It’s remarkable to think that just a few months ago the Packers were a team limping through their schedule dealing with injuries to key players and losing to teams like the Redskins! Yet now, when it matters, the Packers are hitting their stride on both sides of the ball and have been the most impressive team so far this postseason. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers has silenced those critics who claimed that he was not an elite quarterback in this league, and with guidance from all time greats like Steve Young and Bart Starr, it seems that he his poised to have a big Superbowl performance. As we enter Superbowl Sunday lets break down the Green Bay Packers.
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| Rodgers threw for 28 TDs in 2010 |
Strengths: The most important and most obvious strength that the Packers have is on the offensive side of the ball in their passing game. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers has the highest QB rating this postseason in the league at 109.2, and if you think about some of the quarterbacks that were in this years playoffs, that’s quite a feat. Even after losing stud tight end Jermichael Finley, the Packers have shown that they have enough playmakers to compensate for his loss. Greg Jennings has entrenched himself as Rodgers go to guy and finished the regular season 4th in receiving yards with 1,265 to go along with 12 touchdowns. Green Bay’s other strength comes from their defensive secondary. This secondary that was 5th best this season in terms of fewest pass yards given up per game, has played at an even higher level this postseason. If you take a look at the postseason leaders in interceptions, at the top of that list you will find two Packers, Tramon Williams and Sam Shields. The funny part of that is that neither of those guys is in fact the team’s best defensive back! Cornerback Charles Woodson led the Packers this season with 76 solo tackles and 7 of those were for a loss. This secondary has six interceptions in the postseason against the likes of Quarterbacks like Michael Vick, Matt Ryan, and Jay Cutler (before he got hurt). With these three guys playing at this high of a level, it will be difficult for Steelers Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to work his “Superbowl magic”.
Weaknesses: While the Green Bay Packers biggest strength is found on the offensive side of the ball, the same holds true for their biggest weakness. With starting running back Ryan Grant going down with a season ending injury in the teams opening day game, the Packers have struggled to maintain a balanced offensive attack. The Packers finished the 2010 regular season ranked 24th in the league in team total rushing yards while averaging only a very mediocre 3.8 yards per carry. Three times this season Green Bay ended the game with Aaron Rodgers as the teams leading rusher, and while he is a pretty mobile guy, he’s no Michael Vick. The Packers tried out a couple of options in their backfield this season with guys like Brandon Jackson and John Kuhn but they may have found their gem late in the season in 6th round pick James Starks. Starks appeared in the Packer’s 34-16 win over San Francisco in week 13 when he rushed for 73 yards on 18 carries. He then was nowhere to be seen for basically the remainder of the regular season, but it looks like he was saving his best moments for this years playoffs. This postseason Starks leads all rushers with 263 yards and scored his first professional touchdown against the Bears in the NFC Championship. While this does give the Packer’s some hope for production in the running game, the young Starks may be in for a rude awakening when he goes up against the leagues number one rush defense in Pittsburgh.
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| Raji has broke out this season with 6.5 sacks |
Player to Watch: There are tons of big names you can throw out for the Packer’s player to watch in this game, so I tried to think somewhat outside the box on this one. One of the keys to the game for Green Bay will be to slow down the Steelers running attack, which destroyed the Jets in the AFC Championship. That, along with the fact that there is a good chance that Pittsburgh will be without their star rookie center Maurkice Pouncey, makes the Green Bay Packers player to watch 337 pound defensive tackle B.J Raji. If backup center Doug Legursky gets the start for Pittsburgh, look for Raji to use his twenty pound advantage over Legursky and clog up the middle running lanes. If Raji can shutdown the inside running lanes and force Steelers RB Rashard Mendenhall to bounce it to the outside then the packers will have a shot at shutting down the Steelers running attack on Sunday and put more pressure on Roethlisberger to throw against the Green Bay secondary (Which if you read the Packer’s strengths you will know that’s no easy task).
If I were a Packer fan: If I were a Packer fan then here are some things that I would hope to see this Sunday. 1) Maurkice Pouncey not to play 2) The Packers secondary to force Big Ben into some stupid throws and create turnovers 3) James Starks to at least be productive enough to where the Steelers cant throw six defensive backs on the field every snap and 4) Aaron Rodgers officially come out of the shadow of Brett Favre and lead the Packers to their first Superbowl win since 1996!
Didn't I tell y'all two weeks ago? Green Bay Packers--2011 Super Bowl Champs! AAAAAAAAGH!
From Monday, January 24:
I've been blogging the Bible for nearly two years now, and I hope that during that time, I've been able to reveal a glimmer of Judeo-Christian scripture's wisdom and beauty. But, kind readers, I begin today's post with an apology:
For nearly 24 months, I've hidden what may be one of the Bible's deepest secrets. I've kept it from you for these long weeks while I awaited confirmation of its truth--confirmation that finally arrived yesterday afternoon.
On Sunday, January 23, the Green Bay Packers defeated the Chicago Bears to become the first NFC sixth seed to advance to the Super Bowl. This miraculous run--which ended with five straight wins over teams with a combined regular-season record of 44-20--proves what I've always thought true: God loves the Green Bay Packers.
Don't believe me? Well I've got proof--indisputable Biblical evidence that the Lord of the Universe has a rooting interest in the success of the greatest, most storied franchise in the NFL. So without further adieu, my greatest Bible discovery so far, in seven tidy bullet points ...
