In what began as a promising year and at one point took a dive into early NFL draft talk, the Green Bay Packers’ regular season ended Sunday exactly how they’d always hoped it would. With a division championship and a spot in the NFC playoffs.
It really has been a roller-coaster year for the Packers. After two losses in their first three games, the panic button seemed to be within arm’s distance. Then, suddenly, they were 5-2 with a favorable second-half schedule. But when Aaron Rodgers went down and Seneca Wallace, Scott Tolzien and Matt Flynn were forced to start games for Green Bay, the team’s playoff aspirations were in serious doubt.
But the team kept playing, stayed alive and played well enough to win the division, and it’s now time for a new season to begin.
This season–the postseason–is different than the regular season. It’s a five-week season with four possible games. It doesn’t matter who was starting for each team in September or who’s been lost along the way. Right now, there are 12 teams sitting at 0-0 while the other 20 teams reflect on their season and look ahead to the offseason.
The Packers are one of those 12 teams still alive. And they have a guy who wears No. 12 who makes them a contender to win the whole thing.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Packers were unspectacular if not just good enough. They’re not the Seattle Seahawks, nor the Carolina Panthers or San Francisco 49ers, but they have an offense that could score enough points against any defense in the postseason.
Right now, Rodgers is leaning on one of the NFC’s most consistent running games behind Eddie Lacy and an improving offensive line, and Randall Cobb has returned to the lineup to once again give the Packers one of the league’s top receiving corps. Jarrett Boykin has stepped up in a big way in his second NFL season, and Nelson has been able to handle some slot duties, but Cobb is undoubtedly the Packers’ best playmaker in the middle of the field–an area the Packers haven’t gotten much production out of since Cobb and Jermichael Finley were injured in October.
Finley will not return this season, but the Packers are gearing up for January with perhaps their most-talented offense of 2013. The first time the Packers played the 49ers, Lacy was playing his first NFL game. He scored a touchdown in his debut yet lost a fumble, but the rookie has certainly found his stride since then to the tune of 1,178 yards.
The Packers have a better running game now than they did in September.
Things certainly didn’t look good after the Packers were blown out by the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving, but they knew all they needed was a chance to crack the playoffs. And thanks to a late-season collapse by the Lions and a couple improbable wins down the stretch, the Packers got that chance and capitalized.
Now, it’s back to the beginning with the Packers and San Francisco 49ers set to square off Sunday at Lambeau Field. Game on.
Game Balls
Mike McCarthy
Since they threw the football 39 times against the league’s worst run defense, one might question the Packers’ run-pass ratio after a quick look at the box score. But while Eddie Lacy’s reps were somewhat limited due to a bum ankle, the Packers still gave the rookie 21 carries, and the offense remained balanced throughout the majority of the game. Sure, the run-then-run-again-for-nine-yards then pass on third and one thing didn’t look good, but the end result did. The Packers ran the ball for 160 yards and threw the ball for 313. Aaron Rodgers is Aaron Rodgers, but I thought McCarthy called a great game and helped his quarterback in his return.
Aaron Rodgers
He wasn’t great at the beginning, but he was still undeniably better than anyone playing quarterback for the Packers since Rodgers’ injury in early November. And at the end of the game when the Packers needed a first down on 4th-and-8 to save their season, Rodgers answered the call and found a wide-open Randall Cobb for the game-winning score. Rodgers’ return to the lineup lived up to the hype, and the Packers are in the playoffs. No team in the league wants to see Rodgers in a win-or-go-home scenario. Not right now.
Randall Cobb
Not bad for efficiency. Cobb only caught two passes but both went for touchdowns, including the game winner with 38 seconds remaining. Cobb’s reps were very limited in his first game since Oct. 13, but he showed why he’s such a valuable player. The Packers’ offense certainly looks different with him on the field.
