Packerville Turns 14

Today, January 28th, marks 14 years since the original Packerville, U.S.A. blog staked a claim on the internet. 2,271 posts later, it remains stop for Packers fans to find things they may not see elsewhere. We’ve since expanded our social media presence, and hope to continue all of our efforts for many years to come!

The Packers Thank Us

NFC Championship — Bucs at Packers

Well, that was as painful as an NFC Championship game loss could be. Maybe more than the 2015 game at Seattle. Instead of ranting on for several paragraphs, I'll just boil it down to a few words: Disappointing. Inexcusable. Questionable Coaching. Wasted Opportunity. Choke. Embarrassment. Are we the Vikings or Bills of the NFC Championship Game in the last seven years? The Packers had a Patriots'-like opportunity to win five Super Bowls in Rodgers’ career so far (and ironically, several of those chances would’ve been against New England). The Packers set themselves up with everything they wanted for this game, and then... the same result. Again.

And what do we think of Aaron Rodgers' future in Green Bay after this? Much analysis of that is going on now with his demeanor and comments after the game. If he wants to leave and finish his career elsewhere, the questions are all financial involving salary cap hits, etc., but anything can happen. At this point, who knows. All we do know is that this team cannot reach the Super Bowl no matter what they do. And that will sit and fester with Packers fans for decades.

NFC Championship Game Weather

Buccaneers vs. Packers Game Program

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and even with several thousand fans at the stadium for the past two weeks, the Packers have produced no printed game programs this season. But, they have provided digital versions for all to enjoy free of charge. Here is the cover for tomorrow's NFC Championship Game vs. the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. You can view the entire program here.

Hopefully, there will be actual programs in the future for those of us who have collected one from every Packers game they have attended. For me, that’s 168 games... and programs.

Buccaneers vs. Packers Rankings

Buccaneers vs. Packers Series Capsule

Buccaneers vs Packers Capsule

Super Bowl berth at stake as top-seeded Packers host Bucs

By The Associated Press

January 22, 2021

TAMPA BAY (13-5) at GREEN BAY (14-3)

TIME/TV — Sunday, 3:05 p.m. ET, Fox

OPENING LINE — Packers by 3 ½

RECORD VS. SPREAD — Buccaneers 11-7; Packers 11-6

SERIES RECORD — Packers lead 33-22-1

LAST MEETING — Buccaneers beat Packers 38-10 in Tampa, Oct. 18, 2020

LAST WEEK — Buccaneers beat Saints 30-20; Packers beat Rams 32-18

BUCCANEERS OFFENSE — OVERALL (7), RUSH (28-T), PASS (2).

BUCCANEERS DEFENSE — OVERALL (6), RUSH (1), PASS (21).

PACKERS OFFENSE — OVERALL (5), RUSH (8), PASS (9).

PACKERS DEFENSE — OVERALL (9), RUSH (13-T), PASS (7).

STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES — This is the second playoff meeting between Tampa Bay and Green Bay. The Packers beat the Bucs 21-7 in a divisional playoff game at Green Bay on Jan. 4, 1998… This marks the first postseason matchup between Packers QB Aaron Rodgers and Bucs QB Tom Brady. They have met three times in the regular season, with Brady’s teams owning a 2-1 edge… Brady is making a league-record 14th conference championship game appearance, his first in the NFC. He went 9-4 in AFC title games with the New England Patriots… Brady holds postseason record for starts (43), victories (32), completions (1,065), passing yards (11,968), passing touchdowns (77) and Super Bowl titles (6)… A win would enable Brady to join Peyton Manning, Kurt Warner and Craig Morton as the only quarterback to lead two separate franchises into the Super Bowl… The Bucs have won a franchise-record seven consecutive road games, including playoff wins over Washington and New Orleans. With a win at Green Bay, they’ll become the first team to advance to a Super Bowl that will be played in its home stadium. ...With LB Devin White leading the way, Tampa Bay’s defense forced four turnovers in last week’s divisional-round win over the Saints. The Bucs have scored a league-high 27 points off five takeaways this postseason… It’s Tampa Bay’s fourth NFC title game appearance, first since their Super Bowl championship run 18 years ago… Tampa Bay led the NFL in run defense during the regular season and limited Aaron Jones to 15 yards on 10 carries in its Oct. 18 victory over the Packers… Rodgers went 16 of 35 for 160 yards with two interceptions and no touchdowns in the regular-season loss to Tampa Bay. In the Packers’ other 16 games, he has completed 71.9% of his passes for 4,435 yards with 50 touchdowns and three interceptions…Rodgers is one of four All-Pro selections from Green Bay. The others are WR Davante Adams, Packers OT David Bakhtiari (injured) and C Corey Linsley… Adams led the NFL with 18 regular-season touchdown catches despite missing two games with a hamstring injury. He also caught a touchdown pass in the Packers’ 32-18 playoff victory over the Los Angeles Rams last week… Green Bay committed a league-low 11 turnovers during the regular season. The Packers have committed just two turnovers during their seven-game winning streak… The Packers are in the NFC championship game for the fourth time in their last seven seasons, though they haven’t reached the Super Bowl since their 2010 championship season. Green Bay’s 2014 team lost an NFC championship game at Seattle. The 2016 team lost a conference championship game at Atlanta. Last season, the Packers fell 37-20 at San Francisco in the NFC title match… The Packers scored an NFL-leading 31.8 points per game during the regular season… Packers OLB Za’Darius Smith had 12 ½ sacks during the regular season and contributed one more against the Rams… Packers DT Kenny Clark and OLB Rashan Gary each made 1 ½ sacks against the Rams… Fantasy tip: The Bucs showed they could run the ball on Green Bay back in October, when Ronald Jones rushed for 113 yards and two touchdowns. The trick is guessing how the Bucs will distribute carries after Jones and Leonard Fournette shared the load last week at New Orleans. The guess here is that Fournette gets more fantasy points than Jones on Sunday.

