Charlie Peprah: 2011 Green Bay Packers Player Evaluation and Report Card

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Packers Safety Charlie Peprah
Charlie Peprah

1) Introduction: Peprah’s journey-man career finally found some footing during his second stint with the Packers. After rookie Morgan Burnett was lost for the year in Week 4 of the 2010 season, Peprah stepped in and started 11 of the final 12 regular season games and each of the Packers’ four postseason wins. A hard-working, tough backup, Peprah was re-signed on a two-year, $2.5 million deal after the season.

2) Profile:

Charlie Yaw Peprah

Position: S
Height: 5-11
Weight: 203 lbs.
AGE: 28

Career Stats:

 

3) Expectations coming into the season: Despite filling in admirably during the Packers’ Super Bowl run, the consensus was that Peprah would fall back into a backup role in 2011. Burnett’s knee was healthy and Nick Collins’ name was written in permanent marker atop the Packers’ depth chart.

4) Player’s highlights/low-lights: For all his gaffes during the 2011 season, Peprah also made a fair number of big plays. Peprah’s five interceptions ranked him second on the team to Charles Woodson. The two most important turnovers came in San Diego, where Peprah returned an interception for a touchdown in the first half then sealed the win by picking off Philip Rivers late in the fourth quarter. However, there were simply too many mental and physical mistakes. Peprah allowed over 500 yards receiving on just 54 targets covered, plus five touchdowns and eight plays over 20 yards.

5) Player’s contribution to the overall team success: The interceptions, especially in San Diego, were big plays in Packers wins. But there’s no need to sugar coat it: Peprah was a liability throughout the 2011-12 season. He’s a smart player, but the athletic limitations were too much to overcome over a full season, as offensive coordinators routinely found ways to get Peprah out of place and in mismatches against receivers. The mistakes weren’t as profound in 2010 with an experienced player in Nick Collins alongside Peprah. But teaming with Morgan Burnett, who more or less was a rookie in 2011, wasn’t a good combination. Bad safety play was a reason for the Packers’ collapse defensively.

6) Player’s contributions in the playoffs: Peprah played a role in both of the Giants’ big plays in the first half. On Eli Manning’s 66-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter, Peprah failed to wrap up Hakeem Nicks, instead attempting to de-cleat a receiver that is taller and outweighs Peprah. Right before the half, Peprah was unable to knock down Manning’s Hail Mary heave. A portion of the blame for both Giants’ touchdowns fell on Peprah’s shoulders.

 

Season Report Card:

(B-) Level of expectations met during the season
(C) Contributions to team’s overall success.
(F) Contributions to team during the playoffs

Overall Grade: D+

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Zach Kruse is a 23-year-old sports journalist with a passion for the Green Bay Packers. He currently lives in Wisconsin and is working on his journalism degree, while also covering prep sports for The Dunn Co. News.

You can read more of Zach's Packers articles on AllGreenBayPackers.com.

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7 thoughts on “Charlie Peprah: 2011 Green Bay Packers Player Evaluation and Report Card

  1. CP is an adequate short-term replacement. He is NOT a starter. If Nick comes back problem solved at safety. If not this is an area that requires some major repair.

    D- tending towards F would be my grade. I keep having nightmares of Manning’s desperation pass at the end of the 1st half. No damn excuse for that cluster F***. Capers must fix this kind of crap before the first exhibition game of 2012. Peprah is not the answer for the first backup at safety.

    Can’t wait for the draft talk to begin.

    1. I agree, bring on the draft talk!

      I would give Peprah a solid D. But then, I’m in a good mood right this minute. 🙂

    2. LOL. Yea that was the most painful moment of that game to me… never seen such a half assed attempt to prevent a touchdown in my life… based on that unwillingness to try alone I would say I wouldn’t mind seeing him cut. Who wants a person on the team that doesn’t even care enough to do his best to prevent a touch down in a playoff game? And if that was his best attempt then he is a pathetic athelete. Seriously if that was really his best effort then sign me on for next year because I can jump about twice as high as him.

  2. Zach, fair assessment.

    Peprah is what he is- a solid back up, but not a guy you want to lean on without an athletic, experienced safety along side him like Nick Collins.

    2010 season he was actually more than adequate; his weighted stats/metrics put him as one of the top 3 performing safeties last year (I believe it was F.O., but it may have been PPF who did the leg work.)

    That said, his physical limitations, and perhaps mental ones as well, were exposed badly without Nick’s guidance and all around presence.

    MD Jennings probably is the back up safety of the immediate future regardless, but if Nick Collins makes a return I see no reason to dump Peprah. If a guy goes down for a game or two, he can fill in. He’s NOT a starter. Good grade.

  3. Peprah stepped up last year and filled a need, but then again, we had more of a pass rush last year and playing next to NC helped a lot. I hope peprah doesn’t have to start any games next year. In 2011 he was just another bad cog in a defense that sucked.

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