XLV or Die

On to the Super Bowl...

No matter who was going to be playing in this game I would probably have got on here and went on and on about how this is time to become a champion, etc.  That is the attitude that all the Packers & Steelers have at this moment.  But before I get into some analysis or insight into this coming game I wanted to do a quick post about some things said in the offseason.

This summer a lot of people were picking the Packers to go to the Super Bowl.  A lot of the Packer players were very confident in their chances to make it as well.  Take Nick Barnett, our starting middle linebacker.  As the clip shows, he stated on July 2nd that this season was "Super Bowl XLV or Die," obviously a strong statement.  Then, in August after the Packers first scrimmage of the year, Jermichael Finely, the outspoken budding star of a TE declared his goal for the season in a classic line in the post game interview "One Word... Dallas Texas Super Bowl Baby".  


The ironic thing is that our two boldest players in the offseason turned out to be right, but unfortunately both got injured within the first 5 weeks of the season.  Both were unable to participate in the Super Bowl run that they saw coming.  Barnett's injury paved the way for Desmond Bishop to step up into the role that he always knew he could fill.  Jermichael's absence has definitely been much harder to fill, but the Packers offense has found its way through using 4, 5 WR sets, rookie TEs Quarless & Crabtree, and veteran TE Lee.

One way or the other it has turned out to be the Green Bay Packers in Dallas Texas Baby, and lets hope no one dies after Super Bowl XLV...

Bears v. Packers

The NFL, and more specifically, the Super Bowl, is the biggest sports spectacle in the United States.  People in the USA love football.  People throughout the country are indoctrinated every weekend, starting with high school  on Friday nights, college on Saturdays, and the NFL on Sundays/Monday Night.  Despite its immense popularity and history going back about 90 years you see things every week you have not seen before.  That is what makes it great.  A ho hum game can turn into a classic battle that everyone is talking about.  More specifically, franchises that were left for dead can turn into powerhouses in short periods of time.  To me the 2000s have symbolized that.  The Patriots & Colts elevated themselves to perennial contenders and yearly rivals with the game's two best QBs.  The Baltimore Ravens (the former Browns, playing in the Colts old city) have been one of the unlikely powerhouses, winning a championship in 2000 due to their outstanding defense.  The Rams came from out from obscurity with a former grocery store bagger as a QB and won a Super Bowl in '99 followed by another appearance in '01 and a few good playoff years in between.  The Seahawks and Cardinals made the Super Bowl out of the NFC West which is generally a forgotten division.  Pittsburgh restored glory to the famed franchise, and Tampa Bay built a defensive power along the lines of Baltimore and won a Super Bowl against the historic Raiders.

I say all of this because in the NFC this year you have a game that, in my mind, and it appears most of the country's as well, blows all of this away.  It is Bears-Packers.  Two teams that have played 180 regular season matchups before.  That is twice a year for 90 years.  This is not Jets-Dolphins or Patriots-Colts.  This is two teams that have won a combined 21 NFL championships (including 4 Super Bowls).  Even Packers-Vikings, which in my lifetime has been the more intense rivalry, doesn't even compare.  This is like a college rivalry; Nebraska-Oklahoma, Michigan-Ohio St, Alabama-Auburn.  They are about 215 miles apart along Lake Michigan. It is the midwest.  It is hard working, blue collar, men (and women) bleeding their teams colors.  Families are torn between the teams.  The unfortunate thing is that in their long histories both teams have not been good at the same time very often.  In fact, this is only the 4th season that both have made the playoffs.  That makes this game even more meaningful to the fans, knowing that this might not happen again in their lifetimes.

For me, it is just about winning.  I don't care if we are playing the Bears or Panthers or whatever.  I just want them to win.  But if Green Bay beats Chicago for the right to play in the Super Bowl, you can believe that I will never forget this season, and the players involved will go down as legends.  This is the time.  Aaron Rodgers, Charles Woodson, Donald Driver.  You are the leaders of this team.  You cannot let this slip by.  Clay Matthews, Tramon Williams, Desmond Bishop.  You are the young/inexperienced core that has brought this team to the next level down the stretch run.  This will probaby never happen again.  It is time to "carpe diem" as they say.  Sieze the day, and become legends.

GO PACK GO

Deja vu?

I just wanted to make a few quick comparisons between this Packers team and the 1996 team that won it all.  I do not in any way believe that the Packers are a lock for the Super Bowl or the best team in the NFL hands down.  I was just thinking about a few things and thought I'd bring a little perspective to the situation.  Later this week I will probably wax poetic about the epic game that is to come between the Chicago Bears & the Green Bay Packers.

