Cheesehead sector

[A-Rod]

http://www.nfl.com/news/story?id=09000d5d81817d15&template=with-video-with-comments&confirm=true

Early picks: Ravens, Packers, 49ers primed to win division titles

...
NFC North -- Green Bay. I was big on the Packers last season and don't see any reason not to renew my faith. That shootout loss to the Cardinals in the playoffs was tough to swallow, but a second year in the 3-4 defense and the continued ascent of Aaron Rodgers should make them contenders again. I expect Rodgers to be the best quarterback in the division this season. I have a hard time believing Brett Favre will be able to duplicate his phenomenal 2009, and continue holding off the mounting injuries. Even if he comes back, I think Green Bay gets it done.
...

 

[frozen tundra]

mmmhhh, se finisce come l'anno scorso (primi i Chicago Bears, 24esimi i New Orleans Saints  ), con questo pronostico di Peter King siamo a posto... 

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/peter_king/05/16/ranking/index.html

1. Green Bay. It's not just the maturation of Aaron Rodgers. It's the carryover from a fluky end to 2009 (the weird playoff loss at Arizona) and the fact that only one team in football -- New Orleans -- had a better point differential than the Pack's plus-164 last year. I like Jermichael Finley to become a great player in his second starting season. I don't trust the pass-rush (where Clay Matthews is the only real thing), and I worry about two of the top three corners coming off ACL surgery, and aging. But the defensive front is formidable, and a very good match for the good run teams of the NFC North. I also like Weeks 2 through 5 on the schedule (Buffalo, at Chicago, Detroit, at Washington), which sets up for a strong start.


 

[sbiri]

mmmhhh, se finisce come l'anno scorso (primi i Chicago Bears, 24esimi i New Orleans Saints  ), con questo pronostico di Peter King siamo a posto... 

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/peter_king/05/16/ranking/index.html

1. Green Bay. It's not just the maturation of Aaron Rodgers. It's the carryover from a fluky end to 2009 (the weird playoff loss at Arizona) and the fact that only one team in football -- New Orleans -- had a better point differential than the Pack's plus-164 last year. I like Jermichael Finley to become a great player in his second starting season. I don't trust the pass-rush (where Clay Matthews is the only real thing), and I worry about two of the top three corners coming off ACL surgery, and aging. But the defensive front is formidable, and a very good match for the good run teams of the NFC North. I also like Weeks 2 through 5 on the schedule (Buffalo, at Chicago, Detroit, at Washington), which sets up for a strong start.


 

però king ha confessato subito che non ci prende molto...

[Bears54]

però king ha confessato subito che non ci prende molto...

Bears ai playoffs allora   

[sbiri]

Bears ai playoffs allora   

a sto giro ha messo new england fuori dai PO

[A-Rod]

uno degli obiettivi del 2010:migliorare in difesa nella red zone

That's something the Packers admittedly struggled with last season. Opponents scored 28 touchdowns on 46 red-zone possessions (inside the 20) in 2009, a 60.9 percentage that ranked 13th in the NFC and 28th in the league.

[frozen tundra]

Molto interessante questo articolo di Profootballweekly sui Packers:

Are the Green Bay Packers really armed and ready to grab the NFL throne from the New Orleans Saints in 2010?

According to the preseason forecast in the Pro Football Weekly/Yahoo! Sports Preview 2010 magazine (on sale in June) — as well as a growing number of well-respected national pigskin pundits — the answer is a resounding yes. Twenty-one of the team's preferred 22 starters (everybody but converted LOLB Aaron Kampman, who signed with Jacksonville) are returning from a squad that really got its act together in the second half of the '09 campaign with seven victories in the last eight regular-season games while averaging a whopping 30.8 points.

The way I see it, if Aaron Rodgers, who appears on the cusp of elite status among NFL quarterbacks, had not overthrown a wide-open Greg Jennings on the first play in overtime of the Packers' wild-and-crazy wild-card loss to the Cardinals, it's quite possible Green Bay could have stolen the Saints' Super Bowl thunder a few months back.

