Packers crush Cards, Miss playoffs

Packers lose again, playoffs look dim

  The Green Bay Packers were unable to get on track offensively and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the Green Bay Packers 29-10.

    The Packers were horrible on offense.  Numerous receivers dropped balls.  Antonio Freeman was horrible and has had a bad season.  I have been really disappointed with Freeman's performance all season long.  Dorsey Levens started the day off with a fumble and the Packers were never able to get on track throughout the game.  The Packers ran the ball ONCE in the second half.  I thought that the Packers should have run the ball many more times than they did.  The Packers had numerous three and outs throughout the game.  Penalties were kept to a minimum and that is the lone bright spot in a sputtering and anemic offensive display.  Brett Favre also had a poor performance.   I thought the offensive line did a good job in blocking for Brett.  I don't think that Favre had his head in the game.  The only sack that Favre received was due to his own fault, running out of bounds instead of throwing the ball away.  Overall the Packers offense gets a F.

   Despite giving up 29 points, the Packers defense didn't play to bad.  Tackling was good until the defense was worn down to dust.  I thought the Packers offense really hurt the defense.  The Packers defense was on the field for a great deal of the game.  I hope the Packers draft some help in the Linebacking area.  Pass coverage was adequate and the run defense was until the end of the game when the Packers were tired.  Overall the Packers defense gets a C.

   Louis Aguiar had a horrible game.  His punting was pathetic.  He consistently put the Bucs in good field position.  Kickoff and punt coverage's were not much better.  Charles Jordan also had a poor day.  Overall the Packers special teams unit gets a D.

    By some miracle the Packers are still in the playoff chase.  No team seems to want the final playoff spot.  The Packers need the Giants to beat the Cowboys and also need to score some points. 

My Pick

Packers 23    Cards    15

Season nears an end  Packers lose to Vikings

  The Green Bay Packers received a heavy dose of Randy Moss as the Vikings downed the Packers season 24-20.

    The Packers offense was very inconsistent.  Brett Favre threw the ball low throughout much of the first quarter and into the second.  This was not one of Favre's better games although historically he has not had great games in Minnesota.  Dorsey Levins ran the ball well but I often thought that he wasn't following his blockers correctly.  A holding penalty snuffed out one Packers drive in the second half.  Tyrone Davis had a dropped pass but overall the Packers receivers did a good job of catching the ball.  Antonio Freeman was a no show in the game much like his season.  Freeman is a big play receiver just like another guy named Moss and too many times this season Freeman has not stepped up.  Overall I give the Packers offense a D.

   For the second week in a row the Packers played very good run defense.  That is about where the good grades stop.   Pass coverage was horrible.  Randy Moss running rampant through the Packers secondary.  Tackling was atrocious.  Tyrone Williams had a critical missed tackle late in the game giving the Vikings a first down and keeping the ball away from the Packers "potent" offense.   Darren Sharper also had a miserable evening.  I really felt that Darren Sharper was more responsible for the first Moss touchdown.  Darren Sharper was coming in on a corner blitz and stopped coming in when George play faked.  Then Sharper continued to rush and just about got to George when he threw the ball.  If Sharper would have continued running instead of "taking it easy" he could have sacked George or forced an errant throw.  Overall the Packers defense gets a D-.

   The Packers special teams unit played adequate tonight.  A forced fumble and recovery on a punt return was a plus.   Kickoff and Punt coverage's were adequate.  The fake field goal was outstanding.  I can't ever remember a time where the Packers even tried a fake field goal.  Overall the Packers special teams gets a A.

    The Packers have really dug themselves a very deep hole.  They travel to Tampa Bay on a short week and try to save their season. 

My Pick

Packers 12     Bucs 10

Bad defense, Panthers beat Packers 33-31

    The Carolina Panthers took advantage of a porous Packers secondary in defeating the Green Bay Packers 33-31.

    The Packers offense played really well.  Brett Favre threw the ball really well and had no interceptions.  Antonio Freeman had a good day with only one dropped pass.  The Packers punted very few times which shows that the Packers were able to control the ball and move the ball effectively.  William Henderson had a fumble on the Packers first drive but I wish they could have reviewed that play because I think the ball hit Henderson's foot when he was out of bounds which would have given the ball to the Packers.   I would have liked to see the offense take advantage of the muffed Panthers punt.   They took over the ball inside the Panthers 5 and scored no points on the drive.   Penalty and a sack for a big loss of yardage.  Overall the Packers offense gets a B+.

