Our Packers are ready for the 2012 NFL season

Wow, an easy 24-3 win over Kansas City to close out the pre-season is more than I had hoped for. Especially after seeing Aaron Rodgers, Cedric Benson, and Jermichael Finley fail to produce any first quarter points.

Tonight was about the backups proving that they deserve to play in the NFL and prove it they did. I will need to do some tweaking of my 53 man roster predictions. The Defense is so hard to predict that I have decided to just leave it alone. I am sticking with my prediction that 7 rookies will be part of the 25 Defensive guys. 6 draft picks and the undrafted OLB Dezman Moses. My list includes the same three specialists as well. With the 25 Offensive players there is small change.

In what may or may not become a place for a sixth wide receiver on the 53-man roster, young prospects Jarrett Boykin, Diondre Borel and Tori Gurley all had their moments. Graham Harrell and each of them need each other to play well so they can each succeed. In this final practice game it finally all came together. When B.J. Coleman came in to play QB things did not go as well.

What this all means is that the Packers need only two Quarterbacks on this roster: Aaron Rodgers and Graham Harrell. B.J. Coleman can be safely placed on the practice squad with very little worry that some team might offer him a spot on their roster. More importantly, the Packers need not worry about looking to make a trade to bring in another backup.

Graham Harrell (13-15 223 yards and 2 Touchdowns) proved he can do the job. So, this does open up one spot on the roster.

All three of the young receivers mentioned above might be picked up by other teams as soon as they are cut so it makes sense to keep the best one as a 6th receiver on the roster...but...after Benson's fumble tonight I wonder if maybe it is too soon to cut James Starks. Maybe the Packers 5RBs need to include only one fullback or maybe 6RBs will be kept for now until more is known about each.

Here is what I have come up with:

2QB: Rodgers, Harrell (Coleman goes on practice squad)
5RB: Benson, Green, Saine, Kuhn, Cooper, Starks (either on the roster or the PUP list)
6WR: Jennings, Nelson, Cobb, Jones, Driver, Gurley (Boykin and Borel make other rosters)
4TE: Finley, Williams, Crabtree, Taylor
8OL: Bulaga, Sitton, Saturday, Lang, Newhouse, Dietrich-Smith, Wells, and someone new* (Datko, practice squad)

7DL: Pickett, Worthy, Raji, Daniels, Wilson, Muir, Neal
8LB: Matthews, Hawk, Smith, Perry, Walden, Moses, Francois, Manning
10 DB: Woodson, Williams, Burnett, Hayward, McMillian, Jennings, House, Bush, Levine, Shields

3 Specialists: K Crosby, P Masthay, LS Goode

So I have added James Starks and Tori Gurley and subtracted B.J. Coleman and Andrew Datko. The Packers will keep these rookies around but they might not be part of the 53. I am confident that Ted Thompson will pull off a trade before the 8pm deadline to bring in an OL* as we are weak at that position overall. Hopefully it will happen in a trade as most every team is interested in young WRs like Boykins and Borel. Maybe the Packers will trade a veteran receiver like James Jones to get an OL and then be able to keep one more young receiver.
Many things are possible, my goal is to be 50/53 or better!


No matter what decisions are made with these final spots in the lineup, it is the core veterans of this team, guys like Rodgers, Jennings, Nelson, Matthews, Woodson, and Williams, who need to lead the others and make this team go and achieve the ultimate goal. The only goal that can make this season successful is the 14th World Championship in the storied history of Our Green Bay Packers!

Peter King could be right!

As I nudge closer to making my picks for Super Bowl XLVII, selecting one out of 16 teams in each conference, I am taking into account the predictions of people like Peter King. In the Sports Illustrated NFL preview issue Peter has picked the Packers to beat the Broncos in New Orleans when the season culminates in February.

Interestingly, he has the Chicago Bears winning the NFC North with an 11-5 record. He has the Packers finishing 11-5, but advancing to the playoffs as a wild card. I really don't think the Bears will beat out the Packers for the division but they might make the playoffs.

He has the Packers beating the Cowboys, Bears and Saints to reach the Super Bowl.

King predicts Aaron Rodgers will be voted offensive player of the year, but that quarterback Peyton Manning of the Broncos will be selected most valuable player.

