Green Bay Packers: The State of the Team, Including Aaron Rodgers

It’s now been six days since the Green Bay Packers lost 31-26 to the Tampa Bay Bucs in the 2020 NFC title game at Lambeau Field. During that time, questions have arisen about the status of quarterback Aaron Rodgers and his future with the Pack, as well as a number of other players who will be unrestricted free agents in March. Plus, because the 2021 NFL salary cap ($175 million) could be lower than it was in 2020 ($198.2 million), a number of players on the Packers could be cap casualties.

In addition, with the 2021 NFL draft not far down the road, general manager Brian Gutekunst and his scouting staff have to continue their work on identifying prospects who would be a good fit on the team.

Speaking of fitting on the team, we now know that both special teams coordinator Shawn Mennenga and defensive coordinator Mike Pettine won’t be part of the Packers in 2021, as head coach Matt LaFleur gave both their walking papers.

Let’s take a look now at these issues. Starting with Rodgers. No. 12 opened the door about his future with his comments to the media after the still painful loss to the Buccaneers.

When asked about how the roster of the Packers might look in 2021, Rodgers said, “Yeah, they are all special, for sure. I think this (team) as – much as any of them – I just found some really special friendships with Marcedes (Lewis), Davante (Adams); especially Tim (Boyle) and I have become really close over the years. Jamaal (Williams) – I love Jamaal. Aaron Jones. A lot of guys’ futures…that are uncertain. Myself included.”

Rodgers than paused and added this, “That’s what’s sad about it the most – getting this far. Obviously there was going to be an end to it at some point whether we make it past this one or not. But just the uncertainties and stuff and the finality of it all.”

When asked about where he goes from here, Rodgers said, “You know, it’s is a good question. I don’t know. I really don’t. There’s a lot of unknowns going into this offseason now, and…I’m going to have to take some time away for sure and clear my head and just kind of see what’s going on with everything. But it’s pretty tough right now, especially thinking about the guys that may or may not be here next year.

“There’s always change; that’s the only constant in this business,” Rodgers continued. “It’s really tough to get to this point; really, really tough. Especially with there only being in one bye week … the playoffs. It’s a grind just to get to this point.

“And that makes the finality of it all kind of hit you like a ton of bricks. That’s why it’s a gutting feeling in your stomach.”

Those remarks set off a bit of a firestorm in the NFL world. That being said, Rodgers has three years remaining on his contract with the Packers. Still, the Packers did draft quarterback Jordan Love with their first pick in the 2020 NFL draft.

President and CEO Mark Murphy of the Packers, who appeared on Monday on The 5th Quarter Show on WNFL in Green Bay, said this about the future of Rodgers in Titletown, “We’re not idiots,” Murphy said. “Aaron Rodgers will be back, he’s our leader.”

A couple of days later, Rodgers clarified his postgame remarks on The Pat McAfee Show. “I didn’t really see a whole lot until maybe yesterday,” Rodgers said. “Then I realized there were some things swirling around. I don’t feel like I said anything that I hadn’t said before. I said it the first time I talked to the media. More realization, I think, that ultimately my future is not necessarily in my control. I think that kind of hit me in the moment. I was thinking about Aaron Jones and Corey Linsley and other guys we have under contract. Guys that I don’t know what their future is going to be, myself included.

“Obviously after the season that I had and potentially winning MVP and we made it another good run, I don’t think that there is any reason I wouldn’t be back. But there’s not many absolutes, as you guys know, in this business. To make an absolute statement about something that is not an absolute, I didn’t do it. I guess that’s why everyone went kinda nuts.”

To add even more intrigue, per a league source, Rodgers wants a new contract, as he currently makes $33.5 million per year. In 2021, Rodgers will be starting the last three years of the contract he signed back in 2018. Rodgers is due to make $22.35 million in 2021, $25.5 million in 2022, and $25.5 million in 2023.

That means the probable 2020 NFL MVP will be lagging behind five other quarterbacks in terms of salary going into 2021. Those quarterbacks are Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes ($45 million), Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson ($39 million), Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson ($35 million), and Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger ($34 million).

The bottom line is that a new deal could help both Rodgers and the Packers with the still unknown NFL salary cap in 2021. Rodgers could see his cap number of $37-plus million reduced with a new deal, which will help the team in keeping other free agents, like Jones or Linsley for instance. It would also tell Rodgers that the Packers are committed to him for the next few years.

My guess is that the Packers and Rodgers will do a new deal. That would definitely help the team in terms of free agency and managing the cap on the team. Currently, if the cap would be just $175 million per team in the NFL in 2021, the Packers would be almost $32 million over the cap based on the data put out by Spotrac.

However, back in December, Mike Florio of PFT said that there is optimism of the cap in 2021 being closer to $195 million. That would definitely help teams like the Packers, who are already over the cap heading into 2021.

Let’s say the Packers and Rodgers agree to a new deal and the NFL salary cap will be $195 million, opposed to $175 million. The Packers still have a number of unrestricted free agents going into 2021. The key ones to look at are Jones, Linsley, Jamaal Williams, Lane Taylor and Kevin King.

King didn’t help himself with his dreadful performance in the NFC title game, plus the guy always seems to be hurt. To me, he’s gone.

Taylor, missed almost the entire 2020 season with an ACL tear, plus had already taken a pay cut to remain with the team. I also believe Taylor will also not be with the team in 2021, as both Jon Runyan and Simon Stepaniak, both rookies in 2020, look to have nice futures in Green Bay in terms of playing guard.

The Packers would love to keep Williams. And if Jones, who made the 2021 Pro Bowl roster, leaves via free agency, I believe they will. Still, the possibility of keeping Jones by franchising him ($10,835,000) if a contract doesn’t work out, is a distinct possibility. The Packers did offer Jones a contract that would have put him in the top five of running backs in the NFL in terms of money ($12.5 million per year), but was lacking in a lot guaranteed money. That is why Jones decided to change agents.

No matter what, the top two backs on the Packers in 2021 will be either Jones or Williams and AJ Dillon.

In terms of Linsley, you know Rodgers wants his First-Team All-Pro center back. That will take some doing. But by re-doing a new contract with Rodgers and perhaps re-doing another deal with wide receiver Davante Adams, the Packers can add even more cap space to sign someone like Linsley.

There would most likely would have to be some cap casualties as well to keep players like Jones and Linsley. The two players who could be cap casualties are outside linebacker Preston Smith and inside linebacker Christian Kirksey. But cutting Smith, the Packers would save $8 million and by cutting Kirksey, the Packers would save an additional $5.6 million.

With the loss of King, the Packers would have to prioritize the cornerback position in the 2021 NFL draft. The Packers also need to find some additional talent at offensive tackle early in the draft, as left tackle David Bakhtiari will miss most of the 2021 season due to a ACL tear. Green Bay also needs more talent at wide receiver and more depth at running back, especially with either Jones or Williams leaving. I also see the Packers looking to improve their Front 7 on defense. Both on the line and at linebacker.

Looking at the coaching changes now, it appears that the Packers are going to make Maurice Drayton the special teams coordinator after firing Mennenga. Drayton assisted Mennenga in 2020 on special teams, but that doesn’t mean that he shared the same philosophy that Mennenga had in terms of the various schemes which were used in 2020. The Packers were ranked 29th in the NFL in the annual special teams ranking by Rick Gosselin.

In terms of who might replace Pettine as the new defensive coordinator, I’m sticking by the same choice I speculated about this time last year, when there was talk that Pettine might be replaced after last year’s NFC title game after his defense gave up 285 yards rushing to the San Francisco 49ers. The coach I was talking about then was the defensive coordinator of the Wisconsin Badgers, Jim Leonhard.

Leonhard is just 38, which is three years younger than LaFleur, but in four years running the defense of the Badgers, has shown himself to be one of the top coordinators in the country. For instance, in three of the four years that Leonhard has coordinated the defense of Wisconsin, the team has been in the top six in the country three times in terms of total defense.

In 2017, the Badgers were ranked 2nd in the country in total defense and were ranked 3rd in points allowed. In 2019, Wisconsin was ranked 6th in total defense and 10th in points allowed. And in 2020, the Badgers were ranked 5th in total defense and 10th in points allowed.

Leonhard was a three-time All-Big Ten and three-time All-American safety at Wisconsin from 2002 through 2004. My good buddy Kevin Cosgrove was the defensive coordinator for the Badgers for the first two years of Leonhard’s time at Wisconsin when he intercepted 18 passes. That sensational career in college football led to a 10-year career in the NFL with six different teams. In addition to that, Leonhard played under Pettine with the New York Jets from 2009 through 2011, then again with the Buffalo Bills in 2013 and then finally with the Cleveland Browns in 2014, which was Pettine’s first year as head coach.

