Thanks to my readers

I just wanted to take this time to thank all of my readers over the course of the semester.  For those readers that aren’t in my blogging class at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, I would like to thank all of you as well and let you know that I will be going on an hiatus for at least a few weeks now that the semester is over.

If there is a large enough demand, I will continue to update this site and fill you in with all of the newest and most important Packers news.  Continue to comment so I know that you are still out there and I will continue to blog.

Thanks again everyone!

Packers WILL Make the Playoffs

The Packers are sitting at 8-4 heading into their division final division game on Sunday against the Bears.  The Packers will be able to get into the playoffs with a 10-6 record so that means they only need to win two of their remaining four games.

Two of the remaining four games (Bears and Seahawks) don’t look like they should be much of a problem.  If the Packers go ahead and beat the Bears this Sunday, I believe they will have all but locked a spot for themselves for the final wildcard slot.

NOT SO FAST

The other two matchups are the Steelers and Cardinals.  The Steelers (6-7) are a good football team even though they have lost their fifth straight game.  They will also have 10 days to prepare for the Packers next week after playing this past Thursday.  If the Steelers lose to the Packers next weekend they will be eliminated from the playoffs just a year away from being crowned world champs.

The Cardinals have a very good football team and they are playing good football right now.  They, like the Steelers, are one year removed from playing in the Super Bowl.  Playing this team in the regular season finale helps out the Packers a lot because the Cardinals may be resting their starters during most of that game to ensure they are healthy for the playoffs.  I wouldn’t be surprised if the Packers play the Cardinals the following weekend in the first round of the playoffs.

THE LOW ROAD

The last thing to consider is if the Packers get into the playoffs they will have to do it on the road because they are guaranteed to get no higher than a 7 seed (unless the Vikings collapse down the stretch and the Packers can win the NFC North division).  The Packers are a mediocre 3-2 on the road, so having to play on the road throughout the playoffs may be a problem.

Personally, I am excited for the game at Heinz Field against the Steelers and the game against the Seahawks at Lambeau Field the most.  That’s only because I am going to those two games.  The game against the Steelers is going to be a great game for me because it is my first Packer road game… and it’s only an 8 hour drive!

Post Game Thoughts- Ravens

The Packers picked up a very helpful win to strengthen their playoff chances against the Ravens, 27-14, on Monday night.

Even though it was a win, it wasn’t a flawless win. The Packers broke their franchise record for most penalty yards in a single game.  All year long penalties plagued the Pack, especially in their losses.  The penalties were the biggest weakness for the Pack, but their special teams gave up too many big plays to the Ravens.

Besides the penalties and the special teams, the rest of the team looked like they were playing great playoff football.  The two things you have to do in order to win in the playoffs is run the ball and create turnovers.  The Packers could run the ball with efficiency and they intercepted three of Joe Flacco’s passes.

Like I said before, the Packers should need 10 wins to get into the playoffs so after the victory over the Ravens they only need two more wins out of their final four games.  I will look into their final four games in a later post and give my opinion on the Packers chances at getting into the postseason after a one year hiatus.

Keys to Victory over the Ravens

This Monday night game is crucial for both teams.  The Packers and the Ravens are both fighting for their playoff lives right now.  Who needs the win more? I would say the Ravens because they have a harder road to make the playoffs.  The Packers are sitting in the playoffs right now, while the Ravens are on the outside looking in.  Nonetheless, the Packers would have a much easier road to locking a playoff spot up if they win Monday night.  Here’s how I see the Packers being able to win:

1. Continue the success on the offensive line.  The Packers have been doing a nice job of protecting Aaron Rodgers and giving Ryan Grant some running room.  If they can continue their success against the Ravens tough defense, they will much more likely to pick up a win.

2.Continue the success of the defense.  The Packers have been playing as good as any team in the league on the defensive side of the ball.  Creating turnovers, stopping the run, and pressuring the quarterback has all become natural to the Pack.  Continuing that against the Ravens would almost ensure the victory.

3. Use the home-field advantage.  This is the Packers’ first home game in December where playing at Lambeau Field becomes a huge advantage for the Packers.  With freezing weather and snow in the forecast, the Packers should be in good shape to use the weather as well as the fans to their advantage.  The last thing the Packers want to do is play like they are too cold. As long as they get off to a hot start and the fans stay in the game, the Packers should be able to prevent the Ravens from even standing a chance.

Grow Your Packer Playoff Beards!

The Packers need your support in order for them to continue with their winning streak and keep their playoff hopes alive.   I’m not being superstitious, I’m just being a dedicated fan.

Here’s what you will need to do

Stop shaving your beards until the Packers are eliminated from the playoff contention, when they lose in the playoffs, or win the Super Bowl.

A look at the Packers’ Rankings

Here are the Packers’ rankings in a variety of statistics that I thought were pretty interesting…

Turnover margin (+17)…No. 1
Total offense (382.0) …No. 6
Passing yards (262.8)….No. 6
Total defense (281.5)…No. 1
Rushing defense (89.1)…No. 4
Passing defense (192.5)…No. 6
Third-down offense (45.7%)…No. 5
Third-down defense (33.3%)…No. 4
Red-zone offense (52.6%)…No. 15
Red-zone defense (63.3%)…No. 29

The one stat that sticks out the most for me is the red-zone defense is ranked 29th and the red-zone offense is ranked 15th.  I would have guessed that the red-zone defense would be much better than the red-zone offense for the Packers.  Lately it seems like the offense can’t get into the end zone when they are sitting in the red-zone.

Will the Packers Make the Playoffs Poll

The title of this post says it all.  Go ahead and vote whether you think the Packers will be in the playoffs or not.  As of today they are the last wildcard spot.  After casting your vote go to the comments section and tell us why you voted the way you did.