Statistical Look at Dropped Passes

I had touched on this in a post about a week ago, and thought it was worth expanding on a little bit before the Bear game.

I had been in a discussion with another poster about how many dropped passes the Packers have had this year, and whether or not it was any better or worse than other teams. I decided to take the top 10 passers in attempts and compare them to the number of dropped passes.

I used pass attempts, because I think it is a fair comparison for Favre to be compared with other quarterbacks who are asked to put it into the air as much as he has been expected to. I think when you get to a quarterback that is only attempting 20 passes a game, there's more skewing as those passes are offset by a stronger running game.

The following, then, are the top ten passers in attempts, followed by the number of dropped passes this season.

1. Favre 571 /39
2. Bulger 558 /17
3. Kitna 554 /21
4. Brees 549 /38
5. P. Manning 520 /26
6. E. Manning 496 /27
7. Brady 492 /27
8. Palmer 482 /16
9. Grossman 468 /12
10. Pennington 455 /16

One of the points I tried to make is that not only is Favre leading the league in attempts, but also in dropped passes. It was argued that more attempts would mean more drops, and that Favre would be right around middle of the pack per attempt. However, the percentages didn't bear that out.

Of those ten, here are the ranked percentages of dropped passes per attempt:

1. Favre 6.8%
2. Brees 6.4%
3. Brady 5.5%
4. E. Manning 5.4%
5. P. Manning 5.0%
6. Kitna 3.7%
7. Pennington 3.5%
8. Palmer 3.3%
9. Bulger 3.0%
10. Grossman 2.5%

As of right now, Favre leads the league in dropped passes per attempt, just ahead of Brees and significantly ahead of everyone else.

So, why aren't the Saints struggling as much as the Packers? Easy..they have a running game, particularly one led by a Thunder-And-Lighting duo like Deuce McAllister and Reggie Bush.

But how much do those other teams utilize the running game versus the passing game. Using the same teams as the quarterbacks represented above, I thought I'd see what the percentage of run-to-pass ratios would be for each team.

Total passing played determined by total offensive plays minus rushing plays = total passing plays (including sacks and attempted pass plays resulting in fumbles, etc.)

1. Packers 397 rushes - 610 passing
2. New Orleans 455 - 569
3. New England 468 - 526
4. New York Giants 421 - 521
5. Indianapolis Colts 408 - 535
6. Detroit Lions 279 - 612
7. New York Jets 454 - 491
8. Cincinnati Bengals 419 - 521
9. St. Louis Rams 388 - 610
10 Chicago Bears 479 - 509

So, how many times, among these quarterbacks passing so often, are they getting runs called in comparison? As would be expected from the coaches who ask their quarterbacks to throw so often, none have a perfectly even run/pass ratio, but some get more run support than others.

Of, then, the top 10 passers by attempts, here are the percentages of runs-to-pass plays of those teams.

1. Bears 48.5%
2. Jets 48.0%
3. Patriots 47.1%
4. Giants 44.7%
5. Bengals 44.6%
6. Saints 44.4%
7. Colts 43.3%
8. Packers 39.4%
9. Rams 38.5 %
10 Lions 31.3%

Now, interesting stat. Of all these prolific passing teams, the ones that utilize the run at least 40% of the time have winning records. The ones that utilize it less than 40% of the time have losing records.

So, Favre leads the league in attempts, the Packers lead the league in dropped passes AND dropped passes per attempt. They also ranked third to last among prolific passing teams in run/pass ratio.

Incidentally, among those ten teams, the Packers rank next-to-last in yardage per rush (3.9 ypc), and in total rushing yardage (1566).

My point? None to make. I'm a strong believer that statistics are easily cited and can prove nearly any point, depending on how they are presented. I offer them for your consideration and allow you to draw your own conclusions, or to offer your own statistics to support or counter them.

Forget the Playoffs; There's More At Stake

On Sunday night, the Green Bay Packers take on their most storied rival, the Chicago Bears, in a season finale that has suddenly become important to Packer fans.

It has also, apparently, become important to the NFL, who moved the game to the evening as a part of their 'flex' scheduling, interrupting the New Year's Eve celebration plans of nearly every football fan in the Midwest.

Why so important? Well, many will point to the long-standing rivalry between the Bears and Packers. Why have a Thursday night game between the Packers and Vikings? Others will point to Brett Favre and the potential of his last game played. Probably some interest in that, but that’s not what has Packer Mundo all a-buzz.

Yes, after a stretch of three wins, the Green Bay Packers are standing on the verge of making the playoffs. You heard it right, there is a mathematical possibility that the Pack could get the bottom seed in the NFC if things work out right. Folks with unused statistics degrees across the nation are plotting every possible permutation of results to see which ways the Packers can sneak in.

But, pretty much all of them would depend on one thing: the Green Bay Packers (7-8) must beat the 13-2 Chicago Bears.

I say, forget about it. The playoffs aren’t important. Seriously.

If the Packers make it, great. We have another week to watch them. Perhaps some of us will make a pilgrimage to New Orleans or Seattle or wherever the Packers would end up playing.

But it’s not the point of the game this Sunday night. Heavens knows, the Packers will know whether or not the win will get them in or out of the playoffs before the game even starts. There’s a strong likelihood that the Packers will suit up for the game, and have the knowledge that Carolina is already the sixth seed, win or lose.

The dependence on other factors besides controlling your own destiny is a bit distracting. Some 'what has to happen' lists look like a parlay card for the entire week’s schedule. Some permutations depend on Pluto being readmitted as a planet before the end of the game in order for the Packers to make it.

Don’t buy into it. If the Packers make it, they make it. There are more important issues at stake in this game.

The Packers are 7-3 this season against teams with losing records. However, they are 0-5 against teams with winning records, and have been outscored 160-60 in those games, an average score of 32-12.

Giving the Packers their due, they have shown themselves worthy of being considered 'mediocre' this season: they’ve beaten many of the teams that they should have beaten. When you consider that they’ve only played five teams with winning records, they SHOULD have seven wins out of ten against losing teams..

The Packers are running on a sugar high, too. The last three games have produced victories, despite not playing at their top level across the board. The teams, San Francisco, Detroit, and Minnesota, are all dealing with their own problems, and many of them are internal. The Lions and Vikings, in particular, looked as though they just want the season to end.

A win is a win, but the Packers haven’t looked good doing it. A critic might suggest the Packers haven’t won those games, but instead 'lost the least'.

Which is why this game is so critical. Momentum for next season is actually on the upswing, that despite all the problems and growing pains with a new coaching staff and offensive schemes, many Packer fans are starting to believe in the direction provided by Ted Thompson and Mike McCarthy.

In the first meeting between the Packers and the Bears this season, in Week 1, the Bears simply manhandled them, crushing them 26-0 in Brett Favre’s first career shutout. It wouldn’t be his last, as the Packers went on to go scoreless against Patriots in Week 11, too.

The Packers have two teams they need to worry about. And no, it’s not the Redskins, or the Giants, or the Vikings, or the Rams. Or Pluto.

They need to worry about the Chicago Bears and the Green Bay Packers. Whether or not they have a fighting chance for a playoff spot at kickoff, the Packers have to prove themselves capable of standing toe-to-toe with a formidable opponent.

Don’t count on the Bears to roll over and play dead for the Packers, either. Last season, Bears coach Lovie Smith rested many of his starters in the final game against the Vikings, as they had clinched the second seed and a first round bye. The result was a season finale loss and a divisional playoff loss to Carolina on their home field. Mike Holmgren might be willing to make that mistake again, but I don’t think Smith will.

There’s a whole week in between for little injuries to be rehabbed. Lovie Smith knows how important momentum is, and we all know how continued early exits from the playoffs can affect the job security of even the most accomplished coaches.

This is the challenge for the young Green Bay Packers, a team that needs to worry about working as a team and executing in all facets of the game. The Bears are another benchmark for the mediocre Packers to test themselves against: a playoff team, like the Saints, Patriots, and Seahawks, all of whom dismantled the Packers in earlier games.

The Packers may need a win to make the playoffs, but they don’t need a win to establish momentum for next season. This team has to show heart in front of a national television audience. They need to execute on both sides of the ball, as well as special teams. Playcalling must improve from the sidelines, and the players have to eliminate the foolish mental mistakes that have plagued them this season.

If the Packers can put up a good fight and make the Bears truly have to beat them in order to win the game, it may go into the record book as an L, but the Packers will have shown they are ready to make a step forward next season. Obviously, to actually win the game would be even better, with the given that the Bears are playing to win, not to not get hurt.

The Packers have something much more important riding on this game other than a playoff spot. They have pride, heart, and a need to prove they are more than just the better basement team in the NFC North.

The Bears are a perfect measuring stick to give that final grade to the Packers. After this game they could be a 'team on the rise', or they could be 'the team that can only beat bad teams'.

Let’s hope this team is focused and knows who the opponent really is on Sunday night. And in order to beat the Bears, they have to first make sure not to beat themselves.

A Fun Christmas Trip

Green Bay - Well, like every other normal, red-blooded testosterone-filled male in America, I waited until today to begin my Christmas shopping. So, a quick trip to Bay Park Square in Ashwaubenon was on the schedule. Not many people, good deals, in and out in about two hours. Just how I like it.

So, as I'm walking along, an announcement comes over the loudspeaker that Chris Havel is in he Centre Court to meet people. So, I meander back to see if he's really there. Behold, there he is, arm still in a sling, wearing a "The Fan" Sweatshirt. Being I've cited him so many times over the years, he should be thrilled to meet me, eh?

Chris: Hi! Would you like to buy my book?

LosAngelis: Um, no. Just wanted to say hey.