In six of the 10 years that Leonhard played in the NFL, his head coach was Rex Ryan. Since he became a coordinator at Wisconsin, Leonhard has used a pro-style 3-4 defense which he learned under Ryan. Pettine uses the same scheme, but is not as aggressive as Leonhard is in utilizing the various traits of that defense.

Pettine, who first joined the staff of Mike McCarthy in 2018 before staying on LaFleur’s first staff last year, saw his defense improve to 9th in the NFL in total defense in 2020, after finishing 18th in both 2019 and 2018. That still wasn’t enough to bring him back in 2021, especially after the 39-yard touchdown pass his defense (in man coverage) allowed just before halftime in the NFC title game. Before Tom Brady threw that long pass to Scotty Miller, there were just eight seconds on the clock and the Bucs had no timeouts.

This is what Tony Dungy said about that play on Twitter, “That may be the worst defensive design I’ve ever seen with 8 seconds and no timeouts left,” Dungy wrote on Twitter. “Green Bay—I’m not sure how you play inside technique man to man and not just play zone and protect the sideline and the end zone? Amazing.”

Amazing to people like a Super Bowl-winning coach like Dungy. Agonizing to those in Packer Nation.

By making Leonhard the new defensive coordinator, the Packers can keep the same basic 3-4 scheme, but with some new looks, which will add more dynamic tactics (especially in the secondary), which have been used very successfully in college football under that watch of the Tony, Wisconsin native.

Time will tell what will happen in terms of who will be coming and going from the Packers in the near future, but it sure will be an interesting occurrence to watch.

Remembering the Magnificent Hank Aaron

When I was growing up in Milwaukee in the 1960s, there were two athletes who I admired the most. They were Bart Starr of the Green Bay Packers and Henry Aaron of the Milwaukee Braves. My dad educated me about Starr and Aaron, plus told me about the history of the Packers and Braves at the dinner table.

Dad would enjoy telling me about the Braves in the 1950s when they were competing for the National League pennant almost all the time. In fact, the Braves finished a game behind the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1956, won the NL pennant and World Series in 1957, won the NL pennant again in 1958 and then tied for the NL pennant in 1959 with the Los Angeles Dodgers before losing in a playoff.

I just loved hearing the stories about Aaron, Eddie Mathews, Warren Spahn, Lew Burdette, Bob Buhl, Joe Adcock, Del Crandall, Johnny Logan, Red Schoendienst, Billy Bruton, Wes Covington, Frank Torre and Bob “Hurricane” Hazel.

My dad often talked about that magical 1957 season and how great Aaron was. The “Hammer” hit 44 homers, drove in 132 runs and had a batting average of .322. That production led to Aaron becoming the NL MVP in 1957.

If that wasn’t enough, Aaron hit .393 in the World Series and hit three homers and drove in seven runs. Normally that would put a player right at the top in terms of being World Series MVP, especially if he was on the winning team, but Burdette was even more phenomenal and won the MVP award, as No. 33 pitched 24 consecutive scoreless innings, won three games, pitched two shutouts (Game 5 and Game 7) and had an ERA of .067.

My dad often took me to see Aaron and the Braves at County Stadium. From 1962 through 1965 (the last year the Braves played in Milwaukee), I went to a couple dozen games to see the Braves play in person.

One of the first games my dad took me to was on May 18, 1962. I was 11 days away from my 5th birthday. The Braves gave me an early birthday present as they beat the expansion New York Mets 5-2. I remember that Spahn got the win in going the distance, plus I saw three homers by the Braves. Aaron, who played center field that day, hit a dinger in the 2nd, right fielder Mack Jones hit a homer in the 8th, as did Mathews in the same inning. All were hit off of Roger Craig of the Mets.

Another game I saw in 1962 was against the Chicago Cubs on August 7, as Braves won 4-1 . Burdette got the start for the Braves and went the distance in upping his record to 9-7. No. 44 came to the plate in the 3rd inning against Cal Koonce of the Cubs and hit a deep two-run homer over the center field fence.

I would approximate that I witnessed Hammerin’ Hank hitting at least nine home runs in person at County Stadium.

On June 25, 1963, I was at another game at County Stadium with my dad’s brother Bernie, as the Braves faced the powerful San Francisco Giants, who had power hitters like Willie Mays, Willie McCovey and Orlando Cepeda. The Braves won 10-4, as Spahn had a complete game victory, plus hit a homer, as did Mr. Aaron, who hit his 21st dinger of the year.

I saw Warren and Hank do the same thing on September 25, 1963 versus the Cincinnati Reds. My dad often took me to games when Spahn was the starter, which was the case this night. Once again, Spahnie had a complete-game victory to up his record to 22-7. If that wasn’t enough, Spahn also hit a home run, which was the second one I had witnessed in person. Plus, Aaron also hit his 43rd home run of the year in the game, plus Mathews also hit his 22nd homer of the year, as the Braves won 9-5.

I saw Hank hit another one out in 1964, when the Braves beat the Philadelphia Phillies 12-9 on August 24. Bob Sadowski got the win for the Braves, while Rico Carty and Aaron each homered. Carty went 5-for-5 in that game, as he also had three doubles.

I also saw No. 44 hit another home run on June 19, 1965 against Ray Sadecki of the St. Louis Cardinals, as the Braves won 6-5. Pitcher Tony Cloninger of the Braves upped his record to 10-4 with the win.

On September, 17, 1965, I saw the Braves beat the San Francisco Giants 9-1, as rookie pitcher Phil Niekro won the second game of his Hall of Fame career. Niekro faced the great Juan Marichal in this game, but the high-kicking righthander only went 3.1 innings in this game. Hank hammered two homers off a Juan in this game, one in the 1st inning and the second in the 3rd inning.

When the Braves moved to Atlanta in 1966 I was heartsick. Just devastated. I still followed the Braves, but it wasn’t the same. I begged my dad to take me to see the Braves in Chicago at Wrigley Field. My dad, sister Maribeth and myself took the trip down to the Windy City with my buddy from across the street, along with his dad and sister on August 2.

It was quite a game. The Cubs ended up winning 6-5 in 12 innings in front of a crowd of 7,266 at the Friendly Confines. Both Aaron and Mathews went 3-for-5 for the Braves and once again Aaron hit a homer for me. It was his 31st of the season off of Hall of Famer Robin Roberts. No. 44 also drove in four runs.

I still followed Hank’s career in Atlanta and it was wonderful to see Hank hit his 715th home run in 1974 on national television. I was just thrilled when Bud Selig, the owner of the Milwaukee Brewers, swung a trade with Atlanta to bring back Aaron to Milwaukee to play with the Brew Crew in 1975.

I was among the 48,160 fans at County Stadium on April 11, as the Brewers beat the Cleveland Indians 6-2. The ovation that Aaron received from the crowd was a moment I will never forget. Hank didn’t homer that day, but he did drive in a run.

I was also on hand when Aaron hit the final home run of his career at County Stadium on July 20, 1976 against the California Angels. The Brewers won 6-2, behind homers by George Scott and Aaron. They both hit their home runs, back-to back style, against Dick Drago in the 7th inning.

Aaron retired after the ’76 season and his career numbers are just staggering, even as we look at them today.

• 2,297 RBIs-1st in MLB history
• 1,477 extra-base hits-1st in MLB history
• 6,856 total bases-1st in MLB history
• 25 MLB All-Star appearances-1st in MLB history
• 755 home runs-2nd in MLB history
• 3,771 hits-3rd in MLB History
• 2,174 runs-Tied for 4th in MLB history

I was like a kid in a candy store covering sports in the early 1980s for various media outlets, starting with WTMJ in 1980. I covered the Packers when Starr was the head coach of the team back then. It was one of the biggest thrills of my life when I was able to interview him. It was also exciting to interview players from the Brewers back then, including Robin Yount (who played with Aaron in 1975 and 1976), Rollie Fingers, Cecil Cooper, Paul Molitor, Ted Simmons, Jim Gantner and Don Sutton.

I’ll never forget those days, as the Brew Crew had two straight seasons when they went to the postseason. I’ll also never forget the time I was able to interview Aaron. Like Bart was with me when I interviewed him, Hank was very cordial and polite during our short conversation.

When I heard Hank passed away on January 22nd, it hit me hard. Similar to my reaction when Bart passed on. It felt like a family member had died. But when Hank passed, it was more stunning. I knew that Starr was struggling with his health at the time of his passing. But in Aaron’s case, I had just seen him on MLB Network in December and he looked great.

