Too many Green Bay Packers fans have begun prematurely crowning Aaron Rodgers(notes) as the best quarterback of all time. Most cite lifetime passer rating and completion percentage —numbers that tell us Tony Romo(notes) is better than Joe Montana and Peyton Manning(notes)— as the primary reasons for this insanity.

Now, I realize that Green Bay is a fanatical football town. I also realize that in his short career, Rodgers has already delivered a Super Bowl victory and is currently leading an undefeated Packers squad while posting MVP-caliber numbers. Both are significant accomplishments, but some of these delusional cheesheads need a reality check.

• Rodgers will need to play like the best QB of all time for the Packers to win another Super Bowl while giving up this many big plays.

The Packers’ defense allowed 200+ yards to 23-year-old Christian Ponder(notes) in his first career start and almost lost the game, 33-27 to a laughable Minnesota Vikings in Week 7. That’s right, the same Christian Ponder who threw about 15 picks to Charles Woodson(notes), and whose numbers after three games make Tim Tebow(notes) look like John Elway, teamed up with Adrian Peterson to carve up the Pack.

At this moment, the Week 10 rematch between the undefeated Packers and the Vikings is upon us and there are more questions than ever about this Green Bay team. After giving up 38 to the San Diego Chargers, will the Vikings (2-6) pester the Pack again? Will the Packers defense continue to show such weakness?

And, will this vulnerability ultimately lead to their demise?

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Charles Woodson spoke candidly last week about the Green Bay Packers’ pass defense, acknowledging its weaknesses and making one specific suggestion for improvement. All-Pro linebacker Clay Matthews is sitting at three sacks through eight games, and Woodson implored coaches to “find ways to get Clay to the quarterback.” He added: “We can’t continue to allow him to be stuck on a side and double-teamed every time he gets upfield.”

So as the Packers prepared for Monday night’s matchup against the Minnesota Vikings, it seemed fair to examine how the Packers have used Matthews this season. Are there, in fact, ways to elevate his sack totals to reduce pressure on Woodson and the rest of the Packers’ secondary? It might not be a critical factor against the Vikings’ run-oriented offense Monday night, but the issue rests atop a short list of questions the Packers must answer as they pursue a second consecutive Super Bowl championship.

According to numbers from ESPN Stats & Information, and by Matthews’ own observation, Woodson has a strong point.

Matthews has lined up as the Packers’ left outside linebacker, over the opponent’s right tackle, on 95.6 percent of the snaps he’s played this season. The chart provides the details, but suffice it to say, Matthews’ pre-snap positioning has been more predictable than in recent seasons. As a result, Matthews said this week, he has “absolutely” faced more double teams in 2011.

“You’re definitely seeing more help in regards to bringing guards over or tight ends or backs that are chipping,” Matthews said. “It’s pretty obvious, but at the same time, that’s not an excuse. We have to continue to create pressure, whether it’s me or one of the interior linemen or the other outside linebacker. We have to find ways to get to the quarterback and take pressure off of our DBs.”

There are some football justifications for anchoring Matthews on the left side of the defense. He has proved adept against the run and in covering opposing tight ends, both of which are more likely to originate from that side of an opposing offense. Covering tight ends or running backs has separated Matthews from 20 percent of the pass plays he has been on the field for (72 of 360).

Defensive coordinator Dom Capers told reporters this week in Green Bay that “we try to be as creative with Clay as you can possibly be,” and that Matthews said it is “definitely a possibility” that he could move around more Monday night.

But for what it’s worth, coach Mike McCarthy has prioritized communication problems as the Packers’ top area of defensive concern — not Matthews’ pre-snap positioning. The Packers have had some well-chronicled coverage miscues in their secondary that have resulted in big plays, whether safeties have bitten on run fakes or provided coverage over the top to the wrong receiver.

And if Matthews is double-teamed more often, McCarthy said, he expects other players to take advantage of the corresponding opportunity.

“Our biggest improvement on defense is that we need to clean up some communication,” McCarthy said. “The recurring big issue we’ve had is giving up big plays. That’s what we’re focusing on. … Pass rush comes down to winning your one-on-ones. Someone is going to have a one-on-one situation, and anytime you do have a one-on-one to rush the passer, it’s important to win those.”

In an ideal world, of course, that would be a fair expectation. But after eight games of waiting for another pass-rusher to step up, the Packers’ best option remains neutralized. Even Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, speaking this week on his ESPN 540 radio show, acknowledged that “I don’t think we’ve had the same kind of pressure through the first eight games that we’ve had in the past.”

The Packers’ defense would improve immediately if it eliminates the communication issues McCarthy is concerned about. But Woodson wasn’t just talking about getting better. He wants to win the Super Bowl. The Packers need an active Clay Matthews to ensure that. The problem has been identified, and a possible solution floated. Will it happen? Stay tuned.

The Green Bay Packers have Aaron Rodgers and Clay Matthews and Charles Woodson and Jermichael Finley. They also have tons of history and prestige.

But do they have what it takes to do what only the ’72 Dolphins have done? Can the defending Super Bowl champion Packers go undefeated?

It may be too early to talk about such a scenario but the Packers (8-0) are off to a strong start. They continue to display the ability to outscore teams and force turnovers.

