If this was a playoff test, the Packers passed it with high grades. Aaron Rodgers tossed 4 touchdown passes to 1 interception, repeatedly finding Davante Adams. Adams caught 3 of Rodger’s four TD throws and made some spectacular catches that only he can make look routine. Adams totaled 11 catches on the night. The first Packer touchdown was caught by Equanimeous St. Brown, one of eight receivers who caught a pass from Rodgers on a snowy night game at Lambeau Field.
Last week Packer fans, and this writer, questioned why A.J. Dillion was only given one carry against the Panthers. It was a question that boiled over from limited carries this season. In the 14 games prior to Sunday’s, Dillion had a total of 24 rushing attempts. Only twice had Dillon been given 5 carries in a game. Was he a player worth a second round pick? While the RB room is deep with veterans, fans wanted to see what the former Boston College star could do. On this snowy December night, A.J. Dillon was given his first extended opportunity to prove himself. In 21 carries, the 247 pound bruiser had Packer fans virtually high fiving their friends as they watched him bash the Titan defense for 124 yards and two touchdowns. To put his game in perspective, he outplayed MVP candidate Derrick Henry on the same field. His only stumble was an awkward Lambeau Leap. Teammates to the end, Allen Lazard gave him a nice boost for his second attempt.

Mike Pettine dialed up a new-look defense to force Tennessee out of their game-plan. At times the Packers lined up six defenders on the defensive line, almost daring Ryan Tannehill, the number one rated statistical quarterback according to NBC game broadcast, to pass. Tannehill did not produce a good stat line Sunday night. He was repeatedly hounded by Packer defenders. The Smith brothers and their prodigy, Rashan Gary, harassed Tannehill into 2 interceptions and one fumble. Darnell Savage had another good game, totaling 5 tackles, 3 passes defensed, an interception and a dropped pick that could have been a pick six. Jaire Alexander also excelled in coverage.
It was a night where the offense and defense played well enough to overcome special team errors. Even though the field goal block was nullified by a seemingly phantom off-side penalty, the tape is there for playoff teams to review and try to exploit. Fix it now, not in January.
Packers fans must be happy with the message this victory sends to potential playoff teams looking to prepare for the Packers. Rodgers and company have the weather figured out and Lambeau will be another tough obstacle. But to guarantee that future, the Packers must win next week. Up next, Da’ Bears.
Happy Holidays to all.
This was the first time I’ve seen Pettine actually put his players in a position to succeed. Kudos to him.
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I keep watching Dillon’s red zone touchdown, he absolutely trucks one of the Titan’s D linemen – it was fucking glorious.
Packers have invested an insane amount of resources in their pass rush and secondary. Last night was the first time all year i’ve seen them play to those strengths. Packers are an elite Man to man team (3rd best in league last stats i saw) and while brown beat them for some slants…its going to happen with a high quality wideout. See that davante catch where butler had perfect coverage at the end and ended up shaking his head after the play.
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Offense most certainly got back on track. im not ready to anoint Dillon the second coming…but I feel like he needs to get some more carries. Its difficult though cause while he has a higher ceiling…williams is such a steady RB..Ie: not fumbling, pass blocking, catching the ball that he provides a lot of value in consistency.
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WHAT ON GODS GREEN EARTH IS WRONG WITH SPECIAL TEAMS. No return game….2 punt return tds and numerous long returns given up this year….tons of shanked and low net punts….and now we are even getting field goals blocked. This shit unit is going to cost them dearly in the playoffs.
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The refs were very kind to the packers last night. Especially on that blocked field goal.
Very astute Stigg….
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There is more to establishing skills than 1 night on a snow filled field. There is nothing wrong with giving him credit though, he earned it. But like you said, there is far more to prove to be a everyday 3 down back.
I will say this, the better he plays, the more i think Jones is going to be booted…Jordy Nelson style.
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The refs were kind, as was Vrabel for not challenging Jones long run where he stepped out of bounds. That was 36 free yards.
Mother nature was also kind…just not to a team from the south. Those boys played as if they never saw snow before…lol
That’s not taking away from the Packers, They played a fantastic game.
