Sunday, November 30, 2008

Season in trouble....send in Sherman!

We need a new Mike in town...one that will give us the wins we need. Time for some Sherman Action!

Wish The Pack luck today!

Friday, November 07, 2008

Monday, November 03, 2008

What was that?

Forgive me for questioning the preparedness of our favorite football team while I'm writing this a day late for being...unprepared. I spent a good deal of yesterday afternoon yelling at my tv and spent the evening yelling at my interweb router.

For the past few years me and the missus have been a one computer household. That one computer being an old Gateway laptop that is somehow kicking even after 3 years of grad school abuse, hundreds of posts and one totally awesome virus that made all the guys at Geek Squad think that I spend a lot of time on "those" types of sites.

So anywho, I set up the new desktop computer to go along with the ancient, cracked laptop and provide some versatility and two computer awesomeness for the whole family. Now when the wife actually has to use the computer for work I don't have to log off the fantasy football site. Also, after swearing that I would never get another Gateway because the cooling fan in these things sounds like a flipping 747 jet engine, I ended up with a Gateway desktop that also has a ridiculously loud and obnoxious cooling fan. Of course the desktop was free.

And of course the new computer shouldn't have caused much of a problem but my router decided that it wasn't doing more work for the same pay and shut down for a while. I then declared war on the router and, after way too much time explaining to Josh at tech support that the dsl modem was fine but the router was not I finally got things rolling again. But by then I was very sleepy.

Anyway, about the game. The Titans are an interesting team. And by "interesting" I mean "completely devoid of interest". They are, undoubtedly, the most average and least impressive 8-0 team I've ever seen. They do nothing exceptionally well (aside from Jeff Fisher's 'stache of course). They just do nothing exceptionally poorly either.

The Packers should have won this game by two touchdowns. I'll take bold and talented any day over solid and average, and the Packers are bold and talented. But there was something missing on game day, something that jumped out as soon as I heard it, and it pretty much sums up this loss for me.

That "something" lead to the bizarre handling of the timeouts late in the game. You remember, the early timeout when the Titans had the ball with a minute and a half to go? That one that should never have been called? Sure, Rob Bironas was kind enough to miss the kick at the end of regulation, but we should have lost at that point and we all know it. All because we gave them an extra timeout.

That "something" also figured into the game plan that seemed to say "Hey Titans, we're gonna give Aaron Rodgers a 2 step drop and then he's all yours" on more than one play. I understand that sometimes the playcall can get away with letting a blitzer come free, but 4 or 5 times a game?

The players seemed to be on the ball, other than a pair of Rodgers' turnovers late in the game and a few dropped INTs by the secondary I thought they came to play. The obvious "something" that lost this one for us? Mike III had a baby a couple of days ago. Apparently he didn't get much sleep because his playcalls, his bizarre drive to "go for it" without any rhythm for the game, his timeout choices, they all seem like something a very, very tired man would do. Or Mike Sherman. He did this stuff all the time. Now he coaches a minor league (college) team.

Coach Mike III, please get some rest.

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Sterling Sharpe Commercial

I just got back from the way back machine and I brought this video as a gift. Enjoy.

Monday, October 27, 2008

Now we get to find out what the Williams Wall was made of

Pat Williams and Kevin Williams, the "Williams Wall" have both been caught taking pills known as masking agents for steroids. A 4 game suspension is likely, once they have a chance at appeal. We know the appeal will fail because the Vikings two specialties have always been losing and cheating. If you had gone with sucking and blowing as their two specialties that also would have been accepted.

Jay Glazer reported the story first for Fox but I prefer the local Minnesota reaction from the Star Tribune. Perhaps my favorite aspect of this is that so many Vikings fans hate Brad Childress as their coach that they're happy this is happening. The assumption being that Brad will lose all 4 games and finally get himself fired.

You can check out the local reaction here. For all of the concerns about Mike III and Teddy T I must say I'm pretty happy with these two when I get to read about the ongoing massacre of common sense that the Vikings braintrust engineers with every decision they make. I honestly think living in a town where the Packers are #1.5 is helpful because if all Packer fans compared our GM and coach to the local 11 they'd have a 100% satisfaction rating.

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Pack vs. Colts-Awesome Awards

What a game! Let's break it down to find out what was truly awesome about this game.

Quarterback:
Rodgers was perfect once again. Cool, calm, and totally awesome dude. He plays with pain like Romo has a dumb name.




Receivers:
Come on, these guys were great. But to be super awesome you really got to earn it. If Jennings had 14 touchdowns then I would be impressed.




Running Backs:
This might be a stretch, but finally Grant found the end zone. And he looked a little better, right?





Defense:
Two huge touchdowns for our defense and they shut Manning down. Now if we could just shut off the ugly stick on his face.





Special Teams:
Didn't Crosby miss a field goal and an onside kick? Ah....who cares. Victory!





Coach:
Mix Master Mike did a perfect coaching job this week. He out foxed one of the lamest Viking coaches in history. He did coach for them, right?




Peyton Manning:
This guys knee sack must be killin' him cause he looks like Mario out there.





Lambeau Field Crowd:
Wow. Finally I hear some real noise from the fans. Keep it up and perhaps our home field will become a factor again. Kinda like the Thunder Dome, but without all of the hillbilly fans.



Great game Pack! As long as we don't lose next week I'll be fine.

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Mike III's Domination Machine: The Return

Some thoughts from today's game on CBS...

Jim Nantz and Phil Simms always seem to broadcast a game like they're in the clubhouse chatting with the bartender before heading out for the back nine don't they? They always come off sort of bemused at what's going on with the game like they've had a bloody mary or two and now all they can remember was that great drive on 7, so they're always eager and happy despite the fact they're broadcasting a blowout.

For further evidence of this just check out Nantz's comment after Don Lee scored on a quick pass right up the seam in the second quarter. Nantz comes up with the gem "Donald Lee scores and instead of doing a Lambeau Leap, he did a Lambeau Lee!" Tell me, who says that except for a slightly tipsy guy having a good time with his friends?

