Green Bay has gotten off to a mediocre start through the first half of the season going 3-4-1 through eight games. This is in part due to the poor offensive play calling and scheming from Mike McCarthy and also poor play from QB Aaron Rodgers. The defense also saw a shakeup as FS Haha Clinton-Dix was traded to the Washington Redskins.
I expect the second half of the season to be much better than the first. For starters, the grueling two game road trip is now over. Granted, they lost both but showed flashes of what type of team they can be when clicking on all cylinders. According to ESPN, from week ten on, Green Bay has the league’s 5th-easiest remaining schedule. The division is still most definitely up for grabs as well. Chicago has a gauntlet remaining (LAR, MIN twice, and Detroit twice), as does Minnesota (Bears twice, Patriots, Packers once, and Seattle in Seattle).
I blame both the ineptitude on play calling with McCarthy and also Rodgers’ inability to snap the ball at a reasonable pace. You don’t need to run the clock down to 1 every time. Sometimes, you need to go no huddle and snap it quickly to get in a rhythm offensively & keep the opposing defenses on their heels. Also, they need to be more creative on offense if they expect to win more games, no more straight up the middle runs and 5-wide pass plays…The offense is built for more than that with a QB the caliber of Aaron Rodgers under center. Aaron Rodgers has been playing poorly as of late. His stats don’t necessarily say that but his play on the field does.
Green Bay’s defense saw a ton of trick plays and screens against New England but couldn’t defend them at all. Sure, sometimes they’d get a stop or a touchdown saving tackle, but most of the time it was either a huge gain or a touchdown. Green Bay’s defense, specifically the secondary, has to get better at defending those types of plays. You can’t continue to get gashed for huge yardage play after play and expect to win. Green Bay will also be better prepared defensively for more complex offensive schemes if they use them in their own offense.
Green Bay’s final eight games will be considered the easier stretch on their schedule. The teams remaining have a combined record of 31-35-1. This will also hopefully mean that Aaron Jones (the NFL’s 2nd leading RB in YPC at 6.1), will get used more in the offense for them. He is an explosive runner between the tackles and can be a weapon on offense when used effectively. Aaron Rodgers also will improve himself in the second half of the season.
Overall, this final portion of the schedule will be a proving point in the season for Green Bay. Will they end up faltering down the stretch or will there be a fight to the finish & a playoff berth in sight after missing them for the first time in 9 years last season? I have a feeling that Green Bay will turn things around with an eye towards not only the division but the NFC in the postseason. The NFC North & conference as a whole is still fairly competitive. Green Bay also has been great at home under Aaron Rodgers, 9-0-1 since losing to the Colts in week 9 of 2016. It’s time to make a run, starting Sunday afternoon at Lambeau Field!
The Green Bay Packers, (3-4-1) will host the Miami Dolphins, (5-4-0) on Sunday, November 11 at Lambeau Field. Kick-off is set for 3:25.
The Packers, coming off a 34-17 loss that was well executed by the Patriots at Gillette Stadium. The Packers appear to be in need of direction. They were outplayed and out coached as discipline, play calling and clock management appeared to be contributing factors. The loss the week prior to the Rams portrayed the same concerns. This was the second road loss in as many games making five consecutive losses on the road, a steak that we’ve not seen since 2005 when Mike Sherman was the head coach.
The Dolphins overcame the NY Jets late in the fourth quarter with a 25 yard interception run into the endzone by rookie Jerome Baker winning the game 13-6.
There’s not a lot of history between these two teams as they’ve only met 14 times dating back to December 19, 1971 when the Dolphins won 27-6. The last time they met was back on October 12, 2014 when the Packers came out on top 27-24.
The Packers are in desperate need of a win if they want to continue there hopes of a playoff spot. They are currently sitting in 3rd place behind the Vikings over the last place Detroit Lions in the NFC North.
This weeks “Ultimate” prediction has the Packers on top winning 28-17.
The Packers look to get back on the winning track after two straight losses when they face the Miami Dolphins at Lambeau Field on Sunday at 3:25 pm Central Time. (Note: This was originally slated for a Noon start, but it got flexed back.)
The Packers are 3-4-1 after their loss to the New England Patriots last Sunday at Gillette Stadium. Meanwhile, the Dolphins are 5-4 after they defeated the New York Jets 13-6.
