This may be the straw that breaks us

[JBlood]

Losing Rogers is a terrible blow to the offense, but our strong defense has been able to keep us in games. How many starters can you lose and still be strong??? Against the Pats linebackers are going to be forced to cover receivers. Brady will exploit any weakness we have. I'm worried.

From the streets to the starting lineup? Green Bay Packers may start Erik Walden at right outside linebacker

By Rob Demovsky • [email protected] • December 15, 2010

http://packersnews.greenbaypressgaz...start-Erik-Walden-at-right-outside-linebacker

"The Green Bay Packers will probably have to replace an undrafted rookie who has started the last six games with a guy off the street who has never started an NFL game.
That’s how thin they’ve become at outside linebacker.



It appears to be Erik Walden’s turn at right outside linebacker this week against the New England Patriots. Not much is known about the third-year pro who was bounced from team to team but has never found a home in anyone’s lineup. He’s with his fourth NFL team in three years and appears likely to make his first start on Sunday in place of Frank Zombo, the rookie free agent who replaced opening-day starter Brad Jones after he was lost for the season because of a shoulder injury. Zombo sustained a knee injury in last Sunday’s loss at Detroit and coach Mike McCarthy has all but ruled him out for the Patriots’ game......"

 

[SpartaChris]

Honestly, not sure what there is to be worried about. While I would love to win this weekend, we can still afford to lose this weekend and still make the playoffs. Next week's game vs. NY and the following week against Chicago are far more important.

Don't get me wrong, I'd like to get the win as A) A win would make a statement and B) it would help our cause. However, a win in Foxborough isn't essential.

 

[GreenGoldAngel]

Honestly, not sure what there is to be worried about. While I would love to win this weekend, we can still afford to lose this weekend and still make the playoffs. Next week's game vs. NY and the following week against Chicago are far more important.

Don't get me wrong, I'd like to get the win as A) A win would make a statement and B) it would help our cause. However, a win in Foxborough isn't essential.

In two words "I agree"

 

[JBlood]

Honestly, not sure what there is to be worried about. While I would love to win this weekend, we can still afford to lose this weekend and still make the playoffs. Next week's game vs. NY and the following week against Chicago are far more important.

Don't get me wrong, I'd like to get the win as A) A win would make a statement and B) it would help our cause. However, a win in Foxborough isn't essential.

Chris, I hope you're right; but I doubt the Yikes beat the Bears on Monday and if we lose the division is lost. It doesn't look good for a wildcard spot since lots of other things have to occur for us to get in. It's a shame how the Lion game has turned things so sour.

 

[GreenGoldAngel]

Chris, I hope you're right; but I doubt the Yikes beat the Bears on Monday and if we lose the division is lost. It doesn't look good for a wildcard spot since lots of other things have to occur for us to get in. It's a shame how the Lion game has turned things so sour.

No ifs or buts about it, the lion lose may turn out to be the season lowlight, but it's in the past. I am still hopeful (only because I refuse to read injury reports) and am not ready to disconnect my cable connection yet.

 

[JBlood]

GGA, my brother and I have season tix, and we'll be at Lambeau for the Giants and Bears games regardless. Neither of us have ever booed the team and we're not starting now. But this could have been a special year.....

 

[SpartaChris]

Chris, I hope you're right; but I doubt the Yikes beat the Bears on Monday and if we lose the division is lost. It doesn't look good for a wildcard spot since lots of other things have to occur for us to get in. It's a shame how the Lion game has turned things so sour.

Actually, the wild card is more in reach than I thought it would be. Strange as it may be, if there's a 3 way tie at 10-6 between us, the Giants and the Bucs, we'll win the tie breaker. Don't ask me why, but I was playing with ESPN's little tool and it gave us the 6th seed.

http://www.espn.go.com/nfl/playoffs/machine

We need to win our remaining NFC games and get a little help from our friends in Detroit and Philly this weekend. It would also help if Atlanta loses one so the Saints are motivated in week 17 to knock off the Bucs.

 

[Kitten]

Injuries have been a part of us all season long, why should we look at it any different now after all we have already overcome? Yes, losing to the Lions has made our road harder but I just don't think there is anything outside of this team's reach yet. The thing I hate most is having to depend on other teams winning (Vikings arrrggg!!!) and losing for us to advance. Losing Aaron is a huge blow, but we are really going to need him most in the Giants and Bears games, particularly against the Bears. I think this team has a lot of heart and spirit left. How they play on Sunday against perhaps the best team in the NFL will tell us a lot about where we stand even sans Aaron. We need to know if we play on O without him anyway (at least for one game!).

