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!

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!

Offseason Post

It's been an eventful, albeit not too exciting, offseason thus far. With all of the labor disputes, there isn't much to post about. But here is how I see things leading up to the draft:

1. Jolly is done for good after being arrested for a second time for possession of purple drank.

2. Cullen Jenkins has likely seen his last day as a Packer due to the fact that management made no attempt to re-sign him before the CBA expired. I believe this to be a mistake in that he is one of the most talented d-linemen in the league. But at this point, I have come to trust Ted Thompson to provide depth on the roster.

3. I see our biggest needs as Offensive Tackle, Defensive End, and Outside Linebacker. I will be happy with any of those 3 positions taken in the first round. With the #32 pick and no serious needs in the draft, it will be interesting to see what Thompson decides to do. You can always count on him to do things that are not that exciting. So it wouldnt surprise me to see us trade back and get multiple picks in the 2nd and 3rd rounds.

GO PACK!

Quick Draft Recap

So the 2010 Draft is over and the guesses begin. Who had the best draft? Did the team address their needs? Etc. Etc. Etc!

The Pack did not have a super exciting draft, but they did address some needs. First of all, I have to say that picking Brian Bulaga with our first pick was like drafting your mother over Megan Fox. Sure, its not a sexy pick, but you're mom will make you dinner, do your laundry, and clean your room. Brian Bulaga is a top tier lineman and we did not have to trade any players to get him. He isn't Dez Bryant, but he will come in right away and contribute greatly. Alright, so maybe my Mom/Megan Fox analogy was a bit strange, but you get the point. We will all be happy with Bulaga, and not because he "looks" like a Packer.

I think we stretched in the 2nd round with Mike Neal out of Purdue, but who knows, just when you take someone lightly, they end up surprising you.

We did get a couple guys later in the draft who are pretty intruiging. Third round we got a Safety from Georgia Tech who is a big guy and although they say consistency is an issue, at least we add some depth to our defensive backfield and in the 6th it sounds like we got a steal of a RB out of Buffalo who is a very big dude and will hopefully come pound the ball for us in short yardage situations.

We also ended up drafting another offensive and defensive lineman and a tight end. Big deal, who knows how any of them will do.

After the draft, I think that we addressed some concerns and forgot about a couple. I think that the Packers are counting on having Al Harris back and healthy, but it makes me a little nervous that we didn't get any CB's. As well, it looks like Clay Matthews will probably lead the team in Sacks again this season. Even though we got a couple defensive lineman, I am unsure of how much they will be able to help our mediocre pass rushing defense. I think that with the recent additions of big name pass rushers in the division (Peppers, Vanden Bosh, Suh), the Packers defensive front may be the least intimidating in the division. Bummer.

Well, now we just have to sit back and see if TT did a good job this draft. Fingers Crossed.

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.

With the 23rd Pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, the Green Bay Packers select...

Holy Cow! It has been months since our last post and a lot has happened throughout the league. Tomorrow is also the first round of the NFL Draft.

First of all, I need to mention how disappointed I am that they changed the draft schedule and we will now be watching the 1st Round on Thursday, the 2nd and 3rd on Friday, and then the rest some other time during the weekend. I remember the good old days when I could sit on my couch for all of draft weekend, eat snacks and drink beer. That was fantastic. Now, I will have to get pumped up to watch the draft after a long day of work, and then do the same thing the next night. Complete garbage if you ask me.

Ok! Now that my rant is over, lets talk about the draft.

The Packers have very specific needs that they will look to address throughout the draft. Those needs are at CB, Safety, O-Line, D-Line, and then possibly RB. For a long time, the offensive line looked to be the top priority for the Pack, but after re-signing Clifton and Tauscher, and given that the draft seems very deep at that position, it sounds as if the Pack may look elsewhere with their first pick.

My thought is that the Packers will look at grabbing a top tier defensive back in the first. With rumors of the Pack being interested in trading up in the first round, the options grow larger. Lets take a quick look at some of the players available in the first:

1. Eric Berry - Safety: Unless the Packers are looking to trade way up in the draft, it sounds like Berry will be long gone.

2. Earl Thomas - Safety: Thomas is projected to go around 10 or 11. If the rumors about the Pack trading up into that area are true, Thomas could be the guy targeted by the Pack.

3. Joe Haden - Cornerback: Haden is the top CB in the draft. Again, Haden would be in the same boat as Thomas and would only be available to the Pack if we were to move up in the draft.

4. Kyle Wilson - Cornerback: Wilson is a solid cornerback and has been talked about a lot this week as one of the top DB's in the draft. Wilson once thought to go late in the first round had a great Senior Bowl and could end up being taken earlier than originally expected. I don't anticipate him being on the board @ 23, but he may be another potential trade up opportunity.

5. Taylor Mays - Safety: Mays is a beast at safety. He is big, strong, and fast. However, I have heard mixed reviews on him. Regardless, Mays has a huge upside and I think unless someone better drops down tomorrow, he would be hard to pass up at #23.

So I started off by talking about the defensive back, mostly because that's who I want the Packers to take in the first, and also because they are more exciting to talk about that Offensive Lineman. There is also talk about the Pack looking for pass rushers in the first and I think it may be likely to get one of the top guys to play OLB/DE in our 3-4 scheme. I also think we can assume that TT won't be drafting a RB in the first round.

