Green Bay Packers Column

By: Jeff Johnson

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3/6/08

Let’s cut to the chase.  Brett Favre was the Green Bay Packers.  Brett Favre was the NFL.  His retirement leaves a HUGE void in both entities, there’s no denying that.  But both the Packers and the NFL will move on.  That’s just the way it is.

Everyone knew this day would come, whether it be three years ago or next year.  One day The Ironman was going to hang up his cleats, retire to Mississippi and drive a tractor all day.  I just don’t think anyone really pictured it happening this way.  It should have ended with a Favre-led Packers victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII.  Instead Favre walks away, his last pass a game-altering interception in the NFC Championship game against the New York Giants.

So why did Favre walk away?  He says its because he’s mentally tired.  Physically, he feels like he can go another round, and I think he proved last year that it’s a possibility.  But in his mind anything less than a Super Bowl win, would be a failure.  And mentally he can’t handle that.  People will say that he retired because the Packers didn’t land Randy Moss.  Or he retired because he didn’t feel like the Packers did enough to make him come back.  He’s a grown man.  He’s not a 16-year-old girl.  He doesn’t need Mike McCarthy and Co. to call him everyday to reassure him that he’s wanted.  Plain and simple, he couldn’t handle the mental grind of playing another season.  Anyone who says differently doesn’t know the man.

Alright, so where do the Packers go from here?  As if that question hasn’t already been asked 10,000 thousands times in the last two days by every sports anchor, pundit, talking head, handyman, mother of three, etc.  Give Aaron Rodgers a shot.  That’s what they should do.  Expectations have hit the floor, even with last year’s playoff run, now that Favre is gone.  Sign a veteran game manager/clipboard holder (say Kelly Holcomb, Billy Volek, Tim Rattay) and take a QB in the 4^th or 5^th round of next month’s draft.  When Rodgers shows he’s the man for the job, then things will begin to fall in place.  The Earth will start spinning again, birds will stop flying north for the winter and everything will be back to normal by 2012.  But if Rodgers implodes and pulls a Rex Grossman, you’ve still got that rookie project waiting in the wings.  Oh, that guy’s name is Colt Brennan you say?  No worries.  The 2009 draft looks pretty good for finding your next franchise QB.

All kidding aside, Packer fans, and football fans for that matter, have every right to feel a little blue.  There are high school juniors who know no other starting quarterback for the Green Bay Packers than Brett Favre.  He’s been there for us every Sunday for 16 years.  But the team will go on.  The league will go on.  And the legend of #4 will also go on.

12/13/07

As I mentioned in my previous column, I was lucky enough to get tickets to the Packers-Raiders game this weekend.  It was a great game, a big win, great atmosphere, etc.  And even the weather played nice for most of the game.  And now that I’ve had a few days to thaw out (I kid of course, it wasn’t actually that cold), I’m ready to talk Packers football. 

Obviously, the Packers were able to come away with a decisive victory over the struggling Raiders.  It took the better part of the first half for them to kick things in gear but they did it in a convincing, all-phases-of-the-game way.  And that’s what I think was key about this game.  As I’ve said to several people who have tried to brag about the Cowboys’ win, in my opinion that Packers-Cowboys game said more about the Packer than it did the Cowboys.  Yeah, a win is a win but you can’t tell me that that game proved the Cowboys were far and away the favorites in the NFC.  The Packers were decimated by injuries, facing a team EVERYBODY said was superior, playing in a stadium they hadn’t won in like 20 years and yet they hung in there until the end.  And the fact that followed that tough loss (and extended break) up with such complete performance, should have Packer fans downright giddy about their chances this year.

Just a few quick points to make about the Raiders game.   

- Yes, Atari Bigby had a big interception and yes he made a few big plays near the line of scrimmage but he also dropped a pretty easy interception, might have cost the team another one when he took out Al Harris on Porter’s TD, and blew a few coverage assignments.  I believe he went penalty-less, though.  Anyway, I’m not sure I want to see him as the starting SS next season.  Personally I wouldn’t mind seeing Aaron Rouse given a chance at it this year but he’s been battling injuries so Bigby is the best person for the job right now.  Next year, though, not so much.

- Man, can Ryan Grant run the football.  Much has been made about the fact that he doesn’t dance around before hitting the hole but the thing I like is that he knows how to finish a run.  I’m really warming up to the guy.  He’s got a ways to go though before he’s officially earned the right to wear Dorsey’s old number. 

- The offensive line played very well.  Favre took a couple of shots from Derrick Burgess, but he wasn’t sacked and I only saw a couple of “misses” on running plays.  Also, I think the WR did a better job of blocking downfield, something that the coaches have said needed to be worked on. 

- I can’t stand Warren Sapp.

- I’m happy that Will Blackmon is finally healthy and contributing.  Also, I think the Pack would be wise to lock up Tramon Williams (contract up after 2008) for a few more years.  He’s solid on the coverage teams, has shown some explosiveness in the return game and has played pretty decent when given the opportunity on defense. 

-Looks like the Packers played it right by starting the season with an overabundance of D-lineman.  Two guys (Cole and Jolly) have been placed on IR in the last two weeks and Corey Williams and KGB have been nicked up as of late also.  DE Mike Montgomery also missed the first half of the season recovering from a knee injury.  Rookie UDFA Daniel Muir made his NFL debut against the Raiders and fellow Rookie Justin Harrell also saw extensive action.  Harrell played in just his fourth game of the season, having too battled injuries this season.  Another D-lineman could be added to the roster soon as DE Alfred Malone (Texans) was added to the practice squad this week.

- Good to see Craig Nall back in the Green and Gold.  Things just weren’t the same without him.   

That’s it for this week.  Check back for my next column where I’ll be taking a look at some of my hits and misses over the last two seasons

11/15/07

After a convincing (read: dominating) win over the rival Vikings, the Packers have put themselves in a great position.  They’re now 8-1, tied for 1^st place in the NFC with the Dallas Cowboys and they’ll face those Cowboys in Week 13 in Dallas.  More on their remaining schedule later, but first let’s take a closer look at where the Packers stand right now.

First-year running back Ryan Grant has Packer fans hopeful that he’s the answer to what has ailed the run game this year.  He has two 100-yard games (week 8 at Denver and week 10 vs Minnesota) in his last three games.  Nobody expected the Packers to mount any sort of run game against one of the best rush defenses, let alone rush for over 100 yards.  Grant has been decisive in his cuts, always seems to finish a run falling forward ala Ahman Green in his prime, and has looked good catching the ball out of the backfield.  Ball security hasn’t been an issue yet, either.  But he is a former undrafted free agent who is getting his first real playing time since his last season at Notre Dame (2004).  And the offensive line, mainly the guards, still hasn’t put together consecutive “good” games yet this season.  And the Broncos are ranked last in the NFL in rush defense.  So we should have tempered expectations. 

Expectations are through the roof for the passing game, though.  Each week we expect Favre and Co. to put up 300+ yards and at least two TD’s.  And why not?  With an always solid Donald Driver, a healthy Greg Jennings, an improving James Jones and now a re-invented Koren Robinson, Favre has four legitimate WR threats on offense.  Not to mention TE Donald Lee, who is rebounding nicely from a dismal 2006 season and just received a long-term extension.  And don’t forget WR Ruvell Martin who has just 10 catches on the season but found the endzone twice against the Vikings. 

