More Banjo: Wild Card vs Giants

[pbmax]

Randall with some redemption this game, same with Gunter.

Nice 2nd quarter adjustments by M3 and spray paint hair.

More to come after Thai food.

[Patler]

In the last six weeks, the Packers have scored:

31 on the #13 scoring defense.
38 on the #6 scoring defense.
30 on the #24 scoring defense.
38 on the #3 scoring defense.
21 on the #11 scoring defense.
27 on the #12 scoring defense.

The Giants have a good defense, but the Packers have shown they are capable of putting up a lot of points against some good defenses.

and now, in the 7th week:

38 on the #2 scoring defense.

with the #5 scoring defense up next.

[pbmax]

Packer Report ‏@PackerReport 30m30 minutes ago
Beckham: 4 catches, 13 targets, 28 yards. Gunter with a decisive win in that matchup. And #Packers head to Dallas.

OK, but he wasn't one on one with ODB the entire game. He did well, but there was a lot of safeties near Beckham too.

[SMBASS]

Packer Report ‏@PackerReport 30m30 minutes ago
Beckham: 4 catches, 13 targets, 28 yards. Gunter with a decisive win in that matchup. And #Packers head to Dallas.

OK, but he wasn't one on one with ODB the entire game. He did well, but there was a lot of safeties near Beckham too.

Agree...kind of a misleading stat. Not saying that Gunter didn't play well, but he wasn't 1 on 1 with Beckham all game.

[pbmax]

Green Bay Packers ‏@packers 12m12 minutes ago
McCarthy: Excellent playoff victory for us. Played an outstanding team in the Giants. We knew it was going to be a battle.

Packer Report ‏@PackerReport 13m13 minutes ago
Special teams outstanding MM says. Win field position. Defense set tone after tough start by offense.

Scott Kacsmar ‏@FO_ScottKacsmar 13m13 minutes ago
Randall Cobb caught more TD (3) today than Marvin Harrison (2) had in his playoff career.

Ian Rapoport ‏@RapSheet 12m12 minutes ago
Per @NFLResearch, this was the most lopsided Wild Card weekend since expanding to 4 games in 1990 -- 19.0 average margin.

Packer Report ‏@PackerReport 11m11 minutes ago
MM practice Hail Mary every Saturday. Arc of ball key. Gave us momentum, he says.

Packer Report ‏@PackerReport 10m10 minutes ago
MM says doesn't have update on Nelson.

Green Bay Packers ‏@packers 10m10 minutes ago
McCarthy on Randall Cobb's big game: Tells you so much about him & the connection he has with Aaron. Great to have him out there.

Green Bay Packers ‏@packers 8m8 minutes ago
McCarthy on @AaronRodgers12: He's playing tremendous football. He's spoiled all of us around here for a long time.

[pbmax]

Agree...kind of a misleading stat. Not saying that Gunter didn't play well, but he wasn't 1 on 1 with Beckham all game.

And that is the mark of a good game plan. Kept it mixed up. Kinda thing Dom gets away from with the man to man CBs he has had in past. He's going great guns right now.

[pbmax]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C1sSrMUUcAAnHkH.jpg:large

[pbmax]

Jason Wilde ‏@jasonjwilde 38m38 minutes ago
#Packers were up 14-13 after the failed fourth-down play and ensuing touchdown. And they win 38-13.

Tom Silverstein ‏@TomSilverstein 2h2 hours ago
In last seven games (including this one), Rodgers has thrown 18 touchdowns and no interceptions.

[pbmax]

CBS Sports ‏@CBSSports 2h2 hours ago
Ben McAdoo trying to become one with the play sheet.

I'd have gone with the playsheet has frozen to Ben's face OR Beckham triple dog dared him to lick it.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C1r_gbNXUAI92j4.jpg:large

[Bossman641]

Randall played with a ton of swagger today. Hoping he carries it forward

[SMBASS]

And that is the mark of a good game plan. Kept it mixed up. Kinda thing Dom gets away from with the man to man CBs he has had in past. He's going great guns right now.

It's a heck of a lot easier to mix things up in the defensive backfield when you have an all world player like Charles Woodson back there. He's trying to do it with a lot of inexperience and his #1 CB out for almost the entire year. I called out Ha Ha earlier in the year for not necessarily playing badly but for just for being kind of invisible. The next game he had 2 picks and he's been playing great ever since. Who knew he just needed to read my post to light a fire under his ass! Lol!

