Packers Handle The Rival Bears!

It happened!  A game that Packer Fans were not on the edge of their seat for 60 minutes!  Wasn't that nice for a change yes!  Thank you Bears!

But, yes the injury bug!  Have a seat Montgomery, our starting running back!  Williams, our back up running back!!  Davonte Adams with a SCARY cheap shot hit!

But, kudos to the make shift offensive line - one center & 4 guards!  And our offensive line coach - James Campen!  We ended up with - Left Tackle - Lane Taylor moving from guard!  Left Guard Lucas Patrick, center was still Corey Linsley, Right Guard was still Jahri Evans (from Bloomsburg!) and right tackle Justin McCray!!!  Great job!  We ran the ball, and Aaron was sacked on twice!!

Our third string running back looked good - Aaron Jones!  Like the was he attacked the line of scrimmage and seemed to protect the QB!! (Still would love to see Ripkowski get 3-4  carries!)

Our defense without Daniels stopped the run & pressured the Bears QB!  Not the QB - Glennon is no Hall of Famer, but the Bears did beat Steelers & play the Falcons tough!

And the defense had 4 turnovers & that is ALWAYS good!!!!!

A look at the offense series of each team:

Bears - 11 offensive series
2 - scores
1  missed field goal
4 - turnovers - (2 fumbles & 2 interceptions)
3 - punts
1 - End of game

Packers - 11 offensive series
5 - scores (best thing, 2 TD's on first two times we had the ball!)
5 - Punts
1 - End of half

So, we get a mini-bye - 3-4 days off!!!

Next up, the Dallas Cowboys!

Packers - Bears Rivalry 94 Wins –94 Loses –6 Ties!

Yes that is right the all time record - 94–94–6!

First game, November 27, 1921 - Chicago 20 - Packers 0
Last game, #194, December 18, 2016 - Packers 30 - Bears 27

The last 15 meetings?  Packers 12 wins & 3 loses

So, what will happen Thursday Night?

First, it will be ugly!  As I mentioned earlier, injuries, 3 days rest(again - crazy!) and recent history,
that is how the Pack is playing!!

Second. the run defense will be tested!  Running backs - Howard & Cohen are a great one-two punch!
Howard is the bigger more physical & Cohen is as quick as a cat(he is only 5'6"!)

TOP PRIORITY STOP THE RUN!

The Packers offense?  Will Bulaga or Bakhtiari play?  If not, you will see more broken plays &
Aaron running the scale drill!  Sometime I do not know why we even have an offensive playbook!
Huddle up, Aaron says, "Get open"!

OFFENSE, SCORE 27!

What to watch?  Will our young guys shine?

Watch....

Martinez at Inside Linebacker
Jones in the Nitro Defense!
King at cornerback
Allison at wide receiver
Adams, Montravious at defensive tackle

Offensive tackle - who ever plays?????

My Score prediction????

Packers 27 - Bears 17

Packer Buddies Say WOW! Packers In Overtime Over Bengals!

Yes - WOW!!!

An ugly game, but that may be the theme this year!  BUT, the Packer Buddies
are NOT UGLY!!!

Terry, Jim, & Phil (Missing Bill!)

What makes the Packers Ugly?

1 - Injuries - Guess what? More!  And even more on the IR!
Lost the Long Snapper, the Punter - for you math majors - 66% of our specialists!
This weeks injury report?

2 - Young Players

Overall, I think, they payed well!!!  Josh Jones was flying everywhere!  Kevin King, was beaten at times, BUT, played a solid game!  Geronimo Allison, would not have won without him!  Second half,

NO starting offensive tackles Murphy & Pankey made it happen!  

Young players are fun, but scare the HECK out of you!

3 - And this is a BIGGIE - I think Aaron loves to push the limits!  Clock control, catching defense

offside, looking for someone loafing off the field, and of course holding the ball for 5-8 seconds, run around & chuck it!

