Cheesehead
Well-known member
- Mar 19, 2019
- 2,854
- 0
Bill from Menominee, MI
I couldn't help but stay up to watch the 49ers-Seahawks game. After each team had multiple possessions in OT, I honestly thought the best and most deserved outcome for both teams and the entire NFC would have been the tie. Both teams did enough to get there, but neither team put it all together when it mattered most. That half-win would've drawn a lot of playoff-picture attention.
Spoff hit it on the head in a post-Unscripted discussion we had. I have no problem passing on first down but the decision to pass again on second down left me scratching my head, especially since the 49ers were a run-based offense missing their top two receiving targets. Kill 40 seconds off the clock and roll the dice on third down. Don’t give Russell Wilson time to beat you.
Marty from Grafton, WI
I agree with Mike, the MNF game was one the most enjoyable Packer or non-Packer games I've ever watched. I read an article criticizing the game as sloppy for all the turnovers. I felt most of the turnovers were hard fought and well-earned turnovers. I didn't get the impression of a sloppy game. How did you view the game?
The most memorable games are rarely the most disciplined affairs. They typically are the ones where both teams make mistakes but one does something extra special to prevail. Seattle and San Francisco had all the dramatic elements football fans crave.
Adam from Bloomington, MN
Which of the three backs should we be the most concerned about?
They all present challenges but Tevin Coleman always has struck me as a really tough out. The Packers have played him twice before, with Coleman rushing 16 times for 87 yards. Kyle Shanahan will cycle all three in. You can’t let them establish an early rhythm.
Aaron from Santa Cruz, CA
The Packers’ defense has three interceptions in their opponents’ end zone, and a fumble out of the end zone for a change of possession. Not all turnovers are created equal. I understand this defense is giving up yards, but it is very opportunistic. What else about the defense tells you that it is championship-caliber?
They do not fold. Their confidence doesn’t waver. One big reason it’s so important for the Packers to cut down on the explosive plays is because of how many ball hawks Green Bay has in the secondary. The longer you make the offense travel, the more opportunities there are for a takeaway.
Kevin from Holmen, WI
I saw John Kuhn on TV last night (Packers Live) and he stated the NFL changed the rule this year and it's now legal to pull a runner into the end zone. What's the truth?
You can push the ball carrier forward, but you’re not allowed to pull them. Rule 12-1-4a states “no offensive player may lift a runner to his feet or pull him in any direction at any time.” However, the play is rarely flagged. Football Zebras, citing Quirky Research, say the last time a foul was called came in a divisional playoff game between the Chiefs and Bills in 1991.
Bob from Rossford, OH
Great WYMM! It was mentioned briefly, but did we see Geronimo Allison block a corner 15-FREAKING yards down the field? "Where were you taking him?" "To the bus coach. It was time for him to go home."
Spoff and I discussed this on Monday. Geronimo Allison is an underrated blocker. I said Allen Lazard had the best build but Allison is very technically proficient. He never stops looking for work.
David from La Crosse, WI
Insiders, would you say at this point the Packers’ defensive identity is a red-zone/goal-line defense?
Resiliency. You have to beat someone who never quits.
Bob from St. Louis, MO
There is no doubt that the officiating has been shaky. I think a big part of the problem, though, is the color commentators trying to channel Madden. They seem to take very close calls and dwell on them frame-by-frame to nitpick and stir controversy. Just replay it once and move on. Piling on a questionable (not blatantly wrong) call just whips up the hate for the officials. Sticking a sock in the commentators’ mouth would solve some of the problems.
The tricky thing is commentators have to stall until the call on the field is announced. That’s why networks started hiring former officials. They wanted to be more educated on breaking down calls in that void. There are three jobs I’d never do – sales, telemarketing and NFL officiating.
Kevin from Orlando, FL
What do you think is the reason for Oren Burks’ lack of snaps on defense? Even with his injury he was expected to have a big role in the defense once he came back. He’s athletic enough to cover TEs and is physical from what I’ve seen in stopping the run. What gives?
Burks is kind of caught between two worlds right now. Mike Pettine likes using safeties in the box of his sub-packages and B.J. Goodson is entrenched right now next to Blake Martinez in the base. The Packers only played four snaps of traditional nickel against Carolina, which led to Burks only playing a handful of defensive snaps.
Martin from Darien, WI
I don't put too much stock in weekly power rankings, but are the Packers being disrespected a little bit? I see them listed at No. 6 or 7 in quite a few rankings. I even heard Wayne Larrivee on the radio this morning saying the Packers are the fourth-best team in the NFC behind SF, NO, and Seattle. It seems like an 8-2 record with a HOF QB at the helm doesn't get much as respect as it used to.
The Packers aren’t concerned with where pundits have them slotted. If the playoffs started today, Green Bay would be the No. 2 seed in the NFC. The focus now is being No. 1. At the end of the day, playoff seeding is the only power ranking that matters.
Jason from Austin, TX
I think it's great that Rodgers is plugging Aaron Jones into the MVP conversation. I think it's well deserved with the season he's having. However, I don't think there's any way he'd win over CMC. If you remove Aaron Jones from the Packers’ offense, the Packers probably wouldn't be 8-2, but they might be 6-4 or 7-3 and still have a great offense. If you remove CMC from Carolina they'd be 1-8, if they're lucky. I guess it depends on how you define MVP but CMC is Carolina's offense this season.
Maybe, but what happens if McCaffrey has 2,000-plus yards and 20-plus touchdowns on an 8-8 team? It becomes the old Zack Greinke/Felix Hernandez argument: Can a starting pitcher win the Cy Young on a non-playoff team? The NFL MVP is almost always tied to a contender.