Wow, we just keep getting more and more impressed with our beloved Green Bay Packers! These guys are really starting to step it up a notch and we could not be more happy with that. The Packers walked away with a hard-won win over Dallas, with the final score at 35 to 31. Once again, they showed that football is decided in the fourth quarter because the game was pretty back and forth up until that point where the Packers really stepped it up a notch and brought the heat.

The Packers showed us once again that it is a team that you cannot count as done for even if they are down at the end of the first half. They showed that they have the spirit and the organization to be able to make a strong comeback and a strong push even in the last few moments of a game and man do we love them for their ability to do just that!

Green Bay Packers

For all true Green Bay Packers fans, we are thrilled to have watched them beat Dallas, a game that we were all pretty concerned and worried about, to say the least.  This game reminded us all that Packers football is something to get excited about, to say the least, as is any kind of NFL football.

Mike McCarthy

In most games, Aaron Rodgers takes a lot of the credit for the performance, but we can’t neglect the fact that Head Coach Mike McCarthy is playing a huge role in these games too. Let’s take a look back to a quote from Mike McCarthy that I included in our blog post just last week. This shows how prepared he was to lead his team to victory over Dallas, which he most definitely did! Mike McCarthy, right after their victory over the Bengals said:

• “The thing about Thursday night games is it’s a challenge for everybody that goes through it. Personally, my opinion, the best thing about Thursday night games is Friday morning. You do have a chance to get your players what they need, and it’s always a couple extra days to rehab or rest and recovery. Our guys are going to do it. We’ll get back together Tuesday and we’ll start our preparation for Dallas on Tuesday. Knowing what was going into this game leading up to it, too, just the preparation coming off the overtime game against the Bengals, the heat, and all those things. There were a lot of things that went into preparing for the game. I really liked the way our guys played. I was impressed with our football team. I was impressed with our young guys. Our guys got through it seamlessly and we won by 21 points. It kind of gets lost in the conversation. You beat your rival by 21, that’s a good night.”

We spoke about Mike McCarthy in our article last week, and now again we look back at his post-game commentary shortly following the Bengals victory and his predictions and thoughts for the Dallas game turned out to be very spot on! Is he a fortune teller? Either that or he’s just a really good coach!

Next up, the Green Bay Packers go up against the Vikings very soon here. This is sure to be an interesting game, to say the least. Generally speaking, with the Packers being at four wins and one loss and the Vikings being at three wins and two losses, it is generally thought that our boys in the green and yellow will win, but there is no sure thing here. We need to keep in mind that this game is going to be played on Viking grounds, so that is something to consider too.

When we look at this new season of the regular NFL season, we can see that the Packers have had some good times and some bad times, but thankfully more good than bad. So far this season, we saw the Packers get hurt pretty badly by Atlanta, but we also saw them come back in pretty impressive victories like in their games against the Seahawks and the Bengals. Most recently, there was an absolutely incredible game with the Packers against the Cowboys that was incredibly close and incredibly back and forth for a long time. Truly incredible.

By and large, our green and yellow friends seem to have reassembled their forces and their wits and have shown us that they have really regrouped after their loss against Atlanta. Now, they appear to be virtually unstoppable as they take on team after team after team and continually win, win, and win. What an impressive last few weeks they have had!

Obviously, as is the case with fans of any NFL football team, we want the Packers to make it to the Superbowl, and to win. That is just what we want right?  Well, this year as always there is some pretty intense competition out there, which is pretty usual for any season. Our thoughts these days are if we can’t get a Superbowl appearance this year, let’s at least win the NFC! That we feel is not too much to ask by any means.

Green Bay Packers

For a lot of us, we live and breathe Green Bay Packers, and Packers football is our favorite of all NFL football. We’ve seen a lot of good moves and a lot of good plays by the Packers so far this season and with not nearly as many injuries and problems like we had last season. Plus, the rookies that are appearing this year are performing better than the rookies did last year, like with that last game where Geronimo Allison performed particularly well. 

