Giants in Lambeau Again

It’s not an exact match of the 2007 N.F.C. Championship game (in that the winner does not advance to the Super Bowl), but the Giants will again come to Lambeau Field this Sunday to face the No. 1-seeded Green Bay Packers in the N.F.C. Divisional Playoff. The New Yorkers demolished the Falcons, who continue to be a “one-and-done” playoff team, and the Packers had this weekend off as a reward for having the best record in the N.F.C.

Here are a few photos from that N.F.C. Championship of a few years ago. We were there, if you recall, but these are not our photos. It was the third-coldest game in N.F.L. history, a fact that we can verify. Your editor had a bottle of Coke under five layers of clothing next to his body, and it was frozen at the end of the game.

That overtime loss to the Giants that day in January 2008 started a string of dominoes that made it the last game that QB Brett Favre played in a Green Bay uniform, sent him to the N.Y. Jets, and brought the Aaron Rodgers era to the forefront — much to the displeasure of many Packer fans who now won’t admit that they picketed at the team’s practices and the stockholders’ meeting that following summer, chanting “Bring Brett Back!”

This Sunday, it is time to avenge that last Playoff loss to the Giants, and bring back the memories of the day in 1961 when we throttled the New Yorkers in Green Bay by a score of 37-0 for Lombardi’s first N.F.L. title. By the way, the long-range weather forecast for Sunday is calling for temps around 20 degrees (balmy by comparison to the 2008 game) — and snow.

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Five Days Until NFL Season 2007

Our posting for today is an image of our own Green Bay Packers starting quarterback showing the textbook throwing form that makes coaches around the League use film of his technique for young QB’s to study.

In five days, we get to see what our 2007 team is made of. We’re not sure if anyone — other than those of us who study such things — noticed that the Packers have only two genuine quarterbacks on the 2007 roster so far. Behind Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers, the team has receiver Carlyle Holiday listed as the third QB. Holiday is a former Notre Dame quarterback who made the transition to full-time receiver as a fifth-year senior with the Irish. He played in eight games in 2006, four with Arizona and four with Green Bay, making all nine of his catches as a Packer. A final note of trivia: Holiday caught Brett Favre's 4,968th completion, breaking Dan Marino's career NFL record.

Six Days Until NFL Season 2007

Instead of today being the Monday after the season-opening games of the National Football League, as it was for many years, we are still six days away from Week One and a visit from the pesky Philadelphia Eagles (4th and 26 anyone?).

We at Packerville are still mystified about how our offensive backfield is going to operate, about how our rookie kicker is going to fare in the heat of regular season battle, and about how our defense will handle things — are they as seasoned and improved as they tell us they are?

We will feel like we have a better handle on things after next Sunday’s Noon contest than we do right now, that’s for sure. But we’re ready. Bring it on, already.

Packers Fall to Titans in Preseason Closer

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- The Tennessee Titans desperately want to roll into the season with some momentum. That means they take the preseason very seriously. Vince Young threw for a touchdown and ran for another for a second straight week, LenDale White added 77 total yards, and they helped the Titans wrap up the preseason by beating Favre and the Green Bay Packers 30-14 Thursday night.

Tennessee (3-1) had its first winning preseason since 2002. Coach Jeff Fisher used this game as his dress rehearsal for the Titans' season opener at Jacksonville, playing most of his starters into the third quarter a year after going 1-3 in the preseason before an 0-5 start in the regular season. "A lot of people keep saying preseason games don't count and this and that," Young said. "It counts to us. We want to continue to get better. We want to continue to keep working. ... We've got a long way to go. We want to continue using these games to get better and better."

Young was 11-of-16 for 96 yards, and White ran 15 times for 58 yards with a 19-yard reception. Rookie receiver Chris Davis added a 70-yard punt return for a TD that White said reminded him of suspended cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones. Rob Bironas kicked field goals of 51, 33 and 46 yards. Brett Favre and the Packers (2-2) missed a chance for their best preseason finish since 2002. But Favre looked sharp and ready to roll into his 17th NFL season with some of his young teammates with a performance that drew a "Wow" from Young, who admitted he watched Favre rather than study the defense.

The Packers scratched 15 players, including receiver Donald Driver (foot) and both starting cornerbacks, Al Harris and Charles Woodson. What remained of the first-team defense left after one series, a three-and-out. "The evaluation part of it, I thought we got a ton of information to draw from," Green Bay coach Mike McCarthy said.

But Green Bay also had another running back injured. Noah Herron, starting with Vernand Morency (knee) and rookie Brandon Jackson (concussion) out, sprained his knee after catching a 6-yard TD pass from Favre. The three-time league MVP had lobbied hard to play more than the two-play series Favre was on the field in the Packers' final exhibition last year, in part to help him improve his chemistry with rookie receiver James Jones. Favre played two series and left with a 7-0 lead, but he accomplished his goal. He and Jones hooked up three times, and Favre was 8-of-10 for 82 yards as the Packers rolled up 129 yards offense in the first quarter even while going no-huddle at times. "A couple of reads I wish I had done something different," Favre said. "I got ahead of myself a little bit. Without watching the film, the first unit, the first two drives I thought we were fine except for a couple bad decisions I made."

