Green Bay has no run defense. Green Bay is also in a very hard division, as long as they aren't allowed to carry their own officials they should lose a game there. You get KC minus Mahomes, how lucky. Green Bay is NOT going to goto New Orleans and beat them this year. I'll put any amount of money on that. UNLESS, it's Teddy versus Aaron. Then Green Bay may have a chance. Saints will run the NFC this year.
- kwolf68

KC even with Mahomes would lose to GB. Chiefs cant protect the QB and have an average D. Packers have a great pass rush and dynamic offense.

Packers have given up lots of rush yards but they are able to dictate the flow of games by scoring early and putting constant pressure on the opponents to chase the game and throw the ball. Oakland and Dallas both run the ball as well as anyone but it didn’t matter because they had to alter their play calling to keep up with GBs scoring. Saints are better than both those teams but still id expect that in a hypothetical matchup vs GB they’d have to score a lot and throw a lot. Packers can also run the ball well(for the first time in a very long time) and sustain long drives themselves.

GB already has beat all 3 division foes. They beat the Lions with a college caliber WR core because of injury. Not worried about the remaining schedule outside of SF and @MIN. And even if the game was @NO I wouldn’t so easily count out Rodgers and this much improved GB roster. They really get after the QB, force a lot of turnovers,can run the ball, and have an elite hall of fame caliber QB themselves. That’s a recipe for playoff success.

They have to make sure to get home field. I suspect Green Bay and Frisco will lose a few more games, so it should be safe as long as they go 13-3. I also expect them to destroy Frisco later in the year. Saints are BY FAR the most complete team in the NFC. If they do not play New England in the Super Bowl it will be a huge upset.
- kwolf68

Defense and a running game travel. They have the Cards coming into NO this week. They can win with TB in that game cause the Cards' D blows. The bye after that and Brees return to a 7-1 team.

GB is gonna lose at least 2 more games and so will SF. At the end of the day, I want Brees 100% and will take my chances on the home field. Besides. There is still a lot of season left to play to be too concerned about home field just yet.

SF sucks, Vinnie ain't going to cut it, did worse than Mitch did vs Saints, against the frickin Redskins

Hate Rodgers but (frank)ers talented, but Adams is really the only weapon the Packers have,

it'll be interesting and considering the Rams traded for Ramsey that negates every #1 receiver vs them
- BetweenTheDots

MVS is a legit #2 wide receiver. Dude makes plays. Allison is legit. Graham isn’t what he once was but is still pretty dangerous. Both backs are weapons in the passing game, especially Jones. They just accounted for the most prolific statistical performance of Rodgers career....WITHOUT Adams.

After a season and a quarter? I have some issues with the playcalling but there are only so many 5 yards patterns you can call. The bust can't complete a pass more than 15 yards. I think some of the playcalling is a reflection of Nagy's confidence in Trubustsky.
- Elbows15

Yep, time to go. He's lost. Put Pagano in charge for the rest of the year. Nagy's offense has been trending down since the middle of last season. I get that Mitch is a large part of the problem, but he's got a great defense that he should be supporting with the offense. Instead he wants to be the smart guy with so many gadgets that he has no base offense.

MVS is a legit #2 wide receiver. Dude makes plays. Allison is legit. Graham isn’t what he once was but is still pretty dangerous. Both backs are weapons in the passing game, especially Jones. They just accounted for the most prolific statistical performance of Rodgers career....WITHOUT Adams.
- SimpleJack

Also SF doesn’t suck. Mitch didn’t have to play in 4 feet of mud. Their defense is also outstanding.

And the rams are broken. Can’t run the ball anymore, therefor no longer a dangerous offense. And they don’t get enough of a pass rush. Average D even with Ramsey.

Ok enough football for now

Gotta return to this new Ancient Aliens episode.

Apparently our moon is really a hallowed-out alien space station disguised as a giant rock...

And to be clear, I don’t think Kane is the problem, but he can’t do it by himself. Unfortunately it ends up being 100% up to him because nobody else will do anything except feed it to him and then stand around.
- Ogilthorpe2

Indeed. I've been beating the drum for some time that they should not lean on PP1 so much. At the very least even out the time, or if the Kane or Toews line was out when the penalty was called, start with PP2. Especially when they all are stagnant.

To be clear, I'm not in favor of taking Kane off the ice, just find some way to get everyone going. Didn't they put Kubalik on PP2? Swap him and Kane for a game or two and see what happens. Maybe get more movement on both groups.

Ok enough football for now

Gotta return to this new Ancient Aliens episode.

Apparently our moon is really a hallowed-out alien space station disguised as a giant rock...
- SimpleJack

You didn’t already know?

Ok enough football for now

Gotta return to this new Ancient Aliens episode.

Apparently our moon is really a hallowed-out alien space station disguised as a giant rock...
- SimpleJack

SJ... that's some serious willpower to get through an episode of that. Good on ya!

Ok enough football for now

Gotta return to this new Ancient Aliens episode.

Apparently our moon is really a hallowed-out alien space station disguised as a giant rock...
- SimpleJack

News travels slowly in your world.

Indeed. I've been beating the drum for some time that they should not lean on PP1 so much. At the very least even out the time, or if the Kane or Toews line was out when the penalty was called, start with PP2. Especially when they all are stagnant.

To be clear, I'm not in favor of taking Kane off the ice, just find some way to get everyone going. Didn't they put Kubalik on PP2? Swap him and Kane for a game or two and see what happens. Maybe get more movement on both groups.
- Chunk

When the PP was good last year, Strome and or Toews would occasionally walk out behind the net and try and stuff the puck. If anything that brings the defenders closer to the net so when he gets the puck he has more room. Haven’t seen anyone on the PP take it to the net.

