Game thread packers- colts

[red]

i guess i get the honors because no one else wants to do it

this is my first

OPEN THE THREAD!!!!!!

[green_bowl_packer]

Preview: Colts at Packers

Preview: Colts at Packers

When: 7 p.m. Thursday.

Where: Lambeau Field.

Broadcast: Radio - AM-620. Television - Channel 12 and ESPN.

Injury report: Packers - S Atari Bigby (ankle) LB Clay Matthews (hamstring), RB Kregg Lumpkin (hamstring), RB Quinn Porter (ankle), LB Brad Jones (shoulder), DE Cullen Jenkins (calf), CB Al Harris (knee) and RB James Starks (hamstring) are not expected to play. LB A.J. Hawk (ankle), LB Alex Joseph (thigh) and OL Allen Barbre (back) are questionable. Colts - TE Dallas Clark (leg), CB Jerraud Powers (foot) and C Jeff Saturday (knee) are not expected to play. OT Charlie Johnson (foot), OL Adam Terry (undisclosed), OL Jaimie Thomas (undisclosed), WR Austin Collie (undisclosed), TE Brody Eldridge (undisclosed), RB Javarris James (undisclosed), RB Devin Moore (undisclosed) and LB Trevor Anderson (undisclosed) are questionable.
FIVE THINGS TO WATCH

Run around: The absence of Lumpkin and Porter means the burden for carrying the ball will fall on Ryan Grant, Brandon Jackson (above) and John Kuhn. That's not necessarily a bad thing. Grant has just eight carries in two games and needs the work. The No. 1 unit has passed the ball so much (66.7%) that Grant has hardly had time to develop chemistry with his offensive line. He'll play the first half and should get a decent amount of carries.

Victory lap: As long as he doesn't mess up, Daryn Colledge appears to have won the starting left guard job. The only thing that could derail him, it seems, would be one of those lousy performances that plagued him parts of last season. The Colts are aggressive, up-the-field rushers, which means Colledge's pass blocking ability will be put to the test. If he falters, rookie Bryan Bulaga will be waiting to take his spot.

Blitz party: Defensive coordinator Dom Capers has pulled the reins back on his blitz package the first two games of the exhibition season. Now it's time to let the dogs loose a little. At some point, Capers has to see his defense do what the defense calls for and this is the best time to do it. The defense will play at least a half and while several key players will be out, he might as well see where things stand against Peyton Manning, the best-prepared quarterback in the game.

Nickel for your thoughts: Assuming Al Harris won't be ready for the regular season - and that appears to be a good assumption - the nickel position will go to one of four corners: Brandon Underwood, Pat Lee, Sam Shields or Jarrett Bush. Underwood and Lee will get the most action there and this game will probably determine which way the coaches go. The player who performs the best against the Colts' high-powered passing game probably wins the job.

Mr. Rodgers' neighborhood: Assuming Colts ends Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis both play a significant amount, this should be a good test to see how well veteran tackles Chad Clifton and Mark Tauscher are holding up. Rodgers has yet to be sacked and he'd probably like to keep it that way. The two Colts pass rushers combined for 23 sacks and six forced fumbles last year. The Colts also have rookie end Jerry Hughes, a raw talent with pass rush ability.

http://www.jsonline.com/sports/packers/101527013.html

[Mr. T]

Anyone know what channel this is on in the Milwaukee market?

Does the game start at 8:00 or 7:00?

[Mr. T]

Nevermind, thanks GBP!

[Joemailman]

Neal should get the start and RDE and play a lot. I'll be interested to see how he does.

The always entertaining Cornerback/Nickel Back situation will be one to watch. Sam gets his chance. We'll see if Underwood learned anything from last week.

[mraynrand]

Nevermind, thanks GBP!

MR.T - throw down some commentary during/after the game, fool!

[Tony Oday]

I wanted to start it but chickened out :)

[Tony Oday]

That was fast.

[green_bowl_packer]

Nevermind, thanks GBP!

MR.T - throw down some commentary during/after the game, fool!

Which fool does he pity? Plenty to choose from.

[imscott72]

I can't believe what I just saw. Underwood SUCKS.. :x

[gbgary]

:shock: that was a bit embarrassing.

[Joemailman]

Isn't Underwood supposed to do something to slow down the receiver before releasing him to the Safety?

[denverYooper]

Dang.

[gbgary]

ar hung jones out to dry on that one.

edit: on the slant, not the long ball.

[imscott72]

DD TOUCHDOWN!!!

[gbgary]

dd...one handed.

[Tony Oday]

SHOOTOUTS!!!!

[bobblehead]

I can't believe what I just saw. Underwood SUCKS.. :x

I can't be sure, but I think that was on Collins. he wasn't looking at his flat when the ball was snapped.

On another note, just as I doubt our Offense is going to get 7 on every possession I sure hope our defense isn't going to give up 7 on every possession once the regular season starts.

[gbgary]

a little D from G now dang it!

[Tony Oday]

I liek that Burnett!

[gbgary]

burnett nearly.

[Tony Oday]

Nice Defense there!

[bobblehead]

Was that Havner pushing manning up in the pocket?

Has a player ever had a Sack, a pick, 20 receptions and 3 TD's in a season....just one of those fluky stats he could own :P

[gbgary]

had all day on that one. should have done better to dd.

[Joemailman]

Bryan needs to do better than that when punting from his own 40.

[imscott72]

Manning is eating us alive with no rush..

[red]

where the hell is shields? i thought he was the nickle tonight

i haven't seen him on defense yet. underwood is the nickle and looking his usual sucky self

[imscott72]

where the hell is shields? i thought he was the nickle tonight

i haven't seen him on defense yet. underwood is the nickle and looking his usual sucky self

I don't know why Shields isn't out there.Would like to see him against their #1's..

[red]

and why the hell is baluga inactive?

is he hurt?

[gbgary]

dorsey levens? lol

[imscott72]

and why the hell is baluga inactive?

is he hurt?

Not that I'm aware of. Just playing it safe. Same with Jennings. Of course this tells us Colledge will get the LG spot.

[red]

oouch

if finley was a smaller man he would be broken right now

[red]

and why the hell is baluga inactive?

is he hurt?

Not that I'm aware of. Just playing it safe. Same with Jennings. Of course this tells us Colledge will get the LG spot.

yeah, looks like colledge has it locked up if they won't even let bulaga dress

at least jennings is a bit banged up

[red]

our boys in the middle aren't big enough to make a sneak like that work. colledge sucks and wells is just too damn tiny to get a good push

[Bossman641]

Didn't BB have a hip flare-up the other day. I'm sure he would be out there if it was a real game.

[imscott72]

Shields is in there..

[red]

shields beat, but he had decent coverage. at least he was within 5 yards of his guy, unlike underwood. i didn't like how he gave up on the play after his guy made the catch though

[imscott72]

ARGHHH

[Bossman641]

our boys in the middle aren't big enough to make a sneak like that work. colledge sucks and wells is just too damn tiny to get a good push

Rodgers was like perfect on QB sneaks last year.

