Gale Gillingham, Green Bay Packers’ All-Pro Guard, Is Dead at 67

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Gale Gillingham, an All-Pro guard for the Green Bay Packers who played in Vince Lombardi’s last games as the team’s coach, died on Thursday at his home in Little Falls, Minn. He was 67.

Gillingham was inducted into the Packers Hall of Fame in 1982.

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His son Wade said his father apparently had a heart attack while lifting weights in his garage, The Green Bay Press-Gazette reported. The cause of death has not been confirmed.

Gillingham, who competed as a power lifter in later years, was known in that sport as head of “the first family of strength.” His sons, Wade, Brad and Karl, have all been world-class power lifters.

Gillingham became the Packers’ starting left guard in the 1967 season and started in Lombardi’s final two games coaching the team: the storied Ice Bowl, the N.F.L. championship game at Lambeau Field in Green Bay in which the Packers defeated the Dallas Cowboys in below-zero temperatures; and the subsequent Super Bowl II, in which the Packers defeated the Oakland Raiders at the Orange Bowl in Miami.

Gillingham was inducted into the Packers Hall of Fame in 1982 and made the Pro Bowl five times in six years, from 1969 to 1974. He moved to right guard in 1969. A first-round draft choice, he played in 128 regular-season games for the Packers from 1966 to 1974 and in 1976, when he returned to play under Coach Bart Starr, the former Packers quarterback.

Gillingham was born in Madison, Wis., and graduated from high school in Little Falls before attending the University of Minnesota. He is also survived by a daughter. Further information about survivors was not immediately available.

After his playing career, Gillingham worked in real estate for more than 30 years.

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Packers 6-0, Fending Off Talk About Perfect Season

Given the way the reigning Super Bowl champions are playing, and an apparent lack of strong challengers in the NFC, it's not hard to imagine the Packers making a run at a perfect season.

It's only mid-October, but the topic already is coming up.

After Sunday's 24-3 victory over the Rams, Packers players said it's far too early to even think about going undefeated — but Charles Woodson wouldn't rule it out, either. The veteran cornerback says the Packers certainly are good enough to win every time they take the field.

"Absolutely," Woodson said. "We have a very, very good team. We feel like every time we step on that field, we'll be better than our opponent. Can we? Yeah, sure. But we've got to take it one game at a time. Next week will be a tough test against a division opponent. So we have to focus on that, focus on the next game each and every week, and I think we'll be fine."

When Packers coach Mike McCarthy talks about "chasing perfection," he's referring to play-to-play fundamentals. While others might talk about a perfect season, McCarthy just wants his team to get better going into Sunday's game at Minnesota.

"This isn't 'coachspeak' — there's some things we need to improve on," McCarthy said. "We need to tackle better. We need to just do the (timing) as far as the fits with the running backs with the run blocking unit. It's not exactly the way it's supposed to look right now. There's some things we're doing extremely well, and we'll continue to build off it. That's why we're winning football games. But there's a number of fundamental things that we need to improve on."

McCarthy may have suggested a mantra for his team during his postgame news conference Sunday, perhaps intended to keep the focus on Minnesota.

"We're seven days from being 7-0, and that's our message," McCarthy said.

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers predicted that McCarthy wouldn't entertain thoughts of anything beyond Sunday's game.

"Didn't Mike say, 'We have seven days to 7-0?'" Rodgers said. "Beware, that's his code, his theme for this week."

Linebacker Clay Matthews clearly picked up on the message.

"It's way too early to talk about 16-0," Matthews said. "We've got seven days to go 7-0, and that's what we're focused on. When you start getting ahead of yourself in this game is when you start fumbling and tripping up."

The 1972 Miami Dolphins are the only team in the modern era to go undefeated through an entire regular season and playoffs, going 14-0 in the regular season, then winning a pair of playoff games and the Super Bowl.

The 2007 New England Patriots went 16-0 in the regular season, then won two playoff games, but lost to the New York Giants in the Super Bowl. The Indianapolis Colts made a run at perfection in 2009, winning their first 14 games.

For Green Bay, it's the seventh 6-0 start in franchise history and the first since 1965. Including the playoffs, the Packers have won 12 straight games, which matches the longest streak in team history set in 1961-62.

Still, the Packers' play has been far from perfect.

Their defense is tough in the red zone and makes big plays, but is getting sliced up between the 20s, even by the winless Rams. They're explosive on offense but have had lulls in production. There's an overall feeling that the Packers haven't yet played to their potential.

"Fortunately for us, we have a team where we can overcome those things," wide receiver Greg Jennings said. "Not a slap in the face to those guys (the Rams), but if we're playing a much higher-caliber team, you never know what that does to you as far as the outcome of the game. That's no disrespect to those guys, but they're obviously struggling. We can't do that."

At this point, some of the most challenging games left on the schedule appear to be a Nov. 6 game at San Diego, Tampa Bay at home on Nov. 20, at Detroit on Thanksgiving and at the New York Giants on Dec. 4.

As the Packers surely would point out, every week presents a challenge and nothing can be taken for granted.

