The Packers beat the Rams 24-3 on Sunday despite taking a break for most of the second half. I could rant, rave and nitpick about all kinds of things that happened in that second half, but honestly, I think the Packers just got bored.
This team still needs to develop a killer instinct, but I don’t think the Packers necessarily took a step backward during that snoozer of a second half which featured a few fluky drops and vanilla playcalling. If this were a division rival the Packers were trying to bury, the second half would have been a different story and the final score even more lopsided.
Anyway, I’m usually a glass-half-empty Packers fan, but there’s not much to dislike about this team so far. Yes, the defense needs to plug a few leaks, but at 6-0 it’s getting difficult to find players for the falling category.
Rising
Aaron Rodgers
Rodgers rolled to his left and lofted a perfect touchdown pass through a swirling wind to James Jones in the second quarter Sunday. That throw was a thing of beauty. Even if Rodgers didn’t complete another pass all game, I still would’ve put him in the rising category for that pass alone.
Tramon Williams
Williams is providing tighter coverage and better support in the run game. In other words, he’s getting healthier, which automatically means his stock is rising.
Morgan Burnett
Burnett has had his share of gaffes this season, but he’s also made a lot of plays. He gets the final rising slot this week for his toughness. Check out the picture of Burnett’s clubbed hand. Can you imagine playing safety with that thing on your hand? Burnett still managed to get nine tackles and force a fumble. I’m not sure if he’ll be able to catch any interceptions, but I give Burnett credit for toughing it out.
Steady
Clay Matthews
You are probably asking yourself how I can include Matthews in a post about underachievers last week, then put him in the steady category this week. Truth is, Matthews has been steady most of the season. However, I think he has the talent to be like Rodgers and become a permanent fixture in the rising category. That’s why I suggested he might be underachieving. His play on Sunday took him one step closer to the rising category.
Mason Crosby
Crosby’s 32-yard field goal in the first quarter tied Chris Jackie’s 18-year-old record of 17 consecutive regular season field goals made. With the wind gusting over 30 mph on Sunday, Crosby also had a good day on kickoffs and continues earning his new contract.
Jordy Nelson
The dropped pass on 3rd and 2 was a smack-your-head moment, but that mistake shouldn’t take away from the fact that Nelson has developed into a steady deep threat. Three of his four TD catches are for 50 yards or more.
Falling
3rd Down Pitches to John Kuhn
As I said in Sunday’s unfiltered thoughts about the game, why run a pitch out of the shotgun to Kuhn when you have the best QB in the league and a whole bunch of amazing receivers?
AJ Hawk’s Bank Account
Hawk likely will be fined because he flipped the bird after sacking Sam Bradford. Hawk said it was an inside joke with teammates, but I think he was channeling his inner Stone Cold Steve Austin. If Hawk sacks Donovan McNabb (or Christian Ponder) this week, I expect him to flip the bird, pound two beers, then deliver a Stone Cold Stunner to Adrian Peterson.
Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings were one play away from going to the Super Bowl in 2009. Now they’re one of the lousiest franchises in the NFL and in the Andrew Luck sweepstakes. Vikings fans are depressed, but not as depressed as Packers fans like me that are stuck in the Twin Cities, and will likely have to foot the bill for the Vikes new stadium.
I had the Vikings game circled as one the Packers could lose, but after seeing how terrible the purple people have become, it’s tough to see how the Packers don’t cruise to 7-0. I guess Peterson could take advantage of the Packers poor tackling early in games to get the Vikings off to a fast start, but even if that happens, I think the Packers’ offense would be able to overcome any sort of early deficit.
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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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We also have 3 HBs + Randall Cobb who could be trusted with that 3rd and 2 if the coach really wants to run it. Why give it to the guy who’s clearly our slowest ballcarrier?
I have no problems giving it to Kuhn on short distances. He never stops moving forward until the whistle blows and is pretty good about getting the first down.
It’s the pitching it to him that was the culprit. Why give defenders that much more time to push through the line?
That play was going a little too far just to get a “KUUUHHHNNNN” shout out in a game.
FALLING: Josh Sitton
This from Bob McGinn…
“In 20 games last season Josh Sitton was charged with nine “bad” runs. On Sunday, he has responsible for two full “bad” runs and two halves for a total of three. In the second quarter, Sitton was driven back by aging NT Fred Robbins into the lap of Ryan Grant, who did well to make it back to the line of scrimmage. Later, he got pushed by DT Justin Bannan, another stopgap starter, for a “bad” run and then couldn’t get MLB James Laurinaitis blocked on a wide play for a 1-yard gain by James Starks. He just hasn’t been as consistent in the run game this season. After giving up two rather shocking sacks in exhibition games, Sitton hadn’t given up any in the regular season until Sunday. That’s when backup DT Gary Gibson bulled him backward for a sack. Later, the overachieving Gibson probably would have had another one on a spin move, but the off-balance Sitton was saved by Scott Wells, who once again played better than anyone else. It’s really hard to say why Sitton, 25, hasn’t been as effective as last season”.
I know Sitton has an ankle sprain but his hasn’t matched last year when he was one of the best OG’s in the league. W/ a new LT and LG and w/ Bulaga returning after a layoff Sitton needed to step up his play and obviously he didn’t.
Good call on Sitton.
Also, upon further review, Bishop probably should’ve went into the rising or at least the steady cateogry. He unofficially had 20 tackles on Sunday and has 72 tackles through six games.
Hawk’s bank account may be falling but his play is rising. He along w/ Bishop got game balls and he had his 1st sack…if nothing else his middle finger is rising.
The thing on Sitton is, we’re complaining that he’s not absolutely dominating out there…
If any other guard was playing the way Sitton is, we’d be praising him. In fact, we are. We praise Lang for doing a very good job so far, and we chastise Sitton for doing the same…
One of the worst injurys for a lineman that you can still play through is an ankle injury. You just can’t get that push or hold your ground when you need to. Look at Raji’s play when he had an ankle injury…
Comparing Sitton this year to last year in the run block game is laughable.
We didn’t have a run game last year and this year with Grant and Starks the defense is more aware and has an affect on Sitton.
He was charged with 9 bad runs last year,geez,a two yd run on any consistant basis was climatic up till the end when Starks got some play.
The run block of the Packers isn’t schemed as it would be for a Gore,Jackson,Peterson etc.Those guys can be more used as evidence of “bad run” blocking.
Falling: Acceptable PR coverage.
Rock Bottom: Shawn Slocumb
Help? 🙂
How about James Jones as a rising player? The frequency and severity of mental mistakes seems to have dropped for him as the year has progressed. More tangibly, I believe Nelson, Jennings, and Driver all had dropped passes while Jones caught the only ball thrown his way (per ESPN’s box score).
Packer fans (myself included) have given Jones a lot of crap for all the dumb mistakes he seemed to make, so how about some credit for his improved play recently?
I thought long and hard about Jones, but I want to see a little more out of him before labeling him a riser.
is aaron rodgers in the rising category because he makes ridiculous throws or is he getting better every week? If the former, wouldnt he be steady?
Getting better every week and making ridiculous throws.