Packer 2021 Team Discussion 2.0

[OldHeidelberg]

I would like to avoid the Rams as long as possible, if Stafford doesn't throw the game away they are tough to beat. OBJ seems to be working out for them. I feel like we beat Tampa this time around, Brady doesn't have the weapons anymore. The Cowboys scare me a bit because of their pass rush against our Oline, now that Gregory guy is actually panning out? I think we see one team going down at home 1st round so it's probably going to be 49ers/Saints/Cards/Eagles in divisional round.

[MrTPlush]

Watching the Cowboys, nothing about them inspires me to think they can bully their way to a win at Lambeau. Of course they have lots of time to right the ship.

 

The Rams have all the offensive weapons, but the Bucs have had a better producing offense. I would rather play the Rams. Of course I would really just prefer the standings and playoffs to shake out in a way we only play one of them to get to the Super Bowl.

[PeaveyFury]

I think that to win at Lambeau, a team will have to have a very good running game and/or a QB that has the ability to play a near flawless game. SF certainly has the former. I think the cold weather is a good equalizer vs. a pass-oriented offense like the Rams. So, I think the team you're hoping to avoid might be SF, but it feels pretty much like 'pick your poison' this year in the NFC.

 

I think my personal preference is to always delay playing the other teams that pass the eye test as long as possible. So, if we can avoid Arizona/Dallas/Tampa until the NFC title game, that would be fine IMO.

[sveumrules]

If we're scripting out the ideal scenario, give me SF first then TB in the NFCCG.

 

Vanquish both demons from the last two years en route to Rodgers second Lombardi Trophy.

[bjkrautk]

New additions to the COVID List: CB Jaire Alexander (actually added 1/2), T Dennis Kelly, and S Darnell Savage, as well as WR/PR David Moore.

https://www.packers.com/news/packers-place-players-on-reserve-covid-19-list-week-18-2021-season

 

Any chance of Rodgers playing goes down significantly if Cole Van Lanen is the next man up at RT. Guessing the team will need to get Bakh or Turner in the lineup, or have a 5-day / asymptomatic turnaround on Kelly before risking #12 out there in a stats-only game.

[PinaMadness]

Dallas has a 6-5 record outside their division and are 1-3 against teams with at least 10 wins. Plus MCarthy is their coach. They're frauds.

 

I've seen enough of Stafford to know he can't lead a team to the Super Bowl. They're out.

 

Really the only two teams that scare me are the Bucs and 49ers, and I'm trending down a little on the 49ers.

[PeaveyFury]

I'd HAVE to think the team would like to get some of the coming back injured guys some game reps if at all possible prior to the playoff game, and I'd have to think a meaningless game vs. Detroit would be a low pressure way to do so. I really, really hope Jaire and Bakh can get some snaps on Sunday.

[Fear The Chorizo]

I'd HAVE to think the team would like to get some of the coming back injured guys some game reps if at all possible prior to the playoff game, and I'd have to think a meaningless game vs. Detroit would be a low pressure way to do so. I really, really hope Jaire and Bakh can get some snaps on Sunday.

 

Amen...No idea if Z. Smith will be an option a few weeks from now in the playoffs to be an occasional pass rusher, but would really like to see Bakh and Jaire get some snaps before the divisional playoff round to ensure they are healed enough to be counted on for a playoff game. To me Bakh and Jaire have to show they can withstand game action to justify getting added to the postseason roster - otherwise if their first game action is in the playoffs and the first couple hits or pass sets lead to them having to come off the field, it leaves the Packers gameday roster really shorthanded.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

I would like to avoid the Rams as long as possible, if Stafford doesn't throw the game away they are tough to beat. OBJ seems to be working out for them. I feel like we beat Tampa this time around, Brady doesn't have the weapons anymore. The Cowboys scare me a bit because of their pass rush against our Oline, now that Gregory guy is actually panning out? I think we see one team going down at home 1st round so it's probably going to be 49ers/Saints/Cards/Eagles in divisional round.

 

We'd crush the Rams again. Bring them on.

 

It's Tampa, any other answer is just getting cute IMO. Nobody wants to play Brady again. If he gets bounced before playing GB, the Packers blew this on an epic level.

[roadcrew3]

Packers are the best team in the NFL and I think this is the year we finally make the Super Bowl, but the 49ers and Bucs will always make me nervous. Bucs offense though seems to be worse then it was a year ago and our D also seems to be better, but their pass rush is still nasty and our banged up line (which has held up well) hasn't been tested with anything close to what the Bucs throw at you. Chicago, Minnesota, Cleveland, Balt all were missing key guys when we matched up against them.

 

Regarding the 49ers, call me crazy but I actually hope Jimmy G gets healthy enough to play. He might be better then Lance right now but my nightmare is watching that team come into Lambeau with Trey Lance at QB and having them RPO us to death like Kaepernick did in 2013. Nothing analytical about this, just past wounds I don't want to resurface.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

Packers are the best team in the NFL and I think this is the year we finally make the Super Bowl

 

I thought this last year. They have to actually do it at this point before I believe they will. I'm fully prepared for them to lose at home to Dallas 29-10 in the 2nd round because Packers.

[adambr2]

The Packers have the 5th best point differential in the NFC and are a bounce here or there from being the 4th seed and looking at road games in the divisional round and NFCCG.

 

Now I don't mean that to say they are the 5th best team in the NFC or even that they aren't the best, maybe they are. Just saying a lot of it where they are is circumstance in part and not really just domination.

