Tag Archives: Green Bay Packers

Jan 14 2012

Noonan: NFL Divisional Playoff Predictions

Can Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos keep their playoff magic going on Saturday against New England? (Photo Credit: Zimbio.com)

By Matt Noonan 

Here are my predictions for the NFC Divisional Round.

New Orleans 30, San Francisco 21: The Saints cashed in on five offensive series in the second half against the Detroit Lions last weekend, and are expected to keep their high-flying offensive attack going against the 49ers on Saturday. Drew Brees clearly is on a mission, which is why I believe they’ll defeat San Francisco, and advance to the NFC Championship game for the second time in three seasons.

New England 28 – Denver 16: The story of Tim Tebow has been fascinating, but against the Patriots at Gillette Stadium, I’m expecting him to struggle, and possibly throw two or three interceptions.

Baltimore 28 – Houston 21: Earlier this season, the Ravens defeated the Texans, 29-14. Joe Flacco completed 20-of-33 passes for 305 yards and one touchdown, while Billy Cundiff kicked five field goals. Can Baltimore duplicate their week five performance against Houston on Sunday? My answer… YES!

New York 24 – Green Bay 21: This is a total shot in the dark, but the Giants have gained a great deal of momentum over the past few weeks, and might have what it takes to knock out the defending NFC and Super Bowl champions. I like New York’s front seven on defense, especially since they could provide a great deal of chaos toward quarterback Aaron Rodgers. If the Giants pressure the Packers, and force a few turnovers, then expect Big Blue to walk away winners on Sunday.

Jan 1 2012

NFL Postseason Schedule Announced

By NoontimeSports.com 

The NFL announced the 2011 playoff schedule on Sunday, and here are the potential match-ups.

Saturday, Jan. 7, 2012 – Wild Card Round 

* (No. 6) Cincinnati at (No. 3) Houston Texans — 4:30pm eastern 

* (No. 6) Detroit at (No. 3)  New Orleans — 8:00pm eastern 

Sunday, January 8, 2012 — Wild Card Round 

* (No. 5) Atlanta at (No. 4) New York — 1:00pm easter 

* (No. 5) Pittsburgh at (No. 4)  Denver — 4:30PM eastern 

Saturday, January 14, 2012 — Divisional Round 

* Atlanta/New York/New Orleans at (No. 2) San Francisco (Afternoon) 

* Cincinnati/Denver/Pittsburgh at (No. 1) New England (Evening)

Sunday, January 15, 2012 — Divisional Round 

* Denver/Houston/Pittsburgh at  (No. 2) Baltimore (Afternoon)

* Atlanta/Detroit/New York at (No. 1) Green Bay (Afternoon) 

Sunday, January 22, 2012 — AFC/NFC Championship Games

* AFC Championship — 3:30pm eastern 

* NFC Championship — 6:30pm eastern 

Sunday, January 29, 2012 — NFL Pro Bowl

* AFC vs. NFC — Time TBA 

Sunday, February  5, 2012

* AFC Champion vs. NFC Champion — Time TBA 

Dec 27 2011

Breaking Down The NFC Playoff Picture

Photo Credit: Bleacher Report

By Brian Willwerth 

With one week to go in the regular season, here’s the lowdown on the NFC playoff picture….

The Green Bay Packers will be the No. 1 seed. They’ve won the North, and have clinched home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

The San Francisco 49ers are champions of the West. They can clinch the No. 2 seed and first-round bye if they beat the Rams in St. Louis on Sunday.

The New Orleans Saints won the South last night, with Drew Brees’ record-breaking performance.  They can still get a bye if they beat Carolina, and San Francisco falters.

The  Detroit Lions and Atlanta Falcons are the wild cards. That’s etched in stone.

The real drama lies in the NFC East, where the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants will face off in a winner-take-all showdown in primetime at the Meadowlands. The winner wins the division; the loser is out. Think NBC is licking its chops?

