Week Six in Review

Well it's gut check time assholes. Once again marred by significant injuries, the Packers will have to make do with multiple back-ups starting at crucial positions on both offense and defense. Early reports on Randall Cobb have his leg injury as a broken fibula, likely to cost him six to eight weeks. James Jones has a chance to go this week, but will be listed as doubtful. If he can't go, we'll be left with just two of the wideouts who started the year on the 53 man roster. Jarrett Boykin will be fine (they've kept him around this long for a reason), but whoever lines up outside beyond Nelson and Boykin will have their work cut out for them. Nick Perry reportedly broke his foot while sacking the hilariously overpaid Joe Flacco, relegating us to our third option at weak side linebacker. Nobody knows yet how long he'll be out, but I mean, his foot is broken. I'm not doctor but I figure that ain't no good. Add to this list the injuries to Brad Jones, Bulaga, Matthews, Heyward, Starks, Sherrod, Lattimore, and Tretter, and we are one banged up group. Here's the good news, we're finally playing a tough brand of football. Oh we can still go shotgun and spread 'em out with the best of 'em, but we're actually running the fucking ball this year. We've had a 100-yard rusher in four of six games, and are averaging a fantastic 5.2 yards per carry (good for second best in the league, behind the run happy Eagles). There's been talk of more running plays upsetting Aaron Rodgers' rhythm, but I say fuck that. There's just no way a greatly improved running game can make you a worse team. While the running game has been at it, the defense has been tough as nails. Defending short fields, goal line stands, sacking the quarterback, the whole deal. Only the Jets and the Broncos are giving up fewer rushing yards per game than us, and whoever is playing the Broncos is almost immediately down by three touchdowns, so they can't very well commit to the running game anyway. If we want to keep winning games amidst all these injuries, we're going to have to go old school. That means continuing to run the ball, continuing to play great defense, and making the occasional explosive play on offense to win the close games. Kinda like what we did against Baltimore yesterday. Here's what I liked and what I didn't like:

What I Liked (All Defense Edition!):

A.J. Hawk: After seven plus seasons, and in a game where inside linebacker is about as depleted as a position group gets, A.J. Hawk finally had the kind of game you'd expect from a number five overall draft pick. Ten tackles, three sacks, and five tackles for a loss. Phenomenal stats. He got after the quarterback all game long, and made tackle after tackle in the running game. He played with a mean streak yesterday that has not often been seen from the Packers' defense lately. I'm not making any predictions about superstar play from Hawk going forward, but I was happy to see him have this kind of game. He's earned it.

If he can add a few picks to the stat sheet, I'm sayin...

Micah Hyde: Flat out, the kid hits like Charles Woodson. That's high mother fucking praise for a rookie. He wraps up players over the middle and brings them to the ground violently. He can tackle running backs, wide outs, tight ends, qbs, it doesn't matter. In addition to his seven tackles, he had one tackle for a loss, a sack, and a forced fumble. Oh and guess who stuck his nose right in there at the point of attack on the fourth down goal line stand. IT'S YA BOY! I'd have to go back and review the game to be sure, but I don't remember him getting beat on any big plays in the passing game either. Add to that his 16, 20, and 34 yard punt returns, and it's clear he had himself a damn good game. I hope he keeps getting opportunities to get on the field.

Third Down Defense: The defense held the Ravens to just 2 for 14 on third downs, making the most of five sacks and ten tackles for a loss. Amazingly, the defense did not allow a single third down conversion in the entire second half. Although the players did very well, plenty of credit should go to the defensive coaching staff. Torrey Smith, by far Baltimore's number one receiving threat going into Sunday's game, was held to just one catch for 12 yards on four targets. Tanden Doss had 99 yards receiving, but, uhhh, I'll take my chances with Tanden Doss any week. Keep up the great work Dom Capers, Joe Whitt, Kevin Greene, Winston Moss, and the rest.

