motife
09-19-2007, 09:32 PM
Q: John Henry of Neillsville - I thought Aaron Kampman's comment about the unity of this team was significant. He said the players really "cared for each other" and that it hadn't always been that way. Do you see a difference in this team and how or who has made that change possible? Is it McCarthy, his assistants, a team leader?
A: Bob McGinn - John: I cannot tell the difference.
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Q: Steve of Richmond, VA - Hi Bob, thanks for taking my question. Last week in your audio section you said something along the lines of "there are maybe two or three sportswriters in the New York media that are any good". As a displaced New Yorker who moved to Virginia for the love of a beautiful woman I could not agree more. I have my two favorites back home... would you care to share yours for us? Thanks again!
A: Bob McGinn - Steve: Now I don't pretend to read much from the NY media. Very little, in fact. But I know Rich Cimini of the NY Daily News, and he covers the Jets as well as anyone in the country handles a beat. And Vinny DiTrani of the Bergen Record, a longtime beat writer and NFL columnist, is absolutely terrific.
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Q: Ron of Chippewa Falls, WI - The vanilla approach to defense Sanders uses in the first half will eventually put the Packers in a hole from which they will not recover offensively in the second half. It seems the best defenses mix it up with blitzes and 4 man rushes throughout the game creating unpredictability for the offense. How many times did the Packers blitz in the first half? Blitzing only when ahead seems to me to allow the offense to get in a rhythem which clearly Manning hand in the first half. Would it be far off the mark to say we beat them as much because of their mistakes which we offensively captalized on as with our supposedly great defense. Defense in the first half was very ordinary to say the least.
A: Bob McGinn - Ron: The trend in the NFL is to blitz and stunt more as the game goes on. You want to feel an offense out early, see what they're doing and make sure you don't get caught with your pants down on an early blitz. When the Packers have blitzed this season, it hasn't been all that effective. The problem in the first half was lack of pass rush and big plays caused by individuals not doing the job.
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Q: Bob of stockbridge Wi - Do you think the N.F.L. will ever come up with a more interesting play than kicking a point after a touchdown. It wouldn't seem hard to do.
A: Bob McGinn - Bob: A novel idea. It is kind of a waste of time. They make them like 99.7% of the time. Why bother? I see what you're saying. In high school, it's much, much different. In the pros, I almost never even watch the extra point. My face is buried in my notebook scribbling about the TD play or watching the TV monitor waiting for the TD replay. But, no, I don't see the NFL changing it.
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Q: Jan of Phoenix, Az. - I've watched the game twice now..and Hawk didn't have that really a great of a game, saw him outta place and get pushed around, plus the penalty interferance call, in fact he didn't excite me that much in the Philly game either, on the other hand Barnett is looking much more involved and more of a force.
A: Bob McGinn - Jan: That's kind of the way I see it so far. This is 12.5% of the way in. Hawk is a very solid player and will make a ton of plays before the other 87.5% are in.
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Q: Terry of Chicago - Hi Bob, The Pack has already pulled Spitz in favor of Coston b/c the OLine has played so poorly. Who else is possibly next if this bad play continues? Moll for Colledge?
A: Bob McGinn - Terry: Colledge must start playing better. He gave up a brutal sack in the opener and then had major problems vs. NYG. Moll hasn't played in ages, and those stingers might recur. Who knows? Spitz certainly can get back into this provided his calf is OK. He had a very solid first season and was OK in camp, too.
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Q: Tommy Tank of New York - Bob, Amazing how the networks have jumped on the Packer bandwagon - touting the defense. Personally I think we are in for a VERY rude awakening this Sunday. I think we need to apply more pressure on the pass rush and wake Mr Hawk out of his slumber.
A: Bob McGinn - TT: Could happen. San Diego is capable of embarrassing GB.
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Q: Kevin of Chicago - Bob...With your film study over these last two weeks, please comment on the offensive line. Is the current problems lack of talent, lack of proper personnel or do the packers miss Jeff Jagodzinski?
A: Bob McGinn - Kevin: Nobody except Wells is playing all that well. Little too early to pass judgment on people.
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Q: Brian of Madison - Hi Bob, thanks for the great insight. Is there anyone on the roster who can cover Gates? You mentioned Hawk is playing very average this year. Do they try to get a safety on him? Does the injury to the nose tackle for SD give the Pack any chance to run the ball? How committed are the Packers to the zone system? Daryn Colledge looks to be built for a power lead system. Clifton, Tauscher, and wells played in the system. Do the Packers do other types of runs different than zone runs?
