November 1, 2011

Packers’ Jermichael Finley chooses sense over dollars

By Alex Groberman

Green Bay Packers tight end Jermichael Finley did something peculiar this week. Something so unheard of in the NFL these days, so rare, that you almost want to challenge his sincerity because it goes against everything we’ve learned about professional athletes over the last few decades.

Finley told reporters on Monday that he wanted to stay with the Packers regardless of whether or not his team opts to use the ever-dreaded “franchise tag” on him.

“I want to stay here, no doubt,” Finley said. “This is a town, this is a team, (an) organization, you couldn’t ask for more. If they came to a conclusion (on a contract), I would look into it. I want to be a Packer for life, for sure. Hands down, I think this is the best organization for me.

“You can’t ask for a better city just because there’s nothing to do, for one thing. I’m going to be real with you, there’s less trouble you can get into. It’s first class in everything they do — contracts, around the building — everything’s first class. I love it. Hands down, I wouldn’t even debate with anyone about it.”

But, what about the leverage an athlete inevitably gives up by saying he’s willing to do whatever it takes to stay with a team? Won’t these hurt his bottom line?

Probably. Fortunately, there are still some guys left in the sport whose single greatest goal in life isn’t scrambling from one situation to another, mercilessly pumping out big paydays from franchises en route to their next stop

After some rough periods during his short tenure with the Packers, Finley finally appears to be maturing as both a player and a person. Aside from a single frustrated outburst after an unimpressive outing versus the Denver Broncos, the talented youngster has been a model of doing what’s necessary to further the team’s ultimate goals.

Currently, Finley is playing out the last year of his rookie contract. As a fourth-round selection three years ago, up until this year, he never earned more than $470,000 per season. This year his base salary was boosted to $1.2 million – and the only time he ever got anything in between was when he earned a $653,000 signing bonus.

Even if he were to get the franchise tag Finley said he’d be okay with,  he’d likely earn something in the $7 million range. Not a bad pay upgrade.

“If they do that, I’m down with that,” he said. “I ain’t going to be (ticked) off. I just love the game, and I was just blessed to be making money. I’m just taking it all in.”

As it stands, Finley ranks second on the squad in catches with 25, behind only wide receiver and perma-Aaron Rodgers comfort blanket Greg Jennings. He’s also tied for second on the team in touchdown receptions with Jordy Nelson – both players have four.

Despite his obviously having earned a new contract, Finley continues to be the model of patience. While admitting that he’d love to see the contract situation worked out, he’s in no way petitioning for it like other players notoriously have through the years.

“I think that would make me comfortable, make everybody else comfortable,” Finley said. “If they don’t, it’s all good. I’m going to just put Blake to work on it and see what he comes back with.”

Players who puts sense above dollars in today’s NFL?

Turns out they exist after all.

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October 27, 2011

Rodgers, WRs recall favorite plays

By Mike Spofford, Packers.com

At one time or another, they’ve all been Aaron Rodgers’ go-to guy in his three-plus seasons as an NFL starting quarterback.

Jordy Nelson, Jermichael Finley, James Jones, Donald Driver and Greg Jennings have made more remarkable plays with Rodgers than anyone can count. So many, in fact, that after the five pass-catchers were asked to recall the most memorable plays each has made individually with Rodgers, the quarterback in a separate interview picked completely different ones.

So rather than try to whittle it down to the one or two best, here’s a trip down memory lane with each of the five and their favorite plays, followed by Rodgers’ choices.

All the plays are special for certain reasons. Here are their explanations.

Jordy Nelson: Feb. 6, 2011, at Cowboys Stadium

Late in the first quarter of Super Bowl XLV, the Packers faced third-and-1 on the Pittsburgh 29-yard line. Nelson wasn’t even supposed to be in the route progression, but Rodgers had other ideas when he saw Steelers cornerback William Gay up at the line in press coverage.

“It was a screen play and I think Aaron said after the game he’s never thrown that ball before, not even in practice,” Nelson said. “Usually, I’m just running off and clearing out for the screen. He gave me a little signal and alerted me he was probably going to throw it.”

On the Packers’ previous possession, Rodgers tried to go deep to Nelson down the same sideline, but the ball went through the receivers’ arms. His only thought as the next ball came his way was redemption.

“I’d better catch it because I had dropped one earlier,” Nelson said, “and if I drop this one, it might be my last opportunity.”

The touchdown propelled Nelson to a great day, with nine catches for a Super Bowl franchise-record 140 yards.

Rodgers’ choice: Dec. 26, 2010, at Lambeau Field

Against the New York Giants, the Packers were playing what became the first of six straight win-or-go-home games. On the first play of the Packers’ second possession, Nelson got free over the middle on a play-action pass for an 80-yard touchdown.

