This is one of the lasting images we have of Erik Walden. Today he signed a 4-year free agent contract with the Indianapolis Colts.
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Dear Mr. Jim Irsay,

I know you play a mean guitar and are a kind of unique individual. You also have a pretty good football team over there in Indy, but you haven’t watched the tape of the Green Bay Packers vs. San Francisco 49ers playoff game last year, have you? Especially the tape on the guy you just signed – that OLB by the name of Erik Walden?

No, I didn’t think so.

You see, the lasting image us Packers fans have is of Walden being sucked waaay inside and 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick blowing by him through the hole he once occupied and running for a whole bunch of yards untouched for the touchdown … and it wasn’t the first time it had happened to Walden.

Aside from the fact that Walden also had an incident with his girlfriend and the law, he’s probably a really great guy. But you better be sure about that. Since that incident a couple of years ago, he hasn’t played the same.

But that’s OK … it’s OK that you signed him to a four-year contract for $16 million … but really? You spent that much on a guy who between 2008 and 2010 bounced around between the Miami Dolphins and Kansas City Chiefs and then was out of football before the Packers picked him up off the street? The only reason the did was because they were plumb out of guys to play linebacker.

During that stretch late in 2010 and through the playoffs and Super Bowl Walden played pretty well. But it was all downhill from there. He did have six sacks over the past two years, as well as 68 tackles and 38 assists. Pretty good, but not worth $4 million per year, if you ask me.

But it’s your football team. It’s your money.

I guess all I’ve got to say is good luck. Hope it all works out.

Oct 7, 2012; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers throws a pass against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium. Indianapolis defeated Green Bay 30-27. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-US PRESSWIRE

“Luck outplays The MVP” … “Is Luck more Clutch than Rodgers?” … “Luck the next Rodgers? No he’s better”

I have been reading headline after headline, and each seem more ridiculous than the last.

It’s time to set the record straight

Say all you want about Dom Capers and his suspect defense, our leaky offensive Line, or lack of a running game and you will hear no argument from me.

Say Andrew Luck outplayed Aaron Rodgers, or that he is more clutch then Aaron Rodgers and those are fighting words!

Yes, Luck brought his team back from being down 21-0 in just his fourth professional game and while that was impressive, it does not mean he outplayed Rodgers.

Don’t just take it from me, let’s look at the numbers.

Rodgers, who seemed to be under constant pressure most of the game threw for 243 yards, 3 touchdowns, completed 64 percent of his passes and had a passer rating of 103.5. He was also Green Bay’s leading rusher with 57 yards.

Luck, while pressured early, forgot what a pass rush was during the second half (and no one on Green Bay reminded him). As a result he had a career high 362 yards, but threw the ball 55 times, completed 56 percent of his passes and had only a 81.0 passer rating.

Sometimes stats can be misleading. This is not one of those times.

Rodgers played outstanding considering the circumstances. He was also without three starters on offense (four if you count Jordy Nelson’s magical disappearing act in the second half).

There were communication problems, penalties, sacks, you name it. Despite all this, Rodgers still drove his team 47 yards in the final 35 seconds to give them a chance to send the game into overtime.

Unfortunately, like his offensive line, receivers, and entire defense, Mason Crosby let him down, too … et tu Brute?

Luck made some good plays, and it was a great story, one for Hollywood. But it was a team effort by the Colts, not Luck, that outplayed Rodgers and wrote this script.

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Oct 7, 2012; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts cornerback Cassius Vaughn (32) breaks up a pass intended for Green Bay Packers wide receiver Jordy Nelson (87) at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-US PRESSWIRE

By Bill Walton

The Packers came up short in a tough three-point loss to the Indianapolis Colts this afternoon.

The score does not tell the story.

In fact, the score could well have been more like 41-30 in favor of the Packers. Dropped passes, dropped interceptions, and missed opportunities marred a game that, on paper, should have been a romp for the Packers over the Colts.

As they say, that’s why they play the games.

But look a little closer and it’s easy to see how the Packers played, and lost, this game.

Charles Woodson and Tramon Williams both had their hands on passes that they could, maybe even should, have picked off.  Missed tackles in both the backfield and downfield seemed to come at the worst possible times, allowing the Colts to sustain offensive drives.

