We got your spot!

Tickets/Packages for next season will be available in April, but grab your spot for our Players Resort Vacation and Kenny Chesney NOW!

By CHRIS HAVEL
Play-calling change, special teams’ play included on Green Bay’s ‘To do’ list
Now that head coach Mike McCarthy has finalized his coaching staff, the Packers’ offseason officially begins this week. With it come five big questions the team must answer if it hopes to be playing in Super Bowl 50 at Santa Clara next February.

#1: Re-signing wide receiver Randall Cobb is a must.

The unrestricted free agent is essential to the Packers’ passing game, especially at a time when McCarthy has handed off play-calling duties to Tom Clements, now the associate head coach/offense. Cobb’s versatility, quickness and clever route-running provide the perfect counterbalance to Jordy Nelson. The Packers’ dynamic duo cannot be broken up.
ESPN reports that Cobb is seeking a deal worth an average of $9 million annually. The Packers need to pay him and move on to the rest of the offseason without fear of losing a tremendous weapon.

#2: Resolving two lingering questions on defense: Inside linebacker and defensive tackle.

B.J. Raji’s return to form would be a blessing. Raji was explosive during his short stint in training camp before his season-ending triceps tear. Certainly second-year player Khyri Thornton and third-year pro Josh Boyd need to continue to develop. What appears to be the loss of nose tackle Letroy Guion in the wake of his recent arrest creates a void.
Raji would be my first, best option to fill it. Inside linebacker is the other need on defense. The draft could produce a player such as Miami’s Denzel Perryman, and a veteran free agent such as Brandon Spikes or David Harris at least merits a look.
I’m thinking the Packers will draft an inside linebacker within the first three rounds.

#3: Now we know the truth: The Packers never adequately replaced Jermichael Finley after his career-ending neck injury.

Finley could threaten defenses in the seam, and he could help the offense control the all-important middle of the field. Andrew Quarless, rookie Richard Rodgers and especially the now-departed Brandon Bostick were disappointments.
It might seem like a reach, but the Packers could select a tight end as early as the 30th pick of the draft.

#4: Special teams coordinator Ron Zook needs to be the answer, not a continuation of the problem.

Shawn Slocum had to go, and McCarthy made the difficult move of firing a close friend and colleague. Now, it’s up to Zook and McCarthy to make it work. The return game should be in good hands with Micah Hyde and Cobb, plus whoever is the new third running back to replace DuJuan Harris.
The coverage units were awful on the NFL’s worst special teams. McCarthy vowed to change the culture in the teams’ meeting room. Any upward change would be welcome. The Packers’ offense has carried the team about as far as it can.

#5: Restructuring Julius Peppers’ contract to make it more cap friendly is necessary.

Peppers’ influence and impact can’t be overstated. His tackle of Dallas’ DeMarco Murray in the NFC Divisional Playoffs quite likely saved the game. Clearly, Peppers remains a defensive leader and a big-game player on a unit that can use all the help it can get. The defense also needs its key second-year players like Ha Ha Clinton-Dix to continue to improve.
The Packers are among the NFC’s top teams. A strong offseason quite likely will put them over the top.

Next Week: The Scouting Combine

News from the NFL’s scouting combine including who the Packers might be interested in. Stay tuned.
Chris Havel is a national best-selling author and his latest book is Lombardi: An Illustrated Life. Havel can be heard Monday through Friday from 4-6 p.m. CDT on WDUZ FM 107.5 The Fan, or on AM-1400, as well as Fan Internet Radio (www.thefan1075.com). Havel also hosts Event USA’ MVP Parties the evening before home games.

Packer Resort Vacation

Tickets/Packages for next season available in April, but a few spots for the Players Resort Vacation still available NOW!
» Grab Your Spot

By CHRIS HAVEL
Firing special teams coordinator Slocum first step toward seeing the big picture
Whatever change may come for Mike McCarthy’s coaching staff will be considered with an eye toward enabling the Packers’ head coach to better-manage game-day decisions.
The final five-minute meltdown in the Packers’ 28-22 overtime loss at Seattle in the NFC Championship game demanded it. Whether McCarthy relinquishes all, some or none his play-calling duties is strictly his call. His offense’s sustained excellence gives him the resume to proceed as he sees fit.
More important is the fact that McCarthy is even considering it, according to various media reports.
The best NFL head coaches tend to leave the play-calling duties to the coordinators. New England’s Bill Belichick, Seattle’s Pete Carroll, Baltimore’s John Harbaugh, Pittsburgh’s Mike Tomlin and Chicago’s John Fox all follow that structure. In fact, more NFL head coaches don’t call their team’s offensive or defensive plays than do.
Consider the Seattle aftermath:

• McCarthy’s receivers and coaches weren’t aware that Seattle cornerback Richard Sherman was in excruciating pain with an elbow injury. It turns out Sherman tore ligaments, yet the Packers’ players and bench never got together and tested the injured player.
• McCarthy didn’t know why pass rusher Clay Matthews was on the bench for the team’s final two series. That information typically is communicated to the head coach by the staff after the game. That isn’t fast enough. The head coach needs to know ASAP and react.
• The Seahawks’ fake field goal and onside kick recovery might’ve happened against any opponent at any time. However, the Seahawks had good reason for what they did and took advantage of an out-coached Packers’ special teams’ coordinator. McCarthy can’t allow that to happen again.
• The head coach’s possible staff shuffle includes the hiring of former San Francisco offensive line coach Mike Solari in a yet-to-be-determined role. The Packers’ James Campen remains the offensive line coach.

McCarthy, according to sources, may promote wide receivers coach Edgar Bennett to offensive coordinator, and in turn move current offensive coordinator Tom Clements to assistant head coach with some possible play-calling duties. Whether these precise changes are made remains to be seen, but it is clear McCarthy intends to examine and change – if necessary – any and every aspect of his operation. If that includes having his play-calling duties on the table, so be it. Surely it signals his level of urgency, sincerity and commitment to getting the Packers to the Super Bowl.
McCarthy’s open-minded approach is consistent with his career. He tends to proceed rather deliberately, but once his mind is made up and the course charted it has been full speed ahead. Whatever changes occur likely will happen before week’s end.
Teams prefer to have their coaching staffs together before the NFL Combine, which is next week in Indianapolis. Clearly, none of this should be seen as an indictment against McCarthy’s ability as a play caller. If anything the decisions he has made and currently is in the process of making show a commitment to doing what it takes to win.
If indeed McCarthy promotes Clements and Bennett it will reward trusted assistants who have been exemplary in their roles. Bennett’s move from running backs coach to receivers coach and now perhaps offensive coordinator signal a steady, natural progression. Bennett’s learning curve, the Packers’ success and opportunities eventual should allow him to become a play-caller in the NFL.
Clements may be ready now. It was fortunate for the Packers that the Chicago Bears went in a different direction – toward Marc Trestman and away from Clements – the last time around. Securing Clements’ talents for the next four-five years of Aaron Rodgers’ career may be key to the Packers winning a championship. It would allow Rodgers to work more closely with Clements, while McCarthy tends to the big-picture business of winning titles.
Chris Havel is a national best-selling author and his latest book is Lombardi: An Illustrated Life. Havel can be heard Monday through Friday from 4-6 p.m. CDT on WDUZ FM 107.5 The Fan, or on AM-1400, as well as Fan Internet Radio (www.thefan1075.com). Havel also hosts Event USA’ MVP Parties the evening before home games.

Packer Resort Vacation

Tickets/Packages for next season available in April, but a few spots for the Players Resort Vacation still available NOW!
» Grab Your Spot