Taking a look at the rest of the Packers’ schedule, a 13-3 finish is definitely a realistic possibility.  Home games against Carolina and Oakland are as close to sure wins as you can get in today’s NFL.  Away games against the hapless Rams and disappointing Bears should also help pad the Packers win total.  I’m not convinced that the Lions are the 6-3 team that the standings show, especially after their 31-21 loss against the Cardinals. 

-         vs Carolina: Vinny Testaverde is their starting QB.  They’ve lost three games in a row.  People might see this as a trap game, but I don’t think Favre will have any of that. 
Prediction: Panthers 13 – Packers 24
 

-         @ Detroit: A quick turnaround game on Thanksgiving.  The Lions will be coming off a tough matchup with the Giants.  Their loss against the Cardinals really didn’t surprise me.  Their running game has been off and on.  They give up a bunch of yards through the air on defense.  And I think Jon Kitna’s play will have come back to Earth by then. 
Prediction: Packers 33 – Lions 16
 

-         @ Dallas: This is the only matchup that scares me.  The Cowboys could very well be 9-1 at this point.  They’re clicking on all cylinders right now and we generally struggle against the Cowboys. 
Prediction: Packers 17 – Cowboys 26
 

-         vs Oakland: I’ll have the privilege to attend this game.  Could this be the week we see JaMarcus Russell?  No probably not, but I bet we’ll see another dominating Packers win. 
Prediction: Raiders 9 – Packers 31
 

-         @ St. Louis: They finally got off the schneid, beating New Orleans in Week 10.  Stephen Jackson could/should be fully healthy by then which is a little cause for concern.  And Marc Bulger had a decent couple of weeks after a horrid start to the season.  But in the end, their defense gives up points in bunches and I just don’t think they’ll have the offense needed to keep it close.  

Prediction: Packers 27 – Rams 12
 

-         @ Chicago: Will Rex Grossman be the starter here after replacing an injured Griese in Week 10?  I hope so.  At any rate the Packers will be playing for revenge (and possibly home-field advantage), while the Bears will be playing for pride.  As much as I hate to say it, this is a game that scares me.  Its not so much a lack of confidence in the Packers, its more a matter of knowing that crazy things can happen when the Packers play at Soldier Field.

Prediction: Packers 24 – Bears 21 (OT)
 

-         vs Lions: A perfect way to end the regular season.  A chance to lock up the division, a first-round bye and/or possibly home-field advantage.  Also the annual “Is this his final regular season home game” game.  Classic.

Prediction: Lions 13 – Packers 17

So barring a monumental collapse, the Packers will enter the playoffs as one of the favorites out of the NFC.  That’s a far cry from where most people had the Packers pegged coming into this season.  A rejuvenated Brett Favre, a standup defense and a few lucky breaks along the way have all attributed to their surprising start.  It will take more than just that to get the Packers deep into the playoffs, though.

10/2/07

The Packers are 4-0.  They have a two game lead over anyone who matters in the NFC North (The Lions are 3-1 despite being outscored this season.  Yeah games against the offensively deficient Raiders, Vikings and Bears will do that for you).  And Brett Favre is the All-Time TD Pass Leader, in addition to being the All-Time leader in Wins by a QB, Career Completions leader, Career Attempts leader and consecutive starts by a QB leader. 

So why does this feel bittersweet?  No, its not because the Packers run game has looked as out of sync as Britney’s VMA—nevermind, too easy.  Is it because the Packers run defense looked rather pedestrian against NFL Rookie of the Year (you heard it here fourth) Adrian Peterson?  Nope, that’s not it.  The reason the Packers surprising start has been a bitter pill to swallow for me is, up until today I had been able to watch a grand total of ZERO minutes of Packers football.  Selfish?  Yes.  Rational?  Probably not.  But for a diehard fan of THE storied franchise in pro football, very few of my football-season feelings are rational.  (Mortgage my life for a chance at season tickets?  Sign me up!)

At any rate, though, getting a full dose of Packers football today was just the thing I needed.  Not too mention getting to watch them against the hated Minnesota Petersons.  I can now focus on writing about the Packers play up to this point.  So on to the column (consider the last three paragraphs a sneak peek into my innermost ramblings)….

Passing Game
 

Favre is on pace to throw the ball 1000 times.  Ok not really.  More like 650+ but still that’s a whole lot of passes for a soon-to-be 38 year old.  And so far Favre has been up to the challenge.  He’s making better decisions.  He’s been patient.  Yeah he’ll always channel that young gunslinger from time to time but for the most part he’s been content to take what the defense is giving him.  Also, it looks like Mike McCarthy finally understands what works in the passing game.  Crossing routes, hitches, and more crossing routes.  Mix in the obligatory Packers screen and TE dump off and things are clicking.  Driver, a healthy Greg Jennings and James Jones have the potential to put up some huge numbers this year.  Favre has been sacked seven times through their first three games so there is a little cause for concern there.

Run Game
 

Here’s all you need to know about the Packers run game.  About midway through the third quarter against the Vikings the Packers ran a fake punt with Canadian Jon Ryan.  He gained seven yards and a first down.  That was the Packers longest run from scrimmage up to that point in that game.  Pretty bad, eh?

(Is there any Packer fan out there that wouldn’t have given up this 2007’s 1^st and 2^nd round picks to move up and take Marshawn Lynch?  I mean I know its early to call it with RB Brandon Jackson but DT Justin Harrell is a long ways from seeing any regular season action anytime soon.  Oh well.)

Defense
 

So far the Packers defense has done a good job living up to the high expectations.  They have done a pretty good job at pressuring the quarterback.  KGB has shown a renewed ability to get to the quarterback.  Aaron Kampman continues to terrorize teams both in the passing game and against the run.  Johnny Jolly and Ryan Picket are massive in the middle and although the Packers had given up nearly 100 yds/g against the run going into Week 4, they were one of four teams not to allow a rushing TD yet.  They were among the top half (the good half) in points allowed per game going into the Vikings game.  They’re not forcing many turnovers, though.  And teams are starting to zero in on nickelback Jarrett Bush.  If the offensive run game continues to stall, the Packers defense will become even more important to their overall success.

Special Teams
 

K Mason Crosby is making the Packers brass look like geniuses.  He’s got a big leg and is very poised for a rookie.  P Jon Ryan is still struggling to find some consistency.  KR Tramon Williams has looked good but the team is still looking for its first kick return TD    since Allen Rossum in 2000.  Charles Woodson has done a decent job filling in as the PR while Will Blackmon nurses his busted hand.  But after seeing Al Harris get dinged up while playing special teams, the Packers are flirting with disaster having Woodson back there.  The coverage units are improving and rank in the middle of the pack, a far cry from their consecutive last place finishes in Dallas Morning News’ composite rankings.

I thought I’d spare you an in-depth piece on Favre breaking Dan Marino’s TD record for two reasons.  One, I’m sure you’ll be able to catch any one of the 100 that will air on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN Classic, ESPN Deportes, the NFL Network, your local newspaper and any local sports news segment over the next week.  And two, there’s a good chance I might get a little emotional.  Favre breaking the record was great but more importantly the Packers were able to hold on and come away with the win.  Next up the 1-3 Bears at Lambeau Field.

