All of us who have watched the Packers this year know how close this team was to being, say, 13-3 or 14-2. They got themselves flagged out of the first Chicago game. They lost to the Redskins after Mason Crosby’s field goal went off the [...]]]> That’s the question posed by a Wall Street Journal story today.

All of us who have watched the Packers this year know how close this team was to being, say, 13-3 or 14-2. They got themselves flagged out of the first Chicago game. They lost to the Redskins after Mason Crosby’s field goal went off the uprights, and lost to the Dolphins in part because of a bizarre penalty on Robert Francois. They could have beat the Falcons if not for Erik Wilhelm’s penalty or Aaron Rodgers’ fumble, and Greg Jennings’ dropped touchdown turned into a back-breaking interception against the Lions. And, of course, there were a number of plays that could have helped them beat the Patriots, not the least of which was the interception Charles Woodson dropped.

Drops, doinks and dumb mistakes alone cost the Packers just about every game they lost this season. Plenty of other things could have happened, of course, but if a half-dozen plays had gone differently, this team could have been the No. 1 seed without a problem. In fact, it’s not impossible they could have been undefeated.

Their point differential is the second-best in football, and since the Giants game, they’ve been winning with few mistakes — or in a few cases, winning in spite of those mistakes. It’s hard to say if this is the best six-loss team in history, but at the very least, it should be clear the Packers are much better than their 10-6 record should indicate.

Now just imagine if they hadn’t lost a dozen players to injury.

–Gene Bosling

Instead, I’ll be focusing on where the Packers stand, as a team, as they begin the final assault on the 2010 NFL season. Some things from the Niners [...]]]> Since the Green Bay Packers’ 34-16 win over the San Francisco 49ers ended, oh, roughly 30 hours ago, this recap won’t be about the particulars of that one.

Instead, I’ll be focusing on where the Packers stand, as a team, as they begin the final assault on the 2010 NFL season. Some things from the Niners game will be included in there, of course.

(Note: In case you weren’t sure, I was at the game Sunday and was just too busy to write anything until I returned home from Titletown.)

The Packers, three-quarters of the way through the season, stand as a team with twice as many wins as losses. But there certainly aren’t twice as many things to like about this team as there are concerns.

Since you already think I’m taking a trip to Negativeville with that last graph, I’ll just continue on (but, dont’ worry – we’ll head back to Postivetown soon enough).

First, I do not like the way this team has been starting games recently. Against both Minnesota and San Francisco, the Packers basically air-mailed in the first 15-plus minutes of the contest. Things weren’t as bad against Atlanta, but still, the team had a shot to grab the momentum early and failed. With a tough final four games, against some elite competition, the Packers must correct this. Wait too long to get going against Mr. Brady and, well, don’t even bother trying to kick it up a notch.

Consider the circumstances Sunday. At home. Against a bad team. Coming off a crucial loss. Throwback Sunday. Should have been more than enough for the team to come out firing. It wasn’t. Even when the Packers got going in the second quarter, they continued to let the Niners back in the contest. Green Bay’s superior talent level ultimately overwhelmed San Francisco, as you’d expect, but what happens when the talent levels are equal?

Secondly, I’m starting to have some real concerns about certain aspects of this defense. The pass rush is really vanishing for stretches. Clay Matthews has been a fairly hefty non-factor over the past three weeks, perhaps being affected by his shin injury that’s caused him to sit out Wednesday and Thursday practices recently. Cullen Jenkins is out a couple of weeks now (calf), which only furthers my worry.

And, as I saw firsthand at Lambeau Field on Sunday, this secondary isn’t nearly as good without that pressure. I know, what secondary isn’t, right? Still, the Niners receivers got behind the secondary on numerous occasions, only being done in by quarterback Troy Smith’s complete lack of accuracy. A better quarterback – say, a Brady, Eli Manning or Jay Cutler – hits a lot of those throws. Dom Capers has done wonderful things with such a depleted group. He needs to dig into his bag of tricks one more time, though. Can he do it?

