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Fabulous Favre Packers look improved from last season
Updated: Monday August 06, 2001 8:17 AM
There's a chance the Pack is back. At the very least there is reason for some true optimism in Green Bay. The Packers finished very strong last season, winning their last four games, all against division opponents. The only other two teams to go 4-0 to close out the 2000 regular season were the Ravens and Giants, and that's not bad company to keep. As always, the hopes of this franchise rest on the arm of Brett Favre. While I was at practice, he threw the ball extremely well. One of Green Bay's personnel people told me, "His deep ball hasn't looked this good since the Super Bowl run." Favre has made 141 consecutive starts and, in dealing Matt Hasselbeck, the team traded away yet another quality young backup QB. That strategy has proven correct so far, but now the Packers sit with no real quality player behind Favre. It's a riskier bet than ever before.
Based on the playcalling I saw, it would appear that Mike Sherman will be opening up the offense a bit more and that means tight end Bubba Franks will have a critical role. During one stretch of an 11-on-11 team period, Franks was the main target on six of nine pass plays. He caught five of those six passes and looked ready to take the next step in his career. Favre will push Franks as much as he has to make him perform. The two tight-end set was supposed to be a big part of the team's attack this season but Tyronne Davis injured his hamstring and is out for the season. The Packers signed veteran Troy Drayton to fill Davis' shoes but he looks more like a third tight end candidate at this point in his career. The guy making a significant move for that second TE spot is David Martin, a 2001 sixth-round pick from Tennessee. Martin looked outstanding in drills but needs to prove he can be a legitimate blocker to be a complete threat. The Packers hit it big when Ron Wolf traded for running back Ahman Green last year. Green needed some time to digest the offense but no one can argue the results when he finally got it figured out. The former Seahawks backup touched the ball 336 times for 1,734 yards and 13 TDs. Word out of camp is that he is bigger and stronger now. Couple that with the healthy return of RB Dorsey Levens and this team has true depth at the running back position. Defensive coordinator Ed Donatell and I coached together for five seasons in New York and I know first-hand that he understands pressure defenses. With safeties LeRoy Butler and Darren Sharper, this season we'll see some creative blitz schemes to go along with a sound overall package in Green Bay. The resurgence of run stopper Gilbert Brown was impressive to watch. Brown is now a lean 339 pounds and during the 9-7 run period, he proved to be a force, similar to Tony Siragusa's role in Baltimore. During the one-on-one pass-rush period, he had his way with all the offensive linemen. If Brown does his job on first downs, Packers fans will get a chance to see first-rounder Jamal Reynolds when the nickel and dime defense comes in. Reynolds has excellent technique and is more than just an outside speed rusher. On one particular rush against starting left tackle Chad Clifton, Reynolds set him up with a great outside first step and then crossed his face with a rip move and easily got to the QB. The rookie is not strong enough yet to bull-rush an NFL tackle, but he does know how to get his pads under the blocker and create leverage. Both starters at corners, Tyrone Williams and Mike McKenzie, missed practice with injuries, so Tod McBride and third-rounder Bhawoh Jue got in valuable work. Donatell pointed out that Allen Rossum will be another key cog in the secondary, especially in the NFC Central because he can match up with the super quick backs out of the backfield like Tampa Bay's Warrick Dunn. I left Titletown with the feeling that the Packers could win 10 games this season and make it to the playoffs, probably as a wild-card team. If they're hot at the end of the season like they were last year, they will be very dangerous. No one wants to face Favre and Co. when they're ready to take you on. Pat Kirwan, who spent 12 years as a pro football coach, scout and personnel administrator, is an NFL analyst for CNN/Sports Illustrated and a regular contributor to CNNSI.com.
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