Williams Elevates Game: After surprising everyone to make the team in 2007, Williams moved his way up on special teams and then as the dime and nickel corner. Last season, he filled in for Harris, who was lost for the season with a knee injury. With Harris out for the first six weeks of this season, as well, Williams has been Green Bay’s best and most reliable cornerback – even if his exceptional play has been, once again, buried under the problems of another struggling 3-3 Packers team. With Harris returning this week to practice, Williams is focused on getting the Packers back to winning. ”We’ve got so much other stuff going on around here,” Williams said. “The only thing with Al is when he comes back, he’s just going to make the team better.”

Rodgers must find ways to win games: Here we are six games into 2010, and Aaron Rodgers, who also is six games into his third season as the Packers’ starting quarterback, isn’t playing well. The Packers are 3-3, and his passer rating is 87.9 points, which ranks No. 13 in the NFL. Clearly, nobody’s kicking around the idea of benching Rodgers, but he’s been far from the potential MVP candidate who looked so dominant in the preseason. He’s directing an offense that bears most of the responsibility for the Packers’ three defeats. It hasn’t been anything like the machine that finished last season No. 3 in the NFL in points scored and No. 6 in yards. There’s also the issue of Rodgers’ poor record in games decided by four points or less. Three of those losses were this year, including in overtime to Washington and Miami, games in which the Packers had the ball with the chance to win in sudden death. So what’s going on with the player who went to his first Pro Bowl last year?

Rookie OL Bryan Bulaga: There’s a lot of really good guys on this team. T.J. Lang has been great, Josh Sitton. ‘Cliff’ (Chad Clifton) and ‘Tausch’ (Mark Tauscher) have been great. Everyone, really. I don’t know how it was with A-Rod and Brett. I don’t know. But I heard it wasn’t great. It wasn’t great, and with Cliff, it’s nothing like that. He brings me in to help me out, rather than not telling me anything. And outside of meetings and the locker room, he’s a good guy. He takes care of me. If I have any questions, he helps me out. I try to instill confidence in me. When I make mistakes on the field, I’m willing to admit them, learn from them and move on. I’m not making excuses for myself. I never will. When you interview me, you’ll see I’m not that kind of guy. I don’t like to evaluate what I do, I leave that to the coaches. I just go about my business. I’m accountable, I work hard, and I hope people have confidence in me. Because if I’m in there, it’s because they think I can do the job and do it well. I was a communication major, so if football hadn’t worked out, I would’ve wanted to do something in media. And coaching, too, that would be another thing I would’ve liked to have done. Before games, I’m not uptight. I like to talk. I’m relaxed. But here, it’s a very relaxed atmosphere. Every guy has his own space, they can do what they want. When my career is over, I’d like people to say that Bryan Bulaga was a great player for this organization. He contributed a lot, he did a lot of great things for the organization and the community. That’s what I hope. I don’t like to put long-term predictions out there. I take it one year at a time. I don’t like to look too far ahead.

Wednesday injury report:

• All three players from the PUP list were at practice.
• CB Al Harris appears to be the most ready to play. He was in on snaps almost immediately.
• S Atari Bigby seemed to be in more of a reserved role, not quite going full speed. He might not be activated for this game, but he was in the mix and it could happen.
• RB James Starks looked like a guy just acquired by the Packers. He was going through very basic drills with RB coach Edgar Bennett.
• LB Brandon Chillar (shoulder) appeared to go full and will be ready to play barring any setbacks.
• RT Mark Tauscher (shoulder) returned to practice but was very limited.
• LB Clay Matthews (hamstring), S NIck Collins (knee), LT Chad Clifton (knees), CB Charles Woodson (toe), DE Mike Neal (shoulder), LB A.J. Hawk (groin) was in jogthroughs only.
• WR Donald Driver (thigh) and DE Ryan Pickett (ankle) watched practice.

McCarthy says offense lacking in narrow losses: As he assessed Monday what has become a season on the brink, coach Mike McCarthy rejected the notion that the Packers’ inability to win two straight overtime games this season as well as other tight affairs falls completely on the shoulders of his quarterback. ”Our timing is not where it needs to be, and that is everything,” McCarthy said a day after falling to 3-3 with a 23-20 loss to Miami in overtime. “I am talking about the protection, the footwork of the quarterback, the route running. When we do it, we make it look very easy, and when we don’t, we have moments like we did yesterday.” ”It’s hard to figure why it is the way it is,” said wide receivers coach Jimmy Robinson. “We’re just not totally in sync here and it seems like we would be at this point. We’re six games into the season and it seems like routes have to be a little sharper, timing is a little bit off, protection has to be a little bit better.

Reinforcements on the way: Help is on the way for the injury-riddled Green Bay Packers, at least on defense. Veteran cornerback Harris and safety  Bigby, who have spent the season’s first six weeks on the physically unable to perform list, will begin practicing on Wednesday. It’s possible both players could be back in action for Sunday’s game against the Minnesota Vikings at Lambeau Field. Rookie running back Starks (hamstring) also got the go-ahead Monday to begin practicing, but it’s unclear how much he can contribute to the team’s scuffling offense. With rookie safety Morgan Burnett having been lost for the year to an Oct. 3 knee injury, Bigby would be the logical choice to replace him in the starting lineup.  Also, the Packers traded a conditional seventh-round draft pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars to bring back safety Smith, who could start against the Vikings if Bigby isn’t ready. Safeties coach Perry said Bigby probably won’t be able to play a full game right away.  Given that the Packers play their nickel defense roughly 60 percent of the time, Harris could come back as the No. 3 cornerback, replacing undrafted rookie free agent Sam Shields in that role.

Injury report: NFL sacks leader Clay Matthews, who missed the Green Bay Packers’ previous game because of a left hamstring injury, will return for this weekend’s meeting with the Minnesota Vikings, a team source told NFL.com. The return of Matthews, who has 8.5 sacks in five games this season, is even more important. Also, Green Bay’s decimated defense could have several more reinforcements for the Vikings game. The Packers re-acquired safety Anthony Smith in a trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars on Monday, and cornerback Al Harris (knee) and safety Atari Bigby (ankle) are eligible to come off the physically unable to perform list this week. Also, injured defensive linemen Ryan Pickett and Mike Neal should be returning this week too.