What I Didn't Like:

Ball Security: The botched blocked punt by Kuhn was a boneheaded play from a typically steady veteran. It was dumb and costly, but an aberration. It was good to see Kuhn go straight to the special teams coach on the sidelines and take his lumps. Believe me, that won't happen again. What I'm worried about are the two fumbles by Rodgers. Of course the offensive line needs to bear a good chunk of this burden, but Rodgers needs to take care of that football. I hate to say it, but he reminded me a little bit of Favre the way he was just winging the ball around in the pocket. The play is a failure whether you fumble the ball or take the sack, so just take the sack if you have to, especially considering how well your defense has been playing. Rodgers also threw another uncharacteristic pick on a jump ball to Jordy. I'm not sure how many more weeks I can call throws like that 'uncharacteristic' if he continues to chuck 'em up. Rodgers has played well this year, no doubt, but I'd just like to see him take care of the football a little better.

B.J. Raji: Johnny Jolly, Jamari Lattimore, Chris Banjo, and C.J. Wilson. That's a list of players who had more tackles yesterday than B.J. Raji. It's hard to nitpick a defense that's playing so well, and particularly against the run, but where has Raji been all year? He's got seven tackles and zero sacks through five games, and just two tackles over the last three games. I love B.J.'s attitude and consider him a leader on the defense. Furthermore, a ton of what a defensive tackle does never shows up on the stat sheet. That being said, this is a contract year for the big fella, and if his first five games are an indication of the kind of year he's gonna have, I'm not sure we'll see him back in Green Bay next year.

That's nice Mason. That is niiice.

Mason Crosby: What the hell Mason? A miss from 44 yards? Nah I'm just playin' big cat. Stay keepin' your bubble pourin'.

**BONUS COMMERCIALS THAT PISSED ME OFF**

'Torque is what gets the cap off your beer!' - Ford Motor Company.

Fuck off Ford, treating me like a caveman does not make me feel inadequate enough to buy one of your trucks.

'Last year, final play, broken play, they're all broken plays...' - Rob Lowe on the 'Lowe Family Turkey Bowl'

Ahahaha. HAHAHAHA. HILARIOUS ROB LOWE! The last play was a broken play? So your son ran a ten yard puma instead of that twenty yard post you've been setting up since the first quarter? No doubt you'll clean that up at the 'Lowe Family Christmas Film Review Session.' Why do I love football? That's what you're asking me NFL? Because it's awesome, not because Rob fucking Lowe got choked up at the perfect moment while pissing on my leg and telling me it's raining. I already love your product, no matter how hard you try to ruin it, so just shut up about it and take my money.

**WHAT WAS I DRINKING?**

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. The beer for all occasions. Maybe one of these weeks I'll drink something other than beer, but I wouldn't hold my breath on that one.

Week Five in Review

If this was a Detroit Lions blog, I'd be writing today about how Jim Schwartz's tenure has run it's course. He brought the Lions back to relevancy, gave them an edge, and got them to the playoffs. It's become clear now, though, that he cannot take them any further. He lacks the maturity to handle success and cannot control his own team. Since, however, this is a Packers blog, I'll just say that the immature Lions are always welcome here in Wisconsin, and I'd like to thank them for their continued ineptitude. Dominic Raiola (you know, the most tenured player on the Lions' team, vocal leader on the offensive line, steadying veteran presence) was reportedly hurling obscenities at the UW marching band that performed during the game. This consummate professional was reported by numerous sources to have called a young man in the band a 'fat fuck,' 'fucking faggot,' and more. He also reportedly called a female band member a 'cunt.' But the crowning achievement of this tirade has to have been when he told a trumpeter that he was going to, 'take his trumpet and shove it up his sister's pussy.' Hilarious? Of course. Indicative of the leadership and maturity of the Lions? Indeed. The Lions are losers, and will continue to be until they learn to act like professionals. They could take a lesson or two from the Packers, both on and off the field. In the mean time I'll just continue to enjoy our annual beatings, each one more hilarious than the last. Here's what I liked and didn't like:

What I Liked:

Raiola was apparently too busy to block.

Pass Defense: The Packers yielded just 4.9 yards per passing play to the normally potent Lions offense (yards ppp is a stat that I really like, one that I feel accurately reflects the efficiency of a passing game). This was a function of four main factors: an active pass rush, execution of assignments in the secondary, field position, and the absence of Calvin Johnson. Johnson is the best wideout in the league, and his inability to play made the secondary's job a lot easier. That being said, I would guess that most, if not all of the starters in the secondary received a plus grade for the game. The Lions never had a play go for more than 25 yards, which shows that the secondary was assignment sure, likely influenced by the return of the steady Morgan Burnett. Four different linebackers combined for five sacks, finally getting pressure from players not named Clay Matthews. The Lions' average starting field position was from inside their own 19 yard line, and they never started a drive beyond their own 20. That's spectacular production from the special teams units. A good job all around I'd say.

