HOW REPLACING A LEGEND IS REALLY DIFFICULT (PART 1)

HOW REPLACING A LEGEND IS REALLY DIFFICULT PART 1
By Don Stokes Senior Writer-Midwest Region- Football Reporters Online
As I watched the end of Super Bowl XLV come to a conclusion as the Green Bay Packers beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-25 in the “gigantic” football palace that Jerry Jones built, I wondered out loud as the Packers QB Aaron Rodgers took the final knee to run out the clock the magnitude of that moment must be for him. As the Cowboys Stadium turf was engulfed with players, press, NFL bigwigs and fans my lovely wife reminded me of the very first time we saw the newest SB MVP Aaron Rodgers. It was on a Saturday morning NFL draft day in 2005 at Radio City Music Hall.
I recalled watching him on television sitting gleefully at a table with his family and well wishers with all of the other expected early draft picks of that season nearby. Rodgers was expected to be an early 1st round draft pick.

As the names QB Alex Smith, RB Ronnie Brown, CB Antrelle Rolle and others were continually called to the stage but surprisingly not his he still sat and the time ticked on. Minutes turned into hours watching the announcers continued surprise of a quarterback of Aaron Rodgers quality remained available. The smile that was broad and generous on Aaron’s face at the start of the afternoon had turned into puzzlement and disbelief as the day went by. It was merciful when both he and his group moved away from their front row accommodations and also away from the glare of the television cameras. Many Hours later just one word came from both my wife and me simultaneously when the Green Bay Packers made Aaron Rodgers their 1st round choice (the 24th player chosen). FINALLY!
Fast forward 5+ years and of course the rest is history. Now Aaron Rodgers can stand alongside other Packer quarterback legends like Brett Favre and Bart Starr as a Super Bowl winning QB. A thought came to me: Just how really difficult is it to replace a legend? I did a little research (yes I do that on occasion) and I came up with these numbers.
But first let’s use the following criteria:
Number one: Only Super Bowl winning quarterbacks from 1967-2011 (players from the Super Bowl era)

Number two: The Super Bowl winning QB must be a current Pro Football Hall of Famer (hence the word legend). There were many QB’s who played in the NFL during the Super Bowl era who put up great numbers (Tarkenton, Fouts, Marino, Moon, etc.) who didn’t win a Super Bowl. This discussion is not about them.

Number three: Meaning the following Super Bowl winning QB’s DO NOT count in this equation…… All due respect to Chicago Bears QB Jim McMahon (1985) NY Giants QB Phil Simms and Jeff Hostetler (1986 and 1990) Washington Redskins QB’s Joe Theismann, Doug Williams and Mark Rypien (1982, 1987 and 1991) Oakland Raiders/ Los Angeles Raiders QB’s Ken Stabler and Jim Plunkett (1976, 1980 and 1983) St. Louis Rams QB Kurt Warner (1999) Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Brad Johnson (2002) and Baltimore Ravens QB Trent Dilfer (2000). While some of these QB’s may wind up in Canton one day (see Warner and Stabler) at the moment they are not.

Number four: for the most famous number 4 Brett Favre……He’ll be a slam dunk Hall of Famer in five years but with his track record he might return in 2011. I will not place his numbers against Rodgers. The question should be when do we start the countdown to Canton?

Number five: No active Super Bowl winning QB is allowed on this list for obvious reasons. These 5 are still playing so they haven’t been replaced just yet. No (Peyton or Eli) brothers Manning, No Big Ben Roethlisberger, No Cool Drew Brees and no Mr. GQ himself Tom Brady.



The stats used are from the Super Bowl winning quarterbacks’ last SB win (or in the case of Namath and Unitas, their only SB win) and his replacements best NFL season. The numbers (in most cases) also will show just how difficult it is to replace a Super Bowl winning QB. We’ll start with four University of Alabama Quarterbacks. Let’s begin with the winner of the first two Super Bowls: The Packers QB Bart Starr and his replacement also from the Crimson Tide, Scott Hunter.
Starr final Super Bowl II season in 1967 (top) compared to Scott Hunter’s NFL 1972 season (bottom).
Games Att Comp Pct% Yards TD INT Rating
14 210 115 54.8 1823 9 17 64.4
14 199 86 43.2 1252 6 9 55.5

