There were plenty of things to take from Sunday's win over the Browns. While a win is a win, the Browns really, really suck. You truly don't know how bad Derek Anderson is until you actually see him try to play quarterback in person. It blows my mind that he was actually a Pro-Bowler and led a team to 10 wins. I have no idea how that's possible. Anyway, on with the notes...
1. Thanks for showing up, RG. Grant's performance Sunday was one of the best I've seen since the 2007 divisional playoff game against the Seahawks. Grant was fast and determined. He was hitting holes and getting around corners like he did on '07. While it was against one of the worst defenses in the league, it was great to see how often the Packers went to him. At one point, I actually asked myself, "When are they going to start throwing?"
2. Best linebacker performance of the year. Brian mentioned how good A.J. Hawk looked in his "Blue Chips, Red Chips, and Cow Chips" below. The other LB that looked great for the first time this year was Nick Barnett. I happened to be sitting in the end zone where the Packers defense got the first goal line stand that led to a Cleveland field goal. Barnett had a nose for the ball and almost got an interception. I'm really hoping these two can build off solid games.
3. More Donald, less Greg. Donald Driver continues to shine. Another great aspect of attending a game is actually seeing Driver flying down the sideline en route to a touchdown. His ability to catch a five-yard pass then turn it into a 71-yard score is second to none. But, while Driver's been stealing the show, Greg Jennings had another quiet game. Jennings is a deep threat, and the Packers didn't take one shot at him the whole game. Granted, they didn't need to. His specialty seems to be the 10-12-yard curl route for the time being.
4. Aaron Kampman is really good. Again, kudos to Brian on acknowledging the performance of Kampman. He's been implemented a lot more as a down rusher, but he also has some more comfort as an outside linebacker. There's no reason why he can't make a quarterback's life a nightmare in nickel and dime situations. The guy definitely still has it, and if he can gain more confidence with the position, it increases the likelihood he won't leave next season.
5. I hate kickoffs that go out of bounds. And Mason Crosby did that twice. Was it because Josh Cribbs was running them back? I don't think so, because Crosby booted a few into the endzone of which Cribbs kneed. Against better teams, it can really be detrimental to give up so much field position. The Packers don't give up huge kick returns a lot, so kicks out of bounds can't happen.