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The Packers have re-signed Jermichael Finley to a new 2-year, $15 million dollar deal. Finley played in all 16 games for the Packers last year and he caught 55 passes for 767 yards (13.9 avg) with 8 TD grabs. He has now played in 48 games in his first four years with the Packers and he has caught 137 passes for 1,818 yards (13.3 avg) with 15 TD grabs. This was a smart move for the Packers as Finley is one of the best TEs in the NFL.
The Packers kept turning the ball over against the Giants today and it’s almost impossible to win that way. Aaron Rodgers completed 26 of 46 passes for 264 yards with 2 TD passes and 1 INT. He also carried the ball 7 times for 66 yards (9.4 ypc) but he also lost a fumble. James Starks led the way for the Packers on the ground tonight with 43 yards rushing on 6 carries (7.2 ypc). He also caught 4 passes for 24 yards (6.0 avg) tonight. Ryan Grant carried the ball 8 times for 33 yards (4.1 ypc) and he also caught 3 passes for 7 yards, but he also lost a fumble that really hurt the Packers. John Kuhn only carried the ball 1 time for 2 yards and he lost a fumble on that carry. He also caught 1 pass and it went for an 8-yard TD. WR Donald Driver (3 rec, 45 yards, TD), WR Greg Jennings (4 rec, 40 yards) and TE Jermichael Finley (4 rec, 37 yards) led the way for the Packers in the passing game. The Packers finished up with 147 yards rushing on 23 carries (6.4 ypc) and they also completed 26 of 46 passes (56.5%) for 241 yards as they had possession of the ball for 30:25.
The defense didn’t play too well for the Packers today either. Safety Charlie Peprah led the way for the Packers in this game on D with 9 tackles and 1 tackle for a loss. CB Tramon Williams (7 tackles) and safety Morgan Burnett (4 tackles, 2 passes defensed and 1 interception) also pitched in for the Packers on D in this game. The Giants finished up with 95 yards rushing on 27 carries (3.5 ypc) and they also completed 21 of 33 passes (63.6%) for 325 yards. The Packers had an outstanding season but it ended with a thud tonight at Lambeau Field.
The Packers have been laying low lately but that will change on the field tomorrow. The Packers were 8-0 at Lambeau Field during the regular season. The Packers beat the Giants 38-35 just six weeks ago in New Jersey in one of the most exciting games of the year. The Giants have been talking a lot of smack, and they will get a chance to back it up on the field tomorrow. Here is a look at the matchups in this game:
When the Packers have the ball: The Packers don’t change for anyone. They are going to spread the field and attack the Giants down the field with the passing game. The key for the Packers will be giving Aaron Rodgers enough time to throw the ball. To help the offensive line in this game, I look for Rodgers to get rid of the ball extremely quick on short passes. As soon as the Giants sneak up to take away the short pass, that’s when Rodgers will go over the top to WRs Greg Jennings and Jordy Nelson. I also think that the Packers might run the ball a little more than usual to try to catch the Giants’ D sleeping. Ryan Grant and James Starks will likely split carries tomorrow.
When the Giants have the ball: The Packers are going to have to get a good pass rush on Eli Manning, as he was pretty damn good against them earlier in the year. He has an outstanding stable of WRs in Victor Cruz, Mario Manningham and Hakeem Nicks to throw to, but if he makes any mistakes….look for the Packers’ CBs to jump on them. The secret weapon of the Giants will likely be TE Jake Ballard as he has had a solid year. The Packers better also be ready to stop RBs Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw as they are both hard runners coming off outstanding games against the Falcons last weekend.
PREDICTION: PACKERS 41, GIANTS 34
With their eyes on repeating as Super Bowl Champs, the Packers didn’t have much P.T. to offer their rookies in 2011. That doesn’t mean that they didn’t find some keepers though. Here is a look at how the rookies did during the regular season in 2011:
22-year old OT Derek Sherrod was the Packers’ first round pick last April. He only played in 5 games (0 starts) for the Packers in 2011 as his season ended early due to a broken leg. Sherrod will be a starter for the Packers in the near future as long as he can stay healthy.
