Packers' pathetic performance leads to 47-25 loss to Titans

The 2016 Green Bay Packers hit a new low in a season beginning to resemble that proverbial train wreck we always hear so much about but never really see. Well, we saw it yesterday, Packer fans. Not. Pretty. At. All.

Where do we even begin to dissect this disastrous game that portends a downward spiral for this Packers team unless something dramatically different happens to change the path on which it seems headed? Yes, there were game-ending injuries Sunday to linebacker Jake Ryan (ankle) on the first defensive series of the game, and to tackle David Bakhtiari (knee) and guard T.J. Lang (ankle) later on. Lang may be the worst, as he was seen in the locker room after the game on crutches and wearing an air-boot. Oy. And penalties. Oh, the penalties.

Even the venerable "Voice of the Packers," Wayne Larrivee, when asked what's ailing the Pack had no clear answer this morning on 620WTMJ Radio in Milwaukee. He doesn't think it has to do with the scheme, play-calling or coaching necessarily; as he reminded listeners, it may have more to do with personnel as these same three factors seemed to be doing just fine when the Packers had Donald Driver and Jermichael Finley, for example. So, personnel, albeit with many young and untested players who are now forced to play starting roles because of injuries, is part of the issue right now. All he could say is that in his roughly 38 years covering football he thinks that what really plays a key factor in championship-caliber teams is spirit and emotion. Right now, he's not so sure the Packers have much of that going for them.

Has Packers head coach Mike McCarthy lost his team?
Photo by Danny Damiani/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wis
We have to agree with Larrivee on both points. Personnel, and particularly GM Ted Thompson's time-worn (and perhaps worn-out?) approach to building a team through the draft seems as if it works as long as the starters stay healthy. But when you get past the second or third team players -- and we have, in some cases now -- the lack of quality depth shows on the field and on the scoreboard. To Larrivee's second point -- spirit and emotion -- we haven't seen much of that all season, have we? As we have pointed out here on several occasions, the Pack has played two good halves of football all season...and they were in two different games. Everybody seems flat from the get-go, as evidenced by last week's opening kickoff return by the Colts and yesterday's opening offensive play for a 75-yard touchdown run by the Titans. Hello!??? Anybody awake on that field? Doesn't seem so.

How do you get that missing mojo back? Winning would help. But now on a three-game losing streak, and with two more tough road games coming up in Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia before returning to Lambeau Field to take on the Texans, is immediate winning even in the cards? As much as it pains us to say it, we don't think so.

Case in point: the green 'n' gold glasses which most Packer fans wear (including yours truly) causes a bit of blindness when it comes to our team. It might be hard to realize but in the last 21 games, the Packers are now 9-12 going back to last season. Nine wins, 12 losses. The problem didn't just start this season. It's got a history. Something deeply rooted in the locker room if not the players' psyches. Perhaps the head coach has lost his team, outworn his stay; legendary coach Bill Walsh is reported to have said a coach shouldn't stay in one place for more than 10 years because things get stale for an organization after a while. Perhaps that's the case with McCarthy. Thompson, too, perhaps.

Of course, no dramatic coaching or front office changes will be made during this season; it's just not the Packers way of doing things. So this so-far dreadful season will play out how it will. Those of a "glass half-full" mentality will point out that at 4-5 the Packers are only one game out of the NFC North lead. Others might respond that that's only because this division pretty much stinks at this point overall. The once invincible 5-0 ViQueens have now dropped 4 in a row. Detroit didn't win or lose because they were on their bye week. Will Da Bearz do anything? C'mon.

So, if by some stretch of the imagination the Packers can turn things around, they do have a chance. But really, where will they go with the current state of injuries, journeymen and otherwise inexperienced players thrust into starting or other key roles, and the palpable lack of spirit exhibited week after week? The Packers will write the final answer to that question. Each one of us can in the meantime have our own conclusion. For Packers beat writer extraordinaire, Bob McGinn, he puts it like this: Packers' season on the brink. How's that for rich brevity?

Having said all that: Go Pack Go!!!

2016 NFL Week 10: Packers vs. Titans Preview and Prediction

The 4-4 Green Bay Packers travel to Tennessee this weekend to take on the 4-5 Titans in what -- from a record standpoint -- we might call the "Meh Bowl."

In what is the first of the Packers three consecutive road games, the Packers must get a win today despite QB Aaron Rodgers saying he didn't think it was a must-win game. Technically, true. Spirit-wise...no. To lose two games in a row to AFC South teams would be...not good. At all.

Packers head coach Mike McCarthy and quarterback Aaron Rodgers need to figure out a way to beat the Titans today.
Photo by Jim Matthews/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin
To say the Packers have underperformed to the halfway point in the season is an understatement. Yes, injuries have played their part. But every team has injuries. At some point, you can't blame it all on that. This blog and other media pundits and countless fans on call-in shows have all theorized about what's to blame: lack of player leadership, quarterback mechanics, quarterback girlfriend, lack of a running game (hard to run without any actual running backs available), lack of ability of receivers to get open, lack of coaching, bad play-calling, bad front office personnel decisions...well...you get the idea. There's something for everyone to not like about the performance of this Packers team so far this season.

As to what this means for today's game, does anyone really know what to expect? We've seen the Pack arguably play only two good halves of football this season...and that was across two different games weeks apart.

Today, the Packers will have to take on an underrated and, to some, a similarly underperforming team. The Titans have a young, mobile quarterback -- the kind that has given the Packers fits in the past -- in Marcus Mariota. They have a solid running game; third-ranked in the league overall. Not much in the way of receivers, really. A defense that is also middling in performance, and one which -- on a good day -- the Packers offense should be able to take advantage of.

The problem is, we don't know when Rodgers and company are actually going to have one of those good days. If the Packers have RB James Starks and TE Jared Cook back (both were listed as questionable at the time of this post), that may help some, although given both players just coming off weeks of inactivity because of injury (and surgery in Starks' case), we can't really expect much from them. Until the offense shakes itself out of its doldrums, it's hard to project outcomes, isn't it, Packer fans?

Of course, part of this is the Packers defense getting itself back together, too. With the inability to stop opposing offenses late in the game recently, again, we don't quite know what to expect. Although being without OLB Clay Matthews for the third straight week because of his ongoing hamstring problem doesn't help, does it?

The Prediction
As a result of the above unknowns today, this game can be viewed -- unfortunately -- as a toss-up despite the Packers being favored by 2-1/2 points.

As it is, we're calling it...27-23 Packers.

Go Pack Go!!!

Packers lose at Lambeau to Colts, drop 3 of last 4 games

So what do you think, Packer fans? Yeah, me too.

The Green Bay Packers 31-26 loss -- at Lambeau Field -- to the Indianapolis Colts was unexpected; the Packers were 7-point favorites. And the way it happened was embarrassing despite just the final 5-point differential. It was so bad that, likely for fans in the stadium and watching on TV, the highlight of the game was the squirrel dashing around the field. Some might argue that the Pack should have signed him because at least he was able to get open and into the endzone.

The squirrel provided at least a modicum of entertainment to Packer fans
on Sunday who sat through a lackluster performance by their home team.
Photo by Mike De Sisti/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wis
The Packers have now dropped three of their last four games, including two losses on the home turf. The game essentially was over after the first 13 seconds, when the Colts took the opening kickoff back 99 yards for a touchdown. Add in another blown coverage -- to the tune of 60-yards+ on the return -- which led to an Indy field goal, and throw in a missed field goal (second of the season by Mason Crosby), and the special teams' overall play, it can well be argued, cost the Packers 13 points...the difference in the game.

To be fair to the special teams players, the defense also failed to dominate a heretofore woeful Colts offensive line that had given up a league-high 31 sacks coming into yesterday's game. The Pack only sacked QB Andrew Luck twice; the Colts, on the other hand, got to Aaron Rodgers three times.

The Pack's offensive woes -- which we thought had been somewhat resolved in the 1-point loss to the Falcons last week -- continued. With no running game, no receivers getting separation on defenders, questionable play-calling especially on third downs (e.g., 3rd and 6 late in the second half and you go deep???), and a generally flat performance overall this offense at the halfway mark of the 2016 season is a major disappointment.

What is ailing the Packers?
That's the question on everyone's mind today. Yes, there are injuries to key players on both sides of the ball. But every team could say much the same. Something else is going on here and it goes back to last season, as we have alluded to in earlier posts. Whether head coach Mike McCarthy and his staff are failing to put their players in position to succeed, whether the players aren't performing at their best for 60 minutes every game, whether general manager Ted Thompson is failing to find players who are difference makers...we don't know. It's probably all of those things. Even Rodgers called out his team after the loss yesterday for the overall lack of "juice" during the game.

