The Who Dat? Nation has finally reached the top of the mountain.

They did so as the New Orleans Saints pulled off a dramatic 31-17 upset of the Indianapolis [...]]]> (Before we begin: I wasn’t going to write a recap of this game at first. Then I realized that we’re roughly nine months away from the next meaningful NFL game. That changed my mind.)

The Who Dat? Nation has finally reached the top of the mountain.

They did so as the New Orleans Saints pulled off a dramatic 31-17 upset of the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLIV on Sunday night in Miami.

Since plenty of other commentators have weighed in on what this means, not just to the Saints but to the city of New Orleans as a whole, I’m going to focus strictly on the game itself. There’s plenty of enough to talk about there, anyways.

The Saints’ turnaround from “Aints” to champions was keyed by two people – head coach Sean Payton and quarterback Drew Brees – and it’s really no surprise those two were the reasons the Saints were victorious Sunday.

(Just a quick, completely uncalled for reminder: Vikings’ fans STILL have no idea what this feels like)

Payton rebounded from his conservative approach in the NFC title game two weeks ago on Sunday with a masterfully aggressive gameplan. It wasn’t always smart and it didn’t always work – the decision to go for it on fourth-and-goal late in the second quarter was baffling, to say the least – but by being aggressive, he showed his team he had confidence in them at every single turn. In sports, that stuff matters.

It certainly mattered on the opening kickoff of the second half.

Payton and Co. shocked the nation by going for an onside kick. After a lengthy pile-up (which had to have been the craziest pile ever), the Saints came away with not only the ball, but the momentum. And when Brees led the offense down for a score – giving the Saints a 13-10 lead – it was official that, no matter what Indianapolis did to counter that, the Colts would be behind the cliched eight-ball the rest of the way.

In the biggest games of your life, you turn it loose. Payton did just that.

Of course, it’s easy to turn it loose when you have a signal-caller like Brees.

As Adam said in giving his prediction, New Orleans’ hopes would rest on Brees’ shoulders. By going 32-of-39 for 288 yards and two touchdowns (no interceptions), Brees showed he was more than up to the task, turning in the closest thing a quarterback can to a perfect game. Playing behind a dominant offensive line (seriously, was he pressured more than a handful of times?), the game’s MVP found every single open patch in Indianapolis’ Cover 2 defense. He spread the ball around to eight different receivers and showed that, if anyone doubts he should be considered the game’s best quarterback, they should doubt no more.

Payton and Brees have become the league’s elite coach-quarterback combo. When you have that, more often that not, you’re going to be the best.

The Saints were Sunday. And it’s absolutely deserved.

Other random thoughts on the Super Bowl

• Peyton Manning had his chance to become the best quarterback ever in this one and he blew it. Sure, he completed over 66 percent of his passes for 333 yards, but it was a very non-discript 333 yards. And with the game hanging the balance, Manning made a terrible throw to Reggie Wayne that Tracy Porter (officially my favorite non-Packer) picked and took to the house for the game-clinching score. Manning is still top 10, but he’s nowhere close to where he could have been (plus, Brees has surpassed him as the best in the game today). Somewhere, Joe Montana is smiling. His status as the best ever is safe.
• I tried to tell you The Who should be stopped. If you doubted me then, you can’t now after watching their abysmal halftime performance. They just can’t get it done anymore. Can we officially declare the 1960s are over, for God’s sake? Can the NFL get a band that actually, you know, appeals to its target demograpic (me, for example)? How about Pearl Jam? Or Kings of Leon, maybe? Why does the halftime show always have to be classic rock radio?
• Sort of a down year for the commercials. That said, I had two favorites (for different reasons). The funniest was the David Letterman/Oprah/Jay Leno promo for Letterman’s show. Hilarious. The best was the Megan Fox ad for…well, I don’t even know what it was for. Megan Fox in a tub? Yikes. Here’s how you know it made an impact. Adam and I were having a conversation. We stopped when the commercial came on. When it was over, I said, “What were we talking about?” He stared blankly at me before responding, “I can’t remember.” That’s the effect Fox has on men. I doubt we were the only guys experiencing this.
• I love, love, love that Boomer Esiason and Dan Marino were the two former quarterbacks-turned analysts for CBS’ halftime show. Two guys who know a little something about Super Bowl-winning quarterbacking right there. They know as much as you and I do about that.
• Esiason had another gem, too, when talking about Brees holding his recently-born son on the field after the game was over. Esiason: “It’s really a great moment between a father and son.” He said it as though every father and son experiences that. Yeah, I remember when my dad and I did that after he won it back in ‘81. We talk about it all the time. And, again, what would YOU know about that anyways, Boomer?
• Next year, the Super Bowl is in Dallas. How ’bout the Pack goes down there and wins it, shoving it right in Jerry Jones’ cosmetically-altered face? How fun would that be? Just saying…

