It was my niece’s baptism on Sunday, so I watched the Packers beat the Vikings with my parents and my brother’s family — all Vikings fans. It was a rough first half, and my parents would not stop trash talking. You know you take this silly game of football far too seriously when you start getting annoyed with your parent’s trash talk.
Anyway, at halftime my dad decided to go deer hunting and my brother went on a hike with his wife. Even though their team was beating the Super Bowl champs 17-13, they said the hell with it and went and did other things.
Those are Vikings fans in a nutshell.
On to the Week 8 stock report:
Aaron Rodgers
No further explanation needed. Just look at the box score. Then the season stats.
Mason Crosby
Crosby hasn’t missed a field goal since clanking one off the upright in week 13 last season. He’s made 21 straight since, and nailed a 58-yarder on Sunday that would’ve been good from much longer.
Greg Jennings
Jennings seems like an ideal fit for the steady category every week, but I think it’s time he’s elevated to rising. No. 85 is sometimes undervalued because he’s not a WR that routinely makes highlight-reel catches, does a dance, then demands more passes from his QB. He has three games over 100 yards receiving this season and only one below 80. Welcome to the rising category, Mr. Jennings.
Steady
Charles Woodson
Yeah, he’s not what he used to be in coverage, but didn’t you get a sense early in Sunday’s game that he had at least one interception in him against the rookie?
Clay Matthews
He has sacks in his last two games and looks like his motor is revving up again. We could see him in the rising category before long (Side note: Matthews was flagged for a horrible roughing the passer call on Sunday. The NFL needs to quit making a mockery of the game and address these ridiculous roughing calls now instead of after the season).
Scott Wells
I haven’t re-watched Sunday’s game, but I’m putting Wells in the steady category because I don’t remember the name of Vikings DT Kevin Williams being called often. I’m guessing that when I do re-watch the game, Wells will be a big reason why Williams was quiet, especially on the Packers final drive.
Falling
Randall Cobb
Cobb is a rookie. It was probably inevitable that he’d land in the falling category at least once this season. I hope Sloccum and McCarthy remind Cobb that Aaron Rodgers is on the team and there’s no need to try and return every punt for a TD. When in doubt, call for a fair catch early and play on.
Erik Walden
Walden hasn’t provided much all season. On Sunday, he was a non-factor in the pass rush and did nothing to slow down Adrian Peterson. Hopefully Zombo comes back and stays healthy to at least provide another option opposite Clay Matthews.
Brian Robinson
C’mon, Brian Robinson. Everyone knows that you can’t blatantly kick a guy in the nuts. You need to be sneaky when delivering a low-blow. Wait until the ref isn’t looking, sneak up behind the guy, then upper-cut him right where it counts. Ric Flair knows what I’m talking about.
It’s the bye week, so hopefully nobody gets arrested or injures himself doing farm work. The coaches also have an extra week to prepare for Norv Turner and the San Diego Chargers.
Oh, who am I kidding? It’s Norv Turner. McCarthy only needs a couple of minutes to come up with a gameplan that will outfox Norv Turner. Mike will probably take the week off too.
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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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Was there anything else Randall Cobb could do wrong vs Minn? Muffed punt,dropped ball and injures RB Green.
Give that boy a warm glass of milk and a week off to think about it
The other things he did wrong:
return a 46 yd punt for only 42 yds.
return a kickoff 31 yds, he’s 4th in KR avg, why isn’t he 1st?
got his first carry as a RB. B/c it took so long to get his 1st one MM must not have too much faith in him.
This from Bob McGinn’s rating the Packers:
“Walden’s 4½ pressures marked his best rush game of the season.” He also commented that Walden let “AD” get to the edge for a 25 yd gain.
Maybe you need a new category “inconsistent”. Walden and Cobb (see my tongue in cheek reply above) would fit.
I hate when you pull out McGinn on me, Bubba. It usually means I have to hang my head and admit I’m wrong. But I’m standing firm on Walden. I’ll be giving the game another look tonight, so perhaps my opinion will change, but I doubt it.
Yeah I was gonna say, Walden wasn’t a non-factor, I saw him all over the field. I would agree that he hasn’t done much up until now though.
