2012 NFC North Discussion Thread

The Game Room
41

Not the greatest week for the NFC North against the rest of the NFL. The Lions run into the defensive juggernaut that is the 49ers and take a hard loss. They get Mikel LeShoure back from suspension this week, so they’re hoping he’ll be able to help out their rushing game to take some pressure off of Matt Stafford and the passing game. That secondary still needs a fair amount of work, though.

The Vikings make a valiant effort with some late game heroics, only to fall to the Colts on a field goal with 8 seconds to go. The Colts, for fucks sake. Granted Andrew Luck is looking good, but still, the Colts are a rebuilding team. Of course so are the Vikings, so I guess it’s not that horrible. Christian Ponder has had a couple of good games (way to many short passes though, they need someone to stretch the field [paging Jerome Simpson]), but Adrian Peterson didn’t look too Adrian Peterson-like this week. Their D Line also got close, but couldn’t get home against Luck, which may be an area of concern. Still, they were very competitive, so that is a positive.

42

I could be wrong, but I think the Vikings have been blown out a lot the past couple years. To come back in the 4th qtr both weeks is a good sign about the team’s attitude. I wasn’t able to see the 2nd half on Sunday, but I thought Peterson was looking solid in the 1st. He was finishing runs well and making some cuts. I think he’s this close to putting away any doubts about his health. Agreed that Ponder needs to go deeper a bit more, but wr isn’t the strongest position for the Vikings right now.

43

I can’t say I’m really excited to watch the NFC North’s games this weekend. I think the most interesting game will be the Packers v. Seahawks on Monday night, but even that doesn’t really excite me. I’m hoping it’s just the post We-kicked-the-Bears-ass-and-Jay-Cutler-sucked-to-high-heaven-while-showing-his-crybaby-side-once-again letdown though. Seattle has a very good defense, and made Dallas look awful last week. But I think that after the long prep time and Seattle’s huge secondary that may have trouble with quickness and speed will mean a nice game for Rodgers and the receivers. I’m also not that impressed with their offense, and, while I love me some Russell Wilson, I’m not sold on his ability this early to keep up if he has to throw. If Seattle can run on the Packers and the offense continues to be unable to find a rhythm, they can certainly win. But I think the Packers should take this game.

Chicago gets to face their second team that is coming off a 2-14 season, the St. Louis Rams. Now this one is a tough one because I would love to see both teams lose. I despise Jess Fisher and Courtland Finnegan, and I don’t want to see Chicago get a win, so I’m stuck rooting for a 0-0 tie. I think the Bears get another win against another rebuilding team. I think the Chicago-2 will contain Danny Amendola and that Michael Bush has a nice day running straight at the pass rush. The Bears are over a touchdown favorite and I think it will be even better than that.

The Vikings get to face the 49ers. I think it’s a “write it off and try to develop your young players while not being killed” game for the Vikings. I suppose you could be interested in if Ponder can throw it downfield more and how healthy Adrian Peterson is, but, by and large, it seems like a throw away game.

The Lions have a get well game against a really bad team. The Titans have a bad running game, a bad quarterback, and a bad defense. Matthew Stafford still needs to play better, that secondary still needs work, and they still need to develop a running game (hello Mikel Leshoure), but the Titans shouldn’t put up too much of a fight this week.

So none of these games excites me. I fully expect a 3-1 record with not much to hold my attention in these games.

But it’s the NFL, which means the Vikings might pull an upset, the Lions may collapse further while making the Titans look good, the Bears and Rams might spontaneously combust, and the Seahawks may put the clamps on the Packers. That’s why they play the games.

44

Wow, was I ever wrong. Well, I did get the Bears with an easy win over the Rams right, but boy was I wrong about the rest.

