December 10, 2014 /
Adam Czech
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Adam - ALLGBP.com, Adam Czech, Packers, Packers Stock Report
My throat is scratchy. My nose is runny. I’m sneezing every 8 minutes and the bags under my eyes are turning a weird shade of black and purple.
Do I have a common winter cold, the same affliction that knocks down most of us for a few days when the weather turns cold? Or do I have something much more serious? An illness only contracted by Packers fans called “Capers-itis.” Capers-itis sets in when the Packers’ defense starts playing like it’s 2011 all over again.
Symptoms of Capers-itis include the following happening to your favorite football team’s defense:
- Sam Shields getting completely out-physicaled on deep passes.
- No pass rush.
- One player (see: Jones, Julio) does whatever he wants up and down the field without repercussion.
- Brad Jones actually plays defensive snaps.
- Defensive backs peeking in the backfield and getting burned deep.
I’ve been to several doctors, none of which have given me a diagnosis yet. They all said to wait until after Sunday’s Packers vs. Bills game. If Kyle Orton stands in the pocket and throws for 300 yards, or Sammy Watkins catches 10 passes for 198 yards, I probably have Capers-itis. The only way to get rid of it is to drink large quantities of beer.
Personally, I think I just have a cold, not Capers-itis. Matt Ryan and Julio Jones are really good. What they did to the Packers on Monday night, they also did one week earlier against Arizona, a team most people say has a legitimately good to great defense.
The Packers also might might have just checked out for a bit to start the second half, and by the time they woke back up, they were in a fight.
Either way, you don’t want to deal with a potential case of Capers-itis this late in the season. Hopefully it’s just a common cold and we don’t have to start talking about quarantines or anything like that.
To help me recover from whatever is ailing me, let’s knock out this week’s Packers Stock Report:
Rising
Aaron Rodgers
As long as he keeps doing what he’s doing, I’m going to keep putting him in the rising category. Over his last five games, Rodgers has completed 65 percent of his passes for 1,560 yards, 16 touchdowns, zero interceptions and a QB rating of 127.1. If I do have Capers-itis, Rodgers might be the cure instead of beer.
Jordy Nelson
Any time you let Nelson run freely off the line and into the secondary, you’re asking for trouble. The Falcons found that out the hard way on the Rodgers-to-Nelson 60-yard touchdown Monday night.
Offensive line
I can’t pick just one offensive lineman so I’m going to cheat and just list the entire o-line as rising. I’ve been saying it the last two weeks and I’ll say it again: If the Packers offensive line continues playing this well, the Packers will win the Super Bowl.
Steady
Eddie Lacy
Let’s hope Lacy’s hip bruise is nothing to worry about. Like he did last season, Lacy is rolling now that the weather has turned cold. He’s also catching passes, making him that much more dangerous.
Clay Matthews
The run defense has been much better with Matthews inside. Matthews also registered the Packers only sack on Monday night. I like how Dom Capers is using Matthews in this new hybrid role. It takes advantage of Matthews’ explosiveness and frees him up more often. When Matthews only rushed from the outside, sometimes he’d repeatedly just bang into double teams and not really get anywhere.
Falling
Sam Shields
Shields looked like he should’ve sat out last night after missing an entire week of practice. But really, he hasn’t played all that well over the last month or so. Hopefully, he pulls it together down the stretch. Otherwise, McCarthy should’t hesitate to use more of Davon House.
NFC South
Does the NFC South winner really have to play in the playoffs? Can’t we send them on a nice all-expenses-paid vacation somewhere instead?
December 8, 2014 /
Adam Czech
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Adam - ALLGBP.com, Adam Czech, Packers
Only teams like last season’s Green Bay Packers should be allowed to win a terrible division with a mediocre or bad record and qualify for the playoffs.
The Packers had to deal with their best player, Aaron Rodgers, missing half the season with a broken collar bone. Once Rodgers returned, the Packers were a legitimate team, deserving of a playoff berth, as demonstrated by their road win over Chicago and last-minute loss in the wild-card round.
This year’s Falcons? Pfffffft. They’re worthless and don’t deserve the opportunity to stumble into the playoffs at 6-10 and possibly pull a wild-card win out of their you-know-where.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell needs to step in and do something to stop the NFC South winner from making the playoffs. Goodell has no problem just making up rules whenever he feels like it, so why not?
