2024 NFL Week 17: Packers vs. Vikings Preview & Prediction

Here we are, Packer fans: the penultimate game of the 2024 NFL season is upon us; facing our purple opponent that has had quite a season, let's be honest. The ViQueens are sitting in second place in the best division in the NFL, the NFC North, behind the Lions and just ahead of the Packers who may go down in NFL history as the best third place division team ever. But first things first. Take care of business in Minnesota and then return home to Lambeau Field for the final game of the regular season against the lowly Chicago Bears. Then wait to find out whether the Packers are the fifth, or sixth or seventh seed in the playoffs after that game. To be clear, whether the Packers win or lose today, it likely won't have a great deal of impact on things. The Pack is in the playoffs and from there anything can happen.

Still, we'd prefer a win today, wouldn't we?

After pitching a shutout on Monday night against the New Orleans Saints — the first and only shutout of the season anywhere in the NFL — the Packers are rolling on offense and defense and looking for retribution for the earlier 2-point loss vs Minnesota at Lambeau. Let's have a look at what to expect, shall we?

A blast from the past: Minnesota's QB Fran Tarkenton is sacked by DE Lionel Aldridge (82) with LB Ray Nitschke & DT Ron Kostelnik (77) on the hunt, on Dec. 5, 1965. The Packers won 24-19 in Green Bay.

(Photo by S. Niels Lauritzen/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

The Preview

Today's game — flexed to the late afternoon as the de facto game of the day by the league for a national audience — is being played in Minnesota. Indoors Minnesota. So the upper Midwest late December weather will not be a factor. Which, in the historical scheme of things, is a shame, really. So much for our editorial opinion on that matter. The playing field will be fast, which seems to amount to a push, so to speak. The volume will be loud, which definitely favors the home team, of course.

As to other advantages and disadvantages for the two teams ... hmmm ...

For the ViQueens, they are riding an eight-game winning streak heading into the game and sit at 13-2. And, as the football world knows, Minnesota QB Sam Darnold has resurrected his career this season. He's been playing lights out and with a cast around him that makes that all possible: former Packers fave RB Aaron Jones, wide receivers Justin Jefferson (arguably one of the top receivers in the NFL) and Jordan Addison, and head coach Kevin O’Connell and his coaching staff. Darnold has just one turnover in the last six games.

Plus, the ViQueens defense presents one of the best rushing defenses in the league. The additions of veteran edge rushers Jonathan Greenard and former Wisconsin Badger (Go Badgers!) Andrew Van Ginkel along with LB Blake Cashman has helped remake the defense and taken it to a new level under defensive coordinator Brian Flores who is in his second season with Minnesota. Consider: 30 takeaways. Thirty. They get after opposing quarterbacks, ball carriers and receivers. (To be fair, the Packers have 28 takeaways to this point in the season. Not bad either.)

Minnesota's defense also likes to blitz: according to NexGen Stats, the 'Queens blitz more than any other team in the league (39.1%). They have especially done so in the last few games against the Packers. QB Jordan Love noted that the way Minnesota blitzed changed from game to game and in his view, “I think they're a better defense than they were last year.” But you can be sure Matt LaFleur will be prepared to exploit those blitzes whenever they come. Because the Packers are pretty good, too, when it comes to making adjustments.

Enough about the ViQueens. What can the Packers bring to the field? Well ...

For starters, the Packers have a quarterback in far better shape than the one Minnesota saw in the first go 'round. In that game, which the Pack lost 31-29 after going down early 28-0, Jordan Love was just coming off a couple weeks of injury recovery. He was rusty. And it showed. Now, he's been humming along. A big part of that, of course, is being healthy. Another huge part is that a lot the offense now runs not entirely through him but through RB Josh Jacobs who has been lighting up defenses with his hard running and also receiving abilities. Plus, the plethora of receiving talent available for head coach Matt LaFleur to make use of in so many different ways...it can cause headaches for opposing defenses. Granted, the defense today, as noted earlier, is a good one, especially against the run. So yards may be hard to come by for Jacobs. But no doubt LaFleur will test that out early and as often as seems appropriate to the game situation. The Pack needs to at least keep that defensive front honest to mitigate the blitzes that are bound to occur.