In good NFC North News, the Vikings, yes THE VIKINGS, beat the 49ers in a game that once again highlights why we love the NFL. They played a great game, with a nice time of possession lead and some nice special teams contributions. Ponder was, once again, very efficient. To be honest, I thought a few of his throws/decision making were just plain lucky (lofting it up off his back foot to Kyle Rudolph was incredibly risky and he missed a wide open Adrian Peterson instead forcing it to Rudolph again), but he seemingly has developed very well. There is hope in Minnesota, and they sit atop the division with a 2-1 record.

Tied with them are the Bears, whose defense once again covers up their problems on offense and gets them the win. That D line took the weak Rams O line out to the woodshed and they got a couple picks on a very nervous looking Sam Bradford. Another 2-14 team gone.

The Lions, in a thing of beauty that was one of the only things that made me smile about the NFL, go for it on 4th and 1 in overtime and lose to the Titans (blame whoever you want, the center, the coach, the QB, I don’t care, it was nice to see). That vaunted D line got 0 sacks, their secondary made the sub-average Jake Locker look like an all star, and Stafford gets hurt. They got 100 yards on the ground for once, though, and Stafford should be back, but still, that defense was atrocious. Which made me laugh at Schwartz again.

Finally the Packers. I’ve wasted enough time discussing that fiasco of a game, but no matter what, it counts as a loss. On the downside: McCarthy, once again, was slow in adjusting to the defense and the play of his offense, Rodgers held the ball too long, the WR crew was beaten up by those big DB’s, and the O Line was a sieve in the first half. On the upside: The second half was better, the defense held the Seahawks to 250 yards and looked good against the run for once, and the loss led to the re-signing of the real officials. If this game ends up being a deal breaker in the playoff race, though, it will be greatly unfair.

So, what did I learn about the NFC North this week? The Vikings aren’t as bad as I thought, the Bears can still win against bad teams, the Lions’ problems with their heads can cost them games, and the Packers need to adjust their offense and not be RAPED BY THE OFFICIALS.

C’mon, you knew I couldn’t hold it in forever.

45

I think the entire NFL is a little topsy turvy right now. Saints 0-3? Patriots 1-2? Arizona 3-0? Green Bay 1-2? It seems a little off.

46

Another weekend of NFC North football.

The division leading Min… Let me try that again … The division leading Minnes…

Wow, this is hard to type.

The division leading Minnesota Vikings head to Detroit to take on the 1-2 Lions. The Lions had a very bad loss to the Titans last week, and the Vikings surprised the 49ers last week with a huge win over a very good team. I don’t think it happens again. The Vikings are on an 11 game losing streak in the NFC North, and, if Matthew Stafford is playing, I think the Lions take this game. On offense, it will be an interesting to see if the Lions can continue to incorporate their running game into their big play offense and whether Ponder and Peterson continue to get better and better. Defensively, neither team is all that impressive, with questionable secondaries. I think that the Lions get a much needed home win that may come down to the last play. Stafford needs to play smarter, that defensive line needs to play better, and that secondary needs to stop sucking, but I think, for one game at home, they just might.

The Packers are at home against the Saints. Before the season, this was supposed to be a huge game of two NFC stalwarts battle it out. Now, it’s a do-or-die battle as each team needs a win to avoid an atrocious start to the their season.

I find the mental aspects of this game to be huge. Can the Packers put the royal fucking they got from the NFL last week behind them and play well? Can that Packer offense finally get going against a pretty bad defense? And can Dom Capers call a defense that can contain the Saints offense (especially Darren Sproles, who, if you leave Hawk or Smith on him, may be a huge problem for the Packers)? On the other side, the Saints are a mentally messed up team, with the loss of their coach being a bigger deal than I expected. Brees is struggling, as is that defense that seemed to completely forget how to tackle players in the NFL. But the Saints are like a trapped rat, they’re desperate. Will the desperation push them to victory, or another defeat. It should be a fascinating game to watch. Hopefully the Packers get a win, and I think they will. Thank God this game is at home.

