Bringing Lombardi Home: A Green Bay Packers Franchise (Madden 18)

[saintrules]

Quote: Originally Posted by callmetaternuts

Bucs have a top 10 D and O. If they don't make the playoffs this year I'll know you've got it rigged!

Hahaha, looks like there's a lot of pressure riding on the Buccs then

[saintrules]

Week 1 Packers (0-0) vs. Detroit Lions (0-0)

Pregame Thoughts: Opening game boys, let's get it. Of course, we don't get a tune up game before we are thrown right into NFC North action. Detroit had been our main competition in 2017 & 2018 for the North, but has since regressed in talent & hasn't been our main threat. This is still a dangerous team, however, as Matt Stafford (86) has Eric Ebron (93) & Golden Tate III (89) at his disposal on offense. Darius Slay Jr (89) & Ziggy Ansah (85) have proven to give us some difficulty in the past as well. They've also got Denzel Ward (85), a 24 year old out of Ohio State who is growing & getting better each year. Overall, we are the more talented team top to bottom, but in the North, it's always a fight.

Game Result: 19-13 Win (OT)
Game Injuries: Christian LaCouture (5 Weeks)
Game MVP: Aaron Rodgers (28/46, 310 yards, 2 INT, 8 attempts, 35 yards, 1 TD)
Game Thoughts: We managed to head into halftime with the lead, 10-6, thanks to a Jamaal Williams (22 attempts, 63 yards, 1 TD) blast at the goal line. Both defenses were playing extremely well as Nick Perry (5 tackles, 1 TFL, 2.0 sacks) had recorded two first half take downs on Matt Stafford (18/34, 291 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT), & Detroit's Denzel Ward (11 tackles, 1 INT) had picked off Rodgers. In the second half, tied 13-13, we were well in FG range with under a minute to go. We handed the ball off to Williams & he fumbled, giving the ball back to Detroit. We managed to hold them back from a game winning FG, but it went to overtime. In OT, our defense stepped up huge & Jalen Collins (5 tackles, 1 INT) came away with a massive INT on Stafford. Rodgers led a drive down field & eventually ran it in for the game winner at the goal line!

Postgame Thoughts: What better way to kickoff the 2020 season with a heart pounding OT victory. Perry, Collins, and the defense played extremely well, holding back Stafford's offense to 13 points by game's end. Rodgers snagged MVP for this one due to his awesome game winning drive. The confidence and swag he has when it comes to late game moments is insane. We go up 1-0 in the North right away, awesome.

Week 2 Packers (1-0) vs. Tennessee Titans (0-1)

Pregame Thoughts: The Titans kicked off this CFM with a bang in 2017, winning the first Super Bowl behind Marcus Mariota (92) and his stacked offense. That offense has dwindled a bit over the years & their defense has not quite panned out to what was expected. The pass attack is the bread and butter for the Titans as Mariota has Corey Davis (90) & Taywan Taylor (87) as his weapons, two speedy young guns I may add. Throw in a really good offensive line with Taylor Lewan (92), Jack Conklin (91), and Quinton Spain (87), and you've got yourself a pretty solid air raid on paper.

Game Result: 38-16 Win
Game Injuries: Christian LaCouture (4 Weeks)
Game MVP: Green Bay Rush Attack (36 attempts, 127 yards, 3 TD)
Game Thoughts: I labeled the entire Green Bay rushing game as our Game MVP because it completely deserved it. Ty Montgomery (28 attempts, 109 yards, 1 TD) was the main workhorse, averaging 3.8 YPC and added one score. Jamaal Williams (8 attempts, 18 yards, 2 TD) got mostly goal line looks & managed to pound in two scores himself. The dominant rush attack let Aaron Rodgers (21/25, 262 yards, 2 TD) sit pretty in the pocket, averaging an insane 84% completion rating for the game. He added two scores with Davante Adams (4 catches, 45 yards, 1 TD) & Martellus Bennett (3 catches, 39 yards, 1 TD). The defense once again came through & held the talented Marcus Mariota (17/27, 177 yards, 1 TD) to less than 200 yards and only 1 score. Nick Perry (4 tackles, 1.0 sack) recorded another sack, his third in the first two games, have a year already, my dude. Joe Mixon (32 attempts, 123 yards, 1 TD) had a pretty good performance on the ground, so let's tighten up that run defense for the future.

Postgame Thoughts: Any time we can hold a dominant air raid offense to 16 points, it's a really good victory. The rush attack looks to be taking point once again early in the season, which is just great because it alleviates stress for Rodgers to make plays with a receiving core that isn't quite "top notch". Great win, defense, solid as always.

Week 3 Packers (2-0) vs. Atlanta Falcons (1-1)

Pregame Thoughts: Ah the Falcons, 36-12 over the last 4 seasons, 3 straight NFC South Championships. We've had a couple of really fun, close, and heart wrenching bouts with them over the last few seasons...they are so dang good. Matt Ryan (94), Devonta Freeman (99), and Julio Jones (96), are just complete stud muffins on offense, some of, if not the best, at their positions in the NFL. Vic Beasley Jr (92), Keanu Neal (92), and Desmond Trufant (91), makeup a pretty scary monster on defense, as well. This, for what it's worth, is an NFC Divisional/Championship game in itself.

Game Result: 34-32 Win
Game Injuries: Hjalte Froholdt (5 Weeks), Christian LaCouture (3 Weeks)
Game MVP: Aaron Rodgers (31/40, 278 yards, 4 TD, 1 INT, 7 attempts, 23 yards, 1 TD)
Game Thoughts: I've gotta say, I am pretty damn stoked about this victory. The score is a lot closer than the game actually was, thanks to 14 unanswered late 4th quarter points from Matt Ryan (21/30, 327 yards, 4 TD, 2 INT). For the majority of the game, we had our way with Atlanta. Rodgers looked super MVP like out there, slinging the rock to Dorial Green-Beckham (8 catches, 77 yards, 1 TD), Martellus Bennett (7 catches, 42 yards, 2 TD), and Davante Adams (5 catches, 55 yards, 1 TD), plus rushing one in himself for the TD. Our defense limited Devonta Freeman (12 attempts, 58 yards) to a limited outing & we picked off Ryan twice, one from Ha Ha Clinton-Dix (4 tackles, 1 INT) & one from Tremaine Edmunds (4 tackles, 1.0 sack, 1 INT).

Postgame Thoughts: The Packers that played today are the Packers that can absolutely battle for the NFC Championship. On a bit of a downer, we did lose Ty Montgomery for 6 weeks due to a hip injury. Fortunately, this isn't something new to us as we usually have to deal with him out at some point every season. Jamaal Williams will be the next man up, let's get it.

Week 4 Packers (3-0) vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-2)

Pregame Thoughts: The Jaguars will be without their lead signal caller, Blake Bortles (83) for this one. In his place, we will take on Will Grier (66), a second year QB out of West Virginia. The Jags bread and butter is Leonard Fournette (94), Allen Robinson (94), and newly acquired Free Agent, Greg Olson (91). We have proven so far our capability of stopping high talent offensive attacks, and without a starting worthy guy at QB, this one should be pretty well in our favor.

Game Result: 33-30 Win
Game Injuries: Ty Montgomery (6 Weeks), Hjalte Froholdt (4 Weeks), Christian LaCouture (2 Weeks)
Game MVP: Aaron Rodgers (19/35, 280 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 8 attempts, 41 yards, 2 TD)
Game Thoughts: The Jaguars gave us a lot more than we bargained for behind their backup QB, Will Grier (22/35, 296 yards, 2 TD). Down 7-13, Jacksonville lined up for a FG attempt to make it more than a TD lead. (R) Jack Jones (1 BLOCK) flew off the edge, extending his whole body to block the Jags FG attempt. Vernon Hargreaves III (1 TD) picked up the loose ball and returned it over 70 yards to the house for the score. After a couple offensive drives for both teams that included scores, we were down 26-30 with 2 minutes to go. Ole trusty led us to a game winning drive that included a 30 yard bomb to Davante Adams (5 catches, 98 yards, 1 TD), a 15 yard scramble up the middle that had 2 broken tackles, and finally the scoring run by Rodgers to go up 33-30 with :15 seconds to go!

