The Green Bay Packers looked good in their last preseason performance, and Thursday’s game against the Titans means something only if you are Brian Brohm or Matt Flynn. So what you have seen the last three games is pretty much the best view of what this year’s team will be. Or is it?

While I think the preseason is indeed important, I think it is hard for people like myself to separate the individual performances from the team performance like coaches can. They can see a good play by a player on a play that gives up a touchdown and vice versa. Most of us just watch the marquee players and their challengers. I think the preseason is necessary, but three games is enough. Most teams play only scrubs the fourth game and with the exception of a few positions, the roster is pretty much set.

The problem is, we have not seen anything of running back Ryan Grant and very little, if anything, of players like Greg Jennings, Al Harris, Charles Woodson, A.J. Hawk, KGB and Ryan Pickett. The question is are the Packers being conservative or are the Packers facing a possible injury riddled season?

The one that worries me the most is Ryan Pickett. He is the heart and soul of that defensive line and without him they are not the same. At most he will only have one week of practice if he returns to practice in the next day or so. Not good.

Backup quarterback is also another major concern. Thursday might shed a little more light on that subject, but I am already on the record of saying neither of these two guys are worthy of backing up Aaron Rodgers. Daunte Culpepper is looking better and better every day.

More to come…

First impressions look good. Rodgers shines, Double-D gets the TD. So far so good.

Second impressions so-so. Defense did hold them to three, but did give up two 22-yard plays.

Packers 7, Broncos 3.

The Packers’ defense all of a sudden looks horrible. The Broncos started at the one and are at midfield now. Ugly. But 50 yards to go.

This is a horrible drive for the Packers’ defense. Nick Collins and Atari Bigby are out with injuries, Charles Woodson left with an injury but did return. But this is the Packers’ worst nightmare. Confidence is not high.

Ninety-nine yards on the Packers’ defense? And quarterback is what we are worried about? That was a punch in the mouth by Broncos to the Packers’ defense. Wow. That was very discouraging.

Does depth at cornerback worry you at all?

All in all, a great bounce back game for Aaron Rodgers. 16-of-19 for 178 yards and touchdown is pretty good.

I love McCarthy. A great non-interview interview to start the second half.

Who would have thought the quarterback sneak would ever be a part of the Packers’ offense again? I love it. No offense to the great one, but that looked pretty simple. Rodgers leaves with a 20-17 lead. 18 of 22 for 193 yards, a touchdown pass and a touchdown rushing. Not too shabby.

This was our last view of Rodgers this preseason. His next real appearance is for all the marbles. Yeah, he may take a snap or two next Thursday, but we saw what we needed to see tonight. And I like what we saw.

I’m out. Good night now.

Head coach Mike McCarthy has not done his young quarterback any favors by refusing to run the ball in either of the first two preseason games. I always thought the best way to break in a young QB was to have a strong running game. We don’t know if the Packers have that because they haven’t even tried to run the game yet this year. Shades of 2007.

The play calling against San Francisco was really strange. Four running plays called out of the first 25 plays in the game. Against a blitz-happy team no less. I always thought the best way to slow the blitz was to hit a few running plays or a few screens. The Packers tried one screen and it went for 20 yards. Go figure.

Maybe McCarthy is so concerned with the failings of the offense line to find cohesiveness that he doesn’t have confidence in some of the plays he wants to call. Whatever the case, I know it is preseason, but the play calling has certainly been suspect. I mean, don’t you have to get the running game ready for the opener as well?

Another game did nothing to change my mind that the Packers need a veteran backup at QB in case Aaron Rodgers gets hurt. Chris Simms of Tampa Bay will likely be traded but I can’t see Ted Thompson getting into a bidding war for him. Culpepper is still out there and will be considerably cheaper now than he was in April. It has to be disappointing to McCarthy that neither Brian Brohm nor Matt Flynn made any positive strides in their second games. They might both be headed for the practice squad.

I’m looking forward to the return of Greg Jennings and Ryan Grant, both hopefully will be back Friday night at Denver. Maybe with Grant back McCarthy will actually try to run the ball. Then again, maybe this zone blocking scheme still isn’t working.

