THE CLOCK IS TICKING

Battle Scarred Packers Ready to Face Untested ‘Skins in DC

Tick… tick… tick… Just like in the old movies that featured a ticking bomb the # 5 seed Green Bay Packers enter the playoffs as a ticking bomb. As they prepare to face the surprise winner of the NFC East Washington Redskins the Pack is poised to do one of two very different things.

Tick… tick… tick… The Packers enter the sweepstakes as the X factor team and the one team that has repeatedly shot itself in the foot over the course of the past 10 games. By now everyone is aware Green Bay opened at 6 - 0 and looked like world beaters. Since then they’ve been a very pedestrian 4 – 6 and last week blew the opportunity to seize their 5^th straight NFC North title. The up and coming Minnesota Vikings had other plans however and came into the once intimidating Lambeau Field environment and just like the Bears and Lions on their divisional visit to Titletown each of the NFC North neighbors crashed the party and whacked the Pack. At home. In Lambeau. Not since Vince Lombardi turned the reins over to Phil Bengston in ’68 have the Packers been swept by their divisional rivals at home.

Tick… tick… tick… The losses have been as well chronicled as they have been inexplicable. How could a team as seemingly loaded on offense suddenly fizzle? IS the ticking really a bomb set to go off or is it a portent of things to come as the clock mercilessly winds down on a disappointing finish to an injury marred season. Can Green Bay suddenly and inexplicably figure it out in time to resuscitate an otherwise head scratching campaign? Will the ticking bomb finally explode or will it be another dud?

The Washington Redskins could not possibly care less about the Pack’s woes. Since new coach Jay Gruden went so far out on a limb his only hope was the tree would grow roots in time to save his job by inserting Kirk Cousins into the lineup over incumbent Robert Griffin III the Skins fortunes have turned upward as dramatically as the Packers fortunes have turned downward. On the surface the rest of the NFL could be looking down its collective nose and harrumphing at these two teams, neither of which is expected to go beyond the second round. One will make the second round for sure. The other? Well, make sure the golf clubs are polished and seeya next year.

Washington began the campaign a hot mess. RG3 failed to ignite the Skins fuse in camp and Gruden looked to be an early candidate for being the first out the door of the NFL coaching carousel. Thankfully he had Chip Kelly fail miserably in Philly to get the boot first and deservedly so for blowing up the Eagles roster and sending them to the bottom of the barrel. Had Tony Romo of the Cowboys not gotten injured there’s no telling just how far Philly could have fallen. And Washington was greatly aided by the Giants inexplicable inability to manage that last minutes of a game.

But when Cousins went in for Gruden over RG3 things began to change. Not immediately but like the ticking of a time bomb it was a slow, methodical steady improvement every week. Cousins found a rhythm and helped to rejuvenate the career of Colt castoff Pierre Garcon and make a star again of Kelly’s banished bad boy in DeSean Jackson. The unsung hero of the lot was TE Jordan Reed who became Jimmy Graham 2.0 and as morphed into Cousins favorite target.

The biggest and most pleasant surprise has to be the emergence of Cousins. After RG3 was taken high in the 1^st round of the draft the Skins hedged their bet by also tabbing Cousins in the 4^th round, a move that drew more than one raised eyebrow in skepticism. After RG3 blew out of the gates it looked like Cousins was a wasted pick. But when RG3 blew out his knee Cousins wasn’t exactly ready to take center stage. Mike Shanahan was Washington’s bench boss at the time and his controversial decision to leave an obviously banged up Griffin in a playoff game led to a disastrous knee injury that left Griffin a shell of the player he once was. Gruden rode Griffin hard and at times heartlessly last year and continued the harangue into this season. The clock on Griffin began to tick louder and more frequently but even a demotion to 3^rd string and no longer even dressing for games has not publicly soured RG3 who will undoubtedly draw interest in the offseason. When Griffin didn’t produce under Gruden’s pressure Cousins became the next man up. Cousins began the season tepidly but gradually became more effective, so much so he surpassed Aaron Rodgers in stats this season.

Alfred Morris came in unheralded and lacks blazing speed or steamrolling but his ability to change directions and cut has made him highly effective in Washington’s offense. And Washington struck gold again late in the draft as rookie Matt Jones picked up the slack when Morris faltered. Jones is questionable for Sunday’s contest and his loss would deal a stiff blow to the Skins shot.

