NFC Divisional Playoffs: Rams @ Packers - Saturday, Jan 16th, 3:35PM

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

The fact they don't consider anyone within the Packers' organization to be a close contact is a good thing - hoping the next few days don't result in other positive tests among coaches/players that would otherwise be suiting up Saturday.

 

I wonder what Veldheer was up to in that 2 day period between the Colts playoff loss and getting signed by GB on Monday....if there ever was a time for an NFL player to truly let his guard down with COVID protocols, it would likely be immediately after thinking their season was over with. That being said, he could just have easily gotten it from walking through a couple airports in NY and IN no matter how many masks he had on.

 

Apparently the test he took in Indy with the Colts on Monday morning was negative. This positive is from his Tuesday test. My guess is that, if he actually contracted it, and this isn't a false positive, its from a contact he had during the 6-hour drive from Indy to Green Bay on Monday (gas station, store, etc) or while getting settled in Green Bay on Monday evening. I assume the Packers put up short-term players like Veldheer at a hotel or condo, but it's likely that he had to come in contact with people from outside the facility during this time.

 

Really hard to blame anyone for this, as it doesn't appear, at least on the surface, that any protocols were broken.

[brewcrewdue80]

It's fine the conspiracy theory is weird. Awfully convenient he tests positive for covid before his 2nd playoff game.

 

When I nitpick on their schedule they are proclaimed the #1 defense and Im just putting it out there the timing they faced many of these teams was during bad stretches these teams or QBs were in. Their offense isnt scary.

GB meanwhile has a legit top offense. One of the Best QB performed seasons of all time. Green Bay is the better team.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

That being said, he could just have easily gotten it from walking through a couple airports in NY and IN no matter how many masks he had on.

 

Easily?

 

Why wouldn't that be easily possible?

[PeaveyFury]

Apparently the test he took in Indy with the Colts on Monday morning was negative. This positive is from his Tuesday test. My guess is that, if he actually contracted it, and this isn't a false positive, its from a contact he had during the 6-hour drive from Indy to Green Bay on Monday (gas station, store, etc) or while getting settled in Green Bay on Monday evening. I assume the Packers put up short-term players like Veldheer at a hotel or condo, but it's likely that he had to come in contact with people from outside the facility during this time.

 

The problem with this theory is that it typically takes 3-ish days for enough viral load to build up to actually test positive. Those contacts are likely, but it's unlikely that he'd have had enough time to catch the virus and have enough of a personal response to actually test positive in that short amount of time. Far more likely that his Tuesday test was positive due to an exposure on Friday or Saturday.

[PeaveyFury]

That being said, he could just have easily gotten it from walking through a couple airports in NY and IN no matter how many masks he had on.

 

Easily?

 

Why wouldn't that be easily possible?

 

Because it goes against most of the understanding of how this virus is transmitted. Far, far, more likely that he got it via a scenario like Ron outlined, with a different timeline. To suggest that it's 'just as easy' to have obtained it walking through an airport masked, when presumably said airport has a mandatory mask policy, is blatantly false.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

Apparently the test he took in Indy with the Colts on Monday morning was negative. This positive is from his Tuesday test. My guess is that, if he actually contracted it, and this isn't a false positive, its from a contact he had during the 6-hour drive from Indy to Green Bay on Monday (gas station, store, etc) or while getting settled in Green Bay on Monday evening. I assume the Packers put up short-term players like Veldheer at a hotel or condo, but it's likely that he had to come in contact with people from outside the facility during this time.

 

The problem with this theory is that it typically takes 3-ish days for enough viral load to build up to actually test positive. Those contacts are likely, but it's unlikely that he'd have had enough time to catch the virus and have enough of a personal response to actually test positive in that short amount of time. Far more likely that his Tuesday test was positive due to an exposure on Friday or Saturday.

 

If that's the case, then the Packers' tests tomorrow and Saturday are going to be key. Especially tomorrow. If all tests come back negative tomorrow, they are hopefully in the clear.

[PeaveyFury]

If that's the case, then the Packers' tests tomorrow and Saturday are going to be key. Especially tomorrow. If all tests come back negative tomorrow, they are hopefully in the clear.

 

Yeah, that's the reason I'm holding my breath right now. I'm assuming he's getting tested again this morning, and if that's negative, it'll be a huge relief and an indication of a rapid test false-positive. If he's still positive or symptomatic, the game day morning tests for the rest of the team are going to be really scary...

