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Reviewing 10 years of Packers, NFL results (2000-2009)

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 01:15:00 -0600

The Packers finished the decade (2000 through 2009 seasons) with a 95-65 record, fifth-best in the NFL. That is two games better than their record during the 1990s, which included the glory days of the Mike Holmgren coaching era.

In fairness, it should be noted that the 1990s record (93-67) included the final two seasons of the forgettable Lindy Infante regime in 1990 and 1991 when the Packers went 6-10 and 4-12, respectively.

In comparing the last five decades, here is how the Packers fared:

1960s: 96-37-5

2000s: 95-65

1990s: 93-67

1980s: 65-84-2

1970s: 57-82-5

The Packers had nine winning seasons in the 1960s; two apiece in the ‘70s and ‘80s; and seven apiece in the 1990s and 2000s.

The 1960s remains the gold standard with the Packers winning five NFL championships, including the first two Super Bowls. Since then, the Packers qualified for the playoffs just once in the 1970s, once in the 1980s, six times in the 1990s and six times in the 2000s. The biggest difference between the last two decades is the Packers posted a 9-5 playoff record in the ‘90s, including one championship, and a 3-6 playoff record in the 2000s.

In the NFC North, the Packers won four division titles during the past decade, with Minnesota and Chicago winning three apiece. The records within the division are as follows: Packers 95-65; Vikings 84-76; Bears 81-79; Lions 42-118.

The NFC North ranked as the second-worst division in the NFL, according to NFL.fanhouse.com, which lists the following records: AFC South 331-227; NFC East 343-296; AFC East 337-303; AFC North 320-318; NFC South 316-323; AFC West 310-330; NFC North 302-338; NFC West 283-357.

Here are the records of all 32 NFL teams over the past decade, according to NFL.fanhouse.com:

1. Colts 115-45; 2. Patriots 112-48; 3. Steelers 103-56-1; 3. Eagles 103-56-1; 5. Packers 95-65; 6. Broncos 93-67; 7. Ravens 92-68; 8. Titans 91-69; 9. Giants 88-72; 10. Chargers 85-75.

11. Vikings 84-76; 12. Saints 83-77; 13. Cowboys 82-78; 13. Seahawks 82-78; 15. Bears 81-79; 16. Jets 80-80; 17. Dolphins 79-81; 17. Bucs 79-81; 17. Panthers 79-81; 20. Jaguars 76-84.

21. Falcons 75-84-1; 22. Rams 71-89; 23. Chiefs 70-90; 23. Redskins 70-90; 25. Bengals 68-91-1; 26. 49ers 68-92; 27. Bills 66-94; 28. Raiders 62-98; 28. Cardinals 62-98; 30. Texans 49-79; 31. Browns 57-103; 32. Lions 42-118.

There were 14 different teams that qualified for the Super Bowl in the past decade, including nine from the NFC. The Packers were one of seven NFC teams that failed to make it to the Super Bowl during the 2000s, joining the Falcons, Redskins, Vikings, Lions, Cowboys and 49ers.

Super Bowl wins in the 2000s: Patriots 3, Steelers 2, Colts, Ravens, Giants, Bucs, Saints.

Super Bowl appearances in the 2000s: Patriots 4, Steelers 2, Giants 2, Colts 2, Eagles, Ravens, Seahawks, Bears, Bucs, Panthers, Rams, Raiders, Cardinals, Saints.

Playoff appearances in the 2000s: Colts 9, Eagles 8, Patriots 7, Packers 6, Steelers 6, Ravens 6, Giants 6, Titans 5, Chargers 5, Seahawks 5, Jets 5, Panthers 5, Broncos 4, Vikings 4, Cowboys, Rams 4, Bears 3, Saints 3, Dolphins 3, Bucs 3, Falcons 3, Raiders 3, Jaguars 2, Chiefs 2, Redskins 2, Bengals 2, 49ers 2, Cardinals 2, Browns 1, Bills 0, Lions 0, Texans 0.

(Note: Playoff and Super Bowl appearance lists include the recently completed postseason that followed the 2009 season, but not the playoffs following the 1999 season.)

--Mike Vandermause, mvandermause@greenbaypressgazette.com

The big winner? Ratings

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 20:57:00 -0600

Super Bowl XLIV was seen by an average of more than 106 million viewers in the United States, making it the most-watched program in U.S. TV history. Nielsen Company estimated Monday that an average of 106,480,000 viewers watched the New Orleans Saints defeat the Indianapolis Colts, 31-17. That beats the "M*A*S*H" finale in 1983, which had 105,970,000 viewers. Nielsen estimates the total audience for the game was 153.7 million viewers, also a record, beating 151.6 million for last year's Super Bowl between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Arizona Cardinals.

Chip off the old trophy

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 20:51:00 -0600

New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton excused himself, walked to a table and brought the Vince Lombardi Trophy back with him to the podium where he was conducting a post-Super Bowl news conference Monday morning.

Contract escalators make Hawk, Grant costly to keep

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 19:50:00 -0600

The Packers appear prepared to pay A.J. Hawk $4.6 million for the 2010 season to possibly share playing time with Brandon Chillar at inside linebacker.

