Packers tame Lions 34-13

On Sunday, the Green Bay Packers defeated the Detroit Lions 34-13 at Lambeau Field tying the franchise record for wins in a season with 13. Brett Favre played a little over a quarter and threw for 99 yards and two touchdowns while Ryan Grant ran for 57 yards including a 27-yard touchdown run in almost the same span.

Several Packers including Pro Bowl wide receiver Donald Driver were inactive for the game and many Packers played minimally giving backups a chance to shine. Rookie running back Brandon Jackson, the starter at the beginning of the season rushed for a career-high 113 yards on 20 carries. Jackson totaled 135 total yards on 22 touches for the game. Backup quarterback Craig Nall, seeing his first game action since 2005, completed seven of fifteen passes for 88 yards and one touchdown, a 32-yard strike to fifth receiver Ruvell Martin.

Second-string tight end Bubba Franks caught his third touchdown of the season from Favre at the beginning of the second quarter. After the touchdown pass, Favre celebrated by slapping hands with the referee. Fourth wide receiver Koren Robinson had a great game, catching four passes for 47 yards and one touchdown.

Nick Collins, Aaron Rouse, and Tramon Williams each led the defense with four solo tackles, while Desmond Bishop registered three solo tackles and one assist. Williams and Atari Bigby each picked off Lions quarterback Jon Kitna once, but the Packers defense could not get through a porous Lions offensive line to Kitna, who has been sacked the most times out of any NFL quarterback this year.

Jon Ryan rebounded from a dismal game at Chicago to boot the longest punt in at Lambeau Field since 1965, a 72-yarder.

The Packers outgained the Lions 394-293, while gaining 217 yards on the ground and 177 yards through the air, the first time this season the ground game has outgained the passing game.

The Packers have a first-round bye in the playoffs.

I’ll have to disagree with Mr. Murray

So this morning I opened up my local paper, The Baltimore Sun, and saw they had "2007's Moments We Hope to Never Relive" in the Sports section, so I was intrigued. Then, they had the following story in it:

Incomplete pass

After seeing the impact Randy Moss has made in New England with the unbeaten Patriots, it appears Brett Favre had a right to be upset when his Green Bay Packers didn't pull the trigger on a proposed trade for Moss.

That was in the summer, when the Oakland Raiders were trying to dump Moss and found few takers. Most teams were concerned Moss would become a distraction and questioned whether he had anything left, based on how poorly he played in Oakland.

The Packers were the most prominent team to talk about a deal, and Favre campaigned publicly for it. But in the end, it was Patriots coach Bill Belichick who swooped in to acquire Moss, who has been the picture of decorum during New England's perfect season.

- Ken Murray

Now, Mr. Murray, I have plenty of flaws to point out with "Incomplete Pass." First of all, I don't really get what this has to do with Baltimore sports, as all the other stories, except for the David Beckham story, the Greg Oden-Kevin Durant story and the Josh Beckett story, pertain directly to Baltimore sports.

Second of all, and this is my real point, the Packers have done more for the future by not getting Moss. If the Packers had acquired Moss, it would have helped in the short term, 2007 and 2008, but Moss is aging, so after 2008, he could be a non-factor. By not getting Moss, the Packers have allowed Greg Jennings to emerge as a go-to receiver, instead of having him fester behind Moss for two years. It also allowed rookie James Jones to get ample playing time. Jones was emerging as a star until that fateful game in Chicago where he had two costly fumbles. Since then he has not seen as much playing time, but the activation of Koren Robinson gave the Packers another deep threat. Ruvell Martin provides a big red zone target.

Adding Moss into the mix could have upset the balance that has been created by Favre. Adding Moss would mean there would be two number one receivers in Driver and Moss that could catch a lot of balls, and Jennings would be pushed back to the third receiver position, where he would not emerge as quickly. Favre would have too many mouths to feed, as Driver and Moss both require lots of throws their way. But now, Favre has the right balance. Driver can get his requisite catches, while Jennings can get two to four catches a game for long gains. Jones is a good possession receiver while Robinson and Martin come in and stretch the field.

