Bleacher Report - Madison

Wisconsin Badgers: Duke Win Hopefully a Sign of Things To Come

Sam Oleson — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 02:37:37 -0500

Optimism. After Wisconsin's win over Duke Wednesday night, maybe one of the biggest victories in program history, optimism is the word of the day in Mad-town.

In terms of actual significance for the Badgers' season, this win isn't as important as say winning the Big Ten title...but it's pretty close.

The win not only makes up for the Badgers' embarrassing loss at Duke two years ago, but it also gave the Big Ten its first-ever win in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge.

However, let's turn back to our word of the day. This win gave Badger fans, coaches, and players the confidence and optimism they will need to turn an average squad into a Big Ten contender.

Let's not kid ourselves about anything. Wisconsin has nowhere near the talent to compete for a Big Ten title. Michigan State, Purdue, and Ohio State are all way ahead of the Badgers in terms of talent.

Trevon Hughes has emerged as the Badgers go-to this year in the point guard position (or sometimes shooting guard) and Jon Leuer has been solid as well. But aside from that, Wisconsin has little consistency in terms of solid, flat-out talent.

Jason Bohannon is struggling to find his shot, Keaton Nankivil can shoot from the outside, but still has yet to make himself an inside presence and Jordan Taylor is only a sophomore with much to learn if he's going to run the point.

No, talent isn't going to be what lets the Badgers contend.

Bo Ryan and his coaching staff will play a large role in keeping the Badgers competitive, as he has done during his entire tenure at Wisconsin.

But a great defense and a plodding, but consistent, offense with basically an under-talented team can only take you so far.

If the Badgers are to succeed this year, they have to show the kind of energy, determination, and optimism they did for 40 minutes against the Blue Devils.

Everyone knew Wisconsin was going to be pumped for this game. 17,000 screaming fans, the No. 5 team in the nation in town and a chance to end Duke's ten-game winning streak in the Challenge? What team wouldn't be pumped?

However, that's the kind of attitude that the Badgers have to take into every single game for the rest of the year if they hope to compete.

Simply put, their schedule is tough.

They take on their in-state rivals Marquette next weekend and then launch into the Big Ten season on New Year's Eve with a showdown against Ohio State. They play Michigan State, Purdue, Illinois, and Ohio State all twice and they'll need a 100 percent effort if they're to win any of those games.

The 2009-10 Badgers have already shown what a well-coached, determined team can do even if they are lacking in the talent department.

They're off to a 5-1 record with the victory over Duke and wins over Arizona and Maryland in the Maui Invitational.

But they've also shown some vulnerabilities, especially in their loss against Gonzaga.

If the Badgers are to have a successful season, the Duke game will have been the catalyst.

The determination, integrity, and clutch play the Badgers displayed definitely inspired me to feel that the Badgers could again overachieve this year.

Going into this year, not many fans would have said that.

This was supposed to be a re-building year.

A year where the Badgers started to develop young talent, while Hughes and Bohannon finished out their careers on somewhat of a low note compared to what they'd accomplished the last three years.

A year where the Big Ten was considered one of the best conferences in the nation and the Badgers were relegated to the middle of the pack.

A team that despite overachieving the past two years just didn't have the talent to compete this year.

However, after a performance like that, against a team like Duke, optimism is all Badger fans feel.

What one win can do.

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Why Not the Packers? Oh, Wait...

Jeff Robbins — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 17:58:59 -0500

I should have written this column earlier.

I was all set to explore the reasons why—despite being beaten and overshadowed by disgruntled former employee Brett Favre and the rival Minnesota Vikings, despite horrid offensive line play, and despite an embarrassing loss just four games ago to the Tampa Bay Crappaneers—the Green Bay Packers remained a solid choice to represent the NFC in Super Bowl 44.

Then I watched the New Orleans Saints completely dismantle the New England Patriots Monday night.

Long before Bill Belichick—who throughout the game had a look of utter confusion and bewilderment that rivaled my two-year-old daughter’s expression when she accidentally puts on her coat upside down—trotted out Brian Hoyer to mercifully run out the game clock, I realized that my argument was in jeopardy.

But like Tiger Woods stubbornly trying to control the maelstrom of gossip that now surrounds him (he should have followed David Letterman’s example: get out in front of the story and admit everything), I will stubbornly try to forge ahead with my vision of the Packers playing at Land Shark/Joe Robbie/Pro Player Stadium in February even as the vision of Drew Brees’s five touchdowns is upsettingly fresh in my mind.

First of all, the Packers are playing for a Wild Card spot.

Yes, the Vikings have tough games ahead of them against Arizona and Cincinnati and the oft-mentioned Monday night game at Chicago that could be Favre’s only game in bad weather. But they also have games against Carolina, the reeling New York Giants, and, no matter what the weather is (the Bears would have to play in it too), Chicago is extraordinarily beatable.

So, no NFC North championship for Green Bay in 2009. But at 7-4, the Packers are tied with the Philadelphia Eagles for a Wild Card playoff spot, and that’s a position that they should be able to hold on to.

Or can they?

Well, some mediocre team is going to win the NFC East and there could very well be an equally mediocre Wild Card team representative from that division. But can the East send three teams as they did two seasons ago? Absolutely not.

Save an easy Thanksgiving game against the hapless Raiders, the Cowboys offense has been stagnant of late, and Tony Romo’s struggles late in the season (5-8 career record in December) have been well documented. Now at 8-3, the Cowboys could easily finish 8-8 and miss the playoffs entirely.

But should both the Cowboys and Packers survive to meet again in the postseason, Packer fans only have to look back to their Nov. 15 17-7 victory against Dallas to like that rematch.

Though currently in second place, the Eagles should finish ahead of the Cowboys thanks to the solid play and clutch game experience of Donovan McNabb. But nagging injuries to some of their best playmakers (Brian Westbrook, DeSean Jackson), and a struggling defense (who gives up 24 points to Washington?) should make the Eagles a fairly easy out in the postseason.

And what of the Giants?

With three divisional games looming, New York controls their destiny, but by losing five of six and by looking awful in the process, they also look like they won’t be a factor in the postseason simply because they won’t be there.

In the NFC South and West divisions, the only real threats to the Packers’ hold on a Wild Card spot are the Atlanta Falcons (6-5) and the San Francisco 49ers (5-6).

Of the two, the 49ers—especially with a remaining schedule that includes Seattle, Detroit, and St. Louis, and not to mention Atlanta’s injury problems—are the bigger threat, but simple mathematics indicate the Packers have little to worry about here.

Since Green bay beat San Francisco 30-24 just two weeks ago, the 49ers would have to win out while the Packers would have to lose three of their last five games for San Francisco to pass the Packers in the Wild Card standings.

No matter how motivating 49ers head coach Mike Singletary is—and I could listen to that guy talk all day—he’s not going to be able to get that group of players from 3-5 to 10-6.

Moving closer to home, surely every Packer fan remembers the 2004 season. It was a remarkable roller-coaster that saw the Packers start 1-4, only to finish 10-6 including two wins over division rival Minnesota.

The fun ended, though, when the Packers not only had to suffer the indignity of losing to the Vikings at Lambeau Field 31-17 in a Wild Card game, but also had to sit through Randy Moss’s “moonwalk” (which infamously sent FOX announcer Joe Buck into a conniption) in the process.

But perhaps Packers fans could find solace in how that season ended. Could history repeat itself, only this time in a bizarro fashion with the Packers getting the last laugh on the Vikings in the postseason?

Why not?

While the Vikings have won three straight since beating the Packers at Lambeau, the victories have come against bottom-feeders Detroit, Seattle, and Chicago, with all of the games in the friendly confines of the Metrodome. Excuse me, Mall of America Field.

And while the Vikings’ offense hasn’t been slowed lately, the team has shown an increased lack of discipline (probably stemming from overconfidence) with 28 penalties over the last three weeks.

If that doesn’t seem alarming, consider Adrian Peterson’s four fumbles over the past three games: Given that no one expects Favre’s nearly error-free 2009 streak (just three INTs so far to 24 TDs this season) to continue—FOX’s Troy Aikman suggested on Sunday that head coach Brad Childress must be nervous knowing that his 40-year-old quarterback is bound to start throwing some picks—the Vikings could be in danger of imploding against a good team with a chip on their shoulder.

The Packers certainly fit that bill.

And with the Packers’ offensive line stabilizing a bit lately—granted, that’s like pundits saying the economy is stabilizing while unemployment continues to go up and consumer confidence continues to go down—Rodgers could potentially have more time to pick apart the Vikings secondary (clearly the team’s biggest weakness) in any potential rematch.

So, while Packers fans have to like their team’s chances against many of the opponents they may meet in the postseason, should any doubt be placed on their chances of simply getting there?

Nope.

While they have some potentially tough games on the horizon, it’s clear that neither Baltimore nor Pittsburgh (despite Mike Tomlin’s laughable horror-movie threat to “unleash hell” for the rest of the season) are the powerhouses they once were, and the Packers’ finale against Arizona could be a cakewalk if the Cardinals choose to rest players (particularly Kurt Warner), if they have the NFC East won by then, which is a real possibility.

Which brings us back to the New Orleans Saints.

Even though I hate this phrase almost as much as I hate the use of the phrase “Tonight on The Jay Leno Show …” I’m going to use it: If the playoffs started today, the Packers would face the Saints in a potential divisional round matchup at the Superdome.

Based on what we saw Monday night, that is not a game that would end well for not just Green Bay, but any team.

But given that the Saints have only won two playoffs games in their history, given that the Packers lead the league in allowing an average of just 281.5 yards a game, given that Aaron Rodgers is running neck-and-neck statistically with Drew Brees, you’d have to like the Packers chances in a showdown with the Saints, wouldn’t you?

