SB Nation - Mason Crosby

Packers Monday Presser: Injuries And Offense

Brandon — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 13:00:31 -0000

For the Green Bay Packers, Mike McCarthy on the injuries:

Johnny Jolly, he will probably miss some practice time this week with his knee sprain. Ryan Pickett will test probably Wednesday, possibly Thursday, to see if he'll go later in the week. Brandon Underwood, he will be limited this week in practice. And B.J. Raji will also be limited this week in practice.

For the second week in a row, a number of defensive lineman are banged up. But he didn't mention DE Cullen Jenkins who was limited in practice last week.

He was also asked why fantasy star QB Aaron Rodgers laid an egg just as the fantasy playoffs started, and McCarthy said there were "two minuses for the offense":

Our two biggest failures were No. 1, giving the ball away, and No. 2, the third-down production.

The two turnovers, a fumble by TE Jermichael Finley at the end of the first half, and a fumble by Rodgers on the first drive of the second half, were both in Bear territory, and ended potential scoring drives. Obviously turnovers are always bad.

But the third-down production comment was surprising. The Packers were 5 for 13 on 3rd down, plus 1 for 1 on 4th down, against the Bears. That's either a 38% or 43% success rate, if you factor in the 4th down conversion. The Packers have the 5th best 3rd down conversion rate this season at 45.2% (the Colts are No. 1 at 51.6%). I understand a coach will always want push his players to improve, but it was odd for him to mention something that they've been good at this season. Maybe the two failed 3rd down conversions in the red zone during the first half are stuck in his mind.

On the continuing struggles of K Mason Crosby:

(Are you going to bring in any kickers this week or work any out?)
I'll just say this. I have all the confidence in the world in Mason Crosby. As far as what players, what position, we bring players in here all the time on Tuesday, and I've never commented on it in the past, and I won't today. But I have all the confidence in the world in Mason Crosby.

I've got no patience for the lousy special teams performance on kick and punt coverage (and returns...) this season, but I agree with McCarthy on this one. Crosby has a league leading 8 missed FGs, and has only made 75% overall. But it didn't look like QB Matt Flynn did him any big favors holding both of his misses in the last two weeks. He's only made 1 of 5 attempts beyond 50 yards. I wouldn't be expecting many kickers would do well from that distance. Three teams this season haven't even attempted a field goal beyond 50 yards this season. Pull out those 4 misses (and 1 made) and he's an average kicker (85% made). Not a ringing endorsement, but it's not time to find any guy off the street either.

Recap: Green Bay Packers Defeat Bears, 21-14

Brandon — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 13:00:35 -0000

by Kiichiro Sato - AP

View full size photo »

The Green Bay Packers are trying to pull away from the rest of the NFC for a wild card spot, so every win is a good win. Especially when it comes against a division rival, which helps in case they need it for a tiebreaker. It's their 5th win in a row, and it moved them up into the top wild card spot. Another good thing: Mike McCarthy said only 4 players were injured during the game and they all returned. Here's the big recap from the Sports Network.

A couple things that didn't make it into my play-by-play recap after the jump. I was expecting a big game from OLB Brad Jones against backup Bear RT Kevin Shaffer, but instead Jones didn't record a single stat. I also noticed during the game that there were several times when the Packers went with one defensive lineman (DE Cullen Jenkins) and 5 linebackers. Defensive coordinator Dom Capers has been showing some unusual formations this season, but that was very usual and I'm not sure it's good that he calls that defensive package 'Psycho'. It's not something I expect to see against every team, but the Bears running game has been toothless all season, so they weren't as likely to get burned by a power running formation.

This game reminded me of last week's game against the Ravens. They were in control for most of the game, but their opponent kept it close so that their opponent was able to get back into it with a couple TD drives. The Bears offense didn't do much, they only had 254 yards of offense in the entire game, but managed 136 yards on their two TD drives. I'm not sure if that's just the normal flow of the game, but it didn't make sense that the Packers were behind when it seemed like they had outplayed them. Overall it was a dangerous game, but they were better than the Bears and they deserved the win.

Packers vs Bears coverage, Packers vs Bears recap, Packers vs Bears boxscore, Windy City Gridiron

The play-by-play comes from NFL.com:

First Quarter:

2-M.Crosby kicks 62 yards from GB 30 to CHI 8. 13-J.Knox to CHI 20 for 12 yards (36-N.Collins).

I was worried about the special teams in this game, and they did a very good job on kick coverage. They didn't allow a kickoff return for more than 26 yards.

(13:23) 25-R.Grant left tackle for 62 yards, TOUCHDOWN.

Well that was a surprise. Nothing exceptional about the play. The o-line blocked well and LG Daryn Colledge got into the 2nd level to block LB Lance Briggs. The cornerback was blocked, and the safety ran to the other side of the field, which left a wide open path for RB Ryan Grant on the left side.

(11:05) (Shotgun) 6-J.Cutler right guard to GB 44 for 21 yards (36-N.Collins). PENALTY on CHI-68-F.Omiyale, Offensive Holding, 10 yards, enforced at CHI 35 - No Play.

Usually it's the Packers who are hurt by penalties, but in this game, it was the Bears doing most of the self inflicted damage. And this was a legitimate penalty that effected the play: Omiyale held Jenkins left arm back as he tried to reach out and tackle QB Jay Cutler.

(7:49) 12-A.Rodgers pass incomplete deep right to 85-G.Jennings (33-C.Tillman). PENALTY on CHI-91-T.Harris, Defensive Offside, 5 yards, enforced at CHI 36 - No Play. Green Bay challenged the incomplete pass ruling, and the play was Upheld. (Timeout #1.)

(3:40) 2-M.Crosby 33 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-61-B.Goode, Holder-10-M.Flynn.

How was that not a TD pass to WR Greg Jennings? I'm no rules expert, so I don't have some hair splitting reason why. Settling for a FG a few plays later added some sting to it.

(3:31) 6-J.Cutler pass deep right intended for 19-D.Aromashodu INTERCEPTED by 21-C.Woodson at CHI 48. 21-C.Woodson to CHI 39 for 9 yards (13-J.Knox).

Another one of those INTs that make all Bear fans groan. It looked like Cutler threw off his back foot with pressure in his face. Maybe he under threw it, or maybe the receiver ran the wrong route. I couldn't tell for sure.

Second Quarter:

(13:07) 2-M.Crosby 26 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-61-B.Goode, Holder-10-M.Flynn.

Unfortunately the turnover doesn't lead to a TD. They converted two first downs, including one 4th down conversion, but couldn't find the right play near the end zone. The only thing I've noticed about their red zone offense is that they don't seem to attack the sidelines. There aren't a lot of fade routes to the corner type of plays. Those are low percentage plays, but it wouldn't hurt to try something new either.

(12:07) 4-B.Maynard punts 37 yards to GB 34, Center-65-P.Mannelly. 87-J.Nelson to GB 39 for 5 yards (32-K.Bell, 65-P.Mannelly).

By this point, the Bears have had the ball 4 times and have 10 yards of total offense (plus 1 INT).

(9:02) (Shotgun) 32-B.Jackson left guard to CHI 41 for no gain (92-H.Hillenmeyer, 91-T.Harris).

This is just my preference, but I hate it when it's 3rd and short, they are in the shotgun, and they hand the ball off. I have no idea what the success rate it on these plays, but I would expect it's low.

(1:54) (Shotgun) 6-J.Cutler pass deep right to 13-J.Knox for 19 yards, TOUCHDOWN.

The first of the Aromashodu drives. He had 3 catches for 37 yards on this drive alone. It's understandable that he might have come as a surprise to the Packers. He only had 2 receptions on the season coming into this game. I wasn't expecting anything from the Bears' receivers other than WR Earl Bennett and Knox. No flag on CB Tramon Williams on this play, he just got beat. I'm not sure why SS Atari Bigby came over so late. Was he supposed to help on deep coverage?

(:21) (Shotgun) 12-A.Rodgers pass short middle to 88-J.Finley to CHI 36 for 19 yards (24-A.Afalava). FUMBLES (24-A.Afalava), RECOVERED by CHI-38-D.Manning at CHI 31. 38-D.Manning to CHI 30 for -1 yards (80-D.Driver).

It was a careless fumble by TE Jermichael Finley and it took points off the board. They were at least in field goal range. But it was the 2nd game in a row that Finley was the leading receiver. He's been playing very well, this fumble aside, since he returned from injury last month. Over the last 4 games, he's been just as important as Jennings and WR Donald Driver (who was very quiet in this game).

