SB Nation - Jeremy Thompson

Friday Injury Report: Packers at Bears

Brandon — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 04:37:23 -0000

It's a fairly short injury report for the Green Bay Packers, only 9 players listed, but it includes the top 4 defensive lineman. The Bears report is even shorter, but it might expose their lack of depth at wide receiver.

For the Packers: the big story has been that their top 4 defensive lineman are listed on listed on the injury report. While technically true, the only player likely to miss the game is NT Ryan Pickett, who hasn't practiced all week as he tries to recover from a hamstring injury he suffered during the win on Monday night. NT B.J. Raji will slide into replace him, and he's already making friends with Bear C Olin Kreutz. Raji is listed too, but he was a full participant in Friday's practice. DE Cullen Jenkins and DE Johnny Jolly were both limited in Friday's practice, but I expect they'll go. Late in the Monday night game, DE Jarius Wynn was in on several plays, and I don't expect the coaching staff has any concerns going with the 277 lb. rookie, if necessary.

Everyone else was a full participant in practice, except backup LB Jeremy Thompson, as he tries to recover from a career threatening neck injury. One name not listed is rookie OL T.J. Lang, who missed last Monday's game with a concussion, which is good news since LT Chad Clifton did miss some practice this week, and Lang will also be available to spell RT Mark Tauscher, if he needs a break.

For the Bears: it looks like WR Devin Hester is unlikely to play. While he isn't the greatest receiver and he's no longer the best kick returner on the Bears either, but he's still their leading receiver. Their great kick returner, WR Johnny Knox, would be counted on more in the offense, alongside WR Earl Bennett. Their bigger problem is that they don't have any depth at receiver behind their top 3 (none of their other receivers have more than 2 receptions on the season). The Bears might rely on their 2 TE packages even more than usual. LT Orlando Pace could return this week, but it's not clear whether he would start even if healthy. LB Lance Briggs should return this week, but his replacement, LB Jamar Williams, did very well in his place with 18 tackles against the Rams last week.

The complete injury report is after the jump.

Player	Pos.	Injury	Friday Participation	Friday Status
Nick Barnett	LB	Knee	Full Participation	Probable
Chad Clifton	T	Hamstring	Full Participation	Probable
Jermichael Finley	TE	Knee	Full Participation	Probable
Cullen Jenkins	DE	Hamstring	Limited Participation	Probable
Johnny Jolly	DE	Knee	Limited Participation	Questionable
Ryan Pickett	NT	Hamstring	Did Not Participate	Doubtful
B.J. Raji	NT	Ankle	Full Participation	Probable
Jeremy Thompson	LB	Neck	Out	Out
Charles Woodson	CB	Shoulder	Full Participation	Probable


Player	Pos.	Injury	Friday Participation	Friday Status
Lance Briggs	LB	Knee	Full Participation	Probable
Tommie Harris	DT	Knee	Full Participation	Probable
Devin Hester	WR	Calf	Did Not Participate	Probable
Hunter Hillenmeyer	LB	Groin	Full Participation	Probable
Israel Idonije	DT	Knee	Full Participation	Questionable
Orlando Pace	T	Groin	Limited Participation	Probable

The Packers Deal With Bad Weather, And Injuries

Brandon — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 13:00:22 -0000

For the Green Bay Packers, the biggest problem this week might be the foot of snow and the wind advisory. Mike McCarthy said the team will practice inside this week. The Packers have been able to practice outside this season due to a new heated outdoor practice facility, but not this week due to the cold wind and that 35% of the outdoor practice field is frozen. The Bears will get at least one day of practice outside. That advantage helped the Bears over last two seasons, when they beat the Packers at Solider Field in cold conditions.

Another problem this week are the Injuries on the defensive line. The Packers' injury list isn't very long, but the top 4 defensive lineman are all on it. From Mike McCarthy:

(Do you have a better feel for Pickett's hamstring injury?)
It's going to take the week. He'll probably be a game-time decision. Really you could put all four of those guys, the d-lineman, I'm concerned about it obviously having all four of those guys miss practice, but it's probably going to take the week to really sort that out.

