The Packer Pundit

Does Anybody have
Jim Bates Phone Number?
Packer Pundit Patrick Stuckey
Seriously... I think things have gotten that bad. I know it's only been two weeks and McCarthy is a rookie coach and yadda... yadda... big stinkin' yadda. I hate to say it... really I do... but I'm afraid we haven't seen the worse yet. And as for this only being the second game... let's not forget the train wreck that was the preseason. The Titans destroyed us on our home turf! We lost the Chargers and Bengals games in the first quarter. And the Falcons game... well even a blind squirrel finds a nut now and then.

Bottom line: There aint no where to go but... lower.

It's so bad...
I don't doubt we'll be a 3 point underdog in our bye week!
It's so bad...
We signed a guy with a drug and alcohol problem... DUI... running from the police... and we think this is a good thing. Talk about defining deviancy down?

The McCarthy Problem -- the guy does not seem fit for the job. Yes... I know just a few months ago I thought he looked pretty good. Seemed together and on top of things. But then a funny thing happened on the way to the season... I found out like most reasonable fans... 'The Emperor is butt naked!"

Allow me to repeat something that has become a common theme on this blog... 'We Fired Ray Rhodes for Less!"

We need somebody like a Jim Bates to come in here... instill some smash mouth defense... hand the reigns over to Rodgers... and hopefully build on a better year next year.

But that's just my opinion... what's yours?






Response To 'Sudden Change'
A Critical Moment
By Mike Spofford / Packers.com

"We just have to keep our composure when we go out there after a sudden change," linebacker Nick Barnett said. "We gave up those explosive plays after those sudden changes, and you can't allow that."

Turnovers create perhaps the biggest momentum shifts during a football game. For the team that gives the ball up, what can exacerbate the momentum swing is the opposing offense gashing the defense for a big gain right away. That's what ultimately devastated the Packers on Sunday in their 34-27 loss to the New Orleans Saints. The offense turned the ball over twice, and both times the Saints responded with a big play on the very first snap, taking the momentum and running with it. It's a scenario that unfolds in nearly every NFL game, and the Packers expect their response to be much stronger this week in Detroit. -- More



Staying on the ball
Aide carefully picks game footballs
By Lori Nickel / journalsentinel.com
They all look alike, six Wilson footballs glistening in the box, delivered straight from the company in Ada, Ohio, that had them stitched by hand. There are no grass stains on the laces or mud stuffed in the nose. The gold National Football League markings are pristine. They are indistinguishable from one another in their perfection. A kid might tear this box open as if it's Christmas morning. That's one perspective. -- More







Collins flashes star potential
By Jason Wilde / madison.com

"I have to go out there and give myself the opportunity to make plays - be in position to make plays," said Collins, who was the first rookie to start at free safety for the Packers since Chuck Cecil in 1988. "We have two shut-down corners now, and that gives you the opportunity to make more plays as a safety. We've got Charles Woodson on one side, Al Harris on the other side. You don't have to worry about anything. You just do your job."

All three said the same thing about Nick Collins. We'll see if they end up being right. Earlier this week, coach Mike McCarthy, defensive coordinator Bob Sanders and defensive backs coach Kurt Schottenheimer spoke glowingly about the Green Bay Packers' second-year safety, not long after the team's 34-27 loss to New Orleans, a game after which Collins blamed himself for the loss. All three even uttered that magical phrase: Pro Bowl. But before anyone books a trip to Hawaii, maybe we should examine how Collins played Sunday. -- More


Kampman plays like $21 million
By Dylan B. Tomlinson
Gannett Wisconsin Newspapers

"He's been our leader on defense, there's no question. There's a lot of pressure on him (because of the contract), but nobody works harder than him." -- Nick Collins

In March, on the eve of free agency, the Green Bay Packers made a hefty investment in Aaron Kampman. Kampman had been one of the Packers' top defensive players during the 2005 season and reportedly was receiving a great deal of interest from other teams. To keep Kampman in Green Bay, the Packers gave him a four-year, $21 million contract with $12 million in guaranteed money. It was a monster contract, one that is typically given to Pro Bowlers. At the time, there was the overwhelming feeling this was another case of the Packers overpaying to keep one of their players. After all, the Packers gave left tackle Chad Clifton a six-year, $32.35 million contract with a $10 million signing bonus in 2004. They gave defensive end Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila a six-year, $37.3 million contract with a $13.25 million bonus in 2003. They gave Bubba Franks a four-year, $28 million contract with a $7 million signing bonus before last season, and they gave receiver Robert Ferguson a five-year, $10.87 million contract with a $3.5 million signing bonus in 2004. All four players still are with the Packers, but all four have seen a decline in their play since they signed the big contracts. The difference with Kampman is he appears to be worth every cent. As Kampman's pay scale has escalated, so has his play. -- More


Ferguson stuck in the middle of the road
Receiver's career has been average
By ROB REISCHEL
Special to Packer Plus

"Nothing surprises me anymore," Ferguson said. "This whole thing is bigger than Robert Ferguson starting and all that (expletive). We're trying to win a game. It's just about winning."

Ferguson has won very few battles since Green Bay made him the 41st overall selection in 2001. Yet amazingly, only eight current Packers have been with the team longer than Ferguson. In a league dubbed "Not For Long", Ferguson has hung on despite an incredibly mediocre career. -- More



Why throw away commitment to run?
By Chris Havel / gbpressgazette.com
Fifty-five is a wonderful number in many ways. It is one of several jersey numbers worn by the Green Bay Packers' Johnny "Blood" McNally, a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. It is the jersey number worn by linebacker Abdul Hodge, a promising rookie from Iowa. If the Packers' new receiver-return specialist, Koren Robinson, had been driving 55 mph, instead of 104 mph, he wouldn't be in as much trouble with the law. Then again, he may not be here, which may be good or bad based upon his conduct in the days ahead.

Fifty-five is not such a wonderful number in other ways. For instance, it is a lousy number when it is the number of passes Packers coach Mike McCarthy directs Brett Favre to throw in a game. That is especially true when it is a game, such as Sunday's 34-27 loss to New Orleans, the Packers led 13-0. The Packers (0-2) had everything going their way. They grabbed an early lead, they were at Lambeau Field and they had the Saints on the run. Then they inexplicably — pardon the pun — threw it away. Favre has thrown 79 passes in the past six quarters. During that same span, Ahman Green has carried the ball 26 times. That isn't a commitment to the running game. It is a recipe for disaster. The Packers don't need four tight ends. They need a canopy to put over this circus. It is that or a dome atop Lambeau Field if they hope to have any chance to win when December blows into town.
-- More






Chargers get backup for Rivers
Shanahan: Stop calling for Cutler at QB
Niners not worried about Bryant's fire
Browns' McCutcheon out for season
Vikings lose DE James for season
Cowboys' Owens has plate put in hand


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