We are also seeing great performances from Randall Cobb, Aaron Rodgers, Clay Matthews, Jordi Nelson, Devon House, and all the rest really. Things are definitely starting to look up for our team after a shaky and questionable start at the beginning of this season. In fact, it is the shared opinion of most of us Packers fans that the rest of the season will be pretty great, and we have high hopes for upcoming games. Here is what Head Coach Mike McCarthy had to say:

• “The thing about Thursday night games is it’s a challenge for everybody that goes through it. Personally, my opinion, the best thing about Thursday night games is Friday morning. You do have a chance to get your players what they need, and it’s always a couple extra days to rehab or rest and recovery. Our guys are going to do it. We’ll get back together Tuesday and we’ll start our preparation for Dallas on Tuesday. Knowing what was going into this game leading up to it, too, just the preparation coming off the overtime game against the Bengals, the heat, and all those things. There were a lot of things that went into preparing for the game. I really liked the way our guys played. I was impressed with our football team. I was impressed with our young guys. Our guys got through it seamlessly and we won by 21 points. It kind of gets lost in the conversation. You beat your rival by 21, that’s a good night.” 

All in all, the next few games will be exciting and we just can’t wait to see them!

What a game! That was a blast watching the Packers beat the Bengals. Truly a blast. Our new BFF, Geronimo Allison, made a name for himself in one night after having introduced himself to the NFL only since just last October. That was when his first ever professional catch went for a touchdown. 

Geronimo Allison

Overtime. Packers versus the Bengals. Tensions are running high and that is an understatement. However, the Packers pulled off a win with twenty-seven to twenty-four being the final score. Allison basically won the game for the Packers by setting up their game-winning field goal. He did a seventy-two catch and run play, giving the Packers the closeness they needed to seal the deal on the field goal.

Here is what the Head Coach Mike McCarthy said about Geronimo Allison:

• “No surprise on Geronimo. Really, you could see it coming in preseason. So he’s taken that leap from Year 1 to 2. Plays with a lot of confidence. He’s just a damn good football player, so it’s no surprise he made that play.”

The amazing thing about Allison is that he rose to our awareness so quickly. A year ago he wasn’t on anyone’s radar. Just a rookie, plain and simple. Last year he didn’t even make the roster until week eight, and in the following thirteen games he did seventeen catches, a little over two hundred and fifty yards, and two touchdowns. 

Another receiver, Jordy Nelson, had a lot of good things to say about Geronimo Allison:

• “We preach that a lot to our young guys: Even though you might not be a starter right now, we’ll eventually rely on you at some point. Usually, it’s down the road, not necessarily Week 3. He’s prepared. He knows his stuff. That’s impressed us from Day 1 since he’s been here. For a guy who if you think back to the beginning of last year was on the practice team, now he’s our No. 4 guy, our No. 3 guy. It’s real impressive.”

What all of us are impressed about with Allison, including top receivers and players like Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb, is how quickly this young buck has proven himself to us. Really impressive!

Green Bay Packers

Ah, the Green Bay Packers. Watching Packers football and NFL football in generally truly is a joy, but there is just something about the Green Bay Packers that just gets us every time. Probably it is the team cohesion that really makes us admire this team. Here is a quote from quarterback Aaron Rodgers on his feelings about Geronimo Allison:

• “I’ve known Geronimo has been a player for a long time. He’s a fantastic part of our offense, does a lot of things really, really well. He’s a tough kid, a really tough competitor. I remember the first day I watched him at training camp, I said, ‘How do you not get drafted?’ I said this kid’s fantastic. He’s got a great attitude. I was ripping him a little bit Week 1 about him being suspended and missing him out there, but it’s good having him back. He’s a guy who can really help him out, especially with Cobby being banged up. I’m really proud of him.”

And for some thoughts from the rising star himself:

• “This year, I feel more comfortable out there. I’m running routes with my eyes up. I can see the finish, and I just feel comfortable putting my feet on the ground and making people miss. Last year, I was just a young guy wanting to do the right thing, make the right play and move onto the next play. This year, it’s not only about making the right play. It’s going out there and trying to score.”

We can’t wait to see this guy give it his all once again!

Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Saying that that game was hard to watch would be a bit of an understatement wouldn’t it? But that is just the way it is sometimes. We had to see some pretty grim plays this past Sunday against the Atlanta Ravens. The Packers made some good plays too, but really the game was pretty one-sided and we all know it.

Really what it came down to was Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers not being able to have enough time to get his plays out and to get the ball out of his hands. With Rodgers, he is a quarterback who has been notorious for being able to make phenomenal plays when he has the time to do so. Historically speaking, the Packers have been notorious for having a great ability to protect their quarterback, and this is why the team and Rodgers have usually worked so well together. Not this past Sunday though.

Rodgers just could not get the ball out enough. Even when he was not getting tackled left and right, he had enough pressure put on him that he did not by any means at all have a good enough allotment of time to make the play he wanted to make. The result? Picks. Lots and lots of picks. And again, does this most just remind you of their last game against Atlanta last year? It definitely reminds us of that, which is not a fond memory at all.

Green Bay Packers

Ah, the Green Bay Packers. We love them, but we wished they’d played better this past Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons. Packers Football is what we live and breathe for in NFL football, and it is hard to see them get hit so hard by the same team that thrashed them a good one in the playoffs last year.

Here is a direct quote from Head Coach Mike McCarthy, who was available for comment after the game. He appeared a lot more composed and a lot more chilled out than we remember him when a literally purple-faced McCarthy stormed the field to argue with the refs on a decision. That outburst cost the team a ten-yard penalty! But he regained his composure even in the face of a pretty tough game for the Packers:

• “The turnover ratio, they definitely won that. Big-play production, Atlanta was in their favor there. Defensively, just not getting the stops. But our guys had a lot of grit. They battled back. A lot of injuries.”

McCarthy was not the only one who had some choice words about the game. We also saw Davon House talk about it too. When he was asked about how the Falcons offense was able to beat a historically strong Packers defense, the cornerback Davon House had this to say about it, in regards to players Jones, Sanu, Ryan, and Freeman:

• “11, 12 and 2 and 24. Julio’s the best in the game. Matt’s one of the best. Devonta is upcoming, he’s the next Maurice-Jones Drew. They’re good.”

Randy Cobb, another well-known player for the Packers also pitched in and had a few choice words about the game. All around amongst the Packers team it definitely did seem like there was a fair amount of respect for the opposing Falcons:

• “No, we didn’t win. They played really well. They did what they needed to do. They took advantage in certain situations and made the plays that they needed to do to win.”

Going forward to their game against the Bengals, hopes are high that the team can make a comeback and do us proud!

For all of us Green Bay Packers fans, the big questions on all of our minds is whether or not the notoriously defensive strong team will be able to maintain their strong defensive approach in the coming games. We saw a lot of interesting plays in their last game against the Seattle Seahawks. It was a pretty interesting game, to say the least, but it is the viewpoint of most of us Packers fans that it was the Packers’ defensive skills that made the most difference in the game overall.

This was a tricky game, but we’re happy with it, right? Overall the Packers did well, but the Seahawks had their good plays too. When we look at the teams’ plays, this wasn’t the same group of guys that missed it on the defense so much in 2016, and certainly not the same team that gave up forty-four points to the Atlanta Falcons in the last year’s NFC Championship. Realistically, we have good ideas and good hopes for the future, and we’re thinking that the upcoming games will hopefully show a lot of that same defensive skill that the Packers are so well known for.

Green Bay Packers

The Green Bay Packers beat the Seahawks 17 to 9, and while that wasn’t exactly what you would call a slam dunk victory (mixing sports colloquialisms, I know) it was still a pretty good victory considering that the Seahawks are skilled opponents, to say the least. Aaron Rodgers even commented on the game and their high hopes for the season, particularly with a focus on defense, by saying:

• “The key to the game was our defense. If they play like that (for the rest of the season), we’ll be tough to beat.”

