Pack 34 / Fish 24
Yesssssssss!
Packers, Favre... Finish Fish 34-24
By Packer Pundit / Patrick Stuckey
Lately my post have been more Rant than Rave so today... I take great pleasure in declaring this post... a Rant Free Zone. I mean c'mon... the Packers played a really good game yesterday, in defeating the Miami Dolphins. The offense, despite our Wide receiver Woes, played a very descent game. Driver made a circus catch for a TD and rookies Ruvell Martin and Chris Francies contributed big catches on 3rd downs, to convert them into firsts. Ahman Green was spectacular and showed the vision required to run behind the zone blocking scheme, His 70+ yard run brought back memories of past years, as he turns on the 'jets' once he hit the sideline... eluded a diving attempt at a tackle... then did a little dance... my hips would have fallen out of socket had I tried it. The O-line, outside of Daryn Colledge's early failures against one of the premiere pass rushers... wait... this is a rant free zone so... early failures but over all... he did a fantastic job considering this was his first start at Offensive tackle in the NFL. And how about those rookies on the line... Three of them starting... has that ever happened before?? Defensively we still made some mistakes but... rant free... we did manage to make Big plays when we needed to.
Miami Vices
Sure is nice to come out on the plus side of the turnover battle. There's a rumor going around that teams that do that on a regular basis... win games. It's just a rumor but I thought I'd mention it. All week, the Packers and coach McCarthy have been stressing the need for the Linebackers to make some big plays. Poppinga's early pick (huge because the Lions were going in for a score) then Barnett benefitting from a batted ball. Give me a sec to untie my tongue. Hawks sacking Harrington and how about that 'knock out blow' he landed on the Dolphins receiver? Yesssss! I heart me some A. J. Hawk! But the biggest shouts out goes to...
Charles in Charge
For a guy who's been hurt (thigh injury) all week... Charles Woodson was electric on the field. Seemingly everywhere and returning a pick for a Packer's momentum changing touch down to start the second half. I was equally impressed with his hustle, stripping the ball from the Dolphin running back, late in the game. He caught him from behind and did the famous "LT slap" knocking the pigskin free. Woodson has been equally impressive returning punts this year. He's fearless and a threat to break one. If he wasn't dinged up a bit... I'd even suggest we play him at wide out some.
Never Again
I'm proposing a new NFL rule change. No coaches celebrations on the sidelines. I mean... did you see Coach Jagodzinski and O-Line coach Joe Philbin's attempt at the chest thump??? Good Lord... they almost whiffed on it. I mean... how do two middle aged white men... each weighing in excess of 250 pounds... miss each other??? Instead of the chest thump it was more like a belly bump.
In Closing
I know I wrote a post this week about rooting for a loss (for a higher draft pick) but dang... I loved the spirit and heart the team showed yesterday. Hopefully we can build on this win and turn this puppy around.
Perseverance Pays In Win Over Dolphins
By Mike Spofford / Packers.com
posted 10/22/2006
With all they had to overcome to beat the Miami Dolphins, it's hard to say whether the Packers showed more resiliency, depth or sheer will in the scorching heat of South Florida on Sunday. But it's not a stretch to say the Packers showed more of all three than most outsiders thought they had. Green Bay's 34-24 victory, the franchise's first ever in Miami, not only gave the Packers their second win of 2006 but also may have given them the proof that no obstacle is impossible to overcome. To believe the Packers thrived on the adversity may be going a bit too far, but given the circumstances, this 10-point road win was nothing short of a remarkable effort.
Consider that the Packers, now 2-4:
* Found out just before kickoff that left tackle Chad Clifton, who became very ill Saturday night, wouldn't be able to play. But with the necessary position changes and three rookies on the offensive line, the Packers held the Dolphins' veteran defensive line without a sack over the final three quarters.
* Left star running back Ahman Green behind in the locker room after halftime to take intravenous fluids, only to see him return and rip off a 70-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter.
