Because it’s never too early to start looking toward the NFL Draft in April, here are the top five biggest draft needs for the Packers as well as potential picks that could help them in 2010 and beyond. 

It is only October and many things can happen, and most likely will, but it’s good to get an early grasp on the potential future Packers.

It’s no secret that the Packers’ offensive line is struggling mightily this season. While the line is relatively young, minus Chad Clifton, production is an issue for the struggling youngsters, while age is a concern for the productive veterans. 

It’s not a good combination for a team trying to protect their franchise quarterback and trying to get their high-powered offense back on track.

Despite Mark Tauscher and Levi Jones working out for the Packers, it’s obvious that no-one on the current roster, or in the free agent pool, is going to be the answer going forward. While the potential for improvement is there for the young players, if there is going to be a drastic improvement on the offensive line, it is going to need to come in the form of an early draft pick.

Last season, the Packers selected two offensive linemen in T.J. Lang and Jamon Meredith.

Both were selected on the second day of the draft (Lang in the fourth, Meredith in the fifth) and were not expected to make a huge impact in their first seasons. General manager Ted Thompson has been a huge fan of taking project linemen in the later rounds of the draft and letting them gain experience before putting them on the field.

In 2005, Thompson selected center/guard Junius Coston in the fifth round and guard Will Whitticker in the seventh round, neither of whom are still on the active roster. In 2006, he used his first of two second-round selections to take current starter Daryn Colledge, and also used the latter of his third-round picks to take center Jason Spitz.

The next year, in 2007, Thompson’s lone offensive lineman selection was in the fourth round in Allen Barbre, the team’s current but struggling right tackle. 

In 2008, Thompson used his fourth and fifth-round picks to select Josh Sitton and Breno Giacomini. It would be quite deceiving to say that Thompson has done a good job selecting offensive linemen because four of his nine offensive line picks are current starters.

When he took over as GM in 2005, he declined to re-sign veteran guards Marco Rivera and Mike Wahle and tried to replace them with free agent signings Adrian Klemm and Matt O’Dwyer. 

O’Dwyer was cut in training camp and Klemm lasted just a year with the Packers. The only other free agent signing Thompson has gone for on the offensive line was this past off-season in Duke Preston. However, he flopped as well and was cut before the season began.

Simply put, Thompson has put all his offensive line eggs in the draft basket and it clearly is not working, especially when he waits so long to select them. Granted it makes little sense to take a guard or center in the early rounds of the draft, but this season Thompson will surely be expected to address the tackle position on Day One.

Luckily for him, there will be options available when the Packers go on the clock in April.

Scouts, Inc. has Russell Okung listed as their top left tackle in next year’s draft, and just by looking at him it’s easy to see why. The 6’6″ senior from Oklahoma State is big in size and moves extremely well for his size. He has everything you look for in a franchise left tackle and could potentially learn for a year under Chad Clifton.

The only issue with Okung is that he is almost a lock to be taken within the first half of the first round. So maybe Packers’ fans should hope they don’t have the opportunity to take him.

More realistic options include Trent Williams from Oklahoma, who has the versatility to play both tackle positions if he can improve on his pass blocking. His run blocking is superb, which gives him the ability to play right tackle, the position he played up until this season. 

If his pass blocking improves, his name could be called in the top ten picks. For now, he looks like a viable option for the Packers come draft day.

Bryan Bulaga from Iowa is almost a sure-fire first-round draft pick and someone who can help in the run game as well. Bruce Campbell from Maryland and Charles Brown from USC round out the borderline first round picks for 2010. While many things can and will change, but keep an eye on these five players leading up to the draft.

The Packers have relied on middle of the pack linemen for too long and need to go out and get a stud next season. 

Clifton and Colledge are both free agents after this season and it will be interesting to see what they do and who they keep. Either way, there’s a good chance a spot (or two) is opening up at the tackle position next season. 

It’s time that Ted Thompson moved away from the defensive front seven and focused on shoring up the offensive line.

It sounds cliche to say, but the Green Bay Packers’ bye week is coming at a perfect time.  The Packers will have week five of the NFL season off and will use that extra week to pick up the pieces to a very shaky start to the season.  While bye weeks never really come at a bad time for any team, the Packers need it now more than ever.

For starters, the injury bug has hit the Packers in two of their most shallow positions on the field, offensive line and safety, and is becoming not only a weak spot on the field, but rather a liability.  Entering the season, the Packers put rookie tackle Jamon Meredith on the practice squad, but he was picked up by the Bills in late September after Buffalo had injuries of their own on the offensive line when Brad Butler went down for the season.

The injury left the Packers with three roster players that were capable of playing left tackle in Chad Cliton, Daryn Colledge, and rookie T.J. Lang.  When Clifton suffered a high ankle sprain in week two against the Bengals, Colledge had to move to left tackle from left guard, shifting the entire line around.  Colledge then suffered a knee sprain against the Vikings, leaving the rookie Lang to play out of position, going up against All-Pro Jared Allen nonetheless.

With the bye week coming, Clifton expects to be healthy enough to suit up against the Lions in week six and Colledge will get extra rest on his knee.  Had the bye not come this week, there’s a chance the Packer faithful would have been subjected to T.J. Lang round two, something no one wants to see.

