No Runny Eggs

10:40 – After a hunt for a quarter, we get the OT rules (sudden-death, 1 15-minute period, 2 time-outs, all challenges from the booth), and the Pack wins the toss to get the ball.

10:43 – Chatman does a good return after the best kickoff of the night (which went down to the Packer 2). Pack starts at their 35. Driver couldn’t quite find the handle as he reacts to Favre’s rollout and Favre threw it like he wouldn’t cut off the route. Henderson picks up another first down on a screen.

10:46 – Thank you Shawn Rogers. After he drove Gado out of bounds at midfield, he threw him into the Lions bench. Packers have the ball at the Lions 35.

10:49 – I’ll take the hangover if Sander doesn’t botch the snap. Fergie made a catch inside the 20. Just don’t fumble, Gado.

10:51 – 28-yard attempt by Longwell from the right hashmark, and the Lions are going to try to ice him. Right down the pike. Good guys win 19-16. Sure they screwed up their chances at Reggie Bush, but with Sammy the Bull, who needs him? :-)

9:49 – If McQuarters could run more than 60 yards, that would have been a pick-six instead of a knockdown, then Favre eats a sack. This time, the field goal is not blocked. We’re tied at 13.

9:54 – The listing of sponsors reminded me of when NFL Films had a kick-ass site. I used to waste hours of bandwidth playing the NFL score. KGB leveled by a running back on a scramble, but you can’t block Jackson 1-on-1. Roy Williams is a better receiver than Al Harris – someone get him Gado’s spikes. Roman finally exposed as the Packers do another jailbreak blitz against the empty-backfield look. How is it that throw-short-of-the-sticks plays only work against the Pack, not for them? Shoop Jauron still believes he can run up the gut of Jackson; I hope he never learns (well, he didn’t learn on 3rd and goal either). Lions waste a lot of time and ultimately a timeout in trying to decide whether the third time’s a charm. BWAHAHAHA!!!!!

10:04 – Thank you Jauron! The reason the Starr sneak worked in the Ice Bowl is because there weren’t 350-pounders like Jackson playing right over the center.

10:07 – Sherman’s idea of an own-goal-line offense; line up in a deep I formation, have Whiffaker false-start to start things off, then hand the ball off 5 yards deep in the end zone with your backup fullback (who whiffs), a hold on Mark Tauscher (not ruled in the end zone even though he was 3 yards deep), an initial ruling that Gado’s intentional fumble was intentional grounding in the end zone and thus a safety, a non-challenge “challenge” and a reversal, ruling that Gado was outside the tackle box, and the pass got to the line and was thus a legal pass. Given second life, they get out of the shadows and get a first, Gado puts it on the ground again but is erroneously ruled down by contact, and breaks the team rookie single-game record for yards rushing.

10:19 – Whiffaker has another false-start, and Fergie ALMOST made a shoestring catch to keep the drive alive. Where was this 50-yard punt earlier; it drove McQuarters back to his 24.

10:22 – Roy Williams forgot the first rule of catching the ball; don’t run before you catch it. He had Roman and Hawkins split and beat, and the ball was there. That turns into a 3-and-out, and all the Packers need is 3 in 2:10 from their 37.

10:24 – Favre overthrew an open Chatman deep, then gets dumped as the interior of the line collapsed. 2-minute warning, 3rd and 16.

10:28 – Nobody got open, so Favre got what he could. Piss-poor kick, and the Lions have the ball on their 29 pending the flag (make that their 19 after a block in the back). Piss-poor clock management on Jauron’s part.

10:31 – It’s beginning to look a lot like overtime. I’m out of liquor, but live-blog I must.

10:33 – Now that 2 running plays ran more time off the clock and got them a first down, they’re trying to get in field-goal range. First down was a pressure-cooker incomplete, 2nd was a how did they didn’t call Carroll for interference incomplete, 3rd down is out of bounds short of the first. and the Pack will have 3 time-outs and the ball at their 26 with some time left.

10:35 – Illegal shift takes time off and another 5 yards. Now it’s 9 seconds left and the ball back at the 23. I don’t think Favre can throw it 77 yards.

10:39 – Ball picked at the Lions 23 (probably would have made the 15 if he threw it straight instead of back toward the left sideline), and street ball doesn’t get the ball into the end zone for the Lions. We’re going to OT, baby!

Homer nods – I shouldn’t do math and drunken blogging at the same time. Upon further review, that pass would’ve made at least the 8. Still don’t think he can get it 77 yards.

9:04 – Hey Berman, Disney doesn’t have hockey anymore, and the NHL got rid of the old division names long, long ago. In other sports – Rocket back to the Red Sox? (must be the money); and Ron “Boom-Boom” Artest wants out of Indiana, no word on the rumors that Don King is now his manager (okay, I made that last part up, but give me a break – them drinks are getting stronger as the night keeps on getting longer). Attention, your attention please. Saturday NFL games start next weekend. For you gambling degenerates and pool-playing palookas (this includes me), you now have one less day to figure out the week.

