🏈 SPORTS: ON TO DALLAS WITH LOVE❤️! — Pack Down Rival Bears 17-9, Clinch Playoff Slot As QB Stars, Jones Runs, Defense Hangs Tough!

🏈 SPORTS: ON TO DALLAS WITH LOVE❤️! — Pack Down Rival Bears 17-9, Clinch Playoff Slot As QB Stars, Jones Runs, Defense Hangs Tough!

By Paul Wickham Schmidt

Special to Courtside Sports

Jan. 8, 2024

At the end of October, the Green Bay Packers were 2-5, riding a four game losing streak, with young QB Jordan Love coming off a 74.8 QB performance against the Vikings and having thrown 8 picks against 11 TDs. Many were questioning the team’s decision to hitch their future to the fourth year signal caller from Utah State, who played only sparingly in his first three seasons while backing up future Hall-of-Famer Aaron Rodgers.

Jordan Love
Jordan Love has elevated his play over the second half of the season, helping the Packers to make the playoffs in the first year of the “post-Aaron-Rodgers” Era. 
Quarterback
Green Bay Packers
PHOTO” Packer website

Today, the Packers are heading to the playoffs as the NFC’s #7 seed with a 9-8 record, after defeating the rival Chicago Bears (7-10) 17-9 at Lambeau Field on Sunday. Love turned in a near-perfect performance going 27-32-316-2-0-128.6 in achieving a playoff spot in his first full season, something that eluded the great Rodgers. Love finished the regular season with over 4,000 yards passing, 32 TD passes (second only to the Cowboys’ Dak Prescott’s 36), 11 interceptions, a 96.1 rating, and 248 rushing yards.

It wasn’t easy for the Pack Sunday against the Bears, although they dominated the game statistically. Green Bay never punted on its seven possessions. But, mistakes on three of those kept the green and gold from talking a two possession lead that would have given fans some comfort.

Following a Bears’ field goal on the first series, the Pack drove to the Chicago 15. But, a sack of Love on third down led to a missed Anders Carlson field goal from the 41. The rookie kicker’s inconsistency on extra points (5 missed) and kicks from 40-50 yards (4-8) must be an area of concern heading into the playoffs. 

Following a Chicago punt on the next possession, the Pack drove 92 yards, culminating in a 10-yard TD pass from Love to rookie receiver Dontayvion Wicks (6-61-2). That gave Green Bay their first lead, 7-3.

The Bears closed the gap to 7-6 on Cairo Santos’s second field goal, a 39-yarder with 1:17 left in the half. The Packers then mounted a last-minute drive deep into Chicago territory that should have padded their lead. However, poor clock management by Coach Matt LaFleur resulted in time expiring with the team on the Chicago 19-yard-line.

Taking the second half kickoff, the Packers drove 75 yards on 9 plays for a TD. Again it was a pass from Love to Wicks, this one for 12 yards. With the extra point, the Pack extended their lead to eight. Better, but still within a single score. And, the Packers needed a win to make the playoffs. A tie would send them home for the post-season.

After forcing the Bears two punt on their next possession, the Packers mounted a drive that appeared destined to finally give them that two-score spread. But, in his only mistake of the game, Love fumbled near midfield while running for a first down. The Bears recovered. The Pack defense was stout, but Chicago was able to convert that turnover — the only one of the well-played game for either team — into Santos’s third field goal, to cut the lead to five, 14-9.

The Packers answered with what looked for a moment like Love’s third TD pass of the day, this one to Bo Melton who again performed admirably (5-62-0) after spending much of the season on the practice squad. But, the initial TD call was reversed on video replay, and Green Bay had to settle for a 25 yard Carlson field goal to put the lead back at eight, 17-9.

The Bears hung tough. On the ensuing possession they drove to the Packer 34 with the help of a defensive offside penalty on fourth down in their own territory. There, however, the drive stalled on a holding penalty and a sack of QB Justin Fields, leaving the Bears with a fourth and 22 from the 50. After another nice punt from Trevor Gill, the Packers had the ball on their own six yard line with 6:08 to go and the Bears still having three time-outs and the two-minute warning.

The game was still very much in doubt. Although the defense had contained the elusive Bear QB Fields (11-16-148-0-0-97.9), their leading rusher for the season, he is a threat to score on any play, from anywhere on the field. If the Pack were forced to punt from deep in their own territory, Chicago would have good field position and plenty of time to score a TD. The thought of having to defend Fields on a potential game-tying two-point conversion to avoid overtime was not one that Packer nation relished. 

