The Badgers should be embarrassed. I will admit, Cal Poly was a lot better than I thought they’d be, but the Badgers almost got beat at home by a AA division football team. Actually, in my eyes, they did get beat. If Cal Poly’s kicker didn’t miss one those two missed extra points, the Badgers would have lost the game. Alvarez better do some soul searching and figure out what’s going on with the football program, or even he and his statue will be run out of town. I partially blame coaching, but you also have to blame recruiting. They simply don’t have the elite players they’ve had in the past. The question a lot of people are asking is, can Bielema win when it’s just the players his people have recruited. My guess is Alvarez will stick with Bielema, even though he sucked a big fat egg this season. Let’s hope for the best. Let’s hope the Badgers can bounce back from an embarrassing season that ended by almost getting beat at home by a AA division football team. That sounds bad, doesn’t it? That’s because IT IS bad!

Related Links:

Wisconsin Badgers football: UW avoids calamity with overtime win

Memo to the Badgers: Hit the showers, season over

The last few weeks the Packers have had a slew of injuries, which has forced backups to step it up, and has led me to think about the state of the current roster.

OFFENSE

Offensive Line
Grade: D minus

Chad Clifton and Mark Tauscher are very solid, but neither are dominating, and although they have some tread left on the tires, their best years are behind them. The guards are a big problem, and have been ever since Riviera and Wahle left via free agency. Riviera wasn’t a huge loss since he was about done anyway, but losing an athetlic guard such as Wahle has hurt them. Ted Thompson drafted Colledge to be an immediate starter, and he’s been nothing but an immediate dud. He might be better suited as a backup tackle. Jason Spitz has the right attitude, but he’s getting blown off the line. Josh Sitton has potential, and could be a solid starter, but he’s only a rookie. The rest of the guards are just bodies. Scott Wells is a warrior at center, but he’s undersized. Either way, Ted Thompson has good depth on the offensive line, he just doesn’t have anyone that is very good.

Wide Receiver
Grade: B plus
They are set at wide receiver. Greg Jennings is a young budding star, James Jones is behind him, Ruvell Martin is sold, and Jordy Nelson has a ton of potential. The question for me is, how much longer will Driver play? The dynamic of the entire WR corp could change once Driver retires.

Tight End
Grade: D
Donald Lee is average at best. Jermichael Finley has potential, but is very green. Tory Humphrey shouldn’t be in the NFL. They really don’t have any good blocking tight ends. Remember last year when the running game finally came together? That was about the same time Bubba Franks came back. Coincidence? I think not.

Running Back
Grade: C minus
The running backs are decent. Ryan Grant needs to get back to last year’s form. Brandon Jackson, although he looks improved, he isn’t living up to his second round draft pick status. Lumpkin is interesting. He might, at some point, surpass and/or outlast both Grant and Jackson. He just needs to stay healthier than he did at Georgia. Either way, they could use a home run hitter.

Quarterback
Grade: B minus
Aaron Rodgers has proved me wrong, and looks like a legit quarterback. Aaron still has a ways to go in regards to seeing the entire field, reading defenses, and all of the little things many fans took for granted with Favre. The question is, will Rodgers be a QB that can stay healthy? I loved the Brian Brohm pick in the second round, I just didn’t think he’d lay a big stinky egg in training camp. Raise your hand if you thought Matt Flynn would beat out Brian Brohm. Anyone? I didn’t think so. The fact Flynn beat out Brohm put the Packers in a sticky situation. Thompson was more or less forced to keep both on the roster, which denied them the possibility of getting a veteran QB. Rodgers is now hurt, and the thought of Flynn starting is frightening. Ted Thompson screwed up big time not getting a veteran QB. He should have gotten a veteran QB to help mentor both Rodgers and Brohm.

DEFENSE

Defensive Line
Grade: D minus
They looked good last year, not necessarily because of each players individual effort, but because they had such great depth, they could rotate players without much dropoff. Corey Williams was traded, Justin Harrel is on the physically unable to perform list, and Cullen Jenkins is on IR. I can totally understand trading Williams for a second round pick, but thinking Justin Harrell was going to fill that hole was a mistake. Harrell might have ability, but he’s been injured almost his entire football career. Aaron Kampman is the only bright spot on this line, and the only reason I didn’t give this unit a “F”. The rest of the 2008 season is going to be ugly.

