The 53 - Packers beat the Falcons at home

The Green Bay Packers held a slight edge all-time against the Atlanta Falcons, 15-13 (including playoffs) coming into their Week 14 match-up.  Before the season it looked like this game could be an NFC Championship Game preview.  Instead heading into the game the Packers were 5-6-1 while the Falcons were 3-9.

The Packers were without the services of starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers due to a broken collarbone for essentially the sixth game in a row so the Packers started Matt Flynn ahead of Scott Tolzien in hopes of getting their first victory of 2013 sans Rodgers, so far they've gone 0-4-1.

A family friend Brother Patrick gave me four tickets to the Packers/Falcons game but I was unable to attend what would have been my fourth Packer game of this season so my cousin Jim and his family used the tickets.  I hope that my family got to enjoy some of this pregame fun.

At kickoff the weather reminded me of two previous Packers/Falcons games.  On the negative side of the coin I thought of when the Michael Vick lead Falcons dealt the Packers their first playoff loss in franchise history at Lambeau Field (previously 13-0) beating the Packers 27-7.  I watched that playoff loss at a bar in Florida with Fernando, Gaber, and Sug after we had just drove straight from Chicago to my parent's place in Punta Gorda, FL.  On the positive side of the coin I thought of the last NFL game ever played at County Stadium in Milwaukee on December 18, 1994 when Brett Favre rushed for a touchdown on the last play of the game to give the Packers a 21-17 victory over the Falcons.

The inactives for the Packers against the Falcons were: Kahlil Bell (RB, healthy scratch), Chris Harper (WR, healthy scratch), Marshall Newhouse (T, healthy scratch), Nate Palmer (LB, healthy scratch), Aaron Rodgers (QB, broken collarbone), C.J. Wilson (DL, ankle), and Jerel Worthy (DL, healthy scratch).

The Packers won the toss and elected to defer to the second half, which gave the Falcons the ball to start the game.  The Falcons put together a good drive setting up a 4th and 2 at the Green Bay 35 yard-line but for some reason Falcons head coach Mike Smith decided to punt. Given that the Falcons were 3-9, it seemed like a gutless call.  What do the Falcons have to loss in that situation?  The Packers capitalized on the following possession scoring a touchdown on an impressive 18 play, 86-yard drive that resulted in a one yard touchdown run by rookie running back Eddie Lacy.  One footnote to the opening touchdown drive for the Packers, it was kept alive by a defensive holding penalty by rookie linebackers Paul Worrilow.

The Falcons evened the score 7-7 in the second quarter on a 36-yard catch and run by wide receiver Drew Davis for a touchdown.  Packers middle linebacker Brad Jones failed to get home on a blitz on that play so Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan was able to hang in the pocket and connect with Davis right in the spot where Jones would have been if he was not blitzing.  I feel like a broken record but it seems like every time the Packers blitz a middle linebacker, whether its Jones or A.J. Hawk, neither seem to get home.  Oddly both of those players struggle to cover tight ends and running backs as well.  I guess damned if you do, damned if you don't with Hawk and Jones.

Following the touchdown the Packers took over at their own 23 yard-line.  Lacy did not pick up the blitz on the first play from scrimmage and Flynn was sacked by Falcons safety William Moore.  Flynn fumbled the ball and Falcons recovered at the Green Bay 13 yard-line.  The Falcons turned that great field position into a touchdown to go up 14-7 thanks to a short touchdown catch by Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez with safety Morgan Burnett totally burned by the play fake on that play.

On the following drive the Packers put together a nice drive that resulted in field goal to make the score 14-10.  Based on a few throws on that drive Flynn still looks shaky throwing deep.  On the following series the Packers defense finally got a stop to give the Packers the ball with 2:20 left in the half.  After the Packers moved the ball fairly well on offense, it looked like their playoff hopes were flushed down the toilet when on a pick-six gave the Falcons a 21-10 lead.  The pick-six was set-up by an errant throw by Flynn looking to hit fullback John Kuhn that was kicked into the air by Worrilow.  Falcons linebacker Sean Witherspoon caught the kicked ball and returned it 71-yards for a touchdown.

The Packers got the ball back down 21-10 on their own 32-yard line with 23 seconds left in the first half.  Packers head coach Mike McCarthy actually had the offense run plays instead of kneeling.  Lacy got hurt on the third and final play called by McCarthy.  I know Lacy can get hurt on any play but I would rather see the Packers only expose Lacy when there is a remote chance that they can score, which is not an inside hand-off on 3rd and 10 from their own 32-yard line with a few seconds in the half.  Thus the Packers went into halftime on quite a sour note with the fans actually booing and me speculating that McCarthy should replace Flynn with Tolzien.

Leaving the playoff implications aside, it is too bad that the game was going so bad at halftime because the Packers honored recent NFL Hall of Fame inductee linebacker Dave Robinson.  Robinson teared up a couple times during the classy ceremony lead by former Packer center and Packer radio commentator Larry McCarren.  Robinson seemed really touched by the whole event based on his post-game interview.

Following Robinson's ceremony, the second half started with a whimper for both teams as the Packers and Falcons traded three-and-outs.  On the next drive, the Packers got into field goal range thanks to an impressive 46-yard pitch and catch between Flynn and wide receiver Jordy Nelson.  If Flynn would have hit Nelson in stride that probably would have been a touchdown. You know any time that I can get in a criticism of McCarthy, I seize the opportunity.  I would have gone for it when McCarthy decided to attempt a field goal on 4th and 3 at the Atlanta 15.  Place kicker Mason Crosby converted the 33-yard field goal to pull the Packers within eight points at 21-13 but my thinking was that the Packers would only get into the red zone a few more times given Flynn's inability to drive the ball down the field.

The Packers defense had another nice stop on the next drive but the offense was only able to muster another field goal on the next drive to cut the score to 21-16.   The Packers have struggled to convert red zone opportunities into touchdowns all season but I would bet that Rodgers converts at least one of the two field goal drives just discussed into touchdowns.

As the 4th quarter started, Fox flashed a stat that the Packers defense has given up 107 points in 4th quarter this season, which is the most in the NFL...yikes.  Luckily the Packers clamped down when outside linebacker Mike Neal stripped Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan and Packers defensive lineman Johnny Jolly recovered the fumble.

The Packers took over at the Atlanta 21 yard-line with 13:50 remaining in the game and the Packers trailed the Falcons by five points.  That drive resulted in a nice touchdown catch by tight end Andrew Quarless to make the score 22-21.  McCarthy made the right decision going for two but made the wrong play call trying to run a fade route to wide receiver James Jones that fell incomplete.  I would have liked to see a run in that situation given the fact that the Packers have a wrecking ball in the backfield in Lacy.  The touchdown and missed two-point conversion put the Packers up 22-21 with 12 minutes to play.

On the next drive the Falcons missed a 52-yard field goal by two yards.  On the play before the kick Jolly tackled running back Jason Snelling for two yard loss, which you could argue was the difference between the Packers leading 22-21 and going down 24-22 given how close the Falcons were on their field goal attempt.

On the next drive the Packers couldn't get anything going so they went three-and-out.  Following a punt by the Packers, the Falcons got the ball back at their own 17 yard-line with 4:38 left in the game.  On that drive the Packers lost Brad Jones to an injury.  On the following play the Packers lost Jolly and Jones's replacement middle linebacker Jamari Lattimore, which forced the Packers to play cornerback/safety Jarrett Bush in the dime for the rest of the game.

The Falcons moved the ball a little but coming out of the two minute warning the Falcons faced a 4th and 5 from the Green Bay 33 yard-line.  Instead of attempting a 50-yard field goal, the Falcons went for it.  Ryan found Gonzalez for a first down but Gonzalez dropped the ball with Bush covering him.  It looked like Gonzalez should have caught Ryan's pass despite Bush's blanket coverage.

That meant the Packers got the ball back with 1:55 remaining in the game up 22-21.  Following three runs by Lacy, the Packers were forced to punt with a little less than a minute remaining in the game.  After a perfect punt by Tim Mastay, the gunners for the Packers Bush and cornerback Davon House tried to get out of the way instead of attempting to down the ball on the one yard-line because their momentum most likely would pushed the ball into the end zone for a touchback.  Falcons punt returner Robert McClain picked up the ball and returned it eight yards to give the Falcons the ball with no timeouts and 46 seconds on the clock at their own 9 yard-line.

After picking up 48 yards through the air on a couple plays that could have been more if Falcons wide receiver Harry Douglas did not drop a simple catch to get the Falcons in field goal range, the Falcons faced a 3rd and 10 from their own 40 yard-line.  Ryan went to Douglas again but he was triple covered. Bush intercepted Ryan's pass to give the Packers their first win in six games, which means that the Packers have gone 363 games since their last six-game winless streak, the 4th longest in NFL history.

I've linked to as many plays above as I could from Packers.com, click here for the full highlights of the Packers/Falcons game.  Thanks to their win over the Falcons, the Packers won their 14th consecutive regular season game at Lambeau Field in December/January.  That streak started on Sunday, December 28, 2008 with a 31-21 win over the Detroit Lions to finish the 2008 regular season 6-10 in Rodgers's first season as the starter for the Packers.  That is sort of a hallow streak though because the Packers lost to the New York Giants two seasons ago at home in the playoffs.  Papa Cheese and I attended that game in-person so that sad 37-20 loss on Sunday, January 15, 2012 is seared in my memory.  I actually got to talk with McCarren for a few minutes following the Packers/Giants game and he seemed just as bummed as me, which made the loss a little more palatable for me.

