Tapping The Keg Podcast Episode 79

Tapping The Keg back again for more fun with Charlie and Mitch. The boys begin talking about the new trend in New York City called 'Exerdating' and why it is the worst thing ever. Tinder gets discussed again somehow. We cover all things free agency ranging to some of the big contracts along with Sam Shields and Green Bay not making moves yet which should be expected.  We move on to March Madness with UW-Milwaukee making the tournament along with other things from Championship Week. Bucks get some discussion including why John Henson needs more time. We finish with how Ryan Braun went full heel and why it's great plus some True Detective talk.

Charlie.

A Safe, Expensive Bet on the Future of Sam Shields

Green Bay Packers had a decision to make with Sam Shields, their up and coming cornerback, this offseason. They could either bring Shields back, or let him go to another team. Many people believed Shields would get paid within the range of six to eight million dollars. Instead, Shields broke the bank like that Schoolboy Q song, with a four year 39 million dollars contract with a 12.5 million dollar signing bonus. This caused people to overreact like they were just subtweeted, but in reality, the contract works for both as Green Bay took a risk on his potential which is probably the smart one to make for this team.

Many people believe the contract is too high for a player of Shields's caliber because the past couple years do not equate to the money he will be getting over the next four years.  People need to remember they are paying for him to be good in the short-term future. It is a lot like the futures market on Wall Street where you are betting on something to happen in a positive manner. Just like Randolph and Mortimer Duke bet on the future orange juice market, Green Bay and Ted Thompson are betting on Shields' future which looks brighter than most cornerbacks right now. 

Sam Shields vs. A.J. Green, Josh Gordon, Brandon Marshall and Calvin Johnson in 2013 (5 games): Allowed 8 catches, 129 yards, 1 TD.
— Zach Kruse (@zachkruse2) March 9, 2014

This tweet from Zach Kruse of Bleacher Report and Cheesehead TV is all that should tell you about why betting on Shields is the right idea. That's not a small sample size either. Shields basically kept three of the best receivers in football whom happened to see Green Bay twice a year in complete check. Oh yeah, he also did the damn thing against Alshon Jeffery. Shields is developing into a lockdown corner, and yes, he is not great against the rush yet he can hold down some of the best in the business. When people are wondering about his paycheck, these are the statistics needed to be used to look at Shields versus just reference the contract numbers. What's something I think people miss out on is Green Bay rarely on beat on vertical routes. Almost all of their problems happened over the middle. Shields and Tramon Williams did a great job on the edge, but that's get lost because the safeties were so damn bad.   

One of the other interesting things about Shields contract is he only gets paid six million dollars in his second year. He gets 15 million next year with contract and bonus, and only two million plus the usual three million dollar bonus in 2015.  In case you were wondering, Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb and Bryan Bulaga are all up in 2015 meaning Green Bay found a way to pay Shields and defer money in that particular season to pay all of their other cornerstone players. While the 15 million dollars might people uneasy like Marty Hart watching the lost tape, it is only to cover Green Bay wanting to pay him severely less in  2015 to ensure they can get the other horses in place. 18 million dollars finishes off the four year journey with Shields, and by that time, nine million dollars a year will probably make sense. 

The only thing where there should be concern is the microscope becomes bigger on Shields. He never really had any pressure to perform. For the most part, people liked him as a player and no really took issue with him. If Green Bay struggles against the pass, Shields will get the blame right away. He becomes enemy number one in the cynical fans mind because he is quote 'making too money' plus all of the hot takes that follow with the particular quote.  That is the part of it where I worry about how this will play out for Shields. Fans will now expect him to be perfect which is highly unrealistic and stupid yet that's the fanbase at times. Hopefully, the pressure does not get to Shields and he keeps playing at his high rate because all will be forgotten about the money if he is making plays like this one. 

Green Bay's bar is set for the offseason. Half of the salary cap room is now slashed and they might bring back the likes of B.J. Raji, James Jones and Mike Neal if the money is right for the Packers. Thompson knows what he wants to pay for these players, and he will not go any higher than the bar set for all of these players. Thompson knows, he always does no matter what anyone else thinks of him.

Charlie. 

Tapping The Keg Episode 78

Mitch and Charlie doing their usual podcast thing today where many topics are discussed. It begins withCharlie's review of the Krewella concert at The Rave on Saturday evening. The sports talk begins with Milwaukee Bucks with all of the old players coming back, and why Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is selfishly looking at this team. We also discuss the Bucks strong play of late. Topic stays with NBA where LeBron James v. Kevin Durant, and everything else going on in the NBA. It continues to Major League Baseball about why Spring Training should not be taken that seriously. We finish up with Packers free agency talk along with March Madness and a little bit of NHL trade deadline talk.

Mitch and Charlie.

