NFC North 2025

[OldSchool101]

The Commanders returned the gift they were given last season by the Bears. Thoughtful.

I almost forgot about that!

 

[Voyageur]

I have to give credit to the Bears. They played well enough to win the game but looked like they were beat. They didn't quit. That handoff was one of those unfortunates of battle in football. They happen. The Bears took advantage of it to get the win. the difference between the Daniels fumble and the Packers gift loss was that the play the Commanders were running made sense. I'll never figure out why the Packers made the decision they did that cost us a game.

 

[OldSchool101]

After a little better sample we’re starting to get a picture of the true identity in the North Defenses

Yards Allowed/play
Green Bay #2 (4.4)
Minnesota #8 (4.9)
Detroit #16 (5.3)
Chicago #32 (6.5)

Yards Allowed/game
Green Bay #5
Minnesota #6
Detroit #9
Chicago #27


Points Allowed/Game
Minnesota #5
Green Bay #10
Detroit #18
Chicago #27

 

[Voyageur]

After a little better sample we’re starting to get a picture of the true identity in the North Defenses

Yards Allowed/play
Green Bay #2 (4.4)
Minnesota #8 (4.9)
Detroit #16 (5.3)
Chicago #32 (6.5)

Yards Allowed/game
Green Bay #5
Minnesota #6
Detroit #9
Chicago #27


Points Allowed/Game
Minnesota #5
Green Bay #10
Detroit #18
Chicago #27

I believe the fall below Minnesota in points allowed per game is due to the second half failures. Player conditioning and rotations that I've spoke about since game one, along with sucking more time off the clock on offense to give the defense more time to recharge on the sideline and less total time on the field per game can make a huge difference.

 

[Thirteen Below]

In last year's game at Lambeau (the rain game), Branch got ejected early and gave the double-bird on his exit. This year in Week 1, I don't remember exactly but he drew a personal foul penalty for an altercation with Tucker Kraft.

It might be a partial consequence of playing for an extremely aggressive head coach like Dan Campbell.

Then my athleticism jumped off the charts (my chart at least) until just before 40. Now my whole focus is getting the younger players to say, "Whoa, you're how old and still playing like this??"

I played hockey, football, and basketball well in high school and college, but I was surprised to find that I was able to play hockey and basketball quite well into my 40s and even late 50s. I used to play pickup hockey at Lake Of The Isles several nights a week, and I was quite competitive with guys in their 20s. I would never have expected that, but I sure was grateful for it.

I used to play a different sport with a guy that played minor league football here in Minneapolis. He was an amazing athlete who didn't start playing football until after college, but just started late and bloomed late. Some people just put it all together later. Unfortunately pro sports is all about needing it now.

I used to have a good friend in Minneapolis who played minor league football, and he was from Russia. He'd never even seen an American football game until he got here, and 2 years later he was a very respectable WR and DB.

 

[rmontro]

Every team in the NFC North has three wins right now, except for the Lions, who have four.
Where's our resident Bear fan? Did he get banned or something? I would think he'd be happy and bragging by this point, the Bears look much improved.

 

[OldSchool101]

I believe the fall below Minnesota in points allowed per game is due to the second half failures. Player conditioning and rotations that I've spoke about since game one, along with sucking more time off the clock on offense to give the defense more time to recharge on the sideline and less total time on the field per game can make a huge difference.

Yes. Plus our ST gave up -2 on a blocked Kick at Dallas. Then Love fumbled at the GB15 right at the closing seconds of the 1st half, just after our D had given up an 11 play, 95 yard drive. Not good timing there. I was going to mention I drilled MLF for laying down earlier this season just before Halftime and I was ridiculed be a few people in here for mentioning that. However if I recall we had like 40? seconds with timeouts and we literally just sat and watched the clock run off. Just weird level stuff… Here? we had 20 sec at the GB34 and ZERO timeouts. We’re seeing Poor judgement on the opposite spectrum, just go into Halftime Winning 13-9 we had just clearly lost momentum and then fed it even more (twisting my index finger into my temple)

surprisingly we’re learning that the Dallas Offense is also better than many people thought. Dallas is the #3 scoring Offense and #1 in yards per game. Takeaway a gift fumble and teams mishap? The Packers Defense allows 31pts..actually 28 pts in regulation. I’ve never been a proponent of counting O or Teams mishaps in grading a Defense. Similarly it’s not fair to credit an Offense with Defense points scored, but it’s included as “offense points per game”. They need to adjust that.