4 - Sunday Night Games, Monday Night Games, Thursday Night Games, Regular Games, London Games, - crazy schedule = crazy games!!!!

So, next up, our friendly neighborhood Bears!

Our weekend?  How about the National Railroad Museum!!!

To begin our journey in Baltimore another tribute to our veterans!

A great tribute to our REAL American Heroes!!!!

Packers - Bengals, Two Teams With Issues!

The Cincinnati Bengals, a team with issues.  Fired the offensive coordinator.

Game 1 - Ravens 20 - Bengals 0
Game 2 - Texans 13 - Bengals 9

If you saw any of the Texan & Bengals game, it was UGLY!  And, after two game NO Touchdowns!

I repeat NO TOUCHDOWNS!!!!!!!

So, that may NOT be good for the Packers, they are due!

And the Packers?

Injury Issues!!!!

13 players on the injury list, 9 of those starters!!!!  Back up left tackle, Jason Spriggs was put
on injured reserve today!  And, Nick Perry, had surgery on his hand today!!!  So, there will be
a lot of moving parts!!!

Other news, Pack just brought back, Ricky Jean Francios at defensive tackle.  Remember, Daniels
is nursing a hamstring injury!

So, what do we look for?

Packers Offense

1 - Blocking the Bengals nose tackle Gene Atkins - he has been a BEAST so far!
2 - Jordy Nelson NEEDS to play!
3 - More of a running game!  Say 80 yards (NOT counting Rodgers scramble!)
4 - WIN the turnover battle - NO offensive turnovers!

Packers Defense
1 - AJ Green - wide receiver!  Remember, we can never cover a BIG, STRONG, wide receiver!
2 - Pass rush with Daniels & Perry? Uh Oh!
3 - Rookies MUST begin to help - Corner Kevin King our first pick & Safety Josh Jones or second!

I expect a close game!  I screwed up last weeks pick, so this week............. here I go!

Packers 24 - Bengals 17

Will not be back to next week, the Packer Buddies

will be headed to Green Bay - this week

Jim, Terry, Phil, minus Bill!

As Vince Would Say, "What is the hell is going on out there?!"

As Vince Would Say, "What is the hell is going on out there?!"
Week 3 Injury Report

Really!  That is 9 out of 22 starters!  Makes no sense!  Something needs to change!

My Ideas!

1 - Bring in Brett Favre - he started 297 regular season games!!!!

2 - Pre-season games - play more starters!

3 - Leg Injuries - off season training, stretching, pre-game warm up - PROBLEMS!!!

4 - Every new contract will depend on games you play!

5 - When drafting players - check player injury records!

Questions

1 - Are players too big?

2 - Is the games time out issues a problem?  Play 2 minutes - commercial & Play 2 minutes - commercial & Play 2 minutes - commercial & Play 2 minutes - commercial ....................

3 - Is the collective bargaining contract an issue?  Practice Regulation?

4 - NFL schedule?  Thursday Night Football - Monday Night Football - Sunday Night Football?

5 - Should the 53 man roster go to 63 & the game day roster from 46 to 56?  Just an example!

Something is broken!  Have not looked at other teams, but the Packers are broken!

Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results

Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

One of my favorite quotes!
And, if you are a true fan of the Green Bay Packers, the last 5-6 years have fit this definition!

Evidence #1 - Injuries

Second game of the year and.....
**  Best defensive lineman & leader Mike Daniels out - HAMSTRING
**  Starting offensive tackles out Bakhtiari & Bulaga - HAMSTRING & ANKLE
**  Top receiver & offensive leader Jordy Nelson out - QUADRICEP
**  Opponents top receiver - Julio Jones runs all over our defensive backs
**  No running game - converted Wide Receiver & 3 rookies (Are you kidding me!)
**  Same Defensive Coordinator - Dom Capers - same defense
**  Same General Manager drafting average defensive
players - Ted Thompson (pathetic-just watch his interviews!)
**  And, our Head Coach, Mike McCarthy, getting testy at a press conference!

