Zero2Cool
15 years ago
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Let's be honest: The reputation of the Green Bay Packers outside of Wisconsin - rightly or wrongly - is that they are a finesse team.

They run a slick West Coast offense. Their offensive line has been pushed around easily. Running back Ryan Grant can't break a tackle. Receiver Greg Jennings complains any time somebody breathes on him.

On defense, statistically they are the top-ranked unit and Charles Woodson could collect some serious hardware in the off-season, but there aren't many players that strike physical fear in opponents.

That's the conventional wisdom around the country.

And the Packers have a chance to change all of that in their next three games, starting Monday night in front of a national television audience against the "big, bad" Baltimore Ravens.

More importantly, if the Packers prove they can match blows with the Ravens, the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field and the Pittsburgh Steelers, they will serve notice to the rest of the league that they are battled-tested, playoff-ready and a real threat do some damage there.

"Yeah, it's a pretty tough stretch," nose tackle Ryan Pickett said Thursday. "I think it's perfect. You've got teams coming in that pride themselves on being physical, and I feel like we're probably the most physical team in the NFL and it's a good chance to show them."

Since the Pittsburgh-raised Mike McCarthy was named Packers coach in 2006, he has constantly preached a want for a physical, hard-nosed beast of a team.

For most of McCarthy's tenure, it hasn't come to fruition. The one playoff victory in '07 came against the Seattle Seahawks, another West Coast offensive team that seemed to short-circuit off of its normal artificial turf. And in the frozen NFC title game, the New York Giants seemed to be the team delivering all the punches.

After going 6-10 in '08, the Packers again seemed more over-easy than hard-boiled this season. The Cincinnati Bengals, who ruled the Ravens' and Steelers' AFC North turf this season, pushed the Packers around on Sept. 20. And in the two biggest regular-season games, against the hated Minnesota Vikings, the Packers, for all intents and purposes, got knocked out early.

But there is evidence to suggest the Packers have turned the corner on toughness.

They completely dominated the Dallas Cowboys, who stood atop the rugged NFC East, in a 17-7 victory.

The following week, the Packers pushed around the San Francisco 49ers and their third-ranked rushing defense to the tune of a 30-10, fourth-quarter lead, 129 yards on 21 carries (6.1 average) for Grant, and the coup de grace - a smash-mouth, 10-play, 43-yard drive on which 38 came on the ground to finish off the final 5:50 of the game.

No harder punch can be delivered than imposing your will on a desperate opponent to finish a game.

"We have a physical team, man," Pickett said. "Offensive line is physical. They're driving guys down the field on the other team's defense. San Francisco was ranked the top in the run and our offense pretty much blew them off the ball."

And the fact the Packers have unofficially knocked 12 opposing players out of games this season - six in the past three games (the same number the Packers have sustained themselves all season) - has to be considered supportive evidence.

But the verdict is coming in against the Ravens and Steelers in particular.

"That's what they taught me when I got there, that we're going to be the toughest, meanest, baddest team out there," said former Raven-turned-Packer safety Derrick Martin. "And that's what they're going to try to bring out here. We've got to weather the storm. They're going to come out here swinging. After they throw their best punch, we've got to be ready for that KO, we have to be able to knock them out."

The Ravens certainly have more experience in street fights. Their Sunday night overtime victory over the Steelers was the latest of many knock-down drag-outs in the AFC North.

"Every division is definitely different, but I feel that we have one of the most physical divisions in football," Ravens linebacker/enforcer Ray Lewis said. "In terms of Pittsburgh's defense, our defense and now even Cincinnati's defense is really coming up on the rise, it's just a toss-up. It's physical every week in and week out.

"We just like playing physical football, bottom line."

The Packers want to see how they measure up.

"For us, I think the offensive line has really taken this as a really good character game," said guard Daryn Colledge. "For us, this is really that next step. We've got a dominant defense coming in here, and we need to go out and have a good performance against them."

And if the Packers want to change perception, real or fabricated, they can start by answering the bell each of the next three weeks, starting Monday.

"I almost know, but you never know. . . . I'm excited to see what we can do because I know the guys and what they're made of," said linebacker Brady Poppinga. "We have a bunch of scrappers in here, man. And I really believe that."

Said Pickett: "Oh, yeah, we're looking forward to it. They've had that label for so long. We'd like to have it. We're going to go and get it."




I'm not the only one who notices Jennings always complaining after a play.
UserPostedImage
yooperfan
15 years ago
You aren't the olny one who has noticed Jennings.
I stated to my wife that I'm getting tired of seeing Jennings "crying" to the refs after every play that he invoved in where he doesn't make the catch.
I know he is a better man than that, after all, he is from Michigan.
Zero2Cool
15 years ago

You aren't the olny one who has noticed Jennings.
I stated to my wife that I'm getting tired of seeing Jennings "crying" to the refs after every play that he invoved in where he doesn't make the catch.
I know he is a better man than that, after all, he is from Michigan.

"yooperfan" wrote:

:)

I mentioned it in another thread and someone pretty much said I was wrong and that Jennings is right in his complaints. I love me some Jennings, but I try to call it like I see it and I see too much complaining coming from him. If it was Moss or Owens, there'd be much more to it.
UserPostedImage
Rockmolder
15 years ago

You aren't the olny one who has noticed Jennings.
I stated to my wife that I'm getting tired of seeing Jennings "crying" to the refs after every play that he invoved in where he doesn't make the catch.
I know he is a better man than that, after all, he is from Michigan.

