Additional Week 12 Football Review

Packers @ Falcons recap

Note: There will be no pictures this week. Pictures are for winners.

Did the Packers choke?

This was the question that my brother and I were debating throughout the game. The answer is yes, but it wasn't so until the final 43 seconds that this happened. Yes, the Packers have a history of choking in big games under McCarthy. The two Vikings games last year, the Giants in 07, the Cardinals game last year (kinda), the Bears game this year, but they hung in, punch for punch, with the co-best team in the NFC at their place where they are incredibly hard to beat for 59:17 yesterday.

It's a game that should not have been in doubt, were it not for 1. a fluky fumble at the goal line that turned into a 14 point swing, 2. the challenge that wasn't on a critical 21 yard 4th down gain, wherein McCarthy repeatedly said his information came in too late and 3. Atlanta having the ball with 1:55 on the clock inside their own 5, and GB elected not to use either of its remaining timeouts. These are critical and disconcerting errors, but aren't evidence of an out and out choke job. Especially in light of the following:

Series 1

1st-1, GB1 0:40 J. Snelling rushed to the left for no gain

2nd-1, GB1 0:00 M. Turner rushed to the left for no gain

4th Quarter

Atlanta continued

3rd-1, GB1 14:54 M. Ryan passed to T. Gonzalez to the right for no gain

4th-1, GB1 14:24 M. Turner rushed to the left for 1 yard touchdown. M. Bryant made PAT

Yes, Atlanta scored a touchdown. However, the Defense picked up their gigantic sacks and gave it everything they had against enormous runningbacks and a talented receiving core. And if you watched the fourth down play, the DLine had enough push up the middle to force the play outside. Against that line and those backs, that's an accomplishment in and of itself, even if the result was undesirable (farts in the general direction of the linebacker/corner/safety failing to keep contain). The jumbo d-line package is so much nicer than having to play TJ lang in goal line situations. Again, the outcome wasn't desirable, but the execution was absolutely cause for optimism. You'll forget that Atlanta is the Co-best team in the NFC. You would expect that team to score from the 1 yard line given four plays against any defense (I think this is the point that the "choker" group forgets. Atlanta is really fucking good and sometimes things that don't go Green Bay's way are because Atlanta is really fucking good, not because Green Bay choked).

The second piece of contrary evidence should already be apparent. I will break it down in appropriate segments below and explain why it gives me such tremendous hope.

1st-10, GB10 5:54 B. Jackson rushed to the left for 5 yard gain

2nd-5, GB15 5:30 A. Rodgers passed to A. Quarless to the left for 11 yard gain

The drive starts off with a nice 5 yard run that nobody was expecting. The run hadn't been there all day and is obviously cause for concern, although everybody knew coming into the game that Atlanta's defense was incredibly stout against the run, while Green Bay's running game was feeble, at best. Rodgers followed this up with a pass to Quarless for a first down.

1st-10, GB26 5:07 A. Rodgers passed to B. Jackson to the left for no gain

2nd-10, GB26 4:31 Green Bay committed 5 yard penalty

People point to the false starts as chokes. You're on the road in a dome. It is going to happen, no matter how much you prepare for it. Fuck, even Rodgers fucked up a snap, maybe even the play before (I don't remember where in the sequence it happened, I just recall that he threw to Jackson in an awful hurry).

2nd-15, GB21 4:26 A. Rodgers passed to A. Quarless down the middle for 19 yard gain

Another first down pass to Quarless. I cannot emphasize enough how incredibly important it is that Quarless continues to develop as a reliable receiving option. With Finley out and Driver hurt, teams are going to turn a *ton* of attention to Jennings. Having a TE that can consistently get open and make great catches really opens up the offense for a team that can barely run out of the tunnel.

1st-10, GB40 3:45 B. Jackson rushed to the left for 8 yard gain

2nd-2, GB48 3:17 A. Rodgers rushed to the right for 7 yard gain

Rodgers is a stone cold killer. After a nice running play call to Jackson, which again only happens when you're passing so effectively nobody pays attention to the run, Rodgers moves in the pocket to keep the play going, and ultimately runs for a first down. I don't remember seeing a white quarterback with as much pocket presence as Rodgers has since Elway and Young.

1st-10, ATL45 3:13 A. Rodgers incomplete pass to the right

2nd-10, ATL45 3:08 A. Rodgers passed to G. Jennings to the right for 15 yard gain

Greg Jennings runs after the catch. Remember when he used to do that a few years ago? This play was anti-choke, although not as much as the upcoming 4th down.