The Packers secondary allowed Colts WR Reggie Wayne to have the best game (13 catches for 212 yards and a touchdown) of his long career. It seemed whenever the Colts needed a big pass play, Wayne was somehow open.

A sack fumble by Nick Perry was rightly, if not popularly ruled roughing because Perry hit Andrew Luck with his helmet first. Pre-snap penalties also came at inopportune times and kept Colts drives alive or slowed down Packers drives.

The Packers offensive line allowed Rodgers to be sacked too many times, including twice in a row during their next-to-final drive of the game. Rodgers also coughed up another interception when he tried to force the ball to Finley on the sidelines.

Packers receivers dropped passes that were catchable. Packers cornerback Sam Shields, whose tackling and pass defense were both improved in this game, was wrongly called for defensive pass interference, lending more credence to the concept that NFL referees, replacement or regular, need to be sent back to school for remedial OPI/DPI instruction.

Three packers were injured and did not return to the game. Running back Cedrick Benson (ankle), defensive tackle B.J. Raji (lower leg), and tight end Jermichael Finley (shoulder) all went down in the game. And two missed field goals, one early in the second half and one that could have tied the game and sent it to overtime, were opportunities missed.

This game certainly featured some positive plays for the Packers. Aaron Rodgers used his wheels to pick up several long gains, and led the team in rushing.

When Rodgers had time to throw he was able to work the ball downfield. His second quarter touchdown pass to Randall Cobb was a great pass only a few quarterbacks could make.  Running back Alex Green had a nice 41-yard run to set up the final Packers touchdown.

Defensive lineman Mike Neal, added to the roster after coming off his suspension, logged his fist sack of the season. Punter Tim Masthay had another solid game, at one point launching a punt that went 70 yards in the air from the Packers end zone and averaging 43.3 net yards on seven punts in the game.

Rookie cornerback Casey Hayward picked off a pass intended for Reggie Wayne to stop a Colts drive late. Charles Woodson had a couple of big passes defensed, as did Tramon Williams and Shields. And we got to yell KUUUUUHHHN as John Kuhn scored the Packers first touchdown on the ground behind the left side of the offensive line.

It’s easy to say, and some will, that the Colts didn’t beat the Packers – the Packers beat the Packers. The feeling during the first half was that despite some problems, they were able to overcome and the Packers had control of the game.

Leading 21-3 at halftime and with possession first in the second half, the Packers should have come out and run off a long drive to go up 28-3. Then they could have kept the pressure on with a strong lead.

That didn’t happen.

Rather, the Colts did everything they needed to do to pull this game out. With a couple of exceptions, notably the two-play go-ahead touchdown drive in the fourth quarter, especially on offense the Packers looked like a different team, with problems they couldn’t overcome, in the second half.  That is what happened.

There is room for improvement.  The Packers know it.  The fans know it.

Here’s to making those improvements, because they’ll be needed when the Packers visit Houston next Sunday night to take on the 4-0 Texans.

GO PACK!

The editor of that fine fansided.com site tells us below.

Check it out before kickoff.

By J.M. NICHOLAS

The Indianapolis Colts will face a tall task, both mentally and physically, when they take the field against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday. Not only will the Colts be facing one of the best teams in the NFL, they will be doing it without their head coach. Coach Chuck Pagano will be sidelined for most of the season, after recently being diagnosed with a treatable form of leukemia. The Colts will do their best to try and win one for Chuck, but it will take more than motivation to best Green Bay.

The Packers come into Lucas Oil Stadium ready to stomp on a Colts team that has looked less-than stellar so far this season.

The Colts secondary is beat-up and thin, which could prove poisonous against one of the most high-powered offenses in the league. The NFL MVP and his deadly stable of receivers could possibly pick apart a depleted Colts defense early and often.

Green Bay linebacker Clay Matthews already has seven sacks in four games, which is more than he had all of last season. A Rookie quarterback and a suspect offensive line could easily buckle underneath the barrage from Green Bay.

Andrew Luck might put up some good fantasy numbers in garbage time, but it may be too little and too late. Despite the oppositions form interim head coach Bruce Arians, the Cheese Heads could very well swamp over and clamp down upon this young Colts team at Lucas Oil Stadium on Sunday.

