I’m sure you have questions on where we were, why we haven’t been posting since the post-Super Bowl bliss, or more likely is that you just don’t care.  Well, we don’t have any really dramatic stories to tell to explain [...]]]> Just when all of our doubters (mainly Bears fans) thought we were gone forever, we’re baaaaack!

I’m sure you have questions on where we were, why we haven’t been posting since the post-Super Bowl bliss, or more likely is that you just don’t care.  Well, we don’t have any really dramatic stories to tell to explain our absence, just a little thing called ‘life’ got in the way.  Work has picked up for all three of us lately (unfortunately, we can’t make blogging our jobs), as well as our personal lives.  Gene said it perfectly about blogging after the Packers won the Super Bowl,  “Once we start writing about the offseason, it’s like we have to start climbing the mountain again. And I’m not ready to do that yet.”

He is absolutely right. We are still reveling about the Super Bowl win and why not? For many of us, that game was perhaps one of the most exciting days of our adult lives.  Not to compare us fans to the players, but it took a lot out of us emotionally and for us who blog about the team, it took a lot of time. So I guess my final answer is that we were burnt out and this offseason so far has sucked so for to write about for obvious reasons.  We just needed something to spark our passion again. And that is the NFL Draft.

Always the crowning moment in the NFL offseason, so who isn’t excited for the draft?

This guy.

Don’t get me wrong, I am as big of a draft junkie as anyone. I can’t get enough of it. If you don’t believe me, check out the extensive coverage Chris and I devoted to the draft last year. It was one helluva a preview and while it took a ton of time to pull off, it was as much fun as I had as a blogger.

This year? I just haven’t gotten the itch. I followed college football closely last year and yet feel so unprepared going into this thing. There is no doubt it will consume my weekend, but I still have that ‘ehh, whatever’ sort of feeling. And for that I blame two people: Roger and Ted.

Not trying to be ‘Captain Obvious’ here, but it is no surprise that the lockout has sucked out a ton of fun of the draft and the NFL offseason in general. I am not about to get into a post debating which side is right and which side is wrong in this whole mess because that is just exactly what it is, a mess. It is just seems very odd that a huge, trademark event like the draft is taking place amidst all that is going on with the lockout.

Equally as odd, is the promotion and time the NFL is doing for this draft, an event that usually sold itself.  I was in New York last weekend and almost down every other block in Manhattan were street pole advertisements for the draft.  Not sure if this happens every year, but it just seemed they were almost trying too hard to promote it.  Even when I took “Lombardi” on Broadway, you couldn’t miss the draft promotions. Kind of sad almost that NFL has to generate that much interest for their marquee offseason event.

(side note: I might have to write a review for the ‘Lombardi’ play. If you haven’t been out there yet to see it, it is a must see production, even if you aren’t a Packers or football fan. Very well done.)

I also blame the draft savant Ted Thompson.  Not that it is a bad thing, but the draft just isn’t as much fun when you are picking last.  Especially when it is very likely Thompson will trade out of the first round to a team that wants to snag a mediocre quarterback before the end of Thursday night.  Thompson has always followed the philosophy of picking the best player available and there is no better place to follow that than when you are picking at the bottom.

Besides the Packers picking #32, it is my complete faith in Thompson that has turned me off on the draft this year.  Seriously, there isn’t much that Thompson could do this weekend that would have me questioning him, well besides pulling a Sherman and trading up for a punter. Like any GM, Thompson has had his fair share of misses over the years, but he has made good on more picks than not. And when he has made good, he has hit some homeruns. Just watch this commercial and remember that most of the guys were courtesy of Thompson, the same man a lot people wanted to run out town after the whole Favre saga. Also, Thompson has built a reputation as the best man in the business to sign undrafted free agents, a part of the draft that cannot be overlooked.

Would I be more excited about the draft if there wasn’t a lockout? Yes. Would I be more excited if the Packers weren’t picking last? Probably, but that would mean they wouldn’t be the defending Super Bowl champions. And with that, I hope I am never excited for the draft ever again.

-Adam Somers

They had given up 51 points to the Arizona Cardinals two weeks earlier, absorbing yet another numbing playoff loss, and were swimming in questions about how they’d possibly be able to put together a good enough defense to get them deep into [...]]]> Think back, for a moment, to where the Packers were a year ago today.

They had given up 51 points to the Arizona Cardinals two weeks earlier, absorbing yet another numbing playoff loss, and were swimming in questions about how they’d possibly be able to put together a good enough defense to get them deep into the playoffs.

Meanwhile, the Minnesota Vikings were mere hours away from playing in the NFC Championship Game, 60 minutes from riding Brett Favre, the Packers’ former quarterback, into the Super Bowl for the first time in 33 years.

