After the Packers preseason victory over the Cleveland Browns in which the new defense held the Browns to just 191 total yards, all systems look like a go.  While defensive stalwarts Charles Woodson, Al Harris, and Nick Barnett did not play along with rookies Clay Matthews and B.J. Raji, plus Jeremy Thompson, the defense still looked good, limiting the Browns running game to just 59 yards on the ground.

The Packers offense was also hitting on all cylinders, as the first-team put up 14 points in the first quarter on a 53-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers to Donald Driver on a third down, and a two-yard run by Ryan Grant late in the first quarter.  The running game put up an astounding 230 yards behind a thought to be suspect offensive line.  Rookie running back Tyrell Sutton paced the team with 91 yards on 18 second half rushes.  Kregg Lumpkin, who snuck onto the team in 2008 before suffering a season-ending injury, also have a productive night with 8 rushes for 48 yards.

Granted, this is the preseason, and this is the Cleveland Browns we’re talking about, but last night was a success.  The players are becoming more comfortable in the 3-4 scheme and it showed results (although it was against the Cleveland Browns in the preseason).  The most impressive part is the rushing defense.  Fifty-nine yards is impressive no matter the circumstances.  At various junctures of 2008, the Packers were just gashed by opposing running backs, so to see Jamal Lewis held to 17 yards on 7 carries.

The pass defense also held as well.  Brett Ratliff, an Eric Mangini favorite from the New York Jets, was harrassed all day, as he was sacked three times and only completed 7 of 13 passes for 84 yards and two picks.  Brady Quinn was 7-11 for 68 yards and a pick, while his main competition Derek Anderson was 0-2 with one interception.  The 3-4 held against an offense it should have held against.  Tramon Williams, Charlie Peprah, Anthony Smith, and Desmond Bishop had the interceptions for the Packers.

The most disconcerting aspect of the game was the fact that after two scores by the first team in the first quarter, the Packers didn’t score again the fourth quarter.  Brian Brohm did not play well at all, as he was 3-10 for 18 yards and two picks and a fat passer rating of 0.0.  He is looking more and more like trade bait for a veteran if he doesn’t keep improving.  Matt Flynn was solid, however, completing 5 of 6 throws 50 yards, although he couldn’t find the end zone.

Sure, it’s preseason and you’re playing with second teamers, but you’re playing second teamers (the Cleveland Browns’ second teamers at that).  There should be some offense generated by the offense that does have depth in the running game and the wide receivers.  Where’s the production from Flynn and Brohm?  Both are thought to be capable quarterbacks, but Brohm, who was projected as a high first-round pick had he left school after his junior year) has yet to live up to his potential and Flynn is playing like a third or fourth-round pick, as opposed to the seventh-round pick he is, which is a bit of a plus for the Packers.  Could veteran leadership help solve this issue?  Maybe.  But then again, we’re talking about scoring points in the preseason against the Browns, so it could be a moot point.

Anyhow, the Packers have Terrell Owens and the Buffalo Bills this Saturday, and we’ll have to see how the defense reacts to a team thought to have a potentially explosive offense and see how the offense reacts to a defense that isn’t Cleveland’s.

You can say whatever you want, but it’s all saying the same thing: Brett Favre wants to play.  For the Minnesota Vikings.

We all knew this would come.  After Favre’s retirement, messy divorce from Green Bay, and subsequent trade to the New York Jets, the only reason he was playing was obvious: to stick it to Ted Thompson and the Green Bay Packers organization.  This worked pretty well for Favre for the first half of the season, until the wheels came off the Jets wagon and the team stumbled down the stretch, costing Eric Mangini his job and triggering countless personnel moves (Rex Ryan, Bart Scott, Jim Leonhard from the Baltimore Ravens to New York; Mark Sanchez to New York).

But Favre retired again.  This one wasn’t tearful or as dramatic, but it was a retirement.  We all thought that the issue was finally put to rest, but deep down we knew he’d get that itch again.  And here it comes.

