SB Nation - Will Blackmon

Packers-Ravens Retroactive Live-Blog

Mitchell_M — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 19:13:49 -0000

It's been two months since I've really been active on the site. For some of you, that is a terrible tragedy. For many, many more, it is a source of endless joy. But today I decided to cater to the minority and make my presence known by throwing a mini-fiesta with my DVR, a bowl of Reese's Puffs, and a strong pot of coffee.

Before we get going with the retroactive live-blog, let me just share some of the knowledge I've gained over the course of working for 80 out of a possible 168 hours in a week:

There are few things more traumatic than the transition from college-life to real-life. I imagine it's somewhat like being born, except you're slightly more conscious and slightly less sticky.

Unlike most co-eds, I worked my way through and avoided drinking my way out of school, but nothing can truly prepare you for the real world. There's chores? You have to do them, otherwise you're living in filth. There's bills? You have to pay them, otherwise a large Italian gentleman will break your ribs. There's family gatherings you'd rather not attend? You have to go to them, because you don't have the homework excuse anymore.

Real life blows, I'm going to grad school.
Trying to keep in shape? Don't work overnights. You will have no energy whatsoever during the daytime hours. I play basketball to keep myself in shape and satisfy my over-competitiveness, and I love it. But I haven't played in two months, and I've gotten noticably soft. Amazing, considering I've lost weight.
Dry spells. Guys, when women say that they're too tired, it's generally a toss-up between them actually being tired and not wanting to deal with you. When a guy says it? Definitely tired.
Caffeine has an odd effect after consuming too much for it. The most noticeable symptom is when you're lying down after finally getting home and you get the ringing in the ears. It keeps me up for at least half an hour, and my mom (who worked 3rd shift for over a decade) says it doesn't go away. Awesome.
Watching sports is a major hassle. Not only do I miss the majority of my Sunday NFL-watching, but working nights has ruined any chance I have of watching any NBA games during the week. DVR has been my best friend, but it somehow isn't enough.

On to the live-blog! I DVR'd this last night and watched it immediately as I got home. I did not check the score at any time on Monday night, and I have no knowledge whatsoever of the outcome. Enjoy!

Pre-game observations:

I forgot how cool of an environment Lambeau is on national TV at night. Other cities have their stadiums surrounded by other big buildings with big, bright lights, but Lambeau sort of stands alone in the still-tiny Green Bay. It's kind of cool, even though it's quaint.
Another thing I forgot? Jon Gruden and Ron Jaworski are still in the MNF booth. Let's put it this way: it took roughly two minutes for Gruden to make the first (of what I predict will be many) "Mr. Rodgers' Neighborhood" jokes. Ugh.
Ed Reed is announced as inactive for the game. Good timing to get the Ravens without their ball-hawk extraordinaire, not to mention good time by ESPN's cameras, who immediately cut to Reed spitting an enormous loogie. Between that and the beard, he looks like a homeless guy (who makes roughly 100,000x my salary).
Ray Lewis may have lost a step or four, but he's still quite the motivational speaker. It's like if Lil' Jon was coherent and dread-less.
The Nike Kobe and LeBron puppets are back. Frowny-face.
And here comes the Ray Rice love. Am I pleasantly surprised by my alma mater's best football product? Yes. Am I ecstatic to have drafted him (against my then-better judgement) in the ninth round of my keeper league? Yes and yes.

Alright, enough of that. Let's play some ball, gentlemen.

First Quarter!

15:00 - Green Bay receives, and Jordy Nelson avoids both tacklers and fumble-itis all the way to the 43-yard line. Decent start.

14:34 - A play-action draw pass? Sounds terrible, but it gained 7.

13:59 - So that's why we still have Brandon Jackson. Excellent scramble by Rodgers to find Jackson in the flat for the first down.

12:44 - Ravens call a timeout (symptom of missing Ed Reed #1), and the next thing we see is Jimmy Football. If someone were to kick him in the groin, I would not object. Extra points for wearing a Billy Mays mask and demanding royalties from Budweiser.

12:32 - ESPN shows a graphic illustrating Aaron Rodgers' awesomeness on 3rd down, and he promptly finds James Jones for a first down. Outstanding blitz pickup by both Chad Clifton (the blocker) and Scott Wells (the center).

11:22 - Korey Hall and Josh Sitton pancake Ray Lewis, opening a hole for Grant to gain a first down. In other news, Did you know that Ryan Grant is 8th in the league in rushing yards? When did that happen?

10:08 - ESPN continues the Rodgers love-fest by displaying his red-zone stats. Apparently, he has 30 TDs and 0 INTs over the past two seasons when inside the opponent's 20-yard line. Yikes.

9:17 - Mark Tauscher comes up with a tipped pass and gets tackled for a loss. I'd criticize his decision to catch it versus batting it down, but whenever linemen get the ball, they seem so damn happy. I can't ruin it for him.

8:41 - Mason Crosby nearly shanks a 28-yarder. The Green Bay offense stalls in the red zone again, settling for the "easy" 3. Sadly, neither are surprises this season.

8:30 - Le'Ron McClain's smile is hilarious. Mark Clayton looks like 50 Cent. I can't wait to see the offensive linemen.

8:30 - And for good reason. Not only is Marshal Yanda's name funny, but he looks like an uncomfortable 7th grader who hasn't gotten used to his new body yet.

7:40 - Good containment on Ray Rice in the flat, but not good enough. First down, Baltimore.

7:01 - Flacco tightropes for a just-barely first down after being flushed out of the pocket. He may have looked like an idiot doing it, but it was probably better than getting pasted by Cullen Jenkins. I'll make fun of him either way.

5:05 - Bad decision by Nick Collins to go for the pick instead of batting down the ball. Another first down for Baltimore.

4:18 - Well, a fumble recovery certainly absolves Collins of any wrongdoing on the previous play. Clay Matthews is closing in on the "if a huge defensive play happens he must've had something to do with it" status currently held by Charles Woodson.

4:08 - Ryan Grant tries to return the favor, but his right knee looked like it could be down. Maybe. Possibly. Could go either way. This time, it goes the Packers' way.

