Tag: Aaron Rodgers (Page 29 of 35)

      Stick a fork in the Packers – they’re done

      November 30, 2008 /

      Aaron RodgersWhen the Saints blasted them 51-29 last Monday night, my writing cohort John Paulsen wrote in the comment section of my game recap that his Packers just weren’t a very good team. After watching them choke away multiple leads in a 35-31 loss to the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, I would have to agree to JP – the Packers just flat out aren’t that good this season.

      The offense is fine – Aaron Rodgers threw for 298 yards and three touchdowns on Sunday – but the defense is average at best. Pundits like to talk about what kind of team the Packers would be if they still had Brett Favre, but Brett had a better defense on the other side of the ball last year.

      This was a Panthers team that couldn’t move the ball against Oakland three weeks ago, struggled to beat the Lions and then was waxed last Sunday in Atlanta. Yet they were able to rack up 130 yards on the ground and 35 points despite losing the time of possession battle 37:52 to 22:08. It’s amazing how ineffective the Green Bay front seven has been this year after being one of the bright spots in 2007.

      Mathematically the Packers are still in the playoff hunt (they could still even win their pathetic division), but how could you like this team’s chances of making a run over the next four weeks? Offensively they can hang with most opponents, but defensively they consistently get gashed on the ground.

      Conversely, this was a massive victory for the Panthers. That catch by Steve Smith to set up the eventual game-winning touchdown was unreal. To go into Lambeau Field and beat the Packers in Green Bay in late November is impressive. Unfortunately for them the Bucs won, but they’ll have their shot to revenge a Week 6 loss to Tampa next Monday night in Carolina. Winner takes sole possession of first place in arguably the most exciting division in the NFL – the NFC South.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      NFL Week 13 Primer

      November 28, 2008 /

      Jason CampbellSunday’s Best: Giants (10-1) at Redskins (7-4), 1:00 PM ET FOX
      The game of the week is a toss up between this matchup and Steelers at Patriots. But I’ll go with a divisional rivalry any day of the week, although Pittsburgh-New England should be just as good. The Cowboys’ victory over the Seahawks on Thanksgiving put a lot of pressure on the Skins to keep pace in the NFC Wild Card race. A win over the G-Men would keep Washington in the thick of things with Dallas, Carolina, Tampa and Atlanta for the Wild Card, while a loss wouldn’t push them out of things, but it certainly would be detrimental. One thing about the Redskins is that they play to the level of their competition. One week they’re losing to the Rams and allowing the Browns to hang with them, the next they’re crushing the Cowboys and Eagles on the road. But the Giants have been one of the best road teams over the last couple years and soundly beat the first place Cardinals last week in Arizona. The G-Men have proven that they’re the best team in the league, but they’re going to have their hands full against a physical Washington team in desperate need of a victory.

      Upset Watch: Panthers (8-3) at Packers (5-6), 1:00 PM ET FOX
      My pick of the Lions over the Buccaneers last week proved to be a disaster despite Detroit jumping out to a 17-0 lead. Considering the Packers are 3-point favorites, this technically doesn’t count as an upset and less you factor in the records. The Pack were embarrassed last Monday night by New Orleans, but the Panthers haven’t played well in weeks. Jake Delhomme has struggled in the first half of Carolina’s past three games and the once stout Panther defense is coming off a game in which they surrendered 45 points to the Falcons. This is a nice matchup for a struggling Green Bay defense, but they must stop the run. Carolina loves to pound the ball on the ground and if they’re successful, the play action pass opens up with Delhomme and Steve Smith. But if the Packers can sell out to stop the run, their secondary is good enough to at least contain Smith and limit him from making big plays. Aaron Rodgers should have relative success working the ball up the field against an average Carolina secondary, although Ryan Grant must keep them balanced offensively for Green Bay to notch a win and keep their playoff hopes alive.

      Matt CasselIntriguing Matchup: Steelers (8-3) at Patriots (7-4), 4:15 PM ET CBS
      Could this be a potential playoff preview? Matt Cassel has the Patriots’ offense back on track, but they’ll be tested Sunday against one of the best defenses in the league. It’s doubtful Cassel will be able to throw for over 400 yards for the third connective game, which means Bill Belichick must get his running game going or else Dick Lambeau can dial up plenty of blitzes to get the young signal caller out of rhythm. A win is so important for both teams. A victory for Pittsburgh would keep the Steelers at least one-game above Baltimore in the division, while the Pats need a win to keep pace with the Jets in the AFC East. This should be one of the most physical matchups of the week and I’m willing to bet it will be a low scoring affair.

      Other Notable Games:
      Broncos (6-5) at Jets (8-3), 4:15 PM ET CBS
      The Jets are now the talk of the league after they upset the Titans last week, while Denver looks to put its embarrassing loss to the Raiders behind them.

