Who's Hot and Who's Not in the NFL Right Now | Ticket King Green Bay

We are nine weeks into the season, so we decided it would be a good idea to take a look at the NFL teams in playoff contention right now, and have our in house analyst T.J. Bryce separate them into the classic contender/pretender format. 

New England Patriots- I believed at the start of the season the Patriots would be effected by the off season Tom Brady sideshow. Instead, it has been the exact opposite. Everything that happened to Brady has motivated the Patriots like never before. They are 9-0, and are looking almost impossible to beat. Status: Contender

Cincinnati Bengals- If someone were to force me to fill out an NFL – MVP, and told me I had to vote right now, Andy Dalton is the NFL's MVP at the moment. He has been that good. The Bengals are firing on all cylinders right now in every aspect of the game and are number one in my power rankings at the moment. Status: Contender

Green Bay Packers- Three weeks ago, this was one of the best teams in the league. After three straight losses they are in a free fall, and have dropped way down the power rankings list. We have never seen these modern era Packers self-destruct quite like this, and this team is clearly in denial if they don't think it is time to panic. Status: Pretender 

Minnesota Vikings- I did not think this Vikings team would be this 7-2 right now. But let's look at the facts. The truth is, they have been barely, BARELY, squeaking out wins against below-average or worse teams. They are improving though, as shown by their 30-14 win over the Oakland Raiders on Sunday and strong finish to the game. Still, I don't think this team is for real, but they will win this division easily due to the self-destruction happening across the boarder. Status: Pretender

Carolina Panthers- We thought the Panthers would be pretty good. We did not think they would be this good. Cameron Newton is having his best season to date and is a serious MVP candidate. On top of that the defense in Carolina is for real. Still, the nearly blown leads against Indianapolis and Green Bay are to be noted, but not to be made a big deal out of. Status: Contender

Arizona Cardinals- The Cardinals are off to a 7-2 start, and are putting up some impressive wins. Carson Palmer is having a great season, and if so many other quarterbacks weren't have better seasons, he would be a back-door MVP candidate. These Cardinals are for real, and have a showdown coming next Sunday against the Bengals on Sunday Night Football. Status: Contender.

Denver Broncos- The Broncos started the season 7-0, in spite of Peyton Manning's play. A foot injury is now going to sideline Manning for at least a week or two, and one must wonder if Manning's 5-20, 35 yard, no touchdown, four interception performance against the Chiefs on Sunday will be the last time he ever puts on an NFL uniform. The Broncos have lost two straight, and will now unofficially(due to Manning being out because of “injury”) turn to Brock Osweiler, their second round draft choice in 2012. This could possibly be Drew Bledose/Tony Romo all over again, when in 2006, Bledsoe's age and declining play led to him being benched in favor of the young Tony Romo. Status: Pretender

Atlanta Falcons- The Falcons started the season 4-0 and as hot as any team in the league. However the Falcons have looked bad five weeks in a row, going just 2-3 in that stretch, and barely winning those two games against bad teams. One must wonder if the Falcons are going to continue to fade as the season goes along. I expect them to. Status: Pretender.

Pittsburgh Steelers- Ben Roethlisberger is beat up, banged up, hobbling along on one leg, has missed a large portion of the season so far, and the Pittsburgh Steelers are 6-3. As he gets healthier look out, this may very well become the team to beat down stretch. Status: Contender

Packers Versus Lions Preview | Ticket King Green Bay

The Green Bay Packers are coming off back to back losses for the first time since 2010. Eddie Lacy is having a nightmare 2015 season, and this offense is a mess right now. Last Sunday against Carolina, the Packers failed to pick up a first down for a period of time that lasted for over 20 minutes in the first half. Both of these losses were on the road, and the Packers return home this week to play the Lions.

How will James Starks do, and can Eddie Lacy be productive at all? As stated above, Eddie Lacy is having a nightmare 2015 season. We are halfway through the season and Lacy has just 308 yards rushing. Well, his nightmare season just got worse this week. Lacy has officially been benched. James Starks is now number one on the depth chart. That doesn't mean Lacy won't play, it just means Starks will open the game as the starter. Starks is a good solid running back, and we think he will play well. As far as Lacy is concerned, the Packers have said his weight is not an issue. Well that is their official statement on the matter. Unofficially, Lacy is really overweight, even for his standards, and it is effecting his play.

Can Aaron Rodgers shake off this bad stretch of play and return to form? Aaron Rodgers is not used to this little production personally, at all. After having two nightmare games in a row, Rodgers starting out  bad in Carolina last week. He picked it up in the second half, although some of that can be attributed to inflated stats that are often picked up in comeback situations like that. We can say this, the Packers are not paying Aaron Rodgers to throw for 150 yards and a touchdown or two every game., they could get that from Ryan Fitzpatrick for 10 times less cost than they are paying Rodgers.

