Let the (Pre-Season) Games Begin!

OK, it's just pre-season. But on the other hand...it's pre-season!

That's the good news. The other news, as any good Packer fan already knows, is that, well, nobody is quite sure what this year will bring. Will the Pack make it back to the playoffs? Or will the combination of a new coach, lots of new and young players, a couple rookies possibly starting on the offensive line, running backs coming off injuries, and a great ol' QB mean...maybe not.

I'm a glass half-full person. Or in this case, a team half-full. There are obvious talents: Brett Favre, Donald Driver, Ahman Green, Charles Woodson, Aaron Kampman, Nick Barnett, Al Harris, Bubba Franks, Chad Clifton, Mark Tauscher, Nick Collins, KGB. All need to play at peak level and avoid injury for the Pack to make the playoffs. Then there is potential: Robert Ferguson, Greg Jennings, Scott Wells, A.J. Hawk, Abdul Hodge, Donald Lee, Samkon Gado, Brady Poppinga, Jason Spitz, Daryn Colledge, Tony Moll, Cullen Jenkins, Ryan Pickett, Marc Boerigter, Colin Cole, Kenderick Allen, Jon Ryan. Some of this latter group have been around for a while. Some are rookies looking to make a mark. All in all, I think the Pack has assembled a squad that can compete for the division title once again, barring the freakish rash of injuries that occurred last year. Whether or not they in fact do that will depend upon how well new Head Coach Mike McCarthy is able to blend the old vets with the new kids and how fast they all get in sync.

We'll get our first glimpse of the new Pack tonight in San Diego. Hard to get a read on much of anything in the first preseason game, other than spotting those new players who either help themselves with their play or write their ticket out of Green Bay.

Ahhhh...don't you just love football talk?