Harris, Bigby, and Starks set to return: In a season filled with injuries to key players on both sides of the ball, some reinforcements have arrived. The three players who have been on the physically unable to perform list since the start of training camp will begin practicing this week, and the coaches haven’t ruled out the possibility that safety Atari Bigby (ankle), cornerback Al Harris (knee) and running back James Starks (hamstring) could play Sunday against Minnesota, although Starks is probably the furthest away largely because the rookie hasn’t played any real football in nearly two years. Plus, newly acquired safety Anthony Smith, who on Sunday was traded by Jacksonville for a conditional seventh-round draft pick, arrived at Lambeau Field on Monday and will be available against the Vikings. He spent the day reacquainting himself with the team that cut him at the end of training camp last season. Smith has been out of the Packers’ system for more than a year, while Bigby and Harris have been out of football for so long that it’s unclear how quickly they can be assimilated into the plan. Both Bigby and Harris will begin practicing Wednesday. The Packers have three weeks to decide whether to activate the PUP players or put them on season-ending injured reserve.

Masthay on thin ice: So much for Mike McCarthy’s confidence that his Green Bay Packers would be vastly better at punter this season. The Packers coach publicly put punter Tim Masthay on notice Monday after what McCarthy felt was yet another inconsistent performance from the first-year punter. While Masthay’s job isn’t in danger in advance of Sunday night’s game against the Minnesota Vikings at Lambeau Field, McCarthy made it clear that he’ll have to punt better or he’ll be out of a job. “The punting was not good yesterday. I think that’s obvious,” McCarthy said of Masthay, who averaged just 33.4 net yards and 38.0 gross yards on five punts, with a long of 42 yards and with two that landed inside the 20. “Tim has been inconsistent, and my mindset in preparation for Minnesota is to keep working with Tim and get him to be more consistent. Frankly, I thought he did a good job with his inside-the-20 punts going in, but the opportunity to change the field position did not happen, especially when we needed it there in overtime. So he needs to do a better job.”

]]> http://lombardiave.com/2010/10/19/packers-coffee-mix-headlines-10/feed/ 1 http://lombardiave.com/2010/10/19/packers-lose-to-dolphins-reviews-grades/ http://lombardiave.com/2010/10/19/packers-lose-to-dolphins-reviews-grades/#comments Tue, 19 Oct 2010 06:40:20 +0000 jclombardi http://lombardiave.com/?p=3262 Jclombardi reviews and grades Packers loss to Dolphins. Summary: The Packers lost to the Dolphins 23-20 in overtime when Dolphins K Carpenter hit the game winning 44 yard field goal.  The Dolphins won through special teams and beat a worn out injury plagued, patchwork defense. For the Packers, this was the second straight overtime loss losing to Washington in overtime last weekend too. [...]

Packers Lose to Dolphins: Reviews & Grades - Lombardi Ave - Lombardi Ave - A Green Bay Packers Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and more.

First Look at Vikings: The Packers (3-3) host the Vikings (2-3) on Sunday at Lambeau Field. The Vikings got right back into the NFC North race on Sunday by edging Dallas at the Metrodome. Oh, and there is that other story line involving a certain quarterback. There will be no lack of story lines with this game considering that it will feature Brett Favre’s second return to Lambeau Field as a member of the Vikings.

Downright offensive: But if you’re searching for the biggest reason that the Packers are a disappointing .500 team, a middling 3-3 after their 23-20 overtime loss to the Miami Dolphins at Lambeau Field Sunday, look no further than their offense, which came out of the preseason looking dominant but has been dysfunctional through six weeks of games that count.  “A big part of being successful on offense is when you are in rhythm. I would not say we are in rhythm on offense right now,” Packers coach Mike McCarthy said after watching his team lose in overtime by a field goal for the second consecutive week. “We had a number of favorable third downs, and we had opportunities. Our defense was on the field, I thought they were hanging in there, ‘bend do not break,’ keep them out of the end zone. And we had opportunities (as an offense) to get out in front of that game.” Instead, not only did the Packers lose, they continued their alarming trend of failing in close games. Since Rodgers took over as the team’s quarterback to start the 2008 season, the Packers have played 12 games that were decided by four points or fewer – and have won just one of them. They were 0-7 in such games in 2008, 0-1 in them last year and they’re 1-3 this year, with the lone close victory coming over Detroit (28-26 on Oct. 3).

Injury report: TE Finley is officially on I.R. to make room for S Smith. Meanwhile, this week, CB Harris, SS Bigby, and RB Starks begin practicing after coming off the physically unable to perform list. LB Poppinga had arthroscopic surgery to repair damage to his left knee, probably out for three weeks to season-ending. WR Driver (quad strain) and LB Hawk (groin strain) will miss practice time this week preparing for the Vikings game.

Controversial Call Falls in Gray Area: It was an aerial shot of the fateful play, a game-turning illegal formation penalty referee Ed Hochuli had called on his punt return unit, a penalty which played an undeniable role in the Packers’ 23-20 overtime loss to the Miami Dolphins at Lambeau Field Sunday. And Slocum, the Packers special teams coordinator, pointed his index finger at linebacker Francois and simply shook his head. “I’ve got this picture which shows me (he’s) one and a half yards (off the line of scrimmage),” Slocum said. “He’s considerably away from the football, which is right there.” And in Francois’ case Sunday, he and the Packers believed he was more than a yard away, meaning the penalty should not have been called.

