November 8, 2015 /
Adam Czech
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Adam - CheeseheadTV, Uncategorized
I am going to miss this week’s Packers vs. Panthers game because I will be out in the Minnesota wilderness holding a shotgun,waiting for that elusive 30-point buck to come strolling by.
Deer hunting is a lot like going to a Packers game.
Don’t laugh.
Hey,clean up that coffee that just came spewing out of your nose.
I said stop laughing!
Let me explain:
Hunters invest a lot of time in their craft,hoping that they end up with a few moments of excitement. All that time spent sitting in an uncomfortable tree trying to prevent your fingertips from freezing pays off when a nice buck walks within shooting range,or a doe and a couple fawns spend 20 minutes in front of your stand eating and playing while you watch and wonder if they realize how lucky they are that you only shoot bucks. All that time hunting also pays off when you have fresh venison in the freezer,especially those cheddar snack sticks that cost a fortune to make but taste oh so good.
When you go to Lambeau for a Packers game,you sit in bleachers that are about as (un)comfortable as a tree stand. Actual moments of excitement are few and far between — most of your time is spent sitting through TV time outs,breaks in the action and routine runs up the middle or incomplete passes. But it’s all worth it when Aaron Rodgers connects for a touchdown,Clay Matthews gets a sack and the Packers walk off the field victorious.
You also have to deal with some nonsense when you hunt or go to a Packers game. Buck fever is a real thing. A lot of otherwise normal people get goofy during hunting season. Jealously causes them to try and ruin the hunt for others. Laws are broken in pursuit of that big buck. Safety measures can be forgotten in the heat of the moment.
At Lambeau,you have to deal with 80,000 other people in the same venue that you are. That means long lines for the bathroom or to get a beer. It also means idiots who can’t handle their booze and stick-in-the-mud types who yell at you to sit down during a big third-down play.
Sometimes you wouldn’t mind having 80,000 other people in your deer stand with you to help pass the time. Sometimes you wish you were the only on in Lambeau Field so you could stand up and cheer whenever you wanted,be the first in line to get a beer and not have to miss half of the second quarter waiting to pee.
See,I told you hunting and going to a Packers game were similar!
About today’s game…
Hunting and the Packers also provide a nice escape from reality. I tend to forget about that stack of unpaid bills on my kitchen counter when I’m decked out in blaze orange and watching the sun rise from my deer stand. When the Packers play,I’m completely engrossed in the on-field action for those three hours. I couldn’t care less about what else might be swirling around the team. Those three hours of gametime are meant for football,not the reality TV type of drama that makes up the rest of the NFL week.
Normally,I mock and ridicule the other team in these “5 reasons” posts before getting into a couple of X’s and O’s points about why the Packers will win. I’m not doing that this week because 1) I’d rather write about deer hunting and 2) We all know what the Packers have to do to win.
There really isn’t any additional insight I can provide you. The Packers have to slow down the Panthers power running game,not get eaten alive by Greg Olsen,do a better job of scheming their receivers open against another tough secondary and hope their offensive line returns to its 2014 form. Resurrecting their dormant pass rush after a fast start would also help.
The Packers should also view today’s game the same way I view hunting: as an escape from reality. All week they’ve been asked about why they’re playing so poorly,especially on offense. They’ve dealt with weird stories and old-man “get off my lawn” columns from the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. Rodgers has been reminded over and over again that he only threw for 77 yards against the Broncos. Every armchair QB wearing foam cheese on their head is chiming in with their ideas on how the offense can get back on track.
If the Packers view Sunday’s game as an opportunity to tune all of that nonsense out for three hours,they’ll roll. The Packers have handled regular season adversity really well under Mike McCarthy:
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Sitting at 4-4 and losing twice to the Brett Favre-led Vikings in 2009,Green Bay responded by winning six straight.
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A late-season injury to Rodgers put the Packers behind the 8-ball in 2010. They responded by winning their final two games and,eventually,a Super Bowl.
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In 2012,the Packers followed up Fail Mary with a win over the Saints. After losing to the Colts,the Packers were 2-3 and responded by throttling the Texans on the road,prompting Rodgers’ famous “Shhhhhh” line during the postgame interview.
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The Packers needed a win in the season’s final game to make the 2013 playoffs and they got it.
