It wasn’t Aaron Rodgers’ best statistical game, but chalk it up as another road playoff victory on the growing resume’ of the young QB. Bears QB Jay Cutler played terribly, and was yanked in the third after suffering a “knee injury,” giving way to Todd Collins, perhaps the worst backup quarterback in the league. Needless to say, after a few gangly, errant throws, Collins quickly begat 3rd stringer, and rightful 2nd stringer, Caleb Hanie. Hanie’s performance was cute, but he was largely stifled by the smothering Packers defense.

With the win, the Packers are NFC Champions and have earned a Super Bowl berth for the first time since Super Bowl XXXII, a loss to the John-Elway-led Broncos. For young fans like me, whose oldest Packer memories dates back to about 94/95, the victory signifies a return to greatness. The Packers will face the Pittsburgh Steelers, who dismantled the New York Jets last night in the AFC Championship game. The Packers last played the Steelers late last season, an epic shootout that ended in heartbreak with a Ben Roethlisberger game winning touchdown pass.

GB – 10:50 – Aaron Rodgers 1 yd TD run – At the 1-yard line, the backfield resembled a short-yardage TD from last week’s divisional game, with defensive nose-tackle BJ Raji lined up as a fullback and extra blocker. But instead of a hand-off up the gut, Rodgers rolled out to the left on a play action, found the angle, and hustled to the pylon. Credit coach Mike McCarthy with some degree of trickery or reverse psychology, and a risky play-call executed to perfection. GB 7 – CHI 0

GB – 11:13 - James Starks 4 yd TD run – From four yards out, Starks pinballed his way toward the goal line, reaching out at just the right moment to break the plane of the end zone. GB 14 – CHI 0

CHI – 12:02 – Chester Taylor 1 yd TD run – After Caleb Hanie found his nerve, and consequently his throwing rhythm, the Bears found themselves 1 yard away from the score. They called upon former Viking Chester Taylor, who was acquired for just such an occasion. Simple, concise, touchdown. GB 14 – CHI 7

GB – 6:04 – BJ Raji 18 yd INT/TD – Yes, you read that right. Deep in their own territory, Bears QB Caleb Hanie tossed up a nice, fluffy loaf of bread, and a hungry BJ Raji, who had quietly backed off the line and dropped into coverage, nabbed the interception, and chugged his way to a touchdown. He then donned Rodgers’ invisible belt, and proceeded to celebrate in his own unique way. GB 21 – CHI 7

CHI – 4:43 – Earl Bennett 35 yd TD catch – Hanie delivered a well placed zinger into coverage down the near sideline, and WR Earl Bennet took care of the rest. A little delay from Bennet – not quite a stutter-step – and the WR quickly froze and shook off the Packers secondary, trotting in for the score. GB 21 – CHI 14

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Offensively, Green Bay seems to be peaking at the perfect time. It is certainly no coincidence that this surge comes with the emergence of rookie RB James Starks. Remember, Starks sat out most of the year on the PUP list. Defenses have precious little film on a back who is proving to be up to the NFL task. With Starks earning respect from the opposing defense, QB Aaron Rodgers was able to unleash an aerial onslaught that kept Atlanta guessing, and largely off-balance. Starks gained only 66 yards on 25 carries, but the workload he shouldered goes beyond those numbers. With the Falcons defense unsure of the Packers new rookie rusher, Aaron Rodgers exploited their pause to the tune of 31/36 comp/att, 366 yards, 3 passing touchdowns, 1 rushing touchdown, and 0 interceptions. Statistically, a better playoff performance cannot reasonably be achieved. The words are “Sliced” and “diced,” as Packers LB Clay Matthews quipped in a post-game interview. Rodgers was inclusive, spreading the ball out to WR’s Jennings, Nelson, Driver, and Jones for 101, 79, 76, and 75 yards respectively. Both Nelson and Jones nabbed TD catches, as did halfback/fullback, and local folk hero, John Kuhn, who rushed for a score as well. The real story here was 3rd tier man James Jones who, having struggled with slippery hands in pressure situations, came up big with skilled catches in this big game. Some credit his mysterious new gloves, which are bright yellow, shiny, and frankly look like props from Who Framed Roger Rabbit. But hey, facts are facts, and the new gloves seem to work.

