to win it all or that it would be a "letdown" if they lost a close game on the road to the 49ers or Falcons on the road with a deeply flawed offensive line and front seven. I know all of the rhetoric about there being no second place, but a team can take positives from a season that doesn't end in a championship and build on it. Anything beyond taking care of business against the Vikings next week will be gravy for me. Only another home playoff loss could make this season a complete failure to me.

One more negative: Why is it that the players seem to have a better handle on the rules than MM? MM throws the flag on the JJ touchdown. Jordy immediately picks it up while Rodgers comes running across the field while screaming at MM for throwing the flag.

C'mon MM, you're better than that.

quote:

Originally posted by Pack-Man:

quote:

Originally posted by Hungry5:
2010 Super Bowl champs.
2011 15-1 regular season.
There is no gravy/pleasant surprise.

After today, I'd be lying if I said I "expected" the Packers to win it all or that it would be a "letdown" if they lost a close game on the road to the 49ers or Falcons on the road with a deeply flawed offensive line and front seven. I know all of the rhetoric about there being no second place, but a team can take positives from a season that doesn't end in a championship and build on it. Anything beyond taking care of business against the Vikings next week will be gravy for me. Only another home playoff loss could make this season a complete failure to me.

As MM would say, this team is playing for championships. Anything less is a disappointment. With Rodgers in his prime, the Packers window is wide open for quite a few runs at the SB. I'm greedy, I want another one

quote:

Originally posted by bdplant:

sidenote: If a defensive player so much as touches an offensive player with his helmet, it's a personal foul. Yet AP can lower his head and spear a defensive player with his helmet, and it's completely legal. I guess player safety doesn't matter if you happen to play defense.

Ding ding, you nailed it. Defensive players don't really matter in the grand scheme of things for Goodell and the owners. Defense isn't glamorous, and it doesn't generate the ratings or the interest in that fantasy football crap.

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Originally posted by Grave Digger:
Anybody notice how Seattle is HORRIBLE on the road? Other than a cheap stomping of the Bills, they've gotten worked over away from Seattle. They will be a 1 and done.

Please don't bring rational analysis to the "hottest team in the NFL" mantra people have been throwing upon them. They have 3 road wins, @Carolina (barely), the miracle @bears and then they killed Buffalo in Toronto.

I think the Redskins will beat them.

quote:

Originally posted by Pack-Man:

quote:

Originally posted by bdplant:

sidenote: If a defensive player so much as touches an offensive player with his helmet, it's a personal foul. Yet AP can lower his head and spear a defensive player with his helmet, and it's completely legal. I guess player safety doesn't matter if you happen to play defense.

Ding ding, you nailed it. Defensive players don't really matter in the grand scheme of things for Goodell and the owners. Defense isn't glamorous, and it doesn't generate the ratings or the interest in that fantasy football crap.

No it isn't. Defensive players can spear BALL CARRIERS without penalty. Just because we failed to do that today don't mean it can't be done.

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Originally posted by Goalline:

quote:

Originally posted by Pack-Man:

quote:

Originally posted by bdplant:

sidenote: If a defensive player so much as touches an offensive player with his helmet, it's a personal foul. Yet AP can lower his head and spear a defensive player with his helmet, and it's completely legal. I guess player safety doesn't matter if you happen to play defense.

Ding ding, you nailed it. Defensive players don't really matter in the grand scheme of things for Goodell and the owners. Defense isn't glamorous, and it doesn't generate the ratings or the interest in that fantasy football crap.

No it isn't. Defensive players can spear BALL CARRIERS without penalty. Just because we failed to do that today don't mean it can't be done.

If a QB runs past the line of scrimmage with the ball, is he not a ball carrier? Yet a defensive player leads with his helmet and it's a personal foul. If a receiver catches the ball, is he not a ball carrier? Lead with the helmet and that WR is a defenseless receiver. Yet All Day can lead with his head all day and it never matters.

We failed to tackle today and we deserved to lose because of it. Doesn't mean that the rules aren't biased.

Rules are rules. AP is a violent running back with a skill set I've never seen before. He's fast as hell, a bit shifty and runs like a bull that's pissed off.

That said, this is the NFL. Man the **** up and tackle the guy.

Maybe pull an Al Harris and tackle low. Did I just say that?

Can't tackle high...that's a penalty.

But who are we bsing here? You gotta have willing tacklers to go high, low, in between or wherever.

Yes, instead of running the other way like Tramon did today.

Dear God he was pathetic today.

I'm going to put on my Green and Gold goggles and assume that next week he'll be better. I think Tramon has it in him.

Tramon has never been a physical corner, but I don't remember him ever being Deion Sanders, either. Is it possible he's hurt and we don't know it? Has he banged up his shoulder up again?

