Thoughts From My Couch As We Head To Final Preseason Game

The last game of the preseason is for the coaches and the scrubs. The starters will play one series except for the big uglies and a few others. But even they won’t get big minutes Thursday night in Nashville.

The Packers have their starting line-ups essentially set, at least on offense. There are a few questions still on defense, but with injuries we may not know the answers until midseason anyway.

Win, lose, or draw this has been the most exciting and encouraging preseason in sometime for Packers fans. The offense has done whatever it has wanted and the defense has turned over opponents at a startling rate.

Additionally, the 3-4 transition has been much better than expected and as long as some of the soft spots in the coverage can be covered up to some degree, Peter King’s prediction of an NFC Championship appearance doesn’t seem far fetched.

Since the game against the Titans means nothing in the standings and will show us little to nothing in terms of what the season might bring, I want to shine a light on a few players, coaches, and elements that you ought to be pay attention to.

 

Starter with the most to prove

A.J. Hawk’s name would appear here if not for the fact that he was a top 5 pick and the coaches insist he has graded well in the preseason despite being second to last on the team in tackles for starters. So, in his stead, the man who was last on that list: Atari Bigby.

Bigby may have been the worst fit into the 3-4 because he just isn’t a playmaker in coverage. He can play near the line of scrimmage, but his instincts in the passing game are about hitting not playing a receiver. He was a key cog in the defense’s improvement in 2008, but he has struggled with injuries and inconsistency since.

His potential replacement, Anthony Smith, has been outstanding, making plays with interceptions while showing a knack for being around the football. Smith is a better cover safety and despite his slight frame, he can lay the wood.

He was the gem of the 2009 Ted Thompson free agent class (not that it’s a long list), and Smith should get plenty of run in sub packages anyway. But if Bigby doesn’t step up early in the season, he could be back on the bench.  

Familiar name most in danger of being cut

I’m not sure Tyrell Sutton has shown enough after that Browns game to make the team, but even though he has gotten plenty of ink in the media, he’s not a familiar name with the average Packer fan (More on him later).

The man I’m thinking of has been a starter for the last couple seasons and really played well, but has lost his job for one reason or another.

Scott Wells wound up on the second team behind Jason Spitz after some injuries, but not poor play. If Spitz can play guard (which he has) I don’t understand going with Spitz over Wells rather than play them together unless they like Josh Sitton that much, which they reportedly do.

However, the line-ups have been set and Wells will be a back-up. You can’t pay almost $2 million for a back-up center. If he’s not going to play he has to either be traded or cut. That is the bottom line.

Yeah, he’s great insurance, but Spitz can play multiple positions, so can T.J. Lang and Daryn Colledge, so it just doesn’t make sense to keep Wells if he’s not starting.  

Coach with the biggest load to shoulder

This is another no-brainer: Kevin Greene. Arguably the best 3-4 rush linebacker ever, Greene was tasked with teaching a 4-3 team how to play the 3-4.

Getting pressure on the quarterback was a problem for the Packers last season, but generating pressure in the preseason has been easy thanks to the blitzing schemes of Dom Capers.

However, good offenses with time to scheme for those blitzes will find ways to beat it. The Packers will have to find a way to get pressure with four and five guys, which mean those outside linebackers have to produce.

Aaron Kampman is one of the most prolific pass-rushers in Packers history already, and has been one of the best in the league over the last couple seasons.  However, it remains to be seen how he can transition to a stand-up position.

The other side we’re not even sure who will be the starter. Brady Poppinga has won the job almost by default. While his play has been stellar, he’s only getting minutes because Jeremy Thompson and Clay Matthews have battled injuries all preseason.  Thompson brings the best combination of strength, and agility, while Matthews is by far the best athlete. Poppinga is just a player who seems to be in the right place at the right time.

By Week 8, we could have had three different starters there.

It will be up to Greene to make the right call, and ultimately it seems like Thompson or more likely Matthews’ job to take. Greene must get him ready. At least Clay already has the Kevin Greene hair thing down.

Back-up capable of making biggest impact

The answer here is obvious, but he’s capable of making such a huge impact (and I’m so excited about him), it is worth talking about.

Jermichael Finley has a chance to be special. If he realizes his potential as a player, he won’t be a back-up for long. He is a match-up nightmare, which he showed last week on a play I just can’t get over.

Following a turnover, the Packers split Finley out wide where the Cards decided to match him with Dominic Rodgers-Cromartie one of the fastest and most athletic players in the NFL. Finley runs to the endzone and catches a back shoulder fade (to be fair, it was a perfect throw) for six.

If defenses can’t match their best cover corner on your back-up tight end, you have a serious weapon at your disposal.  

Most talented player who may not make the roster

My compatriot Jersey Al would probably say Kregg Lumpkin, and he’s not that far off (although Lumpkin appears to have zero shot at making the roster).  Running back will be the toughest position to pair down to fit the roster. Ryan Grant is obviously a lock, with Brandon Jackson a solid bet.

The question is what happens next? Wynn has played well when he’s been healthy and able to play. In fact, he’s even flashed the ability to be an every down back if it weren’t for injuries. He just hasn’t had may opportunities this preseason.

On the other hand, Tyrell Sutton has had a ton of opportunities and has played well when given the chance. He isn’t dynamic as a returner, which will detract from his value, but the Packers don’t really need a returner because they have Will Blackmon. 

Sutton was an outstanding high school player, an at times dominating college player, and looks like he has a place on an NFL roster. The problem is, he isn’t clearing waivers to make the practice squad in Green Bay. If they Packers want to keep him they’ll have to put him on the active roster.