"That's the mindset you have to have," cornerback Tramon Williams said. "We don't talk about it in here because we won't talk about that until the 16th game, if we're undefeated at that point. We're 6-0 now and the only thing we're going to be focused on is 7-0 this week."

___

Connect with AP Sports Writer Chris Jenkins: www.twitter.com/ByChrisJenkins

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Pulverizing Packers target another victim – winless Rams at Lambeau

Pulverizing Packers target another victim – winless Rams at Lambeau » Packers Gab HomeMeet Our StaffContact UsGreen Bay Packers Schedule HomeFeaturesGame StoriesInjuriesMainNewsOpinionsRoster MovesRumors « Packers safety Morgan Burnett expects to play with broken right hand Sunday vs. Rams Pulverizing Packers target another victim – winless Rams at Lambeau October 15th, 2011 Russ Loede Posted in 2011 Regular Season, Game Previews, Video

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RT Bulaga Back as Packers Form Backup Plan at LT

Bulaga was wearing a brace Wednesday on the left knee he injured at Chicago in Week 3, and it's not clear if he'll be able to play Sunday against St. Louis.

"(I) had a chance to watch him a little bit, he was working with a brace, and I think the biggest thing is to watch the tape and see how he feels tomorrow," Packers coach Mike McCarthy said. "But he looked like he's moving fine but the progression is to take him limited and see how he is tomorrow."

The Packers also are resting right guard Josh Sitton after he hurt his ankle, although McCarthy expects Sitton to play Sunday. But if McCarthy has an idea of how his team will line up at either tackle spot against the Rams, he wasn't about to let on.

"I don't want to talk about it," he said.

Marshall Newhouse started at right tackle in Bulaga's absence — then switched to left tackle Sunday night at Atlanta after Clifton hurt his hamstring. First-round rookie Derek Sherrod played right tackle after Clifton's injury.

Despite the upheaval, the offense played better as the game went on and the Packers beat the Falcons 25-14 to run their record to 5-0.

Clifton's loss certainly isn't an ideal situation. But the Packers are used to dealing with injuries, showing their resiliency during last year's Super Bowl run.

And unlike several other teams around the league who are struggling to find even five good offensive linemen — the struggling division rival Chicago Bears being a primary example — at least the Packers have a few options when it comes to replacing Clifton for the short term.

Aaron Rodgers said that's a testament to Packers general manager Ted Thompson and the front office.

"I don't want to champion all the offensive line picks that we've made here, but I'll tell you what: Bryan Bulaga definitely has worked out, Marshall has worked out, Derek has a good chance to be a real good player," Rodgers said. "I've never doubted Ted and his decision making and his personnel staff and their evaluations. All you've got to do is look at last year, and the kind of the guys we brought in. The majority of them are still in this locker room, and had a big impact in the Super Bowl."

And yes, it has occurred to Rodgers that the team will have to find a permanent replacement for Clifton at some point.

"It's exciting when you bring in offensive linemen, and you're always hopeful that he's going to pan out to be somebody who can be a long-term stay for you," Rodgers said. "You look at our line, Chad is nearing the end of his career. We need somebody to step in and take his spot."

The Packers also signed offensive lineman Ray Dominguez from the practice squad, finally placing safety Nick Collins on injured reserve after he sustained a season-ending neck injury in Week 2.

McCarthy said Dominguez is likely to provide depth on the interior while Bulaga, Newhouse and Sherrod rotate at tackle in practice this week.

"I think it's important to rotate all three of those tackles," McCarthy said. "Marshall's played really good football for us the last two weeks. Bryan will come back here, we'll try to get him ready at right tackle and Derek's been playing both."

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For Packers, it’s all about a comfy pair of pants

When the Green Bay Packers decided to sport a throwback look that tossed it all the way back to 1929 — back when teams wore leather helmets and league uniform standards were much different than in today’s game — obviously, there were skeptics.

Suddenly, the typically green-and-gold clad Packers were in the team colors of the “Acme” Packers, which were blue and brown. When the team wore those unis in a game, the Packers rolled to a 34-17 win over the 49ers. Two months later, Green Bay was a champion for an NFL-record 13th time, and the team’s Super Bowl rings even included a shout out to the unique alternate third jersey.

The Packers are bringing back those 1929 re-creations and players are thrilled with the old-timey gear … mainly because of the pants.

Linebacker Desmond Bishop likes the “whole feel” of the throwbacks. Receivers James Jones and Donald Driver each wish the Packers’ regular game pants were like the throwbacks. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers‘ enthusiasm is off the charts.

“I tell you what, and you’ll probably hear this from other guys, but the pants we have are the most comfortable pants,” Aaron Rodgers said.

When you factor in Rodgers’ recent play, and then consider that he’ll be in a very comfy pair of football slacks, that might mean bad news for the visiting St. Louis Rams.

“I’ve been looking forward to this game all year because of those pants,” Rodgers said. “Those brown pants are so comfortable.”

If Packers fans run into Rodgers at the local Menards or something, they might want to check and see if the quarterback is still wearing the throwback pantaloons.

“I would (wear those casually),” Rodgers admitted. “You know I would.”

For more on the Packers, or their 1929 throwbacks, visit Packers.com.