This time, he was the primary read and no special signal was needed.

“That meant a little bit more to me because that was my first game back after my second concussion,” said Rodgers, who went on to throw for 404 yards and four TDs to start Green Bay’s unforgettable run to the title. “He showed that incredible speed he has. He’s deceptively fast. He turned on the afterburners and made those other guys look slow.”

Jermichael Finley: Sept. 25, 2011, at Soldier Field

Returning to the stadium where he had torched the Bears for nine catches and 115 yards in Week 3 the previous year — before his season ended due to a knee injury two games later — Finley already had two TD receptions when the Packers faced third-and-9 on the Chicago 10-yard line early in the fourth quarter.

Finley’s third TD grab of the day was a thing of beauty, a fade he soared into the air to haul in.

“A guy was bumping me under and there was another covering me over the top,” Finley said. “He just lobbed it over the top and let me jump for it.”

Rodgers looked left at first and then came back to Finley on the right so as not to give away his intentions too soon. The touchdown put the Packers ahead 27-10 in an eventual 27-17 win.

“I told him in the huddle I might throw it up to him,” Rodgers said. “I threw it a little higher than I wanted, but he makes a catch like that look so easy.”

Rodgers’ choice: Oct. 3, 2010, at Lambeau Field

The Lions and Packers were tied 7-7 early in the second quarter. It was third-and-goal for Green Bay on the 13.

Finley released straight up the middle of the field and, at first glance, with linebacker Julian Peterson fronting him and two Detroit defensive backs manning the back of the end zone, there didn’t appear to be an opening. Rodgers found one.

“The ball was just over the arm of Peterson who was covering him, and it was really tight coverage,” Rodgers said. “That’s one of those plays where you’re really excited about what you just did, and it wouldn’t have happened without a great route and great catch by him.”

James Jones: Nov. 28, 2010, at the Georgia Dome

The Packers trailed the Falcons 17-10 with just over two minutes to go and faced fourth-and-1 on the Atlanta 21. The play broke down, Rodgers scrambled around and then improvised by shoveling the ball to Jones, who darted up the middle of the field all the way to the 3-yard line.

“He made like three or four guys miss, I made a couple of guys miss. That’s a play that stands out, just his athletic ability,” Jones said. “To shovel it like that, it wasn’t even a shovel play. He was just on the fly being creative. Heck of a play.”

The Packers eventually scored to tie the game, and even though the Falcons ultimately prevailed, the 90-yard TD drive with the game on the line proved what this offense could do with its back against the wall.

“They jumped offside, so we would have gotten the first down anyway,” Rodgers said. “But I ducked under a couple of guys and shoveled it. Pretty cool.”

Rodgers’ choice: Nov. 8, 2009, at Raymond James Stadium

On the Packers’ second play of the game, it was second-and-4 from their own 26. Jones beat his Tampa Bay defender off the line of scrimmage and never stopped running. The 74-yard touchdown is the longest play Rodgers and Jones have connected on, which is why the quarterback likes it, even though Green Bay eventually lost the game.

“He ran a streak, beat the guy, the guy fell and he was cruising into the end zone to start off the game,” Rodgers said. “That was one of only two or three big gains we had in that game.”

Donald Driver: Sept. 20, 2009, at Lambeau Field

Late in the first quarter, the Packers trailed visiting Cincinnati 7-0 and faced third-and-goal from the 3. Rodgers was in the shotgun.

Driver ran a pivot route, first cutting inside and then back outside toward the front pylon of the end zone. Nelson was running a similar route toward the back pylon on the same side.

As Rodgers scrambled, Driver was almost all the way out of bounds by the time the ball came, and he caught it while falling backwards and tip-toeing to make sure his feet were in as he was leveled by a Bengals player.

“I think it was supposed to go to Jordy,” Driver said. “He kept looking and kept pumping, and he threw it between me, Jordy and two defenders. That was probably the best throw I’ve seen him make with me. Jordy said I stole his touchdown. I apologized for it, though.”

Rodgers’ choice: Nov. 26, 2009, at Ford Field

Rodgers and Driver were having their best day together on this Thanksgiving against the Lions. They had connected on a 68-yard bomb late in the first quarter to set up a touchdown, and on a 45-yard play to open a third-quarter drive that led to a third-and-5 from the Detroit 7.

The Packers were leading just 13-7 at the time, and the Lions decided to blitz. The young QB and the veteran wideout fortunately were on the same page.