NFL first-round draft order

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 18:22:00 -0600

At New York, April 22-24 No. Club W L T Pct. Opp. Record 1. St. Louis 1 15 0 .063 .520 133-123-0 2. Detroit 2 14 0 .125 .523 134-122-0 3. Tampa Bay 3 13 0 .188 .555 142-114-0 4. Washington 4 12 0 .250 .492 126-130-0 5. Kansas City 4 12 0 .250 .516 132-124-0 6. Seattle 5 11 0 .313 .477 122-134-0 7. Cleveland 5 11 0 .313 .512 131-125-0 8. Oakland 5 11 0 .313 .527 135-121-0 9. Buffalo 6 10 0 .375 .516 132-124-0 10. x-Jacksonville 7 9 0 .438 .496 127-129-0 11. x-Denver (from Chicago) 7 9 0 .438 .496 127-129-0 12. Miami 7 9 0 .438 .559 143-113-0 13. San Francisco 8 8 0 .500 .477 122-134-0 14. Seattle (from Denver) 8 8 0 .500 .527 135-121-0 15. New York Giants 8 8 0 .500 .535 137-119-0 16. x-Tennessee 8 8 0 .500 .539 138-118-0 17. x-San Francisco (from Carolina) 8 8 0 .500 .539 138-118-0 18. Pittsburgh 9 7 0 .563 .488 125-131-0 19. x-Atlanta 9 7 0 .563 .504 129-127-0 20. x-Houston 9 7 0 .563 .504 129-127-0 21. Cincinnati 10 6 0 .625 .492 126-130-0 22. New England 10 6 0 .625 .516 132-124-0 23. Green Bay 11 5 0 .688 .441 113-143-0 24. Philadelphia 11 5 0 .688 .484 124-132-0 25. Baltimore 9 7 0 .563 .523 134-122-0 26. Arizona 10 6 0 .625 .445 114-142-0 27. Dallas 11 5 0 .688 .488 125-131-0 28. San Diego 13 3 0 .813 .453 116-140-0 29. N.Y. Jets 9 7 0 .563 .516 132-124-0 30. Minnesota 12 4 0 .750 .441 113-143-0 31. Indianapolis 14 2 0 .875 .473 121-135-0 32. New Orleans 13 3 0 .813 .426 109-147-0 x-subject to coin flip

Grant set to make $6 million in 2010

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 15:05:00 -0600

We covered a lot of topics this morning in our first "State of the Packers" chat, which focused on running backs.

One topic that deserves its own post: Packers running back Ryan Grant is set to make $6 million in 2010.

Grant's base salary was scheduled to be $3 million, but his 2009 production triggered escalators that pushed that number to $4.5 million, according to NFL Players' Association salary data. Grant is also due a $1.25 million roster bonus and a $250,000 workout bonus for a total of $6 million.

That will put Grant among the Packers' highest-paid players, along with the likes of cornerback Charles Woodson ($7.5 million), receiver Donald Driver ($7.07 million) and quarterback Aaron Rodgers ($6.5 million).

The incentive-heavy, four-year deal Grant signed in August 2008 runs through 2011, when he's due a $3.5 million base salary and $2 million in bonuses before escalators.

* Woodson also hit an escalator, which pushed his 2010 base salary from $5 million to $6.5 million in addition to $1 million in bonuses.

* Kicker Mason Crosby's 2010 base salary escalated from $550,000 to the low restricted tender ($1.01 million).

Tuesday's chat topic: Receivers and tight ends. That chat, like the rest, will kick off at 1 p.m.

-- Tom Pelissero, tpelisse@greenbaypressgazette.com
http://twitter.com/tompelissero

Talk Packers WRs with Tom Pelissero today

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 14:07:00 -0600

Join assistant sports editor Tom Pelissero for a series of 10 weekday chats on the state of the Packers the state of the roster, free agency and the draft. The chats start at 1 p.m. and will be open forums. Todays topic: Wide receivers and tight ends.

NFL Transaction Wire Blog

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 13:58:00 -0600

Prospect Profile: Gerald McCoy

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 13:58:00 -0600

Prospect Profile: Jimmy Clausen

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 13:28:00 -0600

Roundup: Packers among (very) early favorites for Super Bowl XLV

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 12:04:00 -0600

Wasting little time as usual, the Bodog Sportsbook today released its initial odds on the winner of next year's Super Bowl XLV -- and the Packers are among the favorites.

Indianapolis leads the way at 13-to-2, followed by: San Diego (8-1), New England (10-1), New Orleans (10-1), Pittsburgh (11-1) and then the Packers, Dallas and Minnesota, which all are at 12-1.

Here's the complete list:

13/2 Indianapolis Colts
8/1 San Diego Chargers
10/1 New England Patriots, New Orleans Saints
11/1 Pittsburgh Steelers
12/1 Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings
16/1 Philadelphia Eagles
20/1 Baltimore Ravens, New York Giants
25/1 New York Jets, Tennessee Titans
30/1 Atlanta Falcons, Cincinnati Bengals
35/1 Arizona Cardinals, Chicago Bears, Houston Texans
40/1 Carolina Panthers
45/1 Miami Dolphins, San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks
50/1 Denver Broncos, Jacksonville Jaguars, Washington Redskins
100/1 Buffalo Bills, Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders, St. Louis Rams, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

WORTH READING
* Pete Dougherty breaks down the labor situation and changes to free agency in what appears certain to be an uncapped 2010 season.