With mid-May minicamps in full bloom — the first open session of the Packers' OTAs that began Monday is on tap Wednesday — there isn't a team in the league looking as solid on both sides of the ball as Green Bay right now.

The offense reached history-making heights in '09, becoming the first ever to feature a 4,000-yard passer (Rodgers), a 1,200-yard rusher (Ryan Grant) and two 1,000-yard receivers (Jennings and Donald Driver).

The defense, in the first season under the direction of the venerable Dom Capers, improved from 26th against the run to the best in the league and registered a lights-out plus-24 turnover differential (nine better than any other team) with a league-leading 30 interceptions.

It's also worth noting an excellent 2009 draft crop that reaped immediate dividends, with all but one of GM Ted Thompson's eight picks (fifth-round OT Jamon Meredith) making some kind of an impact. Thanks to the likes of OLBs Clay Matthews and Brad Jones, NT-DE B.J. Raji and versatile OL T.J. Lang, among others, there does not appear to be an immediate need for any of this year's draft picks to make his presence felt in a dramatic fashion.

All that said, there are more than a few potentially very dangerous pitfalls on the road to Super Bowl XLV in Dallas.

What follows are five pitfalls, in particular, that Packers boosters far and wide would be foolish to ignore:


Ecco qui i 5 motivi per cui diffidare da facili entusiasmi:


1) THE SPECIAL TEAMS — The first year under special-teams coordinator Shawn Slocum was far from special. In fact, it was downright despicable on a number of levels.

Suffice it to say the Packers rue the day they decided to cut the cord with P Jon Ryan a week before the 2008 opener. While Ryan moved on to Seattle and immediately became one of the Seahawks' few reliable performers, the Packers' punting has been awful for the most part since then.

It was far from a shock when the team decided not to tender incumbent P Jeremy Kapinos, which set the stage this offseason for a battle between two totally unproven performers — left-footed street free agent Tim Masthay and Chris Bryan, a 28-year-old native of Australia who had never played American football.

PK Mason Crosby, meanwhile, offset his undeniably impressive leg strength with serious accuracy problems, particularly from the right hash mark. Crosby finished the season missing five of his last 15 field-goal attempts — including a 54-yarder that would have beaten Arizona in the playoffs — and had one truly forgettable stretch in which he missed a field goal in four straight games.

When you add the special-team units' propensity for foolish penalties and a very uncertain kick-return situation, with Will Blackmon coming off a nasty knee injury, the end result is a serious problem that could very easily end Green Bay's 2010 season prematurely.

Pienamente d'accordo. Sono anni che gli special teams rendono pochissimo e una costante è stata l'incredibile quantità di penalità che vengono sempre chiamate e a cui McCarthy sembra non voler porre rimedio ("fa parte del gioco e voglio la mia squadra aggressiva piuttosto che passiva" ha persino detto una volta...). Il problema del punt è poi abbastanza stucchevole se si pensa che in due anni non ne è stato trovato uno nemmeno lontanamente decente. Su Crosby non sono preoccupato e nemmeno sui ritorni di punt se Blackmon torna sano, mentre lo sono di più sulle coperture che ogni tanto sbarellano e ci ritroviamo poi a pagare dazio pesantemente. Sui ritorni di kickoff lasciamo perdere perchè tanto non ne riportiamo in meta uno dai tempi di Desmon Howard ormai...  


2) THE OFFENSIVE LINE — After giving up a whopping 37 sacks in the first eight games, the line improved substantially the second half of the season when veteran Mark Tauscher returned to his customary position at right tackle. The team re-signed Tauscher and starting OLT Chad Clifton, but at the ages of 33 and 34, respectively, as of June, and with injuries having taken their toll on both of them in recent times, the odds are not good that each player will remain in one piece.

That could be especially troubling in the case of Clifton, who missed four games in '09 and was forced out of four others, including the Cardinals' playoff game, due to ankle and hamstring injuries. The line noticeably struggled without Clifton, and it remains to be seen whether first-round draft pick Bryan Bulaga, whose short arms became a huge topic in advance of the draft, will be able to fill the bill if pressed into emergency starting duty.