Knee brace or not, Aaron Rodgers is still out there battling. He knows he isn’t playing the way he is capable of right now. In order for them to make the playoffs, he needs to be better.
Aaron Jones was having a nice game at New England until that critical fumble. He has the potential to be a great running back, and hopefully he learns from this moment and doesn’t let it ruin a promising career.
Geronimo Allison is probably out for the remainder of the season. It’s a tough loss, but it gives more playing time to Marquez Valdes-Scantling. This Miami team is not good against the run or the pass, so the Packers need to get their offense going and score touchdowns when they get inside Miami territory.
Despite the low rankings on defense, Miami is getting takeaways. They lead the league with 15 interceptions and have a +5 turnover ratio. Ball security, especially in key moments of the game, is extremely important.
Brock Osweiler gets the start for Miami. Frank Gore is in his 14th season in the league, but he is still producing and he is still more than capable of having a 100-yard rushing day. Danny Amendola leads the team in receptions, but Albert Wilson and Kenny Stills are the deep threats. Like the defense, their offense (5th worst) is ranked in the bottom half of the league. That doesn’t mean they aren’t capable of putting together drives and scoring. Just ask the Chicago Bears.
Miami has a winning record at 5-4, but I doubt anyone takes them seriously as a Super Bowl contender. Their point differential is -38, by far the worst of any team with a winning record. They lost all 4 games by double digits while their largest margin of victory was 8 points, which they accomplished twice. They are very inconsistent. For example, a week after beating the Bears in overtime, they fell to the Lions at home, allowing Detroit to run wild on them.
Miami is trapped in mediocrity right now, but they used to be one of the top teams. They were the only team in NFL history to have a perfect season as the 1972 team finished 17-0, including the playoffs. They followed that by going 12-2 in the regular season the following year and winning the Super Bowl once again. Although many former players get together and celebrate whenever the last undefeated team in the NFL loses (such as this past week when the Los Angeles Rams fell to the New Orleans Saints), many of them will probably tell you that they think the 1973 team was actually better since they faced a tougher schedule and also probably because they felt the need to back up that perfect season with a Super Bowl Title the next year.
Former Dolphins’ Head Coach Don Shula is the winningest head coach in NFL history. Unlike many head coaches today, Shula was able to adapt his offense to the talent around him. He had a strong running game with Larry Csonka and Mercury Morris, and he would later have one of the best passers in the history of the game in Dan Marino.
Since Marino left, they haven’t come close to replacing him. Some of their starters include Jay Fiedler, Gus Frerotte, Joey Harrington, Chad Henne, and Jay Cutler. None of them are even close to Marino, especially Cutler, despite his arm strength. One of their biggest blunders since Marino retired was when they passed on signing Drew Brees. He suffered a shoulder injury while with the San Diego Chargers, and team doctors weren’t convinced that it had healed completely. They convinced the team to not sign him, and they traded for Duante Culpepper instead while the New Orleans Saints signed Brees. Moves like this can set a team back for a long time.
Miami hasn’t won a Super Bowl since the 1973 season, hasn’t been to one since the 1984 team, hasn’t made the AFC Championship Game since the 1992 team, and hasn’t won a playoff game since the 2000 team won 23-17 in overtime over the Indianapolis Colts.
The Packers are 4-10 all time vs Miami. They lost their first 8 games to Miami until they finally broke through in 1997. The last meeting in 2014 had a memorable finish. Trailing 24-20 late in the game with no timeouts left, Rodgers faked a spike in Dan Marino’s old backyard and fired a pass to Davante Adams, who got the first down and ran out of bounds. Rodgers would find Andrew Quarless in the endzone on the next play and took a 27-24 lead with 3 seconds left. Joe Philbin was Miami’s head coach at the time.
After a pair of tough road losses to legitimate Super Bowl contenders, the Packers get a “break” as they face Miami at home and are 9.5-point favorites as of Thursday morning. That of course does not guarantee a win. Just look at the San Francisco game, a game the Packers had to come from behind to win on a field goal at the end.
The Packers are entering the second half of their season. After this Miami game, they have two road games, including one on Thursday night. They need to take control of this game and win it handily. Fans are getting restless and are calling for changes. The time to respond is right now.
This is the only game at Lambeau Field in November after only one home game in October. That just means the fans will be hungry and ready to go. We need the players and coaches to do the same. Let’s get behind the team and cheer them on to victory this Sunday afternoon.
