Packer Fans United

Packers GM Thompson named Sporting News Executive of the Year

2012-01-30T18:32:00.000-06:00

For the second time in the last five years, Green Bay Packers General Manager Ted Thompson has been named Executive of the Year by The Sporting News. Thompson received 14 votes, twice as many as the next closest exec. Voting is done by a panel of 32 coaches and executives.

You can read more about this latest award for Thompson here.

Giants up-end Packers to go to NFC Championship

2012-01-16T09:34:00.000-06:00

The bottom line on the season for the Green Bay Packers: 15-1-Done.

After posting the best record in the NFL coming into the NFC Divisional game at home, the Packers played what was arguably their worst game of the season. Six (or eight, depending upon who's counting) dropped passes. Passes off target. Missed tackles. Miscommunication. No pass rush. Soft pass coverage. Inability of the defense to get off the field on third down. Some questionable play calling. Giving up a no-time-left-on-the-clock-half-time Hail Mary touchdown. Four -- four! -- turnovers.

The list could go on and on. The ways in which the Packers handed this game to the NY Giants reached nearly epic proportions. That's not to take anything away from the Giants. They did exactly what they needed to do. They stifled the Packers' offense and made the defense look inept. Congrats to the men in blue. (Although I will be rooting for the 49ers this coming weekend. After all, rooting for the Giants at this point would be nearly as bad as rooting for the Cowboys. Ewwww...)

Looking back to 2002, the Packers have since lost four of their last six playoff games at Lambeau Field. Wow. The invincibility of the frozen tundra sure ain't what it used to be.

Now what?
Looking ahead, the Packers will have to address their defense...the last-ranked overall defense in the league, by the way. The loss of Cullen Jenkins left a bigger hole in the pass rush than was clearly anticipated. They need to get an outside linebacker who can balance out Clay Matthews and prevent defenses from keying on stopping him. They clearly need to address secondary issues. If Nick Collins is unable to return, there are major issues at safety. Charles Woodson will likely have to play more of that position than cornerback regardless of whether Collins returns or not. There was a drop off for some reason in the level of corner play by Tramon Williams this season. Ditto for Sam Shields, who actually was replaced in the starting lineup yesterday by Jarrett Bush. There are personnel issues that need to be addressed, it's as simple as that.

The offense was the second-greatest scoring offense in the history of the NFL. They had a 200+ point differential over their opponents. Whether venerable LT Chad Clifton hangs up the cleats after this season remains to be seen. Other than that, the offensive line seems in fairly good shape, although you can never have enough depth across the line. The receiving corps, despite their epidemic of drops yesterday, is the best in the league, although whether veteran Donald Driver returns is an open question. TE Jermichael Finley did not have the year he was hoping for going into free agency. My guess is he returns. The running backs, for the type of offense the Packers run, are adequate; and don't forget, rookie Alex Green was on injured reserve all season so we have yet to see what he can do. The quarterback...c'mon. Who would you rather have game in and game out than Aaron Rodgers? No one. Back up Matt Flynn will be off to bank some big dollars in free agency, so either Graham Harrell will get moved into the backup slot or the team drafts another one to fill Flynn's role.

So, this is it. This is what one-and-done feels like when the expectations were of a second consecutive Super Bowl appearance and victory. Not good. At all. Credit has to be given to the Giants for showing up. But as happened at Kansas City several weeks ago, the only way the Packers lose is to beat themselves. And they did just enough of that yesterday to make a good Giants team come out on top by a score of 37-20.

A final thought
On that last point about the score, I Tweeted immediately after the Giants beat the Falcons in the Wild Card game that the Pack would need to score at least 38 points to win this game. Guess I was on the money: if the Pack had scored 38, the final tally would have been 38-37 Packers. So it goes...for predictions...and the Packers' season.

Packers vs. Giants in Divisional Playoff - Who Goes to the NFC Championship?

2012-01-15T12:19:00.000-06:00

In a little more than 3 hours from now, the Green Bay Packers will take on the New York Giants at Lambeau Field in the last of the NFL Divisional Playoff games. The winner will take on the San Francisco 49ers who upset the New Orleans Saints in a great game in 'Frisco yesterday afternoon. If the Packers win, the Niners will come to Green Bay for the NFC Championship; if the Giants win, the Niners will host the Championship game.

Let's just get this out of the way right now. The Giants will not be going to San Francisco, nor will the Niners be hosting a Championship game. The Packers are going to win this game today. Period.

That's not to say it will be a cake walk. Far from it. Remember that in Week 13 of the season the Packers got a 3-point victory in the Meadowlands (is it still the Meadowlands?). It was a struggle. But a win. Just like it will be today.

The Packers are listed as 7-1/2 point favorites today. They are as healthy as they've been all year long, coming off their first round bye. QB Aaron Rodgers has had two weeks to rest. But the team and coaching staff is also coming off a week of high emotions following the drowning death of offensive coordinator Joe Philbin's son, Michael. Philbin, it was just announced, will resume his coaching duties today. According to coach Mike McCarthy, Philbin had written the game plan for this game during the Packers bye week. Assistant coaches were spreading out Philbin's work amongst themselves this week in his absence to make sure everything was covered just in case Philbin wished to take a leave of absence. McCarthy, as most know, does the offensive play calling. So it's been a different week of preparation, for sure. Still, McCarthy and players all said that practices were sharp. Perhaps there was a focus and intensity that was brought to bear by this tragedy. Certainly, the team will be playing for their coach and his family, as well as for themselves, today.

The Packers weren't getting much love from most of the national media this week. Most are talking about the Giants' rolling into the playoffs, peaking at the right time, much as the Pack did last season. The Giants had a dominating defensive performance last week against the Falcons, and their two-headed running attack of Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs tore up the Falcons defense. The latter, in particular, scares the bejeezus out of me.

The Packers, let's be honest, have not had great luck stopping the run this season. Or gettting a pass rush on the quarterback. Or stopping big plays. They are the 32nd-rated defense in the NFL this season, giving up more yards than any other team. Not good. In fact, you can't get any worse. But while they tend to let teams run up and down the field, they do usually get turnovers and come up with a stop when they need it. It's definitely living on the edge. As we saw in that lone embarrassing loss at Kansas City a few weeks ago, if the Packers don't get turnovers on defense the other team has a chance, particularly if the offense sputters.

But I can't imagine the offense sputtering today. And I might be alone in this view, but I think the much-maligned Packers' defense will have its game of the season today, as well, much as the 31st-ranked defense of the New England Patriots did last night against Denver. Granted, we're facing Eli Manning and a potent offense, not Tim Tebow and the Broncos. But the Packers can put up points. With one exception on the season, more than each of their opponents. That trend continues today.

I said immediately after watching the Giants dismantle the Falcons last week that the Pack would need to score at least 38 today to win. I'm sticking with that.

I'm calling it Packers 38 - Giants 31.

Go Pack Go!!!

Packers outlast Lions 45-41 in season finale

2012-01-01T20:12:00.000-06:00

Wow! What a game. In a game that seemed to take forever to complete, the Green Bay Packers beat the Detroit Lions in a record-setting game, 45-41, to finish the regular season 15-1.

For the first time ever, an NFC North team swept the division. That would be the Packers. Also for the first time ever, a Packers quarterback threw for more than 400 yards (480 to be exact) and 6 touchdowns...by the way, that would be backup QB Matt Flynn who started and played the entire game (Aaron Rodgers was held out and wasn't even active today). Not a bad way to audition for more than a few teams in need of a quality starting QB next season.

WR Jordy Nelson also moved into third place today behind Sterling Sharp and Don Hutson with 15 TD catches on the season; Sharp had 18 and Hutson 17. Pretty good company to keep.

Combined, the Packers and Lions generated more than 1,000 yards of offense and 11 touchdowns. Yowza.

The Packers were once again able to generate turnovers and convert them into points. But once again the defense was also gashed. Guess we should be used to that by now.

Anyway, the Packers can now take a week off before learning who the first team to meet them in the playoffs will be. Seven players were rested today for the Pack. The first playoff game should be a doozy.

Maybe I'll post more on this tomorrow...if there's anything new to say. This was a game, because it was seen as not having much to play for for the Packers, that was only seen by a small regional TV audience. Too bad. If you missed seeing it, you missed one of the great performances ever by a Packers quarterback. Just hope Flynn doesn't sign with a divisional opponent. Would hate to have to play this guy twice a year.

Packers vs. Lions Preview & Season Finale

2012-01-01T10:44:00.000-06:00

In the finale to the 2011 NFL regular season, the Green Bay Packers host the up-and-coming Detroit Lions. Oddsmakers have installed the Pack as 6 point underdogs -- underdogs! -- primarily because Green Bay is expected to rest many of starters throughout the course of the game and Detroit is playing to lock up the #5 seed in the NFC playoffs, which is expected to give them a more favorable playoff match up in the Wild Card game; if they drop to #6 they will likely wind up playing the Saints against whom they don't match up as well. Oh, the over-under for this game is 41.5 points.

From the Packers' perspective, the goal is to get out of this game without injuries. But, they'd also like to win...just in case Detroit winds up coming back to Lambeau Field in a few weeks as part of the playoffs...you don't want to give the Lions any confidence about winning in Lambeau, where they haven't won, by the way, for the last 20 years. But let's be honest: Detroit is coming on. Whether or not we'd want to see them again in the playoffs is a toss-up right now. Although you have to think every other team is hoping they don't have to meet the Pack before the NFC Championship Game, either.

Anyway, while head coach Mike McCarthy indicated he was preparing to play all three quarterbacks today, it seems to be a toss-up whether Aaron Rodgers will see any action at all. There were indications from McCarthy that he was going to start backup QB Matt Flynn. And, Flynn, with free agency around the corner and a paucity of quality quarterbacks in the league, certainly has a lot to play for from a personal standpoint.

In addition to the what-will-they-do aspect of this game from the Packers' standpoint, there is also a subplot of Aaron Rodgers' record-setting passer rating on the line. I won't go into detail on that here, as the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Tom Silverstein and Tyler Dunne have already written a great article about that.

So, without further ado on this New Year's Day 2012, what's my call? I'm calling it 24-23 Packers.

Go Pack Go!!!

Packers beat Bears for 4th time in 2011

2011-12-27T12:23:00.000-06:00

Fans of the top-seeded Green Bay Packers got their Christmas wish Sunday night with a Green-n-Gold-wrapped victory over the Chicago Bears. It was actually the fourth time in the 2011 calendar year that the Pack beat Da Bearz. But who's counting? OK, we are, of course.

The Pack's 35-21 win was more or less similar to the team's 13 earlier wins this season: a fast start, followed by nada, followed by another offensive surge, particularly in the second half. Oh, and the Packers' defense continued to give up huge yardage and was unable to stop the run. Against better teams, going into the playoffs, the weaknesses on defense might just be enough to trip up the Pack on their way to the Super Bowl, particularly if the offense loses its magic as it did in Kansas City.

But let's take a look briefly at something that did get fixed, at least for a game and relative to the loss against the Chiefs: the offensive line. The line didn't give up a sack (at least until scrub time late in the game) and also didn't commit a penalty. Head coach Mike McCarthy said in his press conference Monday that he'd be giving a game ball to the entire O-line for their effort Sunday night. It was a patchwork line, and they held up against what is unarguably the best part of the Bears' defense. Kudos have to especially go to LT Marshall Newhouse. After a subpar performance against KC, one for which I and others called him out (although this blogger was far more genteel than many commentators, particularly those in the Twitterverse), Newhouse performed well, and we have to acknowledge that. Great job, Mr. Newhouse. Also, T.J. Lang, who had to move from left guard to right tackle, also did an outstanding job, as did RG Josh Sitton, who had been struggling of late. Scott Wells was his usual reliable self at center and Evan Dietrich-Smith played well moving into Lang's usual spot at left guard.

That offensive line enabled QB Aaron Rodgers time to throw for 5 TDs on the evening. They still didn't open up much ground for the running backs, but that's something that is more on the coach and the playing calling than the players; they just don't get called on to make that part of the game work very often. But looking ahead to January at Lambeau Field, they need to make sure they can strike a better balance between the run and pass. Make no mistake, with Rodgers at the trigger, the receiving weapons available, and McCarthy calling the plays, this will still be a pass-first offensive attack. But getting yards on the ground is going to be key to sustaining drives and running the clock.

Defensively, the Packers are what they are after 15 games, as many others have noted. This is pretty much what we have: no pass rush, linebackers susceptible to being burned over the middle, and D-backs who sometimes bite and give up the big plays. But, this is also the defense that generates turnovers. After getting none against KC, they again generated two against Da Bearz. When they get turnovers, it is certainly a key to a team win and when they don't...well, it doesn't help, does it?

We'll have a bit about the Lions coming to Lambeau in a future post.

For now, just savor yet another win over the hapless and hopeless Bears. It's great to get two in a season...but four? Oh baby...it doesn't get much better than that.

Say it with me: it's great to be a Packer fan!

Packers vs. Bears: A Christmas Gift

2011-12-25T12:00:00.000-06:00

As fans of the Green Bay Packers, all we want for Christmas today is a Packers' win. Well, that and a total beat down of the Chicago Bears...oh, and home field advantage throughout the playoffs. Is that too much to ask? Naaaaaahhhhh.

One of the other things readers of this blog may want today is a brief preview. Frankly, that's what this writer wants, as well. Let's make both our wishes come true, shall we?

The weather at Lambeau Field for tonight's game will be balmy for this time of year, in the low 30's. Field conditions will be good, relatively speaking. It is winter, after all. The spread on the game is anywhere from 11-1/2 to 12-1/2 points depending upon who are you looking at, and the over/under is set at 42 points.

The challenge for the Packers tonight will be keeping a very good Bears defensive line from wreaking havoc on a patchwork offensive line for the Packers. If Da Bearz have any chance tonight it is getting penetration on the line, disrupting the running game and pressuring the quarterback. They may very well do that now and then throughout the game. But can Da Bearz decimated offense score any points? Not many.

I always give Da Bearz 10 points for a defensive turnover leading to a touchdown, plus a special teams play leading to a field goal. Will they score any more with new old QB Josh McCown under center this week for the first time? Not likely. He's got nobody to throw to and nobody to hand off to.

Will the Packers score more than 10 points. You bet. The Pack was embarrassed in Kansas City last weekened when they sleep-walked through the game. I had said in that preview the only way the Packers would lose against the Chiefs was if they didn't show up; they didn't. Think that will happen two weeks in a row? Not a chance. No doubt head coach Mike McCarthy ripped his team a new one all week long after they let the possibility of a perfect season slip through their fingers. But now they can focus on the main goal: securing home field advantage throughout the playoffs with a win tonight. A return to the Super Bowl is in sight. Last season, the Packers started to peak at the right time, following a loss at New England. Perhaps this loss at KC will be the same kick-start the team needs to begin its repeat run to the Lombardi Trophy.

So, what's my score prediction? I'm calling it 27-10 Packers.

Go Pack Go!!!

And in the spirit of Christmas...Ho Ho Ho!!!

Chiefs wanted it more: Packers winning streak ends

2011-12-18T15:28:00.001-06:00

I said in my preview/prediction that all the Green Bay Packers needed to do today to beat the Kansas City Chiefs was show up. Well, they didn't. And the 13 game in-season winning streak, the 19-game winning streak going back to last season, has come to an end as a result. The Chiefs beat the Packers 19-14 today in Kansas City.

To be fair, it was apparent the Chiefs wanted this game more than the Packers did. They played with more intensity on both sides of the ball all day long. Yes, Kansas City had multiple trips inside the red zone into the 4th quarter and only came away with field goals. But the defense had no pass rush at all and Chiefs' receivers had no defenders within 10 yards of them most of the day.

Of course, the Packers offense was out of whack, as well. Receivers were dropping passes left and right. QB Aaron Rodgers was under assault in the pocket every time he dropped back to pass. Even head coach Mike McCarthy's play calling seemed off. The only drive that even remotely resembled the typical Packers' offense didn't occur until the last few minutes of the game. And, I don't know about you, but one of the early warning indicators for me about a pending Packers' loss is when Mason Crosby misses field goal attempts early. Yes, they were 50-yards plus, but still, we know Crosby can make those, too.

Anyway, perhaps ending the perfect season talk now will get the team refocused. In this case, it's focusing on the Christmas night game at Lambeau vs. Da Bearz, who got beat badly by Seattle today.

One of the concerns going into that game, though, will be the health of the offensive line. LT Marshall Newhouse, again replacing the injuried Chad Clifton, was beaten like a rented mule most of the day by the Kansas City pass rush. Starting RT Bryan Bulaga came up with a knee injury and didn't return to the game. His replacement, rookie Derek Sherrod, was also injured and wound up being taken off the field strapped to a cart with an air cast on his right leg. Not good.

In his post-game comments, coach McCarthy said rightly that "the opponent outperformed us." Every which way, that's for sure. It was a sad way for the winning streak to come to an end. But, if this is the type of team we all think it is, it's an opportunity for another streak to begin. Better to lose today than against Da Bearz or Lions. Perhaps it will re-light the fire under the team.

The Packers didn't secure the playoff homefield advantage they sought today. But they can do so against Da Bearz next Sunday night. Now, wouldn't that be a great Christmas present? You bet. Bring 'em on.

Go Pack Go!!!

Packers vs. Chiefs: victory #14 on the horizon

2011-12-18T11:06:00.000-06:00

The undefeated Green Bay Packers roll into Kansas City today for the last of this season's road games. If the Packers win, they will have gone undefeated in all their road games, which is something that has only been done a handful of times in the history of the NFL. (Or is it 2 handfuls? Look it up!) More importantly, it will give the Pack 14 wins on the season and secure homefield advantage throughout the playoffs. It will also set the stage for the final two home games of the regular season against Da Bearz and Lions. 16-0 is just a hop-skip-jump away.

But first, the Packers must dispose of the Chiefs. The oddsmakers have installed the Packers as 13-1/2-point favorites and with the over/under at 45.5 points.

What's to stop the Pack from getting a "W" today? There are always the lists that are put out about "10 things the Packers need to do to win, etc." Ya know, all they have to do is one thing: show up. Now, I don't say that to slight the Chiefs. They can play -- especially on the defensive side of things -- and if the Packers let them hang around long enough anything can happen. Kyle Orton is getting the nod at QB today. But in terms of offensive weapons, they just don't have much. Defensively, the KC defensive backs will have their hands full all day long even without having to cover WR Greg Jennings. The Packers are loaded at receiver and tight end and, obviously, present huge matchup problems for any team. Plus, the Chiefs have really been hit by injuries as well.

Of course, the Packers also have injury issues. Inactives for today just announced are: Graham Harrell, Brandon Saine, James Starks, Desmond Bishop, Chad Clifton, Ryan Pickett, and Greg Jennings. LB Vic So'oto and RG Josh Sitton are active.

Pickett's presence will be missed. The Packers have had problems stopping the run all year and that has been with Pickett having a good season. With Saine and Starks both inactive, that means the only two running backs active for this game are Ryan Grant and John Kuhn. Grant had his best game all season last week against the Raiders and Kuhn was his typical Kuhn-esque self late in the game. Let's hope they both hold up again today. The emphasis, of course, will once again be the passing game. Shocking, yes.

So, what's it all boil down to? That the Packers will come away with their fourtheenth victory of this season, 20 in a row going back to last year. An amazing run, and something not before seen in the history of the Packers. The players want to go 16-0 in the regular season, so I can't imagine them tripping up in a supposed "trap game" against the likes of KC.

I'm calling it Packers 41 - Chiefs 17.

GO PACK GO!!!

P.S. A big congratulations to the University of Wisconsin - Whitewater football team, who Friday evening won their third consecutive Division III football championship, defeating (again) Mount Union, 13-10. It's a great college program and another winner in the fine Wisconsin tradition. Congrats, Warhawks!

Packers route Raiders, 46-16; witnessing "greatness"?

2011-12-12T15:03:00.001-06:00

Are there really any more superlatives one can use to describe the 2011 Green Bay Packers? Apparently so. Yesterday, before the Packers took the Oakland Raiders to the Lambeau Field woodshed for a whupping, former Steelers coach Bill Cowher declared that, "In my opinion, no team has been greater." That certainly sets up a conversation filled with opinions. But for now, at least, the Packers are certainly the greatest team this season...and unarguably the second greatest over a two-season span, winning 19 consecutive games going back to last year. This Packers team trails only the New England Patriots of several years back who reeled off 21 games in a row over two seasons.

The Pack are enjoying a historic season from a team perspective, setting records for scoring, consecutive wins, etc. QB Aaron Rodgers finally had his NFL record consecutive streak of games with a passer rating over 100 snapped yesterday, falling just short of that mark. Even an MVP has an off day now and then.

Anyway, back to the Raiders game. Oh, why bother? They didn't show up to play, why should I show up to write about them? Exactly!

The Pack had their most complete game of the season yesterday. Scoring almost at will in the first half, and generating five turnovers on defense. Three players that hadn't scored yet this season got added to the total, now making 19 in all. Ryan Grant, Erik Walden and rookie Ryan Taylor all notched a TD. The only blemish on a perfect day was a blocked PAT...but that just kept the score at 43 points at that time instead of 44. Ah well. Even backup QB Matt Flynn saw more than a quarter's worth of playing time.

Oh...and with the win, the Packers secured a first round bye in the playoffs. If they beat Kanssas City on the road this coming Sunday, they will secure home field advantage throughout the playoffs. Anyone think that's not going to happen? KC? Puh-leze. All roads will lead to Lambeau this season, Packer fans!

The downside to the game was the injury to WR Greg Jennings, a sprained knee (originally reported as a torn MCL) which will sideline him probably through the end of the regular season. While, no one thinks losing Jennings is a plus, is anyone really worried that things won't keep churning along? The depth that GM Ted Thompson has built is remarkable. One guy goes down, another comes in without any apparent drop off.

Still, injuries are starting to pile up. RB Brandon Saine -- himself a replacement -- had his playing time shortened yesterday after sustaining a concussion. Ditto for Ryan Pickett. Offensive linemen Chad Clifton and Josh Sitton are still out. LBs A.J. Hawk and Desmond Bishop are ailing. It's nowhere near as bad as last year. But still. Injuries to key personnel, most notably Rodgers, would be about the only thing that would derail this juggernaut. Keep your fingers crossed, folks. Things are looking good. But players need to stay healthy for the final push through the post-season to the Super Bowl.

The Packers are on their way again. And we can all enjoy the ride.

Say it with me: it's great to be a Packers fan!

Packers vs. Raiders preview

2011-12-11T11:18:00.000-06:00

The Oakland Raiders -- or Raidahs, if you prefer an ESPN announcer-ish pronunciation -- visit the not-yet-fully-frozen tundra of Lambeau Field this afternoon to become the Green Bay Packers latest victims. The Raiders are in a dead heat with the Tebow-roncos for the lead in the AFC West at 7-5, although technically in second place because of tie-breakers, etc. They are 3-2 in their last five games. After beating Da Bearz 25-20 at home (thank you very much!), the Raiders had an embarrassing loss last Sunday in Miami, losing to the last-place AFC East Division Fish, 34-14. Today, Oakland is a 12-point underdog to the Pack. The over-under on this game is the highest of all games this week, at 51.5. The Packers are averaging 35 points per game and the Raiders just under 23. Some points are going to be scored today. As usual for the last 12 games of this regular season, and 18 games straight back to last season, the Packers will put up more points than their opponent and come away with their 13th win of the 2011 schedule.

That's not to say this will be a gimme game. Oakland is fighting for its playoff life against streaking Denver and they were embarrassed by the Dolphins. So they will come to Lambeau with a chip on their shoulder, no doubt. But it's not as if this will be the first time the Packers have seen that situation this season. It's pretty much a weekly occurrence now: teams with something to prove to either themselves or others.

Raiders quick take
So what are the Raiders strengths coming into this game? A good quarterback in Carson Palmer, although as an in-season pick up he is still learning about his receivers and vice versa. Third-year WR Darrius Heyward-Bey leads the team in receptions and yards, with rookie Denarius Moore not far behind; regrettably for Oakland, Moore is out for this game.

The Raiders have had a solid running game, which is fourth in the NFL, averaging just over 140 yards per game. For the most part, it consists of Michael Bush and Darren McFadden, but the latter is out for this game. Fellow running back Taiwan Jones is also out for this game, leaving Bush, Rock Cartwright (with all of two rushing attempts this season) and FB Marcel Reece to shoulder the carries. Packer fans know all-too-well that the defense sometimes has trouble tackling ball carriers. We can be thankful that McFadden is out today, as that would be a definite challenge.

The Raiders have a lot of injuries, at key positions. They are capable of putting up some points, but it won't be enough against the Packers today.

Packers notes
For the Packers, the team will once again be without RB James Starks. Look for Ryan Grant and rookie Brandon Saine to get the carries today, along with an occasional bone thrown to John Kuhn, of course. We might get to see a little more action from TEs Tom Crabtree and rookie D.J. Williams today, after Andrew Quarless was placed on IR for the season. With the loss of second-year player Quarless, the Packers lose arguably their best-blocking tight end. One of these other players will have to pick up the slack. It's also possible Williams could create some match up problems as well if he's factored into the passing game at all. But, as we all know, with the wide receiving corps the Packers have, along with TE Jermichael Finley, there are targets aplenty for QB Aaron Rodgers and match up problems galore for the Pack's opponents week in and week out.

The trick will be for the Packers O-line to protect Rodgers without, once again, starters Chad Clifton and Josh sitton. LT Marshall Newhouse had a great game against Detroit but struggled last week's against the Giants. Look for him to re-establish himself with a solid game.

Defensively, the Packers will also be without starting LB Desmond Bishop once again. A.J. Hawk is listed as questionable. D.J. Smith and Robert Francois will no doubt both see plenty of action again today. They have held up well so far. Charles Woodson is listed as probable coming off his slight concussion sustained in last week's game; in fact, he's one of the captains for today's game...not surprising since he spent the first part of his illustrious career playing for the Raiders, of course. Gotta figure he's looking for a big game against his old team.

Bottom line...
Temperatures for today's game will start in the mid-30's -- balmy for mid-December in Green Bay -- and will dip a bit as the sun goes down for the second half of the game. Conditions will be clear with low winds. In other words, it is great weather for a late afternoon/early evening winter game in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

After throwing all the variables into the Packervac 5000 Computer (Copyright/Trademark!), our prediction has the Pack beating the Raiders by a score of 41-27.

Go Pack Go!!!

Packers hang on, beat Giants 38-35

2011-12-04T19:57:00.000-06:00

Wow!

That about sums up this twelfth win of the season for the undefeated Green Bay Packers.

On a last second 30-yard field goal by Mason Crosby, the Packers pulled out a win after the Giants themselves drove the length of the field and converted on a two-point conversion attempt to tie the Pack with about 58 seconds remaining in the game.

Yowza!

Will likely have more comment and reflections on this game, especially how bad the Packers' defense can be and still win. Will also see what the injury status is tomorrow of a few of the players who went out during the game: James Starks, Charles Woodson, and Andrew Quarless in particular.

Keep checking back for more in the days ahead.

Oh, by the way, Da Bearz and ViQueens both lost. Chicago lost to Kansas City at home 10-3, and Minnesota also lost at home late to the Tebow-roncos. The Pack, on the other hand, clinched a playoff berth today with four games still remaining.

Say it with me: it's great to be a Packer fan!

Packers vs. Giants preview: who's it gonna be?

2011-12-04T12:18:00.000-06:00

After a franchise record 17 wins in a row going back to last season, and 11 in a row this season, the Green Bay Packers will face the Giants on the road. The Packers are listed as 6.5-point favorites over the 6-5 Giants. The over-under is set at 54 points.

The odds are one way to look at the game, of course. The other is to note who's in and who's out, especially for the Packers. The Pack will be without their two starting inside linebackers, A.J. Hawk and Desmond Bishop. In their places will be the relatively untested Robert Francois -- who had a big interception against Detroit on Turkey Day when called up during the game -- and undersized rookie, D.J. Smith, who also was impressive during his play against the Lions. Smith will actually be calling the defensive sets, the job that typically is Hawk's. On offense, the Packers will still be without LT Chad Clifton and today will also be without RG Josh Sitton.

So there are potential areas of concern on both sides of the ball for the Packers. But the Giants have their own concerns. A wide open offense in the form of the New Orleans Saints lit up the Giants for 49 points on Monday night. Any other team remind you of the Saints. Hmmmmm...oh, yeah, the Pack! So, there's that.

Yes, the Giants running game -- big back -- could pose a problem, as it seems most big backs do for the Packers. And Eli Manning can air it out if given the chance. But can they outscore the Pack? Not unless the Packers turn it over or otherwise beat themselves. Sure, the Giants' defensive coordinator was talking smack this week promising that if QB Aaron Rodgers scrambles they were going to hit him and hit him again. Well, Rodgers will do what he needs to do. And that will result in a win. Number 12 on the season and in a row, to be exact.

I'm calling it 34-24 Packers.

Go Pack Go!!!

P.S. A big shout out to the Wisconsin Badgers who defeated Michigan State 42-39 last night in the first ever Big 10 Championship Game for a trip to the Rose Bowl. But if you thought that game was chicken salad, you ain't seen nothin' yet! (I have no idea what that means either. One of the announcers during the game last evening used that expression, "chicken salad" and other non sequiturs to describe various part of the action. Yes, entertaining in a bizarro world kind of way.)

Packers beat Lions to go to 11-0

2011-11-24T18:06:00.000-06:00

In what many thought would be a high-scoring toss-up shoot out in Detroit, the Green Bay Packers handled the upstart Lions 27-15 today. It didn't rise anywhere near the level of the infamous 1962 game. Except it did show just how good the Packers are at making adjustments in the second half of games and how not-quite-ready the Lions are to seriously challenge the Packers for the NFC North title.