The Running Game: We finally got an extended look at the bruising stylings of Eddie Lacy, and I like what I saw. He averaged a solid 4.3 yards per carry, and did a nice job of falling forward after contact. He also picked up a first down on a simple run off the left tackle on third and three, something I've been waiting like five years to see. Let's hope that continues. Cobb had 72 yards on two carries, which forces future opponents to spend time game planning for Cobb as a weapon out of the backfield. We ended the day with a total of 180 yards on the ground, which not only kept drives going for us, but also helped keep Aaron Rodgers upright by slowing down the pass rush.

Third Down Conversions: I said our offensive efficiency had to improve, and it did. 7 for 16 is a very good day on third down. It's just so important to convert third downs (keeps drives going, wears down the defense, chews up clock, etc.), so I'm not going to stop bringing this up. The best teams in the league convert their third downs, and get off the field on their opponents' third downs.

What I Didn't Like:

Jonathan Franklin: The rookie saw just three carries today because of an early fumble. That's two fumbles in his first two games as a professional. Ball security issues were the one knock against him coming out of UCLA, and have so far persisted. I know I keep saying it, but you can't put the ball on the ground if you want to play running back for the Green Bay Packers.

Red Zone Offense: The Packers were unable to come away with a touchdown on either of their two red zone possessions, though they did tally field goals both times. Although I don't necessarily buy into the importance of success within an arbitrarily placed line, our inability to score on a short field is becoming a bit of a pattern. The possible emergence of Eddie Lacy as a tough runner between the tackles could be a big help in these situations.

Injuries: I'm not advocating a mid-season training staff overhaul, but I am advocating some immediate self-scouting and a hard off-season look at training procedures with regard to injury prevention. We lost three linebackers to injury during Sunday's tilt, including starters Brad Jones and Clay Matthews. Jones' injury appears to be insignificant at this point, but Matthews has already undergone surgery to repair his broken thumb, and will miss at least a month. Even when Matthews does return following the removal of a series of pins from his thumb, he'll likely need to wear a club cast, which will no doubt make him less effective. This injury shit is fucked up, and it's been going on for years. One season marred by injury? Could be a fluke. Two seasons? Bad luck. Four straight seasons? Time for some introspection.

Extra Points:

- Matt Flynn was released by the Raiders yesterday. I'd sure like to see him back in Green Bay, and he could be had for the veteran minimum I'm sure after a failed foray into the world of starting NFL qb.

- Where has John Kuhn been this year? I know he's been a little nicked up, but he's not even seeing the field when he's healthy.

- Jermichael Finley has been an absolute beast after the catch this year.

- I like Matthew Stafford as a player and a person. He's tough as nails and plays the position well. If you ask me, he's got more than a little Favre in him.

**BONUS POLITICAL STATEMENT OF THE WEEK**

The endgame of capitalism is a global catastrophe the magnitude of which has rarely, if ever been seen on the human scale.

**WHAT WAS I DRINKING THIS WEEK?**

Left Hand Brewing Company's Sawtooth Ale. I meant to buy a German Helles, but panicked at the liquor store and reverted to my default setting of 'anything bitter.' Anyway I've made worse mistakes.

Week Three in Review

The week one loss to the 49ers I understood, but this one has me a little concerned. The way I see it, we played a bad game, lost to an average team, and are now two games out of the division lead just three weeks into the season. It's far from panic time, but there are some things that we need to get right, or the season could get away from us quickly. We didn't protect Rodgers as well as we should have, but he didn't exactly look sharp out there himself. It was without a doubt one of the worst performances of his career. I liked a lot of what I saw from the defense, specifically the defensive line, but there's only so much a defense can do. We've got a bye this week, which gives our already nicked up players a chance to get healthy. It's time to go on a run and I believe we'll do just that. Here's what I liked and didn't like:

What I Liked:

Adversity Defense: When your offense plays like shit, it puts added pressure on your defense. Not only does the defense need to hold the opposing offense to a lower point total to win, but they are also put in difficult situations as a result of turnovers. This was definitely the case yesterday, with four turnovers by the Packers putting the defense in tough spot after tough spot. I absolutely loved the way the entire defense rose to the occasion and kept the Packers in the game from start to finish. Yes we gave up 34 points, but there was a stretch of seven drives starting with 6:43 to go in the first quarter during which the Bengals gained just 75 total yards, and picked up just three first downs. The results of those seven drives went as follows: punt, interception, fumble, fumble, fumble, punt, punt. That is some solid defense.

