COMPLETE COVERAGE-NFC NORTH: PACK FINISH 1st, 2nd...?

[TopHat]

Note: After offseason acquisitions, draft, & OTAs with the approach of training camp and preseason, where do you view the Pack finishing in the NFL North? Will update with forecasts.

http://www.packersnews.com/includes/newspaper/blogs/insider/index.shtml

Packers picked 2nd in division by most forecasters.

Summer is barely a week old, so that can only mean NFL predictions for the 2007 season are out in full force. How do the national magazines see the Packers finishing? Four of the five publications surveyed predicted a second-place finish for the Packers in the NFC North, with one picking the Packers third in the division. All five magazines said the Chicago Bears would win the division. Here's a summary of what the five publications are saying about the Packers:

Athlon Sports: Second place in the NFC North and no playoff berth. (Last season, Athlon predicted the Packers to finish last in their division -- they wound up second at 8-8). Said the magazine: "Packer fans are familiar with forest green and Forrest Gregg, but the 2007 Packers might have more in common with another Forrest – Gump. Like his box of chocolates, you don’t really know what to expect."

Street & Smith’s: Second in the NFC North. Said the magazine: "There are some subtle signs pointing to a playoff renewal for ageless Brett Favre and Green Bay."

Sporting News: Second with an 8-8 record. Here’s a switch: the Sporting News believes the Packers' weak link could be the defense. Said the magazine: "Brett Favre has the offensive supporting cast to make one more playoff push, but the defense – despite some young stars – might not have enough to get the team above .500."

Lindy’s: Third in the NFC North behind the Bears and the – gasp! – Lions. Said the magazine: "There's reason to question whether the Packers will have any more offensive punch than they did struggling through last season."

Pro Football Weekly: Second in the division with a 7-9 record. Said the magazine: "The window is open for Green Bay. However, the front office did little to improve an offense lacking game-breakers and a team that had to rally furiously to finish 8-8."

[packrulz]

I voted 2nd place, Da Bears will be tough again, the Lions and viqueens had good drafts but have sort of been rebuilding. I still think TT will bring in a FA RB, they should make 9-7, they might even get a playoff spot. Favre is still good if the receivers can catch the friggin ball.

[Joemailman]

Packers defense should be good for a 2nd place finish even if the concerns that many have about the offense turn out to be correct. If the OL improves, Pack is a top contemder for a wild card.

[wist43]

The division is pathetic, but so are the Packers - at least on offense. They're average on defense, maybe a little above average.

Given the tough schedule, the loss of Green, relatively little impact from our 1st round pick, and the fact that TT brought in no offensive help - at least in the short term... it'll be tough for them to overtake the Bears.

And, just to throw a monkey wrench into the works... if Kitna can play at an above average level, I could definitely see the Lions overtaking the Packers.

2nd or 3rd in the division, 7-9/8-8.

[BallHawk]

I see us being anywhere between 8-10 wins. A lot depends on the RBs and how well the DL plays. If Rex Grossman falters and the Bears have a few more problems, I don't think it's out of the question for us to win the division. However, I believe we will get the #6 wild card seed.

[Zool]

Whats the other?

[Packnut]

To early for me to form any logical guess as to what will transpire this season. I gotta see a few pre-season games in order to gauge the O line, cause they will determine the fate of this season's team.

[retailguy]

Whats the other?

tied for something?

Move to a different division? :P

[The Leaper]

Whats the other?

Yeah...what the hell is the other? That a hurricane comes into Green Bay and wipes out Lambeau?

[The Leaper]

I say 3rd at this point.

We were a 6 win team last year that was fortunate to get handed a couple games in the division. In most games, the team failed in crunchtime...and rather dramatically I might add.

I don't see much on the roster in terms of improvement going into 2007. Some young kids will improve with experience...but some key vets are bordering on starting to fall off as well. None of the rookies look to provide immediate major upgrades at any position. Our health was pretty good last year...no major injuries to key performers. If we lose a Favre, Driver, Kampman or Woodson for an extended period, this team will be lucky to get 5 wins.

The Vikings and Lions both have pretty good teams on one side of the ball, but major questions on the other. I doubt we go 5-1 in the division again...and our schedule is tougher than last year. The Bears should win 10 games...the Packers, Lions and Vikings will all be fighting for 2nd with 6-8 wins.

[Iron Mike]

Whats the other?

Yeah...what the hell is the other? That a hurricane comes into Green Bay and wipes out Lambeau?

Yeah, but what if the hurricane is named hurricane Ditka??
http://snl.jt.org/arc/char/Joe%20Mantegna-Bill%20Swerski.jpg

[MJZiggy]

Ok, fine. I laughed.

[Tarlam!]

Whats the other?

Dunno, but it got my vote!

[sepporepi]

I could't resist too :twisted:.

Guess one of the following would qualify:

a) The season is canceled :huh:

b) The Divisions are rearranged and the Packers and up in another than the NFC North :crazy:

c) The Packers resign from the NFL :violin:

Other ideas are welcome :mrgreen:

[MJZiggy]

They give up divisional football and just send us to the Conference Championship just because we're so cool? 8-)

[oregonpackfan]

I think a 2nd place finish in the weak NFC-North is a reasonable prediction. The Bears will not be as strong but will still win a couple games more than the Packers.

As for the Lions, Jon Kitna will be munching on Crow for his Thanksgiving dinner.

I think the Vikings will finish 3rd with all the rebuilding they have to do.

[Rastak]

I think a 2nd place finish in the weak NFC-North is a reasonable prediction. The Bears will not be as strong but will still win a couple games more than the Packers.

As for the Lions, Jon Kitna will be munching on Crow for his Thanksgiving dinner.

I think the Vikings will finish 3rd with all the rebuilding they have to do.


Yea, the Vikings are kind of a wildcard. If Childress really is an idiot they finish 4th. If not, they have a really young offense at the skill positions so I can't predict anything bold....it's really hard to say.

[4and12to12and4]

1. Da Bears 10-6
2. Lions 8-8
3. Pack 8-8 (less division wins)
4. Viqueens 5-11

Dear god, I hope I'm wrong

[BEARMAN]

1. Da Bears 10-6
2. Lions 8-8
3. Pack 8-8 (less division wins)
4. Viqueens 5-11

Dear god, I hope I'm wrong

You are not wrong, ... looks like you hit the nail on the head.

1. Da BEARS 12-4
2. Lions 8-8
3. Packers 7-9
4. Vikes 4-12 8-)

[TopHat]

8-)

[Jimx29]

gap between the two teams is still very sizeable....Not as long as wrex is at qb.

[TopHat]

Note: Impressed by Patriots offseason moves, Fan Nation picks them to be the next Super Bowl winners.

http://www.fannation.com/blogs/post/8978

NFL Season Predictions: NFC

NFC North -- 1) Chicago 2) Green Bay 3) Minnesota 4) Detriot

NFC South -- 1) New Orleans 2) Carolina 3) Atlanta 4) Tampa Bay

NFC East -- 1) Philadelphia 2) Dallas* 3) Washington 4) New York Giants

NFC West -- 1) San Francisco 2) Seattle* 3) St. Louis 4) Arizona

[woodbuck27]

It's really too early to predict just what our record may be, till we see if there is any appreciable improvement on our OL.

That OL will be the key for any success we may enjoy as Packer fans.

Alot of fans say that we will win alot of games just based on our 'D', Yet that 'D' didn't get on the hinge till we got deep into last season. Then we saw the Vikings and Bears roll over for us late in the season; other wins came fr. weak teams.

We were not in any game against a legitimate team. We looked aweful and that was when we had a proven RB in AG.

The questions I ask about our 'D' are these:

Will the DL step up again and stop the oppositions run?

Can we be as successful with the sacks as we saw last season and gain on the turnover ratio?

With the latest threat of seeing Nick Barnett suspended and the doubtful growth in Poppinga and the fact that alot of added pressure will be placed on AJ Hawk. How will our linebacking unit perform?

Is Nick Collins for real and who do we have to play SS?

Will one more season tacked onto the careers of Woodson and Harris harm their effectiveness?

GO PACKERS !!

[Packnut]

It's really too early to predict just what our record may be, till we see if there is any appreciable improvement on our OL.

That OL will be the key for any success we may enjoy as Packer fans.

Alot of fans say that we will win alot of games just based on our 'D', Yet that 'D' didn't get on the hinge till we got deep into last season. Then we saw the Vikings and Bears roll over for us late in the season; other wins came fr. weak teams.

