After all, coaches don’t block, tackle, fumble or grab facemasks. The players do that, so they’re ultimately more responsible than guys with headsets, bad comb-overs and beer guts.

Most of the time.

Sunday afternoon in Atlanta, Georgia was not one of those times.

Atrociously bad coaching in all three phases [...]]]> Most of the time, coaches take more blame than is appropriate.

After all, coaches don’t block, tackle, fumble or grab facemasks. The players do that, so they’re ultimately more responsible than guys with headsets, bad comb-overs and beer guts.

Most of the time.

Sunday afternoon in Atlanta, Georgia was not one of those times.

Atrociously bad coaching in all three phases was the key factor in the Green Bay Packers’ 20-17 loss to the Atlanta Falcons. The Packers now sit at 7-4, a full game (plus the tiebreaker) behind the Chicago Bears in the NFC North. Green Bay is also currently out of the playoffs with five games to go.

The man in charge of it all is, of course, most to blame for the defeat. Two critical Mike McCarthy errors in a span of 10 plays led to a 14-point swing, ultimately the difference in the game. They also carry on the nearly five-year long “two steps forward, two steps back” dance that is becoming McCarthy’s signature move.

On second-and-goal from the Atlanta two-yard line midway through the second quarter, Aaron Rodgers appeared to audible out of the original play call, instead going to a quarterback sneak. The play gained a yard, but no score. There is no harm in what Rodgers did, as he clearly saw something he felt he could take advantage of. But, once that play did not work, McCarthy had zero – repeat: zero – business calling it again on third down.

Yet there he was, calling for a sneak. Rodgers did not protect the ball as well as he should have and it was punched out. That’s on him, but again, it should never have gotten to that point.

McCarthy was given a chance to redeem himself on the ensuing Falcons (9-2) drive. On a fourth-and-three from the Green Bay 36, Atlanta tight end Tony Gonzalez was given credit for a six-yard catch that he clearly did not make. While it’s unknown exactly what camera angles are available to teams’ replay officials in the Georgia Dome, the fact remains that, even live, the play looked close. Several Packers’ defenders seemed upset with the call also. That should have been enough for McCarthy – on a recent challenge hot streak – to throw the red flag.

He didn’t. Five plays later: 10-3, Falcons. In games like these, that’s usually enough.

But, as the old saying goes, wait – there’s more!

McCarthy’s failures trickled down to the men in charge of the remaining two units. Defensive coordinator Dom Capers did not have his men ready to play in any sense Sunday. You can’t blame him for the Lingerie Football League-style tackling shown throughout, true, but you can blame him for consistently poor scheming.

Early in the game, outside of a few instances, Capers went soft far too often. Against a solid, if unspectacular Atlanta line, his approach was to drop a lot of players in coverage and, hopefully, trick Matt Ryan into a mistake or two. Only problem with that is, Ryan doesn’t make mistakes. Heck, he doesn’t even miss that many passes, going 24-for-28 on the day.

That soft approach also allowed bruising Falcons running back Michael Turner more than enough opportunities to smash and bash his way through the defense, which he did to the tune of 110 yards and a score on 23 carries.

Then, late in the game with Atlanta driving, Capers went 180 degrees the other way, throwing blitz after blitz at Ryan, all coming from seemingly the same place (up the middle). The blitzes failed as Ryan, probably giggling on the inside, calmly sat back and hit a series of short throws – mostly out routes – that set Atlanta up for the game-winning field goal. Capers has been unquestionably brilliant this season. Sunday, he was unquestionably anything but.

Of course, the man who heads up the “unquestionably anything but” department – special teams coach Shawn Slocum – also had a hand in things. Doesn’t he always?

Chalk up another loss in which a crucial special teams error doomed the Packers. This time, it was poor coverage and a foolish, foolish facemasking penalty on Matt Wilhelm on Atlanta’s final return. There were other returns allowed, of course, the Falcons racking up a 31 yard average on the day. And, outside of one nice Sam Shields kick return, there were none to be found for the Packers.

There were also numerous returns Shields had no business making, as he instead should have opted to take the touchback. Rookie mistake? Maybe. But who tells the rookie what to do in such spots?

None of this is a surprise, really, as special teams blunders have cost Green Bay dearly in each of its four losses. Don’t bother banging the “Fire Slocum” drum too much, though, fans; he isn’t going anywhere. McCarthy seems deadset on keeping him around, only furthering the notion that the Packers care exactly zero percent about special teams. And don’t bother blaming the absence of players like Donald Lee, Atari Bigby and Anthony Smith on Sunday, either – even with them present, this group stinks.

