NFC Championship Game--GB @ Seattle
- Thread starter DJnVa
- Start date
If rodgers has a half like his first half today next week the Packers are gonna lose by two scores.
Fortunately, the Seahwaks don't have a Dez Bryant type on the outside that can change the game in one play. I think both teams are gonna be in the low 20s next week, like a 24-21 type game.
Fortunately, the Seahwaks don't have a Dez Bryant type on the outside that can change the game in one play. I think both teams are gonna be in the low 20s next week, like a 24-21 type game.
Ed Hillel said:
I was going to say it's going to hurt their kick return game more, but he really hasn't been that great in the role.
Richardson has sucked as a kick returner, but he's had a couple of really nice catches down the stretch and gives them a speed option they don't have otherwise.
I guess Kevin Norwood or Ricardo Lockette will have to step up.
As an aside, anyway we can get a poll added to the thread? Would be curious to see who folks think are going to win, and what the score range will be, etc.
I guess Kevin Norwood or Ricardo Lockette will have to step up.
As an aside, anyway we can get a poll added to the thread? Would be curious to see who folks think are going to win, and what the score range will be, etc.
Seven is a huge line for this game, I honestly think this current Seattle team is starting to get pretty overrated. They absolutely are beatable, and I think Rodgers will give that defense all that they can handle.
If he can't move in the pocket Rodgers is toast in this game. Seattle brings more pressure than Dallas and also can cover better. If Dallas had any defense they would have won yesterday.rodderick said:
jsinger121 said:
The way he played in the second half he would've carved pretty much any defense. Obviously, if he has another poor first half he probably won't even have a chance to comeback against the Seahawks, but if the end of that game is a better indication of how he'll perform in Seattle, they have a shot.
The league's four best quarterbacks, IMO, are still alive. Brady is Brady. Luck is terrific. Rodgers is the league MVP. And Wilson isn't flashy and doesn't possess gaudy numbers, but if Brady couldn't be our QB, I'd be more than happy to have Wilson.
Passing numbers don't wow you in today's day and age: 63.1%, 3475 yds, 20 td, 7 int, 95.0 rating
But he adds a running dimension like no other: 849 rushing yards at a 7.2 average per rush.
Unlike other QBs who run, Wilson is incredibly smart about it. He knows when to slide or get out of bounds. I don't see him taking many big hits at all, for a guy who runs as much as he does. He presents a HUGE challenge for defenses.
Fortunately, Seattle's receiving options are no better than league average. Baldwin is alright, nothing special. Kearse is not bad. Richardson is done with a torn ACL. Otherwise, not a ton there. So they absolutely can be covered.
The problem is that their running game is so good (by far the best in football), between Lynch going beast mode and Wilson doing his thing at +7 yards a clip, that defenses have to play run, and that opens up the play action.
If their defense stunk, I don't think they could win playing this way against the elite teams. But this running attack and very efficient passing works great because they have the best defense on planet earth. For the past two seasons, the Seahawks defense compares favorably with the elite units of all time.
#2 run defense (3.4 ypc, 81.5 yds per game)
#1 pass defense (6.3 ypa, 186 yds per game, 80.4 rating allowed)
#1 scoring defense (15.9 pts per game)
So they are just relentless on defense, suffocating. They shorten the game with their running game and give you fewer possessions to work with than you're used to. And then that puts pressure on your offense to make the most of every opportunity, but they just don't allow you to.
Green Bay's offense - if Rodgers is healthy - is almost the perfect opponent for Seattle. A bruising RB in Lacy, an incredible QB in Rodgers, and multiple receiving talents like Nelson, Cobb, Adams, and Quarless. They have the ability on offense to put up some points on Seattle.
I think the problem will be Green Bay's defense against the Seattle offense. The Packers' D is average at best, and below-average against the run. So they'll need to load up to stop Seattle's running game, which will allow the play action to be even more effective.
But if Rodgers can be Rodgers, if they give him time to throw, this will be a phenomenal game.
Passing numbers don't wow you in today's day and age: 63.1%, 3475 yds, 20 td, 7 int, 95.0 rating
But he adds a running dimension like no other: 849 rushing yards at a 7.2 average per rush.
Unlike other QBs who run, Wilson is incredibly smart about it. He knows when to slide or get out of bounds. I don't see him taking many big hits at all, for a guy who runs as much as he does. He presents a HUGE challenge for defenses.
Fortunately, Seattle's receiving options are no better than league average. Baldwin is alright, nothing special. Kearse is not bad. Richardson is done with a torn ACL. Otherwise, not a ton there. So they absolutely can be covered.