-Chris Lempesis

But what about some players, currently on other teams, who might be able to help the Pack next season?

That’s the focus of the final part of our post-season, pre-draft to-do [...]]]> So, we’ve just about covered the current in-house situation for the Green Bay Packers with regards to their upcoming free agents and the players who could be released.

But what about some players, currently on other teams, who might be able to help the Pack next season?

That’s the focus of the final part of our post-season, pre-draft to-do list as we’re going to take a look at some impending free agents in areas of need for Green Bay.

I’m going to rank the positions in order of most-to-least in need of upgrades. I won’t list every position possible, of course, as the Packers are more-than-set at a few spots (quarterback, wide receiver, etc.). Again, this thing ended up being just too long to run as one post, so I’ve broken it up into two sections. Part two will run later today (I promise).

And, finally, remember that the Packers are currently about $10 million under the cap. Yes, there likely won’t be a cap next season, but a fiscally-conservative franchise like Green Bay could very well set a number for what the cap would have been and a number for what they would have spent had there been one. Even if there isn’t a cap, the Packers aren’t likely to go over whatever number that might be. In other words, Ted Thompson isn’t going to start dishing out $50 million contracts left and right. He’ll let Daniel Snyder and Jerry Jones do that.

Alright, no more stalling. Here is our early free agency look.

As always, enjoy.

1. Left tackle/left guard – If you’ve been following our coverage this week, you know that I think both Chad Clifton and Daryn Colledge should be sent packing. Clifton’s old and likely to fall apart soon enough and Colledge is just too up-and-down and when he’s down, he’s a wreck. Of course, by doing that, the Packers would then need an entirely new left side of the o-line. If Mark Tauscher’s brought back (which I think, and hope, he will be), my best guess is that T.J. Lang fills one of the two slots on the left side. The draft very well could be Thompson’s place to fill the other spot. If he chooses free agency, though, he looks to have a number of options at both guard and tackle, as of now. If Lang is placed at left tackle, New England’s Logan Mankins would make for an outstanding fit at left guard. He turns 28 in March, has been voted to two Pro Bowls and has started every game since being drafted in 2006. He’s equally good in run and pass blocking and could be to the Pack what Steve Hutchinson was to Minnesota – yeah, he’s that good. The Pats made interior o-line a priority of sorts in last year’s draft and might decide to let Mankins go, albeit as a restricted free agent. It might cost the Packers a first-and-third rounder (plus a new contract), but Mankins is absoultely worth it. San Francisco’s David Baas is a big boy at at 6-feet, 4-inches and 330 pounds, but is a solid starter who would provide some much-needed size and aggression (he’s a Michigan guy and Michigan always produces o-linemen with nasty dispositions). He’s restricted, too, and might cost a second-round pick. Not a bad price, though. At left tackle. Tampa Bay’s Donald Penn appears to be the best of the bunch. He doesn’t turn 26 until April and has done a very nice job on the bad Bucs’ teams of late (the Bucs’ struggles in recent years are likely the reason he doesn’t get as much pub as he should). Again, he’s equally solid in both areas and, while some concerns exist about his weight, he’d be a nice fit for the longterm. San Diego’s Marcus McNeill, 26, like Mankins, has also been to two Pro Bowls. At 6-feet, 7-inches and 336 pounds, he’s a throwback type of left tackle in the sense that he’s just a monster. He’s done a nice job protecting Phil Rivers’ blindside and we all know the numbers that Tomlinson guy was putting up for awhile there. Baltimore’s Jared Gaither is just 23 years old (he turns 24 in March) and has done a solid job, particularly in opening holes for Ray Rice. He’s a step down from Penn and McNeil, but would still be a nice fit. Same goes for New Orleans’ Jermon Bushrod, who has done a nice job replacing the injured Jammal Brown this season. He’ll turn 26 in August and likely has his best days ahead of him. Keep in mind that Penn, McNeill, Gaither and Bushrod are all set for restricted free agency also. Penn and McNeill will likely get the highest tenders (first-and-third round), Gaither is probably tendered at the first-round level and Bushrod is likely a second-round tender. A high price any way you cut it, but when you’re picking in the mid-20s, as Green Bay will be, you can definitely argue that any of these guys would provide more value than what the Packers would get in the draft.

