Quarter report: Where are the Packers at on special teams and the schedule?

Let’s wrap this thing up with a look at the Green Bay Packers’ special teams and the schedule for the rest of the season.

Special teams

The Good

• Jordy Nelson has certainly struggled in his usual receiver spot, but Nelson has brought something to the table as a kick returner, averaging 29.3 yards per return. The best thing about Nelson as a returner is that he focuses on the north-south aspects. He simply looks for his seam and then tries to attack it.

• Jeremy Kapinos has quietly (he’s a punter, so I’m not sure how he’d do things loudly) solved the team’s punting problems. Averaging 46.1 yards per punt – landing five of his 18 kicks inside the 20 – he’s made us forget about the Derrick Frost debacle.

The Bad

• The punt return units have been weak, to say the least. With a total of six returns that were not fair caught, Nelson and Will Blackmon have averaged just over four yards per return. Blackmon is likely out for a long time with the injury he suffered against the Queens, so it’s up to Nelson to step it up.

• The return coverage units have once again not been great. Missed tackles and missed assignments have too often led to good starting field position for opponents. That must be cleaned up.

• Mason Crosby has not been bad, per se, but he certainly hasn’t been good. Hitting just seven-of-nine attemps (72.8 percent) won’t cut it. What’s even worse is that he’s struggled on the long kicks, which were supposed to be his specialty. He’s only hit three-of-five from more than 40 yards. You have to wonder if he’s the long-term answer at the position.

A look ahead at the remaining schedule

There are numerous good, bad and mixed things about the remaining 12 games for the Packers.

The good comes in the form of four games: Detroit (twice), at Cleveland and at Tampa Bay. Those teams have a combined record of 2-13 and, really, Green Bay should win all four of those games. The only game in there that could pose trouble is the game at Detroit on Thanksgiving. The Lions always play the Packers tough in that game. Still, I think the Packers will win that.

The bad comes in the form of two games: at Pittsburgh and at home against Baltimore. Both those teams are very good – despite the fact that each is just 3-2 as of now – and I have a hard time seeing the Packers beating either one of them.

If those games all play out as I expect them to, that would put the Packers at 6-4.

Now we come to the “mixed bag” portion of their schedule. That portion contains six games and will ultimately decide the fate of the 2009 Packers: at home against Minnesota, Dallas, Seattle and San Francisco and on the road against Chicago and Arizona.

First, I believe the Packers will beat Minnesota and lose to Chicago. In this division, the home team tends to win and I don’t see that changing.

The four remaining games are all games Green Bay could – and maybe should – win. That likely won’t happen, though. I see the Pack going 3-1 (the wins coming against Seattle, San Francisco and Arizona and the loss coming against Dallas) in that stretch.

That would put the team at 10-6. I’m not sure if that’s enough to overcome Minnesota or Chicago, but it should be more than enough to get this team into the playoffs. And, really, isn’t that always the goal? Plus, it would signal a four-win improvement from last season and show that this team is indeed headed in the right direction.

-Chris Lempesis