“There was an unspoken trust between the two of us that he was going to stop and I was going to throw it in a certain spot,” Rodgers said. “We embraced on that and it was just this knowledge that … that was a special play.”

The touchdown put a capper on Driver’s seven-catch, 142-yard game, his best day statistically with Rodgers as his quarterback. It also won him the “Golden Gobbler” award from FOX sports.

Greg Jennings: Sept. 28, 2008, at Raymond James Stadium

Late in the third quarter, the Packers trailed the Buccaneers 20-7 and faced third-and-16 from the Tampa Bay 48.

On the previous series, Rodgers had injured his shoulder when he dove and reached the ball out at the end of a scramble. Then, one play before this third-and-long, he tried to throw a screen pass to Ryan Grant and ended up throwing it right into the ground because his arm hurt so much.

“We ran all-go and they ran “Cover Four” and I just said screw it, I’m going to throw it as far as I can and see what happens,” said Rodgers, who was making just the fourth start of his career.

Jennings ran a seam route on the right side, the ball was on a rope between defenders, and Jennings never had to break stride. His new quarterback had shown him something.

“That’s the tightest window that I’ve probably caught a ball and was able to score,” Jennings said. “We knew his talent, but that was when I was like, OK, this guy has a big-time gun. A big-time gun. A lot of quarterbacks can’t make that throw.

“If the ball had a little less velocity, it’s picked. If it’s too high or too low, it’s incomplete. I told him it was a sick throw. I did.”

Rodgers eventually came out of the game and the Packers eventually lost, but that play was one he’ll never forget, either.

“I think that’s one of my top five throws ever, because of the circumstances of the type of injury I sustained, which didn’t allow me to feel good for six, seven weeks,” Rodgers said. “I didn’t feel like celebrating, though, because as I threw it, I was in so much pain I just went to the sideline and knew my day was probably over at that point.”

Rodgers’ choice: Sept. 13, 2009, at Lambeau Field

In the season opener in prime time against the Bears, the Packers trailed 15-13 with 1:18 left. It was third-and-1 at midfield.

Chicago was playing the run with just one safety deep, and Jennings was one-on-one on the left side with cornerback Nathan Vasher, beating him for a 50-yard TD.

“He ran a post on him and ran a great route,” Rodgers said. “Luckily I was able to get enough on the fake to slow down (linebacker) Nick Roach off the edge, because he was unblocked. I put it in a good spot and we won the game.”

Summary

So there you have it. The five top plays picked by his receivers, and the top five picked by Rodgers.

Asked which of the 10 meant the most to him, Rodgers again veered in another direction, discussing two others.

There was the 61-yard catch-and-run for a touchdown by Driver against San Francisco at Lambeau Field last season, when seemingly every 49ers defender had a chance to bring him down.

There was also the third-and-10 from Green Bay’s own 25 with six minutes left in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl XLV, and the laser beam he fired to Jennings just past the fingertips of cornerback Ike Taylor for a 31-yard gain. The Packers only led 28-25 at the time and were in danger of giving up the ball deep in their own territory. Instead they drove for a field goal that provided the game’s final margin.

“Donald broke about six tackles, including Andrew Quarless, our tight end, who was trying to tackle him,” Rodgers said with a smile. “In the Super Bowl, that was a big first down for us. A big-time throw, big-time route and catch.

“Those two are two of the best plays I’ve ever been a part of.”

In all, a dynamic dozen.

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October 23, 2011

Packers defeat Vikings 33-27 to remain NFL’s only unbeaten team

MINNEAPOLIS — The Green Bay Packers improved to 7-0 — matching their best start since 1962 — with a 33-27 win over the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday at the Metrodome.

The Vikings rallied for 10 unanswered points in the fourth quarter, on a 46-yard field goal by Ryan Longwell, and a 24-yard touchdown pass from Christian Ponder to Michael Jenkins.

The Vikings got the ball back with a chance to drive for a go-ahead touchdown but got stopped and decided to punt on fourth-and-10 from their 36 with about 2:30 remaining.

But the Packers held onto the ball, with James Starks doing the work, and the Vikings never got the ball back.

The Packers scored 20 unanswered points in the third quarter to take a commanding 33-17 lead.

It started with a 79-yard Aaron Rodgers-to-Greg Jennings touchdown pass on which Jennings was wide open. That gave the Packers their first lead of the game 20-17.

Then Randall Cobb returned a punt 42 yards, which set up a 2-yard touchdown pass from Rodgers to Jermichael Finley.

Charles Woodson followed with two interceptions of Ponder, which set up Mason Crosby field goals of 24 yards and 58 yards, the latter a Packers record.