Chris: (looks disinterested)

LosAngelis: Keep up the good work, and Merry Christmas.

Chris: Thanks.

So, I guess the fraternity of Favre Acolytes isn't quite as tight as I thought, unless we buy each other's books.

So, later on, I'm standing in line at a store and waiting in one of the lines for the checkouts. I move lines, and see two gentlemen in very dapper black pinstripe suits, and another shorter guy in a tie.

Being this is a store that men usually don't appear in regularly (and I was itchy to get out myself), one of the men excused himself and said he was "getting out of here".

The other was getting a bunch of gift cards. As I looked carefully, at his bald head and resplendent and dapper outfit, it only took one turn of his head for me to figure out who was two spots ahead of me in line.

Yep. Double- D. Donald Driver. Milk Dud himself.

I listened to him for a while, very polite, though he was complaining a bit about the prices in the store (a sentiment that I wholly wanted to shout out in agreement with). He then took his gifts and walked right past me, noticed my white Packer hat, smiled and said "Hey, how you doin'?"

I responded, "Great, Merry Christmas to ya."

That was it. I'm a huge advocate for not bothering celebrities or athletes, especially for autographs, so that wasn't an option.

I'm not sure who the other guy was. He was of similar build and African-American, however, I didn't recognize his face. I think I would have recognized Ferguson, so I'm at a loss for identifying him, or if he was even a Packer.

The snippy little wench behind the counter, looked up with a rather snooty look on her face and said, "What, was that a Packer or something?"

I responded, "Yep."

She said, "Oh well. I am so like, not affected by that."

A minute or two later, she must have looked at the receipt of what he had all bought, and her eyes popped out a bit.

"Affected now, are we?" I asked.

Fun day. I thought that was just going to be some boring shopping, and end up meeting two guys on the "in's" with the Pack. Nice Christmas present.

And no, my cell phone doesn't have a camera on it, sorry.

Lions: The Trap Game?

As the Packers continue their roller coaster season (that's probably had a few more drops than hills), they seem to be on the cusp of what appears to be a two-game winning streak as the Lions come to town on Sunday.

There is nary an aspect of the on-paper match ups that would put the Packers at any disadvantage whatsoever. The Packers are favored to win, they’re at home, and hold statistical advantages almost across the board.

Furthermore, the Lions are a miserable 2-11, haven’t won since the beginning of November, and have the look in their eye that seems to be begging, "Can we just concede and go home now?" Poor Lions, it’s a bit reminiscent of the 2005 Packers season. The injury bug has even starting striking, removing Kevin Jones, their starting running back, not only for this season but likely a good chunk of 2007.

The fans are so drained that can’t even muster up the energy to boo or chant "Fire Millen!" anymore. The Lions are like Akili Smith on the sidelines of his last preseason performance with the Packers: a pariah within their own family, a car wreck waiting to be cleaned up.

The Packers, coming off an impressive win in which they truly controlled every quarter, return home to rematch the team they've already beaten once this year in Detroit. They’ve made some adjustments and have seemed to have gotten the ship seaworthy again. Favre is closing in on the touchdown record and will break the all-time completions record this weekend.

So, this game is as sure of a thing as we’ve had all season, right? Right?

You don’t hear any bravado, though, from the Packer faithful. Optimism is a far cry from confidence. Hope isn’t the same thing as a guarantee.

And there’s nothing worse than looking past an opponent.

The Green Bay Packers, however, do have their Achilles’ heels. As the Lions adjust to the loss of Jones, they will likely rely on quarterback Jon Kitna to lead the charge. Kitna has attempted one less pass than Favre this season, good enough for third in the NFL. He’s fourth in yardage and is second in interceptions. If there’s any part of the Packer defense that can be picked apart, it’s the secondary.

San Francisco played a pretty vanilla offense against the Packers last week, but you can bet that the Lions, with nothing to lose, will do what they can to beat our safeties to the punch, and WR Roy Williams would love nothing more than to tie up Al Harris all day and allow Mike Furrey and the other receivers to gash the Packers for big plays on their home turf.

And of course, that brings up the other issue: the Packers have done more than lose the home-field advantage; they now officially have a home field DISadvantage. Perhaps it’s mental, kind of like feeling snake bit, that playing in front of a home crowd with high expectations psyches the players out. Who knows? But the point stands that the Packers have only beaten one team on their home field this year, a game in which rookie Matt Lienart was clearly baffled by the pro game (not unlike Alex Smith last week).

Jon Kitna isn’t Matt Hasselback or Tom Brady, but he’s a veteran who isn’t going to be shaken as easily as a kid.

All in all, this is a game that the Packers should win. And that is the inherent danger: it almost makes it a “must win” situation, but not in a good way. This is a game that you have to guard against all those internal demons that cause you to beat yourself. You can’t play not to lose. You can’t over think your executions and try too hard to not make a mistake. You don’t want to rub their face in a lead, but you don’t want to play a prevent and allow them back in the game, either. Don’t forget our own fans booed us last time, too.

And, you can't think to much about all these things, or you'll lose your focus.

This is the definition of a “trap game”, a game where the only person who should be able to beat you is yourself. This is also a critical game for the McCarthy era. The Packers have done a fairly good job this year beating the teams that they “should” beat: pathetic teams like the Lions, the Dolphins, the 49ers, and the Cardinals. However, they’ve also lost some winnable games to non-playoff teams, like the Bills, the Jets, and the Rams.

This game is a reflection on “Packer People”, how this team is prepared to show up and play. Too often this year we’ve seen our team come out and be embarrassed on our home field by superior teams. The Packers need this game. It pushes them to at least 6-10 (with a weak schedule) and sends a message that we are getting to the point where we not only beat the teams we should, we do it on our home field.

Three Little Words: Shanahan Figures It Out

A couple of weeks ago, a firestorm started in the Colorado sports arena.

The 7-4 Denver Broncos, in the middle of a playoff chase, made a controversial decision: veteran Jake Plummer, the leader of a 26th-ranked passing attack, was benched for an unproven rookie named Jay Cutler.

Shanahan praised Cutler, saying he had shown poise and handled himself with maturity from training camp on, declaring he was ready. However, Shanahan acknowledged that the decision was “very difficult”, and that the always-inconsistent Plummer handled the decision “like a pro”.

Naturally, this story has been heated conversation in Denver, and the fact that the Broncos have gone 0-2 since that time hasn’t made the decision any easier. The Broncos, at the time of the switch, held a wild card spot. Now, they are on the outside looking in with three games to play at 7-6.

Cutler, however, hasn’t been a complete failure. Only throwing 25 times a game, he’s begun to show some life. He has an 83.0 passing rating, though he’s been a fumbler. While you can’t say the two game skid has been his fault, it does increase the rabble complaining about the timing of the switch.

So, you might be waiting for my punchline: how does this apply to the Green Bay Packers. Some might be expecting me to say that this is a modern-day allegory on why you should never, ever switch from a veteran quarterback to a rookie, or else you’ll knock yourself out of the playoffs.

No, not my point at all. In fact, I am giving kudos and credit to Mike Shanahan for pulling the plug on a vested veteran quarterback who was having some struggles. But, you see, the secret was three little words that we’ve never really heard with Aaron Rodgers, Craig Nall, or any one else who has been petitioned to start ahead of Brett Favre.

We’ve all heard, ad nauseum, the battle cry that Rodgers should be starting or getting extended time because “he’s the future.” As doubts have come creeping in about his talent and development, the battle cry was slightly altered to “we need to see if he is our future or not, so we know how to draft for next year.” Not exactly what I’d consider a vote of confidence.

No, what Mike Shanahan said was “He’s our future, he’s our present.” Our present. Our “now”. This is your time to seize the day, and win or lose, we’re going with you as our starter. That’s a pretty bold/gutsy/idiotic move to make (depending on your point of view), especially when your team is in the middle of a playoff race. But the point of the matter was that Shanahan felt that Cutler gave them the best chance to win now. And while I’m sure Colorado is polarly divided on whether or not it was the right decision, the decision was made for the right reason.

That’s hard for some folks to comprehend, but every football season has its own carpe diem quality to it. Yes, you build towards the future, and hope that someday your ship will come in. But every coach knows he’s one better guy away from being let go. Every player knows there’s a ton of guys behind him itching to play, and even if they hold them off, they’re one spinal cord injury from never playing again. If you want to be a part of the future, you need to produce today, or you’ll be on the waiver wire.

In the NFL, you don’t experiment just for fun. You experiment to win the games that you’re playing at that time. The Packers, who were at 4-8, an out of the playoff hunt, saw an opportunity to switch some players up, particularly on defense. But they didn’t give more time to Colin Cole, Tyrone Culver, or Patrick Dendy because they wanted to see “what they had in order to determine what their draft strategy should be this offseason”, McCarthy came right out said that these guys had been impressing him in practice. These guys weren’t played to help us win next year. They were played to help us win a game against the 49ers. Period.

Now, let's also be honest. How many Pro Bowl players have ever risen to prominence by being experimented with at the end of a losing season? My guess is that you’ll find very few that meet that criteria, and compared to the list of washouts, would be completely inconsequential. No one is expecting to find our next Reggie White by playing Cullen Jenkins at the end spot.

But three little words by Mike Shanahan gave Jay Cutler all he needed to have the confidence to go out and play his heart out, because he knew that his day wasn’t coming next year. It was right now. It wasn’t being handed to him without merit; it was because Mike Shanahan believed that he was the best chance to win today. And, given Jake Plummer’s performances lately, it’s probably a pretty good assessment.

Mike Shanahan may look back on this decision three years from now and pat himself on the back. He may also have to own up and admit a mistake like he had to recently about Brian Griese. This was a pretty controversial decision to make when you’re in the thick of the playoff hunt, which now look out of reach.