The Titans wanted to maintain their offensive rhythm, and Young and White clicked on their third series. Going on fourth-and-1 at midfield, White solidified his hold on the starting job by breaking through for a 21-yard run with Packers Frank Walker and Tyrone Culver hanging on him the last 5 yards. "It was a great call," Titans center Kevin Mawae said. "It was a long cadence to try to draw them offside and take what we can get. We turned something, just trying to get a yard or two and LenDale did a great job of finding the hole and turning it into something bigger." Young tied the game four plays later with a 6-yard pass to Brandon Jones. He drove the Titans 10 plays on the next drive and scored on an 8-yard run after White cleared his path with a pancake block.

It was a bit of a makeup for Young, playing his first game before the home fans since wrapping up his rookie season. He was benched for the exhibition opener after breaking team rules by heading home to sleep the night before the game. Young showed he still is prone to some mistakes. Packers end Larry Birdine hit the quarterback on the Titans' first play of the third quarter, popping the ball loose. Rookie tackle Justin Herrell, a Tennessee native with about 40 family and friends in the stands, caught the ball in the air and ran 18 yards for a TD that tied the game. "That was all me," Young said. He answered by driving the Titans nine plays, setting up Bironas' go-ahead field goal.

The Titans made sure they got newly signed defensive tackle Corey Simon onto the field in the first half for a handful of snaps, and he even knocked Favre to the ground once. "I just went out there, I studied my playbook the last couple of days I've been here and I've been able to grasp it pretty well," Simon said. "I just went out there and played."

Game notes:

Titans tight end Casey Cramer had a mild knee sprain… The Titans went four exhibitions without the quarterbacks being intercepted and finished the preseason with 12 sacks… Green Bay rookie DeShawn Wynn played his first game after missing most of the preseason with a quadriceps injury. He ran 21 times for 54 yards… Green Bay kicker Mason Crosby didn't help himself much in trying to beat out incumbent Dave Rayner. He tried a 52-yard field goal that could have been good from 60 yards or longer, but was wide left… Atari Bigby had one tackle starting at strong safety for Green Bay in his fight to take the job away from Marquand Manuel, who was scratched.

Green Bay Thrashes Seattle

GREEN BAY, Wis. — For all of Brett Favre's questions about the readiness of some of his younger teammates, only one question mattered Saturday night: To leap or not to leap?

Rookie receiver James Jones did a "Lambeau leap" into the grandstands after scoring a touchdown early in Green Bay's 48-13 preseason rout of Seattle. But rookie running back Brandon Jackson passed, choosing instead to jog back to the sideline to celebrate with his teammates.

"I thought about the Lambeau leap," Jackson said. "But I was winded, and it was wet and slippery."

Favre directed the Packers to 17 points in their first four drives after declaring earlier this week that their dismal showing in its preseason debut at Pittsburgh -- they failed to gain a single first down with Favre under center -- left him as frustrated as he had ever been after a preseason game.

"I think we executed better," Favre said, in comments issued through the Packers' public relations department after halftime. "Last week, we didn't execute very well. Guys made some plays."

The Seahawks weren't exactly poised to put up much of a fight, as cautious coach Mike Holmgren sat quarterback Matt Hasselbeck and both of his starting offensive tackles.

"It shouldn't matter," Holmgren said. "Those are three very good players, but it shouldn't make that kind of a difference. We got injured last year and guys had to come in and play. I just didn't think we played very well. We didn't execute at all."

At least the Seahawks didn't come away from the game with any major injuries.

"Why would we?" Holmgren said. "We didn't hit anybody."

It was the most prolific preseason scoring output since the days of leather helmets for the Packers, who beat the Cedar Rapids Crush 75-0 in 1938.

Favre showed increased comfort with two rookie teammates, handing off to Jackson for a 1-yard touchdown run in the first quarter and connecting with Jones for a 16-yard touchdown pass to begin the second quarter. Jones also caught a touchdown pass from backup Aaron Rodgers later in the quarter.

Meanwhile, backup Seneca Wallace struggled in Hasselbeck's place. Without starting tackles Walter Jones and Sean Locklear, Wallace spent most of the first half on the run.

"We've played well without those guys before," Wallace said. "We just didn't play well. We have no excuses."

Jones is coming off right shoulder surgery and Locklear has a sore right knee.

"It's preseason," Packers coach Mike McCarthy said. "Sometimes you run into games like that. I don't think the score really tells the whole story about the Seattle Seahawks and it doesn't really tell the whole story about the Green Bay Packers. You have different agendas going on on both sides of the ball."