In the second quarter, The Vikings drove 50 yards in seven plays for a touchdown, with Adrian Peterson scoring on a 1-yard run with 11:43 left in the first half to put Minnesota ahead 14-7. The drive was set up when Cobb fumbled a punt.

The Packers responded with a 39-yard Crosby field goal with 4:45 left to pull within 14-10. On the play before the field goal, Cobb dropped a third-down pass that might have gone for a first down in the red zone.

Longwell booted a 52-yard field goal with 55 seconds remaining in the half to put Minnesota ahead 17-10.

The Packers managed to drive for a last-second 45-yard field goal by Crosby at the end of the first half.

The Vikings went ahead 7-0 just 1:02 into the game. Ponder hit Jenkins on a 72-yard completion on the first play, and followed with a 2-yard TD pass to Visanthe Shiancoe.

The Packers responded with a 9-play, 91-yard touchdown drive in which Rodgers went 6-for-6 and passed to six different receivers. Rodgers hit John Kuhn on a 2-yard touchdown pass to even the score at 7 with 8:34 remaining in the first quarter.

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October 22, 2011

Rodgers surpassing Favre’s legend

By Jim Souhan, Minneapolis Star Tribune

Aaron Rodgers and Brett Favre have one thing in common, other than quarterbacking Super Bowl champions in Green Bay and shunning razors:

They both hate ties. Favre refused to wear one, even when showing up in Minnesota to sign a $25 million contract, favoring T-shirts, jeans and soiled golf caps. Two weeks ago, after beating the Falcons in Atlanta, Rodgers threw on a tie for his postgame news conference, then walked briskly toward a couple of Packers equipment men, ripping off the tie and popping open his collar as if he were choking.

They’re also different in this important way:

Rodgers is better than Favre.

Not just better than the guy who hangs around high school and college football teams in Mississippi, sometimes even embarrassing himself by taking shots at Rodgers in passive-aggressive radio interviews. Rodgers is better than Favre was at his best. And Favre was one of the best who ever played.

If Favre was a Ferrari, Rodgers is a Ferrari that gets 40 miles per gallon while emitting the scent of lilacs instead of exhaust. Rodgers mimics all of Favre’s best attributes and none of his faults.

Rodgers is more accurate. His career completion percentage is .651; his career best is this year’s mark of .702. Favre’s career percentage is .620, and he peaked at .684 with the 2009 Vikings.

Rodgers is more reliable. Two weeks ago, he became the first NFL quarterback to reach 100 touchdown passes while throwing as few as 34 interceptions, according to ESPN.com and Elias Sports Bureau. After three seasons and 37 touchdown passes, Favre had already thrown 39 interceptions. Rodgers’ career interception percentage is 1.9; Favre’s was 3.3.

Rodgers is more mobile and a more effective runner. Favre rushed 602 times for 1,844 yards, a 3.1 average, with 14 touchdowns and 166 fumbles. Rodgers has rushed 216 times for 993 yards, a 4.6 average, with 15 touchdowns and 28 fumbles.

Rodgers has won 62.3 percent of his starts to Favre’s 62.2. It’s a virtual draw, but Rodgers just passed Favre in that category and should blow past him this season. Both have won one Super Bowl; assuming good health, Rodgers should separate himself in that category as well.

Rodgers is a better teammate today than Favre was at the end of his career, when Favre was willing to hold entire organizations hostage while he mulled retirement.

Favre holds one obvious advantage: He proved himself to be one of the toughest players in NFL history, starting 321 consecutive games (including playoffs). Rodgers has started 12 in a row. Perhaps no one will ever match Favre in this category.

Rodgers is moving past Favre in high gear by almost any other measure. This season, Rodgers has a completion percentage of 70.2, with 17 touchdowns and three interceptions. He has passed for more yards through six games, 2,031, than any quarterback in franchise history.

He ranks first in the NFL in passer rating, at 122.5. Tom Brady is second at 104.8. Rodgers leads the league in touchdowns, yards per attempt and completion percentage. He’s thrown for 300 yards in five of six games this year. Favre holds the franchise record of seven in one season.

Against Denver this season, Rodgers became the first quarterback in NFL history to amass 400 passing yards, four touchdown passes and two touchdown runs in one game. And he’s still improving. Over his past 17 starts, including playoffs, Rodgers has completed 70.1 percent of his passes for 5,036 yards, 42 touchdowns, seven interceptions and a 119.3 passer rating.

Rodgers and Mike McCarthy have developed a rapport that parallels that of Joe Montana and Bill Walsh.

“I think it’s a combination of getting more experience and getting more comfortable and getting the opportunity to make this offense my own, to figure out how to make this offense work for me,” Rodgers said. “Mike and I have really gotten on the same page, I would say, in those last 16, 17 games, whatever it might be.