Linebackers
Grade: B
I love the Packers linebackers. Great starters, great depth. My only complaint is AJ Hawk isn’t playing like a #5 overall pick, and probably never will. Nick Barnett is by far the best linebacker on that squad. Barnett is a warrior. Brady Poppinga gets a lot of flack for being the weakest link the chain, but he plays with passion, and is much better linebacker than advertised.

Corners
Grade: B Minus
I said before the season started, Harris and Woodson MUST stay healthy. Harris is out with a damaged spleen and Woodson is playing with a broken toe. So far, Tramon Williams has done an excellent job filling in for Harris. I am starting to wonder if we’ll see Harris in a Packers uniform again. I love Al Harris, he’s the ultimate professional football player, but it might be time for the Packers to move on. Woodson is playing at a pro bowl level right now. I’d say he’s currently one of the top five, maybe top three, corners in the NFL right now. Jarrett Bush on the other hand, he should go play in Canada, the Detroit Lions, or find a new line of work. I thought Will Blackmon would have been a starter by now since he is probably the most athletic of the bunch, but he can’t stay healthy.

Safety
Grade: B minus
Nick Collins has come into his own. He’s flying all over the field, and he’s starting to make some interceptions. Bigby has been hurt, but he’s much better than I thought he’d ever be. They miss his physical presence against the running game. I like Aaron Rouse, mostly because he’s an athletic freak, but he’s still learning the game, and sometimes takes bad angles on tackles. The rest of the safeties are just bodies.

Special Teams
Grade: C minus
Mason Crosby is doing a great job, Derrick Frost isn’t. I think Ted Thompson messed up big time by making a somewhat lateral move dumping Jon Ryan so he could pickup Frost. I keep shaking my head on this one. Ted rolled the dice on this one and lost.

Overall
The Packers have a pretty solid young team with decent depth. The problem is they have some glaring holes that need to be fixed before this team goes anywhere in the playoffs, or maybe even gets to the playoffs.. Ted needs to shore up the following positions: OG, DT, DE, RB, CB.

I’m one of the believers that football games are won in the trenches. Currently, Green Bay isn’t winning those battles, and until they do, there’s always next year.

Will the next Raiders’ head coach to-be-fired please stand up?

If I were a Raiders fan, I’d be just pissed right now. For years now, Al Davis has taken a team, which has a very loyal fan base, and has turned that organization into the laughing stock of the NFL. I’m not saying firing Kiffin was the wrong thing to do, but you have to question an owner that has gone through four coaches in six years. You also have to question his sanity when it comes to personell decisions. I don’t know why, but when I think of all-time flubs, I always think of Al Davis taking a kicker, Sebastian Janikowski, in the first round. Who does that? The answer is nobody, but Al. I guess Lane Kiffin had some issues with some of the personell moves this offseason, and rightly so. They paid an insane amount of money for Tommy Kelley and Javon Walker. Walker can’t stay healthy, and hasn’t a decent year since he was playing for the Packers. Kelley is good player, but they paid him WAY too much money.

If Al Davis has alzheimers, I sincerely apologize, but the man has lost his marbles, and it’s about time he sell this team. I suggest he sell the team to the fans. I think we all realize Al isn’t going to sell this team, and will own it until the day he dies. I’m not sure when that will be, but it will be the day Raiders’ fans have reason to celebrate.

Stupidity Reigning Supreme:

Bay Area teams execute puzzling offseason moves

Why was Sabastian Janikowski drafted in the first round?

Raiders finally fire Kiffin, promote O-line coach Cable

Lane Kiffin fired, who is to blame.

Al’s Fault, the numbers don’t lie

Sapp says Kiffin treated unfairly, blames Davis for Raiders’ mess

I know it’s still early, but the Packers looked miserable Saturday night against the 49ers. The Packers, who were 13-3 last season, were routed by the 49er, which hasn’t been a very good team in a long time. The score? 34-6!!! Yes, it’s only preseason, but still embarrassing.

