We have a good offense, apparently a top-tier defense, and a kind of excrimenty special teams.

I think I can’t even be a bigger echo chamber for the failure to mentally strengthening this team. From what I watched, players and coaches need to get mentally in the game and focus. It is very hard to win football games when you spot the other team 70-80 yards of free positioning. The play calling could get better as I am beginning to see players adapt to the 3-4 and knowing where they should be. Offense can be a lot better as well on the play calling.

I am going to speculate—something I don’t like to do often—that Capers wasn’t going to call blitzes much during the regular season until he felt his defense grasped his regular season game planning. I know that contradicts what we saw during the preseason with the blitz packages, so I am not confident in my speculation! I just like what I saw on the blitz packages against Dallas. Quick hitting blitzes with in your face corners made it hard for Romo to get a read.

I don’t know though. We will need this defense to hold up their end against some of the better teams down the stretch for the Packers to even begin dreaming about playoffs.

those numbers are overblown somewhat due to the competition faced.

Here we are more than/2 way through the season and I don’t think we quite know who this team is. With the exception of the Cowboys, the other four wins are against teams with a combined record of 7 wins against 29 losses.

Otoh, they just beat a Cowboys team who had won 4 straight, completely containing a very good offense for most of the game. So, where does this leave the Packers? Well, they are in four way tie for the wild card at 5-4 with a somewhat favorable schedule.

The questions are:

1. Has the D adjusted to the 3-4 to give consistent performance against the pass and run?

2. Can the offense – line, QB, and play caller combine to slow down the pass rush to allow for some sustained drives, big plays down the field, and/or a consistent run game?

3. Can the special teams pull their collective heads out of their asses? With that, can the team as a whole show some discipline and cutout the unnecessary penalties?

The win against the Cowboys could be something to build off of. This team could be figuring it out at just the right time. It has been a very odd season in the nfl, with only Colts and Saints being able to maintain a consistent high level of play. This leaves the door open for a young team like the Packers to struggle through the 1st half while finding itself and make a 2nd half run.

After the Bucs game, I had written off the playoffs and expected to see weekly inconsistent play. The Dallas game was so enjoyable to watch. Woodson and Matthews flying around like crazy men, actually expecting the D to make plays, and some hard nosed get it done however possible attitude from the offense. Now that was fun. Gentlemen, keep playing like that please!

SF defense is good. They are legit. But, I feel we have a couple of advantages. 1) They have no QB 2) We have them in our house 3) We have J Nelson and Finley back. I also feel Rogers will do much better than Cutler did . As long as we can keep Gore contained. I do like the Idea of putting Woodson in at saftey and matching Tramon Williams on Crabtree. I feel Woodson fits perfect as a saftey in the 3-4. My biggest fear though is that they will not approach this game like Dallas. SF can be dangerous. Minnisota just got em by an extreamly lucky TD. I hope GB can maintain their focus. Go Pack Go!!!!!!!

I don’t see the Pack being the no 1 D in the NFL. I see them as a top 10, but not No 1. We have played some weak offenses, and I know FO adjusts for strength of schedule, but we have our share of problems on D. Unless the level of defensive football has eroded alot, the pack just isn’t the dominant D!

Now IF, big IF there, we can sustain the level of play down the stretch, I would say we might be No. 1… I want to see continuous, sustained dominance from a D to be No. 1

Niners really shouldn’t provide huge test for our D either… Just too unstable at QB to challenge us. I do think our D will keep us in alot of games down the stretch and give us a chance to make the playoffs!