Brewers Playoff Times Set for the Weekend

If you're in the school of thought that a single baseball game is too long, then you're definitely going to think that the amount of time that it took the MLB to schedule the playoff games for this weekend took an eternity. Nevertheless, the games have been scheduled, and your Brewers will be hosting the Diamondbacks at 1:07pm on Saturday and then 3:37pm on Sunday (thanks to nearly every single person that I follow on Twitter for posting that like it was breaking news - and don't accuse me of doing the same because you know The Bucky Channel has never been about breaking news - but I'm just so tired of Twitter. It's grumpy old Winks talking again and I know people might think less of me for it, but #thatsthewayIfeel. Sigh).

Regardless, Saturday is a relief for Wisconsin sports fans because you'll have the Brewers game in the afternoon and then the Badgers game at night, and believe or not there will be people that attend both games. Kudos to you. Sunday is a different story, as the Brewers first pitch is 22 minutes after the Packers kickoff. To me, who to watch is a no-brainer, I think you gotta go Brewers. That's if you have the choice. The Packers aren't in a marquee game by any means and while I'm not writing Denver off, I'm also not too worried about the game. Realistically, I'm going to probably go to a tavern and watch two TV's at once, but I think the Brewers have to be the priority this weekend.

Either way, it's going to be one hell of a weekend in Wisconsin. Do your best to try to enjoy the hell out of it.

Diamondbacks Forcing the Brewers Hand

Yes, Daron Sutton, we're watching. The former Brewers play-by-play man asked us if we were paying attention on Tuesday night after Ryan Roberts hit a grand slam in the bottom of the 10th inning to cap off an incredible rally that gave the Arizona Diamondbacks a 7-6 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers (check out the home run and winning call here). Even though it was all but certain that the Diamondbacks were going to lose this game when the Dodgers put up a five spot to start the 10th frame, Arizona proved the victor when they brought home six runs of their own.

With their victory, that means the Brewers haven't clinched the National League's second seed just yet. In fact, if they want to be sure that they host a playoff game this Saturday, they are going to have to win against the Pirates tonight in Milwaukee. They are a game ahead of the Diamondbacks at this point, but Arizona has the tiebreaker so Milwaukee winning tonight is vital. Unless you'd rather the Brewers travel to Philadelphia on Saturday instead of hosting a game at Miller Park?

Of course, the Brewers had a pretty impressive victory of their own on Tuesday, thanks to a bomb by Rickie Weeks and three (yes, three!) home runs off the bat of Prince Fielder. Some say that it was an MVP-type night for Prince Fielder, but I'm in the school of thought that Prince's attempts at blocking Matt Kemp from getting the triple crown will actually help Ryan Braun's chances at the MVP. Both Prince and Braun would be worthy of the prize, and I think you have to give it to a Brewer instead of someone whose team isn't going to make the postseason. I know a lot of people would like to see them given a co-MVP award, but my fear is that the votes for the Brewers might cancel each other out and Kemp will sneak in and be awarded the honor.

Either way, the MVP discussion is just a secondary topic when it comes to Brewers baseball right now, as we have a playoff series to look forward too. The 2011 version of the Milwaukee Brewers just may be the best incarnation this franchise has ever seen, but anything can happen in a five-game series, especially if we have to travel to Philadelphia. I'm hearing right now that if the Brewers do in fact travel to the city of Brotherly Love, they'll be slotted in the 7pm timeslot on TBS this Saturday. As in, the exact time that the Badgers are hosting the Cornhuskers in Nebraska's Big Ten debut. But if they win and host, then I'm hearing a start time as early as 11am on Saturday. Regardless, it's going to be one nice and drunk weekend for Wisconsin sports fans.

Brewers Squander Comeback, Great Opportunity

The Brewers blew a golden chance to strengthen their hold on home field advantage in the first round of the playoffs in a wild one at Miller Park on Monday night. The win would have put the Brewers two games ahead of the D'Backs, bringing the magic number down to 1, after Arizona lost to the Dodgers Monday night. Instead the Brewers wasted as nice comeback in a game the Pirates seemed to try to give away. A few notes on why the loss was so hard to swallow:

- Shaun Marcum only went 4.2 innings giving up 7 runs. This may be something to be worried about come next week. Throw out his previous start where he went 8 innings against the Cubs, Marcum has slipped a bit as of late.
- Brewers 6th - Pirates walk in 2 runs for the Brewers to tie the game 8-8. Like I said, the Pirates really wanted to give us this one.
- Pirates 7th - Saito strikes out the first two batters, then give up a walk and a double, and the Pirates are back in the lead
- Brewers 8th - This is where it starts to get really frustrating. A walk and two hit by pitches load the bases with 1 out. Then Betancourt pops out and Lucroy grounds out.
- Brewers 9th - Counsell singles to start the inning. Gomez in as pinch running, gets to third on two wild pitches! Gomez on 3rd with nobody out, but the Brewers (Hart, McGehee, Kottaras ) fail to get a run in. Game over.

These are the games the Brewers have been winning most of the year and last night would have been a clutch time to do so. I'll hold off on my playoff questions - mainly what to do with McGehee and how to set up the rotation - until we do a proper playoff preview. As it stands now, the Brewers still control their destiny. Let's just win the next two and start the playoffs at Miller Park. Right now I see the Brewers holding off Arizona, but I think St. Louis and Atlanta will end up in a tie and we'll have to wait until Thursday to know who we play.

Should be a fun few days. Brewers start the playoffs on Saturday!

Holding Steady at 3-0

The Packers would be looking at having to defend against a third onside kick in consecutive weeks if it weren't for this hold by Corey Graham on a late fourth quarter punt by Tim Masthay. The Bears had one of the best trick plays in the history of the league, but it was all for naught because of a holding penalty that didn't need to occur. But, the penalty did occur, the Packers got the victory, and a 3-0 record is now next to Green Bay in the standings.

