Rams-49ers: Offensively Inept St .Louis Punchless Against San Francisco

There is bad football, and then there is bad football.

 

Against the San Francisco 49ers Sunday, the St. Louis Rams were the epitome of offensive ineptitude.

 

The Rams were held to 177 yards with only 10 first downs in the 35-0 defeat. It’s the second time in four games the Rams have been shut out.

 

They’re averaging an NFL-worst six points per game.

 

Besides a very good San Francisco defense, the Rams were also held in check by their own play.

 

Seemingly, every time the Rams went forward, a penalty would bring them back.

 

The Rams set the stage for the mistake-riddled afternoon on the opening kickoff.

 

Danny Amendola returned the kick 94 yards to the San Francisco 2, but a holding penalty on Anthony Smith negated the runback.

 

The Rams repeatedly hurt themselves with penalties, which put them in third-and-long situations for most of the game.

 

Kyle Boller, starting at quarterback for the injured Marc Bulger, looked bad on the opening possession, missing open receivers in the three-and-out drive.

 

His inaccuracy continued the entire game, finishing 13-of-24 for 108 yards and a third-quarter interception, which San Francisco linebacker Patrick Willis returned for a score. The play gave the Niners a 21-0 lead.

 

The Rams’ offensive incompetence negated a good defensive showing.

 

Defensive end C.J. Ah You, linebacker Larry Grant, defensive ends James Hall and Leonard Little, and safety O.J. Atogwe all played well. Grant, Little, Hall and Ah You each recorded a sack for the defense, which wore down late as the offensive was just 5-of-16 in third-down conversions.

 

The 49ers did not score an offensive touchdown until there was 7:03 remaining in the third when Shaun Hill hit tight end Vernon Davis for a 15-yard score. Davis got between linebacker James Laurinaitis and safety Anthony Smith to snare the high pass.

 

Smith struggled mightily in the game, getting beat more than once in coverage following the holding call on the opening kickoff.

 

The Rams were also flagged for the second time this season for having 12 men on the field. How does this happen to an NFL team?

 

Neither team had productive days from their special teams units. The kickers had a hard time with the swirling winds inside Candlestick Park.

 

St. Louis punter Donnie Brown, after consistently averaging better than 50 yards per punt in the first three games, averaged just 43.6 yards on eight punts Sunday. San Francisco’s Andy Lee punted seven times for a 43.6-yard average, with five punts inside the St. Louis 20.

 

Both placekickers missed field goals, which leads us to this little fun fact: Since the Rams made Josh Brown the highest-paid kicker in the NFL last year, he ranks 26th in field goal percentage.

 

The St. Louis special teams unit was just abysmal the entire game. A punt return miscue resulted in the game’s first score.

 

Amendola did not yell for Quincy Butler to get out of the way of a short punt. The ball struck Butler’s right leg and went into the end zone where the Niners fell on it for a touchdown. Mistakes like that just scream of a poorly prepared team with little talent.

 

Some questioned how the 49ers would score points without Frank Gore in the lineup, but thanks to a stellar defense led by Willis, the Niners scored three non-offensive touchdowns. Willis finished with five tackles, 2 1/2 sacks and the interception.

 

The Rams did get the ball in Steven Jackson’s hands 26 times, but St. Louis’ best player managed just 79 yards on 23 carries. He also caught three balls for only six yards.

 

Still, there were some questionable personnel decisions, like why was Samkon Gado in on third-and-short to get the carry? On Gado’s only carry of the game, he lost a yard, which led to the missed 51-yard field goal attempt.

 

Starting offensive tackle Alex Barron was also benched in favor of John Greco, who later was flagged for being ineligibly downfield on a 10-yard screen pass to Jackson, which would have picked up a first down.

 

There really aren’t any positives to point to in this game as the Rams fall to 0-4. With Minnesota, Jacksonville, and Indianapolis up next, a win does not appear to be on the horizon.

This article is also featured on the Rams official NFL.com blog site: http://blogblitz.nfl.com/st-louis-rams

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Pick Six: Keys For The Rams Against The 49ers

Let’s be honest. A victory by the St. Louis Rams in San Francisco Sunday would be nothing short of miraculous.

The Rams are 0-3 and, even worse, have been bitten pretty hard by the injury bug.

In their 36-17 loss to the Green Bay Packers last week, the Rams lost leading receiver Laurent Robinson for the season with a high ankle sprain and broken fibula.

