A route to where? 
Dez only got 132 yards on 12 targets, and 2 of those happened to be touchdowns, in a game where the entire game plan had to have been about stopping the run, missing a top safety, and he got little safety help. Personally, Gunter held up fine. Would I rather they held him down further than that? Yes, but I can’t see a way to do it without opening up the defense to the offensive line and Elliott even more.
Green Bay was without Shields, Randall, Rollins, and Matthews the first time around. Randall and Matthews are back, and Hyde and Brice both filled in rather admirably. In other context, Cobb, Montgomery, and Cook, arguably the three most important offensive weapons for Rodgers with Nelson out, all missed that game as well, and Green Bay lost by 1 in the Georgia Dome. Giving Green Bay 4.5 seems like a poor decision, even ignoring the results last week.
Aren’t the lines based around getting about half the bets on each side? I don’t thin the Packers winning has any more effect than them beating the spread.
How does that stat line deserve an “only”?
He had a defensive holding call, got beat for 21 yards on a back shoulder throw, got toasted on a 40 yard touchdown pass, gave up a 10 yard pass on a 3rd down, was beat by Butler (who luckily couldn’t make the catch), got called for DPI, and got beat on the game tying TD. Pro Football Focus had him as their lowest graded CB for the week. (Randall was second worst)
The defensive plan certainly put a fair amount of pressure on Gunter to handle Dez. But the fact remains that he didn’t.
I’d certainly take Green Bay and 4.5. But unless someone in the defensive secondary steps up like Micah Hyde did against the Cowboys or they get a massive pass rush, the Falcons will run and pass all over them. The offense may certainly be able to keep up with them, but after watching the Packers defense collapse late in playoff games before, I’m still quite nervous.
To Super Bowl 51, a rematch of Super Bowl 31 with the immediate successors of the two quarterbacks who played that game, with at least three of those 4 being in the Hall of Fame.
It’s worth mentioning too that Clay Matthews has been absolutely nonexistent during this playoff run/season/couple seasons. Yes, he had the cool strip sack thingy during an already-decided Giants game, but other than that he has absolutely disappeared on the defensive end of the field.
I say it every game, but if he wants to consider himself the major leaguer the thinks he is, he needs to show up in these games.
Yes, if Green Bay had lost by 3, Vegas still would have got killed. And yes, the initial line is set with the idea that you’ll split bettors. And it moves as bets comes in. But giving the Packers 4.5 (apparently 5.5 at some places) was just begging bettors to put money on them. That one in particular was a poorly set line.
He was goofing on misspelling “rout” as “route.”
Don’t harsh my mellow by pointing out the obvious answer. I like mine better.
Not true, here’s a play where he was very prominent:
He’s suffered a number of injuries over the past few years; I worry that his body is breaking down on him. (I have the same worry about J.J. Watt.)
Watt had such a stellar year the previous season that I’d expect him to have trouble matching it anyway; aside from Deion Sanders, I can’t think of anyone else in the modern era who was a top defensive player and catching TD passes. Of course, with the great overrated Osweiler at QB…
That is quite a stretch. The Steelers have far and away been the dirtiest, head hunting-est team in the NFL for a long time, with the baton currently being born by Shazier, Dupree, Antonio Brown, the Professor and Maryann.
[quote=“TonySinclair, post:130, topic:776477”]
Not true, here’s a play where he was very prominent:
[/QUOTE]That’s pretty much Clay’s effectiveness in a nutshell right now.
Yeah, but it seems like it’s just one excuse after another. “He’s injured”; “He’s playing out of position”; “His supporting cast isn’t great.”
At one point do you just say “He’s lost it?”
I think that the injuries he’s suffered have cost him some of his quickness. As in the Giants game, he’s still capable of making the occasional amazing play, but his days of being able to take over a game seem to be over.
Don’t panic Packers fans! Remember Chargers-Broncos 2012!
No, I think panicking is a perfectly legit response at this point.
I’m opting for morose resignation, though.
Yeah, looks like the Pack’s season is over. Even if they were able to fix their offensive problems, I don’t see their D stopping the Falcon juggernaut enough to win.
Maybe you’re right. These Falcons don’t seem like the 2012 Chargers at all! 
I’m glad that’s finally over. The constant ‘technical difficulties’ were hurting my eyes. On to CBS and a hopefully more consistent connection.
ETA: Terrific. Watching for one minute and it’s already happening.