Packers VS Eagles Playoffs

[Magooch]

Unless there has been some report I'm not aware of, I don't know why we keep drawing attention to Love's "injury". By all accounts I can find it sounds like he more or less just had a funny bone. Is there any indication that his arm won't be completely fine by the weekend? I mean, he was warming up to get ready to go back into the game when it looked like Willis was hurt. If there was even a 1% chance that Love was seriously injured (to the degree that would impact our playoff game) and LaFleur was still considering putting him back in, I mean, that's a fireable offense alone.

All that to say that I don't think "Love got hurt" is really a super good-faith argument to be presenting right now. Watson, sure. Love...not so much.

 

[milani]

Watson hurt himself tripping on the turf. He could have done that playing catch pre-game.

I'm with Belichick.

Much to think about after last Weekends frustrating finish. If there was anything fortunate to take from this Bears scrimmage was this:

1. We have the full week to prepare knowing Watson is out. Heath and Melton took up the Slack Week 18. It’s Highly Likely Doubs and Musgrave will both be playing together more regularly in this one. Both are very capable of getting open. Doubs absence was illness related. Luke Musgraves’ snaps (17) in Week 18 is gradually becoming normalized. In his first 3 contests (Week1-3)Luke averaged 28 snaps. I suspect we see somewhere between 20-25 snaps next Sunday at Philly.

2. While it is a Road game, this young Packers team has generally traveled well
(5-2 when playing in our Opponent’s house). Losses to the #1 seed Lions on a walk off FG (3 pts-Week14) and a Loss to the #5 Seed Vikings in the closing minutes of a near 4th Qtr comeback 2 pts-Week17).

3. While resting players and limiting snap counts for select players likely cost us a Win, it also gave our starters needed rest through being home. Several key players only playing a fraction of typical snaps.
Kenny Clark had 28 snaps. The 3rd lowest of the season behind the 38-10 49ers and 34-0 Saints Blowouts.
Jordan Love had season low
23 snaps:12 Passing attempts
Josh Jacobs had season low
20 snaps;6 carries

4. If it becomes necessary to look to our bench, several players have been primed. Many Playoff games have been Won or Lost on the quality of depth at each position. For GB in the past we have been ravaged by injuries entering the playoffs. We only have 2 key starters that have zero chance of playing this Wildcard, plus a couple questionable. With Christian and Jaire, Neither are shocking news at this point as Jaire was either injured during the bulk or missed 11 contests altogether. Watson played at least 50%+ snaps in 12 contests. So between the 2 it’s like a Starter missing an entire season. We’re not really without both, we’re without the equivalent of one because both together barely played a starters snaps.

We all boasted (me included) before the season of how “complete” out WR was. Well it either is or it isn’t. We should stand by our convictions when they are tested. Ok, We don’t have a true #1 but we’ve got a nice grouping of #2-#4’s and that is still formidable IF they rise up.

5. We have one of the better TE groups in this league and for the first time since week 3 BOTH are healthy. IF used properly and I say IF. THIS could be a key to both ball control and Overall O success. I’ll say it again.. PLEASE use your TE/RB more in the passing game. They have been largely underutilized for a variety of reasons, but it’s not because of injury. Bill Belicik even said he would push it to Tucker more and he would use the LB to blitz more to simulate the Pass Rush we are lacking. I don’t think he was being deceptive. That said, we have sprinkled LB blitz in and successfully, just not recent.

Losing the season finale in such fashion sometimes can get a team more fired up the first playoff game. I am more concerned who we shall have left on our secondary this week. They will have to come up and make tackles.

 

[milani]

Unless there has been some report I'm not aware of, I don't know why we keep drawing attention to Love's "injury". By all accounts I can find it sounds like he more or less just had a funny bone. Is there any indication that his arm won't be completely fine by the weekend? I mean, he was warming up to get ready to go back into the game when it looked like Willis was hurt. If there was even a 1% chance that Love was seriously injured (to the degree that would impact our playoff game) and LaFleur was still considering putting him back in, I mean, that's a fireable offense alone.

All that to say that I don't think "Love got hurt" is really a super good-faith argument to be presenting right now. Watson, sure. Love...not so much.

That kind of injury is not a lingering one. It comes and then leaves. He would have to repeat the crazy bone hit.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

We still won't know. Watson may have been this year's version of A. Jones and M. Lewis with a big fumble helping knock the Pack out of the playoffs. No-one will ever know for sure.

