Baltimore Ravens inside linebacker Ray Lewis (52) addresses the press during this week’s “pageant,” otherwise known as media day.
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

As a semi-casual, half-hearted Green Bay Packers fan, I find the lull between the early exit of the playoffs until the start of mini-camps to be a very dull and uninteresting time.  Yet there is always one week that does seem to come alive with at least one or two stories that were either tailor made or were being held just until the right moment to be sprung upon the general populace.

Yep, it is media week so bring out the stupidity and the shocking that comes with the competition we know as the Super Bowl.

This year we have three incidents that clearly are contending for the Crown of Stupidity.  So with no further adieu, let me announce the winners (to date, things could change as we still have five days to go before kickoff).

Mardi Gras figurine of New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees at the Super Bowl XLVII media party at Mardi Gras World.
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Second runner goes up to Mr. Drew Brees, who also wins the award for Mr. Congeniality.  It seems that Mr. Brees decided to take it upon himself to throw all of the former NFL players who gave their blood, sweat and tears to the game under the bus so guys like him could line their pockets.  Mr. Brees in the question and answer portion of the competition explained that it was poor financial planning on the part of former players that resulted in their financial shortcomings today.  He went on to elaborate that current players should not have to pay or give more in order to support those who came before he and all the other multimillionaires could line their pockets.

Fortunately, former Packer Great, Herb Adderley was there to score Mr. Brees and point out his utter stupidity and lack of understanding of the topic matter.

Mr. Adderley stated,

“Drew Brees is misinformed and he had no idea what was going on as far as why, he never came to any of the guys and said, ‘Well, why did you have to take early pension?’ He just made up his own mind about why some guys were in bad shape financially. And he just came out and made statements like that. And in my mind, Drew Brees is one of the greediest guys, and misinformed guys, in the NFL today. Last year he held out because he wanted more money. The guy’s already made millions and millions and millions of dollars, but he’s going to hold out for more money. And then he comes down on the retired guys for just wanting a few more dollars for the time, the cornerstones, what we put in the league  …  And none of us retired guys are fans of Brees because of him being misinformed. I needed the money. I needed to put my daughter through school and she ended up being a very successful dentist at the particular time in Washington, D.C.  If I don’t do that, she don’t end up going to college.”

Ohhhhh, sorry Drew, it seems you have a severe case of foot-in-mouth disease.  Why don’t you go back to the locker room  and plan some more bounties with the rest of the team … oh wait, I mean develop defensive schemes that will allow your defense to capitalize on the weaknesses of your opponents.

Randy Moss
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

First runner-up goes to Randy Moss.  Up until this point, I forgot that Randy still played in the NFL.  In fact, I thought he had been traded to the CFL for a sled dog and a VHS copy of “Strange Brew,” starring Bob and Doug McKenzie.  But I was proven wrong as evident in the evening gown competition when Randy strutted out on to the stage in a pink gown with matching gloves.

While walking the walk, he clearly talked the talk and reminded everyone who was listening that he is the “greatest” wide receiver in the history of the NFL.  This coming from the man who graciously pretended to moon the faithful at Lambeau Field and insulted the caterer for the Minnesota Vikings.  He also led to the downfall of one Brad Childress and was instrumental in pretty much nothing since leaving the Minnesota Vikings.  Clearly, Randy is a legend in his own mind.

How one man can be so full of himself  to think that he can upstage all the other contestants to win the evening gown competition is inconceivable.  Yet I was informed that it was a close race between him and Honey Boo Boo for this portion of the competition.  The fact that Honey Boo Boo was able to establish more credibility and honesty with the judges allowed him to take the crown.

Congratulations, Randy Moss, you are this years winner of the Biggest Ego.  Unfortunately as your head gets bigger, so does your mouth.

Ray Lewis
Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Finally this year’s winner (to date) is a tie.  A tie between Ray Lewis and Sports Illustrated.  In the swimsuit competition, both competitors came out wearing the same one piece black swim suit.  Both competitors clearly knew how to wait until the last minute to make a statement that took all the attention away from the competition and focused it on their own self-indulging escapades.

Sports Illustrated led off with a shocking news story that Ray Lewis used a banned substance (deer antler spray) to help him in his recovery from a season-ending injury in order to be ready for the granddaddy of all pageants.  Ray Lewis, for his own sake, is denying everything (which in this day and age, thanks to Lance Armstrong, equates to admitting guilt).  So as both contestants walked down the aisle, they suffered swimsuit malfunctions resulting in exposing a dirty little secret that will take the attention away from the game.

