Hours Before Kickoff: Week 15

To be the man, you got to beat the man. Words made famous by the legendary Ric Flair, one of the greatest pro wrestlers of all time, a world champion about 847 times.

Going by Flair’s standard, the Patriots aren’t “the man,” but they’ve compiled a good resume so far. A solid win over Baltimore, they held on to beat Indianapolis, they carved Pittsburgh’s defense, and throttled the New York Jets. All were big wins, but winning against the NFC elite is key as well.

To be “the man,” the Patriots have to beat a team from the blue conference. Taking out the best the NFC has to offer during the regular season is great gauge of how good New England’s chances would be when the championship is on the line.

Beating up on Minnesota, Detroit, and Chicago (despite what LB Brian Urlacher thought, the Bears are not an elite team) didn’t impress me. But a win over Green Bay would speak volumes about the Pats vs. the NFC.

That was until Packers QB Aaron Rogers was ruled out for the game. Back up Matt Flynn will be under center.

This takes away of bit of the excitement without GB’s starting QB. What would had been a huge match-up between elite passers and teams has become a trap game as the Patriots shouldn’t take a hobbled Packers team lightly.

It’s worthless to draw conclusions from New England’s victims in inter-conference games. Pittsburgh beat Atlanta and Carolina early in the season. Indianapolis came up short against Philadelphia. Baltimore couldn’t contain Atlanta’s passing game.

These results mean nothing to the Pats. It doesn’t mean they’ll win or lose to those same teams. But one inter-conference game sticks in my head and had me wondering, “What if…” Green Bay’s 9-0 shutout of the New York Jets.

Entering week eight, the Jets were flying high on a five-game winning streak and leading the AFC East. The Packers’ shutout sent a message that the Jets weren’t on the elite level. If the Jets couldn’t handle the Pack, did that mean the Patriots stood no chance with an inconsistent offense and a porous defense?

Much has changed for Pats and Jets since then. New York is reeling after losing two games by a combined 55-9 while the Patriots lead the division and the conference. The Pats look like the best team in the NFL right now. Green Bay was the biggest challenge left on the schedule and it was looking like a battle between two heavyweights.

That was the case, until the Rogers suffered his second concussion against Detroit. So much for the build-up to this game.

The game is still important. A win gets New England one step closer to home field throughout the playoffs. But as for this game being a test of the Patriots’ mettle, that feeling is gone with Rogers on the sideline.

We’re talking about the best number 12s in the league taking turns raising the bar. Clearly Brady established himself as the best at the position this year, and Rogers isn’t far behind. This would be a test of the highest order for the Pats’ defense. How would they do against Rogers and his array of targets? There maybe isn’t another team that can challenge the Patriots on both sides of the ball like Green Bay can.

Yes I’m looking forward to seeing how the Brady-led offense attacks Green Bay’s aggressive 3-4 defense. I want to see how disruptive OLB Clay Matthews is and if the receivers can get separation against the fine Packers corners. But without Rogers challenging New England’s defense, we’re missing out on half the show.

When Rogers scores a rushing touchdown, he sometimes makes the sign of a championship belt across his waist like a pro wrestler. A title isn’t on the line when the teams play Sunday night. Maybe one will be the next time they do.

A few things I’m looking for:

Don’t Forget 3, 4, 5…: From Jennings to Jordy, the Packers might have the best group of receivers in the league from top to bottom, tight ends included.

Goldilocks: LBs A.J. Hawk and Clay Matthews let their hair grow. It doesn’t affect their play, but expect to see their manes in on a lot of plays.

Not Even a Chance of Meatballs?: All the talk of snow for game time is gone. These cold weather teams would had loved playing during a storm. 

The defense has to make QB Matt Flynn look his age. Force him into mistakes, take advantage, rinse, repeat. The Patriots should have this under control early.

Question? Comments? Send to talktome@randolphc.com.