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Bears Seek To ‘Take A Stand’ Against Green Bay

Exceeraguar — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 18:57:07 +0000

Bears Coach Lovie Smith. (Credit: CBS)

CHICAGO (CBS) — The struggling Bears say they have to “take a stand” against the Green Bay Packers when they head up to Wisconsin on Christmas Day.

“Green Bay is our rival, but lately, we haven’t been holding up our end of the deal. It’s kind of simple as that,” said Bears Head Coach Lovie Smith. They’ve dominated the rivalry here lately, and we have to take a stand. A great ball club – whenever you go that many games without losing, you’re saying a lot about what type of football you’re playing.”

The Packers are 13-1 this season. But the Bears have gone 0-4 since quarterback Jay Cutler had to leave with a broken thumb.

The Bears announced earlier this week that Josh McCown will start as quarterback against the Packers Sunday night, rather than the struggling Caleb Hanie.

McCown signed with the Bears after the injury. He hasn’t started a game since 2007 when he was with the Oakland Raiders.

But linebacker Brian Urlacher said the Bears can be competitive against the Packers regardless of the teams’ respective records.

“There have been times when they’ve been terrible and we’ve been good; we beat them. We’ve been good, they’ve been bad, they beat us. It doesn’t really matter; I hope it doesn’t matter this week either. It’s a big game for us going on there on Christmas Day, which will be the main focus of everyone’s game. It should be fun,” Urlacher said.

Linebacker Lance Briggs emphasized that the game is more about the team’s ability to salvage this season than the Bears-Packers rivalry.

“Even though we split during the season last year – they went ahead and won the championship game and went on to win the Super Bowl – I look at it as a big game. It’s a huge game,” Briggs said. We’re driving up to Wisconsin to play our rival, so I think it’s more than just taking a stand in the rivalry. It’s more taking a stand in the season.”

What do you guys think about this.

Green Bay will end Bears’ playoff hopes

AlandateanteE — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 12:00:06 +0000

In the final game of the 2010 regular season, the Green Bay Packers hosted the Chicago Bears in a game crucial to the Packers’ playoff hopes. Green Bay had battled through a devastating series of injuries and needed a win to advance as the NFC’s sixth playoff seed.

The Bears, having already clinched the NFC North and a first-round bye, had nothing to play for and were expected to rest their regulars. Instead, Chicago played its stars throughout, and the Pack were lucky to escape with a 10-3 win.

Today, the roles are reversed. The Packers won the NFC North around Thanksgiving, and are on the verge of wrapping up home field throughout the NFC playoffs. It is the Bears who are battling injury, their postseason hanging by a thread, and they can expect no mercy from their traditional rival.

Green Bay is favored by 13 points in the Christmas night showdown, and gets our call over a Bears team that has lost four straight and starts journeyman Josh McCown at quarterback.

In other games:

TOMORROW

KANSAS CITY (-2) over Oakland -— The Chiefs looked ecstatic to be playing for Romeo Crennel and they’d like nothing better than to knock the hated Raiders out of playoff contention.

Denver (-3) over BUFFALO — We have a Denver team that’s won six of its last seven to surge ahead in the AFC West, while the reeling Bills have lost seven in a row. Go Broncos.

TENNESSEE (-71⁄2) over Jacksonville — One team’s in the postseason chase and the other can’t wait for the season to end. Factor in the Titans’ embarrassing loss to the Colts, and Tennessee should be too hard to handle.

CINCINNATI (-4) over Arizona — The Bengals are thisclose to a playoff berth, but need a win here and over Baltimore next week to make it. The Cards have won several close games down the stretch, but their luck runs out here.

Miami (+91⁄2) over PATRIOTS — The Pats are in the driver’s seat for home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs, but their always shaky defense makes the near double-digit spread overly generous.

BALTIMORE (-121⁄2) over Cleveland — Locked in a close AFC North race with the Steelers, and after being outplayed in all facets in San Diego, look for one snarling flock of Ravens to descend on the Browns.

N.Y. Giants (+3) over N.Y. JETS — Too bad both these teams couldn’t lose, so we’d be rid of New York football for the season. The Jints’ strength along the defensive line dovetails nicely with the Jets’ shaky offensive line, so take Big Blue.

WASHINGTON (-61⁄2) over Minnesota — With Rex Grossman at QB the past two weeks, the Skins almost upset the Pats and beat the Giants. They’ll have no trouble with the 2-12 Vikes, who threw in the towel early last week against New Orleans.

CAROLINA (-71⁄2) over Tampa Bay — Carolina has won three of its last four and is laying the groundwork for a successful 2012. The same can’t be said of the Bucs, who have lost eight straight, the last three by 19, 27 and 16 points.

PITTSBURGH (off) over St. Louis — This game is off the board due to the uncertain playing status of Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger.

Thanks for reading! .

Packers prospect turns down Vikings offer

intenotaisp — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 06:32:59 +0000

Rookie receiver Tori Gurley turned down an offer this week to sign with the Vikings to instead stay on the Green Bay Packers’ practice squad.

The Vikings offered him a spot on their active roster, according to the Green Bay Press-Gazette.

Gurley, who has been on the practice squad all season, said the Packers offered him a raise.