Dec 19 2011

Noonan: Quick Thoughts on Week 15 of the NFL

Reggie Wayne pumps his fist on Sunday to celebrate the Colts victory on Sunday! (Photo Credit: SB Nation)

By Matt Noonan 

Sunday was a wild day across the NFL, but now, literally hours after all the lights have been turned off, and fans have marched home, I, Matt Noonan have a few things to say about one of the most wackiest days in professional football, so here we go…

* The Chiefs-Packers game was quite intriguing, but so was watching the Colts earn their first win against the Titans. It was also nice to see Jim Isray smile too, as well as announce that Peyton Manning won’t play for the remainder of the season. Hmm… I think that was an obvious, right?

* Sunday was also the first time that New England Patriots wide receiver Chad Ochocinco caught a touchdown, as well as provided some necessary blocks on offense too. Ochocinco then took to Twitter a few hours after his team’s game against Denver concluded, and wrote, “Never look down on people. My grandma always said whatever’s on the bottom is holding you up.” I guess his grandmother provided the inspiration for his first official touchdown in a New England uniform, eh?

* The Oakland Raiders celebrated Louis Murphy’s first score of the year, but sadly, they couldn’t control their exuberant emotions, which allowed Detroit the opportunity to rally and win their ninth game of the season, 28-27.

* In case you didn’t know, both New York teams, the Giants and Jets, lost. Yep, those losses will come back to haunt Big Blue and Gang Green at some point, but in the meantime, the city that never sleeps still has the Knicks and Rangers to follow.

* What’s the matter with Ryan Fitzpatrick? After signing a rather lucrative contract a few weeks ago, he hasn’t won a game. Doesn’t that bother Buffalo Bills fans?

* As mentioned above, I did find the Chiefs-Packers game intriguing, but also a great moment for interim head coach Romeo Crennel, who spoke rather highly of his team’s effort and performance against Green Bay. Yet, after this particular win, I have to ask the following… Should he be considered for the head-coaching job for next year? My answer… YES!

* The St. Louis Rams are in a world of hurt, and according to reports on Monday; head coach Steve Spagnuolo’s job is in serious jeopardy. He may not be coaching the men dressed in blue and yellow next year, but overall, I think it’s safe to say, he gave it his best shot.

* So, where have the San Diego Chargers been the past few weeks? Suddenly, they want to win? They’ll need a lot of help these next two weeks, but overall, their affair against Baltimore proved that the Ravens might not be the best squad in the AFC.  

Dec 18 2011

Kansas City Upsets Green Bay, Indianapolis Earns First Win Against Tennessee

Kansas City Chiefs interm head coach Romeo Crennel earned his first win on Sunday! (Photo Credit: Kansas City Star)

By Brian Willwerth 

The last unbeaten has fallen. The last winless team is winless no more.

Welcome to “Upset Sunday” in the NFL.

With all the hype surrounding the Patriots/Broncos epic matchup in Denver, the first big headline of the day came from Arrowhead Stadium. The Kansas City Chiefs, who fired head coach Todd Haley less than a week ago, pulled off the shocker of the year: a 19-14 victory over the previously undefeated Packers.

Kyle Orton threw for 299 yards – 64 more than Aaron Rodgers. Jackie Battle scored Kansas City’s lone touchdown of the game to seal the deal.  Rodgers pulled Green Bay to within five in the closing minutes, but the Chiefs were able to run out the clock. The end result: the Packers’ first loss since Dec. 19, 2010, and a Gatorade bath for interim Chiefs head coach Romeo Crennel.

The Packers still have the inside track to the No. 1 seed in the NFC, but Sunday’s result gives other teams hope.

Meanwhile, at Lucas Oil Stadium, another long streak ended. The Indianapolis Colts finally won a game. With a 27-13 victory over the Titans, Indianapolis avoided becoming the second 0-16 team in NFL history, (Detroit is alone in that regard). The Colts’ defense forced three turnovers, and Donald Brown rushed for 161 yards, including an 80-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter that sealed the deal.

