After signing former University of Kentucky punter Tim Masthay to a reserve/future contract in January, the Green Bay Packers added a second punter on Tuesday.

Green Bay signed former Australian rules football player Chris Bryan.  Bryan punted in the Australian Football League from 2005-08.

According to an Internet report, Green Bay Packers director of football operations John Schneider has accepted an offer to become the new General Manager of the Seattle Seahawks.

ESPN.com says Schneider is expected to be introduced in Seattle on Wednesday.  The network said the job came down to Schneider and New England personnel executive Floyd Reese, the former General Manager of the Tennessee Titans.

It’s not known how much authority Schneider will have over the total operation because new coach Pete Carroll is expected to have a hand in personnel decisions.

It’s Schneider’s second stint in Seattle after working there as director of player personnel under Mike Holmgren.  He spent the last six seasons in Green Bay.

Green Bay Packers defensive back Charles Woodson has won The Associated Press 2009 NFL Defensive Player of the Year award.

Woodson’s 9 interceptions tied for the league lead.  He ran 3 of them back for touchdowns. 

Woodson earned 28 votes from a nationwide panel of 50 sports writers and broadcasters who cover the NFL.

Woodson was a key contributor for the Packers defensively as they finished second in the NFL in fewest yards allowed.  They finished first in interceptions with 30 and takeaways with 40.

I could see Kurt Warner’s huge passing day coming, but I didn’t see the 2nd ranked Green Bay Packers defense not being able to at least slow down the Cardinals.  Instead, they were completely run over in a 51-45 overtime loss to the Cardinals in the highest scoring playoff game ever played in the NFL.

The Packers entered the game Sunday #1 in the NFL in rushing defense and they surrendered 156 yards on the ground.  Green Bay was #2 in overall defense (yards allowed) and they gave up 531 total yards.  Kurt Warner passed for 379 yards and five touchdowns (29 of 33) and amassed a passer rating of 154.1.

It was a great game for the viewer, unless you’re a defensive purist and couldn’t stand to watch no defense being played at all.  The Packers were 21 points down in the second half, only to come back to force overtime when the Cardinals Neil Rackers missed a 34 yard field goal that would have won it for the Cardinals in regulation. 

Packers defensive coordinator had no answer against Ben Roethlesberger and the Steelers earlier this season and he had no answer again yesterday as the Cardinals spread the Packers defense out and Kurt Warner effectively used three-step drops to get the ball out quickly and avoid any Packers pass rush.

Brett Favre also lit the Packers up through the air and even San Francisco put up some good numbers on the Packers in the second half by throwing the ball down the middle of the field to their tight end and the Packers struggled to come up with a solution.

The Packers did put up some big numbers in the loss.  TE Jermichael Finley set a Packers playoff record with 159 yards receiving on six catches.  Wide receiver Greg Jennings had a game-high 8 catches for 130 yards and a touchdown and quarterback Aaron Rodgers finished 28 of 42 for 422 yards (Packer playoff record) and 4 touchdowns for a 121.3 QB rating.

But it also needs to be pointed out that Rodgers first interception, which led to an Arizona touchdown, was a terrible decision on his part.  Rodgers has been so good this season at making the right decision.  His 7 interceptions going into the Arizona game is the perfect example.  But he tried to make a big play on the games opening drive, instead of throwing the ball away and it proved to be costly.

Kicker Mason Crosby also missed again.  He had plenty of distance on a 54 yarder, but again pushed it just right.  Nobody’s going to blame the kicker for missing a 54 yarder, but had he made it, this game doesn’t see overtime.

Minus the turnovers, the Packers offense was a juggernaut again.  They moved the ball with ease up and down the field.  They had their faults, but this loss goes to the defense.  All these lofty numbers meant nothing to 38 year old Kurt Warner and the Cardinals, who showed why they played in the Super Bowl last season.

For the Packers, the disappointment of missing out on a chance to make a deep playoff run has now set in.  They’ll spend the off-season wondering about what could have or should have been.

With all do respect to Kurt Warner and all of the playoff experience he has, I think the team that’s playing better at the time is the team you go with in a playoff match-up.  Winners of 7 of their last 8, that team is definitely the Green Bay Packers.

