With the Green Bay Packers mired in a two-game losing streak and injuries forcing the team to perform triage yesterday in Tampa, is it time to hit the panic button? The Packers have lost back-to-back games against 2007 playoff teams and battled the Bucs toe-to-toe despite their lack of ability to run the ball and an offensive line that simply can’t block. Not to mention a defense that has totally forgotten how to stop the run. Simply amazing.

My biggest concern is the inability to run the ball. Many of the problems on defense would be lessoned if the defense wasn’t on the field so much. The last two games the Packers have not been able to get that key first down to keep the sticks moving. Ryan Grant is a shell of his former self or just caught everybody off guard last year. I don’t want to hear about the hamstring, if you are playing then injury is not an excuse. Certainly without Brett Favre at quarterback, teams will play the Packers differently, no knock on Aaron Rodgers, but you don’t earn that kind of respect in four starts. Obviously teams will try to shut down the run and make Aaron Rodgers beat them. Well, Rodgers has won two and lost two. How he learns from these experiences will make or break him as a quarterback.

Since there is no avoiding it, I will chime in on the Favre-Rodgers comparisons that will escalate this week after Favre’s big day in New York. First of all, I know, you know, and Brett Favre knows he would never have had a game like he did yesterday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. For those of you who think the Packers would have won with Favre in the game yesterday, you have very short memories. The anointed one is 1-5 his last six trips to Tampa. Many of those losses had playoff implications. To this day Favre struggles against the “Tampa 2″ defense and to think Aaron Rodgers would be any better facing the Bucs his first time is ridiculous. I thought Rodgers played well under heavy pressure for the second straight week. Two of his three interceptions were not his fault and the TD passes were beauties, especially the second one.

If Ryan Grant was worth all the money he signed for he could take some of the pressure off the quarterback and even the offensive line. Right now the offensive line has no confidence. They are giving up penalties at an alarming rate. Left tackle Chad Clifton is responsible for 110 yards of holding penalties just by himself. That is insane. Almost as insane as the missed block on Rodgers’ third interception that nearly got Rodgers killed. If that crap doesn’t stop Rodgers, Favre, Flynn, whoever you want to throw in there, is bound to get killed. I’m wondering if Clifton’s health problems haven’t finally taken their toll on the venerable left tackle. Whatever the case, play at that position must improve dramatically.

The bottom line is the Packers are 2-2. Just like teams like the Chargers, Eagles, Jaguars, and oh yes, Jets. A win over the also 2-2 Falcons next week in Lambeau would leave the Packers pretty much where everybody expected them after five weeks. 4-3 at the bye would be a huge accomplishment considering the schedule. Rodgers is expected to play next week despite a shoulder sprain and if he is 80-90 percent the Packers should be able to beat the Falcons, even though the Falcons are a much better team than last year. Containing Michael Turner will be paramount. I doubt former Packers’ offensive coordinator and now Boston College head coach Jeff Jagodzinski will provide any tips on how to beat his former prize pupil (hehe).

So, I will say it is not time yet to hit the panic button. However, a loss at Lambeau to the Falcons and that button will be smashed. Like the Chargers said before they faced and subsequently clobbered the Jets, this is an early season must-win game.

Wednesday when we know more about the mounting injuries I might have a change heart, but confidence remains high.

Live game blog is back. By the way, my prediction was 24-23 Pack. Aaron Rodgers second come-from-behind victory.

Nice little 58-yard touchdown drive to open the game. Ryan Grant with some nice runs, Jordy Nelson a nice catch and Greg Jennings the TD pass. Sweet. 7-0 Pack.

Not so sweet anymore, thanks to two bad calls by the officials the Tampa Bucs have tied the game at 7. To go along with two terrible ball spots to boot, the refs are doing everything in their power to keep the Bucs in the game. Brandon Jackson help set the refs up by dropping a pass and tipping to the Bucs for Rodgers’ first pick of the year. Packers 7, Refs 7.

Rodgers is not having a good day against the 27th ranked pass defense. The defense is getting tired already and the Bucs have taken complete control of the game. Will be 14-7 very shortly. It will be interesting to see if head coach Mike McCarthy can get his team out of this funk. It looks like a hangover from the Dallas loss.

