Posts Tagged ‘ Green Bay Packers ’

Super Bowl XLIX: Superpowers Collide As Patriots Meet Seahawks

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Super Bowl XLIX is finally upon us, with the Seattle Seahawks set to take on the New England Patriots on Sunday night in the University of Phoenix stadium.

In so many ways, this feels like a clash of the old masters against the new breed, but Seattle are the reigning Super Bowl champions, so they cannot be dismissed lightly. Vegas has made them favourites for this game, and given how few Super Bowl champions have even made it back to the playoffs the following season, the phenomenal effort put in by the Seahawks needs to be acknowledged. This is no ordinary team, and considering they have tied their best players down to long term contracts, we could well be seeing them at this time of year for the foreseeable future. Continue reading →

2015
01/29
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NFL: Super Sunday Sends Patriots and Seahawks to the Super Bowl

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So there we have it, the line up for Super Bowl XLIX is set, with the Seattle Seahawks due to take on the New England Patriots on February 1st in the University of Phoenix stadium. After two very interesting (and very different) Conference Championship games were played out on Sunday, there is a truly fascinating clash of superpowers in the Super Bowl, but we should take a few minutes first to reflect back upon a truly stunning Championship Sunday.

Green Bay Packers at Seattle Seahawks (22-28)

That was arguably the most stunning comeback in the history of American Football. The Seattle Seahawks were down 16-0 at half time, down by 12 points with four minutes to play, had suffered severe injuries to two defensive stars who remained on the field, had turned the ball over five times and had only scored off the back of a fake field goal touchdown pass. And they won the game. In fact, thanks to Russell Wilson’s Hail Mary that Luke Wilson came down with on a two point conversion, they led by three points with just seconds remaining. In getting to that point, Seattle got their old groove going. Marshawn Lynch ran like an unstoppable machine in the second half of a monster day when he notched 157 yards on the ground, 26 through the air and probably still left a play or two behind him. Russell Wilson shook off his worst ever NFL performance of four interceptions to show composure and great quick decision making to open up running options. And the defensive front battered Eddie Lacy into the backfield twice when he tried to run out the clock. They won on special teams with a recovered onside kick to go along with the fake field goal, and they simply went from zero to a hundred when the game was (if only in their minds) still on the line, and emerged victorious. Continue reading →

2015
01/20
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NFL: Packers And Seahawks Face Off On Championship Sunday

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We are down to the final four now in the race to the Super Bowl, with only three games left for the year. The AFC and NFC Championship games take place on Sunday and, with only the cream of the crop left, we can be sure of two top games coming up. With players and coaches knowing they are just sixty minutes of football away from the promised land of the Super Bowl, everything will be laid on the line come Sunday. Let’s look ahead to two of the most hotly contested matches of the year.

Green Bay Packers at Seattle Seahawks

The Seattle Seahawks are now in a situation they are very familiar with, having been the host for the NFC Championship game last season. On that occasion, they overcame divisional rivals in the San Francisco Forty-Niners, who pushed them harder than any team on the Seahawks run to the Super Bowl. The Seahawks will be prepared for a frenetic bout against Aaron Rodgers and his troops. The game will be a classic encounter of strength versus strength, as the Seattle Seahawks and their immense defense prepare to face arguably the best quarterback and wide receiver pair the NFL has to offer. The ‘Hawks defense has went from good to unbelievable down the stretch, with the return of previously injured players like Bobby Wagner and Kam Chancellor returning to harden the core of this defense. The Seahawks gave up just under 16 points per game and 267 yards of offense per game in the regular season, and if they can replicate those numbers on Sunday they will be advancing to their second successive Super Bowl appearance. Facing a game but physically limited quarterback, the Seahawks will surely attack Rodgers early and try to unsettle him, with his mobility severely limited by a calf injury. If they can shut down the run game and force Rodgers to bob and weave in the pocket, they will create opportunities to put him on the ground. Offensively, the Seahawks will fancy their chances of exposing that defense, with Marshawn Lynch, Russell Wilson and Robert Turbin likely getting a large number of carries against a unit not renowned for stuffing the run. With Wilson throwing the ball better than ever in recent weeks, Doug Baldwin and Jermaine Kearse will likely get opportunities off of play-action, although Paul Richardson’s absence will be felt. Continue reading →