The only difference between him and you is your friends would mock you for hours for saying that and Phil Simms treated it like a fart and ignored it... Also, he has used more styling products on his hair than you have hairs on your head...and he's rich...and slightly famous...Okay, frankly you are not a good comparison for Jim Nantz. Way to go and ruin the whole premise of my argument. Jerk.

I kind of like the blood red of the Red Zone indicator deal that CBS employs. A) It makes real life look more like a video game, and how could that ever be a negative? B) The red looks awesome. Just a great color there. Truly. I can't decide if I should stop rambling about color choices or keep going until I get some ads from HGTV or something here.

The Run Game

The playcalls continue to be run-heavy. I'm assuming this is due once again to Aaron Rodgers' bum shoulder because Ryan Grant clearly hasn't earned this sort of trust. His 33 carries last week were great and helped us control the game, but 2.7 yards a carry isn't going to do it most weeks. Grant had an early fumble that somehow, magically, Korey Hall recovered to keep an early drive going but was otherwise solid.

A second straight game with more than 30 carries, and this time for more than 100 yards AND his first TD of the year makes me happy. Grant, just by being a vague threat, made the Colts honor the run and they got bit on a number of playaction passes as a result. Since Rodgers can only throw it 25 times a game apparently it's handy when they do go well.

I just want to reiterate something. When Grant gives us something, anything, this offense looks like it can be big time. That's a good feeling going into the bye.

The Bold Choices

Clearly the coaching staff came into this one thinking that their defense wasn't going to be up to the challenge. I'm not necessarily arguing with that assumption mind you, but Mike III's choices were bold and thoughtful and I liked them all, despite the fact that they didn't always work.

After our initial drive, and 3 points off the leg of Mason Crosby, we went for an onsides kick in the 1st quarter. It caught the Colts completely off guard, but the ball went out of bounds. At this stage in the game that's just a 5 yard penalty, so no real harm was done. I really liked the aggressiveness, even if it was because we felt the Colts were going to score whether they went 80 yards or 40.

In the 2nd quarter the coaches again went for the throat. This time, on 4th and 1 near midfield, Ryan Grant picked up 7 on the stretch to the right side. The drive ended with a touchdown and a 10 point lead for us. This team always seems to respond when challenged, I wish coaches did it more often.

As further evidence of the "Challenge = Success, Safe play = Disappointment" corollary I give you our clock management at the end of the half. With about 20 seconds to play we decided to run the clock down to 8 seconds and have Crosby try a field goal. It was just a 36 yarder, but it seems that anytime we just stop trying and say "Crosby will hit it" we virtually guarantee that he will not, in fact, hit it. He pulled it wide left. Instead of being up 20-7 against a team that scored 3 td's in 5 minutes just a few weeks ago we went into the half up by 10.

The Defense

I don't know if the guys on D looked at the gameplan and thought "hey, screw this, they're basically saying we suck right now, let's go show 'em!" but man, they showed 'em. Johnny Jolly and Colin Cole swatted down at least 3 Peyton Manning passes at the line. I love it when this happens. The QB just gets that "who farted" look on his face when he realizes the wasted opportunity, the camera man always seems to fight off a seizure to keep the play in frame and I get to watch 300 pound individuals jump around like little kids. It's awesome.

With just about 6 minutes left in the game Chuck Wood was sitting in his own end zone, clearly upset with Aaron Rouse. Rouse had, at the last moment, jumped in front of Chuck and his man to try for an interception but then dropped it. I can't read lips but I'm fairly confident Chuck may have mentioned something like "Say, fellow, if you are not certain that you will intercept the wayward pass from Mr. Manning in the future please stay the heck out of my way, as I have Heisman hands and would surely have caught that ball."

Just about a minute later Rouse jumped a pass to Anthony Gonzalez in the end zone and returned it 99 yards for the score. This pretty much sealed up the game, even with the Colts ridiculous scoring bursts, and was the perfect response to Chuck's concern.

Much earlier in the game, the first drive of the second half to be exact, Nick Collins took a tipped ball from Reggie Wayne and returned it 60 yards for a TD as well. It's impressive that, despite all the injuries and shuffling and whatnots that this D continues to be a threat to score. I've been disappointed in them for a lot of things this year, but this trend is nice. We have actual playmakers in the secondary.

The Unnecessary Shot

Do you think that Derrick Frost went to his teammates this week and gave them a fiery speech? I mean, the dude is a punter who has a really, really difficult time punting well. So, instead of actual learning how to kick maybe he just convinced the fellas to play so well that his services wouldn't be needed til the 4th quarter? I'm just spitballing here but it makes some sense right? I mean, it's not like he still has the job because of his punting ability right?

The Win

Green Bay 34 - Indianapolis 14

Sunday, October 12, 2008

Green Bay Packers (2-3) at Seattle Seahawks (1-3)

You know we're having a tough couple of weeks when the Packers/Seahawks matchup draws Chris Rose and JC Pearson as the guys in the booth. If they weren't available I think Turner and Hooch would have been calling it today. It's sort of a shame, Hooch really knows how to break down a defense.

Injury Report:
  • Matt Hasselbeck is out for Seattle. They're down to 3rd stringer Charlie Frye today. Which sucks for them, but I'm very much ok with it.
  • Aaron Rodgers is in even though he hasn't thrown a pass all week. Kregg Lumpkin was put on IR and Brandon Jackson is out with a head injury. So our old friend Deshawnn Wynn is back.
  • Korey Hall is back too. He brings something to the table. Not a big something. Like, he may bring the butter, or perhaps some pickles, but the meal's better if he's involved.

1ST QUARTER

11:00 - Hmm. On third and 5 Ryan Grant gets stuffed and we're punting. Rodgers' shoulder is all beat up so I understand a run-heavy playcall today, but there's a time and situation for it. We haven't run the ball well all year and I don't want to trust our O-line and Grant when it really matters.

10:40 - Instead of a punt the Packers are lining up for a 60+ yard field goal by Crosby. Did we have the yardage wrong or was this a clever ploy to get Seattle to burn a timeout? It's not really clear, but after the obligatory Seattle timeout we punt instead.

5:07 - Jordy Nelson picks up 14 and brings us down to the Seattle 22. He hasn't been amazing or even especially impressive as a rookie, but he does contribute every week. I still rank a healthy James Jones above him, but he's not just an empty jersey.