It's always a treat to go into Soldier Field and knock off those pesky Bears, but I'm not really sure how the Packers did it. I felt like the defense was a bit weak on Sunday, yet they had three sacks, a couple of turnovers, and held the Bears to 17 points. I didn't think the offense was overly impressive, yet Jermichael Finley had three touchdowns and Ryan Grant rushed for 92 yards. I don't know how to explain it, the whole thing just felt kind of weird to me.

Rather than go in depth via the print method, I'm going to link over to our friends at Cheesehead TV where you can take a listen to Brian Carriveau and myself talk through the victory.

And The Brewers Have Done It!

This is just the first step, but winning the division for the first time since 1982 is a huge step for this team. They still have getting the two seed as a goal, and then winning the World Series. Last night was a very cool night for Brewer baseball as Ryan Braun hit a three run bomb in the bottom of the eighth inning. That gave the Brewers the win they needed, and then Alfonso Soriano hit a three run bomb to give the Cardinals the lose they need for us to became Division Champs.

The real winners were the fans who attended the game Friday night. That was awesome how even the fans in the upper deck stayed to celebrate. The Players were on top of the dugout, players walked around giving high fives. We the fans have dealt with a lot of seasons that didn't turnout well, but this season is one to remember. I hope this is only the beginning of a magical October. Now lets wrap up the two seed.

Packers/Bears Week

It is early in the season, but the Packers/Bears game is always a big game. For the Packers, they can go to 3-0 on the season, and for the Bears they don't want to fall to 1-2 on the season. Chicago looked awesome in week 1, but the offensive line failed them in the second half of week 2. The Packers have struggled on defense so far this season. The offense, on the other hand, has looked great. It just would be nice if they could find one solid running back. Thankfully, it sounds like Starks has got the nod to be the main guy in Green Bay. Lets take a look at some of the keys to Sunday's big game.

Green Bay must get pressure on Cutler..... because as you saw in week 2 against the Saints it slows this team down. If you can get a lead to force the Bears to throw the ball, Cutler can get rattled. He has been sacked 11 times in two games so lets hope the Pack can get to him. This might cause Cutler to make bad decisions, and that could be the difference in the game.

Both teams lack a solid running game..... so who ever can rack up the most yards might have the upper hand. Matt Forte is the back in Chicago, but he hurts you more in the passing game than the running game. The Packers on the other hand have Starks/Grant, but it looks like Starks is now the lead back in Green Bay. Both teams are looking for the first 100 yard rusher on the season so we will see if one team can make that happen this week. If either teams find one, I would be willing to bet that team wins.

Packers wide receivers are at a..... disadvantage because of how Soldier Field's grass makes people slower. It did contain the receiver core of Julio Jones, Roddy White, and Harry Douglas week 1. Will it take it toll on Jennings, Driver, Nelson, Jones, Cobb, and Finley on Sunday? If it does, that means the defense will have to be on top of its game.

Limit the dumb mistakes..... and that team will win. It seems that most times these two teams meet it comes down to who makes the least amount of mistakes. It doesn't matter if it is turnovers or penalties but the team that screws up most seems to always lose. Some teams can dig themselves out of holes, but when two teams like this match up its hard to dig out of that hole. Lets hope the Bears dig themselves a huge hole early in the game.

Special teams are a little more fair..... this time around. Devin Hester always seemed to be the X-factor in these games. He can make a huge punt return that can swing the game from the Packers side to the Bears side. Now we have Randall Cobb, so at least we have the chance to maybe make a special teams score hurt the Bears.

Frankly, it should be a good game between the Packers and Bears this weekend, and with what happened last year in the playoffs I would think the Bears will have a chip on their shoulders. Everyone knows that Cutler left the game early, and he took a lot of crap for it. You have to think he will be bringing his best out this week, but it is Jay Cutler so who really knows. This game earned the 3:15 slot on Fox Sunday, and we will see who strikes first in the early NFC North match up.

Where Did This Playoff Race Come From?

Disclaimer: I left work in the 8th inning of the Cards/Mets game and starting writing this post before I checked the score. Wow. Things change fast. There is a huge difference between a 4 game lead and 5 game lead. At the gym I was even flushing out this crazy scenario where the Brewers lose the division lead but still make the playoffs. Good thing I checked the score before I posted. So read the next paragraph as if we were only down 4 games.

It seems like only a few weeks ago, ok, it was only a few weeks ago when the Brewers had a 10.5 game lead in the NL Central. We were looking forward to clinching the division and I even heard a few folks muttering about catching the Phillies. Fast forward a week, things changed a bit. We were worried about avoiding the Phillies in the 1st round, meaning we were watching the Diamondbacks scores too. Fast forward to today, the Brewers lead in the Central is down to 5 games. The Crew are 1 game up on the Diamondbacks, and now, thanks to the recent very strong play of the Cardinals, St. Louis is only 2 game back from the Braves for the Wild Card spot. Yes folks, we have an exciting playoff race on our hands. One that I do not think anyone expected a few weeks ago.

Ok, but things are still very interesting. We still have a lot of score board watching to do, but now, the possibilities, for the Brewers at least are limited. But let us not forget mid-September in 2008 where the Brewers had a 4 game lead on the Phillies for the wild card, went into a 4 game series in Philly and promptly lost all 4 games. Thank goodness for the Mets!

Here are the priorities going into the last week of the season.
1. Make the Playoffs
2. Win the Division (I guess statistically we could still make the playoffs without winning the division)
3. Stay ahead of Arizona
4. Avoid the Phillies (now that St. Louis is in the Wild Card picture, 3 and 4 are not exactly the same thing)

If these things happen, and I think they should, the Brewers would either host the Braves or Diamondbacks. I'm not sure who I'd rather play. Any thoughts Brewers fans?

