Official Wild Card Round Game-Week Discussoin: Packers vs Vikings win or go home edition

[George Cumby]

I try to stay away from the "imposing your will" thing, but it did seem to me that Peterson simply refused to be tackled oftentimes, while guys like Williams were turning down opportunities.

This is what scares me for Saturday. I think it's less about schemes and more about will.

I thought that this Packer team had developed a resilience and iron will after some tough losses this season. Now I wonder. But I suppose we'll see. I don't think anyone can argue that the Vikes have more talent.

This game is on MM. He's got to motivate the troops. One and done, baby. No room for puds and pusses.

This.

If the D doesn't maintain discipline and intensity, AP imposes his will and takes over the game and we are out.

It is time to rise to the occasion. We will find out what this team is made of Saturday nite.

[woodbuck27]

Kevin Seifert has this today:

 	      Week 13 	Week 17
Comp-Att 	2-7 	8-11
1st downs 	2 	6
Yds per att 	4.0 	7.9
Total QBR 	5.5 	98.6

...lending support to my theory that the Packers D took it easy on Ponder in the last game.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/packers/2013/01/02/clay-matthews-adrian-peterson-vikings-playoffs/1805073/

Packers' Clay Matthews: Vikings' Adrian Peterson won't rush for 200 yards again

Lindsay H. Jones, USA TODAY Sports ... 7:26p.m. EST January 2, 2013

"We aren't giving up 200 again," Matthews said Wednesday.

"We want to take (Peterson) out of the mix. That's definitely the game plan," Matthews said. "If we can limit those carries and force Ponder to beat us, then that's the game plan we're going to play. We need to do a better job of stopping the run, and we will do that. And that will help us get after the quarterback."

" Another Packers defender thinks the team might be close to solving its Peterson problem. "

"We were just so anxious to get to him that we were leaving gaps, and he's a good enough back to be able to see them and hit them. So it was a little disgusting to watch," defensive end Mike Neal said. "But it was encouraging to know that we didn't do everything right and still had a chance to win."

GO PACKERS !

[woodbuck27]

NFL Playoff predictions 2013: Vikings vs. Packers

By Patrick Vint on Jan 2, 8:49 PM

http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2013/1/2/3829742/packers-vs-vikings-nfl-wild-card-playoff-picks-2013

At CBS Sports, all eight experts choose Green Bay, though two of the eight do expect Minnesota to beat the 7.5-point spread.

The selections are likewise unanimous at Yahoo, where all three experts and the cumulative vote of Yahoo users all select the Packers.

Not all the selections are yet in at ESPN, but the four experts who have made picks -- Adam Schefter, Tom Jackson, Mike Ditka, and former Viking Chris Carter -- have all taken Green Bay.

The NFL.com panel of experts hasn't fully weighed in yet, but those that have are all selecting the Packers.

PACKERS !

[Fritz]

I am conflicted on this one. On the one hand, that all makes sense - do your job, don't try to do it all by yourself. But the most success the team had stopping AP seemed to come when Raji would make a big individual play on him.

I dunno. I defer to those who know more. It seems weird to set up a whole defense so many of the guys' assignments are not to tackle Peterson but to take up blockers to set up one or two linebackers to tackle him. Cuz those linebackers - Jones and Hawk - did not do that very well. Come on, AJ. Where the hell are you?

The Pack missed Bishop in that game. And Hawk is usually solid, but he better take a pay cut if he wants to come back next year. He's nothing special.

[denverYooper]

I try to stay away from the "imposing your will" thing, but it did seem to me that Peterson simply refused to be tackled oftentimes, while guys like Williams were turning down opportunities.

This is what scares me for Saturday. I think it's less about schemes and more about will.

I thought that this Packer team had developed a resilience and iron will after some tough losses this season. Now I wonder. But I suppose we'll see. I don't think anyone can argue that the Vikes have more talent.

This game is on MM. He's got to motivate the troops. One and done, baby. No room for puds and pusses.

Rodgers and the Packers O imposed their will on the Queens once they turned it loose.

That 4th quarter gotta-have-it game-tying drive was nasty. He put the ball right on his WR's hands even when they had defenders draped on them. That drive, in a nutshell, makes me feel good about the GB offense going into the postseason. The game ended without him getting back on the field and I hope that burns a nasty little fire in his chest all week because they need that offense to come out and put the boot down right away.