Run the Damn Ball

What was the deal with not running the ball? They ran the ball only a handful of times in the first half, which is just unacceptable. The Packers are starting a QB that has never started a regular season game, and he desperately needs a running game to help with that transition. McCarthy’s arrogance after the game about his play selection was unnerving, to say the least. He needs to take some responsibility for his mistakes, and not just blaming the players.

QB Transition

Aaron Rodgers, and the rest of the QBs for that matter, were awful. The two rookies have an excuse, but Rodgers is supposed to be the starter, and should be making decisions like a starter. Rodgers was sacked four times, but I don’t think that was just the fault of the offensive line. Twice, I remember there being two receivers open, and Rodgers passed them up on his check-down. It’s one of the many things that QBs learn over the years, and one of the many things you never had to worry about with Favre. Rodgers seems to be doing some good things, but he needs to work on the little things, like recognizing defenses, staring down the safety, throwing the ball away, and not being indecisive with his checkdowns. If Rodgers doesn’t bouce back from that abysmal performance, it’s going to be an ugly season, not to mention Ted Thompson will be looking for a new job.

Odds and Ends

• The first string defense looks good. The second string, not so much.
• Al Harris and Charles Woodson better stay healthy. None of the backups look very good. Blackmon is their best bet.
• Woodson looks like a pro bowl corner. At 31, he just needs to stay healthy.
• Brandon Chillar is a starting quality linebacker. Great free-agent pickup.
• Jordy Nelson is the real deal. It may or may not happen his rookie season, but Jordy is poised to be a playmaker for years to come.
• Jarrett Bush on the other hand, probably played himself out of a roster spot.
• Ryan Pickett and Justin Harrell need to get healthy….STAT!

Related

Rodgers unable to spark offense in ugly loss

McCarthy’s offense has a night to forget

Favre impresses in debut but Jets fall to Redskins

I love my Packers, but the Packers organization has handled this Brett Favre situation as poorly as it could possibly be handled. McCarthy is playing dumb, Thompson is playing the egotist, and Murphy has entered this debacle too late to resolve the situation. Favre, a living legend, just wants to play football.

I think we all know who the better quarterback is, and he’s willing to compete for that starting position. Yes, this would be a HUGE distraction since the media would be all over that story. The only way to really resolve this issue is to either make Favre the starter right now, or to get rid of him.

Keeping Favre

I personally think the Packers should just suck it up and make their Favre starter right now. It would end the media circus immediately, and most importantly, the Packers would be putting the best QB on the field. They could tag Rodgers at the end of the season, and trade him if he doesn’t want to play for Green Bay. Either way, they’d still have Brian Brohm, who looks like he’ll eventually be better than Rodgers anyway.

Losing Favre

The Packers can try and trade him, but because of his salary, he has the upper hand on where he gets traded, and it appears he’d like to play for the Vikings. Why? It seems he’d like to stick it to the Packers for not letting him come back, and he’d also have a similar offense, and some familiar faces in Minnesota.

I don’t think any Packer fan likes the thought of Favre playing anywhere except Green Bay, but if he’s traded to another NFC North team, all hell is going to break loose. Fans will revolt! Rodgers will be hearing the boo birds all season long. If Thompson thinks he has enemies now, watch what happens if/when he trades Favre to a rival like the Vikings or the Bears. Ultimately, Ted would be run out of Green Bay, and rightly so. I think Ted’s done a good job of building up the roster, but how he’s handled this situation has been unforgivable.

I say give the man his job back.

Related:

Favre says of situation: ‘This probably isn’t going to work’

Here are five reasons Favre would start for Packers

Packers make their choice with Favre; now they can wallow in it

I’ve stayed pretty quiet on this whole Favre issue, since I kind of wanted to see how it played out, and I didn’t want to add to the media frenzy. I understand at some point Ted Thompson and Mike McCarthy need to move on, and get Favre’s heir apparent, Aaron Rodgers, ready for his very first NFL start, but why do they feel the need to move on now?