Packers Go Tag Free in March

On Monday, the National Football League had tag day. It was the last day where teams could officially give a player a franchise tag or a transition tag. Green Bay Packers could have tagged Sam Shields or B.J. Raji ensuring they would not enter the open market. That did not happen as Green Bay decided not to use their tag meaning Shields and Raji could end up players for other NFL teams this Fall. Although this is not the end for either player in Green Bay at the very moment, all it means is the Packers have a plan in place and franchise tags were not a part of it.

Shields was the one player where a franchise tag might have been expected from Green Bay. There seems to be some thoughts that he will be in high demand as a young secondary member with blazing speed plus his ability to lock down some of the top wide receivers in the NFL. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, Green Bay wants to give Shields a Tim Jennings-like contract where Chicago Bears inked him up for 22 million dollars over four years. It appears like Shields wants a little bit more than that, so the question is how much is too much for Green Bay?  

There are a couple things to think about here when looking at Shields right now. First, there are rumblings the salary cap will increase by 20 percent in three years meaning if a team were to give a player much more money than expected, they might be protected three years down to road if they screw up.  Second, Miami Dolphins re-signed Brett Grimes, a 30-year-old Pro Bowl cornerback for 32 million with 16 million guaranteed spread over four years. Shields is 26 years old with some promise, but not the accolades Grimes has right now with Pro Bowl appearances. In my eyes, Shields will probably seek a contract near Grimes but fall somewhere in-between Grimes and Jennings.  If that's the case, there is reason to sign Shields but if he gets Grimes money, Green Bay can afford to see him go. 

Sometimes, it gets lost on people that paying a player when they should be heading into their prime usually yields results. The prime of a professional athlete can be tough to define yet there is evidence to show when it actually happens for most guys. Green Bay have rarely gave up on players when they know a ceiling still might be there. Additionally if Shields was 29 right now with the same sort of accolades, he will probably be a complete afterthought for Green Bay and move on to greener pastures. The opportunities are endless with Shields, but if a team overpays him, it will not be Green Bay.  

Certain positions on Green Bay do not have depth, but the secondary features a stable of Tramon Williams, Micah Hyde, Casey Hayward, Davon House and Jarrett Bush. Hayward was a damn near Pro Bowler during his rookie year and could not stay on the field this season. Hyde became a pretty strong player by the end of the year plus Williams played his best in the last couple of years in the final couple weeks of the season. They could afford to lose Shields. He is a fan favorite, but they have the depth to afford to lose Shields if a team gives him an asinine amount of money.  

As for Raji, no one really expected Green Bay to give him the franchise tag. This seems to be a fractured relationship honestly. Packers tried to pay him, but Raji felt he was owed eight million dollars. Raji pulled the anti-Bill Hall having one of the more underwhelming years in a contract season. There is a chance Raji might feel slighted because Defensive Coordinator Dom Capers likes to rotate players in and out. Although money talks and if he gets the James Jones treatment which is entirely possible where Raji does not get the contract he wants, there are good odds he might take the offer Green Bay puts on the table for him. There is a great deal of unpredictability with Raji more so than Shields.   

Others have wondered if the Packers might be hunting bigger fish in the sea getting rid of Shields and Raji all together opening more money for Green Bay to make some major moves. Jairus Byrd is completely on the table in my eyes if that's the case, same goes for T.J. Ward or Linval Joesph. All of these players could be players for Green Bay or nothing at all. With not applying tags, it means there is possibility for more free agents as people murmured about in the past month. 

This is the first time in a couple years where big name, likable Packers are involved with free agency. Honestly, it is a terrifying experience because there will be news of a player visiting this team or a player slighted by Green Bay's contract. It is time to see what happens in free agency and how this team could change for the better or worse in 2014. 

Charlie.  

Sportandfashion-news Packers Offseason Roundtable

It has been about a week since Green Bay Packers lost their Wild Card game.  It is time to fully look towards the 2014 season even though four teams are still left in the 2013 playoffs. This is our first offseason post for Green Bay, and we lead it off with an idea by Adam Hatlak, our fantasy/jack of all trades blogger, where we gather a bunch of Sportandfashion-news minds together and input our thoughts on the offseason.

People featured here are Adam (AH), Bryan Reynolds (BR), Seth Krueger (SK), Eric Nohelty (EN) Nolan Murphy (NM) and myself, (TAP).

How much money are you willing to give Sam Shields?
Adam Hatlak: Ladarius Webb gets about $8 million per year, with a $10 million guarantee, and I could see Shields ending up with that type of contract wherever he ends up. He might price himself out of the Packers league with playing a premium position as an unrestricted free agent, but they desperately need him back.

Seth Krueger: Four years for seven million a year should put him in top six or seven in league for cornerbacks.

Nolan Murphy: Shields graded out at Top 20 NFL corner in the regular season during 2013 and held opposing quarterbacks to 72.7 passer rating. A secondary with Shields, a healthy Hayward and restructured Tramon Williams could help the Packers. Sammy is one of the fastest players in the NFL, but Thompson will be reluctant to franchise him at a projected $11.256 number. Offering Shields a four-year 30 million deal would be my range. Moving Hyde to safety and hoping Morgan Burnett can dig himself out of his grave in 2014 could save this Packers defense.

