The Packer Pundit

Packers Scare Up Another Win
Trick or Treats comes Early
In Land of the Cheese
By Packer Pundit / Patrick Stuckey
What's really really really really really really nice... is watching this team come together. I can recall the early years of the Holmgren era... and to some extent the Sherman years as well... how the team just 'bought into' the philosophy and schemes the coaching staff was preaching. Now yeah it's just our 3rd win and 2nd in a row... and yeah the competition was the Dolphins and the Cards... but there in No denying our complete and total dominance in the the last two W's.

Smash mouth football...
McCarthy Style
Well paint me red and call me a barn but when the last time the Packers had two 100 yard runners in a game Ronald Reagan was the President (1985). Next thing ya know you'll be telling me even Brett Favre scored on the ground. Oh yeah... he did! Green and Morency fit perfectly into this zone running scheme the coaching staff has installed. They are both 'quick/slash' runners that have good vision... the ability to hit the hole with speed... and when they get in the open field... it's hosta la vega baby and you can eat their dust! I'm kinda likin' this McCarthy Smash Mouth Ball (38 rushes and 25 passes).

Honoring Hornung and Green
Ahman Green tied Paul Hornung with 50 career rushing Touchdowns as a Packer. (2nd all time on Packer list behind Jim Taylor) I'm not quite old enough to remember 'The Golden Boy' but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night so I know he was good and Green's tieing (then surpassing... he got his 51st later in the game) is quite an acomplishment.

Well After 16 years...
You'd think he'd listen to me
I can recall (too lazy to find the link fer ya) my posting about how the Pack's opponents receivers 'always' seem to be open. I wandered why our guys never seem to get that free. Well now they are and Brett's finding them... wide open. I also posted how Brett had this tendency to scramble... needing only a yard or two for the first or a touch... and instead of just falling down to move the chains or score... he'd pull up and pass it... Well it looks like Brett's finally taking my advice. He's a freakin' jugernaut with the ball... kinda like an extra fullback in the back field... NOT!

Failure to Launch
Speaking of number 4. How about that lame attempt at a Lambeau Leap??? Holy Cow Brett... it took like 5 women to pull him up into the stands. (hmmmm... that's not exactly a bad thing now is it?) Well on the bright side... at least he didn't get the ole'... Old Milwaukee shower some players have received. And Brett only scores like that about once every 4 or 5 years (or as often as we elect a Bush or a Clinton). Maybe next time they can put a bench or a set of stairs along the wall for him.

Harris goes 'Carroll-ing'
in October
I hate to say this but Al Harris is becoming a liability. He had another Homer Simpson 'Doh' moment... dropping an easy interception on the Cards first possession. He did the old 'two hands to the helmet' (I can't believe I missed that pass). The last time we saw this move he failed to intercept Marc Bolger and the Rams went on to kick a field goal. We lost that game by... 3 points. Also Al's holding call on 3rd and 18... though chippy and hardly ever called on a veteran d-back... was inexcusable and very Ahmad Carroll like. It gave them a first down and let the Cards off the hook. They went on to score to pull with in 14.

Game Balls Go To --
**Running Backs Ahman Green (106 yards/2TD's) and Vernard Morency (101 yards on 11 carries or 9.2 per attempt)
**Donald Driver (forget the stats... he's the heart of the team)
**Brett Favre (17/25 180 yards 1 TD and 1 rushing TD and... his 3rd straight game with no picks)
**David Martin (4 catches / 28 yards and 1 TD -- another solid game)
**Aaron 'Lunch Bucket' Kampman (6 Tackles / 2 Assists / 2 Sacks)
**Nick Barnett (Just 2 Tackles and 1 sack but he was all over the field causing havoc)
**Charles Woodson (Another pick and the dude is fearless returning punts)
**Honorable mention: The Hawkster (7 Tackles / 1 Assist) and the Offensive Line (with the exception of Clifton who had an off game)






Woodson thinks TD return near
It's going to happen. Charles Woodson can feel it. The Green Bay Packers veteran cornerback and punt returner believes he's on the verge of breaking one for a touchdown, and there were signs of the possibility during the Packers' 31-14 victory over Arizona Sunday, when Woodson had 12- and 19-yard take-backs and fill-in Shaun Bodiford had a 16-yarder. "It's close, man. It's coming," said Woodson, who is averaging 9.3 yards per return and had a 28-yarder in the season opener against Chicago but hadn't had one longer than 12 yards since. "Every game, it seems like I'm just one guy away. But I think it's coming. Guys are beginning to see what I can do just a little bit. If guys stay on blocks, it's going to happen. I'm going to break one pretty soon."