Like I said, I would have a few days ago.

After watching Monday Night Football this week, not so much.

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MLB 9s: Milwaukee Brewers—Paul Molitor and Ben Oglivie Get My Vote

Ash Marshall — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 11:07:52 -0500

Ryan Braun or Tommy Harper? Prince Fielder or Cecil Cooper? Power or speed? The past or the present?

It all points to one question with hundreds of possibilities: Which Brewer had the greatest offensive season at his position?

Major League baseball has been asking fans this same question in an effort to choose each team's best-ever collection of stars.

They are calling it MLB 9s.

Here I have separated the contenders from the pretenders in an effort to pick my dream Brewers lineup, based on their one career year. Have your say by commenting below.

My other MLB 9s you might want to check out are:

Diamondbacks , Braves , Orioles , Red Sox , Cubs , White Sox , Reds , Indians , Rockies , Tigers , Marlins , Royals , Angels , and Dodgers .

Catcher: Dave Nilsson (1999)

Nilsson’s eighth and final year with the Brewers was his best. He was selected as a backup to Mike Piazza for the All-Star game, and he hit a career-high 21 home runs.

Nilsson batted .309 and slugged .554, and he drove in 62 runs in just 115 games. Had the leftie not shared as much time behind the plate with Bobby Hughes and Charlie Greene, it’s possible he would have set new highs in runs scored and walks too.

Highlight Game: June 19, 1999 @ Cincinnati. Entering the 1999 season, Nilsson knew he needed 16 home runs to reach the milestone 100. He had only ever done this once before.

But on June 19, Nilsson hit his eighth homer of the month to join the 100 club. The landmark shot came in the top of the second inning against Reds starter Rick Greene.

He took Greene’s 3-2 offering to deep right field to extend the Brewers’ lead to 9-1.

Competition: Ted Simmons hit 23 home runs in 1982, but he only batted .269. He did drive in more runs, but that was more a result of where he batted in the lineup and who he batted behind.

B.J. Surhoff had a little more speed than either Nilsson or Simmons, but he had very little pop.

First Base: Prince Fielder (2009)

MLB short-listed Fielder based on his 50-homer 2007 season. But I actually believe Fielder was better in 2009.

He played 162 games, hit 46 home runs, and led the NL with 141 runs batted in. He also walked on 110 occasions, batted .299, and scored 103 times.

Fielder went to his second All-Star game and finished fourth in the Most Valuable Player voting.

No Brewers first baseman has hit more home runs or batted in more runs in a single year. His .412 on-base percentage ranks fourth all-time among all Brewers ever.

Highlight Game: June 15, 2009 @ Cleveland. Fielder singlehandedly pulled the Brew Crew up by their bootstraps to sneak past the Indians in Ohio.

With the Brewers trailing 12-9 in the top of the eighth inning, Fielder hit a grand slam home run to give Milwaukee the lead.

Fielder finished 2-for-3 with six runs batted in, a double, a sac fly, and a walk.

Competition: Cecil Cooper led the National League with 122 RBI in 1980 when he hit 25 home runs and batted a career-best .352.

Nobody in the NL racked up more total bases than Cooper’s 335, and the longtime Brewer won his first Silver Slugger award with 33 doubles, 96 runs, and 17 stolen bases.

Richie Sexson comes in a close third with 45 homers in 2003.

Second Base: Don Money (1977)

Money beats out the relatively slim competition at second base with his 25-home run, 83-RBI season of 1977.

Money batted .279 and scored 86 runs, and he would have won this category in a much more convincing manner had he kept up the running game he had when he first joined the Brewers from the Phillies four years earlier.

His 25 jacks and 83 runs batted in are the most by any Brewer second baseman in history.

Highlight Game: Aug. 13, 1977 @ Cleveland. Money went 3-for-4 with a pair of home runs and a double, as the Brewers beat the Indians 6-1.

It was one of two multi-home runs games of the season for Money, although I was tempted to exclude this game because he actually played in left field.

His other two-homer game—his only one as a second baseman in the ’77 season—came in the first half of a double-header in Boston.

Competition: Keith Ginter hit 19 homers in 2004, although he split his time between second and third base. Rickie Weeks hit 14 home runs and stole 19 bases in 2008, but his .234 clip just doesn’t get it done.

Willie Randolph may have been a good slap hitter, but his zero home runs totally wipe out the fact that he hit .327. I’m not giving an award for the greatest offensive season to a man with no home runs and four steals.

Third Base: Tommy Harper (1970)

Sorry Ryan Braun, but Harper deserves this spot. He hit 31 home runs and stole 38 bases on his way to an All-Star selection and handful of MVP votes. On a poor team in his era, Harper was a standout.

He scored 104 runs, hit 35 doubles, and drove in 82 runs on a team that finished 32 games below .500. He stole 73 bases the year before. Had he done that in Milwaukee, he would have been an easy choice.

He did, however, lead the National League with 70 extra-base hits, rank second in stolen bases, and finish seventh in home runs.

Highlight Game: June 13, 1970 @ Cleveland. Harper hit the second inside-the-park home run of his career off Phil Hennigan in the fourth inning.

Harper’s 10th of the year—and 69th overall—came with two on and one out with the Brewers trailing 7-2. The highlight-reel dash around the plate was not enough to erase the Indians’ seven-run second inning though, and the Brewers dropped the game 10-6.

Competition: Ryan Braun had an exceptional 2007. He won the Rookie of the Year award, hit 34 home runs, and batted .324.

The only slight against him was that he was given restricted playing time, appearing in just 113 games and given only 451 at-bats. Some would argue that this makes his accomplishments even more remarkable, and I can’t argue with that

I do not have any problem with people who want to give Braun the nod here. His league-leading .634 slugging percentage as a fresh-faced 23-year-old is remarkable.

The fact that Harper only played two years in Milwaukee shouldn’t detract from what he achieved there. With his speed, he was one of the better options at the hot corner for several years.

Shortstop: Robin Yount (1982)

Yount was the ideal hitting shortstop for the Brewers. He hit with power, hit for a high average, and stole bases.

The Hall-of-Famer played all 20 seasons of his career in Milwaukee, but none were better than his 1982 MVP season.

Yount led the American League in doubles (46), hits (210), slugging percentage (.578), and total bases (367). He hit a career-high 29 home runs and also set new highs for RBI (114) and runs scored (129).

Only Bill Hall has ever hit more home runs in a single season as a Brewers shortstop, and no one can match Yount's prolific RBI or runs tally.

Highlight Game: Sept. 24, 1982 vs. Baltimore. Yount drove in a season-high six RBI on two home runs as the Brewers beat the O's 15-6.

Yount finished 3-for-5, with his multi-home run game representing the sixth time he had gone deep twice in one game.

Competition: Hall had the power bat in 2006 with 35 home runs and 101 runs scored, and Pat Listach had 54 steals and a .290 average in 1992.

But no Milwaukee second baseman showcased the skill set that Yount did.

Today’s hard-swinging middle infielders can post 30 home runs and a .275 average without too much difficulty, but few can provide that much power while maintaining a .330 average and providing a spark on the bases.

Outfield: Ben Oglivie (1980)

Oglivie led the American League with 41 home runs in 1980, his third year as a Brewer.

He set career highs in batting average (.303), runs scored (94), and runs batted in (118), and he won a Silver Slugger award and was selected to the All-Star game.

Only one other Brewer outfielder—Gorman Thomas—hit more home runs in a single year, and Oglivie’s 118 RBI ranks third all-time among Brew Crew’s outfielders.

Highlight Game: April 29, 1980 @ Cleveland. Oglivie went 4-for-5 with two home runs and a double as the Brewers beat the Indians 14-1. Oglivie drove in five runs and raised his early-season batting average 51 points from .245 to .296.

It started a run where he would have at least two hits in five of his next six games, temporarily increasing his average to .370 and helping the Brewers win four straight games.

Geoff Jenkins (2000)

Jenkins was never the most feared hitter in the league, but his quick bat and above-average eye made him a dangerous option in the heart of the Brewers’ lineup.

Jenkins hit 34 home runs in 2000 in 134 games, scoring 100 runs and driving in 94. He also stole 11 bases and batted .303.

Highlight Game: Sept. 29, 2000 @ Houston. Jenkins finished the season on a high with a pair of jacks against the Astros in the Lone Star State.

With just two games remaining and the Brewers 21 games back and with nothing to play for, Jenkins hit home runs in the sixth and ninth innings to see off Houston 13-3.

Jenkins finished the game 3-for-5 with four RBI and an intentional walk. It was one of only two multi-home run games of his impressive 2000 season.

Larry Hisle (1978)

It may not be the popular choice, but I’m taking Hisle over Thomas.

Hisle may not have had the raw power that his teammate in center field had, but I think you can make the case that he was more valuable.

He hit 34 home runs and batted .290, driving in 115 runs and scoring 96. He also stole 10 bases and walked 67 times.

My biggest knock against Thomas is that he struck out 175 times and posted a .244 average. If you compare the two players’ OPS+ statistic—a measure of on-base percentage and slugging percentage taking into account the league averages—Hisle comes out on top and even adds a little speed to the mix.

He was selected as a backup outfielder at the All-Star game, and he finished third in the MVP voting behind Jim Rice and Ron Guidry.

Highlight Game: June 30, 1978 @ Seattle. Hisle recorded one of three multi-home run games in a 13-3 win over the Mariners.

He went 4-for-6 with three runs, five RBI, and a steal, scoring three times and providing the Brewers with more than enough offense to see them past Seattle.