With the need to carry extra linebackers in the 3-4 and depth at other positions, that just seems like a tough sell at this point.   

Element most in need of work

It seems strange that such a stacked secondary would struggle in coverage, but there were some big holes this preseason. If not for turnovers, the Packers pass defense could have surrendered plenty of points.

Turnovers are a funny thing, because they tend to come in waves. Teams will find a way to deal with the pressure packages (at least to some degree), so every once in a while you will have to play straight coverage. When that has happened, or the blitz hasn’t gotten home, the Packers D has been gashed.

This is the case with plenty of teams, but the point is the blitz isn’t always going to create pressure, and you can’t always blitz. So either Dom Capers will have to go to more man concepts if he knows he won’t get pressure with a particular call, or find better ways to mask soft zones.

Considering this is a defense that has given up 10 points all preseason, it isn’t a huge concern, but something to keep an eye on. Sure defenses like the Eagles, Steelers, and Giants live off blitzing and pressure, but watch their games and see when they don’t get the pressure, they are just like any other team.

Another potential scenario (and one we saw in Arizona) is that an opponent becomes so concerned with the blitz that when the Packers bluff blitz and drop into coverage, the QB, who hasn’t been comfortable all game, just doesn’t know what to do with the ball.

Bottom Line

This last preseason game is about staying healthy and making final roster decisions. Some players will play their way on the team, and some will play themselves off( I’m looking at you Brian Brohm).

If the Packers can get all 22 starters to next weekend for Chicago, then even if they lose 56-3 tomorrow night, it won’t have mattered. Get healthy, get the roster together, and get me to Week 1.

Packers Put NFC On Notice, Trounce Cardinal Starters, But Superbowl?

(Sorry for the lack of Packer backer content this week. I had some technical difficulties due to a faulty update from a company I won’t mention, but whose name rhymes with schmicrosoft)

Through three weeks of the preseason, no team has been more impressive than the Green Bay Packers. Period.  Even though the second and third stringers let Arizona back in the game, fans should be excited about the finish and the way head coach Mike McCarthy and his team responded.   

The offense has outscored opponents 76-10 in the first halves of games and the first team defense seemed let down when they allowed 10 first half points the defending NFC champion Cardinals Friday night. (They had shut out Buffalo and Cleveland in the previous two games).

The defense continues to create big plays and the first team defense now has 12 turnovers through three games in the preseason. Charles Woodson forced three fumbles and had two sacks, with the Packers scoring 17 first half points off those turnovers.

The second half in Arizona was similar to the Buffalo game where the defense let the opponent back in the game. In fact, the Cards had a chance to tie or take the lead after scoring a touchdown late in the fourth.  When Arizona missed the go-ahead two point conversion, the Packers continued to fight back.

Ruvell Martin returned an onside kick for six and then it was the Packers turn to go for two. Even though they missed it, we saw McCarthy’s dedication to teaching this team the importance of finishing games and wanting to win, preseason or otherwise.

Even Brian Brohm looked half-way decent going 4/5 against Cardinals starters. He made stick throws and seemed more in control of the offense than he has since being drafted in 2008. It may be too late for land a roster spot, but it certainly isn’t too late for him to increase his value in a trade.

But I want to be a voice of cautious optimism.

I don’t want to hear about Super Bowls or anything like that. The Packers are an extremely talented team, but with Aaron Rodgers are quarterback they have proven absolutely zero in the regular season except that they are maddeningly inconsistent.

Monday after Monday last season it seemed the talk from Cheeseheads was “Coulda, woulda, shoulda” because that’s how close the Packers were from turning a 6-10 team into a 10-6 team.

They went 3-0 against teams with sub .500 records and 3-10 against teams with .500 records or better.  So far this preseason they have played exactly one team with a winning record from last season.  Now to be fair, that means they played 13 games against teams who won at least 8 games last year, but a team who won the division and nearly the NFC just a year prior has to beat playoff teams at least once in a while.  In that category, the Packers went 2-5.

Aaron Rodgers looks in command of the offense, posting a gaudy 150+ QB rating this preseason. But he put up gaudy stats last season and it just didn’t translate into victories.

The defense was third in the NFL last season at intercepting opposing quarterbacks, but they couldn’t get stops when they needed them. The rushing defense was below average and this talented team faltered more often than it flourished.

I don’t want to say don’t be excited. Be excited. This Packers team is more talented than the team that made a run at the Super Bowl two year ago. This might be the most talented team the Packers have had since the mid 90’s. 

Jermichael Finley is a match-up night mare. For an example just look at the back-shoulder fade he caught over one Dominic Rodgers-Cromartie, one of the best athletes in the NFL regardless of position. Can he give the offense that game in and game out? What about when teams aren’t surprised by him anymore? Guys like James Jones and Jordy Nelson will have to step up and exploit match-ups against safeties if teams try to cover Finley with a corner.  

Speaking of corners, Charles Woodson and Al Harris are arguably the best corner duo in the NFL and Woodson could get four to six sacks this season in the new pressure D. They are playing at an All-Pro level. Add in Pro Bowler Nick Collins with Atari Bigby and a charging Anthony Smith, this secondary is deep, physical and smart.

Dom Capers will see to it they don’t have the communication break-downs that plagued them last year. He has to. If the quarterbacks have time, it doesn’t matter how talented your secondary is, they’re going to get beat. The offense has too big an advantage and NFL quarterbacks are too good.

 The biggest question will be the pass-rush. We saw what it did to mediocre quarterbacks, but it confused the heck out of Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner.  He was never comfortable in the pocket, but when he was, he was effective.

