Greg Goshaw was born in 1977 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and moved to Kenosha less than six months later. He graduated from Tremper High School and joined the United States Army on active duty one month after his graduation and served for four years. He is currently employed at Target.
Greg has been a Packer fan his entire life. One of his earliest and fondest memories of the Packers is the Instant Replay Game in 1989, where Don Majkowski rallied the team to a last-minute win over the rival Chicago Bears. Over the years, Greg's passion for the Packers grew, and he is now living his dream of writing for the team he loves and sharing his passion with millions of fans across the country and around the globe.
The Packers improved to 2-0 and scored 40+ points for the second game in a row as they won 42-21 over the Detroit Lions at Lambeau Field.
It took the Packers almost until the end of the first half to take the lead as the Lions scored a pair of touchdowns on their first two possessions to take a 14-3 lead. Robert Tonyan scored a TD to put Green Bay ahead 17-14 just before halftime. It only took one play for the Packers to score after halftime as Aaron Jones took off for 75 yards to the endzone, a career-long run. After an exchange of punts, CB Chandon Sullivan intercepted Matthew Stafford for a touchdown and a 31-14 Packer lead. The Packers added a field goal and another touchdown plus a 2-point conversion while the Lions could only get a touchdown the rest of the way.
The turning point of the game probably came when punter JK Scott pinned Detroit deep late in the second quarter. Matthew Stafford barely avoided a safety as Za’Darius Smith sacked him near the goal line. A couple of penalties by Detroit kept Green Bay’s drive alive and Aaron Rodgers found Tonyan in the endzone.
Hopefully Davante Adams won’t miss any extended playing time. He missed much of the game due to possible hamstring issues. Marquez Valdes-Scantling took some vicious hits in the first half. He could have easily been knocked out of the game but he came back and made a huge reception down the sidelines in the second half.
The offense started out slow for the second game in a row, but once they get going, they are hard to stop. Head Coach Matt LaFleur wasn’t happy with their defense in the first half. They played much better in the second half. The Packers still haven’t played a complete game on either side of the ball yet they are 2-0.
83 – Marquez Valdes-Scantling / 55 – Za’Darius Smith
Tim Boyle came in late in place of Rodgers for the second game in a row. AJ Dillon got some carries as well, including one where he fought through defenders for a first down. Hopefully it’s a sign of things to come for Dillon.
It’s another great win at Lambeau Field despite the fact that no fans were at the game. Hopefully that will change very soon. Next up for the Packers is a trip to New Orleans to play the Saints on Sunday Night Football. Enjoy the win Packer fans! Have a great week!
The Packers are 1-0 and are looking for more as they play their home opener on Sunday (Noon Central Time) vs the Detroit Lions.
The Packers won last Sunday 43-34 at Minnesota while Detroit lost a tough one 27-23 at home to the Chicago Bears.
Matthew Stafford is back for Detroit after missing much of the season last year. The Packers will also see an old friend on Sunday, RB Adrian Peterson, who is back in the division. Peterson’s shelf life is longer than most running backs and he’s still got it as he ran for 93 yards on only 14 carries, a 6.6 average per rush. WR Kenny Golladay missed the game vs the Bears and he is questionable for this one. Former Packer Geronimo Allison opted out for the season but we may see a familiar face in former Wisconsin Badger Quintez Cephus. This team has weapons and the Packers had their problems slowing this offense down the last several years. The defense had their struggles against the Vikings but much of that came when the Packers jumped out to a huge lead. Let’s tighten it up a bit this Sunday.
Aaron Rodgers continues to amaze despite the critics saying his best years are behind him. Perhaps we all should consider that game vs Minnesota a fluke and say he can’t do anything close to that again. He was amazing but we can’t forget the players around him, including Aaron Jones. He is the feature back but Head Coach Matt LaFleur is limiting his “pitch count” right now to get him fresher when it comes to December and January, at least that’s how I see it. Davante Adams showed he is one of the top receivers in the league, if not the best. Marquez Valdes-Scantling had some great catches but dropped a few easy ones. I’m sure he’s his biggest critic and will look to be more consistent. Hopefully what we saw last Sunday is a sign of things to come for this offense.
