I keep hearing over and over again how this St. Louis Rams team could be trouble for the Green Bay Packers this afternoon.
“Oooooohhhhhhh,the Rams have a great front four. Aaron Rodgers will be running for his life.”
“Ooooohhhhhhh,lookit the Rams new rookie running back Todd Gurley. He might be the next Adrian Peterson!”
“Ooooooohhhhh,the Rams went into Arizona and beat the Cardinals. Did you hear that? THE RAMS BEAT THE ARIZONA CARDINALS!!!! BE AFRAID,PACKERS. BE VERY AFRAID!!!!!”
Let me be as clear as I possibly can before proceeding. The Packers are 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000.47 times better than the Rams. In fact,I feel guilty even including the Rams in the same sentence as the Packers while writing this silly preview.
Unless every Packers player catches whatever disease Matt Hasselbeck had this week,the Packers will beat the Rams by a wide margin. A 50-burger is not out of the realm of possibility,so save room if you’re eating bratwurst at your pregame tailgate. Those 50-burgers take up a lot of stomach space.
Let me refute the aforementioned talking points people are using when trying to fool us into thinking the Rams led by Nick Foles actually have a shot at beating the Packers led by Aaron Rodgers:
With the exception of last season,the end of 2010 and most of 2011,Rodgers has spent his entire time as the Packers quarterback running for his life. It’s what he does. He runs for his life. It hasn’t stopped him from being the best player in the league before and it sure as hell won’t stop him from being the best player in the league against the lousy Rams.
In their last three games,the Packers have stonewalled Marshawn Lynch,Jamaal Charles and Carlos Hyde. The last thing the Packers are worried about is some rookie coming off ACL surgery lighting them up. Puh-leaze.
So,the Rams beat the Arizona Cardinals last week,eh? And I’m supposed to be impressed by this? IT’S THE ARIZONA FREAKING CARDINALS!!! We’re not talking about the Bill Walsh 49ers here,we’re talking about the ARIZONA CARDINALS! C’mon,man. Beating the Cardinals is like shooting a squirrel. It’s fun,but you don’t mount the squirrel on the wall in your man cave next to the 13-point buck.
Still not convinced that the Packers are going to roll over the Rams? Here are five more reasons why you should believe me:
Turnovers
The Rams forced three turnovers to beat the Cardinals in Arizona last week. That ain’t happening today. Rodgers does not turn the ball over in Lambeau,so the Rams and their one-trick pony Todd Gurley offense will be forced to go long distances if they want to score.
Offensive line
Everyone is talking about how tough the Rams defensive line will be for the Packers offensive line to contain. What about the Packers surging defensive line against the Rams mishmash of an offensive line? Mike Daniels and B.J. Raji are playing some of the best ball of their careers. Even Datone Jones got in on the action against the 49ers and Letroy Guion is back. The Rams have three first-year starters up front (right tackle,center and left guard). Hats off to the Rams front four. They’re talented. But the Packers defensive line isn’t too shabby,either,and I think they match up favorably with the Rams’ inexperienced o-line.
QB
We all know how great Rodgers is. We also all know that Nick Foles is…well,Nick Foles. Foles is definitely a step up from Colin Kaepernick,but it’s not like he’s going to match Rodgers throw for throw. If the Packers get out ahead early and let their defense tee off,things could be over in a hurry. I can’t see the Packers losing a game at home where their advantage at the game’s most important position is this big.
Phat Eddie
The Rams are allowing over 120 rushing yards per game,26th worst in football. After losing LB Alec Ogletree last week to a broken ankle,stopping the run won’t be getting easier any time soon. Yes,the Rams front four might be able to get after Rodgers,but that pass rush can be slowed down some if Lacy and a Packers offensive line with 287 combined starts under their belts are able to get going on the ground.
Greg Williams
The Rams defense is coordinated by Gregg Williams,the Bounty Gate guy who really,really,really loves to blitz. With the way Rodgers uses cadence to not only draw opponents offside,but also get the defense to commit to what they’re doing early,I just don’t think it’s a good idea to consistently blitz Rodgers at Lambeau. I also don’t think Williams will be able to contain himself. Look for Rodgers to buy time and make plays when Williams brings extra pressure.
If all the hype and consternation about the Rams proves to be true and they do put up a fight at Lambeau,they might be able to pull off a win if…
Copying the Bears
Why would anyone want to copy the hapless Chicago Bears? Because they almost beat the Packers in week 1 by running the ball,keeping Rodgers on the sideline,and not letting Packers receivers make big plays downfield. If the Rams do what the Bears did in week 1,they’ve got a good shot to win because the Rams are much more talented defensively than Chicago is.