[Bossman641]

For anyone who thinks the defense isn't playing extremely vanilla, I'm not sure we have blitzed at all yet. Every 3rd down we are only rushing 3.

[red]

what a catch

[imscott72]

Man, our secondary has issues..

[red]

For anyone who thinks the defense isn't playing extremely vanilla, I'm not sure we have blitzed at all yet. Every 3rd down we are only rushing 3.

we're not jamming wr's off the line anymore either

what's up with that?

[imscott72]

For anyone who thinks the defense isn't playing extremely vanilla, I'm not sure we have blitzed at all yet. Every 3rd down we are only rushing 3.

Yes it's very vanilla, but the concern is our guys are getting whipped one on one..

[red]

Man, our secondary has issues..

i have a feeling a lot of people will be bitching about TT not doing enough this offseason to shore up the pass rush (no OLB opposite mathews). and not doing more to beef up our CB group after the issues we had last year

and i suspect i'll be near the head of that group with my pitchfork

[red]

colledge got blown out of the stadium on that play

[gbgary]

not worried about the d. it's preseason, it's vanila and guys are missing.

[bobblehead]

I just told my wife tht if they go right back to grant after that hit he would fumble....voila. MM has to realize things like that.

[Packman_26]

For anyone who thinks the defense isn't playing extremely vanilla, I'm not sure we have blitzed at all yet. Every 3rd down we are only rushing 3.
But no scheme is designed to fail. Guys running free is a problem no matter how the game is being called defensively.

[ThunderDan]

Man, our secondary has issues..

i have a feeling a lot of people will be bitching about TT not doing enough this offseason to shore up the pass rush (no OLB opposite mathews). and not doing more to beef up our CB group after the issues we had last year

and i suspect i'll be near the head of that group with my pitchfork

At least you are honest about it!

[imscott72]

Rodgers to Finley..Love it..

[ThunderDan]

How do you let Finley run free?

[PackerTimer]

Rodgers to Finley. Get used to saying that this year.

[gbgary]

rodgers got hit hard on that td. grant's taken a few head shots too...from sanders. time to set them down.

[red]

I just told my wife tht if they go right back to grant after that hit he would fumble....voila. MM has to realize things like that.

there might be something to worry about there. 2 fumbles now in less then 15 or so carries this preseason. he never fumbled before now

finley is just, WOW. how can you let a guy like that get that wide open? although i don't know if it matters if you cover him or not

[red]

whoa, that one rodgers fan is hot as balls

[gbgary]

no penalties from the Packers that i can remember tonight.

[Joemailman]

Looked like a mixup between Bob Sanders and a linebacker. Probably didn't matter though. Neither one could have covered Finley.

[red]

no penalties from the Packers that i can remember tonight.

i think you're right

maybe they finally got something fixed?

[red]

mike neal, not bad

[ThunderDan]

Mike Neal having a nice start to the game.

[gbgary]

mike neal, not bad

he's a several good rushes tonight.

[red]

mike neal, not bad

he's a several good rushes tonight.

the whole line has looked pretty damn good tonight

[gbgary]

i hate gruden and jaws sometimes. they gush over every player on the field whether they deserve it or not. every player is the end-all. geesh!

[imscott72]

TOUCHDOWN

[red]

Mashtay is your winner!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[gbgary]

cory hall the muff diver.

[red]

cory hall the muff diver.

lol

that's just perfect

[ThunderDan]

That punt was so high it was crazy.

[red]

That punt was so high it was crazy.

yeah it was, it was perfect. high and hit perfect inside the 10. that would have been downed inside the 5 if it wasn't muffed up

[Joemailman]

Packers special teams are awesome!!! :P :wow: :wave: :cow: :pack:

[red]

Packers special teams are awesome!!! :P :wow: :wave: :cow: :pack:

you're drinking tonight too huh?

PICKED OFF, BURNETT!!!!! great play

[Lurker64]

Wow, that was un-Manninglike.

Well, it was Eli-Manninglike.

[gbgary]

i like our new preditor.

[Rastak]

That was a great play by Burnett.

[red]

donald still has it. its gonna be a few years before we see him drop off

[hoosier]

Wow, that was un-Manninglike.

Well, it was Eli-Manninglike.

He looked like he was expecting Burnett to take the slot guy, who was running a go. And he was open too.

[red]

That was a great play by Burnett.

holy hell, look what the cat dragged in

damnit b-jack

[Lurker64]

That's why we just shouldn't run the ball.

[falco]

T-Will not looking so sharp tonight.

[red]

T-Will not looking so sharp tonight.

agreed

[red]

nice coverage by shields

very nice

[gbgary]

T-Will not looking so sharp tonight.

agreed

these are colts people. they make everyone look bad. they ended up punting it away...no harm.

[red]

WOW, what a catch

[red]

T-Will not looking so sharp tonight.

agreed

these are colts people. they make everyone look bad. they ended up punting it away...no harm.

absolutely

taking that into account we've looked pretty good a d tonight

and a-rod and finley are looking like gods right now

[gbgary]

the tight end deep over the middle play is back after a long, long absence.

[Smidgeon]

No kidding about Rodgers' fast twitch throw on that play. His feet didn't even move. That was quick!

[red]

the tight end deep over the middle play is back after a long, long absence.

you can't defend that with finley in there. you can't cover him. he's too fast for lb's and he's way too big and strong for cb's or safeties

[imscott72]

Wow Rodgers is unreal. Could be an MVP year..

[red]

could be james break out year. he's a big physical boy

end of first half. rodgers outplayed the great manning

[denverYooper]

No kidding about Rodgers' fast twitch throw on that play. His feet didn't even move. That was quick!

Been hittin' up the core work

[red]

Wow Rodgers is unreal. Could be an MVP year..

he's looking scary, very scary. he's added some things to his arsenal this year

[ThunderDan]

21/29 195y 3 tds

Pretty good half don't you think!?!

[ThunderDan]

If the D plays well this year, Flynn could get a lot of 4th quarter work.

[gbgary]

21/29 195y 3 tds

Pretty good half don't you think!?!

yup! Pack as whole are playing pretty well. missing a lot of guys too. veeeery encouraging.

[Fritz]

I tried to watch Colledge as much as I could. He looked okay - didn't screw up, but he did get shoved backward twice on some pass blocking.

Mike Neal looks like the real deal.

Chris Bryan has got to be hoping the Packers punt a few times in the second half. His 38 yarder with three seconds hang time did him no favors.

Frank Zombo looked ordinary trying to rush the passer, but had a nice recognition play at the end of the half - the one where Woodson tackled Wayne for a loss.

[Joemailman]

Hope everybody enjoyed that first half. That's about as good as preseason football gets. Great to see Burnett make some plays, as he was a bit tentative the first 2 games.

Rodgers seems to have the kind of communication with his receivers that usually takes more than 2 years as a starter to develop. 40 TD passes are a possibility as long as the O-Line can keep him on his feet.