That will be true with any quarterback. If the pressure doesn’t get home, there are match-up problems in the secondary whether it’s lineman in space, linebackers on wide-outs, or safeties having to help on multiple receivers.

I can’t see how you can stop this offense. McCarthy called a perfect game Friday, but he was all over the place as a play-caller last season.  Not just game to game, but even series to series it would seem he had a great game plan one moment and no idea the next.

The offensive line has played well in the preseason, with Ryan Grant looking quicker and more decisive than ever. But Josh Sitton and Allen Barbre are essentially rookies, neither ever having played a full season as starters.

The pass-rushers on this schedule are fierce between Allen, Ware, Ogunleye, Suggs, Harrisson, and Kearney just to name a few. And those are just the ends.

The NFC North might be the best division in football for interior lineman and those guys in Baltimore and Pittsburgh really know how make life tough on opposing offensive lines.

 The Packers are deep, cohesive, talented, physical, and excited to play. If they can lock down the penalties and play with discipline, I don’t see why they can’t win double digit games and be a serious contender in the NFC.

Unfortunately, last year you could say the same thing and it translated into just six victories.  No more excuses. This team is talented, and looks ready to go. They’ve put the NFC North and the rest of the NFC on notice that they’re ready to play. After all, they clobbered the defending NFC champions in a match-up of first teamers.

If they can learn on the fly how to handle adversity, this could be a really good team for a really long time; the kind of franchise Packers fans in the 90’s were used to. And then fans can really say things like “We’ll never forget you Brent.”

Green Bay Packers Vs. Buffalo Bills Preseason Preview

Stats don’t matter much in preseason. Not much matters in preseason except setting a depth chart, staying healthy, and maybe finding a few hidden gems. Of course, getting a new system right will always be important. That’s what training camp, OTA’s, and the rest of the offseason is for.

The games are for playing. The games that matter are the ones that count in the win or loss column.

That being said, the preseason still means football. For most fans, that’s enough. The Packers will play tomorrow against the Buffalo Bills.

Let’s take a look at a few things to watch for in this game.

 

Tale of the Tape

The Bills boast a smart quarterback, a talented set of wide receivers, and a solid offensive line, yet finished 25th in the league in passing last season.

Enter Terrell Owens and the no-huddle offense.

With TO out for the game Saturday, it will be a new offensive scheme against a new defensive scheme. Trent Edwards has looked good in the no-huddle offense, and with explosive players like Lee Evans, Roscoe Parish, and second-year player James Hardy, the receiving core is solid.

The Packers will come in still learning how to play the 3-4 defense. It should be interesting to see how getting reorganized, getting signals out, and getting aligned works as the Packers defense hustles to get set against the no-huddle.

 

Pros vs. Joes

The Bill haven’t had a legitimate tight end in a while. Let me throw some names at you: Jonathan Stupor, Derek Shouman, Shawn Nelson, Travis McCall, and Derek Fine. I’ll take the real names of the Backstreet Boys for 200? No, that’s the list of tight ends currently on the roster in Buffalo.

Meanwhile, the Packers have big names like A.J. Hawk (whose name is currently bigger than his play to be fair), Nick Barnet, a Pro Bowler at safety in Nick Collins, plus heavy-hitter Atari Bigby, and talented new Packer Anthony Smith.

With this new 3-4, the blitz can come from anywhere. When you don’t have to worry about taking a safety or nickel back to cover a tight end, that gives a defensive coordinator tremendous flexibility to take risks. Expect to see plenty of linebackers and safeties attacking the quarterback because they just don’t have to worry about getting burned by a Bills tight end.

This looks like the most lopsided match-up of this game.

 

History Lesson

In the history of these teams, the numbers across the board are incredibly similar. The Bills hold a 3-2 advantage in the five games, but the statistics are eerily close. The Packers have run 315 plays for 1462 yards against the Bills, while Buffalo has run 332 plays for 1458 yards in those games.

The Packers are 22/67 in third down conversions against Buffalo. The Bills are 21/67. On kick returns, the Pack have 19 for 361 yards, while the Bills have 19 for 367 yards. Get it? It’s been close.

The one area Green Bay has had a clear advantage is getting pressure on the quarterback. In those five games, the Pack has recorded 19 sacks, to the Bills’ 10. The near two-to-one advantage works out to almost four sacks a game for the Packers.

It shouldn’t surprise you that the Bills used a first round pick to draft a pass-rusher (Penn State’s Aaron Maybin, who just signed).

 

Don’t Bet On It

The Packers’ offensive line has been a work in progress for a couple years now, really since Marco Rivera and Mark Wahle left. The Packers continue to tweak the offensive line and except for Chad Clifton and Daryn Colledge on the left side, nothing is set in stone.

The Cleveland game saw Clifton, Colledge, Wells, Spitz, and Barbe start from left to right. With three games left in the preseason, there are three more opportunities to win jobs.

If I set the +/- of line-ups used with a first team offense at 3.5 you’d have to take the over right?

Spitz could start at center or guard. Josh Sitton could start at guard if Spitz plays center. Breno Giacomini could start at tackle with any of those line-ups. While you hope McCarthy and the coaches pick a starting staff and stick to it, it hasn’t been decided yet.

 

Final Word

This would normally be where I make a prediction, but in the preseason, that isn’t even worth it because there are 582 people on each roster and after the first half, it is just too hard to try and make predictions based on the play of back-ups. I mean, that’s why they’re back-ups.

I expect the Packers to win because they have superior talent and depth, but injuries have depleted the roster to some degree on both sides. It should be an exciting game to watch, and even though TO won’t play, it’ll  be worth getting your popcorn ready.