Baseball has seen some of it’s greatest stars pass away recently. In 2020 alone, Hall of Famers like pitcher Whitey Ford, pitcher Bob Gibson, outfielder Lou Brock, pitcher Tom Seaver, outfielder Al Kaline, infielder Joe Morgan and pitcher Phil Niekro all passed on.

Plus there were other great players who also passed on in 2020. Players like first basemen Dick Allen, second baseman Glenn Beckert, second baseman Frank Bolling, pitcher Don Larsen and outfielder Jimmy Wynn.

Hall of Fame manager Tommy Lasorda passed away on January 7th of this year. 12 days later, Sutton, another Hall of Famer, died on January 19th. Three days after that Aaron passed on.

Talk about having an Hall of Fame or All-Star lineup in heaven just from the past year or so.

The bottom line is that I will never forget the great memories I have of Hammerin’ Hank. Not just because he was one of the best MLB players ever, but because he was such an outstanding human being. I sensed that immediately when I interviewed him. This from a man who dealt with an onslaught of racism and bigotry while he was chasing the all-time home run record of Babe Ruth.

Bob Uecker said it best about Aaron when he passed when he said, “To be a part of what he was and what he championed throughout his time. And hopefully a much better place for him. That’s what I’m thinkin’. And I can see his laughin’ and smilin’. I can see him every day.”

The 2020 NFC Title Game: Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Bucs vs. Aaron Rodgers and Green Bay Packers

The Green Bay Packers have hosted 25 postseason games in the state of Wisconsin, winning 20 of them. Two were played in Milwaukee, while the other 23 were played in Green Bay.

My dad and grandfather were at the first postseason game played in Milwaukee, as the Packers beat the New York Giants 27-0 in the 1939 NFL title game at State Fair Park. The other game played in Milwaukee was played in 1967 when the Packers beat the Los Angeles Rams and their Fearsome Foursome 28-7 to win the Western Conference championship at County Stadium.

The first postseason game ever played in Green Bay was in 1961, when the Packers beat the G-Men 37-0 at new City Stadium (now Lambeau Field). Halfback Paul Hornung was the star of that game, as the 1961 NFL MVP scored 19 of the 37 points scored by the Pack that day.

Since that game, the Packers have hosted 22 more games (including one against the Bucs in 1998 when Green Bay won 21-7) at the storied stadium first built in 1957. There have been many famous postseason games played at Lambeau, but the top three have to be the “Ice Bowl” played in 1967, the 1965 NFL title game against the defending NFL champion Cleveland Browns and their great running back Jim Brown and the 1996 NFC title game played against the Carolina Panthers.

Of the five losses at Lambeau in the postseason, only one has come in a title game. That was in the 2007 NFC championship game when the Giants beat the Packers 23-20 in overtime.

The upcoming 2020 NFC title game at Lambeau looks to be one of the greatest postseason matchups ever in the 64 year old stadium. Yes, Tom Brady and his six Super Bowl wins will be bringing his new team, the Tampa Bay Bucs, to face Aaron Rodgers and the Packers.

This is a postseason matchup (Brady vs. Rodgers) that the NFL world has drooled over for quite some time now. It’s finally going to happen. By the way, Rodgers looks to be the NFL MVP in 2020, at least based on the 2020 All-Pro team where Rodgers received 46 of 50 votes to be First-Team All-Pro at quarterback. Those same 50 voters are the ones who tally who will become NFL MVP. Rodgers was also named to the 2021 Pro Bowl team, the ninth time No. 12 has had that honor.

Just as a side note, the Packers have won NFL titles four times when a player on their team was NFL MVP. It happened in 1961 with Hornung, 1962 with Jim Taylor, 1966 with Bart Starr and 1996 with Brett Favre.

In this game, the main focus will be on Brady versus Rodgers. Let’s take a look at one both have done in 2020 so far, both in the regular season and postseason.

Brady led the Bucs to 11-5 record and a Wild Card spot in the postseason. Brady started all 16 games and threw 40 touchdown passes compared to 12 interceptions for 4,633 yards. Tom Terrific had a passer rating of 102.2, which was the seventh time Brady eclipsed the 100 mark.

In two postseason games, wins against the Washington Football Team (31-23) and the New Orleans Saints (30-20) on the road, Brady threw a combined four touchdown passes versus no picks for 580 yards. Brady’s cumulative passer rating in those two games is 98.6.

Rodgers led the Packers to a 13-3 record and another NFC North title as well as the No. 1 seed in the NFC. Like Brady, Rodgers started all 16 games and threw a career high 48 touchdown passes versus just five picks for 4,299 yards. Rodgers also had a career best completion percentage of 70.7. Rodgers led the NFL with a passer rating of 121.5, which was the second best of all time in the NFL. The best passer rating ever also came from Rodgers in 2011 when he had a 122.5 mark. 2020 was the ninth year Rodgers was able to go over the 100 mark in passer rating.

In his lone postseason game against the Los Angeles Rams last week at Lambeau Field, with the Packers winning 32-18, Rodgers threw for 296 yards and had two touchdown passes versus zero picks. That added up to a passer rating of 108.1.

In terms of how Brady and Rodgers each have played in the postseason in their careers along with the support they have been given by the rest of their team, namely the defense, I wrote a story about that scenario earlier this week.

As much as Brady and Rodgers will have the lights shined on them the brightest, there is a lot more to look at in this game.

Both teams score a lot. The Packers led the NFL in total offense and in scoring (31.8 points-per-game). The Bucs were third in both categories (30.8 points per game).

Both Rodgers and Brady have great weapons on offense to utilize.

When Rodgers is passing the ball he can look to First-Team All-Pro wide receiver Davante Adams, who had 115 receptions for 1,374 yards and 18 touchdowns in the regular season, plus had a receiving score last week against the Rams. Adams also made the 2021 Pro Bowl team. Rodgers also likes to look for tight end Robert Tonyan, who had 52 catches for 586 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2020.

And while they are not well known names at receiver, both Allen Lazard and Marques Valdez-Scantling can make big plays a key times in a game.

The Green Bay offense under head coach Matt LaFleur is based on an outside zone running scheme. That strategy has paid off for the Packers in 2020, both in running the football and on play-action passes. The running game is led by halfback Aaron Jones, who for second straight year ran for over 1,000 yards. No.33 was named to the 2021 Pro Bowl squad for his efforts in 2020, as he ran for 1,104 yards this season, plus had nine rushing touchdowns. Jones is also a threat out of the backfield, as he caught 47 passes for 355 yards and two more scores.

The Packers have a three-headed monster at running back, as besides Jones, both Jamaal Williams (505 yards and two scores) and AJ Dillon (247 yards and two scores) can run hard inside the tackles and gain important yardage. Williams is also a threat out of the backfield, as he had 31 receptions for 236 yards and a score.

The Packers also have one of the best offensive lines in the NFL, even without left tackle David Bakhtiari, who was lost for the year with an ACL tear. Rodgers was sacked just 20 times in 2020, although four of those sacks came when the Packers played the Bucs in Tampa. The Packers were also ranked eighth in the NFL in toting the rock.

Bakhtiari was named First-Team All-Pro at left tackle, while Corey Linsley received that same honor at center. Left guard Elgton Jenkins made the 2021 Pro Bowl team.

When the Bucs have the ball and run the offense of head coach Bruce Arians, Brady can look downfield and he has a bounty of targets to throw to. Wide receiver Mike Evans led the team with 70 catches for 1,006 yards and 13 touchdowns. Chris Godwin is also a very good weapon at receiver, as he had 65 receptions for 840 yards and seven scores. Tight end Rob Gronkowski has really come on in the 2020 season and is looking a lot like the guy he was with the New England Patriots when Brady would throw him the ball. Gronk had 45 catches for 623 yards and seven scores in 2020.

And like the Packers, the Bucs have a couple of receivers who fly underneath the radar, as both Scotty Miller and Tyler Johnson can make big plays at times, as Antonio Brown will not be available for this game. Likewise with backup tight end Cameron Brate.

The running game in Tampa is led by Ronald Jones II, who rushed for 978 yards and seven scores. The Bucs also like to use Leonard Fournette (367 yards and six scores) in the backfield as well. Both Jones and Fournette are also receiving threats (a combined 64 receptions for 398 yards and one score) out of the backfield.

The offensive line for the Bucs has also played well for the most part in 2020, as Brady was sacked just 21 times. However, as well as they do at times, the Bucs were ranked just 29th in rushing offense in the NFL in 2020.

Both teams have top 10 defenses. The Bucs are ranked No. 6 in total defense, while the Packers are ranked No. 9.

