Are You Ready for Some Nausea?

I've got to admit... I've got no particular plans to watch tonight's Packers preseason game against the Seahawks.  To make a long story short, I've got no desire to sit through the three hour long broadcast whose primary story will be last year's Monday night debacle known infamously as the Fail Mary.

Yeah, it happened.  Yes, I'm bitter about it.  No, it's not a big deal, but no, I don't want to sit and listen to people talk about it for an entire meaningless football game.  Why would anybody want to go through that? The Seahawks won that game.  They were arguably the better team on the night, but I don't want to listen to those delusional folks in Seattle, even ones I like as much as Russel Wilson, talk about how the call that ended the game was right.

It wasn't.  If they'd admit it, this wouldn't be a big deal.  They could still legitimately argue that they deserved to win the game.  But if they won't admit the truth, I'm not going to listen to them.

That's why I don't watch Fox News.

Antonio Smith is an Idiot, and Thinks You're a Bigger Idiot

By now, most NFL fans will have seen the video of Texans defensive lineman Antonio Smith attempting to bash Dolphins offensive lineman Richie Incognito's head in with Incognito's own helmet.  Smith has effectively asked the NFL one of the oldest questions in the arsenal of the defense attorney:  "Who are you going to believe, me or your lying eyes?'

According to Profootballtalk.com, Mark Berman of FOX 26 in Houston is reporting that Smith said he wasn't trying to hit Incognito with the helmet and that he was "disappointed" that he let Incognito "get to (him) in the way that he did.  Any idiot who looks at the video knows what kind of a crap explanation that is.  Smith ripped off Incognito's helmet and then swung it right at his face.  If Incognito hadn't ducked out of the way at the last second, this may have been a potential criminal matter and Incognito's career (if not life) would have been seriously altered or threatened.

Well, this isn't the first time they've gotten into it either.  During the 2012 season, Smith was fined for kicking Incognito.  

Needless to say, Smith is appealing the slap on the wrist he got from the NFL because he didn't mean to almost give Incognito brain damage.  Maybe he should have thought of that before he nearly caved a man's face in.

So, how is this relevant to the Packers?  It's not directly.  I bring it up to note that maybe the dirtiest player in the NFL isn't in the NFC North anymore.  Ndamukong Suh has got to be thankful for that.  We also heard Suh give a similar lame excuse for his stomp of Evan Dietrich-Smith.  If Antonio Smith's crappy defense has any impact on the NFL's ruling, all it would do is empower dirty players like Smith and Suh to keep pulling the same crap and giving the same crappy explanations with non-apology apologies.

The fact is, we all saw what they did.  They should be ashamed.  Their team organizations should be ashamed.  Their fans should be ashamed.  The NFL should be lighting this guys up.  Truly, how much less could the NFL have done to Smith.  Two glorified practices and one game... that's all he has to sit.  I wonder what tune he'd be singing if that helmet had gone where he wanted it to.

Compare that to the 6 regular season game suspension that Von Miller got for violating the league's substance abuse policy (which apparently was negotiated down and will not be appealed), I think the handling of the Smith matter says horrible things about the NFL's priorities.  I'm okay with Miller getting a lengthy suspension, as I am with any cheater, but you can't tell me that a drug offense is worse than Smith's actions this weekend.

Maybe it's not just Antonio Smith that thinks we're all idiots.

Preseason Week 1: Arizona

Week one of the preseason is in the books.  After a few days to digest, here are some of the emerging story lines that are worth following:

• The secondary looks bad.  It's tough to say how much of this is a product of the coaching staff messing with schemes to better evaluate the talent on the roster and how much of it is an actual talent deficit.  Either way, Carson Palmer and Drew Stanton had no problem making them look foolish, almost at will.  It didn't help that there was no consistent pass rush to harass the Cardinals' quarterbacks either. 
• Harrell did not look good.  Two turnovers on his first two drives should send warning flags flying up at this point.  On the interception, he simply stared Jeremy Ross down and telegraphed that throw.  On the fumble, Marshall Newhouse got beat, badly, and Harrell didn't feel the pressure like he should have.  Granted, it was quick pressure thanks to Newhouse getting beat as badly as he did, but he still should have protected the ball in some way.  Harrell also seems to look as though he's always heaving the ball, regardless of how hard he's actually throwing it.  I don't know if that's a product of having a weaker arm, or if I'm just imagining things.
• Mike McCarthy's game plan to start the second half was "win the damn game."  The most positive thing I take from the coaching on Friday night was that McCarthy was clearly as upset as Packer fans were about the team's performance.
• James Starks showed some good cutting ability.  He cannot be the favorite to be the starter, but he's not going to let go of his spot without a fight.
• Tyrone Walker looks like a legit find for Ted Thompson.  On his long catch in the first half, Walker caught a ball that was thrown slightly behind him, secured it and turned up-field, showing some good ability to run after the catch and make a man or two miss.
• Johnny Jolly is back, and he looks like he's having fun.  Jolly got some good push up the middle, nearly made a couple of great plays, and contributed to several good plays both against the run and the pass.  If he can continue to get into football shape and get some quality reps against opposing starters, he will have great opportunity to be part of a much improved defensive line rotation.
• The only action either one of the place kickers saw was Mason Crosby taking the opening kickoff, so no additional clarity was lent to that particular situation.
• Jermichael Finley knows he's in a contract year.  His sideline interview was as boilerplate as you can get, and did acknowledge some of his past propensity for putting his foot in his mouth.  Most don't like platitudes from athlete interviews (myself included), but for Finley, it probably shows an improved mindset.  For the record, his "dropped" touchdown was just good defense.  I've seen nothing from him yet to call into question the quiet improvement he began making over the second half of last season.  I have high hopes for him this season, even if his success is statistically astounding.