The win for the Packers means they improved to 6-6-1.  The Lions lost on the road in a snow globe to the Philadelphia Eagles to drop to 7-6.  The 6-6 Chicago Bears host the 7-5 Dallas Cowboys on Monday Night Football.  Even if the Bears beat the Cowboys, the Packers will only trail the Bears and Lions by 1/2 game with three games to play.  Here are my updated rankings for The 53 following the Packers/Falcons game:

The 53

1. Aaron Rodgers (QB, LR 1) 2. Clay Matthews (OLB, LR 2)  3. Jordy Nelson (WR, LR 3) 4. Eddie Lacy (RB, LR 7) 5. B.J. Raji (DL, LR 8) 6. T.J. Lang (G, LR 4) 7. Morgan Burnett (S, LR 5) 8. Josh Sitton (G, LR 6) 9. Evan Dietrich-Smith (C, LR 11) 10. James Jones (WR, LR 9) 11. David Bakhtiari (T, LR 10) 12. Sam Shields (CB, LR 13) 13. Mike Daniels (DL, LR 12) 14. Tramon Williams (CB, LR 14) 15. Don Barclay (T, LR 16) 16. Nick Perry (OLB, LR 17) 17. Brad Jones (MLB, LR 15) 18. A.J. Hawk (MLB, LR 18) 19. Davon House (CB, LR 19) 20. Micah Hyde (CB, LR 21) 21. Datone Jones (DL, LR 20) 22. Jarrett Boykin (WR, LR 22) 23. Tim Masthay (P, LR 23) 24. Mike Neal (DL/OLB, LR 24) 25. Johnny Jolly (DL, LR 25) 26. Jerel Worthy (DE, LR 28) 27. Ryan Pickett (DL, LR 26) 28. Mason Crosby (K, LR 27) 29. Matt Flynn (QB, LR 30) 30. Jamari Lattimore (LB, LR 29) 31. Derek Sherrod (T, LR 37) 32. Jarrett Bush (CB, LR 31) 33. Brett Goode (LS, LR 35) 34. Andrew Quarless (TE, LR 38) 35. James Starks (RB, LR 34) 36. Sean Richardson (S, LR 43) 37. Scott Tolzien (QB, LR 32) 38. M.D. Jennings (S, LR 33) 39. Brandon Bostick (TE, LR 40) 40. John Kuhn (FB, LR 36) 41. Ryan Taylor (TE, LR 42) 42. Josh Boyd (DL, LR 49) 43. C.J. Wilson (DL, LR 41) 44. Chris Banjo (S, LR 39) 45. Andy Mulamba (LB, LR 44) 46. Myles White (WR, LR 46) 47. Lane Taylor (G, LR 47) 48. Jake Stoneburner (TE, LR 48) 49. Victor Aiyewa (LB, LR 51) 50. Marshall Newhouse (T, LR 50) 51. Nate Palmer (LB, LR 52)  52. Chris Harper (WR, LR 53) 53. Kahlil Bell (RB, LR N/A)

Physically Unable to Perform

1. JC Tretter (T)

IR, Designated for Return

1. Randall Cobb (WR)

Injured Reserve

1. Jermichael Finley (TE) 2. Bryan Bulaga (T) 3. Casey Hayward (CB, LR 16) 4. DuJuan Harris (RB) 5. Jonathan Franklin (RB) 6. Robert Francois (MLB) 7. Greg Van Roten (C/G) 8. Sam Barrington (LB) 9. Seneca Wallace (QB) 10. James Nixon (CB, LR 53) 11. Kevin Dorsey (WR) 12. Sederrik Cunningham (WR)

Cut

1. Jeremy Ross (WR, Lions) 2. Jerron McMillian (S, free agent) 3. Michael Hill (RB, Buccaneers)

3) Jordy Nelson (WR, LR 3): After wearing a green Donald Driver #80 jersey since 2010, Cheesehead Chick broke in her new jersey for the Packers/Falcons game...a green Jordy Nelson #87 jersey.  Nelson caught four passes for 85 yards, which is much better than last time Cheesehead Chick broke-in a new jersey.  I was excited for Cheesehead Chick to get a jersey so we snagged her the aforementioned Driver jersey from the Packers Pro Shop.  That game, Week 7 of the 2010 season at home against the Vikings, Driver broke his 133 game streak with at least one reception.  Luckily Cheesehead Chick was a not a cooler for Nelson like she was for Driver.

4) Eddie Lacy (RB, LR 7): Going into the game the the Falcons allowed a 100-yard rusher in nine consecutive games.  Although the Packers broke that streak, Lacy still had 20 carries for 65 yards and a touchdown.  Lacy also had three receptions for 25 yards.  Lacy has a great combination of patience and violent running style, which makes him a handful for defenses.  I wanted to get a Lacy jersey much earlier this season when I attended the Packers/Browns game but was unable to procure the jersey back in October.  I am very superstitious about what I wear for Packer games so I am happy to be 1-0 wearing the Lacy jersey.

9) Evan Dietrich-Smith (C, LR 11): A knee injury knocked EDS out of the Packers' Thanksgiving loss to the Lions, which was complicated by the fact that he sprained his ankle in practice earlier this week.  Luckily EDS was healthy enough to play against the Falcons because the Packers do not have another true center on The 53 given that right guard T.J. Lang filled in at center against the Philadelphia Eagles for the first time in his career.  The Falcons registered five sacks against the Packers but at least a few of those sacks are on Flynn's inability to get the ball out.  Given the offensive line struggles the last few weeks, can you imagine how things would have been sans EDS?

25) Johnny Jolly (DL, LR 25): Following Jolly's fumble recovery, Cheesehead Chick actually asked if Jolly lost weight.  I honestly think that is the first time in my entire life I've ever heard someone ask whether Jolly lost weight.  Leaving the weight discussion aside, it looks like Jolly is finally healthy again so he is starting to wreak havoc in the backfield again.  As I discussed a few weeks back, the Packers have four defensive lineman including Jolly that are set to be free agents this off-season.  Given Jolly's off-the-field issues, I think that makes him the most cost-effective option but I actually see Jolly getting more than the three-year, $7.5 million with $2 million guaranteed than I projected just a few weeks back.  If Jolly continues to play like he did against the Falcons.

29) Matt Flynn (QB, LR 30): The Packers ran a fair amount of no-huddle on offense against the Falcons.  As I discussed the way the Packers handled the last few minutes of the first half above, it seems like Flynn is not able to execute the no-huddle when it matters though.  Leaving aside the 46-yard hook-up between Flynn and Nelson, I still question whether Flynn can consistently drive the ball down field.  Flynn finished 24 for 32 throwing for 258 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception for a 95.6 passer rating in what I hope is Flynn's last snap for the Packers.

32) Jarrett Bush (CB, LR 31): The Falcons receivers did Ryan no favors with 5 drops but even factoring in the drops, I was nervous to see Bush playing in crunch time due to injuries to Jones and Lattimore. Bush had his best coverage of the day on the interception that sealed the victory for the Packers.  As I've said many times, it is never good to see Bush on the field on defense but he actually played fairly well when thrust into duty following all the injuries the Packers suffered on defense.

34) Andrew Quarless (TE, LR 38): Six catches for 66 yards and a touchdown is clearly Quarless's best game as a Packer but those performances have been the exception to the rule as opposed to the norm throughout his career in Green Bay.  Two other tight ends on The 53 added two catches a piece against the Falcons: Bostick for 28 yards and Taylor for seven yards.  Collectively that gave the Packers 10 catches for 101 yards and a touchdown, which is the type of production the Packers need to get out of the tight end position from one guy not three guys combined. Taylor is a core special teams player so his position is safe.  The big question is whether Bostick can become the athletic hybrid tight end/wide receiver the Packers think they have in Bostick.  If Bostick can become that guy, the Packers might low-ball Quarless this off-season or even let him walk.

36) Sean Richardson (S, LR 43): I've discussed a number of times in this space how I see Richardson's physical abilities making him a difference maker at safety.  After M.D. Jennings struggled in the first half against the Falcons, it looked like Richardson got an extended look in the second half when the defense as a whole looked much better.  My guess is that Richardson is the starter opposite Morgan Burnett at safety for the foreseeable future with Jennings and Chris Banjo serving as backups.

The Packers are 1-4-1 since Rodgers broke his collarbone on the first offensive series against the Bears on Monday Night Football on November 4, 2013.  The Packers go on the road next week to face the Dallas Cowboys on December 15, 2013 in the same stadium that Rodgers and Company won Super Bowl XLV over the Pittsburgh Steelers.  The original prognosis was that Rodgers would be out four to six weeks.  The Packers/Cowboys game would be the outer edge of six weeks.  Based on Rodgers waiting till Friday to be declared out against the Falcons this week, the hope is that another week will allow his collarbone to fully heal. Given that the Packers are right in the middle of the face to win the NFC North, the speculation all week will be whether Rodgers is healthy enough to help the Packers on their stretch run to the playoffs.

Check back if there are any changes to The 53, otherwise make sure to catch Monday Night Football tonight when the Cowboys visit the Bears because those are two of the final three opponents the Packers face to close the 2013 regular season.

2012 Wildcard Round Playoff Review of Packers/Vikings

The weekend got off to a great start Friday afternoon with an unprecedented hour long conference call with Mark Murphy, the President of the Green Bay Packers.  Obviously this is catnip to a Packer fan like me but being as objective as possible, it was nice to hear Murphy field fan questions while having an open and honest discussion about the state of the organization.

Cheesehead Chick, Dre, Tessa, Nick, Sug, and me left Chicago early Saturday morning.  We snagged Gaber, The Burban (aka The Seamonster's grandpa), and some tasty sausages in Milwaukee then headed for Graceland.  After a quick stop at the Aloft Green Bay to check into the hotel and throw on a couple extra layers, we hopped back into The Burban to choose the proper tailgating spot by Lambeau Field.

Green Bay has to be one of the only towns that actually encourages parking and tailgating in yards around the stadium.  We decided not to tailgate in a yard since we were leaving our car overnight.  We had a great set-up of bags, rum apple cider, and plenty of tasty treats.  As expected, it was super cold at the tailgate but that didn't damper any of the fun.  A fellow tailgater dropped their ticket and was unable to find it until we got Dre on the case to save the day.  All of this happened as rumors spread that the Vikings were going to start Joe Webb instead of Christan Ponder at quarterback.  There was talk of Webb possibly playing because Ponder was banged up but no actually thought Ponder would be inactive.  About 90 minutes before kickoff the official word spread that Ponder was inactive so Webb started at quarterback for the Vikings.

