RODGERS SEND BEARS INTO

 HIBERNATION

Packers Capture North Crown with Miracle Finish

He didn’t exactly walk on water or part the Red Sea. But Aaron Rodgers was every bit the savior for the Green bay Packers as he authored another page in the Hollywood script that is doubling as the Packers’ 2013 blueprint. In his first game since being shelved with a broken collarbone Rodgers gave the Packers another NFC North crown in knocking off the Bears 33 – 28 in a Hollywood only script of an ending. How about this for a Hollywood blockbuster? Hero gets KO’d by arch enemy and sidelined with a serious injury. As he languishes on the sidelines helplessly watching his team and their fortunes sink without him the team realizes that to advance they have to find a way to do it without the hero. In a plot twist a former favorite son finds his way back home to do just enough to keep the faint hopes alive. Meanwhile, the front runners start to coast too soon leaving the door wide open for a miracle. In the process the Head Coach informs the team they are done, it’s over, it’s been a great year but for all the damned injuries.

But wait… the coach is wrong! Wrong!!!

The front runners forget to take care of business and instead of winning they lose when they need the W the most. Cue the strings building in the background. Will he play or won’t he? Can Roy Hobbs come from the hospital bed and save the day in “The Natural”? The swell of strings builds in anticipation of the late week announcement. Yes, in spite of his doctors warning him of the risks, knowing he is jeopardizing not only his health but his $120 million dollar contract. Pause the music. The coach takes the podium.

“Yes” he says “Aaron Rodgers will be our starting quarterback on Sunday.”

Softly let the music underscore the return of the hero. But there is a hint of the ominous, the dread waiting for him. Now insert the irony, the dramatic plot twist. Not only does the hero have to come off a major injury for a death match he must do so against the very team that sidelined him in the first place, their longtime hated rivals from Chicago. And now add the element of a hostile environment in Chicago.

To set the scene flash back to sunnier days. After facing their new nemesis in San Francisco and falling early and losing a game they could have won against Cincinnati Rodgers has the Packers rolling. After spotting the Lions and Bears a divisional lead. In Green Bay our hero suddenly regains his form, the team gels and is hitting on all cylinders running their record to 5 – 2.

Now set the disjoint, dramatic music. After starting out confidently the hero and the team come crashing back to earth in jerky, grainy images. Rodgers rolls out as he usually does. He winds up to fire while Shea McClellin is draped all over him. As he releases the pass go to slow motion from multiple angles. As Rodgers falls under McClellin’s weight McClellin adds a violent throw to the turf as the sound of a bone breaking is heard… kill the music. Zoom in on Rodgers’ face contorted with pain. Follow the expressions of Head Coach Mike McCarthy. Pan to the disbelief on the faces of his teammates. As Rodgers exits the field gingerly fade to black.

After a pause on the black screen a montage in quick cuts on the next games. The Bears squeaking the W out after Rodgers departs. The Eagles romp. The Giants looking like a real team. A Matt Flynn led comeback against the Vikings but only a tie, a montage that culminates in the thrashing by Detroit on Thanksgiving Day, a loss that sinks the Packers and Packer fans into a deep funk.

Now cue the strings again. Rodgers yelling encouragement from the sidelines. Flynn finding his stride. Spot the Falcons a lead and then a dramatic comeback for a 1 point much needed win. Then from the ridiculous (the butt whipping in Detroit) to the ridiculously sublime. As Rodgers watches helplessly the Packers see their season going down in flames to the Cowboys. 26 – 3 at halftime. In their 90+ years of existence the Packers have only come back from that large a deficit once.

But cue the steady, dramatic trumpet call in the distance to the sound of ever building drums. The steady rhythm increases as Flynn does the impossible and leads the Packers to the wildest win of the year. As Detroit and Chicago fail to open a lead suddenly one more W sets the stage for the season ending finale against the Bears.

Cut!!

Go immediately to the end of the Steeler game. Show the scoreboard with the Packers having lost the game 38 -31, their shot at the playoffs and the season. Cut to McCarthy gathering his players informing them their season is now mathematically over. Fade on McCarthy’s tired eyes as his voice trails off.

