NFL Week 1 2016: Packers vs. Jaguars Preview and Prediction

Welcome to the start of the 2016 NFL season, Packers fans! There are high expectations for this team. More on that in a minute, and specifically as regards today's game.

But first, I invite you to take a moment and remember all those lost, injured and impacted with the events of September 11, 2001...

Thank you.

Now, to the Packers. Some oddsmakers and prognosticators are projecting the Packers to not only be in the Super Bowl but to win it; from their stat sheets to God's ears, to turn a phrase if not a theological point. Some, such as the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's great writer, Bob McGinn, don't think the Packers helped themselves in this regard with the shocking release of Pro Bowl left guard Josh Sitton. His article on how the Pack "blew it" with this clumsily handled roster move is definitely worth reading.

Be that as it may, fourth-year player Lane Taylor is now your starter at this position. He's demonstrated his ability as a servicable run blocker, but there is a great deal of skepticism as we start the season about his pass-blocking abilities. He also had what can only be described as a disappointing game, with three penalties including two back-to-back, in the preseason finale. Given that he's one of the two guys essentially protecting the franchise's (that would be QB Aaron Rodgers, of course) blind side, Taylor is going to have to raise the level of his play in that regard quite quickly.

The Packers secondary will be challenged by the Jags receiving corps.
(Photo: Joe Robbins, Getty Images)
How we see it
As game time rapidly approaches, we need to get to the heart of the conversation, don't we?

The first game of the season is a lot like the proverbial box of chocolates: you never know what you're going to get. This will be the first time that starters on both sides of the ball for both teams are called upon to play a full 60 minutes. Expect some rustiness, some blown plays, and probably more penalties than we'll see later on in the season. Having said that, there should be no reason that Aaron Rodgers isn't able to lead the Pack to victory today. He's got a great group of receivers, although the Pack might very well choose to use Jory Nelson sparingly depending upon how he's feeling coming off his injury from last season. Expect to see a great deal of the Packers tight ends, especially Jared Cook. He can stretch the field and coverage in a way we haven't seen since the days of Jermichael Finley. Also expect a heavy dose of Eddie Lacy and James Starks. The running game will have to exert itself early and often in order to allow Rodgers the time he'll need to open up the passing game. One unknown at least at the time of this writing is whether left tackle David Bakhtiari will start or even play at all today; he was listed as "questionable" on yesterday's injury report. Under the new labelling system, this puts him roughly somewhere between 50.1 and 99 percent likelihood to play. If he's unable to go, rookie Jason Spriggs will take his place and then that entire left side of the Packers offensive line will be new...not ideal in protecting Rodgers' blind side, especially against what could be a good Jaguars defensive line and pass rush.

As for the Packers defense, the line is thin for various reasons. The inside linebackers are young -- including rookie starter Blake Martinez who will be relaying the plays called in from Dom Capers et al. The secondary should be the strength of the defense early on and probably throughout the season. The d-backs will be challenged today with a very good corps of Jag receivers. If QB Blake Bortles gets in rhythm it could be a challenging day. If the Packers defensive front can make him uncomfortable, the secondary may have opportunities for multiple interceptions. Let's hope that's the way it plays out.

Our prediction
The Packers are 5-1/2 point favorites. That's a pretty good spread for any time of the season, but particularly on the road in a "Let's see what we all got" type of game. Despite what is reported to be perhaps the third-hottest game the Packers will have ever played in -- and remember, Jacksonville opted for their white jerseys today, making the Packers play in the darker and hence warmer green jerseys -- the Pack is the better team.

We're calling it 27-20 Packers.

Go Pack Go!!!

Leroy Butler: Sports brings us together, the way it should be
We have to highly recommend to you this special article that Packers great Leroy Butler wrote for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel today. Given the current political and cultural environment in which we seem to be immersed, Butler advocates for the lessons we all can learn from sports as a way to be unified rather than divided. Amen. Read it.

2016 Packers Season Preview

Hello again, Packers fans!

It's been a while since we last chatted (in a blogger-bloggee sense, that is). Somehow, four months have elapsed. Holy inactive list, Batman! What's been going on? Well, we've just been doing a lot of watching rather than writing. An extended hiatus...which some might argue we took just to be able to use the word "hiatus" in a sports blog. Be that as it may, let's get on with things, shall we? We're long overdue.

Roster set, expectations high
At least for the first game of the regular season, the Packers 53-man roster is in place. The big surprises -- not only in terms of the who but the when -- came in the form of the release of long-time veterans, punter Tim Masthay and offensive guard Josh Sitton. Sitton, especially, was a surprise. No need to go into the reasons why; any Packer fan worth his or her brat-and-a-beer will know the reasons. But all in all, we have to look optimistically at this deep, albeit young Packers roster. Barring injuries to QB Aaron Rodgers and other key personnel, or a re-injury to Jordy Nelson (yes, he's key too, isn't he?), the Packers are among the favorites to go to the Super Bowl and win. Depending upon whom are reading or what oddsmakers you are following, the Packers are the favorites.

Packers QB Aaron Rodgers and WR Jordy Nelson hope to be celebrating throughout the entire 2016 season, all the way through the Super Bowl.
(Photo: USA TODAY Sports)
Season Prediction
We'll make our Packers vs. Jaguars prediction a bit closer to game time. What we wish to do here is take a gander at the entire 2016 schedule and make our call about the Pack's record at the end of the season and heading into the playoffs. Yes, spoiler alert: playoffs here we come!

We make our season wins-losses call not based upon individual games per se (although that obviously does factor in), but rather we've had a tradition here of breaking down the season into quarters, much as a game itself is played. Having said that, let's look at each quarter and make our calls.

Weeks 1-4: September 11-October 9
In order, the Packers play the Jaguars and Vikings on the road in the first two weeks, followed by the Lions at Lambeau Field. Then...a bye in week 4. Yeah, not ideal to say the least but it is the hand the Pack has been dealt. The tradeoff, overall, is that the Packers actually will play the easiest schedule in the NFL based on 2015 records. So, that's a good thing...considering. While the Pack could have a stumble in the heat in the season opener in Jacksonville against a much-improved Jags team, the Packers should prevail. Minnesota will be playing its first home game in its new stadium and the border rivalry will be on full display. Given that the ViQueens unseated the Packers atop the NFC North last season, this, again, could be a game in which the Packers stumble. Although there's that rather unsettled quarterback situation there these days after the injury to Teddy Bridgewater, so...? As for the Lions at Lambeau, c'mon.

Our call: 2-1.

Weeks 5-8: October 9-30
Three home games following the bye week and then one on the road: Giants, Cowboys and Da Bearz and then off to Atlanta to play the Dirty Birds. The Packers need to do a better job holding serve at home than they did last year, so we'll say this quarter's worth of season games is a sweep.

Our call: 4-0.

Weeks 9-12: November 6-28
The Pack's goofy home-away schedule continues in this quartet of games: Colts at Lambeau, followed by three straight road games at the Titans, Redskins and Eagles. As things get into and beyond the middle of the season, we can see one of these games registering as a loss, particularly given the steady diet of road games.

Our call: 3-1.

Weeks 13-17: December 4-January 1, 2017
OK, technically this isn't a quarter of games because of the 17 weeks (including the bye) needed to actually get 16 games played. I know, it's confusing. Just go with it. This five-game stretch run actually is the most sensible part of the season schedule, at least from a travel standpoint. Three out of the five games are at home. While the final three games are against NFC North opponents, two out of the three -- including the final game on New Year's Day -- are on the road. In this stretch, the Packers play the Texans and Seahawks at Lambeau, then Da Bearz in Chicago, return home to play the ViQueens, and then conclude the season in Detroit against the Lions. Not having a break since week 4, the length of the season -- despite the supposed easiest schedule based upon last year's standings -- will take its toll.

Our call: 3-2.

2016 Season Predication: 12-4. The Packers will once again be atop the NFC North and get a much-needed bye going into the playoffs. They'll need it.

Check back in again for our preview and prediction for Sunday's game against the Jaguars.

Thanks for reading. Go Pack Go!!!

After the NFL Draft, Packers get ready to welcome rookies

As Packer Fans United, we know that the 2016 NFL Draft finished up its three-day extravaganza on Saturday evening. The Green Bay Packers went big. Head coach Mike McCarthy had said in comments long before the draft that he liked big guys. Check. What he didn't say, but that also apparently was part of the criteria this time around, was also get big smart guys. To that end, two of the Pack's seven picks are from Stanford and one is from Northwestern; both schools have a reputation for nurturing brainiacs. In his comments after the draft, General Manager Ted Thompson said, essentially, that big guys are great but big smart guys are even better. Check.