The winners will receive more TV and face time then Joan Rivers at a plastic surgery convention, yet Joan will definetly look better in the crown and the Go Daddy swimsuit!

Roger Goodell
Jim O

A special award goes to Roger Goodell for his handling of the NFL referees debacle,the Bountygate eruption and everything else that went wrong this year for the NFL.  According to one judge, “If it were not for Goodell, we would have had a normal and uneventful season.”

So as we wrap up this year’s pageant week, a special thank you to all of our contestants.  Though your crowns are honorary, your self-indulgence, greediness and lack of integrity will continue to define you for as long as there is football or at least until next year when some other bone heads take your place during Super Bowl week …

now can we just play some football?

Herb Adderley is helped out of a wheelchair before walking onto Lambeau Field this past December.
Raymond T. Rivard photograph

Not sure if you had a chance to see this, but former Green Bay Packers cornerback Herb Adderley’s comments surely illustrates why there is a major disconnect between NFL alumni players and those part of the game today.

Adderley was a guest on SiriusXM’s Mad Dog Radio channel with host Chris Russo Monday and was asked about Drew Brees’s comments made about the financial situations of former players.

Russo read this quote from Brees: ”There’s some guys out there that have made bad business decisions. They took their pensions early because they never went out and got a job. They’ve had a couple divorces and they’re making payments to this place and that place and that’s why they don’t have money. And they’re coming to us to basically say, ‘Please make up for my bad judgment.’ ”

Adderley, a Hall of Fame cornerback who earned a handful of Super Bowl Championship rings during his time as a players, had this response: “Drew Brees is misinformed and he had no idea what was going on as far as why,” Adderley said. “He never came to any of the guys and said, ‘Well, why did you have to take early pension?’ He just made up his own mind about why some guys were in bad shape financially. And he just came out and made statements like that. And in my mind, Drew Brees is one of the greediest guys, and misinformed guys, in the NFL today. Last year he held out because he wanted more money. The guy’s already made millions and millions and millions of dollars, but he’s going to hold out for more money. And then he comes down on the retired guys for just wanting a few more dollars for the time, the cornerstones, what we put in the league . . . .  And none of us retired guys are fans of Brees because of him being misinformed. I needed the money. I needed to put my daughter through school and she ended up being a very successful dentist at the particular time in Washington, D.C.  If I don’t do that, she don’t end up going to college.”

Herb Adderley makes his way out of the tunnel at Lambeau Field this past December.
Raymond T. Rivard photograph

Clearly, Brees was pigeon-holing players of the past and doesn’t have a clear picture of what these former stars – the players who built the league into the multi-billion-dollar empire that it is today – have gone through. Though the players of the 1950s and 60s who are still alive today made good dollars in their day, it is nothing compared to what the players of today make.

In addition, those former players are now living with the maladies of not only growing older, but injuries suffered during the days when concussions were considered nothing more than “getting your bell rung.”

I recently had the opportunity to be on the sidelines as a photographer at the Packers vs. Vikings game at Lambeau field this past December. Adderley was one of the alumni honored by the Packers that day. When I saw Adderley being pushed up the tunnel in a wheelchair, I was saddened. Before he got to the end of the tunnel, Adderley was helped out of the chair so he could shuffle onto to Lambeau Field on his own power. You could see the immense pride of the man as he emerged from the tunnel and showered with cheers once more.

In my humble opinion, the current players association has been woefully insensitive to the needs of all these former players. Adderley is right. Greed has played a huge role in the plight of these former players and the league as well as the players association should be ashamed of their lack of support.

August 2, 2008; Green Bay, WI, USA; Green Bay Packers wide receiver Donald Driver (left) and head coach Mike McCarthy (right) enjoy a moment during a training camp workout at Clarke Hinkle Field in Green Bay, WI. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-US PRESSWIRE

As we inch closer to another NFL season, many things have been occurring. Free agency, trades, preparation for the draft, and more.

What has been a lighter story have been the voluntary workouts which are held for all teams around this time of year.

For the Packers, their workouts began April 16. This is about a month later than usual due to the new collective bargaining agreement which reduced the length of offseason workouts from 14 weeks to 9 weeks. Strength and conditioning will be the main focus for the Packers in the first few weeks and then they will get a little into the position and team drills.

For many teams – like the New Orleans Saints and the Chicago Bears – there have been noticeable no-shows at the workouts like Drew Brees and Matt Forte. This is due to contract disputes between the players and the teams.