The Bucs are No. 1 in the NFL in rushing defense, while the Packers are ranked at No. 14. Green Bay is ranked No. 7 in passing defense, while the Bucs are ranked at No. 21. In terms of turnovers, the Bucs had 15 interceptions, while the Pack had 11. Cornerback Jaire Alexander of the Packers was named to the 2021 Pro Bowl team and was Second-Team All-Pro.

The Bucs were tied for fourth in the NFL in sacks with 48. Defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul (made the 2021 Pro Bowl team) led the Bucs with 9.5 sacks, followed by inside linebacker Devin White (Second-Team All-Pro) who had nine sacks. Outside linebacker Shaquil Barrett had eight sacks, while defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh had six sacks. White’s fellow inside linebacker Lavonte David, was also named Second-team All-Pro.

The Pack were tied for 10th in the NFL in sacks with 41. Outside linebacker Za’Darius Smith led the team with 12.5 sacks. Smith was also named to the 2021 Pro Bowl squad.

Special teams is also an area where a key play or a bad mistake can make the difference in a game. Both the Bucs and the Packers did not get a very good rating from Rick Gosselin in his annual special teams rankings.

The Bucs were ranked 22nd in the NFL, while the Packers were ranked 29th. Both teams have very good placekickers, as Mason Crosby of the Packers did not miss a field goal (16-of-16) in the regular season, plus is 28-of-31 in his career in the postseason kicking field goals. Placekicker Ryan Succop of the Bucs was 28-of-31 in the regular season in field goals and is a perfect 11-of-11 in kicking field goals in the postseason.

The weather in Green Bay will favor the Packers, with a high of 31 degrees and a low into the teens as the game works it way into the early evening. Right now there is a 66 percent chance of snow, perhaps as much as three inches.

Bottom line, this NFC title game matchup between Brady and the Bucs and Rodgers and the Packers looks to be a classic battle to be sure. The snowy environment will make it that much more special. Something has to give. The Bucs are riding a six-game winning streak, while the Packers have won seven straight games. One thing is for certain, someone wearing No. 12 will win this game.

And I like Mr. Rodgers in this one, as the game is being played in his neighborhood.

Green Bay Packers: Remembering Ted Thompson

Another member of the Green Bay Packers family passed away earlier this week, as former general manager Ted Thompson died Wednesday at his home in Atlanta, Texas, three days after his 68th birthday. This unfortunately, seems to be a trend. In 2020, a number of legends from the Packers passed away, which included Paul Hornung, Herb Adderley and Willie Davis.

It’s sad and surreal that Thompson would pass away the week of the NFC title game, as a number of the players he drafted or signed for the Pack will be playing in that championship contest versus the Tampa Bay Bucs at Lambeau Field.

Aaron Rodgers is the quarterback for the Packers obviously and it was No. 12 who was the first ever draft pick of Thompson in 2005 when he was picked with the 24th selection of Round No. 1. Thompson also drafted wide receiver Davante Adams in 2014 in the 2nd round, running back Aaron Jones in 2017 in the 5th round, left tackle David Bakhtiari in the 4th round in 2013, center Corey Linsley in the 5th round in 2014 and signed tight end Robert Tonyan as a free agent in 2017.

All but Bakhtiari, who is out with an ACL injury, will be starting on Sunday on offense for the Packers. On defense, only two picks made by Thompson will be starting on Sunday for the right to get to Super Bowl LV. They are defensive lineman Kenny Clark, who was drafted in the 1st round in 2016 and cornerback Kevin King, who was drafted in the 2nd round in 2017.

So, as you can see, even though Thompson has not been the general manager of the Packers since January of 2018 when Brian Gutekunst was hired to replace him, the Packers still have the mark of the man who played his college football at SMU.

After SMU, Thompson played 10 years in the NFL with the Houston Oilers, where he mostly was a special teams demon, although he did start eight games in his career with the Oilers. Thompson was also versatile enough to go 4-for-4 in extra point attempts for Houston in 1980.

In 1992, Ron Wolf, who was the general manager of the Packers back then, hired Thompson to be part of his scouting department. One of Thompson’s first assignments under Wolf was to look at film of a quarterback Wolf was interested in trading for. That quarterback was Brett Favre. When Wolf told Thompson that he was thinking of trading a No. 1 pick to acquire Favre from the Atlanta Falcons, Thompson concurred that he would do that as well.

From 1993 through 1996, Thompson was the the director of pro personnel for the Packers. The pro personnel department is responsible for adding other players who have played in the NFL, either through trade, free agency or by waivers.

During Thompson’s tenure in running the pro personnel department, the Packers added a number of key pieces to the team, either via free agency or trade.

Players like wide receiver Mark Ingram, tight end Keith Jackson and safety Eugene Robinson were acquired by trade. Free agents such as defensive end Reggie White, safety Mike Prior, defensive end Sean Jones, wide receiver Don Beebe, defensive tackle Santana Dotson and wide receiver/kick returner Desmond Howard were signed.

A number of these players contributed to the Packers’ Super Bowl XXXI victory.

After the 1996 season, Thompson moved over to run the department of player personnel for the Packers from 1997-1999. In 2000, Mike Holmgren, the former head coach of the Packers and now the executive vice-president/general manager and head coach of the Seattle Seahawks, hired Thompson to become the vice president of football operations for the Hawks.

Thompson stayed on with the Seahawks thorough 2004, and a number of his draft picks were key pieces of the team that played against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XL.

In 2005, after head coach Mike Sherman was stripped of his job as general manager, the then president of the Packers, Bob Harlan, hired Thompson to become general manager. It would be a job he would hold until the end of the 2017 season.

Thompson fired Sherman after the 2005 season, as the team had a record of 4-12 and Favre had the worst year of his career at the time. In 2006, Thompson hired Mike McCarthy to become the new head coach of the Packers.

The marriage of Thompson and McCarthy turned out to be a very successful one. The modus operandi under the two of them was to draft and to develop the players. Pure free agency was used very infrequently, while “street” free agents were often signed to the team.

In terms of the players who Thompson drafted, besides Rodgers, the man of few words also selected safety Nick Collins (2nd round in 2005), linebacker A.J. Hawk (1st round in 2006), wide receiver Greg Jennings (3rd round in 2006), wide receiver James Jones (3rd round in 2007), kicker Mason Crosby (6th round in 2007), wide receiver Jordy Nelson (2nd round in 2008), defensive lineman B.J. Raji (1st round in 2009), linebacker Clay Matthews III (1st round in 2009), offensive tackle Bryan Bulaga (1st round in 2010) and running back James Starks (6th round in 2010).

In free agency, Thompson signed cornerback Charles Woodson after he was released by the Oakland Raiders in 2006. In 2007, he signed cornerback Tramon Williams as a “street” free agent. He did the same thing with long snapper Brett Goode in 2008 and linebacker Erik Walden in 2010. Thompson also loved signing undrafted rookie free agents, In 2010, Thompson signed cornerback Sam Shields and linebacker Frank Zombo that way.

Thompson also used the waiver wire to upgrade his roster. In 2006, he brought aboard cornerback Jarrett Bush via the waiver route. He did the same thing in 2007 when he brought in fullback John Kuhn and in 2010 when defensive tackle Howard Green put on a Green Bay uniform.

All of those players had key roles in the march towards winning Super Bowl XLV, when the Packers beat the Steelers 31-25.

While Thompson and McCarthy duo was running the Packers from 2006 through 2017, the Packers were 121-71-1 during that tenure. That included nine appearances in the postseason, which including eight straight seasons at one point and also six NFC North divisional titles.

That also included four appearances in the NFC title game and a win in Super Bowl XLV.

That is a great run of success and that is why Thompson was inducted into the Packers Hall of Fame in 2019.

Thompson was a soft spoken man, but those who worked with him in Green Bay and those who were brought on to the team by him will never forget him and will always appreciate what he did for the organization.

These are just a few of those sentiments.

Mark Murphy– ““We all owe a debt of gratitude to him. His stamp is on our team now.

“I think at the time when he drafted Aaron he said, ‘This is the kind of thing that five years from now people are going to say was a pretty good decision.’ Boy, was he right.

“(Fifteen) years after that, people still say that.”

Brian Gutekunst– “This particular team (the 2020 Packers) would’ve been one that he would have really enjoyed being around. The players that we have, and the spirit that it has, I think really fits him. He would have really enjoyed being around for this. That’s a tough thing to swallow.

“He, in my opinion, is the best talent evaluator – especially when it comes to the draft – that I’ve ever seen or been around. He had a very unique way of seeing what a player was going to become, and the greatness he could become.”

Matt LaFleur– “His impact is still felt today. I think it’s felt all around the league. There’s a lot of heavy hearts here today.”

Bob Harlan– “He was more comfortable when he wasn’t in the public eye. He told me he wasn’t comfortable behind the microphone. I told him don’t worry about it. That’s not why we hired you.

