Packers Tickets/Packages

We get you to the game & more!
» Grab Your Spot

Rodgers-to-Nelson erases 18-point deficit as Packers’ defense finally shows up
By CHRIS HAVEL
A game like this gives players a chance to grow as one. From its stale start to its scintillating finish the Packers came together on their way to a 31-24 victory over the New York Jets in Sunday’s regular-season home opener at Lambeau Field. The Packers looked more like the visiting team at the outset.
Green Bay fumbled away its first snap and the Jets responded by scoring on their first three drives. Before a sellout crowd could decide what hit it the Jets led 21-3 and appeared to be in complete control.
“It’s a game of adversity. It’s a game of momentum swings. It’s a game of big plays,” Packers head coach Mike McCarthy said. “We were in a spot, but our players stayed the course.”
That’s when Green Bay’s defense grew a spine and forced the Jets’ first punt late in the first half.
“The momentum came when we stopped them and started making plays and got off the field and got off on third down,” Packers linebacker Jamari Lattimore said.
The Packers’ defense appeared to jell as the game unfolded. Players began to play aggressively rather than passively, and they seemed to play with more confidence in themselves and each other. Mostly, the defense seemed bent on locating the football and getting after the quarterback or ball carrier, whichever was required. Far fewer players appeared to be standing in no man’s land, neither playing coverage nor rushing the passer. On Sunday, at least, defensive coordinator Dom Capers’ unit appeared to take a step forward.
Aaron Rodgers did the rest. The Packers’ quarterback targeted Jordy Nelson 16 times while connecting on nine passes for 209 yards and the go-ahead touchdown. The big play was an 80-yard touchdown play in which Nelson beat Jets cornerback Dee Milliner on an out-and-up move. That made it 31-24 late in the third quarter.
Earlier, Randall Cobb caught two touchdown passes and a two-point conversion to give Green Bay a 24-21 second-half lead. Rodgers completed 25 of 42 for 346 yards and looked much better than he did in the season-opener at Seattle.
Derek Sherrod started at right tackle and held up well enough to earn another start should Bryan Bulaga’s comeback from a knee injury be delayed. Sherrod struggled at times, but got better as the game went on. He also received much-needed help from fullback John Kuhn and an array of tight ends.
Rookie receiver Davante Adams looked smooth and showed soft hands and confidence in his 2014 debut.
The Packers’ defense got roughed up early, but bounced back midway through the second quarter to show some toughness. Mike Neal, DaTone Jones and others rallied to the ball carrier, and Clay Matthews and Mike Daniels applied good pressure on Jets quarterback Geno Smith. When the Jets’ top weapon, receiver Eric Decker, left with a pulled hamstring late in the third quarter, New York’s offense went stagnate.
Perhaps the Packers’ biggest play came when cornerback Tramon Williams made a leaping interception in front of Jets tight end Zach Sudfeld at the Packers’ 3-yard line. Then, Rodgers led the Packers on an impressive 10-play, 97-yard drive in 1:44. It was capped by a Rodgers-to-Cobb 6-yard touchdown strike that made it a do-able 21-16 five-point deficit at halftime.
“You never want to come out that flat, you never expect to come out that flat, but we did and we found a way to get through it,” Williams said.
The way they got through it was together.
The offense relied on the defense. The defense earned a measure of trust. The special teams – including sensational work from Mason Crosby and Tim Masthay – also played well.
Rodgers and Nelson did the rest. Afterward, the quarterback had high praise for his primary weapon.
“Well, pretty impressive. Take it for granted sometimes. He’s not a big ‘me’ guy … so he kind of gets overlooked sometimes,” Rodgers said. “We know the kind of player he is.”
The Jets, and everyone else, got a reminder on Sunday.
Chris Havel is a national best-selling author and his latest book is Lombardi: An Illustrated Life. Havel can be heard Monday through Friday from 4-6 p.m. CDT on WDUZ FM 107.5 The Fan, or on AM-1400, as well as Fan Internet Radio (www.thefan1075.com). Havel also hosts Event USA’ MVP Parties the evening before home games.