3:48 - A great play by Dominique Foxworth that was (un)fortunately flagged as interference. The replay shows a grab or two, but probably

3:39 - No matter, Rodgers throws it directly to Tom ~~I-can't-spell-his-last-name-unless-I-check-the-recap-which-will-ruin-the-ending~~ Zbikowski.

2:06 - Now that's how you commit pass interference! Thanks ~~Atari Bigby~~ Tramon Williams! /facepalm

1:52 - Nick Collins makes everyone forget about Williams' transgression by picking off an ill-advised flea-flicker pass into quadruple coverage. Yeah, Flacco shouldn't have done that.

0:00 - An underwhelming first quarter filled with above-average defense and one boneheaded interception for both sides. 3-0, Green Bay.

Second Quarter!

14:52 - B.J. Raji sheds a block and drops Ray Rice for a big loss. Lucky he didn't get called for face masking, but a good play nonetheless.

14:12 - Derrick Mason just barely misses a catchable ball to force 4th down. I thought veteran receivers were supposed to make that play? I guess having Donald Driver on your team gives you a skewed expectation for aging wideouts.

13:14 - Great adjustment by James Jones to come back and grab the ball for a first down. He's definitely taken control of the 3rd WR spot on this team lately.

11:59 - By my count, that's three catches in this game that Jennings should have had but failed to come up with. This troubles me.

11:55 - Punting inside the 50-yard line? Greg Easterbrook would be appalled, then proceed to write a 10,000 word article about it. Shoot, if I included random interstellar factoids, referred to certain teams by ridiculous self-coined nicknames, and added superfluous cheerleader facts that allowed me to post their photos, I'd be Greg Easterbrook.

11:13 - Trey Wingo informs us that Jimmy Clausen will be entering the 2010 NFL Draft. Brady Quinn advises him to stay in school.

11:06 - Charles Woodson gets busted for mauling Derrick Mason. The groping wasn't necessary, Chuck.

11:01 - Clay Matthews asserts himself all over Joe Flacco. Jared Gaither doesn't know what just happened.

10:21 - Offsides on Clay Matthews? Jared Gaither claims to know what happened on the previous play.

9:48 - I know Jordy Nelson was dynamite at Kansas State, but I haven't seen enough promise out of him to merit keeping him on punt returns. Then again, it's more important to keep Woodson and Williams fresh, and Will Blackmon made his yearly trip to I.R. early this season.

8:30 - Haloti Ngata owns Daryn Colledge to drop Ryan Grant at the line. I wonder how long until Colledge loses his spot?

7:51 - It's plays like this that got Frank Walker traded. Thanks for the yardage!

7:42 - Ahman Green exhibits remarkable blitz pickup to spring Jermichael Finley on a big gain. Mike Tirico noted this, and Gruden promptly refers to him as Brandon Jackson (twice!) before correcting himself.

5:08 - Jermichael Finley makes another big play, thanks to another great third down throw from Rodgers. First and goal, Packers.

4:35 - I'm no psychic, but as soon as I saw Finley split out wide, I saw the quick fade coming. Fantastic throw, outstanding catch, b-e-a-utiful play. 10-0, Packers.

4:35 - I just remembered my fantasy football situation. Going into this week, three teams in my division were 7-5, with me among them. I play one of them this week and the other next week, and the other already has his victory wrapped up. I'm up 130-24 in a game I need to win to move into a tie for first place and help secure a playoff spot next week (the final week of the season). My opponent has Aaron Rodgers, Jermichael Finley, and the Packers defense playing. I have Ray Rice. Man, am I glad that his other players (Adrian Peterson, Reggie Wayne, Ricky Williams) all laid eggs.

2:00 - The two-minute warning comes up, and Mike Tirico just got done "highlighting" the Packers' 38-28 loss to Tampa Bay. In the team meeting the described, he said that the offensive line stood up and said something to the effect of "hey, you have to help us out too". I hope I misheard him.

1:50 - Rodgers gets the first on a sneak, and a fight nearly breaks out because Brandon Jackson is protecting Rodgers from what he thought was a late hit. Whether he was right or wrong, it is nice to see that kind of fight in your team.

1:24 - Donald Driver goes flying, earning Baltimore its 11th pass interference penalty on the year, leading the league.

1:18 - Green Bay ruins the momentum by giving up their first sack of the game. /facepalm

1:09 - And Rodgers gets it right back with a 20-yard scramble right up the middle. I take back my /facepalm.

0:38 - Rodgers delivers a Jon-Gruden-Quarterback-Fraternity-Approved LASER to Greg Jennings' back shoulder. Nice, except for Gruden's rambling.

0:32 - Rodgers connects with Donald Driver for a score, punctuated by two acrobatic leaps by Driver (one into the end zone, one into the stands). The Packer fan in me is ecstatic: the fantasy football owner is frantic.

0:00 - A solid defensive stand by Green Bay keeps the shutout alive. 17-0 Green Bay, at the half.

Halftime observations:

None. I have to be at work again in 8 hours (as of 1 PM), and I haven't slept yet. But the score doesn't lie. This game is totally worth staying up for.

Third Quarter!

14:07 - I don't know how they practiced for the past week and a half, but Green Bay is absolutely starving Ray Rice. He's trying his damndest, but he can't make anything happen. Why'd I start him against the #1 defense again?

12:31 - Brad Jones notches a sack from the strong side. Rookie 7th round pick? No matter. Boring name? Who cares? Buried on the depth chart? Not for long, I hope.

12:05 - Ryan Grant doesn't gain a ton of yards on this play, but it looks as if he's churning his legs and fighting for extra yardage more than I'm used to seeing from him. Did anyone else notice this?

9:57 - Rodgers gets time in the pocket, makes even more time, dances around, and finally gets sacked. Somehow, the play is negated by an illegal hands-to-the-face penalty. It seems like one of those games for Green Bay tonight.

9:30 - Then Scott Wells gets called for holding. Yep, it's definitely one of those games for Green Bay tonight, even if the score doesn't reflect it.