A: Bob McGinn - Brian: Collins and Bigby have the athletic ability to help cover Gates in conjunction with other players. They can't handle him by themselves. Gates will be all over the formation. I suspect the Packers will handle him just like a WR in three WR sets and have one of the three CBs on him in the bump zone with safety help over the top. Also, look for Hawk to walk out in his area a bunch. And Poppinga is going to be involved at times, too. ... My guess is Jamal Williams will play the entire game. Let's face it. The GBP face a major obstacle trying to run against that beastly front. ... They're very committed to zone scheme ... yes, they pull a guard now and then. And they have led into holes with TEs and H-backs, in addition to the FB. But most of it is lead zone stuff.
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Q: Jamie Schliesmann of Middleton, WI - Do you think the Giants' defense was a "porous" as the mainstream tv media says they were, and that's why GB won?
A: Bob McGinn - Jamie: The NYG defense was pretty bad. Kiwanuka doesn't know what he's doing backing up. Mitchell was worse than I expected. Pierce is overrated. Butler is terrible. The corners are really bad. Their DL played pretty well. But that's a bad group playing a first-year system with a new coordinator. As for Strahan, he just mailed it in. He's done. Why did he come back, anyway?
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Q: Ed of Schenectady - NEWhy the slow start for San Diego's offense? Is it the Norv Turner head coach factor? Were they unprepared to play the Patriots on Sunday night or are the Patriots that much better this year? I would warn Packer fans not to get carried away with their 6 game win streak vs 6 suspect foes. This could be the perfect storm this week in favor of SD. Lastly, what's up with AJ Hawk? He's playing more like a bad 5th round pick than an overall #5 pick. Adjusting for home field advantage, oddsmakers have the Pack as a 1 point dog. That seems outlandish. Agree/disagree?
A: Bob McGinn - Eddie: The Bears jammed 8-9 in the box and were rugged and stifled LT. Then Rivers couldn't make any plays. Rivers was awful vs. NE. He looks overrated to me. The guy can't move and I sort of question his arm strength. ... Everyone in the league always says Turner is a great offensive coach. He must be ... Their WR play isn't great, that's for sure ... NE might have crushed anyone in the league Sunday night. In fact, the Pats probably would have. Brady was out of this world. That defense was incredible, too. And now SS Rodney Harrison will be back in two more games.
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Q: Jeff of Brookfield - Is there any hope to see Harrell ever play, or was that a wasted pick? To me, barring injury, your first round pick should at least dress in the first game of the season and the first round pick of an 8-8 team should probably start the first game of the season.
A: Bob McGinn - Jeff: Harrell could turn out to be a very good player. He also could turn out to be an abject failure. The Packers don't know how it will turn out. They can hope he'll play but they don't know. As for right now, only way he gets a uniform is via injury.
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Q: Mark of New Berlin - I know there will be a ton of questions about the O-line and RB's but let's head in a different direction. Does Greg Jennings have the potential to be a top wide receiver? If so isn't his disappearance since the first half the season last year an area for concern. He seems like a top notch individual, I hope we get to see him reach his potential.
A: Bob McGinn - Mark: Wish I knew. Jennings had a very quiet camp. Just didn't do much playing X in three WR sets. Or he didn't have chances to do much. Now he's hurt again. His injury certainly was legit last year. All I can tell is during the offseason two opposing DB coaches told me they thought Jennings was going to be a hell of a player. We shall see.
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Q: John W of Austin, Tx - Bob, My theory is that Ted Thompson's failure to line up a really good running back is totally consistent with his more long term view of building a winning team (though he likes to pay lip service to winning now). He didn't see any back in the draft this year that he thought, or any free agent, that he thought was worth the cost, decided he'd draft other positions that looked to him like they had more value, and will look to next year's draft when maybe there'll be better backs coming out. Any merit to this point of view?
A: Bob McGinn - John W: I'm sure you're right. Meanwhile, Favre gets one year older and a team that is 2-0 in the lousy NFC with a chance to go places can't run the ball. Part of it is the OL, part of it is the RB, part of it is the scheme. But Lynch, Travis Henry and some others were within the Packers' reach and they're not on this roster. Period. So TT lives with it and fans live with it and life goes on.
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Q: edward of fort wayne - as a long-time reader of yours, i get the impression that your football sources value draft picks, and D1's in particular, very highly. if that's the case, wouldn't you agree that forfeiture of the patriots upcoming D1 was a very stiff penalty for "spygate", stiffer by far than a game or two suspension of their coach (which could presumably be "worked around")? the way the patriots have drafted lately, that's basically like permanently forfeiting a quality starter, no? i can't believe these nitwit sportswriters who think it was a wristslap. what are they thinking? p.s. hope your tigers grab the wildcard.
