Tramon Williams isn’t going anywhere.

Williams inked a four-year extension Tuesday that will keep him in green and gold through the 2014 season. The total value of the deal is believed to be worth $33.074 million.

Thanks to some nifty reporting from both Rob Demovsky of the Green Bay Press [...]]]> Green Bay Packers fans, you can rest easy.

Tramon Williams isn’t going anywhere.

Williams inked a four-year extension Tuesday that will keep him in green and gold through the 2014 season. The total value of the deal is believed to be worth $33.074 million.

Thanks to some nifty reporting from both Rob Demovsky of the Green Bay Press Gazette and the great Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, we can already begin to break down the particulars of Williams’ deal. The first key piece of the pie is the $6 million signing bonus, which he will presumably be given immediately. That leaves roughly $27 million coming his way. Here’s how he’ll get it:

• 2010: Earns an additional $5 million, the prorated portion of the $14.4 million 2010 salary he now carries under the new deal.
• 2011: $4.5 million total ($1 million salary, $2.5 million roster bonus, $1 million workout bonus)
• 2012: $6.1 million total ($2.3 million salary, $2.8 million roster bonus, $1 million workout bonus)
• 2013: $7.2 million total ($5.9 million salary, $300,000 roster bonus, $1 million workout bonus)
• 2014 $8.2 million total ($6.9 million salary, $300,000 roster bonus, $1 million workout bonus)

If you do the math, it’s actually a $37 million contract, instead of $33 million. That likely stems from the workout bonuses, since Williams can earn that extra $4 million at his own discretion. Either way, it’s a good deal, both for him and the team.

It’s nice to see a player like Williams rewarded. He stands as a perfect example of how to make a name for yourself – and be properly paid – the right way. As early as preseason 2008, people like broadcaster Larry McCarren were saying that Williams could start for roughly half the teams in the league. Armed with such praise – and the fact that he’s only continued to grow since the start of ‘08 – it would have been easy for Williams to demand more playing time.

He never did, though, instead focusing on getting better. And this summer, when Williams was reportedly upset about receiving an RFA tender instead of a new deal, it would have been easy for him to sit out in the hopes of forcing the team’s hand. Oh, I suppose he could have then come back, only to fake an injury/pair of injuries so he could get paid for almost no work, too (Mike McKenzie, cough, Atari Bigby, cough, cough). Again, he did not do this.

He simply set his mind to proving his true value on the field. He’s done that – and then some, becoming an All-Pro level talent this season, unquestionably the team’s No. 1 corner. And with this new deal done, he’s likely to stay in that role for quite some time to come. Great story all around and a lesson to other players: If you are good, you will be paid. Period.

Of course, there is now the question of what fallout, if any, comes from the extension. After all, there’s only so much money to go around and when one player gets paid, that likely means another player will not. And that’s a good thing, most of the time. As former Dallas Cowboys safety Darren Woodson said in the book, “Boys Will Be Boys”, you have to reward some players, but not all players. It sets a bad precedent. We need look no further than our old pal Mike Sherman for a lesson in how bad said precedent can be.

The list of Packers with deals set to expire after this season is rather low, which is a good thing. James Jones, Brandon Jackson, Mason Crosby and Desmond Bishop will all see their rookie contracts end. There were rumors awhile back that the team has approached Bishop about a new deal. If that happens – and I think it will – that means either Nick Barnett or A.J. Hawk will no longer be around come 2011 (my early vote goes to Barnett being gone, but we can talk about that down the road).

With the new CBA in flux, to say the least, it’s unknown how the restricted/unrestricted rules will shake out (currently a factor for players still in their rookie deals). Jackson and Crosby won’t cost much, so they should be back. Jones may end up asking for a fat new deal, but either way, I’d expect him back, as well.