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The Saints pounded the Packers 44-23 before the bye week in 2014. When the Packers returned,they went 7-1 and earned a first-round playoff bye.
Today’s game will tell us a lot about what kind of team the 2015 Packers are. I think we’re going to find out that they’ll be just fine.
November 3, 2015 /
Adam Czech
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Adam - CheeseheadTV, Uncategorized
In the eyes of many Green Bay Packers fans,each regular season game isn’t so much a game,but a weekly check-up on the team’s readiness to win another Super Bowl.
Most fanbases embrace the week-to-week nature of the NFL simply because they have no other choice. Every win is a step in the right direction and provides further hope that maybe,just maybe,this year is their year. Every loss is another reminder that their team isn’t among the league’s elite and a win is needed the following week in order to not fall too far off track.
That type of thinking doesn’t apply to the Packers. Most cheeseheads view the regular season as a formality. The Packers will win between 10-13 games. There will be many memorable moments and a few forgettable ones along the way. Watching the team will be a whole lot of fun. Etc.,etc.
But really,most fans ask,how does each week’s performance impact the Packers readiness to compete in January?
Beating the Bears in the season opener was nice,but man,the defense looked rough. The Packers FINALLY beat the Seahawks in week 2,but those injuries are bad news long term. Beating up on the Chiefs was fun in week 3,but if the Packers let a team hang around like that in January,we could see another playoff meltdown.
It was cool to see the defense play so well in week 4 against the 49ers,but only 17 points from the offense? That won’t fly in the playoffs. The Rams in week 5 proved to be a better team than we thought,but what’s up with the offense? And dominating Nick Foles on defense doesn’t make us feel any better about the defense holding up in the postseason. Phillip freaking Rivers threw for 500 yards on the Packers. OH GOD HERE WE GO AGAIN!
The corpse of Peyton Manning dominated the Packers and Rodgers threw for less than 100 yards? SEE,I TOLD YOU ALL THOSE FLAWS FROM THE EARLIER GAMES WOULD EVENTUALLY CATCH UP TO THE PACKERS. NOW WE GOTTA FIX A BUNCH OF STUFF IF WE WANT TO WIN THE SUPER BOWL.
That’s life as a Packers fan and I wouldn’t have it any other way. We’re spoiled. Some folks like to use the “spoiled” label as a negative. To me,it’s nothing but a positive and it’s something we should relish as long as it lasts.
The NFL season is a long journey. Most fanbases have no idea where that journey is going to end up. Packers fans know the general vicinity of where their journey will conclude. The main question is,does their team have what it takes to go that extra mile and reach the destination it desperately wants to get to?
Despite Sunday night’s debacle,I think this team still has what it takes. But it sure did add a few bumps on the journey.
Onto this week’s Packers Stock Report:
Rising
Datone Jones
Nobody is going to confuse Jones for J.J. Watt,but Jones has quietly become a reliable member of this defensive line. Now he just needs to avoid the nagging injury that has plagued him throughout his career.
Mason Crosby
Crosby was the only Packers player (besides maybe Randall Cobb) who seemed excited to be playing football on Sunday night. He actually showed a little emotion and *gasp* smiled after he made a 56-yard field goal. Every other Packers player had the body language of an old steer who knew he was on his way to be made into steaks and hamburgers.
Steady
Clay Matthews
I take back what I said about Crosby being the only player to show any type of excitement on Sunday. Matthews looked fired up. He always does. And hats off to Matthews for giving it a go after injuring his ankle. Nobody would have blamed him if he said the hell with it and went back to the locker room early so he didn’t have to watch that mess.
Falling
Casey Hayward
It was obvious that Peyton Manning singled out Hayward to pick on early and often. It worked,as Hayward was helpless again Demaryius Thomas on the outside.
Nate Palmer
I never thought I would miss A.J. Hawk,but Palmer made me miss A.J. Hawk on Sunday. Oooof,he was terrible. Dom Capers has his work cut for him in trying to come up with schemes that mask Palmer’s obvious and easily exploitable flaws.
Eddie Lacy
It’s not like Lacy has gaping holes to run through,but he looks like a completely lost player compared to his first two seasons. Even when he does break off a few runs,they too often end in fumbles or near-fumbles. I miss the days of Lacy trucking over poor saps who dared to get in front of him once he broke through the line.