Prediction – Packers 33, Colts 19

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Green Bay Packers nose tackle B.J. Raji (90) must give the Packers defense a boost today against the Colts and Andrew Luck. Michael Hickey-US PRESSWIRE

By Jerry Bulone

Why is everyone worried about the Green Bay Packers‘ offense this year?

Last time I checked we had the reigning MVP, great weapons, and now a workhorse back. Believe me, the Packers will be fine.

Even if someone was going to stop us this week, it wouldn’t be the Indianapolis Colts. The only way to truly stop Aaron Rodgers is to pressure him, early and often.

The Colts are ranked twenty-third in sacks and may be missing Dwight Freeney. They are also missing two contributors of their secondary. Dan Devine’s early 70s Packers teams could throw on the Colts this Sunday.

So the only real question is on the defensive side.  The Packers defense gave up only 467 yards passing combined the first three games of the season only to give up 446 to Brees and his Saints last Sunday.

Why did this happen?

It’s pretty simple, the Saints were the first team the Packers faced that could throw the football well (before that, the best was the Bears, currently ranked twenty-fourth). Lucky for us the Colts are more like our first three opponents than the Saints.

Finally there is the “win one for the gipper” factor. My heart goes out to Coach Pagano. That being said, I always felt this was a little overrated.

As a former player (Division 2 college …. still counts) I can atest that most players forget about everything outside the sidelines once the whistle blows. However, you do have extreme circumstances (Favre against the Raiders, for one), and this would certianly qualify as such.

BOTTOM LINE – The Colts will be motivated, but they just don’t have the Horses … yet.

Score 35-24 PackersFive things guaranteed to happen:

1. Aaron Rodgers QB rating will be greater than 100;

2. Andrew Luck will throw for 300 yards or more;

3. Cedric Benson will make you forget even more about James Starks, or any other running back on the roster;

4. Packers defense will create more than one turnover; and

5. One defensive lineman for the Colts will imitate the “belt” celebration after sacking Aaron Rodgers.

Aaron Rodgers will be key to the Packers avoiding a trap game against the Indianapolis Colts

By Bill Walton

The Packers take their roadshow to Indianapolis on Sunday to face the Colts.

At 1-2 and coming off their early-season bye week, the Colts should not be looked upon as anything other than a dangerous, perhaps even desperate, team. The old “any given Sunday” adage certainly seems to fit this game. Several Colts starters are out with injuries. Unable to go for the Packers game are cornerbacks Vontae Davis and Justin King, linebacker Pat Angerer, and guards Joe Reitz and Seth Olsen. Linebacker Dwight Freeney is questionable and doesn’t think he can go. Indy’s first-year head coach Chuck Pagano is undergoing treatment for Leukemia.

The emotional impact of Pagano’s absence from the game may be an underappreciated intangible in the Colts’ favor. Hurting both physically and emotionally, the Colts will probably be overmatched physically but their intensity level will probably be sky-high.

The Packers come into the Colts game with a 2-2 record. With only receiver Greg Jennings ruled out for the game they are as healthy as they have been all season. Jennings’ absence will mean that the remaining receivers, widely judged to be the best crew in the NFL, will have to pick up the slack. They have done so in the past. The offense can also rely on their newfound ability to reliably run the football, courtesy of one Cedric Benson. Aaron Rodgers should be able to work the ball to his receivers downfield effectively thanks to a vulnerable Colts pass defense. The Packers defense, tested but not bested by Drew Brees and New Orleans last week, will face rookie quarterback Andrew Luck. Veteran safety Charles Woodson has had consistent success playing against rookie quarterbacks. The defense in general has shown a much-improved pass rush. Tackling has also improved. It all adds up to what, at least on paper, seems like a beatdown coming down in Indianapolis this weekend. As long as the Packers don’t play “down” to the level of their opponent, they should come out of this game at 3-2 looking up at Houston next Sunday night.

One interesting news item coming out of Indy is that interim head coach Bruce Arians has expressed concern about how well the Packers fans travel when the Packers are on the road.