From where I’m sitting, Minnesota wants Favre, and Favre wants Minnesota.  Sage Rosenfels and Tarvaris Jackson, or “Sagvaris Jackenfels” as they are affectionately known as in some circles, won’t cut it for Minnesota.  Many feel the Vikings are a quarterback away from the Super Bowl.  There is a quarterback conveniently available who, if given the right weapons, can carry his team to a whole new level.

For Favre, he desperately wants to stick it to Thompson and the Packers.  As many have already pointed out, the Chicago Bears have Jay Cutler and the Detroit Lions have Matthew Stafford and Daunte Culpepper.  No room for him there.  Most of the other quarterback situations in the NFC are relatively stable, with the exception of the San Francisco 49ers and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but San Fran is years away from competing while Tampa Bay has eight quarterbacks competing for their starting job.  But Minnesota plays Green Bay twice a season, giving Favre two opportunities to stick it to Green Bay.  Minnesota is his best option.

It seems like a match made in heaven (or hell, for Packers fans).  However, Vikings fans should be forewarned.  We saw the carnage left in Favre’s wake in New York.  Mangini lost his job.  GM Mike Tannebaum is on the hotseat, in my opinion.  That organization was turned upside down by the Favre trade and the subsequent effects.

Favre could do the same thing to Minnesota.  If indeed Favre is signed, Brad Childress‘ hotseat gets exponentially warmer.  The personnel people are on the edge of their seats trying to escape the heat.  If Favre fails, wholesale changes go down.  Not to mention the effects Favre’s presence had on chemistry in New York.  Many players resented the fact that Favre could pretty much do what he wanted.  He was reclusive.  He didn’t take the blame for when he cost the team.  Some players, such as Kerry Rhodes, even suggested that Favre take himself out, putting the team before himself.  That never happened in Green Bay.  What makes you think it would have happened in New York.  What makes think it would have happen in Minnesota.

Do you want your players being exposed to this type of cancer now?  While Favre makes the players around him better, he can also bring them down.  Packers fans all remember the start of the 2007 season.  Favre was throwing to this rookie wide receiver from San Jose St. no one had ever heard of named James Jones.  The kid was on a tear.  But then he acquired acute fumble-itis in a Sunday night game in Chicago the Packers ultimately lost.  Favre rarely went back to him for the rest of the season and Jones has returned to that level he was at at the beginning of the 2007 season on only one or two occasions.  Favre lost faith in Jones as a pass catcher and in turn shocked Jones’ confidence.  Imagine the first few times Percy Harvin drops a pass or makes a rookie mistake.  Will Favre chew out the young dope smoker?  Bring his confidence down?  What kind of signal will that send to the rest of the team?

Sure, some of the Vikings say they would be open to Favre coming in to Minnesota.  But how long will they be able to tolerate his “I do what I want” attitude?  It didn’t last long in New York, a team that was overhauled in free agency to “Win Now” in 2008.  Minnesota is in a similar position for 2009.  Whether or not they go all in with Favre remains up in the air.

Also, Favre sent ESPN’s Trent Dilfer a text message reading the following after Dilfer asked him if he would consider playing in 2009:

NO.

In those capital letters.

ESPN’s Kevin Seifert says it best:

All I can tell you is that Favre isn’t returning … today.

Follow The Viking Age for all the latest news from the Vikings front regarding this story.

With the third pick of the 2009 NFL draft, the Kansas City Chiefs select:

Aaron Curry, OLB, Wake Forest

Having addressed their quarterback need in the Matt Cassel trade, look for the Chiefs to address the other side of the ball with the third overall pick.  Todd Haley could be tempted to draft a wide receiver ([Michael] Crabtree) given his coaching history but linebacker remains their most pressing need on defense, besides defensive end.  This being a weak draft for defensive end, linebacker Aaron Curry is the most logical pick for the Chiefs. 

The Chiefs have declined to re-sign starting linebackers Rocky Boiman and Pat Thomas and have released veteran Donnie Edwards making them somewhat thin at the position.  They have traded for Mike Vrabel, which would obviously be a great mentor for the young Curry. 

The Wake Forest product is an absolute must if the Chiefs plan to move to a 3-4 defense, Curry on one side and Derrick Johnson on the other would provide the necessary pass rushing personnel for a team that set the record for the least amount of sacks in a season. 

