NFC Divisional Round Lead-Up: Cowgirls

[LUKE23]

I'll update the thread title once we know our opponent.

I'll get things going:

http://espn.go.com/nfl/playoffs/2014/st ... as-cowboys

4. Which of the top two seeds has the toughest task? Had the Packers not lost to Buffalo a couple of weeks ago, they would have had home-field advantage instead of Seattle. That one loss made the playoffs so much tougher for the Packers, even though they are almost unbeatable in Lambeau Field. Unless the Lions beat Dallas, the Seahawks will have their first playoff game against a Panthers team they beat 13-9 on the road this year or an Arizona team that they swept. The Seahawks have a much easier path to the NFC Championship Game than the Packers. The Lions could give them a break if they beat the Cowboys, because the Packers would get the the Panthers or Cardinals while the Lions would face the Seahawks. Considering the Lions' struggles against winning teams, it would be hard to think the Lions would do a lot of scoring against Seattle. Here's the difficulty for the Packers: The Cowboys should be able to run on them, and the Seahawks might be able to do the same in an NFC Championship Game.

5. What is Green Bay's biggest concern? Even though the Packers improved their defense, they struggle against good running teams. The Packers got more athletic along the defensive line, but they barely average more than 300 pounds a player with their run-stopping unit in the 3-4. The Seahawks gained 207 rushing yards against them in the season opener. Chicago had 235. New Orleans had 193. The Packers were able to hold Carolina to only 108 yards rushing in a win 38-17 on Oct. 19, but the Panthers were still trying to find their way on offense. The Packers had a break this season in the sense that they faced only three games against the top 10 running teams in the league -- the Seahawks, Jets and Panthers. Three of the NFL's top 10 rushing teams are in the NFC playoffs, so defensive coordinator Dom Capers will have to make adjustments. Moving Clay Matthews to middle linebacker has helped, but it doesn't fix how light the Packers are up front.

[raysbookclub]

I think both those points say more about the teams in mid-season than about the teams now.

Carolina looked much better in December. They switched a bunch of their guys in the secondary over the last month--totally different secondary than when the Packers played them early on. And their pass rush was apparently dominant yesterday. I guess the Falcons' line isn't that good, but still very impressive @Atl. Cam is maybe healthier, despite the car accident, than earlier in the year, and he's running better than he was early.

I think Carolina would be a tougher game than Arizona for Seattle.

Dallas' run game is very good, but the Packers' run defense now isn't the sieve it was early in the year, when they played Seattle, Chicago, NO.

[Kerb Hohl]

I still think that if the Cowboys choose to, they can pretty much shorten the game and keep Rodgers off the field by running Murray 80% of the time.

The run defense looks much better than it did but it still gave up 4.3 YPC this year. A team that wants to run the ball all day could do so. I think a lot of the improved run defense has to do with the Packers getting a lead in the second half of the year, though I need to look at the YPC for the second half or so.

Also, getting AJ Hawk and Jones off the field improved things. Burnett seemingly getting better and having Matthews/Barrington in for those n00bs a bit more often has improved the run defense IMO, but I think Dallas could still healthily just move the chains all the way down the field with Murray if they wanted to.

Also, if I'm Dallas, I run sets that get Brad Jones on the field. If he seems to have a matchup with Murray, I run a lot of guys down the field and drop one off to Murray and enjoy my 30 yard gain.

[trwi7]

5. What is Green Bay's biggest concern? Even though the Packers improved their defense, they struggle against good running teams. The Packers got more athletic along the defensive line, but they barely average more than 300 pounds a player with their run-stopping unit in the 3-4. The Seahawks gained 207 rushing yards against them in the season opener. Chicago had 235. New Orleans had 193. The Packers were able to hold Carolina to only 108 yards rushing in a win 38-17 on Oct. 19, but the Panthers were still trying to find their way on offense. The Packers had a break this season in the sense that they faced only three games against the top 10 running teams in the league -- the Seahawks, Jets and Panthers. Three of the NFL's top 10 rushing teams are in the NFC playoffs, so defensive coordinator Dom Capers will have to make adjustments. Moving Clay Matthews to middle linebacker has helped, but it doesn't fix how light the Packers are up front.

