SOMETHING’S GOTTA GIVE

Perfect at Home Pack Hosts Perfect on the Road Cowboys

Let the games begin. The real games, that is. The season is nothing more than a prelude to what teams play for – a shot to make it into the playoffs and roll the dice. The hot team usually comes out on top. In frigid Green Bay the weather is not likely to produce another ‘Ice Bowl’ but two hot teams are going to collide when the Dallas Cowboys, they of an 8 – 0 road record face the Green Bay Packers who happen to be 8 – 0 at home. This one won’t end in a tie and somebody’s perfect record is going to get stained. Something else will change as well. Tony Romo has had little success in the playoffs and since the Pack’s magical run to the title they have posted the grand total of exactly 1 win in the years to follow. The good news is San Francisco is not there to haunt the Packers. But the Seahawks are, and they have to not look past the 7-8-1 Panthers who could pull off the upset of the young century if they catch the ‘Hawks looking ahead.

The big news coming - sort of – is the fate of Aaron Rodgers’ left calf. On Thursday it was revealed that Rodgers has a “…slight tear…” in his left calf muscle. Having the full weight of Ndamukong Suh stand on it probably didn’t help. But by no stretch of the imagination will Rodgers sit this one out. The news that Rodgers has a tear comes as no real surprise. To what degree Rodgers is hurting is anyone’s guess. In the high stakes poker match of coach speak for all any of us know it could be a tear that will require surgery and bed rest for 2 months. The more likely scenario is it will be uncomfortable and this olive branch of hope may have been dangle to throw Dallas off. To refresh Packer Nation’s memory of what that means go back to the Super Bowl of ’10. Big Ben Roethlisberger went down like a ton of bricks and then got up with a brave, game limp and had to struggle to get himself back to the huddle. He looked almost as if he was going to pass out from the pain. On the very next play however Roethlisberger took off with the ball, his leg suddenly healed by divine intervention and he had caught the Packers D asleep at the wheel. Rodgers will play and most likely depend on the Packers vastly improved offensive line to keep him clean. Taking Rodgers’ ability to make plays with his feet away hardly renders him impotent. He will be the man the Cowboys must fear and respect and stop to have a shot.

The Cowboys are undoubtedly riding high after upending Detroit last week in a come from behind effort that was aided when “the flag” that was thrown for pass interference was picked up, tucked away and taken back by Pete Morelli, a move unprecedented in the playoffs. It was not merely that the flag was picked up; it came after Morelli had already made the announcement. The other officials hurriedly gathered to do what they should have done in the first place and huddled up to get it right.

Even then they still managed to screw it up. By NFL rules LB Anthony Hitchens was not guilty of ‘face guarding’ (using his body to prevent a reception without looking for the ball) when he ran at TE Brandin Pettigrew. The false notion of that alone being a penalty is simple – that’s a foul in college ball but not in the NFL. In a press release Morelli said “"The back judge (Lee Dyer) threw his flag for defensive pass interference. We got other information from another official (Head linesman Jerry Bergman) from a different angle that thought the contact was minimal and didn't warrant pass interference. He thought it was face guarding."

“The information came, and then the officials got together a little bit later after it was given to me, the first information," Morelli continued. “It probably would've been smoother if we got together." No kidding.

What Morelli and the league did not address was the tug of Pettigrew’s jersey prior to the ball being thrown. That IS a penalty and one that should have been called but wasn’t. The laughable extension of this has been the conspiracy theorists who had a field day blathering endlessly (are you listening Skip Useless?) on about this so called smoking gun. As sinister as it sounds it defies common sense.

For the “fix-is-in” to be successful would require A) a forethought of intent to throw the game

B) The knowledge that a key play would magically appear at a key time to cause the first domino to tumble

C) The result would give the other team a huge tactical advantage that would change the outcome of the game.

