State of the Pack
Organization on solid ground
By Ken Ryan
Staff Writer
With the Super Bowl in Arizona concluded, it’s time to turn the page ahead for 2008.
The Green Bay Packers, who seen their 2007 season end one game short of an appearance in the valley of the sun, were a surprise to many in 2007 by posting a 13-3 regular season record, good enough for the NFC North Division title and a first-round bye in the postseason. Once there, Green Bay knocked out Seattle 42-20 in a memorable Lambeau Field snowstorm before succumbing to the bitter Northern Wisconsin cold and the New York Giants, 23-20 in overtime in the NFC title game.
While the Pack’s season was a pleasant shock to many, next season the expectations will be sky-high as the youngest team in the NFL for 2007 gains one more year of experience. Here is a position-by-position analysis as the team stands now.
OFFENSE
QUARTERBACK: Brett Favre showed at age 38 that he can still play with the best of them by completing 66.5% of his passes for 28 touchdowns and 4,155 yards. Early on this season he carried a team that had no running game to 7-1 start before the running game found full-time effectiveness in week ten. This will be the fourth consecutive off season of the Wisconsin pastime of “Will he or won’t he,” referring to if Favre will return or retire. All signs point to Favre returning for an 18th season, but it has been debated if that is what’s best for the Packers. Those who are calling for 2005 first-round pick Aaron Rodgers point to Favre’s debacle in windy and cold Chicago in week 16 and his two interceptions in the title game, including one in overtime that set the Giants up for the winning points where he had other options open but decided to force it into Donald Driver. Rodgers looked excellent in his only regular season action this year, nearly bringing the Packers back from a 27-10 deficit at Dallas and is ready to go. However, in the past two years he’s had injuries knock him out for a sustained amount of time. All that said, the hope here is Favre comes back for a final year and can play like he did for a majority of the year.
RUNNING BACK: Ryan Grant burst onto the scene in week eight at Denver, and from that point on, lead the NFL in rushing, all coming after the Packers were ranked dead-last in rushing. In the Seattle playoff game, he covered from two early fumbles to post a Packers franchise playoff rushing record of 201 yards and three touchdowns. Grant, 25, is under contract for two more years but may look for a long-term deal and will benefit from his first Packers training camp next season. Rookie Brandon Jackson was poor almost all year but played better late in the year and may be the teams third-down back in 2008. Vernand Morency battled injuries all year and may be let go. Another halfback should be a high priority for General Manager Ted Thompson. At fullback, rookie Korey Hall appears to be an ascending player and also was a major special teams contributor.
TIGHT END: Donald Lee received a contract extension at mid-season and had a surprising season, catching 48 passes and six touchdowns. Veteran Bubba Franks is due a big roster bonus and likely will be cut, making back-up tight end another position of priority.
WIDE RECEIVER: A very sound position that paved the way for the Packers to lead the NFL in yards after the catch. Donald Driver still has a lot left in the tank as proven by his Pro Bowl birth. Greg Jennings emerged as a big-time playmaker, scoring 12 touchdowns including three game-winners. Look for Jennings to take the step to elite receiver in his third season. James Jones was amongst leaders in rookie receiving statistics, but was off the radar later in the year. Koren Robinson came on board at mid-season and was a boost in the kick return game along with situational receiving and should benefit from a training camp. Ruvell Martin is a nice player but will likely have to battle to keep the final receiving spot in camp.
OFFENSIVE LINE: Though tackles Chad Clifton and Mark Tauscher are slowly starting to age, they are still one of the best pass-blocking duos in the game. Scott Wells is ready to hit his prime at center. The guard position has become a mess. Jason Spitz will enter his third season as the likely starter at the right guard spot but has much room for improvement. At left guard, the carousel between Daryn Colledge and Junius Coston seems to never spot.
DEFENSE
DEFENSIVE LINE: At end, Cullen Jenkins played below expectations after receiving a contract extension this past March. Aaron Kampman manned the other edge to the tune of 12 sacks and 34 quarterback pressures, solidifying a second straight Pro Bowl birth. Kabeer Gbaja-Biamilla is due a slight pay increase after having a small renaissance year in which he specialized as a pass rusher. Inside, Ryan Pickett proved his worth by anchoring a solid rush defense and drawing repetitive double teams. Johnny Jolly’s absence was felt after an injury in week 11 sidelined him for the season. Corey Williams, the Packers most notable unrestricted free agent, saw his play drop slightly after the Jolly injury and is most likely out the door due to his expected salary demands and Jolly’s higher performance. Justin Harrell, the 2007 first-round pick, did decent and will benefit from being healthy this offseason.
LINEBACKER: Nick Barnett was a force at the middle linebacker position. Many believe his fifth year in the league was far-and-away his best. AJ Hawk, the 2006 fifth-overall pick, was solid but needs to make more big plays to add a boost to the defense. Brady Poppinga is a solid run defender, as evidenced by his effort against the Giants, but repeatedly was a liability in pass coverage against tight ends. It’s his job to lose in 2008 but the position could easily be upgraded.
