Gamebooks and Team Press Releases—Can They Be Improved?

 LOOKING FORWARD
By John Turney

The image above is the top of what is now called an NFL Gamebook, though it is entitled a "Game Summary". It used to be called a Play-by-play. We, at Pro Football Journal, have gone through tens of thousands of them doing research trying to glean information from them that had previously been ignored or neglected. Things such as sacks, net punting yardage, forced fumbles, starting lineups, etc.

We will focus on the starting lineups in this post.

The stated purpose of the Gamebook or Game summary is for "assisting the media in their coverage of the game". And they do a tremendous job in doing that. But in recent seasons, with so many different offensive and defensive schemes the starting lineups sometimes can get skewed. And the same things happen with some team Press Releases to the media.

Then, the erroneous information gets picked up and posted by excellent websites like Pro Football Reference.com or Ourlads. Then someone who reports on the NFL will go to those sites and use that slightly off information in a story or a feature about a player. We'd prefer that the original sources like the Gamebooks and Media Releases get it right from the beginning.

We will use the Los Angeles Rams as an example.

Credit: NFL Gamepass

This is a screen capture of the first defensive play from scrimmage in the Colts at Rams game the first week of the season. Tyrunn Walker is lined up shaded on the center. Most of the game he was lined up on a tackle, making him an end but at the start of the game, he was the nose tackle. Michael Brockers is lined up in an "eye" technique on the right guard, a tight 3-technique, making him a defensive tackle. Number 93 is Ethan Westbrooks lined up over the right tackle, making him a defensive end.

However, the Gamebook has the starting positions of Walker and Brockers reversed. However, cutting some slack for the stats crew there was a late shift to the left (defense's left) before the snap, but if that was the reason it wouldn't explain the next few games.

Here os the first snap of the Rams-Redskins games in Week 2.

Credit: NFL Gamepass

In this instance, the official game scorer chose to like Tyrunn Walker as a defensive tackle, though he is at 5-technique, over a tackle which makes him a defensive end. Had he listed Robert Quinn (#94) and Connor Barwin (#98) as defensive ends since they had their hands in the dirt it could be argued that Walker was a defensive tackle in a 5-2 look. But those two were listed as outside linebackers and in coachspeak, if you line up over an offensive tackle, you're a defensive end. Also, in Wade Phillips's 3-4 one gap scheme he uses one defensive end and one defensive tackle on the line with those two flanking a nose tackle.

Week three versus the 49ers:

Credit: NFL Gamepass

Here is the same questionable call as the Redskins game. Walker is head-up on a tackle, still making him a defensive end. It could also be debatable if Donald is an end on this play. He's usually aligned in a 3-technique, but here he's a bit wider, in a 4i-technique, which is the inside eye of a tackle. However, that is a matter of maybe a half-a-foot depending on the splits of the offensive line so keeping him listed as a defensive tackle is likely the right call. Walker, though, is technially and end.

Next is the Dallas game in Arlington:

Credit: NFL Gamepass

In this game it was publicized that Wade Phillips was going to move Michael Brockers around, and he did. He played almost all, if not all, likely run downs at 5-technique—defensive end. On the first snap he was lined up outside Tyron Smith. Rookie Tanzel Smart took Brockers's spot at nose tackle and Donald is at 3-technique over All-Pro Zack Martin.

But the Gamebook shows Smart at defensive tackle and Brockers at nose tackle. Both are in error.

Finally, last Sunday's game versus the Seahawks.

Credit: NFL Gamepass

This still gets a bit complicated. But if we are going to put this into a 3-4 scheme then Quinn and Alec Ogletree are the outside linebackers (our view is this is more of a 4-3 stack with Quinn as a stand-up defensive end) and Mark Barron and Cory Littleton would be the inside linebackers.

This is an even front (no nose tackle) and the tackles are Brockers and Donald with Barwin at defensive end in a 6-technique (head-up on tight end) and Quinn in a wide technique outside the tackle as a stand-up end.

It is fully understandable if the official scorer, in a short amount of time didn't get this quite right. But he or she lists Brockers as a nose, which he is clearly not and Ogletree as an ILBer even though he's in the hip pocket of Barwin on the second level.

