Lori Posted November 3, 2006 Share Posted November 3, 2006 GREEN BAY PACKERS (3-4) at BUFFALO BILLS (2-5) SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2006 – 1:00 PM ET RALPH WILSON STADIUM, ORCHARD PARK, NEW YORK FOX: Ron Pitts, Terry Donahue DIRECTV NFL Sunday Ticket: Channel 709 / Channel 721 (HD) RADIO: Buffalo Bills Radio Network PLAY-BY-PLAY: John Murphy COLOR ANALYST: Mark Kelso SIDELINE REPORTER: Paul Peck Green Bay Packers Radio Network PLAY-BY-PLAY: Wayne Larrivee COLOR ANALYST: Larry McCarren Sirius Sunday Drive: Channel 110 (Buffalo feed) / Channel 107 (Green Bay feed) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- REGULAR-SEASON SERIES RECORD: Bills lead, 6-3. Buffalo is 4-0 versus the Packers at Rich/Ralph Wilson Stadium. PLAYOFF RECORD: none LAST MEETING: December 22, 2002 – Packers 10, Bills 0 The defense played well enough to win, intercepting Brett Favre twice and holding him to his second-lowest passing-yardage total of the season. Their strong effort went for naught, though, because the Bills offense was colder than the icy winds howling across the fabled ‘frozen tundra’ of Lambeau Field that afternoon. After setting a single-game team record with five sacks and three forced fumbles, Vonnie Holliday owes Drew Bledsoe part of the free-agent contract he signed following the 2002 season. Toss in a couple of interceptions, a Travis Henry fumble, Nate Clements’ muffed punt and a missed 33-yard field goal, and it’s hard to imagine Buffalo even keeping the score close, much less being in position to take the lead on a long fumble return by Clements midway through the fourth quarter. The play in question was ruled an incomplete pass, though, and Donald Driver scored the only touchdown of the day on the next play to seal the win. With the victory, Green Bay capped off a perfect 8-0 home record. The Bills dropped to 7-8, and were officially eliminated from playoff contention. LAST TIME IN BUFFALO: September 10, 2000 – Bills 28, Packers 19 Rob Johnson threw for 259 yards and three touchdowns and the defense forced three turnovers as the Bills cruised to their first 2-0 start since 1996. After a Johnson-to-Jeremy McDaniel pass opened the scoring late in the second quarter, Marcellus Wiley’s sack (and Phil Hansen’s ensuing fumble recovery) put Steve Christie in position to send them into halftime with a 10-0 lead. The margin grew to 17-0 on the opening drive of the second half, with the first of RJ’s two touchdown passes to Jay Riemersma; the Packers never got within ten points until two late Favre-to-Freeman scores made the final outcome appear more respectable. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PACKERS OVERVIEW (2006 RANKINGS) OFFENSE (#9 total yardage, #11 rushing, #8 passing, #13 scoring): Different year, same familiar face throwing passes for the Packers: three-time league MVP Brett Favre has started every single regular-season and playoff game for Green Bay since September 27, 1992. (To compare, Chicago has started twenty different QBs during that same timeframe…) Favre looked bad in early-season losses to Chicago and Philadelphia, but has since matched a career-long streak by going the last three games without throwing an interception. He’s obviously not the same quarterback he was ten seasons ago, but he’s still more than capable of picking the Buffalo defense apart if they can’t mount a serious pass rush. Ahman Green is working hard to prove he’s recovered from the ruptured quadriceps tendon that cost him most of last season. He missed two games with a sore hamstring, but signaled his return to the lineup by breaking off a 70-yard touchdown run against Miami. The Packers are running the ball well: Green, Noah Herron, and Vernand Morency (acquired in an early-season trade with Houston) are all averaging over four yards per carry. Green and Morency both went over the hundred-yard mark against Arizona last week, the first time two Packers backs have accomplished that feat since Eddie Lee Ivery and Gerry Ellis ran over Tampa Bay in 1985. Morency is out indefinitely with a back problem, so Herron will serve as Green’s primary backup; the team also signed rookie RB P.J. Pope from Chicago’s practice squad earlier this week. Fullback Brandon Miree, a strong blocker, is listed as doubtful with a hyperextended elbow. The Packers still have veteran William Henderson, though, and can also line up their TEs in the backfield. Second-round pick Greg Jennings has been a pleasant surprise opposite #1 receiver Donald Driver, moving into the starting lineup quicker than anticipated. He missed the Arizona game with an ankle injury, but participated in practice Thursday and may try to play this week. There’s not much depth at wideout: disgruntled Javon Walker was shipped to Denver, Robert Ferguson is on I.R., and Koren Robinson’s latest DUI arrest earned him a year-long suspension. That leaves street free agents Ruvell Martin, Chris Francies, and recent pickup Shaun Bodiford (Lions) as the only other WRs on the roster. As usual, the Packers will run plenty of two-TE sets; Bubba Franks remains the starter, but David Martin will also see plenty of playing time. Durable tackles Mark Tauscher and Chad Clifton anchor an offensive line that’s only allowed nine sacks in the first seven games. When Clifton missed the Miami game due to illness, it marked the first time since 2002 that anyone other than Tauscher or Clifton started at either tackle spot. There’s a youth movement afoot at the interior positions, as third-year man Scott Wells moves from left guard to center to replace the departed Mike Flanagan; he’s flanked by rookie guards Daryn Colledge and Jason Spitz. Colledge, who played left tackle at Boise State, made the switch to LT for the game Clifton sat out. A word of warning to the Buffalo defensive line: offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski is a graduate of the Alex Gibbs school of cut-blocking. (In fact, the Packers actually set goals and chart the number of successful ‘cuts’ in each game.) With McCargo out and Denney nicked up, the Bills can ill afford any more injuries at the position. DEFENSE (#30 total yardage, #10 rushing, #32 passing, #27 scoring): Welcome to the NFL, Terrance Pennington. Your primary blocking assignment in your very first start? Packers left end Aaron Kampman, who is merely tied for the league lead with 8.5 sacks. On the left side, Jason Peters will face a challenge of his own: right end Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila is seven sacks shy of Reggie White’s franchise record. Ryan Pickett and Corey Williams start inside, with Cullen Jenkins and Colin Cole in reserve. #5 overall pick A.J. Hawk (Ohio State) was drafted to provide immediate help at linebacker. The consensus All-American was a popular choice among Packers fans both for his talent and his old-school attitude; he’s currently leading the team in tackles from his weakside position, and was nominated for the league’s Rookie of the Month award in both September and October. Brady Poppinga, working his way back from a torn ACL, replaces Na’il Diggs (free agent – Panthers) on the strong side. Steady MLB Nick Barnett, who has missed only one start in his three-plus-year career, set a franchise record for tackles last season. High-profile free agent Charles Woodson was signed to start opposite Al Harris at cornerback; the move allowed the Packers to cut ties with Ahmad Carroll, who never lived up to his first-round-pick status. Second-year man Patrick Dendy is the nickel back, and would move into the starting lineup if Woodson’s knee injury keeps him out of the game. (He hasn’t practiced this week and is listed as ‘doubtful’ on the injury report.) A pair of rookies, fourth-round pick Will Blackmon (Boston College) and UDFA Jarrett Bush (Utah State), round out the depth chart at CB. Free-agent pickup Marquand Manuel (Seahawks), an underrated part of Seattle's run to the Super Bowl, is the new SS. Second-year FS Nick Collins has started every game of his NFL career, and earned a spot on the Pro Football Weekly / PFWA All-Rookie Team. Rookies Tyrone Culver and Charlie Peprah are the backup safeties. SPECIAL TEAMS: After nine years in green-and-gold, kicker Ryan Longwell was allowed to leave via free agency. Strong-legged Dave Rayner beat out Billy Cundiff for the job in training camp and has had a solid season, missing only one of 14 attempts from inside fifty yards and tying the club record with a 54-yarder at Philadelphia. (A successful 55-yarder against Miami was nullified when Green Bay accepted a penalty on the defense, taking the points off the board.) First-year punter Jon Ryan is fourth in the league with a 47.1-yard gross average, and has at least two 50-yard kicks in every game this season. Then again, that shouldn’t come as a surprise: the Saskatchewan native and former Winnipeg Blue Bomber set the single-season CFL record in 2005 with a 50.6-yard gross average. The team is seeking yet another kick returner after Robinson’s suspension and the injuries to Ferguson and Morency. Bodiford and Herron appear the most likely candidates. Woodson normally handles punt-return duties, but his injury could mean Bodiford gets those reps as well. The kickoff cover team is outstanding, giving up a league-low 19.3 yards per return. Punt coverage could be better, though; an 84-yard touchdown by Chicago’s Devin Hester in the season opener helps push their per-return average over twelve yards/attempt. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- OUTLOOK: Green Bay’s current two-game winning streak could be a sign the team is picking up some momentum… or it could merely be a product of playing bad opponents, since their victims have a combined 3-19 record. I like the Peters-to-LT move, but whether or not the reshuffled offensive line has had nearly enough practice time to coalesce remains to be seen. (With Kampman and KGB across the line of scrimmage, that answer shouldn’t take long to find out on Sunday.) Going strictly by the trends I’m seeing in the stats, I should probably be picking the Packers… but for some weird reason I like Buffalo’s chances in this game. Maybe because I’m not convinced Green Bay is any better than the Bills, maybe just wishful thinking that Buffalo can force the other guys -- especially the youngest team in the entire league -- to make some mistakes for a change. One thing’s for sure, though: if they can’t get past the Pack in the friendly confines of Ralph Wilson Stadium, a place Green Bay has never won a regular-season game, then it’s time to start scouting next April’s draft. See you Sunday, and Go Bills. Links: NFL.com: injury report / Packers depth chart / Packers team stats / Bills depth chart / Bills team stats Official team website: Packers.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuffOrange Posted November 3, 2006 Share Posted November 3, 2006 a long fumble return by Clements midway through the fourth quarter. The play in question was ruled an incomplete pass, though, and Donald Driver scored the only touchdown of the day on the next play to seal the win. That was such a B.S. call. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aussiew Posted November 3, 2006 Share Posted November 3, 2006 Thanks Lori. Wonderful analysis once again. See you at pole 5 - don't forget my game ticket! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockpile Posted November 3, 2006 Share Posted November 3, 2006 Thank you - great report! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuckincincy Posted November 3, 2006 Share Posted November 3, 2006 Thanks for these always fine reports! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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