SECONDARY: Many around the league believe the Pack has the best cornerback duo in the game in Al Harris and Charles Woodson. However, they showed signs of the low 30s age against New York. Still, the Pack should be able to squeeze a year or two of solid play out of them. The painfully bad Jarrett Bush, Will Blackmon, and Tramon Williams all will battle in the summer for positioning. The corner position is a high need with the combination of age and substandard performance in the nickel and dime specialist positions. At safety, Atari Bigby made big strides in his first year as a starter, leading the team in interceptions and becoming a hard-hitter. Nick Collins, in his third year, doesn’t seem ready to take the next step. He’ll be challenged in camp by Aaron Rouse, who showed playmaking ability in limited time in his rookie year.
SPECIAL TEAMS: Mason Crosby had a solid season at kicker and the rookie will continue to grow with time. Jon Ryan really struggled later in the year and will have to battle in the summer to keep his punting duties. Rob Davis probably will get one more go-round at long snapper. If Blackmon stays healthy, he can add a dimension to the punt return unit. Robinson and Williams are somewhat dangerous returning kicks.
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Packers Rewind
Dallas, TX- Dallas 37, Green Bay 27
By Ken Ryan
For the first time since 1990, two teams with 10-1 records or better faced off. For all intents and purposes, home-field advantage throughout the playoffs was on the line.
But a banged-up Green Bay Packers team couldn’t hang with the Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys.
Playing without four key defensive players, cornerback Charles Woodson, safety Aaron Rouse, defensive tackle Johnny Jolly, and defensive end Kabeer Gbaja-Biamilla, the Packers were looking for answers for most of the first half.
With Green Bay trailing 6-3 midway through the first quarter, quarterback Brett Favre took one of the many shots deep down the field, but it was intercepted by Ken Hamlin, setting up a three-yard Romo to Patrick Crayton scoring connection. The Packers did seize momentum when running back Ryan Grant ripped off a 62-yard scoring run to cut the lead to 13-10 at the end of the first quarter.
But a 48-yard completion to Dallas receiver Terrell Owens completely swung the pendulum back to Dallas. Romo found Anthony Fasano for a 28-yard score two plays later to push Dallas ahead 20-10.
When Nate Jones blitzed off the edged and hit Favre, the ball popped up into the air and was picked off by Terence Newman. The hit knocked Favre from the game with an injury to his ulnar nerve. On the ensuing drive, the Cowboys lead grew to 27-10 when Romo found Owens for a ten-yard score.
At the end of the first half, Aaron Rodgers directed an eight play drive, capping it by throwing his first career touchdown pass, an 11-yard pitch to the ascending Greg Jennings.
Green Bay was right back in it after defensive tackle Ryan Pickett stuffed Dallas running back Julius Jones on a fourth and one. Rodgers and the offense then marched 12 plays, finishing the drive with a Grant one-yard score to cut the deficit to 27-24 late in third quarter.
It stayed that way until a questionable 42-yard pass interference call on cornerback Tramon Williams set the Cowboys first-and-goal at the Green Bay five. On the play, it appeared the contact was due to their legs becoming entangled and should not have warranted a penalty. But as it stood, Dallas cashed in the opportunity and Romo found Crayton again to extend their lead to 34-24.
Mike McCarthy elected to kick a 52-yard field goal instead of going for the first down on fourth and one. Mason Crosby promptly drilled it to pull Green Bay within one score at 34-27 with 5:03 left.
However, Dallas put the game out of reach and drained the Packers out of their timeouts with a nine-play march, capped off by Nick Folk’s 25 yard field goal to complete the scoring with 1:10 remaining.
Dallas now owns a virtual one and a half game lead with the tiebreaker.
Up Next
Green Bay (10-2) hosts the Oakland Raiders (3-8) at Lambeau Field on Sunday, December 9. The ten day layoff allows Favre extra time to rest the elbow. All indications so far are that he should be available to make his 250th consecutive start.
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Badgers accept New Year’s Day bid to Outback Bowl
By Ken Ryan
Staff Writer
For the fourth consecutive season and ninth time in 15 years, the University of Wisconsin is headed to a New Year’s Day bowl game, this one in Tampa, Florida for the Outback Bowl.
The Outback Bowl represents one of the Big Ten’s three New Year’s Day bowl bids. UW has made three previous trips to Tampa, including a victory in the 1995 game when it was known as the Hall-of-Fame Game and defeats in 1998 and 2005, both to Georgia. Despite those two losses however, UW is an overall 6-2 in New Year’s Day bowls in the previous 15 years, including two straight wins in the Capital One Bowl the previous two seasons.
“Our entire team is excited to be returning to Florida for our fourth straight January bowl game,” UW head coach Bret Bielema told reporters today. “We’ve always heard terrific feedback from our fans who have followed us to Tampa in the past and I know we’ll have a big sea of red down there again. We’re looking forward to the warm weather, hospitality and a great game on New Year’s Day.”
