For the Green Bay Packers, Saturday's preseason opener against Cleveland is the start of a new beginning. The Browns, meanwhile, just hope to take a step toward figuring out a starting quarterback.
When the two meet at Lambeau Field, the only thing that is known is that the Packers will play a live game for the first time under new defensive coordinator Dom Capers. In the short time that the starters play, and in the normally-bland environment that preseason games against regular-season opponents can create, what should Packer fans look for?
The now 0-15 Lions have many believing that a winless season is not only possible, but probable. This is 0for08, FanHouse's eye on the Detroit Lions and their quest for a winless season.
The Detroit Lions need someone to step up and make a play if they're going to avoid finishing 0-16. In the early going, no one has.
In fact, the Lions' defense looked even more pathetic than usual in he first quarter today at Green Bay. With the Packers facing third-and-4 at their own 27-yard line, running back DeShawn Wynn took the ball around the right end and raced downfield, looking like he was zipping through a high school defense as no Lion could come close to tackling him. Wynn entered today's game with one carry for four yards this season, but he scored a 73-yard touchdown to get the Packers off to a 7-0 lead against the Lions.
On offense, Detroit has had the ball twice and punted twice. The Lions are closing in on 0-16.
Other than last week's Monday night game in Denver, the Packers haven't had much of a running game this season. It's kind of odd -- Brett Favre has almost always had a reliable back, whether it was Edgar Bennett, Dorsey Levens, or Ahman Green.
Unless new starter Ryan Grant takes off in the final half of this season like Dorsey Levens in the second half of 1996 or Green in the second half of 2000, finding a franchise halfback has to be among [GM Ted] Thompson's priorities. Coach Mike McCarthy wants to run the ball, and to do it he needs a big-time back. ...
Thompson .... [and] the entire college scouting department, have been visiting college campuses each week all season looking at prospects in person and on videotape and doing background research for next year's draft. They'll continue to until the college regular season ends in the next two to three weeks.
Welcome to another successful installment of Five Questions with an Enemy Blogger, where each week, via email, I will be exchanging hot questions and [sometimes] answers with a rival blogger about their team and the upcoming matchup.
This week I sat down with Brandon of Acme Packing Company, a Sports Blog Nation column that covers the Green Bay Packers.
Dan Benton: "Brett Favre, Brett Favre, Brett Favre ... Is there anything that guy can't do?"
Brandon: "Well, he sure can't run. He's always had good pocket presence, ability to avoid the rush, but you sure wonder if he's going to hurt himself on the rare occasion he tries to run for a first down."
Benton: "I know the Packers running back situation is so confusing that fans don't even have a grasp on it, but you have to like what you saw out of Ryan Grant on Monday night. Should we expect to see more of him in the coming weeks?"
A day after exiting Green Bay's Monday night contest against the Broncos with a shoulder injury, DeShawn Wynn was placed on injured reserve, ending his season. Wynn was hit in his shoulder on his only carry of the game, and said he couldn't feel it. Ryan Grant emerged to rush for over 100 yards in Wynn's place, as part of Green Bay's win. While the door to the 7th round pick's season closes, another one could be opening for Koren Robinson.
Robinson wasn't quite ready for the team to activate him for Monday night, but Wynn's placement on IR means Koren is now on the Packers' roster. That doesn't mean that Robinson will be active for Green Bay's upcoming game against Kansas City, but there is a chance he could be. It's an unfortunate turn of events for Wynn who had worked his way up from 7th round pick to the team's starter. Grant and Vernand Morency will likely split the carries from here on out in what's been largely an ineffective rushing game this year.
The Green Bay Packers are second to last in the NFL in rushing yardage per game. The San Diego Chargers are in the middle of the pack, but they have last year's league MVP toting the rock, LaDainian Tomlinson, and last week's FedEx Ground Player of the Week, Michael Turner, backing him up. Turner is averaging 6.2 yards per carry for his career, and has long been the center of heavy trade speculation. Though the teams appear to be suitable partners, Chargers GM A.J. Smith remains steadfast that Michael Turner will not be dealt:
On Friday, Smith reiterated that nothing has occurred to change his April 30 statement in which he said Turner would not be traded.
"He is not available," Smith said. "For some reason, some people either don't believe it or it means nothing to them. Or, I can't argue with this part, just because he said it he could change his hand. But I'm only concerned about this particular year for our team, and I like our players."
