Regular Season GB Packers Report

NFC North Champions.

12 - 4... good for a second seed in the playoffs and a week off to rest and recuperate.

The Packers finished the last quarter of the season with 3 wins and 1 loss (at Buffalo) including an impressive win over division rival Detroit yesterday.  Detroit has led the division most of the season.

Motor City's NFL team roughed up the Pack in week 3 at Ford Field in Green Bay's most dispiriting loss of the year one that gave the Lions a tie-breaking advantage in terms of winning the division and better placement in the playoffs.

Just finishing with identical records was not enough, so if Green Bay had defeated Buffalo two weeks ago and lost to Detroit they would have been left in second place in the division.

It was a gritty win for the Packers.  Detroit has a tough defense - holding the Packers out of the end zone on the first drive of the day to keep the game scoreless.  A Micah Hyde punt return made it 7 - 0 GB. 

Likely NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers threw a touchdown pass to Randall Cobb in the second quarter while pulling up due to pain in his calf.  It was a 14 - 0 lead, but with the team's leader riding off to the locker room for treatment, there was much hand-wringing around Packerland.  Detroit pulled within seven at the half and tied it early in the second half.

Yikes!  This was close!  Where was Aaron?   Then in a Favre-ian moment; #12 walked back onto the sidelines at Lambeau Field and led the team down the field for a seven point advantage on the next possession.

Then, in what I might humbly say (cough, cough) was my biggest moment of the afternoon.... after the Lions blocked Mason Crosby's field goal attempt and took over in their territory I said to the room, "I have a feeling we're going to have a defensive turnover."

Next play - the Detroit hand off isn't secured by the running back (FUMBLE!!) and Packer safety Morgan Burnett comes up with the pigskin.

Rodgers finishes the next drive with a quarterback sneak from the one and a two touchdown lead.

The Packer D forces a safety to go up by 16, which was helpful when Detroit scored with less than two minutes left.  The extra two points awarded by the safety forced the Lions to go for two, and they came up short.

Whew.  It was fun and had me on the edge of my seat other than when I stood and cheered.   While all Packer fans will be waiting for every little update on the most important left leg in the state during the next two weeks; it's good to know there are two weeks to recover and prepare for a home play-off game.

The team is pretty healthy (assuming Aaron Rodgers makes some progress with his calf, but I expect he'll be playing in any case), which is much different than the last three seasons.

The loss to Buffalo was a clunker in the team's last quarter, but it was a very good season with the record of 12 - 4 matching the mark of the top teams in the NFL. The blue link takes you back (if interested) to my "fearless forecast" for the year back on August 25 - it's a surprise to me as well that it turned out to be right. 

Now it's down to three games - the Divisional playoff in Lambeau; a NFC Title game; and Super Bowl in Arizona.  For this season I'm pulling for the Pack to be undefeated!

Go Pack, Go!