SB Nation - Jeremy Kapinos

Brief Recap: Green Bay Packers Stunned On Steelers TD With No Time Left On The Clock, 37-36

Brandon — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 01:30:14 -0000

More photos » by Keith Srakocic - AP

Emotionally I was all over the place while watching this game. After the Steelers scored on their first play of the game, I thought it wasn't the Packers day. Then they kept trading scores, which made me think the game could go either way, and finally the Packers scored on a TD pass to WR James Jones with 2 minutes left to play. It seemed like they had the Steelers stopped a couple times, deep in their own territory and then around midfield, but they ended up giving the Steelers too many second chances on that final drive.

This was a great game from QB Aaron Rodgers. He threw for 3 TDs and ran for another. He committed no turnovers, and overcame weak pass protection and dropped passes early in the game. RB Ryan Grant had a long TD run, but that was about all the backs provided. In their defense, it appeared that it was the Packers' game plan all along to go with pass heavy strategy (their first 6 plays were all passes).

The special teams had another forgettable game. They didn't have a kick return longer than 25 yards against the worst kick coverage team in the NFL, though the Steelers were trying to kick the ball away from WR Jordy Nelson for some reason. And K Mason Crosby had another missed FG, though it might have been more a poor hold by P Jeremy Kapinos instead of a poor kick by Crosby.

As for the 503 yards passing allowed by the usually great pass defense, the Steelers got big yardage against the weak links in the Packers defense. LB A.J. Hawk was abused early by TE Heath Miller. CB Jarrett Bush got abused early, late, and in-between by WR Mike Wallace, WR Hines Ward, and nearly anybody he covered. Due to injuries in the secondary, recently signed CB Josh Bell was forced into coverage as the dime back, and he failed late when he allowed the game losing TD reception. There are no solutions to this problem, due to injuries throughout the season these are the players they've got, but hopefully they aren't as exposed like this again.

It would have been better for a win, I'm not going to feel safe until it's official they've locked up a wild card spot, but it's obviously not a mortal blow. They still control their own destiny, if win their remaining two games then they're in, and they now have a week 17 matchup with a Cardinals team that just clinched the NFC West division title. Now it's time to forget about this close loss and get ready for the Seahawks next week.

The Day After Dallas: Injuries, Challenges, Punting, and Brad Jones

Brandon — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:15:17 -0000

Injuries, Injuries, injuires...from Mike McCarthy:

Cullen Jenkins had some ankle swelling. He'll probably miss some practice time this week. Desmond Bishop also had an ankle sprain. He'll probably miss some practice time. Greg Jennings had a knee contusion. He'll miss some practice time. And John Kuhn had a broken hand, and we'll see what he'll be able to do this week. With that, I'll take your questions.

The only injury he mentioned in his post-game press conference was LG Daryn Colledge's ankle bruise, but Colledge returned to the game at few plays later. The three guys who missed the Dallas game, RT Mark Tauscher, TE Jermichael Finley, and LB Aaron Kampman, are all expected back at practice this week. A lot of guys are banged up, and there's still 7 regular season games to go.

According to Rob Demovsky, the Packers should have been assessed a 15 yard penalty after McCarthy tried a 3rd challenge. I admit I hadn't noticed. The Cowboys got down to the 1 yard line anyway, and were stopped when QB Tony Romo threw a INT to CB Charles Woodson, so I'm not sure it would have mattered.

P Jeremy Kapinos is a great punter, in practice, says special teams coach Shawn Slocum. Slocum better be careful, praising P Derrick Frost's practice skills didn't help Mike Stock keep his job after last season. I haven't been a big critic of Kapinos because he's not as bad as Frost and I doubt they'd find anyone better at this point. Still, he's one of the worst punters in the NFL and the Packers will have to bring in some serious competition next season. For the remainder of this season, Greg Bedard suggested P Sam Paulescu, but he was bad last season in Dallas with a 41.8 yard average, compared to a 44.2 yard average for Kapinos. His net average is even worse, but the punt coverage deserves a lot of blame for it.

In his 1st NFL start, LB Brad Jones had 7 tackles and 1 for a loss. I'm a big fan of his, but I was disappointed he couldn't bring more of a pass rush against the Cowboys' backup RT. A good game, but those are LB A.J. Hawk type numbers. So I'm surprised that the comments are praising Jones, McCarthy has been asked whether Kampman remains the starter, and Tom Silverstein writes about Jones's emergence.

Recap: Vikings Defeat Green Bay Packers 38-26

Brandon — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 14:00:41 -0000

More photos » by Jeffrey Phelps - AP

about 1 month ago: Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre, right, and Green Bay Packers' Donald Driver put their helmets together and embrace after the Vikings beat the Packers 38-26 in an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 1, 2009, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps)

Browse more photos »

Right after the game, there was a Brief Recap post with my initial thoughts after the game. Take a look at that post for a brief summary of the game. After the jump is the specific break down from the play-by-play.

The only significant injury was LB Brandon Chillar, who has a broken hand. Luckily they've got a solid backup in LB Desmond Bishop, and it meant more playing time for LB A.J. Hawk too. We'll have to wait until later this week to see whether Chillar can have it placed in a cast and so he can continue to play. Even in the best case scenario, he should miss next week.

I'll give a break to rookie LT T.J. Lang. He's gotten thrown into a tough situation, and has gotten beaten badly by DE Jared Allen in 2 games against him. But he's shown some promise. Even if he did leave Allen unblocked on one sack. But as far as this season goes, it's great news that LT Chad Clifton will be back next week. Tom Pelissero said "[Clifton] expects to practice on Wednesday and be ready to face Tampa Bay."

There is no excuse for not benching RT Allen Barbre at this point. RT Mark Tauscher went through his first full practices last week, and is as ready as he is going to get.

Vikings vs Packers coverage; Vikings vs Packers recap; Vikings vs Packers boxscore; Daily Norseman

From the NFL.com play-by-play:

First Quarter:

(12:56) (Shotgun) 12-A.Rodgers pass deep right to 80-D.Driver ran ob at MIN 40 for 20 yards.

They had 20 yards on this play alone, but only 47 yards on offense in the 1st half. The receivers just started getting open in the 2nd half. They adjusted and figured out how to attack the Vikings' zone coverage.

(8:15) 12-A.Rodgers pass incomplete deep middle to 85-G.Jennings [56-E.Henderson].

I point this out because LB E.J. Henderson was in coverage. I've always thought of him as a run stopper, but he did a great job dropping back in coverage. LB Chad Greenway was great too. It was the hidden success of the Vikings pass defense early in this game.

(7:11) (Shotgun) 4-B.Favre Aborted. 65-J.Sullivan FUMBLES at MIN 39, touched at MIN 35, RECOVERED by GB-97-J.Jolly at MIN 21. 97-J.Jolly to MIN 21 for no gain (76-S.Hutchinson).

One of the few mental mistakes the Vikings made in the game. Too bad the Packers only turned it into 3 points.

2-M.Crosby kicks 61 yards from GB 30 to MIN 9. 12-P.Harvin to GB 14 for 77 yards (30-J.Kuhn).

Just a horrible performance by the special teams in this entire game. Bad kickoffs, bad kick coverage, and a missed FG. P Jeremy Kapinos was OK, averaging 43.2 yards/punt. But he wasn't great either, and contributed to the overall bad field position. The Vikings only started with the ball 3 times inside their 35 yard line (all 3 led to punts). The Packers only started with the ball once out past their 35 yard line.