The Packers defense will once again be without the services of CB Jaire Alexander. No surprise there. Alexander has been a no-go, either entirely or partially, for really most of the season. It's reached the point where head coach Matt LaFleur is seemingly getting annoyed with reporters asking questions about the status of Alexander. It's also reached the point where some pundits are beginning to speculate that Alexander may be in his last season with the Packers, contract details aside. A player ultimately is only as good as his availability and for much of the past two seasons Alexander has not been available. Through no fault of his own, he just can't seem to stay on the field.

So ... defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley and his crew have found ways to cover that absence this season and haven't seemed to be hurt by it, generally speaking. Today may be a different story, however. Having Alexander available to cover Jefferson would have been a big plus for the defense. But ... not to be. Which means the Pack's own defensive front seven will need to find ways to keep RB Aaron Jones in check and get pressure on Darnold; if Darnold is given time he will once again be able to find his receivers and it could be a long afternoon for the Pack in Minnesota.

Remember that the only teams the Packers have lost to are the Eagles in the opener in Brazil, Detroit (twice, the last a nail-biter) and Minnesota in what turned out to be a squeaker in the first meeting. All are teams that sit ahead of the Pack in the NFC standings. Green Bay has taken care of business against equal or lesser foes and a reason they are sitting at 11-4. But they need to knock off one or all of these opponents if they wish to have any hope of reaching the Super Bowl. That needs to start today to continue the momentum they have and take that into the playoffs.

In addition to Alexander, LB Quay Walker, S Evan Williams and OL Andre Dillard will not play today. The good news is that, at the time of this writing, S Javon Bullard, WR Christian Watson and LB Ty’Ron Hopper are listed as questionable. For the ViQueens, they are getting a few players back (darn it!). CB Fabian Moreau is listed as out and LB Ivan Pace Jr. is listed as questionable.

These are two Top 10 teams on both sides of the ball. Which means it will probably come down to the little things: penalties, turnovers, special teams, time management. Because this is a game that could turn into one where the team with the ball last wins. Hate those games.

The Prediction

At the time of this writing, the Packers are favored by 1 point and the over-under is listed as 49 points. Crikey.

The Pack needs to come out hot, on both sides of the ball, whether taking the ball first or not. They need to play complimentary football in all three phases of the game, and play all four quarters.

It's that time of year. Need to bring everything you've got.

According to Sports Illustrated, "...the Packers now rank second in the NFL in Net Yards per Play. The Vikings, while continuing to win, have fallen to 11th in that stat and 21st over their last three games. The underlying numbers show that despite both teams continuing to stack up wins, the Packers have been playing better football of late."

May it continue thusly.

We're calling it Packers 27 - ViQueens 25.

Go Pack Go!!!

Packers vs. Bears Preview & Prediction - 100th Season Kickoff

Graphic copyright 247 Sports

It's the start of another exciting season of Green Bay Packers football. It's the best time of the year!

But this is not just any season. It's the Pack's 100th season!

Over the course of the first 100 seasons, the Packers have become the most-storied franchise in the NFL, if not in all of professional sports.

Green Bay has become Titletown. Thirteen world championships...Curly Lambeau, Johnny Blood McNally, Don Hutson, Vincent Thomas Lombardi, ALL the Glory Years Packers (Nitschke, Starr, Hornung, Taylor, Davis, Adderly, et al), Bob Harlan, Ron Wolf, Mike Holmgren, Brett Favre, Reggie White, Uncle Ted Thompson, Aaron Rodgers, Donald Driver...where does the list start and where does it stop when it comes to the Packers?

A big piece of this amazing team history, of course, concerns that team from south of the border: the ... eeeewwww ... Chicago Bears. Da Bearz. The longest running rivalry in all of football. The Pack leads this century-long dogfight 96-94 with 6 ties. Oh, in a more current timeframe, QB Aaron Rodgers is 15-4 against Chicago, and 8-1 at Lambeau Field. (How does that make you feel about the chances tonight, Packer fans?)

What do we expect this evening? The Packers are favored by 7 points. In an opening match such as this, where the starters on both teams haven't actually played much in the preseason, hard to tell. There are new coaches on both teams, including a new head coach in ChiTown, so how all that plays out...your guess is as good as mine. But since this is my blog, I'll give you my best guess right now.

