2011-12 NFC North Division

[MUMac]

I think you mean they gave an extension to Sitton - not Lang.  Lang I believe is still on his rookie deal.  Sitton is real good.

But I essentially agree with you that they miss Jenkins.  The question is whether or not it would have been worth tying up big money on him while they felt that they had a viable alternative in Neal.  But since the Packers run a 2-4-5 quite often, I think the real problem is the pass rush on the other side of Matthews.  We simply have not had production from the other OLB slot.

That was my fault and you are correct, I meant Sitton, not Lang.  Thanks for catching that.

[MUMac]

Don't hang your heads, Packer fans.  Yes, it was another close call, but the Vikings are almost 7-0.  You beat an excellent team today.  Good job.

Now you sound like Lindy Infante when he was fired by Ron Wolf. 

[MUMac]

Until Walden can start to consistently win his 1 on 1 matchups, Clay will get doubled or at the very least chipped by the RB or TE.  I think Matthews has been phenomenal this year although he doesn't have the sack numbers.  If only Walden could be the player he was at the end of last year...will Zombo be back any time soon?

Zombo was back practicing, then hurt his knee against the Rams.  The Packers believe he will be back after the bye.  The bye could not have come at a better time.  It will will help the Packers heal.  Hopefully Burnett will be able to play without the cast on his hand against San Diego.  Williams should be fully recovered.

[Hards Alumni]

Zombo was back practicing, then hurt his knee against the Rams.  The Packers believe he will be back after the bye.  The bye could not have come at a better time.  It will will help the Packers heal.  Hopefully Burnett will be able to play without the cast on his hand against San Diego.  Williams should be fully recovered.

Plus Jennings' hand should be better.

[Mobot]

Plus Jennings' hand should be better.

Sam Shields should be back from his concussion.

[MUMac]

Sam Shields should be back from his concussion.

Sheilds was cleared yesterday.

[Sir Lawrence]

Nice game the Bears had last night.   O-line way better than I expected.  Cutler using what he has-- horrible mechanics, incredible arm. 

Packers:  two picks in the first quarter.   Seemingly embarking on a romp.   4 sacks on Rodgers.  Weird game, but they have won 14 straight and have not trailed in the fourth quarter in any of those games.  Getting awfully spoiled.

[tower912]

Bears are back in it.    Big game next week.   With Detroit's schedule, this week could be the difference between making the playoffs and missing.   

[MUMac]

Nice game the Bears had last night.   O-line way better than I expected.  Cutler using what he has-- horrible mechanics, incredible arm. 

Packers:  two picks in the first quarter.   Seemingly embarking on a romp.   4 sacks on Rodgers.  Weird game, but they have won 14 straight and have not trailed in the fourth quarter in any of those games.  Getting awfully spoiled.

Recover the on-side kick and it likely would have been a romp.  I think, on a short field, the Packers extend it to 21 again.  Game over.  Poor play by Taylor.  He is the best ST player, IMHO, on the Packers squad, but did not play his position on that play.  Almost killed the Packers.  Gave the Chargers life.

[ringout]

Just a general comment to those obsessed with the Pack being undefeated.

I could care less if the Pack goes undefeated.

Packers goal is to win the SuperBowl.  It isn't to go undefeated. 

What team would you rather play for?   2007 Giants or 2007 Patriots?

[MUBurrow]

ejecting Moore but not Stafford? thats fracking pathetic. especially considering how much protection QBs get the rest of the game, to go and pull a guy down by the head as a QB is bullsh*t. I'm not even a Bears fan by any means, but have a little self respect ref.

[MUMac]

ejecting Moore but not Stafford? thats fracking pathetic. especially considering how much protection QBs get the rest of the game, to go and pull a guy down by the head as a QB is bullsh*t. I'm not even a Bears fan by any means, but have a little self respect ref.

I wonder if Stafford get's fined for that.  Maybe he should worry more about the interceptions he is throwing than throwing a cheap shot.  This was my first time watching Detroit play this year.  Very cheap and dirty team.  Makes Atlanta look like choirboys.  Suh is the worst kind of football player.  What a cheapshot artist.  Getting their a$$e$ handed to them again.  I guess Harbaugh was right.  Same old Detroit.

[shiloh26]

ejecting Moore but not Stafford? thats fracking pathetic. especially considering how much protection QBs get the rest of the game, to go and pull a guy down by the head as a QB is bullsh*t. I'm not even a Bears fan by any means, but have a little self respect ref.

I totally agree, just like the million other personal foul calls where both parties objectively deserve to be penalized, but the only the last one to retaliate is penalized.  I don't know if they just didn't see Stafford or what. 

[tower912]

Lion fan here who has been saying all year that we aren't as good as everybody thinks.    The activities are nothing new (OK, Stafford throwing a tantrum like a 2 year old is).    I see 2007 redux, 6-2 first half, 1-7 second half.   No running game, QB channeling his inner Joey Harrington,  defense making bush league plays.    Suh hasn't even been dirty today.    Fairley drilled Cutler.   Briggs evened that right up.   Stafford throwing a tantrum and the DB to the ground....   I wish I was surprised.  

Edit:   3-5 second half.   We beat Carolina and Minnesota at home, probably Oakland on the road. .    Lose today, lose twice to GB, lose to NO, lose to SD,

[shiloh26]

Lion fan here who has been saying all year that we aren't as good as everybody thinks.    The activities are nothing new (OK, Stafford throwing a tantrum like a 2 year old is).    I see 2007 redux, 6-2 first half, 1-7 second half.   No running game, QB channeling is inner Joey Harrington,  defense making bush league plays.    Suh hasn't even been dirty today.    Fairley drilled Cutler.   Briggs evened that right up.   Stafford throwing a tantrum and the DB to the ground....   I wish I was surprised.  