The Vikings lost 10 of their last 12 trips to Green Bay.  If more Vikings fans were being honest, they knew that number was going to extend to 11 of their last 13 when Webb was named the starting quarterback.  Here are "10 Things I Think I Think" (trademark Peter King) about the Packers' 24 to 10 win over the Vikings:

#1) The Packers spread the ball around through the air so it is hard for any one guy to rack up a ton of rushing yards (lack of opportunities) or receiving yards (too many options).  That's why despite Rodgers throwing for more than 4,000 yards, he did not have a 1,000 yard receiver.  The Packers' leading receiver in the regular season was Randall Cobb with 954 yards and their leading rusher was Alex Green with 464 yards.  That makes the 2012 Packers the 3rd playoff team (1986 Kansas City Chiefs and 1991 New Orleans Saints) in the last 30 years without a 1,000 yard receiver or 500 yard rusher in the regular season.  Case and point, Rodgers tied an NFL playoff record by completing a pass to 10 different players against the Vikings: Randall Cobb (1 catch for 7 yards), Tom Crabtree (1 catch for 10 yards), Jermichael Finley (1 catch for 10 yards), Ryan Grant (1 catch for 16 yards), DuJuan Harris (5 catches for 53 yards), Greg Jennings (4 catches for 61 yards), James Jones (4 catches for 51 yards), John Kuhn (2 catches for 15 yards & a TD), Jordy Nelson (3 catches for 51 yards), and Ryan Taylor (1 catch for 0 yards).  Too bad tight end D.J. Williams or running back Alex Green couldn't snag a pass (wide receivers Jarrett Boykin and Donald Driver were inactive) to give Rodgers the record of completing a pass to 11 (or 12) different receivers in a playoff game.  For the day, Rodgers completed 22 of 33 passes for 274 yards and a touchdown.

#2) The captains for the game were Aaron Rodgers (QB) and James Jones (WR) on offense, Clay Matthews (LB) and Charles Woodson (CB) on defense, and Jarrett Bush (DB) and Jamari Lattimore (LB) on special teams.  All of those make sense to me, especially Jones since he was exceptional all season.  I was way off the mark when I said he was the 4th most overpaid on the roster before the season.  The Packers won the toss but decided to defer.  That was a curious decision because the Vikings scored 6 times when they received the ball to open a game in 2012, 3rd highest in the NFL.

#3) I am an unabashed Woodson fan, I wear his jersey for every game so I thought it was great to have him back in the lineup with his new scary looking face mask.  I know Woodson's cap number for next season might mean I witnessed his last home game in Green Bay unless the Packers beat the 49ers and the Seahawks beat the Falcons to set-up a Packers/Seahawks NFC Championship Game in Green Bay.  That said, the Packers need to come up with a way to keep Woodson around for next season.  Sure Woodson is a step slower and is getting handsier in coverage than a horny 13-year old boy with a chance to touch his first boob, but with how well Woodson tackles and creates turnovers (2012 excluded), the Packers can ill afford to cut Woodson.

#4) The Packers dominated the Vikings in the first half amassing 239 total yards (197 passing and 42 rushing) to merely 97 total yards (91 rushing and 6 passing) to take a 17-3 lead thanks in large part to scoring on their last possession of the half.  If there was any doubt whether the Packers were going to win, they got the ball to start the second half and lead a methodical drive that was extended by the Vikings having too many people on the field for a Mason Crosby field goal attempt that ended in a Kuhntang (trademark Pat Leo) receiving touchdown to extend their lead to 24-3.  Kuhntang became the 5th player in NFL history (Earnest Byner, Emmitt Smith, Ricky Watters, and Thurman Thomas) to score a rushing and receiving touchdown in two playoff games.  The Packers perfectly executing the "Double-Up" (scoring in the last possession of the first half and first possession of the second half) put the game out of reach.  A 21 point deficit on the road is tough to overcome with less than two quarters of football to play, especially for a team without a quarterback that can actually complete passes down field.

#5) Speaking of Webb, he joined Roger Staubach (1972 Cowboys), Gary Danielson (1983 Lions), and Frank Reich (1992 Bills) as the only quarterbacks since 1950 to start a postseason game without starting a regular season game.  What made the Webb start even more remarkable is that he is the only one of those four not to at least throw a pass in the preceding regular season (took three snaps: two hand-offs and a kneel down).  Joe Webb is clearly an athletic guy but he struggles throwing the ball, which is a deal breaker when you play quarterback.  Usually when the starting quarterback struggles, fans want to see the backup quarterback play.  Oddly with how well Ponder played towards the end of the season, Vikings fans were finally clamoring for Ponder instead of Webb.  To be fair, part of the reason Webb struggled was the presence of Clay Matthews who got a strip sack in the first half and a strip sack in the second half.  In the defense of Webb, even if Ponder was healthy and played his best, I am not sure the Vikings would have won anyhow.

#6) Sad to see wide receiver Donald Driver as a healthy scratch in a home playoff game since rookie linebacker Terrell Manning was needed to play special teams.  The Packers have an embarrassment of riches at wide receiver and tight end now but that could change this off-season with the likely departure of Driver, Jennings, and possibly Finley.  Cheesehead Chick wears a #80 jersey, which will sadly be assigned to another receiver as early as next year since this looks like Driver's last season as a player in Green Bay.  I wish the Packers would retire #80 as a joint James Lofton and Donald Driver jersey.  The Green Bay Packer Wide Receiver Mount Rushmore is currently Driver, Don Hudson, Lofton, and Sterling Sharpe.  If there is a way to simultaneously honor two of those four guys by joint retiring #80, I am totally on board.  The Packers have the option to do that with #36 as a joint LeRoy Butler and Nick Collins jersey as well.  Trust me, I know both will never happen, but something fun to think about.

#7) After gashing the Packers for 409 yards on 55 carries and 2 touchdowns in their two previous meetings, Adrian Peterson had the quietest 99 rushing yards in NFL playoff history.  The only other running back that the Packers gave up more than 100 yards rushing to this season was Week 1 to Frank Gore of the San Francisco 49ers.  If I had an MVP vote, there is no question that I would vote for Peterson over Peyton Manning.  I have so much respect for Peterson that he is my favorite non-Packer in the NFL.  In fact I admire what Peterson does so much that I would trade him straight up for any player on the roster besides Rodgers, Matthews, and Raji.  I am not sure the Vikings would trade Peterson for anyone on the Packers' roster besides Rodgers.

#8) Head coach Mike McCarthy is making his 5th playoff appearance in 7 seasons.  With a win over the Vikings, McCarthy improved his playoff record to 6-3.  My biggest gripe with McCarthy is his in-game adjustments.  There is no doubt that McCarthy has an innovative passing offense that already resulted in winning one Super Bowl, but let's not forget that he's had Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers as his quarterbacks the last seven season.  Part of the blame might be on general manager Ted Thompson but if the Packers aren't throwing the ball well, they can't run the ball.  Although running back DuJuan Harris has given the Packers a 2010 James Starks-esque spark towards the end of the season, McCarthy refuses to commit to the run, which has already hurt the Packers twice in the playoffs against the Giants and could be problematic next week against the 49ers.

#9) Hard to believe it took eight seasons (drafted by Packers on April 23, 2005 to January 5, 2013) for Aaron Rodgers to get his first home playoff win.  Rodgers has the highest all-time regular season passer rating (104.9 ahead of Steve Young @ 96.8 and Tom Brady @ 96.6), post-season passer rating (105.5 ahead of Bart Starr @ 104.8 and Drew Brees @ 104.2), a Super Bowl Ring, a Super Bowl MVP, and a league MVP that all happened before ever winning a home playoff game.  The Packers missed the playoffs in Rodgers's first season as the starting quarterback in 2008, lost @ Arizona in 2009, won the Super Bowl XLV in 2010 (won @ Philadelphia, @ Atlanta, @ Chicago, and @ Dallas beat the Steelers), lost in Green Bay to the Giants in 2011, and beat the Vikings in Green Bay so Rodgers is now 4-1 on the road and 1-1 at home in the playoffs.  I have a hard time believing that Rodgers finishes with less than a touchdown of home playoff wins for his career, but I would never have guessed it would take this long to notch his first.

#10) I can't say enough about Sug and the Aloft Green Bay.  Getting tickets actually wasn't all that cost prohibitive, we payed slightly over face value to have great seats.  Since it was a 7 pm kickoff, getting hotel accommodations was the bigger issue.  Sug stepped up in a big way using Starwood reward points to book us rooms.  When we got back to the hotel I asked the front desk what time the pool was open until.  I thought they would give the usual answer of 10 pm but was shocked when they said it is open 24 hours. Talk about a novel idea.  I get the potential liability of keeping the pool open 24 hours but there is really no better way to celebrate a playoff win than drinking beers in the hot tub.  One final kudos to Aloft Green Bay, a staff member checked in on us around 3 am.  Despite us goofing around and openly sucking down beers, he gave us no heat whatsoever.

Next up, the Packers travel to San Francisco for a Divisional Round match-up against the 49ers.  The Packers are 4-1 in playoff games played at Candlestick Park, possibly the most outdated stadium in the NFL.  Their only loss was the missed Jerry Rice fumble game aka the T.O. "Crying Catch" game.  Let's hope the Packers can avenge their embarrassing loss to the 49ers in Green Bay to start the 2012 regular season with a playoff win in San Francisco.

2012 Green Bay Packers Roster 2.0

As I've said many times, I am never shy about giving my thoughts on what Green Bay Packers general manager Ted Thompson and company should do with the 53-man roster and the 8-man practice squad.  With one preseason game in the books since my 2012 Green Bay Packers Roster 1.0 post some things have actually changed.  The Packers signed two veterans (Reggie Wells and Cedric Benson) instead of relying on rookies.   Based on what I've seen so far, here are my updated thoughts on what the 53-man roster and 8-man practice squad should look for the 2012 Green Bay Packers:

Quarterback (2): Aaron Rodgers and Graham Harrell
Analysis: Harrell looked okay at best in the first preseason game against the Chargers.  This bolsters what I chatted with Bob McGinn about recently, I am not sure why the Packers don't offer the Cleveland Browns a conditional 6th round draft pick for Colt McCoy.  I get what McGinn is saying about head coach Mike McCarthy wanting to all QB's players in his "vaunted" quarterback camp but based on the way Harrell played versus the Chargers, it looks like he hasn't learned too much.  McCoy is not a long-term answer at the quarterback spot, nor are the Packers looking for anyone besides Rodgers to take snaps at QB in the regular season, but McCoy gives the Packers a better chance to win than Harrell if Rodgers (God forbid) got hurt.

