Week 5: Packers vs. Lions Preview

The Green Bay Packers come into Week 5 off their bye week and much-needed time off in order to get some of the injured players back on the field. The Pack's record is 1-2 after an ugly loss at Cincinnati. The Lions come to Lambeau Field sitting atop the NFC North at 3-1 after a fairly solid handling of Da Bearz in Detroit. The Lions defense looked very good, particularly along the front seven.

The Lions have not won in Green Bay since 1991. They are tired of hearing about it. This is a team, truth be told, that has the best chance to break that streak.

So this is what is at stake in Sunday's game:

• For the Lions, going to 4-1 and holding onto first place in the NFC North with a 3-0 division record.
• For the Packers, going to 2-2 and staying within a game of the Lions (and perhaps Da Bearz, who play the Saints in Chicago and are 1-point underdogs).
• For the Lions, dropping to 3-2 and perhaps falling to second place in the division (with a Bearz win).
• For the Packers, dropping to 1-3 and a tie for last place in the NFC North with the ViQueens, who have their bye week.

The last point above is the one which should make every Packer fan very nervous. The historical odds of a 1-3 team making the playoffs is not great. (Sorry, can't locate my exact stat at present but seem to remember that it is less than 15 percent.) So, that's a place we don't even want to go. Losing this game is not an option for the Packers. They need it more than the Lions, although the Lions certainly have enough incentive, as well.

The good news for the Packers during the bye week is that LB Clay Matthews will play. After going on a tear in the first half of the game against the Bengals, Matthews' hamstring acted up and he and medical staff decided to pull him and not risk injury. The second half of that game was one where his lack of presence was certainly felt. But having him rested and available for the Pack's first divisional game of 2013 may well have been worth it in the long run if he's able to stay on the field. Running backs Eddie Lacy and Johnathan Franklin are also expected back, as is FB John Kuhn, and TE Jermichael Finley. After being down to one running back by the end of the Cincinnati game, the Packers should be able to offer a more balanced effort on offense. The key will be how well the Packers' offensive line is able to handle arguably one of the best defensive lines in football. Without a running game or a threat of it, it could be a long day for QB Aaron Rodgers.

A couple other things to keep in mind: the Packers are generally a very good post-bye-week team under head coach Mike McCarthy; Rodgers has a record of playing extremely well following his rare bad games. Rodgers had an off-game by his standards against the Bengals. That won't happen against the Lions. Especially not at Lambeau Field.

The Packers are very much a work in progress. Just one example: a quarter of the way into the season and they still don't have a solid kick and punt return arrangement, with Jeremy Ross having been cut the day after his disastrous performance in the Cincinnati game. It will be return by platoon until someone steps up. Coach McCarthy is understandably reluctant to expose WR Randall Cobb to work as a returner, but he may not have another choice. Sure hands are needed.

The oddsmakers have set the Packers as 7-point favorites at the time of this writing; that's the third-highest margin of the weekend. We'd be very happy to see that margin come true. The over-under is currently set at 54 points, again, the third-highest total of the week. With Lions QB Matthew Stafford having one of his better seasons so far, with WR Calvin Johnson being his usual nearly-unstoppable self, and RB Reggie Bush giving the Lions a look at running back that they haven't seen in Detroit since Barry Sanders, the Packers defense will have its collective hands full.

What's our prediction? If you are one of those working the odds, take the Lions. Straight up, take the Packers in a very close and hard-fought game.

We're calling it 30-28 Packers.

Go Pack Go!!!

A Sunday Without Packers Football

Remember when the NFL schedule was first announced for this season and we all learned that the Packers had their bye in Week 4 of the season? Good grief! That was waaaaay too early. Or so we thought.

After being beset with injuries of various sorts -- concussions, hamstrings and who knows what else -- the Packers are a physically wounded team very early in the season. Many fans whom I speak with are, like me, of the opinion that the bye comes at a very good time. Yes, far earlier than you'd normally like. But given the team's health at the moment, turns out it's probably a good week for the bye.

They'll also need that time to get over their loss to the Bengals in a wild and ugly game, a game that left them at 1-2 and looking up at the likes of (shudder) Da Bearz (3-0) and (I think I'm gonna hurl) the Lions (2-1). Given the history of all the teams involved, this is not likely where things will end up. And, as we all know well, it's not how you start it's how you finish. Oh, did we forget to mention that the ViQueens are 0-3? I did? Oh, well, the ViQueens are 0-3. As Seinfeld might say, that's a shame.

So, folks, what will you be doing to fill the humongous void left in your day without Green Bay Packers football? Watching other games of interest, I suspect. Perhaps getting out on the golf course. Maybe spending some time boating or fishing or hiking or whatever. Perhaps catching up on some reading. Lots of possibilities. Or, if you are a guy (as I suspect most are who read this particular blog), specifically a guy who is married, no doubt your wife has a whole game plan of her own slated for you today. Probably involves cleaning...something. Or shopping...somewhere. Or just generally keeping you away from any game you'd like to kill a few hours watching because...well...you know...this is what couples do.

If you fall into this latter group, gentlemen, I feel your pain. We've all been there.

Perhaps the words of the venerable Vince Lombardi can inspire us at times such as this: Run to daylight!

Packers bitten by Bengals

It's taken yours truly nearly two days to get past the gut-wrenching loss of the Green Bay Packers to the Cincinnati Bengals.

Where does one begin? How about at the end? With this game, the Packers became the first team in NFL history to be behind by 14 points, then lead by 16 points, and then lose. Great.

Photo by Mark Hoffman, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

This was also the first time that QB Aaron Rodgers -- who lit things up the week before in the win against the Redskins -- had two interceptions in a regular-season game since Week 7 of the 2010 season at Minnesota. Combined with the inauspicious start to the game -- an opening series touchdown drive by the Bengals followed by a kickoff fumble by now-unemployed kick returner Jeremy Ross which allowed Cincy to score 14 points in 12 seconds -- and the injuries to starters Jermichael Finley, James Starks and Clay Matthews, you knew this wasn't going to be your typically crisp Packers type of game.

Of course, there has been much second-guessing about head coach Mike McCarthy's 4th-and-inches call late in the 4th quarter, deep in Bengals' territory, and holding a 3-point lead: a handoff to diminutive but speedy rookie RB Johnathan Franklin. As the entire universe knows, Franklin fumbled going straight into the line, the Bengals recovered and returned it for a game-winning touchdown. Why not a QB sneak? Why not a bootleg run/pass option? Was it the turning point of the game? Certainly that could be argued. But so could the fact that the Packers' four turnovers (already mentioned throughout this post if you've paying attention!) hurt them, that a rash of injuries took their toll on key players, or that the offense couldn't capitalize on four turnovers by the Bengals to put them away as they should have, or that the Packers had some stupid major penalties at inopportune times in the game.

It was a wild ride, indeed. With a very unfavorable outcome for the Packers and their fans. The team goes to 1-2 on the season as they head into an early and, as it turns out, a much-needed bye week. One of the things this game demonstrated is the parity among teams in the league. An even bigger one is that when Aaron Rodgers isn't on his A game for the offense or if Clay Matthews is unavailable to the defense, this team will have a hard time winning against anything but the doormats of the NFL.

If there are more demons from this game to be purged, or news of note during this bye week, we'll be sure to post it here. So please keep checking back. And for any real-time updates you might need, just click on the link above for our Amazing 2nd Page. Yes, it truly is Amazing!

Week 3: Packers vs Bengals Preview

First, I am going to highly recommend to you that if you want to get an overall view of our look at the game today between the Green Bay Packers and Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium that you please see our pre-preview from two days ago. That will give you an overall flavor of things as we see it.

Not much has changed in the past couple days to make us alter our view of things. The Packers are still favored by 3 points (or 2-1/2 depending upon your source). We still think a lot of points will go up on the board (the over-under has actually increased, from 48.5 to 49.5 points).

It's interesting to read through all the various scenarios pundits posit about this game. As noted in our pre-preview, this game -- for some -- is a preview of a potential Super Bowl match up. Certainly they are two potent teams. Each has an edge in certain areas, so watching the chess match being played out by the coaches and coordinators through the course of the game will be nearly as interesting to watch as the plays on the field. Well, not really. That was hyperbole. Forgive me. Nothing is going to be more fun today than watching two talented offenses go at one another and seeing what the defenses try to do to slow things down.

The Bengals have one of the game's best receivers in A.J. Green. They have good tight ends. Well, the Packers have three very good receivers and some good tight ends of their own, including one by the name of Jermichael Finley who seems to have regained a bit of his mojo and, more importantly, the trust and confidence of the guy throwing to him.

Oh, yes, did we mention quarterbacks? Andy Dalton is a capable quarterback and can do damage if the Packers defense doesn't get to him early and often. But is he of the same caliber as Aaron Rodgers? No. You can say -- and some rightly do -- that the edge in the running game goes to the Bengals. That's fine. The Pack will have to find a way to keep that in check, definitely. And the edge on the defensive side of things has to go the Bengals way, especially in the front seven and, given the battered nature of the Packers' secondary, to the entire defensive unit. But is it a huge difference? Depends upon who steps up on both sides.

Still, given the Packers' offensive weapons -- and particularly if RB James Starks can come even marginally close to reprising what he did against Washington (he won't...this isn't the Redskins D we're playing) -- I have to take the Packers, as do the majority of pundits it seems, to win this game.

It could be ugly early on offense for the Pack, as it was last week against Washington. And given the much better defensive front seven of the Bengals it could actually be quite ugly for a while. But the Packers' defense is improved over last season, as well, despite the injuries and gaps in the secondary right now. The Packers' D should be able to get to Dalton or at least be disruptive and that could be enough to upset the apple cart.

