Oct 16, 2011; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Lions running back Jahvid Best (44) looks for running room in the third quarter against the San Francisco 49ers at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber- US PRESSWIRE

If it’s true, the Detroit Lions may have suffered a huge blow to its potent offense as Jahvid Best, the Lions’ first round draft pick in 2010, may have played his final game.

As reported by Sports-Kings today, Best, who has a long history of concussions, including two in his first two pro seasons, won’t be back with the Lions and may never play football again.

He left the week six game against the San Francisco 49ers (a loss at home) and was out for the remainder of the year. Though the LIons’ offense exploded via the arm of Matthew Stafford and the pass-catching of all-world wide receiver Calvin Johnson, the running game is an important part of the Lions’ offense and losing Best does not bode well for Detroit.

Matt Flynn threw for 480 yards and 6 touchdowns against the Detroit Lions - franchise records. Raymond T. Rivard photograph

Matt Flynn … holy cow.

The Green Bay Packers’ backup quarterback’s name will forever be linked with that latter phrase, not only in Packers Nation, but across the NFL.

In fact, his six touchdown passes today will not only be admired by Packers coaches, players and fans, but it no doubt will lead to a big payday in the coming months. That said, it most likely will not be with the Green Bay Packers.

So, what about the game?

Well, to say the Packers’ 45-41 win over the Detroit Lions on this first day of 2012 was a shootout is a vast understatement. Flynn and Matthew Stafford, quarterback of  the playoff-bound Detroit Lions, went toe-to-toe in this one, punching and counterpunching all day long, matching touchdown for touchdown.

In the end, they combined for 1,000 passing yards and 11 touchdowns – an NFL record.

With those numbers, the impression was there was no defense in this one. You could certainly argue that, but in siding with the Packers, they played without linebacker Clay Matthews and Charles Woodson as coach Mike McCarthy reached deep into his bench on that side of the ball to give his starters time to rest and to give the backups some much-needed game experience.

For more about this incredible game, take the jump and don’t forget to Like Lombardiave.com at Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

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Here’s what our fiends over at The Sidelion Report have to say today -

Chris Czar: Something tells me the Lions woke up in the second half of Sunday’s win against the Carolina Panthers. The Lions looked like the team we saw in first 5 weeks of season. Matt Stafford played his best game after a miserable start, Kevin Smith was excellent in his vindication and Ndamukong Suh finally looked like the player he was last year. I think it carries over this week. It’s not going to be easy, but Smith will run the ball effectively and the defensive line provides just enough pressure on Aaron Rodgers for the Lions to hold on in a very, very close game. Detroit Lions 31, Green Bay Packers 28

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Ndamukong Suh and the Detroit Lions await the arrival of Aaron Rodgers and the Packers in the North Division rivals' first encounter of the year Thanksgiving Day.

Zac Snyder, the editor over at the Fansided site, SideLion Report, took time out of his busy schedule this week to answer some questions thrown his way about the Packers vs. Lions throwdown in Detroit Thanksgiving Day.

Q. The Packers know their number one need is to neutralize Calvin “Megatron” Johnson. Everyone on the planet knows that Johnson has been a “Packer killer” since joining the league. The question is this: How have other teams slowed Johnson and do you feel the Packers have the manpower to do it?

A: The only way to slow Calvin Johnson is to slow Matthew Stafford. Those two, not coincidentally, had their worst game of the year against Chicago two weeks ago. Johnson has at least five catches in every game this season except for one.

While he had just three catches against Kansas City, two of them were for touchdowns. It’s possible to slow Calvin by rolling coverage his way but the Lions have a number of other options. What’s the point in slowing one player if you’re just going to get beat by others? Matthew Stafford threw five touchdown passes last week and they all went to different players and not one of them was named Calvin Johnson.

You can bet that the Panthers aren’t pointing to the fact that they held Johnson out of the end zone.