The Seattle Seahawks are on the clock.

With the fourth pick of the 2009 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks select:

Michael Crabtree, WR, Texas Tech

I don’t really like college football. Any sport that doesn’t have a
playoff system won’t easily win my attention or respect, so I don’t follow
the game that closely. Under normal circumstances, I’d tell you that blogs
like Field Gulls, Seahawk Addicts or Seahawks Draft Blog could give you a
better, more informed opinion than I could.

But these are not normal circumstances, and Michael Crabtree is not a
typical player. Even after addressing our desperate need at WR by signing
T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Seattle will select the best player available: The
game-breaking Crabtree.

As an NFC West fan, I get to watch Larry Fitzgerald torch my Seahawks
twice a year. In 2008, I got the added bonus of watching Fitz almost carry
Arizona to a World Championship. Housh isn’t Fitz. Neither is [Deion] Branch or
[Nate] Burleson… Hell, even Steve Largent wasn’t the dominant big-play threat
that Fitzgerald is right now.

Even with his foot surgery, and even after being revealed as 6’1″ instead
of 6’3″, drafting Crabtree is the best shot the Seahawks will have over
the next few years to get “their Fitzgerald.”

Selecting Crabtree isn’t just a “build for the future” move, either. With
Housh across from him, a (hopefully) healthy Branch in the slot, budding
Pro-Bowler John Carlson at TE, and Matt Hasselbeck throwing the ball,
Crabtree could make an immediate impact as Seattle’s “home run” threat.

The Seahawks aim to return to the top of the NFC West in 2009. Michael
Crabtree is the player most likely to help make that happen in this year’s
draft class.

Our hosts, the Cleveland Browns, are on the clock.

With the fifth pick in the draft, the Cleveland Browns select:

***Rey Maualuga, LB, USC*** 

A big reason behind why we decided to start this mock draft was because we were annoyed at the national media. Most mock drafts on the NFL Network and ESPN has the Browns selecting Malcolm Jenkins.

Sure, the Browns need help on defense and the secondary was inconsistent, but the cornerback position is the least of the team’s problems. In 2008, the Browns defense allowed an average of 151.9 yards rushing per game. The Browns lost to the Bengals 14-0 on Dec. 21 as Cedric Benson ran for 171 yards on 38 carries and back-up quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick was 5-for-9 passing for 55 yards.

First and foremost, the Browns need to look to trade down and obtain some more draft picks. This will prove impossible since that’s the goal of most teams. The Browns also would be interested in Aaron Curry, but he is long gone.
 
With new coach Eric Mangini, the Browns will stick with the 3-4. So linebacker is the Browns’ biggest need in the draft.  The Browns need an edge pass rusher to fill Willie McGinest‘s position, but outside linebacker is one of the deepest positions in this draft.  That brings us to the void in the middle of the defense left by the departure of Andra Davis.

Maualuga is a nasty middle linebacker, the type of player that can bring attitude to a defense that sorely needs an identity. He is built perfectly to line up in the 3-4.  Peter King called him Ray Lewis, Jr. and Jon Gruden said Maualuga is the type of player to build a defense around.

Maualuga is known for his big hits and aggressive style of play. That should fit perfectly on the strong side of the Browns 3-4 defense next to D’Qwell Jackson. Pairing Jackson’s sideline-to-sideline speed with Maualuga’s power behind the mammoth Shaun Rogers, should make the Browns strong up the middle and help them slow down the opposition’s rushing attack.
 
Can you name a Pro Bowl defensive lineman or cornerback from the successful 3-4 defense in Pittsburgh? In Baltimore? No. But you can reel off a list of who’s who of linebackers.  It’s time the Browns start making the some names of their own.

Our AFC North rivals south on I-71, the Cincinnati Bengals, are on the clock.

Three more picks until the Packers are up on the clock.  Who is going to be there for us?

Head coach MIKE MC CARTHY of the Green Bay Packers is the MOTOROLA NFL COACH OF THE WEEK for games played on November 13 – 17, the NFL announced today.