Jordy Nelson
The final box score must be lying because it seemed like Nelson caught at least 27 passes, didn’t it? He was where he needed to be whenever the Packers needed him: on third downs, on fourth down late in the fourth quarter, whenever. Nelson’s 10 catches and 161 yards led the Packers on the afternoon, as he was the team’s most consistent offensive player. And here’s a sidenote on the individual stat front … With his big day in week 17, Nelson ended the 2013 season with career highs in catches (85) and yards (1,314). Not a bad season for a guy who played with four different starting quarterbacks over the course of 16 games.
Eddie Lacy and James Starks
Despite Lacy not being 100 percent, he and Starks combined for 154 yards and a touchdown, as the Packers had one of their best, most balanced offensive days of the 2013 season. Lacy finished his rookie season with more than 1,400 yards from scrimmage and 11 touchdowns, and he hasn’t fumbled since the season opener against the 49ers (knock, knock). With all due respect to Keenan Allen and Gio Bernard, my vote for Offensive Rookie of the Year would go to Lacy. It will be interesting to see how Lacy’s reps are managed in the playoffs, as the rookie remains hobbled and Starks has made the most of his opportunities.
Sam Shields and Tramon Williams
A second positional duo finds itself on the Game Balls list, thanks to another great performance from its veteran (Williams) and a game-clinching interception from its top cover man (Shields). Alshon Jeffery and Brandon Marshall each got the better of the Packers’ secondary at some points Sunday, but Shields and Williams were good enough to prevent fireworks. Williams has been much improved over the final quarter of the season and is playing his best football entering the playoffs; if he can take another step forward to where he was in the 2010 playoffs, then suddenly the Packers’ defense becomes a much different unit.
Lame Calls
Personal foul on Shea McClellin
Although he grew up a Packers fan, McClellin has suddenly become one of the most despised men in the state of Wisconsin. First, he broke Aaron Rodgers’ collarbone Nov. 4 on Monday Night Football, and then he was flagged for a 15-yard penalty after hitting Rodgers after it seemed he had already given himself up on the play. Was the hit excessive? No, and I probably wouldn’t have thrown a flag, although I’m not sure it was necessary. No helmet-to-helmet contact and nothing too dirty, but this play finds itself on the Lame Call list because, one way or another, the play can be argued. Was it an unnecessary hit on Rodgers? Was the play violent or egregious enough to merit a 15-yard penalty? Discuss.
Detroit Lions
Just think of how the season ended in Detroit. The Packers lost Aaron Rodgers. The Bears lost Jay Cutler. But the Lions still managed to Detroit Lion themselves and finish 7-9. Their win over the Packers on Thanksgiving was their only victory since Nov. 10. What a collapse.
Chicago Bears
Seeing as Josh McCown was arguably an improvement over Cutler as the Bears’ starting quarterback, Chicago, like Detroit, blew a huge opportunity this season. The division was right in front of them, but they left the door open for the Packers. A win over the Bears puts the Packers in the playoffs. Sounds kinda familiar.
Minnesota Vikings
Because it doesn’t make sense that the worst team in the division doesn’t end up on the Lame Calls list.
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Marques is a Journalism student, serving as the Sports Editor of UW-Green Bay\'s campus newspaper The Fourth Estate and a Packers writer at Jersey Al\'s AllGBP.com. Follow Marques on Twitter @MJEversoll.
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Re: McClennin PF on Rodgers.
Isn’t the standard that a pass rusher must pull up if it takes 2 steps to make an unnecessary hit on a QB? Rodgers was already tackled and laying on the ground. It sure looked like McClennin took 2 steps before piling into him. I’m not sure why so many people are up in arms about the flag.
On the amazing TD catch by Brandon Marshall, Mike Neal was facing with pretty much the same situation in hitting Cutler. Neal pulled up.
It may represent the wussification of football but it has been the same thing for years now. The NFL protects QBs almost to the point of skirting them up. It’s just the way it is and it won’t be changing anytime soon. It has gone both for and against the Packers on plenty of occasions in the past.