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First and 10: Power (Poll) to the Packers

Published: October 4th, 2011 | Tags: First and 10, Carolina Panthers, Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers, Hank Williams Jr., LeGarrette Blount, Philadelphia Eagles, San Francisco 49ers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Buffalo Bills’ upset at the hands of the Cincinnati Bengals dropped them from the heady ranks of the top 5 in NFL.com’s latest Power Poll, but otherwise there wasn’t much change at the top, with Green Bay and New Orleans leading the way. Find out where your team stands in our experts’ rankings, and log on to enter your own choices in our fan rankings.

Here’s what else is on tap for Tuesday:

With efforts like Monday night’s 127 yards rushing in a victory over the Indianapolis Colts, Tampa Bay running back LeGarrette Blount is making fans forget his troubled past and look forward to his bright future, writes NFL.com’s Jeff Darlington.If you missed Sunday’s action, you can catch the best games again on NFL Network. Tuesday offers Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers going up against Brian Urlacher and the Chicago Bears at 8 p.m. ET, followed by San Francisco’s shocking comeback against Philadelphia at 9:30 p.m. ET.Fans of teams suffering losing starts to the season are already up in arms. Listen in to radio callers in Dallas, New York, Philadelphia and Minnesota as they rant about their teams.Is your team plagued by quarterback struggles? It’s never too soon to think about the future, and NFL.com draft expert Bucky Brooks offers up his weekly look at future prospects in his College Stock Watch.Posted in: Around The Web   comments    

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Packers at Bears Friday Injury Report

BEARS

Out: WR Earl Bennett (chest), T Gabe Carimi (knee)

Questionable: RB Marion Barber (calf), S Chris Harris (hamstring), G Lance Louis (ankle), WR Roy Williams (groin), S Major Wright (head, neck)

PACKERS

Out: DE Mike Neal (knee), LB Frank Zombo (shoulder)

Probable: T Chad Clifton (knee), TE Jermichael Finley (ankle), RB Alex Green (achilles), CB Davon House (ankle), LB Clay Matthews (quadriceps), DE Ryan Pickett (foot), LB Vic So’oto (back), CB Tramon Williams (shoulder), CB Charles Woodson (foot)

Quote to note: Bears safety Chris Harris on his availability for Sunday’s showdown at Soldier against Packers:

“I’m very optimistic. I’m looking forward to Sunday,” Harris said. “Like I said, it’s still day to day. A decision hasn’t been made yet, so I’ll probably be a game-time decision. We’ll see.

“This is a big game for us, a division game — one of our season goals is to beat Green Bay. We have that opportunity in front of us, so this will be huge.”

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Bears going orange for Sunday’s showdown against Packers

The Bears have decided they will wear their alternate orange jerseys Sunday against the Packers.

Also, the announcing crew for the NFC North clash between the Bears and Packers for 3:15 CT at Soldier has been set.

It’s going to be FOX’s top trio of Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, and Pam Oliver.

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Green Bay Packers 11" x 17" Ultra Decal Set

Officially licensed decal. These clear decals are for use on glass or any smooth surface. Decals won't damage surfaces or leave a residue when removed, making them ideal for temporary placement. Measures 11" x 17". Made in USA.

Price: $20.99

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Neck injury ends season for Packers’ Collins

Published: September 19th, 2011 | Tags: Nick Collins, Green Bay Packers, Mike McCarthy

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The neck injury that Packers safety Nick Collins suffered Sunday against the Panthers will end his 2011 season.

Packers coach Mike McCarthy confirmed the news during his Monday news conference. Collins is still being evaluated, but the decision was made to shut down the All-Pro.

McCarthy said Collins returned from Charlotte on Monday after an overnight stay at a local hospital. He was wearing a neck brace and attended a team meeting.

“He arrived back in Green Bay at about one o’clock (on Monday),” McCarthy said. “Nick told the team about it.”

Collins was injured while trying to make a tackle during the fourth quarter. As Collins dove toward Panthers RB Jonathan Stewart’s legs, his helmet hit Stewart’s hip area and his neck bent awkwardly. He landed face-down on the turf. Collins was taken off the field on a stretcher but gave a slight wave to the crowd with his right hand as he was being carried off.

– Dan Hanzus

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3 in a Row: Green Bay Packers (The 1965, 1966, and 1967 Championships) [VHS]

Football's appeal comes from the vicarious joys of seeing huge men racing around a field trying to knock each other's heads off, right? Not for the millions of people who grew up on the Sunday-morning highlight shows compiled by NFL films (which, through the magic of cable, can now be seen pretty much whenever you turn the TV on). The stylized slow-motion storytelling made the violence seem like a vicious ballet--something that Sam Peckinpah, John Woo, and Ringo Lam have also accomplished in their films--but what's a ballet without music? Sam Spence and Tom Hedden composed a series of classic themes that emphasized the relentless power and dangerous beauty of football (complete with marching drums, heroic horns, and dramatic string sections) to complement the highlights, and John Facenda's poetic narrations brought the whole thing together. Facenda possesses the deepest rumble of a voice this side of James Earl Jones, and listening to him narrate highlights form last week's game makes it sound as if the game were a timeless classic played decades in the past. The Power and the Glory is truly an unexpected pleasure. --Randy Silver

Price: $9.98

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Bears’ Harris active for NFC title game vs. Packers

Published: January 23rd, 2011 | Tags: Chicago Bears, Chris Harris, Desmond Clark, Devin Aromashodu, Green Bay Packers, NFC Championship Game

Bears safety Chris Harris vowed all week that he would play in Sunday’s NFC Championship Game despite a hip injury. That appears to be true since he’s active against the Packers after being limited in practice Friday and listed as questionable.