The Packers’ offensive line is hardly tops in the league this season, but getting Clifton back and moving Colledge back to his natural left guard position will do wonders for the line.  It will move Jason Spitz back to center and presumably bump Scott Wells out.  The bye week also gives the Packers the opportunity to evaluate former tackle Mark Tauscher.  Currently a free agent after ACL surgery last season, the Packers have worked him out and will now get an extra week to evaluate him and see if he can help the line out more than the inconsistent Allen Barbre.

With the bye week coming, safety Atari Bigby is expected to use that week to get ready for his return in week six.  After a knee injury forced him out of the Packers’ home opener against the Bears, he is hoping to get back on the field after the bye week.  His return can not come soon enough as recently-acquired Derrick Martin and Jarrett Bush have, to put it nicely, done a less-than-stellar job manning his position the last three weeks.

The Packers have had to use five-linebacker sets, called the “Big Okie”, where Brandon Chillar plays in the box as a safety.  With the return of Bigby, there should be an improvement in the pass defense, where the Packers currently rank 20th in the league.

Other players who have battled injury such as B.J. Raji will also get a full week of rest away from football activities to get their bodies back in healthy shape.

More so than the injuries that will be helped out by the bye week, the week off will help the Packers regroup after four weeks of football that saw them all over the place on many accounts.  The offense has had many opportunities to succeed this season, and while pass protection can account for some of those issues, chemistry and timing has been off as a whole.  Greg Jennings has failed to break out of his “ugly” slump, posting just five catches and no touchdowns the last three weeks.

Hopefully Dom Capers will go back to the drawing board and film room and realize that a weak pass rush has gotten the Packers defense nowhere.  Something needs to change defensively so that the big plays are extinguished and the Packers can get a better pass rush on the quarterback to force errors, much like they did against the Bears in week one.

There is reason to believe the Packers will right the ship with a very favorable schedule coming up.  There is a chance the Packers could win their next four games or, at the very worst, three of four.  Dates with Detroit, Cleveland, and Tampa Bay are in the near future and it looks like now is the time for the Packers to bust out.

As a whole, the Packers are in good position to re-group, players and coaches alike, and get back to their winning ways with an offense that is clicking and a pressure-filled defense.  They will be as healthy as they have been since week one heading into their matchup with Detroit, and hopefully a big win against the Lions will light a match underneath the Packers that propels them into November and December with some confidence.

When the Packers traded up in the 2009 NFL Draft, it marked just the second time in general manager Ted Thompson’s tenure that they had done so.  The trade involved moving back into the first round in exchange for the Packers’ only second round pick (41st overall) and both third round picks (73 and 83).  The Packers also received the Patriots’ fifth round pick (162).  There was a buzz over who the Packers had traded up for, with some believing it to be Florida State outside linebacker Everette Brown or potentially Rey Maualuga.

It turned out that, in typical Ted Thompson fashion, the Packers went with the wild card pick by selecting Clay Matthews III, an outside linebacker from Southern California.  Weighing 240 pounds and standing six feet-three inches tall, Matthews was the perfect fit for the Packers’ new 3-4 scheme under Dom Capers.

One rumor said that Thompson and Capers liked Matthews enough that they considered taking him with the ninth overall pick, instead opting to go with Boston College defensive tackle B.J. Raji.  When the Packers moved back into the first round, it was an easy decision for management in taking Matthews.

Matthews’ path to the NFL was anything but easy and even he would admit that four years ago, he wouldn’t have expected to hear his name called on draft day, let alone the first round.  In high school, Matthews did not start on his high school team despite his own father being the defensive coordinator.

His father also happened to be Clay Matthews, former linebacker for the Cleveland Browns and Atlanta Falcons wh started 278 straight games and was elected to four pro bowls.  Bruce Matthews, considered one of the best offensive linemen of all time, is Matthews III’s uncle.  Even Matthew III’s grandfather, Clay Matthews Sr., played four years for the San Francisco 49ers.

Instead of taking offers from community colleges or small division one schools, Matthews opted to walk on for the same team that his father and uncle played for: Southern California.   Matthews dedicated himself for the next two years and was awarded a scholarship for his junior year in 2007.  Despite seeing just limited time on defense and work on special teams his first three season, Matthews entered the starting lineup in 2008 and recorded 54 tackles, four sacks, and a forced fumble.

He won the Special Teams Player of the Year Award the last three seasons he was at Southern California, making him the only Trojan to ever win three times.  His hard work, tenacity, and commitment to football made him the prime candidate to become a Packer in 2009.  His 4.58 forty time and 35-inch vertical at the NFL Combine didn’t hurt, either.

Matthews reported to camp on time and new defensive coordinator Dom Capers fell in love with his athleticism and smarts.  Despite coming from an NFL-style team in USC, Matthews was still considered a bit of a project entering the season.  He began the year backing up Brady Poppinga at the right outside linebacker position, but as of late the reps have began to even out 50-50.

Four games into the regular season, Matthews has not racked up the stats to prove he is making improvements and is succeeding, but his presence on the field has been felt.  Already, he is getting push on the line and is showing enough speed to rush on the outside.  He recorded his first sack against the Bengals and stripped Adrian Peterson last Monday night and ran 40 yards for his first career touchdown.