COMING UP
* At 1 p.m. today, I'll kick off 10 consecutive days of "State of the Packers" chats. Be there.

* Some key dates coming up:

Feb. 24–March 2: NFL Scouting Combine, Indianapolis.
March 5: Free agency begins.
March 21-24: NFL Annual Meeting, Orlando, Fla.
April 22-24: NFL Draft, New York City.

-- Tom Pelissero, tpelisse@greenbaypressgazette.com
http://twitter.com/tompelissero

State of the Packers: Day 1, running backs

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 11:57:00 -0600

Be here at 1 p.m. today, when Tom Pelissero kicks off the 2010 Packers season with the first of 10 consecutive weekdays of chats.

Today's topic: the running backs. The current Packers roster, free agency, the draft -- whatever you want to talk about is fair game, and Tom will give fans the floor.

State of the Packers chat -- Feb. 8, 2010

Wisconsin students visit Lambeau Field to tackle learning

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 11:17:00 -0600

For countless Green Bay Packers fans worldwide, Lambeau Field is a dream destination. For thousands of schoolchildren statewide, its a place to learn.

Black and Blue all over: Afternoon edition

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 11:00:00 -0600

MIAMI -- Greetings from Gate H15 at the Miami International Airport, where I’m continuing what will be a long travel day back to NFC North headquarters. I should probably have my head examined for leaving a cloudless day in South Florida to return in a snowstorm, but I suppose 10 days down here is about as much as I can ask for.

Already today we’ve noted Darren Sharper’s Super Bowl championship and asked for some feedback on Dick LeBeau’s pending enshrinement in the Hall of Fame. Depending on travel conditions, this might be Monday’s last post. If it is, I’ll be back with you Tuesday and throughout this week as the NFL offseason begins in earnest.

Until then, let’s catch up on some NFC North news and analysis:

Mark Potash of the Chicago Sun-Times takes an in-depth look at the Bears’ “litany of disappointments” since making the Super Bowl three years ago.
Bears receiver/returner Devin Hester had a chance to “party with my boys” during Super Bowl week in Miami, according to the Chicago Tribune.
Alex Karras is another former Detroit player who belongs in the Hall of Fame, writes Jerry Green of the Detroit News.
The grandson of Hall of Fame Green Bay coach Vince Lombardi was part of New Orleans’ championship team. Here’s an Associated Press profile of saints quarterbacks coach Joe Lombardi, via the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
You can view this Facebook page to see outtakes from Brett Favre’s Super Bowl commercial, the one where he discusses his “role” in the Super Bowl 10 years from now.

Loss of NFL revenue sharing would hit teams like Minnesota Vikings in the wallet

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 09:36:00 -0600

Vowing to cease subsidizing low-revenue teams such as the Vikings , NFL owners are taking their fight with the NFL Players Association to a Minnesota judge, intensifying labor tensions and the team's campaign for a new Twin Cities stadium. The league said last week it would appeal an arbitrator's ruling blocking owners from dissolving a revenue-sharing system that supplements the Vikings with $15 million to $20 million annually.

Have at it: LeBeau's Hall of Fame status

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 08:45:00 -0600

As you move past Super Bowl XLIV, let’s circle back on another event that occurred in South Florida over the weekend: The election of Dick LeBeau to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

For coverage purposes, I considered LeBeau’s honor to be AFC North property after his long and distinguished career as a coach in Pittsburgh and Cincinnati. Many of you disagreed, noting LeBeau’s credentials as a cornerback in Detroit from 1959-72.

JohnWayne506th was particularly adamant. Expletives were deleted:

Come on Kevin!!! …The Lions get a HOF'er in and you just let the AFC North guy take him??? He was a DC there but he played his career here getting 62 INTS, which if I remember right was 2nd place when he retired. … This is the NFCN blog and he was an NFCN player. Now go get it back!!!

You’re right, John, LeBeau’s 62 interceptions did in fact rank second all-time in the NFL when he retired. He still ranks eighth, as you see in the chart accompanying this post. During the meat of his career, from 1960-71, no NFL player had more interceptions.

So while I make my way back to NFC North headquarters, let me know what you think: Was LeBeau a Hall of Fame player independent of his success as a coach?

In other words: Would he have made the Hall of Fame if he had never gone into coaching? Assuming Detroit readers are ready to drop their boycott, I’ll post a representative sample of your responses -- along with my own take -- later this week. Have at it.

Sharper wins a ring

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 07:00:00 -0600

MIAMI -- Darren Sharper played in the Super Bowl as a rookie in 1997 -- “and I figured I would be back many, many times,” he said.

“Many” turned out to be once and it came 13 seasons later. But finally, the former Green Bay and Minnesota safety can call himself a Super Bowl champion after New Orleans’ 31-17 victory Sunday night over Indianapolis.

