We've gone around and around on this, TJV. I respect your opinion even when I disagree...I'm more impressed with Lang than JBlood - he's got a nasty attitude and he finishes - but I think we can all agree Lane Taylor was a disaster. It was his first real action so that should be taken into consideration but he was SO bad, I don't have much hope he can play in the NFL. Hope I'm wrong.
I'd agree, with caution, because Taylor is not very good. He looked pretty iffy against 2nd. team defenses in preseason and there was not much improvement seen in this last game.I'm fine with lining up Tretter at RG, no need to move two players around on the line though.
I'd agree, with caution, because Taylor is not very good. He looked pretty iffy against 2nd. team defenses in preseason and there was not much improvement seen in this last game.
However, Tretter has yet to take an NFL snap, hasn't played any football for two years, and I don't believe he's ever taken a game snap at OG at any level.
I would not be surprised if we see Tretter at OG at some point this season if Lang's out for an extended period; I would be surprised if he starts against the Bears.
In short, Taylor is the guy until some opponent shows him to be a turnstile.
Since it's Halloween, here's a little spooky scenario that just might scramble the NFC North projections.
IF the Bears upset the Packers and Miami pulls the upset on Detroit:
Lions 6-3
Packers 5-4
Bears 4-5
Then, the following week the Packers lose to the Eagles, the Lions lose at Arizona, the Bears drop the Vikings at home:
Lions 6-4
Packers 5-5
Bears 5-5
Continuing, the Packers win at Minnesota, the Lions lose at New England, the Bears beat Tampa Bay at home:
Lions 6-5
Packers 6-5
Bears 6-5
And setting the stage for the final month of the season, the Packers lose to the Patriots, the Lions defeat the Bears at Ford Field:
Lions 7-5
Packers 6-6
Bears 6-6
The December schedule is as follows: Packers vs. Atlanta, at Buffalo, at Tampa Bay, vs. Detroit. Lions vs. Tampa Bay, vs. Minnesota, at Chicago, at Green Bay. Bears vs. Dallas, vs. New Orleans, vs. Detroit, at Minnesota. Anything can happen and has in the NFL.
The scenario may not be as farfetched as some might think. The month of November has not been especially good for the Packers during Mike McCarthy's time here as head coach. They only have a record of 16-17-1 in November games under MM and have had losing records for the month 3 times. In 3 others they managed to stay only one game above .500.
November slips or slumps have kept the Packers out of the playoffs, from the division title, or made the playoffs a final month scramble. Here's how the Packers have fared in November during the McCarthy era:
2006: 1-3
2007: 4-1
2008: 1-4
2009: 3-2
2010: 2-1
2011: 4-0
2012:2-1
2013: 0-4-1
Last year, of course, was after Aaron Rodgers broke his collarbone but it still nearly buried the Pack for the playoffs.Only Detroit and Chicago fumbling opportunity down the stretch allowed the Packers to get in on the season's final day. They entered November of 2013, though, with a 5-2 record.
In 2008 a bad November did wreck the season. The Packers were 4-3 at the end of October and coming off impressive wins over Seattle and Peyton Manning & the Colts were still contenders. But they lost 4 of 5 during the month and the end of the month saw them start a 5 game losing streak that took them out of contention and ended up with a 6-10 record.
They lost their first two games in November 2009 to Minnesota and Tampa Bay and, though they made the playoffs ,it was as a wild card rather than division titleist because of those losses. It sent them to Arizona, where they lost an overtime shoot-out, rather than playing at home and possibly making a deeper playoff run.
Even though they had a winning record in 2007 they lost a meeting of 10-1 teams in Dallas, that appeared at the time to give the Cowboys the home field advantage for the NFC playoffs, in November.
Each November that has been particularly difficult for the Pack has had its different issues and reasons but they all have the month of November in common when they surface.
I don't see anything to get too concerned about here. You could easily look at that another way and say Rodgers is 8-2 in November since our Super Bowl year.
