Not the prettiest…but…it was a shutout
By Robert McGinn, Journal Sentinel
Oct. 19th, 2009
Green Bay — The crowd of 70,801 ambled out of Lambeau Field Sunday afternoon wondering what the 26-0 pasting of the Detroit Lions meant for the well-being of the Green Bay Packers.
Next Sunday, Packer Nation probably won’t know much more because the Cleveland Browns, the next cupcake on Green Bay’s schedule, appear every bit as punchless as the hapless Lions.
Old Reliable Chad Clifton's return from injury didn't last long. On a horrible playcall at the Lions 3-yard line, the Packers tried to get cute and go play-action, with Rodgers hanging onto the ball too long again, getting sacked, and fumbling the ball away.
It’s almost as if exhibition football, when fans yearn for answers but realize there aren’t any, has reappeared on back-to-back October afternoons.
Patience, people. Two weeks hence, the Minnesota Vikings will be in Lambeau, and at that time the Packers will declare themselves as playoff contenders or playoff charlatans.
Full Story Here (PackerInsider Subscription Required)
Lions Shutout for First Time Since 2001
By Tom Kowalski
October 19th, 2009
GREEN BAY, Wis. — Over the past month or so, the Detroit Lions have done a fairly good job of showing some progress and shedding the label as “the NFL’s worst team.”
Well, they’re back in the hunt now.
While the 1-5 Lions do have a victory this season, they weren’t even competitive in losing 26-0 to the Green Bay Packers on Sunday at Lambeau Field.
Rookie Clay Matthews Smothers Lions QB Daunte Culpepper for one of his two sacks on the day
Offensively, the Lions failed to convert one third down (in 10 tries) and gained just 149 yards. The Lions fell behind 14-0 midway through the first quarter and never threatened to make it a game.
“When something like this happens, you can’t sugarcoat it, you can’t blame it on one side of the ball,” Lions coach Jim Schwartz said.
Linebacker Larry Foote agreed. He said every player should be blamed one by one and not hide behind the “we’ve got to get better as a team” mantra.Full Story Here
Rodgers, Packers overcome 5 sacks in shutout of Lions
GREEN BAY, Wis. — Donald Driver made his mark in franchise history, and rookie linebacker Clay Matthews III had a breakout performance to help the defense post a shutout.
Double D makes a one-handed, left-handed sensational catch as he fights off the pass interference with his right hand
Still, the Green Bay Packers know what worked in Sunday’s 26-0 victory over a Detroit Lions team playing its third-string quarterback won’t necessarily get them where they want to be at the end of the season.
Green Bay’s offensive line gave up five more sacks in yet another shaky performance, left tackle Chad Clifton hurt his ankle again and the Packers (3-2) left plenty of points on the field in the red zone.
“When you’re playing a team that maybe has a little more experienced offense, we’re going to have to cash in those opportunities for seven, not three,” Aaron Rodgers said. “Because those are big momentum swings in a game.”
Despite getting knocked around again, Rodgers threw for 358 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. He found Driver in the first quarter, making him the franchise’s career receptions leader.
It was the 596th career catch for Driver, passing Sterling Sharpe’s mark.
“It couldn’t it come in a better place — at home in front of the fans I’ve played in front of for so many years,” Driver said, holding the record-setting ball in the locker room. “It feels good. Now I just have to wait on Sterling to call me and congratulate me.”
Matthews had two sacks as the Packers turned in a commanding defensive effort against an undermanned Lions offense. 
Detroit (1-5) was without rookie quarterback Matthew Stafford and wide receiver Calvin Johnson because of injuries — and it showed, as the Lions managed only 79 yards of total offense in the first half and 149 for the game.
Backup quarterback Daunte Culpepper hurt his hamstring in the third quarter and was replaced by third-stringer Drew Stanton.
“It’s very disappointing, very frustrating,” Culpepper said. “It’s embarrassing to me not to be able to move it on the field and get points on the board. We’ve got to figure out a way to do that, simple as that.”
The Lions came into this season with a new coach and a new attitude, but so far have only one win to show for it going into a bye week. Detroit also has lost 19 straight games in the state of Wisconsin — including last year’s painful loss at Lambeau Field that sealed their 0-16 season.
“You can’t sugarcoat it,” Lions coach Jim Schwartz said. “You’ll have a hard time finding the silver lining in this one.”
Sunday was a wild romp for a Packers defense that has struggled at times with the transition to Dom Capers’ 3-4 defense this season.