The 2016 Packers Draft Picks

By way of a quick recap, here are the Pack's picks...


NT Kenny Clark (left); OT Jason Spriggs, OLB Kyler Fackrell and ILB Blake Martinez (top row, left to right); DE Dean Lowry, WR Trevor Davis and OL Kyle Murphy (bottom row, left to right).
Photo from Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

• 1st Round (#27): NT Kenny Clark, UCLA
• 2nd Round (#48): OT Jason Spriggs, Indiana
• 3rd Round (#88): OLB Kyler Fackrell, Utah State
• 4th Round (#131): ILB Blake Martinez, Stanford
• 4th Round (#137): OT Dean Lowry, Northwestern
• 5th Round (#163): WR Trevor Davis, California
• 6th Round (#200): OL Kyle Murphy, Stanford

Of course, acquisitions don't stop there. Reportedly, the Packers have the following undrafted free agent signings:

• QB Joe Callahan, Wesley College
• P Peter Mortell, Minnesota
• ILB Manoa Pikula, BYU
• RB Brandon Burks, Troy
• OLB Reggie Gilbert, Arizona
• RB Don Jackson, Nevada
• CB Josh Hawkins, East Carolina
• WR Geronimo Allison, Illinois
• S Demond Smith, Georgia Tech
• CB Brandon Gatewood, Alcorn State
• CB Randall Jette, UMass
• S Kentrell Brice, Louisiana Tech
• ILB Beniquez Brown, Mississippi State
• CB Makinton Dorleant, Northern Iowa
• WR Dennis Parks, Rice
• WR Devonte Robinson, Utah State
• OT Josh James, Carroll (MT) College
• WR Herb Waters, Miami (FL)
• TE David Grinnage, North Carolina State
• DL Brian Price, UT-San Antonio
• DL Tyler Kuder, Idaho State

A number of players have also been invited in for tryouts. Perhaps most intriguing among that list is WR Patrick Donahue from the German Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns. While you probably haven't heard of Donahue, you had to have heard of his teammate, Moritz Boehringer. MoBo generated a lot of pre-draft interest because of his story as well as his speed and apparent skills as a receiver. He wound up being the first player to be drafted from Europe -- and not an American college -- as the Minnesota Vikings selected him in the sixth round of the draft.

There could be other additions or deletions, of course. This is a period of time in which things are greatly in flux.

Rookie minicamp, by the way, will be held May 8-9. It will be a make or break time for some of these young men looking for their shot at a career in the NFL. Good luck, gentlemen.

Packers Shareholder Meeting Scheduled

Yes, we know you are more interested in the OTA and minicamp schedules -- May 23, 24, 26 (with open practice on May 24), June 1-3 (open practice June 2), June 6-9 (open practice June 6), and minicamp on June 14-16 (open practice every day) -- but we wanted to alert you to the Annual Shareholders Meeting scheduled for July 21 beginning at 11 a.m. In Green Bay, of course.

Now's the time when we can start to once again feel the juices flowing, eh Packer fans? Ohhh yeah.

Go Pack Go!!!

We're baaaaaccckkkk! And so's the NFL Draft.

Hello, again, Packer fans! After our extended hiatus -- brought about by the Packers' heartbreaking loss to the Cardinals (per my last post) -- we're back. Hope you've been keeping abreast of all the Pack's goings-on on our Amazing 2nd Page, which is a real-time compendium (look it up!) of Packers news, NFL news, and more from around the globe. It's a really good, quick, overview of everything (or most everything) you're probably going to want to know. Really.

Anyway, here's a quick Reader's Digest review of just a few things that have transpired during our hiatus...B.J. Raji has unofficially retired, might come back, might not, who knows? Mike Pennel is suspended for the first four games of the 2016 regular season. Jared Cook is a new tight end courtesy of the Rams not resigning him. Jordy Nelson continues to progress ahead of schedule. Aaron Rodgers had a successful knee clean up There's a few other things, of course, but you probably already know them so no need to rehash them now. Let's move along, shall we?

2016 NFL Draft Underway
With the 27th pick in the first round of the 2016 NFL draft, the Packers chose UCLA NT Kenny Clark. With Raji's "retirement," a big hole existed in the Packers' defensive line. If Raji was back, the Pack would have make another selection. But the team needs a big man to anchor that 3-4 scheme and Clark fits the bill quite well. Read more here.

UCLA NT Kenny Clark is the Packers 2016 1st round draft pick.
Photo Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Day Two of the draft saw Packers GM Ted Thompson do something he rarely does: trade up. Sitting with the 57th pick, Thompson obviously felt that the player he wanted would be gone if he waited. So he packaged fourth and seventh round picks in this year's draft to move up to the 48th slot. With that pick, Thompson secured a huge left tackle from Indiana in the person of Jason Spriggs.

Indiana OT Jason Spriggs is the Packers' 2016 2nd round draft pick.
Photo Credit: Sam Tongue/The Elkhart Truth
Spriggs will be able to work behind the Pack's current tackles and could be the heir-apparent should current LT David Bakhtiari decide to walk during next year's free agency period. Anyone who questions why Thompson would trade up to get an offensive tackle should only reflect back on the disaster that was the Packers' offensive line when both Bakhtiari and Bulaga were out last season. Remember? Remember??? Yeah...that's why.

With the team's third round pick, Thompson pulled the trigger on Utah State linebacker Kyler Fackrell. Just less than two years removed from an ACL tear, Fackrell now finds himself as part of the Pack's outside linebacker crew. At 6'5" and 245 pounds, Fackrell's rehab went well enough that he had the best statistical season of his college career last year: he started all 13 games he played, thus continuing his streak of starting every game in his collegiate career. He finished his senior season with 82 tackles (15 for loss), had 4 sacks, and recovered five fumbles. Not bad. Certainly got the attention of Ted Thompson. And, obviously, the prior ACL injury was not a concern for Thompson and his staff.

Utah State LB Kyler Fackrell is the Packers 2016 NFL draft 3rd round pick.
Photo Credit: Utah State
One can imagine Fackrell will be given opportunities to use his speed rush ability in third down and blitz packages, bookending Clay Matthews.

Fourth Through Seventh Rounds Today
In about an hour from this posting, the final day of the draft will commence. The Packers enter the day with four picks, although you never know what wheeling and dealing Uncle Ted might do. The Packers have the 33rd and 39th picks (both compensatory and not available to trade) in the fourth round, numbers 131 and 137 overall, as well as the 26th pick in the fifth round (163 overall) and the 25th pick in the sixth round (200 overall). Remember that the Pack traded fourth round and seventh round picks to move up in the second round to get Spriggs.

Enjoy the continuing unwrapping of our Christmas-in-April gifts, Packer fans! We'll be back again later this weekend to get caught up on these later rounds.

Go Pack Go!!!

Packers lose in OT to Cardinals, season ends with a thump

The injury-plagued Green Bay Packers took arguably the best team in the NFC -- the Arizona Cardinals -- to overtime in a Divisional playoff game Saturday evening in Arizona. But as quickly as the exhilaration of a last-second comeback occurred, it was gone in a final score of 26-20, in favor of Arizona. It was, amazingly, disappointingly, the fifth time in seven playoff games that head coach Mike McCarthy's team has lost on the final play of the game. Wrap your heads around that, Packers fans. Geesh.

Getting the game to overtime itself involved a miracle on the order of what we shall call Hail Mary #2 by Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers and second-year receiver Jeff Janis. With five seconds remaining in regulation and no timeouts left, and the ball on the Cardinals' 41-yard line, Rodgers scrambled under pressure to his left and launched a remarkable throw to the endzone from the Packers own 45-yard line. Janis was the only Packer near the ball. He lept, high-pointed it and came down with a TD to make the score 20-19. Mason Crosby's extra point tied the game at 20-20 and sent it to overtime. By the way, not to be lost in the loss is the fact that Crosby set an NFL record for most consecutive field goals made in postseason play with 20. Congratulations, Mr. Crosby.

Oh, and all this happened without WR Randall Cobb who was lost for most of the game with a lung contusion following an amazing one-handed catch near the Cardinals' goal line that was wiped out by penalty; he actually spent Saturday evening in a Phoenix hospital until being released Sunday morning. Do you think not having Cobb affected the game? You bet it did.