Tick… tick… tick… Now the countdown begins. For Washington to win they will need to rely on their underappreciated defense. The Skins were decent against what the Packers will have to do to be successful in the running game. Immense Terrence Knighton anchors the line in a 3 – 4 alignment and Washington has the LB’s that fly to the ball. Ryan Kerrigan leads a group that includes Trent Murphy, Will Compton and Mason Foster. While none are household names collectively they bring some thump and can also drop into coverage, an area where the Skins may be most vulnerable.

Tick… tick… tick… On the other side of the field the Packers are the ticking time bomb. The rhetoric has been forget the regular season, the real season is now. True enough. From a historical perspective there is some merit; when Peyton Manning and the Colts won their Super Bowl they were blown out by Jacksonville 44 – 6 late in the regular season. The last Giants Super Bowl – Brett Favre’s last game as a Packer - win saw them limp into the playoffs ice cold, catch a break and then get hot at the right time. Even the Packer’s Super Bowl run in ’10 saw them come in on the last game of the season, the 12^th team to qualify and the least likely to run the table. But they did.

That time bomb is the Packers offense. All season long everyone has been waiting for it to go off. In spite of the offensive woes there is enough pure talent and grizzled playoff tested talent to have that bomb go off. Green Bay will need Eddie Lacy to perform like the Eddie Lacy he is capable of being. Getting Lacy going and sticking with the game plan is paramount. As the Packers deficiencies at WR have been exposed defenses have played tighter and are daring the pass but the Packers inconsistencies in the running game have exacerbated the problems.

Much will depend on the health of David Bahktiari, Josh Sitton, T.J. Lang and Bryan Bulaga, all of whom have lost game time to injury. While Sitton has been sitting he was put in the unenviable role of playing left tackle last week as the backups Layne Taylor and Don Barclay could have been charged as accessories to assault with the number of hits Aaron Rodgers took against Minnesota. Sitton did the best he could but Everson Griffin pretty much had his way with Sitton. The line is an excellent pass blocking group but for unknown reasons has not opened the lanes for Lacy as they have in seasons past.

It is a must against Washington. Green Bay has to have the running game if they are to have a prayer of even attempting a pass. The symbiotic nature of run to pass and pass to run is such in Packerland that one cannot survive without the other. If Lacy goes that ticking time bomb could go off big. James Starks has to simply hang on to the ball. His 5 fumbles this year have caught the attention of the coaching staff that may be more reluctant to trust him in crunch time.

One area that doesn’t draw concern is the defense. The Packer defense has been largely overlooked this year in the wake of the offensive woes. The defense has been playing some fairly consistent ball of late and has surrendered more than 20 points only once in the past 7 games, a fact that flies under the radar when the offense is struggling to put points on the board. Sam Shields may not clear the concussion protocol in time for the first round; in his place Damarious Randall has been better than advertised as he has filled in well. Randall is still prone to biting early on a double move and he may draw a matchup with DeSean Jackson which should be an interesting game-within-a-game matchup.

Tick… tick… tick… The clock is winding down on the Packers. The ticking of the time bomb is going to lead to one of two distinctly different outcomes. Any team can get hot in the playoffs… why not the Packers? If Randall Cobb, Davante Adams, James Jones and Richard Rodgers could get on the same page as Rodgers the Packers are as good as anybody. There is strength in playoff experience, something the young Redskins cannot counter. With the exception of the rookies almost all the Packers have been in a playoff game and know what is to be expected. That fact alone could make all the difference. With the loss to Minnesota the Vikes face the red hot Seahawks in the arctic chill of Minneapolis while the Packers drew the most favorable matchup with Washington. But in the NFL there is always the “be careful what you wish for” syndrome that could have that ticking bomb go off in the Packers’ lap.

Tick… tick… tick… Will this finally be the game the bomb goes off and the offense clicks and blows up the ‘Skins… or is it just a dud? Experience will be the difference.

                                                            

Tick… tick… tick… Boom!