The Tuesday injury report said NT Ryan Pickett was out, while NT B.J. Raji, DE Cullen Jenkins, and DE Johnny Jolly were all limited. This will be something to watch this week.

Also, LB Jeremy Thompson spoke about the serious neck injury he suffered last week in practice. From the Press-Gazette:

"Hopefully there are none," Thompson said of the risks of continuing playing. "That’s what I’m going to find out, I’m seeking some second opinions. If there is something lingering then I probably won’t be able to play anymore, but if everything clears out fine then there won’t be any more risk."

Saturday Injury Report: Ravens at Packers

Brandon — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 00:03:13 -0000

The Green Bay Packers have 11 players on the injury report including a few starters. It's even worse for the Ravens: several starters are among the 15 players listed.

The report includes CB Charles Woodson, QB Aaron Rodgers, and RB Ryan Grant, but all three players fully participated in practice on Saturday and should start on Monday. The most important player listed this week is LT Chad Clifton, who was limited in Saturday's practice, though Mike McCarthy said he did some team reps. I expect Clifton will play, but if he can't then his backup, OL T.J. Lang, is unlikely to play due to a concussion suffered in practice on Thursday. If neither Clifton or Lang were available, I thought LG Daryn Colledge would slide over to tackle, but McCarthy would rather leave Colledge at LG and start either OL Allen Barbre or OL Breno Giacomini at LT. The idea of Barbre at LT, after his disastrous stint at RT, is scary. LB Aaron Kampman is still listed, but there is no chance he'll play after tearing his ACL against the 49ers. LB Jeremy Thompson won't play after he spent Friday night in the hospital due to a neck injury suffered in practice on Friday, but McCarthy expects he'll be fine.

The Ravens have listed four key defensive players: S Ed Reed, LB Terrell Suggs, LB Ray Lewis, and DT Haloti Ngata. Reed wasn't able to practice until Saturday, but he expects to play. Suggs was expected to miss a month, but he said there is a chance he can play on Monday. Lewis might be slowed by his foot injury, but I haven't read anything to suggest he'll miss the Packer game. Ngata will play, but ankle injuries and defensive lineman are bad combinations, so he won't be 100%. The only other players who could miss the game are former practice squad S K.J. Gerard, and former Titans' practice squad player CB Cary Williams. TE L.J. Smith will miss the game too, but I think the Ravens can find a way to replace the 2 catches he's recorded so far this season.

The complete injury list is after the jump.

Player	Pos.	Injury	Saturday Participation	Saturday Status
Allen Barbre	T/G	Ankle	Full Participation	Probable
Brandon Chillar	LB	Hand	Full Participation	Probable
Chad Clifton	T	Hamstring	Limited Participation	Probable
Ryan Grant	RB	Shoulder	Full Participation	Probable
Ahman Green	RB	Groin	Full Participation	Probable
Aaron Kampman	LB	Knee	Out	Out
John Kuhn	FB	Hand	Full Participation	Probable
T.J. Lang	G/T	Concussion	Did Not Participate	Questionable
Aaron Rodgers	QB	Ribs	Full Participation	Probable
Jeremy Thompson	LB	Neck	Out	Out
Charles Woodson	CB	Shoulder	Full Participation	Probable


Player	Pos.	Injury	Saturday Participation	Saturday Status
Matt Birk	C	Ankle & Elbow	Full Participation	Probable
Prescott Burgess	LB	Shoulder	Full Participation	Probable
Joe Flacco	QB	Concussion	Full Participation	Probable
Jared Gaither	T	Knee	Full Participation	Probable
K.J. Gerard	S	Shoulder	Limited Particpation	Questionable
Jarret Johnson	LB	Not Inj. Related	Full Participation	Probable
Ray Lewis	LB	Quadricep	Full Participation	Probable
Le'Ron McClain	RB	Not Inj. Related	Full Participation	Probable
Haloti Ngata	DT	Knee	Limited Particpation	Probable
Ed Reed	S	Back	Limited Particpation	Questionable
L.J. Smith	TE	Shoulder	Did Not Participate	Doubtful
Terrell Suggs	LB	Hamstring	Did Not Participate	Doubtful
Kelley Washington	WR	Knee	Full Participation	Probable
Cary Williams	CB	Knee	Limited Particpation	Questionable
Demetrius Williams	WR	Knee	Full Participation	Probable

Friday Injuries: T.J. Lang and Jeremy Thompson

Brandon — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 06:00:22 -0000

Green Bay Packers OL T.J. Lang was absent from Friday's practice because he suffered a concussion during Thursday's practice, according to Mike McCarthy.