GB – WR Davante Adams / DET – WR Kenny Galloday
Detroit is never a team to be taken lightly. The Packers have had their struggles with this team the last three years. The Packers swept the Lions last season but the only time the Packers held a lead in either game was on the final play, a game-winning field goal by Mason Crosby in both instances. David Blough was the starting QB in the regular-season finale, a game which the Packers needed to win to secure a bye week in the playoffs. Never take anything for granted.
The Packers will be playing at Lambeau Field for the first time since their playoff game vs the Seattle Seahawks. The place was rocking in January but there will be no fans in the stands this time around. It’s sad but that’s life in 2020.
Detroit blew a huge opportunity to start their season 1-0 as they wasted a 23-6 lead. They still had a chance to win but RB D’Andre Swift dropped a pass in the endzone with 6 seconds left. The way I see it, their crushing loss could carry over into this game or they might come out looking to make a statement and make amends for that performance. The Packers had better be prepared for the latter.
Usually I would post the hashtag #GetLoudLambeau and encourage you all to make as much noise as possible if you are attending the game. Unfortunately, that isn’t the case, but we will be in sports bars, gatherings with friends, relatives, whatever. Let’s get ready to support our team wherever we are. Just make sure we all stay safe whatever we do. Let’s get another big divisional win, improve to 2-0 and move on from there. Make some noise and let our voices be heard!
The Packers are 1-0 after a 43-34 win over the Vikings at US Bank Stadium.
The offense started out slow but still led 8-7 after a couple of field goals and a safety by Jaire Alexander. They picked it up late in the first half with a couple of touchdowns, the second one set up on an interception by Alexander. After the Packers punted on their first possession of the second half, they scored touchdowns the rest of the way, not including their final possession on a pair of kneeldowns by backup QB Tim Boyle.
My thoughts on the game:
The Packers couldn’t get the ball into the endzone early in the second quarter and turned it over on downs, but Jaire Alexander came up big with a huge sack of Kirk Cousins in the endzone and a safety, making the score 7-5 Vikings at the time. The offense drove down the field but had to settle for a field goal and an 8-7 lead.
After a Vikings punt, the Packers really got to work on offense, and there were a lot of passes thrown by Aaron Rodgers to Davante Adams. Their first touchdown was another highlight play by Rodgers as he rolled out to his right and made a beautiful throw to Adams. All of the talk about Rodgers declining and him being sour with the organization is just talk. Rodgers is just fine.
Marquez Valdes-Scantling had two beautiful catches but dropped two as well, so he had his ups and downs this game. Rodgers still trusted him to make plays though as the two connected for a huge gain after his two dropped passes.
The Packers ran the ball effectively in this game as 5 players finished with 14 or more rushing yards, and none of them were named Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers will get his yards here and there but we can’t have him be the leading rusher in the game for the Packers because that usually means the offense is inconsistent.
Hopefully, the injuries aren’t serious. Kenny Clark left the game with a groin injury and guard Lane Taylor left with a knee injury. It would be a huge loss if Clark is out for an extended time and we need Taylor for depth on that offensive line.
Before Aaron Rodgers in this game, the last time the Packers had a quarterback throw 4 touchdown passes in a season opener was Brett Favre in 1999. That game featured a thrilling comeback by Favre vs the then-Oakland Raiders as the Packers won that game 28-24.
I know we should have expected this but it’s hard to get used to hearing a lack of crowd noise. The Packers almost always had to account for the noise when they visited Minnesota, whether the teams were good or bad. Part of the fun in playing on the road is silencing a noisy crowd. They won’t need a silent count very often this year if at all.
There is still plenty to work on but the Packers are back on the field and they are 1-0 to start the season. That’s never a bad thing. They have a short time to enjoy this win before they get back to work. Next up for the Packers, their home opener vs the Detroit Lions next Sunday. Enjoy the win Packer fans and have a great week!
It’s that time of year again. Our beloved Green Bay Packers finally take the field in an actual game once again as they visit US Bank Stadium to take on the Minnesota Vikings at Noon Central Time on Sunday.
Both teams made the playoffs last season, the Packers as division winners and the Vikings as a wild-card team, and both teams saw their season come to an end at the hands of the San Francisco 49ers. Both teams are looking to take that next step this season.