It is obvious the Packers drafted Matthews to become their future on the outside.  When looking at the most successful 3-4 defenses in the league, players like James Harrison of the Steelers and Terrell Suggs of the Ravens are so important in applying pressure and also making plays in the secondary.  While the inside linebackers rack up most of the tackles in the 3-4 defense, the reason for that is because containing the edge and forcing plays back inside is vital.  That is the job of the outside linebackers, making Matthews that much more important.

In the Packers’ first overall selection B.J. Raji, as well as Matthews, the Packers believe they have the foundation to a young, up-and-coming defense.  Up to this point in the season, Matthews has been the Packers best outside linebacker.  The lack of speed shown by A.J. Hawk, Nick Barnett, and Aaron Kampman has been tough to watch, but the athleticism and tenacity Matthews has shown has been a breath of fresh air.

The best part about Matthews is that his career is four games deep right now.  As much push as he has made against offensive lines, he has not learned good enough technique to be a double-digit sack player.  Right now, his speed and coverage abilities are being used but as he progresses and gains more muscle weight, he will become more of a complete player and starter for a long time.

When the Packers traded up in the 2009 NFL Draft, it marked just the second time in general manager Ted Thompson’s tenure that they had done so.  The trade involved moving back into the first round in exchange for the Packers’ only second round pick (41st overall) and both third round picks (73 and 83).  The Packers also received the Patriots’ fifth round pick (162).  There was a buzz over who the Packers had traded up for, with some believing it to be Florida State outside linebacker Everette Brown or potentially Rey Maualuga.

It turned out that, in typical Ted Thompson fashion, the Packers went with the wild card pick by selecting Clay Matthews III, an outside linebacker from Southern California.  Weighing 240 pounds and standing six feet-three inches tall, Matthews was the perfect fit for the Packers’ new 3-4 scheme under Dom Capers.

One rumor said that Thompson and Capers liked Matthews enough that they considered taking him with the ninth overall pick, instead opting to go with Boston College defensive tackle B.J. Raji.  When the Packers moved back into the first round, it was an easy decision for management in taking Matthews.

Matthews’ path to the NFL was anything but easy and even he would admit that four years ago, he wouldn’t have expected to hear his name called on draft day, let alone the first round.  In high school, Matthews did not start on his high school team despite his own father being the defensive coordinator.

His father also happened to be Clay Matthews, former linebacker for the Cleveland Browns and Atlanta Falcons wh started 278 straight games and was elected to four pro bowls.  Bruce Matthews, considered one of the best offensive linemen of all time, is Matthews III’s uncle.  Even Matthew III’s grandfather, Clay Matthews Sr., played four years for the San Francisco 49ers.

Instead of taking offers from community colleges or small division one schools, Matthews opted to walk on for the same team that his father and uncle played for: Southern California.   Matthews dedicated himself for the next two years and was awarded a scholarship for his junior year in 2007.  Despite seeing just limited time on defense and work on special teams his first three season, Matthews entered the starting lineup in 2008 and recorded 54 tackles, four sacks, and a forced fumble.

He won the Special Teams Player of the Year Award the last three seasons he was at Southern California, making him the only Trojan to ever win three times.  His hard work, tenacity, and commitment to football made him the prime candidate to become a Packer in 2009.  His 4.58 forty time and 35-inch vertical at the NFL Combine didn’t hurt, either.

Matthews reported to camp on time and new defensive coordinator Dom Capers fell in love with his athleticism and smarts.  Despite coming from an NFL-style team in USC, Matthews was still considered a bit of a project entering the season.  He began the year backing up Brady Poppinga at the right outside linebacker position, but as of late the reps have began to even out 50-50.

Four games into the regular season, Matthews has not racked up the stats to prove he is making improvements and is succeeding, but his presence on the field has been felt.  Already, he is getting push on the line and is showing enough speed to rush on the outside.  He recorded his first sack against the Bengals and stripped Adrian Peterson last Monday night and ran 40 yards for his first career touchdown.

It is obvious the Packers drafted Matthews to become their future on the outside.  When looking at the most successful 3-4 defenses in the league, players like James Harrison of the Steelers and Terrell Suggs of the Ravens are so important in applying pressure and also making plays in the secondary.  While the inside linebackers rack up most of the tackles in the 3-4 defense, the reason for that is because containing the edge and forcing plays back inside is vital.  That is the job of the outside linebackers, making Matthews that much more important.

In the Packers’ first overall selection B.J. Raji, as well as Matthews, the Packers believe they have the foundation to a young, up-and-coming defense.  Up to this point in the season, Matthews has been the Packers best outside linebacker.  The lack of speed shown by A.J. Hawk, Nick Barnett, and Aaron Kampman has been tough to watch, but the athleticism and tenacity Matthews has shown has been a breath of fresh air.

The best part about Matthews is that his career is four games deep right now.  As much push as he has made against offensive lines, he has not learned good enough technique to be a double-digit sack player.  Right now, his speed and coverage abilities are being used but as he progresses and gains more muscle weight, he will become more of a complete player and starter for a long time.

For the Packers’ week four game against the Minnesota Vikings, I did a Q+A with Examiner Joe Oberle.  These are his responses to my questions on the Vikings.  You can see my responses to his questions by clicking here.

