Green Bay Packers Tickets

Nick Collins rode an emotional roller coaster of an offseason.

First he celebrated the birth of his third child in April, adding a baby brother to a family that already included one son and daughter.

But then that close-knit family had to deal with the loss of Collins' father, Willie, who succumbed to a three-year battle with prostate cancer in May. Willie Collins had been a tremendous influence on Nick's football career, and the two were as close as any father and son could be.

All those family responsibilities contributed to Collins' staying at home in Florida throughout most of the team's voluntary offseason workout program. There were media reports that Collins was also looking for a new contract, and was staging a mini-protest by skipping voluntary team activities.

But he did return for a week during spring workouts and again for the three-day mandatory mini-camp to conclude the offseason program, and despite lots of questions as to whether he..

Moments after the Packers had clinched their NFC playoff berth on Sunday, Head Coach Mike McCarthy already was talking about the "road warrior" mentality his team will have to possess in the month of January.

As a Wild Card entrant seeded fifth or sixth in the NFC, it's highly likely the Packers will need to win three road playoff games in order to make it to the Super Bowl. Their first playoff game will be on the road against a division champion, and should they win, their second would be on the road against a division champion that received a first-round bye.

The highest remaining seed would then host the NFC Championship, so the only way the Packers would get a home game would be as a No. 5 seed hosting a No. 6 seed that also would have won two road games in the first two rounds.

But the odds of that are quite small. Since the NFL went to the current playoff format in 1990, two Wild Card teams have never met for a conference championship in either the NF..

As the Green Bay Packers piled up points on the hapless Seattle Seahawks, Aaron Rodgers had more than a passing interest in the out-of-town scoreboard.

With a blowout victory over the Seahawks secure, the Packers needed the Carolina Panthers to beat the New York Giants to clinch a playoff berth with a week left in the season.

What was Rodgers thinking?

"Hang on, boys," Rodgers said. "Hang on."

Carolina did, routing New York and sending the Packers to the postseason.

For Green Bay (10-5), Sunday's 48-10 victory completed an impressive rebound from last year's 6-10 finish and a disappointing 4-4 start to this season.

Several Packers players, including Charles Woodson and Greg Jennings, acknowledged fans during a lap around Lambeau Field after the game.

Packers coach Mike McCarthy got the obligatory sports drink bath from players as the clock was running out, but reminded everyone afterward that his team must improve to have..

Ryan Grant has rushed for two touchdowns, his second two-TD game in three weeks, as the Packers lead the Seahawks 24-3 at halftime at Lambeau Field.

Seattle moved the ball to Green Bay's 36 on its opening drive, but on 3rd-and-1, quarterback Matt Hasselbeck rolled out to his right and threw the ball right to Packers linebacker A.J. Hawk in the flat. Hawk returned the interception 29 yards to Seattle's 35.

The Packers took advantage of the field position as quarterback Aaron Rodgers connected with wide receiver Donald Driver for a 16-yard completion, and two plays later found running back Brandon Jackson on a screen pass for a 13-yard touchdown to put the Packers up 7-0. Guards Josh Sitton and Daryn Colledge and wide receiver Greg Jennings had blocks down the field to help set up the score.

Green Bay extended its lead to 14-0 when Grant capped off a 5-play, 73-yard drive with a 3-yard touchdown run. The drive was highlighted by two big plays from Jennings, t..

In celebration of clinching a playoff berth, and to thank the fans for another raucous slate of home games at Lambeau Field, three players took laps around the field slapping high-fives with the front-row patrons at the conclusion of Sunday's 48-10 romp over Seattle.

Receivers Donald Driver and Greg Jennings, along with cornerback Charles Woodson, took a victory lap of sorts immediately following the win, which gave the Packers a 6-2 home record in 2009.

"We appreciate our fans," Woodson said. "The one thing all of you have been around here know that no matter what, the fans are going to fill that stadium. It was the last home game of the season and they'll have to watch us on the road here coming into the playoffs. I just appreciate those guys for what they do for us."

