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XPack

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I think it'll be a tough game.

- Watkins is hitting a good patch of form. Seeing how we fared against Jones, this is something we need to be aware of.
- Their secondary is quite good. Not sure if we are going to see Nelson/Cobb featuring much. I think this will be Lacy's game. Starks/Adams need to step up too.

For us, our defence really needs to step up and pressure Orton. He is not good under pressure and if we can nick a INT, it'll be sweet.
 

Vrill

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Buffalo has a really good DL. Our OL needs to bring its A-Game for us to win.
 
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I think this game will be the decider of our fate this year.. a "W" and we go 13-3 and finally get a shot at the big one. A "L" and we get several road playoff games and an uphill battle
GB 27 Buffalo 21
 

Dagger85

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Huge game! Tough game, too! Don't forget, these guys beat Detroit in Detroit. On the road, this may be a battle. From what I understand, they also have had several QB sacks, too. Should be a good game.

Packers: 31
Buffalo: 24
 

profile_removed

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Just watched what Buffalo did to the Jets after a blizzard, change of venue and 3 days less practice than the Jets got. Add onto that, AT Buffalo with possible snow, winds blowing off Lake Erie, and I can easily see this being a loss, I will hope for a win, but this is a 'ok show me' game. We all have games we need the team to show us, this is mine for the year.
 
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HardRightEdge

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Defense:

Everybody knows the front 4 can rush the passer. What they don't know is they also defend the run well. All 4 of the starters are having Pro Bowl seasons.

The weaknesses in this group are:

(1) Hughes can be a hot head. He's drawn 3 unsportsmanlike penalties this year and got benched in Denver for one.

(2) Manny Lawson who comes in at DE in rotation is susceptible to misdirection ("squirrel!") and thereby dreadful in holding the edge. Buffalo giving up a 10 point lead to KC in the 4th. quarter boiled down to Lawson blowing edge contain on two plays.

The stats show they've given up a fair amount of yards per carry in recent weeks. That's because they've been playing more and more nickel with 6 in the box with Brown and Bradham inside. Against Denver they ran nickel almost exclusively with the MLB Spikes on the bench until the 4th. quarter when Denver was trying to burn clock with the run. Still and all, excepting Thompson's 47 yd. run, they allowed a 3.1 yd. average on 28 carries which tells you something about the line and "B" backers against the run.

The plan worked to the extent that they broke Manning's 52 game TD pass streak and held him to his lowest single game QB rating in 6 years. Inexplicably, Spikes was sitting on the bench even when Denver had the ball near the goal line. They paid for it with Anderson scoring from 6, 1 and 3.

I suspect Manning has been having issues with feeling in his hand. Denver had gone heavy to the run game in the 2 weeks prior making Manning play game manager. He was wearing the glove on the throwing hand on a 60 degree day against the Bills. But that's a story for another day, except to say the "stop Manning is Jobs #1, #2 and #3 game plan" was probably overdone. Manning was not sacked; then again he was throwing quick all day in game manager mode and did not have much to show for it.

The secondary is decent. Aaron Williams is a solid all-around safety; Searcy is a ball hawk. Gilmore's a solid cover corner with ball skills but not somebody Rodgers would avoid. Graham is the weakest link in the starting 11, particularly susceptible to the double move. Little Nickell Roby (aptly named) plays in nickel when quickness is called for and in dime; Duke Williams plays in 3 safety nickel and dime and is a hitter.

In general, they don't do anything particularly fancy; they pretty much just line up and play. They like to blitz Bradham up the middle occasionally or a DB off the edge from time-to-time, but that's about it.

Lawson and Graham present match ups to attack. Rodgers can probably get Searcy out of position with eye or pump fakes. When Spikes, a downhill smash mouth MLB, plays (if he plays) the middle can be exploited with play fakes but you won't have much luck running between the guards. But if Buffalo played nickel against Manning all day with success I don't know why they wouldn't take the same approach with Rodgers.

In general, these guys play hard every series with seeming disregard for the scoreboard, they pursue every play, and they're all solid tacklers.

Perhaps the worst thing you might say about this defense is they have too d*mn many guys named Williams.