“We have a great play caller-to-quarterback relationship, and when that line of communication is great, and you have some playmakers on the outside, you should have success.”

McCarthy inherited Favre as his starter and Rodgers as his backup. “I would say everybody felt strongly that Aaron was going to be a good player, just from the first day our staff had the opportunity to work with him, just because of his talent level,” McCarthy said. “He was a great fit for the offense, as far as in the pocket, out of the pocket. Very bright, very cerebral, good work ethic. But you never really know until you play the games if your quarterback has a chance to be a great one.

“I always felt strongly that he’d be a good player, but it’s been exciting, it’s been fun to watch him develop and turn into a great player.”

Jim Souhan can be heard Sundays from 10 a.m. to noon and weekdays at 2 p.m. on 1500ESPN. His Twitter name is SouhanStrib. • jsouhan@startribune.com

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October 16, 2011

With another dominating effort, Packers stake claim as NFL’s best

By Pete Dougherty, Green Bay Press-Gazette

GREEN BAY — The NFL isn’t handing out any Lombardi trophies in October.

But the Green Bay Packers have to be the most impressive team in the NFL, by objective and subjective measures alike.

For the second time in three games, the Packers took on a struggling and rebuilding franchise. And just as they did in a 26-point win over Denver, they dominated, this time pounding the St. Louis Rams in a game that was more one-sided than the 24-3 final score Sunday at Lambeau Field might suggest.

“Awesome,” said Billy Devaney, the Rams’ general manager, in assessing the Packers in a brief interview in his team’s quiet locker room. “They’re talented, they’re confident, playmakers. It’s a great team.”

The Packers sit atop the NFL at 6-0 after the lone other unbeaten going into Sunday, the Detroit Lions, dropped to 5-1 with a home loss to the surprising San Francisco 49ers.

The defending Super Bowl champion Packers were exactly as Devaney described on a day in which some statistics – the Rams, for instance, outgained the Packers 424 yards to 399 – presented a wholly misleading picture of a game in which the outcome never was in doubt. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ three touchdown passes in the second quarter turned the second half into almost a preseason-like atmosphere.

The Packers are about as confident as a team can be, and their coach is not shy about expressing it. When asked about the team’s scoreless second half, McCarthy pointed out that his team won by three touchdowns, ticked through a couple of things that went wrong, then summed up his mindset.

“We’re seven days from being 7-0, and that’s our message (to the team),” McCarthy said.

Since joining the NFL in 1921, the Packers have been 6-0 only five other times, and in all five of those seasons they won the league’s championship: 1929, ’30, ’31, ’62 and ’65. They also were unbeaten six weeks into 1932 at 5-0-1, a non-title season.

That hardly guarantees anything the rest of this season, and it’s hard to draw too many conclusions in a win when they were 15-point favorites. But two Rams starters, linebacker Brady Poppinga and cornerback Al Harris, were with the Packers for part or all of last year and on Sunday felt what it was like to be steamrolled.

“Look, they know what they’re doing,” Poppinga said of the Packers. “They’re not selling anything new. They’ve been building on these schemes for, this will be the third year defensively, and offense, this is what, six years? They have it down pat, it’s second nature to them, and they’re executing at a high level. And Aaron, he’s the guy, he’s playing maybe the best of all the quarterbacks in the NFL.”

Rodgers has to be the early favorite for the league’s MVP, though the season is barely more than one-third finished. He’s topped a 111-point passer rating in every game this season and in nine of his last 10 games going back to last season’s playoffs. His 119.6 rating Sunday included 310 yards passing and three touchdowns, and a lone interception that skipped off receiver Greg Jennings’ hands.

The 0-5 Rams, whose top three cornerbacks are out for the season, were badly overmatched against a quarterback who wasn’t bothered in the slightest by the 23- to 32-mph winds whipping through Lambeau.

Rodgers’ first touchdown was a vintage bootleg to his left in which he had all day to throw and found James Jones streaking into the end zone on a back-side post pattern against cornerback Justin King’s one-on-one coverage for a 35-yard score.

The second was a demoralizing, quick-strike play from his 7 when he beat Cover-2 by hitting receiver Jordy Nelson between Harris in the flat and Darian Stewart’s late help at safety, which Nelson turned into a 93-yard catch-and-run.

The third came deep in Rams territory, when Rodgers looked like he might try to scramble to his left for the goal line but at the last instant pulled up as safety Craig Dahl came at him and dished the ball like a point guard in basketball to the man Dahl had left, receiver Donald Driver, for the 7-yard score.