The Wild-card playoff games are so far bearing that out.  The Jets beat the Bengals on Saturday and it’s the Jets that entered the playoffs with more momentum.  Same goes for the Cowboys over the Eagles on Saturday night.  Fast forward to the Ravens and Patriots.  New England has been limping into the playoffs and they’re playing like it today against the Ravens.  Naturally, I think the Packers will continue the trend.

The Packers defense continues to get turnovers and the offense is putting up big numbers.  And even though Aaron Rodgers has no playoff experience, I believe he’ll settle in and play a big game for the Packers.

This game is not going to be easy for the Packers like the previous two this season.  Arizona and Green Bay had different agenda’s in the two previous match-ups, one in the preseason and the other a week ago.  But in the end, the Packers ability to take the ball away and not give it away could be a difference maker today.

Aaron Rodgers makes his first playoff start today and I think he’ll collect his first playoff win, 34-24 over the Cardinals.

Green Bay Packers linebacker Clay Matthews has been added to the NFC Pro Bowl roster.  Matthews replaces Bears LB Lance Briggs.

Matthews becomes the first Packers rookie to earn a Pro Bowl selection since WR James Lofton in 1978.

Matthews saw action in all 16 games, including 13 starts, and finished the season with 58 tackles, a franchise rookie-record 10 sacks, three fumble recoveries, once forced fumble, six passes defensed and a defensive touchdown.

Matthews will be joined on the NFC squad by S Nick Collins, QB Aaron Rodgers and CB Charles Woodson.

Some thought a franchise rookie record 10 sacks, 3 fumble recoveries (1 for TD), 58 tackles, 35 quarterback hits, 1 forced fumble and 6 passes broken up would have been plenty to get Green Bay Packers linebacker Clay Matthews (pictured) the NFL’s defensive rookie of the year award.  But the award instead went to his former college teammate at USC, Brian Cushing of Houston.

Cushing was a four-year starter and a second-team All-American last season at USC.  He totalled an AFC high 134 tackles, 4 interceptions and 5 quarterback sacks.

Matthews was overshadowed by Cushing and Rey Maualuga while playing at USC.

Buffalo safety Jarius Byrd finished 2nd in the balloting.

The National Football League will have the Green Bay Packers playing their Wild Card playoff game next Sunday afternoon against the Arizona Cardinals in Phoenix. 

Kickoff time next Sunday is set for 3:30pm.  The Packers rolled to a 33-7 win over the Cardinals in the final regular season game earlier today.

If keeping momentum was truly important to the Green Bay Packers, then they accomplished their goal in a 33-7 win over the Arizona Cardinals in Phoenix on Sunday.

Aaron Rodgers played three quarters and was nearly perfect, finishing 21 of 26 for 234 yards and a touchdown. 

Charles Woodson took one of three Packers interceptions back 45 yards for a touchdown as the Packers won for the 7th time in the last 8 games and finished the regular season with an 11-5 record. 

Arizona took a very conservative approach with this game, knowing well before kickoff that they would be facing the Packers in the opening round of the playoffs next week.  The Cardinals (10-6) sat QB Kurt Warner after one quarter and most of Arizona’s first-team defense played only the first possession. 

The game did have injuries to key players however.  Packers defensive back Charles Woodson left the game with a shoulder injury late in the first half.  On the Cardinals sideline, defensive back Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie suffered a bruised left knee and WR Anquan Boldin left the game with a right ankle injury. 

Woodson’s interception return came off of Cardinals backup quarterback Matt Leinert.  It was his third interception return for a touchdown this season and that is a Packers franchise record.  Woodson also set a career best with his ninth interception this season and gives him 45 for his career.

The Packers return home and will spend the week in Green Bay preparing for next weekend’s playoff game against the Cardinals.  The NFL hasn’t released it’s wild-card playoff lineup for next weekend, but there have been early reports from various sources that are suggesting the Packers will open the playoffs on Saturday.

The Green Bay Packers have signed NT Anthony Toribio to the active roster and placed LB Jeremy Thompson on injured reserve. 

The 6′1, 315-pound Toribio (1st year) has spent the entire 2009 season on the Packers’ practice squad.  Toribio was also a practice-squad player for parts of 2008, and spent two weeks on the Packers’ active roster at the end of last season but was a gameday inactive for each of the final two games.

The Packers also announced the addition of WR Khalil Jones to the practice squad.