Ben from Cripple Creek, CO
If Vrabel does get COY, would he be the first HC to win it with two different teams? I still can’t believe that TN let Vrabel walk. He had Henry in his prime, but other than that I can’t really think of league-changing superstars on that team, but Vrabel had them in the playoffs consistently and overachieving, even ending NE’s dynasty, if memory is correct.
Vrabel got the Titans to the AFC title game in his second season (2019), yes, knocking out the Patriots along the way. Then he had two one-and-dones in the postseason, followed by two losing seasons before he was let go. The last two years have shown he clearly wasn’t the problem in Tennessee. ATMR(WCBW), six coaches have won the AP COY with different teams – George Allen, Don Shula, Chuck Knox (3 teams), Bill Parcells, Dan Reeves and most recently Bruce Arians.
Just another comment on whether to defer or not. The only stat or data I need is it guarantees the opposing team cannot double up and GB has the possibility of doing so. What other stat/data is needed? I think it’s a no-brainer to defer.
Another reason I always lean that way.
Morning guys. Just consider me Mr. Irrelevant as I have only had one question ever posted in the last five years but I digress. Do you consider this week’s game at home a must-win against the Bears even though we play them again in two weeks in Chicago? Thanks for all you do and your insights into our Packers. GPG!
This is not a must-win, even though the rematch is on the road. This game positions one team better for the stretch run, in the NFC North and overall playoff chase, than the other. Significantly better, but it’s not make-or-break.
Hi, guys. Sometimes I think that for division games, lots of stuff like records and past performances go out the window because the teams know each other so well. Then it comes down to who can surprise whom. And not necessarily with gimmick plays but with stellar execution in some unexpected phase. Wouldn’t surprise me if the Packers and Bears … teams with a desire to run … both come out throwing to confound the other’s defensive game plans.
Wouldn’t totally surprise me, either, but the weather could temper those thoughts, too.
Good morning Mike and Wes,
I hope you both are feeling better. I just looked at the weather for Sunday. Yikes, a high of 19 degrees. We know that the running game will have to be stellar. What other adjustments need to be made for the team to be successful? Passing and kicking are a given when it’s that cold. Both teams are cold-weather teams so I wonder if coach is going to cook up some creative schemes. Mike will have to break out the keyboard mittens for this one. Go Pack, Go!
Ha. I’m counting on the heat functioning in the press box. I will be sipping on my hot cider, though. The cold puts a premium on ball security. A cold ball can get punched out easier. Cold passes tend to bounce off cold hands, and who knows where those deflections go.
How did the Bears get the top rushing offense in the league? I know they revamped their O-line in the offseason and running a lot of two tight end formations but it has to be more than that. Can we avoid a Rico Dowdle type of game and have more of the run defense that throttled the Lions?
The Bears rebuilt the interior of their O-line, all three spots, via trades/free agency and they have a head coach/play-caller who philosophically insists on the run as the offensive foundation. That said, the O-line’s pass protection is spotty. Caleb Williams runs around back there under duress a lot. But a defense has to earn the right to rush the passer, as Micah Parsons likes to say, by containing the run. The Packers have proven they can shut down Barkley and Gibbs. They also let Dowdle control the tempo too much. The bottom line is Green Bay can’t let Chicago live in third-and-3 (or less) all day.