I know it's only the first preseason game in a long training camp, but right now it's the most telling sample we have to work with.  We'll know a lot more in the coming weeks, but these are some of the things I'm going to be keeping a close eye on.

More Family Night Fallout

So it looks like Mason Crosby didn't have the worst Saturday on the team.  

Tackle Brian Bulaga appears to have torn an ACL, according to several reports. If true, Bulaga's season would be over, which would represent a significant blow to a unit in desperate need of stability and improvement. Protecting Rodgers and establishing a more balanced offensive attack was a priority during the off-season.   Hopefully someone will be able to step up if the reports are true. At this point, there is too much smoke for me to think there isn't a fire here. 

In other Family Night related news, the team was apparently unimpressed enough with the play of the backup quarterbacks to bring in none other than Vince Young for a look. At his worst, Young has been a walking maturity problem who has shown little ability to handle adversity and criticism. At his best, Young has been a dynamic playmaker and a 2 -time Pro Bowl selection.  It's not confirmed at this point, but there are reports that the team has signed Young to a one year contract

At this point, its not clear if Young would compete for the 2nd or 3rd spot behind Rodgers. I can't imagine they would bring in the 30 year old quarterback only to compete for the 3rd spot, which is often occupied by a developmental prospect. On the other hand, Young did not have a team during the regular season last year, so one has to wonder what he could bring to the table if the unthinkable were to happen and Rodgers went down. Two years ago, Young backed up Michael Vick in Philadelphia and it did not go well for Young or the Eagles. On the other hand, Rodgers might have more to teach Young than Vick ever could. If you still have to learn, why not learn from the best. 

Family Night Observations

It's only a scrimmage, and it's only a week into camp, but there are some early observations from Packers Family Night that are worth noting and keeping tabs on throughout camp:

• Eddie Lacy looked good.  I don't know if he's at his playing weight, but I don't care.  Lacy looked decisive.  He looked powerful.  He looked quick enough to get the job done.  Franklin may be the better back, but Lacy brings something to the table that the Packers didn't have last year.  He can get the tough yardage from up close.  Maybe 3rd and one won't be such a scary prospect this year.
• Speaking of running backs, James Starks looked like a man on a mission to prove himself, as did Alex Green.  Angelo Pease even turned some heads with a fantastic catch and run out of the backfield.  Franklin didn't get a very good opportunity to show himself, and nobody should expect that to continue.  Franklin may be the most explosive back the Packers have, which would certainly be a perfect compliment the the bruising, hard running Lacy.  Barring significant injuries (which would be the norm for the running backs over the past few years), any running back who makes the roster, let alone gets the starting spot, is going to have to earn it.  Running back may have become a position of legitimate depth for the Packers.
• Mason Crosby looks done.  Last season is in his head and his woes continued last night.  Newcomer Giorgio Tavecchio looks to be more reliable early on.  Crosby may get things figured out, but it may take a change of scenery for that to happen.  There's probably too much mental baggage in Green Bay for Crosby to get his head clear.  Tavecchio may not be able to handle kickoffs, but I expect him to be kicking field goals and extra points for the Packers this season.
• Jermichael Finley dropped the first pass thrown to him.  Not a good start for a guy who I thought quietly had a fantastic second half of last year (even if his fantasy owners didn't realize any benefits from it).
• Randall Cobb looks as dynamic as ever.  The loss of (newly discovered loudmouth) Greg Jennings was nothing to sneeze at, but Randall Cobb looks poised to cement himself as one of Ted Thompson's best draft picks.  Vikings fans who want to see what Percy Harvin was supposed to be should look no further than Cobb.

These are some early observations.  There's a long way to go before the season starts.  4 "games" and dozens of cuts await the Packers and their loyal fans.  Questions have to be answered before the team can look to bring the Lombardi Trophy back home.