What Did We Learn From The Packer-Eagles Pre-Season Game

Wow!  I'm just trying to focus on the first 3 quarters of our last game against Seattle last year.  Our offense scored points against one of the best defenses in the league.  Our defense actually looked like it improved.  And special teams - let's not think about that!

OK, our third pre-season game.   Cobb injured, Hyde injured, Bulaga injured.  I just do not get it????

Defense, 1ST DEFENSE.  OH MY!!  Eagles moved at will!!!!!  Just do not seem ready!

Special Teams - wow!  I just do not get it?  And we NEED a new punter.

Offense, our 3 & 4 QB's looked great.  Looks like we have a 3rd running back.  Back up lineman, yep, they are back-ups.  Young wide receivers, not bad.

So, we have one more game.  Close your eyes, play the second third team, go from 75 to 53.  And........... hope that the coaches know what they are going & the injuries heal!!!

More coming on the first big cut down - 87 to 75 players September 1st.

Packer vs. Eagles Pre-Season 2015

Here we go.  Pre-season game #3.  First, a few comments about what I see teams doing in pre-season.

Philosophy?  Many teams, starting this week played starters at least one half.  As tradition, the third game is usually the last game starters play.  And game #4 is the last hurrah for many!  Remember the upcoming dates:

September 1 - roster goes to 75
September 5 - roster goes to 53

The last pre-season game is September 4, against the Saints.  By that time we are 1t 75!

Injuries?  Amazing every year!  Many teams lose people(I know - Jordy)  And many teams are banged up(I know we are)!  So, hold you breath!  The thing that drives me crazy is to here players say, "My #1 goal this pre-season game is to stay healthy!"  Aaron Rodgers says it ALL the time!  My philosophy, if I was head coach would be - NOT NOT SAY THIS!  I still think when you play NOT to get hurt, you GET HURT!  That does not mean do something stupid!  But just DO NOT SAY IT!

OK, what battles am I looking at this week?

1 - Packer Defense?  I think most of the players are playing!  And the Eagle defense is a GREAT test!
Mentally, they need to be sharp because of the hurry up and aggressive style.  And physically, we need to see how we stop the run & cover with our NEW defensive backs!

2 - Offense - No Aaron.  Half the line banged up!  Who are the 6, 7, and 8 BEST back-up lineman?  The KEY this week is again LEFT TACKLE!  Watch that closely!!!  Barclay was shaky last week.  And the guards, Sitton & Lang are out, so watch their play against the #1 Eagles defense.

3 - Outside & Inside linebackers?  Outside, COME ON Nick Perry & Mike Neal!  Who is that other inside linebacker?  Close eye on Elliot & Mulumba outside and Ryan, Bradford & Palmer inside!

4 - 15 days till the first game against the Bears!  FOR REAL!!!!!!!!!

Packer Roster As Of August 25th, 2015

Here it is!  Remember, TWO big dates:  September 1, we go to 75 players & September 5 we go to the 53 man roster!!!!

Look and decide, who would you keep?

Packer Fans, DO NOT PANIC!!!

Here we go!  No JORDY!

First, HE WILL BE MISSED!

Not doubt about it!  See what the Packer website says - (Click here)

Now, first about Jordy.  In an age of a GIANT shortage of quality role models, Jordy is
one of the BEST!
1 - Hard worker
2 - Team Leader
3 - Great husband & family man
4 - Great in his faith
5 - Old school, farm boy!

Of all the Packers, and there are many great ones, he has been one of my favorites!  And, will be missed!  But, one thing I remember Coach McCarthy say before. "nobody in the NFL will feel sorry
for the Packers!"  No "Pity Parties"

But, opportunities?  Yes!

2015 Draft pick Tyler Montgomery!  He has a BIG chance!  Has the size & speed!  Runs well without the ball!  Seems to be "football smart"!  I think, he can be a BIG help & WILL get chances!