[Brandon494]

I know everyone is excited but let's remember it's the Colts in the preseason

[Tony Oday]

I know everyone is excited but let's remember it's the Colts in the preseason

but it is their first team. AR looked solid

HAVNER!!!!!

[RashanGary]

Fuckin Frankenbacker!

[gbgary]

I know everyone is excited but let's remember it's the Colts in the preseason

as if they were holding anything back...

[pittstang5]

Hey all, late to the party.

Why is Jennings out?

[Joemailman]

Looks like Lang is the #2 RT. Buh-bye Giaco.

[Joemailman]

Hey all, late to the party.

Why is Jennings out?

He had back spasms this week.

[Tony Oday]

So Jones is our #3 huh?

[Tony Oday]

Matt Flynn nice :)

[bobblehead]

Did they just give Favre credit for creating the hard count??

For teaching it to Flynn?

Fuck I hate announcers.

[Tony Oday]

Did they just give Favre credit for creating the hard count??

For teaching it to Flynn?

Fuck I hate announcers.

Nope they gave him credit for inventing the forward pass, football and time travel

[RashanGary]

Flynn's arm looks fine.

[pittstang5]

wow..2nd team o-line can't run block for shit.

[bobblehead]

Did they just give Favre credit for creating the hard count??

For teaching it to Flynn?

Fuck I hate announcers.

Nope they gave him credit for inventing the forward pass, football and time travel

At least they know we are a great screen team and Levens started the game for us.

[Fritz]

Newhouse looks susceptible to the hard outside rush by a DE. He's gotten outquicked a couple times.

[Brandon494]

I know everyone is excited but let's remember it's the Colts in the preseason

as if they were holding anything back...

Yea I'm sure they were because it's preseason. Not saying they just gave it too us but it's a reason they have the worst preseason record yet the best regular season record over the last few years

[pittstang5]

Oh great. Mighty Manning must need an Ego boost, playing against 2nd and 3rd stringers.

[Tony Oday]

lol Manning bitching like a woman...actually bitching like an ex wife :)

They already changed the pass interference calls for Manning.

[Tony Oday]

BAHAHHAHA take that Manning!!!! Cant even beat the two's!!!

[imscott72]

Zambo!!

[Tony Oday]

KUHN!!!!!

[gbgary]

adai get his bell rung

[Joemailman]

Zombo can do anything. Anything at all!

[RashanGary]

Seriously! Super Bowl!!


haha

[pittstang5]

NOW TAKE A SEAT, MANNING!

[Fritz]

I just want to point out that it was Justin Harrell who flushed Manning out of the pocket. He got some nice push on that play.

[pittstang5]

Zambo!!

Oh Come on! It's ZOMBO!

[imscott72]

Zambo!!

Oh Come on! It's ZOMBO!

Yea I got excited..lol

[Lurker64]

I wish this was a real game.

[pittstang5]

I just want to point out that it was Justin Harrell who flushed Manning out of the pocket. He got some nice push on that play.

could have had a sack too, but I'll take the fumble.

[imscott72]

I wish this was a real game.

No kidding. On a side note, Addai has a concussion.

[Lurker64]

I haven't seen Desmond Bishop at all tonight, is he even playing?

[Tony Oday]

Wow two of our number 1 picks on wit hthe 2's and 3's...

[pittstang5]

I haven't seen Desmond Bishop at all tonight, is he even playing?

Yea..where is he?

[Tony Oday]

Zombo :(

[TennesseePackerBacker]

Awful last 4 or 5 plays by Harrell. As a Tennessee guy I probably have more faith in him than most, but it isn't looking good. The executioner is grinding his axe.

[Fritz]

Agreed. He just got caught up in the wash. My sense is that he tired.

Could he still be out of football shape?

Could he be effective playing maybe 15 - 20 snaps a game?

I'm not feeling the Zombo love like lots of you. He gets blocked an awful lot. To me, Francois looks like he's always around the ball.

Pat Lee actually had pretty good coverage on that Painter pass that got the Colts down to the one.

[Lurker64]

Wow two of our number 1 picks on wit hthe 2's and 3's...

I think that Hawk was playing with the #2s because he didn't get any snaps in the first half, since they played entirely nickel in the first half. Chillar and Barnett were the ILBs, IIRC.

[Bossman641]

Awful last 4 or 5 plays by Harrell. As a Tennessee guy I probably have more faith in him than most, but it isn't looking good. The executioner is grinding his axe.

If you don't mind, what happened?

[Tony Oday]

http://www.trophycentral.com/heavdutdisca.html

In case Rogers needs help finding a case :)

[TennesseePackerBacker]

Awful last 4 or 5 plays by Harrell. As a Tennessee guy I probably have more faith in him than most, but it isn't looking good. The executioner is grinding his axe.

If you don't mind, what happened?

Didn't hold the point of attack very well on any of the plays. Generated little pressure. Got stood up the majority of the time. Maybe his head isn't in the game, or possibly he just isn't in to football shape yet as fritz mentioned.

[Joemailman]

Wow two of our number 1 picks on wit hthe 2's and 3's...

I think that Hawk was playing with the #2s because he didn't get any snaps in the first half, since they played entirely nickel in the first half. Chillar and Barnett were the ILBs, IIRC.

So what will happen if Jones or Matthews isn't ready to go? Will Chillar play OLB in base and ILB in nickel?

[RashanGary]

Flynn is pretty good.

[Tony Oday]

Wow who do we take? I am thinking Lee is going bye bye...

[Smidgeon]

Flynn = gamer

[TennesseePackerBacker]

Flynn is pretty good.

This is nothing new. While he doesn't have impressive physical tools, he does the leadership and "winner" intangibles you look for in a quarterback.

[RashanGary]

Flynn = gamer

Yep. I like Flynn a lot. His arm is just fine. It's everything else that makes him good though.

[gbgary]

gruden is ridiculous

[Lurker64]

The Special teams is looking better tonight.

[RashanGary]

The Special teams is looking better tonight.

Yeah. Good night overall. Rodgers had some shaky throws. Usually he's razor sharp.

[Joemailman]

Any thoughts on who the nickel will be if Harris isn't back. Doesn't seem like tonight clarified anything.

[Tony Oday]

Any thoughts on who the nickel will be if Harris isn't back. Doesn't seem like tonight clarified anything.

Havner ;)

[RashanGary]

No reason to get rid of Flynn this year. Nobody can bring him in and get hum up to speed on their system. We won't get much right now.

Next offseason though, he could fetch us somethng nice.

[RashanGary]

Anyone know what is wrong with Jennings

[Lurker64]

No reason to get rid of Flynn this year. Nobody can bring him in and get hum up to speed on their system, so they won't offer anything.

Next offseason though, he could fetch us somethng nice.

I would hope we had some kind of backup before we considered jettisoning Flynn. Graham Harrell is not the answer.

[Iron Mike]

Looks like we have the Quinn backfield goin' on.....

[Tony Oday]

Anyone know what is wrong with Jennings

Back spasms, he would have played in the regular season.

