The Green Bay Packers are set to host the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday December 2nd at Lambeau Field. Kick-off is set for noon.
The Packers (4-6-1) are coming off their 6th consecutive road loss against the Minnesota Vikings, losing 24-17 are sitting in 3rd place in the NFC North. The Cardinals (2-9-0) are coming off an embarrassing 45-10 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers and are in 3rd place in the NFC West. While the Packers can still reach a spot in the Playoffs by winning out and some help from others, the Cardinals are out of the Playoff race.
In their last 2 games, the Packers have scored in double digits in the first half but have yet to put up more than 3 points in the 2nd half of each game. The Packer offense has become stag-net. Injuries are still over abundant, another contributing factor for losing. On Sunday night against the Vikings the Packers tied for a season low in points and third-down conversions having only two and set a season low for total yards (254) and net passing yard with (272).
These teams have met 74 times dating back to November 11, 1921. Then called the Chicago Cardinals, the game ended in a 3-3 tie. The last time they met was on January 16, 2016 with Arizona winning in OT 26-20.
The Cardinals were originated back in 1898 by the Morgan Athletic Club and were called the Racine Normal’s until 1901. The name was again changed to the Racine Street Cardinals having entered into the League as the Chicago Cardinals in 1922. The Cardinals are the oldest continuously run professional football team in the Country followed by the Chicago Bears and the Packers.
The Ultimate score this Sunday has the Cards loosing this round 42-15
The Packers are in “must-win” mode and face the Arizona Cardinals at Noon Central Time on Sunday at Lambeau Field.
The Packers are 4-6-1 and fell to the Minnesota Vikings last Sunday night while the Cardinals are 2-9 after being crushed 45-10 by the Los Angeles Chargers.
Both Aaron Rodgers and Aaron Jones celebrate birthdays on December 2, the day of the game. There is no reason why both Aarons can’t have a big game on Sunday, especially Jones as the Cardinals are third-worst in the league vs the run. Use the running game early and often, convert on third downs, finish drives with touchdowns, and please show up in the second half of games for a change.
When I saw that the Packers were favored by 14 points in this game, I was surprised at the high spread, but after I looked at the stats for Arizona, I can see why they were favored by so much. The Cardinals’ offense is drier than the Arizona desert as they are dead last in the league in both rushing and passing. They are starting a rookie quarterback in Josh Rosen. The Packers need to get him on the ground and get turnovers, especially the latter. They have been dreadful this year in getting takeaways. They have a great opportunity to change that on Sunday.
Arizona has often been one of the bottom feeders in the league since they moved from St. Louis after the 1987 season, but they enjoyed a small bit of success since they moved into their new stadium in 2006, including a Super Bowl appearance in February 2009. That success is over now, and they are once again among the worst teams in the NFL. Both of their two wins this season have come against the 49ers.
Both teams are linked to Curly Lambeau, who coached both teams. After leaving the Packers in 1949, he coached the Chicago Cardinals for two seasons before joining the Washington Redskins for two years. He obviously had nowhere near the success for either team after leaving Green Bay.
The Cardinals, no matter whether they have played in Chicago, St. Louis, or Arizona, have never won at Lambeau Field. This Sunday (or any other day) is not the time for that to come to an end. The Packers are hanging by a thread as far as the playoffs go. They cannot change the past; they just have to focus on getting a win on Sunday and moving on from there.
Whether they are in playoff contention or not, I just want to see the Packers play hard and get wins. They have no business losing on Sunday. Let’s get behind the team and cheer them to victory, especially those of you who will be attending the game.
The Packers suffered a severe blow to their playoff hopes as they fell to the Minnesota Vikings 24-17 on Sunday night.
A game that was tied at 14 at halftime got away from the Packers as they couldn’t convert on short-yardage plays and couldn’t force a single turnover the entire game.
Perhaps the key moment of the game came in the third quarter. Aaron Jones was stopped short of a first down, and Mike McCarthy had to call a timeout before going for it on fourth down. Jones was stuffed again, and the Vikings took over at the Packers’ 44-yard line, driving down for a go-ahead field goal and a 17-14 lead.