Harris, who’s tied for the team lead with five interceptions, hurt his hip during last week’s divisional playoff victory over the Seahawks.

The Bears also activated TE Desmond Clark, possibly to help protect QB Jay Cutler, and deactivated WR Devin Aromashodu. Clark tweeted Saturday that he would play, according to the Chicago Sun-Times, and it will be just his third game since Oct. 3.

Aromashodu played in the previous 13 games but had just five receptions.

Full inactives list:

Packers
Graham Harrell (No. 3 QB)
DB Pat Lee
RB Dimitri Nance
DB Josh Gordy
LB Frank Zombo
C Evan Dietrich-Smith
G Nick McDonald
DE Jarius Wynn

Bears
Caleb Hanie (No. 3 QB)
WR Devin Aromashodu
DB Joshua Moore
DB Craig Steltz
RB Khalil Bell
OT Herman Johnson
G Edwin Williams
DT Marcus Harrison

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Who do you got: Bears or Packers?

The Bears and Packers have the longest and perhaps most storied rivalry in the NFL. The two teams have squared off 181 times, but Sunday will mark their first playoff meeting since 1941.

The teams not only share a proud lineage, they both also won Super Bowls with Jim McMahon (though the punky QB was merely a backup for Brett Favre in Super Bowl XXXI).

With all due respect to the Steelers and Jets, you have to believe this is the game that America is looking forward to Sunday. Which begs the question — who do you got?

Let’s break this down scientifically:

Tough-guy linebacker

The Bears’ Dick Butkus and Packers’ Ray Nitschke personified the word “linebacker.” Butkus had eight Pro Bowl appearances, Ntschke was a member of those famed Packers teams that won five NFL titles and the first two Super Bowls. This one is too close to call, so we will settle this by acting career. Butkus played a strict yet fair principal on Hang Time, but Nitschke was in the original The Longest Yard.
Advantage: Nitschke, because I think he broke his (expletive) neck. (Packers 1-0)

Famous adaptations

Any man over the age of 40 fondly recalls James Caan‘s performance as terminally ill Bears RB Brian Piccolo in Brian’s Song. Not to mention, a young future Lando Calrissian (Billy Dee Williams) as Gale Sayers. And while I am sure that Tom Brady loved the performance of Lombardi on Broadway, I’m sure he didn’t cry at the end.
Advantage: Brian’s Song (Tied 1-1)

Stadium

The Packers have the famed frozen Tundra of Lambeau Field. The stadium could be considered football’s Mecca, and is likely on many football “bucket lists.” The Bears have a dirt field painted green, and any charm of the original Soldier Field as been stripped because of the renovation. In fact, it looks like one of those alien space ships from Independence Day landed on the old Soldier Field. Poor show, Bears.
Advantage: Lambeau Field (Packers 2-1)

Nickname

The Steelers have won the most Super Bowl titles, but did you know the Packers have more NFL championships? Yes, much to Dave Dameshek‘s chagrin, the NFL did exist prior to the Super Bowl era. So it’s fitting that Green Bay is known as Title Town. The Bears are known as the Monsters of the Midway. A nicknamed lifted from the University of Chicago, the same way Vanilla Ice lifted the beat of Queen’s Under Pressure for Ice, Ice Baby. Poor form, Bears.
Advantage: Title Town (Packers 3-1)

Coaching

The Packers have had Curly Lambeau and Vince Lombardi. The Bears had Papa Bear George Halas and Iron Mike Ditka. Tough call, but while both teams are playing for the Halas Trophy on Sunday, the Lombardi Trophy is the ultimate goal.
Advantage: Packers (Packers 4-1)

Greatest player

Bears RB Walter Payton retired with the NFL rushing record. Packers WR Don Hutson retired with every conceivable receiving record. Payton, though, is still in the conversation for the greatest running back ever. Most people seemingly have forgotten that Hutson even played and ignorantly proclaim Jerry Rice as the greatest receiver of all-time. Still, it is hard to go against Sweetness here.
Advantage: Bears (Packers 4-2)

Beer

Miller vs. Old Style. Miller trots out different styles of its product (MGD, Miller High Life, Crystal Miller Lite) like the University of Oregon does uniforms. Meanwhile, Old Style just continues to stick with the original.You have to respect that.
Advantage: Bears (Packers 4-3)

Embarrassing celebrity fan

Which career of a second fiddle inexplicably lasted the longest – former Bears backup QB Vince Evans (who might still be playing) or Jim Belushi? That’s a tough one. But how did Larry the Cable guy become known as a rabid Packers fan? Is that enough to git-r-done? Nah.
Advantage: Bears because Vince Vaughn just won’t seem to go away, either. (Tied, 4-4)

What’s in the bun?