 

[Thirteen Below]

It's interesting to note that Tankathon says that from here on out, we have the 2nd easiest schedule in the division - easier than Minnesota and Detroit, and a little tougher than Chicago.

The Lions have the toughest remaining schedule in the NFL, Minnesota the 6th, Green Bay the 13th, and the Bears the 19th.

NFL Remaining Schedule Strength | Tankathon

Shows the remaining strength of schedule for NFL teams based on the winning percentage of the opponents left on their schedule.

www.tankathon.com

 

[Congo]

Working on an analysis of Super Bowl II.
But in the meantime, I hope you enjoy the 1st Quarter Analysis of Super Bowl I.
This was between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Green Bay Packers.
This was one of my first videos, so any critique will be taken seriously. ;-D

You must be logged in to see this image or video!

 

[Thirteen Below]

Wow... where'd you find this video content?

 

[Congo]

Wow... where'd you find this video content?

Lizard Outlaw posted the original broadcast 5 years ago. Apparently, he's just a kid, perhaps in his late teens now, but he hasn't uploaded any new videos in about 8 months. The footage of individual players I found from various videos (focused on specific players). Then just did research of the players I was going to be highlighting.

I found the broadcast a little hard to watch due to pacing (nothing wrong with it, just old-fashioned), so I wanted to up the pace a bit for a modern audience (since our attention spans seem to have been shortened). :-D

Lizard Outlaw

I Will Upload When I Can. AND I WILL BE FUNNY. I Just Want You To Relax And Enjoy!

www.youtube.com

 

[milani]

Lizard Outlaw posted the original broadcast 5 years ago. Apparently, he's just a kid, perhaps in his late teens now, but he hasn't uploaded any new videos in about 8 months. The footage of individual players I found from various videos (focused on specific players). Then just did research of the players I was going to be highlighting.

I found the broadcast a little hard to watch due to pacing (nothing wrong with it, just old-fashioned), so I wanted to up the pace a bit for a modern audience (since our attention spans seem to have been shortened). :-D

Lizard Outlaw

I Will Upload When I Can. AND I WILL BE FUNNY. I Just Want You To Relax And Enjoy!

www.youtube.com

The broadcast of SB I was unique because the NFL had contracted CBS for broadcast rights while the AFL did the same with NBC. So the leagues had each network do the game but the same camera(s) were used for both broadcasts. I cannot recall which one I preferred.

 

[Voyageur]

Working on an analysis of Super Bowl II.
But in the meantime, I hope you enjoy the 1st Quarter Analysis of Super Bowl I.
This was between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Green Bay Packers.
This was one of my first videos, so any critique will be taken seriously. ;-D

You must be logged in to see this image or video!

Herb was a special player. He could read people by their eyes. He could read the eyes of a QB when they made eye contact, and the guy across from him that he might be covering. He pretty much knew if the ball was or wasn't coming in his direction and he could read what the player was going to do. He said the most telling "tell" off all of them came from QBs whose eye contact changed considerably if he was or wasn't throwing in his direction. He learned that in college trying to cover some of the best receivers in the nation.

He was a true athlete who treated the game with the ultimate of respect, and in return, the game treated him fairly decently.

 

[rmontro]

But in the meantime, I hope you enjoy the 1st Quarter Analysis of Super Bowl I.

Look at all those empty seats!

I had forgotten the Chiefs started out as the Dallas Texans. Not that I remember it in real time, but I have heard that before.

 

[Voyageur]

Look at all those empty seats!

I had forgotten the Chiefs started out as the Dallas Texans. Not that I remember it in real time, but I have heard that before.

Yeah! LaMar Hunt moved the Texans out of Dallas because they were in the same city as the Cowboys. In those days, population-wise, very few cities could handle two teams. Even Chicago lost the Cardinals, moving to St. Louis. That left the Bears in Chicago.

Around 2030, a team will land in the Austin to San Antonio, TX corridor. Lots of so-called "experts" disagree. Of course, these are the same people who disagreed with me and called me an idiot when I said Las Vegas would end up with NHL, MLB, and NFL teams so I take their disagreement with a grain of salt.