“He said if Rodgers is there, I’m going to take him. It’s not going to be popular. I told him if that’s what he wanted to do, it was his team. I got phone calls and letters. People were very critical. Ted was well aware he was going to catch heat, but he did what he thought was the best thing.”

Aaron Rodgers– “I’m really thankful for Ted. The fact that I was his first draft pick will always link us together.”

Milwaukee Brewers: Remembering Don Sutton

I’ll never forget the date. I was in my third year covering the Milwaukee Brewers and there had been rumors that general manager Harry Dalton was going to bolster the pitching staff of the Brew Crew. And sure enough, on August 30, 1982, the Brewers acquired veteran hurler Don Sutton from the Houston Astros for players to be named later and cash. The players which the Brewers sent to the Astros on September 3, were outfielder Kevin Bass, pitcher Frank DiPino and pitcher Mike Madden.

It was another great acquisition by Dalton.

Dalton had already strengthened the Brewers in December of 1980 in a huge trade, when he acquired relief pitcher Rollie Fingers, starting pitcher Pete Vuckovich and catcher Ted Simmons from the St. Louis Cardinals. Milwaukee sent the Cards pitcher Lary Sorenson, pitcher Dave LaPoint, outfielder Sixto Lezcano and outfielder David Green to get back the terrific trio.

That trade helped get the Brewers to the 1981 MLB postseason for the very first time. And to add to that, Fingers won the American League Cy Young award, as well as being named American League MVP. Plus, Vuckovich was on his way to winning the Cy Young award in 1982 as well. Simmons, who hit from both sides of the plate, was a steady influence behind the plate and could hit with power.

Speaking of power, the Brewers behind manager Harvey Kuenn were a slugging bunch. The team was nicknamed Harvey’s Wallbangers due to their pop at the plate. It seemed like everyone in the lineup could hit from No.1 to No. 9 in the batting order.

Third baseman Paul Molitor (“The Ignitor”) led off, followed by shortstop Robin Yount, who would win the American League MVP in ’82. Yount was followed by first baseman Cecil Cooper, Simmons at catcher, left fielder Ben Oglivie, center fielder Gorman Thomas, either Don Money or Roy Howell as designated hitter, right fielder Charlie Moore and second baseman Jim Gantner.

Before the deal to acquire Sutton, the starting pitching staff was led by Vuckovich, who threw from the right side, lefty Mike Caldwell, righty Moose Haas, lefty Bob McClure and righty Doc Medich, who had replaced lefty Randy Lerch in the rotation after a trade. Medich had been inconsistent, which is one reason Dalton wanted to add another veteran arm.

The bullpen was led by Fingers, who was having another fine year, plus the pen also had righty Jim Slaton, righty Dwight Bernard, lefty Jerry Augustine, lefty Jamie Easterly and righty Pete Ladd.

When the Brewers acquired Sutton on August 30, the Brewers were up by 4.5 games in the tough American League East. I remember talking to Dalton shortly after that trade was made and he told me that he wanted a successful veteran hurler who had postseason experience and also someone was always ready to take the ball whenever he was called upon. Sutton fit that profile perfectly.

At the time of the trade, Sutton had been 13-8 for the Astros, with an ERA of 3.00, plus had four complete games. Up to that point of his career, which also included 15 years with the Los Angeles Dodgers and one-plus with Houston, Sutton had a career record of 239 wins and 182 losses. In addition, Sutton had been to four World Series with the Dodgers, pitching in three of them, going 2-2. Sutton was also 3-1 in three National League Championship Series that he appeared in.

The most prominent pitch in the repertoire of Sutton was his curveball. In his rookie season in 1966, Sutton struck out 209 hitters, which was the best mark by a rookie since 1911. In terms of being durable, Sutton never missed a start, before or after the trade to the Brewers. And although he only won 20 games or more games once in his career, Sutton averaged 14 wins per season by the time he was acquired by the Brew Crew.

On the same day I talked to Dalton about the trade to acquire Sutton, I talked to Don himself. He told me that he was very happy to be a new member of the Brewers. He thought he could add another veteran presence on the pitching staff, much like Fingers. Plus, he was thrilled to be pitching for a club that had so many terrific hitters. Finally, he told me that hopefully this could be the year that he would be part of a team which would win the World Series, as he had been part of four teams (1966, 1974, 1977 and 1978) on the Dodgers who went to the Fall Classic, but lost each time.

I also remember the night that Sutton made his first appearance with the Brewers. It was September 2 and the Brewers were going to be playing the Cleveland Indians in a twi-night doubleheader at County Stadium. Sutton would be starting Game 2. In Game 1, Haas got the start and pitched well, but in the 9th inning, Fingers who had pitched 1.1 innings up to that point, felt a sharp sting in his elbow. Fingers had to leave the game and Ladd came in to get the save as the Brewers won 2-1. Nobody knew it at the time, but Fingers would be lost for the rest of the regular season and postseason due to a tear in his elbow.

In Game 2, Sutton pitched a beauty, giving up just one run in eight innings, but unfortunately, Sutton gave up a three-run homer to Von Hayes in the top of the 9th and the Brewers lost 4-2. That would be the only loss for Sutton for the rest of September, as he won four straight starts after that. No start was more important than his start against Jim Palmer and the Baltimore Orioles on October 3.

Going into the season-ending series against the Orioles, the Brew Crew had a three-game lead on the O’s. But after losing the first three games of the series, it came down to the final game of the season, when two future Hall of Famers would be facing each other. The winner would go on to the ALCS, while the loser would go home.

Led by Yount, who went 3-for-4 with two homers and two RBIs, plus Cooper, who went 2-for-5 with a homer and three RBIs and Simmons, who went 2-for-3 with a homer and two RBIs, the Brewers hit Palmer hard. That was fine with Sutton, who went eight innings, allowing just two runs on eight hits, as the Brewers won 10-2.

But it wasn’t so easy for Sutton, based on what he told the press after the game. Sutton said that he had come to Baltimore suffering from a virus and then had an allergic reaction to an injection of antibiotics, breaking out in hives. But by Sunday morning, Sutton was feeling much better and ready to go.

Sutton did his job at the moment of truth and got the Brewers into the postseason for the second straight year. The Alabama native talked about about what it was like in the clubhouse after the game.

“It was bedlam, absolute bedlam,” Sutton said. “I felt so privileged and gratified to have the ball that last day and have it turn out so well. I felt like I wasn’t just pitching for the Brewers. I was pitching for the whole state of Wisconsin.”

Then in the ALCS, with the Brewers down two games to none in a five-game series versus the California Angels, Sutton was given the ball again to try and stave off elimination in Game 3 in Milwaukee. Once again, Sutton got the job done, as he went 7.2 innings, giving up three runs on nine hits, while striking out nine, as the Brewers won 5-3. Ladd came in and got the save, as Fingers was not available obviously. The Brewers went on to win the series three games to two and the team was going to be facing the Cardinals in the 1982 World Series.

After winning Game 1 by a score of 10-0 behind a three-hit shutout by Caldwell, Sutton got the start in Game 2 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, which was a place that Sutton had pitched at a number of times. Sutton pitched into the 6th inning with the Brewers holding a 4-2 lead, but gave up two runs in the bottom of the 6th and the game was tied. The Brewers ended up losing the game 5-4, as not having Fingers available to come into the game from the 7th inning on really hurt.

Sutton also started for the Brewers in Game 6 in St. Louis, as the Brewers had a 3-2 series lead, but nothing went right for Sutton and the Brewers that night, as the Cardinals won 13-1. The Brewers would also lose Game 7 by a score of 6-3, after blowing a 3-1 lead in the sixth inning. Once again, the loss of Fingers ended up biting the Brewers.

I covered the Brewers again in 1983 and interviewed Sutton a couple of times. Don was like most of the Brewers who I interviewed, very cordial and easy to talk with. Sutton went 8-13 in ’83 for the Brew Crew with an ERA of 4.08. In 1984, Sutton went 14-12 with the Brewers and had an ERA of 3.77. In December of that year, the Brewers traded Sutton to the Oakland Athletics.

Sutton pitched most of the 1985 season with the A’s when he was sent to the Angels in another late-season deal. Sutton pitched with the Angels through 1987. Then in 1988, Sutton returned to the Dodgers as a free agent. Unfortunately for Don, he was released in August of ’88, the same year the Dodgers would win the World Series.

Sutton ended his fantastic career with a 324-256 record, having made 756 starts, which is third on the all-time list. Sutton, who spent 23 years in MLB, was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1998. Sutton later had a long broadcasting career, most recently with the Atlanta Braves. 

