My Take -> Week 13

Greetings, G-Force.

5-6. It’s do or die time for the Packers. One more loss means the end to a once-promising season. But, get to 10 wins and let’s see what how it plays out. I’m still hopeful that the Packers have a winning run in them. I believe the Packers will beat an injury-rattled Bucs team and a hapless Browns team. I believe Aaron Rodgers will come back to join a 7-6 Packers team. I believe the Packers will beat the Panthers, ‘queens and Lions to finish the season with a motivated Rodgers leading the team. I know I’m on an island, but I’m sticking to it. I’m not giving up on this team until we have 7 losses.

I’m presently listening to John Lennon’s “Give Peace a Chance.” Enough said on that.

Here are my quick vibes from the last week:

* Mike McCarthy. His team came to play. In the stadium, there was a definite air of overconfidence from the Steelers fans and their sidelines. No one associated with the Steelers believed that the Packers could actually win. I was amazed at the amount of Rodgers conversations. The Steelers were thankful that #12 was out. As soon as Blake Martinez intercepted the tipped pass, the urgency inside the Stadium picked up. Suddenly, there was concern that the Packers could win. The crowd was anxious. The Steelers DL was pursuing with desperation. McCarthy confidently pounded away on three running plays and he picked up 14 yards. McCarthy knew he needed points. His defense was banged up and he knew that they could only hold the sublimely talented Steelers offense for so long. And, frankly, it didn’t matter if the Steelers had to travel 90 yards or 9 yards, the Stadium felt like the Steelers offense was going to respond. So, McCarthy went aggressive. He masterfully called play-action. He slipped Kendricks underneath. He rolled Hundley out. Kendricks was the clear cut #1 choice. He was wide open. I’ll go to my grave wondering why Hundley didn’t throw the ball to Kendricks. Kendricks might not have scored a TD, but he would’ve definitely picked up a first down. The Packers would’ve been inside the Red Zone. The Packers would’ve been in complete control. Inexplicably, Hundley didn’t throw the ball to Kendricks. Instead, he held onto the ball. Eventually, ate the ball long enough to where the Steelers sacked him for a 5 yard loss. On 2nd down, TJ Watt made a nice play covering Jordy Nelson over the middle. On third down, Hundley had Davante Adams deep down the sidelines in 1 on 1 coverage. Instead of giving his playmaker a chance to compete, Hundley, once again, ate the ball and took the sack. Then came the questionable decision. Like McCarthy, I’d have kicked the FG. Crosby had hit from 57 in pre-game warm-ups to that same end. He’d connected from 55 yards out to that same end zone in a 2015 pre-season game. McCarthy needed his veteran to deliver. Unfortunately, Crosby wasn’t even close. Personally, I really liked McCarthy’s aggressiveness. He needed to come away with points. Even if the FG attempt seemed desperate. I appreciated his confidence in Crosby. On the flip side, when Williams scored to make it 28-27, I was hoping that the Packers would go for 2. I wanted McCarthy to, once again, play aggressively. He still had 3 timeouts and he could’ve tried an on-side kick if he’d failed on the 2-point try. I can’t fault him for taking the extra point and tying the game, but I’d have gone for 2.

* 4th and 6. From the Steelers 12. Packers trailing 28-21. Towels waving. Crowd roaring. Game on the line. Hundley delivered. Impressive moment from the youngster. Hundley and Adams have a great connection. Same mindedness. Fun to watch them team.

* The Packers are going to have a tough decision to make with regards to Davante Adams. He’s a stud. I’m not sure that the Packers will be able to afford him. It’ll be interesting to see how much he commands after the year. He’ll undoubtedly be the most talked about Packers FA after the year.

* Jamaal Williams. Very impressive performance. He ran with power. He played faster than he’s looked all year. He showed good vision. I wish he’d have caught the deep ball down the sidelines that hit off of his hands. I thought he should have dove for it instead of trying to run underneath it. Would’ve been a big gainer. Nonetheless, Williams played a great game.

* Happy to hear that Aaron Jones is close to coming back. The Packers offense is going to have a number of options at RB with Jones, Williams and Montgomery. Williams and Jones have proven to be 3-down backs. Williams’ pass protection looks like it far exceed Jones’. I’ll be curious as to how much of a role that plays in McCarthy’s decision making with respect to playing time.

* I was sad to see Ty Montgomery put on IR. Always cheer for Ty. Appreciate his style. Love his heart. Seems like a genuine man.

