Giants vs. Packers: The Playoff Aftermath
The Green Bay Packers could not find any rhythm all afternoon losing in the divisional round of the playoffs to the New York Giants by the score of 37-20.
Bizarro World
Simply put, it wasn’t the Packers day. Everything the team did well all season – protect the football, create turnovers, move the ball – seemed to fail the Green and Gold today. The Packers lost three fumbles – and added an interception in garbage time – on its way to a lopsided loss at Lambeau field.
The defense did create one turnover, but John Kuhn picked an inopportune time for his first career fumble and gave it right back to the Giants on the ensuing drive. Ultimately, the offense looked like a shadow of its regular season self, and four turnovers proved too much to overcome.
Finally, Aaron Rodgers simply wasn’t himself. He wasn’t terrible by any stretch of the imagination, but he certainly missed the mark on a few plays. The early miss of a wide open Greg Jennings comes to mind, and the third-down miss of Jermichael Finley hurt the team’s chances today. The likely MVP had an off day. It happens. Unfortunately, the rest of the team did as well, and the Packers will be watching the rest of the playoffs from the couch.
Reliability Isn’t Always A Good Thing
The Packers offense – as spectacular as it has been – has cursed itself with dropped passes all season, and Sunday’s playoff game wasn’t any different. By my unofficial count, the receiving corps dropped eight passes. On any other day, the Packers electrifying offense overcomes those errors and manages to find the end zone. Not today, though. In the end, the 2012 postseason dream simply wasn’t meant to be.
Another unfailing area of deficiency has been the defense’s poor tackling. And despite playing a decent overall game, the unit gave up a number of big plays by not wrapping up ball carriers. It comes down to the fundamentals of tackling and the Packers defense did not execute.
Bright Spots?
There wasn’t a shining star today. Aaron Rodgers led the way for the Packers with five first downs rushing the football, but no one else answered the call of playoff football. As an eternal optimist, however, I am forced to look for a few positive aspects. My list is pretty short, and somehow, even the positives include some negatives.
For the first time since Cletidus Hunt got his mitts on a kick in the 2002 playoffs, the Packers special teams blocked a field goal in the playoffs. Outside linebacker Brad Jones was responsible for the swat, but it did very little to make up for his lackluster play on defense.
Aaron Rodgers can run. Credit the Giants defense for their blanket-like coverage on the Packers receiving corps, but Rodgers took what he was able with his feet. The Packers only managed eight rushing first downs, and five of them were credited to Rodgers. Once again, Rodgers led all Packers in rushing yards, begging the question, what do the Packers do next season at running back?
Donald Driver can still play. The Packers all-time leader in receptions and receiving yards had only three catches on the day, but two of the grabs converted third-downs and one went for a touchdown. Ironically, the player who may be forced off next season’s roster put in one of the day’s best performances.
Play Of The Game
The Packers were set to head into the locker room wounded, but an Eli Manning prayer squashed the day’s hopes and fortunes.
With only a handful of seconds left in the first half, Manning threw up a rainbow into the corner of the end zone. With safety Charlie Peprah in coverage, Giants’ receiver Hakeem Nicks out-leapt his defender as well as the right arm of Charles Woodson to trap the football between his hands and his facemask. Instead of 13-10 halftime lead, the Giants went up by 10 and the Packers never recovered.
How is it that Wisconsin football teams can have such great seasons, but be stymied by the hail mary pass?
Up Next?
As a fan, it’s tough to stomach a game like this, but the better team won. The Giants will move on to San Francisco to face the 49ers and the Packers will be left wondering what could have been.
It was a heck of a ride for the 2011 Packers, but unfortunately, the roller coaster stopped abruptly and left the players, fans and coaches wishing for another go round. All that is left to say, is thanks for a great season, and let’s do it again next year. Well, let’s do it again but with a different ending.
Packers vs. Chiefs: The Aftermath
The Packers suffered their first loss of the 2011 season at the hands of the Kansas City Chiefs by the score of 19-14.
The December Duo
You knew the Packers were in trouble on Sunday when one of the few bright spots was punter Tim Masthay. Not only did Masthay boom a 71-yard punt, but he helped create the offense’s first first down with a roughing the punter penalty. The Pittsburgh native added to his good day by landing three of his five punts inside the 20-yard line.