At this point, Love and his mates on offense put together the “drive of the game” — perhaps the “drive of the season” — even though it did not result in any points! Using a combination of clutch runs and passes, the Pack held the ball for the rest of the game, finally kneeling down on the Chicago 32 as the clock expired. 

Along the way, Love converted two huge third downs, one to star rookie Jaydon Reed (4-112-0) at the Packer 29 and another to rookie Tucker Kraft (3-31-0) that took the ball to the Bears’ 42 with  2:17 left, forcing Chicago to use its final timeout.

The “dagger,” as Packer radio broadcaster Wayne Larrabee would say, came two plays later when Aaron Jones ran up the middle for the Packers’ 24th, and final, first down of the day. Out of time outs, the visitors from the Windy City could only watch in dismay as the Lambeau fans celebrated.

Jones (22-111-0) notched his second straight 100+ yard game, against a tough run defense, showing once again why when healthy he is probably the best all-around running back in the league. With help from the O line, Jones’s running allowed Green Bay to achieve a near-perfect balance (32 passes, 27 runs), that chewed up clock, took some of the pressure off of Love (as problem that had led to mid-season woes), and kept the Bears’ defense off balance all afternoon. 

Speaking of defense, Joe Barry’s much maligned unit turned in a second straight stellar performance, this time against one of the league’s most athletic and potentially explosive QBs. Over the past two games, the D has kept opponents out of the end zone when it counted, surrendering only a meaningless TD to the Vikes set up by a muffed punt inside the 10 yard line.  

The Packers now head to Dallas (12-5) for a late-Sunday-afternoon date with the Eastern Division Champ Cowboys and Head Coach Mike McCarthy who directed the Packers to their (and Rodgers’s) only Super Bowl Title of the 21st Century following the 2010 season. Despite their regular-season-closing three game winning streak, the Pack will be a touchdown underdog. 

In fairness, there is little similarity between Green Bay’s last three victims — Chicago (7-10), Minnesota (7-10), and Carolina (2-15) — and the ‘Boys. Dallas has a potent offense led by QB Dak Prescott (36 TDs) and a strong defense led by linebacker Micah Parsons. They are also undefeated at home this season. The Packers will not be able to afford “empty trips” into the opponent’s territory as happened three times against the Bears. 

Not to mention that McCarthy, who was out of football for a season following his 2018 dismissal from Green Bay, would dearly love to show Green Bay’s management that he still has plenty left in his tank. There are also rumors that despite this year’s strong showing, Dallas owner Jerry Jones might axe him if the Cowboys don’t get to the Super Bowl. So, there will be plenty of drama with lots at stake. 

With the youngest team in the NFL (and one of the youngest ever to make the playoffs), and a young QB in his first “real” season, it would be easy to view making the playoffs as a somewhat unanticipated success for the Packers and not worry much about what comes next. But, that would be a mistake for the team!

In this post-Tom-Brady Era of the NFL, even the “prime contenders” — Baltimore (13-4) and San Francisco (12-5) — have looked very vulnerable at times. Consequently, it’s plausible to imagine any of the remaining teams — including the lower seeds — hoisting the Lombardi Trophy in Las Vegas on Feb. 11. 

When the Packers won the 2011 Super Bowl behind Rodgers & McCarthy, they were the lowest seed (then #6) and therefore played all “away” games. Despite the myth of the advantage of playing home games on Lambeau’s “frozen tundra” in January, in following seasons, with higher seeds and arguably better players on the roster, the Packers have never been able to get beyond the NFC Championship game.

Maybe this will be the first of many playoff runs for Love & the Packers, but there are no guarantees. Therefore, it’s important to make the most of each shot and for the Pack to give it their best shot in Dallas on Sunday.

🏈 BEHIND LOVE ❤️, PACK STAYS IN HUNT WITH CONVINCING 33-10 TAKEDOWN OF VIKES!

Jordan Love
Jordan Love
Quarterback
Green Bay Packers
PHOTO” Packer website

🏈 BEHIND LOVE ❤️, PACK STAYS IN HUNT WITH CONVINCING 33-10 TAKEDOWN OF VIKES!

By Paul Wickham Schmidt

Special to Courtside Sports

Green Bay, WI, Jan. 1, 2024.  With quarterback Jordan Love leading the way, the Green Bay Packers (8-8) crushed the arch-rival Minnesota Vikings (7-9) 33-10 in a New Year’s Eve blowout at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. Love is now one game away from accomplishing something that iconic Packer QB Aaron Rodgers failed to do in his first or last full seasons with the Pack — take them to the playoffs.  