(3:40) 4-B.Favre pass short right to 29-C.Taylor to GB 14 for -5 yards (56-N.Barnett). PENALTY on GB-97-J.Jolly, Personal Foul, 7 yards, enforced at GB 14.

Usually Mike McCarthy doesn't say negative things about specific players during press conferences, but he called out the terrible personal foul on DE Johnny Jolly. They had them stopped on 3rd down, but he kept the drive alive and it led to a Vikings TD.

(1:21) 28-A.Peterson right guard for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN.

I was glad to see Brad Childress go for it on 4th down here. He should have just taken the points. The Vikings took a couple risks that paid off for them.

Second Quarter:

(10:48) (Shotgun) 4-B.Favre pass short middle to 81-V.Shiancoe for 12 yards, TOUCHDOWN.

Close doesn't cut it, but that pass was right between CB Tramon Williams and SS Atari Bigby. There were several times in the game when the coverage was just a step late. Though Favre had too much time to pass and a perfect pocket to throw in. The pass rush was M.I.A. again against the Vikings.

(10:38) (Shotgun) 12-A.Rodgers sacked at GB 15 for -8 yards (69-J.Allen).

Troy Aikman was commentating, and said that Rodgers had to step up in the pocket to move away from edge rushers. But it didn't seem like he was walking into any sacks. It seemed like the tackles should have been doing more to push the defensive ends further downfield.

(9:23) (Shotgun) 12-A.Rodgers pass incomplete short right to 89-J.Jones (52-C.Greenway).

A great dive by Greenway to break up the pass on 3rd down.

(6:58) 28-A.Peterson right guard to GB 8 for -1 yards (50-A.Hawk, 79-R.Pickett).

A chance taken that backfired. They had a sure FG from 25 yards out, but Childress turned it down after a 5 yard penalty on 4th down got them within 1 yard of converting. NT Ryan Pickett had a monster game, and has bounced back big time from a disappointing 2008 season.

(3:16) (Shotgun) 12-A.Rodgers sacked at GB 19 for -4 yards (94-P.Williams).

On this sack, C Scott Wells missed the block and NT Pat Williams ran straight ahead for the sack. It was the only time someone other than DE Jared Allen or DE Ray Edwards got a sack. Once again the middle of the offense line did a solid job.

Third Quarter:

(13:20) 4-B.Favre pass deep middle to 12-P.Harvin for 51 yards, TOUCHDOWN. GB-36-N.Collins was injured during the play.

I wrote earlier about chances taken by the Vikings that worked out. This was another one. Just a classic Favre heave-downfield-and-hope-something-good-happens. When he was a Packer, I saw this play get picked off all the time, but I didn't think much of it then because it would often act like a punt. Here Favre threw into triple coverage, but all the defensive backs collided with themselves trying to get to the ball, the defensive backs were just a step late again, and WR Percy Harvin grabbed it and ran for the TD. Dumb luck.

(13:03) 12-A.Rodgers pass deep right to 85-G.Jennings pushed ob at MIN 40 for 30 yards (20-M.Williams).

After only 47 yards of offense in the 1st half, this was a welcome sight.

(8:31) 2-M.Crosby 26 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-61-B.Goode, Holder-10-M.Flynn.

I wanted them to kick the FG. After such a dismal 1st half on offense, they couldn't walk away with nothing on this good opening drive.

2-M.Crosby kicks 36 yards from GB 30 to MIN 34. 96-B.Robison to MIN 42 for 8 yards (50-A.Hawk). FUMBLES (50-A.Hawk), RECOVERED by GB-36-N.Collins at MIN 41. 36-N.Collins to MIN 41 for no gain (33-J.Sanford).

One of the other few plays that went wrong for the Vikings. Just take a knee Robison.

(6:36) (Shotgun) 12-A.Rodgers pass deep left to 41-S.Havner for 16 yards, TOUCHDOWN.

A great throw by Rodgers. The safety was all over TE Spencer Havner, and Rodgers threw it out and low where only Havner could make a play on it. I'm really impressed with Havner's hands; he seems to catch anything that comes his way.

(5:57) 12-A.Rodgers pass short left to 34-A.Green pushed ob at GB 28 for 12 yards (23-C.Griffin).

OK, it was neat to see RB Ahman Green back as a Packer. Though I don't think he does anything RB Brandon Jackson can't do.

(5:21) 12-A.Rodgers pass deep middle to 89-J.Jones pushed ob at MIN 30 for 42 yards (20-M.Williams).

This deep crossing route was there for Driver, Jennings, and now Jones. It can't be run all game, but it did seem like the place to attack the Vikings zone coverage.

(2:03) (Shotgun) 12-A.Rodgers pass short right to 41-S.Havner for 5 yards, TOUCHDOWN.

Havner again. The Vikings seemed to forget about him in the coverage scheme.

2-M.Crosby kicks 56 yards from GB 30 to MIN 14. 12-P.Harvin pushed ob at GB 38 for 48 yards (38-T.Williams).

Another great return, another short field for the Vikings.

Fourth Quarter:

(14:16) 29-C.Taylor left end to GB 2 for 8 yards (36-N.Collins).

LB Clay Matthews had a great game. He seemed to spend a lot of time in the Vikings backfield. But he was running around before the snap, and by the time he got back in position he was blocked out by WR Sidney Rice and RB Chester Taylor ran right past him. It got the ball down to the 2 yard line and made the TD off the play action pass to the tight end possible.

(11:37) 12-A.Rodgers right end ran ob at MIN 15 for 35 yards (41-K.Paymah).

It might seem like he's taking a big risk running for all those yards, but he's still probably safer in the open field then in the pocket...

(10:31) (Shotgun) 12-A.Rodgers pass short right to 85-G.Jennings for 10 yards, TOUCHDOWN. Penalty on MIN, Defensive Holding, declined. Penalty on MIN-41-K.Paymah, Defensive Pass Interference, declined.

It's been a disappointing season for Jennings, but that was a great catch. He reached down and got it while the defender was illegally draped all over him.

(7:33) (Shotgun) 12-A.Rodgers Aborted. 63-S.Wells FUMBLES at GB 27, recovered by GB-12-A.Rodgers at GB 27. 12-A.Rodgers pass deep left to 80-D.Driver to 50 for 17 yards (21-A.Allen) [91-R.Edwards]. GB-80-D.Driver was injured during the play. PENALTY on MIN-91-R.Edwards, Roughing the Passer, 15 yards, enforced at 50.

An incredible play by Rodgers. He scoops up the bad snap just as the pocket is collapsing, but is still able to take a step and find Driver. And take a big hit at the end.

(5:49) (Shotgun) 12-A.Rodgers pass incomplete deep left to 80-D.Driver (22-B.Sapp).

(5:43) 2-M.Crosby 51 yard field goal is No Good, Wide Right, Center-61-B.Goode, Holder-10-M.Flynn.

I thought this was the end of the game when it happened. Kicking the FG was probably the right thing because Rodgers had just taken (another) hit on the play before and limped off the field. They were still only down by 5 points after the miss, but time was running out. They just could not afford the miss, but Crosby pushed it right. It had the distance and it didn't appear tipped.

(5:38) 4-B.Favre pass short left to 28-A.Peterson to GB 15 for 44 yards (55-D.Bishop, 20-A.Bigby).

It's not surprised they allowed a big run right after the deflating FG miss. Too bad it happened and ruined a great statistical game by the run defense, who held Peterson to only 53 yards on his other 24 carries.