Third Quarter:

(12:56) 12-A.Rodgers to CHI 36 for -7 yards. FUMBLES, and recovers at CHI 36. 12-A.Rodgers to CHI 38 for -2 yards (92-H.Hillenmeyer). FUMBLES (92-H.Hillenmeyer), RECOVERED by CHI-95-A.Adams at CHI 41. 95-A.Adams to CHI 44 for 3 yards (63-S.Wells).

It's Rodgers's 10th fumble of the season (4th lost) which isn't good. It's also the 2nd drive in a row that ended in Bears' territory with a Packer turnover. They could have easily had scored 30 points in this game.

(10:27) 6-J.Cutler pass deep right to 13-J.Knox pushed ob at GB 10 for 22 yards (21-C.Woodson).

(9:41) 6-J.Cutler pass short right to 19-D.Aromashodu for 10 yards, TOUCHDOWN.

An unusual set of plays where CB Charles Woodson was beaten for 32 yards and 1 TD by two different receivers. He's having a great season, but he isn't unbeatable. This was a good 56 yard drive by the Bears, but it was their last hurrah. On their last 5 possessions, they gained a total of 69 yards.

(8:09) (Shotgun) 12-A.Rodgers pass short middle to 85-G.Jennings pushed ob at 50 for 25 yards (33-C.Tillman, 24-A.Afalava).

This was on 3rd and 10. There were a times when the Bears seemed to have more trouble stopping the Packers on 3rd and long then on 3rd and short.

(2:10) 32-K.Bell right tackle to GB 45 for no gain (20-A.Bigby, 56-N.Barnett).

In hindsight, the Bears probably should have gone for it. The Packers only managed two drives of more the 50 yards in the entire game, so it was unlikely the Packers would have turned this into a TD. Great play by Bigby to dive into the gap and stop it for no gain.

(:17) 6-J.Cutler pass short middle to 22-M.Forte to CHI 30 for 3 yards (56-N.Barnett). PENALTY on CHI-74-C.Williams, Illegal Use of Hands, 10 yards, enforced at CHI 27 - No Play.

I think this was the play when Bear LT Chris Williams tried to take off LB Clay Matthews's head.

Fourth Quarter:

(13:39) (Shotgun) 6-J.Cutler pass short left intended for 13-J.Knox INTERCEPTED by 36-N.Collins at CHI 42. 36-N.Collins pushed ob at CHI 11 for 31 yards (22-M.Forte).

Cutler's first INT was bad, but this was worse. Not just because of the big return by FS Nick Collins. Cutler was throwing off his back foot (again) and this time the receiver was in the right place. Cutler just didn't get enough on the throw. It was a good idea, he saw Williams come on a corner blitz and he threw it to the man Williams was covering, but he threw it far too late.

(12:46) 12-A.Rodgers pass incomplete short left to 80-D.Driver. PENALTY on CHI-35-Z.Bowman, Defensive Pass Interference, 4 yards, enforced at CHI 5 - No Play.

(12:42) 25-R.Grant right guard for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN.

(Pass formation) TWO-POINT CONVERSION ATTEMPT. 12-A.Rodgers pass to 85-G.Jennings is complete. ATTEMPT SUCCEEDS.

First, there is a pass interference penalty in the end zone, and it was not called on Tramon Williams. Second, the Packers retake the lead and I can relax again. Third, how can a team that has struggled in the red zone go for a two point conversion? And where has this play been: throwing to Jennings along the side of the end zone. They couldn't have tried it earlier?

(9:42) 25-R.Grant left tackle pushed ob at GB 29 for 17 yards (24-A.Afalava). PENALTY on CHI-24-A.Afalava, Unnecessary Roughness, 15 yards, enforced at GB 29.

Thanks to the 15 yard penalty on the rookie safety, the Packers got themselves out of a hole quickly.

(8:31) 12-A.Rodgers pass short middle to 88-J.Finley to CHI 25 for 25 yards (33-C.Tillman).

(6:10) 2-M.Crosby 42 yard field goal is No Good, Wide Right, Center-61-B.Goode, Holder-10-M.Flynn.

I hated this 2 and 1/2 minute series of plays. After Finley's reception got them down to the Bears' 25 yard line, they ran three plays (two runs, and a dropped pass on 3rd down) that seemed designed to run off some clock and settle for the FG. And then K Mason Crosby missed the FG anyway. Most of his misses have been beyond 50 yards, so they've been low percentage attempts anyway, but this is the 2nd week in a row he's missed FGs that he should be making. Kickers run in streaks, so hopefully it's better that he's missing them now instead of during the playoffs.

(4:58) 6-J.Cutler pass incomplete deep middle to 82-G.Olsen (36-N.Collins). Chicago challenged the incomplete pass ruling, and the play was Upheld. (Timeout #1.) Timeout #2 by CHI at 4:51.

This was the bizarre series of timeouts by Lovie Smith. First he called a timeout, and then he wasted another timeout for a challenge. I briefly saw his press conference after the game when he tried to explain the situation, but I had to turn it off. I didn't want to get vertigo from all the spinning he had to do to explain himself.

(3:06) 34-A.Green right tackle to GB 36 for -1 yards (95-A.Adams).

I didn't mind the Packers running out the clock here. It forced the Bears to use their last timeout, but it would have been nice if they actually had converted on 3rd and 1.

(2:19) 7-J.Kapinos punts 51 yards to CHI 18, Center-61-B.Goode. 80-E.Bennett to CHI 20 for 2 yards (51-B.Poppinga). PENALTY on CHI-21-C.Graham, Offensive Holding, 10 yards, enforced at CHI 19.

The Bears were copying the Packers' usual game plan of penalties and poor special teams.

(1:13) (Shotgun) 6-J.Cutler pass incomplete deep right to 80-E.Bennett (21-C.Woodson).

And the game ends on a 4th and 9 pass attempt that was far off the mark.

Brief Recap: Green Bay Packers Defeat Bears 21-14

Brandon — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 21:19:55 -0000

More photos » by Nam Y. Huh - AP

4 days ago: Green Bay Packers running back Ryan Grant (25) is chased by Chicago Bears safety Kevin Payne (44) while heading for the end zone and a touchdown during the first half of an NFL football game in Chicago, Sunday, Dec. 13, 2009. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Browse more photos »

It was a close game for the Green Bay Packers, the Bears led 14-13 at the end of the 3rd quarter. But a big INT by FS Nick Collins early in the 4th quarter turned the game around, and set up the Packers' go ahead TD.

The game was close in large part because QB Aaron Rodgers (16 of 24 for 180 yards with 0 TD, 0 INT) had an unremarkable game. Two Packer turnovers in Chicago territory, and a missed FG by K Mason Crosby, also took points off the board.

But it was overall a solid game for the Packers. The special teams didn't allow any big returns and it was the Bears (instead of the penalty prone Packers) who committed a mountain of penalties. RB Ryan Grant's first play from scrimmage was a 62 yard TD run, and he overall ran the ball well. The defense allowed 2 TD scoring drives, but they were in control for the rest of the game.

Not a dominant performance against a lesser team, but the most important thing is to keep on winning. I'll post a detailed recap early tomorrow morning.

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?

Extended Recap: Green Bay Packers Defeat Lions 34-12

Brandon — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 06:20:53 -0000

More photos » by Carlos Osorio - AP

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I was nervous the entire first quarter while watching the Green Bay Packers on Thanksgiving. The Lions had a quick 7-0 lead, and the Packer offense had already stalled once before they missed a FG attempt. I was wondering if this was going to be like their last loss in Tampa. But once QB Matthew Stafford threw his first INT, and QB Aaron Rodgers completed a 68 yard pass to WR Donald Driver to end the 1st quarter, I wasn't nervous anymore.

The Lions weren't exactly a big test for the Packers, they beat them in most major categories like points, yards (422 to 272), time of possession (33:59 to 26:01), and turnovers recovered (5 to 2). But I'm not a big believer in tests, or teams having to prove something. I believe in wins against any team they play, as they right now control their own destiny for a wild card playoff spot. And also stay healthy, which is something they did a good job of on Thanksgiving.

The complete play-by-play recap is after the jump.

Packers vs Lions coverage; Packers vs Lions recap; Packers vs Lions boxscore; Pride Of Detroit

Play-by-play from NFL.com:

First Quarter

4-J.Hanson kicks 71 yards from DET 30 to GB -1. 87-J.Nelson to GB 21 for 22 yards (75-T.McBride). FUMBLES (75-T.McBride), RECOVERED by DET-57-J.Dizon at GB 20. 57-J.Dizon to GB 20 for no gain (87-J.Nelson).