Also, there were millions of questions surrounding Moss in the offseason, as you mentioned. The Packers have long been a no-nonsense organization and did want to have to deal with a distraction, as Moss could have been. When the Patriots acquired him, there were whispers that he would not be able to co-exist with Belichick. Obviously, it was a high-risk, high-reward situation. The Patriots took the high-risk and are receiving the high-award. However, the Packers took the low-risk approach and are still reaping high-reward. Also, this offseason, Moss could command a contract too large for the Patriots, making him a one-year rental, while the Packers' top three receivers all have multiple years left on their contracts.

Sure, I would have loved to have seen Moss in green and gold with Favre throwing touchdowns to him, but I am happier to see a young and successful team built for the future. I see nothing that would make this be considered a "Do-over."

Packers-Lions Game Notes

This Sunday, the Packers wrap up the 2007 regular season with a home matchup against the Detroit Lions. The matchup between the two teams is the 157^th all-time.

Some notes for Sunday's game from Packers.com:

• The Lions have not won a game in Wisconsin since 1991, a span of 16 consecutive victories for the Packers.
  
• Detroit makes its visit to Lambeau Field in December for the fourth straight year.
  
• Green Bay won the last meeting in Detroit 37-26, in December.
  
• The Packers have won 12 of the last 14 meetings with the Lions.
  
• Mike McCarthy is 3-0 against the Lions.
  
• Sunday will be the 253^rd consecutive sellout at Lambeau.
  
• 266^th including playoffs.
  
• Green Bay has won 16 of its last 19 games.
  
• The Pack has clinched a first-round bye for the first time since 1997.
  
• The Packers are poised to match the franchise record for regular season wins with 13.
  
• The Packers own the best record in regular season finales in the NFL since 1994.
  
• All-Time Regular season: Packers lead, 83-64-7.
  
• All-Time Playoffs: Packers lead 2-0.
  

So there we have it. Some things to think about during Sunday's game.

Packers to rest starters?

With the No. 2 seed in the NFC locked up, the question can be asked, "Should the Packers rest their starters?" for their home finale against the Detroit Lions.

After last week's dismal performance against the Bears, I think that the main offensive unit should play at least a quarter together. I would take Driver and Jennings out after the first quarter to risk injury to them, while letting Favre play the entire first half. The offensive line should play into the third quarter, as O-line cohesiveness seems as if it has been a problem all year. I would leave Grant in for about a quarter to a quarter-and-a-half to shake off some rust. It's unknown to the casual fan, but two of Grant's carries against the Bears accounted for 90 yards, so he averaged less than one-yard per carry on his other 12 rushes.

On the defensive side of the ball, I would play most of the starters into the third quarter, as the backups are much weaker than they are on the offensive side of the ball. I can see the defensive line and linebackers playing into the third quarter if the game is close, but the Packers could pull Woodson early, due to his nagging injuries. The Packers would have this week and then the bye week to rest their injured before their playoff game.

Whatever the decision that Mike McCarthy makes, let it be for the betterment of the Packers.

Merry Christmas!

Take another number Aaron

According to a source with the Packers, Brett Favre will likely be back in 2008. The source says that Favre has been having more fun than ever and that he would be shocked if he didn't return.

Favre has all the weapons he needs to succeed. He has strong receivers in Donald Driver and Greg Jennings, and then solid No. 3 & 4 options in rookie James Jones and Koren Robinson. Ruvell Martin also provides the necessary fifth receiver. The Packers started the season without a running game, but found one in Ryan Grant, who has been the NFL's leading rusher after Week 8. The Packers still have depth behind Grant with Vernand Morency and rookies DeShawn Wynn and Brandon Jackson, both of which struggled with injuries in their rookie campaigns. The Packers also have another weapon for Favre in tight end Donald Lee.