It remains to be seen if that’ll be enough to go unbeaten, but at the moment it is enough for them to remain No. 1 in the latest NFL power rankings by The Times-Picayune.

The Packers are ranked ahead of the No. 2 Baltimore Ravens, No, 3 San Francisco 49ers, and No. 4 New York Giants. The New Orleans Saints moved up two spots to No. 6.

Here are the rankings:

Rankings, (last week), team, record,

1.(1) Green Bay Packers 8-0 Rodgers has thrown for a league-high 24 TDs

2. (5) Baltimore Ravens 6-2 Joe Flacco got it done.

3. (3) San Francisco 49ers 7-1 Their run defense is tough.

4. (6) New York Giants 6-2 Picked up a statement win against Patriots.

5. (7) Detroit Lions 6-2 Have a big game at Chicago.

6. (8) New Orleans Saints 6-3 This is a different team when playing in the Dome. 

7. (2) Pittsburgh Steelers 6-3 Dropped to third place in AFC North. 

8. (4) New England Patriots 5-3 Have lost two straight games.

9. (10) Atlanta Falcons 5-3 Can move into first place by beating Saints.

10. (11) New York Jets 5-3 Don’t look now, but the Jets are back in the hunt.

11. (12) Chicago Bears 5-3 Looked good on MNF.

12. (13) Houston Texans 6-3 Rushed for 261 yards against Cleveland.

13. (17) Cincinnati Bengals 6-2 Have won five-straight games.

14. (9) Buffalo Bills 5-3 Bills have been up and down the last few weeks.

15. (21) Dallas Cowboys 4-4 DeMarco Murray has Cowboys back at .500.

16. (14) Tampa Bay Buccaneers 4-4 Penalties hurting Bucs. 

17. (16) San Diego Chargers 4-4 Suddenly, the Chargers are losing their way.

18. (18) Philadelphia Eagles 3-5 Blew another fourth quarter lead.

19. (19) Tennessee Titans 4-4 Couldn’t hold on against Bengals.

20. (20) Kansas City Chiefs 4-4 Locked in a three-way tie for first in AFC West. 

21. (15) Oakland Raiders 4-4 Carson Palmer can’t afford to turn the ball over. 

22. (22) Washington Redskins 3-5 Have lost four straight.

23. (28) Denver Broncos 3-5 Only a game out of first in AFC West.

24. (23) Cleveland Browns 3-5 Scoring issues continue.

25. (24) Minnesota Vikings 2-6 Coming off a bye.

26. (25) Carolina Panthers 2-6 Coming off a bye.

27. (26) Jacksonville Jaguars 2-6 Coming off a bye.

28. (27) Seattle Seahawks 2-6 Have lost three straight.

29. (30) Arizona Cardinals 2-6 Patrick Peterson is one of the NFL’s top returners.

30. (31) Miami Dolphins 1-7 Reggie Bush is playing well.

31. (29) St. Louis Rams 1-7 Couldn’t string together back-to-back wins.

32. (32) Indianapolis Colts 0-9 Last four losses have come by double-digit margins.

 

The Green Bay Packers have Aaron Rodgers and Clay Matthews and Charles Woodson and Jermichael Finley. They also have tons of history and prestige.

But do they have what it takes to do what only the ’72 Dolphins have done? Can the defending Super Bowl champion Packers go undefeated?

It may be too early to talk about such a scenario but the Packers (8-0) are off to a strong start. They continue to display the ability to outscore teams and force turnovers.

It remains to be seen if that’ll be enough to go unbeaten, but at the moment it is enough for them to remain No. 1 in the latest NFL power rankings by The Times-Picayune.

The Packers are ranked ahead of the No. 2 Baltimore Ravens, No, 3 San Francisco 49ers, and No. 4 New York Giants. The New Orleans Saints moved up two spots to No. 6.

Here are the rankings:

Rankings, (last week), team, record,

1.(1) Green Bay Packers 8-0 Rodgers has thrown for a league-high 24 TDs

2. (5) Baltimore Ravens 6-2 Joe Flacco got it done.

3. (3) San Francisco 49ers 7-1 Their run defense is tough.

4. (6) New York Giants 6-2 Picked up a statement win against Patriots.

5. (7) Detroit Lions 6-2 Have a big game at Chicago.

6. (8) New Orleans Saints 6-3 This is a different team when playing in the Dome. 

7. (2) Pittsburgh Steelers 6-3 Dropped to third place in AFC North. 

8. (4) New England Patriots 5-3 Have lost two straight games.

9. (10) Atlanta Falcons 5-3 Can move into first place by beating Saints.

10. (11) New York Jets 5-3 Don’t look now, but the Jets are back in the hunt.

11. (12) Chicago Bears 5-3 Looked good on MNF.

12. (13) Houston Texans 6-3 Rushed for 261 yards against Cleveland.

13. (17) Cincinnati Bengals 6-2 Have won five-straight games.

14. (9) Buffalo Bills 5-3 Bills have been up and down the last few weeks.

15. (21) Dallas Cowboys 4-4 DeMarco Murray has Cowboys back at .500.

16. (14) Tampa Bay Buccaneers 4-4 Penalties hurting Bucs. 

17. (16) San Diego Chargers 4-4 Suddenly, the Chargers are losing their way.