Head Coach Matt LaFleur said that Vikings’ QB Kirk Cousins is “elite.” Does he really believe that or is he playing mind games? Cousins is capable of putting up some decent numbers, but he has a reputation of coming up short in big games although he did get past the New Orleans Saints on the road in the postseason. WR Stefon Diggs is gone but Adam Thielen is still there as is TE Kyle Rudolph. Cousins also has a great running back in Dalvin Cook so the Vikings aren’t lacking when it comes to playmakers. The Packers have two elite pass rushers in Za’Darius Smith and Preston Smith. Both made their presence known last year vs the Vikings. Kevin King had an interception in both games vs the Vikings last season, both coming during a pivotal moment in the game.
Aaron Rodgers returns for his 16th NFL season, his 13th as a starter. There has been a lot of talk during this offseason about Rodgers and what is going through his mind after a lot of the moves the Packers have made in the draft and during free agency. If he is frustrated, he isn’t showing it according to his teammates and his coaches. Davante Adams returns and figures to still be among the best receivers in the league. Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Equanimeous St. Brown both showed a lot in training camp and we need it to carry over to the regular season and beyond. The Packers figure to rely a lot on the running game this season and having Aaron Jones as the feature back is a pretty good start. Jamaal Williams will be the backup and AJ Dillon might be getting a lot of carries as well. You may have seen pictures of Dillon and his legs. Let’s get this guy into the game and see what he can do. The Vikings figure to have one of the top defenses in the league once again. The Packers beat the Vikings twice last season despite not playing a full game on offense either time. They need to capitalize on every opportunity, especially when they get into the red zone.
RB Aaron Jones – GB / RB Dalvin Cook – MIN
The Packers have had their share of headaches when they faced the Vikings these last several seasons. That is why it felt so great when the Packers swept them last season. Who can forget that memorable run down the sidelines by Aaron Jones last December to clinch the division for the Packers? That was the first time the Packers won at US Bank Stadium. Let’s get a winning streak going.
A lot of the “experts” don’t think the Packers are going to make much noise this season. The Packers moved up to pick perhaps Rodgers’ successor in Jordan Love in the first round and they also didn’t draft a single wide receiver in a draft class full of receivers. That alone brings the critics out and they predict that the Packers will regress this season. Rodgers is motivated by this and is determined to prove the critics wrong. I think he still has a lot left in the tank. If 2020 has taught us anything, it is to expect the unexpected. Why can’t the Packers shock the world? Not much was expected from them last year either.
Like I said, it’s 2020 and things aren’t exactly normal as we all know. The Packers would usually have to worry about the crowd noise but that won’t be the case on Sunday. They probably will have some piped in noise but it is basically a neutral site. The players on the field will decide this game. I honestly will be just as surprised as the rest of you when I watch this game because I don’t know what to expect either without the fans in the stands.
I know there will be a lot of “asterisks” and a lot of second-guessing this season, especially if the home team loses a game. If only we had fans or this or that, etc. Like baseball, basketball or hockey, we have to play the game and live with the results. Unlike the others, perhaps we will have fans at some point. No matter what, let’s get behind our team wherever we are and let’s cheer the Packers to victory this Sunday. Stay safe wherever you are Packer fans!
The 2020 NFL schedule is finally here and this is what the Packers’ schedule looks like:
Before we go any further, I realize that COVID-19 will likely cause a lot of disruptions, assuming we even have a season in 2020. If the games are played, I don’t see the stadiums filled to capacity. We will likely have half-full stadiums or perhaps no fans at all, and I think the more likely scenario is the latter of the two. It will be very hard to enforce social distancing not only in the stands, but in the entrance gates, the concession stands, the lines to the restrooms, etc. For this article, I am giving my analysis with the assumption that the schedule will be followed in its current state.