Former GM Ted Thompson Passes Away

Ted Thompson, 68, GM when Packers won last Super Bowl, dies

Associated Press

January 21, 2021

Ted Thompson, whose 13-year run as Green Bay Packers general manager included their 2010 Super Bowl championship season, has died. He was 68.

The Packers announced Thursday that Thompson died the previous night at his home in Atlanta, Texas. The team said it was contacted by a direct family member.

Thompson announced in May 2019 he had been diagnosed with an autonomic nerve disorder.

He was the general manager from 2005-17 and drafted many notable players on the current roster, including two-time MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers. He acquired 49 of the 53 players on the Packers' 2010 championship team.

He, in my opinion, is the best talent evaluator, especially when it comes to the draft, that I've ever seen or been around," said Brian Gutekunst, who worked alongside Thompson at Green Bay before eventually succeeding him as general manager. He had a very unique way of seeing what a player was going to become and the greatest he could become."

Thompson spent more than two decades in the Packers front office and was the teams director of pro personnel when the Packers won the Super Bowl for the 1996 season and captured the NFC title the following year.

I think the one thing that really stands out to me is just his humility, Packers President/CEO Mark Murphy said. It was never about Ted. It was always whats best for the organization.

Thompson had a 10-season playing career as a linebacker with the Houston Oilers from 1975-1984. Tennessee Titans controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk said in a statement that Thompson was a smart and savvy player, who made his mark on special teams and clearly had a great feel for the game."

But he made his biggest impact as an executive. He worked in Green Bays front office from 1992-99 and was the Seattle Seahawks vice president of football operations from 2000-04.

He returned to Green Bay in 2005. Mike Sherman had been working as Packers coach and general manager up to that point. The Packers decided to have Thompson take over the general manager duties while having Sherman remain as coach.

This is not going to be where Im going to walk around with a big sledgehammer like Im ruling the roost, Thompson said at the time. Again, this is not a democracy. But its also a place where were going to work together.

During Thompsons first year as general manager, the Packers made the franchise-altering decision to select Rodgers with the 24th overall draft pick when they already had Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre on their roster.

The move enabled the Packers to have a three-decade run of exceptional quarterback play.

I always appreciated his steady hand and the conversations that we would have, Rodgers said in a statement. He always made things pretty clear about what he expected from the team and what he expected from me. He always preached to put the team first, to not be a distraction, to be a good teammate, to be a good professional, and I always appreciated those comments.

With Thompson as general manager, the Packers made eight consecutive playoff appearances from 2009-16, including the Super Bowl championship season in 2010.

When I think about Ted, who he was as a man will always carry more weight than what he did professionally, said Dallas Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy, who coached the Packers from 2006-18. "There has never been a finer human being to walk the playing fields or have a presence in the scouting rooms.

"Ted gave me an opportunity of a lifetime. As a young first-time head coach who thought he had all the answers, I couldnt have been matched with a more perfect leader. He taught me patience. I will forever remember all of the times he would simply smile at me and say, Slow down young man. "

The 2010 Packers team that won the Super Bowl featured defensive back Charles Woodson, Thompson's most notable veteran free agent signing. Woodson, the 2009 NFL Defensive Player of the Year, tweeted that once upon a time circa 2006 I was a free agent and one team took a shot on me orchestrated by Ted Thompson.

He was willing to dabble in free agency, Murphy said. But he knew the best way to build a team was through the draft.

Thompson draft picks who remain on the roster include four All-Pro selections from this season: Rodgers, wide receiver Davante Adams, left tackle David Bakhtiari and center Corey Linsley. Rodgers was the only first-round pick in that group. Adams was drafted in the second round, Bakhtiari in the fourth and Linsley in the fifth.

Other notable current Packers drafted by Thompson: defensive tackle Kenny Clark, kicker Mason Crosby, and running backs Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams.

Certainly hes a guy whos held in the highest regard in this building and, I think, just around the league, Packers coach Matt LaFleur said. Hes had a tremendous impact not only on people in this building, obviously Gutey (Gutekunst) but people in other departments as well. His impact is still felt to this day when you look at our roster, but I think hes had a tremendous impact amongst many people across the league, when you look all the other GMs that have learned under him."

Packers officials praised Thompsons calmness, patience and quiet confidence. Seahawks general manager John Schneider, who worked with Thompson on three separate occasions, called him an amazing person and mentor to so many people.

Other Thompson draft picks who had productive careers with Green Bay before departing include linebacker Clay Matthews, offensive tackle Bryan Bulaga, wide receivers Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb and Greg Jennings.

Thompson said that his health led him to step down as general manager after the 2017 season.

Thompson moved into a senior adviser role. Gutekunst, who had been working with Thompson as player personnel director, was promoted to general manager and remains in that position.

One of the things that was helpful for me being around him as much was seeing things through his eyes as a former player, always understanding that what matters is the team and those guys out there, Gutekunst said.

Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid was an assistant coach with the Packers during Thompsons first stint at Green Bay and referred to him Thursday as a good friend.

He was good at what he did but an even better person, Reid said.

NFC Championship — Bucs at Packers Capsule