Join us starting May 10th for the relaunch of WiscoSportsTalk! Thanks for being patient with us as we redesign the site and add a bunch of new features that our fellow die-hard Wisconsin sports fans asked for.

We’re still getting there…..but when we do…..ahhhhhh shit son.

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Jerome

Packers Fan Announces He Will Return To Drinking For Another Season

After watching Digger hit the dance floor with a (smokin’ hot) Clemson basketball cheerleader, I developed a whole new found appreciation for the man, the myth, the DIGGA. Then I started searching YouTube for other Digga vids and found out soon enough that Digga is a DANCING FOOL!

The man’s got some sick moves for an old-timer college basketball commentator. Check out these six vids of Digger breakin it down hard.

Once Tramon has complete confidence in his exceptional ability, he will cut-down on his unnecessary pass interference penalties

• Tramon Williams will more than replace Alshinard Harris. “But Tramon can’t keep his hands to himself,” you might be saying. True story. But the Ravens game featured some of the worst officiating I’ve ever seen. It was a miracle anytime a DB was NOT called for pass interference. Tramon will improve in this area once he realizes that he has more than enough ability to defend without interfering. He has outstanding coverage ability and playmaking skills, and he is a solid tackler with blitzing ability. The sky is the limit for TramonMang. The thing that hurts most about losing Al Harris for the season is not his replacement at starter. Rather, it is the fact that the Packers have no choice but to use Jarrett Bush in nickel and dime situations. If Jarrett Bush packed up his bags and decided to become a dedicated Monk, I think that would be a better career decision than to continue playing football. Good God.

• Charles Woodson led the defense with an outstanding performance once again. Without Chuck, would this defense be clicking? I think not. He makes it all go ’round. Leader of the defense. As of right now, Chuck has got to be the Defensive MVP of the league.

• Win or lose, Nick Collins is going to take his chances. He had a big interception and a missed interception in which he got burned. I am personally willing to take the bad with the good because more often than not it results in a big play. Collins is going to take his chances either way. On his missed interception, Collins cut the receiver’s route off hard hoping for a Pick Six but didn’t get there in time. Not even Primetime in his prime could have made that play (If you’re like me, you may have forgotten just how good Deion used to be…watch this video and you’ll soon remember)

• Dom Capers should win an award Coordinator of the Year. What a great job he’s done in a short period of time. Most people figured it would take the Pack’s D until maybe the half-way point of the season to be up to speed with this new 3-4 scheme, but did anyone really think they would be this good, this fast? I certainly didn’t.

• Aaron Kampman is a goner next year. Whether the Packers let him go in free agency or Franchise him and then trade him, he will not be a Packer next year. We have better linebackers than Kampman for this scheme. Clay Matthews, Brad Jones and Brandon Chillar are all better fits at OLB in this defensive scheme. Kampman will command too much money (and rightfully so) and does not fit our new scheme. He belongs at Defensive End, period. And he is a damn good 4-3 Defensive End — one of the best in the NFL. I just hope the Packers play their cards right with this situation because it would be a shame to lose such a great player without receiving legitimate compensation in return.

• Al Harris has got to be done with the Packers. He was losing steps before his knee injury, and when (if) he returns from his torn ACL, he just won’t be the same. Plus, the Packers are lucky to have an up-and-coming playmaker in Tramon Williams. It’s been great, Alshinard (yes, that is Al’s full first name). If I was coaching a high school football team, I would tell the defensive backs to play like Al Harris. Confident, tough, aggressive. He has not only been a shutdown corner for years, but he has also been a consummate professional and leader. Let’s hope that Tramon follows in his footsteps.

• Monday night was the worst officiated game I have ever seen in my life. Aren’t we all sick of seeing unnecessary pass-interference calls. Monday night was the second most penalized game in the history of the NFL. I honestly feel that only a handful of the pass interference calls in this game were legitimate. Most of the flags were unnecessary and unfair because the receivers were just as physical as the DB’s were. When a DB “armbars” a WR, the refs catch it right away. On the other hand, when the WR “armbars” the DB, it is usually not called. The best receivers in the game are typically great at doing this and getting away with it. There needs to be some serious talks about this pass interference issue because it is often becoming a deciding factor in games.
• Now here is what I propose the NFL does to clean up the sad state of officiating in this league: I’m sure that we can all agree that the NFL has been way too touchy/feely the past few years regarding pass interference penalties in particular. If you are not familiar with Ed Hoculi, he is the muscular referee who looks like he belongs on UFC. I propose that Ed Hoculi makes a case for looser officiating concerning the issue of defensive pass interference. People will most likely listen to him not only because he is ripped as hell, but also because he may be the best referee in the league. What if league executives and officials don’t agree with him, you ask? After all, he is only one man, right? No. He is Ed Hoculi. If you disagree with him, he will change your mind.

