1 GREEN BAY PACKERS
Tight end Jermichael Finley wants to join in on the Lombardi fun
I love the tight end," says Packers coach Mike McCarthy. In his offense the position is more than a safety valve. It's a vital downfield weapon when the corners are smothering Green Bay's wideouts—and even when they're not. But the tight end was barely a footnote in McCarthy's playbook during last season's Super Bowl run because he was without emerging star Jermichael Finley, who suffered a season-ending torn meniscus in his right knee on the second play of a Week 5 loss at Washington. In four postseason victories, during which Green Bay averaged 30.3 points, Aaron Rodgers threw for 1,094 yards. Only 54 of those were to a tight end.
Now we'll find out how good the Pack attack can really be. Green Bay placed 15 players on injured reserve in 2010, but it was the loss of Finley, a 6'5" bundle of energy, that was most prominent for the offense. Focusing primarily on wideouts Greg Jennings and Jordy Nelson, Rodgers went 11--4 with Finley sidelined, completing 65.6% of his throws for 4,076 yards, 29 touchdowns and just eight interceptions to rise to the top of the football world. So it's safe to say the QB compensated—not that he was happy about it.
"He's a matchup nightmare," Rodgers said of Finley during training camp. "He's so big, so tough to cover, and he can open things up for us in the backfield and at receiver with all the attention he'll draw."
Now entering his fourth season out of Texas, Finley, 24, came to camp leaner—down about 10 pounds to 242—and faster, determined to be the downfield threat he'd shown flashes of becoming in 2009, his first year as a starter, when he had 55 catches and five touchdowns. As McCarthy integrates Finley back into the offense, teams will have to figure out how to cover a tight end with the chiseled, angular frame of a bigger Larry Fitzgerald. Finley will operate as a classic pass-catching tight end: running at the safeties, splitting the secondary, forcing defenses to deploy a good cover man. "I believe in attacking the middle of the field with the tight end," McCarthy says. "It's the fastest way to the end zone."
Opponents will likely shy away from using linebackers on Finley because of his quickness. Should they use a big safety to match up physically? Or a corner to handle the speed?
"You've got to put a corner on Jermichael," says Rodgers. "I figure they'll put their top corner on Greg [Jennings], and the Number 2 guy on Jermichael. When we've played the Lions, they played a high-low [safety deep, corner in coverage] on Greg, high-low on Jermichael. We could see that."
At one August practice Finley's uncanny pass-catching ability stood out. Over his head, off the ground, with one hand ... if Finley could get a fingertip on the ball, he caught it. And then he let the cover men know about it. Loudly. The star tight ends in the NFL—Antonio Gates, Jason Witten, Tony Gonzalez—are quiet types. Finley's more of a diva receiver (though he backs up the yakking with excellent preparation). Two seasons ago he got into a gamelong verbal and physical jousting match with Detroit strong safety Louis Delmas that prompted commissioner Roger Goodell to send a letter to Finley, telling him to cool it. "We love that swagger," says Rodgers. "It's one of the things about him we really missed."
Teams trying to repeat as champions often have to deal with flagging motivation. Finley's return will help the Pack in that regard. A big part of him feels he didn't earn his Super Bowl ring, so he wants to be a cornerstone of a second championship team.
"We've got the deadliest offense in the league," Finley says, "and last year I had to watch it, not play on it. You play your whole life to get to the Super Bowl. I watched the Super Bowl from the sideline, incognito. It was surreal. I'm happy we won it, of course. But when you're not playing it's different—it was a bittersweet night. That's why this off-season I was so hungry. I never worked like this before. I made sure I was in the best shape of my life."
Last year Finley was on his way to the Pro Bowl—he had nine catches and 115 yards against the Bears two weeks before the injury. His replacements, Andrew Quarless and Tom Crabtree, were more blockers than receivers. Now Finley hopes to get the shot he missed out on in 2010: being a major weapon for a star quarterback on a Super Bowl contender.
"All I've shown in my career is an appetizer," Finley said. "It's time for the main course."