Instead of letting the crappy Falcons into the playoffs (or whatever bumbling team wins the NFC South), Goodell should award an NFL playoff berth to TCU, the college football team who was jobbed out of a spot in the new four-team college football playoff.
It’s only fair. The Falcons don’t deserve to play in the postseason. TCU does. Make it right, Roger. You have the power.
Meantime, here are five reasons why the Falcons will get run out of Lambeau tonight:
Have a picnic
The Falcons’ pass rush is so poor and the Packers’ pass protection so good that Aaron Rodgers should be able to have a picnic in the pocket before throwing the ball. The Falcons are 31st in the NFL with only 14 sacks. That’s led to the Falcons having the worst pass defense in the entire NFL.
No picks
If the Falcons are going to pull the upset, they’ll have to force a couple of turnovers. Is that really going to happen against Rodgers, a quarterback who hasn’t thrown a pick at home in over two years? Doubtful.
William Moore
Atlanta’s strong safety is a play-action, rollout, throw-it-deep-for-a-Jordy Nelson-touchdown waiting to happen. Moore is tough as nails and tackles well, but he has no chance in coverage against Nelson, Cobb, or anyone for that matter. If Mike McCarthy can scheme a few plays to match up a Packers receiver against Moore, buckle up.
We’ll win next week
After the Saints got throttled at home on Sunday, the Falcons will still hold down first place in the awful NFC South regardless of what happens on Monday night. Perhaps the Falcons will be like, “Meh. We’re in Wisconsin. It’s cold. The Packers are good. I smell bratwurst. Let’s just throw in the towel tonight and try to win next week against some team that isn’t as good as the Packers.” Unfortunately, this probably won’t happen. Mainly because if it does, Falcons coach Mike Smith could get canned.
(Lack of) power runng
The once-great Steven Jackson rumbled for 101 yards last week against the Cardinals. Uh-oh. The Packers usually get run over by power runners. We should be worried, right? Nah. Jackson’s outburst last week was the first time an Atlanta running back topped 100 yards in 36 games. I don’t see it happening two weeks in a row.
While Packers fans are talking about earning the No. 1 overall seed in the NFC and MVP discussion has focused almost exclusively on Aaron Rodgers, the Falcons are fighting for a fluke division title and have a few weapons in Matt Ryan and Julio Jones. If the Falcons humble the Packers tonight, here’s how it might happen:
Ryan to Jones
It’s been a while since a wide receiver went completely crazy on the Packers in a Michael Crabtree or Reggie Wayne kind of way. Julio Jones is totally capable of torching the Packers by himself, and Matt Ryan is a quarterback capable of helping him do it. Last week, Ryan was a perfect 3-for-3 on passes thrown 20 or more yards downfield. Sam Shields might be out, Tramon Williams has looked a bit shaky in coverage lately and Davon House has been up and down. If you’re in your fantasy football league’s playoffs, make sure you don’t accidentally leave Jones on your bench this week.
December 2, 2014 /
Adam Czech
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Adam - ALLGBP.com, Adam Czech, Packers, Packers Stock Report
If you listen to the Boston homers employed by ESPN, you’d think the Patriots dropped 10 touchdown passes and had 14 pass interference penalties mistakenly called against them during Sunday’s loss to the Green Bay Packers.
They’ll tell you the Patriots just had an off game, that a few bounces in the other direction and a call here or there would have resulted in a Pats’ victory.
Nonsense. The Patriots were lucky the game was as close as it was.
If Green Bay scored touchdowns while in the red zone instead of field goals, the game’s a blowout. If Davante Adams doesn’t drop an easy touchdown pass, the game is more of a blowout. If Aaron Rodgers doesn’t misfire on a couple of early throws, the rout would’ve been on. If Mason Crosby doesn’t whiff on a late field goal, the margin of victory would have been wider.
Despite what the Boston homers at the Worldwide Leader would have you believe, it was the Packers, not the Patriots, who kept shooting themselves in the foot.
Of course, I’m not saying the Packers are head and shoulders better than New England. If this game is played 10 times on a neutral field, the Packers probably win six times and every game would be a nail-biter.
Unfortunately, we’re not going to see these two teams play each other 10 times this season. But we might get a chance to seem them square off again in February. On a neutral field. In a little game called the Super Bowl.