   The Packers defense played role reversal in this game.  The Packers run defense played a superb game until the final play of the game.  The pass defense was horrible.   The Panthers were able to move the ball at will throughout the game which goes to show that there was absolutely no pressure put on the Buerlein.  The  final drive the Panthers put together, the Packers only rushed three lineman.  This gave Buerlein all day long to throw the ball.  Beurlein is not a mobile QB and I really can't understand why the Packers NEVER blitzed.  This was a really frustrating game to watch.  I don't think it was so much that the Packers secondary got ripped apart.  I thought it was more that there was never adequate pressure put on the QB.  As for the final play of the game.  That was just an awesome call and I commend the Panthers for making that call.  Beurlein still could have been tackled short of the goal line but the defensive back went for the QB's knees instead of making a proper tackle and holding the feeble QB up at the goalline.  Overall the Packers defense gets a C.

   The Packers special teams were nothing to brag about in this game either.  Consistently the Packers gave the Panthers the ball in excellent field position.  Longwell kicked the ball on the kickoffs horribly.  Louis Aguiar punted a pooch punt into the back of the end zone.   Kickoff coverage units were pathetic.  Overall the Packers Special Teams unit gets a C.

    The Packers travel to the Metrodome this week to play the Vikings.  This is now an absolute must win for the Packers and should be a very hard fought game. 

My Pick

Packers 38     Vikings 37

Rushing game ignites, Packers beat Bears 35-19

    DeMond Parker ran for over 100 yards and scored two touchdowns to lead the Packers to a 35-19 victory over the Chicago Bears.

    The Packers offense played a superb game against the Bears today.  DeMond Parker played well, scoring two touchdowns and rushing for over 100 yards.  The offensive line played equally as well in giving Packer running backs Basil Mitchell and Parker plenty of room to roam with the ball and also gave Brett Favre adequate time to throw the ball.   Favre threw two early interceptions.  One was a bad pass and the other was a dropped pass by receiver Tyrone Davis.  Antonio Freeman played a good game.   Overall the Packers offense gets a B+.

   As it has all season long, the Packers defense played in spurts.  The defense made the stops when it had to.   It was nice two see the defense stop the Bears when they tried to tie the game in the third quarter when they went for two points.    I thought the Packers played superb pass defense.  Tyrone Williams came up with several big plays.  I still don't like seeing the opposing teams being able to run the ball on the Packers.   Several times throughout the game it seemed that the offensive line was able to push the Packers around.  Once the Bears fell behind they had to go away from the run.  I would like to see the Packers play better run defense.  Keith McKenzie is having an awesome year and I would really like to know why he doesn't start.  Just before halftime S Darrin Sharper missed a very big tackle.  He has been having a rough season.  Overall the Packers defense gets a B.

   The Packers struggled somewhat in their special teams area due to harsh conditions.  Louis Aguiar punted the ball well considering the strong winds that he had to deal with.  Antuan Edwards fumbled a punt in the third quarter which enabled the Bears to close to within two points.   Kickoff and punt return units didn't gain many yards but the coverage units played well.  Keith McKenzie ran back a muffed punt for a touchdown.  Overall the Packers special teams unit gets a C+.

    The Packers return to Lambeau this weekend to play the Carolina Panthers.  I look for the Packers to extend their winning streak to 4 and move even closer to a playoff berth. 

My Pick

Packers 31     Panthers   17

Packers team effort beats 49ers 20-3

    The Packers put forth their best team effort thus far this season and defeated the San Francisco 49ers 20-3.

    The Packers moved the ball fairly well against the 49ers defense after the first quarter.  The offense struggled in the first quarter due to dropped passes and penalties.  Antonio Freeman had a dropped pass in the first quarter but played a very good game after that.   Corey Bradford also had a dropped pass but also played a good game.  Brett Favre's injured hand appears to be better as he zipped a few balls for completions in heavy traffic.  The offensive line gave Favre ample time to throw the ball and Favre took advantage of it.  The running game is still lacking but that is because the Packers spent most of their time throwing the ball.  DeMond Parker made a few impressive runs.  Dorsey Levins remains a threat, catching the ball out of the backfield.  Overall the Packers offense gets a B+.

