Passing of the Torch

With the retirement of Brett Favre, the Aaron Rodgers era officially begins. As I said before, I am perfectly fine with Brett's retirement, but the adjustment is still there. As Packer fans, it is time to accept the Aaron Rodgers era with open arms. We know Brett had an amazing career and there are not enough superlatives to describe it. So I'm not going to try. There are plenty of people singing his praises already, and I will choose to do so, only not on this blog.

So without further a due, Aaron Rodgers, starting quarterback of the Green Bay Packers.

At a Super Bowl press conference, coach Mike McCarthy said that Rodgers is "the man" after Favre's retirement. Well Mr. Rodgers, you are officially "the man." So let's learn a little about the man.

Aaron Charles Rodgers was born December 2, 1983 in Chico, California. Rodgers was a two-year starting quarterback at Pleasant Valley High School in Chico, where he set state records with 440 all-purpose yards and 6 touchdowns in one game and 2,466 total yards in a season. Rodgers gained 4,419 passing yards in his two years at quarterback. Lightly recruited out of college, Rodgers' only offer was to walk-on at Illinois, an offer which he declined. Rodgers attended Butte College, leading them to a 10-1 record, and decided to transfer to a Division I school after his sophomore year.

California coach Jeff Tedford discovered Rodgers while recruiting another player, and offered him a scholarship. Rodgers arrived on campus in 2003 and started in the fifth game of the season against Illinois. Rodgers started the rest of the year leading Cal to an 8-6 record, including a victory over USC in his second start. Rodgers also started the Insight Bowl against Virginia Tech, a game which the Golden Bears won. He tied the school record for 300-yard games with five and had only 1.43% of his passes intercepted, a school record.

In his junior campaign, Rodgers helped Cal acquire a No. 4 ranking in the regular season. The Golden Bears lost only one game that year, a 23-17 overtime heartbreaker to USC, a game in which he completed 23 consecutive passes. Rodgers also set a school record for completion percentage in that game, completing 85.3% of his passes. Rodgers shared Cal's Offensive MVP award in 2004 while being named First Team All-Pac 10 and Honorable Mention All-American. After a 45-31 Holiday Bowl loss to Texas Tech, Rodgers decided to enter the 2005 NFL Draft.

Going into the draft, the San Francisco 49ers were thought to pick either Utah quarterback Alex Smith or Rodgers with the first pick in the draft. This decision was a hot news story in the days leading up to the draft, creating much debate on who should be picked first. San Francisco opted to choose Smith, who has had a below-mediocre career, over Rodgers. Thus began Rodgers' freefall to the Packers at the 24^th pick. Rodgers was at the draft, which created one of the worst P.R. nightmares in draft history, as he was ushered off into a side-room during the draft.

He signed to a rookie contract worth $7.7 million with $5.4 million guaranteed over five years. The contract could be worth up to $24.5 million if all incentives were met. Rodgers spent the Packers 4-12 season as backup to Favre, and saw limited game action against the New Orleans Saints and Baltimore Ravens. In his second year, Rodgers relieved Favre after an injury in a 35-0 loss against New England and broke his foot, ending his 2006 campaign. In 2007, Rodgers was again relegated to backup duty, but got his first taste of the spotlight. Against Dallas on November 29, 2007, Favre suffered an arm injury and Rodgers rallied the Packers from a 17-point deficit to within three points, before the Packers succumbed 37-27. Rodgers oozed potential in this game, completing 18 of 26 passes for 201 yards and his first career touchdown. The next week in practice, Rodgers pulled his hamstring and did not see action for the rest of the season.

If Rodgers wants to be "the man" in Green Bay, he will have to overcome many different obstacles. First off, he has an unreasonably large pair of shoes to fill. Second, he has plenty of doubters. Scouts criticized his size before the draft, saying that, at 6'2", he was too small to play quarterback in the NFL. There are also questions about his pedigree, as many speculate he is just a Tedford product. In his career as a college coach at Fresno State, Oregon, and Cal, Tedford has had six quarterbacks picked in the first round, including Rodgers, Trent Dilfer, Akili Smith, Joey Harrington, and Kyle Boller. Quite the list there, eh?

However, Rodgers is not that green. He has sat for three years behind one of the greatest quarterbacks of all-time. Although Favre was initially reluctant to help Rodgers learn the ropes, he came around and provided some leadership to the young quarterback. Rodgers has a multiple offensive weapons at his disposal as well. Ryan Grant will take a huge amount of pressure of Rodgers, giving the Packers a reliable running game and easing reliance on the pass. Rodgers has one of the best young corps of receivers to rely on as well, with Donald Driver, Greg Jennings, and James Jones. However, if the Packers want Rodgers to be able to do anything, they will need to shore up a mercurial offensive line. The key to Rodgers' performance will be the aging Mark Tauscher and Chad Clifton along with the young guys up front. If they are not able to mesh, Rodgers will be taking a seat. Often.

Brett Favre is gone. We must accept that, as hard as it is. I myself may be taking this a little hard, as I am in a four-day mourning period where I am wearing my Favre jersey non-stop, before putting it away until the first Packers game of next year.

As Packer fans and PackerNation, we must give Aaron Rodgers our full support.

And yes, ladies, he is single.