  GREEN BAY 23   

   Washington  19   

HIT THE ROAD, PACK

Vikes Dump Pack to Claim North,

Pack Travels to D.C. to Face ‘Skins

Dennis Green has one of the more celebrated coach rants of all time. After his Arizona Cardinals were thrashed by the Chicago Bears on national television Green had a nuclear meltdown moment during his post-game press conference that culminated in the now legendary explosion “They are who we thought they were!”

As for the 2015-16 Green Bay Packers it can be said “They aren’t who we thought they were.”

With a national audience tuning in, after looking less than impressive over the past 10 games, with all the public declarations about showing up at crunch time the Minnesota Vikings came into Lambeau and ripped the NFC North crown from the hands of the Packers by a score of 20 – 13. The upstart Vikes withstood a few moments that looked as if it would turn the game on its ear. If Minnesota is red hot and for their effort they now gets to face the white hot Seattle Seahawks at home in round 1. For their part the Pack gets to travel to our nation’s capital to square off against Washington, the winners of the east.

The clichés will fly thicker than the snow in Green Bay this week. Throw the records out; the season starts now… any given Sunday… we’ll get it done at crunch time… it’s anybody’s game… the regular season means nothing now. Sports is nothing if not a place that breeds and cultures clichés and rolls them out proudly every year. No doubt the Packers will lean on the clichés heavily this week.

Of all the teams in the playoffs in both the NFC and

AFC Green Bay just might be the weakest entry. Thankfully the Pack opened at 6 – 0 to have enough momentum to limp into the dance. While the Vikings, Cards and Panthers come in roaring the Packers quietly and unceremoniously snuck in an open side door. None of this is meant to suggest the Packers don’t deserve to be there; a 10 – 6 record is nothing to sneeze at. But 10 – 6 was hardly the expectation of Mike McCarthy or anyone else prior to the start of the campaign. But that pristine 6 – 0 start seems three lifetimes removed. At the time Green Bay was in the thick of the conversation of the best of the best. So was New England. The Patriots are the AFC version of Green Bay as they have been decimated by injuries and barely resemble the juggernaut that was rolling through the AFC.

The Vikings and head coach Mike Zimmer deserve a ton of credit for their rapid turnaround. Green Bay’s defense once again throttled the NFL’s leading rusher in Adrian Peterson and did a good job of harassing Teddy Bridgewater. For the game Peterson was limited to 67 yards on the ground in 19 carries while Bridgewater was held under 100 yards passing also at 99 yards on a 10 of 19 day with 1 interception. Rodgers won the head to head  battle by going 288/ 44 for 291 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT. Eddie Lacy was used early and often but was only able to put up 34 yards on 13 carries and James Starks didn’t fare much better with 24 yards on 8 carries. Where the Vikings separated themselves from the Pack was defensively. The Packer’s overworked and undermanned offensive line surrendered 5 more sacks, one of which resulted in an Aaron Rodgers fumble that was returned by Captain Munnerlynn 55 yards for the TD that broke the Pack’s back.

Once again the Packer defense gave the offense a game with which they could win. Both Peterson and Bridgewater were held under 100 yards. The Pack sacked Teddy B 3 times and it was Clay Matthews’s lion-like pounce of a sack that killed a Viking drive that kept the damage to a field goal. At the end of the first half the score was a surprising but manageable count of 6 – 3 Minnesota. Peterson’s 3 yard bull rush put up the first TD of the game and Munnerlynn’s fumble recovery off an Everson Griffen sack almost put the game out of reach at 20 – 3. Griffen’s sack and to be fair the majority of the Vikings sacks came as a result of injuries to the Packers offensive line. With starting left tackle David Bahktiari out with an ankle injury All Pro G Josh Sitton was moved from left guard to left tackle and Lane Taylor was inserted into Sitton’s slot. Sitton did his best but he is not a tackle and Griffen was able to exploit Sitton.

In just Zimmer’s 2^nd season the Vikings have gone from 5 – 10 -1 to NFC North Champs. Zimmer has a bristling, no nonsense nature and in just his 2^nd season he has the Vikings ship pointed in the right direction. "Did we get here faster? I don't know. I have pretty high expectations," Zimmer said. "I don't know, maybe." When Zimmer came in he made few friends, cleaned out a locker room of malingerers and made it clear he’s in charge and isn’t the least bit interested in whether his players particularly like him as a person. He has been brutally blunt but refreshingly honest and has created an atmosphere of accountability the likes of which haven’t been seen in Minnesota in some time.