The Green Bay Packers are 4-0. Along with that perfect record comes a MVP quarterback playing at the top of his game,a defense that’s hell-bent on sacking the quarterback and a special teams unit that no longer appears to be a glaring weakness.
Life is good if you’re a Packers fan right now,isn’t it?
It sure is,but we’re Packers fans. Even if life is good,we want (and sometimes expect) it to be better.
Even though the Packers are 4-0 with an all-world quarterback,a solid defense and a non-embarrassing special teams,that’s not going to stop us from nitpicking areas where the team could improve. Before getting to this week’s stock report,let’s nitpick the Packers and point out some areas that could be a cause for concern.
Beating up on bad teams. You can only play the team’s on your schedule,but the teams on the Packers schedule haven’t been very good. The combined record of the Bears,Seahawks,Chiefs and 49ers is 5-11 (and that includes Monday night’s gift-wrapped-by-the-refs win for Seattle over Detroit). Beating Jay Cutler,Alex Smith and a broken Colin Kaepernick also isn’t anything to write home about.
How ’bout a non-free play big play? I’m all about Aaron Rodgers using his cadence to draw the defense offside and get as many free plays as possible. But as the season wears on,team’s aren’t going to fall for that stuff as often. The Packers big-play offense hasn’t really been there unless Rodgers knows he has nothing to lose on a free play.
Holding…on the Packers…again. It seems like the offensive line has been very grabby this season. The Packers have been flagged eight times for holding and several of those calls have come at less-than-ideal times as the offense is just starting to roll. With three holding calls already under his belt,David Bakhtiari leads the team.
Shot plays,anyone? Remember when Rodgers would play-fake,roll out,and hit Jordy Nelson on a deep post for an easy 65-yard touchdown? I knew with Nelson injured,those plays would be more rare,but I thought we’d at least get a couple of shot plays through the first quarter of the season. So far,unless it’s a free play,we’re not seeing any receivers getting over the top of the defense.
Those damn injuries. The injury to Bryan Bulaga finally caught up with the Packers against the 49ers as Don Barclay had a rough day. Is it only a matter of time before the effects of losing Nelson,Sam Barrington,Davante Adams and Morgan Burnett are magnified as well?
All of these are legitimate concerns for the Packers. Good thing they haven’t knocked Green Bay off course yet. Let’s hope the Packers keep rolling as we roll into this week’s Packers Stock Report:
Rising
Clay Matthews
Where would the Packers defense be without Matthews? Here’s hoping the hamstring gods lay off Matthews this season and he’s able to get through 16 games and the postseason.
James Jones
A dude cut by two teams this offseason is not supposed to make catches like this one.
Mike Daniels
The Packers defensive line seems more explosive this season and Daniels is a big reason why. In year’s past,the main objective of the Packers d-line was to hold their own and not get blown up. Now,Daniels and company are doing some blowing up of their own and it’s making this defense much more aggressive.
Steady
Sam Shields
Perhaps nobody told Shields that the Chicago game was the season opener and not a final exhibition tune-up,because ever since stinking up Soldier Field,Shields has been exactly the type of No. 1 cornerback the Packers need him to be. On Sunday,he made a great play on the ball to snag his second interception.
B.J. Raji
Setting an early tone against the run gives the Packers offense the time it needs to establish a lead. It also helps boost the defense for the remainder of the game. Raji’s play in first quarters has helped the Packers blow up several running plays and knock opponents off course early when it comes to trying to run at the Packers defense.
Falling
Don Barclay
I suppose it was only a matter of time before Rodgers was unable to fully compensate for Barclay’s weaknesses at right tackle. Full credit goes to Barclay for battling out there,but it’s time Tom Clements and Mike McCarthy get him some help with a tight end or running back on a regular basis.
I was fully confident that the Green Bay Packers were going to beat the 49ers 57-0 until I heard the reports out of San Francisco that 49ers coach Jim Tomsula let a fart rip during Thursday’s news conference.
Now the score might not be so lopsided. Tomsula’s flatulence could be the secret weapon that helps the 49ers make a game out of this one.
For instance,how will Aaron Rodgers handle it if Tomsula lets one fly during a key series in the fourth quarter,causing Randall Cobb (or whichever receiver is closest to the 49ers sideline) to immediately drop dead?
What if the noxious fumes waft their way onto the playing field? If Packers offensive linemen pass out from the stench,is that a false start penalty?
How will Rodgers himself handle the situation if Tomsula crop dusts the red zone? Rodgers has dealt with plenty of adversity in his career,but never something like this.
Or what if Mason Crosby is setting up for a game-winning field goal and Tomsula raises his leg and provides a nasty gust of wind that pushes the kick wide right?
