August 3, 2012; Green Bay, WI, USA; Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers looks on prior to the Family Night scrimmage at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, WI. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

A deeply disturbing trend has formed since the Green Bay Packers’ playoff loss this past weekend.

History and fact have been thrown out the window in favor of pitchforks and anger. Far too many voices are calling for the head of defensive coordinator Dom Capers. These people will tell you how bad the tackling was and how poor game planning became. These claims are always coupled with demands for any number of possible replacements.

These accusations are meritless, and Dom Capers should be retained as defensive coordinator.

As always, the numbers do not lie. The defense finished eleventh in points allowed, a feat made all the more impressive by the fact the Packers play in the league’s highest scoring division. Even more telling, Green Bay finished eighth overall in Football Outsiders’ weighted defensive rankings. Now, consider the fact that the 2012 Green Bay defense lost Clay Matthews, Charles Woodson, Sam Shields, D.J. Smith, Nick Perry, C.J. Wilson, and Mike Neal for multiple games this season. This meant consider playing time for many rookies such as Casey Hayward, Dezman Moses, Jerel Worthy and Mike Daniels. To perform at the level Green Bay did with so many injuries and shifting lineups is a credit to the coaching staff, and we haven’t even gotten into Desmond Bishop and the “bad tackling.”

Oct 28, 2012; Green Bay, WI, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars running back Rashad Jennings (23) fumbles the football as Green Bay Packers safety Morgan Burnett (42) and linebacker Brad Jones (59) watch for the ball during the second quarter at Lambeau Field. Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

The perception that the Packers were a bad tackling team this year is perhaps the most frustrating. It was a constant theme during the three games against the Minnesota Vikings and their all-everything running back Adrian Peterson. It’s the calling card of just about every armchair general manager who wants to see Capers ousted.

Well, here’s the reality: the Packers had the third fewest missed tackles in the NFL this year. That’s top three in the league, ladies and gentlemen. If the Packers weren’t a good tackling team this year, then nobody was.

Not only are most of the accusations of Capers factually incorrect, but the suggestions we’ve heard to succeed him range from bad to hysterical. Prior to his hiring by the St. Louis Rams, many were calling for Rob Ryan. Why? The only explanation I can conjure is he coaches a 3-4 and he’s not Dom Capers. Any cursory analysis of Ryan’s defensive record should quickly dismiss him as a reasonable candidate. He’s been a defensive coordinator every year from 2004 through 2012. In that time, he’s never finished with a top 10 defense in points allowed. Worse still, he’s finished in the bottom half seven times. Most of these teams had very capable defensive talent, especially these last few years with the Dallas Cowboys. Ryan is just not a good coach, and certainly not someone worthy of replacing Capers.

Dec 30, 2012; Detroit, MI, USA; Chicago Bears head coach Lovie Smith reacts to play against the Detroit Lions during 2nd Half of a game at Ford Field. Bears won 26-24. Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports

Yet, the far more egregious replacement suggestion is Lovie Smith. Now, Smith is one of the better defensive minds in the league. He’s run strong defenses during his time in Chicago and St. Louis and will be a good hire for someone. That doesn’t change the fact he’s a terrible schematic fit for the Packers. Smith runs a cover-2 base 4-3 defense. This defense demands pressure primarily from the four man rushes with the middle and weakside linebacker have the freedom to play in space.

Even though Green Bay has a fair amount of talent on the defensive side of the ball, that talent does not fit into Smith’s defense. Specifically, the cover-2 has no position for the Packers’ best defensive players, B.J. Raji and Clay Matthews. Raji is the prototype 3-4 nose tackle. His strength is that he can take on two or more blockers and still provide push up in the middle to free the pass rushers. In a 4-3, Raji is moved away from the 0 gap and forced to play where it is easier for offensive lineman to block him out of the play. Charles Woodson also wouldn’t have a proper spot in this defense. Woodson will be a full-time safety going forward. In the cover-2, that position rarely plays around the line of scrimmage. Woodson’s best trait at this point in his career is to move down toward the linebackers and either cover the slot or rush the passer. He could not do this in the cover-2 as a safety. And while Raji and Woodson’s production would be greatly diminished, neither would constitute the greatest atrocity. That distinction would fall upon Clay Matthews who would be left with no position at all.

