A Breath of Fresh Air for us all (at least this week)

[sheepshead]

Mike Vandermause column: 5 reasons to be optimistic
By Mike Vandermause • November 11, 2008


Buzz up! The Green Bay Packers are 2-5 since mid-September, their run defense is one of the worst in the NFL, the offensive line’s performance was so poor on Sunday it nearly got quarterback Aaron Rodgers killed, and two defensive starters are out for the season.


While it’s been a bumpy ride, the Packers are only one game out of first place in their division and very much in playoff contention.

But if you believe the hysterical squawkers on talk radio or the panic-stricken scribblers on Internet message boards, the season is a disaster and the Packers might as well focus on next year’s draft.

According to the critics, General Manager Ted Thompson is an idiot, coach Mike McCarthy suddenly has lost it as a play-caller, and defensive coordinator Bob Sanders and offensive line coach James Campen should be fired.

Maybe in between rants, the naysayers should take a deep breath. Now isn’t the time to write off the season.

“We feel we have a good football team,” McCarthy said. “I love the way they work. I think they play the game the right way, but we need to do some things better and that will be our challenge as we move forward.”

For all the turmoil surrounding the Packers, there are reasons to believe they could turn it around:

-- Three of the Packers’ losses have come by three points or less to teams with a combined 20-7 record, including an overtime defeat against unbeaten Tennessee. Any of those games could have easily gone the other way. It’s not as if they’re getting blown out or losing to lousy teams.

-- With two games left against division co-leader Chicago, the Packers have a decent chance of taking control of the NFC North. Yes, co-leader Minnesota can’t be discounted, but five of the Vikings’ seven opponents have winning records, while the Packers and Bears have significantly easier schedules.

-- This marks the fifth season in the last 10 years the Packers opened 4-5. The previous four times they avoided a losing record, and in 2003 went 10-6 and nearly advanced to the NFC title game. In 15 of the past 16 years the Packers posted a winning record over the final seven games, and 10 times they finished 5-2 or better.

-- The much-maligned Packers running game has displayed signs of life, with Ryan Grant posting per-carry averages of 4.3 and 4.7 yards in the past two games against top-10 rushing defenses. That bodes well for the cold-weather games ahead.

-- The Packers’ secondary is arguably the best in the NFL. Charles Woodson and Nick Collins are having Pro Bowl seasons, Al Harris has yet to allow a reception since returning from a spleen injury two weeks ago, and Tramon Williams is the team’s best nickel back in a long time. Opposing quarterbacks have been put on notice that passing against the Packers is a risky, and sometimes futile, proposition.

Mike Vandermause is sports editor of the Press-Gazette.

[Zool]

Re: A Breath of Fresh Air for us all (at least this week)

But if you believe the hysterical squawkers on talk radio or the panic-stricken scribblers on Internet message boards, the season is a disaster and the Packers might as well focus on next year’s draft.

According to the critics, General Manager Ted Thompson is an idiot, coach Mike McCarthy suddenly has lost it as a play-caller, and defensive coordinator Bob Sanders and offensive line coach James Campen should be fired.

I'd swear he reads here.

[cpk1994]

Re: A Breath of Fresh Air for us all (at least this week)

But if you believe the hysterical squawkers on talk radio or the panic-stricken scribblers on Internet message boards, the season is a disaster and the Packers might as well focus on next year’s draft.

According to the critics, General Manager Ted Thompson is an idiot, coach Mike McCarthy suddenly has lost it as a play-caller, and defensive coordinator Bob Sanders and offensive line coach James Campen should be fired.

I'd swear he reads here.

Iwas about to say the same thing. So fes up Mike, reveal thyself.

[sheepshead]

Re: A Breath of Fresh Air for us all (at least this week)

But if you believe the hysterical squawkers on talk radio or the panic-stricken scribblers on Internet message boards, the season is a disaster and the Packers might as well focus on next year’s draft.

According to the critics, General Manager Ted Thompson is an idiot, coach Mike McCarthy suddenly has lost it as a play-caller, and defensive coordinator Bob Sanders and offensive line coach James Campen should be fired.

I'd swear he reads here.

I was thinking that also.

[th87]

Re: A Breath of Fresh Air for us all (at least this week)

But if you believe the hysterical squawkers on talk radio or the panic-stricken scribblers on Internet message boards, the season is a disaster and the Packers might as well focus on next year’s draft.

According to the critics, General Manager Ted Thompson is an idiot, coach Mike McCarthy suddenly has lost it as a play-caller, and defensive coordinator Bob Sanders and offensive line coach James Campen should be fired.