Bratwurst or a Polish sausage? As a fat man, that is akin to choosing between your two children, though both are known to give heart attacks. There is really nothing to distinguish the two, so this one will again be settled by Hollywood. And Abe Froman, the sausage King of Chicago might be one of the greatest alias of all time.
Advantage: Bears (Bears 5-4)

Uniforms

Two classic styles here. The Packers, quite simply, have a top three uniform in the NFL. The Bears would be there if they wore their throwbacks from earlier this season.
Advantage: Packers (tied 5-5)

Again, we are knotted up. Looks like the fans are going to have to settle this in the comments section. Let us know who you got in this matchup. Well, after you first rip me for this being stupid. But after that, give us your thoughts.

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Packers vs Bears: Reviews & Grades

Senior writer jclombardi reviews & grades Packers win over Bears.

Summary: After a fast start building a 14-0 lead in the first half, the Packers offense imploded against a toughing Bears defense allowing the Bears to get back in the game. Yet, the defense created the big turnovers, scored the Packers’ final touchdown score producing the margin of victory on NT Raji’s 18-yard touchdown interception return, and CB Shields’ interception iced the victory in the final minute for a 21-14 win.

Game balls: NT Raji; CB Shields; WR Jennings; DE Jenkins; P Masthay.

Injury Report: OLB Walden (ankle sprain).

Report Card–Good, Bad, & Ugly: JC vs SE:

Pass Offense—C- vs C. After a hot first half performance to lead the Packers to a 14-0 lead, QB Rodgers struggled in the second half. He looked shaky and erratic failing to get the big plays. Overall, he had only 17 completions for 244 yards, 2 interceptions, and a poor 55.4 passer rating. The first interception occurred when the ball that bounced off WR Driver into LB Briggs’ arms. The other interception went into the arms of LB Urlacher on third-and-goal from the Bears six yard line, costing a probable scoring opportunity to put the game away. WR Jennings was super for 130 yards. WR Nelson made clutch catches for 67 yards. Yet, in the final 41 minutes, the offense got nothing on the scoreboard. Their final eight possessions produced a punt, interception, interception, punt, punt, punt, punt, and punt. On big third downs, Rodgers was 1-for-7 with a sack and an interception. For the most part, Rodgers’ protection held up well as the Bears defense got only one sack, three TFLs and three QB hits.

Rush Offense–B vs C. The Packers rushed for a good 120 yards averaging a decent 3.8 ypc. RB Starks had 22 carries for 74 and 1 touchdown averaging 3.4 ypc. QB Rodgers had 7 carries for 39 yards and 1 touchdown averaging 5.6 ypc. In a tale of two halves, in the first half, they averaged 5.8 yards with 104 yards. In the second half, they had only a pitiful 16 yards.

Pass Defense—B+ vs B. The defense thoroughly confused and harassed Cutler without having to use blitz pressure. Cutler was only 6-of-14 for 80 yards, 1 interception and a 31.8 passer rating while in the game. Then, the defense knocked out the Bears’ top two quarterbacks, Jay Cutler and Todd Collins. Third string QB Hanie led a fourth quarter comeback completing 13-of-20 for 153 yards and 65.2 passer rating. The Packers withstood a rally led by Chicago third-string quarterback Caleb Hanie. He led two fourth-quarter touchdown drives, but NT Raji’s interception touchdown return put the Packers up 21-7. Yet, QB Hanie led another scoring drive to make the score 21-14. In Chicago’s final series trying to tie the game, the comeback ended in the final minute when Shields came up with his second big interception. The Packers had 3 interceptions and 2 sacks. CB Shields had two interceptions, 4 tackles, 1 sack, and 1 forced fumble. DE Jenkins had a whale of a game. So did B.J. Raji. It just shows what pressure up the gut (inside rush) can do to a quarterback. Raji has done it all year and Jenkins is benefiting from that. He’s going against one-on-one blocking. Matthews draws a tackle, as well as help from a tight end or fullback; and, a lot of times, Raji gets the center and the guard. So the backside has one-on-one matchups. Also, in the first half, DE Jenkins stopped two drives alone. He ended the game with a half-sack, two quarterback hits, and two tackles for a loss. The defense, especially LB Bishop, did a great job to limit TE Olsen to only 3 catches for 30 yards. Solid LB Bishop led with 8 tackles and 1 tackle for a loss. Yet, RB Forte had a huge game with 10 receptions for 90 yards. While missing two big coverage assignments in the fourth quarter leading scores, safety Collins had 7 tackles.

Rush Defense—B vs B-. The Bears rushed for only 83 yards. RB Forte got only 70 yards averaging 4.1 yards, but he had several significant runs. Slow LB Hawk seems to be good for one or two missed tackles and one big catch in a game. DE Jenkins had an impressive takedown of Forte for a 2-yard loss on a third-down play with the Bears backed up near their end zone in the second quarter. Bishop was stout at the point of attack, notching a team-high eight tackles (seven solo) and setting up the ill-fated last pass by Hanie by snuffing out an end-around run by Bennett to the left on third-and-3 from the Packers’ 27 for a 2-yard loss.