Indy’s defense held Chris Johnson to just 55 yards on the ground.

While those were the most notable upsets of the day, they weren’t the only ones.

The Panthers beat the Texans. Houston was one of four teams that came into the day tied for the No.1 seed in the AFC.

The Seahawks beat the Bears at Soldier Field. Chicago hasn’t won since losing quarterback Jay Cutler to an injury.

The Redskins walked into the Meadowlands and put a dent in the Giants’ playoff hopes.

Dec 12 2011

Daily Noontime – December 12, 2011

Brandon Jacobs rushed for 101 yards on 19 carries, as well as scored twice on Sunday against the Cowboys! (Photo Credit: Yahoo! Sports)

Happy Monday to everyone, and welcome into another grand and stupendous edition of the Daily Noontime! Here’s some news and things to know about the brand new day, enjoy! 

Headlines: 

* The New York Giants somehow stunned the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, and snapped a four-game losing streak too.

* Once again, Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow rallied his troops to victory, as they defeated the Chicago Bears in Colorado, 13-10.

* New England ‘s quarterback Tom Brady may have gotten in a verbal fight with his offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien, but also, he led the Patriots to their 10th win of the season against the Washington Redskins too.

* The Green Bay Packers perfect season continued on Sunday, as they annihilated the Oakland Raiders, 46-16.

* After losing to the Broncos, the Bears defensive leaders admitted that they’re still not a fan of “Tebow Time.”

* According to sources — the Los Angles Clippers appear to be the frontrunner to land New Orleans point guard Chris Paul.

Games to Watch: 

* New Jersey at Tampa Bay (NHL) – 7:00pm eastern 

* St. Louis at Seattle (NFL) – 8:30pm eastern 

Video of the Day: 

Here’s Tom Brady arguing with Bill O’Brien on Sunday, enjoy! 

Dec 5 2011

NFL Playoff Update

The NFL playoff race is alive and well!

By NoontimeSports.com 

With four games left in the regular season, here’s a quick look at the races for the division titles and wild cards.

AFC

EAST:  Nothing has changed since last week. The Patriots and Jets both won on Sunday, so New England still owns a two-game lead over New York, as well as the tiebreaker.

NORTH:  This is now a two-team race. Baltimore and Pittsburgh are both [9-3], with the Ravens owning the tiebreaker. The Bengals pretty much lost any hope of winning the division when they got blown out by the Steelers yesterday.

SOUTH:  The Texans continue their amazing season. They’re [9-3], and remain two games ahead of the resurgent Titans. These two teams meet on the final weekend of the season. Houston won the first meeting in Nashville.

WEST:  This should be fun to watch down the stretch. The Broncos moved into a tie for first place with the Raiders at [7-5]. Denver rallied to beat Minnesota, while Oakland got blown out in Miami on Sunday.

WILD CARDS RIGHT NOW:  Pittsburgh and Cincinnati. The Bengals are in a four-way tie for the final spot with the Raiders, Titans and Jets.

NFC

EAST:  The Cowboys and Giants both lost on Sunday, so Dallas still has a one-game lead. These teams still play each other twice in the next four weeks, starting with next Sunday night.

NORTH:  The Packers have clinched the division.

SOUTH:  The Saints increased their lead over the Falcons to two games. New Orleans is hitting on all cylinders right now, and has already beaten Atlanta once.

WEST:  The 49ers have clinched the division.

WILD CARDS RIGHT NOW:  Chicago and Atlanta are both [7-5]. So is Detroit.

Dec 4 2011

NFL Week 13 – Afternoon/Evening Scoreboard

By Brian Willwerth 

A recap of Week 13 in the NFL – three of Sunday’s games was decided on the final play of regulation, or overtime. We’ll start with those.

