Excellent schedule for the NFL this week, time to wear out the DVR. As for your pick in the Sunday night game…well, I’m speechless. Going against the Pack and Skins in the same week must be a first.

B Roo- It is a first, but no CP in Washington, and the Pack’s inability to stop the run had a lot to do with it….

Go Bear….

Everything seems to be going against the Packers… Rodgers has struggled lately, the O-line has had problems pass blocking, the defense can’t stop the run, they’ve lost Nick Barnett, and Lovie Smith owns the Pack at Lambeau, winning the last 4 games. So with everything looking bad for the Pack, I think they rise up with an inspired effort and play one of their best games of the season. Rodgers bounces back with an solid performance and no turnovers, Grant runs for 100 yards and the defense holds Forte in check. Packers 24, Bears 13.

Matt–I am with you on the Bears coming into Lambeau and beating up on the Pack. They always take things to a different level when they play the Pack. I think Orton plays also.

If the Jets win tonight (although I don’t think they will), and the Pack loses, the first serious rumblings about firing the Bobsey twins (McCarthy and Thompson) will begin,and will escalate in the coming weeks.

The Redskins, however, will beat Dallas. I don’t think Romo is fully recovered yet.

Forgot to ask you in your over/under column yesterday, what is the over/under on how many times Matt Light will get away with holding tonight?

Big John- Over-Under on Light is at 10… thoughts?

Sean- I went back and forth on the Pack guy…. Like I said, if Rodgers gets the time, he should carve up the Bears and the Pack wins easily… If he doesn’t it could be a long day.

Matt–I’ll take the under because, although Light will no doubt commit holding on opposing linemen ten times or more, the refs will only call him once or twice. This modern-day Conrad Dobbler gets away with murder.

How does a bye help a team when their next game is on the road against a team coming off a bye week?

When Tony Romo is coming back to play off the bye, that’s how. He is a “known known” in terms of production.

If Felix Jones returns, that’s the larger question now. That could be the unknown factor.

The thing is that the Cowboys are self-destructive. I agree, if CP is out it will be tougher on the Skins. But, for one, I doubt he’ll be out. To know CP, you know this isn’t the type of game he misses. Also, does anyone else find it odd that 1) he returned to the game AFTER the injury, 2) he’s been unavailable to the media, and 3) he’s been inside all week during practice?

CP doesn’t like practice - well documented - and he is likely inside receiving loads of treatment all week. But doesn’t this sound like a smoke screen? I mean, c’mon! He returned to the game!

Don’t worry, CP will be in there. BUT, even if this stuff is as serious as they’re trying to make it sound, Betts will likely be ready, and he will have more than enough for the Cowboys.

And one guy who is ALWAYS overlooked is Rock Carthight. And believe me, if he gets 10-15 carries, he will have a minimum of 80 yards, likely more.

Skins win this one. But it will be close, as always.

Redskins 23 Cowboys 20

Hail!!

Chris- I hear you on Rock….

I don’t know what is going to happen up at Lambeau this weekend. A Bears win puts us 2 games out of first. A Pack win puts us even at 5-5 (Bucs will beat Vikqueens)

THIS IS A BIG GAME

Walleye- It is a big game, but I still think the NFC North is going to come down to the December game at Soldier Field.

Since I have been a Packers fan since I was mentally aware, I have followed them for almost 50 years. I grew up in the Lombardi Era, and was 17 when the Ice Bowl happened. And one thing was drilled into me from early on- if you’re a Packers fan, you HATE THE BEARS. And Chicago. And Illinois isn’t too cool either. That’s why one of my favorite songs is “The Bears Still Suck…”
Lovie Smith “got it”. So do I. GO PACK!

I think the Cowboys win this game, not because they are great, but because the Redskins are overrated and it is beginning to show. Jason Campell is good, but his luck will begin to run out. As for Portis, he’s always been great, but also an injury risk. I doubt he plays this week…or the next week and the Redskins will be LUCKY to go 1-1 over the next 2 games.

As for the Packers, they are underachieving and it’s because they can’t run the ball with conviction. Grant is running like a Granny and they have no formidable backup. The rushing attack wouldn’t figure to get better against the Bears, but as you guys say, if Rodgers can get back on track they could pull out a win. If you’re going to beat the Bears you need to do so through the air.

P.S. Regardless of how GB does there should be not only “whispers” but LOUD SCREAMS because guess what? The “aura” of the Packers is long gone…he’s 1,000 miles away in New Jersey…

Oh and the Steelers? They seemed like a team you’d want to watch in November and December, but now? Not so much. Losing to the Giants and Colts in a 3-week span shows you that they can hang with excellent teams, they just can’t beat them consistently. They have a tough Defense, but they can’t run the ball and the only thing physical about their offense is how “physical” pass-rushers get with Big Ben.