We were not in any game against a legitimate team. We looked aweful and that was when we had a proven RB in AG.

The questions I ask about our 'D' are these:

Will the DL step up again and stop the oppositions run?

Can we be as successful with the sacks as we saw last season and gain on the turnover ratio?

With the latest threat of seeing Nick Barnett suspended and the doubtful growth in Poppinga and the fact that alot of added pressure will be placed on AJ Hawk. How will our linebacking unit perform?

Is Nick Collins for real and who do we have to play SS?

Will one more season tacked onto the careers of Woodson and Harris harm their effectiveness?

GO PACKERS !!

About the only one I would venture a guess at is Woodson and Harris. Both are studs and should not have any drop-off.

The other questions won't be answered for quite a while yet. The kool-aid boys will tell ya all our starters are pro-bowlers and the rookies are gonna stun the league. :P

[Zool]

It's really too early to predict just what our record may be, till we see if there is any appreciable improvement on our OL.

That OL will be the key for any success we may enjoy as Packer fans.

Alot of fans say that we will win alot of games just based on our 'D', Yet that 'D' didn't get on the hinge till we got deep into last season. Then we saw the Vikings and Bears roll over for us late in the season; other wins came fr. weak teams.

We were not in any game against a legitimate team. We looked aweful and that was when we had a proven RB in AG.

The questions I ask about our 'D' are these:

Will the DL step up again and stop the oppositions run?

Can we be as successful with the sacks as we saw last season and gain on the turnover ratio?

With the latest threat of seeing Nick Barnett suspended and the doubtful growth in Poppinga and the fact that alot of added pressure will be placed on AJ Hawk. How will our linebacking unit perform?

Is Nick Collins for real and who do we have to play SS?

Will one more season tacked onto the careers of Woodson and Harris harm their effectiveness?

GO PACKERS !!

About the only one I would venture a guess at is Woodson and Harris. Both are studs and should not have any drop-off.

The other questions won't be answered for quite a while yet. The kool-aid boys will tell ya all our starters are pro-bowlers and the rookies are gonna stun the league. :POn the other hand, the non-koolaid drinkers think our guys couldn't start for the Toronto Argonauts.

[wist43]

In general, I like the talent on the defensive side of the ball; however - see my standard scheme argument.

What could be the biggest challenge for the defense might be something that is completely beyond their control - i.e. ball control by the offense.

If the Packers can't pick up first downs consistently, the defense will wear down as they're on the field a disproportionate amount of the time. Even a 28/32 split in TOP could be enough to devastate the run defense.

In no way can I see the triumvirate of Jackson, Morency, and Herron as being nearly as capable as Green in short yardage.

Over the course of the season, that shortcoming, or potential shortcoming, could spell disaster for the defense.

[oregonpackfan]

In general, I like the talent on the defensive side of the ball; however - see my standard scheme argument.

What could be the biggest challenge for the defense might be something that is completely beyond their control - i.e. ball control by the offense.

If the Packers can't pick up first downs consistently, the defense will wear down as they're on the field a disproportionate amount of the time. Even a 28/32 split in TOP could be enough to devastate the run defense.

In no way can I see the triumvirate of Jackson, Morency, and Herron as being nearly as capable as Green in short yardage.

Over the course of the season, that shortcoming, or potential shortcoming, could spell disaster for the defense.


I agree with your points, Wist. The Packers' offense needs to stay on the field to give some rest for the defense.

Unless the Packers pick up a quality free agent RB, the overall running game is going to be weak, IMO.

[packers04]

newsflash: vernand morency was the better back by week 16 than ahman green in my opinion. check out the highlights of the last 6 games. mostly vernand.

[wist43]

newsflash: vernand morency was the better back by week 16 than ahman green in my opinion. check out the highlights of the last 6 games. mostly vernand.

Vernand Morency and Ahman Green are two completely different types of backs.

Morency needs space to operate and goes down with the first fingernail that touches him. He's not an every down back IMO, and in the opinion of a majority of scouts and analysts. The Packers brass is almost alone - except for the Kool-Aid drinkers who worship every word that comes out of 1265 - in their belief that Morency can be an every down back.

Green is aging, and the injury he suffered two years ago could be the beginning of the end; but, he did come back convincingly last year. Of course Green is no longer in his prime, but he's still a very tough, instinctive runner, and still possesses home run ability.

The biggest problem the Packers are going to have in replacing Green is finding someone who can pick up 1st downs in short yardage. Smallish/finesse OL, smallish/finesse RB's... they're going to have to spead the field, and throw enough in those situations in the hope of moving some bodies out of the box. I'm skeptical to say the least.

[MJZiggy]

Last I heard no one's asking Morency to be an every down back...and toward the end of the season last year, Green was no every down back either.

[retailguy]

newsflash: vernand morency was the better back by week 16 than ahman green in my opinion. check out the highlights of the last 6 games. mostly vernand.

I must not have watched the same games that you did.

Vernand carried 37 times in the last 6 games, Ahman carried 111 times, so Morency carried 25% of the time. He had "fairly decent" totals in two games:

San Francisco 12/10 7 rushes for 69 yards
Detroit 12/17 7 rushes for 54 yards.

Other games were abysmal:

Seattle 11/27 4 rushes 8 yards
NYJ 12/3 6 rushes 14 yards
Minn. 12/17 4 rushes 4 yards
Chicago 12/31 9 rushes 37 yards.

You probably recall the two long runs he had in the afore mentioned good games of 39 yards and 21 yards, or perhaps the 2 touchdowns in the Detroit game. Quite honestly, those 4 plays were about the extent of the "GOOD". If you take 39 and 21 yards and one carry out of the two good games, ALL the stats become fairly mediocre.

If you want to maintain that Morency has a better shot at this stage of the game in breaking a long run than Green does, I probably won't argue with you. However, you seem to be saying that Morency is ready to take over, and he's clearly not. Almost every back up runner in this league has a better ypc average than the starter. That's because the starter gets a bunch of carries on plays that don't work. Ahman was out there 75% of the time in the last 6 games. He MOVED THE CHAINS. Morency served as a "change of pace back" in all those games. NOTHING MORE.

[retailguy]

Last I heard no one's asking Morency to be an every down back...and toward the end of the season last year, Green was no every down back either.

See my previous response. With Green gone, we need to replace 75% of the snaps with another runner. Clearly Morency is on the field more, however you want to slice it in a shared backfield.

If he's not on the field then Jackson is on it. Either way, you've got TWO largely unproven guys on the field on ALL DOWNS.

That's the point. That's the worry.

[MJZiggy]

You've forgotten about Herron, Pope, Wynn and the fullbacks. Morency does not have to pick all the slack up himself. If one member of the committee is hotter than the others, then that's who runs it.

[retailguy]

You've forgotten about Herron, Pope, Wynn and the fullbacks. Morency does not have to pick all the slack up himself. If one member of the committee is hotter than the others, then that's who runs it.

I haven't "forgotton" them. You seem to have forgotton that none of them have NFL experience that qualifys them to carry Ahman's jock strap, much less carry the Green Bay offense.

Morency and Herron are the only ones who have been around, and their time in the NFL does not inspire confidence. Could they come through? sure. But, when it gets down to it, are you really willing to "bet the farm"?

Thompson appears to be. I am not. Maybe I'm wrong, but maybe, I'm not.

[Zool]

So maybe either Morrency or Jackson becomes a 15-18 carry a game back and the other is an 8-10 carry a game back. Maybe Wynn gets in for 3-5 a game. I dunno if any of that will happen, but there's no way of knowing until the season starts.

Didnt Morrency put up 250 carries in his last year at OK state? Thats 20+ a game for 12 games. Granted thats not the pro's, but he's 15 pounds heavier now too.

I'm not overly excited about the RB prospects because I've gotten so used to having Batman available, but I'm not going to say that neither guy can get it done until I've watched them try.

[wist43]

Thompsons approach to filling out the backfield seems eerily similar to his approach to filling out the OL in '05. Can't even remember who he brought in - and told us we'd be fine up front. Of course the OL was complete and total junk, and the team went 4-12.

Granted he spent a 2nd rounder on Jackson, but Jackson looks like a clone of Morency... to spend a 2nd rounder a guy that you don't view as a starter is inexplicable to me.