And they started the game with a thud. The special teams were awful, committing 4 penalties (1 intentional 4th quarter delay of game), and 2 big kick returns could have even been bigger if not for saving tackles by TE Spencer Havner and K Mason Crosby.

(14:23) 9-M.Stafford pass short right to 84-B.Pettigrew pushed ob at GB 6 for 12 yards (50-A.Hawk).

It was interesting that this was their first pass play. The Lions must have seen something they liked because they threw 13 passes to their tight ends, usually out in the flat. None of them were big plays, but Stafford completed 9 of them, so they were just about as successful as anything they did on offense. Unfortunately this was the last one for rookie TE Brandon Pettigrew. He suffered a season ending knee injury on the play.

(13:07) 9-M.Stafford pass short right to 81-C.Johnson for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN.

Instead of taking advantage of the LBs in coverage against the tight end, the Lions decided to force 12 passes to an obviously hurting WR Calvin Johnson. This was their biggest offensive play of the game, and maybe it gave them false hope that Johnson could have a big game. Instead, it just might have made CB Charles Woodson very angry.

(12:16) 25-R.Grant right tackle to GB 32 for 15 yards (41-W.James).

This was a good run in a game with few good runs. RB Ryan Grant should have had a big game against a weak Lions run defense, but instead he had a poor game (only 3.1 yards/carry). Four days earlier, he was great against an excellent 49ers run defense.

(4:43) 2-M.Crosby 43 yard field goal is No Good, Wide Right, Center-61-B.Goode, Holder-10-M.Flynn.

More lousy special teams. As good as this drive was, the Packers were forced to convert four times on 3rd down and they went 3 for 4. It seemed odd since the Packers weren't taking any shots down field against a defense that was torched 4 days earlier. 10 minutes into the game, down 7-0, and I'll admit I was a little nervous.

(1:27) (Shotgun) 9-M.Stafford pass short right intended for 89-W.Heller INTERCEPTED by 36-N.Collins at GB 26. 36-N.Collins ran ob at GB 26 for no gain.

The Lions were getting a little something going, moving the ball 30 yards after the missed FG, and FS Nick Collins made a great reaction on the ball. Watch the replay.

(:13) (Shotgun) 12-A.Rodgers pass deep right to 80-D.Driver to DET 7 for 68 yards (25-M.White).

What a way to end the quarter. The Packers were still down 7-0 at this point, but after watching them force an INT and 3 plays later attack the awful Lion secondary, it felt like they had turned the corner.

Second Quarter

(15:00) (Shotgun) 12-A.Rodgers pass short right to 86-D.Lee for 7 yards, TOUCHDOWN.

That was quite a leap by TE Donald Lee. Watch the replay.

(14:26) 34-K.Smith left tackle to DET 34 for 4 yards (36-N.Collins).

There were a few times in the game when RB Kevin Smith got a cutback lane, and it looked like he could bust out for a big gain. But there was always a Packer there to tackle him, and Smith didn't have a single carry for more than 6 yards. Everyone on defense did their part on run defense.

(8:24) (Shotgun) 12-A.Rodgers pass incomplete short middle to 88-J.Finley. GB-88-J.Finley was injured during the play. His return is Probable. PENALTY on DET-26-L.Delmas, Unnecessary Roughness, 15 yards, enforced at DET 40.

(8:19) 12-A.Rodgers pass short right to 88-J.Finley to DET 16 for 9 yards (25-M.White). PENALTY on DET-25-M.White, Horse Collar, 8 yards, enforced at DET 16.

It was rough going for TE Jermichael Finley on those two consecutive plays. He took one (two) for the team, and set up a 1st and goal, but they settled for a FG.

(5:28) 34-K.Smith up the middle to DET 44 for -4 yards (90-B.Raji).

(4:49) (Shotgun) 9-M.Stafford pass deep left intended for 86-D.Northcutt INTERCEPTED by 38-T.Williams at GB 40. 38-T.Williams pushed ob at GB 46 for 6 yards (86-D.Northcutt).

DE B.J. Raji slipped a tackle and got quickly into the backfield. His tackle set up a 3rd and 5, which was then intercepted by CB Tramon Williams. Two great plays in a row.

(1:03) 2-M.Crosby 25 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-61-B.Goode, Holder-10-M.Flynn.

Another good drive ends in a FG (or FG miss). They've been settling for a lot of FGs the past two weeks, but overall they're still about average (scoring a TD about 51% of the time in the red zone). It's a bad trend, but it's hard to call it a problem since the offense is playing so well overall.

(:04) (Shotgun) 9-M.Stafford sacked at DET 48 for -8 yards (52-C.Matthews).

What would you call that sack by LB Clay Matthews? Tenacious? Watch it here.

Third Quarter

(14:11) (Shotgun) 9-M.Stafford pass short right intended for 80-B.Johnson INTERCEPTED by 21-C.Woodson at DET 38. 21-C.Woodson to DET 38 for no gain (80-B.Johnson). Detroit challenged the incomplete pass ruling, and the play was Upheld. (Timeout #1 at 14:06.)

He had a sack in the 1st half, but the Woodson show got going early in the 2nd half. The 1st of his 2 INTs.

(13:27) 12-A.Rodgers pass incomplete short right to 86-D.Lee.

Lee had a TD earlier, but he had been dropping some passes in recent games. I'd been wondering if TE Spencer Havner should be playing ahead of him. This play is another drop, and I'm not sure how he'll be going forward.

(12:41) (Shotgun) 12-A.Rodgers sacked at DET 37 for -6 yards (59-J.Peterson). FUMBLES (59-J.Peterson) [59-J.Peterson], RECOVERED by DET-97-J.Hunter at DET 37. 97-J.Hunter to DET 37 for no gain (71-J.Sitton).

LT Chad Clifton left LB Julian Peterson unblocked, while Clifton blocked no one, and it led to the only sack of the game for the Lions on 4th down. Tom Pelissero goes into more detail about why Clifton's decision to leave Peterson unblocked was more complicated then it seemed, and that Rodgers should have gotten rid of the ball quickly since it was an empty backfield and they left no one in to block on a blitz.

(11:06) 12-A.Rodgers pass deep middle to 80-D.Driver to DET 45 for 45 yards (41-W.James).

(9:01) (Shotgun) 12-A.Rodgers pass short left to 80-D.Driver to DET 31 for 7 yards (23-K.Hobbs).

(6:43) (Shotgun) 12-A.Rodgers pass short right to 80-D.Driver for 7 yards, TOUCHDOWN [23-K.Hobbs].

A quick 3-and-out by the defense was somewhat wasted after a 51 yard net punt pinned the Packers down at their 10 yard line. But that didn't matter because WR Donald Driver took over. 59 yards alone on the drive, including the TD reception.

(1:31) 12-A.Rodgers pass short left to 89-J.Jones to DET 21 for 4 yards (41-W.James).

(:47) (Shotgun) 12-A.Rodgers pass short middle to 89-J.Jones for 21 yards, TOUCHDOWN.

Earlier this season, I was ready to write WR James Jones off. He only had a couple catches, and it seemed like Rodgers would only throw to him if he was wide, wide open. But he's become more involved in the offense (15 receptions in the last 4 games) and has 4 TDs on the season. He might never be good enough to start, but now he's doing well as a No. 3 receiver.

Fourth Quarter

(12:35) 7-J.Kapinos punts 57 yards to DET 11, Center-61-B.Goode. 86-D.Northcutt ran ob at DET 25 for 14 yards (51-B.Poppinga).

A conservative drive, the Packers were trying to kill some clock, ended with the Packers' first punt of the game.

(12:02) (No Huddle, Shotgun) 9-M.Stafford pass deep middle to 86-D.Northcutt to GB 22 for 47 yards (38-T.Williams).

If there was one weak link in the pass defense, it was CB Jarrett Bush. WR Dennis Northcutt got behind Bush, and ran away from him for the big gain. All the comments I've read about Bush are usually hoping he'll be released soon, and he didn't do anything in this game to prove to those fans that he's becoming a better defender.

(10:09) (Shotgun) 9-M.Stafford pass incomplete short right to 81-C.Johnson [20-A.Bigby]. Ball thrown away.

(10:05) 25-R.Grant right tackle to GB 1 for no gain (90-G.Jackson).

(9:22) 25-R.Grant right end to GB -1 for -2 yards (26-L.Delmas). FUMBLES (26-L.Delmas), RECOVERED by DET-57-J.Dizon at GB -1. TOUCHDOWN. Green Bay challenged the fumble ruling, and the play was REVERSED. 25-R.Grant right end tackled in End Zone for -1 yards, SAFETY (26-L.Delmas).

