Packers (3-2) Get Rolled By The Cowboys at Lambeau, 30-16

There were a lot of reasons why the Green Bay Packers should be hanging their heads after trailing for the entire game against the Cowboys, at home, but they never gave themselves a chance with four turnovers.

Fumble!

Aaron Rodgers tries to scramble into the end zone but fumbles and the Cowboys recover on their 4-yard line. pic.twitter.com/mDIoFke94p

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) October 16, 2016

Five fumbles (three lost) and one terrible INT from QB Aaron Rodgers. Two more fumbles from Rodgers who'll have to spend some more time with the wet-ball drill this week. Whatever else was a concern about the Packers on Sunday might have vanished if they had avoided these turnovers. The turnovers are the story of the game. But there were some other problems.

RB Eddie Lacy. His ankle was re-injured and it was again a problem again this week because there's absolutely zero depth behind him. Plan B can't be WR Ty Montgomery, who's useful as a 3rd down/Reggie Bush type of running back, but they need another real running back option behind Lacy. This might not be something that can fixed until the offseason.

QB Aaron Rodgers. His accuracy has been slipping since the middle part of the 2015 season. Against the Cowboys, it was shocking to see him throw that INT right at a defender and miss high to WR Randall Cobb wide open at the back of the end zone. But these are things that normal QBs do. The INT that QB Dak Prescott threw to SS Morgan Burnett was a bad, inaccurate pass, is one example. Rodgers's worst is still very good and this wasn't going to be his greatest game ever, but it would have been pretty good without those fumbles. Avoid the turnovers and he'll be fine, even if he's never quite as good as he was back in 2011.

CB LaDarius Gunter. With Sam Shields missing another game due to his concussion, Quinten Rollins injured, and Damarious Randall missing most of the game with a recurrence of his groin injury, the Packers relied heavily on Gunter, and he fell way short. On his two worst plays, a long completion to WR Terrance Williams and a touchdown reception to WR Cole Beasley, he was looking into the backfield (or maybe he was thinking about jumping a short route) and got burned when the receivers ran to the sidelines. He looked good last week against the Giants but he was exposed badly against the Cowboys. His only possible, non-injured, replacement is CB Demetri Goodson, who's recently returned from his four game suspension, and he marked his return by drawing a flag for pass interference on almost his first play of the game. Theoretically, rookie CB Josh Hawkins could play more, but he was burned badly by the Lions for a long touchdown and he isn't a strong option either. I'm not a Gunter believer, but they don't have too many options at the moment.

The run defense. It was never that good (2 ypc through the first 4 games) and they didn't tackle well in this one. But they aren't that bad either (Elliott had 5.6 ypc) and the truth is somewhere in between. Their inability to stop the run wasn't the reason they lost this game anyway.

The pass rush. It's been a potent force this season but the Cowboys arguably have the best offensive line in the NFL. Outside of the strip sack by LB Julius Peppers, they couldn't get to Prescott in this game. For as much that was going wrong for the defense in this game (bad coverage, bad tackling against the run, no pass rush) it's actually kind of amazing the Cowboys only scored 30 points. Their pass rush will look much better against practically every other opponent the rest of this season.

They don't have too much time to reflect on this loss as the injury depleted Bears (and LG Josh Sitton!) return to Lambeau on Thursday night. I'm never a fan of Thursday night games and this might be a real stinker between two teams coming off ugly home losses. Go Pack Go!

Green Bay Packers: Post-Bye Schedule

By Steven Callahan, Writer at the Green Bay Packers Blog.

Most people aren’t fans of such an early bye week. They would rather save this week for later in the season, when they can fully recharge their batteries for the second half of the season. The Green Bay Packers unfortunately do not have that luxury this season, as they their bye week falls in week four. In an ironic way, this bye week couldn’t come at a better time.

Head coach Mike McCarthy admits that the Packers caught a break withthis bye week. McCarthy said this week, “I never thought I would say this, but for as different a schedule that we have, it’s a great time to have the bye, because we need it. That’s where we are.” McCarthy is referring to the injury bug that is going around his team, as four defensive starters sat out against Detroit and tight end Jared Cook sprained his ankle.

The Packers head into the bye with a 2-1 record and are coming off a game where Aaron Rodgers threw four touchdowns. Here is how the rest of the schedule looks for the Packers.

