My Take -> Week 15

Greetings, G-Force.

7-6! In dramatic fashion! Still alive. Not fully in control of our own destiny, but if we finish 10-6, you have to feel good about the prospects of making the playoffs. And, with the return of NFL Royalty, a sense of hope surrounds the franchise. There’s a belief that this team could put together a magical run to finish the season. With the way the NFC is shaping out, just get to the playoffs and let’s see how this thing plays out. There is no clear-cut favorite. If the Packers can sneak in, I can’t see a match-up that would scare me – other than at NO or at ATL. With the way it’s shaping up, I don’t see a possibility of the Packers playing at ATL unless it occurs in the NFC Championship Game.

As I write, I’m listening to Phish at Madison Square Garden. 7/23/17. “I’m vibrating with love and light. I’m pulsating with love and light. In a world gone mad, a world gone mad. There must be something more than this.”

Here are my quick vibes over the last week:

* An aggressive Mike McCarthy is a good Mike McCarthy. McCarthy was in his finest form on Sunday. I loved the fake punt call early in the game. And, the 4th down decision on the opening drive. The decision to go for it on 4th down would’ve led to a TD had Hundley flipped the ball to Aaron Jones. McCarthy made the necessary adjustments at halftime to keep the Browns defense guessing in the 2nd half. And, really, the Browns had no response for stopping the Packers offensive attack in the 2nd half. McCarthy had his young QB trained to find the check down and to avoid sacks. McCarthy provided his young QB with a wide array of receiving options. There were deep routes, crossing routes and backs/TE’s settling underneath. His young QB was in position to succeed.

* I love the 2017 Green Bay Packers. Fantastic intestinal fortitude. Like him or hate him, you can’t deny that Mike McCarthy’s teams never quit. They start adversity in the face. They persevere. Admittedly, with 2 minutes left in the 3rd Quarter, I’d lost hope. I thought the defense had faded into the Lake Erie wind. We were blown off the ball and had just seen a tremendous TD opportunity disappear due to a mental failure by our QB. But, the coolness of the Hundley & McCarthy combination was on display. In grand fashion. McCarthy kept Hundley confident. Hundley delivered. Thus, the Packers remain in the thick of the NFC playoff hunt.

* Brett Hundley. When it was all said and done, in games that he started, the Packers were 3-4. As a starter, he kept his team alive. In the end, isn’t that what we were looking for? Granted, it was a less than impressive for the most part. But, when it mattered most, Hundley was clutch. He delivered with the game on the line. Against Cleveland, he was dynamite. He faced a variety of looks, a vast array of blitzes. He finished 35/46. For 265 yards. He had 3 TD’s. He had 0 interceptions. Hundley was sensational. Further, he powered through Cleveland tacklers to grab extra yards as a runner. With back-to-back OT victories, he etched his name into the 98 year old History books of the Green Bay Packers. You can dig as deeply into the archives of this glorious franchise and you’ll never find a QB who led his team to back-to-back OT victories. Until now. Thank you, Brett Hundley.

* Jamaal Williams has soul. He brings fun to this team. Enjoyed seeing him getting Jiggy next to McCarthy. Hysterical to see McCarthy give Williams a high-five as he was getting down.

* Aaron Jones needs to improve as a pass blocker. He offers this team so much, but he can’t be trusted as a pass protector.

* Davante Adams is getting paid. If not in Green Bay, somewhere.

* Aaron Rodgers! The two-time MVP is back. I’m overly stoked. With his return, the Packers will also get Jordy Nelson back as a receiving threat. They’ll also get Randall Cobb as a slot receiving threat. Geronimo’s role will expand, too. I can’t wait to see Rodgers running this offense with two legitimate RB’s.

* David Bakhtiari was a monster. He’s become a strong run blocker. His quickness has become a tremendous asset as the Packers have begun to move their OL more than they have in past years. Bakhtiari has been able to seal blocks as he’s gotten to the 2nd level. He remains a dynamite pass blocking LT.

* Jahri Evans needs to be better. Another rough game for Evans.

