Cheesehead
Well-known member
- Mar 19, 2019
- 2,854
- 0
Chun from El Monte, CA
Krys Barnes and Kamal Martin have shown flashes of big-play ability. It would be hard to take them off the field especially with Christian Kirksey not displaying the same athleticism as these younger guys.
The play of Barnes and Martin was part of the reason they implemented a committee approach to inside linebacker. Barnes played 31 snaps against Carolina before the eye injury, while Kirksey saw 49 defensive snaps and Martin received 22. I bet we'll see more of Barnes in the "Mike" linebacker role, Kirksey playing "Will" in nickel and Martin in base.
Tom from Beaver Dam, WI
With everyone speaking of the improvement of Adrian Amos and his play this year, how much has the improvement of Darnell Savage helped? It seems Adrian has less to worry about.
Considerably, especially with Raven Greene and Will Redmond both missing time with injuries this year. Savage was a first-round pick because of his speed and intangibles, but he's cut from the same safety cloth as Amos. He's smart and instinctive. The Packers will let Savage roam centerfield but he also can step up as a strong safety. His maturation is tied directly to the Packers' comfort in moving Amos around more this year.
Daniel from Atlanta, GA
An interesting point about the new playoff format is that it's now possible to play three home playoff games on the way to the Super Bowl. It used to be that if you won on wild-card weekend you'd be going on the road the following week. But now it's theoretically possible for the No. 2, 3, or even 4 seed to make it to the Super Bowl playing all their playoff games at home. Obviously, the bye is a huge advantage but maybe this reduces the importance of getting the top seed a bit. What do you think?
I still think the importance of grabbing the No. 1 seed supersedes everything. Yes, a team could win three home games on its way to Tampa but that's also one more rock to stumble over on the way to the ultimate prize. And even if you advance, a key player could get injured along the way. To paraphrase Frost…Two roads diverge in a playoff wood, and I – I'll take the path of least resistance. It could make all the difference.
Walt from Skandia, MI
I guess Alvin Kamara is just hard to tackle.
Yes. That is true. But that wasn't exactly a three-day seminar on tackling fundamentals and effort. To my untrained eye, that looked like a Vikings defense with zero interest in being inside the Superdome Friday night.
Dwight from Brooklyn, NY
One of the few times I was rooting for the Vikings, and of course, they don't come through. But, Alvin Kamara with six touchdowns? I get the impression the Saints wanted to make a statement, particularly with that last touchdown.
And that message came through loud and clear. The Saints aren't fooling around – especially when it comes to the run game. This isn't the same "Hey Drew, throw for 5,000 yards" Saints offense of yesteryear. New Orleans can embarrass you in a lot of ways if you don't get off the bus. Oh, Michael Thomas isn't available? Here's Alvin Kamara and Latavius Murray running the ball down your esophagus 34 times.
Jason from Houghton, MI
What are thoughts on Malcolm Jenkins' knee hit on Adam Thielen in the fourth quarter? Not cool, in my opinion.
Awful. Unnecessary. Cheap. Those were the three words that immediately came to mind. Be deliberate about what you're doing or don't do anything at all and accept the guy beat you on the play. I just have no time for that WWE stuff.
Mark from Grand Rapids, MI
Mike's answer on Christmas Day about both Matt LaFleur and Mike McCarthy stressing avoidance of controversy in public comments made me wonder how much time is spent teaching players how to not do that. When I was as young as these guys, stupid comments seemed to fall out of my mouth on a regular basis.
That may be true but how often did that happen to you at work? I think it's a pretty easy ask – especially when it's coming from your head coach – to not create questions for your locker room. There's too much on the line. If you can't do it for your team, then you better do it for your paycheck.