The one player who likely loses out the most now? Cullen Jenkins. In fact, I’d go as far as saying it’s highly unlikely Jenkins is back with the team next season. The fact that Jenkins – in the final  year of a four-year, $16 million contract signed in 2007 – hasn’t gotten more attention from the team has puzzled both fans and Jenkins himself. The reasons are simple, though: Jenkins has been injury prone and/or faded down the stretch in each of the past four seasons. Why hand over big money to a player like that?

Also, the Packers already have two big-money d-linemen in Ryan Pickett and B.J. Raji. Then factor in Mike Neal’s return next year from injury. And don’t forget about Johnny Jolly’s return. Yes, he’s a yutz, but after serving a one-year suspension, he’ll come at a very low rate and will be ridiculously motivated to get a new contract. Throw in C.J. Wilson, a project who has shown some real flashes at times, and you already have five linemen.

To pay a 3-4 end like Jenkins big money to be the sixth makes little sense, especially when he can move back to a 4-3 defense and make even more money along the way. I’ve long suspected Jenkins would not be back in 2011 – Tuesday’s events simply confirmed it.

-Chris Lempesis

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

At any point, things can go off the rails. One loss, one injury, one bit of infighting – heck, one bad coaching decision – can cause a team to bag it and begin planning their respective vacations.

Going by those guidelines, there is simply no reason the [...]]]> A football season is an incredibly fragile bit of life.

At any point, things can go off the rails. One loss, one injury, one bit of infighting – heck, one bad coaching decision – can cause a team to bag it and begin planning their respective vacations.

Going by those guidelines, there is simply no reason the Green Bay Packers should be on the verge of elite status. Going by those guidelines, the Packers should have quit about a month ago.

But the Packers have not quit. And they are definitely closing in fast on elite status.

The team they faced Sunday night, the Dallas Cowboys, are the inverse of those two statements and Green Bay punished them severely for being so, dominating Dallas in a 45-7 win at Lambeau Field.

It was a glaring study in contrasts if there ever was one. Dallas - a team with more than its share of top-shelf talent – showing no fire, passion or fight, being done in summarily by a Green Bay bunch that, while talented, is certainly not being guided by that alone.

The littany of plays made by the Packers in this one has been covered enough, both here and elsewhere. In this space, it seems more important to talk about the heart and character displayed by Green Bay. After all, those are the qualities that have been guiding this team for the past month or so.

First, think about where these Packers were a few short weeks ago. The injuries and close losses mounting seemingly by the day. A head coach few could say they had much confidence in. A team collapsing under the weight of collosal expectations.

“Super Bowl or die”? Better make those funeral arrangements.

Somewhere along the road to 8-8, though, Green Bay decided to start battling. If the Packers were going to end up earning the dubious honor of 2010’s most disappointing squad, they were not going to do so without a fight. That translated onto the scoreboard. A gutty, emotional win over Minnesota kicked things off, followed by an impressive – if not sexy – win against the Jets.

The ball was rolling. And on Sunday night, that ball crashed squarely into a Cowboys team fully ready to topple over. It would have been easy for Green Bay to stoop to Dallas’ level and let the Cowboys hang around longer than needed. Be honest – you kind of thought that was going to happen, anyways.

But, see, if you have heart – if you care – you don’t do such things. You simply go out and crush your opponent’s (lack of) will. The Packers did just that. They didn’t care if Dallas was content to stand around and let them make plays. They made the plays, anyway. That’s what happens when you build a roster around high-character guys. Low-character, yet talented, players are great to have if things are going well. But that’s easy. Even the lowest of the low can stay on the straight and narrow if they are winning.

And by showing such heart and such character, football has – gasp! – become fun again for the Green Bay Packers. Looking back, it seems clear that this team wasn’t having the best of times on the field before, even early in the year when it was winning and (relatively) healthy. Wins felt like escapes. Smiles were few and far between. The pressure was just too much.

