September 9, 2013 /
Adam Czech
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Adam - ALLGBP.com, Adam Czech, Packers
Colin Kaepernick has matched Aaron Rodgers in two 49ers’ wins over the Packers.
I’m still trying to figure out how I feel about the Packers loss to the 49ers on Sunday.
Yes, it was a nice effort from the Packers. A lot of things didn’t go their way and they hung in until the end.
At the same time, I still have no doubt that the 49ers are the better team. Zip. Zero. Nadda. The 49ers are bigger, stronger, tougher and just plain better.
Doesn’t matter how hard the Packers scrapped to hang with them Sunday, why should I feel good when the 49ers continue to steamroll my favorite team?
Take a look at these numbers and try not to immediately dive out your window:
In their last 3 games against the Packers, the 49ers have:
- Averaged 483 total yards
- 200 rushing yards
- 5.5 yards per rush
- 284 passing yards
- Completed 67 percent of their passes
- Averaged 35 points.
In games not against the Packers over that same period, the 49ers have:
- Averaged 372 total yards
- 155 rushing yards
- 4.6 yards per rush
- 213 passing yards
- Completed 63 percent of their passes
- Averaged 25 points.
Yup. The 49ers own the Packers.
The 49ers have beat the Packers with Alex Smith — a game-managing pocket passer — and Colin Kaepernick, a mobile up-and-comer with a cannon for an arm and the ability to run the read-option.
Jim Harbaugh consistently outschemes Mike McCarthy and Dom Capers — coming up with unique formations, unscouted looks and clutch playcalls in key parts of the game that make the Packers look completely befuddled.
Name one position group where the Packers have consistently outplayed the 49ers in the three games? Outside linebacker because of Clay Matthews…maybe? That’s about it.
You’d think the Packers would easily outperform the 49ers at quarterback and wide receiver, but Kaepernick and Smith have matched Rodgers blow for blow and Anquan Boldin single-handedly kept pace with the Packers wideouts on Sunday.
Yes, the Packers have been in all three games, but it’s tough to get blown out when Rodgers is your quarterback. As long as No. 12 is back there, the Packers will be in it, even if they’re getting dominated in every facet of the game like they do against the 49ers. I suppose that’s one thing to feel good about.
A lot of people are saying that the Packers and 49ers could meet again in January. God, I hope not. Give me the Giants, Seachickens, Falcons, Vikings, the ’86 Bears, ’72 Dolphins, or whoever. I’m done watching that machine from the West Coast whip the Packers in almost every facet of the game.
I don’t mean to sound so negative. Really, I think the Packers will once again be great this season and in the mix to win it all. That hasn’t changed after Sunday. I just don’t want to deal with the 49ers again. At all.
Deep down, I want to beat my chest and yell, “Bring on the 49ers one more time in January!” But my brain tells me that that wouldn’t be a good idea.
Instead, I’ll cross my fingers that someone else beats the 49ers before the Packers have to deal with them again. Or that Harbaugh spontaneously combusts.
September 5, 2013 /
Adam Czech
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Adam - ALLGBP.com, Adam Czech, Packers
The 49ers still are tougher than the Packers…for now.
The San Francisco 49ers beat the hell out of the Green Bay Packers last season. Twice.
In week one, the 49ers ran for 186 yards and averaged almost six yards per carry. Alex Smith had only six incomplete passes and routinely hit wide open receivers hanging out in the middle of the field, unafraid of being laid out by Packers defenders.
In the divisional round of the playoffs, things got even uglier. Colin Kaepernick ran for 181 yards and threw for 263 more. When Kaepernick took off, he made Packers’ defenders look like lead-footed, lifeless zombies in a scene from The Walking Dead.
All of that damage was easy for even the average viewer to see while watching from his or her couch. If you broke down the film after the game and paid attention to what was happening in the trenches, things got even uglier for the Packers.
The 49ers offensive line operated like a machine — a modern, deadly, ruthless machine that was sent to Earth specifically to blow Packers defenders off the line of scrimmage, seal off the edges and create giant spaces for guys like Frank Gore and Kaepernick to gallop through.
When compared to the Packers offensive line, the 49ers wrecking crew was on a completely different level. The Packers allowed 20 quarterback hurries in the two games and never established the run. Green Bay’s front five always seemed to be flailing as yet another San Francisco defender broke through and set his sights on Aaron Rodgers.
