Yesterday marked the first time I'd seen a game at Lambeau in way too many years. Despite it being a meaningless game, it was way fun to watch us dismantle Detroit, without meaning. Did you get the feeling too that McCarthy talked a little about execution in his pre-game speech? Three TDs in our first three drives is as much as you can ask for--who cares if the Lions stunk? Favre returned to being smart and accurate and systematic. Ryan Grant looked cut-backtacular. Brandon Jackson made you say nice things about Ted Thompson. Canadian sports legend Jon Ryan channelled his rage at the wind into a 72 (72!) yard punt....Hell, even the flamboyant and talented halftime act brought his A-game. (Note: this guy painted Donald Driver in like seven minutes. It was quite impressive.)
Let me also share with you some non-game highlights. I got a free Brett Favre bobblehead doll just for showing up, had a burger and 7 and 7 at Kroll's, watched the special teams team dance along in sync to the PA, heard the thick thud sound of a thousand gloved hands clapping, and enjoyed the thermal goodness of my dad's hunting boots. The only real lowlight was the woman in front of us who insisted on shaking beer on us via her G-Force pom-pon. No problem. My revenge is going to be winning the Honorary G-Force Captain essay contest. I already have my captain's hat picked out. Then I will find this woman and banish her from G-Forceland.
Anyway, now that this impossible regular season's done, and we're walking around in a haze of hope and dreams, the question is: Will We or Will We Not Screw the Pooch in the Playoffs Again? Or Will Favre or Will Favre Not Screw the Pooch in the Playoffs Again? I hate to even get into it. I just want to daydream. But in the world of reality his passer rating in the 2001, 2002, and 2004 regular season was 94.1, 85.6, and 92.4, respectively, and then in the playoffs was 67.0, 54.4, and 55.4. In 2003, if you care to un-repress for a second, he played well in the playoffs right up until the very end, at which point, he seemed almost to get sick of the psychic struggle of it all and heave up that really stupid INT. I'd like to think that this year he's different than he was in those years. I'd like to think that the Dallas game will serve as an object lesson in game management. I'd like to think that he's going to trust in McCarthy's plan and remind himself of what got him here. On the other hand, Favre's a naturally emotional guy and when he gets locked into one of his bad decision-making loops, which happens too often in Very Important Games, it's hard to knock him out of it.
What gives me hope that this year will be different is our special teams play (I'm flashing back to Desmond Howard), our D, and McCarthy's brain. We're not going to get field position like we got against Oakland ever again, but if it's even half that good, we're going to be ahead of the game. Our offense plays better when we don't have to scrap from behind. And though I still will get nervous about Favre playing on "instinct," my worry is tempered by my faith in McCarthy to stop the cycle of stupidity and also find other, creative ways to compensate in case Favre's struggling. Another reason to hope? The Cowboys have looked more beatable lately and even the Patriots showed signs of being human against the Giants, if only for 3 quarters.
Okay, enough. It's New Year's Eve and I have to spend the next half hour deciding whether to drive to the party and walk home or walk there and try to take a cab home or walk both ways (then will I need boots?)....
One last thing to make you happy to be a Packers fan:
Check out the Lions website. Notice the resigned and vaguely bitter way Marinelli is looking up at some distant, invisible scoreboard, wondering where it all went wrong.
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