commentary...

the defense for the Packers does worry me,and is "the weakness",in this team... giving up yards,does worry,and yet,the Packers have a very good defensive secondary,but honestly the neck injury to Nick Collins(All-Pro,in 2010),in the second game of the 2011 NFL season hurt the Packers' defense,more than the people at 1265 Lombardi(Lambeau Field)will tell you,because you take an All-Pro out of their defensive secondary,and there is a big hole,in that defense,but Tramon Williams,Charles Woodson,and the rest of the defense,has been stout most of the year,except for giving up yards(most in garbage time)... 31 interceptions will do that for them(leading the NFL)... unfortunately,for the NFL,and unlike last year,the Packers will be mostly healthy,going into playoffs,and resting,i believe,eight starters,yesterday,and still getting the win,does not bode well,for the rest of the playoff teams,in the entire NFL,and the fact that there was an inch of snow on the ground,in Green Bay,yesterday,and very windy,and both teams(Lions,and Packers)lighted up the NFL,but that type of game does not happen too often,and the Packers know that they will refuse to quit,and the funny thing is that the Packers had nothing to really play for,and the Lions had playoff seeding to play for,and the Packers could have mailed it in,and let the Lions have the fifth seed,and avoid New Orleans Saints,in New Orleans,next week,but the Packers just refused to mail it in,and hurt the Lions' playoff run,and their seeding,by having New Orleans in their sights,instead of the New York Giants,who the Lions wanted to play the NFC East champion,instead... if Detroit can get past the Saints(good luck on that!!),they will face Green Bay again,because the Packers will face the lowest seed,after next weekend... resting starters,and injured players,yesterday really helped the Packers,in the long run,and that may not be good news for the NFC playoff teams...
the defense does worry me(giving up yards does suck)but most of the time,they were ahead in their games,but only the Saints worry me,but the Saints' defensive backfield is not as good as the Packers(their weakness)... the 49ers have had an very good year,and i do not degrade that fact,but the 49ers' offense,is not as explosive,as they need to be(having the Packers averaging 35 points/per game,and the Saints averaging 34.18 points/per game,and yet only 28.1 points/per game(in seven outdoor games-one of their road games was in St. Louis-in a dome),and the 49ers averaged 23.75 points/per game,so they have offensive woes,even though their defense is one of the best in NFL,do the 49ers have enough firepower to beat New Orleans,New York Giants,or even Green Bay... even though the Giants lost 38-35,to Green Bay,earlier in the season,they used the big play,against the Packers,to even get close,and yet they only averaged 24.625 points/per game... Eli Manning can light it up,but can he keep it going,in the playoffs... the homefield advantage that the Packers have in playing at Lambeau Field,during the playoffs,is not only the cold,but the fact that the fans are probably the most passionate,and they cheer no matter how cold it gets in Green Bay,and the winds off the Great Lakes makes it miserable for any team playing the Packers... they have said that dome teams are soft,but can the Saints,49ers,or even the Giants beat Green Bay,in Lambeau Field... yes they can,but they will fight,not only the Packers,but the elements,and most of the time the elements win,along with the Packers...... defensively,i have the 49ers the edge,offensively i give the Packers the slight edge,because the Saints,49ers,and Giants have to stop Aaron Rodgers,and the Packers' offense,all day,and the Packers' defense is getting healthy,and they take the football away,at critical times,so the Packers,who are getting healthy for the playoffs,are the team to beat,because very few teams can out-score them,and if the Packers' defense improves(and that is a big IF,giving yards does suck),and takes away the football with regularity... i have not said that the Packers will win Super Bowl XLVI,or even represent the NFC,in the game,but they do have a good chance... just one week at a time,i say,so far...

NFL news...

St. Louis Rams fire head coach Steve Spagnuolo,and Tampa Bay Buccaneers fire head coach Raheem Morris,after the Rams finished 2-14,and with 2nd NFL entry draft pick in 2012 NFL Draft,and the Buccaneers finished 4-12,and finished with a ten game losing streak...

beatdown of the week...

New England Patriots 49,Buffalo Bills 21... simply put,giving up 49 unanswered points,after being up 21 -0,gets your team the dubious honor of beatdown of the week...
Atlanta Falcons 45,Tampa Bay Buccaneers 24... simply put,giving up 42 points,in first half,without scoring a point,and gets your coach fired(my opinion),gives your team the dubious honor of the beatdown of the week,for the second week in a row...

my MVP ballot...

1:Drew Brees,New Orleans Saints(5,476 passing yards;46 touchdowns,16 interceptions;110.6 quarterback rating)...
2:Aaron Rodgers,Green Bay Packers(14-1 record;45 touchdowns,6 interceptions,122.5 quarterback rating)...
3:Tom Brady,New England Patriots(5,235 passing yards,39 touchdowns,12 interceptions,105.6 quarterback rating)...
4:Jared Allen,Minnesota Vikings(22 quarterback sacks-second all time,in a year(Michael Strahan-22.5 sacks-2001)...
must be a shocker to see that list-had Rodgers played today,my vote would have changed...

commentary...

now for some criticism of the Packers,the 520 passing yards,to the Lions' Matthew Stafford,given up by the team,was a team record,breaking the 503 passing yards,given up to Ben Roethlisberger,during a 37-36 loss,to the Steelers,in Pittsburgh,two years ago... a rare oddity,even though the Packers are 15-1,their defense gave up more overall yards,than the offense gained throughout the sixteen games,of this season... the major difference between a 15-1 team and an average team,is the quick strike ability of the Packers' offense,and the simple fact is that the Packers took away the football with regularity(leading the NFL,in interceptions,and second in NFL,in total takeaways),and most of their yards given by the defense were in mop up mode,in fourth quarter,or in between the 20's,and they were tight in the red zone(20 yards on in to goal line)in giving up points,except for field goals,and then giving up points early(and yards,of course),they buckled down on their opponents,giving few points,in the second,and third period(example:the Rams,Raiders,Lions(Thanksgiving Day),and Buccaneers,all scored early,and scored few points,in those two quarters,and were behind,in the fourth quarter,and then chasing the Packers' offense,to run the clock out on the game)... Packers are the best overall team,going into the playoffs,record wise,but they can be beaten,and yet,when healthy,they are the team to beat,and resting the injured Packers,the first round bye,and the Frozen Tundra should help them out in their playoff run... come to Green Bay,NFL teams... welcome to the Frozen Tundra!!!!!!!!!!

game score,and commentary...

Packers 45,Lions 41... Matt Flynn 31 completions,in 44 attempts,for 480 yards,and six touchdown passes;Matthew Stafford,36 completions,in 59 attempts,for 520 yards,for Detroit,and five touchdown passes... no one could stop anyone,in the wildest shootout,of the year... Packers 15-1... both totals are Packers' records,for touchdown passes,and passing yards,and 1,000 yards passing is,i believe,a NFL record,for both teams,in a game...

BREAKING NEWS...

Aaron Rodgers,Clay Matthews,and Charles Woodson are inactive for today's game,against the Lions... Rodgers is being rested today...