Postgame Thoughts: It was an absolute exhilarating victory over the Jaguars who completely brought their A game. They say championship teams find ways to win, and that's exactly what we did today. I think we showed a lot of grit and perseverance, when in years past, Rodgers would have been picked off in moments like this. Once again, not to damper the mood, but Randall Cobb suffered a broken thumb in the win & will be out 4 weeks.

TRADE UPDATE:

Coming into 2020 we were pretty thin in the receiving core. Davante Adams (87) is our feature wide out, with Randall Cobb (84) our split end, and Dorial Green-Beckham (73) our slot man. With the 4 week injury to Cobb, we now are left with Adams, Green-Beckham, and Ray-Ray McCloud (68). I do not feel comfortable at all with this core. I reviewed a couple trade offers & settled on one I felt benefited both parties:

Packers Trade: 2nd Round 2021 Pick & ROLB Kyler Fackrell (78)
Saints Trade: WR Calvin Ridley (83)

New Orleans is currently in 1st place in the South & recently had an injury to their ROLB. We decided to send over Kyler Fackrell who has proven to be a pretty good talent & was integral in a couple of Packers victories. Fackrell wouldn't be enough, however, so we shipped off our 2nd rounder to secure the deal. The Saints already have Michael Thomas (92) & Willie Snead IV (89) as their main wide outs, so Ridley wasn't seeing the field every down, anyways. I feel this was an extremely strong pickup when we needed it the most.

Week 5 Packers (4-0) vs. Carolina Panthers (0-4)

Pregame Thoughts: I am still on a pretty huge high from the game we had against Jacksonville. There is just something about a game winning drive that gets the body moving. We need to reel this back in, however, as we enter a trap game with Carolina. The Panthers are a talented 0-4 squad who I projected to go 8-8 by seasons end. Cam Newton (89) & Christian McCaffrey (92) are the two main playmakers for the Panthers' offense, while Luke Kuechly (99) is bound to give me a headache at MLB. We get to use our new weapon, Calvin Ridley, another beast Built By 'Bama.

Game Result: 35-34 Win
Game Injuries: Ty Montgomery (5 Weeks), Randall Cobb (4 Weeks), Hjalte Froholdt (3 Weeks), Christian LaCouture (1 Week)
Game MVP: Aaron Rodgers (41/56, 466 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT, 5 attempts, 29 yards, 1 TD)
Game Thoughts: Oh my god, what ANOTHER WILD GAME! Alright let's set the stage. Rodgers threw 2 first half picks & Carolina turned them into points thanks to Christian McCaffrey (20 attempts, 117 yards, 2 TD) running like a wild man. The 4th quarter had appeared before we knew it & we were down big, 18-34. Rodgers led a fantastic drive down field, abusing Davante Adams (16 catches, 207 yards, 1 TD) in the process, eventually scrambling up the gut himself for the TD. Our defense then built a brick wall on the ensuing drive, sacking Cam Newton 13/21, 156 yards, 1 INT) & forcing a three & out where Rodgers once again put the team on his back scoring a TD to make it 32-34. We got the ball back from Carolina thanks to multiple sacks from Tremaine Edmunds (6 tackles, 1 TFL, 1.0 sack), Nick Perry (2 tackles, 1.0 sack), and TJ Edwards (7 tackles, 1.0 sack). Rodgers hit Adams for a massive 56 yard bomb to get us in FG range & Graham Gano put it through the uprights with :04 to go, securing us the victory 35-34!!!

Postgame Thoughts: TWO straight weeks of heart wrenching last second game winners. Like I said in my previous Postgame, winners find ways to win, no matter the score, and that's exactly what we showed today!

Week 6 Packers (5-0) vs. Minnesota Vikings (2-2)

Pregame Thoughts: The Vikings are definitely going to be our main competition in the North, despite their record of 2-2 thus far. They've recently made the switch to Josh Allen (83) at QB, their young gun out of Wyoming. Dalvin Cook (94) has quickly risen into one of the league's premier rushers & will be a handful to stop. The Vikings main weapon is their air defense in which they boast Harrison Smith (93), one of the league's best Free Safeties, Danielle Hunter (93), one of the league's best EDGE rushers, and the duo of Sharrif Floyd (89) & Linval Joseph (88), two extremely strong Defensive Tackles.

Game Result: 16-37 Loss
Game Injuries: Ty Montgomery (4 Weeks), Randall Cobb (3 Weeks), Hjalte Froholdt (2 Weeks)
Game MVP: Dalvin Cook (24 attempts, 112 yards, 1 TD)
Game Thoughts: After two wild weeks in a row, I think we were a bit exhausted heading into this game. We didn't look dialed in & we definitely needed to be, given the talent of Minnesota's defense. Aaron Rodgers (34/46, 344 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT) threw a pick six to Jaquiski Tartt (5 tackles, 1 INT, 1 TD) that went for 90 yards to the house. Dalvin Cook looked like his Florida State self out there, a menace in the rushing attack, adding a score himself. Josh Allen (11/21, 184 yards) didn't have a notable game at all, so at least we held him in check. Calvin Ridley (11 catches, 136 yards, 2 TD) had a breakout game for us, but was unfortunately one of the only Packers truly dialed in on the day. Tremaine Edmunds (10 tackles, 2.0 sacks) accompanied Ridley in the dialed in department.

Postgame Thoughts: I'm like a father figure to the Pack where I am not mad, I am just disappointed. It's tough coming off the high of two crazy games to lose to our main division rival that could have consequences down the road. Luckily, there's a lot of season left & a lot of football to still be played. Let's get back on the horse as we take on the 6-0 Cowboys this coming week.

STANDINGS UPDATE:

I'm on a roll smashing out these games so I'm going to once again keep the Week 7 standings short & sweet. Things you need to know: We currently lead the North at 5-1, one game ahead of Detroit at 4-1. Minnesota sits at 3-2 & the Bears are even at 3-3. The AFC North is pretty tight, Baltimore and Cleveland are tied at 4-2 & the reigning Super Bowl Champs are 3-2. Houston has soared out in front of the AFC South at 5-1 with the Jags next in line at 2-4. Same story in the East as the Jets are 5-1 & Buffalo is next at 2-3. The West is a bit of a cluster, Los Angeles leads at 3-3 with Denver behind at 2-3. The Saints control the NFC South at 4-1 with the Buccaneers at 3-3, go Buccs ;D....Dallas is completely dominating at 6-0 in the East & Arizona & Seattle are tied at 5-1 in the NFC West.

Week 7 Packers (5-1) vs. Dallas Cowboys (6-0)

Pregame Thoughts: It's time to avenge our loss in last year's NFC Divisional. Like our game with Atlanta, this is the real deal, a playoff game in Week 7 of the season. The usual suspects are still here for Dallas, Dak Prescott (95), Ezekiel Elliot (99), and that stupid good offensive line of Zack Martin (99), Travis Frederick (97), and Tyron Smith (97). Thankfully, Dez Bryant (91) will be out with an injury, hurting their air game quite a bit.

