TOM CANAVAN

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UNBEATEN: Jordy Nelson of the Green Bay Packers makes a reception.

Tied with less than a minute to play and 80 yards from the end zone, Aaron Rodgers wasn’t going to wait until overtime.

It was the perfect choice for a team pushing perfection.

Rodgers completed passes of 24, 27 and 18 yards in a lightning-quick five-play drive to set up a 31-yard field goal by Mason Crosby on the final play, and the Green Bay Packers remained undefeated and clinched a playoff berth with a 38-35 victory over the New York Giants today.

“Those are the fun ones when they end up like that,” Rodgers said. “We’ve had a number of games we won by a couple scores,” Rodgers said. “You get the ball on the 20, under a minute, and we get it down there for a chip-shot field goal, it’s very rewarding. It probably (ranks) right at the top.”

The defending Super Bowl champions (12-0) won their 18th straight game. Coupled with the Detroit Lions’ loss to New Orleans, the Packers captured the NFC North.

Rodgers hit all four of his passes in the 58-second drive that sent the Giants (6-6) to their fourth straight loss, starting with a 24-yard laser to tight end Jermichael Finley just over the hands of rookie linebacker Jacquian Williams.

“I thought it was mine. I thought it was mine,” Williams said after the game. “Like I said, it’s a good throw and catch. He made some good throws.”

The second one covered 24 yards to Jordy Nelson down the left sideline and moved the ball to the New York 29. An 18-yard pass to Greg Jennings two plays later moved the ball to the 12. The third toss was a 1-yard loss.

Green Bay called time out with 3 seconds to go, and then Crosby delivered his winning kick.

“It was a huge drive,” said Jennings, who also caught a 20-yard touchdown. “We haven’t had one like that at the end in a while. It was very quiet in the huddle, actually. You could see everybody was focused. It’s great to see what we could do at the end like that.”

Coach Mike McCarthy said the Packers practice the two-minute drive all the time. Having Rodgers at the helm is just a bonus.

“I’m running out things to say about him,” McCarthy said. “He’s a great quarterback. Playing against the pass rush they had tonight, he hung in there and made the plays.”

Rodgers, harassed by the Giants’ front four and sacked three times, finished 28 of 46 for 369 yards. He threw touchdown passes of 7 and 13 yards to Donald Driver and 12 to Finley in addition to the one to Jennings.

The loss was another heartbreaker for New York, which played exceptionally well after being blown out by New Orleans on Monday night.

The Giants tied it on a 2-yard touchdown pass from Eli Manning to Hakeem Nicks, and a 2-point conversion run by D.J. Ware on a Manning audible with just under a minute to play.

However, Rodgers wasn’t going to settle for overtime after a touchback on the ensuing kickoff.

“He’s a great quarterback, but I expect more out of us on defense,” Giants defensive end Dave Tollefson said. “You know, it’s not like Jesus in cleats. He’s Aaron Rodgers. He’s a great quarterback, but we have to do a better job of finishing on defense.”

The three-point victory was the Packers’ smallest winning margin this season.

“We’re 12-0 and we’re focused on that,” said linebacker Clay Matthews who scored on a 38-yard second-quarter interception. “It’s been something we’ve been talking about since we were 7-0 or 8-0. So we’ll keep going from that.”

For the Giants, everything wasn’t terrible. Dallas also lost, leaving New York a game behind the Cowboys with four games to go. The teams will play twice over that span.

“It gives us relief to know we’re still right in the mix,” said Manning, who was 23 of 40 for 347 yards and three touchdowns. “If we handle our business and win out, we’ll be in the playoffs. It’s a playoff atmosphere now.”

Manning’s touchdowns covered 67-yards to Travis Beckum and 4 and 2 yards to Nicks. Brandon Jacobs scored on a 1-yard run after a rare interception of Rodgers and Lawrence Tynes kicked two field goals with a 50-yarder in the fourth quarter getting New York within 28-27.

Rodgers hooked up with Driver on a 7-yard TD with 3:34 to go to push the lead to 35-27.

However, Manning hit tight end Jake Ballard on two 15-yard passes and connected with Victor Cruz for 22 yards to set up the tying score that New York thought would send the game to OT.

Rodgers had other ideas, though, and the Packers continued their run at trying to match Miami’s perfect season in 1972.

It’s not surprising New York gave them a game. The Giants ended the Denver Broncos perfect season at 11 games in 1998 and they knocked off the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl in February 2008 when Tom Brady and company were a game from perfection.

New York seemed to be in control until Manning made a mistake on a play-action pass on the first play of the second quarter. With his primary receiver covered, Manning threw a sideline pass to Ahmad Bradshaw in front of the Packers bench and Matthews jumped the route and returned it 38 yards for a touchdown and a 14-10 lead.

