Pack93z
  • Pack93z
  • Select Member Topic Starter
16 years ago
It begins tonight; can the Packers of 08 really pull it off?

As much as the saga strained my passion for the game of football this summer, I am confident that we can be very successful this season. And to be perfectly honest, I think the keys to returning to the playoffs this season is essentially three fold, and none of them begins with the QB. Dont get me wrong, these arent the only three factors, but in my opinion we will only go as far as these two aspects take us.

1) Offensive line play If the line plays as inconsistent as last season, meaning a couple of good weeks followed by a couple of blah weeks; we as a team are in trouble. I would love to say, it is only reserved for the interior line, but that isnt the case. For as much depth as this team has acquired, we are razor thin along the offensive line for solid depth.

Our front line tackles are exceptional; Clifton and Tauscher in my opinion are still in a top 5 combos in the league. However we have virtually no trusted depth behind them, we have a rookie whom isnt ready to play in the NFL and two sliders along the line. In the NFL, that is razor thin.

At the interior, we have a couple of players in their third year and a sophomore that havent proven they can line up weekly and play to their ability. I know I sound critical of these gents, but honestly, the only time Colledge really plays well is after he has gotten threatened with being sat and his tail end chewed upon. Spitz and Wells are pretty solid and Sitton is green and will have his troubles.

Can we win with this group, yes we can. But with concerns about the health of our starting QB and TB, they need to step it up, play focused with solid techniques and path the way for this offense this season. We have talent on the field, they just need to allow whomever is at QB to have time to function to their ability.

2) Defensive Adjustments On the defensive side of the ball, we have enough talent and experience to have a very solid to exceptional defensive unit. But we have to be flexible enough to adjust away from our strengths if they are being exposed and mix it up for the opposing QB and OC.

While a vanilla scheme with the bulk of the passing defense being shouldered by a couple of the grizzled veteran CBs is a defense that masks some of the youthful mistakes, it also is prone to being exposed from time to time with bigger receivers that use their hands well coming off the line of scrimmage.

For as much verbal chatter about learning from the loss in the championship game and making sure that it isnt repeated, this is as critical as any other possible issue we faced this offseason. Sanders has to gain a feel for the game, have the comfort to alter the scheme if it is being exposed and have the confidence in his backend of the defense to make them play on the field; not trying to minimize their exposure in coverage.

3) This team has to stay unified There will be more storms to weather this season than a year ago and that very element will test the fabric of this team more so than any opponent this season.

Through the preseason, they have maintained a united front with all the press and changes occurring. That bodes well for the chances of this team to withstand the rough waters that surely lie ahead.

Whether it is the QB play, injuries or the nonstop prodding of the press when this team loses a game or two; there will have to be a level of trust and unification amongst this team. If the bloodthirsty sharks that pose as reporters seem a hint of team breakdown, it will become a all out feeding frenzy until the bleeding stops. We cant allow that to start to snowball to this youthful team, like I said, it will test every fiber of this team until the final whistle blows.


I could go on and on about the Xs and Os, the matchup problems we could project upon other teams, the skill level and depth of this team, but if the above fail to measure up it is going to be a season of great challenges met with increased struggle.

Here is to putting the past behind us, not forgetting but moving forward with the excitement of a new era in the chronicles of the Packers long and proud history.

Win or lose tonight, it doesnt really change the season ahead.. for it is only one game on the path of growth.

- Pack93z, a twisted fellow that bleeds Green and Gold.

Enjoy the game all..
"The oranges are dry; the apples are mealy; and the papayas... I don't know what's going on with the papayas!"
bigfog
16 years ago
Busting the ghost of Favre, that is brilliant good sir. "I ain't afraid of no Favre"

One thing that I think may be overlooked here is the perception that the Vikings are allegedly "better" than the Pack. After all, they happen to be a trendy Super Bowl pick. They're "supposed" to beat teams like Green Bay. They've got an awful lot of pressure riding on them, I'd say that it's comparable to the pressure Rodgers is facing.

Will that pressure effect them? I guess we'll find out tonight.
"I wouldn't root for the Minnesota Vikings to win a chess match against Nazi Germany."
digsthepack
16 years ago
As I said in a previous post, as soon as a modicum of expectation, or pressure, is placed on the Queens, they do not have the mental fortitude to weather it.

Pile on the hype, and create a little of your own Queens fans/players.....it just feeds into your terribly fragile psyches.
State Motto: "Wisconsin, our serial murderers eat their kill!"
PackerTraxx
16 years ago
I hope we can bust the ghost of Favre now. Even though I loved Brett I don't want his ghost to haunt us for the better part of 3 decades as Lombardi's did.
Why is Jerry Kramer not in the Hall of Fame?
NodakPaul
16 years ago
We'll see. You know the old saying... You don't want to be the successor to a legend. You want to be the successor to the successor to the legend. Rodgers is going to need awfully big feet to fill the shoes he inherited.

I think at the end of the season Rodgers and the Packers will be able to look back at 2008 as a successful year. Don't gauge the entire season by the performance of the team tonight... šŸ˜‰
"There's the snap, Rodgers with a quick drop - in trouble! AND SACKED BY ALLEN! The ball is lose, the ball is lose, and recovered by Kevin Williams! And that's the ball game! Childress and the Vikings FINALLY beat the Packers!"
--
Greg C.
16 years ago
Awesome post, pack93z. So often I read better stuff here than I do in the newspapers and magazines and web sites. This is a good example of that.