Green Bay had five sacks and interceptions by defensive lineman Cullen Jenkins, cornerback Al Harris and safety Atari Bigby, who returned to the field after missing three games with a knee injury. 
“Guys were ready to play today,” safety Nick Collins said. “We just had fun and flew to the ball all over the place. That was a lot of fun out there.”
But the Lions’ loss wasn’t nearly as lopsided as it could have been, thanks in large part to continued breakdowns and penalties by the Packers’ offensive line.
Rodgers put two quick touchdowns on the board, the first a 47-yarder to James Jones and the second 1-yard pass to fullback John Kuhn. But the offense fell into a lull after that, at one point settling for four straight field goals on drives inside the Detroit 30-yard line.
“It feels like a 50 to zero game, but we didn’t quite get there,” cornerback Tramon Williams said. “I felt we should’ve put more points on the board.”
Things got even worse in the third quarter for the Lions, when Culpepper hurt his hamstring on a scramble and Stanton took over.
Stanton’s second series resulted in an interception by Harris off a deflection and the Packers’ offense appeared to get back on track when Driver made a one-handed catch on a deep pass by Rodgers. The Packers drove to the Lions 3, but Rodgers was sacked and fumbled on first-and-goal to scuttle yet another chance at a touchdown.
Even worse, Clifton came up limping after the play and left the game. Packers coach Mike McCarthy confirmed that Clifton re-injured the ankle that kept him out of the previous two games, but a timeline for his return remains unclear.
Game notes
It was the Packers’ first shutout since a November 2007 home game against Minnesota. … Driver has caught a pass in each of his last 116 games, also a Packers’ franchise mark. … Packers WR Jordy Nelson bruised his knee in the first quarter when he dropped a punt, and did not return, but McCarthy said X-rays were negative. … Lions LB Julian Peterson had 2 1/2 sacks. … Mason Crosby’s four field goals tied a career high.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/recap?gameId=291018009
Packers OL has Whole Offense out of Tune
What the writer fails to realize is: It starts up front, and a bad OL will bring down a good offense. You can have a great sports car, with brand new, top-of-the-line tires, gorgeous interior, etc. But if the engine loses a cylinder (Tauscher), or two (+Clifton), that will negatively affect the whole car’s performance. Does it mean those tires aren’t as good as we thought? No it does not.
Tom Silverstein, Journal Sentinel
Oct. 18th, 2009
Green Bay — Coming out of the exhibition season, the Green Bay Packers’ offense looked primed to challenge the New Orleans Saints for supremacy in the points race.
The No. 1 offense scored touchdowns on nine of its 13 possessions, averaged 20 points in the first half of its four games and ran for a healthy 4.2 yards per carry. The Packers’ top four receivers averaged 18.4 yards a reception, and tight end Jermichael Finley looked like a star in waiting with two touchdown catches.
When the QB has to dodge bullets most of the game, it will affect the timing of everything
And most encouraging, quarterback Aaron Rodgers wasn’t sacked once and finished with a passer rating of 147.9, just 10.4 points off the highest possible mark.
Four games into the regular season, the Packers don’t resemble that offense much.
Rodgers has a fine passer rating of 101.1 and has thrown only one interception, the running game is averaging 4.2 yards per carry and the receivers are averaging an NFL-high 14.3 yards per catch. But statistics don’t win division titles, victories do, and the Packers have cheated themselves out of possibly two more than they have because their offense can’t get in the end zone.
This Favre sounds unfamiliar to Packers
By Mike Hunt, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
October 5th, 2009
GREEN BAY, Wis. – Now this was a different Brett Favre than we’ve all been accustomed to hearing. The nervous Brett. The defensive Brett. The Brett who had not sounded quite this awkward since his wooden “There’s Something About Mary” lines. 
The Brett with the odd inflection in his voice that made it apparent that the bizarre circumstances surrounding Monday night were not just background noise for him on this particular Thursday.
“For what?” was his response to the question of why he never has reached out to Aaron Rodgers.
Other than being a good teammate when the two were together, no reason.
Full story here
Whatever Happened To: The Packer Screen Pass
By Bob McGinn, Journal Sentinel
Posted: Oct. 5th, 2009
Screen scheme Neglected under McCarthy, as evidenced on the Field
The screen pass, a successful staple for the Green Bay Packers under coaches Mike Holmgren and Mike Sherman, has fallen into disuse and disrepair under Mike McCarthy.