Any optimism at left guard, meanwhile, is guarded, to say the least, with neither Daryn Colledge, who led the line in ill-timed breakdowns, nor Jason Spitz, who could be held out of the start of offseason practices due to back surgery last season, offering much to get excited about.

Did we mention that Lang, who has great potential, is expected to miss offseason practices while continuing to recover from surgery on his left wrist after it was injured during practice in December?

Those are a lot of red flags, friends.

Non sono d'accordo. La seconda metà della stagione scorsa ha chiaramente dimostrato che la linea è in grado sia di proteggere Rodgers (che a sua volta ha imparato a tenere un pò meno il pallone) sia di aprire buoni varchi per il gioco di corse. E' vero che Clifton e Tauscher viaggiano verso la pensione, ma intanto quest'anno partono sani e non reduci da infortuni come l'anno scorso, e poi finalmente ci sono ricambi adeguati (Bulaga e Lang, il cui infortunio non è grave) e tra le guardie l'assortimento è abbastanza completo con anche una buonissima profondità. La storia delle braccia corte di Bulaga poi è una cagata pazzesca come la corazzata Potiomkin...


3) THE PASS DEFENSE — Although the Packers ranked a very respectable fifth in passing yards allowed, the pass defense's mind-boggling meltdowns in losses to the Vikings (twice), the Steelers and the Cardinals in the playoffs remain major concerns.

In those particular games, former Packers legend Brett Favre, Ben Roethlisberger and Kurt Warner registered a combined 15-0 TD-interception ratio and completed just over 70 percent of their passes. The consensus seems to be that shaky coverage from the team's linebackers was at the root of the problem, although the season-ending knee injury suffered in Week 11 by veteran starting RCB Al Harris certainly didn't help matters.

With Harris, Blackmon and Pat Lee all coming off serious injuries, and Tramon Williams still not having signed his tender at this writing, the outlook on the corners is a bit scary. Same goes for strong safety, where incumbent Atari Bigby has been banged up a significant chunk of the last two seasons and could get a run for his money from 2010 third-round draft pick Morgan Burnett. The good news is that Pro Bowlers Charles Woodson and Nick Collins are as good as it gets at left corner and free safety, respectively. However ...

Non sono d'accordo. E' vero che Favre, Warner e Roethlisberger hanno quasi passeggiato sui Packers l'anno scorso, ma è anche vero che era il primo anno di una difesa completamente nuova, la 3-4, che inevitabilmente doveva pagare dazio a squadre offensive comunque di elite, che hanno poi fatto tanto bene anche contro molte altre squadre. Senza dimenticare che contro Big Ben e Warner i Packers hanno dovuto schierare il 5o ed il 6o cornerback della depth chart finendo irrimediabilmente per pagarne il conto. Qui la chiave è il ritorno in salute dei tre assenti: Harris, Blackmon e Lee, mentre le coperture dei linebecker sono destinate a migliorare con il secondo anno della 3-4. E poi non può essere un punto debole una difesa sui passaggi che chiude l'anno con un +24 sul turnover ratio, no way.    


4) THE PASS RUSH — Aside from Matthews, a potential superstar in the making who set a team rookie record with 10 sacks, the Packers' didn't pose much of a pass-rush threat. Capers apparently believes there will be a natural increase in pass-rush effectiveness in the second year of his system.

A healthier Raji, who was hindered by a high ankle sprain in the first half of his rookie campaign, also should help.

In any event, it's imperative that another defender or two besides Matthews provide consistent pressure.  

D'accordo in parte. E' stata la mancanza di pass rush che ha permesso a Favre, Warner e Big Ben di passare pomeriggi indisturbati o quasi l'anno scorso, ma buona parte di questo era dovuto a un game plan non particolarmente aggressivo da parte di Capers (che preferiva difendere sul profondo) e soprattutto dalla totale assenza di pressione da parte della linea. Infatti non penso si possa imputare nulla a Matthews e Jones (14 sacks in due, due rookies...) piuttosto allo zero virgola prodotto dai 3 là davanti, peraltro bravissimi a fermare le corse (prima difesa della lega). Quest'anno è abbastanza ovvio aspettarsi più coraggio, più blitz e più pressione da parte della linea.