The more serious injury was the neck stinger suffered by LB Jeremy Thompson on a hit during practice. An ambulance responded to the practice facility. Mike McCarthy didn't have any further information during his press conference, but the Journal-Sentinel reported that Thompson will be kept overnight in the hospital. Hopefully it's just precautionary and Thompson will be back to 100% soon.

As far as the team on the field goes, Lang is the more serious injury. LT Chad Clifton is, according to the Press-Gazette, still struggling with a hamstring injury and it looked like Lang would start on Monday night. According to Jason Wilde, if neither Lang or Clifton can play, undrafted rookie LG Evan Dietrich-Smith would start, and Daryn Colledge would start at left tackle. From Jason Wilde:

"We just talked about this," Colledge said after taking left tackle repetitions with the first team in practice Friday with Lang and Clifton out. "I’m ready to move if I have to, but I truly believe it won’t be a situation like that. I fully expect Chad to play, and I fully expect T.J. to be ready. He’s doing whatever he’s doing right now, but I expect him to find a way to be there on Sunday.

Wilde did report some good news: Clifton seemed better on Friday then on Thursday, and the previous Press-Gazette article was published on Thursday. With Clifton starting, and Colledge at left guard, the o-line will be as it has been for the past couple weeks. I don't have much faith in Colledge's statement about Lang's concussion, and I don't know how it will be handled in light of the NFL's new concussion policy.

One more practice on Saturday, and we'll see who's likely to play on Monday.

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

22 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.

New Starters: RT T.J. Lang and OLB Brad Jones

Brandon — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 13:00:49 -0000

by Morry Gash - AP

4 months ago: Green Bay Packers' T.J. Lang is reflected in a puddle as he rides a bike to NFL football training camp Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2009, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

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It looks like the Green Bay Packers will have two players starting different positions for the first time. According to Tom Silverstein, it's a "lock" that T.J. Lang will start at right tackle. Mike McCarthy acknowledged that Brad Jones is getting more work at OLB than Jeremy Thompson.

As far as Lang goes, I'm not sure about this move. Though I like his potential more than RT Allen Barbre, he has struggled this season when he's played at left tackle. Back at Eastern Michigan, he started 10 games at right tackle as a sophomore, but played exclusively at left tackle as a junior and senior. So this week was the first time he's played on the right side since 2006, although he might have gotten some reps on the right side during training camp. He doesn't have a lot of experience on the right side. RT Mark Tauscher is out this week, but he could be back for the 49ers game on the 15th. Barbre suffered a concussion near the end of the game in Tampa, but he's back at practice. The only other option would be T Breno Giacomini, but as far as I can tell, he hasn't been seriously considered for playing time this season. Moving Lang to an unfamiliar position is just the best they can do this week.

I'd been hoping Jones could get some more playing time. He showed some good speed pass rushing moves in the preseason. He's been playing left OLB since his first preseason game, so it's not an unfamiliar position for him. That's probably why he's practiced more than Jeremy Thompson, who has played almost exclusively at right OLB. With LB Brandon Chillar, LB Brady Poppinga, and, of course, LB Aaron Kampman all likely to be out this Sunday, Jones and Thompson are the only options left. Or do you think Thompson deserves to start ahead of Jones at this point?

The Status of Aaron Kampman

Brandon — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 06:31:36 -0000

More photos » by Brian Blanco - AP

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I noted in the Green Bay Packers game recap that LB Aaron Kampman was bad in coverage on the TD pass to RB Derrick Ward in the 1st quarter. It was a surprise that he was ineffective against the Buccaneers. His main opponent was RT Jeremy Trueblood, who as far as I know is good but not heading to the Pro Bowl. But Kampman occasionally has a game when he doesn't make a big impact.

