Steven Helmer Publications

Reports out of Green Bay today indicate veteran coach Luke Getsy, who served as a senior assistant last season, will be serving as the Packers' quarterbacks coach next year. While I've seen some criticize this decision, I think it is a sound choice by Head Coach Matt LaFleur. Yes, there is an argument for bringing in a new and hopefully innovative voice to help Jordan Love's progression from good to great while also developing a backup quarterback to replace sure-to-be-gone Malik Willis. However, in this case, I do think familiarity isn't necessarily a bad thing. My support for Getsy as QB coach has already been documented, when Tom Clements retired last January and I advocated for Getsy as his replacement.  Getsy's time as an offensive coordinator in Chicago and Las Vegas was a failure. However, his three years prior to that, when he was serving as quarterbacks coach in Green Bay arguably couldn't have been better. To recap, in the seasons with Getsy as his coa...

There was a time when the Pro Bowl meant something. Selected players, barring an injury, would willingly participate in it, both for the additional paycheck and the free trip to Hawaii. The fact it was held after the Super Bowl also increased the chances of players from the best two teams being involved. Then things changed. Player salaries increased to the point the Pro Bowl check didn't mean as much while the risk of injury watered the product down further by the league taking every precaution to avoid a scandal if a star got hurt playing in a meaningless contest. Fan voting also arguably plays too much of a role, with players being selected because of name recognition rather than anything they did on the field. This is why the NFL should replace it with the Practice Squad Bowl. Here's how I would do it: Each team selects four players that finished the regular season on the practice squad. Those players are divided into the traditional AFC/NFC categories, with each team getti...

Let me start out by saying the Green Bay Packers' playoff collapse against the Chicago Bears wasn't completely Matt LaFleur's fault. The Packers were up 21-3 at one point and held the lead late in the fourth quarter. They even would have likely won had it not been for two missed field goals and a missed extra point by kicker Brandon McManus Still, after watching Green Bay once again lose a game against the Bears they should have won and seeing a glaring trend that popped up in many of the team's 7 regular season losses, I am no longer as confident he is the right guy to lead the team as I was when I defended him a couple days ago , especially with quarterback Jordan Love entering his prime years. To be clear, I'm not saying the Packers should definitely move on from a coach that has taken the team to the playoffs in 6 of his 7 seasons. I'm just saying it wouldn't hurt to pause for a moment and look around before signing him to an extension. The Packers this ...

In what isn't much of a surprise, the New York Jets are going to be parting ways with former Green Bay Packers' quarterback Aaron Rodgers after two disappointing seasons. The narrative is now going to focus on his NFL future. Will he retire? Will another NFL franchise give him an opportunity despite some of the off-the-field baggage that comes with him? I, however, am going to throw one more conversation into that narrative - the United Football League. Before you ask, no I'm not drunk or on drugs and I didn't recently hit my head. I'll also be the first to admit the scenario I mentioned is the ultimate longshot, to the point I'm not sure Vegas would even put odds on it. However, as ridiculous as it sounds, this is something that potentially makes sense for both sides. I'll start with Rodgers. At 41, he is at best, a transitional quarterback for an NFL franchise. He has made plenty of money so it's unlikely he'll sign with a rebuilding team just fo...

Here are some of my thoughts from the Green Bay Packers ' 34-0 victory over the New Orleans Saints at Lambeau Field last night: Green Bay Packers fans received an early Christmas gift. The Packers are in the playoffs with two games to go. While the division title is off the table, they still have an opportunity to improve their seeding spot or, depending on the outcome of their upcoming game against the Minnesota Vikings, may be able to rest players in the final week of the regular season. This was as dominating of a performance as you could ask for. Yes, the Saints have been plagued by injuries and are a shell of the team they were at the start of the season. However, pitching the NFL's first shutout of the season isn't something that should be overlooked, especially against a team that took the Washington Commanders down to the wire just a week ago. Green Bay's defense, after all, was missing key personnel too. And the best part of that (for Packers fans at least)...

 My thoughts from last night's Green Bay Packers' 27-19 win over the Kansas City Chiefs: Green Bay is giving a new definition to the term "rebuild." The Packers, like most teams, might not have used that word but that's what this season was supposed to be. The willingness to part ways with a veteran player like Rasul Douglas mid-season is evidence of that. However, Green Bay is proving a rebuild year doesn't need to mean you finish near the bottom in the league. If the season ended today, they'd be in the playoffs with two key wins that should make the higher seeded teams a bit nervous. Jordan Love for League MVP? OK, this is admittedly an overreaction from the Packers reaching .500 on the season. Or is it? Statistically, he's right up there with the MVP favorites and he's putting up those numbers with rookie and second year receivers. If the Packers finish the year in the playoffs, I think he needs to at least be in the conversation. I mean, did...