A big defensive stop on the 1 yard line leads to a collapse by the run blocking. I'm sure everyone blocking on those two running plays will be hearing it from their coaches next week.

(5:05) 4-J.Hanson 22 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-48-D.Muhlbach, Holder-2-N.Harris.

The drive stalled, but should Detroit have really been settling for a FG? No pass was completed for greater than 13 yards on the drive. They were just daring Stafford to make accurate, short passes. The Packers were going to let them work their way down the field, which was something they hadn't done well all game.

(3:55) (Shotgun) 9-M.Stafford pass short right intended for 81-C.Johnson INTERCEPTED by 21-C.Woodson at DET 38. 21-C.Woodson for 38 yards, TOUCHDOWN.

(2:51) (Shotgun) 9-M.Stafford pass short right to 82-C.Fitzsimmons to DET 41 for 13 yards (21-C.Woodson). Green Bay challenged the fumble ruling, and the play was REVERSED. (Shotgun) 9-M.Stafford pass short right to 82-C.Fitzsimmons to DET 40 for 12 yards (21-C.Woodson). FUMBLES (21-C.Woodson), RECOVERED by GB-21-C.Woodson at DET 41. Referee blew the ball dead.

Unlike their last game against the 49ers, the Packer offense wasn't able to run out the clock. They give the Lions two more chances, and Woodson forced two turnovers (one returned for a TD).

Brief Recap: Green Bay Packers Defeat Lions 34-12

Brandon — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 21:20:28 -0000

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The game started out rocky: WR Jordy Nelson fumbled the opening kickoff, and QB Matthew Stafford threw a TD pass to WR Charles Johnson for a quick 7-0 lead.

The rest of the game belonged to the Packers. Stafford attempted 39 passes after his TD pass, but he didn't throw another one (to his own team). He did throw 4 INTs, including a late pick 6 to CB Charles Woodson. Johnson was targeted on 10 more pass attempts, but only had 1 more receptions. Overall, Stafford finished with a 30.5 QB rating and a terrible 4.6 yards/pass attempt. Johnson was slowed by the injuries that kept him out of practice all week, but he also had Woodson following him around for the entire game. Woodson finished the game with 7 tackles, 1 sack, 4 pass defenses, and 2 INTs (including the one he returned for a TD). I don't know if he really wanted whatever that turkey trophy is, FOX decided WR Donald Driver was the player of the game instead, but Woodson deserved. Just an outstanding game by the defense, which only allowed 272 yards of offense, grabbed those 4 INTs, and held Lion backs to only 3.2 yards/carry.

The defense was great, but the offense was very good in it's own right. As I mentioned above, Driver was the player of the game with 142 yards and 1 TD. The offensive line did a great job in pass protection, allowing only 1 sack by LB Julian Peterson after the Lions coverage shut down a 4th down play and QB Aaron Rodgers was trying to scramble. The only negative was that they only managed 3.0 yards per carry, but the Lions seemed to determine to stop the run by keeping their safeties up. Which helped to open up the big plays down the middle to Driver.

The big negative, and the factor that kept the game close in the 1st half, was the lousy Packer special teams. Nelson fumbled the opening kickoff, multiple penalties pushed the Packers back even further on kick returns, and K Mason Crosby missed a 43 yard FG attempt.

Overall a dominant victory to improve the Packers record to 7-4, and Mike McCarthy's record against the Lions to 8-0.

Recap: Green Bay Packers Defeat Cowboys 17-7

Brandon — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 13:00:33 -0000

by Jim Prisching - AP

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From Blogging the Boys:

The Cowboys offense was terrible, the defense hung tough for as long as they could, but eventually buckled late in the game. This was all on the offense, though.

So that's a Cowboys fan's perspective. Looking back at the play-by-play, it took the Cowboys the first 3 quarters to figure it out on offense. They were shut out for most of the game because they weren't able to run the ball or protect QB Tony Romo. Also, while the Packers had more penalties and penalty yards, the Cowboys penalties seemed to hurt them more. They weren't able to get any rhythm on offense because of their running game, pass protection, and the penalties. Then, in their final 2 drives, they managed to protect Romo (except for that big hit DE Johnny Jolly put on him) and they abandoned the run. It could have led to 2 TDs, except CB Charles Woodson jumped the route on the goal line for his big INT.

While it's not unusual to see a great defensive performance from the Packers, it was unusual to see the pass rush work so well in this game. The concern is that it was only a temporary surge of sacks and QB hits. While Romo kept taking hits, he wasn't sacked on his final 26 pass attempts. Also, the Packers allowed another red zone TD pass, their 6th one allowed in the past 3 games.

The offensive line struggled again, allowing 4 sacks and 4 QB hits. Overall the offense struggled with an inconsistent running game, sacks, and penalties. They did manage to put it together for one long TD drive, but even then the Cowboys' penalties helped move it along. Dallas' defense has gotten better as the season has gone on, but it was not a great offensive performance. The exception being that they had zero turnovers (1 turnover was negated by a penalty).

The special teams weren't great, but nobody on the Cowboys will be named NFC special teams player of the week either. The kick and punt coverage looked a lot better this week, so hopefully this is the start of a good trend.

The Packers don't play another team with a winning record until December 20th (the Steelers in Pittsburgh). It's never easy in the NFL, but hopefully they can keep winning over the next four weeks. They play 3 of their final 4 games on the road, so this is the time to build a lead in the Wild Card standings.

Cowboys vs Packers coverage; Cowboys vs Packers recap; Cowboys vs Packers boxscore; Blogging The Boys

Play-by-play from NFL.com:

First Quarter:

(14:15) (Shotgun) 12-A.Rodgers pass short middle to 85-G.Jennings to GB 30 for 11 yards (32-O.Scandrick, 26-K.Hamlin).

The 3rd play of the game was already a 3rd and 16 situation. I counted 12 plays ran where the distance was 10+ yards, out of 68 plays during the game. The penalties and negative yards just killed the flow of the offense throughout the game.

(12:25) 24-M.Barber left end pushed ob at GB 26 for 13 yards (36-N.Collins).

(11:43) 24-M.Barber up the middle to GB 19 for 7 yards (59-B.Jones).

The Packers' run defense has been outstanding most of the season, but the Cowboys had some success running the ball. So I was surprised to see they ended up averaging 4.4 yards/carry, but only called 14 running plays vs. 39 pass attempts. But their last two offensive drives went for 15 and 11 plays, all passes, and by that point they were down 17-0. They didn't have a lot of opportunities to run the ball.

(10:36) 6-N.Folk 38 yard field goal is No Good, Wide Left, Center-91-L.Ladouceur, Holder-1-M.McBriar.

A gift from K Nick Folk. I always expect kickers to make them against the Packers.

(6:06) 2-M.Crosby 52 yard field goal is No Good, Wide Left, Center-61-B.Goode, Holder-10-M.Flynn.

Unfortunately K Mason Crosby matched with a missed FG of his own, after a good drive fizzled out at the Dallas 34 yard line.

(3:18) PENALTY on GB-70-T.Lang, False Start, 5 yards, enforced at GB 19 - No Play.

The only penalty on RT T.J. Lang, who did a good job matched up against LB DeMarcus Ware for much of the game. It seemed like LT Chad Clifton had more problems with Ware than Lang did.

(1:16) (Shotgun) 12-A.Rodgers sacked at GB 15 for -8 yards (32-O.Scandrick). FUMBLES (32-O.Scandrick), RECOVERED by DAL-32-O.Scandrick at GB 15. PENALTY on DAL-21-M.Jenkins, Illegal Use of Hands, 5 yards, enforced at GB 23 - No Play.

The Packers committed 12 penalties for 100 yards, but the Cowboys hurt themselves more with penalties. If this fumble hadn't been overturned at the Packer 15 yard line, it obviously could have turned the game around.

Second Quarter:

(15:00) 9-T.Romo sacked at DAL 41 for -10 yards (56-N.Barnett).

I don't remember LB Nick Barnett ever blitzing this much in a game before. It kept working, so I guess Dom Capers just kept calling it.

(11:48) 12-A.Rodgers right end ran ob at GB 41 for 2 yards (94-D.Ware). PENALTY on GB-41-S.Havner, Personal Foul, 15 yards, enforced between downs. Penalty on GB-86-D.Lee, Offensive Holding, declined.