While the Favre thing was happening, I lost some of my enthusiasm, but as soon as it ended my enthusiasm came right back and is stronger than ever. Everyone in the organization from Thompson to the 53rd player on the roster will be out to prove that they can live without Favre. Most people in the national media see this in terms of "pressure," but I see it in terms of "motivation." Of course, it is some of each.

Your concerns about the OL are well-founded and I cannot disagree with them, but as I've said elsewhere, I feel that as long as they are average we have enough talent on offense to be very productive. Much is said about how a good OL can make the QB, RBs, and receivers look better than they are, but the reverse is true as well.

On defense, I think Sanders will mix things up more, and the big question is whether that will make the defense better or whether it will backfire, Slowik-style. I wouldn't go so far as to call our CBs grizzled veterans. I know you're not really serious about using that term, but I think it's worth noting that Woodson, at 31, is still in his prime, while Harris, at 33, is either in his prime or just a little ways past it.

I couldn't agree more about the team unity thing. That's going to be the real story of this season. I think they will be very unified and it will carry over onto the field.
blank
Pack93z
  • Pack93z
  • Select Member Topic Starter
16 years ago
Thanks Greg.. the oline was spotty tonight but showed signs of life between penalties.

The Defense though stayed static in coverage..but did stunt a greater percentage.

The team looked unified in stance.. that will be tested the first loss or two.

Solid start to 08.
"The oranges are dry; the apples are mealy; and the papayas... I don't know what's going on with the papayas!"
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dfosterf (25-Jul) : *cafeteria* I have hit my head also, so I sympathize
dfosterf (25-Jul) : Possibly hit his head leaning into the glass protecting the food in the cafateria
dfosterf (25-Jul) : Maybe a low flying drone
dfosterf (25-Jul) : Did Savion Williams run into a goalpost or something?
Mucky Tundra (25-Jul) : also, no bueno when a guy starts getting concussions right off the bat in his career
Zero2Cool (25-Jul) : Concussion is worse. Banks probably vet off day via back booboo claim
Mucky Tundra (25-Jul) : @AndyHermanNFL Jordy Nelson out at camp today. No word if he’s in play for one of the two open roster spots ; )
dfosterf (25-Jul) : Is that better or worse than Banks bad back?
Zero2Cool (25-Jul) : Savion concussion ... not good.
packerfanoutwest (24-Jul) : Aaron Rodgers’s first pass of first team period was picked off
Mucky Tundra (24-Jul) : tbh I didn't hear of his passing
Zero2Cool (24-Jul) : Cosby Show. Malcom Jamal Warner I think is real name
Mucky Tundra (24-Jul) : I was thinking of Ozzy and Hulk
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Zero2Cool (24-Jul) : How is Theo alliteration?
Mucky Tundra (24-Jul) : Bad week for people whose names are alliterations
Zero2Cool (24-Jul) : Hulk Hogan gone too.
Zero2Cool (24-Jul) : Oh, it's toe injury
Zero2Cool (24-Jul) : Hope it's not serious. that would stink
dfosterf (24-Jul) : Sounds like an ankle not a knee for Fields
dfosterf (24-Jul) : Ya Flaccp on Browns
Zero2Cool (24-Jul) : Maybe Tyrod Taylor instead
Zero2Cool (24-Jul) : He's on Browns, right?
dfosterf (24-Jul) : They would probably go with Flacco is my guess if Fields out
dfosterf (24-Jul) : Fleece 'em again!
Zero2Cool (24-Jul) : Malik Willis might be someone Jets come after
packerfanoutwest (24-Jul) : Packers introduce 1923-inspired classic uniform, leather-look helmet
Zero2Cool (23-Jul) : Both LB Quay Walker and Rookie DB Micah Robinson have passed their physicals
Zero2Cool (23-Jul) : Happy to see site feels more snappy snappy
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dfosterf (23-Jul) : You didn't get free childcare when you were at work?
wpr (23-Jul) : These guys make hundreds of thousands of dollars a year. Pay for their own childcare.
dfosterf (23-Jul) : 2nd issue. Number 1 issue was no gameday childcare. 1 of 3 teams not providing it
Zero2Cool (23-Jul) : Suppose if locker room is main issue, we sitting pretty
wpr (23-Jul) : I thought so Mucky. In those useless player polls GB always rates high overall. Locker is a part of it.
Mucky Tundra (23-Jul) : Wasn't the locker room just updated like 6 or 7 years ago?
Zero2Cool (23-Jul) : I have forum updated on different site. We'll see how this one goes before going to that
Zero2Cool (23-Jul) : Elgton Jenkins has a back injury, is expect to end contract dispute
wpr (23-Jul) : It's funny the PA complained about the locker room. It wasn't that long ago it was top shelf. Things change in a hurry.
wpr (23-Jul) : The site is much more better.
Zero2Cool (23-Jul) : NFLPA report said Packers lockerroom needed upgrade. Whining bout where you change?
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