Brett Favre vs Aaron Rodgers II, Week Eight

Welcome friends to the ninth edition of Brett Favre vs Aaron Rodgers II. In this week’s edition I will cover the performances of the two big arm quarterbacks in the unofficial “Favre Bowl II”. The game in Minnesota was a mere prelude to the most anticipated regular season game in NFL history.

But first let’s go over a quick recap if last week’s match. Aaron Rodgers cut into Favre’s seemingly insurmountable lead with a huge performance against Cleveland. As it stands, Favre was up 5-2.

Shall we?

Minnesota Vikings 38
Green Bay Packers 26

 

Brett Favre: 17-28, 244 yards, four TDs

The Good: I can’t imagine the butterflies Brett Favre had as he was being introduced at Lambeau Field. Whatever he felt, it certainly didn’t show. Brett Favre not only played well on his homecoming, but he completely dominated.

Brett Favre started the game as accurately as possible. Leading two touchdown drives against the Packers defense. The offensive line gave Favre enough time to throw the ball all day as he was not sacked all night.

Favre was clutch when he needed to be. His 51-yard touchdown pass to Percy Harvin appeared to have clinched the win, if not for the horrid Vikings defense. It took Favre’s fourth touchdown pass to really clinch the game.

Favre’s four touchdown night tied him with Dan Marino for the most four touchdown games in NFL history.

The Bad: When he first stepped onto the field, he was booed harder than I’ve ever heard a single player get booed at any stadium anywhere. That’s about all the bad that happened for Favre.

 

Aaron Rodgers: 26-42, 287 yards, three TDs

The Good: Aaron Rodgers showed us that he can light up good defenses as well as bad ones. His second half was one of the most explosive of his career. Rodgers kept plays alive despite a lack of protection.

Rodgers got a lot of help from his receivers, as they earned lots of YAC. His three second half touchdowns nearly brought the Packers back after being down 24-3 following Favre’s first second half drive.

Rodgers was an accurate passer, and played just about as well as he could. He didn’t get much help from his defense, or his offensive line.

The Bad: The plague of Aaron Rodgers’ young career has been his inability to get rid of the ball in a timely manner. In this game, it was no different. In the first half, Rodgers’ offense simply could not produce.

In the second half Rodgers got his act together and played flawless. However, that terrible first half may have kept the Packers from stealing this one from Minnesota.

 

The Pick

This was one of the most exciting games I have seen in a long time. Favre and Rodgers were in a shoot-out when the fourth quarter was starting. I was back and fourth with my decision all game.

Before Favre’s fourth touchdown pass, the pick was Rodgers. But, after that touchdown pass, it was 50-50.

Whenever it is 50-50 like this, it goes to the victor. And the winner of Favre bowl II, and the pick for this week, is Brett Favre.

Brett Favre takes another commanding lead on Rodgers as he leads the series 6-2.

 

A look ahead…

Aaron Rodgers gets to eat into Favre’s lead next week as the Vikings have a bye week. The Packers get another easy test as they face the win-less Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

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Brett Favre vs. Aaron Rodgers II, Week Seven

Welcome back friends to the seventh edition of Brett Favre vs. Aaron Rodgers II. Last week Brett Favre’s game-winning drive against the Ravens solidified his 5-1 lead over Aaron Rodgers.

This past week was filled with big plays and drama for our competing quarterbacks. Again I must apologize for the late post—real life seems to take priority over Bleacher Report most of the time. But, right here and now, let’s analyze.

 

Minnesota Vikings   17
Pittsburgh Steelers 27

Brett Favre: 33-50, 334 yards, 1 INT

The Good: With Adrian Peterson as useful as the appendix, Brett Favre was called upon to carry his team to victory again against the Steelers. Favre had a season-high 33 completions out of a ridiculous 50 attempts.

Favre was very accurate through much of the game. He did not get much protection, but when he did he found the open man. He avoided costly mistakes against one of the best defenses in the league.

Favre put his team in position to win the game, until it got to the red zone. The Vikings offense was 1-5 in red zone trips. That is unacceptable if you want to win games in the NFL.

The Bad: Seventeen incompletions is not awful considering there were 33 completions to match, but that is a considerable amount.

Brett Favre did a great job of running the offense until the Vikings got into the red zone. As I mentioned above, Favre’s offense only scored once on five red zone trips. And allowed two defensive touchdowns in those trips.

Really a complete meltdown in crunch time. Which is an odd thing to say considering Favre has been at his best in crunch time this season.