Safety James Butler sprained his MCL and will miss at least two weeks. Cornerback Ron Bartell is nursing a couple of leg injuries and will not be 100 percent for Sunday’s game against the 49ers.

Quarterback Marc Bulger has a bruised shoulder, and is questionable for Sunday. Backup Kyle Boller, who played admirably for a half against the Packers and led the Rams on two scoring drives, is practicing with the first team this week.

Offensive tackles Alex Barron and Jason Smith missed some practice time this week with leg issues.

Then on Tuesday came news that starting linebacker David Vobora will miss the next four weeks for violating the NFL’s performance-enhancing drug policy.

To fill roster spots, the Rams made a bunch of roster moves this week. They promoted defensive tackle Leger Douzable, linebacker Dominic Douglas, and wideout Nate Jones from the practice squad.

Jones takes Robinson’s spot on the roster, putting the Rams back at five receivers with former Packer Ruvell Martin, Donnie Avery, Keenan Burton, and return specialist Danny Amendola.

The Rams are basically a walking MASH unit, and will be facing a San Francisco team that is one Brett Favre miracle away from being 3-0.

So what can the Rams do to somehow find a victory?

 

1. Get Steven Jackson into the end zone

Jackson is the Rams best player, and offensive coordinator did a much better job of getting the ball in Jackson’s hands last week. He’s got two consecutive 100-yard rushing games, but has yet to find the end zone.

Richie Incognito said the offensive line lives vicariously through Jackson, so Jackson scoring touchdowns will only boost the morale of a downtrodden team.

 

2. Let Kyle Boller start

Marc Bulger may be the $10 million man in St. Louis, but Boller gives the Rams the best chance to win. He’s proven his toughness in the preseason, and against Green Bay. He’s also shown a proclivity to make plays with his legs, an aspect Bulger really can’t provide.

Bulger may be an accurate passer when given time, but the St. Louis offensive line has not protected the quarterback well, and Boller can move the pocket. He’s just a much more mobile quarterback, and is whom the Rams need to turn to come Sunday.

 

3. Start fast

The Rams dug themselves a hole last week against the Packers. A blocked field goal and two fumbles had the Packers up 9-0 before most fans had filed into the Edward Jones Dome. The Rams were fortunate they weren’t trailing 17-0 at that point.

Green Bay built a 16-0 lead before St. Louis got on the board. If the Rams hope to pull off a road win, then the NFL’s worst scoring offense must somehow get on the board first.

Here’s what the Rams must avoid:

1. Turnovers

Again, the Rams had two fumbles and an interception that led directly to 13 points for the Packers last week. They did not force a Green Bay turnover, and must win the turnover battle Sunday. The Niners are plus-3 in turnover margin, while the Rams are plus-1.

2. Big plays

The Rams actually get a bit of a reprieve here because San Francisco running back Frank Gore is out for Sunday’s game because of foot and ankle injuries. Gore leads San Fran with 241 yards and three scores.

Filling in for him will be Glen Coffee for the second straight week. Coffee has been held in check this year with just 64 yards on 35 carries. Gore had an 80-yard touchdown run earlier, but Coffee doesn’t appear to have that burst.

Quarterback Shaun Hill is completing 63 percent of his passes, but for only 548 yards and three scores. His longest pass completion is 50 yards. Green Bay hit on three big plays last week to set up scores.

If the Rams can keep everything in front of them and avoid the big play, they might be all right.

 

3. Penalties

Richie Incognito was penalty-free last week, although he did get into a shoving match with a Packers player. While Incognito kept his number from being called, that doesn’t mean the Rams were without costly penalties.

A long Jackson run was called back for holding and there were a couple of other penalties that negated positive plays. St. Louis does not have enough talent to shoot itself in the foot and nullify its own big plays.

If this happens again Sunday in San Francisco, the end result will be another St. Louis loss.

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Packers-Rams: Six Things To Look For in This Weekend’s Matchup

The St. Louis Rams host the Green Bay Packers Sunday in their home opener. The Rams are winless through two weeks, losing 28-0 to Seattle, and 9-7 to Washington. The Packers are 1-1 following a 21-15 win over Chicago, and a 31-24 loss to Cincinnati.

There may be more Packers fans at the Edward Jones Dome than Rams fans with thousands of Packers faithful traveling to see their team.

Couple that with disappointed Rams season ticket holders selling their seats, and the dome once again becomes “Lambeau South.” That’s how it was referred to two years ago when Green Bay came to town and left with a lopsided victory.

