Enjoying This Team, This Season

[RashanGary]

Yes, and even one game is not much. See Jennings, Greg.

I do wonder if Jennings will break out in the playoffs. Seems like Cobb has the slot job locked down, and you can't take a spot from Jones this year, not the way he's playing. So I think Nelson and Jennings will compete for the other starting spot. Then it's mix and match.

If you're a Packer receiver, and you get a ball thrown to you, you better catch it.

That will be interesting. . . . Who knows how that is going to go, but I agree. . . . . It seems impossible to take Jones off the field right now unless Jennings and Nelson go off like wild-fire.

[PaCkFan_n_MD]

We are currently in the middle of our window to win multiple championships. I'm hoping we can get another one or two before the window closes. If we can get really hot when the playoffs start, with some luck and good fortune I could see being a very dangerous team for anyone to play. A lot of it will come down to o-line play. Rodgers will also have to play perfect every game to get us past this year’s contenders. If we play like we are capable of, we can beat anyone. I still believe we are the most talented team in football.

[mmmdk]

From a long-distance perspective, that's true, but man oh man, when I watched Dickey march the offense down the field, over and over, scoring touchdown after touchdown on Dallas, only to see the defense let the Cowboys go through them like vagina butter, well, it hurt. Especially because the week before the Pack had beaten the Rams in the first round.

The point is, you hoped against hope, but years like that - or Lindy-the-Infant's one good year - were an aberration. Now we have the kind of organization that can keep the team in the hunt for a SB, year in and year out. I am working on trying to enjoy that more, and scream at the television less when the Packers can't tackle someone or the offensive line looks like a turnstile at Cedar Point.

Great post; I adore the play of Lynn Dickey too. I've got 15+ games or so with Dickey! I've got close to 220 Packer games on dvd (until ebay stopped that some years ago). I rarely watch them anymore as I don't have the time.

[gbgary]

getting healthy, confident, and productive, at the most important time of the season is giving everyone a massive boost. let's hope it continues. Woodson not being cleared for this last game is a bit of a surprise. i'm ok with it unless it becomes a locker room distraction. if we get the 2nd seed there is no way he won't be cleared for the 1st playoff game. i don't think he needs to start though. they've come together back there and i don't want to mess with that too much.

Come on Packers!

[RashanGary]

Looking at football outsiders, the Packers have the 4th best weighted DVOA behind Seattle, Denver and Seattle.

That's a ranking of how the team has played statistically throughout the year, with more weight going to the more recent games. It also takes into account how good the opposition is, to further even the playing field.


Looking at those stats, ones that are respected across the football world, The Packers are playing the 2nd best football in the NFC at this point in time. The Seahawks, however, are the 10th ranked team on the road, with off the charts play at home. Considering Seattle will probably be on the road every game in the post season, the Packers should be the NFC favorite.

Another positive, the Packers are getting better every game. Looking at how they're trending, they are still continuing to get better.


The stats show what we're all talking about. The Packers are one of the hottest teams in the NFL and one of the front runners to win the SB. I think another huge factor the Packers have going their way is Aaron Rodgers. Both SF and Seattle have first year starting QBs. It's hard to win on the road with a 1st year starting QB. The noise and confusion really gets to the young QBs. See SF vs Seattle. Kapernick had what? 4 or 5 delay of games and some time outs on top of that. I've heard Favre say it's mentally exhausting to play on the road in a loud environment. And that was near the end of his stay here. I imagine it would be even worse on a young QB.

Aaron Rodgers is historically good on the road, in a dome. Assuming it's a Packer/Falcon NFCC game, the Packers are going in with a superior defense that is moving up the rankings every week. The Falcons have a superior rated offense. With the way the Packers defense is coming on, the health of the team just now starting to fall into place, again the Packers look to me like the NFC favorite just looking subjectively, how the teams are put together.

This week is going to be very telling. The Packers play a hot Minnesota Vikings divisional matchup. The Falcons play an ice cold Buccaneers team at home. I'm not so sure the Falcons game will be all to telling, but the Packers game will. If the Packers come out and beat the Vikings convincingly, they will cement themselves, IMO, as the best team in the NFC right now.



Enjoying this year? Hell yeah. Right now is the time I'm enjoying it most. We're rounding into a team that has a great shot at their 2nd SB title in 3 years.

[Iron Mike]

Plus, it's awesome to get to watch Gummi Bears fans root for the Pack to win:

http://www.dabears.com/showthread.php?45895-All-We-need-is-a-Bears-Win-Against-Lions-amp-Vikings-Loss-Against-Packers

[George Cumby]

Plus, it's awesome to get to watch Gummi Bears fans root for the Pack to win:

http://www.dabears.com/showthread.ph...gainst-Packers

Those guys are pathetic. What a bunch of dummies.

[Fritz]

This team really is right in the middle of its window, I think. I've been thinking lately - do you realize that Thompson's contract is up after 2015? And so is McCarthy's.