Rodgers had only been intercepted four times all season but linebacker Chase Blackburn, signed Wednesday, picked him off at the Green Bay 21 and returned the ball to the 12. Two plays later, Brandon Jacobs plowed in from the 1 to give New York a 17-14 edge.

Rodgers atoned for the error on the next series, driving the Packers 80 yards in 11 plays with the biggest play being an 11-yard scramble on a third-and-10 from New York 43. Rodgers capped the march with a 13-yard, third-down touchdown pass to a wide-open Donald Driver on a play in which the Giants secondary blew the coverage.

The 49ers (10-2) sealed their playoff berth and the NFC West division title with a 26-0 shutout over the struggling St. Louis Rams (2-10) while the battle for playoff spots in the AFC looked likely to go down to the wire with none of the teams able to break free of the pack.

Last year’s Super Bowl runner-up, the Pittsburgh Steelers (9-3), romped to a 35-7 win over the Cincinnati Bengals (7-5) only to remain behind Baltimore (9-3) in the AFC North division after the Ravens won 24-10 at the Cleveland Browns (4-8).

The Houston Texans (9-3) snuck past the Atlanta Falcons (7-5) to move two games clear in the AFC South while the New England Patriots (9-3) held off the winless Indianapolis Colts 31-24 to lead the AFC East by two but not assured of anything.

The Denver Broncos (7-5), led by in-form quarterback Tim Tebow, rallied for a 35-32 win over the struggling Minnesota Vikings (2-10) after Matt Prater kicked a 23-yard field goal on the final play to join Oakland (7-5) atop the AFC West as the Raiders fell 34-14 to the Miami Dolphins (4-8).

Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers threw four touchdowns and Mason Crosby kicked a 30-yard field goal as time expired as the Packers survived a scare from a Giants team that has lost four straight and is in danger of missing the postseason.

“This was the first step,” said Rodgers. “Get in the playoffs, win the division, get a first-round bye, homefield advantage and hopefully go undefeated.”

The 49ers showed why they have the best defense in the NFL as they booked their first playoff berth in nine years with Alex Smith throwing for two long touchdowns.

The Bears, already without quarterback Jay Cutler, suffered another blow during their surprise loss to the Chiefs when running back Matt Forte left the game with a right knee injury in the first half.

Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger threw a pair of touchdown passes while Rashard Mendenhall rushed for two more as the Steelers recorded their third straight win.

The Texans made it six wins on the trot, a record for the franchise, when Arian Foster scored the winning touchdown and rookie quarterback T.J. Yates celebrated his first NFL start with a win.

Another rookie, Cam Newton, set a NFL record for the most rushed touchdowns in a season by a quarterback when he scored three times in the Carolina Panthers’ (4-8) dominating 38-19 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-8).

Newton took his total for rushed touchdowns for the season to 13, one more than the previous mark set by Steve Grogan in 1976.

Rob Gronkowski set a single-season record for touchdowns by a tight end in the Patriots’ win over the Colts (0-12), the only remaining winless team this season.

Gronkowski scored twice to lift his season total to 14 touchdowns, eclipsing the previous record of 13 jointly held by Vernon Davis and Antonio Gates.

- AP, Reuters

That’s all the news for today.

(Reuters) – The unbeaten Green Bay Packers can secure their place in the playoffs and take a step towards the ‘perfect season‘ when they face the New York Giants on Sunday while the San Francisco 49ers could join them in the post-season with a win over St.Louis.

The schedule has not been kind to the Giants who come off Monday night’s 49-24 mauling in New Orleans and now face the 11-0 Super Bowl champion Packers and the league’s most feared quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

There are numerous ways that Green Bay can make sure of a playoff place with a quarter of the regular season remaining, the most obvious being a victory, but other scenarios include losses for Chicago, Atlanta or Detroit.

But the Packers, who will already be aiming for home field advantage in the playoffs, are not going to be giving much time to calculations.

The elusive unbeaten record of the 1972 Miami Dolphins is a topic that few challengers are willing to discuss and Rodgers is no exception, insisting the motivation, even at this stage, has nothing to do with the record books.

“It is motivating to go out every week and compete better than you did the previous. We have been able to play the way we wanted to play consistently the first 11 games. We will see what happens when we get down this road a little bit,” Rodgers said on Wednesday.

“It is not something that we vocally talk about as a goal. Our goal is to win the division first, get a home game and give ourselves a chance and go from there,” he added.

GROUP OF SEVEN

Victory would move the Packers’ unbeaten streak to 18, including last season’s playoff wins, and another triumph would put them in the group of seven teams to have reached that total – including, two great pre-war Chicago Bears teams – a point that won’t be lost on the Green Bay fanbase.

Only the New England Patriots, who went 21 games unbeaten between 2003 and 2004, stand above that group on 18.

The Giants don’t need much reminding that unbeaten streaks do come to an end – they famously ended the Patriots’ hopes of a perfect season with a victory in the 2007 Super Bowl that ended New England’s run that season at 18 games.