“It feels great,” Sharper said. “This is what all the work is for, to get to this point. This is why you hang around for 13 years after making it to this game as a rookie, to win this game. I’m going to make sure I enjoy this.”

Sharper’s contract expires after this season, but at 34, he appears to have every intention of playing in 2010. All he would say about his future is this: “I don’t think I have another 13 years left in me.”

I have a feeling he has at least one more.

Game Report

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:59:00 -0600

PLAY OF THE GAME The Saints were facing the prospect of stopping perhaps the best comeback quarterback of his era, Peyton Manning, with the Super Bowl on the line. It was third and 5 at the New Orleans 31 with the Saints hanging on to a 24-17 lead with 3 minutes, 24 seconds left. Manning had hit receiver Reggie Wayne on a pair of in-cuts for gains of 12 and 5 yards leading up to the second-down play. After an incompletion and an injury timeout, Manning went to the sideline and dialed up a short pass to Wayne split wide left against man-to-man coverage by cornerback Tracy Porter. Manning went back to Wayne on another in-cut and this time Porter squatted on the route and beat Wayne to the ball. "It was great film study," Porter said. "We knew that on third-and-short they stack (receivers), and they like the outside release for the slant. It was great film study by me, a great jump and a great play." Porter made it the defining play by returning it 74 yards for a touchdown, giving the Saints an insurmountable 31-17 lead. "Porter made a great play on the ball," Manning said. "He made a great read and a heck of a play." PLAYER OF THE GAME

Colts can't bolt to greatness

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:39:00 -0600

The Indianapolis Colts had a chance to stake their claim for National Football League Team of the Decade on Sunday night in the Super Bowl XLIV. But after the Colts went down in flames at the hands of the New Orleans Saints, 31-17, the New England Patriots became the team of the 2000s without any argument.

The Drill: Pro Football Hall of Fame

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:30:00 -0600

First come, first elected Pro Football Hall of Fame members elected in their first year of eligibility: - Troy Aikman, 2006 - Marcus Allen, 2003 - Lance Alworth, 1978 - Raymond Berry, 1973 - George Blanda, 1981 - Mel Blount, 1989 - Terry Bradshaw, 1989 - Jim Brown, 1971 - Willie Brown, 1984 - Dick Butkus, 1979 - Earl Campbell, 1991. - Eric Dickerson, 1999 - Tony Dorsett, 1994 - John Elway, 2004 - Dan Fouts, 1993 - Darrell Green, 2008 - Joe Greene, 1987 - Forrest Gregg, 1977 - Jack Ham, 1988 - John Hannah, 1991. - Franco Harris, 1990 - Ken Houston, 1986 - Deacon Jones, 1980 - Jim Kelly, 2002 - Jack Lambert, 1990 - Tom Landry, 1990 - Jim Langer, 1987 - Steve Largent, 1995 - Bob Lilly, 1980 - Ronnie Lott, 2000 - Gino Marchetti, 1972 - Dan Marino, 2005. - Ollie Matson, 1972 - Bruce Matthews, 2007 - Hugh McElhenny, 1970 - Joe Montana, 2000 - Warren Moon, 2006 - Anthony Munoz, 1998 - Ray Nitschke, 1978 - Chuck Noll, 1993 - Merlin Olsen, 1982 - Jim Otto, 1980 - Jim Parker, 1973 - Walter Payton, 1993 - Jerry Rice, 2010 - Barry Sanders, 2004 - Gale Sayers, 1977 - Don Shula, 1997 - O.J. Simpson, 1985 - Mike Singletary, 1998 - Jackie Slater, 2001. - Bruce Smith, 2009 - Emmitt Smith, 2010 - Bart Starr, 1977 - Roger Staubach, 1985 - Jan Stenerud, 1991 - Lawrence Taylor, 1999 - Johnny Unitas, 1979 - Gene Upshaw, 1987 - Paul Warfield, 1983 - Randy White, 1994 - Reggie White, 2006 - Rod Woodson, 2009 - Steve Young, 2005 Associated Press

Manning can't rally the Colts

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:20:00 -0600

There are days when it looks as if the game was invented for Peyton Manning, and everyone else around him is just a chess piece he'll move when he sees fit. But football has been around a lot longer than Manning, and on Sunday, the game proved bigger than any one man.

Big Easy does it

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:11:00 -0600

It took guts. Coach Sean Payton's decision to try an onside kick to open the second half was stunning. It took precision. Drew Brees completed 82.1% of his 39 passes. It took resolve. A five-point underdog against Peyton Manning and the battle-hardened Indianapolis Colts, the persistent New Orleans Saints dominated the fourth quarter and won Super Bowl XLIV.

Photos: Saints beat Colts in Super Bowl XLIV

Sun, 07 Feb 2010 23:14:00 -0600

The New Orleans Saints defeated the Indianapolis Colts 31-17 in Super Bowl XLIV in Miami on Sunday, Feb. 7, 2010.

Prospect Profile: Russell Okung

Sun, 07 Feb 2010 22:57:00 -0600

Super Bowl XLIV: Saints beat Colts, and do it with defense

Sun, 07 Feb 2010 22:15:00 -0600

Who Dat won the Super Bowl The New Orleans Saints, thats who.