5) THE VIKINGS — I've saved the biggest potential problem — which shouldn't surprise anybody — for last. With Favre at the helm, Minnesota clearly had Green Bay's number last season in victories in the Packers' fourth and seventh games. In those two losses, the line surrendered 14 sacks, and in one of them, Rodgers suffered a foot injury that quietly bothered him the remainder of the season. It's definitely worth highlighting the seventh game (at Lambeau in prime time) and the 10th game (at Minnesota) on the Pack's 2010 schedule. 

Obviously, whether or not Favre is under center for Minnesota will be a huge factor. I can't pretend to know what he will actually end up doing, but while the prospect of somebody who is an honest-to-God grandfather still playing at the pro level seems totally off the wall to me, my gut tells me that Brett will indeed be back and that he will be extremely stoked in the two games against his old team.

Non sono d'accordo. I due match contro i Vikings dell'anno scorso dell'anno scorso sono stati del tutto particolari: intanto sono stati giocati nella prima metà della stagione, con la linea di attacco che era un gruviera, e poi non va dimenticato l'effetto psicologico che ha giocato un ruolo non secondario sia sui Packers (le pressioni dell'ambiente) sia su Favre. E poi vale il principio di reciprocità: se Favre ha la targa dei Packers, quest'anno anche i Packers hanno la targa di Favre (e dei Vikings). Stay tuned       

[A-Rod]

Which "cold-weather" city would you most like to see host a Super Bowl?

10%Baltimore

9%Foxborough

64%Green Bay

6%Nashville

11%Seattle

Total Votes: 2804


sarebbe da pazzi,un SB a green bay..però anche bellissimo..

Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wis.
Making a case: The experience at this tradition-packed stadium is like no other in the NFL. There isn't a bad seat in the house; the locker rooms and other amenities are top notch, and the people of the NFL's smallest city could not be more hospitable.

Why it won't happen: Even with Milwaukee and Appleton within range, hotel space would be an issue. So would a lack of practice facilities. The limited airport traffic could be a problem as well. Super Bowls also are events and there could be a shortage of venues to host the multitude of seminars and parties that accompany the game itself. Not to mention, the average temperature in Green Bay in February is around 20 degrees. And it snows. A lot.

[Bears54]

64%Green Bay 

[porzione]

64%Green Bay 

Perchè è quella più vicina a Chicago, vergognati! 

[A-Rod]

al harris sta recuperando dal terribile infortunio al ginocchio..

Notebook: Harris Progressing With Knee Rehab

http://www.packers.com/news/stories/2010/06/02/1/

[frozen tundra]

Molto bello e interessante questo video 

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpC3IvQdrLY[/youtube]

A Green Bay siamo stati fortunati ad avere un grande quarterback, e siamo fortunati ad avere un grande quarterback.

[A-Rod]

eh si'..

A-Rod il suo dovere lo ha sempre fatto.
solo che nel primo anno da titolare la difesa,falcidiata da un numero impressionante di infortuni,non lo ha aiutato..

lo scorso anno sì,e il record è molto migliorato.

preghiamo tutti insieme per l'anno prossimo 

[A-Rod]

Tramon Williams ha firmato.

Bigby ancora no.

CB Williams back with Packers for mandatory minicamp

http://www.nfl.com/news/story?id=09000d5d818c4614&template=with-video-with-comments&confirm=true

[frozen tundra]

Ancora prima dell'inizio del processo (fissato per il 30 luglio a Houston) la NFL ha deciso di sospendere a tempo indeterminato ed almeno per tutto il 2010 il DL Johnny Jolly per possesso di una sostanza proibita, la codeina: un paio di anni fa ne furono trovati 200gr nella sua macchina e, per questo, rischia fino a 20 anni di galera.

Peccato per il ragazzo, certo che i Packers evidentemente se lo aspettavano visto che hanno draftato due DL e spostato Pickett a fare il DE assieme a Jenkins, lasciando il posto di NT a B.J. Raji. E speriamo che Harrell faccia vedere qualcosa dopo 3 anni di vuoto spinto, anche se non ci credo.