“If you look statistically, their season is going to be over in three weeks,” Gurley said of the Vikings. “We’re already locked to have a playoff spot.”

Gurley, an undrafted free agent from South Carolina, said he has had other calls this season from teams that have expressed an interest in signing him to their active roster but has turned them down.

“I’m learning from some of the best receivers in the game right now,” Gurley said. “The way our offense is clicking, the grass isn’t going to be greener on the other side. So just learning and taking it one day at a time, my opportunity is going to come.”

The Packers chose not to add a receiver to the 53-man roster this week even after Greg Jennings sustained a knee injury against the Oakland Raiders on Sunday. Jennings will most likely miss the remainder of the regular season but is expected to return for the playoffs.

However, there could be an opportunity for Gurley with the Packers next season, considering veteran receiver Donald Driver, at age 36, might be nearing the end of his career.

– The Packers signed former Gophers fullback Jon Hoese to their eight-man

practice squad and released guard Jake Vermiglio. Hoese was not drafted but signed with Green Bay after the draft and participated in the Packers’ training camp.

It’s Grant’s turn: Despite spending much of the season as the forgotten man in the Packers’ offense, veteran running back Ryan Grant could be vital to keeping the team’s undefeated season going.

With James Starks sidelined because of an ankle injury last Sunday, Grant made the most of his opportunity, carrying 10 times for 85 yards – including touchdowns of 47 and 6 yards in the Packers’ 46-16 rout of Oakland.

Starks missed his second straight day of practice Thursday, likely leaving Grant as the featured back Sunday in Kansas City, where the 13-0 Packers can lock up the No. 1 seed in the NFC and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs with a victory.

“We’re trying to do something special as a team and contributing and being a part of this is phenomenal, really,” Grant said. “Being one of the leaders and watching us do it as a team, that’s why it’s special. It’s an awesome thing to be a part of.”

Against the Raiders, Grant played a season-high 39 snaps, his most action since playing 34 at Chicago on Sept. 25, when he rushed for 92 yards on 17 carries after Starks was pulled for losing a fumble.

“It felt good. I expected to have a good day, and we thought it’d be good for the offense and especially the run-blocking unit,” Grant said. “So it was good for us, it was good for me. I’m glad I took advantage of it.”

Chiefs’ defense gears up: The play has become a Packers staple: Aaron Rodgers drops back, lofts a pass down the sideline and one of his talented receivers turns around at precisely the right time and hauls it in around the unsuspecting cornerback.

The back-shoulder fade might be the most difficult play to defend in the NFL.

Rodgers and Green Bay do it better than anybody.

The Chiefs acknowledge the difficulty in stopping it, and they say they’re going to do everything possible to at least slow it down. That could mean exotic blitzes and physical play at cornerback – whatever it takes to slow Rodgers’ pinpoint accuracy.

Says defensive back Travis Daniels: “They kind of perfected that pretty good.”

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

Bob Gallaher commentary on Packers "Pursuit…

Goasuammevaps — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 10:17:57 +0000

And now for a special comment….

Packers fans received quite a scare during last Sunday’s game against Oakland as All-Pro receiver Greg Jennings went down with a knee sprain, Green Bay escaped disaster when an MRI determined that Jennings had not torn his A-C-L which would have ended his season…

So with the Packers on the brink of clinching home field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs, is the quest for perfection worth possible injury to their best players, thus potentially ruining another Super Bowl bid?

I say, yes…

The final three weeks begin with a road game at struggling Kansas City, followed by back-to-back home games against Chicago and Detroit on Christmas night and New Year’s Day. You would think there is no way the Packers lose to a Chiefs team with nothing to play for, then you have Da Bears!, well their season is in shambles after losing both Jay Cutler and Matt Forte, and the Lions, well Detroit has not won at Lambeau Field in twenty years….

Three games that the Packers should win, so a perfect 16-0 regular season is definitely within their grasp, a win Sunday over the Chiefs locks up the number one seed meaning the road to Indy will go through Titletown…

Is 16-0 truly worth it? I have been enamored with the Packers pursuit of perfection, yet after watching Jennings hobble off the field on Sunday, I must admit that I began to waver in my beliefs…

Jennings is Aaron Rodgers favorite target, number-12 would be the first to admit that number-85 makes everyone around him better… Jennings caught two touchdowns in last year’s Super Bowl victory over Pittsburgh, the other TD went to Jordy Nelson, it’s no coincidence that number-87 is enjoying a breakthrough season for the Packers in 2011….

Head coach Mike McCarthy said after beating the Giants two weeks ago and again this past Sunday against the Raiders that you can’t play football scared, that his players need to put their ‘big boy’ pants on and win football games. That certainly doesn’t sound like a coach that is going to let his foot off the accelerator…

Only one team has gone unbeaten in NFL history, the 1972 Miami Dolphins, the 2011 Green Bay Packers would love to join that exclusive party, listening to veteran cornerback Charles Woodson, the only way to top last year’s Super Bowl championship is to repeat with perfection… I agree…

Sure the Packers dodged a bullet with the injury to Jennings, he will be back in time for the playoffs, but if Aaron Rodgers is lost in these final three weeks, I think most of us would agree there won’t be a championship belt to raise in Indy on Super Sunday….

