The Packer Pundit

Packers Sign T/G Walter;
Blackmon To I.R.
The Green Bay Packers Saturday signed tackle/guard Tyson Walter and placed cornerback Will Blackmon on injured reserve. Ted Thompson, Executive Vice President, General Manager and Director of Football Operations, announced the transactions. Walter, a 6-foot-4, 300-pound lineman out of Ohio State, entered the NFL as a sixth-round draft choice (179th overall) of the Dallas Cowboys in 2002. In three seasons with the Cowboys (2002-04), he saw action in 40 games with nine starts, eight of those coming during his rookie campaign. Waived by Dallas at the start of the 2005 season, Walter was out of football until he signed with the Houston Texans on Nov. 18 of that year, but did not see any game action for the Texans. He subsequently signed with the Washington Redskins as an unrestricted free agent on March 24, 2006. Walter played in two games for Washington this season and was inactive for another, before being waived on Oct. 23. The Packers have assigned him No. 70. Blackmon, selected by the Packers in the fourth round of the 2006 NFL Draft (115th overall), played in four games this season, making 3 special teams stops and 1 pass breakup, and was inactive for the other six contests. He suffered a rib injury Nov. 12 at Minnesota.

Barnett out, Hodge to start
All week, Nick Barnett maintained he'd be able to play in Monday night's game at Seattle, despite a broken right hand. Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy and the club's medical staff disagreed. "He's out," McCarthy said Saturday. "He's out for the game." As a result, the Packers will start rookie third-round pick Abdul Hodge against the Seahawks, and Barnett, who thought he'd be able to wear a club-like cast to protect the hand, will miss just the second game of his NFL career. "I was hopeful I was going to play. I've seen people play with a club on and stuff like that," Barnett said after McCarthy ruled him out. "I never had a broken hand - or a broken bone for that matter - so I didn't know. I thought I was going to be able to go. It just didn't work out that way."

Blackmon done
Rookie cornerback Will Blackmon's injury-plagued year ended when he was placed on injured reserve with a rib injury. Blackmon missed all of training camp with a broken foot and the first six games of the season with a shin injury related to the foot injury. "It's more because of the location (of the rib injury)," McCarthy said. "It's going to take a lot more time to heal. That's why we made the decision to put him down." To replace Blackmon, the Packers signed offensive lineman Tyson Walter. Walter entered the NFL as a sixth-round draft choice (179th overall) of the Dallas Cowboys in 2002 and played in 40 games with nine starts in Dallas. He spent time with Houston late last season and played in two games for the Washington Redskins this year before being waived Oct. 23.

Good news for Green?
The Seahawks' defense could be just what Ahman Green needs to get back on track. After running into two of the NFL's top run defenses the last two games - and being held to 55 yards by top-ranked Minnesota and 28 yards by third-ranked New England - the Green Bay Packers halfback is well aware San Francisco's Frank Gore set a 49ers record with 212 rushing yards in Seattle's 20-14 loss last Sunday. But as encouraging as Gore's performance may be - along with the way Minnesota (175 yards on Oct. 15) and Kansas City (191 yards on Oct. 22) ran effectively - Green said there's no guarantee the Packers will be able to exploit the Seahawks' ground problems. "I can't say I'm going to do the same thing against them," said Green, who had registered three straight 100-yard games before facing the Vikings and Patriots. "I've just got to be ready for whatever they give us out there and be ready for a tough game." Green, who spent his first two NFL seasons with the Seahawks before coach Mike Holmgren traded him to Green Bay in 2000 for cornerback Fred Vinson, will be playing in Seattle for the first time as a Packer. The first two times he faced his former club, in the 2003 regular season and playoffs, the games were at Lambeau Field. "If I wasn't there, I wouldn't be here right now, so I'll always look back and remember where I started at," said Green, who missed last year's season-ending meeting between the teams with a ruptured quadriceps tendon. "It was a good learning experience."

