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Pettine retained as Packers Defensive Coordinator

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Mike Pettine

Despite a complete defensive meltdown in Sunday’s NFC Championship game, a 37-20 loss at San Francisco, the Green Bay Packers have decided to retain Defensive Coordinator Mike Pettine for his third season in Titletown.

The Packers ranked ninth in scoring defense (19.6 points allowed per game) this past season, but dropped from 15th to 18th in yards (352.6).

The Packers struggled at times to stop the run this season, but nothing like Sunday, when the 49ers ripped off 285 rushing yards, only having to throw it eight times against Pettine’s defense.  Niners running back Raheem Mostert did most of the damage himself, rushing for 220 yards on 29 carries with four touchdowns.

At his season ending press conference on Wednesday, LaFleur said, “They definitely out-coached us.  I [Read more…]

Three Packers named to the Pro Bowl

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Za’Darius Smith

Green Bay Packers WR Davante Adams, DL Kenny Clark and LB Za’Darius Smith have been named to the NFC Pro Bowl roster today.

Adams (Atlanta Falcons WR Julio Jones), Clark (Los Angeles Rams DT Aaron Donald) and Smith (Chicago Bears LB Khalil Mack) are all replacing players who are unable to participate due to injury.

It marks Adams’ third straight trip to the Pro Bowl (2017-19), making him the first Packer WR to make three straight Pro Bowls since Sterling Sharpe (1992-94).  Despite missing four games due to injury, Adams registered his second career 80-plus-reception season (83 in 2019, 111 in 2018), which is tied for the fourth most in franchise history behind Jordy Nelson (three), Donald Driver (four) and Sharpe (four).

This is Clark’s first trip to the Pro Bowl after being named an alternate in 2018.  He tied his career high from last season with six sacks in 2019, with 4.5 sacks coming in the final four regular-season games.  Clark finished second on the team with a career-best 89 tackles (52 solo).

Smith is making his first career Pro Bowl in his first season with Green Bay.  He registered 13.5 sacks, ranking No. 6 in the NFL and tying for the fifth most in a single season in franchise history (since 1982).  Smith was tied for No. 1 among NFL linebackers in QB hits (37), and No. 2 in total pressures (50.0) during the regular season.

Packers routed by 49ers for second time this season

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Davante Adams

The Green Bay Packers knew San Francisco wanted to run the football, but they offered little in terms of stopping or even slowing the 49ers down.  The result was another lopsided contest between the two teams this season.

In November, the Packers fell behind 23-0 at halftime and went on to lose 37-8 at Levi Stadium.  On Sunday, the Packers fell behind 27-0 at halftime and lost 37-20 in the NFC Championship game.

The 49ers ran just 50 total plays from scrimmage and 42 of the 50 were running plays.  When asked why he kept calling run plays, San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan said because it kept working.

The Niners racked up 285 yards on the ground.  Raheem Mostert finished with 29 carries for 220 yards and four touchdowns.  They only needed quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to hand off.  He finished 6 of 8 through the air, for 77 yards.

The Packers struggled to get their offense going in the first half, totaling 51 yards rushing and 65 passing.  It wasn’t until the second half, that Aaron Rodgers would start to move the offense.  He finished [Read more…]

Packers hold off late charging Seahawks to advance to NFC Championship

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Aaron Rodgers File Photo UPI/Bill Greenblatt

Aaron Rodgers played one of his best games of the season, helping the Green Bay Packers beat the Seattle Seahawks 28-23 in the NFC Divisional playoffs and securing a rematch with the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship game.

Rodgers and Davante Adams put the Packers on their backs, connecting eight times for 160 yards and two touchdowns.  The 160 receiving yards for Adams is a Green Bay Packers playoff-franchise record.

When the Packers needed a big play, Rodgers was there to deliver a series of pinpoint accurate passes, helping his team to a season best 9-of-14 on third downs (69%).  That is the best third down accuracy rate for the Packers since the 2016 season.

Rodgers sealed the victory with a pair of third-down passes, a 32-yard pass to Adams on a third-and-8 [Read more…]

McCarthy expected to take over as head coach of the Cowboys

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Mike McCarthy

Former Green Bay Packers head coach Mike McCarthy is expected to become the next head coach of the Dallas Cowboys.  The news was first reported by Fox Sports and later by ESPN.