9:04 - Wow, I'm going to stop complaining about stupid penalties. I almost feel bad for Ravens fans. P.I. number twelve on the year for Baltimore.

8:27 - Jermichael Finley re-injures his knee. Not at all happy to see that.

8:23 - Nice connection to Driver that results in a fumble that quite possibly could be ruled an incompletion, if it was reviewed. Blah, a 17-0 lead in the third quarter shouldn't be this frustrating.

8:01 - Jon Gruden: "Somebody has to rescue the Ravens' offense right now." Yeah, that's Ray Rice's job, and he didn't come in today.

7:50 - As if on cue, Ray Rice rips off a big run. Jon Gruden gets to feel smart, and I lose a little bit of my soul.

6:07 - Jon Gruden praises Charles Woodson's ball-raking ability. The adolescent-me giggles uncontrollably.

5:18 - "Nobody strips a ball like Charles Woodson!" Adolescent-me is now crying with laughter.

5:13 - Todd Heap drops a sure-fire 1st and goal, then Tramon Williams forces Mark Clayton to drop one in the end zone with a slightly-more sneaky arm bar. Illegal? Yes. Effective? Absolutely, that's why it's illegal.

3:35 - I don't know what the refs were talking about before this drive, but they are letting the defense play. You don't see many drives last this long against a defense that's getting away with everything.

3:28 - A free play and a Kelley Washington touchdown deflates the stadium. The play gets challenged, but I'm skeptical.

3:28 - Modern Warfare 2 commercial, set to Eminem's "Til I Collapse". Best 30 seconds of non-football I've seen today. Get that game, if you can handle it.

3:28 - Turns out that I was right; the score stands. Green Bay is out of challenges for the game, unless of course they used the item cheat and got one for free. 17-7, Packers.

3:22 - Evan Dietrich-Smith comes up with the kickoff. My immediate thought: "This cannot end well." Of course he fumbled, but Green Bay was lucky enough to regain possession.

3:14 - Jared Johnson gets an interception off of Driver's shin. I'm not liking this third quarter. Too much bad mojo.

3:07 - More bad mojo with Tramon Williams' P.I. in the end zone. Actually, this one is relatively tame compared to other plays the refs have allowed tonight (today?).

2:58 - Willis McGahee pushes his fantasy-irrelevant self in from the 1. Makes my Ray Rice decision feel even better. 17-14, Packers. /double facepalm

2:43 - Jennings manages a nice gain on a 3rd and 10 slant. I was just about to start considering wondering whether or not Green Bay was possibly maybe starting to lose it.

1:52- Ray Lewis nearly decapitates Greg Jennings, and the flag takes forever to come in. But it does, which is all that matters.

0:42 - A Mark Tauscher hold takes Green Bay out of the red zone the same way they got in: on the yellow cloth road.

0:00 - I knew this game seemed too sloppy to be a blowout. 17-14, Packers, but our guys are in scoring position.

Fourth Quarter!

14:50 - Mason Crosby shanks a field goal, leaving the drive with nothing to show for it. Same score, same story. I sure hope the defense can regain its first-half composure.

13:53 - Flacco unleashes the dragon deep, Derrick Mason gets past Charles Woodson and makes the catch over him, but somehow got called for offensive pass interference. At this point, I don't know which team is trying to give the other team more breaks, honestly. And an unsportsmanlike penalty on Mason is tacked on at the end of it. A huge gain turns into a huge loss in a heartbeat. 3rd and 32 (!).

13:05 - So of course Baltimore decides to run the ball and Ray Rice nearly fumbles. Green Bay gets the ball back with decent field position.

12:30 - And here comes the replay of the Mason interference/unsportsmanlike penalties. There was definitely a hook-and-push around Woodson's waist, and Mason follows up that number with a plea for leniency to the referee. Pretty standard, right? Nah, just kidding, he pretty much shouted in the ref's face, "What the f--- was that, man?" Yeah, that's a flaggin'.

10:31 - Jermichael Finley gets another touchdown after a couple of nice short passes to get within 20 yards. Aaron Rodgers' red-zone stats improve, Jermichael gets the "Mr. Monday Night" nickname, my fantasy team starts to quiver in terror, and the score jumps to 24-14, Packers.

10:21 - Ah, Green Bay special teams, you never cease to disgust me. A massive kick return puts the Ravens deep into Green Bay territory. Then again, how hard is it to juke out Mason Crosby? The goalposts do it to him on a weekly basis.

9:46 - Tramon Williams earns yet another pass interference flag in the end zone. I thought there was a cap to how many times a player could get flagged for the same thing over and over?

/conveniently forgetting the Ahmad Carroll era

9:30 - How? How? How does a cornerback make that play? Tell me how Charles Woodson just stopped McGahee when he had a massive opening to go through? Between that and flustering the Ravens to the point of calling a timeout, I'm pretty sure Charles Woodson should gain an edge for the DPOY award after tonight.

8:47 - Joe Flacco rolls nearly 20 yards behind the line of scrimmage, avoids a sack, and tosses it nicely into Tramon Williams hands. Mike Tirico exclaimed "That is terrible!" as the ball was still in the air! I cannot believe Flacco made that throw. Downright Bad Favre-esque. Kudos to Williams for not retreating into the fetal position after all the penalties tonight.

8:38 - Still trying to figure out the last three plays of that Baltimore drive. Tackle for loss, timeout, interception, all from within the 5-yard line. When's the last time Green Bay came up with that kind of stop?

7:12 - Baltimore's defense forces a 3-and-out as the King of Third Down and James Jones miscommunicate on a fly-stop route.

6:48 - Yeah, Joe Flacco's having a bad day. This time he throws it right into the hands of A.J. Hawk, who was quietly having another solid game (which is EXACTLY WHY WE DRAFTED HIM! FOR QUIET, SOLID GAMES!) before this play. Back-to-back interceptions for the Unibrow, and I'm almost sad to see it. Remember, my fantasy team is up 130-24, but I'm playing Rodgers, Finley, and the Packer defense while starting Ray Rice. The offense I can deal with, but this stifling defense is killing me!

