The 53 - Packers miracle road win over Cowboys

The Green Bay Packers knew they had to win in order to stay in the playoff hunt with a record of 6-6-1eading into their Week 15 game on the road against the Dallas Cowboys.  If the playoffs implications did not add enough drama to the Packers/Cowboys game for me personally, the fact that it was most likely the last Packer game my buddy Uncle Patty (aka Dirty Nasty) was going to watch with Sug and me in Chicago before he moves to Texas for a new job only increased my pregame nerves.  We watched the Packers/Cowboys at Sug's place, where I used to live as well, so we've seen many memorable games there over the last seven years.  Little did I know the Packers/Cowboys game was going to be the most memorable of them all.

After the first half the Packers trailed the Cowboys 26-3 and the three points came on a 57-yard field goal from Packer place kicker Mason Croby so it looked like our last game together was going to be a bust.  I made a few comments ingest at halftime that luckily Packers head coach Mike McCarthy makes great in-game adjustments.  Things were looking so bleak I even asked Sug and Uncle Patty whether the Packers should replace quarterback Matt Flynn with backup Scott Tolzien despite the fact that Flynn proved me wrong marching the Packers back to a tie against the Minnesota Vikings when Tolzien was ineffective.

Instead the Packers scored five consecutive touchdowns in the second half to put together the most improbable regular season comebacks in franchise history to win 37-36.  By the end of the game we were drinking whiskey on the rocks and celebrating like we were three guys on The 53 for the Packers that helped beat the Cowboys.

I have a hard time remembering a single good play for the Packers from the first half other than Crosby's field goal but there are at least a dozen from the second half that I will remember for the rest of my life.  Instead of doing my traditional post about the game with updated player rankings with comments, I thought I would rank the 10 best plays from the second half  in reverse order by their impact on the final result:

Honorable Mention - Crosby's 57-yard field goal: As I discussed above, the Packers trailed 26-3 going into halftime and their only points came courtesy of Crosby's foot so it does NOT qualify for the Top 10 plays of the second half since Crosby made the kick in the first half.  Thanks to that make, Crosby continues his stellar season now converting 30 of his 34 attempts.  Besides missing two kicks against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lambeau Field in a loss, Crosby has been consistent all season making important kicks almost every game.  In college Crosby kicked for the University of Colorado but has struggled when the weather gets colder so the next two weeks will determine whether Crosby kicks for the Packers next year since he will have to kick in frigid conditions at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, WI against the Pittsburgh Steelers and Soldier Field in Chicago, IL against the Chicago Bears.

The 53

1. Aaron Rodgers (QB, LR 1) 2. Clay Matthews (OLB, LR 2)  3. Jordy Nelson (WR, LR 3) 4. Eddie Lacy (RB, LR 4) 5. Sam Shields (CB, LR 12) 6. T.J. Lang (G, LR 6) 7. Josh Sitton (G, LR 8) 8. Morgan Burnett (S, LR 7) 9. James Jones (WR, LR 10) 10. Evan Dietrich-Smith (C, LR 9) 11. B.J. Raji (DL, LR 5) 12. David Bakhtiari (T, LR 11) 13. Mike Daniels (DL, LR 13) 14. Tramon Williams (CB, LR 14) 15. Don Barclay (T, LR 15) 16. Jarrett Boykin (WR, LR 22) 17. Nick Perry (OLB, LR 16) 18. Brad Jones (MLB, LR 17) 19. A.J. Hawk (MLB, LR 18) 20. Micah Hyde (CB, LR 20) 21. Davon House (CB, LR 19) 22. Datone Jones (DL, LR 21) 23. Matt Flynn (QB, LR 29) 24. Tim Masthay (P, LR 23) 25. Andrew Quarless (TE, LR 34) 26. Mike Neal (DL/OLB, LR 24) 27. Johnny Jolly (DL, LR 25) 28. Ryan Pickett (DL, LR 27) 29. Mason Crosby (K, LR 28) 30. Jamari Lattimore (LB, LR 30) 31. Derek Sherrod (T, LR 31) 32. Jarrett Bush (CB, LR 32) 33. John Kuhn (FB, LR 40) 34. Brett Goode (LS, LR 33) 35. Jerel Worthy (DE, LR 26) 36. Sean Richardson (S, LR 36) 37. James Starks (RB, LR 35) 38. M.D. Jennings (S, LR 38) 39. Brandon Bostick (TE, LR 39) 40. Ryan Taylor (TE, LR 41) 41. Josh Boyd (DL, LR 42) 42. J.C. Tretter (C, LR N/A) 43. Scott Tolzien (QB, LR 37) 44. C.J. Wilson (DL, LR 43) 45. Chris Banjo (S, LR 44) 46. Andy Mulamba (LB, LR 45) 47. Lane Taylor (G, LR 47) 48. Jake Stoneburner (TE, LR 48) 49. Victor Aiyewa (LB, LR 49) 50. Nate Palmer (LB, LR 51)  51. Chris Harper (WR, LR 52) 52. Marshall Newhouse (T, LR 50) 53. Kahlil Bell (RB, LR 53)

IR, Designated for Return

1. Randall Cobb (WR)

Injured Reserve

1. Jermichael Finley (TE) 2. Bryan Bulaga (T) 3. Casey Hayward (CB, LR 16) 4. DuJuan Harris (RB) 5. Jonathan Franklin (RB) 6. Robert Francois (MLB) 7. Greg Van Roten (C/G) 8. Sam Barrington (LB) 9. Myles White (WR, LR 46) 10. Seneca Wallace (QB) 11. James Nixon (CB, LR 53) 12. Kevin Dorsey (WR) 13. Sederrik Cunningham (WR)