UW, currently ranked 16th in the USA Today Coaches’ Poll and 19th in the Associated Press poll, will wait for the announcement of their opponent after the weekend. The Badgers will play an opponent from the Southeastern Conference, an opponent that will be determined by the outcome of the SEC Championship Game between seventh-ranked LSU and 14th-ranked Tennessee.
The winner of that game along with Georgia will fill the SEC’s allotted two spots in the Bowl Championship Series. Capital One Bowl officials get the next choice from the SEC’s non-BCS teams, and all indications are they are lining up a game between Florida and Illinois. From there, Outback officials probably will elect to take the SEC title game loser over the other possible option, Auburn.
Wisconsin was selected amongst a pool of Big Ten programs that include Michigan and Penn State. The Badgers finished the Big Ten in fourth place with a record of 5-3. With a victory in the Outback Bowl, UW would finish at 10-3, their third straight season of ten or more victories.
Because of two straight appearances to the Capital One Bowl in Orlando, UW Director of Athletics Barry Alvarez took UW’s name out of consideration for a third straight appearance to the Big Ten’s second place bowl.
Elsewhere in the Big Ten, league fans will be rooting for ninth-ranked Oklahoma to upend top-ranked Missouri (which they did Oct. 13) in the Big XII title game. Then, conference champion Ohio State would slide into the BCS top-two and play for the national championship. If that happens, Illinois may luck out and get invited to the Rose Bowl. Michigan then likely would head to Orlando for the Capital One Bowl. But as it stands now, if Missouri takes care of business, Ohio State is Rose Bowl-bound, Illinois will head to the Capital One Bowl, and Michigan the fourth-place Alamo Bowl. Penn State is all but set on the fifth-place Champs Sports Bowl. Indiana, Purdue, Michigan State and Iowa are all battling for the league’s final two games, the Insight.com Bowl and the Motor City Bowl.
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Weekend Review – State Football
UW stakes their claim for Outback Bowl, Pack off to best start in 45 years
By Ken Ryan
Staff Writer
Green Bay, WI – Green Bay 31, Carolina 17
Green Bay showed its precise focus by jumping all over the Panthers in the first half. In the first quarter, Carolina lined up for a 52-yard field goal but instead of kicking it, the ball was directly snapped to kicker John Kasay, whose pooch punt bounced inside the ten yard line. Unfortunately for Carolina (4-6), Green Bay was prepared for it all week in practice. Tramon Williams scooped up the rock and outraced Carolina’s slow-footed coverage personnel for a 94-yard touchdown that gave the Packers an early 7-0 lead they would not relinquish. After the Panthers hit a field goal, Brett Favre and Donald Driver hooked up for a 46-yard completion that set up a Favre to Greg Jennings four-yard scoring catch to put the Packers up 14-3. Two touchdown catches then by Packers tight end Donald Lee, one on each side of halftime, put Green Bay comfortably ahead 28-3. Carolina 44-year old quarterback Vinny Testaverde did a solid job of making the score respectable. His five-yard pass to Drew Carter pulled the Panthers within 28-17 with 4:22 remaining. But when Driver recovered the onside kick and Mason Crosby hit on a 47 yard field goal, the Packers sealed the deal up 31-17.
Review of the Key Match-up: Green Bay cornerback Al Harris vs. Carolina receiver Steve Smith
Smith was a late-scratch with a shin injury. His absence undoubtedly affected the Panthers passing game, but Carter had success against Harris, catching five passes for 132 yards and one touchdown.
Key Statistics/Factoids
Favre’s passer rating eclipsed 100 for the seventh time on the year, posting a dazzling 126.8…Green Bay won the turnover battle 3-0…Ryan Grant had 20 carries for 88 yards, helping the Packers climb over 100 yards for the third time in four games…Crosby missed his first two field goals, the first one being blocked…Green Bay’s 9-1 start is their best since 1962’s 10-0 run. That year, the Packers won their second of five NFL championships under coach Vince Lombardi…Green Bay has now won five straight and 13 of 14 dating back to last season
Up Next
The Packers travel to Detroit for the classic Thanksgiving Day battle on Thursday. If the Packers can beat the Lions, who lost on Sunday to fall to 6-4, they will essentially clinch the NFC North, having a four-game lead with just five games remaining. The Lions have historically fared well against Green Bay on Thanksgiving, including handing Green Bay their only loss in 1962 and the Lions upsetting the Packers in 2003, Green Bay’s last appearance on Thanksgiving. If the Packers and the Dallas Cowboys both win (Dallas hosts the lowly 2-8 New York Jets on Thanksgiving), it will set up only the second-ever match-up of 10-1 teams in NFL history.
