Giants @ Packers: Final Thoughts

The Playoffs are almost here for the Green Bay Packers, and all I can say is its about time!

I've spent all week listening to analysis and opinions about the upcoming game against the New York Giants, and I've been surprised by the amount of people that have jumped on the G-Men bandwagon throughout the week and not only think that the Giants will compete, but that they may upset the Packers!

Now being a Packer fan, I found myself upset and confused by all of the people that were hyping the Giants. I had to force myself to step back a little bit and take a less biased look at the upcoming game. Here are my thoughts:

#1: The media is comparing the upcoming game with the 2007 NFC Championship game, in which the Giants had gotten hot at the end of the season, squeaked into the playoffs and won 3 road games, including a game at Lambeau, to go on to beat the undefeated, 19-0 Patriots in the Super Bowl.

My first thought on this comparison is that none of it matters and there is no reason to give any weight to it. The teams are completely different. Rodgers > Favre.

#2:  The Giants are the "Hot" team right now in the NFC.

Herm Edwards called the Giants and the Saints the two hottest teams right now in the playoffs. I'm just not sure what his definition of hot is. The giants were inconsistent all season but were able to make it into the playoffs by winning a mediocre division. Following the Week 13 matchup against the Packers, the giants beat the Cowboys, Lost in Washington to the Redskins, beat the Jets in what was a home game for both teams, and then they again beat the Cowboys to seal the playoff bid. Then they went on to beat the Falcons, who didn't look like they belonged in the playoffs in the Wild Card round. To put it into perspective...

The Giants have won 4 out of the last 5 games. The Packers have won 21 out of the last 22 games.

Enough said. Moving on.

#3:  Two Good Offenses. The Packers Defense is Bad. The Giants Defense is Good.

I will be the first one to say that the Packers defense has been a disappointment all season. But let me follow that up by saying that who cares? The Packers defense has done exactly what it has needed to do all season to help the Packers win games. The Packers offense continues to get early leads and continue to score throughout almost every game, and sure, the defense has given up a lot of yards and points, but when it comes down to it, it doesn't matter. The defense for the Packers knows the score of the game. They know that the offense is going to move the ball and score points, so there is no reason for them to worry and they haven't. All the Packers defense does is play along and wait for the other team to make a mistake. The Packers are leading the NFL in interceptions for a reason. If the game ever comes down to the defense making a stop, our defense has done it without fail.

The Giants defense has one of the best set of lineman in the league and they are a force to be reckoned with. The G-Men are going to bring 4 man pressure the majority of the game because they have the talent on their line to create pressure without blitzing, and if they can manage to do that, the rest of their defense can work in coverage. I am nervous about the Giants defense and defensive line going into this game, but I also have faith in Aaron Rodgers and the Packers' offensive line. For the first time since Week 3, all of the Packers' starting lineman are back together and healthy. In the last meeting during Week 13, the Giants came away with 2 sacks on Rodgers and he threw for 369 Yards, 4 TDS and 1 INT. Rodgers is one of the best in the NFL when it comes to dealing with pressure. He is also one of the best at tearing apart a defense when he is moving outside the pocket, so if I were the Giants, I would be concerned with how to pressure Rodgers while not getting eluded and torched.

#4:  Eli Manning is an elite QB.

Eli has had a great year. He threw for almost 5,000 yards and has an amazing amount of 4th Quarter Touchdowns. One stat that the Packers like from him is that he has thrown 16 interceptions this year. I dont expect the Packers to shut down the Giants passing attack all game. The Giants receivers are very good and are going to give the Packers secondary all they can handle on Sunday. But since Eli entered the NFL in 2004, he has thrown more interceptions than any other quarterback, and this year, the Packers are leading the NFL in Interceptions.

#5:  The Giants are finally Healthy. Oh wait, So are the Packers!

Key players that will be healthy for the Giants include Ahmad Bradshaw, who had just two carries for 9 yards in the first matchup, and Osi Uminyora.

Key players that are now healthy for Packers are Greg Jennings, Chad Clifton, James Starks and AJ Hawk and Desmond Bishop (both absent for first meeting).

