NFL Week 16: Packers vs. Cardinals

Packers fans, our apologies for not posting a post-game review of the win against the Oakland Raiders last Sunday but...it was a busy week...you know, with Christmas and all...plus the sun was in our eyes. No, really, it was an unseasonably warm and (generally) sunny week overall. So, that's our excuse.

The Packers won 30-20 as the whole world knows (or at least, that part of it paying attention to the NFL)...and still there was plenty of grumbling among the Packer faithful. It was a 10-point win, and yet it didn't seem like it. You win by 10 points in the NFL, that's pretty darn good. And for the seventh year in a row, the Packers qualified for the playoffs, something that had never been accomplished before in Packers history. Imagine that!

But...the offensive inconsistency was still present and even players in the locker room seemed not to be happy with their performance. The good part was that the defense was fairly consistent, even helping the Packers jump out to an early 14-point lead via two interceptions including a pick-six TD return; those points obviously were the difference in the game. There were a couple of breakdowns which led to giving up big yardage. But the bottom line is the bottom line: a win. The good defense has been the strength of this Packers team. Thank goodness.

Cardinals to present biggest challenge yet

Second-year Cardinals WR John Brown is just one of the speedsters the Packers will have to defend today.
Photo by Getty Images, in Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
There's a great article in today's Milwaukee Journal Sentinel by Packers writer extraordinaire, Bob McGinn, entitled Slow-footed Packers face severe speed deficit against Cardinals; we highly commend it to your reading time. It sets out the difference between two of the league's better teams, although McGinn's analysis -- hard to argue with -- is that the Packers are built for more of a power game, while the Cardinals are built for speed. In short, the Packers lack speed and the Cardinals don't.

What's that saying? Speed Kills? Yup, that's the one. What will that mean for today's game? We'll know when things are all said and done about eight hours from now.

While Carolina is undefeated, most pundits are saying the Cardinals are really the best team in the NFC -- if not the entire NFL -- right now. Behind veteran QB Carson Palmer and his speedy receiving corps, the 12-2 Cards are hitting on all cylinders. They are the league's top-ranked offense. The Packers will have to somehow minimize the impact of veteran WR Larry Fitzgerald and powerful and speedy running back David Johnson. The Cardinals defense ranks just behind the Packers in overall defensive ranking. They don't get many sacks, ranking 28th in that statistical category.

The Packers will be without CB Sam Shields for a second week, as well as LT David Bakhtiari who was downgraded yesterday, and LB Jayrone Elliot. Reliable veteran long-snapper Brett Goode is done for the season after tearing his ACL in last week's game. Undrafted rookie free agent Rick Lovato was signed early this last week to take his place. Let us pray.

While Clay Matthews, Aaron Rodgers and Josh Sitton all got Pro Bowl honors this week, we're wondering if the report of an upcoming undercover probe by Al Jazeera about performance enhancing drugs and pain killers in sports -- posted online this morning and airing on TV later today -- will have an impact on some players' performances. Matthews, Mike Neal, and Julius Peppers were all named in the report. (The big name, however, was Peyton Manning who, as one would anticipate, denies the allegations.)

The Prediction
We, of course, look at the world through Green 'n' Gold-colored glasses here at PackerFansUnited.com. Still, unless the Packers defense can somehow find a way to consistently get to Cardinals QB Carson Palmer while covering his bevy of fast receivers and the Packers offense can somehow get back to their early season 6-0 form, we just don't see this game going the Packers way today, regrettably. The Packers are 5-1/2 point underdogs in the desert. Frankly, we'd be happy to see it that close.

We're calling this one...Cardinals 34 - Packers 24.

No matter what: Go Pack Go!!!

Packers pre-draft moves

Now, don't get excited, Packer fans. We're not talking about anything major. Might not even qualify as anything minor. But in the quiet, quiet world of Packers free agency signings, the news that the Pack signed a nose tackle -- a definite need -- is something that at least makes us wake up from our offseason slumber. Even if it does deal with a name that most of us probably haven't heard of before. Unless you were a really rabid fan of Utah State a couple years ago.

