Heroes and Zeros - Packers/Cowboys

[Joemailman]

Heroes

Rodgers - Words fail me.

Monty - 80+ total yards and 2 TD's. Probably should have gotten the ball more.

Cook - 104 yards, TD and THE CATCH.

Hyde - INT and a couple nice breakups.

Crosby - Best clutch kicker in the game.

Zeros

Randall - As Red said, he seems to think he has safety help on every play.

Matthews - Missed tackles and no plays.

[Maxie the Taxi]

I'd include Gunter in the heroes column cause he's got to try to sleep this week knowing Julio Jones is up next. hahaha

[Maxie the Taxi]

Plus TT belongs in the Heroes column cause his only FA sign caught the game winner!

[King Friday]

Matthews - Missed tackles and no plays.

Incorrect. I agree that Matthews did virtually nothing the entire game...UNTIL the final play before the Cowboy's last field goal, when he got to Dak quickly and forced him to throw it into Perry's facemask on 3rd down. If Matthews doesn't make that play, the Cowboys may have drove for a winning TD. So he did have one play.

[channtheman]

MM blew his excellent opening drive of the 2nd half play calling (pass pass pass!) with the absolutely horrendous running calls on the 2nd to last drive. He's a zero due to that.

[hoosier]

Wild game. I know that I don't know enough to question the play calling, but I have to say I was really, really disappointed with the second down call when the Pack had the ball inside the Dallas 40 with under 2:00 remaining. You know Dallas is going to use their timeouts and that you will need at least one more first down. So why bring out the heavy package and call a sweep to the left that for this team has at least a 50% chance of losing four yards? When they came out in that formation I figured it was going to be play action roll out with DickRod or Cook in the flat. The actual run call to the left was sickening, and the result was even worse.

[hoosier]

MM blew his excellent opening drive of the 2nd half play calling (pass pass pass!) with the absolutely horrendous running calls on the 2nd to last drive. He's a zero due to that.

Beat me to it.

[Joemailman]

MM blew his excellent opening drive of the 2nd half play calling (pass pass pass!) with the absolutely horrendous running calls on the 2nd to last drive. He's a zero due to that.

He came up with a game plan that put up 34 on the Cowboys without Jordy Nelson. And you want to give him a zero because of a couple running plays that didn't work?

[swede]

Wild game. I know that I don't know enough to question the play calling, but I have to say I was really, really disappointed with the second down call when the Pack had the ball inside the Dallas 40 with under 2:00 remaining. You know Dallas is going to use their timeouts and that you will need at least one more first down. So why bring out the heavy package and call a sweep to the left that for this team has at least a 50% chance of losing four yards? When they came out in that formation I figured it was going to be play action roll out with DickRod or Cook in the flat. The actual run call to the left was sickening, and the result was even worse.

I agree. I also thought the incomplete pass to Adams before the first field goal gave us too long of a try and Dallas too much time. That play has to be in bounds.

[hoosier]

He came up with a game plan that put up 34 on the Cowboys without Jordy Nelson. And you want to give him a zero because of a couple running plays that didn't work?

It's the emotional response to a long pattern. Yeah, the play calling was great for much of the game. So why does he have to come up with those stomach-churning calls at the end of tight games?

[hoosier]

I agree. I also thought the incomplete pass to Adams before the first field goal gave us too long of a try and Dallas too much time. That play has to be in bounds.

Except, of course, that Dallas had one TO left and the result you were hoping for might have left no time for the GWD!

[Harlan Huckleby]

Don Barclay played and didn't disgrace himself. That's heroic.

The defensive line wore down. But they did better overall than anyone predicted.

[RashanGary]

Don Barclay played and didn't disgrace himself. That's heroic.

The defensive line wore down. But they did better overall than anyone predicted.

Yeah. Did fine. I was scared shitless when I thought bahk might be out. Is bahk our 2nd most important player?

[bobblehead]

When they came out in that formation I figured it was going to be play action roll out with DickRod or Cook in the flat. The actual run call to the left was sickening, and the result was even worse.