(3:54) 4-B.Favre pass short left to 87-B.Berrian for 16 yards, TOUCHDOWN.

Once again, the coverage was almost there. Not that almost counts. It was a game of inches.

(2:59) (Shotgun) 12-A.Rodgers pass short middle to 89-J.Jones to MIN 48 for 15 yards (23-C.Griffin). PENALTY on GB-78-A.Barbre, Offensive Holding, 10 yards, enforced at GB 37 - No Play.

But this was the true end of the game, and the end of any explanation for starting Barbre over Tauscher. Barbre allowed 2 sacks, and I don't know how many big hits (at least that one shot Rodgers took to the ribs from DT Jimmy Kennedy). Jones got the ball into Vikings territory for a 1st down, but it came back on the holding penalty. I was willing to give Barbre the benefit of the doubt up to this game. He's a first year starter, he's getting better, etc. I hadn't even thought too much about the sacks in this game, up to this point, but that penalty was the end.

Analysis: Why Releasing Aaron Rouse Was A Good Move

Brandon — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 12:00:36 -0000

I should have linked to Tom Pelissero's excellent breakdown of the Green Bay Packers loss to the Bengals two days ago, but better late then never.:

♦ S Aaron Rouse was productive (nine tackles) in place of SS Atari Bigby, particularly in run support, but as usual, Rouse had some glaring errors as well. He took a poor leverage angle on the third-and-34 screen the Bengals converted, then was supposed to be playing deep zone on the next play, when Palmer hit WR Chad Ochocinco for 44 on a flea-flicker.

From Mike McCarthy:

Q: Was Rouse's performance on Sunday the catalyst for the move?
A: You never want to go off of just one performance. These decisions are made with a lot of information.

Most comments on his release have been negative. That was my first reaction too. But, as McCarthy said, this isn't a decision made after one game. After a good rookie season, he had some bad games last season in pass coverage and he took some bad angles to the ball. The disaster last season in New Orleans stands out in my mind. And 2008 wasn't a one year fluke. The scouting report, when he came into the NFL, said he struggled in pass coverage.

He'll probably end up somewhere in the NFL again, but he probably shouldn't be starting with his shortcomings in pass coverage. And there is the added benefit of adding S Matt Giordano, who made a lot of fans during his time with the Colts, and is probably healthier since Rouse suffered a neck stinger in the game against the Bengals.

And he's also a great special teams player, which was one of the reasons McCarthy mentioned for releasing Rouse. The Packers were bad on special teams last week, again from Tom Pelissero:

♦ P Jeremy Kapinos’ punts were too straight and low, but the coverage unit could have stopped PR Quan Cosby from breaking two big returns. Instead, Jeremy Thompson left his lane on one, giving Cosby a chasm to the near sideline for 60, and Chillar took a poor angle on the other, letting himself get pancaked as Cosby circled back to the far sideline for 32. The Bengals turned those returns into 10 points.

They could have kept Rouse for depth and instead released FB Quinn Johnson or LB Brad Jones since neither has been active for a game in 2009. But the coaches apparently have faith that recently acquired S Derrick Martin can start if S Nick Collins can't go on Sunday. S Jarrett Bush has struggled as a cornerback, but he's much better when only asked to help in coverage as a safety. With Bush, Martin, and Giordano available on Sunday, and CB Charles Woodson available to play safety in case of an emergency, the depth should be fine until Collins and S Atari Bigby return.

A Packer Fan's Guide To Madden 2010

Mitchell_M — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 21:08:06 -0000

If you're anything like me, you're excited for the season opener at Lambeau on Sunday night. However, you're also looking for ways to extend the NFL experience beyond just the weekend. You might even look for something different on Sundays when Green Bay isn't playing. Face it, Green Bay is on Monday Night Football in Week 13, the Week 13 showdowns between Detroit and Cincinatti or San Francisco and Seattle likely won't be very exciting, and you won't have much of a choice of what games to watch. (Unless of course you have NFL Sunday Ticket. In which case, why not just give your money directly to Jerry Jones? He needs it to buy chrome plating for his pizza cutter.)

So whether you're looking to get some gridiron action on a Wednesday night or you just can't stand watching St. Louis and Cleveland punt back and forth, I highly recommend Madden 2010 to help supply your football fix.

Word of warning: this lengthy post is based on Madden 2010 for the XBox 360. If you have a different system, you can try to use the suggestions below, but they might not work the same. Unless you're using the Wii. Screw the Wii.

I was a sickly child growing up, meaning I often wasn't able to go out and play with the other kids in the neighborhood. Video games helped pass the time until I shook off my various ailments, but I never lost my love for sports sims.

Historically, the Madden franchise has delivered installments with mixed results. Either they simply repackaged the previous year's product with updated roster information and/or a few horribly misguided "innovations", or they come up with something that actually works. Madden 2010 is of the latter variety.

The online mode is much improved; there's fewer bugs in the system, meaning you won't lose your mind because some 11-year old from New Hampshire discovered a tackling glitch. There's always little blemishes here and there, but the best part is that it forces players to use the Online Rosters of all 32 NFL teams. No longer will you go into a game against the Raiders to suddenly discover that they have Andre Johnson and Reggie Wayne.

The meat of the game, as always, is with the Franchise and Superstar mode. I've never been a huge fan of Superstar mode, mainly because I am horrible at it. Having played a mix of cornerback and safety in high school and college, I usually create myself as a cornerback, but I've never figured out how to effectively cover anybody in man coverage and I'm constantly giving up long TDs. However, playing Superstar mode as a QB, RB, WR, DE, or LB is usually a challenge worth a few tries.

As far as I'm concerned, Franchise mode is where it's at. Once upon a time, I had a dream of being a GM for the Packers. Franchise mode allows me to live that out, long after I realized that it simply wouldn't happen. (Even though it totally should. The moment Thompson retires/resigns, I'm sending an application.) In Madden 2010, Franchise mode remains essentially the same: pick your team, run through the preseason, play the regular season, play the postseason (if you made it), then go through offseason tasks like hiring coaches, scouting and drafting rookies, and resigning existing players.

My biggest gripe in Franchise mode has always been how unrealistic it is, especially where statistics are concerned. I don't care if Adrian Peterson gets cloned in a lab somewhere and the clones play for three other teams at the same time as AP: they simply cannot ALL run for 2,000+ yards in a season. What's worse is the statistics game-by-game. The default setting is Pro (medium) with quarter lengths of 5 minutes, which is just enough time to pass for 150 yards, rush for another 40, have five players with 3 tackles a piece, and win a game 24-0. These games are too short and too easy. So the obvious choices are to either up the difficulty or increase the time. But you can't do both, because then you either have 20 minutes of hellishly difficult gaming or 2 hours of even more hellishly difficult gaming.

EA Sports finally found a way to make longer quarters and higher difficulty co-exist: accelerated clock. Accelerated clock is so simple that it's genius: if you pick your play within the first 10 seconds of the play clock, it automatically runs anywhere between 10 and 25 seconds off the clock (depending on your settings). This allows you to play at a realistic pace: drives of 10 plays actually last 6 or 7 minutes of game time. It's an extraordinarily lifelike addition to the game, and I'm thankful for it.

* * *

Steps to setting up a realistic Franchise mode:

Set difficulty settings. The default setting is Pro, which puts all four categories (rush offense, pass offense, rush defense, pass defense) at 5 out of 20. The minimum setting should be All-Pro, which sets the categories at 10. Because it's so difficult to run the ball in Madden 2010, I usually set the rush offense category a notch or two lower than the other ones. For example, right now my difficulty setting is 13 for pass offense, 10 for rush offense, and 14 for pass and rush defense.

