Hello, Everyone! Packer Fan Back From The Dead. Ask Me Anything About This Week's Game! (1 Viewer)

[B-Train]

At Bevin



SOUTH

That's just, like... your opinion man

 

[Ice Bowl]

what game plan does the Packers defense need to dial up to stop Matt Ryan? I feel like this game will be a gold ole fashioned shootout.

What they need to do and what they're going to be able to do are probably two different things. Our DBs need to keep the receivers in front of them, and limit the yards after catch. Ryan's passing yards don't come from his arm, they come from his receivers turning short and medium-range passes into big gains. Approximately half of his yardage this year was YAC, and the Falcons lead the league in that category with a whopping 6.37 yards per catch. One of the keys to stopping him is to limit the YAC.

Trouble is, our top 3 cornerbacks and our top safety are injured. I don't know if we have the DBs to contain the receivers. The secondary is going to have to press the WRs right off the line, slow them down, and make Ryan hang onto the ball longer and go deep into his progressions. If Jones is still limping from that foot injury, that should help, but he's still going to catch a half dozen balls and make some plays. One thing we cannot do is play that soft, cushion defense that Capers loves so much. This alone is probably the key to the whole game, IMO, and is the part that worries me most.

Another thing we have to do is put pressure on him. I think we have better personnel at the first and second level of the defense than we do the third, so we probably have a better chance of succeeding at this one - and Atlanta's OL is not that special. If we can get in his face, keep him moving, make him get rid of the ball before the play he's hoping for develops, and bounce him off the ground a few times, that will help the DBs do their job and hopefully limit the big plays.

Our defense is pretty banged up, and this is not a good matchup for them at all. We're going to need some players to step up and play over their heads.

But as you say, I think it's going to be a basketball game. We could easily see 80-85 points this weekend. Rodgers needs to watch the ball and limit turnovers, because we can't afford to waste a single possession. If we are able to establish a decent running game, that would help a lot too, because the best way to contain Ryan is to keep him on the bench. If we can control time of possession, that helps our defense stay fresh, but again, we're missing our top two RBs, and our best back now is a converted WR (Montgomery).

That's pretty much the way I see it. I believe we can win this, but if we do, it will probably be because we outscored Ryan rather than stopped him.

 

[MLU]

I'd say Kentucky is in the South. Not the Deep South, but still in the South. I pretty much consider them the Northern-most Southern state.

A bit of reading I did on this:

» Is Kentucky a Southern state? A followup. The Bluegrass and Beyond

It's not The South.

It's Appalachia, The South's toothless, more inbred cousin.

 

[WhoDat!5]

Talk about at thread turning on its head. I can't believe people are actually arguing about what states are and are not in the south.

 

[Ice Bowl]

IceBowl - Welcome back. Some of us take hiatuses from time to time due to this or that but welcome back.

I believe that you will have a legion of black and gold Packer fans this Sunday. Personally, I love to see Rodgers succeed in Green Bay. When he was drafted, I think it is fair to say that he was not welcomed with the most open of arms due to the Brett Favre loyalty and I get that. But the man kept his head down and when his time came, he performed. Check that. He exceeded and helped bring a Lombardi to Green Bay.

Now with that said, do you think that if the Packers win the Super Bowl this year, will his legacy outshine that of Favre?

And yes, GO PACK GO!!

Thanks, i appreciate it. I missed you guys.

I think Rodgers has already done what he needs to do to push Favre aside in the hearts of Packer fans. So many, many years of watching our season end with a stupid interception in a playoff game (or even 6 interceptions in one of those games) just wore people out. With Rodgers, you don't have to worry about that. Granted, he got lucky on that one ball late in the game where they called interference, but in that last drive, every single Packer fan knew that while Rodgers might fall short, he wasn't going to throw the game away by playing Superman. Right down to the last play, we knew that the worst that was going to happen was that we would go to OT - but if that had been Favre, all we would have been thinking was which Dallas DB is going to score the game-winning touchdown.

But if Rodgers does win another Lombardi, then definitely - nobody will question who was the greater QB. I really think most people already don't, but still. Rodgers is going to go down as one of the greatest ever to play the game even if he never wins another ring. Without Rodgers, we're not even in the playoffs this year, and maybe not even above .500 for that matter. I don't believe Favre could have ripped off those 8 straight wins without pissing away at least one game with stupid interceptions.