Now, imagine on that night, you get a Dickensian visitor, a ghost of playoffs future, who tells you the following things:

–The Vikings will not go to the Super Bowl, in large part because of a back-breaking interception from Favre in the game’s final seconds.

–The Packers will enter the season with lofty (and well-publicized) Super Bowl aspirations. They will sign no one of note, and they will be affected in 2010, in quantity and quality, by more injuries than any team in the NFL.

–In spite of all those injuries, and in spite of an 8-6 record heading into two must-win games to close the season, they will claim the NFC’s final playoff spot, beat a team (the Philadelphia Eagles) and a quarterback (Michael Vick) that has terrorized them for years and topple the NFC’s No. 1 seed on the road.

–And finally, they will meet the Chicago Bears in the NFC Championship Game, knocking Jay Cutler out of the game and hanging on for their first Super Bowl berth in 13 years, almost solely on the strength of the defense that had been so porous a year earlier.

How many lines from that ghost would you have believed? Any of them?

What a ride this has been.

To use the phrase “roller coaster” to describe what’s happened to the Packers in the last 12 months is an insult to what they’ve overcome. If this was a roller coaster, it would have featured such violent turns and sharp swings that safety concerns and lawsuits would have followed mere weeks after its opening. Many fans (including me) were ready to bury them after a 7-3 loss to the Detroit Lions. Some of us (including me) were questioning coach Mike McCarthy’s future with the team after a last-minute meltdown against the New England Patriots. And a few of us (Chris and me) were questioning whether to go to the Dec. 26 game against the Giants, knowing there wasn’t much shot of a deep playoff run this year.

And now, here we are, celebrating the team’s fifth Super Bowl berth. I can’t believe any of it.

I’ve watched the Packers go to two Super Bowls in my lifetime. The first Packers team that did it (the 1996 squad) was such a dominant force, so certain of its place in line after a loss in the NFC Championship Game the year before, that a march to a world championship felt inevitable. Go back and look at the scores of those games. It’s easy to forget just what a juggernaut that team was. Those of us in our younger years may never see a Packers team that good again.

The next Packers team to go to the Super Bowl, the 1997 squad, survived against bad teams for the first two months of the season before going on a businesslike, if not predestined, run to Super Bowl XXXII. That team was on top, and trying to stay there. The whole thing felt joyless, and the loss to the Denver Broncos in the Super Bowl certainly finished the year that way.

What a lightning bolt, then, this team has been. These Packers entered the season with as large of a collection of impact players as any team in the NFL. But they were young, and thin in spots, very much a product of their time in a parity-ridden NFL. And the names went down, one after another — Ryan Grant, Nick Barnett, Morgan Burnett, Jermichael Finley, Brandon Chillar, Mike Neal, Mark Tauscher — as the Packers’ resolve and depth were stretched further and further.

There was no preordained march to the Super Bowl this year. No, this was an inconsistent, frustrating, maddening season that somehow led to the most exhilarating playoff run any of us have ever seen.

We have never watched a Packers team like this one.

So what’s to be made of it? Well, credit must be given, first of all, where it’s due. And after I spent the final weeks of the season saying McCarthy needed to coach over his head, to prove he could take a team deeper into the playoffs than his talent suggested he should, he’s outdone himself and taken his sixth-seeded Packers all the way to the Super Bowl, where many thought they’d end up in August, but not in November. So, to Mike Mac: Well done. My hat is off to you. And whatever nits I might pick (playcalling chief among them), I’m done doubting you.

Next on the list is Ted Thompson, whose batting average this season is as close to 1.000 as any general manager I’ve seen. People were ready to vilify Thompson for trading Favre and refusing to accede to his demands. But Thompson bugged me long before that — namely, since 2007, when he’d drafted Justin Harrell, then come short of delivering Favre the weapons he needed to win in the last years of his career. He was playing for the future, I thought, when he had everything in front of him in the present. But in reality, he was about two or three years in front of everyone else. Could the Packers have gone to the Super Bowl after 2007? Yes. Should they have? Yes. But time proved what Thompson probably already knew: The Packers weren’t going to win a title with Favre. So Thompson went ahead, building the team he thought he needed to win, and took the ‘07 run as a bonus. He bugged us because he didn’t do what made sense for the Packers in the short-term, and he didn’t shed much light on his plans for the team. But you don’t want a GM who feeds the rumor mill. You want a steady hand who’s going to build a championship team. And Thompson has done it. As McCarthy said a few minutes ago in his press conference, Thompson is why the future looks so great for the Packers.