Be worried,Packers fans. Be very worried…
On the other hand,the Packers should be well prepared to handle any and all stinky situations. The state cuisine in Wisconsin is bratwurst,cheese and beer,after all. I’m sure plenty of grossed out faces have been made at Packers team parties following dinner and an “Alright,who did that?” fart.
And I guarantee you every member of the Packers offensive line has let one go as a joke during practice or during a blowout Packers win. Bryan Bulaga,Josh Sitton,or whomever,probably thought they were being funny by clearing out the huddle early. Little did they know they were helping to prepare their teammates to face the Great Farting Tomsula in the Big Bell Bottom.
Injuries haven’t slowed down the Packers this season. Neither has a challenging first part of the schedule or playing two games in prime time. I can’t see a gassy head coach getting in the way,either.
Here are five reasons why the 49ers will be just another fart in the wind on the Packers march to the Super Bowl:
Perseverance
No matter what type of injuries you throw at the Packers,they keep chugging along. Yes,having a healthy Aaron Rodgers makes it much easier to overcome the injury bug,but it’s nice to see a team not only hold it together through injuries,but thrive and improve. That train should keep rolling later this afternoon.
Multi-faceted
It’s still too early to make bold declarations about any team,but doesn’t this Packers team seem more diverse than other years? Yes,there are hiccups,but it seems like the Packers aren’t relying so heavily on turnovers to be successful on defense and big plays to take over the game on offense. The D is capable of holding their own without taking the ball away and the offense has thrived despite the lack of deep pass plays downfield. In past matchups,the 49ers’ power running would seize control of the game and their physical secondary would frustrate the Packers’ offense. The Packers seem better equipped to handle both of those things today.
Bring on the blitz
Under new coordinator Eric Mangini,the 49ers blitz often. Rodgers’ mobility and his ability to read the defense pre-snap makes him deadly against blitzes. So,Mangini should just try and get pressure with four rushers,right? Well,so far this season,when the 49ers don’t blitz they’ve been picked apart. It could be a damned if you do,damned if you don’t kind of day for Mangini and the 49ers defense.
Right side woes
Pay attention to the right side of the 49ers offensive line. The Steelers and Cardinals had great success going after guard Jordan Devey and tackle Erik Pears. Look for Dom Capers to employ a similar strategy.
Time to win one
Because the Packers can’t lose to the 49ers again,right? Green Bay finally beat Seattle this season,now it’s time to get that smaller 49ers monkey off its back.
…but just in case the 49ers run of success continues over Green Bay,this could be why:
Kaepernick owns Capers
Much like Bears quarterback Jay Cutler can’t figure out Dom Capers’ defenses,Capers can’t seem to figure out what to do against 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick. Kaepernick has trashed the Packers defense multiple times and is no doubt looking at today’s matchup as an opportunity to get his season — and career — back on track against a familiar foe.
September is way too early to declare any team in the NFL the best,the worst or anything in between. The first two months of the season are for staying in contention,fine-tuning your team and overcoming early-season injuries.
When Thanksgiving comes around,that’s when we can start talking about who’s the best,who’s the worst and who needs a couple of fortunate bounces to weasel their way into the postseason. Once the turkey is consumed and the pumpkin pie digested,we’ll start to see the good teams make their move to become great,and average teams exposed as frauds before they fall off the face of the Earth.
At 3-0,the Green Bay Packers are off to a great start. But don’t get sucked into the silly narratives and manufactured sports media debate about who’s the best team in the NFL. September is not the time to be yelling at each other about which team is on the fast track to Levi’s Stadium for the Super Bowl.
There’s no doubt the Packers are rising heading into October. But avoid the big-picture narratives for now. It’s a waste of valuable brain space less than a quarter of the way through the season.
Now that I’m done lecturing you,onto this weeks Packers Stock Report:
Rising
James Jones
If I’m a defensive coordinator preparing to play the Packers,the first thing I do is install a chip inside the brain of each of my defensive backs. This chip would send a signal to the DB’s brain that causes the DB to sprint to wherever James Jones is on the field when Aaron Rodgers has a free play. Jones has been lethal on free plays. The only way to stop him and his sleeveless turtleneck might be computer-programmed robot DBs.
(Is it even legal to implant a chip into one of your player’s brains? Probably not. But I bet the Patriots are already doing it.)
Josh Sitton
The Packers offensive line set the tone for the Chiefs game early. Sitton was his usual solid self — getting to the second level,giving Rodgers plenty of room to step up in the pocket,and generally bulldozing a path for Eddie Lacy,James Starks and even Alonzo Harris.
Sam Shields
After a miserable season-opener against the Bears,we didn’t hear a peep from Shields in pass coverage until his interception on Monday night. And that’s a good thing. Shields hasn’t given an inch since getting picked on by the Bears.