If the Rams expect to stay close and have a chance to win at the end, they must do these three things:

 

Establish Steven Jackson early: The Rams finally got Jackson going last week in the loss to the Redskins. Jackson had 17 carries for 104 yards, and an additional four receptions for another 15 yards. He needs more touches this week, probably 20 by halftime, to soften the Packers secondary and open it up for Marc Bulger.

 

Hold onto the ball, Donnie Avery: Avery was the victim of a couple key drops last week, and is not looking like an NFL No. 1 receiver, as the Rams hoped he would be. The first receiver taken in the 2008 draft also had a fumble inside the Washington red zone that cost his team some points.

If Avery has better ball control against Washington, the Rams win. They need him to secure the ball Sunday against the Packers.

 

Cover the tight ends: The Packers have two very good tight ends in Donald Lee and Jermichael Finley. St. Louis has had trouble covering tight ends through the first two weeks of the season. Seattle’s John Carlson caught six balls for 95 yards and two scores in week one, while Chris Cooley had six catches for 83 yards last week.

If the Rams safeties and linebackers can take Lee and Finley away from Aaron Rodgers, things should be easier on the St. Louis defense.

Those are the three things the Rams must do.

They must avoid the following three things:

 

Giving Aaron Rodgers time in the pocket: Rodgers has a strong, accurate arm, and will pick apart most secondaries when given enough time. The Packers have allowed an NFL-high 10 sacks through two games, and starting tackle Chad Clifton is out with an ankle injury. The Rams got their first, and only, sack of the year last week.

They must take advantage of a weak Packers line and force Rodgers to throw under duress.

 

Picking up dumb penalties: In week one, it was four personal fouls, including two from Richie Incognito. The Rams were also penalized for having 12 men on the field, which negated a touchdown on a returned blocked field goal. Last week, there was a needless holding penalty on Avery on a long Jackson run.

The Packers have picked up a lot of penalties through the first two weeks. This game might come down to whichever team commits the fewest penalties wins.

 

Turnovers: The Packers have six interceptions in two games this year. Last season they lead the NFL in defensive touchdowns. Last week Charles Woodson, who had two picks off Carson Palmer, returned an interception 37 yards for a score to give Green Bay a 21-14 second-quarter lead.

Bulger is completing just 50 percent of his passes (32 of 64), but he has yet to turn the ball over. Against a ball-hawking, aggressive defense like Green Bay’s, he has to get rid of the ball quickly, and not force anything. If he can’t do that, the Packers could turn this one into a laugher quickly.

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Ranking the NFL’s Defensive Leaders

Week one of the NFL season was pretty bad for the Chicago Bears and Pittsburgh Steelers.
Pittsburgh won its opener against Tennessee, but defensive leader Troy Polamalu injured his knee, and is out for at least another two weeks.
Polamalu will at least return to the field this season.
The news was worse for the Bears. Not only did they lose a heartbreaker to Green Bay, but perennial Pro Bowler Brian Urlacher was lost for the season with a dislocated wrist.
These are two of the most important defensive leaders in the NFL, and their respective defenses will suffer in their absence.
It begs the question, which other teams would suffer if their defensive leader went down? I was asked by Bleacher Report to rank the top defensive leaders on the remaining 30 NFL teams.
It’s arduous process, and I sought advice from others who know their respective teams better than I do.
I realize there will be some disagreement, so please comment. Feedback, good or bad, is always welcome.

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Packers Plagued By Penalties and Pressure In Loss to Bengals

Where did the high-powered offense go?

Where is this vaunted Packers defense?

For the second straight week, the Green Bay offense was inconsistent. The defense, which bailed the Packers out against Chicago, couldn’t stop the run in their 31-24 loss to Cincinnati Sunday afternoon at Lambeau Field.

Bears castoff Cedric Benson looked like a Pro Bowler while gashing the Packers defense for 141 yards on 29 carries. It was pretty clear the Packers still have some issues against the run, and they’re still without first-round pick B.J. Raji, who missed his second straight game with an ankle injury.

The Bengals were also 9-of-14 on third down conversions as the Packers defense even allowed a third-and-34 conversion late in the second quarter.

Instead of punting from its own end zone, Cincinnati then had the ball near midfield. One play later, Chad Ochocinco burnt Jarrett Bush for a 44-yard gain. That led to a controversial touchdown for Carson Palmer on a quarterback sneak.