I believe these are risks the Packers are willing to take, for it was legendary coach Vince Lombardi that said, “Winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing….”

Gotta run!.

‘Perfect’ Packers Pound The Raiders In Green…

weenciede — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 06:02:26 +0000

Ryan Grant of the Green Bay Packers is hit by Michael Huff and Lamarr Houston of the Oakland Raiders at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

GREEN BAY, Wisc. (CBS/AP) — Winning every week is one thing. On Sunday, Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers made a legitimate playoff contender look like a team that was ready to pack its bags.

Rodgers threw for 281 yards with two touchdowns and an interception in less than three full quarters’ worth of work, Ryan Grant had two touchdowns rushing and Charles Woodson picked off a pass against his former team as the Packers trounced the Oakland Raiders 46-16.

The Packers ran their record to 13-0 — leaving them only three games short of completing a perfect regular season. And they did it with a near-perfect performance.

Carson Palmer threw for 245 yards with a touchdown and four interceptions for the Raiders (7-6), who looked like anything but legitimate contenders in the AFC West.

With little actual drama in the game, the biggest concern for the Packers was an apparent left knee injury to wide receiver Greg Jennings in the third quarter. Green Bay defensive lineman Ryan Pickett also walked to the locker room after sustaining a head injury in the third quarter.

Rodgers got an early rest in the blowout, as backup Matt Flynn took over late in the third.

Oakland was playing without injured running back Darren McFadden, along with wide receivers Jacoby Ford and Denarius Moore. And the Raiders made plenty of mistakes to help an opponent that doesn’t really need it. Palmer threw an interception on the Raiders’ first possession, and Oakland committed eight penalties in the first half alone.

And while the Packers’ play has been far from perfect for most of the season, especially on defense, this one was total domination.

Green Bay had four touchdowns and a field goal on its first five possessions. Things got out of hand so quickly that the Raiders tried a fake punt midway through the second quarter. As was the case for most things the Raiders attempted Sunday, it didn’t work.

Grant rediscovered his big-play ability for the Packers, breaking a 47-yard run two plays after Palmer threw an interception to rookie linebacker D.J. Smith on the Raiders’ first possession.

The Packers were without injured running back James Starks, who had surpassed Grant in the Packers’ rotation. Until that play, Grant hadn’t looked like his explosive old self for most of the season.

After a defensive stop, Rodgers directed a 10-play, 80-yard drive that ended with a 4-yard touchdown pass to Ryan Taylor — the rookie’s first career touchdown.

Trailing 31-0 with about six minutes left in the half, the Raiders tried the fake punt. But Shane Lechler threw high to Rock Cartwright for an incompletion, and the Packers took over at the Oakland 28-yard line.

The Raiders ran into more bad luck on the second-half kickoff, when Green Bay’s Randall Cobb appeared to step out of bounds during a 50-yard return. Officials said the replay system was malfunctioning, and the Raiders couldn’t challenge.

But Jennings had to go to the locker room after hurting his left knee early in the third quarter, and the Raiders finally got on the scoreboard when Michael Bush ran for a 2-yard touchdown to cut the lead to 34-7.

Packers outside linebacker Erik Walden scored on a fumble return late in the third quarter. Walden has been in trouble off the field for the Packers and was charged Wednesday with misdemeanor disorderly conduct-domestic abuse following an altercation with his girlfriend.

Leave your comments on the news below.

Packers perfect 13-0 after 46-16 win over Raiders

Jackafford — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 05:46:11 +0000

GREEN BAY, Wis. —

Winning every week is one thing. On Sunday, Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers made a legitimate playoff contender look like a team that was ready to pack its bags.

The Packers ran their record to 13-0 – leaving them only three games short of completing a perfect regular season. And they did it with a near-perfect performance.

Carson Palmer threw for 245 yards with a touchdown and four interceptions for the Raiders (7-6), who looked like anything but legitimate contenders in the AFC West.

Rodgers got an early rest in the blowout, as backup Matt Flynn took over late in the third.

And while the Packers’ play has been far from perfect for most of the season, especially on defense, this one was total domination.

Grant rediscovered his big-play ability for the Packers, breaking a 47-yard run two plays after Palmer threw an interception to rookie linebacker D.J. Smith on the Raiders’ first possession.

After a defensive stop, Rodgers directed a 10-play, 80-yard drive that ended with a 4-yard touchdown pass to Ryan Taylor – the rookie’s first career touchdown.

Gotta run!.

Packers shoot for 13-0 vs. Raiders

Mariano — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 02:46:39 +0000

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) —
Aaron Rodgers
and the
Green Bay Packers
should have been feeling satisfied.

With Sunday’s 46-16 rout of the
Oakland Raiders
, the Packers brushed aside a playoff contender by halftime to win their 19th straight, clinched a first-round bye and moved
a game away from clinching home-field advantage throughout the playoffs – and at 13-0, they kept the possibility of a perfect
season squarely in sight.

Instead, Rodgers seemed concerned about the health of star wide receiver
Greg Jennings
, who left the game with an apparent left knee injury in the third quarter.

“Well, it didn’t look very good,” Rodgers said. “So we’ll see what the MRI says tomorrow. And hopefully, we’ve got a bye wrapped
up, so he really has close to five weeks before our (playoff) game.”