Running Back (4): Cedric Benson, James Starks, Alex Green, and Brandon Saine
Analysis: I would much rather take a flyer on Benson than have to see Ryan Grant carry the ball even one more time for the Packers so yes, I support the decision to sign Benson instead of Grant.

Fullback (1): John Kuhn
Analysis: The Packers no longer lineup in a traditional I-Formation, which doesn't put Kuhn's roster spot in jeopardy but will dramatically curtail his snap count as a true fullback in 2012.

Tight End (4): Jermichael Finley, D.J. Williams, Ryan Taylor, and Tom Crabtree
PUP (1): Andrew Quarless
Keep: Analysis: If Quarless was healthy the Packers would probably keep five tight ends for the second year in a row.  Unfortunately Quarless suffered a gruesome injury at the end of 2011 so now his chances of playing in 2012 are in jeopardy.

Wide Receiver (5): Greg Jennings, Jordy Nelson, Donald Driver, James Jones, and Randall Cobb
Analysis: I floated a random theory recently to my buddy UP that Donald Driver winning Dancing With the Stars helped secure his roster spot with the Packers for 2012.  Don't get me wrong, general manager Ted Thompson is the last guy in the world to bow to public pressure.  Cutting Driver before winning Dancing With the Stars would have been a PR nightmare but after Drive won Dancing With the Stars it became virtually impossible.  Finally with all due respect to every wide receiver currently on the roster, Driver is still currently the third best receiver behind Jennings and Nelson.  Cobb may be better in 2013 or 2014 but Driver is still a better wide receiver in 2012.

Tackle (4): Bryan Bulaga, Marshall Newhouse, Reggie Wells, and Andrew Datko
Pup (1): Derek Sherrod
Analysis: It must have absolutely killed Thompson to sign Reggie Wells because he is a 10-year veteran at the ripe old age of 31, which is 10 years older than the free agents he normally signs.  With all the injuries the Packers have at tackle in Newhouse (concussion) and Sherrod (recovering from a broken leg), it gave Herb Taylor a chance to earn a roster spot.  Unfortunately Taylor struggled against the Chargers to prove that he is not the answer at left tackle so they might as well give Wells (Reggie not Scott) and Datko a shot.  If both Wells and Datko struggle, the Packers might be forced to move Bulaga to left tackle if Newhouse and Sherrod are still out with injuries.

Guard (3): Josh Sitton, T.J. Lang, and Ray Dominguez
Analysis: Since Lang recently signed to a long-term extension, the Packers have both of their guards locked up long-term to give them their most stable offensive guard combo since Marco Rivera and Mike Whale left town.

Center (2): Jeff Saturday and Even Dietrich-Smith
Analysis: ESPN put Jeff Saturday in a horrible spot asking whether he would rather snap the ball to Peyton Manning or Aaron Rodgers during the Packers/Chargers preseason game.  I am glad that Saturday dodged the questions because the obvious answer is Manning but that would have been selling out the guy that currently fondles his butt.

Defensive End (3): Jerel Worthy, C.J. Wilson, and Jarius Wynn
Suspended (2): Anthony Hargrove and Mike Neal
Analysis: When the Packers drafted Jerel Worthy I immediately started hoping Worthy would morph into Cullen Jenkins 2.0.  I understand that is a tall order but if Worthy can give 100% effort instead of 75% like he did in college, I expect him to be a big contributor in 2012.

Defensive Tackle (4): B.J. Raji, Ryan Pickett, Mike Daniels, and Daniel Muir
Analysis: The only guaranteed defensive line roster spots are Raji, Pickett, and Worthy.  After that the name of the game is versatility.  That gives a guy like Daniels and Muir a leg up because they look like they can play any spot along the defensive line.

Outside Linebacker (5): Clay Matthews, Nick Perry, Erik Walden, Brad Jones, and Frank Zombo
Analysis: Much like Worthy, because of draft position alone, the Packers are going to give Perry every chance to win a starting spot on defense.  If the Packers go 1-for-2 on Perry and Worthy for 2012, I will be happy.  Assuming Rodgers is healthy all season, if the Packers go 2-for-2 on Perry and Worthy in 2012, you might as well stamp their ticket to Super Bowl XLVII in New Orleans. 

Middle Linebacker (4): D.J. Smith, A.J. Hawk, Robert Francois, and Jamari Lattimore
Analysis: Despite being an all-around good guy, at the start of training camp, I would have totally supported the Packers cutting the Business H.J. (A.J. Hawk) and letting Smith, Manning, and Lattimore fight for the other starting linebacker spots opposite Desmond Bishop.  Unfortunately it looks like Bishop is out for the year, now the Packers are going to not only have to keep Hawk but hope he has a career year.

Cornerback (5): Tramon Williams, Sam Shields, Davon House, Casey Hayward, and Jarrett Bush
Analysis: 2011 was not kind to Williams (injured shoulder), Shields (inconsistent play), and House (injured) so hopefully they can all turn over a new page in 2012.  If they do, with the addition of Hayward, the Packers actually look stacked at cornerback for the first tie in a long time.
 
Safety (4): Charles Woodson, Morgan Burnett, Jerron McMillian, and M.D. Jennings
Analysis: Thanks to absolutely no pass rush in 2011, the Packers were absolutely sieve-like in yielding the most passing yards in NFL history.  Not sure the combo of Woodson and Burnett will stymie that trend though unless Claymaker and Company can get after the quarterback better.

Specialists (3): Mason Crosby (K), Tim Masthay (P), and Brett Goode (LS)
Analysis: Absent injury the Packers are set at kicker, punter, and long snapper for the next five years.

Practice Squad (8): B.J. Coleman (QB), Marc Tyler (RB), Tori Gurley (WR), Shaky Smithson (WR), Sampson Genus (C), Dezman Moses (OLB), Terrell Manning (MLB), and Anthony Levine (S)
Analysis: Normally the Packers have a stacked practice squad but this year it feels a little down becausesome guys have yet to back-up their promise (Genus and Levine) while other rookies (Moses and Manning) don't look ready for the big time yet.

The Packers host the Cleveland Browns on Thursday in a game that will go a long way towards determining some of the position battles and roster spots mentioned above. Check back tomorrow to read my quick thoughts on the Packers/Browns preseason game and next Wednesday to see my updated predictions for who should make the 53-man roster and 8-man practice squad.

2012 Preseason Week 1 - Packers/Chargers Review

Turnovers and penalties marred the start of the 2012 Green Bay Packers' march to Super Bowl XLVII.  We usually only get to see the starters for the first few series of the game in Week 1 of the preseason. As a result I expected to see sloppy play from the second and third stringers this week but the first-stringers were the ones that worried me the most.  Here are a few quick thoughts on the Week 1 Preseason game between the Packers and the Chargers:

#1) Player that hurt his stock most: Let's relax on replacing Donald Driver with the likes of Diondre Borel and Shaky Smithson.  I understand that the shadows were tricky in the Whales Vagina but if Borel and Smithson can't field balls cleanly on special teams in the preseason that does not make me confident that they are ready to do it when the games count.  Obviously Driver is no longer a special teams player but he does everything the Packers ask of him on the field and more importantly, off the field he is a legitimate veteran presence in the locker room that the Packers desperately need.  You want an indictment on Borel and Smithson, the Packers had stud returner Randall Cobb essentially fair catching punts in the 4th quarter instead of giving them more reps.

#2) Player that helped his stock most: With Charles Woodson not in uniform it gave the Packers a good chance to see what they have at cornerback and safety besides the mainstays (Woodson, Tramon Williams, and Morgan Burnett).  Davon House showed flashes of brilliance before getting hurt on special teams.  If House can stay healthy (huge if based on last season) and play that well in the regular season then we might be looking at Al Harris 2.0 not only aesthetically with the locks and the jersey number but with his play.  Casey Hayward was routinely victimized on defense while House played well so as long as House is healthy, look for him to push Sam Shields for playing time.

#3) Position to watch: With middle linebacker Desmond Bishop leaving the game with what looked like a serious knee injury, only half of the guys that will start defensively for the 2012 Green Bay Packers are set: B.J. Raji, Ryan Pickett, Claymaker, Tramon Williams, Charles Woodson, and Morgan Burnett.  Let's focus on linebacker, which looks like the spot with the most uncertainty where the Packers will most likely keep 10 guys.  The only locks to make the roster are Claymaker, Bishop (assuming he isn't lost for the season), Perry, and D.J. Smith.  Odds are that the Packers keep A.J. Hawk despite his bloated salary so that leaves eight guys for five spots.  There is still a ton of preseason left but if I had to guess today I would bet Erik Walden, Jamari Lattimore, Terrell Manning, Frank Zombo, and Dezman Moses make the team while Brad Jones, Robert Francois, and Vic So'oto will be cut.

Final Note: I don't know all the in's and out's of the labor negotiations between the NFL and the NFL referees but Roger Goodell needs to sort this out well before the start of the regular season.  It is downright crazy that NFL referees are not full-time NFL employees.  Obviously Goodell realizes that the referees are essentially the gatekeepers of a multi-billion industry right?  One way or another the real NFL referees better be presiding over the regular season games or the product on the field will suffer.

Defensive Free Agents that Ted Thompson Should Sign

Oddly there is not a ton to report from our first look at the 2012 Green Bay Packers.  The two biggest stories are that Donald Driver is in the fold for at least 2012 and that undrafted rookie outside linebacker Dezman Moses is turning some heads aka pulling a Shields/Zombo.

