I just got here but need to get this off my chest

Yeah, your right about Peyton.

Maybe Brady is ranked high because of the SB fever going on?
Well, they didn't mention Eli.
He's only in one ad that I know of. And it's for a watch.
Plus, no offense, he sorta looks more like a street thug. I think he wants to steal not sell me something.

Eli? Eli Manning? To be perfectly honest, I think he looks like a little kid. I've seen the watch ad. I think he looks more suited to selling Lunchables™ or something.

And did you notice that the Giants or the NFL or whoever probably didn't let him wear his Giants uni?
And yet it looks like in other non-NFL related ads players do get to wear NFL/team gear.

We did win but it was because our defense, then, was still good.
That weather, and the Bears, bottled up Rodgers.
Even the week 17 game, in Green Bay, against them.... we only scored one TD, a late TD pass I think to a TE.

Cold weather affects me tremendously, and I can see it affecting us.... those fumbles were partly due to that, and it can get a lot colder.

Put a quick dome up there for those playoff games..... we have to take advantage of our advantage in the passing game. I guarantee the Saints would not have lost at home. They can't win on the road in the playoffs. We can't win at home.

It boils down to the defense. We won't win in a dome without one either.

You kind of have to look to understand it. There are a handful of people - mostly women - who are really struggling with the Packers' success now, though they once called themselves Packer fans.

It's sort of like the story of that WWII Japanese soldier they found still defending an island in 1972.

Manning also "called out" his offensive line after losing to the Steelers in the playoffs 6 years ago by saying, "I'm trying to be a good teammate here. Let's just say we had some problems in protection.'' This was a game in which HE played some very poor football. Now THAT's the stuff of leaders, right?

Okay, I have to ask. Why do you keep bringing this asinine notion up? It's pure fantasy and has no bearing on reality.

All I can add is defense wins championships. The Packers 32nd ranked D couldn't carry the team playing the Giants, while the O was dropping and fumbling the ball all over the field. The Pack as a whole really softened and played cold at the end of the season.

Good thing is they get another shot at the Lombardi trophy next year. Hopefully then they'll have a fire in their belly.

were it not for two dropped passes it is quite likely that the 31st ranked defense in the NFL would have won the SB. Our D stuck it to the Giants in the 3rd quarter of the divisonal and our O only scored 3 because of drops. If Defense wins Championships then where were the 9'ers,Steelers,Ravens and Texans. Offense wins championships now, that's the way the rules have changed the game. It wasn't the defense that caused Welker to drop that pass. I still believe and will continue to believe that the rankings are BS now. The total yards stat is a BS stat with the new rules and the move of the umpire, limited padded practices, no two a days in camp....

O well, beating a dead horse, on to next season. Collins comes back. So'oto makes a big jump. Neal is healthy and plays to expectations, Shields & Burnett continue to improve, Watch the D take a big step forward next year without a big FA.

I've posted this in two other threads, I hope the third time is a charm: The Packers D was bad enough, no need to exaggerate. As long as the winner isn't based upon yards gained, its not the most important stat on either side of the ball. Here's how the playoff teams finished the regular season on defense with regard to the most important stat:

Rank - Team - Average Points Surrendered/Game
1 Pittsburgh Steelers 14.2
2 San Francisco 49ers 14.3
3 Baltimore Ravens 16.6
4 Houston Texans 17.4
9 Cincinnati Bengals 20.2
13 New Orleans Saints 21.2
15 New England Patriots 21.4
18 Atlanta Falcons 21.9
19 Green Bay Packers 22.4
23 Detroit Lions 24.2
24 Denver Broncos 24.4
25 New York Giants 25

Two points:

Could those of you who continue to post the Packers were the 32nd ranked defense please expain why yards are more important than points?

As you can see from the above, in this past season it is difficult to argue defense wins championships. As realcaliforniacheese says above, if that is true where were the top defensive teams in the league? Perhaps another more narrow saying now applies. How about, 'Playing good defense in the playoffs is important' ?