Mark Strotman: What has the transition been like in going from hating Brett Favre for the last 17 years to embracing him as your team leader? Is it still as weird to see him in purple as it is for me?

Joe Oberle: The first time I saw him Brett Favre in a Vikings’ purple uniform during preseason, I laughed at the almost surreal nature of it. It really looked strange because he truly was the face of that team to all us Vikings fans. It has taken some getting used to, but is happening sooner than I expected, and I think it is because he is seems to be emerging as the team leader.

It is his personality and love for the game that is coming through with his teammates and also with the fans. Personally, I never hated him. I didn’t like the Packers, but I always respected Favre for the way he played the game–all out and with a genuine love for it. I always wanted the Vikings to squelch his joy, but I thought he was great for the game and a great rival. He single-handedly took this rivalry to new heights, and this season, he is doing it again.

MS: When the Packers offense takes the field, it will really mark the first good passing team the Vikings have gone up against this season after facing Brady Quinn, Matt Stafford, and Shaun Hill. The run defense is outstanding, but has the loss of Darren Sharper hurt the pass defense a considerable amount?

JO: I don’t think so. As you have noted, the pass defense hasn’t been tested all that much because the Vikings’ first three opponents have attacked the Minnesota run defense to help keep the pressure off their quarterbacks. Sharper was great while he was here, but he seemed to have lost a step–and it really showed during last season’s playoff game. It was time for some new blood in the secondary; it may come at the loss of some experience, but I think they Vikings will gain in terms of speed and ability.

MS: For the first two weeks of the season you were able to run the ball with ease against both the 3-4 defense in Cleveland and a 4-3 scheme in Detroit. From what you could see, which seemed to be easier for AP to run against: the 3-4 with quicker athletes or the 4-3 with bigger bodies to clog up the line?

JO: That’s a good question, and it is one that I think will play out all season as Peterson and the offense will face a variety of those two types of defensive schemes. Speaking statistically, AP rushed for more yards against Cleveland’s 3-4, but I think that may be the better defense for him to run against—if they play it straight and don’t cram the box with eight or nine defenders. If he can get past the first line of defense, his speed and agility come more into play, not to mention his size and speed with some linebackers and defensive backs. If you clog the middle on him at the line and slow him down there, he has less change to break free into the open field to do what he does best.

MS: The Vikings now use a form of the Wildcat because of their specialty man Percy Harvin. I have never been a fan of the Wildcat, but how has it worked so far with two of the game’s fastest players in the backfield (Harvin and Peterson). Do you see it being a factor against the Packers or more of an “every now and then” play?

JO: We have only seen it on a limited basis for the Vikings, and head coach Brad Childress, who has long demonstrated a proclivity for the clandestine, may be either teasing opponents so they have one more thing to think about, or really sitting on it until he feels it’s ready to go. So far, at least in the Vikings version, I am not a fan either, mostly due to its lack of success.

For a team with a rookie running it and a new quarterback learning the rest of the system, it seems like right now there is a greater chance of something going really wrong with the Wildcat than having it really surprising someone. I am for keeping under wraps until you really know it’s going to work or else make it a bigger part of your offense (a la Miami) and really dedicate yourself to it. I am not sure they would be interested in doing the latter if it is going to put their $12 million dollar man on the bench.

MS: Staying on topic with Harvin, has he overtaken Bernard Berrian as the Vikings’ number one receiver? In Green Bay, Favre favored Donald Driver over Greg Jennings because Driver was more of a possession guy than a home run threat as Favre favored the short pass. Both Harvin and Sydney Rice have more often been targets than Berrian this season.

JO: For the time being, Harvin has emerged as Favre’s favorite target, connecting on two (what we like to call) “Farvins”—a Favre to Harvin TD pass. The Vikings offense has been seemingly designed to go underneath quite a bit this season, as Favre continues to acclimate himself to the offense and his new receivers. It has worked well so far, as he is league leader in completion percentage. In addition, Berrian missed all of the preseason with a hamstring injury and is working his way back into the lineup.

Once he is at full strength, I think you will see Favre take more shots downfield. To be honest, I am surprised Favre hasn’t connected more with Visanthe Shiancoe, as No. 4 made a career out of hitting his tight ends in Green Bay.

MS: The Packers huge weakness this season has been the offensive line, while the Vikings biggest strength on defense is their defensive line. Do you think the Vikings will be able to rush just four linemen effectively so they are able to drop seven back in coverage? Because of your secondary, will this be a key factor in stopping Green Bay’s passing game?

JO: If I were drawing it up, I would certainly try it. Aaron Rodgers is arguably Vikings defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier’s biggest concern, and if you can put pressure on the Rodgers with the four lineman augmented by a few blitzes, it would seem to attack the Packers at the weakness. But with this game, as with many in the past, I think you can throw records, expectations and plans out the window, as emotion will take over the game and it could be pretty wild.

There will be so much hype coming into this game that any number of things could happen. That said, I believe the team that controls their emotions the best will come out on top—and I am not yet sure who that is going to be.

 

After a superb preseason, expectations for the Green Bay Packers could not have been higher. Three weeks into the regular season, the team stands at 2-1 after wins over the Chicago Bears and St. Louis Rams, and a loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. In those three weeks, there have been many positive things to get excited about, some struggles that need to be fixed, and some ugly things that aren’t hurting the Packers in easy games but need to be addressed as the season goes on and games become tougher.