The way that game ended should be just what the offense needs going into the postseason. It had to leave such a bad taste in their mouths, watching helplessly from the sidelines as AP "willed" the game away. Every rep will be approached with acute attention to detail, every route run with that much more fervor, every block and run executed at 100%. That last game should be just what this team needs to unite it going into the postseason. Now they have not a week off, sudden death every week, working, honing, perfecting. They're about to sharpen the blades of the killing machine on the pathetic purple pukes.

Last week was the best thing that could have happened to them. The hero's journey requires revelation before transformation, atonement, and return

[woodbuck27]

Vikings vs. Packers: Players Who Must Step Up for Minnesota to Advance

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1465110-vikings-vs-packers-players-who-must-step-up-for-minnesota-to-advance

Christian Ponder, QB; Toby Gerhart, RB; A.J. Jefferson, CB

GO PACKERS !

[woodbuck27]

Rodgers and the Packers O imposed their will on the Queens once they turned it loose.

That 4th quarter gotta-have-it game-tying drive was nasty. He put the ball right on his WR's hands even when they had defenders draped on them. That drive, in a nutshell, makes me feel good about the GB offense going into the postseason. The game ended without him getting back on the field and I hope that burns a nasty little fire in his chest all week because they need that offense to come out and put the boot down right away.

The way that game ended should be just what the offense needs going into the postseason. It had to leave such a bad taste in their mouths, watching helplessly from the sidelines as AP "willed" the game away. Every rep will be approached with acute attention to detail, every route run with that much more fervor, every block and run executed at 100%. That last game should be just what this team needs to unite it going into the postseason. Now they have not a week off, sudden death every week, working, honing, perfecting. They're about to sharpen the blades of the killing machine on the pathetic purple pukes.

Last week was the best thing that could have happened to them. The hero's journey requires revelation before transformation, atonement, and return

Way to go with the 'positive'.

PACKERS !

[mraynrand]

It was depressing to see Matthews get pancaked by the Reindeer on the last Peterman run. That's your guy that has to step up and make plays and he got owned. Need the entire defense to have Raji's attitude all the way through. Same with the offense. Like to see more of that nasty blocking from the WRs translate to everyone else.

[pbmax]

http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/185490331.html?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed

Late in the game, Matthews came screaming around the back side to try to make a tackle on RB Adrian Peterson and as he dove, his body flipped over and the small of his back landed right on the heel of Vikings running back Toby Gerhart.

Matthews lay on the turf in obvious pain before the medical staff came out to attend to him. Eventually, he was able to walk gingerly off the field.

After the game he said he felt like a boxer whose whole body gave out after taking a knockout punch.

“It was a violent hit,” he said Wednesday. “I watched it. I didn’t like it. It was bad. I’m a little stiff, but I’ll be all right. It’s part of the game. Fortunately, it wasn’t in my spine, it was just back here. I took a good shot. It wasn’t anything internal."

This might be a long-winded description of getting the wind knocked out of you, but sounds like it was kind of a one-off injury to his back.

[Fritz]

He's going to need to come up big this game. Hell, they all will.

Hawk and Jones better practice tackling correctly this week.

[pbmax]

Mike Vandermause @MikeVandermause
Boykin DNP; Cobb full; Finley full; A.Green full; House full; Nelson full; Starks limited; T. Williams DNP; Woodson full; Worthy out.

Tramontana has the flu and was sent home.

[mmmdk]

All Day wants to play ST too...like a knife through wet Clay!

[Tony Oday]

Mike Vandermause @MikeVandermause
Boykin DNP; Cobb full; Finley full; A.Green full; House full; Nelson full; Starks limited; T. Williams DNP; Woodson full; Worthy out.

Tramontana has the flu and was sent home.

Sent home to watch tape of him alligator arming AP

[denverYooper]

Mike Vandermause @MikeVandermause
Boykin DNP; Cobb full; Finley full; A.Green full; House full; Nelson full; Starks limited; T. Williams DNP; Woodson full; Worthy out.

Tramontana has the flu and was sent home.

Is it tacklitis?

[Iron Mike]