Great seats for Jets at Packers This Sunday!

From end zone to midfield and all budgets we got you covered.
» Go to the game with us!

Meantime, Green Bay offense fails to generate big plays in Packers’ loss at Seattle
By CHRIS HAVEL
That’s not a silver lining in the clouds. It’s a jet. Actually, it’s the New York Jets, who double as the Packers’ next opponent and will hopefully be the start of good things.
The Jets used to be a pushover, an afterthought, an automatic ‘W’ on the schedule, just like the pre-Pete Carroll Seattle Seahawks used to be. It’s not that way anymore, a fact the Packers and head coach Mike McCarthy faced last Thursday and again in Sunday’s Lambeau Field season opener against the New York Jets.
The Jets (1-0) got past the Oakland Raiders and rookie quarterback Derek Carr 19-14 thanks to a strong pass rush and running back Chris Ivory’s 71-yard touchdown jaunt in the second half.
Meanwhile, the Packers are seeking redemption and their first victory in the wake of last Thursday’s loss to the defending Super Bowl XLVIII champion Seattle Seahawks in the NFL season opener.
The Packers’ defense showed they have not yet made the progress they had anticipated from last year. For example:

• Julius Peppers wasn’t the factor we had hoped in the game. That has to change if Green Bay’s defense is going to tighten up.
• Clay Matthews showed tremendous burst in the pass rush, but the Seahawks picked up lots of rushing yards by going at his side. Marshawn Lynch, who ran for 110 yards and two touchdowns, broke several tackles while running off right tackle.
• Sam Shields and Tramon Williams were very good, and the safeties were improved from last year. However, the inside linebackers (A.J. Hawk and Brad Jones) need better play. That has to change. To add to that issue, Brad ones had two costly penalties.

On offense, quarterback Aaron Rodgers never seemed to get settled in. Some of that discomfort might’ve been due to right tackle Bryan Bulaga’s absence after injuring his knee in the first half. Bulaga’s injury will keep him out a yet undetermined number of games. Derek Sherrod had a disappointing outing in relief of Bulaga. He needs to play better and will open at right tackle against a Jets’ defense that can apply pressure.
The Jets sacked Raiders rookie quarterback Derek Carr twice while limiting him to just 3-of-12 on third down conversions in the loss.
Rodgers can’t be harassed the way he was at Seattle.
I would expect McCarthy to be able to get the right tackle situation fixed in time for Sunday’s 3:25 kickoff. Sherrod is going to have to be sharper this game and, with a week or reps with the first team, he should be better prepared. If not, T.J. Lang might move from right guard to right tackle, with Lane Taylor going to right guard.
Eddie Lacy, who rushed for just 34 yards against the Seahawks before being injured, should be OK after clearing concussion protocols. Lacy’s bruising style was on display in Seattle, but he had little room to operate. His acceleration and lowering of the shoulder into Seattle safety Kam Chancellor was a thing of beauty. There just was never enough room to sustain anything.
Meantime, the Jets and head coach Rex Ryan will bring in a decent offense to go with their feisty defense. On Sunday, quarterback Geno Smith settled down after a shaky start to complete 23 of 28 passes for 221 yards. The Jets also rushed for 212 yards, including Ivory’s 10 carries for 102 yards (and the 71-yard touchdown) and Chris Johnson’s 68 rushing yards. So, the Packers run D will again be tested.
Also expect the Jets to utilize some play-action passes and Jet Sweep action in its offensive attack Sunday. Ivory and Johnson are explosive backs who are tough to bring down on first contact. Hawk and Jones better be ready to bring it, and nose tackles Josh Boyd and Letroy Guion need to be much stronger at the point.
I’ll be surprised if the Packers are outplayed by the Jets, but if it happens it’ll be because Green Bay’s offensive line didn’t give Rodgers time and Lacy openings.
I like the Packers 27-17 over the Jets, but it won’t be easy.
Chris Havel is a national best-selling author and his latest book is Lombardi: An Illustrated Life. Havel can be heard Monday through Friday from 4-6 p.m. CDT on WDUZ FM 107.5 The Fan, or on AM-1400, as well as Fan Internet Radio (www.thefan1075.com). Havel also hosts Event USA’ MVP Parties the evening before home games.