Cut

1. Jeremy Ross (WR, Lions) 2. Jerron McMillian (S, free agent) 3. Michael Hill (RB, Buccaneers)

#10) Williams INT Overturned (2:32 mark): With the Packers trailing 29-24, the Cowboys got the ball back with just over 12 minutes to play.  On a 2nd and 5 from their own 25-yard line it looked like Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo's pass was picked off by Williams.  Every turnover is reviewed by the head referee.  Ultimately the refs overturned the call.  Uncle Patty made a very astute comment saying that if that play happened in Green Bay the call most likely stands as an interception because refs are human so although they don't want to admit it, they might let the crowd impact their thought process ever so slightly.  I initially thought that was a crazy notion but the more I think about it, the more I think Uncle Patty is correct and that the refs incorrectly overturned the called.  Unfortunately the Cowboys moved the ball down the field once that drive got a second life and wide receiver Dez Bryant caught an impressive touchdown to put the Cowboys up 36-24 with just under eight minutes to play.  What a swing, if the Williams interception stood the Packers most likely would have taken the lead, instead the Packers trailed the Cowboys by 12 points following that drive with just under 8 minutes to play.

#9) Nelson's One-Handed Catch (1:48 mark): Cheesehead Chick's first Packer jersey was wide receiver Donald Driver's home jersey.  With Driver retired, I had to get her a jersey of a current Packer so I decided to get her wide receiver Jordy Nelson's home jersey.  One-handed catches like White Lighting made against the Cowboys is just the tip of the iceberg of why that decision was a no-brainier.

#8) Quarless's TD Catch: The Packers lost tight end Jermichael Finley for the season and possibly his career Week 7 against the Cleveland Browns due to a horrific spinal cord injury, which made Andrew Quarless the nominal starter at tight end.  Quarless has been fairly ho-hum all season until last week when he had a breakout performance with six catches for 66 yards and a touchdown for the Packers in their win over the Atlanta Falcons.  With the Packers down 29-10, Quarless caught a 3-yard touchdown from Flynn to pull the Packers within 12 points.  In one of the more random coincidences of the season, Quarless finished with the same exact stat line two weeks in a row against the Falcons and Cowboys: six catches for 66 yards and a touchdown.

#7) Starks's TD Catch: Rookie running back Eddie Lacy was out of the game when the Packers faced a 2nd and 11 at the Cowboy 11-yard line down 29-17.  I hate to take anything away from running back James Starks but I think I could have scored on the screen pass to Starks given how well the offensive line blocked on that play.  That play allowed the Packers to cut their lead to five points at 29-24 with 13 minutes to play.

#6) Jones's TD Catch (3:53 mark): There are very few players that quarterback Aaron Rodgers publicly called for general manager Ted Thompson to re-sign but Jones is one of those, which puts him in rarefied air.  The knock on Jones throughout his career is that he has shaky hands but that has not been the case the last two seasons.  Three plays at totally different points in the game by Jones were particularly impressive: his pregame catch, his first-half catch, and his second-half touchdown catch.  There is a perception around the NFL that Rodgers makes his wide receiver but that perception might be changing given how well guys like Nelson, Jones, and Jarrett Boykin have performed for backup quarterbacks Flynn and Tolzien.  Timing could not be more perfect for Jones because he is scheduled to become a free agent this off-season.  Given that Jones is 29-years old, this will most likely be his last big payday so I expect to see him playing elsewhere in 2014 unless he takes a hometown discount.

#5) Lacy's TD Run: The Packers trailed 36-31 with the ball on first down from the Cowboy 1-yard line with 1:34 remaining in the game.  The Packers lined up in a wishbone formation with defensive lineman B.J. Raji and Mike Daniels in the backfield to block for Lacy.  There was no question that Lacy was going at some point.  The real question was whether Lacy would score on first down or take a few attempts, which would force the Cowboys to use a timeout.  With the Packers up 37-36, going for two was a no brainer.  I would rather see a run play called instead of a pass play by McCarthy on the two-point conversion.  If you don't believe me, since 2001 the two-point success rate via a passing play is just 44 % and while the success rate via a running play is 57 %.  Let's not forget the guy that scored the touchdown either.  Lacy is a freaking bowling ball that can carry defensive lineman two yards, which makes McCarthy's decision to call a pass that fell incomplete even more confounding.  Luckily that decision did not matter thanks to the next play.

#4) Williams Acrobatic INT: With the Cowboys facing a 2nd and 1 on their own 29-yard line with 1:24 minutes remaining, Romo dropped back to pass and found Williams instead of his wide receiver.   Originally the pass was called incomplete on the field but Williams immediately got up signaling for the Packers to challenge.  Since the play occurred with less than two minutes in a half, only the booth can review the play.  It looked like the booth was slow to buzz down so McCarthy took a timeout to give the refs more time.  Get ready to read something that I unfortunately can only write a couple times a season. The decision to call a timeout by McCarthy was a smart in-game move because he actually thought on his feet.  If we are being honest it is much more likely that McCarthy got advise from someone on his headset...see, I can still take a dig at McCarthy even when I am giving him a compliment.  The refs gave the Packers the timeout back because the booth initiated the review just before the next play was run by the Cowboys.  More importantly they overturned the ruling on the field so Williams sealed the victory for the Packers to them in the playoff hunt.  I only ranked Williams's game ending interception as the 4th best play of the second-half, which shows you how crazy the second half was for the Packers.