1st-10, ATL30 2:45 A. Rodgers passed to B. Jackson down the middle for 9 yard gain

2nd-1, ATL21 2:14 A. Rodgers incomplete pass to the left

3rd-1, ATL21 2:11 A. Rodgers incomplete pass to the left

4th-1, ATL21 2:03 A. Rodgers passed to J. Jones down the middle for 18 yard gain

Aaron Rodgers is a stone cold killer. I mentioned it to E earlier in the game, that Rodgers has that ice-water-running-through-his-veins look, almost to the point of being catatonic, definitely to the point of looking indifferent like Jay Cutler. However, you could see on Rodgers' touchdown run that, unlike Cutler, he gives a flying fuck about scoring and winning, he just knows that getting nervous and worked up works against you in pressure situations. This play was the most un-choke play Rodgers could have possibly designed. It was Favrian. Rodgers flashed that elite pocket presence again dodging two certain sacks, made the only throw he could to a receiver that had broken off his route, and kept the drive alive. I watched the rest of the game proudly sporting a hardon.

1st-3, ATL3 1:54 A. Rodgers sacked by J. Abraham. A. Rodgers fumbled. A. Rodgers recovered fumble

Fuck. That's right. Atlanta's actually a good team. You can't always just score at will against good teams. Oh well, there are still three plays left and the Packers still have Aaron Rodgers.

2nd-6, ATL6 1:52 A. Rodgers incomplete pass to the right

3rd-6, ATL6 1:45 A. Rodgers passed to B. Jackson to the right for 1 yard gain

4th-5, ATL5 1:06 Green Bay committed 5 yard penalty

Another false start. The crowd noise is clearly affecting the offense. However, as the announcers astutely point out, this opens up some lanes that wouldn't otherwise be there.You end up with 33% more field to work with.

4th-10, ATL10 0:56 A. Rodgers passed to J. Nelson to the left for 10 yard touchdown. M. Crosby made PAT

Both lines are gassed. There are about 24 fat guys laying on the ground at the line of scrimmage, and Rodgers backs to his left, fires a rocket toward the sidelines (cue Jim Rome rocket noises) and completes a pass with very little room to work with. 16 plays, 5:54 off the clock. The drive wasn't flawless, but it was magnificent in its execution in the drive's most high leverage situations. It was as clutch as clutch can clutch. Fuck, even Crosby made his kick.

Then, the inevitable. Special teams goes and fucks it all up

Green Bay kicked off, E. Weems returned kickoff for 40 yards. Green Bay committed 15 yard penalty

The return to the 35 was bad enough, inexcusable even. A larger choke than the facemasking, to be sure. Decent coverage wouldn't have necessitated a tackle-Weems-at-all-costs approach, and would have left Atlanta at least 25 yards further from FG distance, which was difficult for them to approach in the first place. So yes, in short, the Packers choked, but it wasn't the offense, or defense. It was special teams, which, as I note in the observations section, is effectively culpable in all four of the Packers' losses to date. I have more thoughts on the game, but I've outlined them below in observations.