But, right decision or not, it was made for the right reasons. To throw Jay Cutler in now because simply, “He’s the future,” isn’t good enough. Three little words: “He’s the present.”

If there is a lesson to be learned and to apply to the Packers’ situation, let it be that decisions are not and should not be made simply for tomorrow. You have to play for today, and put yourself in the best position to win each and every game.

When the Packers truly have their Jay Cutler, the player they have faith in to win today (not maybe win tomorrow), that's the time to make the move.

Game Review: Packers 30, San Francisco 19

And, for at least a week, all is again right with the world.

The Packers' roller-coaster season took another upturn on Sunday with an impressive 30-19 win over the San Francisco 49ers at Monster Park. The 49ers had the road map to beat the Packers, if they only followed what the Jets had done the previous week. But San Fran either had not the talent or the coaching to do it. As a result, the Pack climbs to 5-8 and 1-1 over this four-game stretch of “winnable games” for Mike McCarthy’s young players.

It started out shaky, though. Poor footwork by wide receiver Greg Jennings and some shoddy tackling by Marquand Manuel and the defense allowed Frank Gore to gash the Packers for 72 yards. Many a Packer fan who witnessed the past three games sighed and thought, “Here we go again.”

But the Packers held the 49ers to a field goal, and then Brett Favre went to work, completing several passes for a score to Ruvell Martin, the young player’s first NFL touchdown.

The score established a lead for the Packers that they would never relinquish, although the 49ers certainly put up a good fight at times. They did have several explosive plays against our defense, including a 52 yard touchdown to rookie tight end Vernon Davis in the fourth quarter and a couple of deep passes to their wide receivers.

But in the end, the 49ers made the critical mistakes, and the Packers did not. Frank Gore took a lot of wind out of the 49ers’ sails with a critical fumble on their second possession, deep in their own territory. While the Packers only managed a field goal, they did make the 49ers pay for that mistake on the scoreboard.

Alex Smith, the second-year quarterback often compared to the Packers’ injured Aaron Rodgers, didn’t show much of a spark today, throwing two interceptions to usually quiet (and stone-handed) Nick Collins and to surging rookie AJ Hawk. Favre again made the 49ers pay almost immediately for the Collins turnover, tossing a beautiful strike to Donald Driver, who dipped and juked his way past five defenders for a classic 68-yard touchdown.

The Hawk interception, snagged in the Packers’ end zone in the fourth quarter, sealed the victory for the team.

What made the difference today?

The early establishment of the run game, including Ahman Green’s 23 yards on four carries on the first drive. While the Packers didn’t score on that drive, it sent a message to the 49er defense that they had to hold the run game accountable today. In the past few weeks, we’ve seen the defense able to contain the run with minimal players in the box, and get away with rushing only four players on the pass.

Because Green and Morency were able to create positive yardage (and a nifty 1 yard plunge for a touchdown by Green, to boot), the 49ers were not able to overplay the downfield coverage as other teams have done recently. Given the 49ers were playing with a battered secondary, it made them even more vulnerable to Favre’s mixture of safe passes, then making them pay with longer passes to wide-open receivers.

Give the offensive line some credit (or the 49ers defensive front seven some raspberries)…they allowed Green and Morency to combine for 146 yards on only 28 carries: nearly five yards a shot. After being much-maligned the past few weeks, including the revelation by Scott Wells that they weren’t even using half the playbook because of the greenness of the young players, they gave us a little hope that this line could develop into a solid one.

Brett Favre had one of his best games of the season, complete with some fun plays to watch (and of course, the heart-skip-a-beat close calls). He went 22 for 34 for 293 yards and two touchdowns. He didn’t throw a single interception, his seventh game this season without a pick. A fumble at the end of the second quarter, under heavy pressure, ended what appeared to be a lackluster drive, and was inconsequential: so inconsequential that the timer didn’t bother to stop the clock and allow the 49ers to have one final play before the half.

The defense, despite their recent sieve-like performances, did one thing very well today: After allowing Frank Gore that first big play, he gained only 58 yards on 18 carries the rest of the game. It was refreshing to see the run defense return to the form we felt they were achieving earlier this season, after a couple of alarming rushing performances during the three-game losing streak. And, as Frank Gore is the heart of that offense, the Packers did to the 49ers what other defenses had done to the Packers the past few weeks: made them one-dimensional.

Aaron Kampman, who was also invisible over that three-game skid, came back with a vengeance, scoring five sacks against Alex Smith, who seemed to be skittish most of the day. Mike McCarthy kept his word and did what many fans have been screaming about for years: he took KGB out on several rushing downs and kept him rested for his pass rush. While Gbaja-Biamila finished with only one tackle and no sacks today, his presence was felt more consistently in the backfield that we’ve seen in a couple of years.

Finally, the special teams had a solid game. Dave Rayner was 3/3 on his field goal tries, and Charles Woodson broke a 40 yard punt return, his longest of the season. While the kick return coverage was still a little sketchy, Rayner didn’t have to add to his five special team tackles this year, and Patrick Dendy made a “dandy” punt coverage to down the ball on the one yard line at one point.

All in all, it can safely be said that Mike McCarthy knew a lot more about his former team that his former head coach knew about the Packers. McCarthy stated in the pre-game, perhaps tipping his hand more than he wanted, that “these are the games you want to win”. This was a meaningful game for McCarthy and for the Packers, who won a game they “should have” won today.

The Packers played with passion, but also played with discipline today, and allowed the 49ers to make the mistakes and suffer when Green Bay capitalized on them. This is a young team that has had little to celebrate recently, but today, we witnessed a team that saw its fragile ego keep up its confidence and momentum over four quarters, and put the game away with moxie.

As the Packers finish off this four-game stretch of matchups against teams with losing records, let’s hope that McCarthy also views next week’s games against division rivals Detroit and Minnesota as “games you want to win”, too. It would be a very encouraging sign for the McCarthy regime to finish with a couple of wins at home against their arch-rivals.

Hopefully, the Packers will be up to the task, and the roller coaster can finish at the top of the ramp before facing off against the Bears in the season finale.

Oh, The Difference Three Weeks Make...

It really doesn't seem that long ago, does it? The Packers had just walked off the Metrodome turf after beating the Vikings 23-17. Optimism was running high, as fans spoke confidently of playoff hopes, and the Negative Nellie's were being asked if they took their crow boiled or fried.

But, after losing to the New York Jets today, 38-10, the Green Bay Packers have now lost three in a row in rather convincing fashion, ranging from being completely dominated (against the Patriots at home) to completely imploding (against the Seahawks on MNF).

Like the last two games, it is much easier to make a list of “Who To Exonerate” than “Who To Blame”. The second list is much, much longer, as it was clear the Packers were outplayed and outclassed on both sides of the ball, as well as the sideline.

Brett Favre passed 47 times today, leading the NFL in the most games with 40+ attempts (5). Again, he looked imprecise on his passes, bringing the criticism of whether or not his injury (or his lack of discipline) is bothering him again. As control of the game unwound around him, Favre again regressed into some of his 2005 habits of forcing the ball into coverage and throwing the long ball, finishing with two interceptions against one touchdown.

Ahman Green ran for a deceiving 102 yards on 14 carries, with almost half of those yards coming on two consecutive carries in the second quarter. The Packers again attempted only 23 rushing plays over the entire game, and three of them came from a scrambling Brett Favre.

The wide receivers looked frustrated, combining for only seven receptions over the course of a game that saw over 50 passing plays. While several passes were off-kilter, there were again inexcusable dropped passes, and a withering approach to defending a potential interception that reminded us uncomfortably of Robert Ferguson.

The much-ballyhooed offensive line, starting three draft picks along its borders, kept Favre scrambling about even with extra blockers in the backfield. When Favre did have time to pass from the pocket, he had no one open. It’s hard to get someone open when you are keeping seven players back to pass block. The line showed it can pop open a couple of short-yardage plays, but when it comes to making the rushing game a true threat, the last three weeks have been horrid, today being only a marginal and inconsequential improvement.

The run defense, which has also received its share of kudos, again allowed a 100 yard rusher as nearly anyone who took a handoff gashed the defense for positive yards. At one point this season, the secondary were the ones allowed the frustrating big plays, but today, Cedric Houston and Leon Washington each broke off 20+ yard runs, and WR Brad Smith added 32 yards on a reverse.

And, alas, our pass defense was again a sieve. Give Al Harris and Charles Woodson credit for their usual aggressive defense, and give the Jets even more credit for battling that aggressiveness with misdirection plays, taking them effectively out of the game. The Jets pinpointed the weak parts of the pass defense, particularly Brady Poppinga and the safeties and made the Packers pay again and again. Chad Pennington, his two interceptions notwithstanding, looked like a surgeon out there in the first half, and what’s worse, he looked like he was enjoying it way too much. While KGB forced a bad pass, the Packers didn’t have a single sack today.

Out special teams again looked far from special, and our only punt return of the entire day was an eye-rolling stutter-step job by Greg Jennings that made us throw our foam brick at the television screen. Dave Rayner again pushed a field goal to the right that might have put a little fear in the Jets’ hearts early, and when Vernon Morency started getting some yardage on kick returns, the Jets simply kicked short, and put a lid on that.

The past two weeks, two embarrassing losses might have been rationalized that they were losses to playoff-destined teams, led by experienced Super Bowl-winning coaches. This week, however, we played a game against a team that could be our mirror image: a young team that went 4-12 last season (playing a last-place schedule), with a very young first-year head coach.

A 19th-ranked run game and a 22nd-ranked pass game, combined with a 20th-ranked pass defense and a 26th-ranked run defense came into Green Bay and beat the Packers, convincingly, on their home field. How did they do it?