If you’re trying to find reasons why the Bears sit as the team to beat in the North, look no further than special teams. Chicago puts an emphasis on it. The Packers do not.

In the big games – which this most certainly was – coaching makes the final difference. In this big game, the Packers coaches failed in every crucial area.

More than anything else, that will be what keeps the 2010 Packers from getting out of their own way.

-Chris Lempesis

That being the case, there’s quite a bit of news surrounding the Green Bay Packers, a team that’s lost three of four and desperately needs to right the ship.

What better time than now to make a trip back to the question department, right? After all, [...]]]> And Vikings week, chapter one (technically, chapter three) has officially begun.

That being the case, there’s quite a bit of news surrounding the Green Bay Packers, a team that’s lost three of four and desperately needs to right the ship.

What better time than now to make a trip back to the question department, right? After all, it’s been awhile since we’ve been here.

• Question: Are we witnessing the decline of Charles Woodson?

Answer: Sadly, maybe. The reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year just has not been anywhere near as much of a factor as he’s been in previous seasons thus far. Woodson has recorded just one interception, against Detroit, and five passes defended through six games. As always, those numbers only tell part of the story. Woodson, always a physical corner, has been drawing penalties left and right this season, mostly of the “illegal contact” variety. Can’t remember where I read this, but one of the Packers’ beat writers proposed the theory awhile back that Woodson – pushed around by Larry Fitzgerald in the wild card loss – is hellbent on making sure that never happens again. Thus, he’s taken his physicality to another level. If that’s true – and even if it isn’t – he needs to dial things back a notch or twelve. He’s really hurting the defense. More than that, teams are simply not afraid to throw at him this season, something that isn’t going to change until he turns in a clean game and starts making some big plays. He’s been rather good in run support, so he’s still bringing value. But for the defense, wrecked by injuries, to get back to where it was last season, he has to be better. Period.

• Question: Should we be firing up the “Fire McCarthy” bandwagon yet?

Answer: We haven’t quite reached that point yet. It’s mid-season and the Packers are once again underwhelming, so it’s natural that some fans would be calling for Mike Mac’s dismissal. I can’t lie – I’ve thought about it a time or two myself already. He’s certainly given us plenty of reason to think such thoughts, hasn’t he? Unbalanced, arrogant playcalling; a complete inability to win close games; a team that continues to take bad penalties at crucial times (if not for the entire game). The 3-3 record is bad enough, but what’s really damning is that the same problems exist with this team five years into McCarthy’s time at the helm. You can’t help but wonder if a new direction is needed. That said, it’s far too early to be calling for his firing. This was a playoff team last year and, as bad as things have been, a win Sunday night changes everything. Now, with an extremely tough schedule the rest of the way (and injuries mounting), there’s always a chance this team bottoms out. If that happens – say, they finish 7-9 or 8-8 and miss the playoffs – then it would be time to discuss firing him. But I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt. Famous last words, probably.

• Question: What can we honestly expect from Al Harris, Atari Bigby, and James Starks?

Answer: To hear McCarthy tell it in his Monday presser, it sounds like all three have rehabbed their injuries as much as possible and are ready to begin practicing. What happens after Wednesday is anyone’s guess. I have a feeling Harris is closer to returning than the other two and will see the field in some capacity Sunday night. He won’t start, but could see considerable time as the nickel back. But for a player of Harris’ age, coming off of that type of injury, it seems unlikely he’ll be able to go every snap in that role. Sam Shields has been decent in that role this season, when healthy, so I’d expect that he and Harris will rotate. Bigby seems further away – they wouldn’t have traded for Anthony Smith, otherwise. Still, it wouldn’t shock me if he played a portion of the game Sunday night. His biggest strength is playing the run, after all, and that Peterson guy is pretty good. It’s important for the Packers to not overuse these two right away. It’s a big game, no question, but it’s more important to get these two ready for the second half. Don’t expect much from Starks. The guy hasn’t played a meaningful snap since early in 2009. It’s going to take at least a couple of weeks for him to shake off the considerable rust he’s accumulated. If he makes any impact, it likely won’t happen until after the bye early next month.

• Question: What should we expect from the newly acquired Smith?