Rising
Aaron Rodgers
The best player in football. There’s really nothing else to say about him. Tom Brady is still a great quarterback, but Rodgers has without a doubt passed him by. That’s not a knock on Brady, he very well could eat the Packers’ lunch should these two teams meet again the Super Bowl, but Rodgers is the man now.
Mike McCarthy
This piece from Greg Bedard at Sports Illustrated summarizes how I feel about McCarthy perfectly. The No. 1 people forget about when discussing McCarthy is his role in resurrecting the end of Brett Favre’s career and helping shape Aaron Rodgers into the quarterback he is today.
Sam Barrington
Yeah, I’m probably putting Barrington in the rising category prematurely, but how nice was it watching a middle linebacker wearing Packers’ colors delivering big hits to running backs as they try to explode through a hole? Barrington delivered a couple of shots on Sunday to the Patriots’ power runners. If this kid can learn the defense and operate inside without being told where to be and who to cover all the time, watch out.
Steady
Tramon Williams
This is another controversial selection, but hear me out. Yes, Williams got beat a few times in pass coverage, but he made several open-field tackles that prevented big plays and kept Patriots’ receivers short of the first-down marker. Remember when Williams wanted no part of tackling anybody a few years back? Those days are long gone. He’s now a willing tackler. On Sunday, he was willing and effective.
Mike Daniels
The way to contain Tom Brady is to pressure him up the middle. Daniels has been solid all season, and delivered interior pressure all day on Sunday before finally getting home and sacking Brady on the Patriots’ final offensive play from scrimmage.
Randall Cobb
Cobb line up here, there and everywhere on Sunday. He managed to get open from all angles, and even sealed the game on a catch from Rodgers before the two-minute warning where he really wasn’t that open.
Falling
Darrelle Revis
The BS was flowing off of Revis Island after the game. Revis said Nelson pushed off on his 45-yard touchdown catch. Wah. Wah. Wah. You got beat, Darrelle. Badly. Man up and stop with the excuses.
December 1, 2014 /
Adam Czech
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Adam - ALLGBP.com, Adam Czech, Packers
I was at Lambeau Field on Sunday to see the Packers beat the Patriots. What a game. I’m not sure there’s much more to be said about the win that hasn’t already been said, but I’ll try and offer up a few more nuggets on what I observed from my seats in the south end zone, section 138, row 44, seat 18.
- Before packing up our tailgating supplies and walking to the stadium, a middle-aged guy approached us and asked if we had any lobster or marijuana. Unfortunately, we had neither.
- Not saying I told you so, but…..well, I told you so. Sam Barrington can play. Barrington delivered more hard hits in one game than A.J. Hawk has delivered in three years.
- Eddie Lacy misses some obvious holes. Too often, he chooses to bounce outside instead of making a hard cut and hitting the lane. Part of me wonders if he’s a little hesitant to put his head down and plow every single carry because of past concussions.
- I have no idea why teams don’t sit with two deep safeties against Green Bay 100 percent of the time. Whenever there’s only one safety deep, it’s not just Aaron Rodgers who gets excited. The entire stadium starts buzzing. It also feels like so much more of a struggle for the Packers against two-high safeties, even if they’re moving the ball.
- There was a middle-aged gentleman sitting in front of me who was about 100 pounds overweight and whose mustache connected directly with his nose hair. His family also referred to him as “Pud.” Heckuva nice guy. We high-fived after the Rodgers-to-Rodgers touchdown. Now I can tell people that I high-fived a guy named “Pud.”
- Rob Gronkowski is unbelievable to watch in-person. He’s unguardable. On a play deep in Packers’ territory, Gronk lined up wide one-on-one against Morgan Burnett, and before the ball was snapped, I knew what the result would be. Sure enough, Gronk beat Burnett, then ran over like eight Packers after the catch. Somehow the Packers dragged him down before he stomped into the end zone.
- If the Packers’ offensive line continues playing like this, Green Bay will win the Super Bowl.
- Hats off to Mike McCarthy. He really worked hard to get favorable matchups for Cobb and others and it showed. However, the first time Cobb lined up in the backfield, Darrelle Revis followed him and stood in the middle of the defense, waiting to track Cobb wherever he went. It spooked Aaron Rodgers, who called a time out. But Revis never followed Cobb out of the backfield again. Strange.