Game Result: 29-25 Win
Game Injuries: Ty Montgomery (3 Weeks), Randall Cobb (2 Weeks), Hjalte Froholdt (1 Week)
Game MVP: Aaron Rodgers (28/36, 338 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT, 4 attempts, 20 yards, 1 TD)
Game Thoughts: Up 29-22 in the 4th quarter, Nick Perry (10 tackles, 2.0 sacks) and Tremaine Edmunds (7 tackles, 1 TFL, 1.0 sack) recorded back to back sacks on Dak Prescott (20/27, 219 yards, 2 TD) in the redzone, limiting Dallas to a FG to keep our lead, 29-25. On the ensuing drive, Rodgers, who was already having an MVP day, hit Calvin Ridley (7 catches, 99 yards, 1 TD) for a huge 1st down after Dallas had exhausted all their timeouts thanks to Jamaal Williams (24 attempts, 103 yards) moving the rock consistently. Time expired, Pack wins!

Postgame Thoughts: For the first time in a while, we didn't have to play catch up. We got out to the early lead thanks to Rodgers going nuts through the air and rushing ANOTHER TD in at the goal line. That now makes it 6 rushing TD's for the guy on the year. Ezekiel Elliot had a pretty massive game I have to note, 28 attempts, 115 yards, 4 catches, 25 yards, 2 TD, and was pretty much the entirety of Dallas' offense.

Week 8 Packers (6-1) vs. Chicago Bears (3-3)

Pregame Thoughts: I am a pretty big ball of emotions right now. Between the OT game to start the season, the last second game winners, the loss to Minnesota, and now the beating of the back to back NFC Champion...I am just damn happy things have mostly fallen our way this season. We've got the Bears on deck who, at best, should be around a 4 or 5 win team, max. Mitch Trubisky (81) is still back there under center & Jordan Howard (94) is another dynamic running back we need to account for. Man, the NFC is stacked with good backfields. Regardless, this is a team & should be beating.

Game Result: 10-19 Loss
Game Injuries: Ty Montgomery (2 Weeks), Randall Cobb (1 Week)
Game MVP: Jordan Howard (45 attempts, 178 yards, 1 TD)
Game Thoughts: I'll make this short & sweet because I am anything but happy. Calvin Ridley got injured literally on the first play & couldn't return to the game. This left Davante Adams (4 catches, 60 yards) and Dorial Green-Beckham (2 catches, 18 yards) as our only receivers & Martellus Bennett (2 catches, 18 yards) as the only other person on the roster capable of catching a ball. Aaron Rodgers (15/30, 135 yards, 6 attempts, 29 yards, 1 TD) did all he could with what he had, but there's a point where you just need weapons and we did not have any. Jamaal Williams (18 attempts, 70 yards) doesn't have enough breakout speed to be relied on for super heavy production. We also got sacked by Leonard Floyd (3 tackles, 2.0 sacks) twice on 3rd down, ruining a couple chances at points. Shaun Dion Hamilton (9 tackles 1.5 sacks) and Nick Perry (9 tackles, 1.0 sack) did their best at limiting Mitch Trubisky (8/20, 116 yards, 1 INT) and were pretty successful, but it was Howard who completely stole the show.

Postgame Thoughts: We head into a BYE WEEK following this loss & I think it comes at a much needed time. We need to regroup, reset, and head into Week 10 with a clean slate.

Week 9 Packers (6-2) vs. BYE WEEK

Week 10 Packers (6-2) vs. Indianapolis Colts (1-7)

Pregame Thoughts: Indy is in the midst of a rebuild at the moment with Andrew Luck (92) & TY Hilton (88) as the entirety of their offense & the Malik duo on defense, Malik Jefferson (90) & Malik Hooker (89).

Game Result: 20-37 Loss
Game Injuries: None
Game MVP: Kenneth Dixon (38 attempts, 131 yards, 1 TD)
Game Thoughts: There is a trend beginning to emerge that is rather concerning. Since Week 3 vs. Atlanta, we have not held a single opposing HB to less than 100 yards on the ground. We have not been beat by any air games, and even in this one, Andrew Luck (15/25, 219 yards, 1 TD) wasn't spectacular at all. Ty Montgomery (15 attempts, 120 yards, 2 TD) played really well in his return to the field, whereas Aaron Rodgers (21/32, 210 yards, 1 INT) cooled off a bit from the hot streak he had been on prior to the Chicago game.

Postgame Thoughts: A problem we have encountered is that we play up to the level of competition & also down to the level of competition. We beat Atlanta & Dallas, two teams who will likely be competing for the NFC Championship & Super Bowl all together. We've lost to Chicago & Indy, two teams who will likely be competing for the #1 draft pick this season. Week 11 is against Detroit & we are 1-2 in the North, it's a game that could potentially cost us the North.

Week 11 Packers (6-3) vs. Detroit Lions (4-5)

Pregame Thoughts: We currently sit at 6-3 overall, but we are 1-2 in the North, a huge issue heading into Week 11. Thankfully, Detroit has slid big time from their 4-1 start to 4-5 on the year. Back in Week 1 it was a massive defensive battle that needed OT to settle the score, what will this one bring?

Game Result: 45-34 Win
Game Injuries: None
Game MVP: Aaron Rodgers (27/42, 284 yards, 3 TD, 4 INT, 7 attempts, 31 yards, 1 TD)
Game Thoughts: The wild games are back, boys. Both teams were defensive & offenses nightmares, with Rodgers & Matt Stafford (23/35, 272 yards, 3 TD, 4 INT) recording 6 combined TD's and 8 combined INT's. Darius Slay Jr (2 tackles, 1 TFL, 2.0 sacks), Jalen Collins (5 tackles, 1 INT), Denzel Ward (7 tackles, 1 INT), Morgan Burnett (4 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 INT), TJ Edward (4 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 INT), Preston Brown (12 tackles, 1 INT), and Aqib Talib (5 tackles, 1 INT), all recorded picks. It was, however, Talib's pick that secured the win as he recorded the lone pick six on the day in the 4th quarter to put us up 11 points. Ty Mongtomery (33 attempts, 114 yards, 1 TD) was also a big difference maker as our rush attack was hot compared to Kareem Hunt (18 attempts, 47 yards) & the Lions'.

Postgame Thoughts: I am not going to read too much into all the picks and the madness that ensued on both sides of the ball. It's always a wild one when we battle Detroit & this one just continued that fact. Ty Montgomery has recorded back to back 100+ performances in his return & that could not be better for us. We finally shut down a rushing attack, the first time since Week 3 vs. Atlanta. The victory gets us back to even in the North at 2-2.

Week 12 packers (7-3) vs. Arizona Cardinals (6-3-1)

Pregame Thoughts: We are definitely starting to develop a bit of a rivalry with Arizona following 2018's Wild Card blowout loss to them. Mason Rudolph (97) is the reigning NFL MVP, NFC Offensive Player of the Year, NFC QB of the Year, and David Johnson (99) is the reigning NFC Rusher of the Year. The Cardinals are one of the toughest teams in the NFL given their level of offensive talent & defensive talent, which includes Patrick Peterson (92), Tyrann Mathieu (90), and Chandler Jones (88).

Game Result: 17-35 Loss
Game Injuries: Christian LaCouture (5 Weeks)
Game MVP: Mason Rudolph (21/26, 240 yards, 4 TD, 1 INT)
Game Thoughts: We got smacked around on both sides of the ball. Aaron Rodgers (20/32, 205 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 5 attempts, 1 TD) got one score in through the air & one on the ground, but that was pretty much it for offense. Ty Montgomery (17 attempts, 71 yards) looked like a child next to David Johnson (36 attempts, 158 yards, 1 TD) who blasted us on the ground. The Cardinals don't have any stellar wide receivers, but Chris Conley (5 catches, 40 yard, 2 TD) and Jeremy Sprinkle (3 catches, 33 yards, 2 TD) sure did look like some thanks to the talent of Rudolph. Chandler Jones (9 tackles, 2.0 sacks) recorded two take downs on Rodgers as well.