Observations

1. The Packers demonstrated that they and the Falcons are effectively the Co-best teams in the NFC. Atlanta has the best record and GB has the best point differential (and the best scoring defense in the NFL). With 5 to play, it will be essentially impossible for the Packers to get home field advantage. They're 1.5 back of Atlanta. However, as long as they take care of business, which means beating everybody but NE on the road, the Packers should end up with the 2 seed. That may very well mean a trip back to Atlanta for a potential NFC championship game, but I think this game was evidence that, at the very least, the Packers can hang with them punch for punch. Arguments to the contrary are grounds for institutionalization.
2. It's finally time for Shawn Slocum to take a long walk off a short pier. The special teams killed GB in two games against Minnesota last year and have killed them in ALL FOUR losses this year. TD return by Hester, missed FG as time expired against Washington, a *critical* lined up over the center penalty against Miami, and that pitiful kick coverage at the end of the game today. By all measures, both Green Bay's offense and defense have been above average-to-excellent in the last two seasons while the special teams have been abysmal, among the worst in the league.
3. Aaron Rodgers is a "championship" QB that doesn't have a championship yet. He has all the fucking swagger you could ever ask for. There are certain very good-to-excellent QBs that crumble when they know the pressure is on. We watched Favre do this for years in GB. Rodgers has begun to prove that he will not make those same mistakes when his back is against the wall. Incompletions are fine, turnovers are unacceptable, and he didn't make any quarterback turnovers yesterday (the fumble at the goalline is not a quarterback turnover). This gives me great hope that he can overcome #4
4. I still have doubts whether McCarthy is a championship coach. They continue to be in games in spite of themselves. Letting the clock expire in the first half is inexcusable. Time management at the end of the Bears game was inexcusable. The special teams are inexcusable. They've lost four games this year, all by a field goal. Those little things are what makes the difference between wins and losses in 3 point games. You don't get to face Dallas and Minnesota every week in the playoffs, and if your ultimate goal is to win the Super Bowl, you're going to have to win those close games. I would have lost all hope that McCarthy was ever going to improve those deficiencies, but they have significantly cut down on penalties in recent weeks, meaning there's a chance that he could improve in other areas as well.
5. All three goal line situations the Packers found themselves in yesterday emphasized how much they miss Jermichael Finley and Ryan Grant. They can't run the ball, especially in short yardage situations. Grant wasn't great, but he was 6'1 225 and could pick up a yard on 3 plays if he needed to. Obviously Finley was a prototypical mismatch that could be relied upon in 3rd and 4th and goal situations. The team has done a lot to overcome those injuries and deserves a ton of credit, but there are times where their absence is definitely apparent.
6. Roddy White was nowhere to be found yesterday. Obviously on a team with as much talent as Atlanta has, you're not going to be able to neutralize everybody, but the Packers held a guy averaging 8 catches and 100 yards per game to 5 and 49. A definite victory for the secondary.
7. AJ Hawk sucks. He blew several tackles in key situations and I want to say he was responsible for not maintaining the defensive right side on Turner's 4th down TD. Another area where GB really misses the injured starter.
8. The Bears are a legitimate threat, but their victory yesterday was the preferable outcome. As I mentioned in point 1, winning home field will be tough being 1.5 games behind Atlanta, but getting a playoff bye is just as important as winning home field. Obviously nobody out west will be earning a bye, so the 2 seed will come down to the winner of the east and north. Green Bay already holds a tiebreaker against philly thanks to a head-to-head victory, and still plays the Giants at home the day after Christmas, a game the Packers should win. As long as the Packers can take the north with at least 11 wins, they should secure the #2 seed. The issue then becomes winning the north. Chicago is 1.5 games ahead of Green Bay right now (how did that happen?) with road games against the three division opponents and home games against New England and NYJ. The Bears need to win out to win the division. Losses in any of those games, *especially* if GB beats NE and Detroit, will be devastating to tie-breakers for the bears. Assuming GB can beat Chicago at home on Jan 2, that would put them even, ceteris paribus. First tiebreaker is record within the division, which would be 5-1, assuming both teams win out. Then it comes down to common games. Chicago's remaining games are all common and/or within the division, so losses become critical.
   
9. Point is, yesterday's loss hurt because it didn't have to be a loss, but it didn't hurt the overall picture for the Packers. If they keep it together and take care of business, 11-5 and a 2 seed should be well within their grasp. They proved yesterday that they can go into Atlanta and hang with the Falcons, so a trip to the Super Bowl at this juncture isn't totally out of the question

That's a lot of typing. I think it makes sense. Let me know your thoughts in the comments.

Packers - Vikings game recap

Those of you that regularly email me about the Packers - notably Condescendy and my family members, know that I thought the Packers would win this one easily as Minnesota was in the same state of disarray as the Cowboys were before their game against Green Bay. I think I speak for the blog when I say that the first quarter was quite worrisome and the rest of the game was awkwardly erotic. The defense was lights out. The offense scored at will. Fuck, even Jarrett Bush effectively blocked a field goal with an acting-job-and-flag-call. You know they've been working on that.

Favre congratulates Jennings on his big game, talks about his plans for his daughter's birthday.

It's evident right now that the Packers are, how you say, firing on all cylinders. Everybody knew this was a great team in the offseason. When you put up 59 points on the defending AFC champs and say you didn't play all that well offensively, well you're pretty fucking good. Dom Capers once again showed that his penis is about two feet thick. 10 points in the last three games. Think about that for a second. They've lost 7 defensive players to IR this season, 3 starters, 3 guys that filled in for injured starters, and Justin Harrell. And they have allowed one pretty cheap touchdown in three weeks. I have more to say about this in the "observations" section below, but it's going to be difficult to beat a defense that eye rapes you for sixty minutes. Especially one that can put 1,000 pounds of man in a 3 man front.

Dom Capers makes Han Solo look like a pussy.