A: Bob McGinn - Eddie: Why not hit them with both? One should not preclude the other. Put Lord Belichick down for a month or so and still take away the pick. ... Belichick always has been impossible for reporters to deal with, so some of this outcry is the result of writers going for the jugular when they have their chance. But the guy was so arrogant in this case that it's hard not to throw the book at him. Pick and suspension.
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Q: Andy (Pagac) of Seattle - Thanx Bob for taking my question. DeShawn Wynn seems to be an excellent find for Green Bay in the 7th round of the draft. Why did the rest of the league pass on him for 6 rounds. Wynn seems to have an unusual skill set. Your thoughts?
A: Bob McGinn - AP: Wynn didn't run hard all the time in Florida. He wasn't highly thought of by his coaches, according to some scouts. He could never really control the position full time. And his production was just OK. He only caught 35 passes in four seasons as well. There were some definite red flags on this player. He looked much better in NY than he did against Tenn and Philly.
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Q: Donovan McNabb of Brotherly Love - Sensitive topic here for the midwest media, but I'll serve it up to you and see.... My complaints about the double standard for black QBs (race card play) and saying that there are not a lot of black QBs (when in fact there ARE a lot) has been making headlines. But I want to know why the Packers continue to (intentionally I believe) try to employ white guys on the OL. From College to Spitz, Wells to Tauscher, Clifton to Barbre to Moll, they seem to want all white OL. I know Coston is black. When I look at the Pro Bowl OTs, I see 6 guys every year, and they're 100% black guys, but this organization has continued to be white on the tackles, from Ken Rutgers ro Tony Mandarich, etc a lot more than any other NFL team. Is this all coinicidence? Or is it the same thing as no NFL teams having starting white RBs or white CBs; there's a legitimate athletic/intelligent reason for it?
A: Bob McGinn - DM: Give me a legitimate name and I'd be happy to reply.
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Q: Susan of Minneapolis - Why do they Packers continue to run the ball to the left side, over and over, without any success. Do they feel the right side of the line, is a weak link?
A: Bob McGinn - Sue: Cole from Philly and Umenyiora from NYG are smaller guys and played RDE. That was part of it. Plus they probably think Clifton and Colledge is their best side.
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Q: Kevin of Chippewa Falls - As much as I like AJ Hawk and think he is an above average starter I just don't see him as special (like a Sean Merriman or Brian Urlacher). The one game that I recall from last year that he showed flashes in was the Viking game at the dome as I recall. Am I being to harsh on a young up and coming player?
A: Bob McGinn - Kevin: Yes, you are. Don't forget the end-zone INT vs. Vernon Davis in SF. Fantastic play. As good as it gets. Merriman couldn't do that in a million years. Urlacher probably could. Hawk will start coming on. He started slow in camp last year and in the regular season last year. He's a very good player and will prove it this season.
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Q: Vinny of Huntington Beach, CA - Hi Bob, Do you think McCarthy will follow the Patriots lead and try to exploit SD's weak secondary from the start of the game. It seems he tries to establish the run against stout defenses even if our chances of success aren't great. I would like us to attack through the air from the outset much like we did in the second half and as New England did Sunday against SD. Thanks for the time
A: Bob McGinn - Vinny: I'm guessing that he will. But I would imagine Turner and Ted Cottrell will wake up and get their nickel personnel on the field instead of trying to handle a spread offense with base personnel. That was one of the most ill-advised tactical decisions witnessed in a long time. Cottrell wasn't any good in Minnesota. The loss of Wade Phillips as DC really hurt the Chargers. At least that's my impression.
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Q: John Casper of Milwaukee - Bob, I remember your frustration with the Packers the last years for playing Kabeer every down. I bet the Packers wished they had listened to you sooner. Your colleague, Greg Bedard, recently mentioned that Nick Barnett might be even better suited to the weakside than the middle. I was just wondering if you had an opinion.
A: Bob McGinn - John: I used to think that about Barnett. Now I just think his average coverage ability is better suited for MLB than WLB. A WLB is out in space more and there's more coverage involved against the good TEs and even WRs. Hawk does that stuff better than Barnett. He moves better downfield. Although Hawk has much to improve upon in coverage as well.
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Q: Mike M. of Elm Grove - Bob - Love the 2-0 start, and you can only play who you have on the schedule, but I see the real measuring stick coming out for the first time this weekend. I'm not sure how the Pack O is going to get points on the board against this team, but am more interested in your take on the D's ability to limit SD? NE and CHI provided a pretty good blue print - do the Packers have enough quality players on the D to limit LT and Gates?
A: Bob McGinn - Mike: Yes, they do, as long as Rivers keeps playing the way he has. Bigby will play near the line to stop LT and Rivers will be asked to make plays himself. Can he do it? I question whether he can if the pass rush is respectable.