October: Giants (2-2), Cowboys (3-1), Bears (1-3), at Falcons (3-1)

The Packers come out of the bye with three straight home games, ending with the Bears in a Thursday night game. The Packers and Giants always seem to have great games while the Cowboys will be looking to avenge the Dez Bryant “Was it a catch?’ game. This game may be Dak Prescott’s final game, as Tony Romo is expected to return after the Cowboys’ bye week. The Giants are definitely a playoff caliber team, but the Packers should have the edge on both the Giants and Cowboys since the games are at Lambeau.

The Packers then face the Bears on a short week. The Bears are one of the worst teams in the league, but these Thursday night games are so unfair on the players and coaches that nothing can be a sure thing. The Packers should be able to handle the Bears, but it should be noted that the Bears beat the Packers last year on a short week (Thanksgiving night). The Falcons offense has been one of the league’s best this season, as their 34.7 points per game is the highest in the league. Expect a shootout in week eight against the Atlanta Falcons.

November: Colts (1-3), at Titans (1-3), at Redskins (2-2), at Eagles (3-0)

The Packers’ schedule lightens up in November, starting off with the Colts at home. Indianapolis depends too much on Andrew Luck’s comeback ability, which isn’t a good idea in a November game at Lambeau. As Mike McCarthy mentioned, the Packers schedule is “different” and this three-game stretch is a perfect example why. The Pack will play three straight road games - four out of five games when you count the Falcons game - including a Sunday night game against the Redskins and a Monday night game against the Eagles.

On paper, the Packers have more talent than all of these teams, but right now the Eagles are playing great and you can’t count out the Colts or Redskins. It will be an interesting month for the Packers.

December and January: Texans (3-1), Seahawks (3-1), at Bears (1-3), Vikings (4-0), at Lions (1-2)

The Packers simply have to beat the Texans at home, so let’s move on from that. Playing the Seahawks in week 14 is as tough of a matchup as you are going to get, especially with these two teams expected to be in the thick of a playoff race. The last three games will come against divisional opponents, two of which will be on the road. The week 16 matchup against the Vikings could possibly be the most important game of the entire season, since it can essentially be for the NFC North crown. Let’s hope the week 17 game in Detroit is meaningless and the Packers know exactly what seed they are in the playoffs, whether it is as division champion or Wild Card team.

With 13 straight weeks of football left for the Green Bay Packers, their stamina, focus, and preparation will be tested for the next three months. There is no soft part of the schedule, as the Packers will have to earn every win from here on out. It should be an exciting 13 weeks for Packers fans. 

Packers Win Over Cowboys; Tough Road Game Ahead In Oakland

I've been off from blogging for a little while because I've been traveling, but I did stop at Lambeau Field during that trip to watch the Green Bay Packers defeat the Cowboys. Here's a picture from my seat:

I imagine watching the game from home would have been a lot like it was at the stadium. It was frustrating because the Packers were clearly the better team (having the right side of the offensive line back made a huge difference) but they couldn't put the Cowboys away until the middle of the 4th quarter. The Cowboys's offense never showed any signs of life, other than three big runs that set up their two scoring opportunities, but most of the game was tighter than it should have been.

And that's a problem, that the Packers aren't capable at the moment of putting away teams early. At least it was an improvement over falling behind against the Bears and Lions at home before mounting a not-quite-enough comeback at the end. But the Raiders are much better (currently No. 12 overall according to Football Outsiders) than the Cowboys and QB David Carr is currently ranked ahead of QB Aaron Rodgers per FO's website.

While Cooper and Crabtree are their big name receivers, they aren't tearing it up according to FO's advance stats. It's sneaky good production from guys like WR Seth Roberts and RB Marcel Reece (as a receiver) that's been their big advantage. The Packers's secondary should match up well (even if CB Sam Shields misses it because of his concussion) because six other members of the Packers's secondary have positive grades in pass coverage according to Pro Football Focus, plus LB Joe Thomas (who's become their pass coverage LB in rotation with LB Jake Ryan) makes it seven. The Raiders don't have much of a rushing attack so the Packers's suspect run defense probably won't face much of a test.

The Packers's offense has to focus on protecting Aaron Rodgers. LB Khalil Mack has been a monster this season, and is coming off a 5 sack game at Denver. His success is forcing teams to pay less attention to this teammates, and seven of them currently have positive pass rushing grades according to Pro Football Focus. If they can protect Rodgers, the offense be able to put some points on the board.

If the Packers really want to grab the two seed from the Cardinals, then they're going to have to win this tough road game against a pretty good team that still has dim playoff hopes. And then win again next week on the road against that same Cardinals team that's battling for a playoff bye. With their win against the Cowboys behind them, the last three games look like a tough road before the playoffs.

