Green Bay Packers 2009 Season

[Todd300]

Well, it’s that time of the year. Are you ready for some football? The Green Bay Packers have officially kicked off training camp. The Family night inter-squad scrimmage is this weekend and the first pre-season game is August 15 against those guys in the orange helmets from Ohio, the Cleveland Browns.

They kick off the regular season in a Sunday night game against the hated Chicago Bears on September 13. Damn, I don’t ever recall a season starting this late since 1977 when the NFL had 6 preseason games and 14 regular season games.

For once, with no distractions concerning a certain future hall of fame quarterback, the Packers look to rebound from a disappointing 6-10 season in 2008 and it would easily have been a 4-12 season if it wasn’t for a certain 0-16 team located somewhere in Michigan.

Despite what some fans have said, last year’s debacle was not all Aaron Rodgers’ fault. Yes, he made mistakes at times, but overall, I thought he played solid football and put up some decent numbers and should get better this year now that he’s had a whole year of football under his belt.

The majority of the blame for the crew from Lambeau Field fell on the defense, or should I say, lack of it. They could not hold a lead to save their lives and it cost them many games.

Enter Dom Capers. Is the 3-4 defense the answer? I don’t know. On one hand, I do agree a change is needed and I think Capers and his staff are more than adequate to step up and make the defense a lot better than they were last year.

On the other hand, learning the 3-4 means a major adjustment for many players on the team, especially Aaron Kampman, who has made it no secret that he does not like his new role on the defense. If he falters this year, he will look for a team next year that employs the 4-3. But if Kampman does play well, maybe even better than he did last year, Green Bay better move fast to sign him to an extension because I think Kampman can be a decent outside linebacker if he can stay committed to it.

Cullen Jenkins can be a major force on the defense – if he can stay healthy.

Let’s hope BJ Raji can sign a contract and soon. This behemoth is exactly what the Packers need to have a strong run defense. But the longer he waits to sign that contract, the less the chances of him being an immediate impact player.

If Nick Collins can stop running his mouth and show what what he can do on the field, he will get that contract extension that he’s been wanting.

I think Charles Woodson will be better in the new defense. He’s smart and can make adjustments on the fly. He just needs to stay healthy. As for Al Harris, the jury will be out on him. In my opinion, I think he’s better in a bump and run scheme. I’m not so sure if he’d be a good fit in Capers’ 3-4. But it’s too early to tell yet. He could surprise me.

All in all, I’m looking at a 9-7, maybe 10-6 season for the Packers.

What do everyone else think?

[rubeeslpr]

I work at a Madison travel agency and we have 28 tickets for every Packer home game.
Contact me at [email protected] if you are interested, and I can send you more information.

[Todd300]

BJ Raji is still unsigned as of this post. Every day he holds out, he falls further behind on the 3-4 scheme. But the holdout is not entirely his fault. I believe the players drafted ahead of him and behind him are also unsigned, so it’s just a matter of waiting for Raji to figure out his fair market value. But the deal better get done soon. Otherwise, the season will be a wash for him before it even gets started.

The battle to win the punting job is not much of a battle since both punters are mediocre at best in the forms of Jeremy Kapinos and Durant Brooks. Why did the Packers give Jon Ryan the boot last year, I’ll never understand. They always seem to have the habit of letting go some good punters (remember Craig Hentrich?). Let’s hope another team has two great punters in camp and have to release one so the Packers can get him, but not likely. Whoever wins the punting job will still not be all that good. Let’s hope the Green Bay defense holds up in bad field position due to poor punting.

Nick Barnett starts off camp on the PUP list, but once off the list, He should be back with the first team. Let’s hope he plays well and be a force on the linebacker corps.

Who will be the #2 QB for the Packers? Neither Flynn or Brohm showed they could do it last year when Rodgers got hurt. Now that both Flynn and Brohm have a year experience, hopefully one of them can step up and show that he’s more than capable for filling in for an injured Rodgers, who is not exactly the iron man that Brett Favre was, though Rodgers did show he can play through injury last year.

[Barry Butrymowicz]

Ill plan all of our caching trips to Green Bay during home games, the parks will be empty, all football does is ruin the local news broadcasts and push the nascar broadcasts to the back burner channels

The packers still suck, but a little bit less than the lions

Barry of sweetlife

[furfool]

Speaking of the upcoming Packers’ season, I will need predictions on # of td passes by Rodgers, reception yards by Jennings(?)(last year was Driver), and rushing yards by Ryan Grant. Predictions must be finalized by the last day of training camp. We know Rogers will be starting, and Jennings and Grant will most likely be the features at their positions.