If things end now as they are now, we would host the Braves.
If St. Louis overtakes the Braves we would host the Diamondbacks, unless the Diamondbacks overtake us as well, then it would be 3 in 'Zona, 2 in the Mil.
If the Braves remain ahead of the Cards, and the Diamonds overtake or tie us (they had a 4-3 series advantage this season), we'll be in the same boat as '08, at Philly.

Remaining Schedules
Brewers: 3 home FLA, 3 home PIT Last 10: 6-4
D'backs: 3 home SF, 3 home LA Last 10: 5-5
Cardinals: 3 home CHI, 3 @ HOU Last 10: 7-3
Braves: 3 @ WAS, 3 home PHI Last 10: 4-6

On paper it is easiest for the Brewers, but the schedule really doesn't favor anyone too heavily because the Phillies have everything clinched.

Ok, I'm making this more complicated than it really is. The Brewers are in great shape. They control their own destiny. That is all we can ask for. But unlike 2008, we will not be happy just to be there! We want to make the NLCS at the very least.

So let's go take care of business at home. I think 5-1 will make all my priorities happen, and let the other pieces fall where the may.

Enjoy a fun week of baseball! People in Milwaukee and Wisconsin, get out there and support the Crew!

Pack Fan Bears Fan Week 2 - A Costly Win

Another week, another notch in the win column.  I watched this game in a crowded Buffalo Wild Wings with my father-in-law who was enjoying his Lions game while I was going crazy watching the Packers.  It's going to be brief since I didn't get to hit rewind on the DVR to over-analyze each play so let's get into it.


Pack Fan

• Hey, it's a win - A win is a win.  Whether they're tight, close games or a blowouts, when it comes down to it, this teams delivered what's required.  The Packers are 2-0 and that's what we expected.  A win going into the first Bears game is a big boost as well.
• Driver makes it count - Donald Driver caught one pass and it was a big one.  Not necessarily in the game but in terms of Packers history.  With that one pass, he became the all time receiving yards leader in Packers history passing NFL and Packers Hall-of-Famer James Lofton.  Driver has been a consummate Packer.  The definition of Ted Thompson's "Packers People" and one of the most appreciative players in the NFL.  Congrats Donald, it couldn't have happened to a better person.
• Chuck - Good Lord, did Charles Woodson "put da team on his back doh!" or what?  Two interceptions and a fumble recovery.  I don't care if he punched a guy in the Saints game, this guy continues to lead by example...something the Packers defense will need going forward this season.
  

Bears Fan

• Nick Collins - Ugh...we're not going to dwell on this one but what a shitty way to begin the season.  Collins has been a consistent Pro Bowler and a huge play-maker for this defense.  Dom Capers has leaned on this guy and his absence will be another rallying point for this team as was the case last year.
• Pass defense - We expected to see 400 passing yards racked up by Drew Brees and the Saints but NO ONE expected rookie Cam Newton to do it.  Hopefully he turns out to be a real stud because he torched the Packers secondary.  The Panthers did a lot of damage underneath which opened up deep opportunities later in the game.  Yes, Tramon Williams did not play but other than Steve Smith, name another receiver on the Panthers roster...that's what I thought.  As of today, it looks like Dom will be turning to Charlie Peprah to fill-in for Nick Collins.  He did well in spot duty last year and while he has drawn the ire of fans in the past, he's got big shoes to fill and will play a huge role going forward.
• Finishing - The offense sputtered in the red zone which is somewhat of a head scratcher.  This team has all kinds of weapons, as has been overly documented, and having to settle for field goals was disappointing.  It didn't help that the offense couldn't get on the field in the first quarter but when they were, there were a couple missed back-shoulder throws and Aaron Rodgers admitted afterwards that he was a bit off on Sunday.  McCarthy has a lot of things to work out with this team going into a big showdown with Jay Cutler and his band of sloppy twats.
  

Rivalries seem to ebb and flow and Packers Bears seems to have a little extra this time around.  Over the past few years, with the Vikings successes, there was more of an edge to those games but now that the Vikings are terrible and following the showdown in the NFC Championship game, the Bears are going to be up for this game and both of these games will be hard-fought ones.  We'll find out for sure on Sunday.


Cutler sucks

Three Nights in Charlotte

It took me three days past the 28th anniversary of my birth to finally make it to a Packers away game. About time, I know. I can't really say it was totally worth the wait, but it was a great time and a very exciting game.
I think I've mentioned this before that I am more interested in the experience than the actual X's and O's of the game itself, and being on the road is an awesome way to totally allow yourself to be inundated by that experience.

I headed down to Charlotte with a few friends on Friday afternoon. Megabus from DC, only the best for me. We did get a nice cheap room in the Hilton on Priceline (name your price baby), the same hotel that the Packers stayed in. Downtown Charlotte was nice. Unlike downtown Milwaukee, people actually go out downtown after dark. The first thing I noticed as that people in Charlotte were much better dressed than Wisconsin. Shocking. The women, better looking than Wisconsin. Another big shocker. (I really want to devote an entire post to Southern Belles, but unfortunately my weekend did not contain as much first hand knowledge as I would have liked.) Bars were cheaper than DC, but not Wisconsin. People out were generally nice in Charlotte.

On Friday night, there were a few Packer fans out and about, but by Saturday, we had totally taken over the city. This did not surprise me, neither did the multiple bars filled with Packers fans, or the numerous Packers fans that invited us out to party or tailgate with them. One thing that did surprise me and was very evident in Charlotte was how hard Packers fans rep with apparel. Seriously there is no denying the green and gold. Packers fans have Packers gear for all weather, all occasions, and lots of it. I once had a non-Wisconsinite comment to me how weird it is that it's acceptable to wear a Packers jacket to a funeral or a wedding or church. It is reflection of the socio-economic status of many Packers fans, maybe the lack of fashion sense too, but also the extreme loyalty Packers fans have. Me, all I brought was one jersey for gameday.