Offense:


Orton has not played as well as his stats. His arm strength is below the NFL average; he can't run; his mobility in the pocket is limited. If you get his feet moving his accuracy goes down. He wants to stand in and throw. He will throw into coverage from time to time. After early 4th. quarter success against DET and MIN, he's been poor in crunch time. With 1st. and 10 at KC's 15 with the game on the line, he threw 0-4, with three of those passes being dreadful. It should go down as the signature moment of futility in the Bills season. Still, he's a savvy guy, he doesn't let a pick get him down, and there's no quit in him...that can count for something on a given day.

A very good running back group is depleted by injury. Spiller's out with a shoulder. Jackson's playing with a groin...he's still got the glide but has lost some punch. They like to screen to Jackson...a lot. I don't know why they don't use Boobie Dixon more...he's a load with surprisingly quick feet. Bryce Brown has been unimpressive. It's not a good look for an offense designed for run-to-set-up-the-pass.

The receivers are a pretty decent group. The rookie Watkins has flashed regularly but he's been hobbled with a few nagging injuries (ribs, groin); he went to the sidelines after taking a shot late in the Denver game; it looked like he might have aggravated the ribs . Woods is a decent possession receiver; good hands, good routes, OK speed, nothing spectacular. Chandler is a decent short-to-intermediate throw TE who won't run away from anybody (except maybe Hawk :confused: )...more a block some/catch some old school TE. The #3 Hogan out of the slot has a just-a-guy look about him, but they call him "7-11" because he always seems to be open. This crew would look a lot better with some better QB play.

The O-Line is pretty good at both OTs and C; the Gs are a bit suspect.

Summary:

The Bills defense has the capability to keep the game close. Will they finally give up the ghost with their playoff hopes worn down to a thread? We'll see. The Orton offense is disfunctional enough and banged up enough to make it tough sledding for the Bills even against the Packers' less-than-stellar defense. I will say this...if Orton is not pressured and can just stand in he can move the ball.

In the end, the difference in the level of QB play between the two teams will be the difference...again. The O-Line now has the chance to prove what they can do. This is not Atlanta's front 4, and Rodgers wants to go down field always.
 
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Their secondary is quite good. Not sure if we are going to see Nelson/Cobb featuring much. I think this will be Lacy's game. Starks/Adams need to step up too.

While their secondary is pretty good the defensive line is the best unit on the Bills defense. With Lacy being dinged up and running between the tackles being pretty tough vs. the Bills I expect Starks and maybe even Harris getting more carries.
 

yooperpackfan

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I gotta pick the Bills in this one. It makes me sick but that's the way I see it.:mad:
The Bills are a decent team with their backs to the wall to get into the playoffs.
Green Bay is on a short week going into the Bills house.
This is a recipe for disaster.:poop:
 

red4tribe

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I doubt we do much on the offensive side. Peyton was limited to 173 yards, 0 TD's and 2 INT's last week. Just can't turn it over and hope we can pick off Orton at some point.
 
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I'll add the note that the local media has been down on the Bills this week. While acknowledging the Denver game was the first time in a decade the Bills played a December game that mattered, they're nitpicking everything. The local mood is sour.

There's been quite a bit of bellyaching about the officiating in the Denver game, focusing on "Fistbumpgate":

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/1...ffalo-bills-stands-ripping-referees-fist-bump

It's never a good thing when the players blame the refs.
 

Carl

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I'll add the note that the local media has been down on the Bills this week. While acknowledging the Denver game was the first time in a decade the Bills played a December game that mattered, they're nitpicking everything. The local mood is sour.

There's been quite a bit of bellyaching about the officiating in the Denver game, focusing on "Fistbumpgate":

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/1...ffalo-bills-stands-ripping-referees-fist-bump

It's never a good thing when the players blame the refs.

This has been their first decent season in years. They should be at least somewhat happy.

They have a good roster, if they find a decent QB soon, they will be a contender.
 

Shawnsta3

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A lot of complaint about the defense on this forum, and understandably so this week. They failed to stop Julio Jones and went with pretty much the same game plan Arizona went in with the week before in trying to defend him which was a free release with man coverage with Shields or House with little to no safety help over the top, or a soft zone to force the underneath routes in the second half thereby taking up clock and preserving the lead. It did work considering they got the win but come on, if defenses keep letting Jones get a free release with no safety help he'll put up 2000 yards with 20 touchdowns.