At 4-4, the Packers are sitting in third place in the NFC North, just ahead of Da Bearz and behind the ViQueens and Detroit, the latter pulling off an overtime win against said ViQueens to move into second place. The Packers are also sitting in the 8th position in the conference, tied with Philadelphia and New Orleans. The odds of a 4-4 team making the playoffs is possible, but going deep? Not so much. Only one team has made the Super Bowl, if memory serves (which it may or may not), after a 4-4 start.

As the Packers now set off for three straight road games, the loss yesterday was a heartbreaker. Let's just hope it doesn't become a season-breaker, as well.

2016 NFL Week 9: Packers vs. Colts Preview and Prediction

The Green Bay Packers play their only home game during the month of November today at Lambeau Field vs. the Indianapolis Colts. After today, it's three straight games on the road, continuing the goofy schedule they were dealt this season by the league.

Coming off a 1-point loss in Atlanta to the Falcons last week, the Colts might be what the doctored ordered to get the Pack another home win before starting that tough road stretch.

While the Colts have one of the best quarterbacks in the league in Andrew Luck, they also have one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL. With the number of sacks they have given up, Luck should be getting hazardous duty pay...oh wait...he's overpaid already...never mind.

The key thing is that Luck should be under steady pressure today from the Packers defense. If the front seven can get regular pressure on him, his group of reliable receivers shouldn't be able to take advantage of the still-wounded Packers secondary. The defense will still have to account for veteran RB Frank Gore, though. While not capable of carrying the ball 25 or 30 times a game like he used to, he can still cause damage if left unchecked, whether running the ball out of the backfield or as a receiver.

Packers WR Randall Cobb is likely out
for today's game against the Colts.
Photo by Jeff Hanisch/USA TODAY Sports
On the other side of things, QB Aaron Rodgers returned to form last week despite the loss. With no running game to speak of, the Pack has gone to using receivers out of the backfield when and where possible -- Ty Montgomery should be in the backfield today -- although it's possible we may see more of RB Don Jackson today, too. But the Colts woeful secondary should present plenty of opportunities for Rodgers and his many receivers. Expect a lot of passes again today from Rogers.

One change to the starting offensive line today is that C Corey Linsley has come off the PUP list to replace the now-injured J.C. Tretter. It will be interesting to see how he does given all the time missed in getting into game shape.

The Prediction
The Packers are favored by 7 points at the time of this writing. The over-under points is projected at 53.5, which is the largest total for this weekend's games. In other words, the oddsmakers think there will be a lot of points scored between the two teams, and that the Packers will win. That's a likely scenario. But we also think the majority of those projected points, today, will be going the Packers way. Yay.

We're calling it 34-24 Packers.

Go Pack Go!!!

Packers lose by 1 point in Atlanta

The Green Bay Packers took on the Falcons in Atlanta on Sunday and came up 1 point shy of a tie and 2 points short of a win. The latter -- as any fan will tell you -- is preferable. The game went down to the wire. On some levels, the fact that the injury-ridden Packers were as close to a win as they were was a testament to the players and coaches. But in the end, not even the stellar play of QB Aaron Rodgers and a gallant-but-not-good-enough effort by the defense, was able to pull this game out.

Yes, we had predicted a Packers defeat in our game preview by a score of 34-27; the final score was actually 33-32.

Packers QB Aaron Rodgers congratulates
Falcons QB Matt Ryan on the win.
Photo by Rick Wood/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Without any running game to speak of -- even the Plan B running game of wide receivers Ty Montgomery and Randall Cobb running out of the backfield was moot as both players were inactive because of injury -- the game rode on Rodgers and his receivers outscoring the Dirty Birds. When you score 32 points, you should win, as some of the Packers defenders admitted after the game. Unfortunately, the defense came up short in that regard. Again, the Packers were down in some instances to playing their fifth and sixth cornerbacks against Falcons starters. To be fair, they did hold All-World receiver Julio Jones in check. But given opportunities for stops and turnovers, the Packers D couldn't make the plays.

What's next?
The Packers will take on the Indianapolis Colts this Sunday at Lambeau Field before then heading out for three straight road contests, including Sunday and Monday night games. Now sitting at 4-3, the Pack need this win at home before dealing with the daunting road schedule.

Luckily (no pun intended), the Colts may be just what the doctor ordered. Other than QB Andrew Luck, the Colts don't have too much going for them right now. The Packers defense should be able to pressure Luck; the Colts offensive line is, frankly, not very good. If defensive coordinator Dom Capers can't develop a scheme to get sacks against Luck it's giving the Colts an opportunity they don't need.

We'll have more on the game against the Colts coming up closer to game time.

For now... Go Pack Go!!!

2016 NFL Week 8: Packers vs. Falcons Preview and Prediction

For the first time in about a month, the Green Bay Packers hit the road. They take on the high-flying Atlanta Falcons inside the Georgia Dome in the late afternoon game today.

The Packers will be facing arguably and statistically the NFL's number one-rated offense, the number one-rated passer and the number one-rated receiver. They'll be doing so, however, without their own three top-rated cornerbacks. Not ideal in such a match up. Unless the Pack's front seven can get consistent pressure on Falcons' QB Matt Ryan, and the defensive backs can somehow disrupt WR Julio Jones, it could be a long day for the Pack's defense...and the Packers as a whole.

Assuming that that may be the case, the only hope is that the Pack's offense can outscore the Dirty Birds. Certainly that's possible. We've seen the offense click on two occasions this season: against Detroit and Chicago for a half each. Hmmm...odds don't seem great based upon recent history for a game-long shoot-out, do they? Then toss in the fact that, again, Eddie Lacy and James Starks are unavailable, as will be Randall Cobb today, the burden falls to others to pick up the slack. There is newcomer RB Knile Davis and recently promoted RB Don Jackson, as well as WR Geronimo Allison. So, it's entirely possible the Packers could have a long-awaited breakout game with some new players providing the spark. But...

Packers WR Randall Cobb will likely
not be available for today's game vs. Falcons.
Photo by Jim Matthews/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wis
Prediction
This will likely be one of our briefer preview and prediction posts. With the recent rash of injuries and roster changes on the Packers squad, and the general sputtering of the Packers offense, we think the only way to pull out a win over the Falcons today -- who are favored by 3 points at the time of this posting, by the way -- would be to outscore them. This is one of those rare occasions when the odds seem stacked against the Pack: injuries, opponent, road game, lack of consistent play.

We're call this one 34-27 Falcons.

Wish it wasn't so. And hope we're wrong.

Go Pack Go!!!

LATE UPDATE: TY MONTGOMERY OUT
Breaking late news: it's being reported by Jay Glazer that WR/RB Ty Montgomery is out for the Packers today because of illness. No Montgomery. No Cobb. A sorry injury/availability situation for the Packers becomes worse. Our prediction seems even more likely now. Dang.

Packers take down Bears 26-10

The Green Bay Packers have finally put together two good halves of football this season. OK, they weren't actually in the same game, but still. The first good half, as you may recall, was during the game and win against the Detroit Lions. Thankfully, the second good half came on Thursday evening against the Chicago Bears.

There was much wailing and gnashing of teeth following the disappointing loss to the Dallas Cowboys the prior Sunday evening. But despite a extremely sluggish first half against Chicago, the Packers offense finally started clicking -- to the tune of a record-setting night.

Packers QB Aaron Rodgers lit up the Bears in a record-setting peformance.
Photo by Dan Powers/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wis

QB Aaron Rodgers was just shy of 60 pass attempts -- OK, 56 to be exact -- and set a franchise record with 39 completions. For the first time in a long time he had more than 300 yards passing. Davante Adams had a career night, with 13 catches for 132 yards and two touchdowns, just one catch short of tying the franchise record of the legendary Don Hutson. For the first time in Packers history, a receiver had 10 or more catches in the same game for 100 yards or more with 2 touchdowns.

The offense controlled the ball for nearly 40 minutes of the game, and racked up 32 first downs. It was quite a night for the offense.

And that was with missed opportunities. WR Randall Cobb had a chance for two additional touchdowns: one pass was stripped from him in the endzone early in the game as he was bringing the ball in for a completion; the second, later in the game, came when he couldn't get his second foot down inside the back line of the endzone while being forced out by the Bears' defender.

In addition, in a "Well, there's something you don't see everyday, Wilbur" moment, kicker Mason Crosby missed two fields and an extra point.