--The apocryphal book of Ecclesiasticus claims that God will "[add] glory to Aaron and give him a heritage." The Packers' perennial MVP candidate Aaron Rodgers is gaining glory with every spectacular playoff performance, and his heritage is a Super Bowl win.
--1 Kings 6:15 claims that Solomon, son of King David, "covered them on the inside with wood." Packers' cornerback--and reigning defensive MVP--Charles Woodson covers inside like a prince; since becoming a Packer in 2006, he's snagged 30 interceptions with his stellar interior defense.
--Titus 1:7 declares that a bishop must not be "greedy for gain." Packers LB Desmond Bishop energetically rejected dozens of opponents' gains during the 2010 season, racking up 103 tackles and forcing two fumbles. In the NFC championship game, he led the team in tackles with eight, stymieing even more gain.
--Isaiah 34:11 declares that the "hawk" will "possess" enemy territory. This year, Packers Linebacker A.J. Hawk owned his opponents' backfields, collecting 111 tackles. Isaiah continues, "He shall stretch the line of confusion over it" (34:12). Hawk has confused offensive lines since he entered the league five years ago.
--1 Chronicles 22:15 calls the masons that completed the temple "skilled in working." The Packers' own Mason Crosby is himself "skilled in working"--kicks through the uprights, that is. In the 2010 season, Crosby converted on nearly 80% of his field goals and crushed a 56-yarder in week 1 against the Eagles.
--In 2 Samuel 22:36 the author exclaims that God has provided the "shield of [his] salvation." He continues, "your help has made me great." In yesterday's NFC championship, rookie CB Sam Shields delivered "great" help to a tiring secondary, grabbing not one but two picks--including the dagger that killed a last-minute, game-tying drive by the Bears.
--And finally, Revelation 8:1 reads, "When the Lamb o-pened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour." Similarly, thirty minutes of reverent silence fell over Green Bay in 1957 when Lambeau Field opened, ushering in fifty-four years (and counting) of the greatest football ever played.
So there you have it--amazing but true! Yahweh is a cheesehead. I could continue my list, but the afternoon is waning, and I've only got 13 days to plan the most righteous Super Bowl party ever. Go Pack!
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| (image courtesy of gridironcity.com) |
From Monday, January 24:
I've been blogging the Bible for nearly two years now, and I hope that during that time, I've been able to reveal a glimmer of Judeo-Christian scripture's wisdom and beauty. But, kind readers, I begin today's post with an apology:
For nearly 24 months, I've hidden what may be one of the Bible's deepest secrets. I've kept it from you for these long weeks while I awaited confirmation of its truth--confirmation that finally arrived yesterday afternoon.
On Sunday, January 23, the Green Bay Packers defeated the Chicago Bears to become the first NFC sixth seed to advance to the Super Bowl. This miraculous run--which ended with five straight wins over teams with a combined regular-season record of 44-20--proves what I've always thought true: God loves the Green Bay Packers.
Don't believe me? Well I've got proof--indisputable Biblical evidence that the Lord of the Universe has a rooting interest in the success of the greatest, most storied franchise in the NFL. So without further adieu, my greatest Bible discovery so far, in seven tidy bullet points ...
--The apocryphal book of Ecclesiasticus claims that God will "[add] glory to Aaron and give him a heritage." The Packers' perennial MVP candidate Aaron Rodgers is gaining glory with every spectacular playoff performance, and his heritage is a Super Bowl win.
--1 Kings 6:15 claims that Solomon, son of King David, "covered them on the inside with wood." Packers' cornerback--and reigning defensive MVP--Charles Woodson covers inside like a prince; since becoming a Packer in 2006, he's snagged 30 interceptions with his stellar interior defense.
--Titus 1:7 declares that a bishop must not be "greedy for gain." Packers LB Desmond Bishop energetically rejected dozens of opponents' gains during the 2010 season, racking up 103 tackles and forcing two fumbles. In the NFC championship game, he led the team in tackles with eight, stymieing even more gain.
--Isaiah 34:11 declares that the "hawk" will "possess" enemy territory. This year, Packers Linebacker A.J. Hawk owned his opponents' backfields, collecting 111 tackles. Isaiah continues, "He shall stretch the line of confusion over it" (34:12). Hawk has confused offensive lines since he entered the league five years ago.
--1 Chronicles 22:15 calls the masons that completed the temple "skilled in working." The Packers' own Mason Crosby is himself "skilled in working"--kicks through the uprights, that is. In the 2010 season, Crosby converted on nearly 80% of his field goals and crushed a 56-yarder in week 1 against the Eagles.
--In 2 Samuel 22:36 the author exclaims that God has provided the "shield of [his] salvation." He continues, "your help has made me great." In yesterday's NFC championship, rookie CB Sam Shields delivered "great" help to a tiring secondary, grabbing not one but two picks--including the dagger that killed a last-minute, game-tying drive by the Bears.
--And finally, Revelation 8:1 reads, "When the Lamb o-pened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour." Similarly, thirty minutes of reverent silence fell over Green Bay in 1957 when Lambeau Field opened, ushering in fifty-four years (and counting) of the greatest football ever played.
So there you have it--amazing but true! Yahweh is a cheesehead. I could continue my list, but the afternoon is waning, and I've only got 13 days to plan the most righteous Super Bowl party ever. Go Pack!