The Packers got the ball back and were forced to punt after a sack on third down, which has been a common theme lately. Minnesota got the ball back in great field position, which they converted into a touchdown and a 24-14 lead.
Tramon Williams was a good player for Green Bay in the past, but he has been a major disappointment this year. The lone turnover of the game came when he touched the ball on a punt and fumbled it away. The Vikings were not able to turn it into any points as they went for it on fourth down and failed, but they were able to burn some valuable time off the clock.
The defense was not good today. Kirk Cousins took them apart. Aaron Rodgers is still struggling to convert on the deep ball. The Packers were only able to get a single field goal in the second half, just like they did in Seattle. All of that adds up to a 4-6-1 record and their playoff hopes on life support.
All six losses have been on the road. Their only hope is to win out and get help from other teams. It’s not likely to happen the way they have been playing, especially in the second half of games.
It’s becoming more and more obvious that McCarthy is on his way out after this season. He definitely needs to go, but firing him is not the only answer. We need some new players on both offense and defense. Rodgers needs to get back to the basics and work on his mechanics in the offseason. He has not been the same player we have seen in previous years. We need him back playing like an MVP next year for starters.
The season started off with a bang this year with that thrilling comeback win over the Bears. They had little to cheer about since then. Speaking of the Bears, it’s scary to think what Khalil Mack and the rest of that defense has in store for the Packers and their feeble offense. That game could get ugly down in Soldier Field.
The Packers still have five games left in their season. No matter what the playoff situation is, the team still has a duty to go out there and give their best effort on the field. The Packers play their next two games at home. Next week is a Noon (Central Time) start against the Arizona Cardinals. Take care Packer fans and stay warm.
The Green Bay Packers, (4-5-1) will travel to Minnesota on November 25th, to play the Minnesota Vikings, (5-4-1) in the US Bank Stadium on Sunday. Kick-off is scheduled for 12:05.
The last time these two met was on September 16th this year at Lambeau. The game went into overtime ending in a tie. Controversial calls on Clay Matthews for roughing the quarterback may have been the deciding factor for the result of that game.
The Packers are coming off a Thursday night loss to the Seattle Seahawks, losing by a score of 27-24. Another game that questioned the play calling of Head Coach Mike McCarthy. The Packers scored 21 points in the first half and only 3 points the rest of the game. This was the Packers 5th straight loss on the road.
The Vikings are coming off a Sunday night loss at Soldier Field to the Chicago Bears with a score of 25-20.
Now that the dust has settled after losing our 5th straight road game, it’s time to move on. Yes, like many of you, I put the loss on coach McCarthy. Should I have? Well after settling down and coming to reason, Mike had some questionable calls. However, there were numerous mistakes throughout. Aaron Rodgers was not exactly stellar, missing targets and throwing into the ground. Stupid rookie mistakes costing us 80 yards in penalties and as usual, a couple of questionable calls from the referee’s.
I’d like to toss the injury bug in there as well but that can’t be controlled as the aforementioned can be. I’ve accepted the fact that this year’s team is not the team I expected when the season began.
I often lose sight of the fact that it’s only a game, a game I love and get emotional when things don’t go our way. There’s still plenty of season left and I’ll be watching every minute of every game. All I can do is hope to win out but nevertheless, I’ll stand by my Packers win or lose. Go Pack Go !
If the Packers win against the Vikings, they would be tied with them for 2nd place in the NFC North. The “Ultimate” prediction takes the Pack 30-27.
The Packers, still in search for that galvanizing moment, face the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday night.
The Packers are 4-5-1 after their loss to the Seattle Seahawks on a Thursday night, while the Vikings are 5-4-1 after a 25-20 loss to the Chicago Bears in the Windy City.
