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Desmond Bishop is a tackling machine. I think anyone who has watched the Packers the last two years knows that and his stats prove that. Desmond Bishop loves to make the big hit and blow up running backs – again, no big surprise. But there is one thing about Bishop that perhaps goes overlooked – If you’re an opponent carrying the football, he will track you down from wherever he is on the field. Simply put, he wants to get to you more than you want to get to the end zone.

Remember the Eagles playoff game last season? 1:45 left in the game, Packers up by 5, Eagles marching down the field… Without this play, the Packers’ playoffs could have been over after one game. In case you’ve forgotten, here it is:

Simply amazing. He’s in man coverage on a tight end on one side of the field and comes all the way across to catch up with DeSean Jackson and probably save the game. Most inside linebackers probably would not have even tried.  Read more... (465 words, estimated 1:52 mins reading time)

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Gregg Rosenthal of ProFootballTalk.com had a short post the other day arguing that passing yards have become the most overrated stat in the NFL.

Rosenthal is 100 percent correct.

After three weeks of play, there have been 33 300-yard passing games, by far the highest total through three weeks since 2009 (21).

I’ve Tweeted on a couple different occasions that every QB in the NFL might throw for more than 4,000 yards in 2011. My tongue was planted in cheek during those Tweets, but maybe it’s not that ridiculous of a statement after all. Every team in the league, with few exceptions, tries to throw the ball all over the field, even if their quarterback isn’t that good. And why not? You can’t touch a receiver past five yards and refs are always looking for a reason to call roughing the passer.

(Side note: How about the TEs in today’s NFL? You used to play DE or OLB if you were big, strong, tall and fast. Now you learn how to catch and play TE.)  Read more... (713 words + 1 image, estimated 2:51 mins reading time)

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It was a wild finish to the Packers – Saints game last Thursday night. In a matter of two consecutive plays, the dubious A.J. Hawk interference call and the mass stopping of the Saints on the goal line, fans felt the Agony and the Ecstasy of following their team.

For their part, the Packers continued some themes from last season;

• Keeping opposing teams in games with poor special teams play .
• Inability to secure the win with a time-wasting drive late in games.
• Depending on the defense to come up with a big play at the end to win the game.

As they also did late last season, the Green Bay Packers toyed with the emotions of their fans. Fans went from feeling devastated, as the Saints were handed an opportunity to score and eventually tie the game with zero seconds on the clock, to euphoric, as the Packers stopped the Saints on the goal line. All in a matter of 2 plays.

Here is that amazing two-play sequence. Remember what it felt like at the time and enjoy.

You can follow Jersey Al on Facebook and Twitter .  Read more... (237 words, estimated 57 secs reading time)

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Incredibly, it all came down to this. The Saints on the goal line, Zero seconds on the clock, thanks to that horrible pass interference call on AJ Hawk in the end zone. They have one play to score and then try for a two-point conversion to send the game into overtime. The Saints try to pound it in, and the Packers stop Mark Ingram cold.

One interesting note: While much credit has to go to Jarius Wynn, Ryan Pickett, Howard Green and especially B.J. Raji for getting a positive push and creating a wall of bodies, who do you think made the big hit that actually stops Ingram’s forward progress? It’s Morgan Burnett. You can see it best in the replay at about the 50 second mark of the video. Enjoy:

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We haven’t heard much this year about Packers offensive tackle Bryan Bulaga. T.J. Lang and Derek Sherrod have received most of the training camp attention on the offensive line as they battle for the open LG spot. Now that Lang is apparently the clear frontrunner, it’s time to start focusing more on the offensive line as a whole.

The Packers stability on the line has allowed Mike McCarthy to test a no-huddle offense in each of the first two preseason games. Both no-huddle drives have resulted in touchdowns that made the Packers offense look unstoppable. It’s going to be fun if the Packers’ no-huddle keeps rolling into the regular season.

It’s going to be even more fun if that up-tempo style is complemented by a reliable running game anchored on the right side by Josh Sitton and Bryan Bulaga.

McCarthy has praised Bulaga throughout training camp, saying that he is a “different player this year than he was last year.” If Bulaga continues to progress and Sitton keeps playing at a high level, the Packers could have a formidable run-blocking duo for the first time in a long time.  Read more... (478 words + 1 image, estimated 1:55 mins reading time)

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The Green Bay Packers signed South Carolina wide receiver Tori Gurley Monday night, following up their acquistion of Utah kick returner Shaky Smithson.

Gurley didn’t make an official visit to the Packers before the draft. At 6-4, 220 pounds, Gurley is an imposing receiver who surprised some by coming out after just his redshirt sophomore season. At the NFL combine, Gurley ran the 40-yard dash in 4.53 seconds, the 20-yard dash in 2.67 and the 10 in 1.62. He also benched 225 pounds 15 times and had a vertical leap of 33.5 inches. He chose not to run at his pro day in March.

College summary

Gurley certainly didn’t light up the stat book in his two years at South Carolina. He caught just 31 passes for 440 yards and two touchdowns in his redshirt freshman season, and he followed that up with 44 catches for 465 yards and four touchdowns the next season. Joe Schad of ESPN did state that Gurley was “one of the most sure-handed receivers in the nation with no drops the entire season.”  Read more... (496 words + 1 image, estimated 1:59 mins reading time)

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The Green Bay Packers have signed Utah wide receiver and returner Shaky Smithson to a deal Monday night, kicking off the undrafted free agent signing period that followed today’s agreement on a new CBA.

Smithson was scouted throughly by the Packers pre-draft, as he was one of 12 players who made an official visit with the Green Bay before April’s NFL draft. At his pro day in Utah, Smithson ran the 40-yard dash in 4.65 seconds, the 20-yard dash in 2.71 and the 10 in 1.65. He also put up 10 reps at 225 pounds and had a vertical leap of 30.5 inches.

Shaky Smithson College summary

Smithson is listed as a receiver but he made his name at Utah as one of the more dynamic returners in the NCAA. While he started just four games on offense and caught only 25 passes for 383 yards his senior year, Smithson’s 19.1 yards per punt return and four 100-yard punt return games led the nation.

He also returned two punts for touchdowns and was 24th in the nation in kick return average (24.1 yards). His 2010 totals on punt returns broke the Mountain West record for a season. For his efforts, Smithson was named second team All-Mountain West in 2010.  Read more... (416 words + 1 image, estimated 1:40 mins reading time)

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