State of the NFC North

[RandallioCobb18]

I would challenge you to do this but alas, all I can think of is that the Packers picked up some players in the draft. Have some people coming off of injuries from last year. Other than that, they have done....... Yeah. Nothing. You do sound like a typical Packers fan. "My team has improved, while your team has stagnated". Every year for the last 5 years all I hear from Packer fans is the Vikings defense is getting old. Funny thing, the average age of the Vikings defensive players right now, 25.9. Average age of Packer defensive players 25.6. And oh yeah, Ponder won't get any better. Really? Granted, I don't know if he will or not, but to sit there and say he won't improve at all is arrogant on anyone's part. Fact is we just don't know. I do know one thing, if Rodgers goes down with a season ending injury the Packers are done for the year. Because they have no one who can even come close to what he does. As to the Vikings, if Ponder goes down and Cassel comes in, they might even be better.

As to the Packers running game, one of the reason Peterson has been so successful is an offensive line that knows how to run block. If you watch on almost every one of Peterson's long runs he is not touched until he is past the D-line. There is a reason for that. The Packers need to run block better. Part of that is the ongoing rotation of O-line the Packers have due to injuries and whatnot. Go back and take a look at how many players started last year for the Packers o-line. They let Wells go, brought in Saturday and he didn't even make it the whole season before being benched. Some of that may be coaching, it may not. If I were a Packer fan I would be worried about the fact the last few years so many of the Packer players have had season ending injuries, more than most teams. There has to be a reason for it. One year is a just a bad year. But year in and year out? That looks like a pattern, no team is that unlucky on injuries.

LOL, dude, come to the smack forum and Ill tear your silly little illusions asunder.

Newsflash, that is HOW we improve, seriously, how many free agents helped the Packers win the SB? Pickett, Woodson......... Figure out dude, that #### that your team constantly trys to play with that win now crap never works, it just handicaps you for the future, we dont need big name free agents, we draft and develop our own players and we got a SB win for it, so check the crap your spewing.

Can you imagine how unbelievably awful you would be without AP?

LOL, The only one here playing that "MY team improved your team stagnated crap is YOU. My teams D is young, ascending, and still learning the system in fact, but Vikings fans cling to the only thing they can cling to claiming everyday how awful the Packers Defense is, even though its better than yours, and only getttng better as they learn.

Our run blocking is not great, but our backs have been pure garbage for a long time, running into the backs of Linemen, tripping over Aarons feet on the exchange, etc. etc. Lacy and Franklin are the most talented backs we have had without a doubt in years, thats not to say they will be fantastic, but they cant be any worse than Starks and Green.

It took the greatest season by an RB ever for you to squeak into the playoffs, congrats but that wont happen again, dont delude yourself. At leats, our defense is improving and full of young players, your QB is a joke dude, yea, he has the greatest game of his life in week 17, an Alex Smith like game that your boys barely came out of alive, now seriously think, If AP goes off and your QB has the best game of his life, that should be nothing less then a blow out, you won on a last second field goal, if some bum like Starks had the greatest game of his life and A-Rod went off you guys would get wrecked.

Ill take our ascending young D, HOF QB, and young RBs, over your pretty good D, HOF RB, and terrible QB any day.

Seriously do you have a clue how bad Ponder sucks? yea, have fun trying to win a SB with him.

[RandallioCobb18]

I would challenge you to do this but alas, all I can think of is that the Packers picked up some players in the draft. Have some people coming off of injuries from last year. Other than that, they have done....... Yeah. Nothing. You do sound like a typical Packers fan. "My team has improved, while your team has stagnated". Every year for the last 5 years all I hear from Packer fans is the Vikings defense is getting old. Funny thing, the average age of the Vikings defensive players right now, 25.9. Average age of Packer defensive players 25.6. And oh yeah, Ponder won't get any better. Really? Granted, I don't know if he will or not, but to sit there and say he won't improve at all is arrogant on anyone's part. Fact is we just don't know. I do know one thing, if Rodgers goes down with a season ending injury the Packers are done for the year. Because they have no one who can even come close to what he does. As to the Vikings, if Ponder goes down and Cassel comes in, they might even be better.

As to the Packers running game, one of the reason Peterson has been so successful is an offensive line that knows how to run block. If you watch on almost every one of Peterson's long runs he is not touched until he is past the D-line. There is a reason for that. The Packers need to run block better. Part of that is the ongoing rotation of O-line the Packers have due to injuries and whatnot. Go back and take a look at how many players started last year for the Packers o-line. They let Wells go, brought in Saturday and he didn't even make it the whole season before being benched. Some of that may be coaching, it may not. If I were a Packer fan I would be worried about the fact the last few years so many of the Packer players have had season ending injuries, more than most teams. There has to be a reason for it. One year is a just a bad year. But year in and year out? That looks like a pattern, no team is that unlucky on injuries.

