If you listen to the Boston homers employed by ESPN, you’d think the Patriots dropped 10 touchdown passes and had 14 pass interference penalties mistakenly called against them during Sunday’s loss to the Green Bay Packers.
They’ll tell you the Patriots just had an off game, that a few bounces in the other direction and a call here or there would have resulted in a Pats’ victory.
Nonsense. The Patriots were lucky the game was as close as it was.
If Green Bay scored touchdowns while in the red zone instead of field goals, the game’s a blowout. If Davante Adams doesn’t drop an easy touchdown pass, the game is more of a blowout. If Aaron Rodgers doesn’t misfire on a couple of early throws, the rout would’ve been on. If Mason Crosby doesn’t whiff on a late field goal, the margin of victory would have been wider.
Despite what the Boston homers at the Worldwide Leader would have you believe, it was the Packers, not the Patriots, who kept shooting themselves in the foot.
Of course, I’m not saying the Packers are head and shoulders better than New England. If this game is played 10 times on a neutral field, the Packers probably win six times and every game would be a nail-biter.
Unfortunately, we’re not going to see these two teams play each other 10 times this season. But we might get a chance to seem them square off again in February. On a neutral field. In a little game called the Super Bowl.
Rising
Aaron Rodgers
The best player in football. There’s really nothing else to say about him. Tom Brady is still a great quarterback, but Rodgers has without a doubt passed him by. That’s not a knock on Brady, he very well could eat the Packers’ lunch should these two teams meet again the Super Bowl, but Rodgers is the man now.
Mike McCarthy
This piece from Greg Bedard at Sports Illustrated summarizes how I feel about McCarthy perfectly. The No. 1 people forget about when discussing McCarthy is his role in resurrecting the end of Brett Favre’s career and helping shape Aaron Rodgers into the quarterback he is today.
Sam Barrington
Yeah, I’m probably putting Barrington in the rising category prematurely, but how nice was it watching a middle linebacker wearing Packers’ colors delivering big hits to running backs as they try to explode through a hole? Barrington delivered a couple of shots on Sunday to the Patriots’ power runners. If this kid can learn the defense and operate inside without being told where to be and who to cover all the time, watch out.
Steady
Tramon Williams
This is another controversial selection, but hear me out. Yes, Williams got beat a few times in pass coverage, but he made several open-field tackles that prevented big plays and kept Patriots’ receivers short of the first-down marker. Remember when Williams wanted no part of tackling anybody a few years back? Those days are long gone. He’s now a willing tackler. On Sunday, he was willing and effective.
Mike Daniels
The way to contain Tom Brady is to pressure him up the middle. Daniels has been solid all season, and delivered interior pressure all day on Sunday before finally getting home and sacking Brady on the Patriots’ final offensive play from scrimmage.
Randall Cobb
Cobb line up here, there and everywhere on Sunday. He managed to get open from all angles, and even sealed the game on a catch from Rodgers before the two-minute warning where he really wasn’t that open.
Falling
Darrelle Revis
The BS was flowing off of Revis Island after the game. Revis said Nelson pushed off on his 45-yard touchdown catch. Wah. Wah. Wah. You got beat, Darrelle. Badly. Man up and stop with the excuses.
Adam Czech is a a freelance sports reporter living in the Twin Cities and a proud supporter of American corn farmers. When not working, Adam is usually writing about, thinking about or worrying about the Packers. Follow Adam on Twitter. Twitter .
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I wonder what MM did to ‘shame’ AR into the QB he is today? Beatings? No meals? Verbal abuse? Just kidding, but I chuckled when I saw the line.
As to the ESPN deal, I didn’t see all their post-game coverage, but on “The Blitz”, Berman and Jackson were absolutely gushing over AR’s play. Jackson going so far as to designate AR a BLT (bucket list throws) QB. A guy you had to see throw the football live at least once in your life.
Now Skip Bayless? They haven’t come up with a cruel enough means of torture for that twit yet. But we can hope…
Savage – maybe we could have Skip listen to thousands of hours of Howard Cosell tapes. That could be a form of torture. Then again, maybe Skip would like it. Go Pack Go! Thanks, Since ’61
I owe you a tip of the cap – you called it, I missed it. MM had an answer for BB and for that we’re all thankful.
Savage
I agree. MM drives me crazy at times with his predictable play calling. But in the end, he is a great coach. I like how he challenges his players on offense to be great, by leaving them one on one with other players. Sometimes the players respond, like they did against the Patriots. And sometimes they don’t like Allen Babre.
You spot it 100%. In this matter we see the things same….
Doh! I love typos…..
Fixed.
Nice notes. I predicted 42-21 for Packers. If there were been TDs instead of FGs, I will be proud owner of good prediction!
Adam: you likely have a typo in your article. I assume you meant to say that MM has shaped, not shamed, AR into the player he is today. Otherwise good coverage as always.
