motife
09-12-2007, 08:56 PM
Tom Silverstein
Journal Sentinel Packers/NFL beat writer
Tom Silverstein answers questions about the team in our weekly Packer Insider chat.
Q: WW of Minnesota - Tom, Coming into the Philly game was there a lot of anti-Crosby feeling among the team? I read this quote from our long snapper after the win and wonder :""He's a confident kid," Davis said. "He's been confident since he came here. Good for him that he was able to kick a couple big kicks because I'm sure a lot of people were wondering if we kept the right guy. Dave Rayner, not taking anything away from him, he did a great job for us." First off Rob Davis should be on his hands and knees thanking Ryan and Crosby for bailing him out for that horrible snap. Secondly, as a so-called leader of the team Davis should be over the Rayner thing. Crosby has a much better stroke and is the better prospect. Hands-down. Yes he will miss some kicks and may miss a key kick...he is human but the Packers made the right call. Wondering your thoughts on the locker-room feel toward Crosby? Kickers aren't always the most popular guys on the team but recently (Rayner, Longwell) they have seemed to have been accepted as a part of the team....where does Mason sit??
A: Tom Silverstein - Good evening everybody. Let's get started right away. WW, you seem to have your mind made up that the locker room is against Crosby. I don't think that's the case. I do think Rayner was a very popular guy and Crosby is quiet and confident, which some might interpret as cocky. But I haven't seen him do anything to indicate that he's cocky. Cavis worked with Rayner all last year. They were teammates and supported each other. Of course, Davis is going to have strong feelings about Rayner. There may be a faction that wondered if he was just a cocky kid, but believe me, he's no cockier than Longwell was. That's the nature of playing that position.
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Q: Matt of Uzhgorod, Ukraine - Two quick questions: Why did the Eagles' defensive coordinator have guys with towels in front of him as he called in the plays? Is this related to the Patriots' stealing signals? Second, did the NFL Europe fold? Why? Why haven't I read anything about it? And if so, then why keep Bjork on the team if there's no league for him to go back to?
A: Tom Silverstein - Thanks for tuning in all the way from the Ukraine, Matt. I've always wanted to visit. The towel maneuver is the equivalent of Jon Gruden and the rest of the paranoid playcallers in the NFL covering their mouths when they radio the play to the quarterback. There's nothing wrong with stealing signals from across the sideline, which the Eagles were simply guarding against in case the Packers are into that. I don't think it had anything to do with the Patriots flap. They were blatantly violating NFL rules against taping other teams' sidelines and they deserve to be punished harshly. If it's true they've been doing it for years, to me it tarnishes Bill Belichick's reputation. He cheats on injury reports and now he may be cheating with video equipment. Not very sportsmanlike if you ask me. As for NFL Europe, I think the owners were tired of financing it. Some general managers really wanted it to continue because it was a good place to develop young talent. But money rules in the NFL. It was not a money-making venture. Signing international players is simply a concession to the former league.
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Q: Sandy of Aarhus, Denmark - Hey Tom, With all the hand-wringing about the O-line, one question persists: This was not a bad group last year. Not great for the run but not terrible either, and truly great against the pass. Unless there's a severe and sudden drop from the veteran tackles, this group should be better than last year. They can't be as bad as they played - can they? Is it possible that they just had a bad game?
A: Tom Silverstein - I'd argue against your assessment that they were great against the pass last year, Sandy. Remember, McCarthy kept in tight ends and backs to help them protect on third downs, just as he did at times against Philadelphia Sunday. This time, the tackles got whipped pretty good by some very fast defensive ends and no one did a particularly good job run blocking. It's possible they had a bad game, but when since the start of training camp have you seen the Packers run the ball consistently? The young running backs have something to do with that, but there should be more holes. I wouldn't assume that the running game is going to take off just because it's the line's second year together.
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Q: Willis of Pensaukee - Just enough luck to win a game for once. I'll take it. What do you know about Chad Lorenzen - the "Hefty Lefty"? I watched him in a quad overtime game against NC State about 4 years ago and liked him, but we may be catching the Giants at the right time.