The problem is that their running game is so good (by far the best in football), between Lynch going beast mode and Wilson doing his thing at +7 yards a clip, that defenses have to play run, and that opens up the play action.
If their defense stunk, I don't think they could win playing this way against the elite teams. But this running attack and very efficient passing works great because they have the best defense on planet earth. For the past two seasons, the Seahawks defense compares favorably with the elite units of all time.
#2 run defense (3.4 ypc, 81.5 yds per game)
#1 pass defense (6.3 ypa, 186 yds per game, 80.4 rating allowed)
#1 scoring defense (15.9 pts per game)
So they are just relentless on defense, suffocating. They shorten the game with their running game and give you fewer possessions to work with than you're used to. And then that puts pressure on your offense to make the most of every opportunity, but they just don't allow you to.
Green Bay's offense - if Rodgers is healthy - is almost the perfect opponent for Seattle. A bruising RB in Lacy, an incredible QB in Rodgers, and multiple receiving talents like Nelson, Cobb, Adams, and Quarless. They have the ability on offense to put up some points on Seattle.
I think the problem will be Green Bay's defense against the Seattle offense. The Packers' D is average at best, and below-average against the run. So they'll need to load up to stop Seattle's running game, which will allow the play action to be even more effective.
But if Rodgers can be Rodgers, if they give him time to throw, this will be a phenomenal game.
These teams met week 1, presumably most hands on deck and healthy, and Seattle beat GB by 20. If Rodgers is not a lot more mobile than he was yesterday, the SeaHawks should destroy them.
Great summarization ivanvamp. Seriously better than most of the stuff I've seen written on commercial websites.
Edit:
Adding to your points
Wilson's running is so dangerous because you never know until he crosses the LOS if he is going to actually run or pass. Newton and Kaepernick put their heads down the second they decide to run but Wilson never appears to make that decision until the last possible second
Wilson scramble for TD versus Eagles
http://giant.gfycat.com/UnpleasantGoodnaturedHamster.gif
Wilson scramble pass versus Washington
http://cdn1.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/2338394/wilsonmove.0.gif
Wilson scramble for TD versus Arizona ... CB has to stay with the WR until its obvious Wilson is running at which point he cant get up to make the play before the TD. If the CB comes up Wilson floats it over him to a wide open WR
http://giant.gfycat.com/HastyFemaleFrillneckedlizard.gif
Edit:
Adding to your points
Wilson's running is so dangerous because you never know until he crosses the LOS if he is going to actually run or pass. Newton and Kaepernick put their heads down the second they decide to run but Wilson never appears to make that decision until the last possible second
Wilson scramble for TD versus Eagles
http://giant.gfycat.com/UnpleasantGoodnaturedHamster.gif
Wilson scramble pass versus Washington
http://cdn1.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/2338394/wilsonmove.0.gif
Wilson scramble for TD versus Arizona ... CB has to stay with the WR until its obvious Wilson is running at which point he cant get up to make the play before the TD. If the CB comes up Wilson floats it over him to a wide open WR
http://giant.gfycat.com/HastyFemaleFrillneckedlizard.gif
It's a damn shame Rodgers is hampered. But I still think Green Bay wins this one, in a very close game.
Did anyone else get annoyed with Rodgers comments yesterday. I have a 120 minutes left, shut the fuck up and play. How many times has Brady played with injury and never said a word. If you're on the field, you have no excuses. I'm being overly critical, but I think it's easy to call him a douche.
Eh, maybe he's trying to motivate himself or reassure his teammates. Didn't come across as douchey to me.pedroia'sboys said:
My question to our resident analysts is how Seattle will defend him. Intuitively, it seems like you would want to bring extra pressure to make him move around on his bad leg. But Rodgers is so good when teams rush more than 4, I wonder whether that's the right approach. Do you rush four, and leave 7 in coverage and force the Packers o-line to hold their blocks? Or is that going to lead to too much Eddie Lacey?
Rodger's comment about Bryant's "non-catch" was more head scratching to me. He said he'd seen film of the Calvin Johnson play and knowing how that went, when he saw the replays of Dez's, he knew it would be overturned. He said it so emphatically that he sounded full of shit. Note, I really like Rodgers as far as rival QBs go.
DrewDawg said:
Can we add a meteor option for the second question? I don't necessarily have any issue with Seattle, but their coach is near the top of my sports-hate list.
Green Bay, as we've seen, is a dirty fucking team whose fans are St Louis Cardinals level obnoxious, despite proclaiming how humble they are.
If Rodgers is reasonably healthy, I think this is a very good game. Green Bay improved a lot over the course of the season, especially on offense, so I'm not reading too much into that initial game. They almost lost to the Jets at home the following week and then got shut down against Detroit.