9:18 – Down goes Hanson, down goes Hanson. Packers get the ball at their 40 as Hanson shakes off slipping as he planted his left leg to drive the ball. Favre, Fergie is not Walker; you can’t underthrow him like that. Add Theisman to the Favre’s back crowd, as McQuarters almost pick-sixed a forced pass toward the absent Donald Driver. 3-and-out #2.

9:22 – Good Ahmad shows up again, then Nick Collins does his Leroy Butler impersonation. The Lions aren’t sending enough guys out on routes; Roman hasn’t been exposed lately, but they’re dolng just enough to keep the chains moving. Williams the latest victim of the Lambeau turf as throw-short-of-the-marker doesn’t work. Can we pick up Nick Harris; not only can he hold, but he can make those punts stick inside the 5.

9:31 – For not being a “legitimate football player” in Sherman’s eyes, Sammy the Bull sure looks like one. The boy’s got vision, and he picks up the instincts fast enough. Once again, throw-short-of-the-sticks doesn’t work as Driver can’t get there. BJ Sander with yet another piss-poor punt, half the team was under it.

9:38 – Student body left, meet defense body right. A reverse would have worked there; thankfully, it wasn’t on. Somebody woke up the crowd as the Jauron-Shoop branch of the throw-short-of-the-sticks offense sputters to a 3-and-out. Field-position advantage, Lions as Chatman fair-catches at the 20.

9:42 – Someone set us up the bomb. Driver get signal. Henderson does a low hurdle on a screen, and even a major face-mask can’t bring him down. Student body right so successful that Vonte Leach doesn’t have anybody to block until he’s 20 yards downfield. Student body left, on the other hand, is unsuccessful as we end the 3rd quarter Good Guys down 3 and driving.

8:25 – Uncle Paulie has just made his Favre prediction; he’s back next year. ESPN shows Favre in warm-ups shooting his own ducks. Henderson still can bull over people on screens. Jay Weber is right; reverses don’t work anymore, but Antonio Chatman somehow splits the two guys waiting for him to make some positive yardage. Piss-poor spot leaves them inches short at the fringes of Longwell’s range, and unlike the last 4th down in Lions’ territory, they go for it. The Bull makes a great adjustment to get the first and more. Fergie wastes it a bit later with a block in the back, and Favre tries to make him pay by leading him into in-the-middle double-coverage. The ensuing field-goal try is blocked (missed it live and in the replays getting some pumpkin pie, so I don’t know who’s to blame).

8:38 – 3-and-out for the Lions brings the first punt of the game, and Chatman loses 2 on the return.

8:42 – Despite the call from ESPN Radio Milwaukee/Waukesha’s talking heads for Rodgers to play (and in Homer’s case, start), Suzy Kobler said Rodgers is okay with staying on the bench for this and next year if Favre’s back. The Bull with nifty running for a 59- 64-yard Lambeau Leap. Score now 13-10 Bad Guys (thank you very much, Turd Fergie).

8:50 – Another short kickoff gives the Lions good field position despite a modest return. Another 3-and-out aided by Playcalling 100 (2 runs and a pass doesn’t even qualify as Playcalling 101) and poor passing from Garcia. The Lions catch a break on the punt as it rolled down to the 3.

8:51 – A run that goes nowhere and a pass that goes nearly nowhere gets us to the 2-minute warning.

8:56 – Somehow the “throw-short-of-the-down-marker” play gets the first down. That screen play is Exhibit ZAA, that poor excuse of a draw is Exhibit ZAB, and that Whiffaker whiff on that run is Exhibit ZAC in why guards and offensive linemen are important (you listening, Teddy Thompson). Mikie doesn’t drop his blanket as they go to the boys in the booth. RW McQuarters ruins a chance at a free kick as BJ Sander has a piss-poor punt.

9:01 – A couple of jailbreak blitzes plus some bad receiving (Williams doesn’t read the blitz on 1st down, doesn’t get the handle on a perfect ball on 2nd down) leaves a poorly-thought-out 3rd-down play where the receiver doesn’t get out of bounds. The half mercifully ends, 13-10 Bad Guys.

7:30 – TV – check (no HD; don’t have the HD set where I have the computer, I don’t have a laptop/wireless router, and even if I did, ESPNHD is an extra expense and at least last time, they didn’t send the HD feed down the line to WISN). Beer – check. Full belly from a delayed Thanksgiving dinner – check. More beer – check. ESPN really playing up the possibility of Favre retiring, had William Henderson on the pregame montage.

