Nothing to brag about, but not bad

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.

This entry was posted on Saturday, August 15th, 2009 at 10:11 pm and is filed under Al Davis. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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  • Jack in Columbus

    Penalties killed several promising offensive drives by our backup QBs. Pass protection has to improve, too (Moll).

  • JeffN

    Well the Pack is on the right track. Looking forward to a stellar year so we don’t have to listen to all the nay-sayers piss and moan.

  • nerdmann

    Flynn looks like the real deal. Brohm still has time to develop as a third stringer.

  • Mel e Mel

    Tony Moll has to go and he should take Brohm with him. Tony Moll is going to get somone hurt simply has no power at the point of attack.

  • Mark Troy

    Good Grief, Brohm didn’t look good at all. I had high hopes when the Pack drafted him.
    Can’t wait for the season to start!

  • http://www.scotrstone.com Scot R. Stone

    Brohm just plain stinks. Either that, or he has the worst luck I’ve ever seen. The ONLY reason he would probably be kept is because of his contract situtaion. My thought: trade him. I would rather go with 5 decent running backs and 2 quarterbacks, than having to keep him and get rid of a better young prospect.

    I can’t see Duke Preston sticking. Making too many mistakes. Anthony Smith looked good, with the exception of the facemask penalty. Desmond Bishop and Chillar should start on opening day on the inside. Bishop was making plays all over the field.

  • Jeff

    Saw some good things early – occasionally strong push by the O-line, Rodgers extending the play, relatively clean play by our #1 offense, some defensive penetration. Flynn looks like he could be a legit #2. Good to find out the Raji matter is settled after not paying attention for a couple days.

  • Jeff

    Gotta go with you on Bishop – I just wish he’d cut the showboating.

  • Mel e Mel

    They interview Bishop’s Dad last night and even he mentioned a lack of playing time.
    Barnett is not the physical pressence that Bishop is. Barnett is listed as #1 on the depth chart less than year after reconstructive surgery??? Ive always liked Nick but seriously doubt the new scheme fits him. Hopefully this team will do the right thing and keep Tyrell Sutton over Brandon Jackson. Sutton gets yards when no holes are available no Packer RB in the past 30 years has the moves he has. The other backs are power, straight line guys which is fine but as we all know sometimes improv is required.

  • Matt Hayton

    Okay…wow what a bomb by AR…Great play, stepping up in the pocket with good protection from the line, that what you should do – make ‘em pay and man did he ever.

    Also, my boy Flynn has got that moxie. Same with Finley, Sutton and also liked Bishop’s play…gotta get him on the field, alos thought Chillar played good too.

    I was impressed with the start of the preseason! Looking good!

  • Lew

    There is no way that Brohm will be cut. Teddy wasted a 2nd round draft pick on him remember? When we did not need him. Trading him sounds nice, but you could not get anything for him right now. Literally nothing. He has no value.

    Nice find on Flynn though in the 7th- looks like he could be a capable backup.

  • Rocky70

    Consider this;

    Raji, Woodson, Harris, Matthews & Barnett didn’t even play.
    Jolly looked like a starter.
    Would like to see Sutton with the 1st team offense against the opponent’s 1st team defense. Then you’ll see if he’s the real deal.
    If Bishop starts game one of regular season (Barnett’s injury status) and plays as well as he did, Barnett may be riding the pine or even AJ. Somehow, Bishop needs to be on the field.

  • Mel e Mel

    Sutton is more polished now than Jackson. Sutton is easily the most elusive back on the roster. Vikes & Bears defenses are too good to rely on pounders. We need a back who can thrive when the designed play isnt there. Cutler looked downright pitiful and immediately threw Hester under the bus. Vikes looked very ordinary (indy had no starters in the secondary and only gave up 13) Manning only threw 2 balls.

  • Rocky70

    Injuries:

    The Packers suffered no serious injuries in the game, said Packers coach Mike McCarthy. . . .
    McCarthy said linebacker Nick Barnett could practice on a limited basis this week.
    “Nick is doing very well, he’s champing at the bit, so he may have a chance to do some limited things this week.”

  • Punk

    Lets see if I get this straight – Pre season, 1st real scrimmage and all. The O comes out with two long, scoring drives; the primary backup QB gets a FG and a little used RB gets 91 yds. Then the D pitches a shutout with at least four starters out and all the usual doubters want to talk about is the third string QB and a backup T. I realize that CLE might not be the strongest team in the league even with Corey Williams but the D was in their face all night and these guys want to dwell on backup OL false starts (which is the easiest thing in the world to correct). Do I have our guys overrated in our Div?