The only other player that showed a little flash was running back Ryan Grant. The fifth-year pro totaled 101 yards: 66 on the ground and 35 through the air. Grant showed his usual December burst on many of his runs and athletically bailed out a scrambling Aaron Rodgers early in the fourth quarter with a juggling catch down the right sideline for 22 yards.
Defense Giveth, But Not Taketh Away
Dom Capers’ defense embodied the bend-but-don’t-break philosophy on Sunday, holding the Chiefs offense to one touchdown and four field goals in five redzone trips. Ultimately, however, the league’s best defense at creating fumbles and interceptions came up empty in the turnover department and the Packers were handed their first loss of the year.
The defensive line led the way on the goal-to-go situations, but as a whole, the defense gave up 438 yards and could not stop running backs Thomas Jones and Jackie Battle when it mattered most in the fourth quarter. On any other day this season, holding the opponent to 19 points wins the game, but on a day where the offense sputtered, it simply wasn’t enough.
The Offen-sieve Line:
Sunday’s offensive struggles started up front. Even before injuries forced the Packers offense line to play musical chairs, the unit wasn’t producing. When the dust settled, the Chiefs hit Aaron Rodgers 5 times and sacked him 4 times.
To make things worse, right tackle Bryan Bulaga re-injured the same knee he hurt back in week 3 against Chicago. After the game, Mike McCarthy characterized the injury as a “knee sprain” but Bulaga’s replacement, rookie Derek Sherrod, wasn’t as lucky. The Packers first-round draft pick broke his right leg when Chiefs defensive end Tamba Hali fell into him late in the game.
The pair of injuries forced right guard T.J. Lang to shift to right tackle and Evan Dietrich-Smith to replace Lang at guard. The new-look offensive line didn’t fare any better than the old iteration, so here’s to hoping that Bulaga’s injury isn’t serious and veteran Chad Clifton is able to come back soon.
Hurry Back, Greg Jennings
Did anyone else notice that the Packers wide receivers didn’t seem to be open on Sunday afternoon? Not only does Greg Jennings make big plays, but his mere presence stretches the defense and accounts for at least two defenders. Without Jennings, the Chiefs defensive backfield zeroed in on the other wideouts and the Packers receiving corps didn’t help themselves with their numerous drops.
The offense’s lone big play was to tight end Jermichael Finley. On the Packers second drive of the second half, Rodgers and the offense faced a 3rd-and-4 from the Kansas City 48-yard line. Finley got a clean release from his three-point stance, and atoning for his earlier drops, adjusted under a deep Rodgers’ pass to make an over-the-shoulder catch for a 41-yard gain. Three plays later, Donald Driver’s touchdown catch finally put the Packers on the board.
Aside from Finley’s grab, the usually high-powered Packers offense couldn’t find the accelerator. In his post-game comments, quarterback Aaron Rodgers summed up Jennings’ absence perfectly, “We miss him.”
Up Next
Next week, the team returns to the friendly confines of Lambeau Field to face the Bears on Christmas. If the Packers bounce back and beat Chicago, they would assure themselves homefield advantage throughout the playoffs, but Pittsburgh could deliver the Green and Gold an early Christmas present with a victory over San Francisco on Monday night. No matter how it adds up — a Green Bay win or a San Francisco loss — the Packers are still on course for the best record in the NFC and a week of rest before attempting to defend their Super Bowl title.
Tori Gurley Rejects Vikings Offer, Remains A Packer
How can you tell your franchise is at the pinnacle of success? Everybody wants in on the action; even if it means turning down an opportunity you have been waiting for your entire life.
That is the decision Packers practice squad player Tori Gurley made this week. According to Jason Wilde of ESPNMilwaukee.com (and noted earlier this week by Zach Kruse of AllGreenBayPackers.com), Gurley turned down an offer to join the Vikings 53-man roster in order to stay with a team who has “some of the best receivers in the game.”
“(Minnesota’s) season is going to be over within three weeks. We’re already locked to have a playoff spot,” said Gurley of his decision. “I’m all about winning a Super Bowl, so if that’s me being a practice squad player to help the defense out, or me getting out there on the field and doing whatever I have to do, I just want to be a part of something special.”