This has been illustrated many times over the years. It’s not uncommon to hear chants of “Go Pack GO” and loud cheering for successful Packers plays in road stadiums around the league. Arians probably needs to try to control what he can control. Packer fans travel well. They’ll show up in droves, and they’ll try to take over Lucas Oil Stadium on Sunday. Deal with it.

On a personal note, good luck, spirits up, and fight’s on to Chuck Pagano. Your most important fight has just begun, but it’s a fight you can win.

Ryan Grant is most likely moving on to another team, but has yet to be signed. Raymond T. Rivard photograph

Ryan Grant, the former number one running back with the Green Bay Packers, has fallen off not only the Packers’ radar, but everyone else’s – or so it seems.

But in an interview recently with the National Football Post, Grant’s agent, Alan Herman, said. In fact, that Grant will be playing for a National Football League team before it’s said and done – but it most likely won’t be for the Packers.

The Packers’ leading rusher before his season-ending injury in 2010, Grant made a comeback last year and played side-by-side with fellow running back James Starks. In fact, running as a tandem for the team, Starks and Grant put up nearly identical numbers – Grant had 559 yards and two rushing touchdowns on 134 carries, while Starks had 578 and two touchdowns on one less rushing attempt before ending his year with a knee injury against Tampa Bay.

The Packers also lost last year’s rookie Alex Green midway through the year to a knee injury and ended the year playing Grant and rookie Brandon Saine.

Considered the best free agent running back available, Grant’s agent has said there have been some offers, but they haven’t been attractive enough for him. One of the teams interested is the Detroit Lions, but others mentioned have been the Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, Denver Broncos, Indianapolis Colts and even his former team, the New York Giants.

Whomever takes a chance on Grant will get a 29-year-old running back who doesn’t have a lot of mileage on his legs. In my estimation, Grant has at least a couple more seasons in the tank. He can be a value to both the running game and the passing attack.

However, for the Packers, they must feel confident in moving ahead with Starks and Green, with Saine also in the mix – and because the role of the running back is becoming somewhat diminished in today’s pass-first offenses, re-signing a premier running back hasn’t become a priority for many teams.

But for Grant and his agent, they aren’t worried.

“He’s not upset. He’s not nervous,” Herman said. “We’re going to be patient and wait for the right opportunity.”

Newly-signed Packers center Jeff Saturday. Jason O. Watson-US PRESSWIRE

This past week, the Green Bay Packers landed their first significant free agent in years, Jeff Saturday. Taking a look back on the week’s happenings, we’ve included some stories that have focused on the signing of Saturday.

Take a step back and enjoy what everyone’s been saying about the deal.

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Jeff Saturday (left, 63) worked with Peyton Manning as the Colts' center for more than a decade. Having to tell Manning that he chose the Packers over his Broncos was difficult. Raymond T. Rivard photograph

When Jeff Saturday made his decision to join the Green Bay Packers, the first person he reached out to was his longtime Indianapolis Colts teammate and friend, Peyton Manning.

“Peyton is a close friend and I loved playing with him,” Saturday told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “I loved the time we spent together. It was the most difficult call I’ve ever made. I told him before anyone else that I was going to Green Bay.”

Manning had pushed hard to get Saturday signed on to play in Denver with his new team, the Broncos.

But Saturday was rightfully looking out for himself. The fit, he said, in Denver just wasn’t right. He admitted that he felt like he would be second fiddle in the Mile High City and realized that he was highly appreciated and sought after by the Packers’ brass.

“I told him [Manning] I don’t think the Broncos wanted me as much as he did. They’ve got things going on that they’re happy with and are moving forward with and I didn’t think it was an exact fit. I always felt like in Green Bay I was their very first choice.”

And right he is. With the loss of starter Scott Wells to the St. Louis Rams, Ted Thompson and Mike McCarthy faced a huge hole right in the middle of their offensive line. Signing a player like Saturday was crucial to the team. Thompson and McCarthy knew that drafting and developing for such an important position wasn’t the right way to go. They needed to fill the position with someone who had experience … and they needed to fill it immediately. Saturday was the perfect choice.

It was a win-win for the Packers and for Saturday. Not only do the Packers get a player with 13 years of experience, a perennial all-pro and an individual who will lead by example on the field and in the locker room, but Saturday gets to play for a team where he’s wanted; a team that continues to be on the rise.