#3) Nelson's TD Catch: By now we all know the Packers started the second half down down 26-3.  After a nice drive thanks to a huge run by Lacy that I haven't covered yet, the Packers faced a 3rd and 3 from the Cowboy 13-yard line.  When the ball left Flynn's hand, it looked like he threw a jump ball that gave Nelson a chance to make a play.  Worst case scenario it is an interception and best case scenario it is a touchdown but most likely the pass falls incomplete.  If the ball fell incomplete, the Packers would have settled for a field goal to make the score 26-6.  Instead, Nelson plucked the ball away from the defender to pull the Packers within 16 points at 26-10.  I can't understate how impressive of a play that was by Nelson.  Again just another one of the 10,000 reason it made sense to get Cheesehead Chick a Nelson jersey.

#2) Shields's Athletic INT: Let me set the stage, the Packers were down 36-31 with just under three minutes to play and one timeout.  The Cowboys faced a 2nd and 6 from their own 35-yard line. Instead of sticking with a run, which is what was called, Romo checked to a pass.  Packers outside linebacker Clay Matthews got a free shot at Romo because of the blocking scheme called.  Luckily Matthews missed Romo but hurried him enough to force a bad pass that was intercepted by cornerback Sam Shields.  I've been on the fence about whether the Packers should break the bank for Shields given all the young depth they have at cornerback.  Plays like the one just described are why the Packers ultimately have to back up the Brinks truck and pay Shields but make sure there are some strings attached because the Packers lucked out that somehow Shields did not get a penalty for throwing the ball into the stands following that play.  That play reminded me of when Packers quarterback Seneca Wallace (since place on injured reserve) checked out of a run to a pass on Monday Night Football against the Chicago Bears shortly after he took over for injured quarterback Aaron Rodgers.  I mention that play for two reasons.  One, it feels like a lifetime ago that Rodgers was actually healthy and playing for the Packers.  Two, you better be darn sure that you have the right defensive look if you are going to check from a run to a pass.  Sure the Packers had nine in the box with no safety help over the top but I always judge those decisions on what I want the other team to do in that situation.  The Cowboys were gaining 7.5 yards a carry so I would much rather see them throw than run given that an incomplete pass would stop the clock.  Never in a million years did I think that play could result in an interception by Shields.

#1) Lacy's 60-yard run: The first play from scrimmage in the second half gave the Packers life they desperately needed given their struggles in the first half.  Avid readers of this space know that I am critical of how much the Packers are paying fullback John Kuhn.  If you watch this play again, you'll see a huge down field block by Kuhntang that turned Lacy's modest run into a game-changer.  Heading into the 2013 NFL Draft I had a huge football crush on Lacy.  With 141 rushing yards against the Cowboys, Lacy eclipsed 1,000 for the season to confirm my football love for Lacy.  Given Lacy's injury history and physical running style he might have a short NFL career but there is no doubt that every time he touches the ball it will be fun to watch.  Lacy's 60-yard spark plug run thanks to a big assist form Kuhntang is the most impressive on his NFL resume.

All of a sudden the palace to football that Cowboys owner Jerry Jones built is starting to look like Lambeau Field South given that the Packers won Super Bowl XLV over the Pittsburgh Steelers a few years ago and pulled off one of the most improbable regular season comebacks in NFL history in Jerry's Dome over the weekend. Just like Sug, UP, and I did sans all the drinks and going to a sausage-fest video game bar post-game, the Packers celebrated their improbable win in the locker room.  Despite the fact that I just cherry-picked the 10 best highlights, do yourself a favor and watch the full game highlights of the Packers/Cowboys one more time.

In even better news, since the Detroit Lions lost at home to the Baltimore Ravens on Monday Night Football, the Packers now control their playoff destiny.  If the Packers beat the Steelers at home next week and the Bears on the road the follow week, they will win the NFC North and host a home playoff game for the third year in a row.  For the seventh agonizing week in a row we have to play the waiting game to find out whether Rodgers is medically cleared to play.  Even if Rodgers is not cleared to play this weekend, I hope to see a healthy Rodgers under center for a relevant NFL game this season.

I will miss having Uncle Patty in Chicago for sure but what a way to go out.  This weekend I am traveling to Dayton, OH with Cheesehead Chick to celebrate Christmas with In-Law Cheese.  We are going to see the University of Dayton play USC in basketball in the early afternoon on Sunday at UD Arena.  After the game we have to high-tail it to the nearest TV, most likely BW3's, to catch the Packers/Steelers game in the afternoon.  I hope to see a Flyers win followed by a Packers win.  Either way, make sure to check back in this space for my extended pre-Christmas thoughts on the Flyers/Trojans and Packers/Steelers games.

Man City Report - Champions League & New York FC

It is hard to complain about Manchester City handing Bayern their first loss in the Champions League in their last 10 matches but apparently City manager Manuel Pellegrini did not understand the tie breaker rules for the Champions League group stages because when teams are level on points it is their head-to-head records not goal difference that decides the group winner.  Since Bayern won 3-1 at The Etihad that meant City had to score at least three goals on the road to jump Bayern to win the group.

Thomas Müller and Mario Götze scored twice in the first half to give Bayern a 2-0 lead and put them up 5-1 on aggregate.  City could have packed it in especially given that Pellegrini named an undermanned first team of  Joe Hart (GK), Micah Richards (RB), Martín Demichelis (CB), Joleon Lescott (CB), Aleksandar Kolarov (LB), Jesus Navas (W), Javi Garcia (CM), Fernandinho (CM), James Milner (W), David Silva (S), and Edin Dzeko (S) with Jack Rodwell (CM), Vincent Kompany (CB), Dedryck Boyata (CB), Sergio Agüero (S), and Costel Pantilimon (GK) on the bench to save their legs for their home match against league leaders Arsenal at The Etihad on the weekend.

