☹️🏈 THUD! — Cold, Snowy 13-10 Loss To 49ers Ends Pack’s Super Bowl Quest, Possibly Closing “Rodgers’ Era” In GB!

☹️🏈 THUD! — Cold, Snowy 13-10 Loss To 49ers Ends Pack’s Super Bowl Quest, Possibly Closing “Rodgers’ Era” In GB!

By Paul Wickham Schmidt

Courtside Exclusive

Jan. 23, 2022

The #1 seed Green Bay Packers (13-5) laid another playoff egg before stunned fans at frigid, snowy (0 degree wind chill) Lambeau Field Saturday night. The Pack lost to the underdog San Francisco 49ers (11-7) and their much maligned quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, 13-10 on a “walk off” 45 yard field goal by Robbie Gould, who remained perfect in playoffs. 

This deflating loss comes in a post-season where the Pack was one of the odds-on favorites to win the Super Bowl. It could be the “swan song” in green and gold for future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers and his sidekick, superstar wide receiver Devonte Adams.

The Packers got the opening kickoff and went on an impressive 69 yard drive, ending with running back A.J. Dillon plowing six yards into the end zone taking more than five minutes off the clock. Sadly, however, for Packer fans, their team was unable to repeat that success.

Basically, Rodgers and the offense took the rest of the night off, mustering only three more points on a field goal. Another field goal try was blocked at the end of the first half.

That left the Pack’s fate in the hands of a defense that was somewhat inconsistent over the regular season. This time, they showed up and almost pulled it off, holding Garopollo and his offense out of the end zone.

Unfortunately, however, the Green Bay “D” fell victim to the offense’s anemia, compounded by more chronically lousy special teams play, an Achilles heel for the team during the season. After the offense failed to move, deep in Packer territory, a blocked punt was scooped up by SF and run into the end zone for a then-tying touchdown.

On the ensuing possession, needing a sustained drive resulting in points to clinch a trip to the Conference finals for the second straight season, Rodgers and the “O” fired a blank — big time! Following a quick and inept three and out, consisting of poorly conceived plays without realistic probability of success, they punted the ball back to the 9ers, thus giving them a shot at winning a game in which they had never led.

Everybody in the stadium knew that SF was likely to lean primarily on its running game, rather than put the game solely in Garopollo’s hands, particularly since he had already thrown one ridiculously bad interception to kill a drive in the red zone.

This time, the worn-down Packer defense could not get the 49ers off the field. The killer came on third and seven on the Green Bay 38, about a minute left in the game, and the Pack out of time outs. SF faced a possible dilemma. If the Pack could hold them to no gain, Gould would have had to attempt a 55 yard field goal in the freezing cold and swirling snow. A miss would have given Rodgers the ball near midfield with about half a minute on the clock. Even a make would have given Rodgers two or three plays after the kickoff to get into field goal position.

But, that moment of truth never came. The Packers let SF all-purpose star Deebo Samuel run for nine yards and a first down at the GB 29. The 49ers then ran the clock down and called on the reliable Gould for the 45 yard game-winner as time expired and the Lambeau faithful looked on in shock.

So, despite a league-best 39 wins over Coach Matt LaFleur’s first three seasons, most in Packer history, the Pack again find themselves as Super Bowl spectators for the 11th consecutive year since winning it all in 2011.

It’s also quite likely the end of the road for the Pack and Rodgers, who almost refused to play this season. And, if Rodgers goes, his friend and All-Pro wide receiver Davonte Adams, who will be a free agent, is likely going with him. 

If AR does reach his second Super Bowl, it will probably be in a different uniform. Tennessee, Indianapolis, and Cleveland seem like logical possibilities. All have strong running games and basically are “a quarterback away” from championship contention. 

Another intriguing possibility is the Washington Football Team. Rodgers, Adams, paired with existing receiver Terry McLaurin, healthy tight end Logan Thomas, and a revived defense with Chase Young back would be a formidable combination.

The Pack is likely to go into “modified rebuild mode” behind quarterback Jordan Love who will be entering his third season. Love seems like a nice young man with some arm strength. But, frankly, I don’t see him making fans forget Rodgers or getting very deep into the playoffs.

Case in point, Rodgers threw 531 passes this year with 4 interceptions and 0 lost fumbles. Love threw 62 passes with 3 interceptions and 1 fumble lost.

