Title Game Berth Could Be Decided in Trenches

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It’s not worth comparing this Sunday’s divisional playoff matchup to the 2007 NFC title game that saw the New York Giants knock off No.4 and the second-seeded Green Bay Packers.

Both teams have changed dramatically over the past four years, as have most teams in the league. In 2008, the Packers handed the franchise reins over to Aaron Rodgers and then employed a new defensive scheme. The Giants have since become much more pass-happy on offense. However, one aspect of Tom Coughlin’s Giants has not changed in four years: the prowess seen in the Giants’ defensive line.  Continue reading →

One Thing is For Sure: There Will Be a Market for Matt Flynn

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Green Bay Packers' Matt FlynnStill unknown is how Ted Thompson will allocate the franchise tag, a long-term contract and a wave farewell to pending free agents Jermichael Finley, Scott Wells and Matt Flynn. Flynn’s performance in Week 17 against the Lions has Thompson reevaluating any predetermined personnel moves he had been planning. One factor Thompson doesn’t need to consider when performing his analysis: the existence of a free agent market for Flynn.

In analyzing the market for Flynn, I separate potential buyers into groups based on their apparent need at quarterback. There appear to be three types of QB-needy teams this offseason: the desperate, the contemplating and the indecisive. While the teams listed in the third category may come off as long shots, their influence on the flow of rookie and free agent quarterbacks should not be disregarded. Continue reading →

What We Learned Against the Lions

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Detroit Lions vs Green Bay PackersMatt Flynn is for real.

And now the entire league knows it. After getting off to a rocky start against the Lions, Flynn rebounded with six touchdowns and 480 yards passing. Perhaps the most impressive aspect of his performance was the game-winning drive he assembled with less than two minutes to play. Flynn’s name becomes a hot one as 20 teams begin their offseasons. Continue reading →

A Closer Look at the Detroit Lions – Part 2

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Green Bay Packers vs Detroit Lions 2011In case you haven’t heard this anywhere else this week: the Lions haven’t won at Lambeau Field since 1991. Unfortunately for Packers fans, Sunday figures to be an excellent opportunity for Detroit to snap that skid.

For the Lions, there is a sizable difference between entering the playoffs as the NFC’s 5-seed versus the 6-seed. The latter means that, in all likelihood, the Lions will be traveling to New Orleans for the first round of the playoffs, the location where Drew Brees shredded the Detroit secondary en route to a 31-17 Saints victory. To avoid a trip to the Superdome, the Lions need a win plus a Falcons loss in Week 17.  Continue reading →