My Take -> Week 15

5-7-1. A victory. A breath of fresh air. A Sunday evening that didn’t force the mind to remove itself of sports doldrums. Refreshing!

Speaking of refreshing, the Packers looked rejuvenated. They felt free spirited. They looked like they were having fun. It was almost as though a burden had been lifted.

As I write, I’m listening to the Grateful Dead's 5-8-77 show. My love for the Packers will "Not Fade Away" whether we are 5-7-1 or 12-1. The record won't change my affection for this franchise.

My quick vibes from the last week:

Thank you for keeping the ship afloat, Joe Philbin. And, thank you, for putting the smile back on Aaron Rodgers’ face.

Aaron Rodgers seems happy again. He connected with ESB, Cobb, Adams, and MVS on the opening drive. The ball was getting out of his hand quickly. Where has that Aaron Rodgers been?

Aaron Jones dominate the game in the second half. Why he didn’t touch the ball much in the first half is beyond me.

That was Jaire’s second best game of the year. Behind the Rams game. Jaire mostly shut down Julio Jones -- unless the officiating got in the way with two horrible calls that awarded Jones with catches.

The Packers have to sign Breeland. He’s not Pro Bowl material, but he’s the perfect compliment to Alexander. Breeland physical. He’s tough. He jumps routes. He plays with confidence. If Alexander is going to man up against the #1 WR’s, I’m fully confident that Breeland can nut up against the #2’s. Additionally, it appears as though Alexander and Breeland have formed a strong bond. I want Breeland on this roster.

Davante Adams. All Pro. He does it all.

I like when the Packers get MVS the ball in space. I'm still anxious to see MVS catching another crossing route and taking it up the field. It feels like we've only seen that twice this year. Once against the 49ers and MVS turned it into a 60 yard gain. The other time was against NE and Rodgers errant pass led MVS out of bounds after the catch. I want to see MVS operating out of the slot before this season is over.

Kenny Clark ate up blockers while playing through an injury. He is a cornerstone in the future of this franchise.

Tyler Lancaster is quietly playing decent football.

Justin McCray is really limited athletically, but he plays with great effort. He fought through pain and played well.

Another positive game for Dean Lowry.

It was fun to see Clay Matthews make a couple of dominating plays. Seeing him attack the QB makes me feel nostalgic.

Lucas Patrick standing up for Aaron Rodgers was a highlight of the season for me. With the team faltering through the season, the players bond in the locker room did not separate.

A really physical game from Tony Brown. He's developing well. I'm not positive that he has a future in the league, but I'm pulling for him. He has all of the physical traits that you look for. I really hope that he can put it all together. I wonder if he's better equipped to play in the slot than on the perimeter.

Breeland’s pick-6 was a riveting play. I’ve been waiting for a game changing interception. That was only the Packers 7th interception of the year. Breeland has two of them in 4 games.

Yes, Jimmy Graham, your "numbers suck" as you said. Catch the ball. Fight for the ball when the ball is in the air. Be the aggressor.

Rodgers was quick with his feet. He was picking up first downs. It was his headiest game of the year.

I've been waiting all year for a game that we watched last Sunday. The Packers picked up first downs on 3rd down. The Packers converted in the Red Zone. The Packers forced turnovers. The Packers got to the QB. The Packers got the running game going. The Packers made their FG's. It was a total team effort. The basics were mostly covered. Onward. Upward. We go.

In my weekly Fanspeak Mock Draft, I was able to get my #1 rated EDGE player, my #1 rated ILB, my #2 rated TE and my #2 rated CB. For what it's worth, as of now, I rank my top 10 players that would fit in Green Bay as follows:

1.) Quinnen Williams, DL, Alabama
2.) Josh Allen, EDGE, Kentucky
3.) Nick Bosa, EDGE, Ohio State
4.) Jachai Polite, EDGE, Florida
5.) Jonah Williams, OT, Alabama
6.) Ed Oliver, DL, Houston
7.) Noah Fant, TE, Iowa
8.) Mack Wilson, ILB, Alabama
9.) Greedy Williams, CB, LSU
10.) Rashan Gary, DL, Michigan

My weekly Packers Mock from Fanspeak:

Round 1a: Josh Allen, EDGE, Kentucky.
Round 1b: Mack Wilson, ILB, Alabama.
Round 2: Deandre Baker, CB, Georgia.
Round 3: Irv Smith, TE, Alabama.
Round 4a: Jalen Jelks, EDGE, Oregon. I just missed out on Oshane Ximenes, EDGE, ODU.
Round 4b: Nasir Adderley, S, Delaware -- cousin of Packers legend, Herb Adderley.
Round 5: JR Reed, S, Georgia.
Round 6a: Mitch Hyatt, TE, Clemson.
Round 6b: Daniel, Wise, DL, Kansas.
Round 7: Carl Granderson, EDGE, Wyoming.

This week - it's the Bears. At Soldier Field. A place where the Packers have not lost since we gained the Trump Card by winning the Halas Trophy in the Visitors Locker Room in January of 2011. Since then, the Packers have had a number of historical victories at Soldier Field. The Packers clinched a Division title at Soldier in 2012. In 2013, the Packers clinched the Division title at Soldier Field, once again, when Rodgers hit Cobb on a 48-yard TD with 00:38 left on the clock on 4th and 8. In 2014, we saw the berth of R-E-L-A-X at Soldier Field. In 2015, the Packers kicked off the season with a victory at Soldier Field. In 2016, the Packers won a thriller when Mason Crosby hit a game winning FG at the buzzer after Rodgers connected with Jordy on a 60-yard bomb in the waning seconds. In 2017, the Packers kept their slim playoff hopes alive when Brett Hundley led the Packers to a victory against Mitchell Trubisky's Bears. If the Packers can knock off the Bears in 2018, maybe, just maybe, we can start thinking about the playoffs in 2018. We'll need some help, but a win against the Bears would go a long way.

In order to win, the Packers will have to find a way to block Hicks and Mack. Hicks and Mack wreck games. They damn near ruined the Week 1 contest. With the Packers beat up OL, they'll be hungry to attack Rodgers. The Packers have to devise a game plan that quickly gets the ball out of Aaron Rodgers' hands. If Rodgers is holding onto the ball and trying to extend plays, the Bears will eat up the Packers banged up OL.

Early on - I'd like to see the Packers attack Fuller on a double move. Fuller will bite. There will be a big play awaiting.

Additionally, on offense, the Packers should run Aaron Jones up the middle. The Packers can have success running between the tackles. The Bears DT is dominant, but they'll over pursue. The Packers have to take advantage of the Bears DL aggressiveness. Stick with the run, Philbin. Jones will pop a big one.

If the Bears are patient and they stick with the run, it'll be tough for the Packers to stop Chicago. I have a hard time envisioning the depleted Packers DL slowing down the Bears running game. But, the Bears have not consistently stuck with the run. They've put the ball in Trubisky's hands to create plays. Trubisky will give the Packers opportunities to intercept him. The Packers have to catch the ball. If so, the Packers will be in position to win the game.

Trubisky's legs scare me. On third downs, I'd have Blake Martinez spy him. I'd also have Josh Jones marking Cohen. You can't cover Cohen with a LB. You have to put either a Safety or a CB on him.

Yes, it's the Packers and Bears. In December. And, when it's all said and done, the Bears fans will be moaning on Monday morning as they're walking through the frozen Morning Dew. Through the records aside, with this rivalry, it doesn't matter any way. Once again, at Soldier Field, the Packers pull out a thriller to keep the slim playoff hopes alive.

Packers 23.
Bears 20.

THE BEARS STILL SUCK!

Go Pack Go!

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