Steady
Randall Cobb
Cobb had a quiet eight catches for 116 yards (if you can possibly be “quiet” when putting up those numbers) against Seattle and kept zipping around the Chiefs’ Tyvon Branch with ease on Monday. Cobb hasn’t completely taken over a game yet,but he’s doing solid work in filling the void left by Jordy Nelson.
Mike Daniels
The Chiefs lone hope for victory on Monday night was a big game from Jamaal Charles. Daniels played a key role early in making sure Charles never got going,then revved up his pass-rushing motor later in the game. Ted Thompson: If you have a free couple of hours this week,pull out the Packers wallet and sign Daniels to a new contract.
Tom Clements
Hats off to the new Packers playcaller. The offense has been efficient,dangerous,unpredictable and successful. No doubt Rodgers’ work at the line of scrimmage and McCarthy’s input during the week also play a big role,but all has been smooth on the playcalling front under Clements.
Falling
Mike Nolan and Scot McCloughan
Who are Mike Nolan and Scot McCloughan? They were the 49ers coach and general manager,respectively,who drafted Alex Smith over Aaron Rodgers. Nolan and McCloughan: Packers fans throughout the world salute you.
Pro Football Focus
The popular analytics site gave Rodgers a negative grade for his performance against the Chiefs. Let that sink in for a moment: A quarterback who threw for 333 yards and five touchdowns was given a negative grade by a website that (supposedly) studies film of football games. I get that you have to look beyond the box score to add context to a player’s performance,but anyone who watched what went down on Monday knows that Rodgers was not an average quarterback. Yikes.
It’s hard to find negative things to say about the Kansas City Chiefs. They’ve got an atmosphere at Arrowhead Stadium that rivals Lambeau Field,their fans seem cool,and Kansas City is home to some of the best barbeque in the United States.
(I also love the tomahawk chop. I know it’s not politically correct to say that these days,but I can’t help it. Something about a stadium full of people chanting and making an axe-wielding motion gets me fired up.)
But just because a franchise seems friendly and harmless,it doesn’t mean I am not going to endlessly mock and ridicule that franchise on the day it plays the Packers,so let’s get to it:
The fans of the Chiefs deserve better than the team that they get every season and currently have. Remember the Marty Schottenheimer years when Kansas City would always win 10-13 games,then get snuffed out early in the playoffs like an unfiltered Marlboro Red?
Not even a new coach could rid the team of its tendency to yak in the postseason. The 2003 Chiefs under Dick Vermeil went 13-3 and got wiped out in the divisional round.
Today,the Chiefs are led by Andy Reid who puts together outstanding gameplans on a week-to-week basis,then blows it all up by making no fewer than eight clock-management blunders each half. The Chiefs also have one of the best running backs and pass rushes in the NFL,but it doesn’t matter because Alex Smith is their quarterback.
Yes,an NFL team still thinks it’s a good idea to have Alex Smith as its starting quarterback,and that team is the Kansas City Chiefs.
I want to love the Kansas City Chiefs. Everything about the organization seems fun. Except,of course,for the actual team on the field.
Here are five reasons why the Packers will beat the Chiefs on Monday night,continuing Kansas City’s streak of being good,but nowhere near good enough:
Alex Smith
So many NFL games these days come down to a handful of plays in the fourth quarter. When that time comes in the fourth quarter on Monday night,do we really think Smith is capable of rising to the occasion and making a gamebreaking throw to beat the Packers? I don’t think he is. Smith exists to not fumble the game away,not win the game when it matters most.
Rodgers’ pocket movement
One area where the Chiefs have a clear advantage over Green Bay is outside pass rush. The tag team match of Justin Houston and Tamba Hali vs. David Bakhtiari and Don Barclay should resemble an old-school wrestling squash match where the Road Warriors destroy the Mulkey Brothers in about 20 seconds. But even if Houston and Hali beat up on Bakhtiari and Barclay,the saviness of Aaron Rodgers in the pocket covers up a good chunck of the pass rush advantage Kansas City enjoys. More often than not,Rodgers is able to evade pressure,but stay around the pocket,keep his eyes downfield and make a play. In other words,even if Hali and Houston execute their finishing move,Rodgers is capable of kicking out and extending the match.
Huh?
No Chiefs wide receiver has caught a touchdown pass since Jan. 4,2014. How is that even possible? With today’s namby-pampby pass defense rules in the NFL,I bet even I could catch a touchdown pass at least once every 16 games. I would require a forklift to get the necessary air required to complete my Lambeau Leap,but I would at least catch one touchdown in a calendar year.