Aaron Rodgers, despite any of his impressive stats this season, has not looked as sharp as he has been in recent seasons. He has missed many open receivers this season, and has either not seen receivers who were wide open or has ignored them in hopes of making a bigger play downfield. Whatever the problem is, we need the MVP Rodgers to show up for the remainder of the season. Jimmy Graham will try to play with a broken thumb, but I am not expecting a whole lot from him if he does play. Maybe he will surprise us all. The Vikings are fourth in the league vs the run, but we need to at least try to get the running game going. They cannot afford to face long odds on third downs. They need to keep the chains moving, stop getting sacked on third down, and finish drives with the ball in the endzone. Also, keep an eye on Danielle Hunter, who trails only Aaron Donald in sacks (14.5 for Donald, 11.5 for Hunter.)
Kirk Cousins signed that huge deal in the offseason. While he has put up decent stats at times, he still hasn’t had that signature win. Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs are always a handful. Containing them would be a lot easier if the Packers can stop the run, which they have had trouble doing lately. I look for the Vikings to try to establish that running game early and loosen up the defense. It’s time to start getting turnovers. There will be opportunities to get interceptions in this game with Cousins throwing the ball. It’s important to capitalize whenever the have the chance to do so.
The Packers have only played at U.S. Bank Stadium two other times, but it has not been kind to the Packers at all. They lost the opening game at that stadium, and it was at that venue where Aaron Rodgers broke his collarbone last season. You can argue that the Packers have still not recovered from that game, and you would not get too much of an argument from me.
A lot of us Packer fans enjoy making jokes about the Vikings and their lack of championships, but this team has been a huge headache for us lately. The Packers have only won once in their last six meetings with the Vikings, even playing to a tie in the last game.
Speaking of that tie game, it came in Week 2 of this season, a 29-29 finish. That phantom penalty on Clay Matthews cost the Packers a chance for a win. Either way, it went down as a tie, and the Packers are only a game behind the Vikings. A win on Sunday night would make the Packers and Vikings both 5-5-1, plus the Packers would have the tiebreaker with the Vikings, who still have to play at New England and Seattle.
Rodgers said that the Packers are still looking for that galvanizing moment. It seemed like they had one in the first game of the season when they rallied to beat the Bears 24-23. A long time has passed since that game. If the Packers want a galvanizing moment, then beat the Vikings this Sunday. It won’t guarantee a playoff berth, but they will be in a lot better position going forward than if they lose.
This is a very winnable game. Despite any stats and past history, this Vikings’ team is not a powerhouse. Don’t forget that they got blown out at home by the Buffalo Bills. They already lost to the Rams and the Saints, and recently lost ground in the division race by losing at Chicago this past Sunday.
Before this five-game stretch, I said that the Packers cannot afford to go 1-4. So far, they are 1-3. A 2-3 record is nothing to be proud of, but a win at Minnesota would at least give this team a fighting chance at the playoffs. They need to make plays late in the game and not turn the ball over at critical times. They need to get touchdowns and not field goals in the fourth quarter.
The Packers have six games left on their schedule, all of them on Sundays. All that matters is how they play the rest of the way. Let’s get this win in Minnesota on Sunday.
The Packers lost another close game on the road, this time 27-24 to the Seattle Seahawks, dealing Green Bay a severe blow to their playoff hopes.
The Packers got off to a great start in the game as Chris Carson fumbled on the opening play from scrimmage for Seattle, giving the Packers excellent field position. They capitalized with a touchdown run by Aaron Jones. They jumped out to a 14-3 lead and led 21-17 at halftime. However, they could only manage 3 points in the second half and came up short in Seattle once again. They are now 4-5-1 with all 5 losses coming on the road.
Mike McCarthy will get a lot of the blame once again, and he deserves it without a doubt, but he isn’t the only one to blame. Despite the numbers Aaron Rodgers filled in the stat sheet, he left a lot of plays on the field. He did hit Davante Adams deep for 41 yards in the first quarter, but had he thrown a more accurate deep ball, it would have gone for a touchdown. Instead, the drive ended with no points on a missed field goal by Mason Crosby.