Today, we will look at the Packers’ bad personnel through three weeks, followed by the ugly personnel. After that, we will look at schemes and intangibles that have been good, bad, and ugly for the Packers. Enjoy and make sure to check out all parts of the segments!

Monday: Good Personnel Edition

The Bad

Allen Barbre: Any discussion about players that have performed poorly and hurt the team must start with Allen Barbre.  In the preseason, Barbre beat out Breno Giacomini for the starting right tackle position and excelled in the run game in that span of four weeks. In his first start next to Josh Sitton, the fourth-rounder from Missouri Southern State, he struggled mightily and allowed two sacks and constant pressure from Adewale Ogunleye.

He has fared better since his awful first half against the Bears but still remains a concern.  The Packers have worked out veteran Levi Jones, but it does not appear that he will sign with the team.  If anything, it should be a wake up call to Barbre that his position is hardly set in stone.

Barbre has been just average, along with the rest of the offensive line, in the run game and needs to improve on pass protection if quarterback Aaron Rodgers is ever going to have time to pass.  He has not extended his arms well and his feet have been slow against speed rushers.  Bull rushers do not seem to give him as much problem due to his raw strength, but when defenders get outside him, he struggles.

Nick Barnett: Before you go and rip this selection of Barnett as players that have been bad this season, realize that he has just 12 tackles on the season and was yanked in the second half of the Rams game last weekend.  Recovering from ACL surgery, Barnett missed significant time in the preseason and it is showing now.

In the 3-4 defense, Barnett’s position asks him to shed blockers to make tackles; unlike the traditional 4-3 defense, where he would shoot gaps to make plays.  He looks rusty on the field and, while the surgery can be an excuse, he is still playing poorly and needs to step up.

Right now, the Packers’ best combination on defense inside is A.J. Hawk and Brandon Chillar.  Argue that they might not be the two best, but their styles of play complement each other well.  Barnett still plays well against the pass, so there’s no need to think Desmond Bishop will take much more time from him in the future, but he needs to get back to his 2007-form quickly.

Deshawn Wynn: I can’t remember the last time I wanted Brandon Jackson to be healthy this badly.  One of the biggest position battles in the preseason was who would take over as the third running back on the roster.  In the end, Deshawn Wynn beat out rookie Tyrell Sutton and Kregg Lumpkin for the spot.  With Jackson still out with a bad ankle, Wynn was expected to fill the third down role and complement Grant in the backfield.

Three games in, Wynn has four rushes for nine yards and one reception for eight yards.  The expectations for Wynn were low because no one thought he would have to take the second string duties. But amazingly, Wynn has performed below his already small expectations.

He is not a threat on screen passes and, despite his solid pass blocking, has not done much on third downs.  When Jackson comes back (no timetable), Wynn will go back to spelling both, but for now, he needs to step up and at least pound the ball on occasion.  The coaching staff has little confidence in him after he looked slow going through the line on his runs, something he must change.

All those fans who wanted Sutton as the third back are looking pretty smart right about now…

Brady Poppinga: For the life of me, I cannot understand how Brady Poppinga is still a starter in the National Football League.  He has outstanding size and strength that he uses when he makes plays.  Unfortunately, he rarely makes plays. The Packers have struggled against the run and even though all the linebackers are to blame, Poppinga has not helped the cause one bit.

He gets caught in the wash on just about every play and has a hard time shedding blockers to contain on the outside.  In pass coverage he struggles to stay with tight ends and just looks too slow to play any kind of zone.  The answer lies in Clay Matthews III, who has shown a great knack for getting to the football and creating pressure on the offense.

Matthews has registered just four tackles on the season due to lack of major playing time, but he has managed to get those tackles, a sack, and two passes defended.  His pass rushing skills are much better than Poppinga’s and he can cover more ground as well.

As the season goes on and Matthews continues to get his feet wet, I expect him to overtake Poppinga at some point.  Poppinga was a borderline cut this preseason and has done little to show why the Packers were correct in keeping him.

 

This week, I tried a new theme out by agreeing to do a Q+A with Rams Examiner Tim Klutsarits.  We both asked each other questions about the opposing teams to get a grasp on the matchup that will take place on Sunday in St. Louis.  Up first are Tim’s questions on the Packers followed by my questions on the Rams.

Tim Klutsarits: I think there are a lot of Rams fans who were shocked by what happened to the Packers against the Bengals.  What happened?

Mark Strotman: The Bengals seem poised to have a resurgent year.  Minus Carson Palmer’s mistakes, they looked very good on offense and their defense looks much improved.  The combination of Leon Hall covering other team’s number one receiver and Antwan Odom getting to the quarterback at will is a darn good one.  The Packers are ready to get back on track and simply had a bump in the road that was going to happen at some point this season.

TK: Should that loss give Rams fans hope that they will pull off the upset on Sunday?

MS: It should give your defense a lot of hope that if they get to Aaron Rodgers, it will make things interesting.  Cedric Benson reminds me a lot of Steven Jackson so the run game will be key, but Rodgers is due for a breakout game so the Rams will need to score points early and often.

