Putting together the Packers stock report is especially challenging after a loss.
The stock report takes into account a player’s recent performances, not just how they played in the last game. That’s tough to do after a loss because the screw-ups are fresh in everybody’s head. To a lot of fans, the whole team should be falling, regardless of what happened two weeks ago.
An added challenge to compiling the stock report this season has been the maddening play of the Packers.
Just when you think the defense is a lost cause, they put together a nice run. Aaron Rodgers appears to be dialed in, then he has a game like Sunday’s loss to the Lions.
Dom Capers’ defense looks like the same old sorry crew, then his guy’s turn it around and Mike McCarthy’s offense looks the sorry group.
There isn’t much consistency game-to-game, meaning you have to rely heavily on the most recent game when putting together the report.
Hopefully, the Packers develop some consistency soon. And hopefully that consistency puts the team in the rising category instead of falling.
On to the stock report:
Rising
Julius Peppers
Since coming over from the Bears, Peppers has had two sacks wiped away by penalties. He finally got Matthew Stafford on Sunday, stripping the ball out and recovering the fumble in the process. Peppers should be nice and fired up to face his old team on Sunday.
Davon House
The Packers’ secondary came to play on Sunday and House led the way. In fact, for as much crap as this defense gets, in 12 quarters of play this season, Green Bay’s defense has played just as well or better than the offense in about half of them. The secondary is a major reason why.
Steady
Tramon Williams
The late pass interference call Williams got tagged with wasn’t his fault. Williams simply made a play on the ball, but the throw was so far behind Calvin Johnson, it looked like Williams got there early. If the throw was accurate, Williams probably would have broken it up and the defense would trot off the field.
Andrew Quarless
It was Richard Rodgers who looked promising during the exhibition season, but Quarless has been the Packers best tight end so far. Quarless still not the down-the-seam threat the Packers need, but he’s been perfectly steady.
Falling
Eddie Lacy
At times, it looks like Lacy is playing Dance Dance Revolution out there. Put your head down and plow, son. Yes, the Packers have played three good run defenses, but Lacy had the opening-drive fumble on Sunday and killed two other drives by dancing around and taking huge losses.
Randall Cobb
Is it just me, or does Randall Cobb look a step or slower than what he’s been in the past? Or maybe it just looks that way because McCarthy’s unimaginative playcalling never gets Cobb the ball in open space.
Datone Jones
Has he even been active yet this season?
Adam Czech is a a freelance sports reporter living in the Twin Cities and a proud supporter of American corn farmers. When not working, Adam is usually writing about, thinking about or worrying about the Packers. Follow Adam on Twitter. Twitter .
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I really appreciate the Jersey Al crew coverage and perspective on the Packers. We all get a place to discuss and cheer our favorite team. The play of this team hardly warrants the time and heart that I devote to it. I get it that things don’t always go your way but, like groundhog day, we experience the same thing each season. The surly attitude of coaches like MM and Tom Clement doesn’t give me a good feeling that coaching will adjust to chronic weaknesses with this team. I appreciate that Rodgers is a competitor but I am having a hard time with his public admonishment of other young players, especially since he is making his share of mistakes. My Bears friends say that he reminds them of Culter – arrrgh!
I am seeing average O-line, average D-line, below average ILB, below average TE, average WR crew (accept 1) and below average play calling. At his point, I see us winning against weaker teams and struggling against the better teams. Thanks Adam for showing me some rising because I am falling. Keep up the good work.
I agree Razer. With yet another slow start, I really think McCarthy needs to step up his game in the off-season and pre-season.
I’m sad, too. But I think there is some positives from the Detroit game. What I see as the main problem is attitude of some players (& coaches). Eddie looks like he is not willing to hit people, nor to be hitted by them… Aaron looks pretty restless and looking for Jordy only… OL is very inconsistent…. Mike forgot to call short screens on Eddie, but doing that with James (who can’t catch the ball!)… Jarrett looks very depressed… That is the real problem: I do not know for certain, but it might be some problem in locker room, between players…
Just curious, is Mike McCarthy Way a dead end street?