• Why is it that “Judgment Calls” cannot be challenged?! Don’t you think that the best “judgments” are made when someone has additional time and information at-hand to make the best judgment possible? I say if we are going to have Challenges available, pass interference calls should be fair-game. I mean, come on, after some of these bullshit pass interference calls, it is ridiculous that they are not open for challenge. I will bet that the refs would have realized their mistakes and over-turned a number of pass interference calls Monday night had they had the chance.

• The Packers have a pretty good-looking road ahead. The Pack are playing a dysfunctional Bears team next week and a banged-up Steelers team the following week. Then they play a shitty Seahawks team followed by a Week 17 match-up with a Cardinals team who very well may be resting their key starters because they may have the division wrapped up and no incentive to risk injuries before the playoffs. Three of the Packers next four opponents could potentially be tough matchups; however, the Packers happen to be playing each of them in a time of weakness. (For the record, I’m super impressed with the Cardinals after the Vikings game, but the 8-4 Cardinals have a three-game lead over the 5-7 San Francisco 49ers…do you really think that beating the Packers in Week 17 will even be the Cardinals’ primary goal for that game?)
  

  Packers special teams need to pick up the intensity and do their jobs (stay in your *&$@#! lane)

• If the Packers continue to play well on both sides of the ball, I don’t see why they should lose any of their next four games. OK — the Pack’s special teams still needs A LOT of work. AHEM-Mason Crosby, AHEM-both coverage units, AHEM-Jeremy Kapinos! The Packers seem due for at least one or two special teams breakdowns in each game. This has got to be cleaned up if the Packers want any chance of competing in the playoffs. With that said, IF the Packers establish some consistency on special teams in the coming weeks, they will be firing on all cylinders in all three phases of the game. THAT equals a dangerous Packers team. And it could lead them to a 12-4 regular season record.

But, as Albert Pacino preached in Any Given Sunday, it’s all about the inches!

• The Offensive Line is playing more cohesively as a unit. Even without T.J. Lang, who I believe will be a good starter for years, the Big Guys up front continue to improve. Tackles Chad Clifton and Mark Tauscher are anchoring the line as they have for a decade (yes, they were both drafted in 2000 – ain’t that some shit!?). The running lanes between the tackles are staying open noticeably longer, which is allowing Ryan Grant and now Ahman Green, who has run and blocked very well in limited time, to have more patience behind the line.  Sure, it didn’t hurt the Packers that All-Worlders S Ed Reed and OLB Terrell Suggs were inactive last night. But you can’t help but be impressed with how much this once horrible Offensive Line has improved in the second half of the season.

• The Packers have rediscovered their bread and butter:  the West Coast offense. After straying from their dangerous short passing game for several weeks in the second quarter of the season, the Packers are back at it. The five-yard slants are once again the staple of this offense, which means teams are going to have a hard time stopping the Pack in December. Armed with two of the most dangerous receivers after the catch in the league, Greg Jennings and Donald Driver, the Packers are better off letting their playmakers turn slants into big plays than forcing big plays downfield.
• But the Playmakers need to catch the ball first! While the Packers’ receivers have shown on a weekly basis that they have one of the deepest corps in the league, they have been dropping the ball too much. It seems that Jennings, Driver and crew often forget that they have to catch the ball before they rack up the YAC. (Jermichael Finley, I love you, but this applies to you more than anyone). And the Ravens game is not the only game the Packers receiving corps has had “Troy Williamson Moments” – there have been several “say whaaa” drops in each of the past five games. I know it sounds like I’m nitpicking here, but come January an easy drop in the second quarter could end up spelling the end of the season.

• At times, Jermichael Finley looks like a Pro Bowl playmaking tight end. But other times he looks like a second
  

  Once Finley becomes more consistent...watch out!

  year player who is still adjusting to the fact that linebackers can actually run with him at this level. While Jerry-Mike has the occasional drop and the occasional missed block, he is only a second year player who was drafted out of Texas with the future in mind. As he continues to improve his blocking, the sky is the limit for Finley in this offense (think Mark Chmura pre-high school graduation party). Every game you can see the immense potential this athletic tight end has, and in two years I think GerMickey will be one of the top receiving tight ends in the league.

• Mike McCarthy must take pride in losing challenges.  OC Joe Philbin: “Mike, I’m positive that we didn’t catch that ball.” McCarthy: “You know this is my thing Joe. Losin’ another challenge, one game at a time.” It’s hard to blame Mike on some of his challenges. Some key plays are worth risking a timeout to be sure that they end in the Packers’ favor. But other challenges this year, like the Kelley Washington catch last night, have been flat-out stupid. The ESPN guys should be doing a whole “C’mon Man!” segment on McCarthy’s dumb challenges this year. If McCarthy throws out the red flag, then you know the chances of the Packers losing a timeout and wasting everybody’s time are prettttty pretttty pretttty good.