In what is becoming a recurring nightmare for Richards, he was injured early in the first half with City down 2-0 so Pellegrini inserted Pablo Zabaleta in place of Richards.  City amazingly fought back with goals from Silva (28th minute), Kolarov (p.k. in 59th minute), and Milner (62nd minute) to take a 3-2 lead.  At that point City only needed to score one more goal to win the group stage, which it looks like Pellegrini understood when he inserted Negredo in place of Silva in the 73rd minute.  That understanding became murky when Pellegrini inserted Rodwell for Dzeko with a few minutes to play to "protect" a 3-2 lead not realizing that a 4-2 victory not a 5-2 victory is what City needed to win their group.  Pellegrini's and Milner's post-game commented confirmed they did not understand the Champions League group stage tie-breaker, which is inexcusable.

Sure City ended Bayern's 27-match undefeated run but they still finished second in the group.  If City would have won the group they could have been drawn against Bayer Leverkusen, Galatasaray, Milan, Olympiacos, Schalke, or Zenit St. Peterburg.  Since City did not win the group, they could have been drawn against Atlético Madrid, Barcelona, Borussia Dortmund, Paris Saint-Germain, or Real Madrid.  Unfortunately as the graphic to the right shows, City was drawn against Barcelona so their odds of progression from the Round of 16 to the Round of 8 are low.
 

In other City related news, New York City FC has their first manager in place officially naming Jason Kreis as their manager despite the fact that New York City FC does not join the MLS until the 2015 season.  Kreis lead real Salt Lake to six consecutive playoff appearances including an MLS Cup in 2009 and a runner up this past season.  Kreis has long been rumored to be the first manager in the club's history so apparently Kreis will embark on a one-year apprenticeship of sorts under Pellegrini...pretty nice way to earn a living for a year right?

Besides the handling of the goal keeper situation and understand the rules of the Champions League group stage tie-breaker rules, I've generally agreed with how Pellegrini has handled City so far in his first season with the club.

 

City faces Leister in the Capital One Cup quarterfinal match tomorrow.  If City and United win, hopefully they will get opposite semi-final draws to set-up a Manchester Derby at Wembley for the Capital One Cup.  This weekend City heads on the road to face Fulham as the EPL kicks into high-gear.  I will have full coverage of all the action in this space over the next month.

#TweetBeat - City thumps Arsenal at The Etihad

For some reason Manchester City is the only team that I regularly follow that I can tweet about during their matches.  I used to write TweetBeat posts occasionally when I had some interesting interaction on Twitter but now that happens so often that it is not worthy of cobbling together a post to re-hash what occurred.  In what I hope will be the first of many posts of this manner, mostly because it involves very little effort while giving a view into my thoughts in real-time, here are my running thoughts on City's thrilling 6-3 victory over Arsenal presented without comment:

@aguerosergiokun with a clinical finish to give #MCFC a 1-0 lead over #Arsenal to ensure at least one goal in 58 consecutive home matches.
— CheeseheadSportsNut (@CheeseheadSN) December 14, 2013

Never see @Toure_yaya42 with a sloppy giveaway as #Arsenal draw level 1-1 via a finish by Walcott against #mcfc #MCFCvAFC
— CheeseheadSportsNut (@CheeseheadSN) December 14, 2013

Great buildup to the finish by @_AlvaroNegredo_ to put #mcfc up 2-1 over #Arsenal. Don't turn away from this scintillating match. #MCFCvAFC
— CheeseheadSportsNut (@CheeseheadSN) December 14, 2013

An entertaining end-to-end 1st half of #MCFCvAFC that sees #mcfc rightly up 2-1 over #Arsenal thanks to @_AlvaroNegredo_ & @aguerosergiokun
— CheeseheadSportsNut (@CheeseheadSN) December 14, 2013

Bummer to lose @aguerosergiokun but agree with inserting Navas instead of @EdDzeko #mcfc #MCFCvAFC
— CheeseheadSportsNut (@CheeseheadSN) December 14, 2013

@fernaoficial slots his first goal in #epl to give #mcfc a 3-1 lead over #Arsenal to turn #MCFCvAFC decidedly in favor of #mcfc
— CheeseheadSportsNut (@CheeseheadSN) December 14, 2013

If that is a PK for #Arsenal because of the "handball" by @pablo_zabaleta then they mighty as well universally enforce j-walking. #MCFCvAFC
— CheeseheadSportsNut (@CheeseheadSN) December 14, 2013

This is Walcott v. #mcfc with #Arsenal only down 3-2 now thanks to a brace by Walcott. #MCFCvAFC
— CheeseheadSportsNut (@CheeseheadSN) December 14, 2013

This has turned into the match of the season so far with Silva slotting the 4th goal for #mcfc to go up 4-2 over #Arsenal #MCFCvAFC
— CheeseheadSportsNut (@CheeseheadSN) December 14, 2013

A brace for @fernaoficial makes it his official coming out party for #mcfc over #Arsenal for a 5-2 lead #MCFCvAFC
— CheeseheadSportsNut (@CheeseheadSN) December 14, 2013

@Toure_yaya42 bags a PK at the death to put #mcfc up 6-3 over #Arsenal. Craziest #epl match I've ever watched in my entire life. #MCFCvAFC
— CheeseheadSportsNut (@CheeseheadSN) December 14, 2013

Normally when City and Arsenal meet it is a defensive battle since only seven goals (5 for City and 2 for Arsenal) have been scored in their last six meetings.  Thanks to the City's 6-3 thumping of current league leaders Arsenal, City is the only team in the EPL with a perfect record at home amassing 24 of their 29 points in the EPL thanks to scoring 35 goals and only conceding 5 goals at The Etihad.