So...a lot of points were left on the field. This has been a disturbing trend for the Packers this season. In this game, against a woeful Bears offense, and with a dominant Packers defense, those points were not needed to secure the win. But the Pack certainly can't count on that every game.

As for the Packers defense, they pitched a touchdown shutout. Wait...what?...you say. Clearly a touchdown was scored by Da Bearz. Well, that came on a fumble by Rodgers recovered in the endzone by Chicago. Other than that, the Packers D made a nice return to form following its dismal performance a few days before against Dallas.

The Packers now have 10 days off (from the time of the game) to take a small break and get a bit healthier before they play at Atlanta on Oct. 30. That will hopefully also give the Packers time to integrate newly-arrived RB Knile Davis more fully into the offense.

But it's likely, based on his outstanding performance in the backfield against Chicago, that WR Ty Montgomery will also be seeing his share of playing time coming out of the backfield for a quite a while. That's because RB Eddie Lacy was placed on injured reserve with his ankle requiring surgery the day of the Bears game and James Starks is still a few weeks a way from returning from his knee surgery. RB Don Jackson, who was on the practice squad and promoted to the active roster the day of the game, sustained a left wrist injury on his second carry. Figures, doesn't it?

It's a strange season, indeed. But at least the Packers are 4-2, just behind the ViQueens in the NFC North standings.

NFL Week 7: Packers vs. Bears Preview and Prediction

Just a few days following a demoralizing 30-16 defeat at the hands of the Dallas Cowboys at Lambeau Field, the Green Bay Packers (3-2) will host the archrival Chicago Bears (1-5) this evening. The Pack will tonight be without seven players, including running backs Eddie Lacy and James Starks, as well as defensive backs Sam Shields, Damarious Randall and Quinten Rollins. Shields -- who is still in the league's concussion protocol -- was actually placed on injured reserve to open up a roster spot; he could return in Week 14. Wide receiver Jared Abbrederis, TE Jared Cook, and S Chris Banjo are also out. Wide receiver Davante Adams is listed as questionable.

As bad as it is for the Packers, Da Bearz' injury report is even longer. We wish we could feel bad about that, but given the current state of affairs in Green Bay, we don't. We'll take all the help we can get even if it's a banged-up opponent. Although, we did so hope Bears QB Jay Cutler could have played. That's always a factor in the Pack's favor.

Packers QB Aaron Rodgers and the offense
must be in sync to beat Da Bearz tonight.
Photo by Rick Wood, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Given the condition of both teams, it's likely this game could be mediocre at best. Despite how out-of-sync the Packers seemed on Sunday, they need to somehow find the will -- and the ways and plays -- to beat what is arguably one of the worst teams in the league at this stage of the season.

It used to be the case that after a poor personal performance, QB Aaron Rodgers would light up the following week's opponent. But given the 17-game slump that Rodgers seems to be in in terms of personal performance, we're not sure what to count on any longer. Without a sure-fire running attack to take the pressure off him, play at the level we've seen recently would not be unexpected.

The Packers did finally decide to provide some help in this regard with the acquisition via trade Monday (a trade!!!) of Kansas City running back, Knile Davis. While Davis became expendable for the Chiefs, he might at least fill a temporary need for the Packers. Don't expect much tonight, other than perhaps a few basic plays. But the other option was to keep running wide receivers Ty Montgomery and Randall Cobb out of the backfield...which, let's just say it...is no solution and, well, a bit nuts, right? The Packers did have one other option, activating practice squad RB Don Jackson to the active roster. For this game, at least, the Pack will try to make it with Davis, et al. (By the way, Milwaukee Journal Packers beat writer extraordinaire, Bob McGinn, has a great article today about Davis; it's highly suggested reading.)

Prediction
Depending upon your source, the Packers are currently favored by 7-1/2 to 9-1/2 points. We'd like to think that's how things will roll tonight. But are we confident based upon what we've seen so far this season? Not really.

Still, we need to make a prediction. We're calling it 24-13 Packers.

Go Pack Go!!!

Packers fail to show up against Cowboys

In as depressing a showing as a Green Bay Packers team has had in recent memory, the team fell to the Dallas Cowboys at Lambeau Field 30-16 on Sunday, and go to 3-2 on the season, 2 full games behind the Minnesota ViQueens who had their bye this weekend.

The litany of woes are many: an ineffectual offense which included receivers failing to get separation against their defenders, dropped and missed passes, turnovers, failure to execute in the red zone, miscommunications between coaches and players, and a MVP-level quarterback who essentially has been average at best for the last 17 games; the top rushing defense in the league who got shredded by the top rushing offense and a rookie running back, as well as a depleted Packers secondary who got shredded by a very good rookie quarterback.

It. Was. Ugly. Start to finish.

The Packers have exactly 3 days to somehow get their collective act together before facing Da Bearz Thursday night at Lambeau. Chicago, at 1-5, could be just what the doctor ordered to help right the ship.

But only if the Packers play far differently they played yesterday. Let us pray...

2016 Week #6: Packers vs. Cowboys Preview & Prediction

Due to power and Internet outages in our area from overnight storms, the posting of this preview and prediction is coming along much later than we'd like. Our apologies. So, we'll do our best to just cut to the chase on this one.

Packers QB Aaron Rodgers needs to begin regaining
some of his old form against the Cowboys today.
Photo by Rick Wood, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Offense needs to get in gear
This is a "Thanks, Captain Obvious" statement: the Pack's once high-flying offense, led by QB Aaron Rodgers and a top-notch receiving corps, has been rather mediocre despite the team's 3-1 record. The Packers are at or near the bottom on first-down production and Rodgers' completion percentage -- if you can believe it -- is at the bottom of that category league wide. Receivers aren't getting open and, despite great protection from his offensive line, Rodgers seems to have forgotten some of his solid technique fundamentals in favor of operating outside the pocket. As the article today in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel by the great Packers beat writer, Bob McGinn, demonstrates, Rodgers seems to be falling from his elite status over the course of the last 16 games. You be the judge. But the article is tough to argue with.

Part of the problem today might be a limited Eddie Lacy at running back. He was off to a great start last week against the Giants before suffering an ankle injury. He will apparently play today, but that heavily-taped ankle will likely hinder his effectiveness. Also, James Starks will not be available today or for the next several weeks. A report this morning by Jay Glazer stated that Starks had knee surgery this very morning. No specifics as to the nature of the injury or timetable for return. The only other running back the Packers have is on the practice squad and was not made active for this game. So if Lacy can't go, look for Randall Cobb and Ty Montgomery to operate out of the backfield. Not...ideal. It puts more pressure on Rodgers, which in the days of yore might have been no worries. Now...we don't know. If they can replicate their first half performance against the Lions for a full 60 minutes, great, the Pack should emerge with a victory. If not...?

Rushing defense vs. rushing offense: who will win the day?
The angle to this game that has been played up by the national sports media is that of the Packers' number one rushing defense vs. the Cowboys' number one rushing offense. According to the pundits, the 'boys have perhaps the best offensive line in the game right now. The Packers have a dominant front 7 opposing them. If the "D" can hold the Cowboys' rookie RB Ezekiel Elliott in check, and put an effective pass rush on rookie QB Drew Prescott, the Packers should be able to score enough points to win this game.

Our prediction
At the time of this writing, the Packers are favored by 5.5 points. We think it might be more of a slugfest than that.

We're calling it 23-20 Packers.

Go Pack Go!!!

Packers come up bigger than Giants

OK, I know. That headline was a bit cheesy. Ooops! There's another pun. Get it?

Sorry.

It's about all that can be mustered in light of the Packers 23-16 win over the New York Giants Sunday night at Lambeau Field. What started out in a very promising way -- offensive rhythm, running game, defensive toughness -- wound up being a rather ho-hum victory. I know, I know. No victory in the NFL is either easy or mundane. It's just that many Packer fans, including yours truly, are waiting to see a complete game from this team on both sides of the ball. We do see a dominant defense, no denying that, at this early stage of the season. With the return this week of defensive lineman Mike Pennel from his four-game suspension, the front line of that defense will get even tougher for opposing teams. Gotta like that.

Second-year CB LaDarius Gunter celebrates
after breaking up a pass intended for Giants receiver Victor Cruz.
Photo by Dan Powers/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wis
The other part of the defense on display was the depth in the secondary. Despite missing their two starting cornerback, the Packers young D-backs prevented the potentially high-flying Giants passing game from making big plays, let alone breaking big plays. Their only touchdown catch of the night came in the waning moments of the game which, admittedly, did tighten things up for a bit. Not only on the scoreboard but in Packer fans' stomachs, as well.

