The Packers/Vikings Monday night football breaks the ice on the running logs for the 2009 NFL season. Here are a few of the interesting sub-plots for tonight’s game:
- Ryan Longwell, who once played for the Packers, now kicks for the Vikings. I am interested to see how he responds to playing his former team after the Packers decided to go with Mason Crosby, who was younger, had a stronger leg and more accuracy.
- It will be fun watching Vikings coach Brad Childress (mis) manage the clock and throw the challenge flag even if has less than .0001% chance of winning.
- And what running log would be complete without analyzing the fantasy impact of every play.
5:24 PM – Did you know that the current starting quarterback for the Vikings used to play for the Packers? Apparently he was a pretty decent quarterback for them, but I cannot remember him. Gosh, his name is Farvra or something. Wow, that might be another interesting sub-plot to this game!
5:28 PM – Packer fans love Aaron Rodgers, but he needs to play well tonight or the tide might turn on him. He cannot afford bad turnovers and missed opportunities like he had in the first two games of the season. This game obviously runs deep for Green Bay. In fact, my guess is if you gave the Packer fans a choice of finishing in second place to Minnesota but beating them twice or winning the division and losing twice to the Vikes, some would choose beating the Vikes twice.
5:31 PM – I honestly cannot stand all the hype surrounding the Greg Lewis catch last week. First off, there are at least a million people in the world that could have avoided the three man rush and thrown the ball 40 yards to the end zone, but there are only a few individuals that could have made that catch. Kudos to Greg Lewis on saving a rag arm, elderly quarterback and making the play of the season for the Vikes – but Brett Farve still gets all the pub.
5:37 PM – I have two fantasy games on the line tonight. I am down 13 but I have Rodgers and Schiancoe. In the other league I have a 7 point lead and I am facing Chester Taylor. Thankfully I am not playing against Adrian Peterson tonight.
5:40 PM – Gruden might be the most annoying announcer in the World (ok maybe second most annoying to that “GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL” guy) and he is still taking that “Chuckie” thing too literally.
I was thinking about how it must feel to be going against Adrian Peterson in fantasy tonight and how much of a lead you would need to feel comfortable. For me, it would be as long as one play can’t beat me. If I am up anything less than 16.5 points, I am worried about the max play from Peterson (a 99 yard TD reception, .5 for the catch, 6 for the TD and 9.9 for the yards). And, don’t roll your eyes, thinking that Peterson isn’t capable of catching a swing pass on his own goal-line then breaking six tackles and out-running the remaining five players of defense for a 99 yard run.
5:44 PM – You know what – Mike McCarthy is a very under-rated coach. I like the play calling so far – two screen passes which have offset the Vikings over- aggressive pass rush. Rodgers also executed the plays to perfection.
5:47 PM – The Packers offensive line is self-destructing so far – a holding call and a false start. Now the disease is spreading to Donald Driver, who is a noted Favre fanboy.
5:49 PM – Jon Gruden screams “The Vikings lead the league in third down defense”, as Rodgers picks them apart for consecutive third and long conversions.
5:51 PM – Wow, the Packers offensive line is a joke! Rodgers fumbles while getting sacked. Maybe the Packers can petition the refs to allow them to play without an offensive line, if the Vikings will count to three Mississippi! That would be all day for Rodgers compared to what he has faced so far.
5:54 PM – When did Andy Reid start coaching the Packers? That was the worst challenge in the history of the NFL; in fact, there wasn’t a camera angle that made it look close. And now it’s Favre time! How about a vintage Favre interception on the first play?
5:55 PM – Oh yikes, Peterson just ran for nine yards and was barely touched. It’s going to be a long night ahead for those playing against AP.
5:59 PM – “Green Bay has the best cornerback tandem in the NFL”, chirps Tirico, as Woodson is burnt on a slant route. What is Brandon Chillar’s IQ? First off, dummy, you can’t afford to give the Vikings 15 yards for taunting – and more importantly, why are you taunting AP – a guy who can make you look foolish on his worst, most uninspired day.