Indeed, Packer fans might well find themselves spared the suspense and disappointment of season-ending playoff losses for some years to come in the “Post-Rodgers Era.” I’m among those “die-hards” to remember the very gloomy quarter-century hiatus between the “glory days” of Lombardi and Starr and the arrival of Holmgren and Farve and a long-awaited return to relevance for the NFL’s oldest franchise.

Perhaps, the strongest factor favoring the Packers’ future playoff chances is that they play in the NFC North. Their divisional competition, Chicago, Minnesota, and Detroit are among the most inept franchises in football these days, with all of one Super Bowl victory among them (Chicago — 1986 ) in the “modern age” of the NFL.

With the Packers off the field until next fall, the “action” is likely to shift to the “off-season drama” between Rodgers and the Green Bay front office.

“Who is Aaron Rodgers?” Maybe, the “answer” will be: “Former Packer quarterback who was both a contestant and a guest host of Jeopardy.”

🏈ON TO THE NFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: PACK OVERPOWERS RAMS 32-18 @ LAMBEAU!  — “O Line” Shines In Mauling “#1 Defense”

Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers

🏈ON TO THE NFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: PACK OVERPOWERS RAMS 32-18 @ LAMBEAU!  — “O Line” Shines In Mauling “#1 Defense”

By Paul Wickham Schmidt

Courtside Exclusive

Jan. 17, 2021. The Green Bay Packers left no doubt in the perhaps overhyped “battle” between the #1 offense and the #1 defense. Likely NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers threw for two touchdowns and ran for another, laying an impressive “juke” in a hapless L.A. Rams’ defender in the process, as the Pack rolled. 

Led by running backs Aaron Jones, Jamaal Williams, and AJ Dillon, the Pack gashed the Rams’ D for 188 yards on the ground, on the way to 488 yards of total offense. The defense sacked Rams’ QB Jared Goff four times and generally held the Rams’ offense in check when it counted.

The Rams basically were playing without their defensive leader and superstar Aaron Donald, ineffective in limited action (obviously should not have played at all) because of a previous injury. His only notable play was a really dumb 15 yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty that helped keep a Packer drive going in the first half. But, even a healthy Donald couldn’t have turned the tide on Saturday evening. 

An under-touted aspect of the Pack’s dominating performance was the offensive line. They actually were without their best player, All-Pro left tackle David Bakhtairi. No matter! His replacement Billy Turner, Elgton Jenkins, one of the most versatile and underrated players in the league, and his buddies Corey Lindsey, Lucas Patrick, Rick Wagner, Mercedes Lewis, and Robert Tonyan dominated the Rams’ supposedly fearsome defense. Not only did they open big holes at the line of scrimmage for the running game, but also gave Rodgers spectacular protection. 

AR has one of the “quickest releases” in football history. But, on Saturday he didn’t really need it. He had all day on most drop-backs. Indeed, except for a failed and flailing “jersey grab,” he was barely touched all night. And, when Rodgers has time, he almost never loses.

The Pack now needs to put this one behind them and concentrate on next week: The NFC Championship Game, one step from Rodgers’s second Super Bowl. Although the Pack also reached the championship game last season, they laid a big egg in getting literally run out of the stadium by San Francisco. 

Interestingly, many, including me, thought at that point the Pack would have to do a major offseason “rebuild” to remain competitive with the 49ers and the other NFC “up and comers.” But, much to everyone’s surprise and consternation, the was no such “rebuild” during the offseason. Instead, in a highly controversial and much criticized move, the Pack drafted QB Jordan Love, in what was (wrongly) thought to be the “beginning of the end” for Rodgers in Green Bay. 

What did happen, however, was that two of the “best minds in football” — Coach Matt LeFleur (28-7) and AR  — sat down with the coaching staff over the winter and designed what is now the best and most feared offense in football — nearly unstoppable! (And we can’t forget wide receiver Devante Adams, whose amazing talent and unfailingly great instincts have made  him and and Rodgers the most effective combination in football.)

Seems like the “pieces were there” all the time — it was the “melding of minds” between Rodgers and the coaching staff that was the “missing link.” Even the Pack defense, with most of the same players who too often came up short last year, is holding teams to under 20 points average over the last seven games — no mean feat an an offensive-minded league.  

