By Eric Goska
Take heed, Packer Nation!
If your Green and Gold warriors don’t come out swinging,
they’ll likely be one and done.
No halftime adjustments, no last-minute rally will save your
team. If Super Wild Card Weekend was any indication, a strong start is a must.
Beginning Monday, Jan. 10, the Green Bay Packers invited
fans to participate in a Letters to Lambeau campaign. Those so moved could
submit notes, drawings and letters to support and encourage the team.
Consider this my Cautionary Tale for Titletown. The hare, not
the tortoise, will prevail come Saturday.
Six games kick-started the playoffs. Four hardly qualified
as contests with the Bills, Chiefs, Buccaneers, and Rams rolling to victory.
The common thread in all six? The winning team held the upper
hand offensively – often by a wide margin – at the close of the first quarter.
For those on the short end . . . well . . . see you next year.
In the opening 15 minutes of play, Buffalo outgained (150 to
63 yards) and out-first downed (9 to 3) New England. Kansas City (65-12; 3-1), Tampa
Bay (137-17; 11-1) and Los Angeles (122-[-3]; 7-0) did the same to Pittsburgh,
Philadelphia, and Arizona, respectively.
Collectively, the six winners amassed 666 first-quarter
yards to 161 for the losers. Victors notched 44 first downs to nine for those whose
seasons came to a close.
The message is clear: dawdlers get left in the dust.
In 2019 and 2020, Matt LaFleur’s Packers produced a number
of solid starts. The team drummed up more first downs and more yards in the
opening quarter than their opponents in 16 of 32 regular-season games, going
14-2 in those contests.
This season, the number of double-doubles dropped to four.
Yes, Green Bay was unbeaten in those games, but in order to capture a third
straight NFC North title, the team had to overcome a greater number of slow
starts.
This is reflected in the Green and Gold’s lack of
first-quarter scoring. Green Bay has sent 35 teams to the postseason (an NFL
record), but this club in 2021 was only the fifth of those 35 to be outscored (51
to 84) in the opening period.
The message bears repeating: The Packers need to come ready
to play.
The upcoming playoff game at Lambeau Field will be the 25th
at that venue for Green Bay. After starting 11-0 in the postseason at 1265
Lombardi Avenue, the team has been an unimpressive 7-6 in their last 13
encounters.
Want to get an idea of who will win before the final gun? Keep
an eye on that first quarter.
The visiting team has recorded a double-double on eight
occasions, with five wins. Green Bay has come away with that honor 10 times and
has yet to be defeated when doing so.
The Packers would do well to increase that to 11 Saturday night when
they host the 49ers in the divisional round.
The Packers are unbeaten (10-0) in playoff games at Lambeau Field when they come away with more first downs and more yards than their opponent in the first quarter.
Dec. 31, 1961 4-70 Giants (2-25) GB won, 37-0
Dec. 26, 1965 2-68 Colts (0-23) GB won, 13-10
Jan. 2, 1966 8-130 Browns (4-88) GB won, 23-12
Dec. 31, 1967 7-71 Cowboys (3-35) GB won, 21-17
Dec. 31, 1994 7-107 Lions (1-20) GB won, 16-12
Jan. 13, 2002 3-52 49ers (2-38) GB won, 25-15
Jan. 12, 2008 8-142 Seahawks (5-35) GB won, 42-20
Jan. 5, 2013 6-86 Vikings (4-73) GB won, 24-10
Jan. 12, 2020 5-104 Seahawks (2-52) GB won, 28-23
Jan. 16, 2021 7-108 Rams (3-71) GB won, 32-18
Though the 49ers wont have Mostert this year, the Packers still have to stop their running game, which can be creative to say the least.
ReplyDeleteGutsy win by the Niners, who hung around due to the Packers inability to blow open the game.
ReplyDeleteEric, will Rodgers come back ?
ReplyDelete