Rodgers Chips Teeth, Bites Tongue: QB Rodgers had plenty to say to Ed Hochuli. But the Packers quarterback went all Forrest Gump when asked about the conversation by reporters after Sunday’s 23-20 overtime loss to the Miami Dolphins at Lambeau Field. The play in question, a bone-crunching and tooth-chipping hit by Miami defensive tackle Randy Starks on Rodgers’ 13-yard completion to Jordy Nelson with 7 minutes left in the third quarter, had not resulted in a flag. Rodgers started the week with his 38-game regular-season consecutive starts streak in jeopardy after being diagnosed with the first concussion of his football career, but after passing all the requisite tests during the week, Rodgers was cleared to play against the Dolphins and wound up completing 18 of 33 passes for 313 yards, including an 86-yard touchdown pass to Greg Jennings. But he also threw an interception – his seventh of the season, matching last year’s 16-game total after only six games – and was sacked five times, three of them by Dolphins defensive end Cameron Wake, who dominated replacement right tackle Bryan Bulaga. He also directed an offense that converted just 3 of 13 third-down situations, an anemic number that was scarcely better than last week’s 2 for 13 effort. “I thought he was prepared. I thought he seemed normal out there. I thought he threw the ball well. I thought he managed the offense,” Packers coach Mike McCarthy said of Rodgers’ performance. “But third-down production is a big part of how we have been successful in the past. We’ve been a good third-down team. We’re all part of that. We’re not doing a good enough job there.” “If I don’t know if our unit’s as sharp as we’re accustomed to seeing it or as we’d hoped it would be,” offensive coordinator Joe Philbin said. “I don’t know that it’s a one-guy thing. I think overall offensively, we’re not as sharp or as productive as we’d like to be at this stage.”

Help is on the way for Packers defense: The Packers get former starters in cornerback Al Harris (knee) and safety Atari Bigby (ankle) off the physically unable to perform list this week, but the Packers acquired some additional assistance. The Packers traded a seventh-round conditional pick in 2011 to the Jacksonville Jaguars for safety Anthony Smith.

S Smith acquired, RB Barber next?: An NFL source said Sunday evening that the Packers had sent a conditional seventh-round pick to the Jaguars for Smith, whom the team released in favor of former third-round draft pick Aaron Rouse at the end of training camp in 2009. Now, it appears the Packers have brought Smith back because Bigby, who is on the physically unable to perform list but is eligible to begin practicing starting Monday, may not be ready for action just yet. Bigby had ankle surgery on Aug 6 but Smith’s acquisition hints that he might take longer than expected to return. Cornerback Harris and running back Starks are also eligible to be activated from the PUP. The Packers also need safety help after placing Martin (knee) on injured reserve last week. Meanwhile, with the NFL trade deadline on Tuesday, the Packers still could acquire running back help if GM Thompson decided to make a move. An NFL source said the Packers have had talks with the Dallas Cowboys about “one of” their running backs. ESPN’s Mortensen reported Sunday morning that it’s Barber that the Packers and Cowboys have discussed.

Special teams–more problems as key penalty and poor punts derail effort: What kind of Sunday was it on special teams for the Green Bay Packers? Maddening, at least when it came to the illegal formation penalty against linebacker Rob Francois that cost the Packers dearly in a 23-20 overtime defeat at the hands of the Miami Dolphins at Lambeau Field. Disappointing, at least when it came to struggling punter Masthay. The penalty on Francois and Masthay’s poorest punt came within a five-play stretch in the fourth quarter. Masthay punted five times, averaging 38 yards (gross) and 33.4 (net). Two of his punts were inside the 20. On 24 punts, Masthay’s averages of 43.1 and 33.4 actually are worse than Jeremy Kapinos compiled last year (43.8, 34.1) last year in 66 punts. Masthay’s inside-the-20 and touchback efficiency are no better than Kapinos’ performance, either.

Another overtime heartbreaker: A few plays here and there can make an ordinary team a great one or vice-versa, as the Packers are painfully discovering during a season that began with high hopes but is on the verge of spiraling out of control. In a matter of 21 days, coach Mike McCarthy’s team has gone from Super Bowl contender to mediocre because of its inability to win close games.  The latest gut-wrenching setback came Sunday afternoon in front of 70,815 fans at Lambeau Field, where Dan Carpenter’s 44-yard field goal in overtime lifted the Miami Dolphins to a 23-20 victory that leaves the Packers with a .500 record after what, at first glance, appeared to be a benign opening stretch of six games. It was the third three-point defeat in four games for the Packers (3-3), who lost in overtime for the second straight game. Even with the three losses by a combined nine points, the Packers are still very much alive in the mediocre NFC North. But with a season-defining stretch of the schedule staring it in the face–Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings visit Titletown next Sunday night–Green Bay somehow needs to figure out how to win close games. ”We’re a 3-3 football team for many different reasons,” McCarthy said. “We’ve got three losses, they’ve all been tight games. They’ve all come down to a critical point in the football game. And we’re not getting it done at that particular point.” That’s a familiar trend for the Packers under McCarthy, who fell to 1-5 in overtime games.

Packers grades: OFFENSE D–Going 3-for-13 on third-down conversions just doesn’t cut it. Rookie Bryan Bulaga had a long day blocking premier pass-rusher Cameron Wake. Aaron Rodgers’ surprise quarterback sneak to send it to overtime was brilliant. DEFENSE C–Miami had 26 first downs and 381 yards but was held to 23 points by an injury-ravaged defense that simply won’t quit. Chad Henne isn’t accurate when pressured, but the pass rush was non-existent without Clay Matthews. SPECIAL TEAMS D–Punter Tim Masthay hits more line drives than Ryan Braun. A bogus penalty on Robert Francois and a needless penalty on Korey Hall hurt Green Bay late in the game. Quinn Johnson’s partial blocked punt was the only positive. OVERALL D–For the second straight week, Green Bay lost an overtime game it should have won. The defense deserved better, but the consistently dysfunctional special teams and the recently dysfunctional offense did the Packers in.

]]> http://lombardiave.com/2010/10/18/packers-coffee-mix-headlines-9/feed/ 0 http://lombardiave.com/2010/10/17/packers-lose-to-dolphins-23-20-ot/ http://lombardiave.com/2010/10/17/packers-lose-to-dolphins-23-20-ot/#comments Mon, 18 Oct 2010 01:00:36 +0000 jclombardi http://lombardiave.com/?p=3247 Jclombardi highlights Packers headlines about loss to Dolphins. Clipped from: gnb.scout.com (share this clip) Packers Fall to 3-3, Lose Again in Overtime: QB Rodgers drove the Packers to the tie but miscues put the Dolphins in position to earn the win. The Packers couldn’t protect the quarterback and couldn’t win the field position battle.  Finally, unable [...]