Competition: Does Gorman Thomas deserve a spot? While he has hit more home runs in a single season than any other Brewer outfielder, I can’t justify putting him in.

Forty-five home runs is impressive, but his low batting average, lack of plate discipline, and nonexistent speed make it hard to vote for him.

His 98 walks barely offset his .244 average, and his .539 slugging percentage is tarnished by the fact he fanned once in every four plate appearances.

Sixto Lezcano also misses out on a spot in the outfield, despite his .321 batting average, 28 home runs, and 101 RBI in 1979.

Playing in the same team as Thomas, Lezcano was a key element in right field. He wasn’t given as much recognition as his two partners in the outfield, but I wouldn’t have a problem placing him above Thomas in the pecking order and moving him right next to Hisle.

Designated Hitter: Paul Molitor (1987)

I have no issue with MLB wanting to choose a DH rather than a pitcher for their ninth spot. For those who want to argue that they are a National League team, I want to remind them that the first 29 years of their 41-year history were spent playing AL ball.

With that in mind, step up Paul Molitor. The Hall of Famer led the AL with 114 runs scored and 41 doubles in the ’78 season.

His .353 batting average was second only to Boston’s Wade Boggs, and he finished the season with 45 stolen bases, which was good enough for fourth in the AL speed charts.

Molitor hit 16 home runs in 465 at-bats, driving in 75 runs and walking 69 times.

Highlight Game: July 26, 1987 vs. Oakland. No grand slams, walk-off home runs, multi-homer, games or five-hit performances from Molitor in the '87 season, but this game against the A's summed up his skill set nicely.

He went 3-for-5 with an RBI double, a triple, and two runs scored. But what makes this game memorable was Molitor’s first inning.

Batting leadoff, Molitor singled off Dennis Lamp to get the inning started. He then stole second base, stole third base, and stole home to put the Brewers on the board.

Milwaukee never looked back and went on to win the game 7-4, leading from start to finish.

Competition: Dave Parker provides the only real competition. In 1990 he hit 21 home runs and drove in 92 runs—both records for a Brewer DH.

He may have only played the one season in Milwaukee at the twilight of his career, but his efforts did not go unnoticed. He went to the All-Star game at the age of 39 and won his third and final Silver Slugger award.

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Which Packers Deserve to Go to the Pro Bowl

Mark Strotman — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 10:24:29 -0500

Last season the Packers struggled to a 6-10 season and as a result only sent three players to the Pro Bowl in Honolulu.

All three came from the defensive backfield as Charles Woodson, Al Harris, and Nick Collins made the trip after posting the 12th ranked pass defense and combining for 14 interceptions and 41 passes defended. Collins made his first trip while Harris filled in as an injury replacement for Woodson, who passed on his fifth career pro bowl due to a toe injury.

Outside the defensive backfield, it was a rough season for the 2008 Packers, but the Packers might need to buy a few extra tickets for the 2009 Pro Bowl in Miami this season.

At 7-4, the Packers have a boatload of players who are putting up career numbers or close to it. Because of this, they ought to be well represented on January 31st for the 39th AFC-NFC Pro Bowl.

Leading the way for the Packers is quarterback Aaron Rodgers. In just his second year starting, Rodgers ranks third in the NFC in passer rating (104.9), first in yards (3,136), third in touchdown passes (22), and has thrown just five interceptions while begin sacked a league-high 44 times.

He also leads all quarterbacks in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns. He didn't prove to be a winner in his first season and took some heat because of it, but he now has the Packers on the verge of the playoffs and has taken over the leadership role in Green Bay.

Drew Brees has put together another ridiculous season passing and has the Saints at 11-0 and has to be considered a shoo-in for the Pro Bowl, while Brett Favre will not need to get in on the fan vote like he did last season as he has had another rejuvenated season and is playing some of his best football.

After those two, Kurt Warner and Eli Manning are the closest to Rodgers statistically and the lovable Tony Romo is sure to garner votes based on his fan base and celebrity status.

What makes Rodgers nearly a sure thing is the fact that the Pro Bowl will be played in between the NFC Championship Games and the Super Bowl, meaning Super Bowl participants from the AFC and NFC will not be eligible to play in the game. If Rodgers isn't playing in the Big Game, it looks like Brees or Favre will.

Favre isn't the only one having a rejuvenated season, as Donald Driver is posting some of the best numbers of his storied Packers career.

Eleven games in, Driver is 13th in receptions and third in yards to go along with five touchdowns and 38 first down catches. Name recognition is huge for the wideouts and there are some darn good receivers in the NFC—meaning Larry Fitzgerald and Roddy White are sure to be in.

Also, New York's Steve Smith and other youngsters Miles Austin and Sydney Rice are putting up great numbers.

Four wide receivers will go to Miami so Driver is not a sure thing, but the Super Bowl rule could come into play with Rice or Fitzgerald, so a Pro Bowl trip could still be in the cards for Driver.

Two long shots for the Packers offense include running back Ryan Grant and right guard Josh Sitton, who are both quietly putting up very nice seasons. Grant is fourth in yards but has only five touchdowns and Sitton has been a true bright spot on an otherwise awful offensive line, so neither are likely to be voted in.

Asante Samuel leads all cornerbacks in Pro Bowl voting, but it would be absolute highway robbery if Charles Woodson was not voted to his second consecutive Pro Bowl. Two corners are voted in so Woodson will get the nod as the Defensive Player of the Year candidate and is having his best season as a pro.

Through the first 12 weeks, Woodson has 54 tackles, including seven for a loss, four forced fumbles, 11 passes defended, seven interceptions, two sacks, and two touchdowns. Not bad for a guy in his 12th season as a pro going up against each team's best receiver week in and week out. Those numbers are sure to go up as the season goes on, making Woodson a lock to visit Miami in January.

The 3-4 defense makes it difficult for defensive linemen to rack up stats but Cullen Jenkins deserves at least a look. For the season, he has 25 tackles, 4.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, an interception and has been key in opening holes for linebackers. Expected to have a huge year in the 4-3 defense, Jenkins has been just as disruptive under Dom Capers and is having a Pro Bowl-type year.

Minnesota's Jared Allen falls in the same category as Woodson and is a sure thing to get in—while Will Smith, Trent Cole, Julius Peppers, and Andre Carter are all having excellent seasons as well.

With Brian Dawkins leaving the conference, Nick Collins is in line to make his second consecutive Pro Bowl appearance. He has played consistently well and has 36 tackles to go along with four interceptions.

New Orleans' Darren Sharper is having a fantastic season and should get in, while Adrian Wilson will receive some votes as well.

Collins' playing in the Pro Bowl last season should help his cause during the last three weeks of voting and Sharper could very well be playing in the Super Bowl, making him a no-go for the Pro Bowl.

Other long shots on the Packers' roster include wide receiver Greg Jennings—who has name recognition on his side—as well as Clay Matthews, and Nick Barnett.

Then again, let's hope no Packers are eligible to play in the Pro Bowl as they prepare for Super Bowl XLIV the next week.

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Milwaukee Brewers Sign Chris Capuano To Minor League Contract

Bryan Northey — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 09:09:38 -0500

The Milwaukee Brewers have signed Chris Capuano to another minor-league deal and are inviting him to spring training.

Capuano has not pitched in the majors since 2007, when he underwent his second Tommy John surgery. Capuano missed all of 2008, and came back last year to pitch in the Brewers minor league system.

Capuano only pitched in six games last year, three at the rookie level in Arizona and the other three at rookie-advanced Helena, and had a combined 0-0 record with a 3.00 ERA and a .229 opponent batting average.

Capuano has proved himself in the past and the Brewers, like Halama, offered him a low-risk contract. If Capuano can bounce back from his second Tommy John surgery, he may be a surprise starter in Milwaukee this year.

It is not yet apparent if the Brewers will start him at a lower level, like Class A Wisconsin or Class A Advanced Brevard County, or if they will start him a bit higher, like Double-A Huntsville or Triple-A Nashville. It most likely will depend on his performance in Spring.

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John Halama Signs To Brewers Minor League Contract

Bryan Northey — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 09:02:26 -0500

The Brewers have agreed to terms with John Halama.

Halama is much in the same position Chris Capuano is. He will get an invitation to Spring Training and will most likely start the season in Triple-A Nashville, where he will have to show himself.

Halama last pitched in the majors in 2006 with Baltimore. During that time he was going through a bad divorce, and he dropped out of baseball.

Halama played in the Indians' farm system in 2008 and the Braves' farm system last year. Halama has a career 4.65 ERA with a winning record. However, in the past two seasons in the minors he has posted an ERA in the same range.

Halama caught the Brewers' attention with his dominant pitching in this year's winter league baseball. He is currently playing in the Dominican League and is 4-3 with a 2.15 ERA.

Halama is not a dominant control pitcher, only having roughly half the amount of strikeouts to innings this winter. He also does allow quite a bit of people on base, sporting a .271 on-base percentage in winter ball and a career .290 on-base percentage in the majors.

However, the Brewers did make a good move in signing Halama to a minor league deal. He is a low risk pickup and a lefty to boot. If either him or Capuano have a breakout year, they could see time in the starting rotation this year.

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I'm a Fan of the Green Bay Packers, but Don't Call Me Cheesehead, Whitey!

Janean Marti — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 23:33:52 -0500

Still pondering ESPN college football analyst Bob Griese’s one-week suspension for saying NASCAR driver Juan Pablo Montoya was “out having a taco.”

I’m a Packer fan, born and bred in Wisconsin. Never saw a purple cow. Never wore a foam hat in the shape of a wedge of cheese. Never hope to do either.

