Okay, so Packers' defensive end Johnny Jolly wasn’t packing any heat as far as we know, but he was definitely packing something. The one thing we can all be sure of when it comes to the Green Bay Packers upcoming season is that the Jolly green giant will not see the field. Anyways, let’s do away with all the negativity. There is certainly a lot of hype surrounding the green and gold, with many experts picking the Pack to contend for the Super Bowl, so that’s a reason right off the bat to get pumped up for the 2010 season. But is the hype warranted? Well, let’s find out.
The Packers have been gearing up for the grind of another NFL season after walking off the field seven months ago from a demoralizing playoff loss to the Arizona Cardinals (Was that a face mask? I couldn’t tell). Plenty is known about the strengths of the Packers, such as our passing attack, receiving corps and run defense. Therefore, this post is going to focus more on areas that are in question, like our offensive line, pass rush, and secondary.
I’m sure many of you still have that nasty, pungent smell hanging around after watching the Packers’ defense get picked apart by the ageless Kurt Warner (who’s retired now by the way). You’re not going to win many games when you give up 531 total yards and 51 points, believe it or not. This was in large part to the Packers’ inability to rush the passer. What was the reason for this? Maybe it was because defensive coordinator Dom Capers didn’t blitz enough. Or maybe because rookie linebacker Clay Matthews was double teamed nearly every play since the Cardinals knew he was the Pack’s only real blitzing threat. Or maybe because the game was rigged. Whichever way you want to look at it, it wasn’t pretty. However, the defense overall had a pretty solid year. The Cardinals just devised the perfect storm and picked it apart. How to fix this problem? The Packers are mixing it up at the second outside linebacker position, trying out Brandon Chillar, who I hope will start (he likely will) and battled injury last year, and Brady Poppinga opposite of Matthews. Linebacker Brad Jones is also a solid mainstay and stepped in admirably last season after the Aaron Kampman injury, so expect him to be in the mix as well. The team also plans on nose tackle B.J. Raji along with Matthews to continue developing into premier players on defense. The defensive line did a phenomenal job stopping the run, but hopefully there will be more focus on rushing the quarterback, especially with the ability guys like lineman Cullen Jenkins and Raji have. Depth could be an issue on the d-line with Jolly out and some unproven guys rotating in and out. The main thing most want to see out of the Packers’ 3-4 defense this season is consistency, and it’s all about finding the right guys to fit the system and adjusting schemes to avoid games like Arizona.
The O-Line was partially blamed throughout the year for not protecting quarterback Aaron Rodgers, although the number of sacks Rodgers sustained can also be attributed to holding onto the football too long. Rodgers did a much better job of getting rid of the ball as the year went on, and the number of sacks went down. Does this mean the offensive line is a non-issue? In my opinion: yes. Running back Ryan Grant ran for an impressive 1253 yards behind a line that is getting older, but also getting better thanks to the addition of 1st round draft pick Bryan Bulaga. What Bulaga’s role will be is yet to be determined, but he has seen practice time at guard even though his natural position is tackle. I expect to see him in there full time once we get deeper into the football season, and this can only make the line better. Tackles Chad Clifton and Mark Tauscher have been solid throughout their entire careers and are the only sure things as far as starting offensive linemen. I also like guys like T.J. Lang and Jason Spitz…the line is really up in the air so we’ll see how everything plays out during the preseason.
Not only is the strong safety position in question, but also Al Harris’ return to cornerback from his season ending ACL injury, which was actually more serious than reported. Again, no one knows for sure when Harris, who was placed on the active/PUP list, will ultimately return. In the meantime, Tramon Williams will fill in at the position. With safety Atari Bigby out for what is believed to be at least four weeks after ankle surgery, the Packers will turn to 3rd round draft pick Morgan Burnett to fill Bigby’s shoes. Bigby is known as the big hitter in the secondary, but Burnett is more of a ball hawking playmaker, similar to his counterpart at free safety, Nick Collins. I’ve heard nothing but good things about Burnett and I’m excited to see him in the first preseason game, but until we see the rookie get his feet wet, you can’t expect too much.
There are also the contract matters as well as questions surrounding special teams (as usual), but the Packers always do a nice job of locking up key players, which I’m sure they will do with players like A.J. Hawk and Cullen Jenkins. The Packers are taking it slow with recovering return man, Will Blackmon, who is one of the premier kick returners when healthy. Lord knows who will be punting this season, but take a look for yourselves at these names and tell me you feel confident (why did we get rid of Jon Ryan again?). I’m also expecting improvement out of the most overrated player on the Packers roster, kicker Mason Crosby, who looked solid in the Packers’ scrimmage. It would be a shame to see special teams cost the Packers any victories this season.
I think Green Bay is doing their best to address these concerns, and I’m very excited for the season to get going. Keep in mind that they face a pretty difficult schedule compared to last season. Here is my prediction (assuming that Mr. Favre eventually makes his way up to Minnesota):
Regular season record: 11-5
Playoffs: Lose in NFC Championship game
I don’t think this team has what it takes yet to reach the Super Bowl, but I think they have a deep playoff run in them. Anything is possible with their offensive weapons, and I hope this propels Green Bay further than last season.
The PGA Championship is at Whistling Straits this year, located in Kohler for those of you who just stopped reading because golf was mentioned. Yeah, pretty much the only reason I’m talking about golf right now is because Tiger Woods is in Wisconsin…but I like golf though so deal with it. Anyways, hometown man Steve Stricker is my pick and also who I’m rooting for because, like I said before, I’m a homer and he’s from Madison. Stricker is the 4th ranked player in the world, so he’s definitely a legitimate contender, but it would be his first major victory. That’s all I’ve got for now, but I’ll have a short wrap up next week on the tournament.
On deck: some baseball, fantasy sports, golf wrap up, Packers’ preseason game
In the hole: current issues, other cool stuff about sports
Until next time…
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