[pbmax]

Green Bay Packers ‏@packers 23m23 minutes ago
Rodgers on Hail Mary: That's 3 in the last calendar year. It's fun every single time...Believe any time that ball goes up we have a chance.

Green Bay Packers ‏@packers 21m21 minutes ago
Rodgers on if Nelson is out for extended time: It'd be a huge loss for us, obviously...Geronimo has been playing well & Randall is healthy.

Green Bay Packers ‏@packers 21m21 minutes ago
Rodgers on practicing Hail Marys: "We're definitely more effective in games."

JS Comments ‏@JSComments 19m19 minutes ago
Cowboys, cowboys, whatcha gonna do? Whatcha gonna do when rodgers comes for you? Cowboys cowboys

Green Bay Packers ‏@packers 18m18 minutes ago
Rodgers: Jared Cook been a big part of our success just being out there. He's a big body, tough to cover. Great locker room guy, leader.

Adam Schefter ‏@AdamSchefter 12m12 minutes ago
Aaron Rodgers has 3 completions thrown 40+ yards in past 2 postseasons. Rest of NFL has 1 such completion (Cam Newton in Super Bowl 50).

[pbmax]

Green Bay Packers ‏@packers 16m16 minutes ago
Cobb: It was great just to be back on the field, fighting with my brothers.

Green Bay Packers ‏@packers 15m15 minutes ago
Cobb on another #Packers Hail Mary: I got behind the defense & was able to make the catch...It's unbelievable.

Green Bay Packers ‏@packers 14m14 minutes ago
Cobb on Jordy Nelson's injury: Everybody just stuck to our job. We hate seeing one of our guys go down, but we've got to continue to play.

Green Bay Packers ‏@packers 11m11 minutes ago
Cobb on Rodgers: He's been playing at a high level over the last 7-8 weeks & we've been making plays for him. Done a great job leading us.

[pbmax]

Jordan Raanan @JordanRaanan
Odell Beckham was banging head against locker room door, per Sal Pal. Also believed to have punched this hole in


https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C1sXhxrVQAECZ2w.jpg:large

[gbgary]

Packer Report ‏@PackerReport 30m30 minutes ago
Beckham: 4 catches, 13 targets, 28 yards. Gunter with a decisive win in that matchup. And #Packers head to Dallas.

OK, but he wasn't one on one with ODB the entire game. He did well, but there was a lot of safeties near Beckham too.

that's twice now.

[gbgary]

And that is the mark of a good game plan. Kept it mixed up. Kinda thing Dom gets away from with the man to man CBs he has had in past. He's going great guns right now.

nice adjustments on both sides of the ball but particularly on the o. once they abandoned the big-play-or-nothing offense and turned to the take-what-they-give-us offense, the game changed...just like last week.

[pbmax]

Syed Schemes @syedschemes
Have to see all-22 but looks like Mills Concept against Cover 2 or 4

Chris B. Brown ‏@smartfootball 10m10 minutes ago
Quarters to that side, safety flat foot reads #2. Issue was bunch set got CB aligned wide and he didn't close so post broke wide open.

Brown is saying Randall should have closed after receivers didn't cross or break wide.



https://vimeo.com/198621090

[vince]

Olivier Vernon vs. David Bakhtiari Round 2
0 sacks, 1 tackle

non-factor

Another great game Bakh against the All-Pro DE

[vince]

and now, in the 7th week:

38 on the #2 scoring defense.

with the #5 scoring defense up next.

Awesome. What a turnaround once they got some rhythm going.

The Giants defense comes to play. It's easy to see how they carried that team.

Michael brought some juice at the right times in the 2nd half to give them some much needed balance.

I'd say Cobb has a role in the offense over Geronimo.

[vince]

Jordan Raanan @JordanRaanan
Odell Beckham was banging head against locker room door, per Sal Pal. Also believed to have punched this hole in


https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C1sXhxrVQAECZ2w.jpg:large
Awesome! From the kicking net to the locker room door. Stay classy Odie. The maintenance crew will send you the repair bill.

[RashanGary]

So exciting! We match up well with Dallas too!!

[denverYooper]

and now, in the 7th week:

38 on the #2 scoring defense.

with the #5 scoring defense up next.

Dallas has only played 2 teams in the top 1/2 of the league for scoring offense -- Green Bay and Pittsburgh.

