Brett Farrey

I’ve been watching the Packers this preseason, and the offense is hot. The emergence of Jermichael Finley makes them even better than last season, so be prepared for this team to score A LOT of points. The defense on the other hand is in trouble. The secondary is a concern for two reasons: 1) they’re missing Al Harris bad, and the young guys are, well still pretty young and raw. 2) The front seven. If the defensive line and linebackers can’t get some pressure on the QB, it’s going to be a long season for the corners. Thompson should have drafted or gone after a player in free agency to line-up opposite of Clay Matthews. The loss of Jolly is also going to hurt. Mike Neal looks promising, but I just watched him get thrown around like a rag doll by the Colts o-line.

I expect these guys to turn it around by the time the regular season gets here….at least I hope so.

I honestly don’t know why I like following mock drafts, since they’re usually not even close, but they keep me amused while I eat lunch at work. Anyway, I thought I’d post my own totally pointless NFL mock draft.

1. St. Louis Rams
Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma

2. Detroit Lions
Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska

3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Gerald McCoy, DT, Oklahoma

4. Washington Redskins
Russell Okung, OT, Oklahoma State

5. Kansas City Chiefs
Trent Williams, OT, Oklahoma

6. Seattle Seahawks
Eric Berry, S, Tennessee

7. Cleveland Browns
Jimmy Clausen, QB, Notre Dame

8. Oakland Raiders
Bruce Campbell, OT, Maryland

9. Buffalo Bills
Dan Williams, DT, Tennessee

10. Jacksonville Jaguars
Derrick Morgan, DE, Georgia Tech

11. Denver Broncos
Rolando McClain, LB, Alabama

12. Miami Dolphins
Joe Haden, CB, Florida

13. San Francisco 49ers
Bryan Bulaga, OT, Iowa

14. Seattle Seahawk
C.J. Spiller, RB, Clemson

15. New York Giants
Brandon Graham, DE, Michigan

16. Tennessee Titans
Jason Pierre-Paul, DE, South Florida

17. San Francisco 49ers
Earl Thomas, FS, Texas

18. Pittsburgh Steelers
Anthony Davis, OT, Rutgers

19. Atlanta Falcons
Sean Weatherspoon, OLB, Missouri

20. Houston Texans
Kyle Wilson, CB, Boise State

21. Cincinnati Bengals
Dez Bryant, WR, Oklahoma State

22. New England Patriots
Jermaine Gresham, TE, Oklahoma

23. Green Bay Packers
Sergio Kindle, DE/OLB, Texas
You can never have enough pass rushers, and with Aaron Kampman leaving town and Brad Jones being only solid, they need more depth. I think they’ll address OL and CB in the 2nd and 3rd round. Just my guess.

24. Philadelphia Eagles
Brian Price, DT, UCLA

25. Baltimore Ravens
Jared Odrick, DE/DT, Penn State

26. Arizona Cardinals
Taylor Mays, S, USC

27. Dallas Cowboys
Mike Iupati, G, Idaho

28. San Diego Chargers
Terrence Cody, NT, Alabama

29. New York Jets
Demaryius Thomas, WR, Georgia Tech

30. Minnesota Vikings
Devin McCourty, CB, Rutgers

31. Indianapolis Colts
Everson Griffen, DE, USC

32. New Orleans Saints
Carlos Dunlap, DE, Florida

Here are some interesting stats….

Brett Favre has thrown fewer interceptions(7) this season than any previous season.
Aaron Rodgers has only throw seven interceptions this season.

The second fewest interceptions Favre has thrown in a season is 13. He did this in 92, 95, and 96.
The second fewest interceptions Aaron Rodgers has thrown is 13. He did this in his first season as a starter.

Most yards Favre has thrown in a season is 4413 in 1995.
Most yards Rodgers has thrown in a season is 4434.
Lynn Dickey holds the record for most yards thrown in a Packer uniform with 4458.

Most touchdowns thrown in a season by Favre is 39 in 1996.
Most touchdowns thrown in a season by Rodgers is 30 in 2009.

Highest QB rating by Favre is 107.2 in 2009. Favre’s second highest is 99.5 in 1995.
Highest QB rating by Rodgers is 106 in 2008. Rodger’s second highest is 103.2.

I’m not saying one is better than the other….both are playing at a high level right now. Favre has a legacy, but it appears Rodgers is in the process of building one.

It was disappointing loss the Steelers, but it was an exciting game. The end of the game made me scream a few four letter words, but at least they were in it at the end against the Super Bowl Champs.

Jarrett Bush
I’m afraid the Steelers have been exposed one of the Packer’s weaknesses, and that’s their secondary. Charles Woodson is playing like a defensive MVP, and Tramon Williams is playing pretty solid in place of Al Harris. The problem is Jarrett Bush and Josh Bell. Rothlisberger was going after them all day, and he racked up a team record 503 yards of passing. Jarrett Bush was a hot commodity in the offseason and TT ended up giving him roughly $1 million a year….mainly to be a special teams player, and hopefully a decent backup CB. He’s exceptional on special teams, but he’s an awful corner. Bell only joined the team a month ago, and allowed the winning touchdown.

