Building The 53 - 2015 Preseason Week 2 - Packers/Steelers Review

The biggest talking point following the Green Bay Packers/Pittsburgh Steelers preseason game will be on the fact that the Packers lost Jordy Nelson for the season to a torn ACL on a non-contact play.  There is no question that the way that Green Bay Packers general manager Ted Thompson and head coach Mike McCarthy approach the preseason will be altered based the fact that the Packers lost Nelson for the season in a meaningless game.  Here are a few other thoughts on how the Packers/Steelers preseason game impacted The 53:

Player that hurt his stock most - Tim Masthay: The Packers signed former Alabama punter Cody Mandell in the off-season to give Masthay some competition.  Reports are that Mandell was a pain on and off the field given that he was NOT able to establish a rapport with Crosby as a holder and apparently is quite cocky.  Even though Mandell is no longer with the Packers, Masthay's performance against the Steelers is the personification of how he is still too inconsistent to just give him the starting punter job to open the season.  Masthay averaged 43.3 yards per punt with a long 56 yard punt against the Steelers.  That all sounds good but remember that Masthay had a 29 yard punt too, which is unacceptable in the NFL.  Masthay is veering into A.J. Hawk territory where I honestly wonder if he has incriminating pictures of Green Bay Packers president Mark Murphy, Thompson, or McCarthy.   Odds are that Masthay will be the punter for the Packers in 2015 because of his familiarity as a holder for Crosby but if Masthay continues to struggle through the rest of the preseason and a quality punter gets cut during final roster cut-downs, I hope Thompson considers adding that punter in place of Masthay.

Player that helped his stock most - Aaron Ripkowski: Given that fullback John Kuhn went to college at Shippensburg University and was on the practice squad for the Steelers to finish the 2005 NFL season, it is only fitting that we discuss the heir apparent to fullback/core special teamer John Kuhn when the Packers are in Pittsburgh.  Ripkowski had two special teams tackles against the Steelers, which will go a long way to convincing Thompson to keep two fullbacks, which seems borderline crazy in 2015.  Sure the fullback position seems to be going the way of the dodo but let's not forget that the Packers actually had three fullbacks on The 53 when they won Super Bowl XLV (Korey Hall, Kuhn, and Quinn Johnson).  Given that Kuhn is 33 years old while Ripkowski is just 22 years old and signed to a cap-friendly rookie contract, I actually think Ripkowski is more of a lock for The 53 than Kuhn to open the 2015 NFL season.

Position to watch - Wide Receiver: There is no question that Nelson has been highly productive the last two seasons so his presence will be sorely missed in 2015.  For those that don't remember the exact numbers, Nelson caught 85 passes for 1,314 yards and eight touchdowns in 2013.  Somehow Nelson bested those marks across the board in 2014 with 98 catches, 1,519 yards, and 13 touchdowns.  That is a ton of production to replace but the Packers look stacked with young potential at wide receiver given that if everyone is healthy the Packers have six legitimate candidates for five or six spots on The 53: Randall Cobb (25 years old, 5'10", 192 lbs), Davante Adams (22 years old, 6'1", 215 lbs), Ty Montgomery (22 years old, 6'0", 216 lbs), Jeff Janis (24 years old, 6'3", 219 lbs), Myles White (25 years old, 6'0", 190 lbs), and Jared Abbrederis (24 years old, 6'1" and 195 lbs).  I get it that Nelson is the bell-cow of the wide receiver group but if Janis can fulfill all the promise that the Packers saw in him before the 2014 NFL Draft, I see him as a poor man's Nelson for 2015 and Janis is 4th on the depth chart.  There is talk that former Packer wide receivers James Jones (New York Giants) and Jarrett Boykin (Carolina Panthers) will NOT make The 53 for their respective teams so the Packers also have the option to bring back one of those guys too if they are NOT confident enough in the six-pack of Cobb, Adams, Montgomery, Janis, White, and Abbrederis.

Final Note: The Nelson injury might be the tipping point for the Packers.  Usually the 3rd NFL preseason game is when the starters play the most but I would be shocked to see quarterback Aaron Rodgers take even one snap in that game.  Nelson was NOT the only injury of note from the game, unfortunately the Packers suffered a number of other injuries to players that will be on The 53 in 2015.  Rodgers looked to have tweaked his wrist, rookie cornerback Damarious Randall battled dehydration, and both right guard T.J. Lang and quarterback Scott Tolzien suffered concussions.  The Steelers looked to have lost starting center Maurkice Pouncey for an extended period of time too with an ankle injury.  Injuries are a part of the game but everyone hates to see that happen in preseason games.  I am NOT sure the answer is to sit all the starters for the next two games though because I fear that would mean the starters would go into the regular season opener on the road against the Chicago Bears too rusty.  I am fine with sitting guys like Rodgers and running back Eddie Lacy but given all the question marks on defense, I hope the Packers give their starters on defense at least some reps in the next two games.