  • Mel e Mel

    Punk I would agree. From the action I saw I would give Min an edge over Chicago. As Larry McCarren says it starts up front and Min definitely stronger especially the left side of their OL and with their RBs. Jay Cutler doesnt get it. He doesnt comprehend that he is now in the 3rd largest media outlet in America. Chicago has new starters at all levels of Offense and defense. I believe Detroit may take a game from the Bears this year. Detroit has more talent at WR than the entire Chicago offense.

  • Punk

    It takes more than a strong arm to be compared to Favre, which many tried to do with Cutler. A better comparison, at this point, would be to Jeff George (7-teams, even Bearse). Oh, I totally agree on the MIN/CHI comment, MeM, however, neither team has anyone who will get away from our DBs, and that includes the speedster they both have. Back to the OL penalties during the CLE scrum – these are aggressive in nature that you can correct with practice and just playing together more. A lot better (if a certain penalty can be better than another) than the dumb kind like late hits, clipping, and piling on. Aggressive – good, stupid is forever!

  • packer_bob

    Sounds like we had a pretty decent debut. The Pack wasn’t televised in my area, however I did see the 1st quarter of the Bears game. No Matt Forte, no Greg Olsen (who we should have drafted) but I still don’t think Cutler looked that good. He threw a horrible int in his second series trying to force the ball to Devin Hester.

    I know it’s only preseason, but I thought the Bears 1st string O didn’t look so good. And their defensive line looked weak as well. May bode well for us on opening day!

  • Pack4life

    The quote from Mike Smith of Atlanta “Trgovac is the best D-L coach in the league”
    I am wondering who is this Johnny Jolly from Sat night he looked like a different player.
    The Naysayers will say it was just Clevland. Trent Edwards went 10-10 and Ryan Fitzpatrick went 13-16 against the Bears D. I watched the Viking game pretty close and on their first drive they went for it TWICE on fourth down. Every play they ran left toward Hutch/Mckinnie Indy rested its entire starting Secondary an MN managed only 13 pts. I am very excited for this team with a real defense. Last year you could tell the Packers were pressing on offense and made silly mistakes. I believe A-Rod and Co will be far more relaxed because they dont have to move mountains just the chains. I am crossing my fingers but MM seems committed to the Running game. This is a breath of fresh air. Normally the Packers dont start running with urgency until October. Please keep Sutton! He’s better than Jackson and quicker than Lumpkin GO PACK!

  • http://Orlando Mark

    We looked well prepared, especially on defense. The running game has definitely improved and best of all no injuries. Quinn Johnson and Sutton are good additions. Bishop, James Jones and the DB’s made plays. Tougher competition coming up but a promising start.

  • Punk

    Seems to me that once the cuts are started, and they (coaching staff) don’t have to keep tract of 80 guys, things should go even smoother. In any case, based on what I’ve read they’re hungry for jobs and came out firing.

  • Roy Jamison

    It’s preseason. The core guys will make it. Hopefully James Jones is back. Hopefully Sutton is the real deal. At least we don’t have the distraction that the VikQueens have in wondering if number 4 is going to show up or not.

  • Punk

    Yeah, Roy, the MIN might have a distraction going on, but nothing compared to CHI. Cutler is being crucified on TV all day. As if Hester is a top-flight receiver!

  • Mel e Mel

    I am begining to enjoy our defensive coaches. B.J. Raji first practice they have him line up against an undrafted free agent. Can you say confidence builder?
    The big news comes from the court tommorow to see if the Williams are down 4 games. If the judge has any integrity he will throw the state case out and run this out of the federal courts. The Williams may have had a chance months ago. Now that A-roid Manny and Big Papi have all been busted for roids, it should be a done deal

  • roy jamison

    Well, it looks like you-know-who is headed to purple people country. I guess in order to get the whole enchildada…that’s $10 mil…he had to show up before the season started.
    On Mike and Mike tomorrow, they will do a preview of the Pack and Patriots. Hope there is some content there, but usually it’s a gloss over.

  • Punk

    If Favre(w/Deana) is truly on his way to MIN is it 1) because the Williams’ are going to be suspended and he is they’re only hope of winning, or 2) the Williams’ are not going to be suspended and he thinks he is they’re best chance of winning? Either way, what a mess in the locker room.