 

[Swimmer]

It's literally next to Illinois and West VA, which I definitely don't consider the south. I know a lot of people in Kentucky like to pretend they're southern, but they're wrong.

Just out of curiosity, how did this thread get hijacked into a debate over Kentucky being South or North

 

[Ice Bowl]

Seems like GB defense played good against run and pass early but that monster O-line wore them out. Love how AR can throw on the run.
I personally worry when a QB uses his feet to much and becomes a RB as it leaves them open for big hits.

How do you see them slowing the clowns down.
I picture a game a lot like the girls game. D plays good early but eventually gets worn down.
Do you see it that way?

I don't think so. I don't think Atlanta has the running game or the O-line to do that. Sunday, our D held up well until they finally gave in to the pounding that Elliot was putting on them. I think its more likely to be an air war, and I don't think either D is going to be much more tired than the other. I think the biggest danger to both defenses is that their necks are going to be sore from turning around and watching all the home runs sail out of the park.

 

[Swimmer]

What they need to do and what they're going to be able to do are probably two different things. Our DBs need to keep the receivers in front of them, and limit the yards after catch. Ryan's passing yards don't come from his arm, they come from his receivers turning short and medium-range passes into big gains. Approximately half of his yardage this year was YAC, and the Falcons lead the league in that category with a whopping 6.37 yards per catch. One of the keys to stopping him is to limit the YAC.

Trouble is, our top 3 cornerbacks and our top safety are injured. I don't know if we have the DBs to contain the receivers. The secondary is going to have to press the WRs right off the line, slow them down, and make Ryan hang onto the ball longer and go deep into his progressions. If Jones is still limping from that foot injury, that should help, but he's still going to catch a half dozen balls and make some plays. One thing we cannot do is play that soft, cushion defense that Capers loves so much. This alone is probably the key to the whole game, IMO, and is the part that worries me most.

Another thing we have to do is put pressure on him. I think we have better personnel at the first and second level of the defense than we do the third, so we probably have a better chance of succeeding at this one - and Atlanta's OL is not that special. If we can get in his face, keep him moving, make him get rid of the ball before the play he's hoping for develops, and bounce him off the ground a few times, that will help the DBs do their job and hopefully limit the big plays.

Our defense is pretty banged up, and this is not a good matchup for them at all. We're going to need some players to step up and play over their heads.

But as you say, I think it's going to be a basketball game. We could easily see 80-85 points this weekend. Rodgers needs to watch the ball and limit turnovers, because we can't afford to waste a single possession. If we are able to establish a decent running game, that would help a lot too, because the best way to contain Ryan is to keep him on the bench. If we can control time of possession, that helps our defense stay fresh, but again, we're missing our top two RBs, and our best back now is a converted WR (Montgomery).

That's pretty much the way I see it. I believe we can win this, but if we do, it will probably be because we outscored Ryan rather than stopped him.

This is the definition of Talent depth. The Packers injuries:

- 3 starting CBs and Safety = Injured
- RBs decimated to the point their starting RB was a WR until mid season
- Jordy Nelson their clear #1 WR has been out some of the season as well as last week. Their #2b went down for much of the last game. Their #4 Janis has been injured much of the season

And they are playing in the NFCCG. This is what we don't have, Talent depth. That's the price we paid for the expensive errors in FA and Junya and poor drafts. It is what it is. Go Pack!

How can anybody not like the Packers? Small market like us. Classy players on the team and the best fans outside of NO. EDIT: Even though I do have to say that the Packer fans wearing those big yellow cheesehead hats are pretty ugly in local bars!

 

[St. Anger]

Thank you for this conclusive evidence. But dude, according to this Maryland is also in the south. This is just wrong bro. Also I don't really consider Oklahoma to be the south either.

EDIT: And also Delaware? You kidding me? No way

Well, from a guy living in Maryland, notably the Eastern Shore of Maryland, we are nine miles south of the Mason Dixon line and according to Reynold's Political Map circa 1856, yes, we Marylanders and Delawarians are in fact, in the South. And saintmdterps will attest to, we have many here on the good ole Eas'ern Sho' who think that this is the south. I personally can't call it the south when we just experienced temperatures in the single digits.