Health watch
While Woodson, defensive tackle Corey Williams (right knee), wide receiver Donald Driver (right ankle) and safety Nick Collins (cramps) were able to return following injuries, McCarthy was worried about fullback Brandon Miree (left elbow), tight end David Martin (jaw) and halfback Vernand Morency (lower back). None of those three returned following injury, although Martin and Miree said they were OK in interviews after the game. Morency, who rushed for a NFL career-high 101 yards, was still getting treatment and did not appear in the locker room. McCarthy called his injury "a concern." Martin had X-rays done on his jaw after being injured on the Packers' final kickoff, but he was talking normally after the game. Miree hyperextended his elbow but said it was "doing better every minute."

No go
Rookie wide receiver Greg Jennings went through an extensive pregame workout around 9:30 a.m. but was inactive because of the sprained right ankle he suffered last week at Miami. Ruvell Martin started in place of Jennings, who caught 20 passes for 364 yards in the first five games and was on pace for a 1,000-yard season - a rarity for a rookie. McCarthy implied Jennings should be able to play next week at Buffalo. "I felt bad for Greg because he really pushed it. He just wasn't 100 percent and, frankly, I wasn't comfortable putting him out there because I don't know enough about him as a young player," McCarthy said. "But he was close."

Foolish fake
Kicker Dave Rayner took responsibility for a botched field-goal attempt on the Packers' first offensive series. Faced with a fourth-and-1 from the Cardinals' 24, Rayner went into his kicking motion, not realizing the coaches called for a fake. "That was my fault. I didn't actually know we were running the fake or that it was on. Coach said when we left the huddle, 'keep it' and I thought he said 'kick it.' So I was fully ready to kick that field goal. "They were in a field-goal safe defense so I should have called the kick off but I didn't even think about it." As a result, holder Jon Ryan was left scrambling with no one to throw to before being thrown for an 11-yard loss. Though Arizona did not convert the turnover on downs, it was a decision McCarthy would like to have back. "I should have went with my first (thought). My first reaction was to run it there because we obviously came right out of the gate running the ball very well," McCarthy said. "In hindsight, I wish I would have ran the ball there."

Home cookin'
The win was the Packers' first at Lambeau Field this season after an 0-3 home start, and the crowd of 70,809 - the second-largest in stadium history - seemed to thoroughly enjoy waving promotional white towels and celebrating only the team's fourth victory in its past 14 home games. "You have to win at home. We have a great home-field advantage. We talked about it again as a team (Saturday) night in our final meeting," McCarthy said. "To see the white towels flying up there today, everybody having a great time (was great). I'm sure everybody will have a great time tonight in the city. "It's important for our players to enjoy it. We have a midnight rule, so we'll enjoy being 3-4 until midnight and then we'll get going on Buffalo."

Sack master
Aaron Kampman's two sacks on Sunday give him 81/2 for the season, a new career high with nine games left to improve on that number. Kampman's previous career high was 61/2, set last year. Sunday also marked his third career game with at least two sacks and second this season.

Bodiford fills in
Receiver Shaun Bodiford, picked up this week off waivers from Detroit, came in unexpectedly to return a punt for Charles Woodson late in the first quarter. Woodson limped off with a knee injury on Arizona's third-down incomplete pass, forcing Bodiford to take his place as the punt returner. Bodiford nearly broke free on the runback, slipping through the first wave of tacklers and getting a seam to his left. But he saw the opening a split-second too late and was brought down after a 16-yard return. Woodson returned to the game on the Packers' next defensive series and resumed his role as punt returner as well.