The Giants (6-5) still have a shout at the playoffs themselves but they have a tough schedule and will need to pull off a few surprises if they are to keep their hopes alive.

The 49ers (9-2) have a five game cushion in the NFC West and a win or a tie will be enough to secure the division for Jim Harbaugh in his first season since moving from the college game.

Perhaps the closest fought game will be in New Orleans where the Detroit Lions (7-4) badly need an upset win after losing two of their last three.

That task will be made even tougher if, as expected, Ndamukong Suh’s suspension is upheld, despite an appeal from the defensive tackle.

In Houston, the Texans, who have lost two quarterbacks to injury, turn to third-stringer T.J. Yates against Atlanta.

The Falcons (7-4) trail New Orleans (8-3) in the NFC South and will be hoping for at least a wildcard spot while Houston must try to hold on to top spot in the AFC South.

(Editing by Rex Gowar)

Comment Below!.

There isn’t much change in this week’s NFL power rankings by The Times-Picayune. The top eight teams all hold the same position they held a week ago, as they ready for the stretch run.

Currently, the NFC appears to be the NFL’s strongest conference, with the top three-ranked teams each calling the NFC home.

The undefeated Green Bay Packers are No. 1, followed by the San Francisco 49ers and the New Orleans Saints.

The Pittsburgh Steelers (No. 4) and the New England Patriots (No. 5) are the top-ranked teams from the AFC.

Here are the rankings:

Rankings, (last week), team, record,

1.(1) Green Bay Packers 10-0 Have won 16 straight, dating to last year.

2. (2) San Francisco 49ers 9-1 Big game coming up at the Ravens on Turkey Day.

3. (3) New Orleans Saints 7-3 Should be well rested for stretch run. 

4. (4) Pittsburgh Steelers 7-3  Coming off a bye.

5. (5) New England Patriots 7-3 Good shot for No.1 seed in AFC.

6. (6) Chicago Bears 7-3 How will they handle the loss of Jay Cutler?

7. (7) Houston Texans 7-3 Coming off a bye.

8. (8) Baltimore Ravens 7-3 Keeping pace for top seed in AFC. 

9. (10) Detroit Lions 7-3 Looking to knock off the Packers.

10. (11) Atlanta Falcons 6-4 Roddy White bounced back nicely.

11. (14) Dallas Cowboys 6-4 Here come the Cowboys.

12 (9) New York Giants 6-4 Lost two straigth games heading into Saints game.

13. (13) Cincinnati Bengals 6-4 Have lost two in a row.

14. (16) Oakland Raiders 6-4 The Carson Palmer experiment is working out.

15. (20) Denver Broncos 5-5 Finding a way to win with Tebow.

16. (12) New York Jets 5-5 If the playoffs started today Jets wouldn’t make it.

17. (15) Tennessee Titans 5-5 Things will only get harder without Hasselbeck.

18. (17) Buffalo Bills 5-5 Have lost four of last five games.

19. (25) Philadelphia Eagles 4-6 Vince Young did a nice job filling in for Vick.

20. (23) Seattle Seahawks 4-6 Have consecutive wins for the first time this season.

21. (18) Tampa Bay Buccaneers 4-6 Have lost five of last six games.

22. (19) San Diego Chargers 4-6 Have lost five straight games.

23. (21) Kansas City Chiefs 4-6 Offense struggled against Patriots.

24. (27) Cleveland Browns 4-6 Looking to win against on Sunday vs. Bengals.

25. (22) Jacksonville Jaguars 3-7 Jags have plenty of problems.

26. (29) Miami Dolphins 3-7 Dolphins are getting it together.

27. (24) Arizona Cardinals 3-7 Have QB issues.

28. (26) Washington Redskins 3-7 Have lost six straight.

29. (31) Carolina Panthers 2-8 Despite record they still are competitive.

30. (28) St. Louis Rams 2-8 Ranked last in NFL in scoring.

31. (30) Minnesota Vikings 2-8 Adrian Peterson’s injury isn’t good news.

32. (32) Indianapolis Colts 0-10 Has first dibs on top pick in NFL draft.

That’s all the news for today.

What do you guys think about this.

Posted: Saturday, November 19, 2011 11:18 pm
|


Updated: 11:19 pm, Sat Nov 19, 2011.

Posted in
Nfl,
Daily updates

on

Saturday, November 19, 2011 11:18 pm.

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Johnny Jolly is not only a suspended Green Bay Packers defensive lineman, he’s also now a new resident of the prison system after being sentenced on Thursday to six years in prison for violating his probation over a former drug conviction.

The sentence was handed down by State District Judge Denise Bradley after Jolly and his mother, Phyllis Jolly, made tearful pleas for his release. Jolly’s mother asked that he be treated for his codeine addiction rather than be placed behind bars. Also speaking for the NFL player were his agent and drug counselor.

