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After watching the game on Friday night I began to ponder several pieces of the upcoming NFL season, especially for the Green Bay Packers.
Most here know me as a Brett Favre supporter/fan. Although I believe he would have been the better choice in 2008 for the Green Bay Packers, I now hold the belief that Rodgers is the best fit for the Packers in 2009. I understand that Rodgers had to take his lumps in 2008, but I don't watch the Packers to see them take there lumps, I watch them because I want them to win. The bottom line for me, is that I still think the 2008 season would have been better in terms of success for the Green Bay Packers if Favre was the starting QB. I also understand that this would have hindered the progress of Aaron Rodgers. There hasn't been one snap taken in the regular season in 2009, but I do believe that the Packers will have the best offense in the NFL in 2009. This probably wouldn't be possible if Favre would have quarterbacked this team in 2008. Again this is just a prediction that the Packers will have a successful season on offense in 2009 and of course, barring injuries. Rodgers is also in a very good situation, a situation that is possibly better than any other that Favre has had in terms of offensive talent around him.
The offensive line is a better overall unit with the loss of Mark Tauscher. Tauscher was an over achiever, and was a good right tackle, but he never put the wow on when it came to driving a defensive lineman off the ball, or reaching the next level and locking on to a linebacker. Barbre is a very talented linemen, and although it has taken him 2 seasons to become a raw starter in the NFL I believe he brings more to the table in terms of a higher ceiling and ability as a right tackle than Tauscher. I think over all this team will be a more physical on the offensive side of the ball because of the new right side of the line with Sitton, and Barbre. Barbre is going to get beat a time or two on speed rushes and stunts, but it is the same situation as Aaron Rodgers, Barbre may need a season to develop as a starter, but he sure can run block.
The Packers have depth at running back. At this point I don't think it really matters who is running the rock behind this offensive line. Jackson and Grant are both comfortable running the ball in this system and their vision is much improved, although it does seem that Grant cuts back against zone a little bit to often for my taste. Grant needs to do a better job of following his fullback because he has three really good fullbacks on the current roster. Wynn is the most talented back on the roster, and Sutton might be the most flexible, but Wynn looks to be in really good shape and ready to earn a spot on this roster. Wynn can make a difference on this offense especially if he is committed to being a football player full time.
Colledge is now our best offensive linemen. Thats right, he has gone from worst to first. I have been watching Barbre for most of the preseason but I have noticed that Colledge is actually beating the living crap out of defensive linemen, and linebackers on running plays. He is locking on and driving defenders 4 or 5 yards down field on a regular basis. For the past 3 season it was always a position battle at left guard, now no one on this roster is in the same league as Colledge at left guard.
Benching Wells and moving Spitz full time to Center was the right move. Wells is a "Try hard" guy, but he just doesn't have the size and agility combination that Spitz brings to the table. Sitton is also having a really good camp which makes it difficult to go with an undersized linemen at Center when you have bigger, athletic linemen in Spitz and Sitton.
Lee and Finely might be the best tight end tandem in the league, for sure the best two tight ends on the Packers roster since Chumra and Jackson in 1996. Have two really good tight ends makes an offense extremely flexible because when two tight ends are on the field, especially two tight ends that can stretch the field like wide outs really puts pressure on a defense because not only can they cause mismatches down field they cause personel problems because they can also run block very well. Defenses will get into trouble if they run out their nickle package against Lee and Finely because the Packers should be able to run the ball, if the defense stays in their base it cause a linebacker to match up either Finely or Lee. This might be the biggest reason the Packers offense will be superior to any other offense in the NFC.
Defensively this team will be better than what they were in 2008. That isn't a very bold statement, but I think it will be important because they don't have to be world class, they just have to allow the offense to out score their opponents. I don't expect the Packers to have a top 5 defense. The defense just has to slow down the other teams offense.
Charles Woodson is the best athlete/football player on the Packers. He understands the game on a whole different level than 99% of other defensive players in the game. Instincts, guys like him and Lawrence Taylor have them to the point where they can't explain how or why they did what they did, they just happen. Woodson is a better student of the game than Lawrence Taylor, but Woodson is a freak, he is one of the best blitzers on the team and he is a cornerback. He might have a freakish stat line this year that might read something like this; 60 tackles, 12 tackles for a loss, 8 sackes, 7 ints, 9 passes defensed, and 4 fumble recoveries. I honestly can't wait to the regular season starts simply to watch Woodson wreck opposing offenses.
