February 3
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy made the move that most people saw coming after the departure of Joe Philbin to the Miami Dolphins. He promoted quarterbacks coach Tom Clements to Philbin's offensive coordinator spot. Since Philbin left to take the Dolphins head coaching position, it has been widely speculated that Clements would replace him. It was a logical move given Clements is the only coach on McCarthy's offensive staff who has been a coordinator in the NFL before. Clements spent two seasons running the Buffalo Bills' offense before joining McCarthy's staff in 2006."
February 2
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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James Starks was just getting hot. The Green Bay Packers second-year running back took a short pass and turned it into a 12-yard gain. He darted off the right edge for 29 yards. In two third-quarter series against the Giants in the NFC divisional playoffs, Starks accounted for 56 total yards. Then, Starks gave way to Ryan Grant and touched the ball just twice the rest of the game. This is how it went much of 2011 for Starks in the backfield-by-committee that the Packers employed. Neither Starks nor Grant could ever get rolling the way they each did in past seasons. And Green Bay's rushing game struggled, ranking 27th overall and 26th in yards per carry. With the possibility of Grant"
February 2
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
columnist Tyler Dunne
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For once, the hoopla is justified. The exhausting dissection of two players is worth every second of airtime. This year's Super Bowl script is made for cinema. Eli Manning is gunning for his second title . . . in his brother's backyard. Tom Brady is gunning for his fourth ring . . . and revenge. These are two quarterbacks at their peaks of their games on the world's biggest stage. Please, by all means. Bring on the madness. So even though the Green Bay Packers are not here, they shouldn't be grieving. If anything, maybe there's slight embarrassment in having to play in a half-speed, impossible-to-watch Pro Bowl game. Because in real football, tackle football, the Packers should contend"
February 1
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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Though the NFL has not released exact figures on the 2012 salary cap limit, all indications are that the number will remain flat this year. That means teams can expect the salary cap to be around $120 million again. In the case of the Green Bay Packers, that's not all bad news. According to a source with access to NFL salary information, the Packers have $113,356,169 dedicated to their '12 salary cap, leaving them roughly $7 million to deal with free agents like TE Jermichael Finley, C Scott Wells, RB Ryan Grant and CB Jarrett Bush. That's not a bad position to be in given that the Packers have 63 players under contract. Only the top 51 count against the cap, a total which reaches roughly"
January 31
New Orleans Times-Picayune
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Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is the most marketable player in the NFL, according to an exclusive survey of sports business execs, analysts and media personalities conducted by SportsBusiness Daily. The Super Bowl XLV MVP edged out Patriots QB Tom Brady, with three other QBs - the Colts' Peyton Manning, the Saints' Drew Brees and the Broncos' Tim Tebow - rounding out the top five. Rodgers was named on 41 of 50 ballots, five more than either Brady or Manning. However, Brady did receive 15 first-place votes compared to 12 for Rodgers."
January 26
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
columnist Mike Berardino
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That wasn't exactly a ringing endorsement Dan Marino gave Matt Flynn this week. Asked about Flynn, who just finished his fourth season as a backup quarterback for the Packers, the Greatest Dolphin of All-Time sounded lukewarm about his former team making a run at the likely free agent. "Some guys are just — I don't want to say it in a negative light — but sometimes there's a reason why guys are backups, you know?" Marino said during his weekly WQAM appearance. "I'm not saying he can't come in here and be a terrific player. Maybe he can be. But he didn't play somewhere the whole time.""
January 26
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
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Matt Flynn to the Miami Dolphins? Aaron Rodgers thinks it's a "strong possibility." In fact, Rodgers on Wednesday told a Milwaukee radio station he sees the Dolphins and the Seattle Seahawks as the "two top dogs" in the race for the talented backup, expected to become an unrestricted free agent in March. This is based on a conversation with Flynn "in the last few days," Rodgers said of his backup quarterback in Green Bay the past four years. "I think it's a strong possibility that [the Dolphins] would make a run at him," Rodgers said during his weekly appearance on ESPN Milwaukee. "I think it kind of makes sense. Joe [Philbin] in that system, which I'm sure is going to be very similar to"
January 22
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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PASS OFFENSE (A-plus) Few, if any, have ever played quarterback better than Aaron Rodgers in 2011. His passer rating of 122.5 broke Peyton Manning's record (121.1). His mark was 11.9 points higher than that of Drew Brees, who was second. The Packers ranked third in yards per game (307.8), but that number would have been much higher if they hadn't entered the fourth quarter ahead in 14 of Rodgers' 15 starts. Just 19.4% of his 4,643 yards came in the fourth quarter. His only lost fumble occurred in the playoffs. After surpassing a rating of 100 in 12 straight games, he slipped below 100 three times in his last four starts. After a 78.5 downer in the playoffs, his 16-game mark was 118.8."