The Packers came up short on the road in New England as the Patriots won the game 31-17.
This game obviously had a lot of hype with Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady meeting for only the second time as starters, and the game was close throughout most of the game, but the Packers are now 3-4-1 after 8 games.
The turning point of the game was when Aaron Jones fumbled early in the fourth quarter during a 17-17 game. The Packers were driving into NE territory, and if they were able to take the lead, that obviously would have changed the dynamic of the game. It’s frustrating to lose two games in a row with turnovers at key moments in both games. It’s true that they could have lost both of these games anyway, but they needed to give the team a chance and hold onto the ball. They also failed to force any turnovers for the second game in a row.
They also suffered some key injuries with Bryan Bulaga and Blake Martinez both forced to leave the game. Jermaine Whitehead got ejected from the game for a helmet slap in the second quarter. I understand that a lot of fans don’t agree with the ejection, but you can’t get caught up in things like that.
The Packers are now 0-4 on the road so far this season. They are not out of it yet, but they need to correct their road woes and to stop the turnovers. The defense has played well at times, but we need them to get takeaways.
Finally, Mike McCarthy needs to find some answers on how to turn things around. He has done it before, but if they miss the playoffs this year, he had better be gone. He got a mulligan last year because Rodgers was injured, although a lot of fans wanted him fired anyway. He gets no such excuse this year.
It’s a frustrating time to be a Packer fan right now, but I will not give up on the season. They return home next Sunday to face the Miami Dolphins and then head to Seattle to face the Seahawks on Thursday the 15th. The margin for error is very small right now. It is time to rise to the occasion and start winning again.
The Packers look to bounce back from a two point heartbreaker in Los Angeles by defeating the New England Patriots in Foxborough on Sunday night. They’re 3-3-1 while New England is 6-2 having won 5 straight heading into the game. The Patriots are coming off of a 25-6 win against the Buffalo Bills in Buffalo. New England ended up hitting four out of five field goals totaling 13 points while the other 12 came from a rushing touchdown from RB James White and a pick-six from CB Devin Mccourty. Green Bay is looking to get above .500 (4-3-1) Sunday night.
The biggest reason why people will be tuned into this game is because of each quarterback. Tom Brady for New England & Aaron Rodgers for Green Bay. There has been an ongoing debate as to who is the better of the two and honestly, they’re both great, appreciate them while you can. Brady, whose been in the league for 19 seasons as a starter, has 3 MVP awards (2007, 2010, & 2017), 5 Super Bowl titles (SBs 36, 38, 39, 49, & 51), 4 Super Bowl MVPs (SBs 36, 38, 49, & 51), and 13 Pro Bowls. He also has over 500 passing touchdowns (504 entering Sunday), and almost 70,000 passing yards (68,359). His stats for 2018 are as follows: 199/295 (67.5%), for 2,200 yards, 16 touchdowns, 7 interceptions, and a 97.6 passer rating.
The man whom he will be battling, Aaron Rodgers, is in his 10th season as a starter. He has 2 MVP awards (2011, 2014), 1 Super Bowl title (SB 45), 1 Super Bowl MVP, and has 6 Pro Bowls. He currently has 40,785 passing yards, 326 passing touchdowns, and just 79 interceptions, with an absurd 103.6 passer rating. His stats for 2018: 174/284 (61.3%), for 2,283 yards, 13 touchdowns, just 1 interception, and a passer rating of 100.4. He is set to face off against Brady in Foxborough for the first time in his career. He and the Packers won the first game 26-21 at Lambeau Field in 2014. The Patriots are 2-2 all-time against Green Bay with Tom Brady as the starter.
Both teams are looking to get a win in this game and I feel it’s going to come down to whoever has the ball last and commits the least amount of turnovers. The Packers are 5th in offense (412.1 YPG, 25 PPG), 12th in defense (340.1 YPG, 24.7 PPG allowed), 5th in passing offense (308.1 YPG), and 21st in rushing (104 YPG). The Patriots are 11th in offense (381.9 YPG, 29.9 PPG) 25th in defense (23.1 PPG allowed, 381.9 YPG), 12th in passing offense (266.6 YPG), and 13th in rushing offense (115.2 YPG). I feel it’s going to be a close game once again.
