Tampa Lead Up

[El Duderino]

We get Buck and Aikman the next three games.

I can't wait.

I still remember that classic night of Joe Buck's venture into having his own show on HBO and his first guest was Favre. Buck makes the terrible mistake of inviting Artie Lang on to a panel following Favre and Lang goes on a swearing barrage, making homophobic jokes, calling Tony Romo Tony Homo, and making fun of how fat Jessica Simpson got.

If my memory is correct, there never ended up being a second episode of Joe Bucks Live.

[MickeyDavis]

There were actually two more episodes of that horrid show. One even had Lange on again although it was a taped bit, not live.

[paulpressey25]

I think his overall point was that Favre had some amazing years too which is completely true. A lot of people go out of their way to try and discount Favre because of how he left the organization but he was a great player especially during that 3 year MVP stretch.

Ten years from now people will come to their senses and Favre will as well. A reunion will take place and he'll take his place as perhaps the greatest player in Packer history. Maybe Rodgers can catch him but that script is yet to be written.

[Mags FTW]

The problem is he's counting 16 games as the Lions game where Rodgers missed a half. His last 16 games that he played in full.

370-522, 4,894 yards, 45 TD's, 6 INT, 124.2 QB Rating, 16-0 record

Insanity.

I'd like to see rushing yard & TD comparison too.

[MickeyDavis]

Four months from unrestricted free agency, the Green Bay Packers have decisions to make on only two key players.

One decision seems fairly obvious. Unless the Packers can find a way to bridge their differences with Jermichael Finley, they'll apply the team-favorable 2012 franchise tag for tight ends of about $5.5 million and almost certainly retain his services for at least another year.

According to sources, the Packers aren't any closer in their ongoing talks with center Scott Wells.

At this point, Wells is seeking significantly more money than the Packers want to pay him. There's more than enough time for a compromise to be reached before the March 13 start of the unrestricted signing period. If not, Wells very well might test the market knowing the Packers would want him back.

On Friday, coach Mike McCarthy called Wells the team's best and most consistent offensive lineman this season as well as last season. He probably should have made the Pro Bowl a year ago and would appear to be the odds-on favorite to be the NFC starter this season.

Most teams would prefer a bigger man at center than Wells, but the Packers seem to have gotten past that since trying to replace him with Jason Spitz in 2009.

The issue separating the two sides at this point appears to be longevity. Wells will be 31 in January, an age when some teams would be wary about re-signing a center to a major multiyear contract.

In September, general manager Ted Thompson signed guard Josh Sitton and wide receiver Jordy Nelson to long-term extensions, keeping them from joining the unrestricted pool in March.

Besides Finley and Wells, the Packers have six other players with contracts set to expire at the end of the season: quarterback Matt Flynn, linebacker Erik Walden, running back Ryan Grant, cornerbacks Jarrett Bush and Pat Lee and nose tackle Howard Green.

Given Aaron Rodgers' fitness, Flynn probably will be looking for a starting job in free agency. The other five players will be fighting to earn a new deal.

A source said Finley is seeking to become the National Football League's highest-paid tight end. That title is held by Dallas' Jason Witten at $7.4 million per year, followed by San Francisco's Vernon Davis ($7.35 million), San Diego's Antonio Gates ($7.235 million) and Indianapolis' Dallas Clark ($6.96 million).

Finley, in the final year of his rookie contract, ranks 46th in annual average salary at $750,750. His base salary is $1.2 million.

With talks going nowhere, the Packers have leverage with Finley because of new rules regarding franchise tags contained in the collective bargaining agreement signed in July.

Writing recently in nationalfootballpost.com, former Packers vice president Andrew Brandt pointed out that the 2011 tag for tight ends of $7.3 million either will be $5.4 million or $5.6 million in 2012 depending on salary-cap calculations.

The substantial decrease is the result of a new formula in which the franchise tag is based on the average of the top five salaries at a player's position for the five preceding years instead of just the previous year.

Under the new CBA, there is no limit to the number of times a player can be tagged.

Finley, 24, ranks ninth among tight ends in receiving yards (445) and 14th in receptions (33).

One source said Wells is seeking a contract commensurate with the five top-paid centers. They are Carolina's Ryan Kalil ($8.186 million), the New York Jets' Nick Mangold ($7.725 million), St. Louis' Jason Brown ($7.5 million), Tampa Bay's Jeff Faine ($6.25 million) and the New York Giants' David Baas ($5.5 million).

Wells is completing the five-year, $15 million extension he signed in November 2006.

"I'd love to have Scott back," said McCarthy. "Scott's representatives and our guys need to get to whatever that price is. I don't think coaches should do the money. If I was in charge of the money, we'd have been out of money a long time ago."

Here are the ages when the top centers were paid: Brown was 25, Kalil and Mangold were 26, Faine 27 and Baas 29.

Detroit's Dominic Raiola was 30 in 2009 when he signed a four-year extension averaging $5 million. Indianapolis' Jeff Saturday was 33 in '09 when he received a three-year deal averaging $4.33 million. Baltimore's Matt Birk was 32 in '09 when his new three-year deal averaged $4 million.

In August, 32-year-old Jonathan Goodwin moved from New Orleans to San Francisco for a three-year contract averaging $3.03 million.

McCarthy, offensive coordinator Joe Philbin and offensive line coach James Campen all said that Wells remained robust physically and had not shown any signs of slippage.

"He's physically fit and he's strong," Campen said. "He hasn't missed a beat. Scotty will play as long as he can play, I can guarantee you that. He loves the game an awful lot."

Wells has missed only four games in 7 ½ seasons due to injury. He was plagued by back and abdominal problems in 2008 and then underwent major shoulder surgery in January 2009.