I'm calling this one Packers 31-24 over the Bengals.

GO PACK GO!!!
(Photo of Aaron Rodgers above by Jim Biever, Packers.com)

Looking ahead to Packers vs. Bengals

Green Bay Packers fans have to feel good coming off last Sunday's romp over the Washington Redskins. The only downside was the loss of rookie RB Eddie Lacy to a concussion on his one and only carry of the day. Of course, the flip side was that replacement James Starks romped to the tune of 132 yards. That was sweet!

While some pundits are suggesting that this Sunday's game at Paul Brown Stadium might be a preview of things to come, as in Super Bowl XLVIII, the questions for the Packers going through the prep week for the Cincinnati Bengals are more immediate and basically have to do with the following:

• Can Starks repeat his 100+ yards performance?
• Can Lacy play at all Sunday?
• If Lacy is unavailable as a back up -- Starks has already been named as the starter this week -- is rookie RB Johnathan Franklin finally ready to show something out of the backfield, including being able to pass protect for Aaron Rodgers?
• Will FB and Rodgers' personal body guard in the backfield, John Kuhn, be available to play following his hamstring injury?
• If Kuhn is unavailable for the game -- and that seems to be a good possibility -- which of the tight ends will be taking up the fullback spot in certain formations?
• How will an admittedly sieve-like secondary hold up against one of the top receivers in the league, A. J. Green?
• Can the offensive line, which performed admirably from about the second quarter on against the 'Skins, reprise their effort against a defensive line that might be nearly as good as San Francisco's front seven?

If Rodgers has time -- and that is a question at this point given the ups and downs we've seen with the Packers' O-line -- he can have success against the Bengals secondary. Conversely, Bengals QB Andy Dalton -- while a capable but not top-tier passer -- could find success against the Packers secondary if the Pack's front seven can't get to him.

At the time of this writing the Packers are favored by 3 points. The over-under is currently set at 48.5 total points, tied for third most of the entire weekend; obviously the oddsmakers figure there will be lots of scoring going on. That can all change by game time, of course.

Still, you have to like the way the Pack rebounded in Week 2. We'd expect that momentum to carry over to this week. Once this game is out of the way, the Packers will have 14 days before their next game...the bye week happens in Week 4, way too soon. So the Packers will undoubtedly not push their injured players to play this week, preferring to rest them for the long haul of 13 games in a row coming up after the bye. Who plays and who is held out may very well determine whether the Packers emerge 1-2 or 2-1. It likely will be that close unless one team or the other collapses.

Be sure to check back here no later than Sunday morning for our final game preview and prediction. Bookmark us!

Go Pack Go!!!

Packers beat Redskins 38-20

The Green Bay Packers got back to even (1-1) in the won-loss column today with a 38-20 win at Lambeau Field over the Washington Redskins. Some are using the term "rout" to describe the win; Washington's two TDs came late. In any event, the Pack dominated early in this game and never let up. In the end, QB Aaron Rodgers tied the franchise record (Matt Flynn in 2011) for passing yardage, completing 34 of 42 passes for 480 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions. A good day for Mr. Rodgers. He's now 29-4 at Lambeau.

But Rodgers wasn't the entire story today. After starting rookie running back Eddie Lacy left the game early in the first quarter with a concussion, James Starks stepped in and rushed for 132 yards and a touchdown. In the process, he helped the Packers set a new franchise record: it is the first game in franchise history with a 400+ yard passer and a 100+ yard rusher. Imagine that! Oh, and it was also the first time in 45 regular-season games that the Packers had a 100-yard rusher. Thank you, Mr. Starks.

There will be more reflection and review of this game later on. For now, we just wanted to say that this is more like the Packers team we hoped to see on the field. Still plenty of areas to work on. But the prognosis is positive.

Keep checking back for further updates.

Week 2: Packers vs. Redskins Preview

Fans of the Green Bay Packers have had the last week to wail and nash our collective teeth over the loss (again...third in a row) to the San Francisco 49ers. It's another week, another game, and another read-option quarterback who may -- or may not -- give the Packers defense trouble. In the season home opener at Lambeau Field today, the Packers will see if they can keep QB Robert Griffin III and the Washington Redskins from having them start the season at 0-2.


This photo of Lambeau Field is courtesy of TripAdvisor
If that happens, Packer fans, the road to the Super Bowl becomes very difficult indeed. According to people who's job it is to calculate such odds (that would not be me, just to be clear), only 22 NFL teams since 1990 (11.5 percent) have made the playoffs after starting 0-2. Only three teams that opened the season 0-2 have won the Super Bowl: the 1993 Dallas Cowboys, the 2001 New England Patriots and the 2007 New York Giants.

So, is this a must win for the Packers? If you have to ask, you shouldn't be reading this article...in fact, the very task of reading this article would likely be beyond your abilities...move along, please.

But don't fret, Packer fans. According to an article by Bob McGinn, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's uber-Packers beat reporter, at least one unidentified NFL team executive actually upgraded the Pack after last week's loss to the Niners. That exec said: "After watching that game I'd be shocked if the Packers don't go 12-4. I was guessing they were a 10-6 team before that. They were very consistent on offense, like they always are. But the difference this year from last year was the passion that the defense played with. I thought they played hard on defense."

Was this guy watching the same game as the rest of us? Watching the secondary get torched for more than 400 passing yards by the Tattooed Wonder, Colin Kaepernick? Apparently, he liked the defensive line and acknowledged the big hit the secondary took without S Morgan Burnett and nickel back Casey Hayward in the lineup. Still, this guy says the Niners will beat the Packers in the NFC Championship and go on to win the Super Bowl. One man's view.

McGinn had another NFL personnel man evaluate the Packers relative to the league. McGinn states in his article that, "By his estimation, seven of the 32 teams have no chance for a winning season. At the same time, he ranked Green Bay among nine teams with a chance to win the championship." So...the Packers have that going for them. Which is nice.

But all that conversation seems a bit premature when you're 0-1 and need to get to 1-1 today. So, let's just focus on that for a moment, shall we?

Keys to the Game

Let's start on offense for the Pack. The Packers offense is not a problem. Let's state the obvious. The revamped offensive line held its own against perhaps the best defensive line in the NFL last week. There were a few breakdowns, sure. But the young tackles performed well, which was a concern. They still need to create some running room for Eddie Lacy and the other backs, however. With the call for a chance of rain for the game today, being able to sustain drives on the ground, and keep the ball out of the opposing quarterback's hands, will be a definite plus. QB Aaron Rodgers and receivers will do what they need to do, regardless of conditions, especially against a somewhat porous Redskins defense. Last season, their defense gave up 281.9 passing yards per game, 30th in the league. They were also dead last in third down defensive efficiency. While Washington has changed both its safeties, this bodes well for the Packers to rack up yards and put up points, with or without a sufficient running game today.

As to the Packers defense, it's not known at the time of this writing whether S Morgan Burnett will be seeing any playing time today or not. He did practice a bit this week and was testing out the hamstring. No doubt this will be a game-time decision. Let's hope he can be on the field at least some of the time because we saw last week what happened without him...not pretty. The Packers defensive front must play as aggressively as they did last week and there's no reason to suspect they won't. Given RGIII's shaky start in the 'Skins season opener, and the desire to still protect his rebuilt leg, we'd expect to see more passing from him than running. He's got a heckuva arm, although his mechanics were terrible for about three-fourths of the game last week. If the Packers secondary plays as badly as it did against the Niners, it could be another shoot-out. We don't want that. But at this stage of the season, anything is possible.

For Packers special teams performances, the return game is still the weak link, with some bad decision-making on display at San Francisco. You have to figure that will get cleaned up. Having P Tim Masthay handle the kickoffs is a very good thing; he booms 'em and this perhaps gives K Mason Crosby less to worry about...just make the dang field goals!

Prediction

To the sound of the drum roll, we predict it will be: Packers 34 - Redskins 24.

Go Pack Go!!!

Packers lose -- again -- to the 49ers

This is getting old.

For the third consecutive time, the Green Bay Packers lost to the San Francisco 49ers. We're beginning to get a sense of how Da Bearz fans feel when playing and losing to the Pack time after time. Not a great feeling.

Pick your reason for the loss: two turnovers, no pass rush, no coverage by the secondary, no tackling by the secondary, penalties, no running game, failure to cover the 49ers primary receiver, lack of adjustments at halftime, a blown call by the ref giving the Niners an extra down on which they scored a touchdown...take your pick. Lots of blame to go around on this one.

Coming off last season's embarrassing playoff performance, the Packers were determined not to let 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick run all over them is he did in that game. Well, he didn't. Instead, he threw for more than 400 yards and three touchdowns. In his last two games against the Packers, Kaepernick and his tattoos have accounted for more than 900 yards. He's been a one-man Packers wrecking crew. And he will be until the Packers somehow learn to pass rush, cover receivers, and tackle.

Were there any positive takeaways from the game for the Pack? The fact that the team was still in the game with a chance to win at the end could be seen as a plus. The fact that the Packers' young tackles held up fairly well against Pro Bowl caliber defensive ends, that was good. That Aaron Rodgers and his receivers were generally clicking was good, although James Jones was missing in action and Jermichael Finley had a butterfingers moment that led to an interception. Tim Masthay's booming kickoffs are a new and real weapon. Johnny Jolly getting the start on the defensive line was nothing short of amazing.