Injury wise, WR Geronimo Allison has been ruled OUT due to a hamstring/groin injury. He did not practice. Questionable for Green Bay are WR Randall Cobb (Hamstring, full participant in practice), LB Nick Perry (Ankle, limited participant in practice), and S Germaine Whitehead (Back, limited participant). For the Patriots, (OUT): OG Shaq Mason (Calf), OL Brian Schwenke (Foot). (QUESTIONABLE), Patriots: OT Trent Brown (Ankle), OT Marcus Cannon (Concussion), LS Joe Cardona (Shoulder), WR Josh Gordon (Hamstring), DE Geneo Grissom (Ankle), LB Dont’a Hightower (Knee), RB Sony Michel (Knee), DE John Simon (Shoulder), WR Julian Edelman (Ankle), TE Jacob Hollister (Hamstring), LB Nicholas Grigsby (Illness), TE Rob Gronkowski (Ankle/Back), and WR Cordarrelle Patterson (Neck).
Both teams will be looking to score points in bunches. It will just be a matter of who can score the most, I’m going to give the slightest edge to Green Bay, even with Allison out. I think they’ll end up winning a close battle, 38-34. It will be yet another instant classic between two all-time greats at the QB position. I’m so excited to get to witness it one more time.
The Green Bay Packers, (3-3-1) will travel to Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts to take on the (6-2-0) NE Patriots on Sunday, November 4th for a Sunday Night match-up. Kickoff is at 7:20 PM CT on NBC.
The Packers, coming off a disturbing loss against the Rams scored first. The Packers were up 10-0 when a Rams punt was downed late in the second quarter within one foot line of the goal. Instead of passing the ball out of the end zone, Coach Mike McCarthy called a run play that resulted in a safety. That questionable call may have changed the momentum of the entire game, as from then on the Rams momentum took over, scoring 29 points.
Late in the fourth quarter with 2;05 minutes left the Packers got the ball back after a Rams touchdown. With 1 time-out left and the 2 minute warning remaining, it was Aaron Rodgers turn to do what he does best under pressure, win games. However, running back Ty Montgomery(against being told to kneel down)chose to run the ball out of the end zone. As he was tackled early in the run by Rams linebacker Ramik Wilson, he fumbled the ball and the Rams recovered sealing the win with the Packers only down 2 points. Even though the Packers ended up loosing 29-27, as disappointing the loss was, the Packers may have played their best game of season.
The Patriots are coming off their win over the Buffalo Bills on Monday Night Football with a score of 25-6.
This Sunday it’ll be Rodgers vs. Brady, the big reason everyone will be watching, but the Packers and Patriots are two of the most popular NFL teams and they only get together once every four years. Since 1993, the Packers have been to the playoffs 19 times, won the division title 12 times, been to the NFC Championship game seven times and have been to the Super Bowl three times, winning two of them. Since 2001, the Patriots have been in the playoffs 15 times, won 15 division titles, been to the AFC Championship game 12 times and have reached the Super Bowl eight times winning five of them. Probably the most recognized game was Super Bowl XXXI between Brett Favre and Drew Bledsoe with the Packers winning.
This will be the second time ever Rodgers and Brady will square off. The last meeting took place in 2014 with the Packers winning a close battle at Lambeau Field 26-21. Rodgers threw for 368 yards and two touchdowns while Brady threw for 245 yards and two scores. The Packers went on to lose to the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Championship game and the Patriots advanced to the Super Bowl beat the Seahawks to claim their fourth world championship.
Combined, Rodgers and Brady have six Super Bowl victories, five Super bowl MVP awards, five MVP awards and 19 Pro Bowl selections. Brady has the majority of the awards and accomplishments, but some would argue Rodgers is more talented than Brady, which makes this upcoming game a must-see. With Rodgers coming back from a knee injury he will look to have his best season yet. A win in New England would be big for him and the Packers as they try to get back into the NFC playoff picture.
The Packer and the Patriots first met on November 18, 1973 with the Patriots winning 33-24. They last played on November 30th, 2014 with the Packers winning 26-21. The Packers lead the series at 6-5-0.
This weeks “Ultimate” pick has the Packer coming out on top 34-30.
In what is probably the marquee matchup of the year in the NFL so far, the Green Bay Packers travel to Foxborough, Massachusetts to take on the New England Patriots on Sunday night.
The Packers are 3-3-1 after that loss to the Rams last Sunday. The Patriots are 6-2 and winners of 5 straight after their 25-6 road win over the Buffalo Bills on Monday night.