Answer: Don’t expect him to be a savior, but he is an upgrade. Smith – yes, that Smith, the one signed by the Packers before being released late in camp last year – knows this scheme inside and out from his time in Pittsburgh/brief time in Green Bay. If you don’t remember the story of why he was cut, well, it seemed to come down to this: While certainly capable of making big plays, Smith also allegedly freelanced too much for the coaches’ liking. There was also some issue with his apparent reluctance to play special teams. All along, though, it seemed like Ted Thompson sort of new he made a mistake in cutting Smith, so it’s not a shock that he’s back in the fold. I’m guessing he’ll start Sunday night, so here’s to hoping he can be better than Charlie Peprah. It’s hard to imagine he won’t be.

• Question: Where is this team at, health-wise?

Answer: The two key injuries to watch, obviously, are those of Ryan Pickett (ankle) and Clay Matthews (hamstring). McCarthy told reporters Monday that the two may be ready to practice later in the week. The key day, as always, to focus on is Friday. If a player practices Friday, he usually goes Sunday. Matthews’ injury seems less serious than Pickett’s, so my guess is that he’s more likely to go. Good, because this team can not win without him. Doesn’t sound like any update was provided on Mike Neal (shoulder). Neal and Pickett hopefully can go – you need all the big bodies you can get against Peterson. No word on the status of Brandon Chillar (shoulder) and Mark Tauscher (shoulder) doesn’t sound likely to play. Donald Driver (thigh) and A.J. Hawk (groin) could miss practice time, but should be fine. Brady Poppinga (knee) is going to have surgery, so he’ll be out awhile, if not the rest of the season. Finally, Jermichael Finley (knee) is officially done for the year. He’ll be placed on injured reserve to make room for Smith. Whew.

• Question: How does Shawn Slocum continue to have a job with this team?

Answer: Your guess is as good as mine. Incriminating photos of Thompson and/or McCarthy, perhaps?

-Chris Lempesis

(If you want to find part one, just scroll down a bit. There you go – keep scrolling and…you’ve got it! Congratulations!)

Defense

The Good

Chad Clifton (ankle) will miss the next two games, at least. With the bye week falling after the Vikings’ game, he could be back against Detroit on Oct. 18. The Packers can get by without him for the Rams game, but to not have him [...]]]> Starting on the injury front, courtesy of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

Chad Clifton (ankle) will miss the next two games, at least. With the bye week falling after the Vikings’ game, he could be back against Detroit on Oct. 18. The Packers can get by without him for the Rams game, but to not have him lining up opposite Jared Allen will hurt and will also be a huge challenge for Daryn Colledge.

Head coach Mike McCarthy said he thinks Nick Collins (clavicle) will be able to go Sunday. At least Green Bay will be covered at one safety spot.

Brandon Jackson (ankle) was a limited participant. Jackson got hurt in the preseason and has yet to play this season. He’d be good to have back, as the line is struggling and Jackson is arguably the team’s best pass-protecting back.

Aaron Kampman (bruised hand) was a full participant and the injury doesn’t sound too serious. Now if Kampman could just starting rushing the passer a little better, we’d be set.

B.J. Raji (no second Raji until he plays) was a full participant (ankle), although I’m not too excited because it was that way last week for him, too. McCarthy said he’s hopeful the big fella can play.

For the Rams, tackle Jason Smith (knee), the No. 2 overall pick in the draft, did not participate and is doubtful for the game.

Starting center Jason Brown (knee) was a limited participant.

More on Giordano

Let’s get to know a little more about the newest Packer, safety Matt Giordano:

A fourth-round pick of the Indianapolis Colts in the 2005 draft out of Cal, where he played with Aaron Rodgers, Giordano stands 5-feet, 11-inches and weights 200 pounds.

He played in 55 games over his first four seasons, all with the Colts, recording 80 tackles (65 solo), three interceptions (one returned for a score) and eight passes defended.

His best season came in 2007, when he totaled 20 tackles (15 solo), two interceptions (one returned for a score) and four passes defended.