Not anymore. Watching this team – led by Aaron Rodgers and Atari Bigby – jump around in the pregame huddle Sunday night, it almost looked like, well, like they were laughing, didn’t it? The guys were loose, confident and ready to enjoy themselves. They’d disappointed earlier in the year. So what? They were over it. Again – that whole “character” thing coming into play.

These are the things that make the difference when siphoning out the “stuff” from the “stuff.” These Packers have the good kind of “stuff,” clearly. Factor in the team’s considerable talent and a head coach that is quickly re-gaining his touch and you have a potentially special formula.

Is it a Super formula? Too soon to say. Seven games, and a world of possibilities, remain.

But, whatever happens, you can be damn sure of this: The 2010 Packers will battle and fight until the end. Right now, that’s enough for me.

-Chris Lempesis

So, instead of simply griping about it, I’ve decided to go a different [...]]]> We all know the Green Bay Packers are a beat-up bunch. It’s something we at OBOD have tried to steer away from as much as possible because, well, we don’t like making excuses about our team. We’re just so un-Vikings fan-ish that way.

So, instead of simply griping about it, I’ve decided to go a different way. I’m going to rank the nine key players currently on the team’s injured reserve list (sadly, I left Josh Bell out). This is not a ranking of their skills, but rather their overall importance. For example, the No. 1 player listed is the player I’d most like to see healthy. I’ll also take some guesses on where each player’s future with the team stands.

Everyone good? Okay, here we go. As always, enjoy.

1. Jermichael Finley, tight end (knee) - There is simply no bigger reason for the offensive struggles over the past month than the absence of No. 88. Granted, the offense wasn’t looking elite before Finley’s injury, but with him out, the field has definitely shrunk for the rest of Green Bay’s pass catchers. It’s clear the offense never had much of a plan B in the event of a Finley injury. And, most damning, Aaron Rodgers still seems lost much of the time minus his top read. Finley’s stats, projected over a full season: 84 catches, 1,204 yards, four touchdowns. He likely won’t get that fat new contract now, but should be hungrier than ever come next year.
2. Ryan Grant, running back (ankle) - It took all of about three seconds for us to downplay Grant’s importance upon hearing he was lost for the year. Eight games later, I’d like to take back much of what I said. That’s not meant to be a shot at Brandon Jackson or John Kuhn because, actually, those two have been pretty okay. But, either alone or combined, they do not bring the same threat Grant did. Grant, while certainly not an elite back, at least gave opponents something to think about when gameplanning for Green Bay’s offense. He was at least a threat to break the century mark every week. With him gone, Mike McCarthy has been allowed to fully explore the dark side of his “shotgun, five-wide” philosophy. Not a good thing. With such a big salary for next year (he could earn as much as $6 million in salary and various bonuses), you have to wonder if cheaper options won’t be explored by the team.
3. Mike Neal, defensive end (shoulder) - At first, you might snicker seeing Neal this high on the list. Don’t. Despite only playing two games before seeing his season end, Neal showed some flashes of serious potential. Stout and strong enough to play the run - and quick enough to get to the passer - Neal would have been a key cog on the d-line. His presence would have given Green Bay three dual-threat linemen (Neal, B.J. Raji and Cullen Jenkins). It also would have allowed Dom Capers to do a whole lot more mixing-and-matching, depending on the situation. In 2011: Neal, Raji, Jenkins (he’ll be re-signed, fear not), Ryan Pickett and Johnny Jolly (starting to think he’ll be back). Yes, please.
4. Nick Barnett, inside linebacker (wrist) – The emergence of Desmond Bishop and the improvement of A.J. Hawk knock Barnett a little further down the list than originally thought at the time of his injury. Still, you know those times Hawk goes too high on a tackle or gets caught out of position in coverage? Yeah, those are the times you wish Barnett was still around. And his leadership is still sort of missed, as well, though that void has been filled somewhat filled by committee (Charles Woodson, Clay Matthews, etc.). Hawk is likely gone after this season, so even with a salary approaching the $6 million range, Barnett should return.
5. Morgan Burnett, safety (knee) - Solid, if unspectacular, for the two games he played before getting hurt, it’s highly likely Burnett would just be taking his game up a notch about now. Remember, Burnett has “big-time playmaker” written all over him. Luckily, Charlie Peprah’s emergence and the impending return of Atari Bigby (could happen this week) have made up for Burnett’s loss. With Burnett solidly in the fold for the foreseeable future, it’s likely that either Bigby or Peprah will not be back come 2011.
6. Brad Jones, outside linebacker (shoulder) - Jones played his best game of the season, hands down, in the win over Minnesota. With the luck the Packers have had this year with injuries, it’s darkly fitting that his shoulder injury – problematic since camp – would flair up so bad he’d have to have surgery immediately afterwards. Jones did not provide much pressure opposite Matthews, definitely disappointing. He was good against the run, though, and his pass rushing looked to be improving before he got hurt. Finding a more proven pass rushing commodity to play opposite Matthews – thus keeping Jones in a more limited role – is definitely a possibility in the offseason.
7. Derrick Martin, safety (knee) - As we all know, Martin brings limited value as an actual safety. His true value came as Green Bay’s best special teams player. With the Packers giving up at least one big return in each of the past four games, you can see why he’s been missed. Coming off such a severe injury, his return to the team next season seems in doubt, especially when you consider Green Bay’s considerable depth at the position.
8. Justin Harrell, defensive end (knee) - Harrell would have been a key member of the rotation along the d-line as he turned in a very solid training camp. Of course, we all know what happened next, don’t we? Harrell, as always, was bitten by the injury bug, less than two quarters into the season. Harrell deserves a great deal of credit for continuing to work his way back from injury. Unfortunately, it’s just never going to happen for him in the NFL. The Packers have given him four years. They can give him no more.
9. Brady Poppinga (knee), outside linebacker – Buried on the depth chart to start the season, injuries forced Poppinga into a key role, only he didn’t last long in said role. He showed a bit more potential in the 3-4 than he did last season (example: his huge overtime sack of Donovan McNabb in the Washington game). But when you consider that he’s due over $2 million next season, it becomes clear Poppinga has probably played his last down for the Packers.