Both men have said they have a picture of what they'd like concerning the future, but neither has been forthcoming about what that picture is. I suspect both will step down from their posts after 2015 - for what, who knows. My guess is that Thompson being Thompson, he will leave the team in good cap shape, with all of the team's picks available for the draft that occurs after he leaves. I don't see him trading away future draft picks to cement his legacy.

I remember Patler also saying that a look at head coaches reveals that even the best of them are only effective, truly effective, for about 7-8 years. This is year seven for MM. I suspect he knows that a head coach's voice can only be heard for so long. He seems to have a long term plan, too. He doesn't strike me at GM material, though - just not his style.

So, if I am correct, let's enjoy this playoff run and these next three years. God only knows what will come next.

[Pugger]

Great post; I adore the play of Lynn Dickey too. I've got 15+ games or so with Dickey! I've got close to 220 Packer games on dvd (until ebay stopped that some years ago). I rarely watch them anymore as I don't have the time.

Poor Dickey played when we didn't have a defense to speak of. He had one of the prettiest passes I've ever seen but he had to throw it all over the place because we couldn't stop a JV team. I'll never forget his performance in that MNF game against the 'Skins and Joe Theismann.

[Pugger]

Those guys are pathetic. What a bunch of dummies.

Not really. They do need for us to beat the queens for them to get in.

[KYPack]

I dunno. I think I'd rather see him out there at safety than Jennings or even the rook, McMillian.

By the way, anybody have a sense of how that kid's been playing? Early on, we heard a lot of good about him, but I haven't heard much lately.

McMillan has more physical tools than Jennings (MD, that is). Dom had both of them in the mix. McMillan is fast and strong, but the game is still moving at a quick pace for him. Jenning plays much more at the traditional safety role, while McMillan moves around a lot. Against Tenn, McMillan played safety, slot corner and some corner against the 4 wide looks.

I was gonna touch on this, but I figured I was already boring the hell out of everybody. On that play that Tenn got the long pass to Britt on, McMillan made a helluva a play that shows his development. They ran a fire zone with Tramon as the blitzer. Mcmillan came cross field all the way down from a safety technique to seamlessly cover Tramon's guy. At the start of the year, he wouldn't have had a clue what to do on that blitz.

That said, I still think there is a lot of learning in front of all our safeties. I thought Burnett would make the big jump this season. He's a decent hand, but is not at the star level.

Personally, I'd like to see an improvement in all our back liners at tackling. When you are the deep man in any rotation, you must be assignment sure and execute. These mfrs just aren't sure tacklers. There have been too many long plays this season as a result of tackling lapses from the safety position. You are the last man? Get that sumbitches ass on the ground. There is no excuse for it.

[woodbuck27]

KY can tackling be taught?

Isn't alot of tackling mental? As in..... close fast on the ball carrier; that man's ass has to go to the ground!

I've always felt that the best Packer teams featured strong - aggressive tackling.

LOL.... The Vontaze Burfect way.

KY ...I believe you were in Cincy a couple of weeks ago. Can you tell us what you saw in Vontaze Burfect?

Impressed or not with Vontaze Burfect's play or maybe an indifferent impression!?

[woodbuck27]

We are currently in the middle of our window to win multiple championships. I'm hoping we can get another one or two before the window closes. If we can get really hot when the playoffs start, with some luck and good fortune I could see being a very dangerous team for anyone to play. A lot of it will come down to o-line play. Rodgers will also have to play perfect every game to get us past this year’s contenders. If we play like we are capable of, we can beat anyone. I still believe we are the most talented team in football.

Yes there are some very knowledgeable experts that have us gaining momentum towords peaking and with Aaron Rodgers who makes receivers look (maybe better that they are) going all the way to winning the Super Bowl. I believe that we need a healthy Randall Cobb but that's compromised with Jordy Nelson having a hammy injury. Our 'D' will solidify now that Clay Matthews is back and it's vital that he stays healthy. Will his hammy hold up?

We're close. I want that number two seed.

I want to see the Seattle Seahawks at Lambeau Field for the NFC Championship. What a great matchup that would be.

GO PACKERS !

[KYPack]

KY can tackling be taught?

Isn't alot of tackling mental? As in..... close fast on the ball carrier; that man's ass has to go to the ground!

I've always felt that the best Packer teams featured strong - aggressive tackling.

LOL.... The Vontaze Burfect way.

KY ...I believe you were in Cincy a couple of weeks ago. Can you tell us what you saw in Vontaze Burfect?

Impressed or not with Vontaze Burfect's play or maybe an indifferent impression!?

I'm in Cincy right now. I live in the Northern Kentucky suburbs of Cincinnati.

Can tackling be taught? Sure, that's how everybody gets started. But it isn't taught or much mentioned at the NFL level. It's pretty much assumed you learned tackling skills somewhere along the way to even get in the league.

Vontaze Burfict? he's a bitch, really solid rookie LB. the Bengals lucked out getting a kid like him as a CFA

[RashanGary]

Cliff Christl and Eric Barn-e-whatever have said tacking is more of a natural thing than a learned trait. I'm with KY. That last guy needs to be a stud tackler.