Packers Ink Jeff Saturday

This has been a really exciting offseason so far. If only the games were a little closer...

Peyton Manning is released by the Colts...He signs with the Denver Broncos...

Colts clean house...release Dallas Clark, Jeff Saturday, other household names...

Tim Tebow is traded to the Jets...wait...is he? Yes, he is...

And the biggest news of the week for the the Green and Gold...Jeff Saturday signs with the Pack!

This is huge news for the Green Bay faithful. With the departure of Scott Wells, there was a gaping hole in the middle of the offensive line. In my humble opinion, I think that the o-line is the most important part of our team. Rodgers can't throw if he doesn't have time, receivers can't catch if Rodgers can't throw, and we can't win if we can't throw and catch...

The signing of Saturday gives the Packers a stopgap to groom a young center. I will assume that Ted Thompson will make it a priority in this year's draft to get a center. Saturday allows for the ability to not have to trade up in the 1st round to try to get Konz out of UW. I don't have details on the contract yet, but it's exciting news and I feel much better now. GO PACK!

Finley Signs 2-year Deal Worth $15 Million

That's right, JerMichael Finley, whom nearly everyone expected to be branded with a franchise tag this offseason has reached an agreement with the Packers that will keep him on the roster through the 2013 season. This is a smart deal for both the Packers and for Finley. It's not enough money to break the bank or the cap, but is enough to appease Finley to where he wouldn't have been able to find more money elsewhere. This gives the Packers 2 years to decide whether Finley is worth a big contract going into the 2014 season. It also gives them a 2 year buffer to determine whether he will develop into the elite Tight End that his potential has suggested. This does raise other questions now, however...

The Packers still have a franchise tag to use. The two marquee free agents left on the checklist are Center Scott Wells and backup QB Matt Flynn. While Wells was a pro bowler this year, it appears unlikely that the Packers will be willing to shell out $10 million to keep him around for another season. It's more likely that Thompson will be able to strike a deal with him prior to free agency in 3 weeks.

Flynn is a more intriguing option. The franchise tag for quarterbacks is estimated to be $14 million for 2012. That's a high price for a backup QB...especially when your starter and league MVP is due $8 million. So, the only reason to tag Flynn would be if Ted Thompson is confident that he can find a team willing to trade for him and restructure his contract. It all sounds well and good, but there are risks.

I've said for months now that I thought Flynn would land in Miami, and with Philbin as their new coach, it sure seems like I knew what I was talking about. I wouldn't be surprised if the dolphins would be willing to part with a 2nd round draft pick for a potential franchise QB, but the wrench in the cogs of this idea is that Peyton Manning is likely going to be a free agent by March 8th and Miami has expressed interest in him. I find it highly unlikely that they would be willing to trade for Flynn and sign Manning. So I believe it will be either/or. Obviously, I'd like to see the Packers get more than a compensatory pick in the 2013 draft for Flynn. But I'd rather see him walk than end up with him on the payroll in 2012 and be hamstrung by it. Stay tuned for updates...GO PACK!

Rodgers MVP, Cobb Play of the Year

During a somewhat uneventful weekend for Packer fans, there was one bright spot. The 2011 NFL season awards given out on Saturday evening. The Packers brought home some impressive hardware. The most coveted award in football (outside of the Lombardi Trophy) was given to the most impressive QB in the game. That's right, it's no big surprise that Aaron Rodgers is the MVP. Drew Brees made things interesting at the end of the season with his video-game-like statistics, but it did not sway voters. Rodgers finished with 48 out of the 50 votes for the award. Brees took home the Offensive Player of the Year award. So, in an otherwise disappointing season, it's at least a little bit comforting to see the leader of the Pack named the NFL's best player.



A-Rod was not the only Packer to be honored in Indianapolis this weekend however. The 2011 Play of the Year went to Rookie WR/Return Specialist Randall Cobb for his 108 yard kickoff return during the 1st game of the season. It's remarkable to me that there were not any better plays this year. I personally thought that Jerome Simpson's front flip into the end zone would have won it, but it was cool to see Cobb get recognition for his own acrobatic performance.



GO PACK!

Philbin Hired by Dolphins

Is that your final answer or would you like to phone a friend? I know it's a lame joke, but I laughed when I saw that picture.

Anywho, I'm sure you've heard by now that the Miami Dolphins hired Packers' Offensive Coordinator Joe Philbin as their Head Coach. You have to be happy for the guy considering all that he's gone through lately. I think that the change of scenery and new responsibilities will give him and his family a good avenue to move on from the recent tragedy and start their next phase of life. Now on to the more important question:

What does this mean for the Packers?

First and foremost, it means that Mike McCarthy needs a new OC. McCarthy (and the Packer organization) has a history of promoting from within. Therefore, it seems the most likely candidate for the job is Quarterbacks Coach Tom Clements. He is familiar with the offense and has good rapport with Aaron Rodgers. It also helps that Rodgers himself said that Clements is the best candidate for the job. Rodgers also said that if Clements is promoted, Billy Joe Tolliver is a likely candidate to fill the QB Coach position. Those are the things I heard through the grapevine anyway.

On a side note...Not that this affects the Packers at all, but I believe that this hire makes Miami the most likely place for Matt Flynn to land (as I predicted in December). Flynn is comfortable with Philbin and it is likely that Philbin's offense will be similar to that of McCarthy's. It's what I would do if I were Philbin or Flynn...unfortunately, it is extremely unlikely that the Packers will receieve anything in exchange for Flynn other than a decent (3rdish round) compensatory pick in the 2013 draft. Better than nothing I suppose.

In Other News:

The Oakland Raiders passed on all Packers' assistants and hired the Defensive Coordinator from Denver. This shocked everyone as it seemed all but a given that Reggie McKenzie was going to hire either Winston Moss or Dom Capers. But I'm happy that he didn't. Let's all hope that Moss and Capers can get their acts together this offseason and Ted Thompson can provide them with some talent to revive the defense for 2012. More news to come as it is available. GO PACK!

Recovering...

It's been a rough few days. You all saw the game, and there really isn't much I want to say about it. I think Aaron Rodgers said it best. "We didn't play like ourselves..."

We all expected the defense to be bad. And they actually came up with a few stops, so I don't blame them. But the offense, which set several records in the Packers' history books looked awful. 8 drops, 3 fumbles, bad passes, poor blocking...yeah, pretty much everything.

I have no interest in watching the Conference Championship games this weekend. I'm hoping the 49ers win because I have come to dislike the Giants pretty intensely and have deemed them our biggest rival outside of the NFC North.

Anywho, I'm going to try to be a little bit positive here. We will try to keep you up to date with the potential coaching moves this offseason as well as draft prospects and coverage for our 28th pick in April. In the meantime, try not to get too depressed that football season as we know it is over for the next 8 months...wow, now I am depressed! GO PACK!

Giants @ Packers: Final Thoughts

The Playoffs are almost here for the Green Bay Packers, and all I can say is its about time!

I've spent all week listening to analysis and opinions about the upcoming game against the New York Giants, and I've been surprised by the amount of people that have jumped on the G-Men bandwagon throughout the week and not only think that the Giants will compete, but that they may upset the Packers!

Now being a Packer fan, I found myself upset and confused by all of the people that were hyping the Giants. I had to force myself to step back a little bit and take a less biased look at the upcoming game. Here are my thoughts:

#1: The media is comparing the upcoming game with the 2007 NFC Championship game, in which the Giants had gotten hot at the end of the season, squeaked into the playoffs and won 3 road games, including a game at Lambeau, to go on to beat the undefeated, 19-0 Patriots in the Super Bowl.

My first thought on this comparison is that none of it matters and there is no reason to give any weight to it. The teams are completely different. Rodgers > Favre.

#2:  The Giants are the "Hot" team right now in the NFC.

Herm Edwards called the Giants and the Saints the two hottest teams right now in the playoffs. I'm just not sure what his definition of hot is. The giants were inconsistent all season but were able to make it into the playoffs by winning a mediocre division. Following the Week 13 matchup against the Packers, the giants beat the Cowboys, Lost in Washington to the Redskins, beat the Jets in what was a home game for both teams, and then they again beat the Cowboys to seal the playoff bid. Then they went on to beat the Falcons, who didn't look like they belonged in the playoffs in the Wild Card round. To put it into perspective...

The Giants have won 4 out of the last 5 games. The Packers have won 21 out of the last 22 games.

Enough said. Moving on.

#3:  Two Good Offenses. The Packers Defense is Bad. The Giants Defense is Good.

I will be the first one to say that the Packers defense has been a disappointment all season. But let me follow that up by saying that who cares? The Packers defense has done exactly what it has needed to do all season to help the Packers win games. The Packers offense continues to get early leads and continue to score throughout almost every game, and sure, the defense has given up a lot of yards and points, but when it comes down to it, it doesn't matter. The defense for the Packers knows the score of the game. They know that the offense is going to move the ball and score points, so there is no reason for them to worry and they haven't. All the Packers defense does is play along and wait for the other team to make a mistake. The Packers are leading the NFL in interceptions for a reason. If the game ever comes down to the defense making a stop, our defense has done it without fail.

The Giants defense has one of the best set of lineman in the league and they are a force to be reckoned with. The G-Men are going to bring 4 man pressure the majority of the game because they have the talent on their line to create pressure without blitzing, and if they can manage to do that, the rest of their defense can work in coverage. I am nervous about the Giants defense and defensive line going into this game, but I also have faith in Aaron Rodgers and the Packers' offensive line. For the first time since Week 3, all of the Packers' starting lineman are back together and healthy. In the last meeting during Week 13, the Giants came away with 2 sacks on Rodgers and he threw for 369 Yards, 4 TDS and 1 INT. Rodgers is one of the best in the NFL when it comes to dealing with pressure. He is also one of the best at tearing apart a defense when he is moving outside the pocket, so if I were the Giants, I would be concerned with how to pressure Rodgers while not getting eluded and torched.

#4:  Eli Manning is an elite QB.

Eli has had a great year. He threw for almost 5,000 yards and has an amazing amount of 4th Quarter Touchdowns. One stat that the Packers like from him is that he has thrown 16 interceptions this year. I dont expect the Packers to shut down the Giants passing attack all game. The Giants receivers are very good and are going to give the Packers secondary all they can handle on Sunday. But since Eli entered the NFL in 2004, he has thrown more interceptions than any other quarterback, and this year, the Packers are leading the NFL in Interceptions.

#5:  The Giants are finally Healthy. Oh wait, So are the Packers!

Key players that will be healthy for the Giants include Ahmad Bradshaw, who had just two carries for 9 yards in the first matchup, and Osi Uminyora.

Key players that are now healthy for Packers are Greg Jennings, Chad Clifton, James Starks and AJ Hawk and Desmond Bishop (both absent for first meeting).

Last season the Packers entered the playoffs with 15 players on Injured Reserve. This season they will begin the playoffs suiting 21 out of the 22 starters that began the season, only missing Safety Nick Collins.



In conclusion, the New York Giants were not my first choice for teams to play this week and they will surely give the Packers a very good game. However, the Packers are 15-1 and have won 21 out of the last 22 games for a reason. They are a very good team I don't think there is anyone who can argue against that.

I see the Giants attempting to drop as many players into coverage on defense by using just their front 4 to put pressure on Rodgers. If they can be effective in getting to Rodgers and can throw him off of his game, then they will put their team in good shape. However, I think that Rodgers will continue to do a great job at getting away from the pressure and either making plays with his feet or taking advantage by making throws out of the pocket.

I don't expect the Packers to rush the ball that effectively in this game, but any success that they have moving the ball on the ground is just going to make them that much harder to stop and it will give Rodgers the ability to play action on the Giants.

I think this game can be won by the Packers defense, or lost by the Giants offense. Everyone expects the Packers defense to be the weakness of the Packers, and they certainly have been, but if they decide to come out of their shell and can make some big plays, this game could get out of hand quickly. The Giants will most likely have to keep up with the Packers offense, and if they have any trouble moving the ball or the Packers defense can force punts out of them, its going to be over for the Giants.

So my final prediction for the game...

The Packers will once again start the game out quickly and get on the board early and often. The Giants offense will move the ball on the Packers defense both on the ground and through the air, but the Packers will continue to cause turnovers and put the ball back into Aaron Rodgers hands.

Final Score:    Packers Win, 34 - 17.

Packers-Giants Divisional Playoff Preview

If any of you don't know, whether it's because you stumbled upon this by mistake or because you are one of our Chinese followers and don't get American football news, the Giants defeated the Falcons 24-2 on Sunday and advanced to the NFC Divisional Playoff round. They will go to Green Bay to face the Packers at 4:30 EST (3:30 CST) on Sunday, January 15th.

The Giants have the look of that team that gets hot at the end of the year and nobody wants to play. Much like the Packers were last season. We here at the Malnarn agree that we would have rather played the Falcons, but I am confident that the Packers have what it takes to win this game. Here are some things to watch for.

1. Packers O-line vs Giants' Pass Rush - Rodgers is one of the best QBs in the league against the blitz. The problem here is that the Giants have possibly the best defensive line in the NFL and do not need to blitz much. This allows them to focus more on coverage. The Packers offensive line will be as healthy as they have been all season with the return of Bryan Bulaga and Chad Clifton. If they can keep Aaron clean, the game will be lopsided in the Packers' favor.

2. Giants Receivers vs Packers' Secondary - We really miss Nick Collins. To me it's the biggest reason for the Packers' last place passing defense. The Giants have very good WRs as well (not as good as the Packers, but that's beside the point). Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz have been lighting it up the past 4 weeks. Tramon Williams and Sam Shields will need to pick their game up and become lock down corners.

3. The Return of Greg Jennings - Jennings missed the final 3 games of the season with a torn MCL in his left knee. He has since returned to practice and is expected to be close to full strength against the Giants. The Packers proved that the offense can function without him, but the margin of improvement from James Jones to Greg Jennings is significant. Every Packer fan will be happy to see #85 back on the field.

4. Clay Matthews and Dom Capers - The Packers have thrived on forcing turnovers this season. It's been the one redeeming factor in an otherwise loose defense. Turnovers almost always start with pressure on the opposing QB, especially in Capers' 3-4 scheme. Will Dom bring back the psycho defense and add some new wrinkles to get Clay more opportunities? I hope so. We all know that Eli is prone to mistakes when he's under duress.

5. Running Game - This is something to watch for on both sides of the ball. James Starks' status is still in question for the game and the Packers have been neglecting the run ever since he went down with an ankle injury several weeks ago. Can he return and give the Packers' run game a boost like he did in 2010? If we can run the ball and control the clock, it will help the defense to rest and be absolutely huge for the offense. On the flip side, the Giants' RBs have been phenomenal as of late. The return of Ahmad Bradshaw gave them a new look on offense and that honestly scares me a little. We will need Raji and Pickett to be dominant up front to close any holes that the Giants' o-line opens up.

6. Special Teams - On a cold day at Lambeau, special teams could be the difference. I don't anticipate either team punting too often, but when they do they will be trying to flip the field. I also don't anticipate many field goals being attempted, but at the end of the 1st half and at the end of the game last second field goals could be the difference...much like the meeting in the regular season between these 2 teams.

The Packers are favored in this game, but I think that the Giants match up really well with us. I think if the offense can execute and the defense can come up with a handful of stops that the Packers will win by 10+. But if the offense struggles and the defense shows no improvement then it's going to come down to a last second field goal. We'll all hope for the former! GO PACK!

Discount Double Check

I really hope to see both Rodgers and Raji doing this on Sunday afternoon...

Flynn has Career Day, Packers tame Lions...15-1!

On a day where the outcome did not matter for the Packers, and Rodgers, Matthews, and Woodson could not be found on the back of any green jerseys on the field, Matt Flynn shone bright! I'll admit that circumstances beyond my control prevented me from being able to actually watch any of the game...but I wish that I had been able to. Here's the best i can do on my analysis:

Things I Liked

Matt Flynn - It's highly likely that the former 7th round draft pick earned himself a starting job in another town outside of Wisconsin on Sunday. Throwing for 480 yards and 6 TDs (both Packer franchise records) makes all Packer fans wish he still had some time left on his contract. My best guess is that he'll end up in Miami.

Jordy Nelson - Jordy has been extremely good this year. He tacked 3 TDs onto his already impressive total. Let's hope his momentum continues through the playoffs.

Chad Clifton - Clifton returned from his 10 week absence and played well. So well in fact that McCarthy did not waste any time naming him the starter at Left Tackle in 2 weeks. He played a total of 25 snaps.

Things I Didn't Like

Defense - The defense gave up 520 passing yards...520! I don't care how many turnovers you force, that's too many. I know that Woodson and Matthews weren't playing, but it's still not acceptable. If we end up playing the Saints in the playoffs, i have a bad feeling that the outcome will be different.

There you have it, the best I can do with the information available. The Pack play again in 2 weeks (1/15) at 4:30 EST. They will face the lowest seed remaining after this week's wild card games. More to come after next weekend...GO PACK!

Merry Christmas! Packers Sweep Bears, Clinch Home Field...

I hope you had a very Merry Christmas. I know I did. It's always nice to see the Packers beat da Bears, especially when it's in convincing fashion. And it's even better when that victory comes with home field advantage in the playoffs. Now the road to Super Bowl XLVI goes through Green Bay. Here's my analysis of the Packers' 35-21 victory on Sunday night:

Things I Liked

Aaron Rodgers - He looked sharp again. Throwing for 280+ yards and 5 TDs. It was good to see that last week was a fluke.

Jordy Nelson - Jordy has been consistent this year and it was good to see him step up and grab a couple more TDs. We will need him to be productive to be successful in the playoffs.

James Jones - Jones looked great on Sunday. Grabbing 2 touchdowns and making catches in big spots. I believe this is what my blogging counterpart was thinking Jones would look like at the beginning of the season.

Offensive Line - The offensive line kept Rodgers clean all night. They only gave up 1 sack and it was in garbage time when Matt Flynn was in the game in the 4th quarter. Kudos to them for a great showing against a tough defense.

Special Teams - The coverage unit along with Tim Masthay and Mason Crosby bottled up Devin Hester. It was as if he was wearing Under Armor shoes...

Things I Did Not Like

Defense - The defense gave up over 400 yards again. Against a team with a bad offense who started their 3rd string RB and QB. The tackling was atrocious, there was no pass rush, and aside from 2 INTs the coverage was pretty bad too. I am really hoping that Capers has something up his sleeve to give us a shot in the playoffs.

JerMichael Finley - With the emergence of Tight End prominence in the NFL, there were high expectations for Finley coming into the 2011 season. He has not lived up to them. Coming into the game against the Bears, Finley had 11 dropped passes. I'm sure he recorded at least another 2 on Sunday. I don't doubt that Finley is an elite prospect and has the potential to be the best TE in the game, but he needs to work on his concentration. If he makes the catches that he needs to in big spots, the Packers may have still been undefeated and Finley may have a spot on the Pro Bowl roster. But as it stands now, his contract status is in question, and he is one of the leading players in the league in drops. We need him to step up in the absence of Jennings.

Overall it was a good game. The offense was in sync for the first time in a few weeks. Next week - a meaningless game against the Lions. Will the Packers play to win or rest their starters? That is the question. Go PACK!

Packers Embarrassed by Lowly Chiefs...Fall to 13-1

The first loss of the Packers' season came when nobody was expecting it. We had heard predictions of the Lions being the first and then the Giants and later the Raiders. But none of these were up to the task. No, it was the 5-8 Kansas City Chiefs that welcomed the challenge of facing an undefeated Packers' team. Less than a week after firing their head coach, and starting a recently acquired QB off of waivers the Chiefs looked more prepared, more motivated, and like the better team on Sunday afternoon. The Packers looked flat, unfocused, confused, and sloppy. It was embarrassing. Here's my analysis:

Things I Liked

Tim Masthay - Masthay was the one bright spot in the Packers' debachal of a game in Kansas City. He boomed every punt (he had several opportunities) and one even went for a career best 71 yards!

Things I Didn't Like

Aaron Rodgers - For the first time all season Rodgers completed less than 50% of his passes. He finished with an 80 QB rating. With the exception of the 2 TD drives, he looked nervous in the pocket, out of sync, off target, and had trouble finding open receivers.

Offensive Line - The o-line was beaten up badly. Even before the injuries started, they couldn't protect Rodgers. They opened some nice holes for Ryan Grant to run, but the Packers didn't run the ball that often. Then the injuries started. First Bulaga left witha knee sprain, then his replacement (Derek Sherrod) left for the season with a broken leg. This could be a HUGE problem for the remainder of the season and playoffs. Maybe Mark Tauscher is still available...?

Defense - The defense was not very good. Granted they came up with a handful of goal line stands, otherwise this game would have been even more lopsided, but they made the Chiefs look like a top tier offense. They couldn't tackle, they couldn't cover, and I dont remember them even getting close to Kyle Orton. In reality, the Chiefs have one of the worst offenses in the league and hadn't broken 10 points in over 3 weeks. Pathetic.

Receivers - It seemed like every time Rodgers threw a good pass, the receiver would drop it. And most of them came on 3rd downs. Finley dropped at least 3, Driver dropped 1 and so did Jones, Crabtree, and Nelson. The only player I saw catch all of the passes thrown to him was rookie Randall Cobb. This unit obviously missed Greg Jennings.

I could probably keep going with this, but it's starting to depress me. We're still 13-1 and one more win will give the Packers the 1st seed in the NFC for the playoffs. The season is not over, and if the patchwork offensive line can protect Rodgers at all then I think we will be fine for the playoffs. Jennings should return and this team has good veteran leadership and the ability to motivate itself and rebound from adversity. Up next, the Packers are at home with a chance to sweep the Bears and clinch home-field advantage. GO PACK!

Packers Tame Lions, 11-0!

Amidst predictions that the Detroit Lions would be the Packers' first loss of the season, the Pack made it clear on Thursday that they were the superior team. The game was a little chippy with 2 ejections and got off to a slow start, but in the end boys from Green Bay surpassed their 2010 regular season win total. Here's my analysis:

Things I Liked

2nd Half Adjustments - I'm not sure what the coaches said or did in the locker room, but the Packers looked like a different team in the final 30 minutes of the game.

Backup Linebackers - DJ Smith and Robert Francois both made their first significant contributions on defense with injuries to starters AJ Hawk and Desmond Bishop. They filled in nicely and came up with some big plays in big moments. Smith was great in run support and Francois had a beautiful interception. They may both start on Sunday against the Giants, so let's hope this continues.

Tramon Williams - Tramon looked like his old self for the first time all season. He shut down Calvin Johnson and had several pass defenses. He could have had at least 2 interceptions, but I'm just happy to see him playing well again.

Aaron Rodgers - It was another "off" day for Rodgers, or more of an off half because he got his act together in the 2nd half of the season. But he put up his 11th straight 110+ point QB Rating and tied the Packers' single-season record for most 300-yard passing games in a season. (Here's a great article on Rodgers' leadership in the locker room: http://www.jsonline.com/sports/packers/rodgers-learns-52-ways-to-motivate-teammates-ep36nlo-134545253.html)

Things I Did Not Like

Ndamukong Suh - It's official...he's a dirty player. I think he will definitely become one of those guys that Packer fans will not like for years to come.

Slow Start - The offense got off to a really slow start in the 1st half with a couple of 3 and outs. Thankfully the defense played well.

Injuries - Not that we haven't seen this before, but injuries to important players could make next week against the Giants difficult. Josh Sitton, AJ Hawk, and Desmond Bishop were all injured in the 1st half. The status of all 3 is in question for the December 4th matchup against the Giants. Sitton is the least likely to play. The fill-ins did a nice job (especially the LBs), but the starters are starters for a reason.

There you have it, the Packers are 11-0 for the first tim in franchise history! Next week the Packers travel to New York to take on the Giants. GO PACK!

Packers Do Enough to Squeak Past Bucs...10-0 and counting...

Thankfully, ugly wins count. It's the mark of a good team. When everything seems to go wrong and you still come away with a victory. The Packers did not look like an undefeated team yesterday against a sub-par Buccaneers squad, but a win is a win and the Pack are 1 step closer to making the playoffs. Here's my analysis:

Things I Liked

Jordy Nelson - He is becoming an excellent receiver, and just makes it that much harder for teams to defend the undefendable Packers' offense. I wish I had drafted him on my fantasy team.

BJ Raji - Raji didn't do anything special on Defense that I noticed. But it was fun to see him plow through the line on a 1 yard TD plunge for his 2nd career touchdown.

Tim Masthay - Masthay fumbled twice on the same play without being touched...normally this would be a bad thing. But anytime your punter scrambles for a 1st down rather than getting a punt blocked, it's a good thing. I laughed out loud, shook my head, and was happy when it happened. Sometimes it is better to be lucky than good.

Donald Driver - Driver has quietly been having a solid season and is still an integral part of our offense. Didn't do anything spectacular, but had a few key catches that went relatively unnoticed. I think he deserves the credit for them.

Tramon Wiliams - Tramon came up with 2 Interceptions against the Bucs, making his season total 4. His 2nd also sealed the game for the Pack. As bad as this defense is, they seem to come up with a big play everytime it's needed.

Things I Did Not Like

Aaron Rodgers - Rodgers looked flustered and off target for a lot of the game. Granted he still threw for 299 yards and 3 TDs, but he also threw a costly INT. And when our defense plays that badly we can't afford for him to look bad at all.

Defense, defense, DEFENSE!!! - The defense was just flat out BAD. There is no excuse for there to be a wide open receiver on every play or for LeGarrett Blount to break 6 tackles and run for a 50+ yard TD. I keep expecting improvement, but it's just not happening.

Hopefully the defense comes to play on Thursday against the Lions. Happy Thanksgiving and GO PACK!

8-0 Becomes 9-0 as Pack Stomp Vikings

Sorry for the late post, but with it being a MNF game and things just being a little hectic this week, I am a little behind schedule.



This game was never in question. 45-7 is convincing no matter who you are. Here's my analysis:

THINGS I LIKED

Aaron Rodgers - I think Rodgers has been on this list every week so far and for good reason...Nobody in the league is playing as well as #12. 4 more TDs puts his total at 28 through 9 games. 28 is a really good number for 16 games!

Randall Cobb - It has to be the most improved part of the Packers' team this year, I'm talking about the return game. Cobb took a 1st quarter punt 80 yards for a TD and nearly took another later in the game. This guy has the potential to change a game and that's huge! He also had 3 catches. Good to see him getting more involved in the offense.

Defensive Intensity - The whole defense looked good. They held Peterson to 51 yards and blitzed on over 70% of their plays! Dom Capers must have listened to Charles Woodson.

Clay Matthews - Clay was dominant for the first time all season. He posted 2 sacks, bringing his total to 5 for the year. He also looked great in coverage and on run support. I hope to see this continue going forward.

Charles Woodson - Woodson looked like himself on Monday for the first time all season. He was all over the field and looked like the 2009 Defensive Player of the Year. My only knock on Woodson is that he dropped a sure pick 6...I'll forgive him though.

THINGS I DID NOT LIKE

Muffed Punt - Cobb is a huge Boom or Bust. He either returns a punt for a TD or muffs it and gives the other team a 1st down inside the red zone. In this case, it did not affect the game. But when it comes to playoff time, this could kill us.

Offensive Line - Rodgers was sacked 3 times. It didn't seem to me on any of them that he was holding the ball too long. The line needs to improve to keep Rodgers on his feet. Especially with some good defensive lines on the upcoming schedule (Lions, Giants, Bears...oh my!).

Jared Allen - I just don't like him.

A sweep of the Viqueens is always sweet! 9-0 is sweet too. Next up, the reeling Buccaneers at Lambeau on Sunday. GO PACK!

Packers Out-Shoot Chargers: Move to 8-0...

Wow, what an intense game! One much closer than it should have been. The offense was unstoppable and the defense couldn't make a stop. In the end all that matters is that the Pack came up with another win and are making it harder and harder for other teams to avoid a trip to Lambeau in the playoffs. Here are my thoughts on the game:

Things I Liked

Aaron Rodgers - He is playing out of his mind! Ask anyone who has ever wateched football for any significant amount of time and they will tell you that Aaron Rodgers isn't just a good QB...he's the best one in the NFL right now.

Interceptions - It was the one redeeming factor for the defense. 3 INTs and 2 of them returned for TDs.

Charlie Peprah - Yes, Peprah has been out of position a lot and missed some tackles this season, and he was out of position a couple of times when Vincent Jackson burned the Pack. But I am beginning to see some improvement in his tackling and coverage skills.

Jordy Nelson - Nelson has emerged as the clear cut #2 wideout, which poses major problems for opposing defenses.



Things I Did Not Like

Pass Defense - Wow, I can't really say anything else. They were just awful with the exception of the 3 interceptions, Phillip Rivers just ravaged them.

Tackling - This had been getting better in recent weeks, and I don't know if it was due to the rain or what, but it didn't seem like the defense could tackle Mike Tolbert at all. I'm surprised the Chargers didn't run him more often.

Sacks - Rodgers avoided some sacks with his feet, but it seemed like he was getting pressured a lot of the game. Again, I'm not sure if he's holding the ball too long or if the o-line is just not protecting him long enough but when we play a good team this is going to be a problem.

Charles Woodson - I don't know if it's his toe injury or if age is finally catching up with Woodson, but he is not the player he once was. He has definitely lost a step. He is a key to the defense and if he cannot play at a high level, the Packers will suffer. I expect CB to be a high priority in the 2012 draft.

That's pretty much it. I was very comfortable in this game until the 4th quarter when the pass defense all but disappeared. Next week the Vikings come to Lambeau...this is a Monday night game. GO PACK!

Packers Outlast Vikings - Move to 7-0...

I have to admit, it was bittersweet for me to watch the Packers pull out a close one against the Vikings yesterday. One one hand, I always want to see the Packers blow the queens out of the water by 50 points. But on the other, Christian Ponder is from my Alma Mater (FSU) and I enjoyed seeing him play well. With that being said, I hope that Ponder's success was temporary and that the Vikings only win against the Bears and Lions for the remainder of the season.

It was disappointing to see the slow start from the Packers, awesome to see the great 3rd quarter 20-point explosion, and then nerve-racking to see them allow the queens back into the game in the 4th. I will elaborate below...

THINGS I LIKED

Aaron Rodgers - Rodgers is playing out of his mind through 7 games this season! He is the only QB in NFL history to post 7 straight 110+ point QB Ratings to start the season (Is it too early to start talking about MVP candidates?). He only had 1 off-target throw vs the Queens...AMAZING!

James Starks - After only posting 20 yards in the first 3 quarters, Starks turned on another gear on the final drive of the game by gaining 3 first downs and guaranteeing the Packers' victory...give the o-line some credit here too.

Randall Cobb - I love that the Packers are starting to use Cobb more. His 42 yard punt return showed his dynamic ability to change the game. I also noticed that he lined up as a RB and took a handoff from Rodgers in the 3rd quarter. I'm expecting him to continue to get more looks in the offense.

Charles Woodson - Woodson added 2 INTs to his amazing career total. This guy can still play and is definitely the best player in the secondary with the injuries to the other guys back there.

THINGS I DID NOT LIKE

Roughing the Passer - I didn't see very many bad calls, but the "roughing the passer" penalty on Clay Matthews was one of the worst calls I've ever seen. I think the league needs to have disciplinary actions for officals who blow calls like that. Luckily it did not affect the outcome of the game.

Run Defense - Up until last week, I thought the Packers weakness was the pass defense because they hadn't given up too many yards on the ground. Adrian Peterson posted 175 yards! I know he's probably the best RB in the league, but with a Rookie QB making his first start, you would have thought that we would have keyed on Peterson a little bit more. Poor tackling didn't help this.

Drops - I counted 3 drops...it's becoming an epidemic. Hopefully this will get fixed over the bye, because it could come back to bite us if it happens in critical game situations going forward.

Randall Cobb on Punts - I love his ability to return punts and that he has no fear. But it finally caught up to him. I'll excuse this one as a one-time rookie mistake. But muffed punts are not acceptable.

There you have it, my thoughts. I am happy about the win, and happy that we have a bye this week to get healthy. Bring on the Chargers (in 2 weeks)! GO PACK!

And Then There was One...Packers are 6-0

After a slow start, the Packers showed that they were the superior team in the 2nd quarter with 3 Aaron Rodgers Touchdown passes. The second half was quiet, leaving the final score at 24-3. Granted, the Rams have not won a game yet this season, so this is not really considered a big win. But every game is important, and this is a conference win that could end up being important in the seeding at the end of the season. Here is my game analysis:

Things I Liked

No Huddle Offense - The Packers' offense just seems to get better and become more complex every week. The no-huddle gives opposing defenses yet another thing to worry about when preparing for the most potent offense in the NFL.

Linebackers - Clay and the rest of the Packers' linebacking corps looked very good on Sunday against the Rams. Bradford was under duress for a majority of the game and Clay Matthews looked the best that I had seen him all season.

Scoring Defense - The D kept the Rams out of the end zone and gave up 2 field goal attempts (only 1 was successful). Bend but don't break has been how the defense has been described this season. I think that is accurate.

Things I Did Not Like

Dropped Passes - I noticed drops by at least 3 receivers on Sunday. Donald Driver, Jordy Nelson, and Greg Jennings all dropped passes that hit them in the hands. Jordy's was on a 3rd down, and Jennings' drop resulted in an INT. We can afford to make these mistakes against the Rams, but when we face a legitimate team these situations could be the difference between a win and a loss.

Defense - The defense gave up over 400 yards again yesterday. This is not acceptable. Even though the Rams only put up 3 points, I would like to see the Defense show a little bit more pride in themselves and learn to wrap up and not miss tackles.

AJ Hawk - It was unacceptable to see Hawk's obscene gesture on the field after a first quarter sack on Sam Bradford. He needs to realize that he is on TV and he can't act however he wants. Apparently he will not be fined, although I think he should be.

Not much else to say here, the Packers were the better team from start to finish. Next week the Pack will be in Minneapolis to take on the Vikings. Will we see Christian Ponder make his first NFL start? More to come...GO PACK!

"We Can Only Beat Us." Packers reach 5-0...

Donald Driver made the statement after the game on Sunday night that there is only one team capable of beating the undefeated Green Bay Packers...and it's themselves. I agree with this statement and I believe it was a true statement in 2010 as well. When the Packers play the way they are capable, there is no team in the NFL that can beat them.

The Packers moved to 5-0 with a 29-14 win over the Atlanta Falcons last night. It started off rough, but the Pack stayed the course and came up with a big win. Here are my thoughts on the game:

Things I Liked

Defense - The defense finally made the kind of impact we had been hoping they would all year. I would still like to see more pressure on the QB and for Capers to use Clay Matthews in more of a variety of looks. But all in all it was good to see the defense pick it up after giving up 2 quick scores.

Receivers - Rodgers hit 12 of them, tying a Packers' record. Nobody can defend the Packers' passing attack.

Marshall Newhouse & Derek Sherrod - The 2 young tackles were thrust into active duty with injuries to Bulaga and Clifton. I was more impressed with Newhouse who started the game at Right Tackle and then when Clifton went down shifted to Left to allow Sherrod to take over the Right. Rodgers was sacked 3 times after Clifton went out, but all 3 came from interior pressure.

Poise - Being down 14 points is nerve racking. But the team and coaching staff remained calm, stuck with the game plan, and came out on top. It's great to see our team playing with confidence.

Things I Did Not Like

Dropped Passes - Jermichael Finley dropped 2 big-time passes. 1 for a Touchdown and the other for a 3rd down conversion. The 3rd down conversion is less of an issue because he was hit by 2 defenders, nevertheless he still should have made the catch. He redeemed himself with a big catch in the 4th quarter, but it would have been nice to be winning at half time.

Slow Start - The defense missed tackles and assignments, and Ryan Grant fumbled on the first drive of the game putting the Pack in a 14-0 hole. Thankfully this did not ultimately affect the result of the game.

Clifton Injury - The fill-ins were satisfactory at Tackle last night, but it makes me nervous to think that they could be our starters for the remainder of the season. Will Bulaga play Left Tackle when he returns, or will we keep Newhouse at that spot? More on this in the days to come.

Ultimately, I am very happy with the win against a very good team at their stadium. Tune in tonight to find out of the Lions can beat the Bears and remain atop the division (and league) with the Packers. Go Pack!

The Belt...It's Everywhere!

I found this funny...

Packers Dominate Broncos - Remain Undefeated

The defending Super Bowl champions looked like a well-oiled machine against the now 1-3 Denver Broncos, pummeling them with a score of 49-23. Here are my game notes:

Things I Liked

Aaron Rodgers - Anytime a QB throws for 400+ yards, 4 TDs, and runs for another 2...it impresses me. Rodgers has moved into elite status this year to join the likes of Tom Brady and Drew Brees, and I don't think I would even take one of those guys over him.

Mike McCarthy - We have been critical of McCarthy here at the Malnarn regarding his play calling. He tends to get conservative to try to protect a lead rather than building on it. Mike kept his foot on the gas against the Broncs and drove them into the frozen tundra!

Motivation - This team looks motivated to repeat. I don't see any complacency or apathy in the game. They want to win and are motivated to do what it takes to do it.

Things I Didn't Like

Pass Defense - Again, the pass defense gave up too many big plays. The Broncos aren't a good deep passing team and yet, the secondary still allowed them to gash them with big gains on several occasions.

Dom Capers - It seems to me that he has become the conservative playcaller. I don't know if it's that he's lazy or that opposing offenses are figuring out his schemes, but I'm not seeing the multiple-look dynamics that he used over the past 2 seasons.

That's really it. Not much can be said about a 49-23 blowout except that the Packers were obviously the better team and I don't think it will be long before Brady Quinn or Tim Tebow replaces Kyle Orton as the starter in Denver. Bring on the Falcons on Sunday night! GO PACK!