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.

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!

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!

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.

Packers Do Enough Again...2-0!

It wasn't pretty, but it counts. The Packers join the Lions and Redskins as the only undefeated teams in the NFC. That's right, I said Lions and Redskins...crazy stuff! Anyway, let's get right down to it; here are my thoughts on yesterday's game:

THINGS I LIKED

Poise - Being down 13-0 could have caused reason for panic, forcing poor decision making. But the Packers stayed the course and chipped away at the lead and eventually took control of the game in the 2nd half.

Charles Woodson - The Packers' defense has not been suffocating by any means in these first 2 weeks, but the big plays have been made when we needed them the most. Woodson made 3 of them against the Panthers with 2 INTs and a fumble recovery. Looked like the 2009 Defensive Player of the Year.

Spreading the Ball Around - While this is frustrating for anyone who has a Green Bay receiver on their fantasy team, it is even moreso for opposing defenses. There is no way that any defense in the NFL can cover the Packers' 5 receiver set (or the Tight Ends).

THINGS I DID NOT LIKE

Pass Defense - Some of this was caused by playing a ridiculously elusive QB who could make time with his feet and another part could be the fact that Tramon Williams did not play, but it's inexcusible to give up 400+ passing yards in 2 consecutive games.

Running Game - Not to say that the Packers didn't run the ball well, but I don't think that the effective running game was used enough. James Starks is poised for a breakout year if he gets the touches.

Nick Collins Injury - This was scary as Collins injured his neck while attempting to tackle Jonathan Stewart. He was carted off the field on a stretcher. Apparently he is doing better, but his status is still in question and will not be good to have him and possibly Tramon out against the Bears as Collins is Jay Cutler's favorite target.

Cam Newton - This is unrelated to the Packers, but Newton has proved his worth as the #1 overall pick by posting 400+ yards in 2 consecutive games as a Rookie...impressive.

There you have it. My thoughts. Next week will be the bears...hopefully some of our injured guys can make a quick recovery before Sunday. GO PACK!

Tramon sits out Friday's Practice

News from the Packers facilities is that CB Tramon Williams is sitting out of practice again today. Williams is yet to practice this week following a bruised shoulder against the Saints over a week ago. The Packers have not given much information as to when we can expect Tramon back, but his status for Sunday is still up in the air.

James Jones is Frustrated

News out of the Packer Clubhouse is that WR James Jones is frustrated not with his performance in Week 1, but with the amount of playing time he received. Up until last week's game, I had thought that James Jones would be the WR to emerge as the #2 guy behind Jennings, but it was Jordie Nelson who continues to shine ever since his great game in the Super Bowl.

I am not sure what the problem was last week, but I expect for Jones to get more involved in the offense this week and moving forward. Lets not forget that Aaron Rodgers outwardly lobbied for the Packers to re-sign Jones during the offseason. He pointing to Jones as a reason that the team was successful and won the Super Bowl Last season.

Justin Harrell's Heir? Meet Mike Neal

DE Mike Neal, the Packer's 2nd round pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, continues to battle with injuries. Neal had his season cut short in 2010 because of injuries, and 2011 looks to be just another chapter in the same sad story. Wednesday it was announced that Mike Neal had surgery this week on his knee, which flared up again after participating in practice last week.

Neal was expected to step in and fill the shoes of former defensive end Cullen Jenkins and be an impact player for the Pack. Unfortunately, Neal's career statistics are at a stand still with totals of 3 tackles, 1 sack, and 1 forced fumble in 2 games played. I hope for Mike's sake, that he is able to get healthy and get a chance to show what he can do in the NFL. 

** Please note that this photo is Mike Neal in his college days at Purdue... there are limited pictures in circulation of him in an actual Packers uniform... for obvious reasons. 

Starks vs. Grant

To begin the 2011 Regular Season, Mike McCarthy and the Packers came out with a true two-headed running attack with both James Starks and Ryan Grant splitting carries. In the first game, the Packers started with Ryan Grant getting the majority of the first half carries and Starks taking over as the game went along.

Ryan Grant finished the game with 9 carries for 40 yards, averaging 4.4 yards per carry. Starks had about the same workload and similar results carrying the ball 12 times for 57 yards and 4.8 yards per carry.