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Special Teams: I thought Austin was supposed to be this added speed demon (per his own mouth)
they let him return kicks one week, now it’s Malik Turner.
So far he has 2 punt returns for 7 yards. He has 4 receptions for 13 yards.
He was the 8th pick in the 2013 draft, speed only gets you so far. What it got him in 2020, was being able to stay home, until Gute came a callin.
Yeah…Austin doesnt run very good routes. Even on wheel routes from the backfield he was getting caught in traffic.
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Another Observation…not sure if it is a scheme shift or whatnot but it feels like savage is playing more of the center fielder type role i hoped he would. He was really given the chance to shine last night…along with Alexander..and hopefully they continue to play this style of defense even without Henry on the other side. The packers have one of the top corners in the league…time to trust him every week to shut down his side of the field ala gilmore, darelle revis, who were the catalysts to some top defenses over the past 15 years. The only team they should be selling out against for the pass is the Chiefs…and well…they got to beat a lot of other teams to even worry about them.
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Im also feel like Gary is starting to put it together a bit. His bull rush is top tier…and he held the edge very well last night. Once he develops another move (if he does) I could see myself being completely wrong about him. Both he and Savage seem to be improving week in and week out. Once again…they arent there yet…but looking at those 2 from week 6 to week now…i feel like they are entirely different players.
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Also need to give props to amos. hes really become a sure tackler and leader on their defense.
I’m pretty sure that Alexander has everyone’s trust, he’s the last guy any of us worry about, the man is like glue and he’s available and consistent. He seems like a Pro’s Pro. Which would explain why he was voted as a starter to the Pro Bowl….that won’t be played.
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I think Savage is doing a lot better job of reading the QB these days, and less whiffing and over pursuing tackles,He’s not Pro Bowl, but he’s headed in the right direction. Amos is slowly getting back to his 2017-18 level. If that means anything.
Everyone trusts Alexander…except for his DC Pettine who consistently plays nickel and Dime base for most plays, save for last nights showing. He sure doesnt scheme like he has a #1 shutdown corner. But last night he did…and we saw a noticeable difference. Save for the brilliant tannehill run (amazing play call by titans), the Packers D seemed to actually be in control of the game. Id like to see a similar strategy employed the rest of the season. Maybe not sell out for the run as much…but no more of the dime zone coverage bullshit. The packers are one of the worst zone cover teams in the league yet they play it quite a bit.
Like i said…Pettine reversed course and went to stop the run first, which is why you saw so much man. I don’t blame Pettine, could you imagine the wrath he would have taken if his defense gave up 250 yards?
He wasn’t having any of that.
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I’ll bet no one was more happy for that snow than Pettine
*250 yards rushing
Yean well hopefully he saw the light like nagy did. If the packers can stack the box to stop Henry from beating them and survive tannehill and those Tennessee wideouts they should sure as shit be able to focus on stop the emerging David Montgomery and keep trubisky from beating them.
Hopefully this wasn’t just a one off and pettine finally saw the light. The packers have enough talent to load up against the run and still cover.
Ferris, I think the difference is they moved him (Savage) closer to the line of scrimmage rather as a deep single high safety, playing as more of a rover guy, similar to how the chiefs deploy the Honey Badger.
Gotta love the Honey Badger…
Tavon Austin. What’s funny is looking up old draft assessments where Mike Mayok, Todd McShay and Mel Kiper all thought he was going to be unstoppable in the NFL.
Happy Holidays to you and yours also Paul.
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It’s probably well known that i like to look at things in perspective.
Or i try to scope my idea of realty, in perspective. That i make no apologies for.
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Perspective to me, is an intelligent and realistic way, as a point of view.
Not to be confused with perception, although important also, they hold different meanings.
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Sometimes we all need perspective, and how it’s a tool for how we perceive things. As it helps sometimes
in seeing what’s real, what’s important, even identifying flaws. The good Lord knows of which i have many, i’m a sinner
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I have a video, of another sinner we all know. Many of you have seen it. I watch it once a year or so.
