Green Bay Packers: Thankful for Losing to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers?

The Green Bay Packers were coming off a Week 9 win over the still winless Tampa Bay Buccaneers, getting ready for a tough second half of the season.

Wait, what … the Packers lost that game!?!

Tampa Bay shocked the NFL by beating Green Bay 38-28, with the Buccaneers earning their first (and thus far, only) win of the season.

All this after the Packers lost to the Minnesota Vikings in the Metrodome 38-26. Two straight weeks allowing 38 points to opponents, who were those guys?

Those two losses put Green Bay at 4-4.

It was safe to say that Green Bay was undoubtedly looking well past Tampa and into their game against the Dallas Cowboys at Lambeau Field the following week.

With the .500 record, many people were already writing Green Bay off, thinking that if they can’t even beat the lowly Buccaneers, how can they even have a shot at the playoffs?

The 3-4 defense wasn’t working. Why did they even switch in the first place?

I hate fans who react this way.

In my own way of thinking, no team’s season is in jeopardy until they reach the six-loss plateau, because it’s safe to assume that a 10-6 record is good enough to make the playoffs.

When your respective team reaches six losses, then re-evaluate the players and coaches, as well as the remaining schedule, but no sooner. If your team never reaches that point, you are cheering for a good team.

After eight games, Green Bay was still 4-4, and last time I checked an NFL season is 16 games long.

Good thing too, because the players started to finally believe in what defensive coordinator Dom Capers was trying to achieve with the 3-4.

The Packers used that embarrassment from the Buccaneers to shutting down the Cowboys offense and giving up a single touchdown to Tony Romo and Co.

Since Week 9, all the Packers have done is simply put out the best defense in all of the NFL. They proved that with a big win over the stingy defense of the Baltimore Ravens on Monday Night Football with a 27-14 victory.

Green Bay has reeled off five straight wins since the Tampa debacle and lead the NFC Wild Card chase at 9-4, and have a pretty solid grasp of holding its ground.

The Packers now go into Pittsburgh to face a struggling Steelers team who have done the exact opposite of the Packers, losing five straight games.

The defending Super Bowl Champions lost a tough game to the Ravens three weeks ago, and followed that show of grit with losses to two of the worst teams in the league, the Oakland Raiders and most recently, the Cleveland Browns.

The road to the Super Bowl this year will not be going through Pittsburgh, or even Arizona, like last year.

Even though Green Bay should have walked all over Tampa back in Week 9, the Packers should be thankful that they lost to the Buccaneers.

If it wasn’t for that shocking loss, Green Bay might not be 9-4, or be controlling their own destiny as the clock ticks down on other teams.

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Charles Woodson Draws Attention of NFL:Too Bad He Doesn’t Want it

Ever since he won the Heisman Trophy in 1997, Green Bay Packers’ Charles Woodson has been trying to live up to the hype.

Whether or not he’s lived up to the other people’s hype is irrelevant, all that matters to Woodson is how he lives up to his own standards.

Before the Green Bay Packers played the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving last month, FOX aired a piece on how Woodson recently donated $2 million to the University of Michigan’s C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital, for pediatric research.

In the interview, Woodson downplayed the whole incident, not wanting to draw attention to the kind-hearted donation.

He also downplays his actions on the field. It’s just him doing what he’s paid to do: play football. However, the attention wasn’t always there after his award-winning year.

In his first year in the NFL, Woodson played all 16 games and had five interceptions, earning him NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year honors.

Woodson spent 1998-2005 as a member of the Raiders, missing parts of the 2002 and 2005 season due to injuries.

He never seemed to live up to the expectations that fans had in Oakland. After all, he was the Heisman Trophy winner.

Woodson played eight seasons with the Oakland Raiders, totaling just 17 interceptions, having five different years with just a single interception.

After his injury-plagued season of 2005, he became a free agent, where the Packers signed Woodson to a seven year, $52 million deal.