Packers QB Rodgers named 2014 NFL MVP

Packers QB Aaron Rodgers has been named the 2014 NFL MVP.

Rodgers, who threw for 38 touchdowns and just five intereceptions this season, received 31 of 50 possible votes, by far the most of any candidate. Texans DE J.J. Watt was second with 13, while the Cowboys' DeMarco Murray and Tony Romo each had two. 

Rodgers had a 112.2 passer rating this year, the second best one in the league. He was also second with an average of 8.43 yards per attempt. 

This is the second time Rodgers has won the honor, having also done so in 2011.

Packers Sign Former Alabama Punter Cody Mandell

The Packers have signed former Alabama Punter Cody Mandell, the team's official website reports.

Mandell, who joined Alabama in 2010 as a walk-on, was pretty good in college, averaging 42.6 yards per punt while solidly landing 58 inside the 20 yard line. 

He was first-team All-SEC as a senior, as well as finalist for a pair of awards. 

He will wear number 9 with the Packers after a brief stint with the Cowboys last offseason, presumably doing so while competing with Tim Masthay for the starting job. 

The move to acquire him was announced by general manager Ted Thompson. 

Shields convinced Bryant made controversial catch

Packers CB Sam Shields isn't exactly taking the side he probably should on Dez Bryant's NFC Divisional incompletion. 

Shields believes Bryant caught the ball, according to a recent ESPN.com article.

Shields called the controversial play a catch in the article, adding it was a "helluva" one at that. The overturned catch, coming on a late 4th-and-2, essentially doomed the Cowboys in the contest, one which they would eventually lose 26-21.

Bottom line: it appears common sense is continuing to trump technicalities when it comes to the play, though said technicalities are in fact part of the league's rule book. 

Lacy probable for conference championship game

Packers RB Eddie Lacy has been listed as probable for Sunday's conference championship game in Seattle, ESPN.com's Rob Demovsky reports.

Lacy has been experiencing soreness in his right knee this week, according to Demovsky. However, team Head Coach Mike McCarthy isn't concerned about his health, assuring the media Friday "he'll be ready to play."

Lacy rushed for 101 carries on 19 carries in last week's divisonal playoff against the Cowboys, including one on which he ran for 29 yards. As for his entire season, he recorded 1139 yards on 246 carries, reaching the endzone nine times while fumbling thrice.

Lang fined by league for hit in Cowboys game

Packers OL T.J. Lang has been fined $8,268 by the league for his personal foul penalty in Sunday's divisional playoff against the Cowboys, ESPN.com's Rob Demovsky reports.

Lang knocked Cowboys DT Nick Hayden over in the contest's third quarter, resulting in a flag and a 15-yard loss for Green Bay. The incident sparked a minor scuffle between the two teams, though Lang was the only one to get penalized on it.

The play essentially ruined the Packers' drive, and can be blamed for the fact they were forced to settle for a field goal on that possession.

Lang, however, has claimed he didn't think the hit was late.

PFWA Names Rodgers 2014 NFL MVP

In the first league MVP award announced this season, Packers QB Aaron has received the honor from the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA), according to the team's offical website.

Rodgers, 31, completed 341/520 passes for 4,381 yards and 38 touchdowns for the Packers this fall, helping them go an NFC North-best 12-4. 

He's been nursing a calf injury since Week 16, yet has managed to still go undefeated since then. He even led the Packers back from a 21-13 second half deficit to beat the Cowboys Sunday, clinching for  them a spot in this weekend's NFC Championship game.

They'll be taking on the top-seeded Seahawks in it, as you all likely know.

Lang Attempts to Explain Personal Foul Penalty Versus Cowboys

We all saw how unintelligent Packers OL T.J. Lang's personal foul penalthy was in Sunday's second half against the Cowboys, but still, Lang's trying to explain it. 

Here's his full quote regarding his seemingly random knocking down of a Dallas player early in the contest's third quarter, courtesy of The Green Bay Press-Gazette's Mike Woods:

"I was jogging down there, saw Davante fighting for extra yards, saw a guy wrapping him up still trying to take him to the ground and I thought I heard the whistle as soon as I made contact with the guy. I didn't think it was late, that's not the kind of game I play. I just try to take care of my guy."