Adding to the confusion is the Los Angeles Rams Media relations staff and the press releases that go out every week.

Here is what they have listed in the current release which is for the upcoming Jacksonville game:

For some reason they still list Ethan Wesbrooks as a "projected starter" even though he has not started a game since Week One versus the Colts. They also list Brockers as a nose tackle even though he's been a defensive end, for the most part, the past two games. Tanzel Smart takes the lion's share of snaps at nose tackle.

 This is the current unofficial depth chart. Yes, it is unofficial but we are not sure that is an excuse for inaccurate. We just don't think this is accurate enough for a professional team's media relations department. The shop needs to be a bit better in our view.

This is not supposed to be unofficial, it is meant to help media with coverage of the games and to reflect who actually did start games. To be fair this is likely taken from the NFL Gamebooks, which we have pointed out can be off from time-to-to time.

For what it's worth, this is how we'd list the Rams front seven for the opening snaps of each game this season:

Why it matters? Mostly for historical purposes. This screen capture of the starters for the Rams at Pro Football Referece.com is accurate in the sense that it correctly records what the NFL Gamebooks list. But when someone in the future goes back and wants to study about or write about the players of 2017 they will make errors based on what is listed, the old GIGO theory (garbage in, garbage out).

Further, unless someone has video of the game it won't be correctable since Pro Football Reference uses a good system of using official documents (like Gamebooks) when making corrections. 

Ourlads tries to keep current depth charts for their website visitors. They have the new starting strong safety, John Johnson, listed but as per the Rams PR release still have Westbrooks as the starting defensive end, again, even though he started only this season's opener.

There are plenty more examples we've seen and really don't want to single out the Rams PR staff, though we have reviewed other teams and they seem to have the highest propensity for error but have not made an in-depth study of all 32 teams.

We just ask that the starting lineups be as correct as possible at the NFL Gamebook level and with the teams PR staff level. I wasn't until the last 20-35 years or so that the Gamebooks insisted on getting the starters right. Back in the day, the eleven starters in the base defense were listed and if a team opened with three- or 4-wide receivers they were not listed as starters. However, in this age of substitution, a decision apparently was made to get the starting elevens right, even if they were not going to play the majority of the game. And what happened is sometimes a nickel back would then get four or five starts, or a designated pass rusher would get three of four starts, not that he earned a spot on the base defense, but because the opposing team opened in three wides.

So, we simply suggest that all of us (and we don't exclude ourselves) up our game to get the best information recorded for future generations that way we won't have a 2040 equivalent of Merlin Olsen listed as a right defensive tackle at Pro Football Reference.com (a position he never played) for players that are active now.

UPDATE: October 15, 2017:  Jacksonville scorekeeper lists Aaron Donald as an OLBer.

However, Donald is lined up in his usual 3-technique spot, on the outside shoulder of an offensive guard, making him a defensive tackle. Brockers is on the tackle, making him a defensive end.

We have no idea why Donald is listed as an OLBer and only some idea of why Brockers is listed as a defensive tackle, though it isn't accurate.

They also listed John Johnson as a RCB when he was the deep/weak or free safety.

Credit: NFL Gamepass

And due to these errors, places like Football Outsiders.com, a great site, also apes the poor information. 

In their snap count section, due to the errant listing of Aaron Donald as an OLBer, his snap counts skew to unit totals for the defensive line and linebackers for the Rams. There table for week six, seen below shows five linebackers getting over 71% of the total snaps in the game. That is kind of hard to do when there were four linebackers the majority of the game.

UPDATE II 10/23/17:

Fox Sports who got their info from Rams PR staff got the starting lineups wrong again as did the NFL Gamebook. The still shot is correct (labeled by Pro Football Journal)

 

Credit: NFL Gamepass

UPDATE III   10/31/2107:

The Rams PR release for week 8 still getting it wrong:

Here is the ones in error, a "check" is correct, an "x" is in error:

Aaron Jones: What a Start!

Aaron Jones: What a Start!

By Eric Goska

Aaron Jones has turned in quite a start to his NFL career.