Some Packer fans and many experts could not figure out the signing, noting that Woodson hasn’t proved anything since his days at Michigan and he was a dud in Oakland.

Looking back at it now, it may have just been that he needed to get out of Oakland, period. There’s a reason they call Oakland “The Black Hole”. It’s not because of the fans. Playing in Oakland in the past few decades has a habit of sucking the talent out of some players.

But now, in his fourth year with Green Bay, Woodson has certainly silenced the critics. With three games remaining this year, Woodson already has 27 interceptions (2006-8, 2007-4, 2008-7, *2009-8).

Woodson, now 33-years-old and in his 12th NFL season, may have lost some speed, but he has not lost the physicality.

With eight interception already this year, Woodson is tied atop the NFL (leads GB), and is third on the Packers with 64 tackles. He also has four forced fumbles alone this season, and six TDs as a Green Bay Packer.

Woodson is the front runner for being named the NFL’s Defensive MVP, with Reggie White being the only Packers player to win the award, in 1998.

Woodson will continue to downplay his exceptional play this year, and shift the focus to how the Green Bay Packers are living up to the hype with Aaron Rodgers at the helm.

Because in the end, Woodson knows that the team’s success is more important than any individual honor.

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Wisconsin’s Packers and Bucks Enter a New “Jenn”eration

The state of Wisconsin is staying on the sports map, and the two guys helping to keep it there just happen to share the same last name.

Though Greg and Brandon Jennings aren’t related, they both have been proving the “experts” wrong; Brandon has just done it much faster.

Coming out of Western Michigan, Greg Jennings was a mid-second round selection by the Green Bay Packers in the 2006 NFL Draft.

Some questioned the pick because they believed Jennings was too small (5’10”), too slow, and lacked experience against top-notch cornerbacks.

Jennings answered those questions by putting up some pretty impressive numbers in three-and-a-half seasons.

His stats to date are 259 catches for 4,056 yards and 29 touchdowns. Last year was his first 1,000-yard season, but more are sure to follow.

Jennings is also one of the best YAC men (yards after catch) in the entire league, making him that much more of a weapon against opposing defenses.

Greg Jennings is quickly becoming an elite receiver in the NFL, and he doesn’t care who is throwing him the ball any more.

Whether it’s Brett Favre or Aaron Rodgers, Jennings is certain to make something happen.

 

Like Greg, Brandon Jennings took a lot of flack from the “experts” for bypassing the college game to play in Europe for a year.

I was intrigued by the decision but non-judgmental.

When the 2009 draft day arrived, Jennings returned to the States wanting to make an impact in the NBA, but nine teams passed up the youngster.

The Milwaukee Bucks told Jennings that if he was available at No. 10, they would take him.

Again, many questioned the pick, saying he was immature, his jump shot was absolutely terrible, and his attitude would be tough to work with.

From what I’ve seen from his so far as a rookie, Jennings has a pretty good jumper, and his attitude shows that he wants to win.

Perhaps the lack of playing time in Italy humbled him and taught him more about basketball. He learned to shut his mouth and play.

Jennings not only has the state of Wisconsin buzzing but also the entire NBA. They all want to know what he will do when he steps on the court.

He’s averaging 25.3 points per game in Milwaukee (8-3) and has scored double figures in all but one game, to going along with his 5.5 assists per game.

But no one should forget his 55-point output against the Golden State Warriors, the highest single-game total in Bucks’ history.

The Bucks have slowly been dying in NBA, but Jennings has re-energized them.

His swagger, even as a rookie, is comparable to his city sportsmate Ryan Braun of the Milwaukee Brewers. It’s not an arrogant confidence, but more of a “Let me prove it to you” attitude.

The Jennings are guaranteed to stay here in Wisconsin a few more years, which makes me glad that I continued to stand behind the Packers and Bucks, no matter how poorly they may have been playing.

It’s a new generation for Wisconsin sports fans.