So, Packers Executive Committee, are you happy?  Packer Directors are you happy?  As a Packer Fan
that comes to 2-4 games a year in Green Bay, watches on TV, goes to the Packer website, shops at the
Packer Store, visits the Packer Hall of Fame, and yes, has a PACKER BLOG that analyzes and is always researching, WHAT IS NEXT?

Go Pack Go!

The Packer Buddies are headed to Green Bay this week for the Bengals game!

WHAT IS NEXT?

Packers - Falcons, What Will 2017 Version Look Like?

I look at this as was last weeks defense for real?  Well, guess what, you did not need to wait very long!!!!  So, what do we expect?

1 - Who will cover Julio Jones?

First guess?  Devon House.  Second guess, every Packer - D-back!  The past few years, the big fast guys have driven Dom Capers crazy!  I would like CAPERS TO MIX IT UP!  And, keep Jones under 100 yards and 0 TD's!  Really?  I will settle for 150 yards & 1 TD!

2 - Related to #1, - Who will pressure Matt Ryan!

Daniels & Perry, my first guess!  Would LOVE to see Matthews with couple!  And, some crazy combination stunts - Clinton-Dixx, Randall, Rollins, etc!  Bottom line - Need at least 3!

3 - Offense - 31 points!  Aaron Rodgers, 3 TD passes, another for Jordy!  ZERO interceptions! And,
100 yards rushing for Montgomery!!!  OK, we settle for 80 & a TD!

4 - Special Teams - win the battle!  Still waiting for our first TD!  Davis punt return or Janis Kickoff return?

Players to watch?

RT - Bulaga - was sick this week & missed week one with bad ankle!  Watch Him!

CB - House - as mentioned - Julio Jones

DT - Daniels, had a hip issue this week, can he have TWO great games in a row?

TE's - Bennett & Kendicks - need to see more touches!

Final Score

Green Bay 31 - Atlanta 17

Packers Roster - Week 2

This is the Packer Roster as of Sept 15, 2017

And the "Famous" Packer Injury Report, as of today - Friday

I am always amazed how the Packers get injured!  The early season categories:
Foot - 1
Hamstring - 2
Concussion - 1
Ankle - 1
Quad/Knee - 1
Hip - 1

Looks like two are Out for Sunday - Brooks & Spriggs!

More to come!

Packers - Seattle Recap! WE WON!!!!

First - WE WON!  All the time of possession, first downs, and other stats mean nothing!

The Scoreboard
Packers 17 - Seattle 9

Now, the MOST important part - The Packer Buddies had an awesome weekend!!!!

First, the game:

I always analyze the team possessions first:

Seattle - 10 drives
1 - Punt - 0 first downs
2 - Punt - 0 first downs
3 - Punt - 0 first downs
4 - Punt - 1 first downs
5 - Punt - 0 first downs
6 - Field Goal - 3 first downs
7 - Fumble - 0 first downs
8 - Field Goal - 4 first downs
9 - Punt - 1 first downs
10 - Field Goal - 3 first downs

Packers - 10 drives
1 - Interception - 4 first downs
2 - Punt - 3 first downs
3 - Punt - 3 first downs
4 - Punt - 0 first downs
5 - Punt - 2 first downs
6 - Punt - 2 first downs
7 - Touchdown - 2 first downs
8 - Touchdown - 4 first downs
9 - Field Goal - 4 first downs
10 -End of Game - 4 first downs

The drive chart REALLY shows the Packer Defense at its best!  The only issue that kills a great defensive effort are BIG plays - and that was obvious at the end of the first half!  A BIG pass play & a long QB scramble and the Seahawks score under a minute to end the first half.  Seahawks up 3-0!  The good news was the Packers goal line D looked great!

The second half a big forced fumble by Mike Daniels & the Packers score on a short field! ONE PLAY for a TD and a Packer 7-3 lead!  After that moment, the Packer O, looked like the Packer O!

