I love Aaron Rodgers and think he has a bright future in front of him. I was proud of the way he battled back from a pathetic 1st half and made a game of it.

But Brett Favre had an answer for everything Green Bay threw at him.

The Packers were out played and outcoached today.

I am not saying the season is over - far from it -- but the Brett Favre led MN Vikings by sweeping the Pack in convincing fashion have established themself as king on the Hill as of today, and have essentially a 3 game lead on the Packers heading into their bye week.

AR is the future but as you said, BF and the Vikes had the answers. He is playing with a renewed focus this year. The Pack just need to stay focused, clean up what they need to clean up and take one game at a time.

It's a shame Favre couldn't show this level of focus and discipline towards the end of 2007. He played like this during that Giants game, he'd have another ring right now.

Regardless of that: AR's my guy. Every other team and every other player can suck an egg.

AR played well today after that awful first half. Just not quite good enough.

Favre played a bit better.

But he has the better OL and RB.

Man and what about Harvin?

Oh me too. Aaron Rodgers is my QB and Green Bay is my team.

I cannot and will never cheer for the MN Vikings under any circumstances.

I don't know about this. I think Favre gets way too much credit for what the Vikings are having success with. It sure must be nice throwing a screen pass or a dump off and having the RB run for thirty or forty yards untouched. BTW, it must be nice playing with a short field because your special teams has put you in position to score.

The only thing I can say is how do you think they would look with Tarverous(?) in there?

IMO, the Vikes would have either split or lost both games.

Right now, Favre is the better quarterback and the Vikings are a better team. The Pack aren't far behind, but for this year it's the unfortunate truth. imo

Favre had ALL DAY to throw. How many times was he knocked down 2, 3 times? The ineffective D when it matters most in the game reminded me of last year.
- Get a key stop = dumb ass penalty (Jolly)
- 3rd and 17 = 1st down, then roll over the rest of the drive
- Let's play 3/4 man fronts practically the whole game then the most important 3rd down of the game = bring the house, TD Berrian
- I consider it a miracle when they get off the field on third downs
So freaking frustrating. Not the end of the world, 9 games left. However, 3rd ranked D in the league? I think not.

We've known for a couple years that the queens were a QB away from being a serious team. They have a QB now. This is no big surprise.

We're going to win 8-9 games this year. It's unlikely we'll make the playoffs. Given our new switch to the 3-4, this is also no surprise: the surprise is we're playing defense as well as we are.

Personally, I think Aaron took a big step today. In the second half he looked like he was getting rid of the ball faster. Unfortunately, we need our OL to also take a big step. Until we have a serious running game, we'll struggle in the red one.

I don't agree that the 3=4 switch is costing us games. This d is better than last years.

If we don't make the playoffs a gm and HC changes should be considered. I'm not convinced that Murphy has the balls to do it though.

Indeed. The better team won today. The better QB lost.

I think AR is the better QB. Favre would be dead by now with our OL problems. We are going to have some growing pains and it will be tough for us for another year. Even Favre took a couple of years to get things straightened out. And he had a pretty solid team around him. We need to get an OL and our passing game and running game will be fine. If we can't block we can't do much.

I think AR is the better QB. Favre would be dead by now with our OL problems. We are going to have some growing pains and it will be tough for us for another year. Even Favre took a couple of years to get things straightened out. And he had a pretty solid team around him. We need to get an OL and our passing game and running game will be fine. If we can't block we can't do much.

Rodgers looked every bit as good as Favre when he was given time to throw. Brett had a lot of short fields and his receivers made some nice plays. Sure wish we could have had THIS farve the last several years. I will say this. It says a lot for his greatness that he's able to play at this level after half assing it all offseason. So much for the whole "today's NFL is a 12 month a year job, BS."

The better team did win today, though. No question about that.

Not to overstate the obvious, but the Pack needs to spend some dough on veteran O line FA's. Don't know who's out there yet for 2010. But the draft isn't working.

our house is dirty, we need to work on cleaning it. We will look at film this week, and blah blah blah.