6:03 PM – Gutsy call by Brad Childress, really Gruden? Fourth and an inch and you have the best running back in football. Throw in the fact that your defensive line owns the Packers offensive line and he is at home. In fact, I think if he doesn’t go for this we could question whether or not he had any balls, er, guts!
6:04 PM – TD pass by Brett Favre! What a pass! Favre with a classic play fake and then a bullet across the field to Schanicoe! What a play by Brett Favre!!! There are roughly 65,000 people in the Metrodome that could have made that play – including the jackass with yellow ponytail wig and his face painted purple. Hey champ, I can make your face purple without the make-up!
6:10 PM – Holy crap, the Pack is facing a potential three and out; not good for them. Oh wow, to the HOUSE goes Jermichael Finley. Rodgers should point over to Favre, act like he is cocking a shotgun and pull the trigger.
I am surprised that Andy Reid clone, Brad Childress didn’t challenge the TD. I mean it looked obvious that he was in, but that wouldn’t stop Andy Reid, because you know 1st and goal at the 6-inch line is nearly impossible to score a TD.
6:14 PM – The TD by Rodgers coupled with the Schanicoe one should get me the win in my one league and I am still holding in the other league.
6:19 PM – Gosh, I don’t know if Harvin was down by contact there, generally players that get tripped stuimble and fall within a few feet, but Harvin took three more steps and tripped over the 10 yard line. Maybe Brett is playing against Chester Taylor tonight as well; he just missed Chet on a 10 yard pass by about 6 yards. Or maybe JaMarcus Russell snuck into that #4 jersey for a series.
6:23 PM – Wow, this Jermichael Finley looks impressive. I wonder if I can get him in all five of my fantasy leagues this week. End of the first quarter and Gruden informs us that the NFL is no place for the faint hearted. No doubt Jonnie, those weak hearted pukes should stick to jobs like fireman and ER doctor.
6:27 PM – What the heck Rodgers, you can’t take hits like that when you’re piloting two of my fantasy teams.
6:29 PM – Ryan Grant looks scared to run in the middle – either that or he is just slow.
6:31 PM – Tip drill alert, Driver drops the ball on 4th down, but a Vikings player tips the ball in the air and Jennings catches it for a first down. Come on Childress challenge that. He couldn’t get the challenge flag out of his pocket, nice. Must be too much crap in there – like nail clippers, a nail file, Swiss army knife, some gummy bears, a beard comb and a toothpick. Those are all things that shouldn’t be in the same pocket as the challenge flag.
6:34 PM – So you get the first down and then Rodgers throws a pass right to Antone Winfield. Nice, except that Winfield is on the Vikings.
6:37 PM – “Favre sucks” my daughter just uttered those words from out of nowhere. I had no idea she even knew who Favre is. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree! Next, I expect her to spend an afternoon arguing with one of her teachers that the NFL needs to start taking the Fantasy Football owners into consideration by fining coaches who are not forthcoming about their starting running back or the main receiving target for the week.
6:42 PM – Wow, what a tackle by Al Harris. 1 on 1 in the open field with Adrian Peterson is very scary. You have two “face saving” choices – make the tackle or fake an injury when you miss.
6:44 PM – Hey, Packers you might want to cover Berrian on the sideline. And that gives us the second “What a throw by Brett Favre” comment and first “Laser by Brett Favre” comment. Every time I hear the word “laser” I think about Dr. Evil from Austin Powers. That turns my frown to a smile!
6:47 PM – Another third and long for the Vikings… let’s see if thePackers can make a play. “That’s amazing by Brett Favre” comment for the second time tonight. Back to back 3rd and 11 conversions, nice defense Pack! And the turnover by Rodgers leads to Vikings points. Not good Aaron. You cannot lose this game!
