Well, the Arizona Cardinals proved to be no match for the Packers’ offense. Aaron Rodgers was again on fire as it was a simple march to a 7-0 lead. A John Kuhn TD gives the Packers a 7-zip lead. A great drive.

The third preseason game is the usual dress rehearsal for regular season with the starters playing into the third quarter. For the Packers they couldn’t have planned it any better. Two home games to get your feet wet and look good then a trip to the defending NFC Champions to see how good you really are. The Cardinals haven’t gotten a lot of respect despite winning the NFC but I’m in the camp that this is a good team and the Packers will indeed get a good test tomorrow night.

First and foremost I want to see the Packers’ offense continue to move the ball at will with Aaron Rodgers at the helm. With the weapons the Packers have on offense nobody should really shut them down, but game situations may limit their opportunities and the offense needs to prove they can get the job done when the chips are down. Friday night that could just mean they have to keep pace with the high-powered Cardinals which would in a regular season game give them a good chance to win the game. Myself, I would like to see the defense shut down the Cards, which would be a huge confidence builder after playing two cream-puffs the first two weeks of the preseason.

I also can’t wait to see Tyrell Sutton play with the No. 1 unit after lighting things up in the first two games while playing with the scrubs. If Sutton does it again he pretty much insures himself a roster spot and in my mind the backup running back spot over Brandon Jackson. I have not been impressed by Jackson since the end of his rookie year mainly because just when he starts looking good he gets hurt. If Jackson was available to spell Ryan Grant last year just a little bit it would have helped Grant get his legs under him. A hurt Grant was still better than a healthy Jackson to start last season which doesn’t say much about Jackson. Kregg Lumpkin  and Deshawn Wynn’s decline the last two weeks means Jackson will around another year, but I hope Sutton proves tomorrow he is number two.

The Packers offensive line is now set so we need to see cohesiveness from that unit in their first extended period of playing together. I thought the five best lineman would have included Scott Wells, but I guess Josh Sitton forced the issue with his play at right guard which made Jason Spitz stay in the lineup at center. It’s too bad Wells can’t play right tackle. Tomorrow I think if there is a weak link it will be Barbre, I can’t see Spitz giving up his job unless Sitton falls on his face and Spitz has to move to guard again. I sure hope that doesn’t happen. When was the last time the Packers had a solid cohesive offensive line.? It’s been a while it seems.

The obvious thing to watch is how the Packers new defense handles the Cardinals’ offense, I doubt very seriously the Packers number one defense goes another game without giving up any points, it would be nice, but I can’t see it happening. I wish the defense had Clay Matthews and Nick Barnett back this week as this is the last time the starters really play much, but both look like they will be ready for the regular season, but only Barnett will be starting. Matthews should get plenty of playing time next week at least.

I should be around for a game time blog tomorrow. It’s preseason so I’ll try to stay in control.

This is getting scary. The Green Bay Packers’ first-string offense looks unstoppable, and the new 34 defense is coming up huge in two preseason games. We all know we have to look at these games with knowing the outcome of the game means nothing, the main focus is to evaluate players. The Packers’ first string offense doesn’t need much evaluating, they are in mid-season form, in fact, they are on fire. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers is looking better and better and now he might have another huge weapon in tight end Jermichael Finley, who along with Greg Jennings and Donald Driver make this passing game almost unstoppable.

When Finley made that first catch for a first down he used the classic Keith Jackson first-down motion that brought back great memories. The Packers’ offense is on their way to something special I think. Like the past 18 years in Green Bay if the quarterback doesn’t get hurt the Packers are going to be in the hunt.  The Packers have so many weapons on offense it is ridiculous. There isn’t a receiver on any other NFC North team that would be a starter on the Packers. Greg Jennings, Donald Driver, James Jones, Jordy Nelson and Ruvell Martin have to be one of the best receiving crews in the NFL, if not the best.

I know, I know, it is only preseason, and like head coach Mike McCarthy said, “don’t strike up the band”, but how can we not be excited about what we see? Maybe because the Lions went 4-0 last preseason on their way to 0-16? We all know how the preseason works, but the Packers’ ones against the opponents’ ones have been a mismatch. The next two preseason games are on the road so it will be interesting to see how those games play out, but the foundation has been laid.

Certainly confidence is high, Rodgers is looking great and with the weapons he has around him the Packers are only a defense away from greatness. I’m not a patient fan, and when former defensive coordinator Bob Sanders was fired and Dom Capers was hired to bring in the 34 defense, immediate improvement was expected. The Packers’ defense in two games has been great, however, they have faced to horrible offenses, so write home to Momma just yet.

