Greenville Packer Backers: 2017 Week 13

Packers 28 Stealers 31

The game at Pittsburgh Sunday night proves two things with absolute clarity: (1) The NFL is truly unpredictable week to week; and (2) I personally don’t know what the hell I’m talking about. I was wrong (“Wrong? Have you ever been right?”) about how this game would go. I did everything short of predicting a loss, which I don’t think I’ll ever be capable of doing…

What happened out there? Did the Steelers think we were wearing Patriots uniforms? They are going to be one of the top two seeds in the AFC. Either their defense is in deep trouble (possible), or we played out of our minds (probable). After getting shut out and blown out at home by Baltimore, this was no doubt a shocker to friend and foe alike…A pleasant surprise, until the game was squandered, of course.

McCarthy has been lambasted for the decision to try the 50-plus-yard field goal, which when missed turned into a quick touchdown the other way. I take exception to blaming him for this one. Despite the distance and the weather, that was a makeable kick. Just ask Crosby. A judgment call that blew up on us…

I blame the defense for yet another late collapse, another wilting in the face of an opportunity to put the game away…This is like a bad country song that keeps on playing: “My old lady took my trailer, my truck, my guns, my dog; I’m outta Budweiser, outta Marlboros, and our defense disappears faster than my paycheck at the Dollar General store…” The missed tackles are also a familiar rerun, albeit not nearly as beloved as Gilligan’s Island or The Brady Bunch…

Hundley was at his best so far (17/26, 245 yards, 3 TD, no INT!). It’s almost as if he realizes he’s auditioning for his future, playing for money. Possibly big money, with the dearth of quality quarterbacks in the league. Have you noticed some of the names that are starting under center right now? For that matter, have you noticed how truly mediocre, if not outright piss-poor, the quality of teams is across the board?

A few things that make me sick: Taxes, the amount of money the Pringle’s hemmorage as a family each month, the sexual deviance of so many people in power, the Kardashians, the Jenners, the Minnesota Vikings. But what’s really sickening is how wide open the championship is this year. I mean, Philly is pretty good, but come on! Their “dominance” just illustrates what a dumpster fire the league is this season. The meek have definitely inherited the Earth! Meanwhile, we’ve got the best player in the Universe sitting impotently on the sideline. This just in: Sickening. Sucks.

This was personally a really bad weekend for football for me. The Packers obviously teased us up to the point of sudden death by dramatic field goal. My alma mater, Indiana, got smoked in the Old Oaken Bucket game by arch-rival Purdue, who is going bowling in our place as a result. The Fighting Irish, who play 15 minutes from my childhood home, and who my family has had season tickets for decades, got boat raced by Stanford to shatter any hope of making a New Year’s Day bowl, let alone the playoff. My high school got embarrassed by our crosstown foe. My Peewee team probably got ripped as well, although I can’t confirm or deny that at the time of press…

At least the Badgers look good to make it if they can beat Ohio State! What’s going through Bret Bielema’s mind right now, other than “can I fit all my stuff in that U-Haul?” Paul Chryst is still thanking him for leaving Madison for such a shit job like Arkansas, where he never had a chance to compete. I didn’t know what he was thinking when he left, and now, that experiment has been mercifully scrapped…

I’m told there were maybe 12 members at Chief’s for the game. I wasn’t one of them, due to famdamily obligations. The turnout wasn’t a big surprise, given the late hour, national TV coverage, and the dismal outlook headed into the game. Did the performance of Brett 2.0 and this Junior Varsity version of the Packers instill some glimmer of hope for the rest of this season? Do the Pack have to pull a Steve Mizerak and run the table to have a shot? Or, like the live frog slowly boiling in the pot, are we cooked already and just don’t know it yet? Is it getting hot in here? Stay tuned… Go, Pack, GO!!

(Kraig Pringle)

Just Sayin’

Well, the Packers got “Cooked”. If any Packers fan ever wanted to know how a Cowboys fan felt after that miraculous throw and catch from Aaron Rodgers to Jared Cook last year, they now know. I guess in reality, we got “Browned”. As with all night games, I can’t stay up and watch them. I lasted this one till Jamaal Williams scored on his screen pass catch and run. A screen pass . . . . being called by Mike McCarthy . . . . WOW ! ! Will wonders never cease?!?! As I got to watch more of the game, I saw things that have been needed by the offense for a while. During the game, I saw a quick slant to Richard Rodgers with him coming across the middle. That play netted over 20 yards. I saw Trevor Davis on the field, other than a punt returner. What I saw was some variance in the play calling. That is something that has been needed since Brett Hundley became the starter, actually, even when Rodgers was playing. However, I still question a 57 yard FG attempt in that environment with that temperature. That’s my definition of a stupid call. Al & Chris were also discussing Hundleys’ awareness in the pocket.

So he is still learning. Critics are saying that some of Hundley’s good plays were due to missed assignments and/or blown coverage. But isn’t that the case with any given QB on any given week of the NFL season?

The defense, once again, played respectable, for much of the game. Let’s face it, when your defense is playing an opponent that has one of the top combos consisting of a QB, WR & RB, big plays are likely to happen. You try to limit those. We didn’t limit them as much as we would have liked, but sometimes your opponent is just that good.