If you have any comments, questions, concerns, rants, I’m always willing to listen.  Drop me line and I’ll try to include it in my next column.

9/7/07

After an extended break, I’m back to talk Packers football.  Less than a week from the season opener, and there are still a lot of questions in Titletown.  Will this team be able to contend for a playoff spot?  What’s the over/under on the amount of different running backs to start a game for the Packers?  Does the Packers coaching staff realize that regardless of how many defensive lineman you have on the roster, you can still only play four at a time?  And does Al Harris still have the best dreads on defense?

But all kidding aside, when the official 53-man rosters were finalized (after a flurry of waiver claims and a trade), there were more than a few head scratchers.

First off, the Packers will be entering the season with just two QBs on the active roster for the first time in quite awhile.  They were, however, able to secure QB Paul Thompson’s services on their practice squad (imagine that) and also have former Notre Dame QB Carlyle Holliday on the roster as a WR.  Personally, I like the move.  It opens up a roster spot for another player, which enables Mike McCarthy to show his affinity for defensive linemen.

As I alluded to, the Packers have had very little consistency at RB.  At one time or another just about every RB on the roster has been out with an injury of some sort.  I think RB Coach Edgar Bennett even pulled up lame on the way to the practice field a couple weeks ago.  As it stands now, rookie 2nd rounder Brandon Jackson will start the season opener against the Eagles backed up by fellow rookie DeShawn Wynn and recently acquired Ryan Grant.  Vernand Morency could be ready for the game but likely will need some time to get into game shape.

Speaking of Ryan Grant, his acquisition really, really confused me.  First off, this is a third-year guy who has never seen the field in the regular season.  Hello?  Red flag much?  Then to send a reported unconditional sixth round pick for the guy is just silly.  The team has said this is probably a stop-gap move so why didn’t they just keep a guy like RB Corey White on the team.  You keep Corey White, a tweener-combo-hybrid RB/FB concoction and save FB John Kuhn’s spot (oh yeah we picked him off the waiver heap—errr wire) for another backup.  It just doesn’t make sense to me.  I don’t know, maybe Grant was a defensive lineman in high school or something.  Moving on…

I’m not sure I see the strategy behind keeping only two TE’s, one of which is constantly getting boo-boos, when you’re carrying six CBs.  Why keep CB Frank Walker when he’s currently listed as the sixth CB?  Wasn’t he signed to add some experience to the backup CB rotation?  Now he’s backing up guys named Tramon Williams and Jarrett Bush.  At any rate, the Packers have a couple of TE’s on the practice squad so I’m sure its only a matter of time before one of them gets promoted to the active roster.

Also, despite being on the shelf for at least the next four weeks (and probably longer) with a knee injury, DE Michael Montgomery made the roster over DE Larry Birdine.  Birdine, an undrafted rookie out of Oklahoma, had a very good preseason and in my opinion should have gotten a spot on the roster over Montgomery and even Jason Hunter.  But in the end he was cut and turned down a chance to join the Packers practice squad. Another undrafted rookie, DT Daniel Muir, was able to beat the odds and secure a spot on the roster.

I like the fact that the Packers gave the starting FB job to Korey Hall and ended the experiment that was Brandon Miree.  This guy was heralded as the “prototypical zone-blocking scheme” FB (What’s with all that?  Just hit the guy in front of you.)  but struggled with injuries and really never showed much of anything.  In addition, giving the kicking job to Mason Crosby was the right move.  It would have been nice to get a draft pick for Rayner (perhaps an unconditional sixth rounder???) but beggars can’t be choosers.  Yeah he had a big leg but how many guys really are able to break the “kick-off specialist” mold and consistently make field goals?  And finally kudos, and I mean major kudos, to the Packers for FINALLY ridding themselves of the laughable Marquand Manuel.  I hope he follows suit and signs with the Vikings just so we can torch him twice a season for the next 3-4 years.  Atari Bigby is going to have a big season.  You heard it here first.  And he also is dangerously close to usurping Al Harris for dreadlock bragging rights.

The WR corps should be fairly interesting to watch.  Hopefully everybody’s right that Driver’s injury won’t keep him out of the season opener and won’t nag him throughout the season.  Greg Jennings didn’t see the ball much in the preseason but has stayed healthy so look for him to have a pretty good year.  Surprise 3rd rounder James Jones had a monster preseason, and despite being pretty raw, could be a big factor in the passing game.  Ruvell Martin could see some looks in the red zone and Carlyle Holliday will see the field mostly on special teams.  One of these guys could be gone if/when WR Koren Robinson is reinstated near the middle of the season.

The rest of the roster is pretty decent.  Very young, but decent.  There are 4-5 guys who I wouldn’t be surprised if they forced their way into regular playing or even the starting lineup either this season or next, including OL Allen Barbre, WR James Jones, LB Desmond Bishop and DT Johnny Jolly.

Check back often as I hope to have a column out every 2-3 games or so depending on how things shake out.

So without further ado (or defensive linemen jokes) here are your 2007 Green Bay Packers….


QB – Brett Favre, Aaron Rodgers
RB – Brandon Jackson*, Vernand Morency, DeShawn Wynn*, Ryan Grant*
FB – Korey Hall*, John Kuhn
WR – Donald Driver, Greg Jennings, James Jones*, Ruvell Martin, Carlyle Holliday
LT – Chad Clifton, Junius Coston
LG – Daryn Colledge, Allen Barbre*
C – Scott Wells
RG – Jason Spitz, Tony Palmer
RT – Mark Tauscher, Tony Moll
TE – Donald Lee, Bubba Franks

LE – Aaron Kampman, Michael Montgomery
DT – Ryan Pickett, Corey Williams, Justin Harrell*
DT – Johnny Jolly, Colin Cole, Daniel Muir*
RE – Cullen Jenkins, Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila, Jason Hunter
SLB – Brady Poppinga, Tracy White
MLB – Nick Barnett, Desmond Bishop*
WLB – AJ Hawk
CB – Charles Woodson, Will Blackmon, Tramon Williams*
SS – Atari Bigby, Charlie Peprah
FS – Nick Collins, Aaron Rouse*
CB – Al Harris, Jarrett Bush, Frank Walker

K – Mason Crosby*
P – Jon Ryan
LS – Rob Davis

* Rookie
 

4/19/07

As I count down the days until the NFL Draft, I can’t help but feel somewhat disappointed with the way the off-season has gone to this point.  With nearly $30 million to spend at the start of Free Agency, the team has been relatively unheard from in the free agency market (lone signee…..CB Frank Walker).  It doesn’t help that they’ve also lost a few key players of their own (RB Ahman Green, FB William Henderson, TE David Martin).  The loss of Green will undoubtedly have the biggest impact on the team and it is interesting that the team has yet to actively address the issue.

Although this had been labeled a “down” year for free agency, there were several players out there that could have helped the Packers.  Most notably, RB Travis Henry, FB Justin Griffith, FB Terrelle Smith, TE Randy McMichael, WR Kevin Curtis, WR Donte Stallworth, S Ken Hamlin, and K Jay Feely.  The team is bound to sign a few veteran free agents before things get started as other teams trim their rosters to accommodate newly signed rookies.