Rhodes to recovery
Holmgren isn't the only ex-Packers coach in Seattle. Ray Rhodes, who replaced Holmgren in 1999 and was fired after going 8-8 that year, was the Seahawks' defensive coordinator from 2003 through '05. He now serves as a consultant after suffering a mild stroke in September 2005 and stroke-like symptoms a few weeks later. Former linebackers coach John Marshall, who was the interim coordinator last year, now has the job full-time. "(Ray) is doing better," Holmgren said. "We had a little episode on one trip coming home where he got dehydrated and (the doctors) were being real careful because of his history, but since that time he says he's feeling good." Rhodes' official title is "special projects/defense," but Holmgren was vague when asked about his duties. Instead, it appears the Seahawks' focus is rightfully on Rhodes' health. "I try to get him out of the building a little earlier and he doesn't have quite the stress he had as a coordinator," Holmgren said. "You guys know Ray very well. He cares a lot. But he's taking better care of himself with his diet and exercise and now he's doing those things."

Favre looks fine
Quarterback Brett Favre was upgraded from questionable to probable on Saturday. Because Favre missed most of Wednesday's practice, when the base offense was installed for the Seattle game, he took more snaps in Saturday's practice and experienced no problems throwing. McCarthy said Favre has told him the feeling continues to come back in the last two fingers of his throwing hand, which went numb when he took a shot to the ulnar nerve in his right elbow last Sunday. "He's throwing the ball a lot better than earlier in the week," McCarthy said. "He's not 100 percent comfortable as far as it was in the past, but I think that's to be expected. We've got two more days, too. I do not anticipate any problems."

Clifton back at practice
Left tackle Chad Clifton, who was added to the injury report on Friday as questionable with a hamstring injury, returned to practice on Saturday and is expected to play. Clifton tweaked his hamstring in practice on Wednesday and then missed Friday's workout. He took a limited number of snaps on Saturday. McCarthy said the injury is not serious.

Other injuries
Defensive end Aaron Kampman was added to the report on Saturday and missed practice. He is probable with a groin injury. Backup running back P.J. Pope also was added to the report as questionable with a hamstring injury and missed practice. Defensive tackle Cullen Jenkins (questionable, ankle) and cornerback Charles Woodson (questionable, shoulder and knee) both practiced in the team drills on Saturday for the first time all week. That's generally a good indication a player will be able to play. Tight end David Martin (questionable, ribs) and linebacker Ben Taylor (doubtful, hamstring) both missed all three practices this week. Right tackle Mark Tauscher (doubtful, groin) did not practice all week, and McCarthy said he's hopeful the groin injury will be healed well enough for him to return sometime next week.






Packers Making First Trip To Noisy Qwest Field
By Mike Spofford / Packers.com
Posted 11/25/2006
If the Packers had a concrete formula for how they handled the noise in Minnesota's Metrodome two weeks ago, they'd certainly patent it because they'll need it again on Monday night at Seattle's Qwest Field. Known as one of the loudest stadiums in all of football, Qwest Field features a partial roof that covers 70 percent of the seating area, making the noise from the crowd reverberate back down to the field. And as with any home venue, the more successful Seattle has been, including winning the NFC Championship last year, the louder the stadium has become. It has created a distinct home-field advantage for the Seahawks, who have won 14 of their last 15 games there dating back to the start of the 2005 season. It also has wreaked havoc with some opposing offenses, contributing to a whopping 11 false start penalties by the New York Giants in one game last season. Coincidentally, Monday night (Nov. 27) will be the one-year anniversary of that game, which prompted Seattle head coach Mike Holmgren to give the game ball to the home fans after a crucial overtime victory. The Packers' goal, of course, is to not give those home fans enough to cheer about. "It won't be a factor if we jump up on them early and take the crowd out of the game," tight end Bubba Franks said. "The coaches are trying to prepare us that we've never heard anything like it. If it's louder than it was in Minnesota, that's going to be amazing. I seriously believe Minnesota is the loudest stadium we've ever played in." The Packers have never played at Qwest Field, which opened in 2002, but getting ahead early certainly helped handle the environment at the Metrodome on Nov. 12. -- More



