The Packer Pundit

Five things to watch
By Bob McGinn / Posted: 12-20-2006
IMMOVABLE MAN: Before their Nov. 12 game, Vikings NT Pat Williams decried the Packers' use of cut blocks. Perhaps inspired, Williams was directly responsible for eight of Green Bay's 11 "bad" runs. "Pat's just a load," an offensive coach for a recent Vikings opponent said. "He has a knack for being able to slip off blocks. He gets off on the snap. He attacks and gets up the field. He's very disruptive." One scout said Williams must weigh at least 340 pounds. In the first game, three of the "bad" runs were the result of missed cut blocks by G Daryn Colledge against Williams. The marauding former Bill also hopped over Scott Wells, overpowered him and went back door to beat him. "He's got a very quick first step," the scout said. "He just got done stuffing (Nick) Mangold of the Jets. He's tough to run on."

NO SATISFACTION: Three of the better cornerbacks in the NFC who weren't picked for the Pro Bowl will be on the field: Charles Woodson and Al Harris for Green Bay, Antoine Winfield for Minnesota. "Antoine Winfield is as good a corner as there is in the league," one scout said. "He can plant and close. He can turn and run. He can flip and come underneath. He's just very good for a little guy." In the first meeting, Harris matched with Troy Williamson and was so dominating that the speedster was the target of only one (incomplete) pass. Woodson gave up a 15-yard red-zone completion to RB Chester Taylor but otherwise wasn't challenged. The Vikings did pick on nickel back Patrick Dendy, completing five of seven passes for 101 yards. "Williamson is dangerous," one scout said. "He's got speed. You've got to account for him. I didn't think he had great hands coming out, but they weren't terrible. He just hasn't figured out that you've got to catch the ball first."

BACK THEY COME: Two longtime Packers, S Darren Sharper and K Ryan Longwell, will be back at Lambeau Field. Sharper hasn't had a big statistical season but continues to be a solid starter at 31. "He's really playing well," an offensive coach for a recent Vikings' opponent said. "He's being a ballhawk. He's so much more physical than I remember him. I remember him turning down tackles. He's not doing that now." Of Sharper, one scout said: "He will come down in the box and make a play once in a while. He's solid. Not great. He is smart." Longwell's kickoffs have been poor, but the 32-year-old has made 21 of 25 field goals. "He's OK, just OK," an opposing assistant coach said. "His kickoffs are very, very mediocre. He doesn't scare me."

MATCHUPS OUTSIDE: When the Vikings have the ball, the matchups on the outside of their offensive line will be different from the Week 9 meeting. Left tackle Bryant McKinnie, who neutralized Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila, will see "KGB" on some passing downs but will face Cullen Jenkins most of the time. "He's had a bad year," one scout said, referring to McKinnie. "He's a lazy player. He should be kicking the (expletive) out of people. Long arms. Good reach. He never developed into the player that he should have." On the other side, the Vikings have benched struggling RT Marcus Johnson in favor of rookie Ryan Cook, a second-round draft choice. He will be opposed by Aaron Kampman, who was unable to dominate Johnson in Week 9. "I don't think Cook is very good," one scout said. "He's not very quick. You can beat him with speed on the outside. He's a big guy but I don't think he has very good hand use. Just a guy. About the same as Marcus Johnson."

SPREAD THE WEALTH: Two weeks before the Packers went to Minnesota, the New England Patriots rolled at the Metrodome, 31-7, when Tom Brady operated from an "empty" backfield for almost the entire game. On Sunday, the Jets borrowed a page from the Patriots' playbook and Chad Pennington passed the Vikings silly from spread formations. "You can't run on them," an opposing coach said. "So people have taken to just throwing the ball all over the place against them. New England started that." In the first game, Vikings defensive coordinator Mike Tomlin blitzed Brett Favre on just 29.3% of passes and brought six or more only twice all day. Because Favre had a field day, it's possible Tomlin might try more blitzing tonight. "They won't be able to run the ball on Minnesota, but Minnesota doesn't have good pass rushers," one scout said. "So Favre will have time to get the ball off. There's not going to be a lot of people in his face unless they blitz."