Adam – nice job! Glad that you brought up the Bedard article. I hope that it is widely read. MM is long overdue the recognition that he deserves. We’re fortunate to have him as the Packer’s HC. Go Pack Go! Thanks, Since ’61
Why Aaron Rodgers will never get recognition he deserves? 1. Hasn’t killed any dogs. 2. Hasn’t knocked out his girlfriend. 3. Hasn’t beat a child. 4. Hasn’t sent pictures of his junk to anyone. 5. Hasn’t whined like a biatch when things don’t go his way. Aaron Rodgers is a class act stand up guy. The media can’t stand that. They will wait in the bushes ready to pounce on him any chance they get. Suck it media you will wait a loooooooooooong time…
And the dude is scary smart. Has his own self a Cray II residing in that punkin of his.
Many of you have seen this:
http://www.csnne.com/new-england-patriots/felger-did-packers-find-blueprint-how-beat-pats?p=ya5nbcs&ocid=yahoo
But an interesting take on the game from guys who don’t seem to give any Packers not named Aaron Rodgers much credit. The quote to remember: Lacy stinks!
One of the great joys besides winning and seeing younger players stepping up and doing a great job is seeing our coaching staff growing and making new moves on this chess board called a football field. I’m so glad that even at this stage of their careers Mike McCarthy and Dom Capers are not staying in some failed rut of the same plays and the same players. This is not easy for older men (let alone an older management team). Kudos to them and to Ted Thompson for being a management team that is doing what is necessary to be a winning team!
I love this rising and falling stuff. I see a few myself.
Rising:
1. Richard Rodgers – 2 td’s in two games now. He’s curving upward.
2. Sam Barrington – Hell yeah, he’s rising. What’s not to love about him jacking up NE’s rb’s on at least three plays. Physically, he’s far superior to Hawk. Mentally obviously not but that will come in time. Play the man!!
3. Davante Adams – We needed him this game and he responded. Damn if he only caught that td pass the entire Packers nation would be sky high on him this week.
4. Corey Linsley – Damn that Tretter injury opened the doors and Tretter will never get that job back as long as Linsley’s healthy. We’re talking a 10 year or more pro bowler starter at center. Home run by the legend known as Ted.
5. Datone Jones – prior to the ankle injury he was coming on big time. Had another splash play again. I see him in the rising category again.
Falling:
1. Mason Crosby – You need to make that 40 yarder. That was a huge miss.
2. A.J. Hawk – I still think he hurt his leg early against MN and is playing hurt but either way, Sam Barrington has to play more not less going forward. Hawk was a true team player and had a nice career in Green Bay. That time has come for a change though.
Hard to fault Crosby. He’s been so good since that disastrous 2012 season. At some point he’s going to miss…what does it matter if it was a 1st qtr kick or a 4th qtr kick?
It mattered because in this game that field goal was absolutely crucial he make it and he didn’t. His miss and Adams’ drop could have cost us the game.
It sounds nit picky but the Packers are playing so well it was honestly hard to find negatives so I went with the easy choice… special teams. I forgot but throw Mashtay in as well. He’s been punting like shit lately.
I didn’t think anyone would get on me for choosing a kicker and Hawk. I was trying to be nice. lol
The NE kicker missed wide right from the same distance toward the same goalpots and that was only his second miss all season. So, Crosby was 80% accurate on his FG attempts and Gostkowski was ZERO%. Just sayin’
Ted – I would agree that Crosby should not have missed that FG but winning in the NFL is about overcoming adversity. Good teams find a way to overcome adversity and win anyway. The Packers have been getting better at that all season. IN the NE game, we had the missed FG, a bad call on T. Williams giving NE a first down, a kickoff out of bounds, a poor punt by Masthay, the injury to Shields, the drop by Adams. In seasons past the Packers probably would have lost this game, but this year the defense in particular is stepping up and making big plays and key stops. Rodgers is playing beyond lights out and the Packers are winning in spite of the adversity as they did in Min and against the Pats. Or, they have blown people out as they did with the Bears and Eagles. I’m not happy when mistakes occur either but it’s great watching the Packers find ways to win even when they stumble. It speaks to the character of this team. RELAX. Go pack Go! Thanks, Since ’61
Excellent post Since 61′. I do agree. I just had a hell of a time to find someone falling other than A.J. Hawk so I picked on Crosby and Mashtay. My bad. Crosby really didn’t deserve to be in the “falling”. I will try to RELAX more.
Ted
Ted – No worries, we all get frustrated in the heat of the moment. Bring on the Falcons. Go Pack Go! Thanks, Since ’61
Barrington didn’t to deliver big hits, he needed to put RBs on the ground and fill the gaps which he did on multiple occasions. Great showing.
Also I’m going to keep banging the DuJuan Harris drum but the guy needs more playing time. Good showing on KRs and Lacy could use a breather down the stretch. It is time.
I agree Wagz on both your points. DuJuan Harris is getting better and better on kickoff returns. As it’s getting colder, he’s finally getting some opportunities now. That very first kick, if he didn’t get tripped up I think he’s gone. He knew it too. I would also like to see him get some opportunities at rb but the way the Packers are playing I can’t complain with what MM is doing. Right now MM is making all the right moves. Everything he does is turning to gold. I see this as a magical season. Rodgers is at the absolute top of his game.
Starks ball handling has been a little sketchy the last two weeks, so I’m hoping that while MM has him sitting in his dog house, he let’s Dujuan off whatever leash he’s been on against the Falcons.
The only thing I can think of is that MM still isn’t comfortable with DH as a blocker.