So, since I was at the game, I felt the pressure of a close game!  Remember, the Seattle Defense may be the best in the league!  AND, their second best corner was kicked out early (that made Pete Carroll VERY sad!)

The turnover battle was one apiece & the Packer turnover was a takeaway on the 6 yard line!  And, the Seattle turnover - NO POINTS AND they lost their starting cornerback!!!!

Positives?
 - A WIN!
- The Packer Defense
- Mike Daniels
- The Packer Secondary
- Murphy filling in for Bulaga at right tackle
- Jordy Nelson - he makes Aaron Rodgers smile!
- and, the Packer Special Teams - Crosby still one of the best, and the new punter Vogel!

Negatives?
- Running game - maybe Montgomery, but other 3 rookies?
- 0 points in first half
- 10 points total (really, because the defense game them the ball on the six!)

Overall a great start!

And the Packer Buddies had a spectacular weekend!

Started weekend meeting Henry Jordan's niece!

A great lady with incredible stories!

Stopped at one of our favorite restaurants - 

The Hobo Restaurant!

Stopped to see the "Badger"

Ferry from Manitowoc, Wisconsin to Ludington, Michigan, 

across Lake Michigan!

Of course, needed to stop at the

Packer Pro Shop!

You know!

Before the game, a cruise of the Fox River!

Beautiful day & AWESOME service!

Fox River Tours! - You MUST do this!

Packer Buddies - Bill, Jim & Phil (Missing Terry!)

Final Score - Packer 17 - Seattle 9!

Packers - Seattle 2017

Let the games begin!

OK Packer Fans, do you want to know what you have in 2017?  Guess what?  A home game,
the 2017 season first game, against our NFC opponent the Seahawks will tell us!!!!

Game Break Down - Packers Offense vs Seattle Defense

The last two meetings?
December 11, 2016 - Packer 38 - Seahawks 10
September 20, 2015 - Packers 27 - Seahawks 17

Both games were at home!

Offensive line vs front 7 of Seattle
Our starting 5 will be fine stay healthy!  Everyone has the from seven of Seattle as one of the
NFL's finest!  And, their DB's play in your face & they will HIT you in the face!  So, get up early!

The Seattle D - an old school 4-3 Defense
LDE - Michael Bennett, RDE - Cliff Avril
LDT - Jarran Reed, RDT - Sheldon Richardson
OLB - Terrence Garver, MLB - Bobby Wagner, OLB - KJ Wright
LCB - Richard Sherman, RCB - Jeremy Lane, FS - Earl Thomas, SS - Kam Chancellor

I would pass first, run second!  Attach the middle of the field with Bennett & Kendricks!  Throw to Montgomery out of the backfield!  AND, go to Jordy early down the field!!!  And, we have brother against brother - for Seattle - Michael Bennett & the Packers - Martellus Bennett!  WOW!

Packers Defense vs Seahawks Offense

Eddie Lacy is not starting, but WOW - more drama!  I would personally load his locker before the game with Twinkees!  Last time, Wilson threw 5 interceptions, we need at least 2!  I see Capers blitzing early and the blitz coming from every direction!  Also, is our CB - House healthy?  Remember, his missed most of the pre-season with a hamstring - WATCH him early!  Matthews?  WE NEED to start the year with a BIG game from Clay!  Two things - HE is still making a lot of money - EARN IT!  And, CLAY is good for the Packers!  Around the NFL, he is still the face of the Packer Defense!  And last, Ha Ha Clinton-Dixx!  Last year he made a BIG step, my gut says this year, Ha Ha becomes the new face of the Packer defense!!!

Special Team!
New punter - Justin Vogel!  Over 5 second hang time & great coverage from Jeff Janis!
Crosby - our kicker is the best in Packer history!
Long Snapper, Goode is back and stays dependable!
And, return man - Trevor Davis - NO FUMBLES!  And, run one back!!!!!

So, early call on a score"

Packers 31 - Seahawks 17

The Latest, Latest, Latest, Packers 53 Man Roster!