I’ll start off by being a bit bold and going with:
32 TDs for Rodgers,
1800 receiving yards for Jenings,
and 1300 rushing yards for Grant. Subject to change of course.

[RSplash40]

@sweetlife wrote:

all football does is ruin the local news broadcasts and push the nascar broadcasts to the back burner channels

Good spot for it too.

Going to be a interesting season for sure. Could easily go either way with the new defense. Hopefully we don’t have a lot of 4th quarter nail biters again.

[Mathman]

@furfool wrote:

Speaking of the upcoming Packers’ season, I will need predictions on # of td passes by Rodgers, reception yards by Jennings(?)(last year was Driver), and rushing yards by Ryan Grant. Predictions must be finalized by the last day of training camp. We know Rogers will be starting, and Jennings and Grant will most likely be the features at their positions.

I’ll start off by being a bit bold and going with:
32 TDs for Rodgers,
1800 receiving yards for Jenings,
and 1300 rushing yards for Grant. Subject to change of course.

Rodgers: 34 TD’s
Jennings: 1587 yards
Grant: 1077 yards

[Todd300]

Looks like I’ll go with Mathman on this one.

Rodgers 32 TD’s, 14 INT, 4100 yards. INT will seem high, but he will have plenty of games where he throws none and a couple bad games where he might throw 3. The rest maybe 1 or 2. He’s not a risk taker and does have a tendency to hold the ball too long, resulting in a bit more sacks. Some INT’s will not be his fault such as a ball going through a receiver’s hand.

Jennings and Driver both should get 1000 yards receiving. But I think Jennings will have more yards due to his deep threat skills while Driver will be the possession receiver and get more catches than Jennings. Throw it to him to the slant and he’ll take a licking and still hold onto the ball and get up.

Jury’s out on Grant for me. I think he surprised teams after he got traded from the Giants that year. Last year, he was hampered by the training camp holdout followed by injuries. He never really got going. This year, I’m thinking he will be a 3 yards and a cloud of dust type of back who breaks the occasional long gain. Try about 1050-1100 yards for him with Brandon Jackson getting plenty of yards as the 3rd down back – maybe 500 yards.

[Todd300]

BJ Raji signed and in camp. It remains to be seen what kind of factor can he be for the Green & Gold. He’s got so much catching up to do and is not in football shape while his teammates are.

First preseason game is tonight. Things to watch:

1) The Packers also have the Browns in the regular season so expect a very basic vanilla game plan with nothing fancy as not to give away any strategies for the regular season.

2) Punting battle between Brooks and Kapinos may not end up with either of them if neither can impress tonight. A few free agent punters were brought in for a look and if Green Bay’s current punters can’t perform tonight, both will be gone.

3)Who will be Green Bay #2 QB? After a full season under their belts, who will step up to show he can be Rodgers’ back-up?

4)We will get a basic look at the 3-4 scheme and get an idea of what’s to come.

All in all, I’m excited to finally see the 2009 season get off the ground. Looking forward to Bear season in 4 weeks.

[furfool]

Seeing as the regular season begins on Thursday Sept 10th, all of your predictions should be posted here by Wednesday Sept 9th. Anyone not posting between now and then will have their last posted prediction used. This is open to everyone, and the only thing you win is bragging rights. Good luck.

[TyeDyeSkyGuy]

I’ll start with defense, since I think they’ll be the key this year.

Kampman will lead the team with sacks again no doubt but I think he’ll have an even better year, say 11 sacks to himself. 32 for the team overall. Their takeaway ratio will be positive by 50% or more.

Woodson and Collins will have a combined takeaway of 15, with 5 of them going for TD’s.

Rodgers will throw for 4250 with 33 TD’s and 16 INT’s. Passer rating @ 101. Matt Flynn won’t throw a single pass unless they’re saving Rodgers for the playoffs, and hold a big lead in a game.

Jennings and driver are going to battle it out, with Jennings winning by a nose. Drive though, will have more TD’s this year than Jennings. Driver will have 10, Jennings 8

I expect this to be a breakout year for Grant. 1200 yards plus, and at least 6 TD’s

Blackmon’s going to break for at least one TD this year.

As a team, I expect 11 and 5, division champs and in the top three for takeaways this year.

[JimandLinda]

Familiar face on the cover of SI! 🙂

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