I hope you enjoyed the post, keep in mind these tweets were all done after pulling an all nighter at the Rosati Elf Convention (annual family Christmas) partially from hanging out late playing bags with my family and partially from being so nervous about the City/Arsenal match that I couldn't sleep.

Building The 53 - White out, Tretter in

Green Bay Packers general manager Ted Thompson has been active churning the bottom third of The 53 given all of the injuries the Packers have suffered this season.  That churn continued today as Thompson placed Myles White (WR) on injured reserve and added rookie JC Tretter (G/C) to The 53 from PUP list.  There were some questions whether Tretter would be healthy enough to play this season after he torn ligaments in his ankle and fractured his fibula during an off-season workout on May 20, 2013 so it is nice to see him back healthy.  Unfortunately it comes at the expense of White getting placed on injured reserve, which leaves the Packers with only four wide receivers on The 53: Jordy Nelson, James Jones, Jarrett Boykin, and Chris Harper.

Although White made seven appearances for the Packers this season, he only caught nine passes for 66 yards so the Packers can easily replace his production.  Jones is set to be a free agent this off-season so even if he leaves via free agency, the Packers will have a quality trio of  receivers next year in Nelson, Cobb, and Boykin.  If Harper has a productive off-season, the Packers will give him every chance to make The 53 in 2014 as well.  The Packers already placed two other wide receivers on injured reserve earlier this season as well: Kevin Dorsey and Sedrrick Cunningham.  That gives the Packers six, or seven if the Packers re-sign Jones, receivers most likely ahead of White for five or six spots on The 53 in 2014.  That doesn't even factor in the 2014 NFL Draft where the Packers could add another wide receiver.  Taking that all into account, my guess is that this ends White's tenure with the Packers.

Tretter started college as a tight end at Cornell but shifted to left tackle during his junior year.  When Thompson drafted Tretter in the fourth round of the 2013 NFL Draft he projected as a tweener guard/tackle given that he is only 6'4" and 307 lbs.  As it turns out the Packers are going to give Tretter a shot at center and guard in the NFL, which would be his third position change change in just over four years.  Given all of the injury issues starting center Evan Dietrich-Smith dealt with this season, I think it makes the most sense to have Tretter focus on center position for the rest of 2013.  Hopefully Tretter could play center in a pinch, I just wonder how effective he will be given that it is a new position and he is coming back from a serious injury.

All week speculation was expected to focus on whether quarterback Aaron Rodgers and wide receiver Randall Cobb would be healthy enough to play this weekend when the Packers face the Dallas Cowboys on the road.  Rodgers is currently on The 53 while Cobb is not on The 53 because he is on injured reserve but designated for return.  The logical move seemed to be adding Cobb in place of White. Since Thompson added Tretter instead of Cobb in place of White, the Packers will have to make another change to The 53 to add Cobb.

If the Packers do in fact make any other moves to The 53 before their game against the Cowboys, make sure to check back for full coverage.  Otherwise, with both teams fighting for their playoff lives, make sure to check back Monday for my thoughts on the Packers/Cowboys game.

The 53 - Packers beat the Falcons at home

The Green Bay Packers held a slight edge all-time against the Atlanta Falcons, 15-13 (including playoffs) coming into their Week 14 match-up.  Before the season it looked like this game could be an NFC Championship Game preview.  Instead heading into the game the Packers were 5-6-1 while the Falcons were 3-9.

The Packers were without the services of starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers due to a broken collarbone for essentially the sixth game in a row so the Packers started Matt Flynn ahead of Scott Tolzien in hopes of getting their first victory of 2013 sans Rodgers, so far they've gone 0-4-1.

A family friend Brother Patrick gave me four tickets to the Packers/Falcons game but I was unable to attend what would have been my fourth Packer game of this season so my cousin Jim and his family used the tickets.  I hope that my family got to enjoy some of this pregame fun.

At kickoff the weather reminded me of two previous Packers/Falcons games.  On the negative side of the coin I thought of when the Michael Vick lead Falcons dealt the Packers their first playoff loss in franchise history at Lambeau Field (previously 13-0) beating the Packers 27-7.  I watched that playoff loss at a bar in Florida with Fernando, Gaber, and Sug after we had just drove straight from Chicago to my parent's place in Punta Gorda, FL.  On the positive side of the coin I thought of the last NFL game ever played at County Stadium in Milwaukee on December 18, 1994 when Brett Favre rushed for a touchdown on the last play of the game to give the Packers a 21-17 victory over the Falcons.

The inactives for the Packers against the Falcons were: Kahlil Bell (RB, healthy scratch), Chris Harper (WR, healthy scratch), Marshall Newhouse (T, healthy scratch), Nate Palmer (LB, healthy scratch), Aaron Rodgers (QB, broken collarbone), C.J. Wilson (DL, ankle), and Jerel Worthy (DL, healthy scratch).

The Packers won the toss and elected to defer to the second half, which gave the Falcons the ball to start the game.  The Falcons put together a good drive setting up a 4th and 2 at the Green Bay 35 yard-line but for some reason Falcons head coach Mike Smith decided to punt. Given that the Falcons were 3-9, it seemed like a gutless call.  What do the Falcons have to loss in that situation?  The Packers capitalized on the following possession scoring a touchdown on an impressive 18 play, 86-yard drive that resulted in a one yard touchdown run by rookie running back Eddie Lacy.  One footnote to the opening touchdown drive for the Packers, it was kept alive by a defensive holding penalty by rookie linebackers Paul Worrilow.