* Lost wide receiver Greg Jennings late in the second quarter to an ankle injury, leaving them with only three healthy receivers, two of whom had never caught an NFL pass before Sunday.
Yet the newcomers made a few key catches and the Packers got a touchdown reception from a tight end for the first time all season, sealing the game late in the fourth quarter. It was enough adversity to make any team wonder what might happen next, but that's not the mindset the Packers adopted on this day. -- More
Packers Rattle Harrington, Beat Dolphins
Associated Press
Posted 10/22/2006
The Miami Dolphins came out throwing, and for a change, the Green Bay Packers were ready. Ranked last in the NFL in pass defense, Green Bay intercepted Joey Harrington three times and beat the woeful Dolphins 34-24 Sunday. Brett Favre threw two touchdown passes, including the clincher to David Martin with six minutes left, and Ahman Green scored on a 70-yard run, the longest of his career. But it was big plays by Green Bay's beleaguered defense that made the difference. The Packers doubled their season interception total, and the takeaways led to 13 points. Charles Woodson made his first interception with Green Bay and returned it 23 yards for a score. Interceptions by linebackers Brady Poppinga and Nick Barnett set up a pair of field goals. Green Bay (2-4) beat the Dolphins in Miami for the first time in seven tries. The last time Green Bay won in South Florida was in Vince Lombardi's final game as Packers coach in the 1968 Super Bowl against Oakland. The Dolphins (1-6), who came into the game tied for the NFL lead in losses, dropped their fourth game in a row. The mood was so glum at Dolphin Stadium that some of the most exuberant cheers were by Green Bay fans who chanted "Go, Pack, go!" -- More
Veterans make big plays
Guide Packers to 34-24 victory over Dolphins
By Rob Demovsky / greenbaypressgazette.com
It was the fourth quarter, the game was on the line, and the Green Bay Packers rolled out a personnel grouping that included Vernand Morency at running back, Brandon Miree at fullback and the duo of Chris Francies and Ruvell Martin as wide receivers. Then there were the three rookie offensive linemen — left tackle Daryn Colledge, left guard Jason Spitz and right guard Tony Moll — the Packers were forced to go with, marking the first time in 20 years they started a trio of rookies on the line. How were they supposed to beat the Miami Dolphins with that makeshift group? To be sure, the fill-ins played their part in the Packers’ 34-24 victory on Sunday at Dolphin Stadium, but the visitors won on a hot and muggy afternoon because they did what they hadn’t done for first-year coach Mike McCarthy. They got big-time performances from their veteran playmakers. For the first time since they threw a $10 million signing bonus at cornerback Charles Woodson, the Packers watched him make a difference with a sack and a key interception that he returned for a touchdown on the second play of the third quarter. For the first time since he returned from a torn quadriceps tendon that ended his 2005 season after five games, running Ahman Green looked like a difference maker. He busted off a 70-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter that showed Green not only has some of his old speed, but that the offensive line – even without left tackle Chad Clifton, who was a late scratch because of the flu — has made some gains. -- More
Catch of the day leads to victory
By Jason Wilde / madison.com
"We won because of Donald Driver, first and foremost. We won because of Ahman Green's run," said Favre, who also turned back the clock with a 14-yard scramble. "But I think our young guys did as much to help us win as anyone."