While the first half saw the Packers unable to generate any offense -- just 86 yards -- they held a 7-0 lead, and that basically courtesy of being set up by a Clay Matthews interception, the team scored 17 points in the third quarter. By the end of the game, another two interceptions allowed the Pack to pull away from the Lions.

There's much more to be told. But today is Thanksgiving and we should be spending time with family and friends, not writing or reading all this stuff. So check back Friday, or Saturday or whenever. We'll post more commentary then.

In the meantime, just know that the Packers are 11-0 for the first time in franchise history. They are 17-0 going back to last season. Not bad. Not bad at all. If this keeps up, we're going to get spoiled.

It's great to be a Packers fan!

Packers vs. Lions: A future Thanksgiving classic

2011-11-24T10:02:00.000-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving, Packer fans! It's that time of year again when we give thanks for all our blessings. Much to be grateful for, indeed. Not least of which is our beloved Green Bay Packers, of course. The Super Bowl Champion, 10-0 (16-0 going back to last season) Packers.

Today's game between the Packers and the up-and-coming Lions is the main course in today's triumvirate of NFL games. The Packers are playing to keep their win streak alive and get one step closer to homefield advantage throughout the playoffs. The Lions are playing to prove to themselves and the rest of the world that they are indeed the new kid on the block in the NFC North. The game shapes up to be one of those epic Turkey Day classics that have come down to us through the football ages. Heck, the players on both teams from the 1962 game (in which the Lions beat the then-undefeated Pack) are still talking trash to one another.

The Packers are averaging more than 35 points per game, the Lions more than 30. It goes without saying that points will be scored. The Lions' defense is often spoken of in glowing terms, and rightly so at least in terms of their front four. They caused problems for the Pack in last year's game in Detroit, knocking out QB Aaron Rodgers with a concussion and securing a 7-3 win. Oy. The Packers' offensive line must play at a higher level than it has over the last few weeks in particular in order to keep Rodgers not only upright but in the game. The Lions are quickly getting a reputation for being on the dirty side of things. Rodgers and all the players, especially on offense, are going to need to have their heads on a swivel all day long. Cheap shots will be coming. You just hope and pray they don't result in a player being lost for the game or longer.

This is one game where you'd really like a consistent running game to take the pressure off Rodgers and the passing game. It's unclear whether RB James Starks will see playing time today or not after spraining his knee in Sunday's game against the Buccaneers. Late word was that he'd be a gametime decision. If Starks can't go, Ryan Grant is prepared to get most of the carries, although we may see our first glimpse of recently-elevated practice squad player Brandon Saine. If the Packers can't run and can't protect Rodgers it will be a long day, kids.

The Packers' passing attack may take a bit of a hit if Greg Jennings can't go today because of his bruised knee. But as we all know, there are still plenty of receiving weapons for Rodgers to choose from. On a fast track inside, the passing game should be top-notch and Rodgers should be able to exploit a suspect secondary...if he gets time, of course.

On the other side of things, the Packers' defense must tighten things up against a very good QB in Matthew Stafford. He'll be looking for his main receiving threat, Calvin Johnson, all day long. WR Titus Young and TE Tony Scheffler are his other key receiving targets. That means the secondary must communicate better to avoid the blown coverages we have seen far too often in some games this season. The linebacking corps also must do a better job covering the tight ends. And somehow, someway, defensive coordinator Dom Capers must get consistent pressure on Stafford. If that happens, the Packers will have multiple chances to generate turnovers. The Lions' running game took a hit with Jahvid Best reportedly being out for the game today. Kevin Smith can do damage, however, if the Packers don't tackle better than they did against the Buccaneers. The embarrassment which the defense should have felt at having Bucs RB LeGarrette Blount run through the entire lineup just might serve as a wakeup call on that issue.

Let's not forget special teams, especially since the Packers now have a legitimate return threat in Randall Cobb. He is a game changer. Whether he gets a return for a touchdown today or merely sets up a short field for the Packers' offense a few times, his impact could be the difference in today's game.

The Packers are favored by 6-1/2 points, with the over-under being set at 55-1/2 points, the latter being the largest total of Week 12's games. Holy shootout, Batman!

I'd have to go with the over, and I'd probably take the Lions against the spread if push came to shove on both. This is a game which the Pack could lose if they don't play the way they are capable of on both sides of the ball. This Detroit team is capable of putting up points. It might be a game where whoever has the ball last wins. As we've seen on more than one occasion this season -- far too many times, in fact -- the Packers "D" has a way of letting teams back in the game, particularly late. If they do that today they just might not be able to pull things out.

I have to drink the Green 'n' Gold elixir yet again, though, today. I think the Pack will prevail in a hard-fought, high-scoring game. I'm calling it Packers 38 - Lions 34.

Go Pack Go!!!

Packers win ugly over Buccaneers, 35-26

2011-11-20T19:17:00.000-06:00

Oh, the woes of a 10-0 team. The only 10-0 team, by the way, in the NFL this season. And only the third 10-0 team in the proud history of the Green Bay Packers. Yes, the Packers won today even playing at a mediocre level...at least by the standards they have set this season. They beat a Buccaneers team that wasn't phased by playing the top team in the league, 35-26.

On a day when the Packers defense reverted to their play of the first eight games of the season -- in others words, porous and sloppy -- and on day in which QB Aaron Rodgers was a bit off, at least by his standards (he threw 11 incompletions, had an interception, and achieved a QB rating of 112-ish), not to mention a day in which the heretofore perfect Mason Crosby misses a chip shot 29-yard (?) field goal attempt, the Packers somehow overcame themselves and beat the Bucs.

The Packers defense once again couldn't tackle, once again couldn't seem to cover receivers and, yet, Tramon Williams got two interceptions, including the one that helped seal the Packers' victory. During a post-game interview with Larry McCarren on 620WTMJ radio, Williams was asked about the performance of the defense which once again gave up more than 400 yards on the day. Williams admitted the problems, but said that as long as they get the takeaways and make the critical stops "who cares" how many yards they give up. Hmmm...that's an interesting insight. Now, on one hand, you have to agree with him. As long as the team gets the "W" it doesn't really matter how many yards the other team racks up. Still, I can't imagine that same statement being made by the likes of a Ray Nitschke, for example. Or Willie Davis or Herb Adderly...or any of Lombardi's players. For that matter, can you imagine what Lombardi would have done had he heard that statement by Williams? At best, the two would have a genteel conversation about Mr. Williams' attitude. At worst, Mr. Williams may have found himself playing elsewhere very soon.

I don't mean to get off on a tangent about this. But perhaps it does reveal something about what we're seeing on the field. And it's been noted nationally. Some of the halftime TV punditry today about the game said there was no sense of urgency on the part of the Packers' defense because they know the offense can always score. That kind of attitude shouldn't be condoned by any defensive player or coach. There should be pride on the part of every player in stopping the opposing team from gaining a single yard. Remember that game back in...whenever it was...when the Packers held Barry Sanders to minus yardage for the entire game? Minus yardage. Barry Sanders. Not Colonel Sanders, Barry Sanders. Clearly, there was a different attitude present on the part of that defense that manifested itself big time.

The players on this Packers defense -- including Tramon Williams -- are quality players, some even Pro Bowlers. But really: get a better attitude, please, so there is better performance on the field.

As to the offense, the offensive line play continues to be a concern. QB Aaron Rodgers was under pressure a good part of the day from a defense that is near the bottom of the rankings in just about every category. They are not known as pass rushing demons. And yet...Rodgers seemed to be scrambling for his life most of the afternoon. Guard Josh Sitton had another bad game, including several penalties. He's had a couple uncharacteristically sloppy games in a row. Whatever is going on with him better get figured out. The Packers need him -- and the entire O-line -- to perform at a higher level than they are now. It seemed that the running backs -- who gained 91 yards total on the day -- had to create their own holes most of the time. Their line didn't do them many favors.

And speaking of running backs, the emerging star that is James Starks had to be helped off the field late in the game after reportedly spraining his right knee. Head coach Mike McCarthy called it a sprain, but said he'd know more Monday. Let us pray.

So, yes, the Packers are 10-0. The only other two times they were 10-0 to start the season they won Championships: in 1929 and 1962. This team has now set a new franchise record of 12 straight regular season wins dating back to last season and 16 consecutive wins overall including the playoffs. Hard to complain. But even in the midst of seeming perfection there is imperfection. And nowhere is that more evident than on the playing field.

The Packers have only a few days to prepare for their Thanksgiving Day game in Detroit. If they don't play like they are capable of playing, Detroit could serve a loss to the Pack on Turkey Day. Detroit beat Carolina today, 49-35.

Let's hope today was a bit of a wake up call for this team. Hard to say they need it at 10-0. But they do.

Packers vs. Buccaneers preview

2011-11-20T10:22:00.000-06:00

After the near week-long bliss fest following the Packers' trouncing of the ViQueens -- it certainly was nowhere near as close as I and some others thought it would be (who knew the 'Queens would go into full fetal position in this game?) -- we now have the former division rivals from Tampa Bay as the next victim, er, team coming to Lambeau Field. The Packers are favored by 14 points over the 4-5 Buccaneers. The over-under is set at 48.5 points, the largest of this weekend's games.

Just a hunch, but my guess is the oddsmakers are figuring the Packers to put up the majority of those points. That's because Tampa is giving up 401.2 yards (31st in the NFL), 263.0 passing yards (28th) and 138.2 rushing yards (29th) through their first nine games. But, well, you know...until last week's game against the 'Queens, the Pack's defense wasn't exactly much to brag about either.

And that should really be the thing to watch in this game: the Packers' "D". Will it be the sieve-like bend-don't-break defense of the first eight games, or will we see a reprise of Monday night's game against Minnesota? If the latter, this Packers team is a juggernaut that is on its way to a second consecutive Super Bowl barring some freakish happening of which we must not speak. If the former, this Packers team...oh, heck...it's still a juggernaut, let's be honest.

But back to the game at hand: let's not forget that the Bucs had a couple impressive wins this season against Atlanta and New Orleans. But they also had some equally unimpressive showings against San Francisco and Houston, losing to the Niners 48-3 and the Texans 37-9. So who knows which team will show up? QB Josh Freeman, who had his coming out party a few years back in Tampa with an upset win over the Pack, is not having such a great season. The Packers defense, particularly if they play at the same level they did last week, should be able to keep that trend of mediocrity going for Mr. Freeman.

With QB Aaron Rodgers having a season of historic proportions, the Pack will once again exploit a bad defense despite Rodgers' prior difficulties against Tampa Bay teams. That was then, this is now. The Bucs don't generate much of a pass rush, either, but unless the offensive line plays better than it did Monday night the Packers might make that rush seem world class. Let's hope the offensive line has worked out its issues. The guard play Monday evening was especially poor. We can expect that will not happen two games in a row.

One of the other things to look for in this game is to see whether coach Mike McCarthy tries to get the running game going a bit more heading into the harsh winter months. Although game conditions in Green Bay today will be relatively balmy by late Novemeber standards, winter is on its way and the running game will need to be solidified. Look for James Starks to get most of the carries of what few there will likely be, with Ryan Grant also getting a handful. But the Packers' might also try to get recently elevated practice squad rookie RB Brandon Saine into the mix just to see what he can do. In interviews this past week, it was clear coaches see something in this young man and would like to see what he can do in game situations.

So, we could go on and on about this and that. But do we need to, really? Nah. Let's just make the call, shall we?

I'm calling it Packers 41, Buccaneers 16.

Go Pack Go!!!

Packers vs Vikings - The Sequel

2011-11-14T16:55:00.000-06:00

Between the road games and the bye, tonight's game at Lambeau Field will be the first home game for the Pack in almost a month. It will also be the team's only appearance on Monday Night Football this season, believe it or not, although it's the third of their four scheduled prime-time games overall. The Packers are favored over the ViQueens by 12.5 to 13.5 points depending upon whose odds you look at for this sort of thing. As the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Packers beat writer extraordinare, Bob McGinn, notes, "The line tonight is the largest the Vikings have faced in Green Bay in 50 years." The over-under: 49.5 points.

So, what do we know about this game? Well, the Packers are 8-0, and 14-0 going back to last season. It's interesting, though: if the Packers were an East Coast team -- and we can thank all that is holy and right and green 'n' gold in the universe that they are not -- don't you think that ESPN et all would be going totally ape-hockey over the team and this game? Be thankful for the way things are. The players and coaches, by virtue of being in the soon-to-be frozen tundra of Green Bay, are a bit out of the way for the networks and reporters to cover regularly. That means they can concentrate on what they are getting paid to do: play football. Period. If a player wants to be a winner -- a Super Bowl Champion -- come to Green Bay. If you want to hang out at the trendiest clubs with your posse, good luck with that. See ya in Loserville, Bunky.

OK, sorry for the rant...where were we? Oh, yes, the game and what we know about it...

The Packers, barring an injury to uber-QB Aaron Rodgers, will put up points. Lots of points. The best the 'Queens can muster on defense, and he's good, let's be honest, is DE Jared Allen. The rest of their D-line is average, which still means the Packers offensive line has to show up to give Rodgers time to exploit a weak secondary. CB Antoine Winfield is probable for tonight. On offense, the 'Queens have the troublesome Adrian Peterson who will cause problems for the Packers as he usually does. Rookie QB Christian Ponder fared far too well in his first start -- against the Packers in the Humpty Dump, lest we forget -- and will probably cause a few problems on scrambles tonight. If WR Percy Harvin is in gear, he and TE Jim Kleinsasser are the main receiving threats for the 'Queens.

The fact is, the Packers have the 30th-ranked overall defense and the 31st-ranked pass defense. Unless some changes have been made, that defense will give up points. But it's bend-don't-break time once again. As with most games between these two teams it will be tight. I'd like to think the defense can stop a team before the last minute of a game in order to put things away early. But I doubt that will happen tonight.

So, I'm calling it Packers 34, ViQueens 27.

Go Pack Go!!!

Packers 45 - Chargers 38: Wild, Wild West Indeed

2011-11-06T20:19:00.000-06:00

Oh man. The Green Bay Packers hung on to win their eighth consecutive game this season and fourteenth in a row going back to last season -- the latter a franchise record. In a San Diego stadium that had to feel a lot like Lambeau West, the Pack beat the Chargers 45-38 in a wild one that, like a few other games this season, should have been put away earlier but went down to the wire. Honestly, this is the type of game that takes years off your life as a Packers fan.

There will be enough post-mortems for you to chew on elsewhere if you care to. Suffice it to say here that the Packers offense is a remarkable machine, as is QB Aaron Rodgers. He needs better pass protection than he received today. But the defense needs MAJOR work. They have gotten stops when they need to. But they continue to exert little if any pass rush and give up huge yards in pass coverage, particularly when the linebackers wind up covering receivers and tight ends, as happened a lot today. Defensive coordinator Dom Capers and head coach Mike McCarthy have got to get this unit in gear. A couple blown coverages today gave the Chargers two very easy touchdowns. We've seen that in other games this season; half way through the schedule this type of breakdown should not be happening.

But the Pack is 8-0, the only undefeated team in the league. They have an extra day to get ready for the ViQueens on Monday Night Football at Lambeau Field, followed by the Buccaneers at home and then a short week before heading to Detroit to take on the Lions on Thanksgiving Day. It's a dangerous stretch of games. But the Pack is in the driver's seat and are getting well-positioned for another post-season run.

Say it with me: it's great to be a Packers fan!

Packers vs. Chargers Preview: Wild, Wild West

2011-11-06T11:55:00.000-06:00

The Green Bay Packers are today making their first trip to San Diego since 2003; this is only the sixth time in the long history of the Packers that the team has played in "American's Finest City," as the city of San Diego so humbly refers to itself (it may not be LA or Hollywood, Packer fans, but it's close enough...it's still all about the hype). The Packers have won the last five straight matches between the two teams and are 5-0 all time in San Diego. Today, the Pack enters the game as 5.5-point favorites.

As all Packer fans are aware, the team is the only remaining undefeated team in the league at 7-0 and coming off their bye week. They should be well rested. The only players who were listed earlier in the week as definitely out were LT Chad Clifton and DE Mike Neal. Everyone else is available (although recall that rookie RB Alex Green was placed on the injured reserve list earlier in the week following his leg injury early in the game against the ViQueens; practice squad RB Brandon Saine took his spot on the 53-man roster). The Chargers, on the other hand, are coming off a short week after their Monday night loss at Kansas City. They are also injured.

Make no mistake, however, this could very well be a trap game for the Packers. The Bolts have looked bad in their last two consecutive game losses, especially last week against division rivals, the Kansas City Chiefs; they had penalties, turnovers, and you-name-it when they got near or into the red zone, particularly late in the game with a chance to win. The Chargers are 4-3, with the largest point loss being to the Patriots in week 2, 35-21; they are in every game. With QB Phil Rivers at the helm, huge receivers and one of the better tight ends in the game, the Chargers can present problems for a defense. Given the nature of the Packers "D" through the first 7 games of the schedule, unless things got tightened up over the bye and this last week of practice, it could be yet another tight but high-scoring game for both teams. In fact, Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers said this week that, “This is one of the best offenses we’ll face all year.”

This is a must-win type of game for the Chargers. If there is any game in which they will likely be at their best, this is it. As such, the Packers will also need to start fast, stay consistent, and finish strong in order to win this game. The Packers are the league's top scoring offense, at 32.9 points per game, and scoring at least 24 points in each game game so far, the only team in the league to accomplish that, as well. Driving this offense, as anyone who is even a mild observer of football knows, is QB Aaron Rodgers. He is the top quarterback in the league, at the moment. In fact, he's registered a quarterback rating of 110 or more in each of his 7 appearances so far this season -- the only quarterback in NFL history to do so! Oh, and did I mention that Rodgers just won another Offensive Player of the Month Award? But wait...there's more! Since last November -- LAST November -- nobody in the NFC other than Rodgers has won this award. A-wha...??? A-duh!!! Anytime, anywhere, Mr. Rodgers wants to do his "belt" routine, he's earned it.

The edge on offense has to go to the Packers, of course. Lots of weapons for the league's best passer -- and best player (there, I said it!) -- to choose from. Although when breaking things down, the edge in the running game goes to the double-headed San Diego rushing attack of Ryan Matthews and Mike Tolbert; the Packers will have to slow that threat down in order to keep the ball in Rivers hands and hopefully have him continue to make the kind of mistakes he has in recent weeks.

But what about the defense, in particular the Chargers' defense? Through 6 games, the Bolts have had just 10 sacks, ranking them 29th in the league. The biggest pass rush threat is Shaun Phillips but, like the Packers' Clay Matthews, he hasn't had much help from the rest of his crew. The Chargers minus-5 turnover differential is a reflection not only of how often their offense has shot itself in the foot, but that the defense only has recorded 7 turnovers in their first 6 games.

The Packers' brain trust has had two weeks to plan for this game. While there may be moments in this game that make you wonder what the heck's going on out there (paraphrasing a former Green Bay head coach whom you may have heard of), the only way the Packers lose is if they beat themselves. Look for the Pack to dial it up early and often on both sides of the ball.

We're calling this one 37-20 Packers.

Go Pack Go!!!

Packers bye week meanderings

2011-10-28T15:15:00.000-05:00

So here we are, heading into the eighth week of the NFL season...but there is no Green Bay Packers game. (Sigh)

Still, we Packer fans can cruise through this week and next with the blissful feelings that arise from rooting for the only 7-0 team in the league. And that we have the hottest quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, and arguably the best receiving corps in the league. Let's also not forget that we have a kicker who hasn't missed a field goal attempt yet this season, including a franchise record 58-yarder last Sunday in the Humpty Dump.

But, we also have some concerns as we roll into the bye. The defense has been yielding yards and big plays like Wisconsin trees are giving up their leaves right now: in bunches. Part of that seems to stem from a limited pass rush which allows even mediocre QBs to look like Pro Bowlers. Another part of this situation stems from injuries in the seconday; losing Nick Collins for the season was a definite blow. But having Tramon Williams and Sam Shields missing a game or two, as well as an always banged-up Charles Woodson, means a unit not at 100 percent. It's been giving up big yards but also making key stops when it needs to to secure a victory. But you have to believe that head coach Mike McCarthy and defensive coordinator Dom Capers will be figuring out ways to goose the "D" for the post-bye games. If things don't get tightened up the Pack will wind up dropping games it should win.

Prediction Review
My pre-season prediction for the first seven weeks of the season had the Pack coming in at 6-1. I figured they'd win a game they shouldn't and likewise loose a game they shouldn't. As it turned out, they pulled out all the games, even those that seemed to be much closer than they needed to be. Looking ahead, I also suggested the Packers would go 7-2 after the bye. I'll stick with that. These next five games in particular will go a long way to telling us how far this team can go: at San Diego, home vs. the ViQueens (Monday night game), home against Tampa Bay, at Detroit (Thanksgiving Day) and at the NY Giants. Will be a very interesting stretch of games, with three out of five away. Nothing's easy in the NFL, and this is one of those stretches where that adage is really proven.

Jerry Kramer's PickPredict Contest!
The legendary Packers guard, Jerry Kramer, has been running a contest each week during the season. You can now enter it via the dedicated Jerry Kramer Contest link in the righthand column of this blog, immediately preceding the general Links section.

Here are the details:

The challenge: Pick the winner of this week's Packers game and predict the final score.
The reward: Autographed copies of Kramer's book "Instant Replay" and the Maple Street Press 2011 Packers Annual.
Bonus: If your winning entry includes the correct current "Contest Code" (find it @JerryKramer64GB on Twitter) you'll receive a copy of the "Inside the Locker Room" CD, too.

So...good luck! I thank you...and Jerry thanks you!

As always, it's great to be a Packers fan!

Packers beat Vikes to go to 7-0

2011-10-24T20:29:00.000-05:00

The Green Bay Packers used a few spurts of dominating football over the hapless Minnesota Vikings Sunday to win their seventh straight game. Going back to last season, the Pack has now won 13 in a row. For those counting, this was the Packers 700th win as a franchise; only Da Bearz have more (725). And for those wondering when the last time was that the Pack started 7-0, it was 1962...also coming off a championship run.

Yesterday again showed how dominating the Packers can be when they have their offensive weapons firing on all cylinders. QB Aaron Rodgers was lights-out good, particularly early when he had 12 (?) consecutive completed passes. The first three incompletes registered were two drops and a spike. He threw for three TDs. Rodgers became the first player in NFL history to have seven straight games with a passer rating of 110 or more. Yowza!

Let's also not forget the two -- and nearly three -- interceptions by Charles Woodson, the late game running (6 carries for 55 yards) heroics of Jame Starks to help run out the clock on the Pack's last possession, and Mason Crosby's four-for-four on field goals, including his franchise record 58-yarder.

The defense gave up 175 yards on 24 carries to RB Adrian Peterson, who everyone knew coming in was going to get the ball a lot. He did and he ran with authority, giving Packer defenders fits most of the day. And while the rookie QB, Christian Ponder, acquitted himself fairly well in his first start, he also made rookie mistakes that helped aid the Packers in their win. We'll take it.

There are certainly areas for improvement on the Packers. Going into the break, the Packers need to be more consistent in the running game and in pass protection on offense, and in pass rush and pass coverage on defense. Given the Packers have a bye week now, you can be assured that defensive coordinator Dom Capers and head coach Mike McCarthy will be tweaking the schemes for the second half of the season.

Despite showing areas of vulnerability week after week, and taking years off the average Packer fan's lifespan, they are the only undefeated team in the league. They have yet to play a four-quarter game where everything is clicking. When that happens, imagine the fun! You almost will have to feel sorry for the other team. Almost.

So, enjoy your bye week. It's great to be a Packer fan!

Packers vs. Vikings Preview

2011-10-23T14:52:00.000-05:00

With less than an hour to kickoff, we're finally getting our preview of the Green Bay Packers vs. Minnesota Vikings game posted. Better late than never.

The Pack is favored by 9-1/2 in the re-inflated Humpty Dump in Minneapolis. Remember the days when that dome was the proverbial House of Horrors for the Packers? Not today, folks. Today, there will likely be as many Packer fans in attendance as home team fans. When the 'Queens are 1-5 and playing the 6-0 Packers, Minnesota fans bail. Can't blame them, really. After all, if the team doesn't get a new stadium deal approved it could be moving to Los Angeles just as did that old basketball team of the North Star state...you've heard of a team called the Lakers, right? But that's a whole other conversation. Back to the game at hand...

Now, don't expect the 'Queens to roll over. They have talented players, let's not forget, including RB Adrian Peterson and DE Jared Allen. But beyond that...? The decision was made this last week to bench starting veteran QB Donovan McNabb -- who seems to have nothing left -- in favor of first round draft pick Christian Ponder. The Pack's defense could have a big day should the 'Queens decide or need to pass a lot. On the other hand, one would expect the Minnesota coaching staff to be smart enough to have Ponder hand off about 30 times today to Peterson if they want to have any shot at upsetting the Packers. If the Packers contain Peterson, it's game, set, match Packers.

On the flip side, the ViQueens secondary is terrible. Packers QB Aaron Rodgers and the receivers should have a huge day, assuming tackles Marshall Newhouse and Bryan Bulaga can keep Allen from harassing Rodgers. It would also be helpful in this regard if running backs Ryan Grant and James Starks can keep the 'Queens defense honest.

Inactive players today for the Packers are: Sam Shields, Robert Francois, Frank Zombo, Jamari Lattimore, Mike Neal, Chad Clifton and Ray Dominguez. Rookie DB Davon House is active today and should see playing time, although Jarrett Bush will be the nickel back.

While Minnesota has raced out to big leads in many of their games this season, they have collapsed in the second half. The Packers, with the exception of last week's game against the Rams, have generally gotten stronger as the game has gone on. Let's not forget, too, that the Packers' defense hasn't given up a touchdown in the last six quarters of play. What does this mean for today's game? I think the first half will likely be played relatively close, while the Pack turns it up in the second half.

My prediction: Packers 41 - ViQueens 20.

Go Pack Go!!!

Packers vs. Rams Preview

2011-10-16T11:35:00.000-05:00

It's only about 30 minutes or so to game time, Packer fans. I've been under the weather and have roused myself to do my duty and at least get my prediction posted before game time (that is one of the criteria of a prediction, after all...saying what will happen before it actually does happen). The 5-0 Green Bay Packers are favored over the 0-4 St. Louis Rams by 14 points (or 15, depending upon which spread source you're looking at), with the over/under points being set at 47.5...most of which you'd have to figure will be coming from the Packers.

Still, head coach Mike McCarthy was reminding the Packers players all week that the Rams were coming off their bye week and had plenty of time to rest and get ready for the Pack. To be honest, he had to say something to try to keep the players motivated to not sleepwalk through this game. The Rams are simply not very good, owing to injury and player depth. All we need to do to illustrate this point is note that former Packers QB Al Harris -- whom we admire for his great years with the Pack -- will be starting at cornerback for the Rams. Do you think Aaron Rodgers might target his ol' teammate for a few passes? Actually, the Packers should have a big day no matter where Rodgers throws.

On offense, Rams' QB Sam Bradford hasn't been getting much protection. This would be a good day for the Packers' defense to crank up the pass rush. Running back Steven Jackson has always seemed to come up big against the Packers, but he can't do it all.

So, let's get this party started -- or at least this post posted -- and call it 38-14 Packers.

Go Pack Go!!!

Packers vs. Falcons preview

2011-10-09T18:17:00.000-05:00

Well, Packers fans, I'm baaaaaaack. Know you've missed the posts. But time away was needed. 'Nuff said about that.

Let's get on to the real reason you and I are here: the Green Bay Packers vs. the Falcons tonight in Atlanta. To be frank, I haven't had as much -- in fact, any -- time to do my usual preview and prediction the way I'd like to.

So, in the interest of time, let's just cut to the chase, shall we? The Packers are listed as 6-point favorites, with the over/under set at 53.5 points. So, the oddsmakers figure the scoreboard will be lighting up all night long, with the Pack winning by 6. Many of the pundits are also calling for a shootout.

The Packers' secondary is capable of surrendering big plays, but also capable of coming up with turnovers. The Pack's defensive front has generally been pretty darn good against the run, which is a good thing since they have generally had trouble corralling RB Michael Turner in games played. The Pack's defense can give up points, but the Pack's offense will get 'em back and more.

This could be a game the Pack let's slip away from them. But I still believe the Packers are the better team, Aaron Rodgers is the better quarterback, and the Pack comes out on top. Let's call this one in favor of the Packers, 34-27. For the record, someone else I know and admire (she knows who she is) is calling it 38-17 in favor of the Pack. Is she great or what?!

Go Pack Go!!!!

Packers handle Bears, 27-17

2011-09-25T21:45:00.000-05:00

The Green Bay Packers are sitting atop the NFC North at 3-0 after beating Da Bearz 27-17 in Chicago today. Yes, Detroit is also 3-0. Wait...wha-a? Detroit? Well, yes, but this isn't about the up and coming Lions. This story is about the defending Super Bowl Champion Green Bay Packers.

For all who saw this game -- which was most of the national TV audience -- the game was like a visit to the dentist: it's something that gets done, might hurt in the process, but has a positive outcome. That's how this was. The Packers had moments of real brilliance, particularly early on offense. QB Aaron Rodgers focused most of his early passes on WR Greg Jennings who had a career high 9 receptions for 113 yards. RB Ryan Grant also looked very good today and had some strong runs, finishing with 92 yards on 17 carries. A good day. On defense, the Pack generated some turnovers -- had one INT overturned because of a roughing the QB penalty -- and held RB Matt Forte to either 4 yards or 2 yards rushing depending upon whose numbers you accept. If memory serves, it's the lowest rushing total for a Bears team -- QB Jay Cutler had 11 yards, by the way -- since 1952 (someone can fact check that if they wish). The defense did what it needed to do.