It's still possible the Packers could have one more home game this season, but the odds are slim. Should the Packers enter the playoffs as the No. 5 seed in the NFC and make it to the confer..

The Packers intercepting four passes on Sunday wasn't anything out of the ordinary as it was the third time this season that they recorded that number, but the surprising part was that none of the picks came from its top two players in that category.

The Packers entered Sunday's contest with Seattle with 23 interceptions on the season, third most in the league, with cornerback Charles Woodson (eight) and Nick Collins (six) accounting for more than half of that number.

Green Bay added four more picks on Sunday afternoon against Seattle, with safety Atari Bigby leading the way with two and cornerback Jarrett Bush and linebacker A.J. Hawk each adding one. It was the third time this season that the Packers have posted four interceptions in a game (vs. Chicago in Week 1, at Detroit in Week 12).

The last time the Packers did that in a season was 1981, when they had four games with four interceptions. The 27 interceptions on the season are the most since the Packe..

Green Bay's five rushing touchdowns were unique enough as the Packers hadn't accomplished that feat in more than 21 years, but the fact that those scores came courtesy of three different running backs made the performance even more impressive.

Ryan Grant and Brandon Jackson each found the end zone twice on runs and Ahman Green posted his first rushing touchdown of the season as they became the first trio of backs to score on the ground in the same game since Barty Smith, Steve Atkins and Eric Torkelson each scored on Sept. 9, 1979, vs. New Orleans.

"We always feel like we set the tone as a backfield," Grant said. "We felt like we kind of started off with a lull on the first two series of the game early on, but we felt that starts with us. We've got to, as a backfield, start fast. When we do that, good things happen."

Grant was the first back to get in the end zone as he dove for the pylon on a 3-yard run at the end of the first quarter to put the Packers up..

The playoffs await the Green Bay Packers, and the way this team has played in the second half of 2009, it likes its chances of making a run.

The Packers' 48-10 rout of the Seattle Seahawks coupled with the Carolina Panthers' surprising 41-9 blowout of the New York Giants clinched an NFC Wild Card berth for Green Bay on Sunday. The postseason security came just one week after a difficult, last-play loss in Pittsburgh and less than two months after an ugly defeat in Tampa Bay led to some soul-searching that turned the Packers' season around.

Green Bay has gone 6-1 since that loss to the Buccaneers, improving to 10-5 after a 4-4 start left open the question as to just where this season was headed.

"I don't think anyone ever blinked," Head Coach Mike McCarthy said. "We felt that we lost a game at Tampa that we shouldn't have lost. But it happened. So I think anytime you have negative experiences the most important thing is to learn from it, and I think our team..

Throughout this season, Head Coach Mike McCarthy has talked about wanting to re-establish the home-field advantage at Lambeau Field after a .500 mark in '08, and the Packers have an opportunity to post their second-best record at home in seven seasons with a win on Sunday over Seattle.

Green Bay enters Sunday's contest with the Seahawks with a 5-2 record at home this season, with the only losses coming in Week 2 to Cincinnati and Week 8 against Minnesota. The Packers went 4-4 at Lambeau Field last season, including losses in two of their final three contests at home.

"We have a great home-field advantage," McCarthy said. "We got stung there early in the season with Cincinnati and then obviously Minnesota came in here and beat us. 6-2 is better than it has been last year, but it's something that we'll continue to emphasize.

"We're just so fortunate to have the unique home-field advantage that we do, and our fans are definitely there every week. I know they'..

C WELLS MAKES PROTECTION CALLS, ADJUSTMENTS VITAL TO OFFENSIVE SUCCESS

When the Green Bay Packers break the huddle on offense and come up to the line of scrimmage, most of the attention is on quarterback Aaron Rodgers and anything he may yell out or signal - a check, an audible, the cadence - before the ball is snapped.

But Rodgers' offensive mates are paying just as much attention to another guy feeding them vital pre-snap information, and that's center Scott Wells.