Gameday - It again was no surprise that Packers fans dominated the tailgate and pre-game drinking scene. A few highlights:

- Having security come to our hotel room due to our morning volume level. I mean, I guess we were playing football, shotgunning beers, and repeatedly watching video of the first ever Lambeau Leap

















- UNC-Charlotte dance team
- Some dude in a Ben Roethlisberger jersey sharing his moonshine with us.
- A Panthers fan with a Ohio State bottle open telling us we had to sing the Ohio State fight song to use it. Then me promptly singing "On Wisconsin!"
- Terry Glenn jersey
- Steve Beuerlein jersey
- "The Belt" - my group of friends was pretty high on the belt celebration. We propositioned pretty much everyone in Packers gear to do it and got pretty excited each time they obliged.

























- As the game got closer and closer, the Packers fans become a higher and higher percentage of fans entering the stadium. Again, this goes back to us enjoying a good tailgate.

Overall, there were less Green Bay fans than I thought. I'd say only about 10% of the stadium. Charlotte fans were generally optimistic, mostly due to Cam Newton. They were good fans despite their inferior team and 2-14 record last year. Lots of nice teal Steve Smith jerseys. Definitely good value on their purchases. The Panthers fans were pretty cordial too. Most were nice and a good number talked shit as home fans must do to away fans. They did get a little cocky when they were up 13-0. I won't say we were worried, more in disbelief at that awful start. We knew Rodgers would get hot and take us back. Even with that weird 4th down play at the end of the 1st half, we still were confident and knew we weren't going to give up the lead once we got it early in the 2nd half. We did make it interesting, but Woodson and Matthews again stepped up when we needed them. After Driver recovered the onside kick, the celebration was finally on. I definitely expected a more convincing victory. I thought the 4th quarter would be nothing but Packer fans. Unfortunately, that did not happen until the last minute.


















Packers fans, last ones to get into the stadium, last ones to leave.
First ones to get in the parking lots, last ones to leave.
























I'll take that combination any day. The celebration continued long after the game. Another win for the Pack, and continual optimism for the Carolina fans. I may have lost my credit card and been kicked out of the bar by the end of Sunday night, but all and all, a great weekend in Charlotte.






































Yes, those are 3 Robert Brooks jerseys. At this time there were only 10 people left in the parking lot. That's how we roll.

Collins Done For Season, Career Too?

Nick Collins is out for the season. If this is the first that you're reading of this, then let that sink in for a moment. But my concern here isn't that the Packers had to place a key player on the injury reserve, that kind of stuff happens every season. Look at how many guys have been ruled out for the year already in the first two weeks of the 2011 campaign, including guys that are a major focus point of their teams' playbooks as Jamaal Charles, and maybe (it's just a matter of time, really) Peyton Manning. Plus, the Packers are no stranger to overcoming injuries, it was probably their biggest obstacle last year and they still won the Super Bowl. I hate to see a guy like Nick Collins on the stretcher, but again, that's not my big concern here.

My big concern is this quote from Mike McCarthy: He's a heck of a football player, he's a true team guy... He was on pace to possibly have a Hall of Fame career.


Wait, on pace? As in, he'll no longer be able to have a Hall of Fame career? I mean, guys have missed seasons before and still made it to Canton, but the way that Mike McCarthy is speaking has me thinking that it's his belief Nick Collins may never step on the field again. That's my concern.

This sentence from Mike is much more encouraging: ... (Nick) has a neck brace on and he's walking around. You would never know he has a serious injury.

That means he's walking. And that he'll be able to walk for a long long time and that there is no reason to think otherwise. But I hate to do this when I bring up the wrestler Edge from the WWE. Edge is a guy that retired this year from wrestling not because of something that happened, but more or less because of something that might happen. His injuries over the years left him more vulnerable than the average wrestler to a life-threatening injury, and when he heard that news, Adam Copeland (Edge) decided to hang up the boots. For Nick Collins, the way that McCarthy was talking has me thinking that Collins may have to go the route of former Packers such as Sterling Sharpe and Terrence Murphy, guys who had to retire to prevent the definite career ending injury.

It's all speculative on my part, but I was concerned with the words that McCarthy used, especially since he's historically tight-lipped about how bad player injuries actually are. The constant use of the phrase "he'll miss significant time" comes to mind. The fact that Coach Mike would even suggest anything longer than that has me far more worried for the future of Nick Collins than it does the 2011 Packers season.

(Thanks to CheeseheadTV for the quotes. Make sure to catch my interviews with their Brian Carriveau every Monday and Friday at 8:25am on K107.1 FM in the Fox Cities, or check them out right here.)

Cam Newton Is So Awesome (And Oh Yeah, the Packers Won)

On Sunday afternoon, Cam Newton again threw for over 400 yards in his second start in the NFL. So far the kid has two 400 yard games, three passing touchdowns, and two rushing touchdowns on the season. You would think that with a young quarterback the Panthers would run the ball a lot, but they have put the ball in Newton's hands. He is playing like he has been in the league for years already. I have no clue how awesome this guy will be, but for right now he is the greatest quarterback in the game.........................

...Wait a minute, what am I saying? You'll have to excuse, as I fear that I was brainwashed from watching the game on Fox. You can except that marriage proposal from Jim Mora any day now Cam. Again, sorry about that, lets get back to the PACKERS 30-23 WIN. On Sunday the Packers were without cornerback Tramon Williams, but Charles Woodson did what we pay him to do. Woodson put the team on his back as he finished the game with 2 int's, a fumble recovery, and 5 tackles. It will still be nice when we get Tramon back, but a nice job of Woodson to step it up.

The game started off looking like it might be a long day for Packer fans. Green Bay won the toss, chose to kick, and Newton put together a great drive for a 7-0 lead. On the following kick off Randall Cobb fumbled the ball as the Pack went down 10-0. After another field goal the Pack were down 13-0. If the Packers would have been playing any other team besides Carolina I may have been a little worried. But the Pack got it into gear as they went on a 23-0 run to take back control of the game. John Kuhn was able to get in from 1 yard out, and later Aaron Rodgers hit Greg Jennings on a 49 yard bomb to give the Packers the lead.