The Prediction

Let's make this short and sweet, shall we? I know my good friend, Bill Da Bearz Fan, is waiting for my predication and I don't want to hold up his afternoon nap.

So here it is: Packers 27 - Bears 17.

Go Pack Go!!!

A Postscript

I took the entire offseason off, as you can see from the date of the last post prior to this one. Like many fans, the wind was pretty much out of the sails after that clunker of a 2017 Rodgers-less season. Not an excuse, just how it was.

Didn't really cover the draft (was traveling at the time) or opine on it (thought it was a good draft for the new GM, though), OTAs, mini camp, summer training camp, preseason. Yes, I slacked off. So it goes. Hope to at least do weekly game posts and updates if they seem needed. Hope you'll check in once in a while. And thank you if you do so. Your readership is appreciated. I have a much more active presence on Twitter these days so if you wish to follow us there, you'll find us at @packfansunited. 

What to make of the Packers 2015 schedule?

The Green Bay Packers and their fans learned about the 2015 schedule on Tuesday evening. Actually, bits and pieces started to leak out before the evening NFL announcement, particularly the fact that the game at which the Pack will retire former QB Brett Favre's number will be a Thanksgiving evening game against Da Bears. What could be better? Oh, and that home Thanksgiving game will be the first such game the team has played since 1923. If memory serves, that was just four years after the founding of the Packers and just two years after the team joined the fledgling National Football League (then called the American Professional Football Association). Yowza!

Photo of Brett Favre from officialbrettfavre.com
So...there's that. Actually, Favre's number will be officially "retired" at his induction into the Packers Hall of Fame on July 18. The Thanksgiving ceremony will see that number go up inside Lambeau Field. Favre's name and number will go up alongside such legendary names as Bart Starr, Tony Canadeo, Don Hutson, Ray Nitschke and Reggie White. See Favre announce the number retirement on his SQOR page here.

Back to the schedule...upon full release we found the following schedule (you can also always find the Packers 2015 schedule in our "Links" area in the righthand column):

PRESEASON
(WEEK DATE OPPONENT KICKOFF TV)

• 1 - Thursday, August 13 at New England Patriots 6:30 p.m. state
• 2 - Sunday, August 23 at Pittsburgh Steelers 7 p.m. state
• 3 - Saturday, August 29 PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (Midwest Shrine Game - GOLD PKG.) 7 p.m. state
• 4 - Thursday, September 3 NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (Bishop's Charities Game) 6 p.m. state

REGULAR SEASON
(WEEK DATE OPPONENT KICKOFF TV)

• 1 - Sunday, September 13 at Chicago Bears 12 p.m. FOX
• 2 - Sunday, September 20 SEATTLE SEAHAWKS 7:30 p.m. NBC
• 3 - Monday, September 28 KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (GOLD PKG.) 7:30 p.m. ESPN
• 4 - Sunday, October 4 at San Francisco 49ers 3:25 p.m. FOX
• 5 - Sunday, October 11 ST. LOUIS RAMS *12 p.m. CBS
• 6 - Sunday, October 18 SAN DIEGO CHARGERS *3:25 p.m. CBS
• 7 - Sunday, October 25 BYE
  
• 8 - Sunday, November 1 at Denver Broncos *7:30 p.m. NBC
• 9 - Sunday, November 8 at Carolina Panthers *12 p.m. FOX
• 10 - Sunday, November 15 DETROIT LIONS (GOLD PKG.) *12 p.m. FOX
• 11 - Sunday, November 22 at Minnesota Vikings *12 p.m. FOX
• 12 - Thursday, November 26 CHICAGO BEARS (Thanksgiving - BRETT FAVRE NUMBER RETIREMENT CEREMONY) 7:30 p.m. NBC
• 13 - Thursday, December 3 at Detroit Lions 7:25 p.m. CBS/NFL
• 14 - Sunday, December 13 DALLAS COWBOYS *3:25 p.m. FOX
• 15 - Sunday, December 20 at Oakland Raiders *3:05 p.m. FOX
• 16 - Sunday, December 27 at Arizona Cardinals *3:25 p.m. FOX
• 17 - Sunday, January 3 MINNESOTA VIKINGS *12 p.m. FOX

* Start time and broadcast may shift due to NFL flexible scheduling ** All times are Central

What's the early take on the schedule?