Special teams—B vs B-. Generally, the special teams had a good game limiting returner Hester. He had only one kickoff return for 24 yards and three punt returns for 16 yards averaging only 5.3 yards with a long return of 11. The MVP had to be P Masthay who had a solid game with 8 punts averaging a solid 41.8 yards and 5 inside the 20. Not much else stood out positively for Green Bay’s units, however. Starks slipped to the frozen Soldier Field turf on the game-opening kickoff and averaged only 15 yards in two runbacks – Woodson picked up just 14 yards on a kickoff late in the game. Williams muffed two punts, both retained by the Packers, and averaged a meager 4.3 yards in three runbacks.

Coaching–B vs B. The Packers have won five straight elimination games and became the first No. 6 seed to win an NFC title and earn a trip to the Super Bowl. They became only the third team to reach the Super Bowl by winning three straight road games. The last two to do it, the 2007 Giants and 2005 Steelers, got the league championship. The victory sent the Packers to the Super Bowl in Dallas to meet the Pittsburgh. In the early going, the Packers exploited Chicago’s soft coverage, and they forged the big lead in the biggest game ever between the longtime rivals. Having the upper hand throughout the game allowed Green Bay to again have good offensive balance. Yet, a familiar criticism is signs of complacency cropped up with his conservative play calling late in the game when the Packers struggled to exhaust the clock and thus kept the Bears in the game. Coach McCarthy must get an improved consistent game plan in the Super Bowl. DC Capers unleashed another effective game plan that featured new wrinkles. Shields assumed the familiar role of Woodson and was sent on corner blitzes a handful of times. The zone-blitz drop of Raji into coverage turned into a stroke of genius with the resulting pick-six. STC Slocum corralled Hester without being bashful about kicking to him.

Overall Game—B+ vs. B+ (CBS Sportsline). Aaron Rodgers’ accuracy early was huge, but his passer rating of 55.4 was his worst of the season. The Packers used WR Greg Jennings to beat the Bears’ cover-2 and also had another effective rushing game with 81 yards on 25 carries from their running backs. In holding the Bears to a 45.2 passer rating and knocking QB Jay Cutler out of the game, the Packers’ defense made a statement they could be the league’s best.

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Rodgers Shoulder “Sore” According to Packers Coach McCarthy

Packers coach Mike McCarthy says quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ shoulder is sore after he was hit during Sunday’s NFC championship game victory over the Bears at Soldier Field.

McCarthy didn’t seem overly concerned Monday, saying every player has bumps and bruises at this point in the season.

The Packers quarterback appeared to take a shot on his right shoulder from Bears defensive back Danieal Manning during his 1-yard touchdown run in the first quarter of Sunday’s game.

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Packers: OMG! It’s War!

Senior writer jclombardi previews “Iconic” Packers vs “Windy Carp” Bears.

Bears win sets up epic NFC title clash with Packers–Hallowed franchises have historic, fire-breathing rivalry: Bring on the Monsters of the Midway, in all their rip-snorting, scratching-and-clawing glory. Bring on Urlacher and Cutler, Hester and Forte. Bring on the ghosts of Nagurski and Halas and Sweetness. Bring on Soldier Field, with its chewed-up turf and its cheek-turning January winds. Bring on all of Chicago, for that matter, and its hordes of sneering Bears fans. Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers are ready. They showed their mettle with road playoff victories over Philadelphia and Atlanta, the latter featuring an astonishing offensive display that resulted in a 48-21 victory over the NFC’s top-seeded team on Saturday night. The Bears held up their end of the bargain Sunday, battering and Butkus-ing the Seattle Seahawks, 35-24, at snowy Soldier Field to set up an NFC Championship Game the likes of which has never been seen. The Packers (12-6) and Bears (12-5), bitter archrivals who date to pro football’s primordial mist, will slug it out at 2 p.m. Sunday at Soldier Field for the right to advance to Super Bowl XLV in Arlington, Texas. The two teams have been smashing each other in the mouth for 90 years but have never squared off in a game of this magnitude. They have met 181 times but never in a playoff game in the Super Bowl era. In fact, they have met in the postseason just once: on Dec. 14, 1941, just seven days after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, when George Halas’ Bears claimed a 33-14 victory over Curly Lambeau’s Packers in a Western Division playoff game necessitated after both teams finished 10-1.

Showdown that’d make Lambeau and Halas proud: If only Curly Lambeau and George Halas could be there to see it. When the Green Bay Packers meet the Chicago Bears in Sunday’s NFC Championship Game at Soldier Field, it will mark only the second time in the storied rivalry the teams have played each other in the postseason. Yes, with a trip to Super Bowl XLV in Arlington, Texas, on the line, the 182nd meeting between the Packers and the Bears will be a special one. ”It’s going to be a shootout,” Bears wide receiver Devin Hester said. The second-seeded Bears, who won the NFC North title this season, advanced to the title game with a 35-24 victory over the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday. The sixth-seeded Packers, who needed a victory over the Bears on the final day of the regular season to secure a wild-card berth, advanced with a 48-21 victory over the top-seeded Atlanta Falcons on Saturday night at the Georgia Dome. ”We just look at it as another obstacle,” cornerback Charles Woodson said before the Packers knew whether they’d be playing at Chicago or Seattle. “The object is to win. Whoever it is, we look to play our game and come out on top.” The Bears lead the all-time series 92-83-6, while the Packers hold a 12-9 edge in NFL titles.