NFC Divisional: Packers Rally To Beat Cowboys, 26-21

It was ironic that the final score was 26 to 21 because that was the same score as in their earlier home win against the Patriots. While I expected the Packers to have an edge against the Cowboys because they were playing at home and the Packer defense was a better unit, a poor first half from the Packer defense and a strong game from the Cowboy defense turned it into a matchup of two even opponents. It was such a close game that one judgment call from the referees turned out to be the difference.

Fact that these calls would have probably been different depending on who the ref was in each game stinks. Need more B&W rules @ErikFrenz
— Scott Kacsmar (@FO_ScottKacsmar) January 12, 2015

It was arguably the correct call though it's easy to find other examples when the refs gave a receiver a catch under similar circumstances. It really helped that CB Sam Shields got the tip of his finger on the ball and made WR Dez Bryant shift the ball in his hands. I remember when WR Greg Jennings had a touchdown catch reversed back in 2010 and it was overturned because the ball moved around a little bit in his hands. The receiver has to keep the ball from moving at all, no matter how awkward his grip. On this play, the ball moved around in Bryant's hands before he hit the ground and then popped up when he hit the ground. There was never a point when the ball wasn't moving around. It defies common sense because he did snatch it out of the air and stretched out towards the goal line, but I agree with the call based on the NFL's rules. I can't imagine this non-catch won't be discussed about at length when the rules committee meets again in the spring.

As for the rest of the game, it was going to be QB Aaron Rodgers's responsibility to win it despite his injured calf muscle. He ended up with a QBR of 83.1 (anything over an 80 is elite, MVP level stuff) and his only turnover was a fumble after a botched snap that was as much C Corey Lindsey's fault as it was his. The offensive line deserves extra credit for giving him time to throw when he's in no condition to run, but the Cowboys don't have good pass rushers on their defensive line and it probably wouldn't have helped had they blitzed more. Rodgers is arguably better at beating single coverage when he sees the blitz coming.

I've been concerned about their lack of a reliable third receiving option behind Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb. Nelson wasn't a factor, I haven't watched the All-22 film but I assume the Cowboys were bracketing him with double-coverage (CB under, S over) all game (just as the Packers did a lot against Dez Bryant). Cobb still had a big game against mostly single coverage but they needed another other receivers to step up. Instead of one, three unlikely receivers had big games and touchdown receptions (Davante Adams, Andrew Quarless and Richard Rodgers). Adams was obviously the key with a team leading 7 receptions and 117 yards. It was a surprising performance from Adams when you consider that he was a non-factor for the entire month of December. Aaron Rodgers had seemed to have lost faith in him last month, but he's back in his good graces now.

It was a mixed day for the Packer defense. They played much better in the second half and got huge games from Julius Peppers (two forced fumbles) and Mike Daniels, who was a beast in the middle. But the linebackers weren't a factor (not much from Clay Matthews, except what could have been called roughing the passer, and a holding penalty for a first down against Brad Jones) and the secondary was a borderline mess. CB Tramon Williams had a couple of penalties for first downs and some missed tackles. SS Morgan Burnett looked like a missed tackling machine in the first half, especially on special teams. Both Micah Hyde and Ha-Ha Clinton-Dix took bad angles on the long TD pass to Terrance Williams. No receiver topped 100 yards but it could have been much worse if Tony Romo had attempted more than 19 passes. The Cowboys are a good offense and they can make defenses look bad, but the Packer defense can play better.

For the second time in three seasons, the Packers won their playoff game at home and now head west to take on the NFC West champ. Two years ago it was a divisional game but this time it's for a trip to the Super Bowl. There will be a lot to talk about this week.

Reaction: Rodgers rallies Packers to playoff win over Cowboys

Not trying to brag, but I called this score perfectly. Anyway, here are my thoughts on the Packers' 26-21 win today over the Cowboys, which gives them a spot in next week's conference championship game in Seattle:

1. Aaron Rodgers Knows How to Play Hurt:

He didn't for the first half, but once Demarco Murray reached the endzone to make it 21-13 he finally figured it out. Just watch the replay of that touchdown pass to Richard Rodgers to see what I mean. 

2. Andrew Quarless and Davante Adams are better than we think:

Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb didn't do much this afternoon, but at least Quarless and Adams were there to pick up the slack.

3. Karma: 

Go ahead, Cowboys fans. Blame the refs for this loss. You know very well the ball hit the ground there, not to mention that your team only played this week because of that picked up flag against the Lions.

On to the Seahawks.

Cowboys/Packers Final Prediction

My final prediction for tomorrow's Cowboys/Packers game:

Score: Packers 26, Cowboys 21

I expect this contest to go the same way as the Patriots one earlier this season, so that's the score I'll take too. 

