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Could Alex Smith meet Aaron Rodgers in the NFC Championship game?

The Green Bay Packers haven’t hosted a playoff game at Lambeau Field since losing to the Giants in the NFC Championship on Jan. 20, 2008. After a 7-0 start, the Packers have some people whispering about going undefeated.

Barring injury, the Packers are more talented than any of their remaining opponents. But can they go undefeated? That’s a tall task.

The Packers toughest tests will come after the bye when they travel to San Diego, on Thanksgiving against the Lions, at the Giants and at home against the Bears and Lions.

Lets say the Packers end up 13-3. Would that be good enough for the No. 1 seed in the NFC and homefield throughout the playoffs? I think so. The Saints could give the Packers a run, but Green Bay already has the tiebreaker advantage. San Franscisco and Detroit are still…well, San Francico and Detroit. Both are improved, but not at the Packers’ level. The Giants only have two losses, but they face a brutal schedule down the stretch.

Packers fans should plan on skipping their January house payment. There’s a good chance that money would be better spent on NFC Championship game tickets at Lambeau.

49ers
Record: 5-1
Projected finish: 12-4
Even if you don’t think the 49ers are for real, they still could end up 12-4. I guess it depends how you define for real. If for real means beating the mediocre and bad teams on your schedule, the 49ers are for real. If it means rising up and winning a game or two that you’re not supposed to, I’m not sure the 49ers qualify.  Read more... (772 words + 1 image, estimated 3:05 mins reading time)

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1) Introduction: Brett Swain wears the underdog crown very well. A seventh round pick in 2008, Swain spent the entire season on the practice squad.  In 2009, Swain beat out Ruvell Martin for a roster spot, but played only six games  before blowing out his knee. More of a contributor on special teams than a receiver, Swain nonetheless would be more active than most teams’ #5 receivers, given the Packers’ Air McCarthy offense and the injury to Jermichael Finley.

2) Profile:

3) Expectations coming into the season for that player: While Swain was the favorite to hold on to the #5 receiver spot, there were serious doubts if he could be even be ready to start the season. He struggled with the leg injury rehab early in camp, but improved dramatically as the preseason progressed. Despite a host of undrafted receivers challenging him, Swain held on to his job, mostly due to his value on special teams. Swain would be expected to continue being steady on coverage teams,  be the emergency fill-in at receiver, and occasionally step onto the field when the Packers went to five wideouts.

4) Player’s highlights/lowlights: Swain caught the first pass of career against the Jets, filling in for an injured Donald Driver. In the Packers’ regular season loss to Atlanta,  Brett Swain saw his most extended action of the season. The Packers went into their “big five” receiver set 15 times in that game, with Swain catching two passes. One was a slant for 31 yards, which was easiest the longest reception of his career. Swain’s lowlight would easily be his drop of  what would have been a key first down on a third and 10 pass in the Super Bowl.  Read more... (498 words + 3 images, estimated 2:0 mins reading time)

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1) Introduction: Matt Flynn has a BCS Championship MVP trophy sitting on his shelf. So while there is little doubt he can perform in a big spot, the question on Flynn has always been, does he have enough talent to be an NFL quarterback?

The seventh round draft choice won the Packers backup QB job as a rookie, beating out second rounder Brian Brohm. At the time, I thought Ted Thompson was crazy to not bring in a veteran backup.  Ted rolled the dice with Flynn, and fortunately, he wasn’t needed.

2) Profile:

Matthew Clayton Flynn

Position: QB
Height: 6-2    Weight: 228 lbs.

Born: June 20, 1985 in Tyler, TX
College: LSU (school history)    (Flynn college stats)
Drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the 7th round (209th overall) of the 2008 NFL Draft.

3) Expectations coming into the season for that player: Coming into this season, Matt Flynn was expected to once again be nothing more than the emergency #2 QB for the Packers. But this preseason was a bit different. The Packers had Super Bowl aspirations this year. Consequentially there was an undercurrent among Packers fans wanting to know that Flynn could keep the season on track if Rodgers had to miss a few games. I frankly, didn’t have the confidence that he could and he proved me wrong against the Patriots.  Read more... (509 words + 3 images, estimated 2:02 mins reading time)

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1) Introduction: Be honest: Most of you skip straight to the grades portion of these player reviews and don’t bother reading the rest of it. I used to write for a video game review website so I know how you people operate. You skip straight to the final score/grade, then head to the comments section and argue with the author about why he was a half-grade off in his final evaluation. Many of you probably scrolled down and saw that I gave Aaron Rodgers an “A” instead of an “A+” for an overall grade and you’re mad. You’re thinking: Who is the clown that writes this stuff? Does he not realize that Rodgers may have turned into the best player in the league this season? What does it take to get an “A+” around here? It takes near perfection for an entire season to earn an “A+.” Rodgers was near perfect in the final six games. He earned his “A+” in that category. But he had moments in the season’s first half that prevented him from getting an “A+” overall. In the end, who really cares? A straight-up “A” means he was still better than just about everybody else anyway.

