Sure, Green Bay can win Monday night if…

By Os Davis  |   Friday, September 29, 2006  |  Comments( 14 )

Green Bay Packers
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Look, crazier things have happened in the NFL than the Green Bay Packers beating the Philadelphia Eagles in Philly on Monday night this week. Ask Michael Koenen or even Mike Patterson.

Then again, don't. After all, those guys faced weirdness in a single play, whereas the Packers need a whole lot of fate to roll their way and a whole lot of the right moves.

Nevertheless, with that eternal optimistic "on any given Sunday" attitude, let's assume Green Bay has a chance playing a team it's dropped three of three in the last three years and hasn't beaten since 2000. Right, then. Green Bay can defeat Philadelphia if:

If Mike McCarthy can outcoach Andy Reid. Yes, it's "if" number one and already I'm stretching. McCarthy, a head coach for the first time, has been out of his depth thus far, relying solely on Brett Favre and the old guard to will points from the scoreboard. Perhaps McCarthy should slip Reid some Vicodin and "all-natural supplements." That might level the playing field a bit.

If Favre can take advantage of Philly injuries in the secondary. Listed as "doubtful" for the Eagles at present are CBs Roderick Hood and Lito Sheppard, while safety Brian Dawkins is still listed as "questionable" due to the concussion suffered in the San Francisco 49ers' game. In Green Bay, so much depends on Favre right now; the banged-up Philly secondary could provide the tiny boost needed to make the difference.

If Greg Jennings gets, say, eight catches. Jennings has been the pleasant surprise of this Green Bay team, snagging nine receptions for 168 yards in the last two games, including the jump-for-joy 75-yarder last week. Once Favre has enough confidence to shift more of the passing game Jennings' way, this rookie is going to have a monster game. And the Pack will win that game. Why not this one?

If, whether high-scoring or low-scoring, the Packers can keep this one close late. The late collapse against the New York Giants two weeks ago was the sole weakness shown by the Eagles against 11 quarters worth of rock-solid play. Late in the game, anything could happen...

If a trace of divine intervention graces Green Bay's way. The favor of mystical forces has been the Pack's best weapon in 2006 and, at very least, some of Favre's old magic will be required to pull this one out.

Hey, kookier things have happened than a Packer win this week. In fact, here's a bit of interesting history: The 2000 Week 3 meeting between these two teams represented the last time Green Bay beat Philly and the first face-off between quarterbacks named Favre and Donovan McNabb.

Final score: 6-3. Weird, huh?

(Prediction: Philadelphia 31, Green Bay 7.)

Follow how the cookie crumbles for the Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles at RealFootball365.com
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About Os Davis

Os Davis has taken a twisted route to get to RealFootball365.com in his nearly 17 years in professional writing, working in any number of capacities in the sportswriting, news reporting and film criticism worlds. In print media, Os has served as editor at a few publications, including Albuquerque's...
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