But the lack of discipline, the lack of effective defense, these are causes for concern. One assumes that the coaching staff will get the discipline issues resolved. Quickly. Head coach Mike McCarthy doesn't put up with that type of thing from his players. As for the overall defensive ineffectiveness, it certainly had to do in part with a few key players, notably Morgan Burnett and Casey Hayward, being unavailable in the defensive backfield. But the guys that were there...how they were unable to cover and how they were unable to make tackles...it could be another long season on defense, folks, if that isn't rectified and soon. As for lack defensive adjustments throughout the game, let's hope defensive coordinator Dom Capers isn't a deer in the headlights as seemed to be the case sometimes last season.

It's early in the season, obviously. No time to panic. Just time to be critical, watchful, and hopeful.

Go Pack Go!!!

Week 1: Packers vs. 49ers Preview

Today is the day fans of the Green Bay Packers have been waiting all the offseason for: a rematch with the San Francisco 49ers. The Niners beat the Packers at Lambeau Field in the season opener last year, which was bad enough. But then, there was the road-to-the-Super-Bowl loss to the Niners in the playoffs when QB Colin Kaepernick embarrassed the Packers defense on the ground and in the air. The horror...the horror...

So, what's the outlook for today's match up? The oddsmakers generally have the Packers set at 4.5 to 5-point underdogs in this game, which really doesn't seem all that unreasonable if you think about it objectively. After all, until the Packers can prove they have a running game to complement the air game and that the defense can shut down a read-option quarterback, the Packers will probably be the underdog against such teams...or, at least, the Niners.

Here's what I wrote yesterday about this game in my season preview: "Everyone is figuring that the Niners have the stronger roster across the board and that QB Colin Kaepernick will do the same thing to the Pack he did last season in the playoff game. The Packers are tired of hearing about that, as much as they may claim that that was all last season and this is a new season blah blah blah. The Packers defense has had all off season and training camp to prepare for Kaepernick. If they can generally make him work more out of the pocket than scamper they will be in the game...if the Pack's reconfigured offensive line can open a few holes for Eddie Lacy and also protect Aaron Rodgers, that is. In some ways, while there are many unknowns on both sides of the ball at this stage of things, this might be the best opportunity for the Packers to beat the Niners. If. Lots of ifs in this first game."

That's it in a nutshell, Packer fans. The Packers need to establish a running game, the offensive line -- including two new and unproven tackles -- needs to protect Aaron Rodgers, the defense needs to keep Kaepernick in the pocket and prevent him from breaking off huge runs via the read-option. On both sides of the ball, the Packers need to play with a physicality that has not always been there in recent years; they need to play with an intensity that gets the other team's respect and also gets in their heads. Clay Matthews has apparently already done a bit of that with 49ers head coach, Jim Harbaugh, who was whining over the last few days worrying that the Packers might actually hit his quarterback, especially if he runs. Guess what? The league said if the QB runs, he's a runner. All regular rules apply once he's out of the pocket. Boo-hoo, Coach Harbaugh. Your quarterback runs and whatever happens happens. You don't want him to get hurt? Keep him in the pocket. Simple. Your choice.

Speaking of the San Francisco running game, the Pack will also have to handle Frank Gore. There's a handful, too. If the Packers focus too much on containing Kaepernick they could allow Gore to run over them.

We could break down each unit and indicate what must be done. But without much of a record to analyze, it's a crapshoot at best, isn't it? In every game of the season, but especially the first game, every player has to do their job better than the opponent. If that happens, you win. If it doesn't, you lose.

The Packers have a lot of young players who can and will make mistakes. The hope is that the veterans among them can help cover for them or mitigate any damage that might be caused by inexperience. On paper, right now, the edge in talent does go to the Niners overall.

But the games aren't played on paper. They are played on the field. I think the Packers will have set their sights on this game and prepared for it for quite a while. It will be a dogfight, for sure. My head tells me that the Niners will likely win this game. But my heart...well, it wears green 'n' gold colored glasses (now there's an image for you!).

I'm calling this game 31-30, Packers.

Go Pack Go!!!

Packers 2013 Season Preview

On the eve of the Green Bay Packers first regular season game of the 2013 NFL season against the team many believe will not only be the NFC representative in the Super Bowl but its winner, the San Francisco 49ers, we take a look ahead to the entire season.

Now, unlike some bloggers and pundits who will analyze every game and give you their win-lose score for each of the upcoming 16 games, yours truly takes a different approach. One which has served well over the past seasons. We break the season down by quarters and see how things could go. Each season has an ebb and flow to it based upon more than just the opponent. There's also the overall schedule to consider, the order in which a particular team will appear as the opponent, who the Packers play away and who the team plays at home. That sort of thing.

Now, do I take a look at all sorts of stats to arrive at my prediction? Nope. Don't have time to do that. Nor the inclination. This prediction is far less science than art...and that's using the term "art" quite loosely. "Guess" might be more accurate. Which, if you really think about it, dear reader, makes what you are about to read just about as good as anyone else's prediction.

So, without further ado, here we go.

2013 First Quarter: Sept. 8 - Oct. 6
This actually covers the first five weeks of the regular season, as the Packers -- quite atypically compared to recent years -- have their bye week in Week 4...not great.

Anyway, the sequence of teams for this quarter of the season is:

• Sept. 8 - 49ers - Away
• Sept. 15 - Redskins - Home
• Sept. 22 - Bengals - Away
• Week 4 - Bye Week
• Oct. 6 - Lions - Home

Looking at this portion of the schedule, the Packers will go 3-1. The most likely loss will be the first game of the season against the 49ers. The Packers, at this writing, are 4.5-point underdogs. Everyone is figuring that the Niners have the stronger roster across the board and that QB Colin Kaepernick will do the same thing to the Pack he did last season in the playoff game. The Packers are tired of hearing about that, as much as they may claim that that was all last season and this is a new season blah blah blah. The Packers defense has had all off season and training camp to prepare for Kaepernick. If they can generally make him work more out of the pocket than scamper they will be in the game...if the Pack's reconfigured offensive line can open a few holes for Eddie Lacy and also protect Aaron Rodgers, that is. In some ways, while there are many unknowns on both sides of the ball at this stage of things, this might be the best opportunity for the Packers to beat the Niners. If. Lots of ifs in this first game. More on this in our game preview which we will post tomorrow. So check back for that Sunday before the game.

As to the other games, especially if the Packers lose the opener, I'd expect three wins, with two of the three games played at Lambeau Field.

That's how we get to 3-1 for this portion of the schedule.

Second Quarter: Oct. 13 - Nov. 4

• Oct. 13 - Ravens - Away
• Oct. 20 - Browns - Home
• Oct. 27 - Vikings - Away
• Nov. 4 - Bears - Home

In this portion of the schedule, it seems more than likely that the Packers will go either 3-1 or 2-2...in the latter scenario, which two games will be wins and which will be losses is almost a toss up, with the exception of the Browns game which will go in the win column.

Third Quarter: Nov. 10 - Nov. 28

• Nov. 10 - Eagles - Home
• Nov. 17 - Giants - Away
• Nov. 24 - Vikings - Home
• Nov. 28 - Lions - Away

Note that with the exception of Da Bearz, the Packers will have played both the Vikings and Lions twice at this point of the season. That part of the division competition will be complete, with only the final game of the season against Da Bearz in Chicago remaining.

We're figuring that Packers will go 3-1 in this third quarter of the season, with the Giants as the more probable loss.

Fourth Quarter: Dec. 8 - Dec. 29

• Dec.8 - Falcons - Home
• Dec. 15 - Cowboys - Away
• Dec. 22 - Steelers - Home
• Dec. 29 - Bears - Away

The league saved some of the best -- and most difficult -- of the games for the final quarter of the schedule. At this point of the season, without a bye since Week 4 of the season, the Packers will either be healthy and pretty much a lock for the playoffs or a tired and beat-up patchwork bunch trying to squeak in. But many teams, including perhaps all of the opponents in these four games, will be in the same boat.

The expectation here is that the Pack will go 2-2 in this final stretch of the season although, again, which games will be wins and which losses...too hard to say at this point. Check back for each game preview as the season goes on.

Bottom line: Packers 11-5 or 10-6
I know, that's a bit of a fudge factor there, but at least it's reasonable...or at least honest. And you can judge for yourself how the Packers will fare through each quarter of the season.

At 11-5, the Packers win the NFC North division and are into the playoffs as a division winner not as a wildcard. If they go 10-6, the Pack will still win the division but will not have as favorable a route through the playoffs.

Still, I'm projecting the Packers and Seahawks meet in the NFC Championship.

However the Pack gets there, though, that brings us to...

The Super Bowl Prediction

In reading and listening to all the various prognostications and at how the oddsmakers are setting things up at this moment, it seems as if the favorites in the NFC are the 49ers, followed by the Seahawks, followed by the Packers.

Well, it may be a bit of a homer thing, but the prediction here for the Super Bowl teams are: the Packers and the Denver Broncos. Winner? What are you, goofy? The Green Bay Packers!!!

Football season and the road to the Super Bowl starts for the Packers in less than 24 hours. Go Pack Go!!!

Packers announce 53-man roster...at least, for now...

As of the designated NFL cutdown time of 5 p.m. today, the Green Bay Packers parted ways with 22 players. Among some of the more notable cuts: QB Vince Young and RB Alex Green.