- Watching the Packers’ defense pre-snap reminds me of watching pre-schoolers during snack time. Just complete chaos and confusion. Everyone is pointing, yelling, moving, looking around, scattering. But hey, it worked, so perhaps all that chaos is by design.
- Tramon Williams blew a couple of coverages, but also made some great open-field tackles. Speaking of tackling, that was the best I’ve seen the Packers tackle against a quality opponent in a long time.
- Unfortunately, we could not hear Tom Brady’s barrage of F-bombs from our seats.
- The vibe in Lambeau was off-the-charts. People were amped up for this game, and rightfully so. During the Packers’ final drive, the offensive line and Jordy Nelson had to admonish the fans for cheering too loud.
- My wife and I have had the privilege of seeing Peyton Manning, Drew Brees and Tom Brady all play at Lambeau Field and get beat by the Packers. We’ve also seen the Packers beat Vinny Testaverde, Shaun Hill, Kyle Orton and Joe Webb at Lambeau. The one quarterback the Packers couldn’t beat with my wife and I in the stands? Christian Ponder. Go figure.
That’s all for my thoughts from the south end zone. Now where’d I put my lobster and marijuana…
November 30, 2014 /
Adam Czech
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Adam - ALLGBP.com, Adam Czech, Packers
The main reason I write these 5 reasons posts is to mock, ridicule and tear down the Packers’ weekly opponent and/or their fanbase. Since the Packers play the Vikings, Bears and Lions six times each season, I usually have plenty of material to work with.
But how am I supposed to make fun of the Patriots? They’re a model NFL franchise, in the same class of the Packers. Tearing down the Patriots would make me seem petty and mean, wouldn’t it?
I don’t know. Maybe.
I suppose I could rip Patriots’ fans for being entitled East Coasters who don’t appreciate everything their team has accomplished the last 15 seasons.
Or I could rip Tom Brady for saying things like this and once having hair like this.
Playing the (alleged) murderer at tight end card is also an option, but we’ve done a pretty good job forgetting about that already.
What about Spygate? The Patriots haven’t won a Super Bowl since they were caught cheating in the 2007 Spygate scandal. But that was before everyone thought Roger Goodell was an evil corporate woman-hating monster, so people didn’t get overly mad when Goodell let the Patriots off with a slap on the wrist.
Bill Belichick seems like a total douche. How about ripping him? They guy keeps winning, so people give him a pass.
Or how about all the Boston homers on ESPN and the Patriots apologists that permeate the national media?
I could go on and on, but I won’t talk about any of those things. The Patriots are just so perfect, after all…
Here are five reasons why that perfection will be disrupted by the Packers later today:
Deep passes
Tom Brady is an amazing quarterback, neck and neck with Aaron Rodgers for best in the league. But if I had to pick a quarterback to complete a deep pass, it wouldn’t be Brady. Brady completed over 50 percent of his passes that traveled 20 yards or more in 2007. Since then, he hasn’t come close to that percentage and is only completing 34 percent of deep passes this season according to Pro Football Focus. Obviously, the Patriots are more than capable of winning without launching deep passes, but if Brady overshoots a couple of open receives downfield like Teddy Bridgewater did last week, it’ll be a boost for the Packers’ defense.
Lambeau Field advantage
The Packers have outscored opponents 219-85 at Lambeau this season. Combine that with the fact that I’ll be in the stands, and the Packers’ homefield advantage is real.
Josh Boyd
The Packers are going to need all the help they can get to slow down the Patriots’ offense. Out of nowhere, Josh Boyd has started playing well. Seriously, he has. Watch him the last couple of weeks and you’ll see a guy darting through gaps and generally being disruptive in the base defense. Winning 1-on-1 matchups up front is going to be the key to the Packers coming out on top later today. Boyd’s been winning more than he’s been losing lately.
Tight-end production
Who needs Gronk when you have Andrew Quarless and Richard Rodgers? Ok, ok, ok, I’m being factious, but Quarless and Rodgers have steadily improved in recent weeks. If Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner frustrate Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb, it’s nice to have a couple of tight ends for Aaron Rodgers to turn to, even if they aren’t one-man wrecking crews like Rob Gronkowski.