January 22
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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SPECIALISTS (3) Mason Crosby: After ranking 26th, 28th, tied for 25th and 26th in FG percentage, Crosby finished 11th with a career-best 85.7%. He also went 2 for 2 in the playoff game. He tied for 18th in average distance per attempt (36.6) and for 21st in average distance per miss, and ranked 13th in average distance per make (35.5). The Packers tied for first in opponents' average starting position (20.3) mainly because Crosby ranked third in touchbacks with 49. On the 105 kickoffs that he swung away on, his averages were 69.66 yards and 3.79 seconds of hang time. His 31-yard boot to beat the Giants was his first game-winner since the opening game of his career. He also accounted for"
January 22
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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DEFENSIVE LINE (7) Howard Green: A year ago, Green played 209 snaps and had 22 tackles and four pressures, including a game-changing knockdown of Ben Roethlisberger in the Super Bowl. This year, he played 230 snaps and had almost exactly the same number of tackles (21) but far fewer pressures (one-half). Recently turned 33, Green's contract is expiring. Although his pass rush wasn't nearly as good, he remained stubborn at the point of attack. He's a better NT than DE. Massive men like Green, especially ones that are such excellent influences on young players, aren't always easy to find. Grade: D. Lawrence Guy: He suffered a concussion on the fifth day of training camp, wasn't allowed to"
January 22
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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WIDE RECEIVERS (6) Randall Cobb: The rookie drafted in the second round emerged as the Packers' best return man since Desmond Howard 15 years ago. Cobb bubbles over with confidence. He hates taking a knee on kickoffs or making a fair catch on punts. He's almost too tough for his size. Cobb displayed a second gear in the open field. He averaged 18.1 snaps from scrimmage behind Donald Driver, playing more and more as the season went on. He led the receivers in average gain after the catch at 7.1 yards. Dropped two of 34 targeted throws. At this point, he looks like an effective slot. Does he have enough to become a starter? That's to be determined. Grade: B. Donald Driver: It's possible that"
January 22
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
columnist Bob McGinn
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The failure of the Green Bay Packers' defense this season lay at the feet of the players, Ted Thompson, Mike McCarthy and his staff of defensive coaches. When the offense had one bad day, the defense not only wasn't there to pick it up last Sunday but exacerbated the problem by giving up 37 points in the crushing NFC divisional playoff loss to the New York Giants. Lambeau Field stands ice cold and silent. The NFC Championship Game destined for Green Bay will be played late Sunday afternoon in San Francisco, and the Packers will be watching from home. In his valedictory Wednesday, McCarthy spoke of weak fundamentals and sloppy tackling to explain the collapse of his defense. That was the"
January 21
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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Based on his experience working with Joe Philbin, Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy knew it would be only a matter of time before he parted with his good friend. On Friday evening, the Miami Dolphins announced that Philbin, the Packers' offensive coordinator, had been hired to be their head coach. Philbin was a finalist along with Denver offensive coordinator Mike McCoy and Dolphins defensive coordinator Todd Bowles but stood tall above the others. "We are thrilled to have Joe Philbin join the Miami Dolphins as our head coach," owner Stephen Ross said in a statement released by the Dolphins. "Joe has all the attributes that we were looking for when we started this process. (General"
January 21
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
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The Miami Dolphins have hired Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator Joe Philbin as the franchise's 10th head coach. Philbin was chosen over finalists Mike McCoy, offensive coordinator in Denver, and Todd Bowles, the Dolphins secondary coach, who was named interim head coach when Tony Sparano was fired with three games left in the season. The three were interviewed for a second time this week after Jeff Fisher spurned the Dolphins for the head coach job in St. Louis. "Joe has all the attributes that we were looking for when we started this process," Dolphins owner Steve Ross said about his decision. "(General Manager) Jeff Ireland and I felt Joe was the right choice to bring the Dolphins"
January 20
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
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Miami Dolphins owner Steve Ross makes no secret about the fact he covets a sexy, high scoring offense for his franchise. His first official football hire will go a long way towards moving in that direction because Ross completed his 38-day coaching search by hiring Joe Philbin, according to a team source. The Dolphins are expected to announce the hiring of the franchise's 10th head coach on Saturday. Philbin's spent the past five years as the architect of the Green Bay Packer's west coast style offense, which has ranked in the top eight in total yards and the top five in total points each of the five years."
January 18
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
columnist Duane Dudek
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I developed mild angina during the first quarter of Sunday's playoff game between the Green Bay Packers and the New York Giants, although it could have been that the chicken I grilled was undercooked. I walked the dog in the second quarter because I could not bear to watch. I switched to the Golden Globes red carpet coverage on E! Entertainment during the third quarter. I spent the fourth quarter in blissful ignorance, until they updated the score during a break on "60 Minutes." And instead of watching local post-game coverage on WITI-TV (Channel 6), I flipped between the Globes and a "Columbo" rerun on Me-TV."