I think we as fans are often subject to getting too high and low on our team throughout the year. (See 8-8 if lucky, best team in NFL after Patriots win, defense is toast after NO's game). If we'd take a more steady approach I think we'd better understand our team along with enjoying the ebbs and flows of the season more.

After our defense got blown out by New Orleans they held the next four opponents to under 24 points.
I could see them having a much the same rebound against this struggling Buffalo Bills offense. On the other hand that defense of theirs is real though. The game is on the road, it's December football and they are fighting for a Wild Card spot. It'll be a close game no matter how you look at it I think.

My prediction: Packers 24 Bills 20
 
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HardRightEdge

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This has been their first decent season in years. They should be at least somewhat happy.

They have a good roster, if they find a decent QB soon, they will be a contender.
No doubt. Some of the local media bellyaching involves the Bills trading away their #1 pick in the next draft in order to pick Watkins thereby reducing their chances of getting a decent QB in the 2015 draft. The Bills rolled the dice with Manual and lost.

They're sitting at $122 mil cap for next season, with a few starters in their contract years...Hughes, Searcy, Pears, Spiller. Searcy is probably the only guy they'd be all that concerned about. Hughes had a great year, but the other 3 guys up front and the 2 young LBs are signed for next year, so the front 7 core is intact. They'll presumably be getting some good players back off IR...Alonzo, McKelvin.

The window is still open for them but it won't be there forever. They have some cap to roll the dice on another vet QB, though the odds on that guy being an answer are low as we all know.

It's been a pleasure watching this defense play this year. Watkins and Woods are nice players. They've got a decent O-Line. Jackson's a gamer.

As if we needed further illustration, the Bills are the poster child for what happens when you have the 52 pieces needed but lack a QB.
 

El Guapo

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I'll just go ahead and predict a road blowout so that all of the Packers fans with stomach ulcers over the Falcons game can relax for one week.

Packers 45 Bills 6

The Bills defensive record speaks for itself, but I also don't think they will be up for this game. Rodgers finds the nitrous switch and the defense folds Kyle Orton in half.

So there
 

Carl

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Packers defense will do what it does best by feasting on a non-elite QB. Packers will move the ball, but Bills will keep them out the end zone often.

Packers 26 Bills 16
 

Mklangelo

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Packers defense will do what it does best by feasting on a non-elite QB. Packers will move the ball, but Bills will keep them out the end zone often.

Packers 26 Bills 16
That's as good a prognostication as I've seen although I've never understood how one could begin to predict a score.

But I agree that we stand a decent chance of getting a turnover or two.

It's a great test of the Packer's O Line.
 

AmishMafia

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This has been their first decent season in years. They should be at least somewhat happy.

They have a good roster, if they find a decent QB soon, they will be a contender.
We have had how many decent to great seasons since TT arrived and yet many posters here are unhappy.

:rolleyes:

Anyway: Pack flex their might in a 32-13 thumping that could have easily been more lopsided.
 

NOMOFO

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It might very well be the best d-line the Pack has played in years. Having said that, Rodgers and the offense has really been able to neutralize most pass rush this year and as long as we can get them on their heals and extend drives we should be OK. If we start going 3 and out and getting tight it'll be close.

People are joking about Orton. The guy is more capable of beating the Pack than Cutler. There are about 15 worse QBs in the NFL.
 

JBlood

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Forecast high 30s with wind of ~15mph from the west. I predicted in an earlier thread that we would lose this game. As usual, I was wrong and we will win this 38 - 17. Rogers goes crazy with the wind in 2nd and 3rd quarters. Defense comes up with 3 turnovers, masking the 300 yards in passing they give up to Orton. We live and die with Rogers (and our o line), and with our defense.
 

rodell330

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It'll be a cold windy day and Rodgers and the offense won't be able to put up 40.
The bills rush 4 and drop everyone else forcing a lot of 3 and outs. Meanwhile Fred Jackson runs for nearly a hundred and scores a touchdown.
The Packers get upset by the Bills 20-17. Kyle orton drives them downfield and they kick a game winning fg.
 

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