By CHRIS HAVEL
Seahawks join Dallas, Green Bayalong painful postseason exits
Run the football.
If only the Seahawks hadn’t outsmarted themselves at the most critical moment of Super Bowl XLIX, Seattle likely would’ve made history.
Instead, they are the NFC’s final team to fall on its facemask, their pain, frustration and agony beginning with Dallas’s non-catch, continuing with the Packers’ five-minute meltdown and last – but definitely not least – escalating to the Seahawks’ inexplicable decision to throw the football within a yard of destiny’s doorstep.
But why not hand the football to Marshawn Lynch, or employ the read option with Lynch-Wilson when it’s been unstoppable all season, and decide to throw it?
Seattle offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell – who took the football out of Lynch’s hands and put it into New England’s – explained that it had to do with the clock. He wanted to be able to get off two more plays if necessary in the remaining 26 seconds. Seattle still had one timeout.
His explanation made as little sense as the decision. Clearly, the Seahawks lost sight of the big picture at the key moment. Much like the Packers took the football out of Aaron Rodgers’ hands in the second half of Green Bay’s 28-22 overtime loss in the NFC Championship game, so too did Bevell with Lynch. The Seahawks’ offense amassed the most rushing yards in NFL history this season. To elect to go out of a shotgun formation, on second-and-goal from the 1-yard line, and then throw a slant into the middle of the field was beyond ridiculous.
Bevell got too immersed in the matchup – the Seahawks’ Ricardo Lockette versus the Patriots’ Malcolm Butler – and forgot the obvious. Lynch was the reason the Seahawks were standing three feet away from an incredible victory over the Patriots, only to use him as a decoy.
It isn’t the first time an otherwise very exceptional football coach will outsmart himself. It happens. When it happens on the NFL’s greatest stage it’s especially painful. It hurts only slightly less if it’s the NFC Championship.
In the Packers’ haste to get the second half wrapped up, it forgot to stick with what got it there, which was Rodgers’ right arm, the receivers’ hands and the offensive line’s ability to protect. Everything was working but Packers head coach Mike McCarthy took the football out of Rodgers’ hands precisely when he should’ve been riding it to victory. It’s the same with the Seahawks.
Despite everything else, including an entertaining Super Bowl, the Seahawks were in position to win but failed. It’s no different than the Packers’ tough breakdown at Seattle.
Which raises a critical question: What should the Packers’ philosophy, offensive identity and overall mentally be going into 2015. Their search for balance, in the wake of Rodgers’ calf injury, was understandable but ultimately overstated and overplayed.
Balance suggests a 50/50 proposition, and that’s one bet I wouldn’t take if I was the Packers’ offense moving forward. This is a pass first, run second league. The exception is teams such as Seattle, which is a run first, pass second team that forgot who it was at New England’s 1.
McCarthy’s attempt to protect Rodgers was borderline magnificent, and that includes everyone who blocked, ran routes and called plays for the NFL’s MVP. However, in the process the central theme to the Packers’ greatness – a wonderful quarterback and terrific receivers – were benched even though the offense showed it could protect the QB. That’s old news. What matters is how McCarthy chooses to proceed. Clearly, the defense needs an inside linebacker, a nose tackle and a defensive back. Bringing back Julius Peppers should be automatic.
The offense presents the greater question: Should Green Bay look to throw it, play fast and look to pile on the points? Or should it seek a more conventional, time-consuming style that includes Eddie Lacy in something more of a 60-40 ratio of pass-to-run.
Ideally, the Packers’ offense should acquire a game-changing tight end. Then, the term balance would apply to Green Bay’s ability to attack the middle of the field and along the perimeter through the air.
Adding a tight end should be near the top of GM Ted Thompson’s offseason “To Do” list. Meantime, McCarthy needs to hire a special teams’ coordinator and decide how he’s going to cast his team this upcoming season.
The first, best way to proceed is to add explosiveness to the offense. That and a couple of hard-hitting defenders should give Green Bay an excellent chance to be playing in Super Bowl 50 at Santa Clara.
Once there, McCarthy has to learn from a difficult lesson this season, which is, “Dance with the girl that brung ya!”
Chris Havel is a national best-selling author and his latest book is Lombardi: An Illustrated Life. Havel can be heard Monday through Friday from 4-6 p.m. CDT on WDUZ FM 107.5 The Fan, or on AM-1400, as well as Fan Internet Radio (www.thefan1075.com). Havel also hosts Event USA’ MVP Parties the evening before home games.

Packer Resort Vacation

Tickets/Packages for next season available in April, but a few spots for the Players Resort Vacation still available NOW!
» Grab Your Spot

By CHRIS HAVEL
Playing ‘The Blame Game’ gets old fast, what matters is what Packers do next
It won’t be long before someone decides Vince Lombardi is to blame for the Packers’ 28-22 overtime loss at Seattle last Sunday in the NFC Championship Game.
Everyone has drawn fire, from the head coach and the MVP quarterback to the defense, special teams and even Randall Cobb for calling “tails.” That’s enough already.
The Packers were foiled by familiar and seemingly correctible failings, namely run defense, special teams and a less-than-killer-instinct. Let’s not turn the Packers’ playoff loss into something it isn’t.
It isn’t an indictment of Aaron Rodgers’ ability in big games. Rodgers is the NFL’s best quarterback. He struggled at times in the NFC Championship but in his defense he was hobbled by a strained left calf muscle and going against one of the NFL’s top defenses. Rodgers isn’t the problem, unless it’s fools who think he should play with a 125 quarterback rating game in, game out. The idea that Rodgers let the Packers down because he didn’t play his best, which would have been good enough to overcome the team’s other shortcomings.
Indeed, Rodgers didn’t play his best, but he certainly played well enough for the Packers to advance to the Super Bowl. It’s not his job to defend a two-point conversion, sniff out a fake field goal attempt or recover an onside kick. It’s also not his job to decide whether to go for a touchdown or a field goal on fourth down. That’s head coach Mike McCarthy’s job.
Those who wish to blame McCarthy should do so because:

• He allowed the special teams to be their undoing despite ample alerts;
• He didn’t go from building a lead to nailing the coffin shut. He allowed the Seahawks to rally late because he didn’t put them away.
• Once McCarthy realized that the Packers’ offensive line was protecting the quarterback extraordinarily well, and that Rodgers could to some degree protect himself, he should’ve cut loose with the passing game.

Instead, he played it conservative from start to bitter finish. McCarthy’s greatest mistake was keeping special teams’ coordinator Shawn Slocum on his coaching staff. Former assistant Chad Morton was fired by Green Bay and hired by Seattle in the past offseason. Clearly Morton wasn’t the problem in Green Bay a year ago.
Now we’ll see if McCarthy is able to move on from Slocum. If he isn’t able to cut ties, McCarthy should consider relinquishing some of his play-calling duties. While I think he is an above-average play caller, especially in concert with Rodgers’ ability to change plays at the line, it behooves him to monitor his underwhelming special teams.
Defensive coordinator Dom Capers has earned another season. His decision to move Clay Matthews to inside linebacker, plus another handful of solid moves, helped the defense improve a great deal. Sam Barrington is an ascending player at inside linebacker, while Sam Shields, Micah Hyde, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Casey Hayward and Sean Richardson are all young, talented defensive backs. Retaining Julius Peppers is critical to the defense’s success. Peppers’ presence, athleticism and big-play ability helped fuel the 12-4 season.
The Packers’ strengths are evident. Rodgers, Eddie Lacy, the receivers and the offensive line are golden. The tight ends are in need of an upgrade, but otherwise the offense is capable of playing to championship form.
While the strengths are apparent, so are their weaknesses. The special teams’ coordinator is a serious problem. Green Bay finished last in the NFL’s ranking among special teams. The run defense also needs to be shored up through the draft, and perhaps in free agency. Otherwise, the Packers are a Super Bowl-caliber team. They have the salary cap space to retain their top talent (Bryan Bulaga, Tramon Williams and Cobb). They also have an excellent GM, a strong head coach and the NFL’s top quarterback to go with a quality core group.
What the Packers need is the time to heal the wounds from Seattle and the determination to honestly address and correct the problems.
The Packers are really close to being a Super Bowl champion. They need to use the heartbreaking loss at Seattle to inspire them to take that next step.
Chris Havel is a national best-selling author and his latest book is Lombardi: An Illustrated Life. Havel can be heard Monday through Friday from 4-6 p.m. CDT on WDUZ FM 107.5 The Fan, or on AM-1400, as well as Fan Internet Radio (www.thefan1075.com). Havel also hosts Event USA’ MVP Parties the evening before home games.

