Packers silence their critics – Packers News @ PFT

| 10/15/2012

Houston? No problem in 42-24 rout

Green Bay Packers News – Rumors of the Green Bay Packers’ demise were greatly exaggerated.
Just ask the Houston Texans, who woke up to this headline in today’s Houston Chronicle: “Rodgers-led Packers prove the Texans are far from perfect.”
Indeed, Aaron Rodgers tied a franchise record with six touchdown passes to propel the Packers to a 42-24 victory Sunday night at Houston. The previously unbeaten Texans (5-1) were manhandled by the Packers (3-3) in front of a nationally televised audience.
Rodgers and the Packers dominated from the outset.
Still stinging from last week’s 30-27 loss at Indianapolis, and still smarting from the ensuing criticism, the Packers responded with a vengeance. They were desperate and played like it.
“This was an important game for us,” Rodgers said. “We had a couple not go our way, games we should have won and 2-4 would have been very difficult.”
The Green Bay defense set the tone by sacking Houston’s Matt Schaub once on each of the Texans’ first two drives.
The NFL’s reigning MVP took it from there.
A red-hot Rodgers connected on 24 of 37 passes for 338 yards and six touchdowns to tie Matt Flynn’s record set against Detroit in the Packers’ season finale last year.
The difference: The Texans weren’t a non-playoff team playing out the string. They were unbeaten and looking to show the rest of the NFL that its Super Bowl aspirations are warranted.
Instead, Rodgers and the Packers flipped the script.
Rodgers hooked up with receiver Jordy Nelson for three touchdowns, and he hit James Jones for two more, including a brilliant one-handed grab by Jones in the end zone. Rodgers also found tight end Tom Crabtree all alone for a 48-yard touchdown.
“This is just a team that has a lot of pride in our locker room,” Rodgers said. “I said it this week, ‘There’s not any quit in that locker room.’ It’s almost better when people are doubting us a little bit, I think. We kind of band together. People tried to pull us apart this week and we stuck together and found our motivation.”
Packers coach Mike McCarthy had his team amped and ready to roll. McCarthy sprinkled in enough rushing attempts with Alex Green to keep the Texans’ defense honest. Meantime, Rodgers patiently took what the Houston defense was giving. The Packers controlled the ball and the clock, and they kept the Texans off-balance in the process.
Perhaps the game’s most telling statistic is this: The Texans’ Arian Foster, the NFL’s leading rusher, finished with 17 carries for 29 yards, but the paltry 1.7-yards per carry isn’t the most amazing statistic. It’s that Foster’s long run of the night was 5 yards.
When the Packers’ defense wasn’t smothering Foster, it was harassing Schaub into three interceptions.
For the first time this season, the Packers’ offense and defense were working in tandem. Aside from the Packers’ special teams having a punt blocked, this was about as good as it gets.
Rodgers entered the game with 10 touchdowns and four interceptions. He left with 16 TD’s and was kept clean by his offensive line. The Packers had surrendered 21 sacks through five games. Still, the Texans’ third-ranked defense couldn’t get to Rodgers.
Houston’s J.J. Watt did manage to sack Rodgers twice. After the first sack, he mocked Rodgers by imitating his “championship belt” move afterward. It proved to be a hollow celebration.
“As a quarterback, it’s interesting to see the kind of dances that go on around you,” Rodgers said, “and it’s not often that you get a chance to dance back to them.”
“He put on a show tonight,” Texans coach Gary Kubiak said.
By the time Sam Shields intercepted Schaub with 14 minutes to play, Reliant Stadium resembled a ghost town. Most fans already were shuffling to the exits, leaving Packers’ fans to all the fun.
Clearly, the Packers learned to play four quarters after blowing a 21-3 halftime lead at Indianapolis. Perhaps another lesson will come into play this week against the St. Louis Rams.
The lesson, also learned at Indy, is this: Don’t take anyone for granted. Rest assured no one will be taking the Packers lightly after this.
Last week’s prediction: Packers 31, Texans 28 (Packers 42-24)
Season: 3-3
This week’s prediction: Packers 35, Rams 10
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.