I quite agree with you about the team, the Vikings are clearly better. However, I am not sure about the QB. Favre played very well but most of the big plays for the Vikes were not as a direct result of Favre play. Almost every big play on the Packers side was either by Rodgers or Rodgers played a big part.

Some years ago, Young got hurt and Grbac was going to get his first start - against Dallas. Walsh never had great OLs, he believed the QB should be mobile enough to make a pass rusher miss. Grbac was not an especially mobile QB. There was an interview in N.Californicator with Grbac, asking him how he felt about this. He responded, "I need to get the ball out fast." He did, all day long, 1-step and 2-step drops on a lot of plays. As I recall, he wasn't sacked. The 49ers didn't have much in the way of long plays, but the slants and outs killed them.

Rodgers needs to watch that game tape.

Fixed.

Yes. If AR had the kind of time Favre did, we'd be a whole different team. This should be the top priority for next year. Easily.

Agreed but I think during the Fox broadcast, one of the announcers said that MM had watched previous film and called the right game. According to MM, through Aikman or whoever was calling the game,it was AR who wasn't getting rid of the ball. I just hope AR keeps his head up and keeps working at it. This kid is special.

Funny schedule this year. Next the hapless Buccaneers, which should be another 31-3 type game. There are some horrific teams in the league this year.

At this point, I only see the Cowboys, Steelers and Ravens giving the Pack a game. 10-6 is not out of the question and I'm leaning towards 11-5.

my heart says we'll be a playoff team, but my eyes are telling me 8-8 at this point.

And what would this truly provide. A new offensive system, yet another new defensive scheme, and a young team having to start all over again. Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. I think a change like that would end up setting the team futher back.

As someone else already said, TT needs to spend some money on vet FAs, especially along the O line and I think we will get better. An Oline FA and a true 3-4 rush outside LBr, I think we will be pretty strong entering next season. Add a safety that can actually provide coverage on a pass play and that would be icing on the cake.

Oh and get rid of Tramon Williams, this guy drives me nuts will his weak coverage ability. He is great when he jumps a route and picks of a pass, but the other 8 times out of 10 he's killing us.


JMHO

Chicago on the road will be no cakewalk, same with Arizona and SF. Folks this is a very average football team

(warning: what I am about to say should in no way be construed as Favre-bashing...I thought he played a terrific game for the record)





I must humbley disagree here. Sadly, Green Bay didn't throw anything at him today. That was the problem. He didn't even get his jersey muddied. Heck, he never even had to roll out of the pocket. Double heck, he probably only had to step up into the pocket twice. No, for my money, AR outplayed him from the standpoint of "answers". JMHO.

Your probably right...I just hate to think it though. I'm hoping they pull it together and make a great run for the playoffs.

Couldn't agree more with this post. Frustrating is a mild version of what I experience watching these guys play. This was an exact replay of last year. If we needed a stop, we didn't get it. When we needed a touchdown, we missed a long field goal. After a big turnover early, we give up a special teams play to switch momentum. The penalty on Jolly was so obvious and so not necessary. Undisciplined team.

The team is close, but can't close the deal. If we could have taken the lead, who knows what happens . . . Unfortunately the what if game will continue. Good teams finish the deal. The team's mettle will definitely be tested over the next few weeks.

Yes they are. I picked them to go 8-8 at the beginning of the season, and for weeks I've been hoping I was wrong. Now even that's looking a bit optimistic. Of the remaining games, I think Dallas, Chicago, Baltimore and Pittsburgh are definite losses. We may win one of the Arizona SF games, but we'll still finish third in the division. No playoffs this year.

I should say though that the rest of our division gets to play the same horrible teams. I don't see a wild card coming out of our division even given the North's easy schedule. But we're only half way there.

The reality is that this is a very one dimensional football team. We are going to hit the part of our schedule that sans 3 games, Tampa Bay, Detroit and Arizona are most likely going to be played in cold conditional. In that case you MUST run the ball to win and I see nothing that leads me to believe me that is going to change.

Stranger things have happened. It's going to be a fun and exciting ride to watch the rest of the season unfold. This team has some moxie and AR is a fine, fine QB. It'll be fun. Time to just sit back and enjoy it.