Mike McCarthy and the Green Bay Packers recorded a 37 – 3 win over division rival Chicago Bears. Packers QB Aaron Rodgers completed 23 of 30 passes for 227 yards and two touchdowns and RB Ryan Grant rushed for 145 yards and one touchdown over 25 carries. The Packers offense controlled the ball for more than 37 minutes. Packers CB Charles Woodson recorded one sack and Packers DE Jason Hunter returned a fumble 54 yards for a touchdown.

McCarthy was selected as Motorola NFL Coach of the Week from among three finalists by voters on NFL.com.  The other finalists were head coaches ERIC MANGINI of the New York Jets and MIKE SINGLETARY of the San Francisco 49ers.

In January, voting will be held on NFL.com to determine the Motorola NFL Coach of the Year.

This is McCarthy’s second time winning the award this year, as he also won it Week 7 after the Packers defeated the Indianapolis Colts, 34-14 at Lambeau Field.

Brett Favre wants to make one thing clear: He’s not a wishy-washy, high-maintenance, selfish diva who can’t make up his mind.

Of course Brett, talking to the New York Post like this is the best way to air your grievances.  Let’s see, “wishy-washy.”  I have to admit, you were bawling your eyes out at your retirement.  You do cry a lot.  That could rub people the wrong way with calling you “wishy-washy.”  But then again, crocodile tears might not count against you.  “High-maintenance.”  Hmm.  You know Brett, you did require quite a few press conferences in your days in Green Bay.  But “high-maintenance” probably wasn’t that big of a deal.  You’re the star, sure.  I’ll pass on calling you “high maintenance.”  “Selfish dive who can’t make up his mind.”  Now this is where the real fun starts.  I’m not sure you noticed this Brett, but you held the Packers in limbo for four consecutive offseasons.  Should the Pack start tailoring the offense to Aaron Rodgers?  Oh, wait, nevermind, he’s back.  Sorry Aaron, wait again.  Should I stay in Green Bay?  Should I go?  Where should I go?  Yeah, Brett, you couldn’t make up your mind.

I’m not saying Ted Thompson and Mike McCarthy handled this thing 100% in the clean.  But still, this bitching and moaning should stop.  If I was Eric Mangini or some other dude in the New York Jets organization, I would put a gag order on Favre about questions regarding the Packers.  It’s obvious Favre’s head and heart are in Green Bay, while his body and motor skills are in New York.  If I were the Jets, I’d be worried that he can’t get over this because it could start distracting the team and impact his performance.

The Man-Genius needs to sit down Favre and tell him that he’s not in Kansas anymore.

Brett Favre is gone. To the New York Jets. With the way ESPN was sucking the teet of this story, I just wanted Brett to get traded to end the madness. I remember pushing the Packers to trade Favre to the Jets in July. And I was right. With Favre in New York, Aaron Rodgers is officially the starting quarterback of the Green Bay Packers. I’m still going to wish Favre the best in New York and I’ll probably try to catch a few more Jets games than I would have. That being said, I am NOT becoming a Jets fan. I am NOT buying a Favre Jets jersey. Why not? Because I am a Packers fan. This whole controversy has divided the fans into Packers fans and Favre fans. The Favre fans wanted Brett in Green Bay and wanted him to start over Rodgers. Granted, some Packers fans wanted him to start. But these few did not use the “But he’s Brett Favre!” excuse to have him start. I think Rodgers can lead the team to a ten-win season. I can hear the Favre fans jumping on the Jets bandwagon.

This was an ugly affair, but nothing really comes that easy in the NFL. We all knew he would have somewhat of an “itch” to come back. I can safely say that I am glad he is gone and that the organization can move on.

