It’s a great time to be a Packers fan. Three straight wins, a newly ranked #1 defense, and a pretty good chance of earning a wild card home game are all things to relish at the moment.
However, what the Packers need is a signature win to prove they can make a run in the playoffs. Most people are quick to argue that the win over Dallas could be considered the biggest W of the year, but the Boys’ have proven to be a flash in the pan with a few lackluster performances since then, so unfortunately the win doesn’t look or sound as impressive as it might seem.
The good news is that the Packers have, in my humble opinion, two remaining games that could truly build momentum going into the playoffs. I’m talking about Baltimore on Monday night, and December 20th at Pittsburgh.
Yes, Baltimore and Pittsburgh are holding on for their playoff lives at this point. But you can’t ever discount a defending Super Bowl champion at any point in the season, and winning a game at Heinz Field would be something that not even Minnesota could do. If Pittsburgh remains in the playoff hunt until that game, it’ll be a showdown for the ages.
The Packers will face off against the two Rays on Monday Night Football
As for Baltimore, they looked solid in their win against Pittsburgh on Monday. The defense showed signs of life, albeit against a Dennis Dixon-led Steelers team (note: I’m not slamming D.D. at all. Dude can throw, showed some flash running the ball, and looked confident in the pocket. In fact, that one start could earn him millions this offseason).
Plus, you can’t forget about the budding chemistry between Joe Flacco, Ray Rice, and their veteran receiving core. These guys are legit, and the strong veteran leadership will make sure they don’t quit at any point in any remaining games.
The rest of the schedule consists of a trip to Chicago (sandwiched between the Baltimore & Pittsburgh games), home against Seattle, and a finale at Arizona. You could make an argument about Arizona being a big game, but it’s only worthy of the “signature” status if a victory that day assured us a playoff spot. And with the wild card race shaping up as it is, I could very well see that happening.
Mike McCarthy has most likely saved his job by passing the win total from last season, but questions about his coaching will linger if we can’t get a truly big win this year.
