July 6, 2015 /
Adam Czech
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Adam - CheeseheadTV, Uncategorized
There has been enough internet ink spilled about Green Bay Packers players hiding behind plants or getting suspended for enjoying something that’s a little more potent than Wisconsin cheddar or Leinenkugel Summer Shandy.
Instead of speculating why the Packers have suddenly come down with a case of our-players-keep-getting-arrested-itis,I’ll take the advice of one of our fearless leaders here at CheeseheadTV and develop a tiered list of NFL quarterbacks.
Aaron Nagler posted his list on Twitter yesterday and later encouraged all football fans to come up with their own.
Sounds like a lot more fun than debating the pros and cons of whether you should hide behind a plant or roll it up and smoke it.
If Aaron’s encouragement wasn’t enough motivation for a post like this,Sports Illustrated ranked all 32 NFL QBs and slotted Aaron Rodgers second behind Tom Brady. These offseason “rankings” or “list” posts are supposed to generate moronic comments debate and silly internet fighting discussion among fans to kill time before training camp opens.
In the case of the Sports Illustrated list,the strategy worked on me.
So,here goes. Adam Czech’s NFL QB Tiers:
Tier 1
Aaron Rodgers,Tom Brady,Ben Roethlisberger,Andrew Luck
Tier 2
Peyton Manning,Drew Brees,Philip Rivers,Matt Ryan
Tier 3
Russell Wilson,Tony Romo,Cam Newton,Joe Flacco
Tier 4
Ryan Tannehill,Matthew Stafford,Eli Manning,Teddy Bridgewater
Tier 5
Colin Kaepernick,Carson Palmer,Andy Dalton,Jay Cutler
Tier 6
Nick Foles,Sam Bradford,Alex Smith,Derek Carr
Tier 7
Brian Hoyer,Blake Bortels,RGIII,Geno Smith
Tier 8
Josh McCown,Zach Mettenberger
10 observations about my own list
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Aaron Rodgers is my No. 1. If he can snap himself out of his recent playoff funk,it will no longer even be debatable that he’s the best in the NFL.
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Yes,I put Luck in the top tier over guys like Peyton Manning and Brees. Perhaps I’m giving too much credit for potential future performance,but I’d take Luck for both the short- and long-term over P. Manning and Brees.
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I have eight tiers instead of Nagler’s six. I think it provides a little more separation,especially at the top where you have to make some tough calls.
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Ryan over Wilson? Yes. Ryan averages over 4,000 yards and 26 touchdowns per season. It’s not his fault his defense hasn’t been able to stop anyone for two seasons.
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Newton over Flacco? Flacco is a perfectly fine quarterback. So is Newton,but he’s got the ability to be much more than perfectly fine.
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Isn’t Kaepernick a little high? Maybe. But I think if he’s allowed to use his legs like he did earlier in his career,he’ll have a bounce-back season. He also plays the Packers in 2015,so that should help pad his stats.
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Where are the rookies? Past performance was part of my criteria,so I didn’t include rookies. If I did,I probably would have put Marcus Marriotta ahead of Jameis Winston.
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If I had to predict which quarterback from the bottom tiers will move up after the 2015 season,I’d pick Bradford.
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I’m crossing my fingers that I’ve ranked Bridgewater too high.
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If I had to predict a quarterback from the top tiers to drop down after the 2015 season,I’d pick Romo (back injuries scare me).
Bonus observation: If Brett Favre announced that he’s un-retiring again,I’d probably put him in tier 5 and drop Cutler down a tier.
Disclaimer: There’s a good chance I forgot someone. If I did,don’t skewer me too bad in the comment section.
June 30, 2015 /
Adam Czech
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Adam - CheeseheadTV, Uncategorized
Wisconsin men’s basketball coach Bo Ryan announced on Monday that the 2015-16 season will be his last. Assistant coach Greg Gard seems to have a good shot at replacing Ryan. Then again,the Badgers could opt for someone like Tony Bennett in Virginia or UNI’s Ben Jacobson.
Either way,speculation on who will replace Ryan kicked into full gear merely seconds after Ryan made his announcement. A few gullible folks even fell for the joke that Minnesota Gophers coach Richard Pitino is being considered.
If Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy announced later today that the 2015 season would be his last,who would be the first person that popped into your mind as a possible replacement?