And lastly — though I’m cutting this short for brevity’s sake and because there’s plenty of time to analyze the rest of the season before Feb. 6 — we come to Aaron Rodgers. The Packers cast their lot with Rodgers in 2008, effectively splitting the fanbase in one of the most controversial decisions in team history. And under a blinding media spotlight that has often treated Rodgers harshly simply because of who he replaced, he has made few missteps. He is more athletic than Favre, makes far fewer suspect decisions (Brian Urlacher’s interception yesterday notwithstanding), and throws a cleaner deep ball. He’s replaced a Hall of Fame quarterback and gotten his team back to the Super Bowl quicker than any Hall of Fame successor in history, even sooner than Steve Young did it in San Francisco. He’s one game from putting himself on the short list of the best QBs in the game, if he’s not there already, and from permanently separating his legacy from Favre’s.

These three were always going to fly or fail together. They cast their fortunes together in 2008, and weathered heaps of scrutiny in 2009. And now they end the 2010 season in the Super Bowl.

What a ride it’s been. We’ve never seen anything like it. And we might not again.

So, in conclusion, Packers Nation, I’m going to make a proposition: Don’t rush past this moment. Resist the Twitter-fueled temptation to start breaking down the Super Bowl matchup. Hold off on worrying about how the Packers will stop James Harrison and Troy Polamalu, or what they’ll do to slow down Ben Roethlisberger.

Take a few days to enjoy this, to look back on how far this team has come. Because it’s damn remarkable.

In fact, it’s one of the great moments we’ll experience as Packers fans. Ever.

–Gene Bosling

I was told there was a nation, but I got no love on my last post. Highly disappointing. Please, someone say hi or something.

Today I’d like to talk to the “fans”. Yes, in quotes. “Fans” are those people who claimed to be Packer fans when Favre was the QB, but immediately jumped shipped [...]]]> Hello OBOD Nation!

I was told there was a nation, but I got no love on my last post. Highly disappointing. Please, someone say hi or something.

Today I’d like to talk to the “fans”. Yes, in quotes. “Fans” are those people who claimed to be Packer fans when Favre was the QB, but immediately jumped shipped when he went to the Jets. You were Favre fans, not Packer fans. I have a sneaking suspicion you want to be back in the club now that Rodgers is lighting things up.

I personally know some of these “fans”. I couldn’t believe it when I realized they were rooting for Favre and the Jets. I was really aghast when they started cheering for the Vikings. The VIKINGS!!?? Everyone knows the Vikings are our #1 enemy.

I had someone, who I will not name, tell me that she didn’t like Rodgers because he wasn’t cute. Last time I checked the QB rating didn’t factor in cuteness. I’ve had arguments with people who thought TT was an idiot for letting Favre go. I’ve had people tell me that Rodgers wouldn’t be our QB for long because he wasn’t that good. Even after the numbers he put up last year people didn’t think he was the real deal.

And now? Now that Favre has completely fallen apart and Rodgers has taken our hobbled team into the playoffs? Now, those “fans” are happily wearing their Green and Gold sweatshirts and cheering for the Pack with gusto. They’re making Favre jokes and telling everyone that Rodgers is an elite QB. They’re acting like they never deserted the Pack.

As someone who never doubted the decision to go with Rodgers and send Favre packing I have this to say to those “fans”: Welcome Back! I’m going to set aside my judgment, anger and ability to hold grudges and welcome you back into the fold. But, please, don’t do anything like that again, I don’t give many second chances.

This Saturday, we all need to cheer loud and proud for our team. We need to let Rodgers know that we support him wholeheartedly, that he is the Quarterback of our future. We need to forget about that Brent guy for a while and enjoy what we have. We are in the playoffs with a team that is without most of its starters. We were picked by many to get to the Superbowl at the very beginning of the season, then written off by most people as our starters filled up the IR.

Rodgers is proving himself. No one can deny that. What he’s done this year should be more than enough to shut his skeptics up. Even if you don’t’ think he’s cute, you have to agree that he can do his job, and do it well. And that’s all we ask.

-Lady Lambeau

“I love you B.J. Raji!”

I want to yell it from the mountain tops and maybe [...]]]> Love is strong word and shouldn’t be tossed around lightly. You should say it when you truly mean it and it takes a real man to come to terms with his feelings. That is why I have no problem saying this.

“I love you B.J. Raji!”

I want to yell it from the mountain tops and maybe when I done writing this him and I can get an apartment together. Now, I have a very loving girlfriend and wouldn’t think about jeopardizing our relationship for any other person in the world. But then again if Raji has a couple sacks and maybe a key fumble recovery on Sunday….