Jones, the Packers rookie running back out of the University of Texas at El Paso, was the leading ground gainer Sunday in Dallas. The relative unknown outperformed Ezekiel Elliott in Green Bay’s 35-31 stunner over the Cowboys at AT&T Stadium.

Jones danced his way to 125 yards on 19 carries in his first NFL start. He accounted for seven of the Packers’ nine rushing first downs. He gained positive yardage on all but two carries.

Most important: his touchdown run late in the second quarter triggered Green Bay’s comeback from 15 points down. His 7-yard burst up the middle with 58 second left in the half sent Green Bay on a 29-10 run that didn’t end until Aaron Rodgers found Davante Adams in the end zone with 11 seconds remaining.

Jones’ big day showed the team doesn’t have to struggle without Ty Montgomery in the lineup. More than that, the rookie breathed life into the Packers’ running game.

Jones ripped off five runs of 10 or more yards. That’s as many as the team had in its first four games combined.

He cantered for 22 and 15 in the third quarter, runs that were longer than anything the team had managed in its first four outings. His 10-yard burst on fourth-and-1 kept alive a prodigious 14-play, 88-yard advance that ended with a Rodgers-to-Jordy Nelson touchdown and a 22-21 Packers’ lead.

Jones was there on the game-winning drive as well. He carried twice for 17 yards including a 15-yarder to the Dallas 32 with 39 seconds remaining. He kept safety Byron Jones away from Rodgers on the first play, a 14-yard completion to Adams that started the 75-yard movement.

Back up a month and Jones’ role was far more limited. He was inactive in the opener and saw action on special teams only against the Falcons and Bengals.

When Montgomery went out with broken ribs in the first quarter of the Bears game in Week 4, it was Jamaal Williams, not Jones, who replaced Montgomery. Not until Williams injured his knee in the second quarter of that game did Jones finally get an opportunity in the backfield.

His output that day was modest: 49 yards on 13 carries. He scored his first NFL touchdown on a 2-yard plunge.

In Dallas, Jones did most of his work on first and second down. He carried 13 times for 74 yards on first down and five for 41 yards on second down.

Only twice did he fail to advance the ball. Orlando Scandrick held him without gain in the second quarter, and Demarcus Lawrence and Maliek Collins halted him for minus-1 in the third quarter.

What Dallas failed to do was prevent Jones from outrushing Elliott. The NFL’s leading rusher last year finished with 116 yards on 29 attempts.

Jones’ impressive start puts him in fast company. He became the sixth Packer in team history to gain 100 or more yards rushing in his first NFL start.

Paul Hornung did it first with 112 yards on 16 carries in a 31-17 loss to the Giants in 1957. Samkon Gado had been the most recent with 103 yards on 25 trips in a 33-25 win over Atlanta in 2005.

Jones chewed up more real estate than either Hornung or Gado. Only Najeh Davenport (178 yards) and Jim Taylor (137) amassed more in their first starts than Jones.

Hornung and Taylor went on to have Hall of Fame careers. Gado and Davenport just had careers.

Where will Jones end up? It’s anyone’s guess, but judging by his first moves, Jones is headed in the right direction.

Fast Starts

The six Packers who gained 100 or more yards rushing in their first NFL start.

Yds.     Player                         Date                            Result

178      Najeh Davenport          Nov. 29, 2004             GB beat Rams 45-17

137      Jim Taylor                    Dec. 7, 1958                GB lost to 49ers 21-48

125      Aaron Jones                 Oct. 8, 2017                GB beat Cowboys 35-31

112      Paul Hornung                Nov. 3, 1957               GB lost to Giants 17-31

107      Edgar Bennett               Nov. 22, 1992             GB beat Bears 17-3

103      Samkon Gado              Nov. 13, 2005             GB beat Falcons 33-25

Al "Bubba" Baker's 1978 Season

LOOKING BACK
By John Turney

Credit:  Chuck Ren

Michael Strahan's 22.5 sacks in 2001 is the official NFL single-season record for sacks. However, the unofficial record is still Al "Bubba" Baker's 1978 season when he had 23 sacks in 16 games. Sacks became official in 1982 but were recorded in gamebooks prior to that. It's the same source that is used now.