Packers defensive end Kabeer-Gbaja Biamila sacked Wallace in the second quarter and forced a fumble, allowing linebacker Nick Barnett to recover and run for a 62-yard touchdown. With the extra point, the Packers led 24-3.

The Packers scored another defensive touchdown late in the second quarter when safety Atari Bigby pounced on Wallace and forced a fumble, allowing linebacker Tracy White to pick up the ball and run 34 yards.

Wallace was replaced late in the second quarter by third-stringer David Greene -- who threw three interceptions, including two to Jarrett Bush.

Hasselbeck, who played only one series in the Seahawks' preseason opener against San Diego, had surgery on his non-throwing shoulder in January.

Seahawks running back Shaun Alexander played less than a quarter, carrying only three times for 3 yards. Backup Maurice Morris gained 31 yards on six carries, including a 15-yard touchdown run.

Favre was 7-for-12 for 74 yards and a touchdown. Jackson, a second-round pick from Nebraska who started in place of injured back Vernand Morency, gained 54 yards rushing on 13 attempts.

Jones, a third-round pick out of San Jose State who is solidifying his spot as the Packers' No. 3 receiver, caught four passes for 58 yards.

"Once you get your first TD here, you have to do a Lambeau leap," Jones said. "It was exciting."

Rodgers, whose development has been one of the most encouraging stories of Packers camp, was 10-for-16 for 97 yards and two touchdowns but fumbled twice.

Notes: Packers defensive end Cullen Jenkins had a sack and two tackles for loss in the first quarter... Bubba Franks, who has been working as the Packers' No. 2 tight end after the worst season of his career, caught four passes for 30 yards... Three Seahawks players were called for holding on a kickoff return late in the second quarter: Michael Boulware, Deon Grant and Omowale Dada... The Packers' usually lethargic return game got a jolt from second-year player Will Blackmon, who ran a kickoff back 83 yards in the first quarter to set up Jackson's touchdown... Packers WR Shaun Bodiford, FB Ryan Powdrell and defensive lineman Michael Montgomery all left the game with medial collateral ligament injuries. McCarthy said all four players would be out "at least a couple weeks."

— Associated Press

Packers Win 13-9 in Pittsburgh

PITTSBURGH — Good thing for Ben Roethlisberger and Mike Tomlin this one didn't count. Brett Favre, too. Neither Roethlisberger nor Favre did much as the Packers' and Steelers' offensive starters were shut out in little less than a quarter's playing time, with backup Aaron Rodgers throwing a touchdown pass and leading two other scoring drives in Green Bay's 13-9 exhibition victory Saturday night.

Rodgers, 18-of-27 for 168 yards, produced the Packers' only touchdown by ending a 71-yard drive on their opening possession of the second half with a 3-yard scoring pass to Carlyle Holiday, who slipped behind safety Anthony Smith in the end zone. Mason Crosby kicked a 52-yard field goal later in the third quarter to make it 13-9, after starting kicker Dave Rayner made a 32-yarder to end the first half.

Tomlin, coaching at Heinz Field for the first time as only the third Steelers head coach in 38 years, did what predecessors Bill Cowher and Chuck Noll did by losing his first preseason home game. He was animated and enthused, slapping hands and clapping loudly just before the opening kickoff, discarding the all-black look he's had throughout training camp by wearing khaki slacks with his black coaching shirt.

Then Tomlin found out why the preseason can be so unpredictable as his starting offense, which has been ahead of the defense so far in camp, lost a fumble and punted on its only two possessions. The Steelers' special teams weren't much better as Green Bay's Michael Montgomery overpowered snapper Greg Warren to block Jeff Reed's extra point after Pittsburgh's only touchdown and a 45-yard Cedrick Wilson punt return was called back for holding.

Green Bay coach Mike McCarthy, a native Pittsburgher who once worked in his father's tavern near a steel mill, returned home for the first time as an NFL head coach and left a winner before dozens of friends and family members. But he had to be concerned with the inefficiency of his starting offense.

Favre played in Pittsburgh for the only the second time in his 17-season career, and probably isn't eager for a return visit. McCarthy, intent on developing some continuity on his offense, allowed Favre to play four series but the Packers went three plays-and-out on each, with Favre going 2-of-7 for seven yards.

Pittsburgh's starting defense has allowed only 29 yards and one first down during minimal playing time in two preseason games.

Roethlisberger, so sharp last Sunday in leading a six-play, 80-yard touchdown drive during his only series in a 20-7 Hall of Fame game win over New Orleans, completed both of his passes for 14 yards while playing two series. But Cullen Jenkins stripped him of the ball and fell on Roethlisberger's fumble on a third-and-5 play from Green Bay's 36 on Pittsburgh's opening drive, and the second possession stalled at the Steelers' 38. The Steelers ran both series out of a no-huddle formation.

