A PORTENT OF THINGS TO COME?

Pack Looks to Get Rolling Against Cowboys

After the now famous into eternity throw by Aaron Rodger’s that landed in the hands of TE Richard Rodgers that literally stole a win from the jaws of the Lions last week in the Motor City Miracle Packer fans are higher than the ball that left Rodgers hand on the play with no time left. Even the Packers themselves were giddy; their unabashed celebration that included the coaching staff was a reminder that these are very large men still playing a child’s game.

The sight of the Packers jumping on Rodgers the catcher and Rodgers the passer was in stark contrast to the egg the Pack had laid against Detroit for the first 2 ½ quarters. A play such as the one pulled off by Green Bay last week also required some fairly inept coaching on the Detroit sidelines. On a play with only 6 seconds left the Pack was forced into a now infamous college iconic Cal-style attempt to lateral their way into an all but impossible victory. Of course the Lions knew it as it was from the Packers 26. Even Aaron Rodgers can’t throw one that far.

And of course the Lions being the Lions committed a penalty when Devin Taylor’s hand touched/grazed/ brushed, grabbed/ yanked Rodgers face mask the flags hit the field almost faster than Referee Carl Cheffers announced the facemask penalty. Detroit followers will argue endlessly it was not a penalty. Packer followers will swear Taylor almost tore Rodgers head off. Those among the Packers followers that listen will have little sympathy as the Pack went through their own tiny bit of misfortune on the other side of the coin against Seattle a few years back. Fail Mary: meet the Motor City Miracle.

If Jim Caldwell wasn’t on the hot seat for Detroit’s miserable showing thus far he will be after this game. Give Caldwell credit for accepting the blame. “We thought they were going to run another lateral type play” said Caldwell in the stunned silence in the bowels of Ford Field. That explains why the Lions rushed only 3, dropped 5 but inexplicably had 3 other players in a great spot to watch the play but not defend it. Roll the tape. Watch as the ball leaves Rodgers rocket thrower. On its ascension you’ll spot the Lions best pass rusher Ziggy Ansah stationed about the Lion 40 yard line along the sideline watching the ball go up. There was another Lion opposite him on the far sideline and one more in the middle. They had the best seat in the house to see it settle into Richard Rodgers outstretched hands. Oops.

A play such as the one pulled off by the Pack is a tremendous amount of makeup for an otherwise ugly blemish of a performance. Green Bay was sluggish, lethargic and barely breathing as Detroit cruised to a 20 – 0 lead with just under 7 minutes left in the 3^rd quarter. Yes, the Packers showed grit and yes the Packers did not quit. But the sad truth is the Packers waited until the 3^rd quarter to get off the bus.

This underscores the funk the Pack has been in since the loss to Denver. The Packers are 2 – 4 since opening at 6 – 0 and with the exception of a sound win over Minnesota they have struggled. The defense has played better than expected but the offense has lagged far behind. What was expected to be an offensive juggernaut has been reduced to a drop laden group of receivers, more fumbles than McCarthy can stomach and the injuries began to stack up like cords of wood in anticipation of another Green Bay winter. The Pack lost to Chicago and Detroit and looked uninspired in the process. Add in the ever present rumors of players being less than dedicated and that effectively describes the tail spinning Pack’s fortunes.

Mike McCarthy is a far better coach than he will ever be credited. After posting back to back 100 yard games Eddie Lacy was reduced to a 5 play/ 4 yard output and spent the majority of the game squarely in McCarthy’s dog house. Another shocker was fresh off the practice squad RB John Crockett led Green Bay’s paltry rushing with 22 yards. Crockett was signed from the practice squad barely 3 hours before kickoff and that was roughly 30 minutes past the time 3^rd string RB Alonso Harris was cut.

Give McCarthy credit for being a more approachable Bill Belichick. As ESPN broke the news that Lacy and Harris had both blown a mandatory curfew the night before, McCarthy gave the press nothing afterwards. “It (Lacy’s benching and Harris’ release) was a football decision.” Little else was offered as an explanation other than the reinforcement that as a policy McCarthy does not discuss personnel decisions, strategy or anything remotely on the inside.