Green Bay's offense is as good a matchup for Seattle's defense that you're going to find. With the emergence of Adams, they have the best three WR combo in the league and Lacy is actually very good catching the ball out of the backfield, which I think is one key to matching up against Seattle. And Rodgers is the best QB in the league at fitting balls into tight windows, which is definitely a necessity against that defense. They're going to spread them out, keep them in nickel (so they have to take Wright or Irvin off the field, which I see as a plus either way), and then see what Rodgers can do. It should be a fantastic battle (if Rodgers is healthy).
While GB will have to load up to stop the run and open themselves up to play action and deep balls, they have some excellent secondary players. Its a high risk strategy but Sam Shields and Travon Williams match up very well with Seattle's WRs - much better than Carolina's CBs - and so if I'm Mike McCarthy I'm willing to roll the dice there, acknowledge that Seattle will take some deep shots down the field, and just bet on my guys to hold up.
Green Bay's offense is as good a matchup for Seattle's defense that you're going to find. With the emergence of Adams, they have the best three WR combo in the league and Lacy is actually very good catching the ball out of the backfield, which I think is one key to matching up against Seattle. And Rodgers is the best QB in the league at fitting balls into tight windows, which is definitely a necessity against that defense. They're going to spread them out, keep them in nickel (so they have to take Wright or Irvin off the field, which I see as a plus either way), and then see what Rodgers can do. It should be a fantastic battle (if Rodgers is healthy).
While GB will have to load up to stop the run and open themselves up to play action and deep balls, they have some excellent secondary players. Its a high risk strategy but Sam Shields and Travon Williams match up very well with Seattle's WRs - much better than Carolina's CBs - and so if I'm Mike McCarthy I'm willing to roll the dice there, acknowledge that Seattle will take some deep shots down the field, and just bet on my guys to hold up.
The one thing I'm curious to see is how Green Bay approaches Sherman. I recall that in the first game they often stuck a scrub receiver on Sherman's side of the field, so he'd be "wasted", and never tested him. I wonder if they'll be more aggressive in going after Sherman and just try to play to their own strengths.
wibi said:
Eh, Wilson's scrambling is dangerous mostly because he's a great athlete who is amazingly quick. Unlike Kaepernick or Newton his lack of height is actually an advantage when running because he has a lower center of gravity and can change direction more quickly. Wilson gets too much credit for being "smart" and "heady" and not nearly enough for just being a total athletic freak. He actually makes a lot of terrible decisions and then bails himself out with his athleticism.
If I remember correctly, they put Jarret Boykin on his side of the field and basically ignored him. Boykin has been a total non factor this year and Adams has the ability to make a pretty big impact on the game (yesterday, the Pats game, etc).rodderick said:
Living in Oregon, I see a lot of Seahawks games, and they scare me a lot more than GB does, especially given that the Pats already played them once this year. If you don't watch them regularly, I can't stress enough how fast the defense is. It's like watching a different game, compared to the AFC games that we have been treated to the last few weeks, because SEA players live in their opponents' backfields. Outside runs, screens, and quick passes out to receivers behind the line of scrimmage that teams use to limit pass rush often go for -3 yards against Seattle, because their LBs and DBs get across the line so fast. No other team that I have seen looks like they are playing at 1.5x speed like Seattle.
Don't get me wrong, I think that they have weaknesses like any time, and that the Pats could beat them, but with our O-Line being one of our soft spots, the Seahawks make me very nervous. Give me a nice, traditional rematch with Green Bay and I think we get a classic Super Bowl to finally avenge Bledsoe.
Don't get me wrong, I think that they have weaknesses like any time, and that the Pats could beat them, but with our O-Line being one of our soft spots, the Seahawks make me very nervous. Give me a nice, traditional rematch with Green Bay and I think we get a classic Super Bowl to finally avenge Bledsoe.
I dunno. We'll see how Seattle does against a legitimate, well-balanced, offense.
It's pretty easy to live in your opponents' backfields when you're up against St. Louis, Arizona, and SF. Hell, the Panthers out-gained Seattle yesterday.
It's pretty easy to live in your opponents' backfields when you're up against St. Louis, Arizona, and SF. Hell, the Panthers out-gained Seattle yesterday.
Yea lets not forget a Panthers team that has one of the worst ten offenses in football outgained Seattle yesterday.
Seattle scares me more - they're the team that matches up best with the Pats, but they're not a juggernaut. Their offense is pretty middle of the road, and they haven't been consistent all year. I think Seattle wins this but if there are quarterbacks that can out maneuver the Seattle defense it's Brady Luck and Rodgers.