The reason it's important to up the difficulty is because at the default level, blowouts are perpetual. You will be hard pressed to play a game where you don't pass for 3 TDs, run for another 2, and return both a INT and punt return for six. Sure, it's fun every once in a while, but it's boring winning 63-3 every week.
Change Franchise setup options. The first thing to do is change quarter length from 5 minutes to 15. Then, go to the bottom of the menu and activate accelerated clock runoff. (I personally put mine at 25, but it leaves little time for audibles at the line, so 20 or even 15 might be a little easier to deal with.) Finally, toggle everything from "CPU" to "USER".

Like I explained above, the longer quarters combined with the accelerated clock and higher difficulty makes the game both more challenging and more realistic. For example, I just started a new franchise yesterday (when the new season rosters were released...goodbye Ruvell Martin, hello Brett Swain!), and I eked out a 20-17 win over Chicago. I was legitimately trying the entire game, and I was losing 17-13 for most of the second half. I've still managed to deliver blowouts against teams like Cincinnati and St. Louis, but I've actually lost to teams like Minnesota, Pittsburgh, and Baltimore. Getting the settings where they need to be make the Madden experience totally different from past years.
Fill out your roster. The newly-released Week One roster is exactly how the Packers are set up in real-life. However, Madden has minimum requirements at each position, and the new rosters are short on both offensive and defensive tackles. What I do is I sign Jamon Meredith and Anthony Toribio, simply because a) they won't play after the preseason ends and the depth chart is updated, and b) I have to sign someone anyway, or let the computer sign someone, and I'd rather have someone that's on Green Bay's practice roster. I also signed Brian Brohm, just because he's on the practice roster, the third QB never ever plays, and I can cut him outright after I find someone better in the draft or free agency. Sadly, Pat Lee and Justin Harrell were banished from Madden when they were put on IR.

After setting up your roster, you'll have to go through and manually set your depth chart. A few suggestions for those who want them: place DeShawn Wynn at RB2 over Brandon Jackson (better runner), Korey Hall at FB1 over John Kuhn (better blocker), Daryn Colledge as LT2 over Jamon Meredith (see above), and Jordy Nelson as both KR2 and PR2 over Tramon Williams (so Williams is fresher for nickel packages).
Set your audibles. There is nothing more irritating than running the 2-minute drill and having only one pass play that's in a formation suitable for it. Audibles should be set as the following for offense: one singleback inside run, two singleback pass plays (one short, one long), and two shotgun pass plays (one short, one long). It's even worse on defense, where the audibles are in the 4-3 alignment. Defense is obviously more open ended, but make sure that half of your options are 3-4 plays and the other half are nickel/dime packages with 4-man fronts.

* * *

Now that you have everything set up, it's time to sim through the preseason, right? Wrong! The preseason is extremely important for two reasons. First, it prevents bench players from regressing too far during the course of the season. If you sim through the pre-season and you don't play Quinn Johnson or Brandon Underwood, their ratings will degrade the following offseason. Even if they don't play much in the regular season, getting them reps in the preseason keeps them from losing points.

The second reason for playing in the preseason is much more important; for whatever reason, EA Sports removed the option to make substitution packages from the Franchise main screen. I personally hate this move, because without the option to sub players in specific formations, you barely get to use them. Get this, without the substitution option, Aaron Kampman simply won't play in nickel or dime packages. Let that soak in for a second, then read on.

The only way to sub specific players in or out in specific packages is to do so during the game. Whatever changes you make will be saved, so it only needs to be done once. After you determine who needs to be in or out in any given package, they will stay there until you move them.

Here's how to do it: play the first preseason game, but don't worry about calling plays. Instead, flip through the playbook and hit the RB button to bring up the substitution screen. This allows you to scroll through each of the 11 positions and sub a player for each play in that particular package. For example, if you sub Ryan Grant for Brandon Jackson in the Full House package, Jackson will be the RB for every Full House play. Be careful, though, because some formations have multiple looks (Singleback, I Formation, Shotgun, etc.) Each individual look has seperate subs, so you have to make sure that you're thorough with your substituting.

Here's the substitutions that I recommend for Green Bay:

Brandon Jackson for Ryan Grant in all Shotgun formations. Jackson is a far superior pass-catcher to Grant, and he's quicker in the open field. You should have him as your 3rd down back anyway, but this ensures that a swing pass doesn't end in a 2-yard loss.
Quinn Johnson for Korey Hall in Goal Line formation. Johnson can't run the ball, catch the ball, or pass block very well in Madden 2010. But boy, can he run block. Plug him in as the goal line fullback and watch him bowl over linebackers with ease.
John Kuhn for Korey Hall in Full House formation. The Full House isn't as heavy on power blocking, so it's ok to take out the slightly better Hall in favor of Kuhn, the slightly better receiver.
Jermichael Finley in most Single Back formations. Finley isn't a terrible blocker, but he's not great, which is why Donald Lee is still the starter. Any run plays you deploy while he's in the game won't be ruined by Finley's blocking...most of the time. He is, however, an outstanding receiver, meaning he should get the majority of the TE looks in most Single Back plays.
Aaron Kampman for Johnny Jolly in all 4-man front nickel, dime, dollar, and quarter formations. This one is self explanatory: Kampman > Jolly.
B.J. Raji for Ryan Pickett in all 3-man front nickel, dime, dollar, and quarter formations. This is important as it keeps Pickett fresh for base defense plays and uses Raji's pass rushing skills in pass defense plays.
Cullen Jenkins for Ryan Pickett in all 4-man front nickel, dime, dollar, and quarter formations. Again, self explanatory. Jenkins is an outstanding inside pass rusher, while Pickett is not. Putting Jenkins and Raji (the DT2) on the inside with Kampman on the outside gives the team an outstanding pass rush.
Jeremy Thompson/Brandon Chillar/Clay Matthews for Cullen Jenkins whenever Jenkins is moved inside. Don't let Mike Montgomery see the field unless you have to. He's awful.

Additionally, I would encourage mixing up the LB and DL rotation in any of the 5 base 3-4 sets. Put Bishop in for Hawk in a formation, and Thompson in for Matthews in another. Keeping your players in a rotation keeps them fresh and helps prevent them from getting beat or hurt. Again, you have to make these substitutions while playing in a game; you can't do it from the menu screen. I recommend focusing on one formation at a time, then running a play. Just keep track of who you moved and when so that you can finish anything you start. There's nothing worse than taking Cullen Jenkins out of a formation and failing to put him back in; then you're stuck with Montgomery and Pickett.

After setting up your substitution packages, you shouldn't have to worry about anything on the roster or depth chart unless there's an injury. As long as you do this during the first preseason game, you shouldn't have to make any changes for the rest of the year until you lose players and replace them with new ones.

* * *

After advancing to the regular season, hold off on playing the first game right away. The most important aspect of Franchise mode is not only improving your team, but sustaining it. The best way to do that is though the draft, but it's foolish to simply draft players based on their round projection. Scouting is imperative to this process, and you can only do it during the regular season.

Scouting in Madden 2010 is easy; you get a certain number of scouting reports per week (starting with 19, changing when you change scouting services in the offseason) to investigate college players. You tag the players you want information on, and the reports are back the following week. You can scout a player a maximum of 6 times before they are "fully scouted" and no longer provide you with new information on their skills.