With backups on the field for both sides, the Steelers scored on backup Charlie Batch's 41-yard scoring back to Walter Young a play after he also was sacked by Jenkins, for an 8-yard loss. But Reed's extra point was blocked, though he kicked a 27-yard field goal to make it 9-0 late in the first half following Batch's 49-yard completion to Santonio Holmes. Batch was 3-of-5 for 97 yards.

— Associated Press

First Preseason Game of 2007

Tonight, the Green Bay Packers open the 2007 NFL season with a game against the Steelers on the road at Pittsburgh’s Heinz Field. Game time is 6:30 p.m. GBST (Green Bay Standard Time).

It will be carried on the following television stations: WFRV, Green Bay; WTMJ, Milwaukee; WKOW, Madison; WAOW, Wausau; WXOW, La Crosse; WQOW, Eau Claire; WYOW, Eagle River; WJMN, Marquette, Mich.; and KQDS, Duluth, Minn. The broadcast will feature Kevin Harlan and Rich Gannon as the announcers. The same network of state stations will carry two other preseason games: The Aug. 18 game against Seattle and the Aug. 30 game at Tennessee. Fox will carry the Aug. 23 game against Jacksonville.

This network is put together each year solely for the purpose of carrying three preseason games.

If you can't get any of those stations, and you have a satellite dish, here are the broadcast coordinates: C-band, AMC-6, Transponder 23.

If you get NFL Network via satellite, the Packers-Steelers game will be shown on tape delay at 4 p.m. Sunday.

Day 4 at Packer Training Camp

Last evening, the Packers held a practice in Old City Stadium for the first time since an intra-squad scrimmage in 1961. And before that, they played in the stadium from 1925-1956. Six championship teams played on that field — teams that included Curly Lambeau, Clarke Hinkle, Johnny “Blood” McNally, Arnie Herber, and Don Hutson. The same field is now used by Green Bay East High School, and all of the old wooden grandstands were torn down years ago. But it was fun to see the team return to its roots, and it probably will not happen again for a long time. The reason they did it now is to tie in with the 50th year celebration of Lambeau Field.

From the Green Bay Press-Gazette, here’s what the fans saw last evening:

Let's just say the Packers' first go at the 2-minute drill was ugly. The final damage between the three units: zero points; a net loss by the second and third teams; two bobbled snaps and a fumble by third-string QB Paul Thompson; and at least four offensive penalties.

Elsewhere ...

• With Brandon Miree (Achilles') sitting out, rookie fullback Korey Hall took the majority of first reps with the starters. In the last team period, Hall caught a pass and bowled over cornerback Will Blackmon at the goal line.

• The play of the night probably goes to Calvin Russell and Aaron Rodgers, who hooked up to torch rookie safety Aaron Rouse on an all-go during the blitz period.

• Dropping 'em like they're hot: Chris Francies, Robert Ferguson, James Jones (the play after Ferguson's) and Brandon Jackson.

• Newly signed tight end Joe Werner's first practice was much like the past six years of his life: He didn't play football.

• P.J. Pope would have been in more trouble had Nick Barnett actually tried to light him up after sniffing out a screen during the last team period.

• And your final passing stats from City Stadium (7-on-7 in parentheses): Rodgers 27-for-38 (10-for-14); Ingle Martin 16-for-20 (7-for-8); and Thompson 6-for-10 (3-for-3).

• Tight end Bubba Franks also left the field after taking a shot to the right side of the head during a team drill, but McCarthy said he didn't notice Franks go out and didn't have any other information.

• In another field-goal drill, Dave Rayner made two of two kicks from 28 yards, two of two from 34 yards and 1 of 2 from 40 yards. Rayner's first kick from 40 was blocked by Jarrett Bush on a bad snap from Clark Harris. Rookie Mason Crosby made all five of his field goals, including 2 from 28 yards, 2 from 34 yards and one from 40 yards.

• The team period was marred by some penalty problems. Left tackle Chad Clifton and guard Travis Lefew both had false starts and defensive lineman Michael Montgomery was offsides. All three penalties came during an 18-play stretch.

• TE Bubba Franks drew the biggest cheer of the night with a deep catch over the middle and he showed some agility to avoid converging defensive backs. Greg Jennings also drew cheers when he caught a deep crossing route from Rodgers. More cheers came when running back Jackson burst through a huge hole in the middle of the line.

Other observations from a team drill:

• If it were allowed in practice, A.J. Hawk would have easily sacked Rodgers on a blitz.

• Receiver Chris Francies beat Patrick Dendy on a deep slant route.

• Calvin Russell dropped a pass from Rodgers on a blitz drill with Aaron Rouse in coverage.

• In a one-on-one receiver vs. defensive back drill, Jennings had a nice catch in the end zone over Al Harris. Jennings then later beat Harris on a crossing route over the middle. Donald Driver, who was the sidelines for the first two days of camp, caught a pair of passes over cornerback Charles Woodson.