My concerns about the offensive line are still valid. I am not sold on the right side of this unit. Rodgers has praised his line and I love that, but the only weakness of the offense is still the o-line. I guess if that is all I have to worry about on offense I shouldn’t lose a lot of sleep. Rodgers is capable of breaking every passing record in team history, expect one or two of them to fall this year.

If the Packers have an Achilles Heel developing in training camp it might be right tackle. The loss of Mark Tauscher might be a little harder to fill than they thought. Allen Barbre was the offseason favorite but once the pads came on he started getting pushed around. Now Breno Giacomini is running with the ones more and more and the position is still way to unsettled for comfort. This was supposed to be figured out at least by the third preseason game and that is not likely to happen now.

The battle at center may not be decided by who does better but by the fact that Jason Spitz can play right guard at a high level and may be needed to provide help on the right side of the line. The five best will play and right now it looks like the weakest link is right tackle. I’m kind of hoping Giacomini will take control of the position as he has long term potential whereas Barbre has already blown numerous chances. My guess is Scott Wells at center and Spitz at guard and Breno at tackle. I was hoping T.J. Lang would make a move but I guess it is not to be.

At least it is not Aaron Rodgers blind side, but it is a big concern nonetheless.

When Brett Favre signed his contract today with the Minnesota Vikings he also signed away any chance he ever had of returning to Green Bay as a hero. He is now public enemy number one and if the Packers only win two games this year they better be the Vikings games. I have never hated a former Packer more than I hate Brett Favre. You say hate is a strong word, in this case it is a weak word. Brett Favre is dead to me. I have more respect for Jim McMahan.

Judging by his press conference today it is clear that Favre has no respect for Packers’ fans. To think that a true Packers’ fan would embrace him playing for the Packers’ most hated rival just goes to show how stupid this man is. Brett Favre has no clue what a “true Packers’ fan” is. He should never be allowed back in Green Bay after he retires and certainly never allowed in the Packers’ Hall of Fame. His accomplishments on the field merit induction, but his hatred for the Packers should keep him out of this city forever. I would never welcome him back. All the things he said to disrespect the city, the organization, and the Packers’ fans cannot be brushed under the rug. The guy is the biggest baby I’ve ever seen play in the NFL, except for maybe Ryan Leaf, but it is a close call.

One thing I really liked hearing today was the Packers’ players were pretty much saying they can’t wait to kick his ass, linebacker Nick Barnett made it perfectly clear he was coming after him. The Packers certainly have nothing to fear in Brett Favre, in fact, they have everything to gain. Favre is a shell of his former self so his signing with the Vikings pretty much ends the Vikings’ playoff hopes and pretty much puts the division in the hands of the Packers and Bears. Contrary to popular belief the Vikings are not a quarterback away from winning the Super Bowl. This is a desperation move by Brad Childress to save his job and everybody knows it. The beauty is it cost the Vikings $12 million to boot. This move is just another in a long line of losing moves the Vikings have made over the years that makes them a laughingstock in the NFL. We all remember how they paved the way for the Dallas Cowboys to win three Super Bowls in the 90s.

The Vikings’ coach, and their owner, blatantly lied to their players and fans during the process and one can only wonder how that plays in the locker room. Chilly wasn’t exactly a lovable character to begin with. I guess, at this point, neither is Favre. This is going to be a joy to watch as it is a train wreck in the making. I feel like I’m watching Gomez in the Addams Family.

Finally, when Favre says the Packers’ choose to go in a different direction he is so full of shit it is simply unbelievable to hear him say that. The Packers didn’t cut Brett Favre, Brett Favre retired. What were the Packers to do? Not play a quarterback the next year? And to think that Favre thinks the Packers treated him like shit is just proof of how stupid this guy is. The outpouring of goodwill the Packers’ fans gave to him made him a star. When his wife was diagnosed with breast cancer the Packers and Packers’ fans were instrumental in starting the Deanna Favre’s Hope Foundation and proof of that was a total pink out at a game shortly after her diagnoses. After hurricane Katrina Packers’ fans made huge donations to the relief fund mainly because it hit so close and even destroyed Favre’s family home. To say the Packers and their fans did nothing for Favre is a joke and Favre owes more to us than we do to him.

If the Vikings beat the Packers this year, which I think is very unlikely, head coach Mike McCarthy is 7-1 against the Vikings and his only loss was a missed field goal at the buzzer last year, than so be it. Where the two teams are at the end of the season is all that counts and the Vikings will have a fading 40-year old QB leading them while the Packers will have one of the best young quarterbacks in the NFL leading them. You can’t find a valid argument anywhere to say Favre is better than Aaron Rodgers at this point which probably is why the Packers and their fans won’t lose any sleep over Favre joining the Vikings on the field. They may not hate Favre like I do, but they are smart enough to know this is a good move for the rest of the division.