6:51 PM – Oh no, Will Blackmon, my pick to be the Packers version of Devin Hester just crumpled to the ground with a blown out knee.
6:58 PM – Jon Gruden loves Mike McCarthy’s work ethic. Wow, how many hours a day does this McCarthy character put in – 23? Remember Gruden was notorious for working 21 hour days. I can imagine Gruden and McCarthy at the office bagging on an assistant who left after a 16 hour day. Gruden’s comment makes me wonder if he still puts in that many hours in his new job, based on most of his comments I would guess ESPN is having trouble getting a full 40 hours out of him.
Three and out for the Packers, as Rodgers gets sacked again. You know what, I just realized, Aaron Rodgers is a poor man’s Dan Marino. He is a stat stuffer, but he really cannot win the big game or enough games to be significant. Crap, now I figure that out, after I picked the Pack to win the NFC.
7:03 PM – Double whammy potential for the Vikings – the Packers strip Peterson and return it for a tying touchdown. And, AP comes off the field limping. You might not have known that since the three dolts in the booth never mentioned it. They are too busy throwing out football buzz words like “motor”, “pounding” and “violent runner”. Gruden with another classic– “Clay Matthews does a great job of ripping the ball out of Adrian Peterson body”. Really, out of his body? First off, how did AP get the ball in his body? Secondly, how did Matthews rip it out of his body? I expected to see AP fall imply to the turf once that ball got ripped out of his body.
7:08 PM – “Percy, Percy me!”, Harvin just got lit up. And, all of sudden the Vikings fans are quiet – could it be full day of drinking has finally caught up to them or is it the fact that they just now realized that they actually hate Favre or maybe they are concerned about AP. I say they just realized that they hate Favre.
7:11 PM – How about this luck? AP is out and now Chester is the main back! And today I proudly told all who would listen that AP was due an injury. What are those Daughtry song lyrics “Be careful what you wish for, cause you just might get it and then some“. This is the “then some” portion. OK, so now I have to hope for a couple fumbles from Taylor.
7:12 PM – Goodness gracious the Packers third down defense is a joke! Another third down conversion, this after Favre threw a Hail Mary pass on first down, that I think hit the Packers video equipment and Chester ran for two yards.
7:15 PM – There we go, Chester for 19 yards on a screen. With AP out, I’m done in that league where I am playing Chester Taylor. Harvin running wide open in the middle of the field, down to the 4 as Favre hits him with a “Vintage Brett Favre” pass. Actually, Favre’s very next pass is a “vintage Brett Favre”, an interception in the end zone. Oh my the refs bail the old man out with a crappy interference call. This game is clearly not in Denver, because the Bronco secondary gets by with everything in the secondary.
Getting back to the “old man” is there another player in the NFL who looks 10+ years older than their actual age? Favre is only 39, but he looks about 55. I think that all plays into the media love for him; he is like that crazy grandpa who remembers when an ice cream cone cost a nickel. Wake up people! This guy is only 39 years old. Let’s stop marveling at how unbelievable it is that Brett Favre is still playing at such an advanced age. No one made anything of Vinny Testaverde throwing 30 touchdowns for the Ravens at the age of 42.
7:19 PM – I have some good news and some troubling news. First the good news, Adrian Peterson came back in to get the touchdown. The troubling news, Gruden and Jaws are fighting over who gets to blow Favre after the game.
7:21 PM – It’s time to take a knee Mikey. Your offensive line couldn’t block a line of players having a gout attack.
7:24 PM – One second left in the half, time for a Hail Mary by Rodgers. Odds are 50/50 that Rodgers gets sacked by a three man rush before he can get it off. He just got it off for a harmless incompletion.
7:30 PM – Oh, here we go, Tom Jackson gushing over the Broncos – “It’s good to see teams getting back to playing a winning style of football”. Tommy, do you mean like back in the days before the forward pass? The Broncos clearly are happy to keep every game close and try to win at the end. It’s hard to argue with the success so far. But without two fluke plays – the tipped pass to Stokley and the Brandon Marshall jaunt through the entire Cowboy defense, they would likely be 2-2. And, if the defense will struggle once the league stops letting the secondary get away with murder.