The thing I remember most about Don was how much he enjoyed being part of the Brewers. I often would see him in the clubhouse kidding around with his teammates. I also recall him having a great time with Bob Uecker when “Mr. Baseball” was throwing batting practice.

I was like a kid in a candy store covering the Brewers from 1980 through 1983. I was the same age as many of the players on the Brewers and I fit in very well. It was an honor to be able to interact with future Hall of Famers like Sutton, Fingers, Yount, Molitor, Simmons, Uecker and owner Bud Selig.

Selig was the type of owner who was very close to his players. It was no different with Sutton and he said this about the two-plus years Sutton spent as a member of the Brewers..

“He always said that he just loved his time in Milwaukee,” Selig said. “He had been with the Dodgers all those years but he said over and over that every player in the big leagues should play in Milwaukee.”

When I heard that Sutton had passed away yesterday at the age of 75 after a long battle with cancer, I was very saddened.

Rest in peace, Don! God bless you and your family, as well as your friends and former teammates.

Comparing Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers in the NFL Postseason

(AP Photo/Mark LoMoglio)

There is a reason why many call Tom Brady of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers the GOAT (Greatest of All Time). It’s hard to argue when you think about the six times that Brady led the New England Patriots to wins in the Super Bowl.

Add to that, Brady will be taking his new team, the Bucs, to the 14th conference championship he played in. That is truly amazing.

Still, I want to peel back the onion and look at one of the reasons Brady has been so successful in the postseason and compare what he has done versus what Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers has done.

First, let’s look at Brady’s passer rating in the postseason. Currently Brady has a rating of 90.2. That mark is 15th all time. Brady is also 32-11 in the postseason, as he has thrown 77 touchdown passes compared to 35 interceptions for 11,968 yards.

The former Michigan Wolverine has a record of 6-3 in the Super Bowl and 9-4 in conference title games. Brady was also the MVP of four of those six Super Bowl wins.

In all of his playoff games, Brady has led an offense which has scored an average of 28 points-per-game. On the other side of the ball, his defenses have allowed an average of 20.6 points-per-game. In conference title games, Brady and his teams have averaged 27.4 points-per-game and the defenses have allowed 21.3 points-per-game.

Bottom line, Brady has played with defenses which allow a touchdown less than what he and the offense have produced.

Let’s compare that with Rodgers The former California Golden Bear has a postseason passer rating 100.4, which is fifth all time. Rodgers is 11-8 in the postseason, as he has thrown 42 touchdown passes compared to 12 interceptions for 5,323 yards.

Rodgers is 1-0 in the Super Bowl and 1-3 in conference title games. Rodgers was the MVP of his lone Super Bowl game.

In all of his playoff games, Rodgers has led an offense which has scored 28.2 points-per-game. On the other side of the ball, his defenses have allowed an average of 26.4 points-per-game. In conference title games, Rodgers and his offense have averaged 21 points-per-game and the defenses have allowed 30.7 points-per-game.

Bottom line, in all postseason games, Rodgers has played with defenses which have allowed less than a field goal difference compared to what his offenses have produced and in conference title games, the defenses have allowed more than a touchdown compared to what Rodgers and the offense have produced.

The defenses that Brady and Rodgers have played with in the postseason are key in understanding the success that both have had in their career.

Let’s take a look at the passer rating of quarterbacks with a least four NFL championships in NFL history.

Bart Starr of the Green Bay Packers had a record of 9-1 in the postseason and won five NFL titles in seven years, which included the first two Super Bowls. Starr was the MVP in each of those Super Bowl wins. The passer rating for Starr in the postseason is 104.8, which is second, only behind the 106.8 mark of Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs.

Joe Montana of the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs had a record of 16-7 in the postseason and won four Super Bowls in the 1980s. Montana was the MVP in three of those Super Bowl wins. The passer rating for Montana in the postseason is 95.6, which is ninth all time.

Terry Bradshaw of the Pittsburgh Steelers had a record of 14-5 in the postseason and won four Super Bowls in the 1970s. Bradshaw was the MVP in two of those Super Bowl wins. The passer rating for Bradshaw in the postseason is 83.0, which is 32nd all time.

What do Starr, Montana and Bradshaw all have in common besides the many championships that they won? They all played with great defenses or better-than-average defenses for the most part.

In the 10 games that Starr played in the postseason, his offenses scored an average of 25.3 points-per-game. The defenses that Starr played with only allowed 12.1 points-per-game.

In the 23 games that Montana played in the postseason, his offenses scored 26 points-per-game. The defenses that Montana played with only allowed 18.6 points-per-game.

In the 19 games that Bradshaw played in the postseason, his offenses scored 24.8 points-per-game. The defenses that Bradshaw played with only allowed 16.6 points-per-game.

So if you compare Brady to Starr, Montana and Bradshaw, one can see that the defenses that each of them played with in the postseason allowed at least a touchdown less than what they were able to produce on offense.

I’m sure you have all heard the adage that “defense wins championships” fairly often. In the cases of Brady, Starr, Montana and Bradshaw, the defenses that they played with all definitely helped them win postseason games. But so did the performances of each of them. I mean we are talking about a combined 10 Super Bowl MVP awards between the four of them.

Rodgers has also won a Super Bowl MVP. But he has rarely played with a great defense. In fact, when the Packers won Super Bowl XLV, the Packers had the second-best defense in the NFL in terms of total defense. That was also the last time that Rodgers played with a defense in the top 10 in the NFL. At least until this year, as the Packers finished ninth in the NFL in total defense.

But Brady once again has a top flight defense as well, as the Bucs finished sixth in total defense in 2020.

So what does this mean for the NFC title game this upcoming Sunday between Rodgers and the Packers and Brady and the Bucs at Lambeau Field?

It should be a game for the ages. Both teams have top 10 defenses, plus the offenses led by Rodgers and Brady each averaged over 30 points-per-game in the regular season.

I expect both Rodgers and Brady to play well on Sunday. The game may be determined by a key play on defense by either team.

Bottom line, NFL quarterbacks usually get the glory when their teams win a championship, but the defense that they play with is also a key factor as to how that title was won.

Brady, Starr, Montana and Bradshaw would all agree.

Green Bay Packers: The Track Record of Aaron Rodgers Versus the Los Angeles Rams

Since Aaron Rodgers became the starting quarterback of the Green Bay Packers in 2008, No. 12 has played the Rams five times. The first four games were against the St. Louis Rams and Rodgers was a perfect 4-0 against them. The most recent game against the Rams occurred in 2018, when the team had relocated back to Los Angeles and Rodgers lost his only game against that franchise. More on that game later.

In the five games in which Rodgers has faced the Rams, the former Cal Bear has thrown 11 touchdown passes versus three interceptions for 1,454 yards. The passer rating for Rodgers in those five games is 113.8.

But the game against the Rams in 2018 is the one we want to look at, as many of the players on each of those teams are still around as the Packers get ready to host the Rams in a NFC divisional game on Saturday at Lambeau Field.

When the Packers played the Rams in 2018, Mike McCarthy was still the head coach for Green Bay. The offense for the Pack was in a state of flux that season. The team would finish 6-9-1 that season and McCarthy would lose the job he had since 2007.

Meanwhile, the Rams would finish 13-3 that season and would later lose Super Bowl LIII to the New England Patriots 13-3.

When the two teams met at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in front of 75,822 fans that late October afternoon, the Rams were undefeated at 7-0 and the Packers (3-2-1) were trying to ignite their season with a big win.

The Packers played well enough to win that day, but a huge mistake late in the game by kick returner Ty Montgomery took away any chance that the Packers could win. It was a back and forth type of game. The Packers went up 10-0 on a Jamaal Williams one-yard run for a touchdown in the 1st quarter and then followed that with a 41-yard field goal by Mason Crosby in the 2nd period.

The Rams scored the next eight points in the 2nd quarter, first on a safety when running back Aaron Jones was tackled in the end zone and then on a one-yard pass from quarterback Jared Goff to wide receiver Josh Reynolds.

The Packers added to their lead on a 53-yard field goal by Crosby in the 3rd quarter, but Los Angeles answered back with two touchdowns. The first was on a 30-yard pass from Goff to running back Todd Gurley. Goff then hit Gurley again with a pass on the two point conversion to make the score 16-13 Rams. The Rams scored again when Goff hit Reynolds again with a touchdown pass, this time from 19 yards out to make the score 23-13 in favor of Los Angeles.

But the Pack came back. Late in the 3rd period, Jones scored on a 33-yard run to make the score 23-20. Early in the 4th quarter, the Rams padded their lead when Greg Zuerlein nailed a 43-yard field goal to make the score 26-20. But Rodgers gave the Packers a 27-26 lead when he hit wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling with a 40-yard touchdown pass.