The Packers signed Brian Soi, a 2007 undrafted free agent with the Dolphins. He was released before the start of the regular season. In 2008, he spent some of the offseason with the Giants. So, counting on Mr. Soi to be the answer at the critical nose tackle position is probably not going to happen. But...ya never know. Which is perhaps why GM Ted Thompson took a flyer on him. Physically, he seems to fit the bill: 6'3" and 334 pounds.

So if you want to know more, you can check out the Packers' news release about him here.

Long snapper traded
Wait...who was our long snapper last year? Oh yeah, Brett Goode. And do you remember that he was a last minute fill-in after the originally designated replacement for long-timer Rob Davis, rookie J.J. Jansen, was injured just before the start of the season? Jansen spent all season on injured reserve. And Goode was so good that the Pack decided to keep the known commodity. But apparently, at least one other team still saw some potential in Jansen: Carolina. The Panthers gave the Pack a future conditional draft pick for Jansen. So, nothing for the Packers to lose and perhaps even something to gain. And for young Mr. Jansen -- who was performing very well prior to his untimely injury -- he also still has something to gain.

So here's something that doesn't happen in football: a win-win.

You can read a bit more here.

New Poll Question: How many games will the Pack win this season?

Just added to the righthand column is a poll asking you how many games you think the Pack will win this season based upon the opponents and schedule. We'll run this through the end of April. So give us and your fellow Packer fans an early idea as to how you're feeling about things.

And what's with this Paulus hype?
Is there any more over-hyped story over the last several days than this bit about Duke point guard Greg Paulus trying out in front of the Packers? Or being recruited by Michigan? Yes, he has a year of college eligibility left, and was arguably the most highly recruited QB coming out of high school...but he's played basketball for the last several years, not football.

And which also leaves Packer fans wondering: Huh???

More here...as if you haven't heard these bits before.

Packers punt Ryan, name Flynn #2 QB

News came late yesterday that the Packers released their punter of a couple years, Jon Ryan, and replaced him with former Redskins' punter, Derrick Frost. This was one of those possibilities that seemed to fly under the radar most of training camp. Ryan had a poor opening preseason game against Cincinnati, but boomed his way back to a 54.8 yards per punt average in the last two games.

Apparently, though, it was this inconsistency issue that doomed Ryan's stay with the Packers. There has never been a question about his leg strength. But, to paraphrase Forrest Gump, Ryan's punting was like a box of chocolates: you never knew what you're going to get.

The same, it would seem, could also be said about Frost, however. According to an article in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, "Last season, Frost started like gangbusters, averaging 45.9 yards per punt in the first three games, but his season gradually went south, starting with a poor performance against the Packers Oct. 14. He went from fourth in the league in gross average and seventh in net after three games to 28th and 16th after seven weeks." The article continued with the comparative stats: Ryan ranked ninth in gross average (44.4) and 11th in net (37.6) while Frost was 28th (41.0) in gross and 22nd in net (36.4).

So, why the move? Apparently, like many jobs, it's who you know. In this case, Packers' special teams coach, Mike Stock, had coached at Washington when Frost was first trying to land a position as an undrafted free agent. He liked Frost then. In fact, according to the above-mentioned article, "When Stock was special teams coach in Washington, he tried to get Frost to sign as an undrafted rookie, but Frost wound up signing with Philadelphia. Later, Frost attended a tryout camp for NFL Europa where he worked with Stock. 'If it makes any sense, Mike Stock is the special teams coach I know the most and haven’t played for,' Frost said."

Stock was apparently able to convince GM Ted Thompson that Frost was a safer pick to go forward with than Ryan.

Frost will also take over the holding duties on field goals and extra points from Ryan. He held for kickers all four of his seasons in the NFL and also in college at Northern Iowa.