The Packers don’t have more than two consecutive home or away games the whole season. The bye week is earlier than I would like to see but the Thursday game in November gives them a “mini-bye” and a bit of rest before they play some cold-weather games. The road schedule looks very tough on paper, but remember that crowd noise may not be a factor. They have many potential matchups vs marquee quarterbacks. I am talking about Tom Brady at Tampa, Drew Brees at New Orleans, and Philip Rivers at Indianapolis, all on the road. There is also that game on Thursday night at San Francisco (or Santa Clara, to be more accurate.) I actually think the Packers have a great opportunity to get this game because both teams will have a short time to prepare for it and as I said before, I don’t think GB has to worry about stepping into a hostile environment. I think the true home-field advantage games will be the ones in cold weather, which is why the Packers need to be able to run the ball.
When you go 13-3, especially when you have Aaron Rodgers, you have plenty of late-afternoon and primetime games. They don’t play the Bears until after Thanksgiving, and by that time, Nick Foles might be their starting quarterback, assuming he doesn’t start the season under center. There are always some surprise teams and some that flop. They just need to take care of business and dominate early. Maybe they can get more games at Lambeau Field in January, although I fear that we will be robbed of our great fan support at the games. That’s the unfortunate part of this whole thing. The crowd noise (home or away) is part of what makes these games so enjoyable to watch. The lack of fans will take a lot of that away, although I will still watch. It just won’t be the same.
We just have to hope for the best and do our part to keep this virus under control. I really hope they can play all of the games and that we have full fan support at each and every one of them. Either way, I am happy the schedule came out and hopefully we are able to go out and enjoy it either at the stadiums, with friends and/or relatives, or at our favorite pubs and restaurants. Stay safe and take care Packer fans!
No matter what your thoughts are of the NFL Draft, it definitely got Packer fans talking. The Packers ended last season with a 13-3 record and an appearance in the NFC Championship Game. Two major events that generate a lot of hype during the offseason are the start of free agency and the draft. There are so many opinions about this draft and whether the Packers actually improved their team. I was trying to make sense out of this draft myself, but I don’t think it is time to panic.
The controversy started on Day 1. The Packers traded up from the 30th overall pick to the 26th and gave up their fourth-round pick in the process. Will they take a receiver or perhaps linebacker Patrick Queen? No, they took quarterback Jordan Love, the possible successor to Aaron Rodgers. In the second round, they took running back AJ Dillon, another head-scratching pick given that Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams are still on the roster and have been productive. The rest of their picks included a tight end, three defensive players and three offensive linemen. The biggest shocker was that no wide receivers were drafted in such a deep draft for receivers and what was thought to be a position of need for Green Bay.
This draft surprised almost all of us, but does it mean it was a terrible draft? I guess it depends on your perspective. If you are looking to increase their chances of winning a Super Bowl next year, you probably hate this draft. If you are thinking long-term, this doesn’t look so bad. Jones and Williams, their top two running backs, are entering the final year of their contracts. If I had to guess, Williams will be let go and Dillon will take his place, although it remains to be seen with Jones and how much money he will be asking for.
What I think the Packers are trying to do is transition to more of a running team. They drafted TE Josiah Deguara, who will help them in their need for a blocking tight end. Perhaps we will see Deguara and Jace Sternberger on the field at the same time. As for receivers, they got Devin Funchess in free agency. Funchess can help if he stays on the field. A major problem with him has been injuries and dropped passes. Equanimeous St. Brown, who has been injured all of last season, is like getting a new addition. Allen Lazard showed some promise last season and will look to take the next step. Can Marquez Valdes-Scantling rebound from a disappointing season? He has the tools to be a productive receiver, but he needs to work hard to earn playing time. I still think they will look to add another receiver either in free agency or off waivers.
Another huge question is how Aaron Rodgers will handle everything, especially since they drafted his possible successor instead of a player who can possibly make an impact on the field next season. He has said the right things so far, even reaching out to Jordan Love to congratulate him and welcome him to the team. He was on the other side of things when he was drafted as the successor to Brett Favre. I think Rodgers will try to end his playing career in Green Bay on good terms, unlike Favre. Rodgers has also suffered quite a few injuries and missed games due to injury during his career. The drafting of Love hopefully gives the team a capable backup should Rodgers miss any games.
Are the Packers a better team today than they were last season? On paper, it doesn’t look like it. Their defense got pushed around twice by the San Francisco 49ers, a team who lost some key players but who were very aggressive on getting players who can help the team almost immediately. The Packers still have a lot of question marks, especially on defense. What is going to stop them from being run over by Raheem Mostert for example?