The official who initially signaled for the touchdown had his vision of the play obstructed by Ochocinco. Although replays appeared to show that, not only did the ball not break the plain, Palmer fumbled as he raised the ball up over the heap of bodies.

Referee Ed Hochuli called it a touchdown, the first of two crucial mistakes he made. The second came in the game’s waning seconds.

With the Packers trailing 31-24 with 10 seconds remaining, Donald Driver caught his sixth pass over the middle at the Cincinnati 10. The Packers rushed to the line, and the ball was snapped with a second remaining. All this before a pair of Bengals were able to get back on their side of the line of scrimmage.

A flag was thrown, and the assumption was for offsides. Instead, Hochuli’s crew ruled that tight end Jermichael Finley was not set and moved early. Hochuli’s explanation was that time expired before the ball was snapped, which was false, but “even if the ball was snapped before time expired, there was a false start on the play, which requires a 10-second runoff. The game is over.”

The loss overshadowed a stellar performance from Charles Woodson, who picked off Palmer twice, returning one for a touchdown to give Green Bay a 21-14 lead in the second. He also led the team with nine tackles, seemingly being the only defensive player to show up to play.

Backup defensive backs Aaron Rouse and Bush were both forced into more playing time because of injuries to starting safeties Atari Bigby and Nick Collins, who left early in the second quarter.

As poorly as the Packers played on defense, the offensive line was worse. Green Bay (1-1) managed just 89 rushing yards, 43 of which came on four Aaron Rodgers scrambles, and Rodgers was sacked six times. Five of those sacks came from Cincinnati defensive end Antwan Odom, who now has seven sacks in two games.

Odom abused the Packers line, especially after tackle Chad Clifton was carted off the field with an ankle injury. Whether he was lined up over Allen Barbre or Daryn Colledge, Odom was in Rodgers’ face the entire game.

The receivers, who dropped six passes, weren’t helping Rodgers at all, as he finished 21-of-39 for 261 yards and a three-yard touchdown toss to Driver in the first. Driver led the Packers with six catches for 99 yards, but Greg Jennings was held without a catch.

That score tied the game at 7-7 after the Bengals (1-1) scored on their opening possession. Palmer and Benson easily led them downfield, averaging 10 yards per play before a 5-yard touchdown pass to Laveranues Coles.

Woodson’s first interception set up a four-yard touchdown run from Ryan Grant, who struggled to find holes for the second straight week. He finished with 46 yards on 14 carries, a 3.3-yard average, and a crucial fumble that led to Cincinnati’s go-ahead score in the third.

The Packers special teams also struggled, giving up punt returns of 60 and 32 from rookie Quan Cosby that both led to scores. Mason Crosby also badly missed a 55-yard field goal.

Both teams played sloppy football. Cincinnati was flagged 13 times for 100 yards, while the Packers had 11 penalties for 76 yards.

The Packers were a nine-point favorite, but the linemen were flat on both sides of the ball. With the St. Louis Rams and Steven Jackson next on the schedule, if the Packers don’t figure out how to stop the run, they could fall victim to another disappointing upset.

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Rams Search for Veteran Help at Receiver

When you finish a game with zero points, 17 completions, and only 191 passing yards, it’s pretty easy to figure out that you have a weakness, or two, or three.

The St. Louis Rams were shut out Sunday 28-0 in Seattle, thanks to a plethora of penalties, dumb mental mistakes, poor tackling, and a dead offense.

Quarterback Marc Bulger was sacked three times, and completed just 17 of 36 pass attempts. Twelve of the 17 attempts were to wide receivers with tight ends Randy McMichael (four) and Billy Bajema (one) accounting for the other five catches.

Steven Jackson, one of the best pass-catching backs in football, had just 16 touches, all on the ground for 67 yards.

So, according to several league and online sources, the Rams brought in several veteran players Tuesday to try to help the hapless offense.

Wide receivers David Tyree, formerly of the New York Giants, former Green Bay Packer Ruvell Martin, former New Orleans Saint Skyler Green, and former Tennessee Titan Chris Davis (pictured) were all brought in for workouts.

Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo is familiar with Tyree, who, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, did not have a good workout.

Davis may be the most athletic of the group, but is coming off a hamstring injury that cost him a roster spot in Tennessee.

Martin has the size and speed to be the best option here. He’s also well-known for his downfield blocking ability, something Jackson would love to have on the field.

Martin, 27, spent three years in Green Bay under the West Coast offense and would have a similar fourth or fifth receiver role in St. Louis.