What a dumb play by TE Spencer Havner. I don't remember any obviously dumb late hits in the Buccaneers game, but they have had at least one in 3 of their 4 previous games. I don't notice other teams making those mental mistakes.

(9:04) 28-F.Jones right end to DAL 31 for no gain (90-B.Raji, 50-A.Hawk).

After gaining some good rushing yards on their first drive, the Cowboys only gain 11 yards on 6 carries for the rest of the 1st half. The Cowboys are averaging 5.1 yards/carry this season, so their struggles running the ball had to disrupt their offense.

(4:03) (Shotgun) 9-T.Romo pass deep middle to 11-R.Williams to GB 30 for 42 yards (21-C.Woodson). FUMBLES (21-C.Woodson), RECOVERED by GB-52-C.Matthews at GB 31. 52-C.Matthews to GB 31 for no gain (19-M.Austin).

The first big play by Woodson. He strips the ball from WR Roy Williams after a long gain. Watch it here.

(2:10) (Shotgun) 12-A.Rodgers sacked at GB 30 for -5 yards (72-S.Bowen). FUMBLES (72-S.Bowen), recovered by GB-86-D.Lee at GB 36. 86-D.Lee to GB 36 for no gain (26-K.Hamlin).

Unfortunately no offense came from the turnover. Two sacks, and a fumble, in three plays. Rodgers got really lucky that 2 fumbles were recovered, and a 3rd one, the only one he lost, was overturned on a penalty.

(1:50) (Shotgun) 9-T.Romo sacked at DAL 14 for -3 yards (52-C.Matthews).

LB Clay Matthews ran right around LT Flozell Adams. The speed of Matthews, Barnett, Woodson, and Collins on the blitz really caused their big, slow offensive line problems. It led to a 3-and-out, with one more chance to score.

(:02) 2-M.Crosby 48 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-61-B.Goode, Holder-10-M.Flynn.

Crosby nailed it. That kick would have been good from 60 yards at least.

Third Quarter:

(13:29) 1-M.McBriar punts 47 yards to GB 26, Center-91-L.Ladouceur. 38-T.Williams to DAL 46 for 28 yards (1-M.McBriar). FUMBLES (1-M.McBriar), RECOVERED by DAL-91-L.Ladouceur at DAL 44. 91-L.Ladouceur to DAL 44 for no gain (94-J.Wynn). Green Bay challenged the fumble ruling, and the play was REVERSED. 1-M.McBriar punts 47 yards to GB 26, Center-91-L.Ladouceur. 38-T.Williams to DAL 46 for 28 yards (1-M.McBriar). PENALTY on GB-29-D.Martin, Illegal Block Above the Waist, 10 yards, enforced at GB 33.

After a great defensive series (run stuff, sack, incomplete pass), there was this play. It was the correct call, but what a botched play by CB Tramon Williams. While trying to avoid the punter!

(9:14) (Shotgun) 12-A.Rodgers sacked at DAL 46 for -4 yards (54-B.Carpenter). Penalty on GB-86-D.Lee, Offensive Holding, declined.

This drive started out with 6 rushing attempts (1 by Rodgers on a scramble). It helped keep the offense out long yardage situations, but they couldn't pass the ball when they needed to.

(8:56) Direct snap (Shotgun) 23-T.Choice left tackle to DAL 31 for 11 yards (79-R.Pickett). PENALTY on GB-31-A.Harris, Face Mask (15 Yards), 15 yards, enforced at DAL 31.

I'll be interested to see if CB Al Harris is fined for this phantom face mask penalty. The league office seems to fine every personal foul.

(7:59) (Shotgun) 9-T.Romo pass deep middle to 23-T.Choice to GB 35 for 22 yards (36-N.Collins). PENALTY on DAL-82-J.Witten, Offensive Pass Interference, 10 yards, enforced at DAL 43 - No Play.

That was a big pass, completed into Packer territory. And TE Jason Witten is called for the pick far away from the play. Another critical Cowboy penalty.

(4:08) (Shotgun) 12-A.Rodgers pass short right to 85-G.Jennings to GB 48 for 14 yards (41-T.Newman).

(2:10) (Shotgun) 12-A.Rodgers pass short middle to 86-D.Lee to DAL 38 for 17 yards (25-P.Watkins).

This is their big 15 play, 80 yard TD drive. After getting stuck in 3rd and long all game, they convert on 3-11 and 3-13 to keep the drive alive.

(:13) 25-R.Grant left end to DAL 23 for -2 yards (94-D.Ware). PENALTY on DAL-32-O.Scandrick, Illegal Use of Hands, 5 yards, enforced at DAL 21 - No Play.

Scandrick killed them on this drive with 2 penalties that resulted in 1st downs.

Fourth Quarter:

(15:00) 12-A.Rodgers pass incomplete deep right to 89-J.Jones.

He had WR James Jones opened down the sideline, but it was just overthrown.

(13:17) 12-A.Rodgers left guard for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN. Penalty on DAL-94-D.Ware, Defensive Offside, declined.

Rodgers has been productive running the ball this season. He ran for a 1st down earlier in the game, and then this TD.

(11:52) (Shotgun) 9-T.Romo sacked at DAL 25 for -7 yards (21-C.Woodson). FUMBLES (21-C.Woodson), touched at DAL 20, RECOVERED by GB-52-C.Matthews at DAL 7. 52-C.Matthews pushed ob at DAL 3 for 4 yards (82-J.Witten).

Why can't they review whether one team has recovered their own fumble? Whatever the reason, it sure worked out for the Packers because RB Felix Jones probably recovered it. Watch it here.

(10:53) (Shotgun) 12-A.Rodgers pass short left to 41-S.Havner for 2 yards, TOUCHDOWN.

Spencer Havner: reliable go-to receiver. Who knew? Watch it here.

(8:14) (No Huddle, Shotgun) 9-T.Romo pass incomplete deep middle to 80-M.Bennett.

Bullet: dodged. It looked like he was wide open and had a clear lane to the end zone, but Romo overthrew him.

(6:03) (Shotgun) 9-T.Romo pass short right intended for 82-J.Witten INTERCEPTED by 21-C.Woodson at GB 1. 21-C.Woodson to GB 4 for 3 yards (82-J.Witten).

Just a back breaker. A 16 play, 76 yard drive ends when Woodson does a great job and jumps the route. They were finally able to keep the pressure off Romo and move the ball down the field, but it was a battle for every completion. This drive ate up almost 5 minutes and gave Dallas no time to mount a comeback.

(3:31) 7-J.Kapinos punts 41 yards to DAL 46, Center-61-B.Goode. 84-P.Crayton to GB 47 for 7 yards (41-S.Havner). PENALTY on DAL-98-C.Johnson, Illegal Block Above the Waist, 10 yards, enforced at DAL 47. Penalty on DAL-85-K.Ogletree, Illegal Block Above the Waist, declined.

Too bad the Packers weren't able to run out the clock after the INT. But I point this play out because it was the second special teams penalty by Dallas DE Curtis Johnson in the 4th quarter.

(:42) (No Huddle, Shotgun) 9-T.Romo pass short right to 11-R.Williams for 9 yards, TOUCHDOWN.

The 2nd drive in a row where the Cowboys are able to protect Romo and move down the field. It's a good thing they weren't able to figure this out until only 11 minutes remained in the game. And this was the 2nd good game in a row for WR Roy Williams. How come the Cowboys hadn't been able to use his height against shorter CBs until recently?

The Vikings Red Zone Review, Sponsored by Comcast

Gonzo — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 02:48:18 -0000

More photos » by Jerry Holt - AP

about 1 month ago: Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre reacts after throwing for the Vikings' final touchdown in a 38-26 win over the Green Bay Packers in an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 1, 2009, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Star Tribune, Jerry Holt)

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I skipped this last week with the Vikings being on their bye and everything, but now we're back for more. And I'm not sure about anything else, but the bye week gave me an opportunity to experience just how awesome the Red Zone Channel is. Obviously, during most weeks I'm wholly and solely focused on the Vikings, but during the bye week the Red Zone channel was constantly moving me to different games all over the league. Whether it was the Bears getting destroyed by the Arizona Cardinals, the Packers losing to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, or any of the other action around the NFL during Week 9, the Red Zone Channel made sure that I didn't miss any of the best action around the NFL. The action flows seamlessly, and you get to see all of the biggest plays from all the live action around the league. The Red Zone Channel is your season ticket for every NFL game, and the only cable company that brings it to you is Comcast.

So how did the Vikings' red zone offense look in their last game against Green Bay? Let's take a look.

