Nothing Fabulous Conference playoffs are wide open
Posted by:
gwoelfel on
January 3, 2008 at
2:05AM CST
BY GERY WOELFEL
Before the NFL season began, nobody – repeat, nobody -- ever envisioned the Packers posting a gaudy 13-3 regular-season record.
However, most observers expected the Packers to be in the playoffs – even if they had gone 8-8 as I expected – because they have the good fortune of playing in the NFC, an acronym for the Nothing Fabulous Conference.
In the Nothing Fabulous Conference, there aren’t any superpowers like there are in the AFC with New England and Indianapolis. In the Nothing Fabulous Conference, you don’t have the depth of quality teams like the AFC, which wouldn’t admit such a worthy team like Cleveland and its 10-6 record to its postseason party. (A 10-6 record, by the way, would have been the third-best in the NFC).
Instead, the Nothing Fabulous Conference playoffs will consist of the Packers, the Cowboys, the Seahawks, the Bucs, the ’Skins and Giants. Not one of them is remotely close to being a great team.
That’s why every player and every coach on those just mentioned Nothing Fabulous Conference playoff teams has to be convinced that their chances of going to the Super Bowl are as decent as Mike Huckabee moving into George Bush’s white house on Pennsylvania Avenue next January.
That’s because, out that Nothing Fabulous Conference contingent, only one team is truly on a roll. And that’s Washington. The Redskins have won four straight games and they’ve won them impressively. They have outscored their last four opponents – Dallas, Minnesota, the Giants and Chicago – 105-53.
But as dangerous as the Redskins figure to be in the playoffs, their first-round game is in Seattle. The Seahawks are 7-1 on their own turf.
Of course, the Seahawks just lost to the pathetic Falcons and are just 3-2 in their last five games. Likewise, the Cowboys, Packers and Giants are a ho-hum 3-2 in that span as well. And the Bucs? They’re stumbling into the playoffs with just two wins in their last five outings.
So, while the Nothing Fabulous Conference playoffs won’t boast the most talented teams, it could still have the some of the most interesting games.
Posted by: Brett Favre on January 3, 2008 8:48AM CST
New year, same old Gery. I guess it isn't even necessary to have the playoffs then since the NFC is so bad? This is why they play the game. Cleary New England is the best team in the NFL right now, but that doesn't mean they can't get beat. You talk about how bad the NFC is yet Green Bay played teams from the AFC and swept them. What makes you such a bitter person? If it isn't an article about your almight Bucks, the same team that is currently in last place, you can't say anything positive at all.
Overall record in interconference games, Absolutely Fabulous Conference vs Nothing Fabulous Conference: 32-32
Nothing dominating there.
Indy a Superpower? Not really
New England a Superpower? Yes
Does Dallas or Greenbay in the SuperBowl have a good chance of winning? Yes, very much so.
Should Gery resign as a sports writer and give that Job to The Cool Polar Bear or Brett Farve? Yes
At least get your facts straight Gery before you spout off with the same old tired cliches that all of the other "experts" use. I heard one guy recently on ESPN say Green Bay still doesn't have a running game, when they have had one of the best during the second half of the season. Bet you didn't know that either.
By the way I believe Green Bay is on a roll, despite the weather dictated abomination in Chicago, they have been playing well since the loss in Dallas. As far as the Redskins go, they are a nice story and on a roll, but 3 weeks ago the Vikings were the media darlings and look were they are now. They were the team no one wanted to face according to the media.
Posted by: Brett Favre on January 3, 2008 9:44AM CST
Funny how you mention the Seahawks lose to the Falcons. Seattle had already secured a home game in the playoffs and rested their starting QB and running back. The Cowboys played Washington in a game that meant more to Washington then Dallas, since Dallas already had clinched home field advantage as well. One of New York's loses was to New England, who didn't rest any starters. If you are going to make a point at least be able to back it up. You also mentioned the "Nothing Fabulous Conference" 7 times like it's really funny. I guess the writers strike didn't only affect TV but the JT as well. Don't quit your day job, better yet do us all a favor and do quit. Take your chepa writing skills to Illinois where at least it would make sense as to why you hate Wisconsin sports so much.