• For the third straight day, rookie running back Brandon Jackson struggled to pick up blitzing linebackers during the team drill. Jackson missed a block on Nick Barnett who would have sacked quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

• In the same period, first-round draft pick Justin Harrell took a few snaps with the No. 1 defense.

• Defensive backs haven't been engaged in any live tackling during training camp, so tonight they took out their pent-up frustrations by diving at a tackling dummy placed on a thick-padded landing area. Charles Woodson didn't participate in that drill.

• In an unrelated item, the NFL Network is taping portions of tonight's practice and will air footage at 7 p.m. Wednesday.

• Dave Rayner held a slight advantage over Mason Crosby in a kicking drill. The Packers kickers booted successful 42-yard field goals, but Rayner held the upper hand on kickoffs. Rayner's five kicks went to the 4-yard line, the 6-yard line, the goal line, the 4-yard line and the goal line. His hang times were: 4.16 seconds, 4.25, 4.00, 3.87 and 3.85. Crosby's kickoffs went the following distances: to the 7-yard line, the 13-yard line, the 17-yard line, 1 yard deep in the end zone and to the 9-yard line. His hang times were: 3.94 seconds, 4.31, 2.38, 3.62 and 4.18. Lining up for one kick return unit: Shaun Bodiford and Ryan Powdrell.

• The crowd, estimated at between 2,000 and 3,000 people, greeted the Green Bay Packers tonight as they conducted their first practice in 46 years at the stadium, adjacent to Green Bay East High School.

Day 3 at Packer Training Camp

Today there was only one 2:00 p.m. practice in the sweltering 95-degree heat in Green Bay. Brett Favre was not on the field, as we specified earlier. He is in Mississippi for a family funeral. Or, as the Packers say, he has a “Bereavement Excuse.” Here are some of the things that a smaller group of sun-burned “railbirds” saw this afternoon along Oneida Street (courtesy of the Green Bay Press-Gazette):

• WR Robert Ferguson (who has switched from #89 to #87) was at least partly to blame for Aaron Rodgers' interception in the blitz period because of a sloppy route. Later, though, Ferguson had a nifty, leaping grab over Will Blackmon in the end zone that curiously drew congratulations from defenders on the sideline.

• TE Bubba Franks also had a fine touchdown grab in the final goal-line period.

• And today's passing stats (7-on-7 in parentheses): Rodgers 20-for-34, INT (10-for-13); Ingle Martin 12-for-16, INT (5-for-8, INT); Paul Thompson 1-for-4 (1-for-3); Brandon Jackson 0-for-1, INT.

• Running back Vernand Morency's knee injury is more serious than initially believed, and he likely will miss two weeks of practice, Packers coach Mike McCarthy said today. Morency hasn't practiced since Saturday. McCarthy declined to discuss specifics of the injury, which was described Sunday by General Manager Ted Thompson as a contusion. The Packers' first preseason game is 12 days away, so Morency likely will miss that game.

• Rookie guard Allen Barbre sat out today's practice with a hamstring injury and defensive tackle Daniel Muir left with a recurring ankle injury.

• McCarthy said he hopes defensive tackles Ryan Pickett and Johnny Jolly, both of whom failed conditioning tests on Friday, will practice Tuesday.

• Wide receiver Donald Driver, who has a shoulder injury, also could practice in the next day or two, McCarthy said.

• On third-and-goal from the 5, quarterback Aaron Rodgers tried to hit tight end Donald Lee on a quick slant, but LB A.J. Hawk perfectly read the play, stepped back and knocked down the pass, almost coming up with an interception. On third-and-goal from the 4, wide receiver James Jones caught a slant, but Hawk stopped him cold in his tracks and would have prevented a touchdown had they been doing full-tackling drills.

• Wide receiver Carlton Brewster caught a fade pass over cornerback Patrick Dendy on third-and-goal from the 8. The TD pass came from quarterback Ingle Martin.

• Fullback Corey White burst through the middle on first-and-goal from the 10 to score an easy TD. Rookie first-round draft pick Justin Harrell and Corey Williams were lined up as the defensive tackles on the play.

• Cornerback Charles Woodson made a nice diving interception of a Rodgers pass in a red zone drill. Rodgers was rolling right and his pass was intented for wide receiver Robert Ferguson.

• In a one-on-one receiver-vs.-defensive back drill, Ruvell Martin caught two long passes that would have gone for TDs. He beat cornerback Frank Walker, then safety Marquand Manuel. In the same drill, Jones ran a crisp route, came back for the ball and made a tough catch in tight coverage.

• Rookie kicker Mason Crosby showed off his big leg this afternoon with a booming kickoff that went 78 yards, or 8 yards deep into the end zone. On four kickoffs, Crosby averaged 71.5 yards. Incumbent kicker Dave Rayner wasn't far behind, averaging 70 yards on four kicks. In order, Crosby's kickoffs went 69, 78, 69 and 70 yards. His hang time ranged from 4.06 seconds to 4.31 seconds. Rayner's kickoffs, in order, went 67. 70, 74 and 69 yards. His hang time ranged from 4.22 seconds to 4.31 seconds.