 

I'm in the camp of "need to prove it before I'll buy in."

 

Every reason to think they can. They're good enough. Their corners are on another level if they can get Jaire back. They may be adding some really key players back from injuries. The NFC isnt loaded with great teams and any AFC opponent is beatable.

 

But there was every reason to think they could last year too and it didn't happen. I was so confident heading into the NFCCG last year. Felt like it was finally their time. Feels that way again, but yeahhhh...we've been here before.

[roadcrew3]

I don't necessarily agree with the point differential being indicative of anything since that is largely skewed by the 35 point loss to start the season - which I think we all agree has proven to be a large outlier. I also don't think this team has won many games based on luck...maybe they received favorable bounces that led to wins in SF or AZ, but they outplayed both of those teams in those games and any luck associated with those wins could be offset with bad bounces at MN or at KC.

 

I do agree that they haven't dominated this year like maybe they did at times last year, but overall this team seems to be right where they should be and if they play to their potential on both sides of the ball, tough to see anybody beating them.

[PeaveyFury]

I disagree with the take that the team was the 'favorite' last year despite having the one seed. That defense was pretty 'smoke and mirrors' in contrast to what is out there this year, and I always felt that Tampa was a more complete team.

[sveumrules]

NFL playoff results are a lot closer to a coin flip than they are to the higher seed winning consistently...

 

https://statsbylopez.netlify.app/post/part-ii-randomness-of-series/

 

By their calculations, to match the 80% advancement rate of the higher seed in the NBA (the only sport whose postseason isn't mostly random) the NFL would need to play a best of 11 series.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

The lower seeds in the NBA are usually terrible teams, the result of 50%+ making it.

 

I honestly don't think home field is anything significant in the NFL playoffs, and it seems less significant than it was when I grew up with the game in the 90s. With the change made last season, #1 does feel extremely significant as you obviously get a week in which you can't lose, and nobody else does.

[jerichoholicninja]

Wild card weekend you have teams that finished second in their division hosted by teams with worse records who just happened to win their division. "Upsets" are expected in round 1 of the NFL playoffs. After that the better seed generally win. I doubt that has much of anything to do with the location and more to do with the better seeded team just being the better team.

[igor67]

I wonder if the shorter schedule and heavily imbalanced schedule as well creates more of a disparity in the seeding of NFL teams compared to the other sports. In football you don't even come close to even playing the same teams as everyone else.

[jerichoholicninja]

“I can guarantee you I will not be the only one not voting for him,” Arkush said.

 

For Arkush, it comes down to who Rodgers is as a person, not who Rodgers is as a quarterback.

 

“I just think that the way he’s carried himself is inappropriate,” Arkush said. “I think he’s a bad guy, and I don’t think a bad guy can be the most valuable guy at the same time.”

 

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/01/04/one-mvp-voter-says-he-wont-vote-for-aaron-rodgers-calling-him-the-biggest-jerk-in-the-league/

 

Only one guy and a Chicago writer so take it for what it's worth. But votes are most likely going to split between Rodgers and Brady so even losing just a couple is quite likely to cost Aaron the award.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

I read that article last night. Sounded like a very long-winded way of saying "My feelings were hurt when he said he owned the Bears."

 

Personally I'm OK if he doesn't win. Tick him off for next season when he's hopefully still playing here.

Edited January 5, 2022 by OldSchoolSnapper

[CheezWizHed]

I don't necessarily disagree with their assessment of Rodgers off the field. But I've said that Rodgers is the better QB, while Favre is the one I'd prefer to hang out with (with the caveat that I don't know either personally).

 

If Rodgers was a bad teammate, he would be derailing the team. Obviously, that isn't the case here. So all they are saying is that "non-football stuff" is why they won't vote for him, which makes no sense....except that this Bear's fan wants new ownership.

[Fear The Chorizo]

“I can guarantee you I will not be the only one not voting for him,” Arkush said.

 

For Arkush, it comes down to who Rodgers is as a person, not who Rodgers is as a quarterback.

 

“I just think that the way he’s carried himself is inappropriate,” Arkush said. “I think he’s a bad guy, and I don’t think a bad guy can be the most valuable guy at the same time.”

 

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/01/04/one-mvp-voter-says-he-wont-vote-for-aaron-rodgers-calling-him-the-biggest-jerk-in-the-league/

 

Only one guy and a Chicago writer so take it for what it's worth. But votes are most likely going to split between Rodgers and Brady so even losing just a couple is quite likely to cost Aaron the award.

 

Hub Arkush should really look in the mirror if he wants to see a bad guy - he called the Seahawks thugs the year they won the Super Bowl because "they were a bunch of bad dudes". That wasn't just singling Brandon Browner out, who may have actually been a bad dude based on various off the field issues he dealt with throughout and after his playing days were over - in fact he was pointing that much more towards Sherman, Earl Thomas, and Kam Chancellor because they were the players in front of media microphones much more often than not touting their Legion of Boom mantra.

 

It's honestly a badge of honor for Rodgers if that tool doesn't like him.

Edited January 5, 2022 by Fear The Chorizo

[homer]

Hub is getting rightfully skewered for this take.

[CheezWizHed]

Which probably helps Rodgers...

[MrTPlush]

The thing is NFL voting isn't like MLB voting. The voting criteria for MLB award (at least the MVP) lists off the field stuff etc. as part of it. So at least in the MLB voting he could kind of do this and not be a complete douche canoe.