The undrafted free agent wide receiver out of South Carolina did receive a pay raise from the Packers, and ultimately Gurley says his “opportunity is going to come.”
For the division-rival Vikings, the rejection reflects the team’s ill-fated 2011 destiny. Perhaps they would have had better luck had they sent over the trio of Jared Allen, Steve Hutchinson and Ryan Longwell to talk Gurley into crossing the border.
Raiders vs. Packers: The Aftermath
On a crisp December day in Green Bay, Wisconsin, the Oakland Raiders didn’t even bother to show up as the Packers crushed them by a score of 46-16.
Play Of The Game
The Packers defense set the tone early when linebacker D.J. Smith ended the Raiders’ initial possession by tipping the ball to himself and pulling it down for an athletic interception. The books will record a pick for Smith, but it was the pressure brought on by fellow linebacker Clay Matthews that caused the turnover. Raiders tight end Kevin Boss was embarrassed by Matthews’ speed on the play and the Packers outside linebacker got a hand on quarterback Carson Palmer forcing him into an ill-advised throw. The official record will read Matthews with the quarterback pressure and Smith with the interception, but Matthews’ on-field presence simply cannot be quantified.
Speaking of Smith, who along with Robert Francois started at the inside linebacker positions for the second week in a row, he collected tackles Sunday afternoon like Packers fans collect hangovers, finishing the day with a team-high ten tackles.
Forget Me Not
Ryan Grant looked, dare I say, explosive today. In particular, the Packers first official play from scrimmage showcased Grant’s first rushing touchdown of the season. Grant ran to his left and made one cut between a Scott Wells and T.J. Lang created hole for a 47-yard scamper. The play was also made possible by Jordy Nelson’s superb downfield blocking and Grant’s ability to make a defender miss. But credit the Packers forgotten running back who outran the entire Raiders’ defense on the play. As if on cue, Ryan Grant has found that extra gear that seems to come around every December. The former Notre Dame running back finished with 10 carries for 85 yards and two touchdowns. Not a bad day’s work for the 29-year-old running back.
Just Another Day At The Office
Even when the Raiders had 12 men on the field, Aaron Rodgers still was able to dissect their defense. On that particular play, Rodgers had two Raiders defenders in his face as he threw up a 37-yard pass off his back foot to a streaking Jordy Nelson who adjusted nicely to position himself under the ball to make a fantastic touchdown catch.
Rodgers continued to shred the Raiders defense until he was blindsided by Raiders linebacker Aaron Curry late in the first half. I’m not sure whether it was mental or physical, but Rodgers didn’t appear to be the same quarterback after the hit. As the CBS broadcasting crew pointed out, starting with the play in which he was hit by Curry, Rodgers threw four straight incomplete passes for the first time all season.
With two minutes left in the third quarter, Rodgers’ day was done. Already leading 43-7, the team went to backup Matt Flynn, and Aaron Rodgers’ final numbers read 17-out-of-30 passing for 281 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.
Down Goes Jennings
There are two players on the Packers roster that are irreplaceable: Aaron Rodgers and Clay Matthews. Without either of those players, their respective units would cease to function at a high level. Right below Rodgers and Matthews, however, is the Packers top wideout Greg Jennings. And on the opening drive of the second half, the Packers lost Jennings to a knee injury. As the training staff examined the 28-year-old receiver’s left leg, he grimaced in pain and clutched a towel over his head. After the game, McCarthy characterized the injury as a “knee sprain” but the question remains of how badly the left knee is sprained.
Jennings wasn’t the only Packers player to leave early on Sunday. Running back Brandon Saine and defensive end Ryan Pickett both left with concussions. The usual tests will be performed, and both players will need to show no negative effects from the head injuries in order to play next Sunday.
Up Next?
The Packers travel to Kansas City to face a lackluster Chiefs team. At 13-0, the only thing standing between the Packers and an undefeated regular season is whether or not head coach Mike McCarthy decides to rest his starters at any point during the last three games. All the Packers need is one more victory, or a loss by the San Francisco 49ers, and the team will secure home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
In McCarthy we trust.