Perhaps, two weeks from now, they will be riding a three-game winning streak and looking back at Sunday as the catalyst that got them to .500. Perhaps, two months from now, they will have somehow finagled their way into the NFC playoff picture and point to what they did and how they did it and talk about how this was the turning point. Or, perhaps, they'll revert to their mistake-prone, frustrating ways, and this will be nothing more than a feel-good moment in another losing season, a pleasant memory to break up the offseason chatter about how they'll use another high draft pick and the annual will-he-or-won't-he hand-wringing about whether the legendary quarterback will retire. Whatever happens, the Green Bay Packers deserve to relish Sunday's 34-24 victory over the Miami Dolphins. Whatever happens, what they accomplished at Dolphin Stadium, as a young team responding in the face of adversity, is worth celebrating, at least for a day. "We won the game, and I think that says a lot about what type of team we can be," Packers quarterback Brett Favre said. "We hung in there, and there's a lot to be said for that." -- More
Realted Story --
Driver runs long way on empty tank -- Link
Woodson picks up defense
By Jason Wilde / madison.com"That's what you live for as a defensive back - to be able to get your hands on the ball and turn it into points. You get some of 'em in practice, and you want it to carry over into the game. It hadn't happened to this point, up until today. And it feels good." -- Charles Woodson
For a guy and a group that had been giving up a lot of big plays but not making very many, veteran cornerback Charles Woodson and the Green Bay Packers defense finally did their part Sunday. Woodson's interception and 23-yard return for a touchdown gave the Packers their first lead Sunday - after linebackers Brady Poppinga and Nick Barnett's interceptions led to field goals - as the Packers scored the first 13 of their points off takeaways in their 34-24 victory over the Miami Dolphins. The performance was in stark contrast to the Packers' last game, in which Woodson, cornerback Al Harris and linebacker A.J. Hawk all dropped would-be interceptions in a 23-20 pre-bye loss to St. Louis Oct. 8. "Did you see what the turnover deal was? That's the whole reason you win and lose in this league," said offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski, whose unit had just one giveaway after turning it over 12 times in the first five games. "That's why we've been losing." -- More
Related Story --
Woodson turns the corner -- Link
Receivers fill in the blanks
By Jason Wilde / madison.com
Donald Driver wasn't about to tell quarterback Brett Favre to put him down. A replay challenge had just determined Driver's 34-yard catch in the third quarter was a touchdown - and not an incompletion as first ruled. A beaming Favre couldn't contain himself, using a fireman's carry to hoist the Green Bay receiver onto his shoulders.
Driver had no complaints. "No, I kind of liked that," Driver said. With Koren Robinson suspended, Robert Ferguson already sidelined by a foot injury and rookie starter Greg Jennings suffering a sprained ankle Sunday, the Packers needed a significant lift from their remaining receivers at Dolphin Stadium. They got it - from the unlikeliest of sources - during a 34-24 victory over Miami. In addition to the reliable Driver, Favre needed key contributions from tight end David Martin and two receivers who had never caught an NFL pass - Ruvell Martin and Chris Francies. -- More
Minus Clifton, line pulls together
By Jason Wilde / madison.com
Whether it was something he ate or some bug he caught, Chad Clifton wasn't quite sure. All the Green Bay Packers' veteran left tackle knew was at 3 o'clock Sunday morning, he was hunched over the toilet in his Westin Fort Lauderdale guest room. And had rookie Daryn Colledge known the assignment that awaited him at Dolphin Stadium a few hours later, he might have been doing the same thing. With Clifton inactive because of "flu-like symptoms," Colledge was forced to start in his place during Sunday's 34-24 victory over the Miami Dolphins. And as if that wasn't challenging enough - Colledge found out he was shifting from left guard to left tackle about 20 minutes before kickoff - the rookie second-round pick from Boise State had to face Miami's Jason Taylor, a four-time Pro Bowler who came in with more sacks (81) since 2000 than anyone in the NFL. "This guy is a multi-, multi-time Pro Bowler, and I'm a rookie out there my first time starting at left tackle," Colledge said. "So I'm sure the coaches knew there were going to be some struggles." -- More
Related Story --
Colledge recovers after false start -- Link
Shuffled O-Line Adjusts, Holds Its Own
By Mike Spofford / Packers.com
Posted 10/22/2006
