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| Photo Mike Roemer/AP |
A few thoughts after a relatively easy win for the Packers.
- I've heard and read a lot of complaints about Viking Offensive Coordinator Bill Musgrave's decision to have Joe Webb stand in the pocket, especially since he's not that good at it. I'm not sure how you prepare two separate game plans, though -- even the Vikings, it would seem, assumed that Christian Ponder would be able to give it a go last night until it became evident that he couldn't. I think the larger issue is that the Vikings didn't have a capable backup on the roster.
- Having said that, the Vikings have also come in for criticism because they cut Sage Rosenfels at the beginning of the season. As it happens, Rosenfels has been available for anyone to sign since he was released in September. That no one in the NFL thought it necessary to bring him on should tell you everything you need to know about Rosenfels.
- Adrian Peterson is an amazing player, but football isn't a game where even one completely dominant player can carry a team all the way through. The Vikings need help at their other skill positions.
- As for my beloved Packers, it was a workmanlike performance. This team is probably better prepared for what it's likely to face now than it was last year. DuJuan Harris has turned out to be a nice find -- he's got some of the same skill set as Maurice Jones-Drew, especially his ability to catch the football, which made a difference in a few drives last night. The defense also played better last night, which is good because they'll need to be even better if they're going to win in San Francisco.
- You cannot underestimate how important Charles Woodson is to the Packers. He didn't make a ton of tackles last night, but he did a lot to confuse the Viking blockers, which allowed other Packers to get pressure on Webb. If he can confuse Colin Kaepernick, the Packers will have a chance.
6 comments:
you are over estimating the 49rs.
their O isnt that good, their D is really good.
packers have O, in spades. O beats D every time it matters.
my opinion, fwiw.
Hope you're right, good sir.
None of the other NFC teams impress me and I think it's certainly possible that Green Bay hosts the NFC championship game. While the Pack will encounter an actual option offense next week, they should have confidence against Kaepernick considering the defense schemes that worked last night.
That said, I really thought Green Bay would try and make more of a statement out of last night. A 24-10 playoff win is solid. A 24-10 win against that Vikings team is not. The offense could only have been more useless if famed Yankees pitcher Jim Abbott had been taking snaps under center. Joe Webb made Spergon Wynn look like Fran Tarkenton. Yikes.
Seattle at Green Bay for the NFC Championship with real referees in Lambeau Field is the NFL's dream match-up.
Whodathunkit?
Goodell would likely make an executive edict that the game start with the score Green Bay 7, Seattle 0.
from the way its looking right now, the seahwks wont be flying very far.
When I learned Ponder was inactive, the first question I asked is where will certain Vikings fans direct their anger if the Vikes lose? It seemed whenever the Vikings lost (or won ugly), Ponder would be the #1 whipping boy. Turns out, it was GM Rick Spielman who was the subject of a lot of invective, because he released veteran backup QB Sage Rosenfels. The implication being Rosenfels would have been better equipped to handle an emergency start.
To that, I gave an answer pretty much the same as what Mark conveyed in this post.
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