Make sure you always scout players with high potential at positions you will need. For Green Bay, I put emphasis on LT, RT, DE, DT, and SS. Remember, the players with the highest potential are not necessarily surefire 1st round picks. For example, I found a safety whose potential meter was nearly full, and I intended on drafting him with my first pick (if he was available.) However, come draft time, I learned that he was projected to go in the 6th round. Naturally, this let me wait and use higher picks on higher projected players at different positions, and resulted in a more successful draft.

One important note about scouting; if a player has an injury rating of 70 or less, don't waste your time on him. He will ALWAYS be hurt, period. The same goes for any WR with a catch rating of less than 70 or any lineman with a strength of less than 70. Players will always improve their ratings on mechanical stuff (route running, footwork, etc.) But the more natural ratings like speed and strength rarely change.

* * *

Now that all the painfully boring stuff is done, feel free to take on all comers. Because I am feeling extra pretentious today, allow me to make some suggestions on Packer players to target, players to avoid, and plays to make it all happen.

Players who can help:

James Jones as a slot receiver. As long as he's not lined up outside, Jones is an absolute beast. The only defenders who can cover him are the elite LBs or CBs, and the corners are preoccupied with Jennings and Driver. Jones is best used running slants, drags, digs, and curls in 3-wide formations.
Jermichael Finley as second tight end. I know this isn't news to most of you, but Jermichael Finley is simply too big, too fast, and too skilled to be covered by most players. Running him in 2-TE sets opposite Donald Lee is usually a good idea, especially running outs to the sideline or seams in the middle of the field.
Charles Woodson as lockdown corner. Al Harris has lost a step in Madden 2010, but certainly not Chuck. Make sure he's covering the other team's best WR, and you should be safe.
Brandon Jackson as receiving back. I know I already mentioned this, but replacing Grant with Jackson in the Shotgun formations is critical. Nobody in Green Bay runs a flat route better than Jackson.
Will Blackmon as a return man. Again, not news here, but Will Blackmon is downright Hester-esque when returning kicks. He's not as fast as Hester (obviously), but he's stronger and able to break tackles better.

Players who can hurt:

Brandon Jackson as running back. He might be better in real life, but running a dive play with Jackson is absolutely absurd.
Aaron Kampman in man coverage. Blitz Kampman as often as possible, and leave him in zone coverage whenever he's not rushing. Do not, I repeat, do not let him cover someone man-to-man. He will let other teams eat the defense up on underneath routes.
Atari Bigby as long-term safety. Bigby is an excellent tackler, a strong player who forces fumbles, and can sometimes cover a receiver. But do not expect him to stay healthy. He's good for 2009, but I would look to draft a replacement as soon as possible.
Jeremy Kapinos as anything. Video games sometimes imitate real life, and this is proof. Kapinos' punts are awful. Find a replacement ASAP.

Plays to use on offense:

Strong I Slot Off Tackle: A solid run play that uses the FB as a lead blocker while the WR3 pulls a linebacker away from the box. Unless you run into a blitz, you should get no fewer than 5 yards with this play, and you'll often break longer runs.
Singleback Flex Inside Cross: A very reliable short pass play that features the TE and WR3 running opposite drag routes. Use this to pick up a short first down or, if the defense is in man coverage, to get a big play out of the receiver after the catch.
Full House Weak Zone: A safe run play that is best used away from the defense's strong point. If the LBs are loading up one side, simply switch the play to the other side. Good for running between the 20's.
Shotgun Doubles On HB Angle: On 3rd and long, this is the play to run. You have three main options: the RB running a check down route in the middle of the field, the slot receiver running a short china route to the weak side, and the tight end running an out on the strong side. If the defense is stacked towards the short zones, hit either receiver on deep routes for a big pickup.

Plays to use on defense:

3-4 Normal Strong/Weak Blitz: Either the Strong or Weak blitz works fine: the OLB and ILB on one side overload their half of the offense while everyone else is in man coverage with safety help over the top.
3-4 Over Trio Sky Zone: Very similar to the Strong or Weak Blitz, but this play offers a solid zone coverage scheme instead of man-to-man.
Nickel Normal CB Fox Blitz: Use the CB on either side to go around the offensive tackle and get to the quarterback quickly. The 4-man front helps keep any run plays in check while the corner blitzes.
Nickel 2-4 Cover 2 Sink: A very basic coverage scheme that offers decent pass rush: the DTs are flanked by both OLBs, who rush the edge. The other two LBs and all three CBs take intermediate zones, while both safeties split the field.

Well, that's really all I can think of for now. If you think I'm on to something, want to add something yourself, or you have criticisms of my strategies, or even if you hate Madden and want to rail against me for including it in a post, leave your love/vitriol in the comments section.

Just don't hate on my Madden skills. I will take on any and all comers. Challengers, step right up.

Final Week of Training Camp; Rosters Cut Down To 75 On Tuesday

Brandon — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 13:00:17 -0000

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Greg Bedard pointed out to me that, despite what I said in my recap, the Green Bay Packers did some game planning to prepare for the game at Arizona, while the Cardinals did none. I had read last week that QB Brian Brohm ran the scout team in practice, but I assumed he was playing as QB Jay Cutler to prepare for the season opener. But instead they used it as practice for the real game planning in two weeks.

The rosters have to be cut down to 75 players by Tuesday. By my count of the current roster, that means three players have to be released. They've already cut down from 80 when they released C Duke Preston and placed TE Devin Frischknecht on I.R. last week.

It looks like the three players will be P Durant Brooks, LB Stryker Sulak, and WR JaRon Harris. From Mike McCarthy:

Q:Brooks, Sulak, and Harris were not out there. Where were they?
A:They were excused from today's practice.

Brooks hasn't been able to play or practice over the last two weeks. He's handed the starting job to P Jeremy Kapinos by default, but the team can't afford to wait on him. Although Kapinos will still have to sweat out the final cuts; the Packers went out and signed P Derrick Frost after the final preseason game last season.

I thought Sulak had a chance at playing time, but he didn't make it on the field during any of the preseason games, as far as I noticed.

It's possible they were discussing CB Al Harris, but they were probably talking about players on the bubble. JaRon Harris hasn't been awful, but he did have a bad deflection against Cleveland. There are a bunch of good receivers in camp, so one mistake might be one too many.

It's probably the end of preseason play for CB Al Harris, CB Charles Woodson, and definitely over for WR Greg Jennings. But the game against Tennessee will be the first game for LB Clay Matthews and LB Nick Barnett. From Mike McCarthy:

Q:Will all of the healthy guys play on Thursday?
A:Yes. Well, starters? We may have some coach's decisions like I have done in the past. We'll look at Al and Charles Woodson and obviously Greg Jennings is not going to play. We'll see what happens tomorrow. Tomorrow's practice is our heavy lifting day, so we'll have that conversation after tomorrow's practice.

Q:Is Clay Matthews on track to play?
A:Yes, I anticipate Clay to definitely play. Him and Nick Barnett, I anticipate that both will play this week.

As far as the rest of the week goes, there will be a practice on Monday and Tuesday morning before a closed practice on Wednesday. And then the final preseason game at Tennessee on Thursday night.

Analysis: Green Bay Packers defeat Bills 31-21

Brandon — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 12:00:13 -0000

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This was another impressive win. While the first team offense and defense were on the field, the Green Bay Packers jumped out to a 21-0 lead and Buffalo committed 3 turnovers. RB Ryan Grant ran well and QB Aaron Rodgers had time to find open receivers. The defensive front seven were constantly in Buffalo's backfield, and QB Trent Edwards was usually on the run. It was by far Buffalo's worst preseason game this season.