It turned out he suffered a concussion on the 4th play of the game, but he played until the middle of the 4th quarter. He might not play at all next Sunday against the Cowboys.

With only 2.5 sacks this season, the transition to the 3-4 hasn't been a huge success for him. Something he apparently was worried about when he didn't speak to the media back in May. But he has had many opportunities to lineup as a down lineman, and he hasn't often taken advantage of those opportunities either.

The big problem with his absence is that he'll be replaced by some combination of LB Jeremy Thompson and LB Brady Poppinga. Due to various injuries, Thompson has rarely played outside LB in a game this season or preseason. He's an unknown in some respects, although we've seen him play some at defensive end last season. I know what Poppinga can do, and he's a significant step down from Kampman, but the coaches seem to love him. Rookie LB Brad Jones is another option, but he's an unknown too.

There's not a lot of good options here if Kampman can't play. Who's the best one?

Friday Injury Report: Lions at Green Bay Packers

Brandon — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 03:36:39 -0000

It's a brutally long injury report this week for the Green Bay Packers and the Lions. While it could be hitting the Lions hard, it's just long for the Packers.

FB Korey Hall and RB DeShawn Wynn are out, but FB Quinn Johnson will come off the inactive list for his first action and RB Brandon Jackson is back from injury for the first time this season. Recently resigned RT Mark Tauscher is out, but that's expected since he's practicing himself back into football shape. Although both centers (Jason Spitz and Scott Wells) are listed, Mike McCarthy expects them both to play.

The injuries have hit hard in Detroit. Obviously WR Calvin Johnson and QB Matthew Stafford are the two big names. At this point in their careers, QB Daunte Culpepper is just as good, so Stafford's loss won't matter much in this game. Except Johnson's absence is a tough loss no matter the QB. I'm not sure which other potential starters are missing, except LB Ernie Sims would start if he were healthy. RT Gosder Cherilus is a starter, but he'll play on Sunday. Even if they aren't missing any other starters, their depth is certainly being tested this week. On all the injuries, from Pride of Detroit:

All I can say is that I'm glad the Lions have a bye next week.

The complete injury lists after the jump.

Green Bay Packers:

Player	Pos.	Injury	Friday Participation	Friday Status
Atari Bigby	S	Knee	Full Participation	Probable
Chad Clifton	T	Ankle	Limited Participation	Probable
Daryn Colledge	G	Knee	Full Participation	Probable
Korey Hall	FB	Calf	Out	Out
Brandon Jackson	RB	Ankle	Full Participation	Probable
Cullen Jenkins	DE	Ankle	Full Participation	Probable
Quinn Johnson	FB	Not Inj. Related	Did Not Participate	N/A
Ryan Pickett	NT	Hip	Full Participation	Probable
Brady Poppinga	LB	Illness	Full Participation	Probable
Jason Spitz	C/G	Back	Did Not Participate	Questionable
Mark Tauscher	T	Knee	Limited Participation	Out
Jeremy Thompson	LB	Knee	Full Participation	Probable
Scott Wells	C	Hamstring	Limited Participation	Questionable
DeShawn Wynn	RB	Knee	Did Not Participate	Out

Detroit Lions:


Player	Pos.	Injury	Friday Participation	Friday Status
Gosder Cherilus	T	Shoulder	Full Participation	Probable
Jordan Dizon	LB	Foot	Limited Participation	Probable
Jerome Felton	FB	Shoulder	Limited Participation	Questionable
Casey FitzSimmons	TE	Thigh	Limited Participation	Questionable
Sammie Hill	DT	Ankle	Did Not Participate	Doubtful
Jason Hunter	DE	Ankle	Did Not Participate	Doubtful
Grady Jackson	DT	Knee	Did Not Participate	Probable
Calvin Johnson	WR	Knee	Did Not Participate	Questionable
Maurice Morris	RB	Hip	Limited Participation	Questionable
Brandon Pettigrew	TE	Hamstring	Full Participation	Probable
Koe Simpson	S	Hamstring	Did Not Participate	Doubtful
Ernie Sims	LB	Shoulder	Limited Participation	Probable
Matthew Stafford	QB	Knee	Did Not Participate	Questionable
Dewayne White	DE	Hamstring	Did Not Participate	Questionable