Great seats for Jets at Packers – 9/14

From end zone to midfield and all budgets we got you covered.
» Go to the game with us!

By CHRIS HAVEL
It’s rare when the safest prediction is the weather going into a football game in the Pacific Northwest.
The Seattle forecast for Thursday’s Packers-Seahawks season opener calls for sunshine and a daytime high of 76 with an evening low of 55. It also calls for a light northwest breeze and zero percent chance of rain.
Whether the 2014 Packers can run stuff Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch remains to be seen. It also will be interesting to see if Green Bay’s defense can generate an effective, sustained pass rush. Packers head coach Mike McCarthy expressed confidence in his defense during Monday’s post-practice news conference.
“We’re a better pass rush team today than we’ve been in a long time,” McCarthy said. “Some of the things we’ve changed schematically, we’ve worked at it a lot more … and I think we saw the benefits in the preseason.”
I couldn’t agree more. Clay Matthews has never lined up opposite a big-time pass rusher. Still, he has 50 sacks in five seasons. That annual sack average may skyrocket now that he has 13-year veteran Julius Peppers across from him.
Peppers, 34, didn’t act his age during the preseason. He showed uncommon strength, speed and agility for an athlete who stands 6-foot-7 and weighs 287 pounds.
Obviously, the Packers must control Lynch and the Seahawks’ running attack if they are going to pull off an upset. Seattle is a 6-point favorite, but if the Packers can force Russell Wilson into passing situations – especially while building an even modest lead – the Seahawks’ 12th Man is apt to be extremely disappointed.
If the Packers take the lead and/or stuff the run defensive coordinator Dom Capers should be able to cut loose his ball-hawking secondary. That is especially true if the Matthews-Peppers duo brings it strong.
“It’ll be fun to see,” Matthews said. “I know, as I’ve seen over the years – and as Dom has shown – we keep a multitude of defenses and schemes and formations, and (the Seattle offense) presents the very same problems. So we’ll look to unleash it in Week 1 and hopefully it works in our favor.”
Clearly, the Packers’ special teams – especially the coverage units – must be solid. And it’s likely Aaron Rodgers, Eddie Lacy and the Packers’ offense will put up points even against Seattle’s stingy defense. Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb and the rest are too good to be shut down, and Seattle’s defense can’t possibly play like it did in the playoffs.
The Packers lost nose tackle B.J. Raji to a season-ending biceps tear late in training camp. Letroy Guion, who was acquired in the offseason, will start at the nose with Josh Boyd and Mike Pennel backing him up. I’ll be curious to see how they perform against the run in concert with inside linebackers A.J. Hawk and Brad Jones. Clearly, the defense will receive upgraded run support from the safeties.
Ultimately, I see the Packers’ offense and its 1-2 punch of Rodgers and Lacy controlling much of the action. I also see Green Bay’s improved defense playing a more aggressive, ball-hawking style than last year.
It should add up to the NFL’s first upset of the season.
Chris Havel is a national best-selling author and his latest book is Lombardi: An Illustrated Life. Havel can be heard Monday through Friday from 4-6 p.m. CDT on WDUZ FM 107.5 The Fan, or on AM-1400, as well as Fan Internet Radio (www.thefan1075.com). Havel also hosts Event USA’ MVP Parties the evening before home games.

Tickets & Packages – All Games!

From end zone to midfield we got you covered.
» Go to the game with us!

