Packers Stock Report: Divisional Playoff Victory

For the first time since 2016, the Green Bay Packers have advanced to the NFC Championship game by knocking off the much hated Seattle Seahawks.  Sunday’s contest was an up and down roller coaster which kept all of us on the edge of our seats.  Packer teams in the past probably would have folded under pressure, but this Packers team stepped up and made crucial plays during crunch time to avoid another playoff collapse against the Seahawks.  All year long this Packers team has found ways to win. They may have won ugly and they may have seemed to be hanging on by a thread at times, but they always made a play to secure that “w”.  It is because of this resilience that they now stand just one win away from representing the NFC in Super Bowl fifty-four. 

These performances stood out to me in Sunday’s win.

Buy, buy, buy

1. Davante Adams: Rodgers made it very clear that the passing attack was going through Davante.  Davante’s tremendous route running ability allowed him to win a lot of one on one matchups which provided the Packers offense with the big plays that they needed.  Cheers to Davante on his 8 reception, 160 yard, 2 touchdown performance.  

2. Aaron Rodgers: Despite being maligned for much of the season, Rodgers made every big throw when the Packers needed it the most.  He set the tone for the Packers offense on the opening drive with a couple of big completions to Davante Adams (including the first touchdown of the game). When the game was on the line Rodgers found his precision accuracy and delivered dimes to move the chains and milk the clock.  Let’s hope he can turn up the heat some more and burn the Niners this week.  

3. Preston and Za’Darius Smith: These two played their best under the bright lights of Lambeau with an NFC Championship game birth on the line.  The last defensive play saw Preston sprint around the edge and into the chest of Russell Wilson forcing a Seahawks punt on fourth and long which ultimately halted their comeback attempt.  When it was all said and done, the Smith brothers were able to tally 4 sacks and multiple pressures on Wilson which slowed him down just enough.  

Sell, sell, sell

1. The Officiating: Holy shit, they were awful again! I guess at this point, I shouldn’t be surprised but there was a clear fumble and a clear recovery by the Packers.  One can only hope that Alberto Riveron and his crew can tighten up the officiating for the NFC Championship game but I won’t be holding my breath. 

2. The second half defensive scheme: Welp, Mike Pettine got out schemed in the second half and it almost cost the Packers.  They went from up 21-3 and shutting down Seattle’s offensive attack to letting Russell Wilson play backyard football all over Lambeau Field en route to a 20 point second half.  The defense cannot have any lapses against San Fran this Sunday if they expect to emerge victorious (to state the obvious). 

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David Michalski is a staff writer for Cheesehead TV. He can be found on Twitter @kilbas27dave 

3 points
 

Comments (22)

Fan-Friendly This filter will hide comments which have ratio of 5 to 1 down-vote to up-vote.
cuervo's picture

January 15, 2020 at 11:32 am

I still don't understand and haven't heard an explanation for the loss of a timeout on the fumble/recovery. Green Bay challenged that is was a fumble, which they confirmed it was. Therefore GB's challenge should have been upheld and we shouldn't have lost a timeout....regardless of the blown recovery portion.

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madtowndan's picture

January 15, 2020 at 12:03 pm

That puzzled me too. I have not seen any mention of it in any reporting. My guess is that there is no explanation - just another officiating screw up that the NFL has chosen not to acknowledge.

I have never seen "lack of evidence of a clear fumble recovery" called before. Especially when there was clear evidence - Chandon Sullivan had the ball between his hands and knees before the pile-on, and came out of the pile with the ball in his hands. What more evidence is needed?

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TarynsEyes's picture

January 15, 2020 at 01:24 pm

The initial ruling was down by contact..GB challenges that is was fumble and they recovered...The ruling deemed it a fumble but since a clear recovery was not ruled in GB's favor the challenge becomes a lost challenge because no transfer of possession occurred.

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Point-Packer's picture

January 15, 2020 at 11:42 am

Sell Sell Sell!

Mike McCarthy. Hey "Mr. Analytics", that is how you play to win and not to lose. Hopefully your conservative tendencies and head-scratching efforts to "play the odds" are in your suitcase when you head to Big D. Pad level. I also hope you use a "platoon approach " at RB and limit as many of Elliot's touches on the ball as humanly possible.

Ted Thompson: Hey Teddy T, this is how you build a roster through FA and in-season player acquisition. Snatching Ervin and Veldheer mid-season is the perfect example of a couple moves you would not make and instead would have continued to trot out god awful Jason Spriggs and whatever below average no name kick returner you pulled off the scrap heap. The Smith's would have been "far too expense" for you - likely forcing you to trot out Fackrell and an aging Clay Mathews to headline GB's pass rush.