The Green Bay Packers are moving swiftly in the post-Favre “Jenn”eration, while the Milwaukee Bucks have just simply entered a new “Jenn”eration of basketball. 

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Who Is…Spencer Havner?

Unless your a fan of the NFL’s Green Bay Packers or the UCLA Bruins of college football, you might not know who Spencer Havner is…until now.

Havner has made a little bit of a name for himself in the NFL, as he caught two, yes two, touchdowns passes from Aaron Rodgers, in the biggest game of the year for them.

Granted, Green Bay lost 38-26 against the Minneota Vikings Sunday afternoon in Brett Favre’s return to Titletown, but Havner showed fans that he could play a big role in the offense down the stretch.

Havner hasn’t played a big role on a team since his days at UCLA, where he was a linebacker.

That’s right, he’s used to knocking down the guy who has the ball, rather than trying to catch it.

As a member of the Bruins from 2002-05, Havner made himself known right away as a freshman by starting all 13 games, getting 96 tackles and three interceptions, two of which were returned for scores.

He was named as one of the two team captains during his junior year, and responded by getting 125 tackles in 11 games. He was also a semifinalist for the Butkus and Rotary Lombardi Awards.

As a senior, he was a second team All-Conference member, and again was a semifinalist for the Butkus, Lombardi, and Bednarik Awards as the nation’s top defender. He finished his Bruins career with 402 tackles.

In the NFL it took Havner a little longer to get recognized, as he went undrafted in 2006.

The Washington Redskins signed him shortly after the draft, but released him before the 2006 season.

During the middle of that ’06 season, Havner was signed by the Green Bay Packers to be a member of their practice squad.

The Packers released him before the 2008 season, but resigned him in mid-October and activated him in December because they heard that the Chicago Bears were interested in him.

Before the 2009 season, Havner made the transition to the tight end position, with more of a necessity there for the Packers than at linebacker.

If Havner made the team though, it would be as a player on special teams, and make it he did. With Green Bay hurting at the tight end spot recently, coaches decided to throw Havner into the mix last week against Cleveland.

There, he caught two passes for 59 yards including his first touchdown, on a 45-yard scamper after the catch. He would then make the tackle on the ensuing kickoff.

Using that performance, Havner then exploded onto the scene against Minnesota, in which after both scores, he quickly made his way towards the stands for the famous Lambeau Leap.

Havner has just six catches for 110 yards this season, but three have been for touchdowns.

With Green Bay’s No. 1 tight end Jermichael Finley still suffering from a knee injury, and Donald Lee not quite starter material, look for Havner to get several more catches and find the end zone a few more times for the Packers this year.

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The Green Bay Packers Can’t Change History, No Matter How Hard They Try

Something drastic has been happening in Green Bay, WI for awhile, and quite frankly, it sickens me.

The Green Bay Packers, and most of their fans, are trying to erase 16 years of history in the most storied franchise in all of the NFL.

Brett Favre came to the smallest NFL city in 1992 under the genius of then GM Ron Wolf.

Favre had a less than comfortable exit after the 2007 season, in which he delivered his retirement speech, but came back to the league about four months later.

There are many speculations as to why Favre was shown the door in Green Bay, and the way it was handled.

We all know the story.

My take on this whole thing is exactly what Favre said recently on Joe Buck Live, “It is what it is.”

So the story has shifted gears yet again as Favre wants to come back and play in the NFL for a 19th season.

Brett Favre has been considered “dead” to many Packer fans already just because he showed his face in a uniform that was not the Green Bay Packers.

Now, to Packers fans, Favre is contemplating blasphemy as he wants to play again, but this time he’s looking to return as a member of the Minnesota Vikings.

I can still hear the collective gasps from the Frozen Tundra, as they continue to call Favre a traitor.

However, he can’t be a traitor if he was ‘forced’ out of the city in the first place, right?

Why is Green Bay punishing a man who has done nothing wrong to its fans or the city itself?