Now, Rodgers and the rest of the team definitely had a good offense too, which is normal, with Rodgers throwing a 32-yard pass to Nelson which basically decided the game, but the team’s defensive skills are what is being talked about the most. Really, the Packers have gone down in history for decades as being a defensively strong team, and that was something they lacked to a degree last year. Now, however, it is thought that perhaps they have their defensive skill back and better than ever.

The last time the Packers had a really good squad, good enough to make it to a Superbowl anyway, they were in a position where their offense and defense was both on point. Back then, they had a scoring season that was better than almost ever before. What we are all super happy about with this last game was that the Seahawks have been notorious for pulling miracles out of their helmets, even when their team isn’t totally cohesive. True enough, the cohesive unit and approach that has made the Packers very skilled in this game and what gave them the edge on one of the NFL’s better teams.

When it comes to Packers football and NFL football in general, as soon as a game is over we start looking to the next game. The Green Bay Packers play the Atlanta Falcons next, and that will be an interesting game, to say the least. The Falcons thrashed the Packers last season, so this is a rematch of sorts. All eyes will be glued to the TV for Packers fans and Falcons fans alike. The Falcons had an arguably better team than Green Bay did last season, as the Falcons were even stronger contenders for the Super Bowl than the Packers were. Looking forward, fingers crossed!

Woohoo! Here we go! Excitement is in the air and fans’ blood is pumping as we enter into the next season of NFL football. Here we are, just a little ways into the regular season, with one regular season win against the Seattle Seahawks, and four preseason games already under the 2017 Green Bay Packers Team’s belt. In the preseason, the Packers played quite well, winning three out of four of their games. They beat the Eagles, Rams, and Redskins, but they lost to the Broncos, which was sort of anticipated. Still, the Packers have a good start to their season with a good win against the Seattle Seahawks already under their belt.

Of course, every team says they want to make it to the Super Bowl, but the Packers really want to get there. Last year, they came so, so close to making it, getting into the playoffs and making a good show of it. Unfortunately, last season the Packers were notorious for experiencing some seriously debilitating injuries on the parts of some of their greatest players, so this year it is hoped that that won’t be such a huge problem.

NFL Preseason

For the NFL preseason, everyone is curious about how the Green Bay Packers did really, and how the Packers football is going to look this season. Our opinion? Pretty good! Here are our five, quick takeaways from the preseason games:

1. Right off the bat, of course, we are all concerned about the numbers of rookie players this season. Last year’s season was the last season for a lot of great players who had spent years helping the Green Bay Packers perform exceptionally well. But you know, this happens every few years in football. As much as teams try to level out the numbers of new players coming in and veteran players leaving, occasionally you will get a year where a lot of rookies take the field all at once. This actually had us pretty concerned at the beginning of the preseason, but now we are a little less worried about it since they have been performing so well!
2. Of course, a list of takeaways would not be a list of takeaways if we did not say something about Aaron Rodgers. Last year was hit and miss for Rodgers, and we say this not because of his performance based off of his skill, but because he too suffered some injuries that definitely put a dampener on his overall spirits. All in all, though we are pretty pleased with how he performed so far! His leadership has been great as usual, and so far no major injuries to report from him.
3. Also, leadership from coach Mike McCarthy has been stunning this year. We all felt like Mike McCarthy was a little rough around the edges last year, and most of us agree that this was because of all of those injuries that kept happening in the early part of the season last year that had caused the Green Bay Packers to have to take an early bye week.
4. The team has been working together very well all preseason. We noticed that in all four preseason games they seemed to be a very cohesive unit and work together as a team.
5. The loss to the Broncos was honestly not that big of a deal, most fans felt. The Broncos is a solid team with fewer rookies than the Packers this year. Not a big deal!

We are all super excited about how the Packers are going to perform as we move into the rest of the season. All in all, we are very optimistic to see how the next few games go!

