Week 1 Thoughts / Rankings / News Snippets

[ReasonablySober]

• When healthy this defense should be top 3 in the NFC. No real week spot out there. I think a key is keeping KGB and Pickett fresh. Montgomery and Cole should see as much action as possible.

• Did Rodgers, even once, make a pass that left you thinking "What the hell was he thinking"? I talked to my mom (don't laugh, biggest Packer fan I know) about this. My dad apparently was in a sour mood because of how well Rodgers was playing. She brought up a good observation. Even in the Jets win, Favre through a couple of balls that you had to chalk up to him being a risk taking gunslinger. That 4th and 14 pass that went for a TD was a total prayer. Rodgers on the other hand looked deliberate and accurate. He didn't attempt passes when nothing was there and wasn't afraid to pull it down and run. So long as he gets the hell out of bounds or knows to slide, he could really be a weapon.

• Hated the playcalling at the end of the game, and to a small degree at the end of the half. I realize MM has confidence in the defense, but I don't think you can fully rely on them to come through when the defensive backs are so prone to penalties. With the amount of flags that flew, I'm surprised they didn't go deep more often. The short pass is just a better option, especially when you consider how accurate Rodgers is.

• I though Grant looked rusty but that's to be expected. Jackson was tentative. Lumpkin is going to start seeing carries if Jax doesn't start running with more purpose.

* Where I did really like the playcalling was in all the playaction and rollouts. Rodgers is certainly more of a sitting dunk when he's in the pocket but when on the move he's really pretty good.

• I loved the Blackmon draft pick years ago and I hope like hell he stays healthy. He's a difference maker.

I really had no idea what to expect last night. If you believed what you read, the Vikings were the class of the North. Honestly, last night wasn't even as close as the score indicated. They were massively helped by a few flags. This could have been a 21 point win pretty easily.

It's early, but you have to like where the team is at.

[ReasonablySober]

Michael Silver - Yahoo - Rankings

1. Green Bay Packers: Hey, all you bandwagon-jumpers, can you kindly huddle up and make some room for the next group?

[LUKE23]

1. Loved the pressure the DL was getting. Only one sack, but they were in Tarvaris' face all game long. Need to come up with more sacks in those situations moving forward, but to me, KGB looked as explosive as I've seen him off the ball, and Jenkins looks a lot healthier this year. I like our three-headed monster at DE.

2. Hawk was a beast last night. 10 overall tackles, and a couple nice stops in space vs. AD. I am really hoping this is his breakout year, to me he had the best game of anyone on D last night.

3. Brandon Jackson still sucks. It's almost as if he doesn't want to get hit. Grant is going to get 90% of the carries this season.

4. The game really shouldn't have gotten down to the Vikings driving for the win. The holding penalty that stopped the clock was a monumentally bad penalty, probably costing the Packers 40 seconds off the clock and no realistic chance to pick up a first down. I do agree that MM got too conservative. I try and pick up that first down even at the risk of the clock stopping with an incompletion.

5. Our special teams appear good again. Stock had 45.5 yard average on the punts with about 4.0 second hangtime. Gave our coverage good chance. Blackmon is the best returner we have had since Rossum, maybe better.

6. Clifton was a monster. Had a couple penalties early, but was flying off the ball against Allen the rest of the game. He's a top 5 LT.

7. I'm interested to see this offense at full strength. We're still missing potentially two OL starters (Wells and Sitton), Grant isn't 100%, and Jones hasn't been activated for games yet. Once we have our full OL, Grant healthy, and our full stable of WR's, look out.

[ReasonablySober]

ESPN.com Power Rankings

7 (10) Packers 1-0-0 They protected their home turf against a division rival. (KS)

[ReasonablySober]

Sportsline Power Rankings

5 Packers · Trends 9
Still want Brett back? This is a young, talented team that will grow as the season moves along. Take that smile off your face, Ted Thompson.