Well, I was close in my prediction!  Missed on:

Elliot - OLB - he was traded
Dupre & McCaffrey - WR - Pack only kept 5
Biegel - OLB - on the PUP
Pipkins & Gunter - I saw 10 DB's, Packers kept 12

So, here is the latest:

So, by the numbers we kept - 24 offensive players, 26 defensive players & 3 special teams players.
A breakdown by position:
QB - 2
RB - 3
FB - 1
WR - 5
TE - 3
OL - 10
DT - 6
LB - 8
DB - 12
K - 1
P - 1
LS - 1

Now, Seattle, home! Oh Baby!  Next, I will breakdown the game! And, remember,
I will be there with my Pack Buddies!!!

Packers Roster As of September 3, 2017!

Here it is!  After 4 pre-season games, cuts, waivers, and trades the Packers Roster!!

Just a note, the last time the Packers won the Super Bowl, the 53 man roster during the season
had 77 players on it!  So, this is NOT, by any chance, the roster for the next 5 months!!!!

Let the Season Begin!

Packers vs Seattle 

at Green Bay

September 10, 2017

AND,

The Packer Buddies Will Be There!!!!

Packers End Pre-Season With A 24-10 Win Over Rams - What Did We Learn?

Packers End Pre-Season With A 24-10 Win Over Rams - What Did We Learn?

1 - At QB, looks like Hill over Callahan, BUT, will be difficult to crack the 53 man roster.

2 - Offense - Running backs looked good, will be a VERY difficult call between Williams,
Jones & Mays.  Wide Receiver, WOW - not easy,  Special Team play may decide the outcome.
Tight Ends, some of the 3rd & 4th team players looked good, but again, only see 3 making it. And,
offensive line, a lot depends on Barclay health, and you may see Pack pick up somebody cut
from another team as a backup!

3 - Defense - D-line, battles - Price & Ringo.  Linebackers, remember we picked up Brooks from the 49ers, that means that some of the young blood may be spilled!  Defensive backs, Gunter made a big push after he looked like he was in trouble, Hawkins still looks like a player.  Looks like House will be healthy to start the year & WE WILL be better!!!!

4 - Special Teams - GOOD to have GOODE back at long snapper, sad for local player Hart(from
Maneiem Central) is back home!  And, the young punter, Vogel, GREAT night!  Over 5 second hang times & over 40 yard average makes coaches smile!

So, the Albright New 53 Prediction?

My Predictions Offense (24)
QB (2) - Aaron Rodgers & Brett Hundley
RB (3) - Ty Montgomery, Jamaal Williams, Aaron Jones
FB (1) - Aaron Ripkowski
TE (3) - Martellus Bennett, Lance Kendrick, & Richard Rodgers
WR (6) - Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb, Davante Adams, Jeff Janis, Trevor Davis,
                  Malachi Dupre
OL (9) - Davis Bakhtiari, Brian Bulaga, Jahri Evans, Lane Taylor, Cory Linsley,
                 Don Barclay, Jason Spriggs, Justin McCray& Kyle Murphy

My Predictions Defense (26)
DL (6) -  Mike Daniels, Kenny Clark, Dean Lowry, Ricky Jean Francios, Chritian Ringo,
                 Montravious Adams
LB (10) -   Clay Matthews, Nate Perry, Jake Ryan, Blake Martinez, Joe Thomas, Jayronne Elliot,
                Kyle Fackrell, Reggie Gilbert, Jordan Tripp & Ahmad Brooks
DB (10)  - Devon House, Damarious Randall, Quintin Rollins, Kevin King, Morgan
                Burnett, Ha Ha Clinton-Dixx, Josh Jones, Josh Hawkins, Kentrell Brice,
                Marvin Evans
My Predictions Special Teams (3)
P - Justin Vogel
K - Mason Crosby
LS - Brett Goode

Players on Injury or Suspension List to Start Year
Geronimo Allison, Vince Biegel, Herb Waters

So, Saturday, September 2, let the cuts begin!!!