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Minneapolis, MN – No. 24 Wisconsin 41, Minnesota 34
In what was the final appearance UW will ever make at the Metrodome (Minnesota moves into their new stadium in 2009), the Golden Gophers and Badgers battled in another Twin Cities nail biter that has become the norm in this series. Minnesota came in winless in the Big Ten and just 1-10 overall, but did everything they could to steal back the Paul Bunyan Axe, which UW has now held four straight years. The Gophers jumped out to a 13-3 lead. However, the Badgers closed the lead to 13-10 at halftime. When UW freshman running back Zach Brown, filling in for the injured PJ Hill, scored from 16 yards out early in the third quarter the Badgers surged ahead 17-13. After UW tacked on a field goal, the Gophers put together a ten play, 79-yard scoring drive to equalize the score at 20-20 heading into the fourth quarter. A wild fourth quarter saw UW put together two consecutive scoring drives to begin the stanza. Bill Rentmeister’s one-yard run put UW in the lead and Travis Beckum’s ten-yard scoring catch seemingly put UW in control, up 34-20 with 12:28 left. However, Minnesota went on another ten-play march to cut the lead back to 34-27. Minnesota then forced a Badger punt. Poised to go down and tie the ballgame, the Gophers committed a fatal mistake when Harold Howell muffed the punt. When UW long-snapper Steve Johnson recovered, the Badgers were set up at the Minnesota 15. Two plays later, Brown capped off his phenomenal day by scoring his second touchdown to put UW up 41-27 with 5:51 remaining. From there, the resilient Gophers used a little lady luck to get back into it, scoring on a pass that was deflected straight up into the air and plucked out of the air by UM receiver Ralph Spry, who then raced for a 71-yard touchdown to pull Minnesota within 41-34. However, UW did a decent job running down the clock. Minnesota did have a chance to pull off a miracle drive to tie the game. However, deep in his own territory, Gopher quarterback Adam Weber was intercepted by Ben Strickland to wrap it up with under 50 seconds remaining.
Review of the Key Match-up: UW cornerback Aaron Henry vs. Minnesota receiver Eric Decker
Decker’s monster day, six catches for 125 yards and two touchdowns, was one of the main reasons the Gophers nearly pulled the upset. Henry is a freshman, so he should learn from this and apply it to the rest of his career at UW.
Telling Statistics/Factoids
Brown was fabulous in filling in for Hill, carrying 29 times for 250 yards and two touchdowns…UW’s wide receivers did not catch a single pass…UW twice in the fourth quarter had drives begin in Gophers territory. Besides the muffed punt, UW stopped a Gopher fake punt attempt at the Minnesota 47, leading to a UW touchdown drive…UW won the turnover battle, 3-1.
What’s Next
UW, now ranked 21st in the Coaches’ Poll and 22nd in the AP poll, wrapped up the regular season at 9-3 overall and 5-3 in Big Ten play. The Badgers now await their bowl game invitation. With Ohio State likely heading to Rose Bowl and Illinois the Capital One bowl, the final Big Ten New Year’s Day bowl invite, the Outback bowl in Tampa will go to either UW or Michigan. Outback Bowl officials are leaning towards the Badgers, who defeated Michigan on Nov. 10 and notoriously travel as well as any fan base in the nation. On the other hand, Michigan’s status among the greatest programs in the history of college football might make them a tastier choice for the Outback Bowl.
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State of the Football Union
By Ken Ryan
Packer Report
Match-up: Minnesota (3-5) at Green Bay (7-1)
Logistics: 12 noon Sunday at Lambeau Field in Green Bay (TV:FOX)
Line: Green Bay by 5 ½
The Packers have beaten Minnesota all three times under coach Mike McCarthy, including a 23-16 win in the Twin Cities in week four. The talk all week in Titletown has been about how Green Bay’s eighth-ranked rush defense will slow down rookie phenom Adrian Peterson, who leads the league in rushing and last week broke the NFL single-game record by tallying 296 yards on the ground in their 35-17 upset over San Diego. In week four, the only thing that stopped Peterson was Vikings head coach Brad Childress, who only gave it to him 12 times en route to the rookie picking up 112 yards. The Vikings are down to their third string quarterback in UW alum Brooks Bollinger. You just might see nine Packers defenders near the line of scrimmage as Minnesota’s pass game is non-existent. Speaking of non-existent, the Packers continue to rank dead-last in rushing. That won’t change this week, as Minnesota is the best run defense in the league, anchored by superior tackles Pat Williams and Kevin Williams. McCarthy rotated guards this week in practice, but it will remain Daryn Colledge and Jason Spitz. Those two played poorly last week in the team’s 33-22 win at Kansas City. Green Bay will continue to look to the air behind Brett Favre, who leads the NFL in yards per game with 300.8. In week four by completing 71% of his throws for 344 yards and touchdowns to Greg Jennings and James Jones. Donald Driver has made a living going against Minnesota in his career. Look for former Packer safety Darren Sharper to be a non-factor.
Key Match-up: Peterson vs. Packers front seven
Simply put, if the Vikings are going to pull the upset on the road, they need a huge day from Peterson to control the clock, keep Favre on the sideline, and take the pressure off of Bollinger. It will be up to the entire front seven to contain him, led by middle linebacker Nick Barnett. Interior defensive tackle play is always a key in stopping the run, and the Packers have two good ones in Corey Williams and Ryan Pickett. Safeties Atari Bigby and Aaron Rouse, filling in for Nick Collins (knee), will play very close to the line of scrimmage. The Vikings like to run to left behind tackle Bryant McKinnie and all-pro guard Steve Hutchinson. AJ Hawk played better for Green Bay last week, but he will get his chance to shine on Sunday.