But I’m called a “cheesehead” over and over and over again by game analysts, whether on air or in print. I don’t know whether that makes me a blockhead, constipated, or with a Swiss-cheese flow of holes bleeding thoughts from my brain.

I do know, as a Packer fan, I’ve been labeled a “cheesehead” practically every day in print or in broadcast for the past two decades. It started when some Chicago White Sox baseball fans labeled Milwaukee baseball fans as cheeseheads, and some guy with a lot of foam rubber and a lot of yellow paint laying around the garage started his own economic stimulus plan.

We’ve got thousands of sports analysts and writers labeling thousands of Packer fans as “cheeseheads”.

What if there were suddenly several thousands no-shows at a Packer game at Lambeau field and a broadcast analyst said “They’re still in the parking lot snorting bratwurst and Limberger.” Would the analyst be suspended for an insensitive, ethnic-profiling remark?

When John Madden spent years upon years circling offensive linemen’s bellies with his ‘telestrator’, was he profiling and calling out persons who may have had glandular or other heritable/ethnic issues which were no fault of their own? Did they have “pre-obesity issues” linked to their height, weight, age, or ethnicity?

Griese’s supension came when he was working a Minnesota-Ohio state football game and one of his broadcast partners asked why driver Juan Pablo Montoya was out of the top five drivers. Griese replied Montoya, who is Colombian, was “out having a taco.”

If John Madden was still broadcasting NFL Thanksgiving day games, circled an offensive lineman’s belly, and said he missed the block because he ate too many mashed potatoes, would it be a cause for suspension? Or would it just be another tired reference to a lame, mid-America ethnic holiday in which the ‘winner’ of the Turducken drumstick agreed to pretend to chew it down while wishing for a spicy taco with verde salsa instead?

If thousands of sports analysts can label me a brat scarfing cheesehead, why can’t Brian Griese imply Montoya is a taco eater? How is my ethnicity less important than Montoya’s?

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Stadium Journey: Wisconsin's Kohl Center

Paul Swaney — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 23:23:54 -0500

Review originally published on www.StadiumJourney.com

Opened in 1998, the Kohl Center is a beautifully new arena utilized by the Wisconsin basketball and hockey teams. Its location makes for a great time before or after games. Once inside, you’ll find a fantastic venue to take in a game.

FANFARE Score: 30 (out of 35)

F ood & Beverage: 4

I entered the building, and immediately went to get a brat and some cheese curds. The brat was so-so (not nearly as good as the Red Brat I had for lunch, more on that below), and cheese curds were of course spectacular. Maybe spectacular is too strong, but it was fried cheese, so you get the idea.

A tmosphere: 4

The Kohl Center really is a beautiful facility, both inside and out. The Dale Chihuly blown glass masterpiece (known as the Mendota Wall) adorns the wall once you enter the center, and there are wide concourses throughout. Once you reach your seat, you’ll find that the action is accessible whether you are courtside, in the upper deck, sitting (or standing as is typically the case) in the student section, or kicking it in a luxury box.

The student section is loud and passionate, and the pep band is stellar. The school fight song, On Wisconsin, is one of those iconic college fight songs. The school recognizes its history (including the 1941 championship won by the school), while making no apologies for having a new beautifully glimmering venue.

N eighborhood: 5

Without a doubt, the best surrounding neighborhood of any of the Big Ten arenas can be found in Madison. Just blocks away from campus, as well as the main strip of bars and restaurants, there’s enough to keep you busy even if you have season tickets.

The capitol building is about a mile walk from Kohl and there are several addition, and slightly more upscale restaurants that can be found. In the immediate vicinity I can recommend several stops, as I had a long cold day to work my way through the neighboring bars.

State Street Brats is a very Germanic looking building, and probably the perfect setting for an OctoberFest celebration. I went for their classic Red Brat and an order of fried cheese curds, as well as a local beer—a Capitol Amber. All were good, and I especially appreciated the toppings bar for their brats—filled with onions, sauerkraut, mustards, and other sauces. All in all a good place to hang out.

Pub —This place on State Street had two people inside watching Jeopardy!—the bartender and the bartender’s friend. It was a big place with lots of pool tables, dart boards, and foosball tables. Seemed like a good place to hangout, but was pretty dead on this particular Thursday evening. I left after drinking a Fat Squirrel Ale.

Quinton’s —Slightly more upscale place, sandwich selection looked good, and had a nice selection of beers on tap. I tried the Hopalicious Ale—my favorite beer of the trip.

Wando’s —A less welcoming place, but at least the bar had a lot of people there—which is generally a good sign. What I loved best about this place is the grill was right behind the bar, and the smells produced from the cheeseburgers and fries really added to the experience.

Red Shed —A nice cozy place that’s been around since the 1950’s. This was the where older alums clearly came before the game. There were about eight people at the bar, I would guess safely that they were all older than me, and they were all wearing red.

Johnny O’s —The bad news about this place is that I bought a beer, and then the bartender told me the beers were half off so the next beer was on the house. I did not need the next beer. This bar was nice enough, but nothing special.

F ans: 4

I sat in the student section, and while I no longer have any illusions that I could pass as one of them, they made me feel right at home. I was hugged by one stranger, and had arms wrapped over my shoulder by another stranger as they sang.

Like any truly great student section, they have a moniker—“The Grateful Red.”

A ccess: 5

Parking is inexpensive and plentiful near the Kohl Center. Handicap accessibility is better than any Big Ten venue, and bathrooms are clean and large enough to avoid lines.

R eturn on Investment: 5

A trip to Madison for a Wisconsin basketball game (or hockey for that matter) is well worth the trip. I paid $20 for my seat about 12 rows up in the student section. You’ll enjoy the neighborhood, the facility, the energy of the fans, and certainly the cheese curds.

E xtra Points: 3

I’ll give the Kohl Center some extra points for the Chihuly artwork, On Wisconsin and the Grateful Red, and the proximity to an exciting downtown.

Final Thoughts:

If you can only make one trip to one Big Ten college basketball arena, I highly recommend the Kohl Center. Have a great time!

Paul Swaney is the Co-Founder of Stadium Journey

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Why Tim Tebow Should Be a Packer Next Year—if Available

Mark Strotman — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 20:13:05 -0500

If, for whatever reason, you have never liked Tim Tebow and never given him a shot, don’t read the rest of this article.

If you think the media overplays what he does on and off the field to make him look like a saint, definitely stop reading this article.

Ever since the University of Florida’s all-everything quarterback gave his apology speech to Gator Nation after a loss to Ole Miss last season, he became my role model and also one of my favorite athletes to play the game.

Anyone who watched #15 tearfully enter The Swamp for the last time in a Gator uniform had to feel for him. What a legacy. The Heisman Trophy and two-time National Champ will leave in Florida in about a month. He has received more trophies than he probably knows what to do with, run for more yards as a quarterback than Duke has a team, and scored more touchdowns in his career than anyone to play in the SEC. Yes, that means you Bo Jackson and Herschel Walker.

That’s why in next April’s NFL Draft, the Green Bay Packers need to draft Tim Tebow—if he is within reaching distance on Day One. The verdict on Tebow’s draft stock is still out, with some believing he can be a first round starting quarterback, while others believe he will move to running back and work out of the Wildcat formation on most plays as an H-Back.

Whatever position or role that Tebow’s team decides he should take on, at the very least they know they are getting a great leader and even better attitude in the locker room. For as long as he has been in the spotlight, Tebow has done everything right. The son of two missionary parents, he has used God in every part of his life and believes that is the reason for his success.

Whether it is praising Him in post-game press conferences or wearing his favorite Bible verses under his eyes, Tebow’s gestures go a lot further than your typical athlete pointing to the sky after a touchdown or praising God after a big win. Looking for a word that describes Tebow? Legitimate .

In a sports world full of ego-driven athletes who want the biggest paycheck they can find, Tebow finds peace knowing that he is able to play the game he loves and there is no reason to believe that will change when he becomes a pro. He volunteers to talk to inmates in prison and has a 3.77 GPA.

But wait just a minute. There are plenty of nice guys in the NFL who just don’t make it and are not worth a high draft pick. Why should Tebow be the pick for the Packers just because he loves God and has turned a school in Florida upside down into a cult-like obsession?

The truth is that Tim Tebow is going to be just fine in the NFL. Many question whether or not he can be a full-time quarterback in the NFL, citing arm strength concerns as the reason why. Watching Tebow for 3+ years, it’s true that his arm is not good enough right now to play every down in the NFL and might never be strong enough.

But let’s not forget that Tebow has rushed for 56 touchdowns in his illustrious career at Florida—something no one else in the history of the SEC has done. Known for putting his head down and hitting the hole, Tebow would make an excellent H-back who could carry the ball five to seven times a game as well as line up in the Wildcat formation. His arm isn’t Brett Favre’s but it’s no Tim Couch either.

Some might call him a product of Urban Meyer’s triple option offensive system, but Tebow fights for yardage and has had nothing easy come his way on his path to stardom at Florida.

Coming out of high school, Tebow ran a 4.6 forty-yard dash time, meaning his current 40-time is probably somewhere in the 4.5’s, putting him right in the mix of where the bigger running backs in next year’s draft will be. Tebow is too big and not polished enough to run the ball 25 times a game for a team, but even making him a third down back to go with Wildcat responsibilities would make him worth the pick. He has that much talent.

So why the Packers? Why would a team who currently sports the sixth ranked offense in the NFL waste a first-day pick on an offensive mystery? Because Tebow would bring a brand new dimension to the Packers offense that they have lacked for quite some time.