The play calling by head coach Mike McCarthy seemed to be more conservative as the game went on, resulting in the Packers keeping Da Bearz in the game. Ill-timed penalties also cut drives short.

Against a better team, the Packers might have come out of a game like this with a loss. But against this Chicago team, even a so-so outing by the Pack is good enough. The Packers still haven't clicked on all cylinders. When they do, they are going to be something to see. They may not be perfect, but they are a perfect 3-0. And in the big scheme of things, that's the kind of perfection that matters.

Packers vs. Bears: this is what it's all about

2011-09-24T22:45:00.000-05:00

OK, actually, it's not what it's all about. But a cliche sounded appropriate at the moment. It's actually all about winning Super Bowl Championships. But beating Da Bearz is a close second for most Green Bay Packers fans. As we know, this is the NFL’s oldest rivalry, and Sunday's game marks Game No. 184 in the all-time series. The season series has been split two of the past three years (the Pack swept Da Bearz in 2009).

And so, here we are. It's the first meeting of the 2011 season with the guys from south of the border, and in their home stadium. In fact, it's the first time in the history of the series that the teams will meet in Chicago in the month of September in consecutive seasons. How's that for some trivia for you?

I had the misfortune of being at last year's penalty and turnover-laden game giveaway (from the Packers' standpoint, that is) at Soldier Field. The Pack will not do that again. But is there a chance that the defense will add to their ugly 500-yards-plus per game average so far this season? Doubtful, although everyone expects Da Bearz to go after Nick Collins' replacement, Charlie Peprah. Be assured, the Pack will make whatever adjustments they need to to handle Da Bearz. Jay Cutler is no Drew Brees, nor Cam Newton. At least, he isn't if the Packers get some pressure on him. Cutler's offensive line can be beat, and the Packers better figure out a way to take advantage of that situation. It is a key to the game, just as it was last week when the Saints had their way with that line.

Cutler's M.O. is that if he gets rattled he starts flinging the ball around. Interceptions are the rule of the day. Combine that with Da Bearz offensive coordinator Mike Martz's 5 and 7-step drop calls for his QB, and Cutler should be under pressure all day long. The loss of rookie tackle Gabe Carimi doesn't help an already weak offensive line situation.

But what about the other side of the ball for Da Bearz? As always, that's where they usually win their games. The defense always plays tough and they can and do generate turnovers. Those turnovers -- and special teams plays -- are usually what keeps Da Bearz in the game. Against lesser opponents, it's often what helps them win games.

But the Packers are not a lesser opponent. The Packers are the better team. And it's not just this writer who says so. The oddsmakers, at the time of this writing, have established the Pack as 4-point favorites, with 45.5 points set as the over/under for the betting fan.

As long-time fans of either of these two teams know very well, these games are always slugfests. It often comes down to which team makes fewer mistakes. The Packers should win this game. If they don't beat themselves, they will.

I'm calling this one 24-20 Packers. Go Pack Go!!!

And now for something completely different...
Just in case regular readers are curious, I will try to do a follow up of the game. But over the course of the next two weeks, I will likely be posting little if at all. I may Tweet on occasion (so be sure to follow me by clicking the link in the righthand column if you wish to do so). But I'll basically be incommunicado (look it up) because of other commitments. Hope to get back in the saddle for the Oct. 9 Sunday night game at Atlanta.

Until then, say it with me: it's great to be a Packer fan!

Packers' Nick Collins lost for season

2011-09-19T17:19:00.000-05:00

It's not a matter of whether Green Bay Packers safety Nick Collins will be ready for Da Bearz this coming Sunday, now it's a matter of having him ready for next season. That's if he will be back next season. Yes, that's right. The Packers have lost Collins for the remainder of the 2011 season due to the neck injury he sustained in yesterday's game against the Panthers; he was carted off the field strapped to a board.

Head coach Mike McCarthy told the media this afternoon that "it's too early" to say whether Collins will need surgery or, for that matter, if the injury could jeopardize Collins' career. Obviously, the injury was far more serious than first thought. Although Collins had full movement of his limbs -- even giving a thumbs up to the crowd while leaving the field -- doctors must have seen something that gave them enough pause to shut Collins down for this season.

Collins is a Pro Bowl player and his presence will be missed. Charlie Peprah, who wound up starting last season in the place of Morgan Burnett when he went down for the year, will take Collins' place.

Our prayers are with you, Nick, and here's to the hope that you make a full recovery and we see you back on the field for the Pack next season.

Packers escape Carolina with second win

2011-09-19T10:14:00.001-05:00

We've now had a night to sleep on the events that transpired during the Green Bay Packers' victory over the Carolina Panthers. It was a game which certainly didn't play out as many, including yours truly, expected.

It was almost universally agreed that Panthers' QB Cam Newton, after his high-flying NFL debut, would be brought back to earth by Dom Capers' Packers defense. Well, not quite. In fact, Newton wound up surpassing his first week passing yardage by throwing for something like a bazillion yards. Fortunately for the Pack, he also made a few rookie mistakes along the way, tossing a few interceptions Charles Woodson's way and missing a few redzone passes that could have turned the Panthers' loss into a win.

But the Packers escaped with a win to make them 2-0 on the season. Given the Packers have not generally started well under Mike McCarthy, at least we now are on the plus side of things.

But the game was one of the most schizophrenic in recent memory (reflected in this post). The Packers won the coin toss but elected to defer. Coach McCarthy was obviously confident that his defense could set the tone for the game by shutting down Newton and the Panthers, and then getting the Packers offense rolling. Well, not quite. Newton sliced and diced the Packers porous defense and seemingly before we knew it the Packers were down 13-0 and the offense had been on the field for something like 3 plays in the first quarter. If that's not the actual play count it's close enough.

In the second half, the Packers adjusted as best they could and eventually took the lead, which they did not relinquish despite some nervous moments at the end. For the second straight game, the Packers wound up having to seal the game with Donald Driver recovering an onside kick. (Kudos to Driver, by the way, for setting the franchise record for receiving yards, surpassing James Lofton.) It was also the second game in which the Packers' defense resembled more of a sieve than an NFL squad. Granted, the Packers wound up playing a good portion of the second half without Nick Collins, who was carted off the field after sustaining a neck injury. After staying overnight in a Charlotte hospital for evaluation, the early prognosis is good, but whether Collins will be ready to play against Da Bearz this Sunday remains to be seen.

The tone of the game seemed to change for the Packers once they were able to get their running game in gear. Ryan Grant had 6 carries for 25 yards while James Starks ran 9 time for 85, including a 40-yard scamper. With that kind of running threat, it helped open the play fakes for Aaron Rodgers and actually set up two of the longer touchdown throws of the day, one to Greg Jennings for nearly 50 yards and the last TD of the day, that 84-yard pitch, catch and run to Jordy Nelson. Credit should also be given to Jennings for making a great, crushing downfield block to help make sure Nelson got to the endzone. The biggest concern on offense yesterday seemed to be their inability to convert Carolina's four turnovers into touchdowns; the Pack only scored 9 points off turnovers. That's a lot of points left on the field, and it kept the Panthers in the game.

Beyond that, there really aren't too many concerns with the offense at this point, although the offensive line seemed to be allowing more pressure on Rodgers than the Carolina O-line was allowing on their quarterback.

Which leads to a brief discussion of the problem for the Packers at the moment: the defense. In two games, the Packers have given up 1,003 yards of total offense, most of it through the air. Read that again: 1,003 yards. In two games. Yowza. Giving up big yards to Drew Brees is one thing; giving up big yards to a rookie -- even one who looks like the real deal in Cam Newton -- is another. For most of the day, there seemed to be virtually no pass rush of any kind. Likewise, receivers seemed to be wide open most of the time, allowing for Newton's big completions. Whether it was a communications problem, a bad defensive call, whatever, the Packers have to get this cleaned up.

Going into Chicago this coming Sunday allows the Packers to either get its defense together and toss QB Jay Cutler around like a rag doll, as he has been in the first two games, or to allow Da Bearz to stay in the game and win with a defensive or special teams play as is their usual M.O. As for me, I'd prefer the former scenario to the latter.

The Packers offense must maximize its opportunities, score TDs instead of FGs, and get first downs late in the game to control the ball and run out the clock. The defense needs to start stepping up its efforts long before the other team gets into the redzone, and long before it comes down to a last minute goal-line stand.

The Packers are winning but winning ugly. They must become more consistent on both sides of the ball if they are to once again make it to the Big Game.

Packers vs. Panthers preview

2011-09-18T09:37:00.000-05:00

It's less than three hours to kickoff between the Green Bay Packers and Carolina Panthers as I write this, and a prediction needs to be made. Is there any doubt what that will be? No. The Packers will win this game. Not that it will be a cake walk, of course. After all, there is a rookie quarterback on the other side who put up record passing numbers in his debut last week. But that was against Arizona. Puh-leze.

The Packers have had the opportunity to see what he did and game plan for it. Given that Cam Newton was looking for WR Steve Smith most of the day, figure the Packers to focus on shutting Smith down and letting the other receivers -- which are whom, by the way? -- do whatever damage they might be able to do against the Packers' outstanding secondary. Now, that secondary may very likely be without Tramon Williams, who is still nursing a sore shoulder; he'll be a gametime decision, according to reports. Still, I'll take the Pack's d-backs against the Panthers' receivers any day of the week.

Granted, Newton has a bit of that Michael Vick aspect to him, where he can not only throw but can also run. He's athletic and a big body. That type of quarterback has been known in the past to offer problems for the Packers defense. But that was then, this is now. Occasionally, Newton may hit a long pass or even break containment and run for more yards than you'd like to see. But you have to figure that Dom Capers' defense will blitz Newton from every direction and contain him more often than not with the linebacking corps. If the defense can rattle him the Pack should be able to generate a turnover or two. Oh, T Jeff Otah is doubtful for the Panthers and if he can't go he will be replaced by rookie free agent Byron Bell. Packers LB Clay Matthews could and should have a field day.

When we look to the Panthers defense, it took a big blow last weekend when middle linebacker Jon Beason blew out an Achilles' tendon against the Cardinals. Beason was the leader of the defense and his loss is a big blow. Combine that loss with an average defense at best across all units and the Packers offense should have a big day. If Carolina blitzes, QB Aaron Rodgers will light them up. If they don't, perhaps we'll see the Packers' running game get going just to open things up downfield.

It should be a fun game to watch. Newton might put up some yardage but nowhere near like he did last week. Look for him to come down to earth a bit. The Packers offense should be ready to roll. If they did so against the Saints they can surely do so against the Panthers. The only way the Packers lose this game is if they beat themselves with turnovers or, more likely in this unlikely defeatist scenario, special teams breakdowns.

The Packers are 10-point favorites and the over/under is 45.5 points. My call is for the Packers to win 38-17.

Say it with me: it's great to be a Packers fan! Go Pack Go!!!

Packers DE Mike Neal out indefinitely

2011-09-14T18:59:00.000-05:00

The man pegged to replace DE Cullen Jenkins in the Green Bay Packers defense this season is now on the shelf for a while. How long will Mike Neal be lost? Don't know. All head coach Mike McCarthy would say today is that Neal would be out "a significant amount of weeks."

Neal has been nursing a knee injury since training camp and both he and the team were hoping it would respond to non-surgical treatments. Apparently, that wasn't working. So the decision was made for Neal to have surgery, although the nature of the surgery -- as with the knee injury itself -- has also not yet been specified.

If there is any silver lining to this for the Packers it is that they have not placed Neal on injured reserve, which would have ended his season before it even started. But how fast Neal will return is anyone's guess.

Jarius Wynn played well as Neal's replacement in the win over the Saints. As we saw last year, this team is adept at making whatever adjustments may be necessary when a key player goes down. That will again be the case at defensive end.

You can read more about this situation here.

Packers vs. Saints: just a few points

2011-09-10T17:01:00.000-05:00

Finally getting the time to jot down just a few points about Thursday night's NFL season-opening extravaganza in Green Bay. A lot has already been said and written about the Packers 42-34 win over the Saints.

A quick summary: the Packers wowed many of the pundits who are ready to make them the odds-on favorites to be in the Super Bowl and likely win it. OK. I can go with that.

The Packers offense, to no one's surprise, is loaded with weapons for QB Aaron Rodgers to work with. If the opposing defense blitzes, he can generally find his hot receiver and beat it. If they play man-to-man, good luck. You might cover a couple of the receivers, but the Pack's number 3 and 4 receivers are better than the opponents third and fourth d-backs. Also, who's going to cover TE Jermichael Finley in man coverage? A linebacker? C'mon. If the defense goes into a zone scheme, Rodgers will go underneath all day long. Or start running Ryan Grant and James Starks to open up the downfield game. Bottom line regarding the Packers offense is this: if the Packers don't turn the ball over and stop themselves, opposing defensive coordinators will be having nightmares trying to figure out how to scheme against this explosive offense.

Now, there was a bit of an Achilles Heel in the offense which we saw last season at times and which reemerged against the Saints: the inability at the end of the game to pick up a needed first down to enable the team to run out the clock for the victory. Giving the Saints the ball back was...oh...not good. The Packers kept the Saints in the game when the Saints couldn't do it. The inability to convert that short third down play kept the Saints alive until that final goal line stop with no time left on the clock (an extra play due to what this observer thought was a horrible pass interference call on A.J. Hawk). The Packers have to be able to close out these games without giving the opponent one last shot to tie or win the game.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Packers gave up a bundle of yards. But, the Saints got inside the 20-yard line 5 times and came away with just 10 points. That was huge. The Packers, if memory serves, got inside the 20 four times and came away with touchdowns each time; that was the difference in the game. The defense came up big when it needed to. DE Jarius Wynn, replacing the injured Mike Neal, had a huge game, as did stalwarts Ryan Pickett, B.J. Raji and Howard Green. LB Erik Walden, getting his first start opposite Clay Matthews, also acquitted himself well. Linebackers did get beat in coverage on occasion. That's going to happen in a match-ups type game. The Packers secondary was also on its game for the most part, despite giving up some big yards. There really weren't many yards-after-catch type receptions against the secondary, despite some lengthy passes to the endzone against coverage.

One of the advantages of waiting a day or so to do a game review is that we have a better feel for injuries incurred during the game. The one which looked most concerning at the time was the injury to Tramon Williams. Williams actually got hit on the shoulder by Nick Collins as he was about to make a tackle in the second half. He left holding his arm, which is usually a sign of a dislocation or worse. According to the latest reports out of Green Bay, Williams emerged with a bruised shoulder, nothing worse. Whew. They are not sure whether he'll be available yet for the game versus the Panthers, but clearly the Packers dodged a bullet which could have had season-long implications for the defense.

As to special teams...as long as rookie Randall Cobb is returning kicks, it's a good thing. As long as the coverage units are as porous as a sieve, it's not a good thing. I have not been a fan of special teams coach Bob Slocum. Thought he should have been long gone a long time ago. Granted, he didn't know exactly who he was going to have to work with on an ongoing basis until about a week before the game. So we'll give him the benefit of the doubt. But if there is not significant improvement on this squad, Mason Crosby and Tim Masthay should be kicking and punting the ball out of bounds; the sideline will do a better job covering than will the Packers special teams unit. Let us pray...

My main area of concern is still the depth of the backups on the offensive line. The starters generally did a good job Thursday night, although Rodgers got hit much more than he should have been. But if anyone on the line goes down, there's not much experience to draw upon among the three backups. First-rounder Derek Sherrod was among the inactives for the game, which gives you a clue about just how far he needs to go to be the replacement for Chad Clifton at left tackle.

But, the Packers got their first win in an important conference match. A game which could be a precursor to the NFC Championship. Which, at least in head-to-head now, means the Saints would have to come to Green Bay in January. Oh wait...there are 15 more games to go. And a LOT of things can happen along the way.

The Packers go to Carolina to play the Panthers this next weekend. They'll be well-rested and well-prepared. Let's just make an early prediction that the Pack will be 2-0 coming out of that game.

It's great to be a Packers fan! Go Pack Go!!!

Packers game 1 review: 42-34 over Saints

2011-09-09T15:33:00.000-05:00

Alrighty, Packer fans, we have one win in the books to start the 2011 season for the Green Bay Packers. Yes! It was a shootout with the New Orleans Saints, to say the least. When the final score is 42-34, and there's over 800 combined yards of offense, that pretty well qualifies.

There were many twists and turns, including an outstanding performance from QB Aaron Rodgers, his corps of receivers, some key running yards when needed...and certainly some great defensive stops, including the final goal line stand. Yes, there were special teams breakdowns on coverage units; we've become rather used to that, sadly, over the years. But there was also that big kickoff return for a TD from rookie Randall Cobb. That type of thing we haven't seen much of around here since seemingly the dawn of time. (Note: exaggeration added for emphasis.)

There is a lot to chew on. And, frankly, I'm still digesting this game. So, even though I Tweeted last evening after the game that I'd have a game review here today...well, kids, not gonna happen. Need a bit more time to get it together. Hope you understand. And hope you check back tomorrow when I hope to have a review up for you here. I know, that's a lot of hoping go around, but it's something to hang onto, ya know?

You can also get alerted to that post -- as well as all sorts of other ongoing witty 140-character based banter -- by following me on Twitter. Just click the "Follow" link in the righthand column below the Twitter feed. Yes, it's that easy. And if it's that easy, why don't you just do it? Go ahead. Live on the edge.

Packers vs. Saints: Season Opener Preview

2011-09-08T08:00:00.036-05:00

Alrighty then, Packer fans...this is the moment we've waited for since our beloved Green Bay Packers hoisted the Lombardi Trophy after winning Super Bowl XLV: kickoff to the 2011 season and a run at back-to-back Super Bowl championships.

It's obviously not going to be easy. Only a handful of teams have accomplished such a feat. But this Packers team is loaded with talent. Most of the names were on last season's championship roster. The difference this year is that quite a few of those names were also on injured reserve for much or all of last season and were not able to contribute; they are hungry. They want to have their moments in the Super Bowl limelight. Well and good. A bit of incentive is a always a motivator.

So is playing the champs from the prior season.

Hence, a meeting between two of the top teams in the NFL, let alone the NFC to kick things off. As many in the local media are pointing out, this is about as close as the city of Green Bay will get to hosting a Super Bowl. Festivities galore to entertain the masses both on site and on TV. Even Matt Lauer and Al Roker from The Today Show were broadcasting live from Lambeau. Big bands and big jets flying overhead. As David Letterman would say, it's an extravaganza. Indeed.

But back to the game.

The teams are very similar in style, with wide open offenses. But I give the edge to the Packers defense, especially since defensive coordinator Dom Capers has kept his "D" totally under wraps in the preseason. Expect lots of twists and turns tonight. Reading between the lines of some player comments, they may bring pressure from the outside in the form of blitzes and try to collapse the pocket up the middle. After all, as one player noted, QB Drew Brees is only 6 feet tall. Now, that little genetic issue hasn't prevented him from having quite a career. But if anyone can scheme to disrupt a particular quarterback, it's Capers. Brees and the Saints will make their plays and score some points. But the Packers have more to draw upon on both sides of the ball. And they have the home crowd who will be at frenzied pitch throughout the game.

The only area of concern for this game, and for the season at this point, is the lack of depth on the offensive line. The Packers kept only eight O-lineman. Once you get past the starters, it gets a bit iffy. Hopefully, no one goes down.

By the way, the Packers are 4-point favorites at the time of this writing. The over/under is 47.5 points, the highest of any of the first week games. Oddsmakers are figuring on these teams scoring, obviously. So, given everything, our first prediction of the season is this: Packers 31 - Saints 24.

Go Pack Go!!!

Season Prediction
It's that time of year when any Packers fan worth their salt (what the heck does that saying mean, anyway???) comes up with their predictions for the Packers win-loss record this season. I don't know how much salt I'm worth, but I'm still willing to toss out my prediction.

First, however, I have to offer the usual proviso that there will be a couple games that the Packers should win that they may lose, and vice versa.

Secondly, I tend to break out the schedule into blocks before the bye week and after the bye week. So, in looking at the Packers schedule, I think the Pack will be 6-1 going into their bye. After the bye, I think the Packers will go 7-2 for an overall record of 13-3.

The team is loaded and if they stay healthy they will not only win the NFC North but advance through the playoffs to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl for the second year in a row. I have hunches as to who the AFC opponent might be but it really serves no purpose at this point to toss out a name. Let's wait till we get there.

But in the meantime, say it with me: It's great to be a Packers fan!

Packers set 2011 roster and practice squad

2011-09-04T19:20:00.000-05:00

Saturday was the day the Green Bay Packers decided on the 53 players that will take them back to the Super Bowl. In the process, 27 players were either cut, traded or put on injured reserve. Today, Sunday, was the day some of those players got a reprieve by clearing waivers and getting signed to the Packers' practice squad.

In case you haven't already seen the roster elsewhere, here is the 53-man roster that GM Ted Thompson and head coach Mike McCarthy are going to war with this season. It has a familiar look in many respects to the team that brought the Lombardi Trophy back to Lambeau Field following last season's campaign.

QBs: Aaron Rodgers and Matt Flynn
RBs: Ryan Grant, James Starks, John Kuhn and Alex Green
TEs: Jermichael Finley, Andrew Quarless, Tom Crabtree, Ryan Taylor and D.J. Williams
WRs: Greg Jennings, Donald Driver, Jordy Nelson, James Jones and Randall Cobb
OL: Chad Clifton, T.J. Lang, Scott Wells, Josh Sitton, Bryan Bulaga, Marshall Newhouse, Derek Sherrod and Evan Dietrich Smith.
DL: B.J. Raji, Ryan Pickett, Mike Neal, Howard Green, Jarius Wynn and C.J. Wilson
LBs: Clay Matthews, Desmond Bishop, A.J. Hawk, Erik Walden, Frank Zombo, Vic So'oto, Jamari Lattimore, Brad Jones, Robert Francois and D.J. Smith.
DBs: Charles Woodson, Tramon Williams, Nick Collins, Morgan Burnett, Sam Shields, Jarrett Bush, Pat Lee, Charlie Peprah, M.D. Jennings and Davon House.
K: Mason Crosby
P: Tim Masthay
Long Snapper: Brett Goode

Undrafted rookie wide receiver/returner Shaky Smithson and rookie defensive end Lawrence Guy were placed on injured reserve.

Quick takes on this roster: long on linebackers, defensive backs and tight ends, a bit light on offensive linemen and running backs.

Practice Squad
Going into the season with only eight offensive linemen doesn't allows too much room for error...or injury. Perhaps that's why the Packers re-signed a couple of the offensive linemen they cut to the practice squad. And speaking of same, here are the practice squad signings of today:

QB: Graham Harrell
WRs: Chastin West, Tori Gurley and Diondre Borel
RB: Brandon Saine
OGs: Ray Dominguez and Sampson Genus
CB: Brandian Ross

Still, having two unproven rookies as your only O-line backups for depth leads many in the sports world to believe that Ted Thompson will pick up a veteran, perhaps before the season opener against the Saints on Thursday.

I and many others are likely of the view that having Harrell, West, Gurley and Saine on the practice squad gives the coaches a bit of security and flexibility they were hoping to have available as the season commences. Both Harrell and West have been on the practice squad, and West certainly demonstrated this preseason the ability to be a good number five receiver should one of the other receivers go down. The Packers were also intrigued by Gurley's potential and probably gave a sigh of relief that he wasn't claimed on waivers. To a certain degree, they may have felt the same about rookie OG Ray Dominguez who, while raw, has the attitude and talent potential to play on the O-line, given a little seasoning, of course.

Turning coal into diamonds
Another observation I'd like to pass along, and which is attributable to Bill Huber's fine article at Packer Report, is that more than half of the Packers current roster is comprised of players found in the sixth round, seventh round or who weren't drafted at all. That's right: 27 of the 53 players on this season's roster were found by GM Ted Thompson and his scouts near the bottom of the draft, or even as undrafted free agents. Can you say "Value!"?

Huber has a few other choice tidbits for you, so I encourage you to hop over there and check out his article.

For now, let's just close by saying that the Packers escaped the preseason without any significant injuries. They have key players returning to the practice field today who were on injured reserve last season. A talented team with an explosive offense and disruptive defense is set to go after another Lombardi Trophy.

As coach McCarthy says: the Packers aren't defending anything; they are hunting for another Super Bowl win. You bet. It's great to be a Packer fan!

Go Pack Go!!!

Packers' cuts begin with Havner, Swain

2011-08-28T15:06:00.000-05:00

All NFL teams have to get their rosters down to 80 players by Tuesday's deadline. With 86 players on the roster for Friday's game versus the Colts, the Packers today released veteran TE Spencer Havner, WR Brett Swain, and undrafted rookie OT Theo Sherman. Both Havner and Swain were victims of the upgraded quality and number of players at their respective positions, as well as injuries which have hampered them last season and this camp.

There will be three more cuts by Tuesday. The more difficult cuts for Ted Thompson and Mike McCarthy will come after the last preseason game versus the Chiefs.

Packers vs. Colts preseason recap

2011-08-27T10:32:00.000-05:00

First things first. It was a lackluster performance. I'm referring to my golf game in the charity scramble I played in yesterday. Guess that's what happens when you don't swing a golf club for two months. Good shot, bad shot, good shot, bad shot. Yikes. But at least the kitties and dogs at the shelter benefited from my angst-filled participation. And really, that's the important thing, right?

I guess in some ways, though, we could say this scenario played out a bit for the Packers in Indy last night. Now, to be honest, I saw only the very end of the first half and the first few minutes of the second half. Listened to more of the second half on the radio. But...and here's the important part...I missed the ending. And never heard the final score. I went to bed last night thinking the Packers had lost 21-13.

Soooooooo...imagine my shock -- and awe (wait, where have I heard that expression before???) -- when I hit the 'net this morning to find that the Packers WON 24-21. Huh? Really? What the heck did I miss?

Apparently, a great ending. and for the rest of the Packer fans out there who also missed out, allow me to quote the great Packers reporter for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Bob McGinn, who said in his article, "The Packers won it with their shock troops, scoring a touchdown on an 11-yard pass to tight end Ryan Taylor with 35 seconds left, a 2-point conversion on another pass to Taylor and a field goal from 50 yards by Mason Crosby as time expired."

I guess it didn't surprise me that the Packers scored a late TD and 2-point conversion. But when I read that Crosby hit a 50-yarder to win the game as time expired...? Especially after he missed a 41-yarder earlier? A 50-yarder at the end of the game to win? This has been the knock on Crosby. Strong leg. But like Forrest Gump's box of chocolates, when it comes to Crosby with the game on the line you never know what you're going to get. To be honest, we still don't. But let's look at this kick as the proverbial glass-half-full type of thing: perhaps there is hope that Crosby can do this with the game on the line in the regular season. Coach Mike McCarthy never seems to hesitate to throw him out there for those 50+ yard kicks. So, fingers crossed on this front.

Other than QB Aaron Rodgers slicing and dicing the Colts from the no-huddle offense, and getting hit more times than you want to see because of the O-line (particularly Chad Clifton and Josh Sitton) having breakdowns, the other key observation that reports of the game make clear is that third-string QB Graham Harrell is showing that he may just have what it takes to be the backup to Rodgers when Matt Flynn is either traded or lost in free agency next season. While tossing an interception that led to the Colts going up 21-13, Harrell had the moxy (there's a word you don't hear every day, Edgar) to get his you-know-what together and engineer an 11-play, 73-yard TD drive that made the score 21-19 Colts. On both the TD pass and the ensuing 2-point conversion, Harrell connected with WR Ryan Taylor who, truth be told, is another one of those young receivers that is showing that he can play. If not in Green Bay, somewhere in the league.

And then, the Packers pulled off an onside kick. Cool. Well done.

Next up, Harrell gets the Packers close enough for Crosby to boot the game-winner as time experied. Even more cool.

But let's back up a second. Why, late in a preseason game, would Coach McCarthy go for a 2-pointer and an onside kick? Most coaches (e.g., Lovie Smith) would have mailed it in. Take the loss that doesn't count anyway and go home. Not McCarthy. He wants to set a tone with his players that winning matters. Always. Hmmm...sounds a great deal like another coach that walked the sidelines for the Packers once upon a time, doesn't it? That coach built a dynasty. And with the depth of personnel the Packers have now, especially at key skill positions, with the coaching staff, and with GM Ted Thompson working his magic, Coach McCarthy could also be creating a new Packers dynasty. Not as straightforward as it may have been in Lombardi's time; not that it was a piece of cake then, either. But it's still possible. And McCarthy's got the mindset, it seems, to draw the best from the players he has to work with.

Interesting stat: the Packers had 45 different players start last season. The Colts had 38. They were the two teams devastated by injuries more than any other last season. And yet, McCarthy and his staff got those players and guys off the street (in football terms anyway) ready to roll all the way to and through the Super Bowl.

That attitude has to permeate the entire organization and the players have to get it. Really get it. That starts in the preseason. And that's why Coach McCarthy played out the end of the game the way he did. And, apparently, to see the way the players reacted they definitely were taking this as not just another meaningless preseason game. They're getting it. To read a great article about McCarthy's choices at the end of the game, check out Rob Demovsky's piece at packersnews.com.