* Happy to see that Michael Clark reaps the rewards of Ty’s roster spot. Hoping to see Clark as a red zone target before the year is over.

* Really fun to see Randall Cobb streaking free down the sidelines.

* McCarthy had a masterful game plan. He brought a lot of disguise. His misdirection, motion and shifts were consistently confusing the Steelers defense throughout. He mostly used Cobb as a decoy, but Cobb’s constant movement kept the defense guessing. McCarthy needs to toss the flip to Cobb play in the trash.

* Hmmm. Don’t look now. But, Jason Spriggs played a really good game. He was a big surprise. Let’s hope he can build off of that performance.

* That Davante Adams double move on his deep TD. A thing of beauty.

* At first, I was irate that Williams went out of bounds on the last drive, but you’d have to imagine that Tomlin would’ve called a timeout after that plays and it’s noteworthy that the Steelers finished the game with a timeout in their pocket.

* Really expected to see more of Geronimo in 2017. The Rodgers injury really stunted his development. Geronimo’s increased performance could’ve helped to gauge Davante’s overall value at the negotiation table. But, without Geronimo getting significant playing time, Adams’ value seems to be overly inflated right now.

* Lane Taylor will have better days than he had against the Steelers on Sunday Night. Cam Heyward got the best of him.

* The Packers defense has been destroyed on the screen all year. It was nice to see Williams get loose on the screen.

* The Packers had Josh Hawkins covering Antonio Brown for a lot of the game. Every time I saw that match-up, I felt it was a victory when the Steelers did not score a TD. Seriously. That match-up isn’t fair.

* Simply stated, Blake Martinez is having a Pro Bowl year.

* Is Davon House terrible? Seems like it, at times. Felt like he wasn’t even trying on some occasions. It looked like he quit on the Steelers final touchdown play when he was beat down the sidelines.

* Nick Perry is hurt. Whether it’s reported or not, I’m telling you Nick Perry is hurt. He’s limping on and off the field. He’s trying to run. He’s trying to gut it out. He’s not fit.

* Ahmad Brooks was fantastic. His tipped ball fell into Martinez’s lap. Brooks brings power to the Packers front. He brings attitude. The Packers are a better team with him on the field.

* Thought Kyler Fackrell played with hustle. He lacks talent, but I was happy to see his effort.

* Super stoked that Kenny Clark is going to be back.

* Liked to see Montravious Adams fighting off of the ball.

* Quinton Dial was pushed backwards too often. Need him to be tougher.

* Mike Daniels gave everything he had against a top-tier interior of an OL.

* Whether Hundley was deemed a runner or not, the Watt helmet to helmet collision has to be a flag. Has to be. And, if you watch Watt’s reaction, he thought it should’ve been as well.

* Good to see Damarious Randall grabbing another interception. He played really well as a slot CB. He isn’t an aggressive blitzing CB, but he’s showed quickness against slot WR’s.

* I cringe every time the Packers go with Jumbo formations on offense. In order for this offense to be effective with Hundley, there has to be confusion. The play calling has to have disguise. We don’t win downs when things are predictable.

* Hundley showed massive improvement. But, he was far from perfect. He still missed open throws. He still held onto the ball too long. He still didn’t see open receivers. And, he didn’t relay to the huddle that the Packers were no longer in the 2-minute drill on the final possession. All massive errors.

* Dom Capers was unable to dial up pressure. He mostly had his secondary in position, but he couldn’t put together any semblance of a pass rush. Big Ben had all day to throw. It's maddening to watch Capers' defense in crunch time.

* Felt like Morgan Burnett brought organization to the defensive group. It didn’t appear as though there were many, if any, defensive breakdowns. Burnett was certainly a communicator on the field.

* I love the speed and intensity that Josh Jones brings to the field.

* The Packers showed heart. They showed togetherness. They showed unity. They wanted the game badly. What a bummer of a finish.

* Great fun to see Rodgers on the sidelines. He’s enjoying himself. Seems as though he wants another crack at the season. I have a hunch that if the Packers can win the next two, we’ll see our MVP against the Panthers.

* The Holidays are more fun when the Packers are relevant. I’m really hoping for a Packers victory this weekend to extend the NFL Season and to heighten my Holiday spirit!