The Falcons evened the score 7-7 in the second quarter on a 36-yard catch and run by wide receiver Drew Davis for a touchdown.  Packers middle linebacker Brad Jones failed to get home on a blitz on that play so Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan was able to hang in the pocket and connect with Davis right in the spot where Jones would have been if he was not blitzing.  I feel like a broken record but it seems like every time the Packers blitz a middle linebacker, whether its Jones or A.J. Hawk, neither seem to get home.  Oddly both of those players struggle to cover tight ends and running backs as well.  I guess damned if you do, damned if you don't with Hawk and Jones.

Following the touchdown the Packers took over at their own 23 yard-line.  Lacy did not pick up the blitz on the first play from scrimmage and Flynn was sacked by Falcons safety William Moore.  Flynn fumbled the ball and Falcons recovered at the Green Bay 13 yard-line.  The Falcons turned that great field position into a touchdown to go up 14-7 thanks to a short touchdown catch by Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez with safety Morgan Burnett totally burned by the play fake on that play.

On the following drive the Packers put together a nice drive that resulted in field goal to make the score 14-10.  Based on a few throws on that drive Flynn still looks shaky throwing deep.  On the following series the Packers defense finally got a stop to give the Packers the ball with 2:20 left in the half.  After the Packers moved the ball fairly well on offense, it looked like their playoff hopes were flushed down the toilet when on a pick-six gave the Falcons a 21-10 lead.  The pick-six was set-up by an errant throw by Flynn looking to hit fullback John Kuhn that was kicked into the air by Worrilow.  Falcons linebacker Sean Witherspoon caught the kicked ball and returned it 71-yards for a touchdown.

The Packers got the ball back down 21-10 on their own 32-yard line with 23 seconds left in the first half.  Packers head coach Mike McCarthy actually had the offense run plays instead of kneeling.  Lacy got hurt on the third and final play called by McCarthy.  I know Lacy can get hurt on any play but I would rather see the Packers only expose Lacy when there is a remote chance that they can score, which is not an inside hand-off on 3rd and 10 from their own 32-yard line with a few seconds in the half.  Thus the Packers went into halftime on quite a sour note with the fans actually booing and me speculating that McCarthy should replace Flynn with Tolzien.

Leaving the playoff implications aside, it is too bad that the game was going so bad at halftime because the Packers honored recent NFL Hall of Fame inductee linebacker Dave Robinson.  Robinson teared up a couple times during the classy ceremony lead by former Packer center and Packer radio commentator Larry McCarren.  Robinson seemed really touched by the whole event based on his post-game interview.

Following Robinson's ceremony, the second half started with a whimper for both teams as the Packers and Falcons traded three-and-outs.  On the next drive, the Packers got into field goal range thanks to an impressive 46-yard pitch and catch between Flynn and wide receiver Jordy Nelson.  If Flynn would have hit Nelson in stride that probably would have been a touchdown. You know any time that I can get in a criticism of McCarthy, I seize the opportunity.  I would have gone for it when McCarthy decided to attempt a field goal on 4th and 3 at the Atlanta 15.  Place kicker Mason Crosby converted the 33-yard field goal to pull the Packers within eight points at 21-13 but my thinking was that the Packers would only get into the red zone a few more times given Flynn's inability to drive the ball down the field.

The Packers defense had another nice stop on the next drive but the offense was only able to muster another field goal on the next drive to cut the score to 21-16.   The Packers have struggled to convert red zone opportunities into touchdowns all season but I would bet that Rodgers converts at least one of the two field goal drives just discussed into touchdowns.

As the 4th quarter started, Fox flashed a stat that the Packers defense has given up 107 points in 4th quarter this season, which is the most in the NFL...yikes.  Luckily the Packers clamped down when outside linebacker Mike Neal stripped Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan and Packers defensive lineman Johnny Jolly recovered the fumble.

The Packers took over at the Atlanta 21 yard-line with 13:50 remaining in the game and the Packers trailed the Falcons by five points.  That drive resulted in a nice touchdown catch by tight end Andrew Quarless to make the score 22-21.  McCarthy made the right decision going for two but made the wrong play call trying to run a fade route to wide receiver James Jones that fell incomplete.  I would have liked to see a run in that situation given the fact that the Packers have a wrecking ball in the backfield in Lacy.  The touchdown and missed two-point conversion put the Packers up 22-21 with 12 minutes to play.

On the next drive the Falcons missed a 52-yard field goal by two yards.  On the play before the kick Jolly tackled running back Jason Snelling for two yard loss, which you could argue was the difference between the Packers leading 22-21 and going down 24-22 given how close the Falcons were on their field goal attempt.

On the next drive the Packers couldn't get anything going so they went three-and-out.  Following a punt by the Packers, the Falcons got the ball back at their own 17 yard-line with 4:38 left in the game.  On that drive the Packers lost Brad Jones to an injury.  On the following play the Packers lost Jolly and Jones's replacement middle linebacker Jamari Lattimore, which forced the Packers to play cornerback/safety Jarrett Bush in the dime for the rest of the game.

The Falcons moved the ball a little but coming out of the two minute warning the Falcons faced a 4th and 5 from the Green Bay 33 yard-line.  Instead of attempting a 50-yard field goal, the Falcons went for it.  Ryan found Gonzalez for a first down but Gonzalez dropped the ball with Bush covering him.  It looked like Gonzalez should have caught Ryan's pass despite Bush's blanket coverage.