The End of an Era

On March 4, 2008, at approximately 11:34 AM, I learned the shocking news that Brett Favre is walking away from the game after 17 years in the league when my AP Euro teacher logged onto Yahoo! I shortly confirmed the story thereafter.

Due to the fact that I am still in school and should be studying for a Spanish test, I will post more later updating the developments of this news story that has yet to sink in. Please stay with PackerNation for more developments in this turn events.

Thanks.

And please, PackerNation, be rational. No suicides.

--DJ

Poll Results: March 3, 2008

The first PackerNation poll has come to a close. The question "Will Brett Favre return next season?" received 57 responses. Fifty (50) voters, or 87% of the vote, said that Favre will indeed return next season while seven (7) voters, or 12% of the vote said that Favre will not return next season.

Many people inside and outside the Packers organization feel that Favre will return, including new team president Mark Murphy who told the Associated Press that he is confident about Favre's return. Others, including head coach Mike McCarthy do feel that Favre will return, but that he needs his space and to take his time in the decision.

On Sunday, NFL.com's Adam Schefter reported that Favre would not return if the Packers did not acquire or at least try to acquire New England Patriots wide receiver Randy Moss in free agency. I feel that the Packers do need a big Moss-like wide receiver in their corps, although Ruvell Martin could eventually fill that bill. Someone like Indiana wide receiver James Hardy, whom I have already mentioned, would be a great addition. I feel that Favre's decision should not totally hinge on the addition of Moss, but it would definitely help the team to add him.
This week's poll is "Was trading Corey Williams to the Cleveland Browns a good move?" The poll will stay up for approximately one week, until March 10, 2008. Vote, and make your opinion heard on the matters of the Packers.

PPP: Quarterbacks

In 2007, the Green Bay Packers quarterback play exceeded all expectations. Coming into the season, Brett Favre was thought to be on the downside of his career, but proved the pundits wrong, while Aaron Rodgers showed that he could play. Ingle Martin's dismal preseason doomed his hopes of making the roster while Craig Nall came back on board due to Rodgers' injury.

Let's take a look at each quarterback's stats:

Brett Favre
Comp: 356
Att: 535
Yds: 4155
Comp%: 66.3
TD: 28
INT: 15
Long: 82t
Sack: 15
Rating: 95.7

Best game (tough decision): Week 3 vs. San Diego
Comp: 28
Att: 45
Yds: 369
TDs: 3
INT: 0
Comp%: 62.2
Rating: 110.3

Favre had a remarkable year in 2007. No one expected him to have this type of year at the age he had it at. He owns most of the passing record books now and helped the Packers to their first NFC Championship Game appearance since the 1997 season. Favre missed most of the Dallas game with shoulder and elbow injuries but returned the next week, keeping his starts streak intact. The Packers finished 13-3.

Aaron Rodgers
Comp: 20
Att: 28
Yds: 218
Comp%: 71.4
TD: 1
INT: 0
Long: 43
Sack: 3
Rating: 106.0

Best game (easy decision): Week 13 @ Dallas
Comp: 16
Att: 26
Yds: 201
TDs: 1
INT: 0
Comp%: 69.2
Rating: 104.8

Rodgers finally got his first taste of big game action Week 13 at Dallas in front of a national, DirecTV-subscribing audience. Rodgers relieved Favre early in the game and did his best to keep the Packers in the game, pulling them to within three before the Cowboys pulled away. Rodgers, as Favre's heir apparent, has seen much scrutiny in his short career. He showed he could play against Dallas, however, but there are questions about his health, as he pulled his hamstring the next week in practice, causing him to miss most of the rest of the season, and he broke his foot in 2006, ending his campaign early. Rodgers is the future of the Packers.

Craig Nall
Comp: 7
Att: 15
Yds: 88
Comp%: 46.7
TD: 1
INT: 0
Long: 32t
Sack: 1
Rating: 87.6

Best game (easy decision): Week 17 vs. Detroit
Comp: 7
Att: 15
Yds: 88
TDs: 1
INT: 0
Comp%: 46.7
Rating: 87.6

Nall was re-signed by the Packers after Rodgers' hamstring injury. Nall was a Packers backup from 2002-2005. He is not expected to return next season, as he continues his search for a starting job.

2007 Grade: A

2008 Outlook
The outlook for 2008 looks very good for the Packers quarterbacks. Favre is still solid and adjusted well to be being a game manager with Ryan Grant's emergence. His willingness to tutor Rodgers will continue to be a help. Some regression can be expected with Favre's age, while Rodgers showed in 2007 that he could play. I would expect to see more of Rodgers in the second and third quarters of games, and earlier in garbage time. Favre has to retire eventually (I think), but he will be able to produce solidly in 2008. He will not be able to perform at the 2007 level, but I would say somewhere in the neighborhood of 3500 yards and 20 TDs. And Rodgers is waiting in the wings for him, if needed.

2008 Projected Grade: B+

Draft Needs
I personally do not think there are any. I have enough faith in Rodgers that the Packers do not need to draft him. However, I have seen mock drafts with the Packers picking Kentucky quarterback Andre Woodson in the second round. Personally, I think that is too early for the Packers to pick a quarterback. I can see the Packers taking a risk on a small-school quarterback such as Josh Johnson from San Diego or Ricky Santos from New Hampshire, much like they did with Ingle Martin out of Furman a few years back. But if the need is not there, why address it?

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.

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.