A: Tom Silverstein - Actually, it's Jared Lorenzen, Willis, but your question is a good one. I also thought highly of him coming out of college, although at 285 pounds I didn't think he had much of a chance to make it in the NFL. He's a good pocket passer and can be really impressive at times, but he has no mobility at all and has barely played since signing as an undrafted free agent. I believe the guy was sacked like 12 times during the pre-season, although how much of that was due to playing with second- and third-stringers, I don't know. I would think he would be ripe for the picking if he starts on Sunday.
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Q: Ed of Schenectady, NY - I keep hearing good things in print from coaches, fans and journalists alike about AJ Hawk but I don't see it. I reviewed the game 1 tape and isolated on AJ for every defensive play and saw him continually being pushed (not even blocked) out of the play. In space he grab tackles (and misses w/o help). To me he looks like the weak link in the Packer defense. In comparison, Barnett was a beast and even Poppinga made several good plays. I did not see Hawk make a single good play in week 1. Am I wrong?
A: Tom Silverstein - He did not have a very eventful game, Ed, no question about that. Barnett was matched up with Westbrook a lot and came through big. In evaluating a guy in a situation like that where one linebacker is playing really well and the defensive line is putting pressure on the quarterback, I want to see if Hawk is blowing coverages or missing tackles. I didn't see that. I'm not sure how you could categorize him as a weak link when he didn't get beat for a touchdown, didn't give up a long play and missed only one tackle. He does at times look too small to compete in traffic and he needs to continue understanding his role on defense. What puzzles me is why he isn't being used as a pass rusher. That's what he does best. He should be a big part of the blitz package similar to what LeRoy Butler was when he played in Fritz Shurmur's scheme. That kind of athletic ability shouldn't be wasted.
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Q: Bob Hurd of Warrensburg, MO. - Tom- great win on Sunday, but- the GB backfield had too many Eagle jerseys in it! The shovel pass play that Brett made had three defenders that came in clean. Brett's in good shape, but too old to run for his life & throw 40+ passes every game. What can be done at this point?
A: Tom Silverstein - If the five linemen don't block better, there's nothing McCarthy can do short of replacing them. This is the group he and GM Ted Thompson are going with, just as they are going with Brandon Jackson, Vernand Morency and DeShawn Wynn. The one thing I think you'll see more of if the Packers can't run the ball is a short passing game involving the running backs. If they can't get yards on the ground, throw them 4 yards passes. It's what Mike Holmgren did until Edgar Bennett and Dorsey Levens turned into reliable backs. It's a boring way to play, but McCarthy might not have a choice.
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Q: Mark of Salem, Oregon - I saw more out of Wynn on that amazing 18 yard "pass" reception from Favre than I've seen from Jackson on any of the many runs he's made. I saw good instincts, good cuts, power. I can't help but wonder why we don't see more of him. Is it related to assignment issues, having missed so much of the preseason?
A: Tom Silverstein - I don't think it's assignments, Mark. Wynn seems to be the best of all the backs at knowing how to pick up the blitz. He's a pretty bright football player. I think conditioning and a committment to Jackson are the reasons he's not seeing a lot of action. Wynn missed a lot of training camp and isn't ready to carry 20-25 times a game. Jackson can do that if necessary. I think Jackson is being given his chance to sink or swim.
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Q: Mark of Wheaton - Tom, the OL shouldn't be that bad. Clifton was getting beat, as was Tauscher. That has been a rarity over the years. The other guys (Spitz, Colledge, Wells) have seemed to be solid and improving. But it sure didn't look that way Sunday. Is it a scheme issue? Or are the O-linemen just overmatched?
A: Tom Silverstein - It appeared to me the game plan called for Tauscher and Clifton to handle the ends one-on-one for most of the game. You can't blame the coaches for thinking they could get away with that. But I think they underestimated the talent of Trent Cole and Juaqua Thomas. They played like madmen and beat the two tackles with speed. Perhaps if the Packers were able to run the ball better they could have slowed those two down and Clifton and Tauscher would have had better days. The Packers put a lot of pressure on their line when they run the ball just 17 times.