Outlook:
Green Bay leads the all-time series between these two 47-44-1, so one thing is clear: it is very difficult to take both games. Coming off two emotional wins in hostile environments on the road in Denver and Kansas City, there is high potential for a let-down. Luckily for the Packers, it is not very difficult to energize when playing a fierce divisional rival at Lambeau Field, where Green Bay has not played in a month. The guess here is a good day for Favre and company, Green Bay holds Peterson to about 100 yards, well short of what Minnesota needs to beat the streaking Pack.
Prediction: Green Bay 20, Minnesota 10
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Badger Report
The Match-up: (12) Michigan (8-2, 6-0) at Wisconsin (7-3, 3-3)
Logistics: 11 AM at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison (TV:ESPN)
Line: Michigan by 2 ½
Michigan has been on a roll since their dreadful 0-2 start. If Michigan wins here and Ohio State beats Illinois in Columbus as the Buckeyes are expected to, it will set up a battle of unbeaten teams in the Big Ten next week of Michigan and Ohio State in the regular season finale. This has trap game written all over it, but Michigan coach Lloyd Carr will have his team focused if his comments this week regarding the difficulty of playing at Camp Randall are any indication. Wisconsin, coming off a loss to Buckeyes in which they saw a 17-10 third-quarter lead evaporate into a 38-17 loss due to not being able to stop the run, will have their work cut out for them this week defensively as well. U of M tailback Mike Hart is battling an ankle sprain, as has been the case for a good portion of the season but has still managed to post 1188 yards on 215 carries. Michigan quarterback Chad Henne has missed a couple of games with a knee problem, but returned last week with a bang as he rallied the Michigan from a ten-point deficit in the fourth quarter to win 28-24 at Michigan State. For Wisconsin, running back PJ Hill is being listed as doubtful with a bruised leg, meaning Lance Smith will carry the load. Smith, who was out last week due to his road-games suspension, is averaging 6.4 yards an attempt. The Badgers must do a better job protecting quarterback Tyler Donovan, who was sacked nine times last week. Donovan will look for tight end Travis Beckum, who had nine catches for 140 yards and a touchdown last week. Michigan’s defense has gotten better as the year has progressed. It’s also senior day in Madison, as senior starters Donovan, kicker Taylor Mehlhaff, punter Ken Debauche, receiver Paul Hubbard, center Marcus Coleman, and defensive lineman Nick Hayden, along with the injured Luke Swan and five other reserves make their final appearance at Camp Randall. The 2007 class needs just one more victory in their final three games to win their 39th game, which would make them the winningest class in school history.
Key Match-up: Michigan receiver Mario Manningham vs. UW cornerback Jack Ikegwuonu
UW coaches referred to this week to Manningham, Henne’s favorite target, as one of the best receivers in the nation. UW cornerback Jack Ikegwuonu, who has been playing very well as of late, draws that match-up this week. Wisconsin traditionally has done a decent job stopping the Michigan run-game but struggles against the vertical routes.
Outlook
Wisconsin’s season has been slightly disappointing. Some people didn’t have the Badgers losing two games all year, and they’ve already lost three. However, if UW can pull it out and win next week at Minnesota and get to a New Year’s Day bowl game, it is something UW can feel very positive about heading into next year. The Badgers, riding a 13-game home winning streak, win feeding off an electric atmosphere fueled by senior day, the retiring of Ron Dayne’s number 33, and hated Michigan.
Prediction: Wisconsin 27, Michigan 21
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Green Bay 33, Kansas City 22 – It was a wild one in Kansas City. Green Bay held a 6-0 lead until the final minute of the first half when quarterback Brett Favre was intercepted by Benny Sapp. The pick set up a pass interference penalty on Green Bay safety Atari Bigby in the end zone. One play later, Chiefs running back Larry Johnson gave Kansas City a 7-6 halftime lead. The see-saw battle had just begun. Packers linebacker AJ Hawk intercepted Chiefs quarterback Damon Huard, setting up a 13-yard catch-and-run touchdown by Greg Jennings from Favre. The Chiefs responded with a beautiful 30 yard screen pass for a score by Johnson to regain the lead at 14-13 with 11:11 left in the ball game. After a beautiful one-handed catch for 49 yards by Green Bay’s Donald Driver, Mason Crosby gave the Packers a 16-14 lead on a 32 yard field goal. The Chiefs bounced back once again despite Johnson leaving with a foot injury. Tony Gonzalez continued his monster day by catching a 17-yard score. With the two-point conversion successful, the Chiefs lead 22-16 with 5:18 remaining. But as Green Bay has done all year, they responded with a big play. The culprits were a usual duo. Favre and Jennings hooked up for a 60-yard touchdown to put the Packers up 23-22 with 3:05 left. Perhaps the key point came in the next series when Packers coach Mike McCarthy successfully challenged a long Chiefs completion to the Green Bay 42. The receiver was ruled out of bounds. Forced to punt, Green Bay cornerback/punt returner Charles Woodson took the kick back to the Kansas City 30 yard line, setting up Crosby’s 4th field goal, this one a 45-yarder for a 26-22 lead with 1:40 to go. Woodson’s scintillating 46-yard interception to the house put the game away with under a minute remaining.