18. (18) Philadelphia Eagles 3-5 Blew another fourth quarter lead.

19. (19) Tennessee Titans 4-4 Couldn’t hold on against Bengals.

20. (20) Kansas City Chiefs 4-4 Locked in a three-way tie for first in AFC West. 

21. (15) Oakland Raiders 4-4 Carson Palmer can’t afford to turn the ball over. 

22. (22) Washington Redskins 3-5 Have lost four straight.

23. (28) Denver Broncos 3-5 Only a game out of first in AFC West.

24. (23) Cleveland Browns 3-5 Scoring issues continue.

25. (24) Minnesota Vikings 2-6 Coming off a bye.

26. (25) Carolina Panthers 2-6 Coming off a bye.

27. (26) Jacksonville Jaguars 2-6 Coming off a bye.

28. (27) Seattle Seahawks 2-6 Have lost three straight.

29. (30) Arizona Cardinals 2-6 Patrick Peterson is one of the NFL’s top returners.

30. (31) Miami Dolphins 1-7 Reggie Bush is playing well.

31. (29) St. Louis Rams 1-7 Couldn’t string together back-to-back wins.

32. (32) Indianapolis Colts 0-9 Last four losses have come by double-digit margins.

 

The Green Bay Packers improved to 7-0 after they defeated the Minnesota Vikings 33-27 in Week 7 of the 2011-12 NFL season on October 23, 2011. The Packers are the only undefeated team remaining as they improve to 4-0 on the road and 2-0 against NFC North combatants. The Packers have won 13 consecutive games dating back to the 2010-11 season.

Here were a few of the studs and duds from that contest.

Mega Stud: Mason Crosby(notes)

Mason Crosby converted on all four of his field-goal attempts. His 58-yard field goal was a franchise record. This was the second game in three weeks where Crosby had converted on all four of his field-goal attempts. Ted Thompson apparently understood something that many of his critics didn’t when he re-signed Crosby to a long-term deal this offseason.

It’s not a good thing when I give Crosby this honor. That means that the Packers aren’t scoring enough touchdowns. They can’t afford that when they’re playing better competition in the second half of their schedule.

Stud: Aaron Rodgers(notes)

The Vikings were playing with a defensive backfield that was decimated with injuries. Antoine Winfield(notes), Chris Cook(notes) and Jamarca Sanford(notes) were all starters who weren’t active. They picked the worst time to have such a depleted secondary.

Aaron Rodgers went 24/30 for 335 yards and three touchdowns. That included a 79-yard touchdown reception from an uncovered Greg Jennings(notes). Jennings finished with 147 receiving yards. Rodgers was basically unstoppable when he wasn’t throwing the ball away or getting pressured.

Stud: James Starks(notes)

James Starks had 13 carries for 75 yards. He rushed for the final three first downs on the drive that sealed the victory.

Stud: Charles Woodson(notes)

Charles Woodson had two interceptions against Christian Ponder(notes). Woodson had a couple opportunities for a third interception. He was also beaten on a couple occasions. Michael Jenkins(notes) out-jumped Woodson for a 24-yard touchdown reception late in the fourth quarter. That was more of a great play from Jenkins than anything.

Stud: Leslie Frazier

I’d like to share my compliments to Leslie Frazier and the entire Minnesota Vikings’ coaching staff for punting on that fourth down with 2-½ minutes remaining. That was a risky move that didn’t pay off for them.

Stud or Dud? Randall Cobb(notes)

I’m uncomfortable whenever Randall Cobb is fielding punts. He had a fumble that led to the Vikings’ second touchdown. He also had a dropped pass that would’ve tied the game at 14. He did have a 42-yard punt return in the third quarter that set up another score.

Mega Dud: Defense

Green Bay’s defense has surrendered 28 plays of 20-or-more yards. That’s the third-worst total in the NFL. Adrian Peterson also had 175 rushing yards on 24 carries.

I’m not too frustrated about Peterson’s success because he’s a freak of nature. Peterson had some tremendous runs where I can’t do anything but tip my hat to him. The Packers’ run defense had been amongst one of the NFL’s best before that game.

I believe that much of the early-season struggles have been due to injuries. Morgan Burnett(notes) and Tramon Williams(notes) are playing injured. Charlie Peprah(notes) is still adjusting to his role. Sam Shields(notes) was also inactive.

Dud: Playcalling

I just felt like the playcalling was a bit conservative at times. This was another game where the Packers let their opponents hang around past the third quarter. I want to see more killer instinct. Just a minor gripe though.

Summary:

The only thing that matters is that the Packers are 7-0 heading into their bye week. The secondary can heal up. The Packers have a two-game lead on the Detroit Lions following their 23-17 loss to the Atlanta Falcons.

There’s still much room for improvement. Yet, they don’t normally play their best football until after the bye week and heading into the playoffs.

Grades:

Offense: C+

Defense: C-

Special Teams: B-

Joshua Huffman grew up in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula as a Green Bay Packers and Chicago Cubs enthusiast. His favorite Packer moments include Super Bowl XXXI, XLV, and Al Harris’s(notes) interception return following Matt Hasselbeck’s(notes) “We’re gonna score” comments. As a Packers and Cubs fan, he suffered through Steve Bartman and “4th & 26″ in a span of three months.