The Packer with a BIG following & NOTHING really to show for it - Jeff Janis!  He reminds everyone of Jordy Jordy is 6'3" - 217  AND  Jeff - 6'3" - 219!  4o yd time Jordy 4.51 - Jeff - 4.42.  The EVEN look alike!!

Jordy                                          Jeff

But, what will Jeff Janis look like on the football field, maybe we will see!

and the long shot - Myles White?  He is the long shot!  Has shown determination by sticking on the team the past 2 years.  Seems to be well liked by his coaches, because of his hustle!

The BIG factor, I think - - - Who will Aaron TRUST?  That is the key!!
Can 3, replace 1?  Time will tell!  Jordy, we will miss you, but time to move on!!

What To Look For In The Packers-Steelers Pre-Season Game?

As an retired educator and football fan, practice is the homework & games are the TESTS! (Ohhh, that's right, we are not allowed to give homework now, I'm glad I'm retired!)  Back to football!

What questions will be answered during Sunday's Test?

Question 1 - What rookie cornerback will shine?  Randall, Rollins, or Gunter? I like what I see from these your corners!

Question 2 - What Inside Linebacker will allow Matthews to play outside?  Palmer, Bradford, Ryan, Francis, Thomas, or Dantzler?  This bunch scares me!

Question 3 - Left tackle, Barclay is starting for Bakhtiari?  WOW!  Now I'm scared!  DO NOT play Aaron took much!!!  But, it will be good to see if Barclay can handle it!!!!  Watch this CLOSELY!!!

Question 4 - Defensive Line - Remember, because of STUPIDITY we will be short weeks 1-3!  Jones - one week & Guion - three weeks!  Pennel, Thornton, Gaston, Ringo & Hooks?  My money is on Pennel, like what I've seen so far!

Question 5 - Tight Ends & Fullbacks?  How many TOTAL?  Do you keep Kuhn one more year?  Do you keep Ripkowski, have Kuhn show him the way, and will he be able to protect Aaron 10 more years?  Tight Ends - Rodgers, Quarless, Peril, Backman, Henry, & Spears?  If you keep 2 fullbacks, you will probably keep only 3 tight ends!  Decisions - decisions!

Packers - Steelers

Pre-season 2015!

Breaking Down The Packer 87 Man Roster

It is August 20th, 2015.  I have over the present Packer roster many, many , many times!  And because I am retired, love numbers, love analyzing, and MOST of all LOVE the Packers, I will continue the breakdown the Packer roster!  So, here are some fun numbers for you to ponder!

87 - the present number of players on the team.  Most NFL teams have 90 and have had 90.  For some reason, the Packers, mainly Ted Thompson have had 87, 88, or 89, NEVER 90.  If you listen to Thompson, he is a different kind of GM.  And 87 is different!

25 - Rookies.
There are 25 rookies on the roster.  That is young!
And, the rest of the roster breaks down as follows
11 - players with 1 year, 16 - players with 2 years,
10 - players with 3 years
5 - players with 4 years
2 - players with 5 years
7 - players with 6 years
3 - players 7 years
4 - players with 8 years
1 - player with 9 years
1 - player with 10 years
1 - player with 11 years
and 1 - player with 14 years!  THAT IS A LOT OF Numbers!

2 - 2 players from California with the last name of Rodgers!

23 - players that weigh over 300 pounds on the roster!

14 - the years of experience for Julius Peppers!  And he is a physical stud!  While Matthews misses practice after practice - Peppers is a BEAST!  Some players are just a physical specimen!  Julius Peppers is amazing and NEEDS a Super Bowl Ring!

11- 11 years a Packer - longest tenure on the Packers - Aaron Rodgers!  Another reason the Packers NEED a Super Bowl Ring!

And the LAST number for today?  4

Yes I said 4!

4 is the number of Brett Favre - retiring his number this year!

And BEST of all!!