The Packers had their chances in the second half. Rodgers hit Adams again on a beautiful 57-yard bomb downfield, but they had to settle for a field goal after Rodgers got sacked on third down, which has become a familiar sight lately. On their final drive, Rodgers missed on a wide-open Marquez Valdes-Scantling on third and 2. They ended up punting and would not get the ball back in this game.
McCarthy had a great chance to win a challenge as Tyler Lockett’s 34-yard reception on their game-winning touchdown drive appeared to hit the ground with him not in complete possession of the ball. It’s true that the Packers might have lost this game anyway, but that was a huge moment in the game, and why McCarthy did not throw the red flag is something I will never understand. Then again, should I really be surprised at anything McCarthy does anymore?
There were some players who had great individual performances, but we should not be into moral victories. All of these stats came in a loss.
Where does the team go from here? Can this season be saved? They play their next game at Minnesota on a Sunday night. They play the Bears on the road in December. They will no doubt be underdogs in both games. An 8-7-1 season is looking like a real possibility, and that’s assuming they can beat Atlanta at home. I would like to think they can beat the Jets on the road, but would we really be surprised if they find a way to lose that game too? Would 8-7-1 be good enough to make the playoffs? I doubt it.
Maybe this team will surprise us and win some of these games we don’t expect them to win. However, whenever it looks like this team has hope, we are set up for disappointment somewhere down the road. That is why I think McCarthy is on his way out after their final game of the season. We need a change of direction. Rodgers insisted after the game that this team still has hope, but he is obviously frustrated right now. We all know that he could play a lot better that what he has been lately, but it’s clear that we can’t go another season with both Rodgers and McCarthy on the team. There is no doubt who stays and who goes in this situation.
To the players and coaches of the Green Bay Packers, prove us wrong. Prove to us that there is still hope for this team. Things are starting to slip away, but if you can get a big win in Minnesota, who knows what can happen? With a mini-bye, there is plenty of time to get prepared for the Vikings.
This upcoming Sunday is the last one without Packer football for the rest of the regular season. That gives us fans a break as well, which is probably what we need at this point. We’ll see what happens a week from Sunday in Minnesota. Take care Packer fans! Happy Thanksgiving to all of you and your loved ones!
Green Bay heads into Centurylink Field in Seattle Washington on Thursday Night Football on Fox for a matchup against the Seahawks (4-5). They have had quite the history in recent years, starting with the “Fail Mary” in the 2012 regular season contest during the NFL referee lockout. Then there was the now famous: “Bostick botch” during the 2014 NFC Championship game, no more words need to be said about that. Next came three more regular season games, this time all at Lambeau Field (2015, 2016, & 2017). The first was a 27-17 victory for Green Bay, the next was a more lopsided affair, with Green Bay taking it by a score of 38-10. Finally, the last game came during the 2017 season; although a much closer game, saw Green Bay win 17-9. This upcoming contest will be in Seattle at CenturyLink Field.
Seattle really hasn’t been a place that Rodgers and the Packers have faired well in recently. He and Green Bay are 0-3 all-time at the Clink. I know they’re itching to get a win to bolster themselves & the season as a whole, as they would get to above .500 at 5-4-1. The Seahawks offensive attack will come from QB Russell Wilson’s arm and legs as well as RB Chris Carson and WRs Doug Baldwin and Tyler Lockett. The defense of Seattle has changed dramatically since 2014 as well. S Kam Chancellor is retired, FS Earl Thomas is out for the season with broken leg, and CB Richard Sherman is now with the 49ers. It will be interesting to see how the offense of Green Bay attacks Seattle’s defense.
Green Bay also has its fair share of injuries as well. WR Randall Cobb (Hamstring), CB Kevin King (Hamstring), S Kentrell Brice (Ankle), and LB Nick Perry (Knee), G Lucas Patrick (Concussion), QB Tim Boyle, and G Alex Light are all listed as inactive for tonight. LB Blake Martinez (Ankle), and CB Bashaud Breeland (Groin), are listed as questionable (upgraded to active). We will have to see how well they play with these key injuries.