The Packers would have the funds available to take on someone like Turner, so it's possible they do make some sort of deal. Bottom line for Green Bay is that they're using second rate running backs like DeShawn Wynn and Brandon Jackson, and though they're first in the league in passing, they'll need some semblance of a ground game when it gets colder in December. Furthermore, I'm guessing Smith would take a deal if it knocked his socks off, and he's certainly wise for driving the bargaining price up with statements like that.
The field presence of Eli Manning made no difference today, as the Giants secondary was picked apart for the second week in a row. Despite having as many offensive injuries as New York, Brett Favre was able maneuver a near back-up squad to a 35-13 victory.
The Giants now fall to 0-2 on the season, and have to be left wondering if defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo was the answer. While Tim Lewis didn't fare much better last year, New York's secondary is almost laughable. Through two games, they are by far the worst in the league and showed no indications that they are improving. They were scorched for 286 yards today, and once again, their achilles heel was the tight end -- something the Packers rarely use. On the plus side, their defensive tackles, Barry Cofield and Fred Robbins, played quite well this afternoon.
Offensively, the Giants were all over the place. They looked good early on, and then completely fell apart toward the end. All Giants fans can do is take solace in the fact that Manning played decent outside of his pathetic interception, Derrick Ward looked good, Anthony Mix performed well in garbage time and the offensive line appears to be much more capable than people expected coming out of preseason.
Welcome to another successful installment of Five Questions with an Enemy Blogger, where each week, via email, I will be exchanging hot questions and [sometimes] answers with a rival blogger about their team and the upcoming matchup.
This week I sat down with Thomas Pelissero of Packers Insider Blog, a Green Bay Press-Gazette [credentialed] column that covers the Green Bay Packers.
Dan Benton: "Like the Giants, Green Bay has been struggling with injury this year. Which of their injuries has been, or has the potential to be the most devastating?"
Thomas Pelissero: "The series of injuries in the backfield really have hit the Packers hard, as evidenced by their inability to run the football in the preseason and Week 1. Vernand Morency strained a knee on the first day of training camp and hasn't played a down; P.J. Pope suffered a knee injury a week later and eventually was waived; second-round pick Brandon Jackson missed the preseason finale after suffering a mild concussion in a freak collision with a teammate; and Ryan Grant, acquired from the Giants on cutdown weekend, missed most of his first week of practice here with tight hamstrings. The healthiest guy in the group is seventh-round pick DeShawn Wynn, who previously missed time with calf, stomach and quadriceps problems. It's been ridiculous."
The Green Bay Packers got a welcomed breath of fresh air on Sunday. After an offseason marred by countless injuries to the team, it was revealed that wide receiver Donald Driver is healthy enough to take the field Sunday when the Packers open their season against the Philadelphia Eagles.
"Donald is doing well," McCarthy said.
Driver has been sidelined since August 23rd, when he sprained his right foot in a preseason loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. The injury, which many assumed was a broken foot prior to diagnosis, kept the ninth-year wide receiver in a boot until last Thursday.
Although the news concerning Driver is positive, the same does not apply to running backs Vernand Morency and Noah Herron. Herron was placed on injured reserve over the weekend, while Morency remains out with a knee injury sustained on the first day of training camp.
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.
For the Green Bay Packers, Saturday's preseason opener against Cleveland is the start of a new beginning. The Browns, meanwhile, just hope to take a step toward figuring out a starting quarterback.
The now 0-15 Lions have many believing that a winless season is not only possible, but probable. This is 
Welcome to another successful installment of Five Questions with an Enemy Blogger, where each week, via email, I will be exchanging hot questions and [sometimes] answers with a rival blogger about their team and the upcoming matchup.
A day after exiting Green Bay's Monday night contest against the Broncos with a shoulder injury, 
The Green Bay Packers are second to last in the NFL in rushing yardage per game. The San Diego Chargers are in the middle of the pack, but they have last year's league MVP toting the rock, 
Welcome to another successful installment of Five Questions with an Enemy Blogger, where each week, via email, I will be exchanging hot questions and [sometimes] answers with a rival blogger about their team and the upcoming matchup.
The Green Bay Packers got a welcomed breath of fresh air on Sunday. After an offseason marred by countless injuries to the team, it was revealed that wide receiver 
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.