My crush on Raji started in April 2009 leading up to the draft. At the time, the two players I really wanted the Packers to get in draft was Brian Orkapo or Raji. As the days got closer, I start to fall for the big man and whenTed Thompson drafted him with the 9th overall pick the expected infatuation ensued. (By the way, nice work again Teddy in 2009 landing two future All-Pros in the first round.)

Raji-fever was rabid amongst friends, including one OBOD’s favorite readers Dave from Milwaukee, during our draft-weekend extravaganza. The beers were flowing and the wings were piping hot and we all couldn’t stop yelling “RAJI!” over and over all weekend. On an organized pub-crawl Saturday night, I think we scared some Minneapolis patrons with our “RAJI!” antics. Chris and I still use this phrase on a very frequent basis in social situations. (Getting off topic a bit again, but thank you Goodell for ruining this draft-weekend tradition for us. 18-game season, concussions, lockout, whatever happens next, this draft weekend change upsets me the most about your tenure, Roger.)

So the folklore of Raji was born that weekend. Throughout last season his shine faded a little bit due to injuries and lack of playing time. However, I knew his potential and the big factor he could play in 2010 after Johnny Jolly got too much of his purple drank on.

What transpired this season out of Raji exceeded my high expectations of him. I expected a good season out of him while showing a lot of promise to the future. What I didn’t really expect was the Pro-Bowl level of play he has provided and becoming the the team’s best defensive lineman. Talk all you want about Aaron Rodgers or Tramon Williams not getting the call to go to Hawaii, my biggest grievance with the Pro Bowl selections is Raji.

I wrote it right after the Bears game, Raji is the team’s defensive MVP this season, not Clay Matthews. Granted the defense would be a mess without either, but in a year where Howard Green and Jarius Wynn have gotten key playing time along the defensive line, it is Raji who has held that line together. It is unheard of a nose tackle playing 60+ snaps a game, which he has done. As the season has gone on, he has simply gotten better every week and is playing at his peak right now. When is the last time a big lineman like Raji has done that? It is usually the opposite as the big men tend to break down and become a tad slower towards the end of the year.

Raji is truly the lynchpin of the defense right now. Matthews, Williams, Woodson and Collins all have had great seasons, but it is the Bearclaw who stands out in my mind. Defensive lineman tend to go unnoticed in a 3-4 scheme, so the very fact Raji warrants this kind of coverage makes me love him even more. Against New England, he looked gassed and needed a blow. He headed to the sideline, but turned around for one more play. He sacked Brady the next snap. How can you not love that?

You can go to just about any Packers, Eagles, or NFL site right now to get an extensive breakdown on how to stop Michael Vick on Sunday. To make it simple it starts with the big fella, the Bearclaw. If he can get initial pressure it will open everything else up, including any exotic blitzes Dom Capers is drawing up.

So, I am not breaking any new ground and all of you have probably noticed Raji’s play this year. This is more of an homage, maybe even a love letter to the man who I think doesn’t get enough attention. Maybe I am going soft, but I think I finally found my sensitive side.

Ok, time to put that aside for now, it’s playoff time.

RAJI!

-Adam Somers

Questions like these have been raised on our site and many other blogs this week in the aftermath of last Sunday’s loss in New England. While I agree mostly with what Gene and [...]]]> Is Mike McCarthy a championship caliber coach? Is he getting too much of the blame? Will the outcomes in close games ever change?

Questions like these have been raised on our site and many other blogs this week in the aftermath of last Sunday’s loss in New England. While I agree mostly with what Gene and Chris have to say on the issue, I am holding my own judgment on McCarthy until after the Giants game Sunday because we will see the true character of this team and more importantly this coach then. In short, I was fuming in how the game ended in New England, but I was far more upset two weeks ago when the scored only three freaking points against the Lions in a game they needed a lot more than the one against New England.

So, until after this Sunday I want to turn my attention to the man whose job this year shouldn’t be questioned or debated by anybody and that is Ted Thompson.

I always hate using injuries as an excuse, but to ignore the Packers’ injury list this year is very hard. It has been said numerous times this year, “if you would have done me at the beginning of the year all of these players would be on IR or miss time, i.e. Rodgers and Matthews and the team would hold their own playoff fate with two games left…”. No matter how much faith you had in the this team it would be a tough sell for this to be believable.

Defensive injuries aside, the team lost two of their top four offensive players in Jermichael Finley and Ryan Grant and have survived. Look at arguably the top two teams in the NFC right now in Atlanta and Philadelphia. Take away Michael Turner and Tony Gonzalez from the Falcons and say LeSean McCoy and Jeremy Maclin from the Eagles; would these teams still be where they are, let alone playoff teams?