Packers Blank Browns, Show Early Signs Of Improvement

Cheeseheads got their first glimpse of the 2009 version of the Green Bay Packers and they have to be pleased with what they saw. The Packers, though not perfect, executed much better than the Browns and earned a 17-0 victory Saturday night at Lambeau Field.

It was the first opportunity to see the revamped defense under Dom Capers, although the intricacies expected to come with this version of the 3-4 were limited. The success however was anything but. Whenever you shut out an opponent, preseason or otherwise, things had to go well defensively. Browns quarterbacks threw some dumb passes, but defenders still have to hold on to the football, something they did as they picked off four passes Saturday night (they had their chances for even more).

The Browns managed just 59 yards on the ground, despite going against a Packers front seven missing a number of potential starters. Except for a 29 yard end around by Josh Cribbs, the defense contained big plays, something they struggled at times to do last season. The zone coverage got crossed up a few times, and that will be a work in progress all season as the defensive backs transition from a man scheme to a area-based zone coverage system.

The best part of the defensive performance was their ability to come up with big plays. Will Blackmon came up with a huge play on a corner blitz, forcing a fumble. Desmond Bishop, who had a monster game, had a pressure that forced a pick, an interception of his own, and a sack. It will be tough to keep him off the field if he keeps playing like this. And one of the few changes Ted Thompson made in the offseason, Anthony Smith, saved the shut-out when he took the ball away from Braylon Edwards in the endzone with under a minute to go in the first half. He also tied for the lead in tackles for the team.

Offensively, the Packers showed some new looks, and improved versatility. The combination of Jermichael Finley and David Lee looks to be a potent one, giving the Packers already deep receiving core some added options. In case you missed Donald Driver torching the Browns for a 53 yard bomb from Aaron Rodgers for six, Driver has not lost a step and should continue to produce at a Pro Bowl level.

The passing numbers for the QB’s weren’t spectacular, but didn’t need to be. The running game was outstanding, finishing with 230 yards and a yard per carry average of nearly five. Tyrell Sutton made a strong case for that third running back spot with 91 yards on on 16 carries. The rookie free agent looked like a longshot to make the opening day roster, but he acquitted himself nicely in his first game action since joining the Pack. But expect DeShawn Wynn and Kregg Lumpkin to get plenty of opportunities to show what they can do. This running back battle will be one to watch in the coming weeks.

As I wrote last week, you can’t be too excited or too discouraged after a week of preseason games. However, the defense didn’t look totally lost, the offensive line might finally have some continuity, and the team is healthy…at least for now. When the first teamers get more extended minutes this week against Buffalo, we will be able to identify trends and tendencies early on. That should give us a better idea of what to expect, and what the team needs to work on as the opener against the rival Bears moves ever closer.

For now, the Packers are glad to get out of Lambeau with a victory and their health. Adding newly-signed B.J. Raji, and hopefully some of the ailing bodies back to the mix on Saturday, should mean an even deeper squad, and hopefully some similar results.

Stop Blaming Ted Thompson for Brett Favre and Free Agency

For those of you who have turned on Ted Thompson for supposedly ruining the Packers by not bringing back Brett Favre, enough is enough.

You Favre apologists are nothing short of naive, nostalgic nincompoops whose short-sightedness and loyalty to Favre has clouded your judgment about the Packers’ best interests.  

Let’s go back two springs. Cries for Thompson to make a splash were boisterous. Favre made it clear he wanted Thompson to trade for Randy Moss and reportedly threatened to retire if Green Bay failed to do so.

Moss wound up in New England, and the Packers signed a grand total of one free agent, Frank Walker, who started a whopping zero games.

With one of the youngest teams in the league, the Packers went 13-3 and were a boneheaded throw away from the Super Bowl. Thompson was the Sporting News Executive of the Year, without adding Moss.

What happened next has been hashed and rehashed enough. I don’t want to hear that Thompson ran Favre out of Green Bay. That is absolutely, categorically false.

This was at least the third season in a row Favre had spoken publicly about thoughts of retirement, and each offseason, the process seemed to drag out longer.

Favre had decided to return with the acceptance of both Thompson and Mike McCarthy.  They insisted he take some more time to think about it in order to make the best decision for both him and his family. After doing so, Brett decided it was time to stay in retirement.

It was only after weeks more of hemming and hawing that Brett called Thompson again and said, “I want in.”

Sure, Thompson could have met with Favre personally and figured something out. Perhaps that’s what Ron Wolf would have done, or Bob Harlan. (The bigger question is whether Favre would have even been doing this had his father Irv been alive. My guess? No way.)

But Thompson was making a point: “This isn’t about you anymore, Brett. You are not bigger than this team.”

Of course, Favre didn’t take kindly to that, so he pitched a hissy fit and wound up in New York. You could say that it wouldn’t have gotten so messy had Brett just been allowed to come back, but that would be pure speculation.

Favre was the one who went on Fox News and spun stories about feeling betrayed, when it was Favre who’d gone back on his word repeatedly.

Thompson has always told it like it is; that’s what he does. He’s a no-nonsense administrator, and that’s how he runs a team.

Favre is the one who understands how to manipulate the media. Watch their press conferences side by side, and you’ll see what I mean.

Favre hasn’t been in a Packers uniform for 18 months, so now we have to move on.

I hear talk about Justin Harrell, losing players to free agency, and not signing any marquee free agents. Enough.

The big knock on Thompson outside of Favre is the way he builds a team: through the draft. He didn’t go after Albert Haynesworth or attempt to get Julius Peppers or Terrell Suggs.