What do you think of my rankings? As always, comment baby, comment!

-Chris Lempesis

Were you worried about the offense? No, not at all. The group was deep, talented and just hitting its stride. Scoring 30 a week? Why not?

What you worried about was the defense. You worried about the pass rush, [...]]]> Think back, for a second, to late August. What were your worries regarding the 2010 Green Bay Packers?

Were you worried about the offense? No, not at all. The group was deep, talented and just hitting its stride. Scoring 30 a week? Why not?

What you worried about was the defense. You worried about the pass rush, the secondary depth, no Johnny Jolly. If someone were to tell you this team would be 5-3 at the midway point and rapidly on the verge of becoming a force in the NFC, you would have likely said it was because of a fast-improving defense.

How wrong you would be.

The story of the Packers’ emergence is one being written by the same group riddled with question marks just two months ago, a group devastated by injury, one largely comprised of rookies, no-names and nobodies. That unit led the way yet again Sunday in Green Bay’s 9-0 road win over the New York Jets.

The Packers’ defense came though with its best effort of the season – perhaps its best effort in years – in this one, recording their first road shutout since 1991 and the first shutout by any team in the 2010 season. It is a unit that continues to fight, claw and battle its way to wins.

Consider the following: No one – and I mean no one – thought Green Bay’s battered, tattered front seven could withstand the onslaught it was sure to face from New York’s top-notch running game, one powered by two good backs and an elite offensive line. Withstand the Packers did, holding New York’s duo of Shonn Greene and LaDainian Tomlinson to just 76 yards on 22 carries. Those two had success, on occasion, but more often than not, the holes they targeted were simply unavailable. 