The ESPN pundits have the Packers winning the NFC North Division with an 11-5 record. They have the ViQueens coming in second at 9-7, the Lions being their middling selves at 8-8 and Da Bears bringing up the rear at 7-9. To the last we can only say (in best Seinfeld voice), that's a shame. If you want to see what ESPN's Packers reporter, Rob Demovsky, predicts game-by-game, you can do so here.

For yours truly, it's far too soon to make the game-by-game picks. And actually, regular readers of this blog will know we don't make game-by-game picks anyway, at least prior to the start of the season; we do make weekly game picks during the regular season. Instead, just prior to the start of the season -- after we've had a look at the team in preseason, know who is on the roster, what the injury status is, etc. -- we make our season win-loss prediction by breaking the season up into quarters. It's just an easier way for this prognosticator to look at the season as a whole. And we've typically been pretty darn close in our season projections. So come back in early September for that post. OK, if you'd care to, please stop back in more often, before then, because we'll have a lot more coming in the days, weeks and months ahead. In fact, next up will be commentary on the upcoming NFL Draft. Lots of fun in store. Stick with us.

Go Pack Go!!!

Packers win ugly over Buccaneers, 35-26

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Packer Fans: Are You Ready for Some Football?!

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

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

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

Packers playoff scenarios

Following the upset victory of the ViQueens over the Eagles in Philly last evening, the playoff scenarios start to come into focus for the Green Bay Packers. Sort of.

First, of course, the Packers actually have to make the playoffs. And that, as any true Green-n-Gold-blooded fan of the Pack knows, requires the Pack to beat Da Bearz Sunday afternoon in the friendly confines of Lambeau Field.

It's possible that Chicago has a chance at playing for the #1 NFC seed (can you believe it?), but they'll know whether that's in play by gametime. It's already a given that they have secured the #2 spot and a bye. So the question for coach Lovie Dovie Smith is whether and how long he will play his starters against the Pack. Yes, Smith relishes his team's battles against the Pack. But would he jeopardize a run in the playoffs by exposing his starters to possible injury in what for all practical purposes is a meaningless game for them? Doubtful.

So the odds of the Packers beating Da Bearz have seemingly increased courtesy of the 'Queens beating Philly.

The outcome of last night's game also means that instead of back-to-back games against Chicago, as was originally speculated as the primary playoff scenario, the Packers will now instead be looking to take a trip east to play the Eagles. Many fans, judging from comments on blogs, radio call-in shows, etc., preferred to take on Da Bearz instead of the Eagles. However, given that Philly will now be playing 3 games in about 11 or 12 days time, and that QB Michael Vick got banged up a bit in last night's game, some fans are beginning to look forward to playing Philadelphia.

If the Packers make the playoffs, and then beat Philly, they would likely take on Atlanta. There are scenarios which, if correct, show that it's possible that the Packers could match up against Da Bearz in the NFC Championship game. Wouldn't that be something?!

The one thing you will notice about these scenarios, though, is that the Packers are on the road throughout the playoffs. The Giants, as is all too clear in memory, won out on the road and went on to win the Super Bowl just a few years ago. But no #6 seeded team coming out of the NFC has ever gone on to win the Super Bowl; the only instance of any #6 seed winning the big game is that of the Steelers.

But, again, nothing happens unless the Packers win Sunday. That's the only game that matters now.

See Tom Silverstein's blog about the matchups in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Go Pack Go!!!

On this day...
The late great Ray Nitschke was born on this day in 1936.

Packers' shareholders meeting and training camp in week ahead

Here it is, Packer fans, the week we've waited for since the end of last season's great run. In the coming week, Packers' shareholders will gather on Thursday morning (and, yes, you need a ticket to get in) at the currently un-frozen tundra of Lambeau Field to hear from Packers' management and coaches about the status of the team on and off the field. They'll also hear a bit from NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell who'll be on hand, as well. No doubt, a major area of interest will concern the current and upcoming contract negotiations with the NFL Players Association.

While the annual shareholders event certainly is an important part of things, what most fans wait for, of course, is the start of training camp. That gets under way Saturday, July 31, at 2 p.m. with players in full pads on Ray Nitschke Field and is open to the public. If weather doesn't allow outdoor practice, things move inside to the Don Hutson Center where, because of space limitations, the practice is closed to the public. You can check out a day by day practice schedule here. You can also download a PDF version of the schedule here.

