2021 Week 03

Packers 35 Lyins 17

"People like to say a lot of bullshit and it’s nice to come back in here after a game like that…It’s absolute horseshit to give a platform to people who have no idea (about me)…it’s chickenshit…I think we maybe tried to show that we cared a little bit more tonight…it’s nice…(to) get the trolls off our back”

- Aaron Rodgers

What a difference a week makes. It wasn’t a shocker but it’s definitely a new day. Jared Goff may have been the best quarterback on the field in the first half, but a pissed-off Aaron Rodgers threw with a monster chip on his shoulder, and the defense either adjusted or rode out the Lions’ incompetence to pull away for a cozy 35-17 victory. Detroit was good for a half, putting up their 17 points on some great throws, then turned into Detroit again as they were shut out for the final 30 minutes...


Rodgers (22/27, 81.5%, 255 yds, 4TD) was fantastic. He went for four TD and over 80% completion rate for the seventh time in his career, only Manning and Brees have eight such games. Relevant: Even when the Lions went up 17-14 at half, was anyone really worried? This game never felt in jeopardy. Probably because it never was. Most relevant: Rodgers is winning me over again. He has regained his balls and sounds like a guy on a mission to stick it to his critics and naysayers. Lesson? Let’s ramp up some more criticism and negativity and
really bring out AR12’s best…

“Mississippi (“The Great Water”)! The sea…China!”-Jean Nicolet upon reaching Lake Michigan

The great French explorer was also on a mission to stick it to his critics. Like Rodgers, he was great at what he did, but desperately wanted to be more than he was. He was opening huge swaths of undiscovered country, but when he reached what would become Lake Michigan on his way to Wisconsin, he so desperately wanted more that he’d wrongly convinced himself he’d found the passage to China…

“They should not be called the nation of foul-smellers, but the nation of the sea.” - Nicolet on the Winnebago natives of the Racine-Green Bay Corridor

His great accomplishment was blurred by his delusions of a much greater accomplishment. Parallel: The Packers pulled away to beat Detroit. This is what we were supposed to do. What we were expected to do. Proverbially, the Lions were the “foul-smellers.” No time for delusional. This was a trip to Lake Michigan, not a passage to China…

Andy Uram probably had cream of wheat and steak and eggs the morning of his career game, despite the wartime rationing in Green Bay and the greater United States. Jack Benny or Bob Hope were probably on the radio, and Lowell Thomas was making names like Guadalcanal, Midway, and Stalingrad household. The top three songs were (1) “White Christmas” by Bing Crosby, (2) “I’ve Got a Girl in Kalamazoo” by Glenn Miller, and (3) “Tangerine” by Jimmy Dorsey. Andy probably hitched a ride to either City Stadium or the Wisconsin State Fair Park. He was cheered on by men in Stetsons nervously burning heaters labeled Chesterfield or Lucky Strike as he donned his leather helmet and proceeded to catch three touchdown passes in one game, helping the Packers to a 8-2-1 record, good for second in the Western Conference in a year that Don Hutson led the league with 58 receptions…

It’s been six years since anyone did it, but that was 1942, the last time a Packers running back had three TD receptions. Until Monday night, when All-Class Act Aaron Jones showed why we paid him Guyana’s Gross National Product. After a grand total of five (5) carries last week, AJ took four Lambeau leaps, lost his dad’s ashes, and donned the DeLorean shades on a record night that was The Show we all wanted to see, needed to see, and expect to see over and over this year…

Those of us who were at the club Monday night witnessed a miracle. Actually, another miracle. Like that legendary night of lore when Lewis and Clark reached across the centuries to bestow the hallowed and legendary “Ace” jerseys to we, The Chosen Two, other living ghosts of the past sent long overdue gifts to their modern-day alter egos. The sacred kits were awarded and donned by these latest legends, and their trans-formation was astonishing. Nik as usual started spewing his ever-present negativity…but in French! Not Quebec or New Orleans French, but Classical French like hasn’t been spoken for a couple hundred years. He also kept spreading and raising his hands like some sort of Messiah who emerged from the Great Water…

As Kent slipped the yellow throwback over his lanky frame, a switch flipped. He scrapped the ponytail, let his hair out, burped, farted, scratched his sack, and (politely) asked for “wenches and spirits”…I tentatively asked him “Mr Carson? Why didn’t more ‘Backers didn’t show up for the game?” He loogied in the direction of an invisible spittoon, his face lost all expression, and he casually mentioned “The cowards never start, and the weak die along the way…”  Go, Pack, GO!!!