Postgame Thoughts: The offensive scheme that Arizona employs is pretty hard to defend. They seem to have a bit of a run & shoot offense that has a lot of moving pieces pre snap. I had a hard time judging whether they were about to go to the air or get Johnson going on the ground because they were never really set in stone pre snap. I am sure we will find Arizona down the road again, so we need to begin prep on how to defend these guys starting now.

STANDINGS UPDATE: Once again, I am on a roll, so here's the skinny: Baltimore has surprised everyone & leads the AFC North at 7-3-1 with all other teams tied at 6-5. Houston owns the AFC South at 8-3 & the Titans are fighting to stay alive at 5-6. Same deal in the East as the Jets are 8-3 & Bills are 5-6. The Broncos have exploded mid season and own a 7-4 record, good for #1 in the West. Los Angeles is 5-6. The Vikings are first in the North given the head to head advantage over us at 7-4, we've got two games to go, one against Minnesota & one against Chicago (6-5). The Saints lead the South at 8-3, but not by much as the BUCCS are 7-4! Atlanta has found themselves fighting for the Wild Card at 6-5. Dallas is practically a lock at this point in the East at 10-1. Arizona and Seattle continue to battle in the West, the Cards edge the 7-4 Seahawks thanks to a tie at 7-3-1.

Week 13 Packers (7-4) vs. Houston Texans (8-3)

Pregame Thoughts: Now here is a team I have yet to play in this CFM & one that has actually put together a solid rebuild & roster heading into 2020. The Texans are 8-3 and have a pretty good lead in the AFC South at the moment. Deshaun Watson (81) leads a team that is probably in their winning window for the next year or two. JJ Watt (98) will be a hefty load for Bryan Bulaga to hold back.

Game Result: 24-22 Win
Game Injuries: Christian LaCouture (5 Weeks)
Game MVP: Ty Montgomery (27 attempts, 116 yards, 1 TD)
Game Thoughts: It was a pretty tight game all around as Aaron Rodgers (25/34, 255 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT) & Deshaun Watson (25/46, 312 yards, 2 TD) both had quality drives. The big difference maker ended up being Montgomery who recorded his 3rd 100+ yard performance in four games since his return from the hip injury. Our defense held D'Onta Foreman (21 attempts, 62 yards) really well to rebound from the domination we faced with David Johnson in Week 12. This was a huge win at a time we are tied with Minnesota at 7-4 for the division lead.

Week 14 Packers (8-4) vs. Chicago Bears (7-5)

Pregame Thoughts: I've said all along that we play to the level of whom we play, and this week, we need to break that. The Bears should not be anywhere near us in the division & we need to stomp them back down to earth, plain and simple.

Game Result: 42-14 Win
Game Injuries: Christian LaCouture (3 Weeks)
Game MVP: Aaron Rodgers (29/44, 353 yards, 4 TD, 4 attempts, 20 yards, 1 TD)
Game Thoughts: We came, we saw, we conquered, nuff said. Rodgers recorded 5 total TD's on the day, 4 in the air, 1 on the ground. Rodgers has looked like a rabid dog at times this season, just totally balls to the wall reckless, in a good way. He is currently second in the MVP race behind Cardinals QB, Mason Rudolph, the reigning MVP. Ty Montgomery (22 attempts, 102 yards, 1 TD) recorded his 4th 100+ yard game in 5 games & Davante Adams (10 catches, 126 yards, 1 TD) finally got over the century mark. Nick Perry (7 tackles, 3.0 sacks) could have probably won Game MVP as well, his 3.0 sacks on Mitchell Truisky (16/26, 192 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT) helped ruin multiple scoring drive opportunities.

Postgame Thoughts: We played with a big chip on our shoulder today as the race for the North is in its final stage. We've had a bit of an uphill climb in the division after losing to Minnesota early in the year to go down 1-2. Minnesota also won today to improve to 9-4.

Week 15 Packers (9-4) vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-6)

Pregame Thoughts: The Buccs easily have their best team yet with explosive pieces on both sides of the ball. Jameis Winston (87) and the Buccs are fighting for their lives in the Wild Card race as the Saints are a couple games up in the South. Mike Evans (96) and OJ Howard (91) will be tough to stop through the air, so it's going to be damage control with them. Derrius Guice (84) is Tampa's young bruiser at HB and Bradley Chubb (88) is a 24 year old future Pro Bowl EDGE rusher for sure. This is a really tough squad.

Game Result: 45-39 Win
Game Injuries: Christian LaCouture (2 Weeks)
Game MVP: Aaron Rodgers (24/33, 282 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT, 10 attempts, 33 yards, 2 TD)
Game Thoughts: Aaron Rodgers put the entire Green Bay Packers team on his back to win this game, plain and simple. At this point, I really do think he may have secured the 2020 MVP award with this Heisman like performance today. Rodgers found Davante Adams (6 catches, 80 yards, 2 TD) for two scores, rushed TWO in himself, and handed one off to Ty Montgomery (30 attempts, 157 yards, 1 TD) for the score. Tampa never let up, however, as Jameis Winston (23/36, 282 yards, 4 TD, 1 INT) was excellent through the air, connecting with Mike Evans (4 catches, 100 yards, 3 TD) only four times total, three of which landed in the end zone. The difference maker, once again, proved to be Montgomery as Derrius Guice (26 attempts, 100 yards) had good moments on the ground, but was outclassed by Montgomery's 5.2 YPC.

Postgame Thoughts: Ridiculous day by Rodgers despite the 2 INT's. We were out in front most, if not all of the game, but let the door stay open late in the 4th as Tampa got within 6. We must finish our games.

Week 16 Packers (10-4) vs. Minnesota Vikings (9-5)

Pregame Thoughts: Here it is boys, the do or die. We have a one game lead on Minnesota overall, but are tied with them for the North at 3-2, without the head to head advantage. If we lose to the Vikings and they win in Week 17, we lose the North. If we lose to the Vikings and they lose in Week 17, we lose the North. If we beat the Vikings & lose in Week 17, we still win the North.

Game Result: 36-30 Win OT
Game Injuries: Christian LaCouture (1 Week)
Game MVP: Jamaal Williams (7 attempts, 31 yards, 2 TD)
Game Thoughts: LET'S FREAKING GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OVERTIME GAME WINNER AFTER A MORGAN BURNETT (9 tackles, 1 INT) INTERCEPTION ON SAM BRADFORD (7/8, 87 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT) WHO THE VIKINGS PUT IN TO TRY AND WIN THE GAME! JAMAAL WILLIAMS & TY MONTGOMERY (35 attempts, 131 yards, 1 TD) ABSOLUTELY DOMINATED THE RUN GAME AFTER THE TURNOVER, GETTING NEARLY 75 YARDS AND FINALLY PUNCHING IT INTO THE END ZONE TO WIN THE GAME! Haha, okay caps is done. Man, this season has been NUTS, hehe thought I was done with caps? Anyways, things were knotted up at 30-30 after both teams had really good regulation performances. Dalvin Cook (31 attempts, 162 yards, 1 TD) was absolutely thrashing us on the ground, but we were managing to hold Josh Allen (14/24, 138 yards, 1 TD) back enough to stay in the game. When Morgan Burnett INT'd Bradford, I went nuts. I knew there was a chance Aaron Rodgers (23/41, 289 yards, 8 attempts, 46 yards, 1 TD) would get picked, so I kept things on the ground and did all I could to not fumble the ball. Rodgers, Montgomery, and Williams, all had huge runs & we finally broke into the end zone to win it.

Postgame Thoughts: With the victory, we are your 2020 NFC North Champions!

Week 17 Packers (11-4) vs. New Orleans Saints (12-3)

Pregame Thoughts: Please don't get hurt, anyone. Honestly, our health is more important than this win as we have literally avoided the injury bug. Please, please don't get hurt. The Saints are the NFC South Champions, but my proving is done after winning the North, at least, for the regular season.