The Rams may also look at Hank Baskett, who was released by Philadelphia on Tuesday. Signing Baskett, who burnt the Rams for a 90-yard score last year, would reunite him with Rams offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur, who was an assistant with the Eagles prior to joining Spagnuolo’s staff this year.

St. Louis had been interested in Bobby Wade, but the former Minnesota Vikings receiver signed with Kansas City on Tuesday.

The Post-Dispatch also reports that the Rams worked out running back Chauncey Washington, a seventh-round pick by Jacksonville in 2008, and veteran linebacker Paris Lenon, a three-year starter for Detroit who was in New England’s camp this summer. Lenon could be a possible replacement for Chris Draft, who was released last Thursday after refusing to take a paycut.

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North Scold: Green Bay Makes Defensive Statement in 21-15 Win Over Chicago

Was Green Bay’s dominating performance in the preseason a mirage or for real?

If Sunday night’s 21-15 victory over the Chicago Bears was any indication, the answer is yes … and no.

Green Bay’s new 3-4 defensive scheme under defensive coordinator Dom Capers proved a success as the Packers harassed Jay Cutler all night.

Cullen Jenkins was a beast up the middle for the Packers, who had little productivity from linebacker Nick Barnett and were without first-round draft choice B.J. Raji. No matter because Jenkins, Aaron Kampman, rookie linebacker Clay Matthews and Brandon Chillar were able to set up camp in the Bears backfield for most of the night.

Chillar and Jenkins each recorded sacks, and the pressure got to Cutler, who looked uncomfortable when flushed from the pocket. Green Bay picked off the Bears offseason acquisition four times, and could have been more had it not been for consecutive drops by cornerback Tramon Williams.

The third-year player from Louisiana Tech made up for his early drops by intercepting Cutler later in the game, but the first pick of Cutler came from safety Nick Collins late in the first.

Following a Green Bay field goal, Cutler led the Bears on a drive deep into Packers territory, but 320-pound defensive tackle Johnny Jolly made a diving, one-handed pick on a screen attempt to kill the drive.

Green Bay, backed up in its own territory, then allowed a sack of Rodgers in the end zone for a safety as Danieal Manning came on a corner blitz.

This was Green Bay’s biggest problem, allowing pressure on Rodgers, who unlike Cutler maintained his composure and was not intercepted. But the Packers offense never showed the dominance they displayed in the preseason, scoring touchdowns on nine of 13 possessions.

Rodgers went down five times and the Packers running game was stifled as Adewale Ogunleye treated Packers tackle Allen Barbre as his whipping boy.

Ogunleye constantly beat Barbre, and dropped Rodgers twice as well as being a disruptive force on the Bears front four. Ogunleye’s pressure led to other openings for the Bears defenders.

Using Barbre to replace solid stalwart Mark Tauscher is just another example of the poor personnel decisions made by head coach Mike McCarthy and general manager Ted Thompson.

The poor offensive line play, as well as a pair of drops from Jordy Nelson and Donald Driver allowed Chicago to remain in a game that Green Bay was completely dominating. The Packers were only able to convert one of Cutler’s three first-half picks into points, and that came when Williams returned an interception to the 1. Grant, who finished with 61 yards on 16 carries, took it in from there.

Another issue that plagued the Packers was penalties, but there were also a couple of really bad calls, and non-calls, that contributed to Green Bay’s woes.

An early late hit on Rodgers by Brian Urlacher, who left the game with a dislocated wrist and is done for the season, went unpunished. But that was tame in comparison to a bad holding call that negated a long Grant run, and a phantom illegal contact penalty on third down that led to Chicago’s go-ahead field goal late in the game.

Al Harris barely shucked Chicago receiver Devin Hester and Cutler threw an incomplete pass to the opposite side of the field. The grazing contact took place right at the five-yard mark, but in one of the worst calls anyone will ever see from an NFL referee, the flag was thrown and the Bears drive was kept alive.

The Packers didn’t fold, instead Rodgers and McCarthy dialed up a perfect third-and-1 play. With a perfect play-action fake to Grant, Rodgers got the Chicago secondary to bite, leaving Greg Jennings wide open downfield for the 50-yard game-winning score.

Harris then had the last laugh as the Bears took over with a minute remaining and zero timeouts. The Pro Bowl corner stepped in front of a slant route and returned the interception to the 11, where all Green Bay had to do was trot out the offensive victory formation to seal the win.

