That Hurt » Brats & Beer

November 30, 2007
posted under: Cowboys, Packers

In the words of coach Mike McCarthy, “We did not play our best football.”

Congratulations to the Dallas Cowboys. You defeated Aaron Rodgers to advance to 11-1 on the season, so you obviously fielded the better team and ol’ Fatty there was the superior coach. I’m sure you’ll go on the best the Patriots in the Super Bowl.

Sour grapes aside, this defeat hurt in more ways than one, but the season is far from over and we’ll get a chance I think to avenge this loss in the post-season.

The most important question to be answered over the next few days is how badly did Brett Favre get injured and when will he be able to return? Word is he suffered a separated left shoulder and lost feeling in his right hand after a blindside hit from Nathan Jones. Seeing him walk off the field holding his limp right arm was enough to drive me to drink, but then of course I had to endure the next three quarters of the game. Thankfully the Packers have a home game against Oakland in 10 days, so there is ample opportunity for Favre to get healthy.

The next question that needs to be answered is what happened to the pass protection that allowed Favre to get injured? More to the point, what happened to the quick slant routes and quick reads that have allowed Green Bay to pick apart opposing defenses all season long? It just seemed like McCarthy was trying to go for the big play almost every down early in the game, forcing Brett to stand back in the pocket far too long. I hate to say it, but the glare of Thursday Night Football and the magnitude of meeting another 10-1 team might have rattled the cage of our young head coach.

On the bright side — and believe me it is hard to find one this morning — the Packers with Rodgers under center stayed in this game until the bitter end. A 12-play drive in the third quarter, capped by Ryan Grant’s second touchdown pulled them to within three points. Add in the fact the Charles Woodson and KGB and several other players were sidelined the entire game, it’s a wonder the Cowboys didn’t blow out the joint last night.

But they didn’t.

And the sun came out today. (Sort of; it is appropriately overcast here today.)

And the Wisconsin Sports Bar has pictures of Anna Semenovich.

And while all is not “right” with the world, a ten-point loss to the supposed class of the NFC without our starting quarterback isn’t the worst thing to have happened. (Having Brett Favre out for an extended period would be, though.)

The Packers will recover and regroup and there will be an opportunity for a rematch, and then the better team will win.