Although Starr 1967 numbers was considered an off-season for him (8-3-1 in his starts) the Pack still won SB II against Oakland 32-14 and he was voted the SB II MVP. As for Scott Hunter who replaced Starr during Starr’s last season (1971) his 1972 season even by 1970’s standards was abysmal. Fortunately the Packers kept Starr as his QB coach and along with a strong running game (John Brockington and McArthur Lane ran for over 1,800 yards between the two) Green Bay won the NFC Central with a 10-4 record. In the preceding seasons Scott Hunter did not progress well as an NFL QB and was playing for the Buffalo Bills by 1974. Not a great choice to replace the legendary Bart Starr.

Let’s now look at the QB from the swinging ‘60’s with the white shoes and the ‘guarantee win’. Super Bowl III MVP Jet Joe Namath compared to his replacement at the helm 1st round pick Richard Todd in 1976.

Joe Namath 1968 Super Bowl III season (top) compared to Richard Todd 1981 NFL season (bottom)

Games Att Comp Pct% Yards TD INT Rating
14 380 187 49.2 3147 15 17 72.1
16 497 279 56.1 3231 25 13 81.8

Namath’s game calling changed to a more conservative running game approach from previous seasons which help lower his INT’s total from 28 in 1967 to 17 in 1968. The forecoming 70’s were rough on both the Jets and Broadway Joe indeed. Numerous injuries ravaged Namath during the 1970, ’71 and ’73 seasons (he played but 15 out of 42 games during that period). With their 1st pick the Jets drafted Alabama’s Richard Todd in 1976 and he split time with Joe during Namath’s final Jet season. While Broadway Joe thrived under the hot spotlight of the New York Press during his playing days, Richard Todd wilted under the same heat. He never seemed comfortable with the task of following a sports icon the likes of Joe Willie in the Big Apple.

Todd, who took the Jets to back to back playoffs seasons (’81 and ’82) for the 1st time since 1968-‘69 had the all the physical skills to become a solid everyday QB. His best playoff finish was in the strike shortened season of 1982 when he led the Jets to an AFC Title game appearance. After a disappointing 7-9 record with 26 interceptions Richard Todd was traded to the New Orleans Saints after the 1983 season. After 6 rollercoaster seasons from Todd the separation from the Jets was much needed and was mutual for both parties involved.

In Kansas City, the Chiefs had their eventual replacement for their Hall of famer former Purdue QB Len Dawson on their roster for over 8 seasons before the job was totally his. Mike Livingston was drafted in the 2nd round from SMU in 1968 but did not truly have the QB job until Dawson finally retired after the 1975 season.

Here are the numbers for SB IV MVP Len Dawson 1969 (top) final Super Bowl appearance and Mike Livingston’s 1976 NFL season (bottom)

Games Att Comp Pct% Yards TD INT Rating
9 166 87 59.0 1323 9 13 69.9
14 338 191 55.7 2682 12 13 77.6

The ’69 season wasn’t a great one statistically for Len Dawson. He missed 5 full games and parts of others with a knee injury. With the added burden of a gambling investigation falsely placed upon him before the game Dawson led the Kansas City attack to a convincing Super Bowl IV victory with crisp pinpoint passing. Livingston in his 2nd year at that point actually was 6-0 during the 1969 season and was named to the AFL All-Star game (along with Dawson).

Numerous injuries nagged Len Dawson for the later part of his career making Mike Livingston a very important insurance policy at QB for the Chiefs in the 1970’s. By 1976 the great Chiefs teams of the 1960’s was a distant memory although with 2682 passing yards Mike Livingston finished 6th in the NFL that season. Both he and the Chiefs never achieved championship success again. Kansas City would not return to the NFL playoffs until 1986, seven seasons after Livingston retired at age 34.

There are times when following a legend is nearly just impossible. Such was the case when you are the 1972 Baltimore Colts and two seasons removed from your Super Bowl V 16-13 victory against the Dallas Cowboys. Your management has the 39 year old John Unitas one of the all time greats at QB benched. Surely you realize this would be a tough sell replacing the pride of Baltimore so you better have a solid choice for your new QB. The Colts chose Marty Domres; a bright articulate young man from an Ivy league school (Columbia). But Domres really never had a chance.

