My Goodbye to Aaron Rodgers

Depending on how you slice it, Cheesehead sport fans have been on Aaron Rodgers Watch for days, weeks or months.  As the resident Aaron Rodgers apologist with my Cheesehead sports buddies, even I am ready for Rodgers to go to the "New York" Jets.  I have become the annoying salary cap guy on the text thread we have rolling with my Cheesehead sports buddies.  I say that because despite everything that has gone down, I'd actually take Rodgers back for 2023 if the salary cap implications weren't so bad for the Green Bay Packers.  For those that don't obsess over the NFL salary cap, if Rodgers retires or the Packers trade him this off-season, the Packers will have to deal with a ~$40 million dead cap charge.  If the Packers bring back Rodgers for 2023 and then Rodgers retires or the Packers trade him next offseason, the Packers have to deal with a ~$60 million dead cap charge.  If the Packers bring Rodgers back for 2023 and 2024 then the Packers have a ~$70 million dead cap charge to contend with after the 2024 season.  Sure the Packers can spread that cap charge over two years if they move on from Rodgers after June 1st this offseason, next offseason or the offseason after that but realistically the only way that is happening is if Rodgers reties because no team wants to add Rodgers that late in the offseason

I said this in my last blog post on February 1st that if I had to bet, it is more likely that Rodgers gets traded to another team this offseason with the Jets the most likely team to keep this Favre reincarnation simulation going and the Las Vegas Raiders a close second so that Rodgers can reunite with wide receiver Davante Adams than Rodgers plays for them Packers in 2023 but no matter what, I think Rodgers will play football in 2023.  That was before Rodgers went on his darkness retreat, which as a sidebar I commend Rodgers for doing because I sadly can't be away from my cell phone for a family dinner with my wife and kids let alone in the dark for four days with just me and my thoughts.  My wife and golf buddies would argue that I treat golf trips like darkness retreats and to some extent that is actually true.  I unplug, talk with (more accurately at) my playing partners and take in the golf course.  Those golf trips truly do help keep me centered since life is stressful dealing with the demands of work and family.  In any case, Rodgers recorded a podcast with Aubrey Marcus after this darkness retreat and that affirmed what I thought about Rodgers wanting to play football.  Look for all the drama surrounding Rodgers each offseason about whether he is going to play football the following season, there is no doubt that Rodgers played through pretty serious injuries throughout his career.  So I get wanting to take some time, the part I don't like is that Rodgers us doing it to have the spotlight on him.

Anyhow, the more I learned about the contract that the Packers signed Rodgers to last offseason, the more enraged I became about it.  I honestly think it was organizational malpractice by the Packers.  I had a chance chat with Mark Murphy, the president of the Packers, last summer (his daughter lives in the same neighborhood that I do in Chicago) where we chatted for ~15 minutes.  No jive, it was one of my highlights of 2022 because I love the Packers that much.  I almost asked Murphy about the Rodgers contract but seemed out of bounds given the situation.  Plus, it would have guaranteed that Murphy wouldn't send me a return letter like he did in the fall of 2022 after I sent Murphy a note a few weeks before that, which again was another highlight of 2022.  I know, I have problems.

Following the 2021 season, Rodgers was coming off back-to-back NFL MVP seasons so there was almost no way that Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst, executive vice president/director of football operations Russ Ball and Murphy could turn to backup quarterback Jordan Love.  It is easy to look at what the Seattle Seahawks got for Russell Wilson and wish the Packers got that that but it is hard to do that if you are Gutekunst, Ball and Murphy.  In retrospect it looks like a no brainer but that is not what it looked like at the time.  Conversely, the only way this offseason worked out is if the Packers won the Super Bowl.  Sure, the Packers were one of the favorites heading into the 2022 NFL season but only one of 32 teams wins the Super Bowl.  The salary cap albatross that Tom Brady left behind with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is about the same size as the one that Rodgers will likely leave behind with the Packers when he presumably heads to the Jets later today.  That dead salary cap charge is much easier to swallow when you have a Super Bowl to show for it like Brady and the Buccaneers do, which is something the Packers and Rodgers do not have to soften the blow of the dead salary cap charge.

Some of my Chicago golf buddies and my good buddy Spliff that I grew up with inside The Cheddar Curtain went to the Packers/Detroit Lions game at Lambeau Field, which was the last regular season game of the 2022 NFL season.  Moose, Spliff and I were the only true Packer fan while Peg (long story) and ETM (Esteban the Magnificent) were rooting for the Packers because they are our good friends.  Having been at the Packers/San Francisco 49ers playoff game loss last year in the Packers luxury box thanks to my buddy Fernando, I honestly thought Rodgers was coming back to the Packers for 2022 but I did not feel that way after the Packers loss to the Lions to end last season.  Fernando also took me to Favre's last game as a member of the Packers when they lost in the NFC Championship Game to the New York Giants at Lambeau.  I say that not as a humblebrag of attending a ton of Packer season ending loses but because the loss to the Lions to end last season felt like sawn song for Rodgers in Green Bay much like the Packers/Giants felt like a sawn song for Favre.  So odd that Favre and Rodgers both likely ended their careers as a Packer with a loss thanks to a back breaking interception at Lambeau Field.  Given that Favre was turnover prone throughout his career, it felt very fitting for him but Rodgers really never was so it felt like an odd way for him to likely go out that way.  I mention those specific games because the Packers have been relevant my entire sports rooting life but they've truly had some tough season ending loses as a result. As my buddy Uncle Patty aka Dirty Nasty likes to say, the sweet ain't as sweet unless you taste the sour.  Sadly it has been much more sour than sweet lately.  Yet for some odd reason, if the salary cap implications were different, I'd still take Rodgers back for 2023.

No matter what, today truly feels like a true end of an era.  I visited my college buddies in New Jersey last weekend for an unofficial college reunion that was one of the best weekends that I've had in a long time.  I was prepared for Rodgers to get traded to the Jets while I was in New Jersey and as an only child that thinks the world revolves around me, I thought it would be perfect that I was in New Jersey for the first time in years when Rodgers got traded to the Jets.  I had prepared myself for that possibility and frankly even a few years ago it might have ruined my weekend but I was almost welcomed it to happen especially since I was in New Jersey.  My guess is that later today Rodgers goes on Pat McAfee's show and announces that he intends to play for the Jets in 2023.  A few days too late for this only child but given that is the case, it is now Jordan Love time in Green Bay.

Trust me, it is much more likely that Love is Brett Hundley than Brett Favre but it truly is time to turn the page.  I am honestly not looking forward to the stories that come out in the coming weeks/months about how hard it was to deal with Rodgers because honestly that no longer matters.  The sport romantic in me wishes Rodgers won another Super Bowl last season for the Packers and road off into the sunset as arguably the greatest Packers of all-time but that didn't happen.  The fact that didn't happen is also why fans simultaneously love and hate sports.  The beauty of rooting for The People's Team is that hope always seems to spring eternal.  I worry that Love will get way more scrutiny than he should since he is trying to become the third franchise quarterback in a row but again that is what makes sports so intoxicating.  Maybe it is because I've spent more money than I should for my kids and I to be part owners of the Packers, I mean this blog post alone tells you that my priorities are out of whack, but trust me that the minute I hear a "Go Pack Go" chant the next time that I am at Lambeau, I will root hard for whoever is under center.

I Went There - Brewers/Reds & Packers/Jets

I scored tickets for the 2014 Green Bay Packers regular season home opener against the New York Jets.  As luck would have it, the Milwaukee Brewers had a home stand that weekend against the Cincinnati Reds too so I thought it made sense to double-dip watching the Brewers on Saturday night at Miller Park and the Packers on Sunday afternoon at Lambeau Field.  A Cheesehead double-dip, if you will.

Brewers tickets were actually tough to get for Saturday night not because the Brewers are fighting for a playoff spot but because it was Hank the Dog bobble-head night.  Thankfully my buddy Gaber was able to score three tickets together in the upper deck down the first base line.  We were late getting into the game so we missed the first pitch.  As we made our way to the entrance, people were already leaving the game with their Hank the Dog bobble-heads in hand.  Even though we were late, there was still a line to get into the game too because we had to go through metal detectors.  Not sure if the metal detectors were Hank the Dog related or something else but that process delayed the first pitch.

In terms of the game itself, there was really nothing of note to report other than a bungled sausage race that saw the Brewers try to get Hank the Dog a victory.  Unfortunately for the Brewers, Hank the Dog was overwhelmed so he didn't even run the race.  Instead, a Brewer intern had to pick-up Hank the Dog and run him past the line in 6th place.  Hank the Dog was about as impressive as the Brewers given that their pitching was sub-par and their offense was non-existent en route to losing 5-1 to the Reds.

After starting the season 27-15, the Brewers have been an average team, at best. Thankfully their pitching has been pretty good because their offense has really struggled following a hot start to the season.  With each day, their playoff hopes continue to fade.  I am not saying that I've turned the page on the Brewers yet but their inability to score runs is really testing my patience, which is why fans were probably more interested in the bobble head giveaway than the actual game.

After the game Gaber, Uncle Patty, and I headed back to my parent's place to catch-up and set our plan of attack for the main event of the weekend...Packers/Jets at Lambeau.  We spent the night catching up about everything from our all-time favorite Milwaukee Wave players to family updates, which meant we only got a couple hours of sleep but still woke up with a hop in our step to start the pilgrimage north.

Sug met us as we were picking up tailgate goodies at the Metro Market.  I mention that because for those that have never had the privilege (you read that right), the fun starts in the meat section of the Metro Market in downtown Milwaukee.  There are a ton of Mariano's with tasty sausages in Chicago but let's not forget that those fantastic meats got their start at the Metro Market in Milwaukee.  It is great walking around the Metro Market with everyone, including the staff, wearing Packers gear.  As I've said many times in this space, you really can't go wrong with any of the brat options besides the habanero cheddar.  My favorites are either the jalapeno cheddar or the classic beer brat.

With a full cooler of beers and brats accompanied by some other tasties, we headed north.  We made it up to Green Bay just around noon.  We decided to park south of the stadium but not too close because traffic is a nightmare following the game. We had a beautiful day to throw the football and play bags.  Thankfully Uncle Patty overcame a pulled muscle on his first throw of the day so we could whip the pigskin and bags around the parking lot as we feasted on brats.  Given the issues we had getting into the Brewers game on time, we decided to head into the Packer game a little early so we wouldn't miss kickoff.

Once we got into the stadium, Uncle Patty and I tried to hit-up the new Packer Pro Shop.  One of the new Packer Pro Shop oddities is that it is under the Lambeau Field atrium.  Unfortunately it seems like almost everyone else in the stadium had the same plan so we bagged it in hopes of getting to our seats in time for kickoff.  Our original tickets were split-up two and two, which I traded for four tickets together in the north end zone, opposite the wall of sound.

The Jets kicked off to start the game.  In their first snap from center, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers and rookie center Corey Linsley didn't connect, which resulted in a fumble that the Jets recovered.  That started the wost quarter of football that I've seen the Packers play at Lambeau in my entire life as the Packers trailed the Jets 21-3 with just over 10 minutes left in the first half.

With how horribly the game started, I decided to walk around the concourse of the stadium to try to calm myself down...trust me, I know I have problems.  As I chronicled in my review of the Packers/Eagles game from last season, Eagles fans are the biggest a-holes in the NFL but Jets fans are doing their best to overtake Eagles fans based on how they carried themselves in Lambeau.  Instead of taking their good brakes in stride, Jets fans cheered with borderline vitriol, not a good look for such an underwhelming franchise.

The Packers added a pair of field goals (20-yard and 55-yard) via placekicker Mason Crosby to cut the lead to 21-9.  The Jets were driving for a touchdown at the end of the first half when Jets quarterback Geno Smith threw a pass up for grabs as he was pressured by Packers defensive lineman Mike Daniels that was intercepted by Packers cornerback Tramon Williams right at the goal line.  Given their offensive struggles, I thought the Packers might sit on the ball.  Instead, the Packers put together a clinical 97-yard touchdown drive to end the half down just 21-16, which honestly felt like they were winning given how horribly the first 20 minutes of the game went.

At the start of the second half Packers head coach Mike McCarthy had possibly the biggest brain-fart of his tenure in Green Bay, which is a fairly long and illustrious list.  The Jets looked to complete a 14-yard pass on 2nd and 8 from their own seven yard line.  Somehow the Jets were unable to get organized following that play so they were forced to burn a timeout.  Coming out of a full television timeout, which is at least two minutes, McCarthy challenged the play and lost.  I get sometimes coaches are forced to throw a challenge flag in the heat of the moment but McCarthy's gaffe was the antithesis of heat of the moment.  Everyone in the stadium got a million looks and knew not to challenge the call but somehow McCarthy didn't see these same replays.

Following a couple punts, thankfully the Packers went up 24-21 when Rodgers connected with wide receiver Randall Cobb for a touchdown and a two-point conversion in the end zone right in front of us.  Following the two-point conversion, things got chippy.  Muhammad Wilkerson, arguably the Jets best defensive player, threw a punch and got ejected.  As Wilkerson walked off the field he did his best Hulk Hogan impression, apparently forgetting that he was playing on the road not at home.  Those same a-hole Jets fans somehow defended Wilkerson, which tells you all you need to know about them.

At that point I thought the Packers were going to run away with the game but credit the Jets, they tied the game on their next drive thanks to a 52-yard field goal.  The Packers responded on the next play from scrimmage with a beautiful catch and run that resulted in an 80-yard touchdown pass from Rodgers to wide receiver Jordy Nelson in the end zone right in front of us to put the Packers up for good.

The rest of the game was fairly ho-hum till the Jets scored what looked to be a game-tying 37-yard touchdown pass right in front of us.  On the throw it looked like Williams went for the interception instead of knocking it down.  I say "looked to be" because Jets offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg called a timeout before the play.  By NFL rule only the head coach coach, which in this case would be Rex "Twinkle Toes" Ryan can call a timeout.  In practice it is hard for refs to decipher voices so when they hear a timeout called they always grant it.   Apparently Williams and some other Packer defenders heard the timeout as well because it looked like some of them were slow to react at the start of the play.

The Packers were able to stop the Jets following the timeout and run out the clock with their game clinching play...a 15-yard pass to Jordy Nelson on 3rd and 3.  That is the kind of aggressive play calling that I would like to see more often from McCarthy given that the Packers have (arguably) the best quarterback in the NFL.  Nelson finished the day with 209 receiving yards and a touchdown.  If I had to hand out three game balls they would go to Nelson, Rodgers (25 of 42 for 346 yards and 3 touchdowns along with six rushes for 28 yards), and Daniels (5 tackles, 2 tackles for a loss, 2 quarterback hits, and a sack).

There really is nothing better than a Packers win followed by a Chicago Bear loss.  The Packers/Jets game was a late afternoon kickoff and the Bears played on the road against the San Francisco on Sunday Night Football.  Given how much trouble the 49ers give the Packers and the fact that they were opening their new stadium on Sunday Night Football at The Chaps, I thought it was a slam dunk that the Bears would lose...especially after the Bears collapsed at home last week against the underwhelming Buffalo Bills.  We turned off the game at halftime because the Bears were getting beaten badly and their announcers are such homers even when the Bears are losing that we didn't want to listen them whine about losing to the 49ers for the entire 2nd half.  Somehow the 49ers imploded and the Bears pulled it out so after two weeks, every team in the NFC North is tied at 1-1.

The Packers head on the road for two big divisional games against the Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears followed by a divisional game on Thursday Night Football against the Minnesota Vikings.  If the Packers make any personal moves, check back for my thoughts, otherwise I will have my updated rankings to The 53 following their divisional trifecta.

More importantly, thanks to Gaber, Sug, and Uncle Patty for a great Cheesehead sports weekend, hopefully we can do it again early next fall.

The 53 - Initial Player Rankings for 2014 GBP

Welcome to the 5th and final part of my "season preview".  I put season preview in quotes because I wanted to rank The 53

Review of The 53

Initial Review of the Roster Initial Review of the Practice Squad Five Most Overpaid Five Most Underpaid Initial Rankings of the Roster

before the Green Bay Packers played the Seattle Seahawks on the road to open their 2014 season so that I was on the record with my initial  thoughts about The 53 but work got in the way. As a result, I am going to factor in how the Packers played in their loss to the Seahawks to the rankings but that barely changed my initial thoughts.

Just as a refresher, these rankings take into account age, skill, contract, and positional depth.  Going forward, I plan to post updated rankings of The 53 as often as possible.  For each iteration of this post I will not only rank the players 1 through 53 but I will write about the players whose rankings change drastically from the previous iteration of the rankings.  Without further adu, here are my thoughts on a few players from The 53:

The Initial 53

1. Aaron Rodgers (QB) 2. Clay Matthews (OLB) 3. Eddie Lacy (RB) 4. Sam Shields (CB) 5. Josh Sitton (G) 6. Jordy Nelson (WR) 7. Mike Daniels (DE) 8. T.J. Lang (G) 9. Micah Hyde (S) 10. Julius Peppers (DE/OLB)  11. Randall Cobb (WR)  12. David Bakhtiari (T)  13. Casey Hayward (CB) 14. Ha Ha Clinton-Dix (S)  15. Morgan Burnett (S) 16. Mike Neal (DE/OLB) 17. Bryan Bulaga (T) 18. Tramon Williams (CB) 19. Datone Jones (DE) 20. Davante Adams (WR) 21. Josh Boyd (DT) 22. Richard Rodgers (TE) 23. Tim Masthay (P) 24. Jarett Boykin (WR) 25. A.J. Hawk (MLB) 26. Corey Linsley (C) 27. Nick Perry (OLB) 28. James Starks (RB) 29. John Kuhn (FB) 30. Davon House (CB) 31. Brandon Bostick (TE) 32. Jarrett Bush (CB) 33. Andrew Quarless (TE) 34. Matt Flynn (QB) 35. Mason Crosby (K) 36. Carl Bradford (MLB) 37. Jamari Lattimore (MLB) 38. Jeff Janis (WR) 39. Scott Tolzien (QB) 40. DuJuan Harris (RB) 41. Brett Goode (LS) 42. Letroy Guion (DT) 43. Brad Jones (MLB) 44. Ryan Taylor (TE) 45. Sean Richardson (S) 46. Andy Mulumba (OLB)  47. Mike Pennel (DT) 48. Sam Barrington (OLB) 49. Jayrone Elliott (OLB) 50. Derek Sherrod (T) 51. Lane Taylor (G) 52. Garth Gerhart (C) 53. Demetri Goodson (CB)

Injured Reserve - Designated for Return: J.C. Tretter

Injured Reserve

1. Don Barclay (T/G/C) 2. B.J. Raji (DT) 3. Jared Abbrederis (WR) 4. Nate Plamer (LB) 5. Khyri Thornton (DT) 6. Aaron Adams (T)

3. Eddie Lacy (RB): I am not sure how many concussions Lacy suffered before he joined the NFL.  We know that he suffered (at least) one last year against the Cincinnati Bengals and suffered another this season against the Seahawks.  Let me be captain obvious when I say that concussions are no laughing matter.  What worries me specifically about Lacy is that his punishing running style is what made me love him so much going into the 2013 NFL Draft but at some point you have to wonder whether the concussions will lead to Lacy changing his running style to run with less authority.

7. Mike Daniels (DE): Even before the Packers lost defensive tackle B.J. Raji for the season with a torn bicep, Daniels was the leader of the defensive line.  That is quire a rise for a guy that was drafted in the 4th round of the 2012 NFL Draft.  Although Daniels can play both the run and the pass as a defensive end in the 3-4 despite his short stature, with how little the Packers line-up in the 3-4, I actually see Daniels having the biggest impact as an inside pass rusher in passing situations this season.

11. Randall Cobb (WR): This is a good illustration of how the rankings work.  There is no question that Cobb is one of the best players on The 53 but he is only signed through this season, which decreases his trade value.  Plus, Cobb plays wide receiver, which is a deep position on The 53.  Given Cobb's injury issues, I don't blame the Packers if they have him play out the season before signing him to a contract extension.  If the Packers do that, they need to realize if Cobb stays healthy for all of 2014 that he will sign a Jordy Nelson-eque contact (four-years, $39 million with $11.5 million guaranteed).

17. Bryan Bulaga (T): Missed all last season after he tore his ACL in the preseason.  Unfortunately Bulaga left the season opener early with another knee injury.  Don Barclay started at right tackle in place of the injured Bulaga last season but tore his ACL this preseason so the Packers were forced to turn to Derek Sherrod against the Seahawks.  As expected, Sherrod was quite underwhelming in place of Bulaga so it is going to be a daily Bulaga healthy watch leading up to the home opener this Sunday against the New York Jets.

36. Carl Bradford (MLB): Now that Bradford made The 53 by the skin of his teeth, his value shoots up mostly because he was a 4th round pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, thus he has one of the most favorable contract on The 53.  Following the 2013 NFL Draft I said the Packers should give Micah Hyde a look at safety but his measurables projected him more as a safety than a cornerback.  For some reason the Packers waited a year and now they have a starter at safety in Hyde, just a year later than they should have.  The same applies to Bradford, his measurables project him more as a middle linebacker than an outside linebacker.  The Packers tried Bradford at outside linebackers all preseason where he struggled.  Thankfully the Packers gave Bradford a look at MLB instead of cutting him. Keeping in mind that Bradford is getting an earlier look at middle linebacker due to injury and ineffectiveness of middle linebacker Brad Jones.  Hopefully Bradford can show something at middle linebacker because the Packers desperately need an upgrade at that spot.

38. Jeff Janis (WR): At 6'3" and 219 lbs, the Packers look like they found their next Jordy Nelson.  No this is not based on race, it is based on body type because both Janis and Nelson are sneaky big.  What I mean by that are they are both 6'3" but are never mentioned as physically imposing wide receivers in the NFC North with the likes of Alshon Jeffrey, Calvin Johnson, or Brandon Marshall.  Sure all of those other NFC North receivers are bigger guys but the Packers usually target smaller wide receivers so I am glad they took a chance on Janis because his combine and preseason performance, I think the Packers found a gem in Janis.

53. Demetri Goodson (CB): If you applied my thought process just discussed for Bradford to Goodson, you would think that Goodson would not be the last spot on The 53 given that Goodson was a 6th round pick in the 2014 NFL Draft.  The difference between Goodson and Bradford is that Goodson is more of an acclaimed basketball player than football player.  Plus, Goodson is dealing with the effects of a concussion he suffered in the preseason too so I have low expectations for the Packers getting any real production out of Goodson in 2014.

I am going to the Brewers/Reds game on Saturday night and the Packers/Jets game on Sunday afternoon with Gaber, Sug, and Uncle Patty so make sure to check back next week for my thoughts on the games.

The 53 - First Look at 2014 Regular Season Schedule for the Green Bay Packers

Besides their usual home and away with their NFC North divisional foes (Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, and Minnesota Vikings), next season the Green Bay Packers host the New England Patriots, the New York Jets, the Carolina Panthers, the Philadelphia Eagles and the Atlanta Falcons in non-divisional games while they face the Seattle Seahawks, the Buffalo Bills, the Miami Dolphins, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the New Orleans Saints on the road.  The date date and time of when the Packers actually play all of those games was announced last night:

Week 1: @ the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday, September 4th @ 7:30 p.m.
Week 2: vs. the New York Jets on Sunday, September 14th @ 3:25 p.m.
Week 3: @ the Detroit Lions on Sunday, September 21st @ noon
Week 4: @ the Chicago Bears on Sunday, September 28th @ noon
Week 5: vs. the Minnesota Vikings on Thursday, October 2nd @ 7:25 p.m.
Week 6: @ the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, October 12th @ noon
Week 7: vs. the Carolina Carolina on Sunday, October 19th @ noon
Week 8: @ the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, October 26th @ 7:30 p.m.
Week 9: BYE
Week 10: vs. the Chicago Chicago Bears on November 9th @ 7:30 p.m.
Week 11: vs. the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, November 16th @ noon
Week 12: @ the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, November 23rd @ noon
Week 13: vs. the New England Patriots on Sunday, November 30th @ 3:25 p.m.
Week 14: vs. the Atlanta Falcons on Monday, December 8th @ 7:30 p.m.
Week 15: @ the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, December 14th @ noon
Week 16: @ the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, December 21st @ noon
Week 17: vs. the Detroit Lions on Sunday, December 28th on noon

The three most interesting games on the slate to me when you factor in just the time of the year of the game, where the game is being played, and the current rosters for the other team are:

#3) Week 16 @ the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, December 21st @ noon: For years Cheesehead Chick and I've talked about spending Christmas at Mama Cheese and Papa Cheese's vacation home in Punta Gorda, FL.  This year seems like the perfect year to do it, especially if we take Christmas week off so we can make the short two hour drive north to score easy tickets to see the Packers play in the sun in late December and then spend the rest of the week relaxing poolside, hopefully enjoying the fruits of another Packer victory.  There is no doubt that Week 8 @ the Saints and Week 13 hosting the Patriots look like better games right now but there is always one team that struggles the previous year but wins at least six more games the following year.  The Bucs were 4-12 last year but they cleaned house after last season and brought in Lovie Smith as their new head coach, Jason Licht as their new general manager, and Josh McCown as their new starting quarterback.  I am not sold on McCown despite how well he played in relief of Jay Cutler at quarterback for the Chicago Bears the last few years, mostly because filling in for the injured starter is much different than being the starter from day one. Factoring in all the changes for the Bucs, I could see them turn the corner quickly to become a borderline playoff team next season.  Leaving the glorious possibility of spending Christmas in warm weather in Florida aside, I could actually see this game determining whether the Packers or Bucs are playoff bound in 2014.

#2) Week 12 @ the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, November 23rd @ noon: The Vikings are finally building a new stadium to replace The Humpty after they knocked it down following the 2013 season.  Mother nature tried to get rid of The Humpty in 2011 but the Vikings kept playing there for two more years.  Without a new permanent home till (at least) 2015, the Vikings are playing at TCF Bank Stadium, the home of the Minnesota Golden Gophers.  Last year Gaber, Nick, Sug, and I sent out The Humpty in style.  The day before, Nick and I got a preview of coming attractions when we saw the Minnesota Golden Gophers beat the Nebraska Cornhusters at TCF Bank Stadium.  Let's not forget, TCF Bank Stadium is where Brett Favre's consecutive games started streak ended at 297 when he took a hard hit on the astro turf at the hands of Buffalo Bills linebacker Arthur Moats.  Despite opening in 2009, the Vikings are still investing money in the field and running beer lines throughout the stadium to make the stadium as modern as possible.  Hopefully Gaber, Nick, Sug, and I can get the band back together to see the Packers beat the Vikings outside at TCF Bank Stadium in 2014, where games should be played in the Midwest.

#1) Week 1 @ the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday, September 4th @ 7:30 p.m: This is clearly the easy one to pick for a number of reasons.  Not only is this the first game of the entire 2014 NFL regular season because the Seahawks won the Super Bowl last year, but this also marks the first visit to Seattle for the Packers since they got hosed in the "Fail Mary" game on MNF of Week 3 of the 2012 season.  The replacement refs botched the call at the end of the "Fail Mary" game so bad in front of a national audience that it actually ended the NFL ref's strike.  The front offices of both teams are intertwined given that current Packer's general manager Ted Thompson used to be a prominent member of the Seahawk's front office while the current Seahawk's general manager John Schnieder worked under Thompson in Green Bay.  One game does not make a season but my expectations are low for this game unless Thompson has a stellar performance in the 2014 NFL Draft so if the Packers could somehow beat the Seahawks on the road, it could go a long way towards making 2014 a special season for the Packers.

I will have a much more detailed breakdown of how I think all of the games will play out once I know how The 53 is most likely going to look following the 2014 NFL Draft.  Speaking of which, make sure to check back over the next few week as I start to roll out my in-depth look at draft for Thompson.

2012 Week 16 - Packers wallop Titans

I am living quite a charmed life because I got to see my second consecutive Packers game.  Last week I attended the Packers/Bears game in Chicago with Papa Cheese.  This week I attended the Packers/Titans game with Cheesehead Chick, UP, and Sam.  Luckily we all got to enjoy an old fashion butt kicking with the Packers stomping the Titans 55-7, which was the most points they've scored since October 2, 1983 against Tampa Bay and just two points short of the team record for most points scored set in 1945.

I really enjoyed using Peter King's "10 Things I Think I Think" gimmick last week so I am going to use it again this week:

#1) It took some brass balls to bench starting center Jeff Saturday in favor of Evan Dietrich-Smith.  Apparently the Packers wanted to make the move sooner but losing right tackle Bryan Bulaga for the season forced the Packers to move starting left guard T.J. Lang to right tackle and insert Dietrich-Smith at left guard.  Lang looked uncomfortable at right tackle so they moved him back to left guard and inserted undrafted rookie free agent Don Barclay at right tackle.  With Lang and Barclay settled at left guard and right tackle, the Packers felt comfortable inserting Dietrich-Smith in place of Saturday.  It is only one week so take the results with a grain of salt, but Dietrich-Smith looked much better run blocking than Saturday.  Absent an injury, it looks like the starting offensive line left to right for their Super Bowl run will be Marshall Newhouse (LT), Lang (LG), Dietrich-Smith (C), Josh Sitton (RG), and Barclay (RT).

#2) After starting 2-3, the Packers went 9-1 to control their own destiny for the #2 seed.  The Packers jumped the 49ers in the standings so they are in line for a first round bye.  I know the Packers lost last year after a bye but their last month of the season in 2011 they were barely winning shootouts thanks to their porous defense.  This year the defense is much improved thanks to an influx of young talent via the 2012 NFL Draft and some nice rookie free agent pickups.  All that separates the Packers from a #2 seed and a first round bye is a road win in Week 17 against the Vikings, which would most likely eliminate the Vikings from playoff contention too boot.

#3) Let's relax on Ryan Grant's performance against the Titans: 20 carries for 80 yards and two touchdowns along with one reception for 34 yards.  On paper that is pretty impressive but Grant only gains the yards that are blocked for him and not a yard more and fumbled last week against the Bears.

#4) The defense put up some pretty impressive stats: only gave up 180 yards (79 rushing and 101 passing), had 2 interceptions (Shields and Walden), and 7 sacks (Hawk 2, Jones 1, Matthews 1, Neal 1, Moses 1 and Shields 1).  You read that correctly, A.J. Hawk actually registered two sacks to go along with 20 times that he ran directly into the offensive line without creating any pressure.  While the state line is impressive, don't forget the Packers did that against a number of 2nd and 3rd string offensive lineman since the Titans are missing 80% of their starting offensive line due to injury.  That and Jake Locker looks like a bust just two years into his NFL career.

#5) Nice to see the Packers finally hand out a start to finish butt kicking.  Call me greedy but once the score got into the 30's I was much more interest in the shutout than pouring on more points.  Don't get me wrong, it was great to see the offense in sync but shutouts are so rare that it would have been cool to see a shutout at Lambeau.

#6) What would Chris Johnson cost to acquire via trade from the Titans?  Despite his measly output against the Packers (11 rushes for 28 yards), I still remember how explosive Johnson was when he first entered the league.  I know there is the "Curse of 30" for running backs but Johnson is only 27 and hasn't come close to 300 carries since 2010 so he has fresh legs.  The real problem is what Johnson would cost the Packers.  In 2011 Johnson signed a six-year, $56 million deal, which probably makes him to expensive to fit under the salary cap unless Johnson would be amenable to restructuring his contract for the chance to join an already potent offense like the Packers.

#7) I am going to take the wildly unpopular stance that the Packers need to keep Randall Cobb as their return guy in the playoffs, assuming he is healthy, despite the fact that he got hurt returning a punt against the Titans.  Jeremy Ross looked good returning punts after Cobb left injured but he only has a handful of returns under his belt and one of them was a dropped ball in Chicago on a ridiculous fake punt.  Is that really enough experience for a guy to be your main return-man in the playoffs? Say what you want about Cobb besting Ahman Green's all-time single-season record for net yards because Cobb got to include special teams yardage while Green only touched the ball on offense but it speaks to how well Cobb has done in the return game.  How quickly people forget that the Packers have had an absolutely putrid return game for the better part of a decade until they drafted Cobb.  Plus Cobb is a sure handed, smart football player.  Take his heads up play at the start of the second half when he stepped out of bounds before he possessed the ball on the kickoff netting the Packers almost 40 more yards.  It is one thing to know the rule, it is quite another to pull it of as seamlessly as Cobb did.  With so many quality wide receivers (Boykin, Cobb, Driver, Jennings, Jones, Nelson, and Ross) and tight ends (Crabtree, Finley, Taylor, and Williams) I hope the Packers keep Cobb as their main return guy for the stretch run to the Super Bowl.

#8) Speaking of special teams, let's relax on the Crosby is back talk.  Crosby converted from 26-yards and needed a favorable bounce off the goal post from 48-yards to have his first game since Week 6 that he did not missed at least one field goal.  Let's see him go a few weeks without any misses before we start talking about him being back.

#9) Finley is finally starting to put it together for the first time in a couple seasons.  Before the Packers/Bears game my favorite sports writer of all-time Bob McGinn wrote an article that said according to sources within the organization, absent a huge improvement in Finley's play for the rest of 2012, the Packers were going to trade or cut Finley in the off-season.  It is unclear whether Finley read McGinn's article but Finley sure has been impressive the last two weeks.  If the Packers continue to use the no huddle, I would love to see a personnel package of Randall Cobb, Greg Jennings, James Jones, Jordy Nelson, and Finley.  I know that means the Packers would be without a running back but they could occasionally have Finley line-up as a blocker or Cobb line-up in the backfield as a running back.  As long as the new-look offensive line discussed above can block, quarterback Aaron Rodgers and the aforementioned quintet of skill players would be essentially unstoppable.

#10) I am sure that everyone has holiday traditions that they look forward to each year.  In my family we are starting to make new traditions because two of my cousins adopted children from Ghana.  It is amazing to see these little kids embrace the cold weather and snow in Wisconsin because the climate where they were born is the exact opposite for 365 days a year.  I am sure the holidays are rough for some people so I am not trying to rub it in but enjoying the simple pleasures of Wisconsin when we went sledding yesterday still has me smiling a million times more than any Packer victory.  Happy Holidays to everyone.

2012 Week 4 - Packers beat Saints

The Green Bay Packers capped what ended up personally being one of the best weekends in a long time, despite the Brewers being officially eliminated from the playoffs and the Meltdown at Medinah, with an important win over the New Orleans Saints to improve to 2-2 while the Saints shockingly dropped to 0-4.

As I've said in the past, I am only going to have lengthy posts about regular season Packers games that I attend. Even last week I just posted my tweets and re-tweets instead of writing a full post despite the Packers' "loss" to the Seahawks being possibly the most notorious loss in franchise history. Instead of dwelling on that unfortunate result anymore, let's recap this weekend.

I spent most of the weekend in Door County with Cheesehead Chick, Mama Cheese, Papa Cheese, and In-Law-Cheese. On the way up to Door County we stopped at Lambeau Field to shop at the Packers Pro Shop, visit to the Green Bay Packers Hall-of-Fame, and capped it off with a Lambeau Field Stadium Tour.

It is pretty amazing how nice of a field the Packers have to go along with an amazing stadium. Add in that Lambeau Field will only get better once they add another 6,700 seats in the south end zone and despite being a biased Packers fans, Lambeau Field is truly the best sports venue in North America and possibly the world.

Despite being a lifelong Packer fan, I've never done a stadium tour. Trust me, even non-sports fans would enjoy the tour. Towards the end of the tour you get to walk down the same tunnel that the Packers do before the game with the entry music playing. Needless to say, the hair on the back of my neck was standing on end.

In fact, in the picture to the immediate right I am standing on one of Mike Sherman's only positive legacies on the franchise.  For those that don't know, Sherman was head coach and somehow foolishly became dual coach and general manager when Ron Wolf retired in 2001.  When the Packers renovated Lambeau Field, Sherman decided to take the bricks that almost every Packer in franchise history walked over and had them relocated to the new tunnel where the players enter Lambeau Field.  Trust me, I am not a fan of Mike Sherman since I think he presided over a number of horrible drafts and failed to turn some of Favre's best seasons into Super Bowl victories, but I do appreciate that one bit of genius he instilled on the franchise.

After finishing the Lambeau Field Stadium Tour, we spent Friday night through Sunday morning in Door County (thumb of Wisconsin) enjoying all things Door County. For those that have never been, Door County is great in the fall because the leaves are changing colors and the crowds are a little smaller. Add in that we had perfect fall weather in the mid-60's and it was truly a magical family weekend in Cheesehead country.

We got back to Lambeau Field in time to see per-game warm ups, which was nice because usually we are rushing to our seats since we are trying to spend as much time as humanly possible tailgating. If you've never been to Lambeau Field or Miller Park before, make sure to arrive at least three hours before the game is supposed to start because tailgating in Cheesehead country is serious business.  Thanks to Brother Pat and Pat Gilroy we were able to trade some seats so that the six of us could sit together along with 70,565 other lucky fans on a beautiful fall Cheesehead day in the mid-60's.

Going into the game, I made three predictions:
#1) Wide receiver Randall Cobb would throw a pass
#2) Tight End Jermichael Finley would have over 100 yards receiving
#3) Defensive back Charles Woodson would have a pick-six

The Packers went 0-for-3 on my predictions but Cheesehead Chick went 1-for-1 on predictions. The Packers were facing a 4th and 1 at our own (I am a part owner) 17 yard-line in the second quarter.  Right before the snap, Cheesehead Chick said to Papa Cheese and me: how about a fake?  We laughed that off saying that was a crazy idea. Low and behold, head coach Mike McCarthy called a fake punt and Kuhn picked up five yards for a first down. Give Cheesehead Chick credit, that is a call a head coach makes once or twice in a career.

A few more non-ref-centric thoughts before I remind fans that the "real" refs are just as fallible as the replacement refs:
#1) The Packers held the Saints to a field goal despite facing 1st and goal at the 1 yard-line.  I don't expect that to happen again this season but was impressive to see in-person.
#2) Rodgers got poked in the eye (thankfully not a concussion) and backup quarterback Graham Harrell tripped over center Jeff Saturday, which lead to a Cedric Benson fumble on the goal line. Instead of the Packers going up 28-17, the Saints capitalized on the turnover to go up 24-21.
#3) If you are wondering why, I love the Green Bay Packers so much, check out the picture of Papa Cheese and me with four of our closest friends.

After last weeks debacle by the replacement officials on Monday Night Football, the "real" officials had their own set of calamities:
#1) Replays on the impressive new replay screens at Lambeau Field show that Marques Colson clearly committed offensive pass interference on the Saints' first touchdown.
#2) The officials didn't overturn the Packers' 2nd challenge, giving the Saints an unwarranted first down.
#3) Last and certainly worst, Saints' return man Darren Sproles fumbled the kickoff return with 7 minutes remaining and the Packers up 28-27.  For some reason the officials called it "down by contact" but if they wold have called it a fumble, the play would have been reviewed automatically by rule.  McCarthy deserves some blame here because he already exhausted both of his challenges but the officials should have called it a fumble and then reviewed the play to make sure they got it correct since they were not sure even after conferencing for at least a minute.

As they did most of the game, the Saints marched down the field to get into field goal range trailing by just a point.  The Saints even momentarily had 30 points on the board thanks to kicker Garrett Hartley making a 43 yard field goal.  The points came off board thanks to a hold on the field goal attempt by Saints tight end David Thomas. That pushed the Saints back to the 35 yard-line. A neutral zone infraction by Packers defensive lineman Mike Daniels moved the ball back to the 30 yard-line.  Hartley was unable to make the 48 yard kick that mattered, so the Packers lead 28 to 27 with a little less than 3 minutes remaining in the game.

After a couple Cedric Benson runs the Packers faced a 3rd and 3 at their own 45 yard-line.  The Packers had to pick-up the first down to seal a victory otherwise they would have been forced to give the ball back to Drew Brees and the high powered Saints offense.  As a guy who had to sweat out that exact scenario last year in the home opener, I was not looking for a repeat.

Normally a conservative play caller, McCarthy called a risky pass. The Saints defender Jabari Greer did not play the ball so despite being interfered with, wide receiver James Jones still came up with the 8 yard catch. If that pass were broken up, or worse intercepted, McCarthy would be second guessed much like the fake punt call discussed earlier.  Fortunately the Packers completed the pass to win 28-27.

Before we get too excited, let's not look past the fact that the Saints out gained the Packers (474 to 421) because the defense could not keep Drew Brees in check (35 for 54, 446 passing yards, and 3 touchdowns) or get off the field on 3rd down (Saints converted 9 of 17 attempts).

Credit McCarthy though, despite going 0-for-2 on challenges (should have been 1-for-2), he went 2-for-2 ballsy calls to help propel the Packers to a much needed win.

If I had to hand out the players of the game:
#3) The not always sure handed James Jones made a number of big catches finishing with 5 catches for 56 yards and 2 touchdowns catches.
#2) Offensive line.  After giving up 8 sacks in the first half against the Seahawks, they played 6 consecutive quality quarters of football.
#1) Aaron Rodgers was 31 for 41, throwing for 319 yards, 4 touchdowns, and 1 interception for a QB rating of 119.

"Sunday Funday" is a cheesy (no pun intended) but a perfect way to describe the Packers' win over the Saints.  It was the first game at Lambeau Field for In-Law-Cheese.  Hopefully we can turn this into an annual or bi-annual tradition for the six of us because I had blast all weekend.  There is really nothing better than spending a glorious fall weekend in Door County that is topped off with a Packers' victory.

Lambeau Field Expansion

Lambeau Field, the oldest NFL stadium and third-oldest professional stadium behind Wrigley Field in Chicago and Fenway Park in Boston, is getting another make-over.

In 2003 the Green Bay Packers finished a much needed makeover and expansion to Lambeau Field. In 1995 Lambeau Field accommodated 60,890 patrons, following the 2003 expansion, Lambeau Field accommodated 73,128 patrons. As you can see from the rendering to the left, the 2003 expansion gave Lambeau Field a nice new brick facade that gave Lambeau Field an updated look that did not compromise the rich history of the stadium*. If you have any question that Lambeau Field is more attractive following the 2003 expansion, check out the before and after pictures:

Lambeau Field Pre-2003


Lambeau Field Post-2003


For being one of the most historic stadiums in the world, Lambeau Field is always evolving. The Green Bay Packers added a new audio system for this season. Next year Lambeau Field will get new Mitsubishi Diamond Vision video boards as well. Although a new audio system to go along with new video boards is impressive, those are both appetizers to the tasty main course.

Following the expansion that will be completed in time for the 2013 season, the Green Bay Packers will add 6,600 seats to Lambeau Field. The expansion will raise Lambeau Field's capacity from 73,128 to 79,728. The entire $130 million project will be funded by the team, potentially through another stock sale (fingers crossed).

While some NFL franchises have a hard time selling tickets, the Green Bay Packers have roughly 80,000 fans on the season ticket waiting list so they have plenty of takers for the additional 6,600 seats that will have seat backs (quite underrated since most of Lambeau Field's seats are bleacher seats).

As you can see in the beautiful rendering to the left, the Packers will add seats to the south end zone that is currently the only opening in the bowl of luxury suites around the top of the stadium. The seats will be dispersed over four sections and will reportedly cost between $87 and $313. The project will have a rooftop viewing area that club-seat holders can use on game days and will hosts parties on non-game days. The expansion project will see 10 more elevators installed in the north and south ends zones and entry ways for people with disabilities. Finally and possibly most importantly to Lambeau Field patrons in general, the Packers will add new gates in both the north and south end zone that should help alleviate some of the congestion associated with entering the game.

The new 6,600 seats will be allocated through a seniority system. Current season ticket holders will get the right of first refusal where they could trade their current seats for some of the new seats. After that, some of the 80,000 people currently on the season ticket waiting list will move from potential season ticket holders to actual season ticket holders.

The Green Bay Packers are using some Cheesehead companies for the expansion with Miron Construction (based in Neenah, WI) serving as the general contractor after serving as one of the major subcontractors on previous Lambeau Field projects. Besides Miron Construction, Hammes Company Sports Development Inc. (based in Madison, WI) was named the project manager and Elkus Manfredi is the design architect.

The expansion will create roughly 1,600 construction jobs through 2013, which should produce $70 million in wages. According to an economic impact study, the 6,600 additional seats are supposed to produce $11 million annually by non-Brown County residents.


Footnote:
* = That was a direct shot at Soldier Field. Thanks to my uncles having season tickets for the Chicago Bears I get to see the Packers whenever they come to Chicago. As a Packer fan in Chicago, I honestly appreciate the sight lines that the new Soldier Field has compared to the old Solider Field but that still does not justify the Bears landing a space ship inside the historic columns of Soldier Field. I get that Chicago wanted to tie in Millennium Park (north east part of Grant Park) with the new Soldier Field but the design missed the mark.

Week 6 of 2010 - Packers/Dolphins Review

Another week, another overtime loss. With the Green Bay Packers' overtime loss to the Miami Dolphins at Lambeau Field, Green Bay Packers head coach Mike McCarthy halted his 6 game home winning streak while extending his overtime losing streak to 6 games.

Last week not only did the Packers lose in overtime to the Redskins, they lost a number of key players to serious injuries. The only silver lining to this week's overtime loss to the Dolphins is that besides Brady Poppinga, no new names were added to the injury list. That said, most of the reason that few new names were added to the injury list was that a ton of players (Clay Matthews, Ryan Pickett, Jermichael Finley, Mark Tauscher, Mike Neal, and Brandon Chillar) were held out of the Packers/Dolphins game due to injury.

With defensive linemen Ryan Pickett and Mike Neal out, the Packers were so thin along the defensive line that they re-signed defensive linemen Michael Montgomery. Montgomery took Nick Barnett's roster spot when Green Bay Packers general manager Ted Thompson decided to place Barnett on injured reserve.

Quick side note, Montgomery and suspended Packers defensive lineman Johnny Jolly were teammates at Texas A&M. Both guys have been working out together the last six weeks in Houston while being unemployed for different reasons. Jolly is suspended for the entire 2010 NFL season by the league while Montgomery is just not that good. Montgomery spent training camp with the Minnesota Vikings, so the most he can offer the Packers in terms of value is a copy of the Vikings play book at this point.

Anyhow, back to the Packers/Dolphins game. The Packers were forced to start C.J. Wilson in place of Ryan Pickett. You read that correctly, C.J. Wilson. That meant the healthy Packers defensive linemen against the Dolphins were B.J. Raji, Cullen Jenkins, C.J. Wilson, Jarius Wynn, and Mike Montgomery. The Packers were so thin at defensive line that they inserted back-up offensive lineman T.J. Lang on a few plays on defense.

With the Packers thin along the defensive line, the two-headed running back monster of Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams got a bunch of carries. The Dolphins are proof that the two-back system can work in the NFL. Even if Packers running back Ryan Grant was healthy, having another quality running back would help the Packers immensely. With Ryan Grant out for the season, Thompson's decision not to trade for another running back looks downright foolish now. Let's say Marshawn Lynch was in fact a head case (despite rumors that Thompson was gunning for Lynch even before Grant got injured) then take a chance on another guy. The Cleveland Browns recently traded running back Jerome Harrison to the Philadelphia Eagles for running back Mike Bell. Are you trying to tell me Harrison was not available for a late draft pick?

Not only were the Packers thin at defensive line but All Pro in the making outside linebacker Clay Matthews (and his league leading 8.5 sacks) didn't play either, so the Packers struggled to create any pass rush. That gave Dolphins quarterback Chad Henne plenty of time to sit in the pocket and locate wide receiver Brandon Marshall.

Another quick side note, the Dolphins would be much worse off if Ted Thompson picked the right quarterback in the 2008 NFL Draft. For those of you that don't remember, Thompson picked Lousiville quarterback Brian Brohm one pick ahead of when the Miami Dolphins selected Michigan quarterback Chad Henne. As we all know by now, Brohm was cut last year in favor of quarterback Matt Flynn. That lead to me writing a post about whether Justin Harrell or Brian Brohm was Ted Thompson's worst draft pick. For a guy that "builds through the draft", Harrell and Brohm are two huge black marks on the resume for Thompson.

Let's leave those horrible personnel decisions and get back to the painful Packers/Dolphins game. Dolphins pass rusher Cameron Wake was a one man wrecking crew against the Packers. Wake tormented rookie right tackle Bryan Bulaga all game. Despite Wake having his way with Bulaga, Green Bay Packers head coach Mike McCarthy refused to give Bulaga any help. As a result, Wake and Company sacked Rodgers 5 times and hit Rodgers 10 times. May be it is because Rodgers is getting hit more than he wants (although that was the case the first half of last year as well) but Rodgers been just a little off this year compared to last year. Through 6 games this year, Rodgers has thrown 10 TDs and 7 INTs. Through 6 games last year, Rodgers threw 11 TDs and 2 INTs.

Last year third down was a productive down for the Packers, but this year it has been a completely different story. Against the Dolphins the Packers only converted 3 of 13 on third down after a 2 of 13 performance on third down against the Redskins. Aaron Rodgers was automatic on third down last year, but this year things have been different on third down for Rodgers. Take a look at the stats:
- 2009: completed 67.5% of his passes, throwing 14 TDs and 0 INTs for a 133.5 passer rating.
- 2010: completed 53.5% of his passes, throwing 4 TDs and 4 INTs for a 65.6 passer rating.

Finally Packer punter Tim Masthay struggled again. In fact, 2010 Packer punter Tim Masthay has worse numbers so far this year then the horrendous Jeremy Kapinos did in 2009. The Packers need to invest in a quality veteran punter and special teams coach soon, otherwise it will be more of the same out of Tim Masthay and Shawn Slocum.

Despite all the negative things said above, there were a few positive things that came out of the Packers/Dolphins game. For one thing, Greg Jennings and Aaron Rodgers finally got on the same page. That was sparked by the Rodgers/Jennings 86-yard touchdown hook-up. On that play, Jennings beat Dolphins cornerback Vontae Davis, one of the up and coming cornerbacks in the NFL.

Also the Packers have amassed a little less than 800 yards of offense in their last two games but only have 33 points and 2 losses to show for that. According to most professional bettors (I know that sounds like an oxymoron), yards are a much better indicator of a team's ability than points so may be things are looking up...

At the start of the season the Green Bay Packers were picked by a lot of pundits to win the Super Bowl. A ton of serious injuries (18 players have missed at least 1 game) later the Packers are 3-3 and the Super Bowl talk has come to a screeching halt. Let me play the optimist for a second. At 3-3, the Packers are only 1 game out of first place. I am convinced that 9-7 (may be even 8-8) will get you into the playoffs in the NFC this year so there is no reason to hit the panic button yet. Plus, the Packers are a few small breaks away from being 6-0. Lets turn each of the Packers' 3 losses into a win.

Packers/Bears Game: If James Jones holds onto the ball at the end of the Packers/Bears Monday Night game, the Packers most likely move down the field and score to win the game. Instead, the Bears got the ball back and Mike McCarthy inexplicably let the Bears run the clock out and kick a field goal with only a few seconds left in the game to win.

Packers/Redskins Game: If Mason Crosby makes either of the two (should have been three) field goals he missed against the Redskins, the Packers win that game. I put three in parenthesis because McCarthy should have attempted a field goal when it was 4th and goal from the 1 yard line up 7-0 against the Redskins. Any more points via Crosby's foot and the Packers win in regulation instead of losing in overtime to the Redskins.

Packers/Dolphins Game: If the referees eat the flag, as they should have, with the Dolphins punting to the Packers mid-way through the 4th quarter then the Packers probably win that game. As the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel points out in a great blog post, the Packers got absolutely hosed on the Robert Francois special teams penalty.

See how I turned the 2010 Green Bay Packers' record from 3-3 to 6-0 with a few minor tweaks? Unfortunately, it is the little things that usually decide whether a team wins or loses a close game. Aaron Rodgers, Mike McCarthy, and Company have struggled to do those little things in close games which is why the Packers are 3-3 instead of 6-0. Just to drive the point home, in 39 career starts Aaron Rodgers is 1-11 in games decided by 4 points or less and 0-5 in overtime games. Mike McCarthy is 4-13 in games decided by 4 points or less and 1-6 in overtime games. Those are downright horrible stats, so what do the Packers need to do to fix it?

Despite all the injury troubles the 2010 Green Bay Packers have gone through, Thompson made only one trade before the NFL trade deadline. Not that it would matter for the Packers but isn't it crazy that the NFL trade deadline is so early in the season? I understand that the NFL does not want teams to trade away players for future draft picks if their season is going down the drain but the NFL trade deadline should be at least a few weeks later in the season. Players just became eligible to come off the physically unable to perform list so many NFL rosters are in flux with no ability to add players via trade.

Back to Thompson's one trade. Immediately following the loss to the Dolphins, Thompson sent a conditional 7th round pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars for safety Anthony Smith. Some will remember that Thompson cut Smith in favor of the perpetually disappointing safety Aaron Rouse at the end of the 2009 preseason. Throughout 2009 Thompson tried to reacquire Smith via the waiver wire, but was unsuccessful on two occasions. Well Thompson finally got Smith back, but is that enough to keep the Packers in the playoff picture?

Here is a little unsolicited advice for Ted Thompson. This week cornerback Al Harris, safety Atari Bigby, and running back James Starks are eligible to come off the physically unable to perform list. That means Thompson has to activate, cut, or place on injured reserve the aforementioned players in the next three weeks.

Of the three players, Al Harris should be put on the active roster immediately. Yes Harris is only 11 months removed from a serious knee injury but he is a physical freak. The Packers are in need of another physical freak this weekend when the face Brett Favre, Randy Moss, and the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday Night Football in Lambeau Field. As a result of activating Harris, Thompson will have to cut a player from the 53-man roster. Thompson should cut offensive line prospect Nick McDonald. If McDonald clears waivers, put him on the practice squad where he should have been from the start of the season.

With the recent re-acquisition of Anthony Smith, Thompson can take his time with Atari Bigby. If Bigby is ready to play significant snaps this weekend then put Bigby on the active roster immediately. Thompson should cut fullback Quinn Johnson in favor of Bigby if that is the case.

Thompson still does not know what he has with the current running backs on the roster so there is no rush (no pun intended) to add rookie James Starks to the active roster right away. Plus, Starks has not played a live snap of football in over two years so the Packers should ease Starks back into the fold.

Finally Thompson has to buck his trend and sign a couple free agents that can contribute immediately. First, Thompson should sign a veteran free agent outside linebacker (i.e. Adalius Thomas) in place of rookie outside linebacker Robert Francois. Next, Thompson should sign a veteran middle linebacker (i.e. Abdul Hodge) in place of rookie middle linebacker Maurice Simpkins. After that, if Brady Poppinga has to go on injured reserve, Thompson should sign recently released (from the Detroit Lions) tight end/linebacker Spencer Havner for Havner's versatility alone. Finally, Thompson should sign a dedicated return man because Jordy Nelson/Pat Lee on kickoff returns is not working and Tramon Williams on punt returns is not worth the injury risk.

The advice is free for now, I can only hope that Thompson follows at least a few of the suggestions. Good luck to the Packers this weekend on Sunday Night Football against Brett Favre and the Vikings at Lambeau Field. I am going to the game so look for my notes next week on the blog.