By the way if the Packers did finish 8-8 like you said, "However, most observers expected the Packers to be in the playoffs – even if they had gone 8-8 as I expected – because they have the good fortune of playing in the NFC, an acronym for the Nothing Fabulous Conference. " they would not have made the playoffs. There is no 8-8 team in either conference that made the playoffs. I see more bad points in your article each time read it.
Posted by: brewpackman on January 3, 2008 4:11PM CST
Gery,Gery,Gery.....why do you insist on being the opening on our body that only makes smelly stuff? Your column has become a game of how do I keep readers on their toes by insulting the very things they care about. It is sad and pathetic to say the least. It is the kind of thing Jay Mariotti or Jason Whitlock generally try to pull off. They suck in a much brighter spotlight than you....but you suck equally. I'm sure you will take being mentioned in the same sentence as those two idiots as a compliment.....it isn't. I will not try to discredit your points you made because you are only instigating an argument with your childlike acronyms. Instead lets figure out why you are not trashing the Bucks. Is it because you are their insider and you are trying not to be too critical? Are you afraid to be honest about this D-league team? I can only imagine what type of wrath Ted Thompson and Mike McCarthy would have incurred in your musings had the Packers finished 5-11 and been blown out numerous times. Yet here your mealticket sits as one of the worst teams in the NBA, and you are writing about how bad the NFC is.....something just doesn't add up. Another thing I just do not understand is how you have ripped Ted Thompson for his way of running the Packers by building through the draft. Would you prefer he go the route of Larry Harris and sign the dregs of the free agent market and only get worse every year? Or maybe make trades like TJ Ford for Charlie V because Charlie lit the bucks up for 40 something points. It has been my observation that you have been critical of the Packer organization even when they succeed, yet the Bucks get a pass? Something stinks and I always hear that you are the last to know when it is you who stinks like the aforementioned smelly orifice that you truly are.
Posted by: brewpackman on January 3, 2008 4:24PM CST
1 point i just couldn't let go was that the redskins were the only NFC team on a roll? The Packers were 6-2 in the second half of the season and outscored their opponents by 92 points in that span. Take away the bears game and they outscored the opposition by 120 points in 7 games. If that isn't on a roll, i do not know what you need to be impressed. By the way they were 3-1 versus playoff teams and 4-0 versus the mighty AFC.
By Mike Vandermause mvandermause@greenbaypressgazette.com
The Green Bay Packers put up some big numbers in 2007, including the most regular-season victories in team history and their highest-rated offense in 25 years.
As the Packers prepare for an NFC divisional playoff game on Jan. 12, here’s a look at some notable numbers, statistics and milestones from the regular season.
The Packers’ 13 wins matched the team record achieved in 1962, 1996 and 1997. Green Bay played for the league championship in each of those years.
Mike McCarthy’s record of 21-11 (.656 winning percentage) matches the team record set by Mike Sherman for best start by a coach in his first two seasons. Vince Lombardi (15-9, .625) and Mike Holmgren (18-14, .562) rank third and fourth.
The Packers are 17-3 dating to a four-game winning streak to close the 2006 season. That’s the team’s best stretch since the 1996 and 1997 seasons, when the Packers went on a 23-3 tear, counting playoff games.
The Packers have posted a 152-88 record (.633) since NFL free agency began in 1993, the best record in the NFL. New England is second at 150-90. Philadelphia is the next-best NFC team behind the Packers (seventh) at 132-107-1 (.552). The Packers have had just one losing season (2005) in the past 16 years. They have won 10 or more games nine times.