To blow some holes in this fun but tired point what ensued was a punt by Detroit leading by a count of 20 – 17 with 8:25 left that should have pinned the Cowboys deep in their own territory. Should have. For this so called ‘conspiracy’ to work it would have required the impossible, the knowledge that punter Sam Martin would shank a 10 yard punt to set up the ‘Boys winning drive, a drive that saw much improved and much maligned QB Tony Romo execute flawlessly. Romo even did a great Aaron Rodgers imitation in hitting TE Jason Whitten on a 4^th and 6 to keep the drive alive.

 

The final nail in the coffin of conspiracy has to also include the fact that the Lions benefitted for a short time from a fumble that was recovered by rookie DE DeMarcus Lawrence who inexplicably attempted to run with the game on the line. Instead as Lawrence was hit he promptly fumbled the ball right back to the Lions. So much for conspiracy. The most comical element after the big guy fumbled his fumble recovery was the sight of 5’10” Orlando Scandrick getting into the face of the 6’5” Lawrence and slapping him upside the head for the rookie’s gaffe.

There were moments of poetic justice in the game. It was Lawrence who suddenly morphed into Julius Peppers and had a strip sack forced fumble and recovery on the Lions last 4^th down gasp to seal the game. And in a stunning bit of poetic justice DT Ndamukong Suh, the unrepentant behemoth that was suspended for stepping on Aaron Rodgers already injured calf was reinstated for this game. The irony of having calls reversed is not lost. But the true measure of justice came afterwards in Suh’s choking, tear filled post-game exit interview. As an unrestricted free agent Suh most likely has played his last down for Detroit.  Packer fans will be excused for not shedding any tears along with Suh.

Rodgers’ left calf has been as closely watched as his collarbone from a season ago. There is no denying one point. Aaron Rodgers is the heart, soul, center and anything else you can throw in to the Packers and their success. As Rodgers goes, so goes the Pack. No one benefitted from the time off more than Rodgers. He missed practice on Wednesday and although there was some concern about how it would affect him come Sunday it is the equivalent of Elton John missing a rehearsal prior to a concert. At this stage of the game while the routine is interrupted there is a long standing body of work that says “R-E-L-A-X… we’re gonna be just fine.”

On the Dallas side of the ball they are fresh from a pounding, physical matchup with Detroit that has had numerous players either limited or missing practice altogether. The playoffs are a battle of attrition; it is not just the best team that wins but most times the healthiest. Romo has been hampered by an ailing back and was roughed up against Detroit although his stats do not reflect this. Romo has been stellar this year and the ‘Boys will go as far as Romo’s aching back will carry them.

Rodgers and Romo have both had spectacular years. Romo finished ahead of Rodgers for the season with a 113.2 QB rating to Rodgers 112.2. Romo’s improvement has come with the Cowboys magnificent reconstruction of the offensive line. Dallas has invested heavily in the draft in an attempt to resurrect the great Dallas Wall of the 90’s. Last year G Zack Martin was taken in the 1^st round instead of Johnny Football in perhaps the wisest move of Jerry Jones’ tenure. Martin added size, grit, toughness and ability to a line that already had Doug Free, Tyron Smith, Travis Frederick and Ronald Leary.

RB DeMarco Murray led the NFL in rushing and that is not a mere coincidence. Behind that fabulous offensive line Murray and Romo have enjoyed the type of protection and holes that had been sadly lacking in Romo’s time in Big D. Dallas is now sporting a new Big 3 with Romo, Murray and the NFL’s leader in TD receptions with WR Dez Bryant. While it is far too soon in the game to measure the current Big 3 against the gold standard of Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith and Michael Irvin they along with TE supreme Jason Witten give the Cowboys a formidable attack.