In his plea to the judge Jolly said:

“I want to go to rehab to get help.”

Jolly, 28, was pulled over during a traffic stop in Houston back in October, at that time he attempted to hide the substance which only led to a further charge of tampering with evidence.  The NFL player was pulled over after he was seen throwing a bag out the window, he was then witnessed dumping a cup containing codeine on the floor.

The October arrest came just six months after Jolly plead guilty in April to codeine possession which wiped out an earlier charge and spared him from prison.

Jolly spent 8-weeks in court ordered rehab after his second arrest.  His attorney said of their client:

“I don’t look at Johnny as a criminal … I look at him as an addict.”

A sixth-round draft pick Johnny Jolly was a starter for the Green Bay Packers in 2008 and 2009 but sat out the entire 2010 season due to an indefinite suspension.

What do you guys think about this.

Phyllis Jolly, right, mother of suspended Green Bay Packers football player Johnny Jolly, collapses as she screams after her son was sentenced to prison Thursday, Nov. 17, 2011, in Houston. Johnny Jolly was sentenced to six years in prison for violating the terms of his probation on a drug charge. He was charged with possession of a compound containing codeine and tampering with evidence after a traffic stop in October. It was his third drug arrest in three years.

Phyllis Jolly, right, mother of suspended Green Bay Packers football player Johnny Jolly, collapses as she screams after her son was sentenced to prison Thursday, Nov. 17, 2011, in Houston. Johnny Jolly was sentenced to six years in prison for violating the terms of his probation on a drug charge. He was charged with possession of a compound containing codeine and tampering with evidence after a traffic stop in October. It was his third drug arrest in three years.

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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.

If anybody needs tickets to games, remember to click the tickets link at the top.

By
Sportsmail Reporter

Last updated at 10:10 AM on 19th September 2011

Eyes on the prize: Rodgers threw for 308 yards and two touchdowns

Defending Super Bowl champions the Green Bay Packers made it two wins from two at the start of the new NFL season after fighting back to see off the challenge of the Carolina Panthers.

Aaron Rodgers threw for 308 yards and two touchdowns as Green Bay recovered from a 13-0 deficit to claim a 30-23 win.

The loss was tough on Carolina rookie Cam Newton, who followed up his 422-yard passing day last week by throwing for 432 yards and a touchdown, whilst also running in a score of his own with 37 seconds left on his home debut.

Newton’s TD brought his side to within seven points, but the Packers recovered the onside kick to seal the win.

The Indianapolis Colts, who are without the injured Peyton Manning, continue to struggle as they fell to 0-2 for the first time since 1998 after losing 27-19 to the Cleveland Browns. The Colts lost 34-7 to the Houston Texans in their opening game of the season.

In the thick of it: The Colts have suffered their worst start to a season in 13 years

The Buffalo Bills and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers both staged impressive comebacks to beat the Oakland Raiders and the Minnesota Vikings, respectively.

The Bills hit back from a 21-3 first-half deficit to win 38-35 in a contest that swung one way and then the other.

Ryan Fitzpatrick’s six-yard touchdown pass to David Nelson with 14 seconds remaining earned Buffalo the victory in their opening home match.

The Endzone: Cowboys receiver Miles Austin (right) catches a pass for a touchdown in his side’s overtime win

Meanwhile, the Bucs battled back from a 17-0 half-time deficit.to beat the Vikings 24-20 with LeGarrette Blount’s four-yard touchdown run with 31 seconds left earning them the win.

The 2010 Super Bowl champions the New Orleans Saints bounced back from their opening weekend loss to Green Bay with a 30-13 triumph over the Chicago Bears.

Time to celebrate: Stevie Johnson jumps into the stands as the Bills complete a stunning comeback

The Detroit Lions thrashed the Kansas City Chiefs 48-3 to record largest margin of victory in franchise history, beating the 44-0 win they had over Jacksonville Jaguars in 1995.

The New York Jets were also big winners as they defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars 32-3, while the Washington Redskins rallied for a 22-21 victory over the Arizona Cardinals, and the Tennessee Titans beat the Baltimore Ravens 26-13.

Last season’s Super Bowl runners-up and 2009 winners the Pittsburgh Steelers recovered from their heavy opening week loss to the Ravens with a 24-0 win over the Seattle Seahawks.

In Sunday’s afternoon games, Tony Romo shrugged off the pain from a fractured rib to lead the Dallas Cowboys to a 27-24 overtime win over the San Francisco 49ers. Romo hit Jesse Holley on a 77-yard completion on the Cowboys’ first play of overtime to set up a 19-yard winning field goal from Dan Bailey, who had kicked one from 48 yards as time expired to force overtime.

Going over: Rob Gronkowskii (right) catches a touchdown in New England’s win

In New England, Tom Brady threw for ‘just’ 423 yards six days after setting a single-game team record of 517, leading the New England Patriots to a 35-21 win over the San Diego Chargers.