* Thought Spriggs played another decent game. He wasn’t flawless, but he did have another improved performance.

* Jordy is open. Rodgers will get him the ball.

* Jamaal Williams did it all. He won with power. He won with speed. He showed himself as a legitimate pass catching threat. He was a stallion in pass blocking.

* I believe in Mike McCarthy. He epitomizes leadership.

* Clay Matthews. He was double teamed throughout. Still, he was a true difference maker. In the first half, he twice altered Browns drives. Once, by rushing Kizer. The second time, he sacked him. Without Clay’s pressure, it could’ve been 24-7 Browns at the half. If the 2017 season evolves into a year to remember, Clay Matthews’ performances against the Bucs and the Browns will live in the same breath as the Doug Evans interception return against the Rams in 1996. Without Clay, the Packers would’ve lost the last two weeks.

* The Packers need a healthy Nick Perry.

* Mike Daniels has been a powerhouse in the middle of the defense. If the Packers are going to Run the Table 2.0, Mike Daniels is going to have to play a critical role. We’re going to needs sacks and a forced turnover from Daniels. We might need Daniels to play as he did against the Seahawks in Week 1.

* Great play by HaHa to close out the half and to prevent the Browns from adding to their 1st half lead.

* Whitehead on the fake punt. POWER MOVE!

* I really like Ahmad Brooks. But, at this stage of his life, he's best seen in smaller doses.

* Trevor Davis has a pulse! A dynamite return that provided the spark the Packers needed to equalize.

* My FitBit had me tracked as working out for 26 minutes between 1:45 – 2:15 MST on Sunday afternoon. Yes, I was intensely watching the closing moments of the game.

* Hundley to Adams to knot it up. Hundley to Adams to claim victory! Phenomenal!

* Damarious Randall has picked up his game to new heights. Each week – he seems to make a play that offers hope that he’s finally turned a corner.

* I want to see Lenzy Pipkins. Without House and King, I can’t be convinced that he’s not one of our top 3 options at CB. If Demetri Goodson sees defensive snaps before Pipkins, it'll be a great disappointment. In limited playing time, Pipkins has brought toughness. He's brought attitude. He's brought a semblance of playmaking potential.

* Apt timing for Josh Jones' first interception.

* THE. CLAYMAKER!

* Good to see Montravious Adams hustling down a ballcarrier.

* Kenny Clark, for the most part, was back to being his physically dominant self.

* Dean Lowry was, once again, a force at the line of scrimmage.

* Kyler Fackrell is doing just enough to wet the pallet of the Packers brass. Like it or not - and I don't - but Fackrell will end up playing out his contract in Green Bay. Fackrell was active. He fought his way to a sack with hustle.

This week - it's the Panthers. Win and hope remains alive. Man, I have to get sappy for a second. I saw the photos of snow dumping in Green Bay, WI. It brought back sensational memories of my youth. I really hope the good people of Green Bay get to watch a meaningful game on 12/23. As I saw the photos of the snow, I thought of all of those kids in WI. Those who love the Pack. The feeling of snow during the Christmas season. Such a blessing to have snow on the ground and coupling it with the Christmas spirit. A meaningful game could be a life changing moment for those kids. I imagine them opening up the new Madden on Christmas Day as the Packers are 9-6. Man, that's what life is all about. The ability for a WI kid to dream over he Holidays. Wanting to be Jordy or Davante as he drags his feet to stay inbounds. Or Aaron Jones as he tries to elude his brother in a backyard game of tackle the bum. Or being Clay as you're wrapping your brother up. It all carries so much weight. I hope our youth in WI gets that buzz this Holiday season. In order for that to happen, the Packers have to take care of business in Carolina.