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Q: Robert of Orange, CA - Hi Tom, Thanks for the great chats. My question is regarding injured reserve. Have the rules changed in the last couple of years? I seem to remember used to be possible to keep a player through the final 53 cuts and then place them on a 6 week IR. This would have been valuable for players like Herron and Montgomery who had longer-term but not necessarily whole year injuries. The Packers also could have then kept Rayner and possibly gotten back the 6th round pick in a trade or kept a guy like Birdine.
A: Tom Silverstein - The rules for IR haven't changed, Robert, I think you're just confusing IR with PUP (physically unable to perform). With PUP, a player doesn't count against the 53 for the first six weeks of the season. He also isn't allowed to practice. At the end of the six-week period, the team has three weeks in which it can allow him to practice without counting against the 53. It can activate him at anytime. If after three weeks, he isn't activated, he either has to go on IR or has to be released. Now, here's the difference between IR and PUP. To go on PUP, you have to come to training camp with an injury. Essentially, you fail your physical and you do not practice a single snap during camp. Then you're eligible for regular season PUP. That's why none of the players you mentioned were eligible for PUP. It's IR, the 53-man roster or waivers. I hope that explains it.
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Q: Packerfan of Dallas - Tom, I'm hoping you can answer a question that has been on most of the Packer fans minds. If you go by what we can read, Campen/Philbin have stated as recently as yesterday that they have pounding on fundamentals the last 2 years yet the O-Line still doesn't 'get it'. This should be alarming to any Packer fan because O-lineman are generally some of the more intelligent people on the field. Even more alarming is the fact that Colledge, Wells, and Spitz alledgedly increased their strength over the offseason yet still have gotten physically whipped in EVERY game they've played this year. This does not bode well because logic would then lead one to believe that they just don't have what it takes to play in the NFL. Even more scary is the fact that the Packer coaching staff continues to believes that the talent on this O-line is very good when they've done nothing to prove it since they've been in Green Bay. What are your thoughts on this? Thanks.
A: Tom Silverstein - I'm not ready to write off the offensive line completely. Clifton and Tauscher are proven NFL players. They didn't become lousy overnight. I do think they are miscast in the zone blocking scheme, but as pass protectors they have been very reliable. It's possible age has caught up with them and they're in for terrible years, but I saw both go regularly against the Packers' top pass rushers all camp long and they did very well. I think at some point McCarthy is going to have to determine whether the two tackles fit the zone run system he's going with. Sometimes they're as guilty as the others in not executing the blocks correctly. I wouldn't base your assessment of the offensive line on one game. If that were the case, the Eagles should bench Tra Thomas because Cullen Jenkins kept getting pressure on Donovan McNabb.
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Q: Paul of Glendale, CA - Hi Tom, Thanks for the chat. I have been upset for a few weeks when I saw Tatum Bell playing for the Lions. I don;t know how good Tatum Bell is as a running back, but the Packers could have used his experiance as a zone running back for the Broncos for the last few years. I later found out that Bell was traded to the Lions, but could not TT have done the same thing, trade a pick. My point is that TT seems like a very good talent evaluator, he made some good pick up on Ryan Picket and Woodson, but he seems blind to the needs of the offense, like a better TE or veteran RB. In his first year he made a huge blunder not taking care the O-line, too. My question is blind to the needs of the offense or does he want to play a certain brand of football ala Tampa Bay Bucs, or Baltimore Ravens?
A: Tom Silverstein - I think Thompson is conservative by nature, Paul, and rather than take a shot on someone he doesn't feel that strongly about, he sticks with what he has. What would it have cost him to go after Chris Brown? The guy's agent was trying to sell the Packers on him. He'll probably get hurt, but the guy rushed for 175 yards Sunday. He would have been an outstanding insurance policy against the scenario that has actually played out in Green Bay. I don't need to say too much about the Moss situation. Thompson didn't read the Patriots' interest correctly and blew it. Now he's stuck with a receiving corps that is one injury away from near disaster. And to answer all the emails I keep getting about Koren Robinson, he's not eligible to return until October and even then it's at the commissioner's discretion. Do you really think he'll be able to contribute much after missing roughly two seasons of football? I doubt it. Those are serious problems and if they're not solved in-house, it will be Thompson's fault.
