Packers Now Number 1 on NFL

The shouting that we are number one came out from the locker room of the Green Bay Packers last Tuesday.  They don’t have the luxury of time to celebrate since they are now getting ready for the Baltimore Ravens on Monday night.  The Packers NFL-best 281.5 yards allowed per game for this season and other statistics show that they have not achieved it yet.  Nick Barnett an inside linebacker acknowledges that talking about the stats this year is better than last season, when everyone is asking why the defense of the team is down. 

It feels so good to be talking about number one.  Now we have to keep focused and stay focused, this is what Barnett said.  But things should be in perspective.   You will not be number one unless the season ends and you are still up there and there is still a lot of work ahead of us and we still have a lot of growing up to do.

Packers 27 Straight Points Rout Lions

The Detroit Lions are used to taking pride in playing on Thanksgiving.  But lately, they feel embarrassed when the national tunes are played while watch them.  Aaron Rodgers matched a career high with three touchdown passes and Charles Woodson got two of his team’s four interceptions that gave the Green Bay Packers the win over Detroit 34-12.  The Lions dropped six straight games on the holiday that set a franchise record to an average of 23.2 points and eight of nine in the game.

The latest defeat was a psychological setback for Detroit (2-9) only days after Matthew Stafford played his biggest comeback win since 1957.  Dominic Raiola the Detroit center said It was a different feeling in the locker room especially on national television to come out loosing.  Before its last loss, Detroit had four straight wins and nine of 12 on Thanksgiving.

Spitz on Injured Reserve

Jason Spitz an offensive lineman of The Green Bay Packers has been listed on injured reserve due to a lower-back injury.  Spitz, who plays guard and center, was able to play in five games this season.  He is part of the teams’ offensive line but has allowed a league-worst 31 sacks.  He is entering his fourth season as one of the most versatile and consistent player on the offensive line.  He will be competing for starting center position with the present starter Scott Wells after being primarily at right guard during his first three seasons.  

He started all 16 games for the first time in his career in ’08.  He joined Daryn Colledge a lineman as the only offensive player on offense to take every snap on the season.  His versatility has been shown by starting at both center and guard positions during his career.  The Packers also signed Biren Ealy a wide receiver coming from the practice squad on Saturday.  He appeared in four games with Tennessee in 2007 and on the Titans’ practice squad on the 2008 season.

Rodgers Can Probably Play Against Buccaneers

Aaron Rodgers the quarterback and Donald Driver a receiver of the Green Bay Packers practiced last Friday and will probably play on the game on Sunday at Tampa Bay.  Rodgers experienced a sprained toe in last Sunday’s game that they lost 38-26 against the Minnesota Vikings and has been nursing a sprain in his other foot for the past few weeks. Coach Mike McCarthy said Rodgers did not have limited movement and was able to do everything freely in practice last Friday. 

He was able to make all his normal reps, was able to do everything and did a full day’s work.  He leads all quarterbacks with a passer rating of 110.4, but he was also sacked a league-high 31 times. He is the No. 2 rusher of the Packers’ with 188 yards.  The coach said Driver also had a good practice after having a treatment for a neck injury.  Driver is the Packers top playmaker with 33 catches and three touchdown receptions but had been out this week.

Three Packers Fined By League

Al Harris, Johnny Jolly and rookie BJ Raji of the Green Bay Packers were fined $5,000 each by the NFL for their actions in last Sunday’s lost game against Minnesota Vikings.  Jolly a defensive tackle was fined for unnecessary roughness for head-butting Chester Taylor running back of Minnesota.  Harris a cornerback was fined also for roughness on grabbing a helmet opening to make a tackle and DT Raji, for a major violation of the face mask. 

DT Darnell Dockett of the Arizona Cardinals was fined also for $5,000 for a helmet to helmet contact in a Carolina game and Jeff King a tight end of the Panthers was fined for striking an opponent late with the same amount.  Kamerion Wimbley a linebacker of the Cleveland Browns had the biggest share of fine for the week which is $7,500 for roughing the passer which he struck in the face, Jay Cutler a quarterback of the Chicago Bears.

Packers Football Radio Broadcast

The official radio broadcast radio network of the Green Bay Packers football team is the Packers Radio Network.  Journal Communications is the network’s flagship, WTMJ (AM) it is located in Milwaukee Wisconsin.  It has broadcasted the games since November 1929.  This is an arrangement that is made between a radio station that is not based on the home market but only from an affiliate network.  The game rights have transferred from Cumulus Media and Midwest Communications in the last years.  The basic program consists of broadcasts of the Packer home and away games to a 56 station network in Wisconsin. 

There were several announcers since 1999 but Larry McCarren, former Packer center has worked as a commentator since 1995.  Since 1929 it has started broadcasting but paying the rights started only since 1943.  A $7500 per season is the payment given.  In the early 1930s there were no exclusive rights given for game broadcasts.  Three additional stations carried the game since 1933 to 1936.  In 1937 Michigan started to carry the feed.

Green Says Texas Game Focus Affected By Family

Ahman Green says injuries are not the primary reason why he did not live up to the potentials in Houston.  Green signed a deal with the Packers this week after he was cut by the Texans last February.  He said emotional problems within his family affected his concentration on football for the past two seasons.  Green said Thursday that the relationship with his two daughters was breaking after he left the Packers in 2007 and the death of his father hit him hard.  