Odds & Sods

• I can’t believe I forgot to mention this in my post regarding Rouse’s release, but you’ll never guess who plays for the St. Louis Rams? That’s right: Anthony Smith. Funny how things work out sometimes, isn’t it?
• On Tuesday, tackle Jamon Meredith was signed from the Packers’ practice squad to the Buffalo Bills’ 53-man roster. Meredith, a fifth round pick in this year’s draft out of South Carolina, struggled in the preseason but was looked at as a long-term project, ala Allen Barbre or Breno Giacomini. I was interested to see if he had potential. Guess we’ll never know. Tackle Dane Randolph, who was with the team in the preseason, has been signed to replace Meredith on the practice squad.
• Sunday’s meeting between the Packers and Rams marks the first since the 2007 season when the two teams faced off in St. Louis late in the year. The Packers won 33-13 in a game most memorable for the fact that Judas passed Dan Marino for the all-time lead in passing yardage. Green Bay also clinched a first-round bye as a result of its win.
• Finally, some sage advice from outside linebackers coach Kevin Greene, courtesy of the Green Bay Press Gazette (scroll down a bit once you click on the link): “Everybody fumbles the ball,” said Greene. “And the sin is to just watch the ball lying on the ground. That’s the sin. So when you fumble the ball, it’s important to pick the ball up, and you truck on. You truck on with the ball, because everybody is going to fumble the ball, so that’s what we’re going to do.” That’s some pretty good advice, not just for football, but for life in general. Man, I love Kevin Greene.

-Chris Lempesis

The Packers released Rouse on Wednesday, signing Matt Giordano, formerly of the Indianapolis Colts, to take his roster spot.

The timing of the move is somewhat curious as Rouse had just taken over the strong safety spot against the Bengals in place of an injured Atari Bigby [...]]]> The Green Bay Packers have seen enough of Aaron Rouse.

The Packers released Rouse on Wednesday, signing Matt Giordano, formerly of the Indianapolis Colts, to take his roster spot.

The timing of the move is somewhat curious as Rouse had just taken over the strong safety spot against the Bengals in place of an injured Atari Bigby (ankle).

In the Cincinnati game, however, Rouse certainly struggled on more than his share of plays, as evidenced by this breakdown courtesy of the Green Bay Press Gazette.

With Bigby out for at least the next two games – likely more – Mike McCarthy and Ted Thompson decided the team could no longer afford to have a liability like Rouse logging significant playing time.

Throughout his two-plus seasons as a Packer, Rouse – a 2007 third round pick out of Virginia Tech – was known for an ability to make the highlight play, but also for an inability to stay healthy and be a consistent contributor.

He was solid against the run, but far too often made poor decisions in coverage (and how many times did we have to hear about his stiff hips, which caused him problems in turning around to cover?). If he had shown any improvement in coverage, he might have had a shot. But with the Packers running a lot more zone coverages now, he was going to have to help out more and it just didn’t seem like he’d ever really be able to.

It is unknown as of now who will be starting Sunday at St. Louis. It’s highly unlikely Giordano will get the call, as he is fairly inexperienced in the scheme – the Colts primarily run a Cover 2 defense – despite the fact that he had two interceptions in his first practice with the team Wednesday.

That leaves Derrick Martin and cornerback/safety/bain of my existence Jarrett Bush as the remaining two options as it appears Nick Collins will, in fact, play against the Rams (more on that in a bit).

Martin, in my mind, has to get the call. The Packers thought he was an upgrade, both as a safety and a special teams player, over Anthony Smith; that’s why they cut Smith in camp (a move I’ve never been comfortable with). Well, okay, it’s time to find out if they were right. Martin knows the scheme and has had a few weeks with the team now, so let’s see if he’s a player.

Frankly, anything is an upgrade over Bush, who makes me want to throw up. But you already knew that.

-Chris Lempesis

Mike McCarthy had called a better game. The defense did look more aggressive. The Green Bay Packers were nothing like they were in 2008.

As it turns out, though, hyperbole is the only way to describe my, well, descriptions of Green Bay after last week’s win over Chicago.

Sunday’s utterly [...]]]> It didn’t seem like hyperbole a week ago.

Mike McCarthy had called a better game. The defense did look more aggressive. The Green Bay Packers were nothing like they were in 2008.

As it turns out, though, hyperbole is the only way to describe my, well, descriptions of Green Bay after last week’s win over Chicago.

Sunday’s utterly embarassing 31-24 loss to the lowly Cincinnati Bengals showed that the Packers are still a long ways off from putting last season behind them.

It was all there….again.

An offensive line that couldn’t give quarterback Aaron Rodgers time? Check.

Rodgers was sacked six times, five coming from one player (Antwan Odom), in what was perhaps the worst o-line showing of McCarthy’s tenure as head coach. The group was consistently beaten off the ball by the Bengals from the opening snap on Sunday, showing very little punch or determination. It’s more than enough to seriously make me re-think my theory that McCarthy should stick with his five linemen, no matter what.