   The Packers defense overwhelmed a undermanned 49er offense.  Billy Lyons has been playing real well the past several weeks.  The 49ers were able to move the ball in the first quarter.   Once the Packers started to put pressure on Steve Stenstrom in the second quarter the 49ers stopped moving the ball.  LeRoy Butler came up with another interception.   The Packers defense continues to pick up the turnovers and they had a nice defensive stand late in the game.  Tackling for the most part was good although a few broken tackles were made in the first quarter.  Overall the Packers defense gets a B.

   Ryan Longwell missed his first field goal attempt of the game but connected with his next two attempts in swirling winds and rain.  The Packers coverage units were awesome until the final runback by ex Packer Travis Jervey late in the fourth quarter.  Louis Aguiar punted the ball extremely well in harsh conditions.  Antuan Edwards had a nice return of a punt for the Packers.  Overall the Packers special teams gets a B.

    The Packers face the Chicago Bears this weekend in Chicago.  I look for the Packers to avenge an earlier loss to the Bears at Lambeau field when a last second field goal attempt was blocked by the Bears.  I look for the Packers to win a big game and move closer to a playoff spot. 

My Pick

Packers 24     Bears    13

Offense improves, Packers beat Lions 26-17

    The Packers offense showed much improvement this week and scored two touchdowns.  Ryan Longwell was perfect, hitting four field goals. 

    The Packers offense played much better this week.  This was the most spirited effort put forth thus far this season.  The receivers did a better job in catching the ball this week including a spectacular catch by receiver Corey Bradford for a touchdown.  Antonio Freeman was knocked out of the game in the third quarter on a cheap and late hit, and did not catch a pass.  Dorsey Levins had a great day catching balls out of the backfield.   The running game still needs some improvement.  I would have liked to see the Packers convert more of those field goals into touchdowns but the Packers were able to put 2 touchdowns on the board which is definite improvement over the last few weeks.   Brett Favre did not have any turnovers.  Overall the Packers offense gets a B.

   This was a game in which the Packers defense was just average.  Tackeling for the most part was quite good throughout the game.  The Lions had several big plays in the first half  and pressure on the Lions quarterback was non existant throughout most of the football game.  The Packers did a wonderful job in the second half, holding the Lions scoreless.  The interceptions continue to roll in and the Packers recorded two of them today.  Overall the Packers defense gets a B.

   For the first time in three weeks the Packers did not have a field goal blocked.  Ryan Longwell was perfect on four field goal attempts.  Louis Aguiar punted the ball well but left the game with an injury.  Ryan Longwell filled in for the Packers on their final punt.   Special teams coverages were adequate throughout the game and tackeling was good.   I would like to see kickoff and punt returns improve on yards gained.  Overall the Packers Special Teams gets a B.   

    This week the Packers face the San Francisco 49ers on Monday night football.  The 49ers are a hurt and wounded team and we only have to look as far back as last week against a injured Cowboys team to see what the Packers are capable of.  I am not looking for a repeat performance of two weeks ago.  I look for the Packers to dominate this game.

My Pick

Packers 35     49ers   10

Same problems, same results, Cowboys beat the Pack again

    The Packers offense continued to struggle this week and a injury plagued Dallas team beat the Packers 27-13.

    Once again the Packers continue to struggle on offense.  The Packers had two more Red Zone turnovers when Brett Favre threw a pair of interceptions, including one late in the game that was returned for a touchdown and preserved the Cowboys victory.  The running game is continuing to struggle as well.  Dorsey Levins is getting hit in the backfield way to many times.  Blocking is non existent at times, with defensive lines dominating the line of scrimmage.  Penalties are also a plaguing problem.  Antonio Freeman was held receptionless throughout the first half.  All of his yardage came in the second half .  Dropped passes also are a continuing problem.  I know the coaching staff knows about these problems and I believe that most of these problems will be rectified.   Overall the Packers offense gets a D.

   Once again the Packers defense kept the game close and waited for the Packers offense to get on the board.  The Packers defense continues to play above average but are also making continuing and critical errors.  Critical personal foul penalties kept the first Cowboy drive alive and pass interference penalties hurt the defense once again.  Tackling was adequate throughout most of the game although there were several missed tackles once again.   It seemed at times throughout the game that the Packers defensive line were getting overpowered.  They just don't show the ferocity throughout an entire game.   Overall the Packers defense gets a C.