The offensive line seems it could be a problem next season. Chad Clifton and Mark Tauscher are getting older and the Packers have no clear backups behind them. The young guys (Daryn Colledge, Jason Spitz, Junius Coston, and Allen Barbre) all have potential for next season. They all performed admirably this season, but sometimes not quite up to the level needed.

The only area where the defense could be hurting is in the secondary, as Charles Woodson and Al Harris are 31 and 33, respectively. The secondary is the main area the Packers need to focus on strengthening next season.

So there we have it, Favre might be back next year.

Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas!

I might not be able to post one tomorrow because of Christmas.

Thanks.

Pack mauled by Bears

All the Packers had to do to keep pace with Dallas in the race for the No. 1 seed in the NFC was go into Chicago and beat a mediocre Bears team.

Well, they didn't.

The Bears annihilated the Pack in a 35-7 romp. Nothing was clicking today. It appeared the running game was working, but after the Pack fell behind, they had to throw to get back into it, which did not quite work as Favre threw two picks, one of which was returned for a touchdown. Two of Jon Ryan's punts were blocked, one of which was also returned for a touchdown.

The Packers attempted to keep it close, as the Bears lead was 13-7 at half, but the defense broke and allowed 22 second half points.

Packer of the Game: Ryan Grant. Grant rushed for 100 yards on 14 carries, including a 66-yard scoring play in the second quarter to give the Packers a 7-6 lead.


Quarterback: C-. Favre completed 17 of 32 passes for 153 yards and two interceptions. One of the interceptions was returned for a touchdown by Brian Urlacher. The bad weather definitely hindered Favre's play as did trying to play catch up in the second-half.

Running backs: B. Grant looked good early, but was rendered useless in the second-half by the Bears' big lead. Grant had his fifth 100-yard game since Week 8.

Wide receivers: C. Jennings again led the Pack, but with only three catches and 42 yards. Driver followed him with four receptions for 32 yards. The longest reception by a Packer wide receiver was 20-yards. Four Packer wide receivers caught passes. Rookie James Jones was the only receiver without a catch.

Tight ends: D+. Franks and Lee combined for a measly two catches for ten yards. Lee had only two yards receiving.

Offensive line: C+. Scott Wells had two fumbles while the line gave up only one sack. They did clear the way to another 100-yard game for Grant, but other than that, their performance was nondescript.

Defensive line: C. The D-line was eventually worn down by Adrian Peterson's rushing and they did not sack Kyle Orton. Kampman (two tackles) was taken out of the game by the rushing attack while rookie Justin Harrell registered five total tackles (four solo).

Linebackers: B-. Barnett, Poppinga, and Hawk were the three leading tacklers for the day, but they were also held sackless. Barnett paced all tacklers with 11 solo efforts.


Secondary: B-. They only allowed 101 yards receiving and one touchdown through the air in a solid effort. However, they were not able to intercept Orton.


Special teams: F---. The three minuses could also stand for another word describing this effort. Ryan had two punts blocked, one for a touchdown and shanked a nine-yarder in the third quarter. Ryan averaged only 15.0 yards per punt. However, Devin Hester had only -1 return yards for the game, saving them from four minuses.

Overall grade: D. Horrible performance against a mediocre team today.

Greg Jennings interviewed by NFLPlayers.com

This past week Packers wide receiver Greg Jennings was interviewed by NFLPlayers.com.

This season Jennings has emerged as one of Brett Favre's favorite targets, snagging 50 balls for 878 yards. Jennings has scored 12 touchdowns and is averaging 17.6 yards per catch. Jennings was named an alternate to the Pro Bowl. Jennings has scored in all but two games he has played this season and has a touchdown catch of over 40 yards in six games, clearly emerging as a deep threat. The Packers 38-7 victory over the Raiders is a perfect example of Jennings' prowess, as he caught two passes for 100 yards and one touchdown. Jennings' best game of the year was against the Denver Broncos, as he caught six passes for 141 yards and an 82-yard touchdown to win the game in overtime.

