SHOWDOWN!!

Pack Faces Patriots in Much Anticipated Game

The schedule maker must have had a premonition. This week in the NFL features some exciting key matchups. On Thanksgiving Day it was a back-to-back-to-back affair that had some heavyweight inter-divisional games. Seattle waxed San Francisco all but eliminating the 49ers from the playoffs while Philadelphia rose up from the mat to upend Dallas in Big D. Although the Chicago Bears failed to hold up their end of the bargain against Detroit 5 of the 6 teams involved are or were clearly enmeshed in the playoff hunt. For a change the games did not cause anyone to get up off the couch any earlier.

Much like one of those “As Seen on TV” infomercials we are compelled to almost yell “But wait… there’s more!” There is a smorgasbord of playoff implication games this weekend that has even more slugfests. In the AFC the surprisingly resurgent Cleveland Browns face the equally resurgent Buffalo Bills in the Snow Dome. San Diego leaves the warmth of SoCal and wings into Baltimore to face the Ravens and in the west a big one is brewing for the suddenly struggling and downward trending West Divisions leader Denver Mannings go to Kansas City to meet the Chiefs Sunday night. And we’re not done. Even with their embarrassing records of 4-7 New Orleans won’t find anything easy against the up and down Pittsburgh Steelers while their main competitors in the Atlanta Falcons – if such an animal exists when 4 – 7 is tied for a divisional lead - squares of against the NFL leading Arizona Cardinals who are showing every week they are, in fact, the real deal even with starting QB Carson Palmer done for the year.

All of those juicy entrees are mere appetizers for the main course when the 2 hottest teams in the NFL will battle it out on the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field. The New England Patriots are currently riding a 7 game winning streak against the Green Bay Packers and their 3 game streak. There are few certainties in life beyond death, taxes, and Bill Belichick guiding the Patriots into the playoffs.

Maybe it is appropriate that the main course of Sunday is the much awaited, much anticipated game between the 2 hottest QB’s in the show featuring Aaron Rodgers and Tome Brady. This is the first meeting between these two future Hall of Famers who are both 1 and 1A in the running for league MVP. Peyton Manning has looked more like Eli the past few weeks as the luster off his ego and game has dulled in some underwhelming mere mortal and interception littered efforts recently.

Tom Brady has been assassin cold and precise as the Pats have rolled over their foes in the process. While Philadelphia has a game on both right now the Pats and Pack have put up some scary offensive numbers. The Eagles blew Dallas out on Thursday and have posted an impressive 375 points thus far.

But right on their heels is New England (357 points (and Green Bay (354 points). When paired with the fact that the Pats are 11^th in points against and the Pack is 13^th this is rightfully and deservedly being called the game of the year thus far. Just don’t call it a Super Bowl preview or a must win affair. It isn’t. For New England it is another playoff-like game against a quality opponent and truth be told the Pack’s game against Minnesota last week had far more playoff ramifications than this game.

That does not mean that either team will take the week off. This one should be a doozy.

New England holds a comfortable 3 game lead over the pesky Bills and Dolphins while Green Bay is locked in a dogfight with Detroit and the Lions are showing no signs of finding another creative way to blow a legitimate shot at the NFC North crown. The Lions dropped behind Green Bay last week when they were dumped by these same Patriots by a count of 34 – 9 while the Packers passed a test against the Vkings 24 -21. Now Brady and Belichick are tasked with doing the same against Rodgers and Mike McCarthy.

This will be there first time Rodgers and Brady have met. It is the marquee matchup of the games 2 marquee QB’s that will draw one of the most watched games this year. Brady is back to doing what Brady does best. He is spreading the ball around and relying on super duper TE Rob Gronkowski in the red zone. In every measurable statistic both Brady and Rodgers are in the top 10. Brady and Rodgers are completing passes at 65% and 66.4% of the time and sit at #8 (Brady) and #9 (Rodgers) in yardage with 2,998 and 2,957.  Rodgers is 2^nd in TD tosses with 30 and Brady is right there at #4 with 26. Don’t count on either QB to turn the ball over – Brady has thrown 6 INT’s and Rodgers has put up a minuscule 3… all of which came after his throw bounced off his targets’ hands. At a ridiculous 10 1 ratio of TD’s to INT’s Rodgers is as consistent as they come.

On the ground Eddie Lacy has gotten hotter as the weather has gotten colder. Lacy is currently 13th in rushing yards with 672 and New England can roll out 3 legitimate RB’s in Shane Vereen, Stevan Ridley (who is now on the IR list), Jonas Gray, all of whom have posted 300+ yards for the year and the newly signed  LeGarrette Blount. Blount was recently grabbed before he exited Heinz Field as the Steelers released him for leaving the field before the end of the game. As much as Blount has been labeled a head case in his previous stops in Pittsburgh and Tampa Bay he has performed well for Belichick.