Unfortunately there were a couple injuries. According to Tom Pelissero:

QB Matt Flynn had a shoulder sprain but he feels OK.
S Nick Collins has bruised ribs. The x-rays were negative, but he'll probably take it slowly next week.
Undrafted rookie TE Devin Frischknecht was taken to the hospital with a shin injury.

There aren't a lot of starting jobs being fought for in training camp. DT B.J. Raji is trying to start ahead of DE Johnny Jolly, but it seems like a given that Raji will be the starter at some point. LB Clay Matthews, LB Jeremy Thompson, and LB Brady Poppinga are battling for the starting outside LB spot, but Poppinga is winning that by default as the others are still being held out with injuries. On the offensive line, C Scott Wells outplayed RG Josh Sitton in this game while RT Allen Barbre outplayed RT Breno Giacomini, but Pete Dougherty believes Sitton is ahead of Wells. One play shouldn't knock a player out of a starting job, but the one block that Giacomini blew led to Flynn's injured throwing shoulder, so it's a bit more glaring.

Yes, it was just one game, and yes, it was just one preseason game, but it couldn't have gone much better. Continue after the jump for the complete game review.

Bills vs Packers coverage; Bills vs Packers recap; Bills vs Packers boxscore; Buffalo Rumblings

For my complete game review, I'm using the NFL.com play-by-play.

First Quarter

(13:06) (Shotgun) 23-M.Lynch left tackle to BUF 29 for -1 yards (77-C.Jenkins).

It's good to see DE Cullen Jenkins healthy and busting into the opponent's backfield again.

(12:36) (No Huddle, Shotgun) 5-T.Edwards pass deep left intended for 83-L.Evans INTERCEPTED by 51-B.Poppinga (36-N.Collins) at BUF 45. 51-B.Poppinga to BUF 37 for 8 yards (63-G.Hangartner).

The refs have their preseason too. S Nick Collins got to WR Lee Evans early and they could have called pass interference. But Collins still looked great, he seemed to be all over the field, before they pulled him early due to a rib injury.

(11:18) 25-R.Grant right tackle to BUF 23 for 1 yard (95-K.Williams, 99-M.Stroud).

If your keeping track whether C Scott Wells or RG Josh Sitton should start, DT Marcus Stroud shoved Sitton aside to tackle RB Ryan Grant at the line of scrimmage.

(8:57) 25-R.Grant left tackle to BUF 17 for -2 yards (56-K.Ellison).

Getting stuffed on 4th and 1 might be a sign that the Packers' offensive line is struggling. Buffalo committed all their linebackers into the middle determined to stop the run. On this play, there were just more defenders then blockers on the line. This overcommitment comes back to bite them.

(8:53) 5-T.Edwards sacked at BUF 9 for -3 yards (97-J.Jolly).

(7:43) (No Huddle, Shotgun) 5-T.Edwards sacked at BUF 5 for -7 yards (97-J.Jolly). FUMBLES (97-J.Jolly), RECOVERED by GB-50-A.Hawk at BUF 5. 50-A.Hawk to BUF 5 for no gain (5-T.Edwards).

It was a nice play by DE Johnny Jolly, but I can't say enough how about unimpressed I was by Buffalo's offensive line. They played back on their heels the entire game. The 1st string defense killed them with speed from the linebackers and power from the defensive lineman. On the sack, LB A.J. Hawk and LB Brandon Chillar just ran right around the offensive lineman in a second. QB Trent Edwards was either running for his life or throwing quick 5 yard outs to avoid the rush. Buffalo's O-line wasn't good last season and they jettisoned three starters, including current Packer C Duke Preston, from that group. They're rebuilding their line, and it's just not ready.

(7:33) 12-A.Rodgers pass short left to 85-G.Jennings for 5 yards, TOUCHDOWN.

Once again, Buffalo run blitzed their linebackers to fill the gaps in a short yardage situation. This time, QB Aaron Rodgers dropped back and hit WR Greg Jennings on a quick slant. The cornerback was outside and Rodgers threw it inside where there were no linebackers back in coverage.

(4:09) 12-A.Rodgers pass short right to 88-J.Finley to BUF 35 for 21 yards (20-D.Whitner).

This was one of many plays by TE Jermichael Finley. He was showing off what he can do in the passing game. He was running by their linebackers and is too big for their corners and safeties. He showed the same thing last week vs. Cleveland. He'll have to prove it during the regular season too, but so far, he's looking like a big, dangerous target in the middle of the field.

The Packers march down 79 yards for their 2nd TD. The offense looked great, but this was some plain vanilla defense. They used a four man rush that wasn't providing enough pass pressure, their linebackers were focused on the run, and their secondary and linebackers were getting killed in single coverage. The offense looked better than the defense, but their defense would have played it differently during the regular season.

(:29) (No Huddle, Shotgun) 5-T.Edwards pass short left to 22-F.Jackson to BUF 43 for 13 yards (21-C.Woodson).

This was the first play I noticed with DT B.J. Raji and he dropped into pass coverage. He seemed to have no trouble with the Buffalo offensive line, but you could say the same thing for Jolly and Jenkins. Like I said above, I wasn't impressed at all with Buffalo's O-line.

Second Quarter

(13:59) (No Huddle, Shotgun) 5-T.Edwards pass short middle to 22-F.Jackson to BUF 41 for 4 yards (77-C.Jenkins). FUMBLES (77-C.Jenkins), RECOVERED by GB-51-B.Poppinga at BUF 41. 51-B.Poppinga to BUF 41 for no gain (63-G.Hangartner).

The fumble was all Jenkins. He read the screen, avoided all the offensive lineman trying to block him, and stripped RB Fred Jackson. It's the 2nd turnover for LB Brady Poppinga who's been in the right place at the right time on both of them.

(13:15) 25-R.Grant left guard to BUF 22 for 14 yards (20-D.Whitner, 24-T.McGee).

In the battle for the starting right tackle job, RT Breno Giacomini blew open the entire middle of the field for Grant to run through on this play.

(12:08) 12-A.Rodgers pass short left to 25-R.Grant to BUF 10 for 13 yards (92-R.Denney).

The Packers are usually lousy on screen passes, but this one worked. C Scott Wells came off clean and made a block to spring Grant for a few extra yards.

(10:54) 12-A.Rodgers pass short right to 80-D.Driver for 5 yards, TOUCHDOWN.

The description doesn't show Rodgers scrambling and waiting for WR Donald Driver to get open. The pass was behind Driver, but the defender couldn't get to it.

(7:12) 32-B.Jackson right end ran ob at BUF 46 for 4 yards (43-B.Scott). PENALTY on GB-78-A.Barbre, Offensive Holding, 10 yards, enforced at 50 - No Play.

By this point, RT Allen Barbre is behind Giacomini in the starting right tackle battle.

(3:57) (No Huddle) 14-R.Fitzpatrick up the middle to BUF 34 for 1 yard (55-D.Bishop).

This could have been a big play for Buffalo. The coverage was great, but the defensive lineman were blocked and lost contain. QB Ryan Fitzpatrick had the entire middle of the field open, but LB Desmond Bishop kept his contain and tackled him.

(3:16) (No Huddle, Shotgun) 14-R.Fitzpatrick pass incomplete deep right to 17-J.Jenkins (29-A.Smith).