Packers coach Mike McCarthy was more guarded, classifying the injury as a sprain and saying that it warranted further evaluation.

Jennings’ injury put a damper on what was otherwise one of the Packers’ most complete performances of the season. Rodgers
threw for 281 yards with two touchdowns and an interception in less than three quarters’ worth of work,
Ryan Grant
had two touchdowns rushing and
Charles Woodson
picked off a pass against his former team.

McCarthy still isn’t interested in talking about the possibility of the Packers going 16-0, but his level of confidence is
clear.

“(If we’re) taking care of things and keeping our focus on improving the quality of play, I don’t think we can be beat,” McCarthy
said. “You could have asked me that six years ago, I would have said the same damn thing. That’s the way we think around here.”

Rodgers got an early rest in the blowout, as backup
Matt Flynn
took over late in the third.

“This is the kind of game you want to play going into the playoffs,” Rodgers said.

Carson Palmer
threw for 245 yards with a touchdown and four interceptions for the Raiders (7-6), who looked like anything but legitimate
contenders in the AFC West.

“I’m not going to let this team keep going backwards,” coach Hue Jackson said. “The last two weeks, we haven’t come close
to playing or looking like the football team we’ve been.”

Oakland was without injured running back
Darren McFadden
, along with wide receivers
Jacoby Ford
and
Denarius Moore
. And the Raiders made plenty of mistakes to help an opponent that doesn’t really need it.

“You are not going to beat a high school team with the penalties and mistakes (like) the ones that we made,” linebacker
Aaron Curry
said. “You make a lot of mistakes, you lose.”

Palmer threw an interception on the Raiders’ first possession, and Oakland committed eight penalties in the first half alone.

And while the Packers’ play has been far from perfect for most of the season, especially on defense, this one was total domination.
Things got out of hand so quickly that the Raiders tried a fake punt in the second quarter. As was the case for most things
the Raiders attempted Sunday, it didn’t work.

Grant rediscovered his big-play ability for the Packers, breaking a 47-yard run two plays after Palmer threw an interception
to rookie linebacker D.J. Smith on the Raiders’ first possession.

The Packers were without injured running back
James Starks
, who had surpassed Grant in the Packers’ rotation. Until that play, Grant hadn’t looked like his explosive old self for most
of the season.

After a defensive stop, Rodgers directed a 10-play, 80-yard drive that ended with a 4-yard scoring pass to
Ryan Taylor
– the rookie’s first career touchdown.

Trailing 31-0 with about six minutes left in the half, the Raiders tried the fake punt. But
Shane Lechler
threw high to
Rock Cartwright
for an incompletion, and the Packers took over at the Oakland 28-yard line.

The Raiders finally got on the scoreboard in the third quarter when
Michael Bush
ran for a 2-yard touchdown to cut the lead to 34-7.

Packers outside linebacker
Erik Walden
scored on a fumble return late in the third quarter. Walden has been in trouble off the field and was charged Wednesday with
misdemeanor disorderly conduct-domestic abuse following an altercation with his girlfriend.

Rodgers – who took three sacks and was hit hard several other times as the Packers rotated offensive linemen – figured his
day was done after that.

“I’m sure tomorrow I’ll be a little sore, and Tuesday as well, but nothing that I’m worried about,” Rodgers said.

Now the Packers are looking forward to the chance to clinch home-field advantage at Kansas City next Sunday.

“Obviously, there’s no other team that can say they’re 13-0 right now and on the precipice of doing something great,”
Clay Matthews
said. “But there’s still a lot left that we need to accomplish. If you really want to look into it, the regular season does
mean a whole lot if you get to the playoffs. So we’re setting ourselves up nicely.”

Notes: McCarthy said defensive lineman
Ryan Pickett
and running back
Brandon Saine
both sustained concussions. … The Packers set a franchise record with 466 points, topping the previous record of 461 points
in 2009. … The Raiders ran into an odd spell of bad luck on the second-half kickoff, when Green Bay’s
Randall Cobb
appeared to step out of bounds during a 50-yard return. Officials said the replay system was malfunctioning, and the Raiders
couldn’t challenge.

Not much else going on in the NFL world today.

Green Bay Packers star Aaron Rodgers is raising…

Mariano — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 11:04:11 +0000

Count Carson Palmer among a growing number of people who believe Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers is reinventing the standard for his position.

“It’s been second to none,” Palmer said Wednesday as the Raiders began preparations to face the unbeaten Packers. “You look at his film, and with us playing the NFC North this year, you see a lot of Packers games. He’s doing something nobody’s done before.”

Palmer has 12 games with a quarterback rating of 110 or higher in a career spanning 103 games.

Rodgers opened the season with 11 straight games of 110 or higher before dropping to 106.2 in leading the Packers to a 38-35 win over the New York Giants.

The NFL’s Most Valuable Player award seems almost a foregone conclusion, even with quarterbacks such as Drew Brees and Tom Brady enjoying typically spectacular seasons.

With 18 straight wins dating back to last season including the postseason, Rodgers has completed 422 of 605 passes (69.8 percent) for 5,571 yards, 51 touchdowns and eight interceptions, a stretch that compares favorably to anything ever put up by Brett Favre during his time with Green Bay.