The Packers went to the NFC Chamionship game last year with a very young team, and Favre putting up big numbers. What I don’t understand, is Thompson and McCarthy were begging Favre to come back, and now they don’t want him back after he decided his retirement was premature. Why? What happened between the day he retired and now? Did Rodgers “WOW” them this Spring, or is Ted Thompson just being arrogant and wants the QB he drafted playing under center this season?

If there’s one that’s for certain, it’s Rodgers is an unproven quarterback. Yes, he flashed some skills in the Cowboy’s game last year, but that doesn’t prove anything. Even bad quarterbacks flash talent from time to time, that doesn’t mean they’re going to be the future of the team. I’m not saying Rodgers is a bad quarterback, and I believe he should do alright in the NFL. I guess what I’m getting at is there is so much parity in the NFL, why risk another shot at a Super Bowl with a new, somewhat unproven, quarterback?

Favre clearly wants to be a Packer! This past weekend he told Ted Thompson he’d like to come back and compete for the job. That’s pretty big of Favre since he’s been the face of the organization since 1992, and actually put up some big numbers last season. I think everybody knows Favre would win that competition, including Thompson and McCarthy, but Thompson keeps saying Rodgers is their starting QB. Seriously, why shouldn’t the Packers field the best team possible? It doesn’t make any sense, and either Thompson isn’t telling us the whole story, or his arrogance is getting the best of him.

Related:

Packers should come back to their senses by retiring their fears

Packers say one thing, do another as Favre mess lingers

Favre reluctantly postpones reinstatement application

The media has been having a “hay-day” with the possibility of Favre coming out of retirement. They’re acting like it’s some big surprise Favre is getting the “itch” to play. That’s like saying water is wet, and leads me to believe they are really hard up for some material to write about. As far as Brett actually coming out of retirement, it’s pure speculation, at best. Up to this point, Ted Thompson and Mike McCarthy haven’t commented on the issue, since they’re both on vacation. And Favre? He says it’s just a rumor, but still, the media keeps swarming.

The media needs to lay off Favre, and more importantly, lay off Aaron Rodgers. I totally back Rodgers on his comments in the Sports Illustrated article where he says, “Fans need to get on board now or keep their mouths shut. ” Favre has retired, it’s now the Aaron Rodgers era. Even if Favre were to come back, he’s done in Green Bay. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a huge Favre fan, but Brett, the fans, and the Packer organization have gone through the emotional heartbreak of his retirement, and it’s time for everyone to move on….including the media.

Gene, I’m not sure if you’re aware of this or not, but football is a cold weather sport. If you’re that worried about not being able to get a tan at a football game, I suggest you write about warm weather sports, or quit being such a whiny pussy. I think Golf or maybe NASCAR might be better sports for you. Are you seriously that hard-up for something to write about?

My only issue with the Super Bowl being in Indy is the fact it’s in a dome. I believe football should be played on grass, or better yet, the Frozen Tundra. I think a Super Bowl at Lambeau Field sounds like a good time to me.

Good luck on that tan.

Can’t quite warm up to cold-weather Super Bowl

Yes, Gene Wojciechowski is indeed a schmuck

I’m not a big fan of acquiring players via free agency, but this might be a year Ted Thompson might want to try and find a player or two. For starters, the Packers are no longer a team that’s rebuilding. The Packers are a team with few needs, and may only be a player or two away from doing something Super. The one player that comes to mind is Asante Samuel. Asante is a really good corner that has a lot of good years ahead of him. Samuel, Al Harris, and Charles Woodson would be one hell of a group of cornerbacks. Harris and Woodson are both over 30, and if they drafted another CB, they’d be sittin’ pretty. In my opinion, you can never have enough corners in the NFL. Also, the Packers currently have over $20 million in salary cap space, they could front-load a contract, similar to what they did with Woodson, and they’d be sitting in good shape for years to come.

The announcer says, “performing the Star Spangled Banner”, not lip syncing it. Why can’t the NFL find a singer that can actually sing the damn thing? If there’s any song in the history of songs you should never lip sync, it’s our nation’s anthem. It proves Jordin is just another American Idol reject, and that she’ll never amount to squat. Truly pathetic….