People say hindsight is 20/20.  That is a true statement in a lot of ways, however in some ways people look back at the past with rose colored glasses.  You know, how people always think things were better "back in the day." Back when there were only 3 TV channels, back when hockey players didn't wear helmets... "those were the days" as the All in the Family theme song goes...  Generally when I remember the Packers Super Bowl run of 1996 I think of a team that cruised through the season with Favre's  brilliance, the defense's dominance, and Desmond Howard's epic season.  But when you look back at it there were a lot of obstacles to overcome.  Robert Brooks, Antonio Freeman, Don Beebe, & Mark Chumura were all hurt during the season.  Players like Derrick Mayes & Jeff Thomason had to contribute.  Andre Rison was picked up off the scrap heap.  10 year starting left tackle Ken Ruettgers was injured a few games into the season and rookie John Michels had to step up.  Guys that no other teams really wanted any more like Eugene Robinson, Santana Dotson, Sean Jones & the aforementioned Desmond Howard were integral in the team's run to a championship.

Winning a Super Bowl is not easy.  It is not necessarily being the most talented - everyone in the NFL is talented.  It isn't even necessarily being the toughest or most experienced.  It is coming together at the right time to make a run as a cohesive unit that believes in itself and refuses to go down without a fight.

This is where my comparison of this Packer team to the 1996 team comes into play.  Green Bay has lost a star TE (Finley), OT (Tauscher) and numerous LBs (Barnett, Chillar, Jones, Zombo).  Special teams has not been as dynamic as in '96, and we are not the #1 seed, we're the #6.  But you have a young QB coming into his own, a talented WR corps, and a MVP type pass rusher in Clay Matthews.  This team has come together under coach Mike McCarthy after 5 years together (just like Mike Holmgren).  They believe.  They do not care when and where they must play.  And when Sunday comes it is time to put all the work into practice.  Line up, man on man, and make the plays necessary to win the game.

Oh no, it is an NFL Labor situation post

I'm going to make this fairly quick because I am still pumped about the NFL Playoffs and the Packers-Falcons game on Saturday night and I don't want to whine too much right now.  However, I read this Forbes blog post explaining some of the realities of the Owners vs Players and had to share it.

The two biggest things you hear about are the rookie wage scale & the 18 game season, both of which are basically just ways for the Owners to divert the attention of the fans to issues that they can relate to (younger people making more than you do & MORE FOOTBALL).  The arguments being that unproven first round drafts picks don't deserve $10-50 million guaranteed before they even step on the field.  The huge money thrown around to the number one pick especially garners a lot of attention every  year.  In reality, if you look at rookie salaries as a pool very little is committed to paying them each year (read the Forbes blog).  As far as the 18 game season goes, the argument is obvious - two more regular season games is more meaningful football for the average fan.  Once again this is a simplistic view of the situation, and an obviously cash grab by the league without any concern for its players.  If you've been paying attention this season you have heard a lot about player safety, especially with regards to helmet to helmet collisions.  300 + players have been on injured reserve this season (which is about average).  That is equivalent to 6 teams.  The argument from the players is more games will mean more injuries, which is also probably simplistic as well.  The reason I am against the 18 game schedule is because while preseason games are meaningless, so are games at the end of the season that feature a 5-10 Lions team vs. a 6-9 Vikings team, and I think you will see even more of those if you add two more games with alleged "meaning."

Ok that's it for not because I don't want to get going too much here, because believe me, when I conclude this post after the Super Bowl (or maybe during the bye week, depending on how much more research I do) I guarantee I will go off.

21-16

A couple things before I get started:

1.  Obviously it has been awhile since I've made any attempt to post anything.  I knew this would happen.  Vacation/Christmas/New Years is not conducive to me spouting off on sports related events online.

2.  The Packers won today (see the title of the blog) so I am in a good enough mood to write without filling it with sarcasm, frustration, and general negativity.

Football at its highest level in my mind can be broken down to a few basic principles.  Protect your quarterback.  Pressure the opponents'.  When the opportunity comes to make a big time play, you have to make it.

No one saw Seattle making a game of it against New Orleans.  But playing at home the Seahawks never really allowed the Saints to get comfortable for more than a series or two in a row.  Hasselbeck was able to make the plays he needed to from the passing game to put points on the board, and when the games was on the line Marshawn Lynch made one of the most manly runs I've ever seen in NFL Playoff history.

Indianapolis & New York played out a battle between one of the great QBs of all time and one of the great defensive minds of this generation.  The Colts put together what they thought was a game winning drive with Vinatieri hitting one of his late game, heroic field goals.  But the Jets got good field position and were able to put a few first downs together and hit a game winning field goal of their own.

Not a lot of people gave Kansas City much credit either going up against Baltimore.  They hung in there during the first half, but turnovers killed the Chiefs in the 2nd half.  The irony is the Chiefs were historically great at protecting the ball during the regular season (top 5 all time).  I guess it goes to show you how much that matters.

That brings me to Green Bay vs. Philadelphia.  The Packers have not had good luck against the Eagles in Philadelphia throughout history.  The Eagles are the only team to ever beat the Packers in the Playoffs in the Vince Lombardi era.  4th & 26 in 2003.  Need I say more.  But like I said the Packers were able to give Rodgers time to make plays for the most part while Vick looked a little lost out there.  Vick made his share of plays, but uncharacteristic misses by Akers gave the Packers a huge lift and at the end of the game Tramon Williams made the big play intercepting Vick's pass with under a minute to go.