The numbers for John Unitas SB V 1970 season (top) and Marty Domres 1972 NFL season (bottom)

Games Att Comp Pct% Yards TD INT Rating
14 321 166 51.7 2213 14 18 65.1
12 222 115 51.8 1392 11 6 76.6


During this first year of the NFL-AFL merger the former Louisville Cardinal QB Unitas had somewhat erratic season throwing the ball. Fortunately the Colts had a strong defense in 1970 just enough to carry them to Super Bowl V. Unitas was injured in the second quarter of that game giving veteran Earl Morrall a chance to redeem himself. Morrall took over and led them to victory.
Just going by the numbers Marty Domres had a nice 1972 season but the Colt team finished 5-9. Baltimore soon traded Unitas to the San Diego Chargers before the 1973 season, where he retired at the end of the year. But unfortunately for Marty the Colts also drafted a QB (LSU’s Bert Jones) with their 1st pick in the 1973 NFL Draft. It was apparent the younger Jones had better natural skills (stronger arm and scrambling ability) than Domres and in time he led the Colts to AFC Eastern Division crowns in 1975, ’76 and 1977. As for Marty Domres? He finished his career as a Jet backup QB in 1977.

An observer from the sidelines during Super Bowl V Dallas Cowboys loss to the Colts, backup QB Roger Staubach would get his opportunity the following season and lead the Cowboys to their 1st Super Bowl title in 1971. Veteran holdover QB Craig Morton started the 1971 campaign under center but after 5 games the Cowboys offense stalled. Enter Roger Staubach former Naval Academy and Heisman trophy winner, who at one point during the 1971 season won 9 games in a row. The MVP of SB VI, Staubach would soon grow to become “Captain Comeback” pulling victory from the jaws of defeat numerous times. During Roger Staubach’s eight seasons as a starter the Cowboys played in 4 different Super Bowls. His backup and replacement ASU QB Danny White had been a Cowboy since 1976 (he was the regular punter) and was ready to take over the quarterback reins when the last of numerous concussions ended Roger “the Dodger’s” playing career after the 1979 season.

Here is Roger Staubach SB XII 1977 season (top) and Danny White 1981 NFL season (bottom)
Games Att Comp Pct% Yards TD INT Rating
14 361 210 58.2 2620 18 9 87.0
16 391 223 57.0 3098 22 13 87.5


If you look at Staubach 1977 and White’s 1981 passer ratings they’re eerily similar. Both Dallas QB’s had RB Tony Dorsett either in his 1st season (1007 yards 4.8 avg in 1977) and at his peak (1648 yards 4.8 avg in 1981). Both had strong defenses and the same head coach with the fedora (Tom Landry). Dallas gave up 15.8 points a game in ’77 ranking 8th, 17.3 in 1981 ranking 7th. So why didn’t the 1981 team win the prize as did the 1977 squad accomplished? Two words: The “Catch”. A high pass into the end zone corner from a young former Notre Dame QB named Montana to a nondescript wide out named Dwight Clark with: 24 on the clock began the 49er dynasty and ended the best chance for a Danny White led team to win a Super Bowl title.

For three straight seasons Danny White (1980,’81 and ’82) led the Cowboys to the NFC Title game. And each time they were defeated. White, a good QB who was never forgiven for following Staubach in big D was prone to turnovers. He caught a bad break as the core group on both the offense and defense side of the ball began to age. He happened to play with the Cowboys towards the end of that teams’ talent run. Towards the end of Danny White’s in career in 1988 the Cowboys had become the laughing stock of the NFC East.

Before the exploits of a certain number #13 becoming the face of the franchise in Miami there was another great quarterback in South Florida than preceded his arrival who wore number#12: Bob Griese. From the very beginning Griese was the choice at quarterback for the Miami Dolphins in their early years. An AFL All-star in his very first season (1967) Griese from Purdue University was a cerebral signal caller who took the majority of snaps during his playing career. Other than injury (playing but 6 games because of a broken leg during the undefeated season of 1972) Griese was a durable quarterback who remarkably made the 1973 Pro Bowl despite averaging only 104 yards a game passing that season. In Miami’s Super Bowl VIII victory against Minnesota that year Bob Griese threw but 7 passes the entire game.