Packers vs. Giants: The Aftermath
The Green Bay Packers remained unbeaten Sunday afternoon by outlasting the New York Giants by the score of 38-35.
The Playmakers
Each week a new player steps up to lead the Packers offense, and on an up-and-down day for the receiving corps, the entire group stepped up when quarterback Aaron Rodgers needed them most.
The combination of Greg Jennings, Jordy Nelson, Jermichael Finley and Donald Driver combined for 21 catches for 309 yards and 4 touchdowns. Donald Driver lodged only 4 catches on the afternoon, but 2 went for scores and the 36-year-old continues to defy age with timely, acrobatic catches. Speaking of big-time catches, Jordy Nelson also hauled in 4 passes. Whenever the Packers needed a play, Nelson was there to pull down a spectacular catch.
The Injury Bug Strikes Again
Already without four key starters — right guard Josh Sitton, left tackle Chad Clifton, and inside linebackers A.J. Hawk and Desmond Bishop – the Packers lost three more key players on Sunday.
James Starks injured his ankle after only 3 carries, but hopefully the ride on the cart to the locker room was not indicative of the severity of the injury. Cornerback Charles Woodson also made his way to the locker room during the game in what appeared to be a concussion. In what looked like the most serious injury, tight end Andrew Quarless’ right leg bent awkwardly late in the game and the second-year tight end appeared to be in serious pain as he was helped off the field.
As Green Bay approaches a perfect season, I wonder if head coach Mike McCarthy is weighing the value of health over the prospect of an undefeated season. The coach claims he’s taking it one game at a time, but after the past two injury-filled weeks, the thought has to be running through his mind.
Play Of The Game
After two straight runs of over ten yards by Giants running back Brandon Jacobs, New York was beginning to take over the game’s early momentum. On Jacobs’ second run, Packers safety Morgan Burnett made a shoe-string tackle to save a big run by the nimble, 264-pound running back.
On the very next play, Packers linebacker Clay Matthews took one step towards the quarterback before dropping back into coverage. Feeling pressure from the pass rush, Eli Manning attempted a check-down pass to running back Ahmad Bradshaw in the right flat. Without breaking stride, Matthews stepped in front of Bradshaw for the interception. There was no one left to stop the Pro Bowl linebacker as he sprinted 38-yards for the score, putting the Packers ahead for the first time in the contest.
Matthews’ score turned the momentum in the Packers favor and set the tone for the rest of the afternoon.
The Game Winner
For the first time in over four years, Packers kicker Mason Crosby kicked a game-winning field goal. Since that first kick, which was in his first NFL game, Crosby had missed three other game-winners.
On the game’s final drive, Aaron Rodgers and the offense drove the ball 68-yards in the final minute of the game, and Crosby put a 30-yard kick straight through the uprights to seal the victory for the Packers. Despite the dreaded right-hash monster denying Crosby an earlier field goal, Crosby came up big with the game on the line.
Up Next?
The Packers return home next week and welcome the Oakland Raiders to the friendly confines of Lambeau Field. Oakland is coming off a disappointing loss to the Miami Dolphins and will be hungry to keep pace with the Denver Broncos in the AFC West.
Packers vs. Lions: The Aftermath
The Packers made their Thanksgiving happy with a road win over the Detroit Lions by the score of 27-15.
Opoportunity Knocks
In his post-game press conference Packers head coach Mike McCarthy summed up his team’s approach to takeaways by saying, “everybody preaches, we practice.” On Thursday, the Packers practice paid off to the tune of three interceptions. On the other side of the ball, Aaron Rodgers and the offense took those three picks and turned them into 17 points. When it comes down to it, would you rather have a dominating defense or an opportunistic one?
It wasn’t just turnovers that the Packers made the most of, however. On the Packers first drive of the second half, the Lions had seemingly stopped the Packers from scoring after Donald Driver couldn’t get his hands on a third-down pass from the Detroit 3-yard line. But Detroit’s Ndamukong Suh committed a costly penalty and was ejected from the game for kicking Packers lineman Evan Dietrich-Smith while Smith was on the ground after the play. The offense was given a fresh set of downs, and two plays later, John Kuhn followed a B.J. Raji lead-block into the end zone for a one-yard touchdown plunge.