As the old adage states -- it's not who you play, it's when you play 'em. The first time around, Green Bay was a bottom 16 offense. Now, they are a mutant machine, mostly thanks to the emergent abilities of many of their 2nd and 3rd tier skills guys.

[call_me_ishmael]

Hard to believe Nelson's injury hasn't leaked out yet. He's gotta have some broken ribs based on how he reacted, right?

[Pugger]

If Jordy only has cracked ribs can he play with a flack jacket?

[esoxx]

He'll probably get shot up before the game. I remember Steve Young got shot up before a playoff back in the 90's when he had broken ribs.

[call_me_ishmael]

Anyone else shocked Monty didn't blow out a knee? It was really hard to see exactly what happened with his leg but he was getting twisted down and I thought for sure he let the ball go due to extreme pain and expected he was going to miss a good chunk of next year when I saw him unable to carry any weight on his own when leaving the field.

Then a few minutes later he was back taking hand offs! Did not expect that at all!

[vince]

The Giants actually controlled more than half of this game, but given their play style, they needed to control more.

GB could not establish offensive rhythm and play to their identity to start each half...

First 26 minutes of 1st half and 10 minutes of 2nd half (36 minutes)
GB - 7 series, 31 plays, 90 yards, 0 points
NYG - 8 series, 48 plays, 252 yards, 13 points

But once GB established it they dominated...

Last 4 minutes of 1st half and 20 minutes of 2nd half (24 minutes)
GB - 6 series, 39 plays, 316 yards, 38 points
NYG - 5 series, 23 plays, 92 yards, 0 points

[texaspackerbacker]

Anyone else shocked Monty didn't blow out a knee? It was really hard to see exactly what happened with his leg but he was getting twisted down and I thought for sure he let the ball go due to extreme pain and expected he was going to miss a good chunk of next year when I saw him unable to carry any weight on his own when leaving the field.

Then a few minutes later he was back taking hand offs! Did not expect that at all!

True. I think the officials thought so too, as truth be told, we got a break on that not being called a fumble. His right leg/knee really looked to be bent in a funny way as he walked off the field.

[texaspackerbacker]

I've said it before, and I'll say it again, when Aaron Rodgers is on his game, nobody beats us.

[pbmax]

It's a heck of a lot easier to mix things up in the defensive backfield when you have an all world player like Charles Woodson back there. He's trying to do it with a lot of inexperience and his #1 CB out for almost the entire year. I called out Ha Ha earlier in the year for not necessarily playing badly but for just for being kind of invisible. The next game he had 2 picks and he's been playing great ever since. Who knew he just needed to read my post to light a fire under his ass! Lol!

True, but I think he mixed it up with Woodson by having him act as a DB rover or LB at times on a blitz from the slot.

He is now running about every coverage in the book to keep QBs from locking in on weak links or automatically getting the matchup they wanted. How many times in the past have we seen him double an opposition WR? Not just safety over the top, but double him near LOS and everywhere else?

Then how many times have we seen him double with two safeties?

That Quarters coverage that Randall seems to have blown isn't one of his most common either.

[pbmax]

True. I think the officials thought so too, as truth be told, we got a break on that not being called a fumble. His right leg/knee really looked to be bent in a funny way as he walked off the field.

Pretty sure his knee was down. But if not, the forward progress stopped is a decent argument.

No guarantee they cal; it that way though, Hoculi was all over the map last night.

[Maxie the Taxi]

Did you hear the ref in the booth criticize the way playoff crews are assembled? I agree. The refs play as a team all season and then, come playoffs, the teams are broken up and new teams assembled. The results are noticeable. Every playoff game I've watched so far the officiating has been subpar...calls missed, delays, conferences, overrules...you name it.

[pbmax]

Did you hear the ref in the booth criticize the way playoff crews are assembled? I agree. The refs play as a team all season and then, come playoffs, the teams are broken up and new teams assembled. The results are noticeable. Every playoff game I've watched so far the officiating has been subpar...calls missed, delays, conferences, overrules...you name it.

MP has been on a roll lately with both that criticism and noting that refs are getting unsanctioned heads up form replay refs in their headsets.

[pbmax]

You must watch this video. At least three times. :)


https://twitter.com/NFL/status/818239753162063872

[pbmax]

http://img.bleacherreport.net/img/article/media_slots/photos/002/618/059/hi-res-9acd0fab0f10ff78fbe7d886bcf922f8_crop_exact.jpg?w= 650&h=432&q=85

[hoosier]

http://www.nfl.com/videos/green-bay-packers/0ap3000000771967/German-announcers-call-Aaron-Rodgers-Hail-Mary-TD-pass

[Joemailman]

What's the verdict on Giants touchdown? Was Ha-Ha supposed to give Randall inside help? Randall was obviously playing outside leverage.