Or he has a 100+ yard game and catches 3 TD's, with his last one being a Hail-Mary TD as the gun sounds, in a 35-34 Packer Win.

No, we will never know what might have been had he not played on Sunday. What we do know, is this, if he was healthy, he would be playing on Sunday.

 

[OldSchool101]

Do you feel the same about Love's injury? Had he not played Sunday, he would have gotten hurt against Philly?

Love isn’t injured. That’s just what Packer haters are hoping so it’s all the talk but it’s nonsense. Really you could argue that players get injured outside the facility or in practice or the weight room or the bathroom for that matter. I think the plan all along was to play our guys 1/2 game and if we are winning leave them in 3rd Qtr. If we’re losing or have misfortune, pull my QB, RB etc. That was my suggestion all along and looks like he listened to me

Watson getting one more week of rest and NOT playing on Sunday has him playing in Philly. Unless he slips in the shower and tears it. Would he have done the exact same thing in Philly and tore it running in the open field?

He blew his ACL and I’m pretty confident at minimum his knee was at a state he should not have been on it period for 2-3 Weeks. That might be optimistic I think it was already torn 1% chance it heals perfectly in 7 days. Ok I’m searching my innermost feelings and I’m discouraged he’s very frail at the worst possible moment.
I’m probably being difficult. %10-15% chance he completely recovers and can make hard cuts on Sunday

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

Love isn’t injured.

He wasn't? I must have been watching another game. I haven't seen anything saying Love's elbow is 100% fine, just that "they don't think it will be a problem." What would you all be saying if Love was the one that tore his ACL?

Really you could argue that players get injured outside the facility or in practice or the weight room or the bathroom for that matter.

So playing your starters doesn't increase their risk of injury and or availability for the following week, because....they could just as easily get injured standing on the sidelines?

I think the plan all along was to play our guys 1/2 game and if we are winning leave them in 3rd Qtr. If we’re losing or have misfortune, pull my QB, RB etc. That was my suggestion all along and looks like he listened to me

Again, were we watching the same game? The starters, that didn't get hurt, were in there for the full game. What kind of lead are you talking about when pulling them in the 4th Q? MLF even had Love warming back up and debated putting him back in when Willis hurt his thumb.

I'm sensing a lot of backtracking and story telling by all of you who didn't have a problem with playing starters. 2 Starters got hurt. One for possibly 6-12 months. The Commanders won, the Packer starters lost to the Bears.

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[OldSchool101]

He wasn't? I must have been watching another game. I haven't seen anything saying Love's elbow is 100% fine, just that "they don't think it will be a problem." What would you all be saying if Love was the one that tore his ACL?



So playing your starters doesn't increase their risk of injury and or availability for the following week, because....they could just as easily get injured standing on the sidelines?


Again, were we watching the same game? The starters, that didn't get hurt, were in there for the full game. What kind of lead are you talking about when pulling them in the 4th Q? MLF even had Love warming back up and debated putting him back in when Willis hurt his thumb.

I'm sensing a lot of backtracking and story telling by all of you who didn't have a problem with playing starters. 2 Starters got hurt. One for possibly 6-12 months. The Commanders won, the Packer starters lost to the Bears.

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In this particular case.

1. Fact: Love is NOT hurt.
2. Fact: Watson fell down Running in a non contact motion.
3. Fact: Players CAN get hurt both in Practice or Games and more likely in games. However in THIS situation I’m highly confident Watson had already damaged that knee BEFORE this game. It’s highly unlikely he makes a FULL recovery in 7 more days.

So @Pokerbrat2000 I think YOU are the one protecting your earlier statement to rest all starters. Likely like myself, partly out of frustration for this injury. However it’s not your or my fault Watson took a more serious injury a few weeks back. S happens. We are fortunate we have a Week to prepare AND we already got our bench warmed up last week.

 

[OldSchool101]

I know we are underdogs. But something in my gut tells me

I think we can beat these chumps!

Because If you win THIS game EVERYTHING changes and I mean Everything!

 

[OldSchool101]

I also believe we match up to Philly really well. Hurts is a Run First Offense. This game is ALL about who can stop the Run game. Whoever Wins the Running game AND plays the cleanest in Turnovers/Flags likely wins this contest.

