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<< Previous   of   Next >>   ADVERTISEMENT   Breaking down the Packers Each day this week, The Herald will dissect the Seattle Seahawks’ playoff opponent, the Green Bay Packers. Today: A look at Green Bay linebacker Nick Barnett (below) If you ask those in the know, the ascension of Packers linebacker Nick Barnett from solid-NFL-player to force-to-be-reckoned-with had a lot to do with stability. Barnett had four different defensive coordinators in his first four NFL seasons, and the constant turnover often left him trying to re-invent himself. When the Packers replaced coordinator Jim Bates with Bates protégée Bob Sanders in 2006, it finally provided some stability in the defensive system. When Sanders was retained in 2007, Barnett jumped out to a breakout season. His team-high 131 tackles ranked fourth in the NFC, and Barnett established himself as the leader of Green Bay’s improved defense. Many people — inside and outside of Green Bay — saw Barnett’s exclusion from the Pro Bowl roster as a major snub. While he lost out to deserving candidates in Lofa Tatupu of the Seahawks and rookie-of-the-year Patrick Willis of San Francisco, Barnett seemed as deserving as ever. The Seahawks might have a middle linebacker of Barnett’s caliber, but they haven’t faced one since squaring off with Chicago’s Brian Urlacher in early November. (Willis, who played two games against Seattle this season, is an inside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme.) Barnett’s presence means it won’t be a good week for the Seahawks to cure their struggling run game. But Seattle can try to expose his aggressive nature on occasion. Coming Wednesday: A look at Green Bay running back Ryan Grant Scott M. Johnson, Herald Writer   ADDITIONAL ITEMS • Seattle Seahawks (External Link) • Stats (External Link)   CONTACT THE HERALD Report scores and results to 425-339-3470 or 1-866-6-SCORES (Call after 4:30 p.m.) E-mail information including items for Tuesday's Communities Sports Roundup and Thursday's Outdoor Calendar, to sports@heraldnet.com Kevin Brown, Sports Editor kbrown@heraldnet.com   Published: Tuesday, January 8, 2008 Holmgren talks about his time in Green Bay But the Seahawks coach is wary to compare this year's Packers team to the one he took to the Super Bowl in 1997. By Scott M. Johnson Herald Writer KIRKLAND -- Mike Holmgren spent a good part of his first press conference before this weekend's playoff game remembering his time in Green Bay. The Seattle Seahawks' head coach also took a few minutes Monday to talk about the similarities between this year's Packers and his own team. But when it came to comparing this year's Packers to some of his greatest teams of the past, Holmgren was having no part of it. "There might be only a couple guys left from when I was there," Holmgren said on Monday. "They're pretty young, but they're pretty talented. … It would be hard to compare them." Statistically, the 2007 Packers are remarkably similar to two other Holmgren-coached teams -- one in Green Bay and another in Seattle. This year's Packers hope to follow those teams to the Super Bowl. In 1996, Holmgren led the Green Bay Packers to their first Super Bowl title in 29 years. In 2005, he coached the Seahawks' first-ever Super Bowl participant. Those teams, like the 2007 Packers, had 13-3 regular-season records and first-round playoff byes. The '96 Packers and 2005 Seahawks rolled into the playoffs on a high, both hammering Carolina in the NFC Championship game. While this year's Packers will have no such opportunity -- Carolina didn't make the playoffs after a 7-9 regular season -- Green Bay is certainly a Super Bowl contender. As the No. 2 seed in the NFC, the Packers enjoyed an idle weekend before hosting Saturday's game against the Seahawks. The early betting lines have Green Bay as eight- to nine-point favorites, but Holmgren isn't scared of being the underdog. "We're going uphill, and we know the challenges," Holmgren said, comparing the situation to last year's divisional round playoff game in Chicago. "But it kind of gets you going to say, 'OK, here's what we're up against. Let's see what we can do.'" The most obvious similarity between this Packers team and the one that Holmgren led to a Super Bowl XXXI victory over New England is at quarterback. The 1996 Packers had a young spitfire named Brett Favre who was ascending toward the peak of his career. This year's Packers also have Favre, although he's 38 years old and enjoying a career renaissance. "He's having a wonderful year," Holmgren said. "There aren't many guys like him around, really. He's special." Seattle's quarterback in 2005 was -- and still is -- former Favre backup Matt Hasselbeck. Holmgren is often asked the inevitable questions about the similarities between his current Seahawks starter and his former Packers star, and the comparison-wary coach often answers by saying that their styles are different. While Holmgren helped turn Favre into one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history, he's quietly brought Hasselbeck to unexpected heights as well. Hasselbeck has a long way to go to match Favre's productivity, but the Seattle quarterback has done enough to win over his gruff head coach. "We are where we are because of him, for a lot of reasons," Holmgren said Monday. When it comes to comparing this year's Seahawks and Packers, Holmgren barely had enough time to count off the things the two teams have in common. "Both teams have had good defensive years and rely on their defense," he said. "They both have good quarterbacks. … They have a good receivers. There are a lot of similarities." Of course, the most obvious difference is that the Packers will be playing at home. It's a place Holmgren knows all too well. "I'm just tickled pink they haven't taken my street sign down," said Holmgren, referring to a street called Mike Holmgren Way in nearby Ashwaubenon, Wisc. "… My time there was special. And my time here (in Seattle) is special."

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