Green Bay Putting Emphasis on Special Teams

With only one National Football League team, the Indianapolis Colts, being worse on special teams than the Green Bay Packers. This week, the general manager Ted Thompson conceded the area has been a sore spot.

Good article by JSOnline on the why the special teams really need to be "special."

Link: http://www.jsonline.com/sports/packers/126744188.html

Kicker Mason Crosby returns for the Packers in 2011

Special Teams May Determine NFC Championship

After splitting two meetings this season the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears will square off in a rubber match this Sunday afternoon that will also determine which NFC will make a little trip to Dallas for a game called the Super Bowl.

While the Packers feature the best quarterback this postseason in Aaron Rodgers along with four dangerous wideouts, the Bears counter with a stingy defense looking to put pressure on Rodgers at every opportunity.  The Bears have a capable quarterback of their own in Jay Cutler who will face Clay Matthews Jr., Charles Woodson and Tramon Williams and the rest of the Packer defense.

The one area where the Bears have an advantage through and through is special teams.  The Packers rank 24th against punt returns, and Bears return specialist Devin Hester broke one 62 yards for a critical late TD in the Bears’ 20-17 win at Soldier Field. The Packers ranked 13th against kickoffs but allowed a 102-yard return to Atlanta’s Eric Weems last week. Hester set an NFL season record for highest average on punt returns (17.1), so Packers punter Tim Masthay likely will take aim at the sidelines.

All this makes a Packer fan nervous.  What are the Packer's special teams to do?

1.  Kick away from Hester.  Or at the very least a high punt angled to the corner will give the Packer's gunners a chance to surround Hester or force a fair-catch.

2. Mason Crosby.  Is it just me or have other Packer fans lost a little confidence in the big legged Crosby?  He needs to make his field goals, and that is a tough task at Soldier Field.

3. Make tackles.  Can't afford to miss tackles.

4. Take away the lanes.  They need to be disciplined and take away the running lanes from the Bear returners.

Will they do all of this?  Not sure, but they need to be better than they have been in other big games this season.  At the very least if the Packers do 3 out of the 4, they should be able polka on down to "Big D" and try to win a 4th Super Bowl.