Balanced attack
I’m a little hesitant to get too hyped up about Lacy’s big game against the Vikings. Yes, it’s nice that he gained 125 yards and closed out the game, but if you ask any Packers’ opponent if they’d rather see Lacy run the ball 25 times at the expense of Rodgers throwing a couple extra passes downfield, they’ll gladly give the extra carries to Lacy, even if he’s having a good day. Against good teams like the Patriots, the Packers will live and die on the arm of Rodgers. Lacy will come in handy if the Packers build any sort of second half lead or have an opportunity to close out the game in their four-minute offense. Again, I’m not dragging down what Lacy means to this team. Having a run/pass balance when both facets of the game are effective is a good thing. But let’s not forget that the Packers’ go as Rodgers goes, especially against the NFL’s best.
If the Patriots win this game, we’re going to have to listen to people bloviate about how the Packers can’t win a big game against a quality opponent with a good quarterback for the rest of eternity. It’ll drive me crazy, but it could happen because of…
Gronk
If you’re getting old like I am, odds are good you played the arcade game “Rampage” growing up. While little Army men shot at you and helicopters tried to take you down, your “Rampage” character — either a giant gorilla, lizard or werewolf — destroyed buildings, ate people and stomped on vehicles. The entire point of the game was to cause as much destruction as possible before you were taken down. That’s Rob Gronkowski in a nutshell. Gaining yards and scoring seems like a bonus to Gronk. His main objective is to just cause chaos and reign destruction upon whomever gets in his way. I have no idea how the Packers, or any team, can stop Gronk. I suppose you just have to grab onto him and hope he falls before he knocks down all of your buildings, or eats all of your defensive players.
November 25, 2014 /
Adam Czech
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Adam - ALLGBP.com, Adam Czech, Packers, Packers Stock Report
Now that the Green Bay Packers have gotten the junior varsity game against the Minnesota Vikings out of the way, it’s time to focus on the real deal and the New England Patriots.
I’ll be in the stands at Lambeau for the Sunday showdown. The Packers have never lost with me in Lambeau. They’ve tied, but never lost. Take that for what it’s worth.
But before I fire up the grill in the parking lot of the Green Bay Distillery, pop open a Spotted Cow, and cook up some three-cheese brats from Grundhofer’s Meat Market, we must bang out this week’s Packers Stock Report:
Rising
Eddie Lacy
An illness? 10 defenders in the box? Game on the line? It didn’t matter. Eddie Lacy kept plowing forward to help the Packers rumble to another win. Just like he did last season, Lacy tore up the Vikings and looks to be gaining steam as the season heads into the home stretch.
Aaron Rodgers
QB1 doesn’t get top billing over Lacy this week, but he still had another great game, even if his numbers weren’t as great as they’ve been in recent weeks. That throw to Cobb to set up the Packers first touchdown was amazing, as were several scrambles that turned dead plays into positive gains and first downs.
T.J. Lang
Hats off to Lang (and Josh Sitton) once again for not only playing hurt, but playing well while not 100 percent. Given how cautious the Packers staff is with injuries, I thought Lang’s day was done when he hobbled off in the first quarter. But he was back out there next series, helping Lacy pile up yards.
Steady
Mike Daniels
If the Packers are going to beat the Patriots on Sunday, they need more of what Daniels did on his sack of Teddy Bridgewater: Win a 1-on-1 matchup and get to the quarterback. Brady will tear apart excessive blitzes or tricky looks that might work on the other 31 teams in the league. Victory for the Packers will happen if they win individual matchups up front on defense.
Bryan Bulaga
According to Pro Football Focus, Bulaga has graded out positively four of the last five weeks. Let’s hope that knee/hip/whatever else Bulaga has injured in the past holds up the rest of the season.
Falling
James Starks
Before Sunday, Starks was already fading, not because of anything he did wrong, but because Lacy was running so hard and starting to catch passes. Well, after fumbling in his first and only carry against the Vikings, Starks is no longer fading, but falling.
A.J. Hawk
Hawk has gone from slow, to sloooooow, to slooooowwwwwwwwww.
Detroit Lions
The Lions are now looking up at the Packers in the NFC. They’re also back to their dirty and desperate ways. The sooner the bottom falls out of their season, the better.
November 23, 2014 /
Adam Czech
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Adam - ALLGBP.com, Adam Czech, Packers
There is no more annoying noise in sports than the *expletive deleted* Minnesota Vikings’ horn. I swear the Vikings started using that horn not because they thought it was a good idea, but because they realized their team is a farce and they’d rather just annoy everyone by blowing a *expletive deleted* horn instead of trying to actually win games.