Cowboys have been playing with many injuries so there’s no sympathy for CP being hurt. I realize that is bad but Felix will be out, too, so its still a fair game. Rock v. Barber is a wash. Romo not having played in a month v. Campbell. Let’s get it on, should be a great Sunday night game.

With the Jets’ win last night, made possible by a vintage Brett Favre-led scoring drive in overtime, the stage is now set for serious and widespread calls for the firing of the Bobsey twins, Mike McCarthy and Ted Thompson.

We shall see what happens at Lambeau on Sunday. No doubt the Bears will be able to run the ball.

BigJohn - You need to start looking at the big picture. Brett has maybe one more year after this, then what? If we had him this year there is absolutely no way to know if we would be better, worse, or the same as we are, other than the standard, “He’s Brett Favre - He’s one of the best of all time” (which he is).

Thompson and McCarthy made a very tough decision, could they have handled it better? Absolutely! How? I don’t know. But to fire a GM and head coach because they traded a player who retired, then wanted to come back, then didn’t, then did, etc. is asinine.

Look at history; How many times has a team lost a Conference Championship Game and gone to the Super Bowl the next year? In the NFC only 1 team in the last 10 years that lost the NFC championship game has gone to the Super Bowl the next year - Philadelphia after the 2004 season and it was their 4th straight championship game! In the AFC only 2 teams have done it, the Pats last year and the Steelers after the 2005 season (the only one of the 3 teams to win the Super Bowl).

I like a lot of your observations, but the venom I can do without.

I agree the Bears will be able to run the ball, Grossman or Orton? neither one will be very effective against our secondary. So it is up to our Offensive line and Rodgers to beat the Bears.

Paul–

It’s a win-now league. The big picture argument doesn’t apply here. Favre proved last night that he would have been the answer this year. I don’t think Rodgers engineers that winning drive that Favre led last night in OT. I agree that Rodgers is the long-term answer.

But the Favre firing by the Bobsey twins is just the tip of the iceberg. Most of the players these guys have put on the field this year are just plain overrated. The only really good moves they have made are Jennings and Woodson. The rest are mediocre. And McCarthy is proving to be a very mediocre coach. We lead the league in penalties–that is all on McCarthy.

Sunday is THE game that will define where the fan sentiment breaks with regard to the Bobsey twins. If the Bears embarass the Pack at Lambeau, effectively closing the door on a playoff berth, the serious movement will start. Maybe you will even join that movement at some point.

I have a feeling Orton plays. I don’t think he’ll be very effective; he’ll just hand the ball off most of the time and maybe dink a few to Olson. But he won’t make many mistakes, unlike Grossman.

Let’s see, the Packers are 4-5 and the Jets are 7-3. The records are the bottom-line. W’s are all that counts at playoff time.

The Packers have under achieved. There are many factors for this including injuries but, I believe they miss Favre’s competitive spirit and the affect this has on the whole squad. The Packers will either rebound for the rest of this season or tank. I hope the former is true. If they tank, it will get ugly in the Packer nation by season’s end because of last years 14-4 record with Favre at QB and especially, if the Jets finish with a better record than the Packers and make the playoffs.

Aaron Rodgers has played pretty well but, he has not as yet demonstrated the competitive “will” on the field I would like to see. Perhaps, this will come for him in time. That time needs to be now…

Bob

Bob–Agree one hundred percent.

Several Jets players said last night in post game interviews that they knew they could win in OT because they had Favre on their side. He just brings that will to win to the team. Rodgers does not have that as yet.

BigJohn - I agree that it will get ugly if they tank and I also think they can rebound.

I am assuming you and I will never agree on how the Favre situation was handled except in the broad sense that it could have been handled better.

Rodgers is going through some growing pains that he would have gone through anyways, I think with him practicing all this week he will look a lot better.

I read that Clifton practiced yesterday, when they normally let him sit out and get treatment on his knees during the week, do you think McCarthy is sending him a message?

Paul–I don’t think McCarthy is trying to send Clifton a message. Clifton is getting old and his body has been battered (remember the Sapp hit?). His knees are shot and his skills are diminishing.

But Clifton is a consummate pro. Even consumate pros need to keep their skills sharp. I think McCarthy just wants him to work on footwork, body position and hand position.

Matt, dude how could you? Ya CP is the heart of the team but the possibility of Ladell coming back should negate any hesitation. I think Campbell will get back on track this week and put up some big #’s.
GO SKINS!!!