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The injury to D.J. Smith was one of many among the Green Bay Packers linebackers.

When the injuries started compounding for the Green Bay Packers this year, fans didn’t seem to flinch. Too fresh in their memories was the story of 2010, when the Packers overcame several key injuries to become Super Bowl champions. “Next man up” became the rally cry for the team, its fans, and the media.

The motto’s resurgence in 2012 showed the confidence of Packers Nation in Ted Thompson and Mike McCarthy’s ability to add and develop depth throughout the team. While concerns still brewed in the back of our minds, they were overshadowed by what we’ve come to expect from Green Bay’s second string players.

No more Desmond Bishop? Bring in D.J. Smith. Now Smith goes down? Get Brad Jones in there. Lose Cedric Benson, James Starks, and Brandon Saine? Promote Alex Green and DuJuan Harris, then re-sign Ryan Grant from free agency. Even undrafted rookie Don Barclay surprised us with his ability to take over for Bryan Bulaga and not get Aaron Rodgers killed.

The specific team building philosophy of Thompson and McCarthy have allowed the Green Bay Packers to succeed even when some of their best players end up on injured reserve. Many other teams would struggle to handle such losses, whereas the Packers push through, fill in the holes, and still win their division.  Read more... (778 words + 1 image, estimated 3:07 mins reading time)

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Sam Shields was one of the bright spots for the Packers against the 49ers.

The Packers season is over. They got smoked by the 49ers in the NFL playoffs on Saturday night.

I’m sick of writing about it. I’m sick of talking about it. I’m sick of thinking about it.

On to the stock report:

Rising

Sam Shields
The combination of Shields getting healthy and realizing he’s a restricted free agent really got him going. Shields will likely get a first-round tender and I expect the Packers to open their checkbooks and lock him up for the next few years. Let’s hope he stays motivated, keeps improving, and plays like he did down the stretch.

James Jones
With Greg Jennings likely gone and Jermichael Finley possibly following him out the door, Jones can establish himself as an upper-echelon receiver next season. Jones came to play on Saturday night. It was nice to see Jones use his size a bit this season. I always thought he played smaller than he was, but he went up and got a few balls in traffic this season and played angrier.  Read more... (559 words + 1 image, estimated 2:14 mins reading time)

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Are the Packers still elite?

Remember when the Green Bay Packers were legitimately thought of as elite and the next NFL dynasty? All the ingredients were there: A great quarterback. Talented receivers. Young defenders on the rise. A Super Bowl win. Playoff chops. A smart coaching staff and front office.

Then the Giants and 49ers manhandled the Packers in playoff losses and all that dynasty talk seems like so long ago.

Forget dynasty. Mike Vandermause of the Green Bay Press Gazette says the Packers are no longer even an elite team.

Vandermause gets a little carried away early in the column when he says that Colin Kapernick is now a more feared player than Aaron Rodgers (ridiculous). But for the most part, I see where Vandermause is going. He thinks the 49ers have a lot more talent than the Packers. After watching these two teams play each other twice this season, it’s hard to argue with him.

Can a team fall from potential dynasty to less-than-elite in about one year? Sure, these last two playoff losses sting, but do they really mean the Packers are no longer elite? I can see both sides of the argument:

Packers are no longer elite  Read more... (687 words + 1 image, estimated 2:45 mins reading time)

• Did you watch the game on Saturday? There is no way to use the words “elite” and “Packers” in the same sentence after that ass whooping.
• That’s two straight playoff losses where the Packers were dominated by a bigger, stronger and more physical team. Elite teams don’t get pushed around like that.

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Are Dom Capers’ days in Green Bay over?

Before you read further, I want to make one thing clear: This post is not a defense of Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers. After the Packers got shredded for almost 600 yards on Saturday night, Capers cannot be defended.

Go ahead and call for Capers’ firing and criticize him all you want. He deserves it.

However, Green Bay’s problems on defense go much deeper than Capers. I don’t think there was any magical scheme that Capers could have come up with that would have stopped the 49ers from winning Saturday. San Francisco was bigger, stronger, faster and tougher than the Packers. It’s too simple to just pin that performance solely on the guy with weird hair who sits in a booth high above the field.

Look at the Packers’ linebackers. Brad Jones, Erik Walden and A.J. Hawk are no match for a team like the 49ers. An elite offensive line combined with an athletic quarterback, bruising running back, and talented tight ends? The 49ers had to be salivating all week while watching film and preparing to face that unfearsome trio.