The Green Bay Packers pitched a shutout in their debut of their new 3-4 defense and the first-team offense put up two touchdowns to lead the Packers to a 17-0 victory over the Cleveland Browns. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers looked sharp and we got a glimpse of the big-play potential of this offense. Ryan Grant showed some of the quickness that he exhibited in his breakout season two years ago, even though rookie running back Tyrell Sutton stole the show in the second half. Sutton, the 5-8 back out of Northwestern looked great and may be staking a claim to a roster spot with his play in practice and now games. This year’s Mr. Augustit looks like.

The defense put some pressure on the Browns’ quarterbacks and snagged four interceptions picking up right where they left off last season at least in that department. The unit was without Al Harris and Charles Woodson also thin at linebacker due to injuries but still managed to keep the Browns off the scoreboard. The Browns aren’t exactly the Patriots but it was still good see some pressure on the QB for a change. I can’t wait to see them at full strength.

The Packers’ backup quarterbacks could only manage three points which was a little discouraging. Neither Matt Flynn nor Brian Brohm could get anything going other than a few plays here and there, Flynn more so than Brohm. I can’t see the Packers keeping Brohm around unless he improves dramatically the next three weeks.

Good to have Packers’ football back. I love the preseason.

There are some players or stories that I can’t take anymore. So here are the things I’m so sick of.

I’m so sick of Justin Harrell. For a week it appeared that Harrell would finally be healthy and at least have a chance to contribute to the Packers’ new 3-4 defense. Now that his back his hurt again we can close the book on Harrell He is a complete and total bust as a first round pick and will likely not make the team this year. I thought that five-minute fix by a local chiropractor was a little fishy, now we know it was indeed a joke. Harrell is done. End of story.

I am so sick of hamstring and groin injuries. First-round draft pick Clay Matthews injured his hamstring again and he seems to be headed down Harrell’s road. I mean, come on, in this day and age, how can these guys keep pulling hamstrings and groins? After seeing Matthews since he has been in town for the offseason program and training camp I have serious doubts about his toughness. The guy looks like he should be in the movie “Point Blank” and not on an NFL field. If Harrell was Thompson’s biggest bust I have to wonder if Matthews isn’t far behind. Especially considering what the Packers gave up to get him.

I am so sick of the NFL and rookie salaries. The politics keeping B.J. Raji out of camp are inexcusable and better be addressed in the upcoming negotiations between the league and players union. Raji has missed enough already that his season is pretty much shot. He has missed the most important two weeks of camp and that can’t be made up. The Packers start playing games Saturday and all the installations will be finished by then and Raji will have to catch up with limited reps and playing time. He better impress when he comes in or the Packers might have two busts in one round.

I’m so sick of running backs Brandon Jackson and Deshawn Wynn. The Packers have an immediate need at running back and bringing in a guy like Shaun Alexander or Edgerrin James for a look-see would certainly make sense in my mind. Jackson and Wynn are injury prone and can’t be counted on and aren’t even that good. Something needs to be done and done soon at running back.

I’m so sick of Arron Rodgers being blamed for the Packers’ 6-10 record last year. Anybody with a half-brain knows he was not the problem. I’ll take 4000 yards and 28 TDs anytime. If the Rodgers haters were being fair they would compare Rodgers to the previous quarterback when Rodgers’ career is over, but they base it all on one year, forgetting that four years ago their idol threw 29 interceptions in a 4-12 season and wasn’t much better in an 8-8 year in 2006. With one year in the books I believe that Rodgers might actually be better than his predecessor and that would be a travesty to the faithful followers of the Disappointment Machine. If Rodgers sucks this year than so be it, but odds of that are slim unless he gets hurt.

Finally, I’m so sick of bad weather on Packers’ Family Night. Here I am all fired up to see the Packers and their new defense go against one of the best offenses in the NFL and it gets rained out. I remember the good old days when it was “Intrasquad Game” and was four quarters of football. Turning it into a scrimmage sucked but I guess it had to be done with the money being paid to the players nowadays. The Packers might want to get things started earlier though in the future, why they have to keep people there so late I can’t understand. Practice should be over by 8:30 instead of halfway through. It will be plenty dark enough for fireworks after the jersey giveaway.

Enough whining, but isn’t that what training camp is for?