King has a story in the magazine about the astonishing number of passing yards put up by NFL offenses last season and wonders if a 6,000-yard passing season is on the horizon. The no-huddle offense is one reason for the increased productivity of passing offenses, and he quotes Packers coach Mike McCarthy on his use of no-huddle.

“I believe in attacking," McCarthy says. "I’m not trying to shorten the game when we run the no-huddle. I’m not trying to win by three, or win by making fewer mistakes. That’s not us.”

Denver is not a bad choice. It assumes, of course, that Peyton Manning will be Peyton Manning again. And Peter thinks that will happen, as evidenced by the fact that he thinks Peyton will be the MVP again, for a fifth time. On this I can not agree. I expect Aaron Rodgers to take that again.

 

I will unveil my picks only after all of the pre-season is over, all the cuts are made, and I have looked through the entire schedule, game by game. You can complain about Peter's picks, my picks, or anything else in the comments section below. Also if you like my blog, become a follower!

The rookies are in and James Starks might be out!

Now that the Packers have cut the roster from 90 down to 75, it is time to predict who will be on the 53 man opening day roster. 22 players will be cut OR added to the ever growing number of players on the Injured Reserve and Physically Unable to Preform lists!

ALL 8 OF THE 2012 PACKER DRAFT CHOICES WILL MAKE THIS TEAM

The biggest name that I expect to NOT make the 53 man roster is Running Back James Starks:
He has just not been able to get better at ball protection and has not been able to stay healthy. Thank You for helping us win the 2010 Superbowl but goodbye James Starks.

The Quarterback situation is not good and a trade might be in the works. For now, all three are still on the roster and expect Graham Harrell to get most of the playing time on Thursday night. I think B.J. Coleman should get a lot of playing time as well to make his case. The Packers would like to go with just 2 here but I think the 7th round pick and #3 QB B.J. Coleman needs to be active until whomever the #2 Quarterback is going to be, is ready to play!

So here is my prediction of the 2012 Green Bay Packers 53 man opening day roster:

5WR: Jennings, Nelson, Cobb, Jones, Driver
4TE: Finley, Williams, Crabtree, Taylor
8OL: Bulaga, Sitton, Saturday, Lang, Newhouse, Dietrich-Smith, Wells, Datko
3QB: Rodgers, Harrell (or someone else), Coleman
5RB: Benson, Green, Saine, Kuhn, Cooper
7DL: Pickett, Worthy, Raji, Daniels, Wilson, Muir, Neal
8LB: Matthews, Hawk, Smith, Perry, Walden, Moses, Francois, Manning
10 DB: Woodson, Williams, Burnett, Hayward, McMillian, Jennings, House, Bush, Levine, Shields
3 Specialists: K Crosby, P Masthay, LS Goode

The Packers got their Mojo back!!!

Following the Packers’ 27-13 win over the Bengals on Thursday night at Paul Brown Stadium, Aaron Rodgers was quoted as saying “I think we did enough to satisfy coach. I think we’re going to be ready,”

It was the Packers’ first win of the preseason following disappointing performances against the Chargers and Browns. Needing to get back to the kind of play that led the Packers to a 15-1 record in 2011, Rodgers and the offense led the way in an up-tempo attack that featured two touchdown runs by Rodgers.

When I compare Rodgers to any other Quarterbacks this pre-season, including starting quarterbacks with a bright future like Andrew Luck and Jake Locker, it is obvious that nobody comes close to being able to consistently do the things that Aaron Rodgers can do out there. No doubt about it, this team will go as Aaron Rodgers goes this season. Unless something unforeseen happens, that means all the way to the top.

Even though Rodgers’ 52 yards rushing and 2 rushing Touchdowns led the Packers, it was newly-acquired running back Cedric Benson's 38 yards on six carries that seemed to pump new life into the Packers running game and helped to ease the concerns of PackerNation.

Cedric Benson looked natural running the ball. He’s an instinctive, powerful ball carrier. Another weapon for this Packer Offense. Not since the days of Ahman Green did we Packer fans really know what a solid running game can look like. The Packer Offense might be even better than last year.

Rodgers completed 12 of 22 passes for 154 yards. “I just threw a real bad ball,” Rodgers said of the stunning 2nd quarter interception. I find myself disappointed when ever the Packers have to punt or fumble. I am shocked when he throws an interception. That is how spoiled we in PackerNation are to have the best player in the NFL playing for the Packers. Making a human error shocks the fans, crazy.

