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Ryan Pickett

1) Introduction: Ryan Pickett was another Packers defensive linemen who was a non-factor as a pass rusher this season. To be fair, however, Pickett isn’t on the team to run around and chase after quarterbacks.

2) Profile:

Ryan Lamont Pickett

Position: DE
Height: 6-2
Weight: 340 lbs.
AGE: 32

Career Stats:

3) Expectations coming into the season: Run stuffer. When Pickett wasn’t on the field, the Packers run defense suffered noticably. When healthy, Pickett usually did what he was supposed to do: Plug holes, absorb double teams and make plays as a run stopper.

4) Player’s highlights/low-lights: Pickett’s highlights usually aren’t a thing of beauty unless you consider two large men failing miserably to block another large man a thing of beauty. I also enjoy Pickett’s celebration whenever he makes a play in the backfield. Big guys celebrating are always cool. Pickett’s health problems were his main lowlight. The defense went from bad to worse when he wasn’t playing.

5) Player’s contribution to the overall team success: Pickett is one of the better 3-4 defensive lineman in the NFL at taking on and absorbing double teams that allow linebackers to roam free and make plays. He also had 4.5 tackles for loss, his career-best with the Packers.  Read more... (310 words + 1 image, estimated 1:14 mins reading time)

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Howard Green

1) Introduction: One of the many memorable plays from Super Bowl XLV was Howard Green’s bull rush that forced a Ben Roethlisberger interception and resulted in a pick-six for Nick Collins. Green filled the space-eater role for the Packers in 2010, but never returned to form in 2011. Don’t expect him to return in 2012.

2) Profile:

Howard Green Jr.

Position: NT
Height: 6-2
Weight: 340 lbs.
AGE: 33

Career Stats

3) Expectations coming into the season: Immovable object. Nobody has ever mistaken Green for a quick and nimble pass rusher. The Packers claimed him off waivers from the Jets midway through last season to occupy space and stuff the run. They wanted him to do the same this season, but like most of his teammates on the D-line, Green didn’t make many plays and was just sort of there.

4) Player’s highlights/low-lights: Move along folks, no highlights to see here. Green played in all 16 regular season games and managed just 11 tackles. Lowlights include a terrible game against the Bears on Christmas and never adequately filling in when Ryan Pickett was hurt.  Read more... (308 words + 1 image, estimated 1:14 mins reading time)

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Charles Woodson needs to sit on the bench next to Aaron Rodgers and Clay Matthews on Sunday.

When did it become the norm in America to shop before, during and after the holidays? When I was a kid, my parents sneaked away after work on a random night in early December to buy my Christmas presents (my favorites were games for my Sega Master System or WWF wrestler figurines).

They didn’t wake up at 3 a.m. to wait in line at some store on Black Friday. They didn’t buy additional crap on Cyber Monday. And they didn’t use the Holidays as an excuse to buy a bunch of stuff for themselves on the day after Christmas.

Speaking of the day after Christmas, I never once rushed to a nearby store to exchange one of my presents. If I got a Ricky Steamboat wrestling figure, then by God, that’s the wrestling figure I played with until my birthday came around.

Shopping for kids these days isn’t what it used to be. It’s hard. I don’t envy parents one bit. If I ever become a parent, I’m going to ask my kid to make me a list of things he doesn’t want in addition to the things he wants. I guarantee you the don’t want list will be longer than the want list.  Read more... (601 words + 1 image, estimated 2:24 mins reading time)

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Packers WR/KR Randall Cobb (groin) was held out of Wednesday practice.

Receiver/returner Randall Cobb and tight end Jermichael Finley missed Wednesday’s practice with various ailments, Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy said this afternoon.

Cobb, who ranks in the top 10 in the NFL in kick and punt return average, picked up a groin injury and isn’t expected to practice until Friday at the earliest. McCarthy described him as “sore” today, but no other specifics were given.

McCarthy was even more in the dark about Finley, who apparently injured his knee in what McCarthy called a “last minute” deal. McCarthy said he doesn’t have any feel about where Finley is at right now, so it’s certainly a situation to monitor over the next couple of days. Finley injured his meniscus in Week 5 last season and didn’t see the field again.

UPDATE: Rob Demovsky of the Green Bay Press-Gazette reported after the press conference that Finley woke up with a sore knee on Monday, and it “didn’t feel right” when he came in today. It’s also not the same knee he injured last season. 

McCarthy’s news wasn’t all bad on the injury front, however.  Read more... (585 words + 1 image, estimated 2:20 mins reading time)

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Aaron Rodgers and Jordy Nelson return to the rising category this week.

I’m still recovering from my Christmas food hangover, so no witty banter from me this week. We’re going straight to the stock report:

Rising

Aaron Rodgers
Welcome back to the rising category, Mr. Rodgers. We missed you last week and I hope you never leave us again. You will likely get to take a breather in week 17 and you’ve earned it. Even though you often make it look so easy, I’m sure it’s a lot of work to throw for 4,643 yards, 45 TDs and only 6 INTs in 15 games. Throwing for five TDs against the Bears is a great way to cap an MVP season.

Jordy Nelson
The Jordy Nelson stiff-arm returned on Sunday night. So did the play where Rodgers fakes a handoff, bootlegs right, and hits Nelson for a long TD after No. 87 runs by two defensive backs. That’s the kind of game Nelson needs to have if Jennings is less than 100 percent for the playoffs.  Read more... (582 words + 1 image, estimated 2:20 mins reading time)

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Mike McCarthy wants LT Chad Clifton to play Sunday against the Detroit Lions.

Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy made no mistake about his team’s desire to be 15-1, and he might get to try out a few players in the process, including left tackle Chad Clifton, against the Detroit Lions in Week 17.

McCarthy said Monday that the Packers are preparing to “win the game” and that sweeping the NFC North is an important goal to accomplish.

“We have every intention of being 15-1 come Sunday afternoon,” McCarthy said.

No mention was made about how long his starters will play, but McCarthy did say that he wants Clifton, who’s been out since injuring his hamstring in Week 5, to practice this week and play in Sunday’s game. McCarthy acknowledged the importance of Clifton seeing live action before the playoffs begin, and this week represents the last of those opportunities.

The Packers will also look to get more playing time for both Vic So’oto and Jamari Lattimore at outside linebacker, a position that opposite of Clay Matthews has been nothing short of a disaster this season. McCarthy said that So’oto earned his opportunity to play on Sunday, and Frank Zombo’s healthy scratch was partly due to special teams.  Read more... (531 words + 1 image, estimated 2:07 mins reading time)

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Jermichael Finley was a catalyst for the Packers' opening touchdown drive. (Photo: Rick Wood, JSOnline)

Behind five touchdown passes from Aaron Rodgers, the Green Bay Packers wrapped up home field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs and won a franchise record 14th game in 2011 with a 35-21 victory over the Chicago Bears.

Five observations from the game:

1. Next man up

The Packers makeshift offensive line bounced back in a big way Sunday night. Facing one of the better defensive lines in football, Rodgers wasn’t sacked and rarely was hurried. The banner performance came from left tackle Marshall Newhouse, who all but took All-Pro defensive end Julius Peppers out of the game. This was a big time performance with just two players, Scott Wells at center and Josh Sitton at right guard, starting at the same position they did to begin the 2011 season.

2. Missing Pickett  Read more... (658 words + 1 image, estimated 2:38 mins reading time)

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