Vikings Red Zone trips - 5
Vikings Red Zone scores - 4 (4 TD)
Red Zone touchdown percentage - 80%

The Vikings' first red zone appearance of the day against the Packers came on their third possession. After a bad snap from John Sullivan resulted in a fumble, the Packers took an early 3-0 lead. Then they made the mistake of kicking the ball to 2009 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Percy Harvin. Harvin wasted no time in responding to the Packer score, as he torched the Packers special teams unit and took the ball all the way down to the Green Bay 14-yard line. From there, Adrian Peterson handled most of the work. After a couple of carries by #28, the drive appeared to stall after a pass from Brett Favre to Chester Taylor, but Green Bay DT Johnny Jolly inexplicably head-butted Taylor after the play, drawing a personal foul penalty, and the drive continued. Peterson hammered the Vikings down to the 1, and on 4th down he punched it in for the score to give Minnesota a 7-0 lead. The drive took 7 plays to move 14 yards and took 3:48 off of the clock.

The Vikings held the Packers to a three and out on their next possession, and a good punt return by Jaymar Johnson set the Vikings up just short of midfield. This time, Favre did most of the heavy lifting, as he hit Sidney Rice for six yards, Harvin for nine, and Bernard Berrian for 12. After Peterson carried the Vikings into the red zone at the 19-yard line, Favre found Rice again for seven yards. Then, on first down from the Green Bay 12, Favre found Visanthe Shiancoe. . .it's a verb, to Shank. . .for a 12-yard touchdown pass and a 14-3 lead for the Vikings. Minnesota's scoring drive went 51 yards in 7 plays, taking 3:37 to accomplish.

After another Packer three and out, the Vikings appeared to be on their way to scoring again, as Peterson went 33 yards on first down to put the Vikings into the red zone again at the Green Bay 16. After a couple of short runs and an incomplete pass, the Vikings had lined up to attempt a field goal, but the Packers were whistled for a neutral zone infraction that took the Vikings from fourth and six at the 12 to fourth and one at the 7-yard line. Brad Childress put his offense back on the field and, to the Packers' credit, they rose up and stopped Peterson in that short yardage situation, and the Vikings turned it over on downs. That would turn out to be the only red zone failure of the afternoon for the Minnesota offense.

The only other Viking score prior to intermission came on a 41-yard field goal by Ryan Longwell, and Minnesota went into the locker room with a 17-3 lead.

After the Vikings' lone non-red zone touchdown of the afternoon, a 51-yard bomb from Favre to Harvin, the Vikings had a 24-3 lead and appeared to be on cruise control. However, things got a bit dicey for the Purple after that, as Green Bay got a field goal and two touchdown passes to something named Spencer Havner to give them 17 unanswered points and pull the score to 24-20. Then the Packers decided to kick to Harvin again, and again #12 made them pay, ripping off another huge return (48 yards) and letting the Vikings start at the Green Bay 38-yard line. A 15-yard pass to Harvin that was sandwiched between a couple of Peterson runs (and a B.J. Raji face mask penalty) moved the Vikings inside of the Green Bay 10. After Chester Taylor toted the rock down to the 2, Favre rolled right and found Jeff Dugan at the goal line for his third touchdown pass of the evening and made the Viking lead 11 points again at 31-20. The drive went 38 yards in seven plays, taking 3:22 to accomplish.

The Packers answered on their next drive with a TD pass from Aaron Rodgers to Greg Jennings, and the score went to 31-26 after a failed two-point conversion attempt. After a punt from the Vikings and a missed field goal by Mason Crosby, the Vikings set about putting the game on ice. Peterson took a ~~handoff~~ screen pass (Editor's Note: Oops.) on the first play of the drive and raced over the left side for 44 yards, moving the Vikings to the Packers' 15-yard line. After a couple of unsuccessful carries brought up third and 11, Favre dropped back and fired a quick pass to Bernard Berrian, who was subsequently tossed into the end zone by his helmet by Al Harris for a 16-yard touchdown for Minnesota. It was Favre's fourth touchdown of the day, their fourth red zone touchdown of the day, and it provided the final margin of victory by a count of 38-26.

All that means that, through the first half of the 2009 season, the Minnesota Vikings' offense has made 31 trips into the red zone, and have come away with points on 27 of those occasions. 17 of those have been touchdowns, with 10 being Ryan Longwell field goals, giving the Vikings a red zone touchdown percentage of roughly 63% on the season. The game against Green Bay was one of the poorer performances of the year for Minnesota's red zone defense, as they allowed the Packers to convert points on all five of their red zone appearances (three touchdowns, two field goals). So, for the year, Viking opponents have gotten into the red zone 22 times, and have come away with nine touchdowns and seven field goals, giving them a red zone touchdown percentage of roughly 41%. Hopefully both of these numbers will improve on Sunday against the Detroit Lions.

Recap: Green Bay Packers Stunned By Buccaneers 38-28

Brandon — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 13:00:54 -0000

by Brian Blanco - AP

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Writing this recap has been brutal. Losing to an 0-7 team is always hard. But looking back at the game, they did so many things right.

Team	First Downs	Yards	Yards/Carry	TOP
Packers	20	404	5.3	35:17
Buccaneers	17	279	3.2	24:43

But then the special teams failed them (blocked punt for TD; 83 yard kickoff return allowed) and the defense, which played great outside the red zone, allowed 3 TDs on all 3 Tampa trips into the red zone. It's bad to have 6 sacks (and 12 QB hits), as the offensive line continues on it's historically awful pace, yet they still scored 28 points. You should win the game if you score 28 points.

In that sense, this loss was very similar to the loss last week to the Vikings. Awful special teams gave the Bucs (and Vikings) a huge field position advantage, and the inability of the defense to hold their opponents to FG attempts in the red zone put the score out of reach. The offense has scored 26 and 28 points in those 2 losses. But it's seemingly impossible for the offense to score more than that with the awful pass protection.

I have a hard time blaming QB Aaron Rodgers. Despite 3 INTs, he did score 3 TDs. They have to be able to win games even when he has a couple turnovers. And I don't count the last INT that was returned for a TD against him since it was a 4th down desperation play.

"We've got to get to work as soon as possible on Dallas," said Mike McCarthy at his post-game press conference. What else can they do? They aren't going to find a consistent pass rush sometime this season. Maybe they can find someone to do a better job on kick coverage and special teams blocking. And the good news is that RT Mark Tauscher's knee injury does not appear to be serious, according to the Press-Gazette, so once he returns (again) and they bench LG Daryn Colledge, the offensive line could actually improve. I'm just fed up with Colledge. He mixes in a couple good games with a stinker like this. He's been doing that in each of his 4 seasons. Though as I mention above, it's not exactly the offense that's the problem.

The remaining schedule is a little rougher. Next week against the Cowboys looks tough. The game in Pittsburgh on December 20 is another bad one. But the rest of them are all winnable games against teams with problems of their own (49ers, Lions, Ravens, Bears and Seahawks). I'd put the Cardinals into the tough category, but it's hard to tell with them since they mix in good wins (Giants, Bears) with a stinker loss (Panthers).

Just focus on a win each week and battle for a Wild Card spot. Play-by-play recap after the jump.

Packers vs Buccaneers coverage; Packers vs Buccaneers recap; Packers vs Buccaneers boxscore.

The play-by-play from NFL.com:

First Quarter

(12:27) 12-A.Rodgers pass deep right to 89-J.Jones for 74 yards, TOUCHDOWN.

Obviously it was a great pass, and a great run by WR James Jones. It's really disappointing to remember how good the pass protection was early in the game, and how it deteriorated as the game went on.

(9:48) 12-A.Rodgers pass deep middle intended for 80-D.Driver INTERCEPTED by 33-E.Mack at GB 44. 33-E.Mack to GB 8 for 36 yards (12-A.Rodgers).

Mike McCarthy said in the post-game press conference that Rodgers just didn't see the cornerback in Tampa's base defense.

(8:52) (Shotgun) 5-J.Freeman pass short right to 28-D.Ward for 6 yards, TOUCHDOWN.

Yes, LB Aaron Kampman isn't very good in pass coverage. But obviously it's really hard for the defense to prevent a score when the Bucs only have to go 8 yards after the INT.

(8:02) 25-R.Grant left tackle to TB 44 for 20 yards (36-T.Jackson).

There were a couple times when RB Ryan Grant almost broke a big run. It was a horrible game for the offensive line, but they did manage to open up some running lanes against the Bucs awful run defense.

Second Quarter:

(12:09) (Punt formation) 7-J.Kapinos punt is BLOCKED by 54-G.Hayes, Center-61-B.Goode, RECOVERED by TB-20-R.Barber at GB 31. 20-R.Barber for 31 yards, TOUCHDOWN.

