Hell yeaaaa. I've been struggling to push myself to rewatch this game. It's been easy to go back to games this past month with all the wins...and usually I can rewatch the losses too but this was such a heartbreaker. But from what I remember he was pretty darn good. Definitely was off last week but he's back to his "usual" solid self.

Good call on Jones, Aaron. He's a good kid and I'm ready to declare him an upgrade over Kampmann. AK should really be a 4-3 DE.

This is the kinda play I was worried he couldn't make, but that was a great play. I still think we should draft another OLB before the 4th round in this years draft.

Jones has an incredibly high ceiling. He's very athletic and came from a 3-4 system in Colorado (that's helped his transition and effectiveness greatly). Matthews has the most impressive motor I've ever seen from his position but Jones may actually have a ceiling just as high. What's his desire in the NFL? Will he strive to be more than just a starter? I think the equivalent of a 'sibling rivalry' with Matthews and Jones pushing one-another in the coming off season and future seasons will only hasten their development.

Charles Woodson may be getting all the glory, ad rightfully so, but it's the linebackers who are winning the game on the defense right now.

Packers,

The linebackers are running free because of how good Pickett, Raji, Jolly and Jenkins have been and continue to be. Raji and Pickett aren't piling up the stats but they're absorbing interior linemen consistantly.

It should give all Packer fans a wwarm feeling that we have young studs getting into the action so soon. Bodes well for the future, doesn't it?

Based on TT's past actions, I would bet Pickett and Jolly are gone next year. That does not bode well for our LB's, who struggle to get off blocks.

Don't get me wrong, I'm excited about seeing Jones and CM3 in the future, but the writing on the wall seems to be the D Line will drag them down next year.

Also, I like Jones, but I think we should trade or draft another "premier" rusher next year. Did you see what Julius Peppers did to McKinnie Sunday nite?

I agree that he is not a star in the making (you don't need a superstar at all 11 positions), but he definitely looks like a legit player. That is so critical when the Packers have as many holes/future roster holes as they do.
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Knock on wood, but the Packers might actually be set at linebacker for a good 3 seasons. That is a major coups for Thompson.

Bearmeat:

Is there any evidence to suggest that Peppers would be any better in the 3-4 than Kampman was? Peppers is taller (6'7" to 6'4") and weighs more (283 to 260) than Kampman, but he would still be an OLB in a 3-4. He would likely still have the same problems Kampman did, such as being ineffective in coverage and having trouble getting an initial burst of out a two-point stance (possibly to a lesser extent). Peppers is going to cost a TON of money, and why would any team pay that much for a guy that will be playing a new position? The Packers won't be that team.
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Jolly is only in his fourth year, so he won't be an UFA. Hopefully they'll keep Pickett, but if not, that's what we drafted Raji for. We'll just have to find another guy to throw into the rotation.

Jones and Matthews missing so much of camp also makes their performance remarkable.

Reading this posting on the JSOnline blog has got me loving Clay Matthews even more! What a GREAT pick by Thompson!:

"Before the drill started, a pumped-up Clay Matthews yelled at a television crew on the sideline to videotape it. On his first turn, Matthews fired off the ball so fast and so low that tight end Jermichael Finley got driven back several yards, much to the delight of outside linebackers coach Kevin Greene, who told his group that they'll never get blocked if they do what Matthews just did."