September 2008 - Posts

• RUN TO NOWHERE

  Posted Sep 29 2008, 03:53 PM by Dennis Krause

  The Packers running game is currently a non-entity. Whether Ryan Grant is still a step slow from his hamstring injury or the ofensive line simpy isn't good enough, the results are clear. How else do you explain ZERO net yards rushing for the last three quarters Sunday in the loss at Tampa Bay? Even a dead man can do that.

  How much confidence has Mike McCarthy lost in the running game? Down two points in the 4th quarter with a banged up Aaron Rodgers at the controls, McCarthy had good field position and plenty of time to work with. What did he do? Call for an empty backfield without even the threat of a run. Rodgers was blitzed, threw to the wrong guy and it was picked off by the Bucs. Ballgame.

  We can sit here all day and talk about the irony of Brett Favre throwing six touchdown passes on the same day that Rodgers tossed three interceptions and got hurt. One thing has become clear. Ted Thompson's gamble to go with two rookie backup quarterbacks has backfired. You could make the case that it's already cost them one game and might cost them more.

  While Thompson is thinking over his decisions made in the off-season, he has to at least be a little concerned that he overpaid for Ryan Grant. What happened to the guy we saw last season? He looks like John Brockington at the end of his Green Bay career. Picking up a yard has become a challenge.

  The bloom is off the 2-0 rose as the Packers have dropped to 2-2. McCarthy has proven resourceful at fixing things. Looks like he better dig back into the toolbox again and find a healthy Rodgers and a healthier running game.

  With no comments

  Link this   E-mail This Link

• PACKERS GET LESSON

  Posted Sep 22 2008, 02:31 PM by Dennis Krause

  I admit to sipping some of the strong Packers Kool-Aid after their 2-0 start. Sure, I knew Detroit was--and is--a horrible football team. But I was certainly impressed with Aaron Rodgers first two weeks as a starter. Reality hit Lambeau Field hard when the Cowboys came to town.

  Sunday night's loss to Dallas doesn't mean the Packers aren't a good team. It does mean that they're nowhere close to being the team to beat in the NFC. Of course, the Cowboys were that team last year too and found a way to lose at home in the playoffs.

  The fact is that Dallas is a better team this season than they were in 2007. Rookie running back Felix Jones adds a terrific dimension to their offense and special teams. The Cowboys finally got smart and discovered that Marion Barber was their best running back and let Julius Jones walk away. Now the Cowboys have two excellent running backs. Time will tell if the Packers have any. Ryan Grant's early fumble against Dallas was just further evidence that he's off to a slow start. With the exception of one long run against Minnesota, Grant does not look like the same guy who rescued the Packers running attack in 2007. The Packers can only hope that Grant rounds into form once his hamstring is healed.

  The Packers were fortunate to avoid crippling injuries in 2007. But you get the sense that this season is going to be a constant struggle to stay healthy.

  For a good portion of the Cowboys game, the Packers were limited to three wide receivers and the secondary was occupied by backups because of injuries. The Packers are not good enough to be able to cover up injuries against good teams.

  Yes, the Packers reside in the NFC North. But don't sleep on the Vikings now that they've finally benched Tarvaris Jackson. In the end, Sunday night's loss was a valuable teaching tool for the Packers and their fans. The lesson: the Packers are good but not elite. Not right now, anyway.

    

  With no comments

  Link this   E-mail This Link

• McCarthy Shines in NFC North

  Posted Sep 15 2008, 12:38 PM by Dennis Krause

  In January of 2006, the Packers, Lions and Vikings were all looking for new head coaches. Minnesota pulled the trigger first on January 6th and hired Brad Childress. He was a hot commodity for his work on Andy Reid's Eagles staff. Childress was scheduled to interview with the Packers, but he never made it to Green Bay. He took the Vikings offer and later crowed that he "could have had the Green Bay job." Childress is 14-20 with Minnesota and 0-5 against the Packers.

  On January 12th, Ted Thompson shocked many in the NFL world by hiring Mike McCarthy, the offensive coordinator for the hapless 49ers. One week later, the Lions hired Rod Marinelli off the respected Tampa Bay defensive staff. After Sunday's 48-25 Packers victory in Detroit, McCarthy is now 5-0 against Marinelli. That makes him a combined 10-0 against the Vikings and Lions.

