Full circle.
That was the only way to describe the Packers' victory over the Philadelphia Eagles in the Wild Card Round three weeks ago. In the first game of the regular season the Packers also played the Eagles, knocking then starter Kevin Kolb from the game, and in effect creating the monster they faced seventeen weeks later. The injury to Kolb vaulted Michael Vick back into the limelight, and he performed like an MVP all year.
That first game also foretold much about what kind of season the Packers would endure. They were going to have to earn it every week and without many of their best players. Ryan Grant sustained a season-ending injury in the season opener. Promising rookie safety Morgan Burnett, uber-athletic tight end Jermichael Finley, and heart of the defense Nick Barnett were all essentially done for the year after Week 4. Mark Tauscher hasn't played since Week 9. Aaron Rodgers suffered two concussions on the year, missing an entire game after getting knocked out of another contest at Detroit. Al Harris never fully recovered from '09 knee surgery and was released. Atari Bigby again sat out much of the season. Johhny Jolly wasn't injured, but he was guzzling codeine syrup like he had an untreated broken leg. He was dismissed from the team. Donald Driver lost games to a quad injury. The Packers' only talented running back on the current roster was physically unable to perform the first half of the season due to a hamstring injury.
Looking at the Packers in the preseason, they struck you as a championship caliber team because of the players I just mentioned, yet most of those men made little or no contribution to this year's team. Andrew Quarless, Sam Shields, Tramon Williams, Desmond Bishop, Erik Walden, Brian Bulaga, James Starks, Matt Flynn; all these men filled in for injured players and did their jobs admirably. The reason the Packers have made it this far is because of their astonishing depth, perseverance, and coaching. Having #12 doesn't hurt either.
If the injury bug didn't test the Packers resolve, close loses would. Green Bay shot out of the gate with a nice win at Philly and a home route of the hapless Bills. Following that though, they lost in the ugliest game of the year, committing nineteen penalties against the Bears. After a skin of their teeth win over the Lions, the Packers lost back-to-back overtime games to the Dolphins and Redskins.
After those loses the Packers seemed to find themselves and established a new identity amidst all the new faces. They now knew how to use the personnel they did have, and Rodgers became more comfortable with his supporting cast. In a three week period the Packers shut out the Jets, annihilated the Cowboys and ended Wade Phillips' head coaching stint, and blew the doors off of Brett Favre's career/exercised every single one of Rodgers' demons with a 28-point drubbing of the Vikings in Minnesota, a blowout that also signaled Brad Childress' termination as head coach.
Looking at the Packers in the preseason, they struck you as a championship caliber team because of the players I just mentioned, yet most of those men made little or no contribution to this year's team. Andrew Quarless, Sam Shields, Tramon Williams, Desmond Bishop, Erik Walden, Brian Bulaga, James Starks, Matt Flynn; all these men filled in for injured players and did their jobs admirably. The reason the Packers have made it this far is because of their astonishing depth, perseverance, and coaching. Having #12 doesn't hurt either.
If the injury bug didn't test the Packers resolve, close loses would. Green Bay shot out of the gate with a nice win at Philly and a home route of the hapless Bills. Following that though, they lost in the ugliest game of the year, committing nineteen penalties against the Bears. After a skin of their teeth win over the Lions, the Packers lost back-to-back overtime games to the Dolphins and Redskins.
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| Want to end a coach's career? Call this guy. |
They then rode into Atlanta on a considerable hot streak to face the Falcons, a matchup that many thought might occur again in the playoffs. They lost in a nail bitter that, as was the case in all their games this year, the Packers really could have won.
They followed that loss with an easy home victory over the 49ers. The only noteworthy development in that game was the emergence of rookie running back Starks. Seeing his first action of the season, Starks ran for 73 yards on 18 carries. And I was there too!
They followed that loss with an easy home victory over the 49ers. The only noteworthy development in that game was the emergence of rookie running back Starks. Seeing his first action of the season, Starks ran for 73 yards on 18 carries. And I was there too!
The next two weeks would have Packer nation soiling their trousers as Rodgers got knocked out of the Lions game and missed the Patriots game as well. Flynn though, stepped in and played astonishingly well given the circumstances of that game. (Trade bait! Trade bait! Trade bait! Maybe we can squeeze out a second round pick for him!)
After the Patriots loss, it was hard to be upset with the team because they had played so well without their best player, but it was easy to be upset at all the things that had gone wrong for the Pack this year. They lost six games by a combined 20 points. That's unreal. They never got blown out; they never even lost by a touchdown. They were in every game, they had more key injuries than almost any other team, and now because of dumb luck, it looked like the Packers would miss the post season party.
After the Patriots loss, it was hard to be upset with the team because they had played so well without their best player, but it was easy to be upset at all the things that had gone wrong for the Pack this year. They lost six games by a combined 20 points. That's unreal. They never got blown out; they never even lost by a touchdown. They were in every game, they had more key injuries than almost any other team, and now because of dumb luck, it looked like the Packers would miss the post season party.
Green Bay would have to win out, albeit at home, against two teams (Giants and Bears) with playoff positioning of their own to accomplish. Luckily for Packer fans, Rodgers came back from his concussion and was simply unconscious. Every throw was a dart, a laser, and a perfect decision. Green Bay throttled the Giants, survived the Bears, and punched their playoff ticket.