Tom Silverstein said that FB John Kuhn failed to pick up the LB who blocked the punt.

(7:46) 12-A.Rodgers pass deep right to 80-D.Driver for 32 yards, TOUCHDOWN.

A great route by WR Donald Driver. He faked CB Ronde Barber into believing a slant route, and then sprinted down the sideline. And made a difficult over the shoulder catch while dancing around in the pylon.

(6:49) 5-J.Freeman Aborted. 52-J.Faine FUMBLES at TB 3, recovered by TB-5-J.Freeman at TB 3. 5-J.Freeman to TB 3 for no gain (77-C.Jenkins).

I thought QB Josh Freeman had 2 botched fumbles, but apparently this was the only one. It was 1 of 2 recorded fumbles, the other was a botched lateral, but neither fumble bounced the Packers' way.

(5:21) (Shotgun) PENALTY on GB-70-T.Lang, False Start, 5 yards, enforced at TB 45 - No Play.

McCarthy had talked about rotating tackles, and at this point LT T.J. Lang came in for LT Chad Clifton for 2 plays. Rodgers wasn't sacked at all during the 1st half, but then Lang committed this penalty, allowed a hit on Rodgers, and was pulled for Clifton by 3rd down. I don't recall seeing him the rest of the game.

(3:11) 5-J.Freeman pass deep left intended for 85-M.Stovall INTERCEPTED by 36-N.Collins at GB 41. 36-N.Collins to TB 46 for 13 yards (85-M.Stovall).

Freeman's accuracy was bad, he only completed 45% of his passes, but this was his only INT. His accuracy did seem to improve in the red zone.

(2:49) (Shotgun) 12-A.Rodgers pass incomplete short middle to 80-D.Driver.

Then the offense did nothing with their best starting field position of the day. It also gave the Bucs another opportunity on offense and Freeman had his best drive of the 1st half which led to a FG. This was easily a 6 point swing if the Packers could have gotten a couple 1st downs after the INT.

Third Quarter:

(14:17) 12-A.Rodgers sacked at GB 1 for -5 yards (sack split by 91-S.White and 95-C.Hovan). Tampa Bay challenged the safety ruling, and the play was Upheld. (Timeout #1.)

Though RT Allen Barbre came in for Tauscher, the 1st sack, and most pressure thereafter, came from the left side. It wasn't anything complicated; they just went in for the bull rush and overpowered the left side (Colledge and Clifton) of the line. DE Stylez White doubled his sack total from 1.5 to 3 in this game.

(10:20) 12-A.Rodgers sacked at GB 27 for -5 yards (71-M.Bennett).

A defensive tackle the Bucs picked up off waivers a few weeks ago threw TE Donald Lee out of the way for the sack.

(8:17) 12-A.Rodgers pass deep middle intended for 85-G.Jennings INTERCEPTED by 25-A.Talib (41-C.Lynch) at TB 1. 25-A.Talib to TB 16 for 15 yards (80-D.Driver).

Another missed opportunity on offense. A 1st down in Tampa territory and Rodgers lofts this one into triple coverage. Though Driver put a huge hit on CB Aqib Talib. Just a bad decision by Rodgers. It took potential points away from the Packers, but the Bucs didn't do anything with the ball on offense.

(6:40) 5-J.Freeman pass incomplete short right to 34-E.Graham.

(1:51) (Shotgun) 5-J.Freeman pass incomplete short right to 18-S.Stroughter (24-J.Bush).

The Packers run defense was very good again in this game. The Bucs have been able to run the ball a little this season, but they didn't do anything against the Packers. On 2 consecutive 3rd and short plays, the Bucs decided to throw instead and failed to convert either.

Fourth Quarter

(13:39) (Shotgun) 12-A.Rodgers sacked at TB 12 for -6 yards (93-R.Miller).

This was a coverage sack. Rodgers was just waiting for something that never opened up.

(13:04) (Shotgun) 12-A.Rodgers scrambles left end for 12 yards, TOUCHDOWN.

But he made good on the next play with the TD run. They ran 6 of 9 plays on this drive out of the shotgun.

2-M.Crosby kicks 70 yards from GB 30 to TB 0. 22-C.Smith to GB 17 for 83 yards (38-T.Williams).

No 11 point lead is safe from the Packers' special teams. K Mason Crosby was supposed to kick it left, according to Tom Silverstein, but it went straight down the middle where the coverage was weak.

(11:44) (Shotgun) 5-J.Freeman pass short left to 82-K.Winslow for 7 yards, TOUCHDOWN.

The big problem in the red zone was Freeman just too well protected. He had time to wait, on this TD he rolled to his left with no pressure. The Packers have been burned this season on the blitz, but rushing only 4 down lineman has produced so little pass pressure. It really hurt that Kampman was out by this point with a head injury. LB Brady Poppinga did nothing as his replacement.

(7:29) (Shotgun) 12-A.Rodgers pass incomplete short middle to 41-S.Havner [91-S.White].

After the Tampa TD, the Packers call 6 straight running plays, and this 3rd down pass fails. An awful punt nets them only 22 yards.

(5:58) (Shotgun) 5-J.Freeman pass deep left to 80-M.Clayton to GB 13 for 29 yards (31-A.Harris).

(4:20) (Shotgun) 5-J.Freeman pass short right to 18-S.Stroughter for 7 yards, TOUCHDOWN.

Again, I don't recall any noticeable pressure on Freeman during this drive. It's not like Freeman's accuracy was greatly improved, I thought that pass to WR Michael Clayton was tipped except it was just under thrown. Though the TD pass was well thrown.

(4:14) (Shotgun) 12-A.Rodgers sacked at GB 13 for -7 yards (98-R.Sims).

(3:05) (Shotgun) 12-A.Rodgers scrambles right end ran ob at GB 32 for 8 yards. PENALTY on GB-73-D.Colledge, Offensive Holding, 10 yards, enforced at GB 24 - No Play.

(2:57) (Shotgun) 12-A.Rodgers sacked at GB 14 for 0 yards (96-T.Crowder).

The first sack should be on RG Josh Sitton. The lineman knocked him back, ran around him up the middle, and collapsed the pocket. Rodgers recovers for a 1st down run, but Colledge only prevented a sack by committing a holding penalty. Last week, Barbre was benched after a critical late holding penalty ended any chance at a rally. This week, Colledge did the same thing and should get benched too. As far as I remember, the final sack on this series (it's hard to keep them all straight) was a total collapse but DE Tim Crowder got credit for it.

(1:31) (Shotgun) 12-A.Rodgers sacked at GB 4 for -9 yards (91-S.White).

(:52) (Shotgun) 12-A.Rodgers pass deep left intended for 80-D.Driver INTERCEPTED by 36-T.Jackson at GB 35. 36-T.Jackson for 35 yards, TOUCHDOWN.

Another sack is one of the reasons, on 4th and 12, Rodgers has to throw a desperate pass to Driver in double coverage that's picked off. The defense gave them another chance, but the o-line couldn't stop the bull rush and the receivers couldn't get open.

Recap: Green Bay Packers Dominate Browns 31-3

Brandon — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 12:00:29 -0000

More photos » by Scott Heckel - AP

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Just a great game for the Green Bay Packers. They clearly outplayed a lesser team. The biggest stat, box score from ESPN.com, was 460 yards on offense for the Packers, and only 139 for the Browns. RB Ryan Grant had 151 total yards by himself.

The offensive line gave Grant a lot of room to run, and there were no sacks on QB Aaron Rodgers. LT T.J. Lang looked good in this game, getting into the 2nd level to make blocks all over the field. He also kept pass rushers off Rodgers's blind side, he even cleared that side of the field on Rodgers's long 19 yard scramble. Rodgers completed 75% of his passes and seemed to have no trouble finding open receivers. The defense held the Browns to 2.8 yards/carry (21 for 58), and it was another dismal day for QB Derek Anderson (12 of 29 for 99 yards and 1 INT). The special teams really struggled, but the Browns offense couldn't do anything with good field position or second chances. Penalties were a problem again (8 for 70 yards).

There were a couple injuries during the game. According to Mike McCarthy, TE Jermichael Finley and WR Brett Swain both have knee sprains. It's too early to tell, but I expect they'll both miss next week's game. Grant was hurt in the 3rd quarter, but he did come back. Also, DE Cullen Jenkins and LB Brandon Chillar were injured, but then returned. WR Greg Jennings got some dirt in his eye, and he should be fine.