Play Of The Game
On a second-and-10 from his own 20-yard line, Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford tried to find his tight end. Packers defensive end Ryan Pickett sniffed out the play and instead of rushing Stafford, the eleventh-year veteran shuffled out to his left. When Stafford tried to force the pass, the 340-pound Pickett showed off his athleticism by leaping high into the air to tip the ball. Clay Matthews went high and Charles Woodson went low as they both broke for the ball. Matthews homed in and came away with the game-changing interception. Two plays later, Greg Jennings and the Packers offense notched the first score of the game.
Next Man Up
This phrase has come to have multiple meanings for the Green Bay Packers. Primarily, it speaks to the roster depth that Ted Thompson and the Packers front office has accumulated. In a violent sport in which injuries are many, the Packers came into the game with minimal damage to their roster. Perhaps it’s the effects of playing three games in an 11-day span or maybe it’s the turf at Ford Field, but the Packers left The Motor City wounded.
Both starting inside linebackers – Desmond Bishop and A.J. Hawk – left the game with calf injuries. Of the two, Bishop’s appeared to be more serious as he finished the game on the sidelines sporting two crutches with his right calf wrapped in ice. Right guard Josh Sitton suffered a knee sprain and James Starks “tweaked his ankle” as well.
Rookie D.J. Smith and second-year backer Robert Francois replaced Bishop and Hawk, while Sitton was replaced by Evan Dietrich-Smith. A combination of Ryan Grant, John Kuhn and undrafted rookie Brandon Saine made up for Starks’ absence. The pass blocking of the Packers offensive line took a bit of a hit with Dietrich-Smith at guard, but when it mattered most in the fourth quarter, the offense engineered a 10-play, 53-yard scoring drive that ate up 5:42 of the clock. Smith and Francois combined for nine tackles and Francois pulled down a high-flying interception in the third quarter. With or without Starks, the running game was nothing special.
The prognosis of the injured players is unknown at this point, but the quartet will certainly benefit from the extra rest before their next game.
In addition to replacing injured players, the phrase of “next man up” has come to be the mantra for the Packers wide receiving corps. The dynamic group simply does not have a weakness and each week a new receiver steps up to be the playmaker. Coming into the game, the hot receiver was Jordy Nelson, but today, it was James Jones’ turn to shine. And with 3 catches for 94 yards and a touchdown to break the game open in the second half, he shone brightly.
The Defense States Its Case
The Lions did a lot to hurt their chances on Thanksgiving Day with turnovers and missed throws, but credit the Packers defense for making things difficult for Stafford and company. The Packers defense did give up 409 total yards and 14 points, but the final touchdown pass to Calvin Johnson was a meaningless, garbage time score.
The unit as a whole played one of their better games of the season, but a few players in particular stood out. Charles Woodson may have missed a couple of tackles, but his third-quarter interception was vintage Woodson. With Stafford attempting to find tight end Brandon Pettigrew, Woodson timed the pass perfectly and simultaneously closed in on Pettigrew and the football. Simply wanting it more, Woodson wrestled the ball away from the Lions tight end and came away with the pick. As the FOX crew pointed out, this was Woodson’s fourth consecutive game against the Lions in which he intercepted a pass.
Another player who jumped out was Clay Matthews. He was the only Packers player to consistently create a pass rush and he was around the action all afternoon. In particular, Matthews’ made a great play with a pass deflection in the second quarter that ended a Lions drive at mid-field. The outside linebacker sniffed out an attempted screen pass and leaped high into the air with his right hand to knock down the pass attempt and force a punt. Between Matthews’ motor and the superb play of the secondary, the defense denied the Lions any chance of a fourth-quarter comeback.
Up Next?
The suddenly banged-up Packers are looking forward to a ten-day break until their next game. The team travels to New York to face the Giants in what should prove to be a difficult road test for the undefeated Packers. For now, however, Green Bay is 11-0 for the first time in franchise history and already looking towards the playoffs, and that equals a very happy Thanksgiving for the Packers and their fans.