[Fear The Chorizo]

That being said, he could just have easily gotten it from walking through a couple airports in NY and IN no matter how many masks he had on.

 

Easily?

 

Why not? Both NY (where the game was played Saturday) and IN have documented cases of the new COVID strain that is significantly more transmissible, both states are presently going through infection spikes, and last I checked COVID can indeed be spread outside of bars and NFL football games. My larger point is that Veldheer had a couple days' time outside the framework of following in-season NFL protocols before signing with Green Bay, so anything he did outside of what he had been up to the previous 4 months was a different risk.

 

Agreed on his positive test being a result of an exposure prior to signing with the Packers - there wouldn't have been enough time for Veldheer to pick up COVID in WI and test positive the day after he arrived, even if he was licking discarded ICU faceshields to celebrate his signing Monday evening in Green Bay. I'm also hopeful it's a rapid test false positive result.

[PeaveyFury]

That being said, he could just have easily gotten it from walking through a couple airports in NY and IN no matter how many masks he had on.

 

Easily?

 

Why not? Both NY (where the game was played Saturday) and IN have documented cases of the new COVID strain that is significantly more transmissible, both states are presently going through infection spikes, and last I checked COVID can indeed be spread outside of bars and NFL football games.

 

In a state where masking protocols are significant and enforced, and as community spread is far less prevalent than 'close contact' spread, stating that he "could have gotten it just as easily no matter how many masks he had on" is false.

 

Also, the game was in Buffalo. It's not like they were in the heart of NYC and flying out of JFK or LaGuardia. Further, your equation also requires the assumption that NFL teams are shuffled through airport terminals with the general public, which we all know isn't accurate.

 

If you had said 'possible' vs. "just as likely," I think your point would be fair. But even then, possible doesn't equal 'likely.' And the mask part of the comment seems like an unnecessary personal opinion qualifier, but I digress...

[Fear The Chorizo]

 

In a state where masking protocols are significant and enforced, and as community spread is far less prevalent than 'close contact' spread, stating that he "could have gotten it just as easily no matter how many masks he had on" is false.

 

Also, the game was in Buffalo. It's not like they were in the heart of NYC and flying out of JFK or LaGuardia. Further, your equation also requires the assumption that NFL teams are shuffled through airport terminals with the general public, which we all know isn't accurate.

 

If you had said 'possible' vs. "just as likely," I think your point would be fair. But even then, possible doesn't equal 'likely.' And the mask part of the comment seems like an unnecessary personal opinion qualifier, but I digress...

 

To add to this, didn't realize Veldheer was just signed by the Colts just on 12/31/2020 and was essentially retired prior to that, just a week before their last playoff game. I thought he was on their practice squad/roster much longer and would have also been included in the day to day testing protocols NFL rosters had been doing all season....frankly there are many more ways he could have presumably gotten COVID even earlier given the fact some exposures might take a week+ before showing up in test results.

 

To your other point - in a state where documented close contact spread is much more prevalent than community spread (or anywhere in reality), how does that initial infected person that winds up serving as a close contact source get infected? Excellent contact tracing can sometimes work back through multiple families or close contact settings, but all of those tracing situations winds up with a dead end that gets attributed to a "community spread" case initiating the series of close contact infections. Just because documented cases trace back to close contacts much more than community spread doesn't mean community spread isn't the driver at the end of the day - even in states with stringent mask mandates and a general population that follows them and enjoys telling everyone how good they are at it(i.e., CA, NY, etc). Masks do help mitigate, but they don't eliminate risk of infection.

 

I'll just leave the rest alone, because this is a rabbit hole that is diverging from the thread.

[adambr2]

Aaron Donald removed from injury report. I think any hope that he's going to be rendered ineffective is wishful thinking at best.

[CheezWizHed]

Aaron Donald removed from injury report. I think any hope that he's going to be rendered ineffective is wishful thinking at best.

 

That is a bit odd... He was a DNP yesterday and 100% healthy today? For a rib injury that normally takes 1-2 weeks to heal?

[OldHeidelberg]

Donald showed in the report I just looked at as limited but I don't doubt your update. Kupp is questionable and DNP all week but sure he will go as well. Keke still not recovered, always worry once someone is out more than a week with concussion, that can be career ending sometimes.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

Donald showed in the report I just looked at as limited but I don't doubt your update. Kupp is questionable and DNP all week but sure he will go as well. Keke still not recovered, always worry once someone is out more than a week with concussion, that can be career ending sometimes.