 

Green Bay Packers 31
Cleveland Browns    3

Aaron Rodgers: 15-20, 246 yards, 3 TDs

The Good: Another week, another big day for Aaron Rodgers against one of the worst teams in the NFL. What he did in 20 attempts is outstanding. Rodgers had open targers all game and did not miss often.

Rodgers had two huge touchdown passes early in the game, granted he got help from his receivers earning YAC to score the touchdowns.

Unlike the previous week, Rodgers did not sputter in the second half and kept his offense moving with first downs.

The Bad: Not much I can say here. Rodgers had time to throw, and did he ever throw. He didn’t hold onto the ball for too long and was in complete control of this game.

Did I mention Rodgers played really well?

 

The Pick

Brett Favre led the weekend in passing yards, and could have earned a win this week had Chester Taylor not blown the easiest catch of his career.

But Aaron Rodgers’ big day earns him the pick this week. His flawless performance gives him the second best passer rating in the league. Rodgers begins his comeback by cutting Favre’s lead to 5-2.

 

Final Thoughts…

The game vs. the Steelers was a tough loss for Brett and the Vikings, but should not dictate the rest of the season. Favre had some tough breaks, but I think he is still going to play at a high enough level to win games.

Aaron Rodgers is reaching the form he was expected to reach when this season began. However, his competition has been cream puffs and cannot be taken seriously as a way to measure how good Rodgers really is.

 

Next week…

The hour is at hand. Brett Favre returns to Lambeau Field. Need I say more? No, I don’t.

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Brett Favre vs. Aaron Rodgers, Week Six

Welcome back, my friends, to Brett Favre vs. Aaron Rodgers. I must apologize for the delay of this article’s publishing. A mix of school work and personal problems forced the late publishing. Anyway, I’m here now.

Last week, Brett Favre earned an automatic victory due to Aaron Rodgers being on a bye week. With that, Favre claims an impressive 4-1 lead on the Packers’ quarterback. However, if you read my articles last season, you know Rodgers has come back before.

Now that we’ve disposed of the formalities, let’s get on to business.

Minnesota Vikings 33, Baltimore Ravens 31

Brett Favre: 21-29, 278 yards, 3 TDs

The Good: Favre was somewhat expected to have a big week, seeing as how he was facing the 26th-ranked pass defense in the NFL. Favre’s opening drive was beautiful—perfectly capped off with a 19-yard touchdown to Visante Shiancoe.

Favre continued to dominate the Ravens’ defense in the first half as he seemed to be throwing all over the field. Every one of his passes were accurate and not a single one looked like it could have been picked off.

After the Vikings’ defense had a colossal meltdown, Favre was forced into another game-winning drive situation…where he shined beautifully yet again with a 58-yard bomb to Sidney Rice.

This was Favre’s 42 game-winning drive and—if I am not mistaken—40th fourth-quarter comeback.

The Bad: The past few weeks have been hard for me to criticize Favre. He is making all the right decisions and is throwing like he was back in 2007.

Best of all, his receivers are making plays for him. They aren’t dropping a lot of passes and are not quitting on plays.

I know this is the bad section of Favre’s review, but there was really nothing unsatisfactory about Favre’s week six performance.

The offense scored lots of points, and the only reason they didn’t score more was because of terrible play calling late in the game.

 

Green Bay Packers 26, Detroit Lions 0

Aaron Rodgers: 27-38, 358 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT

The Good: Rodgers has played the Lions three times in his career, and all three times he has absolutely torched them. From the first snap to the last, Rodgers was absolutely on.

He found James Jones early for a huge touchdown pass that really set the tone for the rest of the game.

His first quarter looked as though he was going to throw for 400 yards and 4 TDs.

He was sacked a lot, but this time the sacks were completely on the offensive line, not just Rodgers holding on to the ball too long.

The Bad: Despite Rodgers’ amazing stats, his offense stalled late in the game. The Packers only scored three points in the second half. Against the Lions, this is not a big deal, but against a team whose offense is capable of scoring points fast…this is a real concern.

Rodgers turned the ball over twice in this game, both in the fourth quarter. These are mistakes that can’t happen if your team is to be a contender.

 

The Pick: This week Aaron Rodgers put up more sensational stats for us to admire. But, it was Brett Favre’s flawless performance that earns him the win for this week.

The reasoning is simple. Rodgers had two turnovers, Favre had zero. Favre had three touchdowns, Rodgers had two. Favre had a game-winning drive, Rodgers did not.

With this win, Brett Favre extends his already massive lead to 5-1. This could get ugly fast.