Love was an impressive 24-36-256 with 3 passing TDs, another rushing, no interceptions, and a QB rating of 125.3, engineering all four of the team’s end-zone trips. Running back Aaron Jones added 120 yards rushing on 20 carries, as the Pack dominated from the opening whistle.

The much maligned green and gold defense pitched a near shutout, allowing only a field goal and a largely meaningless TD set up by a muffed punt inside the 10 years line. Surprisingly, the Vikings, playing behind their third and fourth string QBs, largely failed to show up in this rivalry game with the playoffs on the line. The margin could have been even bigger, as Packer receivers were running open all night, running backs were often into the Vikes’ secondary, and the only home team trip to the end zone was a gift. 

Left for dead after four straight mid-season losses, the Packers now have a clear path to the playoffs: Beat the 7-9 Chicago Bears at Lambeau on Sunday and they are in! On paper, that looks “doable,” given that Green Bay downed Chicago at Soldier Field 38-20 in the season opener in September. 

Yet, the situation is eerily similar to last season. Then, behind Rodgers, the Pack needed only to beat the Lions, who had already been eliminated from the playoffs, at Lambeau. However, the Lions didn’t roll over, besting the home team 20-16 to send Green Bay to a losing season and no playoffs in AR’s swan song. That was a precursor to this season which saw Detroit win the NFC North for their first divisional crown in three decades.

While the Bears are guaranteed another losing season, and are all but mathematically eliminated from the playoffs (less than 1% chance), the Pack should expect a battle. The Bears have won four of their last five and two straight. Green Bay leads the NFL’s oldest matchup 107-95-6, but a playoff-elimination win over their rivals from up north would “make” Chicago’s season. 

While the Packers’ fortunes may not match Taylor Swift’s impact on the worldwide economy, they are still the biggest deal in this town — by far! The general mood rises and falls with their team. So, at least for today, it’s a Happy New Year from “the Bay.” 

🇺🇸😎🥳 Happy New Year and Due Process Forever from Courtside!

PWS

01–1-24

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.    

SPORTS/GOSSIP/THE PACK: It’s Official: AR & Danica Patrick Are “An Item!”

Forget “S___gate,” the Budget, North Korea, and all that other stuff. Even forget the Pack’s post-season reorganization of their coaching staff and front office following a disappointing 7-9 season, The front page news from Green Bay is that the Superstar QB Aaron (“AR”) Rodgers is dating recently retired race driver Danica Patrick.

Here’s what the Green Bay Press Gazette had to say about it in an article that forced most other news to the second page!

http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/story/sports/nfl/packers/fans/2018/01/15/its-official-aaron-rodgers-and-danica-patrick-dating/1034255001/

“Buckle up, Packers fans: Aaron Rodgers and Danica Patrick’s relationship just hit the fast lane.

“Yes, Aaron and I are dating,” the race car driver confirmed Monday to the Associated Press.

Speculation that Rodgers, 34, had moved on from actress Olivia Munn with Patrick, 35, surfaced earlier this month when sports gossip blogger Terez Owens reported the two had been spotted at Chives Restaurant in Suamico after Christmas and “couldn’t seem to keep their hands off each other.”

Neither Rodgers nor Patrick had commented publicly about the report, but it didn’t stop Maxim from quickly declaring them “the sports world’s newest super couple.”

RELATED:  Danica Patrick, Aaron Rodgers spotted on dinner date

RELATED:  Mom, son have ‘amazing’ Aaron Rodgers encounter in Chicago

Patrick told the AP the two first met at the 2012 ESPY Awards. There is, however, a wrinkle: Patrick, who was born in Beloit and grew up in Illinois, is a Chicago Bears fan.

“I told him (Rodgers) a long time ago I’d always root for him as a player,” Patrick told the AP. “Now I am probably going to cheer for the whole team. Take out the word ‘probably.’ Now I’m going to cheer for the whole team.”

Rodgers split from actress Olivia Munn in 2017 after three years together. In December, a spokesperson for Patrick announced she and fellow NASCAR driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr. were no longer a couple after nearly five years.

TMZ posted a photo over the weekend of Rodgers and Patrick dining with other guests on Saturday night at a Mexican restaurant in Scottsdale, Arizona. Patrick lives in Arizona.

In November, Patrick announced her retirement from full-time racing and said she plans to make the Daytona 500 and Indianapolis 500 her final two races.

She has recently been promoting her fitness book, “Pretty Intense: The 90-Day Mind, Body and Food Plan That Will Absolutely Change Your Life,” which came out Dec. 26.”

