Former Packers GM Ted Thompson passes away at 68
Former Green Bay Packers general manager Ted Thompson has passed away.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Tom Silverstein reported the news Thursday morning.
https://twitter.com/TomSilverstein/status/1352301303972638721
After playing nine seasons with the Houston Oilers, Thompson first joined the Packers in 1992 as scout under GM Ron Wolf. He was part of a front office that rebuilt the franchise into Super Bowl XXXI champions. Thompson would stay with Green Bay until 2000 when he joined former Packers coach Mike Holmgren in Seattle, becoming the Seahawks VP of football operations. Out there Thompson helped build a team that eventually went to Super Bowl XL in 2005.
That’s the same year that Thompson returned to Green Bay, this time as GM. After going 4-12 in the first year of his tenure, the Packers would go to the playoffs every year but three during the rest of his time on the job that ran until he stepped away for health reasons following the 2017 season.
In his 13 years as GM, Thompson oversaw one of the most successful organizations in the NFL. His first draft pick in 2005 turned out to be a future Hall of Fame quarterback in Aaron Rodgers. In 2006, he paired him with coach Mike McCarthy, who would go on to win the second-most games of any coach in Packers history. Thompson’s subsequent draft picks, and key free agent signings like cornerback Charles Woodson, helped build Green Bay’s fourth Super Bowl champion team in 2010. Overall, the Packers went to four NFC title games during his time and were 43 games above .500.
https://twitter.com/TomSilverstein/status/1352313691560173569
Thompson’s impact is still being felt on this year’s 13-3 team that will play Tampa Bay on Sunday with the winner going to Super Bowl LV. All four of Green Bay’s first-team All-Pro players, Rodgers, wide receiver Davante Adams, left tackle David Bakhtiari and center Corey Linsley, were draft picks made by Thompson. Pro Bowl defensive tackle Kenny Clark was also a Thompson pick, as was starting cornerback Kevin King and defensive end Dean Lowry.
Current GM Brian Gutekunst worked under Wolf, who hired him as a scout in 1999, and then was continually promoted by Thompson.
https://twitter.com/FieldYates/status/1352315041790517249
After stepping down from his role as GM, Thompson served as the Senior Advisor to Football Operations for the Packers the last three seasons, meaning coach Matt LaFleur had a couple interactions with him since taking over in 2019.
“He’s a guy that is held in the highest regard in this building and I think just around the league. He’s had a tremendous impact not only on people in this building, obviously, (Gutekunst) and a lot of our personnel people, but people in other departments as well,” LaFleur said Thursday. “Certainly we’re sitting here with heavy hearts today.”
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https://twitter.com/McClain_on_NFL/status/1352315874028486656
https://twitter.com/JayGlazer/status/1352314591410155522
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PODCAST: 3 More Days
Tyler Wahl Shines (0:00)
College Football Infractions (8:12)
Tramon Williams Returns? (19:47)
Rodgers & Retirement (26:57)
Packers Insider Rob Reischel (38:52)
Packers: QB Aaron Rodgers says focus is on the present, his future is a 'beautiful mystery'
Aaron Rodgers will be playing in his fourth NFC Championship Game in the last seven years when takes the field against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday. While the opportunity to punch his ticket to his second Super Bowl has been prevalent over the last half of his career, the Green Bay Packers quarterback has no way of knowing if this might be his final chance.
“I hope there are more opportunities but I don’t know. I really don’t. That stuff is out of my control,” Rodgers said Wednesday, echoing a familiar stance he’s taken since the Packers drafted Jordan Love last April. “My future is a beautiful mystery, I think. The present is such a gift. Just be able to stay in the moment and have gratitude for being in the situation I’m in, and being with the guys and having fans at our stadium and maybe snow in an NFC Championship Game. I mean, I’m going to enjoy these moments for sure and just not worry about what happens down the line.”
Rodgers turned 37 in December and is signed through the 2023 season. He just completed perhaps his best regular season ever, breaking the franchise record for touchdowns (48) and completion percentage (70.7). If he were to continue to play at such a high level, it would make the Packers contenders for as long as he’s under center. But it’s also entirely possible this is his best last chance, whether in Green Bay or elsewhere, to hold the Lombardi Trophy again.