 

A look ahead

Next week, the Vikings and their 6-0 record get a real test when they roll into Pittsburgh to face one of the best teams in the NFL…while the Packers get another easy matchup against the lowly Browns.

 

Final Thoughts…

Now that we are six weeks into the season, I can start to make intelligent assessments of both quarterbacks. In my honest opinion, only Peyton Manning is playing better football than Brett Favre. Brees and Brady both had one huge game to boost their stats, but Favre and Manning have consistently pummeled defenses.

Aaron Rodgers is showing more and more signs of becoming just like his former tutor every week. He keeps plays alive as long as he can and is showing some impressive play making skills. His receivers are great and he seems to have great chemistry with all of them.

I should also mention that week eight is the Big Game. Favre Bowl II: The Return to Lambeau Field.

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Brett Favre vs. Aaron Rodgers II, Week Five

Welcome friends to the fifth edition of Brett Favre vs. Aaron Rodgers II. Last week, the Packers and Vikings Monday Night Football game set cable-viewing records.

The hype was unreal, and when game time finally came, it was still unreal. Half a dozen camera crews were at the coin toss as Favre shook hands with the Packers’ captains, all former teammates.

During his post-game interview, it seemed like the entire world was watching Favre as he delivered his comments about his performance.

Despite Rodgers’ career day, Favre’s play was simply outstanding and merited a third consecutive victory for Favre in this competition.

The Packers have a bye this week, so obviously that poses a bit of an issue. Fortunately, this isn’t my first time dealing with this problem so I will handle it the same way I did last season.

Award each quarterback with a free win for the weeks in which their opponent did not play. Having said that, I will analyze the performance of the quarterback who did play.

Let’s move on shall we?

 

Minnesota Vikings vs. St. Louis Rams,  38-10

Brett Favre: 18-24, 232 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT

The Good: Another week, another efficient passing day for Brett Favre. Granted this week he faced a much weaker defense. Brett Favre sort of has a tendency to have “let down” games after big wins. This time, Favre didn’t miss a beat.

His best pass of the day came on a 2nd-and-9 play on the Vikings’ first drive. A beautiful play action was finished with a gorgeous throw to Percy Harvin toward the sideline for over 20 yards.

His touchdown pass was just as great, as Favre made a difficult throw look effortless. When Favre noticed Visanthe Shiancoe running for an opening in the back of the endzone, Favre took a casual step back, did a half throwing motion, seeming to only flick his wrist. The ball that came out was a rocket at first over the middle linebackers’ heads, then it gently dropped into the hole where Shiancoe caught the ball.

Favre should have had two touchdown passes, however poor footwork from Bernard Berrian denied him.

 

The Bad: Something I have noticed about Favre ever since the 49ers game is that he has his swagger back. Favre is slinging the ball around every which way, attacking single coverage, and seriously testing zone coverages.

If he keeps throwing the way he is, this is not a problem. However, if the quality of his throws drop, this is a serious problem. It is this Brett Favre that lost four of five games to end last season.

His interception is proof of this theory. Favre was rolling to the right and fired across his body trying to find a receiver. James Laurinaitis was waiting for that throw and Favre handed it to him.

Against the Rams, this mistake is not very costly. Against the Ravens? It may cost you the game.

 

Aaron Rodgers: Bye week.

 

The Pick

As I stated in the introduction, Brett Favre wins this week by default. However, his performance was very impressive and it would have taken something special from Rodgers to win this one.

Brett Favre increases his lead to 4-1 after five weeks. Raise your hand if you would have predicted that score before the season.

Put your hand down, liar.

 

Next week

Aaron Rodgers and the Packers return to action next week as they face the new Lions. I say new because this Lions team actually competes.

Brett Favre’s Vikings will see the first real test of the season when they travel to Baltimore to take on the stout Ravens defense.

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Brett Favre Vs. Aaron Rodgers II; Week Two

Welcome friends to Week Two of Brett Favre vs. Aaron Rodgers. Last week we saw the reigning champion get an early start on his repeat. You guys seemed to largely support my pick of Rodgers, despite his lower passer rating.

This week Favre will be looking to even the score. Enough formalities, let’s do this shall we?

Minnesota Vikings 27
Detroit Lions        13

 

Brett Favre: 23-27, 155 yards, 2 TD’s

The Good: This week’s performance was a huge improvement from his week one performance. Once again, Favre was extremely accurate with the ball and made excellent decisions with the football. The Lions defense gave his receivers lots of space at the line, which Favre capitalized on with short seven yard throws.