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(more…) ]]> http://lombardiave.com/2011/11/23/sidelion-report-sounds-off-on-thanksgiving-throwdown-in-detroit/feed/ 0 http://lombardiave.com/2011/09/29/aaron-rodgers-speaks-volumes-both-on-and-off-the-field/ http://lombardiave.com/2011/09/29/aaron-rodgers-speaks-volumes-both-on-and-off-the-field/#comments Thu, 29 Sep 2011 19:50:44 +0000 Raymond Rivard http://lombardiave.com/?p=6903 Aaron Rodgers speaks with both actions and words and nothing can emphasize that point more than the comments he made about fellow teammate Jermichael Finley this week, followed today by his selection as the NFL offensive player of the month. Clearly, his actions on the field have caught the attention of the NFL, his peers [...]

Aaron Rodgers speaks volumes both on and off the field - Lombardi Ave - Lombardi Ave - A Green Bay Packers Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and more.

Aaron Rodgers is a leader on and off the field. Raymond T. Rivard photograph

Aaron Rodgers speaks with both actions and words and nothing can emphasize that point more than the comments he made about fellow teammate Jermichael Finley this week, followed today by his selection as the NFL offensive player of the month.

Clearly, his actions on the field have caught the attention of the NFL, his peers and fans as evidenced by this selection. Rodgers’ play this first month of the season has been a spillover from the last half of last season.

To put it bluntly … this guy is on a roll with little on this earth showing signs of being able to slow him down. He’s got things figured out and is using his God-given talents, good coaching and the skills of those around him to his advantage.

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Chicago Bears
The Bears brought in a franchise quarterback during the offseason in Jay Cutler from the Denver Broncos in a massive trade.  The Bears now have a face to the franchise on offense to go with Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs on defense.  Although I said that Bears receivers are bad a few posts ago (a statement I still stand behind), Cutler makes them a bit better, while the presence of Cutler takes the pressure of Matt Forte and the running game.  So would you throw Vick in this mix?

The Bears already have one gimmick player on offense in Devin Hester.  Hester is the main decoy on many plays and the Bears love to use his vertical speed to stretch the defense and give the coordinators headaches.  Adding Vick would give the Bears two potentially explosive players on offense at the same time.  Putting Vick into the offense without a full offseason and training camp to get everything to work between him and Hester would be a burden for Cutler, who’s learning a new system, and the offense in general.

Also, owner Jerry Angelo and head coach Lovie Smith are classy guys.  While I think Vick should be allowed back in the league as soon as commissioner Roger Goodell can approve of him and I don’t think he’s a threat to society, Angelo and Smith would want to avoid any backlash.  Vick could really work in Chicago, but I feel that Angelo and Smith wouldn’t run the risk of the backlash and something going wrong.

Detroit Lions
It doesn’t seem like things can get any worse for the Detroit Lions.  With last year’s debacle, there is really nowhere for the Lions to go but up.  With Matthew Stafford and revamped linebacking corps, there is hope in Detroit for a few wins here or there.  But would Vick be a fit in Detroit?

The first thing you have to look at his playmakers.  Who are the Lions playmakers?  Stafford isn’t even the starter yet, as he’s behind Daunte Culpepper.  Kevin Smith guaranteed the playoffs this year for Detroit and he does give them a steady option at running back, but he’s nothing too special yet.  Calvin Johnson is the closest thing the Lions have to a star player.  After Johnson, there’s a mess with Keary Colbert, Ronald Curry, Bryant Johnson, Dennis Northcutt, and rookie Derrick Williams.  Those guys are all going for the spots behind Calvin Johnson.  Is there room for Vick in here?  I’d say yes.

The Lions could definitely use Vick’s playmaking ability.  However, Stafford is the quarterback of the future and coach Jim Schwartz wants to use Culpepper as the stop gap.  Vick would be relegated to a Wildcat role and basically be a gimmick player.

Image-wise, the Lions can’t really get that much lower after the 0-16 season.  Getting Vick would show that they are serious about making an attempt to get better.  But then again, they might look as a risk for getting their reputation dumbed down even more.  They could use his talent, but will stay hands off, as there is enough work to do on that team already.

Green Bay Packers
First off, I don’t see Vick in a Green Bay Packer uniform.  Sure, if he was more of a traditional quarterback, I could definitely see Ted Thompson and Mike McCarthy run the risk and sign him to back up Aaron Rodgers if Brian Brohm and Matt Flynn can’t improve.  But the fact that Vick is all over the place with his play, I don’t see it happening.  Vick could also serve the purpose of a Wildcat in the Packers offense, but the team has been prolific enough the last few years that they should (and will) stay with what works.