4 is the number of 

HOME Packer games 

the Packer Buddies 

are attending this year!!!

Packer Pre-Season Heats Up

If you played football in high school or college, the August practices could be VERY difficult!  Heat, humidity, and the grind!  Full pads, tackling practice, holding dummies for the veterans, wind sprints, pit drills, bull in the ring, and any other drills that coaches dreamed up!

Todays coaches have trainers, doctors, training and many resources to guide them through the summer practices.  Yesterday, well some of us were lucky enough to "survive" the practices to play Friday nights or Saturday afternoons!

The collective bargaining agreement for the NFL players is very strict & safety is a BIG issue!  Here are some of the guidelines:

Practices

Day 1: Limited to physical examinations, meetings, and classroom instruction; no on-field activities other than running and conditioning

Day 2-3: No contact permitted, no pads worn

Day 4 and on: Two-a-day practices permitted with following rules:

• Players may be on the field for a total of no more than 4 hours per day;
• Players may participate in no more than 1 padded practice per day, which shall be no longer than 3 hours of on-field activities;
• There must be at least a 3 hour break after the practice, and the second practice on the same day may only be for a maximum of the remaining available on-field time, and shall be limited to only "walk-through" instruction (i.e., no helmets, full-speed pre-snap, and walking pace after the snap).
• The three-hour limit on padded practices shall begin as soon as position coaches begin to coach players on the field.
• In the event that a Club begins a padded practice but such practice is cancelled within sixty minutes of its commencement due to inclement weather or for any other reason beyond the Club's control, such practice shall not count as a padded practice
• A "padded practice" shall be defined as a practice in which players are required to wear helmets and shoulder pads, in addition to any other equipment required by the Club.
• It is not a padded practice if, 1) QBs, kickers, punters, and/or long snappers only wear helmets and/or shoulder pads during practice at the option of the player(s); 2) a player who suffered a head injury is directed by a club physician to wear a helmet as a precautionary measure; 3) the quarterback and/or the defensive player who receives signals from the coaching staff via helmet communication wear helmets during the team period in which helmets are used for such communication.

So, for all you "old-timers" out there that suffered through two a-days and drinking out of the same bucket of water and NO concussion testing and no athletic trainers and no "Collective Bargaining Agreement"!  Congrats for surviving!!!!

Many of us had coaches like former Alabama coach Bear Bryant and are here today to still love the game of football!!!

What Did We Learn In The Packers - Patriots Game?

I know, pre-season football is NOT easy to watch!  BUT, we need it!  The players NEED it!  The coaches NEED it!  And, the WORLD needs it!  (I know I'm getting goofy, but football is the best!)

So,  in not particular order:

1 - Montgomery was a great draft choice!  Return game help?  We will see, but just catching punts is worth something!  And, kickoffs & punt return both is a plus!  And, he will be another weapon for Aaron!   Which brings up my second point!

2 - The battle at wide receivers making the 53-man roster!  OK, we have Nelson, Cobb, & Adams,  but first, do we keep 5 or 6 receivers?  And second, who  Montgomery looks now like a lock.  Thats four!  Then, Janis, White, & Abbrederis.  Abraders looks like he is in trouble, unless he can get back to practice & show something!  Then Janis & White?  Janis has some physical tools & White is the kind of kid you root for to be on your team!

3 - Red Zone Offense - pre-season or regular season, it drives people crazy, to drive down the field & NOT score STOP IT!

4 - First offense? Look good, except, well you know.  It was VERY "vanilla".  Lacy ran hard!  Line blocked pretty good.  And Rodgers looked like Rodgers.  And he played!  I think he MUST play some in pre-season, WE NEED TO START FAST!

5 - Defense?  Need depth at D-line!  We all know we will be short handed early.  Need to tackle!  Overall tackling was good, but I can still see Clinton-Dix missing that tackle on the long TD run!  The d-backs go to the ball!  That is GOOD!  How good will we be?  I think pretty good, but NOT dominate!  Still need Datone Jones, Mike Neal, Nick Perry to get FIRED UP!  And Matthews to stay healthy!