November 2, 2015 /
Adam Czech
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Adam - CheeseheadTV, Uncategorized
Sticking to his tried and true principles of drafting and developing,Packers general manager Ted Thompson once again eschewed outside free agency and rewarded two players that have come up through the Packers system with fat new contracts this offseason.
Rumors were swirliing that WR Randall Cobb was as good as gone when he signed a 4 year,$40 million deal right before free agency opened in the spring. Tackle Bryan Bulaga inked a 5 year,$33.75 million deal to stay in Green Bay as well.
Through seven games,neither player has lived up to their new contracts.
It’d be silly to suggest that the Packers threw their money down the toilet on either deal when they’re only seven games old. But if the Packers are going to get rolling again on offense,their two big re-signees need to start playing up to those deals.
So far,Cobb hasn’t taken the reigns of the No. 1 receiver slot followig the injury to Jordy Nelson. Cobb rarely beats his man in one-on-one matchups. Most of his production has come when Rodgers breaks the pocket on sandlot sytle plays,or where Cobb makes a great catch despite being blanketed by a defender.
Bulaga,always susceptible to injury,has missed three games with a bad knee and hasn’t looked very nimble when he’s played. Don’t get me wrong: Bulaga is much better than having Don Barclay out there,but it’s safe to say the right tackle hasn’t lived up to expectations yet this season.
We can talk about the Packers’ scheme. We can talk about their defensive issues and all the injuries. But many of the Packers recent struggles can be cured if Cobb and Bulaga play better.
Thompson’s philosophy depends on young players earning that big second contract,then having those players perform up to that contract. Through seven games,it’s safe to say Cobb and Bulaga haven’t done that.
Health could help Cobb and Bulaga turn things around. Even though he was rarely open against the Broncos,Cobb seemed aggressive with the ball and less protective of his sore shoulder. Bulaga’s only a little over a month removed from knee surgery,so perhaps time will boost his mobility.
Or maybe we’re seeing two good to very good players just going through a rough stretch. It happens,regardless of when a contract extension is signed.
Whatever the case may be,the Packers need Cobb and Bulaga to play better.
November 1, 2015 /
Adam Czech
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Adam - CheeseheadTV, Uncategorized
A lot of people are getting on Peyton Manning for being over the hill. “It’s sad seeing what Manning has become,” they say. “It’s time for him to hang it up,” others quip.
I say that’s nonsense. Manning should play until he’s eligible for the Senior Olympics. Watching Manning play NFL quarterback today is like watching me playing NFL quarterback,minus the beer belly (I also have a Midwestern accent,not a Southern drawl). It’s a crazy amount of fun.
Manning sort of stumbles backwards after taking the snap. You actually worry that he’s going to break a hip if he has to go into anything more than a three-step drop.
When he finally plants to throw,he puts his entire body into it. I can remember when I was little kid,I tried and tried and tried over and over again to throw a tennis ball over the roof of our house. I put every single once of energy and strength into each attempt until finally I did it.
That’s what Manning does on every throw. He winds up and loads up like he’s going to throw an end-of-half Hail Mary 65 yards downfield,but he’s really just trying to get enough air under the ball for a 9-yard curl route.
When’s the last time you saw Manning throw a perfect spiral? It’s been at least 20 games. His passes look like shanked punts.
All of that said,Manning is still an effective quarterback. That’s why he’s still so much fun to watch. His targets end up catching a fair amount of those shanked punts that leave his right hand.
I don’t care what his QB rating is or how great Denver’s defense is,you don’t go 6-0 with an incompetent scrub at QB.
Manning is like Eddie Harris, the crafty veteran pitcher in Major League who was over-the-hill but did whatever he could to get by,including putting snot on the ball and drinking Jobu’s rum.
Somehow Harris made it work and he helped his team win the pennant. Somehow Manning is making it work and he’s helped his team start 6-0.
Never stop,Peyton Manning. You’re an inspiration to Uncle Rico’s everywhere.