Knowing MM how could you have possibly thought he would do anything other than what he did?? He has done the same thing the last 107 times. Dallas lined up to blow up that play and that play only, that is how predictable it was and will be next week and so on.

[denverYooper]

Agree with all of the key contributors but would add M3.

The guy gets a lot of flack, at times deservedly so, but the man is one hell of a football coach. His tactical decisions at times are puzzling but his ability to connect with 53 athletes and his longer-term strategic abilities have to be acknowledged. Coaching is an exercise in EQ + IQ. I submit that the man knows how to connect with his team.

M3 is not Belichick, but he is not as far. 4 NFCCGs now. 2 in the last 3 years.

Not too fucking bad, coach.

[hoosier]

Agree with all of the key contributors but would add M3.

The guy gets a lot of flack, at times deservedly so, but the man is one hell of a football coach. His tactical decisions at times are puzzling but his ability to connect with 53 athletes and his longer-term strategic abilities have to be acknowledged. Coaching is an exercise in EQ + IQ. I submit that the man knows how to connect with his team.

M3 is not Belichick, but he is not as far. 4 NFCCGs now. 2 in the last 3 years.

Not too fucking bad, coach.

EQ + IQ - SQ

[Guiness]

Plus TT belongs in the Heroes column cause his only FA sign caught the game winner!

No, it doesn't count, because, well, you know, cuz, um, it doesn't. And it's proof that he should sign many more FAs,!

[George Cumby]

Not to make excuses but Matthews was getting held all day.

[channtheman]

He came up with a game plan that put up 34 on the Cowboys without Jordy Nelson. And you want to give him a zero because of a couple running plays that didn't work?

We nearly lost (and if Dallas doesn't spike it for some reason with 50 seconds left, we probably do lose this game) because of it. In the most important drive of the game, I feel MM let us down settling for a 56 yard field goal. Yes, I give him a zero for that. His old tendencies still leak through at times. He did a great job until those 2 run plays.

[ThunderDan]

We nearly lost (and if Dallas doesn't spike it for some reason with 50 seconds left, we probably do lose this game) because of it. In the most important drive of the game, I feel MM let us down settling for a 56 yard field goal. Yes, I give him a zero for that. His old tendencies still leak through at times. He did a great job until those 2 run plays.

Dallas spikes it there to try and score a TD to win in regulation. They weren't playing for a FG until we got the stop on 3rd down.

[King Friday]

Yeah. Did fine. I was scared shitless when I thought bahk might be out. Is bahk our 2nd most important player?

No, I think Cook is at this point, since Jordy is down a couple ribs and at least two of our other WRs seem to always tweak something every game. Without Cook, I can't see how this running challenged offense would be able to compete.

[King Friday]

We nearly lost (and if Dallas doesn't spike it for some reason with 50 seconds left, we probably do lose this game) because of it. In the most important drive of the game, I feel MM let us down settling for a 56 yard field goal. Yes, I give him a zero for that. His old tendencies still leak through at times. He did a great job until those 2 run plays.

I agree. Stubby gets such a hard-on last week that he goes for it foolishly on his own side of the field in a one score game...when there was NO REWARD for doing so. However, in this case, when the reward for doing so is winning a road divisional playoff game, he tucks his Stubby between his legs and decides to become more conservative than Strom Thurmond and nearly trashed the team's chances of winning. He better buy Mason Crosby a nice piece of Montana (or whatever state he choses) after this one.

[King Friday]

dp

[gbgary]

Not to make excuses but Matthews was getting held all day.

along with every other Packers player.

[King Friday]

So why bring out the heavy package and call a sweep to the left that for this team has at least a 50% chance of losing four yards? When they came out in that formation I figured it was going to be play action roll out with DickRod or Cook in the flat. The actual run call to the left was sickening, and the result was even worse.

Stubby was sure the Cowboys wouldn't think we'd do it again after the failure of last week.

[channtheman]

Dallas spikes it there to try and score a TD to win in regulation. They weren't playing for a FG until we got the stop on 3rd down.