Buccaneers vs. Packers: The Aftermath
The Green Bay Packers defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers by a score of 35-26 on a cold Sunday afternoon in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
Not Exactly How They Drew It Up
From the Packers opening drive, it was apparent that Sunday would be far from an ordinary day at Lambeau. After the first six plays yielded two incompletions, one false start, two offsides calls and a five-yard pass, the Packers found themselves punting. Punter Tim Masthay fielded the punt cleanly, but after a Buccaneers special-teamer came through the offensive line untouched, Masthay smartly tried to tuck the ball and run. His quick thinking couldn’t keep up with his hands, however, and Masthay fumbled the ball. He recovered his own fumble and ran for the first down, but lost the ball again. After a fortuitous bounce, the ball went out of bounds and the Packers offense found itself with a fresh set of downs. After Jordy Nelson hauled in two great catches, and Rodgers showed off his fancy footwork, the Packers fed the rock to nose tackle B.J. Raji for a one-yard touchdown plunge. Despite Raji not checking in with the referee prior to the play, the score stood and the Packers were up 7-0 early.
Rodgers Shows He Is Human
Most quarterbacks would be pleased with the day Aaron Rodgers put in on his way to leading his team to victory. Completing 23-of-34 passes for 299 yards, 3 touchdowns, and an interception is a solid day by NFL quarterback standards, but after the game, Aaron Rodgers said he “didn’t throw the ball very well.” And by Rodgers’ standards, Sunday was, in fact, an off day. The silver lining is always a victory, and along the way Rodgers also set a career-high in touchdown passes (31) in just the first ten games of the 2011 season. With six games remaining, Rodgers remains on pace for one of the most impressive seasons ever recorded by a quarterback.
Sunday’s Stars
Continuing his breakout season, receiver Jordy Nelson put together another stellar performance Sunday. He led all Packers receivers with six catches for 123-yards and two touchdowns. With the usual offensive suspects Jermichael Finley and Greg Jennings being held to a combined three catches for 36 yards, the Packers offense had to look elsewhere for firepower. Aside from Nelson’s spectacular day, the ageless Donald Driver chipped in four timely catches for 72 yards.
Before leaving with a knee sprain, James Starks single handedly carried his team when they needed it most. With the Buccaneers clawing their way within two points of the Packers early in the fourth quarter, Aaron Rodgers and the offense engineered an eight play, 85-yard scoring drive that culminated in a one-yard touchdown run by John Kuhn. Of those eight plays, James Starks caught four passes for 29 yards and rushed twice for 26 more yards. With his team in need, the second-year back out of Buffalo answered the call.
Ready For Thanksgiving?
In comparison to last season, the Packers have been relatively injury free this year. On Sunday, however, James Starks was bent backwards while being tackled in the fourth quarter and required assistnace as he hobbled off the field with arms draped around Packers physician Patrick McKenzie and team trainer Pepper Burruss. Following the game, McCarthy characterized the injury as a “knee sprain” and added the team will conduct further tests on Monday. In addition to Starks, receiver Greg Jennings suffered a “shin bruise.” Of the two, Starks’ injury appeared to be more serious, and with a short week to heal and prepare, both players’ statuses for Thursday’s divisional tilt in Detroit are unknown.
The Other Side Of The Ball
With the offense lacking its usual inspiration, the defense had to step up against elusive Buccaneers quarterback Josh Freeman. Defensive coordinator Dom Capers’ heavy pressure was effective against Freeman for most of the afternoon, but Freeman still managed to log 342 passing yards. Bucs running back LeGarrette Blount also had his way with the Packers defense rushing for 107 yards and a touchdown. As a whole, the unit missed a plethora of tackles, but with cornerback Tramon Williams leading the way with two interceptions and a team-high nine tackles, the Packers defense got the job done.
In addition to Williams, the play of the outside linebackers continues to impress. Aside from Clay Matthews’ usual disruption, Erik Walden continues to play at a high level. With center Scott Wells and tight end Jermichael Finley garnering much of the chatter regarding new contracts next season, it may be prudent of the Packers to focus on re-signing Walden as well.
Up Next
Green Bay and Detroit each have three days to prepare for a game that should go a long way towards deciding the division. When the Packers visited Ford Field last season, Aaron Rodgers left the game with a concussion and the Packers were derailed for two straight games. With a vicious pass rush and a dynamic quarterback-reciever duo, the Lions should provide a difficult test for the undefeated Packers. The 10-0 Packers versus the 7-3 Lions on Thanksgiving, I can’t think of a better way to spend the afternoon.