Production From the Running Game: Packers running backs gained an average of 5.9 yards per carry on 27 total carries. That's good production in terms of attempts, and fantastic production in terms of YPC. Not only does running the ball effectively help keep the offense in favorable down and distances, it also helps to set up the passing game. Although the offense was unable to take full advantage of such good balance yesterday, running the ball this well will pay dividends, I'm sure of it. Consider that we ran the ball this well with our top running back on the sidelines, and there's certainly reason for optimism.

Clay Matthews: The human fucking wrecking ball that is Clay Matthews III tallied a sack and two forced fumbles in just over half of a game. For all the talk about his pass rushing skills (skills that are robust, to be sure), he may play the run just as well. His ability to recognize a hand-off the moment it happens, adjust his path down the line of scrimmage, and attack the ball carrier is second to none. It's not so much that he's aggressive about stripping the ball, it's just that he tackles with such violence that the runner collapses and simply can't hold on to the ball. He's an exciting player and his importance to our team can't be overstated. Let's hope his recurring hamstring injury benefits from the bye week.

What I Didn't Like:

Turnovers: What the fuck was that shit? Four turnovers? Two picks? That second pick that Rodgers threw was just awful and proved costly. Sometimes I get the impression that Rodgers can be frustrated to the point of inefficiency. His body language made it seem like he thought certain plays were doomed to fail before the ball was even snapped. The Ross fumble was bad, and yet McCarthy stuck with him on both kick and punt returns. I HATE it when coaches neglect to use their best return man because they're 'too important to the offense/defense.' Randall Cobb should be returning any and every kick, and I will not back down on this point. If you think he shouldn't risk an injury on a return because he's too important to the offense, then you're a pussy. If you want your team to play scared, then do us all a favor and move to Minnesota. Franklin's fumble was immensely disappointing. He negated an otherwise electrifying NFL debut with one bad play. You can't put the ball on the ground if you want to play running back for the Green Bay Packers.

Play Calling Creativity: Coach McCarthy preaches 'less volume, more creativity' when it comes to play calling, but he displayed less of both yesterday. Of course play calling is not the only reason that Aaron Rodgers posted the 5th worst passer rating of his career, but it was certainly a factor. Passing opportunities downfield were few and far between, so the offense began to rely heavily on shorter routes, specifically calling flare route after flare route after flare route. We had some success for a few drives using the strategy, but NFL defensive coordinators are not stupid, especially defensive coordinators with 34 years of experience. We went to the well too many times, attempting flare routes on the final third and fourth down plays. Both passes were knocked down at the line of scrimmage by linemen who had seen the play several times before, and would have been contested by defensive backs who had seen the play several times before. Add in the vanilla half back slam on the fourth down fumble play, and it's clear that McCarthy did not have his best day on the headset.

3rd Down Efficiency: 4 for 13. Not good enough.

Extra Points:

- I loved seeing BJ Raji break up the quick confrontation between Rodgers and McCarthy on the sidelines. Rodgers has pointed to Raji as a leader off the field, and it was on display yesterday.

- Datone Jones again failed to record a single tackle, though he did block an extra point.

- The Packers haven't beaten the Bengals in 15 years.

**BONUS CONSPIRACY THEORY**

I think the NFL is pumping fake sound effects in between plays, specifically defensive adjustments and audible calls. They all sounded so formulaic, I swear they just borrowed the soundtrack from Madden 2012.

**WHAT WAS I DRINKING THIS WEEK?**

New Glarus Wild Sour Ale. It's a sour brown ale from their thumbprint series. I give it a hearty thumbs up, and I'm a stickler about sours.