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GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Don’t expect Charles Woodson and the Green Bay Packers‘ defense to beat themselves up for letting the winless St. Louis Rams pile up yards.

Woodson worries first about points and wins — and the Packers were just about perfect on both counts Sunday.

Despite giving up 424 yards of offense, Green Bay‘s defense shut St. Louis out of the end zone in a 24-3 victory that kept the Packers perfect at 6-0.

“Does anybody want to give up a lot of yards? No. But the goal is to win,” Woodson said. “We held them to three points today, kept them out of the end zone, which is a goal of ours. There’s places where we can get better, we feel like we’ll get better, and we’ll enjoy this win today.”

With Sunday’s loss by NFC North rival Detroit, the Packers are the last unbeaten team left in the NFL this season.

But the Packers’ defense hasn’t been flawless.

Green Bay has been tough in the red zone and made plenty of big plays. But the Packers are having a hard time stopping teams between the 20s. It happened again Sunday.

Sam Bradford was 28 of 44 for 321 yards with an interception for the Rams (0-5). Bradford said moving the ball but failing to score was becoming an unsettling trend for St. Louis.

“It is something that we struggle with all year,” Bradford said. “There have been several games that we have been able to move the ball up and down and we get to the red zone, we have silly mistakes that don’t allow us to put the ball in the end zone. In this league, if you want to win, you got to score touchdowns.”

Bradford’s ankle was sore after the game, but he said he wasn’t hurt badly.

Rams running back Steven Jackson had 18 carries for 96 yards.

“For whatever reason, we get into the red zone, we keep shooting ourselves in the foot,” Jackson said.

The Packers held the Rams to 3 for 13 on third down and 1 for 4 when they went for it on fourth — more indications that the Packers’ defense tightens up when it needs to.

“You give some things, but you buckle down in the times when you’re supposed to and get yourself off the field,” Woodson said. “I think we had a couple of fourth downs today where we got off the field. Those are the type of things that we’re going to have to do during the season. When games are tougher than they are today, you’re going to have to make plays and get off the field in crucial situations. And today we did.”

Bradford said the Rams have to find ways to avoid getting backed into third-and-long situations.

“It is not easy to pick first downs up when you get yourself into that situation,” Bradford said. “When you do it with penalties, it becomes very frustrating. We got to figure out a way, whether it is my communications skills or whether it is guys just tuning in, we’ve got to figure out a way on first and second down not put ourselves in such a bad situation.”

The Packers’ offense took control in the second quarter, as Aaron Rodgers threw touchdowns to James Jones, Jordy Nelson and Donald Driver. But Green Bay’s offense hit a lull and didn’t score in the second half.

“It’s a feeling of minor disappointment, I think, in that locker room,” Rodgers said. “We just, in the second half, offensively just struggled. The second quarter was great, we put up a lot of points. I think it’s encouraging at the same time. It’s tough to win in this league, we’re 6-0, and have a lot of room for improvement.”

Packers coach Mike McCarthy had a mixed reaction to the victory. He bristled at questions about the offense being shut out in the second half, saying, “the last time I checked, when you win by three touchdowns, that’s a pretty significant win.”

But McCarthy also said the team isn’t anywhere near where it wants to be.

“You have to be running on all cylinders, and we’re not there yet,” McCarthy said. “So fortunately, we’re 6-0. We’ll continue to work to get there.”

Notes: Wide receiver Mike Sims-Walker and linebacker Ben Leber were inactive for St. Louis. Neither was listed on the team’s injury report this week. “We weren’t trying to send any messages,” Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo said. “We just put our the guys out there that we thought would help us win the game.” … It was the Packers’ last home game for nearly a month. … Packers cornerback Sam Shields sustained a head injury after he picked off a Bradford pass in the end zone and was hit hard. McCarthy said Shields was still being evaluated after the game.

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Don’t expect Charles Woodson and the Green Bay Packers‘ defense to beat themselves up for letting the winless St. Louis Rams pile up yards.

Woodson worries first about points and wins — and the Packers were just about perfect on both counts Sunday.

Despite giving up 424 yards of offense, Green Bay‘s defense shut St. Louis out of the end zone in a 24-3 victory that kept the Packers perfect at 6-0.

“Does anybody want to give up a lot of yards? No. But the goal is to win,” Woodson said. “We held them to three points today, kept them out of the end zone, which is a goal of ours. There’s places where we can get better, we feel like we’ll get better, and we’ll enjoy this win today.”

With Sunday’s loss by NFC North rival Detroit, the Packers are the last unbeaten team left in the NFL this season.

But the Packers’ defense hasn’t been flawless.

Green Bay has been tough in the red zone and made plenty of big plays. But the Packers are having a hard time stopping teams between the 20s. It happened again Sunday.

Sam Bradford was 28 of 44 for 321 yards with an interception for the Rams (0-5). Bradford said moving the ball but failing to score was becoming an unsettling trend for St. Louis.

“It is something that we struggle with all year,” Bradford said. “There have been several games that we have been able to move the ball up and down and we get to the red zone, we have silly mistakes that don’t allow us to put the ball in the end zone. In this league, if you want to win, you got to score touchdowns.”

Bradford’s ankle was sore after the game, but he said he wasn’t hurt badly.