We still believe the 14-game record is 22 by Deacon Jones in 1964 and 1968 followed closely by 21½ for Coy Bacon in 1976 when he was with the Bengals. We will leave the 12-game record for another time. So, here are Baker's game-by-game totals for 1978:

So, there will be a time in the near future when someone challenges Strahan's official record, we shouldn't forget real data from real players, even if it is not "official".

Jordy Nelson: Thousandaire Extraordinaire

Jordy Nelson: Thousandaire Extraordinaire
By Eric Goska

Don Hutson: The Original Packers-Bears Thousandaire

Jordy Nelson has been collecting receiving yards against the Bears for years.

Thursday at Lambeau Field, the Packers wide receiver was productive enough to move into an exclusive club, one that has yet to admit a member from Chicago.

Nelson amassed the most receiving yards of any player Thursday night as Green Bay upended the Chicago Bears 35-14 at Lambeau Field before 78,362 fans. He had the evening’s longest reception as well.

Just as a shopper can be rewarded with cash back or rewards for purchases, Nelson has earned enough yardage to gain entry into a select group. The 32-year-old is the latest to attain 1,000 yards receiving in the Packers-Bears rivalry.

Playing in his 125^th regular-season game, Nelson caught four passes for 75 yards and two touchdowns. All four catches brought first downs.

With 75 yards, Nelson boosted his career total to 1,040 regular-season receiving yards against the Bears. That haul includes 65 receptions and eight touchdowns.

Nelson was quiet in the early going Thursday. He was targeted just once in the first quarter and a half, and he dropped that throw after getting smacked hard by safety Eddie Jackson near the sideline.

Given a second chance, Nelson didn’t disappoint. The receiver turned a 44-yard throw into a 58-yard gain after cornerbacks Marcus Cooper and Kyle Fuller knocked each other to the ground near the Chicago 15-yard line. Safety Adrian Amos tackled Nelson at the 2, but Packers rookie Aaron Jones barreled into the end zone on the next play and Green Bay went up 21-0.

Nelson gained only 17 yards on his final three catches, but all advanced the Packers’ cause. His 5-yard, fourth-down reception kept alive a 13-play drive that he capped with a 4-yard TD reception to put the Pack up 28-7. His 8-yard grab on third down to open the fourth quarter propelled Green Bay to its biggest lead at 35-7.

Seventy-five years have passed since Don Hutson started the 1,000-yard Packers-Bears receiving club. The incomparable end surpassed 1,000 yards in 1942, and he remains the leader with 1,465 yards.

In addition to Hutson and Nelson, three others are in the group: Sterling Sharpe (1,134), James Lofton (1,127) and Donald Driver (1,082).

There’s not a Bear among them. The closest, according to Pro Football Reference, is Curtis Conway at 687 yards.

Since 2008, Nelson’s rookie year, only Calvin Johnson of the Lions has been a more productive receiver against the Bears. Johnson caught 94 passes for 1,436 yards and 11 TDs from 2008 until he retired after the 2015 season.

The Bears are the first team that Nelson has clipped for 1,000 yards. Up next are the Vikings (863) and Lions (724).

Extra point

Nelson’s most productive season against the Bears was 2014 when he caught 16 passes for 260 yards and four TDs. Nelson has surpassed 100 yards receiving five times against Chicago.

Thousandaires

Packers who caught 1,000 or more yards worth of passes in the Green Bay-Chicago regular-season series.

Yards  Player                   Years

1,465   Don Hutson            1935-1945

1,134   Sterling Sharpe       1988-1994

1,127   James Lofton          1978-1986

1,082   Donald Driver         1999-2011

1,040   Jordy Nelson          2008-2017

FROM THE DELTA TO THE BIG APPLE: Jimmy Patton

LOOKING BACK
By T.J. Troup

Jimmy Patton and Emlen Tunnell defend a pass versus the Steelers

Raised in a small town of Greenville, Mississippi Jimmy Patton played football at Ole Miss. When the Giants hierarchy sat down at the Warwick Hotel in late January of 1955 for the NFL draft they knew they needed depth and speed in the secondary.