I had looked at Jackson as a low end possibility in the 3rd/4th round only b/c of his similar stature to Morency - although I do hold out some hope that he'll be a tougher inside runner than Morency. If Jackson isn't the starter by the end of the year, then he was a wasted pick, and TT will have egg on his face again - similar to the '05 OL debacle.

[Bretsky]

Thompsons approach to filling out the backfield seems eerily similar to his approach to filling out the OL in '05. Can't even remember who he brought in - and told us we'd be fine up front. Of course the OL was complete and total junk, and the team went 4-12.

Granted he spent a 2nd rounder on Jackson, but Jackson looks like a clone of Morency... to spend a 2nd rounder a guy that you don't view as a starter is inexplicable to me.

I had looked at Jackson as a low end possibility in the 3rd/4th round only b/c of his similar stature to Morency - although I do hold out some hope that he'll be a tougher inside runner than Morency. If Jackson isn't the starter by the end of the year, then he was a wasted pick, and TT will have egg on his face again - similar to the '05 OL debacle.


Klemm
O'Dwyer
Whittaker

Stop blocking out memories; relive the nightmare :lol:

[retailguy]

Klemm
O'Dwyer
Whittaker

Stop blocking out memories; relive the nightmare :lol:

C'mon, Whittaker wasn't that bad for a 7th round pick. O'Dwyer turned out to be "over the hill" so to speak, but didn't really cost anything.

Klemm was clearly a mistake. Here was a guy who had only played tackle and they just thought they could throw him in at guard... Big miscalculation. That being said, Klemm was available and affordable. That was Ted's criteria, apparently.

The real question is that if Cliffy's knees don't hold up, can Colledge move to tackle permanently, or, is he too small for every day duty there?

If that happens, then, Tony Moll has a mean streak in him, but, is he poised for right guard duty on a permanent basis?

Let the past die. There's PLENTY of the present that requires speculation, conjecture, and raised eyebrows.

If you believe the optimistic crowd, 15 rookies and 1st year players are going to fill gaps and holes and make this a playoff team. If you are not optimistic, then you believe that several of those positions are going to resemble swiss cheese and make for a LONG season.

That's why they play the games.

[woodbuck27]

You've forgotten about Herron, Pope, Wynn and the fullbacks. Morency does not have to pick all the slack up himself. If one member of the committee is hotter than the others, then that's who runs it.

Dam it mj but I certainly admire your abilty to grope for some air of hope even when it's in the confines of a restricted container.

''Herron, Pope, Wynn and the fullbacks ''

Do any of these backs assure your real confidence and comfort?

Now the addition of a Larry Johnson reflects alot more on the reality of what may well be.

Even as we read this can we have any real trust that our glorious GM could make this acquisition a reality, return us as Packer fans to that land of real hope?

but that might extend Brett Favre. . .

thus all is lost.

[RashanGary]

I'm a new member of the kook aid crowd and I think this team is going to win the division. The Bears will drop off just like they did a couple years ago when then went 12-4 then 4-12 the following year. They might not drop all of the way to 4-12 but 8-8 seesm about right for the wrex run Bears.

The running game has it's question marks and the safety position is a little up in the air but there are young guys who could step up so even those spots might not be holes. Other than that I think we have a pretty good team with enough plamakers (Favre, Driver, Hawk, Woodson, Kampman) to win games.

[wist43]

I'm a new member of the kook aid crowd and I think this team is going to win the division. The Bears will drop off just like they did a couple years ago when then went 12-4 then 4-12 the following year. They might not drop all of the way to 4-12 but 8-8 seesm about right for the wrex run Bears.

The running game has it's question marks and the safety position is a little up in the air but there are young guys who could step up so even those spots might not be holes. Other than that I think we have a pretty good team with enough plamakers (Favre, Driver, Hawk, Woodson, Kampman) to win games.

JH,

You were well grounded and rational a few months ago... what the hell happened??? Abducted by Packer/TT Sirens who wove a seductive message of Kool-Aid drinking and orgiastic pleasures???

:huh: :huh: :huh:

[MJZiggy]

I'm a new member of the kook aid crowd and I think this team is going to win the division. The Bears will drop off just like they did a couple years ago when then went 12-4 then 4-12 the following year. They might not drop all of the way to 4-12 but 8-8 seesm about right for the wrex run Bears.

The running game has it's question marks and the safety position is a little up in the air but there are young guys who could step up so even those spots might not be holes. Other than that I think we have a pretty good team with enough plamakers (Favre, Driver, Hawk, Woodson, Kampman) to win games.

JH,

You were well grounded and rational a few months ago... what the hell happened??? Abducted by Packer/TT Sirens who wove a seductive message of Kool-Aid drinking and orgiastic pleasures???

:huh: :huh: :huh:

Sounds like a whole lot more fun than wallowing in panicky misery all offseason... :wink:

[retailguy]

Sounds like a whole lot more fun than wallowing in panicky misery all offseason... :wink:


Acceptance. ACCEPTANCE is the answer..... :wink:

[Scott Campbell]

You've forgotten about Herron, Pope, Wynn and the fullbacks. Morency does not have to pick all the slack up himself. If one member of the committee is hotter than the others, then that's who runs it.

I haven't "forgotton" them. You seem to have forgotton that none of them have NFL experience that qualifys them to carry Ahman's jock strap, much less carry the Green Bay offense.



I also haven't forgotten that none of them are over 30 with chronic asthma either.

[retailguy]

You've forgotten about Herron, Pope, Wynn and the fullbacks. Morency does not have to pick all the slack up himself. If one member of the committee is hotter than the others, then that's who runs it.

I haven't "forgotton" them. You seem to have forgotton that none of them have NFL experience that qualifys them to carry Ahman's jock strap, much less carry the Green Bay offense.



I also haven't forgotten that none of them are over 30 with chronic asthma either.

That could be a good thing, but if they can't run behind an unproven (possibly bad) offensive line, it really wouldn't matter, would it?

Just another "?" mark to throw on the pile.... BUT REMEMBER. ALL of the question marks will step up and make this a competitive team. You just gotta believe! :wink:

[woodbuck27]

I'm a new member of the kook aid crowd and I think this team is going to win the division. The Bears will drop off just like they did a couple years ago when then went 12-4 then 4-12 the following year. They might not drop all of the way to 4-12 but 8-8 seesm about right for the wrex run Bears.

The running game has it's question marks and the safety position is a little up in the air but there are young guys who could step up so even those spots might not be holes. Other than that I think we have a pretty good team with enough plamakers (Favre, Driver, Hawk, Woodson, Kampman) to win games.

NO ! NO ! NO !

We also have an OL that is far fr. mature or proven.

We have an outstanding lack of proven ability, flexibility or depth at the RB position, to satisfy the needs necessary to break a game between the red zones, and to get us six points whenever we slumber into that zone.

We have TE's that are useless at catching the ball whenever Favre is demanded to call their number.

We have no established depth at the WR position with the sole guardian of that gate being Donald Driver.

In short. . . our offense is not only shaky depth wise, but clearly without experience and talent overall.

With an offense like TT has afforded us we can only look forward to a respectable 'D', that by midseason will wear the truth of destruction, of a course it's faced with, of too much burden and no reality of depth or experience.

In football terms our 'D' will be on the DAM field too much: as a result suffer adversity as a course of extremes.

In really clear terms. . . we are screwed !!

[Scott Campbell]

ALL of the question marks will step up and make this a competitive team. You just gotta believe! :wink:


I'm not in favor of that extreme at all. I just prefer to wait until we lose a couple of games before I jump off the bridge. Every team has question marks at this time of year - it's just a matter of degree. Hand wringing Patriot fans are probably worrying about:

1) Can this team live up to all the hype?
2) Will Moss become a locker room cancer?
3) Can Brady stop impregnating hot supermodels?

I'm sure every team has plenty of glass half full fans.

[wist43]

I'm a new member of the kook aid crowd and I think this team is going to win the division. The Bears will drop off just like they did a couple years ago when then went 12-4 then 4-12 the following year. They might not drop all of the way to 4-12 but 8-8 seesm about right for the wrex run Bears.

The running game has it's question marks and the safety position is a little up in the air but there are young guys who could step up so even those spots might not be holes. Other than that I think we have a pretty good team with enough plamakers (Favre, Driver, Hawk, Woodson, Kampman) to win games.

JH,

You were well grounded and rational a few months ago... what the hell happened??? Abducted by Packer/TT Sirens who wove a seductive message of Kool-Aid drinking and orgiastic pleasures???