“You can’t make mistakes against Aaron,” Harris said. “Not to discredit any of the other guys, but when you’ve got a guy like that pulling the trigger, you can’t have coverage mistakes; that’s something that’s not allowed. You just can’t do it.”

This game will do nothing to help the Packers’ defense in yardage rankings – they came in No. 21 in the league and are sure to drop after allowing 424 yards. But the Rams put up only three points, on a hurry-up drive in the final 1:45 of the first half that was aided by McCarthy calling a timeout when the Rams faced a third down from their 14 with 1:01 left.

St. Louis had only two other decent scoring chances. On the game’s first possession, kicker Josh Brown missed a 47-yard field goal in Lambeau’s swirling winds. Then in the fourth quarter, when the outcome was decided, the Rams were at the Packers’ 10 when cornerback Sam Shields intercepted quarterback Danario Alexander underthrow on a fade pattern to receiver Brandon Gibson in the end zone.

Bradford threw for 321 yards, but his 76.0 rating better reflected his day. He moved the ball at times while playing from behind but couldn’t make the plays that mattered (3-for-13 on third downs, no touchdowns). This was the first time the Packers kept an opponent out of the end zone this season, something they accomplished three times last year (against the Vikings, Jets and Bears).

“What it really comes down to, and (Packers defensive coordinator) Dom (Capers) does a good job of it, he doesn’t have total yardage be a definition of his defense,” Poppinga said. “It’s about points given up. I don’t know what they’re ranked (i.e., No. 11 in the NFL coming into the weekend), but that’s an area he emphasizes.

“Like today, that was a great representation of that. You can move the ball up and down the field against them, but at the end of the day, if you can’t score, you can’t win. They do a really good job of emphasizing the scoreboard and having that be the ultimate statistic of success.

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October 9, 2011

Pack bounces back from slow start to beat Falcons

 ATLANTA (AP) — Aaron Rodgers was down early, but hardly down and out.

In the end, the result was the same.

Another win for the Super Bowl champs in Atlanta.

Following up on a blowout of the Falcons in last year’s playoffs, Rodgers threw for 396 yards and a pair of touchdowns to rally Green Bay from an early 14-point hole, keeping the Packers unbeaten with a 25-14 victory Sunday night.

“It was a choppy game but we persevered,” Rodgers said. “We have a different team than years past. We expect to win when we take the field.”

They certainly expect to win in Atlanta. Rodgers has turned the Georgia Dome into Lambeau Field South, throwing for 762 yards and five touchdowns in his last two games against the Falcons.

Thrown a softball of a question – so, do you like playing in the A-T-L? – the quarterback broke into a big smile.

“I do,” he said, a playful tone in his voice.

The high-scoring Packers (5-0) were held without a touchdown in the first half by Atlanta (2-3), which was trying to make up for an embarrassing 48-21 loss to Green Bay last January. The Falcons had the Georgia Dome rocking when they raced to a 14-0 lead early in the second quarter, scoring on their first two possessions. After that, the home fans had little to cheer about.

Rodgers saw to that.

“There was no panic in the locker room,” he said. “Once we settle in the game and start making plays, we have a good game.”

Green Bay settled for three field goals by Mason Crosby , closing to 14-9 before Rodgers got rolling. He connected with James Jones on a 70-yard touchdown that gave Green Bay its first lead late in the third quarter. Then, on the first play of the fourth, Rodgers connected with Greg Jennings on a 29-yard scoring play that stretched the lead to 22-14.

Crosby clinched it for the Packers with his fourth field goal, a 30-yarder with 1:10 remaining after Rodgers guided the Packers on another long drive, hitting every pass he needed until Green Bay was safely in range to wrap it up.

“We just stayed patient,” Rodgers said. “It’s just one of those games. The rhythm wasn’t there all the time, but we just stayed with it.”

The Falcons looked as good as they have all season with those first two drives. Then, nothing.

“The way we played the first quarter is the way we want to play football,” coach Mike Smith said. “After that, it was not what we wanted. We made way too many mistakes.”

Atlanta didn’t crack 200 total yards until late in the game. Matt Ryan had another tough night against the Packers, throwing for just 167 yards with two more interceptions after turning it over three times in that playoff debacle last January.

Playing behind a makeshift line – the Packers were without one starting tackle, and lost another to an injury in the first half – Rodgers was sacked four times and faced plenty of pressure.

No problem. The Super Bowl MVP still completed 26 of 39, even with a couple of drops, and kept converting big third downs. Astonishingly, he completed passes to a dozen receivers, with Jones hauling in five throws for 140 yards.

