Green Bay Packers

The Green Bay Packers have featured some famed one-two running back combinations in their history.

The Green Bay Packers have relied on the arm of Aaron Rodgers, but look for balance this year.Raymond T. Rivard photograph Chris Brown, author of ‘The Essential Smart Football” and a contributor at ESPN’s Grantland, wrote “it’s understandable that most fans (and even many coaches) think of football plays in terms of the strict run-pass dichotomy.” To that point, teams usually only do one or the other well. One-dimensional franchises with predictable offenses aren’t consistently competing for or winning championships as much as they’re jockeying for lottery position in the annual NFL draft. Oakland, for example, has appeared in exactly one Super Bowl (XXXVII) since their reign of lawless-inspired championships in the mid-1970s and early 1980s and has struggled to finish with a winning record for most of the last two decades. Dallas has won just a single playoff game since they earned three titles in the 1990s. The Dallas Morning News constantly skewers Jerry Jones for his inabilities as both an owner and general manager and frequently chronicle the failures of quarterback Tony Romo. For some Cowboys fans, Romo is the anti-Aikman or Staubach. The Packers can’t continue to rely so heavily on Aaron Rodgrs.Raymond T. Rivard photograph For both franchises, the element of offensive balance simply hasn’t existed in order to consistently be successful over the long run. While this may seem like an elementary concept, it has some truth. We know this: the NFL has increasingly become a passing league. The recent passing trend has seen red-hot quarterbacks win the title. Aaron Rodgers was elevated to elite status with a victory in Super Bowl XLV in 2010 following an incredible statistical run that saw him throw nine touchdowns in four games. And there’s Joe Flacco who capped his recent Super Bowl XLVII championship run with the Ravens by tossing 11 scores during the postseason. Consequently, as the league has evolved through the air, more traditional “run heavy” teams have seemingly taken a back seat in the pecking order. According to Pro Football Reference, nine teams in 2012 averaged less than 100 total yards rushing per game. Arizona finished 32nd with a paltry 75.3 yards per contest. Dallas, much to the chagrin of Jerry Jones and despite featuring talented back DeMarco Murray, ended up 31st with 79.1 yards per game. Jacksonville, a typically strong running team, was without running back Maurice Jones-Drew for most of the season and subsequently netted just 85.6 yards every Sunday to finish 30th in the NFL. The high-octane Atlanta offense, led by recently-released running back Michael Turner, finished 29th in the league with just 87.3 per game. These four teams averaged a combined 3.6 yards per rush. With the exception of the Falcons, eight of those bottom nine run-deficient teams (Arizona, Dallas, Jacksonville, Oakland, San Diego, Pittsburgh, New Orleans, Cleveland) missed the playoffs in 2012. Robert Griffin III and Alfred Morris helped the Redskins lead the league in rushing last season.Daniel Shirey-USA TODAY Sports In comparison, teams that have a strong running game tend to have success in making the postseason. Pro Football Reference shows that the Washington Redskins were the best running team in the league in 2012, averaging 169.3 yards per game. Collectively, the Redskins backfield netted 5.2 yards per carry. They qualified for the playoffs and lost to the upstart Seattle Seahawks in last year’s NFC Wild Card game. Dual-threat quarterback Robert Griffin III was hampered by a Seahawks defense that keyed to stop him. Ultimately he suffered a knee injury in that game, dashing their season. The Minnesota Vikings, who feature an elite Adrian Peterson, ranked second in the NFL by logging 164.6 rushing yards per game. The issue here is that Peterson also happens to co-exist in a one-dimensional offense which lacks a legitimate threat at quarterback. Minnesota drew a road mat

While the players continued demanding push-ups for lost card games, the Tailgate Tour made stops at Challenge Academy and Fennimore High School, before heading to the tailgate party at Tomah Recreation Park.