Here are 5 reasons why the Packers will beat the Broncos under the lights at Mile High:
On the mend
All signs point to the return of Davante Adams,Morgan Burnett and B.J. Raji,as well as a closer-to-100-percent Eddie Lacy and Randall Cobb. If the injured players do return and the wounded ones have regained more health,it’s a case of the rich Packers getting richer.
QB advantage
I’m not on the “Peyton Manning is done” bandwagon like so many others,but he’s clearly not as good Aaron Rodgers. That’s the X-factor in so many of these games,isn’t it? The Packers have the better quarterback,so the Packers end up winning. Even if Rodgers has an off game or an average game,he never throws those back-breaking interceptions or does anything that puts the Packers behind the 8-ball too far.
Lesson learned?
The Packers allowed 500 yards passing in nearly losing to Philip Rivers and the Chargers in week 6. Rivers’ arm might not be what it used to be,but the veteran made presnap adjustments,picked out matchups he liked,then dissected the Packers bland pass coverage looks. Manning has made a career out of doing the exact same thing and that’s what he’ll try and do tonight. Hopefully Dom Capers and his crew learned their lesson against Rivers and will have a few counters to Manning’s presnap moves. Hopefully.
Frustrated Manning
Not only is Manning frustrated by his own physical limitations as he approached 40 years old,he also seems irked at Gary Kubiak’s new offensive system. With the exception of a few games at the end of last season,Manning thrived under John Fox and offensive coordinate Adam Gase. Under Kubiak,Manning doesn’t seem to have as much control at the line and everything appears to move slower.
Dick Rodgers
Call me crazy,but I think Richard Rodgers ends up being the X-factor on offense. Rodgers has come close to breaking out lately. He dropped an easy touchdown pass against the Rams and narrowly missed hauling in a long sideline pass (his foot ended up just out of bounds) against the Chargers. While the rest of the world focuses on the return of Adams,how much Lacy weighs,and whether Cobb can find an opening,I think Rodgers busts out for a couple big catches.
What if Uncle Rico has one more shining moment left in him? Here’s how the Broncos could come out the victors tonight:
Do what Rivers did
As I’ve mentioned earlier in this post,Rivers had his way with Capers and the Packers before the snap. He set up matchups he liked then took advantage of them. That’s literally what Manning has done his entire career,even before his arm turned into a noodle. He’ll try and do the same tonight,and if Capers isn’t ready with some adjustments,Manning could turn the clock back to 2003.
October 27, 2015 /
Adam Czech
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Adam - CheeseheadTV, Uncategorized
It’s been nice watching the Green Bay Packers beat up on the likes of the Bears,Chiefs and Chargers so far this season. But things are about to get much more interesting over the next month.
Three of the next four Packers games are against contending teams,two of which are currently undefeated. If the Packers come through this upcoming month-long stretch undefeated,it’s safe to say we have a really special team on our hands. If they go 3-1,that’s still really good. Even 2-2 wouldn’t shake my confidence in this squad.
The NFL changes week-to-week,but that doesn’t’t stop those of us in the blogosphere from peering out into the future a bit. Let’s look into the Packers future right now and see the different types of challenges they’ll be facing over their next four games.
at Denver Broncos,7:30 p.m.,Sunday,Nov. 1
The same thing worries me about the Broncos that worried me about the Chargers: Presnap defensive looks. Philip Rivers knew what Dom Capers was doing early in the play clock and was able to adjust accordingly. Manning will try and do the same,so Capers better do a better of disguising his calls presnap,or at least building in an adjustment or two once Manning makes his presnap reads.
at Carolina Panthers,noon,Sunday,Nov. 8
I will be in a deer stand during this game,so my main worry is 1) not shooting myself in the foot and 2) the Packers getting run over. The Packers will be coming off consecutive games against wily old veteran quarterbacks looking to pick Green Bay apart in the passing game. Carolina will likely use its power running game to take a completely different approach,topped off by Cam Newton doing some power running of his own.
Detroit Lions,noon,Sunday,Nov. 15
The only thing that worries me about the Lions is whether the Packers will win by seven touchdowns or eight.
at Minnesota Vikings,noon,Sunday,Nov. 22
The Vikings roster isn’t loaded with top-tier talent,but it’s stacked with consistently solid players who play consistently. So far this season,Mike Zimmer’s team hasn’t gotten too high or too low. Plus the Vikings are young and naïve enough to think that they can beat the big,bad Packers at home in what amounts to Minnesota’s Super Bowl every season. Of the four games listed here,this one against Minnesota might very well be the biggest one. You don’t want to give the young Vikings any kind of hope that they can sneak up on Green Bay for the division.