However, if the Broncos beat the Pats this weekend, I will accept that they are for real.
7:36 PM – AP doesn’t look the same in the second half, but I appreciate him keeping Chester off the field.
7:42 PM – I thought Dom Capers was such a defensive genius – so if you cannot rush the passer you figure you are at least covering down field right. Not the Packers. They can’t cover or rush the passer, but hey they have held AP to 2.1 yards per carry. TD to Berrian – #3 on the night for Favre. This couldn’t be any worse for Packer fans.
7:48 PM – This Packer team isn’t very good. A lot of it is the offensive line, but I really have to question whether Rodgers has what it takes to lead this team deep into the playoffs. Right now, he has to lead them on a TD drive.
7:50 PM – Since when does Ryan Grant dance around like Jamal Lewis. Pathetic.
7:51 PM – OK, the Packers are moving the ball nicely now that they are giving Rodgers some protection. Maybe I was a bit hasty with my 7:48 post. Ryan Grant still doesn’t trust the offensive line and just ran out of bounds like Franco Harris with the Seahawks.
7:55 PM – Another chance for Childress to challenge an unwinnable challenge. What has gotten into this guy? Wow, two plays inside the one and the Packers cannot score. Fourth down and dare I say it – “this is the whole season” for the Packers right here.
8:00 PM – Nice catch Donald Lee – NOT! I say cut that bastard right now. Pull the Coach Nickerson move in All The Right Moves and don’t let him get on the team bus. I would do it. But if I were a coach or GM I would have no players left!
8:04 PM – Guess what – 3rd and 8, from the GB 3 and the Vikings pick up the first down. That’s something we haven’t seen all effing night. Dom Capers was a terrible head coach and now he is well on his way to being remembered as a terrible D-Coordinator.
8:05 PM – FOUR! (With my right hand raised and displaying four out-stretched fingers). That’s right, we’re heading to the 4th quarter. I still have the lead my one league where I am playing Chester Taylor but by a mere 4 points. I am concerned that if the Vikings go up by 21, Chester will get the remaining carries, not good.
8:09 PM – 3rd and 7 and the Vikings pick it up. For those not counting at home that is 7 straight third down conversions. Look at that sneaky Brad Childress, he tries a double reverse pass, which ends up in the hands of Sindey Rice who throws the ball out of bounds from within tackle box. Hmm, usually that is intentional grounding, but I guess not on “Lick Brett Favre’s nutsack” night.
8:13 PM – Al Harris is in lala land tonight. Guess what 3rd and 10. And amazing, [me standing to give the Pack defensive a sarcastic standing ovation], the Packers finally stop the Vikings when they stop a Chester Taylor reception short of the first down. Lead down to 3.4 or so.
8:16 PM – Six sacks for the Vikings tonight. And, the backup left tackle is hurt. So let’s see the starting left tackle sucks, the backup sucks more and now you’re left with the backup’s backup? Odds Rodgers makes it through tonight alive – 30/70. And, I guarantee the next series will be the Chester Taylor show.
8:20 PM – So the Packers are packing it in. I am openly rooting for a punt return TD to keep the Vikings offense off the field. Oh, so close. Honestly, I cannot believe that I am actually sweating out a fantasy game that involves Chester Taylor. I might be the only person in the world that is battling this tonight, first that someone who would play Chester Taylor against me and second that they have a chance to beat me.
8:22 PM – Whew, AP still in the game, I love Childress! 10 minutes to go in the game. But here comes a 3rd and 12. And I would be willing to bet my next paycheck that this is a pass to Chester.
8:24 PM – Big effing surprise – 11 yard reception to Taylor; I knew it but somehow the Packers couldn’t and now the lead is down to 1.7 or so. The Packers are a complete joke. Shame on me for picking them to be anything more than an “also ran” this year.