Of more interest to Packer fans is who the team kept on the roster. Here is the roster as of now (subject to ongoing change, of course):

• QUARTERBACK (2): Aaron Rodgers and B.J. Coleman
• RUNNING BACK (3): Eddie Lacy, Johnathan Franklin, James Starks
• FULLBACK (1): John Kuhn
• WIDE RECEIVER (5): Randall Cobb, James Jones, Jordy Nelson, Jarrett Boykin, Jeremy Ross
• TIGHT END (4): Jermichael Finley, Brandon Bostick, Andrew Quarless, Ryan Taylor
• OFFENSIVE LINEMAN (8): David Bakhtiari, Josh Sitton, Evan Dietrich-Smith, T.J. Lang, Don Barclay, Marshall Newhouse, Lane Taylor, Greg Van Roten
• DEFENSIVE LINEMAN (8): B.J. Raji, Ryan Pickett, C.J. Wilson, Josh Boyd, Mike Daniels, Johnny Jolly, Datone Jones, Mike Neal
• OUTSIDE LINEBACKER (4): Clay Matthews, Nick Perry, Andy Mulumba, Nate Palmer
• INSIDE LINEBACKER (5): A.J. Hawk, Brad Jones, Sam Barrington, Robert Francois, Jamari Lattimore
• CORNERBACK (6): Sam Shields, Tramon Williams, Jarrett Bush, Casey Hayward, Micah Hyde, Davon House
• SAFETY (4): Morgan Burnett, Jerron McMillian, M.D. Jennings, Chris Banjo
• KICKER (1): Mason Crosby
• PUNTER (1): Tim Masthay
• LONG SNAPPER (1): Brett Goode

For those like yours truly who were rooting for Johnny Jolly to make the roster, he did. He Tweeted out not long ago: "like thank Packers brass, coaches, packers nation 4 the support and opportunity. I won't let you down!! #itsaGthang"

For those of you who voted in one of our recent polls as to who you'd prefer to be QB Aaron Rodgers back up, sorry, Vince Young didn't make the cut. He also Tweeted out a thanks to Packer fans.

One of the surprises, perhaps, was the release of Alex Green in favor of James Starks. The season-ending injury to DuJuan Harris -- whom head coach Mike McCarthy had big plans for in this offense -- changed the dynamics of the backfield decisions. But the tweaking might still not be done. The Packers brought in RB/KR Joe McKnight at the end of the week for a workout.

We don't have the practice squad players. And no doubt, GM Ted Thompson isn't done yet.

Stay tuned.

Packers lose third preseason game, get ready for cuts

As I Tweeted out (@packfansunited) prior to game time on Thursday, I was unable to post a preview for the Packers vs. Chiefs game. Good thing I didn't waste the energy or bandwith. It was a snoozefest, at least on the Packers' side of the ledger. I'm only now coming out of the coma induced by watching a very uninspired effort by players on both sides of the ball. I did indicate I'd post a review of the game. However, that was before the game was actually played. There really isn't much that can be said about it. I'll defer to Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Packer guru Bob McGinn's analysis instead.

Losing 30-8 in the final preseason game isn't the end of the world. But what it says about a team that only scored two touchdowns -- not one by a starter -- during 16 quarters of football may be a bigger issue. Granted, the trigger behind the Packers offense, QB Aaron Rodger, saw very limited action, as did most of the offensive unit. So we really don't know what this reconfigured offensive line can do, nor what the new running game and new-look receiving corps can do. It's going to be a surprise what happens in the first game against San Francisco, to say the least.

Now, we wait on today's cuts. The team has to go from 75 to 53 by 5 p.m. today. Still, the Packers reportedly brought a few players in for work outs yesterday, a kicker and running back/kick returner among them. So the final roster is still certainly a bit up in the air, although that will likely come down to probably the final eight or nine spots. Ted Thompson is always looking for ways to make the team better and if he sees a way to do that from other teams' castoffs, don't be surprised.

The preseason didn't show us much, at least for those on the outside looking in. A few players secured their roster spots while some others may have missed their opportunities. We'll know later on today what things look like going into the first week of the season.

Sometime in the coming week we'll post our season prediction for the Pack. So that's another reason to keep checking back here. As is our Amazing 2nd Page! (Just click the menu item at the top of this column.)

Packers get to 75-man roster through injury listings

With the exception of the release of couple-day signee kicker, Zach Ramirez, the Green Bay Packers got down to the required 75-man roster limit yesterday primarily through placing players on various injury-related lists.

Ramirez was brought in to provide some late camp competition for Mason Crosby, who reportedly responded with his best showing of camp, locking up the kicking position. (Let us pray...)

Other than that move, OT Derek Sherrod, S Sean Richardson, T J.C. Tretter and DE Jerel Worthy were all placed on the reserve/physically unable to perform list. The Packers placed OT Bryan Bulaga, RB DuJuan Harris, WR Kevin Dorsey, and LB Jarvis Reed on injured reserve, meaning they are done for the season. Both Bulaga and Harris have knee injuries that require surgery. The others will either be waived when healthy or, more likely, will sign injury settlements and move on as free agents.

Next up for Packers General Manager Ted Thompson? Cutting 22 players by 5 p.m. Saturday to get down to the 53-man regular season roster. If you want to see an insightful analysis of how that might shake out, check out this article from a few days ago.

Sherrod? Who?? How long???
Derek Sherrod
(Photo by Gabriel Cervantes. This image is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.)
The Packers first round draft pick in 2011, Derek Sherrod is still...a work in progress?

That might even be stretching it. Since breaking both the tibia and fibula in his right leg in a game in Kansas City late during his first season in what some have said was one of the worst leg injuries they'd ever seen, Sherrod has been a missing man. Even though he had surgery shortly after his injury, his recovery has been slow. Very slow. Complications -- in his ankle -- arose out of the initial surgery which required additional surgery. Some who have seen him at the practice field have said the muscle mass of his injured leg appears about 20 percent smaller than his healthy leg.

By virtue of being on the reserve/PUP list -- basically the same route the Packers took with him last season -- Sherrod will not be allowed to practice for the first six weeks of the season. After that, he is eligible for a 21-day period in which to practice with the team without him counting against the roster. The team has a five-week window after Week six of the season in which to initiate this designated practice period. However, by Week 11, the Packers will have to make a decision: activate him to roster, put him on season-ending injured reserve, or cut him outright.

There are many, including this pundit, who have a sense that Sherrod will never see the playing field again or, if he does, will not be able to perform at the level needed. A freak injury. We wish nothing but the best for the young man, but it might be best for both parties if the Packers just cut him and moved on. The team has done all it can do to allow him a recovery. If the injury had not occurred there is little doubt that Sherrod would be a key piece in the Pack's offensive line, protecting QB Aaron Rodgers' blind side for many years to come. But if "ifs, ands and buts were candy and nuts we'd all have a really good time." (I dunno either...was just the first time it seemed even close to making sense in a post...sorry!) It's time for the Packers to move on. But we'll be waiting at least another couple months for that move to take place.

You can read more about Sherrod's family's take on the injury and his recovery here.

Packers release QB Graham Harrell, three others

Following what can only be described as an uninspired and disappointing training camp, including lackluster preseason game performances, Green Bay Packers backup quarterback Graham Harrell was released on Saturday, according to reports. Here's a video report from ESPN's Adam Schefter about the situation:


While there was apparently no doubts about the nature of Harrell as a great teammate and person, there were just too many ongoing doubts about him as the primary backup to Aaron Rodgers.

With veteran Vince Young brought into camp a month ago for competition, the pressure to perform was definitely turned up a notch. Harrell couldn't respond. It appears now that Young, by virtue of his work over the pass month and flashes of what he could do -- including leading an 80-yard touchdown drive Friday evening against the Seahawks -- was enough for the Packers to part ways with Harrell. B.J. Coleman likely will be the third quarterback, either stashed on the practice squad or on the regular roster but inactive on game days. It's also possible that the Packers will look for other veteran quarterbacks who will be released in upcoming days by other teams.

By the way, the fans voting in our backup quarterback poll more than a week ago (see righthand column) did a great job predicting how this would all shake out.

In addition to Harrell, reports indicate the Packers also released WR Justin Wilson, WR Omarius Hines, and college quarterback turned wide receiver, Alex Gillett (personally, this pundit felt that Gillett showed some ability and toughness...was hoping the Pack would try to place him on the practice squad).

Tuesday is the league-mandated deadline for teams trimming their rosters down to 75 players. We'll keep you posted as the Packers make their other cuts.

Packers lose to both Seahawks and injury bug

Friday evening's preseason game versus the Seattle Seahawks at Lambeau Field was not a great one from the Green Bay Packers perspective. There was the final score, a 17-10 loss. Which is not a biggie in the preseason. Of more concern was the level of play and the rash of injuries that hit the Packers.

Let's start with the latter first.

Injury report
Morgan Burnett -- the Pack's starting safety and signal caller in the defensive backfield -- was lost to a hamstring injury. Inside linebacker Brad Jones, who registered a sack on the elusive Russell Wilson, also left with a hamstring injury. Cornerback Casey Hayward re-aggravated the hamstring injury that has kept him sidelined for most of training camp. RB DuJuan Harris, who got his first action of the preseason after being sidelined throughout camp, left during the first series after re-injuring his knee. All week, head coach Mike McCarthy was saying how excited he was to see Harris back in action. So much for that. OLB Jarvis Reed also sustained a knee injury.

While all of these injuries are a concern, of course, there is more depth at linebacker and running back than there is at safety. If Burnett is lost for any amount of time, M.D. Jennings, Jerron McMillian, or perhaps free agent Chris Banjo (who was in on several plays last night) will be called upon to fill the gap. A veteran free agent could also be added. The Packers could get by, but Burnett's return is key to the defensive backfield's performance.

These new injuries, of course, are on top of the current injury list: Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb, Matthew Mulligan, Andy Mulumba, Tramon Williams, James Nixon and Jarrett Bush all sat out last night's game with injuries.

The season opener against the 49ers is just two weeks away. The Packers need to get all these guys healthy, and soon. With them, the Pack is a force to be reckoned with every week. Without them, the team becomes average.

