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49ers LB Patrick Willis might spend a lot of time on the sidelines if the Packers spread things out.

The Packers best bet to to overcome the physicality and viciousness of the 49ers’ defense in Saturday’s NFC divisional playoff game might be to go with four and five wide receivers and spread things out.

Yes, the Packers’ running game has shown signs of life in the last month. But do you really think the Packers will win Saturday because they line up against San Francisco and blow them off the line in the running game? Doubtful.

You know how teams say the best way to slow down the Packers is with long possessions on offense that keep Aaron Rodgers of the field? The best way to attack the 49ers’ defense might be to try and get one of their best players off the field.

If the Packers use a bunch of four- and five-wide sets, it likely means that San Francisco’s all-pro middle linebacker Patrick Willis will spend a lot of time on the sideline. The 49ers will need another defensive back, probably Perrish Cox, on the field to deal with the Packers receivers instead of Willis.

What gives the Packers a better chance of winning? Running at a stout 49ers defense with Willis manning the middle of the field? Or using four or five receivers and putting the game in the hands of Aaron Rodgers while Willis watches from the sidelines? I vote for the latter.  Read more... (399 words + 1 image, estimated 1:36 mins reading time)

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The Packers’ Jordy Nelson and Aaron Rodgers like going deep on 3rd and short.

Because the Packers have the personnel and talent to do it. That’s the simple answer.

But it still seems to drive people nuts whenever Aaron Rodgers launches a pass downfield on 3rd and short. It doesn’t drive me nuts, and never will as long as Rodgers is the quarterback and the Packers receivers remain one of the better groups in the NFL.

Opposing teams spend the entire week trying to figure out how to stop the Packers offense, which means they spend a good part of that week scheming against the Packers deep passing attack. Mike McCarthy’s best shot at creating a mismatch downfield often comes on 3rd and short, and it’d be silly for him to not take advantage.

Obviously, the bomb on 3rd and short isn’t always the right call. But I trust McCarthy and Rodgers to figure out when it should be called and when it shouldn’t. I thought the bomb to Jordy Nelson on 3rd and short during the opening drive of the second half on Sunday was an excellent call.

The Packers struggled to get over the top of the 49ers defense in the first half and needed to take a shot. That was as good a time as any to try and get single coverage downfield. Unfortunately for the Packers, the 49ers weren’t fooled. Both defensive backs took one look at Rodgers’ play-fake, pointed and laughed, then dropped back to double Nelson. “Hahaha! That’s cute, McCarthy,” the defensive backs said. “Fake like you’re going to run the ball. Hilarious. Like we care if you hand the ball off against our amazing front-seven. Go ahead. Good luck. We’re going to hang back here and prevent this 50-yard touchdown you’re trying to sneak past us.”  Read more... (556 words + 1 image, estimated 2:13 mins reading time)

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Green Bay Packers wide receiver Diondre Borel runs the ball against the San Diego Chargers during the first half of an NFL preseason football game Thursday. (AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi)

Diondre Borel had an opportunity to separate himself from the competition in the race for the sixth wide receiver spot on the Packers’ roster Thursday night.

Did he do it? Well, not really. But he also didn’t take a major step backwards. Like the whole battle-for-the-sixth-receiver-spot storyline has been thus far, Borel was just kind of meh against the Chargers. Not terrible, but far from great.

Things didn’t start well for Borel. He got drilled by San Diego’s Demorrio Williams on a first quarter kickoff and fumbled. Coughing the ball up is the surest way to find yourself in Mike McCarthy’s doghouse and off the team, so Borel put himself in a deep hole right off the bat.

Borel returned three more kicks/punts on Thursday, including a 34-yard return late in the first half where he flashed some of the speed and burst that make him an intriguing prospect.

Borel finished with three catches for 13 yards and was targeted five times by Graham Harrell. Those numbers are nothing to brag about, but he didn’t have any drops and he definitely didn’t look overmatched.

Like he showed on the 34-yard return, Borel looked quick after he caught the ball — as quick as someone can look when they’re immediately being swarmed by defenders, anyway.  Read more... (490 words + 1 image, estimated 1:58 mins reading time)

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Photo: David Dermer, Getty Images

NFL teams rarely keep six receivers on their 53-man rosters. Seven is almost unheard of.

But if the young players comprising the Green Bay Packers depth chart at receiver continue to impress as they have to start this offseason, GM Ted Thompson may have no other choice than to select more than five for his final roster.

After the first day of the Packers mandatory three-day minicamp Tuesday, quarterback Aaron Rodgers singled out one of those young receivers to heap on more praise: Second-year receiver Diondre Borel.