  Now in his third season with the Packers, only one coach in the NFC North has given McCarthy trouble. Lovie Smith's Bears teams have beaten McCarthy's Packers three times.

  McCarthy showed some of his most valuable traits in the Packers rollercoaster victory over a bad Lions team. Even when Detroit came back to take the lead, McCarthy never panicked. His poise rubs off on his players. McCarthy's play-calling expertise also came into play as he showed confidence in his quarterback pupil, Aaron Rodgers. Instead of being tentative, they stayed on the attack and Greg Jennings popped a big play to turn the game back around. On the defensive side, Charles Woodson clinched the game with two big interceptions. The same Charles Woodson who missed practice all week with a fractured toe. McCarthy's masterful relationship with Woodson has been one of his biggest successes. He treats Woodson like a man and knows that he's one of the few players who can excel without practicing. Instead of holding firm to a "no practice, no play" rule, McCarthy has allowed Woodson to blossom by trusting that the player will perform when he has to. Woodson has earned that respect by answering the bell and playing at a high level.

  When you survey the NFC North, with the Packers on top at 2-0, remember this. Ted Thompson obviously knew what he was doing when he hired McCarthy. The coach has given the Packers a huge edge over two of the team's division rivals. Childress and Marinelli may not make it to next season.

  With no comments

  Link this   E-mail This Link

• RODGERS STARTS WELL

  Posted Sep 09 2008, 03:37 PM by Dennis Krause

  I'm trying to remember a Packers game where one player was under as much pressure as Aaron Rodgers faced Monday night. I'm not sure any Packers player ever had so many people wondering whether he'd fall on his face, and maybe some even hoping that he would. Maybe Jim Carter replacing Ray Nitschke but that wasn't a quarterback and it was before the sports media went on 24-hour news cycles on radio, television and the web.

  This is not meant to diminish Brett Favre or anoint Aaron Rodgers. It is meant simply as a "job well done" to Rodgers for standing up to that intense pressure and helping to deliver a victory over the Vikings. I don't think any of us can truly understand the impossible situation he's been put in over the last few months. You know there have had to be many times when he just wanted to scream--"shut up about Brett Favre. He wasn't a saint and he wasn't perfect on the field. Get over it!" But, with the exception of one ill-advised comment to Sports Illustrated, Rodgers has been mature and virtually flawless in his awkward position. 

  Still, it all comes down to performance. One game doesn't make a season or a career but Rodgers was poised and controlled against Minnesota. His decision-making reflected a maturity beyond his years. His good friend Aaron Kampman said that Rodgers performance shows that "he has something special inside."

  A victory over Minnesota was a very encouraging way to start the season. We should all be prepared that honeymoons don't last. If Rodgers throws four interceptions and the Packers lose to a bad Lions team Sunday, the wolves will be barking. The comforting thing is that Rodgers appears tough enough to handle that as well.

  With no comments

  Link this   E-mail This Link

• HERE WE GO

  Posted Sep 02 2008, 10:58 AM by Dennis Krause

  I could spend time writing about how I think Abdul Hodge should have made the team, but the reality is that there are more pressing matters at hand. The regular season is here for the Packers and the tests begin immediately. Monday night's game against the Vikings is enormous. It could very well set the tone for the Packers season and for the NFC North division.

  My gut tells me that we're going to find out quite a bit about Mr. Rodgers Monday night. The Vikings defensive line is going to be hard to run against. It doesn't help that Ryan Grant hasn't been tackled on a meaningful play since the NFC Championship game. Minnesota has to be thinking that it wants to force Aaron Rodgers to beat them. It will be up to Rodgers to prove that he's ready for prime time--literally.

  Naturally, the Packers defense likely feels the same way about Tarvaris Jackson. The problem is, I'm not sure the Packers run defense can shut down Adrian Peterson and force Jackson to make the big plays. I also happen to think that Jackson is not going to be the huge liability that some expect. If he is merely competent, the Vikings have a great chance to win the division.

  Lambeau Field will be crackling with energy and excitement Monday night. Those home fans will make a difference. By the end of the night, we'll have a big indication about how the 2008 season is going to unfold. Here we go.

  With no comments

  Link this   E-mail This Link