In the middle as the de facto captain of the offensive line, Wells is in charge of making the initial declaration of the pass protection scheme before every snap to the rest of the offense, including the linemen, tight ends and running backs. It's a call he makes based on the defensive front he sees, and one he can or must adjust depending on how the defense might shift, blitz, or otherwise change up its attack.

It's a part of his job that Wells, a sixth-year pro who has ..

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers always has put team goals first, but there's no doubt the Packers' signal caller is making a strong case for an individual Pro Bowl bid in just his second season as an NFL starter.

Rodgers enters Sunday's game against Seattle needing just 38 more passing yards to hit 4,000 for the second consecutive year, which would make him the first quarterback in league history to reach that mark in each of his first two seasons as a starter.

That alone should get him strong consideration, but a look at where he ranks among NFC quarterbacks makes an even more compelling case.

With three quarterbacks selected to the Pro Bowl roster from each conference, New Orleans' Drew Brees and Minnesota's Brett Favre are virtually certain of getting two spots. They've directed the two teams with the top records in the NFC all season, and their passer ratings (Brees 109.4, Favre 104.1) are also the top two in the conference.

But Rodgers is as solid a..

Heading into the game at Chicago two weeks ago, special teams coordinator Shawn Slocum spoke of the need for his kickoff-coverage unit to play fundamentally sound but also fast against one of the top return tandems in the league.

That came on the heels of the Packers allowing a 68-yard kickoff return at a critical point in the game the previous week against Baltimore, the fourth time in 2009 that Green Bay allowed a 50-plus yard return. Slocum's concern was that because of those big returns, some of his coverage men were possibly playing more tentatively for fear of being the player that was responsible for a big gain by the opponent.

Green Bay responded against the Bears with one of its top performances of the season in kickoff coverage, and followed that up with another strong showing last Sunday against Pittsburgh.

Heading into the Chicago game, the Packers ranked No. 25 in the league in kickoff coverage with opponents averaging 24.5 yards per return. Bu..

On Monday, Head Coach Mike McCarthy voiced his support for kicker Mason Crosby, who is coming off his toughest stretch of games during his three seasons in Green Bay.

McCarthy wasn't vague in his comments, saying that Crosby was the Packers' kicker, he will be so moving forward, and that he had "zero interest" in bringing in another kicker.

"It feels good," Crosby said. "It's a great opportunity for me. I've got to learn from this and I've got to move on. I've had a few struggles here and it's just not who I am. It's not what I am about.

"I have faith in myself. I'm confident, and Coach is confident in me and that really feels good that this organization is standing by me. I have to do my job. I have to go out and perform so it is the right thing."

Sunday's game in Pittsburgh was Crosby's fourth straight game that he missed a field goal from 43 yards or in. He pushed his lone attempt of the day, a 34-yarder, wide right early in the second quarter ..

As heartbreaking as the last-play loss in Pittsburgh was last Sunday, the one thing the Green Bay Packers didn't lose was control of their playoff destiny.

That certainly beats the alternative, and it's a reality that is making it easier to move past the frustrations from the previous game, one the Packers know should have been their 10th win.

"We just need to win, period," receiver Greg Jennings said. "That's been our goal all year. We win and everything takes care of itself. We definitely just have to control what we can control and not worry about anything other than that."

The playoff scenarios as they pertain to the Packers are actually pretty simple.

--If the Packers (9-5) win their final two games, this Sunday at home against Seattle and then at Arizona on Jan. 3, they will earn an NFC Wild Card berth at 11-5.

--If the Packers split their remaining two games and finish 10-6, they will need either the Dallas Cowboys (9-5) or New York..

After beginning a game with back-to-back three-and-outs for the first time all season, the Packers looked like they might be in for a long day offensively against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday.

But it turned into just the opposite. With 436 total yards and five touchdowns, the Packers had one of their better offensive days of the season against the league's fourth-ranked defense.

The explanations were numerous. Improved pass protection after a shaky start, only one offensive penalty (a false start), and better hands after an early case of the drops by the receivers certainly factored.