Unlike last week, Adrian Peterson was not running the show. In fact, early in the game the Vikings were losing 10-0. Favre led a long drive that he finished off with his first touchdown pass.

Once the Lions defense took notice to Favre, the Vikings were able to get their running game going.

Brett Favre also set another NFL record for most consecutive starts. I think of all his records, this one is the most precious to him.

 

The Bad: Once again, no downfield passing for Brett. I’m not sure whether it is the Vikings playcalling that is limiting Favre’s options, or if Favre is just taking things slow, but it needs to change fast.

When the Vikings play a good pass defense, they will need to have a more versatile passing game.

Right now they are extremely limited in what they can do, but they certainly have the weapons to expand their play calling

Green Bay Packers 24
Cincinnati Bengals 31

 

Aaron Rodgers: 21-39, 261 yards, 1 TD

The Good: Rodgers’ stats were pretty solid this week. He did a great job of moving around in the pocket and letting his receivers get open. With the running game virtually ineffective, Rodgers got the chance to sling the ball around.

Yet again, the offensive line for the Packers crumbled and allowed Rodgers to be sacked more than a quarterback should. This effected Rodgers’ overall game.  However, he did a great job of not getting rattled and did not make a costly mistake.

 

The Bad: Early in the game Rodgers was shockingly inaccurate. He missed a few open receivers by a good two yards. Also, Rodgers seemed to get to antsy in the pocket whenever the rush was coming. He seemed to do a lot of scrambling east and west and never had the ball in throwing position, meaning he was literally running for dear life.

I’m not sure if the Bengals just had great coverage all day, or if the Packer receivers simply weren’t getting open, but Rodgers held onto the ball too long at times in the game.

Unfortunately for Rodgers, he found his rythm too late in the game to complete the comeback.

 

The Pick

Both quarterbacks faced some intense pressure today, but only one quarterback managed to complete 85% of his passes. Brett Favre is our winner for week two.

When Adrian Peterson was ineffective (what??), Favre took control of the offense and brought the Vikings back. A flawless game from Favre as he ties the series at 1-1.

 

A look ahead….

Next week Aaron Rodgers and the Packers travel to St. Louis where they will take on another weaker team. I’m sure they will be looking to bounce back from a very disappointing loss.

Brett Favre makes his home debut next week as the 49ers come into Minnesota. This is a battle of 2-0 teams and should be interesting.

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Mike McCarthy’s “No Tweet” Rule Is Great For Packers

I recently heard the news that Packers Head Coach Mike McCarthy is placing a “ban” on Tweeting from the players.

For those of you who have not lost your mind and/or still have a sense of pride and honor, Twitter is the massive online “social networking system.” The user can post a small text of 140 characters or less, and the whole world can see it.

That is the official definition of Twitter. My own definition is quite different: in my opinion, Twitter is the first horseman of the apocalypse. Alas, I digress…

Mike McCarthy has declared that any Packers player caught tweeting will receive the maximum fine allowed by the NFL from McCarthy. I am a huge fan of this new rule. My hate for Twitter aside, this is a move that will keep the locker room from turning into an internet chat room.

“Tweeting” has recently become very popular with professional athletes. Many of them leave “tweets” before and after games. While the practice itself is harmless, it has the potential to rip locker rooms apart. The Packers are one blow-out loss and one angry tweet from becoming a soap opera.

Now that there is a fine of $1,071 in place, that will not be happening.

Some of you may say, “Who is Mike McCarthy to tell them they cannot have fun and interact with their fans?” Truth is, nothing is wrong with that. However, it’s only a matter of time until a player “tweets” something that ruffles some feathers in the Packers locker room. With this new fine in place, the whole problem is avoided, and the Packers will keep their integrity and not turn into the circus that is the Dallas Cowboys.

As far as players’ rights go, if they really, REALLY, want to use Twitter, they can protest with the Players Association and probably get the rule lifted. Of course, I would immediately lose respect for that player, as it means they are more worried about 140 character texts, than football.

Props to you, Mike McCarthy. This is how you stop a virus from spreading!

Brett, Brady, or Bradshaw: How To Best Tackle the NFL Quarterback Debate

The most entertaining and mind-tiring debates in sports are those over quarterbacks. Whether it is a good old fashion Top Ten Greatest list, or the ever-so-repeated Brady vs. Manning debate, many people have their two cents for quarterback debates.