2:26 - The drive stalls, but Crosby gives 'em a push to the gas station at least. And by that I mean Mason hits a 29 yard field goal. I'm not gonna lie, I don't even know what I was going for there.

GREEN BAY 3 - SEATTLE 0

2ND QUARTER

13:05 - The Seahawks just put together one heck of a drive. Despite their obvious intent to not allow Charlie Frye to ever, under any circumstances, attempt a pass more than 5 yards downfield they somehow put together a scoring series. I know our D is banged up but c'mon guys, they're telling you to just stop the run and you win.

GREEN BAY 3 - SEATTLE 3

11:40 - My nightmares consist of our O-line trying to protect for more than 2 seconds and Aarong Rodgers holding the ball for roughly 5 seconds. My nightmares also include clowns, those kids in The Shining and a neverending loop of those Coors Light commercials where they market how cold their beer is, despite the fact that the temperature of the beer is pretty much up to me and my fridge. So anywho, Rodgers holds the ball too long, fumbles, and Seattle recovers.

9:22 - AGAIN, Seattle is not even pretending to pass. True they only need to go about 30 yards this time but still, c'mon D! Nothing but 3-4 yard runs from Julius Jones and Mo Morris at this point. They've passed 6 times for a total of 12 yards.

8:17 - So the D sells out on the run and Seattle runs a playfake and Frye hits his big Tight End, John Carlson (who sounds like an accountant) for the TD. Clearly I didn't mean to ignore the pass that time! Seriously, fellas, listen!

GREEN BAY 3 - SEATTLE 10

6:55 - So the Seattle crowd has this lame theme where they call themselves "the 12th man". They pride themselves on causing false starts on opponents because they're so loud. They have a little counter and everything. It says "You've been 12th manned". After a Jason Spitz false start they upped the total to 74. I mention all of this because if these folks had been watching the Packers all year they'd know we haven't been "12th manned" we've been "Colledged, Spitzed, Cliftoned and Molled". We don't need your help for this Hawks fans.

1:52 - Greg Jennings first catch of the day gets us a first down at the Seattle 2. Does this guy ever not get open? Ever not make the catch?

:45 - Aaron Rodgers, bum shoulder and all, has a great QB sneak over the left side. Initially he was ruled down at the 1 inch line but the review made it clear that he had the TD easily. To be honest, it shouldn't have ever gone to review. It wasn't the worst miss by a Ref crew today, I mean the Viking-Lion game was a travesty, but still. Get it right the first time fellas!

GREEN BAY 10 - SEATTLE 10

3RD QUARTER

13:50 - Hmm, Aaron Rouse is out of the game again. Charlie Peprah is in. Thankfully I don't think Seattle has the personnel to take advantage of his bad angles and mis-tackles, but this isn't ideal.

9:50 - Ok. Ryan Grant carries on 1st and 2nd down for a total of 4 yards. I appreciate the dedication to the run. I appreciate that our QB has a bad shoulder. But setting up 2nd and 9 and 3rd and 6 isn't great for the ol' throwin' arm either. The O-line is killing me. The playcalls are an accomplice to the crime. Gaaaaaaah.

5:56 - The first deep pass from either team is a beautiful one. Rodgers hits Jennings in stride for a 44 yard TD. Jennings beat the jam on the line and then just outran his guy for the score. I feel really good when Rodgers goes deep. That's one of the areas I think he's better than Favre in. There, I said it.

GREEN BAY 17 - SEATTLE 10

4:55 - Aaron Kampman beats a double team and picks up his second sack of the game. He's not perfect, and yet he's perfect for this team. Other things that are not perfect in the world but are perfect for the Packers...Donald Driver, tailgating (trust me, it's not the same anywhere else), and me.

3:30 - Another two carries on 1st and 2nd down for Grant for a total of 4 yards. He's only getting 2 yards per carry, but on the plus side it seems we'll get a chance to watch him do it 57 times today.

4TH QUARTER

11:23 - That was a thing of lusciousness not normally seen outside of Scarlett Johannson's bedroom. The Packers just went on an old school, 16 play drive. It took over 8 minutes (you're welcome Scarlett!) and was almost as soulcrushing for the Seahawks defense as listening to that Johannson album of Tom Waits covers was for me! The drive also included about 19 more of those 2 yard runs by Grant, which ate clock but not much else. Rodgers hits John Kuhn for the TD when former Viking Brian Russell decided to run away rather than cover him.

GREEN BAY 24 - SEATTLE 10

10:27 - With apologies to Bill Simmons at espn.com - I wish I could bet on things like "Chuck Wood will seal the game with an interception right after a TD". But I can't. The offense doesn't accomplish anything but they didn't need to. Crosby hits from 51.

GREEN BAY 27 - SEATTLE 10

6:22 - Tramon Williams comes up with a pretty interception to seal the deal for real. It's fun because when Chuck Wood comes up with a pick it's clear that he's read the QB and showed up in a spot that he wasn't expected. When a young guy like Tramon gets a pick it's because he was athletic enough to see the ball and grab it a half second later. The highlight for me was Tramon going through a series of polite and professional handshakes with his teammates to celebrate. Classy, smart and funny. Sort of like me.

The Seaducks managed to throw on a garbage time TD with about 3 minutes left but this one was already over. This was a nice win. True Seattle was struggling, didn't have their starting QB and all that but this was an easy win on the road. It keeps us tied for first place in the division and keeps me from having to fistfight Vikings fans at work tomorrow if we had fallen behind them in the standings.

Tuesday, October 07, 2008

This Weeks Awesome Awards-Pack vs. Falcons

Tough game tough game. Let's break it down and see how the Pack rates this week.

Quarterback:
Rodgers played with pain, and that's most awesome. Three touchdowns and one pick...if he only had the ball in his hands at the end of the game it would have ended much better.



Running Back:
Grant played okay for the first time all season. He actually had some burst of speed. I see potential!





Receivers:
Jennings and Driver were good as usual. And who was that tight end in the Sterling Sharpe jersey?





Defense:
Can our defense be anymore lame?






Special Teams:
Not lovin' you guys either. If Crosby can hit bells on top of a church why can't he make a field goal? And our punter blows.




