THE CLOCK IS TICKING…

Packers Look for Better Effort against Atlanta in Frigid Lambeau

It has come to this. Two once proud franchises, once the best the NFC had to offer, one time giants and kings have been humbled and bloodied. The Packers come off an embarrassing thrashing at the hands of the Detroit Lions while the Atlanta Falcons come staggering in with a paltry 3 wins, the last being an overtime W over the Buffalo Bills that ended a 5 game losing streak.

Wasn’t it just 3 short years ago the Falcons were the Flavor-of-the-Month? Weren’t they supposed to soar to heretofore uncharted heights? Didn’t they mortgage off the future and trade 164 draft picks to land Julio Jones? Didn’t Tony Gonzalez postpone his farewell tour by one season for one more shot?

My, how the mighty have fallen.

It’s difficult to explain the Packers tanking after Aaron Rodgers went down on Nov. 4 against the

Bears. How and why the defense has suddenly had the air go out of its balloon is a question that has been asked inside the coaches’ room, the locker room and by every taking head from Skip Useless to Screamin’ A. Smith of ESPN.

Now try offering up a reason for the Falcons nose-diving in rapid decline in the NFC South. The Dirty Birds added Stephen Jackson of the Rams and Osi Umenyiora from the Giants. Gonzo put retirement on ice. Matty Ice (Ryan) was poised for a big year. The trio of Gonzalez, Jones and Roddy White were considered among the best 3 receivers in the NFL.

And now the final indignity. The game had originally been scheduled for a prime time 8:30 pm start on Sunday Night. Not so fast. When the two teams have a combined 8 wins in week 13 the poobahs that run the NFL money machine at the networks flexed their own monetary muscle and bumped the Packers/ Falcons from prime time to a 1 pm start by exercising their ‘flex option’ and rearranging the NFL schedule to put a more compelling game with two better teams on in their place. The Saints and suddenly red hot Carolina Panthers now kick off on Sunday night while the Pack and Falcons are relegated to the 1pm heap.

But this game is still compelling and there still is much at stake. The Falcons are in the play for pride spoilers’ role as they play out the string but Green Bay is still very much alive at 5 – 6 – 1. The Pack no longer has their destiny in their own hands. Now the equation has gotten a bit dicier. Now it’s win out and hope for help. The Lions kick off against the resurgent Philadelphia Eagles and suddenly the Eagles have an entirely new fan base of Packer fans.

It all starts with a win. The Packers have gone over a month since their last win and in that time have fallen from ascending team getting hot to suddenly becoming the gang that couldn’t shoot straight. Rodgers injury has been crippling on both sides of the ball. The defense no longer has the wiggle room margin for error a player of Rodgers caliber affords. Over the years the Pack’s big gun has covered up more blemishes than Maybelline. Most disappointing is the time spent on addressing the defenses shortcomings in the off season and the current results.

“Fundamentally we’re not getting it done (on defense)” said Mike McCarthy. “I can’t remember a

time here (in Green Bay) when we have missed so many tackles. 20 against Detroit and that’s just unacceptable.” To emphasize his point McCarthy has taken off the kid gloves and cut S Jerron McMillian this week. Cutting McMillian sent a very powerful message to his D – Mac was a 4^th rounder, a 2^nd year guy and we’re a draft-and-develop team. But he was torched in Baltimore and was part of the missed tackle-fest in Detroit so he now pays the price.

McCarthy did this as much for the message it would send as it was for McMillian’s lackluster play. In addressing the move McCarthy said “It was the consistency of (McMillian’s) performance”, or more to the point the lack of consistency. McMillian’s tackling had not improved much from last year, and he may well be the scapegoat in trying to shake some sense back into the heads of McCarthy’s defensive players. To a man the Packers went of record as being shocked by the move. CB Davon House said “Any day your name could be called to go upstairs and turn in your playbook. It should (now) be really high urgency because J-Mac got cut, and I I didn’t see it coming. To me, it sends a message. I don’t know about everyone else but to me it’s a reality check that you could get cut too.”

DE C.J. Wilson said “I don’t care where you’re at or what sport it is… football, basketball, when you start losing everyone’s on the hot seat all the way from the bottom to the top and the top to the bottom.’ In talking about the loss of Rodgers and the ripple effect it has created Wilson said “It kind of exposed everyone else. It also shows his worth to this team and that he’s worth every bit of the money they give him.”