LOL, dude, come to the smack forum and Ill tear your silly little illusions asunder.

Newsflash, that is HOW we improve, seriously, how many free agents helped the Packers win the SB? Pickett, Woodson......... Figure out dude, that #### that your team constantly trys to play with that win now crap never works, it just handicaps you for the future, we dont need big name free agents, we draft and develop our own players and we got a SB win for it, so check the crap your spewing.

Can you imagine how unbelievably awful you would be without AP?

LOL, The only one here playing that "MY team improved your team stagnated crap is YOU. My teams D is young, ascending, and still learning the system in fact, but Vikings fans cling to the only thing they can cling to claiming everyday how awful the Packers Defense is, even though its better than yours, and only getttng better as they learn.

Our run blocking is not great, but our backs have been pure garbage for a long time, running into the backs of Linemen, tripping over Aarons feet on the exchange, etc. etc. Lacy and Franklin are the most talented backs we have had without a doubt in years, thats not to say they will be fantastic, but they cant be any worse than Starks and Green.

It took the greatest season by an RB ever for you to squeak into the playoffs, congrats but that wont happen again, dont delude yourself. At leats, our defense is improving and full of young players, your QB is a joke dude, yea, he has the greatest game of his life in week 17, an Alex Smith like game that your boys barely came out of alive, now seriously think, If AP goes off and your QB has the best game of his life, that should be nothing less then a blow out, you won on a last second field goal, if some bum like Starks had the greatest game of his life and A-Rod went off you guys would get wrecked.

Ill take our ascending young D, HOF QB, and young RBs, over your pretty good D, HOF RB, and terrible QB any day.

Seriously do you have a clue how bad Ponder sucks? yea, have fun trying to win a SB with him.

[RandallioCobb18]

lol love how he calls Brady a cheater yet if it wasn't for a BS Shiancoe overturned TD and a BS Quarless upheld TD they'd never even make post season in 2010. WRs who constantly push off, OL that constantly holds, DBs who constantly interfere...I mean...this organization is blessed by the football gods and I have no idea why. Good beer? Nah. MN is better.

[RandallioCobb18]

This is just my opinion:

GB is well on its way to being this decades’ version of last decade’s Colts. If AR ever goes down they will be lucky to win 6-7 games. That being said, they’ve got a great QB and that is the way of a great QB. Frankly I think Ted Thompson is also the Bill Polian of this decade. Everyone talks about how great he is, but look at the trajectory of their defense, OL, and running game since 2010. The reality is that AR is covering up a lot of mediocrity, which is why GB has won a lot of regular season games the past few seasons, but has also gotten beaten in the playoffs the last two years against well balanced clubs who protect the football.

Our D was ranked higher than the Vikings last year.

When team execute the ball control offense with succes, then yes, the Packers usually do lose.

But this game is about players, not plays, The Falcons had a great gameplan for us in 2010 and they got humiliated.

[allday1991]

Kiss the ring.

If you don't respect Bradys three apparently tainted superbowls why would we respect Aaron rogers one tainted superbowl. Everyone and there brother knew Shiancoes catch in 2010 to put the packers 9-7 was a actual catch, way more clear cut than the Seahawk call of this year. So kiss AR one tainted superbowl ring or Bradys three? ill pick Brady thank you.

[RandallioCobb18]

Trent Richardson is 100x better than Ryan Grant. Please.

Figure it out bruh, I was making the point that they played behind a great line in college and they are better then anything the Packers have had for years.

[RandallioCobb18]

If you don't respect Bradys three apparently tainted superbowls why would we respect Aaron rogers one tainted superbowl. Everyone and there brother knew Shiancoes catch in 2010 to put the packers 9-7 was a actual catch, way more clear cut than the Seahawk call of this year. So kiss AR one tainted superbowl ring or Bradys three? ill pick Brady thank you.

Blatant cheating vs perceived blown call calls and dumbass coach not throwing challenge flag.

I think the choice is clear.

BTW, I wasnt saying Brady isnt a great QB or that Aaron is the GOAT, I just think that Brady gets praised way to much when in terms of talent, I would have taken Peyton any day.

[RandallioCobb18]

@packers fan. When I was growing up the Packers were not very good, it wasn't until the 90's they turned around and in a big way (farve). Teams come to dominance and fall all the time. Remember that a team can suck at any time... like Vikings in '10-'11 or Detroit... well all the time.