Brady had three touchdown passes and completed 31 of 40 passes with no interceptions. Philip Rivers threw for 378 yards for the Chargers, but they committed four turnovers for the second straight year against New England.

John Fox enjoyed his first win as Denver coach as the Broncos beat the Cincinnati Bengals 24-22, with Willis McGahee running for a touchdown and Eric Decker catching two touchdown passes from Kyle Orton.

Miami’s miserable home form continued, the Dolphins losing 23-13 to the Houston Texans. The Dolphins committed two turnovers, had a 22-yard field-goal attempt blocked and missed another from 34 yards as they lost for the 11th time in their last 12 home games.

 

 

That’s all for today.

GREEN BAY – Ahman Green, the leading rusher in Green Bay
Packers’ history, will officially announce his retirement in a
press conference at Lambeau Field at 6:30 p.m. today.

Green gained 8,322 yards on 1,851 carries, both team records, in
eight seasons with the Packers, from 2000 to 2006 and in 2009. He
surpassed Jim Taylor, who had 8,207 yards on 1,811 carries, during
the 2009 season.

The 6-foot, 217-pounder from the University of Nebraska led the
Packers in rushing a record six times, from 2000 to 2004 and in
2006.

Green’s best season was 2003, when he set team single-season
records of 1,883 yards and 355 carries and had 10 games of 100 or
more yards.

He ran wild in the 2003 season finale at Lambeau Field, setting
a single-game record of 218 yards on 20 carries with a team-record
98-yard run for a touchdown in a 31-3 rout of the Denver Broncos on
Dec. 28.

Green also twice had four straight 100-yard games in 2003, with
the second streak carrying over to the 2004 season.

His other Packers career records include 33 games of 100 or more
yards rushing.

Green came to the Packers in a trade with the Seattle Seahawks
on April 15, 2000. General Manager Ron Wolf sent cornerback Fred
Vinson and a sixth-round draft pick to Seattle for Green and a
fifth-round draft pick.

Green left the Packers in free agency in 2007, signing with the
Houston Texans. Slowed by injuries, he played in only 14 games over
two seasons with the Texans, gaining 554 yards.

The Packers re-signed Green as a free agent in 2009. He played
in eight games as a backup to Ryan Grant, gaining 160 yards.

Green broke Taylor’s career rushing record on a 2-yard gain
during the fourth quarter of a 38-28 loss to the Tampa Bay
Buccaneers in Tampa, Fla., on Nov. 8, 2009.

Green played with his hometown Omaha Nighthawks of the United
Football League in 2010. He went to training camp with the Montreal
Alouettes of the Canadian Football League earlier this year, but
injured a hamstring and was released.

Now 34, Green lives in the Green Bay area, where he’s a
volunteer football coach at De Pere High School. Earlier this week,
he was hired by the Big Ten Network as a sideline analyst.

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July 23, 2011 |

Marco Rivera feels the pain today. It wasn’t necessarily one severe injury or one specific surgery. Rather, each morning is the cruel culmination of 11 brutal seasons.

“Oh, boy,” Rivera said. “Where do I start? Knee injuries, a thumb, a broken hand, back surgeries, neck pain. It’s part of the game. There isn’t one player out there that doesn’t have some kind of injury. My commitment to the team was to ignore my injuries.

“I didn’t want to just give up.”

On Saturday, inside the Lambeau Field Atrium, this attitude was finally rewarded. Both Rivera and William Henderson were assembly-line mainstays during their coinciding Green Bay careers, Rivera from 1997-2004 and Henderson from 1995-2006. Neither garnered much attention, instead excelling at selfless jobs through one of the team’s best runs.

Now, the right guard and fullback are enshrined in the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame.

Choked up, Henderson struggled to find words at a news conference beforehand. Having all eyes on him for a change means something.

“It’s great to represent the Green Bay Packers and,” said Henderson, pausing for a few moments, “the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame. It’s kind of crazy to say that. Every time I come back now, I’m representing so many decades of guys willing to do whatever it takes.”

The NFL was not kind to Rivera. He’s had two back surgeries and will need a third. Nonetheless, he wouldn’t change a thing.

Rivera didn’t dare sit out. To his left was the game’s iron man, Brett Favre, stringing together an NFL-record 297 consecutive starts. Favre’s approach filtered through the entire offensive line, Rivera said. That group – arguably one of the best run-blocking units in team history – played through pain.

“How can you look at him in the eye and say, ‘Oh, Brett, I have a torn MCL. I think I’m just going to take the game off?’ ” Rivera said. “You could go ahead and lose that game because the right guard doesn’t play well. I didn’t want that to happen.”

As a result, Favre’s streak continued and Ahman Green tore through the team annals with a Packers-best six 1,000-yard seasons.