2015
01/15
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NFL: Colts Stun Broncos In Divisional Round

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The NFL’s divisional round is arguably the greatest weekend in all of sports on an annual basis. The eight teams left standing by this point are undoubtedly the best the NFL has to offer, and they played out four fantastic encounters over this past weekend. Eight became four after some tremendous clashes that simply whizzed by and, before we begin hyping Championship weekend, we should take some time to review all the action from another classic divisional round in the NFL.

Baltimore Ravens at New England Patriots (31-35)

The New England Patriots had to dig deep into their bag of tricks to pull out the win here, being given a wild ride by the wild card team. The Patriots ran for the grand total of 14 yards on Saturday, as the dominant defensive front refused to give them any ground. Tom Brady was then forced into fifty passing attempts, completing 33 of those for 367 yards and three touchdowns, but also a costly (if inevitable, given the number of throws) pick that led to a touchdown drive to swing momentum away from New England. The Pats were down 14 points on two separate occasions, but were able to exploit a weak secondary to come out with the win, albeit via a Julian Edelman touchdown pass and some interesting offensive line formations with players declaring themselves ineligible at the last second, which caused infinite confusion for the defense. The Patriots were able to exploit the middle for huge gains, with Rob Gronkowski and Danny Amendola, the forgotten man in this offense who caught Edelman’s touchdown pass, making huge gains. Every yard was needed, as the defense gave up their most points since the blowout to the Kansas City Chiefs in week four. Still, they advance onto the AFC Championship game with home field advantage, and must be feeling pretty good now. Continue reading →

2015
01/13
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NFL: Packers And Cowboys Square Off In Exciting Divisional Round

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We have arrived at the divisional round of the playoffs, with the final four in each division playing for a chance to advance to the conference decider. The four best teams in the NFL return to the fray this weekend, having had bye weeks for the wild card round. We can expect the standard of football to go through the roof this weekend then, with the Super Bowl hovering in the background. This is the time of year when the best players come to the fore when they are most needed.  Let’s look ahead to a mouth-watering weekend in the NFL.

Baltimore Ravens at New England Patriots

The New England Patriots ascended to the comfortable surroundings atop the AFC Conference, ensuring them home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. Bill Belichick’s team are one of the most formidable home sides in all of football, going 7-1 at Foxboro this season, with the only loss coming in week seventeen against the Buffalo Bills when top seeding had already been guaranteed. The Patriots underwent some early season struggles as the offensive line was unsettled and Rob Gronkowski was hurt, but since a mauling by the Kansas City Chiefs in week four, Tom Brady has led his team to a 10-2 record. With the protection now settled and steady and Gronkowski re-establishing himself as one of the most dangerous weapons in the NFL, the Patriots have become a completely different beast. For the first time in a number of years, Brady is backed by a stellar defense, which could be the difference maker if they are to return to the Super Bowl. With Chandler Jones, Rob Ninkovich, Jamie Collins and Darrell Revis all making significant contributions, the Patriots can stake a claim to being the most balanced team in either conference. That pass protection will be tested this weekend, and an ability to run the ball early could make the Patriots difficult to topple. Continue reading →

2015
01/07
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NFL: Dramatic Final Day As Steelers And Packers Playoff Bound

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The 2014 NFL regular season is now done. We know who the twelve playoff sides are, as well as who is on the clock first for the 2015 draft (think very carefully, Tampa Bay Buccaneers). It was a tumultuous final day of the season, with every side playing and the teams jockeying for position in the playoffs changing constantly. The wild card round of the playoffs begins next Saturday, but for now let’s go back and examine the action on the final day of the regular season.