Now that Favre is in New York, the Jets have all of a sudden gone from pretenders to contenders. But are they really going to be able to make the playoffs in the AFC? I’m going to say no. First off, the AFC is crowded with teams with playoff potential. In the AFC East with the Jets, there are the New England Patriots and the Buffalo Bills. The Bills are one of my sleeper teams for the 2008. They could definitely sneak into the playoffs in the wild-card. In the AFC North, the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns will duel for the division title and the AFC South has four teams that finished at or above .500 in 2007 and two wild-card teams in the Jacksonville Jaguars and Tennessee Titans. As usual the Indianapolis Colts are in the driver’s seat for that division while I could definitely see the Houston Texans overtaking the Titans in the division. As for the AFC West, the San Diego Chargers seem to have it under wraps, but never count out the Denver Broncos. There are eleven teams (including the Jets) that I just counted that have the potential to make the playoffs. It’s crowded.

The supporting cast around Favre in New York is remarkably different from the cast in Green Bay.  The offensive line has young building blocks in D’Brickashaw Ferguson at left tackle and Nick Mangold at center.  Alan Faneca and Damien Woody could fall under the classification of old and overpaid, but it is safe to say that Favre is playing behind a solid offensive line.  In the backfield, Thomas Jones has not lived up to his potential in New York.  He has hit the 1,000-yard mark multiple times, but he has split a lot of time with Leon Washington.  Together they form a good combination, but neither of them have been able to match the support Favre got from Ryan Grant down the stretch last year.  The wide receivers in New York are average as well.  Laveranues Coles and Jerricho Cotchery are solid, but are totally different from the wide receivers Favre had in Green Bay.  Favre had speed in Green Bay.  Now he has to adjust to possession.  With the speed receivers, Favre did not need as much protection from the offensive line as Donald Driver and Greg Jennings could get off of the line fast.  Against a good bump-n-run defense that’s putting pressure on him, Favre could have some trouble.  Brad Smith does provide some speed, but fact is he is taking forever to develop into a wide receiver.  Favre also has long-time Packers teammate Bubba Franks in New York, but there is a reason that the Packers let Bubba go.  He’s aging and his production has declined.  He may be able to rejuvenate in New York along with Favre, but it is hard to tell.

On the defensive side of the ball, the it is quite possible that the Jets could like total fools this year.  The secondary is solid with Justin Miller, Darrelle Revis, and star safety Kerry Rhodes, while Eric Smith made four starts in 2007.  The linebacking corps could have some questions.  The Jets shipped Jonathan Vilma to the New Orleans Saints in the offseason, clearing the way for David Harris to take over in the middle.  Eric Barton is aging somewhat in the middle with Harris while Vernon Gholston will push Bryan Thomas on the outside.  The riskiest linebacker signing in the offseason was Calvin Pace, whom the Jets threw a lot of money at and who has had only one good season which happened to be 2007.  In the defensive line, the Jets acquired Kris Jenkins from the Carolina Panthers.  With this, the Jets put a 4-3 DT in the nose tackle position of a 3-4 defense.  Hmm.  Eric Mangini could know something.  The defensive ends are nothing stellar as well.  Fact is, it’s hard to tell if these signings are going to pay off for the Jets.

Everyone seems to have guaranteed the Jets a playoff spot.  They seem to forget, however, that they could be stuck with the 2005 and 2006 version of Brett Favre, which was absolutely awful.  Was 2007 a fluke?

I really want to wish the best of luck to Favre.  So there.

Good luck, Brett.  You’ll always be a Packer.

Presumably, the Packers don’t really want Favre back after all that’s happened. Essentially, their message is they aren’t going to free him to sign with any of the league’s other 31 teams — especially not NFC North division rivals Minnesota, Chicago or Detroit — and he won’t be given his starting job back if he returns to Green Bay.

The most likely scenario would have Favre petitioning the league for reinstatement and the Packers trading him to an AFC team, or at least an NFC team outside the division. Among the teams that fit that profile are the Miami Dolphins, Baltimore Ravens, Kansas City Chiefs, New York Jets, Carolina Panthers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Washington Redskins.

The Packers’ best-case scenario, in which Favre would’ve simply stayed retired, almost certainly won’t happen. The Packers went so far as to send an intermediary down to Mississippi last week to try to talk Favre into staying retired, but their attempt failed.

The Wisconsin State Journal’s article puts serious contenders for Favre out there for the first time in a while. But would these really help Brett Favre? He obviously wants to go to a contender and the Minnesota Vikings are rumored to be his top choice (which means he’s looking to follow Darren Sharper and Ryan Longwell), but Minnesota most likely isn’t going to happen. Do these really give Favre a chance to be a winner though?