The game was put away on a 84 yard touchdown to Jordy Nelson. After getting a lot of looks last week Nelson was this week's James Jones (as in, just where the hell is this guy?) until he caught that touchdown. James Starks looked to all but lock up the starting role in the running game. I hope they just make him the starter, and use Grant in certain packages. It seems like the Packers are just starting Grant because he is the vet at this point.

We can still be worried about the defense, but they seem to be making plays when they need to. It is only the second game of the season and we are 2-0. I can't start to be questioning a team that is 2-0 on the season. Next week the Pack will head to Chicago for a good test. The Bears forgot to show up in the second half Sunday against the Saints. Hopefully the same occurs next Sunday, game time set for 3:15pm.

Kudos also to Donald Driver, the Packers new all-time leader in receiving yards.

Packers vs Panthers Preview

Whenever I hear Packers/Panthers, the pictured play is the first play that comes to my mind. I still think this might be one of the best catches by a running back of all-time. Either way that was 1997, and now the Panthers have Cam Newton, the "next great thing", running their team. We all know how the Packers did in week one, but the Panthers on the other hand came up on the short end. They were defeated by the Cardinals 28-21. But it's a new week, so what are the keys to watch in week two?

Packers can't just focus on Newton..... remember the Panthers have a two headed monster at running back in Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams. I think if the Panthers try to slow the game down, and give a heavy workload to the running backs that could cause the Packers some problems.

Panthers can't beat the Packers in a shootout..... because the Panthers lost Beason for the year, so they are already weak on defense. I don't think the Panthers have the offensive power yet to be a shoot out team. Don't get me wrong - Newton, Steve Smith, Greg Olsen, Williams, and Stewart are a great start, but they still need some more receiver weapons to be a real shootout team.

How many different..... receivers are going to catch balls this week? Nine different players caught balls for the Packers in the first game. I feel like the first team to hold us to under six different guys catching balls will really slow down this offense. You can say we have a two headed monster with Grant/Starks, but I don't see them running over to many teams anytime soon.

Special teams could be huge for both teams..... this week. Last week the Packers got a kick return from Cobb, but also gave one up to Sproles. The Panthers gave up a punt return to the Cardinals rookie Patrick Peterson. Will either team get a big special teams touchdown to change the pace of the game? If the Panthers get one that could help their chances.

Panthers now know how we felt..... last year about injuries. As I said before Jon Beason is out for the season after hurting himself in week one. The rest of the Panthers defense is very young. Carolina doesn't t really have much depth at linebacker, and will play guys by committee this weekend. This could be a huge advantage for the Packers this week. I really have to say that this is the kicker that makes me think the Packers will win this game.

Overall it should be a good game, and we will see what Newton can do. The Cardinals are not as big on blitzing as the Packers are, so will Newton be able to keep his cool? The Packers should get good pressure on Newton this week. That should lead to turnovers, and that should lead to a Packers win. I'm going to go with with the Packers this week, and a 31-10 win. Game time is noon Sunday on FOX.

Pack Fan Bears Fan Week 1 - The RETURN



Loogit ol' Willie...he knows it's gonna be another great year!

Yes, we're back and there's no time for yada, yada, yada.  If you're new around here, these are just some "pawsitives" and some "not-so-pawsitives" from the past-week's game.  I missed my deadline so let's go!

Pack Fan

• Solid Offensive Start - If you recall the beginning of last year, everyone was questioning the offense's sluggishness.  The timing was off on the back-shoulder passes, the receivers were dropping balls and at times the whole unit seemed out of sync.  We can't say that this year.  These guys came out on fire and lit up the Saints secondary right off  the bat and all the recievers looked to be in mid-season form.
• Randall Cobb - While he wasn't in the game much, he made the most of his time accounting for two touchdowns including a record-tying 108 yard kick-off return.  Rodgers alluded to the fact that Cobb ran the wrong route (or possibly didn't run a route at all) but he was able to read where he was going and the rookie made the rest happen.  Coach McCarthy wasn't necessarily happy with the return but it was wild, it was fun and it showed fans that the Packers finally have a solution to the drought in the return game.
• Defense when it counts - The Packers opponent was the Saints, one of the most explosive offenses in the league over the last few seasons.  Fans who expected this team to just roll-over once the Packers got the lead were sorely mis-informed.  While the Packers struggled with Darren Sproles, they made two crucial stops.  The third-and-one where they nearly sacked Brees to force a field goal and the final play of the game where they just dominated the line and knocked running back Mark Ingram into the backfield to secure the win.

Bears Fan

• Tramon Williams - While we'll ignore the touchdown he allowed (he was expecting safety help over the top plus, touchdowns get scored, it happens), the injury to his shoulder is concerning.  Coach McCarthy said at his Wednesday press conference that he'll "have a chance" to play this coming Sunday against the Carolina Panthers.  It's fortunate for the team that they had 10 days off between games but losing Williams would be a huge blow.
• Sluggish second-half offense - This is minor so it'll be brief but it seemed like after the kick-off return for a touchdown by Cobb, the offense hit a rough patch and they weren't as hot.  They were sitting on the sidelines for quite awhile watching the defense slug it out with the Saints offense and the momentum they had developed was knocked off-track a bit.  It's doubtful that this is a real issue but it's something to keep in mind if the defense needs rest at crucial times late in games.
• Special Teams - Holy hell, wasn't this a running theme last season?  Granted, the punting was much better last year than years past but it is still concerning when there's a punt returned for a touchdown.  On top of that, Randall Cobb's return really shouldn't have happened...everyone's glad it did...but it still shouldn't have happened.  I'm sure he got an earful this week but these guys have got to stay disciplined especially against a team so so similar to the Packers in terms of offensive explosiveness.