One other good outcome, at least as far as we know, is that there were no major injuries. However, both Jordy Nelson and Jermichael Finley did get nicked up a bit before halftime. Nelson had a knee bruise and Finley sprained an ankle. Neither of them were going to play in the second half and both stayed in the locker room for treatment.

Next up: the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday night at Lambeau Field in the preseason closer.

Go Pack Go!!!

Packers vs. Cardinals preseason game recap

2011-08-20T15:11:00.000-05:00

The Green Bay Packers defeated the Arizona Cardinals 28-20 at Lambeau Field last night in the second of four preseason games.

What were this writer's observations? Probably the same as many who either were at the game or saw it on TV: it's a preseason game. In other words, there was some good, some bad and lots of so-so. How's that for an insightful analysis? Actually, it must be on target because many of the folks who get paid to cover this stuff have said basically the same thing. (By the way, for any media enterprises out there that would like to pay me to relate these pithy commentaries to your readers/viewers/listeners...let's talk...and now, back to your regularly scheduled programming....)

On offense, the first few series for the number one unit were pretty lackluster until things shifted into gear with the no-huddle offense. QB Aaron Rodgers seemed to get into more of a rhythm, connecting with multiple receivers and finally hitting on a great back shoulder endzone toss to Greg Jennings. It was nice to see TE Jermichael Finley back in the lineup and he looks ready to go. Ditto for Ryan Grant, although head coach Mike McCarthy made it clear in his post-game comments that he knows Grant needs more reps this next week at Indianapolis. Second-year RB James Starks was held out, which helped set the stage for our first look at rookie RB Alex Green. Green didn't disappoint. He reeled off a 25-yard gain on a screen play and two plays later powered into the endzone for a two-yard touchdown score. Green needs help on his Lambeau Leap, however. That'll come around. As, hopefully, will his blitz pick ups; he missed one which resulted in backup QB Matt Flynn taking a hit.

But Green wasn't alone in the missed-blocks area. More concerning were the hits and sacks allowed by the starting offensive line on Aaron Rodgers. T.J. Lang, starting at left guard, missed an assignment. But to be fair, so did the usually steady RG Josh Sitton. When rookie Derek Sherrod took over at left guard it became clear he is not yet ready to start. His pad level was too high, his foot work was slow, and he did not use his hands well enough. It would seem that trying to make Sherrod into a guard when he appears to be more naturally suited to the tackle position is an experiment worth trying, but also ending. Let the youngster apprentice behind Chad Clifton.

Another standout on offense last night was WR Chastin West, who wound up converting a sideline route into a 97-yard touchdown from Matt Flynn. The Packers already have 5 receivers that are locks to make the squad: Donald Driver, Greg Jennings, Jordy Nelson, James Jones and Randall Cobb. But West's performance will sure give coaches something to think about. Would they carry six receivers? Doubtful. But we didn't think they'd carry three fullbacks last season either.

Third-string quarterback Graham Harrell also had an impressive performance. Given that Matt Flynn will be a free agent next season, it's great to see Harrell really step up his grasp of the offense and decisive play. He had some great throws, as well.

On defense, C.J. Wilson, filling in for the injured Mike Neal, who was replacing the departed Cullen Jenkins, had to leave the game early with what was reported to be a concussion. That meant Jarius Wynn and others got more playing time at defensive end. Asked about the injuries, GM Ted Thompson indicated that he still didn't think he'd have to look for a free agent to help bolster the D-line.

Defensive back Josh Gordy continues to get playing time and make an impression. He's giving Pat Lee, and maybe others, a run for the money in a backup role.

The defense played things pretty vanilla last night, and at times seemed to be a bit lost, especially in coverage by the backups. Starting outside linebackers were giving the corners far too easily on the runs by Beanie Wells in particular. Not much on this side of the ball to write home about...as I said at the outset, so-so.

But the bottom line was a win. It doesn't really count, of course. But on a beautiful August evening in Green Bay, Wisconsin -- Titletown -- the fans got to see some of the favorites for a few plays and then got to take a look at some of the young players competing for a handful of spots on what still looks like a championship caliber team.

All that can be said a the moment is that it's great to be a Packer fan!

Go Pack Go!!!

Now THIS is a badge you hope a police officer flashes

2011-08-17T17:48:00.000-05:00

Yes, yes, I know. The Packer are continuing to prepare for Friday night's game against the Cardinals at Lambeau Field. And injuries are continuing to keep some young players on the sidelines who somehow have to find a way to get on the field and show what they can do: cornerback Davon House and running back Alex Green among them. Let's also not forget the scare that Mike Neal's leg injury has thrown into Packer fans everywhere. He says he's fine, and coach Mike McCarthy says he's day-to-day. But if he goes down, the Packers find themselves mighty thin at that defensive end spot. They are counting on Neal to replace Cullen Jenkins and he needs to stay healthy and on the field. Keep your fingers, toes, and eyes crossed, Packer fans!

But aside from these on-field matters, the gist of this post is something really cool happening with the Green Bay Police Department: officers can now purchase for their use, through next August, an optional badge that includes the Packers "G" logo and “Super Bowl Champions XLV” on its face.

Now, really...how cool is that? It almost makes you want to be a member of the department just so you can get one of those badges, doesn't it? Or at the very least, see how soon one of them shows up on eBay.
(Photo credit: Green Bay Police Department)

Packers preseason game #1 review

2011-08-14T11:17:00.000-05:00

So the first chance the Green Bay Packers have to smack guys in other jerseys around came up a tad short on the scoreboard. The Pack dropped their first preseason game 27-17 to the Cleveland Browns. Big whup.

As tens of thousands of NFL fans across the nation know, these games don't count. Hence the not-even-half-filled Cleveland stadium last evening. It was an entertaining game only if you're OK seeing starters for just a few series of plays, and watching veteran backups and rookies battle for roster spots. In the abbreviated evaluation period teams have this season, every play that these backups and rookies get may be their only chance to show the coaches and management "what they got."

So who stood out for the Packers last night? Rookie WR/KR Randall Cobb is a keeper. He not only did a good job on kick returns but flashed good hands and explosive speed on three receptions for 60 yards. The Packers have to have the most dangerous receiving corps in the league: Greg Jennings, Donald Driver, James Jones, Jordy Nelson. Now throw Cobb into the mix. And we haven't even mentioned the tight ends yet.

Jermichael Finley did not suit up last evening, although he says he will be ready for the next game. That gave second-year tight end Andrew Quarless the start and he acquited himself admirably, making a couple catches...which was a problem for him last year. He did leave with a groin injury, however. Quarless is in a battle for the spot behind Finley with Tom Crabtree and a few newcomers including rookie D.J. Williams and Ryan Taylor, both of whom made catches last night. In fact, lots of different players made catches last evening: 18 by final count.

Holy post route, Batman! Perhaps the Eagles aren't so crazy after all mortgaging the farm to transform their defensive backfield to try to hold the Packers in check. Still...good luck with that.

On the offensive line, both first-round draft pick Derek Sherrod and veteran T.J. Lang got lots of looks at left guard. And left tackle. The duo was being rotated just about with every series, including with each other flip-flopping the slots. Both looked just fine. As has been the case in Green Bay for a long time, the idea is to put the best five offensive linemen out there. The Pack's O-line will be OK.

As to running backs, it was nice to see Ryan Grant get a couple carries. Nothing major, but he did show some nice burst on a couple runs around the corner. James Starks also showed some speed and power, but he finished with an ankle injury of unknown severity...although don't think it was anything serious. Whew! Rookie Alex Green did not suit up last night so we'll have to wait another week to see what he brings to the party.

For the quarterbacks, Aaron Rodgers found his rhythm in the second series, Matt Flynn engineered a 2-minute drill drive nearly the length of the field for a TD, and Graham Harrell got extended playing time...and needs more. He had three fumbles on the evening, one a blind side hit where a lineman or tight end failed to pick up the outside rusher; that was returned for a TD by the Browns.

The defense didn't do much of note either, really, particularly in the way of getting pressure on Browns QB Colt McCoy who, as a result, looked pretty sharp last evening. It was nice to see second-year safety Morgan Burnett stick his nose in on a few tackles; it was his first contact since the leg injury which ended his promising rookie season last year. And rookie D-backs Josh Gordy and M.D. Jennings both got interceptions to help them get noticed, if not by the Packers perhaps by some other teams.

Mention should also be made that punter Tim Masthay did an outstanding job last evening. He had five punts averaging 52.2 yards each, with a long of 60 yards. Granted, it's not punting outdoors in December, but you still like to see this kind of consistent performance out of your punter especially so early on. His hang times were also tremendous. Special teams tackling, however, left a bit to be desired. But, hey, it's early and lots of young players are playing special teams perhaps for the first time in a long time...or ever. They'll get the hang of it...or they'll be gone.

One player who probably didn't take advantage of his opportunities was undrafted rookie kick returner and wide receiver, Shaky Smithson. He did have three returns for an average of about 24 yards each, with a long of 25. His lone punt return went for three yards. Not bad, but not enough to win the wows that are needed to land a spot on the roster or practice squad. The youngster has a great personal story and he's a young man you have to root for. So this writer will. I hope he takes one all the way back Friday night at Lambeau Field versus the Cardinals.

There might be a few more observations which could be made, and perhaps will be. But in the meantime...enjoy your day.

And remember: it's great to be a Packer fan!

Gettin' ready for Packers football - preseason game #1

2011-08-13T15:47:00.000-05:00

The team buses pulled into Cleveland stadium (does it have a corporate name, btw?) about 15 minutes or so ago as this post is written. Kickoff for the first preseason game of the Packers repeat championship season is a little more than three hours away.

Football!!!

Yes, it's only preseason. And who knows what the quality of play will be given the lack of OTAs and minicamps due to the lockout? But there are one or two givens: the veteran starters will see limited play, while rookies and others on the bubble (mentioned much earlier than usual because of the shortened player evaluation period) will see most of the action.

The primary competition on the offensive line is at left guard. Rookie Derek Sherrod and veteran T.J. Lang will battle for that spot. Marshall Newhouse will likely see a lot of play at left tackle while Chad Clifton is saved for more important days ahead. Nick McDonald will get extended play at center behind Scott Wells.

As we well know, there is an abundance of talent at wide receiver and tight end. Some folks will be auditioning for other teams in these next few games as the chances of sticking with the Pack are slim, unless they can be slid onto the practice squad down the road.

At running back, the question is who will take Brandon Jackson's spot as the third-down back protecting Aaron Rodgers and catching passes out of the backfield. Will this be FB John Kuhn's role? Or will James Starks or rookie Alex Green be able to step in?

There is obviously no controversy at quarterback. The only question may be, since Matt Flynn established his credentials as a solid number 2 and potential starter -- just not in Green Bay -- whether backup Graham Harrell can display enough to have the Pack see him as a backup to Rodgers. It's likely that Flynn will be gone next season, either through trade or free agency, and the Packers have to be comfortable with Harrell. We should see him a good deal in these first two games, at least.

On the defensive side of things, coordinator Dom Capers will want to see whether Mike Neal, C.J. Wilson and Jarius Wynn can make up for the departure of Cullen Jenkins. In the linebacker corps, who will win the spot playing opposite Clay Matthews? Frank Zombo? Brad Jones? Erik Walden? And in the defensive backfield, it's another logjam. But Charles Woodson, Tramon Williams and Sam Shields are not expected to play this evening, leaving lots of room for veterans Jarrett Bush and Pat Lee to show their wares, along with undrafted rookie Brandian Ross.

On special teams, it will be nice to see if the Packers have a legitimate punt and/or kick returner in their midst at long last. Shaky Smithson and Randall Cobb will get their chances, as might Alex Green...and anyone else the Packers want to get a look at. We've been waiting so long, at this point let's try anyone!

Anyway, starting to feel the excitement once again. No, it's not the same as the regular season. We won't fret if they lose. We'd like to see the Pack win, of course, but mainly we don't want anyone getting hurt. Beyond that, we want to see which players are going to grab the brass ring and make the most of their opportunities.

Football!!!

Go Pack Go!!!

Thoughts on Packers' Chandler, White House visit, and more

2011-08-12T19:50:00.000-05:00

News hit on Thursday that kicker Don Chandler, from the legendary Lombardi teams of the 1960s, had died in Tulsa, OK, after fighting cancer. He was 76 years of age.

As the great article in yesterday's Milwaukee Journal Sentinel by Tyler Dunne noted, Chandler was instrumental in the Glory Years teams' playoff and championship runs. He may not have received all the credit he was due at the time, but his fellow teammates knew exactly how important he was to the teams' successess, especially in clutch situations. Read the article for comments from Chandler's teammates such as Zeke Bratkowski and Carroll Dale which reiterate that fact.

On a personal note, I remember as a kid that there was some kind of Don Chandler kicking instruction booklet being marketed (does this date me???). As a regular Punt-Pass-Kick participant (and sometime winner) back in the day, I remember reading, studying and practicing that straight-on kicking style until my leg hurt. But...it helped. Didn't get me to the pros. But still...it was like taking personal instruction from a member of the Green Bay Packers. Didn't get any better than that. Well, except for meeting Ray Nitschke and other Packers when they'd do their winter basketball games versus local high school teachers. (Wouldn't it have been nice if that was part of the new collective bargaining agreement? Players must play at least three charity benefit basketball games within their locale during the offseason. Ah, to dream...)

Pack visits White House
Today was the long-awaited official visit of the Super Bowl Champions to the White House. It was somewhat of a scenic route journey for the Pack as they head to Cleveland for their first preseason game of this new season Saturday night.

Of course, this visit was especially sweet as President Obama is a fan of Da Bearz. Which, for those with short-term memory issues, is the team the Packers beat in the NFC Championship -- in Chicago -- to earn the trip to the Super Bowl. QB Aaron Rodgers presented the President with a Packers jersey with the number "1" on it and "CommanderinChief" as the name on the back. CB Charles Woodson, who declared in the Packers locker room that if the President wouldn't come to see them in the Super Bowl (as he had said he'd do if Da Bearz had won the NFC) then the Packers would go see him. And thus it came to pass. Woodson presented the President with a minority shareholder certificate for the Packers. Upon receiving it, the President joked (as he did frequently during the visit) that now that he was an owner he'd like to trade Aaron Rodgers to Da Bearz. Ouch! That had to hurt, eh, Jay Cutler? Major dis from the Prez. Gotta love it.

One ex-Packer makes the White House cut, one current player doesn't
One nice touch by the Packers was including recently-released veteran Mark Tauscher as part of the travelling party. Tauscher, as all fans know, spent his entire professional playing career with the Packers. He's apparently undecided yet as to whether he will try to resume his career elsewhere or retire. If there's any player that deserved to be there -- even if he's not currently on the roster -- it's Tauscher. Nice move, Packers.

But one current Packers player, Desmond Bishop, was not allowed in the White House even though he made the trip. The glitch, according to a Tweet by Bishop, was that he had forgotten his photo ID on the plane. Without it, there was no admittance past the White House security. Oops! Well, Bishop took it in stride, noting that he'd be sure to have it with him the next time the Packers visit the White House. Which all Packer fans, of course, believe will be at the end of this football season.

Ahman Green retires
Some may have thought this already happened, given Green's waning career in lesser leagues. But he wanted to retire as a Packer. To that end, the Packers signed Green to a one-day contract, as is usual in these situations, so Green could go out in style with the team for which he is the all-time leading rusher. Congrats, Mr. Green. See you in the Packers Hall of Fame.

Quick takes on Packers' quick practice

2011-08-07T11:23:00.001-05:00

For the third time in four years, the Packers' Family Night event at Lambeau was shortened due to stormy weather rolling through. In effect, the glorified practice before more than 43,000 fans amounted to three drives by the number one offense versus the number two defense. It lasted perhaps about 20 minutes. But at least after the storm cleared, fans were treated to the promised fireworks...not of the football variety...real fireworks.

So, what can we take from this all-too-brief team scrimmage?

Firstly, rookie T/G Derek Sherrod, at 6'5" and 321 lbs., looked huge playing left guard, where the Packers have been working him extensively the first week of camp. Looks as if he has good movement. Definitely has the size to play left tackle but that is still veteran Chad Clifton's job, although Marshall Newhouse filled in at that spot last evening.

Second-year running back James Starks looks a bit bigger -- supposedly he added about 15 pounds of muscle according to some reports -- and extremely quick. He had a couple runs last evening, one in particular, where he waited for the lane to open and with what seemed like two quick steps was through the defense. Very fast and explosive. Great to see veteran Ryan Grant back, as well. But if Starks continues to display this combination of explosive moves and speed it might be hard to keep the ball out of his hands. Combined with Grant and rookie Alex Green -- who the coaches are also high on -- defenses will be hard pressed to defend both the run and the Packers' passing game.

Speaking of the passing game, it was great to see James Jones back. Jordy Nelson made a nice catch on a fade route in the endzone for a TD. And rookie Randall Cobb -- another one the coaches are pleased with at this point -- made a nice move on an underthrown ball. He's going to add another element for defenders to worry about downfield.

QB Aaron Rodgers looked as if he was getting into rhythm with new receivers and never missed a beat with his long-time receivers.

Defensively, we didn't get a chance to see the number ones last night. So can't really say much on this side of the ball. Except that undrafted rookie free agent CB Brandian Ross made a nice read on Aaron Rodgers' first pass of the evening, jumped it, and wound up getting an interception return for a pick-6 TD. No Lambeau Leap, though...hey, he's a rookie. He said in post-scrimmage comments that Charles Woodson, Tramon Williams and other veteran defensive backs had been helping him along. Appeared as if he was listening to whatever they were telling him. Given the logjam at cornerback, Ross might be a longshot to make the the team. But he's someone to keep your eye on. Seemed very thoughtful, respectful, and has instincts for the position. He'll have a job somewhere if not in Green Bay.

That's about all we could get out of last night's scrimmage. Unfortunately, especially for the rookies, they weren't able to get more repetitions. But Coach McCarthy and the Packers err on the side of keeping the players healthy and safe. The team is off today as, under the new collective bargaining agreement, they are only allowed to practice four days in a row. They'll be back to work Monday. Friday is an off day which will see the Super Bowl champs visiting the White House to be honored by the President (and Da Bearz fan). Saturday they'll be in Cleveland for the first preseason game of the new football year.

Football. You gotta love it. Glad it's back!

Go Pack Go!!!

Jones back in Green Bay after all

2011-07-31T15:45:00.001-05:00

Several days ago, it looked as if Green Bay Packer wide receiver and unrestricted free agent James Jones was as good as gone. First, to the ViQueens...but then they signed Michael Jenkins from Atlanta instead. Then, it looked as if Jones might got to the Jets...but they wound up signing Plaxico Burress. Opportunities for the big deal Jones wanted seemed to be drying up. And, given the abbreviated time teams now have to make deals, evaluate talent in training camp and come to their final roster decisions, free agent players also have to make some quick choices.

Whatever and however it finally came together, James Jones will be back with the Pack for a reported three-year deal. That has to make his quarterback very happy. Aaron Rodgers not only publicly said that re-signing Jones should be the team's number one priority but also is said to have personally lobbied GM Ted Thompson to get Jones back. Fellow wide receivers Donald Driver and Greg Jennings also added their support for Jones rejoining the team.

Certainly Jones showed real moments of brilliance last season. He has the makings of being a great receiver, no doubt. But he also drove Packer fans and coaches crazy with drops in too many key situations. If he can overcome that lack of focus, Jones could have a breakout season and can make the Packers receiving corps even a greater threat than last year.

As I wrote in my post here yesterday, I thought the chance of Jones returning was less than 50 percent; but that was before the Jets signed Burress...that changed the dynamics of the situation considerably.

Congratulations, Mr. Jones. Glad you're back with the Pack for another Championship run.

You can read more about Jones deal here.

Kuhn also back with the Pack
Late breaking news: FB John Kuhn has also signed a three-year deal to return to Green Bay. Kuhn was another player that Rodgers felt was key to the offense and the team's Super Bowl run of last season.

For Packers, it's ch-ch-ch-changes

2011-07-30T20:36:00.001-05:00

Since the moves recounted in the last posts here at PackerFansUnited.com on Thursday, the Green Bay Packers have:

Released 11-year veteran right tackle and Wisconsin native son, Mark Tauscher. (Thank you, Tausch, for being a great Badger and Packer. Look forward to seeing you in the Packers Hall of Fame!)
Released veteran linebacker Brandon Chillar, who had the bad misfortune of apparently sustaining a serious hamstring injury 2 weeks before the start of camp
Lost DE Cullen Jenkins in free agency to the Eagles
Lost FB Korey Hall in free agency to the Saints
Did not re-sign S Atari Bigby as demonstrated by the team awarding his #20 to rookie RB, Alex Green.
Signed their remaining draft picks, OL Derek Sherrod, RB Alex Green, and DB Davon House
Re-signed TE Spencer Havner and WR Brett Swain
Commenced training camp, held their first meetings, scheme installation, and evening practice

Even head coach Mike McCarthy added to his personal roster: his wife gave birth to their second daughter Thursday evening...think he's a little sleep deprived right now?

About the only key Packer free agent left on the board is James Jones (yes, John Kuhn is still unsigned as well, but will likely return to the Pack). According to reports, and following Minnesota's signing today of former Atlanta receiver, Michael Jenkins, Jones is now being pursued by the Jets and Cardinals, as well as the Packers. But you just don't know how much GM Ted Thompson is going to be willing to pay. I'd still say the odds are Jones does not return to the Pack.

One advantage of the new CBA and the whirlwind week of training camp start-up activity is that player holdouts, whether veteran or rookie draft picks, are virtually nil as far as the Packers goes. Given the changes on the squad already, and with many players coming back off injured reserve, there is a real awareness that there's not much time to compete for a job. Players have to make the most of every moment they have right now. The Packers will field the best players, of course, for the final squad. To make it onto that elite, defending Super Bowl Champion roster, they have to shine...now. Expect one of the most competitive training camps you've ever seen.

Stay tuned to PackerFansUnited.com for ongoing updates. And follow us on Twitter for even more timely news flashes and commentary.

Brandon Jackson goes to Browns

2011-07-28T20:45:00.000-05:00

Green Bay Packers veteran third-down running back and unrestricted free agent, Brandon Jackson, has signed a two-year contract worth $4.5 million with the Cleveland Browns according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Given the return of Ryan Grant, the emergence last season of James Starks, and the drafting of Hawaii running back Alex Green, it was almost a given that Jackson might look for a deal elsewhere. He always wanted to be an every-down back, and had been given the opportunity to be just that in Green Bay on occasion, but was best suited to protecting Aaron Rodgers in third down pass blocking situations and to being a relief valve in the passing game.

With the drafting of a few receivers and tight ends who could fill Jackson's shoes as an H-back in specific situations, Jackson's role in the offense might very well have been diminished. The Packers obviously were thinking much the same thing.

Thank you, Mr. Jackson for your good and valuable service to the Green Bay Packers. Good luck in Cleveland.

Spitz heading to Jacksonville
There is further late breaking news this evening that C Jason Spitz has signed a multi-year deal with the Jaguars. Thanks and good luck, Mr. Spitz.

More departures and signings expected...hard to keep up! But we'll do our best.

Packers release Harrell and Poppinga

2011-07-28T18:36:00.000-05:00

In the current NFL funhouse, where what was thought to be one thing may turn out to be something else altogether, reports of DE Cullen Jenkins going to the Redskins seem to have fizzled, while others indicating that the Green Bay Packers have released LB Brady Poppinga and DE Justin Harrell seem to be solid. And, yes, LG Daryn Colledge has indeed been signed by Arizona, and the ViQueens are hot on the trail of WR James Jones.

With me so far?

Poppinga had a big motor which helped overcome average talent as a linebacker. He ultimately became a casualty, not unlike fellow linebacker Nick Barnett, of his season-ending injury last year; the Packers were able to find -- and win -- with other linebackers filling in without missing a beat.

Harrell was and is GM Ted Thompson's biggest draft bust during his tenure. An overall #16 pick in the first round, Harrell had been hurt in college and was a stretch at that slot given the injury history. He was never able to stay healthy and on the field. The Packers gave him every opportunity to get healthy, where other teams likely would have cut him several years ago. Having said that, virtually everyone covering the Packers from the inside, as opposed to those of us looking in from the hinterland, says Harrell is hands down one of the nicest young men you'd ever want to meet. He was the kind of character person and player that the Packers want on their roster. Unfortunately, character can't make tackles and the plug was finally pulled.

Thanks to both Brady Poppinga and Justin Harrell for their service to the Packers, and good luck to you in the future.

Undrafted free agents finalized
Initial reports two days ago indicated that the Packers had reached agreements with 16 undrafted rookie free agents. Today, final signings have been announced. They are:

WR/KR Antoine “Shaky” Smithson, Utah
WR Tori Gurley, South Carolina
LB Jamari Lattimore, Middle Tennessee State
C Sampson Genus, South Florida
S M.D. Jennings, Arkansas State
DE Vic So’oto, BYU
QB Diondre Borel, Utah State (possible WR in the NFL)
OL Theo Sherman, James Madison
OL Ray Dominguez, Arkansas
WR Kerry Taylor, Arizona State
LB Eli Joseph, Temple (incorrectly listed earlier as NT)
S Anthony Bratton, Delaware
FB Jon Hoese, Minnesota
DB Brandian Ross, Youngstown State
RB Brandon Saine, Ohio State

You can read brief bios on each of these players here.

Vegas sees Pack and Pats with most wins
A report out earlier today stated that the oddsmakers at Las Vegas' MGM Grand had figured the Packers and the Patriots with the most wins in the league, with 11-1/2 each...not sure how you get that half-game win but that's Vegas, right?

Hello, I must be going...

2011-07-28T10:52:00.000-05:00

As the whirlwind feeding frenzy (is that a mixed metaphor?) of the first week of the NFL's new collective bargaining agreement continues, the Green Bay Packers will be bidding adieu to a few longtime veterans.

Barnett, Colledge, Jenkins and Jones...going, going...
As reported the Tuesday, LB Nick Barnett was informed by the Packers they would attempt to trade him or, failing that, part ways with him when today's release timeline kicks in. Late yesterday, free agent LG Daryn Colledge apparently agreed to terms with the Arizona Cardinals, according to NFL.com. A Tweet from Colledge this morning confirmed that his days in Green Bay were done following conversations with Arizona. The St. Louis Rams had also been rumored to be a possible suitor. Nothing can be made official until tomorrow, however. According to both Colledge and his agent, the Packers "never showed interest" in resigning him. Apparently, GM Ted Thompson and the coaching staff feels confident that either veterans T. J. Lang, Nick McDonald or Marshall Newhouse can fill the slot at least as well -- and cheaper -- than Colledge, or rookie first round-pick Derek Sherrod will be be able to do what Bryan Bulaga did last season and step right into the fray.

Thank you, Mr. Colledge, for never missing a game during your tenure as a member of the Packers. You never got the appreciation you deserved, in this writer's opinion, for your solid service. You weren't a Pro Bowler, but you weren't chopped liver either, as the saying goes. Good luck in the desert.

Another apparent, although not unexpected, loss for the Packers in free agency is DE Cullen Jenkins. Reports this morning indicate that Jenkins has come to terms with the Washington Redskins although, again, nothing can finalized until Friday. Well, at least he's not going to Da Bearz.

One possible inter-division free agent loss that is getting some buzz this morning is that WR James Jones may be going to the ViQueens. With Sidney Rice bolting the 'Queens for the Seahawks, Minnesota is now desperate for a starting receiver to play opposite Percy Harvin. Jones has made it clear he wants the opportunity to be a starter. While Packers QB Aaron Rodgers stated on a radio program yesterday that he felt re-signing Jones was a priority for the team as he saw things, Jones will likely be offered more money than the Packers are willing to pay. My guess is Jones will be dressing in purple this Fall -- just as other former Packers have (what's up with that, by the way?). Stay tuned.

Crosby scores a deal
The Packers did come to terms yesterday, however, with one free agent: kicker Mason Crosby. He apparently will be signing a five-year $14.75 million deal with $3 million in guaranted money. There seems to be some mixed feelings about this deal among Packer fans. While Crosby's leg strength has never been in question, his accuracy has been at times, and stats demonstrate he is below the NFL average in that regard. He also is merely 1 for 4 in game-winning kicks. Speaking for myself, I have had very little confidence when he comes in for those clutch kicks. I hope to have that opinion reversed over the next five years.

Shareholders meeting today
Today is the annual meeting for Packers shareholders, which is being held at Lambeau Field. Will do a re-cap of anything newsworthy that might arise.

...And on the first day of the new CBA...

2011-07-26T21:22:00.001-05:00

Day One of the new NFL collective bargaining agreement saw many players arriving at team facilities, many others in transit and teams beginning the frenzy of signing, trading and releasing players.

The Green Bay Packers made a number of moves today. The most important from a personnel and budget cap standpoint is the pending trade or -- more likely -- release of eight-year veteran LB Nick Barnett. GM Ted Thompson met with Barnett early this morning and told him of the team's plans. Certainly had to hurt, but just as certainly Barnett couldn't have been too surprised. Given the Packers' cap situation, the fact that Barnett would have been due more than $5 million in salary, the fact that Barnett has been injured two of the last three seasons, and the fact that the Packers made their successful end-of-season/playoff/Super Bowl run without him, the writing was on the wall.

Farewell, Mr. Barnett, thank you for your service and for being a great Packer. Good luck wherever you land next.

There is no word at the time of this posting as to the status of Cullen Jenkins, James Jones, Mason Crosby or John Kuhn, all unrestricted free agents. Speculation is that Jenkins will take a bigger deal elsewhere, while Crosby is expected to be re-signed; there are reportedly 12 free agent kickers on the market. Kuhn indicated that he would test the market. As for Jones, QB Aaron Rodgers was reported to have stated that re-signing him was "priority number one," at least as he saw it. So, stay tuned. These will be interesting days ahead, full of roster activity.

