2020 Miscellaneous NFL News

[adambr2]

As for that 2003 playoff game...the Packers did look like a SB team that year. A dominant rushing attack, a very solid defense. They got the ball in OT, they'd run for 220 or however many yards and they come out and throw a ridiculous pick the first play of OT...that one hurt as bad as just about any loss since I've been a Packers fan.

 

What sticks in my craw the most from that game is the fact that after their first two possessions it was 14-0 and they pretty much turtled the rest of the game offensively instead of staying aggressive, when they could have probably blown the Eagles out of the building. I think they also got stuffed on a 4th and goal or 4th and short at the end of the 1st half - where a FG or any points probably wins them that game without it even going to OT even after that 4th and 26 play late in regulation.

 

I could have gone either way on that 4th and goal call, but the one that really irks me is the possession before 4th and 26. We had the ball at the Eagles' 40 up by 3. It was 4th and an inch. If we pick it up, the game is over.

 

So what does Sherman do? He punts. The ball sails into the endzone and we gain 20 yards of field possession. He literally gave up a chance to win the game by picking up an inch for 20 yards of field position.

 

4th and 26 was awful but it should have never come to that.

 

And to top it all off...Ed Donatell dialed up pressure on 4th and 26. Sherman overrode him and called the soft zone. And then he scapegoats and fires Donatell for the play, who was a very good DC.

 

The more I talk about Mike Sherman the less I like him.

[PinaMadness]

As for that 2003 playoff game...the Packers did look like a SB team that year. A dominant rushing attack, a very solid defense. They got the ball in OT, they'd run for 220 or however many yards and they come out and throw a ridiculous pick the first play of OT...that one hurt as bad as just about any loss since I've been a Packers fan.

 

What sticks in my craw the most from that game is the fact that after their first two possessions it was 14-0 and they pretty much turtled the rest of the game offensively instead of staying aggressive, when they could have probably blown the Eagles out of the building. I think they also got stuffed on a 4th and goal or 4th and short at the end of the 1st half - where a FG or any points probably wins them that game without it even going to OT even after that 4th and 26 play late in regulation.

 

I could have gone either way on that 4th and goal call, but the one that really irks me is the possession before 4th and 26. We had the ball at the Eagles' 40 up by 3. It was 4th and an inch. If we pick it up, the game is over.

 

So what does Sherman do? He punts. The ball sails into the endzone and we gain 20 yards of field possession. He literally gave up a chance to win the game by picking up an inch for 20 yards of field position.

 

4th and 26 was awful but it should have never come to that.

 

And to top it all off...Ed Donatell dialed up pressure on 4th and 26. Sherman overrode him and called the soft zone. And then he scapegoats and fires Donatell for the play, who was a very good DC.

 

The more I talk about Mike Sherman the less I like him.

And at that point of the game, the Eagles defense couldn't have stopped Green with a cannon so to elect to punt instead of trusting Green to pick up an inch probably was Sherman's worst coaching blunder of his life.

[homer]

As for that 2003 playoff game...the Packers did look like a SB team that year. A dominant rushing attack, a very solid defense. They got the ball in OT, they'd run for 220 or however many yards and they come out and throw a ridiculous pick the first play of OT...that one hurt as bad as just about any loss since I've been a Packers fan.

 

What sticks in my craw the most from that game is the fact that after their first two possessions it was 14-0 and they pretty much turtled the rest of the game offensively instead of staying aggressive, when they could have probably blown the Eagles out of the building. I think they also got stuffed on a 4th and goal or 4th and short at the end of the 1st half - where a FG or any points probably wins them that game without it even going to OT even after that 4th and 26 play late in regulation.

 

I could have gone either way on that 4th and goal call, but the one that really irks me is the possession before 4th and 26. We had the ball at the Eagles' 40 up by 3. It was 4th and an inch. If we pick it up, the game is over.

 

So what does Sherman do? He punts. The ball sails into the endzone and we gain 20 yards of field possession. He literally gave up a chance to win the game by picking up an inch for 20 yards of field position.