More to come…

Playing behind a makeshift offensive line in front of his home crowd, Aaron Rodgers looked every bit the young inexperienced quarterback he is. It wasn’t all Rodgers fault, although he held the ball too long on three of his four sacks and seemed uncertain where to go with the ball at other times, his receivers are having a hard time catching the ball this year. For the second straight game Donald Driver dropped a perfectly thrown ball that hit him right in the hands, this one had six points written all over it. Not to be outdone, tight end Donald Lee dropped a perfectly thrown pass in the end zone after a Charles Woodson interception set up the Packers at the 49ers’ seven. Two plays that could have changed the game.

For the second straight week the Packers running games was a non-factor and on the other side of the ball the defense played well for a quarter but the second the backups come in the flood gates opened for the 49ers. The secondary and defensive line have to be areas of concern due to lack of depth, but nothing like the problems the offensive line faces. If head coach Mike McCarthy and general manager Ted Thompson can’t shore up that unit or find the right combination, it will be a long season for the Packers. I mean really, where is Jason Spitz going to start next week? Running back? Tight end? This is getting ridiculous. Darren Colledge couldn’t block my grandmother.

If the Packers wanted a wake-up call, they got it. The offensive line is horrible, the backup quarterbacks suck and the receivers can’t catch. Seems like the Packers miss Greg Jennings and Ryan Grant more and more each week. Getting those two back will help, but without an offensive line, it won’t be enough.

It is only preseason and by no means is it time to panic. Two more games to work out the kinks. Back to the drawing board after a lesson learned. This is what preseason is for, and judging from the tone of McCarthy’s voice last night, this all-around poor performance will be addressed. However, the Packers will be playing their third game in 13 games on Friday, so unlike most third preseason games, I don’t see this one as being the usual dress rehearsal for the regular season. Any nicked up starters will likely sit out again. I do expect Rodgers to play into the third quarter, however. That is if he isn’t maimed in the first half.

More to come…

The dress rehearsal for Aaron Rodgers’ coming out party went off without a hitch Monday night and Packer nation let out a collective sigh of relief. Everybody knows it was a preaseason game, so no need to go into that, but like the man he replaced will face Saturday night in his first start for the Jets, this was bigger than most preseason games. Rodgers did not disappoint. He made few if any mistakes and handled himself professionally as he has all training camp. Yes, he will have bad games, Brett Favre had more than his share, but the Packers do not have to worry about that position, at least as a starter. Backup is a whole another thing. Third-stringer Matt Flynn looked better than second-stringer Brian Brohm but neither looked to be the next big thing. Look for a veteran backup to be signed before the end of the preseason.

I thought Brandon Jackson did enough to put some pressure on Ryan Grant, who held out until last week waiting for a new contract. Jackson did miss a couple of blitz pickups, but if he fixes that like he fixed his ability to run the ball, he could be something special. He can either juke a guy or run him over sometimes but always keeps his feet moving. I bet Grant’s hamstring felt a lot better Tuesday morning.

Tramon Williams is another up-and-coming player who will certainly replace either Al Harris or Charles Woodson in the coming years. Even much maligned  Jarrett Bush appeared to hold his own with the starters. Nick Barnett looks poised for a huge year if you ask me, he is a beast in the middle and continues to get better with age.

I think along with praying Aaron Rodgers stays healthy the Packers should also be praying Will Blackmon stays healthy. Blackmon is a Devon Hester in the making at least on punt returns while Jordy Nelson and Williams also look good there, Blackmon seems to be a step above them. Blackmon seems to have that knack for big plays. I think we have seen the last Woodson in that capacity.

The defensive line is in big trouble I think. Without the expected development of Justin Harrell, the Packers are woefully thin in talent and experience in a crucial position. If general manager Ted Thompson needs to fix something now, it is the d-line. I still believe a second-round pick for Corey Williams was a good deal, but injuries have a way of making good deals look bad. I think Teddy will do something here in the next few weeks. Call Grady Jackson if you have to.