The Packers did not have any real surprises. Donald Driver did not show up but that is because he is currently on “Dancing with the Stars.” Some may also wonder why Ryan Grant did not show up for workouts but this is because he is an unrestricted free agent and the Packers, according to Grant’s agent, have not made any effort to bring Grant back to the team.

With the shortened offseason program, this puts a lot more pressure on to the players to be fully conditioned and ready for when the real stuff begins in July and August. Some players will benefit from the added responsibility and some will crumble. But one thing is for certain – the players with the most desire to win will be ready when training camp arrives.

Hopefully, this means the entire Packer organization.

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Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers on the red carpet last night. Dale Zanine-US PRESSWIRE

Was there any doubt that Aaron Rodgers didn’t deserve it

At least there was no doubt among the sportswriters who cast their ballots for MVP today.

The final score? Aaron Rodgers 48, Drew Brees 2

Yes, that’s right. All but two writers voted for Rodgers … the devil and Ndamukong Suh … as “Not Aaron Rodgers” tweeted tonight.

But kidding aside, we all had that gut feeling and every other statistic tucked into our back pocket to back up this decision. Aaron Rodgers did it all this year. His only slips came against Kansas City and the Giants – but if you rewatch that playoff game, you will see a player who gave it his all right up to the end. Take away the eight dropped passes, the strip of the football when he was winding up to hit a wide open Greg Jennings, and a hail Mary and the Packers would have won that game.

Despite all that, Rodgers had the front aisle seat at the honors award program … and is front and center in the NFL with his much-deserved 2012 MVP Award.

Congratulations, Aaron.

And why not? Yes, Aaron Rodgers is this year’s clear-cut Most Valuable Player (with apologies to all our Drew Brees supporters), but Tim Tebow is the story of the year.

Regardless of what happens in New England next week, Tebow has captured the hearts and minds of every National Football League fan – even Lady Gaga, who tweeted that he is the epitome of a champion (minus the expletive).

What more can be said? Well, not much more than what’s already been said … there will be thousands and maybe millions of words written about the Denver Broncos miracle win on the first play of overtime tonight – we’ll let them stand.

More importantly, let’s move on … yes, while everyone will be watching Tebow and Tom Brady next week, let’s not forget that the best team (Packers) and the best player (Aaron Rodgers) will also be hitting the field.

So, after the Lions were abused by Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints, Berry couldn’t take the abuse he was receiving by the peeps on Twitter so he fired back.

His response could be construed many ways, but most considered it a huge swat at the residents of Detroit, many whom have lost their jobs in the economic downturn.

Here’s what he had to say:

You be the judge …

Aaron Rodgers looks to repeat his performance from last year’s game but the Giants hope to put pressure on him.

I always like taking a peek at what the media is saying gameday about the Packers and what the opponent has to do to beat the Packers.

The theme has gotten old, but what they say has a modicum of truth – get to Aaron Rodgers and you can defeat the Green Bay Packers.

Read on … This is from the Daily-Ledger and Jersey.com …

Giants Gameday

By Jorge Castillo

Giants (6-5) vs. Green Bay Packers(11-0)
Week 14
Today, 4:15 p.m.
MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford
TV: FOX
Radio: WFAN 660-AM

THIS WEEK’S GAME REVOLVES AROUND …
The Giants’ pass rush

See much more after the jump … And don’t forget to Like Lombardiave on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

(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.

(more…)

Wynn #94 with a sack

Jarius “SlickWynn” Wynn, the 280lb DE was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the 6th round of 2009 Draft. He didn’t see a lot of playing time as the Packers were stacked at that position at the time. Consequently, he was released by the Packers during the 2010 preseason.

But as all Packers fans know, we saw a lot of injured players in the season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles, DE Justin Harrell was one of those. That was the beginning of  Wynn’s second chance to be part of greatness.

In a phone interview with Wynn today, I asked him how it felt to be released by the Packers then to get picked back up by them just weeks later. Wynn said

“When I was released, I used that as a learning experience. I wanted to always get better and better. I prayed about it and during half time of the Eagles game, I got the call”.

Wynn was happy to be back. He said,

“I want to prove something, I’m going to be ‘That Guy’”

Obviously, he is ‘That Guy’ and he proved it Thursday night against the Saints. Not only did he have 3 solo tackles and 1 assist, he was one of only two defensive players to get a tackle on the elusive Brees.