Bleacher Report: Now is not the Time to Panic – Packers News

| 10/09/2012

Yes, the Green Bay Packers are 2-3, coming off a shocking loss to Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts—a game in which the Packers blew an 18-point lead.

The Packers now have to continue their road tour and head to Houston to take on the undefeated Texans (5-0).

Plus, the injury bug is hitting the team hard. Running back Cedric Benson is probably out at least eight weeks, and perhaps the entire season, with a Lisfranc foot injury he suffered in the Colts game, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

In addition to that, B.J. Raji sprained an ankle, and Jermichael Finley suffered a shoulder injury in the same game. We won’t know about their availability until Wednesday.

The Packers were already missing wide receiver Greg Jennings, who has been hampered by a groin injury.

The bottom line is that the Packers have underachieved so far in 2012. Almost every expert had the Packers winning the NFC North this year, with the Detroit Lions right on their heels. The Chicago Bears were expected to be better, while the Minnesota Vikings were a couple of years away from contending.

You wouldn’t know any of that if you looked at the standings of the NFC North right now. The Bears and Vikings sit atop the division right now with 4-1 records, while the Pack is 2-3 and the Lions have bottomed out to 1-3.

It’s like looking at an alternate universe, at least according to what most expected to happen in the 2012 season.

Still, there are 11 games yet to play in the 2012 season for the Packers. Time enough to get the ship righted. But there is a lot of work to get done.

The Green Bay offense, which was prolific last year, struggled out of the gate in 2012, but it looked much better in the game against the New Orleans Saints and in the first half of the Indianapolis game. Then came the second half.

The stats don’t lie, folks. The Packers are ranked 21st in total offense in the NFL. Green Bay is ranked 15th in passing offense and 20th in rushing offense.

Now with Benson’s injury, the Packers will have to rely on their three young running backs to put some life in the ground game—Alex Green, James Starks and Brandon Saine.

Benson’s performance as a running back for the Packers was solid, and he was heading toward at least 900 yards rushing this year and close to 50 receptions. Not Pro Bowl material, but pretty good for the Green Bay offense, which is a pass-first type of attack.

Time will tell if the young backs can play up to their potential.

Green looked good on a 41-yard run last week. He also has fine hands and catches the ball well.

Starks proved in the 2010 postseason that the team can lean on him, as he gained 315 yards in four games.

Saine is probably the team’s best blocking running back, plus he’s very solid in carrying out his assignments.

The three of them have a golden opportunity now to prove themselves. Starks has been on the shelf with a turf toe injury through the first five weeks of the season and was expected to be the starting running back when training camp got started.

But a bad performance in the first preseason game and his injury have put Starks on the outside looking in. Especially after the team signed Benson as a free agent early in training camp.

Still, the most perplexing part of the Green Bay offense is the passing game and the lack of big plays. That, and allowing way too many sacks.

On the surface, quarterback Aaron Rodgers is having a pretty good year. He has thrown 10 touchdown passes, compared to four picks for 1,307 yards. That all adds up to a 97.0 quarterback average, which is eighth in the NFL.

But the big play is missing. Rodgers only has one completion of 40-plus yards and only has 12 completions of 20-plus yards in five games.

One thing that is not missing (but should be) is the sack situation. Rodgers has been sacked 21 times already this season and is on pace for being sacked 67 times, which would set a team record. That has to change.

Some of that is the fault of the offensive line. Some of that falls on Rodgers, who sometimes holds the ball too long.

Bottom line: Even with the injuries to Jennings and Benson, the Packers are much better offensively than what they have shown thus far in 2012.

Defensively, the Packers are much better than they were in 2011, when the team was ranked dead last in total defense. The Packers are currently ranked 16th in the NFL in total defense. Breaking it down, the Packers are 17th in rushing defense and 16th in passing defense.