Mason Crosby
I would be shocked if the Packers weren’t looking for a new kicker. Crosby might be salvageable, but it doesn’t look like it’s going to happen this season. His confidence is gone, and he looks about as good as a high school kicker. It’s time for the Packers to find someone else.

Receivers
There have been waaaay too many drops. The last few games Driver and Jennings have appeared unhappy with the number of balls thrown their way, but as of right, they need to shut their mouths and catch the damn ball. Jermichael Finley is currently the best receiver on the team.

Trades
I really think TT missed out when he didn’t trade Aaron Kampman, and possibly AJ Hawk. Hawk seems to be playing a lot better, but they’re pretty deep at the MLB positions. They stand to get nothing for Kampman without putting the franchise tag on him. Big mistake!

Overall
The Packers have improved a lot this season, and they’re playing some tough football. If the offensive line can hold it together, they should only get better. I’m afraid if they get into the playoffs, they’ll probably be one and done, but at least they made the playoffs this year, and they can hopefully build off that in the offseason.

Related
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McCarthy: ‘Zero interest’ in bringing in a new kicker

The Packers hit one of their all-time lows this past Sunday after getting beat by the winless Buccaneers. It seems to be the same story each and every week, and Mike McCarthy’s excuses aren’t good enough for the fans and media. I’d have to imagine the Packer’s board of directors will be having a long discussion on the future of Ted Thompson and Mike McCarthy.

Ted Thompson

I’ve heard many people say it takes five years for a general manager to turn around a football team. It’s been five years for TT and four years for MM. Ted has built through the draft, and has created the youngest team in the NFL for three years running, which leaves little room for veteran leadership. For the most part, he’s done a good job of stocking the team with young talent, but he’s also missed the mark with some high draft picks such as AJ Hawk, Brandon Jackson, Darynn Colledge, and Justin Harrell. He’s also turned a blind eye toward free agency. I agree with his philosophy of building through the draft, but free agency has helped some very good teams, such as the Patriots and Vikings.

I believe Ted’s biggest fault is he should have built from the inside out; meaning he should have drafted higher for both the offensive and defensive lines. The offensive line has been in shambles ever since he let Rivera and Wahle leave town. I’m not suggesting he should have kept those players, but he didn’t fill those voids. He attempted to fill one by drafting Colledge, but he’s been horrible.

I find it interesting once Thompson left Seattle, it took the new GM, Ruskell, to put together a Super Bowl bound team via free agency and the draft.

Just a thought, but why not see if Holmgren would be interested in a GM position?

Mike McCarthy

I’m still a fan of Mike McCarthy, but I can look past the fact the team is undisciplined, we keep hearing the same excuses each week, and he’s slow to make game-time adjustments. The hiring of Bob Sanders was a huge mistake, but he took too long to fix the issue. Dom Capers was a good hire, but the team doesn’t have the right players for a 3-4 scheme. The special teams coach should have been fired after the last Vikings game. Ted needs to have a heart to heart with Mike and get him on track. Mike is a talented coach, but if he can’t fix these issues, it’s time for him to go. The fact is, the Packers could do much, much worse.

At this point, I really think they need to get a new GM, and unless they think they can land Bill Cowher, I suggest they stay with McCarthy for at least another year. The rest of this season could be a deciding factor on a lot of jobs.

Time to Talk Firings

It’s either the players Thompson is signing, the way McCarthy and staff are preparing them or a conflicting combination of the two that is impeding the progress of a team that should be further along in the fifth year for the general manager and the fourth for the coach.

Ugh, another heart-breaking loss to the Vikings. It’s mostly heart-breaking because we lost to our most hated rival, the Minnesota Vikings, and the fact Brett Favre now plays for the enemy.

Thumbs Up

Clay Matthews looks like he’s going to be a really good linebacker.

I thought rookie LT TJ Lang did a pretty good job against a really good defensive end in Jared Allen.

I liked the intensity of the defense. They seemed to be playing with more passion than I’ve seen in the past.

Thumbs Down
I’m going to give Aaron Rodgers a HUGE thumbs down. I think he’s actually regressed. He appears scared to throw an interception and would rather take a sack than throw the ball away. He even appears scared to squeeze the ball into a small space. The coaching staff needs to address this immediately.

Special teams were atrocious. The Vikings were repeatedly starting with great field position due to Percy Harvin, while the Packers had Ahman Green returning kicks.

McCarthy abandoned the running game. Yes, the Vikings have a great run defense, but you have to keep them honest, and it would help Aaron Rodgers out immensely.

Mike McCarthy. I’m also giving Mike McCarthy and the coaching staff a thumbs down. They make adjustments way to slow, and this has been going on for a long time. I also think the coaches are responsible for all of the penalties. He needs to light a fire under these players asses, or get out of coaching. There should have been a coach right in Johnny Jolly’s face after that stupid head butt penalty.

The Packers beat the Lions 26-0, but they didn’t look sharp AT ALL! In fact, I thought they looked pretty awful.