Green Bay’s offense will be predicated on Aaron Rodgers’ arm and Aaron Jones as well. He is most definitely the Packers’ bellcow at RB and is also most effective running in between the tackles. We will have to see how he will; and if he will be utilized effectively tonight. I have a feeling they will use him to his full potential as a runner and pass catcher out of the backfield.
Overall, this game will be a make it or break it one for the Packers. A win would provide some much needed momentum within the division and conference race, a loss would diminish the chances considerably. It’s time for the Packers to step up and perform at their best when their backs are against the wall as they will be tonight. Can they finally get a win on the road and in Seattle? We’re going to find out.
The Green Bay Packers, (4-4-1) are headed out to Century Link Field in Seattle to play against the Seattle Seahawks, (4-5-0) on Thursday Night Football. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:20 PM. They will both be sporting their “color rush” uniforms.
The Packers are coming off their 4th consecutive win at home against the Miami Dolphins with a score of 31-12. Rising star running back Aaron Jones carried the ball 15 times for an impressive 145 yards and 2 touchdowns. Aaron Rodgers threw for 19/28 for 199 yards and 2 touchdowns.
The Seahawks on the other hand narrowly lost to the LA Rams 36-31. With only 19 seconds left in the game Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson threw an incomplete pass into the end-zone sealing the loss. Wilson threw 17/26 for 176 yards and 3 touchdowns.
The first time these two met was back on October 10,1976 and have met 22 times since. The last meeting was on September 10, 2017. The Packers won 17-9.
This weeks “Ultimate” prediction has the Packers winning 31-27.
The Packers are hitting the road after their victory on Sunday as they prepare to face the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday night.
The Packers are 4-4-1 and defeated the Miami Dolphins 31-12 on Sunday while the Seahawks are 4-5 after losing on the road to the Los Angeles Rams 36-31 late Sunday afternoon.
The Packers finally found a running game with Aaron Jones. Actually, they had one all along; they just decided to use it. Randall Cobb will be out on Thursday after missing the Miami game, so the young receivers will be counted on heavily once again. Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams are quite a duo, and even though Miami tried to force someone else to beat them, Adams still found the endzone twice. Seattle is ranked 12th (how fitting) in defense, so they aren’t as dominant as they once were, but they thrive on taking the ball away. They are +8 in turnover ratio for the season.
Seattle still has Russell Wilson, and he is having a great year statistically with 21 TD passes and only 5 interceptions. None of those TD passes have gone to Doug Baldwin, but Tyler Lockett has caught 7 of them. The Packers don’t have Marshawn Lynch to worry about, but Seattle does have three capable backs, led by Chris Carson. Mike Davis and Rashaad Penny figure to get some carries as well. Seattle leads the league in rushing yards per game with 152.2, and the Packers are not very good at stopping the run. I expect them to run the ball as often as possible to keep drives going and to keep Rodgers off the field. The Packers cannot allow that to happen on Thursday. They also need to get takeaways. They are even in the turnover ratio for the season.
We all know that crowd noise will be a factor on Thursday night. Everyone needs to be on the same page on offense throughout the game. We cannot afford false starts and forced timeouts. It will be hard enough to move the ball without having to go 5 extra yards because of a dumb penalty.
Seattle is an uncharacteristic 1-2 at home so far this season. The Packers have their own road problems as they are 0-4 away from Lambeau Field this year. Besides, they have lost their last 3 games at Seattle, including the infamous NFC Championship Game. Something has to give, and the Packers need to start winning on the road.
The last time the Packers won a game in Seattle was in 2008, Rodgers’ first season as a starter. The Seahawks featured some notable players in QB Charlie Frye and RB Julius Jones. Frye threw for only 83 yards but had 2 TD passes. The Packers won the game 27-17.
This game will no doubt have the feel of a playoff game. With the Packers at 4-4-1 and the Seahawks at 4-5, the loser will have an uphill climb in order to make the playoffs this year.
