Game Notes: What sort of team will the Packers be under Scott Tolzein? Fans got flashes of potential against the Eagles but also a lot of mental mistakes. With a week to prepare as a starter, backup quarterbacks typically do about 9% better as the starter, will this be enough to overcome a lost Giants squad that’s finally righted the ship?
Inactives (via Packers.com):
Green Bay Packers
12 QB Aaron Rodgers
13 WR Chris Harper
29 CB Casey Hayward
37 CB Sam Shields
53 LB Nick Perry
55 LB Andy Mulumba
67 T/G Don Barclay
16 QB Scott Tolzien will start for Rodgers; 31 CB Davon House will start for Shields; 96 LB Mike Neal will start for Perry; 74 T Marshall Newhouse will start for Barclay.
New York Giants
9 QB Ryan Nassib
23 CB Corey Webster
44 RB Peyton Hillis
59 LB Allen Bradford
61 C Dallas Reynolds
78 DT Markus Kuhn
81 TE Adrien Robinson
38 CB Trumaine McBride will start for Webster.
1st Quarter
- Packers kick off, defense gets the first shot.
- Packers defense looks pretty much the same, a couple good stops followed by a huge gain.
- The Packers look lost or depressed, two 12-man on the field penalties basically shows they’re not into it right now.
- Rueben Randle runs a nice mini pick route where the cornerback have to swap responsibilities and scores the touchdown. You’d like to see tighter coverage by Micah Hyde but overall better offensive play and poor defensive play.
- Good stop by MD Jennings leads to a 40 yard field goal for the Giants, I think this is the way that the Capers’ defense is supposed to work, give up some yards, but make the stop and force them to take 3 instead of 6.
- Score: Giants 7, Packers 0
2nd Quarter
- Out of nowhere, 70 yards of passing on two plays, 25 yards to Jordy Nelson aand 45 yards to James Jones; hopefully this opens up the box for Lacy and Starks.
- I bet McCarthy is itching to give up on the run, but he knows he has to feed Lacy the ball.
- Tramon Williams shows why he got that big contract in 2010, what an acrobatic interception.
- Oh Marshall Newhouse, I thought you were supposed to be good against speed rushers…
- Crosby with a beautiful 57 yard field goal, probably could have gone another 5 yards.
- In all honesty, consider how beat up the Packers are and how badly they’ve been playing, being down 4 is about as good as you can hope for; looks like the Packers are starting to believe again.
- Score: Giants: 10, Packers 6
3rd Quarter
- Tolzein seems to have some issues with the center of the field, it seemed like last week he was also was missing a lot of defenders in the middle, but made good passes down the sideline.
- Miscommunication between Manning and his receivers leads a field goal, at least the Giants are making mistakes too.
- I like the fake field goal based on the distance and the risk vs reward, you got to do something to get a spark.
- Brandon Jacobs pounds in the short touchdown, my question is, how much of that is situational and the Giants and how much of that is the Packers defense, keep in mind this same defense stuffed Ray Rice and Bernard Pierce 4 times at the goal line.
- Score: Giants 20, Packers 6
4th Quarter
- Two huge sacks for the Packers defense, first by Brad Jones and then a combination of Matthews and Datone Jones. I’m actually a little surprise that Manning is holding onto the ball considering the situation
- Wow, even as a Packers fan, that was a spectacular interception for Pierre-Paul.
- Why are the Packers even getting a shot for sacks? If you were the Giants, knowing that the Packers aren’t going to score 14 points in 5 minutes, I would be running the ball every play and punting.
- I do think it’s kinda of ironic that the Packers have turned back into the super traditional “dead ball” football team of pounding the ball down the middle and then throwing deep. It’s a pretty startling difference from their spread offense.
- Tolzien gets over 300 yards; in all honesty he’s play pretty good and might be the backup quarterback of the future. Of course he’s not Aaron Rodgers but he’s not Seneca Wallace either. A full offseason with the Packers and the McCarthy’s quarterback school will help as well.
- And the moment I write that, Tolzien wings one into the middle of the field. He’s probably been watching too much film of Rodgers cause Rodgers makes plays like that all the time.
- Final Score: Giants 27, Packers 13
Thomas Hobbes is a staff writer for Jersey Al’s AllGreenBayPackers.com.
——————
One more thing. Can we please tell our kickoff returners if the ball crosses the goal line take a knee? Please?
Well, it looks like we won’t have football to distract us in January. The first year that I really followed the Packers was 1971 when Brockington set a Packer rookie rushing record. That record looks safe now that Lacy isn’t getting any blocking.
watching this game today made me somewhat conflicted. i understand rogers is all world qb; however he doesn’t play defense. our secondary gives up big plays to the opposition every week. it’s frustrating to watch this. i’m starting to believe that it’s not so much the play calling but the personnel not executing. rogers is too good to be wasted on a sub-par defense.
TT has gotten credit, because he is smart playing the odds. Get as many picks as you can by trading down, and the percentages give you more options to pick your 53 man team. But TT has not done well getting elite players that consistently make an impact. So we have a good team of B- and B grade players. Packer have strong team of above average players, but the coaches aren’t capable of game plan/coaching to get average-good players to overachieve.
You’re kidding, aren’t you? A “strong team of above average players” . . . that is not the team that I see.
I think a lot of people were fooled (myself included) that the defense had taken significant steps of improvement compared to the previous two years.
It’s clear that the brilliance of Rodgers had papered over the cracks and that this team is no more than average without him.
Let’s say the best case scenario is that we beat the Vikings, Rodgers comes back and we win out the rest of the regular season and make the playoffs. These past few games have shown that Rodgers is going to have to play out of his mind to make any progress in the playoffs as the defense can’t step up. I have no trust in this defense.
I think the big problem in acquiring players isn’t as much the draft, but a refusal to supplement what we’ve got with free agents. Not necessarily top line ones, but ones that can be serviceable in a position of need. They’ve really whiffed on safeties and its killing them. Badly misjudged what they have.
I’m simply depressed. 🙁
I am going to be a negative nelly here fellas. The Pack needs new leadership period. Sure Rodgers is the best qb hands down, however, his career is on the tail end. With the worst O-line in the league how much longer do you think Mr. Rodgers will live in the NFL. And the defense is horrid too, despite having some talented individuals. This team with the current leadership does not make the playoffs EVER… Time to start rebuilding now. I say put together the best O-line possible so Rodgers can play 5 more years. Maybe the last 3 could be superbowl years. Any bonehead can see how good this team is without Rodgers compensating for their incompetent play.
You’re right, “This team with the current leadership does not make the playoffs EVER…”
With the current leadership of TT and MM the Packers have made the playoffs five out of the last six years. Absolutely no reason to expect that they could ever do it again.
Geez. Overreact much?
6 games left. If we lose next week at home against the Vikings, the season — for all practical purposes — would be over. In that case, I believe MM should sit AR for the Turkey Game in Detroit even if he’s ready to play. If we beat the Vikes, there are two, possibly three, of the remaining 5 games that are probable losses even with AR at the controls, given our horrible “D.” IMHO, the best case record for the Pack this season is 9 – 7. If so, forget the playoffs and start preparing for April’s college draft.