Review of the Key-Matchup – Gonzalez was no match for Bigby and Packers linebacker Brady Poppinga and for that matter Woodson. Hawk did a respectable jobon him, but at the end of the day the perennial Pro-Bowler had ten catches for 109 yards and a score. Unfortunately for the Chiefs, he was their only weapon in the pass game.
The Telling Statistics – The two teams combined for 42 points in the final quarter and 11 seconds, Green Bay scoring 17 in the final 3:15…Favre posted the maximum passer rating of 158.3 in the second half…Green Bay has 25 penalties in the past two games, including 13 on Sunday…The Green Bay defense had five sacks, forced two turnovers, and held the Chiefs to 234 total yards…With the win, Favre’s first against the Chiefs, he has now beaten all other 31 teams in the league, joining Peyton Manning and Tom Brady as the only others to have done so…Kansas City and Denver, where the Packers have both win in a span of 5 ½ days, have the two best home records in the NFL since 1990.
This week – Green Bay stands at 7-1, atop the NFC North by one game over Detroit and tied with Dallas for the top record in the NFC. The Packers welcome to town hated-rival Minnesota, whom the Packers beat 23-16 in the Twin Cities in week four when Favre set the touchdown record. The Vikings stand at 3-5, hot off their upset 35-17 win over San Diego when rookie phenom Adrian Peterson ran for an NFL single-game record 296 yards and three touchdowns. Minnesota’s quarterback situation is up in the air as starter Tavaris Jackson was knocked out of Sunday’s game with a concussion. Former Badger standout Brooks Bollinger finished the game on Sunday under center. It will be the first game at Lambeau Field in a month.
(1)Ohio State 38, (21)Wisconsin 17 – Top-ranked Ohio State jumped out and scored on the first possession of the game, but Wisconsin did not fold and got to halftime with the score manageable at 10-3. UW came out of the break with two long touchdown drives, the first capped off by a beautiful 28-yard sliding touchdown catch by Travis Beckum from Tyler Donovan. Donovan connected with fullback Chris Pressley for a three-yard touchdown in the middle of the third quarter to put Wisconsin up 17-10. Then the Badgers decided it would be a good idea to not defend the run. Ohio State answered with back to back touchdown drives, capped off by 31 and 30 yard scoring scampers by Chris Wells. After a miscommunication on a punt, UW’s Ken DeBauche was tackled at the Badger 23. Four plays later, Todd Boeckman connected with Brian Robiske for eight yards to put Ohio State up 31-17 with 10:05 left in the game. Another Wells touchdown, this one from 23 yards out, sealed the deal.
Review of the Key-Matchup – UW’s interior offensive line held up respectably against the run, but did little to protect Donovan. OSU middle linebacker James Laurinaitis was all over the place.
The Telling Statistics – Donovan was sacked nine times…Wells ran 21 times for 169 yards (an astronomical 8.0 yards per carry) and three touchdowns… Laurinaitis had 19 tackles.
This week – Michigan (8-2, 6-0) comes to Madison for senior day on a eight-game win streak since their humiliating start. The Wolverines, ranked 12th in the nation, perhaps are looking ahead to next weekend’s match up with the undefeated Buckeyes. Wisconsin fell out of the polls. And at 7-3 overall and 3-3 in the Big Ten, the Badgers need to win this game and next week at hapless Minnesota to give themselves a great chance for their fourth straight New Year’s Day bowl game.
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State of the football Union
by Ken “Cheeks” Ryan
Staff Writer
Packers Preview
Match-up: Green Bay Packers (6-1) at Kansas City Chiefs (4-3)
Logistics: 12 noon Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City (TV: Fox)
Line: Kansas City by 2 ½
The challenge this week for the Packers will be responding to the short week. Coming off the short week in which they traveled to Denver for a Monday Night game where they got the emotional overtime win and having to travel to Missouri for a Sunday noon game is not always easy, especially opposing team that had a bye last week in Kansas City. The Packers are hot, however, and perhaps have found a running game behind Ryan Grant, who rushed 22 times for 104 yards in first start Monday Night. Similar production will go a long way towards Green Bay winning their sixth straight road game. Green Bay may get a boost with the possible return of center Scott Wells, who has missed the last two games with an eye injury and pneumonia respectively. In the passing game, Brett Favre was outstanding Monday night, mostly due to number two and three receivers Greg Jennings and James Jones. Donald Driver has seen multiple looks of coverage. This week, he draws the superb cornerback Ty Law. Kansas City’s defense, lead by end Jared Allen and his eight sacks, is ranked 11th overall. Offensively, the Chiefs have been decent behind quarterback Damon Huard. Despite having Larry Johnson, the Chiefs are ranked just 28th in the league in rushing. Receiver Dwayne Bowe leads all NFL rookies in receiving yards and will likely be shadowed by Al Harris. Packers end Aaron Kampman posted three more sacks on Monday. Defensive tackle Ryan Pickett is questionable with an ankle problem.