I'm really starting to like free agent S Anthony Smith, but then he drops a INT thrown right to him. That doesn't mean he isn't a good backup, but I can see he's talented and I can also see why he lost his starting job in Pittsburgh.

(2:00) 11-B.Brohm pass short right to 87-J.Nelson ran ob at GB 32 for 10 yards (26-A.Youboty).

(1:54) (Shotgun) 11-B.Brohm pass short middle to 87-J.Nelson to GB 45 for 13 yards (30-K.Simpson).

(1:31) (Shotgun) 11-B.Brohm pass incomplete deep right to 89-J.Jones (46-E.Lankster). PENALTY on BUF-46-E.Lankster, Defensive Pass Interference, 34 yards, enforced at GB 45 - No Play.

(1:06) (Shotgun) 11-B.Brohm pass short left intended for 82-R.Martin INTERCEPTED by 27-R.Corner at BUF 9. 27-R.Corner to BUF 12 for 3 yards (82-R.Martin).

I'm a fan of QB Brian Brohm. He's clearly the 3rd QB on the roster, but that doesn't mean he isn't getting better. He's a talented pocket passer. He showed a little of it on back-to-back completions to WR Jordy Nelson. Unfortunately he then threw too late and behind to WR James Jones, but the defender hit Jones as he was trying to catch up to the play. The interception wasn't intended for WR Ruvell Martin; he was trying to hit Nelson underneath but he overthrew it. Either way, the pass that was intercepted was a bad decision.

(:41) (Shotgun) 14-R.Fitzpatrick sacked at BUF 26 for -5 yards (59-B.Jones). FUMBLES (59-B.Jones), RECOVERED by GB-55-D.Bishop at BUF 26. 55-D.Bishop to BUF 26 for no gain (79-J.Scott).

As if the Packers didn't have enough tough choices at linebacker. LB Nick Barnett was still held out for this game, but rookie 7th round pick LB Brad Jones was finally cleared to play. He beat the right tackle on the pass rush and he played well in pass coverage. If he keeps this up, they might have no choice but to make room for him on the roster.

Third Quarter

(14:52) 28-K.Lumpkin right end to GB 45 for -5 yards (97-J.McCargo). FUMBLES (97-J.McCargo), recovered by GB-60-D.Preston at GB 37. 60-D.Preston to GB 37 for no gain (53-M.Buggs).

RG Evan Dietrich-Smith got beat and let DT John McCargo hit RB Kregg Lumpkin in the backfield. Lumpkin still should have held onto the ball.

(12:53) 7-J.Kapinos punts 47 yards to BUF 2, Center-61-B.Goode. 26-A.Youboty to BUF 2 for no gain (82-R.Martin). PENALTY on GB-16-B.Swain, Interference with Opportunity to Catch, 15 yards, enforced at BUF 6.

I keep reading Tweets about the great camp WR Brett Swain is having. He hasn't played much as a receiver in the first two preseason games, and he blew it on special teams. With all the good receivers in camp, he can't afford to have another bad play like this again.

P Jeremy Kapinos looked good on five punts, but he'll have to keep it up.

(11:57) (No Huddle, Shotgun) 14-R.Fitzpatrick pass deep right to 13-St.Johnson to BUF 48 for 24 yards (27-W.Blackmon).

Buffalo had a lot more success passing the ball in the 2nd half. The Packers' 3rd string defense came in and didn't provide much pass rush. Outside LB Spencer Havner and LB Cyril Obiozor have made some noise in camp, but they couldn't near the QB in this game. Although rookie DE Jarius Wynn and DE Ronald Talley did a pretty good job at getting into the backfield on a couple plays.

(8:41) (No Huddle, Shotgun) 14-R.Fitzpatrick pass short right to 88-J.Stupar to GB 21 for 12 yards (24-J.Bush). Green Bay challenged the pass completion ruling, and the play was Upheld. (Timeout #1.)

The refs in preseason form; the pass bounced off the turf before it was "caught". But it didn't matter...

(8:17) (No Huddle, Shotgun) 14-R.Fitzpatrick pass short left intended for 33-D.Rhodes INTERCEPTED by 55-D.Bishop at GB 17. 55-D.Bishop to GB 20 for 3 yards. Lateral to 29-A.Smith to GB 20 for no gain (73-K.Chambers). GB-33-B.Underwood was injured during the play. PENALTY on GB-33-B.Underwood, Illegal Block Above the Waist, 10 yards, enforced at GB 20.

Next time, don't lateral it. But otherwise it was great play as Bishop jumped all over the quick slant.

(7:31) 11-B.Brohm pass incomplete short right to 45-Q.Johnson (96-C.Bryan).

Buffalo DE Copeland Bryan was a pain in the butt. He shoved Barbre back into Brohm on this play.

(7:26) (Shotgun) 11-B.Brohm pass short left to 46-D.Frischknecht to GB 12 for 1 yard (54-N.Harris). GB-46-D.Frischknecht was injured during the play.

I don't like to see anyone hurt, but I was pulling for undrafted rookie TE Devin Frischknecht. He was taken to the hospital with a shin injury. I would be shocked if he's not placed on I.R. this week.

(5:42) (No Huddle, Shotgun) 14-R.Fitzpatrick pass short middle to 15-F.Huggins to GB 48 for 15 yards (40-J.Porter).

I'm picking on CB Joe Porter here, he was the chief offender, but the same can be said for CB Trevor Ford and CB Brandon Underwood. They're all fighting for the 5th cornerback spot, or maybe a job on the practice squad. I don't know if it's how they play, or if by design, but they all gave a lot of cushion. They're all great in coming up in run support and they appear to be good tacklers. But Buffalo came back in the game because the tight coverage and the pass rush vanished.

(1:13) (No Huddle) 14-R.Fitzpatrick pass short middle to 88-J.Stupar for 9 yards, TOUCHDOWN.

Rookie LB Brad Jones was in on the coverage, but he was all over the tight end in coverage. Somehow the pass missed hitting Jones and the tight end grabbed it.

Fourth Quarter

(12:24) 10-M.Flynn sacked at GB 18 for -8 yards (96-C.Bryan). FUMBLES (96-C.Bryan), recovered by GB-68-B.Giacomini at GB 16. 68-B.Giacomini to GB 16 for no gain (93-C.Ellis).

Well if you're wondering how Barbre beat Giacomini for the starting right tackle job, this might have been the play. He was beat by Bryan to the outside. QB Matt Flynn had his night cut short because he Bryan hit him while he was throwing.

(4:53) 23-T.Sutton left end pushed ob at BUF 41 for 10 yards (71-A.Etukeren). PENALTY on BUF-46-E.Lankster, Face Mask (15 Yards), 15 yards, enforced at BUF 41.

Rookie LT Jamon Meredith looked good on this drive. On this play, he cleared the left side open for RB Tyrell Sutton. He's still behind LT Tony Moll for the backup spot and still in a major fight to make the roster.

(4:07) 23-T.Sutton left tackle to BUF 11 for 10 yards (21-J.Wendling).

(3:25) 11-B.Brohm pass short right to 19-K.Heckendorf to BUF 3 for 8 yards (47-C.Harris).

(2:55) 23-T.Sutton right tackle for 3 yards, TOUCHDOWN.

WR Kole Heckendorf, the pride of Mosinee, is still a long shot to make the roster. I don't know against who he is competing. I guess it's possible he could beat out WR Ruvell Martin. But he really looked good; showing good hands while taking some big hits.

Sutton followed up a great first preseason game with another one. But he still is the last running back given playing time, so I would guess the coaches still have him behind Lumpkin and RB DeShawn Wynn.

