Sep 24, 2012; Seattle, WA, USA; NFL referee Richard Simmons breaks up an altercation between the Seattle Seahawks and the Green Bay Packers after the game at CenturyLink Field. Seattle defeated Green Bay 14-12. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-US PRESSWIRE

So, it was only a matter of time – actually only a day or two – before the Green Bay Packers vs. Seattle Seahawks controversial game received its own Wikipedia page.

The game-ending call of a touchdown on the Hail Mary pass that raised a worldwide uproar changed the league forever. Fans were not only ticked over the call, but over the NFL’s usage of replacement referees and the lack of negotiations in solving the impasse with the National Football League Referees Association.

That all came to an end Wednesday night as the two sides finally agreed to settle their issues – and will result in the usage of the union referees for the remainder of the season and well into the future.

Now that there’s labor harmony with the players and referees for the foreseeable future, NFL fans will hopefully be spared from any type of situation like what happened last Monday night.

But in the meantime, feel free to check out that Wiki page and add your information – but make sure it’s accurate! We don’t want any more “Inaccurate Receptions!”

Will Aaron Rodgers and the offense lead the Packers over the Seahawks Monday night? Raymond T. Rivard photograph

In order to defeat the Seattle Seahawks on Monday Night, the Green Bay Packers will have to have all three phases of their game clicking.

However, the Packers have been known to win games without one or two of the phases – offense, defense and special teams – working well. We all know how the defense suffered last season and how the offense carried the team.

But to get back to a Super Bowl, any coach and even any fan understands that all three phases of the game need to make plays.

So, when the Packers head to Seattle Monday, they will face an upstart team that has had a smothering defense, a great special teams unit and an offense that’s been doing just enough to win games.

The question is this: Do the Packers need to perform well in all three phases of the game to win? Or will they be able to get by with just their offense, their defense or even just their special teams.

With that asked, here’s a poll asking which phase of their game will excel against the Seahawks.

Aaron Rodgers will lead the Packers into Seattle Monday Night. Raymond T. Rivard photograph

It seems like the Green Bay Packers play the Seattle Seahawks all the time.
Well, at least for this guy it does.
It seemed like the Packers-Seahawks played almost every year for a while there. But I was surprised to learn that the last time the Pack played Seattle was back in 2009 – the year Rodgers and Company lost to Arizona in the first round of the playoffs.
In 2009 the Packers dominated a Seattle team in week 15 that ultimately put up a 5-11 record and fired its rookie coach, Jim Mora Jr.
This year, the Seahawks are 1-1, with a loss against Arizona and a win last week against Dallas.
They boast great specials teams – forcing and recovering a fumble on a kick-off last week and blocking and then returning for a touchdown a punt on the very next series.
In all, they (special teams + defense) forced three turnovers in the first quarter! The Seahawks also almost blocked another punt deep in Cowboy territory last week.
Against the Cowboys, the Seahawks went heavy with Marshawn Lynch runs and shallow underneath routes in the passing game. Based on his last game, Seattle QB Russell Wilson will give the Packers some chances at interceptions.

Familiar Foes
Sidney Rice. Remember him? He’s the guy who rode Brett Favre’s arm all the way to whatever bank they have in Seattle. He’s been hurt for the last couple years and just starting to contribute at a high level in Seattle this year.
Frank Omiyale, yea, you remember him. He spent the last three years being the appropriately-labeled scapegoat for the Bears’ shaky offensive line. He was supposed to be a back-up for the Seahawks, but was pressed into service in their game against Dallas last week and held his own against DeMarcus Ware.

Clay Matthews is off to one of his best starts ever … could he break the NFL sack record? Raymond T. Rivard photograph

Can he do the same against Clay Matthews?
Seems pretty unfair for Omiyale, asking him to go against Ware and Matthews in back to back weeks.

Cheesy Connections
Matt Fynn – Packers, beater of Lions
John Moffit – Wisconsin lineman
Russell Wilson – Wisconsin, in retrospect looking like savior of 2011 season
Jon Ryan – The punter Ted let get away
Marshawn Lynch (Ted ALMOST traded for him during the Super Bowl season – NOT!)
Kregg Lumpkin – 3rd string running back, Packers
Chris Maragos (who?) – Badgers
Favorite Packers Memory vs. Seattle
A 2003 wild card game in which former Mr. August for the Packers, Matt Hasselbeck uttered words he almost immediately wished he could take back. Watch it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzpowxGfVFE

Will A.J. Hawk win the starting inside linebacking position this season? Raymond T. Rivard photograph

Since the Packers moved to a 3-4 defensive philosophy, their defense has been about as consistent as the lineup for the Monday Night Football broadcasters.