Last season the Packers entered the playoffs with 15 players on Injured Reserve. This season they will begin the playoffs suiting 21 out of the 22 starters that began the season, only missing Safety Nick Collins.



In conclusion, the New York Giants were not my first choice for teams to play this week and they will surely give the Packers a very good game. However, the Packers are 15-1 and have won 21 out of the last 22 games for a reason. They are a very good team I don't think there is anyone who can argue against that.

I see the Giants attempting to drop as many players into coverage on defense by using just their front 4 to put pressure on Rodgers. If they can be effective in getting to Rodgers and can throw him off of his game, then they will put their team in good shape. However, I think that Rodgers will continue to do a great job at getting away from the pressure and either making plays with his feet or taking advantage by making throws out of the pocket.

I don't expect the Packers to rush the ball that effectively in this game, but any success that they have moving the ball on the ground is just going to make them that much harder to stop and it will give Rodgers the ability to play action on the Giants.

I think this game can be won by the Packers defense, or lost by the Giants offense. Everyone expects the Packers defense to be the weakness of the Packers, and they certainly have been, but if they decide to come out of their shell and can make some big plays, this game could get out of hand quickly. The Giants will most likely have to keep up with the Packers offense, and if they have any trouble moving the ball or the Packers defense can force punts out of them, its going to be over for the Giants.

So my final prediction for the game...

The Packers will once again start the game out quickly and get on the board early and often. The Giants offense will move the ball on the Packers defense both on the ground and through the air, but the Packers will continue to cause turnovers and put the ball back into Aaron Rodgers hands.

Final Score:    Packers Win, 34 - 17.

Packers-Giants Divisional Playoff Preview

If any of you don't know, whether it's because you stumbled upon this by mistake or because you are one of our Chinese followers and don't get American football news, the Giants defeated the Falcons 24-2 on Sunday and advanced to the NFC Divisional Playoff round. They will go to Green Bay to face the Packers at 4:30 EST (3:30 CST) on Sunday, January 15th.

The Giants have the look of that team that gets hot at the end of the year and nobody wants to play. Much like the Packers were last season. We here at the Malnarn agree that we would have rather played the Falcons, but I am confident that the Packers have what it takes to win this game. Here are some things to watch for.

1. Packers O-line vs Giants' Pass Rush - Rodgers is one of the best QBs in the league against the blitz. The problem here is that the Giants have possibly the best defensive line in the NFL and do not need to blitz much. This allows them to focus more on coverage. The Packers offensive line will be as healthy as they have been all season with the return of Bryan Bulaga and Chad Clifton. If they can keep Aaron clean, the game will be lopsided in the Packers' favor.

2. Giants Receivers vs Packers' Secondary - We really miss Nick Collins. To me it's the biggest reason for the Packers' last place passing defense. The Giants have very good WRs as well (not as good as the Packers, but that's beside the point). Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz have been lighting it up the past 4 weeks. Tramon Williams and Sam Shields will need to pick their game up and become lock down corners.

3. The Return of Greg Jennings - Jennings missed the final 3 games of the season with a torn MCL in his left knee. He has since returned to practice and is expected to be close to full strength against the Giants. The Packers proved that the offense can function without him, but the margin of improvement from James Jones to Greg Jennings is significant. Every Packer fan will be happy to see #85 back on the field.

4. Clay Matthews and Dom Capers - The Packers have thrived on forcing turnovers this season. It's been the one redeeming factor in an otherwise loose defense. Turnovers almost always start with pressure on the opposing QB, especially in Capers' 3-4 scheme. Will Dom bring back the psycho defense and add some new wrinkles to get Clay more opportunities? I hope so. We all know that Eli is prone to mistakes when he's under duress.

5. Running Game - This is something to watch for on both sides of the ball. James Starks' status is still in question for the game and the Packers have been neglecting the run ever since he went down with an ankle injury several weeks ago. Can he return and give the Packers' run game a boost like he did in 2010? If we can run the ball and control the clock, it will help the defense to rest and be absolutely huge for the offense. On the flip side, the Giants' RBs have been phenomenal as of late. The return of Ahmad Bradshaw gave them a new look on offense and that honestly scares me a little. We will need Raji and Pickett to be dominant up front to close any holes that the Giants' o-line opens up.