I don't think a spike was necessary. They could have just run another play. They had plenty of time. The spike cost them what proved to be a crucial down.

[Pugger]

Not to make excuses but Matthews was getting held all day.

Those Cowboys were a grabby bunch all game long.

[pbmax]

I agree. I also thought the incomplete pass to Adams before the first field goal gave us too long of a try and Dallas too much time. That play has to be in bounds.

He was open but Rodgers and he seemed to disagree how to attack Cover 2. There were three throws (one intercepted) that Adams went one way and Rodgers another. I am pretty sure that INT was a scramble drill decision.

Not sure about the other two.

Would have loved 5 more yards to burn away another TO and get Mason closer.

[Bossman641]

Wow you guys are ruthless. Mm as a zero?

[smuggler]

Dallas spikes it there to try and score a TD to win in regulation. They weren't playing for a FG until we got the stop on 3rd down.

This was seriously dumb at the time and it still is. They're still holding that last TO right now (ignore that they used it to ice an iceblooded demon in Crosby), and it doesn't matter because they're out of the playoffs.

[texaspackerbacker]

McCarthy is both a hero and a zero. I blame him more for taking his foot off the gas up 28-13 in the 3rd quarter than for the way it was handled at the end. The early down runs wouldn't have been bad play calls except for poor execution or a superb Cowboy run blitz on the play where Montgomery lost 5 yards or so. Gaining a few, taking the clock down to almost nothing, and kicking a 40 something FG would have been smart strategy.

Heroes - obviously Aaron Rodgers, although I didn't think he was quite as sharp as against the Giants. Also, Gunter and Hyde and the kid Bryce when he came in - they all made the best of the talent they had. Cook was also an obvious hero, not just for the late catch. He also seemed to not be in the right place a few times. Assuming he is on the team next season, he should be even better as he gets more in sync with Aaron Rodgers. Crosby also, of course - his kicks didn't get the style points Bailey got, but they were between the uprights - barely.

Zeroes - nobody full time. Randall was not nearly as good as he was in the Giants game, maybe because of the injury. Clinton-Dix kinda disappeared - which may not be a bad thing for a DB, as they didn't bust any long ones on us, but I sure didn't see him in on many tackles. The O Line also took a step back from the Giants game, allowing a lesser D to rush the QB more and being hot and cold, more often cold on running plays.

[mmmdk]

McCarthy is a fine coach, he had a stud gameplan last night but his in game management is just subpar. You can't gameplan a whole game and thinking on the fly is not a strength with McCarthy. McCarthy is an absolute elite teacher on offense (think offseason too) but has little eye for developing of a defense and getting/asking for the right personel. Hence, Stubby is ok, elite in some areas and just mindboggling bad in other areas. But he's a good guy and the players like him which really is a big plus too. With the best QB ever, you HAVE to win many Championships. It's a tall order but deal with it, Stubby, and just win baby!

:pack:

[Maxie the Taxi]

McCarthy is a fine coach, he had a stud gameplan last night but his in game management is just subpar. You can't gameplan a whole game and thinking on the fly is not a strength with McCarthy. McCarthy is an absolute elite teacher on offense (think offseason too) but has little eye for developing of a defense and getting/asking for the right personel. Hence, Stubby is ok, elite in some areas and just mindboggling bad in other areas. But he's a good guy and the players like him which really is a big plus too. With the best QB ever, you HAVE to win many Championships. It's a tall order but deal with it, Stubby, and just win baby!

:pack:+1

[George Cumby]

Hero: Troy Aikman. Sings the Packs praises. Constantly. His Cowboys bias slips in at times, but it's nothing like good ole Don Meredith.

*Runs for foxhole.*

[Cheesehead Craig]

Hero: Troy Aikman. Sings the Packs praises. Constantly. His Cowboys bias slips in at times, but it's nothing like good ole Don Meredith.

*Runs for foxhole.*

Way too much is made about Buck and Aikman and their supposed bias. Every fan thinks they are rooting for the other team. The zeros are those who signed the petition.

