Green Bay Packers wide receiver Greg Jennings (L) and wide receiver Donald Driver play with a video camera prior to Media Day for Super Bowl XLV in Arlington, Texas on February 1, 2011. The Pittsburgh Steelers will take on the Green Bay Packers on February 6, 2011. UPI/Roger L. Wollenberg
Donald Driver was added to the Packers’ injury report on Thursday due to a problem with his quad, but Mike McCarthy says he would be shocked if his starting receiver doesn’t play in the Super Bowl.
I’d also be shocked if Driver doesn’t play, as the injury doesn’t sound serious enough to hold him out. That said, how effective will he be? If he’s being held out of practice (even for precautionary measures), then it stands to reason that he’s not at full strength. Will his injury have an effect on the Packers’ passing game?
It’ll be interesting to see what coverages Dick LeBeau uses on Sunday. The Steelers run mostly a cover-2 like the Bears, although LeBeau knows that his corners will also have to man-up in certain situations, which may be a problem seeing as how Bryant McFadden is dealing with an abdominal injury.
With Driver hurt, will LeBeau use Ike Taylor on Greg Jennings and take his chances with McFadden on Driver? Or will he want Taylor to take away Driver and have McFadden cover Jennings with safety help over the top?
I wouldn’t be surprised to see Pittsburgh go to their nickel or even dime package plenty of times throughout the night. But LeBeau wants to avoid the dime as much as possible because that means Lawrence Timmons, a good cover linebacker, comes off the field in favor of Anthony Madison. That’s an advantage for the Packers, just as it was when the Patriots crushed Pittsburgh 39-26 back in November when the Steelers used a lot of dime.
Assuming Driver’s injury isn’t a major concern, the Packers must get the Steelers out of their base defense as much as possible. Again, it’s a major advantage to them to face Pittsburgh’s nickel and dime units because it limits what LeBeau can do with his front seven.
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In our final sponsored post for T.G.I. Friday’s, here are five questions surrounding the Packers and Steelers as they prepare for Super Bowl XLV.
1. Can the Steelers’ O-line hold up?
While the team hasn’t officially ruled him out, it appears as though center Maurkice Pouncey won’t play on Sunday. That means Doug Legursky will once again take his place, just as he did in the AFC title game when Pouncey first suffered the high ankle sprain. Legursky could probably start for many teams around the league, but he’s not the same player Pouncey is. He’s not as strong at the point of attack and he isn’t the mauler Pouncey is in the running game. There’s no doubt Legursky will have his hands full against Packers’ NT B.J. Raji, who has had quite the postseason so far. Of course, Legursky might not be the Steelers’ biggest problem along their offensive line. People forget that they’re starting two backup offensive tackles in Flozell Adams and Jonathan Scott, and the latter could have a ton of problems with Clay Matthews. Granted, the Steelers have averaged nearly four touchdowns thus far in the postseason, so clearly they’ve been able to mask their weaknesses. That said, whether or not their O-line can hold up against the Packers’ stout pass-rush is arguably the biggest question surrounding their chances of winning.
2. Will the Packers be able to slow Mendenhall?
When Rashard Mendenhall rushed for over 80 yards this season (including in the playoffs), the Steelers were 6-1. The Packers had trouble this year with power rushing attacks. When teams were patient with the running game and kept pounding the edges of Green Bay’s defense, they had a fair amount of success. The Packers yielded 4.5 yards per carry this season, which was among the worst in the NFL in that category. If the Steelers can get Mendenhall going early, they’ll accomplish a couple of things in the process. For starters, they’ll leave Aaron Rodgers and Green Bay’s high-powered passing game on the sidelines. The Steelers will also be able to control the tempo of the game and if Green Bay’s safeties have to come up and play run support, then Pittsburgh could open up the play action pass. The Packers must stop Mendenhall.
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers throws a pass against the New York Jets in the second quarter in week 8 of the NFL season at New Meadowlands Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey on October 31, 2010. The Packers defeated the Jets 9-0. UPI /John Angelillo
When I saw that oddsmakers had made the Packers 2.5-point favorites for Super Bowl XLV, my immediate reaction was: “Pittsburgh’s an underdog? Ha! Give me the Steelers…you’re welcome.”
Why wouldn’t you take the Steelers on Sunday? They’ve played in two Super Bowls the past six years and won them both. They have a more experienced head coach who oversees a more experienced quarterback. Ben Roethlisberger is 2-0 in the “big one” and thanks to Dick LeBeau’s guidance, Pittsburgh’s defense often resembles an immovable force.
But then I got to thinking: Tom Brady lost in the Super Bowl, as did Peyton Manning and Brett Favre. Bill Belichick has lost in the championship, as has Mike Holmgren, Bill Cowher and even Tom Landry.
