If you were a tree, what kind of tree would you be?
How many of us have heard that question? In the NFL, especially as it relates to head coaches, it rings true more than most. Every successful head coach now seems to come from some kind of coaching "tree," as in he worked under another successful head coach as an assistant.
For example:
Sean Payton? Bill Parcells.
Bill Belichick? also Parcells.
Norv Turner? Jimmy Johnson
Brad Childress? Andy Reid
Reid? Mike Holmgren.
It goes on and on.
Hold on, though. What about Green Bay Packers head coach Mike McCarthy?
Thought so.
McCarthy is one of those rare birds in the NFL who became a successful head coach on his own. Yes, he worked at Kansas City with Marty Schottenheimer, but Marty's struggles in the [...]
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Coming into the 2006 NFL Draft, linebacker A.J. Hawk was called by many draft experts the "surest thing" in that year's draft.
A "sure thing," as in someone who will undoubtedly succeed in the NFL and become an elite player for years to come.
Now that Hawk is entering his fifth season with the Green Bay Packers, let's take a look at how this "sure thing" has done thus far.
In a word? Mediocre. Given that Hawk had increased expectations going into his rookie year as a top-five draft pick, Hawk has shown flashes but is nowhere near the player most people thought he would be at this point.
That's why entering 2010, Hawk is the Packers player on the hottest seat.
Yes, I am aware of defensive end Justin Harrell, but he arguably should have been let go last year. Hawk has [...]
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Call it a gut instinct if you will.
That, along with some flashes he has shown thus far into training camp. For whatever reason, something inside me is telling me that Jordy Nelson is your leading candidate for the player that will have experience the big breakout starting with training camp and leading into the 2010 season.
Nelson hasn't put up monster statistics as of yet (he still has yet to top 400 receiving yards in a season and has caught only two touchdown passes in his first two seasons) but he shown flashes of emerging as a key component of what is a ridiculously deep Packers receiving corps.
Until the great Donald Driver retires, Nelson will rise no higher than number three on the depth chart. That's not to say I am rushing Driver out the door. No way. The man is [...]
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Can you hear that? That sound coming from the Green Bay Packers' training camp?
Yes, silence is deafening.
Given the drama that surrounded the past two training camps, the Packers most certainly are already enjoying a quiet and drama-free training camp.
Yes, Johnny Jolly was recently suspended for the season by the NFL for violations of its substance abuse policy, but this hardly came as a surprise to the Packers. They were prepared for such a situation to arise.
What the Packers in hindsight were not prepared for was the drama that engulfed the team's 2008 training camp and to a lesser extent, the 2009 camp as well.
The drama involving Brett Favre in 2008 no doubt hampered the focus of the players and coaches and it no doubt played a role in the 6-10 record that [...]
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A year ago, if you'd asked a typical Wisconsinite what their greatest fear was, after a shortage of beer and brats, they would have given you a scenario that went something like this: Brett Favre indeed unretires for a second time and joins the hated Vikings (or, as Packers legend Jerry Kramer called them, the "dastardly Vikings"). Favre goes on to have arguably the best year of his career, beating the Packers twice in the regular season and leading the Vikings deep into the playoffs.
Obviously, as it turned out, [...]
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Quick-hitting analysis on every key contributor to the 2010 Green Bay Packers.
*new veteran
**rookie
Head Coach: Mike McCarthy
Offense
[...]
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If you wind the clock back ten years, it is hard to believe what just occurred.
In 2000, the Packers were getting ready to go into battle with their third different coach in three years and were coming off their first non-winning season in nine years.
Oh yeah, and their Pro Bowl tight end was on trial for sexual assault of a minor.
That year, Mark Chmura was one of those rare Packer players that go from hero to villain. Despite being ultimately found innocent on all charges in his trial, Chmura's reputation was forever ruined amongst Packers fans that he retired a few months after being acquitted. Everyone thought he was done with the organization and that the Packers wanted nothing to do with the man.
It's amazing what a decade can do.
This week Chmura was inducted into [...]
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The bug that has been biting a lot of NFL franchises finally bit the Green Bay Packers today.
Defensive end Johnny Jolly was suspended by the NFL for the 2010 season and possibly beyond for violation of the league's substance abuse policy. Jolly is allowed to apply for reinstatement following Super Bowl XLV but with a pending trial, there is no guarantee Jolly will be allowed back next season.
Looking at the big picture, the Packers have been very fortunate to avoid a lot of the character issues that have been plaguing a lot of NFL teams in recent years. The Packers are rarely-to-never mentioned when police blotter involving NFL players is made public.
Why is that?
First off is the long tradition of the Packers organization. Packer players throughout NFL history from Bart [...]
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Tis NOT the season to be Jolly.
Johnny Jolly, to be precise. The Green Bay Packers defensive end was suspended today by the NFL for the 2010 season reportedly for violating the league's substance abuse policy. Jolly will not be eligible to apply for reinstatement until after Super Bowl XLV concludes. It is still possible Jolly could miss more time even after this season concludes.
What makes this suspension strange is the fact that it seems like it is NOT related to Jolly's pending drug possession trial. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has made no qualms with suspending players in trouble, regardless of if they have been convicted or not. For evidence of this, see: Roethlisberger, Benjamin.
That said, this suspension of Johnny Jolly seems incredibly harsh especially [...]
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In this third installment of “Studying the Stats”, I’ll be taking a look at how the Green Bay Packers average starting offensive field position came about and how it affected results.
The first two installments can be found here:
Part 1 – Interceptions
Part 2 – Fast Starts
On average, the Packers starting offensive field position in 2009 was their own 32 yard line. That sounds pretty decent if [...]
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Green Bay Packers