PACKERS 38, GIANTS 35 — Our “Game of the Day” will no doubt get some votes for “Game of the YEAR” when all is said and done. Green Bay and New York combined for nearly 900 yards of total offense. Let’s jump right to crunch time.  Trailing by eight in the final minute, Eli Manning threw a two-yard touchdown pass to Hakeem Nicks. The Giants made the two-point conversion to tie the game, but then Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers got the ball at his own 20 with 0:58 left on the clock. It only took two big plays for him to lead his team into field goal range. Mason Crosby kicked the game-winning, 30-yard field goal, as time expired, and yes, the Packers improved to [12-0]. Rodgers threw four touchdown passes, while Manning tossed three.

CARDINALS 19, COWBOYS 13 (OT)  – What a wild ending in Glendale, Arizona, and one that will be talked about a lot in Dallas for the next few days. With 0:07 remaining, Dan Bailey was lining up for a game-winning field goal attempt. A timeout was called to ice the kicker. But, the stoppage was called by Dallas head coach Jason Garrett. Bailey’s kick, which went through the uprights, did not count. He had to try it again, and came up short. Arizona got the ball to start overtime, and Kevin Kolb hit Larod Stephens-Howling, who danced through the Cowboys’ defense and into the end zone for a 52-yard, game-winning score. And it’s all because Jason Garrett iced his own kicker, wow!

BRONCOS 35, VIKINGS 32 – Don’t look now, but Denver is now tied for first place in the AFC West. And once again, Tim Tebow led his team from behind. He threw for 202 yards and two touchdowns. Then after the Broncos picked off Christian Ponder with less than two minutes remaining, they marched down the field and Matt Prater kicked a 23-yard field goal as time expired. Tebow is now [6-1] as the Broncos’ starting quarterback.

TITANS 23, BILLS 17 – Chris Johnson is finding his groove. He ran for 153 yards and two touchdowns in Tennessee’s victory at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Johnson has rushed for over 100 yards in three of his last four games.

CHIEFS 10, BEARS 3 – While this was hardly the best game of the day, it may have featured the play of the day or maybe it was just Kevin Harlan’s voice that made it special. The only touchdown of the contest came on the final play of the first half, when Tyler Palko’s “Hail Mary” pass landed in the arms of Dexter McCluster.  Chicago suffered a significant blow when Matt Forte left the game with a right knee injury.

DOLPHINS 34, RAIDERS 14 – Here’s the upset of the day. In Miami, the Dolphins made it look easy against the first-place Raiders. Reggie Bush ran for 100 yards and a touchdown. Miami scored two touchdowns within 20 seconds of each other in the third quarter.

PATRIOTS 31, COLTS 24 – They love Rob Gronkowski in Foxboro, Massachusetts, as the tight end scored three more touchdowns, giving him 13th touchdown receptions on the season. His other score was a rushing TD on a lateral. The Pats built a big lead, and then hung on as the Colts scored 21 points in the fourth quarter. Indianapolis is now [0-12], while New England is [9-3].

STEELERS 35, BENGALS 7 – This was a statement game for Pittsburgh. At Heinz Field, Ben Roethlisberger threw two touchdown passes, as the Steelers swept the season series from Cincinnati, who is now [0-3] against the two teams ahead of them in the AFC North, (PIT and BAL.)

PANTHERS 38, BUCCANEERS 19 – This was all about Cam Newton. Carolina’s rookie quarterback rushed for three touchdowns and threw for another at Raymond James Stadium. Josh Johnson started at quarterback for Tampa Bay in place of the injured Josh Freeman. The Bucs, who at one time were [4-2], and in first place, have lost six in a row.

JETS 34, REDSKINS 19 – At FedEx Field, the Jets kept their playoff hopes alive by rallying for 21 points in the fourth quarter. Mark Sanchez found Santonio Holmes for the game-winning touchdown with 4:49 to play. Washington has lost seven of its last eight.

