The Packer Pundit

Packer Pundit Predictions
No I'm not quite Nostradamus but then again... who wants to be dead... have their head stolen from their grave... and especially... who wants to be French? Anyway... Nostradamus or not... I will be making my 2006 Team Predictions this coming Saturday. Will the Pack improve on 4-12? Will Hawk live up to his billing? Is Jennings the real deal? And will Brett be back in 2007. The all knowing mighty Pundit will reveal the answers to these questions and more. Hell I'm better the psychic friends hot line and the first three minutes are free.

Favre says 'slim chance'
Brett Favre says there is a very slim chance that he would ever play for another team in the National Football League. The veteran quarterback told the media today that he is “optimistic” and “happy” to be with the Green Bay Packers, downplaying a cable network interview that playing somewhere else is not out of the question.

Opener excites Green
Ahman Green doesn't know how many carries he'll get in Sunday's opener against the Bears, but he knows this much: However many he gets, adrenaline will be coursing through his veins on every one. "If you ain't juiced up for this, I don't know what else can get you juiced up for," Green said after practice Wednesday. "A divisional game, a rivalry game. For myself, the first game in (almost) 11 months. If I can't and the guys on this team can't get amped up come Sunday, I don't know what else you can say or do."

Pads Only for now
McCarthy had the team in pads during Wednesday's practice and said he'll continue to do so for awhile. Some coaches limit the amount of regular-season practice-time spent in pads, but the Packers' inexperienced roster likely will require more in-pads work. "I've been in programs where you do pads on Wednesday (and) Thursday, shells on Friday. We're a young football team, so that's something we're considering," McCarthy said. "Also, I've gone in pads just on Thursday. That's really the way our schedule is structured. So as we move forward, we'll probably (have) a padded practice for sure on Thursdays."

Driver would welcome troubled Robinson
Wide receiver Donald Driver happened to be in the building when free-agent wide receiver Koren Robinson made an official visit to the Green Bay Packers Sunday. Although he saw Robinson, he did not get a chance to speak to him. If he could have, he would have told him that he was welcome in Green Bay. The Packers could use the help. "He's a good kid," Driver said. "I know he can play the game. I don't know too much about Koren, but I know he is a good player. We only have four wides (receivers) on the active roster."

Starter's stance
Though it appears Colin Cole has nailed down the starting defensive tackle position next to Ryan Pickett, no one on the defensive line will admit to knowing it.The Packers included a depth chart on their weekly release and it listed Kenderick Allen as the starter. However, Allen said he hasn't been told he'll be the starter and insists none of the linemen in competition for the spot knows who will get the honor Sunday against Chicago.

Youth Movement
The Green Bay Packers will enter this season with at least four rookies in the starting lineup, which is believed to be a team record, according to the team's public relations department. The Packers are the youngest team in the NFC North Division with an average age of 25.55, and one of the youngest in the NFL. Green Bay currently has 14 rookies on its 53-man roster, three first-year players and 10 second-year players.

Injury update
Offensive lineman Junius Coston will not play against the Bears on Sunday. Coston injured his knee during the team’s final preseason game against Tennesee. Cornerback Will Blackmon, who returned to practice this week after missing all of training camp, probably will not play. Blackmon is recovering from a broken bone in his foot that he sustained in May during a minicamp practice. Fullback William Henderson is listed as questionable on the team’s injury report, meaning there is a 50-50 chance that he will play. Henderson injured his knee Aug. 19 in a preseason game against Atlanta.

Roster move
The Green Bay Packers today released tackle/guard Adrian Klemm after reaching an injury settlement, the team announced.Klemm, a seventh-year pro, sustained a torn Achilles early in training camp.

Bear's Injury Report
The Chicago Bears listed eight players as questionable, but only three - wide receiver Justin Gage (rib), end Israel Idonije (ankle) and tight end Gabriel Reid (back) - missed practice. Running back Cedric Benson (shoulder) practiced for the first time since early in training camp and has a chance to play. Among the others listed on the report were: end Alex Brown (shoulder), receiver Mark Bradley (hip) and safety Mike Brown (Achilles').

Extra points
**It still has not been made official - all that's missing is McCarthy saying it publicly - but Brady Poppinga will start at sam (strong-side) linebacker Sunday. Poppinga said he took the majority of the snaps with the No. 1 defense in practice, the team portion of which was closed to reporters.

**With newly acquired Tony Palmer not up to speed in the offense, McCarthy said Daryn Colledge is the top backup at each guard spot with Junius Coston (knee) out for this game.




Back for 2006:
Weekly signs to
Cheer on the Packers
GB Press Gazette -- STORY LINK
Cheer on the Green Bay Packers by printing out the weekly signs and displaying them in windows or at work. Or take them to games and cheer on the green and gold. Back for 2006, the signs will be ready for fans to print out each Tuesday or Wednesday before the game. The cartoons are again being drawn this year by Green Bay Press-Gazette cartoonist Joe Heller. Go to HERE to find a printable copy of this week’s sign.


Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript: Sept. 6
Read the transcript of Mike McCarthy's Wednesday press conference as he prepares to take on the Chicago Bears for the first time as a head coach. -- More

Favre Says Offense
Still Searching For Comfort
Shamlessly Jacked From Packers.com

"We're going into the season with a lot of young guys, especially as far as depth is concerned, so we have to establish something to hang our hat on. Maybe it didn't look as crisp as people would have liked in preseason, but we all know if we have to drop back (to pass) 40 times, more than likely we're behind and we're going to lose."

Quarterback Brett Favre said the Packers are still trying to discover a comfort zone with their 2006 offense, and the team's overall youth is making that process take perhaps longer than normal. But Favre believes everything will fall into place once a formidable running game is established, even though those efforts came up short in the preseason. -- More






Collins keys defense
Packers expect safety
to have breakout season
By Tom Silverstein / journalsentinel.com

"I didn't know what to expect, I didn't know I was going to start. It was a great learning experience. Now I've been in the system a year, I know the concepts of offense, what they're going to run, what they're trying to do to us. I made sure I studied this off-season, learning more what receivers are going to do, what kind of routes they can do against our defense. It's been a great learning experience."

For all the notice veterans Charles Woodson and Marquand Manuel have received as saviors of the Green Bay Packers' defense, and for all the respect the reliable Al Harris deserves, the guy in the secondary who warrants the most attention heading into the season opener against Chicago Sunday is safety Nick Collins. It's time for him to take off. Of all the young players on the Packers' roster, no one, even rookie receiving sensation Greg Jennings, has a bigger upside than the 5-11, 205-pound Collins. The Packers saw glimpses last season of what a big safety who runs like a cornerback can do for their defense, but they did not see the full picture. -- More



Moll will have his hands full
Bears' Harris poses formidable task
By Rob Reishel / Special to Packer Plus

"I'm definitely an underdog in that matchup," Moll admitted. "He's a very strong guy and a tremendous athlete. For me, it's going to be about playing at a high-speed and tempo all the time. I've just got to stay focused and play my heart out."

Tommie Harris is a Pro Bowl defensive tackle for the Chicago Bears. He's one of the quickest, most athletic and dangerous players at his position in all of football. Tony Moll is a rookie right guard for the Green Bay Packers. He's green as grass, unproven and learning on the job. Welcome to one of the most important matchups of Week 1. -- More






Rivalry Reaches 171 Games
By Lee Remmel / Packers.com
"Resonate," for no readily apparent reason, has become a highly popular word in the media's lexicon these days. According to Webster's Dictionary, it means what you would suspect it means: "Something that resounds." If so, and we can apply it to football, there are certain plays which truly "resonate" in the history of the Packers' storied rivalry with the Chicago Bears, due for its 171st engagement in Lambeau Field this Sunday afternoon. -- More



Ready or not, Bears loom
By Jason Wilde / madison.com
About halfway through practice Wednesday morning, Brett Favre looked around his huddle and knew he had to say something. After all, looking back at the Green Bay Packers' veteran quarterback were all these wide-eyed faces. Three rookie starters - Tony Moll at right guard, Jason Spitz at left guard and Greg Jennings at wide receiver - plus center Scott Wells, a full-time starter for the first time. -- More


Bears move into passing lane
By Jason Wilde / madison.com
Defense may indeed win championships, but it can't do it with no offense whatsoever. That's what the Chicago Bears found out last year, when they went 11-5 and won the NFC North division title but were bounced out of the playoffs in the first round by the Carolina Panthers. While Chicago's defense ranked first in the NFL in points allowed and second in yards allowed, its offense tied for 26th in the 32-team league in points scored, 29th in total yards and 31st in passing yards. -- More





Here's a very thought provoking article by Jason Wilde on the benefits of trading our super star --

Trade Favre for his sake
By Tom Oates / madison.com
Should the Green Bay Packers ever give those bronze statues of Curly Lambeau and Vince Lombardi some company on the plaza at Lambeau Field, I would nominate Brett Favre. Since the day Lombardi left town 38 years ago, no one has had a greater impact on the Packers than Favre, who will begin his 15th uninterrupted season at quarterback Sunday against Chicago. He's been a great player and leader for the Packers. He's had wonderful rapport with the fans and media. He has unmatched respect across the NFL. A month from his 37th birthday, he remains the league's biggest draw. Which is why I'm about to write something I never thought I'd write: It's time for the Packers to trade Favre to a team that can contend for a title this season or next. -- More





Here are some Packer hi-lights from the Titan's game (and yes there were some... shut up!) set to some great music by eminem (no not our coach)