In 1980 Miami drafted QB David Woodley from LSU to replace the aging 35 year old Griese. As a rookie Woodley started 11 and played in 13 games that year easing the retirement of Griese (because of a shoulder injury) in 1980.

Here are the stats for Bob Griese 1973 SBVIII season (top) and David Woodley’s 1981 NFL season (bottom)

Games Att Comp Pct% Yards TD INT Rating
13 218 116 53.2 1422 17 8 84.3
15 366 191 52.2 2470 12 13 69.8


During Griese’s time the Dolphins relied more on their so called “no name” defense and the running of backs Csonka, Morris and Kiick to accomplish their place in NFL lore. A perfect season (17-0) preceded the 12-2 1973 Super bowl champion club with Griese at the helm. During the latter half of Bob’s career he threw much more passes than the Super Bowl clubs. Miami still remained competitive but never returned to the Super Bowl again during his playing career.

Regarding the quarterback play of David Woodley? As many students of the game know a mobile QB with a strong arm doesn’t always equate success. Such was the case with David Woodley. His career started well (he was voted the Dolphins MVP in his rookie 1980 campaign) but as a QB he never got better. The Dolphins had developed the league’s strongest defense by 1981 (11-5 winning the AFC East) in 1982 Miami’s “Killer B’s” defense took them to Super Bowl XVII but was hampered by Woodley’s inconsistent play at QB which would dog him his entire NFL career. By 1983 Don Shula had grown tired of Woodley’s up and down play and made rookie QB Dan Marino his choice as the starter. Woodley was shipped to Pittsburgh to compete for the starting quarterback job in 1984(Terry Bradshaw retired after the 1983 season). A change of scenery didn’t change Woodley’s play. David Woodley retired in 1986 while in the same year Dan Marino threw 44 touchdown passes. One could say Woodley was the bridge between the two Miami Hall of Fame players.

Next week part 2: Terry Bradshaw, Joe Montana, Steve Young, John Elway and……. Cliff Stout?

Jon Wagner’s 45 Questions for Super Bowl XLV

Jon Wagner’s 45 Questions for Super Bowl XLV

Football Reporters Online's Sr. Writer gives us his "Watch" list for tomorrow's game

STRATEGY & PERSONNEL:

1. Will Maurkice Pouncey play?

2. If Pouncey plays, but is limited, how effective will he be at helping to protect Ben Roethlisberger and opening holes for the Steelers’ running game?

3. If Pouncey can’t go, will the Steelers’ offense operate well enough behind backup Doug Legursky?

4. Will key rookies on either side (Pittsburgh’s Pouncey – if he plays, Antonio Brown, Emmanuel Sanders or Green Bay’s James Starks, or Sam Shields) play significant roles?

5. Will Starks (who leads all postseason rushers with 263 rushing yards) or Packers’ regular season-leading running back Brandon Jackson run the ball effectively enough to give Green Bay’s dangerous passing attack some balance against the NFL’s best rushing defense?

6. Can Aaron Rodgers and the Packers’ passing game exploit the legendary Dick LeBeau’s blitzing attack against the Steelers’ biggest overall weakness – their 12th-ranked pass defense?

7. Or, can either the Pittsburgh pass rush or the secondary combination of Ike Taylor and Troy Polamalu mask the Steelers’ pass defense deficiencies?

8. With two weeks of preparation, can the great Dick LeBeau come up with enough varied defensive looks to confuse Aaron Rodgers the way the Jets did the same to Tom Brady in their divisional upset round win in New England?

9. How much more dangerous could the ideal conditions on the fast track, indoors, in Cowboys Stadium make the Packers’ passing game? (recall what happened at the Georgia Dome in Green Bay’s 48-21 divisional round win over the Falcons).

10. If the Packers focus too much on stopping James Harrrison, will LaMarr Woodley or James Farrior disrupt the Green Bay offense?

11. Will James Harrison make a big game-turning play the way he did with his interception against Arizona in Super Bowl XLIII, which stands as the longest play in Super Bowl history?

12. Can Rashard Mendenhall pick up where he left off against the Jets, when he had a career post-season high 121 yards (95 in the first half) in the AFC title game?