[Tony Oday]

LOL love Lang sticking up for number 40 :)

[Joemailman]

I'm not sure the Packers can keep Graham Harrell without putting him on the roster. Someone will sign him if he's on the practice squad.

Nice block by Lang on the screen pass. Maybe Gruden was right!

[Fritz]

Any thoughts on who the nickel will be if Harris isn't back. Doesn't seem like tonight clarified anything.

I think Pat Lee played better than Underwood and Shields.

I also think if I were MM I'd tell Graham Harrell to throw a few picks and throw some lousy passes. He keeps playing like this and some team will pick him up.

[Smidgeon]

Guys who are playing themselves away from being cut:

Graham Harrell
Tom Crabtree
Zombo

[Tony Oday]

Cherry for 6!!!!! BUT flag...BOOM NOT OURS!!!!

[red]

told you guys, jason chery is a freaking natural returner

[Mr. T]

Wow, nice game. How do they figure out who to cut? Was that a 27th string WR that just returned a punt? Never even heard of this guy.

[Iron Mike]

That was that St. Vince guy at the Lambeau Leap, wasn't it??

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/img/11-07/1129cheese.jpg

[Fritz]

Gruden and Jaws are talking about how awesome the Packers played tonight. I thought their defense in the first half was pretty sucky.

[Joemailman]

Packers are a special teams machine!!! :bump: :wave: :wow: :cow: :pack:

[red]

Gruden and Jaws are talking about how awesome the Packers played tonight. I thought their defense in the first half was pretty sucky.

yeah, but it was against peyton manning and the colts

i had to be reminded of that too

[Mr. T]

Hopefully this game will help the Sizzler (TT) trade some of these borderline guys for picks or some DL/CB help.

http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-162824813.html

[gbgary]

fuck the dallas cowboys!

[Tony Oday]

fuck the dallas cowboys!

+1

[red]

fuck the dallas cowboys!

+1

+1,000,000,000,000,000

[red]

SAM SHIELDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Mr. T]

What a way to end the game. So... who gets cut?

[gbgary]

fuck the dallas cowboys!

+1

they don't have one elite player. qb is good...sometimes, running backs are good...sometimes, tight end used to be real good, wide outs...williams sucks, can't think of his name (dating someone famous...i forget her name too)...bryant...who knows, line...sucks, a couple of good players on d but mostly a bunch of average guys. they won't win their division. i don't get this "most talented team" crap.

[red]

What a way to end the game. So... who gets cut?

bush

did he even play tonight?

[gbgary]

What a way to end the game. So... who gets cut?

bush

did he even play tonight?

i hope he's saved his money. :)

[Tony Oday]

Bishop

[mission]

What a way to end the game. So... who gets cut?

bush

did he even play tonight?

i hope he's saved his money. :)

Hopefully get louder has too! ;p

[Brandon494]

fuck the dallas cowboys!

+1

they don't have one elite player. qb is good...sometimes, running backs are good...sometimes, tight end used to be real good, wide outs...williams sucks, can't think of his name (dating someone famous...i forget her name too)...bryant...who knows, line...sucks, a couple of good players on d but mostly a bunch of average guys. they won't win their division. i don't get this "most talented team" crap.

D Ware is an elite player and so is Witten who is the most complete TE in the league.

D

[Mr. T]

Bishop
Trade bait. The current regime doesn't tolerate big mouths (except BF).

[packerbacker1234]

Outside of the fact this was an absolute stellar game to watch, it was even better watching the colts offense get flustered under manning's control, and it was clear they were actually trying. Sure, while struggling they still got 17 in the first half, but when our offense is as good as it is, that just wont be enough. A really HORRIBLE throw right into Burnett's arms (he had a nice couple plays today) and then he that line lets Zombo, a guy who isn't even starting caliber, hit manning?

Honestly, while the colts usually suck in the preseason, tonight was like "yeah, Green Bay IS a super bowl team"

Flynn has shown major signs of even faster progression. We NEED to keep him around incase something unexpected happens,a nd rodgers has to miss a game, or half a game, etc. I am fully confident in Flynn running this offense if he has too. He isn't as good as rodgers, but the guy is a pure gamer. He just has a great confidence about him, and he appears to have enough arm strength to make most throws required of an NFL QB.

Real gem I think we got in him. Can't keep him around forever, but for a SB contending team, you need to have that solid backup to cover your ass. Also of note, even though it was against backups, Graham looked great today as well. Good accuracy and decision making. He may play his way into us keeping 3 QB's.

[Joemailman]

What a way to end the game. So... who gets cut?

Have to be down to 75 by August 31.

Chris Campbell
Shawn Gore
Nick McDonald
Maurice Simpkins
D.J. Clark

[Mr. T]

What a way to end the game. So... who gets cut?

Have to be down to 75 by August 31.

Chris Campbell
Shawn Gore
Nick McDonald
Maurice Simpkins
D.J. Clark
Yeah, that sounds about right.

[Joemailman]

Everybody wants to see guys like Bush and Barbre get cut, but TT will try to trade them before he cuts them.

[DannoMac21]

Sooo I'm watching NFL Live review the game right now and it's so unbelievably ghetto. That's all.

[Guiness]

damn, forgot the game was tonight...guess I'll read back for impressions.

[Lurker64]

damn, forgot the game was tonight...guess I'll read back for impressions.

It's worth catching the replay on NFLN if you have the access, the time, and the inclination. The first half was as good a first half as you'll ever see in the preseason (just in terms of providing entertaining and competent football) and the second half featured the Packers running away with it.

[channtheman]

One thing I liked in this game was that Rodgers was looking BAD for his first 10 throws or so and yet he still got it together in the same half of the game and lead the team to 21 points. Nice to see him get calmed down and stop overthrowing everyone and then with poise lead the team down in the final 2 minutes of the half. Usually it's Manning doing that to everyone, he must have felt pretty crappy! And then for him to come back in against our 2's and 3's and get stripped! Love it!

[RashanGary]

Things I liked:

Burnett's interception and breakup of the deep pass. It's preseason, but you can see progression there. I also liked the way Collins and the other teammates celebrated with Burnett. They were ecstatic. It's a small thing, but there is something about players who everyone loves playing with. . . Something about guys who other people are as happy when the other person scores as when they do. . . . We have that on this team and I like that Burnett is becoming a part of it.

Underwood had a good game. He didn't really get tested on the short stuff though. He needs to know where his help is so he can play aggressively but that didn't show up this game.

Flynn, like packerbacker said, is a frickin gamer. That guy carries himself like a leader. He throws a good ball too. He was out there looking guys off, using hard counts, using his legs, throwing passes to tight spots, but mostly to open spots. He was all leader, all winner.

Finley - What can you say, the guy is a special, special football player. We need his swagger but not as much as his amazing talent and skill.

Neal is good. I'll leave it at that.

Zombo made another step in this game. He looks the part.

Oh, and Darryn Colledge is a guy who responds best when a fire is under his ass. This has been the best offseason of his career. Like all of hte other good moments in his career, it has come after his job was threatened. This time it was the biggest challenge he's faced and he somehow has risen to meet it. We'll see how it pans out. It's nice to have a viable option behind him.

