GREEN BAY PACKERS 2021: GAME #7
Vs. Dismal Swamp Redskin Peanuts; Sunday, October 24, Noon Packer (Central) Time (10 am Pacific)
My prediction for the 10/24 game against the Dismal Swampers, made on Sunday, 10/17:
Packers 38, Redskin Peanuts 20
It took until now (after game six against the Bears) for the Packers to have more points on the season than their opponents (because of the infamous drubbing they suffered on opening day). Although 5-1, the average score this season so far is Packers 24, OG (Other Guys) 22.7
I forgot to mention in my brief comments about the Bears game that two other Packers got injured: Darnell Savage (who had an interception in the game): concussion; and Preston Smith (oblique injury, whatever that is). At least the Packers are not completely Smithless at LB, though, as Jaylon Smith played a bit.
I looked up “oblique injury.” It’s an injury to your side or, as the Interwebs explains it:
An oblique strain, AKA a side strain injury, is when one of the abdominal muscles (internal or external oblique muscles) becomes frayed, torn or detached. Often times from the lower four ribs, it is painful to breath, cough and laugh.
Obviously they meant “painful to breathe,” since“painful to breath” makes little to no sense.
More importantly, hopefully P’s side strain is of the relatively minor variety. Then we can say, “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.”
As to injuries in general, the Packers seem a bit snakebit, but as long as they get some of their cats back for the most challenging stretch upcoming (at the Cardinals only three days after playing the Redskin Peanuts, then at the Chefs), it could ultimately be a good thing, as those returning from injury will be fresher/have less “wear and tear” on them for the back half of the season. Also, the cats who are stepping up and stepping in for the walking wounded are getting valuable experience. It may bode well for the future (as long as the injury vipers stop biting soon).
After the Chefs game, the rest of the schedule seems pretty manageable, especially the four weeks immediately following, when they only have to go on the road once, and then only one State to the west (to Minnesota).
If the Packers are still in first place after the game against the Chefs, they should be in good shape to win the division. And by then, they should have the rest, or at least most, of their injured cats back.
Monday, 10/18:
What is wrong with this picture? Something doesn’t add up here (Math-haters should probably not look at it).
10 + 11 + 28 = 49 (not across midfield, which would require a sum > 50).
Tuesday, 10/19/21
Another screen shot from the packers.com site:
Once in a while, you see this (the answers are supposed to be, and usually are, bolded, but sometimes you just see the stars/asterisks the writers add, and their answer is not bolded—you see it “raw” (unbolded)). The top of the screenshot shows it as it should be. The second answer you see, though, is italicized text, not bolded text.
I think I know why. I would tell them, but I was blocked by packers.com, or at least from posting to the “Insiders Inbox,” years ago. I don’t know why. They didn’t tell me. Even when I asked, they didn’t even respond. Which doesn’t seem fair. But anyway, I think the problem is the space between the last character in their response and the closing start/asterisk (*).
I could be wrong, but that’s my theory.
Thursday, 10/21/21
Another odd grammatical mistake from one of the writers on packers.com:
It should be either: “If that train is coming at you, you should get off the tracks” or “If that train is coming at me, I’m getting off the tracks.”
If the train is coming at you, why would I get off the tracks? If I’m on the tracks, wouldn’t I see it as coming at me (not you)? Hopefully, if the train is coming at you, I will approach and try to pull or push you off the tracks.
Am I being too critical? There was an even more egregious mistake in that column (today’s Insider’s Inbox), but it was from a reader posting a question, and I don’t criticize them, as they are not professional writers and, for all I know, are young children or have other limitations.
This has nothing to do with the Packers, but if you want to see a performance that is the perfect example of what rock ‘n’ roll is supposed to be, check out this live (in both senses of the word) song, “Shinkicker” by Rory Gallagher. It is chock full of the energy, exuberance, fun, and joyfulness that is the best aspect of rock. These three cats really raise the roof!
The Packers signed another OLB/Passrusher today, Whitney “Houston” Mercilus. I call him “Houston” because that’s who the Packers stole him from, not because he’s known for his sweet vocals (but who knows? Maybe he can sing). If they get all of their cats back healthy, it is going to be a really formidable group, what with the three Smiths (coach is also a Smith), Rushin’ Gary, Jonathan Swift Garvin, and Merciless Wit.
Normally I don’t care for the throwback uniforms. Usually, they are 9 times uglier than a bag of butts; that’s why I refer to them as “throwup” uniforms. But the “classic” unis the Packers are wearing Sunday are pretty great:
Left to right, top to bottom: Candle Robb, Aaron Lovejones, Z. Smith, and David Beertiari
I wonder if Coach McFlurry will don some olde-school togs on the sidelines.
Sunday, 1:13 Pacific
I didn’t get to see the game, but it ended up 24-10 Packers over Peanuts. So my predicted score was way off, but the margin of victory was close (I predicted 18; it was 14).
From the highlights I saw, it looks like some amazing plays were made by several cats, and the defense had four—count ‘em, four!—Redskin zone stops.
It’s extra-impressive that the defense has had so many injuries, and yet the next men up are, indeed, manning up. Makes me think of the “No-name defense” and “winning ugly”—or maybe today it was “winning wildly” or “winning weirdly.”
Aaron Lovejones didn’t score today, but three different receivers did: Adams, Lazard, and Tonyan. Another day at the office for the other Aaron (3 TDs, 0 ints, almost 300 yeards passing, 127 passer rating or something similar).
I didn’t see whether Coach McFlurry was wearing a vintage suit today or what.
I did notice a couple of oddities in the Packers official game report, though:
Elevated?!? What, did they lift him up on a hydraulic jack to check his undercarriage or something? I was picturing him being put in a hyperbolic chamber, maybe. But then: Oh! … They meant to write evaluated. OK, then …
Then there was this odd typo (another example of how spell check won’t help you if you use the wrong word, but it actually is a correctly-spelled wrong word):
As they aren’t playing in Kansas City yet, I don’t know what caused the writer to spell it “plain” instead of “plane” but … whatever.
The end of the screenshot shows that Souped-Up Campbell caused another fumble. That cat is the best free-agent pickup since the Smith brothers, I think.
Not only did the Packers get four red zone stops today, they also caused four fumbles and got an interception. Granted, they only recovered one of those forced fumbles (and lost one themselves at the end of the game), but still, forcing fumbles is a good habit to get into. They won the turnover battle, by one, as Rodgers threw no picks.