In 2008, they were twentieth in yards given up per game. In 2009, they jumped to 2nd, in 2010, they were 5th and in 2011 all way down to last.

While some might point to the presence, or lack thereof of a player like Cullen Jenkins (he played in only four games in 2008 and, of course we know by the unsullied jersey of Eli Manning last January, zero games for the Pack in 2012), the play of their linebackers hasn’t been a stellar example of consistency.

In fact, no position on the Packers defense has had to endure as many rotating starters since 2008 as the linebacking corps. For long periods of time, the following have been completely out or at the very least severely encumbered by injury: Matthews (hamstring, shin), Hawk, Barnett, Walden, Zombo, Brad Jones, Brandon Chillar.

Will D.J. Smith get more playing time or even a starting role this season? Raymond T. Rivard photograph

So it should come as no surprise when we, Packers fans to the enth degree, search for spectacular stability. We’ve had it at almost every other position for years, Rodgers, Jennings, Bulaga, Woodson, and until last year, Collins and to some extent Raji. With a breakout performance by Desmond Bishop last year, we know that spectacular play from the inside linebacking position is possible. That could be what’s suddenly driving speculation that Hawk is in a training camp battle to save his starting position (and therein his roster spot).

Since they lost to the Cardinals back in the 2009-10 playoffs, when it became painfully clear that Hawk just did not possess the speed necessary to track down running backs on the sideline, I’ve never been a big fan of the Ohio State product. But Hawk had a productive year in 2010 and the Packers, on a Super Bowl high, invested a multi-year contract in the linebacker and let Nick Barnett go.

Last season, Hawk was consistently blamed for not making enough big plays. When he did have to sit because of injury, Packer fans were treated to some excellent playmaking by his understudy, a rookie, D.J. Smith. He’s 5-11, 239 pounds, and came out of a small school, Appalachian State.

During his unlimited action last year, he had 40-plus tackles and an interception. It will be very interesting to see if Smith gets more snaps than usual during the preseason, especially if it is with the first team. The Packers will likely say it is to give Hawk a rest, but many will view this as a clue that Hawk has a fight on his hands, which is as good a motivator as there is for someone who has already inked his post rookie payday contract.

Clay Matthews and the rest of the Packers and their fans might be yelling with excitement and anticipation today as the NFL schedule is released today. Jake Roth-US PRESSWIRE

Yes, it’s Tuesday, April 17. Not an unusual Tuesday from any other, unless you’re a fan of the National Football League and most specifically a fan of the Green Bay Packers.

You see, today is the day that everyone is saying the league’s and the Packers’ regular season schedule is to be released.

So, you see, it’s not just ANY day for Packers fans … it’s the scheduling day of all scheduling days.

Churches schedule their winter’s events around late Sunday and Monday night games, Lions clubs organize their fundraisers around Packers games, hosting tailgate parties and raffles that most times include Packers themes and prizes. Weddings are scheduled – sometimes even taking place at Lambeau Field.

So, you see it’s just not any day. It’s the day when benchmarks are set for happenings not only at the family level, but across the state and nation.

It’s a time when calendars and scheduling books are poised and smartphones and computers await instructions about calendar imports to fill the upcoming several months.

Ready to hear the good word from the league’s offices, fans are wondering if the Packers will open on Monday night against the Detroit Lions as at least one mock schedule showed a couple of weeks ago, or whether they will open at home against the NFC West champion San Francisco 49ers.

Whatever the schedule, expect the high profiled Packers to land a gob of nationally televised games. No doubt the team’s fans should expect to see at least one Sunday night, one Monday night, possibly a Thursday night and a handful of late afternoon Sunday games.

Though Packers head coach Mike McCarthy likes the ease with which Sunday noon games make life, he’s also got to be realistic when it comes to the schedule – the team will have a hectic schedule thanks to their 15-2 record last season and the popularity of the team across the nation and world.

Either way, this is an exciting day. You might want to have your computer dialed into Facebook and Twitter today as breaking news and leaks about the schedule may be coming out right up until the final minute before it’s officially released.

Oh yeah, don’t forget to stop back here later on as we take a closer look at the Packers schedule and might even take a stab at how the team will finish this season based on what’s released.