Walden has been a non factor. When you are always singled up you need to be more consistent. He stepped up last year to be a marginal starter. We were all hoping he would take the next step to average/above average starter and he has not done so.
Cobb has been walking the fine line between being reckless and impactful. He has made a huge difference just by catching every punt, but he has to realize when the risk outweighs the reward. But, our return units need to realize that he is not going to wave people off. He is going to track the ball wherever it is. Find out where he is and stay the hell out of his way. I have been begging for a PR for 5 years and we finally have a dangerous one. His stock will be up and down all season.
I was about to chime in in Walden’s defense when I read the McGinn quote above. I’ll do so anyway. I’ve seen Walden in several games, on several occasions be just a split-second late on a sack. I agree he has been inconsistent, but I don’t agree with the “non-factor” term. he has gotten pressure, just doesn’t have the sacks to show it. Same can be said for CM3.
a split second is the difference between a 8 yard loss and a completion on 3rd and 12. sacks may be overrated, but “pressures” are even more overrated. How many TDs has Rodgers thrown this year when he has been pressured. everyone’s goal is a sack for a reason.
Sounds like a Walden film study is on my agenda for tonight. I only remember two “pressures” from Walden on Sunday, and one was on a screen. Of course, everyone probably defines “pressure” differently.
C’mon,pressures are more over rated than sacks?I know you’ll come back irate but,one sack doesn’t compare to what multiple pressures do to a QB.
How many fumbles come from a sack compared to the number of INTs due to pressures.
SB…Green>BigBen>Collins.
howard green hit the arm of big ben. i would consider that more than a pressure. a sack is an autmatic negative play. what is the result of a pressure? who knows. it could be a pick, or it could be a 90 yard TD. CM3 had a pressure that he was penalized for and the result was a completion on 3rd and 12. Pressures are important, but people act like 4 pressures is a good game. i would not consider that a good game.
A sack is an automatic negative play yes and how bad varies from sack to sack and yet, most important is how infrequent.To base a defense on the sack opposed to a high number of pressures will guarantee a losing team.
Sacks make fans jump but pressures disrupt the offense and create more a problem.Of coarse there are times when a QB wins the pressure as we see often with Rodgers and there aren’t 32 Rodgers in the NFL but, pressures are more freqent than sacks thus more a need and underrated play,not over rated.
A team with two sacks will not be equal to the team with 10-15 pressures.You can’t hit the arm without the pressure which is then a hit stat.Are the hits more overrated than stats also?
ugh…i am not saying pressures are not important. but sacks are absolute drive killers. look at the packers. when rodgers takes a sack on a drive it becomes very difficult to convert on third down. the definition of a pressure is why i think it is overrated. a pressure could simply be flushing a QB from the pocket. in todays nfl that does not help you. when you had a bunch of statues like dan marino, bernie kosar, dan fouts, drew bledsoe etc in the pocket a pressure could be extremely disruptive. the great QBs (which are you know…the ones you meet in the playoffs) do not get rattled with pressures. you have to hit them and get to them before they get rid of the ball. plain and simple. this defense was dominant last year because it got to the QB often. what is the difference this year? pressures are similar but sacks are down. i want my team to have pressures obviously. you cannot get sacks and hits without pressures. but a sack has a clear outcome. saying 4 pressures means an impactful game I need to know what the result of the pressure was.
UGH!!!..back at ya.
Consistency is the key, either sacks or pressure. Happy (QB) feet makes a defense better.
An offense doesn’t game plan around a guy that gets occasional sacks. Why is CMIII still being doubled/tripled? He is consistently getting pressure.
C’mon guys, Cobb got shielded by his own teammate on the muffed punt, Jennings stepped in front and Cobb lost sight of the ball. The dropped pass on 3rd down was rookie mistake that many pros continue to commit–he looked down the field before securing the pass taking his eyes off the ball–he’ll make more big plays than bad plays this year. Walden’s not been big disappointment, just doesn’t make the consistant plays that Matthews does, doesn’t seem to have the same type motor running. Like others, I’m wondering where So’oto is, he needs game time for pressure, if he’s not an answer, maybe time to look elsewhere.