Jumping the Colts' routes

Sun, 07 Feb 2010 22:08:00 -0600

MIAMI -- Of this, there was little doubt: New Orleans brought a smart and fast defense to Miami. Here was the problem as Super Bowl XLIV approached: Indianapolis quarterback Peyton Manning was smarter and faster.

(That’s what a few of us thought, anyway.)

And so it was fascinating to watch Sunday night’s game turn when a 23-year-old Saints cornerback outsmarted Manning late in the fourth quarter. Tracy Porter said he knew “immediately” that the Colts were running one of their “bread and butter” 3rd-down plays with 3 minutes, 24 seconds left in the game. Porter stepped in front of receiver Reggie Wayne, intercepted Manning’s pass and returned it 74 yards for a touchdown. The play accounted for the final margin of the Saints’ 31-17 victory.

“I saw it over and over on film the past two weeks,” Porter said. “On third down, the route they ran there was always big for them to convert third downs on. Through numerous amounts of film study we’ve done all week, when the route came, it felt like I was watching it on film. When I saw the ball coming, I knew I was going to be in the end zone.”

The play capped another high-risk, high-reward performance by the Saints defense, one in which they gave up 432 yards but only one score after the first quarter. Defensive coordinator Gregg Williams mixed versions of the 4-3 and 3-4 in a calculating way that I’ll detail in a bit

Before examining Williams’ successful game plan, however, let’s take a closer look at the play that won New Orleans its first championship. Remember, Wayne would have had an easy first down at the Saints’ 26-yard line in a one-score game had Porter not made the interception.

If anything, Saints players and coaches seemed surprised at how predictable the Colts were on the crucial play. Manning and offensive coordinator Tom Moore are known for prescient late-game play calling, but multiple Saints defenders identified the route tree before the snap.

“I can tell now that Tracy pays attention in the film room,” safety Darren Sharper said. “Because he read that play well and trusted his instincts.”

Before the snap, Porter noticed receiver Austin Collie as the outside receiver and Wayne in the slot position. “We knew Collie wasn’t normally a guy they liked in that spot,” Porter said.

In previous instances of that formation, Porter said, Collie had gone into late motion and run the slot position’s route. The slot man, in turn, ran what’s known as a “stick route” -- essentially a 6-yard pattern designed to reach the yardage “stick” and convert a first down.

On cue, Wayne ran that route. He had no chance to make the catch.

“It was just a great play by Porter,” Manning said. “That’s all I can really say about it.”

Indeed, everything about the Saints’ defense on that play suggested a stick route would work. Williams blitzed all three linebackers, leaving open the underneath for what should have been an easy conversion. Who would expect a young cornerback, even one who intercepted Minnesota’s Brett Favre late in the fourth quarter in the NFC Championship Game, to take the risk of jumping a route? Had he missed the ball or guessed wrong, Wayne might have scored.

If you watched the Saints’ defense all year, however, it probably wasn’t a surprise. New Orleans ranked second in the NFL with 39 takeaways, a number you don’t normally achieve if you simply sit back in coverage. Williams, in fact, said he has encouraged his players “to be aggressive, to take chances and to jump routes from the first day I got here.”

Williams added: “If you’re afraid to jump routes, if you’re not willing to play aggressively that way, you’re not going to make it.”

Williams took his own calculated risk Sunday, holding back his trademark blitz packages until the fourth quarter. He employed a 3-4 defense in the first quarter, switched to a 4-3 scheme in the second quarter and then mixed those two fronts with a 3-3 nickel scheme.

“Peyton Manning is too smart to just do the same thing the entire game,” Williams said. “We knew we needed a first half game plan and a second half game plan. And if we could split it between quarters, we would do that too. If you keep doing the same thing against him, he’ll pick you apart.

“But we also said this: If we got to a close game at the end of the Super Bowl, we were going to be who we are. And that’s a pressure defense.”

The blitz didn’t get to Manning on the Porter play. “We had it blocked up fine,” Colts center Jeff Saturday said.

But to me, the triple-linebacker blitz was the reason Manning was so quick to throw in Wayne’s direction -- and play right into Porter’s hands.

“He’s so smart that he’ll figure you out if you stay stagnant as a defense,” Sharper said. “We showed something in the first half and then did something different in the second. That’s what we practiced for the past two weeks. I think by the fourth quarter, we did confuse him a little.”

Ultimately, the Saints did what they had done to Arizona and Minnesota in previous weeks -- limit scoring through turnovers despite giving up massive yardage totals. The Cardinals rolled up 359 yards but only 14 points thanks to a pair of turnovers. The Vikings scored 28 points but committed five turnovers amid their 475-yard effort.

“Everybody wanted to predict and say this and say that,” Sharper said. “But we took it personally that everyone believed Peyton was going to dice us up and that it was going to be a scoring fest. To hold an offense like that to 17 points is a testament to our team.”

And, as much as anything, its intelligence. The Saints outsmarted Peyton Manning. Who would have predicted that?