It was a good call from my seat on the couch.
I think the flag was because he drove his shoulder into Rodger’s bad arm and he was already on the ground and downed by contact from another Bears player and he also took two steps before the contact.
Looked like a clear late hit to me, too. I thought it was a good flag.
agree 100%, a dirty play by a dirty play. same as his hit on AR in the 1st game – there was no reason for him to land on top of AR the way he did. In both cases IMO he was trying to injure AR. I don’t watch Bear games so I don’t know if this is his normal play. Now we have 2 Suh’s in the division.
Amen.
Game ball for Kuhn’s takeout of Julius Peppers on the game winning touchdown. Kuhn had to come from the other side of the play, and if he doesn’t make that block on 4th and 8 the season is over.
Marpag is right, that was a thing of beauty! I watched that play over and over and Kuhn nailed a unblocked peppers. F’ing Beautiful!
You’re both right on the money, if the O-line could block like Kuhn did on that play, Lacy would have the record for total rushing yards in a season. It was a thing of beauty, and it really pissed off Peppers!
Kuhn did not ‘takeout’ Peppers, just got enough so that AR could use his athletic ability to get clear. ok, Kuhn finally did one good play. Still hope he is not a Packer next year.
I agree with Hank on the hit by McClellin. It looked like to me he had bad intentions when he piled on.
At times MM drove me crazy with his play calls, but all in all he wasn’t bad. The Packers won the game on a 15 or 16 play 87 yard drive to score at the end of the game. At the end of the day it’s all that mattered. The one thing I couldn’t understand is the Bears were defending the pitch out especially to the left and MM kept running it without success. When they ran up the middle they were killing the Bears.
With a little over a minute left in the 3rd quarter Forte put a move on Nick Perry and made him look silly. Other than that I didn’t see him much. I keep thinking of the Baltimore game when Perry played from the right side and was a stud. The Packers need pressure and hopefully find a way to get it.
Tramon Williams played his rear off. He made plays near the line of scrimmage that I haven’t seen since the injury in 2011. If Sam Shields and Tramon can continue to play like that in the playoffs, who knows what can happen. The Packers are in and the Bears are out. That’s all that matters today!
In the Lame Calls, there should simply be a picture of Morgan Burnett. I hate to bring up bad news in such a good feeling time. Thoroughly enjoyed the victory and so happy, however, the demise of Morgan Burnett is so confusing to me. He is playing worse and worse as the weeks go by. Losing contain on runs, missing tackles by not hitting his hole and looking lost on that Jeffery catch. I don’t get it. What is going on that he can’t seem to find his groove. He looked decent at the beginning of the year after coming back from injury. Now looks lost? GoPack!
At least tipped the ball away from Jeffries on the 3rd to the last play in the end zone. If not Jeffries probably catches it. That was a good play by Burnett. Thank God!
Burnett is an absolute liability. As as many mental lapses as physical. I see no difference between his play and MD Jennings.
Burnett did have the big fumble recovery! And a big play to knock the ball from Jeffries. Don’t let that detract you from criticizing tho! Sheesh…
And, Burnett needs to be told that if he ever tries to lateral the ball again, he will be surgically castrated.
Stroh,
Happy he made those plays. The fumble, however, was caused by Hawk. Burnett happened to be in the position where it squirted out. Not exactly an “excellent play” by him. Yes he knocked down the hail Mary attempt. Also happy he made that. Both of those should be considered routine good S play. — his other errors just surprise me. As I mentioned, his play confuses me. I am not expressing vitriol. I just don’t get how a player that shouldn’t make simple errors continues to do so. GoPack!
Yeah, I know Burnett blew the Jeffrey play but he made several good plays in this game. I’m not saying he should be a starter but he wasn’t all bad on this day.
He is terrible!