He was also a key player in the 3rd down 1 stop of Saints TE Thomas and again on the 4th and 1 when the Saints turned the ball over on downs.

I asked Wynn for a prediction for this year, which he gave me a very politically correct

“I won’t make predictions, we’ll continue to work hard and see where the season takes us”

Wynn want’s to continue to focus on his job, work hard, and be better so the Packers can keep on “Wynning”.

Be sure to follow him on Twitter @slickwynn94

Just like everyone else, Bowen talks about player match-ups, defense and offense. There are some who consider the weather, the team mascots (the Packers have none, do the Saints), and which companies will be sponsoring the blimp.

Well, I thought I would also throw in my fair share before game time, so here goes:

• Packers running game: How will Coach McCarthy utilize Ryan Grant, James Starks and Alex Green? Will he need to keep them in the backfield for pass protection? Will he run some screens? The running game could be key for the Packers for nothing more than ball control and keeping the Saints’ offense off the field.

• The offensive line: If the line can give Rodgers enough time for the long pass plays to develop, he will carve up the Saints’ defense. Though Rodgers is one of the best in converting passes while on the run, it would be nice to see him sit in the pocket and find receivers. The offensive line also has to do a better job than they did in preseason in opening holes for the run game. And most of all, they have to escape without any major injuries.

• Packers defensive line: It will be interesting to see how this group performs without the services of Cullen Jenkins. With Raji as the base, this group has to stuff the Saints’ potent run game and put pressure on the quarterback if they are going to contain the Saints’ offense tonight. If they can pressure, the defensive backfield will pick off a couple, which could be the difference in the game.

• The return of Jermichael Finley: If the talented tight end can get open down the middle, he could break some big plays. However, McCarthy has to remember what won the team a championship last season – the wide receivers. If he can spread the ball around, establish an adequate running game and control the clock, the Packers will win going away. That all includes getting Finley involved early and often.

• The Packers secondary: Known as one of the best in the league, the Packers defensive backfield will have to earn their money tonight against one of the best quarterbacks in the league, if not one of the best of all time. No doubt, Dom Capers will come up with a solid scheme, but they can’t sit in a shell all night. They have got to be aggressive, take some chances and hope for a tipped ball or two and a bit of luck.

Oh yes, I almost forgot – here’s what Mr. Bowen had to say …

Clipped from: www.nationalfootballpost.com (share this clip)

Both Pierre Thomas and rookie running back Mark Ingram should evenly split carries throughout the contest. Darren Sproles will be deployed much in the same way Reggie Bush was before his departure, as a third down scat back. The Saints went into the offseason with a major goal of establishing the run/pass balance that made them so successful in 2009. I expect Payton to call close to 50% runs tomorrow.

Aaron Rodgers is a fan favorite and a champion. Raymond T. Rivard photograph

Aaron Rodgers talked this afternoon about staying in shape, improving, winning another championship, the lockout, and of course, golf, during an interview with  media leading up to his participation in the 22nd annual American Century Championship golf tournament to be held in Lake Tahoe, Calif., in a couple of weeks.

While looking forward to playing golf in this great tournament, Rodgers also talked a lot about football and told reporters that the Packers are well positioned to possibly earn more than one more championship in the coming four to five years. He said that because of the team’s youth and experience, the sky’s the limit for a team that already has one championship under its belt. (more…)

Aaron Rodgers is an elite QB. Raymond T. Rivard photograph

Bucky Brooks posted an interesting take on Aaron Rodgers today at NFL.com – one that has raised more than one eyebrow among those who have watched the Packers’ quarterback week in and week out since he became a starter three years ago.
Brooks’ entire thesis is built around the opening line of his piece: “Don’t believe the hype.”
What hype? (more…)

After two tough losses, the latter very dissapointing and poorly played, the Packers asserted themselves as the powers they were last year. They didn’t just get by the Bears, who were a game ahead of them–they destroyed them 37-3. Out of all of the people that even picked Chicago to lose, barely any of them (if any) predicted a blowout like this. Kyle Orton was back under center, Matt Forte was running hard, and to top it all off the Bears beat Green Bay twice last year when they went 13-3! Now they were facing a 4-5 team that was struggling with the run, hitting a few bumps with the pass, and giving up tons of ground on the run defensively. This game proved that pre-game analysis and “on paper, this team should win” doesn’t decide every game. Many things that were supposed to happen didn’t happen, and vice versa.