Given that the Packers also now have a new long snapper, Brett Goode, and Frost as the new holder, and less than a week to get in sync with kicker Mason Crosby, things could be quite an adventure for the kicking game early on. Expect opposing special teams units to test things with additional pressure.

Not a situation one would have hoped for less than a week before the regular season kickoff.

Flynn named #2 QB
Not too surprisingly based upon performances in the preseason, seventh-round pick Matt Flynn was named yesterday by Coach Mike McCarthy as the immediate backup to starting QB Aaron Rodgers. He beat out the more highly regarded Brian Brohm.

According to a report in the Green Bay Press-Gazette, Coach McCarthy said, “We just felt Matt was a little more productive than Brian in the preseason. But it’s a competition that will continue. Matt has to hold the spot, and Brian will have an opportunity to get the spot back. Competition is healthy. They’re both young. I’ve said it all along, they just need to play; they just need reps.” But, as the article points out, most of Brohm's reps now will come with the scout team while the few backup QB snaps with the first team offense will go to Flynn.

It was clear to those watching the preseason games that -- barring the Pack picking up a veteran QB to back up Rodgers -- Flynn should have the job. Particularly in the last game against the Titans, leading an excellent two-minute drive that brought the Pack within a 2-point conversion of tying the game, Flynn reminded at least a few fans of another young gun once upon a time. What was that guy's name? Oh, yeah...Brett Favre.

Congrats, Mr. Flynn. And, Mr. Brohm...keep on keepin' on. Many Packer fans thought you were a steal in the draft. You didn't perform up to even your own expectations so far. But that's so far. There are many miles to go...

Packers snap up snapper

OK, it's a bit of a trite headline, but sans the morning cuppa java...well, anyway...

Who would have thought that one of the biggest pieces of news coming out of the weekend's roster moves would be the naming of a long snapper? But that's what happened after J.J. Jansen was placed on injured reserve with a knee injury sustained Thursday night against the Titans. The prevailing wisdom was that the Pack would put in a waiver claim on Thomas Gafford who had been in two Packers' training camps and had been released by the Bears. Instead, for the first time in his tenure as the Packers’ GM, Ted Thompson didn't put in a waiver claim on any player released by another team.

As noted in a post here yesterday and reported widely in the media, the Packers were holding a three-way tryout for snapper. And the winner? Brett Goode. He won a snap-off (copyright!!!) against Tim Bugg and Ryan Senser. According to the online edition of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, "Goode was a four-year letterman at Arkansas, where he snapped on punts for four years and placements his final three. Goode was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2007 and lasted until Aug. 21. He was signed by the Jaguars again in the spring but was released June 19." He is 6 feet 1 inch tall and claims he weighed in at 260.

What was he doing since being released by the Jags? Remember in yesterday's post that I suggested if you happened to be driving near Green Bay you might want to just stop in and try out? Well, it wasn't quite like that. But not far from it. Goode is quoted as follows in the Journal-Sentinel article: "We were forming up a driveway, getting ready to pour concrete and my agent called and said they were wanting to bring me in for a workout,” Brett Goode said Sunday night. “It wasn’t too hard of a decision to quit doing that. Just headed on the way.” So, he was pouring concrete. A noble profession indeed...where would we be without it after all? But, when given the chance to snap a football in Green Bay or pour concrete in Arkansas, what would you do? Exactly.

So, Mr. Goode has until next Monday night to work with placekicker Mason Crosby and punter Jon Ryan, who had previously had four months working with J.J. Jansen. Let's hope -- get ready for the mundane cliche! -- that Goode is in fact good. We'd all hate to see the season opener with the ViQueens come down to how a long snap is handled.

The flip side of this roster addition, of course, is that somebody on the existing squad has got to go. Among the "bubble" players that could be released to make room for Goode are said to be LB Tracy White, S Charlie Peprah, OT Breno Giacomini or CB Jarrett Bush.