Finally, the Bears get a Monday night game against the Cowboys. Who the hell are these teams? is the question that keeps popping into mind. Which Bears team will show up, the one that dominated the Colts or got pounded by the Packers? And which Cowboy team will play, the one that beat the Giants in week one, or the one that was made a laughing stock by the Seahawks defense? It looks like Forte will play, which would be a nice benefit for the Bears, but it also looks like J’Marcus Webb will play, which means Cutler may be wearing Demarcus Ware on his head all game. While the Cutler v. Romo battle of inconsistent QB’s will be fun to watch, I also think the ability of Mike Tice to develop a game plan to beat the Cowboys should be the unspoken issue in the game. I expect a lot of max protect and a fair amount of reliance on the running game to offset the Cowboys’ pass rush, but will it work? And can DeMarco Murray and Tony Romo battle through a Bear defense that looked very, very good last week.

Me? As usual I think the Bears are woefully inconsistent, taking advantage of two bad teams early in the season, but I also think that the Cowboys aren’t that great either. This should be a very interesting game to watch, but I’ll be darned if I know how it will play out.

47

Can someone please teach that SEC educated dumbass Stafford how to count to four? He fucking swallowed it on fourth Down twice.

48

To be fair on that final play there wasn’t much he could do.

49

Well, the Packers won…just barely. But it is a win nonetheless. There was some good, some bad and some ugly.

The Good
The rushing game - Cedric Benson is provided exactly what the Packers needed, enough of a running game to keep defenses honest. He has excellent instincts and always seems to get at least a couple of yards even when nothing seems to be there.

The rush defense - Granted the Saints played from behind and didn’t run a whole lot, but i like what I see from the rush defense. Again it isn’t the 49ers rush defense, but it was very effective, I thought, at shutting down lanes and limiting the Saints.

James Jones - The guy with the reputation from dropping the easy one and making the difficult one had an excellent game, making important catches and picking up when Greg Jennings went out.

The Bad
Creating Turnovers - The Packers over the past few years have excelled in creating turnovers on defense. Except for the Bears game, they have not been able to do that this year. The turnovers were what covered up a lot of defensive deficiencies.

The Stupid Challenge - McCarthy’s first challenge was just dumb, it wasn’t even close and it probably cost us a chance to challenge the vital uncalled turnover at the end.

Rodgers Accuracy - I know, most of you are saying “WHAT?!” but the fact is that Rodgers seem s a little bit off, putting balls where they are difficult or impossible to catch. I’m not saying he is all over the place all the time, but there seems to be throws that he would make routinely before that he misses now. The interception was a clear example, IMO.

The Ugly
The Secondary - The announcing crew made the point early that the Packers #1 rated pass defense might have been an illusion due to their competition. They were very right as our secondary left huge gaps all day long. The Saints converted 3 and long more times than I wish to think about. And by long I don’t mean 3rd an 8 I mean 3rd and 17. It was most egregious right in the middle of the field where Colston ate us alive. It would be one thing if it was Brees making great throws (not that he didn’t), but a lot of the time the catches were virtually uncontested, wide open 15-20 yards downfield. Man, do we miss Nick Collins.

Still, we won, and in the NFL I will take that, especially after last Monday.

50

Actually, I agree with you on this. His timing with his receivers isn’t quite right. I’m not sure what’s going on there.

No kidding. It was a replay of the 49ers game: just substitute Colson for Crabtree, and Graham for Davis. Receivers consistently able to catch the ball in stride, with no defender near them. This, I think, is what’s going to make the difference on whether the Packers have a good season overall, or not.

QFT.

51

The announcers said yesterday that since their 5-0 start last season, the Lions are now on a 6-10 clip including their playoff loss to NO.

I wasn’t paying enough close attention to the Packers game, but re: Rodgers accuracy…maybe, maybe not. But that catch made by James (?) on 3rd down to ice the game was incredible. Rodgers buzzed it in the only place it could be caught, and the receiver caught it without seeing the ball.