2) Profile:

Aaron Charles Rodgers

Position: QB
Height: 6-2    Weight: 223 lbs.

Born: December 2, 1983 in Chico, CA
College: California (school history)    (Rodgers college stats)
Drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the 1st round (24th overall) of the 2005 NFL Draft.  Read more... (678 words + 1 image, estimated 2:43 mins reading time)

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1.)Introduction: Before the start of the 2010 season, one would have thought Green Bay Packers wide receiver Donald Driver would have grown sick and tired of playoff heartbreak.

Two years after a nauseating loss at home to the New York Giants in the NFC Championship, Driver had to feel like vomiting after Aaron Rodgers sack and subsequent fumble was returned for a touchdown in overtime of last season’s NFC Wild Card against the Arizona Cardinals.

Still, as Driver always has, he came back and made sure he wouldn’t experience that again.  A 7^th round draft pick in 1999 out of Alcorn St, Driver is used to having been counted out.  As he worked his way up the depth chart, Driver’s heart and determination along with his pure class off the field has turned the late round pick into a Packers legend.

Coming into 2010, Driver knew his window of opportunity to get a Super Bowl ring was closing but he felt like this team more than others he had played on gave him the best shot of finally fulfilling that dream.

2.) Profile:

Donald Jerome Driver

Position: WR
Height: 6-0    Weight: 188 lbs.

Born: February 2, 1975 in Houston, TX
College: Alcorn State (school history)
Drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the 7th round (213th overall) of the 1999 NFL Draft.

Weighted Career AV (100-95-…): 72 (544th overall since 1950)
3-time Pro Bowler (fine print)  Read more... (786 words + 1 image, estimated 3:09 mins reading time)

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1) Introduction: A couple of games into the 2010 season, many of us were convinced Chad Clifton was finished. He looked old, slow, overmatched and hobbled. Replacing Clifton with rookie Bryan Bulaga seemed like a logical move to avoid getting Aaron Rodgers killed. But Mike McCarthy insisted that Clifton was banged up, and that once he got healthier (we probably will never be able to say Clifton is fully healthy), he would keep his job. That patience paid off.

2) Profile:

Jeffrey Chad Clifton

Position: T
Height: 6-5    Weight: 330 lbs.

Born: June 26, 1976 in Martin, TN
College: Tennessee (school history)
Drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the 2nd round (44th overall) of the 2000 NFL Draft.

3) Expectations coming into the season for that player: Above average. Clifton signed a three-year, $20 million contract in the offseason. Normally those types of salary figures come with high expectations, but I’m not sure that was the case with Clifton. Everyone could see Clifton was aging and breaking down, and he was resigned because he was the only other logical option (unless you were comfortable with Bulaga the rookie). Not many expected a pro bowl season out of the grizzled veteran.

4) Player’s highlights/lowlights: Clifton took on Peppers for most of the season finale and kept him away from Rodgers. He also handled Lamar Woodley and James Harrison during the Super Bowl. Lowlights included a bad first two games and giving up a costly sack late in the Redskins game.  Read more... (463 words + 1 image, estimated 1:51 mins reading time)

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1) Introduction: When the Packers lost Darren Sharper after the 2004 season, they were in desperate need of a suitable replacement at safety. Nick Collins was their answer. Drafted in the second round of 2005, he was an instant starter and has missed only three complete games in his career. The 2008 season would be his breakout year with a career-high 7 interceptions, three of them for touchdowns. Since then, he has been a perennial Pro Bowl player and Second Team All-Pro selection. On March 12, 2010, Nick Collins finally signed a long-awaited three-year contract with the Packers, solidifying himself as a staple of the defense.

2) Profile:

Nicholas Cardell Collins

Position: DB
Height: 5-11    Weight: 206 lbs.

Born: August 16, 1983 in Gainesville, FL
College: Bethune-Cookman
Drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the 2nd round (51st overall) of the 2005 NFL Draft.

3) Expectations coming into the season: Already a two-time Pro Bowler entering the season, expectations were naturally high for Nick Collins. Over the past two years – arguably the best of his career – he made 125 tackles, defended 28 passes, caught 13 interceptions, forced one fumble, recovered four more, and had one sack. In addition, the initial uncertainties at the nickel cornerback and strong safety positions (between Burnett, Bigby, and eventually Peprah) put more of a burden on his veteran shoulders.

 Read more... (610 words + 1 image, estimated 2:26 mins reading time)

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