Experience flies out the window once that ball has been kicked off the tee at the start of the game. What football essentially comes down to is execution, avoiding mistakes and beating the guy across from you.
Both of these teams can execute. Both of these teams can limit mistakes and both of these teams have the players on each side of the ball that can win individual battles. Which team will accomplish those three feats on Sunday is anyone’s guess, and that’s the great thing about this particular matchup – it’s so even.
But when you get down to the brass tacks, the Steelers have a big problem along their offensive line. Losing Maurkice Pouncey hurts, but having two offensive tackles that are below average pass-blockers is a bigger problem when you consider the Packers finished second in the league in sacks. Granted, Pittsburgh finished first in that category but I have more faith in Green Bay’s O-line protecting Aaron Rodgers than I do the Steelers’ front five protecting Big Ben.
Pittsburgh Steelers’ quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is all smiles after the Steelers defeated the New York Jets 24-19, winning the AFC Championship, at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on January 23, 2011. The Steelers will face the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl XLV. UPI/Kevin Dietsch
Quick, name the conference that will have the second most representatives at this year’s Super Bowl.
The MAC? Damn. You read the title didn’t you? You little title reader, you…
That’s right, the MAC, with its 15 players, is second only to the SEC (18) in terms of representatives at Super Bowl XLV. According to Mt. Pleasant Morning Sun writer and fellow TSR contributor Drew Ellis, the Packers have nine former MAC players on their roster, including Central Michigan’s Cullen Jenkins, Frank Zombo and Josh Gordy, Western Michigan’s Greg Jennings, Buffalo running back James Starks, Miami of Ohio’s Tom Crabtree, offensive lineman T.J. Lang of Eastern Michigan, safety Atari Bigby of Central Florida and linebacker Diyral Briggs of Bowling Green.
Of course, the most recognizable name to come out of the MAC is Steelers’ quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who played at Miami. Pittsburgh also rosters former MAC players Antonio Brown (CMU), linebacker James Harrison (Kent State), quarterbacks Charlie Batch (Eastern Michigan) and Byron Leftwich (Marshall), as well kicker Shaun Suisham (BGSU).
According to a former MAC player, it is the constant disrespect the conference gets on a national stage that could lead to the players succeeding in the NFL.
“It really speaks volumes about the conference,” former CMU quarterback and teammate of Zombo, Brown, and Gordy, Brian Brunner, said. “This conference used to be know for being a quarterback-conference, but it has really become much more. National pundits may dog the MAC but when you see numbers like these you realize that a lot of MAC players that get a chance to play in the NFL, they come into the league with a chip on their shoulder and they are going work hard and push themselves and prove they belong.”
Obviously the number of players that represent a conference in the Super Bowl doesn’t reflect its status in college football. I hardly doubt we’ll hear anyone campaign for Northern Illinois to play in next year’s BCS title game if the Huskies go 11-0 and the MAC won’t suddenly be viewed as an elite conference.
But it’s nevertheless interesting to see that the little ol’ MAC – not the Big 12, Big Ten or ACC – has only three fewer players at this year’s title game than the SEC. It just goes to show you that talent is talent.
About the only thing that is going right for the Packers today is that the Bears have no desire to beat the Patriots, because Green Bay’s season is currently hanging in the balance at Solider Field right now.
The Packers had a disastrous day in Detroit on Sunday, losing 7-3 to a Lions team that picked up its first divisional win in 19 straight tries. Things got started when Greg Jennings had a potential touchdown pass go off his hands in the first quarter and into the waiting arms of a Detroit defender, then quarterback Aaron Rodgers was knocked out of the game with a concussion in the second.
Things only got worse as Matt Flynn struggled to move the ball against Ndamukong Suh (otherwise known as the Detroit Lions defense) and even when he did, he threw an interception to linebacker DeAndre Levy in the end zone late in the third quarter to kill a potential scoring drive. (He also overthrew Greg Jennings on a 4th-and-1 at the Detroit 31-yard line to put the final nail in the coffin.)
But the Packers can’t pin the loss entirely on Flynn because the Packers didn’t produce any points when Rodgers was in either. And some of the blame for that falls on Mike McCarthy and his coaching staff, which decided to run the ball early and often instead of attacking the league’s worst secondary. I’m not sure what the Packers’ game plan was, but it clearly wasn’t to go after the Lions’ weakness.
Now Green Bay must hope Chicago loses to New England so that they don’t face a two-game deficit in the NFC North by the end of the day. As of this writing, the Bears are trailing the Patriots 21-0 and look completely hopeless, so the Packers’ season is still very much alive.