One additional note not pertaining to the Saints game: Mike Neal, who did not play against the Saints, had a "surgical procedure" on his left knee this week and will miss a "significant period of time" according to Coach McCarthy.  For those of you who haven't been following his plight, Neal was, reportedly, the main reason why the team let Cullen Jenkins walk.  The staff expected big things of him after sitting out most of last year with shoulder issues.  Many of you remember the bust that Justin Harrell turned out to be due to injuries and while it's WAY too early to make the comparison, the team has been burned by this situation before and the hope it that Jarius Wynn, who's been fantastic when called upon, can keep it up and allow Neal to get healthy before being called into service.

The Packers head to Carolina this week to take on Cam Newton and his band of misfits.  The kid looked good last week, throwing for over 400 yards against a porous Cardinals secondary but still came away with a loss.  The Packers should be able to build off the great win against the Saints and put another W in the books.  I'm going to miss this one as the wife is due very soon but that may not be a bad thing as the last game I went to was a nasty loss to the Redskins last year.

Well, That Was an Awesome Start

So the theme of last season was that the defense needed to make a big play late in the fourth quarter. Well this season started off the same, because with 3 seconds left the Packers stuffed rookie Mark Ingram at the goal line to start the season 1-0. One of the Packers that landed on the IR last year, Morgan Burnett, came up big when he was needed with a huge stick on Ingram (as you see pictured above). This game was all about offense, but it came down to one big stop for a 42-34 Packers win.

The Packers opened the season about as good as you can open a season. In the first three possessions the Packers ran 21 plays for 192 yards and 3 touchdowns. They also forced a turnover on the second play by the Saints, and had a 21-7 lead at the end of the first quarter. Aaron Rodgers threw for three touchdowns on the first three drives, and all were passes to three different receivers. Greg Jennings got the season started with a 7 yard strike on third down. Jordy Nelson caught his first of the year on third down for a 3 yard pass. Randall Cobb had a very nice catch and run on a 32 yard touchdown for his first touchdown of his career, and he was not done there.

The defense for the Packers made some plays, but were still a little off. The big problem was arm tackling instead of just laying the Saints out. It seemed that after Colston fumbled on the second play of the game for the Saints, the Packers felt that they could cause more turnovers. Instead of just making the tackle they gave up a lot of yards after contact trying to strip the ball. They have over a week to watch film and fix this issue. I bet that cost them a few 3rd down plays if they had just made the tackle. Brees made some beautiful throws that were hard to defend, so I don't think the Packers defense was at fault for all the passing yards. The Meachem and Henderson touchdowns were failed coverage, so that will need to get worked on.

The big plays that did hurt the Packers could have prevented them from winning, but the Packers made some huge plays of their own. Randall Cobb did something that hasn't been done since 2000 for the Packers, he took a kick return to the house, which was for 108 yards. This was a moment where I have to admit I was like, "What is he doing? Wait, go! Holy crap! TOUCHDOWN!" I guess when you think you see a hole you have to take chances. Cobb took a chance, and boy am I glad he did. It was a very impressive opening game for Cobb, as he just seem to be cool and calm out on the field. If he can continue to give us somewhat a return game it will help Rodgers and company not have to drive the length of the field for every score.

Overall what did we learn? It wasn't a perfect start for the Pack, but you have to like what you saw. The Packers offense looks to be in mid season form, and I guess not having much off season workouts during the lockout didn't hurt the Pack. The Saints are a good offensive team also, and getting Darren Sproles was a huge move for them. Both the Saints and the Packers don't have a "number one" running back, as a total of five running backs got touches. Both Grant and Starks ran hard, and each had a average of over 4 yards a carry. As a team they finished with 27 carries for 103 yards, and basically those are the stats of a top running back in the league for a game. It may take more than one guy to get the running game going, but I can handle that if this continues all season.

Some stats that I want to quick highlight:

* Morgan Burnett finished with 14 tackles, 7 of which were solo. That stick at the end of the game was a Troy Polamalu type hit, so I was impressed with how well Burnett showed how hard he worked to come back for his injury.

* Greg Jennings was rated really high in fantasy, but personally I thought there were too many targets on this team to take him that high. Well he was targeted 8 times, and he caught 7 passes for 89 yards and a touchdown. I guess I was wrong. He is the man, and it was a great day for him to be great.

* James Starks 17 yard touchdown run might have earned him more carries as the season goes on, but I love the two headed monster. This might be the new beast mode in the state of Wisconsin.

* James Jones was signed basically so he didn't go to the Bears or Vikings. That has to be the logic, right? He had one pass thrown his way, and it was completed for 1 yard. Jordy Nelson on the other hand, coming off of his big Super Bowl performance, showed he is the real deal. Nelson finished with 6 catches for 77 yards and a touchdown.

* Scott Wells needs to get more credit for what he does. He had some blocks that should be shown in every High school/College film practice.

* We may have got out of this game relatively healthy, but Tramon Williams did hurt his shoulder. When asked after the game how he felt he did say "he was fine." It sounds like the injury is just a bruised shoulder, which isn't nearly as bad as initially feared. It is nice that he gets a few extra days before the next game, so I hope he will be fine. If he isn't that would be a blow to this team. Also keep an eye on whether Woodson gets suspended for punching Thomas on the Saints. He said "I didn't do a good job of keeping my cool." Looks like we may have another T-Plush on our hands, but I love T-Plush so fine with me.

* After a game like that if I was the NFL I would be sitting in a chair right now, drinking booze on the rocks saying wow did that game just put us on the map for a new season or what. Everything went perfect last night from the music entertainment, national anthem, fly over, and the game. Green Bay would love to host this game for years to come.

* Randall Cobb is the first play to be born in the 1990's to score a touchdown in the NFL. He said God told him to return that kick. His kick return of 108 yards ties an NFL record. I guess it's a Packers team rule that if the ball is kicked more than 5 yards deep just down it. He said he will follow that rule for the rest of the season. He ran the wrong route on his touchdown pass, so what a crazy start for a rookie.