That was due to the work of players like C.J. Wilson, Howard Green, A.J. Hawk and Desmond Bishop, players expected to contribute little, if anything, over the summer. Actually, you can say even less about Green since, you know, he was just signed last week.

By shutting down the run game, a door was opened for some “no-names” to step up and makes plays against the pass. Charlie Peprah’s name comes to mind here, carrying over his very strong showing from the Minnesota game. It’s becoming readily apparent why he was kept around so long, despite his various injury troubles. The guy can play, delivering both strong coverage and some seriously big hits.

Of course, Green Bay’s defense is not entirely composed of nobodies. Charles Woodson. Tramon Williams. Clay Matthews. These are names everyone knows. And names that certainly made big plays Sunday.

Woodson and Williams both came up with picks that altered the course of this game, Woodson’s pick a display of freakish athleticism and Williams’ a display of pure toughness and never-say-die grit.

And when you can combine the traits shown on those two interceptions in someone, you have a great player. What you have is Matthews. Despite being kept down most of the day by right tackle Damian Woody, Matthews kept on fighting. And fighting. And fighting, until finally he broke through for a crushing, drive-killing sack of Mark Sanchez late in the game.

Overseeing this group is a man turning in the best work of his illustrious career: Defensive coordinator Dom Capers.

Somehow, someway, Capers continues to get strong, hard-nosed performances out of this group. I am only half-kidding when I ask aloud if the 2010 NFL Coach of the Year award can be given to a coordinator. If so, here’s your winner, gang.

And Capers has just one more game to get through before honest-to-God reinforcements arrive in the form of Al Harris and Atari Bigby. One more game to get through before players like Ryan Pickett can get back near 100 percent. That has to excite you.

But, even without those guys, it’s becoming clear the players in place - this rag-tag group of oddly assembled parts - have begun rallying together, determined to prove that they can play, your opinion of them be damned.

The defense has already far exceeded any expectations placed on it back when the temperature gage was still high. If the offense can ever live up to theirs, oh what a team this could be.

-Chris Lempesis

Wednesday, we learned that outside linebacker Brad Jones’ season is indeed over. Jones has been placed on injured reserve and will undergo surgery on his damaged shoulder. The injury initially occurred in camp and was apparently significantly re-injured in Sunday night’s win [...]]]> Okay, now we can say the Green Bay Packers’ defense is devastated by injury.

Wednesday, we learned that outside linebacker Brad Jones’ season is indeed over. Jones has been placed on injured reserve and will undergo surgery on his damaged shoulder. The injury initially occurred in camp and was apparently significantly re-injured in Sunday night’s win over Minnesota.

Jones is the 10th Packer to go on I.R. this season. Six of those players – Jones, Nick Barnett, Morgan Burnett, Mike Neal, Brady Poppinga and Justin Harrell – were expected to be at least somewhat significant contributors for that unit in 2010. And don’t forget Brandon Chillar, Cullen Jenkins, Ryan Pickett, Clay Matthews – my God this list is long – Nick Collins and Charles Woodson. Every single one of those players has either missed time, will miss time or been at least semi-affected by injury.

Oh, by the way – Al Harris and Atari Bigby still haven’t been activated from the PUP list yet. With the Packers quickly signing (or claiming off waivers) four defensive players this week – three linebackers and a defensive tackle – you have to wonder just where those two are at in the recovery process. I have a bad feeling that it could be awhile until either of those two are on the 53-man roster. Like, “after the bye week” bad.

Yet, through all of this, defensive coordinator Dom Capers has somehow, someway, managed to keep Green Bay in the middle of the pack (no pun intended) on that side of the ball. The Packers are tied with New England for 16th with 136 points allowed, 19.4 per game. Green Bay is also 18th in total yards per game allowed (338.4). Now, I can’t say I’ve studied the numbers/performance of every defense he’s ever led, but one has to think this seven-game stretch is one of the best coaching jobs he’s ever turned in.