   For the third week in a row the Packers have had a field goal blocked.  This is a continuing problem that has not been rectified along with the many errors in the above paragraphs.  Several long returns were made against the special teams unit.  The Packers were able to recover an onside kick which allowed the Packers to attempt to force the game into overtime.   Overall the Packers special teams unit gets a C.

    The Packers face the Lions this week in Lambeau field in a must win situation.  The Lions are in first place and this game is an absolute must for the Packers.  Green Bay can even their record at 5-5 and improve their division record to 3-2.  Look for the Packers offense to finally break out of their slump and dominate the Lions.

My Pick

Packers 28     Lions 10

Offense Struggles again.  Packers lose 14-13

    The Packers offense continued to struggle this week and a motivated Chicago Bears team beat the Packers 14-13 when the Packers last second field goal attempt was blocked.

This is going to be a long season unless the Packers can figure out how to put some points on the board.  This is the worst Packers offense that I have seen since the early 90's.  The Packers execution was way off against the Bears.  Antonio Freeman dropped a few more passes in this game, including a sure touchdown catch.  It also seems that the Packers are trying to force the ball into the tight end.  Several times throughout the first half, Favre would throw into double and triple coverage to Tyrone Davis.  The Offense is so far out of sync, that nothing seems to be working.   The offensive line is also struggling.  The Packers should have been able to run the ball with great success against the Bears but for whatever reason they were not able to.  The Packers big three need to pick up there games.  Favre, Levens and Freeman.  Overall the Packers offense gets a D for the second week in a row.

   It seems that the Packers defense shows up when the offense doesn't.  The defense played what I felt was another sound game.  Pass rush needs to improve however.  Many times during the game the Packers were not putting adequate pressure on the Bears QB.  Secondary coverage was excellent however.  The Bears were able to break off two long runs against the Pack but for the most part the Packers played good run defense.  Tackling is also improving.  The defense's ability to create turnovers is something they have been doing well all season long.  Overall the Packers defense gets a B.

   Special teams often a determining factor in a game and it was definitely a determining factor in this one.   The Bears blocked Ryan Longwell's 27 yard, last second field goal attempt and that was the game.  The Packers return teams did nothing spectacular and punting was adequate.  Overall the Packers special teams unit gets a C.

    For the second week in a row, the Packers lost a very tough game at home.  This loss hurts a lot but the Packers have to learn from their errors and continue on.  I keep waiting for the offense to have the breakthrough game and what a better time to have one than this week in Big D.  The Packers have not beaten the Cowboys in the 90's and a victory would give the Packers some much needed momentum.  Remember that Mike Holmgren was never able to bring a Packers team to Dallas and leave with a victory.

My Pick

Packers 28     Cowboys 9

Holmgren returns to Green Bay,   leaves with usual results, a win

    The Packers offense committed seven turnovers and Mike Holmgren and his Seattle Seahawks left Green Bay with a victory.

Offensively the Packers were horrible.  The lone bright spot on offense was Dorsey Levins and he also contributed to the turnover attack with a fumble.  Brett Favre struggled with the wind all night long and committed the other six turnovers.  Dropped passes continue to plague the Packers offense.  Corey Bradford, Antonio Freeman, Bill Schroeder and Tyrone Davis all contributed to Favre's incompletions stat.  Earl Dotson snapped, going after three separate Seahawk defenders before getting tossed out of the game.  The Packers offense is coming apart.  Ray Rhodes needs to get a stranglehold on this team and it needs to happen soon.  The Packers have been committing the same errors week after week and improvement needs to happen now.  Holding penalties were an issue again.   Run blocking was decent.  Overall the Packers offense gets a D.

   Despite the final score, the Packers defense played well, however and pressure on John Kitna was minimal.  Kitna had all night to throw the ball and was able to connect with his receivers every now and then.  Tackling was as good as it has been all year although this isn't saying much.   I don't know why these defenders refuse to turn around when the ball is in the air.   Pass interference penalties are getting old.  I'm sure that Coach Rhodes is addressing these issues but results are not being seen.  Overall the Packers defense gets a C.

   Special Teams was much improved on this week.  Desmond Howard had finally made an appearance, having several long returns on punts and kickoffs.  Louis Aguiar punted the ball well and Ryan Longwell's blocked field goal is a play that never should have happened.  Coach Rhodes should have his head examined on that call.  Sending your kicker out in a swirling wind to kick a 50 yard field goal.  I think that was Ray's way of saying "Welcome back Mike Holmgren, here is seven points for your".  Overall the Packers special teams gets a B.