By CHRIS HAVEL
NFL power rankings be damned.
In a league replete with parity, and where a team’s fortunes can and do change with the twist of a knee, it seems silly to rank ‘em 1-to-32.
Consider the Green Bay Packers’ recent twist of fate. Injuries to nose tackle B.J. Raji (season-ending torn biceps) and center J.C. Tretter (knee – out eight weeks) has Packers head coach Mike McCarthy needing to solve two problems at once. He lost his starting nose tackle and his starting center 11 days before the regular season kicks off Sept. 4 at Seattle.
Trotter was gelling with his new offensive line mates when the injury intervened in what had been a strong training camp and preseason.
“I told J.C. this morning, ‘Right when I got real comfortable with you, now you’re gone,” Packers left guard Josh Sitton said.
The loss of Tretter means rookie Corey Linsley – a fifth-round pick from Ohio State – will be force-fed as much as possible in the next 11 days. The challenge facing him couldn’t be greater.
Linsley’s first NFL start – presuming the Packers don’t acquire a veteran center between now and the season opener – will be a point of focus and debate from now to kickoff.
Linsley will make his debut on the road against the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks, a team whose personality and dominance is fueled by its defense, a daunting task indeed. Whereas Tretter worked exclusively with the No. 1 offense, Linsley will have to adjust to another level of pace, precision and performance.
“It’s just going to take a little extra work by everybody to make sure that he’s 100 percent comfortable going out there,” right guard T.J. Lang said.
Linsley struck a realistic tone when asked about the days ahead. It appears that he is going in with eyes wide open.
“The urgency level is just through the roof,” Linsley told reporters. “I’ve been working hard, but it’s a different animal out there with the 1s. I’ve got to fill in at the highest level. There’s no room for nonsense anymore or ridiculous mistakes.”
Meantime, a defense trying to find its groove was dealt a blow with Raji’s biceps tear in Friday’s 31-21 preseason victory against Oakland.
“B.J. Raji, he was in the best shape and having the camp of his career,” McCarthy said.
True, Raji was having a terrific training camp and preseason. However, let’s not forget that he also was among the NFL’s worst nose tackles in 2013.
The Packers’ defense doesn’t have to replace the Raji of circa 2010-2011, because that player hasn’t been seen in two-plus seasons. They have to replace the sloppy, under-motivated Raji who seemed to lose interest about mid-season and offered little to an awful defense.
Josh Boyd, a second-year pro, is one possibility to eat up Raji’s snaps. Another is rookie free agent Mike Pennel, who has had a strong showing to this point and should make the 53-man roster. In the past, McCarthy has praised his staff for coaching the entire roster, including the practice squad. Once again, that will be put to the test.
While Raji’s absence creates a long-term problem, Tretter’s is of more immediate concern. The notion of Linsley being able to play mostly error-free football given the upcoming circumstances at Seattle is probably unrealistic.
Linsley will make mistakes, and the Seahawks’ defense will take advantage of his inexperience. Of that there is little doubt. The question is to what degree does Seattle create havoc for the Packers’ center? This is where McCarthy and Aaron Rodgers come into play. Their experience must mitigate the loss of Tretter, especially in the next few weeks while Linsley gets up to speed.
They have been down this road before. Expect McCarthy and Co. to coach the heck out of Linsley, and don’t be totally surprised if GM Ted Thompson adds a veteran center. Also, expect Rodgers to be demanding but also realistic with the rookie.
All teams must deal with injuries. It’s how they adjust that counts, and history suggests the Packers deal with it better than most. At any rate, the plot certainly has thickened for the Packers’ season opener, and the urgency level couldn’t be higher.
Chris Havel is a national best-selling author and his latest book is Lombardi: An Illustrated Life. Havel can be heard Monday through Friday from 4-6 p.m. CDT on WDUZ FM 107.5 The Fan, or on AM-1400, as well as Fan Internet Radio (www.thefan1075.com). Havel also hosts Event USA’ MVP Parties the evening before home games.