Packers WR Jeff Janis is congratulated by fellow WR Jared Abbrederis after catching QB Aaron Rodgers' Hail Mary pass to send the Division playoff game vs. the Cardinals to overtime.
(Photo by Mark Hoffman, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
As noted above, the amazement of that tying score was short-lived. After winning the coin toss (actually, the second as the first "flip" never actually flipped), Arizona took three plays, featuring future Hall of Fame WR Larry Fitzgerald, to extinguish the Packers' hopes of going to a second straight NFC Championship Game.

The first play appears to have been a blown coverage after a blitz by the Packers' defense flushed Cardinals QB Carson Palmer to his right. Just missed being sacked, Palmer looked back to the left and found a wide open Fitzgerald...let's say that again: wide open. How the Packers defenders do not cover the best receiver on the field in a situation such as this is remarkable in itself. How Fitzgerald was then able to take that reception 75 yards to the Packers five-yard line is another matter; he eluded five tacklers on the way, all of whom could have and should have made tackles. You can read all about this collapsed defensive series here.

Arguably, the game shouldn't have come down to this. The Packers had opportunities to turn the game totally in their favor. In fact, the Packers did have the lead at one point. And for about 56 minutes, the Packers defense performed admirably. CB Sam Shields, returning after being inactive for several weeks due to a concussion, had not just one but three opportunities for interceptions. In fact, he had an opportunity late in the game near the Packers' goal line to pick off Palmer and return the ball about 97 yards the other way for a 14-point swing and, likely, putting the game solidly in the Packers' favor. But, not.

It wasn't just Shields, of course. Was veteran LB Julius Peppers out of position on the blown coverage play...or was it rookie Damarious Randall who seemed to drop to a zone when everyone else was in man-to-man coverage? Or was it the rushers not getting to Palmer? And those are just the questions related to a couple plays in overtime.

This is yet another game that will stick in the craw of Packers fans for what might have been. Head coach McCarthy said himself in post-game comments that he saw this game as a "microcosm" of the season as a whole. Glimpses of greatness, yet too many missed opportunities and outright failures. How much of that is on the coaching staff and how much on the players is a conversation that will go on and on. Bottom line is that it is another lost year and chance of a Super Bowl with one of the best quarterbacks in the league under center.

How many of the players on this year's team will be back? How many will move on or be forced to move on? It will be an interesting offseason for the Packers. There are many questions after yet another bitterly disappointing end to the season.

Still, we remain...Packer Fans United.

We'll be continuing our coverage of all things Packers during the coming days and offseason. So please be sure to keep stopping in. We appreciate your readership. Also, be sure to keep checking out our Amazing 2nd Page (link also at the top of this page) which is a non-stop feed of Packers coverage from all over the Packersphere. It's always current.

Now...Go Pack Go!!!

Divisional Playoff Game: Packers vs. Cardinals

Fast update on last Sunday's Wildcard game versus Washington (for those who may be unaware...but, c'mon...really???): Packers won. Handily. In a manner on all sides of the ball we haven't seen since the Packers were 6-0.

Great. Restored hope and confidence -- kinda -- to many if not most of the Packers faithful.

But that was then. This is now. And that means the Green Bay Packers are in the desert to face the high-flying Arizona Cardinals. You know...that team that dismantled the Pack just a couple weeks ago. (Gulp!)

The Packers will need constant pressure by Mike Pennel and others on AZ QB Carson Palmer tonight in order to stay in the game.
(Photo by Getty Images)

Defensive pressure will be key for the Packers
It could be argued that the Packers' defense has been the surprise -- and unexpected savior -- of the Packers 2015 season. It was clearly in evidence in the Wildcard win over Washington. It will need to be equally aggressive and persistent in tonight's game against the Cardinals. Why? This great article by Milwaukee Journal Packers writer, Bob McGinn, puts it all in context. Among the points made, Palmer is a drop-back quarterback, not mobile. If the Packers can get to him with a four-man rush, it could make the difference. Arizona's offensive scheme is built upon deep drops by Palmer in the pocket and protection from his line so that the Cards' fleet of speedy receivers can get open deep. If Palmer's allowed to stay upright without pressure, it's going to be a long game...especially for the Packers' secondary.

The entire Packers squad was flat in the first match up. They had nothing. Got behind early. Only got two sacks on Palmer; clearly that's not going to do the trick. Likewise, if and when there are opportunities for takeaways, the Packers have to come up with them. They've been pretty middle of the road in that regard this season. Big games are times for big plays. The defense will have to make a few.

Offense needs to get -- and stay -- in rhythm
The Packers' patchwork offensive line was beat like a rented mule last time around (metaphor only, animal lovers!), leading to two turnovers that led immediately to touchdowns for the Cardinals. You can't give away fourteen points to a team like this and expect to win. You can't let Aaron Rodgers get sacked eight times and expect to have a chance to win.

Early indicators are that LT David Bakhtiari will be able to start the game tonight, meaning all the regular starters should be on the line. How long he will be able to last...who knows? We saw last week, however, after giving up that early sack leading to a safety, that J.C. Tretter is a battler and could provide serviceable protection to Rodger's blind side if needed.

Having the full line ready to go should also help the run game. When the Packers run at least 25 or more times a game, they have a great shot at winning. LG Josh Sitton is even more insistent: run it at least 30 to 35 times during the game, he says. It opens up the passing game. Although, to be fair, some say it's the other way around with the Packers: if the passing game is fast and furious it can open up the running game. Well, however they do it, the Packers will need both the running and passing attacks to be in championship form tonight. Anything less and we could be looking at the end of this NFL season for the Pack.

Packers WR Jared Abbrederis catches a 2-point conversion in the game vs. Washington. He'll need to come up big tonight against the Cardinals.
(Photo by Nick Wass, Associate Press)

The passing game will affected by the absence of second-year WR Davante Adams. Adams was having a good game against Washington until he sustained an MCL sprain. This means WR Jared Abbrederis becomes the third wide receiver, with Jeff Janis bumping up to the fourth spot. Abbrederis has shown glimpses of greatness in the little playing time he has had. Rodgers likes him and has confidence in him, to the point of saying several weeks ago he thought Abbrederis deserved more playing time. Now he'll get it. Having all week to work on their timing together, Rodgers and Abbrederis could combine for some great plays tonight. They'll need to, perhaps out of the slot and via quick-hitting slant routes. If Janis can run disciplined routes downfield to stretch the defense that would be a bonus, as well. But Abbrederis might wind up being an unsung hero tonight, as this article suggests.

The Prediction
The Packers come into this game as 7-point underdogs. If someone watched the first game between these two teams they might question why it's not larger than that. And, certainly, listening to and reading many of the predictions for this game you get the clear sense that most aren't giving the Packers much of a chance. Does that sound similar to last week? You bet.

Now, the Cardinals have had a week off and the Packers are coming in off a short week. Advantage would seem to go to the Cardinals, especially with the home field advantage. But sometimes that week off can throw off a team's own rhythm. Been known to happen. And for a team such as the Packers that limped into the playoffs following a disappointing NFC North Championship loss at Lambeau Field to the ViQueens, getting a bit of mojo back with the win in D.C. (or Maryland or wherever Washington plays) is just what the doctor ordered. They believe in themselves...even when no one else does.

Call us believers. We're calling this game: Packers 27 - Cardinals 26.

Go Pack Go!!!

Wildcard Playoff Game: Packers vs. Washington

The Green Bay Packers, following two straight losses to end the 2015 regular NFL season, including the NFC North Division title game loss to Minnesota at Lambeau Field last weekend, travel to Washington, D.C. today to take on the Redskins, who are coming into this game having won four straight and averaging 33 points per game during that stretch.

Hmmm...

Packer fans know how we got here: the Pack started the season strong -- despite the exhibition game and season-ending loss of WR Jordy Nelson -- going undefeated in their first six games. Then the bye week arrived. In the 10 games following the bye, the Packers went 4-6 and struggled to get any type of offensive consistency going. Special teams and the defense became the strengths of the team. Thank goodness, or making the playoffs might not have happened at all.

Packers LB Clay Matthews and the entire defense will have to shut down Washington's offense today to have a chance to win.
(Photo by Mark Hoffman, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

So, the Packers limp into this Wildcard round against a hot Washington team, with a young quarterback in Kirk Cousins who's been on a roll the last month or so. He has confidence in himself and those around him. They're making plays. It will be up to the Packers defense to slow down that offense. Not an easy thing, particularly if the Packers offense can't stay on the field and put up points. But it's what they need to do for the Pack to have a chance today.