Ending The Bye Week Blues

Mitchell_M — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 15:32:36 -0000

It's been a rough fortnight for me, Packer fans. Not only did Green Bay lose round one of FavreFest 2009 (while watching Jared Allen and his lame-unless-he-was-on-your-team stirring sack celebration), but they headed into the bye week at 2-2, re-signed an old favorite who may or may not be ready to play, and draw a feisty Detroit Lions team that looks like it's charging back towards middle-of-the-pack status.

So there's that whole deal. Combine that with the fact that the Milwaukee Bucks are wrapping up their preseason (and Brandon Jennings looks even less ready than we thought he would), the World Series is shaping up to be a showdown between the Dodgers and Yankees (after yet another disappointing Brewers campaign), and hockey is less important to me than the price of high heels in Sri Lanka, and you can see that it's a tough time for a Wisconsin-native sports fan. Even my fantasy teams are imploding (1-4 and 2-3 in the leagues that matter).

It's tough to lose your last game before a bye week. It gives you an awful taste in your mouth about your chances afterwards. But then I remember that the Packers are playing the Lions at Lambeau this week. That makes me feel slightly better.

DET rushing vs. GB defense: Every time I think of the Detroit running backs, I think of Kevin Smith, and every time I think of Kevin Smith, I think of Clerks 2, and every time I think of Clerks 2, I think of the scene where Randal and Elias debate which trilogy was better: Lord of the Rings or Star Wars (definitely NSFW). Specifically, I think of the part where Randal reenacts the LOTR movies by simply...walking.

That scene is oddly parallel to the story of Detroit's run game. Detroit's top 4 running backs (Smith, Maurice Morris, Aaron Brown, and Jerome Felton) are averaging less than 3.6 yards per carry. Not that we're used to dominant running performances around these parts, but Kevin Smith and his 3.1 average (287 yards on 94 carries) does not strike fear into opposing defenses.

It's not even that Kevin Smith is a below-average running back. He has good size (6'1", 217), and excellent speed and agility. He regularly breaks off 10+ yard runs, and is even a decent pass catcher (19 receptions for 143 yards). But his line is giving him no help.

Jeff Backus (6'5", 305) and Gosder Cherilus (6'7", 325) are capable bookends (especially Cherilus, who is a nasty run blocker), but the interior linemen, Daniel Loper (6'6", 320), Dominic Raiola (6'1", 295), and Stephen Peterman (6'4", 323) simply aren't able to move defenders and open running lanes. Smith is the type of running back that needs space to gain momentum and use his second gear, but he can't get started because he's constantly running into brick walls.

Green Bay has fared well this season against opposing running backs. Besides Cedric Benson (who has looked every bit like the player Chicago wanted him to be, including breaking Baltimore's streak of 39 games without allowing 100+ rushing yards to a single player), the Packers have effectively bottled up opposing running backs. As a team, Green Bay is only allowing 3.5 yards per attempt, in no small part because of the "Big Okie" formation that puts 5 linebackers on the field, allowing effective pursuit to the ball, stringing plays out to the sideline, and cutting off gaps. Brandon Chillar is a surprise tackling leader this season (26 on the year), but 7 other players in the front seven have at least 11 tackles.

Advantage: Green Bay. As a team, the Packers do an excellent job of closing running lanes, while Detroit does not do a good enough job at opening them up.

DET passing vs. GB defense: When I was a kid, 'Transformers' was awesome. When Michael Bay tried to turn it into a summer flick, it made me want to further repress my childhood so that I'd have no memory of ever enjoying the battle of Autobots vs. Decepticons. But there's still one guy that makes me glad to have watched that cartoon: Calvin "Megatron" Johnson.