There are maybe at most 5-6 Teams that can Slow the Eagles Premier Running game. They have an elite rushing attack and elite Defense and that’s what wins them games. You’ve got to Slow down the Run and force Eagles to throw more than they are accustomed. A few errors in the Pass game I think the 2024 Packers are smack dab in the middle of that D group to do it. We do give up chunks in the passing game, but part of our identity is in doing so we force some unexpected errors.

Slaton, Clark, Wyatt, Gary, Enagbare, Van Ness, Wilson, McDuffie, Cooper, Walker are an underrated D Run front. With Bullard, Oladapo (or Evans) Nixon, Xavier and in support I think this is a very scrappy bunch against the Run. Lots of speed at all levels. No All Pro upfront, but lots of above average to Probowl alternate types that fight well together.

 

[Schultz]

After this post I am only going to concentrate on the upcoming game not the past. Didn't Watson tear the ACL on the opposite knee that had kept him out the last few weeks?

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

After this post I am only going to concentrate on the upcoming game not the past. Didn't Watson tear the ACL on the opposite knee that had kept him out the last few weeks?

Yes, he tore his right ACL. He was playing with a brace on his injured left knee.

 

[El Guapo]

Just like last year, we can get hot and beat Philly. Heck, we could get hot and run the table. I think that most of us know that this is a team that can reach the playoffs consistently but not yet a team that is elite enough to win it all.

If Jalen Hurts doesn't get out of the concussion protocol today or tomorrow, the Eagles will have a lot of problems. They will likely have two different game plans depending on the QB. Even if Hurts comes back, it changes his game. He obviously sustained a concussion that is more than just a mild bell-ringer, so they will try to limit his hits. He will slide early if he scrambles. He probably won't do a ****-push, but that can be done by a TE or RB.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

So @Pokerbrat2000 I think YOU are the one protecting your earlier statement to rest all starters. Likely like myself, partly out of frustration for this injury.

It was me and I would have stuck by it, even if nobody got hurt and the Packers won by 50 points.

Pretty simple math for me and what happened on Sunday doesn't change a thing in the way I feel. The benefits of playing the key starters (a potential shot of being the #6 seed), did not outweigh the negatives. Now if we were playing for the #1 seed, of course I would have played all my starters.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

I think what everyone here is trying to say and I agree!!

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[OldSchool101]

Losing the season finale in such fashion sometimes can get a team more fired up the first playoff game. I am more concerned who we shall have left on our secondary this week. They will have to come up and make tackles.

I agree. While some see a poor performance game as “the sky is falling”? It’s just as arguable had we went in and Won we’d beat our chests at how great we are. Neither is true so why kid ourselves.

Some (not you) will take the martyr role and spin this as if I’m 100% convinced that GB will beat the Eagles and I’ve never said that nor will I ever say that. Im 100% convinced we are an underdog. I am also 100% convinced that if the Packers go in with the correct attitude and play like we played the Lions at Detroit? I 100% believe they will have a real chance at Winning.

We’re Less experienced? Yes
On the Road? Yes
4 point Underdogs? Yes
Have Injuries? Yes
Coming off a shaky loss? Yes
All Great Excuses for adopting a Loser mentality and doubting that we can play to full capability ?? Yes.

 

[OldSchool101]

It was me and I would have stuck by it, even if nobody got hurt and the Packers won by 50 points.

Pretty simple math for me and what happened on Sunday doesn't change a thing in the way I feel. The benefits of playing the key starters (a potential shot of being the #6 seed), did not outweigh the negatives. Now if we were playing for the #1 seed, of course I would have played all my starters.

See to me that would speak to you feel the #2 Eagles aren’t noticeably better than playing a 3rd seed. If that’s the truly the case than I respect that choice more. Also we’re eliminating any chance of circumventing Detroit or getting a home game.
I see that as a less desirable outcome.

Like Schultzy said though or maybe he similarly read the Best Seller “That was then this is now”. I think we all want to Win. Only difference is maybe various levels of conviction or methods of how to do so.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

See to me that would speak to you feel the #2 Eagles aren’t noticeably better than playing a 3rd seed. If that’s the truly the case than I respect that choice more. Also we’re eliminating any chance of circumventing Detroit + we 100% get all road games.

Odds are that even if you go beat Tampa Bay (had we gotten 6th seed), you play the Eagles/Lions the following Week. I guess choose your poison.