Here’s the thing, though: I’m not sure Capers can keep this up much longer. That’s not to question his smarts, because we know he has those in abundance. I’m not sure any defensive mind could keep this up. The depth is just so paper-thin. And, who knows if the injuries will ever stop for the defense? What happens if a crucial piece – say Matthews, Tramon Williams, Collins or Woodson – gets hit with a season-ender?

But, as always, I’m not going to paint a picture of a totally baren landscape. There’s hope for this defense – and it lies in an unexpected place.

The other side of the ball.

After seven games of fits, starts, heat, cool, north and south, the time for Green Bay’s offense to become the monster we all thought it could is now. That group simply can not turn in any more uneven performances if the Packers are to make this season a special one.

The biggest thing that must now happen is an honest-to-God dedication to dominating the time of possession. Seven games in, the Packers stand just 17th in average T.O.P. at 30:06 per game. The New York Giants lead the league in this category at 33:23 per game. Doesn’t seem like much, on the surface, but as we’ve learned this season, 3:17 can be a lifetime, especially if you’re playing with a battered defense. Imagine an extra three minutes-plus in Green Bay’s favor against Miami. Or Washington.

In order to boost those T.O.P. numbers, a re-tooling of Mike McCarthy’s approach to gameplanning is in order. Stubborn as he is, you might think this impossible. But, actually, it’s not. McCarthy took some fairly major steps in this direction against the Vikings, showing more dedication to the run game than at any previous point this season. In his Wednesday presser, McCarthy hinted that we’ll see more Brandon Jackson this Sunday against the New York Jets.

Whether it works this week or not, it’s something he needs to go with the rest of the way. Jackson has shown some flashes of real potential. He won’t likely overwhelm anyone with his size, speed or toughness, but has just enough of each quality to make him intriguing (and his vision’s not bad, either). Like all backs, he’ll only get better as the carries pile up. And Bryan Bulaga’s emergence at right tackle gives Green Bay a solid side of the line to rush off of as Bulaga and Josh Sitton are both quick, tough and nasty run blockers.

The passing game, Mike Mac’s pride and joy, must also be re-worked. Simply put, this team continues to chase the home run ball far more often than is necessary. It’s killing drives and causing turnovers. Considering how far Aaron Rodgers and his receivers appear to be off in the chemistry department, it’s surprising how many deep shots this offense continues to take. Those are low-percentage throws and do nothing to get things back in-synch. If you were a basketball player, would you continue to chuck threes up on a cold shooting night? You’d try for as many layups as possible to get yourself back into a rhythm, right?

For the Packers, these layups consist of  throws within the six-to-15 yard range. This offense lived there during last season’s 7-1 finish to the regular season. And when things were looking bleak in the wild card game, how did the offense get itself back on track? Exactly.

Somewhere between the wild card loss and the start of the 2010 season, the Packers became convinced that a passing attack can only be considered great if it goes shotgun, five-wide and racks up 25 yards on every dropback. That just isn’t true (see: the San Francisco 49ers of the 1980s). Look at golf, for example. Any pro can step up to the tee and crush it. The great ones separate themselves through the short game.

Getting back to that 7-1 mindset puts the ball in the hands of your playmakers quicker, thus allowing them to do what they do quicker. This approach makes for plays that, while not as sexy as the home run ball (something Rodgers seems way too preoccupied with, anyways), can be run in higher quantity. More plays equals more time of possession and a tired opposing defense.

By re-dedicating themselves to the little things – more handoffs here and more seven-yard throws there – the Packers can fully utilize the considerable talent they have on offense, even without Jermichael Finley and Ryan Grant.

For a defense that becomes exponentially less considerable in the talent department seemingly by the day, it’s the least they can do.

-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

Monday, we learned that rookie safety Morgan Burnett’s season is over just four games in because of a torn ACL, suffered in the team’s win over Detroit on Sunday.