Looking at the numbers going into the game, Forte was looking good for fantasy owners. He was going up against a run defense ranked 28th in the NFL. They Packers also lost linebacker Nick Barnett for the season with a ligament tear. Everyone was in for a surprise, though, when Forte only had 64 yards on 16 carries and never reached the endzone. Who could have expected the Packers defensive to step up that much on the ground? Orton had to go up against one of the best pass defenses in the league, so with Forte shut down the Bears’ offense didn’t really have any legs to run with. Orton only threw 50% with under 150 yards.

Flipping over to the Packers’ side of the story. They were the exact opposite of Chicago. Grant, inconsistent throughout the whole season except the week before (when he ran well against the Minnesota Vikings), was facing a team with a defensive ranked in the Top 5 at stopping the run. Rodgers, on the other hand, would be throwing into one of the NFL’s worst pass-stoppers. Unlike the Bears, though, the rush and pass did great on Sunday. Rodgers went 23-of-30, throwing for 227 yards and two scores. Grant looked like the Ryan Grant of 2007, not the one we’ve been seeing so far. He rushed for 145 yards and had a trip to the endzone on 25 carries.

This game just gave the Packers a huge boost of momentum. Not just the normal feeling a team gets after win; this game meant something. With the Tampa Bay Buccaneers beating the Vikings, Green Bay is in a three-way tie for first place in the NFC North with Chicago and Minnesota. That would seem like a toss-up to the casual fan, but Green Bay is the clear-cut, bet-it-all, if-I’m-wrong-let-me-be-struck-by-lighting pick to win this division. The way they played in Week 11 looked like the way they played all last season. If a young face wasn’t behind the facemask of the quarterback, it would be an exact copy. Minnesota, on the other hand, relies on Adrian Peterson to spark the offense, and teams (including the Packers) have shown he isn’t invincible. Chicago? This game should end all talks for their NFC North bid.

Yes, playing the way they are would make the Packers a hard team to stop, but they’re far from unbeatable and better not get overconfident. The upcoming schedule will throw some problems at them. On Monday Night Football they face the New Orleans Saints, who have the league’s most powerful passing game and a mediocre running game. The Saints’ offensive production will depend on the answer of two questions: 1) Who will play better: the Packers’ pass defense or the Saints passing game, and 2) Who will play worse: the Packers’ rush defense or the Saints running game? New Orleans’ defense is very weak and it should be a field day for Rodgers and Grant, but Green Bay’s defense has to realize they need to stop Drew Brees to finish with a big win.

After that they face the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers are like the Bears: a weak passing game with a good ground attack. Their record, at 8-2, makes them seem like one of the NFL’s biggest teams, but Carolina really hasn’t been getting a lot of spotlight. The reason the Panthers have a better record than New Orleans’ 5-5 mark is that their defense can actually stop teams when they have to. They’re fifth-best at stopping the pass and middle-of-the-pack when it comes to the run.

If Green Bay can pull off wins against both of these teams and achieve a 7-5 record, they could be sitting at the top of their division alone. Right now they just need to take it one game at a time and play every game like it is do-or-die. Why? Well it obviously worked last week.

But what is going on with the Packers? Early season prognosticators would have had them at about 5-3 or 6-2 at this point in the year with a comfortable division lead, not at 4-4. They would not have expected the Packers to lose to the likes of the Atlanta Falcons, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Tennessee Titans. Aaron Rodgers was thought to be the preseason bust; not Ryan Grant. Rookies would not be calling out their quarterback (cough, Jermichael Finley, cough), and the team would be more united after trading Brett Favre to the New York Jets. But the Packers are struggling with these issues. They are forced to take “moral victories” as they did after the Titans loss.

The main problem for the Packers this year has been injuries. Last season, the only major injury I can think of off the top of my head was losing cornerback Charles Woodson for the game against the Dallas Cowboys with a broken toe, a game in which the Packers sorely missed him. The defensive line also had numerous injuries last year, but none to the same magnitude of the Woodson injury. This year, however, the injury tide has turned against the Packers. Woodson hurt his toe again. Al Harris ruptured his spleen. Nick Collins, Aaron Rouse, and Atari Bigby have all been banged up in the secondary. Grant, after reporting to training camp late, hurt his hamstring, an injury he still hasn’t fully recovered from as he has yet to hit his stride. Rodgers suffered a severe shoulder injury in the 30-21 loss to the Buccaneers, but has Favred-up and played through it. The offensive line has been beset by small nagging injuries, such as the ones to Scott Wells and Chad Clifton, causing a lack of unity which could also be affecting Grant’s abilities. Last season, these injuries weren’t a huge problem for the Packers. This year, they have been.