We have a couple of games coming up to get the ship righted. The Buccaneers come to Lambeau and then to Cleveland to play the only winless (so far) team in the NFL. I for one am not dreaming of the playoffs. IMO, this team is so out-coached every week; the playoffs would be another one-and-done. I think it would be better to play respectable and let Rodgers heal…

Just Sayin

(Jimmy Smith)

The Chief’s / GPB Report

This Sunday night game saw 12 Packer faithful at Chief’s during some part of the evening. Even with the small number there was lots of high fivin’ and huggin’ going on as our Pack showed some live, took the early lead and was hanging in there.

Door prizes went to 328 Marge Bramlett who chose chip clips, 221 Barbara Gambrell got a soup bowl, and 298 Fran Scoville will be drinking from her coffee mug. 467 Josh Evans took a plaque and 455 Brenda Davenport went home with a football. 185 Ken Hill and 474 Jim Comensoli are sporting stocking caps while 475 Jennifer Comensoli is wearing sunglasses. (Editor’s note: 100% of GPB members took home a prize last week; it pays to come to the late night games)

The winner of this week’s trivia contest and $20 in gift cards from our friends at Chiefs was 475 Jennifer Comensoli.

Our small numbers dictated only one 50¢ pool this week. Winners were 221 Barbara Gambrell (twice) and 474 Jim Comensoli (twice).

The Pack is back home at Lambeau this week for a 1:00 game against the Buc-an-ears. I hope we see lots of Packer faithful getting together at Chief’s to engage in the high fivin’ and huggin’ as we cheer our team on to better times. Be courageous!

(Marge Bramlett)

Packers vs. Tampa Bay

Well, last week was a loss but if there is should a thing as a moral win, this was it. A game that give us hope for the season and the possible return of Air-ron. We played hard and if a few things would have gone our way (punt not attempt a 57 YD FG, a helmet to helmet penalty called near the end of the game and not getting “Browned” (see Just Sayin)), we may well have beaten a Superbowl contender in their own backyard.This week’s task is not quite as hard but by no means easy. By starts, these two teams are almost alike, both teams score 21 points a game (although the Hundley era nets 16 points per game), both give up 24 a game and both teams are 4 games behind the their division leaders. The main difference is even tho the Buc-an-ear’s have 4 wins (duh bears, giants, jets & Miami) their only road win is the Dolphins. Just the type of game that the networks would not flex into primetime or even televise in South Carolina.We don’t see much of Tampa any more. There was a time, when they first came into the league we played them twice a year. A time when Tampa needed 26 games to get its first win. A time when Sapp would chase Favre around and even sacked him a couple of times. Once referred to as the “Battle of the Bays when Tampa got better. Then 2002 re-aligned the teams and Tampa moved to the NFC South. Fifteen years later, this will be the 8th meeting, 3 years since the last time they met and only the 3rd time in Lambeau since the move.

I’m feeling better about Hundley being at the helm. His play against a very good Stealer’s team looked to have more confidence and at the same time took care of the football. In the fourth quarter he did put together a TD drive but also had three 3 and outs, including his last possession; one that could well have changed the outcome of the game. IF, and this is a big IF, IF he plays that way against the Bucs, we stand a good change of winning this game.The defense, although not as stingy as some would like, did keep Bell under 100 yards running (his longest being 14 YDS), forced 2 INT’s and a fumble and had Ben’s QBR under 100 until the last drive. All this without Clay Matthews and against a team many believe could be in the Superbowl this year.Aiding us this week is their list of injuries is longer than ours. Included on offense is starting QB Jameis Winston (right shoulder), WR Desean Jackson (foot) and RB Doug Martin (concussion). Defense includes 2 corners, 2 safeties and 3 linemen. We on the other hand still have Ty, Perry and Burnett on the list but everyone is moving closer to playing on Sunday.After this is on to Cleveland and their 0-11 record, which could well be 0-12 after meeting the Chargers this weekend. Following that is the “potential” return of Air-ron. We saw him throwing a football 50 plus yards before the game last Sunday, but throwing a ball and taking a hit are two entirely different things. BUT, and this is a big BUT, BUT winning the next two can still give us a chance to be in the playoffs and with Rodgers back, who knows… after all, the Packers are one only team to be a wildcard team and win the Lombardi trophy.

I’m a Packer fan that lived through the dark years of the “Infanti/Devine/Forrest” era; stood by my team then and will stand by my team now (the previous admission of me leaving the Lyin game excluded). These next two game are winnable without Aaron, the final three are winnable with Aaron. Running the table could be a reality but at the same time it is a necessity. A record of 10-6 could get us in the playoffs, but, we have zero room for error. I’d much rather have this vision then one in which we “tank” the season to draft our next HOF QB. A win on Sunday is the first step, one I think will happen. Why? Well duh, you know... I will always Bleed Green My Friends (Packer John)

Who’s in

Who’s not

To me the question is easy. Take the five games on Saturday with the top 12 schools playing each other for their conference title, an honor they earned because of their conference record. Winners are #1-4 with the #10 USC/#12 Stanford winner being #5. The only decision left to make is the order of the top 4. But that would be too easy and eliminate the NCAA darlings Alabama. I know I can live with that but it’s just my opinion. (Packer John)