January 17
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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They framed it in all different kinds of ways, but in dissecting the failure of the Green Bay Packers defense this season, its players and coaches kept coming back to the same thing. No pass rush. They may not admit to it, but behind their words the message for general manager Ted Thompson was to find help this off-season. Departed end Cullen Jenkins' name was brought up so many times Monday that you would have thought he was still playing for the team. Thompson let the team's best pass-rushing defensive lineman go last year despite his cost dropping dramatically in the free-agent market to a very affordable $5 million a year, which is what the Philadelphia Eagles paid to sign him."
January 17
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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The end may be near for Donald Driver in Green Bay. And he knows it. He's not living in delusion, not getting desperate. No, when the Green Bay Packers wide receiver stood at his locker Monday morning - the hangover from a 37-20 loss to the New York Giants still throbbing for all players - he was honest, practical. Does he plan to retire? No. Do the Packers want him back? Not sure. Is he willing to play elsewhere? You bet. "If the Packers don't want me, I've got to go somewhere else and play," Driver said. "I don't have a choice. I'm not ready to hang the cleats up. My wife feels like I still got it. I feel like I still got it. If my family feels that way, then I'm going to continue to"
January 17
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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Job advancement might be stagnant elsewhere, but around the Green Bay Packers there appears to be plenty of opportunity for the team's assistant coaches. According to various media reports, offensive coordinator Joe Philbin remains in the race for the Miami Dolphins head coaching position and has drawn interest from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who asked for permission to interview Philbin for its head position. ESPN.com reported both developments with Philbin, who was not available for comment Monday during final media sessions with players and coaches. It has been just eight days since Philbin's son, Michael, drowned in the Fox River in Oshkosh and understandably the coach has kept a low"
January 16
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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Of all the possible outcomes imagined in the days leading up to the NFC divisional playoff game at Lambeau Field, this one seemed the least likely to occur. A dominant performance by the New York Giants. A desultory one by the Green Bay Packers. But occur it did, and so the Packers' march to Super Bowl XLVI and back-to-back championships ended not with confetti falling from the rafters at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis but with the grim realization that a 15-1 record in the regular season meant, for lack of a better word, squat. It ended with a surreal scene: the Giants celebrating their 37-20 victory Sunday in a half-filled stadium as disbelieving fans filed silently out of Lambeau and"
January 16
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
columnist Bob McGinn
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Lambeau Field on Sunday was to be the jumping-off point for another glorious playoff run for what the loyalists like to call the real America's Team. With 3 minutes left, more than half the crowd of 72,080 had headed for home, rats escaping the sinking ship known as the Invincible Green Bay Packers. "Yes, that was disappointing. I've never seen that," defensive end Ryan Pickett said of the early-to-exit fan base when the debacle was done. "But we were playing pretty sloppy football." Did the Packers ever. Down went visions of another Super Bowl and second straight National Football League championship. Kaput went hopes for a pro football dynasty."
January 16
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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What did anyone expect? The National Football League's worst-ranked defense during the regular season went out and stunk up the place in the playoffs Sunday afternoon at Lambeau Field. "We had a bad year," defensive end Ryan Pickett conceded after the Green Bay Packers were dismissed by the New York Giants, 37-20, in an NFC divisional game. "We just didn't put it together this year." Coordinator Dom Capers tried a novel approach during the open week, showing all 25 of his players the tape of their worst plays. His position coaches met with their players in somewhat of a desperate attempt to turn the unit around. As expected, it didn't work. The second-worst defense in NFL history based on"
January 16
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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It was a great storyline to look forward to: the Aaron Rodgers vs. Alex Smith matchup in the NFC Championship Game next week. It was hard to believe: After playing great all season, Rodgers lost his first playoff game played in Lambeau Field. It was surreal to watch: Rodgers running for his life when all of his favorite options, the talented receivers and tight ends, seemed covered. It just was not meant to be. Rodgers, who ranks No. 1 in NFL history with a 104.1 career passer rating, could only accept a handshake from team president Mark Murphy in the locker room after the game, nod his head in disappointment and cast his gaze downward."
January 16
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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Ten minutes after a loss like that is the worst time to go looking for answers. But it might take the Green Bay Packers 10 years of searching and they might never really come up with any satisfactory conclusions. "It just wasn't our day," said tight end Jermichael Finley. Shocked and stunned by the New York Giants' gutsy defense that limited their record-setting offense, in Lambeau Field of all places, the Packers were left with cold, hard facts. "Drops and fumbles," said receiver Jordy Nelson. A lot of them. First quarter through the fourth quarter. On critical downs and what would have been routine plays."