Rams running back Steven Jackson had 18 carries for 96 yards.

“For whatever reason, we get into the red zone, we keep shooting ourselves in the foot,” Jackson said.

The Packers held the Rams to 3 for 13 on third down and 1 for 4 when they went for it on fourth — more indications that the Packers’ defense tightens up when it needs to.

“You give some things, but you buckle down in the times when you’re supposed to and get yourself off the field,” Woodson said. “I think we had a couple of fourth downs today where we got off the field. Those are the type of things that we’re going to have to do during the season. When games are tougher than they are today, you’re going to have to make plays and get off the field in crucial situations. And today we did.”

Bradford said the Rams have to find ways to avoid getting backed into third-and-long situations.

“It is not easy to pick first downs up when you get yourself into that situation,” Bradford said. “When you do it with penalties, it becomes very frustrating. We got to figure out a way, whether it is my communications skills or whether it is guys just tuning in, we’ve got to figure out a way on first and second down not put ourselves in such a bad situation.”

The Packers’ offense took control in the second quarter, as Aaron Rodgers threw touchdowns to James Jones, Jordy Nelson and Donald Driver. But Green Bay’s offense hit a lull and didn’t score in the second half.

“It’s a feeling of minor disappointment, I think, in that locker room,” Rodgers said. “We just, in the second half, offensively just struggled. The second quarter was great, we put up a lot of points. I think it’s encouraging at the same time. It’s tough to win in this league, we’re 6-0, and have a lot of room for improvement.”

Packers coach Mike McCarthy had a mixed reaction to the victory. He bristled at questions about the offense being shut out in the second half, saying, “the last time I checked, when you win by three touchdowns, that’s a pretty significant win.”

But McCarthy also said the team isn’t anywhere near where it wants to be.

“You have to be running on all cylinders, and we’re not there yet,” McCarthy said. “So fortunately, we’re 6-0. We’ll continue to work to get there.”

Notes: Wide receiver Mike Sims-Walker and linebacker Ben Leber were inactive for St. Louis. Neither was listed on the team’s injury report this week. “We weren’t trying to send any messages,” Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo said. “We just put our the guys out there that we thought would help us win the game.” … It was the Packers’ last home game for nearly a month. … Packers cornerback Sam Shields sustained a head injury after he picked off a Bradford pass in the end zone and was hit hard. McCarthy said Shields was still being evaluated after the game.

Aaron Rodgers(notes) has picked apart opposing defenses with ease in leading the
Green Bay Packers to their best start in nearly 50 years. Things don’t seem
likely to go any differently against a winless St. Louis Rams team that is
without both starting cornerbacks.

Rodgers looks to lead the undefeated Packers to an eighth straight win at
Lambeau Field on Sunday against the struggling Rams, who own the league’s worst
road record over the past four seasons.

Green Bay’s perfect record was in a little jeopardy Sunday night in Atlanta,
as the Packers fell behind 14-0 in the second quarter. But Rodgers kept his
composure and threw two second-half touchdowns to rally Green Bay to a 25-14
win.

“It was a choppy game but we persevered,” said Rodgers, who finished with
396 passing yards – his fourth 300-yard game of the season. “We expect to win
when we take the field.”

Green Bay fans might also be expecting another Super Bowl. The Packers
improved to 5-0 for the first time since 1965 and seventh time in franchise
history. Each of the previous six, Green Bay went on to win an NFL title.

“5-0 feels great,” cornerback Charles Woodson(notes) said, “but we’re looking at
greatness.”

The Packers have won 11 straight dating to last season, including their
march to the Super Bowl title. They’ve also won seven in a row and 13 of 14 at
Lambeau Field, while the Rams are an NFL-worst 4-21 on the road since 2008.

“We’re building something here,” Green Bay coach Mike McCarthy said.

That starts with Rodgers.

He leads the NFL with a 122.9 quarterback rating and a 71.7 completion
percentage and is tied for the league lead with 14 touchdowns along with only
two interceptions. His Packers are the highest-scoring team in the NFL,
averaging 34.6 points.

“They’re scary good,” Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo said. “But we’ve got
players out here, too. We’ve got to go play the game. We’ve got to find a way to
slow them down and see if we can’t have one more point than they do.”

That seems like a tall order for the Rams (0-4), who have been outscored
113-46 this season.

“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t frustrated,” linebacker James Laurinaitis(notes)
said after a 17-10 home loss to Washington on Oct. 2, before the team’s bye
week.

St. Louis had an extra week to prepare for this challenge, but in the
process it lost starting cornerback Bradley Fletcher(notes) to a season-ending knee
injury.

Fletcher got hurt in practice last Wednesday when he stepped on Mike
Sims-Walker’s(notes) foot during a drill. He’s the seventh cornerback injured since
training camp for the Rams, who had to place starter Ron Bartell(notes) on injured
reserve after he sustained two fractures in his neck in the opener.

The 36-year-old Al Harris(notes), who starred with the Packers from 2003-09, and
Rod Hood(notes), signed in late September and coming off reconstructive knee surgery in
June, are expected to see significant playing time.

“Rod and Al are going to have to play some football, otherwise we don’t have
enough,” Spagnuolo said.