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Q: Wayne G. of Middleton - Is now a better time to be playing the Chargers than later in the year? Assuming that they are able to ever get it together under Norv "for a head coach I'm one heck of an offensive coordinator" Turner, that is. Or do you think that its worse playing them after they were humiliated by the Patsies?
A: Bob McGinn - Wayne: It would be far, far better to be playing them in November or December here because of the cold and possibility of messy track. This isn't a bad time, either. They just had a 6-hour flight to NE and now gotta come back here for 4.5 hours or so. They're reeling and really won't have time to catch their breath. It's a perilous time for SD, being in the AFC. Teams can get passed by in that conference.
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Q: Jim of Minneapolis - How much hope is there that Jackson will end up warranting a 2nd? Everyone criticizes TT for not doing more at running back but he did use a high pick at a position where rookies can make an impact quickly. So it appears that the real problem is that the pick might be a bad one.
A: Bob McGinn - Jim: True, but it wasn't a real good year at RB after the top two picks. Just spending a D2 on a RB isn't much of an investment if there isn't much there. Jackson is a young kid just feeling his way. He has no business starting at this point but he has fought the good fight and done what he was told to do. He hasn't done it well but he hasn't dropped passes that much and he hasn't fumble. There is something to be said for that.
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Q: Jesse of Atlanta - Pack should have a big day Sunday. It appears from your column "Next Opponent" that the Chargers switched defenses with the Giants.
A: Bob McGinn - Jesse: Wishful thinking on GB's part. They'd like to get that squishy NYG "D" again this week ... By the way, it's now fixed. Thanks to the 40 or so readers who emailed informing me of our gaffe.
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Q: Michael of Los Angeles - Your recent articles have been absolutely glowing about the Packers and you've even made comparisons to the '96 team. I'm surprised by your level of optimism--especially considering the team's obvious flaws (offensive line). Do you see something the rest of us are looking past? Do you think this team has a chance to make a legitimate run in the playoffs?
A: Bob McGinn - Michael: Yes, I do. Just a feeling that I've had for the last 5 months and it will not going away. The Saints, who I picked to win the NFC, are 0-2. And I've still got the Bears, the defending NFC champs, finishing one game behind GBP in NFC North. 11-5 to 10-6 or 10-6 to 9-7. Those were two massive victories in the eventual playoff picture for GB. Both over NFC teams that made the playoffs last year. One on the road vs. a club making its home opener. One against a solid Philly team that forgot to suit up a punt returner. Even today, question after question here about the RB and the OL. Everyone seems so caught up in the OL and RB deficiences that they can't see the obvious strengths that the Packers have. It just surprises me. But we all shall see.
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Q: Nick Stolpe of Cedarburg - You do a great job of analyzing the Packers upcoming opponents each week but I'd be interested if you used that same format to analyze the Packers. I'd like to see a run down of the players and schemes.
A: Bob McGinn - Nick: Thanks. But don't you think Tom Silverstein, Greg Bedard, Lori Nickel and everyone else at JSONLINE and Packers Plus, including Rob Reischel and Dick Pufall, cover the GBP players and schemes on a weekly if not daily basis? That seems to be all we do. We're writing about that stuff all the time. But I will take it into consideration.
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Q: Brian Murphy of Dallas - Will the Packers keep all 4 RBs once (if) Morency comes back healthy? Ted coughed up a precious draft pick for the guy from NYG, and used a high pick on Jackson, and Wynn has been the best playmaker of the RBs so far, so there's 3. Will he keep all 4?
A: Bob McGinn - Brian: No, all 4 will not be active. But Morency is on the 53, obviously, so no roster move need be made if and when he returns.
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Q: christo from toronto of - I read recently that some people are beginning to believe that Houston's pick of Mario Williams (heavily critized at the time) is starting to look good - given that he is now playing well and that Reggie Bush seems to be struggling and Vince Young does not inspire confidence with his arm (although his running is great)... the article also mentioned the value of defensive players such as Dwight Freeney who recently signed a huge contract. So my question is: does Justin Harrell (a pick that was widely criticized at the time) show signs of being in better shape and becoming a real force in the future? thanks Bob.
A: Bob McGinn - Christo: No way of knowing now. McCarthy has declared practice verboten after first 30-45 minutes or so. So we can't see the hitting and team portion of practice, or at least the majority of it. Hard to tell what Harrell is up to these days.
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Q: Ted of Grand Rapids MI - What player has been the biggest disappointment thus far? The biggest pleasant surprise?