We will attempt to make posts over the next few days regarding the Packer's draft results and thoughts. So for our follower out there, check back later!

The Dust Has Settled...It's the Offseason...

There has been a little bit of news over the past few weeks that we have failed to report, but I think that at this point we’ve finally gotten over the heartbreaking loss we sustained in Arizona. So…here goes. Charles Woodson was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year for 2009 much to the dismay of Rex Ryan, due to the Saints going to the Super Bowl and Favre foregoing the Pro Bowl Aaron Rodgers will be the starting QB representing the NFC this Sunday in Miami, and Vikings fans now get to endure what Packer fans dealt with more than once over the years…Favre throwing a season ending INT and now sitting and waiting to see whether he will retire or not. I personally would like to see him wait until around August 1st to decide and then say that he is done for good. The more likely Sage Rosenfels or Tavaris Jackson will be the QB, the better off we will all be.

Anywho, what do we talk about next? The Pro Bowl? Free Agency? The Draft? There are plenty of weeks ahead to discuss free agency and the draft, so I’ll address the Pro Bowl for now. The Packers had 3 players selected to play (only 1 to start), but due to injuries and decisions to forego the Pro Bowl we ended up with…well…still 3. But Woodson decided to sit it out and Clay Matthews stepped in as an OLB. Rodgers is the only starter, he and Matthews will be joined by Nick Collins (making his 2nd straight Pro Bowl appearance). I like seeing the Packers have some representation in this game. Not that it makes a big difference, but it shows that we have some talent and that it’s being recognized. I believe that Rodgers will be a great QB for the Pack for many years to come and that Woodson will continue to play extremely well in Capers’ new 3-4 scheme for a few more seasons. Clay Matthews was maybe the brightest spot on the defense this year, after missing the first few games of the season he dominated offensive lines and finished with a team-leading 10 sacks. I am looking forward to seeing him continue to develop and making many more Pro Bowls in for the Green and Gold. Collins is really the only question mark, not about his play, but about his contract. It’s understood that he’s a restricted free agent this year and he’s hoping to get a multi-year contract extension. So we’ll see what happens. I expect Teddy Thompson to make him a priority during this offseason and solidify part of our somewhat shaky defensive backfield. But I digress, I’m actually more interested in the Senior Bowl this weekend than I am in the Pro Bowl. I’m really just hoping that none of our guys end up getting hurt. I’ll be scouting the Senior Bowl for some talent that the Pack can grab in April. We’ll discuss Free Agency and the Draft in further detail in the coming weeks. GO PACK!

Kiper gives Pack Top Draft Grade!

Mel Kiper, Jr. has been covering the NFL Draft for decades. Whether you agree with him or not, there is no arguing that he is the authority when it comes to the draft. This morning I came across an article by Mel where he graded each team's draft picks. Kiper gave only two A's, one for the Packers, and an A- for the Jets. 

Going into the draft, every team has needs that they must address. The Green Bay Packers knew what positions they needed and they were aggressive in getting the best players they could at those positions. 

There is a lot of talk that the Minnesota Vikings and the Chicago Bears will be battling for NFC North title. The Packers still have a lot of work to do in order to be in the conversation, but I think that Ted Thompson has made the right moves not only in the draft, but also with the coaching personnel changes that were made as well. The Packers have the potential to be a great team this season, but there are still a lot of pieces that need to fall into place in order for us to be competitive this coming season. Luckily, I think that some of those pieces came into place this weekend.

Mocking the Draft; How hard can it be?

Anyone who is interested in the draft and is excitingly waiting to see who their team is going to draft, they check their favorite online sports sites or watch their favorite sports shows to check the mock drafts of the Professional Draft Analysts. I have checked several different sites and I have seen many mock drafts from different analysts, and it doesn't seem like any of them can agree on who should go where. So I found myself thinking, why am I relying on these people to get insight into the who my team is going to pick with their first round pick? The reason is because I haven't taken the time to do my own Mock Draft!

Over the next couple of days, I will be working on my own mock draft of the first round, and we will see how far off The Malnarn is compared to the "Experts". Granted, I have kept my ear pretty close to the ground when it comes to the Draft, so my picks will not be based on knowledge that I gained through personal interviews i've had with teams, or any knowledge that i've gained on my own. Either way, I think that Mel Kiper, Jr. and Todd McShay have the easiest jobs in sports broadcasting. Check back soon to see me making a mockery of the Mock Draft.

NFL Draft Draws Near

Well, the NFL Draft is almost here, finally! There is still a great deal of uncertainty going into this weekend, as the Lions still have not made it clear which direction they are planning to go with the first overall pick. They must have been spending all of their time working on their new logo. After listening to some of the "experts" on ESPN, I was suprised to hear as many people saying that the Lions should NOT take Matt Stafford with the #1 pick. Their arguments make sense and I would definitely love to see them not take Stafford because it shake things up a great deal. Lets be honest, the exciting thing about the NFL Draft is the suprises! If all of the Mock Drafts were completely accurate in the first round, I know that I wouldn't watch. One thing that I do expect is for there to be a couple trades in the first 10 picks, and also some players traded in the first round, perhaps Anquan Boldin. All I know is that i'm very excited to see what happens, and I hope that Ted Thompson made the right move in saving all of his time, energy, and money on the Draft rather than free agency. Only time will tell!