6. Special Teams - On a cold day at Lambeau, special teams could be the difference. I don't anticipate either team punting too often, but when they do they will be trying to flip the field. I also don't anticipate many field goals being attempted, but at the end of the 1st half and at the end of the game last second field goals could be the difference...much like the meeting in the regular season between these 2 teams.

The Packers are favored in this game, but I think that the Giants match up really well with us. I think if the offense can execute and the defense can come up with a handful of stops that the Packers will win by 10+. But if the offense struggles and the defense shows no improvement then it's going to come down to a last second field goal. We'll all hope for the former! GO PACK!

Packers Embarrassed by Lowly Chiefs...Fall to 13-1

The first loss of the Packers' season came when nobody was expecting it. We had heard predictions of the Lions being the first and then the Giants and later the Raiders. But none of these were up to the task. No, it was the 5-8 Kansas City Chiefs that welcomed the challenge of facing an undefeated Packers' team. Less than a week after firing their head coach, and starting a recently acquired QB off of waivers the Chiefs looked more prepared, more motivated, and like the better team on Sunday afternoon. The Packers looked flat, unfocused, confused, and sloppy. It was embarrassing. Here's my analysis:

Things I Liked

Tim Masthay - Masthay was the one bright spot in the Packers' debachal of a game in Kansas City. He boomed every punt (he had several opportunities) and one even went for a career best 71 yards!

Things I Didn't Like

Aaron Rodgers - For the first time all season Rodgers completed less than 50% of his passes. He finished with an 80 QB rating. With the exception of the 2 TD drives, he looked nervous in the pocket, out of sync, off target, and had trouble finding open receivers.

Offensive Line - The o-line was beaten up badly. Even before the injuries started, they couldn't protect Rodgers. They opened some nice holes for Ryan Grant to run, but the Packers didn't run the ball that often. Then the injuries started. First Bulaga left witha knee sprain, then his replacement (Derek Sherrod) left for the season with a broken leg. This could be a HUGE problem for the remainder of the season and playoffs. Maybe Mark Tauscher is still available...?

Defense - The defense was not very good. Granted they came up with a handful of goal line stands, otherwise this game would have been even more lopsided, but they made the Chiefs look like a top tier offense. They couldn't tackle, they couldn't cover, and I dont remember them even getting close to Kyle Orton. In reality, the Chiefs have one of the worst offenses in the league and hadn't broken 10 points in over 3 weeks. Pathetic.

Receivers - It seemed like every time Rodgers threw a good pass, the receiver would drop it. And most of them came on 3rd downs. Finley dropped at least 3, Driver dropped 1 and so did Jones, Crabtree, and Nelson. The only player I saw catch all of the passes thrown to him was rookie Randall Cobb. This unit obviously missed Greg Jennings.

I could probably keep going with this, but it's starting to depress me. We're still 13-1 and one more win will give the Packers the 1st seed in the NFC for the playoffs. The season is not over, and if the patchwork offensive line can protect Rodgers at all then I think we will be fine for the playoffs. Jennings should return and this team has good veteran leadership and the ability to motivate itself and rebound from adversity. Up next, the Packers are at home with a chance to sweep the Bears and clinch home-field advantage. GO PACK!

Injury Updates

Greg Jennings- All of Packer Nation let out a sigh of relief when the news broke that Greg Jennings' knee injury is not severe. He is expected to be out 2-3 weeks. I personally see no reason why he should play before the Packers' 1st round playoff game (5 weeks).

Brandon Saine- Saine suffered a concussion against the Raiders and is expected to be ready to play on Sunday at Kansas City.

Ryan Pickett- Pickett is in the same boat as Saine.

Josh Sitton- Sitton is expected to return to practice this week after missing 2.5 games with a knee injury. His status is still in question for Sunday.