I am not convinced typing this that if the Queens do not fumble that kickoff this could have been over going into the 4th quarter. Football is a game of emotion and momentum, the game changed on that one play. If Minny does not fumble they get the ball at the 40. I know 20/20 but......

I hope I don't get slayed for this but I breathed a sigh of relief over the Grant fumble. That was a pretty quick forward progress call. Quick as I've seen a ll year. That could have been, in hindsight, a huge momentum shift to start the game.

And how do you think they would look with Rodgers as their QB? I think even better!

Arizona may very have nothing to play for in week 17, so that could be a gimme game. The NFC East should beat each other up. It's an average team that could finish with an above average record. Not sure that gets us anywhere other than a lower draft pick, but I could see us backing into a playoffs. Probably won't do much if we get there, though.

I agree with you. However, the Packers were given another chance, came most of the way back and had a shot to steal one but couldn't finish it off. Sort of like the Metrodome game last year. They had no business being there at the end, yet they were unable to take it when opportunity presented itself.

I don't understand this.

Minny gave us ten points. On the bungled snap and on the kickoff returned by a DL. Minny called a dumb play on fourth and one.

So at the end of the first half, it could have easily been 20-0 or 24-0.

Let's not make excuses. Since we benefited from the only turnovers in the game and a dumb play call.

And did you expect McCarthy to admit that he called a bad game. He did say going into half this week they should maybe use more 3 step drops. Maybe he finally gets it.

Isn't that what good teams do, though? Take advantage of turnovers? Can we fault Minn then for getting good kick returns? I mean, god forbid it being OK for the Packers to take advantage of the other teams mistakes, for once, and not the other way around.

In 2007, the Packers had the most effective pass-blocking OL in the NFL. In 2008, it plunged to 14th. The sack rate doubled.

Anybody care to guess what changed?

Look, I like AR a lot, but he needs to get the ball out faster. When he does this, he's one of the top QBs in the NFL. When he doesn't, he looks a lot like David Carr (the good news, is that AR *does* get the ball out faster at times, so we know that he's capable of doing it consistently).

I think you missed the point of my post. I wasn't making excuses. In fact, just the opposite. The Packers were given a great chance to steal the game and blew the opportunity. They need a touchdown at 31-26, not a field goal. The close part refers to being in position to win the game and not doing so, nothing else. Taking the lead MIGHT have changed the ensuing possession by the Vikes . . . that is why the "what if" game is impossible to play.

Murphy in for Harlan?

OK, sorry about the misunderstanding.

Clifton and Tauscher are 2 years older and their skills are greatly diminished?

I get your point however. There is a good time and a bad time to take a sack. Jimmy Johnson used to tell the Cowboys that he would rather take holding penalties than a sack when his teams used to play against the really good Eagles teams in the early 1990's when they had Reggie White. At least with a holding penalty you get another chance. Aaron needs to learn to get rid of the ball quicker on first and second downs. Plus we need to get better lineman and establish a running game to take some of the heat off of him.

I don't think Favre is the better QB. The whole first half the GB line was a open gate. Ryan Grant IMO no one can agrue that he is nothing but a 3rd or 4th string RB that the Packers need to replace. MM play calling sucks and should grow a pair and get more aggresive with his play calling.

I take a bit offense the original post. I dont think Rodgers is the less QB at all. I strongly feel tat Capers was out coached in both games. I will call the Packers a slightly lesser team . However I can not fathom how Capers can be so damn conservative against a QB he is now 0-8 against. Does he fear him? Does he over think? Does he overcompensate.Does he underestimate his abillity.

I lay this squarly on the defense. they could have set the tone and did not .Instead they made Rodgers try to win the game AGAIN. Favre is a QB that can overcome defensive woes. Arod is not there yet and yes Bruce I agree there with you . I however in two games against the Vikings I came away feeling what the hell is a matter with Capers. I respect him as a coach however I am dissapponted in his ability to see what we all have known. Put pressure on Favre and make him win the game. Coming into this game the Vikings have had 18 sacks, yes18!!! and they played the Packers twice and allowed 1 fricken sack. The Vikings offensive line is as every bit as bad as the Packers however Capers twice failed to exploit it.