NFL Wild Card: Packers at Eagles

[jmt57]

With eleven days to go before the Pats play again, discussion about the Patriots is starting to dry up. The biggest news over the next 72 hours will be the first round of the 2010-11 NFL playoffs, so I'm going to go ahead and start four threads on each of those games now.

#6 Green Bay Packers (10-6) at #3 Philadelphia Eagles (10-6)
Sunday January 9 at 4:30 p.m. EST on FOX
Joe Buck and Troy Aikman will announce the game on TV
Ian Eagle, Trent Green and Laura Okmin will do the radio broadcast

Philadelphia is currently favored by 2½ to 3 points
Over under is from 46 to 46½ points
The Money Line has the Packers +120 to +130; Eagles -140 to -150



Edit: Final results from the poll on the front page of PatsFans.com:
76% thought the Packers would win, 24% thought the Eagles would win.

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

I'm looking forward to this game the most. I think GB shuts down the high powered offense and moves on to ATL

 

[Mark12]

By far the best game of the weekend, I think Packers win 31-27 ...

 

[denverpatsfan]

Looking forward to watching this game on Sunday afternoon here in Denver. Gonna be a close one. My gut tells me GB will prevail but don't count out Andy Reid in the 1st round his record is amazing.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Teams have figured out Vick and blitzing him is the key. Perfect matchup for a Dom Capers defense.

 

[denverpatsfan]

Teams have figured out Vick and blitzing him is the key. Perfect matchup for a Dom Capers defense.

Yes but Reid will have him practicing against that type of defense all week. It will be interesting to see if he learns and doesn't revert to old scrambling for his life Vick rather than the new pocket passer Vick.

 

[West Philly Patriot]

I think this is the best wildcard matchup in a while, really looking forward to this one. The eagles go as far as Vick takes them and he needs to be able to operate back there when the defense dials up the heat. If he can't adjust the eagles are one and done.

 

[jmt57]

Teams have figured out Vick and blitzing him is the key. Perfect matchup for a Dom Capers defense.

Vick hints that Andy Reid has figured something out with the Packer's blitz.

Confident Vick braces for Packers' blitz | Philadelphia Daily News | 01/06/2011

"We'll pick the blitz up," Vick pledged, smiling as he walked away from a session with reporters after practice yesterday. "It ain't hard."

The Vikings, who sent cornerback Antoine Winfield on delayed corner blitzes to strafe Vick, were particularly successful.

"I think everybody took a look at that film and really critiqued it and tried to figure out what we can do to get better," Vick said. "I'm almost 100 percent sure that we'll get the same looks [from Green Bay]. It might not be exactly the same, but in some way, shape or form, it'll be similar. We have to be ready for it."

The Packers like to bring Charles Woodson off the corner, several Eagles noted. "The Packers do the same blitz, and they're better at it," wideout Jason Avant said.

Whether it's Woodson or linebacker Clay Matthews, or both, Vick knows the book now says to blitz him, hit him, give him less time and space.

"Pretty much, that's what it's going to be," Vick said. "They're going to come after you, they're going to try to get you rattled, get you off your square, but that's football. You just have to be ready for it . . . Defenses, they have coaches, too, professional coaches that do a great job of scheming. They've just been beating us a couple of times. We found a way to fix it and we're just moving on."

Not to change the subject, but if Green Bay wins by coming up with a totally different game plan on defense, then this quote should be forwarded to every member of the media who complains about the Patriots limiting access to their players, and the players being robotic with their answers to questions from the press.


One other tidbit from that column: kicker David Akers and strong safety Quintin Mikell are the only Eagle players remaining from their Super Bowl 39 team.

 

[jmt57]

Vick, DeSean: Two stars who need to align for Eagles | Philadelphia Daily News | 01/06/2011

There were a dozen disconnects in that Tuesday night game between the Eagles and the Minnesota Vikings, and the 7-10 split stood out in many ways. The inability of Michael Vick and DeSean Jackson to read each other's mind, the essence of success between a quarterback and a wide receiver in the modern NFL, was as bad as it had been all season.

The wideout needs to see the blitz pressure coming at his quarterback and adjust his route accordingly. The quarterback needs to read the nature and the positioning of the pass coverage and vary his throws as a result. The calculations each of them makes need to be precise and nearly instantaneous.

The problems in that Minnesota game were not only between No. 7 and No. 10, between Vick and Jackson, but because their connection has been so spectacular this season, their inability to connect on that night was also especially prominent. That there needs to be a repair if the Eagles are to have any shot in their wild-card playoff game against the Green Bay Packers is beyond obvious.

The Vick-Jackson partnership has defined the season in many ways, for better or worse. When it is there, the results are stunning and the Eagles always win. When it isn't there, the outcome of the game is more of a coin flip. In the Eagles' six losses this season, Jackson didn't play in two of them and had 30, 19, 26 and 32 yards receiving in the other four. In their 10 wins, he had five games with at least 98 yards.

