Infographic: Bears at Packers

The Packers return to Thursday Night Football for the Color Rush game against the Chicago Bears. Packers.com, as always, provides the infographic preview.

My favorite nugget from this one? The all-time series is currently tied at 94–94–6. If the Packers win tomorrow, they'll take the series lead for the first time since 1932.

Infographic: Bengals/Packers Preview

After a disappointing game in Atlanta, the Packers return home to Lambeau Field. Packers.com has the infographic preview:

Waving the White Flag in Atlanta

Oh, well.

Not a great road trip. The Packers got manhandled by the Falcons. And I still don't love the road uniforms.

Infographic: Packers at Falcons

The Packers are opening up the new Falcons stadium in Atlanta this weekend, and Packers.com is here with the infographic preview:

The Newest White Shoe Firm

This weekend, the Packers opened their season by beating the Seattle Seahawks 17-9 at Lambeau Field. And I bet that you were so happy to have the Packers back that you didn't notice the newest change to the Packers' uniforms.

Do you see it? Granted, it's subtle. So subtle I couldn't find a better picture to show you. Now take a look at Ha Ha Clinton-Dix.

See it yet?

White shoes.

Until this season, the NFL required players to wear cleats in team colors and either black shoes or white. That latter choice was made by the team for the entire roster, and the Packers have been black since 2008 (and the earliest days of this blog). For 2017, the league has relaxed that rule, meaning black and white shoes can be worn interchangeably.

A minor change, to be sure. But when you're cataloging a team as constant as the Packers, you take the changes where you can find them.

Infographic: Seahawks at Packers Preview

Here we go! Packers.com previews this weekend's matchup against Seattle with this infographic preview:

Solid as always. Looking forward to seeing what they bring us this year.

Infographic: 2017 Draft Class

Taking a break from taking a break, with this Packers.com infographic on the year's draft class:

Infographic: 2016 Season in Review

Packers.com comes through with this excellent review of the team's 2016 season.

A bit tough at the end, but still a lot of fun.

"Thank You to the Best Fans in the NFL"

Got this image in an email this morning from the Packers Pro Shop:

Their graphic design game continues to be strong. And it's a great example of how the team's signature Braisher Stripes can be an effective shorthand for the club.

Infographic: NFC Championship Game Preview

Packers.com has this infographic preview of the NFC title game in Atlanta.

Personally, I think this is where our run of the table ends, but either way it's been great so far.

The Rodgers Connection

Aaron is, quite rightly, the cover boy for this week's Sports Illustrated:

This is why I love playing in Dallas - the Packers get to wear their home greens, by far the best uniform. I don't want to jinx it, but the NFC representative will be the home team at Super Bowl LI in Houston, and will be able to wear their colors.

It All Hinges on This....

What an amazing game down in Dallas. The first half was all Green Bay, but the Cowboys staged a monumental comeback to tie it before the Packers sealed the win in the closing seconds.

I spent the entire fourth quarter trying to focus my nervous energy on something, anything other than Dallas's ongoing comeback. One of the things that I settled on was the Packers' helmets. Specifically one of the newer models.

Green Bay Packers strong safety Micah Hyde (33) celebrates after intercepting a pass against the Dallas Cowboys during the second half of an NFL divisional playoff football game Sunday, Jan. 15, 2017, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

The helmet Hyde is wearing is the Riddell SpeedFlex. And yes, I kind of hate that I know the focus group-tested names of these helmet models. Almost as bad as keeping track of Nike's silly template names, but that's a subject for another post.

In any case, the SpeedFlex is easily identifiable by the hinged panel front and center. That hinge is supposedly part of the technology that will make the game safer (which is abject bullpucky, but whatever). Uni Watch did a piece on these helmets a couple years ago, and explains the purpose behind the hinge:

(T)he SpeedFlex's defining visual feature is a cutout on the crown, which creates a flexible panel designed to disperse the force of an impact. How flexible is it? Judging from a sample helmet that Riddell provided at Uni Watch's request, the panel definitely has some give -- if you push on it, it bends a bit(.)

Aside from its functionality(,) the flex panel also makes the SpeedFlex instantly recognizable, even from a distance, which no doubt pleases Riddell's marketing department (although the visual impact is diminished a bit if the helmet has center striping, because the stripe tape obscures the lower part of the cutout).