The middle of the field — where both toughness and athleticism have a chance to shine — was also heavily tilted in the 49ers favor. Navarro Bowman and Patrick Willis, the 49ers two middle linebackers, combined for 30 tackles, a key interception and a sack.
In the week 1 loss, Alex Smith consistently found open receivers in the middle of the field while Kapernick simply ran by, through and around whoever happened to be manning the middle for the Packers in the playoffs.
A.J. Hawk totaled 22 tackles, but were any of them impact plays?
The 49ers left little doubt last season that they were tougher than the Packers. With the two teams set to meet again this Sunday, have the tables turned at all?
You’d have to look hard for anybody besides those who work at 1265 Lombardi Ave. to tell you that the Packers are now the tougher of the two teams. Not only do the 49ers have most of their tough guys coming back, the Packers are already down a few players from their tough guy column.
Starting left tackle Bryan Bulaga is out for the season. David Bakhtiari is replacing Bulaga and looks promising as a pass blocker, but likely won’t be blowing any 49ers defensive lineman off the ball while run blocking.
DuJuan Harris ran like a rolling ball of butcher knives at the end of last season and brought some semblance of toughness to the running game. He’s also out for the season (although Eddie Lacy, Harris’s replacement, has a shot at being a tough runner himself).
Might there be a few new(ish) faces on both of the Packers lines to up the toughness level a few notches? Depends if you think Don Barclay and Evan Dietrich-Smith — both undrafted and both smallish — fit the bill. On defense, first-round pick Datone Jones has been slowed by an ankle injury. We’ll see if Johnny Jolly’s display of toughness carries over into meaningful snaps when the games count.
The previous 576 words were a long and depressing way of saying that, as of now — before any real games have been played — the answer to the question posed in the headline is a definite “no.” The 49ers are still tougher than the Packers.
But the key phrase in that previous paragraph is “as of now.” It’s a long season, folks. It’s easy to toss out labels and make broad assumptions before any real snaps have taken place. Four weeks from now, many of the labels pasted on teams will be proven untrue. Bold preseason declarations will be forgotten.
Remember the 2010 Packers? They didn’t look all that tough as the calendar turned to December. Then all of the sudden they grinded out a late-season win over the Bears to reach the playoffs, developed a decent running game with James Starks, grinded out playoff wins in Philadelphia and Chicago, and won the Super Bowl.
Toughness can build over the course of the season. Sometimes, toughness built over 16 games pays off more in the end than entering the season as the biggest bully on the block.
Am I just trying to put on a happy face as I resign myself to the fact that the Packers are going to get pushed around and lose again to the 49ers on Sunday? Maybe.
But I do believe the Packers will be tougher than they were last season. Will they ultimately end up being tougher than the 49ers when January rolls around? That’s a tall task, but one that I believe the Packers are up for.
September 4, 2013 /
Adam Czech
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Adam - ALLGBP.com, Adam Czech, Packers
Eddie Lacy has people excited about the Packers running game. Is it irrational excitement?
Is it just me, or are people irrationally assuming that the Packers will be a better running team this season?
I just got done listening to Bill Simmons’ latest podcast. Simmons and Cousin Sal (Simmons’ sidekick) talked about NFL over/under win totals and highlighted the Packers improved running game as a possible reason for the team’s success this upcoming season. Sal even cited Jonathan Franklin as a reason for his optimism, even though Franklin has looked like a total bust so far.
It’s normal for national media figures to stick to talking points and get a little confused about specific players when doing massive preview shows that cover all 32 NFL teams. But even locally and among Packers fans, the consensus seems to be that the Packers will go from being a horrible running team to at least a decent running team.
Why? What have we seen this preseason that has made us think that? I can’t think of much. Here’s what I have seen, and it’s not pretty:
- The Packers averaged a measly 3.0 yards per carry in the preseason.
- The Packers long rush was a 21-yard scramble by the now departed Vince Young, a quarterback.
- Eddie Lacy, the presumed starter, averaged 2.0 yards per carry.
- Bryan Bulaga, a key to the Packers run blocking up front, is out for the season.
- DuJuan Harris is gone for the year, and Mike McCarthy sounded uncharacteristically depressed when talking about the injury.
- This is still the Packers and McCarthy is still the coach. They’re going to want to pass, pass and pass some more.
Help me out here: What am I missing that others are seeing in predicting great things for the Packers on the ground this season?