Why?

Because while I don't think Rodgers will play to his full potential, I do think he'll do enough to win. Or, to put it more realistically, I don't think Romo will, so the Packers will hang on for a slim and stressful victory. 

Leave your own thoughts on this one below, and keep your fingers crossed that I'm right here. I'm admittedly not as confident as usual.

Rodgers' Calf Won't Affect Packers' Game Plan

Well, this is pretty relieving.

Packers QB Aaron Rodgers' calf won't affect the Packers' game plan in tomorrow's divisional playoff against the Cowboys, according to The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel's Bob McGinn. 

Here are some quotes from team Head Coach Mike McCarthy, courtesy of McGinn:

"We have a game plan and he looks like he's moving fine to me. Right now, we're not going to change anything in our approach on how we want to attack Dallas' defense."

"Aaron came through the practice everything OK. He feels good today. He's progressing forward and I feel he will be available for the game."

Packers Listed as 6 Point Favorites For Sunday's Divisional Playoff

The Packers have been listed as six point favorites for Sunday's divisional playoff game against the Cowboys.

The Packers have not lost at home this season, but neither have the Cowboys on the road. Dallas rallied late for a 24-20 victory in last weekend's wild card game against the Lions, but for the most part, still struggled in the contest.

As for the Packers, they're obviously coming off a bye week, so they're the more rested group of the two. Still, it should be noted that their offensive line was great when they beat the Lions in Week 17, so expect Aaron Rodgers to be well protected in this one.

Rodgers (Calf) Assures Media: "I'm Going on Sunday"

For all those worrying Aaron Rodgers won't play this weekend, you can put those fears to rest. Rodgers will be on the field for Sunday's game against the Cowboys, or at least that's what he's saying.

"I'm going on Sunday," Rodgers told ESPN.com's Rob Demovsky Wednesday. "It's just a matter of how."

"It just kind of depends on how (my calf) feels. I met with Doc. I've seen him every day. Nothing really changed on the schedule. This was kind of the plan from the start. It's progressing, but we'll see how it feels tomorrow."

Good. Now we can focus on the game instead. 

Sunday's Cowboys/Packers Game Won't Be as Cold as the Ice Bowl

Sunday's NFC Divisional Playoff Game between the Cowboys and Packers will be cold, but not quite as cold as the Ice Bowl.

ESPN.com's Rob Demovsky reported so Monday, writing that forecasts for the noon contest have kickoff temperatures reaching 15 degrees. The Ice Bowl, the 1967 NFL Championship Game between the two at Lambeau Field, started at -13 degrees, according to Demovsky.  

Kind of a let down I guess, but still, expect the Cowboys to feel a little weird this weekend. They play in a dome after all, and even struggled in one when they beat the Lions yesterday.

Reaction: Cowboys Rally Late to Beat Lions in Wild Card Game

I'm not that upset the Lions didn't hang onto beat the Cowboys yesterday, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't have liked to see it happen. 

Had Detroit held on to win, they'd head to Seattle, where I figured they'd at least have a chance. No, the Seahawks wouldn't have gone down without a fight, but obviously, the Lions would still play better than the Panthers. 

So while I don't necessarily see the Cowboys as much of a threat to the Packers, I'm definitely concerned that Green Bay's now going to have to go through the Seahawks if they want to reach the Super Bowl. You should be too, much as I want to believe the Packers are the best.  

Lions/Cowboys Final Prediction

My final prediction for today's Lions/Cowboys wild card game, the only one this weekend we Packers fans should really care about:

Score: Cowboys 27, Lions 17

I think Stafford will keep it close, but to say he'll actually win is just too unrealistic. He's never beaten an above-.500 team on the road in his career, and it's tough to see why he suddenly would now. 

Why?

Because while the Cowboys may not be the best when they're at the home, they certainly seem to have the location advantage in this contest. I'm not saying they'll definitely emerge victorious because of that, but I do think it's very likely. 

Let's hope I'm wrong.

Odds For Wild Card Weekend Released

The odds for this weekend's Wild Card games have been released, and though they're interesting, not much about them is too surprising.

In both NFC games, the home team is favored by 6 1/2 points, with the Panthers being picked to beat the Cardinals and the Cowboys the Lions. In the AFC, meanwhile, the hosts are each favored by 3, the Steelers over the Ravens and the Colts over the Bengals.

So yeah, nothing too weird. But hey, at least you know, and now we can all accept even further that the Packers' next opponent will probably be the Cowboys.