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By Dave Begel Special to OnMadison.com Photography by Allen Fredrickson E-mail author | Author bio More articles by Dave Begel

Published Dec. 1, 2006 at 5:28 a.m.

For the last two weeks, I've watched the Packers in a very particular way, once in person and once on television.

The Packers faced two of the better teams in the National Football League, the Patriots at home and the Seahawks in snowy Seattle. I watched each of those games with an eye toward personnel matchups and less for who scored or which team was leading.

I did this with purpose, because the Patriots and Seahawks are among the "haves" of the NFL and the Packers are among the "have nots." I specifically wanted to see how individual players played.

And it's apparent that Mike McCarthy is watching the game film the same way. This week, he said he was satisfied with the game plan and the play calling. The breakdowns were breakdowns in execution, he said.

Translating from coach-speak to English, that means the players aren't doing what they are supposed to do. And there aren't a lot of reasons for that. Either a player is too dumb to remember what he's supposed to do; or, he doesn't have the physical ability to do it.

So I watched each player at various times for two weeks. And I think the Packers have some areas of strength and some of weakness, which they've got to fix during the off-season. I'm assuming that some of the players I watched will get better and some won't.

Here goes:

Offensive line: It might come as a surprise, but I think this unit is going to be okay. I think Mark Tauscher and Chad Clifton each has a few more years and Daryn Colledge and Jason Spitz will develop into two good guards. I think Scott Wells is a keeper. The most important thing for any offensive line is to play together over a period of time. This line will be better next year and even better the year after that.

Receivers: I can't help but think how great things would be if the Packers had re-signed Javon Walker and paired him with Donald Driver and Greg Jennings. They'd be set for years. But instead, they badly need a third good receiver and a tight end who can catch the ball. Bubba Franks appears just about done and they need a tight end who is an effective and integral part of the offense.

Running Backs: They need one. Vernand Morency isn't anything more than a backup and Ahman Green is playing on borrowed time. Brandon Miree might be a long-term fullback, but he still needs to prove he can catch the ball as well as block.

Quarterback: If Brett Favre plays two more years with no dropoff in ability, the Packers will be all right. If he leaves or declines, the situation is more than desperate. I don't know anyone who thinks Aaron Rodgers is a sure thing, and I do know a lot of people who don't think he's going to be any good. The only quarterback in the upcoming free agent class who might be of any interest is Matt Schaub of the Falcons.

Defensive Line: I like the middle of the line but the ends need to be replaced. Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila is just not big enough and Aaron Kampman, for all that you want to love him, is just not strong enough. He gets stood up and danced around by good right tackles. Without good ends, the line is going to be a disaster.

Linebackers: I think this may be the strength of the team. Three good starters and two quality backups. They play tough and they play with the kind of speed the Packers haven't seen at linebacker in a long, long time.

Defensive backs: I'd do all in my power to keep Al Harris and make him a happy player. He and Charles Woodson make a great pair of corners and if you can keep them, you can focus on finding a couple of safeties. Marquand Manuel is only a marginal player and a bad free agent pick by Ted Thompson. Nick Collins may get better, but the jury is still out on him.

Special Teams: Find some guys who can run fast and hit hard and stay where they are supposed to stay. It's not that hard. Teams all over the league do it.

Coaching: Mike McCarthy seems to be growing and Jeff Jagodzinski seems pretty good as an offensive coordinator. But the team clearly needs to find better coaching for the defensive backs and special teams.

If it's in the order of importance, I'd go for defensive ends, safeties and running back. Of course, if Favre retires, quarterback goes to the head of the list.

I realize this is a subjective analysis, and really a snapshot in time. But when I look at the Patriots and Seahawks and then at the Packers, it feels real sad.

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