Packers don some hideous uniforms and down the sinking 49ers. Packers 34 – 49ers 16.

First, let me address those uniforms. Yes, they were 1929 Green Bay throwbacks. And yes, they were hideous. But even the worst uniforms in the world couldn’t stop the Packers today.They took it to those sourdough bread heads. (In case you don’t know, they wear sourdough bread on their heads in San Fran, kinda like we do with cheese here. I know, sounds crazy right?)

Great overall win for the team, a game that they played well in even after falling behind in the first quarter. It seemed like the Packers started out slow, not getting much going on offense in the first few series of the game, but the defense did well to hold up during that stretch.

In case you haven’t noticed by now, this Aaron Rodgers kid is pretty good. I bet the ‘Niners are kicking themselves every time they have to play Green Bay for not drafting Rodgers # 1 overall when they had the chance. Nope, instead they took Alex Smith once upon a time, but since he was out with an injury, we got to see Troy Smith, a.k.a. Mike Vick-lite.

I like Troy Smith, he can run a little, he can pass, he won the Heisman trophy in college. He made some great throws. He also never get into trouble for dog-fighting. He seems like a nice guy. He might have a decent career in the NFL. I am just glad that he didn’t blow up against the Packers. I hope he plays better next week.

But honestly, how can you stop the Packers’ receivers? Greg Jennings made a ridiculous catch for the Packers’ first touchdown and that totally changed the momentum of the game. Donald Driver broke (what?!!) more than five tackles on a catch and run for a touchdown. And if it wasn’t for a play that was wrongly whistled dead early (defense off-sides), James Jones would have had an incredible bobbling catch for a huge gain. And even without that gain, this is a hard group to stop. Defensive coordinators probably have nightmares about going up against them. I know I would.

And how about Aaron Rodgers? Isn’t it great to have a QB who can make plays with both his arm and his feet? I believe that the Packers have really found something special with Rodgers. When he can’t find someone open, he can often make the play with his feet. And I love to watch him run. It is pretty exciting when he takes of on a 3rd-and-6 or even longer. He was extremely accurate today, and took care of the football. I don’t know about you, but I love that the Pack has a QB who rarely fumbles or throws a pick. (I wonder what other QB’s have that problem?…)

Well, enough of the love-fest. I was happy to see the Packers win a game that they were expected to win. At 8-4, they are still a game behind the bears in the NFC North, but they are in the thick of the playoff race. That’s all we can ask for at this point. And as long as they don’t wear those uniforms again, they should be fun to watch. We decided that the uniforms looked like a cross between Michigan’s and Wausau West’s. Ugh. Lee.  Please bring back the Green and Gold right away!

Next week we can see our teams’ sharp-looking away uniforms as they travel to Ford Field to take on the Lions. This is another game that the Pack should win. I look forward to watching it!!! Thanks for reading!

A not so sweet blog entry, with report cards too. Buccaneers 38 Packers 28.

Well, that was a terrible game to watch as a Green Bay Packers fan.

I mean come on, how bad do you have to be to lose to an 0-7 team starting a rookie quarterback for the first time? COME ON!! The Packers were a 10-point favorite to win that game. This should illustrate just how far they’ve fallen. I do not like this Sam I am, I do not like Green Bay’s dumb plan.

That made me physically ill. I guess I’ll have to eat a dreamsicle now in honor of those throwback Buccaneer uniforms. I think that maybe the reason the Packers lost was because they were too distracted by how ridiculous those uniforms made the other team look. Or because their coach is a dumb-ass. Or because Ted Thompson is an idiot who refuses to spend a dime in free agency. Pick your reason actually, it doesn’t really matter because this team isn’t about to turn it around without some help on the offensive line. Too bad we will have to wait until next year to see it. 😦

Now that it is the official halfway point of the season, I am giving my mid-season grades to the Packers:

QB: B+

Aaron Rodgers’ consistent high level of play with absolutely no protection is something I can get excited about. He has been one of the few bright spots on an otherwise terrible offensive unit. I would like to see him throw it away a little bit more, instead of taking a sack every time he gets in trouble, though. His three interceptions last game dropped his grade from an A.

Offensive Line: F

Let’s see – I think we are trying to set the record for the most penalties and sacks given up in one season. So far, so good.

RB’S: D+

Even the signing of Ahman Green couldn’t raise this grade. They just cannot run the ball, period. How much of that is the o-line’s fault is up for debate I guess.

WR’S: B

This grade was raised by Donald Driver’s consistently high level of play at age 35. I would still like to see a little bit more out of Greg Jennings and James Jones this season. Jordy Nelson is a talented young man, and that is why we have nicknamed him White Lightning.

TE’S: B-

Jermicheal Finley is a freak of nature and could be the next Antonio Gates or Tony Gonzalez. Too bad he has been out lately with an injury. Donald Lee is pretty good as a number two option, but he drops way too many passes to be a consistent first team player.

Defensive Line: C-

Jonny Jolly and Cullen Jenkins are probably the two best players here. We haven’t seen too much greatness from first-round pick B.J. Raji yet this season, which is too bad. This grade would be higher if the Packers could ever get to another teams QB, which they can’t seem to do.

Linebackers: B

Clay Matthews is a beast. A.J. Hawk and Nick Barnett are solid every year. Aaron Kampman is a talented player, but his talent is being wasted as an OLB and he can’t cover anyone. They might be better off trying to put him back on the D-line and using Chillar or Poppinga as the fourth linebacker. It can’t hurt.

Secondary: C

They aren’t terrible, but they’ve given up way too many big plays this season. Just think back to either of the Vikings games. Charles Woodson is the best player they have back there. Collins is pretty good, but he needs Bigby back there to help him shine. Al Harris has just been awful. He is a much better bump and run corner than a zone player in a 3-4 defense. I think that is showing this year. We could use better play from our third CB as well.

Special Teams: F

Giving up huge chunks of yardage on kick and punt returns? Check. Horrible and/or blocked punts? Check. Missed field goals galore? Check. Bad, bad, bad. That’s all I have to say about Coach Shawn Slocum’s special teams unit this year. But in the words of Mike McCarthy, I’m sure they’ll get that cleaned up.

Overall Team Grade: C

Current record: 4-4
At the midway point of the NFL season this is all we can give the Packers, an average grade for a mediocre team that probably won’t make the playoffs. I just wish they could turn it around this year instead of waiting until next year to make any changes. Oh well, keep your chin up out their cheesehead nation. There are still eight games left to play. Who knows, all 31 other teams could get the swine flu.
Love these grades? Hate these grades? I want to hear from you! Leave a comment.

Next week the Packers play the Cowboys at home. Go Pack!