Such lazy writing. Just giving the rushing yards? Yeah, if a team runs 50 times, they'll probably get around 200 yards. That doesn't really tell you anything. Give me the ypc or at least how many carries they had so I can figure out the ypc myself you lazy ****.

And the last little bit about moving Clay inside. Since he's moved inside we've allowed 3.6 yards per carry. We've held Shady McCoy (4.2 average this year) to 3.8. We've held Forte (5.3 in the first meeting) to 3.2 in the second.

I'm far more confident in our run defense now than I was in the beginning of the season. I'm also far more confident in our rushing offense now than I was in the beginning of the season.

[Kerb Hohl]

Thanks twirls. Those were some of the numbers I was looking for. Makes me a little bit more confident.

[MickeyDavis]

I'll have to read McGinn's grades tomorrow to see how much Clay played inside vs. outside. Seemed to me everytime I specifcially looked for him before the snap he was outside. I know Hawk didn't play much although I don't really notice him even if he's playing every snap.

[trwi7]

I'll have to read McGinn's grades tomorrow to see how much Clay played inside vs. outside. Seemed to me everytime I specifcially looked for him before the snap he was outside. I know Hawk didn't play much although I don't really notice him even if he's playing every snap.

I think limiting the snaps of Hawk and Jones with the addition of Barrington has been huge for the run defense. Even if Clay is outside those two were huge culprits in us giving up big chunks of yardage in the run game.

[LUKE23]

YPC allowed since Clay moved to ILB/bye:

CHI: 24 for 55 (2.3)
PHI: 31 for 109 (3.5)
MIN: 25 for 112 (4.5)
NE: 18 for 84 (4.7)
ATL: 24 for 91 (3.8)
BUF: 33 for 113 (3.4)
TB: 14 for 16 (1.1)
DET: 23 for 111 (4.8)

Total: 192 for 691 (3.6)

3.6 YPC allowed would be third best in league if over a full season.

[trwi7]

The thing that does concern me is we had some trouble with Blount and Bell there. They're the closest style to Lynch, which is concerning.

[trwi7]

Suh suspended one game. Huge break for Dallas.

[tweet]https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/549650987078909953[/tweet]

[raysbookclub]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/549640142810787840[/tweet]

Big loss for the Cowboys.

[packfan414]

heard a few minutes of the big show on 1250 wssp for the first time in a while. some caller was bitching about how we have been one and done since the super bowl run in 2011. no one on the show (leroy, gerry, sparky?, whoever else) even remembered we beat MN in the wild card round when they started joe webb. then sparky i think says "even when favre had that last great year we were one and done when the giants beat us in the divisional rd", and no one corrected him that it was the NFC ship and we had crushed seattle in the divisional round.

incredible how little these guys know and still have a job as hosts. what a joke

[WiscoKing13]

You guys love AJ Hawk and Jones right? Well get ready to see more of them...

http://www.packersnews.com/story/sports ... /21192145/

"Sam Barrington and Demetri Goodson have an illness"

[BigDee]

“@js_packers: Saturday practice report: ILB Sam Barrington returns to practice http://on.jsonl.in/1rPkf4n #packers”

[FAH1223]

So, we got the Cowboys.

Our defense has to play like they did vs. the Patriots.

[WiscoKing13]

Would Highly suggest all reading the article by McGinn on our DB's and how we've played the run. CB's will be trusted solo vs Bryant

http://www.jsonline.com/sports/packers/ ... 30621.html

[LUKE23]

Their OL worries me in terms of being able to keep our offense off the field. Dez worries me as well. I would be upset if we can't move the ball on them but I would have much rather faced Carolina.

[WiscoKing13]

If Rodgers wasn't dealing with a bum calf I'd feel a lot more confident about this game(wouldn't we all). My biggest take away from the DAL/DET game is there is nothing on Dallas D that scares me.

[packfan414]

i agree would have rather played CAR. however, i think we win quite convincingly. offense should put up 30+

[humanrefutation]

Would have preferred Carolina, too. Plus, I think the Lions might have had a better shot to beat Seattle than Carolina.

Oh well.