[BuckFan25226]

Michael Silver - Yahoo - Rankings

1. Green Bay Packers: Hey, all you bandwagon-jumpers, can you kindly huddle up and make some room for the next group?

[rilamann]

19--4

Thats the Packers record in their last 23 games including playoffs going back to december of 2006.I just thought of that,pretty impressive and a lot of credit goes to to MM.

And 2 of those 4 losses where 1 posession games (27-20 Bears) (23-20 OT Giants)

As for last nights game it was very enjoyable to say the least.Rodgers played great and made some big plays and the defense played pretty solid,the funny thing is they looked a bit rusty at times but they will shake that rust off by week 3 or 4.Funny because they looked rusty and still looked pretty good,I cant wait till they shake that rust off and get into a rythem as a unit.

As for that MM decision to go for the FG late in the 2nd qtr on 3rd & long I thought MM made the right choice.MM is usually not conservatitve but he knows when to pick his spots and that was a smart move.It was 3rd and long with not much time so you have to throw a 15 yard pass into the end zone and hope someone catches and hope it doesnt get picked.

Why risk a turnover when you can make it a 2 possession game in a game in which your defense is playing solid football.Now the FG got blocked and that sucked but that wasnt MM's fault.

As for the Vikes,boy their d-line can stop the run.Not as good as atgetting to the QB but man can they stop the run.

And AP or AD whatever you wanna call him,he is pretty good haha.

And I gotta mention the ''injuries'',did I or did I not say those guys would be ready to play week 1 and you should only worry if they wernt out there week 1.

Those guys where fine,like I said the other day MM was just being extra cautious he knows what has with this team,so why risk keys guys getting banged up or aggervating minor injuries in meaningless games.

Its not like the Packers had a team where you had a bunch of guys in preseason battling for starting jobs and a bunch of guys battling for back up roles.The starting jobs and most back up roles where already pretty much known before camp even started.

[MickeyDavis]

I like the fact Hawk was blitzing a lot. That was one of my gripes with Sanders the last two years. Not using Hawk properly. He didn't get any sacks but Jackson moves around pretty good. Kitna may not be so lucky.

[rilamann]

Yea MD,with Kitna being a lot less mobile and the Lions O-Line not as good as the Vikes could be a fun day for our defense & a long day for the lions offense.

The Packers had a bunch of ''almost sacks'' last night and would have definalty had a few more sacks vs a less mobile QB like a Kitna.

[Jollay]

I like the fact Hawk was blitzing a lot. That was one of my gripes with Sanders the last two years. Not using Hawk properly. He didn't get any sacks but Jackson moves around pretty good. Kitna may not be so lucky.

I really was pleasantly surprised by this as well. Don't feel it has to be alot, but I don't feel it's been done enough.

DB's thoughts in the first post echo mine pretty much, although I still have concerns on both lines--mainly depth on the defensive one.

Gotta be happy though, gotta be.

Rodgers is of course the big if. It's just one game of course, but he did alotto stem the pressure at least for the time being.

If you don't have a qb, you got nothing (just ask the Redskins) and it looks like we got one.

[rilamann]

Oh I forgot to mention the penalties,they dont count when Jeff Triplette and his crew do a game.

That guy is terrible,when the first flag was thrown and I saw Jeff Triplette I fliped out and I said to the people I was wachting the game with that there would be flags thrown on every other play and of course there was.

Dont you guys remember in 2005 when we played the Lions in week 1 and Tripplette was the ref ? The Packers where called for like 20 penalties in that game.Tripplette does that every game he and his crew officiate not just with the Packers though,that guy is awuful.

You know how every NFL game at least once a ref throws a flag on a nit pick penalty,one of those ''if your gonna call that you could throw a flag on everother play in every NFL game.'' type of flag.

Well Triplette & his crew is the one crew that actually throws a flag on every nitpick type of penalty.

I think the guy and his crew are just plain bad because another thing i've noticed about Tripplette is that he'll throw a flag on a nit pick penalty but not throw a flag on something obvious.

Like that Al Harris PI penality,the one Al Harris actually got called for was a joke it wasnt even close to PI.Yet the one time Al Harris actually did commit PI there was no flag.I've seen Triplette's crew do that before,I can't think of the game but I remember a game in the back of my mind when Triplette & crew kept throwing PI flags when there was not much contact at all and then wasnt throwing flags when someone was getting mugged and it was obvious.