The Packers offense will have opportunities against the league's 28th-ranked defense. Washington's secondary is banged up, missing three starters. This is the type of situation QB Aaron Rodgers and his receiving corps used to be able to exploit with few difficulties. But of late, the offensive line's inability to protect Rodgers, the receivers' inability to get separation from defenders, the running backs' inability to consistently gain yardage and/or hold on to the ball, and Rodgers' seeming lack of confidence in the whole system mean the Packers have been battling themselves as much as their opponents. If that continues today, they are one and done in the playoffs.

Can the Packers win this game? Yes. The oddsmakers are calling this game a toss-up. Past performance is a good predictor of future performance. Given thant, for 10 weeks, we haven't seen much that gives us confidence that the Pack will win this game. They'll be missing CB Sam Shields again as well LB Jayrone Elliot, both of whom could definitely help in holding down the Washington offense. LT David Bakhtiari is questionable for the game, meaning the banged up and sieve-like O-line will once again be performing at a less than ideal level just in terms of personnel let alone performance.

The Prediction
My head tells me that the Packers haven't shown enough to tell me they will somehow flip a switch and perform differently and at a higher level than they have over the past 10 weeks. But, I'm also a Packers shareholder and fan. My heart tells me they can get out of their own way for at least this game and win a close one.

We're calling it 23-20 in favor of the Packers.

Go Pack Go!!!

Packers lose NFC North Championship to Vikings

Well, Packer fans...that was certainly depressing, wasn't it? A 20-13 loss to Minnesota -- at Lambeau Field -- to put the Packers four-game NFC North division winning streak to an end. (Sigh)

But honestly, we've come to expect being disappointed ever since the Week 7 bye week passed, haven't we? Undefeated going into the bye...4-6 afterward. What the heck happened?

Oh, we know very well what's happened: no big plays, receivers that can't get separation, receivers that drop passes and can't break tackles, an offensive line that has been banged up since the start of the season and has a hard time opening lanes for runners and setting pass protection for the quarterback. And speaking of the quarterback...missing throws that used to be automatic and under constant pressure.

A familiar scene in recent weeks: QB Aaron Rodgers getting sacked.
(Photo by Rick Wood, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
Everyone knows what the problems are, including opposing teams. But apparently, not even the coaching staff or players are able to correct course. Still, nobody can get this sorted out except the players themselves. They need to execute, whatever the game plan is.

For whatever the reasons, this has been a woefully underperforming team since Week 8. How bad is it? Even the players think they are going nowhere, according to former Packers TE Mark Chmura on ESPN Wisconsin yesterday; that sure can't help. You can listen to his comments here.

For the first time since 1968 and the era of head coach Phil Bengston, the Packers lost all their home games to their three division opponents. Remarkable...in a bad sense. In their last two games of the regular season, the Pack, as we know, went 0-2. If they had gone 2-0, they would have gotten the number 2 seed and a bye in the NFC playoffs instead of being on the road with a number 5 seed. Two more wins. Two. More. Wins.

So many missed opportunities game to game and as a season.

The Packers were exposed in many ways and became easy to defend by team after team. The Packers defense held opponents to high-teens scoring for the most part; but the offense had a hard time getting first downs let alone touchdowns.

Can the Packers beat Washington? Of course the possibility exists. The probability??? The Packers are currently listed as 1-point underdogs against a Washington team that won 4 of its last 5 games behind a red-hot quarterback by the name of Kirk Cousins. "Voice of the Packers," Wayne Larrivee, when asked Monday if the Pack could beat Washington, replied that Washington, particularly because of its defense, could be beaten. But considering the Packers have scored a total of just 4 touchdowns in the last three games...?

Unless the Packers find their lost confidence, believe in themselves and each other, and execute, this will be a one-and-done playoff experience. There will be some big changes in the offseason for the Packers, whenever it starts. What those changes will be is anyone's guess.

We'll have more on the upcoming playoff game against Washington as game time nears. Stay tuned for more.

NFL Week 17: Packers vs. Vikings for NFC North Championship

It's taken many Packers fans -- including yours truly -- a good week to get over the "Debacle in the Desert"...the embarrassing loss by the Pack to the Arizona Cardinals. Readers of Packer Fans United will know that we picked agains the Pack last week, so the loss itself was not a surprise. The way the Packers lost, and to the extent they lost, yeah, that was shocking.

But, it's done. More important matters confront the Pack this evening at Lambeau Field in the form of a rising Minnesota ViQueens team.

The Packers are going to have to find a way, again, to stop Minnesota RB Adrian Peterson from taking over the game.
(Photo by Jim Matthews/P-G Media)
The Packers had one of their better performances of the season -- certainly the second half of the season, anyway -- in their 30-13 win over the 'Queens in Minnesota on Nov. 22. They held RB Adrian Peterson to a mere 45 yards rushing. It would be wonderful if the Packers are able to do that again this evening. Truth be told, if the Packers wish to have a shot at winning tonight they'd probably be happy to keep Peterson under 100 yards for the game. The Packers defense will likely have both B.J. Raji and Mike Neal back in the lineup which will go a long way towards making that a possibility. LB Clay Matthews hasn't had a sack in the last few games and admitted this week that he needed to be more "impactful." Well, frankly, yes. This is exactly the type of game -- for the NFC North Division Championship -- that you need your best players to perform like your best players.

We haven't seen that out of many on this Packers squad in recent weeks. It's been pretty much a train wreck on both sides of the ball, although the fact that the defense has been carrying this team for most of the second half of the season has been what's gotten them to the 10-5 record; the offense, following the bye week in week 7, has been ineffective overall. Tonight would be a good time for that side of the ball to regain some of its mojo.

What needs to happen to win tonight?
Where shall we start? It's football, right? A simple game, really. Score more points than your opponent. Whether they come from plays by the offense, defense or special teams -- or, ideally, all three! -- more points wins.

On the offense, the banged up Packers line somehow has to hold off a fairly good defensive front, create running lanes for Eddie Lacy and James Starks and protect the franchise, i.e., Aaron Rodgers. Packers receivers, somehow, must get separation from their defenders. That hasn't been happening for a good part of the season and the lackluster results have been on display for all to see.

The passing scheme has to be actually somewhat similar to that of Minnesota which has a serviceable but not great offensive line: quick, short to medium yardage passes so that the line doesn't have to protect Rodgers for 5 seconds or more while he waits for a receiver to get open downfield. The Packers have continued to use their isolation sets despite receivers who can't get separation. Unless head coach Mike McCarthy changes up that scheme in this game, Rodgers will be under constant pressure and a good defense will get sacks it otherwise should not get.

It's going to be cold at Lambeau this evening: in the low 20s with windchills in the teens or below. The running game needs to dominate this game for the Packers to come out with a win. If the line is unable to open holes and the running backs are unable to pound the ViQueens defense continuously to open up the short to medium range passing game, the likelihood of a Packers win is not great.

Defensively, the Packers must, first and foremost, shut down RB Adrian Peterson. If he's able to run loose tonight -- and the Packers defense has give up some huge runs in the last few games -- it will again be a tough game to win. The Packers pass rush must also get pressure on second-year QB Teddy Bridgewater. Let's not forget that the 'Queens put up nearly 50 points last weekend against the Giants. Their offense has an ascending rhythm that we only wish the Pack had right now. Coverage of speedy receivers downfield and constant pressure on Bridgewater is key to a needed defensive performance.

The Prediction
The Packers are favored by 3 points at the time of this writing. Spreads have meant little of late in trying to assess the probabilities of a Packers win. Recall that twice the Packers were favored by a touchdown or more recently only to lose both games. It happens.

But we happen to think this spread is about right.

Some argue that the Packers might actually have an easier playoff run if they were to lose today. A Packers loss means a first round wildcard trip to Washington, potentially followed by a division-round trip to Carolina. In the minds of some, that's preferable to a wildcard home game against either a dangerous Seattle team (do we really want to play them again???) or trying to beat a team -- Minnesota -- three times in the same season, followed by a trip back to Arizona for a reprise of last week's debacle. Oy.

Still, you have to grab the brass ring that's in front of you. Right now, that means winning the division championship tonight and let the cards (just not the Arizona Cards, please) fall where they may.

We're calling this game 27-24 in favor of the Packers in a game that could go right down to the wire. This writer hopes that's not the case as the Packers have already taken years off his lifespan in this season alone.

Go Pack Go!!!

NFL Week 16: Packers vs. Cardinals

Packers fans, our apologies for not posting a post-game review of the win against the Oakland Raiders last Sunday but...it was a busy week...you know, with Christmas and all...plus the sun was in our eyes. No, really, it was an unseasonably warm and (generally) sunny week overall. So, that's our excuse.