8:27 PM – I cannot believe how long Aaron Rodgers just held onto that ball, in his own end zone no less. Terrible. He gets sacked for a safety. Well, here is the deal A-Rodg, you better not let Brett Favre come into Lambeau and win. I know it’s not all on him, but if his team respects him at all then this BS line performance will be unacceptable, the defensive should be embarrassed as well and the coaching staff needs to pull their heads out.
8:33 PM – 30-14 after the safety. So, if you asked me to make a list the NFL teams I hate the most, I would have 49ers, Vikings and Broncos on the list. 11-1 for those teams. That should give you an idea of how this NFL season is going for me.
8:38 PM – The Pack takes over at their own 4 with 5 minutes to play. Ok, I need the Pack to burn some clock and end it with a TD.
8:42 PM – TD, PACK! “Go Pack, Go!” Two point conversion coming up. If they make this, it gets very interesting. That is too much to ask for, as they Rodgers is pressured and attempts a left-handed throw that falls incomplete. I am planning on contact that Invention Hotline place in the morning and coining the phrase “Rodgers is pressured” – hello early retirement!
8:45 PM – Onside kick! Wow, great bounce but it comes down to Sidney Rice. I am in very good shape with one first down. Even without a first down, it is likely that the Vikings will run three plays with AP. I can afford 12 yards rushing or one catch for 7 yards.
8:49 PM – Childress has some ball(s) throwing (deep, no less) on third down. A deep pass goes incomplete on third down, they burned 30 seconds off the clock in that possession; the punt is then fumbled. Amid the pile-up Tirico astutely notices the ref signaling for the “chains” to move to that end of the field, he in-astutely comments that it is Packers ball because of this. Right, because if it were the Vikings ball they wouldn’t need the chains.
8:55 PM – I just noticed that I have a chance in one of my leagues that I had written off. I need 13 yards from Ryan Grant and nothing to Greg Jennings. 3:10 to play Pack at their own 18. Let’s do this!
8:57 PM –Gruden just mentioned that the Packers might go for the field goal once they get into range. Are you kidding me? Since when is that common knowledge among the NFL coaches? I have seen two coaches do that, Whiz and McCarthy. Come on, Gruden you can’t give away secrets like that on Monday night. If all the coaches played it that way, what would I have to bag on? I guess I would have to stick to ripping on most NFL coach’s management of the clock.
9:00 PM – Two minutes left and the Pack have moved into Vikings territory.
9:02 PM – Number 70 on the Packers just yelled “Aaron, look out” as Rodgers get smacked to the turf. What a pile of manure! The Pack wasted too much time trying to get the TD, they settle for a FG. And the ensuing onside kick is recovered by …. Sidney Rice again. All the Packers players ran by as Sidney Rice jumped to the moon and picked the ball out of the air. What happened to the guys who were designated to take out the opposing players? So, if I am a special teams coach, I would put my craziest three special teamers on onside kick team and tell them to identify one player, from second line of the opponents “hands team” formation, each that they are going to knock into tomorrow. In this case, about the time Sidney Rice is in the air and thus fully committed, a Larry Izzo type player is about to drive his helmet through Rice’s intestines. Now maybe Rice hangs on the first time, but the second time either he muffs it or decides to let someone else “save the day”.
9:07 PM – Let’s hear what Favre has to say in the post-game interview – key statements “their quarterback”, “they chose to go in a different direction” and “this wasn’t about revenge”. Whatever Grandpa! Why not just admit that you wanted to beat them and it was all about revenge? The Pack management grew weary of your off-season games and they needed to see what Aaron Rodgers had, big whoop! Had you told them you wanted to keep playing in March when they asked, they would have let you.
And by the way, the Vikings beat the Packers in Minnesota last year with Gus Frerotte. So you have nothing on Frerotten, chief.
Caveman out!