A somber montage of players dressing in silence, exiting the stadium into different cars saying nothing and driving off in a snowstorm to refuge. The season is over.

But wait! Cue the orchestra. A super slow motion shot of the Ravens Justin Tucker nailing a perfect 61 yard field goal to sink the Lions who fail to close out once again while impossibly losing 6 of their last 7. Now cut to Philadelphia where the Eagles are relentlessly pounding the Bears 54 -11. A montage of Packers faces suddenly awake and alive with expression as joy as the reality dawns on them – the season is NOT over! Coach was wrong!! We have a shot!!!

Now show a Christmas tree aglow and atwinkle in all its’ glorious splendor. A cutaway shot of an adorable little boy on his knees in green and gold jammies scratching all the toys off his Christmas list and in big, bold letters asking Santa for Rodgers to play and get just one more win.

Fade out of the shot and fade into an empty podium. Cue the strings, build the suspense. As McCarthy declares Rodgers ready a quick shot of the team doctor shaking his head and walking from the room.

Now to the climactic battle. Rodgers does his best Roy Hobbs imitation from the film “The Natural”. As Hobbs came from his hospital bed for a final playoff game he struggles mightily, striking out as rust and fatigue is evident. Rodgers looks good but not sharp. While the score is close the Packers clearly are the better team. The battle of time of possession is hugely in favor of the Packers. Rodgers effectively moves the team with ease in spite of some uncharacteristic off target throws.

No hero can go thru a Hollywood script unscathed. As Hobbs strikes out Rodgers fires the first of his two interceptions, the first one grabbed in the end zone by Chris Cante when Rodgers never saw him. End of drive. Jay Cutler enters to an ominous chorus and leads an 80 yard drive to put the Bears up 7 – 0. Rodgers moves the team deep into Chicago territory once again only to have a pass intended for Jordy Nelson, Rodgers bread and butter, by Tim Jennings at the Bear 17. Cut to a frustrated Rodgers angrily cursing himself on the sidelines. A shot of Rodgers sitting alone on the bench. Is it doubt or resolve on his face? What is going thru his mind?

A 3 and out forced by the much maligned defense leaves little time for Rodgers to second guess. Once again he marshals the troops into scoring opposition but is still not sharp. Now set the dramatic score.

During the drive Rodgers is chased by Lance Briggs. Cut in and out on the various faces within this mini drama within the drama. As Briggs brings down Rodgers cut the camera angle to the same Shea McClellin as he once again piles on top of Rodgers damaged shoulder, the same shoulder McClellin broke 7 weeks ago. As the bodies lay on the ground go to freeze frame.

Utilizing photographs show Rodgers on the ground. Rolling over. On his feet. Angrily confronting McClellin. McClellin’s disbelief as Rodgers rises from the canvas once again. A Mason Crosby field goal. The defense has played outstanding but Rodgers has failed to show much for his efforts as the Pack trials 7 -3 in the 2^nd quarter. The defense rises again with another 3-and-out. A short punt gives Rodgers and the Pack great field position at the Chicago 41. The strings are swelling as the drums get louder. As Rodgers steadily moves the Pack forward cue the music from “Psycho” as Julius Peppers barrels into Rodgers from the blind side and forces the ball from Rodgers’ hand. Cut the crowd noise as it hits the turf follow the ball as two Bear defenders watch it. From out of the camera frame enter Jarrett Boykin who picks up the loose ball on his second attempt. As silence remains deafening enter Rodgers screaming at Boykin to run. RUN!! The entire Packer bench is shown screaming “RUN JARRETT RUN!” Before the Bears realize what is happening Boykin is in the end zone as the zebras raise their arms triumphantly.

Of course the challenge by Bear Boss Marc Trestman was rebuked. As Rodgers would say afterwards “I looked at (referee) Clete (Bakeman) and saw him toss the (fumble) beanbag and saw he hadn’t blown his whistle so I yelled to Jarrett to start running”. In the most bizarre of circumstances the play was something only a fictitious piece could include. On a scale of 1 – 10 for weirdness in a Winner-Take-All match it ranked approximately a736. Bakeman and his crew has been the subject of much scrutiny throughout the year but deserve high marks for not panicking g and allowing the play to continue as it played out. The Bears now have an entire off season to kick themselves for not playing through until a whistle is heard. A late fumble by Alshon Jeffery is scooped up by Morgan Burnett who laterals it to Sam Shields and is returned to the Bear 28. Rodgers still shows some rust and is unable to punch the ends zone as the Packers settle for another Mason Crosby field goal and a halftime lead at 13 – 7.