The Packers saw their passing defense struggle, as they allowed Luck to throw for 362 yards last Sunday.

Still, there are signs of life for the defense. The Packers are tied for the NFL lead with 18 sacks so far in 2012. The pass pressure is led by Clay Matthews, who already has eight sacks. However, for the Packers to get to elite status on defense, the turnovers have to start coming.

Last year the Packers led the NFL in interceptions by a wide margin with 31. This year, the team only has five in the same number of games. The Packers need to average two a game like they did last year.

Based on the pass pressure the team is putting on opposing quarterbacks, there is a decent probability that will happen.

The Bears are one of the teams tied with the Packers with 18 sacks for the NFL lead. However, Da Bears also have a whopping 13 picks. That, in a nutshell, is why Chicago is 4-1.

Back in 2009, the Packers played the winless Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Tampa in Week 8 of the season and were heavy favorites to win. The Bucs were led by a rookie quarterback named Josh Freeman. He led a comeback in the fourth quarter, and the Packers were upset in the game, 38-28.

That game gave the Packers a 4-4 record and was the watershed moment of the season. Green Bay went on to win seven out of its last eight games to make the playoffs.

Compare that situation with what happened last Sunday. The Packers were once again heavy favorites to beat the Colts and a rookie quarterback. But the rookie (Andrew Luck) led his team back in the second half, and once again the Packers suffered a shocking loss.

So the question is, will this game also be the watershed moment of 2012?

Yes, the Packers are indeed 2-3. But the team has only played one divisional game, when the Packers gave the Bears their only loss of the season.

The Packers have to find a way to win as many games as possible before their bye week on November 11th.

After that, the real fun starts. The Packers will play five divisional games in seven weeks to end the season. Those seven weeks will determine what type of team the Packers have.

For now, the main focus of the Packers is to play up to their potential. And to stay healthy and get their injured players healthier.

The rest will take care of itself. And based on the talent Green Bay has, I see good things happening down the road for the Pack in 2012, even with the current situation.

Now is not the time to panic.

Bob Fox for Bleacher Report – [Bleacher Report Source]

Packers News @ PFT

Cedric Benson has Lisfranc injury, out at least eight weeks – Packers News

| 10/09/2012

Packers News – Packers running back Cedric Benson said after Sunday’s game that he didn’t think the foot injury he suffered was serious. It appears that he was wrong.

Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that Benson has the Lisfranc foot injury and is expected to miss at least eight weeks. That means the most optimistic assessment of Benson’s injury is that he’ll be back for Week 13, and if he needs surgery, he’ll be out for the entire season.

Although the Packers haven’t confirmed Benson’s injury, coach Mike McCarthy acknowledged that Benson will miss some time, and said that’s going to be tough for Green Bay’s offense.

“I thought Cedric was really coming on the last couple weeks, I was excited about him, what he brings to the table,” McCarthy said. “Now, our younger backs will have to give us that because we need the run game. It’s important. I’m not interested in throwing it 50 times a game. So we just need to be more consistent.”

The Packers will rely on Alex Green, James Starks and Brandon Saine at running back with Benson out of the lineup.

Michael David Smith – Packers News @ ProFootBallTalk.com – [Source]