Before we get to the options available for Green Bay at the position, let’s talk about what [...]]]> And the injuries continue to mount for the Green Bay Packers.

Monday, we learned that rookie safety Morgan Burnett’s season is over just four games in because of a torn ACL, suffered in the team’s win over Detroit on Sunday.

Before we get to the options available for Green Bay at the position, let’s talk about what the loss of Burnett means for the defense. In short, it’s a fairly significant injury, no question. Outside of some rookie errors here and there, Burnett had turned in a very solid first four games. Maybe he wasn’t the ballhawking playmaker we expected him to be, but that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Burnett seemed focused on simply learning the position and making sure he was in the correct spots at the correct times. More often than not, he was. As he continued to become more assured of his abilities, the basics of the position and the pro game would have become second nature for him. At that point, it’s likely the big-time plays would have followed. The future is still very bright for him.

Of course, that doesn’t mean much for the present, now does it? There are a few candidates to fill Burnett’s position for the immediate future, though I’m honestly not sure how promising any of them are (relax, Atari Bigby – we’ll get to you in a minute).

The first option, in my mind, is Derrick Martin. Martin started a handful of games early last season when Bigby went down with an ankle injury. On the other hand, his performances were nothing short of legendary trainwreck status, Martin looking confused/unathletic far more often than not, even though he’d already played in a 3-4 scheme in Baltimore. He’s been in this scheme for over a year now, so perhaps he’ll be better this time around. Perhaps.

There’s also Charlie Peprah, the man’s who seemingly been around forever, despite doing almost nothing. Peprah had himself a very good training camp, coming out of relative nowhere to crack the roster (Will Blackmon’s injury helped his cause, also). He’s got good physical tools, but again, we really have no idea what type of player he is, particularly in this scheme. Plus, he’s missed the last two games with a thigh injury.

Then there’s…wait for it…brace yourselves…Jarrett Bush. Bush has experience at the position and, outside of blowing a coverage that led to a touchdown Sunday, he hasn’t been terrible this season. Then again, this IS cornerback/safety/bain of ALL OUR existence Jarrett Bush, so things can always go craphouse.

See what I mean about the options not being of the top-shelf variety?

No matter who the Packers choose – my best guess: Martin, because of his experience there - that player will only be a short-term starter. That’s because, following the Miami game on Oct. 17, Bigby is eligible to return from the PUP list (ankle). We can only hope the six weeks-plus Bigby’s had to heal have been sufficient. We may rag on him quite a bit, but this defense is going to need him in a bad way. As the schedule gets much, much tougher, I’m not sure how long the secondary can survive with Martin/Peprah/Bush/other back there.

But even with Bigby, there’s some concern. He hasn’t really participated in any sort of team practice since the end of last season, first due to his idiotic, misguided attempt at a new deal and then his ankle injury, which required surgery. Even if he is healthy, you have to wonder what type of shape he’ll be in. Working out with a trainer, no matter how hard you do it, just does not compare to the rigors of NFL practices.

With Burnett out, for the foreseeable future, the position is going to be the major target of opposing quarterbacks. As I see it, there are really only a couple of ways the team can work around his loss. The first lies with the other members of the secondary. In short, everyone else is going to have to raise their game not just a notch, but likely two or three notches, to cover that hole. The talent is certainly there to do that, but still, that’s a lot to ask.

The second lies with Dom Capers. Capers, coming off his worst game as defensive coordinator Sunday, is going to have to become even more creative with how he moves, shifts and positions players back there. And he’ll almost certainly have to adjust how often he blitzes now, also, and become even more situation-specific with them. Adding pressure to cover for a weak link at safety is a fantastic idea if it works – but it could spell doom if it doesn’t. As with the players in the secondary, the talent is there with Capers, but again, even he has his limits on what he can come up with.