You could go the big name route and see if dropping a hellicopter full of money on Bill Cowher or Jon Gruden might bring them to Green Bay. A move like that would generate plenty of headlines,but it doesn’t seem like something Ted Thompson or Mark Murphy would do.
Bringing in a big name from the college ranks would also create plenty of splash. Can you picture Nick Saban or Urban Meyer roaming the same sideline once occupied by Lombardi,Homgren and McCarthy?
How about Brad Childress? You’re one of the saps who bought the Pitino-to-the-Badgers tongue-in-cheek “report” if you think that’ll ever happen.
In all liklihood,if McCarthy did announce he was stepping down in a year,the Packers would probably turn to an under-the-radar assistant already on their coaching roster,or an assistant tucked away in obscurity on another coaching staff. I’ve got no inside info and no way to prove that my hunch is correct,it just seems like that’s what Thompson and the Packers’ brass would do.
No pomp. No circumstance. No big ordeal. Just find a good coach and bring him in,regardless of national recognition.
Of course,being nationally recognized doesn’t automatically disqualify you from also being a good coach. If someonelike Cowher or Saban was hired,it’s not fair to assume the Packers went for name recogntion over football acumen.
Thankfully,it doesn’t appear that McCarthy will be pulling a Bo Ryan anytime soon. He should be around for a while to orchestrate one of the league’s best offenses,oversee a perrenial Super Bowl contender and give us bloggers and those who lurk in the comments sections of the blog posts we write plenty of fodder to bitch & moan about on the rare ocassions when the Packers don’t come away with a win.
June 23, 2015 /
Adam Czech
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Adam - CheeseheadTV, Uncategorized
Now that minicamp is over for the Green Bay Packers,the Packers Hype Train is leaving the station. It’s time to decide if you’ll get on board or wave goodbye from the platform as several Packers Hype Train cars pull away.
This kind of thing happens every offseason after minicamp. Coaches,fans and media get a glimpse of the team and certain players or team units are pegged to break out during the upcoming season. This time around,the hype train seemed to center on second-year WR Davante Adams,the defensive line,CB Quinten Rollins and,of course,WR Jeff Janis.
Packers defensive line
I have to admit,when I started seeing people claiming that the Packers’ defensive line could be a strength this season,I was skeptical. No way I was buying a ticket for that hype train.
But the more I thought about it,the more I began changing my mind. Now,I’ve got my ticket for the defensive-line hype train and I might even buy a few drinks after I climb on board. Here’s why:
Mike Daniels is already an excellent player. B.J. Raji will be returning to his old nose-tackle position and Letroy Guion will be looking to have another above-expectations season after missing out on a big contract following his offseason arrest.
Datone Jones ane Josh Boyd are entering their third seasons,which is the year when you often see young defensive linemen “get it.” Both of those players also probably realize that they’re approaching put up or shut up time if they hope to earn a nice big fat raise in their second NFL contracts.
The Packers defensive line has a lot to prove,both individually and as a unit. That extra motivation,combined with Jones and Boyd entering a season where,if healthy,should have plenty of opportunites to put it all together,will lead to good things up front.
Davante Adams
When I went to buy my Davante Adams hype train ticket,they were already sold out. Apparently,Packers fans stormed the box office after Mike McCarthy had nothing but glowing things to say about Adams at a recent minicamp press conference.
I’m fine with missing the Adams hype train this season. Honestly,I don’t think it’ll be a completely smooth ride. There are going to be a few mechanical issues,the food in the dining cart will be hit or miss and the bar staff probably won’t know how to make a good Old Fashioned.
I think next year is when you’ll want a first-class seat on the Adams hype train. That’s why,when I saw tickets for this season were gone,I snatched up a seat for next year at a discounted price.
I don’t doubt McCarthy or Aaron Rodgers when they say Adams has what it takes to be great. I just don’t think greatness will happen in 2015. We’ll see improvement,but not enough to match the recent hype.
Quinten Rollins
Me buying a seat on the Quinten Rollins hype train is the equivalent of me buying shares in Google before Google was Google.
The very best-case scenario for the Packers is Rollins turning into the cheesehead version of Google. But even if he doesn’t turn into an all-world corner,he still has the raw talent to be a contributor for several seaons. That’s why I feel comfortable buying low on Rollins at this time. I think he’ll be a player and give me some return on my investment,even if he might not make me rich enough to buy all the cheese curds in Ellsworth,Wis.