Oh, wait – he’ll have to move some pieces around now as left tackle Chad Clifton was carted off with an ankle injury, an injury that could keep him out for some time. Doesn’t really matter who is in there at this point; they have to play better or Rodgers, already sacked 10 times in two games, won’t make it through the season alive.

Rodgers holding on to the ball way too long? Check.

For as bad as his o-line was, Rodgers didn’t do himself any favors by hanging on to the ball for well beyond an acceptable amount of time. That led to a couple of sacks. It was a big problem last season, too, and, from what I can tell, it’s about the only thing that can hold him back from becoming an elite quarterback. But it’s a fairly big thing if it doesn’t get corrected.

A tentative defense that couldn’t stop the run, couldn’t tackle and spent way too much time on its heels? Check, check and check.

The defense was gashed by Cedric Benson – yes, that Cedric Benson – to the tune of 141 yards on 29 carries. The front seven failed to control the gaps and played with little enthusiasm. Hell, even when they got there, they either flailed about weakly or, worse, were just flat out knocked over by Benson. Most worrisome is that several times, the defense had chances to stop Benson when the group knew he was coming – and, yet, they couldn’t.

That’s not even to mention Green Bay’s numerous failures in coverage (not you, Charles Woodson. We still love you). Playing out of a lot of nickel and dime sets, the Packers sat back and let Carson Palmer – a thoroughly mediocre quarterback, as it turns out – find receivers 10-20 yards downfield. Where was the aggressive defense that pressured the hell out of Jay Cutler a week ago? Did Dom Capers forget about blitzing? What happened? I’m not even going to discuss the fact that the defense gave up a third-and-34 because, well, I feel like I’m going to puke whenever I think of it.

Of course, picking apart a secondary easy to do when cornerback/safety/bain of my existence Jarrett Bush is manning one of the safety spots. Bush replaced injured Nick Collins (chest) and once again showed that he must have incriminating pictures of Ted Thompson, as that can be the only reason he has stuck around this long. You could have thrown Anthony Smith out there and maybe gotten more favorable results – wait, no you couldn’t because they cut him in favor of some guy (Derrick Martin) who hasn’t done a thing yet.

(And, on the topic of Collins, why is he always getting hurt and having to leave the game? How many times is this going to happen with him? Yes, he’s a very good player, but he’ll never be great – and he’ll never be worth a big-time contract extension – unless he can start finishing games. And fast.)

A special teams unit that can’t cover punts and consistently loses the field position game? You better believe that’s a check.

The Packers almost surrendered two punt returns for touchdowns, one saved by A.J. Hawk (who, after a good game last week, reverted back to his bust-like form. Glad to see you again, A.J.) and another by punter Jeremy Kapinos. The second was particularly inexcusable as it came late in the game with Green Bay trailing. All day, though, the special teams units failed to do their jobs and, as a result, the Packers lost the field position battle most of the afternoon.

Penalties? Oh yeah – big-time check there. The Packers were once again totally undisciplined with 11 penalties for 76 yards. This has become a major trademark of the McCarthy teams and, unless they clean it up, it will be his undoing as a coach. Good teams don’t do this. Period. Penalties equal sloppy play and if a team is sloppy, that means its head coach didn’t get them ready to play.

McCarthy becoming one-dimensional with his playcalling? Yep, that’s the last check – and it’s a big one. With the game tied coming out of halftime, McCarthy – as he’s done countless times as coach of this team – abandoned the run. The run game was struggling, to be sure, but you have to go to it every now and then, at least. Otherwise, the defense pins its ears back and attacks. That’s exactly what the Bengals did and, against this offensive line, we all saw the results.

For all his bluster about being a tough, Pittsburgh guy, McCarthy too often turns his offense into a group that’s about as tough as a bowl of ice cream. You can’t win in the NFL that way – or, at least, you can’t win anything meaningful.

After reading the past 880 words or so, you might think I’m pulling off a case of reverse hyperbole, that I’m being too harsh (oh, the receivers dropped a bunch of passes by the way, which was lovely).

Well, no I’m not, actually.

When you’re playing a team like the Bengals, a team every bit as bad as we thought they were, at home and you’re supposed to be as good as the Packers clearly thought they were, you don’t do the things they did today. You just don’t.

But the Packers did and the result was a defeat as pathetic and embarassing as any I can remember in my lifetime as a fan of this team.