He said lack of focus on the field and not his getting old or too many injury problems, as the reason for his unsatisfactory two years with the Texans.  Now Green says his relationship with daughters has improved greatly.  Then it was a rough road but things are getting better now.  Green is not new to family turmoil.  He was arrested after a dispute with his wife in 2005.  The wife filed a divorce but reconciled their marriage.

Green Returns to Packers

Ahman Green is not hanging up his helmet, especially with what happened in Houston.  Now he is back in action with the Green Bay Packers, he volunteered to take a reduced role in a deal for a chance to write a new ending to a standout career until he left the team as a free agent in 2007.  Green did not play football since he was cut by the Texans in February.  He signed a deal Wednesday and worked out for the team earlier this week for the Packers. 

Green said if he knew that he was done with the sport, it would have been over.  The way his career went in Houston, he did not want it to be his legacy.  Green played for seven seasons in Green Bay and made it to the Pro Bowl for four consecutive years between 2001 and 2004.  He only needs 46 more points to surpass Jim Taylor and be the franchise’s all-time leading rusher.

Bigby The Hard Hitter Ready Against Lions

Atari Bigby a Green Bay Packers safety is ready to return and surely the big hits will follow soon.  Bigby is known for giving out jaw jarring tackles, he states the biggest help he can contribute in his return from the injury is the confidence that he gives out to his teammates.  Bigby said he is like a captain ball who leads the game.  They all expect him to deliver and that is what he brings to the team and that’s what they feel on his return. 

This week Bigby was back at practice for the Packers and he is due to be playing on the field for the game on Sunday versus Detroit.  His being injured in the game against Chicago in the season opener left a significant hole that became a weak secondary and the Team have been muddle up in looking for a reliable backup.  Coach Mike McCarthy recalls how Bigby has played while he was healthy and how he played during the team’s 2007 playoff drive.

Rodgers Contented With His Line Protection

Aaron Rodgers after being sacked 20 times by NFL as the worst and taking a lot of hits during this Seasons first four games by the Parkers’ but he is not complaining.  Despite a lot of time on the turf, the second-year starting quarterback is not liable to give up his line.  He said Wednesday that he takes care of the team and they take care of him.  That’s how it goes and that they have a tight relationship.  

Rodgers said Wednesday that he is confident with his linemen he even added that everyone wants and needs to play better for the team (2-2) to maintain the high expectations they gained into the season.  Rogers said that they are all professionals and they should maintain a high standard of play.  And that they would all agree that they have not played up to their potentials and that they can still play better.

Tauscher Back To Help Packers

Even with the ability and experience of Mark Tauscher, he can not bail out the Green Bay Packers all by him self from trying to struggle the offensive line.  He is not even sure to play in Sunday’s game versus the Detroit Lions.  But if he is back one hundred percent physically from his serious knee injury and his almost a year of layoff from playing football, he will do everything to help in any way and what ever position that the coach of Green Bay will assign him.

If he intends to return to his position as the starting right tackle that he’s been playing for most of his previous nine seasons, he is calmly doing it.  He said that its not sure how it is going to turn out and it will depend on how he and the team will be playing.  And at this time, the team is not playing at par.

Never-Fret Brett: Not Just Another Game

Brett Favre kept altering his story and by the end he had everyone as puzzled as that Sears salesman in the commercial. This was either about retribution against his old management, or not. This was about letting Green Bay know that he could still play, or not. This was about antagonizing Packers exec Ted Thompson for not treating Favre as well as Favre anticipated, or not. Actually, everyone but Favre knew what is was all about, and it’s the former instead of the latter. He may have managed to convince himself though that Monday night, his new Minnesota Vikings against his old Green Bay Packers could well be “just another game”. Then he got to the Vikings’ hotel Sunday and even he had stopped pretending.

In the 299th game of his career, a fresh experience delivered the most memorable of performances – a dazzling Favre leading his team to a 30-23 win. On November 1, the rematch would be held, this time at Lambeau Field. The uniforms were all jumbled but the play was something out of a decade ago. Favre threw 24 for 31 for a total of 271 yards, with three touchdowns and no interceptions. The Vikings’ big risk on an injured, fading, training camp-skipping quarterback was working. Brett Favre had established his old arm, finished off his old team and now had everyone thinking of the new potential in front of them. Back in Green Bay payback will still be sought, but over here this isn’t just about soap operas anymore. It was ideas of a Super Bowl that were dancing through everyone’s head.

Favre Takes it to His Former Team

Brett Favre showed the Green Bay Packers he has a plethora of fire left inside, and in his right arm. Favre’s first game against his previous team was all cool for the Minnesota Vikings and all nuisance for the Packers, as the grizzled quarterback connected for three touchdown passes and 271 yards in a 30-23 win on Monday night. Favre completed 24 of his 31 passes, without a turnover. He did an embarrassing body bump with kicker Ryan Longwell, also an ex-Packer, and stayed balanced in the pocket all night long.

The Vikings sacked Favre’s successor, Aaron Rodgers, a total of eight times. Jared Allen was attributed with 4 1/2 of them, a career high, plus a safety in the fourth quarter that extended the lead to 16. Rodgers accumulated his first two turnovers of the year, and Favre turned both of them into classical touchdown passes in the first half. Favre hugged Rodgers, Donald Driver and several other Packers once the game had ended. Rodgers tried to coax the kind of drive his predecessor is well-known for, but he came up short.

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