Now juxtaposition the two QB’s in their locker rooms at halftime. Jay Cutler is attempting his own savior role but has gone just 1 – 7 against the Packers. History is against him. Some fans are even against him as his backup Josh McCown did more than just mid the store in Cutler’s absence. McCown was nothing short of brilliant and the decision to play Cutler was not met with universal improvement. Rodgers rotating his bad shoulder an deciding to hell with it, I’m laying it all out there.

But Cutler looks himself in the mirror and comes out leading furious Bear attack. The expected running, ground and pound battle suddenly becomes a shootout between Rodgers and Cutler. Begin the Evil Empire  theme as Devon Hester makes another superhuman return to set up the Bears for a quick TD and the lead again. As the Pack starts from their 20 alternate the dual workhouse RB's Eddie Lacy playing gamely on a bad ankle and James Starks each of whom registers huge pickups on the ground. Lacy for 17. Starks for a ridiculous 46 as he shreds the woeful Bear defense.

The script would not be complete without another hero returning to battle. Cut to Randall Cobb having his leg broken in Baltimore. Overlay images of Cobb on crutches, Cobb watching helplessly with Rodgers during the losing skid, his efforts on a bike to rehab his leg. Now cut to Cobb slashing over the middle to grab a redeeming 7 yard bullet from Rodgers, a throw that has no rust whatsoever on it. Cut to the Bears bench as a collective “uh oh” is heard.

But now here comes Cutler once again doing his best Darth Vader. Cutler checks at the line a launches a rainbow for Jeffery who has beaten Sam Shields deep. The tackle at the 1 only forestalls the inevitable. Cutler is looking every bit the Bear hero as he plays “Anything you can do I can do better” with Rodgers. Bears retake the lead at 21 -20.

Cutler leads another charge and makes a beautiful pass to Brandon Marshall who twits and shapes himself to come down with the ball and an imposing 28 – 20 lead. Rodgers now fires right back hitting Nelson for a 34 yard catch and run, James Jones for 12, and Andrew Quarless for 22 yards. From the 6 Eddie Lacy tries to find a crack in the mass of humanity on a draw and finding nothing darts top the left. He has but one man to beat to the pylon but as the heroes theme now is played it is none other than Aaron Rodgers, the $120 million dollar man with the most famous left collarbone in history out making the block to spring Lacy and cut the deficit to 2 points. McCarthy chooses not to go for a 2 point attempt and cuts the lead to 1 at 28-27.

As Cutler moves the Bears to the Packer 38 cue the heroes theme again as the Evil Empire commits 2 penalties and Matt Forte as stopped twice and Jeffery drops a good throw from Cutler. Cut to McCown whose face showed that Cutler was indeed, the beast man for the job today. Cutler has performed admirably and given the Bears enough to win. He turns the game over to the worst defense in the league.

Cue the strings for the final climax. Rodgers has no rust. He looks sharp. The Packers look focused and confident. Heroes are borne of the moment. Lacy picks up 9 over 3 downs. Facing 4^th and 1 with the season on the line FB John Kuhn bulls his way over for a first down. Rodgers runs and dives for a first down. As Lacy is stuffed on 3^rd down Rodgers finds Jordy Nelson on 4^th down with a low bullet for 6 and the second 4^th down conversion of the drive. The drums beat louder in time with the clock. The fans all stand. Faces a drenched in sweat and fury. Rodgers misses Quarless on 1^st down.  Lacy for 2. Another Rodgers incompletion leaves the Packers at the Bear 48 with 47 seconds to play.

4^th and 8. The odds are staggering and look hopeless. An obvious pass play is coming. Everyone from Trestman to the guys in Rodgers “Discount Daa-ble Check” commercials know a pass is coming. Julius Peppers, the most feared of the Bears pass rushers knows a pass is coming. And Rodgers knows Peppers well. Peppers’ hit caused Rodgers 3^rd turnover but will be only foreshadowing the dramatic conclusion.