Football Outsiders, a statistics-based analysis service, has been producing division-by-division Insider files on remaining team needs. You'll need a subscription to read the entire NFC North post , but below I've taken a few excerpts and written a few things about them. Chicago Bears Football Outsiders' issue: Receiver Football Outsiders comment: "When we pointed to wide receiver as a major flaw for the current Bears early in the offseason, it was to the consternation of a lot of Bears fans who saw the offensive line as the larger issue.

In this week's 'Video Ask Vic,' packers.com editor Vic Ketchman in the bowl at Lambeau Field with a twist, a lightning round of questions from fans.

Surprisingly, former Detroit Lions receiver Titus Young hasn't been arrested again... yet. However, he does have a restraining order against him for making some fairly unveiled threats.The post Titus Young Knows Why O.J. Killed His Wife appeared first on Total Packers.

Kansas State Wildcats running back Angelo Pease could be one of the value players that Ted Thompson is so known for finding. Jim Cowsert-USA TODAY Sports A couple of weekends ago when Green Bay Packers‘ head coach Mike McCarthy stood at the podium in the media center at Lambeau Field talking about what he had seen from his rookies, one name was brought up a couple of times as having stood out among the bunch – running back Angelo Pease. McCarthy called the Kansas State player out for having what he believed to be an outstanding couple of days of practice. Eddie Lacy is expected to make the Packers, but will be pushed. Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports Sure, he talked about Datone Jones bringing a new presence to the defense and he talked about running backs Eddie Lacy as being “smooth” and Johnathan Franklin as looking good in all phases of the game, including fielding kicks and punts. That was expected. But when the name of Angelo Pease came out of the coach’s mouth – well, that was a bit unexpected. Not only was Pease undrafted, but the Cairo, Ga., native didn’t see the field a whole lot in his two seasons with the Wildcats. In 2011, he played in 10 games, carrying the ball 36 times for 144 yards, and two touchdowns. Last season, he got a few more carries. In 11 games, he carried 60 times for 333 yards. During his college career, he carried the ball 96 times for 477 yards. Pease is described on the K-State football page as “a powerful and shifty back.” At 5-11, 215 pounds, he has the body type and quickness that could make him a nice fit in the Packers’s system. Obviously, he wasn’t overused and comes to Green Bay with fresh legs. Maybe that’s something that McCarthy likes. Either way, should Pease continue to impress the coaching staff and somehow make the roster – heck, even if he slips through and lands on the practice squad, he will be an added value to the team. Oklahoma State Cowboys guard Lane Taylor signed a $7,000 bonus with the Packer – the most of any undrafted free agent brought into Green Bay. Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports What makes him even a better value is the fact that he was brought in without a signing bonus, unlike some of the other undrafted players who were added to the roster after the NFL Draft. Other undrafted players did receive signing bonuses, led by Oklahoma State offensive lineman Lane Taylor who got a whopping $7,000 bonus to sign on the dotted line. Illinois State quarterback Matt Brown, Mississippi defensive tackle Gilbert Pena, Ohio State tight end Jake Stoneburner and Eastern Michigan outside linebacker Andy Mulumba all received $5,000 signing bonuses. So what’s the chance that Pease even makes the team? Not high. However, the Packers are known for finding diamonds in the rough – undrafted free agents who do make the team. For instance, last year alone the Packers had four on their roster: guard/tackle Don Barclay,  receiver Jarrett Boykin, safety Sean Richardson and linebacker Dezman Moses. Of the four, three of them – Barclay, Boykin, and Moses – saw action last year. Barclay was forced into action at right tackle and played the final quarter of the season at that spot – gaining valuable experience as he competes for spot again this season. Moses also saw significant playing time when Clay Matthews went down with an injury for four games. He also played in spot situations throughout the season. Boykin saw action mostly at the end of the season, but he’s a player the Packers really like. Richardson was injured last year but was kept around because of his potential. Could Pease be one of those players who sticks? It will be fun to watch as the running back position is wide open. If he does make the roster or practice squad, he will be one of those value-packed contributors that Ted Thompson has become famous for finding. Stay tuned …