Detroit Lions at Green Bay Packers (20-30)

The Green Bay Packers continue to prove unstoppable at home, securing the NFC North title and a first-round bye in the playoffs with the win here. It was not without tension, as Aaron Rodgers left the field injured while still managing to throw a touchdown pass in the first half. In his time off the field, Calvin Johnson brought in two touchdowns to tie the game, and leave the Packers fans on the edges of their seats. Rodgers re-emerged on the second drive of the second half, and proceeded to pick apart the opposition defense. Green Bay displayed the offensive cohesion and precision that their divisional rivals could only dream of, and Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb and a huge effort on the ground from Eddie Lacy was enough to win out. The defense made big plays at crucial times, in particular recovering a fumble on the next play after suffering a blocked field goal attempt of their own, which was a huge momentum swing. They also forced Matt Stafford into an intentional grounding penalty that became a safety and two crucial points, earning their team and quarterback a much needed week off. Continue reading →

2014
12/30
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NFL: The Race To The Playoffs

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The final chances to impress for the best and brightest in the NFL in 2014 is here. Yes, we enter the final week of the regular season, with a handful of teams still in the shakeup to make the post-season. Division titles and wild card slots are still very much up for grabs. Beyond that, coaches and players at less successful organisations want to go away leaving their organisations with a good taste in their mouths, to hopefully ensure they return in 2015. With so much to play for, let’s look ahead to week 17.

Detroit Lions at Green Bay Packers

The NFC North is on the line in this one, as is home field advantage in the playoffs, for at least one playoff game. The Green Bay Packers have lost control over the first overall seed in the NFC, but if they can beat their divisional rivals here then they still could nab it. Green Bay are a very different team at home, overwhelming all comers with Aaron Rodgers seemingly impervious to mistakes. They suffered a bad case of the drops in their recent loss in Buffalo, but overall Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb have given Rodgers the varying dependable targets he needs, with no one apparently capable of shutting both down on one day. The defense has been good, if not great, with a lot of the mid-season shuffling around, including moving Clay Matthews into middle linebacker, making the unit good enough to not get beaten. With Aaron Rodgers around, that’s all you need. Continue reading →

2014
12/28
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NFL: Packers Toppled As Broncos And Patriots Clinch Divisions

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Can you believe we’re through week fifteen of the NFL season already? There are just two regular season games left, and yet it feels like it was only yesterday that the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks were in tremendous turmoil, and Philip Rivers was the favourite to become MVP. The New York Jets had a winning record, but that does feel like it was a long time ago. We’re right in the crunch of the action now, so let’s look back and see what happened in week fifteen.

Denver Broncos at San Diego Chargers (22-10)

The Denver Broncos claimed the AFC West crown for the fourth consecutive year with victory here. They even did so with Peyton Manning missing a chunk of time in the first half, but Brock Osweiler’s zero completions from two attempts is unlikely to unseat the Hall of Famer any time soon. Instead, Denver ran and ran hard, with C.J. Anderson taking 29 carries for 85 yards. Sure, not huge yardage, but it allowed the Broncos to control time of possession and protect their lead, keeping the defense on the sidelines. Demaryius Thomas had 123 yards and a touchdown off just six passes. Remember when people thought he was in a slump?  That well rested defense is bouncing back, only giving up ten points on the road to a divisional rival with a winning record. The Broncos are now bracing themselves for the post-season, but winning out could yet secure top seeding in the AFC. Continue reading →

2014
12/16
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NFL: Tricky Games Ahead For Divisional Leaders

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With just three weeks left in the NFL regular season, a lot of teams have been officially and unofficially ruled out of the race to the playoffs. The cream has risen to the top in both conferences, and some very good football teams with winning records are going to miss out on the post-season. With the margins for success so narrow, nobody can afford to lose right now, meaning there are going to be plenty of big games to come over the next few weeks, with heroes and villains aplenty. Let’s look ahead to week fifteen. Continue reading →

2014
12/11
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NFL: Packers Rule The Roost

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Week thirteen of the NFL season is now in the books, and what a week it was. Thanksgiving week can sometimes disappoint, particularly as the Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys have struggled in recent times, but this year we got three cracking games to be thankful for. We also had a full slate of action on Sunday, due to the end of the bye weeks. With so much action to look back on, let’s get straight to our review. Continue reading →

2014
12/02
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