I’ve seen just about every argument for every quarterback imaginable in my day. Rings over stats, stats over rings, blah, blah, blah. It’s about time someone set the record straight and put out a list on what NFL quarterbacks should really be measured on. In order, mind you.

So here we go, this is my list, in order of importance, of what we should measure to determine a quarterback’s greatness.

Intangibles….bleh…that word….

Before I start my official list, I feel like I should address the issue of intangibles. You know, leadership, durability, knowledge, all that good stuff. Well, I’m here to say that they are just icing on the cake of the argument. You can’t honestly base a strong argument on intangibles.

If you are going to make an argument for a quarterback, make sure you have strong stats and facts before you whip out the can of intangibles.

It’s like I say, the use of intangibles is similar to the use of glitter, it can make your argument look pretty, but if you use too much, it looks childish.

Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s move on to the official list of what really matters in determining a quarterback’s greatness.

5. Individual Honors

Individual honors are pretty unimportant compared to some of the other things you could argue. MVP’s and Pro Bowls are nice, but they don’t mean much. I mean, Michael Vick went to four Pro Bowls…does anyone here think that is an accomplishment? No, because we all know the Pro Bowl is a popularity contest.

MVP’s are a little more prestigious, but not too far from their Pro Bowl counterparts. Senior NFL writers across the nation vote for the league’s MVP every year. They always vote for a quarterback, unless someone else had a monstrous season. Because there is a lot of…questions…surrounding the credibility of the MVP voters, the award itself is less prestigious.

Here are some of the names you may hear with strong individual honor arguments; Brett Favre, Peyton Manning, Kurt Warner, etc.

4. Regular Season success

This is one of the more “ridiculed” points of an argument by other arguers. You all know what I mean, someone says 16-0 for Brady, the another says 18-1.

Regular season success is important, because it’s how players are judged by their own team. You have to have a great regular season to make the playoffs, therefore the regular season means a lot.

I can’t stand it when someone tells me “who cares if he plays well in the regular season, he doesn’t win in the postseason.” Uh, I do, and so does every other respected writer in the nation. I digress…

Don’t focus too much on the regular season success argument, it will only get you so far. If the quarterback you are arguing for is only known for regular season success and virtually no success in the postseason, you are probably better off not replying….

Some names you may hear with strong regular season success arguments…

Peyton Manning, Dan Marino, Donovan McNabb, Jim Kelly, Steve Young, Brett Favre, etc.

3. Performance in the clutch

This is one of the grayest areas in quarterback arguments. What really defines “performance in the clutch.” Is it simply winning big games? Or is it making that jaw dropping throw on fourth down with :02 seconds left on the clock? Or is it bringing your team back from a ten point deficit?

It’s all of the above. Anytime the quarterback is handed the opportunity to do something great for his team, that is a clutch moment.

Now, in regards to making an argument, performance in the clutch is huge. A quarterback cannot be considered great if he cannot perform for his team when he is needed most. If the quarterback you are making the argument for has a great history of performing in the clutch, stick close to it, and make sure the person you are debating with understands who’s got that game winning touchdown.

Alas, it cannot hold you up for too long. As it is a very vague argument, an intelligent person can easily refute and/or redirect the debate.

Some names with strong arguments for performance in the clutch…Joe Montana, Terry Bradshaw, Tom Brady, John Elway, etc.

2. Postseason success

We are at number two on my list, and we are now entering the realm of “irrefutable arguments.” That means that nobody can deny these successes. Doesn’t matter how you weigh their importance, you must respect and recognize these victories.

Post-season success is the ultimate goal in the NFL. While it is a team goal and not just the quarterback’s goal, the quarterback is in the driver’s seat.

Super Bowl championships fall under this category. I don’t really have to go into detail about this one, because it is pretty obvious.

However, I must say be careful of how close you stick to this argument. If you get into the mode of: “Super Bowls are all that count, everything else is just extra worthless crap.” You are in danger of making the argument an unpleasant experience. Nobody likes the guy that won’t listen to another person’s argument on the grounds of “I am right, there is no way I am wrong.”

some names with strong post-season success arguments…
Otto Graham, Joe Montana, Terry Bradshaw, Tom Brady, Troy Aikman, Bart Starr, etc.

1. Touchdowns

Everyone says: “the ultimate goal is winning Super Bowls.”

My question to that is: “how do you go about doing that?”

The most important thing in football is the scoreboard. Therefore, the most important thing for a quarterback to do, is score points. Touchdown passes are the most important thing when measuring a quarterback’s success. If you don’t throw touchdowns, you aren’t going to win games. Duh.