When it comes to NFL's future, I'm going for it

Sun, 07 Feb 2010 21:42:00 -0600

Typically at the end of another NFL season, you're already looking ahead to the next. Except that the long-term view right about now doesn't look so hot. But let's not get ahead of ourselves in projecting a 2010 season without a salary cap and a 2011 season without the NFL altogether.

Photos: Super Bowl fans, their dogs, celebrities and those TV ads

Sun, 07 Feb 2010 20:27:00 -0600

We have all kinds of photos from Sundays Super Bowl XLIV in Miami. Check em out.

As free agency starts, owners have the edge

Sun, 07 Feb 2010 17:33:00 -0600

The NFL Players Associations otherwise favorable contract with the NFL from 2006 contained one hidden but major pitfall for the union.

Class of 2006: An Imperfect 10

Sun, 07 Feb 2010 15:02:00 -0600

Profiles of the 10 coaches hired in 2006, including Mike McCarthy, who boasts a 38-26 with the Packers. Of the 10, six have been fired and Sean Payton, McCarthy and Brad Childress have coached in NFC championship games.

Beautiful -- and windy -- in Miami

Sun, 07 Feb 2010 13:09:00 -0600

MIAMI -- Just took a walk around the perimeter of Sun Life Stadium. The weather is beautiful but right now it’s pretty windy. Forecasts called for gusts of up to 20 miles per hour, and I can tell you first-hand it’s awfully gusty right now.

Who do you think has the kicking advantage in a windy situation? New Orleans’ Garrett Hartley or Indianapolis’ Matt Stover? Discuss.

We are here at Super Bowl XLIV

Sun, 07 Feb 2010 12:03:00 -0600

Super Bowl XLIV: Saints vs. Colts

Sun, 07 Feb 2010 01:23:00 -0600

Basics; five things to watch; staff views

Free agency shouldnt hurt Colts, Saints

Sat, 06 Feb 2010 18:34:00 -0600

If this were a normal year, the list of potential free agents who might be playing their final games on Sunday for the Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints would be a long and notable one.

Randle 'revolutionized' the game

Sat, 06 Feb 2010 18:16:00 -0600

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Saturday was an interesting one for NFC North fans. We got defensive lineman John Randle into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but were stymied on two other fronts: Receiver Cris Carter was among the first cuts from the Round of 15, while defensive end Richard Dent made it one step further before falling short.

I won’t spend too much time discussing the players who didn’t make it. Today is John Randle’s day. But three quick points before we move on to him:

Many of you are already asking why Randle made it over Dent. After all, they finished their careers with the same number of sacks (137.5). Discussion among the 44 voters is confidential, but the vibe I got Saturday was this: Randle’s total was deemed more impressive because he played much of his career at defensive tackle -- traditionally a harder position from which to pile up sack totals.
Carter actually regressed in the voting this year after making it all the way to the final cut in 2008. As we discussed Saturday, I can only attribute that result to Jerry Rice’s surefire presence in this class and the relatively small number of receivers who are enshrined on a yearly basis. Entering Saturday’s vote, there were 20 receivers in the Hall of Fame, a total less than running backs (25), quarterbacks (23), offensive linemen (34) and defensive linemen (27).
I know that Dick LeBeau played extensively for Detroit. But for coverage purposes, ESPN.com is considering him AFC North property. Check out this post from colleague James Walker.

Now, on to Randle. Mark Craig of the Star Tribune got ahold of him before Randle’s cell phone died.

“It’s an unbelievable feeling because of where I came from and what it took to just make it in the NFL," Randle said. "Words can’t describe what it means. I'm in the Hall of Fame!"

Without exaggeration, I would say Randle ranks among the all-time success stories in recent Hall of Fame memory. He played college football at a Division II school (Texas A&I) that is no longer in existence under its current name. He went undrafted and was signed as a rookie free agent in 1990 by Minnesota scout Frank Gilliam, a player who was lucky if he weighed in at the 287 pounds he was typically listed at.

I spoke Saturday night with one of Randle’s best friends, former Vikings linebacker Ed McDaniel.

“People always told Johnny that he wasn’t big enough and wasn’t good enough,” McDaniel said. “So I know that every day he went out there, he wanted to show the other 30 teams that they made a mistake. He wanted to beat your guy every play. He wasn’t a prototypical player, but he knew that when it was all over, he would be judged among the best players ever to play his position. That’s what he was fighting for all those years.”

There are all kinds of stories I could tell about Randle’s whacky personality, and I’ll get to a few in a moment. From a football perspective, however, I think Randle fundamentally changed the way defensive linemen are perceived.

In many ways, Randle was the first modern-day “three-technique” defensive tackle, the kind of interior disruptor you now see throughout the NFL. Before Randle, the NFL’s top pass rushers always were defensive ends or linebackers. But Randle used his rare quickness to get a step on centers and guards, putting together nine seasons of 10 or more sacks.

As they say, the quickest point to the quarterback is up the middle. During the heart of his career from 1991-2002, Randle collected more sacks than anyone in the NFL.

“He revolutionized the game,” McDaniel said.

Along the way, he proved to be one of the most colorful personalities in the game. Occasionally, Randle’s eye makeup and non-stop trash talking overshadowed how good of a player he was.