“It was a tough game,” Rodgers said. “I took a lot of shots, had to move around a little bit.”

As if tired of hearing all week how dominant Green Bay was on offense, the Falcons showed off their own arsenal of weapons and plenty of imaginative play-calling the first two times they had the ball.

Taking the opening kickoff, Atlanta went 80 yards in 13 plays to grab a 7-0 lead on Ryan’s 5-yard touchdown pass to Roddy White . What was more impressive was the way the Falcons drove the field.

Ryan completed four throws to three receivers, and also hooked up with Jacquizz Rodgers on a lateral pass that went for 11 yards. Julio Jones ran for 17 yards on a reverse. Michael Turner carried it four times for 21 yards.

The Packers were driving for the matching score when Ryan Grant took a shot from Brent Grimes , knocking the ball loose. Vance Walker fell on the fumble at the Atlanta 40, giving it back to Ryan and the Falcons offense.

Ten more plays, and it was 14-0. Ryan completed four straight passes for 45 yards. Turner finished it off by powering over from the 1. The Georgia Dome was rocking, and the Falcons looked unstoppable.

But the Super Bowl champs weren’t going to just roll over.

“We’re an adversity team,” linebacker Desmond Bishop said. “You can’t be a good team without being good in adversity.”

Crosby connected from 32 and 35 yards to make it 14-6 at halftime, then boomed through a 56-yarder that matched the longest field goal in franchise history. An uneasy feeling settled over the raucous crowd, with good reason. After another three-and-out for an Atlanta offense that suddenly couldn’t do anything right, the Packers finally took it to the end zone.

In one play.

Rodgers dropped back and fired one deep down the middle to Jones, who got a step on Thomas DeCoud , took the throw without breaking stride and easily outran James Sanders for the 70-yard score. Just like that, the Packers had the lead for the first time. Even after failing on the 2-point try, they were up 15-14. The Falcons never recovered.

“We’re building something here,” coach Mike McCarthy said. “That’s what special about this team: our ability to make the big plays when we need them.”

The lead grew on the first play of the fourth quarter. Rodgers threw over the middle to Jennings, who turned on a burst of speed to get around the corner, then stretched out with one hand to get the ball past the pylon.

The Falcons were able to get some heat on Rodgers after the Packers lost another offensive tackle.

Left tackle Chad Clifton was bowled over by Atlanta defensive end Ray Edwards in the second quarter and remained on the turf, clutching his right leg. He had to be helped off the field, then was carted to the locker room with a hamstring injury. Green Bay already was missing right tackle Bryan Bulaga , who sat out his second straight game with an ailing knee.

But these are two franchises headed in opposite directions. The Packers have now won 11 straight dating to last season, including their march to the Super Bowl title. The Falcons, coming off an NFC South championship but that playoff meltdown, have already lost as many regular-season games as they did all of last year.

“There’s still a lot of football left to be played,” Smith said. “We’ve just got to get better.”

Notes: The Falcons lost two members of their secondary in the first half. Safety William Moore went out with a shoulder injury, while nickel back Christopher Owens was sidelined by a head injury. … Charlie Peprah and Jarrett Bush had interceptions for the Packers. … Jones went out early in fourth with a hamstring injury after running a deep route down the sideline. … Atlanta RB Michael Turner has gone three straight games without reaching 100 yards. He was held to 56 on 16 carries.

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October 4, 2011

The Favre Interview

By Rob Demovsky, Green Bay Press-Gazette

Former Packers quarterback Brett Favre doesn’t do many interviews these days, but he gave one to 790 The Zone in Atlanta.

In the interview, courtesey of SportsRadioInterviews.com, Favre talked about retirement, his time in Minnesota and the Packers winning the Super Bowl last season. Of his replacement in Green Bay, Aaron Rodgers, Favre said he was surprised that Rodgers didn’t do it sooner.

Here’s some of the interview, which can be heard by clicking here.

On him sounding like he’s been enjoying retirement:

Favre: “I am, which I guess tells me that it was time. Do I miss the game? Sure I do. I miss the guys, I miss the competitive, I don’t know if you would call it edge or spirit or whatever the term may be, I miss that every week. I don’t miss the between the games during the week, it got very monotonous for me. I also don’t miss the stress to perform at a high level week in and week out, because that just became so draining. And I know it’s impossible  to perform at the top tier week in and week out. I know I was fortunate to do that for the better part of my career. So there’s nothing to look back and say ‘boy, if I had just done this or I had just done that.’ I’d be a fool if I didn’t think I’d miss the camaraderie, being with the guys, there’s nothing like being in that locker room after a great win,a hard fought win, or bouncing back from a tough loss the following week, there’s nothing like that, there’s no way I can replace that feeling. But, I’ll be 42 next week, I’ve got a grandson, I’ve got two beautiful daughters, the youngest daughter is playing basketball. I enjoy working out here on my property. So there’s a lot to keep me occupied. That’s not to say one day I’ll become bored. We all become bored at some point with whatever we do. But I’ve got this philosophy right now to kind of just take everything as it comes, don’t get hurried, there’s no reason to and just enjoy life.”