Completed project
Hasselbeck blossoms into standout QB
By GARY D'AMATO / journalsentinel.com
Posted: Nov. 25, 2006
Skinny, prematurely balding and a sixth-round draft choice out of Boston College, where he had thrown more interceptions (26) than touchdown passes (22), Matt Hasselbeck did not look like Brett Favre's heir apparent in 1998 and, in fact, was happy just to make the Green Bay Packers' roster that year. "I was not," he admitted, "very good coming out of college." As a wide-eyed rookie assigned to the practice squad, Hasselbeck joined a team that had been to the previous two Super Bowls and shared a locker room with a quarterback who had won the previous three NFL most valuable player awards. "I honestly felt like I should have been paying the Packers just for having me there," he said. Hasselbeck not only drew a paycheck, he gained a wealth of experience. He would spend three seasons as Favre's backup and learn how to become a pro quarterback from a list of coaches that included Mike Holmgren, Sherm Lewis, Mike Sherman, Andy Reid and Mike McCarthy. Talk about hitting the jackpot. "Had I gone to another team and learned from an average quarterback, I don't think I would have improved that much," Hasselbeck said. "But I got to learn behind Brett and also from great coaches and other great players." Flash forward to 2006 and the 31-year-old Hasselbeck is among the NFL's elite quarterbacks, a two-time Pro Bowl selection for the Seattle Seahawks, the defending NFC champions. He'll face his old team and an older Favre when the Seahawks play host to the Packers in a Monday night game at Qwest Field. In a game rife with subplots, the spotlight falls on the quarterbacks, both of whom are coming off injuries. -- More







Kicker, punter ready for big chill
Rayner, Ryan set for cold, wind
By RICK BRAUN / Packer Plus writer
Posted: Nov. 22, 2006
Jon Ryan and Dave Rayner have heard about it. Now they're about to learn it first-hand. On Sunday the Green Bay Packers' punter and kicker caught a bit of a break for Nov. 19 as the game-time temperature was 41 and the winds were a manageable 12 mph. But when the Packers get back from Seattle after next Monday's game, they'll be sentenced to kicking in four of the final five games outdoors when the bite of winter begins to set in. Maybe they'll luck out with a nice day or two, but who knows? Packer special teams coordinator Mike Stock knows the bad-weather time is upon his kickers. But he's not really concerned. "This is all part of it," Stock said. "We're in the big show. If they're the guys on our football team, they're the guys that have to make things happen." The Packers play three home games in December and finish the season with a road trip to Chicago on New Year's Eve. Even the one road game outside the Midwest - at San Francisco on Dec. 10 - could bring challenging wind conditions at the 49ers' home stadium known for the winds at Candlestick Point. -- More



Building a sturdy foundation?
By Jason Wilde / madison.com
The Green Bay Packers have spent this year celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Super Bowl XXXI-winning 1996 team. But maybe it's the 1992 team they should be commemorating with photos on tickets, honorary game captains and promotional items at the pro shop. Because as the 2006 Packers enter Monday night's game against the Seattle Seahawks - and former Packers coach Mike Holmgren - it is that 1992 team that this year's club most resembles. "It's funny. It seems like a long time ago, but I do remember that season pretty clearly," recalled Holmgren, who was in his first year as an NFL head coach after serving as the San Francisco 49ers' offensive coordinator - just as first-year Packers coach Mike McCarthy did before coming to Green Bay. The 1992 team started 0-2, with the second loss being a 31-3 defeat at Tampa Bay, and fell behind Cincinnati at Lambeau Field in Week 3 before quarterback Brett Favre took over for an injured Don Majkowski and rallied the Packers to a last-second 24-23 victory. They then beat Pittsburgh the following week, only to lose their next three games. "I went from (being) on the sideline at some point in the Cincinnati game saying, 'You know, I'm never going to win a game here, I am going to have the shortest tenure of any coach in the NFL,' to, after we beat the Steelers, thinking I was pretty hot stuff," Holmgren said. "And then we lost three games in a row, but then we won six in a row. I mean, it was an up-and-down season. "But it was a fun year, gosh. And being my first year, I was just holding on for dear life, trying to figure out how to be a head coach and make some decent decisions." Sound vaguely familiar? This year's Packers started 0-2 under McCarthy and were 1-4 before winning three of their next four to improve to 4-5. Then, last Sunday's 35-0 loss at home to New England dropped them to 4-6 - the same record the 1992 team had after 10 games. "Any team can have a setback. It just goes to show if you don't go out and play your best football and another team plays their best football - or very good football, you'll be embarrassed. That's frankly what happened to us this past week," McCarthy said. "But I've said it over and over again: We need to learn from it, and frankly just need to make a decision which way we're going to go from this." -- More







The Favre show should go on
By Pete Dougherty
greenbaypressgazette.com
Any concerns that quarterback Brett Favre's throwing would suffer Monday night against Seattle diminished substantially Friday, when he handled most of the workload with the No. 1 offense. Favre is recovering from a blow to the ulnar nerve of his throwing arm, which caused weakness in his hand and numbness in his ring and pinky fingers, and prevented him from finishing last week's game against New England. Though his condition had improved, Favre had expressed some concern Wednesday about how much feeling and strength he'd regain by Monday night. But after throwing only lightly and sitting out of team drills Wednesday, then having Thursday off for Thanksgiving with the rest of the team, Favre returned to practice Friday and handled almost all of the snaps with the No. 1 offense. "(Left tackle) Chad Clifton asked me, 'How do you think he's looking?'" said Ingle Martin, the Packers' No. 3 quarterback. "Same old, same old. You can't tell anything. I don't know if anything's wrong with him still. Who knows? But he did a great job, offense looked good." Practice is open to the media from the pre-practice jog-through through individual drills. In the jog-through, Favre never cuts loose, but on Friday, he was throwing tight spirals and appeared to be throwing harder and with more ease than he did Wednesday. Reporters aren't allowed to watch team drills, but indications are Favre was able to make a variety of throws without obvious problems. "He was throwing a lot of completions," offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski said. "We didn't have one drop (Friday). It was probably the best practice we've had this whole season. It was really crisp, real encouraging. The guys got a day off (Thursday), feel a little fresher, I think it really helped us." -- More



It's not jolly with Rodgers
Backup quarterback struggles in Favre's place
By ROB REISCHEL / Special to Packer Plus
Posted: Nov. 22, 2006
The Green Bay Packers got a look at their future Sunday afternoon. Odds are, they like how their yesterdays look far more than their tomorrows. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay's No. 1 pick last season and the projected heir apparent to Brett Favre, got his first playing time in a meaningful situation. And the results weren't pretty. Rodgers replaced an injured Favre late in the first half and struggled miserably the rest of the day. Rodgers completed just 4-of-12 passes for 32 yards an finished with a paltry quarterback rating of 42.4 in the Packers' 35-0 loss. Rodgers also lost a fumble and often held the ball too long, resulting in three sacks. Adding injury to insult, Rodgers suffered a broken foot and will miss the rest of the season. For those fearing the day Favre retires, Rodgers' performance did nothing to ease their concerns. "It was a tough deal, but all of them are expected to perform," Packers offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski said of Rodgers. "It doesn't matter who you are. It's obvious by the score that nobody played well." Afterward, Rodgers didn't address the media about his rough day. A team spokesman said Rodgers "was getting treatment." That left Rodgers' coaches and teammates to talk up for him - something that was a tough sell. "I think I put him in a tough situation trying to get out there and throw the ball every time in your first start," Packers coach Mike McCarthy said. "I thought sometimes he got out of the offense, but I thought he made some plays with his feet. "I think you see his athletic ability. It was a great test for his preparation, how important it is for the backup quarterback to prepare harder and more than the starter because when that situation occurs and you get in a game and you're behind... without seeing the film I thought he was OK. He was put in a tough spot." -- More



Jones works as silent partner
Now's not the time to discuss
how I'll run the Packers, he says
By Rob Demovsky
greenbaypressgazette.com
For the past 17½ years, the Green Bay Packers have been run one way by one man. In May, that man, Bob Harlan, who became the club's president on June 5, 1989, will hand control of the Packers to John Jones. The succession plan has been in place since May 31, when Jones was elected as the team's 10th president by the Packers' board of directors. But beyond the who and when, little is known about how Jones will run the organization. Throughout what has been the transition year from Harlan to Jones, the Packers' future leader has kept mostly quiet about his plans.

Jones purposely has kept a low profile for two reasons: He doesn't want to talk about the emergency heart surgery he underwent in June. He doesn't want to discuss his leadership strategy until he becomes president of the Packers in about six months. Unlike Harlan, who spent 18 years in the Packers' organization before he was elected president, Jones is relatively new to the team. He was hired on Feb. 10, 1999, as senior vice president of administration, then was promoted to executive vice present and chief operating officer on Oct. 16, 2001. Throughout his tenure, Harlan mostly has kept out of the football side of the business other than to hire — and in some cases fire — the team's general manager. Under Harlan, the GM has had total control over football decisions. How much Jones is involved, if at all, in football decisions, ultimately could determine whether he succeeds in the job. For now, he's not saying what his position will be. -- More







Packers need a better safety, for starters
Looking toward 2007, that tops their wish list
By Pete Dougherty
Who could have known how costly Marviel Underwood's season-ending knee injury in the Packers' preseason opener at San Diego would turn out to be? Underwood was off to a nice start in training camp as a backup safety, and while it was obvious the injury would cut into the Packers' depth, it looks even costlier 3½ months later. Given starting safety Marquand Manuel's problems in pass coverage, you'd have to think Underwood would be starting by now, unless he'd been given a shot and failed. That isn't to say Underwood would have made for a season-turning change, nor is it to pin all of the Packers' secondary problems on Manuel. But the Packers rank 31st in the NFL in passing yards allowed and 26th in yards allowed per pass, and Manuel has been the weakest link. Manuel has been the biggest disappointment among General Manager Ted Thompson's offseason acquisitions. The signing of free-agent defensive tackle Ryan Pickett for $5 million in bonuses must be considered a success. Veteran cornerback Charles Woodson was grossly overpaid with about $10.5 million in first-year bonuses and salary, but the Packers have received solid play in return. While a more lasting judgment on rookie linebacker A.J. Hawk will have to wait, his steady improvement gives him a chance to justify his selection with the fifth overall pick in the draft. But Thompson's attempt at a mid-level bargain signing with Manuel has been a bust. Manuel is getting $2.96 million this year and $10 million over five years, yet has been only a marginal upgrade over Mark Roman. With an eye toward next season, the Packers clearly need a stud to build around at almost any position. Short of that, though, Thompson has plenty of areas to upgrade through free agency and the draft. Safety ranks at the top. Both safeties, Manuel and Nick Collins, have blown coverages and been beaten one-on-one for big plays far more often than is acceptable. -- More







Meet Missy
Cincinnati Bengals
Cheerleader

HOMETOWN: Cincinnati

BIRTHDAY: June 22

CAREER INFO: Manager/Corp. Officer- Family business

EDUCATION INFO: Ohio University graduate

YEARS AS A BEN-GAL: 4

MOST MEMORABLE BENGALS GAME: Colts game last year when I was chosen for Pro Bowl

MOST MEMORABLE BEN-GAL MOMENT: Overseas tour when I had the opportunity to meet and entertain our troops in Iceland, Bosnia and Kosovo

FAVORITE BENGALS PLAYER: Willie Anderson

FAVORITE THING TO DO IN CINCINNATI: I enjoy Cincinnati’s great restaurants, going to Reds games, and cheering for the Bengals

FAVORITE SPORT TO PARTICIPATE IN: Golf

INTERESTS/ HOBBIES: Decorating my home, golf, reading

FAVORITE MOVIE: Scarface

PETS: None

FAVORITE VACATION SPOT/ GETAWAY: Hawaii, Las Vegas

WHAT DO YOU DO IN YOUR SPARE TIME TO RELAX? I spend time with family and friends, go to dinner, watch movies

PERSON I WOULD MOST LIKE TO MEET AND WHY: My grandpa, because I’ve heard so many wonderful stories about him

PERSON WHO I ADMIRE MOST: My mom and dad

THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE ME: Kind-hearted, easy-going, dedicated

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO YOUNG KIDS ABOUT BECOMING A CHEERLEADER? Practice outside of scheduled practices, take advantage of opportunities, and keep a positive attitude. Remember to have fun.

BEST ADVICE EVER GIVEN TO ME: Fate loves the fearless

GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT: Becoming an independent person with the faith and values I have always admired in my parents

FUTURE GOAL(S): Continue to take risks in order to make my dreams a successful reality