“I’m thankful for the opportunity to again be leading these guys, to have played the way I want to play, to be called upon for a greater leadership role. Those things are really, really important to me,” Rodgers said. “But all that other stuff I’m just not going to focus on because to me it is a beautiful mystery what happens down the line. There will be a time when we meet that future, and right now I’m just going to enjoy the present.”
Adding Tramon Williams?
Green Bay could be adding a veteran presence to its secondary and it’s a guy that fans know well.
According to the NFL transaction wire, cornerback Tramon Williams visited the Packers on Wednesday, and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Tom Silverstein reported the veteran is expected to sign with the club “if everything goes right.”
https://twitter.com/TomSilverstein/status/1352006984715956225
Williams was cut by Baltimore after it lost to Buffalo last Sunday in the second round of the playoffs. He played in seven games for the Ravens after signing with them midseason.
The Packers know the former undrafted free agent well. He spent the first eight years of his career with Green Bay and played a pivotal role in the team’s run to a Super Bowl XLV win in 2010. Williams left the Packers after the 2014 season, spending two seasons with Cleveland and one with Arizona before returning to Green Bay for the 2018 and 2019 seasons.
Looking healthy
Every player on Green Bay’s active roster practiced on a least a limited basis Wednesday afternoon. That included running back AJ Dillon (quad) and kicker Mason Crosby (shoulder), both of whom got hurt in the win over Los Angeles last Sunday.
https://twitter.com/ZachHeilprin/status/1352006262926553089
NBA postpones Bucks-Wizards game scheduled for Friday
Milwaukee has joined the growing number of NBA teams that have had games postponed due to COVID-19.
The league announced Wednesday night that the Bucks game scheduled for Friday against the Washington Wizards was being postponed.
https://twitter.com/Bucks/status/1352103390126501889
This is the sixth consecutive game that Washington has had postponed due to COVID-19 issues and the 17th NBA game postponed this season.
For Milwaukee it means they won’t be playing on back-to-back nights. The Bucks had been scheduled to face the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday and the Wizards on Friday. Now, they’ll face the Lakers and then not play again until hosting Atlanta on Sunday.
It’s unclear when the game against the Wizards will be made up.
(10) Wisconsin 68, Northwestern 52: Last word
Four players scored in double figures for No. 10 Wisconsin as it pulled away from Northwestern in the second half Wednesday night for a 68-52 win at the Kohl Center.
Player of the Game: Tyler Wahl
Making his second straight start, Wahl scored a career-high 14 points, grabbed six rebounds and added a pair of assists. He had what coach Greg Gard called the play of the night early in the second half. Jonathan Davis saved a missed shot from going out of bounds and found Wahl a few feet behind the 3-point line. Instead of handing the ball off to D'Mitrik Trice, who was calling for it right next to him, Wahl took a couple dribbles and drilled the 3-pointer. It kick started a 14-3 run that gave Wisconsin a 16-point lead with 8:35 left in the game.
After going just 2-for-9 from 3 in the first 11 games, Wahl is 5-for-6 from distance in the last four games.
The good: Jonathan Davis
The true freshman was a huge lift off the bench at both ends of the floor in the first half. He had eight points, three rebounds, two assists, one block and one steal. During one stretch he scored or assisted on 14 of Wisconsin's 16 points, including scoring back-to-back-to-back buckets. Davis continues to be among the Badgers key pieces with a plus-minus of +143 through 15 games, the second-best of any play on the roster.
The not so good: First half defense
Northwestern scored 34 points in the first 20 minutes and half of them came in the paint. The Wildcats went 6-for-7 on layups or dunks and that helped them shoot 51.7% from the field. Gard said his team struggled to stop the ball and defend a number of ball screen situations.
But in the second half they managed to slow Northwestern’s dribble penetration and were more aggressive in dealing with the ball screens. It resulted in the Wildcats scoring only 18 points, shooting just 27.3% and having just four points in the paint after the break. The 52 points for the game was a season-low.