That said, they travel to New England next Sunday and there’s a good chance that Rodgers won’t be medically cleared to play. Unless Flynn can produce a miracle, the Packers will probably be home when the postseason starts.
But first things first: Chicago must lose to New England.
Packers (8-4) @ Lions (2-10), 1:00PM ET
With all the bad weather going around this Sunday in the NFL, if you’re going to take an over it better be in a dome. The over is 5-2 in the last seven meetings between these two teams and 7-3 in the last 10 games in Detroit. The combination of Aaron Rodgers and Greg Jennings has nearly been unstoppable over the past month and I don’t see Chris Houston and the rest of Detroit’s suspect secondary slowing the pair down. Drew Stanton gave the Lions’ offense a lift last week and if Jahvid Best can get it going against an inconsistent Green Bay run defense, then Detroit should be able to move the ball somewhat. I like the over. THE PICK: OVER 46.5
Dolphins (6-6) @ Jets (9-3), 4:15PM ET
The Jets should play much better Sunday than they did in New England on Monday, but I’m still confused as to why they’re a 5-point favorite. The Dolphins have struggled with New York over the years but they’re 5-1 on the road this season and covered in five of those six games. They’re also fighting for their playoff lives and bad weather is expected in the New Jersey area, which could make for a tight game. With how bad the Jets’ defense looked on Monday, it’s hard to like them giving up this many points. Chad Henne needs to play with more consistency and it would be nice if Brandon Marshall were available for this game, but I like Miami anyway. Their defense should keep Mark Sanchez and the Jets’ running game in check. THE PICK: DOLPHINS +5
Patriots (10-2) @ Bears (9-3), 4:15PM ET
A snowstorm supposedly hit Chicago Saturday night and the wind could reach up to 30mph by game time. But the bad weather shouldn’t be a factor for the Patriots, who are used to snow and wind at this time of year. That said, I think the Bears are being undervalued here. They’ve played extremely well over the past month and they love playing the role of underdogs – especially at home. If Mike Martz doesn’t try to get cute with his playcalling (i.e. calling a bunch of vertical passes in bad weather with Jay Cutler as his quarterback), then I like the Bears to win outright. Cutler has been excellent at the short-to-medium-range passes this year so Martz needs to keep it there. The Pats have scored 45 points the past two weeks, but that trend stops today. THE PICK: BEARS +3
Falcons (10-2) @ Panthers (1-11), 1:00PM ET
I hate this line and it has almost caused me to move off the Falcons several times throughout the week. And the Titans’ fluke backdoor cover (perhaps the worst backdoor cover in the history of backdoor covers) on Thursday night against the Colts doesn’t help matters. That said, this is the biggest mismatch on the board and seeing as how the Falcons came awfully close to losing to the Bucs last week and forking over their one-game lead in the NFC South, I think we’ll see a focused Atlanta team on Sunday. Matt Ryan won’t throw two picks like he did last weekend and Carolina can expect a heavy dose of Michael Turner. It’s high-time the Falcons’ defense steps up again and turns in a solid performance. Again, the backdoor cover scares me but the Falcons can beat the Panthers by a touchdown and a field goal right? Right?! THE PICK: FALCONS –7.5
The NFC North will challenge the NFC East this year for being the toughest division in the conference. Three of the four teams are legit playoff contenders, while the Lions only continue to improve as a whole.
Here’s how I see things shaking out in the NFC North in 2010. Be sure to check out the link entitled “2010 Question Mark” under each team’s preview, which is a breakdown of one or two potential weaknesses that could derail that squad’s hopes this season.
