Week 7 Preview – AFC / NFC North Week

Week 7 Preview - AFC / NFC North Week

Packers @ Browns

Like Father...

...Like Son?

In what could turn it to be the first in a series of swine flu bowls, the Packers travel to Cleveland in a must win situation. Hopefully the team is focused as they are one week away from hosting one of the craziest regular season games. I think this might be one of those games where Green Bay comes up firing on all cylinders, taking an early two score lead. Then the Browns fight back with a couple big plays closing the lead before half. Then either a sack/fumble or pick INT gives the Pack a good lead that holds up. Look for huge games by Rodgers, Clay Matthews, Kampmen, Woodsen, and hopefully Ryan Grant. (The guy is like six games overdue)

Things to watch:

  1. Clay Matthews playing in the city is old man starred for over 10 years.
  2. TJ Lang – fucking step up!
  3. Trap game – McCarthy better have his team focused for sunday and not looking ahead to next weeks Vikings/Favre showdown. This has happened before during McCarthy’s tenure

Packers 38-24

Vikings @ Steelers

Another pretty big game for the Vikes. Although it may not have playoff implications since its an AFC game, this has huge Legit-factor for the Vikes. I was hoping for some cold or inclement whether but Favre has lucked out in that regard. This will be fun to watch though its been a few weeks since Favre took some hits and the Steelers can bring it.

Things to watch:

  1. Favre vs Steelers 3-4 D – who cares about AP, I want to see Favre take a beating this game.
  2. Rothlesburger vs Vikings CBs – The Vikings pass D sans Winfield is pretty weak. Look for the Steelers to pass early and often…featuring long passes.
  3. Injury bug, Vikings – that’s all I’m saying

Steelers 29 Vikings 17

Bears @ Bengals

This will be a big test to the Bengals. Can they bounce back and prove to the rest of the NFL that the Bengals are here to stay? They also endured a big injury last week to Odom. Hopefully they can still sustain decent pressure with the four down lineman…like they could earlier against the Pack. This will probably be a damn good game. But I see the Bengals holding on after a Bears miscue or two…

Bengals 16 Bears 13

Lions = BYE

Published on October 24, 2009 9:20 pm.
Filed under: 2009 Season, NFC North, Predictions Tags: , , , , , , , ,

No matter what happens, this game is over

No matter what happens, this game is over

Hey Ed, whatever happens just make sure you diss the Packers

This is basically what referee, Ed Hochuli stated at then end of today’s game at Lambeau. Sidenote: As any Packer fan can attest to, this guy hates the Packers. Maybe this is why. He was born in Milwaukee. Maybe something crazy happened to him a while back that still lingers deep inside him. For some reason, it seems that he just absolutely detests Green Bay and their fans.

Man, these are the types of games you have to blame the coaching staff. Just look at how they started, unprepared…dropped passes….idiotic, pony-league penalties… putrid special teams….six sacks allowed and no halftime adjustments…what else? This is buzzkill game #1 of 2009.

Notwithstanding the excellent play by DE Odom and Cedric (ex-bears garbage) Benson…there were two giant plays in this game…

First play….

Towards the end of the first half, with the Packers leading 21-14, the Bengals had the ball on their own 5, facing 3rd and 34. (This was following a sack and an offsides penalty) The packers were poised to get the ball with good field position and possibly get a field goal to go up by 10 before the half.

So what do the Bengals call? They call what ANY sane coordinator would call faced with 3rd and forever close to their own end zone, early in the game. Don’t take any chances and just do a simple drop pass to the TE or RB.  I cannot recall how many times I’ve seen this happen…They do a little drop pass and gain maybe 10 yards, and then PUNT.

But to Dom Capers, this seems to be a brand new strategy as they are not ready for this. So instead of getting the ball back, the Bengals TE gains 30 yards…fumbles (Great FF by Jenkins)….and then Cincy recovers it after gaining another 8 yards. This keeps the drive alive eventually leading to a TD. So instead of it being 24-14 at the half, its 21-21.

Play two…

After exchanging a couple punts, the Packers string a few nice passes together and have the ball first and ten at their own 40. The game is still tied at 21. Rodgers seems to be finally getting into a groove here…the crowd is feeling him…Then Ray Maaluagua makes a great play and smashes the ball out of Grant’s hands after a nice little screen pass. A few buzzkill plays later and its 28-21 Bengals.

Immediately the momentum shifts back to Cincy, and they don’t lose it until the last few minutes of the game when the Packers frantic effort to get to OT falls short when Hochuli decides the game is over.

So props to me for picking the AFC Dark Horse, too bad it came at the expense of the Pack. (And ya I know its only week two, but if you watched this game you know the Bengals are for real)

Btw. Whats up with Raji? Packers could’ve used him this game as the D-Line is getting worn down.

Published on September 20, 2009 8:46 pm.
Filed under: 2009 Season, Game Summary Tags: , , , , , , , , ,