The four takeaways was a good sign from the new defense, which did allow 352 yards of total offense. Most of those came on two long pass plays, including a 36-yard strike from Cutler to Hester in the third. The Packers contained tailback Matt Forte, who managed just 55 yards on 25 carries, and did not catch a single pass.

It was a good win for the Packers to open the season, but definitely left them things to work on as they prepare for next week’s game against Cincinnati, which lost 12-7 to Denver.

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Packers-Bears: Getting Together With Old Friends

After all of the games are played Sunday afternoon, there will be one remaining—and it’s the oldest rivalry in the NFL.

The Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears will meet for the 178th time Sunday night at Lambeau Field. It will also be the 21st time the two teams have met in the season opener.

The storied teams split last year’s series, with the Packers routing the Bears at home 37-3, while the Bears escaped with a 20-17 overtime win on a frigid December night at Soldier Field (I should know, I was there).

This year brings with it a lot of questions for both teams.

How will Green Bay adapt to its new 3-4 defensive scheme under new coordinator Dom Capers? How will Jay Cutler do in his new city with less-than-average receivers? Can Aaron Rodgers build on last year, when he threw for over 4,000 yards and 28 touchdowns? Will Cutler’s big arm mean more passing from the Bears offense? Will Ryan Grant return to his 2007 form, or was that just an anomaly?

The questions go on, and most will be answered, at least in the short term, Sunday night.

The Packers have been downright dominant in the preseason, with the first-team offense scoring touchdowns on nine of 13 possessions. Both teams went 3-1 in the preseason. The Packers were 3-0 before dropping the backup-filled finale to Tennessee.

The Packers seem to have a slight edge at quarterback, because Cutler is a relative unknown with receivers such as Earl Bennett, Devin Aromashodu, Rashied Davis and rookies Johnny Knox and Juaquin Iglesias. The sixth receiver is Devin Hester, who definitely trumps any return specialist the Packers have.

Where the Packers have a huge edge is at wideout. Rodgers has a plethora of weapons, including Donald Driver, Greg Jennings, James Jones and Jordy Nelson. Jennings just might be emerging as the best player from the 2006 draft.

Add Donald Lee and Jermichael Finley at tight end, and it makes the weapons pool even deeper for Rodgers. The Bears have their own talented tight end in third-year player Greg Olsen. But neither Desmond Clark, Michael Clark, nor Kellen Davis gives Chicago a 1-2 punch at tight end like Lee and Finley.

The running backs belong to Chicago, mainly because Matt Forte can flatout carry the rock. The second-year stud from Tulane ran for 1,238 yards last year to set a new franchise record rookie tailbacks. Adrian Peterson is a nice change-of-pace back for Chicago.

Green Bay has plenty of runners, but none with the talent of Forte. Grant did eclipse 1,200 yards last year, but averaged less than four yards per carry. If he can get that number back up this year, the Packers will be all right. Spelling him in the backfield will be Brandon Jackson and DeShawn Wynn.

Both teams have solid offensive lines, which they’ll need against aggressive defenses. Despite finishing the year 6-10, the Packers led the NFL in defensive touchdowns last season. Where they struggled was in the pass rush, something the new 3-4 scheme is supposed to remedy. Cornerbacks Charles Woodson and Al Harris are two of the best in the business, and safety Nick Collins was a Pro Bowl selection in 2008.

Chicago has another aggressive unit led by linebackers Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs. If they can control the middle, the Bears can exert their will on pretty much any team. Green Bay’s backers are also good with Nick Barnett, A.J Hawk, Brandon Chillar, rookie Clay Matthews, and now Aaron Kampman added to the mix as an outside linebacker.

Kampman led the Packers with 9.5 sacks last season, his first year without registering double-digit sacks since 2005. If the Packers can get some pressure on Cutler, it could be curtains for the Bears.

It’s hard to overlook that Green Bay led last year’s game in Chicago 14-3 before imploding and handing the game back to Chicago. The Packers were clearly the more talented team last season, and look to be again this year.

Green Bay wins its home opener by beating up on the Bears, 31-13.

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Packers Enter 2009 Season with Excitement and High Expectations

It’s hard to get excited about preseason games in the NFL, but have you been paying attention to what Green Bay has been doing this summer?

The Packers went 3-1 this preseason, but that’s not the story. After all, the Detroit Lions were a perfect 4-0 in last year’s preseason, and we all know how that turned out for them. It’s how Green Bay’s first-teamers simply dominated.