No matter who wins between the Saints and the Bucs this evening, the Pack will be facing a formidable challenge and a future Hall of Fame QB next week in Drew Brees (Saints) or Tom Brady (Bucs). 

For the record, the Brady and the Bucs dominated the Pack earlier in the season in what was undoubtedly Green Bay’s worst outing. On the other hand, Rogers and the Pack narrowly out-dueled Brees and the Saints in a classic late-September showdown where both threw for three TDS.

But, this is January, where previous results don’t necessarily predict the future. It should be a great one at Lambeau next Sunday afternoon (projected 17-26 degrees with snow flurries). 

Go Pack!

SPORTS:  AR, DEVONTE SHARP AS PACKERS REPEL VIKES IN OPENER — Robust Offense Dominates In 43-34 Win!

Aaron Rodgers
Aaron Rodgers
Photo by: original: Mike Morbeck
derivative: Diddykong1130
Public realm

SPORTS:  AR, DEVONTE SHARP AS PACKERS REPEL VIKES IN OPENER — Robust Offense Dominates In 43-34 Win!

By Paul Wickham Schmidt

September 14, 2020

Exclusive for Courtside

Pundits picked the Green Bay Packers as the team most likely to regress from last year’s surprising 14-4 season that took them within a game of the Super Bowl. Drafting QB Jordan Love rather than another wide receiver to pair with veteran Devonte Adams was widely viewed as one of the dumbest moves of the offseason. Many speculated that it would hasten the end of the “Aaron Rodgers Era” in Green Bay. Most picked the Minnesota Vikings as the upswing team to capture the NFL North title from the defending champ Pack. 

At least on opening day, Rodgers, Adams, Coach Matt LaFleur, and the entire Packer team, particularly the offense, made the pundits look stupid. Rodgers had one of the better days of his stellar career, throwing for 32-44-364 and four TDs with no picks. Adams caught two TD passes on the way to a 14-156-2 day that tied Don Hutson’s 78-yer-old franchise record for receptions (amazing, when you think about all the great QBs and receivers on the Pack since 1942). 

Wide receivers Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Allen Lazard also caught TDs from AR. Six rushers chipped in a highly effective 158 yards on 32 carries, with Aaron Jones leading the way with 66 yards on 16 carries and one TD. The Pack amassed an impressive 522 yards of total offense, allowing them to dominate time of possession with more than 41 minutes.

On defense, cornerback Jaire Alexander stood out. His second quarter sack of Kirk Cousins in the end zone was a safety, leading to a field goal on the ensuing drive. Then, his interception of Cousins later in that quarter led to a Packer TD. Thus, Alexander helped set up 12 Packer points. Despite having to rely on some backups, the Packer offensive line kept Rodgers sack free and opened up some large holes for the runners.

What I liked most about this performance was the Pack’s aggressive, yet balanced downfield offense. Even in the Rodgers Era, past Packer teams have had a tendency to go into “offensive stalls” after getting a lead. Sunday the Pack punted only once. More important, they scored TDs on each of their three second-half possessions (not counting the “victory formation kneel down” at the end), putting together three drives of over 60 yards that wore down the Vikes defense and kept their offense on the bench.

As he often does, Kirk Cousins put up some big passing numbers while vainly trying to bring his team back from three-score deficits that he had helped cause by giving up a safety and an interception. That tendency to run up big stats without producing big wins is what probably has given Cousins some of the flashiest QB stats in the league without ever breaking into the “elite QB club.”

The game wasn’t actually as close as the score might indicate. Down 22-10 at the half, the Vikes punted on their first second half drive. Thereafter, thanks to the Pack’s aggressive offense, the Vikes never possessed the ball down fewer than three scores. Most of their scoring offense was generated against a fairly soft Packer “prevent defense.” I’m not a fan of the “prevent.” But, with the offense moving the ball and not trading TDs for field goals or empty possessions, it worked out this time. And, the margin should have been greater, because in the first half both Valdes-Scantling and Adams dropped sure TD passes from Rodgers.

Who knows whether this will be the start of something good for the Pack or just a high point in the disappointing season predicted by most pundits. But, so far, so good. 