Unless the Packers make any significant roster moves before their next preseason game at home next Saturday against the Philadelphia Eagles, check back next Sunday for my review of how the Packers/Eagles preseason game impacts Building The 53.

The 53 - Packers beat Bears to win the NFC North

The Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears met for the 188th time on Sunday, which is the most of any two teams in NFL history.  That will continue to be a renewing NFL record unless the NFL makes radical changes to divisional alignment or scheduling.  The official NFL game preview was cut before we knew whether Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers was going to play.  As it turns out, we knew by Thursday that the Packers were finally going have the services of Rodgers against the Bears for the first time since Week 9 when Rodgers was injured against the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football at Lambeau Field.

The Packers were 5-2 before they lost Rodgers to a broken collarbone and went 2-5-1 using the services of three other quarterbacks (Seneca Wallace, Scot Tolzien, and Matt Flynn) in place of Rodgers.  Somehow the Packers played just well enough to make their Week 17 game against the Bears at Soldier Field in Chicago meaningful.  The winner of the game would win the NFC North, get the 4th seed in the NFC playoffs, and hosts a home playoff game next weekend.  Here were the inactives for the Packers against the Bears: Chris Harper (WR, healthy scratch), Brad Jones (MLB, ankle), Clay Matthews (OLB, broken thumb), Jumal Rolle (CB, healthy scratch), Lane Taylor (G, healthy scratch), JC Tretter (G/C, healthy scratch), and C.J. Wilson (DE, healthy scratch).

As we we all know by now, the Packers beat the Bears in dramatic fashion.  The person that likely suffered the most from the loss, besides the one Bears fan that plays for the Wisconsin Badgers football team, is Bears quarterback Jay Cutler.  For his career, Cutler is now 1-9 (1-8 with the Bears & 0-1 with the Broncos) against the Packers.  Both Cutler and their geriatric but possibly better backup quarterback Josh McCown are both set to become free agents this year.  The sensible approach is the re-sign McCown to a short-term deal and draft a developmental quarterback in the 2014 NFL Draft.  As a Packer fan that lives in Chicago, I hope the Bears resign Cutler so that even if he wins a couple games against the Packers over the next few years he will take up a ton of cap space while driving the entire city of Chicago nuts with his horrible body language that accompanies each of his interceptions.

The Packers and Bears played 186 times in the regular season, the Bears lead the series 92-88-6 but the Packers won nine of their last 11 games against Bears, including six in a row before losing to the Bears earlier this season at Lambeau.  Soldier Field is turning into Lambeau Field South given that the Packers are now 23-19-0 all-time at Soldier Field winning their last four and five of the last six.

Despite playing 186 times in the regular season, the Packers and Bears only met twice in the playoff, both times in Chicago.  The Bears won the first game 33–14 in 1941 at Wrigley Field.  The Packers won the second game 21-14 at Soldier Field in the NFC Championship Game en route to winning Super Bowl XLV.

Their win over the Bears gave the Packers their 3rd consecutive NFC North title and fifth consecutive playoff appearance.  The Packers are now 7-1 in regular season finales against Bears since 1934, wining their last five, with their most notable win in that streak being their 10-3 win at Lambeau in 2010 to start their run toward winning Super Bowl XLV.  It is not just the Bears that have struggled against the Packers in regular season finales.  The Packers won 18 of their last 20 regular season finales, including seven of their last eight against NFC North foes with their only lose coming in a meaningless game on the road against the Minnesota Vikings in 2012 that was quickly remedied by a playoff win the following week over the Vikings at Lambeau Field.

I am often critical of in-game decisions my Packers head coach McCarthy but give him, check that Rodgers credit, for being very impressive at the end of the regular season.  The Packers are now 18-6 in regular season in December/January since 2009, which only trails the Patriots (21-4) and the Chargers (19-6).  Taking a slightly longer timeline, McCarthy has a winning divisional record in all eight seasons in charge of the Packers.  The Bill Belichick coached New England Patriots are the only other team in the NFL to match the Packers.

Without further adu, here are my updated player rankings following the Packers/Bears game:

The 53

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

Injured Reserve

1. Jermichael Finley (TE) 2. Bryan Bulaga (T) 3. Casey Hayward (CB) 4. Johnny Jolly (DL)  5. DuJuan Harris (RB) 6. Jonathan Franklin (RB) 7. Brandon Bostick (TE) 8. Robert Francois (MLB) 9. Greg Van Roten (C/G) 10. Sam Barrington (LB) 11. Myles White (WR) 12. Seneca Wallace (QB) 13. James Nixon (CB) 14. Kevin Dorsey (WR) 15. Sederrik Cunningham (WR)