 

4th and 26 was awful but it should have never come to that.

 

I was pretty sure the Packers were running all over the Eagles on that drive so I checked the Play by Play. Read em and weep:

 

Drive started at GB 16 yard line.

Green 10 yards

Pass to Green 4 yards

Davenport 5 yards

Green 4 yards

Davenport 3 yards

Davenport 5 yards

Green 3 yards

Green 2 yards

Green 4 yards

Favre (scramble) 3 yards to Philly 41 yard line.

2:30 left on the clock. Philly had one timeout left.

 

To add salt in the wound, Bidwell kicked it in the end zone so they literally gained a whopping 21 yards. (really, 26 because they tried to draw Philly offsides and got a delay of game so the punt was snapped from the 46).

[HiAndTight]

 

I could have gone either way on that 4th and goal call, but the one that really irks me is the possession before 4th and 26. We had the ball at the Eagles' 40 up by 3. It was 4th and an inch. If we pick it up, the game is over.

 

So what does Sherman do? He punts. The ball sails into the endzone and we gain 20 yards of field possession. He literally gave up a chance to win the game by picking up an inch for 20 yards of field position.

 

4th and 26 was awful but it should have never come to that.

 

And to top it all off...Ed Donatell dialed up pressure on 4th and 26. Sherman overrode him and called the soft zone. And then he scapegoats and fires Donatell for the play, who was a very good DC.

 

The more I talk about Mike Sherman the less I like him.

 

 

I was fine with going for it the first time...but if you go for it at that time, you really should go for it the 2nd time. Sherman had to have gotten scared from that possession. Davenport was a load and a great short-yardage back...and Green was a big guy as well and one of the best backs the Packers have ever had.

 

Sherman choked there. No question about it.

 

As for Donatell, I didn't think he was a great DC, but he created pressure and he forced turnovers pretty consistently. And it's not like the defense lost you that game.

 

That was definitely a sacrificial lamb.

[PeaveyFury]

Everson Griffen to the Lions for a 6th that could become a 5th.

[adambr2]

Shouldn't the Cowboys trade for Ryan Fitzpatrick like yesterday?

[PinaMadness]

So how will the Falcons find a way to lose this week? Maybe pulling a Jim Marshall and running to the wrong end zone?

[Zad Fnark]

Probably their defense simply imploding.

[homer]

This Carolina offense is so bad. No motion, no creativity, telegraphing everything and DJ Moore is criminally underutilized

[jerichoholicninja]

This Carolina offense is so bad. No motion, no creativity, telegraphing everything and DJ Moore is criminally underutilized

 

I only watched the game because I have Bridgewater on my fantasy team and I was shocked at how boring and disorganized the Panthers offense looked. There was no urgency and Bridgewater looked like he had to point out every defender and tell every player on his team what was going on before the snap. It just seemed weird, like something I'd never seen in an NFL game before.

 

Their fake punt was pretty good though. The announcers never mentioned it but I'm pretty sure they took the delay of game call before the fake on purpose. Everyone was set with like 5 seconds left on the playclock but they never snapped it and no one seemed upset about the call. No team is going to suspect a fake punt after taking a penalty. If it was on purpose, that's borderline genius.

[tmwiese55]

Besides everything mentioned and detailed here so far, well done, to me the frustrating part of the Rhoads/Sherman era is that Holmgren essentially left because he wanted full power/control, essentially to be GM as well. Of course Wolf was still there and didn't do it, but then Wolf quit a year or two later anyway only to give all that to Sherman. I don't know the backstories at all, but if he'd given up the reigns a few years earlier they'd have had Holmgren that whole time instead.

[kestrel79]

Thanks for bringing up some great memories (and some painful) on those really good 2000s Packers teams...forgot about a few of those seasons. Green was such a beast back then. Mike McKenzie and Al Harris two awesome cornerbacks.