6:00 - Ahman Green smashes his way to gain a short first down, and the running out of the clock commences. How much time can they milk from the clock?

2:56 - Turns out they can burn a whole lot of time. Interesting graphic on Green Bay receivers, going from Sharpe to Brooks to Freeman to Driver to Jennings.

2:15 - "Hey Coach Gruden, I found a pair of your old practice shorts." If there's a better setup for a pasty white guy wearing green-and-gold short-shorts in below-freezing weather, I've never seen it.

1:56 - Crosby avoids the shank-osaurus and makes it 27-14, Packers. Solid lead.

1:52 - Gruden brings up the possibility of a Vikings-Packers rematch in the playoffs. I say, don't get ahead of yourself, but the prospect of facing what might be a slowly-fading Favre, a possibly nicked-up Peterson, and a banged-up defense in Minnesota isn't nearly as terrifying as it seems.

0:29 - Fittingly, Clay Matthews chases Flacco down for his second sack of the day. Ted Thompson deserves all the slack in the world for having the stones to trade up for this guy. He could draft Jimmy Clausen next season and I'd still like him.

0:00 - The sack is the last play of the game, and the Packers earn the win, 27-14.

Post-game thoughts:

Not many, again due to my exhaustion. But I will say this: the offense played relatively well, Aaron Rodgers carried the team with his passing. The defense was stifling for much of the game, and Charles Woodson should be the front-runner for DPOY, and even in the conversation for defensive-players-who-deserve-the-MVP-but-won't-get-it-because-they're-not-a-quarterback-or-running-back (if he wasn't already). The playcalling was really well thought out on both sides of the ball, and the execution of many of the plays was awfully impressive.

But two things stand out as glaring negatives. First was the penalties. So many penalties. If Baltimore didn't flag it up more than we did, it would stand out more. Tramon Williams has a lot of talent, but he cannot ~~get caught using~~ use that armbar anymore. It simply costs too much yardage. And Chad Clifton needs to get his business together, because he's smarter than he's playing.

The second thing was the final score. 27-14 seems like a solid win, but with all of the opportunities that the Ravens gave up, it should have been a much wider margin. Playoff teams win games like this soundly, which the Packers did. They should, they're a playoff team. But championship teams beat their opponent senseless when they come up with as many takeaways as they did (4).

All that said, this is Green Bay's fourth straight win after falling to 4-4. You can't ask for a better setup for the final quarter of the season.

And my fantasy team? They hung on for a 137-80 victory, largely because I had actually started Rashard Mendenhall instead of Ray Rice. See what working third shift does to you?

Injuries: Al Harris and Aaron Kampman Are Out For The Season

Brandon — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 06:16:44 -0000

More photos » by Morry Gash - AP

19 days ago: Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy, left, watches as trainers look at Al Harris' knee during the second half of an NFL football game against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, Nov. 22, 2009, in Green Bay, Wis. The Packers won 30-24. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

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It's been reported by the Journal-Sentinel that the Green Bay Packers just lost both CB Al Harris and LB Aaron Kampman for the year with ACL tears.

There's no way to replace what either player can do for the defense. Harris is their top cover corner, and Kampman is still their best pass rusher. A pass defense that is struggling after giving up another 3 TD performance to an opposing QB just got a little worse. With the game coming up on Thanksgiving, there isn't much the Packers can do to replace either this week. Not that there are Pro Bowl LBs or CBs looking for jobs right now.

I'd expect CB Trevor Ford and LB Cyril Obiozor are added to the roster this week from the practice squad, after Harris and Kampman are placed on I.R. Both played extensively in preseason. They are undrafted free agents who were signed back in April. Ford is a poor cover corner, but good in run support. Obi is a project of linebacker coach Kevin Greene's and a former college DE making the transition to LB. He's an athletic player, but didn't manage to put much pressure on the QB. If there's another injury in the secondary, remember the Packers have already lost CB Will Blackmon during the season, then Ford might play. Obiozor could be added to the active roster, but would still be buried deep on the depth chart.

As far as replacing them on the field, LB Brad Jones has impressed the last two week and he'll start in Kampman's spot. LB Brady Poppinga is his backup, with LB Jeremy Thompson behind them. Jones showed some promising pass rush moves this preseason, but his strength right now is against the run and in pass coverage. CB Tramon Williams will now start, with CB Jarrett Bush as the nickel. Though they've run a lot of sets with 4 CBs lately, so CB Brandon Underwood got some playing time after Harris went out. None of those players can replace what Kampman and Harris can do. The team will just have to try their best going forward, and defensive coordinator Dom Capers is going to have to make some adjustments to compensate for their absences.

Analysis: Packers Sign Mark Tauscher

Brandon — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 12:00:46 -0000

More photos » by Mike Roemer - AP

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The Green Bay Packers officially signed RT Mark Tauscher, and placed CB Will Blackmon on I.R. with a season ending ACL tear. Mitchell got the discussion going yesterday. What does it mean for the offensive line in the upcoming weeks?

Since it was known that Tauscher would be resigned, I've been expecting him to start at right tackle, but not immediately. Mike McCarthy admitted he's got only a slight chance of playing next Sunday. In the meantime, LT Chad Clifton would return from his ankle injury, C Scott Wells would stay at center, and LG Daryn Colledge can go to the bench. But that's not how it's going. From Greg Bedard:

Clifton and Colledge were both back working with the original starting line with Spitz, Sitton and Barbre. Jackson and Thompson also back.

Wells struggled in his first game against the Bengals, but he played a good game in Minneapolis against the Pro Bowl Williams Wall (DT Kevin Williams and Pat Williams). He graded out as one of their best lineman this preseason, but McCarthy has decided to bench him. Meanwhile, Colledge has been credited for 4 sacks allowed this season, which puts him at a frightening 16 sack pace. He should be helped by a return to left guard, but I've lost almost all patience with him.

Though Tauscher was at practice, he wasn't exactly doing a whole lot. From Greg Bedard:

Tauscher didn't look to be near ready. Only did individual and appeared gassed quickly. Seemed favor/limp on leg but brace could be heavy

This would be confirmed by the Press-Gazette, which had a bunch of photos of him standing around.