 

Keke was doing some limited stuff off to the side today. That means he's getting closer.

[HiAndTight]

Donald showed in the report I just looked at as limited but I don't doubt your update. Kupp is questionable and DNP all week but sure he will go as well. Keke still not recovered, always worry once someone is out more than a week with concussion, that can be career ending sometimes.

 

Keke was doing some limited stuff off to the side today. That means he's getting closer.

 

 

We really need Keke to play. He's been one of the many guys who's kinda gone under the radar this year.

 

Hopefully, he's completely healthy and able to go.

[GAME05]

I'm sure Aaron Donald will have a gallon of cortisone in his body by gametime, probably feel nothing from his neck down, and probably be just as good as he always is.

[homer]

Ramsey has covered the slot on just 11% of his snaps, while Adams banked 42% of his catches and 39% of his TDs on 2020 slot routes

[thebruce44]

If Green Bay has an advantage over the Rams because of the weather, I think that advantage isn't due to the number of games a team has played in winter conditions, but rather the Packers live in winter conditions and the Rams don't. The players that live in Green Bay experience winter every time they walk to and from their car, or practice outdoors, etc. I think that acclimation can mean players are less impacted by the conditions, or perhaps they are able to adapt to them quicker than players who aren't as acclimated. That could give Green Bay a bit of an edge early, but I don't think it will be a huge edge and I don't think it will last.

 

I think if the Rams wear the right shoes and they stay in the game, I don't think the weather will be a huge factor. If the game starts to get away from them, or if they have the wrong shoes, I think that's when guys focus on the weather and the game can get away from them.

 

I expect this to be a close game.

 

I could certainly see this. I recall going to the 2011 Rose Bowl and doing things the couple days prior the weather was ok in my book, I wore a lightweight jacket. The locals out there thought it was cold and miserable.

 

I'm out in LA now and this really can't be stressed enough. It's 89 degrees and sunny as I type this. Yesterday I went to Home Depot in shorts and a t-shirt. Pretty much everyone else was in a hoodie or an actual winter jacket. It was 82 and I was sweaty. They were shivering. If it dips into the 50s at night nobody will even walk outside.

 

These people are soft and, sadly, I'm sure its a matter of time until I become one of them.

[CheezWizHed]

Ramsey has covered the slot on just 11% of his snaps, while Adams banked 42% of his catches and 39% of his TDs on 2020 slot routes

 

I'm not sure how much of a difference playing slot vs. outside means in the Rams' system, but if I was their DC, I'd be working all day and all night to get Ramsey on Adams as much as possible.

[HiAndTight]

Ramsey has covered the slot on just 11% of his snaps, while Adams banked 42% of his catches and 39% of his TDs on 2020 slot routes

 

I'm not sure how much of a difference playing slot vs. outside means in the Rams' system, but if I was their DC, I'd be working all day and all night to get Ramsey on Adams as much as possible.

 

 

 

I'll be curious to see if he does follow him in the slot and just as much if it even matters. The Rams have the best secondary in the NFL per PFF. The Packers the 2nd.

[HiAndTight]

I'm sure Aaron Donald will have a gallon of cortisone in his body by gametime, probably feel nothing from his neck down, and probably be just as good as he always is.

 

 

 

I think it's Torodol. That's what I've gotten from the Pat McAfee show and the different NFL players or former players who've been on it. Their teams all use that to numb you up for ~3 hours. They all can't believe the Packers don't allow them and apparently it's only the Packers.

 

 

Cortisone shots hurt like hell and probably wouldn't numb you up good enough to play in an NFL game with bad ribs.

 

But of course, Donald will be out there feeling no pain in his ribs and playing like the Tazmanian Devil.

[PeaveyFury]

Happy Jared Veldheer potentially destroys the season day, everyone! Holding my breath until this morning’s COVID test results are reported....

[nodakfan17]

The Rams flight was reportedly delayed 2 hours last night due to mechanical issues. I know that worked against the Packers once in the 2016 NFC Championship Game, so I don’t feel too bad for them.

 

[areacodes]

Happy Jared Veldheer potentially destroys the season day, everyone! Holding my breath until this morning’s COVID test results are reported....

 

What time do those result normally start being reported?

[GAME05]

Maybe the late flight will delay the game, since I have to work until about the 4th quarter. Football just doesn't work for me on the radio.

 

I know a streaming site that will play the game on a delay with no spoilers, but it's spotty.