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Packers behind the 8-ball

The Green Bay Packers are coming off their bye week and will face the Dolphins in Miami on Sunday.  They'll go into that game with a receiver shortage. Robert Ferguson is already sidelined with a foot injury and now Koren Robinson has been suspended for a full season, just hours after he pleaded not guilty to drunken driving and fleeing police in Minnesota last August.  Robinson had appealed the suspension originally.  That appeal was denied on Monday.

The Packers now must look elsewhere for receiver help, but the best option, at least in the short term appears to be activating a player from the practice squad.  The best candidate at this point is Chris Francies who could be called up as early as today.  Ruvell Martin would move into the 3rd spot. 

The Packers signed Robinson back in early September, knowing full well that this day was coming.  They elected to give reps to Robinson instead for working with younger receivers who would be around for a full season.  The only two wide receivers on the roster with any experience are starters Donald Driver and Greg Jennings.  It's not a real comforting situation.

When asked about the lack of experience, Mike McCarthy said yesterday that the Packers will just have to move on, that they planned for this.  McCarthy talked about the extra tight end on the roster and the dual fullbacks.  I'm not buying it.  If the Packers are banking on tight ends and fullbacks to take the place of wide receivers in the Packers offense, they're in trouble.  The teams fascination with a player (Robinson) that was facing a 1-year ban is worth the risk if you're deep at the wide receiver position.  The Packers don't have an over-abundance of talent or depth there, which could mean trouble.

We'll see just exactly what kind of plan McCarthy has for dealing with this, but don't be surprised if the Packers offense takes a step backwards.

Miami and Florida International starting to get it right

University officials at Miami and Florida International are finally starting to get it right in terms of suspensions for players involved in a brawl between the two teams during their game on Saturday.  When I first saw the conference come out and suspend 31 players a total of 1-game, I couldn't believe it.  But the most serious offenders are now being dealt with more appropriately.

I actually wouldn't have minded seeing both schools suspend each respective program for the remainder of the season.  That would have really set a good example. 

It was an ugly scene on Saturday, one that hopefully won't ever be repeated.

Bad things happen to bad teams

Just when it looked like the Green Bay Packers were going to pull out a win for the first time this season at Lambeau Field, disaster struck.  The offensive line hadn't messed up all day long.  But when it counted, Rams defensive end Leonard Little beat Packers tackle Mark Tauscher to the outside, sacked Brett Favre and forced a fumble of the Packers quarterback and beat the Packers 23-20.

The Packers did enough good things that could have warranted a victory.  The offensive line gave Favre time to throw and opened holes for Noah Herron's 20-carry, 106-yard, 1-touchdown performance.  Defensively, the Packers bent but didn't break most of the day.  They played well enough to win, yet didn't.  Usually the sign of a team that's snake bitten, a team that's been losing for so long that they usually find ways to lose. 

The Packers did have their faults yesterday.  Rookie AJ Hawk dropped an interception and veteran defensive back Al Harris had an even easier one go through his hands.  The Packers defense still can't seem to settle on 11 players on the field at the same time.  They've had problems with their numbers, both 10 and 12 players on the field on given plays.  It's something that just shouldn't happen in the NFL, but its happening to the Packers. 

The Packers are getting closer, but this is the NFL and close doesn't count.  So it'll be a long two weeks before the Packers next get a chance at their 2nd win when they face the Dolphins in Miami. 

Cutting Carroll is about accountability

Releasing Ahmad Carroll on Tuesday is a move that should send a strong message to players on the Green Bay Packer football team.  The Packers have always preached accountability.  To follow through and make that mean something, they have to hold non-performing players accountable for their actions.  Besides, you can hardly bench a veteran like William Henderson and not follow through and do something with Carroll. 

But really, sending Carroll out there each week to continually get beat was becoming highly unproductive.  In fact, his performance Monday night was a leading contributor to the Packers losing the game to the Eagles.  Don't make the move and the message it sends to the rest of the players is that it's OK to not perform well because the team won't do anything about it.  Sometimes players have to fear for their job, or at the very lease, know that if they don't put up the numbers, there's a chance they won't be around. 

As usual, the Packers handled his dismissal with class.  They pointed out the good things Carroll did, stated that the lack of consistency was a reason for the move and the desire to give somebody else a chance.  There was no public ridicule handed down.  Nobody is really sure if the next guy will be any better, but we know this, that person can't be any worse.

Wisconsin sports world suffers a big loss

The Wisconsin sports world suffered a big loss today with the passing of a man by the name of Ron Taylor.  Most of you won't recognize the name, since he wasn't on the air.  I've known Ron for the better part of 20 years.  He served as my eyes and ears in the Milwaukee area.  He covered every sporting event in that city (Brewers, Bucks, Marquette, UW-Milwaukee, Admirals, PGA Tour, Auto Racing and more).  Ron would have his microphone and tape recorder with him at all times and the result of his work would end up in my sportscasts the next morning. 