Is all of the hope about a better running game centered on Lacy? That’s fair, I suppose. I’m excited about Lacy as well. But Lacy is also already banged up and could be one hit or awkward fall away from joining Harris on injured reserve.
Is all of the hope centered on just how awful the Packers were at running the ball in 2012? It’s not good when you’re leading rusher finishes with 464 yards, like Alex Green did last season.
But if the leading rusher in 2013 totals 625 yards, that’s improvement, but really not that much better.
I’m skeptical that the Packers will suddenly morph into this reliable running team that many in the national media seem to think. I’d love to see it happen, but I’ll believe it when I see it.
Right now, the evidence just isn’t there.
September 2, 2013 /
Adam Czech
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Adam - ALLGBP.com, Adam Czech, Packers, Packers Stock Report
Andy Mulumba was one of many fringe players that ended up making the final Packers roster.
As a fan, this was one of the most difficult Packers preseasons to endure in quite some time.
The Packers got hit hard with injuries (again). The team looked awful in exhibition games (especially on offense). And the quality of play was mostly abysmal (it’ll be a long time before the images of Graham Harrell, Vince Young and B.J. Coleman chucking passes to God knows where leave my mind).
Fortunately, none of that matters now. The regular season is upon us and the horror show of the preseason will be a distant memory if the Packers come out and dropkick the 49ers in week one.
For some guidance on who will be the key players in helping us erase those terrible exhibition season memories, let’s go to the Packers stock report:
Rising
Andrew Quarless
Brandon Bostick
Andy Mulumba
Chris Banjo
Lane Taylor
Jeremy Ross
All of the above players were probably sitting on pins and needles Saturday. Every one of those guys had to scrap to make the team, and now that they finally made it, I’m considering all of them rising. Of course, I’m writing this at 7:30 on Sunday night, meaning Ted Thompson could make a roster move before this publishes and cut one of them. But even if one of them does get axed early, odds are the Packers will rely on at least one of these guys to contribute during the season. Let’s hope the momentum and confidence boost they receive from being in this week’s rising category translates to the playing field.
Johnny Jolly
Jolly fits into the above group as well, but I’m giving him his own slot because his story is that cool. It was nice of the Packers to give Jolly another opportunity to redeem himself, and it was great to see Jolly take advantage of that opportunity and make the team. Initially, this whole thing seemed like the Packers just doing a good deed and helping Jolly get his life back on track. After a few exhibition games, it became apparent that Jolly can still play and fills a need on the defensive line. Next up in the Jolly reclamation project: Eliminating silly penalties.
Steady
Ted Thompson
Once again, Thompson showed on cutdown day that he isn’t afraid to take a chance on young unproven talent that nobody has ever heard of. Five of the players Thompson cut in order to keep all the players in the rising category have already been signed by other teams. That means one of two things: 1) Thompson and his staff have a talented group of guys that nobody has ever heard of who will eventually prove their worth and become well-known, or 2) Thompson made some big mistakes and cut bait on a few players too soon. My money is on the former, but only time will tell. Either way, Thompson stuck to his philosophy and deserves a place in the steady category.
EDIT: Thompson released B.J. Coleman and signed Seneca Wallace after I finished writing the stock report last night. It looks as though Thompson is just throwing things against the wall to see if anything sticks as a backup QB. It’s one of the few times I can think of where Thompson doesn’t appear to have a plan. Is the latest development in the backup QB situation enough to remove Thompson from this week’s steady category? Nope. Every season, fans of all 32 NFL teams get excessively wound up about their backup QB. It’s no different in Green Bay. Sure, it’d be nice to have a “proven” backup (whatever proven means when you’re not good enough to start), but here’s the bottom line: If Rodgers gets hurt, the Packers are screwed. If pretty much any of the 32 starting QBs in the NFL get hurt, their teams are screwed. Yes, Thompson could’ve handled the backup situation better, but in the grand scheme of things, it doesn’t mean all that much.
James Jones
With Randall Cobb and Jordy Nelson battling injuries this preseason, Jones filled the void and looked like he’s ready for a repeat performance of his breakout 2012 campaign. Jones averaged over 14 yards per catch in the preseason — second only to Jermichael Finley among Packers with at least two catches — and hauled in a 50-yarder in the first exhibition contest. More importantly, I’m ready for the return of Jones’ trademark sleeveless turtleneck under his jersey. Once Jones busts out the sleeveless turtleneck, you know things are about to get serious.
