My Take - Week 8

Greetings, Packer fans.

During football season, as a fan, a weekend without the Packers leads to a genuine internal emptiness. For the Packers as an organization, the bye could not have come at a better time. For the last 5.5 quarters, the Packers showed weaknesses. Kinks in the armor. We became an offense that showed an inability to move the football coupled with a propensity to turn the football over. I imagine that Mike McCarthy and Winston Moss were hypothesizing on how to get our team chemistry train back on the tracks.

The solution is simple. Get back to what works. Run the West Coast offense. Short passes to our wide receivers which puts them in position to perform in situations where they will win more than they lose. Typically, Driver, Jennings, and Jones will make the first guy miss or at least fall forward for an extra yard. Favre needs to be put in position to succeed. Or else the devilish gunslinger speaks in his mind.

MNF. ESPN. At Mile High. The young Packers squad could not ask for a bigger stage to show that needed rest and additional preparation will bring back the Green & Gold's momentum.

The Donkeys from Denver are in a must win situation. The AFC West is tight. Denver sits at 3-3. All three wins have come on last second FG's. The once formidable Donkeys are suddenly beatable.

Plus, I will be blessing the West Coast this weekend for my good buddy, Bootsie's wedding. No, I will not be in CO, but I will be in Tucson and in this case, the same time zone will do just fine. I will bring my G-Force to the Mountain Time Zone. Not to brag, but I firmly believe that at times, my will can overpower Travis Henry as he tries to run through a hole. Additionally, my good mate, Brennan, will be bringing his elite G-Force prowess to Mile High.

In '07, the Donkeys have struggled to stop the run. They have good youth on the D-Line, but they have showed their inexperience at times. However, Jarvis Moss has great potential. Elvis Dumervil has 6 sacks in 6 games and has had a knack for the big play. Marcus Thomas had a strong college career at the U of Florida. He dropped to the 4th round only because of personal troubles. These kids have big time potential, but thus far, their performance has not matched their performance. In fact, many times, they have been run over. Literally.


The Donkeys also have a lot of potential on the offensive side of the ball. Jay Cutler is one of the brightest shining young QB's in the league. Travis Henry is a fierce runner. Brandon Marshall is an up and comer. Brandon Stokely is exceptionally reliable. Daniel Graham is a performing TE. Tony Scheffler presents match up problems. Glenn Martinez appears to be able to do just enough.

On Special Teams, Elam and Sauerbrun are among the best in the business. They can swing field position with one swing of the leg.

The Packers must win the battle along the line of scrimmage. We can beat up the Denver defensive line and if we can get to their LB's, we will win that match-up. Ian Gold can play, but he is undersized and can be run over or stiff armed to the floor. D.J. Williams is loaded with potential, but he's still learning to play the MLB position. And he's often times out of position. Moreover, the Packers can take advantage of Nate Webster. Get him in space and plays will be made.

Early in the game, the Packers attack Champ Bailey and Dre Bly with short hitters to the WR's. Jones, Driver, and Jennings all get involved. Franks and Lee expose Denver's weakness at the LB position. And then comes the true surprise. Our RB's are going to win this game for us. Favre - staying patient - holding his composure in the pocket...dumping off to Morency...to Wynn...to Jackson. Each making plays and picking up crucial first downs. Keeping the chains moving and wearing down the Donkey defense.

Lynch slides to the line of scrimmage. The 8th man comes into the box. The pump. Bly bites. Jennings streaks. 6 points for Green Bay.

Defensively, we must keep Cutler in the pocket. He's dangerous when he's on the move. In the pocket, when he's hit, he also holds the ball loosely. We can take advantage of his carelessness and force the turnover. Kampman and KGB complimenting each other on the pass rush. Jenkins, Williams applying pressure up the front. 3rd down - we are coming after you.

On the corners, I like our match-ups. Marshall will try to get deep. Safety help will benefit both Chuckie and Ras Al. Bigby and Collins will both have chances to make big plays on Monday. Stokely is a deceivingly aggressive and physical receiver. And he's great at adjusting on the fly...

Once again, look for the oppositions TE's to create mismatches with our LB's in coverage especially because Poppinga will be on the field due to his run blitzing ability. You know the chop blocks are coming, which makes the LB play even more importantly. Hawk and Barnett must perform. Jolly and Pickett must protect their knees yet win the point of attack.

This game will come down to the 4th Quarter. Shanahan is a good enough coach to keep most games close and the Donkeys are athletic enough to compete against almost everyone in the NFL. Also, the AFC is a much better conference than the NFC. Hopefully, the elevation does not play too much of a factor. Regardless, I believe that the success light will once again shine on Green Bay. I believe that the Packers will be the team that forces the big turnover. I believe that our backs will be open in the flat to convert big first downs. I believe the Packers will outlast the Donkeys. Crosby is going back home to Colorado where he played his college ball and it's Crosby, not Elam, burying the winner.

This week, we are going to watch the Packers grow. This week, we are going to watch Brett Favre shine.

Green Bay 23. Denver 20.

See you at 6-1. I'm off to the Mountain time zone...

Enjoy. Buzz On.

All Good,

Talkin' S-Mac.