TK: Aaron Rodgers has had a relatively quiet start when you compare what he did last season to this year.  Is he struggling because of his offensive line or should we be expecting a breakout game from Rodgers soon?

MS: Rodgers has been good (zero interceptions) but not great (two touchdowns) and a game against one of the weaker NFC teams is what he needs.  He has noted the concerns of the offensive line and I believe the Packers will adjust to that this week.  Look for short passes and lots of slants to back the defense off.  Rodgers will not throw for a ton of yards but his completion percentage will be very high.

TK: The Rams have had problems stopping the run in the past few seasons and it continues this season.  How has Ryan Grant looked and what do you expect on Sunday?

MS: Grant has looked alright but certainly not anything spectacular.  Some can say it is due to the lack of production on the offensive line, but that extra burst that Grant showed in 2007 is still nowhere to be found.  Brandon Jackson will be out once again, so Grant will produce yards because of the touches he gets, but as of now the Packers are still relying heavily on the passing game.

TK: The Rams have also had problems stopping the tight end.  Is Donald Lee capable of having a huge game?

MS: Lee might not be the one to look at here, but rather Jermichael Finley.  He was touted as a breakout player coming into this season but has not benefitted at all from Rodgers’ lackluster start.  If what you say is true, look for Finley to become a vertical threat on your linebackers.

TK: Defensively it looks like the Packers secondary is really beat up.  Is this something the Rams can exploit?

MS: Thankfully, Nick Collins will be back in action and recently acquired Derek Martin will get the start for the injured Atari Bigby.  The way the Rams will be able to exploit the secondary is through the run game.  Bigby was by far our best run support in the secondary and so there will be a big hit there.  With Collins back and Woodson playing like an MVP, I wouldn’t expect a big outcome from the passing game.  If the Rams are going to win, it will be because Steven Jackson had success on the ground.

TK: What is your prediction for Sunday?

MS: Packers 31, Rams 17

Mark Strotman: Steve Spagnuolo took over as head coach this season.  Have you noticed an attitude change on the team and is there a sense of resurgence on the horizon in the city of St. Louis?

Tim Klutsarits: There has definitely been a change in attitude under Steve Spagnuolo although the results have not shown it.  He wants to be a tough hard nosed football team that plays smart.  They have been hard nosed but lack talent at a lot of positions.  There is definitely a plan in place and people do believe that the Rams are going to be better…at some point.  No one is believing in any miracles in 2009 but there is hope to be much more competitive this season.

MS: Steven Jackson has been relatively quiet in the first two games.  The Packers gave up a ton of yards against the Bengals by running outside the tackles.  Do you expect them to try to run the ball or finally get the passing game going?

TK: Steven Jackson is the Rams entire offense and the Packers should expect a heavy dose on Sunday, especially because of what Benson did to the Bengals.  The Rams underutilized Jackson in Seattle and it showed with a 28-0 loss.  The next week against the Redskins they used Jackson more, he had over 100 yards, and the game was 9-7.  The Rams know they have to get Jackson a lot of touches and that will increase as the season goes along.

MS: Speaking of the passing game, where has Donnie Avery been?  Is this a matter of the Rams not having a number two to compliment him (so he is doubled) or has he just been unproductive?  It seems like he is they key to the Rams’ offense being able to get going.

TK: Avery has been horrible in the first two games.  He committed a fumble inside the Redskins 5 yard line on Sunday which was arguably the reason the Rams lost the game.  He had two drops in D.C. and committed another costly penalty.  In Seattle he had drops as well and had penalties.  He in all reality lost his #1 receiver job to Laurent Robinson.  The Rams are still high on Avery but they have put him on notice that he better get better….real quick.

MS: Entering the 2009 Draft, the three players I wanted the Packers to look at were Jason Smith, B.J. Raji, and Brian Orakpo.  How has Jason Smith looked early as your left tackle of the future?

TK: Jason Smith has been a project thus far.  He is getting better and better but has not dominated like you would hope a number two overall pick would do.  He has played almost exclusively at right tackle during the regular season and will remain there for 2009.  The plan is to move him in 2010 when Alex Barron is done with his contract.  Smith will not play on Sunday vs. the Packers due to a knee injury.

MS: Will the Rams be able to stop Aaron Rodgers after giving up 240+ yards to both quarterbacks in the first two games?  Rodgers seems to be poised to break out this week and a dome only makes it that much more likely that he will.  How do the Rams plan to stop him?

TK: Stopping Rodgers will be a very interesting project this week.  The Rams have not been good at getting to the quarterback (only 1 sack this season) but they are not giving up the big play in the secondary.  The Rams have been picked apart by the running game and short passes to the tight end.  Rodgers may have a big game but his stats will reflect a high completion percentage with low yardage.  The Rams number one concern this week has been about getting to the quarterback.  We’ll see how it plays out on Sunday.

MS: What are the top three things the Rams need to do in order to upset the Packers this Sunday?