  • http://www.packernet.com admin

    A great day for the Packers, Bears and Lions! We all love train wrecks and this is going to be a classic.

  • Pack4life

    Punk Jared Allen also got hurt yesterday, what interesting timing this is and the Judges ruling comes down today also. If the Judges ruling favors the vikes the judge should be.
    Lets have a Short History on the life and times of Benedict Arnold. Benedict Arnold fought valiantly for the cause of the American Revolution. He was wounded in action. He is credited with defeating the British at the Battle of Saratoga. Many times he risked life and limb for the sake of his country. But his wife had a money spending problem. She loved to throw massive parties entertaining the rich and social elite. Benedict was fighting the cause but his meager earnings were destroyed by his wife.
    So Benedict out of “love for his wife” decided to betray our fledgling nation. He obviously loved money more than the cause.
    Now Brett Lorenzo Favre. He played courageously for the Green Bay Packers. He revived a team that had been in the duldrums for more than 20 years. What we never really picked up on as Packer fans until the very end, was how much Favre craved attention. Attention and spotlight mean everything to hell with everything else. Money certainly cant be the issue. He cant live without the spotlight.

    Well we know what happened to the British Army. The same for the MN VI no pardon The MN DRAMA-Queens. Losers now and forever.

  • Punk

    Well, 4, when I try to come up with reasons why I am a Packer fan I think of the character issue established by Lombardi (can’t comment on Lambeau, don’t know) more than anything else. It’s not the championships so much as how the team management has conducted itself over all these years. Starting with Ringo/Vince (even though that was financial, too), through Lofton, then Walker, Robinson, et al. It’s either our way, or the highway and has been as long as I can remember. Then I look at other organizations, with their multiple ownerships and what they try to cover up and live with. MIN perfect example w/ the boat trip incident, etc. I guess thats what you get when its a “win at all costs” environment. I know this, I have always been able to hold my head up with pride when wearing the colors around town and people come up to me and ask Packers, huh? You bet, because of the legacy. Thats why I can’t get excited or upset on the Favre thing; he has his reasoning no matter what the reason is, so, so what? I think knowing his tendencies as well as we do is an advantage over the more unpredictable Jackson and Rosenfels.

  • http://Orlando Mark

    4life, B. Arnold didn’t just change sides like Robert E. Lee, he gave the British our plans and tried to turn West Point over to them while he was it’s commander. I think #4 wants the attention and the money, but he also wants to play football and win a champioship. Unfortunately, the chances are he’ll be watching the SB on tv like the rest of us. Don’t be surprised if #12 has a better season if we can get the right tackle position fixed.

  • Mel e Mel

    I am with 4 life 100% on this one. The Packers Jets and Vikes are just a means to and end. But the party will be over in mid-season for the Vikes they go weeks 6-8 Ravens,Steelers Packers. Murders row. I dont care if they clone Montana and bring him out at age 23. No 40 yr old will be able to stand up to it.

  • roy jamison

    It’s a long season, especially for someone 39 years old. The Vikes already lied to Sage Rosenfels. Jackson can’t be happy either, so you’d think one of these guys is not gonna settle for the number three spot behind #4. And that number 4 will have to come off the back of John David Booty. That’s how one guy can piss off three guys quickly.

  • Mel e Mel

    If I was I MN QB I would take about 20 delay game penalties in a row. Childress sends a play in how can they believe he really means it?

  • Devil’s Advocate…

    Smart move by Favre. He knows it’s better to get out of the AFC and especially away from the same division as Belicheat and the N.E. Cheaters. Back to a couple easy games against the Lions every year and the not too dominant NFC North. I’d like to see him get injured and have to miss a week this year. I know he’ll retire to un-retire again to get his way out and to a team of his choosing, but……………… now I’m curious to see if he’d retire to keep his consecutive games streak alive??????

  • roy jamison

    The Vikes are probably going the win at all cost route because a couple of years from now, the NFL may have another lockout. That won’t be pretty.

  • zach

    Too funny. Shall we start a pool to see how many games he 1) starts and 2) finishes? This guy is making a mockery of the NFL. Anyone who doesn’t see this needs a very serious reality check. Next thing you know, Bozo the Clown will be suiting up for Detroit…..