21-year old WR Randall Cobb was picked in the second round of the 2011 NFL Draft. Cobb played in 15 games for the Packers this year in which he caught 25 passes for 375 yards (15.0 avg) with 1 TD grab and he also carried the ball 2 times for 5 yards (2.5 ypc). He made his biggest mark on special teams for the Packers in 2011. Cobb returned 26 punts for 195 yards (11.3 avg) with 1 TD return and he also returned 34 kickoffs for 941 yards (27.7 avg) with 1 TD return this season. Cobb has a huge upside as he will be the best player the Packers picked in this draft.
23-year old RB Alex Green was picked in the 3rd round of the NFL Draft. Green only played in 4 games for the Packers last year and he carried the ball 3 times for 11 yards (3.7 ypc). He also caught 1 pass for 6 yards for the Packers this year. He missed most of last season due to knee surgery.
22-year old CB Davon House was a 4th round pick of the Packers. He played in 2 games for the Packers this year and he had 1 whole tackle.
23-year old TE D.J. Williams was a 5th round pick last April. He played in 13 games for the Packers this year and he caught 2 passes for 13 yards (6.5 avg). He also had 2 tackles for the Packers.
24-year old OG Caleb Schlauderaff was a 6th round pick last April. He played in 6 games (1 start) for the Packers this year. Schlauderaff was a nice find for the Packers so late in the draft as he will likely stick around for a while.
22-year old LB D.J. Smith was a 6th round pick of the Packers. He played in all 16 games for the Packers this year and he had 43 tackles, 1 tackle for a loss, 1 interception and 1 pass defensed. Smith could be a starter down the road for the Packers as he was another nice find for Packers’ GM Ted Thompson.
23-year old DE Ricky Elmore was a 6th round pick last April. He was cut by the Packers before the 2011 season began and he wound up with the 49ers. But, he didn’t get into any games for the Niners in 2011.
24-year old TE Ryan Taylor was a 7th round pick of the Packers last April. He played in 15 games for the Packers this year and he caught 1 pass for 4 yards and it was a TD. He also had 7 tackles this year for the Packers.
21-year old DT Lawrence Guy was a 7th round pick last April. He spent his rookie season on the Injured Reserve List due to a concussion.
GRADE FOR 2011: C-
GRADE FOR THE FUTURE: B
28-year old QB Aaron Rodgers led the Packers to a 14-1 record in his starts and he set a new all-time record for QB Rating in a season with a mark of 122.5. Rodgers played in 15 games (all starts) for the Packers this year and he completed 343 of 502 passes (68.3%) for 4,643 yards with 45 TD passes and only 6 INTs (122.5 QB Rating). He also carried the ball 60 times for 257 yards (4.3 ypc) with 3 TD runs this year. Rodgers has now played in 69 games (62 starts) in his NFL career so far and he has completed 1,381 of 2,113 passes (65.4%) for 17,366 yards with 132 TD passes and 38 INTs (104.1 QB Rating). He also has carried the ball 249 times for 1,183 yards (4.8 ypc) with 16 TD runs so far in his NFL career. Rodgers is now 41-21 (66.1%) as a starting QB during the regular season in his NFL career.
26-year old Matt Flynn has turned into a pretty darn good QB behind Aaron Rodgers. He won his only start this year. Flynn played in 5 games (1 start) for the Packers this year and he completed 33 of 49 passes (67.3%) for 518 yards with 6 TD passes and 2 INTs (124.8 QB Rating). He also carried the ball 13 times for -6 yards (-0.5 ypc) this year. Flynn has now played in 34 games (2 starts) so far in his NFL career and he has completed 82 of 132 passes (62.1%) for 1,015 yards with 9 TD passes and 5 INTs (92.8 QB Rating). Flynn has also carried the ball 31 times for 19 yards (0.6 ypc) with 1 TD run so far in his NFL career. Flynn is 1-1 (50%) as a starting QB for the Packers.
UPDATE: (2/5/2012) – Aaron Rodgers has been named the MVP of the NFL for the 2011 season.