:huh: :huh: :huh:

Sounds like a whole lot more fun than wallowing in panicky misery all offseason... :wink:

If they were mere Sirens, resistance is possible...

But "Si-reens" on the other hand??? No man can resist that... Just ask John Turturro!!!

Another innocent man taken over to the light side by the Sireens!!! O' Brother Where Art Thou???

[Scott Campbell]

In really clear terms. . . we are screwed !!


:)

Speaking of glass half full........

[Zool]

If they were mere Sirens, resistance is possible...

But "Si-reens" on the other hand??? No man can resist that... Just ask John Turturro!!!

Another innocent man taken over to the light side by the Sireens!!! O' Brother Where Art Thou???

My 2 friends were recently baptized. I am as of yet unaffiliated.

[woodbuck27]

In really clear terms. . . we are screwed !!


:)

Speaking of glass half full........

Yaa !

Of course my vote need not be counted, as I'm sole member of the Realistic Realist's Club.

In terms of a glass half full, Scott.

I confess as one of my negative traits. I'm often challenged NOT to be a pessimist. :)

[retailguy]

ALL of the question marks will step up and make this a competitive team. You just gotta believe! :wink:


I'm not in favor of that extreme at all. I just prefer to wait until we lose a couple of games before I jump off the bridge. Every team has question marks at this time of year - it's just a matter of degree. Hand wringing Patriot fans are probably worrying about:

1) Can this team live up to all the hype?
2) Will Moss become a locker room cancer?
3) Can Brady stop impregnating hot supermodels?

I'm sure every team has plenty of glass half full fans.

Scott,

My glass is "half full" too. I just don't think it's getting fuller this year. Too many holes, too many "IF" statements, with what appears today to be a brutal schedule.

I'm with you about seeing games played before jumping from the pier, but at least I won't be kool-aid drunk when we jump in week 7 during the bye week. :wink: I want to live until 2008.... :P

[RashanGary]

I don't really doubt the Oline nearly as much as RG and Woody.

We have a HOF QB who can still wing it.

We have a probowl DE who is in his prime

We have a borderline probowl LB who is in his prime

We have another LB who is in his second year and could be the best Packer defender since Reggie White and LeRoy Butler

We have a WR who casually creeping up on all time Packer recieving records and still has probowl talent left in him

We have another WR who was on pace to eclipse 1,000 yards before he went down with injury.

We have an offesive line littered with 2nd year guys who were starters on the all rookie team in their first years.

We have a RB who averaged four and a half yards per carry in spot duty last year.

We have a 2nd round pick RB who has all of the tools to be good if given the chance

We have 2 borderline probowl CB's

We have a young safety who is just hitting his stride and entering his prime

We have a 2nd year coach who is picking up where he left off as opposed ot starting over from scratch.

We have last years youngest NFL team who should just be better because they gain experience.

We have a 2nd year punter (most punters get progressively better over their first few seasons) who should get better

We have a kicker starting in his 2nd year who was OK last year but like PUnters, should progressively get better. If we don't have rayner we have the guy who beat him out but either way the ST's stand a chance to be better.

We have Rouse, Barbre and Poppinga (maybe 3 of the most aggressive and athletic ST's studs that we've had in the last few years)





I'm sure if you nitpick one or two positions (that have guys who could be good anyway but are unproven) you can find reason for pessemism but if you look at the QB and the defense (the two biggest factors in winning teams) you'll see a good team. Cliff Christl before he retired had a few catch phrases that he sort of based all of his football beliefs on. One of those phrases was "It's a young mans game" You never know who is going to climb up and play out of their minds year in and year out. The Packers are one of those teams that have all the ingrediants to make that leap.

I have optimism for this team, needless to say :)

[GBRulz]

The season hinges on the OL. If we have to go the max protect thing all the time again this season, we're screwed.

[RashanGary]

The season hinges on the OL. If we have to go the max protect thing all the time again this season, we're screwed.


I agree that the season hinges on the O-line. IF they're good; we'll be good. If they make no progress, we'll probably be slightly better than last year but definitly not as good as we all hope.

I heard a lot of really positive remarks from McCarthy/Philbin on the progress of the young lineman. We didn't always have that in the past (i.e. Whittaker and Barry being fat and out of shape). This team does have a chance. Favre has the WR weapons. The RB's can run. It's up to the line to give Favre time and make holes for our smallish backs.

[TopHat]

http://www.walterfootball.com/season2007gb.php

Green Bay Packers (Last Year: 8-8)

Veteran Additions: CB Frank Walker.

Draft Picks: RB Brandon Jackson, RB DeShawn Wynn, WR James Jones, WR David Clowney, TE Clark Haris, OT Allen Barbre, DT Justin Harrell, OLB Desmond Bishop, MLB Korey Hall, S Aaron Rouse, K Mason Crosby.

Major Subtractions: RB Ahman Green (HOU), FB William Henderson, TE David Martin (MIA), DT Kenderick Allen, OLB Ben Taylor.

Offense This Year: I was really excited at the prospect of the Packers being a sleeper team in 2007. Green Bay won its final four games and had tons of cash to spend this offseason. It needed a younger, talented running back, an upgrade at the tight end position and a better, proven No. 2 receiver for Brett Favre. That's three crucial requirements, but the organization had the funds to take care of those issues. Just one problem - I didn't take into account the ineptness of the front office.

The first need may have been taken care of. And I'm stressing the "may have." Ahman Green rushed for 1,059 yards last season, a far cry from the 1,883 yards he produced in 2003. At age 30 and two years removed from a serious injury, Green was no longer a reliable starting running back in the NFL. The Packers let him go, which was the right move. However, their plan to draft Marshawn Lynch in the first round blew up in their face when the Bills snagged him with the 12th overall pick. Green Bay panicked and chose Brandon Jackson in the second round, even though Jackson was a third- or a fourth-round prospect. Jackson might succeed, but it's unclear because he's merely a rookie. The Packers should have either traded up for Lynch or signed Travis Henry via free agency. There are rumors that Corey Dillon may sign with the team, but he's even older and more fossilized than Green is.

With Lynch out of the picture, I thought the Packers would trade down and grab Greg Olsen, or simply take Zach Miller in the second round. Instead, they waited until the seventh round to select Clark Harris. Thus, Green Bay has not found an upgrade over Bubba Franks, who seems to be getting worse every year. Franks has just one touchdown the past two seasons, and hasn't registered more than 400 receiving yards since 2002.

As I mentioned in the opening paragraph, receiver is a problem as well. Favre wanted Randy Moss. Instead he got James Jones and David Clowney, two rookies selected in the middle of the draft. Donald Driver (92 catches, 1,295 yards, 8 TDs) remains Favre's only potent weapon. Greg Jennings (45 receptions, 632 yards, 3 TDs) showed some promise as a rookie last year, but he'll be entering his second season and isn't a proven commodity just yet. A wild card is No. 3 receiver Ruvell Martin, who came out of nowhere to catch seven passes for 118 yards the final week of his rookie campaign.

You can see why Favre's numbers have been down the past two years. I can't even imagine how frustrated he is right now. Thankfully his offensive line is exceptional-it yielded 24 sacks in 2006. Otherwise, he'd probably ask general manager Ted Thompson to trade him to an organization that actually spends its money and is dedicated to winning.

Defense This Year: If you looked at the "veteran additions" portion of this season preview at the top of this page, you know that Green Bay's unfulfilled needs aren't limited to the offense. I can't believe the team signed one veteran free agent this offseason. One stinkin' veteran. And he's not even that good.

There's no reason not to start up front. The Packers did an exceptional job putting pressure on the quarterback last year, thanks to Aaron Kampman's 15.5 sacks. It's almost unbelievable how much Kampman has improved over the years. He's one of the top defensive ends in the NFL, yet no one really talks about him. Cullen Jenkins and Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila chipped in with six sacks each, so defensive end definitely wasn't a problem. The interior of the line was, however....The organization drafted Justin Harrell in the first round, though he was an enormous reach at No. 16. The Packers could have traded down and few slots and still obtained him. Harrell is a promising prospect, although like Brandon Jackson, he's merely a rookie. No one really knows how well he'll play in this league.