At times, head coach Mike McCarthy’s play-calling has been critiqued for being too predictable and basic. Throw Tebow into the mix and suddenly you have a Wildcat general, a bruising runner in between the tackles, a 6′3″ athletic route runner, or a decent throwing quarterback. Pat White was deemed perfect for the Wildcat coming out of college and was promptly drafted by the Dolphins. On the season, White has rushed 12 times for 50 yards and is 0-3 passing, but then again Ronnie Brown and Rickie Williams have already mastered the Wildcat, meaning his production will take time.

Unlike White and running college quarterbacks like Michael Robinson, the thought of Tebow playing quarterback is not out of the question. Currently the Packers have two active quarterbacks on their roster and, while Matt Flynn is a more than serviceable number two quarterback, they have no emergency quarterback.

He is probably not worth a first round pick if the Packers are not selecting him to play quarterback, but if he slips to the second round and scouts believe he can not play under center, there’s no reason for the Packers not to take a very hard look at Tebow.

My man-crush on Tebow might have something to do with my thinking that he would be perfect in Green and Gold, but he is a true gamer that goes out and plays his game and wins. He does nothing fancy and might end up not having a true position in the NFL, but there will be a spot on the field where Tebow is going to succeed. Combined with his off-the-field, deserved God-like status, Tim Tebow fits Ted Thompson’s definition of “Packer people” and should be a Green Bay Packer next April.

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Time According to Vince Lombardi

Mike Casella — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 19:45:34 -0500

According to former Green Bay Packer great, Paul Hourning, there were two "times" when playing for coach Vince Lombardi.

Regular time versus "Lombardi Time."

Regular time was what most people followed.

Lombardi Time was always 15 minutes earlier.

And it was adhered to by winners.

If a Packer meeting was scheduled to begin at 8:00am, astute players knew to arrive and be ready to go at 7:45am.

Every time.

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Green Bay Packers: Handicapping the Home Stretch

Ryan Cardarella — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 14:19:10 -0500

After a rousing stretch in which the Green Bay Packers won three games in 12 days, they enter the final portion of their schedule likely needing a 3-2 finish to assure an NFC wild card slot.

However, the schedule tightens up as the Packers clash with two tough AFC North opponents and the defending NFC Champion Arizona Cardinals. Luckily, the Packers also draw the fading Bears and Seahawks.

Here is a look at how Green Bay's final five games will shake out:

Week 13- vs. Baltimore

This feels like a dangerous game for the Packers.

The Ravens are hungry as they fight for an AFC playoff spot and are coming off a big home win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Of course they also needed overtime and a critical interception from third-string quarterback Dennis Dixon to escape with that victory.

Running back Ray Rice is dangerous both as a runner and receiver, and quarterback Joe Flacco is becoming more than just a caretaker on offense.

But it will likely be how the Packers' offense matches up with a stiff Baltimore defense that decides this contest.

I see a close game predicated on, you guess it, protecting quarterback Aaron Rodgers from the Baltimore pass rush.

If they can give Rodgers a little time, the Ravens pass defense will be exposed as it has been for much of the season.

In my least confident pick of the bunch, I see Rodgers and his well-rested teammates making just enough plays to squeeze out a tight home victory.

Week 14- at Chicago

Poor Chicago Bears fans. They thought they had the strong-armed, cocksure quarterback the Bears have always lacked when Chicago traded for Jay Cutler.

But behind a suddenly porous and banged up defense, and with Cutler playing like Brett Favre circa 2005, the Bears are well on their way to earning the Denver Broncos an excellent first-round draft slot.

Barring a blizzard at Soldier Field, look for Aaron Rodgers to be the latest quarterback to carve up the Bears' pass defense and bump the Broncos up another draft pick or two in a double-digit win on the road.

Week 15- at Pittsburgh

A loss to the Ravens dropped the defending-champion Steelers to 6-5 and effectively put them on the ropes in terms of making the playoffs.

With upcoming cream puff games against Cleveland and Oakland, Pittsburgh will likely be sitting at 8-5 when the Packers arrive in town. However, in a conference where an 11-5 New England team missed the playoffs a year ago, the Steelers won't yet be patting themselves on the back heading into the playoffs.

Assuming safety Troy Polamalu and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger return from injuries as expected, Pittsburgh will offer a stiff road test with a balanced offense and a dominant-when-healthy defense.

(Side note: The Steelers are undefeated and haven't surrendered more than 17 points in a game with Polamalu in the lineup. They are a different team with him in the game.)

This Packers team still has too many breakdowns and makes too many mistakes to pick in Pittsburgh. The Steelers pull away late and drop the Pack to 9-5.

Week 16- vs. Seattle

Remember when the Walrus still roamed the Seattle sideline and playing the Seahawks meant a tough game?

Those days are as gone as Nirvana and the SuperSonics.

Half of that team is on injured reserve and the players that remain just aren't good enough for Seattle this year, even in the soft NFC West.

Without standout linebacker Lofa Tatupu and All-Pro tackle Walter Jones, and a dearth of explosive skill position players, Seattle doesn't have much that scares the opposition.

Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck is still a solid pro, but receiver Nate Burleson and running backs Julius Jones and Justin Forsett would be backups on most teams.

Against a defense ravaged by injuries and backups stepping into starting roles, the Packers should have little trouble putting up points on the Seahawks.

While this is a team that lost to the previously winless Tampa Bay Bucs, its hard to see anything but a decisive Packers victory here, especially with so much to play for.

I see 30-plus points and a recovery game after a very tough, physical three weeks of football against the Ravens, Bears, and Steelers.

Week 17- at Arizona

This game could be a bit of a crap-shoot with Arizona likely to have the NFC West locked up by Week 17.

That would be great news for Green Bay fans who fear an Al Harris-less secondary squaring off with Kurt Warner, Larry Fitzgerald, and Anquan Boldin with a potential playoff spot at stake.

The Packers win this one by a touchdown, with Arizona resting a few of their regulars in the second half to freshen up for the playoffs.

However, if the Cards falter and need this game, get ready for a nerve-wracking shootout.

Because of the long layoff that serves as almost a second bye week leading into the matchup with the Ravens, along with a potentially meaningless Week 17 game with Arizona, I see the Packers peaking at the right time and finishing 11-5.

For a season that featured such midseason turmoil, hosting a playoff game would stand as an excellent turnaround for a roller-coaster season.

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Andrew Bogut: "I'm No Bust, Mate!"

Tim Seeman — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 00:23:46 -0500

With everyone watching the Milwaukee Bucks lately because of Brandon Jennings, Andrew Bogut is primed to take the opportunity to show why he's deserving of the huge contract the team gave him prior to last season.

To appreciate Bogut and his contributions to the team, all you had to do was watch the Bucks over the past five games. Milwaukee lost four-straight games—three during a road trip through San Antonio, New Orleans, and Oklahoma City—during which the Bucks got manhandled on national TV by the Thunder.

Monday night, Bogut somewhat unexpectedly returned to the starting lineup at home against the Bulls. In his first game back, he scored 22 points, pulled down 15 rebounds, had three steals, three assists, and four blocks, including two within the last five minutes of a game decided by two points.

In the four-game losing streak, the Bucks were tough to watch. They gave up easy drives to the basket, they gave up lots of offensive rebounds, and they took a lot of bad jump shots.

With Bogut in the game, the offense runs far more efficiently than it does with Dan Gadzuric. Bogut and Jennings work the two-man game and both are good enough passing the ball to find open shooters like Carlos Delfino and Ersan Ilyasova—who combined to shoot 40 percent from beyond the arc in Monday's game—when they draw defenders.

If he can string together more of these kinds of games, he'll finally shed the label of "bust" that has been attached to him since he went first overall in the 2005 NBA Draft, and people might start calling him by a more fitting moniker: All-Star.

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Wisconsin-Hawaii: Trouble in Paradise for the Badgers?

Sam Oleson — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 22:24:59 -0500

In case anyone forgot, the Wisconsin Badgers are playing football this weekend.

And, honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if quite a few Badger fans did actually forget. Hockey? Yes. Basketball? Yes. Football in early December? Really?

Not only is the Wisconsin-Hawaii match-up overshadowed by the conference championships occurring that same afternoon, but the game will also start at 10:30 p.m. local time.

However, even though the amount of people watching the broadcast may be down from the normal amount, this game still has some serious bowl implications for Wisconsin.

Coming off their discouraging loss to Northwestern, the Badgers need this game if they hope to have any momentum going into a bowl game.

With Oklahoma State's loss to Oklahoma, either Iowa or Penn State will surely be invited to a BCS bowl, and Wisconsin is all but guaranteed a bid to the Outback Bowl if they can defeat Hawaii.

Even though their surroundings may suggest otherwise, this game will be anything but a vacation for Wisconsin.

No, the WAC Warriors are no powerhouse, but let's not kid ourselves, neither are the Badgers.

Hawaii is averaging 24 points and nearly 500 yards a game, certainly not a good sign for Wisconsin's reeling defense.

Quarterback Bryant Moniz leads the Warrior offense with 2,199 yards passing and 13 touchdowns, with wide receiver Greg Salas hauling in 1,559 of those yards on 103 catches.

Hawaii is only 6-6 and their offense is certainly modest when compared to the Colt Brennan- or Tommy Chang-led versions of a few years ago, but they are dangerous nonetheless.

Wisconsin's offense shouldn't have any problem against Hawaii, but they didn't against Northwestern, either, and we all know how that turned out.

Add in the fact that Hawaii has won their last four games, are playing for a bowl bid, and are playing at home and it's obvious that a repeat of Northwestern isn't out of the realm of possibility for Wisconsin.