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Packers Crush Falcons: Reviews & Grades

Senior writer jclombardi reviews & grades Packers win over Falcons.

Summary: QB Rodgers threw 3 touchdowns and rushed for 1 touchdown as the Packers crushed the Falcons 48-21. Next Sunday, the Packers face the Chicago Bears in the NFC Championship Game.

Game balls: QB Rodgers; WR Nelson; WR Jones; CB Williams; LB Matthews.

Injury Report: CB Lee (hip). FB Kuhn (neck stinger) and NT Raji (head) are okay.

Report Card–Good, Bad, & Ugly: JC vs SE:

Pass Offense–A vs A-. QB Rodgers was unstoppable making clutch throws while avoiding pressure and throwing accurate deep passes. He completed 36 passes for 366 yards, three touchdowns, and 136.8 passer rating ripping overmatched Falcons secondary. He completed passes to eight different receivers. WRs Jennings, Driver, Jones and Nelson combined for an amazing 26 catches for 331 yards. WR Jennings had 8 catches for 101 yards and 1 big fumble. WR Nelson made 8 clutch catches for 79 yards and 1 touchdown. WR Driver had 6 clutch catches for 76 yards. WR Jones made 4 clutch catches for 75 yards and 1 big touchdown. Also, FB Kuhn had 2 catches for 14 yards and 1 touchdown. While rookie RT Bulaga generally played solid overall game giving up only 1 sack, no pressure, and solid run blocking. RT Clifton struggled in pass protection giving up soft protection and 1 sack.

Rush Offense–C+ vs C. The Packers rushed a pedestrian 96 yards on 31 carries averaging 3.1 yards. RB Starks had his moments running with power and speed getting 66 yards on 25 carries. In the first half, he got only 14 yards on 9 carries. In the second half, he got 4 carries for 27 yards on a big touchdown drive. RB Jackson had 1 carry for 13 yards. FB Kuhn rushed for 1 touchdown. QB Rodgers had 1 red zone touchdown.

Pass Defense–B+ vs A-. DC Capers defensive plan worked getting strong blitz pressure defense to rattle Falcons QB Ryan. Facing blitz pressure and tight coverage, Falcons QB Ryan completed only 20 of 29 passes for 1 touchdown, 186 yards, 2 big interceptions, 1 fumble, and horrible 69 passer rating. WR White had 6 catches for 57 yards and 1 touchdown. In the span of two and one-half minutes before the first half, CB Williams had a touchback interception and then scored on a momentum changing interception. The Packers had five big sacks on blitzes.

Rush Defense—C+ vs C+. In the first half, RB Turner had 9 carries for 37 yards and 1 touchdown. In the second half, with the Falcons facing a rout, he had only 1 carry. For the game, RB Turner had only 10 carries for 39 yards averaging 3.9 yards. The effective weapon against Turner was to force the Falcons into their passing game and make Ryan commit mistakes. CB Woodson had 6 tackles, 1 tackle for a loss, 1 sack and 1 QB hit, while LB Bishop had 6 tackles and 1 fumble recovery. OLB Matthews had an overall impressive game with 4 tackles, 2 tackles for a loss, 2 sacks and 2 QB hits.

Special teams—D+ vs D. Punter Masthay, who wasn’t needed to punt once, was off the hook from a lot of blame to go around with another lousy performance by the special-teams units. Eric Weems added to Green Bay’s malaise in the early going with a record-setting 102-yard kickoff return for a touchdown to put the Falcons up 14-7. Then, Starks inexplicably tried to field the ensuing kickoff as it sailed toward the sideline and the ball glanced off him out of bounds inside the Packers’ 10. Starks averaged just 10 yards in two runbacks. Also, the Packers tried Pat Lee on another kickoff. Williams didn’t have a punt return with two fair catches. Crosby rallied after a 50-yard field-goal attempt hit off the left upright with makes of 43 and 32 yards.

Coaching–A- vs B. Maligned special teams coordinator Slocum can thank his colleagues for bailing him out with a dominating performance by the offense and defense. Head coach/play caller McCarthy had his finest hours in orchestrating the offense on an injury-marred secondary. McCarthy didn’t abandon the effective running game to do so intermixing runs to soften up the Falcons even more on play-action. DC Capers also applied the full-court pressure in the indoor venue, shaking, rattling and rolling Ryan out of his unflappable tendencies in the pocket with a heavy dose of blitzes. The Packers finished with big advantages in total yards (442-194) and time of possession (38:19-21:41). The Packers were 8 for 12 in third down conversions and 4 for 6 in the red zone. They had 6 penalties for 65 yards and 1 fumble.