Getting ugly now. Rodgers throws another pick and the Bucs have found a weak spot in the Packers defense in the form of Nick Barnett. Now Woodson gets burned. Ugly might be a kind word.

Nick Collins could have turned the game around. Nope. Dropped a pass right in his hands. You almost have to try to drop a pass that perfectly thrown to you. Time for Charlie Peprah to see more playing time. Collins has done that too many times in his career.

The Packers’ season hangs in the balance during the upcoming halftime. Down by six or down by ten. It is gut check time for the Green Bay Packers.

Packers come out flat as a pancake but got a mistake from the Bucs in the form of a Tramon Williams interception. Now Rodgers better turn this into a 14-13 game or the questions will start mounting.

Horrible. Three-and-out. Might have been the worst play-call of the McCarthy era, but none the less, it appears this game is a lost cause. The players are playing bad and the coaches are coaching bad. Rude awakening. Go Brewers!

If that isn’t proof enough the referees are favoring the Bucs than nothing is. With the state of officiating in the NFL this year, and what happened in the NBA recently, questions need to be asked. Won’t help the Packers today, though, the refs mindset is all Tampa. Oh well, the only way to stick to them is to win the game. Maybe the Packers will man up. But I don’t see it happening. The defense has been on the field too long.

Ryan “Samkon Gado” Grant hands the game to the Bucs with a fumble recovered and returned for a TD by the Bucs. Oh well, 2-2 is still leading the division. Lets beat the Falcons next week.

Over and out.

I’m re-engaging with the injury to Rodgers. With A-Rod the Packers have no chance, but really, the way the defense is being gashed I don’t think the Packers can come back. We had our chances.

OK, now we have a chance. Thanks to Charles Woodson. Holy Cow! 21-20 Packers!?

The skeptics were right about Rodgers being fragile. Unbelievable. We know what the media will be saying this week with Brett throwing 4 TDs in New York. Life just got a little tougher for Packers’ fans and a whole lot brighter for Thompson bashers.

Cody – it looked Rodgers hurt his shoulder calling the signals. I don’t know. He threw a touchdown pass and left the game.

Game, set, match. How can you not protect the quarterback in that situation. He is already hurt. The failure to fix the offense and defensive lines, combined with the injuries in the secondary, leaves the Packers looking at a long season. If Rodgers doesn’t play next week I might have to admit I was wrong, even though I lost all respect for Brett Favre over the summer

I will be happy if the Packers can beat the Falcons next week and be 3-2. Probably about where most people hoped for considering the tough early schedule. Of course if Rodgers can’t play, all bets are off.

Game over. 30-21 Bucs. Going to be a rough week Packers’ fan. Rough week. I’m not going to get involved. Talk to you next Sunday. Jon, welcome back. I won’t be reading, so say what you want.

The Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys. Thanks to one game in 1967 this will always be a historical matchup. History was once again made Sunday night when the Cowboys earned their first ever win at Lambeau Field, making a statement along the way. The Packers had their opportunities and have no one to blame but themselves. The Cowboys are clearly the class of the league and with the Patriots losing Tom Brady, probably the Super Bowl favorites. I have to admit, I didn’t think they were that good, but the Cowboys’ dominance on the offensive and defensive lines was the difference in the game.

Three times in the red zone and three field goals will not get the job done, especially at home and even more so against a team like the Cowboys. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers was running for his life and sacked five times. Amazingly, he did not throw an interception and did manage 290 yards, but much of that was in garbage time. The inability of Rodgers to get the team in the endzone early will be highly criticized, but after reviewing the tape, there were not many options available for him and at least he didn’t throw a pick, which allowed the Packers to stay within striking distance most of the game.

This will be a learning experience for Rodgers and even though he did not play bad, how he is able to get his team to bounce back next week on the road in Tampa will be a nice judge of his leadership abilities. In fact, Rodgers should be the least or our concerns, he is a player that  will get better each week, each experience will make him better. The Packers really need to be concerned about their decreasing ability to stop the opponents running game.