    This was a very tough loss to take.  I really thought the Packers would make a better showing than what they did.  It is becoming very discouraging to see the Packers struggle in the same areas week in and week out.  This season can soon be written off as a loss if the aforementioned weaknesses are not improved on.  This week the Packers play host to the Central Division rival Bears.  The Packers can improve their division record to 3-1.   Dorsey Levins carries the ball the entire game and finishes with 400 yards rushing.

My Pick

Packers 38     Bears 3

Packers turn it around.  Beat Chargers 31-3

    The Packers defense turned it around this week, creating six turnovers and defeated the San Diego Chargers 31-3.

Offensively the Packers are beginning to get on track.  As the game went on, the running game improved and the Packers began to move the ball against a decent defensive team.  Brett Favre spread the ball around the offense evenly and threw for three touchdowns to three different receivers.   Dorsey Levens added to the scoring with a five yard touchdown run.  The Packers offense struggled somewhat on offense in the first half.  The time of possession in the first half was definitely in favor of the Chargers.  The Packers offense took control in the second half and Dorsey Levens ran the ball with authority.   Overall the Packers offense gets a B.

   I still feel that the Packers defense has quite a few areas to improve on.    I thought that the Chargers were able to create a running game early on and then went away from the run.  Huge holes were created along the Packers defensive line early in the game and tackling was not as much of an issue as in prior weeks.  Tackling was also weak at times early on in the game but improved as the game went along.  I thought that if the Chargers would have stayed with the run that the game would have been much tighter.      The defense was able to create six interceptions.  The Packers secondary was superb today, with blanketing coverage all day long.  Tyrone Williams is turning into an All-Pro cornerback.  George Koonce had an outstanding day, making crucial stops and tackles when the Packers needed it.  Overall the Packers defense gets a B.

   Despite giving up a kickoff return, which was called back for a holding penalty, the Packers special teams unit played with good effectiveness today.  Tackling was superb and runbacks were minimal.  Louis Aguiar punted the ball well and got the Packers out of some tight spots.  Ryan Longwell was perfect on his only field goal attempt (ball bounced off the upright and went through).  Overall the Packers special teams gets a B+.

    The Packers improved their record to 4-2 with the victory and are gearing up to play the Seattle Seahawks on Monday Night.  This game marks the return of Mike Holmgren to Lambeau Field.    This will be the first time the Packers have played on Monday Night this season, which is a night the Packers didn't fare so well on last season.  I look for a good game from both sides but I believe the Packers have much more talent than the Seahawks and will prevail as victors easily.

My Pick

Packers 38     Seahawks 17

Packers receive beating.  Lose to Broncos 31-10.

    This was a game the Packers would like to forget.  Penalties, pathetic tackling and an anemic offense plagued the Packers all game long and the Denver Broncos whipped the Green Bay Packers 31-10.

Offensively the Packers were pathetic.  Starting with the first drive of the game the Packers were never able to get in sync due to a numerous amount of dropped balls.  Antonio Freeman had several key drops throughout the game including a dropped pass on 3rd down on the Packers first possession of the game.   I thought that play set the tone for the rest of the game for the Packers.  Just when things seemed to turn around for the Packers a penalty, turnover or dropped pass would shoot the Packers in the foot.  Pass blocking was poor throughout the game, causing Favre to hurry many of his throws.  Overall the Packers offense gets a D.

   Defensively is where the Packers were at their worst.  Tackling continues to be a problem and in this game tackling seemed to be non-existent.  Ed McCaffery treated Darren Sharper like a rag doll on the game clinching touchdown for the Broncos.  The defensive line was never able to put adequate pressure on Griese.  The Broncos O-Line continually pushed the Packers D-Line around all game long.  It was like watching a Division 1 college team beat up on a 8 man high school team.  The defensive line continually hurt themselves with penalties as well.  I really got tired of the D-Line jumping offsides.   They are standing right over the ball.  LOOK AT IT.  One or two times are fine but that was an issue throughout the game which really got to be annoying.   Anthony Davis was flagged for what I call a flagrant pass interference which negated a critical 4th down stand by the Packers.  All the defender had to do was turn around and he would have easily batted the pass down or better yet intercepting it which would have given the Packers the ball on the twenty.   Many issues are continuing to plague the Packers defense and they are not being fixed.  I am deeply concerned with the play of the defense.  Overall the Packers defense gets an F only because that is as low as a grade as I can give them. 

