wow, that was brutal. Brady throws an INT, the Jets totally screw it up and get nothing, and then the Pats just don't get it going the rest of the game. It should have been 14-0 very early, they get a lousy 3 points and the Jets bury them. Kudos to the trash talking idiots, they backed it up. Tough way to end a season.
Location: Wondering when # became hashtag and not a number sign.
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Originally Posted by DropIt
They should not have won the game in Soldier Field. They took 18 penalties, but most of them holding calls because of Peppers' and Briggs' rush on blitzes, false starts due to home field advantage and idiotic offensive line plays, and the occasional pass interference when Hester would blow by a safety and get pulled down. Penalties are not someting to blame a game on, especially when your team is close to getting 20 called on them
Green Bay has a great defense, as i have previously stated. But I think the Bears' is still superior.
While you mention that the Packers have more interceptions (+3) you fail to mention that the bears have more Forced Fumbles/Recoveries (+8) which had them tied for 3rd overall in turnovers for a defense. A fairly common occurance for the team as they have the most defensive forced turnovers in the NFL since Lovie Smith started coaching the team.
The Bears also have the more proven personal when it comes to comparing defenses. As Urlacher and Briggs have been among the two best linebackers at their positions since playing for the Bears and that continues to show true. While Clay Mathews is having an outstanding year, I wouldnt say that he is head and shoulders better then Julius Peppers, minus the sack differential.
While Woodson still may be the best cornerback in the game, which at his age is very impressive. I would say the Bears secondary is as good as the Packers if you take more than just interceptions into account. Interceptions, balls batted (defensed) and tackles all have a large part in a defense as a whole and Chicago is one of if not the best open field tackling team in the NFL, especially when it comes to secondary players.
The Pack have great statistical numbers, being top 5 in all defensive categories but one (rushing) which led to GB facing many more rush attempts per game and all season long. While the Bears, who ranked 2nd in rushing stats all season faced more pass attempts by opponents than GB did... and I am sure I dont have to tell you which play averages more yards between a pass and a run.
Yes, The Green Bay Packers did have a more difficult schedule,
so we had a 2 game difference, where yes you played ATL where we played CAR. Otherwise we played SEA where you played SF... the difference is sheduling really isnt that much and it seems to be a pretty big stretch when you put into perspective that you only had 1 harder week then we did..... Although, that one harder week against ATL was 1 game removed from after a bye week, where our easiest game against CAR was 3 weeks before our bye....
18 penalties is a franchise record, of that total 7 were for holding or false start. This is a franchise that has been around for 92 years. The other thing in that game is Crosby missed a 37 yd FG or the game would have gone to OT. But no matter about all that, the Bears won the Packers didnt.
As for the Strength of Schedule. It wasnt even close according to the NFL Its not just about common opponents its where you play them that comes into it.
GB had the 4th hardest sched in the NFC, the Bears were 12th.
When you add in the injuries to that, what the Packers have done on defense this season is simply remarkable.
Again though, none of this matters. Two teams that know each other well and there will be few surprises and i expect a close one. I just hope the weather isn't a huge factor. Cold and snow is fine, but if it's really windy it will not allow either team to play as well as they can.
Location: Wondering when # became hashtag and not a number sign.
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Packers already into the head of the Bears?
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On Jan. 2, Green Bay had just rallied for a 10-3 win over the Bears in the regular-season finale. The Packers' victory gave them the sixth and final playoff spot in the NFC.
As the Bears' bus rolled out of Lambeau Field that frigid night, Jennings had one overriding thought.
"I kept thinking we're going to see them again," Jennings said of the Packers. "I was thinking, 'Man, we should have knocked them out.' I wish we would have, too, because they're on fire. I kind of wish we'd be playing Atlanta."
I dont think i'd qualify that as being in the head... It's reality.
Lots of people had the Packers gaining steam in the playoffs and I am actually surprised that these 2 teams are meeting in the 3rd round rather then the 2nd.
Green Bay is the last team I wanted the Bears to meet, so hopefully Lovie Smith can keep up his impressive track record against the Packers, and carry it into the playoffs
Location: Wondering when # became hashtag and not a number sign.
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Originally Posted by flames_1987
Even though his offensive line was less then average yesterday, Brady's pocket presence was as weak as I've ever seen it.
I dont think it can be overstated that when Brady got planted by Calvin Pace on that early throw he simply wasnt the same after that. Looked to me that he was hurt (not injured), but more than that, he knew he could get plastered at any point. That gets into anyone's head and it showed from that point forward.
Location: Wondering when # became hashtag and not a number sign.
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Originally Posted by DropIt
I dont think i'd qualify that as being in the head... It's reality.
Lots of people had the Packers gaining steam in the playoffs and I am actually surprised that these 2 teams are meeting in the 3rd round rather then the 2nd.
Green Bay is the last team I wanted the Bears to meet, so hopefully Lovie Smith can keep up his impressive track record against the Packers, and carry it into the playoffs
IIRC McCarthy and Smith are 5-5 each against one another.