The Panthers have a bruising, physical offense. They mix that physicality well with the speedy, versatile Christian McCaffrey. When McCaffrey is on the field, the Panthers are looking to get him in space. It'll be vital for Blake Martinez to nut up against McCaffrey. McCaffrey has been dynamite in the screen game. The Packers have been disastrous trying to stop the screen. Devin Funchess is banged up, but he'll be active and a tough target for the Packers to stop. Funchess is a big bodied WR who outmuscles defenders and wins jump balls. It'll be up to Damarious Randall to slow him down. Russell Shepard has good length at WR, but he hasn't been overly productive and shouldn't be a significant threat. Greg Olsen is also banged up. His foot is clearly still bothering him. He's an otherworldly athlete who tough to contain when he's healthy. He'll play, but I'm not sure how mobile he'll be. Ed Dickson get motor down the seam and catch the ball in traffic. He often outfights defenders for big plays over the middle of the field. Cam Newton is an enigma. When he's dialed in, he's a dynamite runner. He's rifling slants for first downs. He's hitting his big targets between the hash marks. He's the most athletic player on the field. But, there's another side to Cam Newton. He becomes less focused. He gets careless with the ball. He makes bad decisions. The Packers need to get in Newton's face early in the game. Jonathan Stewart can still bulldoze for yardage. He motors forward and hits the hole with a vicious intent. Plainly stated, Stewart falls forward. Fozzy Whittaker is a noteworthy pass catching RB who can make people miss in the open field. The Panthers have a solid OL, but their best OL is Trai Turner and he's expected to miss the game. That should allow for plenty of opportunities for Kenny Clark and Mike Daniels to disrupt the interior of the line of scrimmage. Matt Kalil is a good player, but Nick Perry has typically won the battle against Kalil. I like the Clay Matthews vs Daryl Williams match-up. Clay can beat him with speed. But, that'll open up a lane for Cam to run through, so the Packers better have a plan to contain Cam. It'll be interesting to watch how Capers rushes Matthews. Don't be surprised if we see Matthews mostly coming on stunts to the inside to help collapse the pocket and to limit Cam's ability to escape between the Tackles. Because of that approach, we might not see Clay applying the same pressure that we've seen over the last two weeks. Ryan Kalil is a stud at Center. He'll work to get to the second level in the run game and he gets out really well in the screen game.

The Panthers have the best front 7 in all of football. Julius Peppers has been a pass rushing dynamo. Star Lotulelei is a mean machine in the middle. Kawann Short is a special DT. Jahri Evans better be ready to ball out. Mario Addison is a pass rushing threat at DE. Vernon Butler has provided good depth. Addison and Peppers have combined for 19 sacks. Jason Spriggs will be tested this week. We'll see how far he's really progressed this weekend. Luke Kuechly is the definition of how to play iLB in the NFL. Thomas Davis continues to be a star at LB. Shaq Thompson will likely miss the game this week, which will limit the Panthers depth at LB. If the Packers can protect Rodgers, we'll see some big plays. James Bradberry has all of the athleticism that you look for in a #1 CB. But, he's young and he uses his hands a lot, so you can normally expect him to get called for a crucial pass interference deep down the field. He's physical and will be penalized. Daryl Worley and Kevon Seymour cannot cover our WR's. Kurt Coleman is an intimidating presence at Safety. Mike Adams is an intelligent, veteran safety.

So, here we are. NFL Royalty sporting #12 for the Packers, once again. Healthy. In rhythm. Motivated. Determined to get this team back to the playoffs. Focused. Connecting with Nelson early. Finding Cobb over the middle of the field. Hitting Adams on the comeback. Finding Jordy on the back shoulder to put the Packers up 7-0 early.

The Packers defense fights yard on the early downs, but struggles to get off of the field on third down as they have no answer for McCaffrey.

Funchess gets his. The Packers struggle to have an answer for Funchess' size.

But, Rodgers is not going to be denied. He's cerebral. He's prepped for a shootout. He knows he needs points. He's in control. He's attacking the Panthers secondary deep down the field. McCarthy gives Spriggs help to provide additional time for the 2x MVP.

Morgan Burnett comes through with a big interception on a pass intended for Ed Dickson over the middle.

Mike Daniels grabs a sack.

With Rodgers back in the huddle, expect to see more Aaron Jones. Rodgers seemed to have chemistry with Jones. Williams sees less action. Jones gets loose.

We're alive. We're well.

Packers 34.
Panthers 30.

Go Pack Go!

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