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Graham Harrell

1) Introduction: Was Harrell’s 2012 season the best ever by a backup quarterback? The second-year player from Texas Tech held the clipboard with perfect form. His posture and facial gestures while watching games from the sideline was second to none. His bored-to cup-to pour time — aka the amount of time it takes Harrell to snap out of staring straight ahead and being bored, sprint to the water cooler, grab a cup, fill it, and deliver it to Aaron Rodgers without spilling — was the best in league history. I can think of no other quarterback that is better suited to back up Rodgers than Mr. Graham Harrell.

2) Profile:

Graham “Mr. Wonderful” Harrell

• Age: Ageless
• Born: to play backup quarterback
• Height: He’s bigger than the game
• Weight: Harrell doesn’t wait for anything or anybody
• College: School of Hard Knocks
• Rookie Year: Doesn’t matter. Harrell has played like a veteran ever since setting foot on the field
• NFL Experience: Watching Harrell play is an experience we all should cherish.

Career Stats and more:

3) Expectations coming into the season: Stay the hell off the field. The Packers kept extra beer in the coolers at Lambeau just in case Harrell ever had to enter a game. It is unclear whether the beer was intended to distract the fans from Harrell actually being in the game, or to calm the nerves of the Packers coaching staff who had to try and make sure Harrell didn’t injure any teammate by hitting them in the nuts with an errant pass.  Read more... (441 words + 1 image, estimated 1:46 mins reading time)

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Packers QB Aaron Rodgers

1) Introduction: It was a grind at times for Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Things didn’t look quite as easy as they did in 2011. When injuries mounted and adversity came and went, Rodgers kept the Packers in games and came through in the end more often than not. It wasn’t an MVP season, but it wasn’t far off.

2) Profile:

Aaron Rodgers

• Age: 29
• Born: 12/02/1983, in Chico, CA
• Height: 6’2″
• Weight: 225
• College: California
• Rookie Year: 2005
• NFL Experience: 8 years

Career Stats and more:

3) Expectations coming into the season: 8,000 yards, 108 touchdowns, 1 interception and a QB rating of 607.3. Seriously, I think some people honestly expected those numbers from Rodgers. His 2011 run might have been a once in a lifetime thing. It’s unfair to expect that to happen every season, maybe ever again. Rodgers ended up leading the league in passer rating for the second straight season and made several plays when he had no business making a play. It was another great season, regardless if he failed to meet some people’s unrealistic expectations.

4) Player’s highlights/low-lights: This was my favorite Rodgers’ throw of the season. Amazing. Other highlights include the big game against Houston, making plays down the stretch at Lambeau against the Vikings and recovering nicely from an interception to beat the Saints in a must-win early-season game. If I could change one thing about Rodgers’ season, it would be the interception against the 49ers in the playoffs. Rodgers hasn’t had a holy crap that was awesome! type of playoff game since the Super Bowl. That needs to change.  Read more... (471 words + 1 image, estimated 1:53 mins reading time)

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1) Introduction:  After missing his entire senior season at Buffalo due to injury, James Starks fell to the sixth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. The Packers stashed him on the PUP list to start the season before activating him for their week 13 game against the San Francisco 49ers. Starks was the Packers’ starting running back during the team’s run to the Super Bowl in 2010. But in his second season, Starks was nothing more than an average running back on a pass-happy team. He entered 2012 as the team’s starter, but expectations were limited.

2) Profile:

James Darell Starks

• Age: 26
• Born: 02/25/1986, in Niagara Falls, NY
• Height: 6’2″
• Weight: 218
• College: Buffalo
• Rookie Year: 2010
• NFL Experience: 3 years

 Career stats and more:

3) Expectations coming into the season:  Starks was the starter coming into the season, playing ahead of second-year player Alex Green. But after a porous performance in the team’s preseason opener in San Diego, the team realized Starks may not be the answer. As a result, the Packers signed veteran Cedric Benson in hopes that he’d help revive a struggling running game.

4) Player’s highlights/low-lights:  After the preseason opener against the Chargers on August 9, turf toe kept Starks out of the lineup until October 14 against the Houston Texans. The early-season injury was more of the same for Starks. But with Benson out for the season and Alex Green struggling as the starter, Starks became a more important part of the offense late in the season. The highlight of his 2012 season was against the Minnesota Vikings when he rushed for 66 yards on 15 carries, including a 22-yard touchdown run.  Read more... (399 words + 1 image, estimated 1:36 mins reading time)

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1) Introduction:  At the end of training camp, DuJuan Harris was cut by the Jacksonville Jaguars. Harris was picked up by the Pittsburgh Steelers but lasted only four days on the team. Out of opportunities in the NFL, Harris found a job selling cars at Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram Arlington in Jacksonville, Fla. A few months later, he’d be starting for the Green Bay Packers.

2) Profile:

James Darell Starks

• Age: 24
• Born: 09/03/1988, in Brooksville, FL
• Height: 5’9″
• Weight: 208
• College: Troy
• Rookie Year: 2012
• NFL Experience: 1 year

 Career stats and more:

3) Expectations coming into the season:  Considering he was a car salesman to start the 2012 season, not much was expected from Harris this year. Even when he was signed by the running back-needy Packers, Harris was afterthought, still trailing Alex Green and James Starks on the depth chart.