So,what’s your prediction for this stretch? I’m calling 3-1: win at Denver,win at Carolina,win at home over Detroit,lose to the Vikings in Minnesota. Get ready for drooling Vikings fans on social media making cringe-worthy homophobic jokes.
October 25, 2015 /
Adam Czech
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Adam - CheeseheadTV, Uncategorized
The Green Bay Packers bye week ends on Monday. Once the players return to work,they’ll continue their march toward a perfect season and another Super Bowl title.
If I bet you that the Packers would go 19-0,would you take me up on it? You should,because the Packers probably aren’t going 19-0.
But as long as we’re talking betting,let’s take a look at five Packers over/under props I came up with for the second half of the season. Let me know which way you’d wager in the comments,and feel free to come up with some over/under props of your own.
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The Packers will win over/under (o/u) 6 1/2 of their final 10 games. If the Packers go over,it’d mean they’d finish 13-3 at worst. Call me crazy,but I’m taking the over. As long as the injury rush is over,this team should actually get better down the stretch. Sure,the schedule gets tougher,but my money is still on the Packers.
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Eddie Lacy will receive o/u 57 percent of the Packers rushing attempts in the last 10 games. Lacy’s 246 carries in 2014 accounted for almost 57 percent of Green Bay’s carries. So far,Lacy has 67 carries,about 44 percent of Green Bay’s total. I say Lacy’s ankle heals up,the weather gets cold,and ‘ol Phat Eddie hits the over on this one.
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Randall Cobb will be o/u 61 catches the rest of the season. Cobb caught 91 passes in 2014. He needs 61 grabs over the last 10 games to match that total. With a bum shoulder and extra attention thrown his way since Jordy Nelson’s been out,I’m betting the under here.
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Datone Jones record o/u 3 ½ sacks in the last 10 games. Jones’ career high for sacks was 3 ½ in his rookie season. He has one this season,so recording more than 3 ½ would get him his career high. I say he goes over and plays a key role on this team down the stretch.
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A total of o/u 2 ½ starters will suffer significant injuries the rest of the season. This might be the most important over/under of them all. By significant injury,I’m saying missing three games or more. I’m going to guess the under just because the football gods can’t hate the Packers that much,can they?
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Bonus over/under: I will have to pay o/u $250 per ticket to attend the Thanksgiving night game against the Bears. The wife and I are heading to Lambeau on Thanksgiving to honor Favre and watch the Packers maul the Bears. I’m hoping secondary market ticket prices come down,because right now they are ridiculously high. As I type this,the lowest price seat,before fees,runs $271 a pop. I’m a cheap SOB and will do whatever it takes to save a few bucks. But am I fighting a losing battle in this case? Will I just have to pony up a mortgage payment to go to this game and apologize to my financial advisor later?
October 20, 2015 /
Adam Czech
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Adam - CheeseheadTV, Uncategorized
Even though the Green Bay Packers are 6-0,there’s still a fair amount of consternation throughout the fan base about this year’s team.
The offense isn’t rolling like we’re used to. Injuries are mounting. The defense just allowed 500 passing yards. Opponents facing an early deficit are allowed to hang around and play their way back into the game. What’s up with Eddie Lacy and why can’t Randall Cobb get open?
This type of consternation annoys some people. Certain sectors of the Packers fan base think other sectors are spoiled. “We’re 6-0,” they say. “Quit whining and enjoy it.”
Of course,there are always “those fans” who are whiny and miserable no matter what,but I think they’re a tiny minority. Most Packers fans are perfectly capable of loving the fact that their favorite team is 6-0 while still pointing out flaws and talking about ways the team can get even better.
There’s also the “formality factor.” Before this season started,I wrote that Packers fans now view the regular season as a formality. Green Bay will win between 10-13 games,be in the mix for a Super Bowl and have several memorable moments from September through December. It’s what happens every season as long as QB1 is healthy.