• The defensive line is playing really well. Cullen Jenkins, B.J. Raji, Ryan Pickett, Johnny Jolly, and the whole crew have had the trenches on lock down for several weeks. The D-linemen are putting some pressure on quarterbacks, but most importantly, they are commanding attention opening up lanes for stunts and linebacker blitzes. The negative: Pickett and Raji could miss a few games with injuries.

• Clay Matthews is going to be a pro-bowl linebacker for years to come. The guy just doesn’t quit. I geeked during the play when he literally ran in circles after Joe Flacco. The guy really plays with reckless abandon — he can take on blocks, make all the tackles in the running game, and already looks like a seasoned pass-rusher at times. As Clay continues to gain experience and master some of the nuances of the game that made his position coach Kevin Greene a pro-bowl pass rusher, he is only going to improve. Players with that kind of aggressiveness and intensity don’t fall by the wayside. They flourish.
  

  Clay Matthews has one hell of a future with the Packers

• Brad Jones looks like he has a bright future with the Packers. Size, speed, awareness — Brad Jones has it all. People are probably beginning to wonder how he dropped to the seventh round of the 2009 NFL draft. He seems to fit this defense very well and is starting to look like another seventh round steal for the Pack. His pass rushing ability fits our defensive scheme perfectly, and there is a reason why Brandon Chillar, Desmond Bishop, etc. are on the sideline — because this guy is damn good.

• HOLY COLUMBUS!!! Did A.J. Hawk just make a big play!? After being drafted by the Packers #5 overall in 2006, A.J. Hawk has done little to stand during his four years as a starter. While he is, for the most part, a solid “gap responsibility” linebacker, he hasn’t made nearly enough plays to warrant the #5 overall pick. Not only does Brady Quinn’s brother-in-law struggle shedding blockers, but his downfield coverage has been a weakness for years. With that said….A.J. made a big interception on Monday Night Football! And it was actually great coverage. Let’s not expect this often, but it was certainly nice to see a play out of Hawk.

Just when I thought I was sick of all the Tiger Woods talk (are you?), I found this hilarious video on CNN.com of a virtual reenactment of Tiger Woods’ car crash by a Taiwanese news site.

A few months ago many Vikings fans thought Head Coach Brad Childress’ job was in jeopardy. Sure, the Vikings did win the NFC North last year with a 10-6 record. But they lost in the first round of the playoffs with a dominant defense and running game. Fan sentiment in the Twin Cities was that the Vikings needed a new Head Coach to get them over the hump of mediocrity.

Then a young whipper-snapper named Brett Favre came along. OK, maybe he’s not so young anymore. But 10 weeks into the NFL season, 40 year-old Brett Favre has the Vikings off to an 8-1 start and a commanding lead in the NFC North division.

Brad Childress’ ass four months ago:  Definitely on the Hot Seat

Brad Childress’ ass right now:  Quite Possibly on a Gold Toilet Seat

Financial terms have yet to be officially disclosed, but ESPN is reporting that the deal is between $4 and $5 million a year through the 2013 season (for the sake of comparison, the Packers’ Mike McCarthy is signed on through the 2012 season for about $4 million a year).

Why was Childress on the Hot Seat, you ask? Well, we could go for hours on that topic. But here is a microcosm of Vikings fans’ frustrations from the past few years under Childress:

3rd Down & 9.
Handoff to Adrian Peterson Off Tackle.
7-Yard Gain.
Vikings Punt.

Isn’t it funny what a good Quarterback can do for a Head Coach? Despite having one of the best defenses in the league (no question best defensive line) and easily the best Running Back in the league, the Vikings could only go so far without a decent Quarterback.

While frustration over Childress’ conservative offensive play-calling of years past is certainly understandable, it is also very misguided. What, besides the best Running Back tandem in the league (Chester Taylor would be starting for the Packers), is a coach supposed to lean on when he has no legitimate Quarterback?

Which brings me to my next question. How much of Childress’ new contract is he forking over to #4 for essentially saving his ass?

"Chili, give me your wife for one night and we'll call it even"

1. There was a whole new level of intensity brought by the Packers defense today. Aggressive blitzes. Aggressive plays on the ball. Aggressive fumble recoveries. Where was this Reckless Abandon last week against the Bucs?

2. Charles Woodson set the tone for the game. He was the best player on the field today and is consistently overlooked as one of the best Cornerbacks in the NFL. This is the year Charles Woodson’s name should come up in Defensive Player of the Year discussions. What a stud. Absolute stud.