A: Bob McGinn - TED: Disappointments - LB Rory Johnson and S Marviel Underwood. I thought Johnson was going to be the fourth best LB on this team. ... Surprises - James Jones. It isn't even close. ///Thanks to one and all for participating and reading. Until next time...Bob McGinn
A: Bob McGinn - John: I cannot tell the difference.
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Q: Steve of Richmond, VA - Hi Bob, thanks for taking my question. Last week in your audio section you said something along the lines of "there are maybe two or three sportswriters in the New York media that are any good". As a displaced New Yorker who moved to Virginia for the love of a beautiful woman I could not agree more. I have my two favorites back home... would you care to share yours for us? Thanks again!
A: Bob McGinn - Steve: Now I don't pretend to read much from the NY media. Very little, in fact. But I know Rich Cimini of the NY Daily News, and he covers the Jets as well as anyone in the country handles a beat. And Vinny DiTrani of the Bergen Record, a longtime beat writer and NFL columnist, is absolutely terrific.
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Q: Ron of Chippewa Falls, WI - The vanilla approach to defense Sanders uses in the first half will eventually put the Packers in a hole from which they will not recover offensively in the second half. It seems the best defenses mix it up with blitzes and 4 man rushes throughout the game creating unpredictability for the offense. How many times did the Packers blitz in the first half? Blitzing only when ahead seems to me to allow the offense to get in a rhythem which clearly Manning hand in the first half. Would it be far off the mark to say we beat them as much because of their mistakes which we offensively captalized on as with our supposedly great defense. Defense in the first half was very ordinary to say the least.
A: Bob McGinn - Ron: The trend in the NFL is to blitz and stunt more as the game goes on. You want to feel an offense out early, see what they're doing and make sure you don't get caught with your pants down on an early blitz. When the Packers have blitzed this season, it hasn't been all that effective. The problem in the first half was lack of pass rush and big plays caused by individuals not doing the job.
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Q: Bob of stockbridge Wi - Do you think the N.F.L. will ever come up with a more interesting play than kicking a point after a touchdown. It wouldn't seem hard to do.
A: Bob McGinn - Bob: A novel idea. It is kind of a waste of time. They make them like 99.7% of the time. Why bother? I see what you're saying. In high school, it's much, much different. In the pros, I almost never even watch the extra point. My face is buried in my notebook scribbling about the TD play or watching the TV monitor waiting for the TD replay. But, no, I don't see the NFL changing it.
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Q: Jan of Phoenix, Az. - I've watched the game twice now..and Hawk didn't have that really a great of a game, saw him outta place and get pushed around, plus the penalty interferance call, in fact he didn't excite me that much in the Philly game either, on the other hand Barnett is looking much more involved and more of a force.
A: Bob McGinn - Jan: That's kind of the way I see it so far. This is 12.5% of the way in. Hawk is a very solid player and will make a ton of plays before the other 87.5% are in.
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Q: Terry of Chicago - Hi Bob, The Pack has already pulled Spitz in favor of Coston b/c the OLine has played so poorly. Who else is possibly next if this bad play continues? Moll for Colledge?
A: Bob McGinn - Terry: Colledge must start playing better. He gave up a brutal sack in the opener and then had major problems vs. NYG. Moll hasn't played in ages, and those stingers might recur. Who knows? Spitz certainly can get back into this provided his calf is OK. He had a very solid first season and was OK in camp, too.
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Q: Tommy Tank of New York - Bob, Amazing how the networks have jumped on the Packer bandwagon - touting the defense. Personally I think we are in for a VERY rude awakening this Sunday. I think we need to apply more pressure on the pass rush and wake Mr Hawk out of his slumber.
A: Bob McGinn - TT: Could happen. San Diego is capable of embarrassing GB.
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Q: Kevin of Chicago - Bob...With your film study over these last two weeks, please comment on the offensive line. Is the current problems lack of talent, lack of proper personnel or do the packers miss Jeff Jagodzinski?
A: Bob McGinn - Kevin: Nobody except Wells is playing all that well. Little too early to pass judgment on people.
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Q: Brian of Madison - Hi Bob, thanks for the great insight. Is there anyone on the roster who can cover Gates? You mentioned Hawk is playing very average this year. Do they try to get a safety on him? Does the injury to the nose tackle for SD give the Pack any chance to run the ball? How committed are the Packers to the zone system? Daryn Colledge looks to be built for a power lead system. Clifton, Tauscher, and wells played in the system. Do the Packers do other types of runs different than zone runs?