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Q: Daveyboy of Saint Louis Park, MN - Tom, I'm sure you'll get this question in a variety of ways, so maybe I can save you time. What happened to the O-line? Did they actually improve later on last year? Were we sold a "bill of goods" about their expected improvement? I thought Colledge was supposed to take the next step? Are Clifton and Taucsher no longer as reliable as we thought? Was the Philly game an anomaly? Is Scott Wells, as I believe, vastly overrated by the Packers? Do you expect the line play to improve?
A: Tom Silverstein - I think the jury's out on this group. They didn't play a lot during the pre-season and they aren't able to practice their cut-blocking during training camp, so that could be part of the reason they were slow out of the blocks. But before writing them off, I want to see them against the Giants, Chargers and Vikings. Those games are challenges they have to meet.
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Q: Michael of Newport Beach, CA - Tom - It seems the entire Packer Nation is concerned about the running game, me included. No 'names', unproven, young legs - isn't this supposed to be how it works for Zone Blocking teams? Denver made how many Fantasy Football studs out of players with the same (?) talent level? Is Philly's line that good, or is GB's line not-yet-fully-rebuilt for the new architecture? Samkon Gado had 100yd games, GB will get one against the Giants this week - yes/no?
A: Tom Silverstein - I wouldn't be surprised if the Packers ground out 100 yards against the Giants if they're willing to run the ball 25 times. But some of it has to do with whether Brandon Jackson gets his act together and Vernand Morency gets healthy. The line wasn't completely at fault for the crummy running game. Getting 100 yards is possible, I just don't see the Packers exploding for 180 any time soon.
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Q: gene of chicago - Tom, will you please remind everyone that in a recent article you faulted Ted for not signing Chris Brown to shore up the running back situation, and that the same Chris Brown is the NFL's leading rusher after week one...Thanks forall the great coverage...
A: Tom Silverstein - Done.
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Q: Keith of Los Angeles - Hi Tom, Thanks for chatting. Are the Packers likely to take Manning's status into consideration in deciding whether or not to play Al Harris? If the Giants have to go with an inexperienced QB it might be a good opportunity to let him heal.
A: Tom Silverstein - Keith, Harris is going to play. His injury isn't that bad. I'm not sure I'd want him to cover Plaxico Burruss one-on-one all day, especially with one arm not available to knock him off his routes. But he's a gamer and I don't think there's any question he'll play if he's medically cleared.
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Q: Jesse of Atlanta - What contributed to Jolly being able to deflect those three passes Sunday? Is it poor technique by the offensive lineman, poor throwing angle by the quarterback? Seems like such an easy play to make, I am surprised it does not happen more often.
A: Tom Silverstein - I think there was some scouting involved in those plays. Jolly and the coaches obviously know that McNabb was going to throw a lot of short passes over the middle in an attempt to get receivers matched up with linebackers and safeties. He did what he was supposed to do, which was get his hands up and make it difficult for McNabb to complete those passes. It was smart play on his part and good scouting.
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Q: John of Columbia City - Tom, I was kind of surprised to see Bob pick the Pack to overtake the Bears this year in Sunday's column. But then after the big Eagle victory and the Bears anemic offensive output vs. San Diego, Maybe Bob is on to something. Do you think the Pack might have a decent chance to win the north?
A: Tom Silverstein - Frankly, I don't, John. The Bears lost Sunday, but they shut down LaDainian Tomlinson. How many people have done that? I don't think the loss of Mike Brown is that big because they've gotten used to playing with out him. Losing Dvorcek leaves them thin at defensive tackle, but they're still have an elite defense and I think they're a better team than the Packers. Well, that's it for me tonight. I'll be back soon and will try to get to more questions than I did today. Good night.