The Packers essentially stood pat, except for trading up and drafting Clay Matthews in the first round.

Name the last marquee free agent signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Indianapolis Colts? The Baltimore Ravens? Fourteen of the top 20 passers last season played for teams that drafted them. 

Three of the four teams in the conference championships last year were lead by QBs drafted by their team.  In fact, eight of the 12 playoff teams had homegrown signal callers.

Hindsight is 20/20, but if the Packers are healthy in 2008, they probably win at least two more games with Aaron Rodgers, maybe more.  

Rodgers sparkled last year and showed why Thompson made what I now believe to be the right call in telling Favre to move along.

Don’t blame Rodgers for the Packers blowing close games. More often than not, it was the defense who failed to get a stop late. 

There’s a reason the Packers have totally reworked the defensive coaching staff and scheme.   

Go ask the Raiders or the Jets how spendy offseasons worked out last year for them. And didn’t a certain former Packers legend play for the Jets?

They spent a gazillion dollars on free agents and even with Brett Favre couldn’t make the playoffs in a WIDE OPEN division after Tom Brady went down.

Favre’s defense with the Jets was light years more consistent than Green Bay’s, and the running game was considerably better, yet they barely broke the .500 mark.

Sure, Brett got injured, but that is the point! He’s just not capable of being that guy anymore. He would have gotten injured in Green Bay too, maybe sooner with injuries robbing the offensive line of any continuity. People forget that.  

How is it possible Thompson comes out looking like the fool here?

The best teams build through the draft.  It would be easy to rebut a claim about the percentage of starters drafted by Ted Thompson by saying that is because Thompson never signed free agents. But that just isn’t true.

Thompson paid up for Charles Woodson, and Woodson has been reborn as one of the elite cover corners in the league. Ryan Pickett was brought in and has been an anchor on the defense.

He found Samkon Gado when the running back corps was decimated by injury. He plucked Ryan Grant off the Giants’ practice squad, and now he’s a 1,000-yard rusher.

Then, via the draft he’s added A.J. Hawk (who has underperformed, to be fair), Greg Jennings, James Jones, Jason Spitz, Nick Collins, Brandon Jackson, DeShawn Wynn (a STEAL in the seventh round), and promising second-year players like Jermichael Finley, Jeremy Thompson, Josh Sitton, and Breno Giacomini.

Throw in rookies B.J. Raji and Clay Matthews, who both could start, and Thompson has put together one of the most talented teams in the NFC.

Oh, that’s right—he’s also responsible for drafting a quarterback who just had one of the great statistical seasons in franchise history, and his name isn’t Favre.  

Ultimately, this Packers team is young, talented, and poised to be good for a long time. Thompson has put the Packers in a position to do what few teams in pro sports can, and that is win consistently over a number of years.

We see a “win now and next year be damned” attitude around the league, especially with teams thinking they can spend their way into wins. 

The Packers are a 10-win team easily on paper in 2009. The reason is simple: Ted Thompson has loaded this team with talent. Sure, they could have made another run last season with Favre, but if Green Bay had the same injuries last year with Favre, they wouldn’t have gone 13-3.

In fact, they might not even be 8-8, especially with Brett’s injury.  

Enough making excuses for why Favre didn’t come back. He shouldn’t have come back, and his play late in the season, combined with the injury, proved that. Thompson was the man who made that call, and it was the right one.

Just because he’s the best quarterback in franchise history doesn’t mean he gets carte blanche to come back at his leisure and hold the team hostage. It’s up to Thompson to make the decisions based on the future, and he made the right one, period.

By putting the future of the team over some antiquated notion of entitlement for Favre, Thompson showed why he’s the right man for the best franchise in sports.

He always has the best interests of the team in mind and won’t sacrifice that, even for the most famous player ever to put on the Green and Gold.

I just wish the fans would share his desire for the team’s success rather than wishing selfishly to have a washed-up former superstar play a position he’s only had real success at once in the last half-decade.

Enough.

Brett Favre True to Form Even in Retirement

I couldn’t bring myself to write a Brett Favre retirement piece after it happened the first time. The man literally reduced to me to tears last spring when he announced he wasn’t sure he had the passion anymore.

I don’t mean “Oh Leonardo is frozen and the lifeboats are coming” tears (Wait, did I just admit to crying watching Titanic?) No, I was sobbing and heaving because the man who taught me how to love the game, the player who made me proud to be a quarterback, didn’t have the passion anymore.

I didn’t fault him for wanting to come back and play. I got it. No one in the history of sports loved to play anything more than Brett Favre loved to play football. I couldn’t possibly begrudge him the opportunity to play. I didn’t even fault him for wanting to stick it to Ted Thompson whose stubbornness, it seemed at the time, forced Brett to want to come back with the Vikings.

If Favre was going to come back, he was going to come back guns blazing at the man who done him wrong, just like the cowboy he is.

Well, it seems that isn’t really how it went down. Turns out, Favre wanted to come back and Thompson, along with head coach Mike McCarthy said, “Sure Brett, we’d love to have you back.”

The Pack was coming off a division title and a painful loss in the NFC Championship game, and Brett was coming off a renaissance campaign. It made sense to let him have a do over.

But then Favre decided he wasn’t coming back. OK. Done deal. Aaron, it’s your job again.

Wait, just kidding. Only this time Brett trashed Thompson and the Packers in the media, saying he was “forced” out of Green Bay. Word from those who know Thompson personally was he was a straight shooter and he wasn’t going to play games for the media’s sake. He was going to tell the truth.