Packers vs. Chargers: The Aftermath
The Packers fended off a late Chargers comeback to hold onto a 45-38 victory in San Diego on Sunday afternoon.
Action, Excitement, and Anxiety
For Packers fans, it’s never easy. The game started out with plenty of action for both teams as the Chargers took the opening drive right down the field to take an early 7-0 lead, but after Aaron Rodgers and company answered with a touchdown of their own, the Packers defense provided some excitement with two interceptions returned for touchdowns on two consecutive drives. The emotional rollercoaster continued as the Chargers fought back to bring the game within four points after an eight-yard Mike Tolbert touchdown run and kicker Nick Novak added a field goal. A beautiful back-shoulder throw to Jordy Nelson closed out the half with another touchdown for the Packers, but following Mason Crosby’s twenty-second consecutive field goal in the third quarter, the Chargers answered with an Antonio Gates touchdown catch. Aaron Rodgers appeared to put the game away with two consecutive touchdown drives early in the fourth quarter, but the Packers defense was sieve-like as Phillip Rivers and the Chargers offense scored twice in just over four minutes. With the Packers offense only able to muster one first down in the final ten minutes of play, it was the much-maligned defense that came up with a game-ending interception to end the anxiety for Packers fans.
A Broken Record
I realize that I write these words every week, but Aaron Rodgers is unreal. He only missed on five passes all day, finishing 21-for-26 for 247 yards and 4 touchdowns. Factor in the rainy conditions and the fact that he isn’t throwing many easy, short passes, and there is no one in the league that is even close to his level. His 64-yard pass to Jordy Nelson in the fourth quarter was magnificent. Rolling out to his right, Rodgers willed the ball on pure arm-strength 50 yards in the air. Add in his beautiful back-shoulder throws, and he is simply unstoppable. Speaking of the offense, the number of drops by the wide receivers seems to have lessened. Either Rodgers is demanding more from his receiving corps or receiver coach Edgar Bennett knows a thing or two about focus and ball security. I’m guessing it’s a bit of both.
Good Peprah, Bad Peprah
The Packers knew that replacing Pro Bowler Nick Collins wouldn’t be easy, and having a more than capable backup in Charlie Peprah has proven to be invaluable. However, with Peprah comes the good and the bad. Desmond Bishop handed Peprah a gift of a tipped ball in the first quarter and Peprah finished off the play with a zigzagging 40-yard return for his first career touchdown. But later in the game, the sixth-year veteran out of Alabama blew two different deep coverages on Vincent Jackson that resulted in big plays. Alas, Peprah had the last laugh, and ended the game with an interception to seal the victory for his team. He was rightfully excited to come up with the big play, but what ever happened to just going down and ensuring the victory after an interception? There’s just no reason to run that ball back. Just ask Sam Shields…
Another Day At The Office For The Offense…About That Defense
Watching Mike McCarthy work in the first few quarters is like watching an artist work a canvas. A near-perfect mix that keeps the defensive coordinator guessing, McCarthy knows how to run an offense. His fourth quarters lack that same gusto at times, but he always seems to get the job done. In particular, McCarthy masterfully used pre-snap motion in the first quarter to isolate single coverage on Jermichael Finley, and by the time Chargers safety Eric Weddle figured out what was going on, it was already too late and Finley was in the back of the end zone spelling out his Y-O-T-T-O celebration.
As good as the Packers offense has been, the defense has been less than spectacular. I cannot seem to put my finger on exactly what is different from last season, but Dom Capers has to figure out how to garner a pass rush. Was Cullen Jenkins that good or are teams figuring out how to wear down B.J. Raji and Clay Matthews? I noticed Raji laboring in the fourth quarter, and Matthews stayed in the game despite a slight limp, but credit Norv Turner’s offense for moving bunch formations, motion, and multiple receiver sets over to Clay Matthews side of the field and forcing the outside linebacker into coverage. Erik Walden continues to benefit from the attention paid to Matthews, but the defense has to find a way to pressure the quarterback on a consistent basis. As my father said in our weekly post-game chat, “This isn’t a championship defense.”