Just another indication how close the game is likely to be.
Edit: Smith is 1-3 against the Packers since Capers took over the defense....the one win being the 18 penalty game.
Last edited by transplant99; 01-17-2011 at 09:13 AM.
Even though his offensive line was less then average yesterday, Brady's pocket presence was as weak as I've ever seen it.
He was off all game much like last year against the Ravens. The Pats have turned from playoff-dominant to playoff-chokers. I for one think it's a bit of karma for being the evil empire of the NFL.
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IIRC McCarthy and Smith are 5-5 each against one another.
Just another indication how close the game is likely to be.
Edit: Smith is 1-3 against the Packers since Capers took over the defense....the one win being the 18 penalty game.
Lovie Smith is also 7-5 in his tenure... but your right, hasnt faired well of the last 2 years. I wont put much blame on him vs Capers, as he is much more involved in calling defensive plays then offensive... which goes to show why they hired Mike Martz to run the offense.
He was off all game much like last year against the Ravens. The Pats have turned from playoff-dominant to playoff-chokers. I for one think it's a bit of karma for being the evil empire of the NFL.
Enjoy it while it lasts. NE was 14-2 in a rebuilding year. The defence needs 1-2 years more seasoning. NE has a raft of high draft picks this year. I smell a second dynasty in the near future.
Enjoy it while it lasts. NE was 14-2 in a rebuilding year. The defence needs 1-2 years more seasoning. NE has a raft of high draft picks this year. I smell a second dynasty in the near future.
Patriots without question exceeded expectations this season and found ways to win very close games they could've easily loss. However, this is not a Patriots loss after a superbowl season, we are now 6 years removed from the last Pats superbowl and Tom Brady has been very average in.
He also had 1 INT less then Brady that nullified a nice opening drive by NE that could have put them up 7-0 early that could have changed the game. 74 less passing yards on almost 20 fewer passing attempts. And the 1 TD with 20 seconds left hardly meant a thing. NY was giving them the short passes that late to avoid the big play. 109 QB rating to 89 QB rating as well. And Indy did not have 3 of it's top 5 offensive weapons either. Clark, Collie and Gonzalez were all injured. Jacob Tamme and Blair White hardly scare anybody. Revis did a great job on Wayne so all Manning had was Garcon.
I don't think it was Brady or Manning's fault they lost. Jets defense just played great and covered recievers.
I dislike them - for the same reasons I hate the Sask Riders.
There are similarities for sure but I don't hear too many Packers fans talk about how they are the best and classiest fans in the league. Maybe the biggest difference is that in non-playoff years Packers fans still support their team. They don't come out of the woodwork only when the team has success.
IMO Manning is the better QB. Brady is more of a system guy and you could see yesterday that when the running game and the short passing game is taken away he's lost. Manning even when things aren't going well and their running game is non-existent still makes plays and puts the ball where receivers have a chance to catch the ball. Brady had happy feet all day and wasn't giving his receivers a chance to make plays. Brady is still a first ballot HOF QB but IMO he's more of a cog in the Patriots machine compared to guys like Manning and even Rogers who are the offense for their teams.
Location: Chiefs Kingdom, Yankees Universe, C of Red.
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Originally Posted by DropIt
I always knew I was in the minority when it came to cheering for Chicago, but I never understood some of the hate that surrounds the Bears. Is it the lack of offense? Or Cutler? Or just one of those teams nobody cares for?
I find the hate you experience cheering for the Bears a little odd. I know a few Bears fans. They have never given me any indication that they are a hated organization in any way (outside of division rivals).
Personally, I think cheering for the Bears would be kind of cool. A very old franchise (by NFL standards) owned by the same family. Lots of history there.
Looking forward to the NFC Championship game. Packers vs Bears, as a fan you couldn't ask for anything better.
I think the Jets have shown how to beat teams who rely on the passing game with highly intelligent QBs. You do NOT blitz like crazy, Manning and Brady are too smart and will have eaten them alive. Instead they flood the secondary and take away the reads. It helps a lot that the Jets have 2 burners at corner, and while I don't like Cromartie based on his performance in last year's playoffs, the guy is fast and can cover. Then use the rest of the secondary to fill the intermediate routes and that leaves only really short stuff. It will be interesting to see if the pattern holds. The Steelers are the smashmouth team they have been in the past, but Mendenhall will be a bigger handful than anyone Indy or the Pats had.
The Bears are interesting because of how absolutely putrid their offensive line was earlier in the year. I don't know if the fix was guys getting healthy, Mike Tice doing a great job getting them coached up or Mike Martz adjusting his play calling to adapt for the personnel they have (or all of the above) but this team looks much different that the mid-season team that was getting Cutler destroyed.
And the Pack are on fire, but I'm not 100% sold on them. I think they should win, but this is the same team that Detroit shut down 6 weeks ago. It almost seems like the offense needed a week without Rodgers (the game against the Pats) to realize that they were a pretty good unit, and since Rodgers has gotten back they are all on the same page.
Should be 2 really good games next week.
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