One day later, I'm still just so jacked about that win. Next up is Cam Newton, and his Carolina Panthers. That will be back to the normal noon slot for the Pack on a Sunday the 18th. As for this Sunday we can enjoy watching the other teams knowing that we are already 1-0 this season.

Defending the Title Starts Thursday

After winning the Super Bowl the Packers will have a target on their backs this season. That target will be mighty big Thursday when the Saints come to town to open the 2011 NFL season. Lets take a look at the three things the Packers will have to do win the game, and what three things the Saints will have to do to win the game.


First the Packers must.... figure out a run game to take the pressure off of Rodgers, and to keep Rodgers from getting hit a lot. This preseason Rodgers took some big hits, and I just don't think he will last all season if that continues. Arian Foster tore apart the Saints run defense in the preseason, but again that is Arian Foster. They seem to have a weak line, and have had defensive problems the past few seasons at times. We know the passing game will be working, but I just feel the Packers will have to establish a little run game to win this week.

Put the Super Bowl victory behind them...... starting today, and take pride in winning, but not letting it blind them for the future. I don't see this happening with this crew of guys, because a few of them were injured last year so they want the feeling of winning it all. Jennings, Rodgers, and Matthews really seem to have their heads on straight, and should be able to control this team. The minute they storm the field and hear the noise of the crowd again it might trigger them to relive the glory that occurred February 6, 2011.

Limit the number of big plays the Saints get.... because that is what killed us all preseason. This defense could be awesome, but remember these guys are not used to playing with each other. Last year everyone got hurt, so we just kept finding guys to fill in. Now we have all the pieces, but they need to learn to play together. A few times in the preseason we had breakdowns which led to easy touchdowns. The Saints are a team that win games on big plays, so if the Packers can hold them to third and longs it could be a long day for Brees.

What the Saints have to do to win the game...

The Saints must protect Brees.... like they did when the Saints won the Super Bowl. Brees threw 22 INT's last season, and will have to lower that number to beat a team like the Packers. Brees' quarterback rating dropped from 109.6 to 90.9 last season. When the Saints won the Super Bowl this team got as far as Brees could take them. In order for Brees to take them to the promise land the line must protect him.

Saints must stop the offense that is.... the Green Bay Packers. I know I talked about the Packers finding a running game, but still they have about six guys that can catch balls, and make a huge play. Finley at tight end will always cause problems, Jennings can make a big play at anytime, and Driver just always seems to get first downs. The Saints must control the run, because if the Packers find a running game this one could get out of hand early.

Saints need to strike first on where it.... hurts most on the scoreboard. Last season the Packers would always get out to early leads if they won games. Not too many games did the Packers fall behind and come back to win. I think this team still has a lot to show, and one of the things is getting down and coming back to win the game. The Saints will have to feel good about themselves if they get up early, and quiet down the large crowd at Lambeau field.

With all that said I still have to go with the Packers Thursday night against the Saints. The Saints have struggled in the past on season openers, and this game will be played outside. It might be a little chilly in Green Bay, so Brees might be a little off. Lets take the Packers 31-20 to open the season 1-0. With the final countdown to kick off just hours away we will find out which team will come to play.

This Week at FreshmanWalkOn.com

What's up Bucky Channel fans?

I have been a very infrequent contributor to The Bucky Channel, mainly because the other guys do such a good job of covering the Wisconsin sports scene that there isn't much else to add other than, "Yeah, what Winks said." And rather than try to change the focus of what this site does with seemingly random posts covering more of the 'national' scene, I will simply be posting small blurbs from my own personal blog www.FreshmanWalkOn.com. Winks has been gracious enough to allow me to pump my own musings on his site, so a BIG thanks goes out to him.

This site will be mostly college football related, and by 'mostly' college football related, think of it as a ratio about as scientific as 'mostly cloudy.' There will be mostly college football talk with some other talk (i.e. MLB, NFL, NHL) sprinkled in. The Department of Upset Security will be a weekly feature along with 'investment' predictions from The Betting Man (he went 0-5 in Week 1 so don't hitch your wagon to him just yet). We are looking to add a podcast at some point this year as well, so your input on topics to cover is always welcome and needed.

This week kicked off today with the first '1,000 Word Monday' even though it's Tuesday (holiday delay). Thanks for the support TBC-Nation!

Taken from this week's 1,000 Word Monday...

It seems to me that TCU losing to Baylor and giving up FIFTY points, kind of went under the radar as action rolled on through the weekend. Robert Griffin III looked fantastic for Baylor, but most people around the country already knew that. The flip side here is that TCU, which has faced some pretty decent offensive talent over the past few seasons gave up 50 points in regulation. From 2007-2010, they only allowed more than 30 points 4 times. 36 to Stanford and 33 to San Diego St in ’07, 35 to Oklahoma in ’08, and 35 to San Diego St in ’10. It will be interesting to see where TCU goes from here. They play SMU’s run-and-shoot later this year (10/1), followed by San Diego St who seems to be able to put up number against them (10/8), a tough BYU team (10/28), and at Boise State (11/12). Could last year’s BCS Darling be headed to a 4-5 loss follow-up campaign before entering the Big East?

Read the rest of this week's 1,000 Word Monday at www.FreshmanWalkOn.com

Badgers Move Up One Spot

The Badgers moved up in both polls that came out Tuesday, so they are now 9th in the ESPN/USA Today poll, and are 8th in the AP poll. Can't say I disagree with this since the Badgers just dominated UNLV last Thursday at Camp Randall. Check out the rest of the polls here courtesy of the guys over at JSonline. Russell Wilson (pictured above) fit in very well for the Badgers finishing 10-13 for 255 yards, and 2 TD's. Wilson also had a 46 yard touchdown run. He did have two over throws that would have been TD's, but lets take it easy on him, it is his first year with a new team.