This isn’t an ideal situation for the Packers to be in, but they have defied the odds before and won games in tough environments. It felt good to beat Miami and get back into the win column, but a loss on Thursday will give the critics a lot of ammunition once again. Mike McCarthy is still on the hot seat, and it will take a lot more than a win over an average (at best) Miami team to cool it down.
It is time for them to do more than just “hold their own” on the road. Losses are losses. They need to get rid of that goose egg in the win column on the road, and winning at Seattle could be just the thing they need to get on a roll. Wherever we may be on Thursday, let’s get behind the team and cheer them to victory!
In what was arguably their best performance of the season, the Packers defeated the Miami Dolphins 31-12 at Lambeau Field.
Aaron Jones had a career day with 145 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns and added 27 receiving yards, Davante Adams had 2 touchdowns, and the defense had 6 sacks and kept Miami out of the endzone.
It looked as if Miami was going to get on the board first as they were marching down the field. The graphic during the broadcast showed that Miami’s opening possessions this year ended in 8 punts and 1 turnover. Right on cue, a bad snap created a turnover. Brock Osweiler overran the ball and Reggie Gilbert fell on it.
The Packers wasted no time as Aaron Rodgers got Jones involved early and often, and ended the drive with a 7-yard TD pass to Adams.
On their next offensive possession, Adams broke free for a 67-yard run and then added a pair of 2-yard runs, the second one resulting in a touchdown.
The Packers’ defense was good but not great, although they did hold Miami under 300 yards of total offense. They did bend but did not break as they held the Dolphins to just 4 field goals and even got a turnover on an interception by Bashaud Breeland, his first as a Packer. They sacked Osweiler 3 times on Miami’s final drive, including 2 straight to end Miami’s final possession of the afternoon.
Not everything went well for the Packers though. Tramon Williams lost a fumble while returning a punt, giving Miami possession at midfield. They drove down for their first points of the game, making the score 7-3 Packers.
In an interesting call, the Packers were up 14-6 and faced a 4th and 2 at Miami’s 49-yard line, and Mike McCarthy decided to go for it. Aaron Rodgers got sacked and Miami converted the turnover on downs into another field goal.
Green Bay got the ball to start the second half, and a promising drive was wiped out on a personal foul by Equanimeous St. Brown, erasing a 21-yard catch by Adams. They were forced to punt, and rookie punter J. K. Scott had it partially blocked, giving Miami great field position and a chance to take the lead as they only trailed 14-9. The Packers held them to a field goal and had a slim 14-12 lead.
Trailing 28-12 in the third quarter, Miami decided to punt on 4th and 1 at their own 29, but they faked it with a direct snap to Leonte Carroo, who took off for 14 yards. They converted on another 4th down later in the drive, but a sack by Raven Greene forced Miami to punt it away.
The Packers pulled out their own bag of tricks as they faked a punt of their own while facing a 4th and 3 at Miami’s 49-yard line. Greene, who got the sack that ended Miami’s threat, took the snap and ran for 26 yards. Green Bay ended up kicking a field goal for a 31-12 lead and the final points of the game.
Overall, I was pleased with the balanced attack. Rodgers only threw for 199 yards, but when you get 145 rushing yards from Jones and 195 yards on the ground as a team, that is nothing to sneeze at.
Except for 3 straight possessions that ended in 2 punts and a turnover on downs, the Packers scored on every possession but the final one when they ran out the clock.
McCarthy has been heavily criticized lately, but despite that decision to go for it on fourth down in the second quarter, I think he called a pretty good game. Whether or not that will continue remains to be seen.
I realize that Miami is not a very good team despite coming into the game at 5-4, but the Packers did have 6 sacks and did not allow a touchdown. They deserve some credit for that. By the way, both AFC teams came into Lambeau Field this year and left without reaching the endzone as Buffalo was blanked 22-0 back in September.
So the Packers are 4-4-1 and now hit the road for the next 2 games. This win has settled things down for just a little bit, but they have a short time to prepare for their Thursday night game in Seattle. Let’s enjoy this win for a day or two and be ready to cheer the team on to victory this Thursday.
