NFL GridIron Gab Daily Digest

Senior writer jclombardi highlights Packers Bishop, Peprah & Zombo profiles.

Commentary: For the 2010 NFL Season, three major players stepped up to replace injured starters on the front line Packers defense. Without their stellar performances on defense, the Packers would not be 7-3 with a prime time showdown Sunday against the Falcons.  Although LB Bishop is no surprise considering we recommended that he start long ago along with other Packers bloggers in the Packers nation, the steady performances of S Peprah and OLB Zombo are pleasant surprises. Happy holidays!

LB Bishop: Desmond Bishop was one of three 6th round Packer draft choices in 2007.  Today, he is Green Bay's starting middle linebacker and the team's third leading tackler. And there isn't a day that goes by that Bishop doesn't appreciate his good fortune and try to help others whose lives have taken less favorable paths. "It takes you back to the saying, 'much is given, much is required," Bishop said. "I feel like I'm in a fortunate situation where I can give back.  There was a time in my life and I think in everybody's life where I needed help. To give back in a situation where you can I think is good."  Bishop is already been a major role model for many kids back at his high school in his native Fairfield, California, which is 40 miles northeast of San Francisco. Bishop uses football as a teaching tool for young people who may be struggling to find their way.  "I do a football camp back home in my high school," Bishop said. "It's free, I just want to give back, really teach the kids more about football, but also about life, just tell them my journey and let 'em know if they have a dream, whether it be about football or whatever you want to be, if you want to be a doctor, a lawyer, stick to your dream and do whatever you think is necessary to reach your goals." While playing college ball at the University of California, Bishop routinely volunteered to serve food to homeless people.  While in Green Bay, Bishop has helped to improve the facilities at Golden House, a local shelter for victims of domestic violence. "Whether you're home or whatever city you're in, I feel it's an important part of being an NFL player." As one of four roaming linebackers in Dom Capers sophisticated 3-4 scheme, Bishop has to study a lot of film of opposing offenses. But that's not all he's studying. Bishop is working on a screenplay.

Safety Peprah: Peprah took over as the starter alongside Pro Bowl safety Nick Collins after rookie Morgan Burnett suffered a season-ending knee injury Oct. 3 against Detroit while former starter Atari Bigby was on the physically unable to perform list. When Bigby was activated Nov. 6, most assumed that he'd reclaim his job. Instead, he simply rotated in for Peprah against Dallas on Nov. 7 and at Minnesota last Sunday before pulling his hamstring against the Vikings. As long as Bigby is sidelined, he's already been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Falcons, Peprah will hold the job full-time. "Charlie's played well," safeties coach Perry said. "He hasn't been a guy that's just been lining up. I could probably line up and be in the right place, but I'm not going to make any plays, not at my age. But Charlie's been productive. He has taken advantage of the opportunity." Peprah certainly waited long enough for the opportunity. Claimed on waivers, Peprah spent his first three seasons with the Packers playing special teams. He made just one start on defense before suffering a knee injury in training camp last year and reaching an injury settlement with the Packers. He ended up joining the Falcons last November and played in two games. He re-signed with the Packers during the offseason. He entered training camp toward the bottom of the safety depth chart, but he made the roster. Now, the Packers are relying on him to continue his steady play. After a rocky start as Burnett's replacement, he made two key plays in the Packers' Oct. 31 shutout victory over the New York Jets and has played well ever since.