[texaspackerbacker]

Hero: Troy Aikman. Sings the Packs praises. Constantly. His Cowboys bias slips in at times, but it's nothing like good ole Don Meredith.

*Runs for foxhole.*

Speaking for the moment as a fan (except when they play the Packers) of my second favorite team, I have always been irked by Aikman's negativity about the Cowboys. This was especially true in the first few years after Jimmy Johnson left.

[MadScientist]

McCarthy is both a hero and a zero. I blame him more for taking his foot off the gas up 28-13 in the 3rd quarter than for the way it was handled at the end. The early down runs wouldn't have been bad play calls except for poor execution or a superb Cowboy run blitz on the play where Montgomery lost 5 yards or so. Gaining a few, taking the clock down to almost nothing, and kicking a 40 something FG would have been smart strategy.

Hard to say MM took the foot off the gas. If Rodgers had thrown a good pass on the one that was picked off, it would have been 35-13 and game over. He called for one run and two passes when backed up on their own 5. MM didn't let up, but the execution let him down for a bit during the stretch. It happens, the other guys are paid well too, and sometimes they'll make the plays and have the right call.

[Upnorth]

HOw about Kenny Clark for hero?

His most complete game that i have seen him play so far, and it happens against the best oline he has played against. That says something I think.

[SMBASS]

I know Matthew's impact was minimal but did Daniels, Datone, or Peppers make any plays at all yesterday? Ha Ha was kind of quiet but once Burnett went out I'm sure he had his hands full just trying to help hold things together in the secondary.

[RashanGary]

HOw about Kenny Clark for hero?

His most complete game that i have seen him play so far, and it happens against the best oline he has played against. That says something I think.

He's 20 years old. He's gonna get bigger and stronger and gain better leverage for the next 3-5 years. Sky is the limit with that one.

[Upnorth]

He's 20 years old. He's gonna get bigger and stronger and gain better leverage for the next 3-5 years. Sky is the limit with that one.

I was not overly excited with the pick, but am glad we got him.

[mmmdk]

He's 20 years old. He's gonna get bigger and stronger and gain better leverage for the next 3-5 years. Sky is the limit with that one.

Yup, I like this Clark kid too.

[pbmax]

Hero: Troy Aikman. Sings the Packs praises. Constantly. His Cowboys bias slips in at times, but it's nothing like good ole Don Meredith.

*Runs for foxhole.*

Someone else mentioned this. I have far less problem with Aikman, or the general "fluff the skill position player/unit of the moment" mentality.

I just don't get where Buck is coming from. Buck just ranges from barely interested to yelling without any kind of build up or change of mood. Costas and Michaels both love to be smart and analytical and get emotional, but they don't vary between the two extremes in the same play. Buck is way too inconsistent between these modes.

Wayne Larrivee took some heat for never getting excited at first and now he has gone too far (IMHO) the other way. But he doesn't bounce between the two like a speed bag.

I am not a huge fan of Sean McDonough, but he is FAR easier to listen too.

#bringbackPatSummerall

[Joemailman]

He's 20 years old. He's gonna get bigger and stronger and gain better leverage for the next 3-5 years. Sky is the limit with that one.

Clark turned 21 in October. Youngest guy on the team, and might still be the youngest next year. I think he can be the kind of player they thought they were getting when they drafted your namesake.

[Maxie the Taxi]

Someone else mentioned this. I have far less problem with Aikman, or the general "fluff the skill position player/unit of the moment" mentality.

I just don't get where Buck is coming from. Buck just ranges from barely interested to yelling without any kind of build up or change of mood. Costas and Michaels both love to be smart and analytical and get emotional, but they don't vary between the two extremes in the same play. Buck is way too inconsistent between these modes.

Wayne Larrivee took some heat for never getting excited at first and now he has gone too far (IMHO) the other way. But he doesn't bounce between the two like a speed bag.

I am not a huge fan of Sean McDonough, but he is FAR easier to listen too.

