ND72
08-16-2006, 10:54 AM
By Chris Havel
RANT: What do the Green Bay Packers and the Green Bay Blizzard have in common? Neither has a punter. The difference is the Blizzard has an excuse. The Packers' punters  B.J. Sander and Jon Ryan  leave plenty to be desired.
Sander gets decent hang time, and his getaway time has improved drastically, but he doesn't have the necessary leg strength. Sander is especially susceptible to short punts when the weather gets chilly.
Ryan has a powerful leg. There's no question about that. But he is susceptible to having punts blocked, and he is very inconsistent. Ryan will boom a 60-yard punt, and he will turn around and shank a 25-yarder. What happens when the Packers are backed up deep in their territory, and Ryan is a step from the back of the end zone, and he shanks it? Or worse, it gets blocked? The opposing team scores.
In a best-case scenario, Ryan finds the necessary consistency to perform in the NFL. So far, I don't see that happening. In a worst-case scenario, Sander wins the job by default and the Packers are strapped with a mediocre (at best) punter. It's time to bring another punter into the mix. Why bother trying to discover whether Sander or Ryan is better when neither is the answer?
RAVE: Aaron Rodgers and Mike McCarthy were the bright spots in Saturday night's debacle at San Diego. Rodgers shined despite inadequate time to throw, and he showed a fair amount of command and confidence in the pocket.
The head coach was a bright spot because his reputation is that of a quarterbacks' coach, and thus far, McCarthy is proving to be exceptional in that area. He and Brett Favre have a strong working relationship and good communication, and Rodgers is playing at a higher level than many imagined possible.
McCarthy's ability to coach up Rodgers suggests he can do so in other areas given time. Rodgers' ability to make progress shows he can take coaching and possesses the necessary talent to justify selecting him in the first round of the 2005 NFL draft.
RANT: What part of staying behind the line on the sideline doesn't Charles Woodson understand? The Packers' high-priced free agent cost his team a penalty for no good reason. Every team has a "get back" guy, but I always wondered why it was necessary. Shouldn't NFL players, and highly paid professionals to boot, be able to stand where they are supposed to on the sideline? Apparently, that isn't the case.
RAVE: Greg Jennings did nothing against San Diego to suggest he isn't going to be a very good receiver this season. He had one crucial drop, but I'm guessing he will learn from that and it won't be repeated. The Packers needed to hit on this second-round draft pick, and so far that appears to be the case.
RANT: Najeh Davenport must have eyes in the back of his head because he can't see worth a darn when he's running straight ahead. The Packers' fifth-year back missed several holes and made the offensive line's run blocking appear much worse than it really was. Davenport isn't a featured ballcarrier, and I wouldn't hesitate to start Ahman Green, Samkon Gado or Noah Herron ahead of him.
RAVE: For all the talk about moving Nick Barnett out of the middle linebacker spot, he was another of the few bright spots. Barnett is a pro. It isn't his fault if it turns out that a certain high draft pick can't cut it at outside linebacker. The idea is to get the best three linebackers on the field. Right now, that's Barnett, Brady Poppinga (as soon as he's healthy) and Ben Taylor, with Roy Manning just off the pace.
ok....Now, I would like to go on record and let everyone know that Chris Havel is a complete and total IDIOT
RANT: What do the Green Bay Packers and the Green Bay Blizzard have in common? Neither has a punter. The difference is the Blizzard has an excuse. The Packers' punters  B.J. Sander and Jon Ryan  leave plenty to be desired.
Sander gets decent hang time, and his getaway time has improved drastically, but he doesn't have the necessary leg strength. Sander is especially susceptible to short punts when the weather gets chilly.
Ryan has a powerful leg. There's no question about that. But he is susceptible to having punts blocked, and he is very inconsistent. Ryan will boom a 60-yard punt, and he will turn around and shank a 25-yarder. What happens when the Packers are backed up deep in their territory, and Ryan is a step from the back of the end zone, and he shanks it? Or worse, it gets blocked? The opposing team scores.
In a best-case scenario, Ryan finds the necessary consistency to perform in the NFL. So far, I don't see that happening. In a worst-case scenario, Sander wins the job by default and the Packers are strapped with a mediocre (at best) punter. It's time to bring another punter into the mix. Why bother trying to discover whether Sander or Ryan is better when neither is the answer?
RAVE: Aaron Rodgers and Mike McCarthy were the bright spots in Saturday night's debacle at San Diego. Rodgers shined despite inadequate time to throw, and he showed a fair amount of command and confidence in the pocket.
The head coach was a bright spot because his reputation is that of a quarterbacks' coach, and thus far, McCarthy is proving to be exceptional in that area. He and Brett Favre have a strong working relationship and good communication, and Rodgers is playing at a higher level than many imagined possible.
McCarthy's ability to coach up Rodgers suggests he can do so in other areas given time. Rodgers' ability to make progress shows he can take coaching and possesses the necessary talent to justify selecting him in the first round of the 2005 NFL draft.
RANT: What part of staying behind the line on the sideline doesn't Charles Woodson understand? The Packers' high-priced free agent cost his team a penalty for no good reason. Every team has a "get back" guy, but I always wondered why it was necessary. Shouldn't NFL players, and highly paid professionals to boot, be able to stand where they are supposed to on the sideline? Apparently, that isn't the case.
RAVE: Greg Jennings did nothing against San Diego to suggest he isn't going to be a very good receiver this season. He had one crucial drop, but I'm guessing he will learn from that and it won't be repeated. The Packers needed to hit on this second-round draft pick, and so far that appears to be the case.
RANT: Najeh Davenport must have eyes in the back of his head because he can't see worth a darn when he's running straight ahead. The Packers' fifth-year back missed several holes and made the offensive line's run blocking appear much worse than it really was. Davenport isn't a featured ballcarrier, and I wouldn't hesitate to start Ahman Green, Samkon Gado or Noah Herron ahead of him.
RAVE: For all the talk about moving Nick Barnett out of the middle linebacker spot, he was another of the few bright spots. Barnett is a pro. It isn't his fault if it turns out that a certain high draft pick can't cut it at outside linebacker. The idea is to get the best three linebackers on the field. Right now, that's Barnett, Brady Poppinga (as soon as he's healthy) and Ben Taylor, with Roy Manning just off the pace.
ok....Now, I would like to go on record and let everyone know that Chris Havel is a complete and total IDIOT