But don't overlook another reason the offense got clicking and seemingly didn't stop - virtually all of the team's skill-position players got involved and made a key play at one time or another.

The five touchdowns? Scored by five different players. The passing yards? Four different receivers posted at least 70 yards for the first time in franchise history, led by..

Starting left tackle Chad Clifton did not participate in practice for the third straight day on Saturday due to an injured ankle, but Head Coach Mike McCarthy said there is still a chance he could play Monday night at Minnesota.

Clifton sustained the injury early in the third quarter of Green Bay's Week 2 loss to Cincinnati, and McCarthy said he is "making progress" after watching him go through a workout following Saturday's practice. McCarthy said Clifton will be put through another workout at the Metrodome on Monday before the team makes a final determination on his status for the game.
"There were some things that he did in his workout today that were very encouraging compared to the workout he was put through two days ago, and there's a couple things that we need to see him do Monday," McCarthy said. "And if I see what I like, and Dr. Pat McKenzie is OK with it from a medical standpoint, he'll have an opportunity to play in the game."

McCarthy wouldn't say ..

For all the success Minnesota running back Adrian Peterson has enjoyed against Green Bay in his young career, the Packers are hoping the new elements they'll bring to Monday night's battle can change the results.

Those wildcards, if you will, are the 3-4 scheme and defensive coordinator Dom Capers.

In his four games so far against the Packers, Peterson hasn't faced a 3-4. Against the Packers' 4-3 alignment of the past, Peterson topped 100 yards in three of four outings, averaging a whopping 6.7 yards per carry in those three contests. Last year at the Metrodome was the most impressive showing - 30 carries for 192 yards, including the game-winning 29-yard TD run in the fourth quarter.

The only time Peterson did not reach the 100-yard plateau against Green Bay was in the second meeting of 2007, when he was held to 45 yards on 11 carries and left the game in the third quarter with a knee injury.

"The biggest thing I think with him is gap integrity and..

Green Bay Packers guard Daryn Colledge takes fans to locations throughout Lambeau Field, interviewing his teammates one-on-one in 'The Colledge Experience.' Fans are able to participate in the webisodes by submitting questions for Colledge to ask his guests of the week. Topics covered on the program, now in its second season, will range from personal to football, and anything else fans come up with.

In last week's webisode, Colledge interviewed linebacker Aaron Kampman. From inside the Don Hutson Center, Kampman talked about his return to his high school, Aplington-Parkersburg, where he gave a pre-game pep talk to his former team, his trips overseas, and his charity work.

This week, 'The Colledge Experience' welcomes veteran wide receiver Donald Driver. Interviewed in the laundry room, Driver discusses being on the cusp of breaking the Packers all-time receptions record, his work around the community, and his acting prowess.

Check back next week for a bran..

Read the 'Packers Fan Memories' archives or Submit your own favorite memory

This Week's Photos

Hey Packers fans, here's your chance to share your favorite memories of the green and gold with other fans from around the world! This week's edition includes fans from up north, a die-hard Al Harris fan, and meeting Nick Barnett in Montana.

Each week, Packers.com will post a feature called 'Packers Fan Memories.'

Along with Brett Favre's miraculous touchdown pass to Greg Lewis with two seconds remaining to beat the San Francisco 49ers, there was another rather impressive feat turned in by the Minnesota Vikings last Sunday.

The 32-yard TD pass to Lewis was the sixth explosive play of at least 30 yards turned in by the Vikings in that game, by the sixth different player. It was an impressive display of spreading the ball around yet being able to change the game with any of those players at any moment, and it's something the Packers will have to be prepared for come Monday night.

"You really need to make sure you're taking the proper assignments and alignments because a lot of the (San Francisco) breakdowns were execution errors," linebacker Aaron Kampman said. "That's not taking away from their playmakers, because they have a lot of playmakers, no doubt. But when you really break it down, you're seeing it come down to fundamentals and us executing those."

Here's the r..