Josh Hawkins may be exactly what the Green Bay Packers need to push their game to the next level. The free agent cornerback out of East Carolina has based his entire playstyle off of another rookie success, Sam Shields. Hawkins was inspired by the Sam Shields story and wants to be just like him. In a quote from Hawkins, he states “I wore the armbands, the tape, the white gloves just like him. Some of the guys, they called me ‘Little Sam Shields.’ I’m just trying to play like him. I try to mold my game after him.” Sam Shields would make a great role model for any aspiring cornerback. Having a recorded 245 tackles, 66 passes defended, and 18 interceptions in 80 regular season games, the man is a force to be reckoned with. It may very well be this admiration of Sam Shields that has pushed Josh Hawkins to be vigilant about improving his game in any way he can.

Accolades and History

Josh Hawkins played for the East Carolina Pirates, he stands 5-foot-10 and weighs in at 189 lbs.  His defining feature is his long arms which he puts to good use when defending passes. His recorded time for his college pro day 40-yard dash was 4.39 and during his time with the Pirates, he was named the American Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Week multiple times. Hawkins is currently one of five undrafted players on the Green Bay Packers’ opening lineup and really showed he has something to prove in Last Saturday vs Washington. During the 37 defensive snaps he played, he stunned coaches with seven tackles (two on special teams) and three passes defended. This was Hawkins first NFL start due to the injuries of both Davon House and Damarious Randall. Two of those three defended passes prevented a Washington touchdown and paved the way for the Packers’ 21-17 victory. This performance garnered Hawkins the highest grade of all Packers’ cornerbacks that game.

NFL Preseason Hurdles

Though Hawkins may be a strong athlete one thing he struggles with is consistency, a problem that resulted in him being benched during his 2016 rookie season. To combat this, he trained rigorously with former Falcons cornerback David Irons in Atlanta during the NFL preseason.  Hawkins and Irons trained relentlessly with two-a-day practices to really hone Hawkins’ skills and Iron out the inconsistencies in his game. Hawkins emerged a much stronger player as a result of this training and though under the shadow of players like Damarious Randall, Quintin Rollins, and second-round pick Kevin King, Hawkins is starting to make a name for himself. Head Coach Mike McCarthy had as much to say about Hawkins, “I think the fact that Josh was on our 53-man roster last year tells you how we felt about him. If you look at last year, he played very well on special teams. Maybe not as far as his game opportunities, but throughout the second half of the season our special teams’ coaches were very high on him, and fighting to get him up on a weekly basis.”

Hawkins has worked hard to overcome his consistency issues and now looks to be a driving force for Packers football. Just like his Idol, Sam Shields, before him Hawkins is breathing new life into the Packer’s defense. He may not be starting when his injured counterparts return but that does not dampen his determination to improve. With his speed, reach, and new found precision, this undrafted player from East Carolina could be the Green Bay Packers’ next success story.

Most people hate the preseason and so do the players, but it is a great opportunity to get a look at some roster bubble players and the new acquisitions. Then again, we can’t get enough football as it is and everyone likes to see their team out on the field even if it is still summer time. The Green Bay Packers first preseason game was at home against the Philadelphia Eagles. The team came out with a pretty ugly win. It was a sloppily played game that showed how much rust these guys need to shake off before the regular season begins. The Packers had a tough time running the ball and here is why.

Vanilla Offense

First and foremost, it is the preseason. Most teams use this time to evaluate new players and slowly work in more of the playbook. As such, coaches play it pretty tight to the vest. They do not want to show too much of their play calling, adjustments or various ‘looks’ to an opposing defense they may see in the future or put on tape for the entire league to see. This is the preseason, players (starters) are not here to really win. They are here to get a few reps and stay healthy. This is why they do not game plan. Coaches evaluate players on the bubble of the roster and their new signees. With that said, it is obvious why the running game fell short in this preseason opener. The Packers didn’t game plan to run the ball, they simply put out an offense and had them run plays they should know by this point.

Eagles Defense

The Philadelphia Eagles defense is one of the best in football. They have, arguably, the best defensive tackle in the league in Fletcher Cox. The second greatest rusher in Brandon Graham and a rookie defensive end (first round selection) that broke Reggie White’s sack record at Tennessee and many analysts argue was the best pass rusher in the draft. This is only compounded by their acquisition of Timmy Jernigan a mauler from Baltimore and their formidable linebacker core. A surprise in the game was non-starter Mychal Kendricks ability to rush the passer/backfield and contribute. The Packers running game, which was at the bottom of the league last year, had quite the difficult task ahead of them. Not to mention that the Eagles second and third string defensive line players would be starters for other teams.