Backup quarterback still up for grabs
Coach McCarthy was trying to get some clarity on the backup quarterback situation last night. He gave Graham Harrell every chance to solidify a hold on the number two spot behind Aaron Rodgers. Harrell worked for a good period behind the first team offense. His performance was less than stellar, although to be fair the penalties and entire lack of rhythm exhibited by the offense at that time were not totally Harrell's fault. His lack of passing precision downfield, however, was. He did not inspire confidence, despite his supposed knowledge of the offensive scheme.

Veteran QB Vince Young, though, did inspire confidence despite his lack of knowledge of the Packers' system at this point. He led two series in the second half, including an 11-play, 80-yard touchdown drive. In addition, Young displayed the ability to break the pocket when needed; he scrambled three times for 39 yards. He's got the legs and he's got the instincts that Harrell doesn't have.

B.J. Coleman did mop up duty at the quarterback position and didn't generate much with the backups.

The early guess from this pundit is that Coleman gets cut or put on the practice squad, while Young and Harrell make the regular roster. And while the game plan for Young would of necessity be sparse early in the season compared to Harrell, the best option to win -- if, God forbid, something happens to Rodgers -- is for Young to be the first man in.

Level of overall play was not good
While the Packers were not as flat as for the first game, they didn't show the same level of performance as they did in beating the Rams last weekend. Of course, the Seahawks are much better than the Rams and it showed. They gave the Packers problems on both sides of the ball last night, despite the defense registering several sacks on 'hawks quarterbacks.

While it shouldn't be a concern given the weapons available, the fact that the Packers number one offensive unit has yet to score a touchdown is at least starting to be a discussion point. The unit moves the ball but stalls out without crossing the goal line. That leaves things on the leg of kicker Mason Crosby, who has been less than steady. You know this will get worked out. But it would be nice to see some TD production clicking with the first unit. So far, we haven't seen it.

RB Eddie Lacy wasn't able to get any running room last night. Even the best back needs blocking, and that wasn't readily present particularly with the backup line operating. On defense, there were some good individual moments, but there were often huge gaps up the middle on both running and receiving plays.

Bottom line: the Packers still have a lot to get straightened out before the start of the season. They also need to get their key players healthy again. That would go a long way to making things click.

Packers Preseason Game 3: Seahawks come to Lambeau Field

In their first meeting since the infamous "Fail Mary"game last September, the Green Bay Packers and the Seattle Seahawks will meet Friday night in Lambeau Field. That "loss" in the regular season -- with replacement referees (one in particular) making mind-numbingly dumb calls -- had implications for both teams in the playoffs. Replays clearly showed that Packers defensive back M.D. Jennings had intercepted and had possession of the ball. Somehow, someway, a replacement official failed to see what the rest of the universe did. But, as head coach Mike McCarthy was quick to point out, to his credit, after the game, the final result should never have come down to that one play. There were other opportunities for the Packers to leave Seattle with a win. Never should have gotten to a judgement call by a ref incapable of making a competent decision about a close play.

OK, there...venting is good. Let's move on...

Going into this third game of the preseason, several things are clear:

• The Packers are nowhere near ready for the start of the regular season...but are getting closer.
• Special teams is very much in flux, particularly at the critical positions of kicker and returner. The rest of the unit will be filled out, as usual, with those who will primarily make the roster through their special teams play and as backups to the starters on both offense and defense.
• Speaking of kicker, Mason Crosby continues to have his ups and downs in camp. Despite a fairly good performance in last week's game, his sessions this week in camp reportedly have been spotty. Giorgio Tavecchio, Crosby's camp competition, seems to match Crosby's inconsistency. Several veteran kickers became available through cuts this week but the Packers -- if they had any interest -- didn't move quickly enough and each was signed by another team. Be worried, Packer fans...be very worried.
• The backup quarterback position is still in flux. Coach McCarthy is still waiting for one of the three candidates -- Graham Harrell, B.J. Coleman or Vince Young -- to claim the number two spot. Harrell is going into his fourth year with the Packers and still doesn't inspire confidence. Young, signed after the start of camp, may or may not have anything left in the tank after being out of football for a year. He certainly hasn't had a chance to fully learn the Packers' offensive scheme. Coleman perhaps has the best arm among the three, certainly better than Harrell, but is still raw. If things can start to click for him sooner rather than later, he'd likely be the best long-term backup option in case something happened to Aaron Rodgers. In the meantime...pray for Rodgers' well-being.
• D-lineman Johnny Jolly -- a long shot at the start of camp to make the team -- now has a very good chance to do so and resume playing a key role on the defense. I hope you're rooting for him...I am.
• Rookie CB Micah Hyde, while not a speed burner, just seems to make plays and be around the ball more often than not. Yes, he'll still make rookie mistakes, but it looks as if he's a keeper.
• We haven't had a chance to see much of what rookie DE Datone Jones can do thanks to an ankle injury, which was re-aggravated earlier this week. Whether he sees action Friday night or not is uncertain.
• We also haven't had a chance to see much of rookie RB Johnathan Franklin. There are a number of talented backs in Green Bay this year; this is a situation the Packers haven't had to deal with much in recent years. Coach McCarthy has said he's anxious to see what penciled-in starter DuJuan Harris shows Friday evening. He knows what rookie RB Eddie Lacy can do...be very dangerous. Alex Green looks to regain his explosiveness and be part of the mix. James Starks may wind up being the odd man out, assuming the Packers actually retain four running backs on the roster rather than three. If it's three, which is the likely scenario, Alex Green may also be looking for work elsewhere. In fact, reports a week ago were that the Packers were shopping Green around for a possible trade.
• OT David Bakhtiari appears to have won the battle for starter at left tackle with his solid play. Right tackle, however, still seems to be a bit in question, although reports are that Don Barclay has the edge on Marshall Newhouse.

Oh, Seattle...well, yes, they'll play and give the Packers a very good effort. Coach McCarthy has said repeatedly this week that this is the time for players to step up. Those who do, will likely make the team; those who don't...well, cuts will be coming soon. Very soon.

There are many other observations to be made, but time runs short. So this will have to do as the pre-game post. Check back this weekend for post-game observations.

Go Pack Go!!

Packers get first preseason win

In a game that seemed a bit of a mirror image to last week's shutout loss to the Arizona Cardinals, the Green Bay Packers tonight dominated the St. Louis Rams and scored a 19-7 win.

There were some very good individual performances of note: Eddie Lacy (whom we didn't think was likely to play at all), Johnny Jolly, Jermichael Finley, Davon House, Micah Hyde, B.J. Coleman. And, Aaron Rodgers, of course.

It seems as if the Packers also escaped without any major injuries. That might be perhaps the best news of the night.

The hour is getting late and the words are drawing scarce at this moment. So you'll have to check back in the next day or two for a more complete review of the game. Also, don't forget to check out our Amazing 2nd Page at any time for all the latest news and comment about your favorite team: the Green Bay Packers.

We are...Packer Fans United!

Packers 2013 Preseason Game 2: Green Bay butts heads with the Rams

As you may note if you are a regular reader of PackerFansUnited.com, it's been a week since our last post. That article was very long post-mortem of the Packers shut out loss to the Arizona Cardinals. Frankly, it took yours truly a week to recover. Man, that was a clunker no matter how you looked it. And I know...because I looked at it every which way, as you'll see if you look again at that post.

Anyway, in the interim between that post and this one, I hope you've been checking in on all the goings on related to the Packers via our Amazing 2nd Page. That's your one-stop channel for more than you'd probably ever need -- or want -- to know about the Packers, from both the pro sport writers and sports networks as well as the great fans who help make up Packer blogger-land.

So what's the prognosis about tonight's game, which kicks off in less than one hour? Well, with a nod to Jerry Seinfeld, it is not Prognosis Negative. Rather, I think you'll see a much more inspired team this evening. Last week, other than the first series from the starting offense, the game was a flat and uninspired performance on both sides of the ball. CB Davon House, who got burned a couple times on the night, manned up during the week and even said it was his worst performance ever. That's the kind of shock therapy realization that can serve someone well all season long. Good to get that after the first preseason game and not later on in the regular season.

Who needs to show something extra tonight?
Quite a few players, at least judging by last week's performance.

Backup QB Graham Harrell has to show a lot more than an ability to throw underneath to his check-down receivers every time he passes. He is going to have to open it up and look downfield more. A lot more. Expect to see the majority of snaps go to him and Vince Young tonight. With an extra week of practice under his belt, it will really be interesting to see how Young does. He had a few good moments -- and deep throws -- in practice this week, so it will be most interesting to see his progress in the Packers system. While B.J. Coleman may get a few snaps, it seems more and more evident that he's likely to be the odd man out in the backup race for quarterback. Our fan poll (see the righthand column) clearly showed a preference for Young being Aaron Rodgers primary backup...for what that's worth.

It's likely that rookie RB Eddie Lacy will be held out again this week with his hamstring issue. Penciled-in depth chart starter DuJuan Harris is also likely not to see much if any action, just coming off the PUP list. That leaves a lot of potential carry action for Alex Green and Johnathan Franklin, in particular. Green will be given a lot of opportunities to show that he still has his pre-ACL tear burst. It was rumored at times throughout the week that Green's name was being floated as possible trade bait; to whom and for whom were not clear.

WR Randall Cobb is nursing a bicep injury and likely will not play this evening. That opens up more room for backup receivers Jeremy Ross and rookie surprise Tyrone Walker, who made a positive impression against the Cardinals. The knock on Ross is his inconsistency. Talent is no question. Hanging on to the ball consistently...question. As a kick and punt returner, it's his job to lose; head coach Mike McCarthy does not want to be in a position to have to put Randall Cobb back as the primary returner. Let's see if Ross seizes the opportunity given to him tonight.