Leaving aside the decision to sign Jeff Saturday and lock down Donald Driver for 2012, the Packers usually error on the side of signing younger guys instead of older guys.  Despite drafting six defensive players with their first six picks in the 2012 NFL, the Packers could still use some veteran help defensive side of the ball.  Here are a couple of potential AARP candidates that Green Bay Packers general manager Ted Thompson should consider signing for 2012 for the veteran minimum:

Aubrayo Franklin (DT): After B.J. Raji and Ryan Pickett, nothing is settled along the defensive line.  There are defensive lineman headed for suspensions (Anthony Hargrove and Mike Neal), warm bodies at best (Daniel Muir, Philip Merling, C.J. Wilson, and Jarius Wynn) and rookies (Mike Daniels and Jerel Worthy). Since there are still holes along the defensive line, some of those could be plugged in a big way (no pun intended) by Franklin.

Andre Carter (OLB/DE) & Matt Roth (OLB/DE): As training camp opens the Packers will give Nick Perry, (LINK)their first round pick from the 2012 NFL Draft(LINK), every chance to win the job.  If Perry and the myriad of back-ups (Brad Jones, Jamari Lattimore, Dezman Moses, Vic So'oto, Erik Walden, and Frank Zombo) struggle the Packers should call Carter or Roth sooner rather than later since they desperately need some semblance of a pass rush opposite Claymaker.

Jim Leonhard (S): Assuming Leonhard can stay healthy for the year (huge assumption) you know you are going to get consistent, no-nonsense contributions from Leonhard.  That is exactly what the Packers need at safety because they have a bunch of question mark after they cut Nick Collins since all that leaves is a guy that never played the position (Charles Woodson if they move him to safety), an under-achiever (Charlie Peprah), an injury-riddled guy (Morgan Burnett), and a bunch of unknown NFL commodities (Anthony Levine, M.D. Jennings, and Jerron McMillian).  Add in that Leonhard was one of the best feel-good stories to come out of the University of Wisconsin in the last decade and a homecoming would be a fitting way to end his career.

I know the chances of the Packers even pondering signing Franklin, Carter, Roth, or Leonhard are small but any would be nice addition to the defense since they would help bring a veteran mix to a very young defense.


Related Posts:

- Wednesday What (Should) Happen - 2012 Green Bay Packers 1.0

Advice for Building 2012 Green Bay Packers for Ted Thomspon

I decided to change the format of my off-season advice for Green Bay Packers general manger Ted Thompson this year. Last year I went position-by-position. This year I am going to give a Thompson a 10-point plan for how to deal with players that were on the 2011 roster:

#10 - Wish Pat Lee (CB) good luck on his future endeavors: It is a coin toss between Ahmad Carroll and Pat Lee for the worst cornerback drafted in the last decade by the Packers. Carroll looks like the obvious choice since he was taken in the first round while Lee was taken in the second round but the Sherminator was dual coach and GM that decided to draft Carroll. The much maligned Lee was taken by the current regime and frankly I expect much more out of Thompson drunk than I do out of a sober Sherminator so I actually think Lee is a bigger bust. After one good college season at Auburn, Lee had four injury riddled seasons in Green Bay that caused me more pain than almost any other Packer defender besides Justin Harrell so please don't even attempt to resign Lee.

#9 - Resign Howard Green (DE/DT) to a short term contract: Since the Packers claimed Green off waivers from the Jets he has been a decent cog along the defensive line but weight has always been an issue. Offer Green a contract for a couple years with very low base salaries but high work out bonuses tied directly to Green's weight.

#8 - Let Ryan Grant (RB) and Erik Walden (OLB) test the free agent market: I expect the market to be soft for Grant (injury prone and hasn't had a 100-yard rushing game since X-mas '09) and Walden (production dropped off as he dealt with legal issues surrounding a domestic dispute where his girl friend changed her story). I am fine with the Packers resigning Grant or Walden for the league minimum with no real guaranteed money. Offering either of those guys any more than that seems foolish since there are better options on the roster at running back (Alex Green, Brandon Saine, and James Starks) and the Packers need to invest free agent money or a high draft pick at outside linebacker to help Claymaker.

#7 - Lock-up Jarrett Bush (ST) before free agency commences: Notice that I listed Bush as a special teams player not a cornerback or safety. Bush has cobbled together a pretty impressive special teams career and the Packers can ill afford to lose him. In baseball the old adage is, it only takes one team. Case and point, the Detroit Tigers signing Prince Fielder. By no means am I comparing Bush's worth to the Packers to Fielder's worth to the Brewers. Fortunately in the NFL, it is harder for teams to overpay players because there is a salary cap.

#6 - Don't even consider giving Matt Flynn the franchise tag: People want to point to the tag and trade deal Thompson did with Corey Williams but that is a totally different situation because the Packers could have kept Williams if they didn't find a suitable trade partner. That's not the case with Flynn because if the Packers placed the franchise tag on Flynn he would sign it before the team had a chance to announce the transaction. In the unlikely event that the Packers didn't trade Flynn they would be paying Flynn roughly $5 million more than Aaron Rodgers. Plus what can the Packers reasonably expect to get for Flynn, a second round pick? Don't forget that the Packers will get a compensatory pick for Flynn leaving via free agency that could be a third round compensatory pick in the 2013 NFL Draft. As a result it seems like there is a ton of expensive downside risk in tagging Flynn for getting a second round pick as opposed to a third pick so don't look for Thompson to franchise tag Flynn even if he works contracts with Scott Wells (C) and Jermichael Finley (TE).

#5 - Convince Chad Clifton (LT) to retire: As much as it pains me to say it, Clifton no longer deserves to be the starting left tackle in Green Bay. Marshall Newhouse (LT) had some trouble in 2011 but with that experience under his belt the outlook is much better for Newhouse at 20% the price of Clifton. Hopefully Clifton says that injuries have caught up with him and decides to leave on his "own volition" instead of forcing the Packers to cut him.

#4 - Rework Donald Driver's (WR) contract: With arguably the deepest group of wide receivers (Randall Cobb, Donald Driver, Greg Jennings, James Jones, and Jordy Nelson) in the NFL the Packers could just cut Driver and probably not miss a beat in terms of talent. Unfortunately talent is not the only factor in the equation for success. From an outsider's perspective, Driver is the glue that holds the wide receivers together. Obviously there are not enough balls to go around to keep everyone happy but if Driver pulls a LeRoy Butler and renegotiates to take less money in 2012 and 2013 he can continue to be the positive role model in the locker room the Packers desperately need.

#3 - Sign Jermichael Finley (TE): The Packers need to decide whether to break the bank for the 24-year freak of nature or come up with a short-term solution (franchise tag or short-term contract extension). I say either tag Finley or sign him to a short-term deal. Plus keep in mind that the NFL is poised for a huge revenue bump following the 2013 season so the salary cap will increase dramatically. That will allow the Packers to delay what they have to do with all their skill position players because at some point they will have to let some of their talented skill position players leave via free agency. Don't start that exodus with Finley though, delay it for at least a year or two until the salary cap jumps.

#2 - Sign Scott Wells (C): I would just say franchise tag Wells to buy another year to see if you can get a quality center in the draft (i.e. Wisconsin's Peter Konz) but the offensive line has a general franchise tag as opposed to specific position franchise tags. That makes no sense to me because there is a different franchise tag number for tight ends and wide receivers so there should be different franchise tag numbers for tackles, guards, and centers because tackles and guards artificially inflate the offensive line franchise tag number for centers. Since there is only a general offensive line franchise tag it doesn't make sense to tag Wells since that would cost the Packers $9 million in 2012. Plus this year is supposed to be one of deepest crops of free agent centers in years (Nick Hardwick, Dan Koppen, Chris Myers, and Samson Satele) so instead of waiting for the market to sort out, the Packers should stick with their loyal dance partner instead of dipping their toe into uncharted waters. Wells has been their most consistent Packers offensive lineman for almost the last decade. I hope Ted Thompson learned from failing to hold onto Cullen Jenkins last year and signs Wells even if it means signing Wells to a contract in the neighborhood of a five-years for $35 million.

#1 - Start talking about another contract extension for Aaron Rodgers (QB): Reggie White joined the Packers because of Brett Favre. With a Super Bowl ring and a league MVP trophy under his belt, Rodgers is entering the same stratosphere as Favre circa the mid-1990's. It might seem silly to re-negotiate with Rodgers now but the price is only going up for quarterbacks. Sure it might bristle some other guys in the locker room (i.e. Greg Jennings, Clay Matthews, or B.J. Raji) if the Packers take care of Rodgers first but the Packers are only going as far as Rodgers takes them so once they settle on another mega-extension with Rodgers they can start to take care of the rest of the roster.

Once the lockout was lifted last summer I gave Ted Thompson a free agent shopping guide. Although I plan to have a number of other Cheesehead sports post in between, make sure to check back in the middle of March for my 2012 free agent shopping guide for Ted Thompson.

2011 Madden Green Bay Packer Player Ratings

Tuesday, August 10, 2010 was the official release date of Madden 2011 by EA Sports. By the way, why is it called Madden 2011 instead of Madden 2010? Anyhow, the annual release of Madden is a special day for football and video game afficaiandos (like myself) around the world.

The annual Madden release leads to trash talking amongst NFL players. NFL players get so worked up about their ratings that they have gone so far as to petition EA Sports to improve their ratings. Here are some highlights from the 2011 Madden Green Bay Packer player ratings:

The 10 highest rated Green Bay Packers in Madden 2011 are:
- Charles Woodson: 97
- Aaron Rodgers: 94
- Nick Collins: 93
- Greg Jennings: 90
- Donald Driver: 89
- Ryan Grant: 88
- Nick Barnett: 87
- Cullen Jenkins: 87
- Clay Matthews: 86
- Jermichael Finley: 86

Ratings Jennings 90 and Nick Barnett 87 feels a little low, especially with Matthews and Finley getting a rating of 86. If you buy into all of the preseason hype, Rodgers should be a 99. Obviously I don't think Rodgers should be a 99 but with all the hype he is getting, 94 almost feels low.