Not only that, but the Packers got him signed to a two-year deal that will pay him adequately, but far less than the inflated salary Wells accepted in St. Louis. Thompson hit a home run on this one. He was smart in letting Wells move on and he gets an equal, if not better player while having the luxury of still drafting for the future. If the Packers can get two years out of Saturday, it could turn out to be one of Thompson’s best deals ever.

“They have a great offensive line and some really good, young players,” Saturday said. “They won 15 games last year; it’s not like I have to add a lot to it. But I think I can offer leadership, and being a veteran I can help the offensive line blossom into players they want to be.”

Amen, Jeff, Amen.

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When the Packers signed center Jeff Saturday this week they upended the draft strategy - negating the need to draft an offensive lineman like Bryan Bulaga. Now the team can concentrate on its most pressing need - defense. Howard Smith-US PRESSWIRE

The eyebrows of general managers across the NFL must have collectively risen late this week when it was announced that their Green Bay brethren had done something that has been become increasingly rare in the Ted Thompson era: He completely changed the Packers draft strategy by signing a starting-caliber center, Jeff Saturday, formerly of the Indianapolis Colts.

Since losing Scott Wells to the St. Louis Rams in free agency, draft experts and pretty much every Packer fan expected that in 2012 the high-powered Packers offense would have to downshift to allow for the inclusion of a rookie center. Packers fans are accustomed to the Packers philosophy of ‘draft and develop.’

In the case of Wells leaving, however, the Packers did not have a ‘developing’ player to plug into the hole. The contract given to Jeff Saturday is a two-year deal, allowing the Packers to draft a center with the body type they prefer (recent reports have suggested that the Packers thought Wells too small to be an effective center) in the later rounds of this year’s draft.

So, earlier in the week, it looked like center had overtaken the need to go big on defense early in the 2012 draft. Now, the Packers can dedicate at least the first 2 rounds (I would go first three rounds) to their defensive deficiencies at defensive end and outside linebacker.

Much like the Packers’ 1999 draft, in which they selected three cornerbacks in a row to start the draft (Antuan Edwards, Fred Vinson and Mike McKenzie) in order to fill a huge hole at cornerback (and try to stop Randy Moss), the Packers need to do the same with this draft and selected a combination of at least three to four defensive ends and outside linebackers, hoping that at least one of them contributes immediately. Then the Packers can tackle the center position and grab a backup safety and another cornerback.

Remember, because the Packers lost so many high profile free agents last summer, they are due to receive up to four extra selections as compensation, giving them a total of 11 picks. This will allow them to re-stock some positions as they look to eventually replace starters like Ryan Pickett, Greg Jennings, Charles Woodson, John Kuhn and others in the span of the next two to three years.

So, let’s recap – assuming that no other starting-caliber players are signed, the Packers need to address the DE and OLB positions with the first three to four picks. Then the Packers should grab a center, a safety and a cornerback. If they see a running back or fullback they like, they should grab one toward the fifth round. In the seventh round, with likely three picks, they should go DT, WR and take a flyer on one more DE or OLB.

Of course, I’m sure no fan would be upset if Thompson traded up for either a better first round pick or for an extra second round pick to really find a stud outside linebacker.

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Tony Mandarich has gone from first round draft choice by the Green Bay Packers to successful businessman.

We all know Mandarich as a failure, a bust who was selected one pick ahead of Barry Sanders in the 1989 NFL Draft. Mandarich survived three unimpressive seasons with the Packers before dropping out of football for several years and then making a solid comeback to play three years with the Indianapolis Colts. A shoulder injury permanently ended his career.

But Imig takes us beyond the hype, the bust and the man many believed was an uncontrollable, maniacal player who once called Green Bay a “village.”

Though not well liked among Green Bay fans, those who feel that way should take a look at Imig’s column. He talks to Mandarich, to one of his employees and even to former Packers Hall of Fame safety LeRoy Butler to paint a much deeper and understanding picture.

Mandarich is a dedicated business owner, a husband and a former NFL player who has worked hard in establishing his business and even harder in keeping it going.