Also,the Packers will likely need contributions from one of their rookie corners this season. I’m putting my money on Rollins being that guy.
Jeff Janis
I have no idea where the Jeff Janis hype train is headed. It might travel all the way to the promised land. Or it might drive straight into the river.
Normally,I’d steer clear of a train if I couldn’t figure it out where it was going. But McCarthy is one of the people adding coal to the Janis hype train. If the coach is saying good things about a player,there must be something behind the hype.
That said,I’m still going to give up my seat on the Janis hype train. If the Janis hype train ends up being legit,at least I’ll have a good view from the platform to watch it pick up speed.
June 21, 2015 /
Adam Czech
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Adam - CheeseheadTV, Uncategorized
Welcome to Surviving Sunday,my weekly column during the offseason that summarizes the Packers news of the week,mixed in with my own thoughts and opinions. Toward the end of the post,after I’ve brought you up to speed on everything that went down with the Packers during the week,I mix in some non-Packers links and thoughts that are sometimes silly,sometimes serious,but hopefully,always interesting.
We’re a week into the CheeseheadTV and AllGreenBayPackers.com marriage. So far,nobody has had to spend a night on the couch after a big fight. We’re also sharing household chores and listening to each other — two keys to any sucessful marriage.
I had the honor of kicking things off with this post about key players the Packers will face in 2015. From there,you saw great pieces like this one from Thomas Hobbes on trading Brett Hundley and this one from Jay Hodgson on the Packers and playcalling.
And remember,this is the boring (reeeeeeeallllly boring) part of the offseason. As the season approaches and things get more interesting on Lombardi Ave.,the CheeseheadTV and AllGBP.com marriage will start cranking even more high-quality material.
Let’s get to the news of the week:
Packers news,notes and links
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The Packers three-day minicamp consisted of one full-squad practice,a team-building activity (sporting clays) and a day where veterans were excused early. For a team that wants to get off to a faster start this season,and a coach who has lamented the reduction in the number of opportunities he has to work with his squad in the offseason,you’d think the Packers would want to make more of their time in minicamp. Then again,the odds of suffering a needless injury are greatly reduced when you send the veterans home early one day and spend another day shooting discs out of the sky (assuming Dick Cheney doesn’t show up).
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Ty Dunne is heading home to work in Buffalo and cover the Bills. I’m going to miss the outstanding work he did on the Packers’ beat these last several years. I’m also going to miss his podcasts with Bob McGinn. Farewell,Ty. Thanks for all the coverage and best of luck trying to stay awake covering those Bill games in December when the team is 5-10.
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Besides Aaron Rodgers,Matt Barlow at Acme Packing Company wonders which Packers player will be the most critical to the team’s success in 2015. I’ve got a darkhorse candidate for you: B.J. Raji. If Raji can come close to returning to his 2010 form and solidify the defense up the middle,great things will happen for this team. Darkhorse candidate runner-up: David Bakhtiari. He’s had a solid first two seaons. If he stays healthy and improves again in 2015,the Packers offensive line will once again be in great shape.
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Who the hell is LaDarius Gunter? Sounds like he’s got a shot to be the next solid Packers’ find in undrafted free agency. We shall see…
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When the Packers sweep the Vikings this season,McCarthy should bring a ping-pong paddle to midfield for the post-game handshake with Mike Zimmer.
Non-Packers links and other nonsense
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All of us at CheeseheadTV send our throughts and sympathy to the victims and families of the Charleston shooting. It’s long past time to put an end to this B.S.,America.
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My previous sentence applies to the rest of the world,too. I’m in the middle of reading “One of Us,” which goes into detail about a shooter who murdered 77 people in Norway. Just awful,awful stuff.
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On the lighter side,Mastodon has a new music video out featuring cats that appear to be completely whacked out on hallucinogens.
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After the St. Louis Cardinals hacking allegations from this week,seeing Bill Belichick in a Cardinals jersey is just too funny.
June 15, 2015 /
Adam Czech
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Adam - CheeseheadTV, Uncategorized
Hello? Testing. Testing. Is this thing on?