There have been a few bright spots this offseason.  One, obviously, was the return of QB Brett Favre (see last column).  The others were the contract extension/reworking of CB Al Harris, DL Cullen Jenkins and MLB Nick Barnett.   Having all three players happy and in the fold in 2008 will be key to next year’s improving defense.

Heading into the draft the Packers have quite a few needs.  First and foremost they need a RB.  The team is saying they’re content to go into the season with Vernand Morency and Noah Herron but neither has shown the ability to carry the load and I’d rather be safe than sorry, especially when a guy like Cal’s Marshawn Lynch could be available.  Aside from RB the Packers could use another playmaker on offense, either an explosive deep threat at WR or a TE who can consistently find the seams and catch the ball (are you listening Bubba?).  I like Greg Jennings but I need to see a full year of consistent playmaking before I’m sold on him.  The team could stand to add some depth along the offensive line as well although preferably it would be some veteran depth.  T Kevin Barry is almost assuredly gone and G/T Junius Coston could be right behind him.  That leaves T Josh Bourke, T Orrin Thompson, T Tyson Walter, G Travis Leffew, G Tony Moll, G Tony Palmer and G Adam Stenavich as the only other lineman on the roster behind the five starters.  Uh…who?  Of that group only Tony Moll has any legitimate NFL game experience.

On the defensive side of the ball, S Marquand Manuel had a tough year last season.  Ok let’s not beat around the bush, the guy was horrible.  Watching him in “coverage,” and I use that term loosely, sometimes made me wish we still had Mark Roman.  Just kidding, but still Manuel was a disaster.  The team needs a reliable cover safety to pair with Nick Collins.  Plain and simple.  I feel the team could upgrade over SLB Brady Poppinga but the answer may already be on the roster.  I would like to see the team give Abdul Hodge some reps at MLB and move Nick Barnett to Poppinga’s spot.  On passing downs you could move Barnett back inside and allow Poppinga to rush the QB from the other LB spot.  But that’s just me.  The team did address the lack of depth behind veteran CB’s Al Harris and Charles Woodson with the Frank Walker signing, but I still think a talented youngster is in need.  A legitimate (are you listening KGB?) pass rushing defensive end to complement Aaron Kampman would also be nice.  The team is pretty high on Jason Hunter, a UDFA last year, and both Corey Williams and Cullen Jenkins could see more time at DE this season.

So, since the team will conceivably have to fill its needs and holes through the draft, let’s take a look at some of the players that could peak the Packers’ interest early in the draft.  Keep in mind that GM Ted Thompson loves to trade down and stockpile picks.  I wouldn’t be surprised if the Packers trade down in the 1st round if they feel they can still get a player of value while adding a few picks.

1st Round - #16

RB Marshawn Lynch, Cal
TE Greg Olsen, Miami (FL)
WR Robert Meachem, Tennessee
WR Dwayne Bowe, LSU
S Reggie Nelson, Florida
DE Jamaal Anderson, Arkansas

2nd Round - #47

TE Zach Miller, ASU
CB Marcus McCauley, Fresno St.
DB Michael Griffin, Texas
DE Quentin Moses, Georgia
CB Josh Wilson, Maryland

3rd  Round - #78

WR Jason Hill, Washington St.
RB Antonio Pittman, Ohio St.
S Eric Weddle, Utah
TE Martrez Milner, Georgia
CB Jonathan Wade, Tennessee
 

2/7/07

Another year, another final go around for Favre.  It seems this time, though, it seems he’s a little more excited about the team he’s returning to.  In his announcement to the Biloxi Sun Herald Favre said, among other things, "I am so excited about coming back…We have a good nucleus of young players…I'm excited about playing for a talented young football team."

I’d have to agree with Favre.  There were some bumps in the road but those are to be expected when you’re the youngest team in the league.  But last season’s disadvantage can easily be turned into an advantage next season if those youngsters can stay healthy and continue to progress.  Last year’s draft crop, which has already made a positive impact, will have a full year of experience under their belts.  The Packers should be able to draft an impact player with the 16th pick in the upcoming draft.  Coupled with a few veterans on both sides of the ball (QB Favre, WR Driver, DE Kampman, CB Harris/Woodson) and the Packers should have a pretty good team next season.

As for Favre himself, although he improved on his dreadful 2005 campaign, he still was near the bottom of the league in passer rating (25th in the league at 72.7), interceptions (tied for 4th most with 18) and completion percentage (56.0%).  Only six players with 12 or more games had a completion percentage worse than Favre’s.  Included in that group were Jake Plummer, Rex Grossman and Vince Young.  Also worth noting is that Favre had less TD’s and more INTs than Michael Vick (20 TDs/13 INTs).  But I would still take Favre over anyone of those guys with maybe the exception of Vince Young.

In regards to the decision itself, I was pretty surprised by the timing.  Not necessarily that we got a decision before March (or April), but that he made his choice just a few days before the Super Bowl.  In the past, the NFL had always been able to, for the most part, keep teams/players from making big announcements during Super Bowl week.  I could have seen the whole Bill Parcells thing coming, but not Favre making his big announcement.  It just took me by surprise.  As a fan, though, I sure am glad that he’ll be back for another season.
 

1/5/07

Cue the music, and 3…2…1…lights up…ACTION!  “Favre Watch 2007” is now officially in full force.  Hopefully, though, we’ll know how this edition ends sooner rather than later.

If I had to guess at what Favre was going to do, and I might as well since everybody and their uncle are, I’d say this was it.  He even said it himself that there was no better way to go out than a decisive victory over your longtime rival.  He lead the team to a respectable 8-8 record, he cut down on his interceptions, he pushed his name closer to the top of the record books in several major categories and most importantly he washed away the bitter taste of last season.  There’s also the family situation and other factors that we may not even be aware of yet.

That being said, as a Packer fan, I don’t want to see Favre hang it up.  I think he proved he can still be an effective quarterback.  He can still make all the throws he needs to make.  On the field, he still has the passion and drive needed to succeed.  His offensive line will be that much better with a full season under their belts.  And it looks like he can still have fun.  There’s nothing better than watching Favre run down the field, pick up and carry a receiver after a long touchdown pass or watching him act as the lead blocker on a reverse.  Off the field, the majority of the NFC North will be in a rebuilding or retooling mode.  Minnesota will almost certainly be looking for a new quarterback to compete with Tarvaris Jackson, Chicago won’t be as good next year if they can’t figure out their own QB situation and tighten up their pass defense, and Detroit—well—Detroit will always be bad as long as Matt Millen is running things.  If the Packers can fill a few holes and improve their depth through the draft and free agency, they could easily challenge for the NFC North crown or at the very least a Wild Card spot.

But enough about the future.  Let’s take a final look at this season.

The Packers capped their up and down season with a 26-7 victory over the Bears on New Years Eve.  At times this season they looked like an inexperienced, overmatched team with no real identity.  The playcalling was downright bewildering at some points. Their major flaws were exposed on several occasions.  They don’t have enough playmakers in the passing game.  They lack talented depth in the secondary and along the offensive line.  They need a cover safety to complement Nick Collins.  And they need to shore up the kicking/punting game.  They also dealt with their fair share of injuries (again).