Undrafted free agent signings

Teams across the league were busy today signing undrafted free agents. The Packers were no different, adding 16 players according to various sources. They are:

WR/KR Antoine “Shaky” Smithson, Utah
WR Tori Gurley, South Carolina
LB Jamari Lattimore, Middle Tennessee State
C Sampson Genus, South Florida
S M.D. Jennings, Arkansas State
DE Vic So’oto, BYU
QB Diondre Borel, Utah State (possible WR in the NFL)
OL Theo Sherman, James Madison
OL Ray Dominguez, Arkansas
WR Kerry Taylor, Arizona State
NT Eli Joseph, Temple
LB Peanut Joseph, Temple
S Anthony Bratton, Delaware
FB Jon Hoese, Minnesota
DB Brandian Ross, Youngstown State
RB Brandon Saine, Ohio State

Among the most intriguing, at least on paper and/or video seem to be Shaky Smithson and Tori Gurley. Smithson in particular could finally be the punt and kick returner the Pack hasn't had since the days of Desmond Howard. He will no doubt be given every chance to secure that role. As for Gurley, the length of his arms is apparently sasquatch-like and that makes him attractive as a receiving target...along with his 6'4" height and 4.53 40 speed, of course. And let's not forget the Joseph twins, Eli and Peanut, from Temple. Whether they make the final roster or not, it's at least a bit of future trivia that there was once a player in camp named "Peanut" AND his twin brother was in camp at the same time.

Ding dong the deal is done!

2011-07-25T17:15:00.000-05:00

At long last, the NFL lockout is over, although the players still have to ratify the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) and recertify their union. Bottom line: those are formalities and it's a done deal.

So, let's say it loud and say it proud: Go Pack Go!!!

Yes, we fans of the Super Bowl Champion Green Bay Packers can now start chomping at the bit again. Because while free agent, drafted and undrafted rookie signings will now be compressed into the negotiating equivalent of a thimble, the Pack's existing roster is already loaded. Remember all the players coming back off IR from last season?

Questions, at least among fans, concern what the Pack will do with some of their own free agents, such as Cullen Jenkins, Daryn Colledge and James Jones among others. The consensus of the chit chat over the past few months seems to be about evenly split: some fans hope the Packers keep each of these players, some say let 'em walk. I have to admit to having a split mind on these guys myself. But there won't be a lot of guessing; we'll likely know by the end of the week who the Packers will re-sign and who they won't.

Keep in mind also that under the new CBA, the training camp rosters have been expanded by 10 players, from 80 to 90. That means Ted Thompson will have even more of a field day signing undrafted rookies for camp. The downside is that he and the coaching staff will have only about a month to evaluate them and set their final rosters. Given the depth of the Packers' roster it will be tough for a rookie, especially an undrafted one, to crack the regular season roster particularly given the accelerated learning curve. But Thompson is known for finding hidden gems, with last season being a prime example. So anything is possible.

It's going to be a busy time for all the players, coaches and management. Players can begin using team facilities tomorrow and, in the case of the Packers, report for camp Friday, with the likely first practice being on Saturday as previously scheduled. The first preseason game is still set for Aug. 13. There's a lot to be done before then. But if any team is in position to handle it all, it is the Packers.

No doubt, Packers shareholders will be hearing all about that -- and more -- at the upcoming shareholders meeting this Thursday at Lambeau Field.

For the first time for the upcoming 2011 season, say it with me: It's great to be a Packer fan!

Packer Fans: Are You Ready for Some Football?!

2011-07-20T11:56:00.000-05:00

Silly question, isn't it? Of course fans of the Green Bay Packers are ready for football. We were ready for more football as soon as the Pack won Super Bowl XLV and brought the Lobmardi Trophy back to Green Bay. When you are a Super Bowl champ (or even a fan thereof) you can't wait to get back in the mode of winning another. And, oh, by the way, in case you haven't heard, the Packers are favored by many prognosticators to play in this season's Super Bowl versus the Patriots. There's even some analysis out there -- you can find it if you look hard enough, trust me -- that the Packers are a team, if not the team, best positioned to dominate over the next several years. Looking at the management, the coaching staff and the roster you'd be hard pressed to find a a better organization anywhere in football. Yes, I'm a homer and readily admit it. But there are plenty of folks out there besides yours truly saying the same thing. So there.

But first, we need the lockout to end. And, as I suggested here in my last post, I thought a deal would definitely get done by the end of this month. I'm sticking with that. The deal may come, as rumored, as soon as this weekend. Let's hope so. The Packers sure seem to think so: they're reportedly getting Ray Nitschke Field -- the Pack's training facility -- prepared for action. And St. Norbert College in De Pere, home going back to the 1950s for the Packers' training camp, is also making preparations as if camp will be starting on time.

So, let's be optimistic. There's too much money to be lost if this drags on. And when push comes to shove, that's usually what will get a deal done...the loss of real dollars in the bank account not dollars merely on paper.

So...how are you enjoying the lockout?

2011-07-13T21:27:00.000-05:00

It's been a long while since my last post here, although for those that follow on Twitter (@packfansunited ... you can click the Twitter link here in the righthand column, as well ... a-hem) you know that I've been more active there of late. Most tweets (or re-tweets), but not all, are football related. The most exciting tweets of note the last several days had to do with that other kind of football -- or futbol, as called in some part of the world -- we in the U.S. call soccer. Specifically, the U.S. Women's World Cup team. They're headed to the finals after a thrilling quarterfinal game against Brazil and nearly as an exciting semifinal match against France. To be honest, I've never been a big soccer fan. But I am a sports fan. Friends know I will likely watch anything if it's competitive and interesting enough. And that's been the story on this World Cup stuff. So...yeah, I'm enjoying this level of competition. But will I watch any of the pro soccer league matches that get televised? Hmmmm...doubt it. Without a local or national connection with a team, c'mon, what's the point of watching?

Anyway, hadn't really intended to go off on this tangent about soccer. But on the other hand, it is an indicator of the general boredom football fans everywhere are experiencing as the lockout drags on and on.

Depending upon which reports you read or hear about, things are either really close to getting a deal done or are still miles apart. If there is an encouraging bit of news it seems to be that more pundits are apparently suggesting that they see the lockout over before the end of July. If so, most training camps would start close to on time, unless there was a built-in period for free agent signings before camps get underway. Some speculate that two pre-season games may be wiped out because of the timing of these things, if and when the deal does get finalized. Most players wouldn't mind that, although with teams missing perhaps the equivalent of up to two months of various workouts and organized team activities, you can figure things will be sloppy for quite a while, probably through as many as four to six games of the regular season.

The players who will be hurt most in this whole situation, of course, are the rookies. They have the most to learn and will have the least amount of time to learn it. Rookie impact players, one might expect, will be few and far between, although as the season goes on, as with the case of Packers RB James Starks last season, we will get glimpses of what might lie ahead. And the ironic thing is that, if you believe some of the reports, the area of negotiations that is currently hanging things up is regarding rookie compensation and length of contracts.

But others will also be hurt if this lockout drags on: communities and businesses that serve team training camps, wherever they might be. Lots of financial impact in these places will go bye-bye if the training camps are shortened or done away with altogether. And as the regular season gets shortened -- if it does -- the individual vendors and, in the case of Lambeau Field, charities that benefit from operating various concession stands during games will also lose out. While the league and players can't figure out how to divy up billions of dollars, it's possible many hard-working individuals who need the game-day money they make in order to help make ends meet are going to be taking it you-know-where.

So, I'm going to be optimistic and go along with the reports that a deal will get done by the end of July. Until then...I may just lock myself out of further posts. A solidarity thing, I guess you could say. Stay tuned. We'll be back. And there will be plenty of catching up to do.

Packers set for a real ring-ding tonight

2011-06-16T13:31:00.000-05:00

Members of the World Champion Green Bay Packers will tonight receive the individual keepsake that every NFL player and coach longs for: their Super Bowl ring. In a private ceremony at Lambeau Field, members of the Super Bowl winning squad, as well as coaches and staff, will finally receive their prize. Yes, there was of course the money winnings. But the ring is what they all want. The final design has been a closely-guarded secret; word is that it will somehow represent all four of the Pack's Super Bowl wins as well as the franchise's NFL record 13 overall championships.

The Lambeau Field Atrium, typically open to the public year-round during regular business hours, will reportedly be closed at about 4 p.m. today to allow for preparations, with the ring ceremony set to start around 7 p.m.

To get a flavor of what the rings mean to current as well as former players, you'd do well to read this great article in today's Milwaukee Journal Sentinel by Lori Nickel. While the players tonight are filled with anticipation, the players of past Packers championship teams are full of appreciation. LeRoy Butler, legendary safety from the Super Bowl XXXI championship team, is quoted in the article as saying, "When you actually put it on, you feel like you're not even worthy of it."

I won't detract from the rest of the article by trying to paraphrase it here. It's too good. Be sure to read it for some real insights into what this piece of jewelry really means to the players. And just know that, as each of the players, coaches and staff receive their rings, the great winning tradition of the best franchise in sports -- the Green Bay Packers -- continues.

Say it with me: It's great to be a Packers fan!

NFL lockout cosmic debris, including an 8-game season

2011-06-07T10:57:00.001-05:00

With a nod to the late, great Frank Zappa (cf., Cosmic Debris), let's catch up on a few bits and pieces of note from the cultural and sports wasteland currently known as the NFL lockout.

Donald Driver says Packers still basking in glow
On yesterday's edition of NFL Live on ESPN, Green Bay Packers wide receiver Donald Driver said the Packers were still basking in the glow of their Super Bowl victory. Why not? Nothing much else going on. He also said that, while players from some other teams had taken it upon themselves to work out together, members of the Packers are working out on their own. Following the phone interview with Driver, commentators Mike Golic and Tedy Bruschi said they were a bit surprised at Driver's comments. Being a veteran, they felt he needed to be projecting more of a "that was then this is now" (paraphrasing) attitude; the Super Bowl is over and the Packers players better stop basking in the glow and begin preparing for the season...whenever that is. Perhaps once the Packers players receive their rings in a private ceremony on June 16 they can begin moving on. By the way, more than 8,500 fans attended the Donald Driver charity softball event held in Appleton on Sunday. The Packers defense beat the offense, if I recall. There were some press reports yesterday that coach Mike McCarthy spent a lot of time Sunday night watching tape of the game to see what kind of shape his players were in. While the players may or may not yet be chomping at the bit to get to work it's pretty clear the coaches are more than ready.

Free Agents
On this last weekend's radio edition of Pro Football Weekly, publisher and editor Hub Arkush mentioned that roughly 30 percent of current NFL players are free agents. He noted that there will have to be some window of time for teams to sign free agents when the lockout ends. Combined with the article in PFW today which states that the NFL has plans in place for an eight-game season kicking off in -- wait for it -- November, and we can only hope the players and NFL get a deal done ASAP. Holy dash to the cash, Batman! Eight games?! Criminy! But I guess that would be better than no games. Which, whether anyone wants to admit it or not, is a possibility. Didn't the NHL shut things down for a year? OK, no comparison in fan base, granted. But this is business with mega-dollars at stake, and if both sides continue to stay dug in anything can happen.

Let us pray...

Memorial Weekend...time to reflect

2011-05-27T11:05:00.000-05:00

The Memorial Day holiday weekend is a time in the U.S. where most folks pause -- even if but for a moment -- to remember the sacrifices of prior and current generations to keep our country free. Usually, this focuses on military sacrifices. Certainly, this nation arose out of a revolution, was nearly torn apart by a civil war, and established itself as a world leader willing to fight for the cause of liberty anywhere in the world. I know, that fighting for peace thing often seems like an oxymoron. But even in certain religious/theological circles there is the notion of a "just war."

Anyway...this post isn't meant to digress into a treatise on national history or military actions. Rather, it's just intended to take a moment...to pause...to reflect...to consider, particularly for those of us here in the U.S., the sacrifices of all who came before us to help make us the country we are today. We also need to remember and express our gratitude to our current service men and women for the sacrifices they and their families are making today, in a very different but equally threatening world. And we can also take a moment to give a nod to our ancestors for, most likely, taking the risk to come to this country at some point in time and make it their home. They survived and thrived one way or another. You and I are here because of their courage and hard work.

Peace will prevail. Let it begin with each of us.

NFL and Packers stuff
We'll get back to all-things Packers once there is actually something of note to talk about. The lockout still continues. The scuttlebutt seems to be that nothing much is going to happen until mid or late July. That's when panic will start to set in on owners and players alike. Waiting to the last minute to get something done is characteristically human. So, when faced with loss of real money through missed games, etc., that's when things will get done.

Football seems almost like a dim memory, doesn't it? Is it just me or did the Packers' Super Bowl win seem like it happened years ago instead of months ago? And will they be the most affected, least affected or won't this lockout really matter at all to the team as they gear up for a repeat as Super Bowl Champions? Time will tell. Certainly the rookies will likely be affected most negatively. Offenses will be out of synch for a while, with the upper hand going to the defenses initially.

In the meantime, the Packers will be receiving their Super Bowl rings at a private ceremony at Lambeau Field on June 16. The team had to receive special permission from the NFL to hold the ceremony as one of the conditions of the lockout is no contact between management and players except for charity events (such as the Packers' recently-completed trophy-tailgate tour throughout the state). The team still has yet to schedule the requisite visit to the White House for this same lockout condition.

So...enjoy your holiday weekend, Packers fans. We'll catch you again sometime soon.

Rodgers raises big bucks

2011-05-18T19:48:00.000-05:00

No, Green Bay Packers quarterback and Super Bowl MVP Aaron Rodgers hasn't gone into the business of raising deer as a way to subsidize his income during the NFL lockout. Rather, he was in Milwaukee last night as the guest of honor for a fundraiser for the Midwest Athletes Against Childhood Cancer (MACC) Fund. Rodgers' buddy, former NFL QB and Super Bowl winner, and current ESPN analyst, Trent Dilfer was the host. And according to all reports, this was quite the event.

As an article in today's Milwaukee Journal Sentinel about the event notes, last year's event -- also with Rodgers -- had about 180 people in attendance. Not bad. Raised about $35,000. Also not bad.

But ya know, it's amazing what winning a Super Bowl can do.

Last night, nearly 700 people attended. According to late reports today on Milwaukee radio station 620WTMJ, the event raised approximately $225,000. Key to that effort, was apparently an auction of two dinner-related items with Aaron Rodgers as part of the package. According to radio reports, each of those went for about $45,000. That's definitely some "belt-worthy" action.

Yes. It's good to be king. And if you can't be king, be the leader of the Pack who also wins a Super Bowl.

If you want to read more of the details of this event, including some very insightful comments from Rodgers, you can do so here.

Packers draft wrap-up: Rounds 4-7 (part 2)

2011-05-05T13:39:00.000-05:00

As we continue our tortoise-like review of the Green Bay Packers' 2011 draft selections, we are now able to start getting into those later-round picks which some speculate GM Ted Thompson (and, in this time of lockout, all general managers to at least some degree) may have used in lieu of the undrafted free agent signings which would have been occurring in abundance by this time. Since no free agents can be signed until the lockout is lifted, there's no telling when such signings might be happen.

Anyway, let's have a look at the later round 6 and 7 selections for the Packers.

D.J. Smith, OLB, Appalachian State: A small (5'11, 239 lbs) outside linebacker who has good speed (4.75 40-yd. time) and instincts. He led the Southern Conference with 144 tackles, which also ranked fifth nationally in 2010. He finished his career with 525 tackles, the most among all Division I players (FCS or FBS) active last season. He was also selected to The Butkus Award Preseason Watchlist for 2010. Not bad. Smith is obviously a player who likes to be in on the action and has the desire to excel judging by his performance and accolades throughout his college career. That's just the kind of player linebackers coach Kevin Greene loves. Smith could make an immediate impact on special teams.

Ricky Elmore, DE, Arizona: This player is a tough one to project. He's 6'5" and 255 lbs., a bit light for a defensive end. Odds are that the Packers move him to outside linebacker. In fact, Elmore kind of figured that out himself before the draft; more on that in a moment. Elmore started 34 games at Arizona in his last three years. Some draft-niks felt that he might actually have more long-term potential than the fellow he worked opposite of at Arizona, Brooks Reed, who was selected at #42 in the 2nd round by the Texans and who some thought the Pack might select at the end of the 1st round. At #197, the Packers don't have much to lose if he doesn't make it. What's intriguing about Elmore is that last season he was the Pac-10's leader with 11 sacks and Arizona's leader with 13 tackles for loss. He earned second-team All-Pac-10 Conference honors in 2010. He's one of those players that might wind up heading to the practice squad. But that might be underestimating him. Elmore wants to play in the NFL. And he was smart enough, as noted earlier, that his only chance would likely be as a linebacker. To that end, Elmore retained the training services of Clay Matthews, Jr. -- that would be father of the Packers' Clay Matthews III -- to help him train prior to the draft. He not only wound up training under a guy that really knows the linebacker position but who also just happened to be training another son, Casey Matthews, at the time. They became a training party of three. Actually, there's a great article about Elmore training with Matthews by Lori Nickel of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. It's worth your time reading, and you can do so here.

Ryan Taylor, TE, North Carolina: Pretty much typical size for a tight end, 6'4" and 255 lbs., Taylor runs the 40 in 4.74 seconds. Other than coming off a knee injury about the only other info of distinction about Taylor is that he set a school record in 2010 for most receptions by a tight end in a season with 36. So that shows good hands. If he can play special teams well he might just grab a final roster spot. A long shot. But...ya never know.

Lawrence Guy, DT, Arizona State: Last, but not least, among the Packers' draft selection at #233 in the 7th round, Guy might just be another guy (sorry, to easy to pass that one up). Guy left ASU after his junior year because, in interviews, he said (paraprhasing) he had accomplished and learned all he wanted to there and it was time to move on. Head case? Or just a bit of youthful bluster? Your guess. The one thing that you can't argue with, though, is his size (6'4" and 305 lbs.) He played defensive tackle at ASU but would likely be more ideally suited to the defensive end position for the Packers. Apparenltly scouts -- and the Packers -- see potential for Guy. There is no rush, as the Packers are OK at defensive end right now. If Guy could be developed on the practice squad -- and take coaching -- he might be another of those hidden gems that Thompson and his crew uncover year after year.

Well, Packer fans, that's it. We have finally completed our draft review of all 10 Packers' picks! Woo-hoo!!!

Go Pack Go!!!

Packers draft wrap-up: Rounds 4-7 (part 1)

2011-05-04T11:09:00.000-05:00

If it seems like we're stretching out this post-draft review for the Green Bay Packers...well, frankly, yes, we are. But so is just about every other sportswriter (not that I'm a sportswriter, of course...those guys get paid for timely commentary). After all, there are no free agent signings going on courtesy of the lockout, nor are there any mini-camps, OTAs, etc. And -- NEWSFLASH -- news just broke as I'm writing this that the NFL got a stay of the injunction, meaning the lockout will remain in place until June at the least. Not good, folks, not good.

So, what else is there to talk about right now except this last weekend's draft? Might as well drag this puppy out as long as we can. (By the way, that reference is a metaphor and not intended to get the folks at PETA upset. Just wanna make that clear.)

We left off our review at round 4.

Davon House, CB, New Mexico State: House is a big (listed at 6'1", 200 lbs.) and fast (4.50 40-yd. time at Combine) D-back who should immediately compete with the likes of veterans Pat Lee and Jarret Bush for nickel and other packages, including special teams. (Although, as a long-time critic of Bush's play, I have to acknowledge that he stepped up his game big time last year.) House was a four-year starter for the Aggies (the New Mexico State version, not Texas A&M). He is a physical cornerback, can play at the line and is good in coverage. He also is durable, having missed no games due to injury. He was not on a very good team this past season, which might be one of the reasons he may have not been selected in earlier rounds. Also, because of his cover ability, opposing teams generally tried to avoid throwing his way, which again may have made some teams overlook him. While D-back was not a great need for the Packers, as we saw last year, you can never have enough good players at any position. This looks like a very good pick, especially for the 4th round.

D.J. Williams, TE, Arkansas: This may just wind up being the steal of the draft for the Packers. Williams plays bigger than his size (6'2" 245 lbs.), but is primarily a receiving tight end more so than a blocking variety. He's got good speed (4.67 40-yd. time at Combine) and great hands. He won the Mackey Award as the nation's best college tight end this past season. He immediately upgrades the Packers' tight end corps. While not as good a blocker at this point as Andrew Quarless, he has much better hands. He can also be used coming out of the backfield as an H-back type player. Pairing Williams with Jermichael Finley in two-tight-end sets, along with the host of other offensive weapons coach Mike McCarthy can line up, should keep defensive coordinators up at night for a long time to come. Williams won the 2010 Disney Spirit Award, presented to college football's most inspirational individual, because of his personal story. He was selected All-SEC first team for the 2010 season. Expect great things for a long time to come from this player.

Caleb Schlauderauff, OG Utah: A name that scores 20 points in Scrabble: pronounced, by the way, as "chla-der-off." This was one of those picks, as many if not most are in the later rounds, that make you say, "Who?". But as we well know as Packer fans, these are often exactly the guys that GM Ted Thompson and his scouts find as real gems in the rough. Whether Schlauderauff turns out that way or not, who knows? There was no record of his performance at the Combine as he didn't participate due to pectoral and hamstring strains. He is a big body, 6'4" and 305 lbs, and started all 13 games at left guard for the Utes (as opposed to "da yutes" which is a not-so-obscure Joe Pesci film reference). In 2010 he was second-team Walter Camp and SI.com All-America offensive guard, third-team Associated Press All-American and first-team all-Mountain West Conference. He's said in scouting reports to be a physical blocker well suited to zone blocking schemes, which is just up the Packers' alley. Should Daryn Colledge depart, Schlauderauff -- can we just call him Caleb, for typo's sake, please?! -- could well compete with T.J. Lang for playing time.

We've only just begun to hit rounds 6 and 7, folks. Check back later for more. Yep, we're gonna milk this for all it's worth.

Packers draft wrap-up: Rounds 1-3

2011-05-02T18:27:00.000-05:00

Now that the dust has settled from the 2011 NFL Draft, we can begin to get a better feel for exactly what the latest members of the Green Bay Packers' rookie class might bring to the team. That's once the lockout is lifted, of course, and things get back to normal.

It should also be mentioned at the outset, however, that we'd also normally be talking about all the undrafted free agent signings at this point. That's not a part of the picture at the moment because of the lockout. Pundits suggest that, depending upon how long the lockout lasts, these are the players that stand to lose the most. And just think of the undrafted free agents that helped the Pack win a Super Bowl last season: CB Sam Shields and LB Frank Zombo among them. There are good players out there that for whatever reasons didn't hear their names called. We also know that GM Ted Thompson and his scouts are probably the best in the business at finding these hidden gems, and that head coach Mike McCarthy and his coaching staff are probably the best in the business at "coaching them up" to be valuable contributors -- perhaps even starters -- for the Green Bay Packers.

But, let's talk about what we do know about the 10 young men chosen to see what they can bring to make the already great Packers even greater. We'll start in this post with the Packers' selections through the first three rounds and then follow up later with the rest of the picks.

Derek Sherrod, OT, Mississippi State: Much this year like Bryan Bulaga was last year. Drafted to back up and learn behind LT Chad Clifton and be the heir apparent. Due to injuries last season, Bulaga filled in on occasion at left tackle but wound up solidifying the right side after veteran RT Mark Tauscher went down for the season. The good news is Sherrod doesn't have to start right away. But he will compete, and you can be sure that offensive line coach James Campen will have Sherrod ready to go if need be. Whether he or Bulaga ultimately fill the left or right tackle slot is a decision that will come down the road.

Randall Cobb, WR/Returner, Kentucky: As Thompson said in his comments about Cobb following his selection, Cobb basically was Kentucky's offense. In addition to being an excellent receiver, Cobb also spent time at Kentucky at quarterback, running back ala wildcat, returner and even as the holder for field goals. Think McCarthy and crew won't find a way to have this guy make plays? One area where he could make an immediate impact is on punt and kick returns where, as every fan knows, the Pack hasn't exactly been great since what seems like forever. As a receiver, word is that Cobb is perhaps better suited to the slot than as a wideout. This gives him the opportunity to learn behind one of the best at that position, Donald Driver. But we also know that McCarthy likes to have his receivers be able to play at any of the positions. You can be sure new receivers coach, Edgar Bennett, will maximize Cobb's potential. The selection of Cobb also gives the Packers a bit of flexibility and depth should WR James Jones depart in free agency, as some speculate.

Alexander Green, RB, Hawaii: This seemed to be a bit of a surprise pick. Not because we didn't expect Thompson to select a running back, but because this player's name didn't seem to be on anyone's pre-draft radar this high...except for Thompson's, of course. Given the uncertainty of Ryan Grant's return to form, and the half-season and playoff wonder that was James Starks, the Pack's running back situation is a bit uncertain. Brandon Jackson is expected to leave in free agency, which opens up a slot for a third-down back such a Green. He gained over 9 yards per carry in Hawaii's spread offense. He had about 1,500 all-purpose yards last season and 19 touchdowns. Green is 6'0" and 225 lbs. He's got a chance to make a real impact if he can pick up blocking sets, which is an area at which Jackson was generally very good. Green could be yet another dynamic weapon for Aaron Rodgers in what is, as commentator Ron Jaworski called it during draft coverage, an awesome offense.

That's the first three rounds. Rounds four through seven later. Keep checking back for updates.

Packers draft wrap-up...Part 1

2011-04-30T19:00:00.000-05:00

The 2011 NFL Draft is in the books for the Green Bay Packers and the other 31 teams in the league. The draft, by all appearances, is a good one for the Pack. Here's a quick look at the picks:

1st Round #32 - Derek Sherrod, OT, Mississippi State
2nd Round #64 - Randall Cobb, WR/Returner, Kentucky
3rd Round #96 - Alex Green, RB, Hawaii
4th Round #131 - Davon House, DB, New Mexico State
5th Round #141 - D.J. Williams, TE, Arkansas
6th Round #171 - Caleb Schlauderaff, OG, Utah
6th Round #186 - D.J. Smith, LB, Appalachian State
6th Round #197 - Ricky Elmore, DL, Arizona
7th Round #217 - Ryan Taylor, TE, North Carolina
7th Round #233 - Lawrence Guy, DT, Arizona State

We'll be back tomorrow with a more thorough review of this draft. But by all initial looks, GM Ted Thompson and his scouting crew have done an excellent job making a great team even greater by adding depth at key slots. A competitive depth chart will be even more competitive...whenever the lockout ends. And that doesn't even include the undrafted free agents who can't be signed yet by any team because of the lockout. Some good players are still sitting on the sidelines. Literally.

Feel good, folks. Because it's great to be a Packers fan!

Go Pack Go!!!

What do rounds 4-7 hold for Packers?

2011-04-30T09:37:00.001-05:00

It's less than two hours to the start of the final day of the 2011 NFL Draft and rounds 4 through 7. What's ahead for the Green Bay Packers? The quick answer is: who knows? Well, OK, GM Ted Thompson knows, but that doesn't do the rest of us much good at the moment, does it?

After throwing all or most of us a curve ball (is that an appropriate metaphor for football?) during the first three rounds -- going all offense -- we have to believe that Thompson will turn his eye more toward the defense with his remaining picks. Yes, they will stick to their best-player-available philosophy. But if it's a toss-up, you just have to think the Packers' selection might skew more to the defensive player.

The Packers can still use additional depth on the defensive line, outside linebacker, and cornerback. Having said that, if there is an offensive guard or center prospect on the board that might add to the line, have no doubt that Thompson will pull the trigger there, too.

Speculation that the Packers might draft a quarterback in later rounds has perhaps lessened with the team's second-round selection of Randall Cobb. While primarily a wide receiver/returner, Cobb offers the Packers incredible flexibility because he was a quarterback in high school and early in his college career at Kentucky. He has also played out of the "wildcat" formation. I wouldn't expect Mike McCarthy to go that route and take Aaron Rodgers off the field. But the fact that Cobb has the tools to play quarterback in an emergency situation is certainly a better option than Greg Jennings, the current emergency quarterback. As a result, I think this frees up Thompson to use a pick for something other than a QB in these late rounds. It's possible someone might still be signed as an undrafted free agent for training camp purposes, whenever that is allowed under the current lockout. Teams need camp arms and the Pack is no different in that regard.

All in all, through the first three rounds, we have to give the Packers an "A-" grade. All three of the first picks, OT Derek Sherrod, WR/R Randall Cobb, and RB Alex Green all can make immediate contributions to the Packers. And that's saying a lot when you're rookies come to an already well-stocked Super Bowl Championship team. It will be interesting to see how Thompson approaches these remaining rounds as this is where teams are really built, and also where Thompson has often had some of his best picks.

As one reporter noted about the Packers' selections so far, the rich get richer. As Packer fans, we love it when they talk like that!

Go Pack Go!!!

Packers pick up Hawaii running back Green

2011-04-29T21:38:00.000-05:00

It's only appropriate that a running back with the last name Green goes to the Green Bay Packers: the Pack selected Hawaii RB Alex Green with the 96th overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft.

With depth seemingly more an issue on the defensive side of the ball than offense, GM Ted Thompson once again has confused the masses by going all offense in the first three rounds of the draft. Based upon his track record, he's right on track to continuing to improve the team in the best ways possible.