Key match-up: Packers OLB Brady Poppinga/SS Atari Bigby vs. Chiefs TE Tony Gonzalez
Green Bay has struggled all year on first and second downs covering tight ends. Antonio Gates and Chris Cooley among others have had big days. They will use a combination of Poppinga and Bigby on those early downs against the perennial Pro-Bowler Gonzalez. The Chiefs need a big day out of Gonzalez to get the win.
Outlook: Green Bay coach Mike McCarthy returns to the place where his NFL coaching career began, Kansas City. Arrowhead Stadium is as loud of place as there is in the NFL. But the Packers are on a roll. Green Bay will get out to an early lead and take the crowd out of the game and batter and bruise Huard, forcing Gonzalez to stay in for pass protection. Green Bay gets the win and gives Favre his first win against the Chiefs, meaning he will have beaten all 31 teams in league.
Prediction: Green Bay 24, Kansas City 13
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Badger Report
Match-up: #19 Wisconsin (7-2,3-2) at #1 Ohio State (9-0,5-0)
Logistics: 11 AM Saturday at Ohio Stadium (TV: Big Ten Network)
Line: Ohio State by 16 ½
Ohio State boasts the top scoring and top total yardage defense in all of college football. Obviously, moving the ball will be a struggle for the Badgers, who perhaps will not have 1,066-yard rusher P.J. Hill due to badly bruised leg. And with backup Lance Smith suspended for road games, UW head coach will call on freshman Zach Brown. Brown’s top priority will be to protect quarterback Tyler Donovan. Ohio State will likely try to bring pressure from their stellar linebacking core, lead by All-American James Laurinaitis. The front seven of Ohio State is young but loaded with NFL prospects. Defensive end Vernon Gholston is a stud and will spend much of the day going against UW left tackle Gabe Carimi. But the greatness of the Buckeyes this season has been the surprising play of their offense, lead by quarterback Todd Boeckman who has thrown for 21 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Tailback Chris “Beanie” Wells is averaging 5.7 yards a carry. However, Wisconsin’s defense appears to have found its stroke as they’ve allowed just six points in the last two games combined, the final three coming a week ago against a potent Indiana offense in a 33-3 win. Cornerback Jack Ikegwuonu played a tremendous game last week and will have his hands full this week with OSU wideout Brian Robiske. It will be key for the Badgers to generate a pass rush with their down lineman, and that starts with end Matt Shaughnessy. UW’s improved linebacking core, lead by outside backer Deandre Levy will need to stay disciplined.
Key match-up: Interior UW offensive line (LG John Moffitt, C Marcus Coleman, RG Kraig Urbik) vs. Interior Ohio State defense (DT Doug Worthington, ILB James Laurinaitis, DT Todd Dehlinger)
The easiest way to pull off an upset is being able to control the game on the ground. Whoever carries for UW, whether its Hill or Brown, must be able to move the chains. It will take the pressure off of Donovan, set up play-action, and most importantly, keep the Ohio State offense on the sideline. Moffitt is filling in for the injured Andy Kemp. The play of these three Badgers will go a long way in whether the Badgers pull the upset and keep their minimal Big Ten title hopes alive.
Outlook: It’s a battle of streaks on Saturday. Wisconsin has won three straight in Columbus and the Buckeyes have won 19 straight Big Ten games. Wisconsin is playing their best football of the season and are the only team OSU head coach Jim Tressel has had a losing record against. The guess here is UW head coach Bret Bielema will have his troops ready to go and make it a fantastic game, but the Buckeyes make one more play in the end.
Prediction: Ohio State 28, Wisconsin 23
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Football weekend review and look ahead
UW Football (7-2, 3-2): Wisconsin came out and played their finest defensive game of the season in defeating Indiana 33-3 at Camp Randall Stadium on Saturday. The Badgers held a dynamic Indiana offense to just 258 yards and 13 first downs, while forcing five turnovers. On offense, UW rolled up 279 rushing yards en route to controlling the clock. The Badgers it seems have caught a little momentum in giving up only six points combined to Northern Illinois and Indiana. UW now finds themselves still non-ranked in the Associated Press poll and ranked 19th in the USA Today Coaches’ Poll.
They’ll need everything and then some to win to win their third straight. UW travels to undefeated and top-ranked Ohio State, who is coming off an astounding 37-17 win at Penn State. Badgers coach Bret Bielema has his work cut out for him. Running back PJ Hill is questionable with a foot injury. Wisconsin will need him to give them a chance to pull the upset. Also, UW quarterback Tyler Donovan must eliminate turnovers against an amazing Buckeyes defense. He had two against Indiana. A similar result will spell trouble for the Badgers. Ohio State’s offense is explosive in both dimensions behind quarterback Todd Boeckman and tailback Chris Wells. On the bright side, UW has won three straight in Columbus.