But you have to have a modicum of defense. In the case of the Packers, 19th was good enough in the regular season because of a prolific offense.. When it got down to knuckle time the Super Bowl winner wasn't giving up a Hail Mary at the end of the game like the Packers did at the end of the half(and which totally deflated the team). The Giants and Patriots played defense in the playoffs when it counted. The Packers played defense in neither the regular season or the playoffs. Offense might get you there but Defense Still Wins Championships.

Just to drive home a point that I feel is very important, and for sure true: our homefield advantage is a disadvantage in January.

It would help a team like the Ravens or 49ers.
It hurts teams like us and the Saints.

Some people think cheering is more important than actual playing conditions. The cheers from fans means nothing.

Like I keep mentioning.
BOTH the Packers O and D just weren't there that day.
If either one had been then I think the Packers would have had a better shot at winning over the Giants.

The Steelers defense gave up about 7 fewer points per game than the Pats and about 11 fewer points per game than the Giants in the regular season. They and the 9ers had the two best defenses going into the playoffs and the Ravens and Texans' defenses were pretty damn good, too - certainly better than the Super Bowl participants. Defense didn't win any of those teams a championship.

I always thought that balanced teams win championships. I mean, all of those teams have good defenses, but lackluster offenses. An injured Roethlisberger, Joe Flacco, or a 3rd-string QB isn't going to scare anybody.

Actually, the point is moot.

Because ESPN says so? Not only is points allowed apparently irrelevant, so is turnovers forced.

Exactly they got there with defense. We got there with offense. If you are single faceted you fail. Saints an offensive team went out against a 49er defensive team since you are listing examples. As I posted you have to have a modicum of a defense. Saints destructed becauase they didn't as did we. Don't forget the Steelers were pretty heavily injured during the playoffs. But I guess you are saying we don't need a defense. That's laughable. Also, you have conveniently ignored the part of my argument that says even the Pats played good defense ONCE THEY GOT TO THE PLAYOFFS. It's no accident that the Giants who played both offense and defense got to hoist the Super Bowl trophy.

It is one thing to engage in revisionist history, but quite another to do so in less than 24 hours! You DID NOT post anything about a modicum of defense. You posted:

You even bolded it for emphasis. At least be honest about the plain meaning of that phrase.

What is laughable is your advancing this straw man. I didn't post any such thing - I didn't even imply it. I only refuted your overly broad bromide that "defense wins championships" which you almost immediately amended to the meager, "you have to have a modicum of a defense". (Maybe we need a white flag smilie?) It's not your Dad's or Grand Dad's or Great Grand Dad's NFL anymore (depending upon your age).

Read post # 88: "But you have to have a modicum of defense." Having a reading problem sir? Tell me again who the revisionist is? I will accept your apology for misrepresenting what I posted and the insults carried with it.

No the point of that is to the fans who believed that:

-Since we were at home, we're marching to the Super Bowl.

Us at home in January is different than us at home in September.
The Saints at home is different than the Saints on the road, ever.

Our team (and its strengths) is not built for cold weather football.
Whether you like that statement or not, it's still true.

My mistake. You contradicted yourself in one post, not two. Now, if you want to continue with this, please tell us the plain meaning of the phrase, "Defense Still Wins Championships".

So, your saying that we, as fans should have assumed we would probably lose? The weather Had not a a thing to do with it. We played a crappy game, period. If we had played our best game then lost, well I might accept your argument. but fact is, it was a gut wrenching week in GB and it affected the team and they sucked. The would have sucked in Sept, they would have sucked in a dome. They executed poorly. This weekend I am finaly going to be able to watch the recording of the game, you know what I expect to see, Not the 15-1 team, not the team that played with timing and precison and ball security all season. I am going to see a team that is totally out of wack.

But hey, seasons over, book is closed, new year, new season, new team. SB XLVII awaits