Ok enough football for now

Gotta return to this new Ancient Aliens episode.

Apparently our moon is really a hallowed-out alien space station disguised as a giant rock...
- SimpleJack

More believable than PE's Bettman theories.

They are playing a bunch of game over the next 9 days. Maybe he doesn't want to extend the players coming into that stretch?
- Elbows15

I suppose. Hopefully it's not a matter of the inmates running the asylum.

When the PP was good last year, Strome and or Toews would occasionally walk out behind the net and try and stuff the puck. If anything that brings the defenders closer to the net so when he gets the puck he has more room. Haven’t seen anyone on the PP take it to the net.
- LAHawk

Didn't Kane at times pass down low to Toews and go to the net and Toews try to feed it back to him, create a chance or chaos in front of the net, haven't seen that move either this year from either side

Between the Edmonton Columbus and Washington games Hawks are watchable again. Solid progress and I'm alright with the players we have for now. Not sure what to think of Matta and DeHaan yet other than they could be faster, but so far pretty okay. Looking forward to DeHaan after a few more weeks of getting to full strength.

Big thing I'm noticing is lack of shots from the point for our D (Keith and Seabrook in particular). It's harder to do without good net presence and all the fancy pants passing on the outside, but since we're stuck with them for the long haul we might as well use their skills there. And definitely want them to shoot more on the #2 PP unit.

DK in particular used to have a nasty slap pass to the backside after loading up for a shot I haven't seen in a while. His QB attitude doesn't seem there and I think it would do a lot for the team. If Rosival could shoot and put some pressure on the D and goalies from the point back in the day Seabrook could at least match that now. Both guys seem way more passive to me in their attacking zone deferring to the forwards who aren't doing much 5v5 and on PP.

This mindset shift could also be enhanced with slightly less PK minutes for them. Note this is an eye test, will have to look at D shot attempts and SOG for these games.

saad toews kubalik
strome dach kane
cat kampf shaw
drake carpenter nylander

gotta try to get toews going. He's better with a strong 2 way group and those three could drive possesion and maybe even get the cycle going.

Give the 2 line a chance for a few more games. Swap out strome and dach as needed.

roll the dice here with cat playing with kampf and shaw. Could get some turnovers going the other way and some different looks for cat.

tough fourth line to play against that could get solid ice time and some offense too.

Smith can slide in for Shaw and bump up nylander to third for a game if needed. I like that its tough to sit nylander right now

saad toews kubalik
strome dach kane
cat kampf shaw
drake carpenter nylander

gotta try to get toews going. He's better with a strong 2 way group and those three could drive possesion and maybe even get the cycle going.

Give the 2 line a chance for a few more games. Swap out strome and dach as needed.

roll the dice here with cat playing with kampf and shaw. Could get some turnovers going the other way and some different looks for cat.

tough fourth line to play against that could get solid ice time and some offense too.

Smith can slide in for Shaw and bump up nylander to third for a game if needed. I like that its tough to sit nylander right now
- TheCore

Love that top line and love Dach with 88, but I would make Drake the other winger on that line, and I’d have Strome and Nylander on the 3rd line(technically the top 3 lines could be listed in any order at that point) with DeBrincat. Really think Cat and Strome need to be reunited and Nylander deserves to play with top end forward talent to bring out the best in his abilities and production. Shaw and Kampf with Carpenter would be an outstanding 4th line.

Love that top line and love Dach with 88, but I would make Drake the other winger on that line, and I’d have Strome and Nylander on the 3rd line(technically the top 3 lines could be listed in any order at that point) with DeBrincat. Really think Cat and Strome need to be reunited and Nylander deserves to play with top end forward talent to bring out the best in his abilities and production. Shaw and Kampf with Carpenter would be an outstanding 4th line.
- SimpleJack

Like all those points.

Thinking with Dach is to give him some consistency for a bit with linemates while he's here on a trial basis. They looked alright. Long term if dach is here and a viable center this year then I like yours even more.

I'm down with nylander lately but would like to see him keep up strong play for 2 more games. another option if you leave dach strome and kane together is to swap drake and shaw so the "bottom six" is

cat kampf drake
shaw carpenter nylander

Go away off the grid for 3 weeks and .... plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose​.

Go away off the grid for 3 weeks and .... plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose​.
- paulr

"C'est fini. You can't fool me."

Go away off the grid for 3 weeks and .... plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose​.
- paulr

Non.

So now I am seeing people moving Cat down to line 3, Shaw to line 4, and Dach up into the top 6. Mmmkay. Trying to figure out what Dach has done to deserve a shot in the Top 6. I don't guess he was bad Sunday night, but he really wasn't good either. He was just...there. This anointing guys is bothersome. Not ragging the kid, but maybe players should at least earn those top line spots by playing more than 3 meh periods of hockey.

So now I am seeing people moving Cat down to line 3, Shaw to line 4, and Dach up into the top 6. Mmmkay. Trying to figure out what Dach has done to deserve a shot in the Top 6. I don't guess he was bad Sunday night, but he really wasn't good either. He was just...there. This anointing guys is bothersome. Not ragging the kid, but maybe players should at least earn those top line spots by playing more than 3 meh periods of hockey.
- kwolf68

Aside from a "4th line", where guys are slotted 1st through 3rd should be about balancing the lines to get as much scoring as possible. I don't think anybody is anointing Dach with anything as much as it is about spreading out talent among their top 9.

Vegas smoked last night in Philly. MAF was given the night off, bad news for the Hawks. He will be in goal, plus guarantee Gallant wasn't too thrilled with their game either. Set up for another L.