Packers Lose to Dolphins 23-20 OT - Lombardi Ave - Lombardi Ave - A Green Bay Packers Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and more.

Packers vs Dolphins preview–Things to Watch: JUST SAY NO: QB Henne “is a smart, steady player. He’s not a guy that you fear. But if you give him time and let him get comfortable, he will move the chains.” Henne has passer ratings of 86.2 this season and 77.6 for his career.” CFL TO MIAMI: OLB Wake, the Dolphins’ best pass rusher, after a 5½-sack season in ’09, he became a starter this year. BLOCK THAT KICK: Fields has been the Dolphins’ punter every game since he arrived. He entered 2010 with outstanding averages of 46.3 yards (gross) and 39.8 (net). However, he had two blocked during the exhibition season and then one against the Jets Sept. 26 and one against the Patriots. TOUGH MATCHUP: WR Marshall, who made the Pro Bowl the last two seasons playing for Denver, is the man to watch on the Miami offense. BUCKLE UP: The left side of the Miami offensive line, with T Long and G Incognito, is one of the more physical in the NFL. Long has become an elite left tackle and Incognito has never stopped going after people.

Preview: Keys to Game–Even with QB Aaron Rodgers (concussion), injuries are a major factor for the Packers on both sides of the ball. The Packers must get good efforts from WRs Jennings and Driver. The Dolphins have the pass rushers to crash the pocket. The Dolphins haven’t scored a rushing touchdown since Week 1. That could well change with the Packers minus LB Barnett and OLB Matthews (hamstring).  Game plan–The Green Bay offense won’t be as diversified as in games past because of injury issues. That will allow the Dolphins to focus on bracketing wideouts Jennings and Driver. LB Dansby can’t be allowed to wreak havoc as a blitzer and run stuffer if the Packers are going to rediscover continuity in moving the football. Green Bay could cut across the grain and try to establish the run against a defense that has been accommodating in allowing an average of 4.5 yards per carry. The Green Bay defense also will be down key personnel with outside linebacker Matthews (hamstring) and DE Pickett(ankle) on the mend from injuries. The Packers struggled to generate a pass rush after Matthews went out. Still, slow-moving quarterback Chad Henne should entice defensive coordinator Dom Capers to apply pressure and limit the throws made to the imposing WR Marshall and the diminutive WR Bess. The Packers are well-rehearsed in defending the Wildcat.

Preview: Stopping The Run May Stop The Dolphins–The Packers have to stop the run without defensive tackle Ryan Pickett. Last year, Pickett and B.J. Raji were the key stoppers in the Packers’ No. 1 ranking in run defense in the NFL. They’re facing a Miami team that will line up and run it. Dolphins coach Tony Sparano is a Bill Parcells disciple who wants to run the ball and play big-time defense. He has two talented halfbacks in Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams. If the Dolphins can grind the ball and clock, they have a great chance of winning. Rodgers Needs To Be Sharp–With no TE Finley and minimal running game, quarterback Rodgers carries a bigger load than ever for the Packers’ fortunes. He’ll have to make plays without his best playmaker (Finley), and do it without turning the ball over much. The Packers need Rodgers sharper than he was at Washington and better than he’s been this year. Defense Has Big Shoes To Fill–The numbers from last week tell a scary story. It’s looking like Matthews won’t play Sunday. Brady Poppinga and Frank Zombo probably will take turns replacing him.

Packers LB Bishop eyes winning script: LB Bishop entered the most critical stretch of his career when linebacker Nick Barnett (wrist) was placed on injured reserve this week. Bishop hasn’t been able to crack the starting lineup for the previous three years, buried behind Barnett and A.J. Hawk.  Bishop has earned the nickname “Mr. August” for his strong play in the preseason, but those efforts have never translated into regular-season success. But he’s never had this type of opportunity. Bishop started in the 16-13 overtime loss at Washington last week, stayed on the field for all three downs and posted a game-high 13 tackles. Bishop has an 11-week tryout to prove himself to the Packers. The word that coaches continue to throw around when it comes to Bishop is consistency. It’s obvious he can make plays. In search of the big play, he sometimes loses track of his assignment.  That’s what Bishop must show, and last week was a strong start. “The main thing is stay humble,” inside linebackers coach Winston Moss said. “Every week, just try to get better and stay hungry.  “Now you want to be consistent. Coaches look at that. What kind of guy can you be on an every-Sunday basis?” “I know it’s my opportunity now to play and kind of take over, so to speak,” Bishop said. “I have huge shoes to fill. But I’m embracing it. I’m ready for it.”

Refusing to Give Up Ground: McCarthy insists Packers have not abandoned running the ball.

Packers vs Dolphins: Teams: Packers (3-2) vs. the Miami Dolphins (2-2). Time: Noon CT, Sunday. Place: Lambeau Field, Green Bay.  Injury report: Packers–LB Chillar (shoulder) and TE Finley (knee) are out. LB Matthews (hamstring) and RT Tauscher (shoulder) are doubtful. DE Pickett (ankle) and DE Neal (shoulder) are questionable. LT Clifton (knee), S Collins (knee), WR Driver (quadriceps), DE Jenkins (hamstring/hand), FB Johnson (glute), TE Lee (chest), QB Rodgers (concussion), CB Shields (calf) and CB Woodson (toe) are probable.  Things to watch: Health care crisis--The Packers’ injury problems have been most debilitating on defense where they’ll be without Burnett and Barnett, and may be without Matthews (8.5 sacks), DE Ryan Pickett, and rookie DE Mike Neal. It will be interesting to see how defensive coordinator Dom Capers calls the game to compensate for the thin group he has to work with. Offensive headaches–QB Rodgers is good to go. Now, he can focus on fixing the offense.  The lack of productivity has vexed the coaching staff, with problems ranging from dropped passes (seven) to decreased yards after the catch by receivers to a spike in turnovers. Special education: The Dolphins might have produced the worst single-game special teams performance in NFL history the last time they played, a 41-14 Oct. 4 loss to New England.  The Packers’ special teams units will have their own challenges, with so many core special teamers moving into positions on offense and defense because of injuries, forcing lesser players into more vital roles in the core units. Marshall plan: The Packers figure to match CB Woodson on WR Marshall, although Woodson hasn’t had the kind of brilliant season he put together a year ago. Entering Sunday’s game, he’s been assessed seven accepted penalties in five games. Prediction--The Dolphins come in with a better record away from home. They’re also coming off a bye and much healthier than the beat-up Packers. Sounds like a recipe for a Miami victory. Dolphins 24, Packers 20.