Watching this video not only gives you some perspective into this mans heart and soul. Maybe more importantly, it might change your perception of the man. It has for me. Do i believe every word he utters?…..probably not. But that isn’t the point.
The point is, view it as a whole body of work in perspective, and see if it changes your perception.
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It’s also a nice reflection into appreciating what you had/have when it comes to back to back HOF QB’s.
Watching the video…truer words were never spoken, from 26:25 to about 30:00 or so.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoKt_Q9xD0A
His wife says…Did they do a bronze bust of the dick pics he sent too?
He’s right about Ron Wolf though.
Tennessee fans talking about home referee cooking. The offsides was garbage and Jones stepped out of bounds. If it was reversed I’d be pissed. Those 2 plays did make a difference. But stopping Henry was the reason they won.
The weather was a far bigger advantage than the refs.
Plus, when you get hammered 40-14, why cry about the refs?
The Packers definitely benefitted from those two fortunate calls/ no call. Despite all that, take away 14 points from GB (or even 21 points) and they still win the game.
I actually saw someone who drew a line across the ball. Like 3 titans were offsides on that play. No sarcasm either its hard to notice with the curve of the offensive line but we’re talking entire head past the ball.
Bunch of crap. After the off sides, Rodgers was sacked on the resultant 4th down play and Tenn got the ball and drove for a touchdown, so no net negative affect. On the Jones out of bounds, Vrabel should have challenged. But, so what, even so, the way the Pack was moving the ball and chewing up the Titans defense at that point the end result of the possession would have been the same.
It’s almost like someone cloned my mind.
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My original point was…it’s a moot case…doesn’t matter.
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It was a 26 point game, not a 6 point game. No one gives a shit except crying Titan fans.
The butterfly effect is real. What if the titans get the ball on the 18 and Henry scores 1 play later…they 3 and out the packers…and take it down and score again? Then start the 2nd half with the ball. It matters….a lot.
I will say this…. i saw evidence it was actually offsides so its a moot point. But to say a game swinging play like that doesnt matter based on the final result is ignoring all the little details.The little details along the way completely change how the game is played through its entirety.
NFL games are decided by 5-10 plays every week and that was a huge momentum shift (and a correct call). Just as another pivotal play, the hands to the face penalty on the titans, was a huge momentum shift.
Still….it was one play. That isn’t changing that game.
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I won’t count where Jones stepped out of bounds because that’s on Vrabel and his boys upstairs for not challenging,.
that’s on them.
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The refs aren’t perfect, Z Smith got held by Quessenberry’s on Tannehill’s TD pass to Smith.
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Even when the Packers lost, i only blamed the refs 1 game (hail mary).
Because as a team, don’t put your win/lose in the refs hand. I always left the zebra whining to the Bears fans.
No doubt, stopping Henry was huge. It made the Titan offense one dimensional which the secondary and pass rush feasted. Also, a key part of this victory was that the offense kept the pedal to the medal, even after the Titans closed to within 19 to 14. They didn’t give up on the run and kept mixing in the pass. Many times this season after the Pack got a big lead, the offense bogged down, not in this game. This was a good team win, with a little help from ma nature.
Its like the famous Dalton line in Road House. Take the biggest guy in the world, shatter his knee and he’ll drop like a stone. The Pack did that to Henry last night. Everything is falling into place as i predicted this summer on here that this team would win the Super Bowl. I just wanted to mention it again. Thank you.
That’s one of my favorite movies 👍
And here i sit, in the one year i didn’t save up money for Super Bowl tickets.
I’m just so STUPID!! (think Chris Farley)
It appears that this team is well positioned to win games in Dec and Jan on the frozen tundra — beat da bears next week and we will get our chance to find out. Being able to run the ball and stop the run is key to winning games in the snowy, cold weather games. Having big WRs and TEs that can run block and catch passes to convert 3rd down/TDs is how the packers are built. A bonus is having #12 & #17 (plus an elite pass blocking OL) preventing teams from loading the box to shut down the run.
