The Packer Pundit

Packers Sign Bigby, Make Three Other Moves
The Green Bay Packers Wednesday signed safety Atari Bigby from their practice squad and placed both wide receiver Shaun Bodiford and tight end Tory Humphrey on injured reserve. Executive Vice President, General Manager and Director of Football Operations Ted Thompson made the announcement. In addition Wednesday, the team signed tackle Orrin Thompson to take Bigby's place on the practice squad. The team's active roster temporarily will list 52 players.

Bigby, a 5-foot-11, 211-pound safety out of Central Florida, is a first-year player who made his NFL debut for the Packers on Christmas Day last year vs. Chicago. He helped the Amsterdam Admirals to a berth in World Bowl XIV this past spring, starting all 10 regular-season games and recording 61 tackles (43 solo) with one interception and four passes defensed. Re-signed by the Packers in September, he spent the first 10 weeks of 2006 on the Green Bay practice squad. Thompson, a 6-foot-6, 322-pound tackle out of Duke, had spent most of his career on the practice squad of the Miami Dolphins, who allocated him to NFL Europe this past spring. Originally signed by Miami as a non-drafted free agent in 2005, he'll wear No. 69 for the Packers. Bodiford (leg) and Humphrey (hamstring) each sustained injuries Sunday at Minnesota.




Waiting game for Tauscher
Team doesn't know extent of injury
By TOM SILVERSTEIN / journalsentinel.com
Posted: Nov. 16, 2006
The Green Bay Packers could be without right tackle Mark Tauscher at least two weeks and possibly more, depending on how his injured groin responds to treatment. Coach Mike McCarthy said the medical staff would know more about Tauscher's injury in 10 to 14 days, at which time it can measure the progress he has made. If he's not getting progressively better then he could be on the sideline for quite a while. The good news, as far as Tauscher is concerned, is that on Wednesday his groin felt significantly better than it did Tuesday, less than 48 hours after injuring himself in the Minnesota game and just 24 hours after going through his first treatment session. "Yesterday wasn't great," Tauscher said Wednesday. "Today is really good. We're getting the swelling out. I felt a lot better. I feel like there's a chance I could play this weekend." That possibility doesn't exist as far as McCarthy is concerned. He listed Tauscher as "out" on the Packers' injury report. There is always the possibility he could be upgraded at the end of the week, but that appears to be a long shot.The Packers intend to start rookie Tony Moll at right tackle Sunday against New England and Tauscher intends to be back well before anyone else thinks. But nothing definitive will be known for at least a few days. "I don't think we have a gauge on things as far as the (exact) injury," Tauscher said. "We have to get the doctors to agree. There's different things in play. I'd like to be back sooner than later." Tauscher didn't dispute McCarthy's statement that it might be two weeks before anyone knows what the timetable on his return is. The more progress he makes early on the better his chances of it not being a long-term issue. -- Story






.500 In Team's Sights Again
The goal for the Green Bay Packers this week is to accomplish something they've failed to do three times already this season. Get to .500. At 4-5, the Packers are looking to even their record on Sunday against the New England Patriots at Lambeau Field. No easy task to be sure, but Head Coach Mike McCarthy noted Wednesday how important the 10th game of this season is. "Everybody wants to talk about playoffs - I want to talk about getting to 5-5," McCarthy said. "If you get to 5-5, then you can start thinking about the next one, and the one after that. It's very important for our football team to get to 5-5." The Packers have been unable to get back to the .500 mark since losing their season opener. They lost at home in Week 2 to New Orleans to fall to 0-2. They were 1-2 heading into Week 4 but lost at Philadelphia. Then they were 3-4 but lost at Buffalo two weeks ago. This will be their first opportunity since the New Orleans game to get back to .500 at home, and McCarthy is hoping the home crowd and atmosphere will provide an edge, especially against a New England team that, despite three home losses in Foxborough, Mass., is unbeaten on the road this season.