Yes, he retired, took it back, and was shipped to New York because he didn’t want to play second fiddle to Aaron Rodgers, but it wasn’t his fault.

Favre gave his heart and soul to the Packers organization for 16 years and fans were grateful for every moment.

Why the change of feelings?

He changed the way outsiders looked at Green Bay. It was no longer just a small city in Northern Wisconsin, but rather it was Titletown once again because of good old No. 4.

Why are people turning their backs on a guy who simply wants to play a game forever?

That’s the motive behind all of these charades. He just wants to play football, and he doesn’t care where, nor should he.

Should the whole ‘Favre leaving Green Bay’ fiasco have been handled differently? Yes.

Should the entire Packers fan base shun Favre simply because he refuses to quit? No.

The only thing that he is doing wrong is committing, then taking it back. If you watched Favre play football though, he’s doing things exactly according to plan.

How many times did Favre leave the huddle with one play on his mind, then completely change things at the line of scrimmage?

This is nothing new that fans are seeing from Favre. So he is not the puppet master, and we are not the puppets in this show.

Favre has one thing on his mind wherever he goes though, and one thing only: football.

He would play quarterback on his hands and knees if he had to because football is all he knows.

When Favre finally leaves the game, it will be forever. That’s it, game over.

Favre is impossible to forget, yet many Cheeseheads have washed themselves clean of him overnight.

How can a football god become the peasant in a matter of months?

I’m a Packer Backer until I die, but I’m a Favre addict even longer. Why?

He plays the game the right way, and will do so until he himself his gone from the game.

Did people think less of Joe Montana because he went to Kansas City? No.

What about the feeling towards Michael Jordan when he returned with the Washington Wizards? They didn’t change one bit. 

To me, it doesn’t matter WHERE Favre plays, all that matters is THAT he plays, because the NFL without Favre is the true blasphemy.

Alphabet Soup: The Best Names From the Frozen Tundra

It’s time to look at some of the best names to play for the Green Bay Packers.

Some of these names are funny, others are not, while some are just plain strange and odd.

The careers of these guys range from one game to several years in Green Bay.

Something to note though; there is no O, U, V or X simply because no name in those lists stood out as being funny or odd to me.

So without further ado, here are some of the greatest names to ever play on the Frozen Tundra.

Alphabet Soup: The Legends of Lambeau

The Green Bay Packers have 21 players that are in the Hall of Fame, and you will see 13 of them on this list.

There is no ‘X’ (obviously), and no ‘Y’ (three Youngs and none of them good) on this list.

Also, I have doubled up two letters, and you will understand when you see them.

There is a reason that Green Bay, Wisconsin is the true Titletown, USA. A lot of these guys will show you why this holds true.

And away we go…

Mancrush (Part Two): NFL Style

I’ve already done my Top 5 MLB mancrushes, so let’s move things over to the NFL.

It would be easy for me to just name five Green Bay Packers, but I did my best to go outside the Frozen Tundra. However, two Packers did make the final cut.

Four of the five guys on this list are receivers in the league, as that is my favorite position to watch play the game.

I try my hardest to get as many of these guys on my fantasy teams as I can, and their stats are always the first ones I check.

So without further ado, I give you my Top 5 mancrushes of the NFL.

Packers’ Ted Thompson Does Unthinkable In 2009 NFL Draft

Green Bay Packers GM Ted Thompson is widely known around the NFL (or at least to Packers fans) as being a “best-available guy” on draft day.

In a stunning change of events, Thompson did the right thing considering Green Bay’s situation … he drafted NEEDS.

The offensive “skill” positions are strong and have depth, so nothing should have been done to change that … and there wasn’t.

The defense lost several games for Green Bay last year. The Packers brought in a new defensive coordinator, Dom Capers, switched to a 3-4 scheme and needed Thompson to help out, and he did.

Overall, Thompson made some good decisions in this year’s draft, hopefully helping the Packers improve on that 6-10 record that landed them the No. 9 pick.