Williams near perfect play could net long term contract: Williams made his desire for a long-term deal known when he skipped the offseason program. He waited until the 11th hour to sign his one-year, $3.043 million restricted free agent tender, putting his signature on the paperwork just before the June 15 deadline when teams can reduce tenders for unsigned players.  His play, however, speaks for itself, and it screams dollar signs. Through five games, the Packers’ starting right cornerback has played near perfect football.

Notes: McCarthy says there’s nothing wrong with how his players are trained. QB Rodgers looks ready for Sunday.  Injuries mean shakeup on defense. Defensive shakeup–The Packers figure to be out with two key defensive starters, NFL sacks leader Matthews (hamstring) and defensive end Pickett. Matthews didn’t practice all week and almost certainly won’t play.  LBs Zombo, Poppinga and Jones will rotate through the two outside linebacker positions. Pickett didn’t practice all week and the unit’s primary backup, second-round pick Neal, didn’t practice the last two days. The Packers put Barnett on season-ending injured reserve and re-signed defensive end Montgomery.

]]> http://lombardiave.com/2010/10/16/packers-coffee-mix-headlines-8/feed/ 0 http://lombardiave.com/2010/10/15/packers-coffee-mix-headlines-7/ http://lombardiave.com/2010/10/15/packers-coffee-mix-headlines-7/#comments Fri, 15 Oct 2010 20:00:06 +0000 jclombardi http://lombardiave.com/?p=3226 Jclombardi highlights Packers headlines. Clipped from: www.espnmilwaukee.com (share this clip) Rodgers ready to go: QB Rodgers did everything but officially proclaim himself ready to play in Sunday’s game against the Miami Dolphins. Which, of course, meant the Green Bay Packers quarterback had passed another – albeit unofficial – post-concussion test: That he was smart enough not to [...]

Packers: Coffee Mix Headlines - Lombardi Ave - Lombardi Ave - A Green Bay Packers Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and more.

Commentary: We previewed the Packers vs Dolphins game with the Dolphins Gab writer Brad Houghton.   Based upon his edited questions, our answers discussed the West Coast offense, 3-4 defense, key injuries, and predictions for the game.  We reproduce the edited content for Packers fans.

A Look At Packers–Packers Gab Writer Jclombardi

Dynamic TE Finley could be put on IR: Finley, who will miss time because of injury for the third straight season, is expected to be out eight to 12 weeks. It was originally thought he would be out three to six weeks and be back in plenty of time to help the Packers in their stretch run. The Packers won’t immediately decide whether to place Finley on injured reserve. Even without Lee, the Packers could stay the course at tight end with rookie Quarless and Crabtree. Quarless has gone from inactive the first two games and no catches in the first four, to four catches for 51 yards after Finley and Lee went out against the Redskins. Quarless had two catches for 30 yards on the final drive of regulation to give the Packers a chance to win. Long-term, however, the absence of Finley could allow Rodgers to get more in sync with his receivers. The Packers rank 12th in the NFL in total offense.

What concussion?– Rodgers looks for clearance: Q Rodgers didn’t take a single snap Wednesday, and yet, when the Green Bay Packers quarterback left the locker room after practice, he did so having given subtle indications that he play in Sunday’s game against the Miami Dolphins at Lambeau Field. Now, nothing he did was proof that he will pass all of his required post-concussion cognition tests, get the go-ahead from an independent neurologist and make his 39th Consecutive start (including playoffs). But when someone suggested to him that he didn’t seem like a guy coming off a concussion, Rodgers smirked. “What concussion?” he said as he walked out of the room.

Spotlight on WR Nelson: When the guys – James Jones, Greg Jennings, Brett Swain and their wives – came to the farm during the offseason, it opened their eyes a little bit. First off, they couldn’t believe anyone could live out there in the middle of nowhere. But I think they enjoyed it. At first, they couldn’t see how anyone could live out there, but then I showed them the land that I bought, and where I’m going to build, and they were like, “It would be nice to live out here in the middle of nowhere.” Town (Manhattan, Kan.) is 20 minutes away, so it’s dead quiet. It’s nice and peaceful. My wife Emily and I started dating at the end of our freshman year in high school, and I’m glad I had her before I got to this situation. I think a lot of guys are in tough situations when they come into this kind of money, this kind of fame. I don’t know how you can ever find anyone that you can trust. Obviously there’s people who’ve done it, but to me, it’d be hard to really know. Obviously you have to take your time to get to know them, but there’s people out there who think, “I’m going to marry this guy and get half his money in a couple years.” Emily’s not like that. At least, she better not be. If she is, she saw something a long time ago in me that I didn’t see.

Packers make due at practice: Eight players, including six starters, sat out Wednesday while four others took part in a limited portion of the workout, which was conducted without pads and featured abbreviated team drills. With 40% of his roster either absent or banged up, McCarthy got as much done as he possibly could. ”It’s just another challenge, but I’m very comfortable that we’re giving our players the proper time and the looks and just being smart,” he said. “I’m listening to the doctors and the strength coaches, talking to those guys way too much, but I think it is in the best interest of the team.” Besides tight end Jermichael Finley (knee surgery) and quarterback Aaron Rodgers (concussion), those who missed practice included linebacker Clay Matthews (hamstring), end Ryan Pickett (ankle), tackle Mark Tauscher (shoulder) and tight end Donald Lee (shoulder). Linebacker Nick Barnett (wrist) had surgery in the morning that could sideline him for the rest of the season, and safety Derrick Martin (knee) was put on injured reserve. Barnett’s status is dependent on whether the front office is willing to wait two months for him to recover, which seems unlikely. McCarthy said decisions on Finley and Barnett don’t have to be made right away. About the only good news McCarthy got was that rookie nickel back Sam Shields was able to take part in the full practice after missing the last two games with a calf strain. It’s unclear whether defensive coordinator Dom Capers will go back to Shields as his nickel or stick with Pat Lee, who played there last week.