[Joemailman]

http://www.packers.com/media-center/videos/German-announcers-call-Hail-Mary-TD-pass/e40863b1-052e-4726-b1ac-1dad1b46c1d6

[pbmax]

What's the verdict on Giants touchdown? Was Ha-Ha supposed to give Randall inside help? Randall was obviously playing outside leverage.

Chris Brown/Smart Football thought it was Quarters coverage and Randall was wide because of the 2 receiver bunch. Once they released and no one went wide, he should have closed faster on the first guy inside.

[Guiness]

Someone (game thread? announcer?) there Cobb got away with a push off, but I didn't see much of one. The guy he got his hands on, Leon Hall I believe, was facing him, not the ball.

I also notice Cobb tried to toss the ball to Adams, who batted it away. I wonder if he after his 15 yard penalty, he was afraid that would be termed a 'group celebration'?

[Fritz]

You must watch this video. At least three times. :)


https://twitter.com/NFL/status/818239753162063872


I have a boner now.

[Cheesehead Craig]

I don't think Cobb flipped it to Adams. He just flipped it in the air and Adams swatted it.

Agree on the pushoff, there wasn't much there.

[woodbuck27]

Packer Report ‏@PackerReport 30m30 minutes ago
Beckham: 4 catches, 13 targets, 28 yards. Gunter with a decisive win in that matchup. And #Packers head to Dallas.

OK, but he wasn't one on one with ODB the entire game. He did well, but there was a lot of safeties near Beckham too.

My observation on Gunter is too often he fails to look back for the ball. He runs after the WR he's defending with his back to the throw way too often. What if...the ball is under thrown and there is a pick opportunity?

[beveaux1]

My observation on Gunter is too often he fails to look back for the ball. He runs after the WR he's defending with his back to the throw way too often. What if...the ball is under thrown and there is a pick opportunity?

I'm just happy that he stays with his man with his lack of closing speed. To ask him to look for the ball seems a little bit too hard given his experience.

[run pMc]

Gunter had safety help, and ODB had a bad time to come up with the dropsies. One if not two of his drops would have been TD's.

Gunter played well in a big game, and clearly won that matchup. He's 2 inches taller and with his physical style is going to frustrate a guy like ODB.

[pbmax]

Holy cow is Bob slinging some mud today. Very easy to do when you aren't in the Giants locker room Bob.


The anticipated slot matchup between Cobb and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie ended when DRC bumped legs with Jared Cook on the second play and suffered a thigh bruise so bad he wasn’t able to return from scrimmage.

http://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/nfl/packers/mcginn/2017/01/09/mcginn-rating-packers-vs-giants/96356850/

[pbmax]

Same Bob article, blitz numbers and Gunter v Beckham


SECONDARY (3 ½)

Capers blitzed on 17.4 percent of dropbacks, slightly more than in the Oct. 9 game (10.2 percent). When LaDarius Gunter (65) was left one-on-one, Beckham got open deep. Unlike the first meeting, when Gunter stayed on the right side, he followed Beckham on 55 of his 65 snaps. Of those 55 snaps, he played press coverage on 36 and off on 19. Beckham caught two of his four passes for minimal yardage against Gunter.

[hoosier]

Holy cow is Bob slinging some mud today. Very easy to do when you aren't in the Giants locker room Bob.

http://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/nfl/packers/mcginn/2017/01/09/mcginn-rating-packers-vs-giants/96356850/

I don't hear any snarkiness in this, just the facts. I suppose it's possible that he thinks "thigh bruise" is just the name for a superficial injury. In that case (a) he's never had the kind of deep muscle bleed where you can no longer flex your leg and (b) wasn't watching when DRC tried to return for the 2nd half kickoff and barely made it 30 yards downfield.

[Maxie the Taxi]

Same Bob article, blitz numbers and Gunter v BeckhamIs there a breakdown of blitzes by quarters or halves? IMO he blitzed more in the second half.

[pbmax]

I don't hear any snarkiness in this, just the facts. I suppose it's possible that he thinks "thigh bruise" is just the name for a superficial injury. In that case (a) he's never had the kind of deep muscle bleed where you can no longer flex your leg and (b) wasn't watching when DRC tried to return for the 2nd half kickoff and barely made it 30 yards downfield.