OLB Zombo–hard work, zeal for game make undrafted rookie a starter: A funny thing happened on the way to the practice squad. Injuries swept through the Packers’ linebackers like a brush fire in the Hollywood hills, and suddenly Zombo was the last man standing. There was nobody else to play right outside linebacker. He was it. Zombo made his first start in Week 3 against the Chicago Bears replacing the injured Brad Jones. After Jones (shoulder) went on injured reserve Oct. 27, the position was Zombo’s for good. Linebackers coach Greene worked to get Zombo up to speed, but for the most part it’s been baptism by fire. The 23-year-old Zombo has had to learn a new position on the fly.  Zombo ranks sixth on the Packers with 45 tackles including eight against the Vikings and has forced a fumble. ”He is doing really, really well,” Greene said. “He set a real hard edge against a Pro Bowl player in McKinnie. He made a couple of really nice tackles. He’s playing well. He’s very self-conscious about how he plays. He wants to learn and get better and it shows.” Zombo’s pass-rushing skills help him at linebacker. He’s strong enough to walk tackles back into the quarterback and has two sacks. ”Everybody measures the sacks, but you need people that know how to rush, where they just aren’t flying up the field,” said DC Capers. “If you put on the tape you’ll see a couple times (Sunday) that he had the tackle right back into Brett’s lap.” Of course, Zombo has made his share of mistakes, too. “There are some fundamentals and technique things that we can improve on,” Greene said. “He’ll learn that.” Like Zombo, Packers inside linebacker Desmond Bishop got his chance to play because of injuries. Now a starter alongside Zombo, Bishop said the two had a lot in common, starting with their passion for the game.  Zombo has a deep appreciation for the Packers organization and its storied tradition. He’s fallen in love with Green Bay and said he’s converted most of Sterling Heights, a suburb of Detroit, into Packers fans.

Looking to go to 3-0 with new head coach Jason Garrett, the Cowboys found a way Thursday to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

Leading by four with three minutes to play, the Cowboys had a chance to clinch the game vs the Saints, but wide out Roy Williams fumbled inside the Saints 10 on a pass play from Jon Kitna, and the Saints recovered.

With the air out of the balloon, the Saints marched down the field, hitting a big pass play from Drew Brees to Robert Meachem of 55 yards to the Dallas 12.

One play later with 1:55 left, Brees went to the end zone, hitting Lance Moore with a score to give the Saints a 30-27 lead. Dallas had a chance to tie but David Buehler was wide on a 59-yard field goal in the last seconds, saving the three-point win for New Orleans.

Dallas falls to 3-8, despite outgaining the Saints 457 to 414. They trailed 17-0 before many could finish their Thanksgiving dinners, but rallied with Kitna throwing for 313 yards on 30-of-42 passing.

The Cowboys clawed back into the game with a couple field goals to make it 20-6 at the half, and then Miles Austin got them back in the game with a 60-yard run to close it to 20-13.

New Orleans pushed it to 23-13, but the Cowboys got back to back short TD runs from Marion Barber and Tashard Choice to put Dallas up 27-23 before they killed themselves with the late turnover.

Brees was 23-for-39 for 352 yards with a TD and a pick. Chris Ivory scored twice for the Saints as they built the early lead before the Cowboys rallied.

New Orleans is now 8-3, winners of four in a row.

The Cowboys will be at Indy for a 4:15 EST game next Sunday.

The Boston Herald reports the Patriots have signed running back Danny Woodhead to a two-year contract extension.

Signed to a one-year contract on September 18, Woodhead’s two-year extension included a $425,000 signing bonus and base salaries of $550,000 in 2011 and $700,000 in 2012.

Another $1.175 million is available via playing time incentives, the Herald adds.

A former undrafted free agent from tiny Chadron State, Woodhead has 56 carries for 312 yards and 3 touchdowns with 22 receptions for 217 yards and a touchdown in his eight games with the Patriots this season.  Woodhead had 64 yards rushing and 87 receiving for the 2009 New York Jets.

Just when the Patriots looked at the scoreboard to find themselves down 11 – they found their stride and turned on the offense.

After trailing 14-3 in the second quarter to the Lions in the first of three Thanksgiving Day games, the Pats offense could not be stopped, as they ran up 447 yards in beating Detroit 45-24 to move to 9-2 on the season.

Tom Brady and the Pats offense found their stride, getting some help from rookie CB Devin McCourty who had two picks both of which set up scores in the big win.

Deion Branch had a big day helping his buddy in Brady, making a 79-yard touchdown catch that tied the game at 24 in the third quarter, and then a 22-yard scoring catch that put the Pats up for good at 31-24 with 13:45 to play.

Branch ended the day with three catches for 113 yards and two scores. Who needs Randy Moss?

The Lions started strong, and even led 24-17 in the third quarter till Brady and the Pats offense dominated the final 20 minutes, scoring 28 points.