(2:03) (No Huddle, Shotgun) 10-G.Hamdan pass short right to 44-X.Omon to GB 10 for 52 yards (40-J.Porter).

There were about three blown tackles on this play. Defensive coordinator Dom Capers is going to burst a blood vessel when he watches this replay.

(1:49) (No Huddle, Shotgun) 10-G.Hamdan pass incomplete short left to 88-J.Stupar [94-J.Wynn]. PENALTY on GB-29-A.Smith, Defensive Pass Interference, 9 yards, enforced at GB 10 - No Play.

Back to what I was saying about Smith on the dropped INT; he makes a couple good plays but then mixes them in with a bad one. Although I couldn't see the pass interference on this one.

Packer News: Punters, Rodgers vs. Cassel, and T-Jack

Brandon — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 04:00:12 -0000

Wake me up when the battle for the starting punting job is over. I don't like either P Jeremy Kapinos or P Durant Brooks and expect the "winner" of the competition will wind up 2009 as one of the worst in the NFL.
What was interesting about the 6 year deal the Chiefs just gave to QB Matt Cassel is that he's guaranteed around $28 million. When the Packers gave QB Aaron Rodgers a 6 year extension, he received about $20 million guaranteed. And Rodgers is much better than Cassel. Rodgers' extension is just another solid contract put together by GM Ted Thompson's staff.
There is no way that the Packers will trade for QB Tarvaris Jackson when he demands a trade. Don't laugh; he might really demand one.

Thursday Packer Hits: Graessle, FAVRE!!!, and John Clayton

Brandon — Thu, 14 May 2009 13:00:14 -0000

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The biggest free agent signing this offseason was P Adam Graessle. Seriously. He's a long shot to beat out the other two punters, Jeremy Kapinos and Durant Brooks, but I don't have any faith in either of them. I hope they found something in Graessle.
Team President Mark Murphy says the team isn't quite ready to retire Brett Favre's number if he plans on playing in Minnesota next season.
After our respectful article about ESPN's John Clayton, m'kay, Clayton goes ahead anyway and says that he expects the Packers will rebound next season. Basically, the 2009 schedule looks a lot more favorable than the rough 2008 schedule, which should translate to at least two more wins on its own.
Funny; agent Drew Rosenhaus is on Twitter and all the players he represents are awesome. For example, don't count out his client, QB Drew Stanton, in the Lions QB derby.
Nice move by Miami. Last season, they trade DE Jason Taylor to Washington for a 2nd round pick, and resign him one season later. Quite the premium rental price Washington paid.
If you have been wondering why Philadelphia didn't pull the trigger on a trade for Arizona WR Anquan Boldin, a rumor that agent Drew Rosenhaus won't let die, it turns out that he probably was never available in the first place.

Early Look at Position Battles

Mitchell_M — Mon, 04 May 2009 14:29:40 -0000

More photos » by Mike Roemer - AP

Pass rusher of the future? Or the next 2008-version of A.J. Hawk?

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The months between February and August always seem the longest, don't they? Sure, the NBA Playoffs are a welcome respite, and I suppose some people out there still like baseball, but c'mon. Football is where it's at.

The draft is done, and the first rookie minicamp is in the books as well. OTA's are coming up, and training camp is far off in the distance. This offseason will be interesting because of the number of rookies and other young players that figure into key personnel moves. Let's take a look at where the focus is going to be in regards to position battles.

Backup QB: Matt Flynn vs. Brian Brohm

Last preseason, Flynn and Brohm were complete opposites: Brohm played great in practice, while Flynn played great in games. Flynn managed to get the nod for his in-game performance, a surprising move considering he was a 7th rounder and Brohm was a 2nd. But after a year has passed, these two get another shot at holding Aaron Rodgers' clipboard for the upcoming season.

Fullback: Korey Hall vs. John Kuhn vs. Quinn Johnson

The fullback position is a dying one in the NFL, but Green Bay is still holding on to the hope of finding someone to fill the void left by William Henderson. Hall and Kuhn battled injuries last year, but played relatively well. Johnson's arrival will either push one of the incumbents to be better, or will bump one of them off the roster entirely.

Center: Jason Spitz vs. Scott Wells

Spitz is good enough to start at any of the three interior line positions. Wells was a very good young center until injuries derailed him last season. Can Wells return to form, or is he destined for a role on the bench?

Right Tackle: T.J. Lang vs. Breno Giacomini vs. Tony Moll

Mark Taushcer still recovering from an ACL injury and remaining unsigned, one of the bookends on the offensive line is open. Moll has the edge on experience, but Giacomini has superior physical tools. Lang might be the best balance between athleticism and technique.

Tight End: Donald Lee vs. Jermichael Finley

Lee has been solid, if unspectacular, as the starter. Finley is a dynamic athlete who adds a new dimension to the passing game, but he has to improve his run blocking to merit time on the field. Additionally, he needs to refrain from blaming Rodgers for throwing a pass that he could and should have reached out to grab.

No. 3 WR: Jordy Nelson vs. James Jones

Nelson played extremely well for a rookie last year, especially in the non-pass-catching role of WR. His run blocking on the edge ranged from above average to superb, something that is a commodity at WR. Jones' season was cut short by injury, but he has the tools to regain the dynamic form of his rookie season. An important footnote for this battle is that the winner will likely have the inside track at Donald Driver's job when DD retires.

The entire defensive line:

Cullen Jenkins and B.J. Raji are probably the only two that are good enough by themselves to earn a starting spot somewhere on the line. Ryan Pickett is still solid, but aging. Johnny Jolly is inconsistent, Justin Harrell is talented but fragile, Michael Montgomery is undersized, as is newcomer Jarius Wynn.

OLB pass rusher: Aaron Kampman vs. Clay Matthews vs. Brady Poppinga vs. Jeremy Thompson vs. Jason Hunter

Talk about a whole lot of potential and a lack of definition. Kampman tore it up as a DE for most of his career, but makes a switch that many players find do not suit them. Matthews is young and certainly has a lot of upside, but expecting him to fill this role immediately is unreasonable. Poppinga was allegedly a pass rusher in college, but hasn't shown any ability in the pros. Thompson has the tools to fit well at 3-4 OLB, which is good considering he was an undersized 4-3 DE. Hunter actually played this role in college, and was fairly successful at it.

Dime corner: Will Blackmon vs. Pat Lee vs. Brandon Underwood

Harris, Woodson, and Williams have the top three corner spots locked up, leaving the fabled no. 4 spot somewhat open. Blackmon performed inconsistently last season and might be better used as a kick returner/no. 5 corner. Pat Lee was a 2nd round pick last year and is the early heir to Al Harris' throne. Underwood is an athletic prospect who could have played at tOSU were it not for some poor decisions and bad luck.

Strong Safety: Atari Bigby vs. Anthony Smith vs. Aaron Rouse

Bigby was a terror when he was on the field. The key there is "on the field", as he found himself in the trainer's room all too often. Anthony Smith was Thompson's biggest free agent signing, and played well at Pittsburgh before getting shown up by the 2008 Patriots, who purposefully targeted him after he shot his mouth off to the media. He's never been the same, but perhaps a change of scenery can do that. Rouse has the tools, but can't put it all together. This year is a do-or-die year for Rouse; if he can't contribute this season, there's no reason to expect him to stick around for the next.

Punter: Jeremy Kapinos vs. Durant Brooks.

Blech.

Did I miss anything?