This coming Sunday, the Pack takes on Matt Stafford and the Detroit Lions, who blew a fourth quarter lead against the Chicago Bears. It will be an unusual  “home opener” in a Lambeau devoid of fans.    

“OLD MAN” A.R. SHOWS HE’S STILL GOT IT WHEN IT COUNTS, AS PACK REACHES NFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME WITH 28-23 VICTORY OVER SEATTLE!

Aaron Rodgers
Aaron Rodgers
Quarterback
Green Bay Packers
Devante Adams
Devante Adams
Wide Receiver
Green Bay Packers

“OLD MAN” A.R. SHOWS HE’S STILL GOT IT WHEN IT COUNTS, AS PACK REACHES NFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME WITH 28-23 VICTORY OVER SEATTLE!

By Paul Wickham Schmidt

Special to Courtside Sports

Jan. 13, 2020. January night darkness fell over historic frigid Lambeau Field in Green Bay, WI. Late fourth quarter, third and long, from deep in Packer territory. Aaron Rodgers drops back and throws a strike to his favorite target, wide receiver Devante Adams for a first down in Seahawk territory.

 

Game over?  No way!  The Seattle defense stiffens and less than 20 seconds later, Rodgers and the Pack face another “moment of truth:” third and nine at the Seahawk 45 with two minutes left. Rodgers avoids the ferocious rush and shoots a pass to former Seahawk Jimmy Graham for exactly 9 yards and a game-ending first down. With Seattle out of timeouts, the Packers kneel down, run out the clock, and keep the dangerous Russell Wilson from getting another shot at late-game heroics.

 

Too old, too spoiled, overrated, lost his touch – Rodgers heard all the criticism during a 14-3 regular season where the Packers more often than not “won ugly.” They frequently relied on the running and catching of “the other Aaron” – Aaron Jones — and a “stout when it had to be” defense led by the newly acquired “Smith boys” at linebacker. With only a few exceptions, Rodgers and the passing offense were regularly accused of “underperforming” by the pundits and the media even as the Pack piled up wins en route to a NFC North Championship.

 

Another Pack veteran stalwart who “showed up” on Sunday night was Adams, who had been slowed by injuries during the regular season. He set a franchise playoff record with 160 receiving yards (including two touchdowns) on eight catches. Jones added two rushing touchdowns, bringing him within one of the season team record held by Ahman Green. He also added 62 hard-fought rushing yards on 21 carries to allow the “Pack attack” to remain “balanced” against a Seahawk defense keyed on stopping the run.

 

The heroics of Rodgers, Adams, Jones, Graham, and the Smiths overcame an amazing performance by Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson, who finished out his collegiate career as a Wisconsin Badger. The vastly underappreciated Wilson wasn’t just Seattle’s best player, he basically was the franchise Sunday night.

 

He single-handedly willed and played the Seahawks back into contention, with a chance to win, in a game where they twice trailed by 18. The Seahawks couldn’t run, didn’t block well, putting Wilson under extreme pressure on nearly every down, dropped some key passes, missed a field goal, and had no answer for Rodgers and Adams when it counted. Yet, with 21 completions and a team-high 64 yards rushing, Wilson bobbed, weaved, evaded, ran, threw, and led the Seahawks to three second half touchdowns to close the gap to a mere five points in the fourth quarter.

 

Amazingly on such a cold night under so much pressure, there were no turnovers by either team and very few penalties, a tribute to Packer Head Coach Matt LaFleur and Seahawk Head Coach Pete Carroll and their respective staffs. Speaking of LaFleur, seldom has a “rookie” coach of a 14-3 team gotten so little credit or “buzz” in the media or from the fans.

Most of the focus this season was on his relationship with Rodgers, the struggles of the offense, the failure of either the offense or defense to rank among the league’s best, an “easy” schedule, “lucky” wins, and some embarrassing defeats. All the guy did was take a team that won only six games and was and in shambles after missing the playoffs for the second consecutive season, and lead them to within a game of the Super Bowl with only a few major roster changes, almost none on offense.

 

But, the lack of accolades is probably of little moment to LaFleur and Rodgers right now as they prepare for San Francisco. It’s a huge chance to avenge one of their worst moments of 2019 – a 37-8 creaming at the hands of the 49ers at Levi’s field back in November. In that game, Rodgers was simply horrible, passing for just slightly over 100 yards. And, Lafleur was thoroughly out-coached by Kyle Shanahan, as the Niners literally and figuratively ran all over the hapless Pack that afternoon on both offense and defense.