Even though most fans will enjoy the ride of the regular season,it’s the playoffs that matter. Anything that happens in weeks 1-17 will be immediately forecasted and analyzed as to how it might impact the team in January.
Is giving up 500 yards to Philip Rivers a sign that the Packers are doomed for another playoff defensive meltdown? Are Rodgers’ recent struggles a sign that he might flounder in the postseason? Will the injuries be too much to overcome when the games matter most?
Go ahead and call Packers fans spoiled,but 10-13 wins and Super Bowl contention is just kind of what happens around here every season. It’s a whole lot of fun. It also kind of becomes routine. You want more. You can’t help but look ahead. You start nitpicking. You tell yourself not to do it but you do it anyway.
All of the sudden you sound like you’re unhappy about your undefeated football team. We’re not unhappy about our undefeated football team. We’ve just read this story before. The story had an amazing ending in 1996 and 2010. Every other time,the bad guys won,even though the book’s first 300 pages were filled with the green and gold good guys kicking ass.
Packers fans don’t want the good guys to dominate the entire book only to see the bad guys win again in the end. That’s why we sometimes talk about our undefeated team like they’re 3-3. We can’t help it. It’s nice to beat the bad guys in October on page 125 of the story. But what we really want to do is defeat the lead bad guy in January on the book’s final page.
Onto this week’s Packers Stock Report:
Rising
James Starks
Starks’ speed seems to catch teams off guard. That’ll probably change now that Starks has been getting so many carries,but for the time being,thank you,Neo,for stepping up and keeping the Packers ground game above water while whatever is going on with Eddie Lacy gets figured out.
Datone Jones
Not a bad week for Datone Jones. He had a new baby and made some key plays to help the Packers survive and beat the Chargers. As long as Jones avoids the nagging injuries,he’s continued to evolve into a very good player up front.
Lambeau Field
Is it just me,or does Lambeau Field sound louder than it has in years this season? Hats off to the Packers fans to fill the stands every Sunday. You’re more than doing your job this season.
Steady
James Jones
Even though the Packers offense might be sputtering a bit,you can still count on the Sleeveless Turtleneck for 1-2 great plays per game.
T.J. Lang
Lang didn’t do anything particularly special on Sunday,but let’s give him credit for getting on the field and playing through a knee injury that has to still be bugging him a bit. Nobody would’ve blamed Lang if he wanted to sit this one out prior to the bye week,but he got back out there and played well. We could probably say the same thing about Cobb and his shoulder and a number of other players fighting through injuries.
Falling
Eddie Lacy
If Lacy is injured,the Packers should sit him until he’s healthy. Trotting him out there for four lackluster carries doesn’t do anybody any good.
Direct TV
In my market (Minneapolis),CBS decided to show the entire overtime of the Broncos-Browns game instead of switching over to Packers-Chargers. Direct TV refused to put Packers-Chargers on a Sunday Ticket channel in my market,even though we pay around $400 per season to “never miss a minute of our favorite team.” Major fail on Direct TV’s part. Sunday Ticket is literally the only reason I put an obscene Direct TV dish on top of my roof. Put the national game on Sunday Ticket if the network doesn’t switch to it right away. Direct TV: You’re the one with scrawny arms,not cable.
NFL games on TV
Once the Packers game finally appeared on my television screen,I was treated to a long series of commercials that were occasionally interrupted by a football game. The game lasted nearly 4 hours and about 3 hours and 30 minutes of that were commercials. Stop with the score-commercial-kickoff-commercial pattern,NFL and network television. You’ll survive just fine if you knock out a handful of commercials to actually enhance the viewing experience back home.
October 18, 2015 /
Adam Czech
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Adam - CheeseheadTV, Uncategorized
WHY IS SAN DIEGO CHARGERS QUARTERBACK PHILIP RIVERS ALWAYS YELLING? WHENEVER I WATCH A CHARGERS GAME,I WANT TO GIVE RIVERS A BEER AND REMIND HIM THAT HE MAKES MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO THROW AN ODDLY-SHAPED PIECE OF LEATHER TO OTHER HIGHLY PAID HUMAN BEINGS. THERE IS NO NEED TO CONSTANTLY BE YELLING.
