Green Bay Packers vs. Indianapolis Colts:
My unfitered game day recap and blog post of comments, observations and first impressions.
Inactive for Packers today:
- WR Jarrett Boykin
- S Sean Richardson
- CB Davon House
- RB James Starks
- LB Terrell Manning
- DE Mike Daniels
- WR Greg Jennings
- QB Chandler Harrish
- CB Justin King
- CB Vontae Davis (starter)
- RB Mewelde Moore
- LB Pat Angerer (starter)
- OG Seth Olsen
- OG Joe Reitz (starter)
Game Notes:
Packers players are wearing ChuckStrong t-shirts in show of support for Colts coach Chick Pagano and leukemia research. Shirts can be purchased at Colts.com.
Colts secondary decimated by injuries. If Rogers doesn’t have at least 3TD’s something is very wrong.
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Mike McCarthy Pregame Show on 620 WTMJ:
Long week: We ha
Won 10 of last 12 on road: A tribute to our schedule. We keep our schedule exactly the same for road games, obviously other than the travel. The routine is good, players sometimes are glad to get away and the distractions at home.
Success in domes: Speaks to Aaron and communication of the whole offense. To be able to go on the road and perform well in loud situations, a tribute to our preperation. We go back in the spring and start preparing for crowd noise. It’s a day 1 teaching.
Jennings week to week? I think that would be accurate. Most important is for him to stay in rehab and not come out too early, whicch he probably did last time.
Jennings importance: Jenning has Pro Bowl next to his name. He gives us the chance to be a great offense.
Andrew Luck: They haven’t had to scale anything back for him. He’s running everything, including the full 2-minute offense.
Colts emotion: Anytime you come off a bye week, the energey will be high. They will surely play with high emotion in honor of coach Pagano.
Mike Neal: How could we not play him? We couldn’t block him in practice. My main concern was just that he was healthy, and he passed with flying colors. Expect to see him out there, especially in the sub packages providing some inside pass rush.
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Packers vs. Colts – First Impressions – First Half:
Third and four and Tramon Williams playing 6-8 yards off of Reggie Wayne. Surprise – first down Colts.
Mike Neal already in the game on 3rd and long. Occupies two blockers, Packers get inside pressure on the other side.
Call me conservative, but I’m just not a fan of going deep on 3rd down on your first possession. Would much rather just pick up the first and keep moving down the field.
Jerel Worthy providing some nice inside pressure. Seems to be a focus of the Packers’ D today.
Screen plays are all about timing. How long to hold the rushers, how quickly the OL gets out, how long the QB holds the ball, how the RB times his run. It’s a lot more difficult than people think. Packers execute a nice one to Benson in the red zone.
Third and one on the six yard line. Only the Packers would go empty backfield, four wide receivers with a planned rollout. result: TD to Jones.
Raji’s ankles have been a problem from his first season… A lof of weight and force on those little joints…
Raji got pancaked on the play he injured his ankle. Have seen him get pushed around way too much…
Poor Nick Perry finally gets a monster sack and he gets called for a non-penalty.
Who likes Charles Woodson as a blitzer? I don’t. Unless he has a free run, he doesn’t do much in that role. Bush is a much better blitzer, by comparison.
Aaron nagler tweeted this and I’ve been talking about this the last few weeks – Rodgers has returned to a bad habit from his earlier years – bypassing the checkoffs and open underneath receivers to force the ball downfield at times.
Sam Shields getting a ton of action today – Indy obviously targeting him. So far, he’s been almost flawless in coverage and has five tackles.
How do the #Packers not have an INT in this game? multiple chances…
Packers 21 Colts 3
Packers vs. Colts – First Impressions – Second Half:
Rodgers throws an INT and everyone getting on James Jones for not going to “get the ball.” For the back shoulder throw to work, the receiver needs to turn and find the ball right there. Little time for going to “get” the ball. Just not a good throw by Rodgers…
With Benson out, Packers have basically stopped running the ball. Playing into Indy’s hands. Give Green a few carries, Mike…
I’m still amazed by how “all over the field” Clay Matthews is…
On the Tramon “almost” INT: That’s as much a catch as Jimmy Graham’s was last week. The ball hit the ground, but so did Graham’s…
Finley out with an injured shoulder and… DJ Williams catching the ball… That is all.