Also, glad to see our game is Sunday afternoon. Good to get the team a full week of rest. Need Lacy’s ankle to improve. GoPack!
I was curious about one thing. I didn’t see Starks come back in the game after the run where I believe it was Jennings that was shaken up. Please tell me he’s alright and not injured, anybody know?
Really one of the more entertaining games I’ve attended in person. Seeing Cobb flashing wide open downfield and just hoping Rodgers sees him is something I won’t forget soon.
Are we a Super Bowl team? I doubt it, but anything can happen. Hopefully being at Lambeau vs SF will make a difference.
Marques – First of all, nice job on turning a noun into a verb – “Detroit Lion themselves”. Nice.
On Lacy’s TD run, my kids told me I was nuts because when they heard me say, “Not into the center of the pile idiot, what a stupid…Lacy, great call, Touchdown!”, it confirmed in their mind that when it comes to the Packers, Dad’s just a little bit off.
It’s payback time for the forty whiners…
Want to see that punk ass Kapernick get his nose bloodied and humiliate him. Yes, it is payback time.
Don’t know if Packer’s D has the players to stop them.
SF has played their last 5 games in SF, AZ and TB. I can’t wait to see how those legs are working with temps in the teens late Sunday afternoon. Will he be able to grip the ball and control where he throws it when his hands feel like icicles?
Temps in the 30s is not a cold weather game. Temps in the teens are a cold weather game. Cold weather games are tougher. Especially when you’re not used to the conditions.
Lame Calls –
McCarthy, game was won despite McCarthy.
Nice third and one call on opening drive to start second half. No tail back in backfield to pose the threat of a run. A score there, even a field goal, and it is a different game. Horrible call.
Also, how many third and shorts and MM calls a pitch out and runs wide. Dumb and Dumber.
LAME CALL – McCarthy
Again, anybody that questions MMs play calling need to do the rest of us a favor and chart your predictions for each play. Pass, run right, run middle, run left. For each time you predict run and it’s play action…
I’m tired of the “MM is a bad play caller” talk.
As a previous poster commented, MM kept calling toss plays that gained little when the runs up the middle were more productive. Now, hmmmm, why do you think that is? Could it be that football is a little like a game of chess? Defend the flanks now so I can gash the middle.
Sure, a few plays are more likely to have hindsight applied. But MM doesn’t have hindsight when calling plays. Get over yourselves, even your hindsight is nearsighted.
Damn right! Hell everyone wants Lacy to get the ball on 3rd and short every time. Yet on the last drive Lacy got the ball in exactly that situation and didn’t convert! It forced the 4th down call to Kuhn to get the 1st down. Its called seeing the forrest for the trees. Packers got the ball needing 87 yds for a TD w/ 6 min left. They moved the ball the length of the field and won the game leaving the bares 38 sec. If you see each tree (critique each play) you get lost in the forrest. If you see the Forrest you walk out w/ the Win!
Play calling is like painting a picture. You don’t focus on each brush stroke. You focus on the finished product.
Sorry guys, I think something smells bad in GB. 3rd and 1 IS a pound the ball up the middle successfully for CHAMPIONSHIP teams[except Bart, then it was PA for a TD, cause he KNEW they would get 4th and one run every time!] Face facts, either MM is crazy or TT drafted a crappy line.
Appears these guys are a victim of their own success, steadfastly sticking to what they think works while the rest of the league adapts. #12 is the reason these guys still have their jobs.
Love the pack. Murphy need to spend some time with Trump. In business if a unit is hemorrhaging cash the boss is fired, NO EXCUSES. Good bye strength and conditioning people, Slocum, Capers, the scouts who thought Perry and Neal could play OLB, the scouts who think only college LTs develop into Pro Bowl OL, and TT if he continues to forget how many FAs were on his SB team. Managers are ACCOUNTABLE for RESULTS.