Most winning-est team is still Chicago, and you don't think they're going to win the North do you? How about Vikings who are still in the top 10 of highest percentage winning team?

NFC is just a monster with teams right now and the North isn't doing itself any favors by having nothing but dangerous teams (I miss having tampa as a punching bag) and the West or East (much of whom we play this year) are also very serious threats.

You better pray that AR is all you think he is because this year is going to be brutal.

Heard this kind of crap ever year since 1990 bruh.

AR is all i think he is, just as AP is all you guys think he is, great players, probably HOF, but our guy doesnt play a position thats going to shorten his career by 8 years.

You better hope your D catches up to the Packers.

Agreed on Tampa, miss those guys.

Im not trying to say the Pack is infallible, In fact got way more in to this discussion in this thread than I wanted too.

[Mothman]

AR is all i think he is, just as AP is all you guys think he is, great players, probably HOF, but our guy doesnt play a position thats going to shorten his career by 8 years.

No, he plays a position where it can end with one hit, just like any other position in football.

[RandallioCobb18]

No, he plays a position where it can end with one hit, just like any other position in football.

Absolutely, and I am completely aware of the fact that if Aaron goes down that may set us back for about 10 years, my only point was that QBs bodies dont take the beating that RBs do, and that is really astounding considering the terrible O-lines that Aaron has had to deal with.

[allday1991]

Absolutely, and I am completely aware of the fact that if Aaron goes down that may set us back for about 10 years, my only point was that QBs bodies dont take the beating that RBs do, and that is really astounding considering the terrible O-lines that Aaron has had to deal with.

True, but mind you most RB are a lot bigger muscular wise than QBs for the exact reason, they take more hits.

[RandallioCobb18]

No, he plays a position where it can end with one hit, just like any other position in football.[/quote]

Absolutely, and I am completely aware of the fact that if Aaron goes down that may set us back for about 10 years, my only point was that QBs bodies dont take the beating that RBs do, and that is really astounding considering the terrible O-lines that Aaron has had to deal with. [/quote]

True, but mind you most RB are a lot bigger muscular wise than QBs for the exact reason, they take more hits.[/quote]

Of course, but I will say objectively that I think the Vikes and the Pack BOTH put their bread and butter players in harms way alot more then you would like, our O-line is so damn bad that I actually prefer them blitz every down so Aaron he gets the ball out of his hand, and AP gets way to many carries, I know you guys are going to be all over me for saying that, but I think it would do wonders for AP if he wasnt constantly running into an 8 man box every play.

[Mothman]

Of course, but I will say objectively that I think the Vikes and the Pack BOTH put their bread and butter players in harms way alot more then you would like, our O-line is so damn bad that I actually prefer them blitz every down so Aaron he gets the ball out of his hand, and AP gets way to many carries, I know you guys are going to be all over me for saying that, but I think it would do wonders for AP if he wasnt constantly running into an 8 man box every play.

Sure, but the passing game would have to be spectacularly good to keep defenses from making Peterson their primary focus. He's the most dangerous player on the field.

He doesn't get that many carries. Last year he had the second highest carry total of his career and he averaged about 22 carries per game over the course of the season. That's only the second season in his career that he's averaged more than 20 per game. They asked him to carry a heavy load late in the year but they've never asked him to do that much for an entire season and I doubt they will.

[NextQuestion]

What is the over/under this Randallicobb18 kid became a fan in 2010?

I was at the bar the other night and I had some idiot try to tell me the Packers would still go to the super bowl and win it even if Rodgers went down week 1. I bet you're that kind of guy. He went to say "As long as we have Clay Matthews we'll always be contenders". For the 1 play a game he makes where he gets to flex his muscles he gets worked over pretty hard.

[mondry]

Of course, but I will say objectively that I think the Vikes and the Pack BOTH put their bread and butter players in harms way alot more then you would like, our O-line is so damn bad that I actually prefer them blitz every down so Aaron he gets the ball out of his hand, and AP gets way to many carries, I know you guys are going to be all over me for saying that, but I think it would do wonders for AP if he wasnt constantly running into an 8 man box every play.

Just wanted to say that I hope you can keep your cool! It's nice seeing different opinions around here, even ones from *gasp* a packer fan, we've had a few before but eventually it get's heated defending each others teams and 10 times out of 10 it's the packer fan that gets banned for "trolling."

I do agree with this though, I wish we had a 3rd down back, like a jahvid best that wasn't injury prone, someone who can be a change of pace and a bigger threat in the passing game. With Toby, you're putting much just putting a worse version of Adrian on the field.