Offense had its moments, just not enough of them
Things were tighter than they needed to be throughout the game and down the stretch because the Packers just couldn't seem to get unstuck, on offense or special teams. Offensively, the game could have nearly been put away early except for an illegal shift call on WR Davante Adams that negated a great throw by Aaron Rodgers and catch by Randall Cobb resulting in a touchdown that would have put the Pack up by 14-0 late in the first quarter. (Whew! Long sentence. Sorry about that.) Instead, an interception followed and led to the Giants putting a drive together and getting on the board with a field goal to make it 7-3 early in the second quarter.

While the Packers seemed to dominate the game, especially in the first half in terms of time of possession, and through the powerful running game of Eddie Lacy, there were just enough misfirings by Rodgers, drops by his receivers, and penalties to always seem to keep the Giants in striking distance. Add to this that the new Packers punter averaged under 36.5 yards per punt for the game with a long of just 42 yards. The result was generally always good starting position for the Giants, often past their own 40. Special teams coverage by the Packers also didn't help; there were a number of broken tackles by Giants returners which added to their field position advantage.

Be all that as it may, the Pack came away with the win they needed. With Minnesota atop the NFC North -- and the only still undefeated team in the NFL -- the Packers can't afford to drop behind by losing games they should win.

Which brings us to Sunday's game at Lambeau versus the Cowboys. Is that a game the Pack should win? Needs to win? (OK, dumb question that. Never mind.)

The 'boys are playing well behind their rookie quarterback and running back. We'll look at this game as we get closer to game time. Please keep checking back. We appreciate it.

2016 Week #5: Packers vs. Giants Preview & Prediction

Following their Week 4 bye, the 2-1 Green Bay Packers host the 2-2 New York Giants tonight at venerable Lambeau Field. Rested and ready to go after an unusual early season schedule -- actually, the entire season schedule is a bit odd, isn't it? -- the Packers get some of their key players back. Among them, Letroy Guion will rejoin a defensive front that has been more than holding its own in his absence. His addition back into the rotation tonight (plus the return of Mike Pennel who comes off suspension this next week) will make an already very good defense even better. CB Sam Shields, however, will still be out for tonight's game, as will TE Jared Cook, who was injured in the Lions game. CB Damarious Randall was listed as questionable at the time of this writing. What might that mean for tonight?

On offense, the Giants have a "running-back-by-committee" approach to their ground game, with three capable running backs to move into rotation as the game demands. The receivers, led by current head-case Odell Beckham Jr., can create problems for an undermanned or mediocre secondary. QB Eli Manning can certainly do some damage when given time. He didn't have that luxury in the Giants last game at Minnesota. But he is 2-1 at Lambeau Field, including playoffs, 4-3 overall versus the Packers. In his last four games against the Pack -- including the 2011 playoff win -- Manning has had a pair of 330-plus-yard games, three three-TD games, and a cumulative 104.9 passer rating. Yeah...can't let him have that type of game tonight. Keep pressure on him, make him uncomfortable, and turnovers will be the outcome.

LB Clay Matthews and the rest of the Packers defense
will need to put pressure on Giants QB Eli Manning all evening.
(Photo: Mark Hoffman / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
Defensively, reports indicate that the Giants may be without three starters in their defensive backfield. That would seem to bold well for the Packers passing game, which finally found itself in the first half of the Lions game. The Giants pass rush is one which the Packers should be able to handle, with all due respect to Jason Pierre-Paul.

McCarthy vs. McAdoo
There's a great story in today's Milwaukee Journal Sentinel by Tom Silverstein about the task facing former Packers assistant coach and now Giants head coach Ben McAdoo. The fact that both head coaches know one another's tendencies is part of the game story. Seems as if the advantage would go to McAdoo, though, as he also knows very well the Pack's personnel on both sides of the ball, as well as the various schemes used. Still, McCarthy has the head coach tenure advantage: McCarthy's been there. But beyond that...? Might be an interesting chess match played by the coaches. But the bottom line is that the players still play. Advantage: Packers.

The Prediction
The Packers are currently favored by 7 points. That always makes me nervous as it seems in recent times the Packers don't always do well when they are favored by such a spread. The over-under, for those who pay attention to such things, is listed as 48.5 points.

We think that playing at Lambeau, following a bye week for the Packers and a second straight week on the road by the Giants (and on a "short" week at that), the personnel, and whatever intangibles you ascribe to a Sunday night game, the Packers will emerge victorious. Given that the ViQueens remain unbeaten after trouncing Houston today, the Packers can't afford to drop a game further behind in the division. They need this game.

We're calling it 34-24 Packers.

Go Pack Go!!!

Packers hold on to beat Lions

With apologies to Charles Dickens...It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. The Green Bay Packers 34-27 victory Sunday over the Detroit Lions was a tale -- if not of two cities -- of two halves.

The Packers' offense was on fire in the first half. When QB Aaron Rodgers plays with a chip on his shoulder, he always has a big game. Ka-ching! You can read about his performance elsewhere if you didn't see it in person or on TV. Ditto for Eddie Lacy who rushed for more than 100 yards for the first time in a long time. Jordy Nelson seems to be getting back into Jordy-shape.

Packers D-lineman Mike Daniels was pressuring
Lions QB Matt Stafford all game long.
Photo by Dan Powers/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wis
The Packers' defense, despite being down five starters, was able to hold on long enough to prevent what would have been a historic collapse.

The Packers were able to get done Sunday something that they didn't get done all last season: beat an NFC North Division opponent at Lambeau Field. Yay. As such, they are able to go into this very early -- but very needed -- bye week with a 2-1 record...which, by the way, was exactly the record we said (in our preseason preview/prediction) that the Pack would have through the first "quarter" of this NFL season.

The Packers need the bye to get a lot of players healthy for what will be a very long haul from here to the playoffs and the Super Bowl run. Within the division, Minnesota's defense and what seems so far to be a rejuvenated Sam Bradford at quarterback are the obstacle to winning the division. But the Packers have the depth and the talent to go far, if they stay healthy.

Go Pack Go!!!

2016 Week #3: Packers vs. Lions Preview and Prediction

The injury bug is hitting teams throughout the NFL early in the 2016 season; some players are out for the season, others for a few games, others perhaps just a game. The latter is the case and cause for concern today with the Green Bay Packers as the season opener at Lambeau Field versus the Detroit Lions is set for kickoff.

As of the time of this writing, Clay Matthews and Morgan Burnett are reported to have both been declared out after the Packers completed their final practice of the week on Saturday morning. Not helpful. Of course, we know that Sam Shields is also still out because of the NFL's concussion protocol; he won't see the possibility of playing time until after the bye week.

Oh, wait...there's more: Letroy Guion and Datone Jones have also been downgraded from questionable to doubtful, meaning the chances of them playing against the Lions is...not great. So, in case you're counting, that's five defensive starters who will not be playing. Ouch.

Wasn't it suppose to be the Lions that had health issues? So much for that notion. Well, OK, they'll be missing some players, too. And we don't have to worry about WR Calvin Johnson any longer. But enough about the Lions.

Aren't we worried about the Packers offense? The one which has seemed pretty out-of-sync for the first two games? Yeah. And now we have to worry about the defense, too? Oy.

The Prediction
We're going to keep this post short and sweet. The Packers are currently favored by 7 points, with the total points listed at 47.5, the second-highest of the week. So oddsmakers are figuring on a fair amount of scoring with the Pack coming out on top comfortably. How do you feel? Yeah, us too.

Packers QB Aaron Rodgers and Head Coach Mike McCarthy
are hoping the offense gets in gear against the Lions.
Photo by Mike De Sisti, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
But it's the home opener. QB Aaron Rodgers should have a chip on his shoulder after two mediocre games (or more, going back to next season if we're honest about it). The offense needs to get on the same page and start doing what everyone knows they are capable of doing. Especially on a day when the defense -- with all its missing parts -- might be in need of the offense scoring regularly in order to stay in the game.

We're calling it 24-20 Packers.

Go Pack Go!!!

Packers underachieve in loss to Minnesota

Now that we've had a few days to process Sunday night's 17-14 loss to the ViQueens in the new (fill-in-the-blank-name) Minnesota stadium, what do we understand? Probably, not much. We know what we saw, which was a Green Bay Packers team really out-of-sync. With plenty of opportunities to win, an ineffective offense -- including an erratic and fumble-prone Aaron Rodgers -- and a defense that gave up big pass plays throughout the game, the Pack just couldn't get it done.