Aaron Kampman ain't no linebacker. He isn't a drop end either. He is a down lineman that gets his goods because of his motor and the leverage he creates with his discipline technique. I don't care how many time I listen to Rich Gannon and Bob Harlan's kid tell me he is doing a really great job, he looks ridiculously stiff in coverage, and he looks slow on the few times he comes off the edge in the pre season. I understand they are wanting him to get comfortable dropping into coverage and having him do it more in the pre season than what they will actually have him do in the regular season but he just doesn't look right in a two point stance and retreating into coverage. I think he will manage because that is the type of guy he is, but he could be and would be much more dynamic in a three point stance charging in low.
It is good that the Packers have a couple of good linebackers, but they all have weaknesses. Chillar's play was less than stellar on Friday while I thought Hawk was as always assignment sure, but nothing flashy. Bishop's play fell off considerably Friday night to what we were normally seeing the past couple of weeks. Thompson looks stiff, much like Kampman. It will be interesting to see what Nick Barnett brings to the table, he is fast, he is a decent blitzer, but he is going to need a guy like Hawk by his side eating up blocks and filtering plays back into Barnett. Barnett coming off the injury can't get intangled by offensive linemen because he will wind up past the safeties.
The defensive line is really shaping up into a rotation of big athletic bodies. Jenkins, Pickett, Jolly, and Raji are all monsters that eat up blocks, but have the ability to come off those same blocks and make plays at the line of scrimmage.
The secondary still has some questions at safety, Nick Collins should be given a new contract, he is a good football player regardless of scheme. But Bigby is invisible and Anthony Smith is either hit or miss, good play or bad play, nothing that I can call dependable play. Harris is going to be all right in the 3-4, Williams will be a decent nickle back.
honestly this team is the front runner in the NFL North, there is too much drama to the North, and the Bears still don't have the receiving core to match points with the Packers.
Most here know me as a Brett Favre supporter/fan. Although I believe he would have been the better choice in 2008 for the Green Bay Packers, I now hold the belief that Rodgers is the best fit for the Packers in 2009. I understand that Rodgers had to take his lumps in 2008, but I don't watch the Packers to see them take there lumps, I watch them because I want them to win. The bottom line for me, is that I still think the 2008 season would have been better in terms of success for the Green Bay Packers if Favre was the starting QB. I also understand that this would have hindered the progress of Aaron Rodgers. There hasn't been one snap taken in the regular season in 2009, but I do believe that the Packers will have the best offense in the NFL in 2009. This probably wouldn't be possible if Favre would have quarterbacked this team in 2008. Again this is just a prediction that the Packers will have a successful season on offense in 2009 and of course, barring injuries. Rodgers is also in a very good situation, a situation that is possibly better than any other that Favre has had in terms of offensive talent around him.
The offensive line is a better overall unit with the loss of Mark Tauscher. Tauscher was an over achiever, and was a good right tackle, but he never put the wow on when it came to driving a defensive lineman off the ball, or reaching the next level and locking on to a linebacker. Barbre is a very talented linemen, and although it has taken him 2 seasons to become a raw starter in the NFL I believe he brings more to the table in terms of a higher ceiling and ability as a right tackle than Tauscher. I think over all this team will be a more physical on the offensive side of the ball because of the new right side of the line with Sitton, and Barbre. Barbre is going to get beat a time or two on speed rushes and stunts, but it is the same situation as Aaron Rodgers, Barbre may need a season to develop as a starter, but he sure can run block.
The Packers have depth at running back. At this point I don't think it really matters who is running the rock behind this offensive line. Jackson and Grant are both comfortable running the ball in this system and their vision is much improved, although it does seem that Grant cuts back against zone a little bit to often for my taste. Grant needs to do a better job of following his fullback because he has three really good fullbacks on the current roster. Wynn is the most talented back on the roster, and Sutton might be the most flexible, but Wynn looks to be in really good shape and ready to earn a spot on this roster. Wynn can make a difference on this offense especially if he is committed to being a football player full time.
