The Packer Pundit

Packers' Sack Ratio Among League's Best
By Mike Spofford / Packers.com
Posted 11/03/2006
It's not nearly as revealing a statistic as turnover ratio, which players and coaches always point to as a key indicator of wins and losses, but a team's sack ratio gives at least some idea of the teams winning the battle up front. Sack ratio refers to the number of sacks a team records on defense versus the number it allows on offense, and the Packers' defensive and offensive lines have been doing an exemplary job in that area thus far in 2006. The Packers are plus-13 through seven games, with 22 sacks recorded and just nine allowed. That ranks second in the league behind San Diego (plus-16), and while sacks aren't as game-changing as turnovers might be, they are negative yardage plays that can have a significant impact in any game. "Sacks are a turnover in their own aspect," defensive tackle Colin Cole said. "When you get sacks, you have field-position changes, you have momentum changes. They have their own type of effect." On defense, the Packers' success is mostly due to end Aaron Kampman, whose career-high 8 1/2 sacks constitute more than one-third of the team's total. Kampman was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Week after recording two sacks against Arizona, and he's tied for the league lead with San Diego's Shawne Merriman. Also, linebackers Nick Barnett and A.J. Hawk have been more active with blitzes in recent games. And the more frequent use of the '3-3' alignment -- which employs three defensive linemen, all three linebackers, and five defensive backs -- has created some favorable pass-rush matchups by moving players around and allowing them to attack from different angles. "Every defense we have, if it's a blitz or rush or whatever, our motto is it's designed for you to get home," defensive coordinator Bob Sanders said. "So hopefully everybody stays hot and (the offense) has got problems all over and they can't focus on one guy like Aaron." -- More



Green Bay roster getting greener
By JASON WILDE / madison.com
The NFL's youngest team just keeps getting younger. When the Green Bay Packers signed rookie halfback P.J. Pope off the Chicago Bears' practice squad Tuesday, it gave them 17 rookies on their 53-man roster. With three more players considered first-year players, that's 20 players (37.7 percent of the roster) who are in their first NFL season. Not that coach Mike McCarthy is counting. "If you had asked me how many rookies we had on our team, I wouldn't have known the answer," said McCarthy, whose youngsters face a comparatively veteran Buffalo Bills team that has nine rookies - including starting safeties Donte Whitner and Ko Simpson, right tackle Terrence Pennington and defensive tackle Kyle Williams - Sunday. "Once again, that's who we are. That's where we are as a football team. So I don't have a problem with that." The Packers entered the season with a league-high 14 rookies, compared to 10 for the Dallas Cowboys (second-most in the league) and four for the defending NFC-champion Seattle Seahawks (fewest). Since then, they have added Pope, whom they signed to fill in for injured No. 2 halfback Vernand Morency; wide receiver Shaun Bodiford, who was claimed off waivers from Detroit Oct. 23 after Robert Ferguson was placed on injured reserve; and wide receiver Chris Francies, who was promoted from the practice squad after Koren Robinson was suspended for a year for violating the league's substance-abuse policy. -- More

Favre leaps; Packers take a step forward
QB having fun, winning again
By RICK BRAUN / Packer Plus writer
Posted: Nov. 2, 2006
Brett Favre is having fun again, and that can only mean good things are happening in Green Bay. After contemplating for months on whether to return for a 16th National Football League season, Favre decided to return to a situation he knew would carry a lot of challenges. And the challenges were plenty as a young Green Bay Packer team started the season at 1-4. Against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, Favre completed 17 of 25 passes for a rather modest 180 yards and one touchdown. For the third consecutive game he did not throw an interception. But the cherry on Favre's Sunday came midway through the third quarter. On a first-and-goal play from the Arizona 1, Favre rolled to his right looking for a receiver. And he kept rolling . . . and rolling . . . and rolling. When it became apparent to him that he had no throwing option, he cut upfield at the last second and just beat the Arizona defense to the end zone. The play was somewhat similar to the play early in his career that began to establish his legend. Back on Dec. 21, 1994, Favre rolled right and dived into the end zone against the Atlanta Falcons in the final Packer game played at Milwaukee County Stadium. Taking off from about the 3-yard line on that play, Favre vaulted the Packers into the playoffs. Now 37 instead of 25, Favre doesn't rely on his feet very often. He reached the end zone as a rusher on Sunday for the first time since Dec. 3, 2001 at Jacksonville and just the second time in eight seasons. -- More



Martin might cash in on recent production
By Rob Demovsky
greenbaypressgazette.com
The last time tight end David Martin hit free agency, after the 2004 season, he was coming off a five-catch season cut short after nine games because of a knee injury. He drew little interest and re-signed with the Green Bay Packers for two years and a signing bonus of $250,000. The six-year veteran, whose career has been filled with injury and disappointment, should be in a better bargaining position this time. Martin's contract will expire after this season, and if he continues to produce as he has in the last two games, he could be a candidate for a contract extension before the season ends. Almost every year, the Packers have extended the contract of at least one player who would be headed for free agency. The benefit for the team is it can use this season to prorate a player's signing bonus for salary-cap purposes. The Packers are more than $7 million under the $102 million cap. The Packers don't have many star players scheduled to become unrestricted free agents after this season. Running back Ahman Green is playing this season on a one-year contract, but the Packers likely want to see whether he will hold up after a quadriceps tendon injury last year. Starting middle linebacker Nick Barnett and cornerback Al Harris want new deals, but both have contracts that don't expire until after 2007 and 2009, respectively. That makes Martin an even more likely candidate for an extension. -- More



Moment to Cherish
Visit to Lambeau by terminally ill father
Real special to Ryan
By LORI NICKEL / journalsentinel.com
Posted: Nov. 2, 2006
Living isn't sitting in front of the TV all night after work, watching sports. It's going to his sons' games to support them.Living is using his expertise as a psychologist to help troubled kids at Ranch Ehrlo, a non-profit treatment center. Living is simple moments like laughter at the dinner table. So when the doctors told Bob Ryan he would need half his body amputated, more tumors removed from his lungs and who knows what else just to stay alive, Ryan could not agree. "He said he wanted to live, not survive," said his son, Jon Ryan. "He said, 'That's no way for a man to live.' " So 54-year-old Bob Ryan, in acute pain, with his severely swollen leg his constant reminder that he is dying from cancer, decided to get on with his living. Last weekend he left Regina, Saskatchewan, and flew to Wisconsin to see his 24-year-old son Jon punt for his beloved NFL team, the Green Bay Packers. "Before the game he said his pain was zero, which was remarkable," said Jon. If it's interesting that the Packers have a punter from Canada, it's fascinating that the Ryan family members are Packers fans. Football is pretty big in Canada. It's not as big as hockey, but it doesn't appear that Jon Ryan's destiny was in that game anyway. "My dad is the ultimate sports dad," said Jon Ryan. "I played five or six sports and he would be at every one of my games. He was never that dad up in the stands yelling. I remember I played hockey, and there'd be games I'd play terrible, at goalie. I'd let in like 10 goals, and some dads are yelling at their sons and my dad would just say, 'Good job, you'll get 'em next time.' " -- More



Blackmon hopes to turn the corner
Rookie gets in work on defense
By LORI NICKEL / journalsentinel.com
Posted: Nov. 2, 2006
Charles Woodson missed practice again Thursday with a bruised and sore knee, and the Green Bay Packers continued to rotate Will Blackmon, Patrick Dendy and Jarrett Bush at that cornerback position. Though Blackmon dressed for the last two games, he played only on special teams. That hasn't discouraged the fourth-round draft pick out of Boston College. If anything, he sees the extra work in practice as an opportunity to show that he's game ready. "Everyone's role is pretty much established, and I'm one of the inactives who is finally active," said Blackmon. "The guys in there are doing a great job. I mean, it's evident, we've won two in a row." Blackmon said the trainers made sure he stayed in shape while rehabilitating a broken foot suffered in May. "During my treatment they killed me in terms of my cardio," said Blackmon. "They didn't want me to lose that, that was most important. I'd go in the pool, they'd damn near drown me I think, I'd go on the elliptical, the bike, I did a lot of running when I was able to again." But Blackmon will remain strictly as an option at cornerback. Though the Packers have been light in receivers in recent weeks, they haven't considered Blackmon, who played his senior year at Boston College as a wideout. -- More







Meet Britney
New Orleans Saints Cheerleaders

AGE: 23
BIRTHDAY: February 15, 1983
HOMETOWN: Metairie, LA
OCCUPATION: Student
DANCE/CHEER EXPERIENCE: 2nd year as a Saintsation, High School dance team and cheerleading

WHY DID YOU BECOME A CHEERLEADER? I’ve lived in New Orleans all of my life and consider myself a die-hard Saints fan. As a child I attended Saints games with my family and dreamed about becoming a Saintsation.
WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT BEING A CHEERLEADER? I love having the opportunity to portray myself as role-model to young women in our community. Being a cheerleader has given me the opportunity to make lifelong friends with some of the most amazing women in the world.
WHAT WAS YOUR MOST EXCITING MOMENT AS A CHEERLEADER? When I found out we would be traveling to New York for the Saints vs. Giants game.
EDUCATION: Student at Louisiana State University, majoring in electrical engineering, with a minor in technical sales and mathematics
HOBBIES: Dancing, playing the piano, singing karaoke, traveling
FUTURE GOALS: I want to travel after graduation and eventually settle down to start a family.