Johnny Jolly should again see a fair amount of playing time. The defensive line is a crowded place right now. He played well last week in his first game action in three years. But he's competing against some younger guys. He's got the know-how and, his teammates say, he's got the desire. Can he put that desire and physicality back on the field in a way even close to what he was a few years back? We'll see.

There are lots of places to look for insights tonight. Let's hope the good surprises outweigh the bad, whether or not the Packers come out with a "W". Oh, and also let's hope the Pack escapes without any injuries. That would be good too, wouldn't it?

GO PACK GO!!!

Packers lose preseason opener to Cardinals, 17-0

Well, it wasn't pretty, that's for sure. The preseason home opener for the Green Bay Packers versus the Arizona Cardinals was about as flat as you'll ever see. Final score: Cardinals 17 - Packers 0.

Other than a fast-paced no-huddle opening series led by Aaron Rodgers and the number one offense which eventually stalled out at the Cardinals goal line, the Packers as a team did nothing of note offensively or defensively. To put the game in historical perspective, the recap by Bob McGinn in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel notes that "It marked the first time that the Packers had been shut out in a 60-minute exhibition game since a 33-0 loss in August 1987 to the Washington Redskins in Madison." Yowza.

OK, OK, it's just a preseason game and the first one at that.

In our preview, we offered a few things to watch for during the game. Let's see how that shook out, shall we?

Running Game
We knew a couple things going into this game. First, that the Packers wanted to make a commitment to run the ball this season in a way they haven't done in years. That's why the team drafted two top running backs early in the NFL draft. We also knew that rookie RB Eddie Lacy would be held out of the game because of a hamstring issue. So we anticipated a big dose of rookie Johnathan Franklin, plus James Starks, Alex Green, and rookie Angelo Pease. Starks got the start and rushed 12 times for 38 yards with a long run of 8 yards, and totaled 18 yards in seven first-down carries. Starks looked good. When he's healthy, as we saw late in the 2011 season, Starks can be a formidable runner. Staying on the field has been his problem. Franklin also showed potential, but the Packers really need to scheme to get him to the outside where he can use his speed. He carried just six times for 14 yards. Alex Green got some carries and finished with seven attempts for 16 yards. Angelo Pease had one carry for two yards. So on the whole, how do they say it...oh yes...meh. Eddie Lacy was very much needed on the Packers' first drive when they tried to rush it into the endzone a few times from the goal line without success. Starks just couldn't blast through. From that standpoint, it seemed like same ol', same ol', as the saying goes. Getting Lacy back will be a boost to the offense, for sure.

Conclusion: incomplete.

Quarterbacks
The Packers have four quarterbacks vying for what will likely be three spots on the roster. One spot is a lock. We know who that is. (Hint: his initials start with "Aaron Rodgers.") Beyond that, Graham Harrell, B.J. Coleman and Vince Young will battle it out for the remaining two spots. Last night didn't go very far in determining who had a leg up (or arm, as the case may be) on the rest. Harrell got the most time to show how he's progressed as the main backup to Rodgers from last season. It was an unimpressive performance. He finished 12 of 19 for 76 yards, including one interception and one fumble when he was stripped on a sack. As some might point out, whether those turnovers were all on Harrell or not is questionable. He and his receiver on the interception were clearly not on the same page, and the sack/strip was a result of RT Marshall Newhouse getting smoked by the rusher. Vince Young came in to relieve Harrell. For someone who was signed Tuesday, playing on Friday was a pretty quick turnaround. In a complex system such as the Packers, Young's head had to be swimming. Reports were that head coach Mike McCarthy probably had five or six plays in the hopper for Young. He finished 1 for 3 (7 yards), while running twice for 12 yards. B.J. Coleman had mop up duty on the night. He went 2 for 7 for 15 yards passing.

Conclusion: Rodgers great, everyone else...meh.

Kicking Game
Given Mason Crosby's struggles last year, and his 3 for 7 performance in the Family Night scrimmage a week ago, everyone was very interested to see how he fared this week, as well as how his competitor, Giorgio Tavecchio, stacked up. Well, funny story...neither one of them saw the field last night. After the first offensive series, where the Packers opted to go for it on 4th and 2 at the Cardinals' goal line, not once during the rest of the game were the Packers even in field goal range. Both the kickers got the night off.

Conclusion: Incomplete

Receivers
Randall Cobb was held out last evening, and Jordy Nelson is done for the preseason with minor knee surgery. That left James Jones as the main man, which he certainly was on a huge 50-yard pass reception from Rodgers on that first drive of the game. Beyond that, eight other receivers had receptions on the evening. Tyrone Walker had perhaps the best night after Jones, with five receptions for 41 yards, with a long of 22 yards. Alex Gillett also had some nice catches, including the only completion for Vince Young.

Conclusion: Incomplete

Offensive Line
Given the loss of LT Bryan Bulaga for the season, all eyes were on rookie David Bakhtiari. He has impressed in camp and the expectations for him are high; the Packers will be in real trouble if he isn't able to fill the void. The good news was that Bakhtiari acquitted himself quite well last evening. He got lots of reps, which he needs. Concerns arise, still, from tackle Marshall Newhouse who was moved from left tackle to the right side in the new flip-flop scheme. As noted earlier, he got beat badly on a sack of Graham Harrell which led to a strip fumble. Seems as if his struggles continue, at least for now. As to the rest of the linemen, nothing distinguishing one way or another.

Conclusion: Mixed

Defense
We wanted to keep an eye on rookie DE Datone Jones to see what he could bring to the party. Unfortunately, he left the party early with an ankle sprain. We'll have to keep watching news today to see the severity of that sprain. Obviously, it would be a blow to the defense if he was out for any length of time, particularly if it turns out to be a high ankle sprain. We also wanted to see how DT Johnny Jolly did in his return to the field after three years away. He got a good push on several plays and seemed to hold up fairly well. Some pundits think it's a long shot that he'll make the final roster. Maybe. But I'm still rooting for him, because if he can even come close to what he was several years ago he's worth keeping.

One of the areas we didn't mention in our preview was the defensive backs. I guess we should have. Because what we saw on display last night was an area of concern. Coverage was lax, tackling was poor. Davon House got burned several times on poor coverage. Rookie Micah Hyde displayed some toughness but also had moments where being a rookie showed. This will be a part of the defense that will need to step up.

And speaking of stepping up, the Packers' linebacking corp -- aside from Clay Matthews who didn't play long last night -- needs to do just that. Not much to write home about...or write here about. Robert Francois had what could have been the defensive highlight of the night when he flashed speed on a blitz and had the Cardinals quarterback wrapped up for a sack...except, he didn't; the quarterback broke free and wound up scrambling for a first down.

The entire defense looked very flat and inept. But much the same can be said for the rest of the team as well, first unit offense excepted.

Overall Conclusion: Flat

Not much more to say about last night's game. The best part is that it doesn't count. The worst part is that it seems as if the team has a long way to go before it comes together. Coach McCarthy has his work cut out for him.

Packers 2013 Preseason Game 1: Cardinals visit Green Bay

In what will undoubtedly be a bit of a pleasant change of temperature from Arizona, members of the Cardinals football team will be luxuriating in the comfortable late summer temperatures of Green Bay this evening as they meet the Packers in the first preseason game of the 2103 NFL season.

At this writing, kickoff is about two hours away. Seventy-five hundred additional fans will be viewing the game from within the hallowed confines of Lambeau Field, courtesy of the expansion on the stadium's south side. Conversely, tens of thousands of Packer fans throughout southeastern Wisconsin will have to scramble to view the game on television courtesy of the ongoing dispute between WTMJ-4, the NBC affiliate in Milwaukee carrying the game, and Time Warner Cable, who for the past three weeks has had the channel off the air. Fans have been buying antennas, calling bars, restaurants and even long-lost family and friends to find someone who has the game on DirecTV, Dish, or otherwise is able to pick up the channel. For the rest of us, including yours truly, I'll be watching the telecast on Telemundo, which is picking up the WTMJ television feed for the second year in a row. (It's at this moment I wish I had kept up with my Spanish lessons.)

Anyway...to the game.

What shall we look for?

For one thing, probably not rookie RB Eddie Lacy. The big back who is expected to carry a large portion of the load at running back this season will likely sit out tonight's game with a hamstring issue. Supposedly not serious but no reason to aggravate it and cause long-term problems. DuJuan Harris, who is also listed as the starter as of now on the team's depth chart despite having not played all training camp, will also not play. Expect, then, to see a big dose of rookie Jonathan Franklin, plus James Starks, Alex Green, and rookie Angelo Pease.

Four -- count 'em, four -- quarterbacks are expected to see playing time tonight. Head coach Mike McCarthy has indicated he wants to get all four QBs action this evening: Aaron Rodgers, Graham Harrell, B.J. Coleman and newly-signed Vince Young. The latter has obviously not had much time to assimilate the playbook, so expect things to be quite simple when and if he gets in the game. It's likely that the Pack will keep three quarterbacks on the final roster, although one will no doubt be inactive on game day. That said, the backup job and the number 3 spot are in play for Harrell, Coleman and Young. Someone will have to go. Tonight's game will be the start of that process -- at least on public display -- as to who will get those two spots. By the way, if you still haven't voted in our backup quarterback poll, please take a moment to do so. You'll find it in the righthand column next to this story.