2. Cornerback – This is not likely to be a place where Thompson makes a move in free agency, at least in terms of going after any big fish. Charles “Defensive Player of the Year” Woodson, Al Harris (make no mistake, he will be back in Green Bay next year) and Tramon Williams (if the Packers suck it up and pay him like I think they should) make for a formidable, and expensive, top three at the position. But clearly help is needed in terms of depth (we all saw the wild card game, after all). Jarett Bush stinks, Will Blackmon and Pat Lee are somewhat intriguing, but oft-injured and Brandon Underwood is an unknown. In my mind, the team needs at least two new corners who specialize in playing zone coverage in a 3-4 scheme. Thompson likely uses the draft to take at least one corner fairly high, but he should look to free agency for the other corner. You know who’d be a nice fit? San Francisco’s Dre Bly. Sure, he turns 33 in May, but he still had three picks and 13 passes defended last season in a 3-4 scheme. His age likely means he’d come fairly cheap and he’s unrestricted, meaning no compensation would have to be surrendered. Indianapolis’ Tim Jennings isn’t in a 3-4 – and he’s a bit small at just 5-feet, 8-inches - but he knows how to play the zone and recorded two picks and 10 passes defended for the Colts this season. He’s also unrestricted and just turned 26 years old, although he could cost a bit more. Finally, Philadelphia’s Ellis Hobbs might be coming off of neck surgery that caused him to miss more than half the season, but if he can fully heal up, he could provide a ton of value. He’s played in a 3-4 before (recording nine picks in his four years in New England) and has returned three kicks for touchdowns (we all know the Pack could use an actual return threat). He’ll be restricted if there’s no cap, but Philly might just let him walk coming off such an injury. He won’t turn 27 until May and would be worthy of a fairly cheap gamble. Hey, anything’s better than Bush.

Again, look for part two later today.

-Chris Lempesis

You know what? I’m going to say that one again, this time with feeling:

THE GREEN BAY PACKERS ARE IN THE (EXPLETIVE DELETED) PLAYOFFS!

YES!!

Sunday’s 48-10 home demolition of the woeful Seattle Seahawks – what’s happened to THEM? – combined with a New York Giants loss puts the now 10-5 [...]]]> The Green Bay Packers are in the playoffs.

You know what? I’m going to say that one again, this time with feeling:

THE GREEN BAY PACKERS ARE IN THE (EXPLETIVE DELETED) PLAYOFFS!

YES!!

Sunday’s 48-10 home demolition of the woeful Seattle Seahawks – what’s happened to THEM? – combined with a New York Giants loss puts the now 10-5 Packers back in the posteason after a one year absence.

The game itself was a mini-vacation to bizzaro world – A.J. Hawk and Jarrett Bush had interceptions and Brandon Jackson and Ahman Green combined for four touchdowns, after all – so we won’t really be focusing on that.

Instead, let’s take a look ahead at the possible playoff opponents for the Packers. Things won’t fully shake out until late Sunday afternoon next week – the numerous scenarios are truly mind-boggling as Gene and I figured out on the phone Sunday night - but for now there are four possible opponents for Green Bay. And here they are, ranked by least-to-most fearful:

1. Arizona Cardinals, 10-5, winners of the NFC West – The Cardinals, who will play the Pack next week, present some difficult matchups, no question about it. Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin form the best receiver tandem in the game, Kurt Warner can pick defenses apart with his quick release and the defense is much better than it gets credit for. Plus, this group knows how to win in January. It’s still weird to say that about the Cards, but it’s true. On the other hand, the Cards don’t present much of a threat in the ground game, offensively (27th in rushing) or defensively (19th in run defense). The Packers’ ever-improving run game could take advantage there, allowing Green Bay to eat time up and keep the offense off the field. When Arizona’s offense is on the field, Warner is pretty immobile and prone to turning the ball over at times. The Packers could be able to tee off on Warner, as he plays behind a somewhat shaky offensive line.
2. Dallas Cowboys, 10-5, second place in NFC East – The Cowboys clinched a spot with their win over the Washington Redskins on Sunday night. A win over Philadelphia next week will give Dallas the division. The Cowboys seem to have pulled themselves out of their usual December nosedive, Tony Romo is playing better ball as of late and the front seven can still wreak havoc for opposing offenses. Plus, as Gene likes to say, the mob refs will be in the house for the first playoff game at Jerry Jones’ new palace. Don’t discount the trouble that could cause. On the other hand, Green Bay already proved it could beat Dallas (a 17-7 win in early November saved the Pack’s season). Outside of Jason Whitten and Miles Austin, Dallas doesn’t have much in the way of gamebreaking talent on offense. Quick throws and timely running can stifle the Cowboys’ pass rush. Finally, with all the pressure that will surely be on Romo and head coach Wade Phillips, don’t you think a quick 10-0 or 14-3 deficit would cause Dallas to fall apart fast? I sure do.
3. Minnesota Vikings, 11-3, winners of the NFC North – Believe it or not, the Packers could be in for round three versus Judas in the first round of the playoffs. Just thinking about that almost makes my head explode. Can you imagine? Anyways, obviously we know about the troubles Minnesota presents. In two wins over Green Bay this year, the Vikings got stellar efforts from Judas, the receivers and the offensive line. The defense was pretty good, too, particularly in rushing Aaron Rodgers. On the other hand, this would not be the same Vikings team Green Bay saw earlier. Judas is doing his usual December flopping act (plus, there’s trouble in paradise between him and head coach Brad Childress). Adrian Peterson is still being shutdown far too often. Percy Harvin’s medical issues take away a key Judas target. Most importantly, the defense is not the same monster it was. The front four is tiring considerably as the season goes on and E.J. Henderson’s gruesome knee injury took away the leader of the defense. Most importantly, the Packers proved to themselves in the second half of the second game that they could indeed play with Minnesota. They didn’t know that before, in my mind. A third meeting would give them a chance to see that through.
4. Philadelphia Eagles, 11-4, first place in the NFC East – Without question, the worst possible matchup for the Packers in the first round. Donovan McNabb can still avoid pressure with the best of them and is usually great in January. The defense thrives on pressure and turnovers (much like Green Bay). What scares me the most, though, is the overall offensive speed Philly has. I’m not knocking Green Bay’s defense or anything, but let’s be honest: It’s not the fastest group you’ve ever seen. You saw Minnesota take advantage of that twice already this season. I mean, I see the name DeSean Jackson and I see six catches, 131 yards and two scores against the Packers’ defense. Jeremy Maclin is also a burner and Brent Celek has emerged as a top-five tight end this season. On the other hand, the Eagles haven’t really beaten anybody special as their four biggest wins have come over New York (twice), a Matt Ryan-less Atlanta and Denver. There might not be a playoff team in that bunch if Denver misses out. Philly is also not much of a threat to run the ball, healthy Brian Westbrook or not, and head coach Andy Reid can get tight in big games. A game with the Eagles would almost surely be a high-scoring affair, which could play into Green Bay’s hands because of its ability to run the ball.

Anyway you slice it, the Packers will be in for a fight. It’s the playoffs, after all.

But ever since the loss to Tampa Bay – seven weeks ago, essentially a lifetime in the NFL – the Packers have shown an ability to fight, an ability to battle back from adversity. They’re mentally prepared for what they will face.

So, in the end, maybe we shouldn’t worry so much about our young, sometimes bipolar, Packers. Maybe we shouldn’t worry at all.

Our squad is in the playoffs. The season is already a smashing success.

I know I’m smiling.

-Chris Lempesis

Then I remembered that, with the Green Bay Packers not set to play until Monday, everything gets pushed back a day. Thus, Wednesday is their day off. The mid-week report will return [...]]]> I had it all planned out. I was going to write my usual Wednesday mid-week report this afternoon. It was going to be great.

