2016 NFL Week 9: Packers vs. Colts Preview and Prediction

The Green Bay Packers play their only home game during the month of November today at Lambeau Field vs. the Indianapolis Colts. After today, it's three straight games on the road, continuing the goofy schedule they were dealt this season by the league.

Coming off a 1-point loss in Atlanta to the Falcons last week, the Colts might be what the doctored ordered to get the Pack another home win before starting that tough road stretch.

While the Colts have one of the best quarterbacks in the league in Andrew Luck, they also have one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL. With the number of sacks they have given up, Luck should be getting hazardous duty pay...oh wait...he's overpaid already...never mind.

The key thing is that Luck should be under steady pressure today from the Packers defense. If the front seven can get regular pressure on him, his group of reliable receivers shouldn't be able to take advantage of the still-wounded Packers secondary. The defense will still have to account for veteran RB Frank Gore, though. While not capable of carrying the ball 25 or 30 times a game like he used to, he can still cause damage if left unchecked, whether running the ball out of the backfield or as a receiver.

Packers WR Randall Cobb is likely out
for today's game against the Colts.
Photo by Jeff Hanisch/USA TODAY Sports
On the other side of things, QB Aaron Rodgers returned to form last week despite the loss. With no running game to speak of, the Pack has gone to using receivers out of the backfield when and where possible -- Ty Montgomery should be in the backfield today -- although it's possible we may see more of RB Don Jackson today, too. But the Colts woeful secondary should present plenty of opportunities for Rodgers and his many receivers. Expect a lot of passes again today from Rogers.

One change to the starting offensive line today is that C Corey Linsley has come off the PUP list to replace the now-injured J.C. Tretter. It will be interesting to see how he does given all the time missed in getting into game shape.

The Prediction
The Packers are favored by 7 points at the time of this writing. The over-under points is projected at 53.5, which is the largest total for this weekend's games. In other words, the oddsmakers think there will be a lot of points scored between the two teams, and that the Packers will win. That's a likely scenario. But we also think the majority of those projected points, today, will be going the Packers way. Yay.

We're calling it 34-24 Packers.

Go Pack Go!!!

2016 NFL Week 8: Packers vs. Falcons Preview and Prediction

For the first time in about a month, the Green Bay Packers hit the road. They take on the high-flying Atlanta Falcons inside the Georgia Dome in the late afternoon game today.

The Packers will be facing arguably and statistically the NFL's number one-rated offense, the number one-rated passer and the number one-rated receiver. They'll be doing so, however, without their own three top-rated cornerbacks. Not ideal in such a match up. Unless the Pack's front seven can get consistent pressure on Falcons' QB Matt Ryan, and the defensive backs can somehow disrupt WR Julio Jones, it could be a long day for the Pack's defense...and the Packers as a whole.

Assuming that that may be the case, the only hope is that the Pack's offense can outscore the Dirty Birds. Certainly that's possible. We've seen the offense click on two occasions this season: against Detroit and Chicago for a half each. Hmmm...odds don't seem great based upon recent history for a game-long shoot-out, do they? Then toss in the fact that, again, Eddie Lacy and James Starks are unavailable, as will be Randall Cobb today, the burden falls to others to pick up the slack. There is newcomer RB Knile Davis and recently promoted RB Don Jackson, as well as WR Geronimo Allison. So, it's entirely possible the Packers could have a long-awaited breakout game with some new players providing the spark. But...

Packers WR Randall Cobb will likely
not be available for today's game vs. Falcons.
Photo by Jim Matthews/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wis
Prediction
This will likely be one of our briefer preview and prediction posts. With the recent rash of injuries and roster changes on the Packers squad, and the general sputtering of the Packers offense, we think the only way to pull out a win over the Falcons today -- who are favored by 3 points at the time of this posting, by the way -- would be to outscore them. This is one of those rare occasions when the odds seem stacked against the Pack: injuries, opponent, road game, lack of consistent play.

We're call this one 34-27 Falcons.

Wish it wasn't so. And hope we're wrong.

Go Pack Go!!!

LATE UPDATE: TY MONTGOMERY OUT
Breaking late news: it's being reported by Jay Glazer that WR/RB Ty Montgomery is out for the Packers today because of illness. No Montgomery. No Cobb. A sorry injury/availability situation for the Packers becomes worse. Our prediction seems even more likely now. Dang.

Packers take down Bears 26-10

The Green Bay Packers have finally put together two good halves of football this season. OK, they weren't actually in the same game, but still. The first good half, as you may recall, was during the game and win against the Detroit Lions. Thankfully, the second good half came on Thursday evening against the Chicago Bears.

There was much wailing and gnashing of teeth following the disappointing loss to the Dallas Cowboys the prior Sunday evening. But despite a extremely sluggish first half against Chicago, the Packers offense finally started clicking -- to the tune of a record-setting night.