There's more, but I'm in a hurry. Those were the highlights off the top of my head.

[Fritz]

I didn't think Underwear had a good game. But I don't know too much. I spent more time watching the defensive line. Neal looks like a real player.

And has the Pack found its punter? Poor Chris Bryan - you could tell he was bummed after that first punt, and I think his second one he tried too hard to nail it.

[hoosier]

Things I liked:

Burnett's interception and breakup of the deep pass. It's preseason, but you can see progression there. I also liked the way Collins and the other teammates celebrated with Burnett. They were ecstatic. It's a small thing, but there is something about players who everyone loves playing with. . . Something about guys who other people are as happy when the other person scores as when they do. . . . We have that on this team and I like that Burnett is becoming a part of it.

Underwood had a good game. He didn't really get tested on the short stuff though. He needs to know where his help is so he can play aggressively but that didn't show up this game.

Flynn, like packerbacker said, is a frickin gamer. That guy carries himself like a leader. He throws a good ball too. He was out there looking guys off, using hard counts, using his legs, throwing passes to tight spots, but mostly to open spots. He was all leader, all winner.

Finley - What can you say, the guy is a special, special football player. We need his swagger but not as much as his amazing talent and skill.

Neal is good. I'll leave it at that.

Zombo made another step in this game. He looks the part.

Oh, and Darryn Colledge is a guy who responds best when a fire is under his ass. This has been the best offseason of his career. Like all of hte other good moments in his career, it has come after his job was threatened. This time it was the biggest challenge he's faced and he somehow has risen to meet it. We'll see how it pans out. It's nice to have a viable option behind him.

There's more, but I'm in a hurry. Those were the highlights off the top of my head.

Burnett did well to catch the ball but I'm not sure that he was playing the coverage correctly. I think he was supposed to take the slot receiver, Austin Collie, instead of jumping Garcon's route. If Manning had seen how open Collie was, he had an easy 6 and Burnett is looking like a total rookie.

[Bossman641]

I didn't think Underwear had a good game. But I don't know too much. I spent more time watching the defensive line. Neal looks like a real player.

And has the Pack found its punter? Poor Chris Bryan - you could tell he was bummed after that first punt, and I think his second one he tried too hard to nail it.

I also didn't think Underwood had a very good game.

Flynn really impressed me. The difference in his arm strength now as opposed to a few years back is unbelievable.

For as many points as the offense put up in the first half, I didn't even feel like it was one of their better performances. Outside of the final drive, Rodgers struggled with his accuracy a bit. That is a scary thought for opposing defenses.

A few other thoughts

You can see the progress that Rodgers has made in fitting the ball into tight spots. Some of those throws down the seam to Finley were against really good coverage, but they were pinpoint.

The defense still hasn't showed much in regards to blitzing, but I feel better about the pass rush now then I did before. Even though they were only rushing 3 a lot of the time, they were still getting a good push. Once Capers starts dialing up the blitzes I think we will be OK.

[red]

Things I liked:

Burnett's interception and breakup of the deep pass. It's preseason, but you can see progression there. I also liked the way Collins and the other teammates celebrated with Burnett. They were ecstatic. It's a small thing, but there is something about players who everyone loves playing with. . . Something about guys who other people are as happy when the other person scores as when they do. . . . We have that on this team and I like that Burnett is becoming a part of it.

Underwood had a good game. He didn't really get tested on the short stuff though. He needs to know where his help is so he can play aggressively but that didn't show up this game.

Flynn, like packerbacker said, is a frickin gamer. That guy carries himself like a leader. He throws a good ball too. He was out there looking guys off, using hard counts, using his legs, throwing passes to tight spots, but mostly to open spots. He was all leader, all winner.

Finley - What can you say, the guy is a special, special football player. We need his swagger but not as much as his amazing talent and skill.

Neal is good. I'll leave it at that.

Zombo made another step in this game. He looks the part.

Oh, and Darryn Colledge is a guy who responds best when a fire is under his ass. This has been the best offseason of his career. Like all of hte other good moments in his career, it has come after his job was threatened. This time it was the biggest challenge he's faced and he somehow has risen to meet it. We'll see how it pans out. It's nice to have a viable option behind him.

There's more, but I'm in a hurry. Those were the highlights off the top of my head.

we must have watched different games because i didn't see much of anything positive out of underwood last night. he always seems to be in on the tackle, but its always after his guy makes a 10 yard catch. what good is that?

colledge is still by far the weakest line of our line. on one play, the ball was snapped and everyone on both sides of the ball moved except him. it took him about a full second to get out of his stance, by that time his guy was already past him.

pat lee i only noticed on the field one time, which is probably a good thing for a CB

[red]

For as many points as the offense put up in the first half, I didn't even feel like it was one of their better performances. Outside of the final drive, Rodgers struggled with his accuracy a bit. That is a scary thought for opposing defenses.

.

ready to be scared bossman?

i too thought a-rods accuracy was off last night. until i looked at the box score

he was 21 for 29, almost 75%. thats awesome. and we think that was a bad game for a-rod

lol, he's gonna have a huge year

[ThunderDan]

Burnett did well to catch the ball but I'm not sure that he was playing the coverage correctly. I think he was supposed to take the slot receiver, Austin Collie, instead of jumping Garcon's route. If Manning had seen how open Collie was, he had an easy 6 and Burnett is looking like a total rookie.

I am not sure either but it is one of the plays I want to look at again on my DVR. It did look like the cover rolled to that side of the field presnap with Burnett moving up to jam the slot and jump the WR.

[Bossman641]

For as many points as the offense put up in the first half, I didn't even feel like it was one of their better performances. Outside of the final drive, Rodgers struggled with his accuracy a bit. That is a scary thought for opposing defenses.

.

ready to be scared bossman?

i too thought a-rods accuracy was off last night. until i looked at the box score

he was 21 for 29, almost 75%. thats awesome. and we think that was a bad game for a-rod

lol, he's gonna have a huge year

Yep, definitely gonna have a huge year. He was only 14-22 before ripping off 7 completions in a row on that last drive. Even Rodgers wasn't thrilled with his performance.


“Honestly, I was disappointed until that last drive, I didn’t think we had a great rhythm, but I’m happy the way it ended and glad we got that touchdown. It turned out to be a pretty good half for us.”

Should be a fun year :twisted:

[Tony Oday]

Burnett did well to catch the ball but I'm not sure that he was playing the coverage correctly. I think he was supposed to take the slot receiver, Austin Collie, instead of jumping Garcon's route. If Manning had seen how open Collie was, he had an easy 6 and Burnett is looking like a total rookie.

I am not sure either but it is one of the plays I want to look at again on my DVR. It did look like the cover rolled to that side of the field presnap with Burnett moving up to jam the slot and jump the WR.

Maybe I have the rose colored glasses on but I thought Burnett just read his eyes...if THAT is true Look the F out!