Chad Clifton- There is a chance that Clifton could return to practice this week. But I wouldn't get my hopes up. I expect to see Marshall Newhouse and Derek Sherrod split reps again against the Chiefs.

That's all I got. Go Pack!

Packers Stomp Raiders, Easily Move to 13-0...

The Packers quietly moved to 13-0 in the wake of the Bears collapse against the Broncos. The boys in green and gold are 1 win away from clinching home-field advantage. They have already clinched the NFC North Division Title and a 1st round bye. All it will take now is one more victory against either the Chiefs, Bears, or Lions to seal the deal. 46-16 is pretty impressive, here's my analysis:

Things I Liked

DEFENSE - I was shocked to see how well the defense played. True to their form, they picked off Palmer 4 times and forced and recovered a fumble to total 5 turnovers for the game. They also put significant pressure on Palmer, even though they were only able to record 1 sack it was enough to have an effect on the game.

RYAN GRANT - Grant looked like his old self for the first time all season recording 85 yards on 10 carries and 2 TDs. Hopefully he can be consistent and the Packers' running attack will be at full force going into the playoffs.

JORDY NELSON - Jordy has scored a touchdown in every home game so far this season. With Greg Jennings' knee in question, he will be expected to step up even more.

MASON CROSBY - Mason carried his weight yesterday by converting all of his Field Goals. It made me wish i had him on my fantasy team.

Things I Didn't Like

INJURIES - Greg Jennings and Brandon Saine were both injured in the 3rd quarter. Jennings' injury was to his left knee and could be serious. His status is still in question. Saine's looked to be concussion-like and I am not too concerned. I also noticed Ryan Pickett walking to the locker room but don't have any information on that. I noticed that McCarthy quickly pulled Rodgers after that and Matt Flynn finished the rest of the game.

The only other thing I thought i might want to write about here was the offensive line as they gave up 3 more sacks. But I noticed that Derek Sherrod (2011 1st round pick)was getting reps at Left Tackle. So this could end up being a good thing and I will hope for the best on the Packers o-line front. There you have it, my analysis. Next week the Pack travel to Kansas City to take on the now head-coachless Chiefs. GO PACK!

And Then There was One...Packers are 6-0

After a slow start, the Packers showed that they were the superior team in the 2nd quarter with 3 Aaron Rodgers Touchdown passes. The second half was quiet, leaving the final score at 24-3. Granted, the Rams have not won a game yet this season, so this is not really considered a big win. But every game is important, and this is a conference win that could end up being important in the seeding at the end of the season. Here is my game analysis:

Things I Liked

No Huddle Offense - The Packers' offense just seems to get better and become more complex every week. The no-huddle gives opposing defenses yet another thing to worry about when preparing for the most potent offense in the NFL.

Linebackers - Clay and the rest of the Packers' linebacking corps looked very good on Sunday against the Rams. Bradford was under duress for a majority of the game and Clay Matthews looked the best that I had seen him all season.

Scoring Defense - The D kept the Rams out of the end zone and gave up 2 field goal attempts (only 1 was successful). Bend but don't break has been how the defense has been described this season. I think that is accurate.

Things I Did Not Like

Dropped Passes - I noticed drops by at least 3 receivers on Sunday. Donald Driver, Jordy Nelson, and Greg Jennings all dropped passes that hit them in the hands. Jordy's was on a 3rd down, and Jennings' drop resulted in an INT. We can afford to make these mistakes against the Rams, but when we face a legitimate team these situations could be the difference between a win and a loss.

Defense - The defense gave up over 400 yards again yesterday. This is not acceptable. Even though the Rams only put up 3 points, I would like to see the Defense show a little bit more pride in themselves and learn to wrap up and not miss tackles.

AJ Hawk - It was unacceptable to see Hawk's obscene gesture on the field after a first quarter sack on Sam Bradford. He needs to realize that he is on TV and he can't act however he wants. Apparently he will not be fined, although I think he should be.

Not much else to say here, the Packers were the better team from start to finish. Next week the Pack will be in Minneapolis to take on the Vikings. Will we see Christian Ponder make his first NFL start? More to come...GO PACK!