Lastly, I know I’m not breaking any new ground here, but again, being at the game up-close, I saw just how horrendous this special teams group really is. Good God almighty are they bad.

The lanes allowed on returns are not only vast and wide, but also quickly developing. I began to worry about every kickoff coverage within about two seconds of the returner getting the ball. Tim Masthay was terrible yet again, also. Yeah, the bad weather played a part, but…um…three of the last four games are in bad weather. So, there’s that. And it was nice to see Mason Crosby revert back to his unreliable ways, missing a short field goal. This unit could very well cost the Packers another big game, I’m sad to say.

Now, let’s turn this train back to Positivetown, shall we?

First, you’ve got to love the way Aaron Rodgers is playing. Five games in a row without a pick is nothing short of astounding, especially in today’s NFL. His confidence is higher than I’ve ever seen it before and he continues to hit almost every big throw he has to hit. After a rough start – okay, a really rough start – to the 2010 season, Rodgers has emerged as a viable MVP candidate 12 games in. As the old saying goes, when you’ve got a quarterback, you’ve got a chance.

Then there’s that Jennings guy he’s got at his disposal. Ever since Greg Jennings blew up on the sidelines at Washington, he’s been unstoppable. Granted, I don’t watch every NFL game every week, but I don’t need to – no receiver in football has been better than No. 85 over the past seven weeks. He’s simply beating every corner that lines up against him. His route-running, always top-notch, seems to have hit another level.

The rest of the receiving group has improved, as well. The drops still happen more than they should, but overall, this group is rounding into form nicely. The passing attack will give this team a chance in any game it plays.

Okay, I know some might kill me for this because it was only one game, but James Starks has me excited. He’s the perfect runner for this scheme – a straight-line runner who hits the hole, looks for his cut and goes. That’s what Ryan Grant was and Brandon Jackson – as much as I like him – will never be. Starks’ presence, as we saw Sunday, allowed Jackson to move back to the role he plays best: pass-catcher, blitz buster and occasional rusher.

And while you might think I’m completely down on the defense, I’m not. The group is still doing well on third downs, for the most part, and continues to take away the run for long stretches (outside of the Atlanta game, of course). Players like Tramon Williams (another outstanding showing Sunday) and B.J. Raji are still going strong.

But, mostly, it’s the offense that has me feeling good going into the final stretch. And that’s okay, because when I wrote the season preview for this site, I said it would be the offense leading the way. The defense carried this team through the first half, which was great but never really part of the plan. This team was always designed to be powered by the offense. That’s happening now, so it’s okay if the defense declines slightly (which it likely will, because now is the time when all those injuries start to hurt).

So, as this team heads into the final month of games at 8-4, I’d say I’m cautiously optimistic. I see things that can bring this team down and things that are good enough to guide the Packers through some really tough games. With Green Bay currently a half-game out of the final playoff spot in the NFC, the margin for error here is thin. Really thin. The Packers have to win at least two of their final four games. Anything less won’t be enough, but in the end, I think they get it done.

Bring on the mountain. I’m ready to climb.

-Chris Lempesis

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

Sorry, I couldn’t wait. The Green Bay Packers’ 9-0 win over the New York Jets was just too sweet (don’t worry, I’ll be back with more later this evening, anyways).

Here are my quick thoughts on the win, in no particular order:

For part two, it’s time to look at the tough guys on defense (and those wimps on special teams…I kid, I kid).

Front seven - Yeah, that’s right. We’re going a different way on this one. It seems ridiculous to compare the respective defensive lines/linebacking corps for the [...]]]> Okay, so we’ve covered the pretty boys on offense.

For part two, it’s time to look at the tough guys on defense (and those wimps on special teams…I kid, I kid).