Coach:
McCarthy improved, but come on, losing to the Falcons at home? What is this, the playoffs?





Atlanta:
All hail the kings of the New South...you can have it.





Weeeee. Look at us at 2-3 and tied for almost last. At least I'll be able to watch next weeks game in person to either see the season turn around or witness it's demise.

Saturday, October 04, 2008

Great Crosby Commercial

Here's a pretty cool commercial from our very own Mason Crosby. Check it out!

Friday, October 03, 2008

A Good Thing About The Falcons

Since this is Falcons week, I thought I would take a nice positive trip down memory lane. Does anyone remember this amazing game?

Wednesday, October 01, 2008

Tony Tony Tony


Tony Mandarich made news for the first time in 15 years admitting he used steroids and faked his pee test. This also just in...Darrel Thompson is a bust, I repeat, is a bust!

Fun Fact, Mandarich may be the biggest Guns N' Roses fan next to our very own MF Pack...who is so pathetic he just got the latest GNF'R cd, Use Your Illusion II. Move on MF!

Anyways, here's a little video on Mandarich for those of you who are too young to remember his bustyness.


Monday, September 29, 2008

MF Awesome Awards: Pack vs. Bucs

Here's this weeks MF Awesome awards: Pack vs. Bucs.

Quarterback:
Rodgers played tough and threw a couple touchdowns, but three pics in one game makes you worthless to me. If you have to miss next week...you are dead to me.


Running Back:
Grant I hate you.




Receivers:
Jennings was great, where was Driver? And Nelsen, you better start stepping you game up or you will just be another Jeff Query, without the mullet and mustache.


Defense:
Woodson did great again, but I'm getting sick of this whole bend but break defense. It's lame.



Special Teams:
I want our old punter back now.




Coach:
You lose one game shame on you. You lose two games in a row shame on me. You lose one more in a row and please die.



Bucs:
They are the only ones worthy of Three Awesomes because they actually came to play. Maybe I'll be a Lions fan now.



Nice job Pack. The O-Line and D-Line are horrible, you have no running game, your quarterback may be hurt for like ever, and to top it of, you can't coach. Could be a long season after all.

Sunday, September 28, 2008

Green Bay Packers (2-1) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-1)

When I was a kid my much older brother used to love the joke "where are you buccaneers? On the side of your buccanhead."

Jokes really weren't his thing.

The story of the game:

Al Harris is out. Atari Bigby is out. During play Nick Collins, Aaron Rodgers, Aaron Rouse, Cullen Jenkins, Will Blackmon and the running game missed significant time due to injuries.

Apparently the good folks down in Tampa (I'm kidding, there are obviously no good folks in Tampa) haven't heard of TD Grassmaster. The entire game was strewn with guys falling down, more divots flying than a Caddyshack marathon, groundskeepers repairing the sod and other frustrations. Both teams had to deal with the conditions so I'm not blaming the loss on it, I'm just pointing out that Tampa may want to spend more that $12.50 a week on maintenance is all.

The other story of the game:

Our O-line is in shambles at this point. I was hoping the return of Scott Wells would help in this matter, but to be honest most of the blame for today's loss should rest on the large and slow moving shoulders of Chad Clifton. Clif has the most holding calls in the league this year and also was beaten on at least one sack today. He also, along with two tight ends, failed to pick up the DE and allowed Rodgers to take a hit which led to an interception. Rodgers got the ball out in all of 2 seconds and clearly wasn't prepared for that sort of beating.

Aaron Rodgers took one series of the game off in the 4th quarter due to an injury to his throwing arm. Matt Flynn came in to replace him. In this three play series the O-line picked up a false start and a holding penalty. They also opened up zero holes. So, good luck Rook! Not only are they not helping, they're openly trying to fail at this point.

The sad reminder that the combination of people and microphones is not ideal when the "people" includes an ex-fullback:

Near the end of the game Matt Bryant, the Buc's kicker, hit a field goal to put Tampa up 23-21. Matt Bryant and his wife are dealing with the passing of their young son. According to Daryl Johnston "Hollywood couldn't write a better story. To deal with this type of adversity and overcome it is just tremendous."

Now, I'm not saying that Matt Bryant doesn't deserve kudos for playing well when he has to deal with the loss of his child. That is impressive. But guess what? Kicking a field goal or two in a week 4 contest isn't really going to change his life all that much is it? I mean, c'mon! I just wish it wasn't sold as if a good day in the NFL will fix all of your ills. It won't. Only consistent workouts and a sensible diet will do that.

Final Score:

Tampa Bay Buccanheads 30 - Green Bay Packers 21

We didn't deserve to win this one. Well, ok, Chuck Wood deserved to win today, but nobody else. So I can't complain about the result. We need to get the O-line sorted out and we need Ryan Grant to start seeing the holes if they actually manage to, y'know, make some. We need to get some guys healthy in the secondary too or that matchup with the Seahawks in a few weeks will seem like a 1987 replacement game or something. Fix it!

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Ahhh C'mon!!!!!

I can live in a world where I'm honestly happy that gas is "down" to $3.40 a gallon. But I don't know if I can handle a world where the Detroit Lions are good. Matt Millen, the GM of the Detroit Lions who was hired despite no experience in the front office was expected by William Clay Ford to be the idiot savant of drafting. He got half of it right, the guy was definitely an idiot. Now he's fired.

More importantly, let's ask the hard hitting questions that C&P.com is known for - A) Has anyone seen the word "savant" anywhere but part of "idiot savant"? B) Has anyone bought a Ford car or truck, driven it off the lot and thought to themselves "Wait a minute, the same guy who runs the Lions runs this car company? Did I just buy a Ford Millen? What's that clunking?"

I'm a little disappointed because this may be the beginning of the end of our automatic 2-0 record every year. True, there's no indication that the Fords will figure it out and hire someone competent, but still, they could accidentally make a good decision somehow.

The Lions are so bad that the Minnesota Golden Gophers would schedule them for their homecoming game. A team that had to hang on to beat Division 12 Montana State by the way. Seriously. I give the college game a lot of crap because I consider it to be the minor leagues of football and because of the cupcakes on the schedule, but given the two automatic wins every year the Lions give us maybe it's time to reconsider.