  • packer_bob

    I’d have preferred that this hadn’t come to pass, but I’ll bet NFL muckety-mucks are happy as hell. Pack-Vikes games just turned into must-see-TV nationwide! I assume the ticket brokers are ecstatic as well.

    Hard to want Favre to do well on the competition but it will be interesting to see what he brings, if anything, to that team. If he can hold up for a full season and his arm is back after surgery, I’d say he brings a whole lot but only time will tell.

  • roy jamison

    Lucky for me, I live in Kansas City and will get to see ol’ numero quatro for four or five plays when the Vikes and Chiefs meet. The viewership on that game just went up! LOL

  • Bob

    I’m over here in Minnesota and it’s about 40/60%, 40% likeing Favre as a queen, the other 60% hateing him, I for one feel somewhat sorry for Favre, he seems to be a very confused person, and he must not like spending time with his beautifu wife and kids. you just got to wonder how Deanna really feels, I know Irv Favre would not be happy with his son right now, not so much that he is with minnesota, but him being so wishy washy and such a media queen!!!

  • Reid

    PB – I agree and you are saying the same thing I said before. The entire NFL is in on this to drive up $revenue$. Jets building a new stadium and needing to sell PSL’s, hmmm. The GB/MN game just went 10X higher in viewership.

    Al – people love to watch train wrecks, they pay a lot of $$ to sit on the corners of car races where the best wrecks happen, now they get another one. #4 a 39 year-old Viking with a torn rotator, ha ha.

    Wouldn’t surprise me if they figure out a way to put one of the games on the NFL Network.

  • Rocky70

    Can I call BF ‘lazy’ now without being chastised for the obvious ??
    He’s managed to skip OTAs, mini-camp & the most difficult part of TC. Like I said in a much earlier post, if all BF would have to do is show up on Sunday (noon – 3 PM), he’d be playing for the Vikes…. He almost pulled it off.

    …. The Vikes will regret this in 2009 & beyond…. Bring him on. …. He’ll get his ass whooped by the Pack & ultimately be riding the bench. ….. Look for an end to the ‘streak’ because of inept play.

  • Rocky70

    This is the purest form of vindication. The arguments are now officially over & BF has exposed himself for the ‘c l o w n’ he has always been. …. The ‘Apologists’ have been muffled………….. The obvious to most is now the obvious to all.

    Come on ‘Apologists’……… Where’s your ‘free pass’ on this one ??

  • paul

    He is a grown man and can do what he pleases. It may not please you, but he is going to play some ball. By the way, Rocky, Reggie White and other greats sat out a training camp or two as they have been through so many. The NFL listed numerous greats that missed OTA’s, camp, etc. Research the facts before you call people lazy.

  • Michael Legat

    The apologists will forever remain apologists.

  • roy jamison

    I don’t have the proof, but according to one of the ESPN guys, Minnesota is at the bottom of the barrell when it comes to revenues in the NFL. Now that seems odd to me. With teams like the Bengals, Saints, Raiders, Jaguars, Minnesota last?

  • roy jamison

    I looked for myself. Here it is according to Forbes.
    http://www.forbes.com/lists/2006/30/06nfl_NFL-Team-Valuations_Rank_2.html

  • packer_bob

    Call Brett Favre whatever you want to Rocky, you have been for over a year now anyway so why break with tradition now?

    It doesn’t really impact what we are trying to do as a team in terms of direction and where we need to improve so other than the two games we play each other I guess it doesn’t matter. If he’s as washed up as the hater’s are hoping this may be a good thing for us although I remain skeptical. I still think he may have quite a bit left and really he just has to be an improvement on Tavaris Jackson to be a gain for the Vikings as a team.

  • http://Orlando Mark

    We can get T. Jackson for a #5 if we want him. Any takers?

  • Rocky70

    We shall see. …. If the last five years are any indication, BF will be out of gas by midseason. ….. The question then becomes: … Will Chilly have the balls to snap BF’s streak? ….. I think it will happen & be covered with some sort of ‘injury’ issue.

    In the meantime, GB will give BF the ass-whooping that Irv would have given him for his ridiculous behavior over the last year. …. How sweet it will be !!

    I have many names & references for BF. …… All of them are good fits.

    BF’s a grown man. …. Yea …. sure…. and Sadam Hussein works at the pentagon. .. LOL.

  • http://Orlando Mark

    Rocky, this is all very amusing but like Barnett said, our first game is against the Bears, I’m not concerned about him(#4). Who plays right tackle is a lot more important to the team IMO.

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