All eyes will be on the quarterbacks in this game, and Aaron Rodgers will be making only his second start vs New England. Statistically, the Patriots have the 6th worst pass defense, but that stat is often misleading since they force a lot of teams into shootouts with them and the other teams try to compensate by throwing the ball a lot in order to keep pace with them. Still, I like my chances with Rodgers throwing the ball.
There is a good chance that they may need someone other than Davante Adams to have a big game since the Patriots often try to take away the top receiver and force someone else to beat them. I hope Mike McCarthy finally realizes that Aaron Jones should be the feature back and give him a healthy dose of carries.
Tom Brady has a lot in common with Rodgers and not just because they both wear #12. Like him or not (and I am sure most fans reading this are in the latter category), he is a fierce competitor, even at age 41.
Rob Gronkowski has been battling injuries lately, but when he is out there, he is a matchup nightmare. Do not try to cover this guy with a linebacker. They have several big-play threats in Josh Gordon, Chris Hogan, and Julian Edelman. Sony Michel and former Wisconsin Badger James White make up a lethal running back combination. In other words, they have playmakers up and down this roster on offense. After facing the Rams’ offense last week, it gets no easier this Sunday night.
Packer fans may be familiar with Cordarrelle Patterson from his time with the Vikings. He is an electric returner who returned a 95-yard kickoff for a score a few weeks ago at Chicago. Punter J. K. Scott was having a great year until last week, especially that last punt that set up the go-ahead field goal for the Rams last Sunday. He needs to bounce back because giving Tom Brady a short field is only asking for trouble.
It’s a shame that this matchup doesn’t happen more often, but when it does, there have been some memorable games:
I mentioned that this is the second time Aaron Rodgers has faced the Patriots. The first time was in 2014, when the Packers came out on top 26-21 at Lambeau Field. Each quarterback had 2 touchdown passes and no interceptions, but Rodgers passed for 368 yards while Brady had 245. Davante Adams had 6 receptions for 121 yards, but he was not the #1 receiver at the time. That was Jordy Nelson, who had 2 catches for 53 yards, but one of them went for a 45-yard touchdown. I mentioned before how they try to take away the team’s leading receiver and force someone else to have a big game.
Even though the Packers lost, they had a memorable game in 2010 at Gillette Stadium on Sunday night. Matt Flynn filled in for an injured Aaron Rodgers, who suffered a concussion the week before. Flynn had his hiccups, but he kept the Packers in it until the final play and ultimately came up short 31-27. The Packers would not lose again the remainder of the season and went on to win the Super Bowl. In fact, the final two matchups resulted in the loser of the game going on to win the Super Bowl as the Patriots won it after losing to the Packers in 2014. It almost makes you want to lose this game, although I won’t play with fire that way.
Did you know that the Packers were the first visiting team to win at Gillette Stadium? They did that in 2002, when they won 28-10. Brett Favre had 3 TD passes and no interceptions. William Henderson, Ahman Green, and Bubba Franks hauled in those TD passes. Tom Brady had a TD pass late in the game, but he threw 3 interceptions.
The Packers beat the Patriots 28-10 five years earlier. In 1997 on a Monday night, the Packers outdueled Drew Bledsoe and the Patriots in Foxborough. Pete Carroll was coaching the team at the time. It was a highly-anticipated game after their first meeting earlier that calendar year.
The most famous game between these two franchises happened on January 26, 1997. That game of course was Super Bowl XXXI. After 29 years, the Vince Lombardi Trophy came back to Green Bay after their 35-21 victory at the Superdome in New Orleans. Brett Favre had 2 TD passes, Reggie White had 3 sacks, and Desmond Howard was the Super Bowl MVP. That was the last game that Bill Parcells was New England’s head coach. Bill Belichick was the defensive coordinator at the time.
One of the most debated arguments the last several years in the NFL is who is the better quarterback between Rodgers and Brady? The stats favor Rodgers but the rings favor Brady. While 5 rings is definitely impressive, it doesn’t mean anything as far as who is better. Does that mean that Eli Manning is better than Dan Marino? It would be absurd for anyone to say that. The thing is that both Rodgers and Brady would point to the other QB. Rodgers admits that Brady does have him in the ring department and he can’t top that, while Brady said that Rodgers would put up much better stats as the QB of New England because he is so much more talented than him.