Feeling right at home on each other's turf
Packers-Vikings rivalry has been road show lately
By GARY D'AMATO / journalsentinel.com
Posted: Dec. 20, 2006
Home-field advantage should mean something in a bitter rivalry between NFC North Division foes in which five of the last eight games have been decided by three points. So explain this one: The Minnesota Vikings have beaten the Green Bay Packers in three of the last four games at Lambeau Field. And the Packers have beaten the Vikings in three of the last four games in the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome. "Really? They've won three of the last four here?" Packers center Scott Wells said, not quite believing what he had heard. Yes, and the Vikings can make it four of five today, when they face the Packers at Lambeau at 7 p.m. Green Bay already held up its end of the bargain this season, beating Minnesota, 23-17, in the Big Marshmallow on Nov. 12. This home-field disadvantage is one of those crazy anomalies in the NFL, sort of like how a running back can gain 3 inches and be credited with 1 yard. It doesn't add up, and yet somehow it does. Is there a logical explanation? "We've played better there," Wells said, "and they've played better here." Leave it to an offensive lineman to offer such a pithy analysis. Yes, that would be true, but why? Tight end David Martin said because the teams usually split the two regular-season games, whichever team loses the first game is sky high for the second. Sounds good, but the teams have split just four times in the last nine years. "I don't know what it is," said Packers defensive end Aaron Kampman. "I just know this is usually a very hard-fought contest. All these games usually go down to the wire." Now we're getting somewhere. Several recent games in the rivalry have been decided in the final minute and usually by the kicker. -- More






Tauscher ready after 'major injury'
Right tackle Mark Tauscher made it through Tuesday's practice — the only regular practice of the week — and, barring a setback, will return for Thursday's game against the Minnesota Vikings. Tauscher sustained what he called "a significant groin injury" in the Green Bay Packers' last game against the Vikings on Nov. 12 in the Metrodome. Although surgery wasn't required to repair a torn muscle, he missed five straight games. After practice on Tuesday, Tauscher spoke to reporters at length for the first time since he got hurt. "It was a major injury," Tauscher said. "It wasn't just like a groin pull. There were some problems, some muscle and other things that came up." Tauscher returned to practice last week on a limited basis, working only with the scout team, but didn't play in the Packers' 17-9 win over the Detroit Lions. "I felt good even last week, but I just didn't feel to the point where I was going to be able to help this football team," Tauscher said. "I'm hoping Thursday I will be."

Preparing for the unknown
The Packers don't have much film to go off of in preparing for the Vikings' new starting quarterback, Tarvaris Jackson. The rookie second-round draft pick from Alabama State had made only one regular-season appearance before coming on in relief of Brad Johnson in Sunday's loss to the Jets. Vikings coach Brad Childress named Jackson his starter on Tuesday. "He played some in the preseason," Packers defensive coordinator Bob Sanders said. "We know he's a very good athlete who has an excellent arm. "He's a strong runner but stands tall in the pocket. I think he'd like to throw the ball, but he definitely can scramble. He can move the pocket. He can boot and waggle." Jackson is far more athletic than the 38-year old Johnson, so he's going to be much more mobile than Johnson, who was sacked four times by the Packers in the Metrodome.

Honoring Harlan
The Packers will honor team Chairman and CEO Bob Harlan during the first commercial timeout of Thursday's game. Harlan will be attending his final regular-season game at Lambeau Field as head of the franchise. He will retire in May after 18 seasons in his current role. A video tribute will be played on the stadium's scoreboard video screens.

Game change
Though it would seem unlikely, the Packers won't know for sure until Monday whether their regular-season finale against the Chicago Bears will be moved to 7:15 p.m. In the final week, the NFL's flexible schedule allows the league to wait until all the Week 16 games are over before deciding which game will be moved to prime time. The game might be appealing to NBC, which has the rights to the Sunday night games, if they think this will be quarterback Brett Favre's last game. The game is scheduled for noon on Fox. "We have not heard a word from anyone about that," Harlan said.

Hiring official
Offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski, who officially was hired as Boston College's head coach today, was unavailable to reporters on Tuesday despite that it was a scheduled day of media access to the assistant coaches. Boston College plans to introduce Jagodzinski at a news conference today. "He has respect for the outstanding tradition of BC football," athletics director Gene DeFilippo said in a statement. "He understand the mission of Boston College and the importance of academics to our program. He brings great personal integrity to the position and will continue to recruit scholar-athletes who will represent our institution with class. He has proven that he is an outstanding football coach, and his energy, enthusiasm and passion are contagious."

Holiday bonus
It stands to be a fairly lucrative holiday season for running back Ahman Green. With 946 rushing yards this season, Green is 4 yards shy of cashing in on the second of five incentive bonuses in the one-year contract he signed. Green received a $250,000 bonus when he hit the 750-yard rushing mark and will receive another $500,000 when he reaches 950 yards rushing. Coming off major surgery on his thigh, Green signed a one-year, $2 million contract that featured a $500,000 signing bonus, a $150,000 roster bonus, a $1.35 million base salary and incentives tied into his production and availability to the team. To earn the next bonus - also $500,000 - Green will have to reach the 1,150-yard plateau, which means he'll have to average 102 yards in the final two games. The final two triggers are set at 1,350 yards and 1,550 yards, both worth $500,000. Safety Charles Woodson, meanwhile, has cashed in on 14 of his 16 bonus opportunities. Woodson receives $22,265 every time he plays in a game as part of a roster bonus the Packers put in his contract.