McCarthy hit by a Colts player… Nobody threw themselves in front of McCarthy to protect the head man? What is that about?
Absolutely ridiculous pass interference call on Sam Shields. As bad as the one he got called for in the Seattle game.
Pretty much same script as last week, except this is a rookie QB, not Drew Brees…
Packers giving Luck a short field, just what Indy needs…
Packers offensive line has gone to sleep this half. No movement, no holes and now failing on pass protection, too.
Tom Crabtree having a tough, tough day…
Tramon Williams playing very soft all game. Giving receivers way too much room…
Packers will win this game, but this sure doesn’t bode well for next week with the Texans coming up…
Indy goes ahead by one – 22-21.
Yes Packers, the quick slant can still work for you…
On 2nd and 5, Rodgers holds the ball forever, looking downfield, takes a sack. DJ Williams open right in front of him
Pretty telling when the #Packers biggest weapon is Tim Masthay…
Can we shelve the stretch running plays? Please? The OL just can’t hold their blocks that long…
Packers give some receiver a career day every week. They’re so kind…
Colts go to the Packers kryptonite: bunch formation. They obviously watched plenty of Saints tape from last week…
DJ Smith, a tough tackler, not using his arms on the Luck first down run? What?
Not an excuse, but defense was obviously exhausted from being on the field all day… Packers offense could sustain nothing…
Packers with 35 seconds left from their own 20. Rodgers gets them in position for a 51 yard attempt by Crosby – who misses badly…
When you miss by that much in a big spot, you choked. period. Don’t make excuses for him. He’s not why the Packers lost, but still – Crosby choked.
Colts 30 Packers 27
embarrassing loss…
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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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They thought they were the shit.
They’re just shit.
Quitters.
Time for McCarthy to relinquish his playcalling duties and go no huddle all the time.
That loss was on rodgers as much as anything…this team doesn’t come close to resembling a playoff team. Something is just missing this year, they do not have that look. They just lost to one of the top 5 worst teams in the NFL, with a rookie QB that has one weapon. Pure embarrassment !
Massive choke. Offensive playcalling is ugly lately- MM needs to dial it back a bit and start calling the games to get this “rhythm based” offense, you know, in a rhythm.. intead of just trying to push the ball vertically all the darn time.
Tramon was being abused by Wayne all day long, too. Too many times a Wayne reception came with Williams trailing the WR by almost two yards.
After watching that performance I’m convinced we will lose to Houston next week and I am not sure about winning at St Louis the following week. Wow, these guys can really suck.
Packers lost to Detroit 7-3 and nearly beat the Patriots the following week in 2010. Every week is completely different from the last, so no need to be as “convinced” as you are about who will win next week.
Ugly ugly loss-on the back of a horrible 3rd quarter.
I don’t know exactly where the blame lies with the constant looking for the big play maybe the problem is MM and AR both share that tendency and there is no one acting as a brake ? I don’t have enough knowledge to say exactly what Philbin’s role was and how badly he was missed but we’ve seen the O look like this before this year..
Suppose the good news is that we looked this bad at times in 2010 and we were 3-3 in that year. I would rather have a team other than the Texans coming up though especially with Raji hurt..
I may be disappointed, but I’m not surprised. Not one lousy bit surprised. The Packers have a lot of history with games like these. As long as McCarthy is coach, might as well get used to them.
I’ll be watching the game later, but it seems as though the whole team was to blame – not just one unit.
The colts imposed thier will on the Packers in the 2nd half, by far the better team won today. The slackers, I mean packers, packed it in and gave up while the colts never quit attitude punched the packers in the mouth. What a bunch of losers the pack was today. If the packers don’t come out pissed off and fighting next week, then shame on them and thier manhood.