Complete play-by-play recap after the break. This was an important game to win, and not lose sight of, before the Vikings come to town next week. We've got lots to talk about this week.

Packers vs Browns coverage; Packers vs Browns recap; Packers vs Browns boxscore; Dawgs By Nature.

Play-by-Play from NFL.com:

First Quarter:

2-M.Crosby kicks 69 yards from GB 30 to CLV 1, out of bounds.

This was the first of two kickoffs by K Mason Crosby that went out of bounds. I guess they were a little too concerned about WR Joshua Cribbs.

(12:44) 25-R.Grant right tackle ran ob at GB 18 for 4 yards (24-E.Wright).

This was the first of 6 carries on the opening drive by Grant. I had been hoping they would run the ball more, but this drive was ridiculous. They moved the ball 60 yards for almost 7 minutes, and it ended on a failed 4th down attempt.

(4:34) 3-D.Anderson pass deep middle to 11-M.Massaquoi to GB 36 for 22 yards (31-A.Harris). PENALTY on GB-31-A.Harris, Face Mask (15 Yards), 15 yards, enforced at GB 36.

This happened on one of the 2 good drives the Browns managed. They went 70 yards in over 6 minutes, and apparently saw something they liked in the matchup of CB Al Harris and rookie WR Mohamed Massaquoi. Obviously this play was won by Massaquoi, but in all Anderson attempted 8 passes to the rookie, that was his only catch, and usually Harris was in coverage. Overall, a win for Harris.

(:06) (Shotgun) 3-D.Anderson pass incomplete short right to 87-M.Furrey (56-N.Barnett).

Maybe he could have picked it off, but it was a great play by LB Nick Barnett to break up the short pass and force them to settle for a FG.

Second Quarter:

(12:22) 12-A.Rodgers pass short right to 41-S.Havner for 45 yards, TOUCHDOWN.

Finally some pass attempts. Maybe all the 1st quarter running plays were just setting up this pass to TE Spencer Havner. It was 3rd and 1, an obvious running play, but Havner was left uncovered and he turned it up the sideline all the way for a TD.

(11:09) 15-D.Zastudil punts 40 yards to GB 28, Center-64-R.Pontbriand. 38-T.Williams to GB 33 for 5 yards (54-B.Costanzo). PENALTY on GB, Defensive 12 On-field, 5 yards, enforced at CLV 32 - No Play.

This was the 12 men on the field play on a 4th down punt, which gave the Browns a 1st down. Swain was injured on the previous kickoff and McCarthy said it caused a communication/coaching error.

(10:56) 31-J.Lewis right tackle to CLV 37 for no gain (97-J.Jolly, 79-R.Pickett).

The Browns tried to run right up the middle for most of the game, and usually had nowhere to go. This was a play clogged up by DE Johnny Jolly and NT Ryan Pickett, but they didn't have any better luck when NT B.J. Raji and DE Cullen Jenkins played. The Browns aren't a great running team, but they did even worse than usual against the Packers defense. LB A.J. Hawk and Barnett were left unblocked a lot, and they led the team in tackles.

(7:12) 12-A.Rodgers pass short left to 80-D.Driver for 71 yards, TOUCHDOWN.

The Browns showed Rodgers a look he had seen in practice this week, he knew right where to throw the ball, and WR Donald Driver did the rest. Great play by Driver to run past the rest of the secondary, and fend off CB Eric Wright, who was the last man to beat.

(5:15) (Shotgun) 3-D.Anderson pass short right intended for 80-B.Robiskie INTERCEPTED by 21-C.Woodson at CLV 40. 21-C.Woodson to CLV 15 for 25 yards (35-J.Harrison).

Looking back at the last two games, Anderson has attempted 8 passes to rookie WR Brian Robiskie, and he only has 1 reception. Anderson and Robiskie seemed to be running different plays. The learning curve for a rookie WR can be steep.

(2:00) 25-R.Grant left tackle for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN.

After the INT, the Packers had to go 15 yards for the TD. They attacked the weak Browns run defense with 12 yards by Grant, and 3 yards rushing by Rodgers.

(:30) (Shotgun) 3-D.Anderson sacked at CLV 49 for -7 yards (74-A.Kampman).

LB Aaron Kampman has looked much better these last two weeks. He had 5 QB hits last week, and 3 more against the Browns. Including this sack.

Third Quarter:

(11:04) (Shotgun) 12-A.Rodgers pass short middle to 41-S.Havner to CLV 15 for 12 yards (22-B.McDonald). PENALTY on GB-86-D.Lee, Offensive Pass Interference, 10 yards, enforced at CLV 27 - No Play.

A game to forget for TE Donald Lee. He had at least one drop, a big holding penalty in the 1st half, and then this penalty, which did nothing to help Havner on the reception.

(10:28) 2-M.Crosby 55 yard field goal is No Good, Wide Left, Center-61-B.Goode, Holder-10-M.Flynn.

It was 4th and 20, but this whole play seemed rushed. Up 21-3, I was expecting a punt to keep the Browns in bad field position. Instead they attempted a 55 yard FG that missed wide left.

(9:06) 3-D.Anderson pass short right to 16-J.Cribbs to GB 44 for 3 yards (21-C.Woodson). FUMBLES (21-C.Woodson), RECOVERED by GB-54-B.Chillar at GB 48. 54-B.Chillar to GB 48 for no gain (55-A.Mack). Cleveland challenged the incomplete pass ruling, and the play was Upheld. (Timeout #1 at 08:56.)

CB Charles Woodson won't get any statistical credit for the fumble recovery, which seems unfair since it was all because of him. The Packers forced 2 turnovers and Woodson (unsurprisingly) was responsible for both.

(4:22) (Shotgun) 12-A.Rodgers pass short right to 25-R.Grant to CLV 1 for 3 yards (50-E.Barton).

Great play by Browns LB Eric Barton, who stood up Grant at the goal line and forced the Packers to settle for a FG.

(2:01) (Shotgun) 3-D.Anderson pass incomplete short right to 83-G.Estandia. PENALTY on GB-51-B.Poppinga, Defensive Holding, 5 yards, enforced at CLV 36 - No Play.

The drive should have ended there on 3rd and 10, but LB Brady Poppinga grabbed the receiver and gave them another chance.

(1:51) (Shotgun) 3-D.Anderson pass short left to 35-J.Harrison ran ob at CLV 47 for 6 yards (56-N.Barnett). PENALTY on GB-20-A.Bigby, Unnecessary Roughness, 15 yards, enforced at CLV 47.

SS Atari Bigby said he took his eyes off of RB Jerome Harrison and he shouldn't have been near him.

(1:29) 31-J.Lewis left tackle ran ob at GB 22 for 16 yards (21-C.Woodson).

The Browns actually got something going on this drive. It was only their 2nd real scoring opportunity. RB Jamal Lewis had 25 yards rushing on the drive (and 22 yards the rest of the game). This isn't a criticism. I'm just pointing out how good the Packers defense was the rest of the game.

(1:02) 3-D.Anderson pass deep right to 86-M.Gaines to GB 1 for 21 yards (54-B.Chillar).

I'm not a fan of Chillar in coverage against TEs. He allowed two TDs during the St. Louis game, and this near TD pass down to the 1 yard line. A great goal line stand forced an incomplete pass on 4th down.

Fourth Quarter:

(10:19) 25-R.Grant right tackle pushed ob at CLV 5 for 37 yards (26-A.Elam).

I thought Grant was going all the way.

(9:47) 12-A.Rodgers pass short left to 89-J.Jones for 5 yards, TOUCHDOWN.

Nice play by WR James Jones to shield the defender away from the ball. I'm surprised this was the first (and only) pass attempt to him. They rarely had 3 WRs in the game. Usually they had 2 TEs and Havner played a lot.

(8:56) Flynn in at qb 25-R.Grant right guard to GB 14 for 3 yards (93-J.Trusnik).

A QB Matt Flynn sighting. A true sign the game was over.

(6:25) (Shotgun) 3-D.Anderson sacked at CLV 45 for -11 yards (77-C.Jenkins). FUMBLES (77-C.Jenkins), and recovers at CLV 45. 3-D.Anderson to CLV 45 for no gain (74-A.Kampman).

Great play by Jenkins, beating Pro Bowl LT Joe Thomas for the strip. This play started in Packer territory, down 31-3, the Browns couldn't get anything going and were forced to punt again.

(4:34) 10-M.Flynn pass short right to 85-G.Jennings to GB 37 for 12 yards (24-E.Wright).

And Flynn gets to complete a pass too.