Thumbs Up

Clay Matthews is looking really good. It appears he was worth trading up to get.

Aaron Kampman finally was allowed to put his hand in the dirt and go after the QB. If they’re going to stay with the 3-4 they need to trade him.

Fox studio analyst Howie Long said Kampman would be better off on another team.

Congratulations Donald Driver for surpassing Sterling Sharpe’s receptions mark. If only the Packers could have a few more Donald Drivers on the team.

Thumbs Down

The Lions were down to about five defensive lineman and they still ended up sacking Rodgers five times. At this rate, Rodgers will not last. The Allen Barbre experiment is over. TT will have a lot of work to do in the offseason.

Red zone offense was pathetic. This game should have been a blowout.

The penalties aren’t going away. In fact, I think they’re getting worse. I put the blame on the coaching staff for lack of discipline.

The running game is non-existent. The awful offensive line isn’t giving Ryan Grant much of a chance, he only ran for 90 yards on 24 carries. This needs to improve before the cold weather games.

Trade Deadline

The trade deadline is tomorrow, and I highly suggest the Packers trade both Aaron Kampman and AJ Hawk. I don’t think either of them are a very good fit for a 3-4 defense. Kampman’s contract is up after this season, so trade him now while he’s still worth something, or plan on putting the franchise tag after the season is over, and then trading him.

See Also:

Analysts see warts on Win

That was easily the most stressful game I’ve ever watched. Unfortunately, it was pretty clear the better team won. I said “team”, not “quarterback”. Favre is clearly playing a high level right now, but I think the Packers made the right decision to go with Aaron Rodgers. I’m sure Favre feels like he got his revenge, but the fact remains, the Packers didn’t want him and Rodgers looks to have a very promising career.

I think the Packers definitely have some talent, but they have some MAJOR issues. First and foremost, the offensive line is pathetically awful. Daryn Colledge and Allen Barbre are embarrassing, and not good enough to start on most teams. They have some depth, but it’s very mediocre. They are being dominated by every defense they face. The Packers either need a new offensive line coach, or the players they’ve drafted just aren’t any good…or both! Either way, the organization might want to consider protecting their franchise quarterback.

The other major issue is the defense. They did a great job of stopping Adrian Peterson, but only after he got hurt on the play where Clay Matthews stripped the ball. The have great depth at linebacker, but they don’t really fit the part. If you look at the Steelers’ 3-4 linebackers, they are much bigger, and MUCH more aggressive. The Packers have a bunch of talented linebackers, but they’re all undersized, and probably better suited as 4-3 linebackers. I love Aaron Kampman as a defensive end, but he looks completely out of place as a linebacker. I’m pretty sure Kampman will jump ship once his contract is up, and will probably tell the Packers to “stick it” for making him playing LB during a contract year. The secondary got burned, play after play after play. Tramon Williams no longer looks like a future replacement for Woodson or Harris.

They have so many holes on this team, I’m starting to wonder if Ted Thompson is now on the hot seat. How many years should the Packers be the youngest team in the NFL? I’d think one or two, but no more than that. At some point, the Packers need to invest some money into the offensive line, and rethink the players they have on defense. They showed Ted Thompson on TV last, and he looked very scared, and that was before the game started.

Let’s hope Clifton is back sooner than later, and that the rest of the team gets better….real quick! It’s all we can hope for this season.

Just a few random thoughts….

I can already forsee a few coaching changes after this season. Wade Phillips, Norv Turner, and Jim Zorn are definitely on the hot seat. Other possibilities might include Tom “I break jaws” Cable and Dick Jauron. I’d imagine Packers offensive line coach James Campen is probably on the hot seat as well.

NFL has been turning soft for quite some time, and the Ravens/Patriots game proved it. I understand trying to protect players from injuries, but football is a contact sport, and people will get hurt. The Ravens had two awful penalties called on them. The NFL should bow their heads in shame.

I don’t think there’s any question, the Lions are getting better. The Rams, Chiefs, Buccaneers, and Raiders are just flat out embarrassing. Jamarcus Russell is a bust. It’s time to sit his butt on the bench. I would just cut Chiefs RB Larry Johnson now; he’ll have more fun watching the games at home.

The Cowboys are pretenders. I think Tony Romo is a talented QB, but he’s not an elite QB. The Cowboy receivers are average at best, and that includes Roy Williams. Cowboys Release Jerry Jones! Good news! The Cowboys at least have a great stadium to show off their mediocre football team.

Speaking of the Cowboys, Brandon Marshall completely embarrasses the Cowboys’ secondary….

Charter seems to have locked up during the Packer game Sunday. I called them and they told me over 10,000 people were having the same problem. I used their online chat, and the person told me there were no outages in the area, and that it must be my connection. Either way, I got the typical awful customer support I always expect from Charter Communications.

I ended up driving into Verona and watching the game at a bar. Now, I just need to figure out one thing….DirecTV or Dish Network?

Glitch at Fox freezes Packers broadcast
Snafu Freezes Packers Game