The Packers are also a bit banged-up, with left tackle Chad Clifton(notes) and
right tackle Bryan Bulaga(notes) battling injuries, but that hasn’t seemed to make much
difference to Green Bay’s offense. Clifton (hamstring) is expected to miss a
couple of weeks, while Bulaga (left knee) has missed the last two games but
could return Sunday.

Facing a makeshift offensive line, the Rams will try to put pressure on
Rodgers, but their eight sacks are tied for fourth-fewest in the NFL and they
failed to get one in their last game.

Sam Bradford(notes) was sacked a career-high seven times by the Redskins, throwing
for 164 yards – the third time this season he’s failed to reach 200. He didn’t
get much help from Steven Jackson, who finished with 45 rushing yards on 17
carries.

Jackson has rushed for 260 yards in his last two games against the Packers,
but will be facing a Green Bay defense that ranks third against the run,
allowing an average of 75.8 yards.

This is the first meeting between these teams since Sept. 27, 2009, when
Rodgers passed for 269 yards with two touchdowns in a 36-17 road victory. The
Packers also beat the Rams 33-14 in 2007.

Read More: Todd McClure (C – ATL), Atlanta Falcons, Green Bay Packers

The Atlanta Falcons will be without center Todd McClure again for their critical game against the Green Bay Packers. The longtime anchor had battled back from an early injury to play against the Buccaneers and Seahawks, but a knee injury will keep him out for another week. Rookie defense end Cliff Matthews is also out, which could be a bigger deal if John Abraham isn’t able to go.

The good news is Roddy White was a full practice participant, meaning he’s almost certain to go on Sunday.

The Pack will be without starting right tackle Bryan Bulaga, a setback considering defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux will return for Atlanta. The two wouldn’t have been paired against each other anyway, but any adjustments for Green Bay could cause challenges. Then again, the Packers won the Super Bowl last year with about six healthy players, so.

ATLANTA FALCONS

PLAYER	10/5/11	10/6/11	10/7/11
LB Stephen Nicholas (calf)	LP	LP	FP_P
DT Jonathan Babineaux (knee)	LP	LP	LP-Q
C Todd McClure (knee)	DNP	DNP	DNP-O
WR Roddy White (thigh)	DNP	LP	FP-P
RB Jason Snelling (concussion)	LP	FP	FP-P
S William Moore (neck)	LP	LP	FP-P
CB Chris Owens (ankle)	LP	FP	FP-P
DE Cliff Matthews (knee)	DNP	DNP	DNP-O
TE Michael Palmer (ankle)	DNP	LP	FP-P
DE John Abraham (hip)			LP-Q

GREEN BAY PACKERS

PLAYER	10/5/11	10/6/11	10/7/11
T Bryan Bulaga (knee)	DNP	DNP	DNP-O
T Chad Clifton (knee)	LP	FP	DNP-P
S Nick Collins (neck)	DNP	DNP	DNP-O
WR Donald Driver (shin)	DNP	FP	LP-P
RB Ryan Grant (kidney)	FP	FP	FP-P
LB Brad Jones (hamstring)	LP	LP	DNP-Q
LB Jamari Lattimore (shoulder)	LP	LP	LP-P
CB Pat Lee (back)	LP	LP	LP-P
LB Clay Matthews (quadricep)	DNP	DNP	DNP-P
DE Mike Neal (knee)	DNP	DNP	DNP-O
TE Andrew Quarless (knee)	DNP	DNP	DNP-D
TE Ryan Taylor (shoulder)	LP	FP	FP-P
CB Tramon Williams (shoulder)	LP	LP	LP-P
CB Charles Woodson (foot/knee)	DNP	DNP	LP-P
LB Frank Zombo (shoulder)	LP	LP	LP-O

For more, visit Falcons blog The Falcoholic and Packers blog Acme Packing Company.

Reuters

A radio host asked me this week: Is there any reason to think the Green Bay Packers aren’t the best team in football?

I was silent for a second, which felt like a minute.  Every reason I could come up with felt like nitpicking.

The Packers are rolling right now with an offense that looks unstoppable, and a defense that is making enough big plays. A forgiving schedule gives the Packers a great chance to roll up a big win total this year.

You have to squint hard to find areas of concern, but we saw a few of them in the Green Bay papers this morning:

1. The Packers are trying to teach James Starks to have better vision, according to the Kareem Copeland of the Green Bay Press Gazette.  Too often, Starks dances or misses the hole.

Ryan Grant seems to have great one-cut instincts but can no longer get to the outside well.  The Packers running game has been pretty good, but not great.  They could struggle against a truly elite defense.

2. Cornerback Tramon Williams hasn’t been the same since a Week One shoulder injury, according to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. The Packers are 31st against the pass in terms of yardage, although they are first in interceptions.

We’d argue that Sam Shields and Charles Woodson haven’t been any better in coverage.  This is probably Green Bay’s biggest concern, but the personnel is there.

3. Jason Wilde of ESPNMilwaukee.com looked at why Clay Matthews is stuck on one sack. Matthews does lead the team in QB hits. We covered this topic last week, but Wilde does a nice job going inside the numbers.  The Packers rush three defenders more than any team.

So there you go: The Packers aren’t perfect.  They are closer to complete through one quarter of the season than any team out there.

GREEN BAY, Wis. — The Green Bay Packers say running back Ryan Grant and right tackle Bryan Bulaga won’t play Sunday against the Denver Broncos.