Stat of the Game: 10
That’s how many 3-pointers Wisconsin hit on the night. It’s the most the Badgers have made in a Big Ten game this year.
Best Video
https://twitter.com/WisconsinOnBTN/status/1352089497211691009
https://twitter.com/BadgerMBB/status/1352099453390434307
In Case You Missed It
— For a second straight game the Badgers went with Tyler Wahl in the starting lineup over Nate Reuvers.
— Wisconsin wore its alternate uniforms for a fourth time this season and moved to 5-0 in them.
— Gard told reporters after the game that freshman guard Lorne Bowman, who has been away from the team and school since early October, has re-enrolled and will take classes virtually this semester. He did not have a timeline on when Bowman could possibly rejoin the team.
What’s next?
Wisconsin (12-3, 6-2) will welcome No. 15 Ohio State (11-4, 5-4) on Saturday at the Kohl Center.
The Swing: Jan. 21, 2021
On this episode of The Swing, Zach and Jesse talk about Tyler Wahl's move into the starting lineup and what it means for Nate Reuvers moving forward. They discuss Wisconsin's place in the Big Ten and what kind of seed the Badgers could be looking at in the NCAA Tournament. The two also dive into the update on Lorne Bowman's situation and answer your Twitter questions.
Wisconsin stays within the family to find new defensive line coach
Wisconsin has its new defensive line coach and it’s a familiar face.
The program announced Wednesday that Ross Kolodziej would replace Inoke Breckterfield, who took the same job at Vanderbilt.
Kolodziej has spent the last six seasons as the Badgers head strength and conditioning coach. Before that, he was with coach Paul Chryst at Pittsburgh.
"I'm excited for Ross and for our team that he will have the opportunity to coach our defensive line," Chryst said in a UW release. "He has played the position at the highest level and has tremendous knowledge of the position. I'm confident in his abilities as a coach and have witnessed that first-hand through all the years we have been together.
"Our players who have worked with Ross, both present players and guys that have gone through the program, are fired up for him. I know our current guys in the D-line room are looking forward to getting to work with him even more closely now."
https://twitter.com/keeanu_benton/status/1352019514339295235
Kolodziej knows the position. It’s where he spent his playing career with the Badgers from 1997-2000, starting 45 games and playing on back-to-back Rose Bowl championship teams. A seventh-round pick of the New York Giants in the 2001 NFL draft, Kolodziej played for four teams over a seven-year career.
"When I wrapped up my playing career, it was my intent to get into coaching with the idea of becoming a defensive line coach," Kolodziej said in the UW release. "So when (defensive coordinator) Jim Leonhard and Paul Chryst came to me asking if I wanted to coach, saying that they think I can help the program be successful in this role, it was an easy answer to their question.
"I get to work with and learn from a tremendous group of coaches on the football side, and I can't think of a better place to be or a better group of players to coach."
Aaron Rodgers named PFWA MVP
The awards have started to come in for Aaron Rodgers.
It was announced Wednesday that the Green Bay Packers quarterback had been voted the NFL’s Most Valuable Player by the Pro Football Writers of America.
https://twitter.com/PFWAwriters/status/1351967976975687680
It’s the third time in Rodgers’ career that he has earned the honor from the PFWA. In what is perhaps a sign of things to come, the PFWA’s MVP has also been named the Associated Press MVP every year since 2004, including Rodgers in 2011 and 2014.
Green Bay is in its second-straight NFC title game in large part due to Rodgers putting together what many believe is the best season of his career. He threw for a Packers’ record 48 touchdowns and completed a franchise-best 70.7% of his passes. His passer rating of 121.5 was the second-best in NFL history, trailing only his 2011 season when he posted a 122.5 rating.
That effort helped the Packers to a 13-3 record and the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs. They will face the fifth-seeded Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday in the NFC Championship Game with the winner moving on to Super Bowl LV.