 

Wish we could of won 2-3 more Superbowls

[HiAndTight]

Besides everything mentioned and detailed here so far, well done, to me the frustrating part of the Rhoads/Sherman era is that essentially left because he wanted full power/control, essentially to be GM as well. Of course Wolf was still there and didn't do it, but then Wolf quit a year or two later anyway only to give all that to Sherman. I don't know the backstories at all, but if he'd given up the reigns a few years earlier they'd have had Holmgren that whole time instead.

 

 

That really was the most baffling thing about that Era. The one thing I'll say about Sherman as the GM, he did go for it. He went out and signed Joe Johnson, and it looked like that was going to really put that defense over the top. You had KGB, Vonnie Holliday, Cledius Hunt(who was still good before he got the big deal and REAL lazy) and then Joe Johnson who had a pretty clean injury history and had been very productive.

 

But ultimately, he was a bust. That was a couple of years after Jamal Reynolds(who I thought was a Wolf pick despite being technically a Sherman pick).

 

 

The whole Holmgren leaving because Wolf wasn't ready to hand over the reins though was handled about as poorly as possible. But we had a HOF QB who got us to 10+ wins just about every year.

[pacopete4]

Crazy how different history would be if they allowed Holmgren the reins of the franchise when he wanted them. Would we have won more? I think so. I think Favre also has an even better career. He lost that coach that keeps him in check and it hurt him badly in the early 2000’s. He just happened to be so talented that they could still win even with reckless play. It definitely would’ve changed the outcome of getting Rodgers.

[tmwiese55]

I'd generally agree or guess that as well. Favre had no one to check his ego at that point and all the blame got pinned on everyone else, no matter how bonheaded his picks were. Holmgren would've been a much better GM too.

 

Who knows the butterfly effect though, possibly no Rodgers then and then no 2nd SB. Maybe Rodgers ends up in a bad team/situation and never becomes what he is. If I recall they had to tweak his delivery when they got him.

[madbad2000]

Most hated team in the NFL is?!?!

 

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/this-is-the-most-hated-team-in-the-nfl-according-to-a-recent-twitter-study/

 

I like one in the middle of the map.

[yourout]

For me it's probably Seattle.

They are the St Louis cardinals of the NFL.

[worm81]

Missouri and West Virginia made me laugh. Also, not sure why they hate the Jets in the far north east. I thought everyone felt bad for them.

[madbad2000]

Missouri and West Virginia made me laugh. Also, not sure why they hate the Jets in the far north east. I thought everyone felt bad for them.

 

I laughed at Missouri. I noticed West Virginia and chuckled a bit since that is probably driven by actual Browns fans there hating their own team.

[nodakfan17]

For me, it’s the Vikings, Cowboys, and Seahawks. It’d be difficult to pick just one. Seeing the Bears as the most hated team in Wisconsin is a mild surprise. I’m 35 and have never really hated the Bears. In my mind, the Vikings will always be the hated division rival because 1) the Metro Dome was a house of horrors for the Packers in the 90s, 2) Randy Moss mooning Packer fans in the process of winning a playoff game at Lambeau, 3) Brett Favre defecting to the Vikings (plus other Packers like Longwell and Jennings), 4) Anthony Barr breaking Rodgers’ collar bone and fans gloating about it, and 5) Seems like they’re always a trendy pre-season pick to win the NFC North, but rarely does their performance match their expectations.

[CheezWizHed]

Viking absolutely. Cowboys next. I have a hard time hating the Seahawks with Wilson at QB.

[Zad Fnark]

Through most of the Favre era, I mostly felt sorry for the Bears.

 

Vikings suck.

[PinaMadness]

If it wasn't for the Falcons we'd all be asking how the Chargers find so many ways to lose games they should've won.

 

EDIT: The Chargers play the Falcons in Week 14. Will the combined 4th quarter meltdown cause a rip in the fabric of space-time?

[young guns]

Dolphins beat the rams? Are the dolphins good this year?

[PeaveyFury]

49ers got beat up with injuries again today. Will be interesting to watch as the injury reports progress this week.