#bringbackPatSummerallRay Scott.

[MadScientist]

Someone else mentioned this. I have far less problem with Aikman, or the general "fluff the skill position player/unit of the moment" mentality.

I just don't get where Buck is coming from. Buck just ranges from barely interested to yelling without any kind of build up or change of mood. Costas and Michaels both love to be smart and analytical and get emotional, but they don't vary between the two extremes in the same play. Buck is way too inconsistent between these modes.

Wayne Larrivee took some heat for never getting excited at first and now he has gone too far (IMHO) the other way. But he doesn't bounce between the two like a speed bag.

I am not a huge fan of Sean McDonough, but he is FAR easier to listen too.

#bringbackPatSummerall

At least they aren't Gruden. He's like a cocker spaniel - hyper active and trying to hump everyone's leg. I like Gannon's work in the preseason, but unfortunately he's on CBS so we never get him in the season.

[texaspackerbacker]

Ray Scott.

Yeah! Those were the days.

[woodbuck27]

He came up with a game plan that put up 34 on the Cowboys without Jordy Nelson. And you want to give him a zero because of a couple running plays that didn't work?

It is tough to be Mike McCarthy.

[woodbuck27]

Wow you guys are ruthless. Mm as a zero?

MM is a ZERO ... A ZERO ... a ZERO ! Kidding you....


but .....NO. 36 LaDarius Gunter 'a wanna be NFL CB' is just dreadful. He gets my ZERO on the day award.;

Someone has to inform him that the part of the body called the neck is among other things ...a way to rotate his head to look over his shoulder and see where the ball is. This guy is just horrible in coverage of a talented WR.

[HarveyWallbangers]

I've never had a problem with Aikman and Buck. If you didn't know Troy played for the Cowboys, nobody would think he was a Cowboys homer. He's also not a Cowboys hater. I wonder what Favre would be like in the booth? Maybe anti-Packers until Rodgers retired and then a Packers homer?

[Maxie the Taxi]

Yeah! Those were the days.Color man was Tony Canadeo. What a team.

[woodbuck27]

I've never had a problem with Aikman and Buck. If you didn't know Troy played for the Cowboys, nobody would think he was a Cowboys homer. He's also not a Cowboys hater. I wonder what Favre would be like in the booth? Maybe anti-Packers until Rodgers retired and then a Packers homer?

Come on Harv. Try to keep up and let go of your tired attitude.

Brett Favre has been all Packers and support for them to win ! He is totally on with Aaron Rodgers. There is more proof available to prove this is the TRUTH but I offer you this:

http://www.si.com/nfl/2017/01/03/brett-favre-packers-super-bowl-li-prediction-0

and this that says Favre just has not jumped on the bandwagon:

http://blog.siriusxm.com/2016/12/14/brett-favre-packers-will-win-the-nfc/

Brett Favre: Packers will win the NFC

by: SiriusXM NFL Radio Staff • December 14, 2016

Favre believes the Packers have what it takes offensively to get there, beginning with quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

“Aaron’s playing outstanding, has played outstanding, even in their losses,” ... Favre said.

[pbmax]

I've never had a problem with Aikman and Buck. If you didn't know Troy played for the Cowboys, nobody would think he was a Cowboys homer. He's also not a Cowboys hater. I wonder what Favre would be like in the booth? Maybe anti-Packers until Rodgers retired and then a Packers homer?

He only had Cowboys stories when he started, which put him in a hole with Packer fans when he started. He was also paired with Moose Johnston for too long, which made it worse.

I think he and Collingsworth were together for a couple of years too. That was better.

[QBME]

Ray Scott.

Yes. Less can indeed be more.

[pbmax]

dp

was probably hacked

[Rutnstrut]

I've never had a problem with Aikman and Buck. If you didn't know Troy played for the Cowboys, nobody would think he was a Cowboys homer. He's also not a Cowboys hater. I wonder what Favre would be like in the booth? Maybe anti-Packers until Rodgers retired and then a Packers homer?

Favre is a bigtime GB homer.