Journal Sentinel Packers/NFL beat writer
Tom Silverstein answers questions about the team in our weekly Packer Insider chat.
Q: WW of Minnesota - Tom, Coming into the Philly game was there a lot of anti-Crosby feeling among the team? I read this quote from our long snapper after the win and wonder :""He's a confident kid," Davis said. "He's been confident since he came here. Good for him that he was able to kick a couple big kicks because I'm sure a lot of people were wondering if we kept the right guy. Dave Rayner, not taking anything away from him, he did a great job for us." First off Rob Davis should be on his hands and knees thanking Ryan and Crosby for bailing him out for that horrible snap. Secondly, as a so-called leader of the team Davis should be over the Rayner thing. Crosby has a much better stroke and is the better prospect. Hands-down. Yes he will miss some kicks and may miss a key kick...he is human but the Packers made the right call. Wondering your thoughts on the locker-room feel toward Crosby? Kickers aren't always the most popular guys on the team but recently (Rayner, Longwell) they have seemed to have been accepted as a part of the team....where does Mason sit??
A: Tom Silverstein - Good evening everybody. Let's get started right away. WW, you seem to have your mind made up that the locker room is against Crosby. I don't think that's the case. I do think Rayner was a very popular guy and Crosby is quiet and confident, which some might interpret as cocky. But I haven't seen him do anything to indicate that he's cocky. Cavis worked with Rayner all last year. They were teammates and supported each other. Of course, Davis is going to have strong feelings about Rayner. There may be a faction that wondered if he was just a cocky kid, but believe me, he's no cockier than Longwell was. That's the nature of playing that position.
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Q: Matt of Uzhgorod, Ukraine - Two quick questions: Why did the Eagles' defensive coordinator have guys with towels in front of him as he called in the plays? Is this related to the Patriots' stealing signals? Second, did the NFL Europe fold? Why? Why haven't I read anything about it? And if so, then why keep Bjork on the team if there's no league for him to go back to?
A: Tom Silverstein - Thanks for tuning in all the way from the Ukraine, Matt. I've always wanted to visit. The towel maneuver is the equivalent of Jon Gruden and the rest of the paranoid playcallers in the NFL covering their mouths when they radio the play to the quarterback. There's nothing wrong with stealing signals from across the sideline, which the Eagles were simply guarding against in case the Packers are into that. I don't think it had anything to do with the Patriots flap. They were blatantly violating NFL rules against taping other teams' sidelines and they deserve to be punished harshly. If it's true they've been doing it for years, to me it tarnishes Bill Belichick's reputation. He cheats on injury reports and now he may be cheating with video equipment. Not very sportsmanlike if you ask me. As for NFL Europe, I think the owners were tired of financing it. Some general managers really wanted it to continue because it was a good place to develop young talent. But money rules in the NFL. It was not a money-making venture. Signing international players is simply a concession to the former league.
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Q: Sandy of Aarhus, Denmark - Hey Tom, With all the hand-wringing about the O-line, one question persists: This was not a bad group last year. Not great for the run but not terrible either, and truly great against the pass. Unless there's a severe and sudden drop from the veteran tackles, this group should be better than last year. They can't be as bad as they played - can they? Is it possible that they just had a bad game?
A: Tom Silverstein - I'd argue against your assessment that they were great against the pass last year, Sandy. Remember, McCarthy kept in tight ends and backs to help them protect on third downs, just as he did at times against Philadelphia Sunday. This time, the tackles got whipped pretty good by some very fast defensive ends and no one did a particularly good job run blocking. It's possible they had a bad game, but when since the start of training camp have you seen the Packers run the ball consistently? The young running backs have something to do with that, but there should be more holes. I wouldn't assume that the running game is going to take off just because it's the line's second year together.
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Q: Willis of Pensaukee - Just enough luck to win a game for once. I'll take it. What do you know about Chad Lorenzen - the "Hefty Lefty"? I watched him in a quad overtime game against NC State about 4 years ago and liked him, but we may be catching the Giants at the right time.