TEXANS 17, FALCONS 10 – It doesn’t matter who’s playing quarterback for Houston; the Texans keep on winning. Rookie quarterback T.J. Yates played mistake-free football, and Arian Foster rushed for 111 yards and a touchdown.  Atlanta QB Matt Ryan’s last-second pass in the end zone fell incomplete.

49ERS 26, RAMS 0 – We have our first division winner. San Francisco wrapped up in the NFC East with an easy victory at home over St. Louis. Alex Smith threw two touchdown passes, while Frank Gore ran for 73 yards, and became the franchise’s career rushing leader.

RAVENS 24, BROWNS 10 – Neither a driving rainstorm nor Cleveland’s defense could slow down Ray Rice. The Baltimore running back broke loose for a career-high 204 yards, as the Ravens remained in first place in the AFC North. They own the tiebreaker over the Steelers.

Nov 29 2011

Willwerth: Breaking Down the NFC

Can Aaron Rodgers lead the Green Bay Packers to five more wins? (Photo Credit: Zimbio.com)

By Brian Willwerth 

A quick overview of the division races in the NFC with five games remaining…

NFC EAST

This is a two-team race between the Cowboys and Giants. As of now, Dallas has a one-game lead, but these teams still have to play each other twice down the stretch: the first matchup is in two weeks, the second is the season finale. It will ultimately be those two games that decide the division winner. The other note from the East: Philadelphia [4-7] gets my vote for biggest disappointment in the NFL, at least for the moment.

NFC NORTH

You know the headline here: will the Packers go undefeated? Their five remaining games are against the Giants, Raiders, Chiefs, Bears and Lions. Three of them are at home. Four of those teams are over [.500], (KC being the exception) so it’s hardly a given that Green Bay will fly through them. The Lions are Bears are both in the thick of the wild card race at [7-4]. They split the head-to-head meetings this season. But Chicago has questions at quarterback, while Detroit will have to play the next two games without Ndamukong Suh, thanks to his “stomping” job against the Packers on Thanksgiving Day.

NFC SOUTH

Here’s another two-team race. The Saints and Falcons are separated by one game. Both teams are peaking at just the right time. New Orleans has already beaten Atlanta in the Georgia Dome (in the “Mike Smith 4th Down Gamble” game.) The second meeting is the day after Christmas on Monday Night Football.

That game could be for the division title.

NFC WEST

The 49ers can wrap up the division with a win at home Sunday against the Rams.  San Francisco also has the inside track to a first-round bye. The one game that sticks out on their remaining schedule is a Monday night game against the Steelers on December 19th. Jim Harbaugh gets my vote for Coach of the Year, though it might be hard to bypass Mike McCarthy if the Packers go undefeated. Remember that tremendous game between the Saints and Packers on opening night? Wouldn’t you love to see a rematch in the NFC Championship game? I hope I’m right.

Nov 23 2011

Thanksgiving Football Prediction: Detroit-Green Bay

Can the Lions hand the Packers their first loss of the regular season on Thursday? We'll see!

By Matt Noonan 

Nobody probably imagined that this would be the game to watch on Thanksgiving. Over the past few seasons, opponents have demolished the Lions on National Television, but this year, I expect quarterback Matthew Stafford to lead his team to victory.

The Lions have registered 25 touchdowns through the air, and have compiled 1,011 rushing yards, while Calvin Johnson leads the receiving core with 974 yards and 11 strikes to the end zone.

Detroit’s offense shouldn’t experience too many problems against a Packers defense that has allowed opponents to rack up at least 22 points per game, and roughly 391 yards of offense. Yet, the biggest issue facing the Lions will be containing quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who leads the league with 31 touchdowns.

FUN FACT – Green Bay’s most recent regular season loss came against Detroit last year when the Lions defeated the Packers, 7-3 at Ford Field. However, I doubt the Lions will hold the Packers to just three points this time around, right?

PREDICTION – Expect the Lions to “get-up” for this one, and even score first. Stafford should toss two touchdowns, while the Lions defense will most likely record one turnover. Detroit 34 – Green Bay 27