Other weeks they looked like overachievers with an outside shot of making the improbable a reality.  The defense really started to come together over the final four weeks of the season.  Guys like WR Ruvell Martin, RB Vernand Morency, and WR Carlyle Holiday started to step on offense when Favre struggled.  RB Ahman Green quietly finished with over 1,000 yards rushing for the sixth time in his career.  And WR Donald Driver, who finally got the recognition he deserved with his first Pro Bowl selection, continued to make plays and serve as Favre’s designated go-to guy.

At the end of the day, though, they fell just short of a Wild Card spot.  And as irrational as this may sound, maybe that wasn’t so bad.  Now don’t get me wrong, I would have been ecstatic had they gotten in, but I’m also a realist.  And realistically, had this team made the playoffs, they didn’t have much of a chance to make it out of the first round.  True, they ended the season on a four game winning streak but only one of those teams (Chicago, who really had nothing to play for anyway) had a winning record.  And they would have drawn the Eagles, who dismantled the Packers in week three, in the first round.  Not a good match-up.  Also, a playoff spot
pushes them out of the top 20 in next year’s draft order.  And for a team who certainly could use a few upgrades, that would be somewhat of a blow.  As it stands the Packers will pick 16th, and should be able to land an impact player at any number of positions (CB, WR, RB?).

So, when Packer fans look back at this season, what will they take away from it?  For starters, they’ll see a team that had every opportunity to be horrible but somehow managed to be respectable.  They’ll see a team that had some high highs and some very low lows.  They’ll remember the revolving door at WR and the one constant at QB.  I just hope they won’t remember it as the final hoorah for good old # 4.
 

12/24/06

It sure wasn’t pretty, but the Packers were able to keep their slim playoff hopes alive with a 9-7 win over the Vikings Thursday night.  The fact that their win eliminated the Vikings from playoff contention was icing on the cake.

The Packers were able to overcome three turnovers, two missed field goals and just three redzone points in four trips to steal the victory.  Equally as troubling as the sloppy play and inconsistency, was the team’s inability to run the ball.  After a nice three-game stretch (Jets, 49ers, Lions) when the Packers averaged 142 yards rushing, they were only able to muster 46 yards on 24 carries against the Vikings.  Oddly enough the Packers finally had their “A” line back together with the return of RT Mark Tauscher.  And, like the majority of the games this season, it was a tale of two halves.

The first half went fairly well.  It finally looked like the Packers were content to take the underneath routes that teams have been giving them, Ahman had a couple of nice runs and the defense held the Vikings to a measly 38 net yards.  And hey we even broke open the playbook and ran an WR option pass.  *applause*

1st half lines:
Favre: 18-33, 175 yards  Green: 8 carries, 31 yards  Franks: 4 catches, 37 yards
Packers 6  Vikings 0

The second half was a complete disaster.  Favre started pressing, forcing the ball deep and into tight coverage.  Balls were dropped.  Assignments were missed.  The run game went nowhere.  And Bubba fumbled the ball while going into the endzone.  Certainly not the way you want to show the team you deserve to be more involved in the offense.  Luckily, the defense held strong and Dave Rayner bailed out Bubba and the rest of the offense.

2nd half lines:
Favre: 8-17, 110 yards  Green: 10 carries, 11 yards  Franks: 1 catch, 6 yards, 1 FUMBLE
Packers 9  Vikings 7

Favre’s first interception was most likely the result of Greg Jennings running the wrong route (possibly missing an audible call).  But his second interception was a classic Favre of the last couple of years interception.  The team is down, he doesn’t trust anybody but Driver on the team to make a play, he feels nobody will blame him for stepping up and trying (even if he fails), so he tries to win the game all on one play.  I called his second interception immediately after the pick six.  If only I had bet somebody.  And bet big.

BUT a win is a win.  AND the Packers are still mathematically “in” the NFC playoff race.  Here’s the easiest way for the Packers to make it into the playoffs (as of Friday):

The Packers need to beat the Bears in Chicago
The New York Giants would have to lose twice (vs Saints AND at Redskins)
St. Louis and Atlanta would each have to lose at least once (Atl vs Car. OR at Philly; StL vs Wash. OR at Minny)
Seattle would have to win once (vs Chargers OR at Buccaneers)

Who would have thought, at any point in the last 10 months, that anybody would be talking about the Packers playoff chances....with a semi-straight face.
 

11/30/06

Going into the Buffalo game, the Packers were 3-4 and riding a two game winning streak.  Things were looking good.  The offensive line was starting to gel, the defense was getting to the quarterback, and Brett Favre was looking like Brett Favre (the good one).  Then they gave it away against the Bills, got lucky in a win versus the Vikings, were blown out by the Patriots and fell apart against the Seahawks.  The Packers could be—no—SHOULD be 6-5, but instead are 4-7 heading into next week’s game against the 6-5 New York Jets.  So what happened?

Against the Bills, who lost RB Willis McGahee on their opening drive, the Packers TWICE turned the ball over inside the Bills five-yard line.  TWICE!!   The first one came on a botched snapped by Scott Wells at the five-yard line with just 14 seconds left in the half, costing the Pack at least a field goal.  The second one, and obviously the most heartbreaking (not to mention the most disgusting), occurred with 4:47 left in the game and the Packers trailing 17-10.  After a 10-yard run by Noah Herron set the Pack up with a first-and-goal from the Buffalo 1-yard line, somebody decided now would be a good time to run a slant pattern.  Yeah….the pass was tipped and intercepted by FS Ko Simpson who almost took it the distance.  Anthony Thomas (yes that Anthony Thomas, the same one who hadn’t scored a regular season touchdown in like three seasons) eventually scored on 14-yard run to seal it. That’s a minimum of six points just given away there, fellas.  Very few teams can afford to do that and the Packers are certainly not one of them.

Coming off that debacle, I wasn’t expecting much going into the vaunted Metrodome to play the Vikings.  The Green and Gold jumped out to an early lead, promptly gave it away and then battled back to take a 23-14 lead late in the fourth quarter.  That’s when things got interesting.  After a quick drive ended in a Longwell fieldgoal, the lead was now cut to 23-17, with just over a minute left in the game.  The Vikings attempted an onside kick, appeared to have recovered said onside kick, but an offside penalty negated the recovery.  Ballgame.

The Patriots are a good team.  Favre got hurt.  Rodgers got hurt.  Second shutout this season.  Moving on…

Many people, myself included, were interested to see how the Pack would respond after the beating they took from New England.  Which team would show up?  The one with the balanced offense, who played nearly mistake-free football on both sides of the ball or the undisciplined, one-dimensional team lead by Brett Favre (the bad one).  For the majority of the first quarter, it looked like the Packers had a shot at pulling off an upset.  They forced a few turnovers.  They took an early lead.  Then just like that, it was gone.  They continued to create turnovers but failed to capitalize on them while turning the ball over themselves.  They piled up a bunch of 3-and-outs (and a couple one-and-dones).  They couldn’t stop the run.  The kick coverage units looked horrible.  And most importantly they lost the momentum and let the notoriously noisy Qwest Field crowd back into the game.   The Seahawks committed four turnovers (all by Pro Bowl QB Matt Hasselbeck).  The Packers scored 10 points off of those turnovers.  The Packers committed three turnovers (not counting the fumble on the last play of the game).  The Seahawks scored no points off those turnovers.  Bottom line—The Packers had every opportunity to win this game and they just couldn’t put it away.