The NFL team in that I-35 corridor will more than likely be an AFC team because the Houston Franchise guaranteed territory does not extend into that area or South Texas, even though it's presently being given to them because there's nobody else in that range.

As for population, that corridor alone is presently at 4.5 million people and expected to grow to about 6.5 to 7 million by 2030. Then the South Texas region that just hasn't gotten into the Idea of the Houston franchise adds another 2.5 to 3 million on as well and our area is growing too. That's a 9 to 10 million population and in the NFL that's considered a major area that they're going to tap for additional money.

Will it be an expansion team, or will someone move there? I have a hunch it's going to be a move. Some team owner's eyes will be bulging at the thought of the money he'd get and value of his franchise when they build a stadium for them that will be so much more than anything built at this point or being built. It will be a center for so much happening that it will boggle the mind. It's one of the most energetic sports zones in the entire US. Those who have gone there know it.

 

[milani]

Herb was a special player. He could read people by their eyes. He could read the eyes of a QB when they made eye contact, and the guy across from him that he might be covering. He pretty much knew if the ball was or wasn't coming in his direction and he could read what the player was going to do. He said the most telling "tell" off all of them came from QBs whose eye contact changed considerably if he was or wasn't throwing in his direction. He learned that in college trying to cover some of the best receivers in the nation.

He was a true athlete who treated the game with the ultimate of respect, and in return, the game treated him fairly decently.

Great, great one! Vince knew what he was getting.

 

[OldSchool101]

That catch that Max McGee made on the TD was highlight reel stuff. The ball was a yard behind him and he scooped it in 1-handed, OBJ style and never lost stride. He really just made catching an errant pass look easy.

Another thing that resonated. Bart Starr would somehow just block out the fact he was ready to get creamed. He threw perfect strikes as he was being punished. Really grade A concentration against a very good KC pass rush. Forrest Gregg was getting manhandled over there at RT? Although KC had a Pass Rush wrecking crew.
Our RB was one of our best blockers. He had several really key blocks for Starr

 

[milani]

That catch that Max McGee made on the TD was highlight reel stuff. The ball was a yard behind him and he scooped it in 1-handed, OBJ style and never lost stride. He really just made catching an errant pass look easy.

Another thing that resonated. Bart Starr would somehow just block out the fact he was ready to get creamed. He threw perfect strikes as he was being punished. Really grade A concentration against a very good KC pass rush. Forrest Gregg was getting manhandled over there at RT? Although KC had a Pass Rush wrecking crew.
Our RB was one of our best blockers. He had several really key blocks for Starr

Max had a lanky body with a good wing span and long legs. Was a punter for part of his career.
If you played for Lombardi you had to know how to block period.

 

[Congo]

Herb was a special player. He could read people by their eyes. He could read the eyes of a QB when they made eye contact, and the guy across from him that he might be covering. He pretty much knew if the ball was or wasn't coming in his direction and he could read what the player was going to do. He said the most telling "tell" off all of them came from QBs whose eye contact changed considerably if he was or wasn't throwing in his direction. He learned that in college trying to cover some of the best receivers in the nation.

He was a true athlete who treated the game with the ultimate of respect, and in return, the game treated him fairly decently.

He really was. Before this project, I had no clue who he was. After the research, I almost felt ashamed that I didn't know him.
The stats don't do him justice. In the '60s, they just didn't throw the ball as much as they do now. Even if he was born a little later and played in the '70s, his stats would have been off the chart.

And it wasn't even the interceptions, its the number of times he was able to bat that ball down. Rarely, was he beaten.

 

[Congo]

Look at all those empty seats!

I had forgotten the Chiefs started out as the Dallas Texans. Not that I remember it in real time, but I have heard that before.

What is also interesting is the clientele. People were dressed to present themselves back then. Rarely do people dress professionally at a ballgame.

The first video, I cut out most of the audience, but as I learned that it is good to have them in it, I started leaving film footage of the fans in the video as it seems to add to the whole project.

