Name: J.D. Gold
Email: jdgold@idatasports.com
Date: Tue Oct 24 17:01:32 2006

Headline: Charles in Charge as Packers Net Dolphins for the First Time Ever in Miami 34-24
Game MVP: Charles Woodson
Offensive Player of the Game: Donald Driver
Defensive Player of the Game: AJ Hawk

Players of the Game Recap; GAME MVP: CHARLES WOODSON did it all Sunday. Five tackles, a strip, 3 passes defensed, a sack, and top it off with a pick for a td. A performance Scott Baio would be proud of. Offensive MVP: Donald Drivers 10 catches for 93 yards and 1 td. One thing for sure about Driver is his desire. If the previous week's game seemed sub-par for him you almost are guaranteed a big game the following week. Defensive MVP: Of AJ HAWKS 9 tackles and 1 sack at least 4 of the hits were groaners. Ask Marty Booker and Derek Hagan as they lay on the ground withering momentarily after Hawk brings his freight train load type tackles on opposing offensive players. SUSAN B. ANTHONY GOLD COIN Player of the game: JD GOLD for saying last week it looked as Koren Robinson would play the rest of the season. Nice call.

From the onset it looked as Brett Favre may have been looking at a trip off the field on a stretcher Sunday in Miami due to the last minute sickness of left tackle Chad Clifton and the impending start of Daryn Colledge. But with an unwavering attitude the green and gold harpooned the Dolphins with an assortment of big plays from vets, Ahman Green, Donald Driver, Brett Favre, and Charles Woodson for a 34-24 victory in south Florida.

QB: 3 GOLD BARS: Favre was 19-35 -206yds-2tds with 10 of the completions, 93 of the yards, and a td going to Driver. This longtime Packer duo showed why when given the opportunity they are a primetime connection. The td to Driver was an example of both players making a great play. Favre showed his toughness to Packer fans again by getting rocked on three different occasions and routinely getting up and playing on. Look around the NFL and watch QB's head to the sidelines on a weekly basis after being knocked out of games on similar hits. Unlike Ripkens streak in baseball which is a much more cerebral game to say the least. Favre has endured in a league of mayhem and destruction and just keeps rolling. Make no mistake about it, his accuracy isn't quite as consistent as it once was, he still will take the chance downfield maybe to often, but as he showed in the five minute plus 4th quarter drive culminating in the td to Martin, Mississippi still has some game left.

RB: 3 GOLD BARS: To some this rating may seem a little low. But just like Brett Favre, Ahman Green has set the bar high. Some backs in the league may celebrate a game like this more. 18 carries for 118 yards and a score. Yet for Green this is just an average day at the office. A game he can keep building on. He showed anyone who was wondering if he still had the wheels on his 70 yard td run. Love the high step on the way into the end zone. Morency and Herron picked up only 17 yards on 9 carries. Not a stellar effort on there part. Brandon Miree replaced William Henderson at fullback and looked good. Miree is much quicker to block second level tacklers then Henderson is.

WR/TE: 3 GOLD BARS: Besides being double teamed or bracketed most of the game in coverage Donald Driver continues to silence those who say he isn't a primetime player. The 34 yard td from Favre was a thing beauty on both ends. Driver made a silky move on a 4th and 1 to go around Vonnie Holliday to pick up a first down. Bubba Franks continues to drop passes. David Martin showed what he can do. Now let's see it every week. Ruvell Martin and Chris Francies both made tough catches when called upon each picking up big first downs. Packer fans hope Greg Jennings high ankle sprain heals quickly as his big play ability will be needed in the weeks to come.

OFF. LINE: 3 GOLD BARS: The world didn't end as left tackle Chad Clifton pulled up sick before Sunday's game. Daryn Colledge had a rough start replacing Clifton as Dolphin defensive end Jason Taylor had 2 sacks and 2 forced fumbles with 5 minutes left in the 1st quarter. Yet after that point he settled down considerably the Packers did line up a TE along Colledge on a number of plays after that through out the game. But this was more of a decoy then anything. Almost 75% of the plays were help was apparently going to be given by formation. The Packers left Colledge alone to handle his duties as they ran a variety of things to offset his deficiencies and move the ball. On Ahman Greens td it was all the young bulls up front. Spitz and Colledge moving the Dolphins d-line to the left as Scott Wells and Tony Moll sealed off the back side of the lane thus leaving Miree looking for someone to block as he and Green blew through the line.

DEF LINE: 2-1/2 GOLD BARS: Another stout effort by the line against the run holding Ronnie Brown to 59 yards on 15 carries. Were this group needs to keep improving on is there pocket pressure. All too often this unit will go series with absolutely no pressure on the pocket. KGB came close to wearing the Susan B Anthony gold coin this week. He seemed invisible most of the day. Mike Montgomery continues to develop as an outside pass rusher with a fabulous inside spin move for a sack. Ryan Pickett played a solid game as well as Aaron Kampman. Both players hustle after the ball to make tackles along the d-line or down field. Corey Williams keeps surprising with his fine play in his limited snaps Colin Cole needs to shed blockers in traffic so he can make a tackle.

LINEBACKERS: 4 GOLD BARS: By far the best this unit has played all year so far. Hawk and Popingga look faster every week in there read and recognition of plays enabling both to play at almost full speed. Neither player shies away from contact. Taking on would be blockers or ball carriers at full force. Hawks sack and Popinggas interception are prime examples of this. Only better things are to come from these two. Hawk is so old school. Watch as he leads with practically a forearm shiver as he tackles would be offensive players. Nick Barnett had another solid game. No surprise here he came up with a pick Sunday. A trend he continues through out his career. He comes up with turnovers.

DEF. BACKS: 3 GOLD BARS: Drops by the Dolphins and Charles Woodsons play keep this grade from being a little lower. Giving up over 400 passing yds to the fish was a team effort and can't be entirely placed on this units shoulders. When the Pack play zone type defense there young players look stiff on occasion. On the Miami Dolphins first td to Marty Booker safety Nick Collins had inside responsibility. Woodson had him off the line and outside. Woodson stayed with Marty Booker till he broke inside where Collins froze. Touchdown Booker. Collins hopefully can bring his game up to a more consistent level for this defense to continue to improve. Patrick Dendy allowed one big play but was solid in coverage most of the day. Manuel and Harris were ok. Both would have been burned more then a few times if Joey Harrington could have hit open receivers.

SPECIAL TEAMS: 3 GOLD BARS: Dave Rayner continues to impress. Even after getting jobbed before half on a team record 55 yard field goal. He still banged the 40 yarder re-kick through to no avail because of hands to the face penalty on Mike Montgomery. Jon Ryan has had better games this year. Only averaging 43.7 per punt. The coverage units again were tight. Back up line backer Tracy White made a couple of tough plays on kick-off coverage. Woodson and Morency looked ok in the return game. Maybe Woodsons big game will propel the punt return unit to block a little harder against the Cards springing him for a big return.

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