  So, I'm not one of those football fans who wants a coach fired after a bad game or even bad season. I'm also going to point out some things can be outside a coach's control, like injuries and a late bye week. However, after watching last night's game against the Tennessee Titans, I think it's time to cast a large part of the blame in Matt LaFleur's direction. To be fair, LaFleur has probably earned the benefit of the doubt after taking the team to two NFC Championship games and 39 regular season wins over his first three seasons. However, as this year's team struggles to remain relevant, there are plenty of red flags: Red Flag #1 - Aaron Rodgers - I've made this point in other posts, but I'm going to make it again. The head coach is responsible for ensuring the best 11 players are on the field. Ordinarily, Rodgers would be one of those 11. However, even he is admitting the thumb injury he suffered against the New York Giants back in week 5 is affec...

  The Green Bay Packers finally snapped their losing streak against the Dallas Cowboys Sunday and, in the process, might have found a new offensive star in 2nd-round pick Christian Watson, who scored three touchdowns. In the meantime, second-year receiver Amari Rodgers might have accelerated his departure from the team, following a costly fumble on a punt return that nearly caused another team implosion. Unlike a lot of fans, I tend to be patient when it comes to younger players, especially receivers, because development doesn't always happen at a quick pace. Former Packers' all-pro Davante Adams is a good example of this, struggling with drops his first couple of seasons in the league before becoming one of the best. So, also unlike a lot of fans, I'm not going to demand he get cut. However, it might be time for fans, and the team, to lower their expectations of the former 3rd round pick. There are ultimately a couple things that really stand out for me when looking at Rod...

  Let me start out by making something clear - I don't blame Aaron Rodgers for the Packers' 3-5 start and four game losing streak. Title Town USA has a lot of problems - lack of talent/experience at wide receiver, injuries and a defense that (STILL) can't seem to stop the run. These things have also contributed to an offense that has become both stagnant and predictable. However, while the 4-time league MVP isn't part of the problem (at least when he's healthy), that doesn't necessarily mean he's the solution either. There's still a lot of football left to be played and it's hard to say the Packers should give up on their season when there are still nine games left in the season. However, there are just too many reasons to believe the team isn't going to be able to turn this around in time to make any real impact. Ultimately, Green Bay has three options. They can hope something clicks with a player or players on their current roster and that'...

  We're only a few weeks into a new NFL season and there have already been two controversial roughing the passer penalties making the news. Like it or hate it, referees have a big outcome on football games, especially since they are making judgement calls based on events happening at full speed and, unlike many other things, like turnovers, determining whether a player was inbounds, etc., there is no opportunity for them to reverse their mistakes. The NFL tried to correct this problem a couple years ago by making pass interference penalties reviewable following a controversial post season non-call. That proved to be a disaster, and because of that, I suspect the NFL will hesitate to go down that road again. However, while there is no perfect solution, there is a way to correct at least a good chunk of the problem without getting too complex. Each team is already allowed up to three challenges per game (two challenges plus a bonus challenge if they win the first two). The simple fix...

What was up with the Green Bay Packers abandoning the run and short passing game when there was more than 8 minutes left on the clock? They had plenty of time to take advantage of Tom Brady's interceptions but, rather than go with plays that would get the ball out of Aaron Rodgers' hand quickly, they had him holding onto the ball, looking for a homerun shot, despite a game-long inability to protect the quarterback.  The field goal call was questionable, don't get me wrong, and so was the decision to throw an interference flag when they had ignored grabbing from both teams all game. However, I feel Coach Matt LaFleur, wasted two opportunities on Brady interceptions, and that is equally as disappointing.

I was reading an article earlier today that talked about the NFL experimenting with onside kicks during this weekend's Pro Bowl and, while stuff like this normally doesn't interest me all that much this time of year (especially since the Pro Bowl seems like a big waste of time now), I am admittedly curious if this will pan out. Here's the gist of it - instead of attempting an onside kick which, due to all the new safety rules, is practically impossible to convert, a scoring team can receive the ball at their own 25 yard line and get one chance to pick up 15 yards. If they do, they keep the ball. If they don't, the opposing team gets the ball with excellent field position. I personally think something like this can add some new excitement to the game. Not only is this a better (and probably safer) way for a team to get the ball back when they are behind, I can see it potentially being used at various other points in a game as well. For example, if a team has just ...