“Is Aaron Rodgers having the greatest year ever?” Fox Sports analyst and former Baltimore Ravens coach Brian Billick said in the Washington Post. “You could certainly make a case for that.”

CBS analyst and Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman puts Rodgers at the top of the list in a golden era for quarterbacks.

“I

think right now it’s as good a time as I have ever seen for the quarterback position,” Aikman told the New York Daily News. “Tom Brady has been outstanding for a long time and we saw what Drew Brees has done, but if you look at 2011, Aaron Rodgers is playing better than any of them.”

It’s unfamiliar territory for Rodgers, who has thrived in part because of a sizable chip on his shoulder. He wasn’t heavily recruited out of high school in Chico and went to Butte Community College before ending up at Cal.

That was followed by talk of possibly being the No. 1 overall draft pick in 2005 NFL draft, only to see Alex Smith of Utah go No. 1 to the 49ers while Rodgers plummeted to No. 24 and Green Bay.

The driving force of a Super Bowl champion gunning for a perfect regular season, Rodgers, 28, has either won over detractors or driven them underground.

“I’m sure there are plenty (of doubters) out there still,” Rodgers told Bay Area reporters Wednesday by conference call. “I think the best way is to remember where you came from, and for me that was kind of making my way, one opportunity at a time, from a young age — from high school to junior college to Division I being a backup.

“I think you have to have a keen understanding and a good memory of what it took to get where you’re at presently, and looking for ways to improve.”

Asked to describe Rodgers’ strengths as a quarterback, Palmer said, “Everything. Avoiding pressures. Getting rid of the ball. Throwing the ball downfield. Being accurate with the ball. Throwing it to the sidelines. Running with it. Everything. Every facet of the game.”

Raiders coach Hue Jackson can sense the impact Rodgers has on the team as whole.

“When you’re a really good player, you raise the level of everyone else around you,” Jackson said. “It’s not just done on the field, it’s done off the field. He does a great job, I’m sure, in the classroom and on the field of getting those guys to play at another level. They’re 12-0, and you can’t get any better than they are right now.”

When it’s suggested to Rodgers he is having as good a statistical season as has ever been put together, he accepts the compliment but demurs.

“I think you’ve got to keep it in the context of this season. It’s hard to compare different years,” Rodgers said. “I don’t know that anyone’s ever going to touch what (Tom) Brady did with his 50 touchdown passes, and when Peyton Manning had 49 touchdown passes.

“In a different time and era there were a number of good years before I was even born. I try not compare years, but I appreciate the kind comments.”

What are your opinions.

Unsung players prepared to answer Packers’ role…

EmiplototiX — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 09:30:20 +0000

Dec. 1, 2011 |

Green Bay – Brandon Saine did his research. He knew the Green Bay Packers tend to promote from within. That’s a big reason he signed on.

But he’s also a realist. In August, the team was replenished and reloaded at running back. He was undrafted, unproven and buried on the depth chart. That’s when James Starks spoke up.

“He was always telling me to stay ready,” Saine said. “He told me that last year, the way it started off for him, he wasn’t able to play. He said to keep working, keep battling. That’s what I’ve been doing.”

Now, even on an undefeated team, there could be a role for someone who was on the practice squad a month ago.

The core of this team is set. The Packers probably will go as far as MVP front-runner Aaron Rodgers takes them. But there was one common thread on the last two Super Bowl teams here. Both the 1996 and 2010 Green Bay teams boasted late bloomers, out-of-nowhere contributors. Last year, Starks played that role. He revived a running game that seemed destined for hibernation. Who’ll rise from the depths this season?

Maybe Saine. Maybe defensive end Mike Neal. Maybe one of the young inside linebackers.

“They always say it’s going to take everybody,” Saine said, “and I definitely believe that.”

Both of the Packers’ last two Super Bowl winners were star-driven at the game’s most important position, no doubt. But recall the void at left tackle when Ken Ruettgers’ career finally succumbed to injuries. First-rounder John Michels flamed out as the Packers allowed 40 sacks in the regular season. And in swooped 11-year veteran Bruce Wilkerson, who started all three postseason games. Green Bay allowed just two sacks in wins over San Francisco and Carolina to advance to New Orleans. Offensively, with injuries ravaging the wide receivers, late-season pickup Andre Rison provided some pop.

Last season, injuries hit again. A batch of unheralded rookies – Starks, outside linebacker Frank Zombo, cornerback Sam Shields – all provided a boost.

Saine’s role isn’t defined. “That’s the fun part,” offensive coordinator Joe Philbin said. But since he was bumped up after rookie Alex Green’s season-ending knee injury, the intrigue’s been building.

“I don’t know if we have a set formula of he’s going to do ‘this, this and this’ in a ball game but certainly he appears to be a guy that’s bright enough that the game’s not too big for him,” Philbin said. “He’s not going to panic. He’s got some poise. Those are all good attributes whether it’s December or September. We’re looking forward to seeing what he can do.”

Barring injury, the Packers won’t need Saine to carry the ball much. Expect to see James Starks’ workload increase come playoff time. Still, Ryan Grant is struggling. The veteran hasn’t had a 10-yard run in 55 carries. It makes sense to blend Saine into the rotation.