   Special teams was the Packers lone bright spot today.  Corey Bradford has emerged as a Special Teams guru.   He had two awesome tackles in this game.  Louis Aguiar is punting better although I'm not sure if the Mile High atmosphere had anything to do with it.   Overall the Packers special teams gets a B+.

    Maybe the only good thing about this loss today is that it wasn't a conference game.  The Packers have issues and need to address them and also need to start showing improvement.  I continually see the same problems week after week and am starting to get tired of seeing these problems.  Tackling needs to be addressed and is a primary concern.  This week the Packers square off against a tough San Diego Chargers defense.  Look for the Packers team to show up this week and beat up on the Chargers.

My Pick

Packers 28     Chargers 10

Favre guts out another victory.   Packers defeat Bucs 26-23.

    Brett Favre led another comeback, and the Packers defeated the Bucs 26-23.

Offensively the Packers played about the same as they have all year.  Looking well at times and struggling during others.   The shotgun formation was unveiled with marginal success.  Dropped balls continue to plague the offense during certain times of the game.  Antonio Freeman had a great game and Bill Schroeder did also.  Dorsey Levins played an exceptional game and ran the ball with authority.  I think the Packers need to score more touchdowns instead of field goals inside the twenty.  Corey Bradford had a touchdown but fumbled the ball at the one yard line and then the ball bounced against the pylon which resulted in a touchback.  The tight end is still not being used in the passing offense.    Overall the Packers offense gets a B+. 

   Defensively the Packers played well enough to win and did a great job in snuffing out the final Tampa Bay drive late in the game.  The defense continues to have moments during the game in which tackling is non existent.  Adequate pressure was put on Dilfer although only one sack was recorded.  Vonnie Holiday is emerging as a pass rushing guru.  I thought the defensive coverage's were awesome against the Bucs receivers.  The only consistent completions were to the backs in the first half.  Overall the Packers defense gets a B.

   Special teams played much better this week.  Kickoff and punt return coverage's were awesome.  Ryan Longwell connected on four out of five.  Punting was a bit on the bad side.  I'm still waiting for a big return from the kickoff or punt return team.  Overall the Packers Special teams gets a B-.

    The Packers picked up yet another big win.  I'm not sure if I can take many more of these nail biting wins.   But I know for a fact that I'll take those wins over nail biting losses.  This week the Packers square off against the Denver Broncos in the Mile High City.  Look for the Packers to rip into a suspect Bronco secondary and torch the Broncos early and often.

My Pick

Packers 38     Broncos 21

Favre's miracles continue, Packers beat Vikings

Brett Favre engineered another incredible comeback, driving the Packers 73 yards in the waning moments of the game and threw a touchdown to Corey Bradford on fourth down and time running to nail the coffin shut.

    Throughout much of the first half the Packers offense was not on the field.  Despite scoring ten first half points the Packers offense was not on the field throughout much of the second quarter.  The Packers ran the ball well in the second half and overall I thought the offensive unit played well for the Pack.  Several times during the game critical penalties were called.  A holding call was thrown on Frank Winters which brought back a Dorsey Levens touchdown run.  Bill Shroeder needs to run his patterns out.   Schroeder under ran another Brett Favre long pass which resulted in an incompletion.   Schroeder also caught some good balls in the first half.  Antonio Freeman played another good game.  The Vikings did a good job in shutting down TE Tyrone Davis.  Overall I give the Packers offense a B.

   Defensively the Packers only gave up the one long pass play late in the fourth quarter which gave the Vikings a momentary lead.  Tackling was good throughout the game.  I felt that the Packers defense did a great job in containing the Vikings offense.  Antwan Edwards ran an interception back for a touchdown and also received a charity interception to end the game.  Jake Reed had a good game for the Vikings but the Packers virtually shut down WR Randy Moss.  Overall the Packers defense gets a B+.

   Special Teams remains an area of concern for the Packers.  Coverage units consistently put the Vikings in good field position throughout the game.  Kickoff return unit also stunk up the field.   Punting also had something to be desired.  Ryan Longwell was perfect on all three of his field goals.  Overall the Special Teams unit gets a C.