The best part about the win is that the Vikings are clearly finished, and the Packers dealt the fatal blow. Sure, Minnesota got the best of things last year, but drew no championship blood. They're effectively five games back of Green Bay with six to play, and are an out and out mess. Aaron Rodgers must feel pretty fucking good about that.

There were about six players on defense that deserve credit for their contributions yesterday - Woodson, Jenkins, Raji, Collins, Williams, and, of course, Matthews.

Fucking shower in that shit

Observations

1. Cullen Jenkins' hand injury was a conspiracy among NFL quarterbacks to try to save their own lives. The man is a terror with two good hands and was in on more plays than anybody yesterday.
   
2. Greg Jennings has stopped Sean Foxing it on the field following Jermichael Finley's injury. For those that didn't make the St. Francis Borgia 8th grade boys basketball team, you won't understand the reference. Sean was the most talented guy on the team, but if he ended up getting frustrated - team losing, bad players around him, substitutions, etc - he'd stop trying. I think we experienced that as Jermichael Finley took over the #1 target role with the Packers. In his absence, Jennings has made the plays he used to make with Favre as his quarterback and has really made the void left by Finley more tolerable.
3. James Jones has realized how to realize his potential. I heard a few commentators say that Jones had #1 receiver stuff earlier this season, but never understood why they'd say that. He was maddeningly inconsistent. However, I think it's because he could be. He was the #3 receiver and #4 option on the offense. He didn't have to bring his A game, so it didn't matter whether he did or didn't. Kind of like playing 2B behind a massive strikeout/flyball pitcher - you just let your skills lax a bit cause you won't be fielding balls anyway. When Driver went down, Jones became the #2 option, realized he had to stop fucking around, and has played very well since. As with Jennings, I hope this behavior continues even as the situation fails to persist.
   
4. Tramon Williams has played pro-bowl caliber corner. He came close to ending Greg Lewis' life, and ever since the Baltimore game last season he has cut down on his penalties and touchdowns allowed. He could use a big game against the Falcons or Pats (national TV) to showcase his abilities and make a case for the Pro Bowl, but know that, at this point, he's earned it.
5. The Packers running game is barely enough to get by, but they definitely need to have Nance contribute in short yardage. I think this season makes people realize Ryan Grant was better than we appreciated. I don't think Brandon Jackson is Carnell Williams bad, but I don't recall him making a single impressive play all season. Grant could at least string a few of those together every now and again. Further, he can't pick up extra yardage, which is something we saw Nance do on a 3rd and 1 yesterday. Success, especially in the playoffs, will depend upon being able to pick up short yardage 3rd downs like that. Nance is the only RB that has proven he can do it (Rodgers is also rather effective).
6. The defensive player of the year award is Clay Fucking Matthews' to lose. He had a great game on national TV against Dallas and nobody will shut up about how great he is. There isn't another compelling defensive story out there, so unless Derelle Revis absolutely goes off against the Patriots or something, expect the award to remain in Green Bay this year.
   
7. Brian Bulaga is not playing very good football right now, but this rookie class may still go down as Thompson's most talented. 2005 had Rodgers and Collins and 2009 had Matthews, Brad Jones, and Raji, but the depth this class is assembling is frigtening. Brian Bulaga will be a starter, even if he never ends up being a cornerstone left tackle. Sam Shields will take over as #2 corner as soon as the organization realizes Charles Woodson is a more effective safety than a corner. Provided they remain healthy, Morgan Burnett and Mike Neal should be starting, or at least regular contributors. Frank Zombo has stepped up well with the injuries at linebacker, and Andrew Quarless has all the swag necessary to be a great target at TE. This kind of success is the reason the Packers have been able to sustain 11 season-ending injuries and still be the best team in the conference.
8. The Packers are the best team in the conference. Just try to prove otherwise. Were it not for a serious string of horrendous breaks, they could very realistically be undefeated right now, and even with those breaks they have lost three games by a combined nine points, two of them in overtime.

**Editors note** As I was typing this, the Vikings formally fired Brad Childress. Childress joins Kevin Kolb, Trent Edwards, and Wade Phillips as chum in the Packers' wake. Fuck you, the rest of the league

Week 10 Vikings/Bears Preview

ESPN reports leading up to the game this week indicate the trouble in the Vikings locker room...

Video taken of the Bears' running backs practice this week was equally discouraging...

Thankfully, your friends at BCS have already obtained the outcome to Sunday's game and have provided the recap below to spare its loyal readers the agony of actually having to watch this clusterf*ck of a game.

Cowboys @ Packers Game recap

I'm going to try to recap games sometime early in the week going forward as people seem to be interested and there exists potential for discussion. The game really had so many high points, one may not know where to begin.