Front seven - Yeah, that’s right. We’re going a different way on this one. It seems ridiculous to compare the respective defensive lines/linebacking corps for the teams because, really, they’re asked to do different things. So, instead, we’ll just give an overview of the two groups and then decide who’s got the edge.

The Green Bay Packers, obviously, run a 3-4 scheme. So far, so good for the front seven in that group. The run defense, while perhaps not operating at a No. 1-level, has been more than sound. The 5.3 yards per carry allowed is completely misleading, as most of those yards came from Michael Vick’s showing in week one (against a defense that had not prepared for him).

The linebackers have been quick to the ball, like last season, and the trio of Cullen Jenkins, B.J. Raji and Ryan Pickett has been very good. That should continue, though Mike Neal’s presence will be required on the line at some point so those three can avoid hitting empty on the tank. He’s unlikely to play in this one, though, due to his rib injury.

The pass rush generated from this group has been outstanding, as Green Bay led the NFL in sacks coming into the weekend (10). Most of this stems from Clay Matthews hitting beast mode, of course, but it’s not just him. Raji and Jenkins have also been strong in this area. Matthews should have a field day with this weak Chicago line, but at some point, another linebacker is going to have to step it up.

For the Bears, it’s the same old Cover 2 scheme that they’ve always run. If you don’t know, in this scheme, most of the pressure is generated from the front four, while the linebackers are mainly asked to play the run and drop in coverage. The run defense has been, in a word, sterling. Chicago had the NFL’s top-ranked run defense through two games, allowing just 1.4 yards per carry (with a long of eight. Eight!). Brian Urlacher is healthy and playing near his old level, with running mate Lance Briggs continuing to be the league’s most underrated linebacker.

The Bears’ pass rush has not been as effective, recording just two sacks so far. Julius Peppers, the team’s big-name offseason acquisition, has just one, although he also knocked Detroit’s Matthew Stafford out in week one with a shoulder injury. Look for him to show up in a big way here, as it’s a nationally-televised night game (his specialty). Tommie Harris is a very good d-tackle and Mark Anderson is an end who knows how to get to the quarterback.

In the end, though, I think Green Bay is better in more front-seven facets than is Chicago. Edge: Packers

Secondary - Okay, I’m keeping this one real short. For Green Bay: Charles Woodson, Tramon Williams, Nick Collins and Morgan Burnett.

For Chicago: Zackary Bowman, Danieal Manning, Chris Harris and Charles Tillman.

Who would you rather have? Edge: Packers

Special Teams - The biggest area of surprise for the 2010 Packers so far. The coverage units have been fantastic, as has kick returner Jordy Nelson and kicker Mason Crosby. Punter Tim Masthay has been just okay, but even he hasn’t been terrible. Williams hasn’t made any mistakes as a punt returner, but at some point, you’d like to see him break one.

The Bears have two really good returners in Johnny Knox and the always-fearsome Devin Hester. Kicker Robbie Gould has been his usual sturdy self and punter Brad Maynard is one of the best in the business. While I like what I’ve seen from Green Bay in this department, Chicago has been better for longer and could definitely take advantage of the Packers here. Edge: Bears

While the Packers take six out of eight categories overall, this game will still be close. The Bears are at home and desperately want to serve notice that they are a team you need to take seriously. Plus, Lovie Smith’s teams always battle Green Bay until the end. I said the Packers would win, 27-24, and I’m sticking to that, mainly because of their overall edge in talent.

But expect a nailbiter, folks. See you after the game.

-Chris Lempesis

This week’s Wednesday special is going to be all about the running backs. No injury reports. No mention of Mason Crosby winning NFC Special Teams Player of the Week (outside of that one, of course). Nothing but running backs.

And, really, why not? The position is the focus of [...]]]> Don’t worry – you didn’t misread the title.

This week’s Wednesday special is going to be all about the running backs. No injury reports. No mention of Mason Crosby winning NFC Special Teams Player of the Week (outside of that one, of course). Nothing but running backs.

