Wisconsin Radio Network

Wisconsin News and Sports

You are here: Home / Archives for Titletown Report

Packers pressure Broncos to improve to 3-0

By

Davante Adams

The Green Bay Packers defense did it again, forcing three more turnovers and sacking quarterback Joe Flacco six times, on the way to a 27-16 win over the Denver Broncos at Lambeau Field on Sunday.

The Packers defense hasn’t been perfect, allowing 149 rushing yards against the Broncos and a 4.91 yards per carry average in the first three games.  But so far, pressure on the quarterback has made up for the inability to stop the run, giving the Packers a 3-0 start to the season.

Preston Smith led the way with three sacks, including a strip sack of Joe Flacco with rookie Rashan Gary recovering the fumble and setting up a Packers touchdown.

Za’Darius Smith had two sacks and Gary would later add the first of his career.  Second year cornerback Jaire Alexander stripped a ball away from tight end Noah Fant and recovered it at the same time.  That set up a short touchdown drive. [Read more…]

Packers put Taylor on IR, Pankey returns to Green Bay

By

Lane Taylor

The left guard position now belongs to rookie lineman Elgton Jenkins after the Green Bay Packers placed veteran Lane Taylor on injured reserve with a biceps injury.

Taylor had been the Packers starter at left guard for the past three seasons and started the first two games this season, holding onto the spot in a tight battle with Jenkins.

Both players rotated at the position against the Minnesota Vikings in week two.  Taylor suffered the injury in practice last Thursday.

Taylor will be eligible to return from injured reserve in eight weeks.  He could start practicing when the Packers go on their bye week in mid-November.  At this time, it’s not certain whether the injury is serious enough to end Taylor’s season.

The Packers drafted Jenkins in the second round last spring.

The Packers signed Adam Pankey off of the Tennessee Titans practice squad to fill in for Taylor.  Pankey originally signed with the Packers as an undrafted rookie in 2017.  He spent the last two seasons in Green Bay.  After 12 weeks on the practice squad last season, he was promoted to the Packers active roster in December.

 

Packers send Davis to Raiders

By

Trevor Davis

Just over two weeks into the season, the Green Bay Packers sent wide receiver and return specialist Trevor Davis to the Oakland Raiders with a reported sixth-round draft pick coming back to Green Bay in return.

On Monday, the Packers had claimed kick return specialist Tremon Smith off waivers from the Kansas City Chiefs.  Smith was a sixth-round pick of the Chiefs last year and finished fourth in the NFL in kick returns with a 26.9 yard average.

Smith had experimented as a running back during Chiefs training camp this past summer, but the Packers plan to use him on defense.

Smith has not returned punts in the NFL.  That job could go to undrafted rookie Darrius Shepherd.

Davis had just one catch this season for the Packers, good for 28 yards in the opener against the Bears.  He had three punt returns for one yard to go along with seven fair catches.

The Raiders are scheduled to face the Packers, on Oct. 20 at Lambeau Field.

 

Packers put Greene on I.R.

By

The Green Bay Packers have lost one of their most flexible defenders when they placed safety Raven Greene in injured reserve on Monday.

Greene left Sunday’s game against the Minnesota Vikings with an ankle injury and needed to be carted off the field.  It’s expected that he’ll need surgery and miss a couple of months.  He is eligible to return from IR in eight weeks.

The second year safety spent much of his time as an extra defensive back that lined up in the box as an inside linebacker.  Greene was a replacement for injured linebacker Oren Burks.

Burks isn’t expected to return yet this week against Denver and the Packers will be thin on the inside without Greene.

Greene played more than half of his snaps in the opener against the Bears, in the box.  Against the Vikings, he spent most of his team at linebacker.

Packers hold off Vikings to improve to 2-0

By

Matt LaFleur

Aaron Rodgers tossed a pair of early touchdowns as the Green Bay Packers jumped out to a 21-0 lead, then held off the Minnesota Vikings 21-16 to jump out to a 2-0 start to the season.

Rodgers completed nine of his first ten passes for 134 yards and two touchdowns and had a perfect 158.3 rating through the first quarter.  He finished 22 of 34 for 209 yards for the game.

Aaron Jones scored the other early touchdown on the ground.  Jones finished with 23 carries for 116 yards and also caught four passes for 34 yards.  As a team, the Packers ran the ball 33 times for 144 yards, a 4.4 yard per carry average.