The Packers won 30-20 as the whole world knows (or at least, that part of it paying attention to the NFL)...and still there was plenty of grumbling among the Packer faithful. It was a 10-point win, and yet it didn't seem like it. You win by 10 points in the NFL, that's pretty darn good. And for the seventh year in a row, the Packers qualified for the playoffs, something that had never been accomplished before in Packers history. Imagine that!

But...the offensive inconsistency was still present and even players in the locker room seemed not to be happy with their performance. The good part was that the defense was fairly consistent, even helping the Packers jump out to an early 14-point lead via two interceptions including a pick-six TD return; those points obviously were the difference in the game. There were a couple of breakdowns which led to giving up big yardage. But the bottom line is the bottom line: a win. The good defense has been the strength of this Packers team. Thank goodness.

Cardinals to present biggest challenge yet

Second-year Cardinals WR John Brown is just one of the speedsters the Packers will have to defend today.
Photo by Getty Images, in Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
There's a great article in today's Milwaukee Journal Sentinel by Packers writer extraordinaire, Bob McGinn, entitled Slow-footed Packers face severe speed deficit against Cardinals; we highly commend it to your reading time. It sets out the difference between two of the league's better teams, although McGinn's analysis -- hard to argue with -- is that the Packers are built for more of a power game, while the Cardinals are built for speed. In short, the Packers lack speed and the Cardinals don't.

What's that saying? Speed Kills? Yup, that's the one. What will that mean for today's game? We'll know when things are all said and done about eight hours from now.

While Carolina is undefeated, most pundits are saying the Cardinals are really the best team in the NFC -- if not the entire NFL -- right now. Behind veteran QB Carson Palmer and his speedy receiving corps, the 12-2 Cards are hitting on all cylinders. They are the league's top-ranked offense. The Packers will have to somehow minimize the impact of veteran WR Larry Fitzgerald and powerful and speedy running back David Johnson. The Cardinals defense ranks just behind the Packers in overall defensive ranking. They don't get many sacks, ranking 28th in that statistical category.

The Packers will be without CB Sam Shields for a second week, as well as LT David Bakhtiari who was downgraded yesterday, and LB Jayrone Elliot. Reliable veteran long-snapper Brett Goode is done for the season after tearing his ACL in last week's game. Undrafted rookie free agent Rick Lovato was signed early this last week to take his place. Let us pray.

While Clay Matthews, Aaron Rodgers and Josh Sitton all got Pro Bowl honors this week, we're wondering if the report of an upcoming undercover probe by Al Jazeera about performance enhancing drugs and pain killers in sports -- posted online this morning and airing on TV later today -- will have an impact on some players' performances. Matthews, Mike Neal, and Julius Peppers were all named in the report. (The big name, however, was Peyton Manning who, as one would anticipate, denies the allegations.)

The Prediction
We, of course, look at the world through Green 'n' Gold-colored glasses here at PackerFansUnited.com. Still, unless the Packers defense can somehow find a way to consistently get to Cardinals QB Carson Palmer while covering his bevy of fast receivers and the Packers offense can somehow get back to their early season 6-0 form, we just don't see this game going the Packers way today, regrettably. The Packers are 5-1/2 point underdogs in the desert. Frankly, we'd be happy to see it that close.

We're calling this one...Cardinals 34 - Packers 24.

No matter what: Go Pack Go!!!

NFL Week 15: Packers vs Raiders

The Green Bay Packers and the Oakland Raiders meet today for a rare game between the two franchises. The Packers, with a win today (or a loss by either Washington or the New York Giants) will secure their seventh consecutive post-season appearance. Are we spoiled or what, Packer fans? Answer: yes. Believe it or not, this accomplishment under head coach Mike McCarthy is something that no other coach in Packers history achieved. Again, this has never been achieved before in Packers history! In the language of this Christmas season, let us rejoice and be glad!

The 6-7 Raiders are still in the AFC playoff hunt, as well. They are a young and upcoming team, no doubt about it. Oakland GM -- and former Packers personnel man -- Reggie McKenzie has taken the lessons he learned in Green Bay and is building the Raiders accordingly. He's got big offensive and defensive linemen, including a sack-monster in the person of linebacker Khalil Mack, a hot young quarterback in Derek Carr, formidable receivers in veteran Michael Crabtree and rookie Amari Cooper, and a wise old veteran in the defensive backfield by the name of Charles Woodson, who made a habit of intercepting Packers QB Aaron Rodgers in practice when he was in the Green 'n' Gold.

Packers offensive linemen will have to contain LB Khalil Mack if they hope to come away with a win in Oakland.
(Photo by Jim Matthews/Press-Gazette Media)
But seeing how the Packers kicked the Cowboys to the curb last Sunday we can certainly feel a bit more confident going into this game than we might have been had the game been played a week or two earlier. It seems as if some of what ailed the Packers -- primarily a lackluster offense -- was cured in that game...or at least, we hope so. Rodgers and his receivers finally looked as if they were back on the same page of the playbook, the special teams players, particularly Jeff Janis, were in full-on mode, and the thunder-and-lightning running combo of Eddie Lacy and James Starks racked up rushing yardage that the team hadn't seen logged in years.

The only player listed as questionable today is C Corey Linsley, but it can certainly be argued that J.C. Tretter resumed his starter role without missing a beat. The offensive line is still a bit beat up, but who isn't at this time of the season. They need to do what they did last week and if running early and often is what gets them into beast mode, then by all means, Coach McCarthy, run! Of course, we still expect Rodgers and company to have a good day, as well...especially if that running game can help keep Khalil Mack from bull rushing on every dropback.

The Packers defense today should take care of business. They are holding opposing offenses to an average of 15.6 points per game. That's pretty darn good, especially when you expect Rodgers et al to put up at least 17 points in their sleep (at least, on a good day).

The Prediction
We know the Raiders, especially coming off their upset win in Denver last week, will be playing with gusto to keep their playoff hopes alive. That effort will go up a notch, if that's possible, with the Raiders playing at home. The Packers are playing for playoff positioning, too, of course. So, there's that. The Packers are the better team, but that still didn't stop them from losing to Detroit and Da Bears at Lambeau, did it? This game, in The Black Pit of Oakland, will certainly not be easy. The Pack will have to be at their best, as they were last week, in order to come away with the win.

But if the Packers do what they should do, the current 3-1/2 point spread in favor of the Packers should hold.

We're calling this game 24-17 in favor of the Packers.

Go Pack Go!!!

Packers kick Cowboys to the curb, get ready to rip Raiders

As noted in our Packers vs. Cowboys preview last weekend, we said we expected RB Eddie Lacy to have a big game. He did. After being in the doghouse the prior week for missing curfew, he and fellow running back James Starks generated the best ground game -- more than 200 yards rushing combined -- that the Packers have seen in years. Kudos to the offensive line for opening lanes and for Lacy and Starks for running with a passion that hasn't been present in quite a while.

After being a tight 14-7 game deep into the third quarter, the Packers finally went on to win 28-7. The Packers offense, with head coach Mike McCarthy once again calling plays, looked more in sync than it had since before the bye week. And the Packers defense once again was stellar in shutting down the opposing offense. The Packers lost CB Sam Shields early in the game to a concussion; he will reportedly be held out of Sunday's game against the Raiders as he still has not passed the league's concussion protocol. Shields was replaced by rookie Damarious Randall who, as Shields did, shut down Dallas WR Dez Bryant all day long.

Packer Jeff Janis greets Cowboy Lucky Whitehead on punt returns.
(Photo by Mark Hoffman, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

Another perhaps overlooked aspect of this victory was the performance of the special teams. While K Mason Crosby was not called upon to make a game-winning field goal, P Tim Masthay had a great day punting aided in no special measure by the tremendous coverage play of WR Jeff Janis, who was clearly the fastest man on the field. In one fantastic play, Janis was pushed about 5 yards out of bounds by the defender, but ran around and by him to meet Dallas punt returner Lucky Whitehead at the same time the ball arrived. No fair catch? Meet Mr. Janis! Not so lucky, Lucky! (Sorry, couldn't resist.) Janis had three coverage plays in total that were superb. If he can only learn to run his pass routes as effectively as he covers punts, the Packers will at long last have their deep downfield receiving threat.

This the performance Packer fans have been looking for. Combined with the ViQueens loss, it increased the Pack's lead in the NFC North.

