As Carolina hogs attention, other NFC contenders lurking

There are just that many bad December performances. But it can be hard to keep straight which games matter and which games don’t. They gave up 37 to Minnesota in a season-ending loss in ’12 and 38 to the New York Giants in an ’11 defeat.

The Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings are the only teams still in the postseason picture from the NFC North. Green Bay has a one-game advantage and holds a head-to-head victory over Minnesota, although the two play each other again in Week 17. And they came back from a 19-0 deficit to take a 29-25 lead against the latter, before blowing that one as well.

You could call this game a measuring stick. “We don’t measure ourselves against anybody else”. Thats just making it tough for us.

The best to which Peppers is referring hasn’t been achieved yet; rather it’s a level that can’t be defined until it is reached. Though, it’s impossible to deny that outside circumstances forced them into that decision with Marshawn Lynch suffering a hernia and the “Legion of Boom” looking rather ordinary against good opposing quarterbacks.

■ Tied for sixth in sacks (38). It’s what everybody’s seeking as they go through these seasons. They know a thing or two about playoff football. “So you want to do everything as ideal as you can”. They played twice a year (with some exceptions) from 1926-1949, but not often since then.

“I don’t think anyone feels fresh this late in the season, but I definitely felt better than I felt last week”, Cooper said after Sunday’s game.

For some reason, I think the Packers are really going to play well on Sunday. I had it 31-21, and it ended at 30-20. St. Louis always has a way of beating Seattle.

Which offense decides to show up Sunday at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., could determine the Packers’ fate the rest of the season. With an offense that ranks No. 1 in yards and No. 2 in points, the Cardinals have been winning with “style points” throughout the season.

Denver still relies on temporary starting quarterback Brock Osweiler who is playing great replacing the recovering franchise passer Peyton Manning. David Johnson paces the Cardinals rushing attack with 517 yards and seven touchdowns and Larry Fitzgerald is the top receiver with 99 catches and seven touchdowns. For the second straight week, the bankroll recorded a profit of over $1,000.

“If there was a spot we had to lose a guy, it was probably the one spot we were deep at”, Arians said of Mathieu’s injury. It’s a complete team.

Figuring out where they’ll play with two weeks left is much more complex.

No bah humbug in Mike McCarthy.

Whatever happens, there’s a good chance the Vikings will be playing the Packers in the first round of the playoffs. Also, they are returning to the playoffs for a 7th consecutive season!

If not for the team’s all-around collapse in the final five minutes of the NFC Championship Game against Seattle, the defense would have been hailed for leading the team to the Super Bowl. Lately, the Packers have an improved pass defense.