Can someone please get vertical in the passing game? This is a problem that masked itself the first six weeks of the season. However, over the last couple of weeks, this problem has really been brought into light. As we all know, Jordy Nelson tore his ACL in the preseason. As a result, the Packers offense lost it's vertical passing ability. At this moment, opponents are literally daring Aaron Rodgers to go vertical which is kind of funny, because up until Nelson's torn ACL, daring Aaron Rodgers to go vertical was a quick way to lose your job. Now, it is the defense of choice against the Packers. A potential solution could be to finally put Jeff Janis into the lineup and let him play. At 6'3”, 220 pounds, and a 4.42 40 time, Janis has measurables that don't grow on trees and could put him into play as dangerous deep threat, if they would just play him.

We usually do this in question format, but for this last part, we will simply say please don't blame the defense for these losses. Right now, this is all on the offense. Yes, the Packers defense did get run over in the second and third quarters last week, but that was after they were worn out, from being on the field so much. When the offense can't get a first down for over a 20-minute stretch of game time, the defense will get tired. So please, don't blame the defense, this isn't their fault, this falls squarely at the feet of the offense.

If this were another game against a good team on the road, we would say the Packers are headed for another loss. But this isn't a good team on the road, this is against the Lions at Lambeau Field. Final Score: 34-20 Packers. 

Blake Shelton Summerfest 2016 Tickets | Ticket King Green Bay

Summerfest 2016 has two headline acts booked for the Marcus Amphitheater.  The latest concert announcement came this week.  Blake Shelton will perform on July 1. Tickets for his show are available now. Shelton will tour to support his 2014 album titled "Reloaded: 20 #1 Hits." He's been going strong since 2001.

Shelton found more fans of his music when he agreed to join the celebrities on the hit television show "The Voice." He had amassed a huge fan base as his songs hit number one in the early part of the 2000's. Now, those who may not look to country music as a source for enjoyment found his style to be very likable. Blake's popularity had long been established before the rumors of his dating Gwen Stefani came up in the press. 

Between 2001 and 2009, Blake had six number one hit songs on the country charts.  From 2010 to now, he doubled that number, and currently has 14 number one hits in this decade. Shelton is not one of your run of the mill "Bro Country" singers. Sure, he sings songs that follow a well worn formula in country music, but he's managed to avoid the "flavor of the day" type songs that we have all come to know. See Blake Shelton in the summer of 2016. 

 

2015 NFL Trade Deadline Looms | Ticket King Green Bay

The 2015 NFL trade deadline is this week. Now, unlike the trade deadlines in the other three major sports (hockey, baseball, and basketball,) the NFL's is by far the least exciting. Why? Because in the NFL, a team cannot just “plug and play” a player that they just acquired. In all those other sports, a traded player can be performing for their new team immediately. For example, the Milwaukee Brewers trade for a third basemen that day, and three hours later that third basemen is in a Brewers uniform, playing third base, and goes 3-5 for that night in his Brewers debut. That is not how it works in the NFL. It is very hard to come in, in early November, learn a playbook in three days, and step on the field the following Sunday. When a team trades for a player, they must have a specific plan for that player. Still, some teams do make moves, and there are few out there that could be interesting. Here are some players that could be moved.

Vernon Davis /TE/ San Francisco 49ers -  A few days ago, when we started writing this, Davis was still on the trading block. He is officially off the trading block as of Monday. That day, the 49ers traded Vernon Davis and a seventh round draft choice to the Broncos for a 2016 sixth round draft choice and a 2017 sixth round draft choice.

Calvin Johnson /WR/ Detroit Lions - There was a time, not too long ago, when Calvin Johnson was one of the most feared players in the league and a nightmare to cover. It looks like all of those hits are starting to catch up to him. Still, he is a great player. The Lions are 1-6, and could be looking to move several players ahead of the deadline.

Anquan Boldin /WR/ San Francisco 49ers - Another 49er who could be moved, Boldin deserves to finish out his career with a chance to go for one more championship. In his new role on a different team, Boldin could be a very good fourth receiver.

Robert Griffin /QB/ Washington Redskins - The most talked about football player in recent memory, Griffin has gone from the role of Washington Redskins franchise player to scout team safety, which is where our in house analyst T.J. Bryce thinks he should have been playing all along- safety. Not sure how effective a fresh start in a new place will help him at this point, but he will still generate some interest.

Brandon Pettigrew /TE/ Detroit Lions- This is yet another Lions veteran who could be moved, Pettigrew can be very productive in the right offense. We’re not sure where though.  

Selena Gomez Summerfest 2016 Headliner | Tickets On Sale Now

Selena Gomez is the first Summerfest headline act booked for 2016.  June 29 is the date. The Marcus Amphitheater is the venue. Tickets for Selena Gomez are already on sale. Ticket King can ship your tickets overnight. 

Selena Gomez released her fourth album this year.  It's titled "Revival" and the hit single "Good For You" is burning up the charts.  Selena herself had a hand in writing this song, along with six other writers listed on the album.  She once again worked with Nick Monson as well as many others, in order to make sure that she put her best foot forward. Prior to Revival, her last album was When the Sun Goes Down, released in 2011.

Ms. Gomez is a busy gal, not only performing on stage, but in movies, and designing clothing. Yes, so many young musical artists are also putting out their own clothing line. One great feature in her clothing line is that the clothes are made from partially recycled materials. Her music can be found on Hollywood Records and Interscope.