As Chad Pennington alluded to in the game commentary, they did their homework, studied the matchups, and attacked the weaknesses of the Packers. They attacked the poor coverage players in the secondary through the pass, then opened up the running game for 178 yards to boot. On defense, they covered everyone like glue, rushing only four, maybe five against our young line, knowing Favre would eventually start trying to fit the ball into way-too-tight spaces.

This is a sharp contrast from what seems to have been Mike McCarthy’s approach to the game the past few weeks, which has been to often abandon the run because they knew the opposing defense was too good to run against. He lost the running game before the game began.

There were some positives, to be sure. Charles Woodson had another interception, and should have had a couple more, to boot. Patrick Dendy played an onside kick to perfection, avoiding the penalty that would have given the ball back to the Jets. KGB put pressure on the quarterback that resulted in a Dendy interception. And the offense came out at halftime appearing bound, set, and determined to make up the score differential, with a couple of nice drives that eventually became moot when the Jets reasserted themselves on both sides of the ball by the end of the third quarter.

But, this is not the team Mike McCarthy wanted to see with four games left to play. Certainly, we expected to see a team that was going to have growing pains with all the youth and change, but we would have expected to see an upturn as the Packers finished off the season. The first game of December, however, was a dejecting, demoralizing loss that felt just like the last two losses.

Winning is a habit, said Vince Lombardi. And, it seems, so is losing.

While many have chosen to give Mike McCarthy as much of the benefit of the doubt as possible in his first year, it is painfully clear that when not a single squad shows up to play ball against a pretty equally-matched team on your home field, the problem isn’t just with one player. This is either a coaching issue, or a talent issue.

Ted Thompson would take the fall if it is a lack of talent, and it wouldn’t be from a lack of trying. The inept defense has been largely shaped by Thompson, bringing in free agents Woodson, Ryan Pickett, Marquand Manuel, drafting Nick Collins, Brady Poppinga, and AJ Hawk, and re-signing Aaron Kampman. This is clearly a defense built by Ted Thompson.

However, it is a defense that now ranks 29th against the pass, after allegedly ranking #1 last season. It is offering up an 87.0 passing efficiency rating for opposing quarterbacks.

Our offense is losing its focus. Favre, who was flourishing under what appeared to be accountability and coaching under McCarthy and Jagodzinski, is now regressing back into his undisciplined ways. Unfortunately, McCarthy doesn’t appear to be meeting with Favre on the sidelines or holding him accountable following a bad pass. He probably has way too many other players to be meeting with lately.

If McCarthy is losing his grip with Favre, it’s a good bet that’s not the only place he’s losing it. The comparisons, however unfair, are beginning to be murmured throughout the Packer fathful.

Ray Rhodes was fired for an 8-8 season. Mike Sherman was fired for one losing season out of six. Is McCarthy going to get the same treatment?

Suffice it to say, that McCarthy is in no danger at this point. However, he does only have a three-year contract and Thompson will be watching the next three games closely. All of them are against teams that we, once again, would see being in the same (rather low) echelon as the Packers.

The 49ers, one of the most pathetic teams in the league in 2005, now have one more win than the Packers. At times, they’ve looked quite competitive. They got clobbered by the Saints today, and will be looking to end a two-game slide. The Lions are one of the few teams remaining that have a worse record than the Packers, and have already lost to the Packers once this season. The Vikings round out this hat trick of winnable games, having lost to the Packers only three short weeks ago.

There’s nothing this team needs right now more than a couple of wins, just to give them some momentum and positive karma going into the offseason. Free agents look for two things when considering possible suitors: money and a chance to win. We know Ted Thompson doesn’t part with money easily, and two bad seasons in a row will make it a trend, not a fluke.

But, nearly any team has only to follow the road map provided by the Patriots, Seahawks, and Jets to see how to beat the Packers. It is now up to McCarthy, his coaching staff, and the players to match the chess moves and put themselves in the position to dictate the game, not merely react to it.

We’ve seen the distinct and negative difference from Minnesota to the Jets in the last three weeks. Let’s hope over the next three weeks, when we play Minnesota again, we see another turnaround for the better.

The "WhatToDew" With Rodgers

Well, it was bound to happen. The Packers have gone on a little bit of a run, going 3-1 in their last four games, and suddenly people are murmuring about wild cards and playoffs. Something about beating the Vikings on their home field does that to people.

But something came out this weekend, thanks to the Jay Glazer at FOX, that has rustled the camps a little bit: Mike McCarthy is apparently stumping for Brett Favre to return for another year.

It has yet not been confirmed that Ted Thompson made immediate frantic phone calls to FOX to beg them to “bleep” out those comments within the ten-second censoring window, but I wouldn’t doubt it.

Said McCarthy, “I know what's being said out there and written about it but I'm telling you after watching him first hand that he's part of the solution, not part of the problem. I'd love to have him for one more year.”

Now, while apparently Thompson has no pull with FOX, he does have pull with his head coach. A day after the game, McCarthy backtracked the statements he made to FOX.

“If I opened that door for that type of scenario, I need to close it,” McCarthy said Monday. “As far as the way he’s playing this year, we’re excited about the way he’s playing. I referred to I think he has plenty of gas in his tank, he could play a number, a couple of years if he wants to, but those are postseason topics. I know he doesn’t want the distraction, our football team doesn’t need it and if I opened a door, I need to close it.”

There. Much better.

Now, let’s be realistic. The Packers are definitely improving, a sign of some young talent making some surprisingly good contributions in their first year, and the veterans playing solidly. Give McCarthy himself some credit for his grit in piece-mealing this team into one that is looking like it can challenge the mid-level teams.

And, indeed, after the Viking game, Favre looks like he’s as sure as ever. No, he’s not the prolific passer of the 90’s, nor the high-risk, high-reward passer of the first half of the next decade, but he’s developed into a game manager. His rush awareness has opened the door for his trademark 10-yard bullets, not the 40-yard prayers.

But with Aaron Rodgers, Thompson’s first draft pick still sitting on the bench, waiting for his turn to start, such talk has some people starting to get twitchy. The recent successes of Carson Palmer and Phillip Rivers has to be encouraging for those who have been in favor of Rodgers sitting for a year or two…looking at Matt Leinart and Alex Smith makes you pause a moment before you consider the wisdom of throwing a rookie to the dogs.

But Rodgers will be in his third year in 2007, and both he and his supporters are quietly chomping at the bit for him to get his chance in the spotlight. The Packers will need to pay A-Rod an escalator of $2.2 million if he doesn’t start next year, and there is a $3 million option bonus after this season. That’s a lot of coin for a backup quarterback. Now factor in the continued large amount of money that Favre will command with his contract in 2007 (upward of $10 mil), and that’s going to be some cap space tied up at a position where only one guy plays at a time.

And so, the grumbling begins: Favre’s coming back?! Should we trade Favre and start Rodgers? Should we bench Favre and start Rodgers? Should we trade Rodgers and get another first-round quarterback to sit the bench for a year or two, like Brady Quinn?? Can we afford to draft another quarterback when there will be such glaring needs at running back, tight end, and the secondary?

I have two words to say to you.

Re. Lax.

Football fans are, by far, the most bipolar people in the entire world. Very few people picked the Packers to win against the Vikings, and many were mired in depressing predictions after the disappointing loss against the Bills. Now, suddenly, we’re on top of the world again.

Reality: The Viking just lost to the 49ers, and looked horrible against the Packers. This team doesn’t have it together. When your opponent with a lead chooses to pass 14 out of 15 times in the fourth quarter, and you can’t make a play on the ball, you’re a pretty bad team. Like the Cardinals and the Dolphins, we may have just caught the Vikings at their season-low and benefited from it.

Reality: Favre is passing at a rate that will challenge the all-time record for most attempts in a season, surpassing his gaudy total even in 2005. Luckily, he’s playing under control and minimizing mistakes. But, do you honestly think this would be the game plan with Rodgers in there? Would Rodgers be attempting 40+ passes a game? As I predicted, Favre is getting the lion’s share of focus while the team around him gels, leaving Rodgers ready to step into much more solid footing.

Reality: We are playing a puppy schedule, and still don’t have a winning record. If this team does finish around .500 and ends up with the 2nd or 3rd place schedule in 2007, there won’t be as many pushovers as there are in 2006. And this team hasn’t proven it can beat a good team playing on all cylinders yet, despite all its improvement. Next week’s game against the Patriots will likely be an excellent measuring stick for exactly how far we’ve come compared to the better teams in the NFL, though one can argue that we’re playing them at the best possible time, too.

Reality: Favre is having fun. He’s not here to pad his stats (“I might be the only person who really doesn't care about the record. I would rather win.”), he’s here to help a team win and give his all doing it. He might well be content to end on a positive note rather than tempt fate again.

Reality: Thompson probably isn’t going to be all that excited to see his first pick leave the team without getting a shot to prove himself, all to squeeze one more year out of his Hall Of Fame quarterback.

I’ve been of the opinion for quite some time that this will be Brett Favre’s last year as a Green Bay Packer. More than likely, he will retire this year, as his conversation with Ragnar suggests. Less likely is that he’ll come back with another team, possibly coming out of retirement to help out an old friend, like Mike Holmgren, Andy Reid, Jon Gruden, or Mike Sherman continue a playoff hunt when their starting QB gets hurt.

But Favre coming back with the Packers? It’s far too early to start thinking about this right now, and Favre, to his credit, has stated he’s not addressing any retirement questions until after the season. A bit slow on the learning curve, but the right decision to make.

Like judging McCarthy or Thompson, this issue is also a “wait and see”. Favre could get embarrassed against the Patriots next week, and the ESPN flip-flopper's will all be prognosticating about how he’s washed up again (at least, until he has another great game).

