packers Archives - 2020-21 NFL Computer Predictions and Rankings

Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers – Superbowl 51 Contenders -archival article

December 24, 2019 by Winn Jones

The Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers are two hungry talented teams with latent potential to go all the way in 2016-7 as they did 5 years ago.

Green Bay Packers GM Ted Thompson is never ever active in free agency. He just gets brand-new players from the draft, and this year was no different. All Green Bay did this year in free agency was re-sign linebacker Nick Perry, and add tight end Jared Cook as add another weapon for the best quarterback in the league, Aaron Rodgers. With Rodgers at the helm, Green Bay will always be Super Bowl competitors. With receiver Jordy Nelson coming back next season, the Packers’ offense will return to its pre-2015 season hype, and it is going to be very dangerous.

The Pittsburgh Steelers nearly beat the Super Bowl champs in the Divisional Round in 2014, with injuries to star receiver Antonio Brown, Le’veon Bell and Deangelo Williams, and Ben Roethlisberger. They were a fumble from winning the AFC Divisional Round, and knocking off the ultimate Super Bowl champs. This team is absolutely loaded with skill, on both the offensive and defensive side. Pittsburgh’s offense is absolutely stacked, with Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown, brand-new tight end Ladarius Green, Le’veon Bell, and Deangelo Williams. Their defense is in fact also excellent, as they were a top 5 run defense last year. They simply need some more people in the secondary, and they can easily end up being genuine Super Bowl contenders.

Filed Under: NFL Forecasting, Team News Tagged With: contenders, green, packers, pittsburgh, steelers, superbowl

Watch NFL Refs Hate on Detroit Lions versus Green Bay Packers

October 18, 2019 by Winn Jones

Pretty soon it will be illegal to “play football”!

Throw your red cursor here!

Filed Under: Lowlights, NFL Office, Refereeing Tagged With: detroit, green, lions, packers, versus, watch

Thursday Nite Betting Preview: Eagles Versus Packers

September 26, 2019 by Dr. Tule7

8:20 p.m. ET: Philadelphia Eagles (1-2) at Green Bay Packers (3-0)

Tuley’s Take on Thursday Night Football . . .
After two Must-Not-See TV games the past two Thursday nights, we get a marquee NFL matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles visiting the Green Bay Packers (8:20 p.m. ET, NFL Network).

It has lost some of its luster with the injury-plagued Eagles’ slow start (1-2 SU, 0-3 ATS), but QB Carson Wentz wasn’t in a panic in his press conference the other day and I almost expected him to pull an Aaron Rodgers and tell fans to “R-E-L-A-X.” Despite their relative woes, Wentz and the offense is still averaging 25.3 points per game (the Packers only average 19.3) and their losses to the Falcons and Lions both could have been wins (though admittedly they were lucky to escape with a come-from-behind victory over the Redskins in the season-opener).

Still, I still have the Eagles rated as the better team and there’s definite value in getting more than a field goal.

Granted, the Packers are off to a great start (3-0 SU & ATS) and are a 4-point favorites as of Wednesday night after getting bet at high as -5.5 on Monday, but I’m ready to fade them as they’re not as good as their record indicates. I’m especially not buying the narrative that they have a dominant defense (allowing an NFL-best 11.7 points per game) as they benefited from catching the Bears before their offense got in sync and the Vikings would have scored more and beaten them if not for Kirk Cousins’ unforced errors.

While the best bet is on the Eagles +4, I also like Over 46 as both offenses should have success and this total is shaded a little low as Unders are 8-2 so far in NFL primetime games this season (and I’m willing to fade that trend as well).

The play: Eagles +4

Get Tuley’s Takes in this week’s Point Spread Weekly or on VSiN.com.

Filed Under: NFL Forecasting, Sports Betting, Team News Tagged With: betting, eagles, packers, preview, thursday, verus

FILM STUDY: How the Packers Offense Can Be Dysfunctional

April 12, 2019 by Winn Jones

This type of inefficiency is not satisfactory!
<span style="display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;" data-mce-type="bookmark" class="mce_SELRES_start"></span>

Filed Under: Film Study, NFL Strategy, Quarterbacks Tagged With: dysfunctional, offense, packers, study

Game Preview: Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings (Sunday, October 15, 2017)

October 12, 2017 by Rajan Nanavati

Riding high after their huge victory against the Dallas Cowboys last Sunday, the Green Bay Packers are riding high as they enter brand-new U.S. Bank Stadium this Sunday, as 3.5-point favorites against the Minnesota Vikings according to NFL betting odds for Packers vs Vikings game. And that’s exactly why they could be in position for a big upset this weekend…

When we think of the Vikings, we first think of their defense, thanks to the organizational philosophy laid down by head coach Mike Zimmer. Minnesota enters Week 6 of the NFL season with the 11th-ranked defense in the NFL. They have star players at every level of the defense. Defensive end Everson Griffen is third in the NFL in sacks (six). Cornerback Xavier Rhodes has been one of the best in football this season. Outside linebacker Anthony Barr is a freakish athlete that does so many things for them.

But even with the in-and-out from Sam Bradford due to various injuries, this offense has been deceptively good as well. Minnesota actually averages more passing yards per game (357 — 5th most in the NFL) than Green Bay (336.6 — 11th most in the NFL). It’s even more disparate when you look at each team’s rushing attack: Minnesota averages 118.2 yards per game (#11 in the NFL) versus Green Bay’s 91.6 yards per game (22nd in the NFL). In place of promising rookie Dalvin Cook, who was lost to a season-ending injury to his ACL, Jerick McKinnon provided a spark to Minnesota’s offense, evidenced by his 146 total yards against the Chicago Bears on Monday night. Wide receiver Stefon Diggs is in the midst of a breakout season of his own, sitting in 5th place in the NFL with 395 receiving yards. And the Vikings are just as likely to spread the ball around to the rest of their offense, as they are to force-feed their stars. On Monday evening, quarterback Case Keenum — playing in place of the injured Bradford — threw 16 of his 21 passing attempts to his running backs and tight ends.

Of course, the great equalizer in this entire game — or any game Green Bay plays in — is Aaron Rodgers. At some point, it just feels like we’re going to run out of superlatives to describe his level of play. Tom Brady is the greatest quarterback of all time right now, but Rodgers is the best in the game as of today. His stats don’t tell the whole story (although his league-leading 13 touchdown passes certainly help), but the way he puts the Packers on his shoulders, week after week, is unlike anything we’re seeing in the league today (this side of New England, anyway).

Minnesota’s defense has held Rodgers to less than 220 passing yards in each of the last three games these two have played in Minnesota. Of course, the Packers are 2-1 in in those games, thanks to the balance provided by the Packers rushing attack.

Minnesota handled two very potent offense at home already: New Orleans in Week 1, and Tampa Bay in Week 3. They should be well aware of this, given that they play them twice a year, but if Green Bay is not careful, they could have their hands full.

But as of right now, Green Bay looks like they’re one of the two best teams in the NFC, alongside the Atlanta Falcons. While this game should be a really good matchup, the Vikings aren’t quite as dangerous as the Packers… or as Rodgers, anyway.

My Pick: Green Bay.