11/7/2006
A (Not So) Funny Thing Happened
On our way to a 4-4 Record
By Packer Pundit / Patrick Stuckey
Yesterday I ranted about Coach McCarthy's questionable play calling. I was kinda expecting to read some mea coppa's today coming from Coach Mike or even Brett (whom I hold equally responsible for Sunday's implosion). But alas... no mea coppa's... no appologies... no 'gosh darn I blew that one'. Instead... M&M said he'd call that play again.
*crickets chirping*
That's right...
Mikey said he'd do it again.
That's like George W saying he'd invade Iraq again even if he knew they're weren't any weapons of mass distruction! (Oh wait... he did say that)
Okay... try this... Mike's saying (basically) that he need not appologize to the fans or the team for such a lame call... is like John Kerry calling our troops 'stupid' 10 days before an election then saying he doesn't need to appologize (Ummm... okay... once again... another bad example on my part)
Let's try this... calling a pass on first and one after you've been smashing the ball down the other teams throat for 80 some yards and when you have probably the best '1 yard' back in football (IMO) in your backfield who just got done ripping two huge gains of over 10 yards on said 'tongue dragging' defensive line... Is like me 'streaking' in 1976 in broad daylight and in front of the girls swim team... ...right after I got out of the swimming pool! (shrinkage)
It's idiotic... stupid and just the kind of 'out of the box' thinking that got Ray Rhodes a bus ticket out of Green Bay after just 1 season.
Ummmm... I meant the calling a pass on first and goal from the one... not the streaking in front of the girl's swim team... just wanted to clear that up!
McCarthy defends call on goal line
By Rob Demovsky / greenbaypressgazette.com
"It's convenient now to say I should have ran it, but we say over and over again … we have the ability to catch people in transition through personnel substitution, and that was our play design there." -- Mike McCarthy
It might not have the same ring to it as fourth-and-26, but the Green Bay Packers' first-and-goal blunder during Sunday's loss to the Buffalo Bills will be scrutinized. With a near-dominant running game in his hip pocket, first-year Packers coach Mike McCarthy shocked just about everyone at Ralph Wilson Stadium with his decision to call a slant pass on first-and-goal from the Bills' 1-yard line in the fourth quarter of a game they trailed 17-10. The play went awry when quarterback Brett Favre's quick-hit pass to Donald Driver was poked loose by Bills cornerback Nate Clements, who popped the ball to safety Ko Simpson for an interception. Simpson returned it 76 yards, and from there, the Bills scored to beat the Packers 24-10. McCarthy's decision to go to the air was astonishing for many reasons. Running back Ahman Green, who rushed for 122 yards on 23 carries, had runs of 9 and 16 yards on the drive. His backup, Noah Herron, had just carried the Packers to the Bills' 1-yard line with an impressive 10-yard gain. Then, there were the problems the Packers had been having in their passing game — notably, Favre's interception that linebacker London Fletcher-Baker returned for a touchdown, and center Scott Wells' mistimed shotgun snap that hit Favre in the facemask on first-and-goal at the 5 that cost the Packers points in the final seconds of the first half. -- More 
Run to daylight
After managing just 55 yards on 16 first-half rushing attempts, the Packers adjusted to the way the Bills were sending their defensive ends upfield to short-circuit the outside stretch plays. It worked perfectly, as the Packers finished with 147 yards on the ground and halfback Ahman Green (122 yards) had his third straight 100-yard game. "They were definitely using their strength (by) their defensive ends getting push up(field) hard (and) fast," Green said. "We saw what they were doing and we adjusted and were able to get push and run different plays taking advantage of that push." That made McCarthy's decision to pass on Favre's fateful first-and-goal interception all the more puzzling. "They were playing our outside stretch play really well, and we made some changes to hit it quicker, and that killed them. We were just gashing them," right tackle Mark Tauscher said. "So I think our adjustments were great. We were doing a lot of good things. But (we were) not finishing drives."
Sack exchange
The Packers took advantage of the Bills' rejiggered offensive line with five sacks of quarterback J.P. Losman, including three by defensive tackle Corey Williams. "I can (enjoy it), because I got three sacks, but I can't, because we lost. What's three sacks with a loss? They look good on the stat sheet, but it's still a loss," said Williams, who has five sacks on the season. "They had some guys playing new positions on their offensive line, and it was our main focus to take advantage of that. And that's what we did." Defensive end Aaron Kampman, who came in tied for the NFL lead in sacks, had one for the fifth straight game to give him 9 on the season. The sack came against rookie seventh-round pick Terrance Pennington, who was making his first NFL start at right tackle.
In and out
Rookie wide receiver Greg Jennings' return from the sprained right ankle he suffered Oct. 22 at Miami started well, but he aggravated the injury at the end of his 25-yard second-quarter catch-and-run on a slant route. Although he returned after missing three plays, he only played sparingly in the second half and wasn't able to play in the final 8 minutes. "It just stiffened up on me and I didn't have the range of motion," said Jennings, who had five catches for 69 yards after missing last week's win over Arizona. "I didn't feel like I was helping the team." With Jennings out and Chris Francies inactive, Shaun Bodiford was the third receiver down the stretch. He did not have a catch. "I wasn't ready," said Bodiford, who was claimed on waivers from Detroit on Oct. 23. "But they threw me in, so I had to help contribute."
Collins OK, Other Injuries Minor
One piece of good news from Sunday's loss is it appears the Packers don't have any significant injury concerns heading into this week's game at Minnesota. Safety Nick Collins, who missed the second half of Sunday's game with a back bruise, is fine and should be able to play this week. Collins injured his lower back and had some tests done because of a concern about kidney damage, but everything checked out OK. "I think he'll be ready to go this week," Head Coach Mike McCarthy said during his Monday news conference. "There was some concern at halftime, which is why we had to test him." Elsewhere on the injury front, wide receiver Greg Jennings re-aggravated his ankle injury, and McCarthy said he would probably miss some practice time again this week to help with the healing process. McCarthy said when Jennings was tackled from behind in the second quarter on Sunday, his ankle got turned the same way he injured it originally. He did see limited action the rest of the game and will be questionable on this week's injury report.
Veteran does the job
The Packers' running game didn't appear to miss a beat without fullback Brandon Miree and with veteran William Henderson taking his place. Ahman Green averaged 5.3 yards on his 23 carries while Noah Herron, in the No. 2 spot in place of Vernand Morency, averaged 5.0 on his five rushes. Several times the backs made good reads off of stout lead blocks by Henderson, who appears to be fully healthy after beginning the season recovering from minor knee surgery. "I thought William played a solid game," McCarthy said. "We did a couple things schematically, changed it up, he handled it very well, and I thought he had a very solid performance."
One more catch?
With one pass reception for 8 yards on Sunday, Green now needs just 7 more yards receiving to move into first place on the franchise's all-time list for receiving yards by an offensive back. Gerry Ellis had 2,514 receiving yards, and Green now has 2,508.
Staying at noon
The home game against the New England Patriots on Nov. 19, which had the potential of being moved to prime time on NBC, will remain a noon kickoff. The Broncos-Chargers game that day has been slotted for the evening.
Packers outplay Bills
But costly mistakes end in 24-10 loss
By Pete Dougherty
greenbaypressgazette.com"We started feeling pretty good about ourselves after winning two games in a row. When things are kind of going your way and something like this happens, it's kind of a reality check, puts things back in perspective of how good or not good we are, myself included." -- Brett Favre
The young and rebuilding Green Bay Packers might be making strides halfway through the season, but it doesn't mean they're very good. After back-to-back wins, they had as good a chance as they could hope for to win on the road Sunday and get to .500, especially after the Buffalo Bills' best offensive player, halfback Willis McGahee, was injured on the first series and didn't return. But for all the Packers did right — they outgained the Bills 427 yards to 184 yards — they made the kind of glaring errors in their 24-10 loss that would keep them from defeating anyone in the NFL. Giving up a defensive touchdown, and twice getting to or inside Buffalo's 5-yard line and coming away with no points is losing football. The second trip inside the 5 will be a matter of contention for the Packers and their followers. Coach Mike McCarthy's decision to throw a quick slant on first-and-goal from the 1 with a chance to tie the game at 17-17 with just less than 5 minutes remaining ended in disaster with a tipped ball and interception. -- More
Wells accepts blame for gaffes
By Jason Wilde / madison.com
Last Wednesday, coach Mike McCarthy pointed out that because Scott Wells had played so well during the first seven games, the Green Bay Packers center hadn't gotten much attention. "It reminds me of growing up with my father. When he didn't say anything to me, I knew I was having a (heck) of a day," McCarthy said. "That's how Scott Wells is. We haven't talked about Scott playing the center position since the spring when he was proclaimed the starter. He has been so consistent that the operation up front has been as smooth as any center I've been around." Following Sunday's 24-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills, Wells was getting a lot of attention - none of it good - after he and quarterback Brett Favre botched an exchange for one turnover and saw a premature shotgun snap bounce off Favre's facemask for another. "I didn't play my best game, so I take responsibility," Wells said. "There were some crucial errors at the wrong time for us." The botched exchange, for which Wells and Favre should share the blame, came on first-and-10 from the Buffalo 49-yard line with 10 minutes, 54 seconds left in the half. The snap-in-the-face turnover came on first-and-goal from the Buffalo 5 with 10 seconds left until halftime. -- More 
Quiet on silent count
By Jason Wilde / madison.com
Mike McCarthy trusts his quarterback and offensive linemen to decide whether or not a silent snap count is necessary in a noisy venue, and in Sunday's loss at Buffalo, the Green Bay Packers didn't use one because while quarterback Brett Favre wanted to, the line did not. But in the cacophonous (Edit: Uh oh... somebody learned a new word today) Metrodome against the Minnesota Vikings this coming Sunday, using it will be a must. "We're going to need it this week for sure," McCarthy said Monday, one day after two botched center-quarterback exchanges - the second coming on a shotgun snap after center Scott Wells misheard the cadence - led to two turnovers in the Packers' 24-10 loss to the Bills. While the first exchange problem came with Favre under center and was the result of Wells being "short with the ball," according to McCarthy, the second came at the Buffalo 5-yard line when Wells shotgunned the snap early and hit Favre in the facemask. After the game, Favre said he wanted to use the silent count but the linemen did not. "I prefer silent. I have a lot of history with (using a) silent count," McCarthy said of his time as the offensive coordinator in New Orleans. "(But) the guys who need to determine it are the guys out on the field in my experience. I used to try to regulate it, but (as a coach), you're not out there. You have to have a veteran quarterback (and) a veteran center and they elected not to go with it. That's their choice." Unfortunately, it led to one of the Packers' four turnovers. -- More
Next time, McCarthy likely will call for a run
By Rob Demovsky
greenbaypressgazette.com
With a day to ponder it, Mike McCarthy didn't think his decision to call a pass play on first-and-goal from the 1-yard line in Sunday's loss to the Buffalo Bills was necessarily a bad choice. But the Green Bay Packers' coach on Monday indicated that given the same situation again, he probably wouldn't make the same call. "A run probably is a safer call, but there's nothing wrong with the call," McCarthy said. "I probably won't call it again. It's a play I've won a game with, and it's a play that potentially cost us the game." According to McCarthy and offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski, the reason things went awry and Brett Favre's slant pass to Donald Driver was tipped by cornerback Nate Clements and intercepted by safety Ko Simpson was the play took too long. After Noah Herron rushed for a 10-yard gain that put the Packers at the Bills' 1-yard line, McCarthy sensed an opportunity to catch the Bills' defense off guard by quickly switching his personnel from base to tiger (double tight end). Most of the game, the Packers got to the line of scrimmage with at least 24 seconds remaining on the play clock, according to McCarthy and Jagodzinski. On the first-and-goal play, however, they broke the huddle with about 22 or 23 seconds remaining, meaning they weren't at the line anywhere near as quickly as they had been throughout the game. -- More
Key touchdown caused by communication breakdown
By Pete Dougherty
greenbaypressgazette.com
The Green Bay Packers dominated the Buffalo Bills' struggling and undermanned offense for all but one play Sunday, but that one play was a major reason the Packers lost to the Bills 24-10. It came on yet another "miscommunication," which is the catch-all phrase NFL teams use to explain blown coverages and assignments, and which has been the bane of Packers coordinator Bob Sanders' defense this season. In this instance, Buffalo receiver Lee Evans broke free uncovered for as easy a 43-yard touchdown as you'll ever see because at least one defensive back was in one coverage and others were in another. But if this miscommunication came with an extenuating circumstance — cornerback Charles Woodson had just moved to safety because of an injury to Marquand Manuel — it nevertheless came on a second-and-20 play, when it's almost inconceivable a receiver could get that open that far downfield. Sanders spent most of about an 18½-minute meeting with reporters Monday blaming himself for increasing the chances for a miscommunication by not making his defensive call quickly and clearly enough. But coach Mike McCarthy at his Monday press conference said he heard Sanders' call on the sideline with players around him as the Packers' training staff tended to Manuel on the field and said the miscommunication came after the defense lined up. Neither McCarthy nor Sanders would say outright whether the defensive check on the field was made against orders, or whether it simply wasn't communicated clearly enough to the rest of the players. But McCarthy suggested the Packers' coaches wanted to play the conservative defense called with the safeties deep, rather than have any defensive check called. -- More 
McCarthy, coaches looked like rookies
By Tom Oates / madison.com
They were one win away from a place that once seemed improbable a 4-4 record midway through the NFL season and they spent most of Sunday dominating the Buffalo Bills. Yet, the Green Bay Packers left Ralph Wilson Stadium frustrated and angry after a 24-10 loss. The easy explanation was veteran quarterback Brett Favre had a hand in four turnovers. A more accurate assessment would pin this incomprehensible loss on rookie mistakes. This time, however, it wasn't one of Green Bay's league-high 17 rookies who caused it to lose by two touchdowns to a team it outgained 427-184. No, this time the rookie mistakes were made by the coaching staff. Coach Mike McCarthy, offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski and defensive coordinator Bob Sanders are new to their jobs and their inexperience showed Sunday at the worst possible time. After Green Bay recovered from a miserable first half to tie it at 10, its rookie coaches blew it with two fourth-quarter decisions that handed the Bills a chance to win. Had McCarthy or Sanders simply called a timeout when their defense became terribly confused on the play following an injury to safety Marquand Manuel, the Packers could have prevented the ridiculously easy J.P. Losman-to-Lee Evans touchdown bomb that put Buffalo ahead 17-10. And had McCarthy or Jagodzinski handed the ball to red-hot halfback Ahman Green on first-and-goal at the 1 instead of calling for a slant pass to wide receiver Donald Driver, Favre wouldn't have thrown the game-clinching, tipped-ball interception to the Bills' Ko Simpson. -- More
There's plenty of blame to go around
By Chris Havel
The first half ended badly. The second half ended worse. From center Scott Wells' premature snap to coach Mike McCarthy's ill-advised play call, it was foreshadowing at its finest and the Green Bay Packers at their worst. The great mystery Sunday wasn't whether the Packers would rally to defeat the Buffalo Bills. It was which of these two things the Packers would run out of first: Feet to shoot themselves in or bullets with which to do it. The Packers have no one to blame but themselves for this 24-10 loss. Good teams find a way to win. Not-so-good teams find a way to lose. If the cliché fits, wear it, and I suspect the Packers are wearing out their fans' patience. "This is a hard one, because this was a football game we had an opportunity to win," McCarthy said. "Just like the other ones, it's getting too late in the year to let these opportunities slip away." It is easy to criticize McCarthy's decision to pass on first-and-goal at Buffalo's 1-yard line with 4:47 to play. The Packers trailed by a touchdown when they took over at their 39. Two pass plays netted 25 yards. Three run plays netted 35 yards. McCarthy changed personnel and hoped to catch the Buffalo defense in transition. He called a pass play similar to the Brett Favre-to-Donald Driver 1-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter. This time, Nate Clements, the Bills' best cornerback, got a hand on Favre's laser, and safety Ko Simpson intercepted the deflection and returned it 76 yards to seal the Packers' fate. -- More
Golden opportunity wasted
By Jason Wilde / madison.com
The day after, there were still questions about the play-call on first-and-goal from the 1-yard line and the defensive discombobulation on the go-ahead touchdown pass.There was no question, however, that the Green Bay Packers' 24-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills represented a colossal missed opportunity in the NFC standings. Had they won - and with 427-184 yardage advantage, a 26-11 first-down advantage and a 34:21 to 25:39 advantage in time of possession, it's hard to believe they didn't - the Packers would have been riding a three-game winning streak into Sunday's NFC North game with Minnesota, having reached the .500 mark at 4-4 after starting 1-4. More amazingly, they would have been right in the thick of the playoff race halfway through the season. The what-if game Had the Packers won, they'd have been one of six NFC teams with a 4-4 record, joining Dallas, Philadelphia, Minnesota, Carolina and St. Louis. And only five teams in the NFC would have had a better record - Chicago (7-1), New Orleans (6-2), the New York Giants (6-2), Atlanta (5-3) and Seattle (5-3). Essentially, the Packers would have been in a six-way tie for the final playoff spot. Instead, at 3-5, they are stuck with the same record as Washington and San Francisco, a game better than Detroit and Tampa Bay, and two games better than lowly Arizona. "It's disappointing because it was a football game we had a number of opportunities to win, and our focus was to get to 4-4 because the second half of the season is where all the slotting starts to occur," coach Mike McCarthy said Monday. "We're 3-5. We're not where we wanted to be." -- More
And now for the Kool aid drinker article --
All the news isn't bad
By Steve Lawrence / PackerReport.com
Good teams find a way to win games while bad teams find a way to lose games. Still, there were plenty of encouraging signs in Sunday’s loss. This might sound wishy-washy in light of my comments from a moment ago, but for Favre to be that effective despite playing half a game with a receiving corps consisting of Driver, Ruvell Martin and Shaun Bodiford as his top three receivers is amazing. The Packers’ running game struggled to find traction in the first half but was unstoppable in the second half. That shouldn’t be surprising, because coach Mike McCarthy promised his zone scheme would be stronger as games progress. The Packers’ defense exploited Buffalo’s weakness. Green Bay tore apart the Bills’ offensive line to the tune of five sacks. Four of those sacks were by their young defensive tackles, who are getting better and better every week. For all of their huge mistakes — almost giving up a touchdown on the opening kickoff, allowing a long TD pass to an inept offense and losing the turnover battle 4-0 — the Packers almost won. Sure, the Bills aren’t any good, but it’s a sign of character to be able to withstand all of that — on the road, no less — and still have a chance to win.
It’s not so bad, Part 2
One of two unforgettable moments from the game will be watching Lee Evans get 10 yards beyond every Packers defender en route to an easy 43-yard, go-ahead touchdown. Still, the Packers’ pass defense is greatly improved, and cornerbacks Al Harris and Charles Woodson are starting to live up to their hype. Clearly, the communication breakdowns are inexcusable, but at least there’s reason for hope entering the second half of the season. -- More 
Meet Amy
Carolina Panthers
Cheerleader
TopCat Season: 7th
Hometown: Waynesville, NC
Education: North Carolina State University and University of North Carolina-Asheville
Occupation: Executive Assistant
Future Goal: Publish a cheerleading magazine and establish a charitable foundation for chronically handicapped children and those with terminal illnesses
Hobbies: Camping, hiking, scrapbooking and soap making
Favorite Charity: Special Olympics
Favorite TV Show: The Amazing Race
Favorite Food: Mezzaluna from Carrabba's
Favorite Music: 80's
Favorite Quote: Live each day to the fullest because you never know when it's your last.
Most Important Thing In Life: Family and enjoying every moment
Achievements: Pro Bowl Cheerleader (2006), TopCat of the Year (2005), TopCats Captain (2004, 2005, 2006), TopCats inaugural season squad member (1996), TopCats Most Spirited Award (1996), and representing the TopCats in London, England at the 2005 Super Bash
Published by PackerPundit On Tuesday, November 07, 2006 at 6:19 AM.
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