Dec 16, 2012; Chicago, IL, USA; Green Bay Packers outside linebacker Clay Matthews (52) sacks Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler (6) during the second half at Soldier Field. The Green Bay Packers defeat the Chicago Bears 21-13. Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports

One of the reasons Matthews was still available at the twenty-sixth pick in the 2009 draft was scheme fit. Matthews is not large enough to play defensive end, nor can his pass rushing skills be fully realized playing linebacker in a 4-3. The only way to maximize his ability is as a 3-4 outside linebacker. If Smith were to be hired, Clay Matthews would essentially become Aaron Kampman the sequel. For those who have forgotten, Kampman was the Packers’ best pass rusher back when they featured a 4-3 base defense. In the four years prior to the Packers’ switch to a 3-4, Kampman averaged just under 11 sacks a season. In all the years combined since the switch, Kampman has only acquired 7.5 sacks. If the Packers don’t want to repeat history, they’ll steer clear Lovie Smith and a switch back to a 4-3.

Now, Capers does deserve criticism for the way the defense performed against the 49ers. Colin Kaepernick was unaccounted for nearly the entire night, and the final score reflected it. However, one game does not justify a coordinator change. The defense needs to continue to improve in 2013 or Capers may actually be ousted. Given that the Packers are a smart organization, they’ll approach this as they do everything else: using reason.

Jason Hirschhorn covers the Green Bay Packers for Lombardi Ave. He has previously written for Hail to the Orange, College Hoops Net, Mocking the Draft, LiveBall Sports, and the List Universe. He is currently a senior writer for Beats Per Minute, an indie-music webzine. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/JBHirschhorn.

Lovie Smith is looking for a new home. Could it be in Green Bay?

By Darryl Krejci

To Lovie or not to Lovie, that is the question.

After the past season or two, many of us have tired of the failing defensive schemes, missed tackles, blown assignments and total gashing of the D Line in playoff losses and regular season beat-downs (which is defined by anything other than a victory of more than 47 points).  Like Caesar at the Coliseum, we are calling for the heads of those who have failed and look for the next Spartacus.

But is Lovie our Spartacus?

Full disclosure, yes I am in the camp that is calling for the end of Dom Capers time in Green Bay as I can no longer handle the anguish that comes with each defensive performance that is a cross between the Three Stooges, Keystone Cops and every Road Runner and Wiley E. Coyote cartoon that has aired.

But Lovie?!?!?

Let’s break this down from a rational standpoint.

First, he was with the Bears. That should be enough to end the conversation right there. It would be paramount to hiring Ditka to run, well run, anything associated with the Green and Gold. Look at our past history, the last guy of any note that came from the Bears to Green Bay was Jim McMahon. All he did was embarrass us at the White House by wearing a Bears jersey. You might be able to take the player/coach out of Chicago, but ya can’t take da Bears out of the guy.

Putting Lovie on “OUR” sidelines would cause not only Curly and Vince to roll over a few times in their graves, but I truly believe that by placing Lovie on the Packers’ sideline it would cause a tear in the fabric of time and space and result in a complete shift of the magnetic poles, plunging the world into a thousand years of darkness!

Secondly, I can’t get past the name. It is not that it is a bad name but does it instill fear?  At least with the name Dom, it harkens back to the days of the Godfather.  Imagine Michael Corleone sitting there with his Lieutenants planning their next job and in walks their trigger guy, Lovie. Where is the fear? Where is the edge? All I can think of is Thurston Howell III calling for his wife Lovie and asking her where his teddy bear is (which leads to how did the Professor manage to build a radio out of coconuts but could not figure a way off that island?).

I want a defense that is run by a man that when he walks into a room, even the great Ray Nitschke would be in awe. What would Ray say about a guy named Lovie (let alone from the Bears)? There would be this low rumbling and growl then a flash and then pieces of this and that scattered all over. He never would allow such a thing to happen.

Lovie Smith is a man without a team. Raymond T. Rivard photograph

Third, when Lovie was hired he proclaimed his goal was to defeat the Packers. What was his overall record against us, 2 and 32?  I mean we owned them, he wore a big ole’ “L” on his jacket not cause it was his initial but because it stood for the losses we inflicted on his teams. Losses, means lack of wins, means one who does not bask in the glow of victory. Is that what we want for our Defense? A guy that can’t be victorious? We have that now (to a lesser degree).  I do not want to hear about how his defenses were so good. I subscribe to the philosophy that defense wins championships. How many of those did Lovie win? NADA, ZERO, ZILCH and ZIP!  His defenses did not result in anything more than the sum of nothing. I want a coach that will employ a defense that has more swag than Chuck Norris. In fact that is the answer! We need Chuck Norris to be the next defensive coordinator.

Finally, let us be realistic, would Lovie really want to come to Green Bay?  I consulted with some of the top names in NFL circles, OK so I talked to the gang down at Crabby’s Diner. Slim and Shorty said Lovie probably wants to take some time off and thaw out from all those years freezing his backside off at Soldier Field. Grandpa Bob said that if Lovie even tried to cross from Ashwaubenon into Green Bay it would be a cold day in Cudahy before the Packer faithful would allow such a thing and then old Joe Kano who says he remembers watching Curly play at the old City Stadium, said that having Lovie coach the defense would be like ordering a second plate of pancakes.