With 2:05 on the clock, Zuerlein put the Rams up 29-27 with a 34-yard field goal. That gave Rodgers plenty of time (plus the Packers had one timeout) to drive down the field and get in position for a game-winning field goal by Crosby. However, there was just one problem. Montgomery returned the kickoff from his end zone even though he was told by his coaches not to return the kick. Of course, Montgomery fumbled and the Rams recovered. Game over.

Rodgers had a very solid game against the Rams that day, even with the offense not clicking on all cylinders. No. 12 was 18-of-30 for 286 yards and one touchdown pass. Rodgers did not throw a pick and his passer rating for the game was 102.9. Rodgers was also sacked three times, with two of the sacks coming from defensive tackle Aaron Donald.

The upcoming playoff game against the Rams will pit the NFL’s top offense (Green Bay) against the NFL’s top defense (Los Angeles). Rodgers leads the best offense in the NFL, as the season he had in 2020 was one of his best ever. For the year, Rodgers threw 48 touchdown passes versus just five picks for 4,299 yards. No. 12 completed 70.7 percent of his passes and had a passer rating of 121.5, which is the second-best mark ever in the NFL, only behind the passer rating Rodgers had in 2011 when his rating was 122.5.

Rodgers was named to his ninth Pro Bowl squad, plus was named first-team All-Pro for the third time in his career. Rodgers received 46 first place votes from the 50 voters for the NFL All-Pro team. Those same 50 voters also vote for the NFL MVP award, so one can expect Rodgers to win his third MVP honor this year as well.

Rodgers would also love to win his second Super Bowl MVP award as well, but to do so, he and the Packers have to first take care of the Rams on Saturday. That won’t be easy, as Donald had another fabulous year on the defensive line, as he was put on his seventh Pro Bowl team, plus was named first-team All-Pro for the sixth time. Donald is also the favorite to win his fourth NFL Defensive Player of the Year award in 2020.

Donald hurt his ribs in a NFC Wild Card game last weekend against the Seattle Seahawks and missed the rest of the game, but he is expected back to play against the Packers on Saturday. Time will tell how much the rib injury will affect the play of Donald.

Aaron Donald of the Los Angeles Rams sacks Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on October 28, 2018.

The Rams also have cornerback Jalen Ramsey ready to take on wide receiver Davante Adams of the Packers as well. Ramsey is considered one of the best corners in the NFL and was named to his fourth Pro Bowl team this year, as well as being named first-team All-Pro for the second time. Adams is also considered one of the best receivers in the NFL and he too was named to the Pro Bowl (for the fourth time) and was also first-team All-Pro.

I expect Rodgers to play very well again on Saturday. No. 12 always plays well in the postseason, as his statistics illustrate. In 18 games, Rodgers has thrown 40 touchdown passes versus 12 interceptions for 5,027 yards. The passer rating for Rodgers in those 18 games is 100.0.

In the two games he played under head coach Matt LaFleur last year in the postseason, Rodgers was a combined 47-of-66 for 569 yards, with four touchdown passes versus two interceptions. His passer rating last postseason was a cumulative 105.5. And that was with an offense which was ranked 15th in the NFL, not 1st like it was in 2020 for the Packers.

Bottom line, even against a great defense like the Rams have, I expect Rodgers to have another exceptional game.

Green Bay Packers: Boyd Dowler Talks About the ‘Ice Bowl’, Davante Adams and the Pro Football Hall of Fame

I had the pleasure of speaking with Boyd Dowler of the Green Bay Packers on the 53rd anniversary of the 1967 NFL championship game, better known as the “Ice Bowl” played on December 31, 1967 at Lambeau Field. Boyd and I talked about that game, as well as other subjects such as Davante Adams of the Packers and also the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

In terms of the “Ice Bowl”, Dowler recalls that he caught four passes from Bart Starr in that game for 77 yards and two scores. Dowler recalls what happened on each of his touchdowns. The first touchdown came on the first drive of the game of the Packers and it was when Green Bay was on the 8-yard line of the Cowboys.

“Bart noticed that the cornerback was lined-up a couple of yards outside of me and I was in tight,” Dowler said. “So was the linebacker. Plus, Mel Renfro, who was a safety, was near the line of scrimmage near the center. So Bart calls an audible called 86, which had nothing to do with my number. 86 was a quick post or slant and it was a blitz audible when the safety was up. But Bart never once called that audible when I was in tight. He always had called it when I was split out wide.

“But he called it anyway. But the call did not throw me off, as I knew how Bart thought and was in my ninth year playing with him. So I thought to myself to just not screw up and run what Bart had called, even though I was in tight. The linebacker gave me a clean release off the line of scrimmage and I just broke inside to where Renfro should have been and Bart just threw it to me and it was an easy pitch and catch. But it was the play call that got me open. Bart sort of surprised me with the call, but when I broke wide open in the end zone, I realized it was a damn good call by Bart.”

Dowler also recalled the second touchdown, which occurred in the second quarter.

“It was third and short and Bart called the 36 pass,” Dowler said. “If Renfro was playing deep where he was supposed to be, Bart would have changed the call to a 36 run, when the fullback would run off tackle.”

On the 36 pass, Starr had two options. One, he could throw to the halfback out in the left flat or throw to the end who would run a post pattern. This play occurred when the Packers were at the 43-yard line of the Cowboys.

“On that 36 pass play, Bart first faked the handoff to Ben Wilson and then looked to pass,” Dowler said. “The wind was blowing in Bart’s face on that play. Renfro was playing up a bit and when I got by him, my heart skipped a beat because I thought Bart would overthrow me, but he laid it in there perfectly. Renfro wasn’t far behind me when I caught it and he did tackle me in the end zone.

“The bottom line is that on both of my touchdowns, the coverage problem for the Cowboys was because of where Renfro was lined up. Bart saw that and took advantage of it.”

After Dowler retired, he coached receivers for 15 years in the NFL. In fact, in 1971, Dowler was a player-coach with the Redskins. There he coached Charley Taylor, who like Dowler was on the NFL All-Decade team of the 1960s. Taylor was later inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1984.

So was another player Dowler coached when he was on the staff of the Philadelphia Eagles. That would be Harold Carmichael, who was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2020, which also included safety Bobby Dillon of the Packers.

Obviously Dowler knows a lot about playing receiver in the NFL, both as a player and as a coach. Which is why I wanted to get his take on Davante Adams of the Packers.

Davante Adams hands Aaron Rodgers the football after catching the 400th touchdown pass of Rodgers’ career against the Philadelphia Eagles on December 6, 2020 at Lambeau Field.

Adams is now ranked fourth in Green Bay history with 546 receptions. Dowler is ranked eighth with 448 catches. Adams has 62 touchdown receptions, while Dowler had 40. In terms of yardage, Dowler leads in that category, as he had 6,918 receiving yards, while Adams has 6,568.

In 2020, Adams was basically unstoppable catching balls from Aaron Rodgers, as No. 17 had 115 receptions for 1,374 yards and 18 touchdowns. Because of the great season he had in 2020, Adams was named to the Pro Bowl squad and was also named first-team All-Pro.

“In terms of Davante, I don’t understand how he is being covered in games,” Dowler said. “For instance, when I coached under George Allen, he always had his defense set up by his generals. His generals were usually linebackers like Maxie Baughan and Jack Pardee. George also used safety Richie Petitbon in that role. And they would change defensive alignments and coverages based on where the star receiver of each team would line up.

“For instance, that would be the way we played Bob Hayes of the Cowboys. No matter where Hayes would line up, he would be double-covered. But in Davante’s case, it seems like he doesn’t get a lot of double coverage. I mean, he’s fast, he’s big, he’s got great feet and he has great moves. It seems like he is always open. But no matter how good you are as a receiver in the NFL, you aren’t always going to get open against two people.

“It just doesn’t make sense that Davante is not doubled at times. Even when he pressed, Adams has quick feet and can get away from the defender. I mean, Davante is awfully good. But it would be tougher with two guys covering him.

“Still, Matt LaFleur has a great offensive system. That’s due to using motion or different formations which seems to get Davante a lot of single coverage. I think that is a credit to the coaches and the quarterback.”

It sure looks like Adams will someday be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, just like the quarterback (Rodgers) who throws him the football. Speaking of the Hall of Fame, we will know on February 6th who will be part of the Class of 2021. One of the players who could be selected is Drew Pearson of the Dallas Cowboys.

Recently, I wrote a story comparing Pearson to Dowler and to me, both had very similar stats. Both were NFL All-Decade players for instance. So was another player who also is now in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. I’m talking about Lynn Swann of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Both Swann and Pearson were All-Decade in the 1970s, while Dowler was All-Decade in the 1960s.