By CHRIS HAVEL
The Green Bay Packers can’t be faulted for their preparation, intensity or effort. On the other hand, their selfish, sloppy and in some instances stupid mistakes were inexcusable.
The Packers fell to the Seahawks 28-22 in overtime in Sunday’s NFC Championship at Seattle’s CenturyLink Field.
This game was lost before then. The Packers played well enough, and in some cases sensationally enough, to position themselves to knock out the defending Super Bowl champion Seahawks in their own house.
That’s when playing not to lose, rather than staying aggressive and not letting up, allowed Seattle’s quarterback, Russell Wilson, to regain his senses and the defense to find its swagger. The Packers (13-5) led 19-7 with less than five minutes to play. They had the football after Packers safety Morgan Burnett notched Green Bay’s fourth interception of the game.
Despite all of that, and a silenced 12th Man to boot, the Packers couldn’t seal the deal. Seattle racked up three straight touchdowns on its final three possessions to stage one of the most stunning rallies in NFL postseason history.
The final blow was Wilson’s 35-yard touchdown pass to Jermaine Kearse with 11:41 to play in overtime. The Seahawks (14-4) will face the AFC Champion New England Patriots (14-4) in Super Bowl XLIX Feb. 1 in Glendale, Arizona.
Wilson targeted Kearse five times before hitting on the game winner. Wilson had been picked off four of those times. If Wilson-to-Kearse made the Packers’ heartbreak official, it was Jon Ryan-to-Garry Gilliam that started the Seahawks’ late surge. Ryan, the Packers’ ex-punter, hit Gilliam, an offensive lineman, with a 19-yard touchdown pass on a fourth-down fake field goal midway through the third quarter.
The Packers’ special teams unit was totally unaware and caught off-guard. That gaffe alone should force Packers head coach Mike McCarthy to consider firing special teams’ coordinator Shawn Slocum. If McCarthy insists on having Slocum on his staff, he better be ready to cover for Slocum’s deficiencies. If he can’t, Slocum has to go.
To not recognize the possibility of a Seahawks fake at that point, in that position of the field, was ridiculous. The Seahawks were facing a difficult either-or decision on fourth down. However, there wasn’t the least bit of hesitation as the Seahawks trotted out their kicker. That should’ve been the Packers’ first clue. The second should have been the fact that Seattle’s offense was utterly ineffective.
How else was Seattle going to score points if not on a fake?
That, coupled with the inability to recover Seattle’s onside kick was inexcusable. Backup tight end Brandon Bostick was supposed to block so Jordy Nelson could recover the onside kick. Instead, he elected to jump in the air and recover it himself. He failed to gather it in, and the Seahawks recovered and quickly scored to make it 22-19 Seattle with less than two minutes to play.
At that point, McCarthy finally took off the handcuffs and allowed Aaron Rodgers to throw it. He quickly moved Green Bay into position for Mason Crosby’s game-tying 48-yard field goal with 14 seconds left. It was Crosby’s fifth and final field goal of the day.
Has there ever been a more anti-climactic feel to a 48-yard field goal that sends the Packers into overtime?
Seattle won the coin toss (who the E$@#%$ calls tails anyway?) and the Seahawks put the Packers and their fans out of misery 3:19 later.
“It’s going to be a missed opportunity that I’ll probably think about for the rest of my career,” Rodgers said. “We were the better team today – we played well enough to win. We can’t blame anybody but ourselves.”
In fact, the Packers played well enough to win for about 55 minutes, but they weren’t the better team. That’s because the defense and coordinator Dom Capers caved in after the Packers’ special teams opened the door.
Seattle scored touchdowns on its final three possessions to win it. The Seahawks’ 16-point comeback was the largest in conference championship game history.
“I felt our football team was a special group,” McCarthy said. “They’ve been great all year. This is a hard one to swallow.”
McCarthy almost seemed in shock after the game. During the final five minutes, his team played as if the seconds couldn’t tick off fast enough.
Meantime, Seattle rallied to victory and a second-straight Super Bowl berth. They can send the Packers a thank-you card when they get time.
 
Chris Havel is a national best-selling author and his latest book is Lombardi: An Illustrated Life. Havel can be heard Monday through Friday from 4-6 p.m. CDT on WDUZ FM 107.5 The Fan, or on AM-1400, as well as Fan Internet Radio (www.thefan1075.com). Havel also hosts Event USA’ MVP Parties the evening before home games.

NFC Champ Game Tickets!

We can get you to the Packers at Seahawks Championship Game in Seattle!
» Grab Your Spot