As Rodgers took the snap and rolled to his left he was running right into the teeth of the most ferocious of the Bears. Peppers had a straight line at Rodgers and was set to give the NFC North crown to the Bears and finish Rodgers and the Pack once and for all.

It was not in the script. Cue the unexpected hero theme.

As Roy Hobbs in “The Natural” faced a 2 strike count to 2 on, and 2 out trailing by 2 he made a mighty cut at the last ball thrown and connected.

The real hero on the last drive was not named Rodgers or Cobb or Nelson or Jones or Lacy. Aaron Rodgers once called John Kuhn the smartest player on the football team. Seeing Peppers bolting at Rodgers Kuhn reacted in a flash and caught Peppers with a game saving, season changing, life altering cut block that gave Rodgers enough time to roll, square his shoulders, and set his feet.

Simultaneously to Rodgers being aided by Kuhn’s big block Randall Cobb saw himself in one on one coverage with safety Chris Cante, a mismatch even on Cobb’s rehabbed leg. As Cante bit hard at the yard marker Cobb waved his hand hoping to get Rodgers attention.

As Rodgers set his feet he said “I put something extra on it because I didn’t want to underthrow [Cobb] too much.”

Now go to the NFL Films patented slow mo tight shot of then rainbow as it arced towards Cobb. “Just don’t drop it” Cobb was saying to himself after the game. “They’re [the Packers] gonna kill you if you drop it.” Andrew Quarless added “Man, that thing hung in the air forever.”

Cut to quick shots. McCarthy. Trestman. Kuhn on the ground and Peppers on top of him. Cutler. Forte. As Cobb had to slow to wait for the ball it allowed Cante to close quickly but not quickly enough. Cobb grabbed the ball and took it into the end zone capping off a thrilling, draining and impossible to forget comeback once again in a season filled with improbable, impossible comebacks.

As Rodgers and the Packers exploded in sheer, unadulterated joy the Bears and their fans slumped visibly. No hero can go without facing one final challenge. In the end Cutler was picked off by Sam Shields but it was anticlimactic. Cutler was great and the Bear fans cannot lay this loss on the shoulders of their beleaguered QB. Once the most feared defense in the Chicago was done in by their own defense and their inability to contain Rodgers.

As Roy Hobbs rounded the bases the lights exploded after his herculean blast was sent as high as Rodgers throw into the light tower. Perhaps a light tower exploding and sending embers down on Rodgers as he exited the field would have been in order. It was the only thing missing from the script.

In “The Natural” the script ends there with Robert Redford playing catch with the son he never knew he had. Our script contains one more deliciously sinister plot twist in yet another moment of foreshadowing.

The win gives the Packers a rather pedestrian mark of 8 -7 -1 for the year and shuts out Arizona, a 10 win team. But it gives Green Bay their third consecutive NFC North crown and a much needed home game against their newest nemesis in San Francisco. The 49ers have been very inconsistent on offense and the team that pounded the Packers last year and to open the season is now next on the agenda.

Plot twists? More derring do? We tried to sell this script but even Hollywood passed as it was too hard to believe and no one could buy the premise.

Everyone that is, except for Aaron Rodgers.

HE’S BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!!!!

Rodgers Returns to Face Bears in Winner-Take-All Game

It’s only fitting that the Packers face the Chicago Bears for the NFC North crown on Sunday. Prior to the season the North looked to be one of the strongest divisions in football especially at the QB position. Aaron Rodgers, Jay Cutler, Matt Stafford and Christian Ponder all looked to be well above the curve at the position.

Then reality set in.

Rodgers went out with a broken collarbone, Cutler not only lost time to an injury but was outplayed in the process by Josh McCown, Stafford started out as a fantasy phenom then suddenly couldn’t hit water if he fell from a boat and Ponder became just another show pony on the Viking QB Carousel.

The supposed power in the North rests in the West divisions in the AFC and NFC this year. The winner take all contest will send either Green Bay or Chicago into the playoffs, and in doing so at best a 9 win team will be playing while Arizona could conceivably win 11 games and be left out of the dance.