This is not something new to the team.  They’ve struggled with putting teams away in recent years.  This team seems to lack that so-called “killer instinct.”  They get a lead and seem content to sit on it, plugging away on the ground, hoping Favre doesn’t throw it away when they allow him to throw.   Great teams don’t win games hoping not to lose.  When they get ahead, they continue to press, forcing the opponent to make the plays to win the game.

There were a few things I’d like to point out from the Seattle game.  Now, I hate whiners just as much as the next guy but the Cullen Jenkins Roughing the Passer penalty was by far the worst I’ve seen in a long time.  I know it’s been said ad nauseam by just about everybody who covers the NFL, but this whole “gotta protect the pretty boy QB” thing has got to stop.  Yes the Packers had several opportunities to win this game and shot themselves in the foot, but in my opinion this play had a HUGE impact in the final outcome.  The Packers defense had really stepped up and to give up a first down on that call was demoralizing.  Again, just a horrible, horrible call.  Next, can someone pleeeeease show Marquand Manuel how to cover.  He looks ridiculous out there.  I think he believes every play is a running play and is legitimately shocked when a team goes to pass.  With Manuel and Patrick Dendy out there, every pass play is like a game of Russian Roulette.  I am glad to say, however, that defensive miscommunications were cut in half this game to just six or so.  And did anybody else notice that the Seahawks like to run the ball to the left side?  Because I can assure you that nobody on the Packers figured that out.

And finally, on the offensive side of the ball I just don’t like the play calling.  I’ve come to grips with the fact that McCarthy won’t abandon the run until we’re down to our fourth string RB (P.J. Pope by the way).  And I’m sort of ok with that.  But what I don’t get is the passing game.  We have two wide receivers.  That’s it.  Ruvell Martin has made a couple of nice catches but even the Falcons’ wide receivers happen to catch a couple of balls every once in a while.  So why not get the tight end involved.  You know the former 1st round pick who we resigned to a nice contract last season.  Or maybe the running backs.  They didn’t start throwing the ball to the guys out of the backfield until the final drive of the game.  And what happened to the screen pass?  Did the NFL pass a rule banning it and not tell anyone?  The Packers went from the Kings of the Screen Pass to well, not running them at all (I think they ran just one screen pass against the ‘Hawks). They don’t give style points, folks.  A few 8-yard passes work just as well as a 20-yarder, especially if they’re giving you the 8-yarders.  Favre is at his best when he has the option of throwing deep, not when he’s forced too.  Use the short to intermediate routes early in the game, pound the ball on the ground and then you can think about taking those deep shots.

Next week’s game should be interesting.  Despite their 4-7 record, the Packers still have moderate playoff hopes, although they’ll have to run the table to realistically have a shot at one of the NFC wildcard spots.
 

11/1/06

Midseason Review

After a dreadful 1-4 start, the Packers have started to put things together.   The running game is coming around.  The offensive line is doing a better job of keeping Favre upright (he even scored his first rushing TD in five years against the Cards).  The reemergence of the running game has taken pressure off of Favre, meaning he doesn’t have to force the issue.  And most importantly the Packers have won two in a row.  True, they beat the lowly Dolphins and the even lowlier Cards, but a win is a win.

Their next opponent hasn’t faired much better.  The Buffalo Bills are 2-5 and have been outscored in their last three games 30-88.  So, assuming the Packers can continue their winning streak and handle the Bills, they’ll be back to .500 entering a tough four game stretch.  During that stretch they play at the Vikings (4-3), home against the Patriots (6-1), at the Seahawks (4-3), then finish at home against the Jets (4-4).  Realistically, the Packers could be 5-7 going into back-to-back games against the 49ers and Lions.  Not too shabby all things considered.

Running Game

Their total rushing yards have increased in each of the last three games (four if you start with the 60 yards they gained against the Lions).  They’ve had three straight individual 100-yard rushing efforts, including two (Green & Morency) against the Cardinals.  But they could face an uphill battle in the coming weeks.  Rookie FB Brandon Miree, who supplanted William Henderson as the starter against the Eagles and has drawn considerable praise from the coaching staff for his blocking ability, hyperextended his elbow in the Cardinals game and will most likely miss the Bills game.  Also expected to miss the Bills game (and longer) is RB Vernand Morency with a lower back injury.  Ahman Green is most effective when he shares carries so expect Noah Herron, who also has a 100-yard game this season, to see carries in Morency’s absence.  The team signed RB PJ Pope off the Bears practice squad as well.  Hopefully the game of musical chairs along the offensive line has ended with the line of Clifton, Colledge, Wells, Spitz, and Tauscher.

Passing Game

As I mentioned before, with the success of the run game, Favre is being called on to do less in the passing game.  Over the last three games, his passing attempts have dropped from 39 to 25.  In those games he has four touchdowns and no interceptions.  He was not sacked at all against the Cardinals who have one of the leagues better pass rushers in DE Bertrand Berry.  If you throw out the Bears game (Can we?  Please?!), Favre has 10 TD’s, just three interceptions and is averaging nearly 245 yards a game while being sacked six times.  Donald Driver continues to show why I believe he is the most underrated WR in the league.  He rarely goes down on first contact and seems to make a couple nearly impossible catches per game.  Rookie sensation Greg Jennings, who almost played in the Cardinals game, is expected to play against the Bills.  In his absence Ruvell Martin and Chris Francies played decent.  The Packers are also starting to get the TE’s more involved, although David Martin has passed Bubba Franks as the main TE target.

Defense

The defense is still giving up big plays.  They gave up a whopping 381 yards passing to Joey Harrington and the Miami Dolphins.  They’re still near even in turnover ratio but they are starting to put more pressure on the quarterback.  There’s really not much more to say here.  (Oh besides the fact that our best cornerback is on the verge of pulling a McKenzie/Walker and forcing a trade next season.  Stay tuned for that.)

Special Teams

K Dave Rayner is 11/14 on FG’s, 17/17 on PAT, and has nine touchbacks.  P Jon Ryan still has one of the top punting averages in the league but his net average is still well below average.  Through the first seven team games, special teams play hasn’t cost us a game yet but there is room for improvement especially on the return units.  Bear in mind the Packers still have games left against some of the top return men in the league; Justin Miller (Jets), Laurence Maroney (Pats), Terrence McGee (Bills) and Devin Hester (Bears).

So what should we expect over the last half of the 2006 season?  Its been an up and down affair so far.  Moderate hope to start, utter disappointment followed by sheer distress capped off by reasonable optimism.  Will the Packers be in the playoffs?  No.  Can they challenge the Vikings for 2nd place in the NFC North.  I believe so.  Ultimately, I think a 7-9 season is very realistic.  Catch a break or two and you’re looking at an 8-8 season.  Overachieve, pull off a couple of upsets and the Packers could finish a very respectable 9-7, a far cry from last year’s 4-12.
 

10/6/06

There ya be...