I'd write more but I have to go now. I've got an interview with WC Ford about an opening in his organization. He heard I talk about them footballs and thought I'd be a good fit. So don't sweat it Packer fans, I'll make sure the Lions keep on giving us what we need. Sure they may figure me out, but it'll take 7 years. Now if you'll excuse me I need to go pick a wide receiver in the top 10.

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

MF Awesome Meter

Each week Cheese and Packers will rate the performance of key positions and give them a "Awesome" ranking. For example, last week the Packers played the Cowboys and NOTHING WAS AWESOME. Therefore, I would give the team a





ranking. They were wasting my time. Here's how it will break down for every week.



Three Awesomes= You are the best ever on this day.




Two Awesomes= You are not bad, you're barely good enough for my high standards.




One Awesomes= Please stop not being awesome.





No Awesomes= Odds are I hate you.

Monday, September 22, 2008

Coming and Going

Through many years of football watching and reading and analyzing and whatnots I've figured that out injuries are part of the game. I'm clear on that subject. If you are not, well, just listen to every coach who has to find a way to win without his star player each week. They'll tell you - "Injuries are part of the game."

In welcome news, Scott Wells should be back in the lineup this week at Center. This allows Jason Spitz to move back to Right Guard and puts Tony Moll back bagging groceries. Wait. I'm being told Mr. Moll won't be bagging any groceries? Really? Not qualified or what? No kidding? You're saying he'll just be on the bench but still draw a paycheck as a pro player huh? Hmm. Interesting. Yes, I did just pretend to be in a conversation for this entire paragraph. Yes, I also know it's unfair to blame one guy. I still did it though.

In very, very unwelcome news it appears Al Harris may be done for the season. If you read the article you can have fun perusing horrific quotes like “Once Al told (head trainer Pepper Burruss) he was tasting some blood and had some blood in his urine, (Burruss) said, ‘That’s it, you’re done,’ took his helmet right there.”

I love Al. In part because he's the secondary's iron man. In part because of the venom he produces in Vikings fans. I actually saw two guys high five each other in my office today when they heard "Dirty Al" was down and out. In an unrelated note Hell just filled two new vacancies.

So we're looking at Tramon Williams starting opposite Chuck Wood for at least a few weeks, but more than likely the rest of the season. I can see a day in the next few years where Tramon and Will Blackmon are our starters so this doesn't terrify me. Only spiders terrify me. Because they're terrifying. But I don't know if I was ready for that era to begin this week.

But hey, it could be worse right?

Pack vs. Cowboys-Winners and Wieners

Pack vs. Cowboys-Winners and Wieners

Quarterback:

Winners! Rodgers played well but needs to push the ball down the field more. No TD's, but he also had zero picks. You gotta like his wheels though.




Running Backs:
Wieners. Running Back=Blows. Hold Grant out until he's better...and next time don't give so much money to an unproven back.





Receivers:
Wieners. Not being awesome makes you a wiener. Jennings was great, Driver was good, and Nelson is living up to his lame, common last name.




Defense:
Wieners. I'm glad they held T.O. to not much at all, but at what cost? What cost!




Special Teams:
Winners. Crosby got us some points...but where was Blackmon?






Coach:
Wiener. McCarthy lost a big one at home. A few more like that and you'll find yourself hangin' with Sherman. And by the way, next time get your team ready so they don't get winded at the end of the game, thanks.



Cowboy Fans:
Wieners. You gotta love them, right? Not only are they the lamest fans ever, but they all need to die.





Get it together Pack! Start treating these games like they mean everything, cuz they do. Otherwise you'll end up like the Vikings...Superbowless and stupid.

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Dallas Cowgirls (2-0) at Green Bay Packers (2-0)

Sunday Night Football! Al Michaels and John Madden in the booth! Andrea Kremer still somehow gainfully employed despite being in a role no one can find a reason to keep around!

Mike Carey is our ref tonight. He's not terrible. So that's cool for him.

Injury Report

Roy Williams of the Cowboys is out. He's been overrated forever so I'm not sure what that means for us tonight. We're still without Scott Wells. Jason Spitz replaces him and Tony Moll impersonates airspace at Right Guard. Atari Bigby is out as well. Aaron Rouse in for him.

1ST QUARTER

14:39 - The Packers receive the kickoff. Ryan Grant goes for 9 yards off the right side but fumbles the ball. Pacman Jones recovers and returns to our 14. Hmm. I realize that Grant's best game as a Packer came after two early, crushing turnovers against the Seahawks in the playoffs last year but he doesn't have to do this.

13:55 - The defense stuffs the Cowboys and forces a Nick Folk field goal from 25. The Cowboys have Terrell Owens in motion off the line to avoid the bump and run. They would call this smart. But let's face it, they're a bunch of cowards. TO especially. Chuck Woodson is on him tonight instead of Al. That's a good sign.

GREEN BAY 0 - DALLAS 3

10:30 - Greg Jennings gets open on a slant and a quick little out for 18 yards on a 3rd and 4. The guy's a star already but everyone keeps on calling him a surprise this year. It's a little weird.

8:40 - The drive stalls on the Dallas 7. Crosby hits from 35. Field goals aren't going to be good enough against a team with all of these toys on offense.

GREEN BAY 3 - DALLAS 3

6:51 - Al Harris is down. Writhing in pain. Writhing. I don't do much writhing myself (knock on wood). It doesn't look like much fun. Tramon Williams in to replace him.

3:00 - Okay, not happy. Nick Barnett came off the field looking like his left shoulder is roughly 2 inches lower than it should be. He's also a candidate for some solid writhing but he's boldly chosen to go with "grimace and point at the injury" instead. Desmond Bishop replaces him.

:30 - 3rd and 13 (GB 21) for Dallas. Tony Romo stares down his favorite target, Jason Witten, and thankfully doesn't see Nick Collins undercut him for the easy pick in the end zone. 61 yards later he's finally brought down.

2ND QUARTER

15:00 - Aaron Rodgers fumbles the snap but recovers at the 50. I realize that Spitz is the backup but this is the third game in a row with a fumbled snap. Let's sort it out boys.