TO GIVE READERS OF THIS FINE GAME PREVIEW A BETTER SENSE OF WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN THEY WATCH THE CHARGERS PLAY THE GREEN BAY PACKERS TODAY,I AM GOING TO WRITE THIS ENTIRE PIECE IN THE VOICE OF PHILIP RIVERS. BY THE VOICE OF PHILIP RIVERS,I MEAN I AM GOING TO YELL. A LOT. HENCE,THE ALL CAPS.
RIVERS SEEMS LIKE THE DAN MARINO OF OUR GENERATION. A GREAT QB BLESSED WITH EXCELLENT RECEIVING TARGETS WHOSE TERRIBLE DEFENSES,OFFENSIVE LINES OR INJURY LUCK RUIN HIS SUPER BOWL CHANCES EVERY SEASON BEFORE NOVEMBER.
I HATE TO TELL YOU THIS,PHILIP RIVERS,BUT AFTER TODAY,YOUR HOPES FOR A SUPER BOWL WILL ONCE AGAIN BE RUINED. YES,YOU WILL ONLY BE 2-4 AFTER LOSING TO THE PACKERS,BUT ODDS ARE YOU’LL BE SO BEAT UP AND DEMORALIZED AFTER YOUR HIGH-SCHOOL LEVEL OFFENSIVE LINE ALLOWS YOU TO GET SACKED 14 TIMES THAT YOU’LL JUST THROW IN THE TOWEL.
YOU’LL CONTINUE YELLING,BUT THE YELLING WILL LOSE ALL MEANING AND PURPOSE.
I HOPE RIVERS CONTINUES PLAYING FOR A LONG TIME. HE’S A HELLUVA QUARTERBACK AND I LIKE WATCHING HIM YELL AT EVERYONE. I WISH MORE AGING QUARTERBACKS SAID TO HELL WITH IT ALL AND JUST YELLED AT ANYONE WHO GOT WITHIN A 5-YARD RADIUS OF THEM BETWEEN PLAYS.
RIVERS’ YELLING ALSO HAS LIKELY OPENED SEVERAL POST-FOOTBALL CAREER OPPORTUNITIES. DEATH METAL BANDS ARE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR SOMEONE WHO CAN YELL FOR HOURS ON END WITHOUT LOSING THEIR VOICE. DAY CARE FACILITIES NEED YELLERS TO GET THROUGH TO THE SCREAMING CHILDREN. THERE ARE ALSO SEVERAL SIDEWALK CORNERS IN AMERICA THAT ARE JUST ASKING FOR A SIDEWALK PREACHER TO SET UP SHOP AND YELL AT PEOPLE AS THEY WALK BY.
ACTUALLY,SIDEWALK PREACHER WOULD BE THE PERFECT POST-FOOTBALL JOB FOR RIVERS. BUT INSTEAD OF YELLING ABOUT JESUS AND HELL AND DAMNATION,RIVERS WOULD YELL AT RANDOM PEOPLE ABOUT BLITZ PICK-UPS AND MISTAKEN PASSING ROUTES.
WOULDN’T IT BE FUN TO BE WALKING TO WORK AND ALL OF THE SUDDEN PHILIP RIVERS JUST STARTS BERATING YOU FOR FAILING TO MAKE THE PROPER READ ON A BLITZ PICK UP?
OK,ALL THIS YELLING HAS CAUSED THIS PREVIEW TO GO WAY OFF THE RAILS. LET’S CALM THINGS DOWN AND LOOK AT FIVE REASONS WHY THE PACKERS WILL BEAT THE CHARGERS LATER THIS AFTERNOON.
Offensive line
Even casual football fans know that the Chargers offensive line is all banged up and absolutely atrocious. If the Packers bombard Rivers early with unstoppable pressure up the middle,this game will be over in a hurry.
Secondary
Even without Morgan Burnett,the Packers secondary has been one of the toughest against the pass in the NFL. Rivers will try to outsmart Dom Capers and crew pre-snap,but his arm strength isn’t what it used to be and he doesn’t have much for deep threats. If the Packers secondary can sit on the short routes and not let Rivers out-wit them,they should be able to contain San Diego through the air.
Something to prove
Every week,Aaron Rodgers is basically asked over and over again what makes him and the Packers offense so great. After ho-hum performances the last two weeks,some are now questioning just how explosive the Packers’ offense is. Hold on tight,folks. When Rodgers and company feel that people are questioning them,they usually go off for a big game.