The Packers made new Minnesota starting QB Sam Bradford look like an MVP. He certainly played better than Rodgers, who has now gone 14 straight games with a passer rating of less than 100. Yes, as Michael Wilbon on ESPN's Pardon the Interruption will remind us, Rodgers has started seasons slowly before. True. But something seems amiss in Mr. Rodgers neighborhood right now, something that goes beyond slow season starts. His mechanics look off. We're not the only ones who think so; check out this article in today's Milwaukee Journal Sentinel which goes into a good deal of detail on the state of the un-Rodgers-like Rodgers.

Packers QB Aaron Rodgers trying to find some rhythm vs. the Vikes.
Photo by Jim Matthews/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wis
In addition to Rodgers' woes, the formula for the loss was questionable play-calling by head coach Mike McCarthy (including passing up a chip shot field goal in the 3rd quarter to tie the score), questionable wide receiver usage (over-use of Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb to the exclusion of other receivers), and under-utilization of the running game. Play-calling seemed uncreative in the extreme. Contrast this with some of the calls made by Eagles head coach (and former Packer) Doug Pederson last night vs. Chicago using a rookie quarterback. He was unpredictable...which is not an adjective which could probably be easily applied to the Packers right now.

Defensively, Bradford was given far too much time to stand in the pocket and find his receivers. With RB Adrian Peterson being held in check prior to leaving the game with a leg injury, the Packers defense just couldn't hold Bradford or his receivers in check. If the purple-clad receiver happened to be covered by Damarious Randall -- who had a very good game in the season opener vs. Jacksonville -- he would generally either be open or benefit from a pass interference penalty. Not a good night for Mr. Randall.

The final score was 17-14...close. But yet, it felt both as if the Packers could have won this game and, on the other hand, the Pack was lucky to have the score be that close in the end. It was a very odd game. We had called it 20-17 in favor of the Packers in our preview and prediction post. We figured it would be close. Didn't figure on Bradford having his way with the Pack's defense or the Pack's offense being a study in ineptitude on this particular night.

The Packers have a lot of work to do. Luckily, they now get an extended stretch at home in Lambeau Field to try to get things together. Let's hope they do so beginning this Sunday vs. the Lions. 2-1 going into the early Week #4 bye will feel a lot better than 1-2. A lot better.

2016 NFL Week #2: Packers vs. Vikings Preview and Prediction

Packers fans, game time is fast approaching and neither you nor I have much time right now. We usually provide a fairly comprehensive preview of all the particulars that could affect this game between the Pack and ViQueens in their season and new stadium home opener. But...we'll have to suffice with nothing but the essentials.

The Prediction
Minnesota will have a lot of energy on its side: home opener, stadium opener, Packers as the opponent. And if you read Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Packers reporter extraordinaire Bob McGinn's column today you may have a sinking feeling even before any team takes the field. Some really horrible things have happened to the Packers in Minnesota over the years. Let's hope this new stadium starts a stretch of really good things happening.

That's what we're counting on tonight. We're counting on the Packers correcting some of the problems they had in Jacksonville. They'll need to offensively against a top-notch ViQueens defense. And the Packers will need to crank up the defense against what we expect to be a Sam Bradford-led Minnesota offense. If the Packers can hold RB Adrian Peterson in check and force Bradford to try to beat them, it will go in the Packers favor. Peterson is the key. A-duh.

The Packers are favored by anywhere from 1-1/2 to 3 points depending upon source.

So, long story shorter than usual...we're calling it Packers over ViQueens 20-17 in a hard fought game that will probably go down to the wire. Although we hope not.

Go Pack Go!!!

Packers down Jaguars 27-23 in season opener, look ahead to Minnesota

So, Packers fans...what do you think of the team's season-opening win? Was it a bit of a "Whew!" feeling at the end? Oh, yeah. But it was a win, albeit one which came down to the defense's only 4th-down stop of the day. Better late than never.

As we said in our game preview and prediction, "Expect some rustiness, some blown plays, and probably more penalties than we'll see later on in the season." Yes, it was all of that, although more so for the first two than the latter.

Rustiness exhibited itself from the start when it took a while for QB Aaron Rodgers and WR Jordy Nelson to get back on the same page; but they did. Blown plays exhibited itself on several key occasions, admitted to by Rodgers, when miscommunications at the line on two occasions perhaps caused the Packers to miss two touchdown possibilities. On one play, the line (or at least a portion of it) blocked in the opposite direction from the run. On another, half the line thought the play was a pass and the other a run. Not. Good.

Then there was the late 4th quarter fiasco when the Packers just needed to get some first downs and run time off the clock. They wound up having to call a timeout because players couldn't get lined up properly. After the timeout, there was confusion as to who was supposed to actually be on the field for the play. Rodgers called a second time out. But guess what? You can't call two consecutive timeouts. So, the Packers were assessed a 5-yard penalty. The result a play or so later was having to punt, which resulted in the only mediocre punt of the day for new punter Jacob Schum.

Sloppy? In the extreme. But, again, first game stuff. Fortunately, the defense was able to make a stop when it mattered most. End result: victory for the Packers 27-23 over the Jaguars. We called it 27-20 in our preview and prediction...so, not bad, eh?

The play of the game: the Packers defense stops Jacksonville on 4th-and-1 in the final seconds of the game, preserving a victory.
Photo: Rick Wood, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Lane Taylor does his job
After the surprise cut of Pro Bowl left guard Josh Sitton, many were left to wonder how this would all work out now that fourth-year pro Lane Taylor was named the starter. Well, at least for this first game, Taylor proved he could handle the job. He was solid, as expected, on run blocking and with one possible exception also held up while pass blocking. So far so good.

Secondary needs to tighten up
Our game preview stated that the secondary would likely be the strength of this defense. We still believe that. But in this first game? Not so much. The secondary gave up big plays all day long, with receivers in many instances wide open. Now, let's be honest: the Jags receivers are good. Two each had more than 1,000 yards receiving last season. Plus, QB Blake Bortles can certainly do damage when given the time. It is an explosive offense and, for that reason, some felt this could have been a game the Packers could lose. After all, it was on the road, against this explosive offense, and in the heat and humidity of Florida. The Pack not only overcame all that but their own blunders, as well. That bodes well for the future.

Next up: the ViQueens in their home and stadium opener
Minnesota asked to play the Packers in the first regular season game in their new stadium. Remember that old adage: Be careful what you ask for? Let's hope that comes true Sunday night. We're guessing it will. Make no mistake: the Vikes have an excellent defense. In fact, it was in large measure due to the defense's two scores on Sunday that Minnesota emerged victorious in its game on Sunday. With the loss for the season of QB Teddy Bridgewater, the quarterback situation is a bit unsettled. Veteran Shaun Hill played Sunday. But it's possible the Pack may see Sam Bradford under center. That doesn't matter. The game plan should be to hold RB Adrian Peterson to as few yards as possible (a-duh!) and force either King or Bradford to beat you.

The Packers are currently 2-point favorites over Minnesota. Let's hope it's not that close. Just remember how you felt about that 4-point victory of just a few days ago. Yowza!

We'll post our game preview and prediction closer to game time.

For now, we'll just close with the breaking news that LT David Bakhtiari has reportedly signed a four-year contract extension with the Packers. To which we say: Yay!

NFL Week 1 2016: Packers vs. Jaguars Preview and Prediction

Welcome to the start of the 2016 NFL season, Packers fans! There are high expectations for this team. More on that in a minute, and specifically as regards today's game.

But first, I invite you to take a moment and remember all those lost, injured and impacted with the events of September 11, 2001...

Thank you.

Now, to the Packers. Some oddsmakers and prognosticators are projecting the Packers to not only be in the Super Bowl but to win it; from their stat sheets to God's ears, to turn a phrase if not a theological point. Some, such as the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's great writer, Bob McGinn, don't think the Packers helped themselves in this regard with the shocking release of Pro Bowl left guard Josh Sitton. His article on how the Pack "blew it" with this clumsily handled roster move is definitely worth reading.

Be that as it may, fourth-year player Lane Taylor is now your starter at this position. He's demonstrated his ability as a servicable run blocker, but there is a great deal of skepticism as we start the season about his pass-blocking abilities. He also had what can only be described as a disappointing game, with three penalties including two back-to-back, in the preseason finale. Given that he's one of the two guys essentially protecting the franchise's (that would be QB Aaron Rodgers, of course) blind side, Taylor is going to have to raise the level of his play in that regard quite quickly.