Jennings will be a great one for a long time and, as evidenced by the interview, is a great guy.

Crosby voted Rookie of the Week

Packers kicker Mason Crosby was named Diet Pepsi Rookie of the Week for Week 15.

In the Packers 33-14 victory over St. Louis last Sunday, Crosby went four-for-four on field goals and three-for-three on field goals, giving him 15 points for the week. Crosby converted field goals of 44, 46, and 50 yards in the victory.

Other nominees were Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive end Gaines Adams, Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Anthony Gonzalez, Carolina Panthers quarterback Matt Moore, and Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson.

Packers wide receiver James Jones also won the award in Week 8.

Bigby wins Defensive Player of the Week

In a fan poll on NFL.com, Packers safety Atari Bigby was named GMC Defensive Player of the Week. Bigby, much-maligned in PackerNation, had four tackles and two interceptions in last week's 33-14 victory over the St. Louis Rams in St. Louis. One of Bigby's interceptions came late in the second quarter, preserving the Packers 17-14 lead going into halftime.

Bigby beat out Ronde Barber of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Chicago Bears middle linebacker Brian Urlacher, Mario Williams of the Houston Texans, and Patriots safety Eugene Wilson.

Bigby joins fellow Packers Nick Barnett and Charles Woodson as GMC Defensive Player of the Week. Barnett won in Week 3, while Woodson received the honor in Week 6.

Bigby has 83 tackles (64 solo) for the year while defending eight passes and intercepting four passes. Bigby has come under much criticism here in PackerNation from his lack of coverage abilities, as evidenced by the Dallas game and by other instances this season.

However, this week we can't help but congratulate him.

Four Packers in Pro Bowl, three to start

Four members of the Green Bay Packers have been named to the NFC Pro Bowl squad. Brett Favre, Donald Driver, Aaron Kampman, and Al Harris were selected. Favre, Kampman, and Harris will start.

Favre, making his first appearance in the Pro Bowl since 2003, has had a record-breaking season, breaking records for passing touchdowns, passing yards, and interceptions. Favre is currently second in the NFL in passing yards, fifth in touchdown passes, and fifth in passer rating. Favre was long thought to be done before this season.

One of the main benefactor's of Favre's success has been wide receiver Donald Driver. Driver is fifteenth in the NFL with 78 receptions, twelfth in yards with 1,016, while having caught two touchdowns this year. The main reason for the drop in touchdowns is second-year wide receiver Greg Jennings, who has emerged as Favre's big play threat.

On the defensive side of the ball, defensive end Aaron Kampman will be making his second consecutive trip to Honolulu. Kampman is currently second in the NFL in sacks and has emerged as one of the top defensive ends in the league.

The fourth Packer named to the Pro Bowl, cornerback Al Harris, is making his first trip in ten years in the league. Harris, known for his long dreadlocks and physical style, currently has 36 tackles and two interceptions.

Middle linebacker Nick Barnett, cornerback Charles Woodson, and tackle Chad Clifton were named alternates for the 2007 NFC North Champions. Other alternates include safety Nick Collins, tight end Bubba Franks, running back Ryan Grant, linebacker A.J. Hawk, wide receiver Greg Jennings, tight end Donald Lee, and center Scott Wells.

I think the voters got it right for the most part. Favre, Driver, Kampman, and Harris are all deserving. Barnett and Woodson can be seen somewhat as snubs, and I would place Lee third after Witten and Cooley. I don't know why Franks is being considered for an alternate. Jennings could have been considered for a first-alternate, in my opinion. If Ryan Grant had played the whole season or played a few more games, he would be in the Pro Bowl.

So there's a shocker. The voters got it somewhat right.