Luckily for the Packers, though, the rest of the NFC North has stumbled. The Vikings, a sexy preseason pick for the Super Bowl (I’m looking at you, Dr. Z), have stumbled to the same 4-4 record as the Packers. Tarvaris Jackson was not the quarterback they (and I) thought he was at the beginning of the season and he has been benched for Gus Frerotte. Adrian Peterson has performed, but he hasn’t had the 295-yard game everyone has been looking for. On a good note for the Vikings, Bernard Berrian, acquired as a deep-threat in the offseason, has been coming on strong; look for a good matchup between Berrian and Harris on Sunday. The Vikings pass defense, thought to have been shored up with the acquisition of Madieu Williams in the offseason, has been an utter failure. Despite the great pass rush generated by the defensive line, they can’t defend the pass game.

The Bears have been a surprise this year.  Lovie Smith gave the job to Kyle Orton and Orton responded nicely, leading the Bears to a 5-3 record so far.  However, Orton suffered an ankle sprain, giving the keys to the offense to everyone’s favorite quarterback, Rex Grossman.  Orton is going to miss at least a week, possibly two, making everyone ask themselves, “Is Sexy Rexy going to rear his ugly head anytime soon?”  For the Packers, hopefully yes.  The Bears have been winning the close ones, hanging in tough and pulling it out at the end.  The Packers have had a little difficulty coming back late in close games, which they will need to do, as the meet the Bears twice in the last eight weeks of the season.  Remember, Chicago swept the Pack in 2007, costing the Packers homefield advantage in the playoffs (not that it mattered anyway).

The Lions.  Ah, the Detroit Lions.  Matt Millen is gone.  Rod Marinelli is still there (for now at least).  What isn’t there is a quarterback.  Jon Kitna‘s season ending injury gave the offense over to Dan Orlovsky.  Who was horrible.  Flat.  Out.  Horrible.  I don’t think I’d seen a worse quarterback in the NFL.  Besides him running out of the back of the end zone in the game against the Vikings, he just didn’t have it.  His throws were lame ducks.  And he couldn’t run a two-minute drill.  Orlovsky trying to drive the Lions downfield at the end of the team’s 25-17 loss to the Washington Redskins on October 26 was one of the most comical things I have ever seen.  It made me want to cry.  And now the Lions are supposedly going to start Daunte Culpepper on Sunday.  Daunte Culpepper.  Yes, that Daunte Culpepper.  It’s ridiculous.  The Detroit Lions have gone from lovable losers (to an extent) to an absolute joke.  It’s not even inept management anymore.  It’s just like God is screwing with the people of Detroit now.  It’s that bad.  They could actually go winless.  I wish they were playing the Cincinnati Bengals this year.  Now that would be a game to watch.

There is a lot of time for the NFC North to shake up, at least the top three spots.  The Packers have four divisional games left this year, and all will be critical to the postseason push.  The schedule doesn’t get any easier, either.  Besides two dates with the Bears, a date in Minneapolis, and the Lions in Lambeau to close out the year, the Packers have games at the New Orleans Saints and Jacksonville Jaguars, along with home dates versus the Carolina Panthers and Houston Texans.  The Saints sit at 4-4 with a dangerous offense consisting of Drew Brees and Reggie Bush and whoever Brees will throw the ball to.  Harris and Woodson will both need to be at full strength for that match, as New Orleans will want to turn it into a track meet.  The Jaguars have disappointed this year at 3-5, but have a dangerous defense and are a superb two-minute drill run by Ben Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh Steelers away from the .500 mark.  Jake Delhomme‘s Tommy John surgery has not had a negative impact on this season, as the Panthers sit atop the NFC South with a 6-2 record.  The Packers are 0-2 against the South so far this year, and will want to even that mark against New Orleans and Carolina.  Finally, the Texans, at 3-5, look like the easiest team remaining on the schedule, but with young playmakers Andre Johnson and Steve Slaton, anything can happen when Houston comes to town.  That being said, the Packers still hope to finish up strong.

Best case scenario for the Packers looks like them finishing 10-6.  The only way into the playoffs looks like through the division crown, as the NFC East teams are tearing up the league and making it difficult for any team to rip a wild-card berth away from that division.  Of course, a 12-4 or a 4-12 finish isn’t out of the question, but 10-6 looks like a happy medium.