By CHRIS HAVEL
Rather than bask in the afterglow of perhaps his finest hour, Aaron Rodgers already was looking ahead to the next two.
“I think I got 120 minutes left in me,” he said.
The Packers’ quarterback scarcely survived the previous 60 minutes due to a left calf injury, but still proved to be game despite being lame. Trailing by eight points late in the third quarter, Rodgers fired two touchdown passes to rally the Packers to a 26-21 victory over Dallas in Sunday’s NFC Divisional Playoff Game at Lambeau Field.
Rookie receiver DaVante Adams punctuated a career day with a brilliant 46-yard touchdown catch-and-run to make it Dallas 21, Green Bay 20 with 1:41 to play in the third quarter. Then, Rodgers put the Packers ahead by hitting rookie tight end Richard Rodgers with a 13-yard laser to make it Packers 26, Cowboys 21 with 9:10 to play in the game.
The Cowboys weren’t about to quit, especially on a day when quarterback Tony Romo (15 of 19 for 191 yards and two touchdowns) and running back DeMarco Murray (25 carries for 123 yards) were playing superbly despite fighting injury and fatigue.
Dallas answered by driving to Green Bay’s 32-yard line with four minutes to play. That set up what proved to be the play of the game. Faced with fourth-and-2, Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett elected to go for it. Tony Romo spied single-coverage on Dez Bryant and lobbed a pass down the left sideline. Packers’ cornerback Sam Shields leaped, but Bryant out-jumped him to pull the football in with his left arm.
However, as Bryant landed with the football cradled in his left arm, it touched the turf and he lost control for a split-second. Initially, the play was ruled a complete pass. But after seeing it on replay, Packers head coach Mike McCarthy threw the red flag to challenge.
After the review, it was correctly determined to be no catch and the play resulted in an incomplete pass. Dallas turned the ball over on downs, and McCarthy had won his first challenge of the season. It couldn’t have come at a better time.
“Some people think throwing the red flag is fun,” McCarthy told reporters. “It was such an impactful play, you had to challenge. It was a confident challenge … And a hopeful one, too.”
Rodgers and the offense were able to seal the victory by running out the clock. The decisive play came on a tipped pass that was intended for Jarrett Boykin but was hauled in by Randall Cobb.
“It’s unbelievable,” Cobb said. “For the ball to get tipped and magically appear in my area, you can’t tell me there’s not a God. That was a crazy play.”
Rodgers completed 24 of 35 passes for 316 yards and three touchdowns despite essentially playing on one leg. He had a quarterback rating of 125.5 and still hasn’t thrown an interception at Lambeau in forever.
After two weeks off with the bye, Rodgers felt he could get through the game. He just wasn’t sure how effective he could be in eluding the rush. It seemed he pushed it to the limit once the Packers fell behind 21-13.
Now, the question is how Rodgers’ left calf injury will respond with only a week to rest.
“A little bit worse, yeah,” he said of the injury after the game. “Hard to say, see how it feels in the morning.”
The Packers (13-4) get a rematch with Seattle (13-4) in Sunday’s NFC Championship Game. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. when the Packers will try to avenge a 36-16 loss at Seattle in the regular-season opener.
Green Bay appears to be a much different team – a much better team, too – than it was in September. Defensively, Sam Barrington is starting at inside linebacker and Clay Matthews moves inside on early passing downs. Also, Letroy Guion is healthy and playing nose tackle at a high level. Furthermore, rookie safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix has a full season and a playoff appearance under his belt, and Morgan Burnett and Micah Hyde have been playing well.
On offense, rookies Adams and Rodgers obviously are contributing in a big way. And the Packers’ offensive line has been healthy and playing cohesively, especially since the bye week.On top of that, Eddie Lacy is healthy coming off a 19-carry, 101-yard day in which he battered the Dallas defense. Now, the big question is Rodgers’ left calf injury.
The Seahawks’ defense is arguably the NFL’s finest. They played like it while overpowering Carolina 31-17 in the other NFC Divisional Playoff Game on Saturday. Surely the Seahawks and defensive coordinator Dan Quinn will focus on harassing and chasing Rodgers out of the pocket and into harm’s way.
Clearly, the Packers can go into Seattle and win this game. They merely need to play their best game of the season. It’s possible because the Packers’ defense is much improved, the running game is for real and Rodgers is amazing even on one leg.
Chris Havel is a national best-selling author and his latest book is Lombardi: An Illustrated Life. Havel can be heard Monday through Friday from 4-6 p.m. CDT on WDUZ FM 107.5 The Fan, or on AM-1400, as well as Fan Internet Radio (www.thefan1075.com). Havel also hosts Event USA’ MVP Parties the evening before home games.

Packers Playoffs!