It’s a cul de sac that doesn’t go anywhere and when you get to the end of it you just go around in circles.
Yes, until the sink hole opens up and everything falls in!
It’s good to maintain our sense of humor. Great lines, JimR and Savage. Thanks, Since ’61
Given his rookie status, I would have added Clinton Dix to the rising, especially since he got not only his first NFL interception but the first safety interception by a Packer safety since 2012. Adam, I know you usually do this on a player basis but the entire OL could go into the falling category after the Lions game. I might give Linsley a break since he played only his 3rd NFL game at center. Their overall inconsistent play at best has been a big factor in the Packers offensive woes so far. I don’t claim to know the blocking assignments on the safety but obviously someone blew their assignment on Levy allowing him to make the play untouched.
I hate to say this but I would add Aaron Rodgers to the falling column. He certainly has not been steady and for now forget about rising. He is inaccurate and tentative and if he has been changing some of the play calls to runs at the LOS because he comes up to the line and sees 2 High safeties, he’s either getting it wrong or misreading something. In any case he needs to play better.
Finally, I need to add MM to the falling category. I have been and remain a supporter of MM. Many criticize his play calling and my response is that execution is what matters not the play calling. I stand by that position. To me, MM is failing not in his play calling (which has not exactly been very innovative, I will agree) but in getting the players to execute. That is my concern. Each week he states that the problems are execution problems. “We didn’t get it done”. “We’re going to fix the problems and grow from this experience”. The next game we still have the same problems with blocking, tackling(not the last 2 games), dropping passes, “fundamentals” as MM says. We can criticize play calling all we like but if MM does not get his players to execute what ever plays are called it doesn’t matter. We’re not in the locker room so we can’t answer, but MM is and he needs to get his players (especially the offense) to execute the plays. The other piece to this is maybe we need better players on the OL, particularly at Tackle. Let’s see what happens in Chicago. Go Pack Go! Thanks, Since ’61
I agree with the execution point of view, but I think getting players to execute requires coaching. If MM’s playcalling isn’t the main issue, then I would take issue with his and his coaching staff’s performance in preparing the team in the off-season, in the pre-season, and every week in the season.
Another thing that bothered me after this loss was MM singling out Lacy in front of the media. I felt that MM threw Lacy under the bus.
I think MM should be on the falling list. Still, I hold out hope that he can move the entire team in the right direction and pummel da Bears. Go Pack!
JimR – seems like it’s been awhile. Good to see you back. We’re pretty much n the same page with these issues. I’m with you, let’s pummel Da’ Bears. Go Pack Go! Thanks, Since ’61
I wish MM’s testicles were in the falling catagory, they obviously haven’t decended yet. He needs to grow a set and start coaching like a man. Or hire a damn OC and let him call the plays.
Adam,
I agree with all of your people above, except Datone Jones. He had a great game against Detroit. He had at least two pressures and it was him that forced Stafford into the bad throw that lead to the House interception. He is getting better and will continue to do so, in my humble opinion. GoPack!
I’m seeing a lot of praise around the web today about Jones. I hope they’re right and I’m wrong. When I watch film on Jones, I see a tweener player, kinda like the d-line version of Nick Perry.
But he’s young and has plenty of room to develop. Wouldn’t be at all surprised if he works out, but I’m not seeing it so far.
Totally 100% agree. He hasn’t reached Mike Daniels level yet, but if say, before the regulard season end, and he develops into half the player Mike is, our defense has top 5 potential, even with the weak ILB’s (though Lattimore might just turn things around there).
I disagree with Datone. Right now though he is best utilized as a situational rusher (like Daniels last year), with Boyd rotating in on run downs. But I think you are right: the concern is that he is a ‘tweener, which would be a disappointment from a 1st round draft choice. To nitpick, House had some run support issues a few times that I noticed, but his work in coverage was quite good.
Other candidates for rising or steady: Lattimore, Neal, Guion (yes, I see some steady improvement from Guion), Bakhtiari (I have previously posted about his less than stellar play, but he was okay against Detroit), and arguably Hawk, at least against the run. I am starting to reach now: maybe Starks, Crosby, and Hyde.