Next up: the 6-7 Oakland Raiders. In Oakland. Some interesting story lines emerge with this game: Charles Woodson playing where he started, but against his old Packer compatriots; Oakland GM Reggie McKenzie building a team with the lessons he learned while in Green Bay; WR James Jones playing against the team for which he was the leading receiver just last season before being cut in the offseason; Packers QB Aaron Rodgers trying to outwit Woodson...lots of possibilities for drama. Not to mention the Packers offensive line having to take on one of the better young defenders in the league, Khalil Mack, who had five sacks last week in a 15-12 Raiders upset win in Denver. The Raiders are still in the AFC playoff hunt and will be playing like it.

This trip to the West Coast is an important one for the Packers. With another away game coming up at Arizona (currently 11-2 and arguably the best team in the NFC despite the undefeated record of the Carolina Panthers) before the final home game at Lambeau Field against the ViQueens, the Packers need to win this game against the Raiders. If they play as they did against the Cowboys, that should happen. If they revert to the level of play of some recent weeks, it could be a challenge. The Packers, at the time of this writing, are favored by 3 points. It could very well be that close. But more on that in our game day preview on Sunday. Please check back then for more on the Packers vs. Raiders.

In the meantime, Go Pack Go!!!

NFL Week 14: Packers vs. Cowboys at Lambeau Field, McCarthy to call plays

Late Breaking News: Head Coach Mike McCarthy is taking back the play-calling duties today!!!
After the Miracle in Motown a week ago Thursday, the Green Bay Packers got some much needed rest. Lots of players were banged up, particularly on the offensive line. They will need as many healthy bodies as can be found as the Dallas Cowboys come to town later this afternoon. They will also need a rejuvenated Eddie Lacy to resume his 100-yard-per-game rushing effort as he had in back to back weeks before his curfew violation earned him time on the bench in the game vs Detroit. Expect Lacy to run with a vengeance today.

Packers RB Eddie Lacy (27) is looking for redemption today against the Cowboys.
(Photo: William Glasheen/P-C Media)
But beyond that, what can we expect? The Cowboys are averaging a little more than 16 points per game under backup QB Matt Cassel. The defense has been..meh. Despite the presence of Greg Hardy, the defensive standout is LB Sean Lee. Keep him under control and that will go a long way toward helping the Packers win this game, whether or not Dallas decides to blitz. Actually, the Packers seem to prefer teams to blitz because then Rodgers et al can improvise out of the pocket where QB Aaron Rodgers is most dangerous.

Hopefully, some of the issues that the Packers have been having on offense -- slow starts, dropped passes, bad routes, no separation with defenders -- have been mitigated, especially since head coach Mike McCarthy is taking back the play-calling duties today, something fans and pundits alike have been calling for for many weeks now. Also, if that electrifying no-seconds-on-the-clock win at Ford Field doesn't help jump start this team nothing will. The Packers defense has been carrying this team; time for the offense to finally do its part at the level at which they are entirely capable of performing.

The Prediction
The Packers are currently favored by 6-1/2 points over the Cowboys. Despite what might be wet weather conditions later today, expect the Packers to cover the spread...if you're a betting person that is...which this writer is not, so...

We're looking for a performance similar to what the Packers had against the ViQueens. In short, something unexpected in the way of both offensive and defensive performances. Look for the Pack to extend its NFC North first place position with a win today.

We're calling this one 31-17 in favor of the Packers.

Go Pack Go!!!

Packers...win? Packers...WIN!!!

For nearly 60 minutes Thursday evening in Detroit, it was the worst of times for the Green Bay Packers. They went down by 17 points in the first quarter to the Lions and then were ultimately down 20-0 in the second half before staging one of the most remarkable comebacks in recent memory and, overall, the fourth-greatest points comeback in team history. Final score: 27-23 Packers over the Lions.

Packers QB Aaron Rodgers and teammates celebrate a zero-seconds come-from-behind win at Detroit.
(Photo USATSI)
The winning score, as the entire football world now knows, came on an untimed "extra" down courtesy of a defensive penalty on the Lions with the clock reading zero. It was a "Hail Mary" pass of epic proportions -- 61 yards from scrimmage but about a million miles in terms of the arc on the pass -- from QB Aaron Rodgers to TE Richard Rodgers who made a leaping grab in the endzone to resurrect the Packers from their recent doldrums and send the Lions back to their den for yet another year thinking about what might have been.

The pass -- the Miracle in Motown -- has been discussed for the last day in terms of its scope. Not only for what it did to get the Packers to 8-4 and stay clearly in the NFC Division title and playoff hunt, but also in terms of just the pass itself. Check out the photo below for how close the arc of the pass came to actually hitting the rafters inside Ford Field. Amazing.

This photo above was clipped from a fan's cellphone video of the final play. You can view that video here. It's worth your time to check it out. Really amazing.

There was a lot of what has been typically wrong about the Packers for the last six games on display in this game, ever since the bye, particularly on offense. The defense, once again, kept the team in striking distance if only they could figure out a way to score.

Somehow, someway, the improbable -- the near-impossible -- happened. Perhaps it was just what this team needed to see them through this final stretch of four games. The team now has a few extra days to get healthy -- and they are definitely banged up, especially on the offensive line -- before taking on the Cowboys at Lambeau Field on Dec. 13. They then have back-to-back road games against the Raiders and the Cardinals, with the final game of the season at home against the ViQueens...a game which might very well be for the division title.

Go Pack Go!!!

Lacy missed curfew, Smith cut, Crockett gets opportunity

The big news coming out on Friday was that the reason RB Eddie Lacy didn't get the start and didn't see more than a handful of snaps was because he and fellow RB Alonzo Smith missed curfew Wednesday night. The result for Smith was worse than for Lacy: he got cut with no chance of return according to reports out today.

The situation opened an opportunity for practice squad RB John Crockett to get a chance. He did. He was signed to the active roster three hours before game time. He started the second half of Thursday's game and injected some energy into what had been up to that point a moribund rushing game.

Will the Packers keep three running backs (including James Starks) active for the remaining games? We'll have to see. Whether Lacy emerges from the doghouse he seems to have put himself in, only time will tell.

Packers RB John Crockett made the most of his first NFL opportunity Thursday night against the Lions.
(Photo by Mark Hoffmann, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

Voice of the Packers, Wayne Larrivee, had said in post-game comments that Crockett had been playing the part of ViQueens RB Adrian Peterson on the scout team during the Packers build up to the game against Minnesota. He was running hard and really showing great ability during those practices. Crockett has obviously made a positive impression on head coach Mike McCarthy: "I'll just say, it just puts a smile on my face when I think of Crockett," McCarthy is quoted as saying. "You come off the field here at Lambeau, he's the first guy in the tunnel, greets the team. He's got unbelievable energy." For more about Crockett, be sure to check out this great article in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel by Tom Silverstein.

Personally, this writer liked Crockett coming out of college as an undrafted free agent. He may finally get his chance to show what he can do to help the Packers this season and beyond.

Packers Look to Halt Slide Tonight vs. Lions; Can They Do It?

We know the story, Packers fans: the woeful 1-7 Lions came limping into Lambeau Field a few weeks ago. It was just what the doctored ordered for a team underperforming at the time (that would be the Packers, not the Lions). Or so we thought. Instead, it was the Lions winning in Wisconsin for the first time in 24 years.

That started the Lions on a three-game winning streak as they play host to the Packers tonight at Ford Field in Detroit. They've got some confidence going on both sides of the ball, and now stand at 4-7 on the season.

What about the Pack? As we know all too well, they've lost four of their last five games and in doing so are performing at woeful levels on offense. The defense has been playing, generally, well enough for the Packers to win...if only the offense could convert some third-and-shorts, catch some passes, and not fall asleep between the first and last drives of the game. It hasn't been pretty.

So, what can we expect tonight? That's anyone's guess. Whether Packer pride will finally kick in for some of these players is a big question. The offense is underperforming, particularly in the receiving game. Yes, the receiving options are limited. But the receivers still need to catch the balls thrown to them...something not greatly on display during this downturn.

The Packers offensive line is banged up, which also doesn't bode well for tonight. If they can't protect Rodgers, or open holes for Lacy and Starks, we could well be looking at the Packers losing 5 of their last 6 at the end of this evening.

Perhaps the Packers will get a kickoff return from Jeff Janis tonight that will make the difference in the game against the Lions.
(Photo: Kyle Bursaw/P-G Media)
The Packers defense should be able to hold the Lions offense to 20 points or less. Unfortunately, the Lions defense has been equally stingy during their winning streak. Can the Packers actually score more than 20 points tonight? That is the question. If they play to their capabilities they should be scoring 30 points or more. But there's little in what we've seen from the Packers over the last five games -- with the exception of the must-win game at Minnesota -- that makes one think they can put those kind of points up. The Lions have been playing with renewed energy at home. That was something that helped them win on the road against the Packers a few weeks ago: they wanted it more. Given that the Packers might be in real danger of falling out of the playoff hunt if they got to 7-5, you'd think that there would be a sense of urgency that we haven't seen out of this underperforming Packers team in quite a while.