13. Will Tramon Williams get another key postseason pick or two?

14. Will the Packers’ pass rush – one of the best in the NFL this season – get to Ben Roethlisberger?

15. Or, will Roethlisberger use his patented elusiveness and pump fake to make more of his trademark big plays after the plays break down?

16. Will linebackers Clay Matthews and A.J. Hawk be able to patrol the middle of the field when Roethlisberger is on the run or after he dumps shorts passes off, particularly to his safety valve Heath Miller?

17. Can the Steelers’ receiving playmakers Mike Wallace, Hines Ward, Heath Miller, Emmanuel Sanders, and Antonio Brown keep pace with their more dangerous counterparts Greg Jennings, James Jones, Jordy Nelson, and Donald Driver?

18. If called upon late in the game, can Shaun Suisham make a field goal over 50 yards or more? (although he’s 14 of 15 this season, he hasn’t attempted a field goal of 50 yards or more this year, and he’s only 3 of 9 from that distance for his career, with his last make from that far away coming two seasons ago, during the second of his three different stints with Washington). Conversely, Green Bay’s Mason Crosby has made 2 of 4 kicks from 50 or more yards this year, and he’s made 10 of 21 career kicks from that distance.


ON THE LIGHTER SIDE:

19 . Will karma catch up with the Steelers and will they lose a Super Bowl because of poor refereeing, the way they benefited from several bad calls to beat the Seattle in Super Bowl XL?

20. Will viewers be confused which team is at the bottom of a pile with both teams wearing pretty much the same shade of yellow pants? (at least the Steelers’ black stripes and the Packers’ green stripes down the sides might help ).

21. How ironic is it that the first-ever Super Bowl without cheerleaders is played in the stadium of the NFL team which made NFL cheerleaders famous?

22. Speaking of which, should the Dallas Cowboys lend their cheerleaders to the Pittsburgh and Green Bay sidelines?

23. Will a part of a Super Bowl venue (namely the oversized video boards overhanging the field from one 20 yard-line to the other) interfere with the play during a Super Bowl for the first time, on a high punt?

24. Will people finally stop complaining about the weather in Dallas and in general, about Super Bowls being held at sites where warm weather isn’t guaranteed? (It’s football! Suck it up, deal with the elements, and cover the Super Bowl without the ridiculous whining!).

TRENDS & STORYLINES:

25. Will the Steelers extend their record for Super Bowl wins to 7?

26. Will the Packers extend their record for NFL titles to 13?

27. Will the Packers become the NFC’s first 6 seed, and the NFL’s only other 6 seed besides Pittsburgh to win a Super Bowl?

28. Can the Packers improve upon their all-time NFL-best 28-16 postseason record?

29. Will the Packers stop the Steelers’ 7-game postseason winning streak?

30. Will Ben Roethlisberger join Terry Bradshaw, Joe Montanta, Tom Brady, and Troy Aikman, as the only quarterbacks with at least at least three Super Bowl wins?

31. Will Aaron Rodgers finally be able to step out of Brett Favre’s shadow and into the spotlight of a Super Bowl winning MVP?

32. Will Mike Tomlin become the youngest coach (at age 38) to win multiple Super Bowl titles?

33. Which will win out, the Steelers’ experience of playing in their third Super Bowl in six years, or the inexperienced yet loose Packers, who are playing in the Super Bowl for the first time with their current group (having not been to the Super Bowl as a franchise in 13 years)?

34. Will long-time veteran Charles Woodson after 13 brilliant seasons (eight in Oakland, five with Green Bay) and Packer draftees Donald Driver (12 years with Green Bay) and Chad Clifton (11 years with Green Bay) finally get their-long-awaited Super Bowl rings?

35. Will a game on the fast track, indoors, at Cowboys Stadium, with good two good quarterbacks and several receiving weapons on each side make it more of a shootout than it should be?

36. Or, will the top two teams in the NFL in points allowed (Pittsburgh – 14.5 points per game, Green Bay – 15.0 points per game) during the regular season keep it a low-scoring, defensive struggle?