Week Two in Review

An emphatic response to a disappointing week one road loss. The offense looked nearly unstoppable once they got into a groove, and there was no shortage of playmakers. The defense looked sharp to start out, although I think a good deal of our early success on that side of the ball was due to ineptitude on the part of Washington. Special teams units went unnoticed, which means they did well enough. Here’s what I liked and didn’t like:

What I Liked:

Aaron Rodgers: Look, I’m not going to include him every week because that would be boring and easy, but how about this guy? Completes over 80 percent of his passes, averages 9.6 yards per passing play, throws four touchdowns to three different receivers, and commits zero turnovers. Again, I won’t pour over his sparkling stat line every week, but I just had to include him again this week so that we (I) don’t start taking him for granted. He’s the best in the league.

Starting Wideout TRIO: So James Jones is back in the mix, proving yet again that the Packers realistically feature three starting wideouts. The guy had over 150 yards receiving IN THE FIRST HALF yesterday, which is ridiculous. He and Rodgers could easily have set records if we weren’t such a classy organization and decided to run up the score like the loathsome Patriots. Cobb and Nelson were back with a combined 194 yards and three touchdowns, no doubt striking fear in the hearts of defensive coordinators around the league. Did you see Jim Haslett’s face from the coach’s booth yesterday? He looked like he was getting a colonoscopy.

Run Blocking: Don't get me wrong, James Starks had himself a very good game and deserves some credit, but my game ball goes to the guards and center for the gaping holes they opened up for Starks to run through. Mike McCarthy has stated many times that the majority of running plays in his offense are designed to gain 4.6 yards. Any back in the league could have averaged that much yardage per play with the way our offensive line was pushing around Washington’s front seven. Again, credit to Starks for his creativity and effort at the second level, but the running game starts with blocking and the O-line blocked their asses off.

What I Didn’t Like:

Pass Rush: Once again, the Packers were unable to generate consistent pressure on the opposing quarterback. Believe me, this is a problem. The defense tallied just one sack and three quarterback hits, the sack coming on a broken play for Washington and from a blitzing corner by the Packers. Griffin was rushed on a decent number of plays, but we had to rush five or six defenders to get that done. Add to that the fact that we held a lead throughout the entire game, knowing the Redskins had to pass, and the lack of pressure becomes even more glaring. I’m starting to think that Thompson just doesn’t have an eye for pass rushing talent. Stay tuned on this one.

Pass Protection: Four sacks are not an outrageous number, but consider this stat (courtesy of the Pollyanna that manages the ESPN NFC North Blog, whose job I should have): Rodgers got the ball out in 2.5 seconds or less on 33 of 46 drop-backs. Translation, Rodgers relied heavily on quick passes (slants, bubble screens, hitches, etc.) in an attempt to limit the defense’s ability to put pressure on him, and yet he still suffered four sacks and six hits. First and goal from the nine yard line on the first drive of the game became third and goal from the 24 as a result of two straight sacks. Credit the coaching staff for adjusting the game plan to limit pressure, but god dammit, protect the fucking quarterback. He IS our team.

Jonathan Franklin: Is this guy really so bad in practice that he couldn’t earn a single snap even after Eddie Lacy was knocked out on the first run of the game? I understand that Starks was playing very well, but how about a screen or a draw or even a blocking assignment just to get the rookie’s feet wet? I have to blame the coaching staff here, especially considering the fact that we led 31-0 halfway through the third quarter. If he’s good enough to suit up for a game, then he’s good enough to play AT LEAST one snap in a blowout victory.

Extra Points:

-         the streak of consecutive games without a 100 yard rusher is over, so now we can get back to discussing stats that actually matter

-          Eddie Lacy suffered a concussion, which could sideline him for next week’s game against the Bengals

-          the Packers’ bye comes in week four this year, which is good in that it gives our ailing d-backs an extra week to recover, and bad in that we won’t have that week of rest later in the season, when it’s more important

-          Mike Daniels was my unsung hero of the game, since he’s barely featured on the stat sheet, but seemed to be involved in a ton of plays near the line of scrimmage

