With one game left in the NFL season, the Green Bay Packers control their destiny to lock home-field advantage throughout the playoffs and secure the crucial first round bye week. With the new addition of a 7th playoff team this season, only the number 1 seed will be getting a bye week. Fans and foes of the Packers alike know how big of an advantage Lambeau field is for the Packers, and if they do advance to an NFC championship, it will be the first time in Aaron Rodgers’ career that the Packers will host an NFC championship game. Surprising, considering the amount of success the Packers have had under his tenure. Could this be the edge the Packers have needed to get back to the elusive Super Bowl that has escaped their clutches since the 2010-2011 season?
Lambeau field and its advantages for the Packers were on full display this past Sunday night as they squared off against a formidable squad in the Tennessee Titans. The snowfall was heavy through the first half, and the field was covered in snow by kickoff as the Packers delivered their most convincing win of the season. They took a Titans team that on paper matched up well against them and gave them the work. Derrick Henry, the best running back in the NFL, was held to under 100 yards. Ryan Tannehill, who has been having the best year of his career, was held to under 150 passing yards, and the Green Bay Packers steamrolled the Titans 40-14.
This was the most complete game we’ve seen the Packers play all season. No penalties, no punts, the defense looked dominant against a dynamic offense, and as usual, the Packers were cooking on offense. Aaron Rodgers connected with Davante Adams for 3 touchdown passes and all but cemented an MVP award for himself. We saw the emergence of rookie running back and second round pick AJ Dillon as he ran all over the Titans with the absence of second-string running back Jamal Williams. I said it at the beginning of the season, this guy is not going to be fun to tackle come December in Lambeau. He’s a 240-pound bruiser of a running back that finishes runs. Combine that with the pure talent of Aaron Jones, and you get a lethal running tandem that drives defensive coordinators up a wall.
For the First time this year, the Packers defense really showed what it was capable of. The run defense was truly elite, besides a 45-yard read-option, Tannehill took to the house. Honestly though, does that really matter in the grand scheme of things? If the Titans need to pull out the read option when they have the best running back in the league, you’re doing something right. When Ryan Tannehill did pass, he looked uncomfortable, and the Packers forced two turnovers. Darnell Savage, who had one of those interceptions, has been playing out of his mind lately, and he and Amos combine as the 1 and 2 best coverage safeties in the league since week 11. Combine that with the elite play of Jarie Alexander you’re looking at the most elite secondary the Packers have had since their Super Bowl year with Charles Woodson, Nick Collins, and a young Tramon Williams. This defense has had the talent all year to be elite. Could they be peaking at the exact right time to get the Packers back to a Super Bowl?
Next week the Packers face off against a division rival in the Chicago Bears, who are hot in their own right. The Bears are 3-1 in their last 4 games and have scored more than 30 points in each of those games. They need to win to get into the playoffs, and this is a divisional game where anything can happen. The Packers need a win in order to lock in the number 1 seed, and after getting embarrassed in the last matchup, Chicago is going to be playing with a chip on their shoulders. If the Packers play well, I don’t think there is a team in the league that can beat them. But they will be coming into a hostile environment in Chicago. As a fan of the NFL, you really couldn’t ask for much more in a Week 17 matchup. Playoff implications on the line. One team fighting for a spot. The other is fighting for the first seed in the NFC. Combine that with the greatest rivalry in football history, and you got a good one.
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