Looking ahead
McCarthy doesn't want his team looking ahead, but backup quarterback Aaron Rodgers has no choice. On injured reserve with a broken foot, Rodgers won't be taking part in any on-field team activities until March 19 when the off-season program begins. Rodgers has no idea whether he'll be the starting quarterback then or still the backup to Brett Favre. "I'm going to try to come back in the best shape of my life with a low body fat and weight I'm happy with," Rodgers said. "If I'm leading the guys until Brett comes back that will be fine. If I'm the guy, fine; if I'm the backup, there's still a lot of room for improvement." Rodgers said McCarthy has harped on him and the other quarterbacks about getting themselves in peak condition and part of that is slimming down. "He wants us at 8 percent body fat," Rodgers said. "That applies to everybody except for Brett. But Brett looks good. I want to get it down so he (McCarthy) doesn't talk to me about that. We can talk about football instead of my body fat every time we walk by each other." Rodgers said he wasn't too far from McCarthy's requirement. Wait and see: McCarthy said he did not listen to Favre's news conference Tuesday and has not tried to read between the lines about his future. He said the subject would be addressed with Favre after the season, although a deadline has not been set. "(GM) Ted (Thompson) and I have talked about it and it's something we're going to visit after the season," McCarthy said. "Our thought has always been - and I know I talked about it a few weeks ago - Brett Favre is under contract. And that's the way we view it until we're told otherwise."

Packers
Questionable: S Atari Bigby (hamstring), LB Abdul Hodge (shoulder), TE David Martin (ribs), WR Ruvell Martin (chest), RT Mark Tauscher (groin).
Probable: LT Chad Clifton (shoulder), WR Donald Driver (shoulder), RB Ahman Green (knee), DE Aaron Kampman (illness), CB Charles Woodson (shoulder).
Only Hodge, Ruvell Martin and Tauscher practiced.

Vikings
Doubtful: CB Cedric Griffin (neck).
Questionable: QB Brooks Bollinger (shoulder), WR Travis Taylor (ankle).
Probable: TE Jeff Dugan (knee), LB Napoleon Harris (wrist), RB Chester Taylor (ribs), DT Pat Williams (knee), WR Marcus Robinson (hip), DT Kevin Williams (shoulder), QB Tarvaris Jackson (knee).
None practiced.






A Pack of possibilities
By Jason Wilde /wsj.com
The Green Bay Packers were mathematically eliminated from playoff contention with four games left in the season last year, the first time Brett Favre didn't go into the season finale with a chance of making the postseason. And the Packers' legendary quarterback hated it. "In my career, there haven't been many times that we were just playing a season out," Favre said as he prepared for tonight's game between the Packers (6-8) and Minnesota Vikings (6-8), his last at Lambeau Field should he decide to retire after the season. "We were always playing for something - (the) playoffs - and last year was different. This year, we have to win out and hope that some things happen, but I think you're always playing every game like it's the playoffs." In 1992, Favre's first season in Green Bay, the Packers went into the regular-season finale against the Vikings knowing a win would get them into the playoffs, but they lost 27-7 at the Metrodome. They went to the postseason the next six years, and while they finished 8-8 in 1999 under Ray Rhodes, they went into the final day of the season still in contention, until Dallas won. The following year, a four- game winning streak to end the season almost got them in again in Mike Sherman's first year. The Packers needed to win their final game and get help from the New Orleans Saints and Chicago Bears, but the St. Louis Rams beat the Saints to claim the final playoff spot before the Packers' win over Tampa Bay was in the books. -- More






Annual 'Favre Watch' is on
By Chris Jenkins / Associated Press
Brett Favre remains supremely confident in his right arm. He isn't beaten up too badly for a 15-year veteran, and he says he still loves football. So why, then, is there a chance that the Green Bay Packers' game against the Minnesota Vikings on Thursday night might be Favre's finale at Lambeau Field? "People say, 'It still looks like you're having fun,' " Favre said. "The games themselves are fun and winning is fun." But the meetings and practices aren't as fun, especially when they don't produce as many victories as they used to. Now, once again, Favre must figure out whether it's all worth it. Like snowmobiling and ice fishing, Favre's flirtation with retirement is becoming an annual rite of winter in Wisconsin. About this time for the past few years, Favre has started to wonder aloud whether he will return to play next season. And every time, he talks himself into coming back. Will this year be any different? Former teammate Darren Sharper doesn't think so - although he wonders whether Favre would consider a move to another team, something Favre has all but ruled out in the past. "I don't think he's going to retire this season," said Sharper, now a safety for the Vikings. "I just really don't. Because of how well he's played this year, I think he's going to want to play some more and show people that he can - whether it's in Green Bay or whether it's not in Green Bay - that he can lead a team back to the playoffs and back to championship contention." Besides, Sharper said, what else would Favre do? "Go out on the farm? That's going to get old after a while," Sharper said. "He'll be back. It's in his blood, and he'll be back." -- More