Clifton's return should immediately help, but they are still starting same two lineman (Colledge and Barbre) who've been struggling all season. Should they be doing more to shake up the line? Do you think it's inevitable that Tauscher will take back the starting right tackle job?

Return Of Mark Tauscher

Mitchell_M — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 18:45:04 -0000

More photos » by Morry Gash - AP

2 months ago: FILE -- This is an Oct. 19, 2008, file photo showing Green Bay Packers' Mark Tauscher (65) lining up against the Indianapolis Colts during an NFL football game, in Green Bay, Wis. After giving up 20 sacks in their first four games, the Packers brought back Tauscher on Monday, Oct. 12, 2009. (AP Photo/Morry Gash, File)

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No matter the case, there's been an awful lot of clamoring for the Packers to resign Mark Tauscher. Sadly, that just won't happen.

-Mitchell_M, Sign Mark Tauscher?, 9/15/09

It's interesting to see how much difference a month can make. After about two weeks of workouts, examinations, and debate, Mark Tauscher has been signed and added to the Green Bay roster. To compensate, Will Blackmon was placed on IR for the season with an ACL injury.

I don't eat my words very often, but I have to say, this particular instance isn't as bad as it could be. I originally denied that the team would sign him because they would put their efforts into improving Allen Barbre...which was anywhere between a slight success and a failure-slightly-less-bad-than-moving-Colledge-to-LT. No matter the case, I'm happy that he's healthy and is getting another shot at playing.

I have a few questions: will he start right away? There's no question that they brought Tauscher back in order to replace Allen Barbre, but will he be ready by next Sunday against the Lions? And if he's ready, exactly how effective will he be?

Somewhat less urgent, but no less important: will Tauscher hold a grudge against management for not signing him in good faith that his rehab would be complete by October? Or does he recognize that his age (32) and injury (ACL tear) were two huge red flags that kept him on the free agent market for the entire offseason, preseason, and regular season to date?

Tauscher's signing does answer one question, however. It shows us that Ted Thompson and the rest of the management will not let Aaron Rodgers get killed without at least trying other options. Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com sums it up nicely:

Tauscher isn’t a cure-all for the Packers’ problems in pass protection. He’s returning from a serious injury and hasn’t done any football-style conditioning work since December. But if nothing else, the Packers have sent an effective message that they won’t stand pat indefinitely after allowing 20 sacks during the first four games of the season.

Analysis: Packers Monday Night Injury Roundup

Brandon — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 14:00:44 -0000

From Mike McCarthy's press conference:

OK, I'll start with the injuries. Will Blackmon suffered an ACL injury. He will be lost for the season. Atari Bigby, Chad Clifton,Brandon Jackson and Jeremy Thompson, hopefully over the bye, we're optimistic they'll be ready for Detroit. Desmond Bishop had a rib bruise. I think he'll be fine coming off the bye. Daryn Colledge had a knee sprain. They're anticipating he'll be OK for Detroit. Derrick Martin had a throat contusion. He's checked out of the hospital, he's back in Green Bay, and I think he'll be fine for Detroit. And DeShawn Wynn had a wrist sprain, and I think he'll be OK for Detroit.

That's a lot of injuries; 9 players, almost 20% of the roster. The good news is that everyone is expected back in time for the next game against the Lions.

Everyone except CB Will Blackmon. He's had a history of injury problems, and now he's had another one. He has a history as a top return man, although he's been quiet this season. Despite the dropped punt on Monday night, WR Jordy Nelson has been a solid return man, and maybe it means CB Tramon Williams will go back to returning punts. Blackmon hasn't played at all on defense, as far as I've noticed, so his absence shouldn't be felt. It means rookie 6th round CB Brandon Underwood, who's been inactive for the first 4 games, might be active going forward to take his spot. While they're better with Blackmon, there is enough depth to cover for his loss.

The Packers Could Sign RT Mark Tauscher

Brandon — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 05:02:22 -0000

More photos » by Morry Gash - AP

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Yesterday I said signing free agent LT Levi Jones is in order, but the Green Bay Packers have decided to go another route. From Tom Silverstein:

Yes, Chad Clifton should be back from a right ankle sprain, but Mark Tauscher, the team's starting right tackle from 2000-'08, also could be available. Tauscher, 10 months removed from surgery on his left knee, worked out for the Packers on Tuesday and appears close to signing a contract.

Maybe now they can keep DE Jared Allen off QB Aaron Rodgers's back. Mike McCarthy confirmed the signing at his press conference:

(Are you going to bring Tauscher back?)
That's something that we're looking at. We actually had Mark in here today for a workout, and I know he's going through the medical aspect of it. It's something that Ted has been in contact with Mark, and October 1st is the date that Dr. McKenzie has always felt that his rehab would be completed. That's definitely something that we are visting...

(Do you look at that as something imminent?)
I would think so, if it works out. You know how those things go. It would be great to have Mark back here. I have spoken to Allen Barbre about it. He knows he is coming in. This is something that has been planned...

(Would he come in and be your right tackle?)

He needs to come in and go through practice and so forth. At some point he'll have an opportunity to compete at right tackle, but Allen Barbre is still the starting right tackle.

Wow. I'm a big fan of Tauscher, he's been a great player for the last decade, and provides a real improvement to the offensive line. He'll probably take the place of CB Will Blackmon, who should end up on I.R.because of his season ending ACL tear. How will this signing effect the line moving forward?

Despite what McCarthy says, it's possible Tauscher could be starting as soon as the Lions game on October 18th. It's not likely, but no one has seen him in pads yet either. He probably won't be back that soon, but at some point in the next few weeks, he'll be returning to the starting lineup.