Falling
The 31 NFL teams that aren’t the Green Bay Packers
I’ll save any negativity until the regular season starts and we have something meaningful to be negative about regarding the Packers. For now, it’s nothing but positivity. Real football is about to start. The Packers will be on my TV on Sundays. The team should once again be among the handful of teams that has a shot at winning it all. Why dampen all that joy and cheer by putting a Packers player in the falling category before the season’s first game? Go Pack go!
September 1, 2013 /
Adam Czech
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Adam - ALLGBP.com, Adam Czech, Packers, Surviving Sunday
Surviving Sundays with no Packers Football
Well, Packers fans, since the 2013 NFL season starts next Sunday, this is the last Surviving Sunday of the year.
NFL football games that actually matter will be keeping us occupied for the next 20 weeks or so, and there won’t be a need for 800-word posts wrapping up the news of the week and mixing in my ramblings about pro wrestling, video games, concussions, the media or whatever other tangent I like to go off on.
As always, thanks for reading. Hopefully the next Surviving Sunday isn’t published until Feb. 9, 2014, the Sunday after the Packers win Super Bowl XLVIII.
Roster cuts
All of the Packers roster cuts are in and there were a few surprises: 1) Vince Young is gone. I thought his ability to run and at least have a chance to make a play every now and then would save him, but I thought wrong. Now who’s going to back up Aaron Rodgers? Your guess is as good as mine. 2. Tyrone Walker didn’t make the team. I suppose that’s not really too big of a surprise, but he had a nice camp and I liked what I saw. Alex Green getting cut wasn’t much of a surprise. Starks has more pop than Green and is just a better back. You can’t play the injury card on Starks when comparing the two, either, because Green has injury issues of his own.
Tramon is back
Tramon Williams returned in Thursday’s preseason finale and had an interception on the Chiefs’ first pass. I’m not worried at all about Williams’ pass coverage. Sure, he gets beat more often than he did in 2010, but the good far outweighs the bad when Williams drops back in coverage. What I need to see from Williams is toughness. The 49ers will look at film of the 2012 Packers this week, see Williams retreat when a run comes his way, and start licking their chops. Williams needs to be a tougher tackler this season. Plain and simple.
Kuuuuuuuhn!
Remember when we all thought John Kuhn might get cut? Turns out his job in the Packers’ backfield might be the safest of all the running backs not named Eddie Lacy. Jonathan Franklin — drafted to possibly play a role on third down — has flopped so far. Worst of all, he looks totally lost as a pass-blocker and likely won’t see the field until he improves. Once again, Kuhn will be the Packers go-to back on third down passing situations. Now, all we need to do is get our hands on a Packers playbook and remove the page that contains the Kuhn fullback dive in short yardage situations.
Crosby doesn’t get cut, his paycheck does
Mason Crosby won’t be buying the bar a round any time in the near future. The Packers K took a pay cut and now has an incentive-based contract, further upping the pressure he faces heading into the season. Pressure on Crosby is a good thing, in my opinion. The Packers didn’t really have anyone else to bring in and push Crosby when he struggled in 2012, and who knows if the viable alternatives will be gone again if Crosby struggles early this season. A little financial pressure might be the best kind of pressure to apply.
Concussion lawsuit settled
The NFL will pay $765 million to 4,500 former players over 20 years to settle concussion litigation. For a league that is projected to rake in $10 billion just this season, that sounds like a clear victory for The Shield. Don’t get me wrong, $765 million is a lot of money. But when you consider the PR nightmare and the potential for other problems that comes with having concussions and lawsuit news overshadowing the actual game, it’s chump change. Here’s hoping the lives of former players suffering from concussion-related problems are improved in some way by the money they will be receiving from the settlement. And here’s hoping the NFL continues its recent push of taking head injuries more seriously.
Packers awful preseason
The Packers scored just 37 points this preseason and looked helpless on offense when Rodgers wasn’t in the game. My wife asked me if I was worried about the 49ers game because of how awful the Packers looked in exhibition games. I said no, I wasn’t worried because of how the Packers played in preseason, but I was worried because the 49ers are a damn good football team. I’m also a little worried about the Packers’ depth. It’s a team that’s already beat up and has had to tap into its reserve players before the season has even started. If David Bakhtiari goes down, then what? If Morgan Burnett’s hamstring injury is serious, then what? If one of Lacy’s several past injuries flares up, are we ready for Alex Green and James Starks again? Who in the hell plays center in Evan Dietrich-Smith gets hurt?