Depth
Injuries stink. But the draft-and-develop Packers pride themselves on having plenty of talented young players in reserve for when the inevitable injury bug starts biting. With Morgan Burnett out,no doubt we’ll see a good amount of Damarious Randall. Randall is a different player than Burnett,but I like putting hungry young players on the field in prime time early in the season. Let’s see what they do when given the opportunity and step up. More often than not,the Packers young depth holds its own.
Home field
By now,we know all the numbers about Rodgers and the Packers recent run of success at Lambeau Field. Another advantage the Packers have at home isn’t necessarily reflected in the numbers. With Barclay at right tackle,Rodgers’ use of the snap count and cadence slows the pass rush down just enough to help Barclay out a bit. Rodgers’ pre-snap barking also helps him decipher the defense and speed up his decision-making should Barclay’s (or any o-lineman’s) man break through.
If the Packers (for some reason) lose,this might be why:
Pure talent
Jamaal Charls,Travis Kelce,Justin Houston,Tamba Hali…the Chiefs have more than enough game-breaking players to compensate for Smith’s ineptitude and Reid’s clock-manaement blunders. Talent can overcome a lot of other deficiencies,and the Chiefs have the talent to cover up their weaknesses.
**An assembled crowd of Green Bay Packers media,board members,front office leadership and former players are gathered for a news conference in the Lambeau Field atrium. Packers CEO Mark Murphy approaches the podium and begins the event.**
“First of all,I want to thank everyone for coming today. I’ll keep this brief because I know we’re all still a little hung over from celebrating Sunday night’s win over the Seachickens. Man,I never thought I’d see Ted Thompson and Mike McCarthy do simultaneous keg stands,but after a big win like that,I guess anything is possible.
I called you all in here today to announce that Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has been given a permanent slot in the “rising” category of the world famous Packers Stock Report at CheeseheadTV.com.”
**The crowd gasps. Murmurs echo throughout the audience and photographer flash bulbs start going off.**
The reasoning is simple: Adam Czech,the mastermind behind the world famous Packers Stock Report at CheeseheadTV.com,no longer wants to waste a “rising” slot on Rodgers since Rodgers turns in an MVP performance on a nearly weekly basis. From now on,it is assumed that Rodgers is a “riser” each and every week. Instead of wasting valuable blogosphere space on yet another paragraph describing Rodgers’ awesomeness,the world famous Packers Stock Report at CheeseheadTV.com will focus on other players who also deserve “rising” status for that particular week.
I will not be taking questions today. Instead,Czech himself will be coming to the podium to reveal this week’s Packers Stock Report live and in-person. Be sure to read the world famous Packers Stock Report every Tuesday during the season at CheeseheadTV.com.
Without further adieu,onto this week’s Packers Stock Report with the best-looking blogger in the Packers blogosphere,Adam Czech:
Rising
Jayronne Elliott
“Thank you for that kind introduction,Mr. Murphy. Just like God was a Packers fan on Sunday night,God is also an avid reader of the world famous Packers Stock Report at CheeseheadTV.com. Let’s get to it:
If Clay Matthews is going to see fewer snaps at outside linebacker,everybody in this room knows the Packers can’t rely on the likes of Nick Perry and Mike Neal to fill the void left by Matthews on the outside. Enter Jayronne Elliott. Good things seem to happen when Elliott is on the field. That was certainly the case on Sunday night. If Elliott continues his ascent,it’s great news for the Packers and scary news of offensive tackles in the NFC North.”
Josh Sitton/Corey Linsley/T.J. Lang
“Pass protection on the edges was shaky at best on Sunday night. But it didn’t matter because nothing was happening up the middle thanks to yet another stellar effort from Sitton/Linsley/Lang. From now on,I think we refer to these three maulers as one person. And I think we put a “the” in front of their name to make it more impactful. The Sitton/Linsley/Lang might be the best interior offensive line combination in football. The Sitton/Linsley/Lang is a three-headed monster that could help propel the Packers to another Super Bowl.”
B.J. Raji
“Raji played like the entire Seahawks defense kicked his dog. There was no stopping Raji from catapulting himself into the Seahawks backfield over and over again and causing chaos. All that was missing was a classic Raji touchdown dance.”
Steady
Mason Crosby
“They don’t come any more steady than Crosby these days. It wasn’t that long ago that many of you in this room wanted Crosby run out of town. Heck,the world famous Packers Stock Report at CheeseheadTV.com might have even put Crosby in the falling category a few times. But Crosby didn’t care. He kept plugging away. And now he’s the top scorer in Packers history. Good on you,Mr. Crosby.”
Falling
David Bakhtiari
“I hope Bakhtiari is healthy. He dealt with some injuries during the exhibition season and hasn’t looked like himself through the first two real games. The Packers face another tough pass rush on Monday night,so now is the time for Bakhtiari to snap out of his rut.”