Mike McCarthy was less than impressed with his team’s performance afterwards. "Frankly, we didn't do enough of the things you need to do, especially in big games, to come out on top," McCarthy said. QB Aaron Rodgers echoed the sentiment. "Yeah, we've got to play better. We've got to put it all together," Rodgers said. The Vikings win over the Packers also added a little more salt in the wound of this season. For the first time since 1968 the Packers did not win a game at home against a divisional opponent. Lambeau Field no longer holds the spell over opponents it once did.

In spite of the poor showing the Pack made a game of it in the 4^th quarter. Rodgers caught fire and in the 4^th quarter alone he eclipsed his output from the first 3 quarters. A 16 yard strike to TE Richard Rodgers closed the gap and a Mason Crosby field goal put the game within striking distance. Viking kick returner almost broke the ensuing kickoff but after a 70 yard return it was Crosby’s karate chop that knocked the ball loose and Micah Hyde alertly pounced on the gaffe. Hyde had an earlier one handed scoop and grab of an interception that killed a Minnesota drive. Rodgers had one more shot to knot the game.

Rodgers drove the Pack deep but it was not to be. On 4^th down his intended pass for James Jones was not thrown far enough to the outside for Jones to make a play. Jones had a wide area to field in the end zone but when Rodgers across his body throw sailed inside Xavier Rhoades picked it off to seal the win. Although the Pack had one last desperation Hail Mary play their allotment for miracles this season had been used in Detroit earlier this year.

The game itself was an encapsulation of the Packers season. Receivers could not get open. Randall Cobb had a drop early when he began to look upfield before securing the ball. Rodgers was hit, harassed and sacked. For the season Rodgers was sacked 46 times. Rodgers’ numbers are far from horrible. 3,800 yards/ 38 TD’s/ 8 INT’s. Most NFL QB’s would kill for a season like that but for Rodgers it is a down year.

The Packers coming limping into the playoffs and if there is any silver lining they get to face Washington, a team that won the NFC East by attrition but is far from a powerhouse. Of course, right now, neither are the Packers.

Let the clichés begin.

This week’s edition is in loving memory of Barto L. Sweitzer 1934- 2015

FOR ALL THE MARBLES

Pack Hosts Vikes for NFC North Crown

It’s only appropriate that it should come down to this. The struggling Green Bay Packers and surging Minnesota Vikings are on a head on collision course with the NFC North crown at stake. In a winner take all matchup the NFL flexed its TV muscle and moved the game to the prime 8:30 slot Sunday night.

The last meeting in Minnesota in week 11 saw the Packers thoroughly dominate the Vikes and bottle up RB Adrian Peterson and stifle QB Teddy Bridgewater. The 30 – 13 win may have been the high water mark of the year as it helped to end a 3 game slide at the time. Now the Packers are in the driver’s seat for the North.

Last week’s debacle against Arizona underscored how far the Pack has fallen lately. Aaron Rodgers and the offense have been part of an ongoing national debate about what’s wrong with the Packers offense. Theories have ranged from how slow the receivers are, missing Jordy Nelson and Ty Montgomery to injuries to the line being undermanned to injury to Rodgers holding the ball too long and the outrageous Olivia Munn theory. Munn is the actress who is also starring as Arod’s love interest and if the rumors are accurate she has become Yoko Ono for Aaron and his magical right arm.

It’s all balderdash. Losing Nelson set off a domino effect that has manifested itself in the here and now of how differently teams are defending the Packers. In the early part of the season, the 6 – 0 juncture part of the season teams were defending a highly explosive offense whose receivers were considered among the league’s elite corps. Rodgers was pinpoint accurate and the Packers were among the Top 3 in discussion of the NFL’s best teams.

All that changed in Denver in week 8. The Broncos sport some of the league’s best defensive backs and Denver came out aggressive and challenged the Packer WR’s to beat man coverage. Under different circumstances this would have been akin to looking for the gas leak with a lit match but Denver knew something the rest of the league didn’t. The Packers pass catchers couldn’t beat man coverage. The more the Broncos jammed the wideouts the further the Packers fell behind. The 29 – 10 Denver win also opened the eyes of the rest of the NFL. 