Packers vs. Bears – it’s the best rivalry in all of football, bar none.Raymond T. Rivard photograph Green Bay Packers vs. Chicago Bears, in my opinion, is still the number one rivalry in all of the National Football League – that’s despite the recent number three ranking by Russell S. Baxter over at The Bleacher Report. Number three? Really? And the Pittsburgh Steelers vs. the Baltimore Ravens and Tom Brady vs. Peyton Manning rank above the most storied rivalry in all of football? Really? Players come, players go, but the Packers vs. Bears continues to be a huge rivalry.Raymond T. Rivard photograph No offense to Mr. Baxter, who admits in his ranking that the Packers vs. Bears certainly deserve to be top 3, but says that because the Packers have dominated the Bears of late that it slips the rivalry out of the top two spots. Well, if you’re taking the “what have you done for me lately” perspective, I can see Mr. Baxter’s ranking. But if you’re looking at a more broad spectrum – like the past 90-plus years – there isn’t a rivalry that holds a candle to Packers vs. Bears. And that’s considering not just the NFL, but all of sports. Yes, you can argue Yankees vs. Red Sox all you want, but Packers vs. Bears has got to be number one. I can’t begin to list the great games, the great matchups and the general hatred between the two franchises – the fact that it’s big city versus small town, big money versus blue collar, or Mike Ditka versus Forrest Gregg – those are only a minuscule number of the factors that have made this the greatest rivalry of all time. The two franchises have been meeting since 1921, and it’s been since 1925 that they have met at least twice each season. That’s a hell of a long stretch of games – providing generations with the taste of blood. Once it’s there, the fans are hooked. Like Mr. Baxter says, all you have to do is take a seat at Lambeau Field or Soldier Field when the two teams take the field to get a feel for what it’s all about. Yes, there have been many winning streaks by both teams over the years that have given one team or the other the immediate advantage, but that matters not. In the wash, it all comes down to each individual Sunday that these two teams have collided on the gridiron. Every single game has its cast of characters; each indivdidual season has its drama. They may gather for prayer at the end, but when they’re on the field it’s all about the rivalry.Raymond T. Rivard photograph When the season schedule is released each spring, you can bet that every Packers or Bears fan worth their salt looks at where those two games fall and make plans to be ready to watch or attend. What do Packers and Bears fans look forward to most when the season starts – you got it – when they will meet. In fact, even if their team finishes 2-14, it’s a successful season it is if those two wins comes against the other team. Overall, Mr. Baxter’s list of rivalries is a fun look at the NFL, but I feel there’s no way that the blip on the screen that is Brady vs. Manning or the Steelers vs. Ravens should rank above Packers vs. Bears. What do you think, Packers and Bears fans? Let us know by leaving a comment below, or by clicking over to our Facebook and Twitter accounts.

Three recent Packers draft picks talked about their selection by the Packers, their talents and how they fit. Nate Palmer, 6th round pick, OLB Illinois State J.C. Tretter, 4th round pick, OL, Cornell Datone Jones, 1st round pick, DE, UCLA —————— Follow Jersey Al:           Follow @JerseyAlGBP           Add to Circleson Jersey Al Bracco is the founder and editor of AllGreenBayPackers.com, and the co-founder of Packers Talk Radio Network. He can be heard as one of the Co-Hosts on Cheesehead Radio and is the Green Bay Packers Draft Analyst for Drafttek.com. ——————'Saturday Listen: Three Radio Interviews with Packers Draft Picks---- Get AddToAny

Three recent Packers draft picks talked about their selection by the Packers, their talents and how they fit. Nate Palmer, 6th round pick, OLB Illinois State J.C. Tretter, 4th round pick, OL, Cornell Datone Jones, 1st round pick, DE, UCLA —————— Follow Jersey Al: Follow @JerseyAlGBP Add to Circleson Jersey Al Bracco [...]