Way back in October the Packers found their footing and were cruising along at 5 -2. The loss to San Francisco to open the season was close and mistakes littered the field against the Bengals. Green Bay settled into a comfortable spot and was ready to lay a trap for the Bears.

Then reality set in.

Shea McClellin planted Rodgers into the turf breaking Rodgers left collarbone. In stepped Seneca Wallace and faster than it takes to look up the school he went to he was on the IR. Plan C was the next option, hardly a palpable notion given the Packers entered the season without even a Plan B.  After cutting their QB projects in camp Wallace was brought in as a veteran QB presence and emergency fill in. Scott Tolzien started the year in San Fran and became the next man up. Tolzien is an industrious, hardworking kid with enough of a skill set to warrant keeping around. Being called up from the practice squad and a week later being charged with the tall order of keep on winning Tolzien faced a real life Walter Mitty challenge.

Then reality set in.

Tolzien was game and hit some very big throws against the Giants but became erratic and scattershot after that. In time Tolzien will develop into a solid NFLer. In time. But the Packers time is now. After faltering and watching the L’s pile up Ted Thompson went out and reclaimed a long lost son in Matt Flynn. Flynn was at the epicenter of an historic comeback against the Cowboys and also at the helm of the disaster against Detroit. While the Packers were piling up the losses the division was Detroit and Chicago’s to win.

Then reality set in.

Neither the Bears nor the Lions were able to capitalize on the Packers misfortunes. Detroit had a golden opportunity literally slip thru their fingers. Stafford suddenly became an interception machine as the Lions blew contests to Baltimore, Tampa Bay, a lead against Philly and an OT embarrassment against the Giants. The Lions meltdown should cost Coach Jim Schwartz head his job. In response to the fans’ merciless booing Schwartz was seen red faced in addressing the crowd with invectives. The Lions held the hammer and lost out giving away the division. For their part the Bears were em-Bear-assed by Philadelphia last week 54 – 11. Knowing all they needed to do was to win to render this game irrelevant the Bears went into hibernation and now have to find the switch to turn it back on against Green Bay.

When Cutler went down the Bears were far from rudderless. The offense actually became more

effective under McCown as McCown had a streak of 12 TD’s to 1 INT, a stat line Cutler could never come close to claiming. Matt Forte is still a threat as a runner and even mores o as a receiver. With McCown the Bears have utilized Forte’s ability to make defenders miss in space by sending him into swing patterns and running screen passes with deadly efficiency. The Bears also found some genuine talent at the WR slot with both Brandon Marshall and second year man Alshon Jeffery being twin tower threats as each is over 6’3” and setting up size mismatches on both sides. With TE Martellus Bennett at 6”6” the Bears boast some of the tallest pass catchers in the game. For a change Chicago has found an offense to go with their stifling defense.

Then reality set in.

The Bears are 32^nd against the rush this year. Go ahead and re-read that – the Bears defense is the worst defense in the entire NFL. Just uttering the phrase sounds as odd as saying the balmy December conditions in Lambeau Field. Injuries have crippled Chicago’s D. DT Henry Melton has been sorely missed. Many Bear pundits claim the McClellan’s only contribution was disabling the Packers main man. With defensive leader LB Lance Briggs nursing an ailing shoulder the defense won’t get much rest. After being mauled and gutted by the Eagles last week in an embarrassing 54 – 11 blowout the Bears have to shake the stink of that effort off quickly. With the chance to end the season once and for all Chicago went out and played its’ worst game by far this year. Playmaking CB Charles ‘Peanut’ Tillman has been on the IR/Designated to Return list and his ball hawking presence has made defensive coordinator Mel Tucker grow greyer by the week.

If this was Hollywood this is a script that defies logic or credibility. The Packers enter the game a puny 7 -7-1 while the Bears are 8 -7. The news for the Bears doesn’t get better. Now Aaron Rodgers has finally been cleared to play after 8 long weeks. In addition to Rodgers Randall Cobb is also ready to hit the field running again. While some may blanch at rust on Rodgers it doesn’t seem likely. Protecting Rodgers is at the top of the list this week. Expect Rodgers to get rid of the ball much quicker and not look to run it yet.