-Chris Lempesis

We all remember his 100-plus yard interception return for a touchdown off Peyton Manning last season, after all.

Yet Rouse has also struggled with inconsistency, injuries and an inability to pass Atari Bigby on the depth chart.

Well, it [...]]]> For the duration of his two-plus years as a Packer, Aaron Rouse has always been a player with potential.

We all remember his 100-plus yard interception return for a touchdown off Peyton Manning last season, after all.

Yet Rouse has also struggled with inconsistency, injuries and an inability to pass Atari Bigby on the depth chart.

Well, it looks like he’s going to get a shot to prove he’s a player as we learned Wednesday that Bigby is going to be out “at least” four weeks with a sprained knee.

Bigby hurt himself with around 10 minutes to play Sunday and did not return. Now we know why.

There are a number of ramifications from this injury:

• For Bigby, it’s a fairly severe setback. After an injury-plagued 2008 season, Bigby needed to stay healthy to prove he’d be worth a new contract (he’s a free agent after the season). He’s now going to miss at least three games and, with how much he struggled getting back on the field last year, you have to think it will be at least four or, maybe, five games. That will further the “flash-in-the-pan” stigma around him and will likely push him much further down the priority list in terms of who gets new dough.
• For Rouse, it’s another chance – likely his last one to prove he belongs. He’s a former third-round pick, yes, but the Packers probably won’t wait past this year on their investment in Rouse. He’s got his shot. Now he needs to take advantage.
• For Ted Thompson and Mike McCarthy, the injury tests just how well these guys can set a roster. Remember, Anthony Smith was probably outplaying Bigby in camp, yet he was cut in favor of keeping Rouse and trading for Derrick Martin. Hopefully they made the right decision. Who knew they’d be tested so quickly on it?

This new scheme was supposedly built for someone like Bigby. Too bad we have to wait a while to really find out if that’s true.

Other injury news

Also from the Journal Sentinel:

Get ready for the debut of the B.J. Raji (RAJI!) era Sunday as he was a full participant in Wednesday’s practice (ankle).

Will Blackmon (quad) should also be back as he was a full participant.

Mason Crosby (abdomen) and Greg Jennings (wrist) were limited participants, although both are near-locks to play.

It doesn’t appear as though Brandon Jackson (ankle) participated, meaning he could miss another week.

It sounds like Johnny Jolly was given a light day, probably cause he’s still tired from kicking Chicago’s ass up-and-down the field Sunday night.

For the Bengals, tackle Andre Smith, their first round pick, is out with a broken foot.

The only other injury of note is running back Brian Leonard – remember when he was supposed to be the one of the breakout players from the 2007 draft? Yeah, me neither – who was a limited participant with a chest injury.

Random news, notes, opinions

• I know I’m usually the first to jump on a guy for his bad play – and right tackle Allen Barbre was certainly bad Sunday night. But everyone needs to back off this guy a bit. It was his first significant action in the league, people. I can’t believe people are already calling for his benching. Let’s have more than a one-game sample before we determine that. In fact, I think Barbre should be given at least through the Vikings game before the team decides to sit him down. I said it before the season and I’m standing by it: McCarthy needed to pick his five guys and stick with them, for better or worse. Yes, it’s more “worse” than “better” right now. But he still needs to stick with them.
• I didn’t think this was possible, but apparently the Packers are AGAIN the youngest team in the league, with an average age of 25.70 years. That’s four years in a row. At some point this team will age, right? Maybe? Not only that, but Sunday’s game with the Bengals marks a matchup of the two teams with the fewest average years of experience in the entire league. The Bengals top the list with 3.77 years; the Packers are second with 3.81 years.
• Ruvell Martin signed a deal with the St. Louis Rams on Tuesday. Funny how they signed him just two weeks before they play the Pack, isn’t it?
• Finally, I know I should be mad that Chad Ochocinco is planning on doing the Lambeau Leap if he scores Sunday. But I’m sorry – I just can’t be. In fact, I started laughing when I heard he said that. That guy just cracks me up so much. He’s a character and one of the few players in the league that understands that the NFL is entertainment, not war and that it’s okay to have fun. If only the league shared his sentiments every now and then.

-Chris Lempesis

But it’s not quite the group a lot of us thought it would be.

Saturday’s cutdown from 75 to 53 was certainly chock full of surprises, obviously the biggest being the release of quarterback Brian Brohm (I guess I was wrong when I said Friday [...]]]> The Packers have the group they want to go to war with.

