Green Bay Defense grounds Eagles

Posted by CCwriter on Jan 10, 2011 in NFL, Packers, Rants from CCWriter | 4 comments

It was the defense of Tramon Williams and crew that grounded the Eagles in an anxiety filled Sunday afternoon in Philly.  With the game and the season on the line, the defense held their ground and delivered Packer Nation another week to hold on to.  The best part of this victory is that by no means was this the Packers very best.  Many aspects of the game could be improved upon which will be required to defeat the Falcons next Saturday night.  Before I get started it seems necessary to preface my following comments with a brief history of this here loser.

PackerNation bio of CCWRITER:

CCWriter could be categorized by some as a Packer hater or something slightly milder due to his 20 year bromance with all things Brett Favre.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  While I was in complete support of Favre playing for whoever, there was still a part of me that could support both.  Told it was not possible or ethical to do both, I did not waiver.  I separated the Packers and Favre, temporarily (they will reunite in time).  But CCWriter, you say, you don’t bleed green and gold blah blah blah…  When I missed the train that already “left the station”, I became an outcast in Packer Nation.  In my mind, I took off the Packer glasses and became a realist.  So, what you will normally hear from CCWriter is not typically what you’ll read on bleacherreport or stories by Wilde on ESPN, you will hear a balance of praise and criticism where it is due.  This is an introduction to CCWriter in regards to PackerNation.  The bio will develop and unfold over time.

So, let’s get back to the game.  I already raved about the defense, so now I’ll sing the praises of the offense before we discuss the necessary fixes for the Falcons.  The Matt Flynn style game plan was perfect.  32 rushes for 138 yards and 27 passes for 171 yards.  Roste Beefe created the hype about James Starks and Starks delivered in a big way.  Rodgers kept the offense balanced and appeared to trust in the gameplan.  18-27, 171 yds., 122.5 passer rating, 3 tds, 0 ints.  Nice game, not huge numbers, but an adequate winning performance.  As I’ve argued for years, these are the winning performances.  400 yards and all the big numbers look nice yet they somehow are often the numbers of the losing QB.  I’ll take the conservative performance that results in a victory.

Now, let’s get down to the aspects of the game that can’t continue if the Packers are going to get past the Falcons.

1.   James Jones must catch passes that should be easy td’s.

2.  The offense and coaches need to get plays into huddle timely.  The use of timeouts was not effective.

3.  In the playoffs, I would suggest Rodgers throwing one up for grabs to end the half.  I get it, but I’d like to see a bit more risk taken.

4.  The offense must sustain drives in the 4th quarter.  No, points weren’t easy to come by, but giving the ball to Vick with a chance to win is more risky than calling a timeout and chucking the hail mary before the half.

5.  I’m guessing T. Williams will not lose his mind on his next game winning interception.  Could have been catastrophic if the Eagles were with it.  Great awareness by Collins to get Williams to the ground.

6.  Underwood will likely be aware of his surroundings on special teams.

7.  While the game plan was balanced and conservative, a few more passing attempts than rushes and a couple more shots down field would be ideal.

This is the way I see it going down in the NFC.  Taking cue from current events around the world, the Packers should get to the Superbowl.  With flocks of birds and fish and more species of wildlife to follow, the Packers should coast into Dallas.  With the Eagles down, Falcons, Seahawks, and even Bears may follow.

Losers,

**ALERT**  Stay tuned for an Aaron Rodgers update COMING SOON.