Lambeau advantage
You can’t write a “5 reasons why the Packers will win” post without mentioning the obvious: The Packers,with Rodgers and his use of the cadence pre-snap,are really,really hard to beat at home. Yes,that’s stating the obvious at this point,but it needs to be said.
Speed
When’s the last time the Packers defense has played this fast? Even the behemoths up front seem quicker and more explosive early in this season. That speed is going to be too much for the Chargers to handle,in my not so humble opinion.
RIVERS IS GOING TO HAVE A LOT TO YELL ABOUT IF HE’S ABLE TO LEAD THE CHARGERS TO AN UPSET. IF HE PULLS IT OFF,HERE’S HOW IT MIGHT GO DOWN:
Quarterback play
Rivers is not as good as Rodgers,but depending on what you think of Russell Wilson,Rivers is probably the best quarterback the Packers have faced this season. He’s not going to throw check-downs over and over again like Alex Smith or drop an easy pick-six into Quinten Rollins’ hands like Nick Foles. If the Packers are thinking too much about their bye-week vacation plans,Rivers could go off and get a W.
October 13, 2015 /
Adam Czech
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Adam - CheeseheadTV, Uncategorized
The Green Bay Packers No. 1 wide receiver is out for the season. Their No. 3 receiver has missed most of the season with a bad ankle. Eddie Lacy still doesn’t look healthy after suffering an ankle injury against Seattle and Andrew Quarless is out with a bum knee.
Randall Cobb,the Packers No. 2 receiver,is playing with a sore shoulder and T.J. Lang exited Sunday’s win over the St. Louis Rams with a knee injury.
No wonder the Packers offense is struggling.
Yes,Aaron Rodgers can turn water into wine and perform several other superhuman feats of football greatness,but even he can’t crank out Madden-like numbers week in and week out on a team that’s dealing with as many injuries as the Packers are.
And despite all the sprained ankles,messed-up knees and the “struggling” offense,the Packers are 5-0. Not only are the Packers 5-0,with the exception of about 5 minutes in the Seattle game,at no point this season have I ever felt that the Packers were in serious danger of losing a game.
Consider this as the offense works its way back to optimum health and maximum production: In the month of October during the Packers 2010 season,they scored 20 points or fewer in three games. That team also dealt with a bunch of early injuries. Eventually,they figured it out and won the Super Bowl.
The Packers defense has more than picked up the slack as the offense tries to get back on track this October. To honor the D’s efforts,we’re dedicating the entire Packers Stock Report to Dom Capers’ and his defenisve players:
Rising
Clay Matthews
CM3=DPOY. (If any Bears or Vikings fans are reading this,that translates to Clay Matthews = Defensive Player of the Year.)
Mike Daniels
Mike Daniels racked up seven solo tackles on Sunday. That’s not supposed to happen for a 3-4 defensive lineman. Daniels is not only blowing up running plays with penetration,he’s also finishing up with tackles.
Sam Shields
Sneaky move by Sam Shields in week 1. He purposely played bad so other teams would think he isn’t any good and would continuously challenge him deep. The rope-a-dope has worked. Teams are taking their shots against Shields and he keeps turning them away.
Steady
Datone Jones
Not only is Jones contributing to a surprisingly effective defensive line,he also made his mark with blocked field goal against St. Louis.
Ha Ha Clinton-Dix
Pro Football Focus ranks Clinton-Dix as the fourth-best run-defending safety in the NFL. With the exception of a few missed tackles against Matt Forte in week 1,what I’ve seen with my own eyes matches PFF’s numbers. Clinton-Dix seems to have rid himself of that annoying habit where he’s dive at a players feet instead of making an aggressive tackle.
Falling
Aaron Rodgers
LOL. Just kidding. Rodgers was a little skittish in the pocket on Sunday,but I don’t think it’s anything to worry about. It was hard to tell if he was jumpy because Lang was out,or if he felt his receivers weren’t getting separation and the only hope of making a play was to start moving around.
October 11, 2015 /
Adam Czech
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Adam - CheeseheadTV, Uncategorized
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:
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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.
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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.
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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.
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