Three games into the season the Packers’ defense has been hemorrhaging yards both via the ground and air, a disturbing trend. Giving up 19, 25, and 27 points is not bad considering the opponents, but how long can they bend and not break? And can the offense bail them out like they did in two of the first three games? This is not in any stretch of the imagination the 1996 Packers’ defense. Do the Packers need that defense to make the playoffs and advance further, probably not, but they need a better performance beginning next week at the 2-1 Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

It will be a different defense next week against the Bucs, cornerback Al Harris is out for the year with a spleen injury and his replacement, Tramon Williams was primarily responsible, along with safety Aaron Rouse, for the Cowboys game-clinching touchdown pass yesterday. In that respect, confidence can’t be too high considering Bucs’ QB Brian Griese threw for 407 yards against the Bears Sunday. However, I think after facing the Cowboys, whatever team the Packers play next week it will be easier to execute. And like Ryan Pickett just said on “Larry McCarren’s Locker Room,” they don’t crown the Super Bowl Champions in September.

To sum up, it was a disappointing loss, to say the least, given so many chances to take control. But it was a team loss to a pretty good football team. You can’t say great team because the Cowboys haven’t won a playoff game in a decade, but right now, they are the flavor of the month. I like the Packers’ chances in a rematch in January.

As the now lost for the season Al Harris would say, “It is what it is,” and it isn’t all bad.

The Dallas Cowboys bring the NFL’s number one offense to Lambeau Field tonight in an early season conference showdown. The Packers and Cowboys are both playoff teams from a year ago but since then the expectations have gone in drastically different directions. The Cowboys are expected to go to the Super Bowl this and the Packers were expected to not make the playoffs. After two weeks of the season it seems little has changed from last year. The Packers and Cowboys are one-two, tonight will determine who is number one.

I like the Packers in a shootout. I don’t think the Packers’ defense can stop the Cowboy’s offense, and vice-versa. Packers 38, Cowboys 34.

The Packers made it interesting, but in the end the resulting 23-point win was pretty much what it should have been. This was a trap game for the Packers, a huge win last week, short week, and against a division rival. Call head coach Mike McCarthy what you want, but “good coach” has be part of the description at some point. McCarthy kept his team together throughout the offseason turmoil and his faith in his players has paid off so far. The Packers have now won 19 of their last 22 regular season football games. In the NFL, I might add. Granted, they do not have a Super Bowl ring to hang on that accomplishment, but I do believe that is just a matter of time.

Today Aaron Rodgers passed another big test. Can he bring a team from behind? After the Packers blew a 21-point lead, Rodgers did just that, leading the team on drives that resulted in a field goal and a touchdown to give the Packers a nine-point lead. From there the Packers’ defense unloaded on the Lions offense and turned the game into a rout. What a great day it was. From rout to disappointing loss back to rout in five minutes time.

The Packers did have some hard times. The new punter let a snap go through his hands for a safety, Rodgers fumbled and the Lions got a field-goal out of it. The defense gave up too many passing yards prior to getting ticked off and ending the affair. Rodgers also struggled in the third quarter adjusting to the Lions halftime adjustments. In the end, however, Rodgers gets his first come-from-behind-win and the Packers are 2-0. Like last year when they met, the two best teams in the NFC meet next Sunday, this time at Lambeau. Providing, that is, the Cowboys beat the Eagles tomorrow.

Packers’ fans should feel confident. This is a good football team. Better than last year I think.

More to come…

Still 30 minutes of football to play, if this is what we are going to get from Aaron Rodgers all year, life will be good for the Green Bay Packers. Yes, it is the Lions, but it is on the road in a city the Packers have a bad history in. Rodgers was pretty much unstoppable in the first half, going 16-20 for 210 yards and three touchdowns.

Let’s keep it up in the second half and not let the Lions get life.

Strange things have happened in the Motor City in the past, but those things happened prior to the Mike McCarthy era. McCarthy  has never lost to either the Lions or Vikings since taking the helm and that impressive string should continue today. The Packers by a wide margin, have the better the team today and only a hideous performance by all phases would mean defeat. The Lions are plain and simple – bad. But if the Packers are looking ahead to Dallas next week, the evil Mr. Hyde may indeed rear his ugly head.