All-Rookie Team
SI.com's Peter King has selected four Packers to his mid-season "All-Rookie Team", the most from any one squad. Left guard Daryn Colledge, receiver Greg Jennings, linebacker A.J. Hawk, and punter Jon Ryan all made King's list, which included 29 players total. This week's opponent, the Patriots, had three selections - right tackle Ryan O'Callaghan, kicker Stephen Gostkowski and kick returner Laurence Maroney. The Saints, Bears and Texans also had three selections each. From the Texans, former University of Wisconsin tight end Owen Daniels made the list.

Team record
Donald Driver's 82-yard touchdown reception last Sunday at Minnesota was his third career TD pass of 80 or more yards. According to Elias Sports Bureau, that ties a Packers record with three other players - Billy Howton (two in 1952, one '53), Max McGee (1954, '58, '59) and Carroll Dale (1966, '67, '70). Driver's other 80-yard-plus TD passes came in 2002, an 85-yarder at Chicago on Oct. 7 and an 84-yarder at Minnesota on Nov. 17.

Statistical change on sacks, punt
After a weekly film review at the league office, Elias Sports Bureau has changed the credit on two of the Packers' four sacks and one punt against Minnesota last Sunday. The sack in the final minute of the second quarter, originally credited to Cullen Jenkins, is now a shared sack between Jenkins and Aaron Kampman. Also, the third-quarter sack credited to A.J. Hawk is now a shared sack between Hawk and Jenkins. The change for Kampman now gives him 10 sacks this season, making him the eighth player in team history to reach double figures in one season. It also gives Kampman at least a share of a sack in six consecutive games, one shy of the team's longest streak of seven, set by Tony Bennett from Oct. 25 to Dec. 6, 1992. In addition, the film review changed Jon Ryan's 66-yard punt on the first play of the fourth quarter to a 57-yard punt, lowering his average for the game from 51.3 yards to 50.0.

Comings, goings
Halfback Vernand Morency (lower back) and fullback Brandon Miree (hyperextended left elbow), both of whom have missed the last two games, practiced Wednesday and were listed as questionable for Sunday. "Morency, he's further ahead than Miree," McCarthy said. "They both practiced, but Mo is further ahead." With Bodiford on IR and Will Blackmon (ribs) listed as questionable, McCarthy said Morency likely would join Noah Herron on kickoff returns if Morency is healthy enough to dress.

Favre probable
One of the 16 names on the injury report was quarterback Brett Favre, listed as probable with an ankle injury. Favre has been bothered in recent years by a sore left ankle that can be traced back to when he first injured it in a 1995 game at the Metrodome. He wasn't exactly clear when asked if this was the same problem flaring up. "Both (ankles) actually bother me now," said Favre, who'll make his 251st straight start including playoffs. "The one that hurts, I probably have tried to put a little more weight on the other one, and now it bothers me. But it's evened out now. So they both hurt, and I just kind of wobble around and make do."

Vinny and the Pats
The Patriots signed 43-year- old Vinny Testaverde on Tuesday, and Belichick told Wisconsin reporters during a conference call that Testaverde gives his team "a little insurance." The Patriots only had Brady and backup Matt Cassel on the 53-man roster before adding Testaverde. "He's still in great shape," Brady said. "I hope I look like that when I'm 43. I'll probably be in a wheelchair." Asked why he's back playing, Testaverde said, " I have no idea. I was playing some good golf. I guess (I'm here) because golf season is over and nothing else is going on in my life."






Packers in playoff hunt, McCarthy says
By Dylan B. Tomlinson
Gannett Wisconsin Newpapers
It's been only nine games. The Green Bay Packers aren't even at .500. But that hasn't stopped the playoff talk from starting. Asked Monday if the Packers had a legitimate chance to make the playoffs, coach Mike McCarthy didn't hesitate. "Absolutely," McCarthy said. "There's so many factors that go into the course of a football season, and if you're able to stay the course and stay true to who you are, and have a good plan and execute the plan. So, yes, I think we have an excellent chance." It would be easy to dismiss McCarthy's comments as that of an overly optimistic coach, but as amazing as it may seem, the Packers are part of the playoff conversation. With each win, the playoff talk is going to get louder and louder. "We'll have to get back to 5-5 and we'll be right in the middle of it," McCarthy said. There are two reasons to be optimistic about the Packers' playoff chances. The first is the team is playing well, winning three of four since its bye after an abysmal start. The second is the state of the NFC. The division-leading Chicago Bears (8-1), New York Giants (6-3), New Orleans Saints (6-3) and Seattle Seahawks (6-3) are off to fine starts, but if the season ended today, both wild-card spots would go to teams with 5-4 records. The Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles and Carolina Panthers are 5-4, and the Packers, Minnesota Vikings, St. Louis Rams and San Francisco 49ers are a game back at 4-5. If the Packers are going to have a realistic chance at the postseason, they will probably have to finish no worse than 9-7, which means they'll have to go 5-2 over the rest of the season. The Rams and Vikings were able to sneak into the playoffs at 8-8 after the 2004 season, but a .500 record usually isn't good enough. -- More



Defense not half bad against Vikings
Packers tough after break
By RICK BRAUN / Packer Plus writer
Posted: Nov. 15, 2006
As a unit, the Green Bay Packers' defense clearly was a failure in the first five weeks of the season. Whether it was giving up the big play or failing to produce game-changing plays such as turnovers, the Packers were not getting a lift out of their defenders. Of late, though, the defense has shown a penchant for both stopping the opposition and making the big play - whether it's a drive-stuffing sack or a key turnover - and because of that the Packers have won three of their last four games and have gotten right back into a muddied NFC playoff picture. There's hardly a better example than the Packers' 23-17 victory over the Minnesota Vikings Sunday at the always-hostile Metrodome. Although the Packers allowed three first-half plays of at least 35 yards, leading to two touchdowns, the defense recorded a pair of turnovers leading to 10 points and allowed just a late field goal in the second half on the way to the victory. -- More






Favre vs. Brady: A clash of quarterbacks
By Pete Dougherty
greenbaypressgazette.com
This game isn't all about Brett Favre vs. Tom Brady. But a lot of it is. The Green Bay Packers and New England Patriots rely on their quarterbacks, both future Pro Football Hall of Famers, to carry a heavy load for their teams. Favre, the three-time NFL most valuable player, can't carry the Packers at 37 like in his prime, but he remains one of their primary playmakers. On Sunday, he will be asked to carefully manage the offense against one of the NFL's premier teams and most unpredictable defenses. Brady, who at 29 might be the best player in football, is asked to carry the Patriots offensively, especially with the team's quality at receiver diminished. Though he does it in a different way than Favre did in his prime, Brady is the biggest reason New England has won three Super Bowl titles in the last five years. "I think it is (especially interesting) because of the leadership each provides," former Packers quarterback and coach Bart Starr said in a telephone interview Wednesday. "I'm not looking at it from that (Favre vs. Brady) perspective. I'm looking at it as the Packers vs. the Patriots, and interested obviously when those guys are at the helm and in charge of the pass or whatever the leadership at the time calls for." -- More






Favre Enjoying Successes, Large And Small
By Mike Spofford / Packers.com
Posted 11/15/2006

"I'm not a big statistics guy, but I know this: If I'm dumping a pass off to Donald and he's taking it 80 yards for a touchdown, or I don't turn the ball over, we have a pretty good chance of winning. So every time I'm involved in a play that's positive, it's exciting, because I know that it's going to either lead to us winning or give us a shot." -- Brett Favre

Brett Favre is acutely aware that if he plays well, the Packers have a good chance to win. If he doesn't, they don't. To some extent, that's life in the NFL for any quarterback. The position is simply too important to make it easy to overcome poor performances under center. But Favre realizes that pressure is more heavily applied to him this year than perhaps any other year in his career, as he leads an offense that has started either three or four rookies in every game. What that pressure has done is make gameday more stressful and tension-filled for the 16-year veteran quarterback, which in turn seems to make him all the more excited when things go well, as shown in his jubilant touchdown celebrations. Donald Driver's 82-yard catch-and-run for a touchdown last week in the 23-17 victory at Minnesota was the play of the game and could take on even greater significance depending on how the rest of the season plays out. Favre celebrated by running all the way down the field and throwing Driver over his shoulder in a fireman's carry, much like he did when Driver made a spectacular diving catch between two defenders for a critical touchdown at Miami. He also did his first-ever Lambeau Leap when he rushed for a touchdown against Arizona. It's certainly fun to watch Favre having fun, but it's also not hard to understand the release of emotions when something goes well because so much is riding on his performance. -- More



Favre having fun
By Jason Wilde / madison.com

"I think this team has already proven what we're capable of doing. You know, 4-5 is a far cry from where we were in the late-90s, but there's some competitive guys in this room and I think that the sky's the limit. So that does make it easier to think about coming back and the positives (of) that." -- Brett Favre

Maybe you remember Mike Holmgren's shoulder ride off the field, confetti fluttering down upon him. Or Reggie White's victory lap, surrounded by photographers and TV crews and holding the Lombardi Trophy aloft. Or perhaps it was Desmond Howard's robot dance moves at the goal line on his kickoff return that stuck in your mind. But for most, the indelible image of the Green Bay Packers' Super Bowl XXXI victory over the New England Patriots 10 years ago is of quarterback Brett Favre's joyous - and helmetless - full-speed sprint down the field following his 54- yard touchdown pass to Andre Rison in the first quarter. While Favre isn't having quite as much fun as he did back then - when he was younger, and the Packers were the best team in the league, not 4-5 and scratching to get to .500 - it's obvious from his on- field antics (post-touchdown shoulder rides for Donald Driver) and from his play (just two interceptions in the past five games) he has been enjoying himself lately. And although Favre wasn't about to commit to playing next year with seven games left to play this year, including Sunday's game against the Patriots at Lambeau Field, he did admit Wednesday the fun he's having is making him think about his future a bit differently. -- More



A look of satisfaction
Favre enters duel with Brady pleased with his play so far
By TOM SILVERSTEIN / journalsentinel.com
Posted: Nov. 16, 2006
Brett Favre wasn't carrying receiver Donald Driver around on his shoulders during practice Wednesday. In fact, the Green Bay Packers quarterback wasn't doing all that much at all because of a sore right ankle, which he said became aggravated while overcompensating for his chronically sore left ankle. Held out of team drills that required him to move a lot, Favre got a chance to reflect on his season so far. Let's see, four victories, five losses and a lot of time spent leading players who grew up with posters of him on their walls. So far, it has not been as bad as he thought it would be when he was contemplating retirement last spring. "It's been fun dealing with the young guys and seeing how the guys work," Favre said. "And I know one thing: After nine games, we have not quit one time. Guys have competed to the end. And that has been a lot of fun. I'd much rather win every game but I'd like to go down swinging, and I think our guys have done that." The 37-year-old quarterback was reluctant to make much of his recent on-field outbursts other than to say he's released the burden of carrying the team's fortunes on his shoulders. Under first-year coach Mike McCarthy, Favre has been asked to do only what most quarterbacks are asked: manage the game, avoid turnovers and make a big play when it's needed. -- More



Joy to their world
Wells says birth of his daughter is truly a blessing
By ROB REISCHEL / Special to Packer Plus
Posted: Nov. 15, 2006
The Wells household is joyful, cheery and at times, a chaotic place to be these days. Scott, a center for the Green Bay Packers, and his wife Julie celebrated their 5-year wedding anniversary in 2006. They met during their junior year in high school at Brentwood Academy in Tennessee, and as Scott jokes, "We haven't even broke up once." Their oldest son, Jackson Wayne, is one of the most rambunctious, energetic and enjoyable three-year olds you'll ever find. And on Oct. 23, at 5:43 a.m., the Wells' welcomed Lola Faith - their latest bundle of joy - into the world. Mix in a couple of boxers - six-year old Dixie and 1-year old Tuff - and the Wells home isn't where you'd go looking for peace and quiet. "It's a circus," Scott said. "But in a good way. We're all really happy." Few deserve happiness more. Because less than 12 months ago, the Wells family underwent one of the more painful tragedies a couple can endure when Julie gave birth to stillborn twin boys. -- More






It's hard to criticize these moves now
By Chris Havel
The Green Bay Packers' every move is open to criticism, second-guessing and debate. It goes with the territory. It is what media and fans do. It is fun. Occasionally, it is instructive to step back, consider past decisions and re-evaluate the merits — good or bad — of those moves. Here are five of the Packers' most widely criticized decisions:

--Aaron Kampman signed a four-year, $21 million contract extension the day before the start of free agency. The move brought critics out in full force. They felt Ted Thompson, the Packers' general manager, overpaid for mediocrity. Think again. Kampman has exceeded everyone's expectations, save his own. If he had signed with Minnesota in free agency, I suspect there is a likelihood the Vikings defeat the Packers on Sunday. Minnesota's defense played the run superbly, but without a top-flight defensive end to pressure Brett Favre, the Packers' offense stole the show. Meantime, Kampman anchored a defensive line that pressured Brad Johnson, played the run and snuffed eight of the Vikings' final nine drives.

--When the Packers made little effort to re-sign kicker Ryan Longwell, fans — and yours truly — felt they were being penny wise and dollar foolish. A strong kicker can win multiple games in the parity-laden NFL. Enter Dave Rayner. The Packers' scouts found him, and the coaches gave him a quick vote of confidence by releasing Billy Cundiff. Rayner responded like a pro. He has a stronger leg on kickoffs than Longwell, and he has been above average on field goals. He hasn't won a game in the clutch, but does anyone doubt he couldn't?

--Thompson's decision to allow starting guards Mike Wahle and Marco Rivera to sign elsewhere in free agency drew heated criticism. Signing Matt O'Dwyer and Adrian Klemm fueled the fire. Today, the Packers' zone-blocking scheme is making strides, and rookie guards Daryn Colledge and Jason Spitz are improving with every snap. Thompson's decision to free up salary-cap space, and to draft the guards of the future, is difficult to argue with. They are young, and can grow together in the new scheme and provide the future foundation.

--When Ahman Green sustained a potentially career-ending injury, many thought the Packers were foolish to re-sign him. Sure, the incentive-laden contract offered protection, but did anyone think Green could complete the comeback? Apparently, Thompson and coach Mike McCarthy felt he could.

--Many fans wanted Nick Barnett moved to outside linebacker and Brady Poppinga benched after two weeks, because he was a liability in pass coverage. Today, Barnett is playing his best football, and Poppinga continues to improve in coverage and excel against the run while playing a key part in the blitz package. Add rookie A.J. Hawk, whom many felt wasn't worthy of the fifth overall pick (including yours truly), and the Packers have an exceptional trio of linebackers.

It is perfectly acceptable to second-guess the Packers' moves, and it is true they make their share of mistakes. But it is only fair to acknowledge the good moves, too. -- Story

Meet Raquel
San Francisco 49ers Cheerleader

Zodiac Sign: Scorpio

Current Occupation: Financial Advisor

Long term career goal: Physical therapist or actress

Person with the most influence on your life: My parents

Hobbies: Yoga, bowling and shopping

Favorite Food: Chinese Food

Favorite Movie: The Notebook

Favorite Charity: American Cancer Society

Dance performance experience: 7 years of salsa, ballet, jazz and hip hop

Years on the Gold Rush: 3

Best word that describes you: Spontaneous

What most people don’t know about you: I love alternative rock music

Advice to aspiring cheerleaders: Never give up

Something I’ve always wanted to learn: How to speak French and German

Hidden Talent: I played the trumpet

Best thing about being a Gold Rush member: Cheering for the best team in the NFL