 

[milani]

He really was. Before this project, I had no clue who he was. After the research, I almost felt ashamed that I didn't know him.
The stats don't do him justice. In the '60s, they just didn't throw the ball as much as they do now. Even if he was born a little later and played in the '70s, his stats would have been off the chart.

And it wasn't even the interceptions, its the number of times he was able to bat that ball down. Rarely, was he beaten.

And special teams! He beat the Colts in 1962 with a kickoff return for a TD. In 1963 he blocked the game winning FG against the Vikings. And he was also known for his high neck tackling that might not be all that legal today.

 

[Congo]

And special teams! He beat the Colts in 1962 with a kickoff return for a TD. In 1963 he blocked the game winning FG against the Vikings. And he was also known for his high neck tackling that might not be all that legal today.

lol

There are a lot of *might not be* legal tackles that I've been analyzing from the 1960s.

Tough game.
Though we make fun of the players today, I am glad we have many of the rules in place. Safety should be the first mindset we have for these players who entertain us. In the mid-2010s, I had become disgruntled as a football fan because of the NFL's policy to refuse to acknowledge the existence of CTE. Only the last few years have I warmed up to it again.

Here is the 2nd Quarter analysis (some of the footage is copyrighted, but its not at a high-enough degree to be a strike against my channel --but you'll have to go to the Youtube site to watch it as I think it will be blocked here):

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This is when Green Bay start to relax and play their game. Which is a grinding-down-the-field type that we don't often see. Also, the defense begins to really clamp down (despite allowing a touchdown). You'll notice the difference when Len Dawson lacks the time he needs to make the plays required and it gets more intense in the 2nd Half.

 

[Voyageur]

And special teams! He beat the Colts in 1962 with a kickoff return for a TD. In 1963 he blocked the game winning FG against the Vikings. And he was also known for his high neck tackling that might not be all that legal today.

In those days they even allowed the slap to the helmet. A lot of offensive linemen in particular lost some hearing because of it. Defenders would slap them on the ear hole and sometimes concuss them but at least disorient a player. If you get caught today doing that, it's a major penalty.

 

[milani]

lol

There are a lot of *might not be* legal tackles that I've been analyzing from the 1960s.

Tough game.
Though we make fun of the players today, I am glad we have many of the rules in place. Safety should be the first mindset we have for these players who entertain us. In the mid-2010s, I had become disgruntled as a football fan because of the NFL's policy to refuse to acknowledge the existence of CTE. Only the last few years have I warmed up to it again.

Here is the 2nd Quarter analysis (some of the footage is copyrighted, but its not at a high-enough degree to be a strike against my channel --but you'll have to go to the Youtube site to watch it as I think it will be blocked here):

You must be logged in to see this image or video!

This is when Green Bay start to relax and play their game. Which is a grinding-down-the-field type that we don't often see. Also, the defense begins to really clamp down (despite allowing a touchdown). You'll notice the difference when Len Dawson lacks the time he needs to make the plays required and it gets more intense in the 2nd Half.

On the Willie Wood INT the Packers blitzed which they rarely did. The experience of the safeties made them move up, anticipating a short, quick toss and cover the vacated areas of the linebackers.

 

[Congo]

He threw perfect strikes as he was being punished. Really grade A concentration against a very good KC pass rush. Forrest Gregg was getting manhandled over there at RT? Although KC had a Pass Rush wrecking crew.
Our RB was one of our best blockers. He had several really key blocks for Starr

The '60s Green Bay Packers did a lot of the small stuff perfectly to win. This was a good Kansas City Chiefs team. Buck Buchanan was a tough player for any offensive line to handle. With the exception of the sack in the opening drive, the Packers settled down and contained him (there was a play in the 2nd half where he threatened Bart Starr. Starr dodged him, but E.J. Holub got the sack.

Forrest Gregg did get knocked down, but I reviewed the rest of the game and the right line held up very well. If you can give your quarterback 3-5 seconds of space you are doing a good job. With the exception of the opening drive, that is exactly what they did.

Another note on this game (Super Bowl I). The Packers were never fighting for momentum. They almost seemed to not need it whereas most teams disparately want it. They were a ball-control team. Generally running on 1st and 2nd downs and throwing on 3rd down if need be, but they might just put a wrinkle in that format and throw on first down just to keep the defense honest.

Overall, that OL did an amazing job.