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Originally posted by lambeausouth:
Tramon has never been a physical corner, but I don't remember him ever being Deion Sanders, either. Is it possible he's hurt and we don't know it? Has he banged up his shoulder up again?

I believe his shoulder is an issue. And it really shows against an AP. Its the other issues that were costly Sunday.

quote:

Originally posted by bdplant:
Maybe pull an Al Harris and tackle low. Did I just say that?

Yeah, you did and I was screaming it all day.

If the muthertruckin big bad back is going to try to steamroll, you go low and take the knees out.

This isn't soccer, AP's knees should have big bulleyes on them next week, if anyone has a problem with that ... FU.

If the basis of your statement is to intentionally try to injure an NFL player, that's a bunch of BS. However, if you're talking about how to properly tackle a raging bull like AP, you're dead on. If you don't take out his legs you'll get steamrolled.

+Crosby made field goals, they didn't even look particularly shaky. Was waiting for that epic swerve he's had lately and it didn't come.
+Finley - Looked good for the most part. YOTTO time in the playoffs?!?! Ok maybe I shouldn't go crazy here.
+Rodgers - He's uhhh still really good.
+The Receivers blocking downfield. Made lemonade out of lemons time after time.

-Tramon - If one person single handedly lost this game, it was him.
-The rest of the defense - On the tipped ball 'catch' c'mon man, someone smash the receiver and take him out of the play, someone else intercept it. Don't they have a drill for this? I know it doesn't come up every game but the winning strategy is so obvious... Then of course there was the TD right through the DB's hands and the 3rd and 11 let's rush no one, give the receivers a free release, and then for good measure not cover anyone while we're at it play. Yikes. Force Christian Ponder to make a play to beat you. For the most part they just gave him the plays. Pathetic.
-Timeouts - I don't care if the ref may have been a little slow spotting the ball. It's embarrassing to constantly waste timeouts the way they do. It's Bears-esque. Timeouts should be strategic tools, not CYAs for your mistakes.
-McCarthy - Throwing the challenge flag is just all sorts of dumb. How did he not know better? Why does Jordy Nelson have better situational awareness than the coach? That particular incident didn't really end up costing us, but it very easily could have put us in a tailspin and on the wrong side of a blowout. And starting off the first two drives by handing off to Ryan Grant? There's a reason we didn't want him back. He's not very good anymore. There's got to be a better way to start a game than "hope Grant doesn't get stuffed"

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-McCarthy - Throwing the challenge flag is just all sorts of dumb. How did he not know better? Why does Jordy Nelson have better situational awareness than the coach? That particular incident didn't really end up costing us, but it very easily could have put us in a tailspin and on the wrong side of a blowout. And starting off the first two drives by handing off to Ryan Grant? There's a reason we didn't want him back. He's not very good anymore. There's got to be a better way to start a game than "hope Grant doesn't get stuffed"

I think MM simply was pissed off and lost his cool. He's human... If I had a red flag in my living room I'd have thrown the SOB through the TV. I'm not coaching a NFL team though so, yea... he's gotta be smarter than that.

I completely agree on Grant. No clue why he was even starting the football game. I think the little guy is a much more effective running back, but that's just me. I don't recall seeing Green on the field either. Wasn't he active?

I was surprised Green or Grant did not get utilized today.

The little flip to Harris didnt produce much at all but MM had it in the game plan.
It would have been huge to get the run game rolling some to keep AP off the field and well rested.

I am still waiting for those longer passes to the TE's but see only one or two that seems to be successfull but a stupid penalty arises and MM does not goback to it.

Pickett says it is unacceptable the yards and points the queens put up, if there is a guy that can fire up the D-line its Big Grease. Wilson has a game back under his belt and Raji played pretty well today with nice burst in the backfield. Actually the D with Raji getting some push looked good at times were it looked liked GB would get AP off the field with a three and out then a stupid penalty or missed tackle and minnihaha gets a fresh set of downs.

+

Packers will kick the **** out of the Vikings next week.

quote:

Originally posted by radman:
It would have been huge to get the run game rolling some to keep AP off the field and well rested.

Playing from behind all day put the run game on ice.

+'s

Crosby.
AR and the receivers.
No Bears in the playoffs.

-'s

Offensive line.
Blown assignments in the secondary with wide open receivers on 3rd and long.
Tackling.

Ponder was one of the worst QB's I'd ever witnessed a few weeks ago. Hopefully Green Bay can put him back in his place.

++

Rodgers was clutch
Finley made an impact
Jennings looked like his old self
DuJuan Harris 5 YPC
Ross filled in well as a return guy
Crosby 2 for 2

--

Poor tackling
Special teams gave up too much return yardage
Ponder looked like Joe Montana
3rd down D sucked