Game Result: 22-21 Win
Game Injuries: None
Game MVP: Ty Montgomery (21 attempts, 72 yards, 1 TD)
Game Thoughts: 4th & goal, no timeouts remaining, Ty Montgomery rushed it in from the 2 yard line with :13 seconds left for the game winner. I honestly don't have the energy to explain this, it was just, magical. This whole season has been magical man, the last second FG's, the game winners, the OT game winners, my god. Shaun Dion Hamilton (12 tackles, 1 TFL, 2.0 sacks) had a really great game too, I have to add.

Postgame Thoughts: 12-4 record, NFC North Champions, and a potential NFL MVP on our hands. This season, is one for the history books.

[callmetaternuts]

Wow! Great season. Could this be the one!

[saintrules]

Below are the final standings for the 2020 NFL Season:

AFC North
1. (#2) Baltimore Ravens (10-5-1) - Division Champions
2. (#11) Pittsburgh Steelers (9-7) - Wild Card
3. (#15) Cleveland Browns (8-8)
4. (#19) Cincinnati Bengals (7-9)

The Baltimore Ravens? Yep, the Ravens have turned around their 2019, 3-13 disaster, to rebound with Drew Brees and win the AFC North. It'll be interesting to see how far these guys can go. Big Ben and his reigning champs snag a Wild Card berth & honestly, I am not that surprised. The Steelers have the #30 ranked defense in the NFL & their offense has not quite been the masterpiece it was during last year's Super Bowl run. Regardless, just knowing the level of which this team CAN operate at is scary enough & should put them as a threat for the AFC once again. Cleveland managed 8-8, their best record yet, turn around, anyone?

AFC South
1. (#6) Houston Texans (10-6) - Division Champions
2. (#14) Tennessee Titans (8-8) - Wild Card
3. (#20) Jacksonville Jaguars (7-9)
4. (#25) Indianapolis Colts (6-10)

I'm going to go out and say that Houston winning the division was one part skill & one part luck. Jacksonville probably could have put together another 10 or 11 win season had it not been for Blake Bortles being injured 6 weeks of the season & them having to rely on their less than talented backup, Will Grier. Nonetheless, the Texans are in & should have a chip on their shoulders from my aforementioned statement. Tennessee slips into the playoffs through the Wild Card at 8-8, the last time we say them in the Wild Card they won it all.

AFC East
1. (#12) New York Jets (9-7) - Division Champions
2. (#17) New England Patriots (8-8)
3. (#21) Buffalo Bills (7-9)
4. (#26) Miami Dolphins (6-10)

Baker Mayfield & the Jets weren't nearly as dominant as they were last season when they posted a 13-2-1 record by season's end. However, their 9-7 record did manage to earn them a 2nd straight AFC East Championship. Their offense is still a bit questionable, but that defense is going to be a lot to handle in the AFC. New England misses the playoffs for the first time & I am sure fans in Patriot land are a little on edge. Buffalo & Miami have the same deal as before, limbo.

AFC West
1. (#16) Los Angeles Chargers (8-8) - Division Champions
2. (#18) Denver Broncos (8-8)
3. (#29) Oakland Raiders (5-11)
4. (#32) Kansas City Chiefs (3-13)

The former champs win the AFC West for the 4th straight season behind their rookie QB, Kelly Bryant. The Chargers are loaded & are the favorite in the AFC, as expected. Denver barely missed the Wild Card as Tennessee held the head to head advantage over the Broncos. Teddy Bridgewater is trying desperately to turn that system around. The same can be said with Patrick Mahomes II & Kansas City & Derek Carr & Oakland.

NFC North
1. (#4) Green Bay Packers (12-4) - Division Champions
2. (#7) Minnesota Vikings (10-6) - Wild Card
3. (#10) Chicago Bears (9-6-1)
4. (#24) Detroit Lions (6-9-1)

It was definitely another competitive race for the top spot in the North as it came down to Week 16 vs. Minnesota to clinch it. The Vikings have earned a Wild Card berth & we are slated to take them on in the Wild Card Championship. Chicago snagged another 9 win season & looks to be on the up & up at this point, maybe we will see 10 from them in 2021? Detroit has regressed quite a bit from their 2017 NFC Championship run.

NFC South
1. (#5) New Orleans Saints (12-4) - Division Champions
2. (#8) Atlanta Falcons (10-6)
3. (#22) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-9)
4. (#31) Carolina Panthers (3-13)

Luke Falk & his New Orleans Saints are booming & have won the NFC South, earning their second trip to the playoffs & more importantly, finally topping Atlanta for the division. Speaking of the Falcons, Matt Ryan and his squad MISS the playoffs on a 10-6 record & 8th ranked seed in the league, that's some crap. Tampa Bay had a really good shot for the Wild Card at 7-6, but flopped their final 3 games and will once again miss the playoffs for the 4th straight season. Carolina fell on pretty hard times this season.

NFC East
1. (#1) Dallas Cowboys (13-3) - Division Champions
2. (#13) New York Giants (9-7)
3. (#28) Washington Redskins (5-11)
4. (#30) Philadelphia Eagles (4-11-1)

Business is as usual in the East as the Cowboys win the division for the 3rd straight year. Dallas has back to back NFC Championships to their name & is looking for the three peat, capped off by a win in the biggest game of them all, the Super Bowl. I expect to see them deep in the playoffs & there to be some mighty heavyweight bouts along the way. New York got back on the straight and narrow after their 3-13 post Eli Manning meltdown. Washington and Philly are pretty good teams that just can't figure things out.

NFC West
1. (#3) Arizona Cardinals (12-3-1) - Division Champions
2. (#9) Seattle Seahawks (10-6) - Wild Card
3. (#23) San Francisco 49ers (7-9)
4. (#27) Los Angeles Rams (5-10-1)

The Cards have topped the Seahawks, earning their 3rd division title in four seasons behind their reigning & likely back to back MVP, Mason Rudolph. Seattle still holds the #1 ranked defense in the league for the 4th year straight, so I am pretty damn excited if we can see a division rivalry game in the playoffs. Both teams are huge threats to Dallas for the NFC Championship. The Niners put together their best season yet & could potentially be on the up & up. LA regressed a bit following the departure of Drew Brees & the starting of Lamar Jackson at QB.

[saintrules]

Below are the Packers individual stats from the 2020 NFL Season:

Passing:
1. Aaron Rodgers (411/598, 4573 yards, 28 TD, 18 INT)
2. (R) Sam Darnold (1/4, 7 yards)

Rodgers recorded without a doubt his best season yet through the air & on the ground. The dude finished SECOND in the MVP voting behind Mason Rudolph, who, rightfully deserved it. There is absolutely zero doubt that our guy went all out this season & he looked recklessly under control. We finished 12-4 because of this guy, there's absolutely no doubt about it. Rodgers blasted past the 4000 yard mark, nearly missing his franchise high of 30 TD's recorded in 2017 with 28 here in 2020. His INT's tied his highest yet at 18, but they weren't as spread out throughout the season as before, mostly centralized in a couple of games against really good defensive competition. Our rookie got a little, and I mean little, bit of playing time. Couldn't really gauge anything from it.