The Packers played this game like it was the first round of the playoffs, except without Aaron Rodgers. Matt Flynn was excellent in his only start of the season yesterday. He completed 31 of 44 passes for 480 yards with 6 TD passes and 1 INT yesterday as he was awesome. Ryan Grant led the way on the ground for the Packers in this game with 48 yards rushing on 12 carries (4.0 ypc) and he also caught 1 pass for an 80 yard TD. Brandon Saine pitched in with 8 carries for 28 yards (3.5 ypc) and he also caught 3 passes for 17 yards (5.7 avg) in this game. WR Jordy Nelson led the way in the passing game with 9 grabs for 162 yards (18.0 avg) with 3 TD grabs. James Jones (6 rec, 89 yards), Jermichael Finley (7 rec, 64 yards, TD) and Donald Driver (2 rec, 52 yards, TD) also had solid games catching the football yesterday. The Packers finished up with 81 yards rushing on 24 carries (3.4 ypc) and they also completed 31 of 44 passes (70.5%) for 469 yards as they had possession of the ball for 31:40.
The defense had big issues trying to stop Matt Stafford and his receivers yesterday. Safety Charlie Peprah (11 tackles), CB Tramon Williams (9 tackles and 2 passes defensed) and safety Morgan Burnett (7 tackles, 1 pass defensed and 1 fumble recovery) led the way for the Packers in this game on D. CB Jarrett Bush (4 tackles, 2 passes defensed and 1 interception) and CB Sam Shields (4 tackles, 1 pass defensed and a interception) also pitched in for the Packers in this game. The Lions finished up with 73 yards rushing on 15 carries (4.9 ypc) and they also completed 36 of 59 passes (61%) for 502 yards. The Packers finish the regular season with a 15-1 record and they will have home field advantage all the way to the Super Bowl at Lambeau Field.
The Green Bay Packers have already locked up the #1 seed in the NFC Playoffs, so look for them to get their starters out of this game by the end of the first quarter. They beat the Lions 27-15 earlier this year on Thanksgiving in Detroit. The Lions have won three games in a row and they need a win or a Falcons’ loss to the Bucs to lock up the #5 seed. Look for the Lions to play this like a regular game. Here is a look at the matchups in this game:
When the Packers have the ball: The Packers’ offense is likely going to be the Matt Flynn, Brandon Saine and Randall Cobb show this weekend. Aaron Rodgers will likely start this game, but he’s not going to play long. Flynn will use this game as a showcase for himself as he will become a free agent next March. The Lions are giving up 224.0 yards passing so far this year, but they have 39 sacks and 20 interceptions so far this year…so Flynn is going to have to be careful with the football. The Lions are giving up 131.4 yards rushing per game and 5.1 yards per carry so far this year, so Brandon Saine could have a big day for the Packers.
When the Lions have the ball: The Lions are going to air it out against the Packers’ secondary. Look for Matt Stafford to look down the field to WRs Calvin Johnson, Nate Burleson and Titus Young. He will also be aiming for his TEs, Tony Scheffler and Brandon Pettigrew on the short stuff. The Lions are going to be resting Kevin Smith in this game, so look for Maurice Morris and Keiland Williams to get a lot of work for them this Sunday.
PREDICTION: LIONS 31, PACKERS 20
The Green Bay Packers are sending 7 players to the Pro Bowl. Four offensive players and three defensive players is the breakdown of the Packers’ Pro Bowlers. 28-year old QB Aaron Rodgers will be the starter for the NFC in the Pro Bowl. Rodgers has played in 15 games for the Packers so far this year and he has completed 343 of 502 passes (68.3%) for 4,643 yards with 45 TD passes and 6 INTs (122.5 QB Rating). He has also carried the ball 60 times for 257 yards (4.3 ypc) with 3 TD runs so far this year. 28-year old WR Greg Jennings might not be healthy enough to play in the Pro Bowl. Jennings has played in 13 games so far this year for the Packers and he has caught 67 passes for 949 yards (14.2 avg) with 9 TD grabs. 30-year old center Scott Wells will be a backup in the Pro Bowl. He has played in 15 games (all starts) for the Packers so far this year. 29-year old fullback John Kuhn will be a starter in the Pro Bowl for the NFC. He has played in 15 games for the Packers so far this year and he has carried the ball 28 times for 73 yards (2.6 ypc) with 4 TD runs and he has caught 13 passes for 67 yards (5.2 avg) with 2 TD grabs. Kuhn is a good blocker, but the Packers like giving him the ball around the end zone.