Packers offense to see new direction with tight end Finley possibly out for season:  McCarthy had built much of the Packers’ offense around Finley’s receiving talents lining him up at various spots and often deploying two tight ends to force defenses into potentially bad match ups. With Finley out, McCarthy probably will scale back his use of two tight ends and lean far more heavily on his four-deep receiving corps, as he did against Washington. By unofficial count, he went with two tight ends on only six of the Packers’ 65 offensive snaps after Finley left the game.  “Everybody talks about how good our receiving corps is, now it’s time to show it,” Jones said. “When we had (Finley), that just put an extra guy out there. But when we went 13-3 (in 2007) we didn’t have a sweet tight end. I think we’re up for the challenge.

Packers’ Jennings vents frustrations: Frustration finally set in for Green Bay Packers receiver Greg Jennings in Sunday’s overtime loss to the Washington Redskins. Jennings apologized Wednesday for some sideline antics during the 16-13 loss. Jennings wouldn’t reveal exactly what he did to feel the need to apologize. Still, Jennings isn’t exactly thrilled with the state of the passing offense or his role in it, even though he ranks second on the team with 31 targeted passes. Jennings’ 14 receptions tie him for 79th in the NFL. ”Frustrated, that’s probably an understatement, honestly,” said Jennings. “You get frustrated in the game of football. Opportunities can be misconceived sometimes. Targets – they can be targets but they cannot really be targets. It’s a game where, when you get an opportunity, you’ve got to make the best of it. We’re going to make it happen.” Jennings certainly has a right to be frustrated. He has just two receptions in each of the last three games.

]]> http://lombardiave.com/2010/10/14/packers-coffee-mix-headlines-6/feed/ 0 http://lombardiave.com/2010/10/13/packers-nfl-com-blog-blitz%e2%80%93-lynch-a-missed-opportunity/ http://lombardiave.com/2010/10/13/packers-nfl-com-blog-blitz%e2%80%93-lynch-a-missed-opportunity/#comments Wed, 13 Oct 2010 21:34:30 +0000 jclombardi http://lombardiave.com/?p=3205 Jclombardi–Nfl.com Blog Blitz news article–Lynch A Missed Opportunity Packers lead blogger jclombardi of Fansided’s Lombardi Ave is now a regular weekly featured blog contributor to the Packers section of NFL.com’s Blog Blitz. This week, the news features article is Lynch A Missed Opportunity. For more on the Green Bay Packers, you can check out the daily news, features, and reviews [...]

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Commentary:  Although reviews and grades about the Redskins loss are posted for fans, our commentaries were brief about the awful performance of QB Rodgers.   Thus, we present  additional professional reviews with two brilliant game summaries about the awful performance of QB Rodgers in the Redskins game along with his big OT  interception that led to the loss.  The heated reviews detailed specific bad passes, missed opportunities, and bad leadership underlying his awful performance.  Also, they reflect the huge emotional disappointment from the Packers press and the Packers nation. 

HEATED REVIEW I: Overtime hasn’t been kind to Rodgers. In January, his gaffes led directly to a playoff defeat. On Sunday, he tried to force a post route to Jennings on the second play of OT and was lucky when Hall dropped the ball. On the next series, Rodgers threw a bad ball to Jennings that was behind him and intercepted by Landry. Yes, Rodgers had DT Jeremy Jarmon in his face, but if he hadn’t drifted several steps to the right a direct throwing lane would have been available. Two of the four sacks and another knockdown were on Rodgers, either for running into them or holding the ball too long. He wasn’t decisive or rhythmic. He putzed around in the pocket instead of just making the decision to scramble and go. It seemed that about one of every four of his passes were bad balls. After a fast start, it was mostly downhill from the mid-second quarter on. Rodgers let his receivers down just as they let him down.

HEATED REVIEW II: After whining about not throwing the ball more last week, Rodgers got the chance to do it Sunday – he put it up 46 times — and played one of his worst games. Donald Driver didn’t do him any favors by dropping four balls. But Rodgers’ decision-making was certainly questionable, especially late in the game.  The first series of the third quarter, second-and-3, Rodgers hit John Kuhn for 1 yard. Crabtree was wide open for a first down. The second series in the third quarter, on third-and-1 prior to the missed field goal, Rodgers threw to Driver – it was a drop – and they had guys wide open everywhere: Quarless on the seam, Greg Jennings on the hash and James Jones on the numbers. On the sack in the second quarter before Mason Crosby’s field goal, Jennings was open on a post for six. Rodgers’ reads seemed to be off and there were balls that weren’t thrown where they needed to be. On the fourth-and-1 pass to Quarless in the end zone, the quarterback needs to put a little air under that ball. Rodgers can do it all. He can make every throw. He can do things with his feet. But he has to make the right decisions and make the plays to win close games. The Packers gave up 13 points in regulation. Even without Finley, how could Rodgers and that offense not score more than 13 points?

Headlines: Wilde writes that the Packers may have a hard time with 11 injured players to field a complete team on Sunday against the Dolphins.  Silverstein reports that QB Rodgers must pass the official series of tests to play Sunday against the Dolphins and writes that McCarthy relies heavily on the  passing game.  It is the West Coast offense, isn’t it? Polzin writes about the key injuries especially TE Finley having knee surgery and will be out three to six weeks.  Demovsky  worries that the Packers must find good ways to replace the injured players and back-up QB Matt Flynn prepares to possibly replace starting QB Rodgers.  Copeland writes a fluff article with cliches claiming the coaches are working to improve discipline and fundamentals.   Right!