He’s been here before. At Ohio State, Saine was never a No. 1 back who required 15-20 carries a game, he never enjoyed a one-dimensional role. Early in his career, Beanie Wells was the bell-cow back. Later on, it was Terrelle Pryor’s show. So Saine – Ohio’s high school state record-holder in the 100-meter dash (10.38 seconds) – was forced to chip in elsewhere.

“There are some people that want their role and for things to be built around them,” Buckeyes running backs coach Dick Tressel said. “Brandon’s happy to do what the team needs him to do to win football games, whether that’s pass protect because he’s tough, catch it, run with it, whatever, cover kickoffs, whatever it is.

“There’s only one football. So those guys that are willing to use their variety of talents become so valuable for a team.”

Only one football. We’ve heard that phrase here before. In Green Bay, Saine could fit in. The challenge for him on offense was never pass protection in the physical sense, he said. At Ohio State, that was an area of expertise for the 5-11, 220-pounder. The challenge at the pro level was recognition – whom to block. The coaches’ trust in him is growing.

At Detroit last week, with the game still very much in doubt, Saine played 10 snaps. He caught one pass for 9 yards and carried the ball twice for 10 yards.

“It always takes a while for a team to build a situation where you’re going to be an impact player,” Tressel said, “and I think when Brandon’s on the field because of his talent, because of his focus, if a play presents itself, he’ll make it.”

Defensively, the Packers are fresh off their best game of the season. Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford looked confused. Wideout Calvin Johnson was shut down. Garbage time aside, the NFL’s sixth-ranked passing offense was held to eight points.

Where could the Wilkerson-like impact lie? The pass rush. Blitzing aside, it’s been lethargic. In his first two games back from knee surgery, Neal hasn’t done much. He has one quarterback hit on 48 snaps, according to Pro Football Focus. But arguably nobody on the line possesses his raw combination of size, quickness and strength. Eventually, he could provide the spark the unit needs.

“Whatever they ask me to do,” Neal said. “Go in, stop the run. Play the pass, get pressure on the quarterback. Whatever they ask me to do, that’s what my role is.”

Deficiencies are minimal on this roster. It’s been that way most of the season. But the season’s a marathon – injuries and ineffectiveness can change plans. Subtle tweaks keyed previous champions. Starks for Brandon Jackson. Wilkerson for Michels.

Thinking “moment to moment” helped Saine make the roster. Now, he’s on call.

“Whatever coaches feel I can do to help the team,” Saine said, “I’m right there.”

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Brees and New Orleans Saints Could Be Only Thing…

Smadeleld — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 20:43:00 +0000

The New Orleans Saints just might be the best hope for most Miami Dolphins fans—like me—of seeing the Super Bowl Champion Green Bay Packers denied their shot at immortality. The team from Wisconsin is now 11-0 and seem capable of doing what no team other than the 1972 Dolphins have done; run the table in the regular-season and finish with a Super Bowl victory.

However, if the Saints 49-24 rout of the New York Giants on Monday, Nov. 28 is any indication, Green Bay is going to have their hands full trying to get out of the NFC and into the Super Bowl this year even if they are able to finish the season 16-0.

While 8-3 New Orleans doesn’t even have the second-best record in the National Football Conference—that belongs to the 9-2 San Francisco 49ers—I have the distinct feeling they’re actually a better club than the Bay Area squad led by first-year head coach Jim Harbaugh. So far this season they’ve posted three victories where they’ve scored 40 or more points in a game—including their 62-7 demolition of the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, Oct. 23—which is only bested by the Packers themselves; who’ve had four such games.

The last time a team seriously threatened Miami’s nearly 40-year-old unblemished record was the 2007 New England Patriots squad, who ironically were foiled in the championship game by the same team New Orleans just beat down. Nevertheless, it will probably take more than a one-in-a-million pass from Eli Manning(notes) to bring down the behemoth that is the Packers this year; and the Saints are looking like they could just provide that final hurdle for Green Bay.

Watching Drew Brees(notes) surgically take the Giants’ defense apart on Monday Night Football, I got the sense he could be what takes down one of the most vaunted and storied franchises in NFL history. There’s no guarantee Brees and New Orleans will be able to stop Green Bay, but they probably have the best shot at it. It also had me wishing to God Miami hadn’t passed on his amazing talent twice (something I railed about since he was drafted), for I can only imagine how many Super Bowls the Dolphins would have been in if the 32-year-old 5-time Pro Bowler had been under center for them rather than the San Diego Chargers and Saints.

I know New Orleans’ success isn’t solely because of their signal-caller, but the former Purdue Boilermaker has been an integral part of what the Saints have been able to accomplish under head coach Sean Payton. Without Brees, not much of the offense run by New Orleans would probably work at the same level it does with him. After all, who else are they going to find to do what Brees did Monday in becoming the first quarterback in NFL history to throw for over 350 yards while also connecting on four touchdown passes while rushing for another TD?

The Saints schedule over the last five weeks isn’t going to be easy, though—as they’ll be facing the Detroit Lions, Tennessee Titans, Minnesota Vikings, Atlanta Falcons, and Carolina Panthers—but if they’re able to get through it with a winning record, or if they manage to win four of those contests, I think they’ll be the last team the Packers want to face in the postseason.