A quarterback is worthless if he isn’t doing his part. The quarterback’s job is to “efficiently run the offense.” Nothing is more efficient than throwing touchdown passes.

I know I’m sounding like Captain Obvious here, but it’s the truth. People make quarterback arguments too complicated with awards, wins, losses, turnovers, and worst of all other stats. The truth is, throwing touchdowns is most important for a quarterback. This is the FIRST thing a quarterback must do, then you can think about Super Bowls…

No reasonable person can sit back and say that the touchdown pass is not of the most severe importance.

Some names with strong touchdown arguments…Brett Favre, Peyton Manning, Dan Marino, Fran Tarkenton, John Elway, etc.

Questions? Comments or concerns? You know what to do….

Green Bay Packers Spotlight: Donald Driver

Welcome friends to the second edition of Packers Spotlight.

This edition of Packers Spotlight is brought to you by the Association of Fearless Receivers.

Donald Driver is entering his 11th season as a professional football player. He is a careerlong Packer since being drafted by the organization in 1999.

Driver’s career with the Packers is distinguished in almost everyway. He has won the hearts of fans with his fearless route running and complete disregard for his own well being. Driver has also won the pages of the Packers record books as he quickly moves up in various receiving records.

Despite being a member of the Packers since 1999, it took until 2004 for him to really break out into the dominant receiver he is today.

Driver currently has a total of five 1,000 receiving yard seasons, which ties James Lofton and Sterling Sharpe’s franchise record.

Driver also owns a handful of Lambeau Field receiving records.

What I like about Driver…

Donald Driver is not only an excellent football player, but he is an even better person off the field. Fans often tell stories of the time he spent with them during his free time. Driver touches the hearts of many fans and the NFL should be very appreciative of the image he sets for the league.

I also like that Driver is reaching the back end of his career, but he is not showing signs of slowing down. He remains as dominant as ever. His ability to lose defenders in the open field is as good, if not better, than it was in his twenties.

He truly is a fearless receiver. Driver runs slants all day, and his toughness has been invaluable to the Packers over the years.

What he could improve on…

This is tough, I really had to think about this one. I suppose Driver tends to let a lot of passes clank off his hands. Granted the majority of his career he was being thrown Favre bullets.

Either way, I couldn’t take it when I saw him take his eyes off the ball.

This is only a minor problem as Driver only does this maybe once a game.

Thanks for reading this edition of Packers Spotlight.

Next Week I will feature the NFL’s first actual bear. Of course I am talking about AJ Hawk.

Green Bay Packers: Masters Of the Play Action

In this article I am supposed to list and decipher the top five plays the Packers used last year.

Well, the Packers went 6-10 for a reason. They didn’t have five effective plays last year.

So instead of lying to you, I will break down the one successful play the Packers used last year, and its five options.

Packers fans know exactly which play I am talking about. The play action bootleg.

Aaron Rodgers is a young Brett Favre, is mobile, and can fire a bomb down field. It is for this reason head coach Mike McCarthy uses the play action so much, mostly in the form of bootlegs.

The Play Action Bootleg

For this particular play, the Packers usually come out in a single back set. Sometimes, McCarthy has the fullback in an offset position. This is usually done if the play is made for Rodgers to get rid of the ball quicker than usual.

The wide receivers can be in different positions, depending on field position. For my particular example, there will be a three wide set with the X receiver lined up to the far sideline and the slot receiver lined up on the same side as the Z receiver. Finally, the tight end is lined up on the line of scrimmage, but is motioned by Rodgers to the opposite side.

When Rodgers snaps the ball, the play will run just like a running play and flow to the opposite side of the actual play.

After Rodgers has successfully completed the play action, he begins to run the bootleg and this is where the play breaks into five options.

1) Go Deep to the Z Receiver

This is the most common decision made by Rodgers, as he often sells the play action to perfection.

The Z receiver, often Greg Jennings, but sometimes Donald Driver, runs either a post or a flag route. Rodgers looks here first since it’s usually available to him.

When watching highlights of the 2008 Packers, this play is seen most often.

This route is usually 25-plus yards.

2) Short Pass to Tight End

Rodgers didn’t exercise this option too often in 2008, but with the improvement of the tight ends, look for him to use it more in 2009.

In this play the tight end usually provides blocking for the first second or two of the play, and he’ll often stay if there is a blitz.

Once the play action has been completed, and if there is no blitz, the tight end slips into the linebackers and mirrors Rodgers’ movement.

If Rodgers gets in trouble, the tight end has the responsibility of coming back to help.