Cut

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

1) Aaron Rodgers (QB, LR 1): Bears outside linebacker Shea McClellin was one of my former NFL draft crushes from the 2012 NFL Draft.  McClellin has been somewhat underwhelming so far in the NFL with his more notable play coming when he sacked Rodgers and broke his collarbone earlier this season.  The difference between Rodgers and the three other quarterbacks on The 53 (Flynn and Tolzien) or injured reserve (Wallace) that played meaningful snaps this season is quite dramatic.  The offense averaged almost 9 points less with Wallace, Tolzien, or Flynn under center instead of Rodgers.  The NFL picks league that I am in with my buddy Sug where we pick every game against the spread had the line at +7 for the Packers even though Rodgers was scheduled to play.  Needless to say, we loaded up on that line making it a pick of the year.  I know this sounds like piling on at this point but in case you missed it, here is the video about Rodgers returning to play the Bears, if you didn't get chills watching that video then I can safely say you are not a Packer fan.  Rodgers looked tentative at times on a handful of his incomplete passes and downright rusty on his two interceptions but take a look at his stat line against the Bears after missing essentially eight games: 25 for 39 throwing for 318 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions for a quarterback rating of 85.2 (QBR of 57.7).  I hate the "big time players make big time plays" but it applies to Rodgers against the Bears.  With the Packers down 28-27 with 46 seconds left in the game and facing a 4th and 8 from the Bears' 48-yard line, Rodgers propelled the Packers into the playoffs.  It is really hard to rank the Top 10 plays of Rodgers' career and that doesn't even factor in that I expect him to have a bunch more over the next decade, but when it is all said and done I think you would be hard pressed to keep his game winner to Cobb out of the Top 10, even if he leads the Packers to more Super Bowl win(s).

3) Randall Cobb (WR, LR N/A): After breaking his leg on the road against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 6, the Packers placed Cobb on IR designated for return so he could have been added to The 53 for the Packers/Cowboys game.  Unfortunately Cobb was still not healthy enough to play against the Cowboys or in the Packers/Steelers game. That meant that Cobb ultimately missed 10 games before the Packers activated him from the IR designated for return to The 53 yesterday.  The Packers clearly benefited from having Cobb back in the lineup considering he caught two balls that both resulted in touchdowns.  Although the second touchdown is the one that Packers fans will be talking about for many years to come, Cobb's first touchdown catch on 3rd and 4 at the Bears 7-yard line with 7 and half minutes left in the 3rd quarter down 14-13 is something the Packers been missing with Cobb out.  Wide receivers James Jones and Nelson do a great job working outside while Cobb thrives in the slot.  Often people say take this with a grain of salt but in this instance don't take this with a grain of salt, I think if Cobb was out this week the Packers would not have beaten the Bears.

5) Eddie Lacy (RB, LR 4): Another week, another gutty (no pun intended) performance by Lacy playing with a heavily taped sprained ankle: 21 carries for 66 yards and 1 touchdown to go along with 2 catches for 15 yards.  Although that stat line does not seem that impressive given the fact that the Bears have the worst rush defense in the NFL, it is Lacy's mere presence on the field alone that gives the Packers a legitimate running threat, which opens up a number of options in the passing game.  I've said many times that I am not a fan of running draws out of the shotgun but runs like Lacy's touchdown run against the Bears show that sometimes it is in fact an effective play call since it allows a patient running back like Lacy time to bounce a run outside instead of getting tackled for no gain.  Lacy's touchdown run pulled the Packers within two points with just under 12 minutes to play in the game.  At the time I was fine with McCarthy kicking the extra point to make it 28-27 but upon further reflection today, I think McCarthy should have gone for two in that situation to try to tie the game.  Assuming McCarthy went for two, I would have run Lacy up the middle on that attempt instead of calling a passing play like McCarthy did when he actually went for two in the dying moments of the game.  There is no question that Lacy had the best rookie season for a Packer that I can remember, which is why I thought he got snubbed not getting invited to the Pro Bowl.

6) Sam Shields (CB, LR 5): A little over a month ago I broke down how Packers general manager Ted Thompson should approach their impending restricted and unrestricted free agents this off-season.  At that time I thought Sheilds was a long-shot to return to the Packers but my opinion has dramatically changed.  Part of the reason why I thought Sheilds would not be on The 53 for the Packers in 2014 is the fact that the Packers have a number of young, talented cornerbacks on The 53 for the next few years on cheap, combined with the fact that Shields is going to demand a very large contract.  At the risk of pricing Shields out Green Bay, let's not forget that he holds the distinction of coming up with a game ending interception in two of the most dramatic Packers/Bears games of all-time: 2010 NFC Champion Game & last night.  I know this sounds like me being more of a fan than thinking like a general manager but at some point you need to pay players that make big plays, especially when those guys are just entering their prime like Shields is given that he just turned 26-years old.  There is no question Shields is the best cornerback on The 53 right now.  The real question is whether Thompson can fit a five-year, $50 million contract with at least half of that deal guaranteed into the salary cap for 2014 and beyond to keep Shields on The 53 for the Packers long-term.