14:00 - Rodgers redeems himself. He breaks out of a potential sack, then jumps and wings a perfect strike to Greg Jennings for a first down. The drive stalls and Mason Crosby comes out for another field goal, this one from the 38. Remarkable restraint by Al Michaels there to not take the easy way out (yes, I'm talking to you Tony Kornheiser) and talk about Favre.

GREEN BAY 6 - DALLAS 3

10:36 - Brandon Chillar has seen some extensive action already tonight. He's making plays too. I know a bit was made about how he's our only free agent signing and he's Frank Walker-esque but let's give him a chance. In this game he's already made 3 nice plays in coverage, which is Brady Poppinga's biggest weakness. He could fill a role.

9:46 - It was just a matter of time. Mark Tauscher gets flagged for a hold. I think that's the O-line's first penalty of the night and it didn't involve Tony Moll. Sidebets in offices throughout the dairyland just paid off big on the long shot. I would have taken Moll as the first penalty no matter what the odds.

6:04 - Felix Jones, the backup running back for the Cowboys, takes it left for 60 yards and a TD. Nick Collins was the only Packer on that side of the field and a little chip by the wideout sprung Jones. It should be noted that apparently Nick chose the "cement cleats" for the play because it looked like he wasn't even moving.

GREEN BAY 6 - DALLAS 10

:17 - Cullen Jenkins has transformed into Beast mode for this game. He sacked Tony Romo on the 20, forced a fumble, and nearly recovered the ball. He followed that up with another pressure to force an overthrow in the end zone. CJ is all fired up. Nick Folk hits the figgie.

GREEN BAY 6 - DALLAS 13

3RD QUARTER

13:45 - Brandon Chillar is down with an injury. Just the wind knocked out? He's out, Brady Poppinga back in. I'm not in love with the trend of injured defensive guys tonight. On the plus side Terrell Owens only has 2 catches for all of 17 yards right now. Coward. Any truth to the rumor that Chuck broke his toe by putting a foot up TO's ass? The world may never know. But I do.

8:25 - Crosby hits from 33. Didn't I say field goals were not an option tonight? Didn't I? There was a nice drive with a lot of nice runs by Ryan Grant and especially Brandon Jackson. BranJ seems like he's starting to see some holes this year and moving the pile when he's caught. I'm liking what I'm seeing. The drive ended on another sack of Rodgers. He's holding it a bit too long but his O-line isn't helping much.

GREEN BAY 9 - DALLAS 13

4:19 - Nick Collins gets beat by Miles Austin for 65 yards down to the Green Bay 3 yard line. Weird game for Nick. He's had his second nice pick in two weeks. His second nice return. He's made some nice plays in the run game too, but the Cowboys two biggest plays tonight were both on him.

By the way, I have no idea who Miles Austin is either. Don't feel bad about it.

GREEN BAY 9 - DALLAS 20

1:45 - Hey, that's my boy! Tony Moll beaten badly which ends up in a sack of Rodgers. I'm not putting all of the blame on Tony, I mean Pacman Jones and Jerry Jones are both in the building and they clearly deserve blame for anything negative that ever occurs on this earth. It's sort of like how some States have no "zero fault" car accidents...No matter what occurs, no matter what it's about, Jerry Jones always gets 5% of the blame and Pacman gets 5%. If firearms are involved then Pacman gets 10%. That's just how it is.

1:29 - Another nice sequence for Cullen Jenkins. He destroys Felix Jones for a 5 yard loss. There was a blocker on him, he just didn't do any blocking. I guess it wouldn't be appropriate to call him a "blocker" in that situation huh? Anywho, he followed that play up with another pressure of Tony Romo that resulted in an intentional grounding penalty. Nice game CJ.

4TH QUARTER

12:01 - Well, Charlie Peprah's in the game. So we're rolling with two backup safeties at the moment, and a backup at one of the corner spots. Our one remaining starter has a broken toe. How are we still in this thing? Oh right, Tony Romo has played terribly. I'm sure that'll last.

9:09 - Ballgame. Miles Austin, again I have no idea who this is and now I don't care to, hauls in a 50 yard TD pass from Romo over Tramon Williams. I guess I can't complain that much about our backups when for all I know Miles Austin is the traveling secretary for the Cowboys.

Garbage time - Rodgers got in on a QB sneak to make it vaguely more interesting. But only vaguely. This one felt like a loss on the schedule when I saw it in the preseason, and it feels like I got that one right. Which feels terrible. Shall we talk more of my feelings? No? Probably a good choice.

To be honest I'm not that worried about whether Aaron Rodgers can beat the Cowboys in September. I am worried about whether he can in January. This is just his third start and hopefully he'll improve as we go along here. We have that to look forward to at least.

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Is it BS or BS?

There's something happening here,
What it is ain't exactly clear.
There's a man with a gun over there,
Telling me I got to beware.
I think it's time we stop, children, what's that sound,
Everybody look what's going down.

Buffalo Springfield - lyrics from for what it's worth


Amidst all of the cheers and occasional groans of Sunday's win over the Lions it was almost easy to overlook the underriding theme of our season. That is, if our season can have a theme when it's just 2 games old. That hidden theme? The benefits of a QB who does not take unnecessary risks.

For the second consecutive game (and yes I threw "consecutive" in there to make it sound more impressive than it is) a Green Bay Packer QB somehow won a game without throwing a single pass that was fortunate to not be intercepted. There was a fumble on a play when Rodgers held the ball too long, but no stupid pick. No momentum crushing toss to a safety's chest. No one and done deep balls that fell into the wrong team's hands.

So, is the 2 game sample from Aaron Rodgers a bunch of BS? Can he sustain this level of play? Or, if not quite this level can he keep on making good decisions with the ball and moving the offense? Is this a case of the other teams just needing some game tape of him so they can learn how to take him down to size?

Or is this the BS I'm quoting up above? The Buffalo Springfield? I mean, there is something happening here - we may well be better than we were last year when we were expected to take a big step back. There's no doubting that it ain't exactly clear. What is clear is that we know who the "man with the gun" is and he's sporting a QB rating around 117, has 5 TDs combined and no interceptions, and he's definitely let the rest of the NFC North know that they had better beware.