After some early trouble with Miami all-pro defensive end Jason Taylor, the Packers' young offensive line held up well on Sunday. The Packers were forced to start three rookies up front because left tackle Chad Clifton missed the game with flu-like symptoms. Clifton had gotten seriously ill on Saturday night and felt no better on Sunday morning. The coaches waited until the last possible minute before the inactive list was due to the officials, but having been already dehydrated from getting sick, Clifton was in no shape to play in the intense Miami heat and saw his string of 53 straight starts come to an end. "At breakfast today we were hopeful that he would take a couple of IVs and be ready to go, but he came over on the second bus and that was not the case," Head Coach Mike McCarthy said. "He was very ill." That moved Daryn Colledge from left guard over to left tackle to replace Clifton. Right guard Jason Spitz moved to left guard, and Tony Moll started at right guard. According to Elias Sports Bureau, it marked the first time since at least the 1970 merger that the Packers started three rookies on the offensive line. Early on, Taylor was taking advantage of the apparent mismatch against the Colledge. In the first quarter, his sack of Brett Favre forced a fumble that set up Miami's first touchdown, and he forced aanother fumble on his second sack that Spitz recovered. But to Colledge's credit, he didn't get rattled. He and his teammates kept Taylor quiet the rest of the day and Favre was not sacked again. -- More
Green Re-Charges To Find End Zone,
Team Record
By Mike Spofford / Packers.com
Posted 10/22/2006
Running back Ahman Green spent most of the third quarter on Sunday in the Packers locker room getting two bags of fluids through IVs to restore his energy. But when he got back on the field, he made it count, both on the scoreboard and in the team's record book. Green busted loose for a 70-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter and by the end of the game, he had become the franchise's all-time leader in yards from scrimmage. Green, who missed the Packers' previous two games with hamstring troubles, finished with 18 carries for 118 yards to mark the biggest rushing performance by a Packer this season and push him past James Lofton in career yards from scrimmage with 9,909. "It's meaningful because I didn't do it by myself," said Green, rattling off the names of nearly every offensive lineman who has blocked for him in his seven seasons in Green Bay. "All those guys are the main reason. It's a team sport. If it was me against 11 guys on defense, I wouldn't get one yard and I'd get my butt kicked every play. But with those guys, it makes it a lot easier." Green also scored his 50th career rushing touchdown and his 49th as a Packer, moving him just one behind Paul Hornung for No. 2 on that list in Packers history. The 100-yard rushing game was his 30th in a Packer uniform, and his 63rd touchdown overall as a Packer moved him into sole possession of fourth place in team history, just ahead of Hornung.-- More 
Rayner's big boot nullified
Penalty denies kicker a 55-yard field goal
By TOM SILVERSTEIN and BOB McGINN
journalsentinel.com
Posted: Oct. 22, 2006
Dave Rayner thinks his end-of-the-half field goal would have been good from 60 yards. Too bad it will forever remain unofficial. Rayner booted what appeared to be a 55-yard field goal in the Green Bay Packers' 34-24 victory over the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, but a strange course of events left him with nothing to show for his effort and the Packers a big fat zero going into their locker room at halftime. "It was just a train wreck," Rayner said. "But whatever." -- More 
Individual Game Stats -- Link
Strange ending
Packers kicker Dave Rayner, who already made second-quarter field goals from 42 and 34 yards, believed he had converted a team-record 55-yard field goal just before halftime. Rayner made the kick, which would have rallied Green Bay within 10-9, but the play was whistled dead with 4 seconds left because of an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty against Miami's Zach Thomas, who was called for making a "disconcerting signal." The 15-yard penalty moved the ball to the Miami 22 and Rayner then made a 40-yard field goal. But the Packers' Michael Montgomery was called for a face-mask penalty when he hooked Miami's Will Allen with his left hand. The quarter ended because time expired during the 40-yarder and by rule, the half cannot be extended after an offensive penalty. "It was one of those things," Rayner said. "If we had kicked the third one, I'd have made the third one. I don't really know what the call was on the first one (against the Dolphins), but I think it was kind of B.S. I think the ball was already up in the air by the time he blew his whistle, so I don't really know. But I did my job. I just didn't get another shot at it."
Up to the challenge
Packers receiver Donald Driver was adamant his 34-yard catch was a touchdown in the third quarter. So much so that he immediately gestured for coach Mike McCarthy to throw the red challenge flag when officials ruled the play an incompletion. "Before I even got up, I already was screaming because I looked at the ref and he was saying, 'Incomplete,' " Driver said. "I just ran toward Mike, telling him, 'Throw the flag.' I already knew it was a touchdown. My elbow hit the ground, not the ball." Driver said McCarthy wanted to make sure Driver caught the ball before he used the challenge. "I was telling him, 'If I tell you something, believe me. I caught it,' " Driver said. "So, he trusted in me and threw the flag." The call was overturned, Driver had a touchdown and the Packers led 20-10 with 8:51 left in the third quarter. Quarterback Brett Favre viewed the challenge with pessimism, saying the Packers have had so much trouble throwing touchdown passes and winning games that "to try to get a call overturned, I thought that was nothing short of a miracle."
Jennings sidelined
Packers starting receiver Greg Jennings sprained his right ankle on a 14-yard reception to the Miami 43-yard line with 8 seconds left in the first half. Jennings didn't return to the game. McCarthy didn't provide any details afterward beyond saying Jennings had an ankle sprain. "I'm fine," Jennings said, although he left the locker room on crutches.
Extra points
Miami receiver Chris Chambers a former University of Wisconsin standout, extended his streak of consecutive games with a reception to 53. But Chambers, who was covered primarily by the Packers' Al Harris, didn't get his two catches for 29 yards until the fourth quarter. "It is a little frustrating because I know I can make plays, but it comes down to when you get your chance you have to make a play," Chambers said. ... Packers rookie Will Blackmon made his NFL debut, covering punts and kickoffs and filling in for Patrick Dendy in the nickel defense late in the game. ... Packers tight end David Martin believed his 18-yard diving reception in the second quarter was one of the top catches of his career, but said his 13-yard touchdown reception that put Green Bay ahead 34-24 likely was the most important.
TD and yardage milestones
Donald Driver's spectacular 34-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter was the 30th TD catch of his career, making him only the 11th player to reach that figure in team history. It was also Driver's 28th career TD from Favre, tying the No. 8 combination in team history of Boyd Dowler and Bart Starr. Driver and Favre are just one shy of the No. 7 duo of Don Hutson and Arnie Herber with 29. Driver's 10 catches for 93 yards on Sunday also put him over 5,000 receiving yards in his career. He now has 5,070. "I'm pretty happy about that," Driver said of the yardage milestone. "I've still got about 4,000 yards to catch the man, James Lofton, but I will catch him before my career is over."
First NFL catches
Green Bay's third and fourth receivers, Ruvell Martin and Chris Francies, both made their first NFL receptions on Sunday, and did so at pivotal moments. Martin's first catch, for 6 yards, converted a fourth-and-1 with four seconds left in the first half, setting up the strange sequence of field goal tries that followed. Then, with Greg Jennings out of the game due to an ankle injury, Martin and Francies both made grabs on the Packers' final touchdown drive that sealed the game. Martin broke free on a shallow crossing route and his catch-and-run went for 19 yards to move the Packers across midfield. "I feel like it does give me confidence, but that's something I always had," Martin said. "So hopefully now it gives confidence to my teammates that I can go out there and do what's asked of me." Several plays later, Favre zipped a quick slant to Francies on third-and-1, and the rookie made his first NFL catch good for 12 yards and a first down at the Miami 13. On the next play, Favre hit David Martin for the touchdown that essentially clinched the win. "It was a big-time catch down there in the red zone," Francies said. "I was fortunate to catch it and keep the drive alive." Ruvell Martin and Francies may be called upon much more in the coming weeks.
IF YOU MISSED IT
• Coach Mike McCarthy called a halfback option in the first quarter, but Ahman Green was smart enough to hold on to the ball when he saw nothing open.
• The Packers used portable air conditioning units with long hoses to pump cool air through their shoulder pads. Game time temperature was 86 degrees.
• Punter Jon Ryan saved the Packers from losing out on three points when he snatched a low snap out of the dirt and put it in place for Dave Rayner to connect from 42 yards.
• Rookie receiver Chris Francies was a surprise starter on the kickoff return unit, lining up with running back Vernand Morency.
• Fullback William Henderson was a healthy inactive for the first time in his 12 years in the NFL. Before this season he had missed only two games, both because of injury.
BY THE NUMBERS
3-3 Green Bay's record on the road dating to the Atlanta game Nov. 13 of last year.
2-6 The Packers' record at home during that same period.
7 Drops by Dolphins receivers and defensive backs against the Packers, including three by tight end Randy McMichael.
2 Intravenous fluid bags needed during halftime by running back Ahman Green because of dehydration.
16 Consecutive games in which Green had appeared without scoring a rushing touchdown of more than 16 yards before Sunday.
McCarthy’s aggressiveness is impressive
By Chris Havel
Mike McCarthy faced a key drive and a crucial decision. The Green Bay Packers’ coach could go for the Miami Dolphins’ jugular and likely seal the victory, or he could play it safe for fear of slashing his throat. The Dolphins had closed within three points with 11 minutes, 56 seconds remaining in the game. Their offense was spending more time on the field than the officials, or so it seemed, and the heat and humidity had the Packers’ defense sagging. McCarthy decided to trust his instincts, and his quarterback, and roll the dice. He dialed up a clever mix of runs and passes. He converted fourth-and-1 at Miami’s 40 with an end around to Donald Driver that picked up 6 yards. He moved the chains on a third-and-1 at Miami’s 25 with a keep pass to Chris Francies for 13 more. He didn’t dilly-dally in the red zone, either. He called another pass, and Brett Favre delivered a 13-yard touchdown pass to a well-covered David Martin, giving Green Bay a 10-point lead.
Game. Set. Match. The Packers won 34-24 to capture the franchise’s first win over the Dolphins at Miami. It was their second road win in three tries this season. In a single win, McCarthy supplied evidence that he put the bye week to good use, and that he can adjust during halftime. Charles Woodson’s interception and 23-yard touchdown return helped the Packers score 14 third-quarter points. Through the first five games, Green Bay had managed a total of seven. McCarthy’s decision to get aggressive was impressive, but no more than his fortitude to stay aggressive. The fourth-and-1 at Miami’s 40 was a gutsy call. It also was the correct call. Whatever field position the Packers might have gained by punting would have been canceled in short order by the Dolphins’ offense. The Packers’ field position, slim lead and waning defense are reminiscent of another fourth-and-1 call that didn’t go so well. McCarthy’s predecessor elected to punt in a similar situation in the 2003 NFC divisional playoffs at Philadelphia. It led to the Eagles’ fourth-and-26 conversion, and the rest, like Mike Sherman, is history. -- More 
Meet Brittani
Houston Texans Cheerleader
Brittani is in her second year as a Texans Cheerleader. This twenty four year old Louisiana native graduated from Texas A&M University with a Journalism degree and now has a career in the fitness industry where she works in marketing.
Brittani says her favorite part about being a Houston Texans Cheerleader is the excitement of representing the Houston Texans as well as being involved in the community. During her off-time, Brittani enjoys traveling, spending time with family and friends, and watching movies. Her favorite movie is Ocean’s Eleven and her favorite music artists are Anthony Hamilton and Usher. She loves to paint the town red, but her ideal evening would be having a nice quiet dinner, watching a great movie followed by a relaxing bubble bath with a glass of wine.
The toughest part about being a cheerleader for Brittani is managing to fit everything into a 24-hour day! Even though it can be difficult at times, she loves it and wouldn’t trade it for anything else in the world. Brittani is looking forward to cheering the Texans to victory this season!
Published by PackerPundit On Monday, October 23, 2006 at 6:09 AM.
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