Quick question: What’s better than skipping church, sitting on the couch in a dark room watching the Red Zone channel for 12 hours avoiding all real world responsibilities, and gambling on grown men who probably have CTE? Doing it for the 15th straight week. Welcome to NFL Sunday.
"For unto you is born this day in the City of Cheese a Savior, which is Aaron the Rodgers. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the QB wrapped in an arm sling, and lying in a blue medical tent."
Week 15 is a time when teams tend to know their fate. Some teams like the ones I wrote about last week are trying their best to lose as many games as possible to secure a top 5 pick. Others are trying to win as many games as possible in order to secure a bye in the first round of the playoffs. Some are stuck somewhere in between, win down the stretch and you’re in, lose out and you’ll have a good draft pick. At this point in the season the most interesting teams are the ones who are stuck in the middle, season in the balance. A win could mean playoffs, a loss could mean your season’s over. Now most of these teams have no shot at the Super Bowl because there’s a reason they’re in the middle of the pact, that’s where they belong. However there is one team who currently sits at 7-6 just looking outside of the playoff picture, the Green Bay Packers.
The Packers season has been up and down. They started the year off 4-1 with impressive wins over Seattle and Dallas, but then Aaron Rodgers broke his collar bone. Since he’s injury the team has been just trying to stay afloat. If they could somehow stay in the playoff contention until Rodgers is healthy, the stage is set for him to go into a phone booth, come out with a cape on and save the day. The Packers put their team in the hands of Brett Hundley, a young and unproven QB. Since the Rodgers injury Hundley did what he was supposed to do, beat teams with losing records. After managing to win the game not lose the game at Cleveland this week, the Packers are ready to bring back Rodgers to save the day. But should they bring him back?
Before we can decide if the Packers should bring back Rodgers this late in the season we first have to look at the owner making this decision, the good people of Wisconsin. For starters every other team in the entire world has an owner. A rich dude in a suit who was always picked last for every team in PE growing up. A man who never accomplished anything athletic in his entire life until he decided to buy a professional sports team. That’s how its always been and that’s how it’s supposed to be. The only place in the entire universe who does not abide by these rules are the folks in Wisconsin. The Packers are owned by the public, some 360 thousand people who have a piece of laminated paper hanging on a wall in their trailer above their Brett Favre shrine proclaiming they are an owner of the Packers. So when thousands of cheese eating hillbilly’s are allowed to make the decisions for the team, what will they decide? Play Aaron Rodgers coming off an injury and risk him doing farther damage? Or realize the chances of making the playoffs are very slim and resting Rodgers would prevent the future of the franchise from being in danger.
Before I go on bashing the state of Wisconsin I should clarify, I have never actually been there. There are a couple reasons for this. First I have a fear if I step foot in the state of Wisconsin I will be brain washed into becoming a Packers fan. 90% of Packers fan I’ve ever met have the same story when asked why they are Packers fans. Its always a story about some obscure family member or acquaintance who is from or visited Wisconsin and that’s how they became a Packers fan.
“Well my great grandpa had a friend that traveled to Wisconsin once so that’s why my whole family are Packers fans.”
This leads me to believe in two possibilities. 1. Either all these people jumped on the bandwagon of a spoiled fanbase who has won multiple Super Bowls and has had 2 of the greatest QBs consistently for the last 25 years. Or 2. anyone who steps foot in the state of Wisconsin is immediately brain washed into liking the Packers. Probably the first one is true but just in case they really are brain washing people up there I refuse to visit. On top of the fact that its cold and probably has nothing interesting to do or see; even the slightest chance of becoming a brain washed Packers fan will keep me from crossing the state line into Wisconsin for the rest of my life.
So even though I’ve never been to Wisconsin I’ve met plenty of Packers fans and they really are a spoiled fanbase. Old Packers fans will tell you about a time when players were calling timeout in the middle of the game to have a smoke break, and some players were bankers and construction workers in the offseason. A time when only white people played football in leather helmets. These days of much lesser degree of football is what Packers fans call the “glory days.” Back in those only white people playing football days, the Packers won the first 2 Super Bowls and ever sense then have declared themselves “titletown.” It would probably be more appropriate to call it “better than the other white players only, who smoked at halftime, town”
Since the Packers “glory days” the new generation of Packers fans have also been blessed. 25 years ago the Packers had one of the greatest QBs of a generation fall in their lap, Brett Favre. In 1991 Favre was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the second round. The coach of the Falcons at the time, Jerry Glanville, did not want Favre but management did. Favre didn’t make it easy for the coach to play him either. He was notorious for drinking and partying as he was only 21 when he was drafted. At the end of the 1991 season the Falcons traded Favre to Green Bay and the rest is history. So why was Green Bay able to take advantage of a HOF QB falling in their lap? When Favre was in Atlanta he couldn’t stop partying enough to improve his game and earn the starting job, he was basically a 1991 version of Johnny Manziel. As soon as he gets to Green Bay he suddenly stops partying and becomes a legendary QB. The reason for this must be Green Bay is such a boring city there is nothing to do besides play and watch football. The only reason Brett Favre became a legendary QB is Green Bay is such a lame place Favre had no choice but to get his act together and play football. That was never going to happen in a fun place like Atlanta.