A: Bob McGinn - Brian: Collins and Bigby have the athletic ability to help cover Gates in conjunction with other players. They can't handle him by themselves. Gates will be all over the formation. I suspect the Packers will handle him just like a WR in three WR sets and have one of the three CBs on him in the bump zone with safety help over the top. Also, look for Hawk to walk out in his area a bunch. And Poppinga is going to be involved at times, too. ... My guess is Jamal Williams will play the entire game. Let's face it. The GBP face a major obstacle trying to run against that beastly front. ... They're very committed to zone scheme ... yes, they pull a guard now and then. And they have led into holes with TEs and H-backs, in addition to the FB. But most of it is lead zone stuff.
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Q: Jamie Schliesmann of Middleton, WI - Do you think the Giants' defense was a "porous" as the mainstream tv media says they were, and that's why GB won?
A: Bob McGinn - Jamie: The NYG defense was pretty bad. Kiwanuka doesn't know what he's doing backing up. Mitchell was worse than I expected. Pierce is overrated. Butler is terrible. The corners are really bad. Their DL played pretty well. But that's a bad group playing a first-year system with a new coordinator. As for Strahan, he just mailed it in. He's done. Why did he come back, anyway?
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Q: Ed of Schenectady - NEWhy the slow start for San Diego's offense? Is it the Norv Turner head coach factor? Were they unprepared to play the Patriots on Sunday night or are the Patriots that much better this year? I would warn Packer fans not to get carried away with their 6 game win streak vs 6 suspect foes. This could be the perfect storm this week in favor of SD. Lastly, what's up with AJ Hawk? He's playing more like a bad 5th round pick than an overall #5 pick. Adjusting for home field advantage, oddsmakers have the Pack as a 1 point dog. That seems outlandish. Agree/disagree?
A: Bob McGinn - Eddie: The Bears jammed 8-9 in the box and were rugged and stifled LT. Then Rivers couldn't make any plays. Rivers was awful vs. NE. He looks overrated to me. The guy can't move and I sort of question his arm strength. ... Everyone in the league always says Turner is a great offensive coach. He must be ... Their WR play isn't great, that's for sure ... NE might have crushed anyone in the league Sunday night. In fact, the Pats probably would have. Brady was out of this world. That defense was incredible, too. And now SS Rodney Harrison will be back in two more games.
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Q: Jeff of Brookfield - Is there any hope to see Harrell ever play, or was that a wasted pick? To me, barring injury, your first round pick should at least dress in the first game of the season and the first round pick of an 8-8 team should probably start the first game of the season.
A: Bob McGinn - Jeff: Harrell could turn out to be a very good player. He also could turn out to be an abject failure. The Packers don't know how it will turn out. They can hope he'll play but they don't know. As for right now, only way he gets a uniform is via injury.
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Q: Mark of New Berlin - I know there will be a ton of questions about the O-line and RB's but let's head in a different direction. Does Greg Jennings have the potential to be a top wide receiver? If so isn't his disappearance since the first half the season last year an area for concern. He seems like a top notch individual, I hope we get to see him reach his potential.
A: Bob McGinn - Mark: Wish I knew. Jennings had a very quiet camp. Just didn't do much playing X in three WR sets. Or he didn't have chances to do much. Now he's hurt again. His injury certainly was legit last year. All I can tell is during the offseason two opposing DB coaches told me they thought Jennings was going to be a hell of a player. We shall see.
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Q: John W of Austin, Tx - Bob, My theory is that Ted Thompson's failure to line up a really good running back is totally consistent with his more long term view of building a winning team (though he likes to pay lip service to winning now). He didn't see any back in the draft this year that he thought, or any free agent, that he thought was worth the cost, decided he'd draft other positions that looked to him like they had more value, and will look to next year's draft when maybe there'll be better backs coming out. Any merit to this point of view?
A: Bob McGinn - John W: I'm sure you're right. Meanwhile, Favre gets one year older and a team that is 2-0 in the lousy NFC with a chance to go places can't run the ball. Part of it is the OL, part of it is the RB, part of it is the scheme. But Lynch, Travis Henry and some others were within the Packers' reach and they're not on this roster. Period. So TT lives with it and fans live with it and life goes on.
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Q: edward of fort wayne - as a long-time reader of yours, i get the impression that your football sources value draft picks, and D1's in particular, very highly. if that's the case, wouldn't you agree that forfeiture of the patriots upcoming D1 was a very stiff penalty for "spygate", stiffer by far than a game or two suspension of their coach (which could presumably be "worked around")? the way the patriots have drafted lately, that's basically like permanently forfeiting a quality starter, no? i can't believe these nitwit sportswriters who think it was a wristslap. what are they thinking? p.s. hope your tigers grab the wildcard.
A: Bob McGinn - Eddie: Why not hit them with both? One should not preclude the other. Put Lord Belichick down for a month or so and still take away the pick. ... Belichick always has been impossible for reporters to deal with, so some of this outcry is the result of writers going for the jugular when they have their chance. But the guy was so arrogant in this case that it's hard not to throw the book at him. Pick and suspension.