Pictured above: Some slut; and, the NFL's premier Clown Rapist, Clay Fucking Matthews III

We'll begin by discussing Clay Fucking Matthews III, who, with his performance in Sunday Night's game, earned an honor bestowed upon only the most accomplished humans at their particular endeavor, including Yngwie Fucking Malmsteen and Rob Fucking Deer. Matthews was a total and complete terror on the Cowboys. His one sack and single-interception-returned-62-yards-for-a-touchdown don't begin to do his performance justice. He knocked the black out of Marion Barber III. He changed the way an entire offense had to approach their game. Despite not being his best performance of the season (hello Philadelphia), Sunday night was his coming out party as it was on national television. Should he keep this pace up, he will garner serious (deserved) consideration for the defensive player of the year award. Now if he could just figure out how to jump into the damn stands and stop embarrassing the rest of us.

Packers Defensive Coordinator and Eternal Bosom of Hot Love Dom Capers poses with tag-teammate Clay Fucking Matthews III after dominating the Hart Foundation at Wrestlemania VII. Check the record books, it's fucking in there.

I would like to lead the blog in a prayer that Dom Capers never gets an itch to be a head coach again. Frankly, the guy was an awful head coach. He had one playoff appearance (albeit with a very good Carolina team), but has a career 37.5% winning percentage. The man has found his niche, and head coach is not it. However, the motherfucker can coach a defense.

For those that were unaware, the motherfucker can coach a fabled underdog hockey team, too.

...he even taught Sam Shields how to finally catch the ball

Capers has done more with less than any coach I have ever seen. He's missing Burnett, Barnett, Martin, Jones, Neal, Poppinga, and Harrell, all for the year. He's been without Atari Bigby and Al Harris (Swag in Peace, brotha) all season. Brandon Chillar, CFM III, Cullen Jenkins, and Ryan Pickett have all missed games (for those counting at home, that's five linebackers and three strong safeties). And the man keeps on adjusting. His strategic approach is unmatched.

Look at all those fucking queens

He's been using offensive linemen in goal line situations and put an undrafted rookie free agent on one of the best receivers in football on Sunday. The results? The Packers have allowed 7 points in the last 8 quarters. They're second in the league in PPG at 15.9. Just wrap your head around that for a second. 6 players on IR and two more on the PUP list, and they're second in PPG against.

The offense finally clicked, too, but that's due as much to playing a defeated Dallas team as it is to any success on the offense's part.

Even Condescendy couldn't doctor those stats to make them look better, Mike

Phillips admitted constipation contributed to his struggles and eventual firing

Romo watches Sunday night's debacle comfortably from the sidelines

Rodgers had a near flawless day, with most of his incompletions coming inside the Dallas 10, where space becomes a premium. James Jones clearly had an "up" day with 123 yards and a TD. Jennings is stepping in nicely as Rodgers' #1 option with Finley out. Even the running game looked rather effective with almost 4 yards per carry. The offense can still play, it has just taken the players some time to adjust to life without Grant, Finley, and Tauscher. The Packers are *still* the only team with their #1 RB on IR, and have been without him since the first half of week 1. I believe the Colts are the only other team with their #1 TE on IR, but please don't quote me on that just yet. Really a remarkable performance all around, and a testament to the depth that Ted Thompson has been able to accumulate as GM. (Remember when we wanted Marshawn Lynch? He's averaging 3.1 YPC in Seattle).

Rodgers, Sitton and Kuhn sky high celebrating their victory

Finally, and potentially most importantly, the NFC looks very winable. Recall that everybody lauded the Giants as NFC title favorites after their 41-35 win over Dallas. They fucking gave up 35 points to Dallas! The Packers lead the NFL in Net Points at +78 (albeit through playing 9 games and not 8. Tennessee leads the league with +9.25 net PPG, the Packers have +8.67). The Packers can and should beat every team in the NFC. The only place I really see them vulnerable is to Philadelphia with a mobile quarterback and blitz-heavy defensive scheme. From there, they probably aren't as good as several AFC teams, but it only takes a chip and a chair to have a chance of winning one game.

We'll Miss You Al

Bub is supposed to be posting a recap of yesterday's clown raping, but thought I should give one last shout out to Al Harris.

I know I'm a couple days late in posting this

But in case there was any doubt, John Wall received the blog's endorsement for NBA rookie of the year after exactly three games.




As his swag would indicate, he went on to swarm for 29 points, 13 assists, and 9 steals.