And, really, why not? The position is the focus of conversation involving the Green Bay Packers right now as they prepare for Sunday’s home opener with the Buffalo Bills. There are multiple layers to this and we’re going to attempt to get to them now.

Let’s first talk about the situation, as it currently stands. While the Packers moved extremely quickly in signing Dimitri Nance off Atlanta’s practice squad Tuesday, it’s highly unlikely Nance plays Sunday. He’ll need at least a little time to learn everything and five days is simply not enough. That means the duo of Brandon Jackson and John Kuhn will once again handle the position against Buffalo. That shouldn’t be a problem this week.

Still, I can’t see a scenario in which Nance is strictly a “warm body”, at least for the time being. Otherwise, the Packers would have simply kept that roster spot open for Ryan Grant, who could have been ready to return from his injury before the end of the regular season. Plus, Green Bay moved so fast on him, you have to think it’d been targeting him for awhile now. And with only one true running back – Jackson – Nance will see game time sooner rather than later (I know we all love Kuhn, but give me a break – there’s no way he’ll be the No. 2 back much longer). How Nance performs in whatever time he gets will determine a lot going forward.

I say that because, after the Miami game on Oct. 17, James Starks is eligible to return from the PUP list. His hamstring injury never seemed to improve much during camp, but the team must have received a good prognosis or else it would have placed Starks on injured reserve. If Nance is playing well enough, the Packers can slowly work Starks back into the flow of things. That’s extremely important. Remember, Starks saw no real action in camp and hasn’t played a down of meaningful football since the end of his junior year at Buffalo (missed all of 2009 with a shoulder injury). Expecting him to be ready to roll right away is asking an awful lot of the youngster.

If Nance pans out decently and Starks can regain his footing soon enough, could I envision a scenario in which the team goes with Jackson, Nance and Starks as its three backs the rest of the way? Yes, I could. As Gene brilliantly pointed out Tuesday, the Packers are simply not that concerned with running the ball, no matter how much they say they are.

But perhaps the more important question is: Is that the right call to make? That’s really the most important question. Jackson’s never been a featured back in the pros and has had some durability issues. Nance is a complete unknown. Starks is, well, see above.

As good as the passing game is and as weak as the early season schedile appears to be, the fact is the schedule gets really tough really quick. And, at some point, Aaron Rodgers is going to have a bad game or two. In those spots, you’d like to have a little more than Jackson/Nance/Starks to lean on.

You’d like to have Marshawn Lynch.

Since the moment we found out Grant was done for the year, Lynch’s name has been thrown around a lot as a possible trade target for Green Bay. Wednesday, rumors were running rampant on the ‘net that a potential Lynch-for-A.J. Hawk swap was in the works (still not sure were that rumor exactly came from, but I digress). Hawk’s agent, Mike McCartney (no I’m not making that name up) said that Hawk would be open to a trade and there are reports that Hawk has put his house in Green Bay on the market.

Still, that seems unlikely to me. While Hawk did not play a single defensive snap against the Eagles, he plays an important role as a run stopper in the base scheme. And he’s a Ted Thompson guy. We all know how much Teddy hates to part with one of his own.

But trading a draft pick for Lynch? Ah – now you’re talking.

The Bills are dying to rid themselves of Lynch, a former Pro Bowler who is now, essentially, the team’s No. 3 back. It wouldn’t take much to get him (a third round pick, maybe, but a fourth seems more likely to me). Thompson has clearly been a longtime follower of Lynch, as well. It’s been long suggested that Green Bay panicked in taking Justin Harrell in the ‘07 draft because the player it really wanted – guess who? – went off the board. And there were rumors before this year’s draft that the Packers were kicking the tires on a potential Lynch trade.