Larry Beightol, Rivera’s position coach and presenter Saturday, has coached linemen since 1968. Through pro stints with the Atlanta Falcons, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, San Diego Chargers, New York Jets, Houston Oilers, Packers and the Detroit Lions, he’s hard-pressed to think of a better lineman.

“It was because of his heart, what he had inside, that made Marco an outstanding football player,” Beightol said. “They don’t come any better than this guy and I mean that. Without a question, he is one of the best if not the very best offensive linemen I ever had. This guy here is very, very special.”

Thus, Rivera’s departure from the Packers in 2005 was a doomsday of sorts. Both Rivera (Dallas) and left guard Mike Wahle (Carolina) left Green Bay for bigger paydays as free agents. The Packers went 4-12 the following season, their worst mark in 14 years.

Rivera said he didn’t want to leave. This was business. Now, he’s at peace knowing his legacy will remain in Green Bay.

The same goes for Henderson, who lived by a throw-caution-to-the-wind credo.

“On that first hit, my head was ringing and my body was numb. That meant nobody could hurt me,” Henderson said. “I tried to knock them out. Special teams, offense, defense, whatever. I was going to make contact with someone.”

Now, the position he played is changing. Sure, he got to catch some passes in his day. Henderson was often a convenient safety valve for Favre with 320 career receptions for 2,409 yards and 14 touchdowns in 12 seasons. But now fullbacks actually carry the football, Henderson – who rushed 123 times in his career – said with a laugh. His approach was to inflict pain, not to be an offensive weapon.

In the week leading up to a game, Henderson said, he scanned the newspapers for comments made by opposing linebackers. He tried to find any nugget of motivation.

“And I’d make sure his backside had as many grass stains as possible,” Henderson said.

The Hall of Fame honor clearly meant something special to Henderson. He doesn’t want his relationship with the team and the city to end, saying that he hasn’t experienced the highlight of his Packers career yet. Each trip back is a better experience, he said. And being inducted into the Hall of Fame is a lifelong membership.

Listing the names of Packers greats from the 1960s, Henderson shook his head. Recently, Packers legendary guard Jerry Kramer let him wear his Super Bowl rings. Now, he’s one of those players immortalized with the greats – not just a supporting actor.

The reason both he and Rivera reached this point is simple.

“I believe in playing football at 100 miles an hour,” Henderson said. “Don’t stop.”

Feel free to leave your comments below.

by Associated Press

khou.com

Posted on February 4, 2011 at 12:11 AM

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GREEN BAY, Wis. — Dom Capers inherited a defensive mess two years ago, taking over a Green Bay Packers unit that gave up big plays in bunches and couldn’t hold late leads.

Now they’re one of the best in the league.

In the space of two seasons, the former Carolina and Houston head coach has imposed his version of the 3-4 defense on a team used to playing a 4-3. Although there were a handful of complaints from players early on, the Packers played well in the transition last season — and they’re dominating this season, despite losing several significant players to injury.

Going into tonight’s playoff game at Atlanta, defensive lineman Ryan Pickett says Capers has wiped away any memories of the Packers’ past defensive shortcomings. Green Bay was No. 2 in points allowed this season, trailing only Pittsburgh.

‘We’re a totally different defense,” Pickett said. ‘Going into last week, nobody even thought about ’08, whatever year it was. We didn’t even think about it. We’re a completely different defense. It’s hard to score points on us, and that’s just our brand of football.”

The decision to bring in Capers has paid off for Mike McCarthy, an offensive-minded head coach who enjoys hands-on work with quarterbacks.

‘He’s been doing it so long, very detailed, knows exactly what he’s looking for, and I think that’s really the true mark of an excellent coach,” McCarthy said. ‘You have the vision, and (stay) true to that vision and make sure you do not get off the path to accomplish what you want. I just think the success we’ve had in the two years is a big credit to Dom.”

Capers is enjoying the journey.

‘It’s been a lot of fun,” he said. ‘This year’s been especially rewarding because of the number of new guys we’ve had step in, have done it the right way, applied themselves, and gone out and had success.”

The Packers have 15 players on injured reserve, including three defensive starters. Several other key defensive players have missed time because of injuries.

Capers still has plenty of talent; cornerback Charles Woodson was The Associated Press Defensive Player of the Year last season, and outside linebacker Clay Matthews is considered a favorite to win the award this season.

Tramon Williams is one of the league’s best young cornerbacks, Nick Collins is a Pro Bowl safety and Cullen Jenkins has made big plays as a 3-4 defensive end, a position that sometimes gets lost in the shuffle.

But injuries have allowed backups to flourish under Capers:

–Linebacker Desmond Bishop became a starter in the wake of a season-ending wrist injury to starter Nick Barnett. Bishop has played so well that the team recently extended his contract.

–Safety Charlie Peprah has stepped into a starting role after a season-ending injury to rookie safety Morgan Burnett and has played solidly all season.