Sportandfashion-news: I am fine with the range of seven to nine million dollars a year for Shields. He is represented by Drew Rosenhaus whom has a solid relationship with Green Bay, but that man will try to milk as much money as humanly possible out of a team. My only concern is Shields is young and good enough that some team with secondary (Houston?, Detroit?)  needs might overpay him.

Do you bring back BJ Raji, for how much? 

SK: Not for over eight million a year.

TAP: Honestly, there is not much about Raji's game this year that makes me think this guy is worth over five million a year. Now he only played 50 percent of snaps, and quite possibly the defense the Raji camp will make is if he played more, the output would have been better from him. I would deem him the most likely to leave the team because people overpay nose tackles due to think every fat dude will be Vince Wilfork.

NM: This question would be easier if Ryan Pickett and C.J. Wilson were not free agents as well. The Freezer has not been as effective at the rush 3-4 end but a move back inside to nose tackle could make him a force again. Raji reportedly turned down eight million per year and will not get that again. This could be very similar to the James Jones situation in 2011 where you let the player sniff free agency only for Raji to return on a team friendly contract.

AH: Any player is worth a contract at the right price, but the price I'd pay for Raji won't bring him back. He already seemed like a player who had issues getting motivated, and it got worse during a contract year. He rejected an offer at $8 million per year and had a bad season, based on his performance, I'd drop the offer to $6 million per year and make it incentive laden. He's probably gone.

Priority number one of the offseason?
Bryan Reynolds: Pick up a linebacker/defensive end to fit the system. Green Bay needs an edge rusher who can put his hand down and bang in the trenches.

AH: Regardless of positions, find a big physical player or two for the defense. The concerns about being "soft" are gone in my opinion, but they still don't have many players who strike fear into opposing offenses over the middle. Teams are afraid of Clay, but can gameplan against him, after that there's not much to fear.

Eric Nohelty: Pass rush. Thompson needs to swallow his pride and go get a proven pass rusher in free agency. We cant waste 12's prime waiting for someone to develop. We need a guy that can get to the passer without having to blitz multiple guys. You saw the 49ers get after Aaron Rodgers while rushing four and still covering everyone.

NM: Getting the offensive line healthy. Former 1st round pickers Bryan Bulaga and Derek Sherrod will need to be healthy heading into OTA’s for this Packers offense to return to their 2011 form. This could answer a ton of questions heading into the draft if the Packers retain Evan Dietrich-Smith at center as well as figure out the rest of the line shuffle.
Who stays/leaves in defensive backfield?

EN: Morgan Burnett stays... he looked bad a lot this year but he had a big black hole playing along side him at the other safety. If you remember back to the short time Burnett played alongside Nick Collins he looked like he had an awful lot of potential.

BR: I think Shields deserves to stay. He is a playmaker and a good guy to learn behind Tramon Williams.

AH: Bring back Tramon, Shields, House, Hayward, Hyde,Bush, Burnett, Banjo, Richardson. I would see if Tramon is willing to take a pay cut, and if he or Hyde would be able to play safety, I'd move one of them there. Tramon talked about wanting to see a defensive veteran leader on the field, I think he could fill that role.

SK: MD Jennings, whoop whoop gone

TAP: Honestly, they have a lot to work with here. Thompson is getting better I think at admitting his mistakes when he makes them, and knows Jennings is a mistake. If they can shore up the safety position, the defensive backfield is not that far off from being pretty good.

How many times do you cut Marshall Newhouse? 

NM: I refuse to comment on this player personal move. I hope I never have to speak or hear of Newhouse again.

TAP: Every team I cheered for in 2013 had one player to piss me off and Newhouse was Green Bay's. See ya bud.

What's your wish list for the 2014 NFL Draft, whether it be certain players or positions? 

 SK:Safety, inside linebacker, tight end

AH: I still believe in best player available, but a hard hitting safety and a run stopping middle linebacker would be nice to see. A fourth round pick on an athletic tight end could be good as well.

BR: Safeties. All of ‘em. Since Green Bay lost Collins, we have been garbage on the backside.

EN: Pass rush and safety help. Pass rush is the most important because no matter how good of a DB you have no one is covering an NFL receiver for five plus seconds.

NM: If Jermichael Finley does not return which seems likely I think targeting an explosive TE like Texas Tech’s bad boy Jace Amaro or North Carolina’s Eric Ebron. I think finding more depth at the outside linebacker position will be something heavily addressed on Day 2 of the NFL Draft.

TAP: Murph stole my thunder honestly and let me tell you, this will enrage Packers fans yet I will love it so much. Amaro and Ebron make this team better ASAP.

Bulaga or Bakthiari at LT?
EN: Bakthiari --- he had a successful season, why mess him up by making him learn the right side. Not to mention Bulaga has been successful on at RT and did not sound like he was all that comfortable moving to LT before last season. Stick them both in the positions they are most comfortable at and move forward without playing musical offensive linemen every season. This is a good, talented group up front... they just need some consistency and time to work with each other.