Season prediction
I’m burying my Packers season prediction at the bottom of this post because it likely will be wrong, anyway. I’ll explain my reasoning in a future post, but for now, here it is: 10-6, NFC North champs, divisional round playoff loss.
August 30, 2013 /
Adam Czech
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Adam - ALLGBP.com, Adam Czech, Packers
Assuming the entire team doesn’t get injured before final cutdown day, here is my Packers 53-man roster prediction for the 2013 season.
Quarterback (2): Rodgers, Young
If Rodgers gets hurt, Young at least has the raw talent to make a few plays and maybe keep the Packers’ heads above water until QB1 gets patched up and returns. I never thought I would write such a sentence when the Packers signed Young a few weeks back, but I just wrote it.
Running Back (5): Lacy, Franklin, Green, Starks, Kuhn
I thought Kuhn had a real chance of getting cut during camp, but once it became apparent that Franklin isn’t much of a pass blocker (yet), Kuhn was a lock. Harris getting hurt made predicting the running back situation much easier.
Wide Receiver (6): Nelson, Cobb, Jones, Boykin, Ross, Walker
Do the Packers really need to keep six WRs? With Nelson and Cobb already hurt, I think so.
Tight End (4): Finley, Taylor, Bostick, Quarless
Bye bye Williams and Mulligan. I held out hope for Williams this camp, but I just haven’t seen enough to justify that hope. Mulligan I might be dead wrong on, but he’s injured and the Packers needs roster spots in other areas so I’m guessing that he goes.
Offensive Line (7): Bakhtiari, Sitton, EDS, Lang, Barclay, Newhouse, Van Roten
I wanted to keep Lewis over Van Roten because I think Van Roten is too small to make much of an impact. Also, the Packers already have undersized guys at both tackles — I didn’t want another one at backup center. But Lewis didn’t do much to unseat Van Roten, so Van Roten gets the nod.
Defensive Line (7): Pickett, Raji, Jones, Wilson, Jolly, Daniels, Neal
Who would have thought that both Jolly and Vince Young would be Packers in 2013? Jolly has been too good to cut, especially with Jones still bothered by a bad ankle. Between Jolly, Daniels and Jones, one of the three needs to emerge as a guy who can pressure the QB every now and then.
Linebacker (9): Matthews, Perry, Hawk, Jones, Francois, Lattimore, Manning, Barrington, Mulumba
Matthews is the only spectacular player of the bunch, but this is a nice group of lunch pail type of players. I see a future for Barrington — for sure on special teams and maybe even as a regular if he picks up the defense and improves into next season.
Defensive Back (10): Williams, Shields, Hayward, House, Hyde, Burnett, Jennings, McMillian, Banjo, Bush
I went back and forth on keeping Banjo, but ended up keeping him because I’m not sure what Burnett’s status is. This is a banged up group, but Ted Thompson’s track record of finding young DBs that can contribute is generally good, so let’s see what happens.
Specialist (3): Goode, Masthay, Crosby
Another season of watching Crosby kick. Yay.
Practice Squad (8): OL Taylor, QB Coleman, LB Palmer, CB James Nixon, WR Charles Johnson, DL Josh Boyd, CB Brandon Smith, T Andrew Datko
Of these players, I can see someone possibly snatching away Boyd.
PUP: Worthy, Tretter, Richardson, Sherrod
We’ve been hearing that Sherrod has been making progress for a while now. Does he play this season? I don’t think so. I doubt we’ll see any of the guys on this list until 2014.
IR: WR Cunningham, OL Bulaga, WR Dorsey, RB Harris, LB Reed
Let’s hope this list doesn’t grow too much during the season.
August 27, 2013 /
Adam Czech
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Adam - ALLGBP.com, Adam Czech, Packers
Packers WR James Jones says you better take the over on his line of 11 TDs this season.
Forget the over/under odds that Vegas sets for NFL betting. I’m opening a sports book that only accepts bets involving the Green Bay Packers.
Maybe I’ll name my joint the Acme Swindling Company. Or Hand-Over-All-Your-Green-and-Gold-to Me Inc. Either way, we’re going to have a good time — win lose or draw.
Below are some over/under scenarios involving the 2013 Packers. Let me know which side you’d wager on in the comments section.
(If you want to actually wager on these odds, have your people contact my people. And you better pay up if you lose. I’m going to be a father soon and I don’t want to lose valuable time with my son because I’m busting kneecaps and trying to collect from you deadbeats.)
