GREEN BAY PACKERS 2021: GAME #2
Vs. LIONS at Lambeau; Monday, September 20, 7:15 Packer (Central) Time
Thursday, 9/16: My prediction: Packers 34-23
The Za’Darius Smith situation keeps getting … more interesting. He’s on IR now for at least three games, and has been replaced, in a sense, by a La’Darius (Hamilton). Hopefully “Z” can come back as strong and motivated as ever, but it’s been a rather discombobulated start to his season: unable to practice much due to injuring his back in some mysterious way (“non-football injury”), makes one good play in game #1, gets “snubbed” by the refs (which was a bad call, as the NFL even later admitted), and now is on the shelf. I hope Rashan Gary and “P” (Preston Smith, the other half of the ‘cough drop brothers’) can play most of the snaps without getting too winded, or wounded. Those two cats at full strength are also a force to be reckoned with.
Sunday, 9/19:
The Bears won today (1-1) and the Vikings lost (0-2), so the Packers and the Lions are both in the same position: Win the game and share a two-way tie for first place in the Central with the Bears, or lose and share the bottom spot in the division with the Vikings.
I was hoping to hear Tony Romo and Troy Aiky-Breaky-Aikman analyze and colorize the game tomorrow night, but it should be interesting to lend my ears to the Manning brothers. Wherefore art thou, Romo?
8:14 PST: P.S. So I was obviously confused about the Manning brothers calling the game. I don’t remember now where I got that impression.
Wednesday, 9/22: So I read something else about the Mannings doing MNF, so did some reserch. It seems as if there are two different ESPNs that broadcast MNF. What?!? And why did I get Greasy Bob (Bob Griese) and two other cats I’ve never heard of before instead of the Manning brothers? I was curious about what they would be like. Maybe Romoesque, even (which would be a good thing). Anyway, it’s too confusing to have two different teams calling the game. Enough!
There are still a few firsts for the season that have not yet been reached (surprisingly, or even shockingly, really, as regards first sack and first touchdown pass); also first fumble caused and recovered, first int, and first rushing touchdown.
Side question: Why do they call running the ball “rushing”? When they pass the ball, they aren’t exactly “taking their time,” or dawdling.
Monday, 9/20:
I am admittedly a geezer (recently turned 63), but I miss the ‘olden days’ when all you had to do to watch MNF was to turn on your tv and switch to one of the few stations that were broadcasting at the time. Springsteen’s 57 Channels and Nothin’ On turns out to be a vast understatement. Now it’s a million channels and only one thing I want to watch on, and I have to jump through hoops and pay extra for it.
Now that I’m reminiscing, I remember the first MNF game I ever watched: Cowboys/Giants, with “Dandy Don” Meredith, Kurt Gowdy, and stogie-chompin’ Howard Cosell in the broadcast booth. That’s who I remember, anyway.
Well on to this one, at the not-so-frozen untundra.
5:34 PST: FIRST TOUCHDOWN PASS: My prediction: Rodgers to Tonyan (Adams is too obvious; hey, ‘no guts, no glory’); in actuality: Rodgers to Aaron Jones (Tonyan did get one later)
7:27 PST: FIRST FUMBLE CAUSED: My prediction: Krys Barnes; in actuality: ?
7:27 PST: FIRST FUMBLE RECOVERY: My prediction: Adrian Amos; in actuality: Krys Barnes
7:33 PST: FIRST TOUCHDOWN RUN: My prediction: AJ Dillon (Aaron Jones is too obvious); in actuality: Aaron Jones
It was a tale of two halves; in the first half, the Packers stayed in it, but were behind 17-14 at the midpoint of the game. Second ended up 21-0 Packers.
7:42 PST: FIRST SACK: My prediction: Rashan Gary; in actuality: Rashan Gary
8:04 PST: FIRST INTERCEPTION (Since Savage was robbed last week due to the bad call on Za’Darius Smith): My prediction: Jaire Alexander; in actuality: De’Vondre Campbell
Final score: Green Bay 35, Detroit 17
That’s more like it!