Basically, what the Packers have done is pretty remarkable. However, it doesn’t negate their failures in close games because it is obvious that they still have enough talent, despite all the injuries, to compete and beat the game’s best.

All of that credit needs to be directed towards Thompson.

It makes it even more very frustrating to see the team drop close games with all of these guys out and that’s on the coach. Something needs to change quick because the next two games will not be blowouts. But, I don’t want to waste space on McCarthy’s flaws. Thompson deserves more recognition in constructing a team that is competing at a high level (even if it is for only 58 minutes some games) with seven opening day starters on the IR and numerous top players missing time.

Many fans ragged on Thompson for not making a move after Grant went down. Look at Marshawn Lynch’s stats in Seattle: 131 rushes, 445 yards and six touchdowns. Brandon Jackson’s stats: 165 rushes, 645 yards and three touchdowns. Jackson also has 316 receiving yards to Lynch’s 145. Enough about stats though, the fact is that Lynch hasn’t been any better than Jackson, so everyone was wrong on that front. The problem with the running game isn’t the guys the Packers have, it is playcalling. Just look at Sunday’s game on how effective a running game can be when it is a focus.

There are some obvious holes on the roster. The team desperately needs a pass rush opposite of Clay Matthews. The left guard needs a major upgrade and special teams are a mess. But, a lot of these weak areas we knew going in.

Look at the type of players who played major minutes in Sunday’s game against the Patriots. Guys like Eric Walden, Dmitri Nance, and Howard Green. Ever hear of those guys before the season? Well they will all find contracts somewhere in the NFL next year because of their time with the Packers. Even guys we did know like Charlie Peprah, John Kuhn, Sam Shields and Frank Zombo all have bright futures in the NFL because of their strong play this season. I hope Thompson finds the way to re-sign Desmond Bishop and James Jones, but they are both going to get paid handsomely this offseason by the Packers or someone else. The common denominator is that none of these players (maybe except Jones) were expected to play the roles they have the season.

Say what you want about Thompson constantly having one of the youngest rosters in the league and never making a big move in free agency, but he has built one of the deepest rosters in the league. Not a whole lot of teams could have absorbed the blow the Packers have received this year on the injury front.  In the last two losses, talent cannot be blamed even with this depleted roster.

In the middle of this current mess with McCarthy and the debate on his future as Packers head coach, no one should forget about Thompson because he is the reason we are even having this debate. On many other teams McCarthy probably wouldn’t even have a shot at the playoffs right now. Thompson’s patchwork of a team that doesn’t even resemble the one that took the field in Week One is only two wins away from the postseason. Let’s just hope McCarthy doesn’t screw it up.

-Adam Somers

The current predicament the Green Bay Packers find themselves in with regards to Aaron Rodgers’ concussion (his second [...]]]> If you’re anything like me – sorry if you are – you sometimes have trouble viewing things at surface value. You’re more interested in digging through multiple layers in order to get a bigger picture of an issue.

The current predicament the Green Bay Packers find themselves in with regards to Aaron Rodgers’ concussion (his second of the year) is one such issue.

It’s obviously been the topic of the moment amongst Packers fans and rightfully so. Rodgers’ health, or lack thereof, will decide the future of the team, not just this year but for years to come. And one of the quickest ways in which a player’s health can de-rail is via concussions. With two under his belt, the clock is already ticking for Rodgers.

The first question on everyone’s mind is whether or not Rodgers should play this week. We’ll know a great deal more Wednesday from Mike McCarthy’s presser (Rodgers may be available to the media, as well). Rodgers will also undergo mental tests to determine his condition. The brutally honest fact of the matter, however, is that regardless of how he tests out, he really shouldn’t play Sunday. His absence leaves Green Bay with a less-than-zero percent chance of winning against the mighty New England Patriots, of course, but this shouldn’t be about that. Again, he’s the cornerstone. Protecting that at all costs is what this needs to be about.

Look, let’s be honest – this team has about a five percent chance of winning even if he plays. To beat New England on the road, you have to be perfect AND lucky. The Packers have been neither this season. If they have any shot at the postseason – and, again, I’d put the percentage on that as being low right now – their last two games, home contests with New York and Chicago, will hold the key.

He must be 100 percent for those games. Sorry, I don’t care what the men who test him may say, there is just no way he could bounce back to full force less than seven days after having his brain scrambled for the second time in two months. And, really, it’s about more than just those two concussions. Rodgers hasn’t been sacked in 2010 as much as he was last year, but doesn’t it seem like he’s been absorbing more violent hits this time around? More blatant helmet-to-helmet collisions that have gone largely uncalled? If you have little chance of winning, anyways, why not give your future a week off to prepare for your two biggest games of the year?