TK: If the Rams get to Aaron Rodgers multiple times, get Steven Jackson close to 150 yards rushing and can protect Marc Bulger then the Rams will pull off the upset.  Being 0-2 and with the situation the Rams are in here in St. Louis they can’t afford to lose this one.  Going 0-3 and having another “lost season” is not something this organization can afford.  Jobs are on the line for the players and the organization desperately needs to sell tickets for the remaining 7 games.  This game is a sellout but most are not.  If the Rams can win the season becomes interesting again.  If not the Rams will fall off the radar completely because the Cardinals will be in the playoffs and the Blues will be starting their season.  This is as close to a must win game as the Rams are going to have this season.  Be aware Packers fans.

Opening day could not have started more similarly for the Packers and Bengals.  The final minutes and seconds could not have been more different. 

Both teams were locked in close games against the Bears and Broncos until the last few minutes saw the Packers pull ahead on a touchdown pass and the Bengals lose on a tipped, 87-yard miracle touchdown in the last seconds of the game.

Because of the consequences, the Bengals stand at 0-1 on the season and are hungry for a win that was taken away from them last week.  For the Packers, they look to continue their hot start on defense and try to regain their pre-season form on offense. 

The Packers are favored to win the game by more than a touchdown, but the Bengals have high-powered weapons on offense that could keep them in the game. 

Here are five things the Packers are going to have to accomplish if they want to move to 2-0 when they take on the Bengals in Lambeau Field on Sunday.

To check out the rest of this article, click on this link and enjoy the game!  Go Pack!

In the wake of the Green Bay Packers’ victory over the Chicago Bears, 21-15, at Lambeau Field on Sunday night, it has come to my attention that a certain question of loyalty to a city’s teams is a must in today’s sports world. 

Many angry Bears fans had just watched their aging defense give up a game-winning touchdown in the last 77 seconds, their savior quarterback throw more insults at his wide receivers than he did completions, and their best defensive player in the last 20 years go down for the season with a wrist injury.

That being said, Sunday night and the following days sucked for Bears fans. The season is hardly lost because one game never has and never will make a season for any NFL team, but it sure got harder for the Bears after their debacle against the Packers.

After the game, my naturally excited state of mind prompted me to go on Facebook and talk smack to Bears nation. All of the trash-talking was good natured, and while some of it got a little out of hand, it was nothing that lasted more than that night. 

However, there was one argument Bears fans were making against Packers fans that got me upset and wondering why there was an issue at hand.

Being from Illinois and a suburb of Chicago, Bears fans from my hometown chastised my Packers fanhood and called out my friend—who is a fan of all Chicago teams other than the Bears—for not being a true “Chicago fan.” They stated if a person is from Chicago and does not root for all of his or her sports teams, that person is not a fan at all.

One upset fan even claimed that a person who did this was “less than scum,” which brings me to the heart of my argument. Does a person who comes from a particular city have to root for every team in that particular city, with no exceptions and no questions asked?

The answer is a resounding NO.

When my father was growing up, everyone in his family was a diehard Chicago Bears fan. Every Sunday, the boys of the house would go to the local church and watch the Bears take on their weekly opponent. 

But my dad was different. Always one to go against the proverbial grain (if you know my dad, you just laughed at that and nodded your head), he decided to take up a liking for the rivals from the north, the Green Bay Packers.

Born in 1959, his career as a Packers fan got off to a fast start in the mid-60s, but the ’70s and ’80s made it almost unbearable to watch. The one thing my dad always said his father—my grandpa—told him was that once he chose a team, he had to stick with it and not become fair-weathered. 

So there he was, watching the Packers amount to four winning seasons between 1970 and 1991, winning just one playoff game.

When I was born in 1990, my father molded me into a Packers fan from day one. I had always been a huge sportsfan and football was always my favorite sport, so naturally I wanted to cheer for the Packers.

My dad and I would go to games yearly and would always share information on the team at the dinner table, sparking debates that still give my mother headaches today.

Back to the main question of all this: In becoming Packers fans, despite living in Illinois basically our whole lives, did my father and I do something wrong or go against our city?

The greatest freedom we have in our country today is the freedom of speech. We are allowed to choose our leader, speak publicly about issues, and not have to worry if our house will be burnt down in the morning. This may seem like a stretch of an analogy to some, but it really is not. The same goes for sports, in that we should be able to decide whom we want to root for.

For children our age who watched football growing up, how could you not love to see Brett Favre zip a touchdown to Antonio Freeman on a snowy day at Lambeau Field? The Packers were a fun team to watch, and their leader had one of the most lovable personalities in all the game. 

It became almost impossible to root against Favre, and for some people this meant coming over to the side of cheering for the Packers on a weekly basis.

You don’t choose which sports teams you love.  For the most diehard fans, there is an actual bond between the teams we love and ourselves. Even if we wanted to root for our hometown teams and thought that we had an obligation to do so, we just couldn’t. There’s something about the team we chose that we love, and we wouldn’t change that for the world.

Another argument presented during the Facebook face-off Sunday night was that being a “Chicago fan” meant cheering for all Chicago teams, and once you cheered for another team—let alone a rival—you could no longer call yourself a Chicago fan.

What?

Since when is there such thing as a Chicago fan or a (enter the name of a city here) fan? It’s one thing if you choose to root for all Chicago teams and it just so happens to work out like that, but fan loyalty has nothing to do with where you live.

What is the record of the WNBA’s Chicago Sky this season? How about the Chicago Fire? Will either team make the playoffs? Come on now, you’re a “Chicago fan,” aren’t you?