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Q: Andy (Pagac) of Seattle - Thanx Bob for taking my question. DeShawn Wynn seems to be an excellent find for Green Bay in the 7th round of the draft. Why did the rest of the league pass on him for 6 rounds. Wynn seems to have an unusual skill set. Your thoughts?
A: Bob McGinn - AP: Wynn didn't run hard all the time in Florida. He wasn't highly thought of by his coaches, according to some scouts. He could never really control the position full time. And his production was just OK. He only caught 35 passes in four seasons as well. There were some definite red flags on this player. He looked much better in NY than he did against Tenn and Philly.
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Q: Donovan McNabb of Brotherly Love - Sensitive topic here for the midwest media, but I'll serve it up to you and see.... My complaints about the double standard for black QBs (race card play) and saying that there are not a lot of black QBs (when in fact there ARE a lot) has been making headlines. But I want to know why the Packers continue to (intentionally I believe) try to employ white guys on the OL. From College to Spitz, Wells to Tauscher, Clifton to Barbre to Moll, they seem to want all white OL. I know Coston is black. When I look at the Pro Bowl OTs, I see 6 guys every year, and they're 100% black guys, but this organization has continued to be white on the tackles, from Ken Rutgers ro Tony Mandarich, etc a lot more than any other NFL team. Is this all coinicidence? Or is it the same thing as no NFL teams having starting white RBs or white CBs; there's a legitimate athletic/intelligent reason for it?
A: Bob McGinn - DM: Give me a legitimate name and I'd be happy to reply.
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Q: Susan of Minneapolis - Why do they Packers continue to run the ball to the left side, over and over, without any success. Do they feel the right side of the line, is a weak link?
A: Bob McGinn - Sue: Cole from Philly and Umenyiora from NYG are smaller guys and played RDE. That was part of it. Plus they probably think Clifton and Colledge is their best side.
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Q: Kevin of Chippewa Falls - As much as I like AJ Hawk and think he is an above average starter I just don't see him as special (like a Sean Merriman or Brian Urlacher). The one game that I recall from last year that he showed flashes in was the Viking game at the dome as I recall. Am I being to harsh on a young up and coming player?
A: Bob McGinn - Kevin: Yes, you are. Don't forget the end-zone INT vs. Vernon Davis in SF. Fantastic play. As good as it gets. Merriman couldn't do that in a million years. Urlacher probably could. Hawk will start coming on. He started slow in camp last year and in the regular season last year. He's a very good player and will prove it this season.
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Q: Vinny of Huntington Beach, CA - Hi Bob, Do you think McCarthy will follow the Patriots lead and try to exploit SD's weak secondary from the start of the game. It seems he tries to establish the run against stout defenses even if our chances of success aren't great. I would like us to attack through the air from the outset much like we did in the second half and as New England did Sunday against SD. Thanks for the time
A: Bob McGinn - Vinny: I'm guessing that he will. But I would imagine Turner and Ted Cottrell will wake up and get their nickel personnel on the field instead of trying to handle a spread offense with base personnel. That was one of the most ill-advised tactical decisions witnessed in a long time. Cottrell wasn't any good in Minnesota. The loss of Wade Phillips as DC really hurt the Chargers. At least that's my impression.
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Q: John Casper of Milwaukee - Bob, I remember your frustration with the Packers the last years for playing Kabeer every down. I bet the Packers wished they had listened to you sooner. Your colleague, Greg Bedard, recently mentioned that Nick Barnett might be even better suited to the weakside than the middle. I was just wondering if you had an opinion.
A: Bob McGinn - John: I used to think that about Barnett. Now I just think his average coverage ability is better suited for MLB than WLB. A WLB is out in space more and there's more coverage involved against the good TEs and even WRs. Hawk does that stuff better than Barnett. He moves better downfield. Although Hawk has much to improve upon in coverage as well.
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Q: Mike M. of Elm Grove - Bob - Love the 2-0 start, and you can only play who you have on the schedule, but I see the real measuring stick coming out for the first time this weekend. I'm not sure how the Pack O is going to get points on the board against this team, but am more interested in your take on the D's ability to limit SD? NE and CHI provided a pretty good blue print - do the Packers have enough quality players on the D to limit LT and Gates?
A: Bob McGinn - Mike: Yes, they do, as long as Rivers keeps playing the way he has. Bigby will play near the line to stop LT and Rivers will be asked to make plays himself. Can he do it? I question whether he can if the pass rush is respectable.