Also, I can’t see Vick meshing too well in Green Bay.  He’s done his time and deserves to be back in, but Green Bay doesn’t seem to be the town to take him.  This is a big year for the Packers, so anything to upset the balance could gain the ire of the stockholders, which the team does not want.

Minnesota Vikings
Finally, the Minnesota Vikings.  There are three reasons why I think the Vikings are the least likely to land Vick in the division: 1) Brett Favre; 2) Percy Harvin; 3) Tarvaris Jackson.

Favre.  Right now, the Vikings are waiting for Favre to notify Brad Childress and the team whether or not he will be returning to football and joining the Vikings on July 30 (or sooner).  If the Vikings get Favre, it can give them a quarterback that can hand off to Adrian Peterson and get the ball down the field and make plays if necessary.  No need for Vick there.

Harvin.  Harvin fills the role of Minnesota’s Wildcat.  He can run with the ball, he can catch the ball, and the Vikings have had him throwing in practice.  If he can do all that, why do they need Vick?  Plus, they’re waiting on Favre; why wait on Vick too?

Jackson.  The Vikings have been dealing with the mobile quarterback with shoddy decision making over the past few years with T-Jack.  Vick is an exponentially better version of Tarvaris, but do the Vikings and their fans really want to go through this ordeal all over again?  I don’t think so.  Small chance of Vick in Viking purple.

Lions, Bears, Packers, Vikings.  That’s the order (from most likely to least likely) of teams in the NFC North going after one Michael Vick.

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The Level-Headed Section:

Both teams, as stated before, are 2-0.  The Cowboys have achieved their record by dispatching the Cleveland Browns 28-10 on opening weekend before winning a 41-37 shootout over the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday night.  The Packers have taken a slightly easier road to 2-0, defeating a highly touted Minnesota Vikings team on the Monday Night Football opener, 24-19, although the lead was not safe until a timely Tarvaris Jackson interception in the final minutes, and a 48-25 win over the Detroit Lions in which the Packers squandered a 24-9 lead in the second half before pulling away thanks to the defense.

The Cowboys are currently the class of the NFC according to many sources (I mostly agree), and they have played like it, despite the scare on Monday night.  The Packers were picked by most prognosticators to finish 8-8 or 9-7, due to the loss of longtime quarterback Brett Favre, traded to the New York Jets.  However, fourth-year man Aaron Rodgers has stepped up admirably in his first two starts as the Packers quarterback.  After a cautious Week 1, Mike McCarthy loosened the leash on Rodgers a bit, and Rodgers responded with three touchdown passes in the first half.  McCarthy left the pass in the second half, which allowed the Lions to get back into the game.  Rodgers is not stranger to playing against the Cowboys on the big stage either; last November, Rodgers relieved an injured Favre and led the Packers on a comeback before losing to the Cowboys, 37-27.

The two main keys for the Packers in this game is the secondary and the running game.  The secondary in the 2007 game was severely depleted with Charles Woodson out with a toe injury.  Woodson broke another toe in the Minnesota game, but saved the game against Detroit, playing through pain with two interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown.  It looked like the Packers passing defense would be back at full strength this week, but starting safety Atari Bigby is out with a hamstring injury, meaning that second-year man Aaron Rouse will probably get the start opposite Nick Collins.  Bigby had more of an impact in the running game, but his big-hitter presence in the backfield will be missed.  Also a cause for concern was Calvin Johnson‘s play last weekend.  The Lions star wide receiver took two nearly identical slant patterns for touchdowns last week.  You have to bet that Jason Garrett, Tony Romo, and Terrell Owens were looking at that one.  On the other side of the ball, the Packers need running back Ryan Grant to be at full strength to be successful.  He has been nursing a hamstring injury for some time, and was definitely hobbled by it on Sunday, rushing for only 20 yards on 15 carries.  Brandon Jackson looked at least fifty times better against the Lions than he did against the Vikings, chewing up over 60 yards on seven carries and scoring the clinching touchdown in the fourth quarter.  Hopefully he will be able to perform at that level against a tough Cowboys defense.

