@Gsands posted:That hole appeared because of good blocking and a savvy returner with great vision. Goes to show you how important those blocking schemes are.
Amari Rodgers would have avoided that hole at all costs. He suffers from trypophobia.
+ Crushing Vikings in all 3 phases
+ Gave blueprint to rest of NFL how to beat Vikings. Now go and execute.
+ Beat Bears Twice, Cowboys, Vikings & Super Bowl champs, Tom Brady plus Belichick Patriots. No matter what happens the rest of the way, this has been a successful season
- Probably won't get to play Vikings again this season.
As for the game, I can’t think of anything negative. I even give kudos to the weekly whipping boy Barry for a job well done. Hopefully another week allows Watson to heal properly as well as Kaisan. That was a thoroughly enjoyable game, capped by my father-in-law having to hand me the money we put on the game.
In the next 500 words, let me tell you how I’m not in it for the attention…
From New York Times today:
Green Bay wins with … defense?
Image 
The Green Bay Packers were 4-8 through their first 12 games but are now on the cusp of the playoffs. For most of their current four-game winning streak, the offense has been the story: The running game is one of the best in the league, and the passing game has taken off with Christian Watson’s emergence and Romeo Doubs’s return from injury. But the bigger turnaround has been on defense, and Sunday’s win over the Vikings was the pinnacle of that.
ADVERTISEMENT
For once this season, the Packers had a sharp game plan on defense. Defensive coordinator Joe Barry has relied on simple and soft coverages without many interesting schemes up front to generate pressure. That won’t be enough come playoff time. The Packers needed to prove that they can actually play to their opponent, and they finally did that by putting the clamps on Justin Jefferson.
Jefferson was accompanied by more than one Green Bay defender for most of the game. When Jefferson was outside, the Packers had no reservations about playing Cover 2 to his side of the field. When Jefferson was bumped inside to the slot, the Packers played more bracket coverage, flanking Jefferson with a defender on both sides. Jefferson snagged only one catch for 15 yards on five targets, and the Vikings’ passing offense collapsed without its cornerstone, leading to a three-interception day out of Kirk Cousins.
Now, it’s important not to get too high on the Packers defense just yet. We know the Vikings are prone to these kinds of meltdowns, and they had already wrapped up the division. The Packers also still have to take out the Lions next week; Detroit’s offense has been more complete, especially on the ground, and more explosive than Minnesota’s. This win was a great steppingstone for the Packers, though, and a win next week would finish a long and winding journey to the playoffs that nobody, save for maybe Aaron Rodgers, saw coming six weeks ago.
+ The swagger is back in Green Bay. 😎
- I can nitpick blocked punt, stop/ start offense and garbage time TDs but we WON a must-win game against division rival.
+ Complete game in all 3 phases, maybe it took a down season for Rodgers/LaFleur to balance hero ball with run game.
Wonderful game. Although it is true we received all the good fortune denied us throughout the season made up in one half...it is also true we won without relying on #12. A great thing.
It's interesting how rapidly the holding calls have disappeared on the kick returns with a one cut returner who rapidly turns upfield. It means the blockers can release from their blocks quickly and not have to try to keep in contact with their man while a returner dithers behind them cutting laterally back and forth. It also means once the returner is through the first line of the kick defenders there’s not many more people left to stop him.
It sounds easy and looks so easy when you see it, but kick returning is a rare art requiring sure hands, courage, vision, acceleration and speed. Guys like Hester and Howard show up once a generation and tilt the game. Who knows whether Nixon can keep it up, but it is fun to watch. It’s amazing he’s had no experience with this, showing it is an inborn gift. It’s maddening he sat on the bench for the first half of the season while the Packers suffered with the worst return results in the league, not even counting all the turnovers.
You could argue that the blocked punt was a net plus. The Queens offense was demoralized after settling for a FG after the first and goal at the one, the Packers D was energized. The ST unit kinda made up for the blocked punt with the KO TD.
But yeah, best get the blocked punt breakdown fixed so it doesn’t happen again.
@Herschel posted:
There's a Moses joke in here somewhere.
@YATittle posted:
Thanks for the link to get to YouTube. Never would have found that on my own. 
@mrtundra posted:The vikings led in the game for, maybe, a minute.
Not to nitpick, but the Vikings led for exactly 12 seconds (of game time). On the 13th second, Nixon was in the endzone. 
Nitpicky but the two negatives were the blocked punt and the slow start from the offense. But that overwhelmed by the positives.
Seemed like there was a decent number of Vikings fans in the crowd. Understandable that people were dumping their tickets a month ago. It's always great to see a lot of visiting fans witness their team get exposed at Lambeau. 
The defense. What the fuck. Why did it take 14 1/2 games to unleash this? They have been as good as the end of 2021. Keep it up! As good as they are, imagine if we hadn't lost Gary. 
Nixon. He's turned KO and punt returns from cringe time to must watch TV. You cannot miss a return. That hasn't been a thing since 1996.
Jones and Dillon getting the right number of touches. Hopefully Jones nagging injury continues to improve.
Rodgers seems to be slowly embracing the game manager role. They will need him to be MVP level Rodgers at times in the playoffs but if he can stick in the game manager role at the appropriate times this is a team that can make some noise well into January.