Let's review briefly. In the first round, Thompson picked up OT Derek Sherrod. With their only pick of the second round, the Packers chose WR Randall Cobb, who may also be the answer at punt and/or kick returner. And at the end of round three, Thompson got a running back, Alex Green from Hawaii. It was speculated that Thompson would make these position selections somewhere in the draft. With the exception of Sherrod in the first round, taking a receiver and running back with these selections may be a bit of a surprise. At least to the uninitiated. Which we all are compared to Thompson, let's be honest.

Thompson's draft board is set up to take the best player available. Obviously, at each of those picks Thompson took exactly that as he and his personnel and scouting team evaluated it.

With Sherrod, the Packers may have the successor to Chad Clifton when that day comes. With Cobb, the Pack adds to an already deep receiving corps and may provide insurance in case James Jones departs in free agency if and when that is in effect in some form for the upcoming season; they also have a returner. Finally, with Green, the Packers add a runner with size, balance and good hands to their backfield. He's not an every down runner, but in the Packers' scheme that's not necessary anyway. He will be a third-down type back who undoubtedly will challenge veteran Brandon Jackson for a roster spot.

It's the end of day two of the draft. If you are a Packers fan -- and I know you are! -- you have to be pleased with the new additions to the Super Bowl Champion team.

More tomorrow as the draft continues.

Go Pack Go!!!

Packers add Randall Cobb to receiver corps

2011-04-29T20:31:00.000-05:00

With the 64th selection in the 2011 NFL Draft, and with Hall of Fame fullback Jim Taylor making the announcement, the Green Bay Packers selected Kentucky wide receiver/returner Randall Cobb.

According to the Packers official site, "Cobb, 5-10, 191, was used in a variety of roles by Kentucky, including as punt-returner. He’s been timed in the mid-4.4 area and he’s famous for his spirited play." You can read more about Cobb here.

It was speculated by this observer and many others that GM Ted Thompson might move up in the second round to take defensive help that was still on the board. As the draft went into the late 30th and early 40th selections, however, it seemed to be less and less likely that would happen. Yours truly speculated on Twitter that the draft must somehow be falling in a way anticipated by Thompson and his staff and that he'd probably stay at #64. And so he did. The result was a young receiver that might also give the Pack the punt and kick returner the team has lacked seemingly since...I dunno...does anyone remember???

Cobb is a burner and reportedly operates well out of the slot position. While Packers receivers work at all positions, finding someone to relieve Donald Driver in the slot occasionally may help prolong Driver's productivity as well as allow Cobb to develop in the midst of arguably the best receiving corps in the league and behind one of the best and toughest slot receivers in the NFL.

We'll be back later with an update on the Pack's next pick, #96, unless they trade out of it. And, of course, more tomorrow.

For the first two picks of this draft, kudos to Thompson and his crew.

Packers "protect the franchise" with draft pick

2011-04-29T09:47:00.000-05:00

With the 32nd and final pick of the 2011 NFL Draft's first round, the Green Bay Packers selected Mississippi State offensive tackle Derek Sherrod. Or, as Packers' linebacker extraordinaire, Clay Matthews, Tweeted after the selection, "protect the franchise." And if anyone needs reminding to whom that refers look no further than QB Aaron Rodgers. Yes, even the Claymaker -- who no doubt was salivating at the idea of adding to the defense some of the great defensive ends and linebackers still on the board -- recognized the need to make sure Rodgers stays healthy and upright as the key to the Pack's future success.

Combined with last year's first round pick, Bryan Bulaga, some pundits -- including yours truly (OK, self-described pundit) -- think the Pack may have their bookened tackles for the next decade. Who plays right or left at this point doesn't matter. The point is, the Packers now have two very large and capable players to anchor both ends of the offensive line. While Sherrod may compete for a starting role, as long as Chad Clifton stays on the field there will be no rush to insert him into the starting line.

One thing they say you can't teach is big. And big is what Sherrod is: 6'5-1/2" and 315 pounds. He was a three-year starter at Mississippi State. Arguably, Sherrod was the best run blocker on one of the best running teams in the SEC. You also can't teach smart. Sherrod has already graduated, and did so with a 3.54-grade point average. He is also reportedly enrolled in a Masters program and has stated a goal of completing that program. Sherrod seems to have many of the qualities which the Packers not only value on the field but also in the locker room.

You can read more about Sherrod as the heir apparent to Clifton here. If you wish to read what various scouts and other observers have to say about him, you can do so here.

The feeling here is that, failing to have Alabama running back Mark Ingram fall into their lap (taken by New Orleans at #28 via trade with the Patriots...dang!), the Packers made a key addition to the team. Yes, they took a step to protect the franchise for a long time to come. Now, in the upcoming rounds, they can look to add depth on the defensive line, outside linebacker, and defensive backs. And, if they also happen to hit on a running back or wide receiver/returner along the way, that would be just fine, too. All of that is quite possible given the nature of this draft. Barring trade moves up or down, the Packers will select at #64 and #96 during the second and third rounds of the draft this evening.

Go Pack Go!!!

NFL Draft eve...who's it gonna be???

2011-04-27T19:43:00.000-05:00

'Twas the night before the NFL Draft, and visions of new Green Bay Packers dance fore and aft...

OK, OK, enough with the poetry, such as it is.

The question all Packer fans want to know as we go to sleep tonight is: who will the Packers pick with the 32nd selection? As followers of any of the myriad of mock drafts -- some so bold, or with way too much time on their hands, as to do all seven rounds -- will be aware, the answer is...anybody's guess.

I've tried here and there to give some idea via compilations of what several of the more prominent "mockers" are saying. And if there's been an intriguing pick that seems out of the norm -- such as Monday's post about Alabama RB and 2009 Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram possibly being available when the Packers make their pick -- I've tried to make note of that.

But really, who knows? I like the idea of Ingram falling into the Pack's lap unexpectedly just as Rodgers did in 2005. But that's not likely. What's more likely, I think, given the run on defensive linemen and linebackers that is expected early, as well as the number of teams needing quarterback help and the number of potentially decent QB prospects available in the first and later rounds, is that Packers GM Ted Thompson will revert to his historical pattern and trade down out of the pick. I'm not sure how many slots he'd be willing to drop. But if the hot targets are off the board when number 32 comes around, and a team who needs a quarterback soon is willing to deal the packers an extra pick this and/or next year for dropping down, I think Thompson would do so.

We all know the Packers' wish list. And that's what it is. With the depth across the board on the Packers' roster, there are no desperate needs to fill. The Packers can really take the best player possible. They will want players on the offensive and defensive lines, at outside linebacker, and at defensive back, particularly cornerback. If there is a player that is a D-back or wide receiver and who also has some return skills, that would be a nice pick up as well, especially in the middle rounds.

We'll have to wait until roughly 10:30 Central time Thursday night to see what the Packers decide to do. If things go as I expect they might, and Thompson trades down, Packer fans won't have any action to either get excited or complain about until Friday night.

Settle in, Packer fans. It's going to be a long wait. But it's one of the privileges of being the Super Bowl Champions.

Go Pack Go!!!

Intriguing draft scenario: Ingram available for Packers?

2011-04-25T11:19:00.000-05:00

Draft week is upon us, so we can once again begin an almost daily geek-out up to Thursday's first round. OK, let's be honest, through the entire weekend of the remaining rounds, as well.

So, let's begin with an interesting scenario constructed by Pat Kirwan of NFL.com. As most mock draft followers are probably aware, many scenarios have the Packers either picking DT Cameron Heyward from Ohio State, or LB Akeem Ayers of UCLA. Some have the Packers reaching a bit (my opinion) for OT Derek Sherrod of Mississippi State or OLB Brooks Reed from Arizona. Kirwan, however, suggests the possibility that Alabama RB and 2009 Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram might be available to the Packers when their pick comes up at number 32. That would be a gift on the order of Aaron Rodgers falling into the Pack's lap back in the 2005 draft. Back then, the Packers sure weren't looking to take a quarterback that high; Ol' #4 was still running the show quite well, after all. But how could you pass up a deal like Rodgers at #24? You couldn't. And thankfully, the Packers didn't. Imagine, then, a similar situation in which the top running back in the draft falls to the end of the first round. Not knowing how well Ryan Grant will come back from his injury, or whether James Starks is the real deal or not, the Packers could certainly use a running back of Ingram's stature. Ingram might just be too good to pass up if he's sitting there.

How does Kirwan get to this scenario? It's essentially based on the fall of Missouri QB Blaine Gabbert down the draft board. Most every mock draft out there had Miami at #15 picking Ingram. But according to Kirwan's latest mock draft, if Gabbert does indeed drop out of the top five picks, he could fall to Miami. If that happens, and given the sad state of the Dolphins current quarterback situation, Kirwan argues that, "The Dolphins have to take Gabbert if he falls this far. One coach told me Gabbert is this far down on their board. Miami needs to make changes at quarterback, or at least bring in competition."

Ingram is the only first-round worthy running back in this year's draft. There is an abundance -- and need -- for defensive linemen; some pundits project perhaps as many as 12-14 defensive linemen may be selected in the first round. So, Kirwan's mock draft has Ingram falling to the bottom of the first round, assuming Miami takes Gabbert. As he says about Ingram going to the Packers, "If the Dolphins don’t take Ingram at No. 15, he could be sitting here for the Packers. It would be too good to be true for the world champs, but the Packers just might end up with Ingram, which would spell the end for Ryan Grant in Green Bay."

The Packers are also looking to add depth to their defensive line, particularly if, as expected, veteran Cullen Jenkins departs in free agency (whenever that commences). Offensive tackle is also a slot that needs beefing up. There has even been speculation that if Wisconsin OT Gabe Carimi falls as far #25, GM Ted Thompson might swing a deal to move up for him with his old protege, John Schneider, now running the Seahawks. I think that's a stretch for two reasons: I expect Carimi to be off the board before then and, secondly, the pressure on Schneider to draft Washington QB Jake Locker if he is available at that spot is too great for Schneider to pass up.

So, while I personally would like to imagine that Kirwan's scenario plays out Thursday evening and Ingram is sitting there at #32, I'm not holding my breath. I think the likelihood is another name will be called. But, six years ago, who would have imagined that Aaron Rodgers, a possible #1 pick overall, would drop into the Packers' lap at #24? Stranger things have happened.

And let's also not forget that if Thompson thinks he can get just as valuable a player farther down the line as what he's looking at with that 32nd pick, he will not hesitate to trade down out of the pick. That's as much Thompson's modus operandi as anything else.

Kirwan has posted a mock draft for the first three rounds. In addition to having the Pack take Ingram in round 1, he has them selecting OLB Bruce Carter from North Carolina at #64 in the second round and DT Pernell McPhee from Mississippi State with the 96th overall pick in the third round.

You can check out Kirwan's complete three rounds beginning here.

Draft upcoming...but who's doing the scouting for Packers?

2011-04-24T13:12:00.000-05:00

With the 2011 NFL Draft ready to start this Thursday evening, and the Packers picking last in each round as a result of being Super Bowl Champions, one might well wonder: we know GM Ted Thompson pulls the trigger, but who are the guys scouting the troops, so to speak?

In answer to that question, Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has written a great article about the Packers' scouting operation. The influence of former Packers GM Ron Wolf is still felt loud and clear, as the following paragraphs from the article point out:

"Most of these guys grew up together in the business, all under the tutelage of Wolf, whose influence on the Super Bowl champions remains strong today because of the staying power of the scouting department.

"Of the 11 scouts who handle college scouting, Thompson has hired only two, and both are in the beginning stages of their careers. The nine veterans - two of whom, Jon-Eric Sullivan (Midlands) and Lee Gissendaner (Northeast), were hired under Mike Sherman - average 15 years of service with the Packers.

"If you included John Schneider and Lenny McGill, two Packers mainstays who recently left for higher positions with other teams, the group responsible for drafting most of the Super Bowl XLV team was made up of nine Wolf hires."

Also of interest is that all the scouts, Thompson, John Dorsey, director of college scouting, and Reggie McKenzie, director of football operations, gather in a room in Lambeau Field over the atrium for a 17-day prospect review marathon that leads up to the draft. The group basically has whittled down the more than 1,500 college players to about 125 who will go up on the Packers' draft board. And in the course of the pre-draft meetings, they review tape, reports, etc. on each of these players, to arrive at a consensus as to who the Packers should target. In addition to the last pick in each of the seven rounds, the Packers also have two additional picks for a total of nine going into this year's draft.

While the Pack may not have many needs given the apparent depth on the team, they do have some wants. And it's the job of everyone in that room to find the best players available for those wants.

Check out the article for some really great insights into who the folks are that keep the Packers stocked with quality year in and year out.

Oh, yeah, there was that Mandarich guy...oops

While the Packers' run on talent has been pretty good since the Ron Wolf era, before that...hmmm...not so good for some years (decades?). Perhaps the biggest bust of all for the Packers, and the second-biggest bust of all time at least as judged by Sports Illustrated (QB Ryan Leaf rated as #1 bust), was Tony Mandarich. Yes, I know, for many that is the Name of Him That Shall Not Be Spoken. But if you care to see what he's up to these days, you can read an article about him on Yahoo Sports here. Or...maybe not. Oh, you do remember that he was taken with the second overall pick in the 1989 draft, right? And that of the top five picks in that year's draft -- Troy Aikman (first overall), Barry Sanders (third), Derrick Thomas (fourth) and Deion Sanders (fifth) -- he is the only one to not make the Hall of Fame? Just thought I'd mention that. O-o-o-o-kay...moving right along...nothing to see here...

...and if you could be any kind of tree, Mr. Football Player, what kind would it be?

2011-04-20T15:59:00.000-05:00

Ah, yes, a psychobabble question for a profession that wouldn't seem to figure much one way or another in terms of personality traits: the professional football player.

Or does it???

There's a fascinating article (OK, I hope that doesn't reveal too much about my personality...) in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel about what makes a player tick. And, also, whether that factors in much to personnel decisions. It makes for good reading, particularly the differences between the various player positions on a team as described by the players themselves. There are also a couple related articles you can find in links adjoining the article that provide further background on this topic. It's worth checking out.

Packers 2011 schedule announced: kickoff vs. Saints

2011-04-20T11:48:00.001-05:00

The NFL has officially released the 2011 regular season schedule for the Green Bay Packers and the league's other 31 teams. The jury -- or at least, the mediator -- is still out as to whether, in fact, there will actually be a complete NFL season in 2011. But you have to admire the league's optimism.

In the meantime, we can revel in the schedule, start making observations, predictions, etc. Combined with the upcoming draft late next week, it gives us a moment to be hopeful about the state of the NFL despite the current money issues separating the millionaires from the billionaires (please excuse the slight editorial comment there).

Schedule Highlights
The Packers begin the regular season by facing their predecessor as Super Bowl Champs, the Saints, at Lambeau Field in the NFL Kickoff Game on Thursday Sept. 8. Many would have no doubt preferred a rematch with Da Bearz to kick things off (yours truly included), but the likely national draw in seeing the last two Super Bowl winners go head-to-head was probably too much for the NFL and their TV partner to turn down.

A highlight of sorts is the three-games-in-11-days stretch the Pack has against the ViQueens, the Buccaneers and the Lions in mid-November. Another quirk of the schedule is that four of the Packers' six NFC North games occur after their bye week, which occurs in week 8 of the schedule. And for as much as the Packers of last season really liked the fast track of playing indoors, especially late in the season, this year...not so much; at Detroit on Thanksgiving Day will be the last dome game for the Pack. The guys better get very comfortable at being a great cold weather team because that's generally what they are going to be dealing with in the second half of the season.

Oh, one other interesting little piece of trivia for you regarding the schedule: according to the league, the Packers are the first time in NFL history to play on Thanksgiving (at Detroit), Christmas (home vs. Da Bearz) and New Year's Day (home vs. the Lions) during the same season.

As expected, there are lots of prime time games for the Champs. It's going to be a great year to be a Packers fan. But let's be honest: what year isn't, right? Right!

Here ya go, kids. Enjoy! (Home games in bold italics.)

Preseason

Saturday, August 13, 6:30 p.m. at Cleveland Browns
Friday, August 19, 7 p.m. vs. Arizona Cardinals
Friday, August 26, 7 p.m. at Indianapolis Colts
Thursday, September 1, 7 p.m. vs Kansas City Chiefs

Regular Season

Thursday, September 8, 7:30 p.m. vs. New Orleans Saints - NBC
Sunday, September 18, noon at Carolina Panthers - FOX
Sunday, September 25, 3:15 p.m. at Chicago Bears - FOX
Sunday, October 2, 3:15 p.m. vs. Denver Broncos - CBS (Gold package-Milwaukee ticketholder game)
Sunday, October 9, 7:20 p.m. at Atlanta Falcons - NBC
Sunday, October 16, noon vs. St. Louis Rams - FOX
Sunday, October 23, 3:15 p.m. at Minnesota Vikings - FOX
Sunday, October 30 Open Date / bye week
Sunday, November 6, 3:15 p.m. at San Diego Chargers - FOX
Monday, November 14, 7:30 p.m. vs. Minnesota Vikings - ESPN
Sunday, November 20, noon* vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - FOX (Gold package-Milwaukee ticketholder game)
Thursday, November 24, 11:30 a.m. Thanksgiving Day at Detroit Lions - FOX
Sunday, December 4, 3:15 p.m.* at New York Giants - FOX
Sunday, December 11, noon* vs. Oakland Raiders - CBS
Sunday, December 18, noon* at Kansas City Chiefs - FOX
Sunday, December 25, 7:20 p.m. Christmas Day vs. Chicago Bears - NBC
Sunday, January 1, noon* vs. Detroit Lions - FOX

Those times notated with an asterisk (*) are designated as part of the league's flex schedule, meaning the league may change the start time.

If you want a downloadable PDF of the Packers 2011 schedule, just click here. You can also always find the schedule in the righthand column Links area of this site.

Stop the Madden-ness!

2011-04-12T11:16:00.000-05:00

All fans of the Green Bay Packers should be afraid...very afraid. That's because our Super Bowl winning MVP quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, is now among the final four possibilities to make the cover of Madden 2012. He's up against Cleveland's Peyton Hills; the winner of that vote will go head-to-head versus the winner of the vote between Michael Vick vs. Adrian Peterson.

And then? The curse begins. You know what I'm talkin' about. The Madden Curse. As this article in Digital Trends from last August pointed out, "Of the 14 players to be featured on the cover of the Madden video games, all 14 have suffered disappointing seasons, and most have been seriously injured." This was written prior to the start of the season during which Drew Brees graced the cover. He didn't get hurt, but certainly didn't have quite the year he did the year before.

Now, we certainly wish Aaron Rodgers nothing but the best in all his endeavors. But this time around...maybe not. So if you are going to be in Mr. Rodgers' corner, if you've got his back, then do him and all Packers fans a favor and vote for the other guy. Please.

The lone ranger of football: the draft

2011-03-30T16:16:00.000-05:00

OK, admittedly, it's been a little while since yours truly posted. But I have been making semi-regular Tweets and re-Tweets. So if you aren't following PackerFansUnited.com on Twitter (@packfansunited) then you aren't up to speed. Exactly what speed that is is debatable, but I digress...

It's also obvious it's been a while by just looking at that headline; a bit of a stretch to broach the subject of the upcoming NFL Draft. That's really about all there is to talk about at the moment, as the ongoing talks between the NFL owners and players are still at a standoff. There's no signing or re-signing, no trades or OTAs.

Booooooorrrrrrrrrrriiiiiinnnnnggggggggg!!!

So, where do things stand in terms of the draft as regards the Packers? Well, GM Ted Thompson, head coach Mike McCarthy and other player personnel staff have been busy evaluating prospective draftees, of course. And keeping things close to the vest, which is Thompson's way. A way that has worked out pretty well for the Pack.

Of course, mock draft boards, sports writers and just average shmoes like us are all starting to get into a bit of an early lather as to what the Packers might do with the 32nd and last pick of the 1st round. It's commonly thought by some that the Packers will probably go for either defensive or offensive line help first. Others make a convincing argument that, despite a seemingly deep linebacking corps, the Packers might actually spring for a play-making outside linebacker to bookend Clay Matthews. Believe it or not, some folks even think the Pack will look for a wide receiver in the 1st round, despite arguably having the best set of receivers in the league. Oh, a running back has also been part of the predictions. Why not?

One thing is a certainty, though: Ted Thompson's modus operandi in the draft is to take the best player available regardless of need. And ya know, when that Aaron Rodgers guy fell into the Packers lap a few years back and, despite not needing a quarterback, he was the best player at that pick, Thompson grabbed him. All together now: "Thank you, Ted!!!".

Here's another certainty: none of us folks on the outside have a clue as to how Ted and his guys are setting up their draft board in terms of those player rankings. We do know that, while the exception, if Thompson wants a certain player bad enough he will make a move to get him. Whether there is any player in the 1st round that Thompson would move up to get is a whole other question. He could very well, as in years past, trade down in order to get additional picks.

But let's just assume for the sake of conversation that the Packers hold on to their 32nd pick. Who are the names that seem to be surfacing? As a service to our readers -- that's what we're all about here, folks, service -- we've compiled an early list of some of the names that keep popping up on mock drafts.

Akeem Ayers, OLB, UCLA
Brooks Reed, OLB, Arizona.
Cameron Heyward, DE/DT, Ohio State
Leonard Hankerson, WR, Miami
Mikel Leshoure, RB, Illinois
Danny Watkins, G/T, Baylor
Torrey Smith, WR, Maryland
Christian Ballard, DT, Iowa

Is that enough to get your juices flowing, Packer fans? Lots of stuff to chew on there. And that's just the 1st round! We'll get into later round fun...well...later.

The no-show draft show and other bits 'n' pieces

2011-03-16T20:29:00.001-05:00

Fans of the Green Bay Packers and the other 31 NFL teams are now in post-players association decertification mode: wondering what the heck is going on, and when pro football will next be played. It's still amazing to the average fan that adults can't figure out how to divy up $9 billion in a way that makes everyone happy.

In the meantime, the teams themselves and the players are making their own adjustments. Teams have no on-site workouts or any other contact or work with their players. Players are on their own, not only for physical conditioning but also for their own health insurance right now. Things the rest of us probably think about more than they do. Although when you have Chad Ochocinco -- and why shouldn't this surprise us? -- reportedly saying that without his $11 million he doesn't know how he's going to put food on his family's table, well, you know there are...issues with dealing with reality. But at least he's not just laying around; he's got a four-day tryout set up with the Kansas City Major League Soccer team. Good luck with that.

For the Packers, they themselves and various sports pundits say that actually this time may benefit the Pack as much as any team. Because of the extended season running through the playoffs and Super Bowl, getting this extra break, from a player's perspective, provides much needed rest before getting back into the grind of team workouts, and so on. It will also give coaches and other staff a breather to re-focus their energies on the needs for the upcoming season, which will all be keyed to repeating as Super Bowl champs.

Back to the real reality...draft dichotomy

The teams are also making whatever internal adjustments they need to make to preserve their financial resources just in case things get nuts, as George Costanza might say. Packers management is set to take reduced salaries. Layoffs, which some other teams may or will have to make, are not part of the plan for the Packers at this point.

Teams are also continuing to prepare for next month's NFL Draft. The scouting combine was held, players and colleges are holding their own "pro days" for prospective players to showcase their talents for NFL GMs and coaches, and draft boards are being prepared.

The players, now operating as a trade association instead of a union, are preparing their own version of the draft, however. As noted in this blog last week, there were rumors that the players association might try to somehow disrupt or prevent the draft from taking place. The latest news is that the association is trying to get the top draft prospects -- those who would normally be on hand to walk across the stage as their names are called, etc. during the first round -- to attend an alternate draft affair. Details on that are sketchy at this point. And it is something which some current players aren't all that enthused about, saying that college players work hard for their moment in the limelight that comes with the draft...the real draft. Plus, these college players, until they are actually signed to a contract, are not part of either a players' union or a trade association. So what's in it for them? Will be interesting to see how the players association tries to work these young prospects into picking a side before they are even on a side.

Kickoff changes discussed

According to reports today, the NFL's competition committee is discussing the idea of having kickoffs moved back to the 35-yard line (where they were until recently). In and of itself, nothing too shocking about that. It will result in more touchbacks. Which brings up the new idea: touchbacks go the 25-yard line instead of the 20. Data apparently showed, among other things, that the average starting point for most returns was just past the 26. So getting a touchback to the 25 isn't a bad option. Especially for a team like the Packers who hasn't had a solid kick return game in this century (that sounds a bit odd, but we're now 11 years in!). There are also discussions about eliminating all wedge type blocking.

Taken as a whole, the combination of these ideas and others seem to point to a rising concern by the league about player injuries. Special teams' players have always been the kamikaze units of football, and injuries are a common occurrence. By instituting these changes, perhaps players will have a chance of staying healthier longer.

Stay tuned for future developments, Packer fans. It's going to be an interesting time over the next weeks and months. We'll be offering some draft commentary as we start getting closer to that April weekend. Players are moving up and down mock draft boards at the moment. The Packers, of course, have the pick every team wants, #32, the last of the first round...because that means you are the Super Bowl Champions!

What a week!

2011-03-11T18:48:00.000-06:00

As I write this, ESPN is announcing that the NFL Players Association has just decertified. And so, the negotiations between the NFL owners and players now goes to the courts. The NFLPA is dissolved and the union no longer exists; it is now a trade association. Players can individually file antitrust lawsuits. If the NFL locks out players, players can file lawsuits to block the lockouts. Drew Brees, Tom Brady and Peyton Manning are expected to be among the lead plaintiffs in a class action lawsuit against the league. Basically, nothing can happen business-wise with players who are currently in the league once this hits the courts. The NFL Draft supposedly can take place as usual because those players are obviously not yet in the NFL, although I heard one report indicate that, depending upon how the judge rules, the Draft could be out the window, too.

So, after a week's extension of time to negotiate...nada. Now it's gonna get nasty. There's a lockout coming, Packer fans. Just a matter of how long it will last.

Hard to image that these folks can't figure out how to negotiate a win-win situation when there's $9 billion-plus to be had. Can you say "greed"? Even kids learn that it's good to share. These folks must have missed that day in kindergarten.

Other happenings

Head coach Mike McCarthy's contract extension was finalized. He and GM Ted Thompson will be leading the Green Bay Packers' field deployment through 2015 (if memory serves). Both are being rewarded well for bringing the Lombardi Trophy home to Titletown.

The Packers put some tenders on a few players: James Jones, Daryn Colledge, Atari Bigby and John Kuhn (am I missing anyone?). Basically, they are more defensive maneauvers than anything, especially since the entire collective bargaining deal with the NFL Players Association is out the window...no one knows at this point now whether these players will be restricted or unrestricted free agents as there is now no collective bargaining agreement that defines that.

LB Nick Barnett may be the odd man out of the inside linebackers (interesting grammatical construction there but I think you get the drift). Coach McCarthy told reporters that A. J. Hawk (recently re-signed to a new big dollar deal) and Desmond Bishop (big deal signed before end of the season) are his starting inside linebackers. Barnett, coming off his second season-ending injury in the last three seasons, may or may not be back with the Pack if and when football is next played. Consensus among fans, if you can gauge such things from the comments about the various stories and scenarios related to this topic, seems to be that Barnett will be gone and the Packers will be looking to pick up new and younger and healthier linebacker help in the upcoming draft.

Natural and man-made disasters

We awoke this morning to the sad and terrible news of the earthquake (now quakes) in Japan and the ensuing tsunami which has killed hundreds of people and destroyed much property in Japan. A damaged nuclear reactor is also in the mix and is a major concern not only within Japan but from a global perspective. We need to keep the people of Japan and other affected areas in our thoughts and prayers. If you wish to support relief efforts, text REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation, or go here to donate online.

Finally, while it's a matter that I generally try to keep out of this blog, the happenings of the last weeks and days in the state of Wisconsin regarding the collective bargaining rights of public employees and the state budget came to a head when the governor, newly-elected Republican Scott Walker, signed into law this morning the bill passed by the Republican-controlled legislature. Anyone who has tuned into any of the news shows -- or even Comedy Central's Daily Show and Colbert Report for that matter -- are aware of this matter. Regardless of one's political persuasion, this event has nationwide implications either positive or negative depending upon your view. The state senate majority leader told Fox News the real reason for banning these collective bargaining rights; you can view the video and decide for yourself whether it was about the state budget or something else. Events are scheduled at the Wisconsin state capitol building in Madison for Saturday, March 12. But unscheduled events are just as likely to occur for a long time to come.

For a current list of events in Madison and around the state in support of workers' rights, see here. You can also take a stand for workers in Wisconsin and elsewhere where rights are similarly threatened by going here. And if you use Twitter -- to follow this blog at @packfasnunited no doubt! -- you can see all the various posts related to this situation by using the #wiunion hashtag.

Update: Packers to re-sign A. J. Hawk

2011-03-02T22:37:00.000-06:00

WTMJ-TV in Milwaukee is reporting that the Green Bay Packers will re-sign LB A. J. Hawk to a new five-year deal on Thursday, Mar. 3. The report says that Hawk is flying back to Green Bay to finalize the deal, terms of which have not yet been disclosed.

Hawk was released earlier today, along with TE Donald Lee and S Derrick Martin. As reported then, it was only a matter of time before the deal would be done. There was some thought Hawk might wish to test free agency. Apparently, no need. He loves Green Bay and the Packers want him back in the fold before the current collective bargaining agreement expires.

See here for more.

Great job, Pack...and congratulations Mr. Hawk. Glad to have you back. Seemed like only...today...you were gone.