I won't stretch the analogy any further than I have already done. But I'm happy and downright fired up for the future of this team. I realize the precarious nature of the situation. Rodgers may be average going forward. He may get hurt. Blah blah blah. I can't wait to see what goes down this Sunday night.

YouTube Fun

I thought we could take a break and look back at the last great quarterback to start for the Packers. I know I know, we don't have to look back that far. Only about 16 years. Here's a tribute to the Majik Man.

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Pack vs. Lions-Winners and Wieners

Pack vs. Lions Winners and Wieners:

Quarterback:
Rodgers had another terrific game. Once again he managed the offense flawlessly and threw for three touchdowns. I didn't like the fumble though.





Running Backs:
Big Fat Wiener! Even though Jackson had a touchdown, what's missing is a real running threat. We got up early in the game, and Grant was too busy holding his millions to grind out the rest of the game. Lame.




Receivers:
Winner! We got four amazing receivers and I love them all equal. Except that Nelson guy....you can never trust a Nelson.





Defense:
Winners! Did you see that nasty sack A.J. laid down...the one where he flew in the air? Amazing.





Coach:
Winners! Mike laid out a nice game plan for the first 21 points, then got more conservative than Mike Sherman. Let's try to finish a game tight next time.





Special Teams:
Wieners! Gimme a break with the punter already!






Matt Millen:

I love this guy, he is killing the Lions softly!

Sunday, September 14, 2008

Detroilet Lions (0-1) vs. Green Bay Packers (1-0)

The announcers today are JC Pearson and Matt Vasgergian but it's sorta hard to focus on that when Charissa Thompson, the sideline reporter, is on screen. She's got the foxy librarian glasses on and a name that kinda seems like she may be "one of those type" of dancers.

I mention Charissa not for her general hotness though, but because of her commentary. In discussing Lions DT Cory Redding she mentioned that his family is based in Houston, TX and is dealing with Hurricane Ike. She also noted that when he was younger he lived in Miami during Hurricane Andrew and had to "climb trees and eat mangos and bananas" to stay alive in the aftrmath of the storm. I think I speak for everyone when I say I'm happy Jimmy the Greek was not the sideline report today, for so many reasons.

Injuries
Scott Wells is out. Ryan Grant is in, but just barely. Chuck Woodson is in despite a broken toe. I actually mis-typed that initially as a "broken tail" which would be more interesting but much, much more confusing.

With that all wrapped up let me once again reacquint you with...THE BIG PLAY SEQUENCER! Revel in it's glory! Behold it's Beauty! Scroll down slowly!

1ST QUARTER

9:28 - This is the start of the Packer's second series. We had a three and out with two runs for 1 yard. We started off this series with another run, this time for a loss. In totally unrelated news Detroit gave up 912 yards last week to the Atlanta Falcons on the ground. I know 4 plays isn't much of a sample size, but this isn't our strength so it's notable.

5:18 - 3rd and 7 (Det 44) - Aaron Rodgers avoids the rush and flares out to the sideline before finding James Jones for the 1st down. For a first time starter Rodgers is quite adept at avoiding the pressure. I'm digging the awareness.

3:26 - Welcome to your professional football career Mr. Kregg Lumpkin! The rookie showed some nice burst and good vision in hitting the hole up the middle for a 22 yard gain. We're down to the Detroit 10 and looking solid.

2:06 - Once again Rodgers avoids a sack and makes a play. This time a TD pass to James Jones. The replay shows Greg Jennings was in the corner of the end zone doing jumping jacks but JJ didn't know it and Rodgers couldn't get it there. Still, the Lions didn't bother to cover two guys on the play, which I like to see.

GREEN BAY 7 - DETROIT 0

2ND QUARTER

14:12 - I love the Lions. You know how most teams scout out guys who "fit their system" or are "Packer people" or whatever slogan you want to mention? The Lions must do this and turn up guys who drop easy passes, quit on the team, etc. On 3rd and 10 Calvin Johnson drops an easy pass. Roy Williams did it earlier in the game as well. How often do you see wide open wideouts just drop a pass like this on good teams?

13:47 - Rodgers hits Greg Jennings for 62 yards. Jennings had a little move that CB Fisher bit on, and then fell down because of, which left him wide open. The pass was underthrown but Jennings still had time to make the catch and try out for Dancing with the Stars with a mad scramble of his own.

13:03 - Kregg Lumpkin takes a quick screen for 12 yards. Again, nice burst. I understand why he's on the team now. I still don't understand calculus, but this I get. Score one for me.

11:07 - 3rd and goal (Det 2) - 4 wides. Don Driver makes a quick move and is way too wide open for a TD pass. I like where this is going. Our two scoring drives both went for more than 80 yards, took time off the clock, and left us looking dominant.

GREEN BAY 14 - DETROIT 0

9:37 - The defense is all fired up. Aaron Kampman sacked Jon Kitna on third down to force a punt. I think that's the third sack so far, and the pressure is looking solid. Cullen Jenkins is causing all sorts of problems on the left side too.

6:47 - 3rd and 2 (Det 29) - The rookie, Jordy Nelson, blows the doors off his man for an easy TD. It looks like the CB, Brian Kelly, was trying to get a jam, but he didn't and Jordy just ran in for the score. Nice way to get your first NFL reception, no?

GREEN BAY 21 - DETROIT 0

5:00 - Jon Kitna holds the ball forever and gets to be the meat in a KGB and Kampman sandwich because of it. That is not a sandwich I would want to see on menus nationwide. I'll just stick with the club thanks. No tomato.

:27 - Jeff Backus holds Cullen Jenkins again. I think that's the second on him and he's still given up a bunch of hits on the QB. After the penalty Kitna overthrows Mike Furrey in the end zone and disaster is averted. The D line is creating havoc today. Jason Hanson hits the field goal from 38.

GREEN BAY 21 - DETROIT 3

3RD QUARTER

13:30 - Aaron Rouse is in for safety Atari Bigby. Bigby had some sort of injury at the end of the first half but walked off under his own power. Hopefully it's nothing serious. I like Rouse but I like really good depth more.