Brett Favre broke several major career passing records, including victories by a quarterback, touchdown passes, yards and interceptions. Favre’s completion percentage of 66.5 was the best of his career, and his seven 300-yard passing games tied his single-season mark.
Favre set a career mark by compiling a 100.0 passer rating or higher in 10 games. During his MVP season in 1995, Favre had nine games with a 100 rating. The Packers are 83-7 in games when Favre hits the 100 plateau.
The Packers were No. 2 in the NFL in offense based on yards per game (370.7), the highest team ranking since 1983, when Green Bay also was second. It marks the 11th time in Favre’s 16-year career in Green Bay that the offense was in the top 10. The Packers’ 5,931 net yards rank third in team history. The Packers ranked No. 4 in the NFL in points, scoring 27.2 per game. The Packers were second in the NFL in passing yards (270.9) and 21st in rushing yards (99.8).
The Packers’ 2,294 yards after the catch by receivers ranked No. 1 in the NFL and accounted for 51.4 percent of the team’s passing yards.
Rookie kicker Mason Crosby led the NFL in scoring with 141 points and broke Ryan Longwell’s team record of 131 points by a kicker.
Ryan Grant ranked second in the NFL in rushing since Week 8 with 929 yards. Only San Diego’s LaDainian Tomlinson had more yards (947) on the ground.
The Packers’ defense ranked 11th in the NFL in yards allowed (313.3) and sixth in points given up (18.2 per game). The defense ranked No. 2 in lowest completion percentage allowed and No. 3 in third-down conversions. The defense was 14th against the rush (102.9 yards per game) and 12th against the pass (210.4).
The Packers ranked fourth in opponent punt return average (5.9) and seventh in opponent kick return average (20.9). When the Packers’ special teams got their hands on the ball, they ranked seventh in punt returns (10.3), with two runbacks for touchdowns. The Packers ranked 23rd in kickoff returns (21.8) and failed to return a kick for a touchdown for the seventh consecutive season.
The Packers were 9-0 when they won the turnover battle, 3-0 when turnovers were even, and 1-3 when they committed more turnovers than their opponent.
There were no turnovers in four games: Carolina, Minnesota, Denver and San Diego. Counting the postseason, the Packers have won 33 of their last 34 games when they didn’t commit a turnover.
The Packers are a league-best 38-13 in December and January regular-season games since 1997, including 3-1 this year. New England ranks second over that span at 36-13.
The Packers allowed 19 sacks, tied for third-lowest in the NFL. Since tackles Chad Clifton and Mark Tauscher were inserted into the starting lineup in the middle of the 2000 season, the Packers rank second in the NFL behind Indianapolis for fewest sacks allowed. Some information in this report is from the Green Bay Packers’ 2007 regular-season statistical review.
Posted by: brewpackman on January 3, 2008 9:39PM CST
Gery, do you wear a ski-mask when you pick up your paycheck?
Posted by: gwoelfel on January 3, 2008 10:33PM CST
Brewpacman, or whatever your silly moniker is: Kudos. Great line! I'm going to recommend you to Leno. GW
This is in reference to your column in the Journal Times on Tuesday. You called Ted Thompson "Teddy Bear" which was great............NOT. I think even with the writers strike, Letterman, Leno, and Conan would take a pass on you.
You said "Teddy Bear" has not made one significant roster move with Charles Woodson being the exception. I dont know about that since Ryan Pickett came here he has plugged up running lanes and made the Packers defense one of the more dominating in the league. A.J. Hawk as well. What about Greg Jennings and player who he drafted in the second round who has become a legitimate deep threat with 12 touchdown passes. You cant forget Mike McCarthy the runner up in the coach of the year award.
But on the bright side the Bucks won 4 in a row! But no one cares :-(
Posted by: Elle_See on January 16, 2008 9:07AM CST
ouch! the Redskins on a roll? that didn't seem to work out. Superpowers like Indy - hmmm Indy lost too.
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