Hi. My name is Adam and I’ve spent the last five years writing for “Jersey” Al Bracco’s AllGreenBayPackers.com website. If you’re reading this,it means that 1) the ALLGBP.com and CheeseheadTV.com merger is real,not a NWO-style heel turn by “Jersey” Al Bracco to wipe out CHTV and take over the Packers’ blogosphere and 2) I’ve managed to post my first CHTV article without accidentally breaking something on the site.
I had an elaborate introduction worked out for my first post,but I spiked it because ALLGBP and CHTV didn’t merge so the writers could pontificate about themselves. We merged because we’ve got a lot of thoughts,insight,knowledge,passion and opinions about the Packers,and we think our corner of the Packers independent online universe is stronger if we work together.
Here’s to a long-lasting and productive partnership. Without further adieu,let’s get to it:
A lot of Packers fans circle certain games on the schedule. Packers vs. Seahawks. Packers vs. Bears. Packers vs. Broncos. These types of games are considered marquee for one reason or another.
I circle certain games,too,but I also do something else. Before the season starts,for each of the Packers opponents,I circle a player on each team. This is a player that I think will be a challenge for the Packers to contain and will act as a measuring stick to truly judge how good the Packers are as the season progresses.
For this post,I’m going to highlight two such players for each of the Packers 13 opponents. The first will be an obvious choice,a superstar type of player who everyone recognizes and causes sleepless nights for all teams,not just the Packers.
The other will be a player that’s more under-the-radar and piques my curiosity based on how he’ll match up against the Packers.
Bears
Nobody. Because the Bears still suck.
Seachickens
CB Richard Sherman: Guy was playing with one arm and still handled Jordy Nelson in the NFC title game.
DE Michael Bennett: Mostly because he’s a good player. Partly because I thought he would’ve been a good free-agent acquisition for the Packers a few years back.
(Note to my new readers: I never refer to the Seahawks by their legal name. They are always the Seachickens to me.)
Chiefs
OLB Justin Houston: Any player with 22 sacks in a single season is scary.
WR Jeremy Maclin: No Chiefs WR has caught a touchdown since Dec. 8,2013. There’s a very real chance that streak could still be going when the Packers play the Chiefs and I don’t want my favorite team to be the one that finally allows a Chiefs wideout to catch one in the end zone.
49ers
QB Colin Kapernick: Because he owns the Packers.
RB Carlos Hyde: Mark t down,Hyde will be a stud and a big challenge for a Packers defense built to stop the pass and try to survive against the run.
Rams
No obvious superstar choices because,well,it’s the Rams.
DT Aaron Donald: It usually takes a season for young defensive linemen to figure things out. I’m worried that Donald will be hitting full stride by the time the Rams play the Packers. Linsley,Sitton and Lang better be ready (and healthy).
Chargers
QB Philip Rivers: Duh.
S Eric Weddle: Just a solid all-around player and the top-rated safety according to Pro Football Focus last season.
Broncos
QB Peyton Manning: I don’t care how old Manning is and how many of his offensive linemen get hurt. He’s scary.
CB Chris Harris,Jr.: A defensive back who can more than hold his own against one of the Packers standout wide receivers.
Panthers
LB Luke Kuechly: Sideline to sideline and up the gut,Kuechly might be the best in the business.
WR Kelvin Benjamin: There’s always at least one big,physical wide receiver who has a monster game against the Packers every season.
Lions
WR Calvin Johnson: Obviously.
LB DeAndre Levy: The best defensive player people haven’t heard of.
Vikings
RB Adrian Peterson: Dude averages 118 yards per game against the Packers. Honestly,before I looked it up,I thought it was more than that.
LB Anthony Barr: Another possible breakout second-year star,especially in Mike Zimmer’s defense.
Cowboys
WR Dez Bryant: You know he’ll be all worked up about last season’s catch-not-a-catch and he’ll probably catch 20 passes against one of the Packers rookie corners.
C Travis Frederick: If BJ Raji is ineffective and Letroy Guion regresses (or can’t stay away from the bong),Frederick will be opening up gaping holes inside all day and keeping throwing lanes open for Tony Romo.
Raiders
LB Khalil Mack: An outstanding run defender.
QB Christian Ponder: Haha. LOL. Just kidding.
Cardinals
HC Bruce Arians: You know he’ll have a gameplan ready to contain the Packers offense and exploit holes in the defense.
RB Andre Ellington: Yeah,he was banged up last season,but if he’s healthy,I can see him running free against the Packers.
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