Jam the Pack at the line. Dare them to beat you. Without Nelson’s speed and sideline ability the rest of the Packers are a group of good but not great receivers who don’t have a blazer among them. Teams began to move their coverages closer to the line of scrimmage and it began to clog the passing lanes. The result has been a field of congestion that has been busier than rush hour in Times Square. Opposing LB’s have stayed closer to the line as well and given less quarter in the running game. Eddie Lacy has been in and out of Mike McCarthy’s doghouse almost all season and save one big 124 yard game against Dallas has been throttled in the mass of humanity at the line of scrimmage. James Starks has been more than competent but has turned the ball over far too often. Finding an open man has been all but impossible and with the offensive line breaking down with injuries a second fatal flaw has been exposed.

The perceived depth at the offensive line has been much thinner than expected. When both tackles went out in the desert the loss of David Bahktiari and Bryan Bulaga was filled by Don Barclay and Lane Taylor who became turnstiles for the relentless cardinal pass rush. Just how leaky was the line? Try 8 sacks of Rodgers and 1 of backup Scott Tolzien. Mike McCarthy’s offense is predicated on the line doing its job without help. A different team would allow for a drop of talent and add a back or TE to help in picking up the rush but it has only been recently that help has been offered.

It would be disingenuous to suggest McCarthy reacted too late to add to the protection scheme. What is unmistakable is the fact there is a huge drop in talent in the backups. J.C. Tretter filled in admirably when C Corey Linsley went out but Taylor has borne an undo amount of pressure and with it criticism. Some of it is vastly unfair; if he had the talent of a Bryan Bulaga he’d be starting somewhere else but he is not up to the task of taking on a top flight defense the likes of which Arizona employs. Time and again Taylor was beaten to the outside on a speed rush and was also flattened by a bull rush. The resulting 9 sack day became painful to watch. McCarthy will almost certainly have to make adjustments to the protection packages of he wants to keep Rodgers healthy.

Lost in the 38 – 8 drubbing by Arizona is how well the defense has been playing. The offense literally gave 28 points away on turnovers and poor field position. The defense has more than done its part this year and has flourished while the offense has struggled. It didn’t help matters that both Sam Shields and B.J. Raji were out with concussions last week and Raji is expected to play but Shields is not. Clay Matthews has been performing well all year and he’s been rewarded with another Pro Bowl trip. The rookies – Damarious Randall and Quentin Rollins – have both been good enough soon enough to see a significant amount of playing time. Jake Ryan still has a tendency to over pursue and get caught out of position but his motor is unmistakable. When Sam Barrington comes back next year and Matthews can move back outside it could make for a very formidable defense into the future.

For right now the future is now. Minnesota thrashed the Odell Beckham-less Giants last week and is on a hot streak. Teddy Bridgewater and rookie WR Stefon Diggs are starting to develop a chemistry that could be a long term headache for the rest of the North. And all Peterson has done is to lead the league in rushing and he has a chip on his shoulder after being bottled up by the Pack in their previous hookup. Jerrick McKinnon provides an explosive change of pain the backfield and TE Kyle Rudolph has emerged as a more than competent target for Teddy B.

On defense the Vikings strength is in the LB position. Rookie Eric Kendricks and 2^nd year man Anthony Barr lead a team that doesn’t possess an imposing pass rush. The DB’s are a slightly above average lot and under different circumstances Aaron Rodgers would feast on their collective inexperience. Given the Pack‘s offense of late just completing a pass would be a step forward. And upon completing a pass if Davante Adams can just line up again without spiking the ball in celebration it would be a huge step forward.

One area of concern for the Vikings will be their ability to protect Bridgewater. Their offensive line has been suspect all year. If anyone can explain Matt Kahlil’s decline Vikings boss Mike Zimmer would love to hear it. Kahlil is a former first rounder whose play has steadily declined and as a result Bridgewater has been flushed more frequently than Manhattan’s commodes at halftime of a Super Bowl game. Zimmer’s blunt, no nonsense approach and caustic nature have helped to forge the young Vikings into serious contenders. If they are to be taken seriously they’ll have to take the next step and knock of the team that has held a grip on the North for the past 4 years.