Did he ever reflect back on his past two years in Minnesota and think he made a mistake by coming back:

Favre: “Well you know what Mike? I won’t lie to you, there has been times, not anymore, but there has been times once that season started — numerous times — that I thought I shouldn’t have played, this was a mistake. But then after the season was over, and maybe even before — I think the last couple of games which I didn’t play in, and it’d been years since I hadn’t played and watched from the sidelines, better yet in street clothes, that was the first time I’d ever done that  – but it gave me a chance to really reflect and look around. There was no pressure to perform. I was just kind of watching. So I had a chance to really think and think in depth. And to be honest with you, I didn’t regret coming back at that point. There were time during the season prior to those games where I did. But I guess I did finally get to that point, and I can only assume that had I not gone back as we’re sitting here today, I maybe you, maybe other people would wonder, what if I had gone back? Would the team have been different? I don’t know how they would have ended up. They may have been the same without me, maybe a little better, maybe a little worse. I don’t know. But there’s the problem. We don’t know. So if I needed an exclamation point on my career, two years ago would have been a great time to walk away. I don’t think anyone wouldn’t have been able to say ‘hey, the guy’s got something left in his tank, he probably could have played another year.’ Well, you know, we know now. If anything this past year was the answer that I’d been looking for.”

If he’d agree with Jerry Glanville’s comments that he did Favre a favor by allowing him to leave Atlanta when he did early on in his career:

Favre: “You know, I have to agree with Jerry. And at the time, no one including Brett Favre would have thought my career would have ended up the way he did. As a young boy, I was no different, maybe even more dreams and aspirations than the normal Joe. My goals were pretty high. But I have to be honest, they were not as high as they ended up being. So actually, I’m one of the few people who can say that my actual career and performance were greater than my dreams had been. So man, I just find it hard to believe that it could have been any better, more likely not as good, had I stayed in Atlanta.”

If he’s disappointed looking back on his career that he was only able to win that one Super Bowl so early on in his career:

Favre: “It was disappointing to never win one game, but as you’re playing it’s always ‘next year’ or ‘this year’, ‘this is the year’. So, once it’s over you go, well that wasn’t the case. Yeah we came close several times after, went to the Super Bowl the following year. You know, it is hard to repeat, but then again it’s not. A lot of factors have to play into it — obviously health from an overall team standpoint is important, the nucleus of the team coming back is important (did you lose a lot of guys?), and I think most importantly, do you still with the same passion and hunger that you did prior to winning the Super Bowl. If you have those in place, you have a pretty good shot. So it was disappointing to never go back aside from that following year, although we were close. But my career is very, very rewarding to me. So I have no regrets, and really the disappoint I feel at times is very normal, if any. Because again, I think about those dreams I had as a kid, and to think I’m sitting here now and I’ve far exceeded those dreams is quite an accomplishment.”

What he was thinking watching Aaron Rodgers lead the Packers to Super Bowl glory last year:

Favre: “I’m going to be honest, I was not surprised. The biggest surprise to me would be that he didn’t do it sooner. It’s funny how people can get over time, my last year in Green Bay prior to the first game, I made the remark that this was probably the most talented team that I’ve ever played on. And of course everyone looked up and was like ‘this guy’s off his rocker.’ We were very, very young; take me out of the mix and we were by far the youngest team in the league. But I could see the talent pool across the board was outstanding. Now our season kind of ended up being a reflection of that. We came close, and I think we took a lot of people by surprise, but guys emerged rather quickly. Aaron had a chance…even though the last couple years it’s seemed like he’s almost a rookie, he’s been around awhile. And I’d like to think that he watched, he learned, and then when he got a chance to play, he brought in his ability which is obviously very good or they wouldn’t have drafted him in the first round. He’s got tremendous talent, he’s very bright and he got a chance to watch and see successful teams do it right. And so he just kind of fell into a good situation. On top of that, he’s a good player. I don’t think there’s any pressure on him now, the talent around him is even better than when I was there. So I’m really kind of surprised it took him so long. In the early part of last year season, it hadn’t quite clicked yet and I didn’t know it would. I just kind of figured when they hit their stride, they’re going to be hard to beat. And that’s what happened.”

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