Why the Packers don’t care about being America’s Team
The Green Bay Packers are America’s Team, but they just don’t care.
When the Green Bay Packers eliminate the Dallas Cowboys from the playoffs today, more will be decided than which team moves on. Once and for all, the Packers will put the debate over the mythical title of America´s Team to rest.
“At this point in time only one team is going to be happy, Jordy Nelson said according to Packers.com. ¨ That’s part of the business, and we understand that. I think if you go out and play good football, you’ll be able to live with the results. But in years past, we haven’t played good football. That’s the disappointing part. We just have to make sure we execute and play good football and we’ll be in the position we want to be.”
The Cowboys claim to the America´s Team title has never been legitimate, anyway. It was a label designated to them, and a pipe dream of their owner, Jerry Jones. Go outside of Texas, and you will find that nobody cares about them. So the time has come for the Packers to end the Dallas delusion.
A 2011 independent fan poll should have ended the debate right away. The Packers claimed 22 percent of the vote. The Cowboys finished second with just 11 percent. The same poll even designated the Cowboys as America´s least favorite team, with 22 percent of the vote on that question.
The news got worse for the Cowboys in 2014 when they slipped to fourth place in NFL merchandise sales. The Seattle Seahawks and the San Francisco 49rs rode their recent success to pass Dallas. And the Denver Broncos, with Peyton Manning, also moved ahead. Although the Packers were a reportedly sixth on the merchandise sales list, bringing the Lombardi Trophy home can change all that.
Still, you need to pardon Packers coach Mike McCarthy if he just doesn´t seem to care. His focus is on Aaron Rodger´s mobility and getting to the next round.
“This is an opportunity this week to bring our game that we’ve established over the course of the season, and create an opportunity next week,” McCarthy said. “We feel like we’re going to go out and play Packer football and do what we need to do to win this game,¨ he said, also according to Packers.com.
That means getting Eddie Lacy and James Starks going early. This would slow the Dallas pass rush and take some of the pressure off of Rodgers. It also could mean some quick slant patterns by Nelson and Randall Cobb to get him in rhythm early. Keeping the Cowboys linebackers occupied could be a priority for McCarthy, at least until he finds out how much mobility Rodgers has.
On defense, stopping Tony Romo is perhaps more difficult than ever. Romo beat out Rodgers for the best passing rating, 113.2 to 112.2. He also had an 82.7 QBR to Rodger´s 82.6. But Romo has yet to show he can handle big game pressure the way that Rodgers can.
First, Clay Matthews and AJ Hawk need to shut down the running game. ¨Everything starts with DeMarco Murray, their ability to run the ball, Packers Defensive Coordinator Dom Capers said, also according to Packers.com. He’s their third-leading receiver behind Bryant and Witten. They’ve made a big investment in their offensive line over the last few years, and it’s paying dividends for them. They’re very athletic in the offensive line, and they’ve made a commitment to running the ball. That bodes well for any offense at this time of year. It opens up a lot of avenues for them.”
But if Romo is forced into passing situations, Julius Peppers can then provide enough pressure to hurry him into quick decisions. That will help the secondary step in front and grab some picks. It is the scenario that Capers is planning for.
That would move the Packers one step closer to the Lombardi Trophy. Of course, a likely match up with Seattle will have a lot to say about that. Remember, the Seahawks not only beat the Packers this year, but they contained Rodgers as no other team has.
Rodgers managed only 189 passing yards against Seattle. They sacked him three times. And It didn´t help matters that Eddie Lacy ran for only 37 yards. But the Packers offensive line has come together since then. And the defense has reinvented itself as well, particularly against the run.
A victory against Seattle could set up a Rodgers versus Tom Brady Super Bowl match up. Beating the Patriots would likely skyrocket Green Bay merchandise sales. That would leave no doubt about who is America´s team. But don´t ask Mike McCarthy about that. Right now, he only cares about one thing-beating Dallas.
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