 

LaFleur and Rodgers promise that things will be different this Sunday. From the standpoint of “Packer Nation,” let‘s hope they are right! But, the oddsmakers in Las Vegas are having none of the “Packer hype.” They quickly installed the Niners as solid seven point favorites!

 

PWS

01-13-20

 

 

 

 

TERRIFIED PENCE FLEES NFL STADIUM FOLLOWING PEACEFUL EXERCISE OF CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS! — “Trump Told Me To Do It,” Says Vapid Veep!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/mike-pence-nfl-walks-out_us_59da5fb4e4b0f6eed35114bd?ncid=inblnkushpmg00000009

Igor Bobic reports for HuffPost:

Vice President Mike Pence walked out of Sunday’s NFL game between the Indianapolis Colts and the San Francisco 49ers as several 49ers players knelt in protest during a rendition of the national anthem.

“While everyone is entitled to their own opinions, I don’t think it’s too much to ask NFL players to respect our Flag and our National Anthem,” Pence wrote on Twitter minutes after leaving the game in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Following the example of former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, NFL players around the country have knelt during renditions of the national anthem in order to protest against police brutality and racial injustice directed towards black Americans.

More than a hundred NFL players from several football teams kneeled or held arms in solidarity earlier this month after President Donald Trump called NFL players who kneel during the anthem “sons of bitches.” He later insisted his criticism of the NFL had “nothing” to do with race.

Trump said on Sunday that he asked Pence to leave the stadium in Indianapolis if any players knelt during the national anthem, an extremely likely event given the number of players on the 49ers team who kneel during the anthem before every game.

The president’s revelation suggested the White House orchestrated the walk out on purpose, raising questions about the cost of Pence’s brief trip to Indianapolis. The vice president flew there from Las Vegas, where he visited the victims and families of last week’s horrific shooting. He is now flying back West for a stop in California.

“Wait. This was orchestrated to make a point? That’s not an inexpensive thing to do,” tweeted Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) on Sunday.

Many people have commented that Pence’s action came off as publicity stunt, including San Francisco 49ers’ Eric Reid, who was one of the first players to kneel alongside Kaepernick in 2016. Reid told reporters that the three-year-old photo of Pence at a Colts game in 2014 was the last he had heard of the vice president attending a game.

“So this looks like a PR stunt to me,” Reid told a pool of reporters on Sunday. “He knew our team has had the most players protest. He knew that we were probably going to do it again. This is what systemic oppression looks like. A man with power comes to the game, tweets a couple of things out and leaves the game with an attempt to thwart our efforts. Based on the information I have, that’s the assumption I’ve made.”

This is what systemic oppression looks like. A man with power comes to the game, tweets a couple of things out and leaves the game with an attempt to thwart our efforts.Eric Reid, San Franciscos 49ers

Prior to walking out of the game, Pence met with former Colts quarterback Peyton Manning. The retired football star, who also played for the University of Tennessee and has donated to prominent GOP figures, has been floated as a potential candidate to replace Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.). Corker is retiring next year, but Manning has said he has no plans to run for the seat.”

*************************************************

Obviously, Trump orchestrated this event to show America that if they ditch him they would be trading a bully for an idiot.

NOTE: Although Pence undoubtedly was carrying out a “staged” role assigned to him by Trump, and the  quote is certainly sufficiently obsequious to have come from Pence, the actual quote in the headline section is “fake news.” However, the rest of the story about Pence’s idiotic behavior is, unfortunately, true — just another day in Trumpland.

NOW, ON TO MORE SIGNIFICANT NEWS:

After spotting the home-standing Dallas Cowboys a 21-6 lead (including missing two missed extra points) the Pack rallied for an exciting 35-31 victory over the ‘Pokes. The incomparable Aaron Rodgers (“AR”) led the last second comeback with a key third down scramble setting up the winning TD pass to Devonte Adams with 11 seconds remaining. Adams came back to catch two TD passes in an inspiring performance following a scary near-decapitation on a cheap shot by Bears’ LB Danny Trevathan during the Pack’s victory on Thursday, September 28.

PWS

10-08-17