37. Will Green Bay (15 postseason plays this year of 20 yards or more) keep making big plays in the passing game?

38. Will the Steelers be hurt by having not been truly tested away from Heinz Field in more than two months? (Since a December 5th win at Baltimore, Pittsburgh has won five home games, had two byes, and a lone road victory against the lowly Browns, in Cleveland).

39. Conversely, will Green Bay be helped by having been thoroughly tested in five straight elimination games, including two regular season contests to make the playoffs, followed by three straight road playoff wins over the NFC’s top three seeds, to reach Super Bowl XLV?

40. After the Packers’ winning the first two Super Bowls, the AFL/AFC dominating with 11 of the next 13 Super Bowl wins, the NFC then responding with 15 of the 16 (including 13 straight), and the AFC then taking 8 of the following 10 Super Bowls, will an alternating pattern continue for a fourth straight year? (If it does, Pittsburgh will on Sunday).

41. With arguably the two most well-traveled fan bases in the NFL coming to the stadium with the largest capacity the NFL has ever seen, could Super Bowl XLV provide the most electric atmosphere the a Super Bowl has ever had?

42. Will Super Bowl XLV set an all-time NFL attendance record (as expected)?

43. Will Super Bowl XLV set the record for the most-watched television program in American history (breaking the record set last year, during Super Bowl XLIV)?

44. And yet, with a potential lockout looming, will this be the last NFL game played for a while?

45. Whether it is or not, will Super Bowl XLV provide as exciting a game and as great a fourth quarter as in the last meeting between the Steelers and Packers? (Pittsburgh blew a 24-14 lead after three quarters and fell behind 36-30, before Roethlisberger led a two-minute drill to pull out a last-minute, 37-36 victory at Heinz Field on December 20, 2009).

BRETT FARVE TO THE NEW YORK JETS - PACKERS SCREWED UP

BRETT FARVE TO THE NEW YORK JETS - PACKERS SCREWED UP

You can find over at NFL Business Blog, too, but it's important. Green Bay Packers Quarterback Brett Farve is now former Packers QB Farve as of today. Marshall Fauk on the trade deal.



My personal feeling is that the Green Bay Packers and Head Coach Mike McCarthy in general, really screwed up. I'll get into that in more detail later.

Brett Farve Should Remain Retired; Give Aaron Rogers A Chance

The news is all over the place regarding Brett Farve's rumored return to play in the NFL. But look, we've seen this dance before and frankly I'm tired of it.

Look, I've cried twice thinking that was the end of the line for this great legend of the game. But geez, can't we get a chance to miss Brett and wonder what if, rather than see him step on the field and perhaps not do well?

What's the point? To prove that one can play until their 50? To test the benefits of Viagra? I'm curious. What's the deal? Is it the money? Or just the plain love of being cheered and admired.

I think that's it.

Regardless. I can see the late Coach Walsh now, looking down from Heaven and thinking, "If I were there, I'd have cut him two years ago. What's going on with the Packers?"

Indeed, that's what we're all wondering.

Brett, let this tribute stand:

Brett Farve Annouces Retirement Today - NFL.com

The NFL's Official Website NFL.com has a great tribute to Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Farve, who announced his retirement today. More on this development later, but it opens the door for Cal's Aaron Rodgers to take over the offense. Rodgers was the Packers number one pick in the 2005 NFL Draft.

Green Bay Packers Beat Minnesota Vikings - Surprising Performance

I must admit how surprised I am that the Mike McCarthy-led Green Bay Packers are doing so well. I'll have to review the growth of the Packers coach.

Running the show

Balance roughs up, blanks border foe

By BOB McGINN
bmcginn@journalsentinel.com

Posted: Nov. 11, 2007

Green Bay - Eleven years ago, when the Green Bay Packers were kicking butt and taking names en route to Super Bowl glory, they spanked the playoff-bound Minnesota Vikings, 38-10, in a display of dominating football at Lambeau Field that still can be remembered vividly for its utter ferocity.

Ever since then, the Vikings always showed up at Lambeau in a foul mood, often played over their heads and generally raised holy hell against anyone wearing dark green and gold.

On Sunday, another Green Bay-Minnesota game was played in the National Football League's smallest city, where the home team once again has realistic Super Bowl aspirations. And this time, with eerie parallels to the game in 1996, the Packers buried the Vikings, 34-0.