Ron is what people in the sports business call a stringer.  But Ron was more then just a stringer to me.  Ron Taylor went above and beyond his responsibilities as a stringer.  I remember when the Bucks announced a trade while they were on the west coast.  They had called a news conference for the next day, but Ron drove to the airport and met the coach and general manager as they got off the plane.  We had audio from the two key players from the organization and had it well before everyone else. 

For most of the time that I knew Ron, he was retired and did this work as a hobby.  I knew he couldn't have been doing it for the money, because he didn't get paid much.  He loved sports and was great at his work. 

He was always asking me how the audio was.  If something didn't seem right, he'd ask me and then he'd bug the sound people at the ballpark or arena until it was to his satisfaction.  Most stringers I know wouldn't go through that effort.

I don't know much about Ron's personal life, other then the fact that he was married to a wonderful woman who was OK with allowing Ron to take the time to enjoy what he liked to do.  That was to cover Wisconsin/Milwaukee Sports. 

Ron passed away at his home early this morning and I've received a number of calls already concerning his death.  He was well respected for his work and passion for his job by his peers.  Many if not all of you never knew the man, but knowing what I know, I think you would have loved the little guy.

Ron is headed for his final resting spot and I'm really going to miss him.  No doubt he left this world with a microphone and tape recorder in hand.

Athletic Directors should learn from Ashwaubenon mistake

I really don't know how many Wisconsin high school athletic directors spend much time checking the age of their players, but if they didn't do it before, the ones that care at all, will make a point of it now.

Top ranked Ashwaubenon in division 2, was ordered to forfeit its first four wins of the season because they had a player on the team that turned 19 before a summer deadline.  That player is a starter on the teams defense.  After the discrepancy was discovered, paperwork was filed and 19 year old Rex Manibog was ruled eligible for game 5 and the remainder of the season. 

What that means is Ashwaubenon is now 1-4 instead of 5-0 and the Jaguars must win their 3-remaining conference games to have a shot at the playoffs.  That will likely happen by the way. 

Some are saying it was an honest mistake, while others are calling for the job of the school's athletic director, Dave Steavpack.  I think that might be a tad harsh, but it does make one wonder.  What does an athletic director supposed to be doing.  Especially in this case.  While Ashwaubenon has an excellent sports program across the board, both boys and girls, they're known around the state mostly because of its football program and outstanding head coach Ken Galomski.  Of all the sports that you wouldn't think you'd take a nap on. 

Whoever is responsible for catching this error after four games, they should be considered a savior in Ashwaubenon.  Because the football team will rebound, make the playoffs and still make a run at another State Championship, which would be their 5th in about a decade.  Had this error been caught just one game later, the mighty Jaguars would have been on the outside looking in.

What's the lesson here.  It's to all the athletic directors at all of the schools around the state, who probably have allowed this procedure to slip by undone but no harm has come because they didn't have a player that fits the bill.  Let it be a lesson though.  The Ashwaubenon A.D. may be taking some heat in that Green Bay area school, but he is a subtle reminder to all of you to make sure this embarrassment doesn't take place at your school.

For the record, Dave Steavpack is a good guy and I hope this storm blows over without any ramifications.  I think this could have happened to anybody and we should chalk it up as a lesson learned.

Things are all well, for now!

After the first two games, the Packers weren't given much hope this season.  Most observers will be cautiously optimistic in terms of their approach to Packers success, while others will have the Packers in the playoff picture again this morning.  That's the way Packers fans are.  In fact, that's the way good sports fans are in general. 

But there are some positives here.  The young offensive line, with two young rookie guards, did a bang up job, not allowing a quarterback sack.  In fact, Brett Favre had all day to throw the ball.  Yes, the Lions are an 0-3 team, but they do have one of the better lines in football, led by defensive tackle Shaun Rogers. 

If nothing else, Sunday's win provided us with Mike McCarthy's first NFL head coaching win and it gave us Brett Favre's 400th, 401st and 402nd touchdown passes, making him just the second NFL quarterback to surpass 400 career touchdown passes.  But on the positive side, the Packers performed well offensively and Favre was spectacular.  He threw no interceptions and it would be hard for me to recall more than 1 or 2 forced throws.  He dumped the ball off to backs and tight ends and the Packers offense was truly efficient.  Yes, they need to run the ball more efficiently, but they ran it enough to keep the Lions defense off balance.

Can the Packers play like this next Monday night at Philadelphia?  Well, the competition will be stiffer, and perhaps the outcome won't be the same.  But yes, the Packers are capable of this kind of offensive play and should be expected to do so.  Defense is another question.  The Lions moved the ball up and down the field with relative ease yesterday.  That's three straight sub par performances by the defense and that can't be encouraging.  If there's ever an area of improvement that's necessary, it would be on that side of the ball.

