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By TOM SILVERSTEIN
tsilverstein@journalsentinel.com
Posted: Dec. 23, 2007
Chicago - On many different levels, the Green Bay Packers gave away a lot Sunday.
Their 35-7 loss to the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field knocked them out of contention for home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. The Dallas Cowboys (13-2) have a one-game lead on the Packers (12-3) and if the two finish tied, Dallas wins a tie-breaker based on its Nov. 29 victory over the Packers.
The loss means the Cowboys don't have to think about trotting an injured Terrell Owens onto the field against Washington and can give him a full three weeks of rest before having to play a post-season game. Should the Packers make it as far as the NFC Championship Game and have to play the Cowboys, Owens might very well be all healed.
The defeat also means that Packers coach Mike McCarthy has to worry about whether his team can handle the kind of sub-arctic conditions that turned Soldier Field into the Ice Bowl. The Packers play at home against Detroit in the season finale and then are home again two weeks after that in the divisional round of the playoffs.
Based on their performance against the Bears, their chances of being admitted to the Polar Bear Club are slim
"We can play in any kind of conditions," cornerback Tramon Williams insisted. "We just didn't adjust properly in these conditions. We didn't make the right adjustments. We just have to improve and take it as a learning experience."
Perhaps, but maybe the truth is they're not built like the Chicago Bears, of whom their coach, Lovie Smith, said after the game, "That's what we are as a team. The weather, of course, was a factor, but we're set up to play through conditions like this."
Not the Packers.
As they found out against the Bears, the Packers can't move the ball in blustery conditions. Perhaps one of the reasons they came into play Sunday with a 6-1 road record is that they are built for conditions outside of the North Atlantic.
Their passing game drives the offense and when 22-mph winds and minus-18 degree wind chill pass through, the Packers appear helpless. They managed just 149 yards passing and were done in by the Bears' knowledge that there was no way they were going to be able to complete a deep pass.
"You can't let the conditions dictate how you're going to play in the game," receiver Donald Driver said. "You still have to play. All around we didn't play very well."
If they're going to look on the bright side, the Packers can assume they'll be a better team in Dallas than they were here. In that way, maybe the home-field advantage isn't all that it's cracked up to be and the chance to play away from the frigid conditions of Lambeau Field will be better for them.
"Sure, we'd much rather play them in Green Bay I guess, but the way we played today we might be better off playing somewhere else," quarterback Brett Favre said of a possible matchup with Dallas. "I have no idea. But I do know this: It can be a distraction. Now we know what's at stake.
"If we take care of business and Dallas takes care of theirs we go play them at their place. There's no guarantee we beat them there or at our place. First things first, we have to win our first playoff game, whoever that may be. So just let this be a wake-up call to us."
Part of the wake-up call might very well ring in coach Mike McCarthy's office. After keeping the team indoors all last week - he left the doors open in the Don Hutson Center - he might need to start practicing outside. The Packers have time to get acclimated this week with a home game against Detroit, although it's doubtful the conditions will be this bad.
But come the divisional round it's possible they'll face a running team like the Minnesota Vikings under the same conditions and find themselves unable to cope. They tried to play Chicago's type of game Sunday and failed miserably.
"In the big picture, it's not a setback because our focus really was about improving and I felt that was important as we prepared for the playoffs," McCarthy said of losing a shot at the home-field edge. "Frankly, some of the things that manifested (themselves) today in my opinion showed up last week against St. Louis. I thought I addressed them this week in practice.
" I also didn't get that done, so that's my responsibility. We need to clean our house starting Wednesday and we need to go out and perform well against Detroit now."
LINK
tsilverstein@journalsentinel.com
Posted: Dec. 23, 2007
Chicago - On many different levels, the Green Bay Packers gave away a lot Sunday.
Their 35-7 loss to the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field knocked them out of contention for home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. The Dallas Cowboys (13-2) have a one-game lead on the Packers (12-3) and if the two finish tied, Dallas wins a tie-breaker based on its Nov. 29 victory over the Packers.
The loss means the Cowboys don't have to think about trotting an injured Terrell Owens onto the field against Washington and can give him a full three weeks of rest before having to play a post-season game. Should the Packers make it as far as the NFC Championship Game and have to play the Cowboys, Owens might very well be all healed.
The defeat also means that Packers coach Mike McCarthy has to worry about whether his team can handle the kind of sub-arctic conditions that turned Soldier Field into the Ice Bowl. The Packers play at home against Detroit in the season finale and then are home again two weeks after that in the divisional round of the playoffs.
Based on their performance against the Bears, their chances of being admitted to the Polar Bear Club are slim
"We can play in any kind of conditions," cornerback Tramon Williams insisted. "We just didn't adjust properly in these conditions. We didn't make the right adjustments. We just have to improve and take it as a learning experience."
Perhaps, but maybe the truth is they're not built like the Chicago Bears, of whom their coach, Lovie Smith, said after the game, "That's what we are as a team. The weather, of course, was a factor, but we're set up to play through conditions like this."
Not the Packers.
As they found out against the Bears, the Packers can't move the ball in blustery conditions. Perhaps one of the reasons they came into play Sunday with a 6-1 road record is that they are built for conditions outside of the North Atlantic.
Their passing game drives the offense and when 22-mph winds and minus-18 degree wind chill pass through, the Packers appear helpless. They managed just 149 yards passing and were done in by the Bears' knowledge that there was no way they were going to be able to complete a deep pass.
"You can't let the conditions dictate how you're going to play in the game," receiver Donald Driver said. "You still have to play. All around we didn't play very well."
If they're going to look on the bright side, the Packers can assume they'll be a better team in Dallas than they were here. In that way, maybe the home-field advantage isn't all that it's cracked up to be and the chance to play away from the frigid conditions of Lambeau Field will be better for them.
"Sure, we'd much rather play them in Green Bay I guess, but the way we played today we might be better off playing somewhere else," quarterback Brett Favre said of a possible matchup with Dallas. "I have no idea. But I do know this: It can be a distraction. Now we know what's at stake.
"If we take care of business and Dallas takes care of theirs we go play them at their place. There's no guarantee we beat them there or at our place. First things first, we have to win our first playoff game, whoever that may be. So just let this be a wake-up call to us."
Part of the wake-up call might very well ring in coach Mike McCarthy's office. After keeping the team indoors all last week - he left the doors open in the Don Hutson Center - he might need to start practicing outside. The Packers have time to get acclimated this week with a home game against Detroit, although it's doubtful the conditions will be this bad.
But come the divisional round it's possible they'll face a running team like the Minnesota Vikings under the same conditions and find themselves unable to cope. They tried to play Chicago's type of game Sunday and failed miserably.
"In the big picture, it's not a setback because our focus really was about improving and I felt that was important as we prepared for the playoffs," McCarthy said of losing a shot at the home-field edge. "Frankly, some of the things that manifested (themselves) today in my opinion showed up last week against St. Louis. I thought I addressed them this week in practice.
" I also didn't get that done, so that's my responsibility. We need to clean our house starting Wednesday and we need to go out and perform well against Detroit now."
LINK