Ted Thompson has shown that he will make pragmatic moves in the off-season. They don’t always work out, but how he handles this Favre situation will be direct and final: he’s either playing, or he’s leaving. Rodgers is either leaving, or starting. Given his propensity for favoring his own players, I think I know which way Ted will be leaning. Favre may have to sell himself to stick around Green Bay, and certainly won’t get carte blanche to make a decision.

And I think McCarthy won’t be saying much else this season about how much he wants Favre back next year.

Game Review: Pass-Happy Playcalling Raises Eyebrows

Green Bay - There were many career passing records that Packer fans looked for Brett Favre to challenge in 2006. Packer and Favre Fans hoped that he’d make some serious threats to the all-time touchdown passes or passing yardage records. Favre Critics were more hoping he’d throw enough interceptions to break that career mark, so the calls for Aaron Rodgers could commence. But of all the records he was in line for, one record that did not seem within reach is suddenly coming more and more into focus.

With all the talk about implementing a zone blocking scheme, getting Ahman Green back, and reining in Brett’s sloppy play from 2005, most of us didn’t think that Favre would again be leading the NFL in pass attempts. Last season, coupled with the Packers’ worst rushing attack* in franchise history, Favre attempted an NFL-high and career-high 607 passes. Directly or indirectly, he also threw 29 interceptions.

However, despite the constant raves about the effectiveness of our zone blocking scheme and the repeated 100 yard games by our running backs, Brett Favre is still being asked to pass over 40 times a game.

Why?

After the Minnesota game, Brett now has 352 passing attempts. This gives him nearly 40 per game, and now has him on pace for 625 attempts for the season. This number would not only break his own career mark, and likely lead the league again this season, but would place him in fourth place overall for most attempts in a season…in NFL history.

Why?

Dan Marino holds the record for most career passing attempts with 8358. Favre now trails with 7963, a difference of only 395. Being that Favre had trailed going into the season by 747, it was assumed that Favre would have no chance of coming close this season, especially if McCarthy was as committed to the run game as he professed he would be.

But, Favre seems to be enjoying success this season (and enjoying himself, to boot), and had yet another game without an interception (that’s four out of the last five games). Clearly, the attempts aren’t as proportional to the interceptions this year as they seemed to be last year. One reason is relatively obvious: even if he is being asked to pass even more often than last season, he’s playing with much more control and acting as a game manager, using his veteran skills to elude the rush and make the kind of plays he’s established his Hall of Fame reputation on: light on the Hail Mary’s and heavy on the 10-yard bullets.

But why is Mike McCarthy relying on the pass so often? Critics of the McCarthy hiring back in February noted that Favre had the second-highest pass attempts of his career under McCarthy’s coaching influence in 1999. However, we were assured that this team would have a commitment to the run game, and that he certainly wouldn’t be asked to pass 600 times again this season.

625, anyone?

There were certainly some points during certain games this season in which the Packers were behind, and it justified the need for going heavily into the passing game. However, against the Vikings, the Packers held a lead for most of the entire game.

The most intriguing stat that I found, however, was the fourth quarter. Leading by at least six points throughout the entire quarter, you would think that the Packers would be utilizing their run game, their apparently successful zone blocking scheme, and perhaps one of the best running backs in Packer history to eat up the clock and take us home with a victory.

Nope, out of fifteen offensive plays in the fourth quarter, Favre attempted fourteen passes. Of those fourteen, six were out of the shotgun formation. There was a point in the game (shortly after Bubba Franks’ reception) that I got that feeling of dread that the defense was going to start playing back and waiting for an interception. I got the feeling that, despite having a comfortable lead and seeing our defense holding Brad Johnson in check throughout the entire second half, we were going to go to the well one too many times and let them back in the game.

Why?

Now, we can all breathe a sigh of relief, because it didn’t bite the offense in the end. The Packers won the game, on the road, against a hated rival, and despite being asked to pass repeatedly when conventional wisdom would suggest against it, Favre finished with great numbers, no interceptions, and a 100+ passing efficiency rating.

But that sigh of relief may be the same kind that we breathed after David Martin and Donald Driver caught passes over the middle for touchdowns from the 1-yard line in past weeks, dangerous and risky plays that were unnecessary and designed to fool the other team instead of beating them straight up. When Favre’s similar pass was intercepted last week in the end zone, suddenly, we all realized how risky the play call was, and debated the scapegoat for days.

The Vikings are a team still experiencing a culture change under a new coach, and are on a three game skid, losing their last two games against teams perceived to be among the league’s lower-quarter. Perhaps we caught them at the right time this season, and we got away with throwing the ball in situations that didn’t call for a pass.

Favre has, admittedly, played well under these circumstances. Some point to his mediocre pass completion numbers, or his lower touchdown totals as evidence that he’s not the quarterback he used to be. However, despite being asked to pass more than any quarterback in the league, his percentage-to-attempt ratio ranked 11th in the league last week, and will likely be higher after official results come out after Week 10.

Meanwhile, Ahman Green got only 55 yards today on 22 carries (a 2.5 ypc), and only one rushing attempt in the fourth quarter. Perhaps our zone blocking scheme isn’t as far along as we had hoped, and playing against a more formidable run defense demonstrated the fact that this line still has a long ways to go (particularly getting Bubba Franks out of the backfield to help with pass protection). Apparently, if the running game isn’t working, you start passing. Exclusively. Even when you’re ahead.

But, if that is the case, then I guess Mike McCarthy is pretty lucky to have a guy like Brett Favre under center to take the heat. No wonder McCarthy said that he is hoping Favre returns for another season next year.

Perhaps the Favre Critics are right. Perhaps McCarthy is in on a subversive effort to help Favre “get his records”. Indeed, he only stands 11 TD passes away from tying Marino, 89 completions from tying Marino, and 14 interceptions away from tying Blanda.

As long as Favre keeps throwing 40+ times a game, both those records are certainly in danger.

* Author’s Note: The term “attack” mentioned in relation to the 2005 Packer rushing game is used merely as a common phrase of reference, and not in any way intended as a genuine reflection of the effectiveness of that squad.

Game Review: Pass-Happy Playcalling Raises Eyebrows

Green Bay - There were many career passing records that Packer fans looked for Brett Favre to challenge in 2006. Packer and Favre Fans hoped that he’d make some serious threats to the all-time touchdown passes or passing yardage records. Favre Critics were more hoping he’d throw enough interceptions to break that career mark, so the calls for Aaron Rodgers could commence. But of all the records he was in line for, one record that did not seem within reach is suddenly coming more and more into focus.

With all the talk about implementing a zone blocking scheme, getting Ahman Green back, and reining in Brett’s sloppy play from 2005, most of us didn’t think that Favre would again be leading the NFL in pass attempts. Last season, coupled with the Packers’ worst rushing attack* in franchise history, Favre attempted an NFL-high and career-high 607 passes. Directly or indirectly, he also threw 29 interceptions.

However, despite the constant raves about the effectiveness of our zone blocking scheme and the repeated 100 yard games by our running backs, Brett Favre is still being asked to pass over 40 times a game.

Why?

After the Minnesota game, Brett now has 352 passing attempts. This gives him nearly 40 per game, and now has him on pace for 625 attempts for the season. This number would not only break his own career mark, and likely lead the league again this season, but would place him in fourth place overall for most attempts in a season…in NFL history.

Why?

Dan Marino holds the record for most career passing attempts with 8358. Favre now trails with 7963, a difference of only 395. Being that Favre had trailed going into the season by 747, it was assumed that Favre would have no chance of coming close this season, especially if McCarthy was as committed to the run game as he professed he would be.

But, Favre seems to be enjoying success this season (and enjoying himself, to boot), and had yet another game without an interception (that’s four out of the last five games). Clearly, the attempts aren’t as proportional to the interceptions this year as they seemed to be last year. One reason is relatively obvious: even if he is being asked to pass even more often than last season, he’s playing with much more control and acting as a game manager, using his veteran skills to elude the rush and make the kind of plays he’s established his Hall of Fame reputation on: light on the Hail Mary’s and heavy on the 10-yard bullets.

But why is Mike McCarthy relying on the pass so often? Critics of the McCarthy hiring back in February noted that Favre had the second-highest pass attempts of his career under McCarthy’s coaching influence in 1999. However, we were assured that this team would have a commitment to the run game, and that he certainly wouldn’t be asked to pass 600 times again this season.

625, anyone?

There were certainly some points during certain games this season in which the Packers were behind, and it justified the need for going heavily into the passing game. However, against the Vikings, the Packers held a lead for most of the entire game.

The most intriguing stat that I found, however, was the fourth quarter. Leading by at least six points throughout the entire quarter, you would think that the Packers would be utilizing their run game, their apparently successful zone blocking scheme, and perhaps one of the best running backs in Packer history to eat up the clock and take us home with a victory.

Nope, out of fifteen offensive plays in the fourth quarter, Favre attempted fourteen passes. Of those fourteen, six were out of the shotgun formation. There was a point in the game (shortly after Bubba Franks’ reception) that I got that feeling of dread that the defense was going to start playing back and waiting for an interception. I got the feeling that, despite having a comfortable lead and seeing our defense holding Brad Johnson in check throughout the entire second half, we were going to go to the well one too many times and let them back in the game.

Why?

Now, we can all breathe a sigh of relief, because it didn’t bite the offense in the end. The Packers won the game, on the road, against a hated rival, and despite being asked to pass repeatedly when conventional wisdom would suggest against it, Favre finished with great numbers, no interceptions, and a 100+ passing efficiency rating.