To be sure, he always made sure he had fun playing the game. But Randle also believed he could get in the heads of opponents with some well-timed barbs -- so much so that he studied media guides for personal information he could banter with.

“Everyone has seen the NFL Films stuff from Johnny,” McDaniel said. “That was the nice stuff. When he wasn’t miked up, that’s when the X-rated stuff would come. He would say stuff about guy’s mothers, about their wives, about their children. He wanted to hit a guy at his weakest point. It was filthy, but it worked.”

McDaniel told a story about playing in a game against Miami in the mid-1990s. Randle and fellow Vikings linebacker Jack Del Rio tackled a Dolphins running back. At the bottom of the pile, Del Rio was twisting one of the running back’s ankles. Randle had the other and was yelling, according to McDaniel, “Harder, Jack, harder! Twist it off! Twist it off!”

“I said, ‘Oh my God,’ McDaniel said. “This is a level of football I’ve never seen.”

I covered Randle during the latter stages of his career, and I rarely saw him stand in one place for more than a moment. He had a barb ready for everyone in the room, and considering how he dashed from place to place in the Vikings’ locker room, I was always surprised how observant he was.

At the time, I was 26 and apparently looked younger. (The gray hair is a recent turn of events.) As he ran toward his locker one day, Randle stopped, looked at me and said: “Hey, does your mom know you’re here?”

I looked around. Was he talking to me?

“I said, does your mom know you’re here?”

“I don’t know. Why?”

“Because,” Randle said, “you’re too young to be away from home by yourself.”

I’m betting his enshrinement speech will be a knee-slapper.

Super Bowl XLIV: How were picking Saints vs. Colts

Sat, 06 Feb 2010 17:54:00 -0600

How our writers are picking Super Bowl XLIV between the New Orleans Saints and the Indianapolis Colts.

Vandermause: 12 years, and still not Super

Sat, 06 Feb 2010 17:03:00 -0600

Based on their overall record during the past decade, the Green Bay Packers have been an overwhelming success. Based on their inability to reach the Super Bowl during that time, they have been a resounding failure.

Randle makes 2010 HOF class

Sat, 06 Feb 2010 15:42:00 -0600

Former Vikings defensive tackle John Randle has made the cut and will be entering the Pro Football Hall of Fame. More to come later.

HOF finalists to be announced

Sat, 06 Feb 2010 14:59:00 -0600

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- There is strict confidentiality with the Pro Football Hall of Fame voting process. But my NFC West colleague Mike Sando, a member of the voting committee, will post the finalists for the class of 2010 at 5 p.m. ET. The class will be pulled from that group and announced at about 5:30 p.m. Make sure you check Mike's blog and then come back to the NFC North blog for analysis on how Cris Carter, Richard Dent and John Randle fared.

When opportunity knocked, Muir answered

Sat, 06 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0600

Packers washout now starts for Colts in Super Bowl.

Goodell Responds To Union on Cap and Lockout

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 20:55:00 -0600

The commissioner defends a league battling declining profits because of the economy and stadium costs. The Packers will be front and center in negotiations. As the only publicly owned team, their financial records are the only ones that are open for all to see.

Commissioner Goodell addresses CBA, other issues facing NFL

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 16:54:00 -0600

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell spoke Friday at his annual Super Bowl press conference at the media center in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Goodell addressed the league's position in the collective bargaining agreement and fielded questions about head injuries, overtime, extending the regular season and the NFL's possible return to Mexico, among other things.

Kick off the 2010 season in the blog, starting Monday

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 15:25:00 -0600

With the NFL's 2009 season ending on Sunday, we're not wasting any time flipping the calendar here in the Insiders Blog.

Beginning Monday and continuing for 10 consecutive weekdays, I'll be hosting a position-specific, chat-based Packers free-for-all right here, each kicking off at 1 p.m.

Each day, we'll select one position and discuss it from all Packers angles: the current roster, free agents, draft prospects, etc. It's still early, so rather than a strict Q&A format, this will be a forum in which I'll serve as moderator and let you, the fans, debate whatever you want in real time.

Here's the schedule:

Monday: Running backs
Tuesday: Receivers/tight ends
Wednesday: Quarterbacks
Thursday: Offensive line
Friday, Feb. 12: Open season (everything fair game)
Monday, Feb. 15: Defensive line
Tuesday, Feb. 16: Linebackers
Wednesday, Feb. 17: Defensive backs
Thursday, Feb. 18: Specialists
Friday, Feb. 19: Open season (everything fair game)

It all leads up to the Press-Gazette's coverage of the NFL's scouting combine the last week of February, during which Pete Dougherty and I will bring you updates and host daily chats live from Indianapolis.

So, start doing your research, warm up your fingers and I'll see you after lunch on Monday.

-- Tom Pelissero, tpelisse@greenbaypressgazette.com
http://twitter.com/tompelissero

'Favorite Fives' of 2009: Top Run Plays At Home

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 11:55:00 -0600

Packers Story: Continuing an annual series now in its third year, Packers.com has again compiled a series of "Favorite Fives," various Top 5 lists of big plays from this past season.

Each list will be accompanied by a brief description of the context, plus video clips of the plays. The Packers Fan Poll on the left side of the page will allow fans to vote for their favorite. A new "Favorite Five" will appear each week for the next several weeks, with a new corresponding poll.