The Packers are built to take a lead, then play aggressive defense that relies on blitzes and creating turnovers. They’re not the type of team that is able to stand toe-to-toe against physical teams and out-tough them. That’s extremely frustrating, but true.  Read more... (430 words + 1 image, estimated 1:43 mins reading time)

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Green Bay Packers rookie LB Nick Perry is out for the rest of the 2012 season with a wrist injury.

The Green Bay Packers have announced that the team hasactivated tight end Andrew Quarless from the physically unable to perform (PUP) list and have placed rookie linebacker Nick Perry on season-ending injured reserve for a wrist injury.

Perry reportedly sought a second opinion on the wrist he injured earlier this season and apparently opted for surgery that will cost him the remainder of what was a promising rookie campaign.   With D.J. Smith and Desmond Bishop already out for the season and Clay Matthews dealing with a hamstring injury that could keep him out for a few weeks, the Packers find themselves dangerously thin at linebacker.   Rookie Dezman Moses will likely get a chance to prove that fans’ excitement over his potential is warranted.

As for Quarless, this is a moment many have been waiting for since he went down last December with a knee injury.  He was not ready for training camp so the Packers put him on the PUP list until this week.  It’s unclear how large of a role Quarless will immediately have, but if Jermichael Finley continues to struggle then it’s possible Quarless could earn some playing time along with Tom Crabtree.

Kris Burke is a freelance sports writer currently residing in Wisconsin. His work has been linked to by sites such as National Football Post and CBSSports.com. Follow @KrisLBurke

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Packers OLB Nick Perry

Just one day after head coach Mike McCarthy said the Packers may be without Clay Matthews for a couple weeks, the team appears to have lost outside linebacker Nick Perry for the rest of the season.

After the Packers selected Perry with the 28th overall pick in the 2012 draft, he entered training camp as the team’s starting left outside linebacker. Perry recorded two sacks in five games for the Packers before being injured.

Perry underwent surgery to repair his wrist, but he also injured his knee in week five at Indianapolis. The rookie outside linebacker reportedly had surgery on Tuesday.

Lance Allan, of WTMJ4 in Milwaukee, tweeted that Perry will likely wind up on the Injured Reserve.

While the Packers are now thin at the position, Erik Walden is quietly enjoying the best season of his career. Fellow outside linebacker Frank Zombo was just activated from the PUP list, and undrafted rookie Dezman Moses has made the most of limited playing time so far this season.

Moses is someone to keep an eye on. He impressed the coaching staff since the moment he arrived in Green Bay and was taking snaps with the second-team as early as June.

With the immediate future of 2011 first-round pick Derek Sherrod in doubt, the loss of Perry would mean the Packers’ last two first-round selections will have combined for very little impact in 2012.  Read more... (263 words + 2 images, estimated 1:03 mins reading time)

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Packers LB Clay Matthews could be out “a couple weeks” with a hamstring injury.

Packers coach Mike McCarthy provided an update on all the injuries Monday, and the news wasn’t very very positive.

• Clay Matthews could miss “a couple weeks” with his hamstring injury, McCarthy said. With the Packers on a bye this week, I suppose there’s a chance Matthews could be back for the Lions game on Nov. 18, but I wouldn’t count on it. We will likely see more of Dezman Moses if Matthews misses games.
• Bryan Bulaga is going to see a specialist about his injured hip. That doesn’ sound promising. If he’s out, T.J. Lang will play right tackle and Evan Dietrich-Smith will play left guard. That leaves the Packers dangerously thin on the line, especially if Derek Sherrod goes on injured reserve.
• Jordy Nelson sprained his ankle and should be fine, McCarthy said. *Sigh of relief*
• Nick Perry is gong for a second opinion on his injured knee, which means the knee probably hasn’t improved like he and the Packers hoped it would. If Perry remains out, look for the fragile Frank Zombo to backup Erik Walden.

For more on the Packers injuries, check out Jason Wilde’s blog at ESPNMilwaukee.com.

Yes, this update isn’t exactly positive. But remember: As long as Aaron Rodgers is healthy, the Packers have a shot.

Now quit worrying about the Packers and go vote.  Read more... (303 words + 1 image, estimated 1:13 mins reading time)

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