GET OFF YOUR ASS, TT

The NFL Trading Deadline is today at 3 p.m. Packers time and there is one casualty of the other 31 teams trying to help themselves (while Packers General Manager Ted Thompson has spent the last 4 days holed up in his ivory tower office with his “finger up his ass” (a phrase my father used) in solid belief his “Do Nothing” way is the only way to lead the Packers to the Super Bowl) that the Packers could use to save their season while they wait for the indispensible man to return from injury.

The New England Patriots traded backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to the San Francisco 49ers for a 2018 2nd round draft pick. As a result of the trade veteran quarterback Brian Hoyer was released. I feel he is perfect for the Packers for many reasons even Ted “Beavis” Thompson and Mike “Butt-Head” McCarthy could agree with.

Another Great Move By Ted Terrific

I wonder how much research goes into a free agent signing. Except for injuries, which usually can’t be predicted (as in the case of Joe Johnson) and some can if the player has never played 16 games in his career, I would think a prudent general manager would interview a prospective signee to find out what he feels his future is beyond the upcoming season.

News broke this morning that the marquis free agent signing by Packers General Manager Ted Thompson, former Cowboys (2008-11), Giants (2012), Bears (2013-15), Patriots (2016) tight end Martellus Bennett is going to retire at the end of the season. REAL NEWS not FAKE NEWS.

FROM THE SUBLIME TO THE RIDICULOUS, PART 3BIGLY

(we still live in a Trump world, day 283 and counting)

SUBLIME

Title Town, USA

Today marks the 300th post from Lombardi’s Den. I hope those of you who follow my musings, meanderings and inner most thoughts about the Green Bay Packers have enjoyed my manner of writing as I try to get across those of us who aren’t particular fans of certain front office and coaching personnel aren’t being disloyal to the Packers, but just the opposite want the best for our beloved team.

A Leopard Will Change His Spots Before Ted Thompson Changes His

The “Just Good Enough” Packers of the Ted Thompson Era may not be just good enough this year, but it seems even the loss of the best quarterback in the game today and a defense that can’t be depended upon isn’t enough to get Thompson to adjust to the current dire situation and actually do something to help the team during the season.

This is Ted Thompson’s Defense and Ted Thompson’s Season

With all the problems the Packers are facing of having to stay in the race without Aaron Rodgers and half an offensive line there is another set of problems not related to injuries on the defensive side of the ball unless you think Morgan Burnett is Aaron Rodgers and I don’t that will doom the season and snap the “coveted” playoff appearance streak.

Different Quarterback Same Result

I went into the game against the Saints with no expectations. Aaron Rodgers wasn’t even at Lambeau Field, but master play caller Mike McCarthy and his play chart was and the grand dame of defensive coordinators was still sitting up in the clouds directing the Packers defense and with those 3 strikes against him the new “Great White Hope” of the Packers didn’t have a chance.

A New Season or the End of the Old Season?

The Brett Hundley Era begins when the New Orleans Saints invade Lambeau Field today at noon. The Packer faithful will get a glimpse over the next 8 weeks of what life would be without Aaron Rodgers and whether General Manager Ted Thompson has built a team that is truly a playoff contender or a team built around just one player who lifted his teammates to that level.

The Packers Have More Problems Than Losing Aaron Rodgers

Head Coach Mike McCarthy has won a Super Bowl, but not lately, in fact it has been 7 years since the Packers Brain Trust has led the greatest team in football history to the Promised Land with the greatest quarterback in the league at the helm.

Since then the Packers have been to the playoffs every season, but have been bounced out in their first game (even after going 15-1 in 2011) twice (2011, 2013), in the second game twice (2012, 2015) and in the conference title game twice (2014, 2016). The playoff record for Thompson and McCarthy since 2010 is 5 wins and 6 losses. Not a good record with the greatest quarterback in the league.

It Seems Losing Aaron Rodgers Was Just Another Day at the Office

The Packers lost the greatest quarterback of our recent times (my times saw Brett Favre and Bart Starr) and here it is Wednesday 3 days later and all that has happened is Head Coach Mike McCarthy got mad at a press conference and General Manager Ted Thompson brought up a quarterback from the practice squad 2 days later and signed greener than green quarterback to the practice a day later.

Sounds Familiar?

Watch the following link. I am not the only one who believes Ted Thompson has and is doing a terrible job.

Ted Thompson's Job Perfornance

The Moment of Truth is Here

For the past 9 seasons Green Bay Packers General Manager Ted Thompson and Head Coach Mike McCarthy and his coaching staff have been living a lie. They have taken credit for the Super Bowl victory and recently the playoff appearance streak, but is was actually just one man and one player alone who achieved all of that and for the next 10 games everyone will finally find out that Aaron Rodgers was the sole reason and they were riding his coattails.

Big Game This Week

The Packers are in 1st place in the North Division holding a 1 game lead over both the Minnesota Vikings and the Detroit Lions and a 3 game lead over da Bears.

The Packers have won 3 in a row while the Lions are coming off a 27-24 loss to the Panthers while the Vikings beat the Bears last week, 20-17. The Packers are on the road this week against the Vikings while the Lions are at the Saints (2-2) and the Bears are at the Ravens (3-2).

FROM THE SUBLIME TO THE RIDICULOUS, PART 29

It’s still serious

SUBLIME

Dug In

 I couldn’t find anything sublime last week for FTSTTR’s  28th edition, but this week I found something hopeful when its seems “the new guy” (thanks Whoopie) is doing everything possible to tear this country apart pitting Americans against Americans being the “Divider in Chief” instead of the “Uniter in Chief” he should be. At the very least “the new guy” is leading a cultural civil war and the country may not be able to survive intact. “A house divided against itself cannot stand” were good words from a true “Uniter in Chief”.