While Rodgers was on the shelf the one area in which the Packers have excelled all year is at the once weak link in the chain at RB. Rookie of the Year candidate and frontrunner Eddie Lacy has been everything the Packers wanted and much more in his inaugural year. Lacy now owns the Packer rookie rushing and TD record breaking John Brockington’s 41 year old mark. But lost in the hubbub over Lacy has been the solid effort of James Starks. Starks has become the Packers change of pace back and there is little drop-off from Lacy when Starks is on the field. The tandem of Lacy and Starks have put up over 1,500 yards rushing and Pittsburgh’s Mike Tomlin called the pair the best set of RB’s in the NFL.

The Packers have fared only slightly better than Chicago against the run. Coming in at #26 in run defense there are obvious needs in the D. The linebacking will be without Clay Matthews as he re-aggravated his surgically repaired broken thumb last week against the Steelers. Without Matthews the Bears will try to exploit the other LB’s ability to play in space by testing them with screens and swing passes. There will be much pressure on Nick Perry and Mike Neal to make up for Matthews’ absence. With Jeffery and Marshall spreading the field and demanding tight coverage the Packer LB’s will not be able to rely on much help from the DB’s. They must do two very important things to make it to the playoffs – stop the run and contain the screen passes.

In fact both teams will be required to do the very thing they do best and worst – to run and then stop the run on defense. Rodgers addition could help the defense immensely. With Rodgers at the wheel the Packers would love to control the clock and dictate the pace. With the weather conditions as they are the team that can run the ball and control the clock is the team that gives itself the best shot at the title. Having Cobb back will not only help the Packers but for Rodgers he won’t even have noticed that Cobb was gone as the two shared the time in trainers’ room.

The Bears do have a QB controversy. Head Coach Marc Trestman has decided to roll the dice with his incumbent albeit shaky starter in Cutler and bypassing the statistically far more sound McCown. The question is how long will Trestman ride that horse? If Cutler falters will Trestman go to the bench? The matchup of Marshall and Jeffery against Tramon Williams and Sam Shields could be epic as the Packer CB’s are playing at their peaks right now. They concede height but not heart. It will be fun to watch the game long confrontation. Now they are in the death match with their hated rivals. They were helped by knocking their biggest thorn in their sides Rodgers out for two months. But they never separated or distinguished themselves when they had the shot so now in the most ironic of twists that same guy is coming back and will be looking to extract vengeance upon the Bears.

Say this about Rodgers. He doesn’t have a chip on his shoulder. He has a lumber yard on his shoulder and he has routinely throughout his career made his career by answering the critics, doubters, naysayers and tormentors. There is so much riding on this game without superfluous hype. Would Rodgers relish the thought of ending the Bears season as the Bears almost ended his? The oddsmakers did a complete 180 this week as well. After announcing that Rodgers would be starting for the Packers by a cold-suffering Mike McCarthy earlier this week Green Bay went from a 4 ½ point underdog to a 3 point favorite on the road.

Rodgers will be a different Rodgers. He will keep the defense honest with his arm but this one is an old fashioned black-and-blue division trench battle. Controlling the line, executing the blocks and making the tackles will replace the Madden-esque pinball scoring of the new NFL. This time Rodgers has a running game. The Bears website lists Eddie Lacy as ‘out’ for this game with a nagging ankle injury. Don’t make book on that. That is some very wishful thinking on their part. Lacy is a complete gamer and competitor. Only handcuffs will keep Lacy from tormenting the Bears.

In Hollywood the script that reads like fantasy makes for a good storyline. How’s this one – star player gets injured early. Teams struggles mightily in his absence to the point of being booed at home. In the process they become both criticized and galvanized. The Evil Empire in black is unable to vanquish the besieged ragtag band of rebels. But suddenly the hero returns and enters in the climactic final scene to face his own personal demons and tormentors.

And we all get a front row seat to witness the spectacle. Rodgers makes the difference and gets his pound of flesh in a tough, hard fought battle.

On to the playoffs.