Whoa, nelly. Megatron is a beast. I know I gushed about him last year, but I don't care. The 6'5", 236 lb. Georgia Tech product managed to put up 1331 yards and 12 touchdowns on the putrid 2008 Lions squad. He is big, fast, strong, has great hands, and can make any catch at any time. He has been limited in the last two weeks because of injury, but coach Jim Schwartz says that it isn't serious and he is currently listed as probable.

After Johnson is where the problems start. Bryant Johnson is a first round pick who never lived up to his promise. Dennis Northcutt is a Jacksonville castoff, which is saying something. Derrick Williams has some promise, but is buried on the depth chart. Yamon Figurs is a recent addition, but will likely focus on return duties. Will Heller is a career backup at TE, and first-rounder Brandon Pettigrew was injured in training camp and is still trying to figure out his role.

Behind center, Detroit went all-in on Matthew Stafford, which I thought was a terrible decision back in April. Stafford hasn't looked awful, but he certainly hasn't outplayed fellow rookie Mark Sanchez (who is on a much better team). Stafford has a big arm (894 yards, 3 TDs), but merely average accuracy (56.8% completion) and questionable decision-making (6 INTs, 65.6 QB rating). Basically, I didn't think that Detroit should have spent first-overall money on a guy who may or may not work out at the pro level, but the jury is still out on him.

Ever since dislocating his kneecap against Chicago, however, the Matthew Stafford debate is moot for the time-being. With Stafford likely sidelined another week, Daunte Culpepper takes the reigns again. And you know what that means:

I've got these tiny hands...

While we remember his time with Minnesota in the earlier parts of the 2000's, Culpepper has never been the same since his 2006 knee injury. He's bounced around a bit before settling in Detroit as a stop-gap QB, but he's still a capable passer. He still has a big arm, decent accuracy, and can run a huddle effectively. As weird as it seems, one of Daunte Culpepper's biggest weaknesses is the size of his hands. For a few years, Culpepper was averaging over a fumble per game. He has compensated for his tiny mitts by employing an unconventional throwing motion, but when he tries to run or gets hit in the pocket, he is prone to losing control of the ball.

And Culpepper has been hit a lot lately. Seven sacks against the Steelers is downright Rodgers-esque. Even before that, though, the Lions gave up 10 sacks in 4 games, giving them 17 total for the season. The Lions simply cannot protect their quarterback, something we know all about. Backus is a decent blind-side protector, and Raiola has been around long enough to make good adjustments on the line, but Cherilus is still too raw, the interior linemen are too weak, and the backs do not block well.

Green Bay's 3-4 defense was supposed to be the kind that got after the quarterback and forced turnovers. While the +7 ratio fulfills the second part, the sacks simply haven't been there. Through four games, the Packers have five sacks. Two came against Jay Cutler, and two against Marc Bulger. Brett Favre and his porous offensive line wasn't even touched on Monday night.

The decision to change Aaron Kampman into a pass-rushing OLB was a head-scratcher during the offseason, and it's become downright dumbfounding in October. On the play where Favre had over 7 seconds to find a receiver, Kampman wasn't shut down by a Vikings lineman. He was in zone coverage, someplace he has been found all too often. Dom Capers' blitz-happy defense took a turn for the conservative when Atari Bigby went down in Week 1, so his return is much anticipated. The lack of pass rush has severely hampered the production of the defensive backfield. Charles Woodson, Nick Collins, Al Harris, and Tramon Williams are still ball-hawks. As long as they get opportunities from the front seven, they will break up more than a few passes.

Advantage: Push. While Green Bay has the clear advantage on paper, I want to see more results before I declare them to have any sort of edge.

GB rushing vs. DET defense: Detroit's run defense was one of the many weak points in 2008. Thus far in 2009, it hasn't been fixed. The Lions give up 4.9 yards per attempt on the ground. That includes performances of 142 yards by Mike Bell, 92 yards by Adrian Peterson, 121 yards by Matt Forte, and 77 yards by Rashard Mendenhall. Jim Schwartz has tried to fix the problem by shuffling personnel, but results are mixed. LB Ernie Sims was benched last week for rookie DeAndre Levy, DT Chuck Darby was waived to make room on the field for rookie Sammie Lee Hill, and Grady Jackson has seen more and more snaps.