The 10 lowest rated Green Bay Packers in Madden 2011 are:
- Marshall Newhouse: 64
- Will Blackmon: 63
- Jarrett Bush: 63
- Anthony Toribio: 63
- Spencer Havner: 62
- Justin Harrell: 62
- Jarius Wynn: 60
- Allen Barbre: 60
- Matt Flynn: 57
- Tim Masthay: 49

It is only fair that the lowest rated Packer is a punter, their punting game has been horrible since cutting Jon Ryan right before the start of the 2008 regular season. Besides that, even though Harrell has been hurt since entering the NFL there is no way he should be ranked behind Newhouse, Blackmon, Bush, and Toribio. I know I am splitting hairs over a 64 rating v. a 62 rating but this might be my last chance to give Harrell a backhanded compliment.


The 5 fastest Green Bay Packers in Madden 2011 are:
- Greg Jennings: 93
- Will Blackmon: 92
- Tramon Williams: 90
- Charles Woodson: 89
- Nick Collins: 89

Madden did not include Sam Shields on the Packers roster otherwise the Packers would have had at least one player with a 99 speed rating. Only having 3 players with a speed rating of 90 or higher is a little disconcerting though.


The 5 slowest Green Bay Packers in Madden 2011 are:
- Scott Wells: 58
- Evan Dietrich-Smith: 56
- Chad Clifton: 55
- Mark Tauscher: 52
- Jason Spitz: 52

No big surprises here, offensive lineman are almost always the slowest players on the team.


Only 6 Green Bay Packers had an awareness rating of 90 or higher in Madden 2011:
- Charles Woodson: 98
- Al Harris: 97
- Chad Clifton: 93
- Mark Tauscher: 91
- Greg Jennings: 90
- Donald Driver: 90

If I were in charge of the Madden franchise (I hope you are reading this EA Sports), Aaron Rodgers would have a 99 awareness rating solely for how well he handled the whole Brett Favre saga. Rodgers took a prominent leadership role in short order after taking over for a living legend in Green Bay. Add in that Rodgers is the closest thing to the perfect team player you will ever find in professional sports and Madden missed the boat on this one. There is no way that Rodgers should have an 84 awareness rating.


The Green Bay Packers with an awareness rating of lower than 50 in Madden 2011 are:
- Allen Barbre: 48
- Jarius Wynn: 46
- Anthony Toribio: 45
- Tim Masthay: 45
- Evan Dietrich-Smith: 45
- Andrew Quarless: 40
- James Starks: 37
- Marshall Newhouse: 37
- Morgan Burnett: 29

Brandon Underwood barely missed this list by getting a 52 awareness rating. I am guessing if EA Sports could factor in Blackmon's recent transgressions he would overtake Burnett for the lowest awareness rating. Speaking of Burnett, it is never a good thing when one of your projected starters (with Bigby out injured) has the lowest awareness rating on your entire roster.

Sunday Funday - Another Guess at the 2010 Green Bay Packers 53-man Roster

An NFL roster is always a work in progress. On Sunday, September 12, 2010 the Green Bay Packers open their 2010 season on the road against the Philadelphia Eagles. Although the Packers will only have 45 guys on their game day roster, they will have 53 players on their active roster.

Starting in April before the 2010 NFL Draft, I took a look at how the Packers roster heading into the draft. After the 2010 NFL Draft, I gave my first shot at how I thought the 53-man roster would shake out.

Over the next month I will take a number of stabs at how I think the final 53-man roster for the 2010 Green Bay Packers will look when they face the Eagles. Keep in mind this is not how I would select the team, this is how I think Packers general manager Ted Thompson will select the team.

Before we go any further, let me define a few terms:
- IR stands for injured reserve. A player placed on IR is unable to play for the Packers for the entire 2010 NFL season. If the Packers reach an injury settlement with a player on IR, that player can sign with another NFL team for the 2010 season.
- PUP stands for physically unable to perform. A player placed on PUP is ineligible for the 53-man roster until after week 6 of the regular season.
- PS stands for practice squad. The Packers are allowed to carry 8 players on their practice squad (9 if the Packers carry an international player). There are certain rules that determine whether a player is eligible for the practice squad. In order to be placed on the practice squad a player cannot have played in nine regular season games, been on an active NFL roster for an entire year, or have spent more than two seasons on the same team's practice squad.
- CUT is pretty self explanatory.

Here is my first training camp crack at how I think Ted Thompson will pick the final 53-man roster for the 2010 Green Bay Packers:

Offense: 26 (PUP: 1, PS: 5, and CUT: 8)

Quarterback: 2 (PS:1)
Aaron Rodgers
Matt Flynn
PS: Graham Harrell

Running Back: 3 (PUP: 1 and PS: 1)
Ryan Grant
Brandon Jackson
Kregg Lumpkin
PUP: James Starks
PS: Quinn Porter

Fullback: 2 (PS: 1)
Korey Hall
John Kuhn
PS: Quinn Johnson

Tight End: 4 (PS: 1)
Jermichael Finley
Donald Lee
Spencer Havner
Andrew Quarless
PS: Tom Crabtree

Wide Receiver: 5 (CUT: 5)
Donald Driver
Greg Jennings
Jordy Nelson
James Jones
Brett Swain
CUT: Chastin West, Patrick Williams, Charles Dillon, Shawn Gore, and Jason Chery

Offensive Line: 10 (PS: 1 and CUT: 3)
Chad Clifton
Daryn Colledge
Scott Wells
Josh Sitton
Mark Tauscher
Bryan Bulaga
Jason Spitz
T.J. Lang
Breno Giacomini
Marshall Newhouse
PS: Chris Campbell
CUT: Allen Barbre, Evan Dietrich-Smith, and Nick McDonald


Defense: 24 (PUP: 2, PS: 3, and CUT: 7)

Defensive Line: 6 (PS: 1 and CUT: 2)
Ryan Pickett
B.J. Raji
Cullen Jenkins
Mike Neal
Justin Harrell
Jarius Wynn
PS: C.J. Wilson
CUT: Anthony Toribio and Ronald Talley

Linebacker: 8 (PS: 1 and CUT: 3)
Clay Matthews
A.J. Hawk
Nick Barnett
Brandon Chillar
Brady Poppinga
Desmond Bishop
Brad Jones
Cyril Obiozor
PS: Frank Zombo
CUT: Robert Francois, Alex Joseph, and Maurice Simpkins

Defensive Back: 10 (PUP: 2, PS: 1, and CUT: 2)
Charles Woodson
Tramon Williams
Brandon Underwood
Pat Lee
Sam Shields
Nick Collins
Morgan Burnett
Derrick Martin
Charlie Peprah
Will Blackmon
PUP: Al Harris and Atari Bigby
PS: Anthony Levine
CUT: D.J. Clark and Jarrett Bush


Special Teams: 3 (CUT: 1)

Kicker: 1
Mason Crosby

Punter: 1 (CUT: 1)
Chris Bryan
CUT: Tim Masthay

Long Snapper: 1
Brett Goode

Green Bay Packers Roster heading into the 2010 NFL Draft

According to most draft experts, despite being one of the deepest drafts in recent history the top half of the draft is rather thin at quarterback, running back, wide receiver, offensive guard, center, and inside linebacker. On the other hand, the top half of the draft is very deep at offensive tackle, defensive lineman (both tackle and end), rush outside linebacker, cornerback, and safety. Luckily the Green Bay Packers' needs and the top end talent in the 2010 NFL Draft match-up.

Here is a look at the Green Bay Packers roster heading into the 2010 NFL Draft:

Quarterback (2): Aaron Rodgers and Matt Flynn. The Packers have no pressing needs at quarterback. If there is another 7th round gem like Matt Flynn sitting there at the end of the draft, snap him up. Otherwise, Ted Thompson has shown that he is content to start the season with two quarterbacks.

Running Back (3): Ryan Grant, Brandon Jackson, and Kregg Lumpkin. If there is a game changing return guy available (i.e. C.J. Spiller in the 1st round or Ben Tate in the 2nd round), take him. Either Spiller or Tate would be a perfect home run hitter to pair with Ryan Grant.

Fullback (3): Korey Hall, Quinn Johnson, and John Kuhn. Ted Thompson better not draft a guy here. The Packer had to be one of the only teams in the NFL to carry more fullbacks than quarterbacks on their 53-man roster for the entire 2009 season.

Wide Receiver (6): Donald Driver, Greg Jennings, James Jones, Jordy Nelson, Brett Swain, and Patrick Williams. Despite Donald Driver getting up there in age, the Packers are all set at wide receiver for the foreseeable future. I completely support the Packers drafting a speedy kick returner that happens to play wide receiver late on day 3.

Tight End (3): Jermichael Finley, Spencer Havner, and Donald Lee. The Packers are all set with three NFL caliber tight ends on the roster. Havner is facing some legal trouble from an alleged DUI and Donald Lee is a nothing more than a blocking tight with suspect hands BUT with emerging NFL stud Jermichael Finley the Packers do not need to draft a tight end unless a game changer falls to them in the draft.

Offensive Tackle (5): Chad Clifton, Mark Tauscher, T.J. Lang, Allen Barbre, and Breno Giacomini. Despite resigning Clifton and Tauscher, Ted Thompson needs to get the offensive tackle of the future in the 2010 NFL Draft. If Bryan Bulaga or Charles Brown are still on the board at 23, the Packers should draft one them and let him learn behind Clifton for a year. That would allow the Packers to put Lang behind Tauscher and the Packers should be set at offensive tackle for the next decade. Absent injury, Barbre and Giacomini will be hard pressed to make the 53-man roster for 2010.

Offensive Guard (3): Josh Sitton, Daryn Colledge, and Jason Spitz. The good news is that Josh Sitton looks like the second coming of Marco Rivera. The bad news is after that the Packers have huge question marks at guard. Colledge has moved around the line throughout his career. Even when he has concentrated at left guard, he has struggled. Spitz shows tons of promise but can't stay healthy. A late developmental guard might help spark competition and give the Packers a little more depth at guard.

Center (2): Scott Wells and Evan Dietrich-Smith. Wells keeps on keeping on. If the Packers think Spitz is healthy enough, there is no need to draft a center. Either way, Dietrich-Smith's days might be numbered in Green Bay.