As if they their last two games weren't asking enough, the Packers opened the postseason in Philadelphia against a team many thought had the chops to make the Super Bowl. Vick was the story of the year, and the Eagles were perhaps the most explosive team in the league. Yet the Packers once again found a way, not a conventional way, but just some way to win. Starks re-emerged and had a dominant game running the ball. The defense was terrific all day, Rodgers was surgical, and Williams, in what would become a theme, made the game-saving play. Williams intercepted Vick at the tail end of the fourth quarter and sealed the game.
Winning in the playoffs is like being a kid and having your parents say, "I'm so proud of you, as a reward go do your homework and finish your chores." The Packers beat the Eagles, and their reward was a trip to Atlanta to play the best team in the NFC, the best home team in the NFL.
The game started as a see-saw battle with both teams trading scores. Then it seemed Atlanta may have made the play of the day when they returned a kickoff for a touchdown, making the score 14-7. Williams also made a touchdown-saving interception early in the game, plus took another interception back for a touchdown as time expired in the first half. Amazingly, Williams was the playoff MVP to this point, despite the unrelenting greatness of Rodgers. The Packers grabbed a two score lead with the Williams pick six and never looked back.
Rodgers put on as good a performance as I've ever seen from the quarterback position. 31/36 for 366 yards and 3 touchdowns. A couple of guys dropped balls. It was as close to flawless as possible in the biggest game of the year, the highest level of football. It was greatness, pure and simple.
After eviscerating the Falcons, the Packers entered the NFC Championship Game with momentum and the support of Vegas oddsmakers. The 183rd matchup of the Packers and Bears would be for a trip to the Super Bowl; the oldest rivalry in football would decide who would play for the biggest prize in sports.
The Bears had reached this apex moment through a lot of luck, sporadic offense, and a good but not great defense. This Bears group was not a great team. They faced four backup quarterbacks during the regular season, and had only to beat Seattle–the worst playoff team ever–to get to the NFC Title Game. Jay Cutler is an average quarterback, and the Bears have a bad offensive line and no real threats at receiver. They can return punts and shut you down on defense for the most part, but that's about it.
The Packers struggled to close the game out, but that's to be expected in a cold, road environment against a team that knows you inside and out. Though it was the game with the biggest stakes to this point, it was also the game I felt most confident the Packers would win. The Eagles and Falcons, in my mind, represented much more difficult opponents. Bottom line: The Packers beat their bitter rivals in an ugly game that made Packers fans think, "Thank God the Super Bowl will be played indoors." And with visions of the Georgia Dome dancing in their heads, that is what now awaits the Packer faithful.
Green Bay traveled a treacherous path to get this far, but the biggest challenge lies ahead. The vaunted Pittsburgh Steelers, winners of six Super Bowls, and perhaps football's most storied franchise–if they aren't the Packers are–stand in Green Bay's way of history. The Steelers possess the best defense in the NFL, a seasoned and talented coaching staff, and a roster full of guys that have reached this pinnacle moment before, including a quarterback with two rings already. On the other hand, the Packers have just two guys that have ever played in a super bowl, Ryan Pickett and Charles Woodson, and they both lost when they got there. The Packers are in for a heavyweight title fight with the baddest team in the league, but if this year has taught us anything about Green Bay, it's that they know how to fight.
Winning in the playoffs is like being a kid and having your parents say, "I'm so proud of you, as a reward go do your homework and finish your chores." The Packers beat the Eagles, and their reward was a trip to Atlanta to play the best team in the NFC, the best home team in the NFL.
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| Game Over |
Rodgers put on as good a performance as I've ever seen from the quarterback position. 31/36 for 366 yards and 3 touchdowns. A couple of guys dropped balls. It was as close to flawless as possible in the biggest game of the year, the highest level of football. It was greatness, pure and simple.
After eviscerating the Falcons, the Packers entered the NFC Championship Game with momentum and the support of Vegas oddsmakers. The 183rd matchup of the Packers and Bears would be for a trip to the Super Bowl; the oldest rivalry in football would decide who would play for the biggest prize in sports.
The Bears had reached this apex moment through a lot of luck, sporadic offense, and a good but not great defense. This Bears group was not a great team. They faced four backup quarterbacks during the regular season, and had only to beat Seattle–the worst playoff team ever–to get to the NFC Title Game. Jay Cutler is an average quarterback, and the Bears have a bad offensive line and no real threats at receiver. They can return punts and shut you down on defense for the most part, but that's about it.
The Packers struggled to close the game out, but that's to be expected in a cold, road environment against a team that knows you inside and out. Though it was the game with the biggest stakes to this point, it was also the game I felt most confident the Packers would win. The Eagles and Falcons, in my mind, represented much more difficult opponents. Bottom line: The Packers beat their bitter rivals in an ugly game that made Packers fans think, "Thank God the Super Bowl will be played indoors." And with visions of the Georgia Dome dancing in their heads, that is what now awaits the Packer faithful.
Green Bay traveled a treacherous path to get this far, but the biggest challenge lies ahead. The vaunted Pittsburgh Steelers, winners of six Super Bowls, and perhaps football's most storied franchise–if they aren't the Packers are–stand in Green Bay's way of history. The Steelers possess the best defense in the NFL, a seasoned and talented coaching staff, and a roster full of guys that have reached this pinnacle moment before, including a quarterback with two rings already. On the other hand, the Packers have just two guys that have ever played in a super bowl, Ryan Pickett and Charles Woodson, and they both lost when they got there. The Packers are in for a heavyweight title fight with the baddest team in the league, but if this year has taught us anything about Green Bay, it's that they know how to fight.
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| Pittsburgh won the last Packer-Steeler matchup, a 2009 barn burner |
--from Adam
(all images from zimbio.com)
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