This is an interesting and thorough look at a former player who is grateful for the opportunity, but has taken his failure one step further by succeeding in life.

Take a look at this post. I’m certain you will come away with a much better feeling about Tony Mandarich. Something that I’m sure you’ll feel good about and something that Tony Mandarich would appreciate.

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Robert Griffin III will be all smiles when he is selected by the Washington Redskins with second overall pick in this year's draft. Brian Spurlock-US PRESSWIRE

Though the deal can’t be officially completed until the start of the league season Tuesday, March 13, it was confirmed by multiple news sources Friday night that the Washington Redskins have traded for the number two pick in this year’s draft from the St. Louis Rams.

The Rams, who own the second slot in the draft, will get a king’s ransom for the pick, but on the flip side the Redskins will get the chance to pick the enormously talented Robert Griffin III. For the Baylor quarterback, the Redskins will give up first- and second-round selections this year, plus first-round picks in 2013 and 2014.

Yes, folks, that’s three first round and one second round picks.

With the opportunity to sign former Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning looking dead for the Redskins, Washington brass put the huge offer on the table to get the shot at RGIII.

The trade solidifies the first two spots in this year’s draft as the Colts are slated to pick Stanford QB Andrew Luck and the Redskins set to pick Griffin. The Minnesota Vikings, at number three, will most likely pick an offensive lineman or wide receiver.

See the highlight video of RGIII below …

But before you watch, take a click on over to Like Lombardiave.com on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.

Mar 7, 2012; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning speaks at a press conference announcing his departure from the team at the Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-US PRESSWIRE

Peyton Manning’s emotional goodbye to his boss Jim Irsay and the fans of the Indianapolis Colts was nice to watch, but the tears dried as soon as the cameras stopped rolling and Manning was on his flight home to Florida.

Another thing that was certain after the press conference in Indiana was that Manning would be working someplace else this coming season.

But where? The speculation began and the teams began lining up with offers.

Talk about a mad rush …

So, just where will Manning land?

You be the judge and tell us.

Profootballtalk.com just tweeted that the Colts have fired Head Coach Jim Caldwell.

What that will mean for the team and Peyton Manning will all play out in the near future as team officials work to hire a new head man. It also makes one wonder how many of the Packers assistants will be tabbed for interviews. Stay tuned.

The PFT tweet is below

@ProFootballTalkProFootballTalk

The Packers faithful should be excited about next year's schedule

The 2011 regular season just ended, so it’s time for all but the 12 teams in the NFL Playoffs to start thinking about next season.

So, without further adieu, the league announced next season’s schedule.

Frankly, if the Green Bay Packers nearly went 16-0 this year, their schedule next year shows even greater favor … at least on paper.

While the Packers will play the always-tough divisional foes in the Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings, they will also play teams from the AFC South (yawn) in addition to NFC division winners San Francisco 49ers, New Orleans Saints and New York Giants.

But they also have on their schedule home games against Arizona, Jacksonville, and Tennessee. Road games will include St. Louis, Seattle, Houston and Indianapolis.

The full home and away schedule is below; exact dates and times will be determined later. However, the league did announce that the regular season would kick off Thursday, Sept. 6, and conclude Dec. 30.

Super Bowl XLVII will be played Sunday, Feb. 3, 2013, at the New Orleans Superdome.

See the Packers 2012 full schedule after the jump.

(more…)

Tony Dungy, photographed when he was still coach of the Colts, thinks the Detroit Lions organization should shoulder some of the blame for Ndamukong Suh's behavior on the field.

Tony Dungy, the former NFL coach-turned-broadcaster with NBC Sports, has come out and said that the Detroit organization should shoulder some of the blame for the actions of Ndamukong Suh.

Suh’s stomping of Green Bay Packers right guard Evan Dietrich-Smith has raised the ire of many fans, players and coaches around the league and will result in a fine and probably a suspension from Commissioner Roger Goodell.

In addressing the situation, Dungy said on the Dan Patrick Show, “I really have to fault the Detroit organization. I think they really could have stopped this.”

No doubt the former Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Indianpolis coach is right. Suh has been a loose canon since his rookie season last year and well before that in college and even high school, according to some.