This team still has an incredible amount of talent. They also had players who underwhelmed and others who have been in the league a very short time. They need to hear the criticism and take it as motivation to get back on the field and dominate. You can get all of the players you want, but the teams that win championships are the ones who play like a team. There are no guarantees in the NFL. Will San Francisco be as good as they were last season, or would they suffer a Super Bowl hangover? Will the Kansas City Chiefs build on their Super Bowl win last year and put together a dynasty? Injuries can derail a season, and the Packers know that about as well as any team. I think it’s a big season for Mike Pettine. His defense needs to take the next step. I know Brian Gutekunst is getting a lot of anger thrown his way, but he was also the guy who got Za’Darius Smith and Preston Smith among others. He is trying to get players for this team. People will say what they want but I will not put limitations on this team.
Finally, due to COVID-19, there is no guarantee that there will even be an NFL season in 2020-21. This may be what the front office was thinking when they did this draft. You have to prepare for just about anything. I hope there is NFL football in the fall and I hope for the best. In the meantime, take care Packer fans and stay safe out there.
The NFL’s 100th season has come to an end. Congratulations to the Kansas City Chiefs on winning the Super Bowl over the San Francisco 49ers. As thrilling as the Super Bowl was, it isn’t quite the same without our beloved Green Bay Packers playing for the Vince Lombardi Trophy. I am here to recap the season and give my take on what direction the Packers should go to give them a chance to play in the Super Bowl next season and bring home the title.
Before the beginning of the 2019 season, the Packers were coming off two losing seasons and made a coaching change, bringing in Matt LaFleur. They also brought in some free agents, including linebackers Za’Darius Smith and Preston Smith as well as safety Adrian Amos. There were a lot of questions going into the season. How would the pairing of LaFleur and Aaron Rodgers work out? Can Mike Pettine get the defense to improve in his second year with the team? What could we expect out of the receiving corps? Do the Packers have enough talent to challenge the Chicago Bears and the Minnesota Vikings for the NFC North Crown? The Packers got a huge test early as the NFL scheduled the Packers and the Bears on the opening Thursday night game of the season as part of the 100th season of NFL football.
The Packers came out and played well defensively, winning 10-3 at Soldier Field. They would go on to sweep their division, go 7-1 at home and 13-3 overall to clinch a first-round bye in the playoffs. They hardly looked dominant at times but they knew how to win close games. They hosted the Seattle Seahawks in the Divisional Round of the playoffs and got off to a 21-3 lead before holding off the Seahawks 28-23. They would then travel to Santa Clara to take on the 49ers in the same venue where they lost 37-8 in the regular season. This one was no better as it was basically over by halftime. Some score cosmetics made the final margin look better than it actually was, but the Packers had a dismal ending to a great comeback season.
The Packers ended up finishing 14-4 with a rookie head coach. That is nothing to sneeze at, but when you play for the Green Bay Packers, a truly successful season is one that ends in a championship. I think it can be done next year but there is a lot of work to do.
Aaron Rodgers has carried the team for many years but he has reached the point in his career where he needs help around him. Jimmy Graham has been a disappointment in his two years with the team and he is likely on the way out of Green Bay. They need to find a tight end who can stretch the field. Arguably the best two tight ends in the league played in Super Bowl LIV. Davante Adams is a great receiver but they need another proven receiver to line up and draw attention away from Adams. The offense needs playmakers. Will Bryan Bulaga be back? If not, who will take his place? Will they move on from Blake Martinez? Is Rashan Gary the answer? Gary had a very quiet rookie season. Can he make a huge leap in 2020?
After a 13-3 regular season, the Packers aren’t going to sneak up on anyone. The defense could use some improvement but the offense really needs to make a huge leap in 2020. Rodgers hasn’t looked like an MVP too often these last few seasons but I don’t think he is finished quite yet. The roster is a work in progress and I think they can find the right pieces to make it work and make a serious run at it next season. I know the Chiefs didn’t have Patrick Mahomes available at the time but the Packers did win at Kansas City in the regular season last year. It’s going to take a collective effort from everyone on the roster but it can be done next year.