NM: Bakthiari played and looked like a rookie I felt. This coaching staff needs to figure out what it has in Buluga at LT before moving him down the line. I think as they move farther into the prime of Aaron Rodgers, keeping him upright will be stressed by the “organization”

AH: Bakthiari should be the left tackle of the future, he's earned that and it will allow for Bulaga to play at a near Pro Bowl level on the right.

BR: I will take the youth of Bakthiari. He gets a lot of penalties, partially due to his short arms, but I like the enthusiasm and the experience he gained this year.

Besides Lacy, who is the one first or second year player you are most excited for their future?
AH: Since the five threat set of Jennings, Driver, Nelson, Jones, and Finley a few years ago, the offense has always had a new wrinkle added to it. There was the year that Cobb developed into a slot receiver threat, and Lacy brought back the running game. I'm most excited to see if Johnathan Franklin can develop into a Darren Sproles type back that can catch the ball in space and be explosive. The majority of carries should go to Lacy, but Franklin could be a good speed back.

SK: Mike Daniels

NM: Micah Hyde is hopefully not going to have a sophomore campaign like last year’s rookie standout Casey Hayward. There is talk around the Packers that Hyde could be moved to safety, which would be a huge upgrade for the Packers if he could succeed there. I’m also intrigued with the play of Brandon Bostick. The Packers have done an incredible job on developing offensive talent from within and people should remember Finley was extremely raw early on in his career.

TAP: I like Seth, love Mike Daniels but my biggest fear with him he will leave the first chance he gets to be a 4-3 defensive end because that is his natural position.

What happens at TE?
EN: J-Mike comes back at a discount because no one will take a chance on his neck.

BR: I think Thompson will sign Finley. He got off to a great start to the year in 2013 and it is hard not to wonder if that will continue. Brandon Bostick is probably a better option for the future over Quarless, but I think we need Finley now.

AH: I'd like to see Bostick get the chance to develop with Rodgers. Quarless was okay this past season, but doesn't seem to have the same physical gifts he had before his injury. Bostick has the potential to be a vertical threat.

TAP: Given what we have seen with these neck injuries, the verdict does not really come to fruition until a full year. I think Green Bay will make up their mind with what happens in the draft or even the offseason. If they do nothing with tight ends, J-Mike returns.

Who is the NFC North team that scares you the most going forward?
AH: This may sound like being an absolute homer, but I think the Packers are still set up to win the next three division championships at least. This past season was an absolute disaster by most fans admission, but they still won the division. Give this team 16 games of Rodgers, and they should win every year. I also don't have a lot of faith in the other three teams. The Vikings will need time for their quarterback to develop, and by the time that happens, Peterson will be past his prime. The Bears finally have a dominant offense, just in time for their defense to be a disaster. The Lions have the most threatening talent, and a new coach may make them the best challenger, but their cap situation is going to be a mess with so many high picks selected in the old CBA.

SK: Chicago Bears

BR: Bears. If it wasn’t for their defense being terrible this year, they would have snuck by us to get the division. Their offense isn’t going anywhere but up and with a couple additions on defense, they should run this division.

Do you bring back James Jones?

NM: Yes, he wants to be a Packer and I think his veteran presences can continue to help players like Cobb and Boykin. It would be hard to find a free agent (Lets be real Teddy T isn’t bringing in no over-priced free agent) or rookie who can play both positions for the Packers. Remember Jones caught 14 touchdowns in 2012 and is always a wild card to go off.

EN: See 2011...... let him test the FA waters and see if anyone wants to over pay him. If not, you bring him back on another short term deal. If yes, you let him walk and move forward with Jordy, Cobb, and Boykin.

TAP: I have a feeling someone will overpay him this time and not make the same mistake again as they did in 2011. I love Jones, one of my favorites, but I believe there is only a 20 percent chance he is back.

SK: Obviously, I think he should come back. No question about it. 

BR: No, I don’t think he is worth paying and risking losing the other free agents. I like the development of Boykin and think he can take that 2/3 receiver spot that Jones has occupied.

Will James Starks get starting running back money?
AH: I don't think so. He may get more than solid backup money, but there aren't enough true starter positions available for teams to sign Starks while feeling safe about his injury history. Keep in mind the following are free agents at running back this year, and might be valued more than Starks this year: Maurice Jones Drew, Darren McFadden, Donald Brown, Andre Brown, Toby Gerhart, Ben Tate, LeGarrette Blount, Rashad Jennings, and Joique Bell.

NM: He won’t get the money Ben Tate is looking forward to cashing in. Running back is such an interesting element in the league now with teams really just developing their own stable of running backs. Starks has never been able to stay healthy to carry the load, but remember the Mike Holmgren Browns gave former Packers castoff and injury prone Brandon Jackson 2-year 4.5 million deal after the 2011 lockout. He will not be coming back to the Packers unfortunately unless it’s on team friendly one-two year deal.