Now, we also fall into that gray area known as the Mid-Atlantic States as well. Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Washington, D.C., Virginia, and West Virginia make up that region and included is a smattering of New Jersey and New York.

I've best thought of us as a border state. And many of you history buffs know, Maryland was split during that tumultuous time in our history, the Western Shore of Maryland i.e. the left side of the Chesapeake Bay, was for the Union and the Eastern Shore or the right side of the Bay was for the Confederacy. Ironically, that same left and right thought process still dominates the landscape to this day but that is "for another board".

And now that this thread has been thoroughly hijacked, let's get to the original point of this thread......

GO PACK GO!!! BEAT THE DIRTY BIRDS!!

 

[Usmfan84]

One word - AaronRodgers. It's not how many yards he gets, or even how many plays he makes - it's when he gets the yard and when he makes the plays. This is the best I've ever seen him play; even better than the Superbowl year. When the team absolutely needs a clutch play, he finds a way to make it happen. He just plain wills the team to win.

I just mentioned in another thread that he's the one who ignored McCarthy's play call on that 3rd and 20. McCarthy sent in 2 plays, and Rodgers knew they were both bull***. So he drew up a play in the huddle, told the line what to block, told the receivers what routes to run and where to be, and pitched it down the left sideline to exactly the 1st-down marker.

This is what he does when he's playing at his peak - he just plain, flatout, finds some way to make it work when he absolutely has to. He's really the only thing we have going for us on that team - it's Rodgers, then maybe/sorta Matthews, and then Jordy Nelson who could probably play #1 receiver for a lot of teams but isn't any Julio Jones, and then a few other guys who are decent to good but nothing special.

If you watch the games, you'll notice that most of the receivers don't get much separation most of the time, and most of them are not route-runners or ballhawks. They just go where Rodgers is expecting them to be, and he gets the ball right where they can catch it. This team is not one of the Top 4 talented teams in the league by any means, and the defense is horrible for a playoff team - they just have one of the greatest QBs ever to play the game, and he carries the whole damned team.

That's it. That's really it. You have one QB who is probably going to finish as one of the greatest ever to play the game, and the rest of the team believing in him and making sure they do everything he expects of them because he's gonna have their *** if they don't. Aside from that one guy, there is nothing about this team that's any more special than a half dozen (or even a dozen) other teams. No Rodgers, and they're not even in the playoffs, period.

Well we have Brees and he made ton of plays. I think the difference with us was Special Teams personally. We literally lost 3 games outright to special teams and one other game was heavily impacted.

 

[GilFinnerty]

What they need to do and what they're going to be able to do are probably two different things. Our DBs need to keep the receivers in front of them, and limit the yards after catch. Ryan's passing yards don't come from his arm, they come from his receivers turning short and medium-range passes into big gains. Approximately half of his yardage this year was YAC, and the Falcons lead the league in that category with a whopping 6.37 yards per catch. One of the keys to stopping him is to limit the YAC.

Trouble is, our top 3 cornerbacks and our top safety are injured. I don't know if we have the DBs to contain the receivers. The secondary is going to have to press the WRs right off the line, slow them down, and make Ryan hang onto the ball longer and go deep into his progressions. If Jones is still limping from that foot injury, that should help, but he's still going to catch a half dozen balls and make some plays. One thing we cannot do is play that soft, cushion defense that Capers loves so much. This alone is probably the key to the whole game, IMO, and is the part that worries me most.

Another thing we have to do is put pressure on him. I think we have better personnel at the first and second level of the defense than we do the third, so we probably have a better chance of succeeding at this one - and Atlanta's OL is not that special. If we can get in his face, keep him moving, make him get rid of the ball before the play he's hoping for develops, and bounce him off the ground a few times, that will help the DBs do their job and hopefully limit the big plays.

Our defense is pretty banged up, and this is not a good matchup for them at all. We're going to need some players to step up and play over their heads.

But as you say, I think it's going to be a basketball game. We could easily see 80-85 points this weekend. Rodgers needs to watch the ball and limit turnovers, because we can't afford to waste a single possession. If we are able to establish a decent running game, that would help a lot too, because the best way to contain Ryan is to keep him on the bench. If we can control time of possession, that helps our defense stay fresh, but again, we're missing our top two RBs, and our best back now is a converted WR (Montgomery).

That's pretty much the way I see it. I believe we can win this, but if we do, it will probably be because we outscored Ryan rather than stopped him.