Rushing:
1. Ty Montgomery (270 attempts, 1124 yards, 9 TD)
2. Jamaal Williams (150 attempts, 538 yards, 5 TD)
3. Aaron Rodgers (92 attempts, 442 yards, 13 TD)
4. Aaron Jones (28 attempts, 61 yards)
5. Aaron Ripkowski (1 attempts, 3 yards)

Montgomery was once again fantastic on the ground, averaging 4.2 YPC, recording his 3rd 1000+ yard season & 9 TD's on the year. As usual, he battled a midseason injury that kept him out a couple of weeks & I just wonder if he could have competed with the likes of Elliot, Johnson, and Freeman, for the NFC Rushing title. Regardless, he has been our #2 go to man on the offense and a massive reason for our success. Jamaal Williams continued to be a stud 3rd down man & punched in 5 total TD's. He started 4 games for us once again during the Montgomery injury period & kept the ground attack moving. Absolutely nobody, NOBODY could have predicted Rodgers recording THIRTEEN TD's on the ground. I cannot even begin to explain how dominant he was, dropping back, surveying the field, and breaking into a scramble. He isn't the fastest guy around town, but he slipped into the second level rather often & even lowered his shoulder to break a couple of tackles along the way. Every TD he got was not a cupcake TD or one that extended a lead, they were all game clinching and or lead taking scores that helped us win games. It was, incredible.

Receiving:
1. Davante Adams (94 catches, 1229 yards, 8 TD)
2. Calvin Ridley (93 catches, 1126 yards, 7 TD)
3. Randall Cobb (58 catches, 647 yards, 1 TD)
4. Martellus Bennett (57 catches, 450 yards, 8 TD)
5. Dorial Green-Beckham (40 catches, 488 yards, 1 TD)
6. Jamaal Williams (26 catches, 252 yards)
7. Ty Montgomery (22 catches, 271 yards)
8. Richard Rodgers (16 catches, 130 yards, 3 TD)
9. Ray-Ray McCloud (11 catches, 133 yards, 1 TD)
10. Aaron Ripkowski (8 catches, 69 yards)
11. Aaron Jones (3 catches, 16 yards)
12. (R) Devin Duvernay (2 catches, 14 yards)

In a year where we entered the season with undoubtedly our weakest receiving core yet, we leave with easily our best core yet. The midseason acquisition of Calvin Ridley was beyond massive after Cobb went down with a broken thumb. Adams and Ridley were absolutely integral to success in multiple games & elevated our air game to a height we have not seen since 2017. Both studs recorded over 90 catches & 1000 yards, combining for 15 TD's. Cobb followed his 2019 season with much of the same in 2020, being pretty much a yardage mule over a red zone threat. Speaking of red zone threats, Bennett recorded his franchise high 8 TD's this season & was a menace in the end zone, earning a ton of looks & confidence from Rodgers.

Top 5 Defense (Tackles):
1. Shaun Dion Hamilton (135 tackles, 11 TFL, 4.5 sacks, 6 DEFL)
2. Tremaine Edmunds (106 tackles, 7 TFL, 8.5 sacks, 1 INT, 3 DEFL)
3. Ha Ha Clinton-Dix (91 tackles, 6 TFL, 3 INT, 5 DEFL)
4. Nick Perry (91 tackles, 8 TFL, 13.0 sacks, 4 DEFL)
5. TJ Edwards (86 tackles, 3 TFL, 2.0 sacks, 1 INT, 4 DEFL)

The duo of Hamilton & Edmunds has turned into an absolute nightmare for opposing teams. Both studs are just all over the stat sheet & field, tackling, sacking, intercepting, deflecting, you name it. TJ Edwards followed up his Rookie of the Year season with another great one in 2020, he's going to be really good too.

Top 5 Defense (Sacks):
1. Nick Perry (91 tackles, 8 TFL, 13.0 sacks, 4 DEFL)
2. Tremaine Edmunds (106 tackles, 7 TFL, 8.5 sacks, 1 INT, 3 DEFL)
3. Kenny Clark (82 tackles, 7 TFL, 8.5 sacks, 2 DEFL)
4. Mike Daniels (81 tackles, 6 TFL, 5.0 sacks, 1 DEFL)
5. Shaun Dion Hamilton (135 tackles, 11 TFL, 4.5 sacks, 6 DEFL)

The sack game was much of the same in 2020 as 2019, which was freaking obnoxious. Perry recorded THIRTEEN sacks on his way to a hopeful Defensive Player of the Year award, he's 3rd in voting at the moment. Kenny Clark recorded his highest yet with 8.5 sacks & rebounded from last season's low numbers. Mike Daniels 5.0 sacks were really big ones, I do have to add.

Top 5 Defense (INTs):
1. Jalen Collins (86 tackles, 5 INT, 7 DEFL)
2. Morgan Burnett (82 tackles, 3 TFL, 1.0 sacks, 4 INT, 9 DEFL)
3. Ha Ha Clinton-Dix (91 tackles, 6 TFL, 3 INT, 5 DEFL)
4. Tremaine Edmunds (106 tackles, 7 TFL, 8.5 sacks, 1 INT, 3 DEFL)
5. Aqib Talib (73 tackles, 1 INT, 7 DEFL)

Our air defense once again kept a lot of strong passing attacks to a minimum, highlighted by Jalen Collins who recorded 5 picks on the season. Burnett and Clinton-Dix finally got the entire season under their belt, avoiding injury, and flourished. Aqib Talib did not quite give us the production we paid for, considering Grimes and Rodgers-Cromartie both had 6 & 5 INT seasons when we snagged them for a year. Regardless, the air defense was solid.

[saintrules]

Wild Card Packers (12-4) vs. Minnesota Vikings (10-6)

Pregame Thoughts: Alright boys, here we go. It's only fitting we get the rubber match with Minnesota as the Wild Card game here in the postseason. Minnesota dominated us in our first meeting as Dalvin Cook (94) routed us & the Vikings secondary snagged 2 picks off Rodgers, one for a TD. In our second game, it all came down to OT & Burnett picked off Bradford & we kept the ball on the ground all the way to the end zone to win by 6. We've got the better air game, they've got the better ground game. We've got the better pass rush, they've got the better pass defense. Something needs to step up and go beyond normal to win this one.

Game Result: 20-16 Win
Game Injuries: None
Game MVP: Green Bay Pass Rush (6.0 sacks)
Game Thoughts: As the seconds closed in the first half, Minnesota lined up for a FG, hoping to put 3 on the board and only be down a point as it 14-10. Like he was shot out of a cannon, (R) Jack Jones (1 BLOCK), exploded off the edge extending his whole body for the second time this season, blocking the FG attempt and keeping our 4 point lead! After a few FG's were made, we had the lead in the 4th, up 17-16, thanks to two huge sacks from TJ Edwards (8 tackles, 2.0 sacks) and one from Shaun Dion Hamilton (12 tackles, 1 TFL, 1.0 sack). On 3rd and 4 with 2:47 to go, Kenny Clark (9 tackles, 2.0 sacks) stormed off the line and nailed Josh Allen (21/34, 247 yards, 1 TD) for a 12 yard loss to make it 4th down & keep them out of FG range! With the ball back, Aaron Rodgers (23/34, 246 yards, 1 TD) guided us downfield eventually getting us into FG range & we went up 20-16. Down 4 points, with 1:00 to go, Minnesota put in their trusty vet, Sam Bradford (8/10, 60 yards, 1 INT) & he conducted a great drive down field. At the 18 yard line, with :15 seconds to go, Bradford dropped back & was DESTROYED by Mike Daniels (10 tackles, 1 TFL, 1.0 sack) as he threw it, disrupting the pass & the ball bounced off a Viking lineman & was intercepted by Nick Perry (12 tackles, 1 INT) to WIN THE GAME!