But it’s not quite the group a lot of us thought it would be.

Saturday’s cutdown from 75 to 53 was certainly chock full of surprises, obviously the biggest being the release of quarterback Brian Brohm (I guess I was wrong when I said Friday that the idea of that happening was laughable, huh?)

But since Adam has already done a nice job covering that, I’ll break down the other major moves made instead.

We’ll have full analysis on the final roster later today, so this will just be focusing on the roster cuts/injured reserve moves.

Cuts

To me, the biggest head-scratcher comes in the release of safety Anthony Smith. Smith had a good camp and certainly seemed to be, if not outperforming, at least playing every bit as well as Atari Bigby. He had an intimate knowledge of the scheme from his time in Pittsburgh and would have provided solid depth. Mark Ted Thompson down as 0-for-2 on 2009 free agent signings now as both Smith and center-guard Duke Preston failed to make it to the opening day roster.

Perhaps the Packers feel they’ll be better served, depth-wise, with cornerback/safety Derrick Martin, acquired from Baltimore for tackle/guard/stiff Tony Moll.

Martin, a sixth-round pick in the 2006 draft out of Wyoming, played sparingly for most of his three seasons with the Ravens. His biggest year was 2007 when he recorded 40 tackles, two interceptions and seven passes defended in 16 games. He only played in four games last season, however, and was arrested in June 2008 for posession of marijuana at Hopkins Airport in Cleveland. So that’s nice. At least Green Bay got rid of Moll, a truly mediocre player who would not have done one bit of good for the team, either this season or beyond.

The Smith/Martin moves were certainly suprising, but really, most of the interesting moves occurred with the offense.

First, the running back situation was cleared up as the Packers released both Tyrell Sutton and Kregg Lumpkin. They, for now, seem content on going with three backs. The Sutton move was a big surprise as he had an outstanding preseason (191 yards rushing, fifth best in the NFL) and, in my mind, appeared to be a lock to make the roster. Guess I was wrong there, too, huh?

Lumpkin didn’t play quite as well as he did last preseason when he was arguably the biggest surprise of camp. Still, he was solid and I wouldn’t have been surprised to see him stick.

Green Bay instead decided to stick with all three fullbacks (John Kuhn, Korey Hall and Quinn Johnson). All three played well, yes, but I have to think some type of move is coming shortly. Do teams ever keep three fullbacks? I can’t think of a time when that’s happened.

For as much as Thompson values his draft picks and likes to give them time to grow, the release of rookie tackle Jamon Meredith in favor of guard-center Evan Dietrich-Smith was another sizeable surprise. Meredith certainly struggled, but he was thought by many to be a project before the draft so the Packers couldn’t have been that shocked. Dietrich-Smith had himself a decent camp and he does provide depth at multiple spots. Doesn’t Scott Wells already do that, though?

The receiver position was also shaken up a bit as Ruvell Martin, a solid No. 5 receiver/close friend of Aaron Rodgers’ for the past few seasons, was cut in favor of Brett Swain. Swain was on the practice squad last season, so the team clearly liked him. Swain is probably a little more athletic than Martin, so that will be nice to see. Categorize this one as a minor surprise.

The other 31 teams have until 11 a.m. today to place waiver claims on any of the players released by the Packers. If mutiple teams place claims on a player, it will take an hour to determine where that player ends up as the waiver priority list will then be set based on the records of the teams who put in claims. In other words, we’ll know the Packers’ practice squad by noon.

My guess is that Brohm and Sutton won’t make it through waivers and will end up somewhere else but that Meredith and Lumpkin will. For those two, that might be the best place for them at this point in their careers, anyways.

I.R. moves

The Packers placed four players on the I.R. list Saturday, ending their seasons.

The biggest of those, obviously, is defensive lineman Justin Harrell’s season ending as a result of his bad back.

It was a wild ride for Harrell this preseason.

First, he looked fairly impressive to start camp. Then his back flared up but we were told it was nothing serious. Then Harrell himself told reporters he might never play again. Then we were told it wasn’t career-threatening but rather a pain tolerance issue and that he could play once that level subsided.

Then it was all over.

And you know what? That’s it for me. I’m done with Justin Harrell. Even if his back clears up, this team should cut him as soon as the season ends and just move on. Enough.

(Might as well link to this one more time).