• Quarterback Brett Favre is the only player not in attendance..

• Dressed in shorts and not taking part in full activities: guard Allen Barbre, running back Vernand Morency, wide receiver Donald Driver and defensive tackles Ryan Pickett and Johnny Jolly.

• Back in uniform after sitting out Sunday are linebackers Abdul Hodge and Juwan Simpson.

• Practices for tomorrow are set at 8:45 a.m. again on Clarke Hinkle Field, and at Old City Stadium on Baird Street (behind East High School) at 6:30 p.m. Gates open at 5:00 p.m.

Day 2 at Packer Training Camp

On Sunday, the Packers held two practices — one at 8:45 a.m., and the other at 6:30 p.m., when it was cooler. Brett Favre didn’t practice in the morning because of a death in the family (his wife’s step-father), but practiced last night. He will, however, miss practices until at least Thursday. Unfortunately, this means he’ll miss the practice to be held at the historic Old City Stadium on Tuesday night. That means that possibly the Packerville staff saw him for the last time in a Training Camp setting last night. However, this is his “Third Annual Final Training Camp,” so we’ll see.

From the Green Bay Press-Gazette:

After watching Brett Favre struggle to a four-interception performance in tonight's practice, coach Mike McCarthy said he could tell Favre had a lot on his mind. "It clearly wasn't his best practice," McCarthy said of Favre, who is expected to fly to Mississippi on Monday after the death of his wife's stepfather. McCarthy added: "It's got to be on his heart -- family first, and that's where his focus is."

Elsewhere tonight...

• In addition to Brett Favre's four interceptions during team drills, Aaron Rodgers threw a pair of picks during 7-on-7. Jarrett Bush got one on a high throw over Calvin Russell, and a few plays later, Will Blackmon ripped the ball from Greg Jennings' hands on a sideline route.

• Dropping 'em like they're hot: Carlton Brewster (twice), Shaun Bodiford, Brandon Jackson (twice) and Noah Herron.

• Favre also fumbled on an apparent pass fake during the next-to-last team period.

• CB Patrick Dendy continued to take all reps as the nickelback with the first unit.

• CB Charles Woodson spoke with McCarthy at length after practice about "a personal thing," according to McCarthy. "I think he'll be fine," McCarthy said.

• Mostly meaningless passing stats (7-on-7 in parentheses): Favre 20-for-31, 4 INTs (9-for-11); Rodgers 13-for-24, 2 INTs (3-for-10, 2 INTs); Ingle Martin 5-for-10.

Tight end Bubba Franks opened each team period with the starting offense tonight — a new twist in the veteran's battle for position on the depth chart. Franks, who has spent most of the offseason behind Donald Lee, was the lone tight end in a three-wide look on the first team play of practice with the No. 1 offense. When the unit took the field for the second team period, he was the lone tight end in a two-back set. He also joined Lee in several double-tight sets on the first plays of other periods.

The Packers finished practice with only three tight ends after Zac Alcorn dropped out, apparently because of cramps. Tory Humphrey, who broke his ankle Saturday, likely is out for the season.

• Linebacker Abdul Hodge is day to day because of a recurring knee injury and likely will be limited to one practice a day when he returns, coach Mike McCarthy said after tonight's practice. Trainers iced Hodge's problematic knee during practice Saturday, and the second-year pro from Iowa couldn't finish today's

During back-to-back drills — the first a team drill and the second a blitz drill — rookie receiver James Jones caught four passes, including beating nickelback Patrick Dendy on a deep in-route.

For the second day in a row, halfback Brandon Jackson got steamrolled during a team blitz drill. On Saturday, A.J. Hawk ran over Jackson on one play. On Sunday night, middle linebacker Nick Barnett did the same.

Notes from practice:

• Dave Rayner held the upper hand over rookie Mason Crosby in a kicking drill. Rayner booted 6 of 6 field goals while Crosby made 5 of 6. Ruvell Martin was the holder for all of Rayner's kicks, while Jon Ryan held for Crosby. Rayner's successful kicks came from 25, 25, 30, 33, 38 and 43 yards. Crosby made good on kicks from 25 and 25 before missing wide right from 30 yards. He then booted three successful kicks from 33, 38 and 43, although the last one was kicked above the right upright and was barely good.

• Will Blackmon made a spectacular interception of an Aaron Rodgers pass when he stole the ball out of receiver Greg Jennnigs' hands. It was the second interception of the night for Rodgers, who was also picked off by cornerback Jarrett Bush.