But that sigh of relief may be the same kind that we breathed after David Martin and Donald Driver caught passes over the middle for touchdowns from the 1-yard line in past weeks, dangerous and risky plays that were unnecessary and designed to fool the other team instead of beating them straight up. When Favre’s similar pass was intercepted last week in the end zone, suddenly, we all realized how risky the play call was, and debated the scapegoat for days.

The Vikings are a team still experiencing a culture change under a new coach, and are on a three game skid, losing their last two games against teams perceived to be among the league’s lower-quarter. Perhaps we caught them at the right time this season, and we got away with throwing the ball in situations that didn’t call for a pass.

Favre has, admittedly, played well under these circumstances. Some point to his mediocre pass completion numbers, or his lower touchdown totals as evidence that he’s not the quarterback he used to be. However, despite being asked to pass more than any quarterback in the league, his percentage-to-attempt ratio ranked 11th in the league last week, and will likely be higher after official results come out after Week 10.

Meanwhile, Ahman Green got only 55 yards today on 22 carries (a 2.5 ypc), and only one rushing attempt in the fourth quarter. Perhaps our zone blocking scheme isn’t as far along as we had hoped, and playing against a more formidable run defense demonstrated the fact that this line still has a long ways to go (particularly getting Bubba Franks out of the backfield to help with pass protection). Apparently, if the running game isn’t working, you start passing. Exclusively. Even when you’re ahead.

But, if that is the case, then I guess Mike McCarthy is pretty lucky to have a guy like Brett Favre under center to take the heat. No wonder McCarthy said that he is hoping Favre returns for another season next year.

Perhaps the Favre Critics are right. Perhaps McCarthy is in on a subversive effort to help Favre “get his records”. Indeed, he only stands 11 TD passes away from tying Marino, 89 completions from tying Marino, and 14 interceptions away from tying Blanda.

As long as Favre keeps throwing 40+ times a game, both those records are certainly in danger.

* Author’s Note: The term “attack” mentioned in relation to the 2005 Packer rushing game is used merely as a common phrase of reference, and not in any way intended as a genuine reflection of the effectiveness of that squad.

Twenty Things I Learned From the Buffalo Game

Green Bay - Well, now that the dust has settled from Sunday's frustrating loss to the Buffalo Bills, I will offer up the twenty most important things I think that I thought about the game:

1) Cancel the airline reservations for Miami. It’s nice to have hope for making the playoffs after a couple of wins, but I think we can safely say that winning against the Cardinals is like beating a Division III college team. We played a team that was much more on our own level today, and got beat.

2) The defense, overall, looked relatively solid against a rather inept offense. We sent their punter up to kick eight times, allowed only 64 passing yards, and making J.P. Losman look like he was ready to cry back there. If only they would force turnovers….

3) Ahman Green not only gained 122 yards rushing today, he did it on only 23 carries. He took the bulk of the carries today: Noah Herron only had five carries, though he did seem to take most of the plays where the running back was designed to catch the ball (7 receptions). However, Green had only 4 rushes for 8 yards in the first quarter, and 5 rushes for 16 yards in the second quarter until he blasted off two consecutive rushes for 20 yards in the two-minute offense as time ran out. The announcers mentioned that at halftime, McCarthy was going to be telling the team they needed to commit to the running game. Who should have been telling McCarthy that, then?

4) Like Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila and sacks, apparently quarterback Brett Favre likes his turnovers to come in bunches after long droughts.

5) Favre definitely takes the lion’s share of credibility on his two interceptions, as he’s the one who threw them. And, Favre was quite noble about that in his post-game press conference in taking accountability for them. However, the playcalling has to be accounted for.

On the Fletcher interception, we’ve seen that same play run successfully many times over the past few weeks, and saw it again run successfully again after the interception. London Fletcher sold out and went for the pick, and got it. Despite that play being run again right in front of him, he didn’t sell out for it again. Perhaps, this is because he was told to watch his coverage areas, because selling out meant leaving someone else wide open.

On the Simpson interception, we’ve seen the exact same play run several times, last week successfully to David Martin, and this week to Donald Driver. I’m not sure why you pass on the goal line, especially when you have Ahman Green in the backfield, but once again, Nate Clements sold out on the play, and made it happen with the tip.

This is the NFL, and if you go to the well too often, eventually someone will make you pay.

6) Scottie Wells shouldn’t be thrown under the bus for his poor snaps, and even Favre went out of his way in his post-game to defend him. But, it came down to Favre sitting in the shotgun, in the red zone, on the five yard line, with first down, on the road, after Ahman Green had just gained 20 yards on two carries. Favre explained that Wells preferred an audible count, while he himself would have preferred a silent count. Apparently, with the crowd noise, Wells misinterpreted a sound as the second count, and bonked Favre in the face with a snap that rivaled Favre’s own arm speed.

This is another area that simply has to be communicated ahead of time with the coaches. You have to account for crowd noise and the snap count. Also, you should also strongly consider handing the ball off in the red zone.

7) I thought this was actually one of Favre’s more accurate games. While he made many plays that were in traffic, he actually connected on a lot of them. He’s been under a lot of criticism for throwing too high, behind, ahead, etc., and yet very few passes were off. Even the long throw to Driver was right on, in stride, and the only reason it wasn’t a catch and touchdown was because of a pinpoint-perfect play by the defender.

8) The progress of the offensive line in pass protection isn’t quite keeping up with the progress of the line in the run game. FOX put up some pretty uncomfortable “Under Pressure” numbers, and while the sacks weren’t high, the pressures and hurries were. We also saw Favre make some of his most athletic and savvy evading of pressure we’ve seen this season. It’s too bad we had to see it that often today.

9) Bubba Franks is slowly becoming a liability both as a receiver and as a blocker. If you’re a tight end, what else is there to cash your check on?

10) David Martin is finally playing with some level of consistency and reliability. He’s become a solid receiving threat, and has filled in as a fullback and as an extra blocker for pass protection. Did I mention David Martin is in a contract year? Funny how timing works out like that.

11) Watching the replay of Big Stiffie William Henderson making a veteran choice of a block that springs Green for an 11 yard gain brought a smile to my face. I don’t think we’ll be seeing Henderson wearing #33 next year any more than we’ll see Doug Evans wearing #33 next year, but this class act has left a legacy as proportionally large as Favre’s, and the next fullback will have some big shoes to fill.

12) Our starting wide receivers looked great. Neither had a 100-yard game, and Driver was the intended target on both interceptions, but what you’re seeing is more and more passes hitting hands and getting caught. Greg Jennings, in particular, has an ability to take those passes that are just a little over his head and snag them like a fly caught by a bullfrog’s tongue. If Jennings is this good as a rookie, we may have a future All-Pro if he develops like he should over the years.

13) If Al Harris is pushing for a contract extension, his me-me-me attitude combined with two burns today (one of which cost the team an important seven points) isn’t exactly doing a whole lot to earn him that new deal. Too bad that Patrick Dendy didn’t do more to establish himself today as a viable alternative at corner.

14) Aaron Kampman is a stud. This guy seemed to be constantly in the backfield. Unfortunately, we can’t say the same thing for the defensive end on the other side. What was his name again?

15) If there is anything that I am most encouraged by on defense, or at least surprised by, it is the development of the interior line. Ryan Pickett has been quietly solid (7 tackles today), often taking on the double-team, which is allowing a bunch of no-names to make some big plays, particularly Corey Williams. Wasn’t he written off not too long ago?

16) A.J. Hawk has proven he was worth the #5 pick, but I think he got schooled a bit today. On more than one occasion, I saw him blocked out of the play. He still had four tackles, and he’s going to do nothing more than get better.

17) One of the most telling stats I look at on defense is tackles. Not simply as a number, but what positions are being called on to make the most of them. Last season, despite having a top-ranked pass defense, three of the top seven tacklers on the defense were in the secondary. What does that tell you about your defense?

This season, presently, three of our top six tacklers are in the secondary, but they are being called on less and less. Against the Bills, the top tacklers were Aaron Kampman and Ryan Pickett, followed by Brady Poppinga. When your top tacklers are along your defensive line, you’re doing something right on defense.

18) Turnovers decided who won this game. Not only the turnovers our offense gave away, but the complete lack of turnovers forced by our defense. Our 13 giveaways rank 14th in the NFL, but our 11 takeaways rank 20th. When you consider how terrible our starting field position was today (our own 24, our own 15 in the first half), missed opportunities (like Tyrone Culver’s dropped interception) are critical. It’s easy to amass offensive yards when you are constantly throwing from a longer field.

19) This is a young and inexperienced team. We saw this when, once playing against NFL-talent, that the wind completely left the sails once the final interception happened. Down by only one score with over four minutes left, our defense allowed a backup running back to stroll 27 yards on three straight runs for a touchdown. Our offense, including our quarterback, looked disjointed, off-kilter, as the down-by-two scores drive stalled at the Bills’ 39. Finally, our defense, after calling timeouts to try and get the ball back, allowed Anthony Thomas to run for 6 yards on 3rd and 5.

Why bother calling the time outs? Marquand Manuel, Brady Poppinga, and Tyronne Culver all looked foolish trying to bring down the backup running back. Nick Barnett made a fool of himself on the final kneel-down.

Winners look at setbacks as just that…setbacks. This team has been playing against inferior talent for a couple of weeks, and has been allowed to continue its fragile momentum because the other team couldn’t make a play. This team has to find the intestinal fortitude to overcome mistakes. Otherwise, I don’t care if we get the #6 seed in the playoffs…I can tell you exactly what will happen once we engage a real playoff team.

20) The Packers now sit at 3-5, on pace for a 6-10 season (as I predicted). This was an important game for the Packers, as they now take on two teams in a row that are considerably more talented than they: the Vikings (at the Metrodome) and the Patriots. That will be followed by two more challenging games against the Seahawks and the Jets, before we see another “should-win” game against the 49ers.