That meant the Packers got the ball back with 1:55 remaining in the game up 22-21.  Following three runs by Lacy, the Packers were forced to punt with a little less than a minute remaining in the game.  After a perfect punt by Tim Mastay, the gunners for the Packers Bush and cornerback Davon House tried to get out of the way instead of attempting to down the ball on the one yard-line because their momentum most likely would pushed the ball into the end zone for a touchback.  Falcons punt returner Robert McClain picked up the ball and returned it eight yards to give the Falcons the ball with no timeouts and 46 seconds on the clock at their own 9 yard-line.

After picking up 48 yards through the air on a couple plays that could have been more if Falcons wide receiver Harry Douglas did not drop a simple catch to get the Falcons in field goal range, the Falcons faced a 3rd and 10 from their own 40 yard-line.  Ryan went to Douglas again but he was triple covered. Bush intercepted Ryan's pass to give the Packers their first win in six games, which means that the Packers have gone 363 games since their last six-game winless streak, the 4th longest in NFL history.

I've linked to as many plays above as I could from Packers.com, click here for the full highlights of the Packers/Falcons game.  Thanks to their win over the Falcons, the Packers won their 14th consecutive regular season game at Lambeau Field in December/January.  That streak started on Sunday, December 28, 2008 with a 31-21 win over the Detroit Lions to finish the 2008 regular season 6-10 in Rodgers's first season as the starter for the Packers.  That is sort of a hallow streak though because the Packers lost to the New York Giants two seasons ago at home in the playoffs.  Papa Cheese and I attended that game in-person so that sad 37-20 loss on Sunday, January 15, 2012 is seared in my memory.  I actually got to talk with McCarren for a few minutes following the Packers/Giants game and he seemed just as bummed as me, which made the loss a little more palatable for me.

The win for the Packers means they improved to 6-6-1.  The Lions lost on the road in a snow globe to the Philadelphia Eagles to drop to 7-6.  The 6-6 Chicago Bears host the 7-5 Dallas Cowboys on Monday Night Football.  Even if the Bears beat the Cowboys, the Packers will only trail the Bears and Lions by 1/2 game with three games to play.  Here are my updated rankings for The 53 following the Packers/Falcons game:

The 53

1. Aaron Rodgers (QB, LR 1) 2. Clay Matthews (OLB, LR 2)  3. Jordy Nelson (WR, LR 3) 4. Eddie Lacy (RB, LR 7) 5. B.J. Raji (DL, LR 8) 6. T.J. Lang (G, LR 4) 7. Morgan Burnett (S, LR 5) 8. Josh Sitton (G, LR 6) 9. Evan Dietrich-Smith (C, LR 11) 10. James Jones (WR, LR 9) 11. David Bakhtiari (T, LR 10) 12. Sam Shields (CB, LR 13) 13. Mike Daniels (DL, LR 12) 14. Tramon Williams (CB, LR 14) 15. Don Barclay (T, LR 16) 16. Nick Perry (OLB, LR 17) 17. Brad Jones (MLB, LR 15) 18. A.J. Hawk (MLB, LR 18) 19. Davon House (CB, LR 19) 20. Micah Hyde (CB, LR 21) 21. Datone Jones (DL, LR 20) 22. Jarrett Boykin (WR, LR 22) 23. Tim Masthay (P, LR 23) 24. Mike Neal (DL/OLB, LR 24) 25. Johnny Jolly (DL, LR 25) 26. Jerel Worthy (DE, LR 28) 27. Ryan Pickett (DL, LR 26) 28. Mason Crosby (K, LR 27) 29. Matt Flynn (QB, LR 30) 30. Jamari Lattimore (LB, LR 29) 31. Derek Sherrod (T, LR 37) 32. Jarrett Bush (CB, LR 31) 33. Brett Goode (LS, LR 35) 34. Andrew Quarless (TE, LR 38) 35. James Starks (RB, LR 34) 36. Sean Richardson (S, LR 43) 37. Scott Tolzien (QB, LR 32) 38. M.D. Jennings (S, LR 33) 39. Brandon Bostick (TE, LR 40) 40. John Kuhn (FB, LR 36) 41. Ryan Taylor (TE, LR 42) 42. Josh Boyd (DL, LR 49) 43. C.J. Wilson (DL, LR 41) 44. Chris Banjo (S, LR 39) 45. Andy Mulamba (LB, LR 44) 46. Myles White (WR, LR 46) 47. Lane Taylor (G, LR 47) 48. Jake Stoneburner (TE, LR 48) 49. Victor Aiyewa (LB, LR 51) 50. Marshall Newhouse (T, LR 50) 51. Nate Palmer (LB, LR 52)  52. Chris Harper (WR, LR 53) 53. Kahlil Bell (RB, LR N/A)

Physically Unable to Perform

1. JC Tretter (T)

IR, Designated for Return

1. Randall Cobb (WR)

Injured Reserve

1. Jermichael Finley (TE) 2. Bryan Bulaga (T) 3. Casey Hayward (CB, LR 16) 4. DuJuan Harris (RB) 5. Jonathan Franklin (RB) 6. Robert Francois (MLB) 7. Greg Van Roten (C/G) 8. Sam Barrington (LB) 9. Seneca Wallace (QB) 10. James Nixon (CB, LR 53) 11. Kevin Dorsey (WR) 12. Sederrik Cunningham (WR)

Cut

1. Jeremy Ross (WR, Lions) 2. Jerron McMillian (S, free agent) 3. Michael Hill (RB, Buccaneers)

3) Jordy Nelson (WR, LR 3): After wearing a green Donald Driver #80 jersey since 2010, Cheesehead Chick broke in her new jersey for the Packers/Falcons game...a green Jordy Nelson #87 jersey.  Nelson caught four passes for 85 yards, which is much better than last time Cheesehead Chick broke-in a new jersey.  I was excited for Cheesehead Chick to get a jersey so we snagged her the aforementioned Driver jersey from the Packers Pro Shop.  That game, Week 7 of the 2010 season at home against the Vikings, Driver broke his 133 game streak with at least one reception.  Luckily Cheesehead Chick was a not a cooler for Nelson like she was for Driver.