Favre Watch: A great deal of media coverage about Vikings QB Favre’s mixed performance in last night’s losing cause against the Jets and his texting sex scandal. The New York Times says,  ”The party is over for Brett Favre. He just doesn’t know it. Or maybe he does and can’t bring himself to leave.”  The New York Post says, ”Even during the glory years, there was always the Good Brett and the Bad Brett, which holds an entirely different meaning these days.”  The New York Daily News says: “Ultimately his first game against the Jets since [Favre] left them had the same empty feeling as the end of his one-year Jets career.”  NBC Sports says, “Vikings Should Bench Favre Now.”  CBS Sportsline says,  ”Glimmer in the gloom–Favre struggles in the first half, and the Jets hold off the Vikings. However, the second half reveals the magic he could create now that Randy Moss is finally his teammate.”

Summary: In a sloppy performance filled with big penalties, big turnovers, and key injuries, QB Rodgers threw a bad pass in overtime leading to the winning Redskins field goal for a final OT score of 16-13. The Packers had nine big penalties including two big defensive penalties in overtime allowed the Redskins get an easy field goal for the win.  With the game on the line, K Crosby missed two field goals from 48 yards in the 3rd quarter and from 53 yards in the 4th quarter that would have won the game. Already beat up, the Packers lost TE Finley, DE Pickett, LB Matthews, TE Lee, DB Martin, and QB Rodgers to injuries. The Packers are 3-2 with two losses against a very soft schedule.

Game Balls: CB Williams.  LB Bishop.  LB Matthews.  DE Neal.

Injury report: TE Finley: surgery; out for three to six weeks. LB Barnett: surgery; out for eight weeks; probably to I.R. TE Lee: chest sprain; probably out for two weeks. LB Matthews: pulled hamstring; miss some practice time; maybe a week. DE Pickett: ankle sprain; miss some practice time; maybe a week. QB Rodgers: concussion; miss practice time; maybe a week. DB Martin: serious knee sprain; out for weeks.

Report Card Grades–Good, Bad, & Ugly (LA vs. SE):

Pass Offense—D vs D. In a pass heavy offense, the passing game had one of its worst games of the season. QB Rodgers did complete 27 of 46 passes for an early touchdown to TE Lee, but one big interception.  Rodgers completed passes to 9 different receivers.  WR Jones had 4 receptions for 65 yards, WR Driver had 4 receptions for 58 yards, rookie TE Quarless had 4 receptions for 51 yards, and WR Jennings had only 2 receptions for 22 yards. However, the unit was plagued by crucial dropped passes  especially by WR Driver (four), WR Jones (two) and WR Nelson (one). With a halftime lead of 10-3, the Packers literally fell apart under prime time pressure failing to score on their final seven possessions in the second half, producing four punts, two missed field goals and an interception allowing the Redskins to score 10 points to tie the game. QB Rodgers threw the bad pass in overtime leading to the winning Redskins field goal, while he suffered a concussion for the defensive hit. In third down efficiency, the Packers were an awful 2 for 13.  In the red zone efficiency, they were an awful 1 of 3.

Rush Offense—B- vs B. The ground game was productive, except in the red zone, getting 157 yards. RB Jackson rushed for 115 yards averaging 1.5 yards.  He had 5 receptions for 25 yards. The problem was the red zone offense especially in two crucial goal-line series. In the first series, RB Jackson was stopped for a four yards loss from the 1. Then, in the second series, FB Kuhn and QB Rodgers failed to get across the goal line on back-to-back plays.  It was not surprise considering past similar series in previous games.

Pass Defense—D+ vs C-. The Packers had good consistent pass rush pressure throughout the game until LB Matthews left with an injury. LB Matthews had 1.5 sacks with solid pressure, LB Bishop had 6 tackles, 7 assists, and a sack, and DE Neal and LB Poppinga each had a sack. They really held the Redskins in check until OLB Matthews left with an injury opening up the vertical game. Yet, McNabb still threw for 357 total yards even when the Packers sent at least five pass-rushers on 40 percent of the plays.  In the second half, QB McNabb had a 141.4 passer rating. The Redskins turned the game around on two big pass plays against S Peprah leading to a field goal and to a touchdown. Further, the two key defensive penalties against LB Poppinga and CB Woodson in overtime helped the Redskins get their chip-shot winning field goal. CB Williams played a tremendous game getting an interception.   All-pro CB Woodson struggled throughout the game giving up two big interference calls.

Rush defense–A- vs B+. The rush defense looked like its former stellar self limiting the Redskins rush offense to only 51 yards. RB Torain had only 40 yards averaging only 2.5 yards. The front seven played well including LBs Bishop (13 tackles), Hawk, and Jones.

Special teams–C vs C-. The special teams didn’t make any serious lapses or critical mistakes, but it did fail in the big plays. The punt coverage made a big mistake allowing PR Banks, who averaged 15.7 yards per return, to return for a 30-yard return along the sideline to set up McNabb’s touchdown throw to WR Armstrong.  K Crosby missed two big field goals. On kickoff returns, both Lee and Nelson played too timid looking pedestrian.  PR Williams had a good game, especially a 52 yard return.

Coaching–D vs C-. The Packers had more than enough firepower on offense and reinforcements on defense to get a victory against an inferior opponent, but it didn’t happen. Head coach McCarthy all but abandoned the run after Jackson’s 71-yard tote on Green Bay’s third play of the game. For as many times as the Packers were in pass mode, the curious run calls near the goal line backfired. Also, the offense was out of sync in having to burn two timeouts early in the second half that wound up affecting the Packers in how and where they set up Crosby for his ill-fated field-goal attempt. Defensive coordinator Capers was liberal with the blitzing. Nine big penalties speak to the coaches not getting the message of discipline through to the players.

Overall Game–C vs CBS Sportsline Overall Grade–C+. The Packers should have won this game going away considering they kept the Redskins to 13 points in regulation. But the Packers’ offense was terrible on third down and was plagued by several drops by the receivers. The Packers should be better than this.

TE Finley: surgery; out for three to six weeks.

LB Barnett: surgery; out for eight weeks; probably to I.R.

TE Lee: chest sprain; probably out for two weeks.

LB Matthews: pulled hamstring; miss some practice time; maybe a week.

DE Pickett: ankle sprain; miss some practice time; maybe a week.