Colledge is now our best offensive linemen. Thats right, he has gone from worst to first. I have been watching Barbre for most of the preseason but I have noticed that Colledge is actually beating the living crap out of defensive linemen, and linebackers on running plays. He is locking on and driving defenders 4 or 5 yards down field on a regular basis. For the past 3 season it was always a position battle at left guard, now no one on this roster is in the same league as Colledge at left guard.
Benching Wells and moving Spitz full time to Center was the right move. Wells is a "Try hard" guy, but he just doesn't have the size and agility combination that Spitz brings to the table. Sitton is also having a really good camp which makes it difficult to go with an undersized linemen at Center when you have bigger, athletic linemen in Spitz and Sitton.
Lee and Finely might be the best tight end tandem in the league, for sure the best two tight ends on the Packers roster since Chumra and Jackson in 1996. Have two really good tight ends makes an offense extremely flexible because when two tight ends are on the field, especially two tight ends that can stretch the field like wide outs really puts pressure on a defense because not only can they cause mismatches down field they cause personel problems because they can also run block very well. Defenses will get into trouble if they run out their nickle package against Lee and Finely because the Packers should be able to run the ball, if the defense stays in their base it cause a linebacker to match up either Finely or Lee. This might be the biggest reason the Packers offense will be superior to any other offense in the NFC.
Defensively this team will be better than what they were in 2008. That isn't a very bold statement, but I think it will be important because they don't have to be world class, they just have to allow the offense to out score their opponents. I don't expect the Packers to have a top 5 defense. The defense just has to slow down the other teams offense.
Charles Woodson is the best athlete/football player on the Packers. He understands the game on a whole different level than 99% of other defensive players in the game. Instincts, guys like him and Lawrence Taylor have them to the point where they can't explain how or why they did what they did, they just happen. Woodson is a better student of the game than Lawrence Taylor, but Woodson is a freak, he is one of the best blitzers on the team and he is a cornerback. He might have a freakish stat line this year that might read something like this; 60 tackles, 12 tackles for a loss, 8 sackes, 7 ints, 9 passes defensed, and 4 fumble recoveries. I honestly can't wait to the regular season starts simply to watch Woodson wreck opposing offenses.
Aaron Kampman ain't no linebacker. He isn't a drop end either. He is a down lineman that gets his goods because of his motor and the leverage he creates with his discipline technique. I don't care how many time I listen to Rich Gannon and Bob Harlan's kid tell me he is doing a really great job, he looks ridiculously stiff in coverage, and he looks slow on the few times he comes off the edge in the pre season. I understand they are wanting him to get comfortable dropping into coverage and having him do it more in the pre season than what they will actually have him do in the regular season but he just doesn't look right in a two point stance and retreating into coverage. I think he will manage because that is the type of guy he is, but he could be and would be much more dynamic in a three point stance charging in low.
It is good that the Packers have a couple of good linebackers, but they all have weaknesses. Chillar's play was less than stellar on Friday while I thought Hawk was as always assignment sure, but nothing flashy. Bishop's play fell off considerably Friday night to what we were normally seeing the past couple of weeks. Thompson looks stiff, much like Kampman. It will be interesting to see what Nick Barnett brings to the table, he is fast, he is a decent blitzer, but he is going to need a guy like Hawk by his side eating up blocks and filtering plays back into Barnett. Barnett coming off the injury can't get intangled by offensive linemen because he will wind up past the safeties.
The defensive line is really shaping up into a rotation of big athletic bodies. Jenkins, Pickett, Jolly, and Raji are all monsters that eat up blocks, but have the ability to come off those same blocks and make plays at the line of scrimmage.
The secondary still has some questions at safety, Nick Collins should be given a new contract, he is a good football player regardless of scheme. But Bigby is invisible and Anthony Smith is either hit or miss, good play or bad play, nothing that I can call dependable play. Harris is going to be all right in the 3-4, Williams will be a decent nickle back.
honestly this team is the front runner in the NFL North, there is too much drama to the North, and the Bears still don't have the receiving core to match points with the Packers.
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