I was advised to believe Thompson, but of course he hadn’t delivered me a Super Bowl ring, and nearly two decades worth of Sunday afternoons. Now, that looks like the most lucid thing anyone has said about this whole situation.

Why the diatribe? Catharsis for one, context another.

Favre may be a good old boy, and he’s still the guy who picks up receivers and carries them around the field. But he’s also a man whose been spoiled by the spotlight. His family is famously in love with the media.

Plenty of people suggested it was their influence that weighed heavily on Favre’s decision to come back in the first place. A Brett Favre apologist (and I know far too many) might say that none of this is Brett’s fault. He just wanted to play and he was manipulated by media hungry friends and family.

The problem is, Bonita Favre didn’t raise no dummy.

This is the work of Favre. It has all the marking of a Favre game plan. “Who cares if there is triple coverage, I’m throwin it cuz I can fit it in” and much more like the older Favre, the pass was off the mark. .

He threw a proverbial pick-six with Packers fans. Wanting to play was one thing. I told you, I forgave him for that. Wanting to play for the Dome Queens is quite another thing in Wisconsin. Furthermore, wanting to play with the express purpose of demolishing your former team is ground for a hanging.

Look it up, it’s in Green Bay law.

My sister said the best thing about Brett’s decision this offseason, “Brett has played enough games in December at Lambeau to know what all that blaze orange means; Packer fans are gun owners. He’s gonna get shot!”

At his Packers Hall of Fame induction recently Dorsey Levens said something that I believe to be incredibly cogent.

He said something to the effect of, “If you don’t like Brett playing in Minnesota, then let him know. Boo him when he plays at Lambeau. But when he goes up there to get inducted into the Hall, cheer. Cheer for everything he gave to this organization”

Dorsey was right, as you might expect a good Syracuse native to be (I’m a Syracuse Alum).

In fact, the more I think about it, the more sense it makes. Everything I loved about Brett Favre drove him to the position he was in. He loved Green Bay. I truly believe that. He loved the fans and he loved playing at Lambeau. Those weren’t crocidile tears at the press conference last spring, he was truly heart broken to be hanging it up.

But when he decided to come back (the second time that spring) and the Packers basically said “Sorry, we’ve moved on” Favre was jilted. He was more than jilted he was heartbroken, like I’d been watching him admit defeat in retirement.

The passion and fire that made him a great quarterback was driving his actions. Even if it was the best decision for the Packers to trade Favre instead of bring him back, Brett never saw it that way, and how could we expect him to?

From a fans perspective, what Favre has done seems unforgivable. In Green Bay, more than anywhere else, they’re the ones writing checks for the players. He owed to the fans to think with more clarity about their reaction to his decision. I can’t justify his actions, but for me, there is no justification.

But I understand it now. Surely the media attention was planned. He likes it. Who wouldn’t? That isn’t a free-pass on that either.

Even Michael Irvin said what Brett was doing was bogus. Do I even really need to say it? It’s Michael Irvin. If he thinks you’re messing up, chances are you’re REALLY messing up. But it shoudln’t have surprised anyone who watched him play.

The player who if you told him, “I bet you can’t throw the ball throw a tire on a moving pick up truck going 50 from across the highway” would have said “Watch me.”

The man who overcame addiction to pain killers and alcohol, not to mention unspeakable and untimely loss in his family.

A man who played and often lived with reckless abandon, hoping for the best, was always both dazzling and maddeningly disappointing. That was who we saw the last year and a half, and we, as Packer fans, should have understand.  

Appropriately enough, he regained his MVP form and did what was best for both him and the Green Bay Packers.

Aaron Rodgers Must Take Next Step to Erase Ghosts of Brett Favre

I want to start by saying I was among the few Packer fans who applauded when Aaron Rodgers plummeted on draft day and Green Bay had the forward thinking to draft him. I was literally talking to the TV with each passing pick, hoping he would fall. 

Subsequently, I was one of the Packer fans who questioned whether Rodgers would ever be half the quarterback Brett Favre was after he struggled to assimilate in a back-up role to a man he seemed not to realize was a legend and state hero (until recently at least).

Somewhere along the line though, he figured it out. He had his struggles in pre-season, like every young quarterback does.

He got some hand-off duty playing behind the greatest iron man in the history of professional football and maybe all of sports. But somewhere in there, it clicked for the former Pac-10 standout.

He showed up on a Thursday night after Brett Favre went down with a mysterious injury during a pummeling at the hands of the Dallas Cowboys. Luckily it was on NFL Network, so no one really saw it. In fact, I had to go to a local bar and watch.

What fans saw that night was not the cocky California boy who didn’t take kindly to a back-up role. No, what we saw was the transformation of a young player ready to take the next step.

Of course, Favre came back the next game, and Rodgers resumed his clipboard holding. But life had taken an inescapable detour for Aaron Rodgers. He had proven he was ready to take over for the only quarterback a generation of Packer fans had ever known.

No one needs to be reminded of what followed, from the famous Favre interception that cost the Packers a chance at a Super Bowl that year, or the retirement, reinstatement, trade, re-retirement, and potential re- reinstatement although it’s not a re- reinstatement because he never officially retired, just wanted to play somewhere else and now my head hurts.

In his first full season as a starter, Rodgers dazzled, finishing fourth in the league in passing yards while tossing more than twice as many touchdowns as interceptions.

The stats are nice. It was one of the greatest statistical seasons in Packers history, including anything No. 4 ever put up. But the final board said six wins and ten losses.

That just won’t cut it in cheesehead country.