I, for one, hope they do, though. I make no bones about the fact I want someone to beat Green Bay before the 2011 season is finished, and in truth I wouldn’t mind the Saints being the ones. Of course, if the Packers do find a way to win out, that won’t make me too upset either. They are, after all one of the greatest teams in the league’s history.

Still, if it comes to a matchup of Green Bay and New Orleans with that record on the line, I’ll be shouting “Who ‘Dat?” at the top of my lungs.

Hut, hut, hike!

More from Yahoo! Contributor Network:

Critics of Tebow Might Be Wise to Just Shut Up and Watch for Now

Hoping Vick Topping “All-Turkey Team” is a Sign of Things to Come

Exploring the Miami Dolphins Bubble That’s About to Burst

There’s Simply No Explaining How Tebow and Broncos Are Winning

Playoffs? Don’t Talk About Playoffs! You Kidding Me?

All stats and information taken from personal notes and verified at Pro-Football-Reference.com, NFL.com, and Yahoo! Sports.

Read more by Daniel Barber aka Hotnuke at TFS Sports.

*Daniel Barber has been a fan of all Miami teams since he was a child or since their inception having been born right above Miami.

Sources:

Pro-Football-Reference.com

NFL.com

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

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Can Anyone Beat the Green Bay Packers?

RoodayroM — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 01:08:34 +0000

A look at the team’s remaining opponents and their chances of ruining Green Bay’s perfect season

The Packers are 11-0 but still have five games left until they have the chance to be undefeated for the season. And their remaining opponents are not all going to be easy wins, as four of the five remaining teams have winning records so far this year. And while the Packers are certainly playing like the best team in the NFL, they still have a long way to go until they put together a perfect season.

Here are the final five teams the Packers face this season, and their chances of spoiling the Packers’ run at perfection.

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This post also appears on Bleacher Report, an Atlantic partner site.

Not much else going on in the NFL world today.

Packers linebacker Walden to make court appearance

fatzboy1 — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 21:12:09 +0000

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Green Bay Packers outside linebacker Erik Walden spent the weekend in jail and could make an appearance in Brown County Circuit Court Monday.

Walden was arrested Friday on suspicion of felony domestic violence/substantial battery. He’s accused of assaulting his girlfriend at their apartment near Green Bay. Because of the Thanksgiving holiday, court was closed for the weekend and Walden stayed in jail.

Authorities say Walden’s girlfriend called police early Friday and was treated for injuries at St. Vincent Hospital in Green Bay.

The 26-year-old Walden started all 11 games this season and played in the team’s 27-15 Thanksgiving Day victory over the Lions. The team flew back from Detroit after the game and players were home by Thursday evening.

Gotta run!.

Packers linebacker Walden due in court today

IT Versicherungsvergleich — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 19:52:09 +0000

Green Bay Packers outside linebacker Erik Walden spent the weekend in jail and could make an appearance in Brown County Circuit Court today.

Authorities say Walden’s girlfriend called police early Friday and was treated for injuries at St. Vincent Hospital in Green Bay.

There is the quick update of the day.

Green Bay Packers Vs. Detroit Lions Thanksgiving…

Engendysync — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 11:37:00 +0000

The Green Bay Packers (10-0) travel to Detroit to take on the Lions (7-3) on Thanksgiving Day November 24th, 2011. It will be the 20th time the two teams have played each other in Detroit on Thanksgiving, with the Lions holding a 11-7-1 lead in the series.

The last time the Packers were 10-0 was in 1962. Just like this year, they were the defending NFL champions, and played the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving Day in their 11th game of the season. On that Thanksgiving Day at old Tiger Stadium, the Lions dominated the game, sacking quarterback Bart Starr 10 times and holding the Packers to just 122 total yards. Detroit had a 23-0 lead at halftime and led 26-0 after three quarters. Green Bay scored two fourth quarter touchdowns but it was too little too late and the Lions beat the Packers 26-14. It was Green Bay’s only loss of the season. The Packers won their last three regular season games and beat the New York Giants in the NFL Championship game for their second straight NFL title.

This year’s game figures to be a high scoring affair. Green Bay is averaging 35.5 points per game, tops in the NFL, while Detroit is third with 30.1. Both teams score more via the passing game. Detroit’s leading receiver is Calvin Johnson with 974 yards and 11 touchdowns but quarterback Matthew Stafford has plenty of other targets. In the Lions’ victory over the Carolina Panthers November 20th, Stafford threw five touchdown passes to five different receivers other than Johnson.

Stafford could be a major headache for a Packer defense that has been giving up too many yards this season. The Packers are 30th in the NFL in yards allowed at 391.8, but they have made big plays on defense (including a league leading 19 interceptions) when it counts. Stafford is emerging as a very good quarterback with 25 touchdown passes so far, but he also has 10 interceptions and does not run well. Green Bay must put pressure on Stafford and force him to make mistakes.