Tough match up for you guys all the way around. With the personel yall have gonna have to play a lot of off/trap Coverage. Shannahn plays pitch and catch with that coverage all day. If press you have clear outs for RB option routes not to mention favorable WR matchups. Best chance is the bend but don't break game plan. Keep everything in front of you and hope when the field gets shorter hold then to FGs on at least half their possessions. There will be very little punts from the Falcons. The Atlanta pass rush has gotten better too. Rogers will have to be flawless. Rooting for you guys. GL

 

[FalcnDave]

Hey, y'all, how've you all been? I've really missed this board and the fans for the last few years. Lots of things have changed; I live in the South now myself (Kentucky), having moved down here to marry a woman in 2012 - shortly after I stopped posting here. I think a lot of what helped me adjust to the culture and fit in here was the time I spent here, where all you people educated me about the culture and the personality of the South. Sure do miss winter, though.

I've felt badly ever since I stopped posting here, because I was guilty of letting team rivalries and loyalties get in the way of friendships and (sometimes) good manners, and I allowed myself to forget that I was a guest in your house. I decided that the respectful thing to do would be to move on, because I didn't want to be disruptive in someone else's house. But I've always missed the place and the people, and the vibe, and always wished I could come back.

I'm not going to let myself get drawn into the "Rodgers vs. Brees" bllsht again, or anything of that nature, because jesus, it just doesn't matter. I can do cartwheels about the Packers on Packer boards. I'm not on a Saints board to have orgasms over the Packers; you come to Saints boards to mingle with Saints fans. This time, I'm going to keep that foremost in my mind, and leave the rivalries and the ****-measuring contests for other forums.

So in that vein, I thought this would be a good week to come back and chat with y'all. I'm really sorry that you guys aren't in the postseason with us this year, because the Saints are still (and always will be) my second team, and you all have my sympathies that it didn't work out for you this season. But I know how much y'all hate the Falcons, so... I thought some of you might be interested in a Cheesehead's perspective on how they match up against the Green and Gold this week.

So, ask me anything. What can i tell you about our team that you don't already know? Injury reports, who's hot and who's in the doghouse, what's the locker room scuttlebutt... I'll share anything y'all wanna know.

It's really good to see some of you guys again. I hope I'm not unwelcome. If I am, don't be shy about letting me know - but if I'm not, then let's talk some football!

Lets talk about injuries. Off the top of my head, the Falcons were down Tevin Coleman in week 8. That was the week Montgomery was out due to illness. I think Cobb, Cook and Matthews were also out. Getting them back has been huge.

The injury nobody outside of Atlanta and Green Bay know about is Clayborn. The flow of the game changed in the 3rd quarter of the first game, and AC changed it almost by himself. His absence is a huge boon for the Packers.

So, my question is: What Packers changes am I not aware of compared to the week 8 starting lineup? Who started at DB in week 8? I know Dix and Gunter were in.

Is DAs injury a real thing, or just media speculation? I see no way that Nelson can play. The Falcons are physical this year, and they will lay hands on his ribs at the LOS on every snap if he tries to play. Do you agree?

Well, that was a lot of questions. What I'm really looking for is an opinion on how the injury situation compares to week 8. I think it may all be a wash if Nelson is out and Cook and Cobb are in. Clayborn and Trufant are huge losses for Atlanta, but Trufant's replacements have been playing better than had been expected.

 

[ndcc]

Ice Bowl: Wut up, man?

We lived in Kenosha for about 6 yrs. Our youngest daughter (soph @ Baylor now) still calls the Badger State her "home," and she's a cheesehead ...for now, anyway. She'll pull for the Saints anytime they're not playing the Pack.

I'd like your take on something others may not know or recognize: The bitter taste of defeat the Packers have tasted the past several years in the postseason. The victory at the last minute vs. the Cowboys had to be SWEET beyond measure. So my question is:

How does the Packers' victory in the Divisional Round (after heartbreaking losses the last several years) fuel the Packers as they go into next Sunday's game vs. Atlanta?

Thx.

opc:

 

[Ice Bowl]

Lets talk about injuries. Off the top of my head, the Falcons were down Tevin Coleman in week 8. That was the week Montgomery was out due to illness. I think Cobb, Cook and Matthews were also out. Getting them back has been huge.