Indisposed in Indy – Packers News @ PFT

| 10/08/2012

Shot with Luck, Colts rally past Packers 30-27

GREEN BAY – There is no reason to sugarcoat it.
The harsh reality is that the Green Bay Packers aren’t a very good team right now. That sobering truth resonated throughout Green Bay’s 30-27 loss to the Colts on Sunday afternoon at Indianapolis.
Good teams don’t blow 18-point halftime leads.
Good teams don’t allow a rookie quarterback to outplay their MVP.
Good teams don’t drop passes, miss assignments, abandon the running game, commit foolish penalties, surrender 27 points after intermission or mismanage the clock with the outcome in the balance. The Packers, who fall to 2-3, did it all in their discouraging loss to the rebuilding Colts.
Indeed, this was a team effort.
The Packers collectively and decidedly veered off course like Mason Crosby’s last-second field goal attempt. The Packers lost by three points but it didn’t seem that close. Not by a long shot.
For their part, the Colts and quarterback Andrew Luck blended resourcefulness and resiliency to shock the heavily favored Packers. Indianapolis receiver Reggie Wayne looked like he was having a game of catch with his little bro in the back yard. Wayne hauled in 13 passes for 212 yards and the go-ahead touchdown late in the game.
The Packers had no answer for Wayne. At times, in fact, Green Bay defensive coordinator Dom Capers didn’t seem to know the question. He reacted to Wayne’s dominance the way head coach Mike McCarthy adjusted in the first half at Seattle, which is to say, “Too little, too late.”
The Colts, 2-2, came in with a losing record and heavy hearts after head coach Chuck Pagano took medical leave earlier in the week after being diagnosed with a treatable form of leukemia.
Indianapolis left with a great many good things to build on.
The Packers left licking their wounds.
“I thought (the Colts) played well,” McCarthy said. “Obviously, it was a tough week for them. I thought they played with a lot of emotion, a lot of energy. Frankly, I’m more focused on my football team and my football team is not playing the way we are capable of playing.”
Defensive lineman Ryan Pickett, while talking with reporters after the game, was more direct: “We’re not a very good team.”
Not now the Packers aren’t.
But that doesn’t mean they can’t or won’t get it together.
That isn’t a homer’s viewpoint; it’s a historian’s perspective.
Travel back in time to Monday, Oct. 18, 2010.
Just 24 months ago, the Packers were 3-3 after back-to-back losses at Washington (16-13) and at home against Miami (23-20). The Redskins finished 6-10. The Dolphins went 7-9. Neither reached the playoffs.
The Packers proceeded to win seven of 10 and qualify for the playoffs as a wild-card team. The rest, as they say, is Super Bowl history.
Fast-forward to Monday, Oct. 8, 2012.
The Packers appear indisposed entering next Sunday night’s nationally televised game against the unbeaten Texans at Houston. It seems there are only two ways they can win at Houston: “No way!” and “No (bleeping) way!”
To read the online comment sections of Wisconsin newspaper’s sports sections is to think the Packers are coming off a 1-15 season.
The criticism is mostly misdirected or over the top. Contrary to these raging fanatics, McCarthy isn’t an idiot, Capers doesn’t need to be fired and Aaron Rodgers shouldn’t cancel his TV commercials.
Remember the good old days when every win elevated McCarthy and Rodgers that much closer to “greatness” and every loss was somehow special teams coordinator Shawn Slocum’s fault?
The Packers aren’t a very good team right now. Their offense is out of sync and their defense is in a state of flux.
The Colts didn’t expose the Packers’ shortcomings. The problems (poor pass protection, unforced errors, etc.) were painfully familiar. But that doesn’t mean the season is a bust.
Based on McCarthy’s track record, Rodgers’ brilliance and the very nature of today’s NFL, where the best teams either sustain excellence (see the 2011 Packers) or build up to it (see the 2010 Packers), the Packers will be in the playoff mix come December.
Bottom line: Either Packers fans believe or they don’t, and there are more reasons to be positive than pessimistic.
Last week’s prediction: Packers 35, Colts 10 (Colts 30, Packers 27)
Season: 2-3
This week’s prediction: Packers 31, Texans 28
Chris Havel is a national best-selling author and Packers News authority. 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.

Your official source for Green Bay Packers Tickets

| 10/08/2012

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We’ve got everything you need from our ticket & tailgate package (tickets to the game and a 3 hour all you can eat/drink tailgate party) to our luxurious Gold Package with accommodations at the Tundra Lodge and tickets to our Packers Player Autograph Reception.
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Including Packers Tickets for the road and many of the great amenities afforded for our home game packages as well. Whether you’re a Packers fan in a road city in need of tickets, or looking to take a Packers road trip, we’ve got you covered!
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Your chance, the night before any home game, to meet your favorite Packers Players. With cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, a question and answer session, and a piece of memorabilia to have signed, it’s a great time for Packers fans young and old!
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Desmond Bishop added to 12/22 Titans Player Reception!

| 10/07/2012

Your source for Green Bay Packers Tickets and more, Event USA, is excited to announce the addition of Desmond Bishop to our December 22nd Packers Player Autograph Reception!