Packers release Hawk, Lee and Martin

2011-03-02T18:42:00.001-06:00

Making business moves like many other teams prior to the expiration of the current collective bargaining agreement with the NFL Players Association, the Green Bay Packers today released LB A. J. Hawk, TE Donald Lee and S Derrick Martin. Lee and Martin will not be back. Hawk likely will be.

It's clear the Packers want Hawk on the team going forward. He had arguably his best season this past year. After effectively being benched for the opening game against the Eagles, Hawk played an increasingly important role as the season went on. After fellow linebacker Nick Barnett was lost to season-ending injury for the second time in the last three years, Hawk became the defensive play caller, relaying the calls from defensive coordinator Dom Capers to the rest of the squad; when those calls came in late or were cut off (via a system similar to that in the quarterback's helmet), Hawk had to make the call himself. He also came up big in the playoffs and Super Bowl. Head coach Mike McCarthy has praised Hawk's consistency and calm presence both on the field and in the locker room.

So why release him when he still had a year left on his contract? There are 10 million reasons, as in dollars. Hawk was scheduled to be due $10 million this coming season. As one commentator noted, that's beginning to approach starting quarterback money. There was no way the Packers were going to pay it, and that came as no surprise to Hawk. The team and his representatives have apparently been trying to get a deal worked out ahead of the deadline but the sides were apparently too far apart. Hawk may test free agency, whenever that kicks in given the current circumstances. But he wants to be in Green Bay and the Packers want him there, too. Expect a deal to be worked out. Sometime.

You can read more about all this here.

Mike and Ted's excellent adventure

2011-02-28T09:17:00.000-06:00

Say it with me now: the Green Bay Packers are World Champions! Never gets old, does it? At least, not if you're a Packer fan. Nor if you are the head coach or general manager of the Super Bowl winning team.

Great article in today's Milwaukee Journal Sentinel by that paper's outstanding Packers beat writer, Bob McGinn, about how head coach Mike McCarthy is only just beginning his run at Super Bowl titles. While he joined Vince Lombardi and Mike Holmgren as the only Packers coaches to win a Super Bowl title, McCarthy wants to join Lombardi as the only multiple winner. That would be just fine with Packer fans all across the universe, coach.

The article notes not only how committed McCarthy is to the Packers as an organization -- and how they are ready to re-negotiate his contract to demonstrate the team's commitment to him, as well -- but how committed he also is to Green Bay as a community. When you have coaches and players who commit to not just the team but the community of Green Bay, that's a situation that is hard to beat.

McCarthy gives suitable praise to his GM, Ted Thompson, of course. And it seems as if fans and others in the NFL have also finally seen the wisdom of Thompson's build-through-the-draft approach. The right GM and the right head coach have assembled the right players at the right time.

Now, Mike and Ted are at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis checking out the next group of potential Packers from the upcoming draft. Trying to find more depth along the offensive and defensive lines, playmakers at linebacker and defensive back, perhaps a receiver and running back, and -- dare we dream? -- a returner. It wouldn't seem as if there are many holes to fill. But some players, such as DE Cullen Jenkins, will be lost to free agency. And as was clearly a lesson learned last season, injuries can devastate a team unless you have players -- and coaches -- who can step up their play. Every player from #1 on down to the practice squad players are important. You have to believe that, in Thompson's system, there are no guesses. Only potential champions.

It is a most excellent adventure indeed.

NFL Combine underway ... what will Packers do?

2011-02-24T15:50:00.000-06:00

The 2011 NFL Scouting Combine got underway in Indianapolis today. Lots of poking, prodding, interviews, evaluations, speculations, seances, divinations, rolling of the dice (oops, gambling not permitted in the NFL, sorry), etc. going on with all the teams.

Already, Jets head coach Rex Ryan is proclaiming his team will win the next Super Bowl. OK, keep saying it often enough and one of these years he might just be right. Even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while.

Green Bay Packers head coach Mike McCarthy, however, doesn't need to do much in the way of tooting the team's horn. The Pack, along with the New England Patriots (but of course!), have already been installed by the oddsmakers as favorites to win the next Super Bowl. It should come as no surprise. After all, the Packers are loaded with talent. Heck, they won Super Bowl XLV with a team comprised of a lot of players who had never started before and some who weren't even on a team any longer before GM Ted Thompson plucked them from obscurity to fill the holes on a team continuously depleted through injuries. Imagine what will happen when all the players on injured reserve come back to the squad. Oh baby!

So, where are the gaps? What might Thompson and McCarthy be looking at in the draft? The consensus opinion is that they will be looking first for offensive line, linebacker and defensive end help. The Pack will need someone to slot in as an eventual replacement for either Chad Clifton and Mark Tauscher at tackles (and depending upon where Bryan Bulaga will finally settle in). It's possible they might also be looking for a replacement for Daryn Colledge at guard as many think he's as good as gone when free agency kicks in. The linebacker situation, while deep, is a curious one. Middle linebacker A. J. Hawk is scheduled to get a bump to a $10 million per year salary unless his contract is renegotiated. Nick Barnett has been bitten by the injury bug the last two out of three years, and the Packers may have already signed his replacement with the contract given to Desmond Bishop. A few 'backers will come back off IR, but the team could really use an outside linebacker to balance out Clay Matthews' play. That could also come in the form of a new defensive end, though, particularly if the Packers lose Cullen Jenkins in free agency, as is expected.

Some mock draft boards openly admit that the Packers are a difficult team to put together a draft call on given the depth on the existing roster. But still, they try. Picking last in each round, aside from any traded or compensatory picks, means that unless Thompson sees a player he really wants, there might not be a lot of excitement happening in the draft. Final picks might be players not many have heard of before...you know how Ted likes those gems in the rough that nobody else seems to even have on their radar. But perhaps Packer fans have finally gotten used to Thompson's approach: there may not be a lot of flash and dash at draft time, with occasional exceptions, but there sure does seem to be productivity on the field. Hard to argue with a Super Bowl-winning general manager.

If there's any news of note that pertains to the Packers and/or likely prospects, we'll give a shout out here. Otherwise, you can get your fill on the NFL Network where watching the Combine is about as exciting as, well, watching the Combine.

Best shots of Super Bowl XLV from SI

2011-02-20T10:00:00.000-06:00

As fans of the Green Bay Packers, you and I have been waiting for the online "best shots" from Super Bowl XLV by Sports Illustrated photographers. Wait no more!

You can check out a most excellent gallery here.

It's Sunday. So enjoy. Even though there is no Packers' game. (Sigh)

...And now...the reality of the offseason sets in

2011-02-16T13:17:00.000-06:00

So, we're now about a week-and-a-half out from the Green Bay Packers' Super Bowl XLV win. And the reality of the offseason is setting in. While that would normally mean focusing on free agent signings or losses, OTAs, and possible draft picks, this offseason we also have the specter of no football at all next season. A lockout by the owners is on the horizon, and they have already filed suit agains the NFL Players Association. The prospect of getting a new collective bargaining agreement done before the March 4 deadline is slim and none. Not looking good. The draft will still take place no matter what, so at least we'll have that to keep our juices flowing. But everything else will pretty much be in limbo.

Still, it might be worthwhile to start kicking around some of those current players who may not be on the squad next season...whenever that actually is.

Keep in mind that 15 players -- some of whom were starters -- are going to be coming back off the injured reserve list. Having said that...

What will the Packers do with Nick Barnett and A. J. Hawk? Barnett has been injured two of the last three seasons and was also a bit of an irritant in the "photogate" episode around the Super Bowl. Hawk is scheduled to get $10 million next season, his final contract year; that's not going to happen. Given the depth at linebacker, and especially the emergence of Desmond Bishop as a bona fide starter and the return of Brandon Chillar, Brady Poppinga and Brad Jones, it wouldn't be surprising if the Pack cut ties with Barnett and attempt to renegotiate Hawk's deal. While going into last season, linebacker seemed to be extremely deep we found out just how quickly injuries can hit one unit. Frank Zombo and Erik Walden became diamonds in the rough that literally came out of nowhere to help the Packers make their Super Bowl run. But don't be surprised if GM Ted Thompson picks up a linebacker in the draft.

The players' names that seem to continually pop up on lists of those sure to be gone next season are OG Daryn Colledge and C/OG Jason Spitz. Colledge has been nothing if not durable, seemingly starting or playing in nearly every game since being a Packer. But the Packers are high on soon-to-be third-year player T. J. Lang and would likely insert him in the lineup in place of Colledge. Lang didn't get much playing time this year, but showed well in his rookie season when injuries really took their toll on the offensive line and he was thrust into action nearly from the get-go. He should be hungry and ready to start. Spitz has gone from a position of being the starting center to really falling off the map. For whatever reasons, it's clear the Packers will be moving in a different direction. Reportedly, the Packers are high on this year's rookice C/G Nick McDonald. They also have rookie G/T Marshall Newhouse and C/G Even Dietrich-Smith in the mix. Several early mock drafts also project the Packers to go after offensive line help in early rounds not only to fill guard slots, but also to help find a successor to LT Chad Clifton. Clifton will undoubtedly be back. And after finishing strong, he will likely be the starter again. But Cliffie is on borrowed time at this point in his career. Thompson has stocked up the middle of the line but will now try to find a replacement for Clifton. That was the idea in drafting Bryan Bulaga last season. But veteran RT Mark Tauscher's untimely departure forced a change in plans. Perhaps the Pack would move Bulaga to LT if they found a player who was solid on the right side. The moves regarding the offensive line will be interesting to watch in the offseason.

As for the wide receivers and running backs...hmmm...well, WR James Jones wants to be a starter. He had the best run-after-catch yards of any of the receivers. The problem was his drops, which always seemed to come in big moments. He obviously is a physically gifted athlete. But he hasn't yet developed the concentration necessary to be a primary go-to guy. Not to say he won't. Just not there yet. It's possible the Packers let him walk in free agency. But I'd like to see them keep him and have a new wide receivers coach help him with his focus. FB Korey Hall will likely not return this season. Other than special teams, he really fell out of the running game with the emergence of John Kuhn's versatility and Quinn Johnson's blocking. Brandon Jackson, while a valuable third down back from both a receiving and blocking standpoint, also will likely not return. The coaches did everything possible over the last couple years to help him become the breakout player they thought he could become...didn't really happen. With Ryan Grant returning, and James Starks emerging, Jackson looks to be the odd man out. And don't be surprised if the Packers pick up a running back in the draft's later rounds. Don't forget that Starks was a sixth rounder. Still need to see what he can do in a full season, but Thompson seems to have found yet another gem in the rough...a real theme for him this past season, and no reason to expect that won't continue going forward. Thompson seems to have finally made a believer even out of the haters out there after duct-taping together a Super Bowl winning squad.

On the defensive line, the consensus seems to be that DE Cullen Jenkins is as good as gone. He's also getting up there in years, at least by lineman age, and has been prone to injury of late, with this season being a primary example. He's been a dominating pass rusher when available. Look to the Packers to give the younger Mike Neal -- unproven and with a bit of an injury history of his own -- a shot. C. J. Wilson and Jarius Wynn could also step up their play. But, again, Ted Thompson will undoubtedly be looking for a dominant pass rusher in the draft to complement LB Clay Matthews. The Pack will be drafting last in each round unless they wheel and deal to move up for a player they want. That's not typically been Thompson's M.O., but he did it to get Clay Matthews. How'd that work out? Maybe Thompson will do that again.

As to the remaining unrestricted free agents, here's who we're looking at: K Mason Crosby, S Atari Bigby, S Charlie Peprah, LB Matt Wilhelm, and S Anthony Smith. Exclusive rights free agents are WR Brett Swain and TE Spencer Havner.

Crosby wants to remain a Packer. He's improved his leg strength over the last few years, but he still gives Packer fans the heebie-jeebies when the game is on the line. We've seen field goal attempts go wide or ding off the upright on more than one game-winning occasion. Still, Crosby doesn't seem to lose confidence which counts for a lot in a kicker. He may not be great, but you know that more often than not he's consistent. Still, I wouldn't be surprised if the Packers let Crosby test the market. Bigby will be allowed to walk, as will Wilhelm and Smith. Peprah will be re-signed; he stepped up big time when needed with injuries in the defensive backfield.

So, that's just a not-so-quick overview of what may happen when free agency and the draft finally kick in.

The party's over...after one last party

2011-02-09T19:36:00.000-06:00

Well, actually, as any fan of the Green Bay Packers knows, the party is never really over. Take a look at yesterday's "Return to Titletown" celebration at Lambeau Field, for example. It was the victory party love fest between Packers players, coaches, staff, management and fans. Fifty-six thousand -- 56,000! -- tickets were sold at $5 a piece with half the amount going to charity. Many tickets were re-sold for up to 28 times face value. The air temperature was near zero and wind chills were below zero. Fans showed up hours ahead of time to do what Packer fans do: tailgate. Beer and brats flowed as if it was a game day event. And when the hour-long festivities began at 4 p.m., the people reveled in the Green 'n' Gold afterglow of a fourth Super Bowl trophy and the team's 13th overall NFL Championship title, more than any other franchise in league history.

There's no place like Green Bay. There's no team like the Packers. And the best part is, the team is well-positioned to give things a run again next year. Yes, some players will be lost to free agency...if there is a season next year, that is. But 16 players will be coming off IR, including a bunch of players who were starters before their injuries sent them to the sideline for the season.

Yes, I should probably be doing more of a post-game and season analysis right now, I suppose. And maybe I will yet. But really, there's a ton of that info already available to the dedicated fan. Maybe I'll kick in some thoughts on things if they seem worth saying.

But it just feels so darn good to see this team -- devastated early on by injury after injury -- rise to the challenge and complete an astounding run on the road as the 6th seed to bring the Lombardi Trophy back home to Green Bay. That's sweet.

And that's why, while the party might be over in one sense, it will go on for a long, long time yet to come.

Go Pack Go!!!

2011-02-08T12:16:00.003-06:00

Great posts, packrphan...

But don't forget to remind your readers that THE BEARS STILL SUCK!!!

Post-Super Bowl Observations from a Friend

2011-02-07T10:53:00.000-06:00

While yours truly is still working on collecting his collective thoughts after last night's tremendous Super Bowl XLV victory for our beloved Green Bay Packers, one of our infrequent posters, who goes by the username Winning is the Only Thing!, sent me the following comments and permission to post them here. So, without further ado and the reader's understanding that these are not the comments of your host, here's what Winning is the Only Thing! has to say about the game and more:

"I'll start with these couple of negative thoughts:
- There is nothing worse for this World Champion GB Packers team than a lock out. Additionally, there is nothing worse for the NFL than a lock out. DON'T LOSE THE MOMENTUM!!

- Jerry Jones must not be allowed to have anything to do with a Super Bowl ever again: not his team, not his stadium, not his planning, not his ego. Knowing for years that you will host the SB, how is it possible that there is unfinished/unsafe seating? I am not lawsuit-oriented, but affected fans should seek appropriate compensation from Jerry Jones' deep pockets. ("appropriate" = as much as possible).

The Positive:
- Aaron Rodgers is good. Trent Dilfer said in his analysis after the game that this will go down as one of the best QB performances in a SB, ever! That pass to Jennings for their first TD hookup was great. The slow motion shows it. Plus, dropped passes should have cost us the game. Rodgers and receivers bounced back. Plus, great protection by O-line and blitz pick-ups. Only gave up coverage sacks, IMHO.

- [Skip Bayless is a jerk!] (I just saw him on ESPN)

- McCarthy and Rodgers are great partners in this offense. Some of you probably know that because MM is so busy as head coach that he and Rodgers take some extra time one day of the week (Friday, I think) to talk one-on-one about the nuances of the game plan. They were on the same page at SB. MM said that he told Rodgers that he needed him to manage the game so that MM could be aggressive as a play-caller. Most of the calls were run-pass options which Rodgers had to determine when he came to the line. He chose well!!

- Just two years ago at this time MM cleared out his defensive coaching staff. Capers was a great "free agent" signing. I was told that Milwaukee Journal Sentinel columnist, Bob McGinn, once wrote that no head coach has ever made a wholesale defensive staff change and gone on to win SB (not until last night!). Defense played very, very well considering their personnel losses. Sheilds played with a bad wing. Great caused fumble by Matthews and Picket. Bush gets INT! Wow!

- Did I mention that Aaron Rodgers is good? Plus, the other day in a Green Bay TV station story from Dallas, a reporter ran into a couple dressed in Packer clothing coming out of a tourist site that had cancelled an event because of weather. Reporter decided to interview them and it turns out that they are Aaron's parents. Nice, humble people willing to chat with the reporter. Aaron comes from good stock.

I watched the game with (9 others). Not a lot of football knowledge in the room (except for xxx and yyy), but everybody was really into it. High fives and fist bumps aplenty. Adverts were average. Halftime show? The lights were nice. Music? Not so much."

There you have it folks. The insights of our friend Winning is the Only Thing!.

More later...

The Green Bay Packers: NFL Champions for the 13th Time!

2011-02-06T22:39:00.001-06:00

For the 13th time in team history, the Green Bay Packers are NFL Champions, more than any other franchise. The Lombardi Trophy is coming back home to Green Bay where it belongs. How sweet it is! The Pack defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-25. My pre-game prediction from Saturday was a final score of 31-24. Yowza.

We'll do a re-cap tomorrow. Too much to process at the moment and just want to take in all the post-game coverage across the various networks. Busy, too, exchanging phone calls, emails and texts with friends across the planet. It's great to be a Packers fan!

I also wanted to mention for those who care to jump on board with an early keepsake of this season and championship that the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel is publishing a 128-page commemorative book entitled, “The Pack is Back: How the Green Bay Packers Won Their 13th NFL Championship.” You can read more about the book and ordering information here.

Again, Packer fans, this has been a heckuva ride this season. And the players, coaches and other team personnel put the exclamation point on it in the form of the trophy named after the legendary Green Bay coach. It doesn't get any better.

Enjoy it. Savor it. Remember it. This is what makes the Packers -- and being a fan of the Packers -- so very special.

Go Pack Go!!!

I love of the smell of cheese in the morning...smells like...victory!

2011-02-06T10:41:00.000-06:00

My Super Bowl homage to Apocalypse Now: I love the smell of cheese in the morning...The smell, you know that curdsy smell... Smells like...victory!

It's now less than seven hours until kickoff of Super Bowl XLV, when our beloved Green Bay Packers meet the Pittsburgh Steelers in a showdown of epic proportions. When it's two of the most storied franchises in the NFL, it can be described as nothing else. And, as my post of yesterday outlined, there are many reasons to predict a smash-mouth, physical football game. That's stating the obvious. But there are nearly as many reasons to predict a Packers' win, which I also did, calling it 31-24 in favor of the Pack.

But if you still have your doubts after my take on things yesterday, I encourage you to read the analysis of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Packers beat writer, Bob McGinn, who is acknowledged as one of the best in the business by the likes of Sports Illustrated's Peter King and others. In today's print and online edition, McGinn has an article entitled, "Packers have the horses to exploit Steelers' weaknesses". McGinn makes a solid case, as he says, that "On paper, the Packers would seem to have better players at more important positions, and consistency is their trademark. Those are two powerful forces in their favor." He notes also, however, that what matters will be how these teams play under the bright lights tonight. But unit by unit and player by player, McGinn makes the point that the Pack has the better combination of schemes and players to attack the Steelers' weaknesses rather than vice versa. It's a great article, well worth your time reading. Check it out here.

To Tweet or not to Tweet...
As followers of this blog know, but especially as followers of yours truly on Twitter know, I have generally made a habit of Tweeting during Packer games. Occasionally, circumstances don't permit that to happen and the Twitterverse is deprived of whatever maximum 140-character bit of wisdom might be inspired by a dropped pass, holding penalty, crushing hit, or huge first down, for example. Sad, but true. (By the way, if you want to follow the heretofore mentioned yours truly on Twitter, just hit the appropriately named "Follow me on Twitter" button in the righthand column below the Twitter feed. Yes, kids, it really is that easy!)

Today I will be watching the game with some friends at their home. While there will be computer and Wi-Fi access available, I'm not sure whether I'll want to be engaged in the therapeutic process of Tweeting rather than the stress-filled process of just watching the dang game and being intermittently entertained by the $3-million-per-30-seconds TV ads.

So, the purpose of this little notation is to just say...who knows? I'm really hoping all Packer fans have better things to do during today's game than looking for my occasional Tweets. You know, things like praying, making your sacrificial offerings, and generating a major positive thought vibe that descends upon the stadium in Dallas like a Texas tornado to help secure a Packers' victory. I mean, is that really too much to ask? I think not!

Finally...smell that air...the smell of cheese in the morning, afternoon and evening...that curdsy smell...Yes, my fellow Packer fans...it smells like...victory!

Go Pack Go!!!

Mmmm...Super Bowl...Goooood

2011-02-05T14:42:00.001-06:00

With proper respect to Homer Simpson, yes, Super Bowl..mmmmm....goooooood.

It will be exceptionally good if the Packers win, of course. Which they will. More on that later with my specific score prediction. But for now, let's consider what it's going to take to bring the Lombardi Trophy back home to Green Bay where it rightly belongs.

Just about everything that can be written about both teams' players, the storied franchises, the legacies, the championship wins and more has been written. And let's not forget the stories about the fans. The Packers and Steelers have the best fan followings in the country. The game is being played in Dallas, which likes to assume the title of America's Team. We all know that's as big a pile of horse hockey as to be found anywhere. These two teams' fans know where the truth lies.

So, we're roughly 27 hours away from the kickoff of what will be the most-attended Super Bowl ever, and likely the most-watched Super Bowl, as well. The Packers have been confident and loose all week, according to reports. Packers head coach Mike McCarthy told reporters yesterday, "We respect Pittsburgh, but we feel that this is our time and Sunday will be our night." No doubt Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin feels the same way about the Packers and his team's chances.

A look at each team's units
OK, that subhead doesn't sound right, does it? But you know what I mean...get your mind out of the gutter!

It has been said for the last two weeks that the Packers and Steelers are pretty much cut from the same cloth: great defenses -- number 1 and 2 in scoring defense -- and great quarterbacks. Most are predicting a close game. The 2-1/2 point spread in favor of the Packers is the tightest margin since 1983, when the Washington Redskins played the Miami Dolphins. Many are giving the edge to the Steelers' defense. Well-deserved praise, for sure. They are loaded. But so is the Packers' defense. In my view, that's a draw. It will be up to individuals on each unit to make an impact one way or another, to cause a turnover, make a tackle, blow up a run or pass, and so on. Game-changing stuff. When looked at that way, I think the Packers "D" has more impact players in more places. Clay Matthews, Charles Woodson, B.J. Raji, Tramon Williams, Cullen Jenkins, Desmond Bishop, Sam Shields, Nick Collins, Ryan Pickett, A.J. Hawk... I mean, c'mon on.

Special teams? A few months ago I would have said -- actually, did say -- that the Packers' special teams unit was the team's Achilles Heal. No more. They still might not have found a returner on the roster, but the coverage units have gotten much better. And free agent punter Tim Masthay has turned into a great punter over the last part of the season. He could be as much a key to a win as anyone, believe it or not. Especially if the game comes down to field position.

As to offenses, the Packers have the better offensive line, and I'm not the only one saying that. Packers NT B.J. Raji should have a field day going against the Steelers backup center. On the Pack's side of things, if they can just create enough of a push to get rookie RB James Starks two or three yards a carry that will help considerably when the Pack unleashes its air attack from play-action. The Packers receiving corp is arguably the best in the league; they are certainly the best in this game. Donald Driver hasn't practiced the last few days due to a quad injury, but as coach Mike McCarthy said there's no way he can imagine Driver not playing in this game. It would be an added bonus if rookie TE Andrew Quarless felt this was the time for him to also learn to catch the ball on critical downs.

Last but not least, let's look at the quarterbacks. Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger has two Super Bowl wins under his belt already. That experience helps big time. He's done it and he's won it. But his big frame helps more when he's both in and out of the pocket. The Packers defense will have to somehow figure out ways to get him down. He's got a big arm and is great at improvising. But those last two qualities are shared with Packers QB Aaron Rodgers. In fact, Rodgers has the added benefit of having a quicker release on his passes and that, again, helps give the Packers an edge. In listening to a cast of former Super Bowl winners this morning on ESPN, from coaches to players -- including Mike Ditka and Steve Young -- it was nearly unanimous that Aaron Rodgers was the key to victory for the Pack. He's been hot. And there's no reason to suspect he won't be on Super Bowl Sunday.

Former QB and Super Bowl winner Kurt Warner had some advice for the Packers with regards to Rodgers, however. He suggested, quite wisely, that coach McCarthy should help Rodgers by giving him an easy throw or two coming out of the box to build confidence and get into a rhythm. When Rodgers gets into that flow quickly, it usually means good things in terms of the final outcome.

Here's the final prediction
The game will undoubtedly ebb and flow. These are two great teams. It will be a physical game. Both teams will be brining it, as they say, for the full 60 minutes. The defense that wears down first might be the one to let the game slip away.

Throughout the regular season, the Packers never lost games as much as beat themselves. They aren't going to do that on this stage. Even if they get down, they are capable of getting back in it. They will never be out of it.

I'm thinking that coach McCarthy will unleash his offense and, as he's done all season, rely on defensive coordinator Dom Capers and his great defense to hold down the Steelers. The final score? I'm calling it 31-24 Packers.

Go Pack Go!!!

Can we just play the dang game!

2011-02-03T10:43:00.000-06:00

By the time kickoff arrives on Sunday, the Pack -- and we fans -- will be more than ready for action. In fact, they're -- and we're -- already to roll. Can't we just play the dang Super Bowl already?!

This week is being filled with all sorts of stories. The game almost seems secondary at the moment. It's not, of course. It's the main thing. But what can you do to fill the void but look at past Super Bowl games, players, and so on. Also stories of the teams' fans. Some great stories on the national scene about how the Packers' fans are just...different. As if we didn't know that already. Lots of angles on the last-remaining small town team in the NFL, a community-owned team (approx. 112,000 shareholders...yours truly among them), a non-profit corporation besides. In fact, did you know that there is an NFL bylaw which now precludes the type of ownership and corporation which the Packers have? True.

Cosmic Debris
And in the miscellaneous and unrelated info category...

ESPN's Mel Kiper, Jr. this morning talked about how many teams are now regretting passing up drafting Aaron Rodgers. Ya think? Remember that as close as a week or so before the draft Rodgers was being discussed as a possible #1 pick. We all know -- thankfully for the Packers -- that he dropped mysteriously to #24 where Ted Thompson just had to take him. What a gift! Kiper noted that the ViQueens took two players ahead of Rodgers, both of whom are busts. The Redskins also could have picked up Rodgers, but didn't. A bunch of teams could have, but didn't. Kiper said he had Rodgers rated higher than 17 players who were also chosen before him, eight of whom are busts today. Some of us often think of the Pack as God's team (that "G" doesn't just stand for Green Bay, my friends!). Perhaps Rodgers falling into the Packers' lap is yet further evidence of that.
ESPN's Tom Jackson believes the X-factor in the upcoming game for the Packers will be rookie RB James Starks. Jackson related Starks' stats since becoming the Pack's featured running back (in fact, Starks is the leading rusher in the playoffs). Jackson also said that a real advantage Starks has is fresh legs. All he needs to do is pick up a couple yards per carry to get the Pack into short third down yardage and that will go a long way to helping open up the Packers' air attack...cue Aaron Rodgers.
LB Clay Matthews will be matched against aging veteran Flozell Adams. It's expected that Matthews will beat Adams like a rented mule. Figure the Steelers to give Adams help with a running back or other blocker, and that frees up someone else to break free on Ben Roethlisberger.
One of those guys who might be able to break free, or at the very least take up another double team and create yet another opportunity for defensive pressure is B.J. Raji. He will likely be nose-to-nose with the Steelers back-up center. Who's gonna win that match up more often than not?

If Aaron Rodgers has one of his usual outstanding dome games, and the Packers defense stops the Steelers rushing game and is able to contain -- and tackle! -- Roehtlisberger, the Lombardi Trophy will be coming back to Green Bay where it belongs. Make no mistake, this will be a dogfight. But the Packers are the better team...they just have to play like it. They've been doing just that for the last five games.

Four more quarters. Four more quarters.

Go Pack Go!!!

Topless Packers Road Trip

2011-01-29T10:59:00.000-06:00

Now, don't get the wrong idea, Packers fans...it's not that kind of topless. We're talking here about a topless PackerMobile. Or, in other words, a convertible...but with no top whatsoever. See for yourself:

Yes, two intrepid Wisconsin Packers fans, Mark "The IceMan" Madson (Clinton, WI) and Dieter "The SnowMan" Sturm (Lake Geneva, WI), have in their own words begun "an epic adventure trip, leaving from the Tundra of Wisconsin's Green Bay Lambeau Field southbound in their 1978 El Dorado Cadillac Convertible (no top) to support the Green Bay Packers to victory in Dallas at Super Bowl XLV."

Yes, this is what Packer fans do. Just watch...

For those amongst the readership who are geographically challenged, here is what the gentlemen's route will look like:

If memory serves, it's a long drive -- approximately 1,100+ miles -- from Green Bay to Dallas (I'm sure someone will Mapquest that to find out for sure). That's quite a ride in a topless convertible. Especially in the dead of winter. But Packer fans know no bounds of enthusiasm. Or common sense. It makes us who we are!

Of course, Messrs. Madson and Sturm aren't just winging it. They do have a schedule, as tentative as it might be at the time of this posting:
Thursday - Sunday: PREP FOR THE TRIP
Monday - Travel to Green Bay to start Epic Adventure
Tuesday - LEAVE Wisconsin TO SUPER BOWL XLV Dallas
ARRIVAL to Dallas (Hopefully) Thursday PM or Friday AM

If I read this correctly the largest segment of the trip is the preparation. OK, we can understand that. If it's like the road trips from college days...well...never mind...moving right along...