First of all, the Packers’ new practice facility is absolutely beautiful. With the Resch Center on the north end and the grandstands on the east side of the field, my view from the south was awesome. I could have gotten into the stands had I wanted to but standing by the fence was just as good as the Packers quarterbacks and receivers worked right in front of me during the hour I was there. The field is absolutely perfect and the large scoreboard makes it game-like conditions during 11-on-11 drills. If there is a better practice field in the NFL I haven’t seen coverage of it. Like Lambeau Field, it is second to none.

I didn’t see a lot of practice but the display Aaron Rodgers put on was borderline ridiculous. In a drill where the quarterback takes a snap from center and drops back and throws to a basket along the sidelines Rodgers dropped in three in a row, longer throws each of the second two. The crowd went crazy and after the second one Rodgers gave a Tiger Woods uppercut that really pumped up the fans. I thought I heard the guy say 46 yards before Rodgers drilled his last one which was prompted another fist pump. Rodgers is going to take his place among the top quarterbacks in the NFL this year and may take the Packers’ passing game to levels not seen since the James Lofton, John Jefferson and Paul Coffman years.

Rodgers is just deadly with the deep ball, which is what made Lynn Dickey so good throwing to the aforementioned receiving combo. Rodgers would have fit in perfectly with the real Al Davis and Oakland Raiders who must always “go vertical” whether they can or not. I bet the California native Rodgers might not have minded playing their either. He could have been the new Mad Bomber. But Rodgers wound up in Green Bay and his three years of backing up Brett Favre were spent working hard knowing he was going to be the guy in due time. Now that he is that guy, he is just going to get better and better providing he doesn’t get hurt. Packers’ fans have to feel blessed to have back-to-back franchise quarterbacks this good. Simply amazing.

And after watching Rodgers, Matt Flynn and Brian Brohm looked absolutely pitiful. Not sure I even saw a spiral and nothing even close to dunking one in the net. The Packers need Mike Vick and the sooner the better. If anybody can turn Vick into a west coast offense quarterback it is Mike McCarthy. Packers’ president Mark Murphy made it sound like the Packers weren’t interested, but like general manager Ted Thompson, didn’t completely close the door. I’m not going to get into the character argument because I don’t care. I don’t want choir boys, I want game winners. The man did his time.

I’m definitely going to make the two mile trek back to practice a few more times this summer. This is sweet, and what I see on the field was even more impressive.

Only a few days into camp two areas of concern have quickly arisen. The two punters the Packers have in camp are a joke, neither is even close to NFL material. Who would have thought it was so hard to find a punter? The situation at backup QB is almost as bad. If Aaron Rodgers gets hurt the Packers can mail in any games he misses because they can’t win with Matt Flynn or Brian Brohm at quarterback. These are two areas that could doom the Packers in 2009.

The Packers can solve the backup QB problem real easily by signing Mike Vick. I mean, how often can you find a player of his caliber willing to sign cheap and be comfortable being a backup? Vick paid his dues and I believe he was taken advantage of by his hoodlum friends. I know he could have dumped them when he hit the big time, but like most of us lowlifes, friends are friends and you do what you can for them. Granted, I doubt I would have financed a dog fighting ring if I was rich, but then again I might do something even worse than that. Who knows? The good thing I guess is I’ll never have to make a decision like that because I will never be rich. The point is, Vick deserves a chance to work and the Packers can use him more than any team in the NFL. I doubt the Packers will do it because of the public outcry, but in this case the fans are hurting the team. Fans should be begging for Vick. You can argue if you want but in the end winning games means a lot more to me than the image the Packer portray. Winning hides everything. Just ask Manny Ramirez

The punting dilemma is a much harder fix. It still blows my mind that we cut Jon Ryan. That is hands down the dumbest move Ted Thompson has ever made. Much like Ron Wolf did when he let Craig Hentrich leave as a free agent, Thompson underestimated the value of a good punter. Throw in the fact that kicker Mason Crosby is missing everything in sight the Packer’ kicking game is in shambles, which means they need to bring a new punter for sure and I think a kicker too to provide some competition for Crosby. The problem is that will take up roster spots in other positions that shouldn’t have to be shorted. What a mess this has become in such a short time. It seemed like Crosby was headed for big things but then he had a average year at best last year when he single-handedly cost the Packers two wins. If there is one area that could cost the Packers big time in 2009 it is the kicking game.

It will be interesting to see how bad it gets at those positions before Thompson makes a move. All I know is I want Vick. The Packers need something to attract some attention to an otherwise boring training camp. Really though, Vick is the answer at backup QB, it would be stupid not to bring him in. I know nothing about the punters available, but an open tryout could probably find a better one than the two the Packers have. Same thing at kicker. No matter what, all three aforementioned areas must improve if the Packers are going to take the next step