Number of Touches

The biggest reason for the lack of a Packers rushing game was the limited number of touches that the running backs were given. Their starter, Ty Montgomery, carried the ball three times for zero total yards. Jamaal Williams carried the ball four times for fourteen yards (long of 5). Aaron Jones carried it twice for zero yards and Devante Mays did not get any touches. In total, the Packers ran the ball nine times in their season opener. The team is clearly a pass happy team, you would be too if your quarterback was Aaron Rodgers, but McCarthy is going to have to find a way to get the ball in his running back’s hands if he wants to have a successful season. This was probably done with a purpose. The team’s third string QB looks really good and the team could be looking to trade second string QB Brett Hundley for a pivotal piece. He is in a contract year and not likely to stay with the team since Rodgers is nowhere near done. Letting him go out there and let it rip is a great way to show the rest of the NFL what he has, that he’s ready to start somewhere else and worth a nice player or solid draft pick.

Training camp is almost over and the rumors and analysis of the hot new players continue to swirl. The team needs to see some improvement from their defense and their running game. There have only been a few practices this year, so there is plenty of time for new players to prove themselves and others to drop. There are high hopes for this season and the team will need to get some solid production out of their newly acquired players. Here are 5 Green Bay Packers to watch during training camp.

Quinten Rollins

The defensive backs for the Green Bay Packers ranked next to last this past season. Therefore, it is no surprise that this group must improve drastically to give the team a fighting chance at a deep playoff run. Quinten Rollins took plenty of hits last year as half of the team’s cornerback trouble. They gave up the second-most passing yards out of the entire league. He was returned to training camp a new man and receiving the praise of both the D-coordinator and position coach. It is going to take some serious hard work for this group to turn around what they put on the field last year. Rollins has come back to camp with a fire that everyone is noticing. His transitions are much cleaner and have added some speed out of his breaks. Able to play both outside and inside provides the team with some flexibility, but coaches see a ‘star’ in him and like his physical style of play at the line. Quinten Rollins is definitely someone to keep an eye on as the season begins.

Dean Lowry

Part of the problem with the Pack’s passing defense is a lack of sufficient pressure from their line. The best way to improve a team’s pass defense is to get some big, fast, and strong bodies to pressure the quarterback. Having players in the backfield forces the quarterback to rush through reads and make poor decisions. Dean Lowry (DE) had a quiet rookie year and is looking to make a real impact in his sophomore season. He has returned to camp bigger, faster and stronger. Head coach Mike McCarthy has noted the difference and hopes that he can continue that growth into several hurries and sacks this season.

Josh Jones

The team was very high on their second round pick, out of NC State. It seems that they have good reason to be as well. Josh Jones is not disappointing when the pads are put on in practice. The team desperately needs a dynamic playmaker at this position. Jones has been flying all over the field. He is getting some looks as a hybrid inside linebacker because he has great size and instincts. This kid is the real deal.

Running Backs (Ty Montgomery)

The running back is a position to watch during camp. The Pack desperately needs a player to step up and be “THE GUY.” Ty did a serviceable job last year as a hybrid WR/RB but has come to camp with more weight and better vision. He is rarely, if ever, stopped at the line of scrimmage and clearly (originally a WR) has great hands. Jamaal Williams is a favorite draft ‘steal.’ He has continued to impress but still sits in the no. 2 RB spot currently. If he can show better ability to catch the ball and pass protect (which Montgomery is struggling with), then he could be the no. 1 back.

Jason Spriggs

Spriggs was a second round pick last year and slated to make a big jump into a starting role for the Packers. He must find some rhythm and confidence to bolster this o-line group. His performance against the Eagles was not a pretty one. Rookie, first round pick, Derrick Barnett was able to put a lot of pressure on Spriggs’ quarterback. He must bounce back for the next game and camp is the place to make that happen.