In the four preseason games, the Packers’ offensive starting unit scored nine touchdowns in 13 possessions. The average number of possessions in any one NFL game is around 10. So we’re talking about a unit that could be on pace to score six touchdowns per game.

Pretty scary, right?

Obviously that’s not going to happen, but Green Bay’s offense has been impressive, nonetheless.

Aaron Rodgers is looking every bit the part of a Pro Bowl quarterback, and he’s no doubt glad the Brett Favre distractions are behind him. Despite all of the hoopla around the organization’s mishandling of Favre’s retirement, Rodgers turned in a stellar season with over 4,000 passing yards and 28 touchdowns to just 13 interceptions.

To help Rodgers out in the passing game, Ryan Grant must improve on his 3.9 yards per carry average of 2008. Grant burst onto the scene in the latter half of 2007 and must return to that form if the Packers want to reach their lofty expectations this year.

Of course, a lot will depend on the play of the offensive line, which was solid in the preseason. Packers quarterbacks were sacked seven times in four preseason games, and Rodgers did not go down once.

Green Bay also had a 4.2 yards per carry average, with Grant chiming in at 4.4 on 21 attempts and two scores. Tyrell Sutton, a rookie from Northwestern, has been extremely impressive while averaging 4.8 yards on 40 carries.

If they get that kind of play consistently all season, the offense could be pretty frightening for defensive coordinators.

Defensively, it would appear that the Packers have picked up defensive coordinator Dom Capers’ system well. They shut out Cleveland in the first preseason game, picking off a total of four passes, including one apiece from Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson.

Against Buffalo, they didn’t allow a score until the second half, and led a dangerous Arizona team by a 38-10 score at halftime.

The Packers have collected 12 sacks in the four preseason games and own a plus-eight turnover ratio. Those kinds of numbers will win you plenty of games.

The preseason performance is just one reason why there is so much optimism around the Packers organization.

Green Bay had the No. 5 offense in the NFL last year, and, despite a 6-10 record, scored more points than it allowed. The special teams were awful last year, and the defense was very inconsistent and struggled against the run.

Green Bay led the league in defensive touchdowns scored and was near the top in takeaways. Where the Packers struggled was in rush defense, allowing over 131 yards per game—good for 26th in the league.

The switch to a 3-4 and the selection of nose tackle B.J. Raji in April’s draft could help. What will help even more is getting several key players back from injury—namely linebacker Nick Barnett, who missed the last seven games last year with a torn ACL.

Rookie outside linebacker Clay Matthews and fellow rookie Jarius Wynn should help a Green Bay pass rush that was just awful last year. Pro Bowl defensive end Aaron Kampman, who led the team with just 9.5 sacks a season ago, will stand up this year as an outside linebacker. Theoretically, that will free up the eight-year veteran to get around the end quicker and register another double-digit sack season.

Green Bay’s schedule is very manageable, and a 10-win season seems more of a probability rather than a possibility.

A Sunday night game at home against Chicago opens the season. The Packers throttled the Bears in Lambeau Field a year ago. The Packers are better this year, and the Bears probably aren’t, even with the addition of quarterback Jay Cutler. Chicago’s defense is another year older, and the wide receivers leave a lot to be desired.

Cincinnati visits Lambeau in Week Two, and a trip to St. Louis follows in week three. Both are games in which the Packers will be favored.

Then comes the trip to Minnesota, where Rodgers gets to look across the field at his former mentor and Packers legend, Favre. The hatred toward Packers general manager Ted Thompson will be as thick as pea soup in the week prior to the game.

The Packers will most likely split with a very talented Minnesota team, with each winning at home. In what will probably be a two-team race for the division title, both matchups could go a long way in deciding who gets to call themselves division champions at season’s end.

The Packers then have home games against Detroit, Cleveland, and Dallas, which won for the first time ever at Lambeau Field last year. Games against Baltimore, Pittsburgh, and Arizona look to be Green Bay’s biggest obstacles remaining on the schedule.

If the Packers can remained focused like they were in the preseason, the sky is the limit. What they can’t afford are more injuries because if the preseason showed us anything, it’s that there is a big dropoff from the starters to the backups.

But if they can remain relatively healthy and play consistently good football, then the NFC North title could go through Green Bay. An 11-win season is out there for the taking, but most Packers fans would accept the reciprocal of last year’s 6-10 mark.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

End Of Preseason Means Final Cuts Loom For Rams

I’m not certain of all 53 players, but I have a pretty good idea of most of the players who will make the final roster for the 2009 St. Louis Rams.