Week One in Review

So we lost by one score on the road against the defending NFC champions. In the words of Mike McCarthy, 'we're nobody's underdog,' but we could have done a lot worse in terms of week one losses. The offense was consistent and efficient, scoring one touchdown in each quarter. The defense was porous and eventually insufficient, but gamely defended a short field more than once. It's hard to blame an offense that scored 28 points while their defense gave up over 500 yards, but turnovers were the difference in this game. Eddie Lacy's debut was a clunker that featured 2.9 yards per carry and a costly fumble, and yet he was the only true halfback to get a carry. The secondary suffered in the absence of starters Casey Heyward and Morgan Burnett, but the front seven offered little help in the way of pressure on the quarterback. The defensive line remains inept at collapsing the pocket, and recent first round picks Datone Jones and Nick Perry were all but absent from the stat sheet. Johnny Jolly was fun in his return from a ridiculous three year hiatus, making an impact both on the field as a disruption in the backfield, and on the sidelines as a vocal and animated leader. He was the only veteran even-tempered enough to break up the scuffle following Clay Matthews' late hit on Kaepernick. Thank god Roger Goodell had the wherewithal to suspend this OBVIOUSLY dangerous individual from the league for so long. Anyway here's what I liked and didn't like:

What I Liked:

Aaron Rodgers: The guy is good. His one pick was a perfectly placed pass to an open receiver. He managed 8.7 net yards per passing play, which would have been a full yard better than last year's best mark, set by a fella by the name of Colin Kaepernick, who posted a 7.7 net yards ppp in a modest 218 attempts.  He's cool, calm, and collected and will be dominant all year, just like he always is. 

Starting Wideout Tandem: Cobb and Nelson both had seven catches, both had over 100 yards, and both scored a touchdown. Cobb showed some fucking toughness, and there's no other way to put it. The only negative word I've ever heard uttered by the coaching staff about Randall Cobb is that he was skipping ahead in the playbook on his personal time, trying to learn plays that were not yet being installed. Combine that brain with an ability to catch the ball in traffic and gain yards after the catch, and you've got yourself a pretty decent player. Nelson looked 100% healthy following what appears to have been a good decision to operate on a lingering leg issue during the preseason. He executed both the mundane (in running and catching a simple slant in the end zone for a score) and the spectacular (in hauling in a circus catch on the sideline for 37 yards). He's the total package, and combined with Cobb makes Greg Jinnengs (sp?) a distant memory.

(default hilarious picture earned by mentioning Raji)

Run Defense: Yes, we gave up over 500 yards of offense (again), but we held the hard-nosed 49ers to a paltry 2.6 yards per attempt on 34 carries. Frank Gore has averaged 4.6 yards per carry in his career, but managed just 44 yards on 21 carries this afternoon. B.J. Raji stuck his nose in on more than a few plays at the line of scrimmage, and the linebackers did a nice job of swarming the ball carrier before he could reach the second level. Stopping the run is job number one for any NFL defense, and it gives us a decent foundation to build off of in the weeks to come.

What I Didn’t Like:

Third Down Defense: Although the numbers aren't as ghastly as I expected, the Packers' defense was not exactly stout on third downs. The Niners converted exactly half of their 18 third down opportunities, which would have been good for tops in the league in 2012, edging the Patriots who converted 48.43% of their third down tries. The Packers were missing two of their four starters in the secondary, including the quarterback of the defense, safety Morgan Burnett. It's comforting to make excuses, but the reality is that no team finishes or even enters a season completely healthy on either side of the ball. Injuries are a fact of life in the NFL, and if your back-ups can't get the job done, you're in trouble. Let's hope we can get healthy in the secondary and stop giving up huge chunks of yards. The good news is that next week's matchup pits the Packers' secondary against Pierre Garcon and Josh Morgan, a duo of receivers that have never managed more than four touchdowns in a season.

An inauspicious start for the highly touted Lacy.

Turnovers: Blame it on whoever you want (I choose Jermichael Finley), but a pick is a pick. Any one score game comes down to turnover differential, and we lost today. The rookie Eddie Lacy lost a 2^nd quarter fumble, and was promptly escorted to the bench in favor of Jimmy Starks. I agree with the decision to bench him for a quarter, I'm disappointed that he lost a fumble in his debut performance, and I'm confident he'll learn from the mistake. The good news HERE is that on the very next offensive play following Finley's bobbled interception, Rodgers found Jermichael for a solid gain. It was probably the first time that I was glad Rodgers reminded me of Favre.

Josh Sitton: For all the talk surrounding David Bakhtiari's maiden voyage at the ultra-important left tackle position, it was Josh Sitton that was left holding the bag on the offensive line. He was flagged three times for holding, wiping out the Packers' two best runs of the day. This guy is supposed to be our best lineman, not the guy getting flagged left and right. The good news here is that he has beautiful curly brown locks and a jovial disposition.