The Cowboys are a tough defense.  Their secondary will provide a stiff test for the Packers wide receiving corps.  Terence Newman, Anthony Henry, Adam Jones, and safety Ken Hamlin will be busy with Greg Jennings, Donald Driver, and James Jones, but something has to give.  It will depend on whether or not Rodgers can get the ball out quickly to the wide receivers.  In last year’s game, Favre held the ball too long, giving the Cowboys time to get the receivers covered and giving the Cowboys pass rush time to get extra hits on him as well.  If Rodgers stays composed, he can be successful.  If he doesn’t, well, he won’t be successful.  He already has one national TV appearance under his belt, so the pressure of that should not get to him.

In August, I picked the Cowboys to win this one, 38-24.  However, things change.  Like the score.  That being said, my level-headedness is picking the Cowboys, 38-34.

Homerism

Tony Romo.  Seriously.  Can this guy win a big game?  He almost blew it for the Cowboys on Monday night against the Eagles.  He’s basically screwed the Cowboys up in the playoffs the last two years.  National television isn’t totally kind to him.  The easiest way for the Packers to win is to make Romo make mistakes.  If Romo makes one more mistake than Rodgers does, the Packers have the win.  Romo will make that mistake too.  He’ll sail one too high on Owens.  He’ll hold the ball too long in the pocket and get swallowed up by Aaron Kampman.  Something will happen that will give the Packers a chance to win.  Being the opportunists they are, they will take advantage of that and turn it into a win.  Woodson is hungry after his two interceptions last week.  Al Harris is out to prove he is still a shut down corner after being humiliated last year by Owens and in the NFC Championship Game by Plaxico Burress.  The Packers are obviously really hungry this year.  They were supposed to cede the division crown to the Vikings.  They weren’t supposed to get anywhere with their quarterback.  They want to prove the doubters wrong.  The Packers will prevail.  34-27.

Is Jessica going to be at this game?

Also, what’s the over/under for how many times John Madden and Al Michaels mention Favre?  I’m saying 27 before halftime.  And I’m taking over 40 for the game.

Any takers?

To quote Lee Corso, “Not so fast, my friend.”

I watched the highlights to the game and was absolutely horrified. In the fourth quarter, while sitting on a 24-9 lead, the Packers unraveled. First, Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson turned a quick slant route into a 38-yard touchdown, Packers punter Derrick Frost mishandled a punt, leading to a Lions safety.

It’s 24-18. Like BOOM.

Then deja vu struck again when Johnson turned a nearly identical pass from Jon Kitna into a touchdown, this time from 47-yards out.

25-24, Lions.

If I was watching this game, I would have been flipping out. But I was totally oblivious to this happening. So no harm, no foul. Keeps my stress levels down.

Then the Packers start working their magic. The retook the lead on the ensuing drive on a Mason Crosby field goal, 27-25. Then the fun began.

On the next Lions drive, Charles Woodson intercepted Kitna, setting up Brandon Jackson‘s best rush of the season, a 19-yarder for the score and a 34-25 lead. Woodson showed some skills AGAIN on the next drive, intercepting Kitna and taking the ball to the barn. 41-25, Packers. Kitna’s last six minutes at the office got even worse as on the next drive he was intercepted YET AGAIN, this time by Nick Collins, who followed to trend set by Woodson and took it to the house. 48-25, Packers.

Game, set, match.

The fact the Lions were able to get back into this one really scares me. Woodson and Al Harris need to be on top of their game with Tony Romo, Terrell Owens, and the rest of the Dallas Cowboys coming into town next Sunday.