So, with the 92nd pick in the draft (Unitas was 102) Jimmy joined the Giants. His rookie season was a learning process. He played some at corner, and some as a backup at right safety for starter Herb Rich. Jimmy had one of the most memorable kick return games in league history that season when he returned a Redskin kickoff 98 yards for a score, and a punt 69 yards for a score in the 35-7 shellacking.

The returns showed excellent speed and vision. Jimmy also intercepted the first pass of his career in that game. New York had started 1-4 but became a force down the stretch to finish 6-5-1. That momentum served them well as the Giants began the 1956 campaign with a record of 4-1. Herb Rich had played well in his career with the Colts, Rams, and now New York due to his savvy and experience. His injury set the stage for Patton to become the starter for the division champions that year. New York, with Jimmy playing a strong game, defeated Pittsburgh 17-14 at Forbes Field (Giants had lost both games to the Steelers in 1955).

Memorable plays abound in league history, and when captured on film they sometimes take on a life of their own. November 25th the Bears rally in Yankee Stadium to tie New York as split end Harlon Hill makes an incredible catch with Jimmy Patton attached to him as he crossed the goal line. Since the Bears had won the Western Division crown, the rematch would be for the league title!

Patton contributed to the cause with a 28-yard interception return and a 22-yard punt return in the 47-7 victory. Jimmy was quickly learning the intricacies of the Giants defense under the tutelage of former left corner and now defensive coordinator Tom Landry. Patton was aligned at right safety thus his partner in crime in the deep secondary was the already legendary Emlen Tunnell. His best friend on the team though was starting right corner, Dick Nolan. The two of them roamed the streets of New York. Imagine for a moment the adjustment for this young man; from the Mississippi Delta to the Big Apple.

Now after just two years in the league he was a champion. The 1957 season began well, and Jimmy scored against Pittsburgh on October the 20th on a 50-yard interception return. The Giants faded down the stretch and began slowly in 1958, yet once New York became injury-free they began a winning streak. Led by a defense that allowed only 37 points in the last four games of the season, New York tied Cleveland for first in the East. Beating Cleveland set the stage for what some call "The Greatest Game of All-time". The Giants and the Colts went to overtime to determine the league champion. Patton was selected First-team All-Pro and led the league in interceptions with 11. He had learned his lessons well and continued to play superb football over the course of the next three seasons—Jimmy was voted to the Pro Bowl each year and was also First-team All-Pro. He was regarded as the best deep defender in the game.

These seasons though did not bring another title to the Giants. The losses to Baltimore in 1959, Philadelphia in 1960, and Green Bay in 1961 were bitter to the New York veterans led by Robustelli, Huff, and Patton. Measuring a player's greatness by using statistics can sometimes shed light on that man's consistency.

Over the course of 46 games, from the second game of 1958 through the first 12 games of 1961, Jimmy intercepted 30 passes. A remarkable achievement as only six other men before the merger have intercepted 30 passes over the course of four straight seasons. The men who accomplished this read like a who's who of defensive backs; Rich "Night Train" Lane, Emlen Tunnell, Jack Christiansen, Tom Keane, Bobby Dan Dillon, and Bobby Boyd.

A new resolve took over the Giants in 1962 as they overcame a sluggish 3-2 start to win nine straight and set up the rematch with Vince Lombardi and his champion Packers. This time though it would be at wind-swept frigid Yankee Stadium. Since New York was now more of an offensive team led by the incomparable passing of Y.A. Tittle, the question on most folks minds was could the Giant defense stop the vaunted Packer attack. Green Bay's superb defense shut down the high-powered Giant offense, but the Giant defense played an inspired game allowing only one touchdown. Patton was again First-team All-Pro.

The New York defense still played solid football, yet was not the same dominant force of the late 1950s under Landry. New York again earned an eastern division title in '63 and played a strong defensive game in Wrigley Field against the Bears. The Bear defense was not to be denied as Chicago gave New York a third straight championship loss. Patton received some All-Pro recognition, yet the new safety in town in the east was rough-hewn Larry Wilson of the Cardinals, and in the west Wood of the Packers and the Bear duo of Taylor & Petitbon. When a team becomes old that is an aspect that must be overcome with an abundance of new talent.

