The Packers played the Colts last night in this 3rd game of the 2011 preseason. I actually joined the game at halftime, so I watched the second half live and then the first half on the DVR. Here are my first unfiltered impressions.:
1st half
Joseph Addai: 26 yds in his first two carries, both to Clay matthews’ side. Is this a carry over from the Pittsburgh strategy in the Super Bowl and something we’ll see a lot of this year?
By the way, on both of those runs, the Colts used an offensive tackle to kick out on Matthews and let Addai cut inside. Some bad decisions by players behind Matthews, like Morgan Burnett, who took an outside position even though Matthews was already out there. He should have seen that and taken an inside angle.
And then on 3rd down, Matthews shows what makes him so valuable – goes around the Colts’ right tackle like he’s standing still. Matthews gets the sack and waves off the predator celebration – not in preseason…
It’s amazing how often you’ll see BJ Raji in on the tackle on a screen pass. What a motor for a 335lb guy….
So nice to see that Aaron Rodgers has seen the light and slides when he takes off on a scamper.
DJ Smith with a big hit on kickoff coverage. What a great draft pick that was, Ted. The kid is fearless and already looks very much at home in the NFL.
One of the things I was most excited about this season was the return of Morgan Burnett. So far, I have not been disappointed. A future Pro Bowler…
My jinx skills work once again. I had hardly finished typing the sentence above when Burnett blows a coverage, resulting in an easy 57 yard touchdown pass for the Colts. Oh well…
Either Jordy Nelson has finally become what I first envisioned for him (that possession-receiver security blanket for Rodgers), or he’s being showcased. James Jones invisible so far…
Missed field goal. The look on Mike McCarthy’s face said it all. no further comment.
Jarret Bush makes yet another mediocre quarterback look like Joe Montana. What? Bush gets turned and loses track of a ball over his head? Never seen that before…
After seeing the replay, Bush’s coverage is even worse than I first thought. Looks like he’s chasing a ghost out there.
2nd Half:
Vic So’oto with a big sack and forces a fumble. So’oto looking more and more like a keeper.
As the announcers heap undying praise on Matt Flynn, he is handed a first down on the Indy 20 (thanks to So’oto) and in 3 passes, picks up 6 yds. Yes, he’s awesome!
I keep expecting Howard Green to fall off a cliff, yet he continues to play extremely well. The guy has been cut 10 times.
Pat Lee on a couple of blitzes from the back side – misses a tackle in the backfield on the second one. His spot on this team is in major jeopardy.
Davon House looking a bit shaky in his NFL debut.
I like Kerry Taylor as a returner. No hesitation – North South runner.
Every year, there is one guy who impresses in shorts early in camp, then fizzles in games. Is DJ Williams this year’s edition?
Everybody’s killing Graham Harrell after that overthrow and interception. Suddenly, he’s a bum…
This second half is excruciatingly boring – even for a preseason game.
Kerry Taylor will eventually play in the NFL, but not on the Packers.
And yet another jinx, as taylor drops an easy pass right in his hands. Why don’t my jinxes work on the other teams?
Is Ryan Taylor the new and improved Spencer Havner in EVERY way? Former LB, switch to TE, special teams ace, catches TDs….
Awesome play by Tori Gurley to get out of bounds and stop the clock.
Touchdown packers and they make the 2-point conversion to tie. Suddenly, everyone loves Graham Harrell again.
Well, so much for the dull game. Packers recover the onsides kick and my buddy, Mason Crosby with a 50-yard FG for the win. Plenty of distance sufficiently inside the posts. More of that, please.
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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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Well, to slow or not, you keep making plays like that, you get yourself a spot on the team. So’oto will make it. True, it’s against the 2nds and 3rds, it doesn’t mean that it will translate to making plays against the 1st, but when noone else is making plays…
In fairness I think the sack and FF came against the Colts 1’s IIRC ..
The FF I’m 100% sure it came against Delone Carter, a backup to Addai and Brown. The sack I don’t remember. But it won’t be based on 1 game that he sticks, he has made plays in the other games, albeit against inferior competition.
Wow, wonderful blog format! How long have you ever been running a blog for? you made blogging look easy. The entire glance of your site is magnificent, let alone the content!
I’ve always said Nelson is the guy before Jones and is proving it.Jones is invisible as cameras are not being allowed as he carries Nelsons jock strap.This is why TT let him chase a dream and why he had to wake up and come back and has yet to show a sign of earning the generous money he still got.