We here at Lombardiave.com feel that a suspension of at least two games is warranted for Suh and not only because of this latest incident against a Packers player. The fines for several other dirty incidents raises a red flag above the normal “aggressive” play.

A message needs to be sent loud and clear to Mr. Suh and it starts with the commissioner and should be emphasized by the Lions organization, as Dungy says. Dungy is absolutely correct. Encouraging a player to use their skills to be aggressive is one thing. For that player to take it to the lowest level is uncalled for and requires swift and immediate action.

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Can we finally put to an end the talk of Brett Favre playing again in the NFL? Raymond T. Rivard photograph

The announcement appropriately comes during Bears Week …

The notorious “Bears Killer,” Brett Favre, will no longer be tossing footballs around NFL stadiums – at least not this weekend – probably pleasing Bears, Vikings and Lions fans immensely.

The announcement that Favre’s alma mater, Southern Mississippi, has called and given him the opportunity to do something with his weekends is welcomed by all NFL fans. He will be the color commentator for the CSS broadcast of the school’s Oct. 1 game against Rice.

That means that there will be at least one weekend when his name won’t be floated as a fill-in quarterback on some NFL team in need of a signal-caller. The most recent floating of his name came last week when a Colts’ columnist wrote that Favre would be a good person to call to fill that team’s QB position.

The real question is this: Will he be offered a full-time job as a broadcaster, thus putting to an end once and for all any talk of the ancient one making another comeback out of NFL retirement?

We hope so.

Packers president Mark Murphy leads a team that is worth about $1 billion. Raymond T. Rivard photograph

Well, according to a Forbes recently published annual report, the Dallas Cowboys are worth $1.85 billion, making Jerry Jones’ team the most valuable of all American franchises, valued just less than England’s Manchester United’s $1.9 billion.

The New York Yankees are valued at $1.7 billion, according to Forbes.

According to the report that was recently highlighted on ESPN, other NFL teams in the top five in value are as follows: Washington Redskins ($1.55 billion); New England Patriots ($1.4 billion); New York Giants ($1.3 billion); and New York Jets ($1.223 billion).

These numbers were based on 2010 factors and showed that the Giants recorded the largest increase at 10 percent, mainly because of the team’s move into the new Meadowlands. The Jets, which shares that stadium with the Giants, showed a 7 percent single season increase.

As might be expected, the Packers, last season’s Super Bowl champion, also showed a hefty 7 percent increase in overall value.

However, when compared with the entire league, the Packers could be seen as nothing more than “average.”

The Packers are lumped together with 15 other teams that have a value of about $1 billion. In addition to the Packers, other teams in that group are Houston, Philadelphia, Chicago, Baltimore, Indianapolis, Denver, Pittsburgh, Miami and Carolina.

Considering many of the teams listed above, success isn’t a huge factor in determining wealth. Though given the fact the Packers are among the smallest franchises in all of professional sports, being valued at $1 billion is pretty remarkable.

With the structural improvements planned to be completed this coming year on Lambeau Field, the team’s overall value should increase accordingly.

Also considering the value of much larger market teams with less value – franchises like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Jacksonville Jaguars – the Packers continue to be one of the most remarkable success stories in all of sports.

For The Green Bay Packers, this was a weekend of rest and relaxation … A well-deserved weekend of relaxation with their Thursday night season-opening victory over the New Orleans Saints.

Though the weekend of games were entertaining, they also provided insight into the future. 

In planning for the immediate, the Packers watched Cam Newton, this year’s top pick and next opponent, pick apart the Arizona Cardinals’ defense for 422 yards and an impressive display in the vertical passing game.

Granted, the Cardinals’ defense isn’t the Packers’ defense, but the rookie has shown that the Panthers made a good decision in taking him first overall and that the Packers will have to plan well.

Dom Capers will need to design packages to confuse the rookie for 60 minutes … If he can do that the Packers should win going away. If the Packers allow the Panthers to stay in the game into the fourth quarter this could be one of those trap games that could come back to haunt them at the end of the season.

Another factor that stood out from the weekend was the NFC North’s domination of the NFC South.

Though the Packers game came down to the final play and the Lions/Bucs game to the final minute, the Bears’ creaming of the Falcons placed the final stamp of divisional domination on the weekend.