Maybe the zone blocking scheme isn't such a good deal

The Green Bay Packers inability to run the football effectively in the early portion of the season is tied to their learning the new zone blocking scheme.  Packers head coach Mike McCarthy said Monday that the struggles are due in part to being able to shut down the backside pursuit.  Obviously the Packers need more work.

Question is, how does a team that's having a hard time with the scheme and the fundamentals of blocking in that scheme get any better if they don't work on it?  McCarthy will tell you that they do enough drill work in practice and the players should be able to figure it out.  But a big part of the zone blocking scheme, especially blocking the backside is done by cutblock.  The cutblock is a legal block, but most defenders will tell you it's cheap and causes injuries.  Therefore, the Packers are unwilling to cutblock their own defenders in practice.

My thinking process here is, if you're unwilling to cutblock your own players in practice, then maybe the practice should be outlawed.  Mike McCarthy has repeatedly said they teach the cutblock properly and within the rules.  But maybe the NFL needs to figure this one out.  If teams won't practice the cutblock against their own people because they fear injury, then why is this practice allowed at all.  Perhaps if it wasn't, the Packers might be a little further ahead in where they stand with their run game.

I haven't found anybody that likes the cut block, so maybe the NFL should just get rid of it.

How to blow a lead: by Green Bay Packers

If the Green Bay Packers were to write a book on their 34-27 loss to the Saints, the title would read:  How to blow a lead?  by Green Bay Packers.  When's the last time you saw a team in the NFL dominate the first quarter, jump out to a 13-0 lead and then lose.  It's probably happened, but I can't recall it, at least not recently.  After scoring the first 13-points, the Packers then gave up the next 20 to the Saints. 

Drew Brees rolled up 353 passing yards and a couple of touchdowns in the comeback win as the Saints improved to 2-0 while the Packers fell to 0-2.

Who's to blame?  How about the veterans on the team.  So much has been made about the young squad the Packers are fielding and how it's going to be tough to win with that kind of youth.  Well, the problem is, the Packers veteran players are the ones messing up. 

Ahman Green and Bubba Franks couldn't catch a ball.  Green also coughed up another on a fumble.  Veteran lineman drawing key penalties.  And don't forget to throw in another Brett Favre interception, and a sack that was huge.  Packers ball, first and 10, Favre is chased out of the pocket to the right.  All he has to do is dump it out of bounds.  The new NFL rules say so.  But what does the 16-year veteran do, take a 12-yard sack loss, which backed the Packers up and forced them to give the ball up.

Veterans need to stop worrying about the young guys and what they're doing.  They need to worry about their own jobs, because it's quite clear they haven't figured out their own assignments yet.

And shame on the Packers.  Giving up a 13-0 lead on your own home field.  So much for re-establishing the Lambeau Field edge.

Thompson taking a huge gamble with Robinson

Koren Robinson has already served an NFL suspension for three marijuana violations of the league's substance-abuse policy.  He's been booted off two teams (Seattle & Minnesota) after drunk driving arrests.  He still has charges pending in court for his latest brush with the law after reportedly leading police on a high speed chase at 104 miles per hour because he wanted to get back to Vikings training camp to beat curfew.  Robinson took a field sobriety test and registered 0.11, above the legal limit.  He's had some other smaller problems as well that all add up.

Now, in comes Ted Thompson, the Green Bay Packers General Manager, to vouch for Robinson's character and sign him to a two year minimum contract.  Certainly Robinson can help the Packers on the field, but from a reputation standpoint, it's a huge risk off it.  The troubled wide receiver has proven for the last 2+ years that he can't stay out of trouble. 

Thompson is trying to sell the fact that Robinson is a good guy, a person that's well liked by his teammates.  I don't know Robinson from Adam and I'm sure he is a nice guy.  But he's also a guy with an alcohol problem and I don't think he deserves another chance.  At the risk of sounding heartless, Robinson is lucky he hasn't killed somebody.  Trying to elude police at 104 miles per hour.  He's lucky to be alive himself.  I bet Robinson would have rather paid the fine for missing curfew then having to deal with the mess he's in now.

Yet, there's the Packers, who are desperate for help at wide receiver and on their return units, willing to set aside all of the problems Robinson has had and take the gamble.  For their sake, I hope Robinson can stay clean and be productive.  But I've seen this before.  He was given the Ed Bock Courage Award by his Minnesota teammates, traditionally given to players who overcome adversity on or off the field.  He was awarded the Korey Stringer Good Guy Award by the local media in Minnesota.  Yet he slipped back into trouble.

What a perfect time for the Packers to make a statement against drunk drivers and trouble makers in general.  But now it's apparent that they've wasted that opportunity.  Robinson has a special ability and that's why he continues to get chance after chance.  At some point, somebody has to take a stand by not allowing him to once again have his way.  Let's face it.  The Packers weren't going anywhere without Robinson and he's not going to put them over the top either.  I fear Robinson will sin again and the Packers may not be able to push this one under the rug.