A: Tom Silverstein - Actually, it's Jared Lorenzen, Willis, but your question is a good one. I also thought highly of him coming out of college, although at 285 pounds I didn't think he had much of a chance to make it in the NFL. He's a good pocket passer and can be really impressive at times, but he has no mobility at all and has barely played since signing as an undrafted free agent. I believe the guy was sacked like 12 times during the pre-season, although how much of that was due to playing with second- and third-stringers, I don't know. I would think he would be ripe for the picking if he starts on Sunday.
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Q: Ed of Schenectady, NY - I keep hearing good things in print from coaches, fans and journalists alike about AJ Hawk but I don't see it. I reviewed the game 1 tape and isolated on AJ for every defensive play and saw him continually being pushed (not even blocked) out of the play. In space he grab tackles (and misses w/o help). To me he looks like the weak link in the Packer defense. In comparison, Barnett was a beast and even Poppinga made several good plays. I did not see Hawk make a single good play in week 1. Am I wrong?
A: Tom Silverstein - He did not have a very eventful game, Ed, no question about that. Barnett was matched up with Westbrook a lot and came through big. In evaluating a guy in a situation like that where one linebacker is playing really well and the defensive line is putting pressure on the quarterback, I want to see if Hawk is blowing coverages or missing tackles. I didn't see that. I'm not sure how you could categorize him as a weak link when he didn't get beat for a touchdown, didn't give up a long play and missed only one tackle. He does at times look too small to compete in traffic and he needs to continue understanding his role on defense. What puzzles me is why he isn't being used as a pass rusher. That's what he does best. He should be a big part of the blitz package similar to what LeRoy Butler was when he played in Fritz Shurmur's scheme. That kind of athletic ability shouldn't be wasted.
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Q: Bob Hurd of Warrensburg, MO. - Tom- great win on Sunday, but- the GB backfield had too many Eagle jerseys in it! The shovel pass play that Brett made had three defenders that came in clean. Brett's in good shape, but too old to run for his life & throw 40+ passes every game. What can be done at this point?
A: Tom Silverstein - If the five linemen don't block better, there's nothing McCarthy can do short of replacing them. This is the group he and GM Ted Thompson are going with, just as they are going with Brandon Jackson, Vernand Morency and DeShawn Wynn. The one thing I think you'll see more of if the Packers can't run the ball is a short passing game involving the running backs. If they can't get yards on the ground, throw them 4 yards passes. It's what Mike Holmgren did until Edgar Bennett and Dorsey Levens turned into reliable backs. It's a boring way to play, but McCarthy might not have a choice.
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Q: Mark of Salem, Oregon - I saw more out of Wynn on that amazing 18 yard "pass" reception from Favre than I've seen from Jackson on any of the many runs he's made. I saw good instincts, good cuts, power. I can't help but wonder why we don't see more of him. Is it related to assignment issues, having missed so much of the preseason?
A: Tom Silverstein - I don't think it's assignments, Mark. Wynn seems to be the best of all the backs at knowing how to pick up the blitz. He's a pretty bright football player. I think conditioning and a committment to Jackson are the reasons he's not seeing a lot of action. Wynn missed a lot of training camp and isn't ready to carry 20-25 times a game. Jackson can do that if necessary. I think Jackson is being given his chance to sink or swim.
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Q: Mark of Wheaton - Tom, the OL shouldn't be that bad. Clifton was getting beat, as was Tauscher. That has been a rarity over the years. The other guys (Spitz, Colledge, Wells) have seemed to be solid and improving. But it sure didn't look that way Sunday. Is it a scheme issue? Or are the O-linemen just overmatched?
A: Tom Silverstein - It appeared to me the game plan called for Tauscher and Clifton to handle the ends one-on-one for most of the game. You can't blame the coaches for thinking they could get away with that. But I think they underestimated the talent of Trent Cole and Juaqua Thomas. They played like madmen and beat the two tackles with speed. Perhaps if the Packers were able to run the ball better they could have slowed those two down and Clifton and Tauscher would have had better days. The Packers put a lot of pressure on their line when they run the ball just 17 times.