As NFC contenders Detroit, the New York Giants and Washington were falling, the Packers responded with easily their finest performance of the season. For the first time, there's breathing space between Green Bay and Dallas, both 8-1, and the rest of the NFC, where just six teams have winning records.

One of the vanquished Vikings, safety Darren Sharper, wasn't around for the championship in 1996 but was the dime back on the Packers' runner-up team in '97. The Packers and Cowboys meet Nov. 29 in Dallas, and Sharper is picking Green Bay.

"Dallas is a beatable team," said Sharper, a Packer until 2004. "We showed that. If they can slow down Marion Barber . . . man, that guy can play.

"If they (the Packers) get home field, I could see it happening. It all comes down to home field. They're going to be tough to stop. When it gets cold, you've got to give them games here as a lock. I could definitely see them 14-2."

His fellow safety, Dwight Smith, started for Tampa Bay in its Super Bowl title drive five years ago.

"The Packers looked like one (Super Bowl team) today because they were able to run the football," Smith said. "That was their Achilles' heel. That's the thing I thought was hindering them from being one of the best teams."

Smith also gives Green Bay the edge over Dallas, which was at home Oct. 21 in a 24-14 victory over Minnesota.

"I don't like Dallas' corners," Smith said. "Their D-line is good but I don't know if it's better than Green Bay's. Green Bay has rush ends, cover corners and linebackers who can run. That's all we had in Tampa."

Masterful coaching. Razor-sharp execution. Superior athleticism. Keener emotion.

The Packers had it all Sunday, extending their winning streak in the series to four games for the first time since 1987 and '88. Unlike predecessors Dennis Green and Mike Tice, Vikings coach Brad Childress can't even get his players up for this bitter border rivalry.

"It was Football 101," Childress said. "The tempo was set in the first half. We were not ready to play, and that is my fault."

What probably hurt the Vikings (3-6) more than anything was the shattering of their supposedly impregnable run defense. Operating behind an offensive line that had been upbraided all last week by Mike McCarthy and his staff, Ryan Grant pounded for 119 yards in 25 carries that drained the life from Minnesota defenders.

"I thought the guard play was very good today," McCarthy said. "The core of our running game is a stretch-and-cut mentality. Offensively, we wanted to establish our run game."

Yet, unlike San Diego a week ago - which tried in vain running LaDainian Tomlinson into the A gaps and awaiting behemoths Pat Williams and Kevin Williams - McCarthy actually came out throwing. Then, when the Vikings were sufficiently softened, he unleashed Grant on wide stretch plays, tosses and draws away from the big boys.

Over the last season and a half, the Vikings had allowed 64.5 yards per game and 2.83 yards per rush. In five games against Minnesota since the arrival of the immovable Pat Williams, the Packers had rushed for infinitesimal averages of 41.0 and 1.92.

Green Bay's rushing output of 120 yards failed to compare to the 233 that Edgar Bennett and Dorsey Levens ripped the Vikings for in the '96 regular-season finale. But it still was the third-highest rushing total against Minnesota in the last 25 games; Dallas had 128 last month, including 96 by Barber.

"Generally, when one team runs that well on another, they are inflicting their will on the other team," Childress said. "I am not used to seeing the ball being run on our defense like that."

The beneficiary of rare offensive balance, Brett Favre annihilated a similar type of Cover-2 scheme that had unsettled him early in the season.

Favre smartly directed scoring drives of 82, 69, 75, 72, 69 and 96 yards, part of a 488-yard onslaught that took up 40 minutes 40 seconds.

Operating almost equally from underneath center and shotgun, Favre overcame some poor throws early and four dropped passes to forge a passer rating of 115.4. The Vikings sorely missed the injured Antoine Winfield, their best cover man.

"He's kind of been MVP," Sharper said, referring to Favre. "He's being more patient, playing a lot smarter, than he was before. He's just being methodical down the field.

"If they don't hurt themselves, they have a good enough defense where they'll be in every game. And they'll make a play eventually because (Greg) Jennings and (Donald) Driver are playmakers. He doesn't have to (force) because he's got playmakers on offense."

On defense, the Packers didn't have to deal with the full force of rookie sensation Adrian Peterson because the Vikings fell behind early and then Peterson went out with a sprained knee late in the third quarter. He finished with 45 yards in 11 carries.