The other big I.R. move was the Packers ending cornerback Pat Lee’s season as a result of back/knee problems. Lee, like Harrell, had a nice start to camp before getting hurt. I’m already sensing a pattern with this guy and I don’t like it. I know Will Blackmon had a similarly rough start, injury-wise, to his career. But he at least got on the field at times through his first two seasons.

The Packers had three picks in round two of the 2008 draft – Brohm, Lee and Jordy Nelson.

Thank God at least one of those guys looks like a player.

-Chris Lempesis

Still, there are some players on the roster who need to use 2009 to prove that they belong on the team for the foreseeable future – by my count, five.

And here they are:

5. Donald Lee, tight end

Lee has [...]]]> Yes, the Packers have looked outstanding during the preseason and the upcoming season should be a good one.

Still, there are some players on the roster who need to use 2009 to prove that they belong on the team for the foreseeable future – by my count, five.

And here they are:

5. Donald Lee, tight end

Lee has been a very solid, sturdy receiving option throughout his time in Green Bay. He found particular success with Judas as quarterback, recording 48 catches for 575 yards and six touchdowns in 2007, for example. His numbers dipped last season, however, with Aaron Rodgers as quarterback (nine less catches and 272 less yards). They’ve dipped even more so this preseason (just three catches for 25 yards) as Rodgers seems to be favoring Jermichael Finley (nine catches, 92 yards, two touchdowns). Lee’s been named the starter for this season, but with a $2 million salary for 2010, he’ll have to put up improved numbers to warrant paying a No. 2 tight end – which he will be at some point soon – that kind of dough.

4. Johnny Jolly, defensive end

When Jolly is in a nice rotation, he can be damn near unstoppable (see: much of the 2007 season). However, 2008 was definitely a down year for him. I wonder how much his shoulder injury from 2007 played a part in that (remember, his shoulder got shredded late in the regular season). He’s reverted back to his 2007 form during the preseason, which is nice to see. He’s in a contract year, so I think we will see more of that Jolly this season. For his sake, that better be the case because, for a player with as many character concerns as he has, he has to be great to warrant being paid big-time money.

3. Atari Bigby, strong safety

Bigby is in a similar situation as Jolly. He was fantastic in 2007, with 86 tackles, five interceptions and three forced fumbles in 16 games. Then came an injury-plagued 2008 season where he recorded just 21 tackles and one interception in seven games. While I thought the new scheme would be a perfect fit for a player with his skill set (physical, good blitzer, solid in coverage), it doesn’t sound like he’s been all that great in camp. He’s got the starting job locked up, but Anthony Smith has probably outplayed him in camp so you wonder how long the team will wait on Bigby to make the transition. He, like Jolly, is in a contract year, so he needs to step up big-time to prove he isn’t a flash-in-the-pan.

2. Brandon Jackson, running back

Jackson has shown some flashes of ability over the course of his first two seasons with the team. He’s a solid pass-catcher who can sometimes be effective with his rolling-stone, bowling-ball style of running. The problem is that he just hasn’t done enough to justify the fact that he was a second round pick in 2007. A lot of that has to do with Ryan Grant’s emergence, this is true. But even when Jackson’s had chances to make a name for himself – like the first quarter of ‘07 before Grant busted out or early last season when Grant was hurt/struggling – he just hasn’t been able to do so. The backup running back job will be his again this year, but it looks like he might not be ready for the start of the season with a sprained ankle. Combine that with players like DeShawn Wynn and Tyrell Sutton nipping at his heels and Jackson really has to have a good season to warrant keeping him around for 2010.

1. A.J. Hawk, inside linebacker

Remember when Hawk was the No. 5 pick of the 2006 draft and we all thought we had a real difference-making linebacker for the next 10 years? Man, I miss those days. The argument I hear from a lot of Hawk supporters is, “Well, he hasn’t been terrible. He’s been solid.” Yeah, he has, for the most part. But the fifth overall pick should not be “solid.” He should be outstanding – the type of player who can anchor a defense. Hawk has not been that player, by any stretch. Actually, outside of the final eight games or so of his rookie year, I’d say Hawk has been a real disappointment. He struggles in coverage, has consistently failed at achieving the proper pad level and makes too many tackles downfield. Granted, he spent his first three seasons playing in Vanilla Bob Sanders’ scheme. Now, though, he’s playing for a truly creative d-coordinator in Dom Capers who will know how to put Hawk in positions to succeed. It’s up to Hawk to do so, because with a $4.1 million salary for 2010 (and a whopping $10 million salary in 2011), the bust clock is absolutely ticking.

-Chris Lempesis