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Q: Robert of Orange, CA - Hi Tom, Thanks for the great chats. My question is regarding injured reserve. Have the rules changed in the last couple of years? I seem to remember used to be possible to keep a player through the final 53 cuts and then place them on a 6 week IR. This would have been valuable for players like Herron and Montgomery who had longer-term but not necessarily whole year injuries. The Packers also could have then kept Rayner and possibly gotten back the 6th round pick in a trade or kept a guy like Birdine.
A: Tom Silverstein - The rules for IR haven't changed, Robert, I think you're just confusing IR with PUP (physically unable to perform). With PUP, a player doesn't count against the 53 for the first six weeks of the season. He also isn't allowed to practice. At the end of the six-week period, the team has three weeks in which it can allow him to practice without counting against the 53. It can activate him at anytime. If after three weeks, he isn't activated, he either has to go on IR or has to be released. Now, here's the difference between IR and PUP. To go on PUP, you have to come to training camp with an injury. Essentially, you fail your physical and you do not practice a single snap during camp. Then you're eligible for regular season PUP. That's why none of the players you mentioned were eligible for PUP. It's IR, the 53-man roster or waivers. I hope that explains it.
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Q: Packerfan of Dallas - Tom, I'm hoping you can answer a question that has been on most of the Packer fans minds. If you go by what we can read, Campen/Philbin have stated as recently as yesterday that they have pounding on fundamentals the last 2 years yet the O-Line still doesn't 'get it'. This should be alarming to any Packer fan because O-lineman are generally some of the more intelligent people on the field. Even more alarming is the fact that Colledge, Wells, and Spitz alledgedly increased their strength over the offseason yet still have gotten physically whipped in EVERY game they've played this year. This does not bode well because logic would then lead one to believe that they just don't have what it takes to play in the NFL. Even more scary is the fact that the Packer coaching staff continues to believes that the talent on this O-line is very good when they've done nothing to prove it since they've been in Green Bay. What are your thoughts on this? Thanks.
A: Tom Silverstein - I'm not ready to write off the offensive line completely. Clifton and Tauscher are proven NFL players. They didn't become lousy overnight. I do think they are miscast in the zone blocking scheme, but as pass protectors they have been very reliable. It's possible age has caught up with them and they're in for terrible years, but I saw both go regularly against the Packers' top pass rushers all camp long and they did very well. I think at some point McCarthy is going to have to determine whether the two tackles fit the zone run system he's going with. Sometimes they're as guilty as the others in not executing the blocks correctly. I wouldn't base your assessment of the offensive line on one game. If that were the case, the Eagles should bench Tra Thomas because Cullen Jenkins kept getting pressure on Donovan McNabb.
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Q: Paul of Glendale, CA - Hi Tom, Thanks for the chat. I have been upset for a few weeks when I saw Tatum Bell playing for the Lions. I don;t know how good Tatum Bell is as a running back, but the Packers could have used his experiance as a zone running back for the Broncos for the last few years. I later found out that Bell was traded to the Lions, but could not TT have done the same thing, trade a pick. My point is that TT seems like a very good talent evaluator, he made some good pick up on Ryan Picket and Woodson, but he seems blind to the needs of the offense, like a better TE or veteran RB. In his first year he made a huge blunder not taking care the O-line, too. My question is blind to the needs of the offense or does he want to play a certain brand of football ala Tampa Bay Bucs, or Baltimore Ravens?
A: Tom Silverstein - I think Thompson is conservative by nature, Paul, and rather than take a shot on someone he doesn't feel that strongly about, he sticks with what he has. What would it have cost him to go after Chris Brown? The guy's agent was trying to sell the Packers on him. He'll probably get hurt, but the guy rushed for 175 yards Sunday. He would have been an outstanding insurance policy against the scenario that has actually played out in Green Bay. I don't need to say too much about the Moss situation. Thompson didn't read the Patriots' interest correctly and blew it. Now he's stuck with a receiving corps that is one injury away from near disaster. And to answer all the emails I keep getting about Koren Robinson, he's not eligible to return until October and even then it's at the commissioner's discretion. Do you really think he'll be able to contribute much after missing roughly two seasons of football? I doubt it. Those are serious problems and if they're not solved in-house, it will be Thompson's fault.
