Posts tagged AaronKampman at FanHouse

We told you earlier Monday of the firing of Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Bob Sanders. It was hardly a surprise, but the fact that head coach Mike McCarthy waited a full week after the end of the season made it possible that he had someone specific in mind to take over.

I mentioned then that former San Francisco head coach Mike Nolan was close to McCarthy, and there were already rumors that he was a candidate for the gig.

Now, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk is reporting that Nolan is rounding up defensive assistants, and he is preparing to become the Packers' new defensive coordinator.

While this is certainly good news for Packers fans, as Nolan is an accomplished defensive coach, things aren't all rosy. There are some serious questions that surround this potential move.

Namely, what scheme will the Packers play?

The Green Bay Packers defense suffered a monumental blow Tuesday, as it was announced that end Cullen Jenkins will miss the rest of the season.

Jenkins, a fifth-year pro, was really blossoming into a star end opposite All-Pro Aaron Kampman. He suffered a torn pectoral muscle during Sunday's 30-21 loss at Tampa Bay. The injury will require surgery and around three months of recovery time, making it pointless for Jenkins to remain on the active roster.

For Green Bay, this is a really bad break. Jenkins and Kampman were clearly the bright spots on a defensive line that has struggled to make plays. The trade of tackle Corey Williams to Cleveland before the NFL Draft, combined with the injury problems involving 2007 first-round pick Justin Harrell, really damaged the interior line.

The Packers have already slipped to 27th in the NFL in run defense (almost 160 yards per game, or more than 60 ahead of last year's total), and losing Jenkins isn't going to help.

It's expected that Mike Montgomery and rookie Jeremy Thompson will share time at Jenkins' end position. There will also be pressure on veteran Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila to provide pass pressure.

Of more concern for the Packers than the run support in that spot may be the pass rush Jenkins provides from the interior on passing downs. Montgomery and Thompson aren't likely to be very effective at all in that role, and the Packers don't have any tackles who are good at getting upfield.

Green Bay defensive end Aaron Kampman seems like a swell guy, unassuming off the field, but wreaking havoc from his defensive end position. The Packers host the Giants this weekend, and it will be the second time the teams will meet this season.

In Week 2, Green Bay travelled to New York to put a 35-13 whupping on the Giants, but Kampman remembers the game for a different reason: New York center Shaun O'Hara clocked him in the back of the head after the whistle. In the locker room afterwards, Kampman said "I had a player that did something real dirty to me ... This was stuff that he shouldn't be doing and he won't do it again."

Yeah, it sounds more like something you'd expect to hear on Montel, but I think the point is clear. Just in case you missed it, though, Rodney Harrison, known around the world as the NFL's dirtiest player, weighs in:

To get you ready for Week 16, FanHouse is previewing all 16 NFL games. Here is your Packers/Bears preview.

2007 Records:

Green Bay Packers: 12-2 (NFC North Champions)
Chicago Bears: 5-9 (Last in NFC North)

Last Week:

Packers 33, Rams 14
Vikings 20, Bears 13

When the Packers have the ball: Green Bay's first choice is to attack through the air but they aren't totally reliant on the pass. Ryan Grant has the second-most yards in the league since Week Eight and has found great success running behind a very good Packer line. With Tommie Harris and Darwin Walker ailing, the middle of the Bears defensive line should yield good gains for Grant and force the Bears to adjust their defense forward. When they do that Favre can take advantage. Tight end Donald Lee is a force in play action and Donald Driver, James Jones and Greg Jennings down the field. Nathan Vasher played for the first time in ages last week and made some plays in Minnesota, but he's missed practice all week and Tarvaris Jackson isn't exactly of Favre's caliber.

To get you ready for Week 15, FanHouse is previewing all 16 NFL games. Here is your Green Bay Packers/St. Louis Rams preview.

2007 Records:

Green Bay Packers: 11-2 (1st in NFC North)
St. Louis Rams: 3-10 (4th in NFC West)

Last Week:

Packers 38, Raiders 7
Bengals 19, Rams 10

Why We Care: The Packers are playing for a first round bye and potentially home field through the playoffs. The Rams are an afterthought, but this is where young teams falter. The Packers need to stay disciplined, but with two divisional contests to close out the season and thoughts of the playoffs ahead, the Rams might surprise them. Not necessarily that the Rams will win, or even that they'll make it a close game, logic would dictate that the possibility of that is slim, but ... this is the type of game where logic does not always apply. They call 'em "trap" games for a reason.

Taking into account that it's the preseason, many of the players sitting on the sidelines tonight would normally be on the field if it was a meaningful game. With that said, I'm sure most fans would like to know who they should expect to see this evening. For that reason, I've done by best to create an accurate injury report -- official reports are not posted until week one of the regular season.

Green Bay Packers:

Out: Running back Vernand Morency (knee), running back P.J. Pope (knee), running back DeShawn Wynn (quad) and fullback Brandon Miree (stinger).

Questionable: Cornerback Al Harris (back), guard Tony Palmer (undisclosed), defensive end Devon Hicks (groin), tackle Orrin Thompson (back) and cornerback Charles Woodson (hamstring)

Probable: Safety Marviel Underwood (knee), defensive end Aaron Kampman (knee), linebacker Abdul Hodge (knee), wide receiver Greg Jennings (hip), tackle Chad Clifton (knees), tight end Bubba Franks (cornea) and linebacker Nick Barnett (back).