According to reports, McCarthy stayed at the home of Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones on Saturday night.

McCarthy takes over Jason Garrett, who wasn’t retained after going 85-67 as the Cowboys head coach from 2010 to 2019.

McCarthy compiled a 125-77-2 record with the Packers and made the playoffs in nine of his 13 seasons.  He led the Packers to a Super Bowl XLV win and two additional NFC Championship games.

Before interviewing with the Cowboys over the weekend, McCarthy interviewed with Carolina, Cleveland and the New York Giants.

The Cowboys also interviewed Marvin Lewis before deciding McCarthy was their man.

While coaching the Packers, McCarthy had a 7-3 record against the Dallas, twice ending the Cowboys season in the divisional playoffs in the 2014 and 2016 playoffs.

Butler named a finalist for Pro Football Hall of Fame

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LeRoy Butler

Former Green Bay Packers safety LeRoy Butler was named one of 15 modern-era finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2020.  As many as five of those players will be voted into the Hall on Super Bowl weekend in Miami.

This is the first year that Butler has advanced to the final 15 after being named a semifinalist (final 25) the previous two years.

Butler played his entire career with the Packers, from 1990 through 2001.  He is one of seven first-time finalists this year and one of four safeties among the 15.

Joining Butler are safeties Troy Polamalu, Steve Atwater and John Lynch.

Butler played on Packers teams in the 1990’s that won a Super Bowl and played in another.  He was [Read more…]

Raven Greene returns in time for playoffs

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The Green Bay Packers secondary and special teams units could be getting a player back in time for the team’s first playoff game next weekend.

Safety Raven Greene is practicing with the Packers for the first time since going on injured reserve with an ankle injury after the second game of the season.  Greene’s return makes him the second player designated to return from injured reserve this season.

Tight end Jace Sternberger was the first player to return to the active roster this year.

Greene had seven tackles in the first two regular season games before going on I.R.

 

Dorsey steps down in Cleveland

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Former Browns GM John Dorsey

Cleveland Browns general manager John Dorsey resigned just two days after the team fired coach Freddie Kitchens.

Dorsey’s decision to step down came after he refused to take a reduced role within the organization that was offered to him by owner Jimmy Haslam.

Dorsey had revamped the Browns during his two seasons as GM, but his hiring of Kitchens backfired as the Browns fell well short of expectations and missed the playoffs for the 17th straight season.  That is the NFL’s longest current non-playoff drought.

The Haslems have fired five coaches and five lead football executives since buying the team from Randy Lerner in 2012.

The Browns are in the middle of a coaching search, but could find a rough road with the departure of Dorsey, who worked previously for several years in the Green Bay Packers front office.

 

Packers rebound to beat Lions, secure number-2 seed in NFC Playoffs

By

Mason Crosby

The Green Bay Packers had everything to play for with a first round playoff bye on the line, but it looked like the Detroit Lions were the team that had a sense of urgency.

The Lions jumped out to an early lead and took a 17-3 advantage at halftime before falling to the Packers 23-20 in the regular season finale at Ford Field.

The Packers (13-3) came out flat and managed just 136 total net yards in the first half.  Quarterback Aaron Rodgers completed just 6 of 18 for 90 yards and a passer rating of 50.7 in the half.

Rodgers struggled with overthrows, finishing with 16 overthrown balls for the game.  That is a career high and a NFL high for overthrows.

Rodgers finished 27 of 55 for 323 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.  He connected on less than half of his pass attempts for the second [Read more…]

Packers will try to avoid a letdown in Detroit

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Matt LaFleur

There’s a lot at stake and plenty to play for when the Green Bay Packers square off against the Detroit Lions in the regular season finale on Sunday.  But, can the Packers muster up enough ambition to lay it all on the line against a Lions team that has lost eight straight games and enters with a
3-11-1 record?

Packers head coach Matt LaFleur has wasted no time in declaring the importance of this game to his players.

“This is a playoff game for us,” LaFleur said.  “There’s no doubt about it.  That’s the way we’re approaching it.  Because if you’re able to take care of business and win this one, you get a week off.  Our guys have to understand that.”

A win for the Packers on Sunday guarantees them no worse than a 2-seed, which brings with it a week [Read more…]