Then I remembered that, with the Green Bay Packers not set to play until Monday, everything gets pushed back a day. Thus, Wednesday is their day off. The mid-week report will return tomorrow, though.

Just after that, though, I stumbled across this item on SI.com’s Truth and Rumor page that says the New Orleans Saints (man, we’re giving them a ton of pub here lately) will likely cut Reggie Bush at the end of the season. Bush has an $8 million or so cap figure and he just isn’t worth it, insiders in the organization say.

That got me to thinking about another disappointing high pick in the 2006 draft. You guessed it: our own A.J. Hawk.

Could this be it for Hawk in Green Bay?

Forget about the fact that he’s a huge favorite amongst us fans – Hawk jerseys litter Lambeau on gamedays (Adam and I both have Hawk jerseys, as well. Gene still sticks with his Anthony Dilweg jersey from back in the day).

Forget about the fact that advertisers (a certain car dealership in Mecca – er, Green Bay) and the league (he’s appeared in ads for the Sunday Ticket and NFL Play 60) are clearly in love with him.

Instead, focus on three key factors: His actual level of play, the money he’s due to make and the collective financial situation of the Packers.

First, his performance. Things began swimmingly for Hawk in Green Bay. Keyed by a great second half of his rookie season, Hawk finished with 121 total tackles, 3.5 sacks, two interceptions, one forced fumble and seven passes defended. You noticed him all over the place. If the kid could do this as a rookie, what could he do in year two, not to mention years four and five? It looked like we had a premier talent in our midst.

Since then, though, he’s fallen off in a major way. Hawk struggles mightily in coverage, makes most of his tackles downfield, takes poor angles on tackles far too often and shows almost zero ability as a pass rusher. Whenever he actually does something positive, I find myself getting overly psyched, kind of like when the father of the worst kid on your little league team goes nuts when his son scrapes out a walk. Admit it – you do the same thing.

Take a look at his “playmaking” stats since the start of 2007. Five sacks, one interception (ONE!), one forced fumble (ONE!!) and five passes defended. Wow.

You can make any excuse you’d like (he’s been hurt, he’s been forced to switch positions numerous times, etc.). But simply put, Hawk has not made anywhere close to the impact he was supposed to as the No. 5 pick in the ’06 draft out of Ohio State.

Now on to the “business” side of things. Hawk is making $3.53 million in salary this season, with a $5.9 million cap figure. That’s the seventh highest on the team. Hawk is scheduled to make $4.12 million in base salary next year, with a cap number likely around $6 million. His base salary for 2011, in case you were wondering? A whopping $10 million.

If Hawk was proving his worth on the field, his 2010 number would not at all be difficult for the Packers to swallow, considering the team has so much cap space (likely $15 million or so as of now). Plus, with 2010 almost guaranteed to be uncapped, the sky’s the limit in terms of overall team salaries.

Well, unless that team is the Green Bay Packers.

Even with a renovated Lambeau proving to be an absolute goldmine, the Packers are – and likely always will be – struggling to keep up with the Jerry Jones’ and Daniel Synder’s of the NFL. The bottom line ALWAYS comes into play with the green and gold as the Packers must be financially responsible at all times. Paying someone like Hawk that kind of money just isn’t very responsible, in my mind, jersey sales or not.

It becomes even more irresponsible when you consider the ridiculously high amount of players staring down the barrel at free agency, restricted or unrestricted, after the season. Many of them have, unlike Hawk, actually made an impact on the field, players like Ryan Pickett, Tramon Williams and Nick Collins.

Yes, most of these impending free agents – Collins, Williams and Johnny Jolly, to name a few – will fall into the restricted free agent category. With these players, Green Bay can either tender them at a significantly lower salary than they’d get on the open market (and receive draft pick compensation if they leave) or re-sign them to new deals. Either way, the Packers overall salary number should go up quite a bit heading into 2010.

That means some cuts will need to be made elsewhere. Chad Clifton’s expiring contract will help as will the fact that Aaron Kampman is unlikely to return. Still, that just might not be enough to keep the team’s overall salary at a manageable number.

More money will likely have to come off the books. As sad as it is to say, the money due a certain beloved, yet predominantly unproductive, inside linebacker could be the best place to start.

-Chris Lempesis