"Zero2Cool" wrote:

:)

I mentioned it in another thread and someone pretty much said I was wrong and that Jennings is right in his complaints. I love me some Jennings, but I try to call it like I see it and I see too much complaining coming from him. If it was Moss or Owens, there'd be much more to it.

"yooperfan" wrote:



Sometimes it's justifiable. I often see him complain after bad calls. Or at least, questionable ones. I seldom see him shouting about calls that where obviously right.

Still, it's not something I'd like to see. He's is human, though, and if this is the worst he'll do, I'm not too concerned. Not a great way to deal with frustration, but not a too horrible one, either.

I'm glad that we're becoming that ferocious defense. I've loved the Ravens defense for ages and that Cowboys game was (one of the) best game(s) I've ever seen.

If we can keep this up, I'm one happy fan.
Fan Shout
Zero2Cool (14-Feb) : Packers are hiring Luke Getsy as senior offensive assistant.
Martha Careful (12-Feb) : I would love to have them both, esp. Crosby, but either might be too expensive.
Zero2Cool (12-Feb) : Keisean Nixon is trying to get Maxx Crosby and Davante Adams lol
Mucky Tundra (11-Feb) : Yeah where did it go?
packerfanoutwest (11-Feb) : or did you resctrict access to that topic?
packerfanoutwest (11-Feb) : why did you remove the Playoff topic?
Zero2Cool (10-Feb) : Tua’s old DC won a Super Bowl Year 1 with Tua’s former backup
Mucky Tundra (10-Feb) : *winning MVP
Mucky Tundra (10-Feb) : Funny observation I've heard: Carson Wentz was on the sideline for both Eagles Super Bowl wins w/guys supposed to be his back up winning
Zero2Cool (10-Feb) : NFL thought it would get more attention week preceding Super Bowl.
Zero2Cool (10-Feb) : Yes, the Pro Bowl. It was played Sunday before Super Bowl from 2010-2022
packerfanoutwest (10-Feb) : pro bowl
Zero2Cool (10-Feb) : From 2010 to 2022, it was played on the Sunday before the Super Bowl
Zero2Cool (10-Feb) : They moved it to the BYE week before Super Bowl several years ago.
packerfanoutwest (10-Feb) : it was always after the SB.....
beast (10-Feb) : Though I stop following pro bowl years ago
beast (10-Feb) : I thought the pro game was before the Super Bowl?
packerfanoutwest (10-Feb) : ok now for the Pro Bowl Game in Hawaii
TheKanataThrilla (10-Feb) : If I was Philly I would try to end it instead of punting it
Mucky Tundra (10-Feb) : VICTORY! We have (moral) victory!
TheKanataThrilla (10-Feb) : Hey they mentioned that we 3-peted
Mucky Tundra (10-Feb) : seems to me the 49ers should have traded Aiyuk when they had the chance
Mucky Tundra (10-Feb) : if the Eagles get it down to the 1, do they Tush Push or give it to Barkley?
TheKanataThrilla (10-Feb) : 49ers have a money problem if they want to sign their QB
Mucky Tundra (10-Feb) : Wait for real? Didn't he just get an extension two years ago?
Zero2Cool (10-Feb) : 49ers gonna trade Deebo. Interesting
TheKanataThrilla (10-Feb) : Replays always never seem to show the holdings
TheKanataThrilla (10-Feb) : Great throw by Hurts
Mucky Tundra (10-Feb) : Where Carter falls prey to bad off the field influences (to be clear, not saying he'd clip someone though)
Mucky Tundra (10-Feb) : Had Carter not gone to Philly were they already had a lot of old college friends, he ends up in a similar spot to Aaron Hernandez
Mucky Tundra (10-Feb) : I think some of his coaches told scouts to stay away
Mucky Tundra (10-Feb) : the street racing incident+conditioning and motivation problems
beast (10-Feb) : Then Carter was street racing, where the other car crashed and people died... and other teams were scared to pick Carter for some reason
beast (10-Feb) : I think the Saints traded up, giving their next year 1st to the Eagles, and then they sucked and Eagles got the 10th overall pick
packerfanoutwest (10-Feb) : wtf Barkley?
TheKanataThrilla (10-Feb) : Getting Carter and Nolan Smith in the first round in 2023 was pretty darn good
Mucky Tundra (10-Feb) : for some reason i'm thinking of a draft where the Eagles where in the mid 20s and a top player fell all the way to them
TheKanataThrilla (10-Feb) : I think so. I would need to look it up. Think it may have been Carolina's pick.
Mucky Tundra (10-Feb) : i'm not sure who i'm thinking of now
Mucky Tundra (10-Feb) : oh fuck me i messed that up
Zero2Cool (10-Feb) : Jordan Davis was 13th overall
Zero2Cool (10-Feb) : Carter was 9th overall
Zero2Cool (10-Feb) : Eagles had 15th and 10th selections, moved to 13 and 9 to get Davis and Carter back to back
Zero2Cool (10-Feb) : Eagles traded up for Carter, didn't they?
Mucky Tundra (10-Feb) : Obviously he was a huge risk but getting a top 5 talent on the dline in the mid 20s is fortuitous
Mucky Tundra (10-Feb) : Jalen Carter falling into their lap certainly helps
TheKanataThrilla (10-Feb) : And we could only wish to have this type of D
TheKanataThrilla (10-Feb) : It's not like Philly has had low draft picks, but has managed to get themselves a top notch pass rush. We spend so much draft capital of D
packerfanoutwest (10-Feb) : another crap halftime show
TheKanataThrilla (10-Feb) : I think it is over, but then I think of Atlanta and want Philly to go in with the same intensity in the second half
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