I'd swear he reads here.

I was thinking that also.

Have you seen the packersnews.com user comments? They're 1000 times more obnoxious than anyone here. Including Paco.

[sheepshead]

At least one writer thinks we might light it up on Sunday....


Packers' Rodgers must be licking his chops for Bears' D
By Bob LeGere | Daily Herald Columnist

How many quarterbacks have to light up the Bears' defense like a Roman candle before someone realizes there is a problem?

During Monday's news conference, coach Lovie Smith said, "We tweak our defense each week, and it's not like we play the same call each play. We'll always tweak it."

Well, by all means, let the tweaking begin.

Sunday's passive performance allowed yet another quarterback to have a milestone performance against the Bears. Kerry Collins' passer rating of 108.7 was almost 36 points higher than his 72.9 rating for the season coming into the game. He was sacked just once while throwing 41 passes, 30 of which were completed.

And the Titans came into that game ranked 29th in the NFL in passing yards, with no marquee receivers.

That was just the latest in what has already become a long line of productive outings for opposing quarterbacks, none of whom are likely to end up in the Hall of Fame.

The Lions' Dan Orlovsky threw for a career-best 292 yards while completing 28 of 47 passes. A week before that, the Vikings' Gus Frerotte racked up a season-best 298 passing yards, completed 25 of 40 including 2 TD tosses, although he was intercepted four times. A week earlier, Falcons rookie Matt Ryan had a career-best 301-yard passing day and completed 22 of 30 passes with 1 TD. He was neither sacked nor intercepted.

And no one can forget Week 3, when Brian Griese chucked it 67 times, completing 38 for 407 yards and 2 touchdowns without being sacked.

Clearly there is a problem, and it doesn't figure to get any better Sunday in Green Bay against the Packers' Aaron Rodgers, whose passer rating of 93.3 is higher than any of the quarterbacks who have previously shredded the Bears.

Rodgers' primary targets, wide receivers Greg Jennings and Donald Driver, form the most talented tandem the Bears have faced this season.

For the Bears, the two most notable defensive deficiencies have been lack of pressure on the quarterback and soft coverage.

Through nine games, it is obvious there are not any elite pass rushers on the Bears' roster, since no one has more than 3 sacks.

A key to the Bears' defense is getting pressure with just the front four, but that has yet to happen this season, and there's no reason to expect that it will.

Defensive coordinator Bob Babich and Smith, who is heavily involved in the defense, have to provide pass-rush assistance to an overpaid and underachieving defensive line.

Blitzes by linebackers Lance Briggs and Brian Urlacher aren't the answer. They have only a half-sack between them and a combined 1 quarterback hurry.

And there should be an Amber Alert out for backup defensive end Mark Anderson, who had 12 sacks as a rookie in 2006 and 5 last season but none this year.

Last I checked, using cornerbacks and safeties in the pass rush was legal.

If nothing else, that might at least get a cornerback in the vicinity of the line of scrimmage, where one might, oh, I don't know, maybe bump a receiver.

An effective jam at the line has been known to disrupt those quick, short passes thrown after a three-step drop. And it's those short drops are the reason the Bears' linemen can't get to the quarterback, or so they say.

If the Bears take away the short stuff and force longer passes or even disrupt the timing of the shorter ones, it might give the pass rush enough time to get to the quarterback.

Just a thought, since the other stuff doesn't seem to be working very well.

[MOBB DEEP]

Re: A Breath of Fresh Air for us all (at least this week)

Mike Vandermause column: 5 reasons to be optimistic
By Mike Vandermause • November 11, 2008


Buzz up! The Green Bay Packers are 2-5 since mid-September, their run defense is one of the worst in the NFL, the offensive line’s performance was so poor on Sunday it nearly got quarterback Aaron Rodgers killed, and two defensive starters are out for the season.


While it’s been a bumpy ride, the Packers are only one game out of first place in their division and very much in playoff contention.

But if you believe the hysterical squawkers on talk radio or the panic-stricken scribblers on Internet message boards, the season is a disaster and the Packers might as well focus on next year’s draft.

According to the critics, General Manager Ted Thompson is an idiot, coach Mike McCarthy suddenly has lost it as a play-caller, and defensive coordinator Bob Sanders and offensive line coach James Campen should be fired.

Maybe in between rants, the naysayers should take a deep breath. Now isn’t the time to write off the season.