The kicking game. Ah, the kicking game. With veteran Mason Crosby continuing his lackluster performance from last season into these early days of training camp, the Packers are hoping he gets his head -- and his field goal attempts -- straightened out. Fast. He and Giorgio Tavecchio will split the kicking duties tonight. At the Family Night scrimmage last Saturday evening, Crosby went just 3 for 8 on field goal attempts while Tavecchio connected on 6 of 7. Crosby has the stronger leg, but if he doesn't do better at putting the ball through the uprights, leg strength isn't much of a factor. If the Pack decides it has to go with Tavecchio, it's possible they might then also use punter Tim Masthay on kickoffs. Masthay has reportedly been booming his kickoff during training camp. On the other hand, will the Packers want to expose the best punter they've had in years to possible injury on the kickoff team? This area of the game will certainly be under the microscope tonight.

With WR Randall Cobb likely held out of the game tonight because of his bicep injury, the competition at receiver will be a bit more on display tonight than it might have been otherwise, particularly for the #5 spot. The Packers have a lot of talented receivers in camp -- QB Aaron Rodgers even said it was the most talented group since he's been in Green Bay -- although some have been battling injuries. Look for one or two of those youngsters to make a case for themselves tonight.

The offensive line...Now that Bryan Bulaga has elected surgery on his torn ACL, eyes will be on rookie LT David Bakhtiari to protect the quarterback's blind side. Everyone from coaches to fellow linemen are very high on Bakhtiari's abilities. But he's a rookie, protecting the franchise in Aaron Rodgers. Watch closely. Also, check out the backups at the various line positions and how rotations are handled. The Packers have only nine offensive linemen on the roster at this point. Who they use, and how they use them, is a study unto itself.

Defensively, let's see how rookie DE Datone Jones does during game conditions. Everyone has been very complimentary about Jones during camp, and rightly so; looks like he is the real deal. Let's see what a difference he can make on the D-line. Also, let's watch Johnny Jolly as he tries to come back after three years out of football. Seems as if many if not most fans are rooting for him (this writer included), and his teammates are saying how focused he is. But he has to show signs that he can get back to near his old playing performance. If it's any consolation, his position coach has been reminding folks that Jolly may now be 30 years old, but he's only had four years total of NFL wear-and-tear...fresh legs, fresh legs. But what else is in the tank? These preseason games are critical for Jolly's return to the roster. He can't get injured or his chances diminish greatly. Keep an eye on Jolly...and root for his success.

That should be enough for you to keep an eye on, don't you think? Bottom line, hope you are able to see the game one way or another. You can also stream the audio coverage of the game, as the flagship radio station for the Packers, 620WTMJ is now carrying the games online. Click here to listen live (5:00 p.m.-1:00 a.m. CT) to the station's Packers Gameday broadcast, including the game call by Voice of the Packers, Wayne Larrivee, and former Packer center, Larry McCarren (in-game only on desktop computers). It's the next best thing to being there!

Go Pack Go!!!

Bulaga out, Vince Young in for Packers

Yesterday had more downs than ups for fans of the Green Bay Packers. Primarily, receiving the news that starting LT Bryan Bulaga is done for the season with a torn ACL sustained in the Family Night scrimmage on Saturday.

What was going to be a challenging experiment -- essentially flipping the offensive lineman from one side to the other -- became even more so with the loss of Bulaga, who was considered the lynchpin of the scheme. While coming off his late-season hip injury from last year, Bulaga would be the man charged with protecting QB Aaron Rodger's blind side. Now...who? The Packers could go back to last season's starter, Marshall Newhouse, who had been switched to the right side in the new alignment. Derek Sherrod, who was supposed to be the long-term answer when selected by the Pack in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft, hasn't played since 2011 after sustaining a terrible leg injury; sounds as if he's nowhere close to even being in the conversation and is still on the PUP list.

Reports are, though, that the Packers may give rookie fourth-round draft pick, David Bakhtiari, a chance to win that spot. He has apparently impressed so far in training camp but game action against an opposing team is something altogether different...especially for a rookie. But let's remember that Bulaga himself became a starter his rookie year and performed admirably. It's not out of the realm of possibility. We'll have to see how it shakes out during the preseason. Just remember that no NFL quarterback has been sacked more since 2008 than Rodgers. It's about time the Pack did something about that. The planned-for scheme to do so blew up before it even got started. Now, the team must search for another answer. If you want to read more about Bulaga and Bakhtiari, check out this article from nfl.com.

Vince Young as backup QB?
The counterpoint to the bad news about Bulaga was the rather surprising news that the Packers had signed veteran QB Vince Young to a one-year contract. For all practical purposes, it's a one-month tryout. If the Packers cut him before the start of the season they won't owe him a dime.

But much of the conversation around this signing has to do with why...why would the Packers sign a player who hasn't played since 2011? Young is 30 years old, basically when many quarterbacks are in their prime. His career record as a starter is 30-17. He had a few really good seasons in Tennessee and then the wheels kind of fell off. It was never a question of physical talent with Young, but rather what was going on between the ears. To say that he probably did not have the best relationship with coaches along the way, especially in Tennessee, is probably an understatement. But if there's anyone who can work with quarterbacks, it's Packers head coach, Mike McCarthy. He may be just what the doctor ordered to help turn Young's career around.

There were any number of pundits yesterday after the news broke about the signing who felt that this might actually be a good fit for both the Packers and Young. The Pack's two current backup QBs, Graham Harrell and B.J. Coleman are apparently underwhelming so far in camp. While the Packers' offensive scheme is not simple and would be a challenge to pick up in a mere month's time, some reporters are speculating that the Packers might keep Young as a number three QB as a security blanket, and to give him time to learn the offense. In the event that Rodgers were to go down for any extended period of time, which quarterback would you rather have running the show: Harrell or Young? Many Packer fans are having that conversation right now.

What do you have to say? Take our poll now in the right sidebar and let us know if you'd rather have Vince Young, B.J. Coleman or Graham Harrell as the number two quarterback if something happens to Aaron Rodgers. We sure hope it doesn't come to that. But with Bryan Bulaga out of the picture, that possibility becomes a bit more real. Hence, the need for someone who has demonstrated the ability to succeed and win at the pro level...if that person still has anything left to give, that is.

Packers face challenges coming out of Family Night scrimmage

The annual Family Night scrimmage, held by the Green Bay Packers last Saturday night, comes roughly two weeks into summer training camp. It is an event that Packers fans near and far have come to look forward to and enjoy. Tickets are sold -- benefitting a local charity -- and it's usually a sell-out. This year, more than 67,000 fans attended what for all intents and purposes is just a glorified practice. Oh, and it's an event which also is typically covered live on television, as well, within the state of Wisconsin. Yes, we Packer fans are a different breed.

While there were highlights from the scrimmage, especially rookie RB Eddie Lacy rushing for roughly 65 yards on 8 carries and rookie DE Datone Jones showing the speed and power for which he was drafted, of more interest at the moment are the following issues:

• Kicker Mason Crosby continuing his struggles from last season, missing 5 of 8 field goals during the kicking portion of the scrimmage.
• LT Bryan Bulaga reportedly suffering a torn ligament in his knee during Saturday's intrasquad scrimmage.

Which is worse: having a kicker that has become, apparently, a bit of a head case when it comes to making field goal attempts of more than 30 yards...OR...arguably your best offensive lineman, who was the lynchpin in a revamped offensive line scheme, possibly lost for the season? You be the judge.

Crosby had his worst season as a professional last year, not even hitting 70 percent of his field goal attempts. He's being pushed in camp by Giorgio Tavecchio, who made 6 of his 7 attempts Saturday evening. You can read more about the kicking situation here.

Given the problems the Packers had last season in pass protection -- with QB Aaron Rodgers being sacked a league-high 51 times -- the loss of Bulaga for any amount of time, let alone the entire season, would be huge. And from the early reports, this seems as if it is the most likely scenario.

What then? Well, the Packers would have to move last season's starting left tackle, Marshall Newhouse, back to that position, move last season's surprise lineman, Don Barclay, to that spot, or perhaps even entrust rookie lineman David Bakhtiari with protecting Rodgers' blind side. Recall that the Packers determined the best way to protect Rodgers this season was to flip-flop the O-line and get the best lineman -- Bulaga -- on the left side. So much for that idea. And while Packers coaches have been very impressed early in camp with Bakhtiari, would they really entrust the franchise's MVP QB to a rookie? Time will tell.

In the meantime, you can read more about Bulaga's injury and the Packers' options here.

Packers training camp has begun!

At 8:20 a.m. CT this morning, Green Bay Packers coaches and players hit the practice field for the first time as summer training camp got underway. Head coach Mike McCarthy has indicated in talks with reporters that the reason for the 8:20 a.m. start time for nine of the team's initial morning practice sessions during camp is that he feels it will more closely approximate a typical game day schedule (at least in terms of getting the players up early) and help endurance. You can find a full training camp practice schedule here.

One of the initial observations coming out these early moments in camp is that instead of doing a jog through as is often the case, McCarthy reportedly had the number one offense going against the number two defense for a while. Nothing like jumping right into the fire.

PUP list
Starting camp on the physically unable to perform list (PUP) are seven players: OT Derek Sherrod (leg), DE Jerel Worthy (knee), RB DuJuan Harris (knee), S Sean Richardson (neck), OT JC Tretter (ankle), DE Mike Neal (abdomen) and S Chaz Powell (unknown). LB Jamari Latttimore was also placed on the non-football injury list.

There are no real shockers on this list other than Mike Neal, who was at and performed well during offseason OTAs and minicamp. No doubt more will come out about Neal's status as camp takes shape.

A disgruntled Greg Jennings?
It's not unusual for a pro athlete these days to bad mouth his former team, particularly if they felt they were not treated fairly or respected somewhere along the way. But Greg Jennings?