      Bears (6-5) at Vikings (6-5), 8:15 PM ET
      First place in the NFC North is on the line Sunday night. Since they beat the Vikes earlier this season, Chicago would capture the tiebreaker between these two teams if they can come away with a victory.

      Saints (6-5) at Buccaneers (8-3), 1:00 PM ET
      A win for New Orleans and we can officially welcome them back to the NFC playoff party. But a loss would essentially put the Saints out of their misery.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      Does anybody want to win the NFC North?

      November 25, 2008 /

      Aaron RodgersAfter waxing division rival Chicago 37-3 two weeks ago, one could have made the argument that the Green Bay Packers were on the upswing in the NFC North. But after their brilliant performance Monday night in New Orleans (a 51-29 Saints victory), it would be tough for anyone outside of Green Bay to back the Packers right now.

      The Saints have one of the most explosive offenses in the NFL, but the Packers did them a favor by not creating any pressure on Drew Brees. It’s a sound concept to drop eight men in coverage and rush only three down linemen on a third and 15, but if you give Brees 10 seconds to find a receiver, he’s probably going to convert. Green Bay’s defensive game plan last night was passive and conservative, and the result was disastrous. (Of course Aaron Rodgers’ three picks didn’t help matters, either.)

      But back to the NFC North – can anyone say with any conviction that the Bears (currently in first) are the best team in the division? The Vikings have played better over the last month, but they could lose most of their defensive line once the league starts handing out suspensions to those players who were caught using performance-enhancing drugs.

      Here are the remaining schedules for the Bears, Packers and Vikings:

      Bears – at Vikings, vs. Jaguars, vs. Saints, vs. Packers, at Texans
      Vikings – vs. Bears, at Lions, at Cardinals, vs. Falcons, vs. Giants
      Packers – vs. Panthers, vs. Texans, at Jaguars, at Bears, vs. Lions

      Out of those teams, the Packers have the easiest remaining schedule. Carolina hasn’t played well in weeks, the Texans, Jags and Lions are a mess and they just crushed the Bears two weeks ago. That said, they have to figure out a way to get more pressure from their front seven or they stand zero chance at making the postseason.

      The Week 16 game between the Packers and Bears might determine the division.

      NFL

      What on earth happened to the Bears defense?

      November 16, 2008 /

      Bears-PackersEven though the Chicago Bears have been one of the most injury-riddled teams in the NFL this season, it’s staggering how bad the defense has played. Granted, their 37-3 loss to the Packers wasn’t entirely the defense’s fault (Green Bay did score a defensive touchdown), but they certainly deserve most of the blame.

      Chicago was absolutely shredded on the ground by Ryan Grant, who rushed for 145 yards on 25 carries, while Brandon Jackson added 50 yards on just 10 carries. If that wasn’t bad enough, the Bears also allowed Aaron Rodgers to throw for 227 yards and two touchdowns.

      Again, injuries have ransacked this team, but at some point you can’t use that as an excuse. And it doesn’t matter who’s playing, there’s no excuse for poor tackling. This was a huge divisional game and the Bears allowed the Packers to do whatever they wanted both on the ground and through the air.

      It was also amazing to watch the Bears constantly line up in two-tight end formations and still not be able to run the ball. This wasn’t the Minnesota Vikings front seven they were playing – Green Bay has been carved up all year on the ground.

      Conversely, this win saved the season for the Packers, at least for the time being. Not only did they beat a division opponent, but the previously surging Vikings lost as well, meaning there’s a three-way tie in the North. The Pack need Grant and the defense to step up every week just as they did on Sunday vs. Chicago.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      Titans remain undefeated after topping Packers in OT

      November 2, 2008 /

      Kerry CollinsThe Tennessee Titans might be the most boring team in the NFL. But they’re also the best team in the NFL and remain undefeated on the season after beating the Green Bay Packers 19-16 in overtime at LP Field on Sunday.

      As been the case all season, you look at the Titans’ game stats and nothing stands out. Kerry Collins only threw for 180 yards and zero touchdowns, but he also didn’t throw an interception. Rookie Chris Johnson scored a touchdown, but finished with a relatively quiet 89 yards on 24 carries. Tennessee’s defense allowed Aaron Rodgers to throw for 314 yards but only gave up 16 points and forced three turnovers.

      This is exactly the way things have been all season for the Titans. This isn’t a flashy team and they’re not very impressive, but the bottom line is they get things done. They’ve also had to scratch and claw for every win this season because every week they’re in tight ballgames. But that will only serve them down the road when they get into dogfights late into the year and in the playoffs.

      Almost every team in the NFL can match up with the Titans on paper. But as their record indicates, no team can figure them out this season.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

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