Catching a break
The Packers caught a break on a deep throw by Matt Leinart to the end zone in the second quarter. Receiver Bryant Johnson appeared to be interfered with by Marquand Manuel as he tried to haul in what almost was a 55-yard touchdown pass. But Johnson was penalized for illegal touching because he had gone out of bounds near the line of scrimmage on a strong jam by Woodson and was the first player to touch the pass upon coming back in bounds. As a result, there was no flag on Manuel and the Cardinals had to punt.











Breakdown of Game Stats -- Link






Packers run all over Cardinals
Associated Press
Ahman Green is back making big plays for the Packers. His performance against the Cardinals could ultimately help send Dennis Green packing. The veteran running back, who struggled early this season after returning from a torn right quadriceps, scored two first-half touchdowns as Green Bay beat Arizona 31-14 at Lambeau Field on Sunday. Green and backup running back Vernand Morency both surpassed the 100-yard rushing mark on Sunday, and Brett Favre added a rare rushing touchdown of his own as the Packers (3-4) won their first home game under first-year coach Mike McCarthy. The Packers have won two straight after losing four of their first five, including three at Lambeau. -- More



Packers ground Cardinals, 31-14
By Todd Korth / PackerReport.com
Green Bay picked up where it left off in Miami and got Mike McCarthy his first victory as head coach of the Packers in Lambeau Field by whipping the hapless Arizona Cardinals 31-14 Sunday afternoon. The Packers (3-4) won their second straight game by dominating the Cardinals from start to finish, sending reeling Arizona (1-7) to its seventh straight loss before 70,809 fans, the second largest ever at Lambeau Field. "I think we have some momentum starting," said McCarthy. "Two in a row where we played well for two weeks. I thought we played a whole football game, the way we played in all three phases." Green Bay played turnover-free football and was solid in all three areas – offense, defense and special teams. The Packers had a season-high 203 yards rushing and 383 total yards overall as the offense continues to catch on to McCarthy’s offensive scheme. Brett Favre passed for one touchdown and also rushed for a touchdown for the first time in nearly five years. -- More



Things looking up after latest win
By Jason Wilde / madison.com
The Arizona Cardinals are bad. The Miami Dolphins are bad. The Detroit Lions are bad. The Green Bay Packers? Well, we're not quite sure just how good - or bad - they are at this point, even after Sunday afternoon's 31-14 domination of the Cardinals at Lambeau Field. We know the Packers are 3-4 after starting 0-3. We know their zone-blocking running game is coming around, their quarterback is playing error-free football and their incendiary defense isn't combusting as much as it was. But what to make of their three wins coming at the expense of three teams with one win each - Arizona (1-7), Miami (1-6) and Detroit (1-6)? How much stock to put into the fact that, with Oakland's victory over Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh on Sunday, Green Bay's three wins are officially over the three worst teams in the NFL? Apparently, that's for the rest of us to decide. Because the Packers, well, they don't particularly care. "Winning in the NFL is winning. I will never apologize for a victory over any of our opponents," coach Mike McCarthy said after his team stormed out to a 21-0 lead, piled up a season-high 203 yards rushing and didn't commit a turnover for the first time this season. "We've won three football games and we're a team that's improving every week, we're a team that's getting better, we're a team that's starting to play with some momentum. And that's how you win in this league. We feel very good about the direction we're going in as a team." -- More



Packers Keep Ball Rolling
With Win Over Cardinals
By Mike Spofford / Packers.com
Posted 10/29/2006
The Green Bay Packers have some legitimate momentum. With their 31-14 victory Sunday over the Arizona Cardinals, the Packers took another major step in their recovery from a 1-4 start and in the growth of the 2006 edition of the Green and Gold. The Packers not only got their first home victory of the season in front of 70,809 fans at Lambeau Field, but they also notched back-to-back wins for the first time since 2004 and, at 3-4, have put themselves in position to get back to .500 at the midway point of the season if they can win at Buffalo next week. "I think last week we started the ball rolling, and we're continuing to keep the ball going downhill now," defensive end Aaron Kampman said. "Now we go over to New York and face a Buffalo team coming off a bye, so we'll have our work cut out for us there. But hopefully we can keep that going. "A lot of people out there had us written off. 'They're this, they're young, they're the youngest team ...' We've seen what's going on here, and we know what we can do. I think we've just touched the tip of the iceberg and hopefully we can continue to build off it." -- More



Packers Reward Fans With First Home Win
By Nathan Hager / Packers.com
Posted 10/29/2006
It's no secret that Green Bay has one of the best -- if not the best -- fan base in the NFL. And on Sunday, the Packers took advantage of it the way Head Coach Mike McCarthy wants them to on a consistent basis. Winning for the first time at Lambeau Field since last season's Jan. 1 contest against the Seattle Seahawks, the Packers certainly did not disappoint the majority of the 70,809 fans in attendance for the 31-14 victory over the Arizona Cardinals. According to McCarthy, the win is something that all people affiliated with the Packers should enjoy on a normal basis at Lambeau Field. "It was very rewarding," McCarthy said. "It says a lot for everybody involved, especially the fans. Just to see the white towels flying up there today and everybody having a great time...It's great for our players to enjoy it. "You have to win at home. We have a great home-field advantage. We talked about it again as a team last night in our final meeting and it has to be a constant going forward."
-- More



The Card shark
McCarthy plays his hand well
By BOB McGINN / journalsentinel.com
Posted: Oct. 29, 2006
Arizona's Clancy Pendergast might have established himself as one of the cleverest defensive coordinators in the National Football League but he was no match Sunday for the brain power arrayed against him. Using limited weapons to optimum advantage, coach Mike McCarthy countered Pendergast's every move as the Green Bay Packers rolled over the Cardinals, 31-14, before 70,809 at Lambeau Field. "I think they had an excellent game plan against us," said Rod Graves, the Cardinals' vice president of football operations. "They really did a fine job of going away from our strengths. In some aspects, they took it right to us and we didn't have an answer." After an opening scoring threat was botched on a fake field-goal attempt, the Packers did everything that teams of their caliber must do in order to win handily against any opponent. That is, they didn't commit a turnover, they ran the ball for 203 yards and a 5.2-yard average and their defense harassed rookie quarterback Matt Leinart into 40% passing and the Cardinals to merely 218 total yards. -- More







Big day for running game
By Jason Wilde / madison.com
Jeff Jagodzinski leaned against the wall outside the Green Bay Packers' locker room, a smile stretching wide across his face and the barley and hops in his 32-ounce cup - "Coke," the Packers offensive coordinator lied, still smiling - tasting great. When new coach Mike McCarthy brought Jagodzinski back to Green Bay after a two-year exile following his firing as tight ends coach, he did so because Jagodzinski had learned in Atlanta the famed zone-blocking run scheme that had started in Denver. But while Jagodzinski believed it would work here, too, he only saw glimpses of potential during the Packers' 1-4 start. But after a breakthrough last week at Miami, what Jagodzinski saw in Sunday's 31-14 victory over the Arizona Cardinals at Lambeau Field - a season-high 203 yards rushing as a team, and a pair of 100-yard individual rushers in Ahman Green (106 on 21 carries) and Vernand Morency (101 on 11 carries) - was exactly what he predicted. "I'm pleased that it is working and it's helping the Packers win. That's why I was brought in here," Jagodzinski said. "I knew. I knew what it was supposed to look like because I've seen it before. And I was really discouraged. Well, I shouldn't say discouraged. I was impatient." -- More



Sunday's Rushing Attack One To Remember
By Nathan Hager / Packers.com
Posted 10/29/2006
Jeff Jagodzinski doesn't remember the "Snow Bowl" game the Packers played on Dec. 1, 1985 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, which before Sunday was the last time Green Bay had two running backs go over the 100-yard mark. But you can be certain that the Packers offensive coordinator won't forget Sunday's rushing effort anytime soon. Considering the fact that Ahman Green had 21 carries for 106 yards and Vernand Morency finished with 101 yards on just 11 attempts, it would also be surprising if anyone on the team didn't keep Sunday's 31-14 win over the Cardinals in the memory banks for quite some time. Jagodzinski, the Packers offensive coordinator, was in his first season of coaching football as a running backs coach at UW-Whitewater while Green was 8 years old and Morency was only 5 when Gerry Ellis (101) and Eddie Lee Ivery (109) accomplished the feat 21 years ago. According to Jagodzinski, Sunday's performance was one both the coaching staff and players have been focusing on since the mini-camps in May. He knew it was just a matter of time before the zone-blocking scheme would yield the results they were looking for. "The guys executed and they did what they were coached to do," Jagodzinski said. "It's all about execution. And we practiced the five-man line all week. We knew when they were coming in. We told them to make sure they're paying attention because it may be checked (at the line)." -- More



Dynamic duo turn on the power
Green, Morency provide decisive 1-2 punch
By Tom Silverstein / journalsentinel.com
Posted: Oct. 29, 2006
Throughout his string of five consecutive 1,000-yard seasons, Green Bay Packers running back Ahman Green never really had someone who could complement him the way Vernand Morency seems capable of doing. The list of Green's backups consists of Najeh Davenport (2003-'04), Tony Fisher (2002) and Dorsey Levens (2000-'01), and of that group the most yards any of them had in a season was 420, the total Davenport gained in the Packers' record-setting 2003 season. After Green rushed for 106 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries and Morency rushed for 101 yards on 11 carries in the Packers' 31-14 victory over the Arizona Cardinals at Lambeau Field Sunday, the Packers officially have a complement to Green. The dueling 100-yard days marked the first time since Dec. 1, 1985, the date of the famed "Snow Bowl" at Lambeau Field, that two Packers backs reached the milestone in the same game. In just six games as a Packer, Morency has 243 yards rushing and might well be on the way to being the highest-gaining backup to Green since he arrived in 2000. If he can produce like this, he might wind up as being the best complement Green has had here. -- More



Foursome opportunistic on offense
By Jason Wilde / madison.com
The jerseys of David Martin (87), Ruvell Martin (82), Chris Francies (83) and Brandon Miree (40) probably aren't flying off the shelves of the Green Bay Packers' Pro Shop just yet, but they are all doing their parts. They may not be making those eye-popping plays, those da-da-dum, da-da-dum SportsCenter highlights, but they're doing enough. With the wide receiving corps thinned by suspension and injury, the Packers needed playmaking help from elsewhere. And they got it from that foursome in Sunday's 31-14 victory over the Arizona Cardinals at Lambeau Field. David Martin did the most, lining up at tight end, fullback and wide receiver and catching four passes for 48 yards, including his second touchdown pass in as many weeks, a 1-yarder from Brett Favre to give the Packers a 7-0 lead. But Ruvell Martin, who started at wide receiver in place of injured Greg Jennings (ankle), caught two passes for 26 yards; Francies, who was called up from the practice squad last week, drew back-to-back pass-interference penalties to set up David Martin's TD catch; and Miree, promoted from practice squad to starter over veteran William Henderson a month ago, caught four passes for 31 yards, including a 20-yarder off a Favre improv routine. "They had to step up," offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski said. "All you can ask for is an opportunity and what you do with it (is up to you). And they're doing the most with their opportunity." -- More



Defense defuses Cardinals
By Nick Zizzo / madison.com
A Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback who won two national championships. A four-time Pro Bowl running back with nearly 10,000 rushing yards. A wide receiver who is the fastest to 300 career receptions in NFL history. The resumes didn't matter to middle linebacker Nick Barnett and the rest of the Green Bay Packers' defensive unit. "We just continue to focus. We ain't scared of nobody, we just play football," Barnett said. "We don't care what the names are." The names of Matt Leinart, Edgerrin James and Anquan Boldin were nearly reduced to the Three Stooges after the Packers allowed a season-low 218 yards to win their second straight game, 31-14 over the Arizona Cardinals Sunday at Lambeau Field. Green Bay entered the game ranked last in the 32-team NFL in total defense (389.7 yards per game) and passing yards allowed (293.3). But the unit threw blitzes at Leinart and his revamped offensive line, and limited James to 84 yards on 24 carries. Leinart, winless in his first four career starts, finished 14-for-35 for 157 yards with one touchdown and one interception. -- More







Not all is well with Harris
Veteran unhappy about his contract
By BOB McGINN / journalsentinel.com
Posted: Oct. 29, 2006
Cornerback Al Harris had just kept Anquan Boldin in check for the better part of 60 minutes Sunday but his post-game comments were tinged more with melancholy than joy. "I know my days are numbered here," Harris said as he packed gear into his bag before leaving for the night. "I think this is my free-agent season." Harris, who has been quiet since summer about his unhappiness over a contract that doesn't expire until after the 2009 season, was asked if he was playing for his future. "Little of both," he replied after the 31-14 victory over the Arizona Cardinals. "I'm playing to help the team win but. . . ."

Harris knows that his financial window will close long before the six-year, $18.635 million deal that he signed in September 2004 expires. Earlier in the year, Harris and his agent reportedly asked the Packers for two roster bonuses worth a combined $5 million and some Pro Bowl incentives, but they didn't get very far. The Packers have $7.52 million of space beneath the salary cap and are looking to extend the contract of one or more deserving veteran players before the end of the year. It remains to be seen if they'll give more money to a cornerback that will be 32 in December. -- More



Better all the time
Martin's potential finally being realized
By Lori Nickel / journalsentinel.com
Posted: Oct. 29, 2006
A shoulder injury and a viral infection his rookie year. A concussion in 2002. A knee injury that ended his season in 2004. Another concussion and a groin injury last year. Tight end David Martin may have had 62 games of experience heading into this season, but injuries seemed to dog his career and douse his potential. He was usually regarded as Bubba Franks' backup who got hurt at the most inopportune times. But Martin's damaged-goods label was never subscribed to by Green Bay offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski, who has known Martin since he was in the 10th grade. Martin always had a believer in Jagodzinski no matter where the two were in their careers. With the pair being reunited this season in Green Bay, it seems Martin's potential is finally being realized, with the prodding by Jagodzinski and the need by the Packers with so many injuries at wide receiver. With 15 catches for 135 yards this season, Martin is actually ahead of Franks in both categories. Martin also has two touchdowns, including his grab of a 1-yard rocket from Brett Favre in the first quarter in the Packers' 31-14 victory against Arizona Sunday. -- More






Meet Daphnie
Cincinnati Bengals Cheerleader

HOMETOWN: Akron, OH

BIRTHDAY: June 21

CAREER INFO: Account Executive

EDUCATION INFO: Cum Laude graduate of Cumberland College in Williamsburg, KY

YEARS AS A BEN-GAL: 7

MOST MEMORABLE BENGALS GAME: 2005 Colts at Bengals when Chad Johnson included me in his touchdown celebration and proposed to me! I had never met Chad Johnson until that game ... what an impressive introduction. (By the way, I did say “yes” for the fun of it.)

MOST MEMORABLE BEN-GAL MOMENT: All the publicity that came with the proposal. I was interviewed on Local 12, Channel 19, WLW, WEBN, and appeared on ESPN2 Cold Pizza.

FAVORITE BENGALS PLAYER: Chad Johnson

FAVORITE THING TO DO IN CINCINNATI: Ride in a Monaco Orange 1969 Corvette

FAVORITE SPORT TO PARTICIPATE IN: Dancing (That's a Sport??)

INTERESTS/ HOBBIES: I love to read Harry Potter books and 18th century romance novels, pilates, I'm involved in several charities, and my new passion: cooking.

FAVORITE MOVIE: Walk the Line

PETS: None

FAVORITE VACATION SPOT/ GETAWAY: Anywhere that’s on a beach

WHAT DO YOU DO IN YOUR SPARE TIME TO RELAX? To finally watch the TV shows I DVRed. I also like to watch the food network and learn a new recipe to cook.

PERSON I WOULD MOST LIKE TO MEET AND WHY: Rachel Ray or Paula Dean – I would love to have personal cooking lessons from both of them.