In terms of comparing Swann and Dowler, in the regular season, Dowler had 448 catches for 6,918 yards and 40 touchdowns, while Swann had 336 catches for 5,462 and 51 touchdowns.

In the postseason, Dowler had 30 receptions for 440 yards and five scores in 10 games. One of those games was Super Bowl I, when No. 86 missed almost the entire game due to a shoulder injury.

Swann had 48 catches for 907 yards and nine touchdowns in 16 postseason games. So if you compare the two, Dowler and Swann each caught three passes per game in the postseason. Plus, each caught a touchdown pass in every other playoff game they played in. The only real difference between the two is that Swann is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, while Dowler is not.

Also, neither Swann or Pearson was ever named to a NFL All-Time Team. Dowler was named to the NFL 50th Anniversary Team. No. 86 was named to the second-team of that 45-man squad. Dowler was joined on that second team along with players like Sammy Baugh, Bronco Nagurski, Harold “Red” Grange, Forrest Gregg, Raymond Berry, Mike Ditka, Danny Fortman, Mel Hein, Len Ford, Ernie Stautner, Joe Schmidt, Jack Butler, Jack Christiansen and Ernie Nevers.

All of those players have a bust in Canton except for Dowler. As a matter of fact, Dowler has never been a finalist. That needs to change. When I was at a party that the Packers had for Jerry Kramer in Canton the day of his enshrinement in 2018, I talked with Hall of Fame voter Rick Gosselin, who is part of the Seniors Selection Committee.

Gosselin asked me what I was going to do next now that Kramer was finally inducted. I told Rick that there were a number of other former Packers who deserve to be in Canton and that I would continue to promote those players and write about them. Rick told me to make sure that I wrote about Dowler, Ron Kramer and Gale Gillingham.

“In terms of getting into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, I haven’t given that a whole lot of thought,” Dowler said. “But I know one thing, you are doing about as much as can be done in terms of making people aware of what I accomplished as a player and I’m very happy about that.”

The 100-Year Rivalry Between the Green Bay Packers and the Chicago Bears: Starr, Favre and Rodgers Have Been the Difference

After Sunday’ 35-16 win by the Green Bay Packers over the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field, the Packers now lead the regular season series between the two teams 100-94-6. The two teams also have a 1-1 record playing each other in the postseason.

When the teams first played in 1921, the da Bears were known as the Chicago Staleys. Green Bay traveled to Wrigley Field (then Cubs Park) and lost to Chicago 20-0. The first time the Packers beat the Bears was in 1925 at old City Stadium, when Green Bay won 14-10.

The thing that is amazing about the Packers leading the regular season series by six games now is the fact that before the 1992 season began, the Bears had a 79-58-6 series lead over the Packers. That means that since the ’92 season, the Packers have had a 42-15 record against the Bears.

So, what are the reasons that the Packers have the series lead over their long-time rivals from the Windy City? Actually, there are three reasons. Bart Starr, Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers.

During his time with the Packers, Starr was 15-5 versus the Bears. When Vince Lombardi was his head coach, Starr was 12-3 against Chicago. Meanwhile, Lombardi was 13-5 versus George Halas from 1959 through 1967, which included five NFL titles in seven years, including wins in Super Bowl I and Super Bowl II, when Starr was the MVP of both games. Chicago did win the 1963 NFL title during that period as well.

It was a game against the Bears which elevated the status of Starr to both his head coach and his teammates. Jerry Kramer related that story to me in one of our many conversations.

“We were playing the Chicago Bears,” Kramer said. “Bill George was their middle linebacker at the time. On a deep pass attempt, George thought he would try to intimidate Bart.

“Bill took about a five-yard run and he gave Bart a forearm right in the mouth. George timed it perfectly and put Bart right on his behind. He also cut Bart badly, from his lip all the way to his nose. After that, George said, ‘That ought to take care of you Starr, you pussy.’ Bart snapped right back at George and said, ‘F— you, Bill George, we’re coming after you.’

“My jaw dropped after that exchange, as I was shocked. Meanwhile Bart was bleeding profusely. I told Bart that he better go to the sideline and get sewn up. Bart replied, ‘Shut up and get in the huddle.’

“Bart took us down the field in seven or eight plays and we scored. That series of plays really solidified Bart as our leader and we never looked back.”

Still, even with the great record of Starr against the Bears, the team still was down by 21 games in the series before the arrival of Favre in 1992. That all changed when No. 4 arrived. In 16 years in Green Bay, Favre had a 22-10 record against Chicago. Plus, like Starr did five times, Favre led the Packers to a NFL title, when the Packers won Super Bowl XXXI.

Favre’s most memorable win against the Bears had to be on Halloween night at Soldier Field in 1994. That was the night that the Bears were retiring the jerseys of both Dick Butkus (No. 51) and Gale Sayers (No. 40), plus both Green Bay and Chicago were wearing their throwback jerseys.

It was a scary night weather-wise, as the temperature was in the low 40s on a very windy and rainy night. It was raining sideways for awhile as a matter of fact. Favre didn’t have his best night throwing in those conditions, even with his strong arm, but he did throw for 82 yards and one touchdown, without throwing a pick.

It was Favre’s legs that made the difference in the game though, as he rushed for 58 yards on just two carries, including a memorable 36-yard touchdown scamper, as the Packers won 33-6. The Packers as a team ran for 223 yards, which was very Lombardi-like.

Rodgers has just been magnificent against the Bears. Since taking over for Favre in 2008, Rodgers has a 20-5 record against the Monsters of the Midway, plus beat da Bears in the 2010 NFC title game at Soldier Field. That victory came before Rodgers was the MVP of Super Bowl XLV, as the Packers beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-25.

The numbers that Rodgers has put up against Chicago are just amazing. In 25 games, No. 12 has thrown 55 touchdown passes for 6,013 yards and only tossed 10 interceptions. That adds up to a passer rating of 107.2.

There have been many memorable games by Rodgers against the Bears, but the one that most remember was the final game of the 2013 season when the Packers met the Bears at Soldier Field. The winner of that game would win the NFC North, while the loser would go home and not make the playoffs.

Rodgers and the Packers were in a very difficult situation late in the game. Da Bears led 28-27 and there were only 46 seconds to go and Green Bay faced a 4th-and-8 scenario from the Chicago 48.

In the moment of truth, Rodgers (who had returned for this game after missing several weeks because of a broken collarbone) first avoided being sacked by Julius Peppers by sprinting to his left and then getting a chip-block by fullback John Kuhn. Rodgers then delivered a 48-yard touchdown pass on the move to Randall Cobb, as the Packers won 33-28.

Bottom line, when Starr, Favre or Rodgers have played against the Bears, their record has been a combined 57-22. That’s 35 games over .500 folks. In addition to that, the Packers won seven NFL titles behind those three quarterbacks, which includes four Super Bowls.

So, what then would the season series look like without the record of Starr, Favre and Rodgers included? Well, da Bears would lead the series by a 72-43-6 margin.

That’s all you need to now about how impactful Starr, Favre and Rodgers have been in the most storied rivaly in the NFL that dates back to 1921.

Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers vs. the Chicago Bears: By the Numbers in 2021

Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers always seems to play well against the Chicago Bears. Both at Lambeau Field and at Soldier Field. In fact, going back to the 2010 NFC title game at Soldier Field when the Packers won 21-14, Rodgers has led the Packers to nine wins in ten years at the storied stadium near the shore of Lake Michigan in the Windy City.

Nothing was more exciting than the final game of the season between the Packers and Bears at Soldier Field. The winner would win the NFC North, while the loser would be out of the playoffs.

Here was the situation: There were 46 seconds to go in the game, with the Packers trailing da Bears 28-27 and Green Bay facing a fourth-and-8 scenario.

In the moment of truth, Rodgers (who had returned for this game after missing several weeks because of a broken collarbone) first avoided being sacked by Julius Peppers by sprinting to his left and then getting a chip-block by fullback John Kuhn. Rodgers then delivered a 48-yard touchdown pass on the move to Randall Cobb, as the Packers won 33-28.

A win today by the 12-3 Packers against the 8-7 Bears clinches the No. 1 seed in the NFC and also a bye in the first round of the NFC playoffs.

No. 12’s overall numbers versus Chicago are just incredible.

Regular Season Record: 19-5

Postseason Record: 1-0

Completion Percentage: 66.28

Completions: 509

Touchdown Passes: 51

Interceptions: 10

Passer Rating: 105.3

Yards Passing: 5,773

Yards Rushing: 276

4th Quarter Comebacks: 7