Lambeau Field medial carts
“Someone needs to take all the fuel out of the medical carts at Lambeau Field and slash the tires. Those things have been on the field and moving crippled Packers from the sideline to the locker room far too often this season. If God is still a Packers fan this week,hopefully he does something about all the injuries.”
Pete Carroll
“So Pete Carroll was all whiny about the referee’s decision to award the football to the Packers after the Elliott interception and ensuing scrum following Elliott’s fumble. WAH WAH WAH WAH WAH!!!!!! Carroll’s team benefits from the most blatantly awful call in NFL history three years ago to steal a win from the Packers,and Mike McCarthy doesn’t whine about it once during his postgame presser. Carroll finally loses to the Packers and he has to get the tissues out about a fumble recovery “call.” Ridiculous. Go away,Pete Carroll.”
If not for the New England Patriots,the Seattle Seahawks would be the scummiest team in all of football. Whenever I see a Seahawks game,highlight or player interview on my TV screen,I feel like I immediately have to take a shower.
If there was such a thing as a scummy team checklist,the Seahawks would be able to mark off just about every box.
Cheating. Look no further than the Fail Mary game.
PEDs. The Seahawks lead the league in suspensions for performance enhancing substances.
Scandal. Coach Pete Caroll got out of USC just before the program was rocked by sanctions.
Phony. QB Russell Wilson is pre-programed by high-level marketing executives to give insincere answers to every question he’s asked in order to maintain his “brand.”
Delusion. Wilson also thinks a bottle of water produced by a company he endorses helped prevent him from sustaining a concusion in the NFC title game.
Smug. RB Marshawn Lynch thinks he’s too cool to speak with the media
Stupid. With the ball on the 1-yard line and a chance to win the Super Bowl in the closing seconds,the Seahawks throw a pass that got picked off instead of simply handing the ball to their smug star running back.
Last season’s NFC championship game. AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!
Football is less enjoyable because of the Seattle Seahawks. @#$% them.
Here are five reasons why the Packers will beat Seattle later tonight:
Because they eventually have to
Seriously,the Packers can’t keep getting beat around by these guys. Over the last couple of seasons,the Seahawks have cheated to beat the Packers,legitimately kicked the Packers’ ass and took advantage of the Packers having one of the worst meltdowns in the history of football. There are literally no more ways the Packers can lose to the Seahawks,so the Packers have to win one tonight.
No Bulaga,no problem
Hear me out on this one. Bryan Bulaga is a much better player than Don Barclay. The Packers would be in better shape if Bulaga played tonight instead of Barclay. However,Barclay has had a few days to practice with the first-team offensive line and Mike McCarthy and the coaching staff have had a couple days to adjust and prepare. Normally when the Packers offensive line breaks down,it’s because an injury occurs during a game. The backup comes in,looks lost,McCarthy doesn’t do anything to help the overmatched reserve and all hell breaks loose. Having advanced warning and some time to prepare for the tall task in front of him should help Barclay hold his own.
Lambeau Field
The Packers haven’t lost a home game with a healthy Aaron Rodgers since dropping the season-opener to San Francisco in 2012. Rodgers hasn’t thrown a pick in his last 418 pass attempts at Lambeau Field.
Seattle’s secondary struggles
The once-feared Seahawks secondary was picked apart by the Rams (the Rams!) last week. If the Rams (the Rams!) can rack up big plays throgh the air against Seattle,imagine what Rodgers can do.
Kam Chancellor
One of the best defensive players in football is sitting at home on his recliner in the midst of a holdout instead of blowing up Packers running plays and protecting the deep middle of the field.
As we’ve seen far too often in this horror show that isPackers-Seahawks rivalry,the bad guy is more than capable of winning. Here’s how the villanous team with a weird chicken-like sea creature on its helmets could once again knock off the Packers:
Toughness
The Packers have to prove that they’re tough enough to beat the Seahawks. Seattle has had no problem pushing around the Packers,whether it’s Marshawn Lynch running over hapless tacklers,the presence of Richard Sherman causing the Packers to panic and ignore an entire side of the field,or Seattle vastly outperforming the Packers in clutch moments of the game.
If you want to finally defeat the bad guy,you have to be tough enough to do it. We’ll see if the Packers finally are tonight.
It’s far too early to place new Green Bay Packers playcaller Tom Clements in the rising,steady or falling category. But after the season-opener,I’d say things are looking good on the playcalling front.