With some draft day trades, Thompson and the Pack ended up with eight picks this year, and here they are.

Round 1

No. 9: B.J. Raji, DT, Boston College, 6’1″, 337 lbs

The Packers needed help all over the defensive side of the ball, and it was certainly addressed with this pick.

Whether Raji was the best available or not is irrelevant, he can clog the middle, and has a great ability of being able to find the quarterback. 

He should get some quality playing time as a rookie, possibly along side some combination of Cullen Jenkins, Ryan Pickett and Johnny Jolly.

No. 26: Clay Matthews, OLB, Southern Cal, 6’3″, 240 lbs

Ted Thompson actually traded up in the draft, which is mind boggling considering he traded away the first round pick last year. He swapped picks with New England because Matthews likely would’ve been gone at No. 40 (Green Bay’s second-round pick).

Matthews is big and strong, exactly what you want in a line backer. Packers fans are already dreaming of the “four” in the 3-4; Aaron Kampman, Nick Barnett, A.J. Hawk and Matthews. If that doesn’t scare opposing QBs, I don’t know what will.

If Matthews is anything like his father (Clay Sr.) or uncle (Bruce), he will be playing 20 years in the NFL (hopefully all in Green Bay).

He should also see plenty of action on special teams.

Round 4

No. 109: T.J. Lang, OT, Eastern Michigan, 6’4″, 312 lbs

With no second- or third-round picks for Thompson, he responded in the fourth addressing yet another need – the offensive line.

With little depth and Mark Tauscher still unsigned, the Packers need some help in protecting Aaron Rodgers.

All the OT’s are pretty much the same on day two of the draft, but it was good to see that Thompson wasn’t satisfied with the present state of the offensive line.

Round 5

No. 145: Quinn Johnson, FB, Louisiana State, 6’1″, 246 lbs

The only offensively “skilled” position selected by Green Bay this year, and it left me scratching my head. I thought John Kuhn and Korey Hall have been solid at fullback for the Packers.

I would like to know the reason behind this pick, because there was plenty of other options to choose from. A corner back would have looked better, but Thompson was able to grab one later on.

No. 162: Jamon Meredith, OT, South Carolina, 6’4″, 304 lbs

Much like the Lang pick earlier in the day, the pick makes sense due to the aging and questionable offensive line.

Meredith should provide some nice competition in camp, and if he makes the final roster, it would allow other members of that line from having to play two or three positions throughout the year.

Round 6

No. 182: Jarius Wynn, DE, Georgia, 6’3″ 275 lbs

When your defense let you down throughout the year like Green Bay’s did, you can never have too many options.

Maybe Wynn is the one who can finally take the roster spot of Justin Harrell, who was Thompson’s biggest mistake for the Packers.

He really stepped up in the Capital One Bowl against Michigan State (two sacks), and Green Bay hopes he can carry that momentum going into 2009.

No. 187: Brandon Underwood, Cincinnati, 6’1″, 198lbs

The lone secondary position selected by the Packers, which looked pretty solid last year, with some up and coming talent.

Underwood had a very successful season a year ago, where he was named the Bearcats’ special team’s Player of the Year.

Like Matthews, Underwood might have a heavy work load on special teams, which was a little bit of a weakness for the Packers last year.

Round 7

No. 218: Brad Jones, Colorado, OLB, 6’2″, 232 lbs

You can never have enough line backers in a 3-4 defense, especially if a team has never played it.

I don’t know what kind of impact Jones will have (if any). He will most likely end up on the practice squad and be a fill in for any injury that might occur.

It wasn’t possible for Thompson to screw this pick up, but what makes it better is that Jones is a defensive player.

Thompson is the hardest GM to read. That’s good when talking other GM’s in the league, but it’s nerve-racking for fans.

I’ve never been a true fan of his, but the 2009 draft got me hating him a little less and it let me see that there really is an NFL GM somewhere in Thompson.

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