Packers have an interesting call to make

Richard from Ocean Beach, CA

Good morning gentlemen. I appreciate all the work you do, and the content you provide. I recall back in the ’97 playoff game against the 49ers, the crowd chanting “We want Dallas!” after they won. Do you think the fans this year, are as hungry for Tampa, as those fans were for Dallas?

Regarding your comment yesterday about Kenny Clark being our best nose tackle, how about B.J. Raji in the Super Bowl year? Played every game, 6.5 sacks, 29 solo tackles and 10 TFL.

It’s hard to make a direct comparison, because back then the Packers played more pure 3-4 base, and Raji shifted around a lot between the nose and defensive end, with Ryan Pickett and Howard Green also in that mix. But point taken.

Wes, in your reply to Joe of River Falls, you asked if Lombardi era fans could name a GB DT from then who could rush the passer as well as Kenny Clark. There was one – HOFer Henry Jordan. Though undersized, Jordan was also strong (runner-up in the 1957 college wrestling tournament in the heavyweight division). His quickness made him the best pass-rushing interior lineman of the era. Jordan was a seven-time All-Pro.

Six-time All-Pro (five first-team, one second-team, as far as the AP honor). You weren’t the only reader to mention Jordan. Pro Football Reference’s film research credits Jordan with at least 52 sacks for the ’60s Packers. That’s a monster number for an interior lineman.

Keith from Bakersfield, CA

Insiders, please tell Boomer Esiason that text I sent him was meant as a joke…

Good one, and that’s the extent of the coverage such ridiculousness deserves.

With so many variances in the length of the NFL seasons over the years, doesn’t it make sense for the record books to also reflect a per-game average?

A common query, but don’t bet on it. Because then, don’t you have to get into how many games the player actually played for the per-game average to be accurate? It’ll ultimately get too messy. A season is a season, no matter how many games a player plays. Fair or not, that’s how it’s always been.

Brian from Charlottesville, VA

“Do boring better.” Maurice Drayton just gave me my goal for the year I’m going to tell my boss in my upcoming annual review.

Here’s a fun (weird) scheduling quirk. Playing the Lions in Week 2 and Week 18 would be the same as opening and closing the season against the same team in the normal 16-game schedule. To your knowledge, has that ever happened to the Packers? Or any team(s) for that matter?

In McCarthy’s first season, 2006, the Packers opened and closed with the Bears. In Holmgren’s first season, 1992, it was the Vikings on both ends.

If and when Jaire comes back would we see him play that slot/superman position that we see Ramsey play and keep Eric Stokes and Rasul Douglas on the outsides, or would Jaire return to the outside and have either Stokes or Douglas to the bench and keep Sullivan in the slot?

I think Alexander in the slot is a distinct possibility, but I don’t know and I can’t wait to find out.