Scoop8282

Iowa has a significantly higher effective FG% (52.6% to 49%) and has played a tougher schedule.  The big 10 is also 5-0 so far in the tourny.  The Hawkeyes seem lie a really good ML play today as 4.5 underdogs.

Digital Karma....i thought you were disagreeing with me.....after i took a breath an reread...you were agreeing.....so my rank was not totally needed.  Anyway.....GREEN BAY IS GOING TO MESS THEM UP!!!! WHOOO HOOOOOOO!!! Lets get this thing going.

100 yard rushing games?  What does that have to do with anything???? WHOOOO CARES?  McCarthy has figured out how to use the run as a jab and allow the hay-makers to come from the passing game as it should be.  Montgomery is a weapon out of the backfield every bit as much as Freeman is.  The packers just have a lot of other options to distribute the ball to split ends, wide outs, tight ends, fullbacks etc.

Montgomery might combine for 120 total yards today or he may not, but either way the packers offense will have no issues putting up enough points to win this game.

"That said, I think Atl crushes them."

Based on what? What good teams have they crushed this year? Their schedule had a ton of cupcakes and they couldnt handle KC and lost to Seattle in their first match up.  They got Oakland early.  They have beaten up on a bunch of tomato cans in the last half of the year while the packers have been laying waste to playoff team after playoff team.  5 playoff teams go down in 7 weeks and they get CRUSHED by atlanta? Please.

meant to say 4 of last 8 games gb held opp 13 or under.

Ugh...ok....Packer fan here.  Let me tell you something about the running game.  McCarthy has spent a significant amount of time in the last few years trying desperately to "establish the run" despite having a team built to go through the air.  However, something has changed in the last few months.  Mike is finally using the run game strategically to do what this game is all about which is move the chains and score points.  No, they dont rake up huge running offense totals to make the number crunching nerds happy, but just watch what happens with montgomery and ripkowski today.  They will each come up with big plays at key moments to move the chains and allow the passing game to put up a lot of points. 

Also GB's defense is terribly underrated.  Yes, they give up seemingly wide open plays and drive people crazy but 4 of the last games they have held teams to 13 or few points.  They have beaten 5 playoff teams in the last 7 weeks.  They come up with turnovers at key times and they force teams to kick FG. 

As far as health.....GB is going to be healthier than you think.  Rib injuries are treated with pain management.  Nelson will be fine and surely loaded up with ibuprofen or whatever pain killer the training staff has.  I actually am skeptical he actually had broken ribs. Rib fractures are extremely difficult to diagnose as perfect images are rather hard to acquire.  Plus the hit was so low, and in a place where floating ribs can absorb the blow I suspect he had some good bruising going on but he will be fine today.

Anyway...thats enough of a rant for me....GB wins this thing and the Rodgers legend will continue to grow.

Enjoy the game.

Also, the remark about Rodgers getting every PI call....did you see the first half of the Dallas game?  They were ripping the jersey off of Adams and mugging Cook.  Get a clue.

GB's defense is a joke? Held 4 of last 8 teams 13 and under.  More playmakers on GB's defense than ATL.

GB wins outright because they are a better football team.  Also Nelson is going to play and he will be fine.  Broken ribs are just about pain management.  Pretty sure they can dope him up with some good stuff.

my thoughts are..."dude....the biggest bet of your life is against aaron mother clucking rodgers"? What in the actual F?

GB: 41
ATL:31

Rodgers was outplayed by the rookie?  God that is such a bunch of horse crap.  So when then game was playing out and Rodgers led GB to a 21-3 lead and essentially did whatever he wanted we are just supposed to ignore that?  GB goes into a classic prevent defense and the cowboys exploit the soft coverage of a team with a huge lead and put up some stats. Big deal.  When push came to shove and the game was in doubt, Rodgers came away with a road W.  So the rook put up some points playing vs a soft prevent defense.  So what? Rodgers is going to continue the roll tomorrow and there will be even more converts lining up to sign his praises by this time Sunday evening.

the packers are not 28/1 to win the Superbowl.  Maybe the next 2, but not just this year's version. 

In keeping with your analogy, the Packers just stormed through really tough neighborhoods into one where there is a hotshot bully who has been beating up on pipsqueaks.  I think the bully is about to get bullied this week and Rodgers is going to be playing for SB #2.

I will admit, I am more of a baseball guy and the reason is I believe baseball is the best sport for using statistical analysis to compare teams and players.  I like the concept of what FO tries to do but i think the nature of football is that there is just not a big enough sample size for the single season stats to really mean much.  I love the deep dive they try to take but i just do take much stock in where a team ranks on defense over the course of 16 games, 12 of which they may have been protecting huge leads and falling into a prevent approach rather than playing a normal defensive approach.  Winning games is a much better indicator with such a small sample size than how many yards a team gives up etc.  There is just not enough relevant data in the NFL to make me believe we can use this type of data in a game like gb vs atlanta.  This could come down to a phantom PI call or a Offensive line getting away with a hold late in the game. Or a bonehead fielding a punt inside the 5 or just about anything.  I think the eyeball test favors green bay when you consider they have knocked off 5 playoff teams in the last 7 weeks and Atlanta has been lining up against very weak competition including Seattle who limped into that game with nothing going on.

Again, my prediction is GB 41-ATL 31

I think Adams and Allison will both play.  Nelson probably will not.

When GB wins this thing easily, you are going to need to tweak your system. 

Anyone can seem "multi dimensional" playing a bunch of garbage teams like Atlanta played.  Especially recently.  Look at their scheduled.  You think Ty Montgomery couldn't have piled up crazy yardage numbers playing the worthless teams the Falcons finished their season with?  You act as though GB has no weapons.  What are the falcons gonna do with Jared Cook?  Randal Cobb?  Montgomery? If Adams, Nelson and Allison are out, Jeff Janis will go 5 for 100. Rodgers didn't even use a huge part of his toolbag against Dallas.  His field vision allows him to jog at about 1/2 speed for 1st downs when he needs to.  Plus, GB has playmakers on defense that are not nearly discussed enough.  Mathews and Peppers clearly need to get to Ryan.  Mike Daniels is a force.  Micah Hyde and Clinton Dix have been solid.  I think Ryan hits the deck more than Rodgers in this one.

Speaking of that, GB has been a dog 5 times this year and is 4-1 against the spread in those games.  They are 3-2 outright in those games including a senseless loss to Atlanta and a weird loss at Washington. Rodgers AND points?  I'll take it.

And good luck to you! Anytime someone says..."you get Aaron Rodgers and you can start with 4 points...." take it.

We disagree.  This will be settled on Sunday. 

Oh you coach football?  I didn't know that! Well then.  We should all go ahead and just listen to your wisdom about how this will play out.  And yes, Aaron Rodgers is better today than Matt Ryan.  Is historically better than Matt Ryan and will be better than Matt Ryan on Sunday.  Again, Running up the score on the Rams doesn't impress me.  Going into Dallas and winning a playoff game.  That impresses me.  Owning the supposedly amazing NYG defense. That impresses me.  Beating 5 playoff teams in 7 weeks.  That impresses me.  Dating Olivia Munn.  That impresses me.