Following Thursday night’s 17-9 win over the Kansas City Chiefs at the Edward Jones Dome in the Governor’s Cup game, head coach Steve Spagnuolo and general manager Billy Devaney have until Saturday afternoon to finalize the roster.

Here are the locks – quarterbacks: Marc Bulger, Kyle Boller; running backs: Steven Jackson, Samkon Gado, Mike Karney; wide receivers: Donnie Avery, Laurent Robinson; tight ends: Randy McMichael, Billy Bajema; offensive line: Jason Brown, Jason Smith, Richie Incognito, Alex Barron, Jacob Bell, Adam Goldberg, Mark Setterstrom; defensive ends: Chris Long, Leonard Little, James Hall; defensive tackles: Adam Carriker, Clifton Ryan, Gary Gibson; linebackers: James Laurinaitis, David Vobora, Chris Draft, Larry Grant, Will Witherspoon; safeties: Todd Johnson, OJ Atogwe, James Butler; cornerbacks: Ron Bartell, Jonathan Wade, Justin King, Bradley Fletcher.

Add in punter Donnie Jones, kicker Josh Brown, and long snapper Chris Massey, and that brings the number of sure-fire players to make the roster to 37.

That leaves 16 spots to fill.

First, let me address a few of the above players. Gado has been the most productive of all the backup running backs, and has been a solid special teams player. He also gives the Rams the added value of being able to play fullback.

Gibson has been a beast in practice, with a non-stop motor that has been impressive to watch. Fletcher was a third-round draft pick this year, and that’s not something the new regime is going to waste. This could be the last hurrah for King, but he’s done enough to make the roster.

As far as the final 16 spots, we’ll start at receiver. Because he’s been the main punt returner, and has been one of the hardest worker in the preseason, I think it’s safe to pencil Derek Stanley in as one of the receivers. Also add to that list solid veteran Ronald Curry, who was the team’s leading receiver Thursday night, and Keenan Burton, who makes the team despite a nice effort from Nate Jones. Sorry Tim Carter, you may run like the Flash, but you’ve got hands like the Thing.

Stanley, Burton and Curry leave 13 spots available. Two of those will be filled by running backs Kenneth Darby and rookie Chris Ogbonnaya, whom the Rams coaches really like and rewarded him with a lot of preseason carries. The Rams will keep four tailbacks, and release fullback Jerome Johnson and halfback Antonio Pittman. Johnson is let go because of Gado’s ability to play fullback.

We’re down to 11 now and one spot will be given to Daniel Fells, who has earned the third tight end role behind Bajema and McMichael. Fells has outplayed Eric Butler, and the already released Joe Klopfenstein.

On the offensive line, the Rams are pretty set, but I still see spots going to John Greco, rookie Phil Trautwein, and Roy Schuening. That gives the Rams plenty of depth, and should Brown go down, gives them flexibility to move Incognito or Setterstrom to center and still fill the holes. Trautwein, an undrafted free agent from Florida, has been a nice find for Devaney and Company.

One offensive spot remains, and that will go to rookie quarterback Keith Null, who has just shown more consistency and upside than Brock Berlin. Null reminds most everybody at Rams Park of Kurt Warner, and that’s a pretty good comparison for the rook.

So six spots remaining, and they all belong to the defense, which looked solid against the Chiefs, giving up a few big plays, but not allowing Kansas City into the end zone.

I think Hollis Thomas will make the team. He’s a St. Louis native, a huge body, and has been a workout machine, spending extra time in the training room to make sure the 35-year-old is physically ready for the season. As much as the Rams struggled to stop the run last year, they didn’t sign the 330-pound Thomas before camp just to cut him.

Defensive ends Victor Adeyanju and C.J. Ah You played themselves onto the roster with a nice preseason finale. They hustled all over the field Thursday night, and both recorded sacks. Ah You led the team in tackles during the preseason.

Cornerback Quincy Butler, who helped himself out with an interception return for a touchdown against Kansas City, will get one of the remaining three spots.

Linebackers Quentin Culberson and Chris Chamberlain will complete the final 53.

I really like Cord Parks, Craig Dahl and David Roach, but there’s just no room for them on the final roster, and it doesn’t matter who I like. Still, look for a couple of those names to get added to the practice squad.

I’m not Devaney or Spagnuolo, but after watching training camp and the preseason games, I think I’ve got a pretty good pulse of what will happen this weekend. I guess we’ll see how much I actually knew come Saturday.

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