Wisconsin still has a chance to achieve a respectable 9-3 record with a victory, so let's just hope they don't sleep through the game like many of their fans probably will.

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NFC Wild Card Update: Packers Get Little Help from Bottom Teams

Mark Strotman — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 10:25:36 -0500

After the Green Bay Packers disposed of the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving Day in a 34-12 rout, they were able to sit back and enjoy Sunday’s slate of NFL games.

At 7-4, the Packers find themselves in good position to nab one of the two NFC wild card spots at the end of the season. They sport a decent conference record at 6-3, better than any wild card contender other than the Eagles (6-2).

Still, the Packers were looking for a little extra help this weekend from some of the bottom teams in the NFC. Unfortunately, things did not go as planned.

Here’s a look at the Packers’ situation and reviews of how each wild card contender did this past weekend.

Green Bay Packers: currently 7-4

The Packers play the Ravens and Steelers over the course of three weekends, and while it looked more difficult at the beginning of the season, both games will be difficult. Both teams sit at 6-5 and are very beatable, especially the Ravens at home, and the Packers will most likely need to take one of them to keep their playoff hopes alive.

If they lose one of those games, the good news is it will not count against their conference record, the first tiebreaker in determining the wild card spots. They also play two games in which they should be favored against the Seahawks and Bears.

To close the season out, they go to Arizona to play the Cardinals. The caveat there is that the Cardinals, who hold a two-game lead on the division, could very well have wrapped up the NFC West by then and will be resting their starters, making for a much easier game.

1. Dallas Cowboys: 7-3 entering Week 12

The Cowboys were sure thankful for whoever scheduled them to play the Raiders on Thanksgiving Day. America’s Team pummeled the Raiders 24-7 and now find themselves in the driver’s seat to win the NFC East at 8-3.

Someone has to win the NFC East by rule, but Packers fans were hoping that it would be the Cowboys vying for a wild card spot due to the head-to-head advantage they hold against them from the Week 10 victory in Lambeau Field.

The Eagles sit at 7-4 and are still very much alive in the NFC East hunt, but instead of worrying about tiebreakers and conference records and such, it would be best if the Cowboys won the rest of their games, including matchups against the New York Giants and Eagles.

Their schedule the rest of the way is tougher than their NFC East counterparts, but they should win the East if they win their division games.

2. Philadelphia Eagles: 6-4 entering Week 12

If it weren’t for some fourth quarter heroics from Donovan McNabb, the Eagles would have been looking at a 6-5 record and a two-game difference in the NFC East. They trailed the Redskins by eight points in the fourth quarter but ended up winning the game in the last two minutes, 27-24.

It would have been a huge gain for the Packers if the Eagles had tripped up, but alas, they pulled it out.

The Eagles have a better conference record than the Packers because they have played one fewer game and do not play the Packers head-to-head. They will face Atlanta next weekend, which is also fighting for its playoff life, as well as the Giants and Cowboys, so chances are the Eagles will either knock out one of the NFC East opponents or be knocked out by one of them.

3. New York Giants: 6-4 entering Week 12

After beginning the year 5-0, the wheels are starting to come off for Eli Manning and the Giants. They missed a golden opportunity to stay tied with Philadelphia and within a game of the Cowboys when they dropped their Thanksgiving Day matchup against the Broncos, 26-6.

They face the Cowboys next week, who they already beat in Dallas, meaning they could have taken possession of first place had they won last week. However, a win in Dallas would not only keep their playoff hopes alive, but their division hopes alive as well.

The next week they play the Eagles, meaning that the next 14 days will all but determine the playoff hopes for the Giants. If they win both, they will be in very good shape to win the division. Lose both, and they will probably be on their couches for the second season.

4. Atlanta Falcons: 6-4 entering Week 12

The Falcons were about 30 seconds and one down away from seeing their 2009 playoff chances fade away, but a Roddy White touchdown catch to beat the Bucs 20-17 kept them alive in the hunt. They now sit at 6-5 and are still on the outside looking in, but they face the Eagles next week in a matchup that, if won, would let them leapfrog the Eagles in the standings.

After the Eagles, the Falcons play the Saints at home and then do not face a team with a record over .500 the rest of the year. Sounds good for them if they can beat the Eagles, right? Not so fast.

Quarterback Matt Ryan and running back Michael Turner both left Sunday’s game with injuries, and the offense will go nowhere fast, regardless of who they play, if the two of them cannot go. They could sneak into the playoffs with a win over the Eagles, but keep a very close eye on those injuries.

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Attention Sports Fans: Get Ready To Hate Brandon Jennings

Alex McVeigh — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 01:50:50 -0500

Everybody loves a good story. The problem with a good story in these days of the 24-hour news cycle, is that a good story quickly becomes an old story, beaten to death by countless talking heads for hours, days, weeks.

Welcome to this world, Brandon Jennings. After getting ripped by the "experts" in the pre-draft conversations for A) Not being mature enough; B) Not having a good jump shot; and C) not being a good leader, it has taken him less than five months to become the new darling child of sports media everywhere.

And here's the rub: Brandon Jennings is a blast to watch, he is bringing back basketball in Milwaukee, and he is the most exciting rookie we've seen splash onto the scene in a long time.

Which is why it's so frustrating that he's being shoved down our throats with such alarming intensity already.

After his 55-point explosion (which is better than the hype, believe you me, I saw it live, and I was reduced to a slack-jawed yokel for most of the third quarter), it seems media outlets, particularly ESPN (always known for restraint when it comes to storylines), cannot get enough of shoving it down our throats.

We've already seen the stories for weeks populating ESPN.com, and today, it rose to a fever pitch. I logged onto ESPN.com's NBA section to see what I missed while I was in my gravy-induced coma.

Brandon Jennings is the picture on front, due to his clash with Kevin Durant and the Thunder, which is the second game of the ESPN double-header.

Side note: That was the final sign that the hype is in high-gear. How often does ESPN change its programming like that, but they bumped Phoenix-Minnesota (not that I was all that upset about missing that one) for Bucks-Thunder.

Of the five headlines on the front graphic, there's the story about the Thunder-Bucks preview.

Next, there's a J.A. Adande piece about how Allen Iverson is passing the buck onto Brandon Jennings.

Really? That's just ridiculous. I know Jennings has been impressive, but he has played in 14 NBA games. Let's hold off all this talk about passing torches, until maybe he plays a half-season, fellas.

It speaks to the media's obsession with instantly categorizing anything new as the "next (fill in the blank)."

They've been looking for the next Jordan since 1998. They've been looking for the next Isiah, the next Magic, the next Shaq, and anyone else who makes an impression.

And not only does it take away from the person who you are now trying to replace, all it does it set up expectations for that person to fail, unless they manage to climb the mountain that lies before them.

Take people like Jerry Stackhouse or Vince Carter. Good, sometimes great players, who played the game well, and had a fair amount of success.

But since they were athletic shooting guards who went to UNC, they were thought of as the next Jordan. And they're looked down upon for not fulfilling that destiny, a destiny that they didn't ask to be a part of.

Jennings shouldn't be compared to Iverson; they're two different players. Sure, they could put the ball in the basket, but Jennings doesn't have that cold fire behind his eyes that characterized AI while he was taking the league by storm in his early years.

AI doesn't have Jennings' passing skills, or rebounding skills, and he also doesn't seem to have the sense of team and the sense of the moment that Brandon Jennings has.

Brandon Jennings has been more than open about his flaws, and his mistakes, and he addresses them in a very mature manner, always vowing to fix them.

The next article on the NBA front page was titled, "Brandon Jennings for MVP."

My jaw dropped at that one too, and not in a good way. Brandon Jennings as a serious MVP candidate? For real?

Of course, you click on the page, and Brandon Jennings is ranked nine out of 10 on the list, which is probably fair, but the fact that they're blaring "Brandon Jennings for MVP" to stir up that hype machine is very annoying.

Side note: It's the same thing ESPN did when they ran a headline that Jim Kelly says Tim Tebow would be perfect for the Bills. All Kelly said in the article was that the Bills need to look at the top three quarterbacks in the draft, whether it's Tebow or someone else. That's it. Talk about a misleading headline.

The next link was for the Weekend Dime, which promised to chronicle all the buzz on Jennings.

As if we hadn't seen enough buzz already.

Now, I get that they're trying to embrace a young star, but they are really just beating it into the ground, and in record time.

And I don't know about you, but I start to resent athletes (and people, for that matter) who are overexposed. No matter how I might feel about them personally, I just get sick of hearing about them, and that in turn causes me to resent the person themselves, because it's their face plastered across all the stories.

And it's not Brandon Jennings' fault. Hell, he's just playing amazing basketball and trying to help his team win.

That's why its so frustrating to see people blown up so quickly, and now, should Jennings and the Bucks hit a skid, or Jennings has a few sub-par games, then we get to see all the stories about how Brandon was all hype, about how he was a flash in the pan, about how overrated he became.

And all he does is play basketball every day, has a good game, has a bad game.

That's why I titled this article the way I did. Because it seems like it's going to be a matter of time before I'm sick of hearing about Brandon Jennings.

But I want to watch him play, I want to learn about who he is and how he became the player he is, I just don't care about who he is the "next" of and any of that other crap.

The real catch-22? The better he is, the more sports fans (myself included) want to watch him, and the more the hype gets overblown until he cannot possibly live up to expectations.

It's a vicious cycle, but it seems like it's the only one we have now.

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Should The Green Bay Packers Trade Greg Jennings?

Dan Brickl — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 08:36:43 -0500

Greg Jennings is a great guy both on and off the field. He epitomizes Packer tradition and Packer fans. Great attitude, excellent work ethic, overall nice guy.