4) Eddie Lacy (RB, LR 7): Going into the game the the Falcons allowed a 100-yard rusher in nine consecutive games.  Although the Packers broke that streak, Lacy still had 20 carries for 65 yards and a touchdown.  Lacy also had three receptions for 25 yards.  Lacy has a great combination of patience and violent running style, which makes him a handful for defenses.  I wanted to get a Lacy jersey much earlier this season when I attended the Packers/Browns game but was unable to procure the jersey back in October.  I am very superstitious about what I wear for Packer games so I am happy to be 1-0 wearing the Lacy jersey.

9) Evan Dietrich-Smith (C, LR 11): A knee injury knocked EDS out of the Packers' Thanksgiving loss to the Lions, which was complicated by the fact that he sprained his ankle in practice earlier this week.  Luckily EDS was healthy enough to play against the Falcons because the Packers do not have another true center on The 53 given that right guard T.J. Lang filled in at center against the Philadelphia Eagles for the first time in his career.  The Falcons registered five sacks against the Packers but at least a few of those sacks are on Flynn's inability to get the ball out.  Given the offensive line struggles the last few weeks, can you imagine how things would have been sans EDS?

25) Johnny Jolly (DL, LR 25): Following Jolly's fumble recovery, Cheesehead Chick actually asked if Jolly lost weight.  I honestly think that is the first time in my entire life I've ever heard someone ask whether Jolly lost weight.  Leaving the weight discussion aside, it looks like Jolly is finally healthy again so he is starting to wreak havoc in the backfield again.  As I discussed a few weeks back, the Packers have four defensive lineman including Jolly that are set to be free agents this off-season.  Given Jolly's off-the-field issues, I think that makes him the most cost-effective option but I actually see Jolly getting more than the three-year, $7.5 million with $2 million guaranteed than I projected just a few weeks back.  If Jolly continues to play like he did against the Falcons.

29) Matt Flynn (QB, LR 30): The Packers ran a fair amount of no-huddle on offense against the Falcons.  As I discussed the way the Packers handled the last few minutes of the first half above, it seems like Flynn is not able to execute the no-huddle when it matters though.  Leaving aside the 46-yard hook-up between Flynn and Nelson, I still question whether Flynn can consistently drive the ball down field.  Flynn finished 24 for 32 throwing for 258 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception for a 95.6 passer rating in what I hope is Flynn's last snap for the Packers.

32) Jarrett Bush (CB, LR 31): The Falcons receivers did Ryan no favors with 5 drops but even factoring in the drops, I was nervous to see Bush playing in crunch time due to injuries to Jones and Lattimore. Bush had his best coverage of the day on the interception that sealed the victory for the Packers.  As I've said many times, it is never good to see Bush on the field on defense but he actually played fairly well when thrust into duty following all the injuries the Packers suffered on defense.

34) Andrew Quarless (TE, LR 38): Six catches for 66 yards and a touchdown is clearly Quarless's best game as a Packer but those performances have been the exception to the rule as opposed to the norm throughout his career in Green Bay.  Two other tight ends on The 53 added two catches a piece against the Falcons: Bostick for 28 yards and Taylor for seven yards.  Collectively that gave the Packers 10 catches for 101 yards and a touchdown, which is the type of production the Packers need to get out of the tight end position from one guy not three guys combined. Taylor is a core special teams player so his position is safe.  The big question is whether Bostick can become the athletic hybrid tight end/wide receiver the Packers think they have in Bostick.  If Bostick can become that guy, the Packers might low-ball Quarless this off-season or even let him walk.

36) Sean Richardson (S, LR 43): I've discussed a number of times in this space how I see Richardson's physical abilities making him a difference maker at safety.  After M.D. Jennings struggled in the first half against the Falcons, it looked like Richardson got an extended look in the second half when the defense as a whole looked much better.  My guess is that Richardson is the starter opposite Morgan Burnett at safety for the foreseeable future with Jennings and Chris Banjo serving as backups.

The Packers are 1-4-1 since Rodgers broke his collarbone on the first offensive series against the Bears on Monday Night Football on November 4, 2013.  The Packers go on the road next week to face the Dallas Cowboys on December 15, 2013 in the same stadium that Rodgers and Company won Super Bowl XLV over the Pittsburgh Steelers.  The original prognosis was that Rodgers would be out four to six weeks.  The Packers/Cowboys game would be the outer edge of six weeks.  Based on Rodgers waiting till Friday to be declared out against the Falcons this week, the hope is that another week will allow his collarbone to fully heal. Given that the Packers are right in the middle of the face to win the NFC North, the speculation all week will be whether Rodgers is healthy enough to help the Packers on their stretch run to the playoffs.

Check back if there are any changes to The 53, otherwise make sure to catch Monday Night Football tonight when the Cowboys visit the Bears because those are two of the final three opponents the Packers face to close the 2013 regular season.