4) Player’s highlights/low-lights:  In his first game with the Packers, Harris found the endzone against the Detroit Lions. Including the playoffs, Harris scored four touchdowns in six appearances. It’s hard to consider any part of his 2012 as a “low-light” considering he gave the Packers’ running game a much-needed boost.

5) Player’s contribution to the overall team success:  It became evident fairly early that Harris was the team’s most effective running back. In the regular season, Harris racked up 157 yards and two touchdowns on 34 carries. Although he certainly wasn’t the focal point of the Packers’ offense, Harris provided the team with some balance offensively.  Read more... (354 words + 1 image, estimated 1:25 mins reading time)

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1) Introduction:  The Packers selected Green in the third round of the 2011 NFL Draft. Green attended the University of Hawaii after transferring from Butte College—the same school Aaron Rodgers attended before transferring to the University of California. As a rookie, Green was in line for an expanded role within the offense before a torn ACL ended his season early. Coming off major knee surgery, it was unknown how much of an impact Green would have this season.

2) Profile:

Alexander Denell Green

• Age: 24
• Born: 06/23/1988, in Portland, OR
• Height: 6’0″
• Weight: 225
• College: Hawaii
• Rookie Year: 2011
• NFL Experience: 2 years

 Career stats and more:

3) Expectations coming into the season:  Green suffered a torn ACL Oct. 23 of last season, and he was back on the field for the team’s preseason opener on August 8. He started the preseason behind James Starks on the depth chart. And when Cedric Benson signed with the team, Green fell behind him as well.

4) Player’s highlights/low-lights:  Green played well replacing Benson after his injury against the Indianapolis Colts. He finished with 61 yards on ten carries, thanks primarily to a 41-yard burst in the fourth quarter. When DuJuan Harris emerged as the clear-cut No. 1 back, Green’s role within the offense was essentially eliminated.

5) Player’s contribution to the overall team success:  When Cedric Benson suffered a foot injury Oct. 7, Green assumed the role as the team’s starting running back. He started the ensuing three games but failed to run away with the job. James Starks and DuJuan Harris each took a turn as the team’s feature back.  Read more... (347 words + 1 image, estimated 1:23 mins reading time)

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1) Introduction:  Coming into the season, the Packers made it clear that they wanted to improve their running game in 2012. Cedric Benson was supposed to be the feature back, thus giving the Packers a more balanced offense. Prior to signing with the Packers, Benson had at least 1,000 rushing yards in three consecutive seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals. Benson signed with the Packers Aug. 21 and served as the starter until he suffered an injury in week five.

2) Profile:

Cedric Myron Benson

• Age: 30
• Born: 12/28/1982, in Midland, TX
• Height: 5’11″
• Weight: 228
• College: Texas
• Rookie Year: 2005
• NFL Experience: 8 years

 Career stats and more:

3) Expectations coming into the season:  Some had high hopes for Benson in 2012. Having eclipsed 1,000 rushing yards in three straight seasons, the Packers hoped for a similar result. Once Benson arrived in town in the summer, there was no question as to who the starting running back was—it was Benson. But with perhaps the league’s best quarterback in Aaron Rodgers, Benson was never expected to be the focal point of the Packers’ offense.

4) Player’s highlights/low-lights: Benson was effective at the beginning of the season; he scored the Packers’ only touchdown against the Seattle Seahawks in week three. But his best game of his season was Sept. 13 against the Chicago Bears in which he totaled 116 yards on 24 total touches. The low-point of Benson’s season was obviously week five when he suffered a season-ending injury.  Read more... (358 words + 1 image, estimated 1:26 mins reading time)

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1) Introduction: With the exception of Bart Starr, there may not be a more popular Packer than Donald Driver. But everyone’s favorite Driver entered the 2012 with perhaps the lowest expectations of his career. Through training camp, Driver still looked like he belonged. But playing behind Greg Jennings, Jordy Nelson, James Jones and Randall Cobb, Driver’s opportunities figured to be limited this season.

2) Profile:

Donald Jerome Driver

• Age: 38
• Born: 02/02/1975, in Houston, TX
• Height: 6’0″
• Weight: 194
• College: Alcorn State
• Rookie Year: 1999
• NFL Experience: 14 years

 Career stats and more:

3) Expectations coming into the season: Because the Packers were so deep at the position to start the season, Driver wasn’t expected to be a difference-maker within the offense. In fact, some even questioned whether or not the team should use a roster spot on the aging wide receiver. But nonetheless, the Packers decided to keep Driver around for one more season.

4) Player’s highlights/low-lights: The highlight of Driver’s season was week two against the Chicago Bears. Leading 16-3 in the fourth quarter, Aaron Rodgers hit Driver for a 26-yard touchdown. It was Driver’s only reception of the game and the first of just two scores on the season. As far as low-lights, Driver was a healthy scratch four times in 2012. Starting with the Dec. 2 matchup against the Vikings, Driver missed three of the team’s final five games of the regular season. He was also inactive against the Vikings in the wild card round of the playoffs.  Read more... (392 words + 1 image, estimated 1:34 mins reading time)

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