After they lose the legendary QB Brett Favre to an unfortunate cell phone picture incident, who do they find to replace him? None other than golden arm Aaron Rodgers. Going from Brett Favre to Aaron Rodgers would be like divorcing Scarlett Johansson only to marry Blake Livley. This is where the Packers fan base has truly been spoiled. Many teams have great QBs but never does a team have the best QB of a generation and follow it up by drafting an even better QB. Aaron Rodgers has been the best QB in the league since 2010 when he won the Super Bowl. Regardless of how bad the Packers defense or recievers or running game has been; every year since then the Packers have the ability to win any game possible because they have Rodgers at QB. Any time people begin to doubt Rodgers abilities he seems to come up with some stupid catchphrase that Packers fans won’t stop repeating as he leads them on a winning streak. Rodgers has put the team on his back countless times over the past 7 years and dominated the NFC. Its no wonder Packers fans treat him like he walks on water.
Its easy to see why Packers fans love Rodgers. He cheers for the local Wisconsin Badgers even though he went to Cal. He runs a charity for children with cancer. But most of all when a game seems lost he always has the ability to come back and get the Packers a W. However, after his injury Packers fans got a taste of what every other NFL fans Sunday is like. Without Rodgers the Packers a suddenly a mortal team. Now instead of Rodgers making throws no other human is capable of making, Packers fans have to watch Brett Hundley attempt to throw the ball to the guys wearing the same color jerseys as him. Welcome to real life Packers fans. I’m not gonna lie, I have LOVED watching Packers fans squirm the last 8 weeks realizing they probably aren’t gonna win games every week. This is how a majority of football fans feel every Sunday. Most teams don’t have a golden arm playing QB who can bail a team out of any situation.
Packers fans haven’t grown accustom to life without Rodgers. Now that he’s been medically cleared to play, Packers fans are wanting to throw him back in there without hesitation. He is their savior. The guy who is going to magically come in late December and make up for all their wrongdoings. The savior who will lead them to the promisedland. The problem is Rodgers is not a God, he isn’t invincible. He is coming off an injury that was supposed to keep him out all season. But because Rodgers is the Savior of Wisconsin he is being put out to the world to sacrificed to soon. If I were the Packers I wouldn’t even put him back out their this season with such a slim chance of making the playoffs. And if he somehow does play Sunday and lose to Carolina? Then I would definitely shut him down for the season. Another QB Tony Romo came back too soon from a collar bone injury and ended up leaving the game on a stretcher.
Rodgers might be the savior of the Packers season, but he might also do farther damage to his throwing shoulder and hurt his team next season. He may also be the savior of many more Packers championships to come, but if they don’t play it smart this year, he might never have the chance. Oh well, even if he get injured he still have a loving family and movie star Girlfriend to go home to. (OH WAIT NO HE DOESN’T CAUSE HIS FAMILY HATES HIM AND HIS GIRLFRIEND LEFT HIM LOL DID YOU THINK I WAS GONNA WRITE THIS MUCH ABOUT AARON RODGERS AND NOT MENTION HIS FAMILY HATES HIM LOL PEOPLE DONT FORGET.)
Week 15 NFL Picks
All Lines used from the Las Vegas Westgate Supercontest
Seahawks -2
Patriots -3
Packers +3
Seahawks -2
This is a huge game between 2 teams fighting for the NFC West. The winner of this game will probably win the division. Seattle won the first matchup between these 2 teams in LA but now they are without 2 key members of their defense Richard Sherman and Kam Chancellor. Even though the Seahawks are banged up they still have managed to stay in the playoff hunt. The Seahawks have been amazing at home in the Russell Wilson era but especially in December. Add in the Seahawks lost last week and need a W to stay alive in the playoff hunt. I expect Seattle to play like a desperate team with an MVP playing QB.
Patriots -3
The only game bigger than Rams Seahawks this weekend is Pats Steelers. This game will most likely decide who gets home field advantage in the AFC playoffs. Both these teams have had this game circled on their calendars all season. Who else do you trust more in big games? Tommy Brady and Bill Belicheat of course. Add in the Pats lost last week and need a W this week. The Patriots are 18-4 ATS in the Belicheat era following a straight up loss. I expect the Pats to take back control on the AFC playoff race.
Packers +3
I know I bashed the Packers in their fans above but who I am kidding I’m just as stupid as they are CAUSE RODGERS IS BACK AND THE PACKERS ARE WINNING THIS GAME. Ok maybe I’m not the biggest believer in the Packers, but I am definitely not a believer in the Panthers. Carolina is coming off a huge win against the Vikings last Sunday and are due for a let down. The return of Aaron Rodgers doesn’t only give the Packers an advantage on offense it also gives the team a huge moral boost. Not only will the stupid Packers fans be fired up for this game but the Packers players will be fired up to have the return of the savior of the cheese city. It will be a Christmas Miracle when the underdog Packers go into Carolina and upset the Panthers. Merry Week 15 to all and to all a good night.
Record to date: 20-22-1
Thank you to everyone for reading. We only have a few weeks left to enjoy football and come back next week for more NFL. Happy Week 15 everyone and remember don’t let your life get in the way of your football.
Double COVERage 