Unfortunately, Green Bay Packer fans are often times loyal to a fault.

Even the world is aware of this. Jay Sorgi, from the AM 620 WTMJ News Radio, reported on Nov. 19 that Iraqi prisoners being detained by troops from the Wisconsin National Guard started harassing the soldiers about Brett Favre and the “shenanigans” surrounding his break-up with the Packers.

Any suggestion of trading Packer favorites like Jennings, Driver, and even Aaron Kampman, an injured defensive end that attempted to make the switch to 3-4 linebacker, is absurd to most Packer fans simply because they “like them” or “identify with them” regardless of whether or not the Packers have a better opportunity to win by trading them.

Of course, the same fans who think it’s ludicrous to trade favorite players will turn around and complain about GM Ted Thompson not doing enough to get the right players in Green Bay.

At some point, a Super Bowl contending team has to know where their weakness and strengths are and then go out and get the right players.

The Minnesota Vikings have obviously done that over the last couple of years and they truly might be the best team Favre has ever played on. The 1996 Super Bowl winning Packers also acquired and traded the right players.

Only teams that excel in scouting future draft choices like the Pittsburgh Steelers and New England Patriots can build contenders through the draft. Judging from Thompson’s draft choices, which have been good to ugly—the Packers are not one of those teams.

Over the last three decades, I can think of only four professional ball players from Wisconsin who, in their prime, were untouchable. Robyn Yount, Paul Molitor, Brett Favre, and Sydney Moncrief. Unless the player is considered franchise and has a proven winning track record, they should always be available for trade if the price is right.

This leaves us with Jennings. Last year, the Packers signed Jennings to a front-loaded contract extension that made him the second highest paid receiver in the NFL, behind Larry Fitzgerald. Jennings makes more than Randy Moss, Wes Welker, Andre Johnson, Calvin Johnson, Reggie Wayne, and Donald Driver.

In 2008, Jennings had a banner year with 1,292 yards and nine touchdowns. Jennings was due to make $535,000 in 2009, but now has a contract that earns him close to $6.9 million a year with the extension.

This year, he is barely on pace to make 1,000 yards and five touchdowns.

Is this a case of a player taking it easy once they get that guaranteed fortune? Considering Jennings’ attitude and work ethic, I don’t think so.

Jennings’ decrease in production probably has more to do with a lack of timing for Aaron Rodgers due to pocket pressure and opposing defenses playing Packer wide receivers tight on the line of scrimmage to take away the quick slant or short pass.

But shouldn’t the second highest paid wide receiver still be able to get open? Shouldn’t the second highest paid wide receiver win the battle for every ball thrown his way?

Sterling Sharpe did when he was surrounded by considerably less talented teammates. And once he caught the ball, he plowed through opposing defensive players to get the first down or break free in the open field.

Greg Jennings is supposed to be the current Packers' Sterling Sharpe. He is supposed to catch the short pass and move the chains. He is not supposed to be tackled by one linebacker or defensive back when close to the line-of-scrimmage.

Sure, Jennings’ is phenomenal at breaking tackles in the open field on the move, but his contract pays him to break tackles close to the line of scrimmage and get crucial first downs. His contract pays him to move the chains.

The nature of the West Coast offense is to quickly get the ball in the hands of wide receivers that have a better chance of breaking tackles a few yards beyond the line-of-scrimmage than a running back that gets the ball four yards behind the line of scrimmage.

Who needs great offensive linemen if receivers can catch the ball two yards past the line-of-scrimmage and break tackles to gain five or more yards? Judging by the Packer’s offensive line play and the elephant contract extension signed by Jennings, the Packer coaching staff hoped that Jennings could pay dividends in the West Coast style offense.

Jennings’ West Coast flanker receiver position is supposed to get 100-plus catches a year.

Sterling Sharpe did this. Wes Walker continues to do it every year.

By signing Jennings to the second highest paid contract for a wide receiver, the Packers showed complete faith that he would be able to do it this year as well.

But he’s not winning the battle for the ball. He’s not breaking tackles in close proximity to the line of scrimmage. He is not using his body to “screen out” opposing defenses.

The Packers have Donald Driver, who consistently proves he’s the best receiver on the field. They also have Jordy Nelson and James Jones, two wide receivers who can play that flanker position and break tackles.

Two excellent wide receivers that won’t stick around unless they have the opportunity to play consistently.

This is not to say Jennings isn’t an important part of the Packer’s offense—he is—but he had pro-bowl statistics last year and the Packers only won six games. He is an average wide receiver this year and they already won seven games and have five more to go.

Jennings is not necessary for Packer success now, or in the future.

At his current level of play, Jennings is not going to be the difference between the Packers making the Super Bowl and not making the Super Bowl in the next couple of years.

Unless Jennings steps up and proves that he has the ability to be that second highest paid wide receiver in the league, whether he plays with a good team or a bad team, it’s time for the Packers to consider trading him this off season and stop waiting for potential to bloom.

In his fourth year and at prime performance age, Jennings should have better numbers while also drawing double coverage. He doesn’t and—unlike Sharpe—getting the ball in his hands doesn’t equal an automatic first down.

Many loyal Packer fans will argue that Jennings’s injuries have led to his decline this year and that he will produce better numbers when 100 percent healthy.

Brett Favre was able to produce NFL MVP numbers with a thumb sprain on his throwing hand. Sterling Sharpe still rammed through linebackers with pulled hamstrings knowing that one good hit could paralyze him for life.

Soldiers hunt down Al-Qaeda in the mountains of Afghanistan with blisters on their feet and lower back strain from carrying 40lb rucksacks—and many of them make less than one percent of Jennings's salary.

Others will argue that Jennings’s work ethic and attitude makes him worth keeping. Most of the fans reading this column are probably hard workers with good attitudes; after all, the people of Wisconsin are famous for their work ethic. Go ahead and ask your boss if he believes those elements are worthy of a 10-fold pay increase combined with a deduction in performance.

A good offensive lineman or a cover two cornerback can make a significant difference in the Packer’s success. The Packers have the best wide receiver depth in the league, but are in desperate need of both starters and depth on the offensive line and secondary position.

Despite his contract, Jennings also carries the most weight in the trade market. Teams like the Baltimore Ravens, Miami Dolphins, Cleveland Browns, Tennessee Titans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Chicago Bears are all in desperate need of a proven wide receiver and would entertain an offer to trade a first round draft pick for Jennings.

The Baltimore Ravens currently have depth in their secondary while the Tennessee Titans have depth in their offensive line. By trading Jennings in the offseason, the Packers could get a proven player that will instantly give the team a better chance of winning.

Loyalty aside, it’s time to trade Jennings if the Packers want to win now.

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Green Bay Defeats Detroit: Five Reasons to Be Thankful

Jersey Al Bracco — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 08:10:36 -0500

As the Green Bay Packers knocked the stuffing out of the turkeys known as the Detroit Lions, Packer fans everywhere were surely in a thankful mood.

After watching the game, here are five things this Packer fan and writer is thankful for. Feel free to add your own in the comments section:

Thank you for the 2009 NFL Draft

Clay Matthews, BJ Raji, TJ Lang, Brad Jones, Quinn Johnson, Brandon Underwood. Six Packer draft picks have made significant contributions in just their first year in the NFL.

Clay Matthews has shown he can be a star in this league. Watching him beat two players easily in a three-man rush and then chase down a scrambling Stafford for a sack showed me the kind of will he has to be successful. I have no doubts that he will.

BJ Raji has been coming on strong and making an impact, as his ankle injury has healed and his play count has increased. Today, he crushed a Lion running back in the backfield, knocked down a pass, and was a force in the short yardage defense.

TJ Lang once again stepped in at left tackle today when Chad Clifton pulled a hamstring. The line did not miss a beat and Mike McCarthy called Lang's play "impressive." Lang, Jones and Johnson are all potential starters next season.

Thank you for making it through a game with Jarret Bush as the nickelback

I've never seen a defensive back look more confused in coverage than Jarret Bush. Now, this is his fourth season with the Packers, shouldn't he know who to cover by now?

On the Tramon Williams interception, he first ran at the receiver Williams was covering, turned and ran at another receiver, turned again and realized he was covering nobody.

Fortunately, Williams stuck with his man and Stafford made a poor decision to throw it to the wrong receiver. Had he looked down-field, he would have seen the receiver Bush should have been covering wide open.

Did I forget to mention that a punt hit Bush in the back?

Thank you for Jermichael Finley still having a head

Finley took a vicious hit after an incomplete pass, as Lions rookie Louis Delmas took a run at him in what was very nearly a direct helmet-to-helmet hit. Only a slight turn of the head at the last minute prevented what could have been a serious injury.

Finley did stay on the ground for a while holding his head, causing me to fear a possible concussion, but luckily, he just had the wind knocked out of him. Regardless, it was a scary hit that is sure to draw Delmas a fine from the league office.

Thank you for Donald Driver

Like Old Man River, Donald Driver just keeps rolling along. Driver caught seven passes today for 142 yards and a touchdown.

For the season, that gives him 53 catches for 845 yards and five touchdowns. With five games to play, Driver is sure to reach the 1,000 yard mark for the sixth straight season.

Driver is on a mission to disprove the perception that he is getting old. After the game, as he was awarded the "Golden Gobbler" as player of the game from Fox, Driver commented, "I may be old in age, but I still play young." Yes, you do Donald, and thank you for that.

Thank you for Charles Woodson

A multi-dimensional player like Woodson, who can do so many things, and all in an outstanding manner, is a rarity.