The Packers are no slouch in the offensive firepower department. Right behind Bryant (16 TD’s) in TY grabs was Jordy Nelson (13) and right behind him was Randall Cobb (12) both of whom eclipsed the 1,000 yard mark for the year. Now toss in RB Eddie Lacy who has becoming a notorious slow starter and the Packers have all the weapons and then some to match and surpass those on Dallas’ side of the ball. Where Murray is a quick, elusive cut back style runner with great speed and vision Lacy is a nimble bull in a china shop. The cold weather along with Murray’s still mending broken hand may hamper him more in what is expected to be a Green Bay summer with temperatures in the teens. Lacy has come on and for a guy born and raised in the south who played at Alabama and had never seen a snowflake until Green Bay tabbed him in the 2^nd round Lacy is becoming the quintessential cold weather runner. His pounding, relentless, bruising style strikes fear into anyone fool enough tasked with trying to manhandle him one on one. Every hit he delivers will shake his man down to his frostbitten toes.

With Lacy now showing an unexpected ability to catch the ball the screen pass has become vogue again in Titletown. The expected cold plays to the Packers favor as Lacy will be far better served than Murray in the icebox if not the Ice Bowl. With Rodgers and Romo both compromised with injury the team that can run the ball effectively will have a distinct advantage. While Dallas has meticulously assembled their offensive line through their early picks the greatest testament to Ted Thompson and his scouting staff is they have managed to build almost as imposing a line through the middle rounds of the draft. LT David Bahktiari (4^th round), LG Josh Sitton (4^th rd) C Corey Linsley (5^th rd), RG T.J. Lang (4^th rd) have all paid huge dividends with former #1 RT Bryan Bulaga. The other 1^st rounder Derrick Sherrod was never able to recover from his devastating broken leg and has since been released. The Packers O Line lacks the star power of Dallas’ but they have been together for the majority of the year and give the Packers and Rodgers more than a fighting chance.

This one will be decided in the trenches. It will be a test of wills and the ability to win the 1 on 1 battles as well as fending off the cold, a task that immediately favors the Pack. Green Bay’s defense has been a season long work in progress and now faces what is the most balanced offense they have seen all year. Since moving Clay Matthews inside the Packers as a group have been dramatically better even against the run. Expect Matthews and Julius Peppers to shine in this one. With Romo cutting his interceptions down to 9 along with his 34 TD’s he is in the same company as Rodgers who threw for 38 TD’s and 5 INT’s and 0 at home. Romo has become more efficient but he will not face Rodgers head to head. It is the battle within the battle for the Packers to show that their defense has arrived.

If there is any type of on paper matchup that looks to be exploited it is Dallas less than superb defensive backfield. Romo and Co. have done such a good job of putting points on the board and keeping their opponents on the bench it is the formula that best plays to Dallas’ strength. If Rodgers is able to get untracked early it will not only put pressure on Romo to match serve it will place an even greater strain on the Dallas D that ranked 26^th against the pass while Green Bay was ranked 10^th vs. the pass. On the flip side Dallas was ranked 8^th against the run while Green Bay came in at #23. The difference maker could come down to the Packers league leading +14 turnover differential. While Dallas clocked in at #9 with +6 the stat that jumps out is how few mistakes Rodgers and the offense make in turnovers. Attacking Dallas’ DB’s is what will be that difference maker.

Lacy will be another difference maker. He’ll pile up the yards and leave the bodies bruised in his wake. Even with Rodgers limited mobility he has the smarts and arm to beat anyone anytime anywhere. It will be a back and forth affair until the cold sets in and Rodgers gets hot. The Cowboys will keep it close but Green Bay has too much for Big D to contain and the Packers will pull away late. All signs are pointing to a huge matchup against the defending champion Seahawks provided they aren’t sleepwalking and taking Carolina too lightly. Yes, it could happen. Don’t expect it but it could. The fans and NFL would love to see a Green Bay /Seattle Conference title tilt. On Sunday the Packers will take care of their end of the deal and remain perfect at home this season.

 

 

 

 

  GREEN BAY 27  

 

 

 

 

 

  Dallas  19