Cheese Curds, 1/7: Packers’ inconsistent offense has weapons, but must finish the job

On Sunday, the Green Bay Packers will need a complete performance to beat the Seattle Seahawks and advance to the NFC Championship Game. The Divisional playoff game pits two teams that pride themselves on winning ugly, and neither team has a track record this season of playing well in all phases.

For the Packers, particularly down the stretch, the offense has been the big question mark. And oddly, the team has largely moved the ball pretty well over the last month, with more than 340 yards in three of the last four games and more than 380 in each of the last two. However, getting points when they cross the 50 has been an issue, as we’ll see in today’s Cheese Curds.

Two of those four games came at home, however, where the offense and its key players have been significantly better at Lambeau. Green Bay’s star running back should be able to feast on a Seahawks defense that allowed 4.9 yards per carry this season — 28th in the NFL — while Aaron Rodgers will have opportunities against a porous secondary that was in the league’s bottom ten.

The matchups are there. The stage favors the Packers. Now they just need to go out and execute.

Needing to cash in: Packers’ offense can’t miss chances in postseason | Packers.com
The Packers' offense missed too many chances for big plays in the final month of the season, and they also missed out on a ton of scoring opportunities as well. They finished 12 drives on the far side of midfield without any points in the last four games alone, so they need to find ways to finish the job and get into the end zone against a Seattle defense that has struggled this season.

Playing at Lambeau should help Rodgers, Jones and Adams vs. Seahawks | Packers Wire
The Packers' three offensive stars all played considerably better at home this season, and the team averaged over four points per game more at Lambeau than elsewhere. Rodgers' differences are particularly stark, with a difference of nearly two yards per attempt and 12 points in his passer rating.

Packers’ Aaron Jones is out to prove the NFL playoff lights aren’t too bright – The Athletic
Jones' only All-Pro vote came as an offensive flex player and he didn't make the Pro Bowl, but he's not worried about that. Instead, he's ready to shine under the spotlight, just like he did in Minnesota a little more than two weeks ago.

Packers' Allen Lazard followed father's path, then also made NFL | Packersnews.com (subscription)
The Alien Lizard's dad was also a star at Iowa State, but Allen is doing something Kevin did not -- making it to the NFL, and making a big impact. If the Packers' offense clicks on Sunday, odds are that Lazard will be a big part of it.

Mike McCarthy's up-tempo offense will boost Dak's development - NFL.com
James Jones is a big fan of the Cowboys' hire -- no surprise there, given his long track record with McCarthy in Green Bay -- and he explains why Mike is the right guy to get the most out of Dak Prescott.

Cowboys to hire Mike McCarthy as new coach, Mike Nolan as defensive coordinator | ESPN
Meanwhile, McCarthy's pick for DC is one of the guys who was his head coach before getting the Packers' job. Nolan was the 49ers' head coach in 2005, McCarthy's one year as San Francisco's OC.

Animal house: Squirrel wrecks home, insurance won’t fix it | CBS47
Oh come on, insurance company. Who hasn't had a bad run-in with a squirrel? The company said they don't cover rodent damage -- and if the animal had been a raccoon instead, they would have paid out.