Now it is time for things to really begin.  Chicago, Atlanta, New England & Pittsburgh are the 4 best teams in the league.  Seattle, Green Bay, New York & Baltimore are familiar with their opponents and are ready to bring it in the Divisional Round.  This is why people love the NFL.  Every week matters.  Win, or go home.

Personal Foul

I had a thought last night while I was trying to fall asleep... Much controversy has been made this year of the NFL's crackdown on helmet to helmet hits against defenseless players.  The NFL has stepped up enforcement and punishment of these illegal hits in an effort to emphasize player safety.  On Sunday night a Ravens defender lit up Steelers tight end Heath Miller leaving him woozy and laying on the field for a good 5 minutes or so.

Here's the problem: No flag was thrown.  This was at a critical point in the game and whether or not you agree with these calls, it was a clear penalty to all those watching.  The referees missed the call.  Here's my idea:

Why not take the commercial break to look at the replays and determine if a personal foul (15 yd penalty - automatic first down) needs to be called.  This is not unprecedented in sports.  MLB has instituted replay on homerun calls.  NBA refs can stop a game to look at the tape to determine if a shot was a 2 or a 3 pointer.  The NFL already has a coaches challenge replay system, with official replays under 2 minutes.  They should expand the official replay system to include personal foul penalties.  99 percent of the time when a personal foul of that nature is committed there will be a stoppage in play due a player injury.  If that is the case the league should use that time to at least make sure they get the call right during the game.  I know if a player gets a concussion a first down is not much of a consolation, but at least his team would benefit instantly from his having to suffer an illegal and painful hit.  It is much better than the league fining players 25,000-75,000 dollars on Tuesday a day or two after the game has been decided.  One of the main reasons the league hesitates to use instant replay more is because of the disruption in the rhythm of the game.  What is more disruptive than a player lying unconscious on the field for 15 minutes?

This to me is a no brainer and if anyone at the league had an practical sense they would implement this immediately.

Prime Time

Two straight days, two straight big prime time games in the NFL between division leaders in heated rivalries.  In both games the winner made a statement and gained the inside track to a division title and a first round by in the AFC playoffs.

While watching the Ravens/Steelers last night I could tell a big play had to be made somewhere.  The Ravens managed a few deep balls from inside their own 10 yard line but weren't able to convert both in to points.  The Steelers kept making mistakes around midfield but hung around and kicked a couple field goals.  Terrell Suggs was a terror in a way I have rarely seen one player be in one game.  Maybe Ray Lewis 10 years ago had games like that, I can't remember.  When it came down to it the Steelers made 3 beastly plays in the span of a minute or two.  Polamalu comes off the corner and destroys Flacco causing the fumble.  Woodley picks it up and takes it to the 10.  Down 4 they needed at TD and that is no easy task against the Ravens D inside their stadium in Prime Time on the road.  On 1st down Roethlisburger came under heavy pressure by Suggs (who else).  One thing Big Ben is known for is using his height and strength to hang in the pocket or escape defenders that might bring smaller QBs down.  He escaped the pocket while Suggs was dragging him down and shoved the ball out of bounds for an incomplete pass instead of taking a 10 yard sack.  No one scores TDs on 2nd and goal from the 20, and Ben wanted to avoid that all costs.  With a injured ankle and broken nose he was not going to allow that to happen.  Two plays later he found a 3rd string running back across the middle at the 5 yard line.  With a defender on his back he shook a tackle and outran a couple more Ravens for the game winning.  These are the kind of things that makes a team's season.

New England made a different kind of statement tonight. Both the Patriots & Jets played on Thanksgiving (against different teams obviously).  Both won.  Both had 10 days to prepare for this MNF showdown among the 2 best teams in the conference.  The Patriots have a much maligned defense and the number 1 offense in the league.  The Jets have at top 5 defense and an offense that struggles at times but generally makes enough plays to win (usually because the other team chokes big time, ie.  Browns, Texans).  Labeled as a rough and tough battle of Boston v. New York this turned ugly quickly.  New England established their dominance offensively, defensively, and on special teams.  They ran the ball effectively, Brady cut up the defense with his precision passing and improvisational ability, and racked up 17 points in the first quarter.  The Jets moved the ball a little but couldn't get the ball in scoring position, and that was it.  By then my DVR needed to record some things but at I didn't care; it was 38-3 (the game ended 45-3).

Like I wrote last week, when December comes the big time teams cement themselves as true contenders.

In the NFC the Falcons also went on the road yesterday and pulled out a tough win against a division rival in Tampa Bay, and they are also 10-2.  New Orleans squeaked one out against Cincinnati (that word is hard to spell for some reason... it is 2 Ns and 1 T...) who gives teams a lot of trouble but usually chokes.  Green Bay pulled away from an inferior San Francisco team, and Chicago shook off a tough challenge in Detroit and stayed a game up on the Pack.  Looks like Minnesota has figured some things out by playing bad Washington & Buffalo teams, but thank God they are in the rear view mirror now.

Thanks to NFL.com for the sweet highlights.