Morning Buzz: Packers hot at the right time
Welcome to your Morning Buzz, rounding up news and views regarding the Green Bay Packers from around the web and here at PackersNews.com. Grab a strong cup of coffee and get caught up on everything you need to know about the Packers.
We’ll start with Bob McGinn’s scouting report on the New York Giants. Sounds like former Packer Marshall Newhouse will get his first start against his old team at right tackle for the Giants on Sunday.
It appears that Marshall Newhouse will be starting his first game against his former team since departing Green Bay for Cincinnati as an unrestricted free agent in March 2014. His one-year contract contained a $50,000 signing bonus.
Newhouse started five of 15 games for the Bengals in one season and 19 of 23 games for the Giants in 2015-’16. Inactive for the first game against Green Bay, he is expected to start for the second straight week at right tackle over Bobby Hart (arm).
“He wasn’t quite as exposed (against Washington) as he was earlier in the season,” one personnel man said. “Maybe he’s better at right (tackle) than left.”
Check out Eric Baranczyk's and Pete Dougherty’s film study from Sunday’s game against the Lions. Eric and Pete make the excellent point that the Packers’ best defense .. .is their offense.
If the Packers are going to do any damage in the postseason starting this week against the New York Giants, they’ll have to continue a trend that has been a key to their six-game winning streak: Play defense with their offense. Get ahead and let coordinator Dom Capers’ defense play with a lead. Control the ball and keep their defense off the field.
The Packers’ 31-24 win Sunday night at Detroit was the perfect illustration of what a difference it makes when they put up points and play from the lead. The game turned for Capers’ defense over a 6-minute span late in the second quarter and to start the third quarter.
With 23 seconds left in the half, the Packers trailed 14-7. But they finagled a field goal to end the half, then doubled that up with a touchdown drive to start the third quarter. Suddenly they’re up 17-14, and quarterback Aaron Rodgers was starting to roll. The Lions knew they’d have to keep pace. And that gave Capers’ reeling defense, which would lose three cornerbacks on the night, just enough of an edge.
Jared Cook is relishing his first trip to the playoffs in his eight-year NFL career. Ryan Wood writes that the free-agent pickup, playing on a one-year deal, wants to return to Green Bay next year “without a doubt.”
There are plenty of storylines to watch in the week leading up to Sunday’s showdown with the Giants. I wrote up three that should be of particular interest to Packers fans.
Rich Ryman writes on the economic impact of a playoff game at Lambeau Field. Needless to say, it’s significant.
Brett Favre thinks the Packers are on their way to the Super Bowl:
Elsewhere, The Giants Wire opines on the possibility of Eli Manning being postseason kryptonite for the Packers:
The Packers have put together a hype reel for Sunday’s game:
The Packers aren’t the favorites to do so, but they have some pretty decent odds when it comes to winning the NFC championship:
Cook’s presence in the lineup has meant big things for Aaron Rodgers:
When it comes to the Packers' offensive rebirth, however, the folks at FiveThirtyEight contend Jordy Nelson is the catalyst:
Not that anybody needed reminding of the last two times the Giants came to Lambeau in the playoffs, but ESPN thought they’d do so anyway:
I spent about a half hour chatting with readers about all things Packers on Facebook Live on Tuesday. You can catch a replay below. If you’d like to participate in the future, be sure to Like the PackersNews Facebook page.