It is very possible that this team will lose three games in a row and be 3-7 two weeks from now. We could lose against the Hawks and Jets and be 3-9. It is adversity that brings out the true character of a team, and we will see how a rookie head coach and a team with 31 first- and second-year players will respond to this challenge. Will there be finger-pointing, or will this team hold its head high? Will we see players cashing it in, seeing player after player going on the IR, like last year, or will this team continue to fight all the way to the end?

Injuries to Test Green Bay Packers Depth, Resolve

There's nothing that says a one-armed wallpaper-hanger can't get the job done. However, it goes without saying that his job is just a little bit harder than his two-armed brethren.

So it goes this week for the Green Bay Packers, who head to Buffalo riding the biggest high they’ve had since the 2004 season, on a two-game winning streak and feeling like the engine is finally firing on all cylinders.

After a particularly terrible loss, it is common to hear people saying that 'every cloud has a silver lining'. After last week’s convincing win over the Arizona Cardinals, it could also be said that 'every sunny day still has a shadow'. The win is great, but we might still be paying the price when we look at this week’s injury report.

A high price, indeed, when you consider this team isn’t particularly experienced (an NFL-high 18 rookies on the youngest team in the NFL) that has already seen some of its veteran depth take a hit (the recent losses of Robert Ferguson, Koren Robinson, and Ahmad Carroll). Whether or not these vets are better or worse than the depth presently on the team isn’t the point: it’s that these backups are often getting their first NFL starts this season.

William Hazlitt once said, 'Prosperity is a great teacher, adversity a greater.' While Ted Thompson has come under criticism for some of his moves in building this team (particularly leaving $6 million in cap space unspent), injuries are a part of the game. Unfortunately, nearly any player or coach, when asked what would need to happen for the team to be successful, will always include in the top three responses, 'we need to stay healthy.'

This is the time the Mike McCarthy will show his mettle as a coach. He’s already shown a propensity for what I affectionately call 'spit and wire' adjustments. Last week, after losing Robinson and Ferguson, then also playing without #2 receiver Greg Jennings, he managed a gameplan that allowed the practice squad talents at WR to maximize their contributions. Sieve-like blocking by the young offensive line early in the season was combated by the use of extra blockers and placing Brett Favre in the shotgun 45 times in a game.

If McCarthy has a knack for covering holes, though, this week may be his true test of his abilities

Wide Receiver: Greg Jennings, listed as questionable, participated in Friday’s practice, a critical precursor to whether or not he will play in the game on Sunday. However, the Bills’ defense ranks 18th against the run, 14th against the pass...a far cry better than the defense of the Cardinals showed last week. Ruvell Martin, Chris Francies, and/or Shaun Bodiford may be asked to do more this week, especially if Jennings is unable to go.

Fullback: Not too long ago, longtime Packer favorite William Henderson was benched for practice squad player Brandon Miree. Now, Miree is out with an elbow injury, and Henderson will be asked to do the job without a backup.

Running Back: Vernand Morency, who has proven to be a fantastic change-up with elder statesman Ahman Green, ran for 100 yards last week before injuring his back. His absence moves Noah Herron up to very solid backup carries, as McCarthy has stated he is committed to limiting Green’s carries to no more than 18-20 a game. P.J. Pope has been signed off the Bears’ practice squad, another promising rookie, but if Green has injury problems again, this squad is suddenly looking very limited against a top-18 run defense.

Offensive Line: Chris White was waived this week to make room for Hill, leaving our developing line with few options in the event of injury. After the starting five, only Tony Moll and Junius Coston are expected to be active for the game.

Defensive Line: Cullen Jenkins, Johnny Jolly, and Corey Williams make up three-quarters of a interior line that is ranked #9 against the run. And, all three made the injury list, although all reported practicing on Friday. Jenkins and Jolly, each of whom have had their moments this season, were listed as questionable, Williams as probable. Starter Ryan Pickett and backup Colin Cole are the only healthy interior linemen listed this week.

Cornerback: Charles Woodson, who has shown signs of being the big-play corner Ted Thompson hoped he had paid the big bucks for, finally succumbed to the injury we’ve been crossing our fingers wouldn’t happen. After being listed as doubtful on Wednesday, he’s been upgraded to questionable. His knee injury may or may not keep him out, but regardless, it is likely he will be limited. The secondary has been quite suspect as is this season, and with the departure of prima donna Ahmad Carroll, second-year man Patrick Dendy and rookies Tyrone Culver and Jarrett Bush may well be asked to do more than nickel and dime work.

This rash of injuries comes at a sensitive point in the Packers’ season. Rookie head coach McCarthy is just starting to get his team to gel, although he’s gotten much more competent playing an Arizona Cardinal team that, despite the 'official' standing as an NFL team, plays as well as a Division III college team.* This team is young, 31 first- and second-year players on the 53-man roster, and the fledgling confidence that is brewing is needed as we progress into games against more formidable talents, such as the Vikings and the Patriots.

The Bills are, at 2-5, certainly beatable. But, they are coming off a bye week, are much healthier, and, having just lost two of their previous three games to the New England Patriots and the Chicago Bears, are likely looking at the 3-4 Packers as a get-well game, too.

Injuries are part of the game, but how well a team handles the adversity is the true measure of its character. Like the 2005 season, injuries can frustrate you and rip a team apart. How many Packers last year landed on the injury list when it was obvious the team was going nowhere?

These are the times in which unknown players become cult heroes, coaches get labeled as 'geniuses', and general managers earn their keep.

Ruvell Martin may establish himself as a solid #3 receiving threat, William Henderson could give fans one more chance to see him set up Ahman’s explosions through the line, and Patrick Dendy may give Thompson a reason to hold off on the extension for Al Harris.

But, most of all, Mike McCarthy may earn a reputation as being a crafty chessmaster, able to move his pawns and knights about the board in a winning series of moves that continues the forward momentum he’s enjoying.

Let’s hope that these injuries only test the Packers’ depth, and not their faith in the direction the team is taking.

*Author’s note: if any Division III coaches or players are offended by comparing your program to the Arizona Cardinals, please accept my apologies.

Favre Benefits From Improved Line Play

In the last three games, we've seen some significant and marked improvement on the offensive line.

Our young guys, Mark Spitz, Daryn Colledge, Tony Moll, and Scott Wells have shuffled and adjusted, and quite suddenly, seemed to not only make the zone blocking scheme click on all cylinders, but has drastically improved the pass protection for Brett Favre over last year.

Finding a statistical landmark to judge the effectiveness of an offensive line is, at best, a fleeting thing. Most folks tend to use sacks as some sort of measuring stick, but even DVOA advocates admit that sacks are, at best, limited in scope. It isn’t very often the 'bad offensive line' is as obvious as poor Matt Leinart would have to testify against his own boys this past Sunday. Sacks are simply too rare of an occurrence to measure by, as some of the best 'sackmasters' in the NFL don’t even average one per game…and many don’t even average a half a sack a game. That leaves a lot of other plays that are left without a statistical measuring stick.

A more reliable statistical landmark would be the number of hurries and pressures that a quarterback has to take. However, neither are officially-kept statistics, probably due to its subjective nature: who decides if that was a designed rollout or if the quarterback was forced out of the pocket?

So, we are often forced to use some common sense to evaluate how effective an offensive line is performing. Last year, there was some disagreement over whether or not our offensive line was performing well or not, and the impact that had on our offense, particularly on the quarterback.

In 2005, Brett Favre had one of his most forgettable years, throwing for a career-high 607 pass attempts, throwing 29 interceptions and earning a career-low 70.9 passing efficiency rating.

'He’s done for!' they cried. 'Get rid of the bum!'

Alas, in what has now been revealed as a cap-clearing season that has already claimed several scapegoats, it’s a wonder Brett Favre did survive to quarterback another down for the Green Bay Packers. But, what brought on such poor play?

Oh, there’s a litany of explanations. Injuries, no running game, NFL-E talent in the receiving corps, and of course, the knock that Brett Favre simply was going to do whatever he wanted, regardless of what the coaches wanted.

All may factor in, to some degree. I offer, however, that the crumbling of the offensive line contributed, at least, in part to Favre’s performances. Why else would there be an old saying that reminds us, 'It all starts up front'?

I like to look at two areas that are dramatically impacted by the effectiveness of the line: rushing production and quarterback errors: particularly, the most profane error of all, the interception.

During the 2005 campaign, the Packers employed a mishmash of 'talent' along the interior line to replace departed stud guards Mike Wahle and Chad Clifton. In addition, they played with either an injured Mike Flanagan or neophyte Scott Wells at center. The result in the rushing game?

Put quite simply, the Packers had the worst rushing attack in franchise history. A mere 1352 yards, only 84.5 yards per game. No other team in the history of the Green Bay Packers ever ran for fewer yards per game. Even before his injury, Ahman Green gained only 255 yards in five games. Other backs brought in could barely fare any better. Tony Fisher, Samkon Gado, and Noah Herron all took turns starting, and managed only three 100 yards games the entire season.

The impact on the passing game was evident, as Favre repeatedly took the team on his own arm, attempting to win the game through the air, 607 attempts worth. Whether or not this was Favre’s decision, it must be noted that Mike Sherman didn’t seem to take much effort to rein in his quarterback, going as far as to not even discuss foolish interceptions with him at halftime.

Did last year’s line give up a lot of sacks? No. But it did give up pressures, mainly because defenses knew the rushing attack was invisible. As a result, our pass-first-and-often offense racked up the yards, and racked up the interceptions. it was common to see defenses do nothing but rush and cover, without guarding against the run. Safeties were allowed to hang back, waiting for the picks.