How will the offensive line be shuffled once Tauscher returns? RT Allen Barbre has played better since his awful 1st half against the Bears in week 1, but he'll probably move to the bench. He's played left guard in the past, so it's possible he ends up there. However, OL Jason Spitz has played well at left guard, since moving over from center due to Clifton's injury. With Clifton expected back for the Lions game, they could move Spitz back to center, and C Scott Wells back to the bench. But LG/LT Daryn Colledge has been awful this season, and he should be moved to the bench. Rookie OL T.J. Lang finished the Monday night game at left tackle, but he should be the first one headed to the bench due to his inexperience. I don't expect the coaches will even consider benching RG Josh Sitton, although he hasn't been perfect this season either.

It seems like the interior trio of Spitz, Wells, and Sitton held up well against the Vikings. It's not set in stone, but I expect they'll remain the starters at LG, C, and RG, respectively. Clifton will return from his ankle injury to play left tackle, and the familiar cornerstones will be reunited when Tauscher lines up right tackle. Despite my prediction, this still has to be worked out in practice, and some of it depends on how much faith the coaches still have in Colledge.

Insert Upbeat Title Here

Mitchell_M — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 04:08:33 -0000

So Green Bay kind of got crushed. So what? AT LEAST JERMICHAEL FINLEY HELPED MY FANTASY TEAM! Other than that, I haven't seen a game where everything went so wrong so quickly in a long, long time. If you want to read on, go ahead. But beware, all ye who enter here, for there is no good news to follow.

Every once in a while, there comes along a matchup that is almost too easy to exploit. Your opponent has a shaky offensive line made shakier by injuries to their best pass protector? Use your already superb pass rush to get after the quarterback. The other team's starting safety is out, leaving inexperienced and mistake-prone backups in his place? Take a shot down the field when you recognize a miscommunication. Your rival's starting MLB is coming off an ACL injury and is still regaining his mobility? Wait til he's matched up with a TE or WR, and then isolate him.

These mismatches and countless more were all present in Monday night's 30-23 shellacking in the Metrodome. I don't care if you're rolling with Brett Favre, Adrian Peterson, and Jared Allen or JaMarcus Russell, Larry Johnson, and Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila (post-injury); if you have mismatches and you manage to exploit them, you're going to succeed. And the Vikings succeeded while the Packers did not.

Exactly how poor was this week's performance? Well, Rodgers was sacked a season-high 8 times. David Carr cringes at that statistic. He also took a safety, lost a fumble, and threw his first interception. Donald Lee flat-out dropped a TD pass that could have closed the gap to 28-21 in the third quarter. Mike McCarthy wasted a challenge in the first quarter and used another one to turn a fumble into a safety against Green Bay. Daryn Colledge got hurt, inserting T.J. Lang into the game at left tackle. Antoine Winfield upended Ryan Grant as if Grant were a high schooler AND jumped a hitch-out route like it was in slow motion, getting an admittedly nice pick. Al Harris let Bernard Berrian go free on a deep route because Derrick Martin was supposed to help over the top...but was nowhere to be found. Chris Kluwe put the Packers at the 1 and 4 yard line to start two fourth-quarter drives, resulting in a safety for Minnesota and an eventual TD for Green Bay. Will Blackmon messed up his knee, leaving Green Bay's already iffy return units even thinner.

And it wasn't even just that Green Bay played awful. Minnesota played outstanding. Favre put on a clinic on how to exploit the defensive mismatches (see section above), putting up 271 yards and 3 scores. Adrian Peterson was limited (55 yards on 25 carries), but still made life difficult for the defense. Bernard Berrian, Percy Harvin, and Sidney Rice simply got open. Jared Allen got more than his fair share of sacks (4.5). The Vikings line did a better job protecting Favre than the Secret Service.

Look at it this way: Green Bay's 14 meaningful points came on fluky plays. Nine times out of ten, Jermichael Finley doesn't break a pair of tackles on his way to a 62-yard score, and nine times out of ten, Clay Matthews doesn't manage to rip the ball out of Adrian Peterson's hands. Rodgers' fourth quarter drive culminating in a 33-yard score to Jordy Nelson was impressive because it went 96 yards in less than a minute-and-a-half. But the failed conversion and ensuing onside kick left the score at 30-20 with little hope of regaining possession. They even teased us by getting the ball back and converting a field goal with :55 seconds left. But another failed onside kick (despite a pair of GREAT attempts by Mason Crosby) sealed the deal.

So, yeah, the margin of victory wasn't evident of a blowout, but let's be honest: it was a blowout. A blowout with a valiant effort at the very end, but a blowout nonetheless. Green Bay got beat like they stole something. Plain and simple.

(Now that all that is out of the way...a much-overlooked detail in this game was penalties. 7 for 57 yards for Green Bay compared to 2 for 10 for Minnesota...and there were a TON of missed calls when the Vikings had the ball. I'm not saying penalties scuttled Green Bay's chances, but the officiating wasn't even close to evenly distributed. If you're gonna call Donald Driver for holding outside the shoulder pads, you have to call Percy Harvin for the exact same thing on the very next possession.)

History: Packers Crushed in Minnesota Last Season 27 to 28

Brandon — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 12:00:31 -0000

Although the Green Bay Packers narrowly lost the game last season in Minnesota on a late missed FG by K Mason Crosby, it wasn't really that close. 3 INTs by QB Gus Frerotte, one returned for a TD by FS Nick Collins, and a punt return for a TD by CB Will Blackmon, kept the score close. Since they can't count on two TDs like that again, can they fix the mistakes of 2008 in time for the game on Monday night?

Year	Yards Gained	Yards Allowed	Turnover Margin	Final
2008	184	361	+3	L 27-28
2007	384	382	0	W 23-16
2006	394	312	+2	W 23-17

Both Brad Childress and Mike McCarthy were hired before the 2006 season, so anything before that probably has little bearing on the current matchup. A few things stand out from these games:

When QB Brett Favre takes the field, he'll be the 4th different QB to start their home game against the Packers in the past four seasons. (2006-Brad Johnson; 2007-Kelly Holcomb; 2008-Gus Frerotte). QB Daunte Culpepper started every home game against the Packers from 2000-2005.
The Packers only turnovers were two fumbles in 2007.
In 2007, Brad Childress gave the Packers a giant gift by limiting RB Adrian Peterson to 12 carries.
In 2008, the offensive line crumbled as the offense was limited to 184 yards.