Last year's first-round selection turned out to be pretty good, wouldn't you say? A.J. Hawk started all 16 games, recorded 3.5 sacks, recovered two fumbles and intercepted a pair of passes. Not bad for a 22-year-old. Hawk played next to middle linebacker Nick Barnett, who was second on the team with 105 tackles. The third leg of the linebacking corps left much to be desired, however. Brady Poppinga (60 tackles, one sack) is not even close, talent-wise, to Hawk and Barnett. Poppinga would make a solid reserve on defense, but he definitely shouldn't be starting in this league....

Another issue the Packers have is their aging cornerbacks. Charles Woodson and Al Harris are exceptional, but they turn 31 and 33, respectively, during this upcoming season. I wanted Green Bay to draft a young corner who could eventually be a starter for the team. All Thompson could come up with was free-agent Frank Walker, who's currently listed behind Will Blackmon and Jarrett Bush on the depth chart. Strong safety is also a problem; Marquand Manuel just doesn't have what it takes to start in the NFL. Green Bay selected Aaron Rouse in the third round, but many fans fear that he is a tweener - a player too slow to be a safety, but too small to be a linebacker. The Packers better hope he's not if they want someone promising to play next to Nick Collins in the future.

Schedule and Intangibles: I have to admit that I was wrong about Mike McCarthy. I thought hiring him was a huge mistake because he was fairly unsuccessful as San Francisco's offensive coordinator. However, he managed to get the most out of the Packers last season, so he deserves a lot of credit. Green Bay is 90-30 at home since 1992, but the team is only 15-17 at Lambeau the past four years, including 3-5 in 2006. Furthermore, the Packers are just 1-2 in home playoff games since 2002, after going unscathed in franchise history. What happened to the Lambeau mystique? ... Kicker Dave Rayner missed four field goals inside 40 yards, which is why Thompson drafted Mason Crosby. That's definitely an instant upgrade. ... The Packers were brutal on returns. They averaged about three yards less than their opponents and surrendered one touchdown. ... Three of Green Bay's first five contests are against Philadelphia, San Diego and Chicago, so we'll quickly see how good this team is. While Denver, Carolina and Dallas also loom on the schedule, the Packers' slate isn't all that bad. Washington, Kansas City, Oakland, Minnesota, Detroit and the New York Giants could prove to be punching bags.

Positional Rankings (0-4 stars): Quarterbacks Offensive Line Secondary Running Backs Defensive Line Special Teams
Receivers Linebackers Coaching

Divisional Rival History:

Chicago Bears: Brett Favre dominated the Bears for years. That's not the case anymore. Under Lovie Smith, Chicago is 4-2 against the Packers.
Detroit Lions: The Lions' ineptness has no limit. The Packers have won 11 of the last 13 meetings.
Minnesota Vikings: If Favre can't win in domes, how did Green Bay sweep Minnesota last season? There has actually been a sweep in this series the past three years. The Packers did it in 2006 and 2004, and the Vikings managed to do so in 2005.

Fantasy Football:

Brett Favre: Brett Favre's touchdowns are down (20 in 2005, 18 in 2006) and his interceptions are up. Is it age (Favre turns 38 in October), or is it the lack of talent around him? Could be both, but I have a feeling it's the latter. Projected Stats: 3,900 passing yards. 20 passing TDs. 30 rushing yards. 0 rushing TD. Projected Fantasy Points: 318.

Brandon Jackson: Will Brandon Jackson start right away? How talented is he? Will he fit into Green Bay's system? These are questions no one has answers to. He's a worth a shot if he falls, but I wouldn't take him early.
Projected Stats: 1,100 rushing yards. 100 receiving yards. 6 total TDs.
Projected Fantasy Points: 156.

Bubba Franks: Read the offensive portion of my season preview if you're thinking about drafting Bubba Franks. Projected Stats: 225 receiving yards. 1 TD. Projected Fantasy Points: 28.

Donald Driver: Other than Brett Favre, the only Packer worth taking in fantasy football. Donald Driver is perennially underrated, so you may be able to obtain him a little bit later than when he should be drafted.
Projected Stats: 1,275 receiving yards. 8 TDs. Projected Fantasy Points: 175.

Greg Jennings: I like Greg Jennings, although the following stat concerns me: Jennings caught only nine passes in December after registering 10, 11 and 15 receptions the previous three months. Rookie wall, or defenses finally catching on? Projected Stats: 700 receiving yards. 4 TDs. Projected Fantasy Points: 94.

Ruvell Martin: Came out of nowhere to catch seven passes for 118 yards the final week of the season. A sign of things to come? Keep him on your radar screen. Projected Stats: 450 receiving yards. 2 TDs. Projected Fantasy Points: 57.

James Jones: I wouldn't expect much from James Jones this season. I thought he was a reach in the third round. Projected Stats: 125 receiving yards. 0 TDs. Projected Fantasy Points: 12.

Mason Crosby: I wouldn't draft a rookie kicker in my fantasy league, but that's just me. Projected Stats: 24-30 FG (1-2 50+). 31 XP. Projected Fantasy Points: 112.

Green Bay Defense: Not a bad defense to have in a big league. The Packers recorded 46 sacks and 23 interceptions last year. They also held three teams to less than 10 points.

Projected Fantasy Ranking: Top 15 Defense.

Analysis: What could have been... I was ready to anoint the Packers as my sleeper team in 2007. That was before they refused to spend any money in free agency. Another mediocre season could be on the horizon.


Projection: 8-8 (2nd in the NFC North)

[TopHat]

http://packers.scout.com/2/655052.html

Coming up short

Have the Green Bay Packers gained any ground on the Chicago Bears in the NFC North Division this off-season? PackerReport.com's Matt Tevsh assesses the situation and explains why the gap between the two teams is still very sizeable. That Lovie Smith made it a point of emphasis spoke volumes. On the January day in 2004 when he was introduced as the new head coach of the Chicago Bears, Smith specifically stated one of his goals was to beat the Packers. Nearly three years later, Smith has accomplished that goal and then some. The Bears are 4-2 against the Packers since Smith took over and clearly the balance of power in the NFC North has shifted. Having once controlled the division for most of the 1990’s and into the first few years of the 21st century, the Packers have fallen back.

So just how close are they to getting back to the top? Not close enough - at least not for 2007. The prevailing feeling emanating from Packers’ fans this off-season is that the team failed to make any moves to improve their divisional position in the season ahead. Coming off a strong finish to the 2006 season the Packers should expect to improve their standing, but instead their longtime Midwestern foes have taken bigger, more proactive steps that might prevent that from happening. Here is a quick look:

• The Lions drafted stud receiver Calvin Johnson and traded for Tatum Bell

• The Vikings nabbed a sure-shooting star in Adrian Peterson and added hard-hitting safety Mike Doss

• The Bears have the majority of their dominant defense coming back and a first-round pick in tight end Greg Olsen who should stretch the field for their offense.

The Packers, on the other hand, made headlines for who they failed to add. Not completing a deal for Randy Moss put a damper on draft weekend and has the team searching desperately for someone besides Donald Driver to make plays on offense. The Packers have a remarkably similar roster to a year ago. They added just one notable free agent in Frank Walker and selected a mass of draft picks who will try to find a spot to fit in when they really needed an instant upgrade or two to continue their momentum from a year ago. Instead, they will be relying on continued improvement from their young players and young coach, and hope that Brett Favre can continue to deny Father Time to make any progress.

Uncertainties always seem to surface in some fashion late into the summer when training camp rolls around, but after having many of the same question marks last year at this time, it should be hard for the Packers to ignore what other teams in the North are doing. They are adding talent while the Packers are simply hoping to get more out of theirs. The Packers could still make a major addition to their roster before the regular season begins, but such a move is highly unlikely. Really, what ammunition do they have? Players with the most trade value – Favre, Driver, Aaron Kampman, A.J. Hawk, and Al Harris – are clearly not going anywhere, and to even suggest trading future high draft picks goes against general manager Ted Thompson’s grand plan.

What the Packers may have going for them versus their division foes are intangibles. If anything, they have had a better off-season than the Bears even if they lack their south-of-the-border foe in talent. Contract issues involving Lance Briggs, off-the-field problems with Tank Johnson, the departure of offensive leader Thomas Jones, and omnipresent chatter about quarterback Rex Grossman have given Bears’ fans reasons to want the season to start as soon as possible. As for the Lions, well, losing continues to be a disease without a cure. And finally for the Vikings, a clouded quarterback situation and possibly the poorest selection of coaches from the 2006 class could continue to frustrate Vikings’ fans. There still is hope for the Packers. To get back to the playoffs consistently, though, they have to climb to the top of NFC North again. With the division adding some pretty impressive players, that task just got a little harder.
__________________________________________________ _______________________________________

http://packers.scout.com/2/653859.html

No offense, but this isn't a playoff team

With the NFL's growing emphasis on scoring, a lack of firepower on offense figures to keep the Packers out of the postseason, PackerReport.com's Steve Lawrence says. Todd Korth, the editor of the Packer Report and my boss here for more than a decade, recently predicted the Packers would return to the playoffs this season. I like Todd. Which makes this all the more difficult to say: Todd, you’re nuts.