The Miami Dolphins were 1-15 last year and are starting from the ground up. They have a new coach in Tony Sparano and a new head man in Bill Parcells. If Favre wants to win, Miami would probably not be the best option. Parcells and Sparano are getting reputations as strictly business, given their run-in with superstar-turned-wanna-be-actor Jason Taylor. A Taylor-for-Favre swap is pretty intriguing, but I don’t think that’s what Taylor wants and Favre wants a winner, but I don’t see the Dolphins turning into playoff contenders right away. Right now, John Beck, Chad Henne, and Josh McCown are the quarterbacks on the roster for the Dolphins. Beck started last year and had a lot of trouble adjusting to the pro-game. He could have been Cam Cameron‘s quarterback of the future, but with Parcells coming in, his future is up in the air. Parcells used a high draft pick on Henne, who could be Parcells’ “guy” while McCown is the veteran in the mix. McCown also happens to be a friend of the Packers family, along with Nathan Poole, for knocking the Vikings out and Packers into the playoffs in (I think) 2003. God, I love opening old wounds. So the Dolphins do not look that likely if Favre wants to win. If he wants to play and end up on MediCare, he can go for it.

The Baltimore Ravens would be the worst situation for me besides an NFC North team. I may be in the Baltimore area, but I do not like the Ravens. Besides the personal anguish this would cost me, the Ravens cannot quite afford Favre. Right now the Packers have 2008 first round pick Joe Flacco, 2006 Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith, and bust Kyle Boller. The Ravens are also reeling from the Steve McNair-era where they were at the mercy of an aging quarterback on the downside of his career. I have read many columnists in the Baltimore-area newspapers, and it’s clear they do not want Favre. They know that on the heels of a 5-11 season that they need to rebuild and devote time and confidence to either Flacco or Smith, something they did not do with Boller. The only way to get their quarterbacks better and to put themselves in a position to win in the future would be to let Flacco and Smith play and become experienced.

I pretty much covered the Chiefs, one of the most inept franchises in history. But they can still have fantasies. Like this one. And this one. And finally this one.

The Jets are intriguing. Favre is older than head coach Eric Mangini. Kellen Clemens looks like he could be a good quarterback if he is given time to play, which wouldn’t happen if Favre joined the team. Chad Pennington is still on the team and he has had some pretty good moments in his time in the Big Apple. I’m no Jets expert, but this scenario is pretty mysterious. Who knows here. I just don’t know whether Favre would want to play for a team coming off a losing season.

It seems like every year Sports Illustrated picks the Panthers to win the Super Bowl. But it doesn’t happen. They are mired in the .500-ball heave that is the NFC South. The team does not have many offensive weapons outside of Steve Smith and at times last year, it seemed like they could not do anything right. Sure, they played in Super Bowl XXXVIII. But that feels like ancient history.  Also, the Panthers seems set with Jake Delhomme as their signal caller.

Tampa Bay is quarterback heaven. Jon Gruden is apparently tight with Favre because of the days of the Holmgren regime.  But seriously, how many quarterbacks on the roster?  Jeff Garcia, Brian Griese, Luke McCown, Chris Simms, and rookie Josh Johnson.  They’ve got about every type in there.  Let’s add aging-gunslinger to that category.  The Bucs won the division in 2007, but the fact that they won it at 9-7 leaves no guarantee for them to be a winner in 2008.  Not seeing Favre here.

The Redskins are another interesting possibility.  They’ve got plenty of money (aka Dan Snyder) and a young quarterback in Jason Campbell.  The Redskins know what they are doing with Campbell by letting him play last year.  The only reason a player can get better is by playing.  And he got better as the season went on before he got hurt and Todd Collins led the team to the playoffs.  The Skins have been down this road before with Mark Brunell.  I don’t think that worked too well.

So there we have it.  I’d say Favre doesn’t have any really good options out there.  Anywhere he went (Minnesota included) he would get in the way of the development of a team.