Hawk fits fine with talented draft class
Linebacker looms large among NFL's rookies
By ROB REISCHEL / Special to Packer Plus
Posted: Dec. 20, 2006
The 2006 rookie class will go down as one of the better ones the NFL has seen in some time. Tennessee quarterback Vince Young, the third overall pick, is 6-4 as a starter and a front-runner for rookie of the year. Fellow quarterbacks such as Arizona's Matt Leinart (No. 10) and Denver's Jay Cutler (No. 11) are already starting and have extremely bright futures. New Orleans running back Reggie Bush, the second overall pick, leads the NFC in receptions (84). And Bush's teammate, wide receiver Marques Colston, has more than 1,000 yards and seven touchdowns - despite being the 252nd overall pick. Others such as New York Jets left tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson (4th overall), San Francisco tight end Vernon Davis (6th), Buffalo safety Donte Whitner (8th), Detroit linebacker Ernie Sims (9th), Baltimore defensive tackle Haloti Ngata (12th), New England running back Laurence Maroney (21st), Houston linebacker DeMeco Ryans (33rd), San Diego left tackle Marcus McNeill (50th) and Chicago return sensation Devin Hester (57th) highlight what's been a brilliant draft class. Then there's A.J. Hawk. The Green Bay Packers linebacker went No. 5 overall. And in a draft class that appears destined to be talked about for years to come, Hawk seems likely to garner much of the discussion. After 14 games, Hawk has done absolutely nothing to disappoint. And if he continues at his current pace, it's not unreasonable to think he'll play in multiple Pro Bowls before he's finished. -- More



OT & Vikings Historically
A Bad Combination For Packers
By Lee Remmel / Team Historian
Posted 12/19/2006
Appropriately enough, the Green Bay Packers played their very first regular-season overtime game against the neighboring Minnesota Vikings. The principals in that historic match-up since have played five more such sudden-death contests during the 27-year interim. And, frequently frustrated by the alleged law of averages, the Packers didn't win one until the turn of the century. The mewling new century was precisely 10 months and six days old when the Packers, defending their Lambeau Field home, prevailed over the Purple Gang in OT for the first time on the misty night of Nov. 6, 2000. As suggested, such a success had been somewhat overdue, Minnesota having been consistently reluctant to "concede" in any previous sudden-death encounter. Looking back, these venerable enemies battled to a 10-10 stalemate in "Lambeau" in their first overtime struggle (Nov. 26, 1978) - one which saw the Vikings score in the final minute of regulation (on a 5-yard Fran Tarkenton pass to Ahmad Rashad in the end zone). Rick Danmeier then kicked the extra point to forge a 10-10 deadlock that prevailed throughout the overtime. Both teams missed routine field-goal opportunities during the sudden-death period. A 19-yard Danmeier effort veered right with approximately 5 minutes remaining and the Packers' Chester Marcol sending a 40-yard attempt left of the uprights with only 17 seconds to play. Oddly enough, the very next time the Packers and Vikings met -in late September of 1979 - they again went into overtime. To the Packers' discomfiture, the Minnesotans won that one, 27-21, with the aid of the long ball. Vikings quarterback Tommy Kramer lofted a 50-yard strike to Rashad to settle the issue at 3:18 of sudden death at Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington, Minn. Four years and one month later - to the day - the Packers and Vikings forged another four-quarter deadlock - and the Minnesotans again carried the day, this time, 23-20, by dint of a 23-yard Benny Ricardo field goal. -- More






Meet Kalli
New orleans Saints
Cheerleader

AGE: 23
BIRTHDAY: February 27
HOMETOWN: Donaldsonville, LA
OCCUPATION: Student / Legal Secretary
DANCE/CHEER EXPERIENCE: Dancing since I was 5, cheerleader in high school, dance team in high school, 3rd year as a Saintsations

WHY DID YOU BECOME A CHEERLEADER? I became a cheerleader because my whole life my family and I have been die hard Saints fans. What better way to get involved with the game than by becoming a cheerleader?
WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT BEING A CHEERLEADER? What I like most about being a cheerleader is the way that little children seem to look up to us, and that we are positive role models for them. I also enjoy being so close to the action on the field
WHAT WAS YOUR MOST EXCITING MOMENT AS A CHEERLEADER? My most exciting moment was my first game as a Saintsation. It was an unbelievable experience.
EDUCATION: Soon the have a degree in General studies, with a minor in Psychology from Nicholls State University.
HOBBIES: Watching sports, traveling, hanging out with my friends and spending time with my godchild
FUTURE GOALS: To be happily married with children and to have a successful career.