John Madden once talked about how great Favre was in terms of his ability to impact not just one game, but the entirety of a season. He would say that Brett Favre was so good, that by himself he was worth eight victories.

In his prime, he definitely was. It is A-Rod’s turn to put himself in that class.

The Packers have five legitimate threats at the receiver position, not to mention a proven tight end to go along with an extremely talented young one.

The running game should be improved with the health of Ryan Grant and Brandon Jackson, not to mention some stability on the offensive line. Coach Mike McCarthy loves the play-action pass, and it could really help improve the Packers pathetic red zone offense.

Without these things in place, Rodgers put up incredible numbers last season, despite battling injuries himself. The Packers lost a ton of close games and could have very easily been a playoff team.

There will be no excuses this year, especially now that you know who isn’t going you know where.

When the defense gets a huge turnover, it’s time to put it in the end zone instead of between the uprights. When the team gets in the red zone, it is time to score 6 instead of 3.

When the game is on the line and you need a field goal to win it, it’s time to get to the 15-yard line, not the 35-yard line. When you have a man running down the seam, it’s time to hit him in stride instead of off target so has to make a diving catch, nullifying a sure touchdown.

What’s more than that Aaron Rodgers, it is time to live the kind of maturity and growth you’ve talked about since what’s his name left Green Bay.

If you want to be talked about on a first-name basis like Brett, or Peyton, or Tom, then it is time to show you are worth eight victories a year.

It is time to show you can carry a team to a division crown, a playoff berth, and be a threat in the NFC despite living in the biggest shadow in franchise history.

Packer fans were scared to let Brett Favre play in Minnesota because of what it might mean for that offense and that team next door.

It means more to Green Bay.

Because if Aaron Rodgers could have matched Brett Favre blow for blow in a head to head match-up, then not only was Ted Thompson right in letting Brett go play in New York, but the Packers have taken the next step. Aaron Rodgers had taken the next step.

Rodgers won’t have that burden now, but that is all the more reason why he ought to succeed. In fact, with the confidence of the QB’s in Minny shattered, the Packers have as good a chance as any to win the North outright.

The fans at Lambeau cheering for the Green Bay Packers are the best fans in the world. Everyone says that, but it is only true in Green Bay.

They’re ready for Aaron Rodgers to take the next step. They want him to. Aaron wants it too. He seems ready. Now all he has to do, is take it. The elusive next step.

Green Bay Packers: All Quiet on The Tundra Front

The Chicago Bears made headlines this summer by trading for one of the most talented young quarterbacks in the league.

The Detroit Lions made headlines every time they signed a free agent because no one could believe anyone would willingly play for that franchise, no matter how many millions of dollars they’d be paid.

The Minnesota Vikings made headlines this summer by trading for a quarterback, adding a potential game-breaking rookie, and did I see something about Don Majkowski? Oh, it’s a different former Packers quarterback? Ok, sorry, I hadn’t heard.

In fact, the final team in the NFC North, the Green Bay Packers, have barely been involved in a headline that didn’t also involve what’s-his-name.

The point? That’s just fine.

Whether Brett Favre is in purple or jeans, Green Bay has the best offense in the division by a landslide. Sure, the Vikings have Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor, but that offensive line is inconsistent and I wouldn’t trust those receivers to catch a cold if they were naked in a Minnesota winter.

The Lions offense is in absolute shambles outside of Calvin Johnson, who just might be the most purely talented player in the division (and I’m including AP in that discussion). Unfortunately for him, there’s no running game, a porous offensive line, and whether it’s Culpepper or Stafford, the quarterback play will be rough.

Jay Cutler changes conferences for Chicago, and that makes the backfield in the Windy City awfully scary, but you can’t throw to Devin Hester on a go-route every play. Greg Olsen is a capable option, but explosive? Hardly.

Green Bay has the best player at the most important position in football regardless of who is under center in Minneapolis. Aaron Rodgers should be even better this year with a healthy stable of receivers, two talented tight ends, and a deep backfield.

As good as the offense was last year in A-Rod’s first season (and it was good; they finished fifth in the league in points and eighth in both yards and passing), Greg Jennings is poised for a Pro Bowl season after getting a fat contract this summer, while Donald Driver continues to dip into the fountain of youth. Add in a healthy James Jones, and an experienced Jordy Nelson, and Green Bay again boasts one of the deepest, most talented receiving groups in football.

That brings us to other reason the Packers made news this offseason—the defense. Much has been written about the 3-4 defense, but ultimately, that change is overrated.

The NFL, like every professional sports league, is talent-driven. If you have the most talent and get a little lucky, you’re going to win, and you’re going to win a lot. The Packers have the best tandem of corners in the division, even at an advanced age. Add play-making nickel back Tramon Williams, and Pro-Bowler Nick Collins, and their secondary is as good as any in the NFC.

True enough, the linebackers are an enigma. The North is stacked with quality linebackers and even though the Packers will now play with four instead of three, it’s unclear what kind of an impact that will have on what has lately been a pathetic pass-rush.

The good news is that the other defenses in the league truly aren’t that much better, particularly against Green Bay. In fact, the Packers outscored the division 184-116 last season on their way to a 4-2 record in the North. 

The Lions aren’t really even worth mentioning because despite some cosmetic changes, the foundation of the Lions is shakier than…well, every other business in Detroit.

Minnesota’s defense played extremely well last season, but they certainly overachieved (not to mention, they could never stop the Packers, giving up 24 or more points in both meetings). Now, they may lose their “Williams wall” for the first four games of the year, which does include a visit from a certain nextdoor neighbor to the East.