This route is usually five to 10 yards.

3) Outside Slant to Slot Receiver

The slot receiver has one of the most important roles in the play action bootleg. He must gain separation from his corner faster than everyone else because he is the most effective route on the field.

James Jones or Jordy Nelson are usually lined up here. They are deceptively quick and  very good at losing their man.

If Rodgers has time, and doesn’t have the deep ball, he will often fire a pass to the sideline for the slot receiver.

This route is usually 10 to 15 yards.

4) Deep Ball to X Receiver

The most unused option by Rodgers in the 2008 season. Mostly because his other three options were open.

The X receiver runs a deep post route. In the event the defense is running a cover two, this receiver is almost always open. Rodgers has been known to force the deep ball on this option a few times, but not penalized often.

This route is often 15 to 30 yards.

5) Tuck It and Run

Granted, it is likely the Packers have specific play actions in which this is the first option for Rodgers, rather than last. However, for this example we will assume it is the last option.

If nothing is open and he has room, Rodgers will take off and get as many yards as he can.

Other Variations Of the Play Action

While the bootleg is the most effective play action for the Packers, McCarthy also implements a number of different plays that found success in 2008.

For example, in one such variation the offense lines up in an offset “I” formation with an X and Z receiver on both sides of the field.

Rodgers runs a quick play action and either passes to the Z receiver which is running a quick slant, or he passes to the X receiver who is running a hook route.

McCarthy loves to put motion in his play action plays, which is why the majority of the play action plays have motion. Often it involves a receiver spreading the secondary thin, or a tight end forcing the linebackers to move in.

The motion is often very effective in getting Rodgers’ options open.

The Quarterback Sneak

I wrestled with the decision to include this play, but I suppose the Packers had lots of success with this play in short yardage situations.

The Packers quarterback sneak is not your average quarterback sneak. Rodgers often calls a tight end or H-back in motion to the side he will be diving.

Rodgers then follows the left guard into the end zone or wherever the play was designed to go.

Given that the quarterback sneak is starting to see diminished success all around the football world, it is comforting to see the Packers have developed a play with a very high success rate.

Extremely Early Predictions for the 2009 Packers

It was early January of 2009 and the Packers were at the one place they did not want to be…sitting at home watching the playoffs.

The 2008 Green Bay Packers were somewhat of a disappointment, seeing as how in 2007 they were one play from the Super Bowl.

The 2008 squad went 6-10 and finished third in the relatively weak NFC North. The offense showed real fireworks under new quarterback Aaron Rodgers, while the defense gave up so many points that Packer fans were sick all season.

The 2009 offseason has seen some pretty big changes in Green Bay, starting with the hiring of Dom Capers and the new defensive coordinator. Capers brings with him the 3-4 defense—a defense that can only be run through fast and athletic players.

In this article I will cover both the strengths and weaknesses of the Packers and how each will affect the season.

 

Strengths

The entire offense seems to be a strength for the Packers.

It all starts with Aaron Rodgers at quarterback. His decision making is well beyond his years, and he can make some big plays when he gets out of the pocket.

The wide receivers have grown more and more effective with each passing year. Greg Jennings is now a star in the NFL, while Donald Driver is still getting a ridiculous amount of YAC.

The pass rush has always been effective; it took a dip in 2008, but overall Aaron Kampman and Cullen Jenkins put quarterbacks on the turf.

 

Weaknesses

Defense. Defense. Defense.

I was one of the chief criticizers of the 2008 Packers defense. Apart from the pass rushing, the rest of the team practiced arm tackling and didn’t seem to ever shed their blockers.

In the NFL it isn’t a sin to get blocked, but it is a sin to stay blocked.

The secondary often let the first receiver of the opponent get open and tear them apart.

There wasn’t even any run defense to speak of.

Overall, the defense was dismal as they finished the season ranked 22nd in scoring and 20th in yards.

Rankings like that will keep you out of the playoffs for sure.

The offensive line was marred by injuries, but the backups were unable to do their job of replacing the starters. Head coach Mike McCarthy was unable to find an offensive line that had chemistry with one another as he often put a new line on the field every week.

If the 2009 Packers are to have any success, they will need to give the Packers running backs lanes to run and give Aaron Rodgers time to throw.

Pretty basic formula for success.

 

2009 Packers Predictions

The NFC North is a pretty weak division, which means a 10-6 record will most likely win the division.

The Packers have been handed a pretty easy schedule in 2009, something the 2008 Packers would gladly have taken.