Looking forward to Saturday. Favre makes his first start for the Jets at six and the Packers and 49ers tee it up a eight. Rodgers against Alex Smith for the first time. The way things are looking right now, the 49ers took the wrong guy. Of course, Smith didn’t have the luxury of learning for three years behind a Hall-of-Famer. This is Smith’s make or break year.

Finally, I think Tony Kornheiser is an absolute idiot. When he said the standing ovation for the first-team offense was for the “Packers team” and not for Aaron Rodgers he just showed how little he knows about sports and the Green Bay Packers in particular. That ovation was for Rodgers first and the team second and now we are all as one because of it. To further show his man-love for Favre he disrespected the Packers on national television by wearing a Jets number four jersey in the third quarter. And ABC took heat for putting Dennis Miller in the booth? I’d take Miller any day over this bozo. I’ll still watch PTI but my respect for the penguin is all gone (not that there was much in the first place).

More to come…

The Green Bay Packers and head coach Mike McCarthy got what they were looking for in Aaron Rodgers and the first-team offense by putting up 10 first quarter points that should have been more had not for a drop that turned into a pick by wide receiver Chris Francies. Rodgers moved the team pretty much from the get go and showed poise in the pocket in his one quarter of play.

The Packers’ defense also looked stout even though starting cornerbacks Charles Woodson and Al Harris watched from the sidelines. Linebackers Nick Barnett and A.J. Hawk made big plays and held the high-powered Bengals to two-straight three-and-outs to start the game. When the starters left the Pack led 10-0.

Thankfully, football is back and the only thing that matters now is what happens on the field. I’ll have more on the game tomorrow, but first impressions are not too shabby.

The Green Bay Packers and Brett Favre finally ended their drawn-out drama by the team trading Favre to the New York Jets. This is a deal that works for both sides. The Jets get Favre obviously at a late stage in his career but coming off a great season, the Packers get a draft pick that can escalate to a first round pick if the Jets reach the Super Bowl. Granted that is unlikely but the deal is fair for both parties. And we should all wish Favre well because the better he does the better it is for the Green Bay Packers.

I think if everybody acted like they did today and communicated with each other in the same manner, I’m referring to the press conferences by the Packers’ brass and now by Brett Favre, this situation would have been settled in March. It seems neither side gave the other a chance. There are about a million “if only” situations in this saga that could have changed things but it didn’t happen and as Al Harris likes to say “you know, it is what it is.”

Favre admitted he wanted to play for a division opponent so he could stick it to the Packers, but he said he got over it quickly. He did seem genuinely upset that he was not welcome back in Green Bay, though. A wound that will take years to heal. Don’t expect that number retirement for a long time. Packers’ head coach Mike McCarthy and even Favre himself said that Favre would still be a Packer forever and we know time will heal all wounds. Ted Thompson won’t be the general manager here forever, and that is Favre’s main rival in all of this. For whatever reason those two never clicked. It seems every year Favre was complaining about management not doing enough to help the team even though the team improved by four wins in 2006 to 8-8 and to 14-4 last year. What is there not to like about that?

Thompson admitted he was not comfortable as being “the guy who traded Brett Favre” and didn’t even want to sign the official trade papers, but he did sign and Brett Favre is a New York Jet. If Aaron Rodgers needed any further affirmation that he is the guy he just got it. The Packers commitment to Rodgers not only puts the jobs of Thompson and McCarthy on the line it also presents an interesting dilemma to the huge contingence of Packers’ fans that want Thompson and McCarthy fired. Do they root for their favorite team to lose? Do you boo Aaron Rodgers to help facilitate that? Like players always say “hard times don’t build character, they reveal it,” the true character of Packers’ fans will be reveled in the next few weeks.

Let’s hope there is more character shown by the masses than some of us, myself included, have shown in this blog during this ordeal. It’s over, and from now on my only subjects will be the members of the Green Bay Packers and what is going on during a season I hope can still  be successful. That doesn’t mean I’m going to be all warm-and-fuzzy when or if things go bad, you should know me better than that. When the football starts I have to call it as I see it, for better or worse.