Both teams have playoff spots locked up. Carolina and Arizona are playing for the #1 seed and should Carolina win they lock up the top spot. Arizona’s final meeting with Seattle has a direct impact on the Pack’s fortunes. If Green Bay wins they lock up the #4 spot and will face the #6 seed. If Seattle upsets Arizona the Vikings become the #6 seed which means the Pack and Vikes essentially get a same time/ same place do over the following week in the First Round. But only if the Seahawks somehow prevail over the Cards. If Green Bay wins and Seattle loses it sets up an almost inevitable, preordained playoff game when the Packers would face Seattle once again.

Should Minnesota carry the day and win on Sunday Green Bay would travel as the #5 seed to face the Redskins in DC, hardly a miserable fate for a loss. Just don’t plan on the Pack taking the lower road and tanking to get a more favorable matchup. Expect the Packers to bring the house on Sunday night. They all get tough from this point forward. A win Sunday night going into the playoffs is a great place to start.

GREEN BAY  27    

  Minnesota  24  

WE’VE SEEN THIS MOVIE BEFORE

Same Old, Same Old as Cards Deck Pack in Blowout

It was a familiar refrain from the same sad song, one that has been played far too many times already this season. The Green Bay Packers went into Arizona with dreams of the #2 seed in the NFC dancing in their heads. When they exited they took their thoroughly kicked backsides and limped quietly out of town the victim of a 38 – 8 thrashing. Don’t kid yourself… the score sounds a lot closer than it really was.

 It was much the same as it has been since the Packers opened 6 – 0. There is no makeup that can be applied to make the ugly eyesore look even presentable. A few of the very grim realities. Injuries continue to mount as Bryan Bulaga went out. Against the Cardinals speedy DB’s the receivers could not get open – again. The playing field looked like a field full of daisy with all the yellow flags tossed. 3^rd down conversions are as frequent as suntans in Green Bay in January. In spite of the drubbing the defense gave the offense a game with which they could win. Once again the offense dropped the ball – literally. And an oldie but goodie was present. Once again drops of passes were an issue. Davante Adams let another one slip right through his fingers as he whiffed on a ball he and only he not only could have caught but should have caught. When Adams finally had a reception of note he got hit with a yellow penalty flag for delay of game when his pointless, immature spike of the ball was ill-timed considering the Packers were behind by 30 some odd points. So angered was Mike McCarthy his lips could be read as he asked in frustration “Why does he do that?” When your season comes down to spiking the ball in celebration for just making a basic catch volumes have been spoken.

Once again the offense went MIA as Aaron Rodgers was off target more times than anyone can remember, his receivers, when they could catch the ball, were caught behind the point where they needed to be for a first down. The battered offensive line substituted their pads and jockstraps for a pair of tights and a matador’s cape as they simply waved and hollered “OLE!” as Rodgers was belted and hammered and sacked 8 times. When McCarthy finally, mercifully yanked Rodgers from the fire backup QB Scott Tolzien was sacked giving the Cardinals a whopping 9 sacks for the day.

Coming into the game Green Bay led the league in fewest giveaways via fumbles or interceptions with 11. Rodgers threw an interception right after Mike Daniels alertly picked off a Carson Palmer attempt at a screen to RB David Johnson. The hits kept on coming as Rodgers fumbled the ball 3 more times on sacks while James Starks and Scott Tolzein each had a fumble giving the Packers, in one game, more than half the turnovers they have committed all season. The most damning indictment was the 28 points given up off those turnovers. While the time of possession was all but even the Cards outgained the Pack by a mark of 381 yards to Greens Bay’s 178.

For a while it looked as if it would be a playoff caliber game. The 1^st quarter ended at 0 – 0. Eddie Lacy was running well. But the passing game continued to fizzle. The Packers horrendous inability to convert 3^rd downs once again reared its ugly head. The Packers converted only 5 of 17 3^rd down attempts, a 29% conversion rate that is below the very bottom of the league. This is an ongoing problem and now with Minnesota pummeling the hapless New York Giants by a count of 49 – 17 the Packers are now tasked with facing a team that has been as hot as the Packers have been cold. While 10 – 5 is hardly anything to sneeze at the miscues, misfires, penalties and offensive ineptitude has gotten very old very fast.