PODCAST: Closer
Greg Auman of the Athletic on Brady (0:00)
Former Badger Barry Richter & Associate Head Coach Mark Strobel (10:31)
Favre's Advice For Mahomes (27:44)
Sports Director Zach Heilprin (42:40)
Week 6 loss to Tampa Bay? Packers QB Aaron Rodgers believes it's irrelevant
When the Green Bay Packers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers take the field for the NFC Championship Game on Sunday it will have been 98 days since their last matchup. Everyone familiar with the two teams knows what happened that afternoon at Raymond James Stadium. Hell, anyone that’s been on Twitter, watched a minute of ESPN or listened to sports talk radio the last few days knows what happened.
Green Bay jumped out to a 10-0 lead before two Aaron Rodgers interceptions, including one taken back for a touchdown, turned the game on its head. Tampa Bay scored 28 points in the second quarter on its way to putting up 38-straight points in a 38-10 win. It led Buccaneers linebacker Devin White to say afterwards “we knew those guys didn’t deserve to be on the same field with us because we’ve got too much talent.”
“Hey, he was right," coach Matt LaFleur said Monday while acknowledging some of his players would use that quote as motivation. "They whipped us and there’s no sense in talking about it. The only thing you can do is you’ve got to prepare the best you can and go prove it.”
It was a humbling experience for a Packers offense that had run roughshod over their first four opponents to the tune of 38 points per game and a 4-0 start. Rodgers was sacked four times in the game, which accounted for 20% of his season total, and had a passer rating of just 35.4. Green Bay did have 94 yards rushing, the fifth-most against Tampa Bay’s defense this season, but nearly half of that came on two runs and Aaron Jones was held to 15 yards on 10 carries.
Green Bay’s defense was put in some bad positions by the offense but still allowed 324 yards, including 158 on the ground. The Buccaneers went 4-for-4 in the red zone, and quarterback Tom Brady was hit just four times and was not sacked.
It was by far the worst game Rodgers and his teammates played all year. So what does that afternoon mean this week with a berth to Super Bowl LV on the line?
“I think the Week 6 game matters just about as much as when the Saints went to Tampa (in November) and beat them 38-3,” Rodgers said during his appearance on The Pat McAfee Show Tuesday. “It obviously didn’t affect them last week at all. Didn’t matter at all. We lost by 28 at their place. They lost by 35 at home. They just beat the Saints by 10. This is a funny game. Things change, people change, teams change and evolve, and either get better or worse. There’s not much staying the same.
https://youtu.be/ckPz9Z201xA
To Rodgers point, both teams look at least a little bit different from a personnel standpoint. For the Packers, cornerback Kevin King and wide receiver Allen Lazard did not play due to injury, while left tackle David Bakhtiari and safety Darnell Savage both left the game early with injuries of their own. Though Bakhtiari won't be on the field Sunday after tearing his ACL prior to Week 17, King, Savage and Lazard will play the same vital roles they've occupied in Green Bay's seven-game winning streak.
The Buccaneers will also have a slightly different look having added wide receiver Antonio Brown (day-to-day with knee injury) to the mix, a healthy Leonard Fournette at running back and potentially having run-stuffing defensive tackle Vita Vea back after he missed three months with an injury. They, however, won't have starting right guard Alex Cappa after he was placed on injured reserve last week.
"There’s a lot of things that happened between then and now," Rodgers said, "so I’ll give (Week 6) as much credence as they gave that 38-3 game, which obviously meant nothing to them when they went out and beat the Saints on Sunday.”
Since the NFL merger with the AFL in 1970, there have been 15 conference title games that were rematches from the regular season in which one team beat the other by at least two touchdowns, according to FootballPerspective.com. In those games, the team on the losing end went 4-11 in the title game meeting. Three of those games involved the Packers and all were losses. In 2007, the New York Giants punched their ticket to the Super Bowl with an overtime win at Lambeau Field. In 2014, the Packers collapsed in the final minutes in an overtime loss to Seattle. And then last year LaFleur and his squad were trounced at San Francisco for a second time in two months.
“What’s happened in the past, at this point, really doesn’t matter,” LaFleur said. “It’s about what we do moving forward. We’ve got to make sure we learn from our past mistakes and try to apply that. But, again, you’ve still got to go out there and compete at a high level when the stakes are pretty damn. You’ve got to go earn it and we know it’s going to be a great challenge.”