Or if a guy holds somebody for half a second away from the play he'll throw a flag but then someone will hold and rip someone to the ground to srping the RB for a 40 yard gain and then they wont throw the flag.

Like night they threw flags on minimal holds but the Vikes o-line was getting away with some blatant offensive holding and there was no flag on any of them.

God I hate Jeff Triplette.

[trwi7]

Dont you guys remember in 2005 when we played the Lions in week 1 and Tripplette was the ref ?

Don't remind me about that season. Going into week 15 we had scored 255 points and given up 255 points yet our record was 3-10 and in our 10 losses we lost by an average of 6 points. I almost had that season completely erased from my mind. Now, thanks to you, it's all back.

[El Duderino]

•

• Did Rodgers, even once, make a pass that left you thinking "What the hell was he thinking"? I talked to my mom (don't laugh, biggest Packer fan I know) about this. My dad apparently was in a sour mood because of how well Rodgers was playing. She brought up a good observation. Even in the Jets win, Favre through a couple of balls that you had to chalk up to him being a risk taking gunslinger. That 4th and 14 pass that went for a TD was a total prayer. Rodgers on the other hand looked deliberate and accurate. He didn't attempt passes when nothing was there and wasn't afraid to pull it down and run. So long as he gets the hell out of bounds or knows to slide, he could really be a weapon.

The biggest mistake IMO that many national pundits made in regards to Rodgers is by not putting enough stock in that Aaron had three years to just sit, watch, and learn the NFL game. Yea Rodgers had never proven himself in games that count, but he was entering a starting gig under absolutely ideal conditions, something very few first round QB's are afforded the luxury.

The media has seen so many highly drafted QB's struggle in their first stretch of playing time, but in so many of those cases, it was a rookie QB that was forced on the field before he was ready and often on a bad team with a shaky offensive line and questionable weapons. Rodgers though not only got to watch how a highly respected QB handles himself, Aaron got to sit for three years and study how NFL defenses try to attack the Packers offense. He also has plenty of weapons surrounding him.

When Aaron stepped on the field last night, he already knew the offense inside and out. He wasn't going to be all confused on where to go with the football because he knows NFL defenses by studying them for three years. He knows the strengths of the receiving core by practicing with them for a few years. He already knows all the progressions in each pass play, unlike rookie QB's forced pushed into action to soon that often lock on the primary target in a play. He was already liked and respected in the locker room after Aaron learned that his rookie year attitude needed major adjustment. Mix in the fact Rodgers has plenty of talent, he stepped on that field in as ideal a situation as any highly drafted QB could, same for the team.

So many in the media saw Rodgers as just this typical first time playing huge question mark and i guess to a degree it was warranted, but without enough context given Rodgers route to starting wasn't typical in todays NFL. The best thing that ever happened to Aaron was the 49ners passing on him, it allowed for near perfect grooming and now both Rodgers and the Packers are reaping the rewards. The ability to properly handle a poor game and to stay healthy are his biggest barriers left.

[ReasonablySober]

God bless HD, but on one particular play (I think the Driver pass over the middle), they showed Rodgers survey the field before completing the pass. You could literally see his eyes moving from target to target across the field. Young QBs typically stay on one guy and stare him down. Rodgers has the chance to be really effen good this season.

[emunney]

I was really impressed by how smart Rodgers was, both in how he played and in the little interview snippets they showed throughout the course of the night. He clearly has a firm grasp on the nuances of the position. It's easy to have confidence in a guy like that. He's not only going to be good, he's going to continue learning and continue improving.

And he's such an effortless runner, too. You gotta love it when he looks like he's jogging away from the D-Lineman and ends up with 18 yards. I really think he's got a shot at becoming a top 5 QB, and maybe sooner than anybody really thinks. Can't wait for next week.

[Newz]

I love the Packer's team this year and have liked it ever since last season.