Too Many Weapons? Receiver Playing Time

James Jones may be questioning his decision to re-sign with the Packers for the 2011 season as he is 6th in the playing time rankings through 3 games (See Chart Below).

2011 Playing Time: Packers
Player Plays Pct.
Greg Jennings 166 of 204 81.4
Jermichael Finley 159 of 204 78.0
Donald Driver 112 of 204 54.9
Jordy Nelson 106 of 204 52.0
James Jones 38 of 204 18.6
Randall Cobb 36 of 204 17.6
Source: ESPN Stats & Information

I don't know why Jones has been riding the pine for the majority of the season as the Packers definitely made it a priority to re-sign him over other free agents (Cullen Jenkins). It could be his costly drops and mistakes in crucial game situations. Or maybe the other receivers have just looked better in practice. Regardless, I have been surprised to not see Jones on the field more.

As we've seen before, the Packers are only 1 injury away from a backup becoming a capable starter and Jones fits in to that category. There is also the question of how much longer Donald Driver will be able to keep up his amazing pace at the age of 36, in which case Jones would be the logical replacement unless it's Jordy Nelson. But the return of JerMichael Finley, the emergence of Nelson since the Super Bowl, and the presence of dynamic rookie Randall Cobb has put Jones on the bench 81% of the time through the first 3 games.

The Packers are the only team (to my knowledge) where the 6th receiver (including TE) could be a starter on almost any other NFL team. Jones' playing time will be something to keep an eye on as the season progresses. GO PACK!

Packers visit Meadowlands and leave with Victory!

Everyone knew that this weekend's game against the Jets would be a tough one for the Packers. I myself had no idea what to expect in this game. Part of me thought that the Pack could stay in it and possibly win the game and another part of me thought we would never match up and they would handle us easily. I'm very happy with the result and there is no arguing that it was a very big win for this team.

The Jets came into this game with the top rated defense in the league and an offense that had turned the ball over only 4 times so far in the season. The Pack certainly didn't impress anyone with their offense. Aaron Rodgers once again did not look very good, but luckily, he didn't make any bad mistakes that cost the team. Staying on the offensive side of the ball, I have been very disappointed lately with Greg Jennings. I once thought that Jennings could be one of the best receivers in the league, but as the season rolls along I am beginning to realize that he not the home run hitter that I had expected. I think the biggest plays that Jennings has made is somehow complaining enough and getting referees to throw interference flags on the defense. He needs to step up and stop complaining and start making plays.

I think that the keys to the victory for the Packers was the great play by our defense, and surprise special teams play by our punting unit. I think a huge reason that we were able to win this game was that we won the battle for field position. The combination of our defense making big stops and causing key turnovers, and a good punting game left their offense deep in their zone to start most of their drives. If we can keep up the special teams play, it will definitely help us moving forward.

The defense was a huge surprise yesterday, and Ted Thompson surely deserves a lot of credit for going out and getting players to help fill holes that injuries left in our defense. Howard Green was picked up this week to help out Raji on the defensive line and he played well. It doesn't hurt that he's enormous, but he looked good out there. Another player who has impressed me has been S Charlie Peprah. Peprah is what, the 3rd or 4th stringer? He has stepped in and played very well.

I think this weekend gave Packer fans everywhere some more hope that the Pack can have success despite the injury woes. The Packers will host the struggling Dallas Cowboys in week 9.

Game Day!!!

Hello everyone. And by everyone I mean our two faithful followers, AKA the writers of this blog! Well I have heard that they are still waiting for the Brown fans to show up to the stadium as the majority of the fans at the Cleveland Stadium are Packer Backers.

Jordy Nelson is out, one of the beat writers for the Milwaukee Journal says that B.J. Raji is gonna play but it doesn't seem like his ankle is 100% yet.

The offensive line also remains unhealthy this week as Clifton is inactive and Mark Tausher is inactive. I think that its a good week to have some guys banged up considering that the Browns are just a bad team and they get very little pressure on the QB.