It is likely going to be a tougher road next season but we should not give up hope. It’s a new season next year. There will be some surprise teams and some disappointments. The team needs to stay focused and if they get the right personnel like they did with the Smith brothers last year, we may be in for a great year and a great finish to the season. Take care Packer fans. The 2020 season will be here before you know it.
The Packers ended their season with a thud as they fell to the 49ers 37-20 in the NFC Championship Game.
The Packers were bad in every phase of the game and trailed 27-0 at halftime. They finally got a touchdown only to give one up when the 49ers got the ball. Perhaps their final chance to make it a competitive game was when they trailed 17-0. They had a promising drive going but then a fumble on the snap ended up in a turnover. It just got worse after that. They got some touchdowns in the second half but it was too little too late.
The Packers went 13-3, won their division, and beat Seattle to become one of the final four teams playing. As it turned out, they were not a match for this 49er team. They were blown out in Santa Clara in the regular season and now in the postseason. In order to take it to the next level, they need to add more pieces on offense and defense. Aaron Rodgers is not getting any younger and he needs some proven receivers around him. The defense made some strides this season but they need to get better as well.
There are 12 teams that make the playoffs and 11 of them end their season with a loss. They have rebounded from two losing seasons to become one of the better teams in the league. It’s time to make another leap and become the best team in the NFL next season. They are fully capable of doing that but it will take a lot of work by the front office, the coaching staff, and the players.
The team has given us so many great wins and memorable moments this season and we definitely didn’t want to see it end like this. I had fun writing about the wins and providing my game previews. Thank you all out there for your support. I look for this team to be motivated by failure and to come out looking for something to prove next season. Perhaps these moments will belong to the Packers next year. Take care Packer fans!
The Green Bay Packers are one win away from the Super Bowl, but first they have to take care of the San Francisco 49ers on the road in the NFC Championship Game on Sunday night.
The Packers are playing in this game because of their 28-23 home victory over the Seattle Seahawks while the 49ers won 27-10 at home vs the Minnesota Vikings the day before the Packers won their game. As we all know, the Packers fell 37-8 to the 49ers on the road. The Packers haven’t lost since that meeting.
Jimmy Garoppolo has two Super Bowl rings as a backup to Tom Brady, but he would like nothing more than to write his own legacy. He has a lot of great offensive weapons around him like RB Raheem Mostert and Matt Breida. He also has receivers like Deebo Samuel and Emmanuel Sanders. Arguably none of them are as intimidating as TE George Kittle. The Packers need to find a way to keep the ball out of Kittle’s hands as much as possible and if the ball should land in his hands, they need to tackle him right away. They need to make Jimmy G as uncomfortable as possible back there. They got no takeaways in their previous meeting. I think they need at least a few to win this game.
The offense had their worst performance of the season in the first meeting between these two teams. Aaron Rodgers and the offense moved the ball very well at times vs Seattle. They will need to score touchdowns once again if they are to get past SF. It all starts at the line of scrimmage and the Packers were manhandled there on that Sunday night in late November. They need to give Rodgers time to throw. Aaron Jones and the running game must produce and the receivers need to catch whatever is thrown their way. Jimmy Graham made some plays vs Seattle, including the clinching first down, and it was a first down. Let’s put that to rest. If you are out there, get open and make a play.
The 49ers have won 5 Super Bowls but none since the 1994-95 season. That was one year before the Dallas Cowboys won their most recent Super Bowl. We enjoy making fun of the Cowboys and their fans about how they are stuck in the past. In that case, we should include the 49ers as well. The 49ers were once 5-0 in Super Bowls but that perfect record ended when they lost to the Baltimore Ravens in Super Bowl XLVII, two years after the Packers won their most recent SB.
The Packers and 49ers have met in the playoffs 7 previous times. The Packers hold a 4-3 edge, including a win in the NFC Championship Game at SF in January of 1998. The 49ers were the last road team to win at Lambeau Field in the playoffs.
Matt LaFleur has a sibling coaching on the other team’s sidelines. His younger brother Mike is a passing game coordinator for the 49ers, so it means that one LaFleur will make it to the Super Bowl.
