2011-12 NFC North Division

[wadesworld]

Congrats Tower.  I had hoped the Bears would have joined the Lions as a Wildcard making the NFC North the top Division.  Damn injuries!

And I was told I had no football IQ when I said that the NFC North was anything but mediocre and was instead the best in the NFC.  If not for injuries, the Packers are the best team in the NFC, the Saints the 2nd, and the Bears very well may have been the 3rd.  I'm not sold on the 49ers, especially as a playoff team.  Defense and ball control can get you into the playoffs, but as we have seen time and time again, you need a quarterback who can win you games to win in the playoffs.  They remind me of the Falcons last year, although with a better defense but far worse offense, and we all know how that went for the Falcons.

[MUMac]

And I was told I had no football IQ when I said that the NFC North was anything but mediocre and was instead the best in the NFC.  If not for injuries, the Packers are the best team in the NFC, the Saints the 2nd, and the Bears very well may have been the 3rd.  I'm not sold on the 49ers, especially as a playoff team.  Defense and ball control can get you into the playoffs, but as we have seen time and time again, you need a quarterback who can win you games to win in the playoffs.  They remind me of the Falcons last year, although with a better defense but far worse offense, and we all know how that went for the Falcons.

I agree with your order.  To me, the Packers, Saints and Bears were the top 3.  I would put the Lions not that far behind, either.  The Niners are overrated, to me.  I am not sold on anyone in the East, though the Giants have some potential.

[Blackhat]

The Niners D is for real and their pass rush could cause the Pack real problems.  Alex Smith is holding them back though, with how much the Pack's D has regressed this year though they have a chance to pull it out against us.  

[reinko]

Lions are in.   Stunned giddiness ensues.

Hey Tower, interested in:   

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,

[tower912]

Thrilled to be wrong.   Put the right microbrew with that and it would be dang tasty. 

[jesmu84]

Had a great Christmas morning/day with the family. Ate early so I had no distractions for the Bulls victory or the Bears/Pack game. Great game so far.

[MU B2002]

Hey Mike Martz, see what happens when you set up the pass with the run?  And frack can u get the play call in a little quicker, I mean 15 games into the season should be enough time to work out the kinks.

[DegenerateDish]

Watching this game tonight, I think the Niners will give the Pack a great game if they meet up. Not saying they win, but it'd be a game.

[jmayer1]

The Bears defense knows the Packers offense (and how to slow it down) better than any other team.  That 100 yard touchdown to Cruz would've been nice to have.

Not quite as nice as Rodgers' 5 td's though!

[MUMac]

Watching this game tonight, I think the Niners will give the Pack a great game if they meet up. Not saying they win, but it'd be a game.

The Niners have a good defense, but their offense is suspect.  Yes, the Packers D is not playing well, but they will get Pickett back.  He is the key to the run defense.

I am not so sure that the Niners could stop the Packers O enough.  Alex Smith will make the mistakes, though.

I am more concerned about NO.  Because their O can keep up with the Packers O.  Don't discount that most other offenses feel pressure to put points on the board to keep up with the Packers.  That, IMHO, is why the Packers created turnovers.  NO will not be concerned about that and will not make those mistakes.

[DegenerateDish]

I'll be honest, I'm shocked how the Bears are shredding the Pack defense. I say that about the Niners because the Bears are doing this with a third string QB and third and fourth string backs.

[jesmu84]

I'll be honest, I'm shocked how the Bears are shredding the Pack defense. I say that about the Niners because the Bears are doing this with a third string QB and third and fourth string backs.

If Josh McCown starts since Cutler went out, Bears are in the playoffs.

[MUMac]

I'll be honest, I'm shocked how the Bears are shredding the Pack defense. I say that about the Niners because the Bears are doing this with a third string QB and third and fourth string backs.

I don't know what to make of the Packers defensive performance the past two weeks.  I think the loss of Pickett has hurt, as has the lack of continuity with the LB's.  The DB's. though, continue to make mistakes and slip at inopportune times.

That said, I don't see the Niners outscoring the Packers.  Other than the egg they laid last week, no one has slowed this offense down.  The Niners have not faced an offense as powerful as the Packers.  Plus, it's in Lambeau.  As I said, NO is the one team that concerns me.  Can the Niners win?  Yes, it's the Playoffs.  But the odds are MUCH less likely they could pull it off than NO.

[DegenerateDish]

Thing about the Niners is they will play great D, and limit possessions with their run game. Can't see Pack losing to Dal/NYG/Atl/Det in divisional round.

[MUMac]

Thing about the Niners is they will play great D, and limit possessions with their run game. Can't see Pack losing to Dal/NYG/Atl/Det in divisional round.

Their run game is my point.  Pickett will be back - the Packers best run defender.  Neal was hurt today.  The D-line rotation was razor thin.  The Packers played much of the game with Soto at LB.  First real game experience for him.  Bishop returned, but did not play like Bishop.  I am not concerned about the Niners run game.  The Packers go up two scores and the Niners need to rely on Smith more - and he will make mistakes.

Don't get me wrong.  The Packers D really concerns me.  Just not against the Niners.  Yes, they have a good defense, but again, I just don't see them stopping the Packers.  Jennings will be healthy (some talk that his knee was fine this week - I doubt he plays next week, though).  The Niners may have a good defense, but the Packers have a much better offense.  Add to that, Rodgers is playing at an elite level right now.

As I stated, the only team that concerns me is NO.  They have the type of offense that can hang with the Packers offense.

I also wonder how much the Packers took the Bears O for granted.  After the past few weeks and now down to the 3rd string QB and RB, I could see that they would - even though they have some injuries themselves.