Defensive End (5): Cullen Jenkins, Johnny Jolly, Justin Harrell, Jarius Wynn, and Ronald Talley. With Jenkins and Jolly only locked up for 2010, it might be time to look at a traditional 3-4 end in the upcoming draft as insurance. As long as Jolly's legal troubles allow him to play in 2010 it looks like Harrell, Wynn, and Talley will fight with whomever the Packers draft for the final two defensive end roster spots in 2010.

Defensive Tackle (3): Ryan Pickett, B.J. Raji, and Anthony Toribio. There is no real reason to draft a player here with Pickett and Raji on the roster, especially if the carcus of Justin Harrell can contribute anything at defensive end or defensive tackle in 2010.

Outside Linebacker (5): Clay Matthews, Brad Jones, Brady Poppinga, Cyril Obiozor, and Robert Francois. If Brandon Graham or Jerry Hughes (Sergio Kindle to a less extent) are still available at 23, take him and thank your lucky stars. Adding either Graham, Hughes, or Kindle would give the Packers two outstanding outside linebackers for the next decade. The only players that are guaranteed a roster spot are Matthews and Jones. After that, the Packers will hold an open competition for outside linebacker roster spots.

Middle Linebacker (4): Nick Barnett, A.J. Hawk, Brandon Chillar, and Desmond Bishop. At middle linebacker, the Packers have one stud (Nick Barnett), two above average (Hawk and Chillar) and one high motor guy (Bishop)...suffice to say I don't think the Packers need to draft a middle linebackers.

Cornerback (9): Charles Woodson, Al Harris, Tramon Williams, Brandon Underwood, Pat Lee, Will Blackmon, Josh Bell, D.J. Clark, and Trevor Ford. If Ted Thompson is right and all the cornerbacks come back healthy, there is no reason to draft a cornerback. Unfortunately, there is a small chance that all the cornerbacks come back healthy so if the right cornerback is available, take him and be happy. The only cornerbacks assured a roster spot in 2010 are Charles Woodson, Al Harris, and Tramon Williams. After that, it will be a dog fight for Brandon Underwood, Pat Lee, Will Blackmon, Josh Bell, D.J. Clark, and Trevor Ford.

Safety (4): Nick Collins, Atari Bigby, Derrick Martin, and Khalil Jones. Bigby continues to be a head scratcher. When healthy, Bigby looks like a borderline pro bowler but we only get to see small glimpses of that because Bigby is rarely healthy. The Packers should add a safety on day two of the draft to compete with Bigby.

Special Teams (4): Chris Bryan, Mason Crosby, Brett Goode, and Tim Masthay. If there is a running back, wide receiver, or cornerback with return capabilities I completely support the Packers reaching for a guy. Besides that, the draft looks thin at punter so it looks like another season of crap punting is in our future.

The Green Bay Packers have eight selections in the 2010 NFL draft, here are rough guesses at positions Ted Thompson should look at depending on how the draft shakes out:

#23 (first round): offensive tackle or outside linebacker

#56 (second round): offensive tackle, defensive end or outside linebacker

#86 (third round): defensive back (cornerback or safety)

#122 (fourth round): outside linebacker or defensive back (cornerback or safety)

#154 (fifth round): offensive line or defensive back

#169 (compensatory selection): offensive line or defensive back

#193 (sixth round): best athlete available with return capabilities

#230 (seventh round): best athlete available with return capabilities

2009 Week #17 - Packers v. Cardinals Analyzed

Sorry for not posting a preview to this game. At kickoff the Arizona Cardinals and the Green Bay Packers were guaranteed to play each other next week in the first round of the playoffs (by virtue of the Minnesota Vikings thrashing the New York Giants) so I thought I would take input from this game to give a proper "Top 10" list of the Arizona Cardinals before the playoff game next week in Arizona.

In a mostly meaningless game, injuries played a big part in the game for both teams. For Arizona, they lost starting cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie to a knee injury in the 1st quarter. Arizona better hope Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie is healthy next week because Green Bay picked on his replacement (Michael Adams) for the rest of the game very similar to how teams have picked on Jarrett Bush in Al Harris's absence. Arizona's starting wide receiver Anquan Boldin also left the game with a left ankle/knee injury. For Green Bay, Charles Woodson landed awkwardly on his right shoulder towards the end of the 2nd quarter and did not return.

At the start of the 4th quarter Mike McCarthy finally sat some of his offensive starters (Aaron Rodgers, Chad Clifton, Scott Wells and Mark Tauscher) but that seemed way too late given the outcome of the game was decided by halftime (Green Bay lead 26-0).

Here is a quick look at the top 5 plays from the under card before the real bout between these same teams next week:

#5) Green Bay leads 14-0, Arizona ball on their own 3 yard line, 3rd and 9 with 12:40 left in the 2nd quarter:
Matt Leinart (Arizona) threw deep middle intended for Steve Breaston INTERCEPTED by Atari Bigby (Green Bay) at the Arizona 20 yard line. PENALTY on Reggie Wells (Arizona) for Offensive Holding, enforced in End Zone, SAFETY.

Analysis:
This was set-up by Steve Breaston's (Arizona) bone-head decision to field Jason Kapinos's (Green Bay) punt at his own 1 yard line. I wish Breaston would have saved that gaffe for next week when it matters. Back to the play at hand, the safety marked the Packers' first safety since 2001. Reggie Wells (Arizona) held Clay Maatthews (Green Bay) in the end zone to prevent Matthews from sacking Matt Lienart (Arizona). In a crowded rookie defensive player of the year race, Clay Matthews continues to play at a high level. What makes Matthews so impressive is his ability to rush the passer and still play stout against the run. Ted Thompson has to be smiling from ear to ear for trading back into the first round to get a potential franchise player at outside linebacker.


#4) Green Bay leads 33-0, Green Bay ball on the Arizona 18 yard line, 3rd and 8 with 3:18 remaining in the 4th quarter:
Matt Flynn (Green Bay) threw short right intended for James Jones (Green Bay) INTERCEPTED by Ralph Brown (Arizona) at the Arizona 13 yard line and returned 80 yards to the Green Bay 7 yard line. PENALTY on Matt Flynn (Green Bay), Low Block, 4 yards, enforced at the Green Bay 7 yard line.

Analysis:
After three interceptions by the Packers defense (Charles Woodson, Atari Bigby and Tramon Williams) they were on pace to set a franchise record for turnover margin with plus-25. That would have bested a trio of Packers teams from the 1960's (plus-24 in 1965, plus-22 in 1962 and plus-20 in 1960). Unfortunately Matt Flynn's interception knocked the 2009 Packers back down to plus-24 turnover margin. Despite Flynn's interception, the Packers finish the season with the best turnover ratio in the NFL. Flynn's interception also set-up an easy touchdown for the Cardinals which robbed the Packers defense of their second shutout of the season (they shutout Detroit 26-0 at home in Week #6).


#3) Green Bay leads 26-0, Green Bay ball on the Arizona 5 yard line, 1st and 5 with 4:21 left in the 3rd quarter:
Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay) threw short right to Jermichael Finley (Green Bay) for 5 yards, TOUCHDOWN.

Analysis:
It is a close race between Clay Matthews and Jermichael Finley for breakout performance of the year for the 2009 Green Bay Packers. Finley's touchdown catch shows why he is such a match-up problem for other teams. As long as Rodgers gets air under the ball, Finley's size allows him to out jump defenders.

Finley's touchdown catch also marked Aaron Rodgers' last throw of the 2009 regular season, which has been anything but regular for Rodgers. Rodgers ranks in the top 5 in almost every important passing statistic: 4th in Passer rating (1st Packer to finish with a quarterback rating over 100 since Bart Starr...yes, you read that correctly...Lynn Dickey, Don Majkowski and Brett Favre in his 3 MVP seasons never finished with a passer rating over 100), 3rd in Touchdown passes, 5th in Passing yards (Rodgers finished the season 24 yards shy of Lynn Dickey's team record of 4,458 passing yards in a season with 4,434 passing yards), Fewest Interceptions and 1st in Quarterback rush yards.


#2) Green Bay leads 19-0, Arizona ball on their own 32 yard line, 2nd and 11 with 4:44 left in the 2nd quarter:
Matt Leinart (Arizona) threw short right intended for Larry Fitzgerald (Arizona) INTERCEPTED by Charles Woodson (Green Bay) at the Arizona 45 yard line and returns it 45 yards for a TOUCHDOWN.

Analysis:
Woodson's interception gives him a career high 9 interceptions for the season and 45 for his career. Woodson returned 3 of those interceptions for a touchdown, the others came against Cincinnati in Week #2 and at Detroit on Thanksgiving in Week #12. Woodson's pick-six gave him a franchise record for most defensive touchdowns (7 interceptions and 1 fumble return) in Green Bay Packer history in merely 4 season. It took the former record holds much longer to amass 7 defensive touchdowns: Herb Adderly (8 seasons) and Darren Sharper (8 seasons). Although Aaron Rodgers would have a good argument, Woodson is the best player on the Packers right now. Even though Woodson's pick-six came against Arizona's backups, it should cement his place as the NFL Defensive MVP.


#1) Game tied 0-0, Green Bay ball on their own 31 yard line, 1st and 10 with 14:56 left in the 1st quarter:
Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay) threw short right to Donald Driver (Green Bay) to the Green Bay 45 yard line for 14 yards.

Analysis:
That catch gave Donald Driver more than 1,000 receiving yards for the season. More importantly, it means the Packers finished their second consecutive season with a 4,000 passer (Aaron Rodgers), a 1,200 rusher (Ryan Grant) and two 1,000 yard receivers (Greg Jennings and Donald Driver). The Packers are the first team in NFL history to accomplish that feat.

2009 - Packers v. Ravens SUPER-Analyzed

The Green Bay Packers rattled off their fourth consecutive victory by beating the Baltimore Ravens on Monday Night Football. Green Bay caught a break with Terrell Suggs (OLB) and Ed Reed (S) out of the Baltimore line-up with injury. Green Bay took advantage of those injuries to the Baltimore defense by attacking Baltimore through the air.