As far as the poll says, assuming the worst for Rodgers leg, I'll say 24-21 Seattle.
Edit: Percy Harvin had 100 yards week 1. I find that ....unlikely...to happen again.
Seattle scares me more - they're the team that matches up best with the Pats, but they're not a juggernaut. Their offense is pretty middle of the road, and they haven't been consistent all year. I think Seattle wins this but if there are quarterbacks that can out maneuver the Seattle defense it's Brady Luck and Rodgers.
As far as the poll says, assuming the worst for Rodgers leg, I'll say 24-21 Seattle.
Edit: Percy Harvin had 100 yards week 1. I find that ....unlikely...to happen again.
You can't keep the 12th Man down!!!
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Vandal-targets-Seahawks-fan-in-Tacoma-288223031.html
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Vandal-targets-Seahawks-fan-in-Tacoma-288223031.html
I think Seattle is going to win, but that the game is closer than many expect. This is the NFCCG matchup that I wanted to happen, so no complaints.
While I should probably "want" Green Bay to win on account of a slightly more favorable SB matchup, I'm going with Seattle because I love a good heel.
While I should probably "want" Green Bay to win on account of a slightly more favorable SB matchup, I'm going with Seattle because I love a good heel.
DrewDawg said:You can't keep the 12th Man down!!!
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Vandal-targets-Seahawks-fan-in-Tacoma-288223031.html
My favorite take on the story:
DougExeter
Barry Petchesky
Yesterday 6:23pm
This is really tasteless, Barry. That man just had his home broken into.
DrewDawg said:You can't keep the 12th Man down!!!
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Vandal-targets-Seahawks-fan-in-Tacoma-288223031.html
"Nothing was stolen from the car"
No shit? Nothing worth stealing inside a go cart like that, I'm stunned.
Nice get up he's wearing too.
Some stuff to look for in the early game:
http://soshcentral.com/nfl/games/previews/2015/01/17/2015-nfc-championship-preview-green-bay-seattle/
http://soshcentral.com/nfl/games/previews/2015/01/17/2015-nfc-championship-preview-green-bay-seattle/
A real Marvin fan would have the limited Warner Brothers Lithograph which depicts Marvin holding his helmet in his hand vis-a-vie," Alas, poor Yoric, I knew him Horatio" and sporting a magnificent white Mohawk. I would trade him my tickets for that.soxhop411 said:
Papelbon's Poutine said:
Week 1 was a long time ago and should be discounted but not forgotten, nor is it irrelevant. But the real point was if Rodger's mobility is limited he may have a bitch of a time against a team that can bring a lot pressure with just 4 guys and smother receivers. I want GB to win, but I don't think its happening.
Seattle's defense has played well, but Carolina was right in the game last week until they imploded with mistakes. Green Bay has a vastly superior offense to Carolina, and I am not convinced Seattle's offense is all that good, especially passing the ball. Ill take Green Bay at the points in what should be a very close game. Seattle being overvalued here IMO
Seattle's defense is better than Green Bay's, obviously, but Green Bay's offense is better than Seattle's and I expect Rodgers to limit mistakes.
Seattle has looked very impressive defensively the last eight weeks or so, but this has included a couple of games against the Cardinals, and a couple against the 49ers and both those teams were basically cooked when Seattle got them. As Sportsbstn says, last week's win against a Panther team with a losing record was not very inspiring. I think Green Bay looked better against a far stronger opponent. I like Green Bay outright.
Seattle has looked very impressive defensively the last eight weeks or so, but this has included a couple of games against the Cardinals, and a couple against the 49ers and both those teams were basically cooked when Seattle got them. As Sportsbstn says, last week's win against a Panther team with a losing record was not very inspiring. I think Green Bay looked better against a far stronger opponent. I like Green Bay outright.
I like a healthy GB over Seattle too.
The only problem is shown in the above Taiwanese video - if Rodgers' leg falls off at the calf and starts spurting blood, GB is going to have problems scoring.
He looked good at times against Dallas but that calf is a big factor.
The only problem is shown in the above Taiwanese video - if Rodgers' leg falls off at the calf and starts spurting blood, GB is going to have problems scoring.
He looked good at times against Dallas but that calf is a big factor.
Seattle's in a no-win situation. If they lose, they weren't that good. If they win, well, Rodgers wasn't 100% and that would have made all of the difference.
I disagree. I think back to back super bowl wins would get them a very high percentage of the praise they would get for two smoke jobs. Consider that 13 of the current 32 teams have never won one superbowl in all their history. That includes long timers like the Eagles, Lions and Cardinals.wibi said: