2011 Regular Season Re-cap

In August, I blogged about my predictions for the 2011 season. And I don't want to sound too proud of myself, but I was pretty darn good! Here's a re-cap of the NFC North:

Packers

My Pre-season Prediction: 11-5, 1st in the division
Actual: 15-1, 1st in the division

The Packers surprised a lot of people by remaining undefeated into December, myself included. I knew the offense was good, but I didn't know they were THIS good. I think that they surprised even more people with the lack of defense. This team had had a top 5 defense 2 years in a row (2009-10), but fizzled in 2011 with the injury to Nick Collins and the loss of Cullen Jenkins. The pass rush has been pathetic and the secondary coverage has been almost as bad. The redeeming factor has been the turnover margin. The Packers have dominated the league with over 30 interceptions. Will the dependence on turnovers make or break the team in the playoffs? We'll start to find out in 2 weeks!

Lions

My Pre-season Prediction: 9-7, 2nd in the division
Actual: 10-6, 2nd in the division

I said all along that Stafford's health would determine the success of this team. And he has started all 16 games. The Lions came out of the gates strong, winning their first 5 games. But then they started to tail off down the stretch. The suspension of Ndamukong Suh seemed to be a big blow to this team. But they have since rebounded and earned a playoff spot for the first time in over 10 years. Granted, they are the 6 seed but it is still impressive. The Lions have a lot of young talent in Calvin Johnson and Matthew Stafford and on the defensive line. If they can find a RB that can stay healthy they will be tough in the years to come. The question at hand now is whether they can go to New Orleans and upset the Saints in the wildcard playoff game this weekend.

Bears

My Pre-season Prediction: 7-9, 3rd in the division
Actual: 8-8

This was the prediction I was most nervous about 10 games into the year. The bears were sitting at 7-3 and looked like a team that nobody wanted to play. But then the injuries started. First Jay Cutler went down with a hand injury after trying to make a tackle after an interception. Not the end of the world...but then the worst thing imaginable for the bears happened...Matt Forte who accounted for almost all of their offense went down with a knee injury and that ended pretty much all hope for the bears. They finished the season 1-5 and missed the playoffs. Mike Martz and their GM are gone and the Bears will go into a pseudo-rebuilding mode in 2012. It will be interesting to see what the future of Matt Forte holds. He is an unrestricted Free Agent. It's likely that the bears will use the franchise tag on him to keep him from signing elsewhere. We're all hoping they get an offensive coordinator that neglects Forte and trusts Cutler's arm. That always seems to benefit the Packers.

Vikings

My Pre-Season Prediction: 5-11, last in the division
Actual: 3-13, last in the division

Well, the Donovan McNabb experiment failed. And I predicted that by midseason Christian Ponder would be the starting QB. I think everyone figured out quickly that the queens would struggle this year. I just don't think anyone thought that they would struggle THIS much. McNabb was awful. They released him and he hasn't signed with another team. Ponder has looked like a rookie. He may develop into a good QB, he may not. And the biggest blow came in week 16. Adrian Peterson went down with a torn ACL and MCL in a meaningless game. His status for the beginning of the 2012 season is in question. I never like to see anyone get hurt. So we here at the Malnarn wish him the best in his recovery.

All in all, I am very pleased with the result of the regular season. The Packers own the best record in football and are the #1 seed in the playoffs, the bears and queens are done, and barring a huge upset Aaron Rodgers should be the MVP. Let's enjoy this weekend of stress-less football watching. 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!

Jay Cutler...Injured again...

By all counts, the Bears game was looking like a tough one on the schedule. It had the potential to ruin my Christmas with a loss or even a close game. But on Sunday afternoon Jay Cutler threw an Interception and attempted to make a tackle to stop a touchdown. During the process he broke the thumb on his right (throwing) hand. He is expected to have surgery and miss the rest of the regular season. It is possible that he could return for the playoffs, should the bears make it that far. I never like to see anyone get hurt, but when it's Cutler I don't feel too badly about it.

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!

First Quarter Grades: NFC North

We are 1/4 of the way through the season. Here are the NFC North teams' grades through 4 games:

Green Bay Packers (4-0) - B+



The Packers are undefeated, but I definitely seem room for improvement. The pass defense in particular needs to get better. Granted, Pro Bowl Safety Nick Collins is out and Pro Bowl Corner Tramon Williams missed time too. I am hoping that with time this will improve. Aaron Rodgers and the offense have been stellar, special teams have not given anything glaring up (except the punt return TD in week 1 vs the Saints), and the offensive line has been surprisingly good.

Detroit Lions (4-0) - A-



The Stafford to Johnson combination has been unbelievable, and Ndomakong Suh and the Lions' front 4 are one of the best in the league. They are definitely in the playoff hunt as one of the 2 undefeated teams left in the NFL. They can't seem to get it going in the first half of a game though. They have had to come from behind in 3 of their 4 wins. But as i've said all season, this team's ability to win games hangs on Matt Stafford's ability to stay healthy. If he does, they'll be pushing the Pack in the division race at the end of the year.

Chicago Bears (2-2) - C



The bears still have a tough defense, and probably the best linebacking corps in the NFL. They also have the greatest return man in the game in Devin Hester and an elite running back in Matt Forte. But for some reason, the bears just can't figure out that Jay Cutler is not an elite QB. Forte finally got a bunch of touches against the Panthers and put up over 200 yards! Yet, I guarantee that next week Cutler will be slinging the ball all over the field (and by "all over the field" I mean to the players wearing the opposite color jersey) again...and I'll be happy about it.

Minnesota Vikings (0-4) - F



The Vikings still have Adrian Peterson...but that's about it. Percy Harvin is underutilized and is always bogged down by injuries. Donovan McNabb is washed up and doesn't fit the scheme. The offensive line is old and needs to be rebuilt. The defense is worse than the offense. They have been leading in 3 of the 4 games they have lost at halftime and have found ways to blow big leads. I'm happy to see the queens playing so poorly and I hope they trade AP and Percy to other teams to try to rebuild...and fail.

GO PACK!

Packers Outplay Bears, Move to 3-0

It's always nerve racking for me leading up to the Packers-Bears matchup. Especially the one at Soldier Field. There aren't many things that can slow down the Packers' potent offense, but the bears defense and the crappy field in Chicago seem to do a decent job every year.

But it seemed like McCarthy and the Packers had a great gameplan ready this time to kill the bears...Here are my thoughts:

WHAT I LIKED:

JerMichael Finley - This is the most obvious of anything that we saw in the game. Finley finally showed the dominance we have been expecting of him all season. I expect this to be a trend that will continue and the Packers' offense will only get better the more that Finley is involved in it.

Ryan Grant - Grant put up 89 yards on 15 carries. We had thought up until yesterday that Starks was starting to move into the featured back role for the Packers, but seeing Grant play well is a good sign for us.

Matt Forte - We have agreed all week that the Packers' focus needed to be to stop RB Matt Forte and that if the defense could do that, it would be a W for the green and gold. Forte had 2 yards on 9 carries and only a couple of catches for minimal yardage...impressive.

Morgan Burnett - With the loss of Nick Collins, someone in the secondary needed to step up. Burnett looked great yesterday with 2 INTs. Let's hope this continues.

WHAT I DID NOT LIKE:

Charlie Peprah - I understand that Peprah is a significant downgrade from 3-time Pro Bowl Safety Nick Collins, but Charlie was out of position, missed tackles, and was the reason for several big plays for the Bears. I expect him to improve, but we are lucky that it didn't result in a closer game or a loss.

Penalties - Thankfully none of these killed us like they did in the Packers-Bears game last October, but there were too many false starts and delay of games. Simple mental errors that can easily be avoided.

Bryan Bulaga - Bulaga's injury raises concerns with our already shake offensive line. Marshall Newhouse is the backup, and while he didn't make any glaring errors that I saw, I have a feeling that if Bulaga's injury is lingering we may be in for some trouble.

Pass Rush - The Pack's D amassed 3 sacks and a few more hits on Cutler, but I was not impressed. With the Bears depleted offensive line, I was expecting Jay to be on his back all afternoon. This needs to improve for the Packers to get to Super Bowl XLVI.

Special Teams - The crazy play the end of the game concerned me, we got lucky with the holding call. But I just don't understand why we would kick the ball to Hester at all. Crosby needs to kick touchbacks every time and Masthay should just kick the ball out of bounds.

All in all, I am very happy with the win and it's great to be on top of the division (in a tie with the LIONS?! Crazy!). I feel a lot better after the win yesterday than I did before. Bring on the Broncos! GO PACK!

'85 Bears to visit White House?

Well, I am scratching my head right now in amazement. The '85 Champion Chicago Bears are going to be visiting the White House, which they were unable to do after winning the Super Bowl 26 YEARS AGO!!!


I shouldn't be surprised. I have been around Bears fans for a long time now and have lived in Chicago for the last 3 years. Bears fans will never forget 1985 and they won't let anyone else forget it either. They need to get over it already, 26 years of celebrating has got to be exhausting! The other thing I have to say is that Obama should really spend his time more wisely. I think he has more important things to do than be a Bears fan. We already know you love Chicago sports, but you're reaching with this one. Enough said...Go Packers! The Bears still suck!

Black and Blue Division about to get all Black and Blue!

This weekend begins the inter divisional play for the NFC North. The Packers travel to Soldier Field to face off against against their hated rivals in a rematch of last year's NFC Championship game, while the Queens play host to the Detroit Lions.

Lions @ Vikings

The Detroit Lions seem to be everyone's Underdog this season. The hype meter is all the way up on the Lions and for good reason. Having Matt Stafford back is step #1. Step #2 was to surround him with the necessary weapons on offense, and right now Jahvid Best is looking really tough out of the backfield and Stafford has one of the top receivers to throw to in Calvin Johnson. If you add a scary defense to the mix, you're looking at a Lions team that should compete for the division in 2011.

I don't like Donavan Mcnabb, I've never liked the Vikings, and I really don't like their chances this week against the Lions. There has been too much turmoil in Minny over the past year to expect much from them. Lets backtrack... Two seasons ago Brett Favre comes out of the tunnel at the Metrodome wearing Purple. They had a great season and were one of the top teams in the league and expected to do great things. 2010 rolls around and Brett gets hit left and right, gets battered and bruised and struggles throughout the season. Brad Childress brings in Randy Moss...Moss does nothing and leaves after a couple games...Childress gets fired. Then the Metrodome roof collapses in the middle of winter, which seemed fitting for the season that they were having. Brett is now gone. Tavaris Jackson is gone too. So the Queens decide that their best option is Donavan McNabb (I'm giggling to myself right now). McNabb is 0-2 as the starter for the Vikings and his only real weapon is Adrian Peterson, but when you only have 1 weapon, its much easier to stop. That being said, I'm picking the Lions to leave Minnesota with an easy victory.

Packers @ Bears

Being a HUGE Packer fan and living in enemy territory is always scary for me when the Packers play the Bears. Its very nerve racking and for some reason, I always am nervous about the way we match up against Chicago.

The Packers defense has been terrible to this point. We have let up over 400 yards passing both games this season and its hard to imagine it getting too much better with Nick Collins out for the season. However, Jay Cutler has been sacked 11 times in two games and the Bears' offensive line is brutal. Combine that with Gabe Carimi being injured and you just begin to see the holes open up. Although the Packers gave a lot up through the air against the Panthers, the defense was still forced key turnovers in the game against the Panthers, and guess what...Cutler likes to throw the ball to the other team. Lets just not forget that our friend Jay has a lot to prove after the way he finished the last game he played against the Pack.

The Bears defense is another story. As much as I hate the Bears, they have a good defense. Brian Urlacher is simply a beast and runs the show for the defensive unit. They run the Tampa 2 very well and every person on that defense is constantly looking to strip the ball (see 2010 Packers @ Bears fumble by James Jones below). Aaron Rodgers is arguably in the Top 2 or 3 at QB in the NFL and has all the weapons in the world to be successful. The only question is whether or not he gets time to throw, and whether or not we can keep from turning the ball over. I think that the Packers Offense against the Bears Defense is the battle to watch during this game. I'm sticking with the Super Bowl Champions in this one, but I have a feeling its going to be too close for comfort.

Nick Collins Out for the Season

We've been here before...It's the same story, just a different year and different players. Mike Neal, Tramon Williams, and Nick Collins are all injured. Hopefully Williams will be back for the Bears game. Hopefully Neal can be back before the end of the season. But our hope for Collins is that he can have a successful recovery and be back to pro bowl form in 2012. As of now, Collins is consulting doctors for surgical and rehabilitative options. He is in our thoughts and prayers. Charlie Peprah will start in his place in week 3 and going forward. I hope this is the last post we have to make about injuries this season. Go Pack!

Urlacher's Mother Passes, Expects to Play Sunday

Brian Urlacher's mother passed away on Wednesday, and we here at The Malnarn are sorry for his loss. There has been a great deal of discussion following this topic as well as the question on whether Urlacher would play following his loss.

Urlacher has already returned to Chicago and is reportedly back with the Bears today and is expected to play Sunday. ESPN Radio's "Mike and Mike in the Morning" was discussing how professional athletes deal with these situations, such as death of a family member, or birth of a child. The current situation for Brian Urlacher was compared to Brett Favre's historical performance after the death of his Father on Monday Night Football back in 2003, a night that was inspirational and will be remembered by not only Packer fans, but NFL fans for years to come as one of the greatest moment's of Brett Favre's career.

Our condolences go out to Brian Urlacher this weekend, and although we do not wish for the Bears to be successful, we have great respect for Urlacher and hope him the best this weekend.

Pre-Season Predictions

August is over, so is the preseason. It's less than a week until REAL football starts. So that means it's time for us to make our pre-season predictions.

PACKERS

The Pack return 21 out of 22 starters from the Super Bowl run of 2010. I believe that the loss of Cullen Jenkins will prove to be a mistake, but not a big enough one to lose the division. I predict that Rodgers shreds defenses with the help of JerMichael Finley, the running game is mildly improved (but not substantial), and the defense led by the Claymaker will be top 5 for the 3rd year in a row. Packers win the division with a record of 11-5.

LIONS

I was a believer in the Lions in 2010 and thought that they would finish ahead of the bears until Matthew Stafford went down for the season. This year there is a lot of hype surrounding the defense and Stafford's impressive pre-season performance. I think the Lions are on the verge of making a big splash in the NFL. They have a ton of talent on both sides of the ball, but injuries have been their downfall. Even this pre-season they have lost their first 2 draft picks. If Stafford stays healthy, it will be a tight race (but not too tight) at the end of the season. I have the Lions finishing 2nd in the NFC North with a record of 9-7.

BEARS

I think this will be the year that the bears luck will catch up with them. They have historically had a better record than their ability and I find it difficult to believe that they can do it again this year. Cutler will be 2nd in the league in INTs only behind Eli Manning. And the new kickoff rule will kill the bears' field position and take Hester/Manning partially out of the game. Along with an aging defense, I think this will be the beginning of the decline of the bears. Opposing defenses will catch more touchdowns from Cutler than Roy Williams. The Bears finish 3rd in the North with a 7-9 record.

Vikings

The Queens are an intriguing team, but not really that intriguing. The acquisition of Donovan McNabb will bridge the gap between Brett Favre and QB-of-the-future Christian Ponder. The O-line has major problems, and the defense and receiving corps have big question marks. I see the vikings giving up on the playoffs just after midseason and handing the reigns to the rookie QB to gain experience. Last in the division at 5-11.

Those are my predictions for 2011. Make sure you have your brats, cheese curds, and Miller beer ready to go for next Thursday against the Saints. GO PACK!

Happy Manlarn Day!

Although we have many loyal followers here at The Malnarn, few actually know the origin of the sites name. There was once a very dear friend to the creators of this blog that we commonly referred to as Malnarn. She was a very nice girl, and although we had a falling out these days, this website was named in her honor, and today is her Birthday!

This will be the first annual edition of The Malnarn Day Preseason Post, full of news, predictions, insight and pure poppycock.

The NFL Lockout is water under the bridge and football is back! The Packers are coming into the season as the team to beat and the favorite to win the Super Bowl, and with good reason as we have some key players coming back from injuries who certainly can improve the team. Much like Malnarn, these players are coming out of hiding in the swamps and are ready to pounce on their competition.

As is typical of the Pack, we did little through free agency this season to improve our squad, and may have arguably moved back a couple of steps with the departure of Cullen Jenkins and Darren Colledge. Jenkins leaves a big hole to fill at DE, and with the injury to Mike Neal, that hole is a glaring one to us at The Malnarn.

Several rookies will be expected to make an impact early in the season. Through two preseason games, Randall Cobb looks like lighting in a bottle. He is already a little banged up with a couple of bruised knees, but he has looked dynamic in the return game and could be dangerous anytime he gets the ball in his hands. I'm excited about Cobb and I'm really looking forward to seeing what he can do this season.

Alex Green is another skill position player who can positively effect our already potent offense. Green is going to be thrown into the running back mix with Ryan Grant and James Starks this season. The Packers seem to really like this kid and want to get him into the mix and get the ball in his hands.

Aaron Rodgers is going to have more weapons that he had last season and I don't think there is a team in the league that is going to be able to cover them all, especially with Finley back in the lineup.

There has been a lot of talk this week about Ryan Grant's future with the organization. I believe this is mostly speculation, but the emergence of James Starks last year in the playoffs and the ability of Alex Green could lead to Grant being less valuable to the Packers. Grant did restructure his contract earlier in the month, taking less money but getting it all guaranteed. This could be a sign that he has a home in Green Bay for at least the 2011/2012 season. We will just have to wait and see what happens as final cuts in the NFL will occur September 3rd.

When it comes to The Malnarn, there is always a lot of discussion about the Packers and the NFL in general between myself and my co-editor. We are often on the same page but there are times when we don't always see eye to eye on topics. For this reason, I am going to make some predictions for the upcoming season that he may not agree with.

#1: James Jones will take over Donald Driver's spot as the #2 WR. It was clear this offseason that Aaron Rodgers wanted to keep Jones around. James Jones has a ton of talent that last season was often trumped by dropped passes. I think that Jones is going to break out this season and show that he is on his way to being a very good wide receiver in this league. I expect him to step up and take over as the #2 WR on the team, and although I still think Driver is going to play a role in the offense and get his catches, I think that Jones will start to take some of his targets.

#2: Clay Matthews will lead the league in Sacks. Last season Clay had 6 sacks in the first two games. It came out earlier this preseason that last year Clay played with a stress fracture in his leg or foot, I don't remember which, but the bottom line is that when he is healthy, there is no stopping him.

#3: Alex Green takes a larger share of running back duties than you expect. One of my favorite things about the NFL is the NFL Draft. I always love watching the draft and waiting to see what the Pack does. I remember hearing a little about Green prior to the draft, but it was nothing compared to what i'm hearing coming out of Green Bay's training camp and what i've seen so far this preseason. The Packers are looking for ways to get the ball into Green's hands and I think that is whats going to happen during the season. We here at the Malnarn see the Pack going with a true "running back by committee" strategy this season and we expect Alex Green to be a surprise this season and prove to be a great draft pick.

#4: The Bears will still suck. Regardless of how the Bears were last season, making it to the NFC Championship, they will always suck. I continue to hate the Bear Nation with a passion and I continue to bash them with every chance I get. Watching Jay Cutler cry on the sidelines to end their season was one of the greatest gives I've ever received. This season the Bears have made some serious moves in Free Agency...just kidding, they got Roy Williams and Marion Barber. This is so laughable because everyone in Chicago thinks that Roy Williams is going to lead the league in receiving, all because out of his lackluster seasons that compile an average at best NFL career, his best season was under Mike Martz, now offensive coordinator for the bears. So obviously, it makes complete sense that after doing nothing in Dallas for a couple years he will come into Chicago and be a top WR. Again, I'm completely kidding. The bears suck, Roy Williams sucks, and I smile everytime I think of him being the #1 receiver. I'm putting Chicago in the #2 spot in the division, but the Bears still suck.

That concludes my predictions for the start of the season. I would imagine they will all be correct. We now have less than two weeks until the Packers season debut against the Saints. All we can do now is sit back, relax, and get ready to defend our title!! That being said, happy birthday to Malnarn and stop back often for more award winning blogging from us at The Malnarn!

Injuries and Penalties Plague Packers

It's been a couple of weeks since our last post, sorry to keep all of our loyal fans waiting. Anyway, it's been a disappointing sequence of events.

First the Pack loses a game that should have been a win due to careless mistakes (18 penalties and dropped interceptions).

Then they scrape by in a 28-26 win over the lowly Lions.

Ted Thompson misses out on the opportunity to trade for Marshawn Lynch.

Randy Moss rejoins the queens and gives He Who Must Not Be Named a big-time receiving target.

In the process, Nick Barnett (wrist) and Morgan Burnett (knee) are lost for the season. Brandon Chillar will also miss significant time with a shoulder injury.

That leaves us with a big hole at safety, and an even bigger hole at linebacker. Hopefully Atari Bigby can return from his stint on the PUP list in 2 weeks and provide some stability at Strong Safety, and AJ Hawk will need to prove that he is worth his 1st round draft status and big bucks he's earning this year. Desmond Bishop will fill in for Barnett. He is a solid replacement, but doesn't have the talent or leadership that Nick brings to the field.

The one bright spot in all of this is that the Bears lost to the Giants, Cutler was sacked 9 times (in the first half) and concussed. He will miss at least this weekend's game against the Panthers.

Hopefully backups can fill voids where they are needed (RB, ILB, Safety) and the offense can find a rhythm. Thankfully...we still have the bikini girls. GO PACK!

About What We Expected...

The Bills are probably the worst team in the NFL, so the 34-7 victory comes as no surprise. Here are my notes:

Clay Matthews = still awesome (Defensive Player of the Week)

Ryan Grant = missed. Jackson and Kuhn are not going to cut it, Thompson will have to break out of his comfort zone and trade for someone who can get the job done.

Chad Clifton = getting old. This is also not new news, but Bulaga saw some significant playing time against the Bills. I like that he's starting to see the field, but it's not a good sign if Clifton is injured.

This week we travel to Soldier Field to take on da bears. Cutler and the offense have looked much more impressive so far this season under Mike Martz's direction. I think that Chef Dom has a special recipe cooked up for that attack though. GO PACK!

2010 NFC North Outlook

It's been an intriguing offseason, and the 2010 season is only 5 weeks away. Here's my take on the NFC North and what I believe will happen this year.

Minnesota - The Queens have shown more patience with He Who Must Not Be Named than the Pack did when he retired the first time. They essentially have put all of their eggs in his basket. I don't think there's any doubt that he will return for another season. Therefore, they are the team to beat this year.

Green Bay - The Pack are primed to have another great offensive showing in 2010. The o-line is beefed up with the addition of first round pick Bryan Bulaga and should give Aaron Rodgers a little more time to throw the ball which will hopefully lead to less sacks than last year. The defense, however, did not make any substantial moves to improve the secondary or pass rush. With Al Harris unlikely to return until midseason from reconstructive knee surgery and Johnny Jolly sippin' on his purple drank, we can only hope that the other guys can step up and play better than the D did against the Cards, Queens, and Steelers last year.

Detroit - The Lions are an interesting team. I think that Matt Stafford has potential, and he has one of the best WRs in the league in Calvin Johnson. I don't believe that they'll win more than a handful of games, but I do think that they will be improved and hopefully beat out da Bears for 3rd place in the division.

Chicago - Da Bears are relying on Jay Cutler to bounce back from the atrocious season he had in 2009. I don't see this happening. They didn't make any moves on receiving targets or offensive linemen to help him, and let's face it...Cutler is one of the most overrated QBs in the NFL. They did make a couple of moves that, although expensive, will make an impact on the team's performance. Chester Taylor will take some pressure off of Matt Forte if they give him the ball, and Julius Peppers will make their defensive line a little more impressive. I don't think that they have what it takes to turn the team around however.

So, that's my take and my prediction (assuming that You Know Who returns) - Queens, Pack, Lions, Bears in that order for the NFC North. Once the preseason starts, expect more updates. GO PACK!

Recap: Bryan Bulaga

When the 23rd pick rolled around last night, Ted Thompson must have been in a bit of a quandry. I figured the pick would be easy because there were only a handful of players we were considering. But when the Pack was on the clock...THEY WERE ALL STILL AVAILABLE! Crazy! Bryan Bulaga, Jerry Hughes, Sergio Kindle, and Kyle Wilson were all still on the board. I had never been so excited about one of our draft picks because I had no idea which way old Teddy would go. In the end it was Bulaga, and aside from the fact that he grew up as a Bears fan, I really like the pick.

Clifton and Tauscher are solid tackles, but both are aging and are injury prone. This should give the Pack some time to groom their future starter by working him into the lineup as a guard or at least giving him some time to work against some NFL talent while waiting for an inevitable injury to one of the other starters.

I wasn't sure how i was going to like the new draft format, but I like it better than i thought i would. It gave me a whole nother day to look forward to meaningful rounds of the draft. I'm predicting the Packers will take either an OLB or Safety in the 2nd round...hopefully it's as exciting as the first.

Sunday Early Games...Looks Like Pack-Cards in Round 1

So, the Vikings are beating up on the Giants right now and if they hold on for the win, it will secure our future of playing the Arizona Cardinals again next week.

In other places around the league, the Bears right now are losing to the Lions, which I find spectacular. I just love the story lines that surround Jay Cutler. He is physically and mentally strong because he doesn't only have to deal with being on a shitty team, but he also has diabetes! Yes, in case you didn't know, they check his blood pressure several times during the game. They have determined that when his blood pressure crosses a certain point, he is more likely to throw interceptions.

Ok, that isn't exactly accurate, but sometimes commentators need to stop making up story lines and they need to talk about real things that are happening in the game or around the NFL. Nobody cares about Cutler's Diabetes. Nuff said.

Packers Sweep Da Bears Thanks to Defense!

After the dust settled, the Packers were 9-4 and in prime position for a wild-card playoff berth, while the Bears are now mathematically out of the playoff race. It wasn't pretty, but we've come a long way since the embarrassing loss to Tampa in November. Despite Ryan Grant's 137 yards rushing (with 2 TDs) and Rodgers throwing no INTs (even though he did have a screwy fumble that lead to the 2nd TD of the game for the bears), the Pack just couldnt seem to get anything going on the offensive side of the ball. The defense looked good again, with the exception of a couple of TD tosses by Cutler. 3 sacks, and 2 picks (and another 1 or 2 dropped) guaranteed a winning season for the boys from Green Bay.

Things I liked: Ryan Grant running tough. Pressure by the d-line and LBs. Improved play from Tramon Williams (with the exception of the 2nd quarter TD he gave up). The fact that the Bears gave up so much for a QB that isn't any better than Rex Grossman.

Things I didn't like: Mason Crosby missing another makeable FG (that's 6 out of the last 7 games that he's missed one). Rodgers holding the ball too long...again. Kicking FGs in the red zone.

All in all, it's a win and it was against Chicago so I'm happy. And with the flailing Steelers, the miserable Seahawks, and a Cardinals team that will likely be resting it's starters, the Pack are in good shape to make the playoffs this year! GO PACK!

The Lions are Improving...

But they still stink. Granted if Stafford and Calvin Johnson weren't both dinged up, it may have been a little closer but probably not. Even with the scare of the fumble on the opening kick off and quick score by Detroit, the Packers had the game well in hand by the beginning of the 2nd quarter. It made for a much more relaxing and enjoyable Thanksgiving Feast in the afternoon. But here's the good news:

Cowboys win (which makes little difference to us) and the Giants lose, which gives us another game of cushion in the playoff race. Now with the Ravens, Bears, Steelers, Seahawks, and Cardinals (respectively) ahead. I don't believe that there is any reason we wont finish with at least a 10 win season. Not even the Ravens and Steelers have had as impressive a season as anyone thought they would. Not to say they will be easy victories, but at 5-5 (Ravens) and 6-4 (Steelers) It's not impossible to think that we could end up at 12-4. The play of Cutler and the Bears has gotten worse since the opening game in Lambeau, and if the Pack don't win by at least 14, it will be a disappointment. If the Seahawks performance against the Queens is anyhting to go by, I believe that it should be the easiest game remaining on the schedule. The Cardinals will be tough, but hopefully they will have their playoff spot clinched at that point and sit Fitzgerald and Warner early. All in all, it's looking a lot brighter after losing to Tampa in week 9.

GO PACK!

And We're Back in the Hunt!!!

Where did this defense come from? Dom Capers may have single-handedly saved Mike McCarthy and Ted Thompson's jobs in one fell swoop. This is how we all hoped this 3-4 defense would look when it was announced that we were making the switch from the 4-3. We blitzed the lights out, got pressure on the QB, and held a potent offense scoreless until there was only 0:38 left in the game. The Pack registered 5 sacks on Sunday...before then we had a total of 13. I think if this type of pressure was put on Favre, the outcome of both Vikings games could have been different.

Maybe the loss to Tampa was exactly what this team needed...a kick in the rear to get them jump started. And with losses to Philadelphia, Atlanta, and Chicago an NFC Wild Card spot is a realistic possibility for this 5-4 Packer team. The big question is will we keep up this defensive aggressiveness or will we go back to our conservative ways? I think it's proven that if you pressure the QB, you have a heck of a lot better chance to win the game. So my vote is to keep blitzing and keep up the momentum gained by beating the Cowboys. With the 49ers and Lions coming up, it's a legitimate possibility that this team could be 7-4 going into the game against the Ravens which will be a tough one. But with yesterday's performance at Lambeau, I finally believe that this team can be good!