There had been some talk among the Packers in the most generic sense of players not prepping or being 100% committed. No names were mentioned but there were also whispers about Lacy’s work ethic, his weight and his underwhelming start to the season. McCarthy was not pleased and the only thing he offered about Lacy was “Did not have a good week.”

The Packers are going to need Lacy to have better weeks the rest of the way. Davante Adams had a big TD reception in the comeback last week and he also has to decrease the drops and increase the catches. Randall Cobb has been hampered more by Jordy Nelson’s absence due to injury than anyone else. Rodgers, the tight end, had a career day with 146 yards and 2 TD snags. Rookie Ty Montgomery had shown flash and promise but he hasn’t been active since the Clinton administration or so it seems.

The Packers have negotiated the bumpiest part of their schedule in unconvincing fashion but still find themselves in the driver’s seat. By winning out they capture the NFC North crown. Minnesota has the same record as Green Bay but with the Pack holding a win over the Vikings the season finale in Green Bay with the Vikes could be a showdown that has divisional and playoff implications.

This week the Packers host the floundering Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys are fresh off a barely watchable win over the vanilla Washington Redskins on Monday night. Thanks to DeSean Jackson’s idiotic attempt to outrun the entire Cowboy squad. The play resulted in a fumble upon which Dallas capitalized. Jackson sort of made up for his gaffe with a TD reception with little time left but the Cowboys pulled one out of the fire on a nifty returner by their blazer with the NFL’s best name Lucky Whitehead blew through the Skins feeble attempt to corral him. QB Matt Cassel moved the ball enough for very reliable K Dan Bailey to win it at the buzzer.

Dallas will need more than a Lucky Whitehead on Sunday. The Cowboys are the least blitzing team in the NFL but DC Rod Marinelli unleashed the hounds on Washington QB Kirk Cousins last week and the intensity of the rush rattled Cousins to the point he could barely hit the ground with his passes. His big play to Jackson at the end was the lone play that stood out in a game that was as more boringly and sloppily played than your local high school’s game on any Friday night.

With Greg Hardy, rookie Randy Gregory and LB Sean Lee the Cowboys have a solid D. Solid but hardly great. The Cowboys record of 4-8 is due in large part to the loss of QB Tony Romo. Without Romo Cassel has been unable to put enough points on the board to challenge for the horrendous joke of a division in the NFC East. In spite of their total ineptitude with their W over the Skins Dallas is only 1 game back of the divisional leads New York, Philadelphia and Washington all of whom are tied at a hefty 5 – 7.

Now Dallas comes in on a short week to chilly Lambeau Field to face the Packers who are coming off a much needed 10 day break. The offensive line is beaten op and every member of the starting 5 save Josh Sitton have gone out at one time or another for extended periods. The Packers can find their mojo and the high from the unexpected win can give them a boost but they will have to improve on the field and cut down on the mistakes to jump back in the mix of the league’s elite.

Six short weeks ago the possibility of multiple teams going undefeated was very real. But reality bites and bites hard. The lofty Patriots have been decimated by injury and have lost, as has Denver and Cincinnati leaving the Carolina Panthers and their milksop NFC south foes looking to offer little resistance. With every passing week the Panthers keep defying the odds by winning but it is inviting a loss at a far more critical time.

For Dallas they have more problems than Romo’s absence. Dez Bryant has been less than subtle to Cassel about getting him the ball. Jerry Jones has called out Jason Garett’s play calling in public. Dallas’ running game has been a shadow of what it was before jettisoning DeMarco Murray to the Eagles. If the ‘Boys try to storm Rodgers as they did Cousins it could be disastrous for them, especially if Green Bay’s WR’s can catch the ball.

For Green Bay the only question is simple. Was last week’s end the kick start they needed or was it just makeup on a blemish? Was it a fluke or are the Packers ready to flex some muscle?

After Sunday the results should speak for themselves.

 GREEN BAY 26

          Dallas  16