3. Two rookie Linebackers, Clay Matthews and Brad Jones, looked terrific. The two rookie Linebackers combined for 8 tackles, a sack and 2 tackles for loss. Clay is what the Packers thought they were getting when they drafted A.J. Hawk #5 overall — an athletic playmaker who will not only make the plays that he should, but will also make your jaw drop once or twice a game. Clay is playing with a new level of intensity (probably because he is more familiar and comfortable with the defensive scheme) than the first 8 games. He may just be that Kevin Greene-like blitzing force (isn’t he lucky to have such a coach) to wreck havoc in the Packers new 3-4 defense for years to come.

Brad Jones, the rookie LB from Missouri, also looked like he belonged out there today. In fact, he played better, in some respects, than Aaron Kampman, who was out with a concussion. Unlike Kampman, Jones looked smooth dropping back into coverage and held his own at the point of attack on off-tackle running plays. I think the Pack may have found their 2 future stalwarts at OLB today.

Gotta Love the 'Stache

4.  Boring, maybe. But Aaron Rodgers did an excellent job of managing a physical, grind ‘em out game. Many Packers fans are criticizing Rodgers for holding the ball too long (which may be a contributing factor in some instances, but is preposterous as explanation by itself for the ungodly amount of sacks the Pack has given up). For those fans who criticize Rodgers for NOT taking more chances, I ask you this:

How many times have you seen the old Gunslinger get impatient in tight, grind ‘em out games, and launch an ill-advised missile between 2 defenders that was — well, intercepted. I can think of more than a few. And I, for one, am proud of Rodgers for hanging tough today and leading the Pack against a 6-2 division-leader with a menacing pass rush. And most importantly — NO INTERCEPTIONS. I can get used to this.

5. Call me a hater, but Ryan Grant has worse field vision than Hellen Keller. The Packers O-Line could open up a hole for a Mack Truck to run through (I know, doesn’t happen) and Ryan Grant would make it seem as though a ZipCar could not fit through it. In other words, Grant still struggles at finding the hole and making the right cut-back. Sure, he ran hard today — harder than I’ve seen him run all year — but I long for the days when the Pack can hand the ball off to a Running Back who can actually make something happen.

6.  Mike McCarthy can be a poor Gameday Coach. I have been saying this for awhile now, but it often seems like McCarthy is overwhelmed by the Gameday responsibilities of a Head Coach. I won’t get into the penalties (yes, they keep on comin’), but calling a Challenge in the 2nd half when you HAVE NONE LEFT is unacceptable. I mean, seriously, Mike? Since when did you get 3 challenges? Get your head out of your ass bruh.

7.  The Packers CAN establish a running game if the coaches commit to it. It was certainly nothing to write home about, but the Packers were finally able to establish a legitimate running game to balance our pass-heavy Offensive attack. Far too often, McCarthy has given up on the run after only a couple of failed series. If the Packers are going to compete for a Wild Card, they MUST establish a legitimate running game to take the pressure off of Rodgers and the pass protection. A little Ryan Grant explosion in the 2nd half a la 2007 would be prettttttty prettttttttty good.

The Samurai is Back in Full Force!

8.  Nick Barnett looks healthy and ready to bust out the Samurai on a regular basis. I got the impression during the first half of the season that Barnett was still favoring his knee and not quite playing with his usual Reckless Abandon. Today, that changed. The Samurai was flying around the field.

Packers Insiders have seen Barnett practicing the Five Point Palm Exploding Heart Technique every Wednesday after practice. He could be preparing for that Chach Jay Cutler in Week 14.

9.  It never fails to amaze me how quickly the tides can turn. One week ago, the Packers’ season looked like a lost cause and fans were screaming for drastic changes. Now, momentum seems to have turned and fans are whispering playoffs again.

10.  The Packers have as good of a chance as anyone at an NFC Wild Card berth. The Pack got lucky today as Chicago, Atlanta, and Philadelphia all lost. In one week’s time, the Packers’ playoff chances went from seemingly nothing to pretttttttty good. Win the games that they should and a couple that they shouldn’t, and the Pack can grab that Wild Card fo’ sho.’

The Packers got a huge victory today against the previously 6-2, division leading Dallas Cowboys. A huge defensive effort, led by the one and only Charles Woodson, propelled the Packers to a 17-7 victory at Lambeau. Check out the highlights and you’ll notice that the defense was much more aggressive this week than last week against the Bucs!

Watch the highlights from the Bucks-Warriors game on Saturday night, in which Bucks rookie Brandon Jennings leads the Bucks to a 129-125 come from behind victory. Check out B. Jennings’ shot chart and see how he came to score 55 points (29 in the 3rd quarter alone didn’t hurt!) Timberwolves fans getting wet over Jonny Flynn should watch closely to see why the Bucks future looks MUCH brighter!