Hang On; Help Is On The Way For Packers
The Packers will benefit from the return of cornerback Al Harris and safety Atari Bigby from the PUP list.
From my newest weekly column, when it comes to teams suffering season-ending injuries:
In poker terms, most NFL teams would check when dealt a hand of injuries. In the case of the Packers, they'll raise.
I detail the boost the Packers will get from the return of Atari Bigby and Al Harris from the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list.
The column appears in the Bliss Communications platform of publications including the Janesville Gazette, Janesville Messenger, Stateline News and Walworth County Sunday.
It also appears in the Reilly family of newspapers including the Dodgeville Chronicle, the Pecatonica Valley Leader and the Democrat Tribune of Mineral Point.
Follow the above link to read the column.
Comments (20)
October 06, 2010 at 10:23 am
Nice article, Brian. I agree that people shouldn't be so concerned just yet. A win is a win and we've still got three of them. I actually prefer to see this team getting wins despite a few obstacles rather than rolling through an easy schedule (think last year's vikings). The lessons learned from a season full of games where you just had to find a way to win is something a young team like this needs to learn. I think we saw some of that grit in the second half of last season, but if they can prove through week 17 that despite being a young team they still knows how to win when the chips are down I think that experience will serve them well in the playoffs.
October 06, 2010 at 10:35 am
You say, 'a young team like this needs to learn', yet all I see are veterans turning the ball over, making mental errors and having stupid penalties.
Youth need to step up, agreed. That being said, it's the veterans making these games more competitive than they need to be.
October 06, 2010 at 12:13 pm
Hard to argue with that. Still, I'd almost rather see them struggling to win but succeeding as a team rather than just rolling over an easy schedule and getting all the way to the superbowl or NFC championship only to find out there's another team who wants it more (Vikings and 2007 Pats come to mind here).
October 06, 2010 at 10:29 am
Any update on Chillar's shoulder Space Ghost?
Brian Carriveau
October 06, 2010 at 10:31 am
We're just hours away from knowing more, Fitzcore. Should know more once practice updates start rolling in and then even more during McCarthy's presser.
October 06, 2010 at 10:36 am
Cool, I'll stay glued.
October 06, 2010 at 10:35 am
I have FAITH Harris will be a solid contributor this year BUT, is anyone else super concerned about Bigby? No football in 10 months, just off surgery, always knicked up as it is. If he can stay healthy and be our starter GREAT, but I sure am not getting my hopes up. If I had to point to what my biggest worry is right now, it's safety with RB coming in a distant 2nd.
GBP 4 LIFE
October 06, 2010 at 10:37 am
Almost completly agree.
Pass rush > Safety > OL (run blocking) >running back.
October 06, 2010 at 12:18 pm
You might have to elaborate on that, CSS. Pass rush is your biggest concern? With Raji and Jenkins combining for as many sacks through four games as the D line had in all of last season and Clay Matthews adding another seven I'm feeling pretty good about the rush this year. I'd definitely have to agree with Fitz and put safety at the top of that list.
October 06, 2010 at 12:25 pm
Capers defense is predicated on creating favorable down-n'-distance, then getting after the QB. There's no pass rush opposite of Matthews and, thus far, the Packers D-Line has sacks against Four of the worst pass protection offensive lines in football. Eagles, Bills, Bears and Lions will finisht the year in the basement giving up QB hits/sacks.
Capers has two guys that can manufacture their own sacks: Jenkins and Matthews. Raji will get opportunistic sacks when the O-line breaks down.
Maybe Capers can scheme his way into pressure, but I don't want to face veteran QB's/smart head-coaches with only two pure pass rushers on the roster (I hedge even calling Jenkins a pure pass rusher).
October 06, 2010 at 02:14 pm
I agree with you for the most part, but it's interesting that we're tied for the league lead in sacks at 16. I know CM3 has had a hand in that, but only for 7 out of the 16. Of course we would like QB pressure on every play, but perhaps we're not as bad as we all think.
October 06, 2010 at 12:29 pm
Also, pass rushers make average safeties look really good.
October 06, 2010 at 12:37 pm
Right, and because the inverse of this is also true, I guess that's really the biggest concern in this discussion. I'm okay with the pass rush we have because we've had two good safeties backing it up. If the pressure stalls in the next two weeks against McNabb and Henne we could be looking at some big trouble over the top.
October 06, 2010 at 10:38 am
Looking at the glass as half full is always optimistic and a good quality to have.However,staring at a glass that is only half full and failing to notice how a sip here and a sip there is being taken you end up looking like an thirsty ass wondering where the water went.
Losing Burnett and Chillar are sips we must replace and the assumption that the return of Harris,who in his interview sounded less than motivated and convinced of his ability,and hoping Bigby doesn't do a "one hit wonder" and not be heard from again may be akin to pouring sand in the glass instead of water.
Unless these two assumed "water dispencers" are able to fill the glass more than half way right away,I feel a slow drowning in a deep glass and low water is inevitable.
Optimistic but not in Denial.
October 06, 2010 at 10:50 am
Wow. That's a lot of metaphors. haha.
October 06, 2010 at 11:00 am
I was having a glass of water when I read the article.
Then the words just poured out.
October 06, 2010 at 12:53 pm
Brian,
Good article, I liked the Little River Band title as well. Did you mean to do that?
October 06, 2010 at 03:22 pm
This was something I had been thinking about... so glad you put it out there!
We're actually pretty lucky to be in this situation where we have some solid players coming back to the group in a couple weeks. It could definitely have been a lot worse.
October 07, 2010 at 12:11 pm
Every team gets their turn in the meat grinder. Ours is early... better than late. Otherwise.....tears here.
October 15, 2010 at 02:07 am
It just seems like this team is a BEAST being held back by injury after injury. By week 8 the beast will be unleashed onto the second half of the schedule.