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Q: Wayne G. of Middleton - Is now a better time to be playing the Chargers than later in the year? Assuming that they are able to ever get it together under Norv "for a head coach I'm one heck of an offensive coordinator" Turner, that is. Or do you think that its worse playing them after they were humiliated by the Patsies?
A: Bob McGinn - Wayne: It would be far, far better to be playing them in November or December here because of the cold and possibility of messy track. This isn't a bad time, either. They just had a 6-hour flight to NE and now gotta come back here for 4.5 hours or so. They're reeling and really won't have time to catch their breath. It's a perilous time for SD, being in the AFC. Teams can get passed by in that conference.
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Q: Jim of Minneapolis - How much hope is there that Jackson will end up warranting a 2nd? Everyone criticizes TT for not doing more at running back but he did use a high pick at a position where rookies can make an impact quickly. So it appears that the real problem is that the pick might be a bad one.
A: Bob McGinn - Jim: True, but it wasn't a real good year at RB after the top two picks. Just spending a D2 on a RB isn't much of an investment if there isn't much there. Jackson is a young kid just feeling his way. He has no business starting at this point but he has fought the good fight and done what he was told to do. He hasn't done it well but he hasn't dropped passes that much and he hasn't fumble. There is something to be said for that.
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Q: Jesse of Atlanta - Pack should have a big day Sunday. It appears from your column "Next Opponent" that the Chargers switched defenses with the Giants.
A: Bob McGinn - Jesse: Wishful thinking on GB's part. They'd like to get that squishy NYG "D" again this week ... By the way, it's now fixed. Thanks to the 40 or so readers who emailed informing me of our gaffe.
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Q: Michael of Los Angeles - Your recent articles have been absolutely glowing about the Packers and you've even made comparisons to the '96 team. I'm surprised by your level of optimism--especially considering the team's obvious flaws (offensive line). Do you see something the rest of us are looking past? Do you think this team has a chance to make a legitimate run in the playoffs?
A: Bob McGinn - Michael: Yes, I do. Just a feeling that I've had for the last 5 months and it will not going away. The Saints, who I picked to win the NFC, are 0-2. And I've still got the Bears, the defending NFC champs, finishing one game behind GBP in NFC North. 11-5 to 10-6 or 10-6 to 9-7. Those were two massive victories in the eventual playoff picture for GB. Both over NFC teams that made the playoffs last year. One on the road vs. a club making its home opener. One against a solid Philly team that forgot to suit up a punt returner. Even today, question after question here about the RB and the OL. Everyone seems so caught up in the OL and RB deficiences that they can't see the obvious strengths that the Packers have. It just surprises me. But we all shall see.
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Q: Nick Stolpe of Cedarburg - You do a great job of analyzing the Packers upcoming opponents each week but I'd be interested if you used that same format to analyze the Packers. I'd like to see a run down of the players and schemes.
A: Bob McGinn - Nick: Thanks. But don't you think Tom Silverstein, Greg Bedard, Lori Nickel and everyone else at JSONLINE and Packers Plus, including Rob Reischel and Dick Pufall, cover the GBP players and schemes on a weekly if not daily basis? That seems to be all we do. We're writing about that stuff all the time. But I will take it into consideration.
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Q: Brian Murphy of Dallas - Will the Packers keep all 4 RBs once (if) Morency comes back healthy? Ted coughed up a precious draft pick for the guy from NYG, and used a high pick on Jackson, and Wynn has been the best playmaker of the RBs so far, so there's 3. Will he keep all 4?
A: Bob McGinn - Brian: No, all 4 will not be active. But Morency is on the 53, obviously, so no roster move need be made if and when he returns.
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Q: christo from toronto of - I read recently that some people are beginning to believe that Houston's pick of Mario Williams (heavily critized at the time) is starting to look good - given that he is now playing well and that Reggie Bush seems to be struggling and Vince Young does not inspire confidence with his arm (although his running is great)... the article also mentioned the value of defensive players such as Dwight Freeney who recently signed a huge contract. So my question is: does Justin Harrell (a pick that was widely criticized at the time) show signs of being in better shape and becoming a real force in the future? thanks Bob.
A: Bob McGinn - Christo: No way of knowing now. McCarthy has declared practice verboten after first 30-45 minutes or so. So we can't see the hitting and team portion of practice, or at least the majority of it. Hard to tell what Harrell is up to these days.
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Q: Ted of Grand Rapids MI - What player has been the biggest disappointment thus far? The biggest pleasant surprise?
A: Bob McGinn - TED: Disappointments - LB Rory Johnson and S Marviel Underwood. I thought Johnson was going to be the fourth best LB on this team. ... Surprises - James Jones. It isn't even close. ///Thanks to one and all for participating and reading. Until next time...Bob McGinn