At least, it sometimes obscures the lower part of the cutout. The Packers' equipment managers interrupt the team's Braisher stripes.

Let's take a closer look at that helmet Hyde is wearing:

You can also see it in the background, on Jake Ryan (#47):

The Packers' trademark stripes are cut at the hinge, creating a visible break that's identifiable even at a distance. Identifiable even in the blurry background of a photo.

At some angles, the gold shell under the stripes is clearly visible, emphasizing that break even more.

Green Bay Packers strong safety Micah Hyde (33) celebrates after intercepting a pass against the Dallas Cowboys during the second half of an NFL divisional playoff football game Sunday, Jan. 15, 2017, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Riddell's marketing department must be so proud.

But let's take a look at the other sideline; the Cowboys also prominently use Braisher stripes on their helmets. Here's how Dallas treats the hinge:

Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott (21) carries the ball during an NFL football NFC divisional playoff game, Sunday, Jan. 15, 2017, in Arlington, Texas. (Ryan Kang/NFL)

The Cowboys run their stripes clear over the hinge without a break:

This diminishes the look of the hinge, putting the team's look above the helmet manufacturer's.

I don't often say this, but I vastly prefer the Cowboys' approach.

Infographic: Divisional Round Preview

The Packers will see if they can keep the dream alive this Sunday in Dallas, and Packers.com has the Infographic preview:

Giant Killers, Then and Now

Photo credit: Even Seigle, Packers.com

So much for Rambeau III. The Packers demolished the Giants today, 38-13, to keep their improbable streak alive.

My favorite part of the game, other than the final score, was the opportunity to see two old-school NFL powers face off in their classic uniforms.

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) throws the ball during NFC wild-card NFL football game against the New York Giants on Sunday, January 8, 2017 in Green Bay, Wis. Green Bay won 38-13. (Todd Rosenberg/NFL)

What a gorgeous game. Bold colors: green and gold against white, red and blue. No trendy teal or black-for-black's-sake here.

Everything about the game has changed around them, but the same basic uniforms could have been transported from 1961:

Photo credit: Even Seigle, Packers.com

Photo credit: Neil Leifer for Sports Illustrated

Fantastic.

"Rambeau III"

The New York Post, always ready with a quippy headline, offers this take on tomorrow's clash between the New York Football Giants and Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field:

We'll see, Eli.

If the Giants do pull off a win at Lambeau Field, I could actually see this becoming a legitimate nickname for him. On the other hand, Aaron Rodgers could also end up being known as a Giant-killer.

Infographic: Wild Card Preview

The Packers have done it, successfully running the table to claim the NFC North title for 2016. Now they'll need to keep their winning ways going if they hope to stay alive. First up, the New York Football Giants coming to Lambeau. Packers.com has this infographic preview:

Infographic: Packers at Lions Preview

Well, the Pack has almost done it. They just need one more win to run the table, and it's a big one: a game in Detroit against the Lions, with the NFC Championship hanging in the balance.

The Drama couldn't be higher, and Packers.com has this infographic preview:

Can't. Wait.

Infographic: Vikings/Packers Preview

The Packers will attempt to keep running the table this weekend, as they welcome the Minnesota Vikings to Lambeau Field. Here's Packers.com's infographic preview:

"C" Ya!

The game yesterday was a classic NFC North clash, two old-school teams in cold weather. The frigid conditions were great optics but hard on the equipment.

Halfway through the second quarter, linebacker Joe Thomas clashed helmets with Ka'Deem Carey, knocking the "C" decal right off his helmet. You can see it here (until the NFL has the footage pulled):


The Packers had their own share of decal problems. Linebacker Jake Ryan's helmet was similarly battered during the game:

After the game, Ryan tweeted out this picture:

When you play in -10°... pic.twitter.com/ILQJH7dp1h

— Jake Ryan (@JakeRyan_47) December 18, 2016

Ouch. Here's a closer look:

Let's try to forget the helmet-on-helmet contact that created all these marks and focus on the helmets themselves. The paint and decals were made so brittle that they crumbled and snapped. Very striking.

Infographic: Packers at Bears Preview

The Packers look to continue running the table as they journey down to Chicago to take on the Bears at Soldier Field. Packers.com offers us this infographic preview: