PACK GROUNDS HIGH FLYING BIRDS

Packers Demolish Philly/ Move Into 1^st Place Tie

by: Michael Filipelli

A blast furnace is hot.

A volcano is hotter.

The sun is even hotter yet.

And then there is Aaron Rodgers.

Rodgers is the hottest property in the NFL and as a result the Green Bay Packers are flying high once again. They are flying high enough to have grounded, plucked, and walloped the Philadelphia Eagles with the highest two game output of their storied NFL tenure by a count of 53 – 20. Coming on the heels of a 55 point outburst against Chicago Green Bay has posted over 100 points in their last two games. Madden gamers would love these types of games while the purists find their heads reeling in the proliferation of points.

Rodgers has re-entered the mainstream discussion for MVP honors and is now among the frontrunners. After Sir Peyton tossed up 2 picks in an embarrassing loss to the Rams Rodgers once again had a short day’s work with 342 yards, 3 TD’s and 0 picks, marking 322 attempts at home without a blemish. Eddie Lacy had another strong showing with 2 TD’s and Jordy Nelson also has his name at or very near the top of the All Pro list for the first time with two more body contorting TD grabs. Nelson opened with a 64 yard connection on the games third play that set the tone for the Pack. For the day Nelson posted 4 catches for 109 yards while Randall Cobb added 10 catches for 129 yards.

Mason Crosby opened the scoring after the Packers initial drive stalled. The Packers D has shown a resurgent improvement and held Mark Sanchez and the Eagles on the ensuing drive. Rodgers found rookie WR Davante Adams for a 6 yard score and once again the Packers held against the Birds and forced a punt.

Much was made prior to the game about the play of the special teams. Philly’s Darren Sproles broke the game against Caroline wide open with a scintillating return. The Eagles were hoping to gain an edge from its special teams. But a funny thing happened on the way to chilly, snowy Lambeau Field. The special team’s edge jumped on the Packers bandwagon. Micah Hyde fielded the punt and made the first man miss and was off to the races with an electrifying 75 yard return that energized the 80,000+ Packer faithful and started the avalanche that buried the Eagles.

 

The Pack surrendered a lone field goal as Rodgers continued his mastery. He hit Jordy Nelson on the sideline and Nelson displayed incredible body control as he somehow contorted his body around the pylon for the TD. There was a moment of concern after his Lambeau Leap when he appeared to grab his hamstring upon his exit from the clutches of the giddy front row occupiers. It looked as if it was a Rodgers-esque ‘tweak’ as Nelson returned without issue.

Defense has been Green Bay’s Achilles Heel thus far yet for the second straight game the D turned in a masterful performance. The Eagles are a high flying, high octane fast paced bunch and emptied the arsenal at the Packers who not only withstood the attack but all but stifled Chip Kelly’s offense. After holding the Eagles once again Rodgers engineered another scoring drive that ended when Lacy plowed in from 1 and the rout was on. Although Tim Masthay bobbled the PAT snap the Packers took a fat 30 – 6 lead in at the half.

Kelly has been an innovative breath of fresh air in the NFL. His approach to offense is to keep his foot on the gas and keep it there until his opponents tire and even then he still keeps his foot on the gas. But in facing the Packers he found a team whose defense has to work all year facing a fast paced offense in practice. This advantage played to Green Bay’s strengths as it took the ball out of RB LeSean McCoy’s hands and into Sanchez’ hands.  McCoy was held to 88 yards rushing on 23 attempts for a 3.8 yards/ carry average, a considerable improvement for a defense routinely knocked for its’ inability to stop the rush.

Trailing 33 – 6 Sanchez was forced into trying to match Rodgers throw for throw and point for point. He found out quickly that is a task too monumental for almost anyone QB on the planet. Julius Peppers continues to make Ted Thompson’s decision to sign the free agent a brilliant one as he stepped in front of TE Brent Celek and picked off Sanchez. His rumbling 52 yards return gave the normally quiet Peppers a reason to celebrate with his second pick 6 of the year and first Lambeau Leap.

Sanchez managed to muster a drive that ended with impressive rookie Jordan Matthews getting a TD. While the Packers D dominated they also benefited from Sanchez’ inaccuracy. At least 5 balls were off target to wide open receivers’ and the Pack’s coaching staff will rightfully point out against an elite QB that type of gaffe will be costly. Sanchez has played better in Philly than he did in the Big Apple but he is by no stretch of the imagination an elite QB. Rodgers, on the other hand, is right now the elite of the elite.

Manning and Tom Brady have put together MVP- type numbers but Peyton’s picks will cause his star to diminish. With consecutive 50+ point explosions the only thing that could potentially hurt Rodgers’ run at the MVP is his early exits. Manning is loath to come out of games while he pads his stats in mop up time. Mike McCarthy sees the bigger picture and knows if Rodgers is on the sideline it means two very important things 1) the Packers are so far ahead he can afford to be on the bench and 2) he can’t be injured from the sidelines.

The coup de grace was a TD throw for which Rodgers will get credit but most of the work was done by the Packers’ newest receiving threat in Eddie Lacy. As Lacy took a checkdown swing pass on the left side he cut upfield and began his thunderous jaunt to the end zone. In twirling, spinning, bulldozing and relentless style Lacy willed himself into the end zone for another highlight reel TD to add to his growing collection. For the game Lacy finished with 69 yards on 10 carries, good for a heathy 6.9 yards/ carry average. With Lacy and Rodgers both healthy the Pack is less reliant on Lacy shouldering the load alone. Last year Lacy’s play was necessary as Rodgers was out with a broken collarbone. This year he has not only been used to set up the pass but the Packers are now employing a pass-to-use-the-run-to-set-up-the-pass approach.

In most games Rodgers has had to carry the team. While Rodgers’ play is the catalyst that drives the Packers the D has suddenly become formidable with the move of Clay Matthews to the inside. Moving to the middle hasn’t hindered Matthews; he garnered a sack as did Mike Neal and the other free agent signee Letroy Guion. Guion does not have the rep or star power of Peppers but has become an integral part of the Pack’s front line and has shown steady improvement throughout the campaign. The D has also become a very opportunistic one on top of it all. Early on rookie C Corey Linsley earned another trip to Rodgers doghouse with a snap over Rodgers’ head that he recovered that ended in a sack and Linsley being given what for by an irate Rodgers. Sanchez wasn’t as fortunate.

On a low snap Sanchez desperately tried to pull the ball up but a fortuitous bounce saw the ball leap into CB Casey Hayward’s hands. Hayward was able to jaunt into the end zone flanked by a phalanx of Packers serving as an escort with no Eagle in sight. Once again the Packers dominated the game in all 3 phases of the game and the dangerous Sproles was never really a factor in the game. The Eagles have been brought back to earth with a thud and now find themselves in a dogfight with Dallas, a team they will face twice in the next 4 weeks that will add a greater impact.

With the Detroit Lion losing to the Arizona Cardinals the Packers now find themselves tied atop the NFC North and in complete control of their own destiny. With a schedule that looks very favorable at this point the job is far from over. The question many will ask is “Are they peaking too soon?” The better question would be “Just how is the peak?” Minnesota is up next and then a showdown with New England and Tom Brady at Lambeau, a place no team wants to travel to and have to face Rodgers at his best. Coming into the final third of the season the Packers are starting to find their true identity knowing the hard work begins now.

But the fun is just beginning.