First of all, the Packers are the defending Champs. Last season the leading rusher on the team was Brandon Jackson, and now, we not only have 1 healthy and talented running back, but two!! And they are competing for the top spot!! This is great news to me, and aside from trying to figure out which one I want on my Fantasy Football team, I don't care who gets more carries at this point, because they are both better than Brandon Jackson.

After watching the first game, I would have to give Starks the edge, just based on his impressive touchdown run and his strength and size. I think that either of these guys can carry a larger load for the Packers, but one thing is for certain...We are a completely different team with a running game, so everyone else better watch out, because this is a better team than the one that won the Super Bowl back in February!

Tramon Williams Injury Update

It was a scary moment on Thursday night watching the replay of Tramon getting his arm squished in between two players. At that moment the thoughts running through my head were something like this:

"Oh no! Not again. There goes one of our best defensive players and his arm is going to be broken and he will be out for the season."

Well, it turns out that its looking like only a bruised shoulder. We are unsure at this point if he will miss any game time, but Coach Mike McCarthy is scheduled to discuss Tramon's status during Wednesday's press conference.

Also, if any of you are like me and looking for something to take up some time today, check out playerwives.com. Their site provided the image for this post. 

1-0! A Solid Start to a Title Defense...

Packers 42 - Saints 34. The opening game of the 2011 NFL season was nothing short of a thriller. In fact, it came down to the last play of the game where the Packers' worn out defense made a crucial stop on the goal line to bring home the victory and start the season off 1-0. There were a lot of positives in the game, and a few negatives. Here's my take:

THINGS I LIKED-
Randall Cobb - Easily the biggest surprise of the game, the rookie WR out of Kentucky dazzled us all with his 2 touchdown performance. He took in a 35 yard catch and run on a slant (which he admitted after the game was a mistake in that he ran the wrong route) and brought back the first kick return TD for the Packers in over 10 years from 108 yards deep (which he admitted after the game, by team rules, he should have knelt). In spite of these 2 "mistakes", Cobb proved to be another valuable weapon in the arsenal that is the Packers' potent offense.

Aaron Rodgers - Rodgers came out of the gates firing on all cylinders, throwing 3 touchdowns in the first quarter. Granted, he slowed down after that and missed a few throws. But all in all, Rodgers looked sharp and is poised for a great season.

JerMichael Finley - Finley was not as involved as I anticipated he would be, and McCarthy could be easing him back in due to his minor injuries. But when he was on the field, he was impossible for the saints to cover. There is no team in the league that can cover the Packers' receiving corps.

Offensive Line - I will admit that I was concerned about the line going into the season because of the issues I noticed in the pre-season. Even though they gave up a few sacks, I thought that overall they did a pretty good job of protecting Rodgers and opening up running lanes. I believe that they will continue to improve going forward.

Running Backs - It was hard to determine who was the better RB last night. Grant started off the game well, and just when it seemed like he was the sure fire starter, James Starks took over and looked even better. I think that this will cause problems for opposing defenses knowing that they can't just try to cover the pass anymore and will have to deal with the Packers' in 2 different dimensions.

THINGS I DID NOT LIKE-

Missed Tackles - I don't have the exact number, but I'm guessing it was somewhere in the teens. There were several occasions where the defense looked like they were going to make a stop, they were in position, and then bounced off of the ball carrier. This is actually the reason why Tramon Williams is now injured. If AJ Hawk makes the tackle, Tramon is still healthy...This will need to be improved upon if the Packers are going to be successful this year.

Tramon Williams' Injury - The worst part about this is that it could have been completely avoided. We do not know how serious it is yet, but it could potentially have a big impact on the season. Jarrett Bush is a decent CB, but is a significant drop off from Williams. We will keep our fingers crossed that Tramon will be back on the field soon.

3rd Downs - It seemed the defense could not get off the field on 3rd downs. They either missed a tackle or let a receiver get wide open. Granted the saints offense is good and Brees is an elite QB, but elite defenses need to be able to make stops more often than the Packers did last night.

There you have it. My thoughts. It was a great win for the Packers and all-in-all I think the things I didn't like are fixable and will be addressed and improved upon in the coming weeks. For now I am going to enjoy being 1-0 and watching football the rest of the weekend! GO PACK!

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!

It's Official...

FOOTBALL IS BACK! The players and owners have agreed on a new deal that will last until 2021. Sorry we haven't reported much in the offseason, but honestly there hasn't been much to report. We probably should have addressed the draft, so i'll address it quickly right now...