35-year old CB Charles Woodson will be a starter for the NFC. He has played in 15 games for the Packers so far this year and he has 74 tackles, 17 passes defensed, 7 interceptions (1 returned for a TD), 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery and 2 tackles for a loss. 25-year old OLB Clay Matthews will also be a starter for the NFC. He has played in 15 games for the Packers so far this year and he has 50 tackles, 6 sacks, 5 tackles for a loss, 3 forced fumbles, 9 passes defensed and 3 interceptions (one returned for a TD). 25-year old DT B.J. Raji has played in 15 games for the Packers so far this year and he has 21 tackles, 3 sacks, 1 fumble recovery and 2 passes defensed. Raji also has 1 carry that went for a 1-yard TD.
The Packers were up 35-10 early in the 4th quarter before essentially calling off the dogs last night. Aaron Rodgers was amazing again last night as he completed 21 of 29 passes for 283 yards with 5 TD passes and 0 INTs. He also carried the ball 4 times for 18 yards (4.5 ypc) in this game. Ryan Grant led the way on the ground for the Packers last night with 8 carries for 44 yards (5.5 ypc) and 2 catches for 34 yards (17.0 avg). James Starks pitched in with 13 yards rushing on 6 carries (2.2 ypc) in this game. WR Jordy Nelson led the way for the Packers in the passing game last night with 6 grabs for 115 yards (19.2 avg) and 2 TDs. WR James Jones (4 rec, 50 yards, 2 TDs) and TE Jermichael Finley (3 rec, 20 yards, TD) also pitched in big time for the Packers last night. The Packers finished up with 81 yards rushing on 21 carries (3.9 ypc) and they also completed 21 of 29 passes (72.4%) for 282 yards as they only had possession of the ball for 24:12.
The defense played pretty well for 3 quarters last night. LBs Desmond Bishop (12 tackles, 1 tackle for a loss) and A.J. Hawk (12 tackles, 1 tackle for a loss) led the way for the Packers last night on D. Safety Charlie Peprah (11 tackles, 1 pass defensed and 1 interception) and OLB Clay Matthews (6 tackles, 1 pass defensed, 1 QB hit and 1 interception) also pitched in with solid games for the Packers in this game. The Bears finished up with 199 yards rushing on 42 carries (4.7 ypc) and they also completed 19 of 28 passes (67.9%) for 242 yards. The Packers now have home field advantage throughout the playoffs as they are now 14-1 on the season.
The Green Bay Packers lost their first game last weekend in K.C. against the Chiefs, so look for them to be very focused tonight against their bitter rivals….the Chicago Bears. The Bears have lost four games in a row, but they can still make the playoffs if they win their last two games and the Falcons lose their last two games. The Packers beat the Bears 27-17 earlier this year in Chicago. Here is a look at the matchups in this game:
When the Packers have the ball: The Packers are going to come out throwing the ball. Rodgers is going to spread the field out tonight and move the ball around to his receivers. Look for TE Jermichael Finley to have a big game as he is a mis-match physically for the Bears’ safeties. WRs Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb, James Jones and Donald Driver give Rodgers a lot of other options in the passing game tonight against a Bears’ D that is giving up 254.4 yards passing per game so far this year. Ryan Grant will lend ground support for the Packers in this game.
When the Bears have the ball: The Bears are going to be starting Josh McCown at QB and Kahlil Bell at RB tonight. The Packers are going to need to gang up and stop Kahlil Bell, because the Bears’ gameplan probably is going to revolve around him tonight. The Packers are going to be blitzing Josh McCown like a madman, as he has not started an NFL game since 2007. He could get rattled easily with pressure tonight.
PREDICTION: PACKERS 38, BEARS 16