It’s there that we can begin to move to the second level of this issue. This one has little to do with Rodgers. No, this one’s about the men who are paid to protect him. In short, the Packers’ offensive line has regressed this season from its late-2009 brilliance.

There have been moments of solid play, but for the most part, the group just hasn’t done enough to protect its elite quarterback. Enough to protect Derek Anderson? Sure. But not Rodgers. People, myself included, wonder why Rodgers still gets a case of “happy feet” at times and why, on certain plays, he seems to break the pocket quicker than is necessary. If you think about it, though, it’s simple: He likely has little trust in the front five, despite what he may say publicly. After watching such average front sevens as the ones in Detroit and Washington get to him over-and-over, I can’t say I blame him.

If you’ve been harassed consistently, as he has in numerous games, you’re always looking for that escape, particularly if you have the athleticism that Rodgers has. That’s why Rodgers fails to recognize wide-open receivers on plays where he takes off. It has little to do with lack of awareness, but rather a keen sense of self-preservation.

As much as I love the work he’s done overall, in five years as general manager, Ted Thompson has yet to get really, truly serious about putting together an elite o-line. Brett Favre had the veteran know-how to make it work towards the end of his time in Green Bay; Rodgers hasn’t gained that yet. And until guys like Daryn Colledge and Scott Wells (a solid player who will always struggle at times because of his limited size) are no longer charged with covering him, the pressure will always be there. If that’s the case, Rodgers may not even make it long enough to gain Favre’s veteran savvy. The road from where he’s at to where Steve Young and Troy Aikman ended up is shorter than you think.

Of course, Rodgers is not without blame on this issue. He still hangs on to the ball longer than he should at times, which has led to hits he need not take. And we’ve known for a long time that Rodgers ran too recklessly (quick – how many times have you yelled, “SLIDE AARON!” at the television? I bet it’s a lot). Every time he went for that extra yard – and took an unnecessary hit as a result – you always worried as to whether or not he’d get up right away. At some point, we all knew there’d come a time when he didn’t pop right back up. That time came Sunday.

It’s unfortunate that it happened at the time it did – the Packers in a frantic playoff chase – but, again, make no mistake, this was going to happen. The hope now is that it can serve as a lesson to Rodgers. Fighting for that extra yard is valliant, especially when your line and playmakers aren’t doing their jobs (see: Sunday), but it’s more important to keep yourself intact.

Again, that’s the over-arching theme of the whole issue: keeping Rodgers intact. Playing him Sunday night won’t help that. The Daryn Colledges of the world won’t help that. And Rodgers himself won’t help that. Hopefully, the men who make the decisions for the Packers see this, as well.

-Chris Lempesis

But, frankly, Scarlett, I don’t give a damn. I’m writing one, anyways.

The Green Bay Packers, as always, give us plenty to be thankful for. But what, in particular? Well, let’s get to some things now.

I’m thankful for Dom Capers. The job [...]]]> Yeah, yeah, I know – everyone writes posts like these around this time of year.

But, frankly, Scarlett, I don’t give a damn. I’m writing one, anyways.

The Green Bay Packers, as always, give us plenty to be thankful for. But what, in particular? Well, let’s get to some things now.

I’m thankful for Dom Capers. The job he’s done with what has resembled a JV squad, at times, has been nothing short of astounding. Hopefully, you take the smart approach and avoid any calls regarding head coaching jobs at season’s end. Titletown is where you need to be. And, don’t worry, Dom – the Brinks truck full of extra cheddar should be arriving at your place shortly.

I’m thankful for Mike McCarthy. It’s nice to know we have a strong-willed coach – one whom the players both like and respect – on our side. And kudos for remembering that you can line up and run the football more than just sparringly. Keep on keepin’ them honest, coach.

I’m thankful for Ted Thompson. Period.

I’m thankful for Aaron Rodgers finally hitting his stride. It’s good to see football become fun again for QB12.

I’m thankful for Brandon Jackson’s do-it-all abilities.

I’m thankful for John Kuhn. Okay, so he’s not the greatest player around. But he allows me to yell “KUUUHHHN!” whenever he touches the ball. Gotta love that.

I’m thankful for Chad Clifton proving the doubters wrong. There’s a great deal left in a man I believe to be held together by chicken wire and duct tape.

I’m thankful for Daryn Colledge not being, well, Daryn Colledge this season. Always nice when I don’t have to scream “COLLEDGE!” at the television in fits of rage.

