Here are some video highlights from Fridays game against Denver. You can also see an official highlight at packers.com. For those of us- like myself that listened to the game via Field Pass.

I thought this was pretty good, when you exclude the terrible compression. Only Packer fans can make a highlight reel out of 1 regular season game and 3 pre-season games. BTW- turn the music down if you don’t happen to like the band Korn. I do- but I know some of you may not.

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So, I’m trolling Youtube and other sites for some of the latest Packer content and I find all these (for lack of a better word) designer Cheeseheads. Here’s one from a recent game. I made a playlist for them at Packer Video. Feel free to add your own..or let me know where more are in the commets.

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Much like Edge NFL Matchup on ESPN, (Corporate Sponsorship Available) CheeseheadTV Matchup will be my attempt to ‘breakdown’ the upcoming Packer game each week. I’ve decided to start with this years third preseason game since the third preseason game is supposed to be the ‘dress rehearsal’ for the season, so it will serve as my dress rehearsal as well.

OFFENSE:

There’s not much to say really is there? (Convenient for my maiden voyage) The Packers need to improve in every area of the game on offense, but here are a few of the keys:

• Pass Protection

The Packers, as McCarthy loves to reiterate every chance he gets, need to go back to fundamentals, especially when it comes to protecting the quarterback. Jason Spitz, Daryn Colledge and Josh Sitton are slated to play the three interior line spots tonight, and each one of them needs to remember to set their splits, distribute their weight in their stance properly and, above all, PLAY WITH LEVERAGE. It is the biggest thing that Tauscher does well that goes unnoticed by most of the ‘analysts’ on television, but it is the biggest reason Tauscher has succeeded in the NFL. (Go back and watch his game against Strahan in the NFC Championship. A master at work.) The young guys, especially Spitz, need to get their buts down, set their feet and get their hands under the pads of Dewayne Robertson (who looks much better now that he’s back in a 4-3) and second year player Marcus Thomas. Pressure up the middle is a certified quarterback killer. The Packers simply can not afford another showing like the catastrophe we saw in San Francisco.

• Driver/Jennings vs. Bailey/Bly

This was a great match up last year in the regular season game and will be an excellent test for the Packer wideouts after getting embarrassed in San Fran. Of course, James Jones, Ruvell Martin and Jordy Nelson will see some time as well in McCarthy’s multiple-receiver sets, but the match up that most plays into the Packers’ favor is Jennings vs. Bly. Of course, everyone remembers the huge catch on the first play of overtime to win the game, but this will be the first live action Jennings has seen this year and he needs to be targeted multiple times. Bly is a quality corner, but no where near as good as his reputation. This is a match up Rodgers should look to exploit early and often to help get the offense in rhythm.

• Tempo

It’s hard to judge from only a scrimmage and two preseason games, but something that Rodgers seems to lack is a sense of urgency when it comes to getting in and out of the huddle. Quarterbacks like Favre and Hasselbeck do a great job of getting guys moving after a play is over, getting them in the huddle, getting the play out, breaking the huddle and getting everyone up to the line with at least 20 seconds left on the play clock. It’s much harder than most fans realize and so far, Rodgers is lacking in this department. He needs to get to the line with at least 20 seconds left so he can make the necessary calls on McCarthy’s “check-with-mes”. It could be Rodgers’ laid-back California personality coming into play - if so, McCarthy needs to knock it the hell out of him.

DEFENSE:

Apart from one much maligned Mr. Bush, (no not that one - the one that plays for the Packers) the defense had a much better outing against the 49ers than a 34-6 score would have you believe. Up until starting conerbacks Al Harris and Charles Woodson were pulled for the night, San Francisco quarterback J.T. O’Sullivan was 3 for 11 with an interception against the Packers starting defense. This is the same J.T. O’Sullivan who absolutely destroyed the Bears on national television last night. Make of that what you will. Here are a few of the keys for the defense tonight:

• Eliminate Mental Errors

The ghost of secondary miscommunication reared its ugly head last week when Tramon Williams failed to follow his man across the formation when he went in motion. This set off a chain reaction of events that led to Jarrett Bush and Nick Collins both jumping on an underneath receiver, leaving rookie Josh Morgan free on a ‘Go’ route that resulted in an easy touchdown. This, of course, is completely unacceptable. (Some may see it as vindication for Jarrett Bush, but trust me - that play was the furthest thing away from his biggest trouble) The secondary, especially in the Man-Match scheme the Packers employ in the secondary, simply must be rock solid in their assignments. Anything less and you get the fireworks display we saw Saturday night.

• Get the Quarterback On the Ground

The Packers have their troubles up front. That has been well documented. And even when/if guys like Pickett and Harrell get healthy, neither one is a pass rusher. Bob Sanders has to find a way to hit the quarterback with the likes of Michael Montgomery and Colin Cole playing inside. I know there are those who think Sanders is holding back, and that he will no doubt unleash a full compliment of bliztes once the regular season starts. I say Sanders needs to find out what works and what doesn’t right now. One thing I think you might see tonight is an expansion of the 2-4 and 3-5 looks we’ve seen glimpses of so far in the preseason. With the likes of Abdul Hodge and Desmod Bishop showing surprising improvement, the Packers’ best bet for an overwhelming pass rush may reside in their linebacking corps. They need to bring it in a live game. Blitzing can’t be learned in a controlled practice environment. It’s a blood-and-guts business that the Packers need to start bringing every week. Tonight’s game would be a great place to start.

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Loyal reader and Wausau resident PackOne informed me in the comment section below that his local CBS affiliate will NOT be showing the Packer/Bronco game tonight. I called the station to confirm, because I simply didn’t believe it. It turns out that it is true.

I am dumbfounded.

The blackout of last years Packer/Cowboy game for those residents that didn’t have NFL Network made perfect sense. For a local CBS affiliate to NOT show a Packer preseason game IN WISCONSIN makes no sense whatsoever. (The station in question, WSAW, is showing the nationally televised Cowboys/Texans game). The station manager could easily preempt the national coverage for the state coverage of the Packers game, but General Manager Al Lancaster is apparently refusing to do so. My JFK-conspiracy side thinks that Mr. Lancaster (who can be emailed at alancaster@wsaw.com) is making some kind of statement on the whole Favre debacle. I mean, what other possible reason could he have for NOT SHOWING A PACKER GAME IN WISCONSIN?

Dark days. Dark, dark days….
UPDATE: (sigh) Just when I got my juices flowing, I get this repsonse from Mr. Lancaster:

I wish we were.  The game is on WAOW at 8pm.  Go Packers!  Thanks for watching Ch 7!

Oh. But I was there for you PackOne!

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It’s Game Day! Which can only mean forced viewing points. You know you were just sitting there thinking to yourself “You know, the Packers play tonight, and I love them and all, but I’m just not sure what I should watch for. If only someone would guide me…”

Here and here.

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Alliteration. Love it.

One thing I forgot to mention during last night’s podcast is the fact that the Packers will be going up against Bob Slowik on Friday night in his new job as Defensive Coordinator for the Denver Broncos. And he’ll most likely have one of Ted Thompson’s biggest free agent mistakes in Marquand Manuel as his starting strong safety.

Now, so far this preseason, Slowik has not been the blitz-crazed buffoon that was run out of Green Bay after one season. But if you thought Mike Nolan dialed up some blitzes to try to make Rodgers look bad to make himself look better for deciding to pass on Rodgers in the draft three years ago, as some have suggested, just wait until Friday night. I have no doubt Slowik will throw the kitchen sink at Rodgers and the Packers offense in an attempt to embarrass the Packer organization.

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