 

[Incubes12]

Injuries have been a part of us all season long, why should we look at it any different now after all we have already overcome? Yes, losing to the Lions has made our road harder but I just don't think there is anything outside of this team's reach yet. The thing I hate most is having to depend on other teams winning (Vikings arrrggg!!!) and losing for us to advance. Losing Aaron is a huge blow, but we are really going to need him most in the Giants and Bears games, particularly against the Bears. I think this team has a lot of heart and spirit left. How they play on Sunday against perhaps the best team in the NFL will tell us a lot about where we stand even sans Aaron. We need to know if we play on O without him anyway (at least for one game!).

I think it's safe to say that injuries are more than a part of our season, they've defined our team. We are a completely different team than we would have been without these injuries, not just in terms of names on the field, but play calling schemes, approaches to the game, etc. It's good to know that we have all this depth. Unfortunately the roster is only so big, and we've met enough injuries to exhaust that list in some areas. I don't know about you guys, but I'm seriously questioning our strength and conditioning department after a this year and a few previous years of above average numbers of injuries.

 

[SpartaChris]

I think it's safe to say that injuries are more than a part of our season, they've defined our team. We are a completely different team than we would have been without these injuries, not just in terms of names on the field, but play calling schemes, approaches to the game, etc. It's good to know that we have all this depth. Unfortunately the roster is only so big, and we've met enough injuries to exhaust that list in some areas. I don't know about you guys, but I'm seriously questioning our strength and conditioning department after a this year and a few previous years of above average numbers of injuries.

Absolutely right on. I keep hearing (Mostly from Bears fans at this point) that injuries can't be used as an excuse. That's easy to say when your team is mostly healthy and you have most, if not all, of your week 1 starters still playing.

And it's somewhat true. One or two injuries cannot be used as an excuse, since every team gets them. But 13? That's a game changer. That's replacing an entire offense or defense with second stringers and a couple with third string guys. At some point it becomes too much to be overcome. That we're still in it at this point speaks volumes about our coaching and scouting staff in my mind.

As for replacing the training staff, I'm in agreement. Someone on Cheesehead TV said we're just unlucky as these guys are the same guys we've had for years. While that's true for one guy, he just did become our strength and conditioning coordinator *this* year, switching places with last years coordinator. Prior to that he was an assistant: Green Bay Packers: Mark Lovat

Here's the guy he switched places with: Green Bay Packers: Dave Redding

The guy who designing, organizes and executing strength and conditioning procedures was just hired *this* year: Green Bay Packers: Thadeus Jackson

Whether it's a good run of bad luck or poor training, we need to take a hard look at what's going on. We're on year 3 now of having our team suffer devastating, season ending injuries, and it has to stop. Something needs to change, now.

 

[JBlood]

The training staff can't do much to prevent herniated discs, dislocated shoulders, concussions, broken wrists, ankle fractures, ACL/ meniscus tears, etc. They do help in conditioning, stretching, and strengthening and the present guy was picked because of a change in workout philosophy. Still, the aim of the strength coach is to increase strength.

But the majority of severe injuries are a result of the terrific forces involved in the collisions during games. In fact, due to the improved training of the players, the forces have grown. So if you wanted to cut down on the forces, you would eliminate weight lifting and strength training.

The real thing is: pro football is a violent game, played by violent people and injuries are part of it until rules are changed. Rugby changed the scrum to prevent neck injuries. Goodell has brought up eliminating the 3 point stance to prevent concussions, for instance. I don't know how that could help, but the idea is that rules are going to have to be changed to protect the players imo.

 

[JoshuaRHuffman]

Actually, the wild card is more in reach than I thought it would be. Strange as it may be, if there's a 3 way tie at 10-6 between us, the Giants and the Bucs, we'll win the tie breaker. Don't ask me why, but I was playing with ESPN's little tool and it gave us the 6th seed.

2010 NFL Playoff Machine - Simulate Matchups and Scenarios - ESPN

We need to win our remaining NFC games and get a little help from our friends in Detroit and Philly this weekend. It would also help if Atlanta loses one so the Saints are motivated in week 17 to knock off the Bucs.

According to ESPN: Wins tie break over NY Giants and Tampa Bay based on strength of victory.

In a head to head with NYG we'd win based on beating NYG

In a head to head with TB we lose based on "win percentage on common games (i.e., another way detroit loss can bite us in the ***).

 

[neuronet]

Come on guys this could be a great game. Snow game most likely, which means Brady will not be as accurate; Pats secondary is banged up.

One thing I've learned is never count a team out in the NFL.

Also, if Rodgers doesn't play that helps in some ways, as Belichick is much better when he has a lot of data on someone (yes, yes, go ahead and make a damned spygate joke). If he doesn't have film, he can't prepare, and they don't do as well.

Obviously that is true of every team, but for a team with a relatively weak secondary, BB has been coaching the hell out of them every week, personally. With Flynn as a wildcard, he won't be able to hold their hand as much, has to leave it up to their football IQ, their personal wits.