I’m thankful for Greg Jennings regaining his elite status, James Jones being more “Good James” than “Bad James” and Donald Driver for being everything a Packer should be.

I’m thankful for Lambeau Field. See you in 11 days, baby!

I’m thankful for B.J. Raji cashing in on the promise we all knew he had and anchoring the defense. And, yes, I have to say that or else he might eat me.

I’m thankful for me upsetting Desmond Bishop on Twitter over the summer. And you should be thankful for that, too.

I’m thankful for A.J. Hawk turning in his best season yet as a pro. Something tells me this is no longer No. 50’s last year in Green Bay.

I’m thankful for Clay Matthews being an unstoppable, unblockable, long-hair waiving, anger-filled, high-motored – ouch. Matthews just sacked me. The guy is relentless!

I’m thankful for Charles Woodson shaking off his early season slump. And for making a difference in so many areas, some that can’t be seen on a stat sheet.

I’m thankful for Tramon Williams’ emergence. Don’t worry, Big Play Tra – that new deal is en route.

I’m thankful for Charlie Peprah ignoring people like me when they say things like “Charlie Peprah, frankly, does nothing for me.”

(Okay, here’s the part where I get sappy. Deal with it!)

I’m thankful for my cohorts here at OBOD, Adam Somers and Gene Bosling. Fellas, this wouldn’t be 1/1,000th as much fun without you. You are two of the best writers I know, but it’s much more than that. You really are two of the best friends a guy could ask for. Your friendship is something I will always hold in the highest regard.

I’m thankful for our buddies in the Packers blogosphere. You know who you are. We’ll never forget how you welcomed us into this weird, wonderful little universe back in early 2009. And to the newcomers, we’re always more than happy to pay it forward.

I’m thankful for you, the readers. To paraphrase a line from Jay-Z, you could have been anywhere in the world, but for a brief portion of your day, you decide to come check us out. Believe me, we take that very seriously. And we’ll never be able to thank you enough for simply caring about our work. You keep reading them – we’ll keep writing them.

Lastly, I’m thankful for all my friends and family. I love you all dearly. I won’t get to see any of you Thursday, but we’ll see each other at Christmas.

We at OBOD wish you nothing but the happiest and safest Thanksgiving possible. And, yeah, thanks again!

-Chris Lempesis

I think it is, “It’s better to get rid of a guy a year too soon than a year too late.”

That is how I feel about Al Harris. I know this the third-day take on Harris’ release, but life has gotten in the way of commenting on it earlier. Yesterday, Chris [...]]]> What is the old cliche?

I think it is, “It’s better to get rid of a guy a year too soon than a year too late.”

That is how I feel about Al Harris. I know this the third-day take on Harris’ release, but life has gotten in the way of commenting on it earlier. Yesterday, Chris did a great job of paying homage to one of the great Packers of this decade. Now since Harris has taken his talents to South Beach and not to another NFC North locale, I really hope he has a great season for the Dolphins, I truly do. There cannot be enough good things said about Harris’ time in green and gold.

However, that is all on a personal, human level of things. There is always a business level to professional athletes that many times supersedes that personal attachment. That is exactly what has happened to Harris.

From all accounts, it seems that fans have been split on the surprising decision to cut Harris. I never really gave much thought to the idea of cutting him because I thought he would be activated or put on IR. However, when the news broke it all made sense. While a little disappointed because Harris was one of my favorite players, it was a smart business decision.

Immediately, I thought this is exactly a move Belicheck and the Patriots would make. Not a bad franchise to model after.

Just a quick look at the particulars and you saw a 36-year-old cornerback coming off a destructive knee injury that hasn’t played football in a year.  Let’s also not forget that Harris struggled at times adapting to the 3-4 before his injury and it can even be said that Tramon Williams was already outplaying him last year.

We also only heard reports from Harris about his health, never from the Packers. If Harris was truly healthy before the season started, which he claimed, the team would have put him on the active roster for a couple reasons: 1) Williams had yet reached the level he is playing at now and 2) an unproven Sam Shields was the nickel back. Unfortunately for Harris, Williams is playing at a Pro Bowl level and Shields is emerging more and more every week.

Depth at the position is still a big concern because one injury to Charles Woodson, Williams or Shields and you are looking at Brandon Underwood, Pat Lee or Jarrett Bush getting significant playing time. However, while Harris said he didn’t expect to start with Williams playing at such a high level, he would still have to fight off Shields for playing time. Even for a great character guy like Harris, being a third or fourth option at the position would be tough to grasp. The guy was a starter when he got hurt and deep down still wanted to be a starter. Any veteran with his resume would want the same if they said it or not. If one of the three go down, I trust Dom Capers to do his magic like he has with all of the other injuries.