TAP: Adam basically convinced me Starks will be back next season although Green Bay has a wealth of runners.

Any free agents you've got your eye on?
EN: Jarius Byrd.... but its unlikely that TT will make a foray into free agency or that the Packers could afford him anyways. With all the money locked up in Rodgers, Matthews, and potentially Raji the Pack's best shot in FA is to land a veteran looking to join a winning team at a discount ---- can you say Jared Allen????

AH: I like the method of waiting until the big names are gone, to make sure people are acquired at a good price, but it's tough to predict who that would happen with.

TAP: I love Eric's Jared Allen suggestion. Love it so goddamn much.

How do you fix defense?
AH: A few more playmakers that can grab some turnovers. The yards felt the same as other seasons, but the team wasn't able to come up with as many turnovers as in the past. The only way to fix it is find a few players, regardless of position that can get the ball back. I would make everyone fight for their job in camp, nobody is safe (except for maybe Clay).

SK: Incorporate more 4-3, capers coached 4-3 D in Jacksonville and they were first in points and sixth in yards.

TAP: If they are able to pass rush as this has been a theme of the post, things will fall in place. Green Bay needs not to be complacent.

Any coaching changes?
AH: Looks like they'll need a new QB coach, and I'd also look at maybe switching DB coach if they truly think the talent acquired should be up to par at safety. If its an error on talent acquisition, then they should be safe. Capers is safe for me.

TAP: I do not think anything needs to truly change although I am sure there are some coaches that will get promotions.

Sportandfashion-news Staff 

Grading Green Bay Packers Defense/Special Teams

We are wrapping up the Green Bay Packers season with a grading of the offense/defense/special teams of the 2013 season.  I will also choose an MVP for both sides of the ball. 

Defensive line 
B.J. Raji - Many times when a player is in a contract year, they tend to perform above their head to get their money which there is nothing wrong that yet B.J. Raji is not one of those players. He had an sub-par year overall. There is nothing that made you think Raji is a even a homeless man's version of Vince Wilfork. I have no idea where his motivation has gone, but it is not there right now. I realize nose tackles are not really supposed to make tackles, but they are suppose to fill holes for the awaiting linebackers. If he still wants eight million dollars a year, I think he is honestly crazy. GRADE C-

Ryan Pickett - Not a bad year for Big Grease. He is not a flashy player at all, but Pickett makes some plays in front of the line. I also think he does a lot of good for the younger players on this team. People forget his contract is up, and he already said there is no retirement plan. I realize Green Bay likes to get younger, but Pickett's leadership would definitely be worth keeping him another year or two but what the hell do I know. GRADE C+  

Mike Daniels - ALL ABOARD THE BANDWAGON. I am fully supporting Mike Daniels. Easily, he became my favorite player on the defense. The guy is true bulldog in there being only six feet and 300 pounds. Daniels is built for a 4-3 more so than a 3-4 yet he does not give one single damn about it. The leverage he gets ins phenomenal, and I really do not see how a team gets a book on him when it all comes down to leverage. A six-footer can get underneath a 6'6 or 6'7 offensive lineman especially if he has the strength. GRADE A-

Johnny Jolly - What a year it was for him from a just coming back and being an emotional leader of this football team. It seemed like Green Bay had its edge back as football team for a little bit at the beginning of the year, and I felt along with others, Jolly was a big reason why that happened. The crowning moment of his year happened with the Atlanta game where he forced and recovered a fumble with everyone shouting 'JOLLY' 'JOLLY' 'JOLLY' in the stands. Hopefully, his injury lets him play again and I do not think one person wants to see him leave the team. GRADE B

Datone Jones - I have to say it has been a disappointing year for Jones. He made a couple plays here and there throughout the year, but definitely did not have the impact, I think folks including myself expected him to have with the team. Jones needs to live with Daniels, and figure out how he is doing it against these big offensive lineman. The grade is a low one, but I do think he will come back to be fine for the team. GRADE C

Linebackers
Clay Matthews - My assumption is the natives are beginning to get restless with Clay. He never seems to stay healthy while granted breaking one's thumb is not entirely the fault of the person. This pisses people off, and they begin to sour on him. Matthews made some impact plays leading up to him breaking his thumb, but really he can only be looked at like Dallas Cowboys linebacker Sean Lee. He changes the game when he is healthy, and that's not very often. I would kill to see one full year of Clay being virtually healthy. GRADE C+

A.J. Hawk - Easily, the best year of his career for Hawk. I am not saying he deserved to go to the Pro Bowl, but he made plays this year. Rather, it was not just Hawk filling the hole and making a tackle, it was him sacking the quarterback or getting a key interception. Speaking of sacks, Hawk had five of them this season which is a career-high for him. My assumption is we will be seeing more of Hawk rushing the quarterback next season.  This is a great bounce-back year for him, and I wonder whether Hawk will be able to keep this up. I tend to lean on yes. GRADE A-