The Prediction
The Packers are favored in this game by 3. Spreads haven't meant much recently. We shouldn't be so concerned with whether the Pack will cover the spread as much as if they will win. And, frankly, that's very much in question given the team's recent performance.

Until the Packers offense can show us some life and consistency, it's hard for us to pick them right now. Heart says "Packers"...head says, "Nope."

As much as the Packers need this game, the still apparently unresolved problems will get in the way of them doing so...barring a defensive or special teams touchdown.

We're calling it 20-17 in favor of the Lions.

Wish it wasn't so. Still...

Go Pack Go!!!

Packers lose at Lambeau...again.

For the second time in as many home games, the Green Bay Packers lost at Lambeau Field...something that hadn't been the case in...oh, I dunno...anyone remember? Yeah, it's been a while.

It was, of course, a loss at home for literally the first time in a generation to the then 1-7 Detroit Lions that was the tip of the Frozen Tundra iceberg. Last Sunday, the Pack was able to get a win in Minnesota. Fans thought the ship was righted.

Packers legendary quarterback Bart Starr and his wife Cherry enjoy the cheers of the crowd as they enter Lambeau Field at halftime Thursday night.
(Photo: William Glasheen/P-G Media/@wmgl)
Then came Thanksgiving. And other than the thanks given for seeing Brett Favre's number 4 retired to the Ring of Honor inside Lambeau Field, and the return of Packer legend Bart Starr to the field for what likely is the last time, there wasn't much to be thankful for. Another lackluster performance by the offense saw the Pack lose to the arch-rival Chicago Bears despite a flurry of the usual last minute bluster that has put the Pack in position to win in the closing seconds...but...not.

The Packers, who for a few short days sat atop the NFC North by virtue of the tiebreaker with the ViQueens, now find themselves in second place with a 7-4 record, losing four of their last five games after starting the season 6-0.

As the late, great Vince Lombardi would definitely say (among other things, no doubt), "What the heck is going on out here!?".

That's what coaches, players and fans are trying to figure out. QB Aaron Rodgers' completion percentage and quarterback rating has taken a nose dive during this stretch. Some of that is on him. But a great deal of that is on his receivers who continually are dropping passes that they should be catching, who are running routes that are not on the same page of the playbook as the one Rodgers is apparently using, or who simply are unable to get separation from defenders. It's not the plays being called it's the players not executing the plays called that seems to be at the heart of the offensive woes.

The Packers defense has been playing well enough to win. The Packers offense hasn't. If things don't get turned around soon, say this coming Thursday night in Detroit, the season is definitely in peril. Perhaps it already is. Imagine losing this upcoming game to the Lions. It could happen. Detroit has won three games in a row now, starting with the win over the Packers. Trendline: up. Packers, again, have lost four out of five. Trendline: down.

That's the state of things as of today.

We'll be back with a preview/prediction for the Detroit game a bit closer to the actual game. For now, we must still try to wrap our heads around this underperforming group known as the 2015 Green Bay Packers.

Packers vs Bears Thanksgiving 2015 - This. Will. Be. Epic!

Happy Thanksgiving, Packers fans! There is much to give thanks for. Especially as Packer fans. After all, we could have wound up as Bears fans...eeeewwwwww!

If we can clear that bad image out of our heads, let's move on to what's in store for us today: the Packers play Da Bearz at Lambeau Field in the final game of the NFL's Thanksgiving Day triple header. It's the first time the Pack will have played a Thanksgiving Day game at home since 1923. That's pretty special right there, right? But even more special will be seeing Brett Favre's ol' number 4 retired at halftime to the Ring of Honor inside Lambeau.

Oh...one other thing: Packers legend Bart Starr will remarkably be on hand to help celebrate this occasion. From all accounts, and in particular from his wife, Cherry, this will probably be Starr's last trip to Green Bay.

Whether fans will be more excited to Starr or Favre remains to be seen. All we know is that seeing both of them...and perhaps even with a moment somewhere along the way with current QB Aaron Rodgers...will blow the roof off the place (that's a metaphorical statement, of course, as Lambeau doesn't have a roof..well, I'm assuming, as good Packer fans, that you already know that, but just in case...).

So with all this emotion flowing inside the stadium, is there any chance that this current Packers team won't rise to the occasion? Sure, there's a chance or two: slim...and none.

The Pack shook off the doldrums from their three-game losing streak with a very good performance Sunday against the ViQueens. Now, it wasn't perfect...but it was pretty darn good on a number of counts, many of which were noted in our last post. See that one for details. The defense, as Mike Daniels noted this week, understands that their performance is highly related to their attitude. During the three-game losing stretch, no sacks; on Sunday, six sacks and holding Adrian Peterson to 45 yards. They dominated the Vikes. It started with attitude and then execution. They need to do the same tonight against an improved 4-6 Chicago Bears team. There's no reason to believe they won't.

Offensively, the Packers got a bit more in sync against the Vikes than they had been in the past month. (Another thing to be thankful for!) Again, it wasn't perfect. There were still missed throws and dropped passes. But...better. Just in time for Da Bearz.

Now, while Da Bearz are certainly an improved team since the first meeting of this season, can they take the Pack down? Anything is possible. We didn't think the Lions could come into Green Bay and steal one but they did. But the Packers were still in their collective funk then. Now? Not. Plus, Aaron Rodgers is 13-3 versus the Bears while Jay Cutler is 1-11 versus the Packers. Rodgers usually has one of his better games against Chicago, while Cutler -- obviously -- just can't get it done against Green Bay. (Another thing to be thankful for!) If the Packers defense gets consistent pressure on Cutler he gets nervous in the pocket and will start flinging it about. Everyone says that you know in a game with Cutler that you are going to get at least two or three occasions where you can get a turnover and you should come away with at least one of those. That can be the case tonight.

The Packers offensive line comes into tonight's game a bit banged up but if they can hold up and do what they did against the Vikes in the way of protecting Rodgers and opening holes for Lacy and Starks, it should give Rodgers and the offense enough opportunities to score.

The Prediction
The Packers are currently favored by 8-1/2 points at the time of this writing. What could get in the way of a Packers win, apart from Da Bearz, that is? The weather might play a role. The forecast is for rain and possibly sleet. That will affect both teams, obviously, but could have a greater impact upon the kicking game: punters, kickers, returners. Don't look for Mason Crosby to kick five field goals from more than 40 yards as he did Sunday. And if he has to...well, he can...but it sure doesn't reflect well on offensive production, does it?

Our call? We've got the Packers winning it, 27-20.

Go Pack Go!!!

Packers whack Vikings, get ready to smack Bears

The rejoicing over the Green Bay Packers 30-13 victory Sunday over the up-and-coming Minnesota Vikings is still continuing several days later. At least among Packer fans. While the players also feel much better from an attitude standpoint than they have in the last month, they didn't have much time to celebrate the big NFC North Division win. After all, the rival Chicago Bears come to Lambeau Field Thanksgiving night. It's a short turnaround for both teams. But the Pack come in with a much-needed win while Da Bears arrive following a loss to Denver in Chicago.

Since the players can't take time to recount Sunday's glories, however, allow us to do so briefly.

First, kicker Mason Crosby did what had never been done before in NFL history: kick -- and, more importantly, make -- five field goals of more than 40 yards each in a single game. Wow. Congratulations, Mr. Crosby! I guess you could say he more than made up for that clunker in the closing seconds of the loss to the Lions the week before.

Secondly, RB Eddie Lacy, despite not getting the start, rushed for 100 yards on 22 carries, shaking off not only ViQueen defenders in the process but also the doubters among the Packers faithful who were beginning to wonder, "What's wrong with Eddie?". Apparently, not much when the O-line does its job opening holes and Eddie decides to make decisive cuts. Yay.

Packers QB Aaron Rodgers regained some of his mojo against the Vikings on Sunday.
(Photo by Ann Heisenfelt, File/Associated Press)
QB Aaron Rodgers, after a few weeks of looking not-at-all-Aaron-Rodgers-esque, regained a good portion of his mojo, throwing for two touchdowns. His 16-for-34 passing for 212 yards still wasn't outstanding -- Rodgers at less than 50% completion rate? C'mon! -- but he did hit important third down conversions that had almost been non-existent in recent weeks. WR James Jones accounted for nearly half of Rodgers' passing yards, catching six balls for 109 yards and one fantastic TD that is the stuff of highlight reels; Jones had practically disappeared from action in the prior weeks' losses.

