Doyel: "Packers are dangerous"

[cpk1994]

Best team in the division? How can you all say/think that after the manhandling we took last week? We scored one offensive touchdown last week and were completely dominated for 4 quarters.. my god.

There's only one difference between this week and last week : the offensive line. This week they protected the QB, protected against blitz, opened gaping holes for Grant and Jackson, and dominated the line of scrimmage. Last week they could do none of those things.

That difference let us dominate the play clock, and let our play makers do what they do. If this shift is permanent, we'll make it deep in the play offs. They've shown they CAN do it. Now we just have to keep it going.

Absolutely. I think a game ball should go to James Campen. He got on his line all week for their putird performance againt the Vikes and the line responded. Also good that McCarthy got on Clifton as well.

[prsnfoto]

Nice article and I tend to agree with him. I think we're gonna see a NFC Championship rematch of NY and Green Bay, but with a different result.

And talk about selective statistics.

He threw for 227 yards and two touchdowns Sunday and was nearly perfect, going 23-for-30 with incompletions including a drop, a spike and two throwaways to avoid sacks.

I suspect the smiley face meant you were kidding this team looks good against teams with no pass rush and stands no chance against teams that use the 3-4 or have a dominate pass rush.

[rbaloha1]

Agreed.

The swagger is returning. Playmakers are making plays.

[KYPack]

Wow, nice article. Thanks for posting it.

The Packers are the best team in the division. If they don't shoot themselves in the foot, they will win the division.

Yes, the run defense is suspect at best. The Bears have been in a funk defensively the past several weeks and the Vikings offense minus Peterson is horrific. (e.g., last 4 Viking possessions - fumble, punt on TB 39 yard line, turned over on downs, fumble).

The Bears running game wasn't stellar. Plus, as the article pointed out from today's game, Hester is not the return force he once was.

Saints - Panthers - Texans - Jaguars - Bears - Lions for GB.
Rams - Vikings - Jags -Saints - Packers - Texans for Chicago
Jags - Bears - Lions - Cards - Falcons - Giants for Minny

Bears have the slightly easier schedule, Minny the hardest, GB's in between.

I see the Packers with a do-able 4-2 mark. Chicago with 4-2. Vikings to 3-3 at best (could be worse if most of their d-line gets suspensions). The key is to the Packers beating the Bears at Soldier Field. That would leave the Packers with the head-to-head tiebreaker (or hope for a common opponent tiebreaker).

I disagree that the Bears schedule is easier.

3 of the opponents are common to both. The Bears have the Vikings and Rams, while the Packers have the Panthers and Lions--one fair team and one rotten team for each--so far, all even.

The Bears other game is against the Packers--while the Packers other game is the Bears. I say, that one is easier for the Packers. With everything else a wash, that head to head game makes the Packers schedule easier.

Technically the Bears have an easier sched...by one game in the common opponents. Of the three teams, Chicago has the easiest schedule based on the combined record of its remaining opponents (24-36). Green Bay (25-35) is next and Minnesota (31-29) follows.

The Bears have an advantage in that they get to play the Pack at home. That's a big diff with a 6 game slate left. We also have some games that could go either way. The Jags and the Texans could a buzz saw or push-overs depending on the emotional set of those teams.

I think we eventually go on to win the North. One huge factor is Gus Frerotte. He played here in Cincy 5 years ago, or so. He came on like the second coming of Dan Marino. In six or seven games, the guy had fallen apart so bad, he basically couldn't even play. That game he had in Washington where he ran into a wall and knocked himself out wasn't a fluke. Frerotte does that all the time. Starts like a house afire, then crumbles until you have to bench him.

That's one reason we will take it, I feel. ARod has shown himself to be the best QB in the division. His play should be the factor that gives us the North crown.

[The Leaper]

Until our OL plays more than 1 game in a row of good football, I'll withhold judgment.

[Fred's Slacks]

Until our OL plays more than 1 game in a row of good football, I'll withhold judgment.

I have to agree with this. I love getting excited about our first dominate performance by our Oline, but its hard to get too excited with the other games still fresh in my mind. They've played okay for some games but they were dreadful against Dal, Atl, TB, and MN. Now, all of a sudden they are dominate. What are the chances they can keep it up? They are living and dying by the OLine play this year. I am not confident yet.