He would also take valuable snaps from the developing Shields, who played a big factor in Harris’ release. Like the Patriots, Ted Thompson kept his eye on the future. I remember seeing a negative tweet when Harris was released that Thompson can’t ever think about the NOW because he always is thinking about the FUTURE. I don’t look at that as negative, but rather as a positive trait. Teams and GM’s who are always mindful of the future and make tough decisions with veterans at times always keep their teams in the mix. You don’t have to look further than the Patriots to see how the successful the model is. Shields is the future and the defense is playing a high level right now, so why make a change to fit in Harris?

The Packers are competing for a championship right now and bringing back Harris would have not changed that, but the team didn’t really need him. They are not desperate like some organizations, like the Vikings, whose window of opportunity is closing fast.  It is because of tough decisions like this one that keeps the window open much longer for teams like the Packers and Patriots.

Sure, Thompson can be frustrating at times and comparing him to Belicheck may be going too far, but he has a young, injury-riddled roster competing right now. There is also no reason not to believe that they will be competing at this level for a while either.

It is tough to see a guy we all liked in Harris go, but by keeping an eye on the future the Packers are winning right now and will keep on winning once Harris hangs it up for good. That is what we should all want as fans.

-Adam Somers

We give out donuts.

And, with the Green Bay Packers improving to 5-3 on the season with a 9-0 road win over the New York Jets on Sunday, we’d like to do just that.

Now.

(Sorry we never did a Minnesota edition of this, by the way. For the record, those [...]]]> We here at OBOD don’t give out gameballs.

We give out donuts.

And, with the Green Bay Packers improving to 5-3 on the season with a 9-0 road win over the New York Jets on Sunday, we’d like to do just that.

Now.

(Sorry we never did a Minnesota edition of this, by the way. For the record, those donuts would have gone to Chad Clifton, Desmond Bishop and Pat Lee).

Offense

A strawberry-filled, glazed-covered donut goes to…Greg Jennings. Okay, so it was not a perfect day for No. 85. He only came up with receptions on half his targets (12), for example. But when you consider that he was spending his day on Revis Island, Jennings’ six catches for 81 yards starts to look pretty damn good, doesn’t it? Included in there were several key grabs that led to first downs. On a day when the offense was scuffling, to say the least, against an elite defense, someone needed to make things happen. Jennings was that someone, as it looks like he’s finally beginning to have the season we all knew he could.

Defense

A chocolate-glazed, chocolate donut goes to…Tramon Williams. Frankly, I’m running out of ways to describe the impact he’s having for this defense. Williams was once again outstanding Sunday, making an impact in multiple facets. His main job was to hold down New York’s Santonio Holmes. Done and done, as Holmes finished with just three catches for 43 yards. Everything after that is, as they say, gravy. Well, “Big Play Tra” certainly provided a lot of gravy then. Williams came up with two turnovers – a gritty, gutty interception in which he wrestled the ball away from Jerricho Cotchery and a fumble recovery. There is no doubt he’s Green Bay’s No. 1 corner now, Williams turning in a Pro Bowl season and on the verge of becoming an elite player. He’ll be a rich man very shortly. Teddy, make that happen, please.

Special teams

A multi-color sprinkled (they are the special teamers, after all) goes to…Tim Masthay. Sure, go ahead and credit the wind for Masthay’s strong showing, his first since, well, week one, really. That’s partially true, after all. But, for one week, at least, we finally saw why Masthay won the punting job in camp. Eight punts, 352 yards (44-yard average), including one touchback and five – five! - punts inside the 20. His long for the day? 55 yards. In games like these, you need the punter to be a weapon for you. Masthay was just that. Here’s to hoping he can build on this.

Finally, a two-day old, plain donut goes to…Actually, no one. Yeah, the offense struggled. But, hey, the Packers pulled off a huge road upset of the Jets. We’ll keep it positive for this one.

-Chris Lempesis

Isn’t it nice to cheer for a team with a plan? You know, one that makes sound football moves in the [...]]]> I know we all rag on Ted Thompson sometimes for not making the sexy moves that everyone wants him to make, but out of the blue, apropos of nothing, I’d just like to say this:

Isn’t it nice to cheer for a team with a plan? You know, one that makes sound football moves in the best interest of its future and doesn’t bend to the whims of a diva QB who wants to bring in guys he likes, whatever the cost? One that doesn’t, after having ceded complete control of this team to said QB, trade for one of those players, watch him underperform for three weeks and cut him, essentially surrendering a third-round pick for nothing?

Just wanted to say that. Why? No reason, really.

–Gene Bosling