 

 

 

 GREEN BAY 20  

 

 

 

 

 

  Chicago 17  

THAT AS A WILD ONE

Packers Iced by Steelers; Still in Hunt After Bears Get Mauled

There’s been a change once again to the script. Coming into the battle against Pittsburgh Green bay held their fate in their own collective hands. The mandate was simple – win out. Period nothing else will work. Win and you are in. Lose and stay home.

Then Pittsburgh came along and upended the Pack 38 – 31 sending 79,000 + freezing souls back into the cold and a winter long seep freeze.

But no sooner could you say the Grinch stole our Christmas the Chicago Bears then handed the Packers the best present of all by being humiliated by Philadelphia 54 - 11. This comes on the heels of Detroit once again shooting itself in the foot by getting dumped and thus eliminated from the NFC North crown by the Giants in OT. In a weekend of critical divisional and conference playoff bearing games the once mighty NFC North went oh-fer. That’s 0 – 4 in wins as the Vikings also got spanked by the playoff bound Cincinnati Bengals.

Tear up the script and go to a re-write. The Packers and Bears now will have a season ending showdown for the NFC North crown in a winner-takes-all matchup next Sunday in Chicago.

So much for winning out.

Sunday’s tete-a-tete against the Steelers was hardly a classic but it was another of those cliffhanger types of games that are becoming a staple of the Green Bay diet of late. This game featured everything – turnovers, lead changes, injuries (again), penalties (again and again) to go along with a tactical gaffe by Mike Tomlin and some very weird officiating (let’s no go there… yet).

The Packers needed one more play, one more yard, one more inch, one more gear on Sunday in a wild shootout in a snowstorm. While Matt Flynn played well two key turnovers crippled the Packers. His pick 6 interception that gave the Steelers a 10 point bulge was compounded by a fumble deep in Packer territory caused by the Steel City Superman Troy Polamalu who donned a cape once more and flew over the pile into Flynn’s arm causing the ball to hit the ground.

Flynn’s two turnovers were costly. On the pick 6 TE Andrew Quarless was lined up in the backfield and was assigned to cross the backfield to pick up the backside edge rusher. ‘Q’, as he is known among his teammates, became mis-cue as he collided with Flynn’s left shoulder causing the ball to flutter aimlessly out of Flynn’s hand. Cortez Allen grabbed the soft fly ball and raced 40 yards untouched for the TD that put Pittsburgh up 31 – 21.

But there was the Packers A.J. Hawk, he of the leaping ability of the Statue of Liberty going up the ladder to snag a Ben Roethlisberger pass to get the Pack right back in it. Hawk has been a stalwart since being taken at #5 in the draft in _____. The only real knock on Hawk is he is apparently not really a #5 overall pick. His draft status should somehow make him a better player automatically. Hawk hasn’t missed a game since he arrived in Titletown and is routinely among the team leaders in tackles. His weakness in pass coverage is well documented but he A) plays every down with heart, B) isn’t afraid to stick his nose into a scrap and C) he stays on the field year in and year out. Whatever he’s drinking should be shared among his teammates.

The injury bug also rose up once again to bite hard. After getting the only sack of Roethlisberger all day Clay Matthews was reduced to crawling on his hands and knees in severe pain as he gingerly moved his surgically repaired right thumb. Matthews’s hands are as important to him as Aaron Rodgers arm is to Rodgers. Seeing Matthews leave the field in obvious discomfort made the hearts of the faithful drop. Even more disheartening was Eddie Lacy reaggravating an ankle injury and missing the 4^th quarter altogether. With DE Johnny Jolly and TE Brandon Bostick both being placed on the IR list this week there are fewer Packers left standing to even take the field.

So the weekly soap opera of “Will He Play This Week?” gets a few more cast members as the media will be salivating to find out about Rodgers, Matthews and the recently returned to practice Randall Cobb. Cobb broke a bone in his leg ion October against Baltimore and has been practicing in anticipation of getting back on the field. With Rodgers’ broken collarbone on the mend it is anyone’s guess if he will take the field on Sunday against Da Bears.