On defense they also appear positioned to load the box to stop the run. They have DBs that can play man and also lineman that can rush the passer. This combination can limit the passing game while focusing on the run — loading the box.
Not many teams are that versatile on offense let alone defense. At the same time, GB has an elite offense that efficiently scores TDs and controls the time of possession. We all wanted a 4.28s 40 yard dash WR in the draft; however, the 2nd and 3rd round picks this year and 1st/2nd round picks in 2018/2019 play into positioning this present offense and defense to play well in Dec/Jan in the snow/cold. Let’s enjoy watching #12 for as long as he is in GB — hopefully many more years.
Hot of the press, the Washington Football team just released their Q-back of the future; Haskins. They said he was 3 and 12 as a starter. That coupled with the stripper gate recently and with all the alleged abuse in that organization, which the NFL is investigating; the writing was on the wall.
Gee…who could have seen that coming right?
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Now the question is, will they fight him for his guaranteed money?
I doubt it.
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He was fired because he was making Dan Snyder look bad…lol.
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Do the world a favor…sell the team.
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I’m not worried about Dillon’s Lambeau Leap fail. At the NFL Combine, this huge athlete recorded a 41″ vertical jump – insane for a man of his size. Davante Adams, a pogo stick, only did 39 1/2. I think he just slipped on the icy surface.
I don’t think anyone is worried, but it was funny.
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I give the man credit, after the first try, when he came down he was smiling. He has a sense of humor. I think he just wanted to do it. Lazard giving him a helping hand the 2nd try, it was almost just as much a failure, but i thought it was cool he wanted to help him do it.
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The kid had a good day at work, i’m happy for him.
I am not either because I don’t care about his ability to do a lambeau leap :). I care about his ability to run the ball and truck some people.
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Speaking of AJ Dillon, watch his last TD when he runs over a 290lb DT. I like that dimension he brings, makes teams think twice before going into subpackages with smaller bodies
So i’m watching various video’s of talking heads commenting about the Haskins release.
First, this guy apparently had it coming…and then some.
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Mistake #1…His draft pick, was the owners pick. Snyder picked him. Apparently he knew him because his kid was friends with him in school.
The bottom line is…why is Snyder drafting a player in the first round, or at all?
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Also..Haskins apparently wasn’t exactly a team player involving meetings, commitment, work ethic, etc..when it came to living his dream? But apparently, his team mates liked him.
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He was also bad on the field, and if true, wasn’t advancing, wasn’t getting better like most high picks do.
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So, if you aren’t showing it on the field, or in your locker room, growing to be a leader, that’s one thing, and it alone is problematic.
But when you start making headlines as a distraction acting like a fool outside the football world, you are now labeled a cancer. Someone got fired, because he needs to learn how to act like, and become a man.
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So…this led me to reflect on our team, the Green Bay Packers, and overall, how lucky we are and how good we’ve had it. And how sometimes we don’t realize what we’ve had, or have….myself included occasionally.
I’m not saying this team is fault free, i won’t forget the dysfunction. Middle and upper management asleep at the wheel. The fact we’ve wasted valuable years. the embarrassment of some games through the years.
The ineptness of mismanaging portions of 3 decades of HOF QB’s. Both QB’s, who i find highly responsible for the success the team has enjoyed. Because of their rare skills.
I applaud them both, and i applaud the men who brought them here.
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Ask yourself…What would a NFL team give…..to have 3 decades of 2 guaranteed HOF QB’s? Minority ownership? 1 billion dollars? 2 billion?
I don’t know, but i think the price would be pretty high.
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It’s DAMN tough to find one….against all odds to find two in a row for decades. then Gute is so high on this guy he traded up for, he thinks he found #3. Well…we’ll see about that i guess.
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Sorry for the novel, thanks for reading.
Did you see this from Colin Cowherd? Listen to the first 2 minutes. Talks Green Bay front office. Maybe he’s right. But we’re too busy second guessing them. If we knew them drafting Love would make Rodgers play like this, would everyone say do it?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=biLxmEBCXLE
This guy is full of shit.