I think that the first round pick was a solid pick just like last year by taking Bulaga. It gives the O-line depth and stability for the future.

I am the most excited about 2nd round pick Randall Cobb (WR). He's a utility guy who will likely play in the slot and should give the return game a boost.

The RB from Hawaii will most likely mean that Brandon Jackson will not be re-signed.

CB Davon House is a potentially good late round pick and gives the defensive backfield some more ridiculous (sub 4.4 40) speed.

I don't anticipate any big free agency signings or trades.

Notable unrestricted free agents are: Cullen Jenkins, James Jones, Mason Crosby, Brandon Jackson, and John Kuhn. I think Crosby and Kuhn are the most likely to be re-signed. The other 3 will only be inked for the right price (which i don't think Thompson will be willing to pay).

Packers players will report to training camp this Friday, July 29th. Got to be excited for football season! GO PACK!

SUPER BOWL XLV CHAMPIONS!

THE LOMBARDI TROPHY IS BACK WHERE IT BELONGS...GREEN BAY!!!! GO PACK GO!!!!!

It's Playoff Time!

It's been a bumpy road since we last posted, but we made it! The Packers squeezed into the playoffs as the #6 seed, edging out the Giants and Buccaneers with a 10-6 home win against the Bears. The game will be in Philadelphia on Sunday afternoon against the Eagles. I think that this is a winnable game for the Pack, but it could be a very tough one. Here are my keys to the game:

#1 - The offense has to get into a groove early. When McCarthy calls plays in the first quarter to get Aaron Rodgers comfortable, he flourishes and the Packers generally win when they score a bunch of points.

#2 - Contain Vick. I'm not concerned about Michael Vick's arm. We have played good passing QBs this year and have won those games. It's his legs that scare me. When a 3rd and 14 play breaks down due to good coverage and the Pack only rushed 3, Vick runs for 20 yards. We need to avoid plays like that.

#3 - Tackle well. The Eagles are one of the best teams in the league at picking up Yards After the Catch. DeSean Jackson and LeSean McCoy are especially good at this.

#4 - Solid play on Special Teams. Special Teams play has been the downfall of the Packers in at least a few of the close losses this season. It was much improved last week against a dangerous Bears Special Teams with the likes of Devin Hester and Daniel Manning.

If the Pack can abide by those 4 keys, I think they advance to Atlanta to take on the Falcons next weekend. Go Pack!

Packers visit Meadowlands and leave with Victory!

Everyone knew that this weekend's game against the Jets would be a tough one for the Packers. I myself had no idea what to expect in this game. Part of me thought that the Pack could stay in it and possibly win the game and another part of me thought we would never match up and they would handle us easily. I'm very happy with the result and there is no arguing that it was a very big win for this team.

The Jets came into this game with the top rated defense in the league and an offense that had turned the ball over only 4 times so far in the season. The Pack certainly didn't impress anyone with their offense. Aaron Rodgers once again did not look very good, but luckily, he didn't make any bad mistakes that cost the team. Staying on the offensive side of the ball, I have been very disappointed lately with Greg Jennings. I once thought that Jennings could be one of the best receivers in the league, but as the season rolls along I am beginning to realize that he not the home run hitter that I had expected. I think the biggest plays that Jennings has made is somehow complaining enough and getting referees to throw interference flags on the defense. He needs to step up and stop complaining and start making plays.

I think that the keys to the victory for the Packers was the great play by our defense, and surprise special teams play by our punting unit. I think a huge reason that we were able to win this game was that we won the battle for field position. The combination of our defense making big stops and causing key turnovers, and a good punting game left their offense deep in their zone to start most of their drives. If we can keep up the special teams play, it will definitely help us moving forward.

The defense was a huge surprise yesterday, and Ted Thompson surely deserves a lot of credit for going out and getting players to help fill holes that injuries left in our defense. Howard Green was picked up this week to help out Raji on the defensive line and he played well. It doesn't hurt that he's enormous, but he looked good out there. Another player who has impressed me has been S Charlie Peprah. Peprah is what, the 3rd or 4th stringer? He has stepped in and played very well.

I think this weekend gave Packer fans everywhere some more hope that the Pack can have success despite the injury woes. The Packers will host the struggling Dallas Cowboys in week 9.

