Morning Buzz: Packers' opponents making news
Welcome to your Morning Buzz, rounding up news and views regarding the Green Bay Packers from around the web and here at PackersNews.com. So grab a cup of coffee (it is National Coffee Day, after all) and get caught up on everything you need to know about the Packers.
First up we have Michael Cohen’s excellent look at rookie Kyler Fackrell finding an early role in this Packers defense.
Fackrell made his first tackle on special teams against the Jaguars. He made his first tackle from scrimmage the following week on a 5-yard carry by running back Adrian Peterson. (It was, in fact, the play in which Peterson tore his meniscus.)
And then Fackrell made his first sack against the Lions. He shimmied his shoulders at the line of scrimmage and then beat left tackle Taylor Decker with an outside move to bring down quarterback Matthew Stafford.
Decker, who played at Ohio State, was a first-round pick earlier this year.
Not bad for a third round pick many thought might not contribute much his rookie year.
Wondering about something having to do with the Packers during the bye week? Be sure to stop by Pete Dougherty’s chat here at PackersNews.com, scheduled for noon CST Thursday. Pete will be answering readers questions, so bring a few.
In the Packers blogosphere, Michelle Burton has an astute read on how the Packers' offense found success against the Lions by going back to its West Coast roots.
The Dallas Cowboys could be without star wide receiver Dez Bryant for an extended period of time for the second year in a row after Bryant reportedly suffered a hairline fracture in his knee during Sunday night’s game against the Chicago Bears. The team will see how he responds to treatment this week, but he could very well end up missing the Cowboys' showdown with the Packers in three weeks.
Bryant also reportedly was fined for missing team meetings and a scheduled MRI exam Tuesday.
Brett Favre spoke with Philadelphia Eagles coach and former teammate Doug Pederson during his SiriusXM NFL Radio gig this week. They told great old stories about their playing days and Pederson compared his current quarterback, rookie Carson Wentz, to the ol’ Gunslinger himself.
The Eagles and Packers play each other in Week 12.
Speaking of Favre, former New York Jets head coach Eric Mangini recently spoke with the New York Post about his time in New York, including having the trade for Favre basically mandated by ownership despite his misgivings.
When the idea of acquiring Favre from Green Bay was first presented to Mangini in August 2008, he was against it. He felt it was against everything he and general manager Mike Tannenbaum were building.
“We weren’t going to be a team that was going to be built on one guy,” Mangini said. “We were a team. I preached that and I preached that. When we had the opportunity to bring Brett in, it didn’t fit with the vision, the idea of bringing someone in who was really bigger than the team.”
But Mangini said owner Woody Johnson talked about the energy Favre would bring to the organization, the excitement he would generate.
“We were selling seats, opening a new stadium,” Mangini said. “All that was part of the discussion. I thought OK for one year we can do this, but we had a very crystal clear understanding that it was an experiment … and then it wasn’t.”
The Seattle Seahawks are reportedly signing running back C.J. Spiller, so you can stop wondering if he’s going to sign with the Packers.
Boomer Esiason thinks the Minnesota Vikings are headed to the Super Bowl.