In reality, both these things will have to happen for the Packers to make up for Burnett’s loss, at least until Bigby can regain form.

-Chris Lempesis

The Green Bay Packers took a different approach. They cut no one.

Instead, the Packers placed three players on the PUP list and one more on injured reserve (they had only 79 players [...]]]> Tuesday was the first of two scheduled cutdown days for NFL teams, with every team mandated to get down from 80 to 75 players.

The Green Bay Packers took a different approach. They cut no one.

Instead, the Packers placed three players on the PUP list and one more on injured reserve (they had only 79 players to begin with, not 80).

Cornerback Al Harris, strong safety Atari Bigby and running back James Starks were put on the PUP, meaning each player will be unavailable to practice and play with the team for the first six weeks of the season. They will all be eligible to return for the start of Vikings week, part one, in late October. Even if they aren’t quite ready yet at that time, each player is given three weeks to practice – without counting on the roster – before the team has to make a decision. The player has to be cut, activated to the roster or placed on injured reserve after those three weeks are up.

Speaking of injured reserve, that’s where promising rookie running back Quinn Porter found himself Tuesday. His season is now over.

Now that we’ve taken care of the specifics, let’s break down what this all means for the Packers.

Obviously, the biggest name on this list is that of Harris.

We heard roughly a million different timetables/possible return dates for Harris during camp. At first, the PUP list seemed to be his likely destination. Then, two weeks ago, we heard – from the National Football Post, a site run by Harris’ agent, Jack Bechta – that Harris could be back on the practice field before the Seattle game. That led many, myself definitely included, to say that Harris would surely be back for the season opener. That was as good as things got, though.

Harris couldn’t pass a recent physical and, with seemingly little progress made, the team decided to take the cautious approach and scratch him for the first six weeks instead of keeping him on the roster and hoping he’d be back for, say, the Chicago game in week three. The Packers are taking the smart angle here, even though it’s causing much hand-wringing amongst fans. The team simply does not face any deep, high-powered passing attacks until Favre comes to town in week seven.

With opponents like New England, both New York teams, Atlanta and, of course, the aforementioned Vikings (twice) littering the schedule from week seven on, Green Bay is deciding to save Harris until it really counts. Smart, smart, smart. This puts more pressure on the youngsters (Sam Shields, Brandon Underwood and Pat Lee), of course, but the early schedule should allow them to gain valuable NFL experience against teams that don’t appear capable of eating them alive. This wiil benefit the defense, as a whole, later.

The Bigby move, on the other hand, comes as no surprise. We’ve all known for awhile now that this is where he’d end up and he did. As I’ve said before, Bigby misplayed his hand in hoping for a new deal, which is why he didn’t get the ankle cleared up earlier. As a result, Bigby could find himself on the bench even if he returns healthy. Morgan Burnett has struggled at times, but has also shown huge upside. By week seven, Burnett could have the job locked up to the point where the team won’t want to mess with chemistry by giving Bigby his job back. At the very least, he will provide good depth.

I have to admit, I was surprised Starks ended up on the PUP list and not IR. His hamstring simply has not gotten much better during camp, from the sounds of it, and the Packers have a recent history of placing youngsters who are struggling with injuries on IR even if the injury isn’t necessarily a season-ender. Still, the move makes some sense after further examination. Starks, if healthy, should bring good value as a pass-catcher. And with only Kregg Lumpkin and fullback John Kuhn ahead of him on the depth chart, as of now, Starks could be a definite upgrade at the position come week seven.

Finally, we come to Porter. As stated before, he showed some promise, especially early in camp. His impact faded a bit over recent weeks and when he suffered the ankle injury, you knew that’d be a wrap for him this season. Clearly the team likes his upside, though, or else it would have cut him outright. A player to watch in years to come.

The Packers now have until Saturday afternoon to cut down from 75 to 53. Allen Barbre – I hope your house is drawing some offers.

-Chris Lempesis