“Winning isn’t everything it’s the only thing.” = Vincent T. Lombardi
What would Vince have told this bunch of overpaid punks after they left a live ball on the field ….. Pop Warner kids know better
If you’re going to quote Vincent T. Lombardi saying that WINNING is the only thing, than what serious problems could you really have with a coaching staff and front office that has the 5th highest winning percentage in the league during the years of their tenure?
Thanks Mark, for bringing some logic into the mix.
Thanks Dave.
marpeg, Madden had a better winning percentage than Vince. Lombardi was talking about WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS. And that $h!! with the ball on the ground and no whistle, Vince would have popped a vein right there.
OK, fine. Let’s talk about world championships. During the TT/MM years, only six teams have won superbowls, and the Packers are one of them. And during that time, only two teams – PIT and NYG – have won two superbowls. And this year both PIT and NYG missed the playoffs altogether.
So what’s your point?
Mark – when you include playoffs Lombardi winning percentage is .750, Maddens only .716. Lombardi 9-1 in playoffs, Madden only 9-7 .563 percent. Lombardi, 3 consecutive NFL titles with 1st 2 Super Bowls and 5 NFL titles in 7 years plus the league named the SB league championship trophy after him. Madden, who cares. Doesn’t belong in the same conversation with Lombardi. Case closed. End of story. Thanks, Since ’61
Since ’61 always look forward to seeing your posts.
Not only did Lombardi do all the stuff you lay out. HE DID IT WITH BASICALLY THE SAME PLAYERS THAT WERE 1-10. Vince is so great he transcends football. God, family, and the Green Bay Packers.
When Lombardi said “..lies exhausted on the field of battle – victorious” He wasn’t talking about regular season winning percentage.
What would Vince have said to the team after the Peppers FF, leave it on the ground, sidelines tell Boykin it’s a live ball fiasco? Man-up people.
Mark – thanks for your comments. I think coach Lombardi would have said “pick up the ball and run”! When I first saw the play I thought that it was an incomplete pass. I have to believe that the players on both teams felt the same way and in this penalty conscious league no one wanted to do anything that could be construed as a personal foul after the play. I know that players are coached to play until they hear a whistle but neither team did that on that play. Maybe crowd noise, I don’t know but after the season we have endured I an willing to accept all the gift points that we can get. Thanks, Since ’61
With two minutes left in the game, the Packers faced a 4th and 1. Rodgers set up in the shotgun and threw to Nelson for 6 yards.
How did you like that horrible call, Dave?
People can criticize specific play calls if they want, but their comments almost always reveal that they don’t really know what play calling is all about.
I forgot more about football than you would ever know in 5 lifetimes, my brother!
While I don’t doubt that you truly have forgotten a hell of a lot, the question was, “What did you think about the call to throw on 4th and 1?”
It is not so much the call as the formations that drive me crazy marpag. On 3rd and 1, during the first drive of the second half, there was no tailback in the backfield thereby negating any threat of any run. Bears knew it was going to be a pass play. On the 4th and one you are referring to, Lacy was in the backfield and the Packers threw the ball, run or pass either way is a good call.
So yes I did like the call on 4th and one. My Packer Brother
I can’t believe the ass-clown (MM) even considered punting on 4th and 1 with 4:41 left and 1 timeout in his pocket. Has he ever watched his defense play?
I’m pretty sure he NEVER CONSIDERED IT. If you recall, he was debating if he should challenge the spot on the carry by lacy. He only needed 3 inches and Lacy DID get the first down. Instead he gave the ball to Kuhn and shoved it right up the Bears ass. I don’t always agree with MM. Perhaps that’s why I’m typing this from my desk in Los Angeles instead of 1265 Lombardi Ave.
Kaperdink must go down…
Lame Call – Nick Perry
He was dreadful out there yesterday. If TT is going to draft and develop only. May want to actually draft players who can play and DEVELOP them into NFL players.
Did any one notice he wast out of position every play? Again just dreadful.