No one chooses where they are born, so the argument of fan loyalty out of the womb makes little sense. This isn’t a dictatorship of a country where I have the potential to be shot if I wear my Packers jersey out in public. Do I have to be all for Chicago politics just because I reside in Deerfield? Why are sports any different from anything else in Chicago?

Sports are an amazing entertainment for every kind of fan who has ever loved a team. There are few things outside of sports that can ignite so much passion inside of us, make us sit in front of a TV for nine hours straight on a Sunday, and even shell out hundreds of dollars just to get a glimpse of our heroes in person.

Sports can be a getaway from the harsh realities of life, they can create futures for those talented enough to work in the business, and they can bring together a whole city, state, or country. Just ask the Yankees after Sept. 11th, or Team USA in the 1980 Olympics.

But above all these things, the best part about sports is that we get to decide on our own whom we want to cheer for. We find those sports figures in our life who turn into heroes, who make us want to be the best at what we do, just like them. We decide what jersey we put on as we imitate our favorite basketball player in the driveway.

Sports are a passion, and wherever we find that passion, all that matters is that we back the team we follow, through thick and thin. It isn’t a mortal sin to cheer for the rival and our loyalty isn’t some binding contract that has to match up with our zip code.

There’s a quote that says “luck is when preparation meets opportunity.”  If this is the case, Greg Jennings is making a real habit out of being extremely lucky.

With the Packers down two points in the final minutes of their home-opener against the Bears last Sunday night, Jennings hauled in a 50-yard touchdown pass from Aaron Rodgers to put the Packers ahead for good.

But his good fortunes did not start there.

Throughout his career, the rising star has improved his game in just about every aspect. Just last offseason, he worked all summer with Arizona Cardinals’ wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald and wideout legend Jerry Rice to work on his route running and speed.

Just one game into the season, the results are already showing as the fourth-year man from Western Michigan caught six balls for 106 yards and the decisive touchdown.

Back in 2006, the rookie Jennings went for a 75-yard run-and-catch touchdown against the Detroit Lions, marking Brett Favre’s 400th career touchdown pass.  That next season, 2007, Jennings caught Favre’s 420th touchdown pass against the Chargers, which tied Favre with the great Dan Marino on the all-time touchdown list.

That next week, Jennings caught a 16-yard slant from Favre to put the Hall of Famer past Marino on the all-time touchdowns list. Amazingly, his milestone catches did not end that season.

Believe it or not, Jennings caught Aaron Rodgers’s first touchdown pass against the Dallas Cowboys after Favre went down with a hand injury.

All these milestone catches have been the result of Jennings’s hard work off the field, which has allowed him to be on the field and have the opportunity to catch passes.  But even more so than the historic catches, Jennings has been clutch throughout his entire career.

In 2007, his touchdown reception against the Chargers (Favre’s 420th) came from 57 yards away and with two minutes to go in a tied ballgame. The touchdown ended up being the game winner that would put the Packers on top for good. Five weeks later, Jennings found himself on the receiving end of 82-yard touchdown pass on the first play from scrimmage in overtime against the Broncos.

A week after that, the Packers found themselves down six points with three minutes to play in Kansas City before Jennings caught a 60-yard pass from Favre to put the Packers up for good in that game as well.

In 2008, the Packers had a hard time winning games due to the inability of the defense to stop teams in the fourth quarter, but Jennings did all he could to keep the Packers in games.

Against Seattle, he hauled in the eventual game-winning touchdown pass, a 45-yarder from Aaron Rodgers. In their 35-31 loss to the Carolina Panthers, Jennings’s fourth quarter score put the Packers ahead before the defense failed to hold the lead.

Another way to tell that Jennings is on his way to becoming a true star is the way he performs at night. Under the lights, Jennings’s averages go up in receptions and yards per game, and his touchdowns per game are nearly identical.

In his short career, Jennings has played at night (national television) nine times and has averaged 5.5 catches, 82 yards, and 0.54 touchdowns. Compare that to his overall numbers per game of 4.2 catches, 67 yards, and 0.57 touchdowns and you have a true clutch performer.

It makes it even more impressive that part of those totals include a game where Jennings caught just one pass for two yards in his rookie season.

Throw in his six reception, 71-yard performance against the Seahawks in the 2007 Divisional Playoffs, and those numbers would increase even further. He also scored twice in the game, when the passing conditions were less than stellar. He brought the Packers out of an early 14-0 hole in a game they would end up winning 42-20.

Clearly the favorite target of quarterback of Aaron Rodgers, Jennings is well on his way to establishing himself as a top five wide receiver in all of football.  What he lacks for in size (5′11″), he makes up for in crisp route running and some of the softest hands in all of football. 

You’d be hard pressed to find a time when Jennings let the ball touch his shoulder pads, but rather catching the ball with his hands before doing wonders after the catch.

Preparation has never been an issue for Greg Jennings.  He has himself in tip-top shape, works out with some of the game’s best, and does it all with a big smile. 

He is an outstanding teammate who loves to see his fellow wideouts do well, and has never once demanded the ball.  His opportunity has finally arrived as the No. 1 receiver for the Green Bay Packers and a franchise quarterback throwing to him.

But both of those factors together, make Greg Jennings one lucky guy.