Veteran quarterback Brett Favre and rookie free agent cornerback Antonio Malone have very little in common. But the two had a lot in common on three on consecutive plays druing a team drill. On the first play, Malone intercepted a Favre pass intended for Robert Ferguson. On the next play, Favre beat Malone on a deep pass to James Jones. But Malone won the rubber match on the next play by intercepting a badly underthrown Favre pass. Final score, Malone 2, Favre 1.

Some observations during team drills:

• Cornerback Charles Woodson made a nice diving interception of a Brett Favre pass intended for Greg Jennings. Favre was working out of the shotgun formation and was under heavy blitz pressure.

• First-round draft pick Justin Harrell moved up to the second-team defense. Harrell played on the No. 3 unit on Saturday.

• Tight end Bubba Franks lined up with the No. 1 offense during team drills. Franks had been working behind Donald Lee in prior practices.

• During a punt-return drill, receiving kicks were:Woodson, Will Blackmon, James Jones, Jennings and Shaun Bodiford.

In one of the more unique drills in training camp thus far, a Packers lineman was given the ball, and two smaller players -- usually wide receivers and/or running backs -- converged to strip the ball away. Presumably, if an opposing lineman ever gets his paws on a ball in a game situation, the Packers will be prepared to force a turnover.

Day 1 at Packer Training Camp

2007 Packers Training Camp got underway today under sunny skies and temperatures in the upper 80’s. According to the Green Bay Press-Gazette, there were an estimated 10,000 people over at the Clark Hinkle Field along Oneida Street. Your “Packerville” reporter got to town a little too late (2 hours before practice!) to get a seat in the middle of the practice field, so he spent the session down on the end where the defense spent a majority of the time before the scrimmage near the end of the 2-1/2 hour workout.

One of the oddest sights was seeing linebacker A.J. Hawk wearing a knit stocking hat in the 88-degree heat. To our reporter, #1 draft pick Justin Harrell (#91) seemed to be winded more than his colleagues on the defensive line, taking a “knee” quite often. Harrell did not participate in the team’s offseason workouts.

Here’s a practice wrap-up from today, courtesy of the Green Bay Press-Gazette:

Ryan Pickett, Johnny Jolly and DeShawn Wynn were on the non-football injury list today, and receiver Donald Driver failed his physical because of a shoulder injury, coach Mike McCarthy said after practice.
Pickett and Jolly were placed on the list because of conditioning, and McCarthy said he was “not happy.” Wynn has an illness. Tight end Tory Humphrey, who was hurt during practice, has an ankle injury and was taken for X-rays, according to McCarthy.

There was no advantage gained in the first field goal period. Dave Rayner went five-for-five, making two field goals from 27 yards, one from 32 yards and two from 37. Jon Ryan was his holder. Rookie Mason Crosby went four-for-four with all of his field goals from 32 yards. David Lonie and Ruvell Martin each held for two of Crosby's kicks.

Two notable items from a team blitz drill:

— Linebacker A.J. Hawk ran over rookie running back Brandon Jackson on his way to what would have been a sack of quarterback Brett Favre.

— Rookie receiver James Jones showed an ability to come back hard for the ball and make a tough catch in heavy traffic from Brett Favre.

Tight end Tory Humphrey went down during team drills about an hour and 20 minutes into practice. Humphrey slumped on his side and then rolled over on his back while medical personnel attended to his left leg. Humphrey was carted off the practice field with his leg heavily wrapped from the knee all the way down to his foot.

Former Packers offensive coordinate Jeff Jagodzinski was in attendance today. Jagodzinski, who is the head coach at Boston College, was wearing a Boston Red Sox baseball cap and standing on the field with other Packers coaches.

Although first-round draft choice Justin Harrell was listed as a starter on the preseason depth chart at defensive tackle, veteran Corey Williams was working with the No. 1 unit during drills. Colin Cole was filling in at the other defensive tackle spot in place of Ryan Pickett.

Greg Jennings fumbled an end-around handoff from Brett Favre during team drills.

Punter Jon Ryan consistently was booming kicks with hang times over 4.5 seconds. Ten of Ryan's 19 punts went 50 yards or longer, with a long of 57. Free agent David Lonie didn't participate in the punting drill.

Rookie safety Aaron Rouse stripped the ball from tight end Bubba Franks during a ball-protection drill.

We thought you’d enjoy some photos from today’s practice, so we’ve provided a few from our sideline photographer.

The Season is Upon Us!

We are taking a break from the series we’ve been featuring on the Green Bay Packers’ Yearbooks through the years so that we can bring you first-hand accounts from Packers’ Training Camp 2007. We will be “broadcasting” from the Midway Best Western Hotel just down the street from the practice field from Saturday (tomorrow) through Thursday. We hope to bring you some news and sights that can only be gathered in the middle of it all.

Practice begins Saturday at 2:00 p.m., which means that NFL season 2007 is officially here, and we will all be treated to Packers news every day from now until February (hopefully).