6 - Special teams?  So far so good! Some of the young guys need to STEP up!

So, I guess, NO big injuries.  Play was pretty good.  And, a few pieces are filling in the puzzle!

Latest Packer Roster August 12, 2015

Here is the latest Packer Roster:

With the release of wide receiver Ricky Collins, the Packers are down to 87.  Remember, they are allowed 90.  Why they do not pick up a few is beyond me.  If I were Ted Thompson, I would pick up 2 defensive linemen and a linebacker, either inside or outside LB.

Why?  Obvious reason, they will be short Datone Jones & Leroy Guion.  That is two starters!  So, why not beat the bushes for two big guys?

There are a few old timers still out there that could be talked into one more year.  Here is a list I found and the website:

Here are two that are not bad:

Shaun Phillips

Brett Keisel - love the beard!

In my chart, the players in white boxes I think may make the final 53, purple, maybe not!  What do you think, Thursday night will tell you who may help the 2015 Packers!

Packers Begin Preparation For First Pre-Season Game - Patriots

Two weeks in and let the games begin!  Pre-Season football is VERY difficult to watch!  Your favorite players do not play many snaps.  The games seem to be very disjointed and ugly!  Injuries pop up that make you wonder if todays players are as tough as the OLD DAY?  The HYPE about the new season becomes VERY SICKENING!  And, you are looking for new fantasy players that will be key to winning your OWN Super Bowl!

So, let's be as POSITIVE as possible and analyze pre-season football!  So, what to watch for?

1 - Watching other teams?  Will other teams cut a player that may help the Packers?  Watch for inside & outside linebackers.

2 - Watch for how referees are calling games, because the regular season will not be called the same way!!

3 - Look for Packer players that will help us this year & try to predict who will make the team!

4 - MOST IMPORTANT!  Enjoy the season, yes even pre-season!  IT GOES SO FAST!!!

My focus will be on........

Linebackers - inside & out!  The injury bug, amazing at times!  Mike Neal & Nick Perry!  These two guys drive me crazy!  At times you see a flash of talent, but staying on the field is NEVER easy!  We need at least one to step up in 2015!!

Inside Linebacker - watch closely the play of Jake Ryan, Nate Palmer, Carl Bradford, Joe Thomas, Josh Francis, and Tarvarus Dantzler.  Could we get TWO quality players from this group!

Outside Linebackers - STAY HEALTHY CLAY & my gut says Andy Mulumba is the man!

Cornerback - rookies Randall & Rollins?  Special Teams & help by the end of the season! And, one more surprise, my pick Gunter!

So, get out a piece of paper & take some notes!  Who impresses you?

Packers Practice #6 - What Does Larry McCarren Say?

There are many things that I like about the Packers!  One is Larry McCarren!  Does Packer radio, does Packer Webpage interviews, has his own Packer show, and yes PLAYED for the Pack!!!!

Here is the Larry McCarren update for Packers Practice #6 (Click Here)

So, Larry likes Ty Montgomery.  Number 88 is making plays, asking questions, and what is even better, impressing the coaches!  Watch the interview and see what Montgomery says about his Mom! AWESOME!

And, they discuss the interceptions Aaron is throwing in practice - NO PROBLEM!  Several have been, throw the ball up and see who gets the ball!  Will not happen in game, unless you prove the Aaron you can go up & get it!!!

And LaDarius Gunter, un-drafted free agent defensive back, is playing with a chip!!!  GOOD FOR HIM!  We want those guys!!!

And watch the guys trying to tackle Eddie Lacy!!  Oh Baby!  Bring your MAN shoulder pads!

Kyhri Thorton had a great pass rushing day!  He needs it to make team.  And Corey Lindsley, our starting center, is a force inside!  Aaron loves that!!!