12:13 - Al was on the sidelines while Roy Williams went uncovered for an 18 yard gain. I don't recall seeing Al sit out very much in the past. We've also gone with more zone today than I've seen recently. Now it's entirely possible I just don't pay much attention, but it was an interesting change.

11:40 - Fortunately Jon Kitna appears to suffer from the same disease that Minnesota QB Tarvaris Jackson has. He overthrows open receivers for no particular reason. Hanson from 49.
By the way, since the Vikings thought they were Superbowl contenders and Tarvaris clearly has other plans would it be ok if we said that he "TarJacked" their season? I like it. I'm going with it. Jon Kitna is a TarJacker too.

GREEN BAY 21 - DETROIT 6

9:37 - Weird sequence. Rodgers fumbled the snap but recovered the football. Then was flushed out of the pocket, tiptoed down the sideline for a first down and then on the next play had the ball knocked out of his hand by Dwayne White. White had beaten Chad Clifton on the left side on the play. Detroit recovers (Det 30).

8:55 - AJ Hawk dives over a blocking running back to sack Jon Kitna. Unfortunately they were already in field goal range thanks to the turnover. Hanson from 53.

GREEN BAY 21 - DETROIT 9

2:38 - The offense answers back with a nice drive and a field goal. Don Driver had a classic DD-style catch and run for 10 yards that made me smile, but nothing much else happened. Mason Crosby hits the FG from 25.

GREEN BAY 24 - DETROIT 9

4TH QUARTER

13:19 - Gaaah! Wood jumped the route and nearly had an interception. Unfortunately he tipped the ball and Calvin "Megatron" Johnson grabbed it and strolled in for a surprisingly easy 38 yard TD.

GREEN BAY 24 - DETROIT 16

13:08 - Ok. That's not gonna' work for me. Derrick Frost, punting from his own end zone, let's the snap go through his hands and across the end line for a Safety. Y'see Derrick, when the team is up by 8 in the fourth quarter everyone is generally all right with things. But when you decide to give the other team 2 points just for the heck of it? Yeah, people tend to get antsy.

GREEN BAY 24 - DETROIT 18

7:50 - After some questionably cowardly playcalling we're stuck in the same spot we've been for a while. Frost managed to actually punt the ball this time but it was a line drive that Mike Furrey was able to return to our 47 yard line. Megatron catches a little slant and somehow manages to score. The D looked real slow on their pursuit, particularly Tramon, who was awkward as heck in the coverage. I think I tried that exact same move on my date on prom night Tramon, didn't work for me either.

GREEN BAY 24 - DETROIT 25

6:56 - Another penalty on the offensive line. I'm getting annoyed now. That's 6 more today after the dozen on MNF last week. 2nd and 13 coming - Rodgers hits Greg Jennings over the middle for 60 yards (about 10 in the air). Dwight Smith whiffed on the play. I point that out because Dwight Smith was a guy so dirty that even the Vikings wouldn't keep him around anymore, and I can't stand him.

5:28 - The drive stalls when Brandon Jackson drops an easy one. See what I get for complaining about guys dropping easy passes? Still, the offense answered back. Rodgers answered back, and we're back ahead thanks to Crosby hitting from 39. Also, a little feel good moment on the sideline, Rodgers and Jackson had the little fist bump/chat that probably came down to Jackson saying "I'll catch that next time" and Rodgers responding "I know."

GREEN BAY 27 - DETROIT 25

5:11 - Wood picks off a poorly thrown pass at the Detroit 40 intended for Megatron Johnson. A little redemption for Wood there after the tip TD earlier.

3:37 - Speaking of redemption. Brandon Jackson picks up 13 yards off the right side and follows it up with a 20 yard TD run. It looked a little desperate at first with BranJ going right and then stopping, but he found the hole and got us a win.

GREEN BAY 34 - DETROIT 25

2:09 - Wow. The Detroit Lions hopes of winning today? Yeah, they've been TarJacked by Jon Kitna in the last 3 minutes. Three picks. 21 points given up. Two of them returned for TDs by Wood and Nick Collins. Seriously. That was embarrassing Mr. Kitna.

GREEN BAY 48 - DETROIT 25

FINAL

Son of a... Jon Kitna just hit me in the chest with another errant pass. Knock it off Jonny! Knock it off!




Friday, September 12, 2008

Vote Cheese and Packers!


You may have noticed some pretty awesome images on our site lately. If you haven't, then start! MF and I have entered a Packer fan contest for Penske Trucks to create the most bad-ass commercial, and the winner gets to go to the last Packer game of the year. So Cheese and Packers fans, it's time to step up! Vote for us and help us achieve greatness, we will love you for it.

Also, it's no coincidence that the two main characters look like us....right down to the facial hair and socks.

Go here to check out the contest and vote for commercial 5, that's us!

Thanks!

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Pack Vs. Vikings- Winners and Wieners

To celebrate our three year anniversary Cheese and Packers is mixin' it up a bit. Instead of our weekly Golden Mullet Awards, we will do the Winners and Wieners. Winners are good, Wieners are bad. Here is a picture of a winner...it's Cheese and Packers very own MF Pack.












Here is a wiener. That's bad. (It would be a different story if it was a Johnsonville brat!)

















Here we go!

Pack Vs. Vikings-Winners and Wieners

Quarterback:
Winner! Rodgers was perfect in a game with the whole world watching. Throwing for one touchdown and running another one it, that was great! And he had more rushing yards in his first start than Favre has had in years!



Running Back:
Winner! Even though Ryan Grant was a bit slow because of his injury, he looked great. I was not too pleased with Brandon Jackson though.




Receivers:
Winner! The receivers did well, but I would have loved to see some more YAC from our fellas.




Defense:
Winner! They were solid enough, but there were some big drives that I didn't love. Great pressure on Jackson and that INT. at the end was killa.




Coach:
Winner! Seemed a bit conservative in the coaching, but it was steady she goes in this win.




Vikings Defense:
Wieners! Where was the pressure and the spine in the back stuff we heard about all season? Not only did Allen not get a sack, he didn't even get a tackle.




Viking Fans:
Wieners! Nope, you're done! It's a long season, but hopefully it will be even longer for you. Hopefully you can get sold this year and move to Canada.




All in all, great start for the Pack. Now let's take this show to Detroit!