If you’ve never been to Packers Training Camp, it’s your loss. And, with this possibly being Favre’s last year, you’ll regret not being there for at least one warm Summer day watching him laugh and joke around between all the football action. It’s been a pleasure for these last 19 years that we’ve been attending Training Camp. Stay tuned this week for “Packerville” on location in Green Bay!

Stockholder’s Meeting

Yesterday, the Packerville staff attended the 2007 Green Bay Packers Stockholders’ Meeting which was held in Lambeau Field. On a beautiful sunny day, we heard the football and business reports, and then were free to explore Suites, Skyboxes, Club Seating, the T.V. broadcast booth, and the Lee Remmel Press Box. Team president Bob Harlan and general manager Ted Thompson were on hand in the Atrium Club Seating Level to answer stockholders’ (fans’) questions. Stockholders also had free admission to the Packers Hall of Fame all day.

A few quotes from Ted Thompson during his “football report”:

“We've always said the best way to build a team is to build it from within, because you have these players already... Just to turn guys over, over and over, every year doesn't make sense. So what we've tried to do is improve our guys that we have, and we think that's again going to add to our competition in training camp."

“Our veteran players were the core of our team... they were the ones who set the attitude, set the locker room, and kept us going when things were tough.”

"We had some tough moments. We especially had some tough moments here at Lambeau Field. I think it's a credit to our veteran players that our team held together."

"I've been asked this by a couple of our media guys that I look at this as some sort of rebuilding thing, that we want to win three or four years down the road... but let's make this clear, and I want you guys to be clear on this because you're my bosses — we want to win, and we want to win now.”

"We like where we are, we are getting better. Through the individual growth of our team and some new additions, and just toughness, I think we're going to be fine. We're going to win some games."

From team president Bob Harlan:

"I've gotten the impression this winter in talking to fans, even after the draft, they can see his (Ted Thompson’s) system and what he's going to do. They can see that the system has worked in the past obviously with Seattle, and I think they're comfortable that it's going to work with the Green Bay Packers. So let's move ahead, give him a chance. We've hit the bump we knew we'd hit in the salary cap era, now let's see where we go."

Training Camp Schedule Released

Today’s posting is about the release of the official Training Camp schedule for 2007. For those of us who have made Packers’ Training Camp part of the family vacation since 1988, the release of the schedule means it’s time to get on the phone and make the hotel reservations.

“Packerville, U.S.A.” will be at Training Camp from Saturday, July 28th through Thursday, August 2nd, and will provide daily updates and photographs from our temporary headquarters at the Best Western Midway Hotel, one block from the practice field (Clarke Hinkle Field along Oneida Street).

Training Camp is a wonderful time to be in Green Bay, as it means that there will be football news daily from then on through early February. And, it’s a time of optimism about the coming season — and a time to stock up on all the new souvenirs and trinkets to add to “the collection.”

If you’ve never been to Training Camp, and you live within driving distance, you’d better think about it if you want to see Brett Favre before he retires. Of course, we’ve been saying that for the last three or four years. Anyway, if you’re a true Packer fan, experiencing Training Camp should be something to treat yourself with at least once.

A Management Bombshell

Today’s posting is about the surprise announcement today that previously-thought-to-be-retiring Packers’ President Bob Harlan will stay on past his retirement deadline of the end of this month. The reason being that his hand-picked successor, John Jones, will be taking a leave of absence. For anyone who follows the inner workings of the Packers front office (anyone besides me?), this is a major announcement... one that could affect the operations and success of the team for years to come.

According to the Associated Press, Jones will be taking “an indefinite leave of absence from the team because of "management concerns." Jones had open heart surgery last year, and has been observed previously as not really being strong enough to take over the reigns from Harlan. The “management concerns” are what concern me as well.

Also from the AP, “In a hastily arranged news conference, Packers executive committee member Peter Platten said he could not provide specifics about the nature of the concerns. But I will tell you that they did not involve personal conduct or ethical violations," Platten said.”

I would assume logically then that the problem might lie with concerns about his health. The Packers would not comment on this, however.

If the problems have something to do with the Board of Directors not having confidence with Jones taking over from Harlan as we got down to the wire, then we have big problems on our hands. Harlan picked and groomed Jones to take over the presidency upon Harlan's turning 70 years old, at which point he must retire, according to the Packers’ corporation by-laws. If for some reason it was decided behind closed doors that “they” think Jones is not “the man,” where do they go from here?

The president of the Green Bay Packers acts in the same manner that owners of other teams do, as far as running the team, attending league meetings, etc. Bob Harlan was a master at the job, and was almost universally well-liked in both Green Bay and throughout the League. If we are now at the point of picking a new person after spending several years grooming Jones, we’re in trouble. Bringing someone in from “the outside” with no working knowledge of what being in Green Bay means will bring many interesting issues in the future.

I guess we’ll just have to wait to see what else comes out information-wise about this whole issue. I just find the timing of it very, very interesting... and troubling.