Realistically, the Packers could not determine their own fate by beating the Bears. The best they could hope for was a Win and the Commanders lose. That puts them in Tampa. Neither happened. What did happen is was they lost Watson, Love got banged up, maybe other guys got further banged up, no rest for starters and now you begin your playoff run after getting beaten by one of the worst teams in the NFL.

My theory on resting starters might have changed slightly had the Packers controlled their own destiny for a higher seed, win and they are #6. Even in that situation, I probably still do what the Rams did and rest my starters.

 

[milani]

See to me that would speak to you feel the #2 Eagles aren’t noticeably better than playing a 3rd seed. If that’s the truly the case than I respect that choice more. Also we’re eliminating any chance of circumventing Detroit (had Washington Lost they could play Detroit in a Divisional) + we 100% get all road games.
I see that as a less desirable outcome.

Like Schultzy said though or maybe he similarly read the Best Seller “That was then this is now”. I think we all want to Win. Only difference is maybe various levels of conviction or methods of how to do so.

I still feel there is a difference between 3 and 4 THIS season and 2. The WL record is one indication. The Eagles have close to the top offensive lines in the league compared to TB and LA. See how many scrums they use this week. They also have a QB who can take off for miles compared to the other two teams. They also have a better pass rush. With that said we have to remember what happened in Dallas last season. I still have not figured that one out.

 

[Team Ronny]

Let the Playoffs begin!

I think MLF did a disservice to the players and team by playing the starters yesterday, but what is done is done. We can only hope that both Love and Watson didn't suffer injuries that will keep them out of Sundays game or limit their abilities.

Meanwhile, the Eagle starters will come in rested.

For me the keys to the game will be to keep Barkley under 75 total yards and keep Hurts from hurting us with his legs. Hurts rushed for 630 yards this season, for an average of 40+/game. Those are the kinds of numbers that can just kill a defense, especially on 3rd/4th down.

For the Packers to beat the Eagles and Lions (locked in with a win over Eagles), they are going to need to play mistake free football. Limit the penalties and come out on the plus side in turnovers. Otherwise, they won't get out of Philly with a W.

Hurts hasn't thrown more than 4 passes in a game in like a month. He might be kinda rusty. Can't let him run, make him pass!

 

[PackerDNA]

None of it matters. Want to get what you want to go? Got to beat who's in front of you. Is you is or is you ain't?

 

[Sanguine camper]

Getting a higher seed isn't a big deal for the Packers. Their chances on the road in the playoffs are nearly identical over the past 20 years compared to their home record.

Warm weather tends to help out the past rush because D linemen can get better traction when the field isn't getting harder from the cold. That helps this Packers team because their O line is good enough to handle a pass rush in warm or cold weather whereas the D line needs all the help it can get.

While the Packers are firing on zero cylinders, the Eagles aren't a juggernaut IMO. If the Packers can limit Barkley they'll have a chance. If not, it will be a long game.

 

[OldSchool101]

Hurts hasn't thrown more than 4 passes in a game in like a month. He might be kinda rusty. Can't let him run, make him pass!

That’s exactly what my plan would be.
Let them beat us in the air.

 

[OldSchool101]

None of it matters. Want to get what you want to go? Got to beat who's in front of you. Is you is or is you ain't?

Papa? Paps is that you??!

 

[milani]

Getting a higher seed isn't a big deal for the Packers. Their chances on the road in the playoffs are nearly identical over the past 20 years compared to their home record.

Warm weather tends to help out the past rush because D linemen can get better traction when the field isn't getting harder from the cold. That helps this Packers team because their O line is good enough to handle a pass rush in warm or cold weather whereas the D line needs all the help it can get.

While the Packers are firing on zero cylinders, the Eagles aren't a juggernaut IMO. If the Packers can limit Barkley they'll have a chance. If not, it will be a long game.

We have to find a way to beat their O line off the ball. That is a Packer weakness.

 

[Schultz]

See to me that would speak to you feel the #2 Eagles aren’t noticeably better than playing a 3rd seed. If that’s the truly the case than I respect that choice more. Also we’re eliminating any chance of circumventing Detroit or getting a home game.
I see that as a less desirable outcome.

Like Schultzy said though or maybe he similarly read the Best Seller “That was then this is now”. I think we all want to Win. Only difference is maybe various levels of conviction or methods of how to do so.

I read it sophomore year right after reading the Outsiders.