Merry Christmas From Santa Packerclause » Brats & Beer

Posted on December 11, 2006

‘Tis the season to be jolly, finally, and the Packers gave us all something to be cheerful about yesterday with a 30-19 win over the 49ers. It was hardly the playoff season I had asked for, but I guess there’s only so much the elves can do from the North Pole.

There were some pretty nice stocking stuffers to go along with the win, like a running game that functioned, an offensive line that blocked, and a defense that forced the opponent off the field most of the day. I won’t go so far as to say it was a Christmas miracle, but still it was a nice way to rebound after a three-game skid and that dismal embarrassment last week against the Jets.

Brett Favre, had quite a day throwing for almost 300 yards and two touchdowns. That performance leaves Old Man Winter just seven touchdowns shy of Dan Marino’s record with three games left to play. Favre also needs just 13 completions to pass Marino in that category.

Ahman Green averaged 3.7 yards per carry against San Francisco, which has to be considered a triumph considering how this season has gone, and Donald Driver once again proved he is a total stud with 160 yards receiving and one touchdown. AJ Hawk also deserves a plate of cookies for getting his first NFL interception yesterday.

Of course it wasn’t all sugar plums and roasted chestnuts: The defense gave up a couple big plays, including a 52-yard pitch-and-catch from Alex Smith to Vernon Davis that went for a score, and the offense sputtered out in the red zone more times than you would like. But the Packers played well enough to win and push their record to 5-8, one win better that last season.

The next two games are at home against the Lions and Vikings, so there is a chance Green Bay could make this a great holiday season with a three-game winning streak. And who knows, by the time the Packers go to Chicago for their final game of the year, the Bears might have wrapped up home field advantage and play all their scrubs. Could Santa be packing a .500 season in that sleigh?

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