Yes, the Packers and Lions games were close, but all that matters at this point are the records: NFC North 3 NFC South 0.

Even the the Vikings showed some spunk against the San Diego Chargers by holding a lead for three quarters despite Donovan McNabb’s dismal debut – he ended up throwing for fewer than 40 yards total in the game.

Sure, had the Vikings been playing without Percy Harvin and Adrian Peterson it wouldn’t have been close, but the fact of the matter is that the Vikings do have those players and they make a difference.

The Vikes’ performance also underscores the notion that the NFC North should be considered one, if not the toughest division in all of professional football.

It also creates a heightened awareness among all players, coaches and fans that when these NFC North teams meet this year, it’s going to be brutal. These games will be bitterly fought spectacles that should be well worth the price of admission. 

Looking around at some of the other games this past weekend, we really didn’t see any major upsets. The closest thing to an upset was the shellacking the Ravens put on the Steelers … But when a team turns the ball over seven times like the Steelers did, there’s no way they’re going to win.

Other mildly interesting games simply because of the score differentials came in the Buffalo vs. Kansas City game, and the Indianapolis vs. Houston game. 

Some of the most entertaining were the 49ers vs. Seahawks, Giants vs. Redskins, with honorable mention to (zzzzzzz) the Jags and Titans.

But without question the best game of the weekend was the Jets vs. Cowboys. There was enough drama what with the Ryan boys and the return of Plaxico Burress to last the week. And the high drama in action was highlighted by Tony (the fumbler) Romo showing his true colors.

So, all in all, the first weekend came to a close with lots of action (could there be a better showing than Tom Brady’s 500-plus yards, 4 touchdown performance and 906-total yards between him and Chad Henne?), lots of drama, but not a lot of surprises.

A great start to another season for America’s Game …

Can it get any better? Stay tuned …

For the first time, 32 legendary NFL alumni, one representing each team, were part of the pregame celebration at Lambeau Field Thursday night. 
The alumni held their team’s flag and formed a chute on the field with players representing the NFC on one side and AFC on the other. 

You saw Hall of Fame quarterback Bart Starr walk through the gauntlet onto the field holding the Green Bay Packers flag followed by the Super Bowl XLV Champions running onto the field. 

Following the introduction of the Packers, the 2010 championship year was unveiled on the interior stadium wall and celebrated with a brief fireworks display.

The team flags will be flown by each team at their stadium during their first home game.

The NFL alumni who were on-hand at Lambeau Field to hold their team’s flag were: 

Arizona Cardinals, Ron Wolfley (RB)
Atlanta Falcons, Steve Bartkowski (QB)
Baltimore Ravens, Matt Stover (K)
Buffalo Bills, Andre Reed (WR)
Carolina Panthers, Muhsin Muhammad (WR)
Chicago Bears, Richard Dent (DE)
Cincinnati Bengals, Ken Anderson (QB)
Cleveland Browns, Kevin Mack (RB)
Dallas Cowboys , Jay Novacek (TE)
Denver Broncos, Randy Gradishar (LB)
Detroit Lions, Charlie Sanders (TE)
Green Bay Packers, Bart Starr (QB)
Houston Texans, N.D. Kalu (DE)
Indianapolis Colts, Bill Brooks (WR)
Jacksonville Jaguars, Don Davey (DT)
Kansas City Chiefs, Willie Lanier (LB)
Miami Dolphins, Dwight Stephenson (C)
Minnesota Vikings, John Randle (DT)
New England Patriots, John Hannah (G)
New Orleans Saints, Deuce McAllister (RB)
New York Giants, Harry Carson (LB)
New York Jets, Al Toon (WR)
Oakland Raiders, Ted Hendricks (LB)
Philadelphia Eagles, Eric Allen (CB)
Pittsburgh Steelers, Dermontti Dawson (C)
St. Louis Rams, Aeneas Williams (DB)
San Diego Chargers, Junior Seau (LB)
San Francisco 49ers, Dwight Clark (WR)
Seattle Seahawks, Cortez Kennedy (DT)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Mike Alstott (FB)
Tennessee Titans, Eddie George (RB)
Washington Redskins, Larry Brown (RB)

How would you like to have a roster like that?