My Take -> Week 5

Greetings, G-Force.

4-0. Feelin' Super. And, why not? After all, we are the Champs. And, convincingly, we're on a mission. This team has the capacity to be righteous. Offensively, we show signs that the path to repeating undoubtedly runs through Titletown, USA. Our special teams has displayed the potential to be lethal. Though our secondary has been beaten - at times - they have also been ballhawks! Sure, the pass rush has been poor. And the LB play has been below expectations. But, this team has swagga. They have confidence. They have belief. And, to steal a line from Andre Rison in the '96 Bowl, "We got the fuckin' MVP throwing the damn ball!"

A few takeaways from the slashing of the Donkeys:

* I've always been a Mike McCarthy fan, but it is easy to be critical of him. Like when it's 2nd & 1 and we throw two balls into the end zone followed by a slow developing 4th down run to the outside. With this team, just give it to Kuhn on 2nd down and refresh the down and distance. I also don't like the 2nd & 1 draw out of shotgun. On the other hand, the onside kick was pure brilliance. A game changer. Nearly a 1st Quarter dagger!

* Aaron Rodgers. Be fanatical. Based on the Lambeau Faithful's reaction to his Leap, it is possible that he is the 5th Beatle. And, frankly, it's exactly the way he should be treated as he continues to dazzle NFL defenses. He is playing at a ridiculously high level.

* Sir Charles. Dear Football Gods, thanks for sending him to Green Bay! 50 career picks. And the 50th, naturally, goes for 6! Tying him for the 2nd most pick-6's all time with 11. I want this record to be in the hands of Sir Charles. Add it to the mantel!

* I disagree with the harsh criticism that the WI media occasionally gives the Predator, Morgan Burnett. Without him, where would this defense be? He has been a playmaker. Again, not to analyze via statistics, but in Week 1, Burnett led the team with 14 tackles. In Week 2, The Predator had 7 tackles - 2nd on the team - and he also had 2 passes defenses, a sack, a forced fumble and a pick. Against Chicago, The Predator led the team with 6 tackles. He also had 2 picks and 2 passes defended. And against the Donkeys, The Predator was 2nd on the team with 6 tackles and he also had a fumble recovery and a pass defenses. Sure, he has been beaten in coverage. He has been turned around, but he's also been a difference maker, arguably our best defender, each week. Rasta On, Morgan Burnett!

* If you can pressure the QB, the address is 1265 Lombardi Ave. Please report. ASAP! I hold out hope that a pass rush is on the horizon via the likes of So'oto, Zombo and Neal. And when, it happens, the be -unquestionably - the best team in the NFL.

* Let's hope Sammy Swagga gets back on track after that pick. We need you, mate!

* Marshall Newhouse was a fighter. Von Miller is a beast. Newhouse competed and will improve. While Miller was fierce, if Newhouse is properly tutored, he'll learn to stay low and use his feet with a wider base against a pass rusher who has a variety of moves.

* Jordy for 3 more years!!! Where does the Tight Teddy nickname come from? I don't get it.

* J-Mike as a decoy was comedy. The Donkeys were not going to let him beat them. Instead, JJ, Double-D, Jennings, and Jordy all found pay dirt! Randall Cobb also got loose. Man, did I want him to outrun Brian Dawkins.

* Speaking of Brian Dawkins. I have great respect for his game. But, dude, it was sweet when he was shown The Championship Belt!

* Charlie Peprah is not a capable safety when he is required to play in space. Need to keep him in the box.

* Totally disappointed with the play of AJ Hawk. No aggressiveness. Afraid to take on blocks.

* T-Mon is not healthy.

* Small reminder: Aaron Rodgers became the first player in the HISTORY of the NFL to throw for 400 yards while rushing for 2 TD's and throwing for 4 TD's. That could be defined as SUPER QB play. MVP. MVP. MVP!

* Liked the quick glimpse of Alex Green. Had me yearning for more. Like the way he plants his foot and goes.

* After 4 weeks, the defense has 11 sacks and they've forced 11 turnovers.

This week - the defending Super Bowl champions travel to the Georgia Dome. For those of you that have followed the blog, you know I went to the two games last year in Atlanta. For those that have just joined, welcome. And here is the long, in short. The first Packers v Falcons game was the Sunday after Thanksgiving. My in-laws live in Atlanta. So, I orchestrated a Turkey Day gathering that included 12 of us sitting together for the game. The fans were friendly. Sure, they wanted the win, but in reality, the G-Force received Southern hospitality. Nonetheless, Packers fans littered the Dome. Thus, there was a scratching of the rivalry surface. Next was the playoff game. It was intimidating. The crowd was loud. It was rowdy. And, then the greatest 2nd Quarter in my memory bank occurred. Aaron Rodgers was epic. "The Falcons tried to bite off more yardage and they just got burned." T-Mon became a household name. It was Tramondous!

After T-Mon went ATL on Atlanta, it became a G-Force celebration. I was hoarse for 10 days and after almost 3 weeks of a constantly throbbing throat, my wife wondered whether I had permanently damaged my vocal chords. I'm certain there were 10,000 other fans who felt the same way as I did that next morning. And, officially, the newest rivalry in the NFL was born. This Sunday, we are going Dirty on the Dirty Birds. The city of Atlanta is famed for the words "Peace Up. A-town Down." Yes, this Sunday Night the G-Force will walk away from the Georgia Dome with victory and Atlanta will be feeling down.

Matty Ice is a gamer. If it's close in the 4th and Matty has the ball with a chance to win it, he's tough to beat. Therefore, it's important for the Packers to come out gunning.

The Falcons were aggressive this offseason. They went out and Ray Edwards and Then they pulled off the blockbuster trade for Julio Jones. But, last I checked Jones doesn't play defense. So, while I admire the aggressive approach, the Falcons are still best suited to ground and pound. Eat up clock. Play defense. Keep the oppositions offense off the field.

Michael Turner is a bull. Tough to bring down. Peprah must be the 8th man in the box. Woodson's versatility is on display as he is able to beast up against Tony Gonalez. Though those duties will also fall on Hawk. While Gonzalez can still play, he is no longer getting down the seam. See the down and out. Read the curl. Jump those routes! A record tying pick-6 can be had for Sir Charles. This week, Woodson was quoted as saying, "I want. I think about it. Hopefully, I tie it this year and break it." Go get it, Chuckie! It will be there for you.

The physical nature of Roddy White and Julio Jones will be tough for a banged up T-Mon and a passive Sammy Swagga. Time to nut up, men.

The Falcons defense cannot stop the Packers offense. More precisely, the Falcons have no match for Jordy Nelson. Expect Jordy to top 100 yards and to find the end zone. Remember that J-Mike didn't play last year. We are a match-up nightmare for the Falcons. There's no reason to pretend that we are going to run the ball. In fact, it would surprise me if the Packers run the ball more than 12 times. Spread 'em out. Play from shotgun. Make them guard us. And if we get a 2 score lead, know that Mike Smith teams normally abandon what they do best and they'll try to score with us. Thankfully, we all know the Falcons offense can't keep up. It's a race to 30 points.

With the lead, we must go for the throat. Clearly, the Falcons are still hung over from last years crushing defeat. With a victory, the Packers would move to 4-0 in the NFC and they would take a 3 game lead over the Falcons in the playoff race.

It's a PrimeTime game and we have the NFL's PrimeTime player. Strap the belt, Aaron. You are deserving.

Packers 34. Falcons 23.

Go Pack Go.

Talkin' S-Mac.
talkins-mac.blogspot.com