Montee Ball started right where he left off last season. He finished with 10 carries for 62 yards, 2 catches for 67 yards, and 4 TD's (3 run, 1 catch). James White also ran very hard for the Badgers finishing with 11 carries for 64 yards, 1 catch for 40 yards, and a touchdown. The offense looked to be in tip top shape. The defense is hard to judge, because UNLV didn't really seem to figure out the offense till late in the game when it really didn't matter.

The Badgers will be back at it Saturday at 11:00 a.m. Oregon State will be coming to Madison to see if they can control the offense that Wilson is running. Oregon State lost the first game of the season to Sacramento State, so it could be another beat down for the Badgers. The Badgers real first test will come October 1st, when they face Nebraska at home to start Big Ten play.

On Opposite Ends of the Brooms

Remember how tense the Milwaukee Brewers were during their playoff race of 2008? As you can see by the above picture where the entire team is dressed up as cowboys like it's Halloween, that feeling does not follow this team around in 2011. This kind of relaxed persona that the Brewers are taking on this season is exactly the reason why I was not worried when the Cardinals swept the Brewers earlier in the week. Honestly, I might be lucky that I've been insanely busy lately because had I had the time, I might have written a post slamming Brewers fans for freaking out even though the team was still 7 1/2 games ahead of St. Louis after that series. I know everyone is dying for our first division title since 1982, but Milwaukee is in a good position to get that done so I think the period where we go into panic mode isn't necessarily going to be seen this year.

As much of a diehard of a Brewers fan that I am, I have been hard on my fellow members of Brewers nation because I feel like we've been getting too negative too quickly when things don't go our way. Proof of that? Remember when this team started 0-4 and the season was over? I don't know where this kind of mentality has come from, but it's not one that I want to see the Brewers fans embrace. Maybe it's because we're used to the Packers being the team that everyone in the state follows, and because there are less games in a season each game is weighted a bit more. Have we been applying that logic to the Brewers? It's seems a bit far-fetched, but I can't think of a better reason as to why we as fans would freak out when you lose three games out of a 162 season.

Thankfully, none of that seemed to matter because the Scheduling Gods gave Milwaukee a three game set against Houston in between two three game sets against those Cardinals. St. Louis on the other hand were given the Reds, dropping two of three from them over the weekend, all the while Milwaukee was sleeping walking to victories in Texas courtesy of Craig Counsell homers and George Kottaras cycles. Oh, and as the picture above would indicate, apparently an old-fashioned shopping spree as well.

Swept by the Cardinals. A sweep against Houston. Still 9 1/2 games left with a couple of weeks to go. As far as the NL Central is concerned, I'm feeling pretty good about this teams chances. Even if not all of Brewers nation is in agreement with that yet.

POTG Catch-up: Shaun Marcum, Jerry Hairston Jr., Corey Hart, Prince Fielder, George Kottaras, Shaun Marcum

Thoughts on the Packers Final 53-Man Roster

Or is it final...?

If you haven't already checked out the Packers 53-Man and Practice Squad rosters yet, I invite you to do so here. The actual cuts are available here and as you'll see, there is some eye-opening stuff.

So, let's take a brief look at some of the more significant moves keeping in mind that Ted Thompson is the architect of the Super Bowl XLV Champion Green Bay Packers.

Graham Harrell - With Matt Flynn potentially becoming a free-agent at the end of this season and a rather productive preseason and training camp, it's somewhat surprising that Ted Thompson and Mike McCarthy placed Graham on waivers. Yes, he did make it to the Practice Squad but that does not guarantee much. Remember, Dimitri Nance was plucked from the Atlanta Falcons Practice Squad last season. With the Packers carrying five tight ends as they are, something had to give, and the third quarterback was that something.

Dimitri Nance - Speaking of Mr. Nance, from the look of it, Dimitri was another one having a great camp and looked strong in the preseason games. Granted, it wasn't necessarily against the top-shelf talent of the NFL but he did play well when he got the chance last year and continued that this August. It's very possible that we see him again this year in some capacity.

Tori Gurley & Chastin West - Many believed these two seemed to be competing for a 6th wide receiver slot on the final roster. Gurley had been starring on the Special Teams Unit while playing respectably on offense. West had played remarkably well on offense and was on the Practice Squad last year as well. As it turns out, both made it to the Practice Squad and have a good opportunity to move to the 53-Man if there is need.

Nick McDonald - The early reports out of training camp indicated that the Packers staff were high on McDonald and really expected him to make the team as a back-up guard / center. He even had a shot at the left guard slot but was obviously much less than impressive and as such was sent packing. The more surprising part of the offensive line position moves is the fact that as of this moment, the Packers only have eight linemen on the roster. Granted, it's very possible that moves could still be made to bring someone else in but it's still surprising to see ten linebackers and only eight offensive linemen as camp breaks.

Ten Linebackers - As mentioned, ten linebackers were kept on this roster. While not entirely shocking with the injury to Frank Zombo, it is still a large number when only four typically play at a time (I suppose it's kind of like carrying five tight ends). The linebacker position is critical to the 3-4 defensive scheme so depth is key and keeping ten is no sin. Additionally, as previously stated, this crew could be pared down to add an additional offensive lineman.

Quinn Johnson - Johnson was traded to the Tennessee Titans for an undisclosed draft pick. Good for Thompson for getting something for him as many thought that he might be cut in order to make room for the fifth tight end. As it stands, John Kuhn is the only fullback on the roster and as such, it's natural to assume that Tom Crabtree and Ryan Taylor (the two better blocking tight ends) will be used in the H-Back role to compensate for the lack of depth at the fullback position.

So there are a few thought on some of the more interesting roster moves.

Just keep in mind that we're talking about Ted Thompson here. You KNEW there would be some surprising moves...and I suspect there will be more forthcoming so stay tuned.

Like a Scooby Doo Ghost Town Around Here

I'll post again soon, I promise.