As a Packer fan, I never thought I'd be rooting for the Bears from a non-strategic standpoint.  The Lions are just handling themselves poorly.  Stafford's little fit right after Fairley's very late hit on Cutler... you're right, its very bush league. 

[MUMac]

Lion fan here who has been saying all year that we aren't as good as everybody thinks.    The activities are nothing new (OK, Stafford throwing a tantrum like a 2 year old is).    I see 2007 redux, 6-2 first half, 1-7 second half.   No running game, QB channeling his inner Joey Harrington,  defense making bush league plays.    Suh hasn't even been dirty today.    Fairley drilled Cutler.   Briggs evened that right up.   Stafford throwing a tantrum and the DB to the ground....   I wish I was surprised.  

My bad on Suh.  It was Fairley.  Just used to it being Suh.  

This game is going to have a pretty high number of fines.  I would suspect Briggs get's fined for his hit. 

Add Riola to the players who will be fined.  He really is a dirty player.  I don't like him at all.  That play is typical of the crap he pulls.

[tower912]

Stafford played with a broken finger on his throwing hand.   I put that on Schwarz.   When your started is clearly ineffective AND has a broken finger, you bring in the back up with the proven track record. 

[MerrittsMustache]

My bad on Suh.  It was Fairley.  Just used to it being Suh.  

This game is going to have a pretty high number of fines.  I would suspect Briggs get's fined for his hit. 

Add Riola to the players who will be fined.  He really is a dirty player.  I don't like him at all.  That play is typical of the crap he pulls.

Briggs led with his shoulder and hit Johnson in the chest. Shouldn't have even been a penalty unless the ruling was that he left the ground and launched himself - certainly wasn't helmet to helmet. Honestly though, it's reached the point where every big hit results in a flag.

The worst part about the Stafford play was that the refs reviewed the play and somehow only ejected Moore. What Fairley did to Cutler was worse than what Moore did to Stafford.

[MUMac]

Briggs led with his shoulder and hit Johnson in the chest. Shouldn't have even been a penalty unless the ruling was that he left the ground and launched himself - certainly wasn't helmet to helmet. Honestly though, it's reached the point where every big hit results in a flag.

The worst part about the Stafford play was that the refs reviewed the play and somehow only ejected Moore. What Fairley did to Cutler was worse than what Moore did to Stafford.

Briggs launching himself is what drew the penalty and may possibly draw a fine.

As for Stafford, they cannot use the review to call a penalty on the play.  They only reviewed to see if he was down by contact.  The flag was already on the ground before the review.  Had Detroit not asked for a review, the only outcome would have been the penalty and ejection of Moore with Chicago receiving the ball where the player went out of bounds.  Moore was appropriately ejected for fighting.  The play was over and he went after Stafford.  Whether he had a reason or not is immaterial.  He should have been ejected.  Stafford should have had a penalty called on him - nothing more.  Now, I also believe the Detroit player should have been called for a late pick as the Bear player was clearly out of bounds.   

[copious1218]

My bad on Suh.  It was Fairley.  Just used to it being Suh.  

You may be wrong on Suh in this instance, but a couple drives before Fairley hit Culter in the end zone, Suh pushed Culter to the ground about 2-3 seconds after the ball was gone, while another defender was around Cutler's feet.  Bush league about sums up that team though.  And I'm not a fan of any team in the NFC North.

[MerrittsMustache]

Briggs launching himself is what drew the penalty and may possibly draw a fine.

As for Stafford, they cannot use the review to call a penalty on the play.  They only reviewed to see if he was down by contact.  The flag was already on the ground before the review.  Had Detroit not asked for a review, the only outcome would have been the penalty and ejection of Moore with Chicago receiving the ball where the player went out of bounds.  Moore was appropriately ejected for fighting.  The play was over and he went after Stafford.  Whether he had a reason or not is immaterial.  He should have been ejected.  Stafford should have had a penalty called on him - nothing more.  Now, I also believe the Detroit player should have been called for a late pick as the Bear player was clearly out of bounds.   

Not true. The officials reviewed down by contact (which was blatantly obvious and should have been called on the field) and, in a separate review, they looked at the skirmish and decided to eject Moore for going after Stafford. That decision makes little sense considering Stafford was clearly the instigator. Also, as someone on WSCR claimed this morning, the whistle hadn't actually blown when Moore hit Stafford so, technically, the play was still going on. I haven't seen a replay since I heard that though so I can't confirm. Either way, I still claim that if Moore's actions deserved an ejection, so did Fairley's when he drove Cutler into the turf well after the ball left his hand.

[MerrittsMustache]

You may be wrong on Suh in this instance, but a couple drives before Fairley hit Culter in the end zone, Suh pushed Culter to the ground about 2-3 seconds after the ball was gone, while another defender was around Cutler's feet.  Bush league about sums up that team though.  And I'm not a fan of any team in the NFC North.

There was also a play where Cutler scrambled out of bounds with Suh in pursuit and as Cutler was stepping out of bounds, Suh dove at his knees and fortunately didn't get much of him. Suh is far too talented a player to engage so much questionable play.

[tower912]

Conversely, last year Suh got fined for a play that was legal in a two-hand touch game; pushing Cutler down from behind in the middle of the field.    Two hands, between the shoulder blades, push, $$$$$.   BTW, Stafford was pulling Moore down as the play went out of bounds.   Moore came back after the runner was out of bounds.   I agree with Moore getting tossed and can't even dispute that Stafford should have gotten run, too. 

[jesmu84]

the vikings are not good. at all.

[mugrad2006]

Also, you can't score enough points to beat the Packers.  No one can.