The Packers secondary will be challenged by the Jags receiving corps.
(Photo: Joe Robbins, Getty Images)
How we see it
As game time rapidly approaches, we need to get to the heart of the conversation, don't we?

The first game of the season is a lot like the proverbial box of chocolates: you never know what you're going to get. This will be the first time that starters on both sides of the ball for both teams are called upon to play a full 60 minutes. Expect some rustiness, some blown plays, and probably more penalties than we'll see later on in the season. Having said that, there should be no reason that Aaron Rodgers isn't able to lead the Pack to victory today. He's got a great group of receivers, although the Pack might very well choose to use Jory Nelson sparingly depending upon how he's feeling coming off his injury from last season. Expect to see a great deal of the Packers tight ends, especially Jared Cook. He can stretch the field and coverage in a way we haven't seen since the days of Jermichael Finley. Also expect a heavy dose of Eddie Lacy and James Starks. The running game will have to exert itself early and often in order to allow Rodgers the time he'll need to open up the passing game. One unknown at least at the time of this writing is whether left tackle David Bakhtiari will start or even play at all today; he was listed as "questionable" on yesterday's injury report. Under the new labelling system, this puts him roughly somewhere between 50.1 and 99 percent likelihood to play. If he's unable to go, rookie Jason Spriggs will take his place and then that entire left side of the Packers offensive line will be new...not ideal in protecting Rodgers' blind side, especially against what could be a good Jaguars defensive line and pass rush.

As for the Packers defense, the line is thin for various reasons. The inside linebackers are young -- including rookie starter Blake Martinez who will be relaying the plays called in from Dom Capers et al. The secondary should be the strength of the defense early on and probably throughout the season. The d-backs will be challenged today with a very good corps of Jag receivers. If QB Blake Bortles gets in rhythm it could be a challenging day. If the Packers defensive front can make him uncomfortable, the secondary may have opportunities for multiple interceptions. Let's hope that's the way it plays out.

Our prediction
The Packers are 5-1/2 point favorites. That's a pretty good spread for any time of the season, but particularly on the road in a "Let's see what we all got" type of game. Despite what is reported to be perhaps the third-hottest game the Packers will have ever played in -- and remember, Jacksonville opted for their white jerseys today, making the Packers play in the darker and hence warmer green jerseys -- the Pack is the better team.

We're calling it 27-20 Packers.

Go Pack Go!!!

Leroy Butler: Sports brings us together, the way it should be
We have to highly recommend to you this special article that Packers great Leroy Butler wrote for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel today. Given the current political and cultural environment in which we seem to be immersed, Butler advocates for the lessons we all can learn from sports as a way to be unified rather than divided. Amen. Read it.

2016 Packers Season Preview

Hello again, Packers fans!

It's been a while since we last chatted (in a blogger-bloggee sense, that is). Somehow, four months have elapsed. Holy inactive list, Batman! What's been going on? Well, we've just been doing a lot of watching rather than writing. An extended hiatus...which some might argue we took just to be able to use the word "hiatus" in a sports blog. Be that as it may, let's get on with things, shall we? We're long overdue.

Roster set, expectations high
At least for the first game of the regular season, the Packers 53-man roster is in place. The big surprises -- not only in terms of the who but the when -- came in the form of the release of long-time veterans, punter Tim Masthay and offensive guard Josh Sitton. Sitton, especially, was a surprise. No need to go into the reasons why; any Packer fan worth his or her brat-and-a-beer will know the reasons. But all in all, we have to look optimistically at this deep, albeit young Packers roster. Barring injuries to QB Aaron Rodgers and other key personnel, or a re-injury to Jordy Nelson (yes, he's key too, isn't he?), the Packers are among the favorites to go to the Super Bowl and win. Depending upon whom are reading or what oddsmakers you are following, the Packers are the favorites.

Packers QB Aaron Rodgers and WR Jordy Nelson hope to be celebrating throughout the entire 2016 season, all the way through the Super Bowl.
(Photo: USA TODAY Sports)
Season Prediction
We'll make our Packers vs. Jaguars prediction a bit closer to game time. What we wish to do here is take a gander at the entire 2016 schedule and make our call about the Pack's record at the end of the season and heading into the playoffs. Yes, spoiler alert: playoffs here we come!

We make our season wins-losses call not based upon individual games per se (although that obviously does factor in), but rather we've had a tradition here of breaking down the season into quarters, much as a game itself is played. Having said that, let's look at each quarter and make our calls.

Weeks 1-4: September 11-October 9
In order, the Packers play the Jaguars and Vikings on the road in the first two weeks, followed by the Lions at Lambeau Field. Then...a bye in week 4. Yeah, not ideal to say the least but it is the hand the Pack has been dealt. The tradeoff, overall, is that the Packers actually will play the easiest schedule in the NFL based on 2015 records. So, that's a good thing...considering. While the Pack could have a stumble in the heat in the season opener in Jacksonville against a much-improved Jags team, the Packers should prevail. Minnesota will be playing its first home game in its new stadium and the border rivalry will be on full display. Given that the ViQueens unseated the Packers atop the NFC North last season, this, again, could be a game in which the Packers stumble. Although there's that rather unsettled quarterback situation there these days after the injury to Teddy Bridgewater, so...? As for the Lions at Lambeau, c'mon.

Our call: 2-1.

Weeks 5-8: October 9-30
Three home games following the bye week and then one on the road: Giants, Cowboys and Da Bearz and then off to Atlanta to play the Dirty Birds. The Packers need to do a better job holding serve at home than they did last year, so we'll say this quarter's worth of season games is a sweep.

Our call: 4-0.

Weeks 9-12: November 6-28
The Pack's goofy home-away schedule continues in this quartet of games: Colts at Lambeau, followed by three straight road games at the Titans, Redskins and Eagles. As things get into and beyond the middle of the season, we can see one of these games registering as a loss, particularly given the steady diet of road games.

Our call: 3-1.

Weeks 13-17: December 4-January 1, 2017
OK, technically this isn't a quarter of games because of the 17 weeks (including the bye) needed to actually get 16 games played. I know, it's confusing. Just go with it. This five-game stretch run actually is the most sensible part of the season schedule, at least from a travel standpoint. Three out of the five games are at home. While the final three games are against NFC North opponents, two out of the three -- including the final game on New Year's Day -- are on the road. In this stretch, the Packers play the Texans and Seahawks at Lambeau, then Da Bearz in Chicago, return home to play the ViQueens, and then conclude the season in Detroit against the Lions. Not having a break since week 4, the length of the season -- despite the supposed easiest schedule based upon last year's standings -- will take its toll.

Our call: 3-2.

2016 Season Predication: 12-4. The Packers will once again be atop the NFC North and get a much-needed bye going into the playoffs. They'll need it.

Check back in again for our preview and prediction for Sunday's game against the Jaguars.

Thanks for reading. Go Pack Go!!!

After the NFL Draft, Packers get ready to welcome rookies

As Packer Fans United, we know that the 2016 NFL Draft finished up its three-day extravaganza on Saturday evening. The Green Bay Packers went big. Head coach Mike McCarthy had said in comments long before the draft that he liked big guys. Check. What he didn't say, but that also apparently was part of the criteria this time around, was also get big smart guys. To that end, two of the Pack's seven picks are from Stanford and one is from Northwestern; both schools have a reputation for nurturing brainiacs. In his comments after the draft, General Manager Ted Thompson said, essentially, that big guys are great but big smart guys are even better. Check.


The 2016 Packers Draft Picks

By way of a quick recap, here are the Pack's picks...