At $43 million this year Rodgers is the highest paid player in the game. A strong case could be made for Rodgers as the MVP because if there was ever an illustration of exactly how valuable one player is to a team it is right here in Rodgers wake. Giving up on a 4^th rounder just isn’t McCarthy or GM Ted Thompson’s style. McMillian is still a hard hitter who will, in all likelihood, hook on elsewhere and probably become, in time, a serviceable NFL player. McCarthy doesn’t have the time to wait, nor do his players.

“It (McMillian’s cutting) reminds you this is a business” said UDFA S Chris Banjo who has moved up

the depth chart as fast as McMillian fell. Fellow S M.D. Jennings added “It’s a cutthroat business. We (the players) don’t make those decisions. The only thing you can do is take advantage of the opportunities you have and don’t take anything for granted.”

The play at the Safety position has been eyesore ugly this season and no one, not even Morgan Burnett is exempt from criticism. Losing Casey Hayward and Sam Shields to injury has also hurt but the Safeties have left the Packers wanting in that area. And in a bigger headache losing Shields may become a bigger issue as he is in the final year of his contract and will most definitely command a high price when the free agency market opens.

On the Falcons side of the ball GM Thomas Dimitroff said it best when he responded to a question about what happened to his team when he said one word. “Age. We got old.” The Falcons paid a king’s ransom to draft Jones trading up and loading up Cleveland with draft picks but now have precious little left to show for it. At one point the Rams Stephen Jackson’s name was being bandied about in Titletown as the RB who could make a difference, but he eventually was signed by Atlanta to the howling chagrin of many Packer loyalists. The draft yielded Eddie Lacy and both moves have only reinforced Thompson’s ability to find and draft talent. For those that railed when Jackson was not signed how many would trade Lacy for Jackson straight up? Anyone…?

QB Matt Ryan has thrown more picks than anyone can remember and the offensive line is leaking

badly. Losing Jones to IR has grounded the once high flying Falcons. Jackson still has some pop but it’s clear he is not the explosive back he once was.

The Falcons have aged on defense as well. They currently rank #30 against the rush and the Packers will look to have Lacy pound again And pound he will. Matt Flynn has taken the starters reps in practice and will start this one. Jordy Nelson said "I was kidding with Matt (Flynn) and said it’s going to be nice to actually practice the plays we’re going to run this week” as Flynn preps to start again. There is still concern with Rodgers collarbone and its’ healing and the decision is out of Rodgers’ hands. Rodgers won’t play until he is medically cleared to play.

There has been far too much discussion among the talking heads and a very vocal segment of the fan base that would like to see Rodgers sat for the remainder of the season and lose out to get a higher draft position. What in the name of Ray Nitschke is going on out here? Tank a season? Give up, roll over and play dead? Just pick up your ball and cleats and go home?

The notion is absurd.

No one who wears the Green and Gold is even remotely thinking that way. If there is any doubt as to what McCarthy is thinking then the cutting of a 4^th rounder, a pick Thompson would not consider dumping for any reason, is the statement. We’re here to win. Now.

Not next year. Now.

The players have not responded to McCarthy’s “Keep Calm and Carry On” message. McCarthy has upped the ante. Fine. Don’t put out on the field? You’ll be looking for work elsewhere next year. Using the time honored tradition of fear as a motivator may be the last card McCarthy has to play. No more Mr. Nice Guy. Even Flynn will feel the heat. Don’t expect McCarthy to hesitate to go to Scott Tolzien if Flynn can’t move the Packers. Tolzien has a far better arm than Flynn and moving the ball on the Falcons should not be as difficult as it was against the inspired Lions D on Thanksgiving.

It wasn’t that long ago that the Packers were looking down the wrong end of a dismal season. Faced with the prospects of having to win out just to make the playoffs they did just that and never stopped until the Super Bowl was over.

Jobs are now on the line. The message has been delivered. Now McCarthy’s message is condensed

to “Win… or else.”

In this one the Packers will finally reclaim a long needed and sorely missed W. Atlanta is a dome team coming into the arctic air in Green Bay but McCarthy said “I know we play in Green Bay and Atlanta has played nine games in games in domes but that’s a losing mentality. We’re not counting on the weather.”

McCarthy is counting on his players… or else.

 

 

 

 GREEN BAY 24  

 

 

 

 

 Atlanta  17