“Diondre Borel is a guy that gives us a different look because he plays a similar position of that of Randall Cobb,” Rodgers said in an interview with Packers.com. “Diondre has made as big of jump as anybody from year 1 to year 2. He really made the most of his reps on the scout team last year.”

The Packers signed Borel as an undrafted free agent in July of 2011. Despite catching just two passes for 35 yards during the preseason, Borel impressed Thompson and the Packers staff enough in camp to earn a spot on the team’s eight-man practice squad to start 2011.

What made Borel’s inclusion on the practice squad all the more impressive was the fact that the former Utah State Aggie was making a transition back to receiver from quarterback, a position he played during his final three seasons in college. At Utah State, Borel threw for almost 7,000 career passing yards—ranking him second in school history—after playing in eight games as a receiver during his freshman season.  Read more... (882 words + 1 image, estimated 3:32 mins reading time)

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Could the Packers keep six WRs to retain Donald Driver?

Packers coach Mike McCarthy spoke highly of Donald Driver this week, giving no indication that the team plans to cut the 37-year-old any time soon. Of course, McCarthy wasn’t going to come out and say that Driver will be off the team shortly, so take the coach’s praise for Driver with a grain of salt.

Actually, McCarthy had a general quote about the Packers WR philosphy that I think actually hurts Driver’s chances of being a Packer in 2012. McCarthy said:

“We don’t just try to get four receivers or five receivers and stop there. You want to get as many as you can.”

This is bad news for Driver because it tells me that the Packers won’t hesitate to draft a WR if they see one they like. No, WR isn’t a position of immediate need, but Ted Thompson doesn’t draft strictly based on need. If there’s a WR he likes and feels is a good value for the round he’s drafting in, he’ll take him.

But let’s say Thompson doesn’t draft a WR. Driver’s main competition would be Tori Gurley and Diondre Borel, both practice squad players last season that other teams tried to sign away from the Packers. Would Thompson keep a 37-year-old over two up-and-comers?  Read more... (520 words + 1 image, estimated 2:05 mins reading time)

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Jordy Nelson has become the Packers No. 1 receiver...at least for now.

When Ted Thompson signed Jordy Nelson to a 3 year, $13.35 million contract extension, the Packers GM probably thought he was locking up his second best receiver for the foreseeable future.

Or maybe not.

Perhaps Thompson knew Nelson was more than a No. 2 guy and felt he had to sign him before Nelson himself realized he was more than a No. 2, and set his price higher than what the Packers could afford.

Either way, the signing was a good one and Nelson has taken his game to a new level since the deal was announced. Actually, Nelson has played so well that he’s the Packers No. 1 receiver, at least for now.

Since signing the extension on Oct. 2, Nelson has 30 catches for 555 yards and seven TDs. He’s led the Packers in receiving yards three times and seems to be Rodgers’ favorite target when the QB breaks the pocket and needs to get rid of the ball.

Over that same stretch, Greg Jennings, generally considered to be the Packers No. 1 WR, has 35 catches for 498 yards and five TDs. Jennings hasn’t gone over 50 yards in his last three games and only managed two catches for six yards on Sunday.

For the season, Nelson has 40 catches for 759 yards (19 yards per catch) and nine TDs. Jennings has 53 catches for 761 yards (14.4 per catch) and seven TDs.  Read more... (363 words + 1 image, estimated 1:27 mins reading time)

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Last weekend was the opening of deer hunting season and I had a dilemma: Do I skip the Packers vs. Chargers game to maximize my chances to bagging the 30-point buck, or do I leave the deer stand early to watch the game? I chose to watch the game (there’s always next weekend to chase the 30-pointer) and I was pleased with my decision.

What a game.

Also, by watching the game, I decreased my chances of sounding like an idiot in this week’s stock report.

Rising

Aaron Rodgers
Besides missing an open Greg Jennings on a key drive late in the fourth quarter, Rodgers was nearly flawless once again on Sunday.

Desmond Bishop
He had all he could do to keep up with Antonio Gates, but Bishop kept getting after it. He tipped a pass that led to Peprah’s first interception, sacked Philip Rivers and was the only Packers defender that looked explosive throughout the game.

Packers WRs
I can’t decide which WRs should go in the rising category and which belong in the steady, so lets just label them all risers. This group of WRs gives you a little bit of everything and is rolling right now.

Steady

Mason Crosby
A 47-yard field goal in the rain? No problem for Crosby. I should probably put Crosby in the rising category, but I don’t like kickers to get too high or too low. I want them to be steady. This is my way of keeping Crosby consistent and grounded. I’m sure he appreciates it.  Read more... (565 words + 1 image, estimated 2:16 mins reading time)

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