I don't see the Patriots blowing out the Packers. Your defense still has its most important long-haired hippy who will wreak havoc on Brady on multiple plays I predict.

 

[IluvGB]

Your defense still has its most important long-haired hippy who will wreak havoc on Brady on multiple plays I predict.

LOL!! Lets hope! Great post btw... never count a team out!,..(unless they are mathmatically out that is!)

 

[JCpackers04]

the straw that broke us was losing to the lions...

 

[PFanCan]

the straw that broke us was losing to the lions...

Have the faith, man! I think there is still fight left in this team.

 

[ivo610]

I love our long haired hippy

 

[neuronet]

Couple of relevant discussions at patsfans.com.

First, discussion of Flynn, verifying what I said about Pats not doing as well when we can't study someone:
Can we talk about Flynn? - New England Patriots Forums - PatsFans.com Patriots Fan Messageboard

Second, discussion of how banged up our defense is right now:
Anybody else concerned about the DL casualties? - New England Patriots Forums - PatsFans.com Patriots Fan Messageboard

People are fairly confident that if Flynn plays, Pats win. That's not exactly crazy, given that Packers got zero touchdowns against the Lions (sorry if that sounds jerky, but just the facts).

OTOH, he will have had a week of snaps and preparation for the Patriots, so as usual hard to predict.

 

[Kitten]

Game on Pats fan ^! I said the same thing about Flynn in another thread. If I were the Pats I'd rather face Aaron than an unknown quantity. There isn't much film on him to study so therefore he is unpredictable. You can't really use the Lions game, Flynn was thrown into the middle of that game, obviously nobody was planning on Aaron going down. To be honest, Flynn began to settle into that game and was in fact doing better than Aaron was. Given a few more quarters, Flynn may very well of won that game as the Lions offense wasn't putting up much either. Flynn hasn't seen a whole lot of game time, I'd honestly like to see what he would do with a full 4 quarters. I think we should rest up Aaron anyway as we will need him long term going into the playoffs.

For the Pats, I fear Brady more than any other part of your team. I think our long haired hippy may have a little something for Brady, they would of been teammates but instead they will be facing one another on opposite sides of the line. Perhaps I should be more afraid for Brady than of him.

Good luck to your team, this game doesn't matter as much to you as it does to us. You have a pretty good Superbowl run going, I can only hope my team is there to meet you on the other side.

 

[SpartaChris]

Honestly, I don't see how starting Flynn over Rodgers is going to be that big a deal from a gameplanning perspective. It's not like Flynn has his own special playbook or anything. The scheme is the scheme, regardless who runs it.

Yes, there might be some intangibles somewhere, but it's not like we're comparing Kolb to Vick here. Any differences between the two are going to be subtle.

 

[Kitten]

Honestly, I don't see how starting Flynn over Rodgers is going to be that big a deal from a gameplanning perspective. It's not like Flynn has his own special playbook or anything. The scheme is the scheme, regardless who runs it.

Yes, there might be some intangibles somewhere, but it's not like we're comparing Kolb to Vick here. Any differences between the two are going to be subtle.

Yes, but does Aaron's play style mirror Flynn's or are they two totally different QBs? If you run the same scheme with two different QBs I think we can expect two different results. I think the QB matters despite the scheme even though we are not dealing with a Kolb/ Vick situation that we know of. To be honest we really don't want a Kolb/ Vick or we are going to be having a QB controversy up in here and that is the very last thing we need with the playoffs looming.

 

[SpartaChris]

My point with the Kolb/Vick comparison is they are two VERY different QB's. The style of offense is completely different with Vick taking all the snaps than it is with Kolb taking them.

Flynn and Rodgers might be different in personality or pocket presence or some other small intangibles, but they aren't so different that the offense completely changes when one is in the game over the other.

 

[Kitten]

My point with the Kolb/Vick comparison is they are two VERY different QB's. The style of offense is completely different with Vick taking all the snaps than it is with Kolb taking them.

Flynn and Rodgers might be different in personality or pocket presence or some other small intangibles, but they aren't so different that the offense completely changes when one is in the game over the other.

I got you now. I guess we can't expect Flynn to pull a Vick out of his ***. Wishful thinking on my part but we don't want a QB controversy, guess we're not going to get one anyway.

Just to explain, I was trying to express the point Flynn is an unknown quantity, meaning we don't really know what he has yet as he hasn't seen that much game time and there is no film to study on him. I said this more for the Pats perspective than ours. It may not affect our game as much but it may affect theirs.

 

[neuronet]

I just hope your hippy doesn't hurt my primadonna.

 

[Jess]

I'm not worried. There's nothing to worry about when there isn't a chance in hell you're going to win.

I'd love to be shocked by a suddenly inspired Packers team tomorrow night or something, but I don't see that happening.