Otherwise, everything about his play and the play of the first team offense and defense through a half of action was impressive. The Bengals Defense did a good job covering the Packers talented receivers and did mount some pass rush against the Packers average Offensive Line but Rodgers did a very good job of pulling the ball down and making things happen with his feet.

The defense got into the act when linebacker Erik Walden led a goal-line stand at the 1-yard line. On third down, Walden sacked Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton, forcing a 30-yard field goal. Dalton completed only five of 17 passes for 40 yards. Clearly both Defenses played well and the difference in the game was at the Quarterback position. Andy Dalton is a good young Quarterback but Aaron Rodgers is a Super Bowl champion, the league MVP, and in the prime of his career.

“I thought the whole football team improved today. I thought the defense and the whole team had a lot of bounce, a lot of juice. I thought we played smart. I was very impressed with the defense,” McCarthy said.
Walden is competing with first-round draft pick Nick Perry for playing time at outside linebacker.
“I think he’s had a heckuva camp. I’m sure he’ll grade out very well tonight,” McCarthy said of Walden.
These quotes surprised me a bit. Obviously Eric Walden has improved a lot and is no longer on the bubble as far as making this roster. It will be Nick Perry in the opener however as Walden serves his one game suspension. All is well now with the Packers except...

Backup quarterback Graham Harrell struggled through the second half, completing only five of 12 passes for 26 yards. Mike McCarthy keeps making excuses for him explaining that injuries to tight ends Tom Crabtree and Ryan Taylor sabotaged the Packers’ game plan.
“Our offensive plan for our No. 2 group went out the window with our tight end situation. That’s something you won’t see but we’ll take into consideration with his grade,” McCarthy said, referring to Harrell.

The Packers were without starting tight end Jermichael Finley, who left the team in Cincinnati to be with his wife when she went into labor. Tight end D.J. Williams was out of action with an injury.
At 1-2, the Packers have one preseason game remaining, against visiting Kansas City, but the attention turns to the regular-season opener against the San Francisco 49ers.

“The bigger objective is the evaluation of our team,” McCarthy said of what remains of the preseason.
What was important last night was getting ready for the games that count.
“We got better today, so we’re definitely a step closer to being ready for the regular season than when we left Green Bay. That was the goal,” McCarthy said.

Well Packer Nation that is more coach speak than I usually include in Packertalk. I think the real truth is that Mike McCarthy and Ted Thompson now realize that letting Matt Flynn get away was a mistake. Having a solid backup could be the difference between home field throughout the playoffs in the NFC and just winning the division. Having to rely on Graham Harrell to win a playoff game would be moribund.

I think we will see Graham Harrell get to start and play with the starters for a while on Thursday night vs. Kansas City in the final pre-season game. There is no reason to put Aaron Rodgers out there but I think the rest of the Offense needs more playing time to be ready to go on September 9. I don't know how it will go or how long he plays. I hope seventh round draft pick B.J. Coleman gets the whole second half or more but maybe neither one will make the 53 man roster. I still think that after the cut down days, Monday and Friday of next week, a veteran Quarterback will become available and the Packers will pick him up.

For now it is a cut down from 90 to 75 players on Monday. Many guys who played in those first two pre-season games and in the second half of this one will be cut on Monday. Maybe some will get a chance to tryout on another team but many will need to find a new line of work.

To players in danger of being cut I say this: "May the odds be ever in your favor"

Midway through pre-season: Much to be decided!

28-year-old Shawne Merriman has been cut by the Buffalo Bills. Considering how good he once was and how bad the Packers Defense is right now, I sure hope that Ted Thompson signs him and lets him try to make the team!

 

News coming out of training camp today however suggests no player movement at this time:

 

Graham Harrell will get two more pre-season games and as long as he shows improvement Ted Thompson and Mike McCarthy are still counting on Graham Harrell as the backup Quarterback for this season!

 

Cedric Benson will be given the start at Running Back on Thursday night in the "dress rehearsal" pre-season game. With the starters playing into the third quarter, this is the one pre-season game where the outcome can be taken seriously. Hopefully it will put fans concerns to rest but we will see.