Join us as the holiday gets into full swing, and the 2012 NFL season winds down, for a special event where you can bring the whole family to meet not only Gren Bay Packers Desmond Bishop and Bryan Bulaga, but also Packers CEO and President Mark Murphy.

Bryan Bulaga

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Packers survive; Saints dive – Packers News @ PFT

| 10/01/2012

Green Bay gets crucial victory as New Orleans fades away

GREEN BAY – A dozen games from now as the 12-4 Packers prepare for the playoffs, the week that was will stand as more than a footnote to this season. It will be the week that was many things, including …
** The week that reminded everyone why receiver James Jones is so valuable to the Packers. Jones had touchdown catches of 12 and 14 yards, as well as a crucial grab for a first down on the final drive. While Greg Jennings battles injuries, Jones has stepped up in a big way and was instrumental in Green Bay’s 28-27 victory over the Saints.
This week will be remembered as …
** The week that the Packers’ locker room was galvanized by an extraordinary shared experience. They were the victims of replacement referees – on Monday Night Football, no less – a circumstance that hasn’t happened to many NFL teams. The Packers are among the few, and it could have elicited many negative responses from the team.
Mostly, after a 24-hour cooling off period, the Packers followed head coach Mike McCarthy’s lead and handled themselves with dignity. They didn’t make excuses. They got their minds on New Orleans.
They did what good teams do after a tough loss. They learned from it and moved on. The mediocre teams simply move on, and the bad teams? Well, they point fingers and place blame.
The Packers did neither in the aftermath of the “Inaccurate Reception.”
The offense and Aaron Rodgers looked like its old explosive self. Rodgers threw for four touchdown passes despite being gouged in the right eye midway through the third quarter. Cedric Benson piled up 84 yards in 14 carries while giving a semblance of a running threat. Jordy Nelson grabbed eight passes, and Randall Cobb showed his quickness while being used creatively.
Defensively, the Packers did enough to outlast Drew Brees and the New Orleans offense. Brees brought the Saints back after the Packers’ backup quarterback, Graham Harrell, fumbled inside the New Orleans’ 5. Brees promply marched the Saints to a touchdown and a 24-21 lead. Kicker Garrett Hartley extended the lead to 27-21 early in the fourth quarter.
That’s when Rodgers capped a seven-play, 57-yard drive with an 11-yard touchdown pass to Nelson, who bulled his way into the end zone.
Green Bay’s defense did enough from there to capture the win.
This week will be remembered as …
** The week that McCarthy proved willing to trust his special teams by calling a fake punt deep in his own territory and early in the game. Fullback John Kuhn lined up as the personal protector, received the direct snap, and rushed off left guard for a first down.
The call is gutsy, but more than that, it’s good football. McCarthy and special teams coach Shawn Slocum reacted to what they saw on film. When the situation presented itself in the game, they pounced on the opportunity. The Packers’ special teams have improved more than any of the units this season.
This week will be remembered as …
** The week that a sense of normalcy returns to the Packers as they gather themselves for a tough stretch featuring three straight road games.
The Packers are battle tested after a week that saw them overcome not one, but two really poor calls that could have cost them the Saints game. The catch given to Marques Colston was ridiculous, and Darren Sproles clearly fumbled while returning a kickoff in the fourth quarter.
Still, Green Bay persevered and prevailed.
They have the Indianapolis Colts and rookie quarterback Andrew Luck in their sights, and they have a difficult but important week behind them.
Last week’s prediction: Packers 35, Saints 24 (Packers, 28-27)
Season: 2-2
This week’s prediction: Packers 35, Colts 10
Chris Havel is a Packers News expert and national best-selling author. 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’ Player Autograph Parties the evening before home games.