It’s not often that an NFL team faces a make or break game before November.  But going into Monday’s Week 4 match-up with the 3-1 Eagles, that’s exactly where the Packers were.  Win, and you’re 2-2 with your two losses coming against the Bears (4-0) and Saints (3-1).  Pretty respectable.  But lose, and you’re 1-3 heading into next weeks game against the Rams (3-1).  And lose they did.

After a fairly good start, the Packers all but disappeared after the second quarter.  Leading 9-7 at the half, the Pack gave up 24 unanswered points to a very beatable Eagles team, who were missing RB Brian Westbrook, and CBs Lito Sheppard and Rod Hood. The Packers were without RB Ahman Green but his backup Vernand Morency rushed for 99 yards on 26 carries.

Favre started out well but the offense was only able to muster three field goals.  They never seemed able to make that one play that inevitably turns a field goal drive into a touchdown drive.  Whether it was a dropped pass, and just about everyone was guilty on this one, or a penalty, things just never clicked.  Early on the defense held strong in the Red Zone like it has done in the previous three games, but they ultimately yielded two touchdowns.  By the middle of the third quarter, Favre had resorted to his customary chuck and run routine, regularly throwing the ball into double coverage while hastily backpedaling.  All and all, it was very disappointing that Favre and the offense were unable to take advantage of a depleted Eagles’ secondary.

Well now that we’ve gotten that out of the way lets move onto my Quarter Season Review.  I’ll break down each aspect of the team (Offense, Defense, and Special Teams) and for kicks and giggles I’ll assign a grade for each.

Offense
Let’s start with the positives.  Rookie WR Greg Jennings has looked great the last three games.  He’s making the catches he’s supposed and has also made a couple of spectacular catches.  His TD in the Lions game was great to watch, turning a quick 10-yard in route into a 75-yard ramble.  His emergence will help take some pressure off of WR Donald Driver, which allow him to be more effective.  Also helping to ease the load on Driver is TE Bubba Franks’ increasing involvement in the offense.  I mentioned in my last column that the team needs to get him the ball more and apparently Mike McCarthy & Co. are avid readers of my column—anyway, over the last two games he has 9 receptions for 71 yards (3 for 18 yds in the first two games).  I also like that McCarthy is letting Favre run a semi no-huddle offense and has vastly increased the amount of Shotgun snaps for Favre.  This allows him to read the defense quicker and find gaps in the defense for those quick 10 yards slants and dig routes.  Keep the defense on their toes, take what they’re giving you and then you can hit them with the occasional deep ball.  Lastly, it looks like the offensive line might *fingers crossed* be coming around.  We’ll have to see what they do against a quick St. Louis defense.

Although Morency did look pretty good against the Eagles, I’m still not sold on the running back situation.  I said when the Packers brass made the Gado trade that they were counting their eggs before they hatched (or something less clichéd) as they were banking on a healthy Ahman Green.  Well Ahman has proved that he ain’t so healthy.  Two balky hamstrings and a rib injury have severely hampered his running style and he has also started to fumble the ball away again.  And I know it was only one game but I really, really hope that Brandon Miree was holding back this game because I was not at all impressed and I don’t see how he warranted starting over William Henderson.  Also troubling me is the offensive line.  Favre took some big shots in the Philly game (even left the game with an upper body injury late in the 4th quarter) and that’s with TE Bubba Franks often staying in as a blocker.  That’s not saying much about the team’s confidence in the guys up front when you’re motioning your TE over in the Shotgun to basically serve as a sixth lineman.  Injuries and sub par play have turned the group into a sort of musical chairs, which certainly doesn’t help given their inexperience and the fact they’re learning a new system.  And here’s something to chew on: if you take away Favre’s big games against the Saints and Lions, he’s 37-73 for 375 yds and 4 interceptions.
GRADE:  C+

Defense
Big plays have KILLED the Packers.  They’ve given up several plays of 20 or more yards.  Charles Woodson and Al Harris are both playing like shells of themselves.  Ahmad Carroll had such a terrible game against the Eagles that he was released on Tuesday.  In his memory, here’s a fun drinking game we played during his woeful three years in Green Bay.  Take a shot everytime Ahmad Carroll is flagged for holding/pass interference/illegal contact, another for each time he breaks into a song and dance after a routine tackle (bonus shot if the receiver actually tripped), two for every touchdown he gives up, and three shots for each time the commentators mention that the other team is taking advantage of Carroll.  We were routinely hammered by the beginning of the third quarter.  (As an aside, have you ever seen anyone more confused on a football field than Carroll was while he was trying to find WR Reggie Brown on a pass late in the second quarter against the Eagles?  It was almost as if a game of Hide-and-Go-Seek had spontaneously started)  But its not just the secondary who is struggling in pass coverage.  LB Brady Poppinga has done so poorly in that aspect that the team has been forced to play LB Ben Taylor more often.  Rookie LB AJ Hawk has also battled his fair share of coverage snafus.  And although it hasn’t been quite as porous, the Packers run defense could also be considered a disappointment.  After the Eagles game they dropped to the middle of the pack in rushing yds/game allowed.

So what is going right for the Packers’ defense?  Their “Red Zone” defense has been pretty decent so far.  In 10 trips inside the Packers’ 20-yard line, the opposing team has only scored four touchdowns (with three turnovers).  Their pass rush has also been pretty solid.  Through four games they rank t-5th in the NFL in sacks with 12 (Baltimore leads with 17).  DE Aaron Kampman (4.5) and DT Corey Williams (2.0) have been a pleasant surprise while DE Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila has also pitched in two sacks.
GRADE:  D+


Special Teams
Ok I may have been a little tough on K Dave Rayner in my last column.  After all, his only two misses this season (6/8 in FG’s, 7/7 in PAT’s) were from beyond 50 yards.  But they were bad misses.  Not even close on either one.  Anyway, his strong leg is what presumably got him the nod over Billy Cundiff but I haven’t been too impressed with his kickoffs.  After a couple particularly short kickoffs in the Philly game, I almost expected Rayner to run to the sideline and rip off his helmet to reveal a gleeful Ryan Longwell.  But no it was really Rayner.  Given the state of our coverage units, Dave better figure out how to get some distance on his kickoffs pretty quick.  Speaking of coverage units, ours have been missing in Green Bay.  Has anyone seen them?  P Jon Ryan’s gross punt average is around 47.1, among the top five in the NFL.  His net punt average, however, is about 34.6, which ranks in the bottom five in the NFL.  Not sure what the American-Canadian conversion is on that but I’m pretty sure it still won’t be very good.  Although its not all the coverage unit’s fault.  Ryan does need to work on his hangtime even if it means sacrificing some distance.  Finally, Woodson has looked a little better returning punts.  I can’t say the same about Koren Robinson on kick returns.  Hopefully, he’s still just a little rusty and he can get back to Pro Bowl form soon.
GRADE:  C

So to wrap things up.  The Packers’ offense: not good, defense: even worse, special teams: average.  I wouldn’t bail on them yet but I wouldn’t expect much out of them either.  There is the opportunity to play the role of spoiler for teams like the Patriots, Seahawks and Bears late in the season, though.  Check back later for my Midseason Review.
 