Besides injuries, penalties played a HUGE part in this game. There were 310 combined penalty yards in the game, tied for the second most in NFL history. The Green Bay Packers were penalized for 175 yards and committed 3 turnovers but somehow pulled out a victory. Green Bay is only the second team since the AFL/NFL merger that holds that "distinction". The other occurrence came in 1988 when the Houston Oilers beat the Raiders 38-35 despite committing 175 penalty yards and 3 turnovers.

Sorry that it took me so long to cobble something together, but I made up for it by analyzing the top 10 plays instead of the usual top 5 plays. Here were the 10 most notable plays from the Monday Night clash between the Packers and Ravens, if you disagree please post a comment to get the discussion started:

#10) Green Bay lead 24-14, Baltimore ball on the Green Bay 1 yard line, 1st and goal with 9:46 left in the 4th quarter:
Chris Chester (Baltimore) and Haloti Ngata (Baltimore) reported in as eligible. Willis McGahee (Baltimore) tackled for a 2 yard loss by Charles Woodson (Green Bay).

Analysis:
I know this seems like an odd choice for a top play but it made the list for three reasons. First, Charles Woodson continues to play at a VERY high level and is a legitimate candidate for NFL Defensive Player for the Year. Second, cornerbacks don't usually knife through the offensive line when they are in goal line formation like Woodson did on this play to stop the running back for a 2 yard loss. Third, by pushing the ball back a few yards, Baltimore decided to throw on 2nd down and paid a hefty price (see play #5).


#9) Green Bay lead 17-7, Baltimore ball on the Green Bay 42 yard line, 1st and 10 with 3:14 left in the 3rd quarter:
Joe Flacco (Baltimore) threw incomplete deep middle to Demetrius Williams (Baltimore). 41 yard defensive pass interference PENALTY on Tramon Williams (Green Bay). Ball placed at the Green Bay 1 yard line.

Analysis:
With how many pass interference penalties were called, at least one had to make the top 10 list. By the NFL definition, Tramon Williams interfered with Demetrius Williams but the rules are becoming too offensive friendly (Steve Young even admitted that. Yes, you read that correctly, a former NFL quarterback and current ESPN commentator said that the rules are becoming too offensive friendly). Green Bay just committed their second consecutive turnover in as many plays. The penalty gave Baltimore the ball at the Green Bay 1 yard line. Willis McGahee punched the ball into the end zone 2 plays later to make the score 17-14. In the span of less than a quarter Baltimore flipped the mementum of the game drastically. When Green Bay kicked off to start the second half they were winning 17-0 and after McGahee's touchdown the lead was trimmed to 17-14.


#8) Green Bay lead 17-0, Green Bay ball on the Baltimore 41 yard line, 3rd and 6 with 8:15 left in the 3rd quarter:
Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay) threw short middle to Donald Driver (Green Bay) to the Baltimore 32 yard line for 9 yards and FUMBLES, RECOVERED Frank Walker (Baltimore) at the Baltimore 29 yard line for no gain.

Analysis:
This was an absolute surprise to see Donald Driver cough up the ball. Driver's fumble started a rapid change of events in the middle of the 3rd quarter that changed the entire complexion of the game. Instead of Green Bay having the ball 1st and 10 at the Baltimore 29 yard line marching towards a touchdown to possibly put the game out of reach, Baltimore took over possession and started to creep back into the game.


#7) Green Bay lead 24-14, Baltimore ball on their own 26 yard line, 1st and 10 with 7:00 left in the 4th quarter:
Joe Flacco (Baltimore) threw deep middle intended for Todd Heap (Baltimore) INTERCEPTED by A.J. Hawk (Green Bay) at the Green Bay 47 yard line and returned 13 yards to the Baltimore 40 yard line.

Analysis:
Is this the first big play A.J. Hawk's Green Bay Packer career? Hawk underachieving is well documented but the last few weeks Hawk has started to play much more effectively. Two things happened right before Hawk's in-season resurgence. First, Brandon Chillar went down with a hand injury and ever since Hawk's play has started to improve weekly. Second, everyone under the sun has been ripping Hawk and labeling him as a draft bust. Players claim they do not read papers but may be that was just what Hawk needed to spark his play.


#6) Green Bay lead 3-0, Green Bay ball on their own 19 yard line, 1st and 10 with 4:18 left in the 1st quarter:
Ryan Grant (Green Bay) ran left end to GB 17 for -2 yards FUMBLES and RECOVERED by Domonique Foxworth (Baltimore) at the Green Bay 21 yard line and returned for no gain. Green Bay challenged the fumble ruling, and the play was REVERSED.

Analysis:
A very smart challenge by head coach Mike McCarthy. In one of his post game comments McCarthy stated that he was in constant contact with offensive coordinator Joe Philbin throughout the game over his head set. After watching a few television replays Philbin told McCarthy to challenge. Later in the game McCarthy challenged an obvious touchdown for no apparent reason (may be Philbin talked him into that one too). In any case, by winning 1 challenge and losing 1 challenge McCarthy is now 5 of 12 in challenges this season.


#5) Green Bay lead 24-14, Baltimore ball on the Green Bay 3 yard line, 2nd and goal with 9:00 left in the 4th quarter:
Joe Flacco (Baltimore) threw short middle intended for Demetrius Williams (Baltimore) INTERCEPTED Tramon Williams (Green Bay) in Green Bay's end zone for a touchback. Ryan Pickett (Green Bay) was injured during the play.

Analysis:
The game was not over when Flacco made one of the worst decisions of the entire season. Instead of throwing the ball away, Flacco decided to throw late over the middle to a guy that was well covered. Does that decision remind you of anyone? I will give you one hint, he is know as a waffler. Tramon Williams atoned for a number of earlier penalties by securing the interception. Ryan Pickett hurt his hamstring on the play and if he is hurt for any length of time that might vault this play to the top of the list of impact plays. Pickett has been an absolute forced to be reckoned this season, let's hope for a good prognosis.


#4) Green Bay lead 3-0, Baltimore ball on the Green Bay 17 yard line, 1st and 10 with 4:26 left in the 1st quarter:
Ray Rice (Baltimore) ran to the Green Bay 18 yard line for a 1 yard loss. Clay Matthews (Green Bay) forced a FUMBLE, RECOVERED by Nick Collins (Green Bay) at the Green Bay 15 yard line and returned it 4 yards to the Green Bay 19 yard line.

Analysis:
After Green Bay kicked a field goal on their opening drive Baltimore methodically moved down the field and looked like they were going to score a touchdown until Rice coughed up the ball at the Green Bay 18 yard line. Rice is normally a sure handed runner. If Baltimore scores a touchdown on that drive they lead Green Bay 7-3, which would have changed the entire complexion of the game. As a side note, Ray Rice is clearly the focal point of Baltimore's offense. Baltimore likes to run the ball a lot with Rice and if they throw the ball, Flacco always looks for Rice on short dumpoffs. Despite a poor performance on Monday Night, Rice often turns what look like short losses into big gains...again he was picked one spot before the now departed Brian Brohm (I hope that is the last time I have to make that connection, it makes me cringe every time I think about it).


#3) Green Bay lead 17-7, Green Bay ball on the Green Bay 37 yard line, 1st and 10 with 3:22 left in the 3rd quarter:
Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay) threw short middle intended for Donald Driver (Green Bay) INTERCEPTED by Jarret Johnson (Baltimore) at the 50 yard line and returned 8 yards to the Green Bay 42 yard line.

Analysis:
Driver and Rodgers were both at fault on this interception. Rodgers delivered the ball low but Driver still should come up with the catch. The play reminded me of Antonio Freeman's famous acrobatic catch on Monday Night to beat the Minnesota Vikings. Unfortunately this time Driver did not come up with the ball and Baltimore scored a few plays later which made the score 17-14 in favor of Green Bay but Baltimore had ALL the momentum at that point.


#2) Green Bay lead 17-14, Baltimore ball on the Baltimore 21 yard line, 3rd and 17 with 14:03 left in the 4th quarter:
Joe Flacco (Baltimore) threw deep left to Derrick Mason (Baltimore) to the Green Bay 33 yard line for 46 yards. Offensive pass interference PENALTY on Mason. Unsportsmanlike conduct PENALTY Mason.

Analysis:
This sequence of events was set-up by Mason Crosby missing a field goal from 38 yards. Holder and back-up Green Bay quarterback Matt Flynn bobbled the snap and got the hold down late but Crosby should still make the kick from 38 yards out. If Crosby made the field goal then we wouldn't have to talk about this horrible offensive pass interference call. Just to refresh everyone's memory, Joe Flacco under threw Derrick Mason who was being covered one-on-one by Charles Woodson. When Mason slowed down to catch the ball he lightly shoved Woodson to the ground. I am not accusing the potential NFL Defensive Player of the Year of flopping but it didn't look like a lot of contact. Mason ended up coming down with the ball and would have put Baltimore at the Green bay 33 yard line down 3 points with 14 minutes left. Instead, after the penalties were enforced Baltimore was forced into a 3rd and 32 at the Baltimore 6 yard line. Baltimore tried to run a Mike Sherman Special (for those you that don't know the reference, it means a team called a draw on 3rd and long instead of trying to pick up a 1st down through the air) but Flacco and Rice had trouble executing the hand-off and almost fumbled the ball to Green Bay in Baltimore's red zone.


#1) Green Bay leads 3-0, Green Bay ball on the Baltimore 2 yard line, 1st and goal with 4:39 left in the 2nd quarter:
Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay) threw short left to Jermichael Finley (Green Bay) for 2 yards, TOUCHDOWN.

Analysis:
Finley had a HUGE game: 7 catches for 79 yards and 2 touchdowns. Green Bay split Finley out wide and threw a simple jump ball to him that he easily hauled in. This play underscores the match-up problems that Finley gives opposing teams. Granted if Ed Reed plays this might not have been a touchdown but Green Bay smartly exploited a mismatch by splitting 6'5" Jermichael Finley out wide on 5'11" Tom Zbikowski (the guy playing in place of Ed Reed). Although Ed Reed is the same height as Zbikowski, Reed has a much better vertical leap. Also on reputation alone Green Bay might not have tried a play like this on Reed. Either way, Green Bay has a budding star in Jermichael Finley.