The adage that defense wins championships, while not necessarily false, just doesn’t hold as much water any more. The NFL, in its quest to be the king of professional sports in the United States, has put a bigger and bigger emphasis on offense. Sex sells, and so do 30-27 shootouts. Last season, the top seven offenses in the NFL in terms of points belonged to playoff teams. The league’s second- and third-highest scoring teams, Indianapolis and Chicago, met in the Super Bowl. Of the NFL’s eight division champions, San Diego led the NFL in scoring, Indy was second, Chicago was third, New Orleans was fifth, Philadelphia was sixth, New England was seventh, Baltimore was 12th and Seattle was 14th.

If you’re going to win in today’s NFL, you have to score points. Last year’s Packers finished 23rd in the league by scoring 18.8 points per game. That kind of production isn’t going to get it done, unless Nick Barnett is the next Ray Lewis and Justin Harrell elevates the Packers’ defensive line into an elite unit. Certainly, a more-experienced offensive line will help and a healthy Greg Jennings will take some pressure off Donald Driver, but it’s hard to see where this year’s Packers will be any more prolific. Ted Thompson has this team on the right track. He’s slowly building what should be a long-term winner. But those winning days — or, more accurately, playoff seasons — aren’t going to start this year. Brett Favre, who’s been showing his age the past couple of seasons, hasn’t gotten any younger.

It’s hard to imagine any team in the league having bigger questions surrounding its running game. Vernand Morency and Brandon Jackson have talent, but they are anything but sure things. Is Brandon Miree ’s blocking at fullback going to make people forget about William Henderson? Is there one legit tight end on the roster? Even if you combined all of their strengths into one player? There’s talent at wide receiver, but does anyone other than Driver cause opposing defensive coordinators to lose even a minute of sleep? Those are a lot of questions surrounding the offense. Maybe most of them will be answered in the Packers’ favor to help this team turn enough field goals into touchdowns. Maybe the special teams will emerge to give the Packers an artificially productive offense, a la last season’s Bears. But that’s a lot of wishing and hoping. Long term — assuming Aaron Rodgers is a competent quarterback — the Packers’ offense will be fine. But looking only at the coming season, how on earth is this team going to score enough points to win the nine or 10 games necessary to get into the playoffs? Especially considering the challenging schedule that looms. No, this Packers team isn’t playoff-caliber. Not when the questions outnumber the answers on offense.
__________________________________________________ _______________________________________

http://packers.scout.com/2/652020.html

Packers are passing division class

General manager Ted Thompson has positioned Green Bay to compete with the rest of the NFC North, PackerReport.com's Steve Lawrence says. Before the Green Bay Packers become regular Super Bowl contenders, they will have to regain their perch atop the NFC North. In that sense, it’s been an interesting off-season in Green Bay, as general manager Ted Thompson positions the Packers to compete against Chicago, Minnesota and Detroit. Thompson’s selection of defensive tackle Justin Harrell was widely panned among Packers fans and drew only slightly better reviews among league insiders.

But let’s look at the big picture. First, let’s review what the division teams have done this offseason:

The Bears selected Greg Olsen — the best tight end in the draft — with their first-round pick. He’s a guy many fans wanted the Packers to select, but with Olsen falling all the way to No. 31, it would have been a reach for Thompson to pick Olsen — a productive pass-catcher who’s alergic to blocking — at No. 16. The Vikings selected Adrian Peterson — the best running back in the draft — with their first-round pick. He’ll pair with Chester Taylor to give the Vikings a formidable one-two punch at running back behind road-grader blockers Steve Hutchinson and Bryant McKinney. Minnesota will be a run-first team with unproven Tarvaris Jackson at quarterback and a suspect receiving corps. The Lions selected Calvin Johnson — the best receiver in the draft — with their first-round pick. He’ll join Roy Williams and Mike Furrey to give Detroit the type of high-octane receiving corps that offensive coordinator Mike Martz likes. Like the Packers, neither the Bears, Vikings nor Lions were especially active in free agency. The biggest moves were the Vikings adding safety Mike Doss and the Lions trading standout cornerback Dre Bly to Denver for running back Tatum Bell. None of those moves will have the Packers shaking in their boots.

So, through the Packers’ perspective, what does this mean? Thompson has done well to match his rivals’ moves. Starting with Chicago, Olsen will be a big help to the Bears’ offense in at least a situational role. But, if either Marquand Manuel, Marviel Underwood or Aaron Rouse can step up at safety, the Packers should be able to handle Olsen. Can the Packers catch Chicago in the North? Probably not this year, especially if Rex Grossman shows some improvement at quarterback — and the addition of Olsen will help. But the Bears jettisoned 1,200-yard rusher Thomas Jones and could lose star linebacker Lance Briggs. The suspension of defensive tackle Tank Johnson will further weaken the defense. Can the Packers stay a step ahead of Minnesota? Certainly, the Vikings should have a superior running game — on paper at least. But, there are two major questions. Is Peterson healthy enough to help? Can Jackson do enough through the air to keep defenses honest? Interestingly, the Vikings are building a run-first offense and the Packers are building a defense-first team. Throw in Harrell to an above-average defensive front seven, and the Packers seem well-suited to handle the Vikings’ offense. On the other side of the ball, it will be interesting to see how the Vikings’ defense fares without coordinator Mike Tomlin. Finally, there’s Detroit. The Lions’ receivers should be terrific, but they still have Jon Kitna at quarterback. They still have a suspect running game — even with the addition of Bell — since Kevin Jones is coming off a serious foot injury. And the Lions’ defense, especially without Bly, remains in the bottom third of the league. Whether you like him or hate him, it’s hard to say Thompson did much to help the 2007 Packers. At the same time, Thompson did enough to prevent the Packers from falling behind their NFC North rivals. If the second-year players show enough improvement, the Packers will be in fine position in December

[Bretsky]

http://packers.scout.com/2/655052.html

Coming up short

Have the Green Bay Packers gained any ground on the Chicago Bears in the NFC North Division this off-season? PackerReport.com's Matt Tevsh assesses the situation and explains why the gap between the two teams is still very sizeable. That Lovie Smith made it a point of emphasis spoke volumes. On the January day in 2004 when he was introduced as the new head coach of the Chicago Bears, Smith specifically stated one of his goals was to beat the Packers. Nearly three years later, Smith has accomplished that goal and then some. The Bears are 4-2 against the Packers since Smith took over and clearly the balance of power in the NFC North has shifted. Having once controlled the division for most of the 1990’s and into the first few years of the 21st century, the Packers have fallen back.

So just how close are they to getting back to the top? Not close enough - at least not for 2007. The prevailing feeling emanating from Packers’ fans this off-season is that the team failed to make any moves to improve their divisional position in the season ahead. Coming off a strong finish to the 2006 season the Packers should expect to improve their standing, but instead their longtime Midwestern foes have taken bigger, more proactive steps that might prevent that from happening. Here is a quick look:

• The Lions drafted stud receiver Calvin Johnson and traded for Tatum Bell

• The Vikings nabbed a sure-shooting star in Adrian Peterson and added hard-hitting safety Mike Doss

• The Bears have the majority of their dominant defense coming back and a first-round pick in tight end Greg Olsen who should stretch the field for their offense.

The Packers, on the other hand, made headlines for who they failed to add. Not completing a deal for Randy Moss put a damper on draft weekend and has the team searching desperately for someone besides Donald Driver to make plays on offense. The Packers have a remarkably similar roster to a year ago. They added just one notable free agent in Frank Walker and selected a mass of draft picks who will try to find a spot to fit in when they really needed an instant upgrade or two to continue their momentum from a year ago. Instead, they will be relying on continued improvement from their young players and young coach, and hope that Brett Favre can continue to deny Father Time to make any progress.