NT Kenny Clark (left); OT Jason Spriggs, OLB Kyler Fackrell and ILB Blake Martinez (top row, left to right); DE Dean Lowry, WR Trevor Davis and OL Kyle Murphy (bottom row, left to right).
Photo from Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

• 1st Round (#27): NT Kenny Clark, UCLA
• 2nd Round (#48): OT Jason Spriggs, Indiana
• 3rd Round (#88): OLB Kyler Fackrell, Utah State
• 4th Round (#131): ILB Blake Martinez, Stanford
• 4th Round (#137): OT Dean Lowry, Northwestern
• 5th Round (#163): WR Trevor Davis, California
• 6th Round (#200): OL Kyle Murphy, Stanford

Of course, acquisitions don't stop there. Reportedly, the Packers have the following undrafted free agent signings:

• QB Joe Callahan, Wesley College
• P Peter Mortell, Minnesota
• ILB Manoa Pikula, BYU
• RB Brandon Burks, Troy
• OLB Reggie Gilbert, Arizona
• RB Don Jackson, Nevada
• CB Josh Hawkins, East Carolina
• WR Geronimo Allison, Illinois
• S Demond Smith, Georgia Tech
• CB Brandon Gatewood, Alcorn State
• CB Randall Jette, UMass
• S Kentrell Brice, Louisiana Tech
• ILB Beniquez Brown, Mississippi State
• CB Makinton Dorleant, Northern Iowa
• WR Dennis Parks, Rice
• WR Devonte Robinson, Utah State
• OT Josh James, Carroll (MT) College
• WR Herb Waters, Miami (FL)
• TE David Grinnage, North Carolina State
• DL Brian Price, UT-San Antonio
• DL Tyler Kuder, Idaho State

A number of players have also been invited in for tryouts. Perhaps most intriguing among that list is WR Patrick Donahue from the German Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns. While you probably haven't heard of Donahue, you had to have heard of his teammate, Moritz Boehringer. MoBo generated a lot of pre-draft interest because of his story as well as his speed and apparent skills as a receiver. He wound up being the first player to be drafted from Europe -- and not an American college -- as the Minnesota Vikings selected him in the sixth round of the draft.

There could be other additions or deletions, of course. This is a period of time in which things are greatly in flux.

Rookie minicamp, by the way, will be held May 8-9. It will be a make or break time for some of these young men looking for their shot at a career in the NFL. Good luck, gentlemen.

Packers Shareholder Meeting Scheduled

Yes, we know you are more interested in the OTA and minicamp schedules -- May 23, 24, 26 (with open practice on May 24), June 1-3 (open practice June 2), June 6-9 (open practice June 6), and minicamp on June 14-16 (open practice every day) -- but we wanted to alert you to the Annual Shareholders Meeting scheduled for July 21 beginning at 11 a.m. In Green Bay, of course.

Now's the time when we can start to once again feel the juices flowing, eh Packer fans? Ohhh yeah.

Go Pack Go!!!

We're baaaaaccckkkk! And so's the NFL Draft.

Hello, again, Packer fans! After our extended hiatus -- brought about by the Packers' heartbreaking loss to the Cardinals (per my last post) -- we're back. Hope you've been keeping abreast of all the Pack's goings-on on our Amazing 2nd Page, which is a real-time compendium (look it up!) of Packers news, NFL news, and more from around the globe. It's a really good, quick, overview of everything (or most everything) you're probably going to want to know. Really.

Anyway, here's a quick Reader's Digest review of just a few things that have transpired during our hiatus...B.J. Raji has unofficially retired, might come back, might not, who knows? Mike Pennel is suspended for the first four games of the 2016 regular season. Jared Cook is a new tight end courtesy of the Rams not resigning him. Jordy Nelson continues to progress ahead of schedule. Aaron Rodgers had a successful knee clean up There's a few other things, of course, but you probably already know them so no need to rehash them now. Let's move along, shall we?

2016 NFL Draft Underway
With the 27th pick in the first round of the 2016 NFL draft, the Packers chose UCLA NT Kenny Clark. With Raji's "retirement," a big hole existed in the Packers' defensive line. If Raji was back, the Pack would have make another selection. But the team needs a big man to anchor that 3-4 scheme and Clark fits the bill quite well. Read more here.

UCLA NT Kenny Clark is the Packers 2016 1st round draft pick.
Photo Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Day Two of the draft saw Packers GM Ted Thompson do something he rarely does: trade up. Sitting with the 57th pick, Thompson obviously felt that the player he wanted would be gone if he waited. So he packaged fourth and seventh round picks in this year's draft to move up to the 48th slot. With that pick, Thompson secured a huge left tackle from Indiana in the person of Jason Spriggs.

Indiana OT Jason Spriggs is the Packers' 2016 2nd round draft pick.
Photo Credit: Sam Tongue/The Elkhart Truth
Spriggs will be able to work behind the Pack's current tackles and could be the heir-apparent should current LT David Bakhtiari decide to walk during next year's free agency period. Anyone who questions why Thompson would trade up to get an offensive tackle should only reflect back on the disaster that was the Packers' offensive line when both Bakhtiari and Bulaga were out last season. Remember? Remember??? Yeah...that's why.

With the team's third round pick, Thompson pulled the trigger on Utah State linebacker Kyler Fackrell. Just less than two years removed from an ACL tear, Fackrell now finds himself as part of the Pack's outside linebacker crew. At 6'5" and 245 pounds, Fackrell's rehab went well enough that he had the best statistical season of his college career last year: he started all 13 games he played, thus continuing his streak of starting every game in his collegiate career. He finished his senior season with 82 tackles (15 for loss), had 4 sacks, and recovered five fumbles. Not bad. Certainly got the attention of Ted Thompson. And, obviously, the prior ACL injury was not a concern for Thompson and his staff.

Utah State LB Kyler Fackrell is the Packers 2016 NFL draft 3rd round pick.
Photo Credit: Utah State
One can imagine Fackrell will be given opportunities to use his speed rush ability in third down and blitz packages, bookending Clay Matthews.

Fourth Through Seventh Rounds Today
In about an hour from this posting, the final day of the draft will commence. The Packers enter the day with four picks, although you never know what wheeling and dealing Uncle Ted might do. The Packers have the 33rd and 39th picks (both compensatory and not available to trade) in the fourth round, numbers 131 and 137 overall, as well as the 26th pick in the fifth round (163 overall) and the 25th pick in the sixth round (200 overall). Remember that the Pack traded fourth round and seventh round picks to move up in the second round to get Spriggs.

Enjoy the continuing unwrapping of our Christmas-in-April gifts, Packer fans! We'll be back again later this weekend to get caught up on these later rounds.

Go Pack Go!!!

Packers lose in OT to Cardinals, season ends with a thump

The injury-plagued Green Bay Packers took arguably the best team in the NFC -- the Arizona Cardinals -- to overtime in a Divisional playoff game Saturday evening in Arizona. But as quickly as the exhilaration of a last-second comeback occurred, it was gone in a final score of 26-20, in favor of Arizona. It was, amazingly, disappointingly, the fifth time in seven playoff games that head coach Mike McCarthy's team has lost on the final play of the game. Wrap your heads around that, Packers fans. Geesh.

Getting the game to overtime itself involved a miracle on the order of what we shall call Hail Mary #2 by Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers and second-year receiver Jeff Janis. With five seconds remaining in regulation and no timeouts left, and the ball on the Cardinals' 41-yard line, Rodgers scrambled under pressure to his left and launched a remarkable throw to the endzone from the Packers own 45-yard line. Janis was the only Packer near the ball. He lept, high-pointed it and came down with a TD to make the score 20-19. Mason Crosby's extra point tied the game at 20-20 and sent it to overtime. By the way, not to be lost in the loss is the fact that Crosby set an NFL record for most consecutive field goals made in postseason play with 20. Congratulations, Mr. Crosby.

Oh, and all this happened without WR Randall Cobb who was lost for most of the game with a lung contusion following an amazing one-handed catch near the Cardinals' goal line that was wiped out by penalty; he actually spent Saturday evening in a Phoenix hospital until being released Sunday morning. Do you think not having Cobb affected the game? You bet it did.

Packers WR Jeff Janis is congratulated by fellow WR Jared Abbrederis after catching QB Aaron Rodgers' Hail Mary pass to send the Division playoff game vs. the Cardinals to overtime.
(Photo by Mark Hoffman, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
As noted above, the amazement of that tying score was short-lived. After winning the coin toss (actually, the second as the first "flip" never actually flipped), Arizona took three plays, featuring future Hall of Fame WR Larry Fitzgerald, to extinguish the Packers' hopes of going to a second straight NFC Championship Game.

The first play appears to have been a blown coverage after a blitz by the Packers' defense flushed Cardinals QB Carson Palmer to his right. Just missed being sacked, Palmer looked back to the left and found a wide open Fitzgerald...let's say that again: wide open. How the Packers defenders do not cover the best receiver on the field in a situation such as this is remarkable in itself. How Fitzgerald was then able to take that reception 75 yards to the Packers five-yard line is another matter; he eluded five tacklers on the way, all of whom could have and should have made tackles. You can read all about this collapsed defensive series here.

Arguably, the game shouldn't have come down to this. The Packers had opportunities to turn the game totally in their favor. In fact, the Packers did have the lead at one point. And for about 56 minutes, the Packers defense performed admirably. CB Sam Shields, returning after being inactive for several weeks due to a concussion, had not just one but three opportunities for interceptions. In fact, he had an opportunity late in the game near the Packers' goal line to pick off Palmer and return the ball about 97 yards the other way for a 14-point swing and, likely, putting the game solidly in the Packers' favor. But, not.