 

Greg Jennings, Jermichael Finley, and others will finally be out there. After this game the roster goes from 90 down to 75 and there just might be at least one big name cut but it won't be anyone I mentioned here.

 

Hopefully the Packers go into Cincinnati and beat the Bengals, look good doing so, and have no injuries!

Where is Matt Flynn when you need him?

The second exhibition game provided additional cause for concern! If Ted Thompson would have thought a backup Quarterback you can count on is worth the money and would have kept Matt Flynn. It would have not only made the pre-season much better, it would have avoided this new problem of who is going to backup Aaron Rodgers?

After looking back at pre-season records over the years, which are not easy to find, I have discovered that what some Packer fans have been saying does not hold water. Since the first quarter of Thursday nights game at Lambeau Field, I heard fans at the stadium saying what fans are still saying today: "Pre-season games are meaningless" but...
The truth is that that there is some correlation between how you do in the pre-season and the regular season. The past two Packer championship teams 2010 and 1996 only lost 3 games combined in those pre-seasons. The Packers 2nd string Quarterbacks over the past two decades have always been better than what Graham Harrell is right now.
It's the 3rd pre-season game that matters most as the starters typically play into the 3rd quarter so as long as the Packers core players start getting healthy and the Packers do win at Cincinnati on Thursday evening everything might be just fine. That is as long as injuries don't hit this team as hard as they did in 2010 when somehow the Packers were able to overcome them all. The one good thing about sad game on Thursday was no notable new injuries.
Before getting into the Quarterback situation let's talk about the Defense, where the most improvement needs to come on this team compared to last season: First we will be taking a look at the rookies and  how they are doing:

Pick #1 LB Nick Perry is looking good: With Clay and Nick as the starting OLB's both healthy and playing well at the same time, opponent QBs will get getting rushed and sacked and making bad throws. This could be very exciting and make everyone else on Defense better.

Pick #2a DE Jerel Worthy has a lot of potential: Might not start right away but will make an impact and hopefully push B.J. Raji to get back to his 2010 form before fame got to his head a little bit.

Pick #2b CB Casey Hayward: He just might start because the other CBs fighting for the spot seem to be banged up and/or less productive so this rookie can claim the position as Charles Woodson moves to safety this year. Start or not Casey Hayward makes the secondary better.

Pick #4a DE Mike Daniels has not made a difference yet but I keep hearing about how great he looks in practice so he will be in the mix.

Pick #4b S Jerron McMillian: It the Packers did not have Charles Woodson and Morgan Burnett, a very solid safety duo, McMillian could be a first year starter. Too bad he was not a Packer already last season when Nick Collins went down.

Pick #5 LB Terrell Manning: Have not heard a lot about him yet but I suspect he will make the team considering how awful the Defense was last season. Again in the Cleveland game it looked like we did not have much of a pass rush and everyone was always open, including when Manning was in the game. Is this a coaching problem? I don't know but this Defense needs to get better fast!

Pick #7a T Andrew Datko: I don't think making the 53 man roster is possible here the practice squad is a possibility if the Packers have room to take on this project.

Pick #7b QB B.J. Coleman: I was really looking forward to seeing this strong armed cocky kid play but it did not happen until the final minute and then he threw an INT on his very first pass. He will be the 3rd string QB but if the Packers only keep two Quarterbacks he will be on the practice squad. They say he is just not ready to be the #2 guy yet.

So who is going to be #2? Well Mike McCarthy is not going to cut Graham Harrell after two bad pre-season games after all the work he has put into helping this guy improve over the past two years but...pre-season games is where guys like Matt Hasselbeck and Matt Flynn would shine over the years before they move onto other teams with a chance to start. You have to be able to shine in pre-season playing with other backups or you simply can't be counted on to be the man if Aaron Rodgers goes down for a game or two.

Harrell won't get as much time next week against Cincinnati because typically the third game is when Rodgers plays the most. In the fourth game, McCarthy will have to decide how much time to give to Harrell and how much to give to. If he does not have success the Packers will need to bring in a veteran who will have just been released by another team as they get down to a 53 man roster including just 2 or 3 QB's.