–Undrafted free agent rookie Frank Zombo became a starter when outside linebacker Brad Jones was lost for the season. When Zombo got hurt, Capers plugged in midseason free agent signing Erik Walden, who was NFC defensive player of the week after their regular season finale.

‘Our scheme’s changed a lot based off of who we’ve been putting out there,” Capers said. ‘It’s changed from one week to the next. And that’s been a big challenge for us, in terms of, ‘What are we going to do this week if we’re missing this and this and this guy?’”

Bishop says Capers’ experience and mastery of the details of his defense are his strongest assets as a coach.

‘Sometimes, I sit back and watch him watch how things are supposed to work, and if something’s not right, he’ll definitely get it fixed,” Bishop said. ‘The way he sees the way it’s supposed to go, it’s at a total different speed than anybody else. Just his knowledge of how it’s supposed to work is his biggest strength. I, one day, can hopefully see it how he sees it, and that would raise my game like 10-fold.”

Given how well the Packers’ defense has performed, there has been speculation that Capers would attract interest from teams with head coaching vacancies. While the league-wide trend is toward hiring younger coaches and Capers is 60, his resume is impressive.

But with the Denver Broncos’ decision to hire John Fox on Thursday, it seems more likely that Capers will stay in Green Bay. Capers didn’t want to talk about the specifics of his current contract with the Packers, saying only that he has ‘more time left” on it.

‘I enjoy what I’m doing, I love the challenge, I love our players,” Capers said recently. ‘You get to be close with these guys. I like our staff, I enjoy working for Mike. So I’ll do this as long as I have my health and enjoy what I’m doing. And somebody will have me around.”

Capers said Thursday that he’s focused only on the Falcons.

‘I’ve been so focused in on this game,” Capers said. ‘I just feel like you never know when these opportunities will present themselves or when they’ll come around again. So I really don’t pay any attention to all that stuff. My focus is on finding a way to go to Atlanta and win that football game.”

If anybody needs tickets to games, remember to click the tickets link at the top.

GREEN BAY (AP) — Dom Capers inherited a defensive mess two years ago, taking over a Green Bay Packers unit that gave up big plays in bunches and couldn’t hold late leads.

Now they’re one of the best in the league.

In the space of two seasons, the former Carolina and Houston head coach has imposed his version of the 3-4 defense on a team used to playing a 4-3. Although there were a handful of complaints from players early on, the Packers played well in the transition last season — and they’re dominating this season, despite losing several significant players to injury.

Going into tonight’s playoff game at Atlanta, defensive lineman Ryan Pickett says Capers has wiped away any memories of the Packers’ past defensive shortcomings. Green Bay was No. 2 in points allowed this season, trailing only Pittsburgh.

“We’re a totally different defense,” Pickett said. “Going into last week, nobody even thought about ’08, whatever year it was. We didn’t even think about it. We’re a completely different defense. It’s hard to score points on us, and that’s just our brand of football.”

The decision to bring in Capers has paid off for Mike McCarthy, an offensive-minded head coach who enjoys hands-on work with quarterbacks.

“He’s been doing it so long, very detailed, knows exactly what he’s looking for, and I think that’s really the true mark of an excellent coach,” McCarthy said. “You have the vision, and (stay) true to that vision and make sure you do not get off the path to accomplish what you want. I just think the success we’ve had in the two years is a big credit to Dom.”

Capers is enjoying the journey.

“It’s been a lot of fun,” he said. “This year’s been especially rewarding because of the number of new guys we’ve had step in, have done it the right way, applied themselves, and gone out and had success.”

The Packers have 15 players on injured reserve, including three defensive starters. Several other key defensive players have missed time because of injuries.

Capers still has plenty of talent; cornerback Charles Woodson was The Associated Press Defensive Player of the Year last season, and outside linebacker Clay Matthews is considered a favorite to win the award this season.

Tramon Williams is one of the league’s best young cornerbacks, Nick Collins is a Pro Bowl safety and Cullen Jenkins has made big plays as a 3-4 defensive end, a position that sometimes gets lost in the shuffle.

But injuries have allowed backups to flourish under Capers:

n Linebacker Desmond Bishop became a starter in the wake of a season-ending wrist injury to starter Nick Barnett. Bishop has played so well that the team recently extended his contract.

n Safety Charlie Peprah has stepped into a starting role after a season-ending injury to rookie safety Morgan Burnett and has played solidly all season.

n Undrafted free agent rookie Frank Zombo became a starter when outside linebacker Brad Jones was lost for the season. When Zombo got hurt, Capers plugged in midseason free agent signing Erik Walden, who was NFC defensive player of the week after their regular season finale.

“Our scheme’s changed a lot based off of who we’ve been putting out there,” Capers said. “It’s changed from one week to the next. And that’s been a big challenge for us, in terms of, ‘What are we going to do this week if we’re missing this and this and this guy?’”

Bishop says Capers’ experience and mastery of the details of his defense are his strongest assets as a coach.