Now that he is with the ViQueens, Jennings has been mouthing off about the Packers and especially QB Aaron Rodgers. We won't dignify Jennings' comments by repeating them here as they are really not worthy of comment. Coach McCarthy said it best in his press conference yesterday when asked about Jennings' statements: "When you put on that purple, something happens to you." Yes indeed. And considering Minnesota is where some formerly great Packers players go to soon regret their new existence, it should be no surprise that Jennings is having his moment of ViQueen remorse by venting against his old team. That's OK, Greg. Good luck with that new guy throwing the ball in your general vicinity. What's his name? Oh yeah, Christian Ponder. Hope that works out well for you. I'm sure that will be much better for your career. (Insert sarcastic snort here.)

That's about all we have time for at the moment, Packer fans. But this is the beginning of the fun. Always great to see who emerges in training camp that is a total surprise. Wonderful to get the football juices flowing again, isn't it? You bet. It's great to be a Packer fan!

Say it with me: Go Pack Go!!!

Packers' Lambeau Field now third largest stadium in NFL

With today's dedication of roughly 7,000 new seats in the south end zone of Lambeau Field, the Green Bay Packers now boast the third largest stadium in the National Football League, with seating for approximately 81,000 fans. When Lambeau Field opened in 1957, it was then known as City Stadium and had a seating capacity of 32,500 (the name was changed in 1965, when it was renamed in memory of Packers founder, player, and long-time head coach, Curly Lambeau, who died earlier in that year).

This latest expansion is the ninth since the stadium opened. It is now the largest stadium in Wisconsin, surpassing Camp Randall Stadium at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. The height of the new viewing terrace, roughly 300 feet up in the stadium, makes it the highest point in Brown County, according to reports. One might well expect that there will be some differences in how the wind is experienced within the stadium, not to mention the sound of 81,000 Packer fans cheering the Pack on to another victory!

Today, the fans who were lucky enough get their seats in this new area and have their names removed from the waiting list, had a chance to meet their seats in person. Many took the opportunity to do so following the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Here's a video from WKOW-TV, Madison, about today's dedication...Go Pack Go!!!

The Packers logo, a musical history, and more

Did you ever wonder how the iconic Packers "G" logo came about? Wonder no longer, Packer fans and those who wish you were.

St. Norbert College in De Pere, WI -- which, by the way, has been home of the Packers' summer training camp for 55 years this summer (the longest continuous residence of any team anywhere) -- recently produced a brief video which tells the story.

It begins with then-St. Norbert College art student John Gordon and ends with the famous "G" logo. Mobile users can watch the video here.

Also, you'll find a link to St. Norbert College in our "Links" area in the righthand column of our home page. It's one of the top liberal arts colleges in the Midwest, some might argue the entire U.S. If you're visiting Green Bay for anything Packers related, be sure to drive a few miles south and check out the campus along the west bank of the Fox River. It's beautiful. And it's been part of Packers history for many, many years.


Packers History Set to Music. Wait...What???
It was bound to happen. As soon as the Packers Heritage Trail became a reality in the last year or so, somebody was going to get the bright idea to set Packers history to music. Well, OK, maybe it it wouldn't be the first thing to come to mind. But still, somebody eventually did think of it.

Courtesy of Let Me Be Frank Productions’ latest show, “The Packers Heritage Trail: Through Curly’s Eyes,” the audience travels back to the Packers 1932 season and the days of Curly Lambeau. As this article in the Green Bay Press-Gazette also notes, in addition to the show, Let Me Be Frank and C&M Marketing are putting together trolley tours of the Packers Heritage Trail hosted by one of the cast members. That could be fun. The show itself runs July 19 through Aug. 17 at the Meyer Theatre, 117 S. Washington St., Green Bay. Tickets are available via this link or by calling (920) 494-3401.

Desmond Bishop winds up in Minnesota
In the continuing line of Packers' castoffs who get gobbled up by the ViQueens in the hopes they can somehow win a Super Bowl (insert guffaw here), LB Desmond Bishop signed a deal with Minnesota recently. We wish Desmond the best. He was a good and hard-working player for the Pack and this writer, for one, wishes the Packers had hung on to him. Obviously, they made the decision that after his injury he might not be the player he once was. And considering the plethora of players the team has available at linebacker, they felt they could improve the situation by releasing him. So it goes in the business of football.

Anyone else here believe the Packers will make a return to the Super Bowl Champions stand before the ViQueens make it? Thought so.

Have you checked out our "Front Page" yet?
You'll notice under our main logo that we have three pages available for your reading pleasure: Posts (that's the page you're on now, obviously, or you wouldn't be reading this, right?), Front Page, and a page with our Privacy Policy (which you can read if you really want to but...well...it would be a pretty sad commentary on your life, don't you think?).

Other than our main home Posts page, be sure to check out the Front Page when you stop in as it gathers all the latest Packers news from across the universe into one convenient place for you. Check it out. We think you'll like it. A lot. Almost as much as these brilliant Posts.

In conclusion...
Go Pack Go!!!

A few updates at PackerFansUnited.com

Well, folks, we've implemented a few subtle site changes here at PackerFansUnited.com. Yes, the general look you've become accustomed to and love (c'mon, admit it!) hasn't changed much. Still trying to keep it somewhat simple. The main area on the landing page is still devoted to our posts. In fact, you will now see that creatively titled "PackerFansUnited Posts" on the horizontal menu just about the most recent post. And the Privacy Policy is still there too; these pages were before listed at the very bottom of the righthand column, so you may not have even known that we have a privacy policy. Now you do.

Speaking of that righthand column, we did some reorganizing over there, moved some things around, removed some things, added some things. There's still our PackerFansUnited shop where you can get some really nifty (wait, did I just say "nifty"? Oh, man...) attire and gift items for yourself or others. Go take a look. You might be surprised to see all the goodies there and want to pick up something for yourself before we head into the start of the season. You'll also find our Twitter feed, latest headlines, links you might find of use, blogs and forums we suggest you check out, our blog archive (going back to 2005...yes, we've been doing this for the last eight years now!), as well as organizations to consider supporting.

One of the biggest new additions is our new PackerFansUnited Front Page, which is the second menu item just above the most recent post. This page will continually update with Packers and NFL news of interest, and perhaps a few other things that find their way in. Check it out. We think you'll like it.

Keep stopping back for our exceptionally insightful posts (if we do say so...and we do) and more. That's the only way we stay Packer Fans United!

Go Pack Go!!!

Packers weekly wrap up

This time of year -- with less than 90 days to go to the start of the NFL season -- is one during which, well, many of us are engaged in activities other than obsessing about football and all-things Packers. I know, I know, that may be considered blasphemy in some circles. But the fact of the matter is, particularly here in Packerland, we've waited so-o-o-o-o long for summer to arrive that we want to savor it when it shows up for that all-too-brief time. So, forvive us, please, for the gaps between posts here at PackerFansUnited.com. It's not that we're not paying attention to what's going on in Green Bay, it's just that there really isn't too much of note going on. Wait until training camp starts. Then there will be some news now and then.

Having said that, let's recap recent happenings just for the heck of it, shall we?

Mini-camp over and done; second chance for Jolly begins
The mandatory mini-camp was held earlier this last week. An item of note included the attendance and participation by defensive lineman, Johnny Jolly. After three years out of football due to a well-documented legal matter and suspension by the league, the now 30-year-old Jolly has a second chance with the Packers. He was an up-and-coming force on the D-line when old friends and bad habits back in Houston scuttled his promising career. Now an older and hopefully wiser Jolly will focus on football. His teammates were said to be very happy to have him back. He's got a way to go to get into playing condition again. But if he's not motivated now he never will be. This writer is rooting for him. Many other Packer fans are, too.

Cornerback Sam Shields, who was a no-show at the optional OTAs, was also on hand, although complaining about not "getting paid." Sam, please. You're getting paid better than 99.9% of the people on this planet. You'll get paid more -- and appreciated more -- if you let your play this season do the talking.

LB Desmond Bishop had said he'd be back from his rehab in time for OTAs, at least the second one. He was at mini-camp but didn't participate in any team drills. Training camp -- which begins in a little more than six weeks from now -- is supposedly his new target.

The biggest move of note, of course, was the switching of the offensive line. Brian Bulaga was reported to be struggling a bit at left tackle, his old college position, after having been moved from the right side. But other players also making the switch indicated to reporters that it would take a while to get everything in sync. No doubt.

Oh, and what about the news that RB DuJuan Harris -- who came on late last season -- had a fist-sized cyst removed from his lung? It was discovered during a routine physical. Yowza.

Dodgeball winner
Packers head coach, Mike McCarthy, typically likes to end his mini-camps with a fun team, non-football, activity. This last week, that activity wound up being dodgeball. It should go without saying that the guy with the golden arm (or should we say, Green 'n' Gold arm?) won. Yes, QB Aaron Rodgers prevailed. Read more about the details of that event here. It's worth a few minutes of your time to learn about Rodgers' dodgeball proclivities.

Favre finally fesses up
In a seemingly long-overdue admission that "I was at fault," former Packers QB and future Hall of Famer, Brett Favre, told Joe Buscaglia of WGR 550-AM during an interview in Buffalo. “It is what it is. It's over and done with. I was at fault,” he said. Although Favre did say that he felt "both sides had a part in it." For what it's worth, Favre said that "I think things will be fine in due time.” He and Packers President, Mark Murphy, have been in communication and that's a good thing for both parties. I wouldn't be surprised if the Packers did something this season in terms of retiring Favre's number to get that out of the way before Favre goes into the NFL Hall of Fame. It's about time to get this out of the way and move on, don't you think?