Chicago’s defense has the best rep, at least recently, but their play-makers are getting older, and it remains to be seen how often they’ll be defending a short field given their new quarterback’s tendency to throw it to the opponent (only that Favre guy threw more to the wrong-colored jerseys in ’08).

No, Green Bay didn’t make any sexy moves in the offseason by bringing in a big-name player. They have big-name players at every key position, and even with the switch to the 3-4, having a serviceable defense that can get an important stop half the time is worth an extra 2-3 wins.

Add in a clean bill of health, and a little luck, and it looks like the Pack will be poised to grab headlines in 2009.

 

Sharp Cheddar: Cheeseheads Must Trust Ted Thompson in 2009

The feeling inside 1265 Lombardi Avenue after the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft was remarkably different than in previous Ted Thompson drafts: no boos.

The man known both affectionately and infamously as “TT” in Cheesehead circles had made his mark on the franchise once again, but this time in a way fans should embrace. 

B.J. Raji’s enormous presence could be felt from a time zone away. As he fell down the board on Draft Day, Thompson and his staff were anxiously waiting to see if the Boston College stand-out would fall all the way to their pick at No. 9.

He did, and the Packers pulled the trigger on the incredibly talented defensive tackle and first team all-ACC performer. Raji has a unique combination of speed and strength for a man of his size.

Hopefully, after the Packers drafted the the 330-plus pound Raji, they hired a bigger cafeteria staff for the upcoming OTA’s.

Packer fans watching the Draft in the Lambeau Field atrium cheered vigorously when the pick was announced, a stark contract from the last two years when the selection was met by a loud chorus of boos from the fans.

The Packers didn’t draft in the first round last year, instead trading back to acquire picks, then moving up to take Kansas State wide-out Jordy Nelson who was no better than the Packers third wide receiver in 2008.

Not a popular pick on draft day, not a popular pick now, particularly when the Packers could have had DeSean Jackson, Eddie Royal, Limas Sweed, or Devin Thomas with that pick.

Things were not much better in 2007 when the Packers took Justin Harrell 16th overall, only to lose him to injuries in both seasons as a pro. The dangerous “b” word looms over the former Volunteer’s head and TT knows that.

With a switch to the 3-4 defense, the nose tackle position will be even more important in getting stops. The best 3-4 defenses in the NFL also happen to have the best nose tackles.

Casey Hampton anchors that punishing Steeler defense, while Vince Wilfork has allowed the talented Patriot linebackers to become stars.

That is what could make Raji special. Wilfork and Hampton make others better, and Raji has the strength and power to eat up blockers, freeing up his teammates. The difference is Raji can move like the aforementioned players can’t. And they’re Pro Bowlers.

On the interior, Raji registered eight sacks and 16 tackles for loss as a senior, and by the end of the year was the most dominating defensive player in the nation.

Aaron Curry might have been the most complete player in this draft, but Raji was the most dominant, at least defensively.

To say the Packers had any decision to make between Raji and Crabtree would be foolish. Certainly, Crabtree projects as an instant impact player in the NFL, but the Packers have shown you can get a receiver anywhere in the draft. Big bodies who can move like Raji are few and far between.

The other crucial cog in the 3-4 defense is the rush linebacker position. Ted Thompson shocked the Packer nation when he gave up his second and both third-round picks to move back into the first round and grab Clay Mathews, the outside linebacker from USC.

There is talk about the Packers overpaying for Mathews, particularly if you use a point system to rank slotted draft positions. But as Thompson said in his press conference, if you want to get a particular player, you have to pay the price for him.

Mathews is a special athlete with the most fluid hips of any of the outside linebackers worthy of first day consideration. He catches the ball like a receiver, but loves to stick his nose in the play and make a big hit.

Oh, and Kevin Greene, one of the best 3-4 OLB’s in the history of the NFL is the Packers linebackers coach. He likes this kid a lot. That is good enough for me.

With essentially just three key needs, defensive line, linebacker, and offensive tackle, the Packers have set themselves up marvelously for the draft’s second day.

Thompson has already proven adept at finding talent late in the draft and can certainly find a serviceable tackle to add depth to this group.

Sure, the Packers could have taken Crabtree at No. 9, or even Brian Orakpo. They didn’t and we don’t know if it was the right call.

Both Raji and Crabtree have big-time bust potential, but if Raji plays up to his potential he can  be one of just a handful of big-time defensive tackles in this league.

With guys like Adrian Peterson and Matt Forte in the division, that nose tackle position has to be your anchor.

As far as over-paying for Mathews, much like Raji, only time will tell. Mathews could be Mike Mammula, or he could be Mike Vrabel. He is a physically gifted athlete who will not be out-worked by anyone.

Mathews also has the benefit of having an outstanding teacher in the aforementioned Greene. He will also have Aaron Kampman playing opposite him, leaving Mathews in 1-on-1 situations on the edge. 

Thompson has messed it up before. If a GM without a mistake was he who could cast the first stone, there’d be a lot of rocks on the ground and very few in the air.

But Thompson has brought this team a core of talented young players like Aaron Rodgers, Ryan Grant, Greg Jennings, and Nick Collins.

So while Crabtree is catching touchdown passes by the Bay and Orakpo is terrorizing Tony Romo, pay attention to Raji taking on double teams so A.J. Hawk can make the play in the backfield.

Watch Clay Mathews cover Matt Forte 1-on-1 out of the backfield on second down, then on third down force an overthrow by whipping Roberta Garza and getting in Jay Cutler’s face just before releasing the ball.

Ted Thompson may say he has thick enough skin to withstand the boos, but this time he knows he got it right. It seems Packer fans do too.

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