I could excuse one loss in November. You've got HFA in 3 of 4 and in Minnesota for the other one.
For sure there's some challenging games and it's not a cakewalk November but if we're middling along at 1-3 for the month, we've really got no business calling ourselves contenders.
Chicago and Philadelphia are going to be the two most pivotal games on the immediately upcoming schedule. If the Packers win those they will be on their way to another division title. But both of those teams' offenses against the Packer defense present a siginificant danger of a disappointing surprise.
I do worry about our prospects, given the state of the defense, against Tom Brady; even at Lambeau.
Key to the second half is keeping Aaron Rodgers, Eddie Lacy, Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb healthy and in the line-up and having the starting o-line group intact. If the Packers have to start relying on Derek Sherrod and Lane Taylor up front and lose any of their big playmakers it will be serious trouble.
I spent some time yesterday looking over schedules in the NFC. All I have to say is, if the Packers don't make the playoffs they don't deserve to be there.
Sorry, but I don't get the "home field advantage" stuff- especially in the playoffs. The Packers went into the 2002 playoffs 13-0 at home all time. The Falcons beat them, but that was a team spent by injuries and out of gas.
Including that game , the Packers are 3-5 at home in the playoffs; and more to the point, 2-3 under MM.
Truly great teams beat you at home home, on the road, on the dark side of the moon.
The 'Lambeau mystique" is dead , buried, and long gone.
While that is true for the playoffs the Packers are 34-4 in the regular season since the start of the 2009 season at Lambeau (32-2 over the last 34 games) in games Rodgers started and was able to finish.
There is a reason Lane Taylor is not a starter,he just isn't as good as Lang or Sitton and I am not impressed with either one of those guys they both have sucked in big games.I'm more impressed with Lang than JBlood - he's got a nasty attitude and he finishes - but I think we can all agree Lane Taylor was a disaster. It was his first real action so that should be taken into consideration but he was SO bad, I don't have much hope he can play in the NFL. Hope I'm wrong.
Don't be surprised to see GB select a OT in this springs draft,I don't think GB will resign Bulaga when his contract expires.Yes, time to see if he can play. It wouldn't bother me to see him at R tackle, moving Bulaga to R guard. I've never been too impressed with Lang, or Bulaga for that matter. Maybe it's Campen, or whoever is supposed to be developing the offensive line.....
If Bulaga makes it another 4-5 weeks without injury, I'd expect him to re sign before the end of the season for a little less than Lang. Still wouldn't be surprised to see a Tackle in round one or two.Don't be surprised to see GB select a OT in this springs draft,I don't think GB will resign Bulaga when his contract expires.
TT's been spot on with his early OL drafting.If Bulaga makes it another 4-5 weeks without injury, I'd expect him to re sign before the end of the season for a little less than Lang. Still wouldn't be surprised to see a Tackle in round one or two.
Eagles are 23rd agianst the pass and 20th against the run as far as their defense goes. We can and will put up points on them. The question is can our defense hold out? I say yes because they will be starting sanchez at QB and he is below sub par.
Also, they have only one credible win this season so far, they beat Indy in week 2 , 30-27 before Indy got hot. Other than that they beat jags, skins, rams, giants, texans....none of those teams have the offense we have.
As I said in the past, minimum of 12-4 is probably gonna be needed to be in the conversation for a 1st round bye in the NFC this year. We need to go 6-1 the final 7 games to do it. Philly, NE, Atlanta, and v Detroit at home to finish the year. @Buffalo, @Tampa Bay, and @Minnesota for road games. Doable imo but not a lot of room for error. Philly game is arguably the biggest next to Detroit for tiebreakers.
Detroit is on the road in Arizona and New England and had two late collapses by New Orleans and Atlanta to be at 7-2. They beat a decent Dolphin team 20-16 at home, but the next two weeks will be pretty telling imo. Philly next week will not be an easy task for us, but getting them at home helps.
Philly game is arguably the biggest next to Detroit for tiebreakers.