One Last Thing…
I counted at least two Chargers linemen mocking Aaron Rodgers’ championship belt. I understand being fired up after a big play, but are you so unoriginal that you cannot come up with your own celebration? Further, you might not want to mock the guy who lit you up for 4 touchdowns, and ultimately, the victory.
Up Next
The Packers return home to Lambeau Field for a divisional match up against the Minnesota Vikings on Monday Night Football. The Vikings are coming off of a bye week following quarterback Christian Ponder’s first career victory, who will certainly be eager to show that his performance against the Packers in week seven was no fluke.
A Plus For Packers Mike McCarthy
Packers head coach Mike McCarthy is much like any other head coach in the league when it comes to dealing with the media. He has a slew of stock answers and uses a few key phrases on a regular basis.
This season, he has added the notion that every injury can be described as a “bruise,” but throughout his tenure he has regularly responded to questions and criticisms with variations of his team or players having “plusses” or “minuses” on specific plays or games.
When asked about penalties, McCarthy commonly responds that his team will have to “clean some things up,” and halfway through the 2011 season, the head coach seems to have put his key phrase into action. Through seven games, the Packers have had the fewest penalties of any other team in the NFC North:
| Team | Penalties Accepted | Yards Lost |
| Detroit Lions | 58 | 485 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 52 | 433 |
| Chicago Bears | 53 | 391 |
| Green Bay Packers | 38 | 282 |
Both the Packers and Bears enjoyed a bye in week 8 as the Lions and Vikings each added 4 more penalties to their totals. One might assume the Lions young, undisciplined roster is the reason for their division leading number of penalties, but that is simply not true. In fact, at the start of the season, the Lions were the fourth oldest team in the league whereas the Packers were the second youngest. The only reasonable conclusion is the coaching staff.
And Mike McCarthy expects perfection on every play. This idea is well exemplified through his grading system of plusses and minuses.
“We have a different grading system obviously than the people outside of our meeting room,” McCarthy said. “It’s based on the performance of every individual. Based on the level and the standard that we can play this game, we’re playing above average right now. And I think that’s very exciting because we feel strongly as a football team our best football is in front of us. It’s clearly evident when we go through the grades and corrections.”
McCarthy and his coaches grade every player on every play, and even if a player scores a touchdown, pulls down an interception, or sacks the quarterback, he can still be given a negative mark for form or execution.
I suppose to be the best, you have to expect the best. And the Packers players have met Mike McCarthy’s expectations so far this year.
In other words, I think it’s safe to say that McCarthy has “cleaned some things up” this season.
The Best Running Back In The NFL? It’s Not Even Close…
Remember when there used to be a debate about the best running back in the NFL? Neither does Adrian Peterson.
Even after scoring his big payday, Peterson continues to make his team consider him a bargain. Instead of losing his drive and resting on his laurels, Adrian Peterson continues to improve his craft.
During Sunday’s victory over the Carolina Panthers, Peterson was the offense. His 21 carries for 86 yards and a touchdown led all rushers in the game. Add in his team-high 5 receptions for 76 yards and a touchdown, and there was little doubt as to who was steering the Vikings ship to victory.
Perhaps more important than Peterson’s stats is his angry, aggressive running style when he gets his hands on the ball. His bullish ball carrying style allows him to lead by example, and when his team needed a game-tying score in the third quarter, there was no way he would be denied on his nine-yard touchdown run.
Much will be said and written about Ponder’s leadership in his first NFL win this week, but having a teammate like Adrian Peterson cannot be quantified. Not only does Peterson dominate opposing defenses, but he also demands excellence from his teammates. During the game, Ponder erred, causing the offense to fire off a broken play. Peterson responded with a sharp reprimand of his teammate, but the running back was not calling out his quarterback; rather, he was helping Ponder understand that he – and the entire Vikings team – expects more from his leader under center. The Vikings quarterback took the criticism in stride and responded by putting the team in position for the victory.
You can compare statistics as much as you like, but on Sunday afternoons, Peterson rises above the rest. When deliberating over the best running back in the league, it’s not even close.