If you look at the stats on paper, most of them would favor Green Bay. However, New England more often than not finds a way whenever they are counted out. You can go all the way back to Super Bowl XXXVI vs the Rams. They were counted out, especially since many thought they didn’t belong there, especially after the “tuck-rule” in their playoff game vs the Oakland Raiders. They ended up defeating the Rams 20-17. In 2004, after playing several players out of position, they hosted the Indianapolis Colts, who had a dynamic offense led by Peyton Manning. This was a great opportunity for Manning to finally get the best of Brady and get that monkey off his back. The Colts were humiliated 20-3. In 2014, the Patriots were destroyed on a Monday night in Kansas City 41-14. That was supposedly the end of the Patriots as we knew them. Belichick would give his now-famous line 5 times in the press conference following the game, “We’re on to Cincinnati.” They would defeat Cincinnati the following week and end up in Super Bowl XLIX, where they would defeat the Seattle Seahawks 28-24, although Seattle basically handed them the game by making one of the all-time boneheaded calls at the 1-yard line in NFL history.
Even this year, the Patriots started out 1-2. Losses to the Jaguars and Lions (especially the Detroit loss) once again brought people out screaming from the mountaintops that the Patriots were finished. Five wins later, including a 43-40 win over the previously undefeated Chiefs, NE proved that they are still in contention. They thrive on proving the doubters wrong.
Does Green Bay stand a chance in this game? How do they bounce back after that heartbreaking loss to the Rams? Will it carry over into this game? The Packers have made a lot of headlines this week, and not only because of the loss to the Rams. They also traded away Ty Montgomery and Ha Ha Clinton-Dix. GM Brian Gutekunst insists that they are not giving up on the season. They will find some way at the safety position to make it work. Mike McCarthy knows that the time for winning is now. I expect the team to come out motivated and ready to shock the world. They fell short last week, but they gave themselves a chance until that fumble on the kickoff return. If they play as a team for 60 minutes on Sunday, they have a great chance of coming away with a victory.
Brady once said that he enjoys watching Aaron Rodgers play. Let’s hope he won’t enjoy it too much on Sunday. Let’s get the offense moving and make Brady curse on the sidelines like he did during the game in Green Bay in 2014. It’s time for that signature win in 2018. The time is now. Let’s get it done on Sunday night!
The trade deadline has passed and the Packers made headlines before the deadline, but probably not the way we thought they would if anyone would have asked us before the season started.
Ty Montgomery has been traded to the Baltimore Ravens for a 7th round draft pick in 2020 while Ha Ha Clinton-Dix has been traded to the Washington Redskins for a 4th round draft pick in 2019.
I guess the timing of the moves was surprising, but both of these players have given the team headaches both in the locker room and on the field. Ha Ha stated publicly that he didn’t envision himself being with the team next year while Ty had his antics on the sideline, and more importantly, his fumble last Sunday cost them any realistic chance they had of coming back in the game and defeating the unbeaten Rams.
With the moves, I think this solidifies the backfield. Aaron Jones is the feature back with Jamaal Williams giving him a breather every now and then and perhaps at the goal line. The safety position is where the depth takes a hit. Do they move Josh Jones to free safety or Kentrell Brice? I think they seriously have to address this position on the field.
The reason for these moves is simple. This is a team that stresses team chemistry, and both of these players were a problem. No matter who you are, if your heart is not in the game or in Green Bay, the team is better off with you gone. Even though Ha Ha was having a decent season after a down year in 2017, it was clear that he didn’t want to be here in Green Bay, so you might as well get rid of him and get something in return. As for Ty, we can’t afford someone who makes boneheaded decisions like running the ball out when taking a knee is the best bet, especially when they fumble the ball and the game away. Players were furious at him and his decision, and the fans wanted him gone. He needed to be out of Green Bay.
I don’t think the front office has given up on the season quite yet. I think Brian Gutekunst still may have a move or two up his sleeve. Also, with these picks, I think they have a decent shot at using them in a trade package in order to move up in the draft. Mike McCarthy knows his job is on life support right now. If they miss the playoffs, he is likely gone. Even if they make the playoffs and they bow out meekly, that still might get him kicked out of Green Bay. That game against the Rams that slipped away did not help his cause at all. He needs wins in the worst way right now.