[hoosier]

Burnett did well to catch the ball but I'm not sure that he was playing the coverage correctly. I think he was supposed to take the slot receiver, Austin Collie, instead of jumping Garcon's route. If Manning had seen how open Collie was, he had an easy 6 and Burnett is looking like a total rookie.

I am not sure either but it is one of the plays I want to look at again on my DVR. It did look like the cover rolled to that side of the field presnap with Burnett moving up to jam the slot and jump the WR.

Let us know after you have a look. When I saw the replay I didn't see coverage rolling but it also wasn't totally clear what the LCB (Woodson?) was doing. If the LCB was dropping into a deep zone then maybe Burnett didn't blow his assignment. The replay on nfl.com does not shed any light.

[red]

Burnett did well to catch the ball but I'm not sure that he was playing the coverage correctly. I think he was supposed to take the slot receiver, Austin Collie, instead of jumping Garcon's route. If Manning had seen how open Collie was, he had an easy 6 and Burnett is looking like a total rookie.

I am not sure either but it is one of the plays I want to look at again on my DVR. It did look like the cover rolled to that side of the field presnap with Burnett moving up to jam the slot and jump the WR.

Maybe I have the rose colored glasses on but I thought Burnett just read his eyes...if THAT is true Look the F out!

i saw what you saw

on the replay it looked like burnett was watching manning. i saw it, sniffed it out and made a great play

[Cheesehead Craig]

Great quote by Colts HC Jim Caldwell "It wasn't 59 points against our starters, it was 59 points overall."

You are correct Jim, it was 38-17 vs your starters when you pulled them... and our backups scored 10 of those.

[HarveyWallbangers]

Burnett - MUCH better in this game than the first two. Nice to see the progress. Still missed a tackle or two, but the range was impressive. Hoosier stated that he thought Burnett played the wrong coverage, but I don't think so. It was a zone play. He had the short left zone. He covered the slot guy briefly when he was in his zone, but made an adept play breaking back out.

Punter job - I've felt for awhile that Masthay would win the job--mainly because he's much better holder. I think this game separated them. He even showed that he could kickoff, if need be.

Underwood - Can't say he did good or bad. I didn't see him make any plays but I also don't remember him giving up much. Seems like Manning didn't throw his way much. Tramon Williams actually had the roughest game amongst our corners. Reggie Wayne is pretty good though.

Neal - He's impressed me since the first game. I think we got a player there. Like Nick Collins, he was considered a second round reach.

Zombo - Generally, doesn't do much, but has a knack for making big plays--which is a good sign in a young player. Of course, Desmond Bishop used to make big plays in the preseason also. Zombo reminds me a bit of Keith McKenzie. No name that catches your eye in the preseason by making big plays.

Flynn - He's a solid player. I guess people can stop making fun of the Brohm pick because I think the Flynn picked redeemed it. I don't know if he'll be a good starter in the NFL eventually, but he has a long career as a solid backup at minimum.

Shields - Gave up a couple of plays, but also was around the ball a lot. Three pass deflections and an interception. Solid work.

Rodgers - Actually had an average game for him, but the kid has confidence. Even in games where he's off a bit, he seems to light it up at some point in the game.

It's preseason, and the game got out of hand in the second half when the subs were in, but overall it was a solid performance. Hard to judge the defense at this point. They took a look at a lot of players, have some injuries, and aren't blitzing much.

[MichiganPackerFan]

Some thoughts:

I thought BJacks blocking was excellent, I also thought he ran it pretty well up until the point he put it on the ground.

I'm not nearly as talented as watching players off the ball, so thanks for the insight to those of you who do.

From what I could tell Raji was a solid contributor.

I really HATE the officials positioning. It completely interferes with the flow of the game. I got sick of the announcers going on and on about it, but the officials should not hinder the game. An offense should be able to operate on its own terms and snap the ball at any point during the play clock. Put a helmet of sort on the official and possible some light pads and call it good.

Grant was running as hard as I've ever seen him run.

It seemed like the o-line and second string o-line gave really solid pass protection, but didn't open up a lot on the run.

I saw Quinn Johnson with at least one nice block.

Is it Nelson or Jones who is number 3?

Harris to Williams is a big fall off.

But for you who break down games better than I, how did Quinn Johnson, Harrell and Raji play?

[pack4to84]

Underwood was at fault for the first TD by the Colts. He was suppose to reroute the WR or bump him off his route so the S could get over top. Instead Underwood did nothing not even a flinch to touch the WR.

On the play that Burnett got the INT he was suppose to bump or reroute the WR. Guess what he did exactly that. That was a great call by Dom. That Defense play was design to take that route away and Manning didn't see it. So Burnett disguised it correctly.

[red]

Is it Nelson or Jones who is number 3?



jones, i think. at least that's what it looks like during the games. jones has been getting a lot of looks this preseason

[RashanGary]

I used to argue Jones was a comparable receiver to Jordy Nelson, both solid #2 type guys. Many claim Nelson is the clear better player.

I'm changing that stance. I think Jones is the better player.

[sharpe1027]

Underwood was at fault for the first TD by the Colts. He was suppose to reroute the WR or bump him off his route so the S could get over top. Instead Underwood did nothing not even a flinch to touch the WR.


Maybe, but I doubt Collins would have been there absent the WR being knocked to the ground. He wasn't very close.

Personally I think the biggest problem was pobbably that they had not even called the defense yet. You could see Collins calling out a instructions right as the ball was snapped.

[mission]

I've never put Nelson ahead of Jones. Nelson is too straight line.

Jones is just going to make more plays.

Haven't chimed in a lot this thread but I think Mike Neal looked like a beast last night and Shields should make more plays on those near-misses as he gets used to the speed of the game and his overall 'feel' on the field. He definitely is showing more than Bush, even with the completions around him. He's close, he can be good some day. If we're going to have some mistakes anyway, I'd much rather them be with personnel that have the ability to make up for it with turnovers.

Where's CJ Wilson been? Have heard nothing about him. Definite PS material IMO. I think 91 makes this team even with the bad stretch of plays that TPB described.

I don't think Zombo is as good or as bad as the differing opinions think. He has a motor and definitely doesn't stop, looks good in his drops and makes immediate break on the ball for short gain tackles. Looked a lot more smooth in zone coverage than AK ever did. Doesn't quite have the bulk that I'd like to see but he'll probably make the team and he's earned it. Don't think he can touch a healthy Jones at this point in his career.

[Cheesehead Craig]

I thought BJacks blocking was excellent, I also thought he ran it pretty well up until the point he put it on the ground.


On the TD pass to Finley, BJack helped block 2 different rushers.

I thought he ran well also. The fumble was unfortunate but certainly hasn't been an issue with him in the past.

[Noodle]

I was impressed with the way A-Rod overcame what I viewed as a shaky start. He wasn't very sharp or accurate with number of his first throws, but he hung in there and obviously closed out the half with some pretty stellar play.

Sort of like the Ariz game, where he started slow but then played lights out. That's a great quality to have. With a lot of other QBs, how they start is how they finish. With our guy, a few errant throws at the beginning are no big deal.