And, before you go any further, please do not give me the “that’s not Teddy’s way of doing business” line. Actually, it is. Thompson has aggressively chased trades for both Randy Moss and Tony Gonzalez in his tenure, only to lose out at the last minute. He may hate free agency, but trades are a different story. And, by handing out big contracts/contract extensions to older players (Chad Clifton, Mark Tauscher, Ryan Pickett, Charles Woodson), Thompson is making it known he thinks this current group has a shot to win it all.

If that’s the case, why not tack on one more guy to further solidify things? Lynch has some character issues, but the Packers have enough leaders to keep him in line (plus he knows Rodgers and Desmond Bishop from their days at Cal). On the field, he’s an absolute beast, blessed with both power and speed and an ability to make plays in the passing game, a potentially nice thing to have on those crappy weather days late in the season.

Any move for Lynch isn’t likely to happen right away. The Packers will take their shot with their current group of backs first. In the end, though, I just can’t shake this feeling that the move makes too much sense not to happen.

Lynch rolls into town Sunday. In a perfect world, it’s not long before he heads back.

-Chris Lempesis

We here at OBOD don’t have any balls to hand out. Wait – that sounded terrible. Let’s try that again.

We here at OBOD don’t have any game balls to hand out. But we do have donuts (at least hypothetically). And, to [...]]]> After each win, teams hand out game balls to those who turned in outstanding performances.

We here at OBOD don’t have any balls to hand out. Wait – that sounded terrible. Let’s try that again.

We here at OBOD don’t have any game balls to hand out. But we do have donuts (at least hypothetically). And, to celebrate the Green Bay Packers’ 27-20 win over the Philadelphia Eagles in Sunday’s season opener, we’re going to hand some out now. Keep in mind, though: These ain’t all good donuts.

Offense

A strawberry jelly-filled donut goes to…Brandon Jackson. While a number of players turned in good showings on this side of the ball, Jackson’s was, in many ways, the most important. That might sound strange if you were to simply look at his stat line (18 carries, 63 yards, two catches, 12 yards). But if you watched the game, you know what Jackson brought to the table. Stepping in for an injured Ryan Grant, Jackson ran hard and showed elusiveness, picking up big yards at some crucial times. And his o-line didn’t help him out as much as it could have, generating little push in more than a couple of instances. Of course, there’s also his value as a blitz buster. Hopefully, he can keep this up so Grant can fully heal and get back to work.

A pair of plain donuts go to…Chad Clifton and Mark Tauscher. Maybe it’s the fact that these two aren’t the youngest cats around. Maybe it’s the fact that Philadelphia has some really quick, strong, talented players on the edges of its defense. Whatever the case, these two were simply not very good Sunday. These types of showings can not be repeated too often or Aaron Rodgers is going to have to rush an awful lot of throws, like he did in this contest.

Defense

A chocolate-covered glazed donut goes to…Clay Matthews. Seriously, did you think someone else would get this? Matthews was a one-man army against the Eagles, racking up seven tackles, two sacks, a forced fumble and a near-interception. His effort was awe-inspiring, mainly because his effort was of the true wire-to-wire variety. He played the run as well as the pass. Philly tried blocking him every which way it could, but it didn’t matter. Need proof? How ’bout Matthews’ walk-off tackle of Michael Vick? After all, all he did there was shed two different blockers on his way to Vick, exhaustion or not. Sophomore slump? Clay knows not what that means. Also, we thought about giving B.J. Raji one, but you just know he doesn’t stick to one donut. He’d eat all of them. That’s not fair, is it?

A gross, lemon jelly-filled donut (seriously, who likes those?) goes to…Actually, we couldn’t think of anyone bad enough to give this to. Really, the defense as a whole was quite good. For this week, let’s not pick on anyone here.

Special teams

A multi-colored sprinkled donut (they are the special teamers, remember) goes to…Mason Crosby. Crosby continued to build on his strong training camp in the opener, drilling two first-half field goals that ended up being crucial to the final outcome. And neither of these was easy, Crosby connecting from 49 and 56 yards, respectively. The latter of those only set a franchise record. Remember those games last year where the team won in spite of Crosby’s shoddy kicking? This year, it looks like Crosby may be a big-time weapon instead.