Postgame Thoughts: My heart was literally going to burst out of my chest as Bradford dropped back, knowing he was damn well going to sling that ball towards the end zone for the game winner. When Daniels hit him I knew it was unlikely they could get back to the line to spike it, but Nick Perry's interception was the icing on the cake. Another wild win & it only made sense to have it in the "Wild" Card

Wild Card Championship
(#14) Tennessee Titans (8-8) defeat (#12) New York Jets (9-7) - 42-24
(#7) Minnesota Vikings (10-6) defeated by (#4) Green Bay Packers (12-4) - 16-20
(#11) Pittsburgh Steelers (9-7) defeated by (#16) Los Angeles Chargers (8-8) - 14-48
(#9) Seattle Seahawks (10-6) defeat (#5) New Orleans Saints (12-4) - 28-12

Offense prevailed in what was expected to be a great Offense vs. Defense showdown in Tennessee vs. New York. Baker Mayfield lacks strong weaponry on the offensive side of the ball opposed to Marcus Mariota & his band of speedsters. It was a wild one for us and Minnesota as we edged them out in the final seconds with our 4 point lead. The reigning champs were absolutely annihilated by Los Angeles in the Wild Card heavyweight bout as not only their defense failed to show up to the stadium, but their offensive powerhouse couldn't string it together against LA's vaunted defense. Seattle's top ranked defense held Luke Falk's air raid to 0 TD's & 4 FG's...my gosh.

Divisional Championship Packers (12-4) vs. Arizona Cardinals (12-3-1)

Pregame Thoughts: It is officially our fourth time meeting the Arizona Cardinals & our second straight playoff bout with them. Last season we were absolutely routed by the, now, back to back NFL MVP, Mason Rudolph (97), 47-6. We took them on once again this regular season & got our crap handed to us, 17-35. My strategy? Go out there, play ball, and risk it for the biscuit.

Game Result: 27-30 Loss
Game Injuries: None
Game MVP: Mason Rudolph (24/36, 343 yards, 2 TD)
Game Thoughts: This game will go down in history as one of my most heart wrenching, heart pounding, and heart breaking games of ALL TIME. It's been a few days since I have played this & my body just gets all flustered just thinking about it. Let's set the stage... Both teams made huge plays on both sides of the ball throughout the first half and we had the super slim lead, 14-13 heading into the third quarter. Aaron Rodgers (33/39, 356 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 9 attempts, 53 yards, 2 TD) was doing everything, and I mean everything, to prove he was the real MVP out there & rushed in his second TD on the ground to put us up 27-20 following a TD drive by David Johnson (34 attempts, 161 yards, 1 TD) and the Cards. After a couple three and outs from us & a subsequent TD & FG from Arizona, we were down 27-30 with under a minute to go. Rodgers, like a magician, led a tremendous drive down field working Davante Adams (8 catches, 88 yards) & Calvin Ridley (8 catches, 103 yards) all he possibly could. After a spiked ball by Rodgers we sat at the 4 yard line with :12 seconds left & 0 timeouts. This was the moment, do I try and squeeze a quick end zone throw in & if it fails, kick the FG? Or do I kick the FG & risk the Cardinals getting the ball first & likely scoring? I decided on a simple slant route straight into the end zone for Ridley from the slot. The ball was snapped, Rodgers dropped back, and Ridley was out a step from his defender. I fired the ball right into his hands and... HE CAUGHT IT! Except...as he tried to go North into the end zone, he was met and tackled, knee hitting the turf on the 1 yard line. I scrambled like a madman to spike the ball & with literally :01 second to go, Rodgers hiked it but it was all too late, GAME OVER.

Postgame Thoughts: I made, in my opinion, the smart play by trying to secure the game & I regret nothing. This was the most heart wrenching game I have ever played & literally tops off an insane season. The Cardinals are so damn good man & we fought like hell. I left it all on the table this season & could not be more proud of Rodgers & the crew. Good game & goodluck to Arizona.

Divisional Championship
(#14) Tennessee Titans (8-8) defeated (#2) Baltimore Ravens (10-5-1) - 28-25
(#9) Seattle Seahawks (10-6) defeated by (#1) Dallas Cowboys (13-3) - 21-33
(#16) Los Angeles Chargers (8-8) defeat (#6) Houston Texans (10-6) - 25-24
(#4) Green Bay Packers (12-4) defeated by (#3) Arizona Cardinals (12-3-1) - 27-30

Marcus Mariota & his Titans barely edge out the #2 seeded Ravens, led by Drew Brees! The Titans advance to their 2nd AFC Championship in hopes of a 2017 repeat Super Bowl Championship season. For the 3rd straight season, Dallas and Seattle met, this time in the Divisional heavyweight bout. Dak Prescott put up 33 points on the league's best defense to earn the victory. Dallas now advances to their 3rd straight NFC Championship, winners of the former two. Los Angeles barely, and I mean barely, edged out a victory over Deshaun Watson who got his first lick of playoff experience. Los Angeles now advances to their 3rd straight AFC Championship in hopes to repeat their 2018 Super Bowl Championship season. We were once again eliminated by Arizona for the 2nd year in a row.

Conference Championship
(#14) Tennessee Titans (8-8) defeated by (#16) Los Angeles Chargers (8-8) - 27-34
(#3) Arizona Cardinals (12-3-1) defeated by (#1) Dallas Cowboys (13-3) - 20-31

Marcus Mariota and his Titans gave the Chargers all they had, but couldn't get the job done, losing 27-34. The Chargers have won the AFC Championship! This is their 2nd in three seasons. The Cowboys claim back to back to back NFC Championships & head to their 3rd straight Super Bowl with only one thing on their mind, victory.

Super Bowl Championship
(#16) Los Angeles Chargers (8-8) defeated by (#1) Dallas Cowboys (13-3) - 24-49

I had a pretty damn good feeling that Dallas was not going to lose this & they have won the 2020 Super Bowl!!! The Cowboys have very quickly become the standard in this franchise & I expect them to continue this stretch of domination for a couple more seasons! Los Angeles is another absolute powerhouse & proved that a Philip Rivers retiring wouldn't slow anything down. These two teams, by all accounts, are blue bloods.

[saintrules]

Below are the top individual awards for the 2020 NFL Season. You can find the rest of the individual honors on the NFL HQ post on Page 1.

Most Valuable Player
QB Mason Rudolph (99) - Arizona Cardinals

Rudolph has won back to back NFL MVPs! The 3rd year man out of Oklahoma State has taken the league by storm since arriving & shows zero signs of slowing down. Rudolph threw for 4416 yards, 42 TD's, and 13 INT's. He averaged 72% completions which was head and shoulders above the rest of the top QB's in the league. The Cardinals won the NFC West & made an appearance in the NFC Championship, losing to the eventual champions.

NFC Offensive Player of the Year
QB Mason Rudolph (99) - Arizona Cardinals

No surprise that Rudolph also picked up the NFC OPoY as he has completed the triple threat for the second year in a row by also earning the NFC QB award.

AFC Offensive Player of the Year
QB Marcus Mariota (92) - Tennessee Titans

Marcus Mariota was the soul of the Tennessee Titans in 2020, leading them to an 8-8 record, Wild Card berth, and an AFC Championship appearance. Mariota completed 69% of his passes, threw for 4257 yards, had 28 TD's, and had a starting QB low of 11 INT's.

NFC Defensive Player of the Year
MLB Jaylon Smith (84) - Dallas Cowboys

Jaylon Smith was an integral part of the Super Bowl Champion Cowboys as he led the defense with 139 tackles, 2 TFL's, 4.5 sacks, 2 INT's, and 8 deflected passes. The Cowboys defense managed to stop the potent Arizona offense dead in its tracks in the NFC Championship in route to their third straight title.

AFC Defensive Player of the Year
MLB CJ Mosley (91) - Baltimore Ravens

CJ Mosley captained a bruising Baltimore defense that earned the #2 seed in the NFL after a 10-5-1 season. The Ravens may have lost in the Divisional, but CJ Mosley made his mark during the regular season by racking up 140 tackles, 1.0 sack, 6 INT's, and 14 deflections. His 6 INT's led the AFC.

NFC Offensive Rookie of the Year
(R) HB Mike Weber (68) - Seattle Seahawks

The Ohio State rookie saw a good amount of 3rd down exposure for the Seahawks behind their starter, Thomas Rawls. Weber attempted 169 rushes, getting 511 yards, and 8 TD's.