[wadesworld]

I've said it before and I'll say it again, the Packers have the 2 best quarterbacks in the NFC North.  You Bears fans can tell me how lacking my football IQ is (just like when I questioned how anybody could say this is a mediocre division before the season started after it was an all NFC North NFC Championship game...looks like those high football IQs were wrong about that too...if not for injuries to Cutler and Forte this division is looking at  3 playoff teams...too bad Jay Bee's Queens have to bring this division down), but Matt Flynn outplayed Matthew Staford, who, in my low-football-IQ-mind, is the 2nd best quarterback in the division when he is healthy.  And now everyone will talk about how it's just one game.  Just like it was just one game last year at New England.  The guy can play.  And he will play next year after he is paid in the off season.  Anybody who thought otherwise was just wrong.  Without a doubt the best backup quarterback in the NFL, and better than a number of starting quarterbacks.

136.4 passer rating today against a front 4 that is supposed to be as good as they come.

Packers the first team ever to sweep through the NFC North.  Beat the 2nd place team with their top 5 players on the bench.

F you, Ted Thompson.  Right Stone Cold?

Get even more healthy over the bye week and get ready for the playoffs.  Hoping to see the NFC East winner and then the 49ers.  We'll see.

[Hards Alumni]

Someone will pay Matt Flynn some money this off season, and he will be a starting QB.

M. Flynn   31/44   480 yards passing   10.9 yards/reception   6 TDs   1 INT   136.4  Passer rating.

wot?

[wadesworld]

By the way, how is Jordy Nelson not a Pro Bowler?

[🏀]

By the way, how is Jordy Nelson not a Pro Bowler?

Should be over Jennings.

Trade Flynn for a high pick, but he is not better than Cutler. Third best QB in the division for sure.

[MUMac]

Should be over Jennings.

Trade Flynn for a high pick, but he is not better than Cutler. Third best QB in the division for sure.

Flynn is a UFA this year.  Likely just played himself out of Green Bay, which is good for him.  A lot of good QB's coming out of College this year, but two impressive starts for Flynn now, someone will want him.

Wadesworld, I was a skeptic as well.  I thought he needed more of a body of work for me to decide.  Oddly, I was really comfortable when the Packers had the ball.  He certainly was impressive.  Shows again what good coaching can do to develop a QB. 

Set Packer records for TD's and yards in a game.  And the Lions were actually playing for something.

[MerrittsMustache]

I've said it before and I'll say it again, the Packers have the 2 best quarterbacks in the NFC North.  You Bears fans can tell me how lacking my football IQ is (just like when I questioned how anybody could say this is a mediocre division before the season started after it was an all NFC North NFC Championship game...looks like those high football IQs were wrong about that too...if not for injuries to Cutler and Forte this division is looking at  3 playoff teams...too bad Jay Bee's Queens have to bring this division down), but Matt Flynn outplayed Matthew Staford, who, in my low-football-IQ-mind, is the 2nd best quarterback in the division when he is healthy.  And now everyone will talk about how it's just one game.  Just like it was just one game last year at New England.  The guy can play.  And he will play next year after he is paid in the off season.  Anybody who thought otherwise was just wrong.  Without a doubt the best backup quarterback in the NFL, and better than a number of starting quarterbacks.

136.4 passer rating today against a front 4 that is supposed to be as good as they come.

Packers the first team ever to sweep through the NFC North.  Beat the 2nd place team with their top 5 players on the bench.

F you, Ted Thompson.  Right Stone Cold?

Get even more healthy over the bye week and get ready for the playoffs.  Hoping to see the NFC East winner and then the 49ers.  We'll see.

Give me a break. Rodgers, Cutler and Stafford are all better than Flynn.

Chad Hutchinson once put up a 115 passer rating against a playoff-bound Vikings team led by 2004 All Pro, Duante Culpepper. You know what that means, right? Absolutely nothing.

[wadesworld]

Should be over Jennings.

Trade Flynn for a high pick, but he is not better than Cutler. Third best QB in the division for sure.

That's fair.  It would be interesting to see what kind of numbers he would put up with the Bears offense.  Much better receivers to throw to, but Forte is the ultimate bailout for a quarterback.  He wouldn't be putting up 500 yards and 6 touchdowns.  But we'll see next year.  I truly believe he'll prove to have been the 2nd best quarterback in the division.  Just like Rodgers was when he was sitting under Favre.  Watching the best quarterback in the NFL in practice every single day for 3 years gives them a huge advantage.

[🏀]

That's fair.  It would be interesting to see what kind of numbers he would put up with the Bears offense.  Much better receivers to throw to, but Forte is the ultimate bailout for a quarterback.  He wouldn't be putting up 500 yards and 6 touchdowns.  But we'll see next year.  I truly believe he'll prove to have been the 2nd best quarterback in the division.  Just like Rodgers was when he was sitting under Favre.  Watching the best quarterback in the NFL in practice every single day for 3 years gives them a huge advantage.

Really think Favre was the best those three years?....probably not.

[wadesworld]

Really think Favre was the best those three years?....probably not.

'07 he was one of the best.  But you're right, he wasn't the best quarterback in the NFL anymore.  But he was learning from one of the best who had been the best over the past decade and watched him in practice every day.  Fortunately, the Packers didn't let him show up when he wanted to like some other franchise...Otherwise Rodgers would've been the one taking the snaps in practices (just had to throw that in there).

[MUMac]

Really think Favre was the best those three years?....probably not.

Favre was close, at least.  His last year as a Packer was one of the best I saw him play.  Did not end on a positive, but that does not take away from his play that year.

I don't think you could learn from Favre, though.  At least nothing tangible.  His mechanics were something he could get away with.  Rodgers may have learned the importance of taking care of the ball.  Most of the development, though, was due to the coaching.  They broke his form down and rebuilt it.  Pretty impressive coaching, if you ask me.