Season Finale - Queens Lead up

[MickeyDavis]

I can't believe how fast the season goes every year. Here we are at the end of the regular season. This should be a good one. Minnesota is in with a win. Pack probably needs to win to keep #2 (Niners at home against AZ).

I definitely want a bye and I like that the last game means something. No resting guys, Rodgers won't have 3 weeks off between games. And I'd love nothing more than to knock these ass clowns out of the playoffs in their own dump.

Game moved to 3:25

[MickeyDavis]

I would think Woodson will be back, they'll want him to see some action before the playoffs. But with the DB's playing so well it will be interesting to see how he fits in. McGinn had a good column yesterday about how Chuck just may be done after this season (at least in GB).

[MickeyDavis]

Hopefully Cobb is ok. Like to see Nelson back too.

Laughed when Matt Millen was asked about drafting Megatron with the second pick. He said had the Raiders taken him #1 instead of Russell he would have taken Peterson. Uh huh.

[MickeyDavis]

Peter King says 3 options for defensive rookie of the year. Bobby Wagner, Lavonte David and our very own:

Casey Hayward, CB, Green Bay. In pure performance terms, no rookie defender comes close to Hayward. He sits between Richard Sherman and Charles Tillman at the top of PFF's coverage grading through Week 15. He ranks eighth in yards allowed per coverage snap, despite playing nearly half of those 400 plays (204) in the slot, a traditionally more difficult position to man.

In doing this he has given up neither a penalty nor touchdown while making six interceptions and deflecting 10 more passes. When you throw in the fact he's played the run well too -- ranking 9th in run stop percentage among corners, without missing a tackle -- you can see this is a man who should be going to the Pro Bowl. The only point against him is that he's not currently an every-down player; he generally doesn't play in the Packers base defense.

[Profound23]

I doubt AP gets near 200 again. Leslie Frazier is too stupid to give AP enough touches for some reason. He outthinks himself and puts the ball in Ponder's hand. Analysts don't want to admit it, but if Houston's offense was going on all cylinders the Vikings get crushed yesterday.

[neiLz]

I love Heyward.

I think the Packers win 28-20. If they dont turn it over, I do not think the Packers can lose this game.

[PkrsBcksGphsMqt]

I doubt AP gets near 200 again. Leslie Frazier is too stupid to give AP enough touches for some reason. He outthinks himself and puts the ball in Ponder's hand. Analysts don't want to admit it, but if Houston's offense was going on all cylinders the Vikings get crushed yesterday.

I think we also hold him to under 200. Clay and the rest of the D are going to want to stop him from getting the record against them. Plus we are playing for the #2 seed. I just can't see us losing this game.

[neiLz]

I doubt AP gets near 200 again. Leslie Frazier is too stupid to give AP enough touches for some reason. He outthinks himself and puts the ball in Ponder's hand. Analysts don't want to admit it, but if Houston's offense was going on all cylinders the Vikings get crushed yesterday.

Totally agree... Not even all cylinders... if they run the ball at there average per game, they easilly win. Foster was out and they went away from the run. Packers will take the lead and force Ponder to throw.

[eagle13]

It would take a monumental collapse / apathy for us to loose this game. But we have to come to play - can't take it for granted. If we come focused we'll win. AP = 125 yards.

[MickeyDavis]

The bye is a huge incentive. Plus momentum of course is huge going into the playoffs. Last years bitter taste is still there. I think we roll.

[MickeyDavis]

Coach Mike McCarthy said Monday morning that he will not be taking Randall Cobb off of returns when he comes back from a right ankle injury.

McCarthy didn't even want to address the question during his news conference, adamant that it was a non-issue. He clearly views Cobb's value to the return unit as irreplaceable.

“I’ll be honest with you. I don’t have a really high tolerance for this because I don’t understand how you play scared in the game of football," McCarthy said. "I don’t get that. I think it’s convenient questioning. I understand the risk involved in every single play. Some plays are higher risk than others and I’m fully aware of that, but you can’t sit here and say special teams is important if you don’t put a guy like Randall Cobb out there as a returner."

"Now, if we’re sitting here next year, we might be having a different conversation, but the way our team is built for 2012, Randall Cobb is a huge part of our success on special teams.”

McCarthy said the level of concern of the medical staff regarding Cobb wasn't overly great. He said he wasn't sure if he would need an MRI on the ankle, but that in talking to Cobb and the trainers, the belief was that the sprain was not serious.


"I don’t know how to be concerned anymore, just the way the year’s gone," McCarthy said. "The medical staff does not have high concern. Randall’s so positive, so he doesn’t seem very concerned. But you go through the process and scans and so forth and make sure we get all the information."