    What a big win for the Packers.  They are in a three way tie for first place in the Central and they pick up a division win.  They have an off week this week as they prepare to play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday night football.

My Pick

Packers 21    Tampa Bay 10

Packers lose in Detroit

Mistakes plagued the Packers throughout the game and Detroit came up with several big plays as the Detroit Lions defeated the Green Bay Packers 23-15.

    The Packers were once again inconsistent throughout the game.  Penalties, dropped passes and turnovers wounded an otherwise potent offense.  Dorsey Levins contributed to one turnover, although gaining over 200 yards in total offense.  Brett Favre also threw for over two hundred yards but was never able to sustain a complete drive that would result in a touchdown pass.  Brett had one interception and one fumbled exchange with center Frank Winters, deep in Lions territory late in the game.  More consistency is needed.   Antonio Freeman had several dropped balls and only had roughly sixty yards in receiving.  Bill Schroeder had several nice catches but also misplayed a couple of deep balls which I felt should have been caught for touchdowns.  Overall I give the Packers offense a C+.

   Defensively the Packers gave up two big pass plays.  Other than those two long pass plays for touchdowns, the Packers defense shut down the Lions offense.  Tackling was adequate throughout the game with only a few missed tackles.  Pressure on a mobile Charlie Batch was exceptional.  Numerous times Batch had to hurry his throws.  The Packers sacked Batch four times and looked good throughout the game.  Coverage's were for the most part exceptional.  Take away the two long touchdown passes and the Packers win the game.  It's that simple.  Overall the Packers defense gets a B-.

   Special teams were horrendous.  The biggest wound of all was the kickoff return by Fair right after the Packers took the lead late in the fourth quarter.  Corey Bradford made an exceptional play on the runback to tackle Fair short of the goal line but the Lions were able to punch it into the endzone three plays later.  The Lions also had a good punt return which put them in grand field position.  Louis Aguiar punted the ball better than Hanson had been but still not as well as I would like to see.  Overall the Packers special teams gets a D.

    The Packers are now 1-1 and in a logjam for second place in the central.  The loss today hurts in that it was a division game.  This weekend the Packers have another division game on the road when they face off against the Minnesota Vikings.  Look for a close game in which I feel the Packers can win if they eliminate the mistakes they have been making thus far this season. 

My Pick

Packers 21    Minnesota 17

Favre brings the Pack back

Brett Favre led the Packers to a fourth quarter come from behind victory as the Packers defeated the Oakland Raiders 28-24.

    Offensively the Packers were inconsistent throughout  the game.  Dropped passes contributed to two of the three Brett Favre interceptions.  The Packers receivers dropped numerous Favre passes.  The offensive line gave Favre ample protection throughout the game although several penalties were called at various times throughout the game against the offensive line.  Dorsey Levins played an average game and had a big reception late in the game and gave the Packers a spark during their rally.  Hopefully Favre's thumb is not a serious injury.  Brett Favre deserves a thousand game balls for his performance today.  Overall I give the Packers offense a B-.

   Defensively the Packers were as inconsistent as the offense.  Tackling needs to be improved and penalties were once again a concern that needs to be addressed.  I thought the pass rush was adequate and forced a very mobile Raider quarterback out of the pocket numerous times.   I feel the secondary is improved over last year and have noticed for the most part, that the cornerbacks are looking back at the ball when it is thrown.  Many times throughout the game it seems the Packers are playing a "bend but do not break" defense.  This is unacceptable to me and I feel the defense needs to be more dominating.  Where was Leroy Butler today?  Overall the Packers defense get a C+.

   I'm not sure the Chris Hanson is the Packers answer for a punter.  Many of his punts were feeble and week.   Many of his punts were not fielded by the Raider return team because of the shortness of the punts.  I suppose that this is a plus but is not an area I feel comfortable with.  A needless block in the back penalty during a punt return late in the game was also called putting the Packers deep in their own territory.  Kickoff coverage units were also not sharp.  Overall the Packers Special Teams unit gets a C.

    The Packers are 1-0 and are playing a Detroit Lions team missing Barry Sanders.  The Lions upset the Mike Holmgren led Seattle Seahawks 28-20.  Look for the Packers to improve from the Raiders game and win this game easily.

My Pick

Packers 35  Detroit 17

Packers finish Preseason Undefeated, Beat Dolphins 25-17

Packers beat Saints 38-17

Packers beat Broncos 27-12

Packers top Jets 27-16