The fact that the Packers needed to rely on the Eagles to sit this game is borne by the fact they really have no one else to blame but themselves. Two costly penalties when it mattered most undermined the effort. As the game wound down with the score tied at 31 and the Packers needing to march the distance Flynn was rocked by Polamalu causing the fumble. On a 4^th and 3 field goal attempt inside the red zone Nick Perry jumped offside giving Pittsburgh a first down. Holding the ball and the timeout advantage Pittsburgh’s Mike Tomlin did not opt for taking a knee to set up a chip shot potential winning kick. There were a few head being scratched as to why Tomlin did not did not exercise some caution. Maybe it was seeing Green Bay’s Mason Crosby’s plant foot slip on the Packers chance at a chip shot that was blocked. Maybe the cold and snow froze his thought process. Whatever Tomlin’s reasoning behind not playing it down the Packers appeared to allow a quick score in an effort to have more time on the clock.

The ensuing kickoff caused hearts to literally race as Micah Hyde broke off a 71 yard return weaving through the Steeler coverage. Had Hyde been able to find one more gear, get one more step things could have been different. But he was caught at the Steeler 30 setting up the furious last ditch attempt to score. As Hyde lay exhausted on the field after landing on the ball he had the wind knocked out of him as much as the Steelers had the wind knocked from their sails.

The officiating in the game was a coin flip of it’s anybody’s guess as to what is going to be called and what won’t. It’s not uncommon for the officials to huddle together in an attempt to get the call right but these meetings were beginning to resemble board meetings in their duration. After Steeler rookie RB LeVeon Bell fumbled inside the Steeler 5 yard line setting up Green Bay nicely in the 3^rd quarter the defense stiffened and held forcing a field goal try. On the short try Mason Crosby’s plant foot slid in the snow and the Steelers block of Crosby’s kick the ball spun to the left sideline where it appeared the Steeler’s Ryan Clark scooped it up and attempted a lateral that went awry. When Ziggy Hood of the Steelers swatted the ball forward out of bounds yellow flags flecked the white covered field.  With Mike McCarthy screaming that the ball had been batted forward the first meeting was to determine that yes, that did actually happen. Green Bay ball.

Huh?

The replay showed a clear possession by the Steelers. McCarthy saw the same thing on the Jumbotron and winced. Just about that time Tomlin exploded heaving his red challenge flag almost into the stands in a rage. Another conference. As both sidelines shivered the Jumbotron showed the inevitable. Then another conference. Finally referee Carl Cheffers announced that the Packers had the ball because the play was not reviewable.

Huh?

On the Packers final drive Matt Flynn drove the Pack down to the 1 yard line. With only 20 seconds left Don Barclay and T.J. Lang came off the ball too quickly drawing a false start penalty, a penalty C Evan Dietrich-Smith later put on his own shoulders. “That’s on me” said EDS afterwards. “I couldn’t hear [Flynn] and held the ball too long.” The penalty coupled with the fact that the Packers were out of timeouts meant a 10 second runoff of time would be attached. Then the officials struck again. According to Dietrich-Smith “The ref told me to get my hand off the ball. Then the clock started and we couldn’t snap it because of that.” The ball was not snapped until the clock wound down to 4 seconds. Flynn did not see a wide open Jordy Nelson on a middle in route opting for Jarrett Boykin instead. Had Boykin been an inch taller or the ball a couple inches lower overtime would have ensued.

Perhaps it was fate that led to the defeat. In this star crossed season almost anything is possible. CB Tramon Williams got away with an obvious hold over the middle when he was tugging on TE Heath Miller’s jersey. In a season where officiating blunders have made as many headlines as the plays being made this game will earn deficient marks across the board for the officiating crew.

For the Steelers it means they have the faintest of hope. They need to win and at the same time Baltimore, Miami and San Diego all have to lose to get into the playoffs. While it is a bizarre scenario it could happen. In this topsy turvy season don’t bet against it. The Ravens face the divisional champion Bengals, the Chargers host Kansas City and Miami is home against the Jets while Pittsburgh squares off against Cleveland at home. Their formula involves four other games while the Packers have their last shot.

Go to Chicago and win.

Now the questions can begin – will Rodgers play? Will Matthews play? Will Cobb play? The only thing that is certain is the same as it was entering the Pittsburgh contest – win or go home.