The cuts (and hopefully some possible trades) are going to be very interesting. I wouldn’t be surprised to see BOTH Jones’ gone. Nelson looks great, and some of these young guys, whew! Gonna be a tough call. But Al, I disagree on D.J. Williams, many of the balls thrown his way have been poorly thrown. And hey, where the hell is Ricky Elmore, maybe headed home real soon?
No comments about the running game Al? Oh, that’s right, cuz there was no running game!! Grant runs into the O-Line and drops like a log. Starks at least had an occasional burst. Running is simply pathetic. Also, can two-time pro bowler Clifton do a better job at keeping our QB safe? Two sacks allowed and if not for a holding (that cost GB a TD), perhaps a third sack.
Well, the packers proved last year they can win with no more than a cursory attempt at a running game. this used to be a hot button for me, but I’ve come to the realization it just doesn’t matter that much on this team.
I have to admit, I am sorely disappointed in 1) the lack of production in the run game by the number one team, and 2) the lack of dedication by MM to call runs with the number one team.
Really looked like we’ve stocked the cupboards with RB’s almost over night, and thought our OL has transformed enough to be more effective run blockers..
Just thought we’d see more balance in play calling and perhaps more than just a “keep em honest” production in the run game… Who knows, maybe the Packers are just waiting to surprise the Saints with a clock control ground attack. Doubt it, but who knows.
I doubt it too…
That might have been the only game winning field goal we’ll ever see from Mason Crosby.
uh-oh… Another Crosby critic? Welcome!
Never liked Crosby. I said after 2009, “ok, I’ll give this guy ONE more chance. After that, please cut this guy”. Then when he missed the field goal against Washington, I was done, and sure that Ted Thompson would see the same. But no, we’re stuck with an average at best kicker for years now.
I am glad for Crosby that he made that kick. It might be a turning point for him, I sure hope so because like it or not we are stuck with him. Last night if he had missed it just means OT. I am waiting to see Crosby make a kick (short or long, but more importantly a long one) when the whole game is on the line. Like your down by two points, if you miss your out, you make it its a game winner and of course in the regular season, a game that counts! Then maybe I won’t be crossing my fingers and keeping my eyes closed if we truly need him in the playoffs.
Question:
For all the criticism that Mason Crosby hasn’t made a game-winning field goal since his first NFL game…
How many opportunities has Crosby had to even ATTEMPT a last second FG to win a game?
My memory seems to indicate that he hasn’t had the opportunities. If that’s the case, there’s not a whole lot of blame that can be laid on Mason in that particular arena.
Thanks for all your hard work Al. As for Crosby, MM really sees something in him the way he speaks confidence about him. Could it be that he knows things about Crosby that we don’t? Of course he does. MM sees a young kicker who is still growing psychologically, and Crosby’s misses are mentally oriented, just like misses are in golf or tennis. Here’s to giving Mason a little more time. The kind of concentration that’s necessary for the type of skill he’s trying to perfect doesn’t always happen in your early 20s, and when you are in your mid-40s (like MM is) you can see the future in a young man. And, at this point Mason’s uncanny onside kick ability demonstrates he has the capacity for top-level mind-over-body type performance. Those onside kicks are not accidents or coincidences.
As for Bush, I think what we’re seeing is the effect of a cornerbacks coach who encourages his players to be instinctive and take risks, on a player who doesn’t have enough of those types of instincts, and is on the team primarily because of ST impact. One of the easiest times to see Bush’s lack of interpersonal instincts is when he blitzes and does that “happy dance” on the way to the QB. Completely devoid of instincts as compared to Woodson’s or Shields’ blitzing. You’ve got to be able to know what the opposing player is going to do and which way he is going to go quickly enough in order to cover a guy or blitz effectively.
But just what in the world does MM see in Crosby??? There’s virtually nothing that you can find to see that this guy has something that we’re not seeing.
In his four years, he’s been average,and he hasn’t shown any improvement whatsoever, yet the Packers just made him one of the highest paid kickers in the league. Even if MM really does see something that we don’t, they didn’t have to pay that much because he hasn’t earned it.
They haven’t even brought in any competition for Kicker since Crosby came in, and I think that’s just a terrible mistake.
You could be right, but I think that’s EXTREMELY unlikely.
Chad, what a 45y/o sees in a young man of 26 (whom he has a personal relationship with-& we don’t) goes far beyond his gametime performance. If you’re missing out on what I’m talking about perhaps you are missing out on a lot of life’s secrets. Im just trying to point at something I see in McCarthy interviews. But you are right, Mason may not pull it all together. However, he’s decent right now, & if he consolidates his concentration in the next 2yrs & kicks till he’s 40 like all the other great kickers do, they’ll be talking about him as one of the greatest ever.