Niners will eat the D up if they don’t pull something out of their butts.
TT does the drafting. The coaches do the developing. In looking at the Packers defensive coaching staff, it seems that Darren Perry, Kevin Greene and Winston Moss don’t have a whole lot of success stories to tell in developing players. Maybe those guys have gotten bad players to work with. But there ought to be discussion about their responsibility for that fact, IMO.
Perry is seeing less and less time. Is it the foot? Against Baltimore playing from the right side (Matthews spot) he was a beast that game. Dave D is right about Perrys play lately. That move Forte put on him near the sideline and ran for another 15 yards made him look like a fool. I still think he can be a excellent player. I just don’t think it will be from a LB position. I read somewhere a point Stroh had made about a Wade Phillips type defense. I think that’s the type of defense Perry would excell in.
Marques – nice job on the calls. MM deserves the game ball not just for yesterday, but for the entire 4 game stretch post- turkey day. As I mentioned after the Thanksgiving Day game, we were going to find out what MM was made of over the last 4 games. What we have found out is that he kept this team together, they never gave up regardless of the score or time left and if not for a Flynn fumble and/or Perry offsides, they win all 4 games. Three of the games against teams fighting for the playoffs, like themselves. 3 of 4 games without Rodgers and Cobb. This team could easily have gone the way of the Lions but they didn’t and we need to acknowledge that MM and the staff have at least some part in that. MM is resilient, he believes in his team, in his program and most important he has integrity. He is a good leader and his team reflects this on the field. Too many tosses to Lacy maybe, but if you go back and watch some of them again, you’ll see that a better block here or there on one or two of those plays and Lacy is gone. Also, knowing that play is coming causes the Bears to over react and take themselves out of position for other plays such as the 40 yard run by Starks. Over the course of a game it all comes together. Go Pack Go! Thanks, Since ’61
Let’s hope Josh Boyd’s injury is not severe (Pack is getting thin on the D-line) and that Brad Jones returns. Lattimore is decent, but still makes some mistakes position-wise. Glad to not see too many injuries in this game for once!
I was firmly in the “play Lattimore” camp prior to yesterday. But I saw pretty clearly that I was wrong. Man, that guy had an atrocious game.
Didn’t Boyd come back after his injury?
Yep.
for all Eric Walden’s problems he played and still plays but for another team better than Perry who i think we have to call a bust, along with Worthy. and the future better hurry up and brighten for Datone Jones.
Unless Perry is playing on a broken foot, he is a bust. Worthy = definite bust. Datone is starting to smell busty. Raji = bust (despite ass-clown’s offer of $8MM/yr) and Hawk = bust.
9 years of drafting and the ass clown has found 2 good players: nick collins and cmIII. In Ted the ass-clown we trust!
Um… hello? There’s this Rodgers guy… possibly the best player in the NFL… heard of him?
Nick perry is hurt and probably should not even be out there. He is gutting it out right now, although that doesn’t excuse the mental errors. Give him credit, when he was healthy he flashed some good speed and ability to get around the edge as well as toughness in the run game. OLB has taken a lot of shots and is pretty much on life support right now. Between mike Neal and perry not practicing every week but loading up on pain killers to play Sunday, to Mathews out for the rest of the season. For a position that looked stacked with talent at the beginning of the year to possibly come down to mulumba and “what’s his name”, it really sucks. If Datone jones ever wants to help out with the pass rush, now is a good time to start contributing
I thought i saw Boyd back on the field after he was injured. Did he re-injure himself?
I agree that Perry isn’t the answer at OLB, hell, Mulumba made more plays than Perry. Perry is at best a back up. Worthy can’t even crack the game day roster and D jones is non- existent. I’m going to hold out hope that these players are not more TT high Draft pick busts
They are busts, way to go TT!