The Packers’ offense was sharp,unpredictable and efficient on Sunday. Of course,they were typically all three of those things when McCarthy called the plays. Nonetheless,it’s reassuring to see that the transition to Clements calling plays (with plenty of input and audibles from Aaron Rodgers,no doubt) appears to be going smoothly so far.
Now comes the real test for McCarthy. After week 1,it looks like the Packers need to clean up their tackling,plug some holes in the run defense and get better on third downs. McCarthy gave up playcalling so he could be more hands on with other areas of the team,and it’s time for the head coach to get to work.
Meantime,the rest of us will move on to this week’s Packers Stock Report:
Rising
Clay Matthews
Outside linebacker,inside linebacker,safety,cornerback,nose tackle,waterboy…wherever Clay Matthews lines up,he makes plays. When was the last time the Packers had an inside linebacker who could sprint back and cover a large swath of the middle of the field like Matthews did on that interception? It’s been a long,long time.
James Jones
Media members covering Sunday’s game had easy stories to write after Jones’ big day. I have to admit,I wasn’t 100 percent sold on bringing Jones back. Well,I’m an idiot. I think it’s safe to say that Myles White would not have hauled in that first touchdown catch.
Aaron Rodgers
I kind of forgot how great Rodgers is when he has the use of both legs instead of just one. The man makes difficult plays look much easier than they really are.
Julius Peppers
I have a strict rule of only putting three players maximum in each category,but how could I leave out Rodgers or Peppers after Sunday? So,I’m breaking my rule to include Peppers as a riser. We all keep waiting for Father Time to catch up with Peppers,and he keeps laughing in our faces and chasing around quarterbacks nearly half his age.
Steady
Corey Linsley
Linsley received the highest grade of any Packers offensive linemen from Pro Football Focus on Sunday. You could easily put Josh Sitton and T.J. Lang in the steady category as well as Rodgers rarely had to deal with up-the-middle pressure and Eddie Lacy had some decent lanes early.
Falling
Sam Shields
Too many Packers fans think Sam Shields was bad last season. He wasn’t the second-coming of Charles Woodson,but he wasn’t as terrible as people thought. The Packers ask a lot out of Shields and he holds his own. Well,against the Bears,there’s no sugar-coating it: Shields was awful. Here’s hoping Shields’ bad day was more of a wake-up call than an emerging concern.
Ha Ha Clinton-Dix
If I’m Mike McCarthy,I call Clinton-Dix into my office and tell him this: “Son,if you continue to drop your head and dive at the ballcarrier’s feet instead of manning up and actually attempting to make a legitimate tackle,you will be holding my headset instead of playing for the world champion Green Bay Packers.”
Jay Cutler
Cutler completes half his passes and throws yet another game-breaking interception and Bears fans are actually saying he didn’t play that bad. If that’s not “falling,” I don’t know what is.
I’ve got an out-of-the-box idea that could immediately re-kindle the once storied Green Bay Packers-Chicago Bears rivalry. Why is it important that the Packers-Bears rivalry is re-kindled? Because beating Chicago is a lot more fun when the Bears resemble an actual football team instead of whatever it is that they are now.
The Packers will beat the Bears today the same way they’ve beat the Bears over and over again in recent years. Jay Cutler will make no fewer than a dozen horrible decisions,including throwing between 2-4 of the worst interceptions you’ve ever seen and 6-9 passes that should be picked off but aren’t because the defender is absolutely shocked that the opposing QB threw it right to him. The rest of the Bears team,which is bad to begin with,will be unable to make up for Cutler’s incompetence and the Packers will pound another nail into the coffin of this dying rivalry.
Watching Cutler throw back-breaking interceptions straight into the hands of Packers’ defenders is like listening to “Shake it Off” by Taylor Swift. It’s fun,but after you’ve heard the song for the 500th time,you’re ready for something else. You need something a little more challenging and intellectually stimulating.
I don’t want the Bears to get good enough to regain the upper hand in this rivalry,but I would like to see them put up an actual fight. Here’s where my grand idea comes in.
**Drum roll**
The Packers should give the Bears Brett Hundley. Yes,just outright gift Hundley to Chicago,like it’s Christmas in September.
We all saw what Hundley did this exhibition season. He’s already light years ahead of Cutler. Replacing Cutler with Hundley would automatically help the Bears win at least three more games this season and lose to the Packers by two touchdowns instead of four (or more).
Bears fans would have a reason to at least get out of bed on Sundays for the first time in a long time. Maybe they’ll start trash-talking Packers fans again and what was once the greatest rivalry in sports will get its spark back.
Were any of you on Twitter when the 2015 NFL schedule was announced? Bears fans were rejoicing that the season-opener was against Green Bay so they could get that loss out of the way immediately. It was sad and pathetic. At least Vikings fans still have enough pride (or is it delusion?) to make feeble attempts at trash talk and insults.