Rodgers is athletic and smart enough to execute the screen, but it takes the coaching staff's commitment, and the timing of the OL and downfield blockers for it to work, which would help negate a fierce purple pass rush
If, for some reason, McCarthy has been saving his best screens, this week wouldn’t be a bad time to break them out.
As sure as Packers fans like trashing Vikings fans, Minnesota’s fierce front four will fly off the ball hell-bent for Aaron Rodgers on Monday night when the border rivals meet at the Metrodome.
Slowing down that pass rush will test McCarthy’s mettle as an offensive tactician. Over the years, little has worked better toward that end than the little old screen pass.
“Yes, we’ve considered that,” offensive coordinator Joe Philbin said Friday. “We’ve considered everything.”
Full story from McGinn here
Linebackers’ Moment to Shine: Kampman, Matthews thrust into critical roles
By Tom Silverstein, Journal Sentinel
Oct 5th, 2009
With every game he has played this season, Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre has been sacked fewer times than in the game before.
Four against Detroit, three against Cleveland and two against San Francisco.
If the Green Bay Packers have anything to do with it, that trend not only will end Monday night, but it will be turned on its head in the same fashion Favre is turned on his. It’s a great plan to have, but to really put the old man in his place, the Packers are going to need more production from their outside linebackers.
Brady Poppinga and the Packers LBers will be critical in both containing the NFL's best RB, and getting pressure on the NFL's oldest QB
The 3-4 defense showcases the outside rushers, particularly the one on the right side, who generally gets to attack the weak side of the formation and the quarterback’s blind side. Every successful 3-4 defense has a James Harrison, DeMarcus Ware, Shawne Merriman or Terrell Suggs putting the fear of Lombardi into opposing backfields.
Some, like the Pittsburgh Steelers, have another outstanding outside linebacker like Lamar Woodley to complement Harrison.
The Packers?
Well, they have a former 4-3 pass-rushing end at left outside linebacker and a rookie still getting his feet wet on the right side. Aaron Kampman and Clay Matthews have been a solid duo on passing downs, combining for two sacks, a forced fumble and three other quarterback hits.
But calling them the linchpins of coordinator Dom Capers’ pressure package would be an overstatement.
“Where we are right now, we’re still trying to find out what our best combination of people are,” Capers said Friday.
Full Story from Tommy here
Brett Favre Isn’t as Clutch as you Think
By David Fleming, ESPN Magazine
Oct 5th, 2009
Pushing 40, with a sore right foot, a gimpy knee, two bad shoulders and a stiff neck, Brett Favre bounced from the pocket and ripped a 32-yard game-winning laser to a blanketed Greg Lewis streaking across the back of the 49ers’ end zone. And when the tiny rubber FieldTurf pellets gave off their telltale rooster tail, indicating that, yes, Lewis had gotten his right toe down in bounds, the entire football world seemed to celebrate the fact that Favre had worked his gritty kind of magic one more time.
Favre draws Ire of Ex-Packers
By ESPN.com’s Kevin Seifert
Oct 5th, 2009
“Brett Favre wearing a Vikings uniform playing the Packers? That’s about as bad as it gets.” Packers Great Jerry Kramer
How do ex-Green Bay Packers who played on the team’s Super Bowl winners feel about Brett Favre donning the purple and gold of the archrival Minnesota Vikings and facing his former team?
"When you switch to the Vikings, that's the one team you hate and hate's a strong word," said former Packer great LeRoy Butler
“Sorry Brett. You’re on the other side now,” said LeRoy Butler, who played with Favre on the 1996 Super Bowl winners, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
“It’s not just another person that walked away, it’s Brett, whom we all loved and admired and thought the world of, and now he’s on the dastardly Vikings,” added Jerry Kramer, a guard on Vince Lombardi’s back-to-back Super Bowl winners, according to the report.
Full Story from ESPN here
Favre’s Flip-Flop Fuels Bitter Packers-Vikings Rivalry
Mon, October 5th MINNEAPOLIS – These Midwestern states of Wisconsin and Minnesota have much in common, including an intense dislike of each other’s football teams.
It’s more polite than the East Coast, but this is a true story: An angry Vikings fan was once arrested for trying to light a Packers backer on fire.
Only Aaron Rodgers has been sacked more this season than Brett Favre.
So when Brett Favre called off retirement for a second straight summer and did the unthinkable by signing with the Vikings, that loathing toward the NFL’s all-time leading passer formally shifted east to Wisconsin.
On Monday night, Minnesota will host Green Bay at the Metrodome in Favre’s first game against his old team.
Full Story from Slam Sports here