One of the reasons McCarthy views Cobb's role as a returner so important is that special teams have been one of the best units he has had this season. Week in and week out, there has been a level of play that has not wavered much.

He does not want to mess with that chemistry.

"Randall Cobb is a big part of our success on special teams," he said. "Our special teams has been our most consistent unit of our football team from week 1 to Week 15. You don’t establish the way you play, the vision of the way you play, and then all of a sudden change going into the last week of the season.

"We’ll see what happens here with Randall and we’ll evaluate his injury and then we’ll make decisions as we go forward. The philosophy of him playing on special teams has not changed."

[eagle13]

I agree with McCarthy. Next year if Ross or someone shows explosive return ability then I change - if not then I keep Cobb there next year too. Return game means ALOT to field position and momentum.

[ReasonablySober]

Looking at the playoff scenarios, my guess is we're going to see Atlanta, GB, San Fran and Washington. Wild cards being Seattle and Chicago. San Fran would host Chicago and Washington would host Seattle.

Have a feeling we're going to be hosting SF.

[MickeyDavis]

The Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings will both be playing for something Sunday afternoon and coach Mike McCarthy said the playoff atmosphere is what he wants as the post-season approaches.

"I think this is exactly the way you’d want it going into the playoffs, especially with this year’s team," he said, referring to the way injuries have affected the chemistry of the team. "I still feel that we have the ability to be even better. I don’t think we’ve consistently played our best football yet.

"We obviously had a very decisive victory against the Titans, but this football team still has more in front of it. And that’s what I’m excited about – having the opportunity to play a playoff-type game, a playoff-game atmosphere, on the road with the crowd noise and both teams have a lot on the line. Shoot, I think it’s great for our football team."

The Packers are playing for the No. 2 seed and a bye week.

If they beat the Vikings, they lock up the second spot behind Atlanta and would be guaranteed home-field advantage up until the NFC Championship. If Atlanta were to lose in the divisional round, they would be the top-seeded team and host the championship game should they advance.

The Packers (11-4) moved into the No. 2 spot after they beat Tennessee and San Francisco (10-4-1) lost to Seattle (10-5) . All the Packers have to do is finish with a better record than the 49ers and Seahawks and they are the No. 2 seed.

Thus, if the Packers lose, they would need San Francisco and Seattle to lose in Week 16. San Francisco plays at home against Arizona and Seattle plays at home against St. Louis.

At the very least, the Packers will be the No. 3 seed and have a home game.

McCarthy said he was optimistic several injured players would be back this week. He said WR Jordy Nelson (hamstring) and CB/S Charles Woodson (collarbone) are "very close" to returning, TE Tom Crabtree (hamstring) is close, DE Jerel Worthy (hamstring) and RB Alex Green (concussion) should play and DE C.J. Wilson (knee) may need more time.

As for the 9-6 Vikings, they can clinch a playoff berth any of these three ways:

Minnesota clinches a playoff spot with:

1) MIN win OR

2) MIN tie + CHI loss or tie OR

3) DAL loss or tie + NYG loss or tie + CHI loss

[KidA24]

I'm sick of the "He shouldn't be on the return team, he's too valuable." line of thinking. It is idiotic.

He got hurt being tackled. TACKLED. We'd better not throw him the ball, he's too valuable to be tackled.

Returners don't get injured any more than any other player. The guys who get hurt on special teams are the gunners/blockers plowing into each other with their heads down at full speed.

[MartyConlonOnTheRun]

The one exception was when we had dpoy caliber Woodson back there. He has a small frame, wasn't use to being tackled, waaaaay too valuable on d and didn't really produce at all as pr.

As for Cobb, I dont think he is that big as either a wr or kr that you limit touches. Does anyone think we are screwed if we lose Cobb? I feel Ross could fill in at pr and put up similar numbers. I think Nelson and driver could pick Up significant playing time and reduce the loss of Cobb. Don't get me wrong, he has been or number 2 wr this year but far from irreplaceable.

Eta to I guess most would say he is our number 1 this year but felt jones has had bigger catches and Nelson has been bigger in his limited time. If we were fully, which it looks like we will be in the playoffs, Cobb wouldn't be a huge loss.

[trwi7]

I feel Ross could fill in at pr and put up similar numbers.

That's all the more reason to take Cobb out of return duties.

[Godgers]

Same crap almost every year with the Giants.

Giants need to beat the Eagles and have the Cowboys, Bears, Vikings lose to make the playoffs. You might think well thats alot that needs to happen and its a long shot. But the Giants are the luckiest team in the NFL and this type of long shot happens all the time for them.

[Susan]

Go Pack Go!

[humanrefutation]

I heard somewhere that Cobb wanted to be removed off of returns.