Rodgers is over-confident now.
WRs cannot get open.
I repeat…Finley is more a detriment than a benefit.
Why wasn’t Starks activated in Jennings spot.
Point 1&2 reason why OL tires.
More 3rd and long donations on the plate
Defense can’t hold the edge against run
Absolutely NO EMOTION on this team.
Luck is one tough SOB.
Offense was terrible in the second half. Oline looks terrible. My impression from this game was that Rodgers couldn’t step up because the middle of the line was being forced back. That left Rodgers vulnerable to outside pressure.
But even considering the lack of protection, Rodgers’ decision making has been poor. He seems distracted.
I agree with your’re point on Rodgers,he just has a look of “I don’t really care”about him!
I agree tarynfor, this team didn’t seam to have the emotion or physicality it takes to win ,on the road, in a game like this,the 2nd half was awful …and rodgers? What’s up with Arod? Maybe he should stop doing commercials.
I agree,Rodgers needs to recommit to football.He always had a chip on his shoulder in the past,but since winning the S.B.and all everything awards,he seems to lack motivation!!
Hey Woodson…seriously,enough with the grabs and please try to remember as we scream at Bush…turn around and look for the ball!
I continue to repeat what I have said every week….Woodson is a liability!
Knew going into this season with a young defense that there were going to be some growing pains. I have been impressed with the front seven, mostly. Perry, Worthy, and Daniels have looked pretty good. Matthews and Hawk look better than ever. However, I think the Packers are going to have to take a page out of the Cowboys book and draft a top corner and maybe get an additional one in free agency. As for this year….. hold on because its not looking good. Go Pack.
The defense is a joke.Capers 3-4 is swiss
cheese!THIS CRAP IS GETTING OLD!
Next week…The Texans…another loss!
This was a disappointing loss and possibly a devastating loss the team, especially with Houston and St. Louis coming up on the road. I did not watch game due to traveling, but I knew the Packers were up 21-3 at half. It seems like they thought the game ended at halftime. MM needs to keep team focused and playing for 60 minutes. Running should take over and chew up second half clock and defense needs to make at least a few plays. Next week could be grim. Thanks, Since ’61
McCarthy’s playcalling has been abysmal all season. It looks like Joe Philbin was the brains behind the organization.
Also Capers needs to stop swapping personnel so much. It gives people breathers but prevents group identity and cohesion.
Other thoughts:
– Mike stop calling deep routes every play
– Aaron stop holding onto the ball
– Tramon stop jawing at your teammates if you’re going to keep on dropping interceptions
– Williams > Finley
– Time to retire, Donald
– Time to retire, Charles
/armchair coach
Al, this loss was a total TEAM loss. Not just Crosby.
I had a bad feeling about this game all week. This team is self imploding, yes. But they also haven’t been able to catch a break since the KC game last December. This about it:
1. Haley gets canned. Chiefs play inspired for their new ‘anyone but the previous guy’ schtick.
2. GJ and Aaron don’t play vs DET, and get out of rhythm just in time for the games to really matter.
3. Philbin’s son before the playoff game.
4. The Fail Mary and all the crap that led up to it.
5. The Colts coach gets cancer, leading to the Colts playing inspired.
show me where I blamed the loss on Crosby?
Sorry dude, no excuses.
1. They were still just the Chiefs.
2 and 3. Players deal with distractions all the time, they have to move on from them.
3. You should NEVER allow the refs to be in any position to screw you over like that.
4. The Colts are still just the Colts. That’s why the Packers had an 18 point lead.
This team needs an attitude adjustment. Given the way they’re playing, they need a players’ only meeting to vent their frustrations. They did this in 2009 and 2010. An attitude adjustment isn’t going to come from MM.
How about a new commercial where the players and coaching staff line up with their legs spread apart and let the fans kick them all in the ding ding. Where’s the motivation, these guys are playing like pussys….