*Expletive deleted* that horn. And *expletive deleted* the Vikings.
I get that a lot of in-stadium gimmicks, chants or sounds are cheesy and a little annoying. But most of them are at least somewhat fun, catchy or ironically cool. The horn is not. The Vikings could play a sound clip of a baby crying and it would be a thousand times better than the horn.
Nickelback cranked to 11 is less annoying than the *expletive deleted* horn.
Just thinking about that *expletive deleted* horn drives me crazy. So crazy, I can’t even write about it any more.
So, let’s cut to the chase: Here are five reasons why the Packers will silence that *expletive deleted* horn later today and beat the Vikings.
Home-field advantage
TCF Bank Stadium is going to be filled with Packers fans. Vikings fans don’t want anything to do with outdoor football. I thought they’d embrace their two years playing outside at TCF, but all they do is whine and moan about it. They’re counting down the days until the new Ziggy Dome is finished so they can move back inside and listen to fake crowd noise being pumped through the speakers while their team goes 7-9. Check out secondary market prices on tickets for today’s game. Their cheap, and me thinks Packers fans are gobbling up the seats, ready to make a whole lotta noise. “Go Pack Go” chants typically drowned out the horn at the Metrodome. Here’s hoping the same thing happens at TCF.
Healthier inside
Guards Josh Sitton and T.J. Lang have toughed it out through injuries the last two weeks. Both probably won’t be 100 percent (especially Sitton) but they should keep improving week to week.
Keep on rolling
It’s unrealistic to think the Packers will roll up 50 points every game the rest of the season, but now is not a good time to be playing Green Bay. Aaron Rodgers is locked in, the offensive line is in top form and the defense is even showing signs of life. I’m not a believer in week-to-week momentum in sports, but I still wouldn’t want to get in the Packers’ way at this time.
Eddie Lacy
Just like last season, Lacy is heating up now that the weather is turning cold. He’s not running the ball as effectively as last season, but he’s become a pass-catching threat and someone defenses don’t want anything to do with as he’s rumbling through the secondary. Lacy’s best game on the ground came against the Vikings earlier this season. Let’s see if he can top 100 yards again.
Teddy checkdown
I like Teddy Bridgewater. I think he’s going to be a good quarterback and I hate that he’s probably going to help the Vikings win a fair share of games in the coming years. But right now he’s not much of a downfield threat. He checks down often, and when he does go deep, accuracy is an issues. The Packers’ will gladly let Teddy checkdown all game and bank on drives stalling, and eventually, forcing turnovers.
If that *expletive deleted* horn blows early and often, and, God forbid, the Vikings win, here’s how it might happen:
Power running
No, Adrian Peterson won’t be coming out of the tunnel for the Vikings, and both Vikings running backs are a little nicked up, but this should still be a good test to see if the Packers can stop a power running attacked. With big back Matt Asiata out due to a concussion, look for the Vikings to use the slashing Jerrick McKinnon on misdirection runs and newly acquired Ben Tate for power against the Packers’ small defensive line. Also, keep in mind that this is the Vikings’ Super Bowl. They don’t have much to play for besides throwing a wrench into the Packers’ postseason plans.
November 18, 2014 /
Adam Czech
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Adam - ALLGBP.com, Adam Czech, Packers, Packers Stock Report
It’s been tough being a Green Bay Packers blogger these last couple of weeks. A pair of blowout victories and a Packers team that is doing next to nothing wrong doesn’t leave us a lot to write about.
Obviously, we’re thrilled that the Packers are rolling. We’ll keep putting up posts about the awesomeness of Aaron Rodgers or the sudden invincibility of the Packers at Lambeau Field.
But typically the highest-viewed posts and the posts that generate the most buzz have at least a little negativity in them, something the Packers are doing that warrants criticism and us bloggers can provide insight into how the Packers might address the situation.
There hasn’t been much to criticize lately. I supposed we could bag on the Packers for not reaching 60 points in either of the last two weeks, but even the most trollish of readers would scoff at that.
At least this week the Packers’ special teams gave us something to critique and complain about. But even the special teams managed a punt return for a touchdown, so the complaining can’t be too loud.
Oh well, I’ll try and find something to write about.