And in the meantime, click on over to Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

Former quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles and TV personality Ron Jaworski was removed from the Monday Night Football broadcast team. Howard Smith-US PRESSWIREHoward Smith-US PRESSWIRE

Everyone agrees that the Monday Night Football broadcast booth was never the same after the original team of Howard Cosell, Frank Gifford and Dandy Don Meredith were split up.

But I have to agree with those who are today complaining today about the removal of Ron “Jaws” Jaworski from the current lineup – in fact, Dandy Don and Howard are surely rolling in their graves about the shakeup.

Don’t get me wrong, Jon Gruden seems to be a personable fellow and of course has shown that he knows a bit about football – after all, he does have a Super Bowl ring or two.

However, if there is one suckup of an individual these days, it’s Gruden, and everyone knows it.

How many glowing adjectives can the guy come up with for a coach or player on a team that’s on a 2-12 team? Well, Gruden’s pretty good at that. Sure, it’s his job to sell the game and make sure those watching don’t turn to reruns of The Wheel of Fortune or Gilligan’s Island, but Gruden takes that sell job over the top many times. And most of the time it’s just plain annoying or even embarrassing.

Because of that, I was hoping he would get back into the coaching ranks where he belongs.

He doesn’t belong in the booth and I can only reiterate the comments being made by so many today that the wrong man was pulled from the broadcast.

I always liked Jaworski. He’s honest, knows the game and doesn’t glamorize and sugar coat reality.

I’m sure Jaws will land on his feet, but this decision only cheapens Monday Night Football and downgrades it one more notch.

The Viking Age's Dan Zinski (no, that's not him in the photo) answered some questions posed by Lombardiave.com. In return, we answered some of his questions. We will post those answers here soon.

We here at Lombardiave.com caught up with Dan Zinski of The Viking Age for a Vikings vs. Packers Q&A focusing on Monday night’s showdown between the unbeaten Green Bay Packers and 2-6 Minnesota Vikings.

As always, Dan’s deep insight into the Vikings provides for an interesting perspective.

Here’s how Dan sees things:

Q. The Vikings are coming off their two best games of the season against the Packers and Panthers, as well as the bye … Do you feel the team will continue to show improvement or will they go back to their old ways?

A. Hard to say. With Christian Ponder now at QB instead of McNabb you sort of feel like there should be a steady upward progression – as he improves the team should improve – but at the same time, they’ve been so inconsistent, plus they still have terrible problems in the offensive line and secondary.

Given their personnel issues I still think it’s going to be a struggle for them more often than not. Right now a 5-11 finish seems realistic. That’s only 3 more wins the rest of the way. Then again, there’s the feeling that had they started Ponder sooner, they might’ve pulled out a couple of those games they blew in the second half. I don’t know if that’s valid or not but you can’t help thinking of what might have been.

Maybe with Ponder in there they can overcome some of their other shortcomings, upset a couple teams and finish closer to .500.

(more…)

ESPN's new logo

ESPN announced and presented to the world the design of a new logo that will now grace everything that is Monday Night Football.
The shield is clunky, almost prehistoric Scottish in design … Something straight from a Braveheart scene. (more…)

Week 1
Monday, September 8, 2008
Minnesota Vikings @ Green Bay Packers
7 PM ET
ESPN

This game is what I would call “interesting.” Longtime Packers quarterback Brett Favre was supposed to get his number retired before the game, but whoopsie, someone unretired and is playing for the New York Jets. My biggest curiosity surrounding this game is whether or not ESPN is still going to relocate their entire studio from Bristol, CT to Green Bay. I say no because they will most likely be too busy fawning over Favre’s New York debut to realize that there is a Monday Night Football game on their network. But then again, they do have to be there to criticize every Aaron Rodgers misstep, Mike McCarthy bad call, every Ted Thompson nose pick, and every thing else they can find wrong that’s going on and continue criticizing the Packers after they win. Oops. Did I give it away?

I can see John Clayton or Merrill Hoge talking on NFL Live after the Packers have beaten the Vikings.

“The biggest problem with the Packers now is their lack of experience. They only have one start between their three quarterbacks. I mean that’s ridiculous.”

And remember, they’re going to say that after every Packers game this year. I can see it after Week 17:

“The biggest problem with the Packers is still their lack of experience. There are only 16 career starts between all three of their quarterbacks.”

And then once the Packers make the playoffs:

“The biggest problem with the Packers now is that none of the three quarterbacks on the roster have started a playoff game. How ridiculous is that?”