 

Nate Boyer Green Beret

A former Green Beret has stepped up to take the mantel of “National Uniter” since “the new guy” won’t. It all started a year ago with Colin Kaepernick, not one of my favorite people for many reasons, and a protest movement about the police killing black men. Now “the new guy” says without reservation its about disrespect for the military, flag and country and, of course, he always tells the truth, so why listen to the guy who actually did the deed. Remember it was about the police and black men dying. But it has become about symbols instead of substance. BAD as “the new guy” likes to tweet.

No Respect, No Respect

Aaron Jones, remember that name, he might be a trivia question one day. He is the modern day version of the great standup comedian Rodney Dangerfield and the second coming of Jeff Janis because he doesn’t get any respect from Head Coach Mike McCarthy, Offensive Coordinator Edger Bennett (yes, he is the OC) and Running Back Coach Ben Sirmans.

Despite being voted the NFL “Offensive Rookie of the Week” after rushing for a season-high 125 yards on 19 carries for an average of 6.6 yards a carry and scoring a touchdown while also catching one pass for 9 yards, the Packers seems to be pushing Ty Montgomery back from 5 broken ribs just 17 days ago to return this week and reclaim his starting job against the Vikings.

Brutal Thoughts on Week 5

We might have seen the last of J.J. Watt and I don’t mean for the season because he is already gone for 2017. They are calling the injury (tibial plateau in his left leg) he suffered Sunday as brutal and I guess it is considering it is season-ending, but it also may have signaled the end of Watt’s excellent career whether he returns next year or not.

The Great, The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

The Great

Aaron Rodgers:

What can you say about a player who almost single-handedly put this team on his shoulders, including Sunday with a 9-play, 75-yard drive in 62 seconds to beat the Cowboys in Dallas.

Rodgers: “I just focused on my breathing on the sidelines and try to calm myself and remind the guys about some little things. The first play of that 2-minute was a conversation we had coming out of halftime actually about the leverage and coverage style in that 55, 2-man coverage and what kind of route we thought we could get in that situation.”

The most amazing thing about the drive was it wasn’t supposed to be for the win, but only for the tie to send it into overtime.

Rodgers: “I was thinking touchdown. We had time. We had a time out. The key to a good 2-minute drive is the 1st play. You have to get some positive yards. We had a good concept front side and kind of alert backside, which actually set up the entire final sequence, hit Davante on a back shoulder to start the whole drive. That ultimately sets up the winning pass, because he’s playing high shoulder first play we go back shoulder. He’s playing lower shoulder on the last play. We go over the top with a high throw.”

Cowboys, Yeh or Ney?

The CBS experts are split. Peter Brisco, Will Brinson, Jared Dubin, Ryan Wilson pick the Packers while Jason La Canfora, John Breech, Dave Richard, Jamey Eisenberg pick the Cowboys.

Hummm, who are these guys? The only names I sort of recognize are Brisco and La Canfora. Those guys blank each out. I don’t trust a guy who won’t give his last name or goes by his first two (Dave Richard) and anybody who spells their male name Jamey I don’t like.

The ESPN experts are also split. Bowen, Golic, Kimes, Seifert, Wickersham and Pick ’em pick the Packers while Clay, Graziano, Kerney, Riddick, Wingo pick the Packers.

Hummmmmmmm, I don’t like a site that won’t give the person’s first name and make you look them up. So F**** ‘em.

FoxSports picks the Packers. IronRank picks the Cowboys. Alex Kay from Forbes picked the Cowboys.

Finally NFL Pick Watch tallied up 113 pickers and 54 chose the Packers and 59 picked the Cowboys.

Well that pretty much sums it up. By a slim margin the Cowboys are favored while on the whole this game is a Pick ‘em.

What’s With the Packers Injury Problems?

During the Mike McCarthy era the one thing you can depend upon is on any given day, on any given week and for any given game the Packers will be short-handed because of injuries.

FROM THE SUBLIME TO THE RIDICULOUS, PART 28 - ADDENDUM

I’ve reserved every 10 posts for a look at the sublime of the previous few weeks and the ridiculous, but the Cam Newton incident this week made me mad and I had to comment.

New Stuff and Old Stuff

New Stuff

The NFL.com power rankings are out and if having the Detroit Lions tied for the North Division lead with the Packers didn’t impress you then get this the Lions are ranked No. 2 up from No. 4 and the Packers No. 5 up from 10.

Things Are Changing in the North

The Packers dominating the Bears was just the beginning of a week of change for the four teams of the former NFC Central Division, now called the NFC North.

The Bears $45 million man Mike Glennon has been benched after the former Buc turned the ball over 4 times to the punchless Packers defense, including two absolutely terrible overthrown interceptions. Glennon spent his first 4 seasons with the Bucs having started 18 of his first 19 games, but the past two years he has been a backup appearing in only 2 games.

13 Steps Forward, 5 Steps Back And John Fox

The win over da Bears proved 2 things the Packers are better than da Bears and Mike McCarthy is better than John Fox. Beyond that everything else that came out of the game is pure speculation.

The Packers offense, despite the offensive line shuffling once again, and the loss of Ty Montgomery, Jamaal Williams and Davante Adams, continued to produce. Aaron Rodgers was great with 4 touchdown passes and no interceptions, despite having his 300-yard game streak broken, and the game plan allowed him to be sacked only twice.

FROM THE SUBLIME TO THE RIDICULOUS, PART 28

Straight number because this is serious

RIDICULOUS

There has been nothing sublime the past couple weeks with President Trump and the right wing talk radio nattering nabobs of culture attacking the NFL and its players over the National Anthem protests.

How It All Began

 The Republicans and the right wingers own the high ground on social issues with the majority of Americans in the Heartland thinking symbols mean more than substance.