Now, if your green 'n' gold juices aren't flowing already, check out this article in today's Milwaukee Journal Sentinel which begins the talk about the Packers' Super Bowl hopes and chances this season. The key, which is the same every year, really, is to start fast. No surprise there. With a tough schedule and questions on defense given Johnny Jolly's year-long (indefinite) suspension and Al Harris' return from his major knee injury, that means the offense has to come out with guns blazing. Barring injury, that will be a given.

But with camp a week away from today, it sure is nice to be able to realistically talk about the goal: Super Bowl.

Who else is the Pack checking out?

Much of the hubbub surrounding the draft, of course, concerns first round picks...top 10 picks especially. But let's face it: most of the players in the league aren't first-rounders. Most starters, let alone backups, come farther down the line. Let's see, what examples might we think of quickly? How 'bout Bart Starr, Brett Favre, Donald Driver, Ray Nitschke, Mark Tauscher, and Greg Jennings, to name just a few. Guess those guys turned out OK.

So, while we discuss who the Packers might take with their #9 pick -- or whether they will trade down -- it might also be helpful to take a look at some of those other players whom the Packers have checked out. Some of these players may be post-draft free agents. Heck, the Packers still have two of those on the roster from last season, WR Brett Swain and LB Danny Lansanah. So, you never know where a gem may arise.

With that in mind, sports writer Tom Silverstein with the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, takes a look at some of those players whom the Packers might pull the trigger on during or after the draft.

Among some of the more intriguing possibilities listed:

• OT SEBASTIAN VOLLMER, 6-8, 312, Houston


• TE/H-back ZACH MILLER, 6-3½, 233, Nebraska-Omaha


• OLB JASON WILLIAMS , 6-1, 241, Western Illinois


• DT VAUGHN MARTIN, 6-3, 331, Western Ontario


• S MIKE MITCHELL, 6-0, 220, Ohio

While you can get the draft scout details via the above individual links, be sure to also check out Silverstein's article about all the prospects the Packers are keeping tabs on. It's a good read. You can find it here.

Thompson's hits and misses
No doubt each Packer fan has his or her own list of Packer GM Ted Thompson's good picks and those that really were...hmmm...not so good shall we say (this is a family blog, after all!).

But if you need some help refreshing your memory, or perhaps adding to either of your lists, the Green Bay Press-Gazette ran an article over the weekend headlined, "The studs and duds of Ted Thompson's Packers drafts". Guess that pretty well says it all, doesn't it?

The article points out that Thompson has selected 43 players in his drafts as Packers GM. Of those, only one -- Nick Collins -- has made the Pro Bowl. Hmmm. And, specifically, the article notes, "Judging each pick by taking into account what the player has contributed, his potential for further growth and where in the draft he was selected, 13 of Thompson’s 43 players should be deemed good picks, while 24 should be called bad picks and for six others (all from last year’s draft), it’s too soon to tell."

For a player-by-player analysis, check out the article here. Whether this gives you hope for this weekend's affair (draft, that is...hey, this is a family blog!) or whether it will once again make you want to throw a shoe at the sight of Ted on draft day (oops...did I say, "once again"?), only you will know.

But in a draft that is seemingly being perceived more and more by pundits as somewhat of a so-so talent pool overall, Thompson's upside and/or downside this time around might not be as steep as in some other drafts. Still, on a team that needs depth particularly across the offensive and defensive lines, you have to hope -- OK, pray too, please! -- that Thompson and his scouts are able to find a few more studs than duds this time around.

Sir William: Adieu

As expected -- and stated several days ago by himself -- Packers fullback William Henderson was released today by the Packers after 12 years of outstanding performance. Other than Brett Favre, Bart Starr and Ray Nitschke, no other player in team history has played more games that Henderson. He was -- is -- one of the good guys. And as stated here previously, if the league had more players of the caliber of William Henderson not only would the league be better, but all the communities which host NFL teams would also benefit from their community spirit.

William: thank you. You will be missed. See you in the Packers Hall of Fame. Long live #33!

Here is the official announcement from the Packers.