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Wow! Dinner in Suamico! Can’t get much more romantic than that! We were actually in Green Bay right after Christmas. But, we mostly ate (vegan) Mexican and carry out! Actually, a fantastic and very authentic Mexican restaurant is right in Wick’s neighborhood. I was impressed with how well they had meshed the Mexican and Packer themes. A bunch of big screen TVs tuned to football and low-priced generous Margaritas didn’t hurt either. I highly recommend El Serape (two locations) the next time your travels take you to Packer city.
No speculation yet on how this will affect AR’s play next season. I suspect that the performance of new Defensive Coordinator Mike Pettine and how the Pack does in the draft and in free agent signings will have more to do with AR’s stats and the Packer’s success next fall than Danica!
And, yeah, even though as a lifelong Packer fan I don’t normally have much of a warm spot for the Minnesota Vikings, I was very happy for them and their fans after the “miracle catch” by Stefon Diggs for the winning TD. Good luck to them in the NFC Championship game v. the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday! Congrats to Arlington ICE Deputy Chief Counsel David Kelly, a native Minnesotan and die-hard Vikes fan! I just wish my daughter-in-law Anastasia’s mother Susan Rathman had lived long enough to see her beloved Vikes a game away from the Super Bowl!
PWS
01-17-18

PACKER REPORT: AR Breaks Collarbone As Pack Loses To Vikes 23 -10! — Season Likely Over For One Of NFL’s Brightest Stars!

http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2017/10/15/the_nfl_just_lost_its_best_and_most_exciting_player.html

Nick Greene reports for Slate:

“Oh No, Aaron Rodgers Broke His Collarbone

Green-Bay-Packers-v-Minnesota-Vikings
Aaron Rodgers rides a cart into the locker room after being injured.

Adam Bettcher/Getty Images

The 2017-’18 NFL season is objectively worse right now than it was on Sunday morning. Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers broke his collarbone, and, for the foreseeable future, the league’s best player will be spending his Sundays watching games rather than playing in them.

The injury occurred in the the first quarter of Green Bay’s game against Minnesota. Vikings linebacker Anthony Barr tackled Rodgers to the turf, and the quarterback crumpled awkwardly on his arm and shoulder. (It’s a bit of frustrating irony that Rodgers’ offensive line on Sunday was in the best shapeit’s been in all year.)

After Rodgers was carted to the locker room for tests, Brett Hundley replaced him under center. Hundley is a promising young player, but, unfortunately for the Packers, he is one of the roughly 7 billion people on earth who is not Aaron Rodgers, meaning he will represent a downgrade at the quarterback position. With Rodgers, the Packers are a consistent threat to challenge for the Super Bowl. Without him … well, we’re about to find out.

Rodgers had been enjoying a terrific season, leading the Packers to a 4-1 record atop the NFC North. Just last weekend he performed his customary late-game vivisection of the Dallas Cowboys, which was exhilarating at the time but rather irritating in retrospect as it perfectly encapulates what fans will be missing due to his broken collarbone.

In 2013, Rodgers suffered a similar injury when he fractured his left clavicle in week nine. However, he was able to recover in time for the last game of that season, an affair in which he threw a last-gasp, game-winning touchdown to win the NFC North for the Packers and usher them into the playoffs. It was a miraculous performance that Green Bay fans will be careful not to label “once-in-a-lifetime” just yet.

Football carries more potential energy per play than any other sport. You never know when a routine tackle will result in something devastating, but the possibility is always there. While these high stakes may make the sport exciting, they can also conspire to result in the exact opposite outcome. Aaron Rodgers’ broken collarbone is an example of this, and the league will suffer as a result.

Nick Greene is a Chicago-born writer who currently lives in Oakland, California. Follow him on Twitter.”

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Pack backup QB Brett Hundley didn’t “knock anyone’s socks off” in the first “real action” of his career.  He was 18-33, 157 yards, 1 TD, 3 INT.  Not going to win many games with stats like those. But, perhaps, with knowledge that he’ll be starting and time to practice with the starters, he’ll do better next time out.  We can only hope.

Some folks (including me) think that Packer General Manager Ted Thompson would do well to ring up CBS Broadcaster Tony Romo (Wisconsin native) and/or notorious former 49er Colin Kaepernick (also a Wisconsin native).

The Pack (4-2), carrying lots of injuries in addition to Rodgers, are now tied with the Vikes atop the NFC Central (although the Vikes now own the “tiebreaker”). They play the New Orleans Saints at Lambeau next Sunday.

PWS

10-15-17