Odds and Ends
WR/KR Robert Ferguson left the Monday night game with what could be a broken foot.  Ferguson sustained the injury while returning a kickoff in the second half…Former Packer RB Samkon Gado has 45 yards on 10 carries in three games with the Houston Texans while Najeh Davenport has yet to play since signing with the Steelers…FB Brandon Miree started in place of William Henderson against the Eagles.  Miree was signed to the Packers’ practice squad on September 4th and was signed to the active roster on Sept 26th…The Packers will most likely promote CB Patrick Dendy from the practice squad after releasing Ahmad Carroll.  Rookie CB Will Blackmon, who is still battling a foot injury, could also see some game action…Brett Favre is 0-6 against the Eagles in Philadelphia and the Packers haven’t won in Philly since 1962 (0-9).
 

9/14/06

Coming off of a miserable preseason, after which many fans thought things could only get better, there was a brief moment of hope (or delusion) that maybe, just maybe this season would prove last season a fluke, a mere bump in the road.  And then the Bears scored on the sixth play of the game and the Packers found themselves in a hole that this team is not equipped to get out of.

And so begins another loooong season for the Packers.

In a game where the Packers were dominated in nearly every single facet of the game, I was hard pressed to find anything positive worth mentioning.  The field looked like it was in good shape?  The pre-game Reggie White tribute was very moving.  In all seriousness though former Pro Bowl RB Ahman Green did look great.  With his limited action in the preseason while continuing to rehab from a ruptured quad tendon and a very inexperienced offensive line still trying to learn a new blocking scheme, I had tempered expectations.  But he made some nice cuts, accelerated quickly through the hole and seemed to have that finishing pop on his runs that he had had before the injury.  While he failed to get into the endzone, I’ll take his 20 carries for 110 yards (as will many fantasy footballers).  Donald Driver, who is and has been for the last few years one of the most underrated players in the NFL, also had a solid game.  He is one of the best in the league at creating after the catch, although sometimes that leads to him taking some wicked shots.

On defense, Aaron Kampman, another vastly underrated player, also had a very good game.  Although his sack came as a result of a blown assignment, he constantly applied pressure and was stout against the run.  It was great to see Brady Poppinga flying around the field, almost exactly nine months to the day that he suffered a season ending knee injury.  I think he brings some much-needed energy to the defense.  Ben Taylor might the be more technically sound player, but he’s not much of a playmaker.  I’ll take a guy who can blow up a play in the backfield or pick off a pass in the flat but might miss an assignment or two (more on that later).  Last year’s leading tackler Nick Barnett also had a solid game finishing with 9 tackles and an interception.  The final positive on the defensive side of the ball was their ability to clamp down in the red zone.  Four trips in, only 12 points yielded.

With the exception of Green and Driver, the offense looked horrendous.  It’s obvious that this unit is struggling to grasp the new zone-blocking scheme.  It took the better part of the first half for the cutback lane to open up.  In addition, the line didn’t seem like they were finishing their blocks.  True the ZBS is a one-cut-and-go system, but you’re taught in high school to play until the whistle.  Not sure if this was a sign of inexperience or just a lack of effort.  It wasn’t like the passing game was immune from disaster either.  All three of the Bears’ sacks were due to blown assignments.  Chad Clifton struggled; Mark Tauscher, who had something like one holding penalty in his first six seasons, was called twice for holding; center Scott Wells was also called for holding; rookie guard Jason Spitz stepped on Favre’s foot leading to a sack.  Greg Jennings, who was the NFL’s leading receiver in the preseason, was held to one catch for 5 yards.  His only reception was on a quick screen pass with 26 seconds left in the game.  I will never understand why Bubba Franks is not more involved in the offense.  Favre needs to work the ball to Franks in the middle of field and in the flat, rather than forcing the issue deep.  He could have easily end up with three or four interceptions had Todd Johnson not drilled teammate Danieal Manning in the endzone and had Manning not had a ball bounce off his chest in the fourth quarter.  The playcalling was atrocious.  I understand McCarthy wants to establish the running game but five passes for Favre in the first half is ridiculous.  By late in the 3rd quarter, the Bears were giving the Packers the intermediate middle of the field yet the Packers refused to take advantage of this.


Although the defense did step up late in drives, they struggled early.  Charles Woodson continues to give up big plays.  I was a big fan of their signing of the former Pro Bowler in the offseason, but he has yet to show that he is back to form after years of injuries.  He is just not comfortable being physical.  Also struggling in coverage was Brady Poppinga.  TE Desmond Clark had 5 catches for 77 yards while matched up against Poppinga, who is more of a pass rusher and run stopper. Marquand Manuel was also victimized by QB Rex Grossman, who finished with a career-high 262 yards passing.  Manuel was embarrassed badly on the Berrian touchdown on the sixth play of the game.  He’ll pitch in and help in the run game but it sometimes looks like he’s too eager to make the play against the run and sometimes abandons his coverage responsibilities.

On special teams, Jon Ryan had a decent game punting.  He needs to work on his hang time, though, as he’s not giving much time for his coverage unit to get down field to make the play.  I was very surprised to see the fake punt.   I cannot remember the last time the Packers pulled one but I imagine it was during the Holmgren reign.  Dave Rayner is not a field goal kicker.  He is a kickoff specialist, the team knew this yet they released Billy Cundiff because they liked Rayner’s strong leg.  Well a strong leg won’t get you anywhere if you can’t get the ball within 20 yards of the uprights.  I hope the team looks for a veteran kicker because I’m not optimistic about Rayner’s ability to placekick.  The coverage and blocking units didn’t fair much better, allowing a 84-yard punt return for a touchdown by Devin Hester and missing a few blocks on Noah Herron’s fumbled kick return.  The Packers used three different kickoff return men in the opener.  This aspect of special teams may have been shored up on Monday.

Overall, I was very disappointed with not just the outcome of the game but also the team’s effort.  With the exception of a few guys, it didn’t look like there was any real passion out there.  Yeah the Berrian touchdown took the wind out of the sails early, but in the past this team was never really out of if with Favre at the helm.  Anything was possible when the ball was in #4’s hands.  But as hard as it is to say it, I really think Favre has lost his confidence.  In addition, I really think McCarthy is overmatched as a head coach.  He failed to surround himself with veteran assistants, instead choosing to hire friends and colleagues.  I really did expect the Pack to win this game.  I didn’t see a playoff spot in the future but I thought the team could at least be respectable.  Now I believe a 6-10 season will be a success.  I know its early and I hope I’m wrong, but this team has a long way to go if they’re going to improve on last year’s 4-12 debacle.


Odds and Ends
Najeh Davenport signed a one-year deal in Pittsburgh, where he’ll complement the speedy Willie Parker…The team signed WR/KR Koren Robinson to a 2 year deal on Monday.  He visited the team last week but left without a contract offer (perhaps because as a vested veteran the Packers would be on the hook for his entire salary had he been on the opening day roster); he could face a long suspension…Brett Favre is 0-3 with 8 interceptions and 0 touchdowns in his last three games against the Bears…After the 1st quarter Favre’s QB rating was 118.8 (5-5, 70 yards); by the end of the game it had dropped more than 75 points to 40.9 (15-29, 170 yds, 2 INTs)…The Packers have 17 rookies and 1st year players on their roster