FROM THE SUBLIME TO THE RIDICULOUS, PART 32

(Alabamian you know why)

SUBLIME

Right Tackle Mark Tauscher and place kicker Ryan Longwell are the newest members of the Packers Hall of Fame.

The Rubber Meets the Road Starting Tonight

Tonight is the 1st game of the rest of the Packers life when the NFC South Leader New Orleans Saints travel to the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday Night Football.

This most crucial week continues at noon on Sunday when the Cleveland Browns host the Green Bay Packers, the Carolina Panthers host the Minnesota Vikings, Tampa Bay Bucs host the Detroit Lions, the New York Giants host the Cowboys and concludes at 3:25 p.m. when the Jacksonville Jaguars host the Seattle Seahawks.

The Packers Are……..

There are 4 games left in the 2017 season and the Packers are still in contention to earn a NFL record 9th straight playoff appearance, despite the loss of the best quarterback in the game Aaron Rodgers (for 8 games), their No. 1 running back Ty Montgomery (for 7 games and the season), their No. 2 who became their No. 1 running back Aaron Jones (for almost 3 games), their No. 1 left tackle David Bakhtiari (for 5 games), their No. 1 right tackle Bryan Bulaga (for 7 games and the season), their No. 1 left guard Lane Taylor (for 1 game), their No. 1 tight end Martellus Bennett (for 5 games and the season), their No. 1 slot receiver Randall Cobb (for 1 game), their No. 3 tackle Kyle Murphy (for 9 games and the season), their No. 4 tackle Jason Spriggs (for 8 games), their No. 1 right cornerback Damarious Randall (for 2 games), their No. 1 left cornerback Davon House (for 3 games), their No. 1 strong safety Morgan Burnett (for 4 games), their No. 1 left outside linebacker Clay Matthews (for 1 game and for half the plays during a game), their No. 1 right outside linebacker Nick Perry (for 2 games), their No. 1 left inside linebacker Jake Ryan (for 1 game), their No. 1 3rd inside linebacker Joe Thomas (for 8 games), their No. 1 right defensive tackle/end Mike Daniels (for 2 games), their No. 1 nose tackle Kenny Clark (for 1 game), their No. 1 backup cornerback Kevin King (for 3 games and lost for the season), their No. 1 backup safety Kentrell Brice (for 6 games and the season), their No. 1 edge rusher off the bench Ahmad Brooks (for 4 games) and their No. 1 long snapper Brett Goode (for 6 games).

The injuries have gotten so bad (97 games lost to injury) there are only a handful of key players who have been available for all 12 games (Brett Hundley, Jordy Nelson, Davante Adams, Aaron Ripkowski, Corey Linsley, Jahri Evans, Lance Kendricks, Richie Rodgers, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Blake Martinez, Kyler Fackrell, Dean Lowry, Justin Vogel and Mason Crosby).

Predictions

With Aaron Rodgers on the sidelines the Packers have lost 3 straight games at Lambeau Field – the longest losing streak at “The Shrine” since 2006 (also with Mike McCarthy at the helm) – and have the Tampa Bay Bucs coming to town with their hotshot quarterback Jameis Winston returning from a 3-game rest because of a shoulder injury.

On the whole the Packers are predicted to win, but I don’t know why. The last time Brett Hundley had a good/great game he not only crapped out the following week, but was shutout. So after another watershed game last week in the loss against a defensively challenged Pittsburg Steelers which Hundley shows up the “Great White Hope” or the “Pretender”. I don’t know.

What A “Tedder” Thinks And Does And It Ain’t Pretty

This exchange was on Packers.com Nov. 29 and it sums what I’ve been saying about the “In Ted We Trust” cult or “Tedders” as I call them, of which “the Shield” is prime example of. So it starts with “dennis” making the same suggestions (except for hiring J. Leonard of Wisconsin to replace Dom Capers, since I don’t know him because I’m from Southern Illinois) I’ve been making for years. It took an hour before the “Tedder” took up the fight.

dennis • 9 hours ago

I suggest roster moves of TT, MM, DC, and our scouting team out. Number 1, replace DC with J.Leonard of WI. Leonard is a native, worked very hard to achieve his goals for his size, played at a high level professionally, smart on schemes,, can relate to his generational players, and has proven his prowess for the Badgers. Get him! And also K.Greene, if available to start with. Then Wolf as GM to find a creative offensive head coach. Time for a major shakeup after this frustrating season, again. Rodgers is being wasted slowly and painfully. No moves, same next year die hard fans. Fan since 58.

the Shield > dennis • 8 hours ago

Uh, Rodgers is hurt. Are we wasting him by not playing him hurt? Firing everyone usually is the answer, and bring in a guy from an area college. That's genius. Another frustrating season for ya, huh? Making the playoffs almost every year, being in championship games, stuff like that, continues to frustrate you? Perhaps you could advise the super successful Lions, Bears, and Vikings since 1958. Those teams love cleaning house and starting over every year. It always works.

Whatever Happened to No. 26 Ty Montgomery?

"Not Me"

This week Ty Montgomery was placed on injured reserve for a wrist injury and not the broken ribs he had been suffering from ending the season for the former No. 3 draft pick. He began the season as the No. 1 running back after being an emergency replacement for Eddie Lacy and James Starks when General Manager Ted Thompson left the position unprepared for injuries. Does that sound familiar? But I digress with a very old and very repetitive complaint of mine.

After last season it was assumed that Montgomery was going to have to change his number since he finished the season as a running back and it was announced almost immediately he was going to be the starting running back this season because of NFL rule 5, Section 3, Article 3c which states running backs must wear numerals between 20 and 49 while wide receivers and tight ends must wear between 80 and 89 and 10 to 19.

Then on January 26th in his year end press conference Head Coach Mike McCarthy said this, "He's a running back. He wants to change his number." By saying that he stated directly that it was a decision by Montgomery and had nothing to do with the NFL rule. I wonder why he thought he needed to say that? Later it was revealed his new number would be 26.