Here are my game by game predictions for the Packers in 2009.

 

Week One: Bears 23, Packers 20

• I’d like to think the Packers can win this one, but the Bears offense has gotten some serious upgrades in the offseason.
• The Packers defense struggles in their new scheme, but put enough of a fight to give Rodgers a chance in the fourth.

Week Two: Packers 34, Bengals 7

• It’s always nice to have the Bengals roll into town. Easy win for the Packers. Rodgers lights up a terrible defense and the Packers defense builds up some confidence.

Week Three: Packers 17, Rams 16

• The Packers defense struggles to keep Stephen Jackson under wraps, but behind Rodgers’ first game winning drive of his career, the Packers avoid the “upset.”

Week Four: Vikings 31, Packers 21

• Favre or no Favre, the Vikings offense will light up the new 3-4 defense of the Packers at the Metrodome.
• Expect Ryan Grant to keep a lot of pressure off Aaron Rodgers, but in the end the pass rush of the Vikings will force a few mistakes from Rodgers.

Week Five: Bye, Packers record: 2-2

Week Six: Packers 44, Lions 14

• Matthew Stafford gets his first taste of the Packers-Lions rivalry. It doesn’t bode well for him as he gets little time to set his feet because of the improved Packers rush.
• Aaron Rodgers could have a career day as the Lions defense hasn’t gotten much better since last year.

Week Seven: Browns 27, Packers 24

• The Packers were one of the worst road teams last year as they went 2-6 away from home.
• The Browns defense does little to stop the Packers, but if the Packers defense makes a few mistakes the Browns get the win.

Week Eight: Packers 13, Vikings 7

• Both offenses are stopped by great defensive play. Mason Crosby is the difference as he makes his field goals to put the game out of reach.
• At mid season the Packers are 4-3.

Week Nine: Packers 26, Buccaneers 17

• A big win for the Packers as the playoff race begins. B.J. Raji proves his worth as he has his best game yet.
• Rodgers gets his offense back on track with a big road win.

Week 10: Packers 24, Cowboys 17

• Another upset for the Packers as the defense steps up to smother Tony Romo and his favorite target; Jason Witten.
• The Cowboys only have one real No.1 receiver in Roy Williams, with two shutdown corners—the Packers dominate the Cowboys receivers.

Week 11: Packers 31, 49ers 10

• A dominant game for the Packers on both sides of the ball. Defense forces a lot of turnovers and gets two defensive touchdowns.
• Ryan Grant controls the game and keeps the 49ers offense on the sideline most of the game.

Week 12: Packers 34, Lions 21

• The Packers win their fifth straight game of the season. The defense is starting to dominate, and the offense is one of the best in the league.

Week 13: Ravens 16, Packers 13

• A battle of one of the best defenses (Ravens) and one of the best offenses (Packers) sees a pretty low scoring game.
• Joe Flacco is torn apart by the Packers secondary, but makes just enough plays to win the game late in the fourth.

Week 14: Bears 20, Packers 13

• The Packers are swept by the Bears for the second time in three years.
• The Packers have an average game; the deciding factor is great special teams for the Bears

Week 15: Steelers 31, Packers 14

• A disheartening day for the Packers defense as Ben Roethlisberger exposes the key weakness: Lack of depth in the secondary.
• Heath Miller tears apart the linebackers.
• Aaron Rodgers spends most of the afternoon on the turf.

Week 16: Packers 23, Seahawks 20

• The Packers win a close game at Lambeau as the race for the NFC North title heats up.
• Matt Hasselbeck drives late in the game only to turn it over on downs.

Week 17: Cardinals 28, Packers 27

• A Late drive from Kurt Warner keeps the Packers from a 10-6 season.
• The Packers show they have real guts as they compete against last year’s NFC Champions.

 

Final Season Record: 9-7

The Packers will finish second in the NFC North behind the 10-6 Vikings.

The Packers just miss the playoffs.

 

Obstacles for the 2009 Packers

The transition to the 3-4 defense could be an ugly one at the beginning of the season.

Let’s hope the players can make the transition before they start dropping games fast.

While Aaron Rodgers avoided missing time because of injury last year, his track record shows that he will get injured this year.

If Rodgers does go down and misses three to four games, expect that 9-7 record to go to 7-9, probably lower.

Mike McCarthy is notorious for bad play calling.  If he keeps that trend in close games, the Packers could drop a few games to 8-8 or 7-9.

Speaking of Mike McCarthy, if the Packers don’t have a winning season this year…his job could be in question.

 

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