The injury nobody outside of Atlanta and Green Bay know about is Clayborn. The flow of the game changed in the 3rd quarter of the first game, and AC changed it almost by himself. His absence is a huge boon for the Packers.

So, my question is: What Packers changes am I not aware of compared to the week 8 starting lineup? Who started at DB in week 8? I know Dix and Gunter were in.

Is DAs injury a real thing, or just media speculation? I see no way that Nelson can play. The Falcons are physical this year, and they will lay hands on his ribs at the LOS on every snap if he tries to play. Do you agree?

Well, that was a lot of questions. What I'm really looking for is an opinion on how the injury situation compares to week 8. I think it may all be a wash if Nelson is out and Cook and Cobb are in. Clayborn and Trufant are huge losses for Atlanta, but Trufant's replacements have been playing better than had been expected.

Some good points, and good questions. You make a good point about Clayborn. I'm sorry for that injury, and wish him the best, but I won't pretend I'm not glad we don't have to account for him. We've got at least one tackle who's dinged up right now, and we don't need him coming around the edge. Good luck to him; i hope he comes out of this OK. Torn bicep, right? Damn, that's a painful one. I don't envy him.

I honestly don't recall who was healthy in the secondary in October, because that was probably the one game I didn't see this year. I know some guys since then have come back and then gone out again, but don't recall for sure what the breakdown is. One thing I am sure of is that your healthy wide receivers are better than our healthy defensive backs this week. I don't think we have any chance at all of stopping that passing game, and our only hope is to try to contain it enough to keep Rodgers within range. If we actually do shut them down, I'll be shocked. Especially after the way the Cowboys manhandled that secondary in the second half Sunday.

DA... Davante Adams, right? I just have to ask because nobody in Green Bay is talking much about him. Sounds like it's no big deal, and he's expected to play. He might be a little gimpy, but we're not hearing that it's anything serious.

As for Jordy, I think he probably will play. Not a strong probability, but if I had to guess, I would say he's more likely to play than not. It depends on which ribs are broken. If they're low enough down, they might be able to protect him somewhat with a flak jacket, but if they're up high they won't able to protect them enough without seriously impeding his mobility. But even in the best case scenario, he's gonna need a bottle of percodans available when the game is over. Because yeah - I do agree that the Falcons are going to go after his ribs on every snap. We just have to expect that.

One area where we might come out ahead on the injury thing is, as you say, with Cobb and especially Cook. Cook's been a difference maker lately, and if I recall correctly, the Falcons gave up a lot of yards and a lot of touchdowns to tight ends this season. He's not Jermichael Finley, but he's the best TE we've had since Finley left, and Rodgers is going to have him in his rolodex Sunday for sure. The other TE, Richard Rodgers, is also not bad - pretty decent for a #2 TE, in fact. And with Cobb scooting around underneath and Montgomery a threat out of the backfield, we may be able to move the ball a lot better than we did in October.

 

[Ice Bowl]

Ice Bowl: Wut up, man?

We lived in Kenosha for about 6 yrs. Our youngest daughter (soph @ Baylor now) still calls the Badger State her "home," and she's a cheesehead ...for now, anyway. She'll pull for the Saints anytime they're not playing the Pack.

I'd like your take on something others may not know or recognize: The bitter taste of defeat the Packers have tasted the past several years in the postseason. The victory at the last minute vs. the Cowboys had to be SWEET beyond measure. So my question is:

How does the Packers' victory in the Divisional Round (after heartbreaking losses the last several years) fuel the Packers as they go into next Sunday's game vs. Atlanta?

Thx.

opc:

Hey, how've you been? Good to see you again! I didn't realize you lived in Kenosha, or maybe I just forgot it. Sounds like you picked the right daughter!

It's a great question. For those who don't know it, Green Bay blew a lead and eventually lost on the final play of the game in each of the last 3 years' playoffs. We have veterans on this team who - every single year of their careers - had seen their season end when the other team came from behind and won on the last play of a playoff game. You know that had to be inside their heads.

This year, it was the other way around - they blew a lead, but they were the ones who won the game on the last play of the game. From the interviews, it sounds like it really took a weight off of a lot of younger players, and I think it will be a confidence-builder for the team. Instead of think they're destined to blow it, they know they can win those games too. It takes some of the pressure off for them.