It was just another day at the office for Woodson, with 7 tackles, 1 sack, 2 interceptions, 1 touchdown, 1 forced fumble and fumble recovery, 4 passes defended and he also returned a kickoff.

Even more significantly, it was announced before the game that Woodson has donated $2 million to a new children's hospital at his Alma mater, the University of Michigan. Clearly, Charles Woodson doesn't do anything in a half-hearted manner.

Hopefully, other multi-millionaire players will be inspired to follow his example. After all, how many millions does one need to be able to live a good life?

So those are the five things from the Packers Thanksgiving Day victory that this writer is thankful for. I'd like to hear yours...

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You can find more of Jersey Al Bracco’s articles on several sports web sites: Jersey Al’s Blog , Packer Chatters , Packers Lounge , NFL Touchdown , and, of course, Bleacher Report . Jersey Al is the Green Bay Packers Draft Correspondent for Drafttek.com

You can also follow Jersey Al on facebook and twitter .

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Green Bay Packers Have Reason to Be Thankful

MJ Kasprzak — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 04:14:45 -0500

On Thanksgiving morning, the Packers were away from their families in Detroit. By evening, they had many reasons to be thankful.

Not only had they soundly beaten the hapless Lions again, but with the New York Giants loss to the Broncos, the team was guaranteed to enter the last month of this season as one of the six teams in the playoff picture.

Here are the top five things I am thankful for as a Packers fan:

That Aaron Rodgers has 30 TDs and only one pick in the red zone for his career. I am sure there has never been a quarterback who had that ratio through his first 27 games started.
Thanks to that and the defense's ability to go after the ball, the Packers lead the league with a turnover ratio of +17.
Above their ball-hawking, this defense ranks SECOND in the league in yards allowed...sorry, Mark, but no mediocre defense ranks in the 97th percentile in yards and 100th in turnovers.
Donald Driver and Charles Woodson, great guys and great players who are proof that old guys can get it done on the field as well as provide leadership to the youngest roster in football (the reason our future is brighter than any other team's).
That with four more days to prepare than the Ravens have for a game in Green Bay, the Packers have a great chance to win their fourth straight.

Now we can take a look at the Packers report card for the Michigan Massacre...

Quarterback: B+

Even Rodgers' lone fumble came on a fourth-down play and thus did not hurt the team (the only Detroit sack, for a loss of six). He was 28-of-39 (.718) for 348 yards (8.9 per ATTEMPT) and three touchdowns without a pick, earning a passer rating of 124.7. He ran just once for five yards.

So with those stats, why did he get just a B+? For one thing, he was facing the league's worst defense and worst passing defense: Rodgers needed a perfect game (157 passer rating) to get an A. Also, his accuracy was off in the first half, lending to the close score going into the break.

Running Backs: D

Ryan Grant ran 20 times for just 61 yards (3.1 average) and was tackled for a safety. True, by that time the Lions were focused on stopping the run, and he had a few good runs in the first three quarters, but you need your top runner to do better than that. Brandon Jackson was less effective, with six carries for 14 yards (2.3).

The unit was effective in the passing game: Grant and fullback Korey Hall combined for five catches for 52 yards. However, this totals just 127 yards on 31 touches for 4.1 yards per touch with no touchdowns.

Receivers: B+

Again, they were up against the Lions, so I am hard-pressed to give out an A. However, the Lions have a pretty good linebacking corps and the Packers still got production out of both tight ends.

Donald Lee lept (how come everyone insists on using leaped and dived instead of lept and dove, anyway?) over the defense for his one score, and combined with Jermichael Finley for seven catches and 47 yards.

Of course, the other Donald was the unit's Driver, with seven catches, 142 yards (20.3), and a score. Greg Jennings had four catches for 53 yards and James Jones had four for 35 with a touchdown. Jordy Nelson had just one catch, but it was for 19 yards, giving the corps 23 catches for 296 yards (12.9 average).

Offensive Line: B

Sure, this unit was up against the same bad defense, but this same team got five sacks in the last matchup and just the one today.

On Rodgers' 68-yard completion to Driver, he had time to prepare the Thanksgiving turkey complete with stuffing. He was rarely even hit on the day, making this a nearly flawless performance in the passing game.

However, they struggled in the running game against a decent run defense. The one area the line actually ranks near the top of the league is not giving up negative plays, but twice the Lions were there to get the safety, and only Grant's effort kept it from happening the first time.

Much of the problem in the running game can be attributed to them not providing any holes in the second half.

Defensive Line: B

The line's stats are poorer than usual for a 3-4 defense, with just three tackles and five assists between them.

However, they deserve most of the credit for holding Kevin Smith to just 43 yards on 18 carries (2.4 average); even with Stafford's scrambles, the Lions only managed 73 yards on 23 carries (3.2). Detroit may be 26th in the NFL in rushing yards, but that is a solid performance.

Moreover, while they generated no sacks and the team had only two, Stafford was under pretty consistent pressure. That led to a couple bad decisions that enabled the defense to generate five turnovers.

Linebackers: D+

The linebacking corps combined for 16 tackles, 10 assists, and a sack (again by Clay Matthews), and deserve a lot of credit for applying pressure on Stafford, as well.

However, nearly all the passing yards yielded went to the running backs (six catches, 62 yards is entirely on the linebackers) and tight ends (nine for 73 is primarily on them).

Defensive Backs: A

Charles Woodson once again shined, and if he is not the defensive player of the year, it will be the biggest injustice since a Minnesota judge got to overrule the entire league about the suspensions issued to its own players.

Sure, he gave up the lone touchdown to Calvin Johnson, but he also scored one of his own from Stafford. In fact, he had as many picks as Johnson had catches, plus a fumble forced that he then recovered on a sack.

The rest of the backfield may not have been playing elite talent like Johnson, but outside of one 47-yard catch by Dennis Northcutt (a pretty good receiver), they gave up just two catches for 21 yards.

Nick Collins and Tramon Williams added interceptions, and the backfield accounted for 16 tackles, an assist, a sack, four picks, and the fumble forced and recovered.

The one blemish was Jarrett Bush, who once again proved he was athletic enough to be there to make a play but lacking in the ability to do it.

He missed on two interceptions, including the big play to Northcutt; were it not for those failings, the unit grade would have been an A+.

Special Teams: D-

Same tune, different note. This time, the Packers did not give up any exceptionally long returns, but did have two pretty long ones of 34 yards. And of course, Jordy Nelson's fumble on the opening kick led to the only Lions touchdown and lead.

Finally, Mason Crosby missed a 43-yard field goal, making two others from just 22 and 25 yards and getting only one kick into the end zone in a dome.

In all, the Packers averaged a mediocre 20 yards per kick return besides fumbling, and just two yards per punt return.

The Lions averaged under 20 yards per kick return because they muffed one kick and had to cover it, but they did get 14 yards on their one punt return.

Jeremy Kapinos had just over a 32-yard net despite having only one of three punts returned and not having one land inside the 20.

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Driver, Woodson Two Players to Be Thankful For This Thanksgiving

Mark Strotman — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 20:27:41 -0500

No one knows what head coach Mike McCarthy will say at his Thanksgiving Day dinner table, but you can bet that Charles Woodson and Donald Driver will be on his short list. The two veterans feasted on the young Detroit Lions Thursday as the Packers won their third straight game, 34-12 at Ford Field.

It was the same story for the Packers once again, who used Driver and Woodson on both ends of the field to lead their team to victory.

For Woodson, the task of shutting down Calvin Johnson was not going to be an easy one and looked to be a problem after Johnson scored from one yard out on a back shoulder route from quarterback Matthew Stafford. However, Johnson caught just one other pass for nine yards, finishing the game as a non-factor on offense.

Shutting down Johnson did not show in the box score for Woodson, but what did show up were Woodson’s seven tackles, two interceptions, forced fumble, fumble recovery, sack, and touchdown. It was a great performance for the 12-year veteran who now finds his name in serious contention for Defensive Player of the Year.

What made the performance even more impressive was the fact that Woodson was playing without his cornerback counterpart Al Harris, who was lost to a torn ACL the week before against San Francisco. The thought was that the Lions would stay away from Woodson and pick on Tramon Williams on the other side, but Johnson was targeted 12 times on offense and Woodson limited him to just the two catches.

On the season, Woodson has recorded 54 tackles, ranked third on the team, forced a team-high four fumbles and six interceptions, and also has two touchdowns to his name. A trip to Canton might be in the future for the former Heisman Trophy winner, but a DPOY trophy would sure help the resume.

Someone who might not make it to Canton but is a shoo-in for the Packers Hall of Fame is Donald Driver, who made the most of his Thanksgiving with a seven-catch, 142 yard performance that included a touchdown catch as well. Awarded the Golden Gobbler by Joe Buck and Troy Aikman, the 11-year veteran continued his outstanding season that has him leading the seventh-ranked passing offense in all major receiving categories.

It was Greg Jennings who received a major payday in the offseason and while some of Driver’s success can be attributed to the double teams and attention other teams pay to Jennings, Driver has made things happen on his own and has created his own success.

Known as one of the toughest players in the league, Driver ranks sixth in the NFC in receiving yards at 34 years old. The five players in front of Driver average 24.6 years in age, and as Driver put it, “I may be old, but I play young”.

The win put the Packers at 7-4 and on top of the NFC Wildcard, but the road does not get any easier from here on out. The last five games for the Packers include matchups against Baltimore, Pittsburgh, and Arizona with an NFC North rivalry game against Chicago in the Windy City.

General Manager Ted Thompson might live and die with building through the draft and having young players grow during the year to contribute, but this year has been the story of Woodson and Driver, two veterans doing everything they can to ensure the Packers play in January.

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