Football starts Monday for the Green Bay Packers. Good timing in the end. It would have sucked if the Packers had to play tonight like the Jets do. My guess is it would have embarrassing on all accounts. Now the team has a few days to get ready without distraction and the process really begins. The players almost to a man said the team was relieved and practiced at a new level yesterday and today. As Favre said in his press conference, “we’re moving forward.” I couldn’t be happier with the deal, now I can root for both sides. Favre is in the AFC and will never play the Packers unless it is in a Super Bowl Wouldn’t that be ironic if that happened in Tampa Bay this year?

As Vince Lombardi used to say, “now we start the big push.” Let’s get it on and Go Pack!

More to come…

The Green Bay Packers have always been known to have the best fans of all time, but it seems their true colors are coming out since this Brett Favre saga began. I will be the first to admit that I have reacted emotionally with every twist and turn in this story and absolutely include myself when I say Packers’ fans are embarrassing themselves. When Favre and the Packers say mistakes were made on both sides they should also include the fans. A big mistake was made yesterday when the fans disrupted practice with “Bring back Brett” chants while the offense is trying to practice a red-zone drill. If you are a Packers’ fan at heart how can you purposely hurt the team like that?

Yes, I have had some harsh words during this whole ordeal, but I would never, ever, try to hurt the Green Bay Packers as they try to prepare for what should have been a great season. What could possibly be going through a person’s mind that would make them think that disrupting practice would make the Packers a better team this year? If I were the Packers I come up with some excuse to move practice inside the Don Hutson Center for a few days to quell the less then fortunate individuals for a day or two while preparing for a game Monday night.

Mike McCarthy, however, is not afraid of anything and while some may call it ego, I call it confidence. He will not give in to bozos like that. What kind of fan cheers when a quarterback of the team they claim they are suporting throws an interception? Many of my readers need to look no further than the morning mirror. If you didn’t see it, here is the quote from Greg Jennings:

“I don’t care how focused you are, you heard that. That was one of those practices where you really had to try to just mentally be there. And if you weren’t mentally there, you were kind of listening in and letting it kind of distract you.”

To me, that is the most disturbing quote to come out of this whole mess but it doesn’t surprise me that it came from Jennings. Quietly, I guess until now maybe, the young Jennings is becoming a team leader. Veteran Charles Woodson echoed those thoughts and today when the team was told the story was over, by all reports the team let out a big sigh.

The train has left the station. Packers’ fans are welcome to jump on board. Am I sorry for the way this played out? Yes. Did I make comments I want back? Yes. But from this day forward, I will be a Packers’ fan. It may be boring, but so be it.

More to come…

Well, so much for the Brett Favre comeback. It lasted all of one day. After meeting with head coach Mike McCarthy for about ten hours, Favre walked out of camp Tuesday morning. McCarthy made it clear that Aaron Rodgers is the starting quarterback and that while Favre on the roster makes the team better, it is only because Favre gives the team depth at the crucial quarterback position. The Packers have not backed down on their commitment to Rodgers and right or wrong, it is what it is. Jump on board or shut up.

Even if you hate McCarthy and Ted Thompson, how can you not respect them for standing by their convictions? That being Aaron Rodgers gives the team a better chance to win the Super Bowl than Brett Favre does. I agree. Might not happen this year, Favre didn’t win a Super Bowl his first year as a starter, either, and really, when you look at the players Favre had around him at that stage of his career, he should have won more than one Super Bowl. Rodgers also has a good team around him as he becomes a starter in his fourth year, the difference is he spent three years on the bench instead of on the field. That fact will be overlooked for sure by the media and fans the first time Rodgers throws three picks in a game.

The saga is finally over. Wherever Favre ends up playing I wish him well, except when or if he plays against the Green Bay Packers. Hopefully the Packers can get some compensation for what it is still a good player, but in the end if he won’t practice and he won’t agree to a trade, they will have to release him. That probably won’t happen until the final cut-down.

Today was a good day. I’m back baby! Go Pack!