Green Bay (6-1) The old man can still fling it. After being questioned during the week if he still had the arm strength to make the deep throws, Brett Favre connected on long touchdown throws of 79 and 82 yards, the 82-yarder coming on the first play of overtime to give Green Bay a huge 19-13 win in Denver. The Packers had several chances to put the game away early on but had to settle for three points instead of seven. Denver meanwhile could have easily won in the final seconds of regulation but Green Bay stopped Bronco quarterback Jay Cutler on a third down scramble. It sent up a mad dash by the Bronco field goal unit to get off that last kick, which they did to send it to overtime. But after the Packers won the coin toss, it was Favre with yet another magical moment in his illustrious career. The win keeps Green Bay one game ahead of Detroit in the NFC North and keeps Green Bay tied with Dallas for the top record in the NFC.
It doesn’t get any easier for the Packers this week as they travel to another hostile environment, Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, where the Chiefs sit at 4-3. Stopping Chiefs running back Larry Johnson will go a long way in giving Green Bay their 11th win in their last 12 games. Coach Mike McCarthy has already announced that Ryan Grant will start at running back. Grant gave the awful running game a boost with 104 yards on 22 carries against Denver.
More on these games, including a look at they key match-up and predictions in the State of the Football union preview on Friday.
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State of the Football Union
By Ken Ryan
Staff Writer
Badger Report:
The Match-up: Indiana (5-3, 2-3) at Wisconsin (6-2, 2-2)
Logistics: Saturday morning at 11 from Camp Randall Stadium in Madison (TV: BTN)
After losing back-to-back road games against Big Ten foes Illinois and Penn State, the Badgers responded by blowing out a struggling Northern Illinois squad 44-3 in non-conference play last week in Madison. This week, the Badgers welcome Indiana to town for Homecoming. A season ago in Bloomington, Wisconsin jumped out to a huge early lead en route to a 52-17 victory. In that game, UW running back PJ Hill picked up 129 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. It will be imperative for the Badgers to establish that dominance running the ball against a mediocre Hoosier defense. That should allow the Badgers to control the clock and keep a potent IU offense on the sideline.
Key Match-up: Indiana receiver James Hardy vs. Wisconsin cornerback Jack Ikegwuonu
-Hardy, a 6-7 junior, is perhaps the finest receiver in the Big Ten. He leads the league in touchdown receptions with 11 while averaging 93.5 yards a game. While the Badgers will use an assortment of coverage schemes on Hardy, the highly-touted Ikegwuonu will be the Badger most featured. The less coverage the Badgers have to devout to Hardy, the more defenders UW can focus on containing Indiana’s mobile quarterback, Kellen Lewis.
Prediction: This game will feature several momentum swings. Indiana will have no problem moving the ball for a majority of the game, but Wisconsin will control the clock with the running game of Hill and Lance Smith and quarterback Tyler Donovan converting third downs with his arm and his legs. Wisconsin 34, Indiana 24
Packer Preview:
The Match-up: Green Bay (5-1) at Denver (3-3)
Logistics: Monday night from Invesco Field in Denver, CO (TV: ESPN)
The Packers come off their bye week to face a Bronco team that beat a sound Pittsburgh team on a last-second field goal on Sunday night. It is simply a match-up of strength vs. strength when the Packers possess the ball. Green Bay is third in the league in passing while Denver ranks near the top thanks to one of the top cornerback duos in the league, Dre Bly and Champ Bailey. It is an opportunity for Green Bay to establish their dead-last run-game against a Denver team that is the worst in football at defending it. Meanwhile, Denver will look to establish their ground game with Travis Henry, who is averaging a healthy 4.6 yards a carry to take the pressure off of young QB Jay Cutler, who has thrown an interception in every game of his eleven game career. It won’t be any easier for him this week going against the supreme corners Al Harris and Charles Woodson of Green Bay. The Packer defense slammed the door against Washington in their last game, not allowing the Redskins to score on their final nine drives.
Key Match-up: Green Bay linebacker Nick Barnett vs. Denver halfback Travis Henry
-While the aforementioned battle of the Packers pass offense vs. the Broncos pass defense will receive much of the attention, the Packers shutting down Henry could signify a Green Bay win. And the stopping of Henry starts with Barnett, who is having a career season. If Green Bay can stop the legitimate Denver run game and make Cutler and the Broncos one-dimensional, especially with star receiver/moron Javon Walker out and tight end Tony Scheffler questionable, Green Bay can take over the game defensively. That will take the pressure off of Brett Favre, Donald Driver, and Greg Jennings.
Prediction: Denver is coming off an emotional game from Sunday night, which is not always easy to recover from. The extra day helps, but Green Bay has had an extra week to prepare. Green Bay coach Mike McCarthy had a great game-plan coming out of the bye a season ago, and look for that to continue on Monday night. The guess here is the Packers wake up the run game and stop Denver’s to get to 8-3 under McCarthy in road games. Green Bay 27, Denver 20