Uncertainties always seem to surface in some fashion late into the summer when training camp rolls around, but after having many of the same question marks last year at this time, it should be hard for the Packers to ignore what other teams in the North are doing. They are adding talent while the Packers are simply hoping to get more out of theirs. The Packers could still make a major addition to their roster before the regular season begins, but such a move is highly unlikely. Really, what ammunition do they have? Players with the most trade value – Favre, Driver, Aaron Kampman, A.J. Hawk, and Al Harris – are clearly not going anywhere, and to even suggest trading future high draft picks goes against general manager Ted Thompson’s grand plan.

What the Packers may have going for them versus their division foes are intangibles. If anything, they have had a better off-season than the Bears even if they lack their south-of-the-border foe in talent. Contract issues involving Lance Briggs, off-the-field problems with Tank Johnson, the departure of offensive leader Thomas Jones, and omnipresent chatter about quarterback Rex Grossman have given Bears’ fans reasons to want the season to start as soon as possible. As for the Lions, well, losing continues to be a disease without a cure. And finally for the Vikings, a clouded quarterback situation and possibly the poorest selection of coaches from the 2006 class could continue to frustrate Vikings’ fans. There still is hope for the Packers. To get back to the playoffs consistently, though, they have to climb to the top of NFC North again. With the division adding some pretty impressive players, that task just got a little harder.
__________________________________________________ _______________________________________

http://packers.scout.com/2/653859.html

No offense, but this isn't a playoff team

With the NFL's growing emphasis on scoring, a lack of firepower on offense figures to keep the Packers out of the postseason, PackerReport.com's Steve Lawrence says. Todd Korth, the editor of the Packer Report and my boss here for more than a decade, recently predicted the Packers would return to the playoffs this season. I like Todd. Which makes this all the more difficult to say: Todd, you’re nuts.

The adage that defense wins championships, while not necessarily false, just doesn’t hold as much water any more. The NFL, in its quest to be the king of professional sports in the United States, has put a bigger and bigger emphasis on offense. Sex sells, and so do 30-27 shootouts. Last season, the top seven offenses in the NFL in terms of points belonged to playoff teams. The league’s second- and third-highest scoring teams, Indianapolis and Chicago, met in the Super Bowl. Of the NFL’s eight division champions, San Diego led the NFL in scoring, Indy was second, Chicago was third, New Orleans was fifth, Philadelphia was sixth, New England was seventh, Baltimore was 12th and Seattle was 14th.

If you’re going to win in today’s NFL, you have to score points. Last year’s Packers finished 23rd in the league by scoring 18.8 points per game. That kind of production isn’t going to get it done, unless Nick Barnett is the next Ray Lewis and Justin Harrell elevates the Packers’ defensive line into an elite unit. Certainly, a more-experienced offensive line will help and a healthy Greg Jennings will take some pressure off Donald Driver, but it’s hard to see where this year’s Packers will be any more prolific. Ted Thompson has this team on the right track. He’s slowly building what should be a long-term winner. But those winning days — or, more accurately, playoff seasons — aren’t going to start this year. Brett Favre, who’s been showing his age the past couple of seasons, hasn’t gotten any younger.

It’s hard to imagine any team in the league having bigger questions surrounding its running game. Vernand Morency and Brandon Jackson have talent, but they are anything but sure things. Is Brandon Miree ’s blocking at fullback going to make people forget about William Henderson? Is there one legit tight end on the roster? Even if you combined all of their strengths into one player? There’s talent at wide receiver, but does anyone other than Driver cause opposing defensive coordinators to lose even a minute of sleep? Those are a lot of questions surrounding the offense. Maybe most of them will be answered in the Packers’ favor to help this team turn enough field goals into touchdowns. Maybe the special teams will emerge to give the Packers an artificially productive offense, a la last season’s Bears. But that’s a lot of wishing and hoping. Long term — assuming Aaron Rodgers is a competent quarterback — the Packers’ offense will be fine. But looking only at the coming season, how on earth is this team going to score enough points to win the nine or 10 games necessary to get into the playoffs? Especially considering the challenging schedule that looms. No, this Packers team isn’t playoff-caliber. Not when the questions outnumber the answers on offense.
__________________________________________________ _______________________________________

http://packers.scout.com/2/652020.html

Packers are passing division class

General manager Ted Thompson has positioned Green Bay to compete with the rest of the NFC North, PackerReport.com's Steve Lawrence says. Before the Green Bay Packers become regular Super Bowl contenders, they will have to regain their perch atop the NFC North. In that sense, it’s been an interesting off-season in Green Bay, as general manager Ted Thompson positions the Packers to compete against Chicago, Minnesota and Detroit. Thompson’s selection of defensive tackle Justin Harrell was widely panned among Packers fans and drew only slightly better reviews among league insiders.

But let’s look at the big picture. First, let’s review what the division teams have done this offseason:

The Bears selected Greg Olsen — the best tight end in the draft — with their first-round pick. He’s a guy many fans wanted the Packers to select, but with Olsen falling all the way to No. 31, it would have been a reach for Thompson to pick Olsen — a productive pass-catcher who’s alergic to blocking — at No. 16. The Vikings selected Adrian Peterson — the best running back in the draft — with their first-round pick. He’ll pair with Chester Taylor to give the Vikings a formidable one-two punch at running back behind road-grader blockers Steve Hutchinson and Bryant McKinney. Minnesota will be a run-first team with unproven Tarvaris Jackson at quarterback and a suspect receiving corps. The Lions selected Calvin Johnson — the best receiver in the draft — with their first-round pick. He’ll join Roy Williams and Mike Furrey to give Detroit the type of high-octane receiving corps that offensive coordinator Mike Martz likes. Like the Packers, neither the Bears, Vikings nor Lions were especially active in free agency. The biggest moves were the Vikings adding safety Mike Doss and the Lions trading standout cornerback Dre Bly to Denver for running back Tatum Bell. None of those moves will have the Packers shaking in their boots.

So, through the Packers’ perspective, what does this mean? Thompson has done well to match his rivals’ moves. Starting with Chicago, Olsen will be a big help to the Bears’ offense in at least a situational role. But, if either Marquand Manuel, Marviel Underwood or Aaron Rouse can step up at safety, the Packers should be able to handle Olsen. Can the Packers catch Chicago in the North? Probably not this year, especially if Rex Grossman shows some improvement at quarterback — and the addition of Olsen will help. But the Bears jettisoned 1,200-yard rusher Thomas Jones and could lose star linebacker Lance Briggs. The suspension of defensive tackle Tank Johnson will further weaken the defense. Can the Packers stay a step ahead of Minnesota? Certainly, the Vikings should have a superior running game — on paper at least. But, there are two major questions. Is Peterson healthy enough to help? Can Jackson do enough through the air to keep defenses honest? Interestingly, the Vikings are building a run-first offense and the Packers are building a defense-first team. Throw in Harrell to an above-average defensive front seven, and the Packers seem well-suited to handle the Vikings’ offense. On the other side of the ball, it will be interesting to see how the Vikings’ defense fares without coordinator Mike Tomlin. Finally, there’s Detroit. The Lions’ receivers should be terrific, but they still have Jon Kitna at quarterback. They still have a suspect running game — even with the addition of Bell — since Kevin Jones is coming off a serious foot injury. And the Lions’ defense, especially without Bly, remains in the bottom third of the league. Whether you like him or hate him, it’s hard to say Thompson did much to help the 2007 Packers. At the same time, Thompson did enough to prevent the Packers from falling behind their NFC North rivals. If the second-year players show enough improvement, the Packers will be in fine position in December


Good Article

You'll hear no comments from me indicating the Packers closed the gap on the Bears last season. Not enough alcohol to fill up the kool aide bin.

Hopefully we'll finish 2nd in our division and be respectable.

B

[mngolf19]

I'm a new member of the kook aid crowd and I think this team is going to win the division. The Bears will drop off just like they did a couple years ago when then went 12-4 then 4-12 the following year. They might not drop all of the way to 4-12 but 8-8 seesm about right for the wrex run Bears.

The running game has it's question marks and the safety position is a little up in the air but there are young guys who could step up so even those spots might not be holes. Other than that I think we have a pretty good team with enough plamakers (Favre, Driver, Hawk, Woodson, Kampman) to win games.

JH,

You were well grounded and rational a few months ago... what the hell happened??? Abducted by Packer/TT Sirens who wove a seductive message of Kool-Aid drinking and orgiastic pleasures???

