Packers Morning Buzz: Sam Ficken alive and kicking with Jets

Welcome to your Morning Buzz, rounding up news and views regarding the Green Bay Packers from around the web and here at PackersNews.com.

We'll start with former Packers kicker Sam Ficken, who battled Mason Crosby on even terms throughout training camp, landing with the Jets. He replaces Kaare Vedvik, who was released by the Vikings after Minnesota gave up a 2020 fifth-round draft pick to acquire him from Baltimore.

Kevin Patra of NFL.com writes:

Bringing in Ficken was required after the Jets' previous moves to replace the retired Chandler Catanzaro bombed. The latest failed attempt proved extremely costly. The Jets plucked Kaare Vedvik off waivers on Sept. 1 after the kicker imploded in Minnesota during the preseason. Sunday in the season opener that disintegration manifested in a botched extra point and missed field goal as the Jets fell by one point to the Buffalo Bills.

The Vikings, who cut 2018 fifth-round kicker Daniel Carlson a year ago after he botched a potentially game-winning field-goal attempt in Week 2 against the Packers, are going this season with former Cowboys kicker Dan Bailey.

You can read more about the Ficken deal here:

Sunday's game against the Vikings will be a true test for the Packers' defense, writes Tom Silverstein:

Pete Dougherty advises Packers fans not to put too much into opening-season results:

Green Bay will be a beehive of Packers activity for home-opener weekend, writes Richard Ryman:

Be sure to watch every bit of the outstanding video on this story, in which Packers right guard Billy Turner and Olivia Reiner take you inside his home to provide a look of his bold fashion sense:

So the Packers upset the Bears in Chicago and slide down in The MMQB power rankings? The Packers tumbled for No. 7 to No. 9, while Minnesota (which routed Atlanta at home) vaults from No. 14 to No. 7. Here's their take on the Packers:

Matt LaFleur told Albert Breer’s it’s all good between him and Aaron Rodgers after a less-than-lights out debut in Chicago. We’ll see in Week 2.

You can see the rankings here:

In Chicago, they're still wondering why the Bears abandoned the run game against Green Bay:

For more than 50 years, this Packers Hall of Famer owned the NFL record for longest kickoff return and he scored the first-ever touchdown in the American Football League:

The Packers' third-down struggles from last season were evident again at Chicago despite a new offensive system and a healthy quarterback, writes Peter Bukowski of Acme Packing Co.:

Cheesehead TV is writing about the Packers' increased use of tight ends:

The Power Sweep focuses on a rare Packers achievement:

And finally: Packers running back Aaron Jones enlivens the new season of "Clubhouse Live":

Contact Stu Courtney at (920) 431-8377 or scourtney@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @stucourt