After all the lists have appeared, votes will be tabulated to compile a final "Favorite Five," and Packers.com visitors can then vote for their favorite play of the year for 2009.

The first installment is the Top 5 running plays in home games. In chronological order, they are:

Aaron Rodgers, 35 yards vs. Minnesota (Nov. 1)
Early in the fourth quarter, with the Packers trailing 31-20, the offense faced second-and-4 from midfield. Rodgers dropped back to pass, took off to h..

PR posturing picking up in CBA negotiations

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 17:12:00 -0600

The public-relations campaigns in negotiatons for the NFL's collective-bargaining agreement are picking up at the Super Bowl this week, with the strongest statement today coming from the NFLPA.

DeMaurice Smith, the players union's new executive director, made news this aftrnoon at a press conference when he said it will be "virtually impossible" for the union to go back to a salary-cap system now that the league will be uncapped in 2010. The current free-agency system started in 1993, with the salary cap added in '94.

Smith no doubt is posturing to maximize negotiating leverage, but you never know where negotiations will go over the next year. The CBA runs out in early March 2011, and Smith said the likelihood of the owners locking out the players if there's not a new CBA by that time is "14" on scale of 1 to 10.

The owners want to cut substantially the percentage of gross revenues it pays the players -- the salary cap had been set on the players receiving 60 percent of the league's defined gross revenue. The players' best bargaining chip, aside from withholding their services, is the salary cap, which is an important cost-containing component for the owners. Smith's statement is a signal the players will ask for plenty in return for giving the owners a cap.

As far as the Packers go, they'll be fine in the short term without a salary cap, and as long as they can rank at least in the middle of the pack in the league in revenue, they should be a viable franchise. But the cap helps them. Also, it's hard to think the league won't negotiate some kind of mechanism to contain players costs with the union before all is said and done, whether it's a salary cap, a luxury tax or the like.

-- Pete Dougherty, pdougher@greenbaypressgazette.com

Packers Fan Memories

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 15:30:00 -0600

Packers Story: Read the 'Packers Fan Memories' archives or Submit your own favorite memory

This Week's Photos

Hey Packers fans, here's your chance to share your favorite memories of the green and gold with other fans from around the world! This week's edition features an extended vacation in Green Bay, a trip back home, and a birthday present to the regular season finale.

Each week, Packers.com will post a feature called 'Packers Fan Memories'.

Lombardi Remains Icon at Fordham

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 14:02:00 -0600

Super Bowl week returns the focus to Vince Lombardi, who played and coached in the Bronx before becoming a sporting legend during nine incredible seasons in Green Bay.

Deadline Extended For 'Hunting Down Hunger' Donation Applications

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 12:01:00 -0600

Packers Story: More Than $100,000 Available For Hunger Relief Efforts From Sale Of Orange Hats

The deadline for organizations to submit applications for funds from the Green Bay Packers' "Hunting Down Hunger" program has been extended to Feb. 15.

The Packers are targeting 25 to 30 organizations to receive funds for their efforts. Money is available to non-profit organizations with hunger relief programs that primarily serve Wisconsin.

The application process is available online at www.packers.com/community/hunting_down_hunger.

Recipients will be selected and announced by the end of February.

Hats remain available for purchase online at www.packersproshop.com, as well as in person at the Packers Pro Shop. More than $100,000 has been raised thus far through the sale of orange caps.

T..

10 Wisconsin Schools Readying For Packers' 'Play 60 Challenge'

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 11:56:00 -0600

Packers Story: More Than 1,900 Students To Participate Feb. 8 Through March 7

The "Play 60 Challenge," a physical fitness program from the Green Bay Packers and the American Heart Association, gets under way Feb. 8 at 10 schools in Wisconsin.

More than 1,900 students in grades five through eight are using this week to prepare for the event, a six-week program that challenges them to get active and play for at least 60 minutes each day, with the activities able to be broken up and performed either in or out of school.

The students will track their daily totals on classroom scoreboards, and at the end of the program, the school with the highest cumulative participation time per student will receive a trip to Lambeau Field, including a stadium tour, Packers Hall of Fame passes, a chance to meet a Packers player and a $200 gift certificate from U.S. Games. The schools that place second and third will receive U.S. Game gift certificates of $500 and $400, respecti..

A Lombardi coaching in Super Bowl

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 17:09:00 -0600

A direct descendent of Vince Lombardi will coach in the Super Bowl this week.

Joe Lombardi, a son of Vince Lombardi Jr. and grandson of the legendary former Packers coach, is quarterbacks coach for the New Orleans Saints.

ESPN.com's Len Pasquarelli this week wrote a story on Joe Lombardi, who is in his first season coaching the Saints' quarterbacks and third season as an assistant coach with the team.

Joe Lombardi was a three-year letterman in football as a backup tight end at Air Force and has been an assistant coach in the NFL since 2006, when he was a defensive assistant with Atlanta.

Joe Lombardi was born nine months before his grandfather died of cancer in 1970.

-- Pete Dougherty, pdougher@greenbaypressgazette.com