“Sometimes, I sit back and watch him watch how things are supposed to work, and if something’s not right, he’ll definitely get it fixed,” Bishop said. “The way he sees the way it’s supposed to go, it’s at a total different speed than anybody else. Just his knowledge of how it’s supposed to work is his biggest strength. I, one day, can hopefully see it how he sees it, and that would raise my game like 10-fold.”

Given how well the Packers’ defense has performed, there has been speculation that Capers would attract interest from teams with head coaching vacancies. While the league-wide trend is toward hiring younger coaches and Capers is 60, his resume is impressive.

But with the Denver Broncos’ decision to hire John Fox on Thursday, it seems more likely that Capers will stay in Green Bay. Capers didn’t want to talk about the specifics of his current contract with the Packers, saying only that he has “more time left” on it.

Posted in Daily updates, Nfl on Friday, January 14, 2011 11:47 pm. Updated: 11:48 pm.

That’s all for today guys, i’ll be back to blog you tomorrow.

GREEN BAY (AP) — Dom Capers inherited a defensive mess two years ago, taking over a Green Bay Packers unit that gave up big plays in bunches and couldn’t hold late leads.

Now they’re one of the best in the league.

In the space of two seasons, the former Carolina and Houston head coach has imposed his version of the 3-4 defense on a team used to playing a 4-3. Although there were a handful of complaints from players early on, the Packers played well in the transition last season — and they’re dominating this season, despite losing several significant players to injury.

Going into tonight’s playoff game at Atlanta, defensive lineman Ryan Pickett says Capers has wiped away any memories of the Packers’ past defensive shortcomings. Green Bay was No. 2 in points allowed this season, trailing only Pittsburgh.

“We’re a totally different defense,” Pickett said. “Going into last week, nobody even thought about ’08, whatever year it was. We didn’t even think about it. We’re a completely different defense. It’s hard to score points on us, and that’s just our brand of football.”

The decision to bring in Capers has paid off for Mike McCarthy, an offensive-minded head coach who enjoys hands-on work with quarterbacks.

“He’s been doing it so long, very detailed, knows exactly what he’s looking for, and I think that’s really the true mark of an excellent coach,” McCarthy said. “You have the vision, and (stay) true to that vision and make sure you do not get off the path to accomplish what you want. I just think the success we’ve had in the two years is a big credit to Dom.”

Capers is enjoying the journey.

“It’s been a lot of fun,” he said. “This year’s been especially rewarding because of the number of new guys we’ve had step in, have done it the right way, applied themselves, and gone out and had success.”

The Packers have 15 players on injured reserve, including three defensive starters. Several other key defensive players have missed time because of injuries.

Capers still has plenty of talent; cornerback Charles Woodson was The Associated Press Defensive Player of the Year last season, and outside linebacker Clay Matthews is considered a favorite to win the award this season.

Tramon Williams is one of the league’s best young cornerbacks, Nick Collins is a Pro Bowl safety and Cullen Jenkins has made big plays as a 3-4 defensive end, a position that sometimes gets lost in the shuffle.

But injuries have allowed backups to flourish under Capers:

n Linebacker Desmond Bishop became a starter in the wake of a season-ending wrist injury to starter Nick Barnett. Bishop has played so well that the team recently extended his contract.

n Safety Charlie Peprah has stepped into a starting role after a season-ending injury to rookie safety Morgan Burnett and has played solidly all season.

n Undrafted free agent rookie Frank Zombo became a starter when outside linebacker Brad Jones was lost for the season. When Zombo got hurt, Capers plugged in midseason free agent signing Erik Walden, who was NFC defensive player of the week after their regular season finale.

“Our scheme’s changed a lot based off of who we’ve been putting out there,” Capers said. “It’s changed from one week to the next. And that’s been a big challenge for us, in terms of, ‘What are we going to do this week if we’re missing this and this and this guy?’”

Bishop says Capers’ experience and mastery of the details of his defense are his strongest assets as a coach.

“Sometimes, I sit back and watch him watch how things are supposed to work, and if something’s not right, he’ll definitely get it fixed,” Bishop said. “The way he sees the way it’s supposed to go, it’s at a total different speed than anybody else. Just his knowledge of how it’s supposed to work is his biggest strength. I, one day, can hopefully see it how he sees it, and that would raise my game like 10-fold.”

Given how well the Packers’ defense has performed, there has been speculation that Capers would attract interest from teams with head coaching vacancies. While the league-wide trend is toward hiring younger coaches and Capers is 60, his resume is impressive.

But with the Denver Broncos’ decision to hire John Fox on Thursday, it seems more likely that Capers will stay in Green Bay. Capers didn’t want to talk about the specifics of his current contract with the Packers, saying only that he has “more time left” on it.

Posted in Daily updates, Nfl on Friday, January 14, 2011 11:47 pm. Updated: 11:48 pm.

Not much else going on in the NFL world today.