Coordinator Bob Sanders brought safety Atari Bigby into the box on the first five plays before backing off and playing normal defense. His front four proved stout enough so that Sanders never had to compromise the integrity of his scheme by adding a fifth lineman or a ninth player to the box.

"We talked as a team," McCarthy said. "It was time to shut somebody out. Just an excellent effort by our whole defense."

Not only were the Vikings down to their third quarterback in Brooks Bollinger but their most dangerous receiver, Sidney Rice, had to sit out with a hamstring pull. By the time Bollinger was able to complete his first pass to a wide receiver, 2 minutes remained in the third quarter and it was 27-0.

The Vikings were so inept that two fourth-down completions by Bollinger to Robert Ferguson in the final 4 minutes came up short of the marker.

"They're playing with confidence," said Vikings kicker Ryan Longwell, a Packer from 1997-2005. "The guys I still talk to, they love McCarthy. They really buy into his program.

"From the first time we played them (Sept. 30) until today, they definitely believe now that they should be 8-1. They're playing with confidence. They're playing really, really well."

Packers Sign Aaron Rouse and David Clowney; Nego With Justin Harrell

Even with this, the NFL teams are showing a good record of signings at this time. It's typical that the higher dollar draftees take longer to sign.

Packers aim to get rookies under contract
By Rob Demovsky
rdemovsk@greenbaypressgazette.com

With organized team activities completed, the Green Bay Packers have one main objective before training camp begins in less than six weeks: Get the rest of their rookies under contract.


The Packers have signed two of their 11 draft picks, third-round pick Aaron Rouse and fifth-rounder David Clowney. The more difficult negotiations, however, have not yet begun in earnest.


General Manager Ted Thompson and vice president of player finance Andrew Brandt have a tight rookie salary pool of $4.907 million, which is the maximum amount of salary cap space the Packers can use to sign their draft picks and undrafted rookie free agents. That's about $630,000 more than the NFL rookie pool average for 2007, but no team had more draft picks than the Packers.


The Packers had the highest rookie salary pool at $6.647 million last year, when they had 12 picks, including the fifth overall selection in the draft, linebacker A.J. Hawk. Their rookie pool this year is close to what it was in 2005, when it also had 11 draft picks but selected at No. 24 in the first round. Their first-round pick this season, defensive tackle Justin Harrell, was at No. 16, meaning he likely will command more first-year money than quarterback Aaron Rodgers received as the 24th pick in 2005.


Signing bonuses won't be the difficult parts of the negotiations with the draft picks, because those tend to fall in line with the players taken in similar spots, but structuring the deals to fit under the rookie salary pool will be the challenge facing Brandt and Thompson.


"The process continues as it always has," Brandt said this week. "We're in discussions with all of our draft picks."


Considering how heavily the Packers could rely on several rookies — especially Harrell, second-round draft pick Brandon Jackson, a candidate to start at running back, and James Jones, a possible No. 3 receiver — it would behoove them to have their entire draft class under contract before training camp begins on July 28.


That timetable is even more critical for Harrell, who played in only three games last season at Tennessee due to a torn biceps tendon. That injury caused the Packers to take cautious approach with Harrell this spring, holding him out of most minicamp and OTA workouts.


Like most agents, Harrell's representative, Eugene Parker, can be difficult to negotiate with at times. One of his clients, Chicago Bears running back Cedric Benson, missed nearly all of his rookie training camp in 2005 before agreeing to a deal. However, the Packers haven't had any trouble signing Parker's clients of late. Parker represents receiver Greg Jennings, a second-round pick last season who signed before training camp. He also represented former first-round pick Ahmad Carroll, who also signed his rookie contract before camp opened.


"I'm fully confident in my agent, and he has a pretty good relationship with people here in Green Bay," Harrell said. "So pretty much, I ain't worried about that. (Signing before camp) was the goal coming in, even if I wouldn't have been hurt. My agent pretty much has a good feel where I'm coming from, and I feel 100 percent that he's going to get the job done."


Several NFL teams have signed a few draft picks, but the signing season begins in earnest now that most clubs have wrapped up their offseason workouts. The Packers completed their OTAs on Tuesday.