This week it’s the Buccaneers. At Lambeau Field. In must-win fashion. And, frankly, if we can’t beat this version of Tampa Bay, then we don’t deserve a shot at the playoffs. The Buccaneers are banged up. The Buccaneers will be without 4 starters: Robert Ayers, Vernon Hargreaves, Doug Martin and TJ Ward. The Buccaneers also played two starting OL on IR this week. The Buccaneers will also be without two back-ups in Clinton McDonald and Josh Robinson. Jameis Winston will get the start, but he hasn’t played in a month. There is no reason for Tampa to come into 40 degree weather and to leave as winners.

Offensively, the Buccaneers are what they are. They’re traditional. They’re straightforward. There won’t be much confusion. They have great weapons, but they’re very predictable. DeSean Jackson will try to get over the top with his speed. Mike Evans is a do-it-all WR. Evans is among the best WR’s in the NFL. He’s great in traffic. He can get deep. He’s tough to bring down. He has great footwork along the sideline. Evans is All-Pro material. If the Buccaneers have any hope, Evans is going to have to top 150 yards. The Buccaneers OL is among the worst in the NFL. Evan Smith (yes, the artist formerly known as Evan Dietrich-Smith) and Seattle cast-off JR Sweezy are arguably their premier OL. Donovan Smith is an average LT. But, this Buccaneers OL can be run over. I have full confidence that the Packers DL will dominate this football game. At TE, Tampa Bay has two legitimate performers. Cameron Brate is an underrated performer. He’s a lethal third down target. He settles well in the zone. And he has great hands. OJ Howard will be a Pro Bowl TE for years to come. He does not have a weakness. With Doug Martin out, Tampa Bay will likely rotate Charles Sims, Peyton Barber and Jacquizz Rodgers. I expect Barber to get the bulk of the carries with Sims being used in the passing game as a receiving back. Sims has always had a nose for the first down stick.

Defensively, the Buccaneers are beat-up and lack depth. Gerald McCoy is their superstar. It’ll be up to Corey Linsley to double down on McCoy and to limit his effectiveness. Chris Baker is a pass rushing interior DT who wins with quickness and leverage. William Gholston has not realized the upside that he showed in college. He’s a limited athlete and shouldn’t be overly disruptive. Tampa Bay has athletes at LB. Lavonte David might be the most underappreciated player in the league. David is undersized, but he’s a punishing tackler and it could be argued that he plays with more speed than any LB in football. Kendell Beckwith is a promising rookie. Beckwith has shown that he has the skills to play in this league. Kwon Alexander gets sideline-to-sideline. He takes on blockers. He’s also talented in pass coverage. Without Hargreaves, there’s no reason the Bucs should be able to cover us. Brent Grimes will likely shadow Davante Adams. Brett Hundley better look to Jordy Nelson. Tampa has no one that can play with the veteran WR. Tampa has Justin Evans and Chris Conte at safety. Chris Conte is awful. The Packers should be able to attack him. Evans has all of the gifts you look for to be a star in this league. He just hasn’t put it all together yet.

Mike McCarthy has to come out aggressively. And, the Packers faithful have to rise up and make things difficult for Tampa. Let’s jump out early. If so, Tampa will fold their tent. They’ll look to pack their bags. They’ll be looking for a warm locker room, a bus to the airport and a flight to Sunny West Florida. But, it’s up to the Packers to deliver an early knock-out blow.

I expect to see the Packers running a lot of motion and a lot of misdirection. I expect to see the Packers attempting to keep the Tampa defense guessing. If so, Tampa won’t have the wits to keep up with McCarthy and his troops. If McCarthy tries to play straight up, the Packers will struggle to move the football.

Look for Tampa to try and attack the Packers deep down the field. I anticipate that Evans and/or Jackson will get fly patterns thrown their way in the 1st Quarter. I also expect OJ Howard to be streaking down the middle of the field in hopes of a big play.

Expect Jamaal Williams to crack through the middle of the Bucs defense and to get himself into the secondary. Lane Taylor puts a hat on Lavonte David to spring Williams loose.

Jordy Nelson FINALLY gets going. He scores his first TD without Rodgers as Hundley connects on a deep ball.

Clay Matthews grabs 2 sacks. Vince Biegel gets home, too.

The Packers jump out to an early lead. Winston tries to lead the comeback. He hits Brate for first-down yardage. He hits Sims on the screen who grabs chunks of yardage.

Right when you think Tampa has a shot at the comeback, Winston makes the mistake. HaHa grabs a big interception to give the Packers momentum back.

It’s December. It’s when the Packers get rolling. I wish I was going to this one. It’ll be a Lambeau celebration.

Packers 27
Buccaneers 16

Go Pack Go!

Talkin’ S-Mac.
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