Gomez starts her tour in May of 2016, playing all throughout the summer. She stayed busy in the 2013 concert season, performing on the Stars Dance For You tour.   

Packers Take On Rams at Lambeau | Ticket King Green Bay

Four games for the Packers, and four wins. So far, so good. Don't celebrate yet though. We should keep our eyes on that original 12-4 number our in-house expert T.J. Bryce came up with before the season started. Still by starting 4-0, that makes 12-4 easier to attain. Next up is a home game against St. Louis.

Can Aaron Rodgers avoid this vaunted front four of the Rams? The Rams have the best and deepest defensive line in the NFL. They are aggressive rushers. However, there is nobody better at exploiting aggressive pass rushers than Aaron Rodgers. The Packers All-Pro quarterback excels at sidestepping pass rushers and finding lanes in the process to run through all while keeping his eyes down the field at the same time.

Will Brian Bulaga play? The above question could be aided by the potential return of Brian Bulaga who is working his way back from yet another injury. Originally slated to miss six weeks, T.J. Bryce told us in his weekly updates to us that he believed Bulaga wouldn't return until after the bye week. Well here he is, back at practice after two weeks, and two weeks short of the bye week as well. If Bulaga plays, that will help.

So where do the Packers stand on injuries? Green Bay has been hit hard by injuries in 2015. Jordy Nelson, Sam Barrington, and Josh Boyd are all done for the season. Davante Adams is currently sidelined with a high ankle sprain and won't play Sunday. Morgan Burnett is still nursing a bad calf. Randall Cobb is still working that shoulder back to full strength. James Jones is nursing a sore hamstring. Eddie Lacy avoided a scare earlier this season when he turned over on his ankle against the Seahawks on Sunday Night Football but he appears to be fine now. Brian Bulaga is practicing, after being expected to miss six weeks with a MCL injury. Even though the Packers injuries have been bad, they could have been a lot worse. Adams will return soon, so will Burnett, as will Bulaga. Cobb and Jones injuries are getting better. This could have been much, much worse.

Can the Packers front seven stop Todd Gurley? The Rams made Gurley the 10th overall draft selection this year, knowing he was still recovering from that torn ACL, also knowing they had to be patient. That patience is paying off. In his second NFL game and first full game, Todd Gurley had a monster performance, finishing with 19 carries for 146 yards. The Packers problem with good running backs is already well documented. The good news is that is in the past, and the Packers have done a great job with the last three they have faced: Marshawn Lynch, Jamal Charles, and Carlos Hyde. Hopefully they can continue that trend.

Final Score: The Rams will put up a good fight, but we expect the Packers to win this game 38-24.

Packers Versus 49ers Final Score | Ticket King Green Bay

The Packers are coming off a 38-28 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday Night Football. At one point they led 31-7. Aaron Rodgers threw five touchdown passes in that game, and despite what Pro Football Focus thinks he played a great game. Next up for the Packers they travel to San Francisco to take on the 49ers on Sunday.

Can Aaron Rodgers keep up this pace? For the season Aaron Rodgers is 67-91 for 771 yards and 10 touchdowns and zero interceptions. At this pace, he will finish the season 357-485 for 4,112 yards, 53 touchdowns and zero interceptions. This would be the greatest statistical season of all time, and would certainly give Rodgers his third MVP award.

When will it be midnight for James Jones? The Packers signed James Jones off the street not knowing what to expect in his return to Green Bay. What has happened is Jones has been one of the league's best receivers through three weeks this season. Jones has 12 catches for 219 yards and four touchdowns. Will this weekend see the end of this early season run though?

When will the injuries eventually become too much to overcome? So let's tally it up at the moment. Jordy Nelson, Josh Boyd, and Sam Barrington are all done for the season. Andrew Quarless is been designated as injured reserve-designated for return, so he will be out until week 12. Brian Bulaga will not return until after the bye. Devonte Adams now has a high ankle sprain and he won't play this weekend. In fact, we don't expect him back until after the bye either. Datone Jones avoided a concussion somehow. Eddie Lacy and Randall Cobb both had close calls, but are back in the lineup. At some point, one must have to think, these injuries will eventually be too much to overcome.

How high can the great Clay Matthews take his game? Most players find a position, and excel at that position. Clay Matthews is taking mastery of positional play to a whole new level. Matthews has mastered the art of playing both inside and out. Oh yeah, he is now the defensive play caller as well. I don't think we have seen the best of Clay Matthews yet.

Will the team let past history in and against San Francisco effect them? I understand this game isn't in Green Bay, but Aaron Rodgers has been beaten three times at Lambeau Field since his rise to greatness in 2010. Two of those losses are the San Francisco 49ers, one being in the playoffs. Then there was that 2013 playoff debacle in San Francisco. This is a much different Packers team since the last time these two played, and this is a much different 49ers team since the last time these two played.

Final Score: A lot of people are predicting a blowout, but I will not be one of them. Packers win a much closer game than expected 38-24.