Packers Alumni Henderson to join fans at official PFT Tailgate Party this Sunday for the Saints!

| 09/26/2012
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‘] We will have a special Green Bay Packers alumni joining us for tailgate party this Sunday as Alumni William Henderson once again joins us to mingle with fans, sign autographs (for a fee), and rally Packer Nation!
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Shanghaied in Seattle – Packers News @ PFT

| 09/25/2012
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Green Bay loses game, NFL loses credibility amid replacement fiasco

GREEN BAY – The shield is tarnished; the brand is diluted.
The National Football League is a defective product so long as it allows unqualified officials to oversee its billion-dollar industry. The league’s “Buyer Beware” attitude toward its fans is beyond thankless.
It is heartless.
Sadly, the saddest chapter in this sorry affair is still to be written unless – and it’s a big unless – the NFL decides to do the right thing and bring back the regular referees. To do anything else is to guarantee that the Seahawks’ 14-12 victory over the Packers on Monday night is merely the latest step down the path of officiating ineptitude.
While Patriots’ fans undoubtedly wish the uprights could be raised, Packers’ fans have no doubt the crossbar has been lowered.
Football’s beauty is its sense of fair play. The better team (almost always) wins because football is the ultimate team game. It is intended to be a pretty simple deal. It’s 11-on-11; it’s 10 yards for a first down; it’s six points for a touchdown.
It isn’t supposed to be 3 yards and a cloud of disgust.
It is supposed to be fun.
There was nothing fun about the Packers’ alleged loss at Seattle, or the tragic comedy of replacement referee errors that occurred along the way.
Packers’ linebacker Erik Walden’s penalty for “roughing the passer” stood as the game’s poorest call, but only briefly, because it was quickly superseded by cornerback Sam Shield’s “pass interference” penalty.
A correct call in either case would have assured a Packers’ victory.
Instead, the Packers got “Strike one!” followed by “Strike two!” before being floored with “Strike three!”
Seahawks’ receiver Golden Tate didn’t catch the football for a game-clinching touchdown at the end. Tate caught the Packers’ M.D. Jennings, who had two hands on the football for a game-winning interception. This wasn’t dual possession. It was game over.
What should have happened is this: The officials involved should meet with the referee, discuss what they saw, and get together on the call. It would have resulted in a touchback, which would have been upheld.
Instead, one of the officials hastily signaled “touchdown” despite having the poorer of the two viewpoints. At that instant, the NFL’s credibility took a blow to the gut, the Packers lost a game they should have won, and more than $150 million changed hands in Las Vegas.
It is time for Green Bay Packers fans to take a stand.
In the name of Lombardi, the Packers’ owners/shareholders should call upon the NFL’s other owners to do the right thing. Last night’s game should be viewed as an opportunity to let the league know that its fans – especially its fans in Green Bay – aren’t going to take it lying down.
Why does Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones have a say in the league’s negotiations with the referees, but the Packers’ shareholders do not? If the Cowboys got jobbed the way the Packers did on Monday night – and it still could happen – do you think Jones would go quietly?
The Packers’ fans need to say, “Enough is enough.”
The shield needs to be polished; the brand needs to be strengthened.
It is time for the NFL to fairly and effectively negotiate with the regular referees and dispense with the lockout. The league can chalk it up to the cost of doing business, and then it can tell fans, “We did it for you.”
It’s the NFL’s story. It can spin it however it wants, so long as it spins it with the regular referees moving forward.
Last week’s prediction: Packers 27, Seahawks 24 (Seattle 14-12)
Season: 1-2
This week’s prediction: Packers 35, Saints 24 (replacement refs nothwithstanding)
Chris Havel is a Packers News expert and national best-selling author. 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’ Player Autograph Parties the evening before home games.