Since the Packers have shown the ability to focus on the task at hand under McCarthy, I look for the Packers to get their 19th win in their last 22 regular season games. Packers 31, Lions 14.

After six months of hype heading into the new era in Green Bay Packers’ football, the team can finally get back to its normal routine following the rousing Monday win over the rival Vikings. Well almost, after all it was a Monday night game, making a short week, but now the focus is on the Detroit Lions and Detroit Lions only.

Monday night was a huge win and in the short term answered many questions about the Packers. Obviously number one was whether or not Aaron Rodgers can play. That does not appear to be a question any longer. Rodgers followed up his excellent performance in Dallas last year with a solid first game as a starter. Against a strong defense and a shaky start, Rodgers might not have calmed the fears of all Packers’ fans, but even the biggest doubters have to give the guy a shot now.

Rodgers showed the youthful exuberance that reflected his age and excitement in finally getting the chance to play. He did not look scared Monday night, even against a Vikings’ defense that is one of the best in the NFL. But such as life is in the NFL, what he does in Detroit is all that matters now. And like head coach Mike McCarthy said, the Packers are “heading into a hornet’s nest.” I do think the Lions suck and the Packers really shouldn’t have a problem, but stranger things have happened when the Packers visit Detroit.

I thought the defense played a great game Monday even though they did give up a ton of yards. A couple of big plays hurt them, the quarterback scramble still is a problem for them, but overall they made life tough for the Vikings. Had not for giving up that fourth-down touchdown pass late in the game would it have been a gem.

I hope Will Blackmon stays healthy this year. Like I said I previously, he can’t cover anybody but the guy is a special weapon on special teams. Brings to mind Desmond Howard. The special teams have improved ten-fold over the last couple of years. I thought Mike Stock was a joke when McCarthy hired him, but that unit has shown major improvement the last two years. Sure, much of that has to to with improved talent on the roster, but Stock should get his share of credit.

Sure am looking forward to Sunday. Sure wish Ryan Grant was healthy. More on that to come…

The Green Bay Packers and new quarterback Aaron Rodgers do what they do. Win games. The 24-19 win over the arch rival Vikings might be the one of the greatest games I’ve been at in my 35 years of going to games. The pressure on the new quarterback, the questions about the defense and offensive lines, it was like the Packers were in a no win situation. As Gomer Pyle would say “Surprise, surprise”!

In in the end, little has changed. The Packers are still the favorites in NFC North and still are one of the favorites in the NFC. Offense, defense, special teams. It was a great night.

More to come…

The 2008 NFL season is off and running and a wild day it was in the NFL. From Atlanta’s dismantling of Detroit, to Carolina’s last second win at San Diego, it was quite a day. Oh yeah, New England quarterback Tom Brady was lost for the year with a torn ACL. What a day. Two games remain on the schedule. The Minnesota Vikings at Green Bay and Denver at Oakland. It will hard to match the excitement of today, however.

Somehow, I think the Packers-Vikings game will find a way to do just that. When these two teams meet, anything can happen and usually does. Obviously the biggest story line is Aaron Rodgers making his first NFL start, but the game will come down to much more than that. Can the Packers stop Adrian Peterson? Can the Vikings stop the Packers’ passing game. Can Ryan Grant just show up and be successful after missing all of the preseason? Will Tarvaris Jackson be able to productive wearing a knee-brace after hurting himself on a bonehead play in the preaseason? What effect will the expected rain have on the game?

To be honest I have no idea what to expect. The Packers shouldn’t have any trouble passing on the Vikings unless Rodgers really stinks it up and I just can’t see that happening. I doubt the Packers can, or for that matter, will even try to run the ball against the Vikings vaunted run defense. The running game could be effective if the Packers are able to get out to an early lead via a few big passing plays. The Vikings will be trying to run the ball at a defense that has several question marks on the defensive line. Peterson will get a heavy workload, that is for sure. Jackson will look for mismatches in the Packers’ secondary and take his shots deep.

What it comes to I think is if the Packers’ passing game can outscore Peterson. In the end, I think they can and will. I look for Donald Driver and Greg Jennings to have big games and the Packers’ running attack of Grant and Brandon Jackson to do just enough. The Packers start out the Rodgers era with a 27-20 win.