/adjusts rearview mirror
//sees Bears and Packers
///adjust some more and squints
////sees Lions

52

Jones impressed me even more last week, when he was the only WR who seemed to be able to fight through the press coverage of those big Seattle DB’s and to fight for yards after the catch. That said, I was also impressed this week with both him and Jordy Nelson, particularly his fighting through to get that final touchdown. I’m hoping it means the WR crew won’t be pushed around as much.

WHAT?

Sorry, had to do it.

His completion percentage is higher this year, which, I think, doesn’t tell the whole story. But there are also too many drops. I do think we’re spoiled by his stellar play in the Super Bowl and last year, so a dropoff this year seems bad, but he’s still one of the best QB’s in the league.

Yes, they do. They’re relying on a lot of young guys, though, which will result in growing pains like you saw yesterday. I was really hoping Sam Shields would continue to develop, and while he still shows some nice plays, he also blows it big time way too often, like that TD pass to Morgan. Maybe Capers’ zone coverages are too difficult for these guys, or there isn’t enough communication back there during a play, but there are too many open guys too often. I do think, however, it is something that can be rectified with time. If Hayward, McMillan, MD Jennings, and Davon House continue to develop, there is hope. But they really do miss having that rock at FS.

2-2 is much better than 1-3. Now the schedule gets a bit easier (except that Houston game looks scary to me), and hopefully this was the first big step to putting last week’s debacle behind them.

53

They are doing a lot more short passes this year. I agree we were spoiled last year, but he clearly does not have the touch on his long passes that he had last year, when he could seemingly throw the ball through a donut holes 50 yards down field. I am not saying he sucks, he is just slightly off, IMO.

54

One thing I forgot to mention that impressed me was the fake punt call from their own 17 yard line on 4th and 1. It was a great, very gutsy, call and it worked. Nice to see.

Add in the jewel that is the Ginger Wolverine and Randall Cobb and Mason Crosby and it’s so nice to have a special teams that can really make a difference.

55

I don’t think this is going to be a good year for the bears. We over paid for Cutler unfortunately so we have to stick with him. Brandon Marshall has so far been a bust IMHO because he doesn’t seem to ever be able to get open and when he does Cutler takes a sack. I don’t see us resigning him at the end of his contract due to his horrible attitude. He’s definitely not a top tier qb.

And I’m so tired of every talking head calling him a gunslinger every 5 seconds.

I think Chicago has 2 offensive touchdowns in the last 10 quarters of play as of half time tonight. Wtf.

56

I think you’re being a little too glass half empty. The offense does have to get it together but the D is playing balls out.

I don’t think Cutler has a horrible attitude either. I think he’s chippy because he wants to win but I think Tom Brady is a bigger dick than Cutler. The big difference is that Brady has won a Super Bowl or two.

57

Another big win for the NFC North on Monday night. The Bears impress on both sides of the ball with a dominating win against the loathsome Cowboys.

The games this weekend don’t much interest me at all (which is nice because the Mother in Law is in town). The Lions are on bye, and the remaining members play the dregs of the AFC South. The Packers get the Colts off a bye, the Bears get the Blaine Gabbert led Jaguars, and the Vikings get the lowly Tennessee Titans. It will be a massive disappointment if the NFC North doesn’t go 3-0 this weekend. But, once again, it’s the NFL.

58

Hmm, so what does this say about the Packers?

59

Dom Capers is out of his depth. I swear the next third and long the Packers defense stops this season will be the first. And I hated Aaron Rodgers attitude today, he looked simply annoyed ad maybe even bored. He should have been pissed off. Now we play the Texans and have a very good chance to be 2-4…

60

I love this Bears defense. Didn’t think we’d be nearly this good heading out of the preseason, but they are playing lights out. Even the rookie McClellin is contributing on 3rd downs more than I expected, though that’s still not quite justification for the pick. Tim Jennings might be the best corner in the NFL through 5 weeks, would never have thought that was possible when I was 50-50 on if the Bears should pay him a mediocre salary to come back this offseason.