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I can’t remember ever feeling this good about a Green Bay Packers team. I liked their chances against the Eagles, I was very confident they would beat the Falcons, and I have a good feeling about Sunday’s game against the Chicago Bears.

This feeling of positivity just does not seem right. I’m not sure how to handle it. Usually I’m pessimistic and grumpy to a fault. I expect the worst and wait for everything to come crashing down with another last-second Mason Crosby clank off the goalpost, Mike McCarthy clock kerfuffle or Aaron Rodgers sack/interception.

I feel I need to channel my old pessimistic self, so that is exactly what I am going to do now. There are many reasons why the Packers will not win on Sunday. For those overly excited Packers fans like me, consider this a cold shower.

It’s the Bears. It’s Soldier Field
That about says it all doesn’t it? Very little has gone right for the Packers at Soldier Field recently. Too many penalties, blocked field goals, special teams meltdowns. You name it and it has gone wrong.

And how about that turf? If you dumped a can of green spray paint on a gravel road in Menomonie, WI you would have a better playing surface. That mess of a field neutralizes any speed advantage Bears’ opponents might have and forces you to muck it up and play their slop brand of football.  Read more... (678 words + 1 image, estimated 2:43 mins reading time)

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Tramon Williams locks up the top spot on the list with this game-clinching interception against the Eagles.

Back in December I wrote about the five plays that best highlighted why the Green Bay Packers were 8-6 and fighting for a playoff spot. Many of us thought the Packers should have been 10-4 and thinking about a first-round bye, but a few notable blunders and miscues left our favorite team on the brink of mediocrity.

Things have gotten better since I wrote that piece – a lot better. So I think it is only fair that we go back and highlight the five plays that have helped the Packers turn things around and get to where they are today.

1. Tramon Williams’ game-clinching interception vs. Philadelphia Eagles
This play has to be No. 1. It just has to. Everyone knew how explosive Michael Vick and the Eagles’ offense was. We knew no lead was safe and we had visions of another crushing loss in a close game as Vick was leading the Eagles down the field in the final minutes. Then Williams made a play on a slightly underthrown ball in the end zone intended for Riley Cooper, and the rest is history. It wasn’t a great throw by Vick, but how many times have we seen that type of play result in a pass interference, or the bigger receiver jumping over the smaller defensive back to make the catch anyway? Williams stepped up big time to make that play, and he deserves the top slot on this list (I’m sure he will put a copy of this list on his mantle, next to the game ball from Sunday).  Read more... (975 words + 1 image, estimated 3:54 mins reading time)

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Watching the Packers – Eagles video again, three Packers players made plays that  stood out for me in terms of greatly affecting the outcome of the game.

The phrase “game changer” can have many meanings. It can be a play that sends a message, changes momentum, affects the score, cripples another team, etc. To me, I always include an incredible individual effort into the equation.

I look for individual players chasing perfection and catching excellence during the game. Players and plays that would make Vince Lombardi proud.

Of course, this is very subjective. I’m sure many of you will have different opinions, and I want to hear them. But for me, here are my three plays, in order of importance:

PLAY #3: Sam Shields Sends a Message:

The speed and talent that the Philadelphia Eagles have at wide receiver is no secret. They have won many  a game with big plays down the field to DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin. Eight minutes into the first half, the Eagles decided to take their first shot.

As could be expected, they went after undrafted rookie Sam Shields. Seeing Shields with single coverage on Maclin, the Eagles tried to setup Shields and catch him looking in the backfield. As Vick give a half roll to his left and pump fakes, Maclin takes a few jog steps like he’s not involved and then suddenly turns on the burners.  Read more... (1065 words + 3 images, estimated 4:16 mins reading time)

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The Green Bay Packers defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 21-16 in a nail-biting NFC Wild Card game Sunday afternoon. The Packers now move on to face the Atlanta Falcons Saturday night in the divisional round for the right to play in the NFC championship game.

After jumping out to a 14-0 lead, the Packers let the explosive Michael Vick and the Eagles offense back into the game, but the defense made enough plays at crucial moments to extend the Packers’ season another week.

There were plenty of highlights and even some lowlights to look at, so let’s jump right into Game Balls and Lame Calls: Playoff Edition.

Game Ball

QB Aaron Rodgers

While he didn’t eat up the Eagles defense for big chunks of yardage, Rodgers did throw three touchdown passes and had pinpoint accuracy throughout the game.