“We feel we have a good football team,” McCarthy said. “I love the way they work. I think they play the game the right way, but we need to do some things better and that will be our challenge as we move forward.”

For all the turmoil surrounding the Packers, there are reasons to believe they could turn it around:

-- Three of the Packers’ losses have come by three points or less to teams with a combined 20-7 record, including an overtime defeat against unbeaten Tennessee. Any of those games could have easily gone the other way. It’s not as if they’re getting blown out or losing to lousy teams.

-- With two games left against division co-leader Chicago, the Packers have a decent chance of taking control of the NFC North. Yes, co-leader Minnesota can’t be discounted, but five of the Vikings’ seven opponents have winning records, while the Packers and Bears have significantly easier schedules.

-- This marks the fifth season in the last 10 years the Packers opened 4-5. The previous four times they avoided a losing record, and in 2003 went 10-6 and nearly advanced to the NFC title game. In 15 of the past 16 years the Packers posted a winning record over the final seven games, and 10 times they finished 5-2 or better.

-- The much-maligned Packers running game has displayed signs of life, with Ryan Grant posting per-carry averages of 4.3 and 4.7 yards in the past two games against top-10 rushing defenses. That bodes well for the cold-weather games ahead.

-- The Packers’ secondary is arguably the best in the NFL. Charles Woodson and Nick Collins are having Pro Bowl seasons, Al Harris has yet to allow a reception since returning from a spleen injury two weeks ago, and Tramon Williams is the team’s best nickel back in a long time. Opposing quarterbacks have been put on notice that passing against the Packers is a risky, and sometimes futile, proposition.

Mike Vandermause is sports editor of the Press-Gazette.

very soothing...

[Harlan Huckleby]

I agree with the comments about the coaches not being imbeciles.

But if Jeremy Thompson is your STARTING defensive end, how good can that rotation be on the D-line? (JT might be a player in a year or two, I'm not trashing him.)

The PAckers look like an average team to me because of mediocre lines. I think they have the bodies on the O-line, but they need experience.

[LL2]

We have to beat the Bears, otherwise it will be a slide into oblivion. I'm also watching the game with some Bears fans so I don't want to hear it from them.

[Fritz]

Theoretically this isn't a must win...the Pack could lose and still go 10-6 and probably make the playoffs.

But it's a must win.

[Gunakor]

Theoretically this isn't a must win...the Pack could lose and still go 10-6 and probably make the playoffs.

But it's a must win.

This game is not a must win, but if we don't win it then the game in Chicago becomes a must win. We take care of business at Lambeau and hopefully the game at Soldier Field isn't as vital. We can only afford to lose once to the Bears and have any shot at overcoming them to win the division. Lose to the Bears twice and I don't think we have a prayer.

[LL2]

All games against Chicago, and Minny for that matter, are must wins.

[bobblehead]

Re: A Breath of Fresh Air for us all (at least this week)

Mike Vandermause column: 5 reasons to be optimistic
By Mike Vandermause • November 11, 2008

-- The Packers’ secondary is arguably the best in the NFL. Charles Woodson and Nick Collins are having Pro Bowl seasons, Al Harris has yet to allow a reception since returning from a spleen injury two weeks ago, and Tramon Williams is the team’s best nickel back in a long time. Opposing quarterbacks have been put on notice that passing against the Packers is a risky, and sometimes futile, proposition.

Mike Vandermause is sports editor of the Press-Gazette.

How can this be...al harris is over the hill and should lose his job...his ball skills are suspect. TWill is much better. Yet somehow Al Harris has yet to allow a reception since his return!!!

[Gunakor]

Re: A Breath of Fresh Air for us all (at least this week)

Mike Vandermause column: 5 reasons to be optimistic
By Mike Vandermause • November 11, 2008

-- The Packers’ secondary is arguably the best in the NFL. Charles Woodson and Nick Collins are having Pro Bowl seasons, Al Harris has yet to allow a reception since returning from a spleen injury two weeks ago, and Tramon Williams is the team’s best nickel back in a long time. Opposing quarterbacks have been put on notice that passing against the Packers is a risky, and sometimes futile, proposition.

Mike Vandermause is sports editor of the Press-Gazette.

How can this be...al harris is over the hill and should lose his job...his ball skills are suspect. TWill is much better. Yet somehow Al Harris has yet to allow a reception since his return!!!

Tennessee and Minnesota... He hasn't had a WR to cover since his return either

[Badgerinmaine]

I posted a link to this same article and took it down when I saw what your post was about. I enjoyed the article--it isn't panic time yet.