7:38 – Mikey, Mikey, Mikey, they don’t wear blaze orange in a duck blind. The Lions start off with good field position (their 32), but they have a false start penalty to start things off. A good stuff on 1st down and good coverage by Ahmad Carroll (the apocalypse is nigh) is wasted on piss-poor 3rd-and-14, then Kevin Jones does his not-so-great Barry Sanders impersionation to get them inside the Packers 10. Two more Jones runs puts them within a quarterback sneak of the end zone as Jones gets his arm bent back.

7:46 – Somewhere down there was Grady Jackson as the Lions are forced to send in Jason Hanson to kick an off-camber 3-point extra point. Dead-nuts-center (no BJ Sander trying to hold here). 3-0 Bad Guys.

7:50 – Carroll is no better at returning kicks than Andrae Thurman was. They start 3 yards further out than Detroit despite getting a kick 7 yards shorter than Longwell’s effort. 2-and-out as Favre fumbles (Theisman, everybody and their brother knows that the plastic on Favre’s right hand didn’t help any). Meanwhile, Detroit methotically grinds out another 1st and goal and the Packers burn a timeout. Uncle Paulie makes the first smart observation of the day – don’t run inside on Grady Jackson as he takes up all the room. Now the Lions get ESPN more time to run commercials. Shoop must be running the Lions offense as on 3rd and goal, they try to run up the middle. Now 6-0 bad guys.

8:01 – Another short kick, another short return. Fergie must have either Stick-Um on his jersey or a permanent impression in his chest as Favre goes over 3000 yards for the 14th straight season (a new NFL record). Audrae actually caught a pass, and they’re marching with a heavy dose of Sammy the Bull (who now has twice as many starts in the NFL than he did at Liberty). Piss-poor pass into triple-coverage toward Fergie in the end zone, fortunately it’s not picked. After a typical Sherman/Rossley throw well short of the first on 3rd down, it’s a Longwell field goal to put the Pack on the board. 6-3 Lions.

8:10 – Decent distance on the ensuing kickoff, but the only thing that saved the touchdown was McQuarters’ mumblin’ bumblin’ stumblin’ to give the Lions their second red-zone start in 3 possessions. There’s the Ahmad Carroll I know; defensive holding moves the Lions 5 yards closer (and a respectable QB would have completed that for a 1st-and-goal). Juggling catch by Williams as he pushed off Al Harris for an apparent TD (instead of a yellow flag for offensive pass interference, you have a red challenge flag). Time to implement Operation No Opposing Fans; Williams does a Lambeau Leap. I remember a Oilers/Steelers game in the late ’70s where the Oilers’ receiver juggled the ball all the way through the end zone. Touchdown stands. 13-3 bad guys. Hope I have enough liquor, I may be hitting the heavy stuff early.

8:22 – Yet another sub-20-yard kickoff return. It’s a good thing that Jason Hanson can’t boot the ball more than 55 yards. A 4-yard gain by Gado ends quarter 1 and this portion of the live blog. Will I be wasted by halftime? Stay tuned.

Just been too wiped to blog, but if it’s Sunday, it’s the NFL (and for a couple weeks, Saturday too). I’ll see if I can figure out if I’m still making money for the year later.

New England (-3.5) @ Buffalo – Take the over 36 as well
Pittsburgh @ Chicago (+6.5) – Two great defenses (I know, the Steelers got shredded lately), meet two pitiful excuses of offenses. Offenses, meet the Soldier Field turf. Go under the 30.
Cleveland @ Cincinnati (-12.5) – First the White Sox, now the BenGALS. Hope you have your end-of-the-world kit ready.
Tampa Bay @ Carolina (-5.5) – The Panthers are the 2nd-best team in the NFC. That’s only by default.
Indianapolis (-9) @ Jacksonville – Indy’s got everything clicking. They could play this game in Jupiter with Manning going uphill all game and they’d still blow them out.
Houston @ Tennessee (-7) – Just hope that the Texans take Leinart.
St. Louis @ Minnesota (-7) – See what I said about the Panthers.
Oakland @ NY Jets (+3) – You heard me right; the J-E-T-S SUCK SUCK SUCK! are due.
San Francisco @ Seattle (-16.5) – The only reason it isn’t Seattle -26.5 is because they’re looking past Duh Whiners.
NY Giants (-9) @ Philadelphia – More bad news for the only MASH unit more banged up than the Pack.
Washington (-4) @ Arizona – Red feathers look good on the Redskins.
San Diego (-13.5) @ Miami – The National Hurricane Center has extended the tropical season until January.
Kansas City (+3) @ Dallas – So much for the Tuna.
Baltimore @ Denver (-14.5) – I’m tempted to give the over/under of 40 to any suckers that want the OldBrowns.
Detroit (+6) @ Green Bay – I have to agree with Paul; when there’s only a 50-50 chance of the Packers winning outright, 6 points is way too much to give.
New Orleans (+10.5) @ Atlanta – The Dirty Birds have a nasty habit of playing down to their competition (see the Packer game).