I will really be watching to see who Aaron Rodgers targets today and if Greg Jennings will pick his game up. To this point it seems as though Donald Driver is who Rodgers looks to most often. Maybe because he runs shorter routes and is easier to get the ball to when Rodgers is under pressure. I also am really liking the way that Jermichael Finley has played so far this year. I think that if he keeps it up he could be one of the premiere receiving TE in the league and he will be around for a long time to come as its only his 2nd year in the league.

Bottom line, I think this is a good opportunity for the Packers to be successful, and I think we should expect a blowout in this one. The more important games are the other divisional games as both the Bears and the Vikings could potentially get beat this weekend, making the Packers look a lot better moving forward. Only time will tell.

Packers-Vikings: What happened?

I want Ted Thompson’s head…and I’m serious! Hate is a strong word…and I feel strongly about the way I hate the Vikings. But let me explain myself…

I’m not angry about the way Favre was dealt with last year or that he’s not on the Packers. The quarterback was not the reason for last night’s loss. I am angry about the way our offensive and defensive lines are playing. These are the most critical positions for a championship team. You have to be able to protect your quarterback and put pressure on the one you’re playing against. This is something the Packers have been unable to do for some time now. Rodgers was sacked 8 times last night…EIGHT! And he was hit several other times. I counted 2 times that anyone in a white jersey was even close to Favre last night. Kampman hit him once, but it was still a completed pass, and Woodson tipped a ball on a corner blitz, which was also a completed pass. It’s a miracle that we actually had a shot at tying the game at the end.

Thompson has been the GM for 5 years now. That’s plenty of time to build a solid offensive and defensive line. The problem is that he is not willing to sign free agents. How do you think the queens got their lines to be so good? FREE AGENCY! I’m sorry but there is no way to stay competitive in the NFL without utilizing the free agent market. If Thompson doesn’t realize that, then we need to get someone else in there that does. I’m fine with using the draft for skill players and grooming future starters under proven veterans, but you have to have those veterans on your roster to groom the rookies. That’s my 2 cents on Thompson. Now on to last night’s game…

Things I didn’t like:

- Seeing Jared Allen obliterate our right tackles all game
- Seeing Favre in a purple jersey
- Counting to 10 while watching #4 sit in the pocket and just wait for one of his receivers to get open because there was no pass rush – even the best corners in the world can’t cover a receiver that long every play
- Aaron Kampman getting no pass rush from his standing position - he was much better as a 4-3 defensive end
- Packers receivers dropping very catchable balls (especially the ones in the end zone)
- Greg Jennings still not producing – 3 catches, 31 yds
- Turnovers (Int, Fumble, Downs, Safety)

Things I did like:

- Aaron Rodgers making plays with his feet – scrambling and throwing on the run for 386 yards and a 110+ passer rating
- BJ Raji in the lineup
- Holding Adrian Peterson to 55 yards on 25 carries *see #2
- Jermichael Finley finally breaking out – 6 catches, 128 yds, TD
- Donald Driver passing Sterling Sharpe as the Packers’ all-time leader in receptions
- That there was still a chance to tie the game with less than a minute left in the 4th quarter

The season isnt over at 2-2, but we need improvement from the offensive and defensive lines if we want to be anything more than mediocre. GO PACK!

Packers plan to use Cap Space on Upcoming Free Agents

Wisconsinrapidstribune.com had an article on their website that Ted Thompson and the Green Bay Packers have been quite in free agency because they are looking to allocate much of thier $29 million in Cap Space on securing up to 17 players who will become some type of free agents in 2010. Some of the most notable of these players being Greg Jennings, Nick Collins, and Aaron Kampman. 

I think it is a good idea to make key existing players a priority for the long term. Players like Jennings and Collins could garner a lot of interest from other teams should they become free agents, so much like we did with Aaron Rodgers, we could extend these key player's contacts and not give them as much of a chance to leave and go to free agency. These players are the foundation of the team, they are players at key positions that have shown that they are Pro-Bowl caliber, and I think it only makes sense to build the team around those players like Jennings and Collins who are still at the beginning of their careers. I would much rather have those players stay in Green and Gold for years to come than to see the Pack spend all of their money this year on free agents.