The team ruled them out on Friday.

Bulaga suffered a sprain and bruise of his left knee in the first quarter of the Packers’ 27-17 win at Chicago last weekend. Grant rushed for a season-high 92 yards against the Bears but bruised his kidney on a hit to his back.

“There’s a protocol you have to go through, and the staff does not feel that he’s ready to go,” coach Mike McCarthy said. “I’m sure Ryan would like to go, but he has not been released from the medical staff. The same thing with Bryan Bulaga.”

Grant had been splitting carries in the first three games with James Starks, who will make the start Sunday. Marshall Newhouse, a second-year player, will make his first pro start as the replacement for Bulaga.

After he missed nearly the entire Super Bowl-winning season for the Packers in 2010 because of an ankle injury in the opener, Grant didn’t take the news well Friday that he would miss another game.

“If it was my call, I’d play,” Grant said.

The fifth-year player said he has felt fine most of the week and hasn’t seen any blood in his urine, which he did after Sunday’s game before he was taken to a Chicago hospital.

“The soreness that I have, I don’t think it has anything to do with my kidney,” Grant said Friday. “It’s nothing that I wouldn’t think that I couldn’t play with. But at the end of the day, I’ve got to trust the doctors, and they’re telling me that it’s something that I should be cautious about, and if I’ve got to sit out, I’ve got to sit out.”

Grant expects to get the OK to play in the Oct. 9 game at Atlanta.

Bulaga is ahead of schedule in his recovery, McCarthy said. Newhouse played well last week and the coaching staff was optimistic the young player is ready for his starting debut.

“It’s a big opportunity,” McCarthy said. “He did a good job down there in Chicago. He needs to take that next step, clear this next hurdle.”

Newhouse will be the fifth Green Bay player to line up at right tackle beside Josh Sitton since the talented right guard broke into the starting lineup toward the end of his rookie season in 2008.

Sitton has no reservations about Newhouse’s ability to handle the first-time assignment.

“Marshall is a smart kid, knows what he’s doing out there,” Sitton said. “It’s kind of a seamless transition. He’s smart, so it’s not like I’ve got to freakin’ baby him.”

Notes: LB Clay Matthews said Friday he’s not concerned he has only one sack after three games. The All-Pro had six sacks at the same point last season and finished with a career-high 17, including the playoffs. “Sacks are a very misleading statistic,” Matthews said. “I’m doing my job, which is to put pressure on the quarterback. There’s no doubt about that.” Matthews, who has a nagging quadriceps injury, didn’t practice Friday but is probable for Sunday. … CBs Charles Woodson (foot/knee) and Tramon Williams (shoulder), TE Jermichael Finley (ankle), LT Chad Clifton (knee) and DE Ryan Pickett (foot) are also listed as probable for Sunday’s game.

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP)—The Green Bay Packers say running back Ryan Grant(notes) and
right tackle Bryan Bulaga(notes) won’t play Sunday against the Denver Broncos.

The team ruled them out on Friday.

Bulaga suffered a sprain and bruise of his left knee in the first quarter of
the Packers’ 27-17 win at Chicago last weekend. Grant rushed for a season-high
92 yards against the Bears but bruised his kidney on a hit to his back.

“There’s a protocol you have to go through, and the staff does not feel
that he’s ready to go,” coach Mike McCarthy said. “I’m sure Ryan would like to
go, but he has not been released from the medical staff. The same thing with
Bryan Bulaga.”

Grant had been splitting carries in the first three games with James Starks(notes),
who will make the start Sunday. Marshall Newhouse(notes), a second-year player, will
make his first pro start as the replacement for Bulaga.

After he missed nearly the entire Super Bowl-winning season for the Packers
in 2010 because of an ankle injury in the opener, Grant didn’t take the news
well Friday that he would miss another game.

“If it was my call, I’d play,” Grant said.

The fifth-year player said he has felt fine most of the week and hasn’t seen
any blood in his urine, which he did after Sunday’s game before he was taken to
a Chicago hospital.

“The soreness that I have, I don’t think it has anything to do with my
kidney,” Grant said Friday. “It’s nothing that I wouldn’t think that I
couldn’t play with. But at the end of the day, I’ve got to trust the doctors,
and they’re telling me that it’s something that I should be cautious about, and
if I’ve got to sit out, I’ve got to sit out.”

Grant expects to get the OK to play in the Oct. 9 game at Atlanta.

Bulaga is ahead of schedule in his recovery, McCarthy said. Newhouse played
well last week and the coaching staff was optimistic the young player is ready
for his starting debut.

“It’s a big opportunity,” McCarthy said. “He did a good job down there in
Chicago. He needs to take that next step, clear this next hurdle.”

Newhouse will be the fifth Green Bay player to line up at right tackle
beside Josh Sitton(notes) since the talented right guard broke into the starting lineup
toward the end of his rookie season in 2008.

Sitton has no reservations about Newhouse’s ability to handle the first-time
assignment.

“Marshall is a smart kid, knows what he’s doing out there,” Sitton said.
“It’s kind of a seamless transition. He’s smart, so it’s not like I’ve got to
freakin’ baby him.”