Overreact if you must, but this is a minor setback. San Francisco is a good football team, and if nothing else, we showed today that they won’t roll over us if we see them in January. There’s work to be done in the running game and on defense to be sure, but we put a lot of good things on film today. Reacting to a loss has never been an issue for the Packers under Mike McCarthy, and I’m confident we’ll respond emphatically next week. I do know this much, championship teams don’t lose two games in a row to start a season.

Extra Points:

- I already miss Charles Woodson. Not that I think he would have made a huge difference today, it's just that I really loved watching him play for the Packers, and I'll never have the privilege of enjoying that again.

- Jim Harbaugh is a douche bag.

- I can't say enough about how happy I am to see Johnny Jolly back on the field. Sincere congratulations to him on a remarkable journey back to the NFL.

- I've always liked Anquan Boldin.

- I promise to never, and I mean N-E-V-E-R never include any details about any of my fantasy football teams in a blog post. You don't care, and I respect that about you.

Here We Go Again...

Bryan Bulaga is out for the year according to espnmilwaukee.com thanks to an ACL tear during the Saturday night scrimmage.

This is a huge blow to an offensive line trying to reinvent itself following sub-par performances over the last few years. I've long since held the opinion that the left tackle is the second most important player on your team, and ours is out for the entire season.

Mike McCarthy had planned to flip flop the left and right sides of the line this year in order to position his best linemen in the most important spots. The left tackle spot is now wide open, with Marshall Newhouse being the likely front runner to start the competition.

The one and only silver lining here is that the injury occurred with enough time left before the season to hold a legitimate competition to find a replacement. There's been rumblings about rookie lineman David Bakhtiari looking good in camp, but do you want a rookie protecting Aaron Rodgers blindside? That's what this is really about. You can pretty much pencil in at least two more free shots at Rodgers' back this year, which inevitably lead to fumbles, injuries, losses, angry bloggers, etc. I am not pleased.

Of course one injury won't derail the season at this point, but god damn this is one injury that you don't want to see. We've dealt with plenty of injury issues over the past three years, so nobody within the organization is going to panic. It's just disheartening to get bit by the injury bug again so early. The Packers have lost more starts due to injury over the past three season than any team in the the league, and we've already lost 16 starts this year before we played our first preseason game.

No Charles, Thank YOU

Make no mistake, there will never be another Charles Woodson. Not at Michigan, not in Green Bay, not anywhere. His unique combination of skills and dedication to the game have placed him in the pantheon of not just defensive backs, but football players period. He’s one of the best of all time, and we were lucky enough to witness the pinnacle of his abilities for seven years.

The stats are great. 921 tackles, 17 sacks, 29 forced fumbles, 10 fumble recoveries, an incredible 55 interceptions, nearly 1000 interception return yards, 11 touchdowns, 182 passes defensed, the list goes on. He’ll no doubt add to those over the next year or two, but if he walked away today, he’d do so as a sure-fire hall of famer. As hackneyed a phrase as it is, it fits Charles Woodson too perfectly to say that the stats only tell a fraction of the story. Woodson had every football intangible known to man, and whatever leadership he wasn’t born with, he developed.

“My mindset was, I didn’t care who it was. You know what I mean? I play this game too.”

Charles had what can only be described as incredible ‘fight,’ and he didn’t give a shit who knew it. By the way, if you didn’t know it, he’d let you know in a hurry. Whether it was fighting Amani Toomer as a true freshman during his first practice at Michigan, or fighting David Boston in the Big House versus Ohio State, or even arguing with Mike McCarthy day one in Green Bay, Woodson never took no shit. I’m reminded of one of my favorite plays by Charles. It was Brett Favre’s final game in Green Bay, and the Giants were coming to Lambeau Field for the NFC Championship game. It was colder than a witch’s tit. Game time temperature was hovering around zero, and there was no shortage of wind. The talk leading up to the game centered around New York’s three pronged rushing attack, spear headed by the massive Brandon Jacobs. Seemingly everyone in the media was questioning how the Packers were going to stop this 6’5”, 265-pounder in the cold. Woodson not only heard the criticism, but decided in truly Woodson-esque fashion to bring the fight to Jacobs right off the bat. A run off right tackle on the first play of the game saw Jacobs reach the edge, where Charles was waiting for him. He came right at Jacobs, who ran him over but didn’t gain another inch. Woodson got up slowly, but the message had been sent. Joe Buck said something to the effect of, ‘I bet Woodson’ll think twice before doing that again,’ a comment that served only to belie his alleged knowledge of the week’s matchup.