Locker Room: The “C’mon Man!?! Seriously Dude!?!” Award: Joe Barry, our esteemed D-Coordinator, who failed to scheme this defense into getting any pressure whatsoever on Goff. Which may have explained his crazy start before he ultimately found himself. We need more than the one sack (credited to the whole defense) we stumbled into and shit out on Monday night…

Game Ball: Brian “Flea” Engel, Packers’ Head Athletic Trainer, who at approximately 1:45am found Aaron Jones’ lost necklace with his recently departed dad’s ashes in the end zone when all the guys on work release from the Green Bay City Jail were still cleaning the stadium…

Press Conference: To the Four Aces and all of you (you know who you are), remember: Win or Lose, We Still Booze! It’s Good to Have Friends…

(Lewis Pringle)

 Just Sayin’


 
That was more like it. While the defense did struggle some in the first half, apparently, our new Defensive Coordinator knows that it is not against NFL rules and policies to make adjustments at halftime of a game to get better results in the second half of the same game. That is certainly something we never saw from the last two DCs. I know it is only 2 games into the season, but if Kevin King signed a 1 year contract over the summer, hoping to play well this season in order to get a big payday next year when he becomes a Free Agent again, it ain’t happening, at least so far. And you know, while I am going to complain about his play, I feel sure he is trying his best. An elite player in college can quickly attain the status of “JAG” (Just A Guy) in the NFL. I don’t doubt that he is really trying. What player in the NFL thinks to himself “I am going to go out on the field, play mediocre, and wait on the team to replace me, so eventually, I will lose my job.”
? I just see Eric Stokes replacing him sooner rather than later. You can usually tell when the Packers are playing well when the camera zooms in on Rodgers and he is smiling. When he is smiling, things are usually clicking pretty well. We particularly saw that in the 2
nd half. MVS needs to step it up. Yes, it has only been 2 games, and I think AR12 actually overthrew him a couple of times. He was pretty much a non-factor against the Lions. (Of course, the entire team were non-factors in Week 1.) If he is wanting that new FA contract after this season, it is never too early to start putting up good numbers.
The 49ers are 2-0 as we go to pay them a visit. Garoppolo struggled in their last win, so we might be seeing the young Trey Lance playing on Sunday. Hopefully, Joe Barry is preparing for that possibility in case he needs to adjust during the game. The offense started to fire on more cylinders last week. So hopefully, they are getting out of the “economy” mode and are going to put the “pedal to the metal” starting this week. 
 

Just Sayin’
(Biker Jimmy)

GPB IN OUR SPARE TIME

A great time was had by 30 packer backers at Spare Time on Monday night.  Lots of bell ringing and cheering went on, especially in the second half.  The turnover necklace was in possession of several fans.  It was one of our “thick” nights for sure and I’m betting we get more…

Mic man 185 Ken Hill had a great time pulling numbers for door prizes whenever the Pack did something wonderful, so ten numbers were drawn.  423 Melody Cox chose a gym tote while 504 Michael Cox now has a snuggly fleece throw.  106 Packer John will be sipping from his insulated wine cup and Marge 328 will be slurping my coffee from my ceramic travel mug.  123 Kraig ‘Lewis’ Pringle picked a team flag and 506 Sebastian Sharpe now has a yard flag.  619 The Sharpe kids have a cuddly teddy bear.  117 Nik Papala has a polo shirt and 620 Tyler Boyd pocketed a “filled” billfold.  The final draw of the evening 189 Don Ranson will choose his prize on Sunday, since we had packed up the door prizes due to the hour.

Selling raffle tickets continues at half time of each game.  Make sure you get your tickets in the box!  You’ll remember we initiated the video game themed contest last week.  Be the first person to reach Marge 328 when you hear a video game theme and win a game gift card from Spare Time.  This week’s $10 game card winner was 619 The Sharpe Kids.  We were able to fill a $1 board for the football pool.  Winners were 117 Nik Papala, 120 Neil ‘Clark’ Petersen, 127 Kent Sargent, and 328 Marge Bramlett.  The trivia question was correctly answered by 220 Jimmy Smith.  He won a $25 gift card from our friends at Spare Time.

Our next gathering is Sunday night at 8:20 p.m. against the 49ers in Santa Clara.  I am really feeling the pain for all of you Packer Backers who have to go to work on Monday morning, you just can’t seem to catch a break as this season opens.  I hope you will come and join me to cheer and ring the cowbells and carry on—at least for the first half.  Looking forward to Sunday and getting into the thick of it...

(Marge 328)

 Packer’s     vs.    Santa Clara

…hold grudges.  Not against people(mostly), but against teams and organizations.  Like the Seattle Seahags.  Almost everyone remembers the Fail Mary, where Doc Jennings caught the ball and because Golden Tate had his arm draped over his shoulder, a replacement ref called the ball caught for Tate, not an interception and the Seahags “won” the game.  I hold a grudge against Tate, Wilson, coach Pete Carroll and the entire Team today.  If just one of them, Carroll comes to mind, had kinda grinned wryly and said, “Yeah, we probably stole one from the Packers tonight.”  I would have been fine.  I was not fine with a story 2 days later where Marshawn Lynch is watching the game at a restaurant with his family, and a family member upon seeing the play said into the silence, “We didn’t win.”

