Week 9 – Pessimistic Final Word

Pessimistic Final Word – The week’s last take on the injury report and various stories in anticipation of the victory this coming Sunday afternoon. The Packers are still as injured as they have been since 2010. They have another very average foe coming to town in the Arizona Cardinals.  Much like the Green Bay Packers, the Cardinals are a team that knows how to get at opposing quarterbacks and loves to get their own quarterbacks squashed.  Surprisingly, heading into week 9 Arizona and Green Bay are tied for the league lead in sacks (note: the ones where you tackle the other team).  This week Coach McCarthy expressed that his team is absolutely not looking past this game in advance of the bye week.  The spread on this game keeps going off and on the board due to the ever-changing injury report, but it is hovering around 11 points. Go with the Green and Gold in this one. Most likely to fail: Mason Crosby.  Last week he decided to change his approach.  Last week Crosby was voted most likely to fail.  Last week Crosby failed to make a 32-yard field goal.  We’re tempted to vote for running backs Alex Green or James Starks, but Crosby is bound to be put in a situation where he has to make a last second field goal to seal the victory.  He unfortunately does not have a great history in these situations.  It hopefully doesn’t happen on Sunday, but it will happen.  Player most likely to be out with an injury, but should still play: Greg Jennings?  He looks to be in good spirits – maybe he’s ready.  The Packers have a horde of guys who still have not fully recovered from injuries.  Jordy Nelson, John Kuhn, Nick Perry, Sam Shields, and Jerel Worthy did not participate on Thursday.  B.J. Raji, Mike Neal, T.J. Lang, and Jermichael Finley were all limited in practice.  The Packers are on the border of desperation as it relates to the much needed two-week break. This week’s worst Packers story: Brad Jones’ Dogs’ names.  Actually this may be the week’s best.  Brad Jones is known as a very intelligent hard-worker.  He is fitting in nicely as an inside linebacker and wants to stay there.  He is so darn eloquent that the names he picked for his Irish Wolfhound and French Bulldog are Rufus Alexander Jones and Theodore Maxwell Jones. This week’s worst football story: The Denver Broncos.  Peyton Manning has been playing at an MVP level the last couple of games. He is playing so well that several talking pie holes are suggesting that the Broncos will win out during the remainder of the season.  The Broncos have beaten the Steelers (can’t win on the road), Raiders (bad), Chargers (disappointing), and the Saints (historically bad defense).  They have lost to the Falcons, Texans, and Patriots – all good teams.  The best teams remaining on the Broncos schedule are the Bengals, Buccaneers, and Ravens.  Winning out is not completely out of the question, but it is not going to happen.  The way the press perceives teams based on the “what-have-you-done-for-me-in-your-last-game” is at an all time high.  If the Packers lose on Sunday, the whole world will cave in and we will have to hear and read about it for 14 entire days.  Hence the reason this is the most important game of the season. This week’s worst non-football person getting involved with a football person:  Politicians and the NFL. First it was Republican Vice President Candidate Paul Ryan hanging out with Cleveland Browns.  His attempt to win over a key swing state ended when he singled out the starting rookie quarterback Brandon Weeden during is “pep-talk”, but was actually pointing at the gunslinger Colt McCoy.  This week, President Obama partnered with the third most popular player in the NFL – Charles Woodson – to help garner votes in the other key swing state know as Wisconsin.  If you live in Wisconsin, you love the Packers, and Charles Woodson tells you to vote for someone, you will probably consent.  What this really shows is the NFL is bigger than iPhones, Christmas Trees, wrestling, the Beatles, breast implants, guns, and cigarettes.  Here’s to “Lambert” Field.       This week’s most irrelevant story: Greg Jennings Surgery Delay.  Due to Hurricane Sandy, Jennings had to push back his surgery in Philadelphia to Thursday of this week.  The surgery apparently went very well.  It could be another month until Jennings is back (if not longer), so another few days is irrelevant.  Similar to the injured starting running back Cedric Benson, the team needs to assume they will not get any significant services from their starting wide receiver in 2012.  Will Jennings even be in running shape by Christmas?  Considering free agency, perhaps Jennings will never be a factor for the team ever again. Happy Holidays.   Follow @PackersTakes