A sour-cream donut (barf) goes to…Um, actually, again, there wasn’t anyone here worthy of such a bad snack. The special teams was really, really good in this game. Besides, I think those guys have eaten their share of crappy donuts over the past year, anyways. We’ll spare ‘em this week.

-Chris Lempesis

However, if you were looking for a gritty, gutty showing – think Jeep, Crown Royal or maybe Elizabeth Banks (ladies, [...]]]> If you were expecting Sunday’s game with the Philadelphia Eagles to be a thing of true beauty – a Rolls Royce, Cristal, Megan Fox type of performance – you might have ended up a bit disappointed.

However, if you were looking for a gritty, gutty showing – think Jeep, Crown Royal or maybe Elizabeth Banks (ladies, feel free to sub in your fellas of choice here) – the Green Bay Packers gave you exactly that.

Green Bay’s 27-20 road win over the Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field wasn’t always what you thought it could be, but there were a great many positives the Packers can take with them moving forward.

As for who falls in the “wasn’t always what you thought it could be” category, go ahead and look at how the offense started and ended the contest.

That unit bookended the game with weak showings. Poor line play was a major culprit, with tackles Chad Clifton and Mark Tauscher definitely showing their age. That led to less-than-stellar production from Aaron Rodgers- his two interceptions came in those quarters - though the line isn’t totally at fault. Rodgers seemed a hair off, making numerous uncharacteristically dangerous throws into coverage.

You can blame head coach Mike McCarthy for the fourth-quarter foolishness, McCarthy seemingly unwilling to go with anything other than a “run, run, pass” philosophy. His inability to go for the backbreaking blow almost cost the team the game.

But if you’re looking for anything else to place in that category, you won’t find much. The rest of the game was filled with out-and-out positives.

The defense tops that list. Facing an Eagles offense packed with playmakers, Dom Capers’ unit more than held their own. All offseason, fans wondered if the seemingly thin pass defense and pass rush would hold up. Looking good so far. Players like Clay Matthews (game ball) and B.J. Raji provided the heat and the secondary, as a whole, was strong outside of a few gaffs here and there.

Michael Vick (278 all-purpose yards, one passing touchdown) made some big plays, yes, but considering he was not the quarterback Green Bay spent the week preparing for, it’s hard to argue with the overall job done against him. And when the Eagles were moving towards the game-tying score, there was the exhausted defense – again, thanks Mike – pulling it together for the walk-off stop.

And if we worried about the defense before the season, we were damn near cataclysmic regarding the special teams.  While that fear was justifiable then, it was certainly not Sunday. The coverage units allowed just one decent return in six tries. Jordy Nelson, the man no one wanted on returns, racked up 151 yards (31.2 average), including three beauties in a row. Tim Masthay averaged over 40 yards a punt and the player who made our stomachs quiver the most – kicker Mason Crosby - drilled two long-distance field goals, including a franchise-record 56-yarder to end the first half.

Oh yeah – then there was the offense in the middle two frames. In those quarters, Rodgers and Co. were deadly in their precision and execution. Keeping with the short-to-intermediate philosophy that worked so well late last season, the Packers moved the ball at will against a very tough, talented Eagles defense. Remember, most defenses can’t blitz the way Philadelphia does, nor do most have the talent of that group. And Green Bay was still able to put 27 points on the board against them, aided by better-than-expected running from Brandon Jackson and John Kuhn.

See what I mean about the “great many positives”?

The injuries are troublesome – you get healthy, Ryan Grant – and, again, things were not wonderful across the board. But Green Bay is just getting started and it’s clear things will improve. For the first game of the season, it was more than good enough.

I mean, really, would you turn down Elizabeth Banks?

-Chris Lempesis