It doesn't help that the Lions are starting Packer castoff Jason Hunter at LDE with the 240 lb. Julian Peterson playing both at LOLB and at the other DE spot. Aside from Larry Foote, the Lions don't have anyone that can really shoot gaps and take on lead blockers. Ernie Sims was supposed to be that guy, but he's currently in the dog house. Rookie safety Louis Delmas is a big hitter, but he's no Troy Polamalu just yet. The only run-stopper they have is Grady Jackson, who is getting up there in years.

Luckily for Detroit, Green Bay doesn't seem that interested in running the ball. I did a little post last week exploring where the Green Bay rushing attack has gone. As it turns out, it really hasn't gone anywhere, it's just been ignored. The team averages a shade under 100 yards per game, which is somewhat respectable, but they haven't been able to sustain long drives by picking up yards on the ground. 2007 Ryan Grant is still MIA, and DeShawn Wynn has been downright awful. Brandon Jackson is coming back from injury, which might help, but he's best suited to a 3rd down back role anyway.

Up front, Green Bay's injury problems and lack of depth have exposed the team in pass protection, but also showed below-average run blocking. With Chad Clifton returning from injury, Daryn Colledge can resume his normal role at LG, putting Jason Spitz back at C and Scott Wells on the bench. From here, the Packers have a better shot of opening running lanes, especially on the right side (where Allen Barbre performs well).

Advantage: Push. This matchup is like the stoppable force against the movable object. If Green Bay calls an even offensive game, they might have an advantage, but I don't see any at this point.

GB passing vs. DET defense: Quarterbacks like playing Detroit. Against the Motor City Kitties, NFL passers have put up 15 scores against only 3 INTs while amassing a 73.3% completion rating. While the Lions have had middling success getting to the quarterback (10 sacks in 2009), their highest individual total is 2.0 (Jason Hunter). There is no designated pass rusher, unless you count Julian Peterson, who has been a failure as a DE on passing downs. Whether the sacks have been from good downfield coverage, poor blocking by opponents, or a schematic advantage, one thing is for sure: they aren't blitzing very much (bottom third in NFL).

The defensive backfield has been a sore point in Detroit. Anthony Henry has performed well as the #1 corner, but Will James and Philip Buchanon have been switching in and out of the starting lineup. Rookie Louis Delmas is best used in run support, but he is capable in pass coverage. The Lions split time at the other safety between Ko Simpson and former fan favorite Marquand Manuel.

Passing offense has been, for Green Bay, one of the lone bright spots in a disappointing start. Aaron Rodgers has put up big numbers behind an awful offensive line, showing accuracy and poise despite getting sacked 20 times in 4 games and having to run out of the pocket on numerous occasions. The receivers have been somewhat underwhelming, amassing 10 of the team's 14 drops. Greg Jennings has been unusually quiet in the first quarter of 2009, and has gone on record to say that he thinks that the team needs to get back to the short-passing game that allowed he and the other WRs to create yards after the catch. Hear, hear, Greg.

Advantage: Green Bay. If Rodgers can get hit 8 times and still throw for over 300 yards, he will get good looks against Detroit.

Preliminary verdict: Coming off a bye, Green Bay seems to have changed a bit as a team. Mark Tauscher has been re-signed. Brandon Jackson, Jeremy Thompson, Chad Clifton, and possibly Atari Bigby should be returning from injury. The offensive line should get back to the group that started the season, and the defense should get back to the blitzing that gave us all high expectations for 2009. Perhaps this is the week where we see the 2009 preseason team in action instead of the poor impersonation we've watched for the last month.

I can't think of how the timing could be better than hosting Detroit. Unless it was Oakland, or Kansas City, or the Browns, or even the struggling Cowboys. See, Lions fans? Your team has improved a lot!

Poll

What outcome do you see for Week 6 vs. Detroit?

Big GB win.

414 votes

Slim GB win.

197 votes

Too close to call.

26 votes

Slim DET win.

40 votes

Big DET win.

11 votes

688 votes | Poll has closed

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.