James Jones: 11 touchdowns
It’s always difficult to predict touchdowns from year to year. A lot of it depends on opportunity and a little bit of luck. Last season, Calvin Johnson had 2,000 receiving yards but — thanks in large part to getting tackled at the 1-yard line five times — only five touchdowns, . Injuries to Greg Jennings and Jordy Nelson gave Jones an opportunity last season. He seized his larger role in the offense and broke out with 14 touchdowns. Jones’ size and strength make him a nice target in the red zone, so I’m going to say he exceeds 11 touchdowns. It’d be quite the feat to reach 14 TDs again, but you never know.
Aaron Rodgers: 4,500 yards
Rodgers needed only 15 games to exceed 4,600 passing yards in his 2011 MVP season. Last season he “dipped” to 4,300 yards in 16 games. The Packers wide receiving corp and offensive line is already banged up and the season hasn’t even started yet. There also might be a renewed emphasis on running the ball with Eddie Lacy, so I’m going to say Rodgers stays under 4,500 passing yards — but not by much.
David Bakhtiari: 54 Combined sacks, hurries and pressures allowed
In his second season at left tackle, Marshall Newhouse allowed a total of 54 quarterback sacks, hurries and pressures (source: Pro Football Focus). Can Bakhtiari, who will be handing several elite pass rushers throughout the season, do better than that? If he survives the first month of the season without getting overwhelmed, I think Bakhtiari will be fine. Not great, but fine. He’ll be under 54, but there will be stretches — especially early — where it looks like he might double that number. Hang on tight with this kid and remain patient. Allow Rodgers to cover up for a few of his mistakes early and let’s see how he progresses after a few starts.
B.J. Raji contract: Extended by week 10
Will B.J. Raji’s contract be extended by week 10 of the regular season? My thinking here is yes, but a tentative yes. Right now, I think Raji thinks he deserves elite defensive lineman money. I’m talking crazy, obscene money. The Packers think Raji is good, but not crazy, obscene money good. The two sides will keep talking during the season, Raji will play well, but not crazy, obscene money well, and Raji’s people will eventually cave and accept a generous, but not obscene, offer from the Packers.
Green Bay Packers: 100 Adjusted Games Lost (AGL) due to injury
For a full explanation of AGL, visit FootballOutsiders.com. Basically, it’s a way to measure how much teams are affected by injuries in a given season. The Packers had an AGL of 108.1 in 2012, by far the most in the NFL and only the sixth team in the history of the metric to exceed 100. In case you were too lazy to click on the link, that’s not good. It means the Packers were banged up. This preseason, it looks like the Packers are on their way to exceeding 100 yet again. I’m calling the over on this one, unfortunately. For whatever reason — the players they draft, the training staff, bad luck, all of the above — the Packers have a hard time staying healthy and it drives me crazy. By the way, the Packers in AGL in 2010 when they won the Super Bowl was 86.3 (third worst in the league). When they won 15 games in 2011, it was 58.7 (16th).
Kickers used during the season: 3
It’s totally feasible that Crosby wins the job, then craps the bed and gets cut. The Packers would then have to bring in some other kicker off the scrapheap who may or may not work out, making it a real possibility they could pull the plug on him and try someone else. That puts them at three kickers…an injury or a few missed kicks would cause Ted Thompson to roll the dice with someone else…I’m just going to stop there because this is getting too depressing. And it’s depressing because I could see it actually happening.
Jermichael Finley’s stat line: 75 catches, 1,000 yards, 9 TDs
Same old argument about Finley this preseason: A bunch of people think this is the year he breaks out. Another bunch of people snort and laugh at the bunch of people who think this is the year (again) that Finley breaks out. The tight end was good down the stretch last season, but I don’t see him exceeding those numbers in all three categories.
Bonus round: Number of Seahawks players suspended during the season for using PEDs: 47
Are you kidding? This number is way too low. Take the over and go to the bank.
August 25, 2013 /
Adam Czech
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Adam - ALLGBP.com, Adam Czech, Packers, Surviving Sunday
Surviving Sundays with no Packers Football
Graham Harrell cut
Somebody alert the Minnesota Vikings, another Packers player has hit the open market. Reports are out there that Graham Harrell is getting cut, meaning Vince Young has won the Packers’ backup QB job. The Packers are effed if Vince Young needs to play for an extended stretch of games, but probably not as effed as they would’ve been with Harrell. I thought Harrell would come around to at least be a Matt Flynn type of backup, but obviously, I was wrong. His accuracy went from bad to worse, and that ultimately did him in.