If any of you are wondering how the Packers could possibly win after losing in blowout fashion in the regular season, I thought of 2014 and the Seahawks. Seattle prevailed in a 36-16 rout of the Packers in the opening game of the season. The Packers went there in the playoffs and we all know that they fell short in one of the most heartbreaking losses in Packer history. The point is they had a chance to win a game after being blown out in the regular season. On Sunday, the score will be 0-0 during the opening kickoff. The only thing that matters is what happens during those 60 minutes on Sunday. Whoever is the better team on that day will be the winner and advance to Super Bowl LIV.
Since that infamous Sunday night in Santa Clara, it should have been obvious that the Packers were going to have to face the 49ers once again in order to advance to the Super Bowl this year. Not many people are giving the Packers much chance in this game and that is fine. I don’t care as long as the players and coaches believe. We all put our pants on one leg at a time. I think the Packers will be much better prepared and we will see a competitive game. This is for a spot in Super Bowl LIV. Let’s go out there and shock the world on Sunday.
The Green Bay Packers will play in the NFC Championship Game next week after their 28-23 victory over the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday night.
In their first home playoff game since a win over the New York Giants in the wild-card round three seasons ago, the Packers drove down the field and scored a touchdown on their opening possession. They added two more scores in the second quarter to take a 21-3 halftime lead. Seattle scored a touchdown in the third quarter but the Packers answered with a touchdown of their own to pull ahead 28-10. The Seahawks scored twice to cut it to 28-23, but the Packers made a key defensive stop and Jimmy Graham caught a pass on third down to move the chains and seal the victory.
My thoughts on the game:
Davante Adams saw a lot of action as he had 8 receptions for 160 yards and 2 touchdowns, including the first one of the game. Aaron Jones got the drive started with a 23-yard run. He didn’t put up monster numbers on the stat sheet but he ran it in for 2 touchdowns. Jimmy Graham had 3 receptions, all resulting in first downs, including the one that clinched the game.
There was controversy early in the game. On Seattle’s first offensive play, Russell Wilson hit Jacob Hollister for a first down but he fumbled the ball as he was going down. The officials ruled him down by contact and Matt LaFleur challenged it right away. After a review, they ruled it a fumble but no clear recovery, even though Chandon Sullivan came away with the ball. That cost the Packers a timeout and a challenge. They stopped Seattle from getting any more first downs but it cost the Packers almost 50 yards of field position.
Despite the controversy, the Packers scored 21 points in the first half and led by 18 at halftime. That is quite a contrast to the slow starts they had in their final 2 games of the regular season. Seattle did a good job making adjustments and scored touchdowns on their first 3 possessions of the second half. Russell Wilson got it done with his arms and his legs.
The Packers really needed their defense to come up huge when Seattle had the ball with 4:54 left and trailing 28-23. After a first down, the Packers stopped Seattle with Preston Smith sacking Wilson on third down. After a punt, the Packers needed first downs and Davante Adams came up with a clutch 32-yard reception to move the chains. Despite the catch, the Packers still needed one more first down to seal the victory and Jimmy Graham got just enough to pick up the first down. It went to review and the first down was upheld. After some kneeldowns, the Packers and their fans were able to celebrate victory.
There are many arguments about whether a bye week helps or hurts a team more. I think the bye definitely helped the Packers in this game.
This was not the Super Bowl or even the NFC Championship Game, but the win still felt great, especially after what happened the last time these two teams met in the playoffs. Many Packer fans were waiting for another chance to play Seattle in the postseason.
This win guarantees the Packers will be in the NFC Championship Game and they will be traveling to Santa Clara once again to face the San Francisco 49ers, who advanced with their 27-10 win over the Minnesota Vikings. The last time the Packers lost a game, it was to the 49ers in the same venue they will play the title game next week. This is a different game and a different week though. I’m sure the Packers have learned many lessons since that game.
In the meantime, I think we should just celebrate this win for a few days. It always feels good to win and advance in the playoffs, and the further they advance, the sweeter their wins become.
It’s only going to get harder but the Packers are one of four teams remaining and they are two wins away from where they want to be. Unlike 28 other teams, they have a game to play next week. Great win Packers! Let’s keep it going!