BenJarvus Green-Ellis had 59 yards on 12 carries with two scores to pace the ground game. Danny Woodhead had 32 yards on the ground and 13 yards through the air.

Brady threw for 341 yards on 21-of-27 passing with four touchdowns and a perfect QB rating of 158.3. Shaun Hill was 27-for-46 for 285 yards with a TD and two picks.

Detroit took a 7-3 lead in the first quarter on a Hill 19-yard pass to Calvin Johnson on the last play of the quarter. They went up 14-3 after the Lions D shut down the Pats, and Detroit went on a drive that ended up with a Maurice Morris one-yard run with 5:58 left in the half.

The Pats came back with a critical drive that ended with a Green-Ellis 15-yard run to make it 14-10, but Detroit got a field goal on the last play of the half to make it 17-10.

New England plays the Jets next Monday night at home, in the critical AFC East game of the year. For the Lions, they have lost seven straight Thanksgiving Day games.

The Cardinals knew they were in for an uphill battle this season.  Replacing Kurt Warner (an almost sure Hall of Famer) and other Prow Bowl talent on both sides of the ball is never easy.  I don't think, however, Ken Whisenhunt and the Arizona Cardinals expected to be 3-7, which is good for a last place tie in the division with six games left to play.

According to Whisenhunt, though, the Cardinals don't think they're as bad as their standing and record.  Even still, Whisenhunt recognized that teams go through rough patches or even rough seasons, but it's nothing permanent.

If you look around the league, you see (rough times) happen to other teams.  It's important right now how we fight through this. I really believe that we're going to come out of it.  We're going to still have our opportunities to win divisions and go to playoff games and that's what our focus is.  Do I feel like we have eroded what we have built?  I don't feel that way.  I don't think you can look at our team over the last two years and what we have done in the playoffs and be ashamed about anything with that or feel like we've lost anything from that.  If we have to go through some tough times to get back to that point, that's what we have to do.

The tenor of Whisenhunt's comments seems to be a defense of the progress that he's made in Arizona since 2007.  It can't be argued that under Whisenhunt's guidance the Cardinals have achieved unparalleled success.  The only comparison that can be made is the St. Louis Cardinals teams of the mid 1970's.  Whisenhunt made it clear that when you achieve that level of success, it's difficult to replicate on a yearly basis.

We've gone to a Super Bowl.  We've played six playoff games and won four of them.  I'm not going to apologize for that.  I'm proud of the fact that we've done that.  To think that we're going to do that every year, even though we aspire to do that, that's tough.

It a fair point, but it's cold comfort to the everyday football fan that wants to tune in and watch their team win.  It's especially difficult when the team hasn't won since Week 5.  Losing the fans' trust is a concern that Whisenhunt expressed as well.

I feel as disappointed as anything that we have let some of our fans down.  That's the thing that keeps me up at night because we have worked so hard to create such great support for our team.  Certainly we feel that.  But we still have a chance to, if we play good football, (have it) take care of itself.

Whisenhunt and the Cardinals have a chance to snap their brutal 5-game losing streak on the biggest stage that professional football has to offer, Monday Night Football.  Just to spice up the pot, the game is against Arizona's rival the past few seasons, the San Francisco 49ers.  The Niners are also having a tough go of it this season as they are 3-7 and fresh off a 21-0 beating at home against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Even with a win against the 49ers in Week 12, the Cardinals will face extremely long odds in their playoff push, if there's one coming.  In addition, it's difficult to honestly say that the Cardinals could take advantage of a weak schedule, which they have.  Take  a look.

• Week 12 – vs. San Francisco (3-7)

• Week 13 – vs. St. Louis (4-6)

• Week 14 – vs. Denver (3-7)

• Week 15 – @ Carolina (1-9)

• Week 16 – vs. Dallas (3-7)

• Week 17 – @ San Francisco (3-7)

The Cardinals' opponents' combined record is a lowly 17-43 for a .395 winning percentage.  In addition, 4 of the last 6 games are at home.  If Arizona is planning on making a late season playoff push, they couldn't have asked for a more favorable schedule.

Senior writer jclombardi wishes happy thanksgiving to Packers fans.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!