Author Archives: cbarto66

By Chris Havel GREEN BAY, Wis. – In the wake of Green Bay’s Week 1 reality check – a disappointing loss to New Orleans on Sunday – let’s dispense with the nonsense. Aaron Rodgers isn’t Michael Jordan, the Packers aren’t the 1997-98 Chicago Bulls and this isn’t The Last Dance. It was a surprisingly poor … Saints Bounce Pack in Opener

By Chris Havel GREEN BAY, Wis. – Hurricane Ida’s devastation turned the site of the Packers-Saints season opener into an educated guess until Wednesday, when the NFL announced the game would be played in Jacksonville. So how will this matchup of NFC contenders play out? That is anyone’s guess, educated or otherwise. The Las Vegas … Packers-Saints opener an intriguing matchup

By Chris Havel GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Packers are counting on two things to ensure their 2021 season ends in a championship, rather than disappointment. ** No. 1 – Roster upgrades among the final dozen or so players on the 53-man roster to improve the team’s overall depth and ability to withstand injuries and/or … Packers whittle roster to 53 with no surprises

By Chris Havel GREEN BAY, Wis. – One of the most interesting aspects of the Packers’ preseason was the way Matt LaFleur conducted it. Clearly, the Packers’ third-year head coach took the lessons he learned during the NFL’s preseason-less 2020 due to the pandemic, and relied on that information to carve out his 2021 preseason … LaFleur’s preseason plan will be put to test

By Chris Havel GREEN BAY, Wis. – Kylin Hill has been one of the best stories of the summer. The cat-quick seventh-round draft pick from Mississippi State has laid claim to the No. 3 running back job in convincing fashion. In fact, Hill has been so impressive that some fans have slept on the Packers’ … Packers’ run attack makes strides vs. Jets

By Chris Havel GREEN BAY, Wis. – Jordan Love looked smooth, T.J. Slaton was a beast and Shemar Jean-Charles and Kabion Ento staked their claims. In addition, Devin Funchess played like a WR2, Kylin Hill and Amari Rodgers are exciting as the kick and punt returners, and safeties Vernon Scott and Henry Black displayed the … Love looks smooth, Slaton like a beast in their Packers’ debuts

By Chris Havel GREEN BAY, Wis. -The Packers’ Family Night Scrimmage was a huge success Saturday night at Lambeau Field. No one drowned. That isn’t to say some of the first- and second-year players’ heads weren’t swimming with assignments to execute, inclement weather to navigate and 34,835 fans to impress. It’s a tall order in … Packers’ Family Night a rain-swept success; Woodson enters HOF

By Chris Havel GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Packers’ offseason has been part mini-series, docudrama and sitcom all rolled into one, with football as the backdrop. Who needs HBO’s Hard Knocks when you’ve got this type of dysfunction? And it was real. It didn’t have to be ginned up. Thankfully, for the time being, that … Rodgers ‘all in’ as Packers return to football, normalcy

By Chris Havel GREEN BAY, Wis. – It is laughable to hear national media breathlessly declare that the Aaron Rodgers situation in Green Bay is “getting ugly.” Getting ugly? Is . . . was . . . has been. It’s been the summer of ugly. Where have they been? Is this their “woke” moment? And … Rodgers’ situation about to become a full-fledged holdout