That just did not happen in New York. The Giants defense in Patton's last three years just did not play well most of the time. A change in philosophy, and now Jimmy was player-coach helping his teammate Andy Robustelli attempt to put a strong defense on the field. Thus in his last game on December 18th, 1966 Jimmy intercepted his final pass. He had intercepted at least once in all twelve seasons.

Patton, instead of playing deep centerfield, would now take the back out of the backfield man to man, or even blitz on occasion. Jimmy Patton had done it all as a player. He missed only three games in twelve seasons. Jimmy at 5' 10" and 183 lbs. had taken down many a bigger running back. He was a strong tackler, and feared no one. His savvy and excellent speed took him across the field to intercept time and time again.

He had returned kicks and punts early in his career. Pete Privite ("clubhouse special") designed a play in '61 with Erich Barnes and Jimmy as the ends on the punt team going downfield as receivers against the Eagles—and the play worked as Barnes scored in a key victory. In June of this year my story entitled "nemesis" detailed defensive backs that intercepted at least 10 passes against a specific opponent. Jimmy Patton ranks second to all-time great Emlen Tunnell in this category as he pilfered 14 Redskin passes. 

He also intercepted the Steelers 12 times. Jimmy Patton is not in the Hall of Fame and of course, due to his tragic death in a car accident in 1972 he would not be at his enshrinement, yet he must be viewed as a man who gave all he had to his team. Allie Sherman said it best, "He had the three qualities you want, consistency, top performance, and great heart".

Pick Six; Pack Stix

By Eric Goska

It is doubtful anyone on the field knew the long odds the Packers faced after being subjected to a pick-6 Sunday at Lambeau Field.

Perhaps that was best.

For just the second time in his career,  Aaron Rodgers threw an interception that was returned for a touchdown. This time it was the Bengals who snagged this rarest of turnover, a steal that forced Green Bay to rally for a 27-24 overtime victory before 78,323 fans at the historic stadium.

The pick-6 was the first Rodgers has thrown in a home game.

Rodgers has been tossing passes for the Packers since connecting with Vonta Leach in a 52-3 blowout of the Saints in 2005. In the years since he’s taken a liking to this line of work, and his regular-season total had swelled to 4,749 forward passes prior to the meeting with Cincinnati.

As with Seattle and Atlanta, Rodgers generated little excitement early against the Bengals. He completed four of six passes for a scant 13 yards but did find Lance Kendricks for a 1-yard touchdown midway through the first quarter that evened the score at seven apiece.

Then, for the third game in a row, Rodgers threw a first-half interception. William Jackson III undercut an out intended for Jordy Nelson, and the cornerback raced 75 yards the other way.

Jackson’s TD return came with just under 11 minutes remaining in the second quarter, and it pushed the Bengals ahead 21-7. Earlier in the period, Cincinnati quarterback Andy Dalton and halfback Giovani Bernard combined on a 6-yard scoring pass.

As with any turnover, there is no good time for a pick-6. More problematic are those that occur when the team that gives up the six is already trailing on the scoreboard.

The Packers have thrown 120 pick-6s in 111 different regular-season games since 1921. Their record in those contests is 27-81-3 (.257).

Just over half of those pick-6s (62) added to an opponent’s already existing lead. The Pack is 6-53 (.102) when throwing a pick-6 from behind.

The five previous wins came courtesy of Bart Starr (1965), Zeke Bratkowski (1967), David Whitehurst (1979), Brett Favre (2003) and Matt Flynn (2013). In overcoming such an ill-timed turnover, Rodgers boosted membership in this group to a full Pack six.

Quarterbacks, of course, get credit for a win. But, as always, many players contribute to a comeback.

In the case of the Bengals, Green Bay’s defense tightened. After giving up 145 yards and 11 first downs in the first 17:31, the unit surrendered 156 yards and 10 first downs the rest of the way.

Of note, the Packers did not allow the Bengals to convert a third down (0-for-7) once behind by 14 points.

Rodgers, too, played better. His passer rating, a paltry 44.9 after the interception, was a more robust 120.1 on his final 33 attempts.