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“They got Jordan Love to kinda push Aaron”
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You don’t trade up in the 1st, and draft a QB to push Aaron Rodgers.
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That is like saying….drafting a QB to push Rodgers, is more valuable than drafting a receiver in the first round. Fucking ridiculous .
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Whenever this concept of Jordan Love motivating Rodgers is brought up to experienced football people, they all roll their eyes and dismiss the theory.
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The reason Rodgers is playing so well has everything to do with the LaFleur, Rodgers, and Hackett making this thing work in it’s 2nd season, it has nothing to do with……Jordan Love.
Maybe, Jordan Love should be MVP. Without him…Rodgers isn’t motivated…lol
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What’s next…lol. If we didn’t draft Love we wouldn’t make the playoffs?
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Funny…wasn’t this blowhard always anti Rodgers?
Yes he was always anti Rodgers. Until he won a SB. Not as bad a Skippy but still.
From Yahoo. Who knew Hundley was even on a team? Not me.
Kliff Kingsbury said he’s hopeful Kyler Murray can play in Week 17. The QB hurt his leg late in a bad loss to the 49ers. If Murray can’t go, Kingsbury said Chris Streveler is the backup ahead of Brett Hundley. Streveler has never thrown an NFL pass. At least the Rams have a quarterback issue too.
Brett Hundley has been a healthy scratch and inactive in every game this season.
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Like i’ve said previously, Hundley, has a foot outside the NFL door
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If Murry can’t go, they may start Hundley because he has more NFL field experience, but….against the Rams defense?
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If he is starting, i might have to find a way to watch that game :)
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But yea…what does that say about Hundley if he’s 3rd string behind a guy who has never thrown an NFL pass.
“Brett Hundley has been a healthy scratch and inactive in every game this season”
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Reminds me of someone we have in the packers QB room.
In other action….
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How good is Josh Allen?…rolling left, throwing a td off balance. who does that remind you of?…damn
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Props to Stefon Diggs….WOW
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Did anyone see Cam Newton run for a TD last night, and then get in front of the camera and do his Superman shtick?
Then goes 5/10 for 34 yards before being yanked again.
You acting like a damn fool son!!
I want to say one last thing about Dwayne Haskins because i came down hard on him, albeit justified.
My belief’s haven’t changed, i think everyone deserves a second chance. He hit rock bottom. What he did, he did to himself, mostly likely with the help of enablers.
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The thing is, he has to EARN his second chance. He has to start earning it yesterday. If i was advising him. I would have him 1) work with a professional mentor reconditioning his mind. 2) I would have him pay to have a team work with him on his football skills. Plenty of ex QB’s and others provide that very service to QB’s seeking improvement. He has to earn it. He can’t do “nothing” and expect teams to come calling.
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“Sometimes goodbye….is a second chance” – Shinedown
Like Rodgers himself proclaims, I don’t need any extra motivation. I believe him, he loves to win. Cowherd was at least right on one thing in that video; Mahomes has more to work with! Cam Newton is all about looking cool, wearing clothes that say—— LOOK AT ME! Hey Cam, if you want to show off your superman shtick, me thinks you should perform admirably on the field- week after week. That Allen kid has a gun for an arm, as does the rookie for the Chargers; (Herbert)
Yea Mahomes does….but we could say Rodgers had the easier schedule, so maybe it comes out in the wash. I don’t even care much, they are both worthy, both play out of this world. I just want Rodgers to win MVP because he won’t win another SB in Green Bay…..yea…i’m still saying it.
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Cowherd said the Packers Green Bay front office “won” (smh)
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I say….Hackett, LeFleur and Rodgers win, despite the front office.
Hackett, LaFleur and Rodgers win——- despite the front office;;;;;;;;;; spot on! As has been the case since Wolfs’ departure, HOF Q-backs have propped up the organization. If nor for that, we’ve all been watching 70s’ and 80s’ football. For us older fans, that wasn’t even watchable. For you younger fans, watch and appreciate the fact that we’ve had almost 3 decades of splendid Q-back play, I doubt that we’ll ever see that again!