I still hold a grudge against the Minor 49ers.  It’s the 1998 season Wild Card game.  Steve Young, one of the most overrated QBs in the game throws to Jerry Rice.  Rice is hit by Bernardo Harris, and fumbles the ball.  Packers recover.  The Ref says, he’s down.  Multiple replays from multiple angles are shown.  No replay, 49ers drive, Terrell Owens makes the so-called “Catch 2” and they win the game.  “But Ken, what about instant replay?”  Remember it’s 1999, no instant replay.  This was the PACKERS.  Been to the Superbowl in 1997, 1998, had the Packers won, they could have gone again and had 4 trophies.  It’s actually the refs fault, same way the Fail Mary was, but I blame the team.

I hate Colin Kaepernick.  Not for the kneeling, that’s a separate issue.  I hate that he was in my opinion squirrelly.  He had an okay arm, but he was a running quarterback.  Back when he was still playing, that was a gimmick.  Alex Smith was the 49ers QB, and we were beating him.  Harbaugh sends in Kaepernick, he runs all over and completes a few passes and we lost.

So I still hate the 49ers. 


Coach Matt should make Rashan Gary run wind sprints and hit the tackling dummy.  When Rashan pants, “huff-huff Why Coach? huff-huff” Matt should look at him, “Two words, Rashan, ‘George Kittle.’  Rashan’s gotta be fast and he’s got to hit Kittle hard. He’s a big tight end, he’s a big target and we’ve got to stop him when he gets the ball. 

Sounds tough?  Yeah but, not to step on Kraig’s toes, remember Monday nights game?  The second half?  It looked like it was going to be a slugfest, we can’t stop them, they can’t stop us, whoever has the ball last is going to win.  Then a funny thing happened.  The defense started swarming like Murder Hornets (because of the yellow pants).  Swarming to the ball, flying all over the field, even Kevin King defended a pass in the endzone!  They shutout the Lyins in the second half!

For those of you wondering, No.  We got no love from ESPN for the 2nd half shutout.  We only got to Goff once and we don’t have any “dudes” on defense.  By “dudes” they meant names, like JJ Watt, JaDaveon Clowney, or Aaron Donald.  So I guess it was the ghost of Ray Nitschke or Willie Davis that did that??

Santa Clara has a game manager for a QB again.  They have a rookie waiting in the wings.  We stop Kittle, we stop the run, we stop the Minor 49ers, they never reach 21.  Aaron was effective against Detroit. (Practice and OTAS matter!)  I think he can build on that success.  MVS will hopefully be more effective, Cobb will contribute more, we have some pretty good tight ends as well, Bobby and Marcedes will report for duty.  We will hopefully be saying loud and proud on Sunday Night, 

GO PACK!! GO!!!
(Ken Hill)

 Nik’s Negativity

 Please don’t get too excited. We beat the Lions. We are supposed to beat the Lions. They are the Lions. Having said that, at half time, we were not beating the Lions. Our defense gave up 17 points and Kevin King again looked like he may be getting paid by the other team. If not for some untimely penalties, they Lions could have scored more. Seriously, good teams will destroy us if we keep starting like that.

12 played like the MVP. NO! He actually didn’t. He missed MVS on two throws that should have been TD’s, and took some sacks that he could have avoided. He isn’t taking the 10-12 yard scramble that he has in the past. He still struggled with consistency and I guarantee would want some throws back. Adams had to play DB on one throw to keep it from being intercepted. 12 needed some offseason work. For all the BS he put the team and fans through this summer, he needs to improve. Good news…he can do it (if he wants to).

Play calling improved. There was more pre-snap motion and some nice calls. HOWEVER, I’m so tired of having to throw for ONE YARD!!. First and goal from the 1? Throw it. Third and 1? Throw it. We struggle against physical teams because we don’t try and impose our will on them. We don’t play big boy football. Its not in our DNA. We are still too finesse. I want to see us line up and run the ball when they know we are running the ball. We have the personnel to do this….remember those 63 tight ends on the roster? We drafted a monster 250lb running back with thighs the size of a telephone pole, and I’m pretty sure we have taken about 14 OL in the last two drafts also. When are we going to use them? We play in cold weather and on grass (sort of). Pound the rock! Impose our will! Break their backs!! Nope…we are the Packers. We will get that yard by dropping back 5-7 yards and throwing an 8 yd pass. I’m so tired of it. We deserve to be bullied when we make those calls.

Finally…the run defense. I already told you we are soft. We can be bullied. If we don’t find a way to stop teams from running right up the middle we will be an easy out in the playoffs. Kenny Clark cannot do it all. Slaton has been unimpressive so far. Keke is a bust. Lancaster and Lowry have been here for a few years, and our run D sucked then too. Why would we think they would be ok now? Sign Snacks, make a trade, change scheme, or get ready to have a ball jammed down our throats or up our…….

The punter still looked ok….so we have that going for us, which is nice.

(Nik ~ One-Seventeen!)