Packers QB Aaron Rodgers lit up the Bears in a record-setting peformance.
Photo by Dan Powers/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wis

QB Aaron Rodgers was just shy of 60 pass attempts -- OK, 56 to be exact -- and set a franchise record with 39 completions. For the first time in a long time he had more than 300 yards passing. Davante Adams had a career night, with 13 catches for 132 yards and two touchdowns, just one catch short of tying the franchise record of the legendary Don Hutson. For the first time in Packers history, a receiver had 10 or more catches in the same game for 100 yards or more with 2 touchdowns.

The offense controlled the ball for nearly 40 minutes of the game, and racked up 32 first downs. It was quite a night for the offense.

And that was with missed opportunities. WR Randall Cobb had a chance for two additional touchdowns: one pass was stripped from him in the endzone early in the game as he was bringing the ball in for a completion; the second, later in the game, came when he couldn't get his second foot down inside the back line of the endzone while being forced out by the Bears' defender.

In addition, in a "Well, there's something you don't see everyday, Wilbur" moment, kicker Mason Crosby missed two fields and an extra point.

So...a lot of points were left on the field. This has been a disturbing trend for the Packers this season. In this game, against a woeful Bears offense, and with a dominant Packers defense, those points were not needed to secure the win. But the Pack certainly can't count on that every game.

As for the Packers defense, they pitched a touchdown shutout. Wait...what?...you say. Clearly a touchdown was scored by Da Bearz. Well, that came on a fumble by Rodgers recovered in the endzone by Chicago. Other than that, the Packers D made a nice return to form following its dismal performance a few days before against Dallas.

The Packers now have 10 days off (from the time of the game) to take a small break and get a bit healthier before they play at Atlanta on Oct. 30. That will hopefully also give the Packers time to integrate newly-arrived RB Knile Davis more fully into the offense.

But it's likely, based on his outstanding performance in the backfield against Chicago, that WR Ty Montgomery will also be seeing his share of playing time coming out of the backfield for a quite a while. That's because RB Eddie Lacy was placed on injured reserve with his ankle requiring surgery the day of the Bears game and James Starks is still a few weeks a way from returning from his knee surgery. RB Don Jackson, who was on the practice squad and promoted to the active roster the day of the game, sustained a left wrist injury on his second carry. Figures, doesn't it?

It's a strange season, indeed. But at least the Packers are 4-2, just behind the ViQueens in the NFC North standings.

NFL Week 7: Packers vs. Bears Preview and Prediction

Just a few days following a demoralizing 30-16 defeat at the hands of the Dallas Cowboys at Lambeau Field, the Green Bay Packers (3-2) will host the archrival Chicago Bears (1-5) this evening. The Pack will tonight be without seven players, including running backs Eddie Lacy and James Starks, as well as defensive backs Sam Shields, Damarious Randall and Quinten Rollins. Shields -- who is still in the league's concussion protocol -- was actually placed on injured reserve to open up a roster spot; he could return in Week 14. Wide receiver Jared Abbrederis, TE Jared Cook, and S Chris Banjo are also out. Wide receiver Davante Adams is listed as questionable.

As bad as it is for the Packers, Da Bearz' injury report is even longer. We wish we could feel bad about that, but given the current state of affairs in Green Bay, we don't. We'll take all the help we can get even if it's a banged-up opponent. Although, we did so hope Bears QB Jay Cutler could have played. That's always a factor in the Pack's favor.

Packers QB Aaron Rodgers and the offense
must be in sync to beat Da Bearz tonight.
Photo by Rick Wood, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Given the condition of both teams, it's likely this game could be mediocre at best. Despite how out-of-sync the Packers seemed on Sunday, they need to somehow find the will -- and the ways and plays -- to beat what is arguably one of the worst teams in the league at this stage of the season.

It used to be the case that after a poor personal performance, QB Aaron Rodgers would light up the following week's opponent. But given the 17-game slump that Rodgers seems to be in in terms of personal performance, we're not sure what to count on any longer. Without a sure-fire running attack to take the pressure off him, play at the level we've seen recently would not be unexpected.

The Packers did finally decide to provide some help in this regard with the acquisition via trade Monday (a trade!!!) of Kansas City running back, Knile Davis. While Davis became expendable for the Chiefs, he might at least fill a temporary need for the Packers. Don't expect much tonight, other than perhaps a few basic plays. But the other option was to keep running wide receivers Ty Montgomery and Randall Cobb out of the backfield...which, let's just say it...is no solution and, well, a bit nuts, right? The Packers did have one other option, activating practice squad RB Don Jackson to the active roster. For this game, at least, the Pack will try to make it with Davis, et al. (By the way, Milwaukee Journal Packers beat writer extraordinaire, Bob McGinn, has a great article today about Davis; it's highly suggested reading.)

Prediction
Depending upon your source, the Packers are currently favored by 7-1/2 to 9-1/2 points. We'd like to think that's how things will roll tonight. But are we confident based upon what we've seen so far this season? Not really.

Still, we need to make a prediction. We're calling it 24-13 Packers.

Go Pack Go!!!