Hey, guys, you know there was this dude named something like Fav-ray or something and, like, he started for 16 years in Green Bay and, like, never missed a single game, in, like 253 career starts, 270-somethinf if you include playoffs, right?

“I have no recollection of the quarterback you are talking about.”

Anyway, I digress. Less about ESPN and more about the game.

This game signals the big-time debut of an NFC North quarterback rivalry that seems to be in place for years to come: Tarvaris Jackson vs. Rodgers. Both of these players are surrounded by talented casts of offensive weapons. The Vikings have Adrian Peterson, Chester Taylor and future-free agent bust Bernard Berrian surrounding Jackson. The Packers have Ryan Grant, Donald Driver, Greg Jennings, and James Jones around Rodgers. Both of these defenses are top-notch as well. The Vikings acquired sack machine Jared Allen from the Kansas City Chiefs in the offseason. The Packers have Aaron Kampman. Pretty even.

This game will come down to which quarterback makes the least amount of mistakes. Jackson has a full year of starting under his belt, while Rodgers has two preseason games. Both quarterbacks will be under the microscope for the whole season and will be scrutinized even more in front of a national audience. Rodgers will have a Lambeau Field boost, which should help ease the transition better than a hostile game in the Metrodome.

Matchups To Watch

Rodgers vs. the Vikings secondary: The Vikings secondary is full of ballhawks. Former Packer Darren Sharper mans the free safety spot and will be eying Rodgers the whole game, hoping to capitalize on a bad decision. And he will capitalize. The Vikings also brought in safety Madieu Williams in free agency from Cincinnati. Williams was probably one of the best players on Cincinnati’s defense. Which isn’t saying much. Antoine Winfield and Cedric Griffin will have all they can handle in Driver and Jennings.

Packers O-line vs. Vikings D-line: The O-line always used to be a strong point for the Packers. This preseason, not so much. Mark Tauscher and Chad Clifton can handle or at least contain Allen and the Vikings defensive ends. The pressure falls on the interior lineman such as Scott Wells, Jason Spitz, Josh Sitton, and whoever else is in contention for a spot to contain Pat Williams and Kevin Williams. That will be a key to a Packers victory.

Vikings O-line vs. Packers D-line: The Vikings O-line is top notch. Bryant McKinnie and Steve Hutchinson make up a fantastic left side of the line. The Packers D-line lost Corey Williams to the Cleveland Browns and have had injury problems with Justin Harrell and Colin Cole at defensive tackle. There should be a sufficient pass rush on Jackson with Kampman and Cullen Jenkins. The trenches will most likely decide who wins this.

The Verdict: This is a tough decision. I’m going to take the Packers over the Vikings, 24-21. Yes, this is homerism shining through. But I do not see the Packers losing a Monday Night Football game at Lambeau to the hated Vikings. It’ll be close, but Rodgers will perform well enough to pull it out. Hell, maybe there will be a new “Monday Night Miracle.”

Packers record after Week 1: 1-0.

1. Javon Walker and Rod Smith are unavailable, Brandon Stokley is banged up and Brandon Marshall just got a DUI. That being said, what kind of shape is the Broncos’ passing game in?

Obviously, the Broncos passing game is hurting right now. Hopefully, our defense will continue to step things up, and get some quick three and outs to give our offense as many chances as they can get to move the ball down the field. I think we will also need to rely on the strengths of our running game to control the clock in order to win against the Packers this week.

2. The Broncos defensive line finally performed well last week against the Steelers. Will this become a trend for the young group, or was it a mirage?

I hope this becomes a trend for our defense. Going into the season, we were ranked as one of the top defensive teams in the NFL because of the leadership abilities of John Lynch and Ian Gold, and of course the athleticism of Champ Bailey and Dre’ Bly. The run defense has been a bit disappointing thus far, but Mike Shanahan has been around long enough to know how to fix the problem. It was very reassuring to see the defense turn things around last weekend.

3. Which cornerback duo is better and why: Champ Bailey and Dre’ Bly or Al Harris and Charles Woodsen?

That’s a tough call, but I’m going with Bailey and Bly because combined they have more interceptions (3) than Harris and Woodsen (1). They also have more solo tackles credited towards them. There’s no doubt that Harris and Woodson are extremely talented, and their team does have an outstanding record, but from the standpoint of pure talent, I’m going with the Bailey/Bly duo.

4. Which team wins on Monday and why?

I predict a Denver win on Monday night simply because the Broncos are coming off of an exciting win from last week where they gained a great deal of confidence. There’s no doubt that home field advantage helps too!