After all the sacks and hits QB Aaron Rodgers has taken this season, reading about the pass rush he faced last season is deja vu all over again. Although the pass defense kept them in the game with 3 INTs, the run defense collapsed as Peterson ran for almost 200 yards. Childress didn't make the same mistake he made in 2007.

The 2008 game, with only 184 yards on offense, stands out like a fluke. But the problems they had last season (poor pass protection, struggling run defense) still remain. Especially if LT Chad Clifton is unable to play. The run defense has already allowed two 100 yard rushers in the first three games. Can we really count on the pass protection and run defense to keep them in the game? Or will the problems from 2008 return on Monday night?

Chapter 2, Game 3 - vs. Green Bay Packers (Sept. 27th)

3k — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 03:27:57 -0000

Introductions are lame. I have to try and think of something interesting to write here that doesn't really say anything so that I leave all the high quality content you expect of me in the body. It's probably my least favorite aspect of these previews. So screw this, and let's get into the preview.

Breakdown of the home opener after the fold.

For game-specific info, check out the SBN event page for this game. For Redskins news leading up the game, check out Acme Packing Company.

St. Louis Rams, 0-2, 4th - NFC West

Green Bay Packers, 1-1, t-2nd - NFC North

Parentheses include NFL rankings in that area. Statistics taken from ESPN & FootballOutsiders.

STL pass - 32/64, 50% (31st), 145 yds/gm (31st), 1 TD, 0 int, 69.5 rat, -11.4% pDVOA (29th)

GB pass D - 32/59, 54.2%, 217 yds/gm, 4 TD, 6 int (t-1st), 62.9 rat, -42.7% pdDVOA (2nd)

This is a very strong, ball hawk defense led by the strength of their CB corps: Charles Woodson, Al Harris, Will Blackmon and Tramon Williams. Sadly, the Rams' offense has scored as many points as Green Bay's defense.

The reality of this matchup is that Bulger is going to have to work around these guys. That means more underneath play trying to work into the LBs through the air or going over the top and trying to link up with either Laurent Robinson or Donnie Avery against the Pack's safeties. In fact, this might be the best opportunity the Rams have had at going deep with some of the chaos at the back of the Packers' D. Nick Collins is a solid FS, but he's dealing with a chest injury that might hold him out of Sunday's contest. On the other side, the SS position is up in the air. Atari Bigby started in week 1, but was injured soon after and he's out for another two weeks. That injury pushed Aaron Rouse into action, but Rouse was cut...yesterday. The Packers went out and signed former Colt Matt Giordano, but he'll still have to compete with with Jarrett Bush and Derrick Martin for the starting gig. If we don't go after the SS with some deep passes, expect me to call out the coaching in the game thread early.

STL run - 19.5 rsh/gm, 101.5 yds/gm (20th), 5.2 yds/carry (5th), 0 TD, -3.5% rDVOA (18th)

GB run D - 32.5 rsh/gm, 118.5 yds/gm (18th), 3.6 yds/carry, 1 TD, -9.7% rdDVOA (14th)

The statistics speak for themselves from a Rams' standpoint: 5th in yards per carry, but 20th in yards per game. With so many truncated drives, the Rams aren't getting the ball to Steven Jackson nearly enough. One might argue that his explosiveness in terms of YPC might drop if he were used more, but I'd be willing to see his yards per drop if his total yards jumped. Defensive fatigue is a statistic that isn't measured but has a huge impact.

Defensively, Green Bay boasts an enviable 3-4 LB group anchored by the trio of ILBs A.J. Hawk & Nick Barnett, and LOLB Aaron Kampman. It'll be a great matchup to see what Steven Jackson can do at the second level, He should get enough help again from the O-line to be effective. I'd just like to see him be effective more often.

STL O-line - 4 sacks allowed/game (t-18th), 5.2% ASR (Adj. Sack Rate) (16th)

GB D-line - 4 sacks/game (t-12th), 6.0% ASR (12th)

To put Green Bay's sack total in perspective, half of those sacks have come from OLBs (Brandon Chillar and rookie Clay Matthews). Still, the nature of the 3-4 means that OLBs play a significant role in the pass rush, so this becomes a bit of a hybrid section since the Rams' O-line will have to deal with a NT, two 3-4 DEs and whichever blitzing defenders come on any given play. It will require a bit more awareness, but the Rams' O-line should be up to the task. The real question mark going into this battle will be Adam Goldberg and how different he will be from Jason Smith. He'll have to deal with some combination of Johnny Jolly (great name) and Kampman mostly.

GB pass - 19/26, 73.1% (5th), 187 yds/gm, 2 TD, 0 int, 87.0 rat, 20.4% pDVOA (18th)

STL pass D - 48/72, 66.7%, 258 yds/gm (25th), 3 TD, 2 int, 90.1 rat, 25.8% pdDVOA (24th)

Green Bay's yard total is skewed by the 73 yards incurred by 10 sacks, but they still should be factored in. Unlike Bulger last week, Aaron Rodgers, in week 1, tossed a TD to win at home against Chicago. Granted, it was a 50-yard TD which negated the need for an Elway-like "drive", but it was a game-winning TD nonetheless, that obscured an otherwise Bulgerish game - 16 for 27, 134 yds., 0 TDs. Last week, Cincinnati was able to pressure Rodgers all game with 6 sacks (5 by Antwan Odom alone) and 4 knockdowns which kept him off base all game. Greg Jennings didn't log a single reception. This should be the template for Sunday.

The pressure should force Rodgers to try to make things happen on his own, which should have Ron Bartell, James Butler and especially Oshiomogho Atogwe salivating. It should also give us a great look at Jonathan Wade and Justin King who will find themselves against either Donald Driver or Jennings - a simple matchup by no means. Still, if the last two weeks were any indication, the Rams should be able to hold Rodgers to an agreeable finish by Rams fans' standards.