"He's a bull," McCarthy said. "You worry about that (longevity) with smaller guys, but he takes great care of his body."

Free agent Evan Dietrich-Smith is the other center on the roster.

If the two sides can't reach agreement, the Packers would be examining a list of unrestricted centers that might include as many as 11 starters. Probably the most attractive names are Houston's Chris Myers (30), Minnesota's John Sullivan (26), Oakland's Samson Satele (26) and San Diego's Nick Hardwick (30).

The others are Washington's Will Montgomery (28), Chicago's Roberto Garza (32), New England's Dan Koppen (32), Atlanta's Todd McClure (34), Birk, Saturday and Kansas City's Casey Wiegmann (38).

Green Bay ranks 18th in available cap room with $6.246 million.

"I don't get involved in that stuff," Philbin said, referring to negotiations. "I just really like the way he's playing. He's smart. Very serious. Just a good football player.

"I like the way he can run and push on people and stay on his feet. He can get up to the second level. We like guys, unless they're planting guys, at the end of the day their pants are clean because they're athletic, they're redirecting, they're latching onto people. Not flip-flopping around."

In nine games, Wells has allowed one-half sack, 1½ knockdowns, one hurry and 5½ "bad" runs. He has been penalized twice.

"I love having him on this team," said Campen. "Consummate pro."

[MickeyDavis]

You won't be seeing as much of B.J. Raji anymore.

The indefatigable nose tackle of the Green Bay Packers has played too many downs, and coach Mike McCarthy has taken measures to end it.

"B.J.'s played too much to this point," McCarthy said. "We've got to watch his numbers."

Last season, Raji played 1,070 of the team's 1,259 defensive snaps, or 85%, in 20 games. He averaged 53.5 snaps per game.

In the first eight games this season, Raji had played 475 of 539 defensive snaps, 88.1% and an average of 59.4.

Raji's torrid pace began to change in the first half Monday night against Minnesota. After not having sat out more than three snaps in the first half of any game this season, he appeared in just 27 of 34 by halftime.

On the second series, Raji was on the sidelines for the eighth play of the game with the defense playing 3-4. Just as unheard of was the coaches' decision not to have Raji in the lineup in the nickel defense on a third and 4, which was the 12th snap overall.

"We're starting to sub him earlier in games," said McCarthy. "We started that last week. You've just got to watch it with your big guys, especially with as many (lines games) as we do."

In all, Raji played 41 of 62 snaps in the Minnesota game, or 66.1%.

His previous low this season was 72.9% against Denver. In 20 games a year ago, his low was 64.6% against Dallas.

The Packers have been using five defensive linemen. A sixth, defensive end Mike Neal, hasn't played a down since the exhibition opener because of a knee injury.

"If we can get Mike back this week or next week and get another guy in that rotation, that will help," McCarthy said. "Give Howard ( Green) some earlier snaps at nose earlier in games so B.J.'s fresher at the end of games. I think B.J.'s having a good, solid year."

So far, so good: McCarthy couldn't be more pleased with one facet of tight end Jermichael Finley's season. He has played in every game.

"We've really tried to take the load off Jermichael," said McCarthy. "I think it helps him. He still gets his opportunity."

Last season, Finley played more snaps than even wide receiver Greg Jennings in the first four games. In that first month, his playing time was 82.4% and his snap average was 49.

On the second play of the fifth game, Finley suffered a knee cartilage injury and had the damage repaired. Complications arose, and he had to undergo two more surgical procedures in the next two weeks.

Finley was back rarin' to go by the start of training camp in late July. Despite resistance from Finley, the coaches held him back.

"He's a racehorse," McCarthy said. "He'll run himself into the ground. The guy loves to practice."

Finley missed considerable time during training camp because of nagging injuries, but the Packers weren't overly concerned. They wanted Finley ready for the opener against New Orleans, and he was.

"Anytime you have a player coming off a major injury you've got to be smart with his reps," said McCarthy. "Fortunately, we have five tight ends, so we've taken a lot of the heavy interior lifting away from him.

"If we only had three tight ends like most teams, Jermichael would be playing 50, 60 snaps a game. He'd never come off the field. He'd do all the dirty work."

Through nine games, Finley has played 67.1% of the downs, an average of 43.2. After him, the snap averages are 18.7 for Andrew Quarless, 17.3 for Tom Crabtree and 5.9 for D.J. Williams. Ryan Taylor hasn't taken a snap from scrimmage.

According to McCarthy, Finley has done a fine job on assignments and has blocked satisfactorily.

"He's playing well," he said. "He had a little rust at the beginning with no off-season camp but he's getting better."

[SheedsWeed]

I still remember that classic night of Joe Buck's venture into having his own show on HBO and his first guest was Favre. Buck makes the terrible mistake of inviting Artie Lang on to a panel following Favre and Lang goes on a swearing barrage, making homophobic jokes, calling Tony Romo Tony Homo, and making fun of how fat Jessica Simpson got.

If my memory is correct, there never ended up being a second episode of Joe Bucks Live.

I remember that too. That was hilarious. Artie totally F'ed it up.

[trwi7]

Did he eff it up or save us all?

[SheedsWeed]

Did he eff it up or save us all?

I'd say both. It is difficult to imagine why Joe Buck of all people even had a show in the first place.

[Ayt]

What has a better ring to you? Super Bowl MVP Aaron Rodgers, or mustached American hero Aaron Rodgers?

It's probably neck and neck. It's tough to pick between the two. Being a mustached American was something I dreamt about when I was a kid, and being a Super Bowl champions was something I dreamt about as a kid as well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFX5Jx5H0gQ

Growing a mustache can really turn your fortunes around very quickly.