The Packers’ Aaron Rodgers has 31 touchdown passes and is a leading candidate for league MVP. The Lions’ pass defense has played well, allowing 192.8 yards per game, fifth best in the league. They have also made 15 interceptions. But if the offensive line can give him any kind of decent protection, Rodgers should do fine. The Packers have an abundance of capable receivers, and Rodgers leads all quarterbacks with a 72.3 percent completion rate. The fact that he has thrown just four interceptions is an huge factor in the Packers’ success. Rodgers stays calm and doesn’t force things and make mistakes.

The 2011 Packers have a chance to win their 11th straight game in Detroit on Thanksgiving Day against a very good Lions team, something that even the Vince Lombardi coached 1962 Packers could not do. For a Green Bay Packers fan, it couldn’t be scripted any better than this.

A lifelong Wisconsin resident, Mark Hudziak is a Featured Contributor in Sports for the Yahoo! Contributor Network. He has been a Green Bay Packers fan since the Vince Lombardi era.

Sources:

Pro-football-reference.com

Yahoo! Sports NFL

Bucs lose to Packers 35-26

lirmiminnawem — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 11:38:48 +0000

GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Tampa Bay Buccaneers weren’t just out to give the Green Bay Packers a scare in the middle of their perfect season.

Raheem Morris and his team really thought they had a chance to hand the reigning Super Bowl champions their first loss of the season. And until Aaron Rodgers’ deep pass ended up in the arms of wide receiver Jordy Nelson for a game-clinching 40-yard touchdown, it looked like the Buccaneers had a chance.

Josh Freeman threw for 342 yards with two touchdowns and a pair of interceptions, LeGarrette Blount bounced off tacklers all day on his way to a 107-yard rushing performance and the Buccaneers’ late rally came up just short in a 35-26 loss to the Packers on Sunday.

“I felt great about the whole game,” Morris said. “Our guys did a nice job competing. We came out and played the way we wanted to play. We played aggressive. We played hard and tried to get a win. Try to steal one from the champs.”

The Buccaneers (4-6) have lost four straight, but this wasn’t anything like being blown out at home by Houston last week.

“I thought we were going to come back and win it,” wide receiver Mike Williams said. “It just happened we fell short today.”

Defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth didn’t want to hear about moral victories.

“There is no moral victory,” Haynesworth said. “Moral victory is for teams that are not that good and go out and play OK against another team. This team is good and we have a lot of talent.”

With a 10-0 record going into a Thanksgiving Day game at Detroit, the Packers remain perfect, even if their quarterback walked away expecting much more from himself. Rodgers threw for 299 yards with three touchdowns, including a pair to Nelson, but wasn’t happy with the way he played.

“I’m just frustrated,” Rodgers said. “I didn’t throw the ball very well. I’m not trying to be ridiculously humble right now, I’m just frustrated. The ball wasn’t coming out the way I wanted it to today.”

Some of the credit goes to an aggressive Tampa Bay defense that Rodgers said played more man-to-man coverage than the Packers are used to seeing.

“We weren’t going to be played scared regardless of how good they are,” cornerback Ronde Barber said. “They put their pads on the same way we do. They got a lot of good players, so do we. We are in it to win. There is no sitting back and letting it happen. We were going to go get them. We tried, gave ourselves a great opportunity. Get one more third stop on their touchdown, I think we win this game. It was the one stop we didn’t get.”

Tampa Bay was penalized nine times for 55 yards, but Morris wasn’t using it as an excuse.

“Penalties are what they are, they are judgment calls and the judgment went against us a lot of times,” Morris said. “It is what it is.”

The Buccaneers trailed by only four and seemed to have some momentum when they tried a surprise onside kick before halftime. After a replay review gave the ball to Green Bay at Tampa Bay’s 38, Rodgers drove for a 5-yard touchdown to Nelson that gave the Packers a 21-10 lead.

Tampa Bay then had a touchdown taken off the board in the third quarter when Kellen Winslow was called for offensive pass interference. The Buccaneers settled for a 32-yard field goal by Connor Barth.

“I really felt we made enough to plays to beat those guys,” Winslow said. “It is hard to win when you put the game in the refs’ hands.”

The Buccaneers’ defense got a stop, and Freeman directed an eight-play, 91-yard scoring drive that ended with a 9-yard touchdown pass to Mike Williams. Tampa Bay tried to tie it with a 2-point conversion, but Winslow — who had a pair of big gains on the drive — dropped a catchable ball in the end zone.

Packers running back James Starks did the majority of the work in an eight-play, 85-yard scoring drive that ended with a 2-yard touchdown run by Kuhn.

But the Buccaneers got another chance when Rodgers threw an interception to Elbert Mack — only Rodgers’ fourth pick this season — and Freeman threw a 37-yard pass to Arrelious Benn to set up first-and-goal at the 2.

Freeman then threw a touchdown to Dezmon Briscoe and the Buccaneers kicked the extra point to cut the Packers’ lead to 28-26 with 4:25 left.

Tampa Bay tried another onside kick, but the Packers recovered and Rodgers found Nelson to put the game away.

Morris knew he might get second-guessed for the onside kicks but wasn’t apologizing.

“We wanted to get the ball and win,” Morris said. “We are not going to apologize for being aggressive. When you play the Green Bay Packers, you’ve got to play aggressive, you’ve got to go out and make plays. (You’ve) got to steal possessions.”

APTV 11-20-11 1954EST

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