I think when you string together "bumped legs" "bruised" and "so bad" with no acknowledgment of how bad that injury could be, then you are being intentionally snarky. You could string those words together, without adding a negative in front of them, and have Bob talk to a toddle about falling down.

Think about the different meaning if it was "kneed him" "charlie horse" and "wouldn't respond to multiple rounds of treatment".

[hoosier]

I think when you string together "bumped legs" "bruised" and "so bad" with no acknowledgment of how bad that injury could be, then you are being intentionally snarky. You could string those words together, without adding a negative in front of them, and have Bob talk to a toddle about falling down.

Think about the different meaning if it was "kneed him" "charlie horse" and "wouldn't respond to multiple rounds of treatment".

I dunno. If I had read what McGinn wrote before your commentary I probably wouldn't have noticed any disparaging tone. I can see your point, and while it's conceivable that McGinn thinks DRC just needed to strap on a pair and go out and play, I suspect this is really just McGinn writing on the fly. Maybe we should ask him if he thinks DRC came down with a case of Favreitis.

[Fritz]

It's funny because when you listen to national sports talk radio, much of which emanates from New York, all the talk was about how losing DRC cost the Giants the game. It was that one piece of bad luck that did them in, apparently. No mention that in return the Packers lost their best receiver, whom DRC was supposed to be blanketing.

[RashanGary]

It's funny because when you listen to national sports talk radio, much of which emanates from New York, all the talk was about how losing DRC cost the Giants the game. It was that one piece of bad luck that did them in, apparently. No mention that in return the Packers lost their best receiver, whom DRC was supposed to be blanketing.

Last year ar didn't have as much trust with the other guys. Rodgers couldn't recover from losing Nelson. This year he has 3 or 4 or 5 guys he can go to so it's not as big of a deal. Losing DRC could have been that big for them.

I think Seattle is going to get carved up without Thomas. Carved up! In fact, I haven't bet in 4 years and I'm betting on it.

[vince]

Here's a thoroughly enjoyable article with about Rodgers' performance.

Aaron Rodgers is inevitable. (http://www.sbnation.com/2017/1/9/14207346/aaron-rodgers-packers-giants-cowboys-preview)

[hoosier]

I asked McGinn if he was insinuating anything about DRC's toughness. Here is his reply, for what it's worth.
I would never insinuate that about any player. Just a matter of fact description of what happened.

thanks..bob

[pbmax]

I asked McGinn if he was insinuating anything about DRC's toughness. Here is his reply, for what it's worth.

OK Bob (literally Bob, not knocking hoosier). I look forward to other collisions being described as bumps.

[Fritz]

I asked McGinn if he was insinuating anything about DRC's toughness. Here is his reply, for what it's worth.


https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSL5B-Dl28n8fLY3iobjHS_6csbBdqy19F_o2Yrcc2ylv-V1L2Qag

[hoosier]

"Bumped legs" seems to be the wording that jumped out at you. It didn't jump out at me, I just took it as an understated and non-poetic description of a violent encounter between soft tissue and bone. Now if he had said that Nelson was injured when he got bumped by Leon Hall's helmet, that would have sounded a little fishy to me. :-)

[hoosier]

https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSL5B-Dl28n8fLY3iobjHS_6csbBdqy19F_o2Yrcc2ylv-V1L2Qag

Yeah, maybe Mr. McGinn fancies himself a little bit as the hard boiled reporter/detective in a noir movie. He's the guy who has no inhibitions against slapping the femme fatale.

[Freak Out]

Here's a thoroughly enjoyable article with about Rodgers' performance.

Aaron Rodgers is inevitable. (http://www.sbnation.com/2017/1/9/14207346/aaron-rodgers-packers-giants-cowboys-preview)

That was fun. Watching the throw to Adams and the play to Geronimo just shows us again and again....how lucky we are.

[RashanGary]

That was fun. Watching the throw to Adams and the play to Geronimo just shows us again and again....how lucky we are.

I like the way that sideline throw comes off his hand. Just such a smooth motion. I know when I'm playing backyard football with my son, sometimes I'm just in the zone and I let off a perfect pass and it just feels so controlled and smooth like that, like I know exactly where it's going. I know that feeling. But he's doing perfect touch passes 35 yards down field and I'm doing them 15. But still, same feeling and it's fun to watch.

[vince]

JustinHarrell is inevitable II