:huh: :huh: :huh:

Well that might even convince me. :wink:

[TopHat]

Good Articles

You'll hear no comments from me indicating the Packers closed the gap on the Bears last season. Not enough alcohol to fill up the kool aide bin.

Hopefully we'll finish 2nd in our division and be respectable.

B


OFFSEASON REVIEW CONSENSUS: FAVRE'S POSTDRAFT ASSESSMENT IS RIGHT-ON-TARGET ALONG WITH HIS HOPE THAT ROOKIES CAN DEVELOP QUICKLY. AMAZING. TUESDAY, A FORTHCOMING PREDICTION SEES A SEASON SCENARIO, E.G. 1ST QUESTION IN "BEHIND ENEMY LINES" ARTICLE.

[TopHat]

http://www.railbirdcentral.blogspot.com/

Fantasy forecast

People are starting to look forward to their fantasy football drafts seeing as training camp is right around the corner. Fox Sports is ahead of the curve and recently gave their fantasy football prediction regarding the 2007 Green Bay Packers. Analyst Garrit Ritt gives a particularly scathing review of the Packers offseason saying, "There wasn't a team in football more dedicated to standing pat than the Packers were this off-season. Problem is, nobody seems to understand why. This isn't a great football team, yet the front office made virtually no moves at all in an attempt to get better." Ritt tabbed Packers tight end Donald Lee as the team's surprise player of 2007 and lists the Packers best fantasy players in order as: Donald Driver Brett Favre Greg Jennings Vernand Morency.

__________________________________________________ _________________________________________

http://packers.scout.com/2/655938.html

Playoffs? Don’t count on it

A lot can happen between now and the start of the National Football League’s regular season in early September. While many Packers fans feel that Green Bay can make the NFC playoffs this season, PackerReport.com’s Dylan Tomlinson is not so sure that that will be the case. It's easy to be optimistic in July. There are less than four weeks until training camp starts, so this is the perfect time for optimism in Northeast Wisconsin. The pathetic 2005 season remains a distant memory and all Packers fans can seem to think about are those final four games of the 2006 season when the Packers stunned everyone to win out and just barely miss the playoffs. It's a pretty good memory, but it's easy to be optimistic in July.

After all, it will be at least late September, or early October before anyone truly knows how good or bad this Packers team will be. Most of the early part of the season will center on Brett Favre's pursuit of Dan Marino's touchdown record. Even if the Packers lose early, the focus will be on Favre as he prepares to break one of the NFL's most hallowed records. It will be a pleasant distraction that will take away some of the attention to the Packers' early success or struggles. A year ago, an 8-8 season would have seemed like a pipe dream. Only the most optimistic of Packers fans would have expected a .500 season. Those who predicted the playoffs were downright delusional. Most of the so-called experts, of which I suppose I am, thought the Packers would be lucky to win five or six games. What did we know? It's easy to be an expert in July when the team is two months from playing its first game.

But this July it's a little tougher to be optimistic. The Packers have done virtually nothing to improve themselves on offense. With Brandon Jackson and Vernand Morency at running back and Greg Jennings and James Jones competing to play alongside Donald Driver at wide receiver, it's no wonder Favre got so angry at Packers general manager Ted Thompson this off-season. Even Favre, sometimes, has trouble being optimistic. The Packers don't appear to be improved from a year ago. There are more questions at running back than in almost a decade and it was already made clear last season that Favre can't put the offense on his back anymore.

The expectations of Favre have gotten more and more unrealistic as he continues to age. Gone are the days when he could throw 25 to 30 touchdowns in a season. Heck, last year he couldn't even get to 20. What do people expect? The guy is 37, he's not going to play the way he did when he was 27. So much that is written about the Packers is about how young they are. Players like Daryn Colledge, Jason Spitz, Scott Wells, Greg Jennings, A.J. Hawk, Nick Barnett are all young and have yet to reach their primes. But Favre isn't the only old man (by NFL standards) on that roster. Driver and Al Harris are 32. Chad Clifton is 31. Mark Tauscher and Charles Woodson are 30. As great as all of the aforementioned players still are, it's not a reach to think all of them are past their prime.

So where does that leave us....?

[TopHat]

http://www.packerchatters.com/op-ed/view.php?id=2431

Who is feelin' the heat in the NFC North? The old "black and blue" division has a history of physical football. It is certainly not for the faint of heart. Being able to run the ball and play sound defense has always been the focus.

Chicago Bears: Cedric Benson and the defensive tackles

In 2006, Chicago showed the world just how well it can play. Despite all the criticism aimed at quarterback Rex Grossman, the Bears won 13 regular-season games and fought their way to the Super Bowl. The defense is sound and makes big plays. The offense must run the ball effectively to take pressure off Grossman. RB Cedric Benson was a top-five pick and must produce at the NFL level. Although I applaud Chicago's decision to terminate DT Tank Johnson, it puts more pressure on two-time Pro Bowler Tommie Harris and the rest of the defensive tackles on the roster.


Detroit Lions: Jon Kitna

How can QB Jon Kitna not be feeling the heat? He put himself in this situation by predicting a 10-win season for a team that has gone 33-79 since 2000. The Lions have not won 10 games since 1995. Having started my career in the NFL with Detroit, I'm aware of the franchise's tremendous potential. Detroit has wealthy ownership, great facilities and a terrific fan base. The Lions have stocked their roster with a number of high draft choices on both sides of the ball, and Kitna will be the man in charge of fulfilling his own prediction.

Green Bay Packers: Vernand Morency and Brandon Jackson

Brett Favre has been the key to all of Green Bay's success the last 15 years, but the last few seasons have shown even Favre needs help. During the Super Bowl years, the Packers had quality receivers, tight ends and running backs. In 2007, the Packers will probably be one of the youngest teams in the NFL. Green Bay will need to get production out of a number of young players, including running backs Vernand Morency and Brandon Jackson.

Minnesota Vikings: Troy Williamson

The Vikings are building their team the old-fashioned way. They are going to play very solid defense and run the ball in all weather conditions. The final piece to the puzzle will be the ability to effectively pass the ball. With a young quarterback in Tarvaris Jackson, expectations might be too high for 2007. For Jackson to have a chance, the receiving corps must play better than anticipated. The player with the biggest challenge is Troy Williamson. This high draft choice was brought in to replace Randy Moss, and has yet to put up big numbers.

[red]

the bears are and should be the favorites after what they did last year

the queens always scare the hell out of me, and the added a beast at RB

and the lions could flat out explode at any time, they have talent, they just need it to come together. williams and CJ at WR give me the chills

we might finish 1st, we might finish last, i have no clue what so ever this year. but if we do finish last at least it won't be in the worst division in the nfl.

the nfc north will be strong i think for years to come

[Bretsky]

the bears are and should be the favorites after what they did last year

the queens always scare the hell out of me, and the added a beast at RB

and the lions could flat out explode at any time, they have talent, they just need it to come together. williams and CJ at WR give me the chills

we might finish 1st, we might finish last, i have no clue what so ever this year. but if we do finish last at least it won't be in the worst division in the nfl.

the nfc north will be strong i think for years to come


I'm still not sure the NFC North will be better than any division. I could see all three bottom teams winning between six and nine games. Bears are above average and I'm not sure any of the rest of are.

[TopHat]

http://www.acmepackingcompany.com/story/2007/7/5/02110/76870

Chatting About the Packers

Bill Barnwell is an excellent writer working for Football Outsiders, and he had a chat session this week. There were a couple of positive references to the Packers. When asked if the Packers can make the playoffs: Oh yeah! They're in a weak division (Bears notwithstanding), their offensive line is rapidly improving, and their defense should be better. I wouldn't say it's a likely occurrence, but there's plenty of ways to imagine the Packers working their way into a playoff spot. It's the NFC!
He approved of the way the Packers are looking to fill the fullback position: The best way to find a good fullback is to bring five freely-available fullbacks into camp and see which one learns the playbook first. They're like lefty-mashers; easily loveable, but even easier to replace.
GM Ted Thompson only has four freely-available fullbacks in camp, Brandon Miree, Korey Hall, Corey White, and Ryan Powdrell. Under Barnwell's system, it would appear that Miree has the advantage since he was on the team last season and probably knows the playbook better.
The defense finished strong in 2006 but it was still surprising how much Football Outsiders loved the Packers defense: The Steelers and the Packers look like underrated defenses this year -- KUBIAK projects them to be 1-2 this year....