If you're interested in learning more about Mike and Dieter's most excellent Packers adventure, check out their website here. And, yes, sponsorships are available. Really. Why not? There's only one Super Bowl XLV.

It's a Packivus miracle!

2011-01-25T11:50:00.001-06:00

Yes, it's Packivus for the rest of us!

For any team to make it to the Super Bowl it is a bit of a miracle, isn't it? And when we really contemplate what this season's version of the Green Bay Packers has accomplished it truly is an amazing accomplishment.

Consider:

Fifteen players were placed on injured reserve during the regular season, including six starters.
The team's six losses were by a combined total of 20 points.
The Pack had to win their last two regular season games just to qualify via tiebreaker for the playoffs as the last seed.
The team had to go on the road for all three playoff games...and win. In doing so, they became the first #6 seed from the NFC to advance to the Super Bowl.
At no time, in any game this season, have the Packers trailed by more than 7 points.
The Packers' defense is either at or near the top in just about all statistical categories, despite being the unit that lost the most starters and backups to season-ending injuries.

It's an amazing story. The Packers were the preseason pick of many to go to the Super Bowl because of the talent on board. Much of that talent was left by the wayside as the season went on. Other players, many of them virtual unknowns and/or street free agents -- Sam Shields, Howard Green, Erik Walden, John Kuhn, James Starks and Tim Masthay among them -- had to step in and play at an exceptionally high level even for the team to have a shot at making the playoffs. The player personnnel side of things, beginning with GM Ted Thompson, and the coaches and staff -- especially head coach Mike McCarthy and defensive coordinator Dom Capers -- had to do a remarkable job of getting these players in a position to succeed. And succeed they did.

There is much to be proud of about this team. They have one goal remaining, four quarters of football, to bring the Lombardi Trophy back to Titletown USA. Their upcoming opponent is almost a mirror image of the Pack, especially on the defensive side of things. The Steelers have 25 players on the roster with Super Bowl experience; the Packers have two, Charles Woodson and Ryan Picket (although John Kuhn was on the Steelers practice squad when they won in 2005). But would you put it past this group of Packers to once again exceed expectations? Nope.

It will be a knock-down, drag-out battle for the title. If the Pack puts it together they way they can, they way they have been, Super Bowl XVL will go down as the fourth such title for the team, and their 13th overall NFL championship title...more than any other NFL team. They want it. You have to believe they'll earn it. After all, it's the season of Packivus miracles!

Oh, and a word to the NFL for next season: just imagine what the Packers will be like when they get all their players back! Be afraid...be very afraid.

Go Pack Go!!!

Packers win the Halas, now off to Dallas!

2011-01-24T10:01:00.001-06:00

How does it feel, Packers fans, to be able to call our beloved Green Bay Packers NFC Champions? Pretty darn good, doesn't it? And then you toss in the fact that the victory came at the expense of the team south of the border, the Chicago Bears, the Packers' partner in the oldest rivalry in the NFL, and it becomes even sweeter. To take the Halas Trophy, named after the Bears' founder, George Halas, back to Green Bay is wonderful irony.

Now the Packers have the Halas...and it's off to Dallas! Super Bowl XLV here we come. We have 13 days to get Packer'd up.

But first, let's just take a quick look at a few of the heros of yesterday's game.

Aaron Rodgers. For the early quarterbacking, but especially for his tackle of Brian Urlacher after Urlacher intercepted Rodgers as the Pack was driving to go up 21-0. If Rodgers hadn't made that tackle, it's a whole other ballgame. Even with the ball at midfield, Da Bears were unable to get any points off the turnover. Turned out to be the biggest tackle of Rodgers' career.

James Starks. For doing just enough, 22 carries for 74 yards, to keep the Bears honest regarding the running game. And for picking up his first NFL touchdown. Good timing.

B. J. Raji. What can you say about "The Freezer"? Helped on the blocking scheme to get Starks in the endzone. Was blowing up Bears center Olin Kreutz, especially early on. And for being athletic enough to drop into coverage and get a pick-6 TD...although it would be nice in the future to not hold the ball out like a loaf of bread until you are well past the goal line (just a suggestion in case you are reading this, Mr. Raji). Raji becomes, according to ESPN, the heaviest player to score a TD in postseason history. There's some trivia for you.

Greg Jennings. Eight catches for 130 yards. Big catches to help get the Pack up early. Huge.

Tim Masthay. A punter? A hero of the game? You bet. Especially when the guy on the other end of your punts is Devin Hester. For the second game in a row against Da Bears, Masthay placed his punts in such a way where Hester was a non-factor. Outstanding job.

Jarrett Bush. Yeah, I know. He's been the kind of player over the last several years that Packer fans have not exactly warmed to, shall we say, especially when he's called upon to play in the defensive backfield. But you have to give credit where credit is due. And Bush deserves plenty of credit for becoming a special teams warrior. He has often become unblockable in punt coverage. Combined with Masthay's punting, Bush is often able to be the first one to down the ball or to be in on a tackle of the returner. Bush has made such an impression on his teammates that he was elected one of the co-captains for the playoffs.

Sam Shields. The undrafted rookie free agent continues to make a name for himself for his outstanding cornerback play. Yesterday, he helped cause a fumble on a blitz of Jay Cutler, which the Bears recovered unfortunately. Oh yeah, there were those two interceptions, too. Especially that last one that was the dagger in the Bears' hopes for a comeback. Shields is only the third rookie in NFL history with two interceptions in a conference championship game. You are a rookie no more, Mr. Shields.

The entire defense, with special kudos to coordinator Dom Capers. Defense wins championships they say. That was true yesterday and it has been true for the Packers throughout the season. Often times the offense seems to go into a conservative mode late in the game, and is unable to convert third downs to keep the clock running and the ball away from the opponent. The outcome of the game then rests with the defense. Time after time, the defense comes up with big plays to save the game. Last week versus Atlanta it was Tramon Williams. Yesterday versus Da Bearz it was Sam Shields. Amazing defense. And it will be needed again if the Pack is to beat the Steelers to win Super Bowl XLV. Facing Ben Roethlisberger is no small challenge. But we know that this Packers defense will leave everything on the field in order to help assure that the Lombardi Trophy returns to Green Bay where it belongs.

Go Pack Go!!!

Packers beat Bears 21-14 to go to Super Bowl

2011-01-23T17:57:00.000-06:00

It was pretty at the start, ugly inbetween, and finally, thankfully, final. The Green Bay Packers defeated the Chicago Bears 21-14 at Soldier Field to capture the Halas Trophy. Next up: Super Bowl XLV and the Lombardi Trophy.

A game re-recap and comments will follow...later. Tonight...tomorrow...whenever. Early clue: defense wins championships and it was the defense that saved the day today.

But for now, let's just say the dream of the Packers winning the NFC Championship for the first times since 1997 and heading to the Super Bowl has come true.

Great job, Packers! From management, coaches and staff to the guys on the field.

Go Pack Go!!!

Packers vs. Da Bearz Championship - A Dream

2011-01-23T08:03:00.000-06:00

This is the day. Finally! The day our beloved Green Bay Packers send the Chicago Bears back to hibernation. The Pack then gets ready for Super Bowl XLV in Dallas. For those who haven't yet read my preview/prediction of yesterday, I am -- shocking! -- picking the Packers to beat Da Bearz, 24-17.

But perhaps like many fans, I didn't sleep really well last evening. Kept tossing and turning. Was very calm until then, apparently. But the excitement builds consciously and subconsciously, right? Like many, my blood pressure will start to go up as game time approaches. And I'll probably be hyperventilating throughout the game until I hear the radio voice of the Packers, Wayne Larrivee, declare, "There...is...your...dagger!"

Anyway, in my somewhat agitated sleep state of last evening, a dream came to me. And in it, I have to say I see a premonition of what's to come today. So take a look, and see if you agree...

The clues to a win for the Packers are many here: the bear is scared and up a tree; a more advanced mammal aims to take it down; a knockout shot is delivered; the bear bounces and lands on the ground with a thud (obviously representative of Jay Cutler getting sacked over and over); the bear being hauled away by a strongman (a Clay Matthews-like avatar); the reference to years of therapy being needed by the bear (referring to Bears' fans at any point in time, really) and lastly, the 6-pack comment by whats-his-name the announcer...what could be more Wisconsin?

So, that dream pretty clearly seals the deal, don't you think? The real dream, of course, begins after today's win. It's the dream of heading to the Super Bowl again and bringing the Lombardi Trophy back to where it belongs: Green Bay, Titletown, USA!

Go Pack Go!!!

Packers vs. Da Bearz Championship Preview and Prediction

2011-01-22T17:29:00.001-06:00

This time tomorrow, we will know the outcome of the NFC Championship Game between our beloved Green Bay Packers and...those other guys...um...Eagles! No, beat them already. Umm...Falcons! No, beat them too. Let's see...I knew it a moment ago...oh yeah...the Chicago Bears. And, yes, the Pack will beat them, too. Shocked, I know, to see yours truly predicting that.

But what else can I do? The Packers are favored. Seemingly at least two-thirds of all the pundits out there are picking the Pack. But are these the only reasons? No. I'm picking the Packers to beat Da Bearz because they are, as ESPN's Jim Rome stated on his show yesterday, not only the hottest team but also the better team.

Granted, the best team doesn't always win. Enough instances of that exist across the league. And, make no mistake, Da Bears are a tough match up. These games always are a slugfest. They have some great players. And it's close enough where an ill-timed penalty, turnover or blown assignment -- or, dare I say, a shanked field goal attempt -- could be the difference in the final outcome. We just hope more of those mistakes occur on Chicago's side of things than on the Packers'.

The Packers are confident and are playing championship calibre football. Da Bearz are probably feeling a bit disrespected and will likely want to take out some of that frustration on the Pack. So it will likely be a tight game, if not throughout at least through the first half.

But if the Pack can get up early on Chicago, bottle up RB Matt Forte, and force Jay Cutler to win the game...that adds up to a win for the Pack.

I normally don't post my prediction until game day. I like to sleep on things and see how things look in the morning. But because many will be heading to the game or viewing parties then, I thought I'd post my prognostication a bit early...while still reserving the right to revise before the game, of course.

Jim Rome predicted the Packers to win 21-17. Peter King of Sports Illustrated picks the Pack 17-16. I think both of those scores for Da Bearz are in the ballpark, although I'm hoping the Pack's defense can hold Chicago to under 17, which they are completely capable of doing. I'm also hoping that the Pack's offense, particularly its running game, keeps opening things up for Aaron Rodgers and the receiving corps. It might not be the long downfield plays given the field and weather conditions. But dink and dunk will work just fine as well, and also not force the O-line into having to pass protect for those long dropbacks and long throws.

Given those assumptions, I'm taking the Packers 24-17 over Da Bearz.

Go Pack Go!!!

P.S. OK, there really wasn't much of a preview here, was there? But really, the whole week has been a preview, hasn't it? Good. Glad we cleared that up.

Packers vs. Da Bearz Championship Week - Part 3

2011-01-21T09:09:00.000-06:00

Two days to go before the showdown in ChiTown...man, doesn't it seem like an eternity since last weekend's game? Good thing the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears can generate a lot of talk to fill up the time. As noted here yesterday, the talk isn't from the players; they are playing things close to the vest and not generating any bulletin board material for their opponent.

Fans and pundits, on the other hand, well...fugetaboutit.

Predictions generally call for a close game. And depending upon which colors you happen to wear, the nod for the victor goes one way or another. No surprise there. But sometimes it's interesting to notice nuances in the conversations.

For example, I happened to be in Chicago last evening and struck up a brief conversation with a desk security guard at the office building I was at for a meeting. He was wearing a Bears hat. He's seen me before coming in wearing a Packers jacket. We don't know each other's names, but we know we both love football. It's always a friendly and good-natured chat. He picks Da Bearz 24-17, not surprisingly. I said I thought that was probably a pretty reasonable score, although I'd have the Pack coming out on top, also not surprisingly.

But then he started to expound just a bit, ever-so cuatiously, measuring his words so he wouldn't have to reconsider his prediction. He said, "If we had Rodgers....Super Bowl, no doubt. If we had Rodgers...". I quickly reminded him that Da Bearz don't, the Packers do, and that will indeed be the difference. (Oversimplifying, of course, as one does in these types of conversations.) I then opened the conversation door a bit more by saying, "Yeah, Cutler...". That's all it took. He was off to the races on how you never know which Cutler is going to show up. He laughed as he recalled some pundit saying that Cutler is colorblind and that's why he'll throw the ball to anyone.

From other things I've read and heard on the airwaves this view seems to be the general feeling among a good number of Bears fans. They believe in Da Bearz, but they just aren't so sure about their quarterback.

The Packers on the other hand, have it rolling now. And Bears fans know that, too. As huge as this game is for the Packers, in some ways it seems to be even more so for Chicago and its fans. After all, Da Bearz won the NFC North. Yet, they are currently listed as 3-1/2 point underdogs on their home field. They haven't gotten a lot of respect this season. Pretenders not contenders was the tag. But here they are, and here the Packers are, playing for the right to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl. In the longest rivalry in the NFL, there has never been a match up like this before. "This is the Super Bowl," I opined to my security guard compadre. "Ya got that right," he nodded in agreement.

For as much as both teams want to get to and win the Super Bowl -- it is the biggest prize, of course -- at least in this corner of the world, among the fans of both teams that live and die with each victory and loss, this Championship game is THE game. Chances are, a meeting with stakes like this will not happen between Green Bay and Chicago again for a long, long time. Each team's fans want to have the bragging rights. For the losing side, it might be another 70 years before there's a chance for redemption. Some of us (gulp) probably won't be here then.

Go Pack Go!!!

Packers vs. Da Bearz Championship Week - Part 2

2011-01-20T09:51:00.000-06:00

Alrighty then...it's a couple days since the last post and a couple days till Packageddon in ChiTown. The story angles and trash talking between fans of the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears are ramping up, filling the airwaves and cyberspace.

But it's important to note that the trash talking between players on the two teams has been nil. Nothing but respect given back and forth. No bulletin board material. As St. Vince might say, "What the hell is going on out there?!" Can this possibly be the same two franchises that have spawned some of the most vicious and nasty players and games the NFL has ever seen? Where's the clotheslining...the "hook"...the body slams? Ah, those were the days...when there was a real dislike by the players on one team versus the other. I mean, even the quarterbacks in this upcoming game are friends. Friends! What's the football world coming to??? Holy Johnny Blood McNally, Batman!

Along these lines, the radio voice of the Green Bay Packers, Wayne Larrivee, has a wonderful radio piece about this greatest rivalry in pro football on his "The Back Page" segment on 620WTMJ radio in Milwaukee. Larrivee outlines some bits of Packers - Bears history that many fans might not be aware of. Both teams, at one time or another, for instance, actually helped keep the other afloat. Another tidbit of history: Papa Bear George Halas was an honorary pallbearer at Curly Lambeau's funeral. For better or worse, the Packers and Da Bearz are bound together in NFL history. That's why it's still amazing that these two great franchises have met only once before in a playoff setting (70 years ago!), and never before in a Championship game. It has always been special. Sunday's game takes it to a whole new level. You can listen to Larrivee's commnetary here.

Cutler on Cutler
Speaking of Jay Cutler (how that's for a non-transition transition?), if you haven't seen this yet, check it out. It's what we imagine he might say if administered truth serum. Enjoy.

More on other aspects of this game later on. For now... Go Pack Go!!!

Packers vs. Da Bearz Championship Week - Part 1

2011-01-17T09:23:00.000-06:00

In what will likely be a rolling set of posts as mood, news, time and interest permit, here is the first installment of the NFC Championship week previewing the matchup between our beloved Green Bay Packers and the Chicago Bears.

According to Pete Dougherty of the Green Bay Press-Gazette, three bookmakers – Sportsbook.com, Bookmaker.com and betED.com – have the early line on the Packers set as three-point favorites over Da Bearz. That's a good start.

Perhaps they are wondering, along with many Bears fans, no doubt, which Jay Cutler will show up: The good Jay (not bad yesterday during the win over the Seahawks...but it was the Seahawks, after all) or the bad Jay?

On the other hand, Packers fans have no such worries. We know we have not only a good quarterback, but a great quarterback: Aaron Rodgers. But don't take my word for it. When you have Hall of Fame QB Troy Aikman commenting during the broadcast of the Pack's de-icing of Matty "Ice" Ryan Saturday night that if he was starting a football team right now he'd pick Rodgers as his QB, that speaks volumes. And then Da Coach himself -- Mike Ditka -- states on ESPN that in his roughly 50 years of football he's never seen a better individual playoff performance by anyone than what he witnessed from Rodgers versus the Falcons. So...there's a couple pretty reliable testimonials for you. Haven't heard anyone saying anything similar about Cutler. Of course, a beat down on him by the Pack this coming Sunday will make sure that trend continues.

This is the thing dreams are made of. The oldest rivalry in the NFL. Storied franchises. Border wars. Friends and families with split loyalties. It doesn't get better than this. In many ways, this game will make the Super Bowl almost anticlimactic. Almost.

Go Pack Go!

It's the Packers vs. Bears for trip to Super Bowl XLV

2011-01-16T15:45:00.000-06:00

The Green Bay Packers blew out the Atlanta Falcons last night for a trip to the NFC Championship Game. Today, the Chicago Bears beat the Seattle Seahawks, 35-24, although the game was never in doubt despite Da Bearz giving up several scores late.

Believe it or not, this will set up the first playoff meeting between the Pack and Da Bearz since a divisional playoff game in 1941. 1941! Holy John Belushi movie, Batman! (Film reference, look it up.)

With the annual meetings between these two teams going back to the dawn of time (or the start of the NFL, whichever came first), it does come as a bit of a surprise that there has only been one previous time when the Packers and Da Bearz met with something like this on the line.

This is definitely the game that both Packers and Bears fans have been hoping for. For Packer fans, it's a chance to make amends for the early season giveaway loss in ChiTown, grab the NFC Championship Trophy -- the George Halas Trophy (how great to steal that away on Da Bearz' home turf?) -- and get ready for a return to the Super Bowl. For Bears fans...well, who really cares?

Make no mistake, Da Bearz have gotten much better on all sides of the ball as the season has worn on. But so have the Packers. And if they continue to roll like they did last night, the Super Bowl is just one game away for the Pack. It's no gimme. That second meeting in Green Bay in the regular season finale was a dogfight. This will be, too, one would suspect. But that was more or less the thinking going into the Atlanta game. Chicago is better than Atlanta, especially on the defensive side of things. And Bears offensive coordinator Mike Martz has put Jay Cutler in a position to succeed by changing the scheme since early in the season.

But really...when push comes to shove, with the game on the line, which quarterback do you want pulling the trigger? Cutler or Aaron Rodgers. A-duh! If the Pack's defense and special teams hold their own -- which they will -- the advantage goes to the Packers, despite playing in Chicago and on that lousy turf at Soldier Field. (C'mon...with all that graft that flies around Chicago, couldn't they pay off someone to get a decent field??? Really.) As Terry Bradshaw noted, a bad field goes to the advantage of the offense because they know where they're going and the defenders do not. More weapons, more opportunity. That's the Packers.

As the week goes on, we'll be doing preview updates as the need arises. Our prediction of the score (not the winner -- you already know we're picking the Packers!) will be made closer to game time.

The NFC Championship Game will be carried on Fox with kickoff set for 2 p.m. Central time.

Go Pack Go!!!

Can you say "NFC Championship Game"???

2011-01-15T22:24:00.000-06:00

Yes, Packer fans, it's time to rejoice once more. Our beloved Green Bay Packers are on a roll. As the 6th-seeded team in the NFC playoffs, they trounced the #1-seeded Atlanta Falcons 48-21. Other than a shaky start early with a Greg Jennings' fumble and special teams giving up a 102-yd kickoff return, the Packers dominated every aspect of the game.

QB Aaron Rodgers threw for 3 touchdowns (giving him 10 TD passes in his first 3 playoff games as a starter) and ran for 1. Rodgers finished 31 of 36 for 366 yards, 3 TD and no INTS, and a 136.8 QB rating. CB Tramon Williams had 2 huge interceptions, 1 in the endzone and another for a pick-6 70-yard TD return to end the 1st half. Could it be Rodgers and Williams had a chip on their shoulders about not making the Pro Bowl? Nah...this is all about getting to the Big Dance, baby!

In all, Atlanta had 4 turnovers, including 2 fumbles in the 4th quarter. The Packers never punted in the game.

The 48 points scored sets a new Packers' post-season record.

At the end of the game, the stadium was filled only with Packers fans as the Dirty Bird patrons had flown the coop.

More analysis and comment in the days ahead as the Packers prepare to meet either Da Bearz or Seahawks. That will be determined tomorrow.

But whichever team we meet in the Championship, they should be afraid. Very afraid. The Packers are rolling on all cylinders.

Go Pack Go!!!

Packers ready to clip Falcons' wings

2011-01-15T13:47:00.000-06:00

Tonight is the night. The night the lights go out in Georgia. The night the Green Bay Packers get one step closer to Super Bowl XLV. Tonight is the night the 6th-seeded Packers take down the #1-seeded Atlanta Falcons.

Yes, the Falcons are favored by 1 point. Big whoop. And all the analysis has been offered: who has the better running game, special teams, QB, defense, receivers, etc. And the record of first-round bye teams winning their divisional games versus Wild Card winners is rather impressive. Plus, we all know how great Atlanta and QB Matt Ryan are at home. Throw in Michael "The Burner" Turner as the featured running back and the Dirty Birds are a handful.

But so are the Packers. Especially now. The Packers handed a victory to the Falcons in their earlier meeting, blowing goal-line opportunities and failing to tackle Turner. A few inopportune penalties sealed the deal with a narrow closing-seconds loss. It was the modus operandi for all the Packers losses. That was then. This is now.

Now, over the past month, the Packers have been playing at a different level. They are as healthy as they've been all season. Which doesn't mean they don't miss all the starters who went out early and often and onto injured reserve. But the players that have been plugged in have stepped up. Big time. The Packers defense is #5 in the NFL overall. Aaron Rodgers is arguably the best quarterback in the league right now after Tom Brady according to various sports pundits. Special teams has been consistent, something they weren't early in the season. And now, perhaps, the Pack has found a running back in rookie James Starks. If he does even half as well versus the Falcons as he did against the Eagles it will go a long way to helping the Packers leave Atlanta with a victory.

Look for defensive coordinator Dom Capers to devise a scheme which will keep Michael Turner from chewing up yards and clock -- something they were unable to do last time. In Atlanta's three losses, Turner was held in check; the Pack needs to do that as well in order to win. Accomplishing that, occasional pressures on Matt Ryan will also help do the trick. On the offensive side of things, rush with Starks and let Rodgers and the receiving corps exploit the Falcons' secondary. As for special teams, just don't blow it...what more can you say?

This will be a close game, as the two teams are very well matched. The Falcons are rested. But the Packers are hot. Look for the Pack to stay on a roll.

We're calling this game 24-20 Packers.

Go Pack Go!!!

Packers playoff win sees some "firsts"

2011-01-10T10:18:00.002-06:00

Sunday, January 9, 2011...a day that will live in, well, Green Bay Packers' lore if nowhere else. And not only for the fact that the Pack beat the Philadelphia Eagles 21-16. This game should be part of the sacred Packers' canon for years to come because of a few of the "firsts" recorded.

The first of the "firsts" was that, with his three touchdown passes yesterday, QB Aaron Rodgers became the first NFL quarterback -- ever -- to record seven touchdown passes in his first two playoff appearances. Obviously, those other four TD passes were made in last year's overtime loss to the Arizona Cardinals. Congrats to Mr. Rodgers, our Pro Bowl QB. (Wait...what's that you're saying? Rodgers didn't make the Pro Bowl this season? But Michael Vick did? Who's responsible for this mix up??? Obviously, there's a bizarro world thing happening here!)

Oh, and this was also Rodgers' first playoff win as the Packers starting QB.

Another great "first" was a Packers' rookie playoff rushing record for James Starks. His 123 yards (23 carries, 5.3 yds/carry) rushing yesterday blew past the prior record held by Travis "The Roadrunner" Williams back in 1967. Williams carried 18 times for 88 yards at Milwaukee's County Stadium as the Packers beat the Los Angeles Rams, 28-7. Congrats to Mr. Starks. Perhaps the Packers can now give opposing defenses a legitimate rushing threat to worry about throughout the playoffs.

Another "first" was the first NFL touchdown catch by TE Tom Crabtree, which was also the first Packers' score of the game. Congrats to Mr. Crabtree. And we really liked the way you rubbed it in to the fans with your "I can't hear you" hands-to-the-ears routine as the City of Brotherly Love fans showered their special brand of love upon you. Classic.

On the flip side of things, and it played an important part in the Packers victory, it was the first time the Eagles Pro Bowl kicker, David Akers, missed two field goal attempts in a playoff game. Being so bold as to speak for Packers fans everywhere, this was indeed a good "first" and a great time to have it happen. Sorry, Mr. Akers.

Last, but certainly not least, is the fact that this was the first playoff win by any Packers team in Philadelphia. The Pack had been 0-2 in playoff games in Philly going into yesterday's game. The only playoff loss by head coach Vince Lombardi was to the Eagles in Philly in 1960. Then there was head coach Mike Sherman's Waterloo overtime loss in 2004, where a loss was snatched from the hands of victory. That demon has been exorcised.

This was a complete team victory for the Packers, the team's first road playoff win since the 1997 NFC Championship Game in San Francisco (hey, another "first" of sorts!). Beating any team twice in the same season in their own stadium is no easy feat. Beating a team with Michael Vick running the offense is a challenge anytime, anywhere. Well done, gentlemen, well done!

Next up: the Dirty Birds
The Packers will now have six days to get ready to travel to Atlanta to take on Matt Flynn and the Falcons in a place where the home team rarely loses. But if memory serves, the Packers essentially played the Dirty Birds to a draw last time around, and lost by 3 points in the waning moments of the game. The early Vegas line has the Falcons favored by 1 to 2 points. Can you say, "toss up"?

The Falcons are the #1 seed in the NFC, the Packers are the #6 seed. That means jack right now, if you get my drift. And I think you do. The Packers are playing at a level they haven't been at until probably the last three or four games. The defense is better than it was when they last played the Falcons, and the offense is also more in a groove and now has a rushing threat for Atlanta to deal with as well as Mr. Rodgers and crew.

The Packers are confident and ready. Watch out Atlanta. The Packers are heading your way.

For Packers, it's V-E Day!

2011-01-09T11:24:00.000-06:00

For anyone historically challenged (OK, let's be honest, that would be most Americans, but I digress...), the V-E I'm speaking of isn't that other V-E day; Victory in Europe will not get the Green Bay Packers anywhere today (and, please, don't even think about starting a conversation about the NFL playing in Europe!). However, a Victory over the Philadelphia Eagles will certainly be a great V-E Day for Packer fans everywhere!

And that's what we're looking for today: the Packers to beat the Eagles. V-E Day.

This will be a quick and concise preview. (Who said "Yay!"? I heard that!).

The Eagles are favored by 2-1/2 points, not even given the full usual benefit of the home field advantage. The weather is supposed to be cloudy and in the low 30's...not bad. However, the current conditions and forecast call for the wind to be a possible concern, with gusts forecast up to 35 mph. So, if it comes down to a kicking game, there could be issues, as they say. Punts could be affected, kickoffs could be affected and, especially, field goal attempts could be affected. We don't want to see a directional kick from Mason Crosby or punt from Tim Masthay taken by the wind and give returner DeSean Jackson opportunities he was not intended to get. Nor do we want to see a Crosby field goal attempt ding off an upright or get pushed wide and be the deciding factor in the game. Horrors! Bottom line: the Packers' special teams did a great job last weekend against Devin Hester and Da Bearz; they need an equally big game today against Jackson and the Eagles, and they can't let the wind determine the outcome of the game.

The Packers' defense must figure out a way to contain the Eagles running game and bottle up QB Michael Vick. That means keeping him in the pocket and hitting him as much as possible. The ViQueens laid out a great blueprint in terms of how to do that. Given that Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers has been a master at scheming all season long, we should expect nothing less than a great performance today from the Pack's defense. In addition, the defensive line will benefit from the return of DE Cullen Jenkins. It's not certain how much he'll be able to play, but the fact that he will be able to make an impact when needed certainly is a boost to a unit that has been playing at an exceptional level for the last half of the season especially.

On the offensive side of the ball, QB Aaron Rodgers and the air attack should be able to shred a questionable Eagles' secondary. Again, that's assuming that the wind doesn't adversely affect the downfield passing attack of the Packers. Being able to hit those big plays is a major part of the Pack's offense; take that away and...? Still, if the Packers can muster any semblance of a running game -- just to keep the Eagles honest -- that will enable Rodgers to find his receivers wherever they may be. And, of course, being able to convert touchdowns rather than field goals will be critical when the offense gets inside the redzone. If the Pack can get off to a fast start today -- instead of falling into the sluggish form that has appeared way too often -- that will go a long way towards securing a victory.

The Packers are feeling very good about where they are momentum-wise right now. They believe their playoff season started two weeks ago, as they needed to win to get in. Make no mistake, the Eagles have the weapons to win; that and the home field are making them the favorites going into the game. But most pundits seem to be predicting the Packers to win this game.

Include yours truly in that group.

I'm calling it 30-24 Packers.

Go Pack Go!!!

P.S. That quick and concise preview thing I mentioned earlier on...never mind...