Brad Jones - After having a great year that earned him a contract, this was a disappointing year for Jones. It is not all his fault. I would contend he played hurt for at least 75 percent of games this year meaning we should judge him playing differently. He had a bad hamstring multiple times then had an ankle injury at the end of the season. Jones is not a bad player, but he might be an average player which makes him mediocre when injured and that's a little concerning given his contract. He might be the one player I am most interested for next year.  GRADE C

Nick Perry - I think we need to all admit to ourselves that Nick Perry is not a left outside linebacker. It is not a position he seems to excel at even with Clay on the other side. Perry played well against Chicago and San Francisco coming from the right side and maybe it is time for Green Bay to experiment with Clay and Perry flipped. I realize the need to want Matthews coming off the blindside, but Perry is giving nothing from the left side. He does need to stay healthy though as he missed another five games meaning in two years, he has only played 16 games. GRADE C+

Mike Neal - I owe this guy an apology. I thought Neal would be just a workout warrior who could not stay healthy and I have been proven wrong. Neal played his ass off this year at outside linebacker. He did really well at that position. I think there is a future there for him, and I would not be opposed for a competition between him and Perry if they chose to keep him on the left side of the defense. There are definitely things Neal has to learn when it comes to playing the position, but that will come with time. GRADE B

Defensive Backs 
Sam Shields - To think, this was an undrafted rookie whom did not play much at cornerback at Miami. He had a big year for Green Bay when they won the Super Bowl then since there had not been much until this year. Shields delivered a defining play against Dallas, and he did a great job holding down some of the top receivers in the league. Shields is going to be wanted around the league, and will be expensive. I expect him to be back next season, but it would not surprise me to see someone overpay for him because his speed/catch-up speed is worth it. Shields' best is still left to come. GRADE B+

Tramon Williams - Quite the year for the longest member of the Packers secondary. People believed he was washed up. Many folks assumed he never recovered from his shoulder injury in 2011, and it had been downhill since then something changed against New York in the middle of the year. I have no idea what happened or what changed. I guess if you want me to venture a guess, I think Williams stopped playing scared he would hurt his shoulder again. I am excited to see what he has left for the following season. GRADE B-

Morgan Burnett - He will become the most-hated Packer to begin the year. Hell he already has been probably. I am willing to give him a little leash until we see what lines up next to him. I think MD Jennings hurt him more than we will probably ever know. Burnett seemed to play with an attitude of 'Cannot make a mistake' meaning he looked tentative out there. He made a couple of plays, but nothing special at all. Makes you wonder what Green Bay would have done if he did not get a contract and played this way.  GRADE D

MD Jennings -  If I have to watch MD Jennings attempt to play strong safety, I will gauge my own eyes out. It is one thing to be a strong safety that can come up and make bone-cracking hits yet not have the ability to cover anyone. It is another thing to be a strong safety that cannot hit or cover which could define Jennings. He will still be on the roster, but maybe he can go the Jarrett Bush route of being a good special teams player. Mike Gonzalez, MD Jennings and Marshall Newhouse caused me a lot of pain this season. GRADE F

Micah Hyde - This is a defensive and special teams grade. Out of the rookies, he probably had the second most impressive year next to Lacy. Sure he missed an interception in the playoff game, but Hyde played pretty well as a young secondary member. Green Bay now has quite the stable if Shields stays with Williams, Casey Hayward, Shields and Hyde. That's quite the group of secondary members who could really make some noise. I love the physicality of Hyde and his return game was valuable when Randall Cobb went out with injury. GRADE B

Special Teams 
Mason Crosby - Remember in late August, Crosby was having a kicking competition with a guy they brought in from the streets. He ended up dominating him including a 60+ year field goal. Crosby only missed four field goals all season. He did not even have a bad game for people to say 'Here we go again with the shit from Mason.' There is no reason to be worried about him next season. I feel like 2012 will just be a blip on the radar. GRADE A

Tim Masthay - Another great year for the Ginger Wolverine. I never feel nervousness when he is punting the ball. I would not say he is someone that can always flip the field, but Masthay improved as a punter this year. I can only imagine he gets better next season. The Ging as Aaron Rodgers calls him, owns the coffin corner. GRADE B

Charlie.

Wild Card Recap: Packers Grasp at Destiny Falls Short

Green Bay Packers' theme song going into the Wild Card weekend should have been 'Cinderella Man' by Eminem solely for the first couple lines in the song when Em says 'Technically, I am not really supposed to be right here so fuck it, let's make the most of it." Green Bay had no business being in the playoffs. Absolutely none. They did not have their franchise quarterback for half the year, their defense looked like Swiss cheese more than times than not and they had more injuries than a M.A.S.H. unit yet they still ended up winning the division finding themselves in a home playoff game against San Francisco. Packers came very close to pulling off the upset yet it was not meant to be with old problems haunting the team along with an old nemesis dominating Green Bay again.