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MWendlandt's picture

January 16, 2020 at 04:29 pm

It's been almost two years. Let it go!

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Packers0808's picture

January 15, 2020 at 11:46 am

Isn't Spriggs still a Packer on IR?

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Point-Packer's picture

January 15, 2020 at 11:58 am

God I hope not.

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jannes bjornson's picture

January 15, 2020 at 12:28 pm

They're still paying him on IR.

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PAPackerbacker's picture

January 15, 2020 at 12:00 pm

It's going to take a full 60 minute commitment by everyone on both sides of the ball and on special teams as well to defeat the 49er's. And no stupid penalties. Establish the running game and play action will be effective. The defense needs to force a couple of turnovers and when the opportunity to intercept a pass is there, make the catch. Don't squander opportunities and by all means if they get a lead stay aggressive. Do not give the 49er's easy opportunities to score. Keep the pressure constant, even if the Packers are leading by 20 or more points!! Go! Pack! Go! Now is the time for another visiting team to come away with a victory!!

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jannes bjornson's picture

January 15, 2020 at 12:32 pm

Stop the run. Protect your QB and let him WIN this game.

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Minniman's picture

January 16, 2020 at 02:51 am

..... and no stupid penalties.

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Lare's picture

January 15, 2020 at 12:12 pm

Yes, NFL officiating is beyond ridiculous. Even with the benefit of instant replay they still can't get a call right. I'm still trying to figure out how the Packers lost a timeout for winning a challenge. MLF challenged the ruling on the field that the runner was down by contact before the fumble. He won that challenge as they admitted the fumble came before the contact with the ground, but they still took away a timeout and said they couldn't determine possession after the fumble. How can the officials not determine possession? Somebody has to have the ball!

Honestly, any other business in the world would fire any employees they had that were as inept as NFL officials are.

5 points
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LeotisHarris's picture

January 15, 2020 at 06:56 pm

"Honestly, any other business in the world would fire any employees they had that were as inept as NFL officials are."

You'd think that would be the case, but one only needs to look to the financial sector, the military, the Catholic Church, and higher education to know that's not the case. Atrocities are allowed in the Old Boys Clubs as long as profits soar and those at the top are comfy.

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Bearmeat's picture

January 15, 2020 at 12:16 pm

Pettine wasn't "outschemed" by Seattle. Their 2nd half was almost all 2nd reaction plays. Russell was a magician and when a QB is playing like that - especially if that QB has some good weapons (which Seattle did), it's impossible to stop. Plus, we were up 28-10. You have to think Pettine was playing the clock as much as Seattle by the mid-3rd. Yeah, it got too close. But I'd put that on the offense failing to show up for a quarter (again).

6 points
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wildbill's picture

January 15, 2020 at 02:03 pm

I agree, Russell’s running was hurting us the most so he had the defense just keep things in front of them. Also the offense scored 21 points in the first have and I bet he was banking on us scoring more than 7 in the second half.

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splitpea1's picture

January 15, 2020 at 03:26 pm

No, I think Pettine should have brought an occasional blitz, maybe from the secondary, to stop the bleeding from Wilson's scrambling. Those three touchdown drives were definitely time-consuming, but the defense was getting worn out chasing Wilson and the receivers. The P. Smith sack thankfully stopped a fourth touchdown drive. The Packer offense had only one three-and -out in the second half, so I don't think they're to blame at all--and they did come through at the end.

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Lare's picture

January 15, 2020 at 12:53 pm

So you're saying that sometimes writers and reporters don't know what in the hell they're talking about?

I'm stunned.

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edp1959's picture

January 15, 2020 at 01:18 pm

To late David you have already proven your incompetence. All we have heard from you is Sell, Sell, Sell Rodgers all year. He is washed up remember and time to move on. I think it's time to sell this and all the other garbage you have written on here.

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DavidMichalski's picture

January 15, 2020 at 05:08 pm

Yea, his performances in the few games I sold weren’t up to par. This one was a performance that will hopefully get him back on track for a big game in SF.

For the record though, I never wrote that the Packers should get rid of Aaron Rodgers. Get your facts straight buddy and go piss off.

-7 points
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BoCallahan's picture

January 16, 2020 at 05:31 am

So then, what do you mean by “sell”?
When I sell something, I get rid of it. I dump it.

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DavidMichalski's picture

January 15, 2020 at 05:13 pm

An omission I forgot to transfer from my notes: (Also) Buying Jared Veldheer... My man stepped right in and played his ass off allowing the Packers to stick with their original offensive game plan.

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