Sunday against the Packers, it just seems as if the connection must be restored. This is an Andy Reid/Marty Mornhinweg game in many ways. They must scheme their way to a significant early lead in this one or the odds really shrink for the Eagles. They must get Jackson going in a big way.

Theirs is an interesting dynamic. Jackson and Vick did endure a tense moment or two in the locker room after that Chicago loss, and Vick was quoted the day after Jackson's penalized plunge into the end zone that he didn't think the showboating was such a good idea.

But the truth is that their games are made for each other, and they both know it. Jackson needs time to run away from defenders (which he does like few others) and Vick buys time with his legs (which he does like few others). It is lightning when it works.

This week, it needs to work.

Wow, sports writers openly wanting the home town team to win - imagine that!

 

[BillBelichickFan79]

I love Dom Capers as a defensive coach. I was so excited when we brought him in, but his impact was never really felt. I love his defensive scheme and I think he will give Vick fits. He will throw a whole bunch of different looks at Vick, mix coverages, and get into some exotic blitzes. He'll have Vick off balance all day.

Philly will play right into Green Bay's hands with the way they refuse to consistently run the ball. Capers can just keep dialing up a bunch of different things. This Packers secondary is big and physical enough to get good jams on Desean and Maclin at the line.

I expect Green Bay to win and I currently like them to get to the SB in the NFC. I know they'd have to do it all on the road, but I love that defense, and they've got a QB and an offense that can get hot quick and score in bunches.

 

[naF staP]

Packers vs Eagles is the game I see going either way. Should be the best game of the weekend.

 

[karran_s]

The Packers D is one of the best I've seen. I saw a number of teams playing this season and I was very impressed by the overall team and the quality players they have on their roster.

They play tough and I think if Vick is contained, the Packers win. They definitely have the edge from a defensive standpoint.

However, Vick is the X-factor. If he plays as great as he did recently, when he demolished the Redskins, Vick is virtually unstoppable and can put a lot of points in a hurry. DeSean is another player to watch and if the Packers make a mistake in defending him, he will take it to the house as he's extraordinarily agile and quick - no Packer will be able to run him down once he gets going.

 

[Haterproof]

I love Dom Capers as a defensive coach. I was so excited when we brought him in, but his impact was never really felt. I love his defensive scheme and I think he will give Vick fits. He will throw a whole bunch of different looks at Vick, mix coverages, and get into some exotic blitzes. He'll have Vick off balance all day.

Philly will play right into Green Bay's hands with the way they refuse to consistently run the ball. Capers can just keep dialing up a bunch of different things. This Packers secondary is big and physical enough to get good jams on Desean and Maclin at the line.

I expect Green Bay to win and I currently like them to get to the SB in the NFC. I know they'd have to do it all on the road, but I love that defense, and they've got a QB and an offense that can get hot quick and score in bunches.

I still can't say who I think will win this game. I do think Green bay's lack of a running game is going to catch up them at some point.

 

[jmt57]

Some links to what they're saying in Wisconsin about this game:


Packers' Jenkins expects to play - JSOnline - Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel

Though Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy wouldn't fully commit to having defensive end Cullen Jenkins Sunday, the look on Jenkins' face told it all.

He'll be on the field Sunday when the Packers take on the Philadelphia Eagles in a wild-card playoff game at Lincoln Financial Field.

Jenkins still doesn't know how he'll be used against the Eagles, whether he will be on a prescribed snap count or play just on passing downs. Jenkins said he's not taking on any added pressure to lift the defense because it has been succeeding without him for four weeks.

Jenkins' return could be a boon for linebacker Clay Matthews and nose tackle B.J. Raji, who have been seeing lots of double teams lately. Matthews described a situation against the New York Giants where he faced three blockers and Raji two on the same play.

Raji, who has emerged as a pass-rushing threat with Jenkins on the sideline - four sacks in his last five games - figures he can only benefit from having Jenkins around. Defensive coordinator Dom Capers will have the option of spreading out Matthews, Raji and Jenkins to create a single-team block somewhere or flood one side of the formation to cause someone to come free.

When Jenkins got hurt, he was coming off a stretch of three sacks in two games. He had just begun to play without a club around the hand he broke on the second play of the opener against the Eagles Sept. 12. It has been such a long time since he has played that while putting his gloves on before practice, he realized the fingers were still taped up.

Secret's out on Packers' Walden - JSOnline

Erik Walden won't be able to sneak up on the Philadelphia Eagles.

Not after the free-agent linebacker's coming-out party in the regular-season finale, in which he racked up 16 tackles and sacked Jay Cutler three times in the Green Bay Packers' 10-3 victory over the Chicago Bears.