“I was on the other side of the field and I just saw him, shoot out of the sky with one hand up like a rocket. And he came down with it? Superman.” – Michigan teammate Marcus Ray on Woodson’s iconic interception against Michigan State

“If you’re gonna play in this game, and play for Michigan, you’re gonna have to hit, and you’re gonna have to tackle. That’s all you gotta tell me.”

Charles saw plays that nobody else could see. In an era that saw nearly every rule change favor the offense, and receivers in particular, Woodson reveled in every opportunity to cover. While most corners were simply trying desperately to not get burned, Charles was bating quarterbacks, playing off intentionally, attacking ball carriers, and trying to score. He was seemingly one step ahead of everybody on the field for years. This uncanny ability to slow the game down not only led to tons of picks, forced fumbles and passes defended, but also manifested itself in a less typically celebrated way. Woodson made fucking tackles. He made easy tackles, he made open field tackles, he stripped the ball while tackling, and he made circus tackles. I’m again reminded of a play that showcased both Woodson’s exceptional vision, and his outrageous tackling ability. Baltimore was threatening on the goal line, with bowling ball Ray Rice in the backfield. Green Bay was clinging to a lead at the time and needed to keep the Ravens out of the end zone. The play was a toss left to Rice, who had every block he needed. As he sprinted his way to the corner of the end zone, Charles saw what nobody else would have seen. He dove, flat out, rotated 90 degrees to split both blockers assigned to him, caught nothing more than a shoelace, and took down Rice for a three yard loss. The defense held Baltimore to a field goal, and the Packers won by 3. I was at the game, and on the other side of the field, so I had no idea what happened until the next day. But you know that something special happened when all of your friends want to talk about a tackle instead of how the points were scored.

“All of the emotion came out. Cried like I’d never cried before. You know I tried to just tell the guys, you know how bad I want it, go out there and get it done.”

A long NFL career saw Charles evolve from a petulant ‘me first’ head case, to a consummate ‘team first’ professional. He learned to fit in with the Packers, learned to fit in with Dom Capers defense, and learned to lead by example. Preferring to lead with actions rather than words, Woodson was called upon to deliver a message to the team after the 2010 NFC Championship game. The player Aaron Rodgers described as ‘the guy I respect the most’ gave a memorable speech that has received plenty of fanfare, taking aim directly at the president who got his vote, but supported his rival. The ‘one mind, one goal, one purpose’ speech was all well and good, but it was Charles’ lack of speech at halftime of the Superbowl that really showed his team how much he cared. Of course nobody outside the team is privy to what exactly was said that day, but Woodson himself has cited his inability to talk much, owing to an outpouring of emotion in the midst of the game’s biggest stage. As Woodson watched Rodgers take a knee in the ‘V’ formation to end the game, the last of his football goals was checked off. He had accomplished each and every goal he had set for himself professionally, an achievement most people can only dream of. He was a true leader that demanded respect from everyone around him, but for all the right reasons.

“No disrespect to the hospital or this award, but this is truly not about me.”

Charles had been a leader off the field as well, which isn’t as exciting but is decidedly more important. He has donated over $2 million of his own money to the University of Michigan’s Mott Children’s Hospital, and has solicited far more in donations from other Michigan alumni. It’s easy for anyone to say that $2 million isn’t much to a rich guy like Charles, but how many other NFL stars do we see donating that amount of money? And how many people never even heard about it because Charles doesn’t go around tooting his own horn? He’s a role model for NFL players young and old, on the field and off, and for regular people like us. He’s learned to use his greatness to improve the world, not just himself.

“We don’t need luck”

Charles is an inspiration to me personally, somebody I feel privileged to have watched these past seven years, and somebody to whom I feel the world owes a debt of gratitude. I’ll extend a sincere ‘thank you’ to Charles for showing us what we can accomplish by doing things the right way, working hard, and committing to what we believe in. I’ll miss him every Sunday, and won’t begrudge him a single minute played in another team’s uniform. He’s earned it and I wish him all the best.