Knowledge of offense?
The only thing Harrell had going for him was his knowledge of the offense. I suppose it would be nice for Aaron Rodgers to have a backup that is familiar with the offense and can offer insight when needed, but that knowledge didn’t make up for Harrell’s poor play. Besides, the Packers have a QB coach, offensive coordinator, head coach and who knows how many other people that know this offense just as well, if not better than Rodgers. If Vince Young is playing catchup in the classroom, it shouldn’t be that big of a deal.
Meat wagon makes the rounds at Lambeau
Five more Packers were struck down with injuries in Friday’s loss to the Seachickens. Casey Hayward, Brad Jones, Morgan Burnett and Jarvis Reed left the game on defense. On offense, DuJuan Harris re-injured his knee. Of the five, Burnett worries me the most. Who’s going to play safety if Burnett is on the shelf?
Sherrod’s family speaks
Since the Packers and Derek Sherrod aren’t providing any updates on why it’s taking so long for the big tackle to return from a broken leg, Bob McGinn contacted Sherrod’s family to try and learn more about what’s going on. Turns out Sherrod has had to deal with many challenges on his road to recovery. I don’t get why the Packers and/or Sherrod have been so secretive about the injury and recovery process. I get that all teams are paranoid about releasing injury news, but what good has that paranoia done the Packers in Sherrod’s case? All it’s done is frustrated the fan base and caused some misguided people to question Sherrod’s work ethic or toughness as he tries to return.
Walker making the final 53
It’s tough to not root for undrafted rookie Tyrone Walker to make the Packers final roster. Jordy Nelson said this week that he may not be back for the opener against San Francisco, and Randall Cobb is still bothered by a bicep injury. Could that open the door for the speedy kid from Illinois State? Walker didn’t catch a pass on Friday night. Might that hurt his chances?
A breakout season for Finley?
Both the local and national media — and many Packers players and coaches — are telling us that this this will be the year for Jermichael Finley to break out. It’s not much different from what we hear about Finley every preseason, but national media seems to really be buying into it this time around. Finley caught two of the six passes thrown his way on Friday. He also dropped a pass from Graham Harrell and failed to reel in a tough grab in the end zone. To me, it sounds like Finley is about right on track with what he’s been most of his career: Moments of brilliance mixed with frustration.
Podcasts, podcasts and more podcasts
With all the good Packers podcasts out there, there is absolutely no reason for you to be bored on your commute to work. On this week’s No Huddle Radio, Jason Perone, Chad Toporski and yours truly captivate the audience with discussions on Eddie Lacy, Nick Perry and the Packers backup QBs. There are all kinds of other quality podcasts to check out over at The Packers Talk Radio Network.
August 22, 2013 /
Adam Czech
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Adam - ALLGBP.com, Adam Czech, Packers
I’m off the Jermichael Finley bandwagon, but could return shortly.
Every offseason I’m as big a supporter of Packers tight end Jermichael Finley as there is.
While many fans get frustrated about what Finley says, or his (lack of) production based on his (perceived) talent, I point out the value that Finley does bring to the Packers’ offense, and remind people that he’s young and probably hasn’t reached his full potential yet.
I backed off that stance this offseason, at least somewhat. I didn’t join the large group of torch and pitchfork carrying Finley haters, but I no longer have a shot at getting elected president of the Finley fan club, either.
I suppose you could say that I got off the Finley bandwagon, but asked the person next to me to save my seat in case I decided to hop back on.
We hear all the typical training camp cliches about Finley every offseason: He’s more mature. He’s grown up. He’s more focused. He looks great in camp. He’s ready to break out. He’s physical. He’s working as hard as ever. This is the year. Finally. No, really — this time it really is his year.
We’re hearing all those things again this training camp. Even Mike McCarthy is piling the love on J-Mike.
I suppose hearing the typical training camp talk about a player being “in the best shape of his life” or being “more focused” is better than hearing that a player is fat and distracted by the new season of “Duck Dynasty.” But forgive me for tuning out all that talk about Finley this offseason. I’m not going to buy any of it until it transfers to actual results.
I won’t be at all surprised if Finley does, in fact, break out this season. I suppose it wouldn’t shock me, either, if he flops. Either way, I won’t be patting myself on the back, telling the world “I told you so.”