As someone who once said Aaron Rodgers was going to be a total stiff (And I was completely wrong), he has the talent to be a top 5 QB in the NFL when surrounded by the type of talent that he is. He can throw on the run, he doesn't seem to be making mistakes, he has amazing arm strength and most of all he is a play maker. That TD pass where he chucked it over his shoulder changed my train of thought that we might have a great 'game manager' to we might have a great player. It's obviously just one game, but you can see that he has some serious potential just by the way he handles himself on the field.

Greg Jennings is maybe the most underrated WR in football. He is an absolute stud. Driver/Jones/Martin will team up with him to make up one of the deeper and more talented WR cores in the NFL.

Our offensive line looked great, Donald Lee is very solid at TE and Ryan Grant is a pretty damn good player himself.

Our defense looks to be picking up where they left off last season as well, which is great to see.

I believe Favre is the best QB of all time and is certainly my favorite football player ever... But I thought it was time for him to go since he finally said he retired.

I don't think that there is any doubt right now that Ted Thompson is not only one of the best GMs in all of football, but the best. He has built a team that has talent for now and in the future while putting us in the best salary cap situation in the entire NFL.

[Kerb Hohl]

http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/jets/2008/09/si-cover-brett-the-jet.html

Only one man could get this kind of attention for a win over a team that won 1 game last year.

That is SERIOUSLY a more important story than the best QB in the NFL on a team that might have been toying with undefeated again going out for the year?

The media has taken this one way too far.

[Newz]

http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/jets/2008/09/si-cover-brett-the-jet.html

Only one man could get this kind of attention for a win over a team that won 1 game last year.

That is SERIOUSLY a more important story than the best QB in the NFL on a team that might have been toying with undefeated again going out for the year?

The media has taken this one way too far.

Favre is one of the most, if not the most, recognized NFL player(s) of all time when he was in Green Bay. His popularity and the amount people talk about him is going to grow even more that he is in New York.

[Kerb Hohl]

http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/jets/2008/09/si-cover-brett-the-jet.html

Only one man could get this kind of attention for a win over a team that won 1 game last year.

That is SERIOUSLY a more important story than the best QB in the NFL on a team that might have been toying with undefeated again going out for the year?

The media has taken this one way too far.

Favre is one of the most, if not the most, recognized NFL player(s) of all time when he was in Green Bay. His popularity and the amount people talk about him is going to grow even more that he is in New York.

I don't care. There is a side story on a player that actually wins super bowls and is last year's MVP. He just broke a ton of single season records and his team could have been going for 19-0 again. He just tore his ACL and is out for the year. Hmmm...what is the cover story here?

Oh, a guy that played well against a team that went 1-15 last year and no longer has its 2 best and most prominent defensive players. Do you think if the trade never happened that if Chad Pennington would have put up those numbers for the Jets and beaten MIA that anyone would have batted an eye?

[Newz]

http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/jets/2008/09/si-cover-brett-the-jet.html

Only one man could get this kind of attention for a win over a team that won 1 game last year.

That is SERIOUSLY a more important story than the best QB in the NFL on a team that might have been toying with undefeated again going out for the year?

The media has taken this one way too far.

Favre is one of the most, if not the most, recognized NFL player(s) of all time when he was in Green Bay. His popularity and the amount people talk about him is going to grow even more that he is in New York.

I don't care. There is a side story on a player that actually wins super bowls and is last year's MVP. He just broke a ton of single season records and his team could have been going for 19-0 again. He just tore his ACL and is out for the year. Hmmm...what is the cover story here?

Oh, a guy that played well against a team that went 1-15 last year and no longer has its 2 best and most prominent defensive players. Do you think if the trade never happened that if Chad Pennington would have put up those numbers for the Jets and beaten MIA that anyone would have batted an eye?

No, but Chad Pennington isn't a living legend... Brett Favre is and he was just traded to probably the biggest sports market on the planet.

I agree Brady going down for the year is a much bigger story than Favre and his new team beating a terrible Dolphins team... They are in the business of selling magazines though. Favre's triumph will probably sell a lot more than Brady's injury.