It might look good on the menu but once you get it in front of you, you have to think to yourself, ‘man that was a silly thing to do.’

So the question remains, to Lovie or not to Lovie?

I go back to my pick for the next defensive coordinator, Chuck Norris  Simply because it is Chuck Norris and who in their right mind is going to tell him he cannot coach the defense?

Pass the pancakes!

Could Lovie Smith and Jay Cutler be headed in opposite directions at the end of this season? Rob Grabowski-USA TODAY Sports

Remember when former Green Bay Packers Head coach Mike Holmgren went all in with his quarterback at the time, Brett Favre? I remember him saying something to the effect that when he committed to the gunslinger, the two would be joined at the hip. If one went down, so would the other.

Well, let’s jump to 2012 and consider the tandem of the Chicago Bears’ head coach Lovie Smith and his quarterback, Jay Cutler. They, too, are joined at the hip, but the results of their past three years together has been far from successful, especially against their arch rivals, the Packers. Way before Cutler arrived in Chicago three years ago, Smith took the head coaching job in the Windy City. We all remembers his opening statement including his famous “beat Green Bay” mantra.

Well, that hasn’t worked out so well for Smith. Though he had some initial success against Green Bay in his early years, the tide has turned, especially since Cutler arrived. Over the past four years, Mike McCarthy is 7-1 against Lovie Smith. Even more telling, in his past seven starts against Green Bay, Cutler has a QB rating of 53.1.

Dec 9, 2012; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Chicago Bears head coach Lovie Smith looks to the video board during the game with the Minnesota Vikings at the Metrodome. The Vikings win 24-14. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports

Compare that to Aaron Rodgers’ performances against the Monsters of the Midway. In his past 10 games against the Bears, Rodgers sports an 8-2 record, and in day games, Rodgers is 5-0. The only two losses came in Monday Night affairs. During that same stretch, Rodgers has completed an impressive 71.9 percent of his passes (71-99) with 9 touchdowns and only 2 interceptions. His passer rating over that stretch has been 117.4.

Those statistics come against one of the most consistent and vaunted defenses the NFL has seen in recent years.

Given that Lovie Smith’s goal over the years has been to beat the Packers and to emulate their success, he has fallen woefully short, especially since Cutler arrived. Joined at the hip, this may be Smith and Cutler’s swan song. They lose this game, their chances at a playoff spot diminish greatly and Smith’s goal of beating the Packers will once again be snuffed out. Though the Bears wouldn’t be mathematically eliminated, their play of late has been abysmal. Throw in the fact that they will be playing without Brian Urlacher, Tim Jennings, Robbie Gould or Earl Bennett, the Bears’ chances diminish even more. Sure, the Packers have their share of injuries. They will once again be hitting the field without Jordy Nelson or Charles Woodson, but this team has shown it can win even without some of their biggest stars.

So, it might be time to start the goodbye to these two. Already, the Chicago faithful are calling for the head coach’s head … and if that’s the case, you will see Cutler’s rolling right behind him.

Statistics aside, this is the Bears vs. the Packers. It’s going to be a a bloodbath on the poor December turf at Soldier Field. No prisoners will be taken and it might come down to defense, special teams and the kicking game. My best projection is the Packers find a way to make a couple more big plays than the Bears and put one more nail in the coffins of Cutler and Smith.

Will Jay Cutler be able to avoid the rush of Clay Matthews this weekend?
Raymond T. Rivard photograph

This morning Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune reported that Chicago Bears quarterback and whiner extraordinaire Jay Cutler suffered yet one more injury to add to his litany of excuses for his inability to win the big games – this time it’s a sprained MCL suffered against the Vikings last weekend.

Maybe we can add that to the sprained brain that he’s had for oh, 20-plus years.

Of course, I’m kidding. We all know that Jay Cutler, when he’s on, can be very effective; and now that he’s got some targets on the outside in the form of one Brandon (I like to talk) Marshall, Alshon Jeffery, and Devin Hester, the Bears are a threat to score from anywhere on the field at any given moment.

That is if Cutler is healthy, has his wits about him, gets the protection and can figure out from which angle Clay Matthews will arrive. Now that it’s been revealed that he has this knee problem, it’s unclear whether Cutler will even last the entire game, especially if the Packers come after him with the aggression they did back in September.

Already this season Cutler has been hampered by concussions, a sore neck last week and now the knee. Chicago head coach Lovie Smith said the sprained MCL isn’t nearly as serious as the knee sprain Cutler suffered against the Packers back in the 2010 NFC Championship and that his quarterback will definitely play Sunday.