They also had the kind of balance that coach Matt LaFleur talked about when he was hired.  The Packers finished with 34 passing attempts and 33 rushing attempts. [Read more…]

Bakhtiari returns, listed as questionable for Sunday

By

David Bakhtiari

After missing practice on Thursday with a sore back, Green Bay Packers left tackle David Bakhtiari returned to practice with the Packers on Friday and is officially listed as questionable on the team’s Friday injury report.

Bakhtiari said his back began “not cooperating” after a practice this week.  He was a limited participant on Wednesday.

“I think we’re going to monitor the next 48 hours and see how it is.  Obviously, we have a lot of time.  So, hopefully,” Bakhtiari said.

Bakhtiari missed the practice reps that would have helped him prepare for Minnesota defensive end Everson Griffen. [Read more…]

Rodgers not excited about Packers early home-heavy schedule

By

Starting with this week’s home game against the Minnesota Vikings at Lambeau Field, the Green Bay Packers will play 5 of the next 6 games at the friendly confines.  Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers said he’s not thrilled with the home heavy schedule because those games could be best served later in the season when the temperature dips below freezing.

“Being an elder statesman,” Rodgers said, “You’d like it to be the opposite.  You’d like it to be the stretch run, five of six at home, as cold as possible, under 32 (degrees) and make some of these teams come play us.”

Now the Packers will finish with a heavy road schedule, which means they need to make hay early.

The Packers will host Denver a week from Sunday, followed by a quick turn-around against the Philadelphia Eagles the following Thursday night.  After a trip to Dallas the following week, the Packers return home to face Detroit and Oakland.  That’s five home games in seven weeks.  After that, the Packers will be forced to play six of their final nine games away from Lambeau Field.

AUDIO: Aaron Rodgers not a fan of 5 of 6 at home right now :16

 

 

Defense dominates in Packers 10-3 season opening win

By

Mike Pettine and his defense was the star of the night

Players and coaches weren’t willing to concede that no playing time in the preseason is the reason why offenses struggled on opening night, but the defenses dominated and the Green Bay Packers did just enough to pull out a 10-3 win on Thursday night at Soldiers Field.

The hope was that Mike Pettine’s second year defense, along with a number of key free agent acquisitions, would be much improved.  Last night, the Packers defense was bordering greatness in the season opener.

It might take the Packers offense a while to figure things out in Matt LaFleur’s new system, but based on Thursday night’s defensive effort, there’ll be a little margin for error.

But one has to wonder how much of last night’s defensive display had to do with the defense itself, as compared to a terrible night for Bears quarterback Mitch Trubisky, who went 26-45 for 228 yards, an [Read more…]

Sternberger to Injured reserve, Packers sign Lazard to active roster

By

Allen Lazard

The Green Bay Packers placed third round draft pick, wide receiver Jace Sternberger on injured reserve this week.  Sternberger injured his left ankle in the final preseason game against the Kansas City Chiefs last Thursday and has been in a walking boot this week.

Because Sternberger was on the initial 53-man roster, he will be eligible to return after eight weeks.

The Packers used the roster spot to sign wide receiver Allen Lazard off of the team’s practice squad.  The 6’5 Lazard caught six passes for 114 yards and one touchdown.

Lazard was originally signed as an undrafted free agent out of Iowa State by the Jacksonville Jaguars on May 11, 2018.  He spent most of last season on the Jaguars’ practice squad.  Lazard was signed to the Packers’ active roster from Jacksonville’s practice squad on Dec. 18, 2018, and made his NFL debut against the Detroit Lions in Week 17.

Lazard appeared in 48 games for the Cyclones, finishing as the school’s career leader in receptions (241), receiving yards (3,360) and 100-yard receiving games (12).  Lazard earned first-team All-Big 12 honors in both 2016 and 2017.

 

Packers add 10 players to practice squad on Sunday

By

Brian Gutekunst

The Green Bay Packers signed 10 players to their practice squad on Sunday, all 10 were with the Packers during the 2019 preseason.

Added to the teams practice squad are:  TE Evan Baylis, RB Tra Carson, CB Kabion Ento, WR Allen Lazard, DL James Looney, T Yosh Nijman, LB Randy Ramsey, LB Brady Sheldon, WR Malik Taylor and QB Manny Wilkins.

The transactions were announced Sunday by Packers General Manager Brian Gutekunst.