The Kings of the North: Packers clinch division with thriller in Baltimore.

Was I worried at any point that the Packers might cough up that game late yesterday? For sure not.

Alright it did get a little tense, but I honestly think my heart rate increased more for the onside kick recovery than it did during the 2-point conversion attempt. After Savage/Stokes knocked down the pass that would have been Mark Andrews’ 209th catch on the afternoon, my immediate thought turned to, ‘Mother of God, we need to recover an onside kick to seal this thing.’ Luckily there wasn’t too much drama on that exchange. Packers hold on, win the division again, and had EVERYTHING else break their way for the rest of the day.

• Live look at Mo Drayton heading into Monday meetings today:

I guess special teams *TECHNICALLY* got better this week? They went from doing things 100% wrong last week to doing 80% of them wrong this week. Progress! Issac Yiadom running into a returner calling fair catch, Jonathan Garvin attempting to catch a kickoff, a freaking DELAY OF GAME PENALTY with the punt unit on the field in a 7 point game? The Fox broadcast showed Drayton on the sideline at least 4-5 times last night. You should NEVER have the special teams coordinator on the TV broadcast once, let along that many times. That can only mean things are going (or are continuing to go) horribly wrong. Special teams coordinators are like guards on the offensive line, if you don’t hear about them, they did their job. I don’t know why this team seems intent on having that unit potentially cost this team a Super Bowl, but Matt LaFleur continues to say that there’s no chance they make a switch. At least Crosby hit all of his kicks.

• Weekly De’Vondre Campbell Appreciation Note: 10 tackles and a sack on a 4th down attempt. Tune in next week for your weekly De’Vondre Campbell Appreciation Note.
• A LOT of people were getting on Darnell Savage for his play in the first half, but I think that was more on Joe Barry. Mark Andrews is an All Pro tight end who stands 6’5 and weighs 260 pounds. Savage is 5’11, 195 pounds. He was in one-on-one matchups with Andrews consistently that entire half, he had no chance to succeed with that matchup. He also redeemed himself by getting his fingers on that pass during the 2-point attempt.
• Related: There were moments during yesterday’s game where I had flashbacks to the 2020 Packer defense, but I think the biggest factor there was Kenny Clark being on the COVID list. I was speculating on the air last Friday that he might be #3 or #4 on the list of, ‘guys you can’t do without,’ behind Rodgers and Adams. He consistently clogs the middle of the line and puts pressure on the quarterback. The Packers couldn’t contain the Ravens running game when they went right up the gut, and most of Huntley’s scramble yards were up the middle.
• ^Related: Tyler Huntley made himself some money yesterday. You could throw that guy on at LEAST 5-7 teams currently and he’d be a better option than that team’s current starter. I’m not sure how much better Lamar Jackson could have played, Huntley accounted for 4 total touchdowns.
• Davante casually passing Jordy for 2nd all time on the receiving touchdown list in Packer history. If he signs an extension, he’ll likely pass Don Hutson for #1 all time at some point. Imagine saying that in 2015.
• That little, ‘bootleg then throw to a tight end leaking out’ feels like a guaranteed 5-8 yard gain (minimum) this season. Easy money.
• ^Related: I will never tire of watching Marcedes Lewis run in the open field. LET THE BIG DOG EAT!
• ‘Give me my t-shirt and my hat.’ LET’S GO:

Also, after Tom Brady’s tire fire last night, Aaron Rodgers has to be the front runner for the MVP. I know he missed Lazard toward the end of the game on what would have been the touchdown pass to get him past Favre on the Packer all time list, but overall, he throws 3 touchdowns, no picks, while posting a QB rating of 132.2. The man has literally been on fire for 6 straight weeks. I know we all have a soft spot for Jonathan Taylor, but there’s just no way he’s a more valuable player than Rodgers is right now. Ask the Colts GM if he’d rather have Rodgers at QB or Taylor at RB in 2022 and he answers Rodgers 100 times out of 100. Maybe there will be some voter fatigue because he won it last year, maybe some voters will hold a grudge given the off the field dramatics, but there is no one in the league playing better than Rodgers is right now.

So you not only get the win in Baltimore, the Cardinals got stomped in Detroit, and the Bucs lost at home to New Orleans. The Packers now have a full game lead on Tampa/Arizona/Dallas, and a tiebreaker with both Tampa (NFC record), and Arizona (head to head) in their back pocket. Honestly the team to watch right now is Dallas. No head to head there, and the Cowboys have a better NFC record than the Packers do. Just continue to take care of business at Lambeau on Christmas Day and you’re one step closer to the only bye week in the playoffs.

PS: I’ve been told by many people older than me, Packer fans that lived through the 70’s and 80’s, to never take a division title for granted, even though it feels like they happen practically every year since the renaissance in 1993. I’ll never forget my parents taking me to Younkers in Sheboygan on Christmas Eve in 1995 to get this hat:

Hours after Yancy Thigpen dropped a pass in the back of the Lambeau Field end zone. First division title in 23 years that day.