That’s a good thing. The Packers don’t want to play the Bears’ B-team. They want the first string on the field so their bragging rights will be legitimate. All Packers fans feel the same, though a good beatdown of Cutler would be music to everyone’s ears.

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Could Randy Moss be headed to Chicago? We hope not. Raymond T. Rivard photograph

Word has it that the Chicago Bears have expressed an interest in signing former Minnesota Viking, former New England Patriot, Former Minnesota Viking and former Tennessee Titan Randy Moss.

What could be better for the Bears, that classy organization out of Chi-town, than to sign the sometimes he plays, sometimes he doesn’t, moon man? In keeping with their high standards for choosing the best wide receivers to join their team (think Roy Williams), Moss would be the perfect fit.

God only hopes that the new regime overseeing Coach Lovie Smith’s on field efforts don’t go this route.

Clearly I don’t like the Bears. As a Packers fan, I never have and never will. However, I would hate to see a division rival go the route of buying into the old routine of bringing in an old, worn out, washed up and insincere player. The Bears are better than that.

Let’s hope the rumor is just that … a rumor.

In Green Bay, we want a Chicago Bears team that will compete. By going the route of bringing in an overpriced and arrogant player like Randy Moss, it wouldn’t happen.

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Jay Cutler's injury was the beginning of the end for the Bears this season.

We kind of had the idea that things were going to shake up in Chicago after the Bears finished the season third in the division and went into the toilet when QB Jay Cutler was lost for the season.

But when the Bears fired GM Jerry Angelo and let Mike Martz walk today, the dynamics of the team surely took a dramatic turn. Though head coach Lovie Smith was retained, the Bears will have to fill some important holes in the offseason, most notably how to deal with running back Matt Forte.

So, with that in mind, let’s take a short poll … let us know what you think.

The Packers and Bears rivarly is the longest in the NFL

Mike Burzawa of Beargoggleson.com, the Fansided.com‘s Chicago Bears site, sat down with lombardiave.com to answer a few of the questions we thew at him about this weekend’s game between the Green Bay Packers and the Bears.

Though he’s not too hopeful for his team against the Packers, everyone in Packers Nation is walking on pins and needles for this one … it’s the Bears and if anything’s loss against the Kansas City Chiefs taught us anything, it’s to watch for the trap games. This is shaping up to be just that … wounded team with their major offensive threats hurt, four-game losing streak, fighting for their playoff lives.

Though it looks to be a cakewalk for the Packers, there are many more factors playing into this one.

So give a read after the jump, Like Lombardiave.com on Facebook, follow us on Twitter … and enjoy the game.

(more…)

Packers vs Bears 1941

Twenty-one NFL Championships. Forty-eight members in the pro football hall of fame. One hundred eighty regular season meetings and one post season meeting. This Sunday will mark meeting number one eighty-two.

This historic rivalry between the Packers and the Bears dates back to November 27, 1921, a 20-0 Bears win. The last meeting between these two teams resulted in a 10-3 Packers win and catapulted Green Bay in to the playoffs. Every game in-between has been just as entertaining, with the longest winning streak between the two head-to-head at ten games, owned by the Packers from ’94-’98.

When these two teams button their chin straps, it no longer becomes just a football game to the players involved–but much more. For instance, the last meeting between the two, a 10-3 Packers win, meant nothing to the Bears, allegedly. They had the number two seed and a first round bye wrapped up before the game even started. This usually gives a coach an opportunity to rest some of his core players and reduces risk of injury to his stars. Wait a minute, this is Packers vs Bears. (more…)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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“He has the necessary belief in his team to make bold changes and make them pay off. Last year, he dumped Brett Favre for Aaron Rodgers. This season, he moves his defense to a 3-4 scheme. He always is looking for ways to make the team better.”

If the Packers had not finished 6-10 last year, McCarthy would be a top 10 coach.  The team would also not be switching to a 3-4 defense, but that is a moot point.  Fact is, McCarthy is a much better coach than the 6-10 record and the 16th ranking indicate.  He gets the best out of his players in games and he handled the Favre saga extremely well for a young head coach.  Granted, the Packers did struggle last year which is the main reason for his low ranking, but he is much better than that ranking indicates.

The only NFC North coach ranked above McCarthy was the Minnesota Vikings Brad Childress at No. 11:

“The team has gotten better every year under his watch, and last season he got the Vikings to the playoffs without a viable quarterback.”

Lovie Smith of the Chicago Bears was ranked at No. 20 while new Detroit Lions head coach Jim Schwartz was ranked at No. 27.  New England‘s Bill Belichick was first overall.

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.