Sometimes in the final loss of the season, the demons of the team reared their ugly head once again. This happened with Green Bay's offense as they failed to get off to a fast start, and they struggled to score on the goal line. Packers started off the game with only six yards of offense. It seems like it might be the script is too conservative to start the game more times than not. Three straight runs to begin the game is not really what is expected when Aaron Rodgers is behind center. Mike McCarthy is really hard coach to criticize because the times you want him to be like Ted Cruz, he acts like a hippie and the times you want him to be free as a bird, he goes all Rick Santorum.  But Green Bay getting off to a slow start did not help things, and the team was very fortunate San Francisco only had six points on the board thanks to the true meaning of a bend not break defense. 

Goal line demon did not rear its ugly head until the fourth quarter, probably the worst time for it to happen. For the year, Green Bay is only 50 percent at red zone efficiency which is way down from years past. Granted some of that can be blamed on not having Rodgers, yet this was a major problem when this team had a 6-2 record.  Packers found themselves on on the 10 yard line going in with what could have been their second straight touchdown drive in the fourth quarter.  Green Bay moved the ball down there with a steady dose of short passing and Eddie Lacy bullying the usually tough San Francisco rush defense.  When they went to goal line, it seems what got Green Bay down there went out the window. First down was a short-side zone read run to Randall Cobb and a five-wide set that went nowhere. Second down, the coverage forced Rodgers to throw it away and on third down, Rodgers could only gain two yards on the ground causing Green Bay to tie the game versus putting them ahead. The play calling was mind-boggling in the situation with Lacy bruising and beating up this San Francisco defense for him not to touch the ball once is maddening. Goal line play calling needs to be better next season, no question about it. 

While many people will rush to point the finger at defensive coordinator Dom Capers, he really did call a good game for what he had out there. Losing Sam Shields and Mike Neal right away felt like a death sentence for this defense yet they remained tall out there. They lost another linebacker in Andy Mulumba and Capers made a quick switch to running a 4-3 defense for a couple plays which virtually unheard from the Packers coach. I have no idea if this will be his last game as Packers defensive coordinator despite what the armchair general managers want, but if it is, this is a hell of a way to go out. He did the most with limited amount of pieces out there. The only real compliant from this defense is the inability, for the third straight time, to stop The Angry Ostrich.  

Colin Kaepernick kept his ownership over Green Bay and will continue to give this defense nightmares well into the 2014 year. Once again, Kaepernick did it with his arm and legs being very efficient with his passes, and he also found a way to make it work on the ground nearly running for 100 yards, his second-highest for his career. For the second straight year, there was no contain on Kaepernick letting him run wild and he only made one bad decision all game, an interception to Tramon Williams in the early stages of the game. If Green Bay wants to head back to the Super Bowl, they need to figure out Kaepernick because it is likely they will need to go through San Francisco in order to get there again. 

That leads me to wonder whether San Francisco is the new Dallas in terms of the one team Green Bay just cannot beat in any scenario. For as good as Brett Favre was for his career, he only beat Dallas once and it was a cold game in Lambeau Field post Jimmy Johnson and Barry Switzer. Aaron Rodgers record against Jim Harbaugh's San Francisco is now 0-4. They will not meet again in the regular season next year, but a postseason affair could definitely happen again whether it be again at Lambeau or a meeting at new Levi Stadium set to open next season. Either way, Green Bay needs to start beating the 49ers before Kaepernick is the new age Troy Aikman for fans. 

2013 season is now in the books. It will be one where people wonder 'what if' ranging from all the injuries to what things might have been like had Rodgers stayed healthy all year. But at the end of the day, this is still a Super Bowl contender for 2014 and they will make moves to better themselves for the upcoming year. 

Charlie. 

Sportandfashion-news Packers Classroom: Green Bay v. Dallas

We give grades to the different aspects of the Packers game from Sunday or Monday.  Am I too critical sometimes? Yes.  Am I also too nice sometimes? Yes.  I do not have a teaching degree in case you were wondering. 

Honestly, I thought about writing a full blog about this game and not doing my duty with the classroom. But I do want to write it out while talking about the game itself in the way I know how to do it.  I am completely stunned still this morning to see Green Bay win this game and be right in the mix with the playoff hunt. It is incredible. 

A-Game
Matt Flynn - When the first half ended, I called for Matt Flynn's head. I wanted to see Scott Tolzien because I really thought Flynn had ran out of gas. Mike McCarthy went with Flynn again, and Flynn helped lead them back with a big pass to Jordy Nelson to put Green Bay down 26-10. Flynn continued with a massive second half leading Green Bay down the field with four touchdowns and no mistakes. Green Bay could have quit on this game and it would have probably started with Flynn. He did not let it happen on Sunday. The leadership Flynn displayed on Sunday was amazing. No matter what happens this season, Flynn deserves major credit for leading this team back in three games to keep this Green Bay's head above water.

