Reaction: Packers Cruise Past Panthers 38-17

The Packers beat the Panthers in a one-sided affair this afternoon, and really, they did so in an ideal way. Here's my takeaways from it:

1. Aaron Rodgers is Unstoppable Right Now:

Seriously, he is. This game was over in the first quarter.

2. The Defense is Improving:

They still have some work to do, but with the early three-and-outs and Clay Matthews' sudden involvement today they definitely showed some promise.

3. The Saints Should Be Beatable:

A performance half as good as this one will probably be good enough to bring them down next week. Hopefully, at least.

Anyone else have any thoughts on this subject? If so, please share them.

Matthews Blaming Evolution of Offenses For His Recent Struggles

Packers LB Clay Matthews is blaming "evolution of offenses" for his recent struggles.

"I think statistically, obviously, you'd love to have more stats, but I know the sacks will come and the numbers will always be there," Matthews told ESPN.com today. "But at the same time, I think you have to look at the evolution of offenses that we continue to play, especially with the zone-read and them knowing the guys who we possess on this side of the ball about stopping that first line of defense, being us rushers. You saw that last week with having us kind of read and react in playing that offense." 

In last Sunday's win over the Dolphins, Matthews failed to record a tackle despite being on the field for 84% of Green Bay's defensive snaps, an unfortunate happening that will only continue this week if the Panthers run the read option.

Packers Listed as 7 Point Favorites For Sunday's Panthers Game

The Packers have been listed as seven point favorites for Sunday's game against the Panthers.

The Pack, who beat the Dolphins on a last-second touchdown last week, have won each of their last three contests, improving their record to an NFC North-best 4-2.

The Panthers, meanwhile, sit at just 3-2-1 right now after dropping two of their last four, a number that would be three right now had the Bengals not missed a 36 yard field goal in Sunday's overtime.

This upcoming competition between the two will conveniently kickoff at noon, airing on Fox in most areas. It will be played at Lambeau.

Finley expected to be ready for contact in 3-4 weeks

The Doctor of Packers TE Jermichael Finley, who hasn't done anything football-related since sustaining his week 7 neck injury, has said that he is "99.99%" sure that #88 will be cleared for contact in 3-4 weeks. Finley is currently recovering from his November surgery, and is reportedly hoping to return to the Packers next season. 

Now while this news is obviously a step in the right direction, I'm not gonna put too much emphasis on it. I mean, it's great to see him recovering and all, but still, it's just contact. He's stil nowhere near actually being ready to play.