Overall Game—A- vs. A (CBS Sportsline). With the score tied at 14, QB Rodgers took over & never looked back. Rodgers threw for 366 yards and 3 touchdowns. Despite team’s No. 6 seed, Packers are likely favorite to represent NFC in Super Bowl.

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Falcons CB Williams inactive vs. Packers

Six Atlanta Falcons starters that were listed as questionable for Saturday’s NFC Divisional game against the Green Bay Packers are active. All six practiced fully on Friday.

Defensive end John Abraham (groin), defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux (shoulder), safety Thomas DeCoud (ankle), linebacker Curtis Lofton (knee), center Todd McClure (ankle) and wide receiver Roddy White (knee) have all been cleared to play.

Cornerback Brian Williams, the lone Falcons player listed as doubtful, is inactive. Williams is battling a knee injury that kept him out of practice all week.

For the Packers, safety Atari Bigby (groin) and fullback Korey Hall (knee), both listed as questionable in Friday’s injury report, are inactive.

Offensive lineman Jason Spitz (calf), listed as questionable after not participating all week, is active.

The Packers announced Saturday that fullback Quinn Johnson will start in place of Hall and linebacker Erik Walden will fill in for the inactive Frank Zombo.

Packers
S Atari Bigby
FB Korey Hall
QB Graham Harrell
RB Dimitri Nance
DB Josh Gordy
LB Frank Zombo
G Evan Dietrich-Smith
G Nick McDonald

Falcons
DB Brian Williams
LB Spencer Adkins
T Garrett Reynolds
G Mike Johnson
DE Lawrence Sidbury
DT Trey Lewis
QB John Parker Wilson

The Associated Press contributed to this report

Posted in: Fantasy  

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Steelers, Packers put up impressive numbers

Published: January 16th, 2011 | Tags: Ben Roethlisberger, Aaron Rodgers, Ben Roethlisberger, Joe Flacco, John Harbaugh, Larry Fitzgerald, Mike Tomlin, Peyton Manning, Terrell Suggs

Cardinals WR Larry Fitzgerald called the Steelers’ 31-24 triumph over the Ravens an instant classic. And what a game it was.

The Steelers will make their 15th conference championship appearance since 1970 (most in the NFL), while improving to 32-19 all-time in the playoffs, including a perfect 3-0 mark against the Ravens. The Steelers’ .627 winning percentage is the highest in NFL playoff history as well.

Here are some other morsels unearthed by our research department.

The Steelers outscored the Ravens 24-3 in the second half (the second-most points allowed by the Ravens against the Steelers all-time including playoff games, and the most points allowed by the Ravens in the second half since Nov. 27, 2005, when they allowed 25 second-half points to the Bengals).Steelers coach Mike Tomlin is 5-1 in the playoffs. Ravens coach John Harbaugh is 4-3 in the playoffs, with all of those games coming on the road.Ravens QB Joe Flacco is 2-6 vs. the Steelers, including the playoffs (0-6 when Ben Roethlisberger starts).The Ravens’ Terrell Suggs had three sacks and a forced fumble against the Steelers. He has five sacks in two playoff games this season, 10 sacks in his last seven playoff games and 13 sacks in his last 11 games against the Steelers, including the playoffs.Roethlisberger matched Colts QB Peyton Manning in playoff wins. Roethlisberger is 9-2 in the playoffs, while Manning is 9-10. Roethlisberger ranks second all-time among quarterbacks in playoff winning percentage.

Fitzgerald called Packers QB Aaron Rodgers the real slim shady. Alright, that won’t be the first time that Rodgers has been given somebody else’s nickname. Here are some notes from the Packers’ convincing win.

Rodgers is 2-1 in career playoff games as a starter, all on the road. The Packers won two playoff road games in the same season for the first time in franchise history.Rodgers had 366 passing yards, three passing touchdowns and a rushing touchdown. This marked the seventh time in NFL playoff history that a player has had 300-plus passing yards, at least three touchdown passes and at least one rushing touchdown. But Rodgers is the only person to do it twice (Manning, Jeff Garcia, Kurt Warner, Dan Marino and Joe Montana are the other quarterbacks to attain those numbers in a playoff game).Rodgers’ 86.1 completion percentage is the fifth-highest in NFL playoff history (at least 20 attempts).Rodgers’ playoff passer rating is currently 129.4 (105 playoff attempts). Starr holds the NFL playoff record (104.8) for quarterbacks with at least 150 attempts.The Packers set a franchise record by scoring 48 points, breaking the previous mark of 45 set in last year’s 51-45 overtime loss to the Cardinals. The Packers scored a touchdown on five consecutive offensive possessions from the second to third quarter, tied for the second-most consecutive possessions with a touchdown in a playoff game since 1991.The Packers were the sixth team in NFL playoff history to not punt in a game.Posted in: News  

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Packers: Bloggers “Falcons Reviews” Grades

Senior writer jclombardi grades bloggers’ reviews.

Commentary: Based upon massive research and conversations with the great fans in the Packers nation, we present the fair and balanced grades about major Packers’ bloggers articles with their Packers win over Falcons analysis!

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