PROJECTED LINEUP
WITH 2010 STATS
OFFENSE
2010 Rank: 9
QB AARON RODGERS
ATT 475
COMP 312
PCT 65.7
YARDS 3,922
YD/ATT 8.26
TD 28
INT 11
RATING 101.2
RB JAMES STARKS
ATT 29
YARDS 101
REC 2
TTD 0
FB JOHN KUHN
ATT 84
YARDS 281
REC 15
TTD 6
WR GREG JENNINGS
REC 76
YARDS 1,265
AVG 16.6
TTD 12
WR DONALD DRIVER
REC 51
YARDS 565
AVG 11.1
TTD 4
TE JERMICHAEL FINLEY
REC 21
YARDS 301
AVG 14.3
TTD 1
LT CHAD CLIFTON
G 16
SACKS 8½
HOLD 0
FALSE 4
LG T.J. LANG*
G 16
SACKS 5½
HOLD 0
FALSE 2
C SCOTT WELLS
G 16
SACKS 1½
HOLD 1
FALSE 0
RG JOSH SITTON
G 16
SACKS 0
HOLD 1
FALSE 2
RT BRYAN BULAGA
G 16
SACKS 11
HOLD 3
FALSE 6
RB RYAN GRANT
ATT 8
YARDS 45
REC 0
TTD 0
WR JORDY NELSON
REC 45
YARDS 582
AVG 12.9
TTD 2
DEFENSE
2010 Rank: 5
DE RYAN PICKETT
TACKLES 32
SACKS 1
INT 0
NT B.J. RAJI
TACKLES 39
SACKS 6½
INT 0
DE MIKE NEAL
TACKLES 3
SACKS 1
INT 0
LB CLAY MATTHEWS
TACKLES 60
SACKS 13½
INT 1
LB A.J. HAWK
TACKLES 110
SACKS ½
INT 3
LB DESMOND BISHOP
TACKLES 99
SACKS 3
INT 1
LB FRANK ZOMBO
TACKLES 38
SACKS 4
INT 0
CB CHARLES WOODSON
TACKLES 92
SACKS 2
INT 2
SS MORGAN BURNETT
TACKLES 14
SACKS 0
INT 1
FS NICK COLLINS
TACKLES 63
SACKS 0
INT 4
CB TRAMON WILLIAMS
TACKLES 55
SACKS 1
INT 6
DB SAM SHIELDS
TACKLES 28
SACKS 0
INT 2
SPECIALISTS
K MASON CROSBY
FG 22
FGA 28
XP 46
PTS 112
P TIM MASTHAY
PUNTS 71
GROSS 43.9
NET 37.6
* 2009 stats
BOLD: Projected starter
TTD: Total touchdowns
OFFENSIVE LINEMEN
SACKS: Sacks allowed
HOLD: Holding penalties
FALSE: False starts
2011 SCHEDULE
2010 RECORD: 10--6
September
8 New Orleans (Thu)
18 at Carolina
25 at Chicago
October
2 Denver
9 at Atlanta
16 St. Louis
23 at Minnesota
30 BYE
November
6 at San Diego
14 Minnesota (Mon)
20 Tampa Bay
24 at Detroit (Thu)
December
4 at N.Y. Giants
11 Oakland
18 at Kansas City
25 Chicago
January
1 Detroit
COACH MIKE MCCARTHY
AGE: 47
SIXTH SEASON WITH THE PACKERS (48--32)
He's not going to win awards for public speaking, but he knows how to get his point across in the locker room. McCarthy respects the game and the people around it. He runs the offense but cedes the D to Dom Capers (though he'll intervene if he doesn't like something). With a stay-the-course G.M. like Ted Thompson, McCarthy could coach this team for another 10 years.
SPOTLIGHT
RANDALL COBB, Receiver/returner
On draft weekend, when Green Bay picked Cobb in the second round, the question posed by more than a few Packers fans was, "Why take a receiver so high? We don't need one." And that was before Green Bay had re-signed deep threat James Jones, who was a free agent. Then in training camp Cheeseheads began asking a different question: "Did you see what Cobb did today?"
One of the most dangerous players in college football last year, Cobb could give the Packers a huge lift as they try to repeat as Super Bowl champs. "Great, natural hands," says coach Mike McCarthy. "Elusive. Dangerous in the open field. He reminds me of Charles Woodson when he gets his hands on the ball." When you don't have any obvious holes—find one on the Packers; it's very hard to do—you can draft a return man with a chance to be your slot receiver of the future. At Kentucky the 5'10", 192-pound Cobb played quarterback (both standard and wildcat), running back, receiver and returner, scoring 37 touchdowns and throwing for five more in three seasons. He'll find an early role in the return game and then try to earn his way onto the field in five-receiver formations. Don't be surprised to see McCarthy, not a big wildcat practitioner, become one in his zeal to get this 21-year-old rookie as many touches as possible.
PHOTO
JOHN BIEVER
PHOTO
JOHN BIEVER
MATCH GAME Finley's too fast for a linebacker or safety, and his size will present big problems for teams that try to cover him with a cornerback.
PHOTO
FRANK JANSKY/SOUTHCREEK GLOBAL/ZUMAPRESS.COM (COBB)