Inactives for today’s game:
Green Bay Packers
13 WR Chris Harper
20 CB Jumal Rolle
52 LB Clay Matthews
59 LB Brad Jones
65 G Lane Taylor
73 C/G JC Tretter
98 DE C.J. Wilson
I don’t see Jerel Worthy on that list…
Yesterday was great. And I would LOVE to send the 49ers home crying. But I just don’t see how our bad rushing defense can keep next week’s game close. 🙁
Week 17 just might have been our Super Bowl. And short of winning it all, I can’t remember a better feeling since AZ beat MIN in week 17 of 2004 for us to get in the playoffs.
Except for Hawk, who did cause that fumble yesterday, none of our linebackers have a full season of actual playing experience. Plus Perry is playing hurt and Neal, Lattimore and Malumba are all still in the learning phase of their careers. With the exception of Perry when he is healthy, none of them may make it as starting players. Unfortunately, there is no one else left, so these guys need to learn fast. The DL is relatively healthy and they need to pick it up big time. To me Datone Jones should be getting more playing time, unless he is still recovering from his foot injury. Thanks, Since ’61
Since ’61, what learning phase? This is pro football what is to learn? You are a player or you are not. You have talent or you do not. You can tackle or you can’t. Period!!
During his first full year as a starter in GB, Brett Favre had a passer rating of 72.2 and threw five more INTs than TDs (19 TDs, 24 INTs). So yeah, just cut him. There’s no such thing as a learning phase.
In Peyton Manning’s rookie year, he threw more INT’s than Eli threw this year!
James Harrison was on and off the practice squad his first two seasons and got cut three times.
Do you really think there’s no learning phase?
Not talking about QB’s. Lot to learn there and yes there is stuff to learn but talent makes up for a lot of growing pains.
Dave D – sorry, but I respectfully disagree. Pro – football, like any other profession is all about learning, in fact, it’s about constantly learning and improving, regardless of the level you have achieved. That’s what being a professional means, striving to achieve excellence, studying new methodologies etc. My point about the Packer LBs is that their current level of playing experience is very limited at this point. There are still learning to read formations, their assignments in response to those formations, still learning leverage techniques to fight off blocks and make tackles, picking up receivers in space, etc… The pro game happens extremely fast for new players and they are still learning the keys to pick up to quicken their learning process. Yes talent is necessary, but even the best talent needs to be focused and channeled appropriately. The ’58 Packers had tons of talent but they were 1-10-1. Lombardi came and turned that talent into a legendary NFL dynasty and 11 Hall if Fame careers. That’s focusing on improving and striving for excellence. I am not saying there are any Nitschkes coming out of this group but we need to manage our expectations on the level of performance they can deliver at this point. I’ve been in my business for 37 years and I still learn something new every day. Maybe I’m slow but that’s what I enjoy about it. Thanks, Since ’61
During his career, BF set the all-time record for INTs and TOs. So what’s your point?
Mark – in reply to one of your earlier comments and to keep the record straight Vince Lombardi’s winning percentage when you includec playoffs is .750, Maddens is only .716. Lombardi playoffs 9-1 or .900 winning percent. Madden playoffs 9-7. 563 percent. Lombardi 5 NFL titles in 7 seasons, including 1st 2 Super Bowls, plus name on the League Championship trophy. Madden, who cares. Case Closed, End of story. Madden does not even belong in same conversation with Lombardi. I no longer have a reply option on my blog or this would have been sooner. Sorry. Since ’61
John Kuhn should be on this list. My bad. Sorry, John. I’m sure you’re losing sleep over your exclusion.
Packers fans, I used to hate to see Randall Cobb on field against my favorite college team, Gawgia BullDAWGS–but Cobb is what you see–a very talented player who makes big plays all the time. Was delirious when I found my favorite NFL team, the Packers had selected him in draft–game’s never over if Cobb’s on the field with a QB who can deliver. Just wishin’ this Packers team had gotten a NEW DC in their Christmas stocking-Dom Capers time is over.