The Eagles undoubtedly have isolated Walden in film study as they prepare to play host to the Packers in an NFC wild-card playoff game at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday.

Packers' defense on weapon detail for Vick - JSOnline

The strength of the Packers' defense, which allowed the second-fewest points in the NFL, is its versatility. Coordinator Dom Capers is superb at disguising coverages, blitzing creatively and avoiding tendencies, which makes it difficult to prepare for his defenses.

He also has an uncanny knack for putting players in positions to succeed. Exhibit A is linebacker Erik Walden, a street free agent signee who earned NFC defensive player of the week honors for his 16-tackle, three-sack performance against the Chicago Bears on Sunday.

"The thing I like most about Dom is not only his week-to-week adjustments but his daily adjustments," said nose tackle B.J. Raji. "Like today we had practice and tomorrow he'll come back with some new things that he thinks will work a little bit better."

The Packers aren't going to give away their game plan, but it's safe to say they want to keep Vick in the pocket and get some hits on him.

"If we have zero sacks but can force him to stay in the pocket, I think it's a win for us," Matthews said. "It's difficult. You have to keep your rush-lane integrity and not get too high or too low because he can make plays with his feet."

Said Walden, "You can't just let him sit there. I'd rather him make throws in the pocket than outside the pocket, where he's got a run-pass option."

Green Bay might borrow a page from the Minnesota Vikings, who blitzed Vick relentlessly two weeks ago and came away with a 24-14 upset victory.

 

[Mark12]

I truly believe whoever wins this game will eventually win the NFC...

 

[jmt57]

Packers' Whitt proves he's always in their corner - JSOnline

Charles Woodson made the Pro Bowl, Tramon Williams elevated his game to Pro Bowl level and Sam Shields probably was the biggest surprise on the Green Bay Packers' roster this season.

The common denominator is Joe Whitt Jr., the second-year cornerbacks coach who might well be ascending the National Football League coaching ladder sooner than later.

Certainly Whitt's stellar work with this group of players won't be going unnoticed by those seeking successful young coaches.

Quickly, Shields fills out Packers' coverage - JSOnline

The measure of a man who covers NFL wide receivers for a living usually comes down to all those statistics cornerbacks prefer to ignore.

You know, the ones that end in "allowed."

By those negative standards - things like touchdowns, completions, 20-yard gains and yards after the catch - Green Bay Packers rookie Sam Shields stacks up pretty well with guys around the league who have played as many snaps as he has.

The part that can't be found in any database for the 2010 season is the effect the undrafted Shields has had on the players and coaches around him.

Say what you will about the tremendous impact veteran corner Charles Woodson has had blitzing and playing the run from his slot position or the numerous ways safety Nick Collins has been used in the Packers' highly ranked defense. But without Shields playing years beyond his boyish 23-year-old looks, the Packers aren't the same team.

If there's a major difference between the defense that entered the playoffs last year and the one the Packers hope is markedly better when it faces Philadelphia on Sunday in a wild-card playoff game, it's having three reliable cornerbacks.

Preview: Packers at Eagles - JSOnline

INVITING TARGET: At midweek, coach Andy Reid announced that he was going back to Dimitri Patterson at RC after benching him at halftime in Week 15 against Minnesota for poor play. "He's a mess," an executive in personnel for a recent Eagles opponent said. "Lot of breakdowns. Just lacks speed. Can't recover. Best underneath in zones. He's a liability on an island. Plays very soft. When they're in single high coverage he gives up a lot of underneath routes. He will bite on double moves." Another scout called him a "terrible" player that the Vikings abused. "He is quick to support the run and he has four interceptions," a third scout said. "If you were playing a true Cover 2 where you jam the receiver and support the run and he has a short zone, he'd be a productive starter. But athletically, at the top of routes, he doesn't match up with elite speed."

Packers Blog - JSOnline

I don't know if the winds are going to change during the game, but it's clear right now that it's a lot more difficult kicking toward the north end zone (it would be to the left if you were facing the Packers' sideline).

Eagles kicker David Akers has a powerful leg and is one of the most accurate guys in the league and kicking to the north, he missed three of four from 48 yards. One hit the left upright and the other two sent wide right. You can see the flags atop the goal posts on that end blowing around pretty wildly.

On the other end, the flags aren't moving at all and Akers was kicking 58-yarders well beyond the end zone. From my angle in the press box, I couldn't tell whether the kicks were good or not, but he was getting very good distance.

Also, watching K Mason Crosby warm-up, you could see he was getting very good distance kicking off to the south end zone.

 

[andrewgarrr]

I think the winner of this game will win the NFC.

 

[andrewgarrr]

Jeeeeez...

 

[Brady_to_Moss]

guy was pushed into the ball

 

[andrewgarrr]

guy was pushed into the ball

Yeah I don't really understand that rule..