[HarveyWallbangers]

Jones vs. Nelson. We'll see. I'm guessing they'll play a comparable number of snaps during the regular season. But knowing that (e.g. it doesn't really matter who is labeled #3 or #4) the coaches are going to list Jones as the #3 because he's the incumbent and he also seems like a player that would be more likely to get bent out of shape if he were "demoted". (Remember this is the guy that has grumbled when he hasn't gotten the ball--whereas Nelson just goes about his business.) I must say that Jones looks faster this year. Different receivers that give you different things, but I'll be surprised if they don't have a similar number of reps. I'm thinking who is designated #3 and who is designeated #4 is pretty much meaningless. It's like designating who is #1 and who is #2 between Jennings and Driver.

[mission]

Jones vs. Nelson. We'll see. I'm guessing they'll play a comparable number of snaps during the regular season. But knowing that (e.g. it doesn't really matter who is labeled #3 or #4) the coaches are going to list Jones as the #3 because he's the incumbent and he also seems like a player that would be more likely to get bent out of shape if he were "demoted". (Remember this is the guy that has grumbled when he hasn't gotten the ball--whereas Nelson just goes about his business.) I must say that Jones looks faster this year. Different receivers that give you different things, but I'll be surprised if they don't have a similar number of reps. I'm thinking who is designated #3 and who is designeated #4 is pretty much meaningless. It's like designating who is #1 and who is #2 between Jennings and Driver.

This just tells me Jones has the right mentality to be a playmaker in this league. Jordy is a happy-to-be-here kinda guy and that's good, teams need these guys too. Fire, passion and a little 'fuck you' go along way in being at the top of what you do. I think Jones and Jennings will be big for ARod over the next 5+ years.

Speaking of 'fuck you', you guys might like this song. Haven't heard it until yesterday. :lol:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAV0XrbEwNc
(not work safe but a very pleasant, creative song. the vid is cool too)

[Packers4Ever]

Oh great. Mighty Manning must need an Ego boost, playing against 2nd and 3rd stringers.


Bet the plane was quiet as a tomb on the ride home, :P

Ol' Manning got his clock cleaned, but good !!! AR outfoxed

him almost all night.

So IT CAN BE DONE !! 8-)

[Fritz]

I thought Jones had a better game than Nelson.

[HarveyWallbangers]

This just tells me Jones has the right mentality to be a playmaker in this league. Jordy is a happy-to-be-here kinda guy and that's good, teams need these guys too. Fire, passion and a little 'fuck you' go along way in being at the top of what you do. I think Jones and Jennings will be big for ARod over the next 5+ years.

You can have good players with all types of attitude. Nelson is more like Driver and Jennings. Jones is more like Finley. I don't think either one is the "right" attitude. However, the point is: if it doesn't really matter who is labeled #3, then the coaches aren't going to upset the apple cart. The proof will be in how many snaps each guy plays this year. I'm betting it will be similar--although Nelson will have a few fewer catches because he'll get more snaps in run formations because of his superior blocking (which is a part of a WRs game also).

[channtheman]

Burnett did well to catch the ball but I'm not sure that he was playing the coverage correctly. I think he was supposed to take the slot receiver, Austin Collie, instead of jumping Garcon's route. If Manning had seen how open Collie was, he had an easy 6 and Burnett is looking like a total rookie.

I am not sure either but it is one of the plays I want to look at again on my DVR. It did look like the cover rolled to that side of the field presnap with Burnett moving up to jam the slot and jump the WR.

It actually looked like the CB and Burnett switched coverages on the receivers. It looked like Burnett came up and acted like he was going to cover the slot receiver but then jumped the short route on the outside. It looked pretty sweet, and I hope it was a designed play.

[Smidgeon]

Some thoughts:

I thought BJacks blocking was excellent, I also thought he ran it pretty well up until the point he put it on the ground.

I'm not nearly as talented as watching players off the ball, so thanks for the insight to those of you who do.

From what I could tell Raji was a solid contributor.

I really HATE the officials positioning. It completely interferes with the flow of the game. I got sick of the announcers going on and on about it, but the officials should not hinder the game. An offense should be able to operate on its own terms and snap the ball at any point during the play clock. Put a helmet of sort on the official and possible some light pads and call it good.

Grant was running as hard as I've ever seen him run.

It seemed like the o-line and second string o-line gave really solid pass protection, but didn't open up a lot on the run.

I saw Quinn Johnson with at least one nice block.

Is it Nelson or Jones who is number 3?

Harris to Williams is a big fall off.

But for you who break down games better than I, how did Quinn Johnson, Harrell and Raji play?

Fixed.

[MichiganPackerFan]

I really HATE the officials positioning. It completely interferes with the flow of the game.[/color] I got sick of the announcers going on and on about it, but the officials should not hinder the game.

Fixed.

Ahh yes, my emphasis was severely lacking. A couple years back when I had to hit a sports bar in Michigan for the games, I would take my BlackBerry with the free NFL application and listen to the radio broadcast. With announcers like that, I must consider going back to that.

[SkinBasket]

Burnett did well to catch the ball but I'm not sure that he was playing the coverage correctly. I think he was supposed to take the slot receiver, Austin Collie, instead of jumping Garcon's route. If Manning had seen how open Collie was, he had an easy 6 and Burnett is looking like a total rookie.

I am not sure either but it is one of the plays I want to look at again on my DVR. It did look like the cover rolled to that side of the field presnap with Burnett moving up to jam the slot and jump the WR.

Maybe I have the rose colored glasses on but I thought Burnett just read his eyes...if THAT is true Look the F out!

True dat! Bigby couldn't even read a stop sign. Upgrade!

[mraynrand]

Burnett did well to catch the ball but I'm not sure that he was playing the coverage correctly. I think he was supposed to take the slot receiver, Austin Collie, instead of jumping Garcon's route. If Manning had seen how open Collie was, he had an easy 6 and Burnett is looking like a total rookie.

I am not sure either but it is one of the plays I want to look at again on my DVR. It did look like the cover rolled to that side of the field presnap with Burnett moving up to jam the slot and jump the WR.

Maybe I have the rose colored glasses on but I thought Burnett just read his eyes...if THAT is true Look the F out!

True dat! Bigby couldn't even read a stop sign. Upgrade!

O Ye of little faith! Bigby the Messiah will save you come midseason!

http://i453.photobucket.com/albums/qq254/mraynrand/LordBigby.jpg

[Fritz]

I've never put Nelson ahead of Jones. Nelson is too straight line.

Jones is just going to make more plays.

Haven't chimed in a lot this thread but I think Mike Neal looked like a beast last night and Shields should make more plays on those near-misses as he gets used to the speed of the game and his overall 'feel' on the field. He definitely is showing more than Bush, even with the completions around him. He's close, he can be good some day. If we're going to have some mistakes anyway, I'd much rather them be with personnel that have the ability to make up for it with turnovers.

Where's CJ Wilson been? Have heard nothing about him. Definite PS material IMO. I think 91 makes this team even with the bad stretch of plays that TPB described.

