Icy cold, NFC North-clinching game balls to …

By Os Davis  |   Sunday, December 09, 2007  |  Comments( 0 )

Green Bay Packers
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Congratulations to the Green Bay Packers, now the 2007 NFC North champions. Mike McCarthy's interesting synthesis of the youngest roster in the NFL helmed by an elder statesman has produced a high playoff spot few saw coming at the season's beginning.

What was most scintillating about the Packers taking care of business 38-7 against the Oakland Raiders on Sunday was the relative invisibility of the Cheeseheads quarterback. Sure, it's helpful to have a QB and receiving corps capable of the lightning-quick 80-yard strike, but it's even more useful when a Brett Favre has McCarthy to merely push buttons to operate the myriad of talent around him.

To wit: Icy cold Lambeau field game balls go to ...

Offense. If not Favre, then it has to be ... Ryan Grant. Don't look now, but the Pack has a running attack - remember when the Packers were, say, 7-0 and this was a concern? Since the Week 8 bye, Grant has amassed four 100-yard games and a crazy 4.98 yards per carry. Torching the Raider 'D' early and often, Grant was a stat machine on Sunday: In a 156-yard effort, Grant put in 44 yards on Green Bay's first drive. Talk about establishing the run.

After Oakland quickly adjusted to the run-heavy game plan, Grant was forced to take on a ton of grunt work, but no matter. He even whipped off three more runs of 10-plus yards and a TD before it was over. Game ball.

For the assists, toss one to fullback Corey Hall, who didn't carry the ball once but did lots of quality blocking for Grant whenever plunging into the line. Also Junius Coston, who as the starting right guard was playing out of position and opposite his usual side. No matter: Grant ran right all day long.

Special teams. Wow, how often can you say that a special teamer dominated a game like Will Blackmon did in this one? On the runback, the Raider side seemingly froze momentarily like statues. Punter Shane Lechler hadn't gotten much leg in the punt and Blackmon was gone for the TD. Plus, Blackmon put the game away in the third with the end-zone fumble recovery.

Speaking of that TD in the third, kudos to Jason Hunter for crushing Tim Dwight and causing the fumble on the ill-fated punt return. Game ball.

Defense. As though the Raiders' woeful passing game needed this kind of help. On early passes, both Atari Bigby and Charles Woodson were outstretched fingertips away from interceptions; the audience reckoned that they'd be hauling in interceptions before game's end. Bigby came away with one, so throw him a game ball.

Despite Bigby and Woodson's early presence, though, it was Al Harris who got himself a gimme in the second quarter. Despite looking bad on the Jerry Porter TD, we'll chalk it up to cold weather and let Harris keep that game ball.

Finally, a special game ball to this guy, a real difference-maker on Sunday. The Dallas Cowboys have to be considering themselves lucky they dodged a bullet against the Lions; thanks to Mr. Snow Miser, the Packers proved once again that they have perhaps the most valuable 12th man in the league: The Frozen Tundra.
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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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