In other news, Aaron Rodgers continued his development as a starting quarterback, absolutely owning up on the Lions defense (statistically, at least). Rodgers completed 24 of 38 passes for 328 yards and three touchdowns, giving him his first 300-yard passing game and first three-touchdown game. The guy looks good. His first touchdown pass to James Jones was a great scramble, while his third touchdown pass to rookie Jordy Nelson was absolutely beautiful. Greg Jennings lead the receiving department with 167 yards on six catches, including two catches of more than 50 yards. Donald Driver had seven catches and one touchdown. In the rushing department, Jackson actually led the team, a 180-degree turn from Week 1, with 61 yards on seven carries including the touchdown. Ryan Grant was bottled up, partly by a hamstring injury, gaining only 20 yards on 15 carries. He will need to be at full strength for the Dallas game. On defense, A.J. Hawk is not showing any ill-effects of his chest injury, recording seven tackles and two sacks. The defense did a good job shutting down Kevin Smith‘s running game, but they were absolutely torched by Johnson, who had six receptions for 129 yards and two touchdowns. The disgruntled Roy Williams was held to three catches for 48 yards.

Dallas is next. This will be a tough one.

For this Week 2 matchup, the Packers, fresh off of an emotionally draining 24-21 win over the Minnesota Vikings, travel southeast to the grand city of Detroit to take on the Lions. In recent years, the Packers have somewhat dominated the Lions, but they have had some close games as well. This should be a close game, as the Lions are young and developing (except for the quarterback position) and are hungry. Jon Kitna does think the team can win 10 games.

Matchups To Watch

Packers defensive backs vs. Lions wide receivers: Offensive coordinator Mike Martz is gone, but that does not mean the Lions don’t have the potential to become the next greatest show on turf. Roy Williams, Calvin Johnson, Mike Furrey, and Shaun McDonald can put up big numbers with Kitna at the helm. Al Harris and Charles Woodson will have their hands full in this game, as will whoever wins the battle for the third-corner spot, most likely Tramon Williams. This game could be an early test to show if whoever won the job really deserves it. Atari Bigby and Nick Collins/Aaron Rouse will also have to show their cover jones.

Packers defensive line vs. Lions offensive line/running backs: A week after having their hands full against a fantastic offensive line and running game, the Packers get to see how they will do against a mediocre offensive line and running game. They could have the opportunity to feast on rookie Kevin Smith and product of the Denver Broncos system Tatum Bell and this could be a confidence booster, depending on how Week 1 against Minny goes.

Lions defensive backs vs. Packers wide receivers: The Lions have long been looking to revamp their secondary and now have three starting-caliber cornerbacks on their roster in Brian Kelly, Travis Fisher, and Leigh Bodden, acquired in the offseason from the Cleveland Browns as part of the Shaun Rogers trade. This gives the Lions three good corners to line up across from the Packers three good wide receivers, Donald Driver, Greg Jennings, and James Jones. The Packers wideouts can destroy on a good day, as evidenced by Driver’s Thanksgiving Day performance in 2007. The Lions have obviously worked hard in the offseason to try to combat this.

The Verdict: I’m taking the Packers again, 28-14. The Lions should keep it close at the beginning, but in the end, they are not quite up to the level of the Packers. Another 7-9 season for you, Kitna.

Packers record after Week 2: 2-0.

Chicago Bears

- The Bears named Kyle Orton the starting quarterback over everyone’s favorite Rex Grossman.  This is not good for the Packers, as Bears-quarterbacks-not-named-Rex Grossman (aka Orton and Brian Griese) swept the Packers last year.  The Viking Age also puts forth some other scenarios that could come out of this.

- The age of some of the Bears offensive lineman is also appearing to become an issue.  Which just makes things easier for Aaron Kampman and Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila.  And whoever else starts at defensive end now.

- The Bears make the right choice for their franchise player on ESPN.com.

Detroit Lions

- Apparently, wide receiver Calvin Johnson is “scary good.”  Are you listening, Al Harris and Charles Woodson?

- The Lions fans and writers are pretty excited about a 2-0 preseason record!

- Another guy thinks Johnson is a beast.

Minnesota Vikings

- Overpaid free agent wide receiver Bernard Berrian is having toe problems.  Which is good for the Packers, bad for my fantasy team.  Damn autodraft.

- The Vikings defensive line depth is continually thinning.  Good thing for Ryan Grant and Brandon Jackson.

- Is Chris Simms coming to Minny?

- Veteran quarterback Gus Frerotte will start the third preseason game for the Vikings due to Tarvaris Jackson‘s sprained MCL.

That’s all folks.