Image Courtesy of Pixabay Three time outs per half. Three as a child and three more as an adult. You can use them to figure out your next move or catch your breath. And, you can choose to save one until the very end so you can spend a few extra precious seconds with those people you love. You always have a coach on the sidelines to help you figure things out. You also have a variety of assistant coaches available if you need to focus on one specific aspect of your life. The referees will make sure life can't cheat. If it does, a flag is thrown and you are given the opportunity to do things over. Up to three reviews per lifetime. If you feel life is treating you unfairly, an independent review can be requested to either overturn the injustice or show you (via instant replay) why you are getting what you deserve. You'll have a cheering section. Who couldn't use one of those? There would be a scoreboard. No more questions about whether or not you are winni...

According to media reports , the Green Bay Packers are moving on from Brett Hundley and have traded him to the Seattle Seahawks. While I'm not a huge Hundley fan, I am a bit mixed about this trade. Hundley obviously didn't look too hot playing in relief of Aaron Rodgers last season. But, to be fair, he did win just enough games to keep them in the playoff hunt until Rodgers returned. I also thought Hundley outplayed Deshone Kizer, in preseason so far. Statistically, they were about the same. But, Hundley was typically playing against more starters and looked lot more poised in the pocket. Not to mention, Kizer is winless as a starter. Sure, he played for the Cleveland Browns. But, it's really hard to go winless in the NFL. It's only happened five times since 1944. So the fact he is one of the quarterbacks who belongs to that small group doesn't exactly make me feel confident about him being our guy if he's asked to win a game or two (or four). To ...

Tonight, your favorite football team will get one player better than it was yesterday. Or, if it picks the wrong player, it will get one player worse. And that drama is the reason the NFL has made millions of advertising dollars doing nothing more than calling out a bunch of names.

With Ted Thompson officially transitioning out of the general manager role he has held for 13 seasons, the Green Bay Packers are in the process of looking for the next guy to lead the team. I know there will be those who disagree with me, but I think Ted Thompson did an excellent job building the Packers'. Sure, he wasn't perfect (nobody is). But, Green Bay has been a perennial playoff contender, has one Super Bowl ring and came very close to returning on more than one occasion. And, this came despite drafting toward the bottom on a regular basis, in part because of the un-drafted gems (like Sam Shields) Thompson found. Of course, as I said, nobody is perfect. And, I'm keeping some of his weaknesses (as well as his strengths) in mind with this list. 1. The next GM needs to have a scouting background. Sure, there are plenty of teams with general managers that don't have that on their resume. But, as I said before, part of the team's long-term success has...

OK, I know that won't happen until Sunday. But, honestly, I'm getting a little burnt out on the non-stop analysis stemming from Aaron Rodgers injuring his throwing shoulder this past weekend and backup quarterback Brett Hundley making his first NFL start as a result. I, personally, am not as concerned as some of my fellow Green Bay Packers fans. Sure, I'm sad to see Rodgers get hurt, especially since he was having an MVP-caliber season up until that point. But, I'm not freaking out about it too much either. The last time Rodgers missed significant playing time, back in 2013 with a similar injury, Green Bay was nowhere near as prepared. His replacement, Seneca Wallace, was signed after the preseason and, when Wallace got hurt on the first series of his first Packers' start, he was replaced by a guy (Scott Tolzien) who also had literally been added to the roster that week. Hundley, in comparison, is on his third year with the team. He has almost no playing ti...

I've had this thought before. But, as I watched the Green Bay Packers soundly defeat the Chicago Bears last night, I once again began to wonder if maybe the National Football League should give some serious consideration to it. A slaughter rule, for those who have never heard of it, is a rule that allows a game to end early if one of the teams has no chance of winning. It's mainly used in youth sports as a way of preventing one team from getting embarrassed. However, at the professional level, a rule like that would be more about preventing unnecessary injuries. While it's not something I would expect to see used a lot in the NFL, I do think it's a rule that has its place. Sure, there will be some critics, such as fantasy football players, who would be opposed to it. And, I'm sure advertising revenue would also come into play. But, with the league becoming more health conscious, I do think there are some circumstances where a rule like that would make a lot o...