A lot of Packers fans are sick of Finley talking. I’m sick of hearing myself and others talk about Finley, so I’m going to zip it. It’s time to stop hoping, prognosticating, predicting, forecasting, wishing, and praying for Finley to break out. Let’s just sit back, watch, and see if he actually does.
We can save all of that other stuff for players like Eddie Lacy and Datone Jones — young guys who have yet to go through the entire training camp media cycle of hype and hope.
The Jermichael Finley bandwagon might be traveling a little faster today because my fat butt is no longer on it.
But if Finley does emerge as a top tight end, I’ll reclaim my seat immediately. I’ve ridden on the bandwagon for so long, I’m allowed to hop off for a little bit if I want to. Hopefully the person saving my seat at least keeps it warm for me.
August 20, 2013 /
Adam Czech
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Adam - ALLGBP.com, Adam Czech, Packers, Packers Stock Report
Hey No. 21, you’re not going to tackle Packers RB Eddie Lacy with one arm.
Before I get started on this week’s Packers stock report, let’s review exactly what the stock report is and why I do it:
- The stock report is based on more than a single game or day of practice. Generally, it takes more than one good performance to become a riser and more than just one bad day to land in the falling category. Of course, there are always exceptions.
- The stock report is also about projecting somewhat into the future. Like any good investor, you want to buy a stock before it hits its peak value so you can sell it at a profit later when it maxes out in price.
- If a player is playing well under the radar and it looks like he could become more visible in the coming weeks, I’ll throw him in the rising category. If he’s been playing well, but slipping a bit of late, he might end up falling.
- The stock report is not about putting my favorite players in the rising category and putting certain players I don’t care for in the falling category. Besides, I love all players who wear the green and gold, which makes all Packers players risers!
- Stock reports after two exhibition games are tricky. See the title to this week’s stock report. Therefore, a few of these rules might get ignored because it’s so early. Actually, all of the rules might be ignored (besides rule No. 4).
Rising
Eddie Lacy
Yup, I’m already ignoring one of the rules I laid out above. After only eight carries, I have decided that Eddie Lacy is rising. Did you see him trucking defenders on Saturday?! If that carries into the regular season and all of Lacy’s body parts that are glued on stay together, I no longer will be so scared of 3rd and 1 and the Packers might have a back who can close games in the fourth quarter.
Johnny Jolly
So far, so good for Johnny Jolly. Up until Saturday’s exhibition games, Jolly had been decent, which probably wasn’t going to be good enough to make the team. Then he came up with an interception Saturday and played a great game all around — exactly the kind of playmaking performance the Packers have been lacking from a defensive lineman since Cullen Jenkins left.
Micah Hyde
He’s got a lot of work to do in coverage, but it looks like he’s more than capable of being a force on special teams and as a blitzer in nickel or dime packages. Also seems to always be around the ball.
Steady
The healthy regulars
Aaron Rodgers, James Jones, Jermichael Finley, Josh Sitton, Clay Matthews, B.J. Raji, C.J. Wilson. Most of the Packers proven veterans that are healthy have been doing exactly what they need to do this preseason. Nothing too flashy because they’re not playing all that much and no major screw-ups or signs of regressing — just what you want out of your veteran core through two exhibition games.
Falling
D.J. Williams
A pass-catching tight end should fit in nicely on a team with Aaron Rodgers as the quarterback, but Williams is struggling to hang onto the ball when it is thrown to him. The Packers tight ends behind Jermichael Finley are a mess right now, and Williams is the one who needs to clean it up the most.
Packers backup QBs
Please God keep Aaron Rodgers healthy this season. Please God keep Aaron Rodgers healthy this season. Please God keep Aaron Rodgers healthy this season. Please God keep Aaron Rodgers healthy this season. Please God keep Aaron Rodgers healthy this season. Please God keep Aaron Rodgers healthy this season. Please God keep Aaron Rodgers healthy this season. Please God keep Aaron Rodgers healthy this season. Please God keep Aaron Rodgers healthy this season. Please God keep Aaron Rodgers healthy this season. Please God keep Aaron Rodgers healthy this season. Please God keep Aaron Rodgers healthy this season. Please God keep Aaron Rodgers healthy this season. Please God keep Aaron Rodgers healthy this season. Please God keep Aaron Rodgers healthy this season. Please God keep Aaron Rodgers healthy this season. Please God keep Aaron Rodgers healthy this season. Please God keep Aaron Rodgers healthy this season.
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