He spread the ball around to multiple receivers and served notice to the rest of the playoff field that the Packers have multiple weapons and you cannot shut them all down. Throw in Rodgers’ scrambling ability and you have an incredibly dangerous quarterback and offense.
More importantly and more significantly, he became the first Packers quarterback not named Brett Favre to win a playoff game since Lynn Dickey on January 8, 1983. That’s eight months almost to the day before I was born folks. That would be a long time.

Oh yeah, and he did something Favre couldn’t: he won a tight playoff game in Philadelphia.  Read more... (1285 words + 1 image, estimated 5:08 mins reading time)

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There would be no “flying’ for the Philadelphia Eagles today. Instead, they were sent sulking back to their nests to wonder what went wrong.

The Green Bay Packers saw to that, stifling Michael Vick for most of the game and running a balanced offense with their secret weapon for the day, running back James Starks.

Yet it still came down to  the last 40 seconds, Eagles with the ball in Packers territory. And this one ends just like the Bears game. Interception by the Packers (Tramon Williams this time) and Green Bay advances.

My game day impressions:

PREGAME:

I’m predicting two Michael Vick strip fumbles today…

LeSean McCoy has caught 78 passes this season.

Bradley inactive for the Eagles.

MY KEY TO THE GAME: If I had to pick JUST ONE thing, it would be this: Don’t over-scheme for Michael Vick. Don’t try to spy him. Just work on some basic team contain principles and make him beat you as a quarterback, not a running back.

My 1A key to the game: Use the running game today. Please. Make the Eagles secondary think run first. Unleash James Starks.

Inactive for Green Bay on Sunday:

Green Bay inactives: QB Harrell, S Bigby, FB Hall, CB Gordy, LB Zombo, OL Dietrich-Smith, OL McDonald and DL Green.

Jenkins finally returns to the active list and boy am I happy to see him in there against Vick. Huge Howard Green is out, which makes the most sense. packers want their most athletic defensive linemen in there.  Read more... (1175 words + 3 images, estimated 4:42 mins reading time)

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Normally, when I put on my miner’s hat and go digging deep into the mind of Packers Coach Mike McCarthy, it’s after a game. I look back at certain situations in the game and try to figure out what in the world he was thinking at that moment. Usually, I’m searching for an answer to the question WHY did you do that, Mike?

Frankly, I just haven’t been that successful. Sometimes, I can come up with a rational approximation of his thought process, but most of the time, I remain flummoxed.

So I decided to try a different approach. This time I’m going to try to figure out what he’s thinking BEFORE the fact. We ll know McCarthy likes to do the unpredictable, like throw deep to the end zone with your weak-armed backup QB on fourth and one with a minute left in a game you’re losing by 4 pts. Can you say, “threw the game away?” But I digress.

I’m going to attempt to take his element of surprise (NOBODY expects the Spanish Inquisition) along with a little reverse psychology and tell you what McCarthy’s sometime unorthodox decisions have been leading up to.

Basically, my theory is that McCarthy has been setting everyone up. You, me, other teams, maybe even his own players. This game, he will unleash the lion and shock everyone. I’ve managed to dig deep into his brain, and here’s what he has planned:  Read more... (750 words + 3 images, estimated 3:00 mins reading time)

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The Green Bay Packers defeated the Chicago Bears 10-3 last Sunday at Lambeau Field to lock down a wild card berth for the second consecutive season.

The Packers enter the playoffs as the number six seed, but in a conference that features a 7-9 division champion, any team could come out of the NFC and head to Super Bowl XLV.

The first stop for the Packers on the road to Dallas is in Philadelphia for an encore match against the Eagles. In the first game of the regular season, the Packers beat the Eagles 27-20 after knocking then-starting quarterback for the Eagles Kevin Kolb out of the game and giving Michael Vick the opportunity to write one of the great comeback stories in NFL history.

Looking back at that game, the Packers had the Eagles well under control until Vick came into the game. He nearly led the Eagles back, but a couple well-timed sacks stopped the comeback just short and the Packers held on the victory.

With an entire week to game plan for Vick, will the Packers fare better against the elusive Eagles quarterback?

Breaking down the Eagles

Vick carried the Eagles this season. You can’t argue any other way.
In a season where coach Andy Reid was under the microscope after dealing Donovan McNabb away within the division, Vick played brilliantly and leads an incredibly explosive offense. With Vick’s dual running and passing threat, the Packers will have their hands full with No. 7.  Read more... (1372 words + 1 image, estimated 5:29 mins reading time)

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