Defensively, the Packers handled their business like a team on a mission. Avenging their week 12 loss to the Falcons may not have been a public motivator, but defensive coordinator Dom Capers did post some inspirational bulletin board material for the defensive squad. A Falcon player used some choice words when describing the Packers defense to a local newspaper. The word Capers emphasized was “soft.” If the opposite of soft is hard, it’s fair to say Green Bay’s defense played hard, limiting Falcons RB Michael Turner to just 39 yards. Because the Packers were able to build and sustain a lead, Turner saw the ball just 10 times, with QB Matt Ryan electing to pass more often than not. In fact, Ryan’s 20/29 comp/att, and Turner’s 10 carries for 39 yards, puts the total offensive plays for the Falcons 2 main players, at a meager 39 opportunities. The defense stood strong, and got off the field usually within 3 minutes of game time. Drive for drive, here’s how the Packers defense performed – Punt, TD, Interception, Interception, Punt, TD, Fumble, Fumble, Punt. It’s hard to argue with results. Green Bay limited Matt Ryan to just 186 yards, 1 touchdown, and 2 interceptions. Both interceptions were claimed by CB Tramon Williams, who ran one back for a 70 yard pick six. The Packers held WR Roddy White to just 57 yards on 6 catches, but perhaps more importantly, they also kept TE Tony Gonzalez off the stat sheet with no meaningful yardage. Called soft, played hard.

Special teams was a nightmare. In a closer game, we’d not soon forget that Atlanta ran a kickoff back for a touchdown. This is an automatic fail. On special teams, the most basic goal for the kicking team is to keep the receiving team from scoring. Simple. On the plus side, Green Bay never punted, and punter Tim Masthay was content spending the whole game on the sideline getting a massage and a cucumber facial.

The cumulative grade for this game is a solid B. The offense is clicking, the defense is stout, but special teams made critical errors. It’s easy to ignore these mistakes when the team wins by 27 points, but it’s important to note the increased magnitude these flubs can have in the playoffs.

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WST Podcast 1.18.11 Part 1

Duration: 21:45

Topics:

• A look back at Aaron Rodgers and Packers’ perfect performance in Atlanta last Saturday.
• Packers vs Bears NFC Championship preview

• What factors are key to a Packers victory?

• What match-ups will be key?

• Is Soldier Field’s poor condition a cause for concern?

While Aaron Rodgers was lighting up the Falcons’ secondary — and the scoreboard- it might have gone unnoticed that the Packers mixed in the run quite well on Saturday night.

The numbers were by all means not eye-popping. James Starks only had 66 yards on 25 carries (2.6 yards per carry). But he ran hard and was effective. The amount of carries, 25, also shows that Mike McCarthy and company really trust Starks to be their work horse back.

The short yardage situation also saw some major improvement thanks in part to 340+ pound DT, B.J. Raji. He was used as a fullback on a John Kuhn one yard touchdown.

The commitment to the run helped give Aaron Rodgers and the Packers the ability to control the time of possession and total yards (as it further opened up the passing game). The time of possession was an unbelievable 38:19 to 21:41 in favor of the Packers. Even with a kickoff return for a touchdown by Eric Weems, that difference in time of possession is an unquestioned formula for winning.

Look for James Starks to continue to get a lot of carries against Chicago, the NFL’s second best rush defense. Atlanta came in to the game ranked 10th in rush D, showing that if the Packers get a lead, they have no problem letting Starks carry a heavy load no matter who they are playing.

If Starks finishes with 25 carries agains the Bears, it will probably be an indicator that the Packers won the game.

WST Podcast 1.7.11 Part 3

Duration: 14.32

Topics:

• NFC Playoff preview

• AFC Playoff preview

#52 Clay Matthews is the best selling jersey for the Green Bay Packers. As such, it’s easy to forget that there are a few other linebackers on the roster. In fact, since the starting lineup imploded due to injuries, there are even more names to know than ever before.

LB Desmond Bishop has been hanging out in the Packer clubhouse since he was drafted by the team in the 6th round of the 2007 draft (192nd overall). His role prior to this year was fitting for a 6th rounder – sub packages, and a steady backup. But Bishop was thrust into the  starting role in week 5 when veteran LB Nick Barnett went down with a season-ending wrist injury. Bishop started the remaining 12 games at inside linebacker and left no doubt that he was a capable Packer. Bishop capped his season with 103 tackles, 75 solo, 2 forced fumbles, and 1 interception. The interception was against Brett Favre and Bishop took it to the house for a touchdown, earning him some serious brownie points with Packer fans.