Notes: LB Clay Matthews(notes) said Friday he’s not concerned he has only one sack
after three games. The All-Pro had six sacks at the same point last season and
finished with a career-high 17, including the playoffs. “Sacks are a very
misleading statistic,” Matthews said. “I’m doing my job, which is to put
pressure on the quarterback. There’s no doubt about that.” Matthews, who has a
nagging quadriceps injury, didn’t practice Friday but is probable for Sunday.
… CBs Charles Woodson(notes) (foot/knee) and Tramon Williams(notes) (shoulder), TE
Jermichael Finley(notes) (ankle), LT Chad Clifton(notes) (knee) and DE Ryan Pickett(notes) (foot) are
also listed as probable for Sunday’s game.

There’s no sugarcoating the loss of safety Nick Collins for the
Green Bay Packers’ season.

It’s akin to tight end Jermichael Finley’s season-ending knee
injury in 2010 in that the Packers are losing one of their
playmakers. And it might turn out worse.

With Finley last year, the Packers at least had another
game-changer in the passing game in Greg Jennings, plus a deep
enough corps of receivers behind him to make up some of the
difference.

Collins is a different story. He’s one of the best safeties in
the game, a three-time Pro Bowler who at age 28 still was playing
at that level. The Packers don’t have a Jennings-type player
alongside him and aren’t as good at backup safety as they were at
receiver last year.

This isn’t saying their Super Bowl hopes are dead. The one
player they can’t win the title without is quarterback Aaron
Rodgers. Outside linebacker Clay Matthews probably falls in that
category, too.

But it does mean there’s reason to wonder whether they’ll be
enough like the No. 2 scoring defense they had last year to win it
all again.

In considering the likelihood, it’s worth noting an observation
defensive coordinator Dom Capers made to reporters just before the
start of his 26th NFL training camp. He said that building a strong
NFL defense requires two or three difference-makers and a bunch of
starters who know and play their roles well. Coincidentally, he at
the time was praising backup safety Charlie Peprah, who’d been an
assignment-sure role player in helping the Packers win the Super
Bowl last season after Morgan Burnett blew out his knee in Week 4.
Peprah most likely will replace Collins.

With Capers’ observation in mind, it’s easy to rank the Packers’
most important defensive personnel. Matthews heads the list,
followed in order by Charles Woodson, then probably B.J. Raji, with
Collins and cornerback Tramon Williams neck and neck for the No. 4
spot.

By that measure, Capers still has his top three playmakers.

So assuming Peprah replaces Collins, Capers has a smart and
experienced quarterback for the secondary. But Peprah lacks
Collins’ abilities to run and play the ball, and he’ll be alongside
Burnett, a second-year pro who has played in only six NFL games,
instead of Collins, who could change games with interceptions (17
in the previous three seasons combined) and provide a blitz
security blanket for Capers as the last line of defense.

But keep in mind also that the Packers’ pass defense in the
first two games hasn’t been anything like what it was while winning
the Super Bowl last year. In 2010, the Packers ranked No. 1 in the
NFL in defensive passer rating (67.2 points); this year, they’re
No. 13 (92.9 points). They’ve also given up the most passing yards
(800) in the league after two games.

It’s also true this two-game performance has to be put in
context. In the opener, the Packers faced New Orleans, which has a
premier quarterback in Drew Brees and as talented an offense at the
skill positions as any in the NFL. Then last week they played the
NFL’s early-season phenom, Carolina rookie quarterback Cam Newton.
The Saints are going to put up big numbers almost every week, and
Newton topped the 400-yard mark passing in his first two games.
These were no chumps.

Still, this has to raise some red flags for the Packers. To win
a title, they’ll have to hold up against the league’s best
quarterbacks, and you can bet Capers and coach Mike McCarthy are
concerned. Brees, Atlanta’s Matt Ryan, Detroit’s ascending Matthew
Stafford and Philadelphia’s dangerous Michael Vick are among the
quarterbacks of NFC contenders, and Tom Brady and Philip Rivers
loom among the passers in the AFC.

The issue is whether Capers can absorb the Collins loss without
significantly scaling back his play calling. In that sense, losing
Williams would be worse. Woodson’s role as a playmaker in Capers’
nickel defense is contingent on Williams, and to a slightly lesser
extent Sam Shields, holding up well in one-on-one coverage against
the outside receivers. Without Williams, as we saw last week when
he didn’t play against Carolina because of a bruised shoulder,
Capers doesn’t have the coverage talent to play Woodson in that
higher-risk role.

Losing Collins isn’t the same in that way, but Capers almost
surely will scale back his playbook now that he doesn’t have
Collins’ ball skills and range as his last line of defense. The
degree to which he scales back then depends on Burnett.

The second-year pro has excellent size (6-1 3/8, 209 pounds) for
a safety and good ball skills. His speed (4.51 seconds in the 40 at
his Pro Day workout) is good but not of Collins’ caliber (4.37
seconds coming out of college), and Burnett lacks Collins’
knowledge and experience.

Capers will need time to see to what degree he can trust his
safeties without Collins, who had played in all 39 games Capers has
coached with the Packers. Last year, Shields came out of nowhere to
upgrade the No. 3 cornerback job and allow Capers to open his
playbook for Woodson. If the Packers are to win big again, they’ll
need Burnett to do the same this year.