Where Green Bay holds a distinct advantage is in their wide receivers. Sports Illustrated cover boy Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb form the leagues deadliest 1-2 punch, and rookie Davante Adams has slowly gained Rodgers’ and McCarthy’s confidence. Andrew Quarless is no Gronk but in Green Bay’s pass happy attack he doesn’t need to be. As rookie TE Richard Rodgers goes on he is being folded into the mix as well. Conspicuously absent form the group was last year’s #3 Jarrett Boykin who has made up for his lack of playing time by performing on special teams.

New England has great balance if not the flash and explosive capabilities of Green Bay. Brady loves to spread the ball around after Gronk. His targets are unimposing on paper – Julian Edelman has 70 catches and after him Brandon Lafell, Tim Wright and Danny Amendola round out the wideouts. Edelman is an all purpose type of player Belichick loves and Amnedola’s contributions have been paltry. Brady will utilize his backs as well as anyone in the game.

McCarthy and Rodgers have found yet another outlet and weapon in their passing attack in Lacy. Lacy has made tremendous gains in the passing attack that has allowed McCarthy to resurrect a former staple in Green Bay’s offense in the screen pass. Getting the ball into Lacy’s hands in space and into the second level has become a lethal strike that DB’s will fear – even All World CB Darelle Revis. Trying to bring down the 230 lb. Lacy 1 on 1 on a cold afternoon is not something for which Revis et. al. can be thankful.

Revis has been selling his services to the highest bidder and has come as advertised to the Pats. Revis is the penultimate shutdown corner in the game. While Revis has only 2 picks for the year that stat is misleading as most QB’s don’t dare to test his side. All of which begs the question of how exactly will the defensive guru Belichick deploy him? Will he attempt to take Nelson out of the game a la Richard Sherman and force Rodgers to one side of an overloaded field? Or will Revis be moved around forcing Rodgers to constantly wonder where he is? Might he even consider the jailbreak rush to force Rodgers to throw early? The Pats imported huge CB Brandon Browner from Seattle’s Legion of Boom to pair with Revis and S Devin McCourty. At 6’4” and 221 lbs. Browner is a bruiser but at 30 years of age the word is while he is still a ferocious tackler he has lost something off his giddyup. In spite of his size Rodgers may just test Browner in a speed match up.

Unlike the opener against Seattle Green Bay has developed far more weapons now. Cobb had a very sluggish start but is now piling yup the numbers in the last year of his contract that should have Ted Thompson or another team open the vaults to lock up his services. Cobb and Nelson have been played as dual wideouts, in the slot and on the same side forcing defenses to now pick their poison.

With big back Lacy pounding inside teams can no longer ignore the run and force Rodgers to pass- he will eat them alive. But if the D drops back into coverage the question becomes will New England’s stout but aging DLine have enough to take Lacy’s relentless and furious pounding? Vince Wolfork is imposing but aging. Chandler Jones has had an up and down year. In their base 4-3 defense New England relies on run support form LB’s Jamie Collins and the impressive Dont’a Hightower.

Since moving Clay Matthews to the middle of the field the Packers have found a new gear on defense. Belichick has singled out OLB Julius Peppers as a potential problem. Given how well Peppers has played a very strong case can be made that the biggest impact of any free agent signing has been from the team that utilizes the FA market the least. Remember the big splash Jarius Byrd made with his megabucks deal? Any notion Peppers has lost a step has by now been laid to rest.

The coaching confrontations are very intriguing. Belichick has 3 Super Bowl rings in New England and McCarthy 1 in Green Bay. Belichick is a defensive genius and McCarthy is one of the most underrated offensive minds in the game. McCarthy’s unimposing low key demeanor has been largely overlooked by the mainstream that does not know a great coach when they see him. McCarthy’s attention to detail, demand for consistency and creativity gets largely overlooked, a fact that suits McCarthy just fine. The churlish Belichick is not just the worst interview in the NFL – he is the worst interview in this known solar system. Curt, abrasive, prickly and condescending are some of Belichick’s better qualities and he doesn’t give a damn about. Give credit where it is due – he flat out knows how to win and couldn’t care less what anyone outside of the organization thinks.

Don’t look for either team to try something cute. This is going to be a middle of the ring toe to toe affair where both teams will try to impose their will on the other. Brady and Rodgers are the 2 best in the show now and the chilly air will be filled with footballs. Both teams will be forced to scramble on defense to keep up. Forget about time of possession; this one will be all about what these two teams do best. Score. There will be points aplenty when hot meets hotter.

This will be one of the best games of the year. The Packers can hang with and beat anyone. So can New England. One team will lose the game but at this point of the season one loss will not define that team. Green Bay has a little bit more to prove while New England always seems to find a way.

It is a big game and could turn out to be a preview… but for now it is just another game on the schedule.

  NEW ENGLAND 38  

 

  Green Bay  31