This week, the team showed it’s gratitude by signing Bishop to a four year contract extension worth a reported $19 million. This leaves Green Bay with some interesting roster decisions to be made at the inside linebacker position. When Nick Barnett returns, he’ll be due $6 million as a 30 year old player who has spent a year away from football activities. Similarly, LB A.J. Hawk will be due a whopping $11 million next season. That’s a pretty standard contract for a first rounder, but Hawk’s failure to meet the high expectations associated with his draft status, especially when compared to fellow first rounder LB Clay Matthews, is certainly a talking point for the payroll department.

This offseason will answer all of these questions. The only sure thing so far is that Desmond Bishop will be a Packer for at least 4 more years.

LB Erik Walden wasn’t even a Packer to begin the NFL’s 2010 campaign. He was signed in the waning days of October to serve as fresh meat for a linebacking corp that had been through the grinder. After spending a lot of extra time with LB coach Kevin Green, Walden bumped his play from average to special with his standout performance against the Chicago Bears in the final game of the season; a playoff clincher. DDS originally gave Walden credit for 2 QB Sacks on Bears slinger Jay Cutler, but official stats now indicate Walden is credited with 3 sacks in the game. He served as a “spy,” keeping tabs on the nimble Cutler, and keeping the running game in check as well. He logged 11 tackles, 10 of which were solo.

For his stellar performance, the NFL has named Erik Walden the NFC Defensive Player of the Week. From out of work, to league recognized for wonderful play, DDS congratulates #93 Erik Walden on being named NFC Defensive Player of the Week. Good show, chap!

WiscoSportsTalk Podcast Part 1

Duration: 16.14

Topics:

- Can you be upset about the loss?

- How good is Matt Flynn?

- What are the chances Rodgers plays this week?

- Preview of Giants @ Packers, with and without Rodgers.

Matt Flynn stepped in for a concussed Aaron Rodgers and threw three touchdowns, evaded Patriot defenders, and showed poise and confidence in his first start.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t quite enough, as the Packers lose a close one to the Patriots 31-27.

First off, huge props to Flynn for showing poise and making smart decisions when they mattered most. Kudos to Brandon Jackson and John Kuhn for running hard and opening up the passing game.

The Packers defense, which has been labeled “bend but don’t break” all season, finally broke on many plays tonight.  They gave up a 39 yard TD run to Ben Jarvis Green-Ellis in the first quarter, and were plagued  by bad tackling on many plays.

Special teams also laid an egg tonight, achieving next to nothing in the return game and giving up an embarrassing 71 yard kickoff return to Dan Connolly to set up another Pats TD.

Overall, it’s hard to hang your head too

much after this loss. Considering how New England went into Soldier Field last week and ripped apart a highly-touted Bears defense, this game could have been much uglier.  I’m sure we’ll discuss this further during the WST podcast tomorrow night, but clock management towards the end of the game was, in my opinion, horrendous.  I’m curious to see how Mike McCarthy defends that call.

Despite the fact that Matt Flynn was starting his first career game, there’s no reason to waste your final timeout with only a minute left in the 4th. Further, there seemed to be ZERO sense of urgency getting to the line in the final seconds of the game; How can nobody on the offense start jumping and hollering to get a play rolling.

Lastly, in a game when the defense absolutely needed to create turnovers, Charles Woodson drops an easy INT that could have been returned for 6.  If you want to beat a team like New England when shorthanded, plays like that can make a huge difference.

All hope is not lost, however. With Tampa Bay and the New York Giants both losing, the Packers hopes of making the playoffs remain alive.  And with New York coming off a heartbreaking loss to Philadelphia today, they could be vulnerable coming into Lambeau next Sunday.

Good effort Pack. But as is the story of our season, not quite good enough.

WiscoSportsTalk Podcast Part 1

Duration: 16:20

Topics:

- Recap of the Packers’ loss to the Detroit Lions

- What was the biggest factor in the Packer’s loss

- Preview of Packers vs Patriots

- The Packers’ playoff chances

WiscoSportsTalk Podcast Part 1

Duration: 13:40

Topics:

- 49ers VS Packers Recap and Player of the Game

- James Starks’ debut and what it means for this team going forward.

- Whats wrong with Clay Mathews recently?

- The WST guys take a look at the Packers’ remaining schedule and break down some play-off scenarios.

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