Kudos also go to a banged up offensive line for doing a much better job than had been the case recently. Despite losing starting center Corey Linsley in the first quarter (replaced by J.C. Tretter who didn't miss a beat), the line performed admirably.

As for the Packers defense, which hadn't gotten a sack in the last three games, they came up huge on Sunday, accounting for six quarterback sacks. ViQueens QB Teddy Bridgewater was under pressure constantly. The Packers "D" dominated Minnesota from start to finish. Perhaps nowhere was this seen more than in the shutdown of star RB Adrian Peterson who had just 45 yards on 13 carries with one touchdown. He also lost a fumble at the Packers 21 early in the fourth quarter which was a huge turnover and game-changer.

Anyway, it was a win. A big win, as the Pack took control of the NFC North. While still tied with the Vikes at 7-3, the Packers hold the tiebreaker by virtue of this win.

Bring on Da Bears!
Any game against Chicago is epic. The fact this will be a Thanksgiving game played in Green Bay will only be the second such occasion since 1923. Yeah, that's right: 1923. The historic series stands at 93-92 in favor of Da Bearz, so the Pack can get things back to square with this win Thanksgiving night.

But as important as these historic aspects are for this game, there is another: the retirement of former QB Brett Favre's number to the Ring of Honor in Lambeau Field, forever to be immortalized among the Packer greats...as if that wasn't already the case. Another element to this halftime event will be the appearance of Packer great Bart Starr who, in all likelihood, will be making his last appearance at Lambeau Field. After serious health issues over the last year or so (heart attack and stroke), Starr is lucky to still be with us according to all reports. He's gone through a great deal of physical and mental rehab work to be on hand when Favre's number joins his among the Packer legends. He and Brett always had a great relationship and it could be suggested that Favre delayed this whole event so that Starr could be on hand. To say it will be an emotional moment is an understatement. The only thing that could put a damper on the festivities is the weather, with rain currently forecast for the evening.

We'll be back tomorrow with our Packers vs. Da Bearz preview and prediction. So, stay tuned to PackerFansUnited.com, Packer fans.

Go Pack Go!!!

2015 NFL Week 11: Packers vs. Vikings Preview and Prediction

First things first: regular readers of our Packer Fans United blog no doubt recognize that we did not post a post-game review of the Packers loss to the Lions. Reason? Hell froze over and it took us this long to get out.

Seriously, what can one say about that dismal, depressing game? Let's move on.

So we now get to visit Minnesota, the land of 10,000 lakes, they say. Although, truth be told, Wisconsin actually has more lakes than our neighbor to the west. So there's that. By the end of this afternoon's game between the Packers and the ViQueens that might still be the only thing Packer fans have to hold over our friends in purple.

If it sounds as if we are leery of the late afternoon game today, yes, we are. Why shouldn't we be? After all, the Packers have really shown us nothing over the past three games -- and especially the last -- to make us think that they will have their collective act together to beat Minnesota on their home field.

While the Packers have been kings of the NFC North for quite a while, their recent struggles over a three-game losing streak combined with the ViQueens five-game winning streak, now see the Pack a game behind Minnesota. Who could have imagined it? Even worse, imagine if the Packers lose today: they will be a full two games behind Minnesota in the division with six games remaining, including three more divisional games. Throw the Cowboys, Raiders and Cardinals in that mix (the last two back-to-back on the road) and the Pack could find themselves in a world of hurt if they don't get this train back on track. Soon. Like, today for instance.

Packers RB Eddie Lacy needs more carries to help turn things around.
Photo by Mark Hoffman, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

The Packers will have their hands full on both sides of the ball, trying to fend off an aggressive defense managed by the head coach himself, Mike Zimmer, and a very good offense under coordinator Norv Turner. Oh, and did we mention that RB Adrian Peterson is back to his old self...unfortunately...tearing up the turf once again? Second-year quarterback Teddy Bridgewater has come along nicely, as well. Even without the Pack's recent skid, Minnesota is obviously the real deal this season. Playing their arch-nemesis, Green Bay, on their home field will only make this game even more difficult for a seemingly bewildered and unconfident Packers team.

It's hard to explain, let alone know, what is actually ailing the Packers at this stage of the season. It seems as if they start off quickly, then fall apart, and then in the closing minutes of the game put together another run or two to make it close. But it's that 50-minutes-or-so part of the game between the start and the finish that seems to have been the team's Achilles heal; they just get too far behind. Go figure.

Some fans have suggested that offensively it's a matter of play calling and that head coach Mike McCarthy should resume those play-calling duties. Both Wayne Larrivee (radio voice of the Packers) and sidekick Packers Hall of Famer, Larry McCarren, have each made the point that from their perspective it's not a matter of who calls the plays; the plays still have to be executed and right now the players are just not executing the plays...for whatever reason.

Will the Pack continue their bumbling ways today? Or, somehow, get it together to avoid an outright tailspin? As we mentioned in the preview to last weekend's game, if the Pack couldn't beat the 1-7 Lions at Lambeau Field we would know the wheels have really fallen off. Well, the wheels did indeed fall off. The question for today is: did a new and improved set of wheels get installed that can win this game?

The Prediction
As the Five Things to Watch article by Rob Reischel in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel states: "Green Bay is in the midst of its first three-game losing streak under Aaron Rodgers since late in the 2008 season. The Packers rank 21st in total offense and 22nd in passing offense. Green Bay also hasn't had a sack in three games and plummeted to 23rd in total defense. Green Bay heads to Minnesota one game out of the lead in the NFC North, trails the Vikings in all major tiebreakers and finds itself at a crossroads. If the Packers can't fix some of what ails them Sunday, they might not be able to save this sinking season."

Minnesota is favored by 1 point by some oddsmakers at the time of this writing, while others have this game listed as a toss up. It's a bit surprising that spread isn't greater in favor of Minnesota given trends by both teams. As much as we view things through Green 'n' Gold-colored glasses around here, until the Packers show us they have turned things around it just seems as if the recent past is a good predictor of the immediate future.

We have to call this one in favor of the ViQueens 27 - 20 over the Packers.

With that said, hope we're wrong today...and...Go Pack Go!!!

2015 NFL Week 10: Packers vs. Lions Preview and Prediction

After two consecutive losses on the road to unbeaten teams (at the time, in the case of Denver, and still, in the case of Carolina), the Green Bay Packers return to the friendly confines of Lambeau Field today to begin a four-game stretch against NFC North division opponents...all in 19 days. The team will be tested, that's for sure.

Of course, we can say that's the case already, can't we? The team has been underperforming and underachieving for at least the last month. What was a steam-rolling offense and dominating defense the first three or four weeks of the season has become ineffective on both sides of the ball almost ever since.

What head coach Mike McCarthy called the best offensive line since his time in Green Bay has allowed their two-time MVP quarterback to get battered week after week as of late. Wide receivers somehow are not getting separation against defenders and the rushing game has been almost non-existent, whether through play-calling, down-and-distance situations, whatever. The offense has been very much out of sync. The team is last in the league in third down conversions right now. Not good.

The defense, which had been putting a great deal of pass-rush pressure on opposing quarterbacks during the early part of the season hasn't had a sack in the last two games.

OK, enough of the team woes.

The Packers defense has a chance to get to Lions QB Matthew Stafford often today.
(Photo: Evan Siegle/Press-Gazette Media)
What can we expect against the Lions?
The 1-7 Lions are -- or should be -- just what the doctor ordered for the Pack to get back on track. The management and coaching staff are in disarray. Whether that will translate to the field or not, or make any difference at all, isn't the main factor today.

What might be a key to the game is that the Lions have issues up front offensively. This is a chance for the Pack to dominate defensively...assuming that the secondary doesn't let Calvin Johnson, Golden Tate et al run run wide open. That would...not...be...good.

If the Packers offense can convert on third downs and get back in sync, and rest the defense in the process, the Packers should get the win. The Lions haven't won in Green Bay since 1991 and there's no reason to expect that they should do so today. While the Packers might have issues right now they are nowhere near as many as the Lions have.

The Prediction
The Packers are favored by 10-1/2 points at the time of this writing. Given the way they have performed recently, that's pretty hard to believe. Still, the Pack should come out of this game with the win.

We're calling this one 31-17 Packers.

Go Pack Go!!!

Lacy inactive today
In late-breaking news, we've just heard that RB Eddie Lacy is inactive today. Coach McCarthy had named James Starks as the starter for this week earlier in the week. For more on this, click here.