Who might be available after the pre-season? Here is a list:

• Matt Moore (Carolina)
• Tarvaris Jackson (Seattle)
• Matt Hasselbeck (Tennessee)
• Kevin O’Connell / Charlie Whitehurst (San Diego)
• Kellen Clemens (St. Louis)
• Brady Quinn/ Ricky Stanzi (Kansas City)
• Chris Redman (Atlanta)
• Scott Tolzien / Josh Johnson (San Francisco)
• Colt McCoy (Cleveland)
• Matt Leinart (Oakland)
• Trent Edwards (Philadelphia)
• Tyler Thigpen / Vince Young (Buffalo)

Yep, that is a list but not an impressive one. The Packers like to stay young but my choice would be Matt Hasselback. If his starting days are over it is time to come home where it all began. He used to sit on the Packer bench behind Brett Favre back in the day. Now he can sit on the bench behind a slightly less durable, but better Quarterback and better man, Aaron Rodgers. This way if Aaron does miss a game or two, the season is not over.

If the Packers have to count on Matt Hasselbeck or some other starting Quarterback for more than a few games we won't be winning the Superbowl. To reach your goals you must have your best player healthy. This is why the Offensive line playing well is priority #1 and they looked okay in the first quarter vs. the Browns. Everything is fine Packer Nation as long as our best player is healthy and everyone else just does their job. It's all good when you have Aaron Rodgers!!!

Welcome to Green Bay Cedric Benson!

Cedric Benson is now in the mix at Running Back. Maybe you will be the guy in four weeks from today when the season gets started. If you can pick up blitzes and block better than the others and if you can be a team player, you have a chance and will be a great addition to our team. The main thing we need from the starting running back is extra protection for Aaron Rodgers and when you carry the ball, JUST DON'T FUMBLE!

Packer nation: Ted Thompson has just signed an older free agent with some past character flaws. I continue to believe in the GM and feel like he always does what is best for the team.

I think it is a good move that might pay off.
Are you surprised by the move?

Green Bay Packers 2012: Was the first exhibition game a cause for concern?

Going into this new season everyone is looking for improvement defensively. The Packers drafted six players on that side of the ball and we as fans want to see improvement immediately. First round draft pick LB Nick Perry looked very good. Too bad the good news ends right there. Second rounder’s DL Jerel Worthy and CB Casey Hayward did not do anything of note. I came into this game hoping to see CB Devon House show that he can be a starter and I think he did before hurting his shoulder. The Defense overall still made way too many mistakes and missed a lot of tackles. Maybe they only need to become average. If they improve and the Special Teams and Offense stays the same the team will be better but...

With LT Herb Taylor trying to protect Aaron Rodger's blind side, and James Starks fumbling the ball, the Offense could not get anywhere. With Special Teams fumbles as well that first quarter was not at all what we were looking for. It is obvious that we can't assume anything and every season is different. Based on starters vs. starters both teams looked bad but the San Diego Chargers were the better team.
There were some good things that happened during the remainder of the game but nothing good enough to mention in this dull 21-13 loss.

The injuries to LB Desmond Bishop (knee and hamstring) and cornerback Davon House (shoulder) trump anything else that happened Thursday night. The main thing in any pre-season game is coming away healthy. The Packers sure don't want to lose last season’s leading tackler and a potential starter at cornerback. This game already has me wanting to see the real thing, the regular season opener on Sunday, September 9 vs. the 49ers. Wow, Mike McCarthy has a lot to get done in one month!

Packer Nation wants to believe that as Super Bowl champions from 2010 and the best regular season Packer team ever going 15-1 in 2011: Our Packers are a lock to win the NFC North again and advance to the Super Bowl. We would like to think that it is obvious that Green Bay has the best team in football. Surely it was a bit of bad timing combined with the Giants getting hot and a little lucky that derailed this train last January but what if what happened in the playoffs, during the season at Kansas City, and again at San Diego in this pre-season opener is no longer the exception but become the rule?

As a Packer fan you don’t allow yourself to think that way but with friends that are fans of other teams, reality hits me in the face and I cannot ignore it. This season’s journey to our rightful spot in the Super Bowl might not be that easy. I think this Defense will be better in 2012 but I don't know if the Special Teams is going to be good again or take a step back. I wonder if the Offense can be even better than last year without a good running game. I am thinking no because of the uncertainty of the Offensive Line. Therefore, I hope to see Ted Thompson sign Cedric Benson.

What do you think? Was Week 1 of the pre-season meaningless or cause for concern?