I don't think Zombo is as good or as bad as the differing opinions think. He has a motor and definitely doesn't stop, looks good in his drops and makes immediate break on the ball for short gain tackles. Looked a lot more smooth in zone coverage than AK ever did. Doesn't quite have the bulk that I'd like to see but he'll probably make the team and he's earned it. Don't think he can touch a healthy Jones at this point in his career.

Did he pull out his schvantz on the field last night? I missed that! Hope Goodell doesn't suspend him.

[SkinBasket]

http://i453.photobucket.com/albums/qq254/mraynrand/LordBigby.jpg

About time you brought that back around you big homo. I didn't want to have to try to search for it.

[RashanGary]

You can have good players with all types of attitude. Nelson is more like Driver and Jennings. Jones is more like Finley. I don't think either one is the "right" attitude. However, the point is: if it doesn't really matter who is labeled #3, then the coaches aren't going to upset the apple cart. The proof will be in how many snaps each guy plays this year. I'm betting it will be similar--although Nelson will have a few fewer catches because he'll get more snaps in run formations because of his superior blocking (which is a part of a WRs game also).

I kind of agree here. Jones is better at getting open. He has a suddenness to his game that Nelson doesn't. Once he catches it, that same suddenness helps him quickly elude would be tacklers. And he's strong.

On the other hand, Jordy is our best blocking WR. Jordy was being used as the ONLY receiver in our first unit jumbo packages and he layed a couple fantastic blocks. He's also incredibly useful as a blocker on special teams.

Jones seems to have a bad attitude about special teams. He's not a great blocker whether that be because of attitude or not, I don't know.

Catching passes though, the guy who I think will have the more prolific career is James Jones. He's just more of a playmaker. If I had to have one or the other on my team, I'd take Jones.

[packerbacker1234]

You can have good players with all types of attitude. Nelson is more like Driver and Jennings. Jones is more like Finley. I don't think either one is the "right" attitude. However, the point is: if it doesn't really matter who is labeled #3, then the coaches aren't going to upset the apple cart. The proof will be in how many snaps each guy plays this year. I'm betting it will be similar--although Nelson will have a few fewer catches because he'll get more snaps in run formations because of his superior blocking (which is a part of a WRs game also).

I kind of agree here. Jones is better at getting open. He has a suddenness to his game that Nelson doesn't. Once he catches it, that same suddenness helps him quickly elude would be tacklers. And he's strong.

On the other hand, Jordy is our best blocking WR. Jordy was being used as the ONLY receiver in our first unit jumbo packages and he layed a couple fantastic blocks. He's also incredibly useful as a blocker on special teams.

Jones seems to have a bad attitude about special teams. He's not a great blocker whether that be because of attitude or not, I don't know.

Catching passes though, the guy who I think will have the more prolific career is James Jones. He's just more of a playmaker. If I had to have one or the other on my team, I'd take Jones.

I agree on Jones. Since he arrived here, he has steadily improved his game to the point where he just has the makeup of a play maker. Great body build, and a very good route runner. He just seems to know how to get open. The TD catch was a perfect example - that is something that is hard to teach. You need to be on the same page with the QB, the QB has to trust you, and you need to do everything right in that situation to be open for that pass, or it could lead to a easy pick.

It wasn't much. but it was masterful in how he created enough space for the catch.

He has a bit of "I want the ball" syndrome like many WR's get, but I think he also understands that he isn't a starter yet. He seemed perfectly content until we drafted jordy nelson, as he felt the packers were trying to replace him. He is in line I think to replace Driver, and I think he is the one most likely to be able to do the things driver does for us.

Nelson to me seems like a great slot type wr - the sort of guy you want in a wes welker role. No need to be a great route runner, just use your speed, run across the middle, catch and turn the burners on.

We have a great situation, and when the time comes to replace Driver as the starter, most likely at the end of his contract unless his play declines, it will be Jones stepping in (assuming we kept him around) and I cross my fingers that nelson is still around for our slot. If not, I am sure we'll find someone.

Both WR's have looked good, but only Jones to me has shown the "ability" to make plays in big situations.


As for Zombo, one thing I like about him is he seems to have the nonstop motor that Kampman had. AK coming in was not really a great DE, but he became great because he just wouldn't stop playing hard. All game long, every play, and by the time the 4th quarter came, he was just simply beating the tackles. As time moved on, he becamse better at the technical standpoint and started getting even more pressures earlier in games.

ZOmbo isn't fantastic at anything. He isn't speedy, he isn't a great blitzer, he isn't the best zone or man to man guy, but he is average at them all, none really being weaker than the other, and he just doesn't quit. Guys like that can really develop well. They usually carry the right attitude, understand their limitations, and just keep grinding it out.

He could either become a great LB in 3 years for us, or a solid backup. I really do like Brad Jones, but there are some concerns with him.

[HarveyWallbangers]

I kind of agree here. Jones is better at getting open. He has a suddenness to his game that Nelson doesn't. Once he catches it, that same suddenness helps him quickly elude would be tacklers. And he's strong.

On the other hand, Jordy is our best blocking WR. Jordy was being used as the ONLY receiver in our first unit jumbo packages and he layed a couple fantastic blocks. He's also incredibly useful as a blocker on special teams.

Jones seems to have a bad attitude about special teams. He's not a great blocker whether that be because of attitude or not, I don't know.

Catching passes though, the guy who I think will have the more prolific career is James Jones. He's just more of a playmaker. If I had to have one or the other on my team, I'd take Jones.

Cool. We agree on something other than Aaron Rodgers.
:D

Like Brandon Jackson, there's something about Jones this year that I really like that I didn't see in previous years. Maybe his injuries sapped whatever speed he had last year, but his straight line speed seemed slower than Finley last year. This year he looks quicker to me. Personally, I can see Nelson oozing potential too. I like the way that when he catches the ball, how he spins and seems to get out of the first tackle, but this preseason there's always been a second player around to bring him down. I think he has nice balance running the ball, and I wouldn't be surprised if he has a couple of plays where he breaks a tackle and busts it long. Jones has that nice shake and bake where be jukes defenders out of their jocks. My main problem with Jones has been that he hasn't always played as physical as his body type and he hasn't always caught the ball well--despite having the ability to make phenomenal catches. Maybe that was concentration, and he's matured. Looks like less of a problem this year. I like these two. I honestly think both could be decent starters for several teams.

[RashanGary]

I like Nelson because he brings something a little different than the other guys. He's such a good blocker. If you line up with:

Nelson/Finley/Lee/Quinn Johnson/Ryan Grant

You are looking at a jumbo group. Lee's a solid blocking TE. Finley isn't horrible at blocking. Nelson is a great blocking WR. Quinn Johnson is a great blocking FB. Ryan Grant is a good short yardage back. . .


Nelson could get some deep bombs out of this look. His long speed is fantastic. If he gets off the line quickly, I could see a few play actions where safeties bite hard at the play action and Nelson runs right past the defense for a Rodgers, bomb, belt moment.