It wasn't just Shields, of course. Was veteran LB Julius Peppers out of position on the blown coverage play...or was it rookie Damarious Randall who seemed to drop to a zone when everyone else was in man-to-man coverage? Or was it the rushers not getting to Palmer? And those are just the questions related to a couple plays in overtime.

This is yet another game that will stick in the craw of Packers fans for what might have been. Head coach McCarthy said himself in post-game comments that he saw this game as a "microcosm" of the season as a whole. Glimpses of greatness, yet too many missed opportunities and outright failures. How much of that is on the coaching staff and how much on the players is a conversation that will go on and on. Bottom line is that it is another lost year and chance of a Super Bowl with one of the best quarterbacks in the league under center.

How many of the players on this year's team will be back? How many will move on or be forced to move on? It will be an interesting offseason for the Packers. There are many questions after yet another bitterly disappointing end to the season.

Still, we remain...Packer Fans United.

We'll be continuing our coverage of all things Packers during the coming days and offseason. So please be sure to keep stopping in. We appreciate your readership. Also, be sure to keep checking out our Amazing 2nd Page (link also at the top of this page) which is a non-stop feed of Packers coverage from all over the Packersphere. It's always current.

Now...Go Pack Go!!!

Divisional Playoff Game: Packers vs. Cardinals

Fast update on last Sunday's Wildcard game versus Washington (for those who may be unaware...but, c'mon...really???): Packers won. Handily. In a manner on all sides of the ball we haven't seen since the Packers were 6-0.

Great. Restored hope and confidence -- kinda -- to many if not most of the Packers faithful.

But that was then. This is now. And that means the Green Bay Packers are in the desert to face the high-flying Arizona Cardinals. You know...that team that dismantled the Pack just a couple weeks ago. (Gulp!)

The Packers will need constant pressure by Mike Pennel and others on AZ QB Carson Palmer tonight in order to stay in the game.
(Photo by Getty Images)

Defensive pressure will be key for the Packers
It could be argued that the Packers' defense has been the surprise -- and unexpected savior -- of the Packers 2015 season. It was clearly in evidence in the Wildcard win over Washington. It will need to be equally aggressive and persistent in tonight's game against the Cardinals. Why? This great article by Milwaukee Journal Packers writer, Bob McGinn, puts it all in context. Among the points made, Palmer is a drop-back quarterback, not mobile. If the Packers can get to him with a four-man rush, it could make the difference. Arizona's offensive scheme is built upon deep drops by Palmer in the pocket and protection from his line so that the Cards' fleet of speedy receivers can get open deep. If Palmer's allowed to stay upright without pressure, it's going to be a long game...especially for the Packers' secondary.

The entire Packers squad was flat in the first match up. They had nothing. Got behind early. Only got two sacks on Palmer; clearly that's not going to do the trick. Likewise, if and when there are opportunities for takeaways, the Packers have to come up with them. They've been pretty middle of the road in that regard this season. Big games are times for big plays. The defense will have to make a few.

Offense needs to get -- and stay -- in rhythm
The Packers' patchwork offensive line was beat like a rented mule last time around (metaphor only, animal lovers!), leading to two turnovers that led immediately to touchdowns for the Cardinals. You can't give away fourteen points to a team like this and expect to win. You can't let Aaron Rodgers get sacked eight times and expect to have a chance to win.

Early indicators are that LT David Bakhtiari will be able to start the game tonight, meaning all the regular starters should be on the line. How long he will be able to last...who knows? We saw last week, however, after giving up that early sack leading to a safety, that J.C. Tretter is a battler and could provide serviceable protection to Rodger's blind side if needed.

Having the full line ready to go should also help the run game. When the Packers run at least 25 or more times a game, they have a great shot at winning. LG Josh Sitton is even more insistent: run it at least 30 to 35 times during the game, he says. It opens up the passing game. Although, to be fair, some say it's the other way around with the Packers: if the passing game is fast and furious it can open up the running game. Well, however they do it, the Packers will need both the running and passing attacks to be in championship form tonight. Anything less and we could be looking at the end of this NFL season for the Pack.

Packers WR Jared Abbrederis catches a 2-point conversion in the game vs. Washington. He'll need to come up big tonight against the Cardinals.
(Photo by Nick Wass, Associate Press)

The passing game will affected by the absence of second-year WR Davante Adams. Adams was having a good game against Washington until he sustained an MCL sprain. This means WR Jared Abbrederis becomes the third wide receiver, with Jeff Janis bumping up to the fourth spot. Abbrederis has shown glimpses of greatness in the little playing time he has had. Rodgers likes him and has confidence in him, to the point of saying several weeks ago he thought Abbrederis deserved more playing time. Now he'll get it. Having all week to work on their timing together, Rodgers and Abbrederis could combine for some great plays tonight. They'll need to, perhaps out of the slot and via quick-hitting slant routes. If Janis can run disciplined routes downfield to stretch the defense that would be a bonus, as well. But Abbrederis might wind up being an unsung hero tonight, as this article suggests.

The Prediction
The Packers come into this game as 7-point underdogs. If someone watched the first game between these two teams they might question why it's not larger than that. And, certainly, listening to and reading many of the predictions for this game you get the clear sense that most aren't giving the Packers much of a chance. Does that sound similar to last week? You bet.

Now, the Cardinals have had a week off and the Packers are coming in off a short week. Advantage would seem to go to the Cardinals, especially with the home field advantage. But sometimes that week off can throw off a team's own rhythm. Been known to happen. And for a team such as the Packers that limped into the playoffs following a disappointing NFC North Championship loss at Lambeau Field to the ViQueens, getting a bit of mojo back with the win in D.C. (or Maryland or wherever Washington plays) is just what the doctor ordered. They believe in themselves...even when no one else does.

Call us believers. We're calling this game: Packers 27 - Cardinals 26.

Go Pack Go!!!

Wildcard Playoff Game: Packers vs. Washington

The Green Bay Packers, following two straight losses to end the 2015 regular NFL season, including the NFC North Division title game loss to Minnesota at Lambeau Field last weekend, travel to Washington, D.C. today to take on the Redskins, who are coming into this game having won four straight and averaging 33 points per game during that stretch.

Hmmm...

Packer fans know how we got here: the Pack started the season strong -- despite the exhibition game and season-ending loss of WR Jordy Nelson -- going undefeated in their first six games. Then the bye week arrived. In the 10 games following the bye, the Packers went 4-6 and struggled to get any type of offensive consistency going. Special teams and the defense became the strengths of the team. Thank goodness, or making the playoffs might not have happened at all.

Packers LB Clay Matthews and the entire defense will have to shut down Washington's offense today to have a chance to win.
(Photo by Mark Hoffman, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

So, the Packers limp into this Wildcard round against a hot Washington team, with a young quarterback in Kirk Cousins who's been on a roll the last month or so. He has confidence in himself and those around him. They're making plays. It will be up to the Packers defense to slow down that offense. Not an easy thing, particularly if the Packers offense can't stay on the field and put up points. But it's what they need to do for the Pack to have a chance today.

The Packers offense will have opportunities against the league's 28th-ranked defense. Washington's secondary is banged up, missing three starters. This is the type of situation QB Aaron Rodgers and his receiving corps used to be able to exploit with few difficulties. But of late, the offensive line's inability to protect Rodgers, the receivers' inability to get separation from defenders, the running backs' inability to consistently gain yardage and/or hold on to the ball, and Rodgers' seeming lack of confidence in the whole system mean the Packers have been battling themselves as much as their opponents. If that continues today, they are one and done in the playoffs.

Can the Packers win this game? Yes. The oddsmakers are calling this game a toss-up. Past performance is a good predictor of future performance. Given thant, for 10 weeks, we haven't seen much that gives us confidence that the Pack will win this game. They'll be missing CB Sam Shields again as well LB Jayrone Elliot, both of whom could definitely help in holding down the Washington offense. LT David Bakhtiari is questionable for the game, meaning the banged up and sieve-like O-line will once again be performing at a less than ideal level just in terms of personnel let alone performance.

The Prediction
My head tells me that the Packers haven't shown enough to tell me they will somehow flip a switch and perform differently and at a higher level than they have over the past 10 weeks. But, I'm also a Packers shareholder and fan. My heart tells me they can get out of their own way for at least this game and win a close one.

We're calling it 23-20 in favor of the Packers.

Go Pack Go!!!