8) T.J. Lang (G, LR 6): Apparently McCarthy had to be talked into going for it by his offensive line on the first of three 4th down conversions by the Packers on their final drive  Just to set the stage, the Packers trailed the Bears 28-27 where they faced a 4th and 1 from their own 22-yard line with 4:41 to play and only one timeout left.  Had the Packers not picked up the first down, the game would have essentially been over.  I've said many times that one prism that I look through when dissecting coaching decisions is what an educated fan of the other team would not want a head coach to do.  In that instance, I am sure that Bears fans would rather that the Packers punt instead of going for it.  The Packers ultimately picked up the first down on a one-yard run by fullback John Kuhn but I guarantee you that a smart Bears fan, I know that seems like a non sequitur, would rather the Packers punted in that situation.

10) Tramon Williams (CB, LR 12): A gang tackle of Bears wide receiver Alshon Jeffrey by Williams and Business HJ results in a fumble that was recovered by safety Morgan Burnett.  As Burnett scampered tried to return the fumble for a touchdown, he pitched the ball to cornerback Sam Shields.  Ultimately Shields was tackled after running a few more yards.  That is the kind of group defensive play that we came to expect the last few years from the Packers but have not seen so far this season.  The lack of big plays partially falls at the feet of the safties since they went the entire season without an interception for the first time since the 1950's.  Fortunately against the Bears, the defense picked a good time to harken back to their play the last few years.  Taking into account the fact that the Packers need to keep Shields long-term, I see the Packers doing everything possible to get Williams to take a pay cut next season.  If Williams will not take a pay cut, as crazy as it sounds, I could see the Packers actually keeping Williams instead of cutting him like Thompson cut cornerback/safety Charles Woodson last off-season.

17) Jarrett Boykin (WR, LR 18): How many times is a ball clearly not a fumble or a pass clearly dropped but a player still picks up the ball and runs with it acting as if they have a live ball?  Luckily Boykin with a little help from Rodgers and the sideline realized it was actually a live ball so he scooper it up and ran in for a touchdown.  There is a lot that happened on that play so let's break it down piece-by-piece.  The Packers faced a 1st and 10 on the Bears' 17-yard line down 7-3 with just over three and a half minutes left in the first half.  Bears defensive end Julius Peppers knocked the ball out of Rodgers' hand.  In real time it looked like Rodgers' arm might be going forward, which I presume is why Bears linebacker James Anderson didn't scoop up the ball and run.  If Anderson did, the Bears would have been up 14-3.  Instead Boykin recovered the fumble and ran it in for a touchdown to give the Packers a 10-7 lead.  Boykin's post-game comments gave some interesting insight into what is actually happening on the field during an NFL game.  Even though the fans in the stadium were screaming and the entire Packers' sideline was telling Boykin to pick up the ball, he said that the only thing he could hear was Rodgers telling him to pickup the ball and run.  The emergence of Boykin as a legitimate NFL wide receiver is simultaneously a good and bad thing.  It is a good thing because I could see him starting for a handful of teams in the NFL so that is a nice, cheap commodity to have on The 53 as a 3rd or 4th wide receiver.  It is a bad thing because I could see the Packers letting wide receiver James Jones leave via free agency because they have to extend wide receivers Randall Cobb and Jordy Nelson in the next year so having a cost-effective third wide receiver makes more sense than having three expensive wide receivers.

20) James Starks (RB, LR 24): Besides the injury to Rodgers, I will remember 2013 as the season that the Packers started being able to run for first downs on 3rd and 1 again for the first time in what felt like a decade. Whether it be fullback John Kuhn, Lacy, or Starks; it seems like the Packers finally have the physically backs on The 53 to pick up their every tricky one yard.  Case and point, Starks' 41-yard run against the Bears.  I would prefer the Packers use Lacy as opposed to Kuhn or Starks but the fact that we are even discussing the Packers picking up first downs on the ground is amazing.  Starks is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent following this season.  When healthy, Lacy is clearly the bell cow at running back.  The Packers have two running backs currently on injured reserve in Jonathan Franklin and DuJuan Harris that are under contract for at least next season so they will most likely be on The 53 in 2014.  I would be shocked if the Packers drafted a running back after drafting Lacy and Franklin in the 2013 NFL Draft.  Since Kuhn and Starks are both set to be free agents after the season, it will be interesting to see if both return in 2014.  Usually the Packers keep four or five backs on The 53.  Given Kuhn's versatility in being able to play special teams and serve as a great blocking back, I see the Packers keeping Kuhn and then deciding whether they want Starks as a 4th running back on The 53 in 2014.

Enjoy the full game highlights & post-game celebration from one of the five best Packers/Bears games of all-time.  As I said earlier, the Packers and Bears have played 188 times, which should put into context how special their most recent meeting was in the history of the NFL's best rivalry.  Thanks to having uncles with Bears season tickets, I've been to a ton of Packers/Bears games over the years including every game since they renovated Soldier Field.  For some reason I did not get tickets from my uncles this year but we still had a great time watching the game with Cheesehead Chick, Fernando, E-Dogg, Bryn, and James.  After the game Cheesehead Chick and I met Dre, Sug, and Tessa at Wells on Wells for some celebratory drinks.  I don't often gives Bears fans credit but at least the Bears fans at Wells on Wells deserve credit because there were still a handful of them in the bar hours after the game was done and all they did was chuckle at us as we danced around the bar like we just won the Super Bowl.

Speaking of the Super Bowl, the 8-7-1 Packers need to re-group because they host the 12-4 San Francisco 49ers in the playoffs next week. The 49ers are 0-2 at Lambeau Field in the playoffs and the Packers are 8-4 in NFL Wild Card games.  In terms of more recent head-to-head comparisons, after the Packers dominated the 49ers for a very long-time winning eight straight, the series shifted in favor of the 49ers the last few years with the 49ers winning three consecutive games including the regular season openers the last two years (2012 & 2013) and the playoffs last year.

I do not expect a ton of turnover to The 53 this week but if there are any changes, check back for full coverage.  Otherwise make sure to check back early next week for my extended thoughts on the Packers/49ers playoff game.

Building The 53 - White out, Tretter in

Green Bay Packers general manager Ted Thompson has been active churning the bottom third of The 53 given all of the injuries the Packers have suffered this season.  That churn continued today as Thompson placed Myles White (WR) on injured reserve and added rookie JC Tretter (G/C) to The 53 from PUP list.  There were some questions whether Tretter would be healthy enough to play this season after he torn ligaments in his ankle and fractured his fibula during an off-season workout on May 20, 2013 so it is nice to see him back healthy.  Unfortunately it comes at the expense of White getting placed on injured reserve, which leaves the Packers with only four wide receivers on The 53: Jordy Nelson, James Jones, Jarrett Boykin, and Chris Harper.

Although White made seven appearances for the Packers this season, he only caught nine passes for 66 yards so the Packers can easily replace his production.  Jones is set to be a free agent this off-season so even if he leaves via free agency, the Packers will have a quality trio of  receivers next year in Nelson, Cobb, and Boykin.  If Harper has a productive off-season, the Packers will give him every chance to make The 53 in 2014 as well.  The Packers already placed two other wide receivers on injured reserve earlier this season as well: Kevin Dorsey and Sedrrick Cunningham.  That gives the Packers six, or seven if the Packers re-sign Jones, receivers most likely ahead of White for five or six spots on The 53 in 2014.  That doesn't even factor in the 2014 NFL Draft where the Packers could add another wide receiver.  Taking that all into account, my guess is that this ends White's tenure with the Packers.

Tretter started college as a tight end at Cornell but shifted to left tackle during his junior year.  When Thompson drafted Tretter in the fourth round of the 2013 NFL Draft he projected as a tweener guard/tackle given that he is only 6'4" and 307 lbs.  As it turns out the Packers are going to give Tretter a shot at center and guard in the NFL, which would be his third position change change in just over four years.  Given all of the injury issues starting center Evan Dietrich-Smith dealt with this season, I think it makes the most sense to have Tretter focus on center position for the rest of 2013.  Hopefully Tretter could play center in a pinch, I just wonder how effective he will be given that it is a new position and he is coming back from a serious injury.

All week speculation was expected to focus on whether quarterback Aaron Rodgers and wide receiver Randall Cobb would be healthy enough to play this weekend when the Packers face the Dallas Cowboys on the road.  Rodgers is currently on The 53 while Cobb is not on The 53 because he is on injured reserve but designated for return.  The logical move seemed to be adding Cobb in place of White. Since Thompson added Tretter instead of Cobb in place of White, the Packers will have to make another change to The 53 to add Cobb.

If the Packers do in fact make any other moves to The 53 before their game against the Cowboys, make sure to check back for full coverage.  Otherwise, with both teams fighting for their playoff lives, make sure to check back Monday for my thoughts on the Packers/Cowboys game.

The 53 - Packers beat Browns at home

It is always great to see a game at Lambeau Field.  My last trip to Lambeau I saw the Green Bay Packers beat the Minnesota Vikings in the playoffs in a fairly ho-hum game before the Packers lost to the San Francisco 49ers on the road to end their 2012 season. 

My first trip to Lambeau this season to see the Packers take on the Cleveland Browns with cousin Joe (pictured later), Fernando (orange hat to the right), and Uncle Patty (middle on the right) felt pretty similar to the Packers/Vikings playoff game.  Sure the crowd was into it but the game felt fairly ho-hum after the Packers scored two early touchdowns against the Browns.  I know I sound like a jerk calling any game at Lambeau Field ho-hum so let me clarify, I mean the game itself NOT the experience because trust me there is no better place to see a sporting event in North America than Lambeau Field.  Finely's horrific injury in the fourth quarter cast a pall over the rest of the game as the Packers went on to beat the Browns comfortably.

After losing outside linebacker Clay Matthews to a thumb injury against the Lions and wide receiver Randall Cobb to a broken leg against the Ravens, Finley's spinal cord injury means that for the 3rd consecutive week the Packers won but lost a huge contributor to The 53.  With all the injuries to The 53, the Packers could barely field a healthy active 46-man gameday roster.  The following seven guys were inactive against the Browns due to various aliments: Casey Hayward (CB, hamstring), Brad Jones (MLB, hamstring), James Jones (WR, knee), Clay Matthews (OLB, thumb), Nick Perry (OLB, foot), James Starks (RB, knee), and Ryan Taylor (TE, knee).  That means the Packers had no healthy scratches for the first time (I think) in the 2013 season.

Sorting through all the changes to The 53 that Green Bay Packers general manager Ted Thompson made between their loss on the road to the Bengals to drop to 1-2 and their win over the Browns to improve their record to 4-2 is pretty complicated.  You will notice that I added some sections to the table below to help keep straight all the roster moves and injuries that have happened so far this season.  I will cover how Thompson added Chris Harper (WR), James Nixon (CB), Jake Stoneburner (TE), and Myles White (WR) to The 53 in their player descriptions below.  Here are my updated rankings and thoughts on certain players following the Packers/Browns game:

The 53

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

Physically Unable to Perform

1. Jerel Worthy (DE) 2. Derek Sherrod (T) 3. JC Tretter (T) 4. Sean Richardson (S)

IR, Designated for Return

1. Randall Cobb (WR)

Injured Reserve

1. Bryan Bulaga (T) 2. DuJuan Harris (RB) 3. Robert Francois (MLB) 4. Greg Van Roten (C/G) 5. Kevin Dorsey (WR) 6. Sederrik Cunningham (WR)

Cut

1. Jeremy Ross (WR, Lions) 2. Michael Hill (RB, FA)

13. Jermichael Finley (TE, LR 5): It feels crass to move Finley down to 13 from 5 after being carted off the field on a stretcher with a horrific spinal cord injury but there is a chance that was Finley's last game in the NFL so 13 might even been too high since The 53 is my look at the trade value of every member of The 53.  Let's not forget that Finley suffered a concussion against the Cincinnati Bengals a few weeks ago.  Following that incident Finley's son said that he did not want him to play football anymore so I can only imagine his entire family's reaction to his most recent injury.

15. Eddie Lacy (RB, LR 20): The Packers have a bruising running back for the first time since running back Ahman Green left town the first time.  I was fine with the Packers taking Lacy in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft so I thought they stole him in the second round.  Sure bruising running back's careers like Lacy's can be short because of their running style but seeing a punishing runner in Green Bay sure is a nice sight. I was bummed not to be able to get a Lacy kid's XL jersey at the game.  Normally I buy my jersey from the smaller Packer Pro Shop outside Mama Cheese's secretary's seats but they were not selling any Lacy jerseys there for some reason.  Now I have a few weeks to decide whether to go with Lacy or stick with wearing a t-shirt for the rest of this season.

17. A.J. Hawk (MLB, LR 25): As a native of Ohio, I think my cousin (pictured to the left in the top hat to the Lambeau Tuxedo) is obliged to like Hawk aka The Business H.J. because Hawk went to Ohio State.  With how well Hawk played the last few weeks, he is quickly trying to distance himself from the Business H.J. nickname.  My only question is why has this taken so long?  Usually players do not evolve in the 8th season in the NFL, all of a sudden Business H.J. has turned into at least Naughty H.J. and possibly more.  I guess better late than never.  Quick side note on the Browns, following the game my cousin Joe was convinced with a competent quarterback the Browns would have made it a game.  I don't deny that the Browns have a good defense but I am not sure that they are just a quarterback away from contending.  The one thing that I am sure of is that Brandon Weeden is not a good quarterback but I am not sure that is the only piece missing from their roster.  Oh and just to add insult to injury, Weeden is older than Rodgers despite the fact that this is his second season in the NFL (played five years of minor league baseball) while Rodgers is in his 9th year in the NFL.

31. Jarrett Boykin (WR, LR 37): With wide receiver James Jones most likely out at least one more week and wide receiver Randall Cobb out until at least mid-December, the Packers went from having arguably the most potent trio of wide receivers in the NFL to having Jordy Nelson and some unproven commodities.  As I've mentioned in the past, I have an off-the-field reason to like Boykin because he went to Virginia Tech where my sister-in-law is getting her Ph.D. After Boykin eclipsed 100 yards receiving and scored a touchdown, now I have an on-the-field reason to like him.  The next few weeks will be interesting to see if the Packers found another diamond in the rough in Boykin or if his performance against the Browns was just a one game aberration.

42. Jerron McMillian (S, LR 30): I gave McMillian the Defensive Trojan Boner of the Week Award against the Ravens and went so far as to say McMillian will be buried on the depth chart behind safety Chris Banjo.  Keep in mind that at one point in training camp Banjo was literally the 90th man signed to the roster and now he is on The 53 getting significant playing time.  Things have gotten so bad for McMillian that I could actually see the Packers activating safety Sean Richardson from the physically unable to perform list in place of McMillian as opposed to Banjo despite the fact that the Packers used a 4th round pick on McMillian in the 2012 NFL Draft and Banjo went undrafted in the same draft.

48. Chris Harper (WR): There was quite a string of moves to get Harper on The 53.  After the Seattle Seahawks picked Harper in the 4th round of the 2013 NFL they cut him before the start of the season.  The San Francisco 49ers claimed Harper off waivers but he never actually made 46-man gameday roster.  Meanwhile, the Packers signed running back Michael Hill to The 53 from the practice squad to fill the spot created by cutting wide receiver/kicker returner Jeremy Ross.  After being on The 53 the last two weeks, Thompson cut Hill because they needed a roster spot when they claimed Harper off waivers from the 49ers.  Although Harper didn't have a catch in against the Browns, look for him to serve a bigger role in the coming weeks as he actually learns the offense.

50. Myles White (WR): As I said in my advice for how to fill the open spot on The 53 after Thompson cut Jeremy Ross, if the Packers were going to add a wide receiver to The 53 I thought they should have signed wide receiver Tyronne Walker to The 53.  Apparently the Packers like White more than Walker though because although Walker is now on the practice squad, White is ahead of him on The 53 to fill the spot created by placing wide receiver Randall Cobb on injured reserve - designated for return after Cobb suffered a gruesome leg injury against the Ravens.  White has some big shoes to fill because the loss of Cobb is arguable the biggest loss to The 53 besides Rodgers and Matthews.

52. Jake Stoneburner (TE): After a lackluster end to his collegiate career at Ohio State due to some off the field issues, Stoneburner had a nice training camp to actually push for a roster spot on The 53.  The Packers kept Stoneburner on the practice squad and signed him to The 53 to fill the spot created by placing guard/center Greg Van Roten on injured reserve after he suffered a broken foot in practice.  Luckily Stoneburner has been around the team all season on the practice squad so look for him to play meaningful snaps following Finely's injury.

53. James Nixon (CB): After an up and down preseason the Packers decided to sign Nixon to the practice squad and promoted him to The 53 to fill the spot created by placing linebacker Robert Francois on injured reserve after Francois suffered a torn achilles tendon against the Lions.  The Packers have so much depth on their roster at cornerback that I am shocked that Nixon is still on The 53 so look for his stay on The 53 to come to an end soon.

Check back next Monday because I am attending my second Packer game in a row, this time I get to see the last Packers/Vikings game in the Humpty with Gaber, Nick, and Sug.

2012 Green Bay Packers Initial 53-Man Roster

Green Bay Packer general manager Ted Thompson trimmed the active roster from 90 players to 75 players on Monday, August 27, 2012.  Just four days later, Thompson trimmed the active roster to 53 players by placing Derek Sherrod (T) on the PUP list, placing Vic So'oto on injured reserve, and releasing 18 players* by Friday, August 31, 2012 at 8 pm CST.  Much like I did last year, here is a look at the initial 53-man roster for the 2012 Green Bay Packers:

QBs (2): Graham Harrell and Aaron Rodgers

RBs (5): Cedric Benson, Alex Green, John Kuhn, Brandon Saine, and James Starks

WRs (6): Jarrett Boykin, Randall Cobb, Donald Driver, Greg Jennings, James Jones, and Jordy Nelso

TEs (4): Tom Crabtree, Jermichael Finley, Ryan Taylor, and D.J. Williams

OLs (7): Don Barclay, Bryan Bulaga, Evan Dietrich-Smith, T.J. Lang, Marshall Newhouse, Jeff Saturday, and Josh Sitton

DLs (6): Mike Daniels, Phillip Merling, B.J. Raji, Ryan Pickett, C.J. Wilson, and Jerel Worthy

LBs (9): Robert Francois, Brad Jones, A.J. Hawk, Jamari Lattimore, Terrell Manning, Clay Matthews, Dezman Moses, Nick Perry, and D.J. Smith

DBs (11): Morgan Burnett, Jarrett Bush, Casey Hayward, Davon House, M.D. Jennings, Jerron McMillian, Sean Richardson, Brandian Ross, Sam Shields, Tramon Williams, and Charles Woodson

STs (3): Mason Crosby, Brett Goode, and Tim Masthay

Besides the initial 53-man roster, the Packers have a number of other players still affiliated with the organization even before they sign eight players to their practice squad.  Here is a breakdown of those players:

Injured Reserve (6): Du'ane Bennett (RB), Desmond Bishop (MLB), Johnny Jones (DE), Eric Lair (TE), Mike McCabe (T), and Vic So'oto (OLB).  Look for Bishop and So'oto to stay with the team while the Packers attempt sign the rest to injury settlements.

PUP (4): Jaymes Brooks (G), Andrew Quarless (TE), Derek Sherrod (T), and Frank Zombo (OLB). After the Packers finish their 6th game of the season on Sunday Night Football on the road against the Houston Texans, they have three weeks to let Brooks, Quarless, Sherrod, and Zombo to start practicing.  From the first day one of those guys start practicing, the Packers have three weeks to add them to the active roster (in place of someone on the 53-man roster), cut them, or place them on injured reserve.

Reserve/Suspended (3): Erik Walden (1 game, OLB), Mike Neal (4 games, DE), and Johnny Jolly (indefinitely, DE).  Walden will be put on the active roster for Week 2 but the same cannot be said for Neal.  The Packer might actually cut Neal by mid-season, which is a mighty fall from grace since Neal was supposed to be Cullen Jenkins 2.0.

Here are a few things that stood out to me about the roster moves:

- The last three guys cut were probably: Tori Gurley (WR), Daniel Muir (DT), and Reggie Wells (G/T).

- The last three guys kept were probably: Jarrett Boykins (WR), Brandian Ross (CB), and Sean Richardson (S).

- For the second year in a row the Packers kept 24 offensive players, 26 defensive players, and 3 special teams players.

- Of the 53 players kept on the initial roster in 2011, only 37 of them are on the current 53-man roster: 18 offensive players, 16 defensive players, and 3 special teams players.  That means 18 of 24 offensive players returned while only 16 of 26 defensive players returned.  That makes sense that not as many defenders were retained since the defense struggled so much in 2011.

- Aaron Rodgers will have 10 weapons (6 WRs and 4 TEs) to throw the ball to but only 7 guys to potentially block for him. Look for the Packers to add another offensive lineman to the roster at the expense of Boykin or Richardson by Week 6 at the latest.

Once the Packers fill their initial 8-man practice squad, check back for my initial rankings of those eight guys.  Besides that, check back Wednesday for my thoughts on the Most Overpaid and Most Underpaid 2012 Green Bay Packers and next Sunday for my ranking of the initial 53-man roster for the 2012 Green Bay Packers.


FOOTNOTE:
* = Shea Allard (T), Diondre Borel (WR), Brandon Bostick (TE), B.J. Coleman (QB), Nic Cooper (FB), Andrew Datko (T), Tommie Draheim (C/G), Sampson Genus (C/G), Curenski Gilleylen (WR), Tori Gurley (WR), Lawrence Guy (DE), Anthony Levine (S), Otis Merril (CB), Dale Moss (WR), Daniel Muir (DT), Marc Tyler (RB), Greg Van Roten (G), and Reggie Wells (G/T).

2012 Preseason Week 4 - Packers/Chiefs Review

For the second week in a row the Packers looked very impressive, here are my quick thoughts on the Week 4 Packers/Chiefs preseason game:

#1) Player that hurt his stock most: Everyone played pretty well so it was hard to pick on anyone specifically thus I am going to say all the backup offensive lineman in general.  I could see the Packers claiming at least one and possibly two offensive lineman off waivers once everything shakes out, especially if they put Derek Sherrod on the PUP list.

#2) Player that helped his stock most: There were a ton of backups that played very well: Jarrett Boykin, Alex Green, Tori Gurley, Graham Harrell, Terrell Manning, Dezman Moses, Sean Richardson, and Sam Shields.  Although all of them deserve more discussion, Harrell put together the most impressive performance going 13 for 15, throwing for 223 yards and 2 touchdowns for a perfect NFL passer rating of 158.3.  The impressive performance by Harrell solidified his spot as the backup quarterback to Aaron Rodgers. 

#3) Position to watch: So far I've talked about linebackers, running backs, and secondary so let's go back to the offensive side of the ball and look at the wide receivers.  Yesterday I finally kept 6 wide receivers for the first time in my weekly advice for general manager Ted Thompson.  I honestly think the Packers have nine receivers on their current roster that look worthy of being on an active 53-man NFL roster in 2012.  The "Big Five" wide receivers are Greg Jennings, Jordy Nelson, Donald Driver, Randall Cobb, and James Jones.  The more interesting guys to keep an eye on are the next four receivers: Diondre Borel, Jarrett Boykin, Tori Gurley, and Dale Moss.  All four could end up on a 53-man NFL roster at some point this season.  Boykins (5 catches for 82 yards and 1 touchdown) and Gurley (2 catches for 69 yards) picked a good time to perform well, which makes choosing between those two a tough decision for Thompson.  I personally would keep Boykins but would be fine with the Packers keeping either receiver.

Final Note: Things were feisty all night between both teams.  Mike Neal took it too far drawing a 15-yard personal foul, which is not what your want to do in your last live action ahead of a four-game suspension for using a banned substance.  In all fairness though, after almost every play there was shoving and jostling between both teams.  Since backups played almost the entire game, I can't blame them for trying to play with a little chip on their shoulder but players on the bubble can't afford to commit stupid penalties like Neal did.

Check back tomorrow for my quick thoughts on the initial 53-man roster for the 2012 Green Bay Packers.