Kendricks, one of three Packers tight ends to see action, chipped in 34 yards after the catch on a 51-yard reception to open the second half. His long gainer set up a 1-yard TD throw to Nelson that pulled Green Bay to 21-14.

Nelson hauled in a second touchdown pass as well. His 3-yarder – a bullet that narrowly missed the outstretched arms of cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick – tied the score at 24-all with 17 seconds left in regulation.

In overtime, Geronimo Allison added a highlight of his own. He turned a 36-yard, third-down throw into a 72-yard sprint that reached the Cincinnati 7-yard line.

Mason Crosby completed the comeback with a game-winning, 27-yard field goal with four minutes, 34 seconds of the extra period having elapsed.

The numbers that surround Rodgers and his lack of pick-6s are eye-opening. They include Packers records and at least one NFL best.

In between his two pick-6s – Tanard Jackson of the Buccaneers had the first in 2009 – Rodgers attempted 3,907 regular-season passes without one. That’s an NFL record, far better than the previous best of 3,113 by Randall Cunningham (1986-94).

But don’t go spreading that around. It’s not worth the trouble.

Rodgers’ streak of 3,907 is nearly twice the length of the previous record by a Packer. Brett Favre once lobbed 1,974 regular-season passes (1993-97) without one.

Again, keep that to yourself. We wouldn’t want anyone to know.

Eight years ago, Tanard Jackson nicked Rodgers in Raymond James Stadium. Sunday William Jackson caught him at Lambeau.

The latter Jackson became the fourth Bengal to record a pick-6 against the Packers (Tommy Casanova and Ken Riley in 1976 and Lemar Parrish in 1971), and he put an end to Rodgers’ string of regular-season passes at home (2,323) without a pick-6. That long run is the best start to a regular-season career at Lambeau Field, well ahead of the previous record by Starr who attempted 573 at the stadium before Lem Barney put on the skids in the 1967 season opener.

Pick-Six or Pick-Sick?

The 13 Packers passers who attempted 500 or more regular-season throws and how often they were pick-sixed.

Pct.          Atts.      No.         Passer

0.04        4,791          2         Aaron Rodgers

0.19           537          1         John Hadl

0.20        1,006          2         Arnie Herber

0.25        3,149          8         Bart Starr

0.27        8,754        24         Brett Favre

0.31        1,607          5         Don Majkowski

0.37           818          3         Cecil Isbell

0.39           519          2         Irv Comp

0.41           980          4         David Whitehurst

0.45        1,119          5         Randy Wright

0.46        2,831        13         Lynn Dickey

0.59        1,854        11         Tobin Rote

0.66           602          4         Babe Parilli

Guess Again Mr. Romo

LOOKING AHEAD
By John Turney

By all measures, Tony Romo is doing well as a color analyst for CBS Sports. Well, maybe not all measures, Brent Musburger isn't a impressed with Romo's booth work just yet.

Romo has been touted as correcting predicting plays, blitzes, and defenses which he does do quite often. But, he's not yet perfect.

In overtime (about 9:19) in Sunday's Bengals at Packers game, Romo said (right before the snap), "Here comes some sort of Dom Capers 2-man coverage".

Well, the first shot shows just that. Two deep and the five short defenders lined up over a man. 

BUT it was just window dressing. They played Tampa-2. You can see the four short zones and the "hole" in the middle where the Mike 'backer is roaming. The far corner lets his man go so the safety on his side can cover him. It's clearly not man-under Cover 2.

Tony, you gotta do the post-snap read for us.... that is the coverage.

Earlier in the game, at the 10:00-minute mark of the 3rd quarter, on a Packers TD pass, Romo said (again before the snap), "Cincinnati is playing coverage here, they're not going to blitz a lot of guys."

We don't know what he means by "a lot" but we do think three blitzers is "a lot" but we could be wrong.

The Bengals did blitz three and Rodgers rolled right— away from the pressure and threw a touchdown as he is apt to do. 

Look, we've enjoyed Romo very much and will listen to him all season and we will learn lots, we already have. But, dare we say he's not 100% *there* yet?