McCarthy and Rodgers have been sporting the company line about improvement and guys playing better and guys showing up but the only guys playing better and showing up are the guys on defense. Daniels gift wrapped a legit scoring chance deep with his pick. Imagine his dismay at having to retrieve his helmet after Rodgers was picked off by S Justin Bethel on a poorly thrown ball. If Rodgers appeared glum after last week’s spotty win over Oakland after this game he may go incognito. Rodgers Motor City Miracle heave aside the Packers have not looked good or complete or even like a playoff caliber team since manhandling the Vikings in what seems to be three full lifetimes ago but was really only 6 very long weeks ago.

The Cardinals opened the scoring after Jeff Janis was flagged for a facemask violation while running down a punt. Palmer to Larry Fitzgerald put the Cards on top 7 – 0 and Arizona never looked back. As it became 10 - 0 on a Chris Catanzaro field Daniels had his pick that placed the ball on the Cardinal 21. All the sundae needed was a cherry but all they got was crushed nuts instead. Rodgers missed James Jones badly on the interception by Bethel and a potential 10 – 7 game became 17 – 0 when Palmer drove the Cards 80 yards in 7 plays culminating in hitting John Brown from 7 yards out with 6 seconds left.

This has also become a Packer staple of late. Stink the joint out in the first half (see: Detroit/ Dallas/ Oakland), show up in late in the second half and somehow win in spite of yourself. Not Sunday, Not against the talent rich and deep Cardinals. Palmer is developing a killer’s instinct and a surgeon’s touch. The death knell came early in the second half. Knowing Green Bay’s penchant for last second heroics on the Pack’s first possession of the 2^nd half RB James Starks fumbled on the first play and set Arizona up for a 2 play/ 14 yard dash by RB David Johnson to ice the game. The 3^rd quarter wasn’t even a minute old and the game and the Pack’s chances at a bye were over. The next series brought even more futility as Rodgers was pounded, lost the ball and Corey Redding scooped up the late Christmas present and rumbled 36 yards steamrolling Eddie Lacy along the way.

As inconsistent and unreliable as the Packers passing game has been of late it was imperative to establish the run early, But a 31-0 deficit will be a fulcrum to trash intent and try to get something, anything going. Long, clock killing drives only work with a lead. The passing game has now shrunk and been reduced to a dink and dunk, 5 – 7 yard gain at a time offense and although Lacy ran well the time to pound was kicked right in the seat of the pants. Lacy did pick up the Pack’s lone score on the next series, a ‘Big Deal’ TD catch from Rodgers from 28. But the many Packer faithful that had a pilgrimage to the desert to get out of the snow were wishing for a snow blower and a fast cab out of town.

 The rest of the game was little more than pad-the-stats time for ’Zona. As for the Pack it was a glum reinforcement that as f today they aren’t in the consideration of one of the NFL’s elite. As for Arizona they just may be the best team in the NFL. With Carolina finally getting dinged by Atlanta the Cards have all the pieces in all the right places and look to be the team to beat.

The Packers just look beat up. Next up is the NFC North title matchup at home against Minnesota that at first blanch would appear as a dire, must-win contest. But hand on a second… while the winner claims the NFC North the very real possibility is the winner will also face Seattle in the first round of the playoffs while the loser will most likely face Washington. If the objective is getting to the Super Bowl maybe second place isn’t such a bad thing. The Vikings are coming in sky high and are looking to make their bones at the Pack’s expense. Perhaps the Packers can find themselves before it’s too late and get hot. Maybe they can rally in time to right the ship. Maybe every guy shows up for once and for all. Then again the way Green Bay has looked lately maybe they’d be better off to skip the first half altogether, stay warm in the locker room and come out and hope for the best in the second half.

Along with the drops, turnovers, sacks, lack of a consistent running game, receivers not getting open, injuries and penalties it has become a style with which the Packers have become all too familiar. Two things became certain however in the wreckage. The Arizona Cardinals are playoff ready. The Green Bay Packers are not.