Not Again! Jones to IR

Here we go again! This morning the Green Bay Packers placed OLB Brad Jones on Injured Rererve due to surgery needed on his shoulder.

Jones will be replaced by Frank Zombo, and it now becomes clear why the Packers signed 3 linebackers just this week. The hits just keep on coming. To fill the open spot, the packers claimed NT Howard Green from the Jets. This addition will give the Pack a full roster, meaning that we wont be seeing Harris or Bigby in the lineup just yet.

In other news, former Packer kick returner Will Blackmon was signed by the New York Giants. Blackmon injured his knee early last season and was released in the final cut for the Pack this preseason.

Packers Sign Linebackers; 1 Roster Spot Left Open

Yesterday the Green Bay Packers signed 2 Linebackers to the roster to help sure up our corp after losing yet another backer for the season in Brady Poppinga. The Pack signed Diyarl Briggs from Denver's practice squad as well as 8 year veteran Matt Wilhelm.

More importantly, another linebacker, Maurice Simkins was released from the team, leaving 1 roster spot open this week. The open roster spot may indicate that the either Al Harris or Atari Bigby may be released from the PUP list and available this weekend against the Jets.

I think that the Packers have performed fairly well on the defensive side of the ball considering the devastating injuries that we have had so far this year. I believe that we have shown a lot of depth on defense, and having Bigby and Harris back would be HUGE for the defense. I am expecting that Bigby will be released from the PUP list first as Harris is coming off of a major injury and I don't anticipate the Packers rushing his progress and risking losing him again.

Big Win for Packers; Share Division Lead

Week 7 was a HUGE week for the Packers! One of the biggest games on the schedule for the Pack was against the Vikings this past weekend at Lambeau Field and it couldn't have been a bigger win.

The injury plagued Packers squeaked out a 4-point win against the lowly Vikings behind some big plays by the Defense. The victory put the Packers in a tie with Chicago at 4-3 in the North with the Vikings just 1.5 games back at 2-4.

There are a few things that I noticed this weekend about the Packers and the rest of the NFC north...

1. What appeared at the beginning of the season to be a division with Elite QB's is not looking so Elite anymore.

Brett Favre and Jay Cutler were my favorite players this past week. Brett's head seemed to be tied up a bit with his dong showing allegations and he forgot that he doesn't play for the Packers anymore, throwing 3 interceptions on the night and hobbling away with multiple fractures in his ankle. Jay Cutler had an even worse showing as he threw 4 interceptions TO THE SAME PLAYER!! I always thought that the Bears were a middle of the road team and they are starting to show their true colors.

2. Despite the injuries, the Packers can still compete and win games...I think.

The Vikings still have a lot of talent on their team and even though the we barely won the game, it was a very big win for this team, especially after losing 2 overtime games in a row by a measly field goal. I thought that the Packer's defense put a lot of pressure on Brett Favre this week and it led to some interceptions. If we can get Atari Bigby and Al Harris back in the line up, that would certainly help.

3. Clay Matthews is a difference maker and is playing like an MVP for the Packers.

Clay was without a sack in the win against the Vikings, but there is no arguing that his presence on the field may have been the deciding factor in the win. Clay is relentless in rushing the passer. Even if he is unable to get to the QB, he draws double teams allowing pressure from our other pass rushers and creates offensive penalties because of his speed.

4. Aaron Rodgers needs to start competing!

Rodgers is one of the most talented QB's in the league and he has the arm to make every throw he needs to. After watching him in the last few games, there are a couple things that upset me...first, his decision making. Last season we saw Aaron holding onto the ball too long and taking sacks rather than getting rid of the ball. He is doing much better at that aspect, but at times his decision making is lacking. The Packers are one of the worst teams this season in converting 3rd and short, and its easy to understand why when you see Rodgers throw the ball 30 yards downfield on 3rd and 3. He needs to start thinking. The other thing that frustrates me about Aaron is his lack of competitiveness on the field. I don't want to see him giving the opposing team but slaps and high fives and smiling throughout the game. I want to see a fighting spirit in him that I am not seeing, and for that reason, I don't think that Rodgers is going to fair very well in big games or close finishes.

The Packers will have probably the toughest test of the season this coming weekend as they face off against the New York Jets. I think that anything can happen, but we will really need to look sharp on both sides of the ball and we will need for our defense to make big plays again on defense.

Go Pack!!