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Q: Daveyboy of Saint Louis Park, MN - Tom, I'm sure you'll get this question in a variety of ways, so maybe I can save you time. What happened to the O-line? Did they actually improve later on last year? Were we sold a "bill of goods" about their expected improvement? I thought Colledge was supposed to take the next step? Are Clifton and Taucsher no longer as reliable as we thought? Was the Philly game an anomaly? Is Scott Wells, as I believe, vastly overrated by the Packers? Do you expect the line play to improve?
A: Tom Silverstein - I think the jury's out on this group. They didn't play a lot during the pre-season and they aren't able to practice their cut-blocking during training camp, so that could be part of the reason they were slow out of the blocks. But before writing them off, I want to see them against the Giants, Chargers and Vikings. Those games are challenges they have to meet.
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Q: Michael of Newport Beach, CA - Tom - It seems the entire Packer Nation is concerned about the running game, me included. No 'names', unproven, young legs - isn't this supposed to be how it works for Zone Blocking teams? Denver made how many Fantasy Football studs out of players with the same (?) talent level? Is Philly's line that good, or is GB's line not-yet-fully-rebuilt for the new architecture? Samkon Gado had 100yd games, GB will get one against the Giants this week - yes/no?
A: Tom Silverstein - I wouldn't be surprised if the Packers ground out 100 yards against the Giants if they're willing to run the ball 25 times. But some of it has to do with whether Brandon Jackson gets his act together and Vernand Morency gets healthy. The line wasn't completely at fault for the crummy running game. Getting 100 yards is possible, I just don't see the Packers exploding for 180 any time soon.
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Q: gene of chicago - Tom, will you please remind everyone that in a recent article you faulted Ted for not signing Chris Brown to shore up the running back situation, and that the same Chris Brown is the NFL's leading rusher after week one...Thanks forall the great coverage...
A: Tom Silverstein - Done.
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Q: Keith of Los Angeles - Hi Tom, Thanks for chatting. Are the Packers likely to take Manning's status into consideration in deciding whether or not to play Al Harris? If the Giants have to go with an inexperienced QB it might be a good opportunity to let him heal.
A: Tom Silverstein - Keith, Harris is going to play. His injury isn't that bad. I'm not sure I'd want him to cover Plaxico Burruss one-on-one all day, especially with one arm not available to knock him off his routes. But he's a gamer and I don't think there's any question he'll play if he's medically cleared.
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Q: Jesse of Atlanta - What contributed to Jolly being able to deflect those three passes Sunday? Is it poor technique by the offensive lineman, poor throwing angle by the quarterback? Seems like such an easy play to make, I am surprised it does not happen more often.
A: Tom Silverstein - I think there was some scouting involved in those plays. Jolly and the coaches obviously know that McNabb was going to throw a lot of short passes over the middle in an attempt to get receivers matched up with linebackers and safeties. He did what he was supposed to do, which was get his hands up and make it difficult for McNabb to complete those passes. It was smart play on his part and good scouting.
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Q: John of Columbia City - Tom, I was kind of surprised to see Bob pick the Pack to overtake the Bears this year in Sunday's column. But then after the big Eagle victory and the Bears anemic offensive output vs. San Diego, Maybe Bob is on to something. Do you think the Pack might have a decent chance to win the north?
A: Tom Silverstein - Frankly, I don't, John. The Bears lost Sunday, but they shut down LaDainian Tomlinson. How many people have done that? I don't think the loss of Mike Brown is that big because they've gotten used to playing with out him. Losing Dvorcek leaves them thin at defensive tackle, but they're still have an elite defense and I think they're a better team than the Packers. Well, that's it for me tonight. I'll be back soon and will try to get to more questions than I did today. Good night.