AFC Offensive Player of the Year
(R) WR Tyrie Cleveland (81) - Baltimore Ravens

The Florida rookie led the entire AFC with 95 catches in the 2020 NFL season. His 1118 yards & 11 TD's helped secure the Ravens their first division title on a 10-5-1 record.

NFC Defensive Rookie of the Year
(R) OLB Nick Bosa (84) - New York Giants

Nick Bosa is following in the footsteps of brother, Joey Bosa, and has earned the NFC Defensive Rookie title. Bosa was a big part in turning around a New York Giants club who was absolutely awful last season at 1-15. Bosa recorded 82 tackles, 2 TFL's, 4.0 sacks, 1 INT, and 6 deflections in his rookie campaign.

AFC Defensive Rookie of the Year
(R) CB Trayvon Mullen (80) - New York Jets

The New York Jets have become a defensive factory as they pickup their second rookie of the year. Mullen recorded 77 tackles, 1 TFL, and 5 pass deflections, helping the Jets earn their 2nd straight AFC East Championship.

[saintrules]

Below are the results from the 2020 NFL Offseason including: Notable Retirements, Contract Extensions, Free Agency, and the 2021 NFL Draft.

Notable NFL Retirements
QB Ben Roethlisberger (88) - Pittsburgh Steelers
WR Dez Bryant (91) - Dallas Cowboys
SS Kam Chancellor (91) - Seattle Seahawks
CB Aqib Talib (87) - Green Bay Packers

Big Ben has officially called it a career in Pittsburgh! The Steeler helped lead one of the best offenses in the entire NFL to a 2019 Super Bowl Championship & AFC Championship. Big Ben earned the AFC Offensive Player of the Year & AFC QB of the Year trophies in the same year & has been one of the most dominant QB's since 2017. Dez Bryant & Kam Chancellor have also decided it's time to ride off into the sunset, both were some of the best at their respective positions. Bryant helped lead the Dallas Cowboys to 3 straight NFC Championships & capped off the three peat as the 2020 NFL Season Super Bowl Champion. Bryant also won the NFC Receiver of the Year award in 2019. Aqib Talib didn't go wild on the stats sheet this past season, but was a big undercover part in our success as we went 12-4 & won the NFC North.

Packers Contract Extensions
LT David Bakhtiari (94) - 28 years old, franchise tagged 1 year, 11 Million

DT Montravius Adams (82) - 25 years old, refused to resign
HB Jamaal Williams (79) - 25 years old, refused to resign
FS Josh Jones (78) - 25 years old, refused to resign

C Kofi Amichia (74) - 26 years old, let walk
LOLB Vince Biegel (74) - 27 years old, let walk
CB Kevin King (73) - 25 years old, let walk
HB Aaron Jones (73) - 25 years old, let walk
WR Dorial Green-Beckham (72) - 27 years old, let walk
CB Russell Goodson (68) - 24 years old, let walk
TE Austin Van Pelt (67) - 26 years old, let walk

Contracts were an absolute mess this season. First of all, David Bakhtiari was a complete moron as he declined his fair offer, asked for more money, and then declined the offer with more money. We tried three times to ink him during the season within our limitations & finally ended up having to franchise tag him just to keep him around. Adams, Williams, and Jones, clearly didn't feel their NFL careers should pan out as being backups, so I understand why they left. In terms of the rest of the bunch, I just felt like I could save some coin by letting these guys walk instead of trying to groom them moving forward. The only two guys I really feel "ugh" about letting walk are Kevin King & Dorial Green-Beckham, as both have been pretty integral to season success.

Packers Free Agency
CB Josh Norman (85) - 33 years old, signed 1 year, 9.7 Million
HB Justin Jackson (76) - 24 years old, signed 1 year, 2.1 Million

Brent Grimes, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Aqib Talib, and now Josh Norman. We've been a factory for aged CB talent & it has worked out pretty damn well for us so far. With the departure of Jamaal Williams & Aaron Jones, we snagged Justin Jackson on a 1 year deal. He's got really good speed & is very underrated in my opinion.

Top 15 Free Agency Acquisitions
LT Trent Williams (91) - Washington Redskins
QB Drew Brees (89) - Miami Dolphins
DT Malik McDowell (88) - New York Jets
FB Jay Prosch (86) - New York Jets
CB Josh Norman (85) - Green Bay Packers
RE Damon Harrison (85) - Arizona Cardinals
RE Derek Barnett (85) - Washington Redskins
FB Michael Burton (84) - Dallas Cowboys
LG Isaac Asiata (84) - Arizona Cardinals
DT Chris Baker (83) - Miami Dolphins
HB TJ Yeldon (82) - Houston Texans
DT Montravius Adams (82) - Chicago Bears
FS Justin Evans (82) - Washington Redskins
LT Antonio Garcia (82) - Kansas City Chiefs
DT Tyeler Davison (81) - New Orleans Saints

The Washington Redskins snag the top Free Agent in Trent Williams to sure up their offensive line. They also managed to come away with Derek Barnett & Justin Evans, something tells me they are making a play for a run this season. The Drew Brees victory lap continues as he moves his talents from Baltimore to Miami. Brees was able to take the Ravens to the playoffs last season on a 10-5-1 record & win the AFC North, what can he do this year? The New York Jets defensive factory continues to grow as they pickup Malik McDowell. We snag Josh Norman & continue to be the place CB's come to live out their last year...I am okay with that. Overall, it wasn't a crazy prolific Free Agency, Brees, McDowell, and the Redskins, all made a splash.

Packers 2021 NFL Draft
1-27. HB Najee Harris (82) - Alabama
22/6'3"/228 LBS/One Cut/Normal Development

Haha, yeah buddy. Najee Harris somehow fell to us at the 27th pick & I could not resist. Ty Montgomery is obviously the starter, but with Jamaal Williams & Aaron Jones moving on, we needed future at the HB position. Enter Najee, a Derrick Henry size stud from Bama who is unbelievably fast at 6'3" & packs a lightening quick punch through the holes. His vision is excellent & this is a guy we can groom for the very long term. Harris will start off as our 3rd down back behind Montgomery, but in front of Jackson.

3-27. TRADED
Received Seattle's Round 2 2022 Pick

Since we gave up our Round 2 pick last season in exchange for Calvin Ridley, the talent I was looking for had been taken & I was left with unscouted talent & a bunch of unpromising picks. I decided to pull the trigger on a trade with Seattle and give myself two picks for 2022, or at least a pick to use in trades.

4-27. TRADED
Received Kansas City's Round 3 2022 Pick

It was much of the same here in Round 3 as I traded with Kansas City to get their Round 3 pick in 2022. The talent on the board once again looked like backup level players, at best, so it was the smart move to take the round off.

5-27. MLB Christopher Allen (72) - Alabama
22/6'4"/240 LBS/3-4 Tackler/Normal Development

Christopher Allen has solid size & fits well into our system. Speaking of system, he's another stud "Built by Bama" & will join his former Bama brother, Shaun Dion Hamilton, in the linebacking core.

6-27. DT Phidarian Mathis (65) - Alabama
23/6'4"/288 LBS/Nose Tackle/Normal Development

With the loss of Montravius Adams we needed another talent at Defensive Tackle. Earlier round picks looked unpromising & I pulled the trigger in Round 6 on Mathis. He's not the biggest, not the fastest, and will likely only serve as a deeper bench backup to Christian LaCouture.

7-27. WR Jalen Reagor (65) - TCU
22/5'11"/185/Possession/Normal Development

Reagor is a product out of the Gary Patterson system at TCU & I just like the feeling of talent from that factory. Reagor will be a deep roster guy & could possibly not even make the team, so we will see.