On to the stock report:
Rising
Aaron Rodgers
There is no other player more important to his team than Rodgers is to the Packers. That was apparent after Rodgers was injured last season and it’s obvious now that he’s back healthy and lighting up scoreboards. I think it’s safe to say that Rodgers is the new leader in the clubhouse for NFL MVP.
Letroy Guion
Just like we all predicted, Guion is making big plays in November. Actually, nobody predicted that, but Guion is making big plays in November. There’s a lot of season left, but if Guion keeps this up, that’s a heck of a free-agent signing for Ted Thompson. Will it lead to more outside free agent signings in the future? Let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves (or too crazy).
Corey Linsley
When Linsley took over for the injured J.C. Tretter, we probably would have been satisfied with a Guion type of performance: Steady improvement and holding his own in place of the injured starter. Linsley has been more than that. Much more. He’s wrecking guys in run blocking and helping his two injured guards keep the A-gap as clean as possible in pass protection. When Rodgers said Linsley deserves Pro Bowl consideration, he wasn’t kidding.
Steady
Randall Cobb
It’s like clockwork; whenever Rodgers leaves the pocket, Cobb gets open. Now the question is whether Cobb signs an extension before the season is over, or if he’ll test the free-agent market.
Clay Matthews
When did the Packers sign Dick Butkus? Did pre-injury Patrick Willis secretly leave the 49ers and join the Packers? Did Luke Kuechly not get on the Panthers team bus leaving Lambeau a few weeks ago and has been playing for the Packers since? Nope. That’s just Matthews having his way at inside linebacker.
Falling
Packers special teams
A blocked punt and a couple of botched extra points stained an otherwise near-perfect day for the Packers on Sunday. Those kinds of mistakes won’t fly as the games get tighter in December. The game will get tighter, right? I mean, the Packers aren’t going to score 50 every week, are they? Right?
Nick Perry
Perry hasn’t really seized his opportunity now that he’s getting more snaps after Matthews moved inside. Besides falling on that fumble Sunday, Perry hasn’t done much the last two weeks.
The NFL
The Packers were penalized for having too much after one of their touchdowns on Sunday. Fun, on a football field. It’s just not allowed in the NFL. We don’t want to teach the children that it’s acceptable to have fun, especially with your teammates, after a big play.
November 17, 2014 /
Adam Czech
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Adam - ALLGBP.com, Adam Czech, Packers
The level at which Green Bay Packers general manager Ted Thompson eschews signing free agents each offseason has gone from a local talker to a national meme in recent NFL offseasons. These days, it’s not just Packers fans who smirk/smile/shake their head/grumble whenever the topic of Thompson and free agents arises.
Now, everyone talks about Thompson’s team building style. It’s not just us Packers’ fans who know what the phrase “build from within” means.
That’s why everyone turned their heads and said “HUH?!?!?” when Thompson signed Julius Peppers this offseason. Signing a guy on the wrong side of 30 who was cut by his former team seems like the exact opposite of the Thompson mantra.
But oh what a signing is has proven to be. Peppers has five sacks, two interception returns for a touchdown and has provided the long-desired pass rushing threat opposite Clay Matthews. In fact, Peppers has been so good opposite Matthews that the Packers have now moved Matthews inside.
But Peppers wasn’t the only free-agent signed by Thompson. He also signed Letroy Guion to back up B.J. Raji.
Guion wasn’t well-known enough to merit any type of reaction after he was signed, but Packers fans quickly became familiar with him after Raji tore his bicep in the exhibition season.
At first, Packers fans didn’t like what they saw. Guion looked every bit like the Vikings’ castoff we worried he was.
But he’s come around lately, even showing some pass rushing moves in addition to doing his best to clog the middle of the line so Matthews can help bolster the Packers’ run defense.
Will the success of Peppers and Guion lead to Thompson signing more free agents in the future? Who knows.
What we do know is that his two signings this offseason have proven to be good ones.
Build from within is still the mantra, but Thompson has shown that it’s ok to get a little help if you need it.
November 16, 2014 /
Adam Czech
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Adam - ALLGBP.com, Adam Czech, Packers
I went to a Garth Brooks concert on Thursday night. I’m not a huge fan of Brooks, but my wife loves him and he’s one of the biggest artists of my generation. I figured seeing Brooks live would be a good time, and I was right. He was great.