The NFL is a better place when Packers fans and Bears fans hate each other. In order to hate an entire group of people you’ve never met over a silly sporting event,at least one of the teams in said sporting event need to have a legitimate chance to beat the other team.
Right now,the Bears have no chance to beat the Packers. Cue up Taylor and “Shake it Off.” I’ll bob my head and enjoy this song again,but I know there’s better music out there.
The time has come for the Packers to give the Bears a chance. Send Hundley to Halas Hall and let’s see if he can make the Bears relevant again.
With that out of the way,let’s look at five reasons why the Packers will beat the Bears again on Sunday. Just for fun,we’ll also try and come up with a reason why the Packers might not come out on top.
Aaron Rodgers part 1
I stole this from the Twitter feed of our friend Zach Kruse: Aaron Rodgers was 40-for-55 for 617 yards,10 touchdowns,zero interceptions and a QB rating of 149.0 against the Bears last season. Read that stat line again. My goodness.
Aaron Rodgers part 2
This doesn’t have anything to do with the game today,but I can’t help it. Remember this throw Rodgers made against the Bears last season? It was wiped out by a penalty,but that’s still one of the best throws I’ve every seen. Rodgers owes the Bears another pass like that one,this time without the penalty.
Talent
Take a look at the Bears roster. Now take a look at the Packers roster. The talent difference is in favor of the Packers by an astronomical margin. The only area where the Bears are clearly superior is tight end.
Interior offensive line vs. Eddie Goldman
The Packers return Josh Sitton,Corey Linsley and T.J. Lang on the interior of their offensive line. Sitton and Lang are pro-bowl talents. Linsley had an outstanding rookie season. The Bears are switching to a 3-4 defense under new coordinator Vic Fangio,a scheme that requires strong and consistent play from the nose tackle. The Bears’ nose tackle on Sunday will be rookie second-round draft pick Eddie Goldman. I have not doubt Goldman will be a solid player down the line,but can we really expect him to hold up against the triple threat of Sitton/Linsley/Lang in his first NFL game? I have my doubts.
Because the Bears still suck
All together now!
In a NFL picks pool I’m in,there was a guy who accidentally picked the Bears this week. He immediately e-mailed the commissioner of the pool and said it was a computer error and begged for a re-do. The commissioner shared his email with the rest of the league and we all laughed in his face.
But what if this guy ends up being accidentally right? What if the Bears accidentally beat the Packers? Here’s how it might happen:
Injuries/suspensions
Perhaps the loss of Jordy Nelson,Randall Cobb being less than 100 percent,Morgan Burnett and Sam Barrington possibly missing the game with injuries,a gimpy David Bakhtiari,and Letroy Guion and Datone Jones out with suspensions will be too much for the Packers to handle and it leads to an upset defeat. I doubt it,but ya never know…
We’re days away from the Green Bay Packers season-opener.
Soon,we’ll find out the following about the 2015 Packers:
Can they bounce back after the Seattle collapse?
What’s the offense going to look like without Jordy Nelson?
Will Mike McCarthy giving up playcalling duties improve the defense and special teams?
Can someone out there get me tickets to the Thanksgiving night Favre retirement game that won’t cost me two mortgage payments?
For now,it’s on to the Packers Stock Report:
Rising
James Jones
Ladies and gentlemen,the Sleeveless Turtleneck has returned! You know how NBA teams and college basketball teams have their fans wear T-shirts of all the same color for select big home games? The Packers should do that for a game or two this season,only instead of matching T-shirts,everyone inside Lambeau puts on their best sleeveless turtleneck. When rumors began swirling that Jones and the Packers were talking,I initially wasn’t sold. But the more I thought about it,the more I came around. I trust James Jones to be better in 2015 than Myles White. As fun as it would be to see if White can develop into a player down the line,I’d rather go with a player who offers more upside right now.
Mike McCarthy
“We will kick Chicago’s ass.” That’s what McCarthy said at the Packers welcome back luncheon and it’s a great way to get Packers fans fired up for the season-opener. Thatta boy,Mike. Now go fix the special teams.
Ladarius Gunter
Just in case the Casey Hayward experiment on the outside goes kaput,Gunter has shown that he’s a legit option to replace him.
Steady
Julius Peppers
Do defensive players get any more “steady” than Peppers? He still adds a lot to a defense,even at his advancing age. Hopefully,another outside linebacker steps up early so the Packers can limite Peppers’ snaps and keep him fresh for later in the season.
Josh Sitton
Do offensive linemen get any more “steady” than Sitton? As long as his health holds out,I expect we’ll see another pro-bowl season from Sitton (and some colorful quotes in the postgame locker room).
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