And, the latest Aaron Rogers interview (Click Here)

I'll say it again!  BOY I'M GLAD WE HAVE AARON RODGERS!

Tuesday Practice for Packers

Mike McCarthy press conferences are rarely earth shattering.  But, if you listen to him closely, you can see the strengths & weaknesses!  So, here we go........

Cornerbacks & Wide Receiver one-on-one practice - corners played well, receivers played well, and QB's threw well! Translation - we can all sleep well with our QB's & WR's.  Happy with corner play, BUT we need to wait and see.  Pre-season games will tell us a lot!

Richard Rogers at tight end?  He is ready to make a BIG step this year.  Could be a force over the middle & in the red zone!  And even special team help!!!!

Inside Linebackers?  "Too much thinking going on", translation we are in trouble here!

Ty Montgomery - progressing at WR & making plays in the special teams!

Back-up Offense Line - "Group outside the 5, Barclay & Walker playing well.

Running game - Looking for that third running back!

Hubbard groin injury, Kowalski concussion.

Pass Rush?  Spending a lot of time with it, looking for individuals to improve.  Translation - uh oh!

So, we still need to find players.  Are they in the 89?  Time & practice will tell!

Packers - Monday, Installation #4

As Coach McCarthy puts it,"Today was Installation #4".

If you follow Packer Football & the past 10 years with Coach McCarthy, the PLAN is very methodical!  I compare it to building a new house every year.  Parts of the house building may stay the same, the offensive line may be a family room, that is basically the same as last years house.  While the kitchen, may be the defensive backs, installing a few new appliances & changing the design of the room.  Shields, instead of playing to the offensive right side all the time, may cover the opposing teams best receiver wherever he may line up.  And some new appliances, our first & second round draft picks, are trying to fit into the design.  So, let the "Installation" continue!

Some injury news:
- some soreness in Clay Matthews knee - sits out practice
- Nate Palmer, inside linebacker, hurt his hand and is practicing with a club
- Quarless is back!  Lost his baby daughter in the delivery.  Another personal setback!
Take a look at the Andrew Quarless interview - click here - VERY emotional & heart felt!

- wide receivers Abbrederis & Coxson still going throw concussion protocol
- running back Crocket still out

New player - Ed Williams, wide receiver signed - Aug 3

5 days till Family Night and 10 days till the Packers first pre-season game!

And off course, the traditions of the Packers are still AWESOME!  Check out some photos today of players taking bikes to practice!  LOVE IT!

Day #3, Saturday, First Day In Pads! And Sunday Off!

It is football and players wear helmets, shoulder pads, girdle pads(maybe), thigh & knee pads(maybe) and then they HIT people!  Saturday was the first day in pads!

So, what did people say that were there?

Lacy is STILL difficult to tackle!

Nelson & Cobb will catch passes!

Battles at Defensive Back!

Rodgers, enough said!

And, Packer Fans are still the best!

88 players trying to make the team!  We all ready discussed in an earlier blog, 75% of the team is probably already picked, but a few players will stand out each week!  So far............

Ty Montgomery.  As we also said earlier, most draftees make the team!  But, Montgomery is making people smile!  Running back kicks & punts?  CHECK!  Making plays on offense?  CHECK?  Impressing coaches with his football intelligence? CHECK!  An explosive offensive & special teams players would be a great addition, and make a good team even better!

Clay Matthew.  As a solid NFL player, Matthews had a rebirth last year and I really do not know why more coaches do not do this!  When you watch the guy warm up, you can tell he is something special!  A few NFL players have done this - Steelers, Troy Polamalu.  Deon Sanders with many teams.  JJ Watt now!  When you have a unique athlete, use him uniquely!

Jean Fanor.  Here is my surprise pick.  Saw his interview this week.  His play this week was noticed!  By the look of his eyes & the sound of his voice, liked what I heard & saw!

Sunday off, day for rest!  Who will shine next week!