QB Rodgers: concussion; miss practice time; maybe a week.

DB Martin: serious knee sprain; out for weeks.

Wilde writes K Crosby is upset for missing key kicks, the Packers have serious injuries, the team feels they let a game slip away that they should have won again, and LB Barnett may return in this season. Silverstein too writes about the growing problem of key injuries and how young rookies are taking big roles in games. Bedard talks about how Coach McCarthy is shockingly not happy with passing game.  McGinn writes a fluff article claiming the Packer pass rush is great in spite injuries? Hunt says that K Crosby thought the 52 yard kick was going to be good.  Who cares, K Crosby missed two key field goals, not just one at the end of regulation.

Polzin reports the obvious that the Packers are beat up, but the defense played tough.  Oates reports Crosby is upset with himself after missing those two kicks.  Polzin and Oates write an extensive injury report about the Packers.  Dougherty writes that the Packers have another defeat with more key injuries. Vandermause correctly points out that blame is a team affair with plenty to go around.  Copeland states after a good start, the offense turned anemic.  Demovsky talks about the key players lost in the game to injuries. Dougherty and Demovsky write about K Crosby’s missed chances to win the game.

Redskins 16, Packers 13–adding insult to injury: By the time K Gano’s game-winning 33-yard field goal was sailing through the uprights giving the Washington Redskins an improbable 16-13 overtime victory at FedEx Field Sunday, the Packers’ best players were mere spectators and in varying degrees of pain. TE Finley was leaning on a pair of crutches, after a right knee/hamstring injury. Sack-meister LB Matthews was standing on the sideline as his problematic left hamstring having flared up again. DE Pickett was sitting on the bench after his right ankle having been rolled up on the second play of the game.  QB Rodgers, still dazed from a helmet-to-helmet hit on his final pass, an interception to LaRon Landry, that would later be diagnosed as a concussion. All this when the Packers already had two starters on injured reserve (1,200-yard running back Ryan Grant, who suffered a season-ending ankle injury in Week 1, and rookie strong safety Burnett, who went down with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his knee last week against Detroit) and were playing without four more key players: starting right tackle Tauscher (shoulder), starting inside linebacker Barnett (wrist), nickel linebacker Chillar (shoulder) and nickel cornerback Shields (calf). “In 10 years, I’ve never seen it like this before,” Pickett said, shaking his head. “It’s definitely an issue right now. We have a lot of injuries. But we’re supposed to win that game regardless.”

Redskins 16, Packers 13 (overtime): The Packers kept piling up the yards but couldn’t score. The Washington Redskins were left with a surmountable deficit, which they overcame to win yet another game that came down to the last play. LaRon Landry’s diving interception set up Graham Gano’s 33-yard field goal 6:54 into overtime Sunday, and the Redskins battled back from a 10-point fourth-quarter hole for a 16-13 win over the Packers. The result left both teams with 3-2 records, but rebuilding Washington feels a whole lot giddier about its mark than a Green Bay team that’s supposed to have Super Bowl aspirations. The Redskins were thoroughly dominated for much of the game, the defense allowing 444 yards and the offense allowing McNabb to get sacked five times.  Aaron Rodgers completed 27 of 45 passes for 310 yards with one touchdown and one interception. RB Jackson ran for 115 yards on 10 carries including a 71-yard first-quarter run that set up Green Bay’s only touchdown.  The bang up Packers also had TE Lee (shoulder), TE Finley (knee), DE Pickett (ankle) and OLB Matthews (hamstring) leave with injuries. Here’s the best way to show how the tide turned: The Redskins punted on seven of their first eight possessions, while the Packers’ last seven possessions ended with four punts, two missed field goals and an interception. Green Bay was also hurt by nine penalties for 63 yards.

Game notes: The moment–While the Packers could get almost no pressure on McNabb with Matthews on the sideline, the Redskins successfully pressured Rodgers. On the big play in overtime, Rodgers had pressure in his face and threw off his back foot. The ball was behind Jennings and Landry swooped in for an easy interception. The player--The Redskins have precious few weapons surrounding McNabb but Santana Moss remains ageless. He finished with seven catches for 118 yards. The number--15.4: That’s Green Bay’s conversion rate on third down. The Packers finished a woeful 2-of-13 on the move-the-chains down. The division--The Bears (4-1) are alone again in first place with a 23-6 win at Carolina, even though Todd Collins threw four interceptions. The Lions (1-4) snapped a 10-game losing streak by blowing out the Rams 44-6. Minnesota (1-2) visits the Jets (3-1) on what should be a ratings blockbuster on Monday night. Injury report--The injury situation went from bad to worse. Already without linebackers Barnett (wrist) and Chillar (shoulder), safety Burnett (knee), cornerback Shields (calf), Tauscher (shoulder) and Grant (ankle), the Packers lost Finley (hamstring ligament) after Lee’s fumble, Pickett (ankle) exited on the ensuing snap when the Redskins’ offensive tackle dove and landed on Pickett’s ankle, and Lee (stinger) was lost on his touchdown. Then, Matthews jogged off the field with a hamstring that might be slightly pulled. It’s early, but Finley and Matthews probably won’t be available for next week against Miami but neither injury is considered as serious as Finley’s knee sprain last year and Matthews’ hamstring pull on Family Night.

]]> http://lombardiave.com/2010/10/11/packers-lose-to-redskins-ot-16-13/feed/ 0 http://lombardiave.com/2010/10/10/packers-game-day-headlines/ http://lombardiave.com/2010/10/10/packers-game-day-headlines/#comments Sun, 10 Oct 2010 09:56:15 +0000 jclombardi http://lombardiave.com/?p=3160 Jclombardi reviews game day headlines. Clipped from: www.espnmilwaukee.com (share this clip) Packers vs Redskins preview: Teams: Packers (3-1) vs. Washington Redskins (2-2). Time: Noon CT, Sunday. Place: FedEx Field, Landover, Md. TV coverage: FOX – WITI (Ch. 6) in Milwaukee and WMSN (Ch. 47) in Madison. Packers injury report–S Morgan Burnett (knee) was placed on season-ending injured reserve [...]

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