SEASON’S GREETINGS

A Christmas Wish List

We’d like to take a moment to thank you, our readers, and wish you all a safe and Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, Feliz Navidad, Joyeux Noel, Season’s Greetings and Happy Holidays.

With that we offer up our Christmas wish list for the Green Bay Packers…

A win on Sunday in sunny Arizona. It is not really necessary as the Pack can still go 1-1 between this week’s contest with Arizona and next week’s showdown with Minnesota and still clinch their 5^th consecutive NFC North crown. But if the Packers can knock off the mighty Cardinals and then the upstart Vikings Green Bay would move right into the coveted 2^nd spot in the NFC and have a much needed bye. As it is the Pack is already assured of a playoff spot somewhere and depending on how the cards fall it is a very real possibility that Green Bay could lay in the next 4 weeks Arizona, Minnesota, Minnesota, and Arizona again. Ugh.

A Coach of the Year Award for Mike McCarthy and his staff. McCarthy has been consistently passed over by the likes of Pete Carroll and Andy Reid but has not been recognized as one of the game’s best and brightest coaches. The job McCarthy and Co. have done this year in guiding the Pack to a 10 – 4 record has been staggering considering the obstacles they have had to overcome. The loss of Jordy Nelson and Ty Montgomery has hurt Aaron Rodgers’ passing game and the big splash plays have been few and far between this year.

Speaking of the receiving corps some new, really sticky gloves would be a most wonderful gift. Davante Adams has had more drops of TD’s than TD’s caught and he is not alone. Adams was expected to pick up the slack in the loss of Nelson but has been a victim of a terrible sophomore slump. His drops have been hard to fathom and harder still for McCarthy and Rodgers to digest.

Some more field time for Jared Abbrederis. In the wake of Adams’ maddening inconsistency Abby has been a quietly effective late season bloomer. No less an authority than Rodgers himself said in his post-game comments after a 30 – 20 win over Oakland “He (Abbrederis) knows how to get open. He needs to be on the field more.” When Rodgers talks, people listen. Look for offensive coordinator Edgar Bennett and McCarthy to find a place for a guy who can get open and catch the ball.

A Jenny Craig membership for RB Eddie Lacy. Lacy has proven to be a late season runner who gets stronger as the season grinds on. But Lacy has been benched and found himself in McCarthy’s doghouse for blowing a mandatory curfew while there have been questions raised about his weight and preparedness. James Starks has been terrific in relief save his penchant for fumbling. Without Starks to pick up the slack it would cause one to shudder to think where the Pack would have been without him.

Some much needed patience for the Packer faithful. Green Bay’s fans and world wide support system have become spoiled by success over the past 25 years. Essentially there have been just 2 hall of fame QB’s, 2 Super Bowls and the Pack is currently owning the North… but that doesn’t seem to be good enough. The Patriots have set such a ridiculous standard that compared to Brady and Belichick what the Packers do pales in comparison. But so does the rest of the NFL. “Only” 2 Super Bowls? Teams like Detroit and San Diego would sell a kidney for just one – and Detroit has never even been to the Super Bowl. Undue expectation can only breed disappointment.

A special place in NFL Films highlight package of Aaron Rodgers 61 yard rainbow that has become known as the Motor City Miracle. Doing all the math that covers length, distance and height Rodgers toss to end the game in Detroit to Richard Rodgers is estimated to have travelled 101 yards… and was dead on the money. Admit it – you never get tired of watching this play and could make it a mandatory watch daily until next year. And to top it all off Rodgers has just been featured in a trick shot video with the NBA’s Chris Paul that is nothing short of mind blowing. To see this video click this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfM0_ngx0zU

Some appreciation for the masterful job Ted Thompson and his staff have done. This year’s draft yielded no less than 4 players in the first 4 rounds who have made direct contributions. CB’s Damarious Randall and Quentin Rollins will help to make the secondary formidable in then years to come while WR Montgomery who went on the IR last week was already showing promise before injuring his ankle. ILB Jake Ryan tends to overplay at times but is the type that always seems to be around the ball and does so in a furious fashion and check his stats – he is consistently among the team leaders in tackles per game. He’ll be a stud in the very near future. 5^th round QB Brett Hundley is being groomed and 7^th rd. DL Christian Ringo was signed to a raise while on the practice squad indicating the brass has future hopes for him. The job done by the scouting staff to ensure the viability of the team into the future has been stellar.

Some snow on the field. The vast majority of the east coast and even into the Midwest has had unseasonable warm, wet weather and football in Green Bay just isn’t the same until the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field becomes frozen. Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.

A spot in the Pro Bowl for Julius Peppers. Since being deemed expendable by the Chicago Bears 2 seasons ago Peppers has added stability and some sage play at the OLB slot. Peppers has been literally reborn being moved from a hand in the dirt DE to a more mobile OLB where his immense physical talents can be best utilized. His strip sacks and ability to drop into coverage may extend his run in Green Bay longer than the 3 year deal he inked last year.

Someone to step up inside so that Clay Matthews can move back to his natural OLB spot. Mike Neal has had a very good season while Nick Perry has been less than expected for a former 1^st rounder. In his contract year Perry may get some feelers but not at the big bucks he would have hoped. Ryan looks to have the speed and mentality for the role but not yet the discipline. Give him time and it will be there. But another LB yielding draft would be a good expectation.

A better health care plan for the offensive line. At one point this year 4 of the 5 starters were all out with injuries leaving only Pro Bowl G Josh Sitton in the same spot. J.C. Tretter has filled in admirably for C Corey Linsley while Don Barclay has seen more of the field than he thought he would. When healthy the line is as good a line as there is in the NFL and getting them right for the end of season into the playoffs push would help Lacy and Rodgers immensely.

Some respect for the job defensive coordinator Dom Capers has done. Blending in youth with the veterans and watching the defense become the unit that has carried the Packers this year was not on anyone’s agenda but it has most certainly been the case. While the offense has struggled at times the defense has kept the Packers in most games. McCarthy nailed it when he said of the 4 losses there was a clear loss to Denver but in the other 3 it came down to a last possession affair. Not bad, Dom.

And if we’re not being too greedy a nice, tidy 5 game winning streak starting Sunday. As McCarthy has said “Stats are for losers. I’m tired of the negativity. We’re 10 – 4 and in the playoffs.” Hear, hear coach. Five games, starting Sunday in Arizona. Do the math.

That being said we still have to make our pick for Sunday’s big matchup. In our preseason picks issue we stated Green Bay would finish 11 – 5. At 10 – 4 now the Pack is on the track we expected them to be. The track has gone through some very unexpected stations along the way but it is arriving just about where we thought. As much as we would love to take the Pack Sunday, the Cardinals are the team to beat this year, the Carolina Panthers and their perfect record considered. Carson Palmer is playing at an ultra-high level and the Cards WR’s – Larry Fitzgerald, John Brown and Michael Floyd will be, as Rodgers and McCarthy said a good test. Add in the sudden star RB David Johnson and the Cards deck is stacked. Losing S Tyrann Mathieu will hurt but CB Patrick Peterson has cut the field in half and along the way has surpassed Darrelle Revis and Richard Sherman. The defense is fast and physical and ‘Zona may be the most balanced team on both sides of the ball this year.

It should make the rematch in the playoffs that mush tastier.

Green Bay 19  

ARIZONA 29