GB run - 20 rsh/gm, 82.5 yds/gm (23rd), 4.1 yds/carry (16th), 2 TD, 15.6% rDVOA (9th)

STL run D - 67 rsh/gm (t-4th), 146 yds/gm, 4.4 yds/carry (21st), 1 TD, -1.5% rdDVOA (20th)

Ryan Grant looks like a shadow of the running back who terrorized defenses as a rookie in 2007 and showed promise by performing with a target on his head in 2008. You have to hope he doesn't come into this game motivated to prove his first two games were a fluke (a la Donnie Avery), because he's still as talented as he was the last two years. This should be a good test for our LBs now that they don't have a premier receiving TE to deal with. Neither Jermichael Finley nor Donald Lee will be huge receiving threats, though the two did combine for 8 catches and 84 yards against Cincinnati, though that was partly because Greg Jennings wasn't a factor. That being said, the LBs should be able to handle the TEs enough that they can focus on holding Ryan Grant to a third straight disappointing performance.

GB O-line - 3 sacks allowed/game (t-18th)

STL D-line - 0 sack/game (t-29th)

This is where the Rams will either beat the Packers or beat themselves. Green Bay's offensive line has been more sieve-ic than civic this season, averaging 5 sacks against per game. This should continue to be a less than stellar line as long as Chad Clifton is out, which includes Sunday and may extend to Green Bay's divisional contest with Minnesota.

Bear in mind, though, this recipe includes 1 part Packer O-line, and 1 part Rams D-line. The Rams have been ineffective in getting pressure to the QB. If St. Louis wants to hold the Driver-Jennings duo to a manageable result, a pass rush is a necessity. Cincinatti did it by relying on their RDE. Chicago did it with their entire D-line and some blitz packages. As a Rams fan, I can honestly say I don't give a damn how we approach it, but we have to get at Aaron Rodgers early and often.

In light of Van's recent mini-diatribe on the circle jerk that is ESPN, this week's top 3 storylines brought to you by ESPN's favorite stories of 2009:

1.) Brett Favre is back: He is, and this is annoying, almost as annoying as seeing Bulger sit in the pocket for 5 seconds without throwing the ball. The pass protection he's gotten has been leagues better than the past two seasons, but now that he's got it, what can he do with it? Thus far not much. And that is annoying as hell, or as I tend to say, Favreing as hell.

2.) Michael Vick is back: The classic redemption story played through the eyes of a ghetto Adonis whose disdain for dogs broke him and remade him again. I get it. He went from being a stud to a villain who is now on his way to role model. Why? Because ESPN made sure it molded the caricature of Michael Vick at every step, the same way Spagnuolo is molding his team with every game. We saw it in week 1 with the NFL readiness of rookies like Jason Smith and James Laurinaitis. We saw it in week 2 with the reform of Richie Incognito. We'll see it soon in the rebirth of Donnie Avery. Spags is to the Rams what ESPN is to Vick - a constant source of promotion and energy.

3.) ESPN is back: There's nothing ESPN loves to remind you of more than something that's coming on ESPN. You didn't have to watch Monday Night Football before, really. You could if you wanted to. But now? You have to. Everybody does. Don't be that asshole; watch it. Why the difference? Because it's on ESPN. They ignored soccer from the day they turned on the cameras in Bristol. They mocked it as the pussy sport, the sport Americas don't like for good reason. Then around 2007, they started promoting it more and more. Why? They had rights to the World Cup and were aggressively pursuing rights to the English Premier League and the Spanish league (La Liga) which they finally accrued for this season. So now, you should be classy enough to like soccer. Don't be that neanderthal from west Texas who still doesn't accept soccer for what it is. It's somewhat like TST. We pound memes into people's heads. Last year, it was "we should be playing better." Now, it's "we will be playing better." And one day, hopefully one day soon, it will be " we are playing better." It's going to come, and it's going to be on....like another ESPN show with blowhard pundits who spend less time digesting sports' importance and more time regurgitating it.

Go Rams.

Final Injury/Practice Report: Cincinnati Bengals @ Green Bay Packers

Kirkendall — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 14:31:11 -0000

Every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday evening, we'll update the practice/injury chart leading up to Sunday's game. The chart is pretty self-explanatory. If the player is listed as out, they're out for the game. If they did not participate, they didn't practice. If they were limited, then they only participated during a portion of practice (typically means missing 11-on-11 drills). If the player is listed as full participation, it simply means that they practiced fully and that the only reason they're listed is because injury was an issue the week before.

Cincinnati Bengals

OUT	PROBABLE
CB David Jones (foot)	T Scott Kooistra (knee)
T Andre Smith (foot)	RB Brian Leonard (chest)
G Nate Livings (knee)	QB Jordan Palmer (illness)

Green Bay Packers

OUT	QUESTIONABLE	PROBABLE
S Atari Bigby (knee)	G Daryn Colledge (foot)	CB Will Blackmon (quadricep)
RB Brandon Jackson (ankle)	DT B.J. Raji (ankle)	K Mason Crosby (abdomen)
		WR Greg Jennings (wrist)

Practice

BENGALS	WED	THUR	FRI
CB David Jones (foot)	OUT	OUT	OUT
T Andre Smith (foot)	OUT	OUT	OUT
G Nate Livings (knee)	DNP	DNP	OUT
DE Jonathan Fanene (not injury related)	DNP	--	--
RB Brian Leonard (chest)	LP	LP	FP
T Scott Kooistra (knee)	FP	FP	FP
QB Jordan Palmer (illness)	--	DNP	FP

PACKERS	WED	THUR	FRI
S Atari Bigby (knee)	OUT	OUT	OUT
RB Brandon Jackson (ankle)	DNP	DNP	DNP
K Mason Crosby (abdomen)	LP	LP	LP
WR Greg Jennings (wrist)	LP	LP	LP
CB Will Blackmon (quadricep)	FP	FP	FP
DT B.J. Raji (ankle)	FP	FP	FP
G Daryn Colledge (foot)	--	LP	LP
T Chad Clifton (not injury related)	--	--	LP

DNP - Did Not Practice
LP - Limited Participation in Practice
FP - Full Participation in Practice