Eddie Lacy - Given the situation, the best game of the season for Lacy. He rushed for 142 yards and went over 1,000 yards become the first Packer rusher over that number since 2009 with Ryan Grant. Lacy helped create confusion with this Cowboys defense. He also had a big 60 yard run to open the second half providing sort of hope leading in the second half. But he also averaged 6.7 yards a carry. Lacy seems to be rounding into form, and is making his case for Offensive Rookie of the Year. It is dangerously close with Keenan Allen and Lacy.

Sam Shields - SAMMMMMMY. I do not know when it happened, but Sam Shields became one of my favorite players. I think it was during the Super Bowl run when Shields kept making big plays in the playoffs. Shields came up big again late in this game with a major defense of a vertical route of Dez Bryant where if Tony Romo throws it on the money it is probably a touchdown, but instead, Shields caught up to the pass and broke it up. Then once again, Romo underthrew a ball leading to Shields making the game changing interception. I loved he threw the ball in the stands after the pick and did not get a penalty for it (Don't pull that shit again, Sam).

B-Game
Tramon Williams - In a weird way, Tramon and the TV show Homeland are the same. The reason I make this comparison is Homeland was put on such a pedestal after the first season and Williams the same after the Super Bowl season. People put high expectations for both things, and they have been let down at different parts of the last two years. Homeland put on a bow on Season 3 and people still hate it saying they are done with the show. Williams is not having the same sort of criticism making the clinching interception to win the football game. In the last month or so, Williams has improved his game greatly.

Jarrett Boykin - We have talked about Boykin a couple times this year, but it needs to be stated again, he deserves to be a major factor on this team next season. He made a couple big catches on Sunday including a great back shoulder catch leading the Packers down for their final drive of the game. If the Packers get into the playoffs and Randall Cobb is able to return, think about this Packers receiving core. They become damn near unstoppable.

Andrew Quarless - Another big game for him. He was a player I wanted to watch on Sunday to see if he could carry over last week's game to this one against Dallas. Quarless did the same thing having six catches for 66 yards and a touchdown. Do I think Quarless' elevated play means Green Bay should ignore the tight end position in the draft? No I do not actually. But I really cannot see why they would draft Jace Amaro or Eric Ebron in the first round despite my undying love for both players. Quarless is looking more and more like the player everyone talked about when he came out of Penn State.

David Bakhtiari - What a  game from him. I know DeMarcus Ware is battling through injuries, but this is another premier pass rush that Bakhtiari has made completely nonexistent. He will never win it given the play of Lacy and Allen and others yet Bakhtiari deserves some Rookie of the Year votes. The stuff he is doing to protect the blind side is something I do not think many people are giving him credit for this season. If Green Bay were to make a run here, Bakhtiari could be a difference maker keeping Flynn and Aaron Rodgers upright.

C-Game
Clay Matthews - He came up big when Dom Capers started moving him around in the second half, but I am starting to wonder a bit about Clay. It does not seem like he is having the same sort of impact as he once was with this football team. Who is to blame for that? Probably Nick Perry and not having a pass rush from the defensive line even if it is not their responsibility to rush the passer. I will say it seemed like Matthews' rush was stronger when Mike Neal is out there. Maybe that's just me guessing things right now, but it does seem like Matthews' play becomes more clearer when Neal is out there.

D-Game
Green Bay's defensive line - This was a true example of why this team misses C.J. Wilson more than I think anyone realizes right now. DeMarco Murray gashed this defensive line and linebackers and it would have been the lead story if Dallas won this football including Murray who should have had over 200 yards right now. This defensive line needs to start figuring out how to get off blocks much better. Or make sure the holes are big enough for the linebackers to fill the spot. It could be the latter right now, but until we figure out whose to blame, I will start with the defensive line.

F-Game
Brad Jones - Another real bad effort from Jones. This is his second straight game where he has struggled mightily. I think it is time to see more Jamari Lattimore out there at middle linebacker. As I said last week, Jones seems to be a liability and he is in fact a liability. I have no idea if Jones is hurt or what, but he looks like he should not be out there right now. I hope there is more of a mix with Jones and Lattimore.

Jason Garrett's playcalling - I really cannot believe how bad Garrett was on Sunday. I know he threw Tony Romo under the bus, but Garrett gives him the chance to do it. Dallas threw the ball nearly 50 times and only rushed the ball 18 times. That's pathetic. If I am Murray this morning, I am legitimately scorching the earth when I get to the facility. He should have received the rock like he was Adrian Peterson. Murray has become a top ten back in the NFL and only his coaching staff does not realize it.

MD Jennings - Remember when I said I was interested to see what Sean Richardson can do against Dallas? Remember when he barely saw any time and instead we watched MD 'Toast' Jennings play instead. The guy is the Marshall Newhouse of the defense. He could not cover his shadow. My buddy and Sportandfashion-news contributor put it best with Jennings.

For not liking to tackle MD Jennings picked an interesting career
— Seth (@SethKrueger) December 15, 2013

Charlie.