Thanks for the post Kip, if I had known you were doing one, I wouldn't have done my half assed one I did while buzzed and tired 8)
I think the Packers D is a little better than last year's. It's too early for me to tell if our offense is that damn good, or it was the Packers D being bad. I honestly think they have the personnel for a 15th ranked defense, but they had a lot of injuries last year and that hurt the D. Peppers looked decent for his age; not explosive but really solid. It was a great matchup to start out with for Britt.
I was actually going to start a separate post on the flags. They seemed to keep them in their pockets, that's for sure. I didn't see anything called, either way, in the secondary that wouldn't have been called last year. Wagner's DPI was legit and the hold on Miller was generally called last year when the refs saw it. I don't know if the refs are so worried about the secondary that they aren't watching the lines now, but there was a lot of holding left on the field. I didn't think about Goodell being there, but maybe that's what the refs were thinking; keeeping the flags light to keep the game moving and increase TV ratings.
I wonder how this will change when ol' Roger isn't in the stands.
I'm glad Lynch looks this good. I've honestly thought (and posted before) that Lynch still has two good years after this contract. He breaks tackles than literally no other RB will break. I'm talking about the stuff around his legs. It's got to be insanity trying to tackle that dude. There is precedent for RB's aging well, just look at Gore....and he's had multiple knee surgeries.
Scotte is right, Mathews flopped a few times. Funny thing is, he flopped once (or dove, however you want to say it) and got a hold against Britt, so it was a cagey veteran move.
That read option pass to Lockette was a thing of beauty. Seriously, that's exactly how they write it up for r/o; it can't be defined any better than that play. It's also why Wilson is so special. He's great from the pocket, executes play action very well, and can RUN the read option, and pass from it as well. Guys like Newton, Kap and RGIII run the read option and, well, mostly run.
Loving the offensive play calling. It definately took advantages to our offensive personnel strengths. When we wanted to pass, at times we said screw it, went empy backfield and 5 WRs. My best example of Bevell's ballsiness (and Pete's willingness to be cold blooded and stomp a team) was that play action pass to Coleman on 4th and short. That's a gutsy move and basically ripped the heart out of the Packers at that point.