My main worry about seeing Brooks wasn’t so much the quality of his performance, it was his fans. More specifically, country fans. Even more specifically, bro country fans.
Bro country (aka pop country) is one of the lowest forms of entertainment ever created. I despise Jason Aldean almost as much as I despise Jay Cutler. To me, there’s little difference between Florida Georgia Line and Al Qaeda. Luke Bryan needs to be muzzled.
The terribleness of bro country music is made worse by the moronic fans of bro country music. You know, the 22-year-old dudebro who lives in the suburbs, buys a cowboy hat at Gap and starts using a fake southern accent. Or the 27-year-old who works in a skyscraper downtown, but thinks he’s a farmer when “Dirt” plays on the corporate-owned pop country radio station for the third time in an hour.
I was worried these creatures would be in Brooks’ audience and negatively impact my enjoyment of the show. Thankfully, I didn’t see many of them. There were very few cowboy hats in the crowd. No bro country frat boys were slamming Bud Lights and sexually harassing women. I didn’t hear anyone pretend to know how to operate a combine or manure spreader.
I equate fans of Philadelphia sports teams, including the Eagles, with bro country fans. People try and attach a certain level of charm to Philly fans, but there’s nothing charming about throwing up on kids or having to install a prison at your football stadium. Just like bro country fans give fans of legitimate country music a bad name, Philly fans give all sports fans a bad rap.
It’s because of Philadelphia sports fans that people think sports fandom is for the simple-minded and obnoxious.
On Sunday, it is up to the Green Bay Packers, home to one of the best fanbases in all of sports, to stand up to the Eagles and their bro country fan base. A victory for the Packers is not just another victory on Green Bay’s march to the Super Bowl, it’s a victory for legitimate sports fans everywhere who are sick and tired of being lumped in with the dolts who cheer for the Eagles, Phillies or Flyers.
It’s a victory for decency. Don’t let us down, Packers. Here are five reasons why they won’t:
Man in the middle
Who knows if we’ll get another week of Clay Matthews playing middle linebacker, but I think we should. Chip Kelly is probably foaming at the mouth just thinking about the possibility of getting LeSean McCoy or Darren Sproles in space against A.J. Hawk or Brad Jones. Matthews has the speed to actually pursue sideline-to-sideline and negate some the speed advantage the Eagles’ offense enjoys over the Packers’ defense.
Special teams
Whoa! Special teams as an advantage for the Packers? Against the Eagles? You’re probably wondering if I’ve listened to one too many Blake Shelton songs and now my brain is rotting away. Hear me out: The Eagles rely heavily on their special teams. If you can contain their special teams, you’ve got a huge leg up on beating them. The key to containing the other team’s dangerous special teams unit is having a good kicker and punter. It sounds overly simplistic, but I believe it to be true. Mason Crosby will boot kickoffs out of the end zone and Tim Masthay’s directional punting will frustrate the Eagles’ special teams all afternoon. Advantage Packers.
Aaron Rodgers
He’s probably mad about not setting the NFL record four touchdown passes in a game against the Bears and will take out his frustrations on the Eagles.
Health
The Packers beat the Bears 55-14 despite having both guards operating with toe/ankle injuries and Morgan Burnett still hobbled a bit with a calf injury. These nicked up players have had another week to heel up. Good news for Green Bay.
Lambeau Field advantage
Watching Rodgers and the Packers’ offense operate at home is a work of art. Rodgers is able to use his snap cadence to get the defense to show their cards pre-snap or hop offsides. Bryan Bulaga and David Bakhtiari don’t have to deal with noise and a fast track when trying to block speed-rushing ends. It feels like playing at Lambeau is once again a significant advantage for the Packers.
Sigh….sometimes good doesn’t persevere over evil. Just like bro country music outsells actual country music, sometimes the Eagles win and reward their fans for boorish behavior. Here’s how that could happen on Sunday.
Pass rush
The Eagles have some speedy pass rushers, exactly the types of rushers who give Bryan Bulaga fits. Yes, playing at Lambeau will help negate some of that speed on the edge, but Connor Barwin, Vinny Curry and Fletcher Cox are the real deal. If the Eagles can sit back with two safeties and get pressure on Rodgers with minimal blitzing, well, Packers fans have seen that scenario go bad for Rodgers and the offense all too often.
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