Gather round Buc 'Em community members, it’s time for another addition of: 'Know thy neighbor' The Buccaneers take on the Green Bay Packers this weekend, Brandon from Acme Packing Company, SBNation's Green Bay Packers Blogger, has agreed to give us some inside information about his Green Bay Packers. Below you'll find his insights:
Buc 'Em:
First and foremost has the other portion of the fan base that couldn’t stomach the thought of a Favre-less Packers team finally warmed up to the Aaron Rodgers led Packers? Did you expect Aaron Rodgers to look as good and as acclimated to the offense as he’s looked early on this season? Considering this off-seasons drama, has Brett Favre’s legacy changed at all for you?
Acme Packing Company:
I always found it hard to believe that many Packer fans would choose loyalty to Favre over the franchise. I've never read a comment on my site that put Favre above franchise. Many people just wanted Favre back, including myself, because he's Favre and he had a damn good 2007 season. The team was better with him. But I was in the minority. Most fans were bitter. You quit, don't come back now. We've moved on. It didn't help that the Packers front office screwed the whole situation up, and kept saying they wanted him back, said they were trying to work something out (like it's complicated for a guy to report to camp) while all the time working to make him go away anywhere except Minnesota. It took me about a week to grieve (is that the right word?) and it was weird the first time I saw him throw a pass for the Jets. Now I rarely mention him. I've been watching every Jets game, which is hard since they aren't well coached and they grossly overpaid for a bunch of declining veterans. Favre hasn't changed in my eyes, he's done more for the franchise than any other player in my lifetime, but it's over.
I had my concerns about Aaron Rodgers. He looked awful when he played in 2005 and 2006, but clearly he was much better in 2007. Still, Pac-10 QBs that have played for Jeff Tedford at Cal and Oregon are a horror show (Akili Smith, Joey Harrington, Kyle Boller). Not Rodgers. He still has no interceptions this season. He's great at scanning the field, avoiding the rush, and throwing on the run. The offense fizzled against Dallas, but that was a team fizzle, nothing specific you could pin on him. He was nearly perfect in the preseason too. He's been really impressive, and I'm looking forward to see how he comes back after a tough loss.
It's ironic. After sitting on the bench for three seasons, he's a gem in what was a stinker 2005 1st round draft. Two of the top 10 picks are already out of the NFL, Tampa's pick that year isn't looking so hot either, and top pick QB Alex Smith is a bust too. I think a lot of teams might want a mulligan on that one..
Buc 'Em:
The community at Buc ‘Em was pretty depressed on Draft Day when your Green Bay Packers swooped in and selected Kansas State WR/PR Jordy Nelson. Do the Packers take advantage of Jordy’s skill set as being a capable return man and receiver or have they used kid gloves with him early on this season? When it’s all said and done what type of career do you think Jordy Nelson can have for the Green Bay Packers (A Hall of Fame Marvin Harrison career, a good but modest Wes Welker career, or does he become Mr. Irrelevant)?
Acme Packing Company:
I had absolutely no idea who Jordy Nelson was when the Packers drafted him. We had done a mock SB Nation draft, and his name never came up. He has slid up to the number 3 WR due to injuries to James Jones and Ruvell Martin, but he's not ready yet and will slip back down as soon as the other guys are healthy. You can see the promise, but I'm not sure how good he will be. He's shown some promise as a return man too, but the Packers have a couple other good returners so he's splitting time. If he's a factor next Sunday, it will be his breakout game.
Buc 'Em:
You’ve had some pretty good running backs over the years: Dorsey Levens, Ahman Green, and Najeh Davenport. Okay so Dookie wasn’t that great, but how has Ryan Grant looked this season? What type of running back is he? Is he sturdy enough to carry the load for the Packers?
Acme Packing Company:
Grant's been nursing a bad hamstring since he reported to camp a week late after a contract holdout. The Packers have been slow to bring him back and he's still not been allowed to break the 15 carry barrier. He's an Adrian Peterson/Eddie George type back. He runs tall, but his combination of size and speed is very tough to defend. His vision is excellent and he's very dangerous once he's given a little room to run. He won't be asked to carry the load because the Packers love backup RB Brandon Jackson, especially as a receiver.
Buc 'Em:
I was a little jealous when the Packers drafted A.J. Hawk a couple years ago, the guy seemed like a lock for the Pro Bowl for years. How has he turned out thus far? Aside from A.J. Hawk who should Bucs fans keep an eye on Sunday when your defense takes the field?
Acme Packing Company:
Hawk has been good, and he took a big leap forward last season in pass coverage. He's a solid tackler with good size and speed. This will probably be his first season to the Pro Bowl, not because he's all that much better, but because the Packers have dialed up the blitz, they hardly blitzed at all in 2007 so it's not a big dial, and he's already recorded two sacks. He'll get over 100 tackles again this season, but he should also get 8-10 sacks, and probably get a lot more notice around the league just because he's been given the opportunity to rush the passer.
Aaron Kampman. I'm still surprised how well Charles Woodson's worked out as a free agent signing. He's the only member of the secondary who forces turnovers, and he plays well through injuries, he's currently playing with a broken toe. But DE Aaron Kampman is by far the best player on defense. He's hard to run against, and he’s always disruptive as a pass rusher. He's no situational pass rusher; he'll be on the field all game long.
Buc 'Em:
Prediction Time: Give me your outlook for the game complete with a predicted score…
Acme Packing Company:
The X-Factor is Brian Griese. He can be great, see 2000 and 2004, plus he torched the Packers last season in Lambeau as a Chicago Bear. The rest of the time, his QB rating is below 75 or worse. Usually he's below average. If below average Griese shows up on Sunday the Packers will win 24-13 (something like that), but if QB rating over 90 Brian shows up, then I have trouble seeing the Packers winning without a killer turnover or special teams play going their way.
Before I thank you for your insights… You didn’t know who Jordy Nelson was? Just for that you should fictitiously trade him to us for the rest of the 2008 season. Also, how blessed have you guys been in the Franchise Quarterback department? I realize it’s beyond ultra early for Aaron Rodgers career and labeling him another Franchise QB for your organization, but the early indications are just that. Alright now for your praise: Brandon, thanks a lot for the information!!
Be sure to head over to Acme Packing Companyfor News, Insights, and everything dealing with the Green Bay Packers, also checkout the Q & A we did with Brandon. Remember if you want to know something specific about a Buccaneers opponent leading up to that weekend's game, put your request in the comments section and we'll be sure to get your question(s) answered...