And the biggest positive - it's not even close - Jaire. This is the guy that earned his contract before he got it. And now that Barry allows him to play his game the dominance shows. I'm sure a few people here were mad about his comments leading up to the game and his little dance in front of JJ but I say you be you, Jaire!!
Oh, also took a few hits of Red Headed Stranger at halftime. Made for a really fun, enjoyable 2nd half. 
Oh, one other thing. Has a 4-8 team ever had this kind of a month? No only winning the games but having just about every team you need to lose follow the script perfectly for you?
@Packiderm posted:Leavitt got trucked by the guy who blocked it. Only way to fix that is to replace him with someone more stout
Noticed that. Between that and his pathetic run on the fake punt and him not calling it off, I wonder why he's out there.
@PackerHawk posted:Oh, one other thing. Has a 4-8 team ever had this kind of a month? No only winning the games but having just about every team you need to lose follow the script perfectly for you?
only thing that even comes close is the multitude of things that had to go right for Seattle to come back in the championship game against Green Bay. I would say that was even more difficult. Drop Pass, fake field goal, two pt conversion, screw up on hands team, and probably ten other things.
MLF just said that he called for the "Hail Mary" on head set to AR, but he looked out there and Mason was already on the field for the 56 yard FG
I may have missed the reasoning, but any word why GB elevated the 2nd kicker? I thought he'd be used on KOs but didn't notice him out there at all.
The second kicker was injured during warm-ups. He would have been kicking off, otherwise.
Ramiz Ahmed's warmup was captured on video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=voUMQrLy_uY
No news on Crosby's whereabouts during this time though he seemed to have extra pep in his step to hit that triple axel at the end of the half.
Attachments
Images (1)
" ...a hole big enough to drive a truck through all the way to the super bowl..." after Edgar Bennett's clinching TD run.
One thing I missed in the game was why they replaced Yosh with Tom. I'm assuming he aggravated an injury but I don't think the TV crew brought it up.
Not sure if it matters. Zach Tom looks like a pretty good player.
@PackerHawk posted:One thing I missed in the game was why they replaced Yosh with Tom. I'm assuming he aggravated an injury but I don't think the TV crew brought it up.
No, Romo was too busy talking about his Cowboys days to notice.
@PackerHawk posted:And the biggest positive - it's not even close - Jaire. This is the guy that earned his contract before he got it. And now that Barry allows him to play his game the dominance shows. I'm sure a few people here were mad about his comments leading up to the game and his little dance in front of JJ but I say you be you, Jaire!!
Here's the thing....if you can talk the talk....you better be able to walk the walk.
Jaire does that in SPADES and Jefferson better get used to that treatment because this is a copycat league
@PackerHawk posted:One thing I missed in the game was why they replaced Yosh with Tom. I'm assuming he aggravated an injury but I don't think the TV crew brought it up.
Same here.
I thought what's her-name would provide some info via her sideline reports, but nary a word all night. A good announce team would've noticed, mentioned Tom was in the game, and word would go to her to go ask the Packers for an update.
@GBFanForLife posted:Not sure if it matters. Zach Tom looks like a pretty good player.
Indeed. He's been solid, at the least, at both T positions.
I don't know if he practiced at RT during the week, but he didn't miss a beat switching there.
@PackerHawk posted:Oh, one other thing. Has a 4-8 team ever had this kind of a month? No only winning the games but having just about every team you need to lose follow the script perfectly for you?
Its crazy to me to think how in one month they just put it together. This is a talented roster and if I was an NFC coach I wouldn't want to face them right now. Do I think they will go all the way sadly no but I would want no part of them.
Positives: Beating that team no matter how its done is a beautiful thing
I will give Barry and his defensive staff kudos on this one they put together a solid plan that not only took their best weapon away they also maintained the run defense at the same time. And they did it with effort and in a physical way
How incredible was the KO return? I knew it had been awhile since they returned one for a TD but didn't know it had been since 2011
Balance on offense
Negatives:
Thankfully that blocked punt didn't affect the outcome but if they make the playoffs you cannot have that happen
4th down play calls. I am nitpicking I know but dang go for a quick slant and stop trying to go deep. I get it that you have to take what the defense gives you but man take the quick play.
@"We"-Ka-Bong posted:In the next 500 words, let me tell you how I’m not in it for the attention…
Touche.
I agree on the fourth down play calls. Those short passes to Lazard have been money on third down.
@YATittle posted:I agree on the fourth down play calls. Those short passes to Lazard have been money on third down.
Totally agree a quick hit to Lazard would have gotten the job done. I also think that not having much from the TE position right now does hurt them on short yardage.
Speaking of 4th downs. Are coaches at the college and NFL level contractually obligated to go for it on 4th down? I get that some coaches live by analytics but damn.
I love going for it on 4th down.
@PackerHawk posted:One thing I missed in the game was why they replaced Yosh with Tom. I'm assuming he aggravated an injury but I don't think the TV crew brought it up.
Yosh played on FGs & X points .... Josh had a rough game vs. Miami & I wondered if we Tom would be better at RT, especially vs. speed rushers?