Aaron Rodgers is not getting any younger. The Super Bowl window will not stay open forever. It’s all about getting the right mix of players and putting them in a position to succeed. A huge part of that is making sure they are all on the same page. With these moves, that opens up two roster spots. The players who will end up occupying those spots may not be as talented, but if they show a willingness to compete and have a good attitude, the team will probably be better off overall.
Unless your name is Aaron Rodgers, your roster spot is probably not safe. If those two can get shipped out, it can happen to almost every other player on this roster. It’s time to get serious and go out there ready to compete and start winning games again.
All of this happened before their huge battle with the New England Patriots on Sunday night. Everything is right in front of them, but nobody will give it to them; they have to take it. They missed out on getting a signature win last Sunday, but if they get this win at New England, they will be in good shape. Let’s have this trade deadline be the turning point of our season.
The Packers had a shot to take down the NFL’s last unbeaten team, but they ended up losing in heartbreaking fashion 29-27 to the Los Angeles Rams.
The Packers jumped out to a 10-0 lead, but a safety put the Rams on the scoreboard and gave them momentum. GB withstood the Rams’ onslaught of points until they rallied and took a 27-26 lead in the 4th quarter. The Rams drove for a field goal, giving the Packers a final chance with Aaron Rodgers only needing a field goal and about 2 minutes left on the clock to do it. However, Ty Montgomery fumbled away the ball and the game on the kickoff, denying Rodgers and the offense a chance to win it at the end.
It wouldn’t surprise me one bit if Ty is not in a Packer uniform within a few weeks. He is expendable since I believe the team has enough running backs and receivers, and there also needs to be some accountability for that fumble. It’s bad enough that he didn’t just kneel on the ball in the endzone, but to be so careless with the ball when running into a crowd is just totally inexcusable.
It’s true that the offense left some opportunities on the field and the defense had some breakdowns at times, but the fact is that the Packers were in the game with a chance to win it at the end. The crowd was full of Packer fans, and it seemed like they were the louder ones throughout the game. In the end, it was a tremendous disappointment not to even have a chance to put the offense on the field.
This loss hurts more than most, and they all hurt. I understand that nothing I write will provide any comfort. They are now 3-3-1 with 9 games left to go. Despite the way the game ended, there are some things I liked in the game. It was a welcome sight to see Jaire Alexander out there again. Blake Martinez had a good game. Clay Matthews, who has been heavily criticized this year, had a good game. It is not panic time yet, but the team needs to get some wins together, tough schedule or not.
The Packers are once again on the road next week as they face the New England Patriots. As with this game, I’m sure hardly anyone will give the Packers a chance to win. I may be frustrated with the team at times. I may be angry, or in this case, extremely heartbroken. One thing I won’t do though is abandon the team. I think they are more than capable of going into Gillette Stadium next week and coming away with a victory.
This loss will hurt for a while, but it’s on to New England, paraphrasing their coach who came up with the one-liner. Take care Packer fans!
The biggest reason for Davante Adams not getting the recognition he so richly deserves was the fact that he was overshadowed by Jordy Nelson. As a rookie, he was an ok player for his position. He caught 38 passes for 446 yards and 3 touchdowns, good for 11.7 YPR. Since 2016 though, he has shined statistically. He’s caught the most touchdowns of any wide receiver in that span (28). 196 total receptions for 2,349 yards as well.
Now, those aren’t the only reasons why he deserves that type of recognition as a wide receiver. His game tape speaks for itself as well. His footwork and speed off the line are second to none among wide receivers. He’s actually the fastest wide receiver off the line this season, according to Pro Football Focus. His catch percentage has also gone up since his first year (2014). In 2014, it was 57.6% (out of 86 total targets). It has since gone up steadily with the exception of 2015 (53.2%). In 2016, it was 62%. 2017, it was 63.2%, and in 2018, it’s 66.2% through 6 games.
The biggest reason why Adams deserves top five recognition is that he performs at his best even without Aaron Rodgers throwing to him. In 2017 with 2nd stringer Brett Hundley at quarterback, Adams had 47 receptions for 543 yards and 5 touchdowns. With Aaron Rodgers at QB in 2017, he had 29 receptions for 285 yards and 5 touchdowns. He also performed great while in the shadow of Jordy Nelson from 2014-’17. Adams and Rodgers have become a very prolific QB/WR duo over the past few years (266 receptions for 3,157 yards, and 31 total touchdowns).
Because of that, I along with plenty of others within Packer nation firmly believe that he deserves to be in the top five among wide receivers in the NFL today.