1. Packers
What to Like: Given how well he played last year, Aaron Rodgers should be considered a MVP candidate this season. The fact that he was able to throw for 4,434 yards and compile a 103.2 QB rating despite constantly being under pressure is rather amazing. Just think about what he could accomplish this year if the O-line gave him even a fraction of a second more time to throw. Rodgers will lead a passing attack that racked up 261.3 yards per game last season, which was good for seventh in the NFL. He also has an assortment of weapons to throw to, namely receivers Greg Jennings and Donald Driver, as well as rising talent Jermichael Finley. In the backfield, Ryan Grant continues to be underrated and is coming off a 1,253-yard, 11-touchdown season. Defensively, Dom Capers was a miracle worker in his first year, as Green Bay led the NFC in total defense despite switching to the 3-4 (most first-year 3-4 teams struggle). Rookie Clay Matthews turned out to be a phenomenal pass-rusher and Nick Barnett was outstanding in the middle, both against the run and in coverage. Despite his age, Charles Woodson (33) continues to play at an elite level. What Not to Like: The offensive line was a disaster at times last year, save for the play of right guard Josh Sitton. If Chad Clifton and Mark Tauscher can make it through an entire season without suffering injuries, this will be a much-improved unit and then Rodgers won’t have to spend most Sunday afternoons running for his life. But both tackles are in their 30s and injuries always seem to be an issue. At left guard, Daryn Colledge struggled, although it’s only fair to point out that he was out of position subbing at tackle. While Tramon Williams is more than capable of handling the starting corner position opposite Woodson, losing Al Harris (knee surgery) was a huge blow to Green Bay’s depth at secondary. The concern is that given Harris’ age (35) and the nature of his injury, he may never play again. The other potential issue on defense is whether or not B.J. Raji can handle playing nose tackle after a lackluster 2009 season as a 3-4 end. All good 3-4 teams have a stout nose tackle to eat up space and if Raji isn’t up for the task, it will certainly have an effect on the linebackers. Keep Your Eye On:Jermichael Finley
Finley put himself on the map last season by catching 55 passes for 676 yards and five touchdowns in just 13 games. He finished the year by hauling in six passes for 159 yards in Green Bay’s loss to the Cardinals in the first round of the playoffs, leading to high expectations this year. If he can stay focused (which is the biggest concern with this youngster), he could put up fantastic numbers in the Packers’ explosive passing attack this season. The Final Word: Expectations are high for the Packers this year, as well they should be. If the offensive line can stay healthy then this is the team to beat in the NFC North. The great thing is that Ted Thompson spent his first round draft pick on tackle/guard Bryan Bulaga, meaning Green Bay now has depth in case injuries do start to mount. Rodgers is the real deal and could lead the Pack deep into the playoffs if his O-line doesn’t get him killed first. Defensively, there are some concerns but Capers will make up for them by being aggressive. If the Packers can win the division and force opponents to come to Green Bay come January, then this will be a legitimate Super Bowl contender this season. The pieces are in place for this team to make a serious run.
I don’t know how long YouTube will have this up before the NFL gets its greedy little hands on it, but here are the highlights from the Cardinals’ thrilling win over the Packers on Sunday.
That was easily the best spectator game of the season.
For the casual NFL fan, Wildcard Weekend was a bust. Unless you were a Jets, Cowboys or Ravens fan, the games were boring and highly un-entertaining. (Unless you like one team completing dominating another, that is.)
Kurt Warner never ceases to amaze me. What he did against a solid Green Bay secondary was pretty extraordinary – even for him. He completed 29-of-33 passes for 379 yards, five touchdown passes and every time the Cards needed a score, he managed to get them into position to do so. If this is indeed Warner’s last dance, it looks like he’s going to leave everything out on the floor.
After throwing an interception on the first play of the game, Aaron Rodgers put on a show himself. He completed 28-of-42 passes for 422 yards and four touchdowns. There will be plenty of Packer fans that will say that Brett Favre would have won this game. But even the fiercest of Brett backers had to marvel at how Rodgers went toe-to-toe with Warner today and almost came out victorious.
I realize his fumble in overtime will haunt him and Green Bay in the offseason (he also overshot a wide open Greg Jennings on the first play of overtime that would have won the game), but don’t forget this was his first career playoff appearance. And with this being his first ever postseason appearance, he played incredibly well and once again proved that the Packers have a bright future. Keep in mind that Arizona got the benefit of a couple of calls in overtime that aided in Rodgers and Green Bay’s demise. The refs could have called a helmet-to-helmet hit on Rodgers on the second play of the drive, as well as a face mask penalty on the game-winning touchdown recovery.
Aaron Rodgers completed 28-of-39 passes for 348 yards and three touchdowns as the Packers shredded the Lions 34-12 on Thanksgiving Day.
Thanks to a three-game winning streak, Green Bay is now 7-4 and if the playoffs were to start today, they’d be in as one of the Wild Card teams. They were helped last night when the Giants (a conference foe) lost to the Broncos in Denver.
The Packers have benefited from having one of the softest schedules in the league, although they do have to play the Ravens, Steelers and Cardinals before the season is finished. Still, if they can beat one of those teams and then handle their business against the Bears and Seahawks (two teams Green Bay should beat), then the Pack should make the playoffs.
One thing that was apparent yesterday is that Rodgers has more time to throw. Granted, the Lions don’t offer much of a pass rush but the Packers’ O-line is starting to protect Rodgers better and give him time to find stellar receivers Donald Driver and Aaron Rodgers.
The defense has also rebounded from its embarrassing effort against Tampa Bay a few weeks ago. The Packers held Dallas to only seven points three weeks ago and then forced five turnovers against Detroit yesterday.
If the offensive line can continue to play at a somewhat respectable level and the defense can resemble Hyde more than Jekyll, then the Packers could be a tough out come postseason time.
