2011 Packers Yearbook: Most Valuable Player (not named Aaron Rodgers or Clay Matthews)

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2011 Packers Yearbook:  Most Valuable Player (not named Aaron Rodgers or Clay Matthews))

(Be sure to place your vote in the poll below.)

Adam: Greg Jennings. This one would be more obvious if Jennings didn’t get hurt, but he gets the nod because of how powerful the Packers passing game was.

Al: I can’t pick on anyone on offense besides Rodgers, sooooooo, I’ll go with  Ryan Pickett. In the two games that Pickett missed, the Packers gave up 344 rushing yards. Playing the majority of the time in a two-man front, Pickett is just an immovable force on the line of scrimmage. Dom Capers always says his defensive philosophy starts with stopping the run, so that makes Pickett my choice. My second choice would be Desmond Bishop, for similar reasons.

Chad: It’s hard to compare offense to defense, but since the defensive unit was so bad this year, I think I’ll have to go with an offensive player. That being said, I can’t get past the performance that Jordy Nelson had this season. True, Greg Jennings is the better receiver, yet Nelson was putting up numbers all year. I can’t fault Jennings for the injury, but it’s hard to dismiss how well Nelson filled in for him and consistently delivered. And according to ProFootballFocus, Jordy was second only to Victor Cruz in yards per route run among wide receivers.

Kris:  Greg Jennings.  He’s matured into the leader of a lethal receiving corps with Donald Driver’s role becoming more diminished.  Many other teams would have trouble keeping this many talented pass catchers happy, but Jennings (along with Driver I suppose) has helped keep the other receivers’ focus on the ‘we’ not the ‘me.’ 

Michael: Greg Jennings. I have to agree with Kris and say that Jennings’ growth as a leader were extremely valuable to the team in 2011. Jennings has always done things the right way, but especially during the playoff run in 2010 and the 2011 season, Jennings really grew into a leader. He was extremely consistent on the field and became more and more vocal throughout the year.

Thomas: Desmond Bishop.  While the rest of the defense decided to take a step back from a stellar 2010 campaign, Desmond Bishop, perhaps spurned by the by the fact that he didn’t get to see the President, was maybe the only bright spot for the defense in 2011.  Bishop became the #2 blitz option behind Clay Matthews but was still able to contain the run and cover.  I wouldn’t be surprised to see Bishop take on more defensive play calling as well, maybe to start the process of either restructuring AJ Hawk’s contract or trading him if DJ Smith explodes out of the gate.

Zach: Bryan Bulaga. There are cases for Jennings, Bishop, Charles Woodson and Jordy Nelson, but Bulaga was one of the league’s top pass-blocking tackles—in an offense dependent on the pass, no less—while also becoming a much better run-blocker. Whenever the Packers needed tough yards, they went to the right side.

 

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Jersey Al Bracco is the founder and editor of AllGreenBayPackers.com, and the co-founder of Packers Talk Radio Network. He can be heard as one of the Co-Hosts on Cheesehead Radio and is the Green Bay Packers Draft Analyst for Drafttek.com.

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6 thoughts on “2011 Packers Yearbook: Most Valuable Player (not named Aaron Rodgers or Clay Matthews)

  1. Randall Cobb. His presence as a returner gave the special teams a reason to block. Those same players gave the same effort on coverage units. For the first time in years, special teams wasn’t watched through squinted eyes or splayed fingers.

    1. Was just thinking the same Ron. Bulaga was good and very important but TJ’s play was a bright spot on the oline last season and both are key to the future. If we draft a centre this year and he develops in the next 2 years and newhouse or sherrod lock down one of the tackle positions we could have a very solid young oline for years to come

  2. Have to go with Chad on this one.

    Jordy had the kind of season that TT was dreaming about when he drafted him, and just being honest here, it’s good for the NFL to have some Caucasian representation among the players who are considered noteworthy at the speed/skill positions.

    Besides, he got ripped not being named to the ProBowl so maybe a little love here is in order.

  3. Although Woodson had his worst year as far as tackling goes, imagine our defense without him last year…. Man it would have probably been enough of a difference that we would have lost several more games than we did… Jennings and Nelson were very valuable to our team but when considering who is most valuable my criteria is how many games we would have lost without that player. Without Woodson I think we would have been a 11-5 team last year (keeping in mind that our margin of victory was not very high on a lot of victories this year). IMO without Nelson or without Jennings we’re still #1 seed in the NFC and with collins getting hurt and not much leadership other than woodson and collins I don’t think the secondary would have been even serviceable without him. His 7 interceptions led the league and contributed more to our turnover ratio than anyone else on defense which turn overs were the one positive aspect of our defense. Yes he’s lost a step yeah he’s not the tackler he once was but he’s still MVP disregarding Rodgers and Mathews.

  4. Why is Zach the only guy talking about Bulaga here? Not just this article, but probably this whole website.

    I don’t care that he missed four games last season, the dude is becoming the best right tackle in the league.

    The guy seriously needs more credit.

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