Tickets and Packages still available for “Ice Bowl II” this Sunday at Lambeau!
» Grab Your Spot

By CHRIS HAVEL
The Green Bay Packers discovered the second of two major obstacles facing them in the NFC Divisional Playoffs.
The first was Aaron Rodgers’ injured left calf.
The second is the Dallas Cowboys, who defeated Detroit 24-20 in the NFC Wild-Card Playoffs to advance to Sunday’s Cowboys-Packers game set for noon at Lambeau Field. It is the first time these teams have met in the postseason at Green Bay since The Ice Bowl in 1967.
The Packers (12-4) are coming off a first-round bye during which they hope Rodgers’ injured left calf will sufficiently heal. Rodgers isn’t expected to practice until Thursday at the earliest. However, Packers head coach Mike McCarthy said Monday that he’s optimistic regarding Rodgers’ health.
“I think he’ll be in pretty good shape,” McCarthy said.
Packers’ fans are praying the coach is right.
The Cowboys (13-4) and their potent one-two punch of quarterback Tony Romo and the NFL’s leading rusher, DeMarco Murray, present a formidable challenge on their own. Toss in Rodgers’ injury and there isn’t going to be anything easy about knocking out Dallas.
Rodgers’ and Romo’s season totals are similar. Romo’s 113.2 passer rating led the NFL, while Rodgers’ 112.2 mark was second. Romo was incredible on the road, where the Cowboys were 8-0 this season. He threw for 20 touchdown passes to just two interceptions. Rodgers threw for 25 touchdowns to zero interceptions this season at Lambeau Field. He also has thrown 418 straight passes without being picked off at home.
Romo and the Cowboys come in on a five-game winning streak. Romo threw for two touchdowns Sunday – the second TD late in the fourth quarter – to seal the win.
“You have to stay in the moment and understand the game,” Romo told reporters after the victory. “It doesn’t end after the first quarter, second quarter. You just have to keep calm. I’ve played enough games to understand that. Maybe I didn’t do that as well when I was younger.”
The Lions (11-6) couldn’t have gotten off to a better start. They opened up a 14-0 first-quarter lead and still led 20-7 late in the third quarter. But Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford and the offense generated just three second-half points and failed on a last-minute drive to score the go-ahead touchdown.
That came after Romo led the Cowboys on an 11-play, 59-yard touchdown drive that was capped with an 8-yard strike to receiver Terrance Williams.
Lions’ fans were still frustrated with Detroit’s previous possession. Their team was clinging to a three-point lead when tight end Brandon Pettigrew drew a pass interference penalty on Cowboys linebacker Anthony Hitchens. Instead of a first down near the Dallas 30, the flag was picked up and the call was reversed.
Lions head coach Jim Caldwell elected to punt, rather than go for the first down on fourth-and-1. Detroit punter Sam Martin followed with a 10-yard shank that set up the Cowboys with great field position. Dallas did the rest by going in for what was the winning score.
Asked if the officials gave him an explanation, Lions head coach Jim Caldwell said, “Not a good enough one. I’m going to leave it at that. I’m not going to sit up here and act like that was the play that made a difference in the game. We still had our chances.”
Now it’s up to the Packers to end the Cowboys’ season. McCarthy has no illusions about the challenge Dallas faces, and it’s not only when the Cowboys have the football.
“I think (Dallas’ defense) clearly is playing better this year than they were last year,” he said. “I think it’s more time in the system. (They’re) very detailed (and) very disciplined in what they’re doing on each and every snap. The thing that jumps off the video at you is their pursuit, the way they rally to the ball. This will be a big test for us.”
McCarthy believes Rodgers will be up to the task. He also doesn’t believe the offense’s timing will suffer due to Rodgers’ absence in practice.
“I’m not concerned,” McCarthy said. “Look at the way he played in the second half of the Detroit game. He’s learned to play through different situations. He has continuity with his teammates. So I think you’ve got to be in-tune with that. But hey, the way he progresses, he’s a quick healer. He jumped out there last week and was playing normal football there until the injury. So I think he’ll be in pretty good shape come Sunday.”
The Packers’ defense will be counted on to stop Romo, but first it must stop the Cowboys’ running game and Murray.
“He’s a big-time back,” McCarthy said.
The Packers’ special teams also will be looking to sharpen its play.
“The things that have gone wrong, protection, those are more technical, fundamental problems,” he said. “I feel confident with them moving forward … all the things we need to improve on, we’ve addressed.”
Now it’s up to his players to make it happen Sunday.
Chris Havel is a national best-selling author and his latest book is Lombardi: An Illustrated Life. Havel can be heard Monday through Friday from 4-6 p.m. CDT on WDUZ FM 107.5 The Fan, or on AM-1400, as well as Fan Internet Radio (www.thefan1075.com). Havel also hosts Event USA’ MVP Parties the evening before home games.