The beginning of 2006, when new coach Mike McCarthy declared a commitment to the run, saw instead a continuation of 2005. The new interior linemen, made up primarily of rookies, came under fire for not being able to execute the zone blocking scheme, and the results were eerily familiar.

Over the first four games of 2006, Favre attempted 164 passes, an average of 41 attempts per game. As the team went 1-3 over this span, including a couple of embarrassing losses, the offense attempted to cover for the deficiencies of the offensive line. After the initial shutout against the Bears, McCarthy placed Favre back in the shotgun 45 times against the Saints, 24 times against the Lions, and 34 times against the Eagles. Even pass-happy Peyton Manning rarely finds himself in shotgun more than 20 times a game by design, and by Favre’s own admission, the shotgun was less for strategy as it was for 'protection purposes'.

At the same time, our running game again seemed to run on empty, averaging only 23 carries a game over the first three games, for a total of 226 yards (3.2 yards per carry). We saw, regardless of who was carrying the ball, holes close up (or not appear at all), as running backs ran into piles of bodies instead of running lanes.

And, after the first four games, Brett Favre had five interceptions, putting him on pace for 20 for the year. And while Favre took the heat, the offensive line deservedly took some heat also.

However, let’s fast-forward to our last three games: three games in which nearly everyone is declaring our line 'drastically improved'. Daryn Colledge has suddenly grown from looking like a possible bust and/or project to a serviceable starter. Jason Spitz handles his own, and Wells looks like James Campen in his prime.

So, the offensive line has improved? I’ll agree. And, I’ll take it one step further.

The impact of a strong offensive line has a major impact on Brett Favre. What’s been the difference?

Well, let’s start with the running game. Since the Eagle game, we’ve had three different starters at running back: Vernon Morency, Noah Herron, and Ahman Green. What have we seen? All have had 100-yard games, including two 100 yard games against the Cardinals.

In the last three games alone, the Packers have rushed the ball for an average of 31 times a game. And, more importantly, they’ve averaged over 5 yards a carry. That’s 159 rushing yards per game.

So, let it be said that the zone blocking scheme is 'coming along'.

But, what of Brett Favre? What of the gunslinger who is old, washed-up, and tries to win everything on his aging, inaccurate arm?

Well, in the last three games, we’ve seen an amazing change from 2005 and the first four games of 2006. You see, with the improved play and protection from the offensive line, and the establishment of an NFL running game, Favre’s pass attempts have gone down. He’s only attempting 33 passes a game, and far less plays are run out of the shotgun formation, as McCarthy gains more confidence in the line’s ability to protect the quarterback.

He’s also only averaging about 202 passing yards per game. But most importantly, Brett Favre, King of Interceptions, hasn’t thrown a pick in three games.

Zero interceptions. Three games. Amusingly, the exact three games in which we’ve seen the solid play from the offensive line and the running game.

Favre looks like he’s having fun out there again. Yes, perhaps the competition isn’t as formidable as we’d like to see, but a win is a win is a win, and the Packers have almost equaled last year’s win total. Ahman Green, after five games played, has almost double his rushing yardage from last year after the same number of games.

Even Mike McCarthy sees the connection between the offensive line/running game and Favre’s play:

'Oh, absolutely. When you're running the football, you're able to keep the defense in a 50-50 mindset. It plays to your advantage. We refer to it all the time as 'playing downhill.' I thought we played downhill all day today against our opponent, and that's the way we want to play. Brett did an excellent job of handling their overload defensive fronts and pressure defense at the line of scrimmage. I don't think we were in a bad play all day. He's doing an outstanding job at the line for us.'

Favre, believe it or not, is developing into exactly the kind of quarterback that many have clamored for: instead of the impulsive gunslinger, he’s becoming the game manager. However, he’s a game manager who will still make you pay when you overload the rush or overplay the run. He’s even learned to not pass the ball after he crosses the line of scrimmage.

Certainly, you can attribute Favre’s improved, smarter play to many factors: a new coach, new accountability, a need to prove himself, pursuit of records, and the very real possibility that, once he falters, Aaron Rodgers will force him to abdicate the throne.

But, it all starts up front, regardless of the running back, regardless of the quarterback. Errict Rhett may have had Emmit Smith’s career had he run behind the Dallas Cowboy offensive line for 10 years, and Trent Dilfer may have had Troy Aikman’s career.

As the offensive line improves, and the running game improves, so will the play of the quarterback, no matter the number he wears.

Let’s give this offensive line some credit for proving the naysayers wrong.

And let’s give last year’s offensive line some credit for 29 interceptions.

Does the Green Bay Packers GM Thompson have a right to do what he's doing?

I think it is interesting. Does Thompson have a "right" to do what he's doing? Absolutely. Is it a good idea to "rebuild" in today's NFL? That depends.

Obviously, time will be the ultimate judge of Thompson's methodology.

That 'status' thing you bring up, though...I really wonder how people view Green Bay, and why. At one point in the 90's, nearly anybody wanted to be a part of this team, and old vets like Sean Jones and Keith Jackson, who likely once regarded Green Bay as Siberia, viewed it as their last, best chance to get a ring.

That's lightning in a bottle. I can think of a lot of other places, like Buffalo, Kansas City, and Detroit that have a similar market to Wisconsin, and have struggled for years and years to bring in free agents, and have also have top picks in the draft for a decade.

I don't know if market matters as much as winning. Obviously, I don't' see the Jets or even the Giants as the "Yankees" of the NFL. The Yankees have the market, yes, but they also have the legacy of winning, probably rivaled only by programs such as Notre Dame and the Boston Celtics.

In the NFL, would you rather be a part of a big market, or a winning team? In basketball, Shaq left Orlando so he could be in the glitter of LA. Reggie Jackson and many other baseball players toil in other major league clubs (read: AAAA farm clubs) in hopes they will eventually be traded to the Yankees or Red Sox.

I don't sense that same kind of "market attraction" in the NFL. I'm sure its there to a degree, but I think a winning program attracts players a lot more. The fact that the NFL has revenue sharing and a hard cap means that those big markets don't have significantly more money to spend.

I understand the value of having what is described as "Packer People", but I do think what is going to make this program attractive is wins.

Face it...would you rather be traded to the Cowboys or Jets right now, or to the Patriots?

When does the future begin in Green Bay?

Ted has been on the job 21 months now, and many of the advocates for his managerial style have justified some of his moves for the eventual reward of "the future".

Now, I'm not one to say that the ride to the top after being low for a while isn't one of the most exhilarating feelings, as the early 90's taught us.But this isn't the early 90's, and this isn't the same NFL or Packers.

Advocates of the "building for the future" methodology have been willing to dismiss many moves (or lack thereof) over Thompson first season as GM, and even throughout this past off season. When Ron Wolf mentions the offense was loaded with "stumble-bums and NFL-E talent", whether you think he's lucid or not, there's a reason for him saying it.

Last season, we saw running back and wide receiver go almost completely unaddressed. The team stumbled to a 4-12 record. However, in retrospect, we are able to see clearly that this was an "ingenious salary cap-clearing year". This allowed us to enter the 2006 off-season with tremendous cap depth and a slough of high picks.

However, the cap has gone unspent, premier free agents were passed up for more middling or risky talents, and slowly, the players of the last regime have been slowly trimmed from the roster.

All in the name of "The Future".

Be patient. Wait and See.

I think I have been patient. I've given credit where it is due, and I have tried to moderate my criticism of Thompson's regime. I've sat back and watched the endless prattle of Sherman vs Thompson debates rage on and on in a never-ending repeat of "Groundhog Day".

But, this is getting to me. Why...WHY...when you have FULL KNOWLEDGE of Ferguson's season-ending injury AND Koren's season-ending suspension within 24 hours of the trade deadline, do you seemingly not even make an effort to bring in anything besides NFL-E level talent and practice squad players to round out your already short-handed squad??? You went in with FOUR WR's at the beginning of the year, something that has already, though experience, taught us that doing so may well bite us in the butt, and now, there appears to be NOTHING on the table to make this squad a deep threat.

The other laudation of Thompson, the bringing in of "quantity of quality", knowing that competition will "bring out the best and find at least one starter" in all of that, has also hurt us. Luckily, we have Jennings from the second round of the draft. All the other "mid-level" talent that was brought in to "compete" managed little more than to find a one-way ticket off the team. Wither thou Gardner, Boerigter, Rodgers, Lucas, and Brewster? We figured we'd find some starters in amongst there, eh? Nope. Oh wait, Brewster's back, isn't he?

If you're NOT going to make a move now, WHEN are you going to make it?

The argument that we're not going to finish .500 this year, or we're not going to make the playoffs this year, so why bother investing money or giving up an expendable draft pick is horrible. Why bother playing then? Why not bench all the starters? Why try to win? We're just going to lose anyway, and we may as well not even try.

I have no problem with a rebuild, though I question how necessary a "rebuild" was. What I do have a problem with is a team not doing what it takes to win, to be competitive, to do the very best they can. We normally place the burden on the players on the field to be giving 110%, but at this point, I have to question the integrity of the man in the front office.

We are one helmet-to-helmet collision from taking away one of our starters, both of which have been inconsistent this year, but good enough to keep defenses honest by not double covering one over the other. Can you imaging going with just Jennings and the guys we've signed off of practice squads as the receiving corps?

I said this many times over the last few years, in that you need to be careful in wishing so hard for the future to come, because you might not like it when you get it.

If the future is going to be season after season of allowing injuries and valuing quantity over quality to wither our team as the season wears on, in the name of preserving draft picks and loads of cap space, then frankly, I'm starting to understand why people used to still live in the 60's when I first fell in love with this team.