1) Introduction: You know how the backup quarterback is the most popular player on a bad team? Angry fans want the bum of a starter bench and are convinced that the backup QB can come in and save the season. Lattimore was the backup quarterback of the Packers defense for a stretch this season. Fans thought the starters stunk, and Lattimore was the answer.
2) Profile: Jamari Lattimore
- Age: 25
- Born: 10/6/88 in Miami, FL
- Height: 6’2″
- Weight: 237
- College: Middle Tennessee State
- Rookie Year: 2011
- NFL Experience: 3 years
- Career Stats and more
3) Expectations coming into the season: Play on special teams. If you’re judging Lattimore only on his special teams contribution, he had a good season.But he was forced into the starting lineup after Brad Jones got hurt in October and the results were mixed. Lattimore did look a savior early, but faded late.
4) Player’s highlights/low-lights: According to Pro Football Focus, Lattimore totaled 13 “stops” over a five-game stretch in October. He only managed three stops the rest of the season. Lattimore looked explosive rushing the passer and one of the few Packers defenders who could lay a hit on a running back in October. Come November and December, Lattimore looked slow to react and not nearly as explosive. He did deal with some injuries later in the season, so maybe that slowed him down.
5) Player’s contribution to the overall team success: When Lattimore filled in for Jones in October, you never even knew Jones was gone. He looked like another Ted Thompson “who is this guy?” success story. That optimism faded later in the season, but maybe it’ll return again in 2014.
6) Player’s contributions in the playoffs: Lattimore didn’t play any snaps from scrimmage in the playoff loss to San Francisco and assisted on two tackles on special teams duty.
Season Report Card:
(C+) Level of expectations met during the season
(C) Contributions to team’s overall success.
(C-) Contributions to team during the playoffs
Overall Grade: C
——————Kris Burke is a sports writer covering the Green Bay Packers for AllGreenBayPackers.com and WTMJ in Milwaukee. He is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA) and his work has been linked to by sites such as National Football Post and CBSSports.com. Follow @KrisLBurke
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Player’s Contribution to Team.
” When ____ filled in for ____ in ____, you never even knew ____ was gone.”
“When (Grade C) filled in for (Grade C) in (any month) you never even knew (Grade C) was gone.”
It’s a fair and accurate assessment. Lattimore looked superb in October, but got burned on some plays later in the season. I hope it just was some injury he was fighting through, because he looked like a great player earlier on.
Certainly brought energy when he was on the field, especially earlier on. Packers don’t really have any thumpers on their starting D, and he brings some of that.
We’ve talked about it before, but maybe it’s appropriate here: when you watch the SF’s and SEA’s of the league play defense, they play like they’re eager for contact…enough so that they tend to carry on past the whistle some. But we don’t see that kind of attitude out of this year’s Packer D, and Lattimore was about the only guy who had some of that.
Lattimore looked like Bishop early in his career. He played hard and made a few plays, but made too many mistakes as the season continued. Bishop took 3 full years to become consistent, hopefully Lattimore will find that consistency this season and step up.
Well, if Lattimore can pull a Bishop and Hyde moves to Safety, the draft becomes far less critical. That would go a long way toward solving the 2 screaming problems on defense, IMO.
Of the two, I trust Hyde moving to Safety more than I trust Lattimore turning into a starting-caliber playmaker at ILB.
To quote Since ’61 earlier: The Packers could be #26 in defense with Jones/Hawk, and #26 without them. I sure wouldn’t mind seeing this guy get his shot in a bigger role to see what he can do. But, on the whole, there’s better talent out there to be had manning the middle.
Seattle just proved that defense still wins championships by destroying the best offense in this year SB. The Packers D is not even close to what Seattle’s D is. The Packers have to get more play makers for their D
They did take it to Denver, but that’s the kind of offense the Seahawks are built to take apart. When you look at the teams that have beaten them this season (Ind, SF, Arz), they’re not in that mold at all. I might argue that this was the worst possible matchup for a Denver team that didn’t look like its regular-season alter-ego in the playoffs.
Seattle has lightning in a bottle on that defense. In the copycat NFL, you’d better bet that teams will try to replicate what they’re seeing from Seattle, but you can’t just “do that”. I’ve been a proponent of the Packers turning the dogs loose and trying to diminish their defensive liabilities by playing at breakneck speed, but just doing it, and doing it effectively, are two completely different things.
Anyone who bet on a safety on the first play from scrimmage last night made a fortune.
This was a perfect matchup for Seattle. A statue in the pocket and a QB w/ little arm strength. Manning had absolutely no zip on his passes and couldn’t push the ball downfield. I don’t think Seattle even had a lot to do w/ it. They had something to do w/ it, but a statue w/ little arm strength won’t get it done vs Seattle. I thought I was watching Matt Flynn for God’s sake.
Not too mention that Manning is probably the worst, big time, bug game QB in history. Right now that’s Mannings legacy to me! He’s just not a big game QB. Never was in college and hasn’t been in the NFL either.
I have more zip on the ball throwing to my 10 year old in the backyard…. I’m being serious. I couldn’t believe how many balls floated and fluttered last night. I love Aaron Rodgers even more than before after watching that poor performance by #18. — we get our D healthy and add a few pieces, that will be us next year under the confetti. I’m getting giddy just thinking about it. GoPack!
I completely agree… About Manning and the Packers next year. Manning looked TERRIBLE and it wasn’t just Seattle’s D that made him look bad. He threw a deep pass to Damarius and it went about 35 yds and was WAY off target and he wasn’t pressure on the throw either. Was lucky it wasn’t another INT.
Find and ILB and Safety and the D will be very good again. Definitely about top 10 or better w/ a piece or 2. Offense is gonna be scary good w/ Rodgers and Lacy!
Stroh says “Find and ILB and Safety and the D will be very good again.”
Better be from free agency. It seems that the Capers defense is too complicated for young players. The defense needs to play fast and aggressive. As much as I want the Packers to be the best team in the NFL, I just don’t see our defense, as presently coached, getting us back up to the top.
Manning had a bad game, but I contribute it mostly to Seattle’s D. They shut down the running game, collapsed the pocket with pressure, had outstanding coverage on Denvers receiver’s, didn’t make mental mistakes, didn’t miss tackles, swarmed to the ball and played aggressive , physical football. They have a very talented D. Pretty much the opposite of the Packers D. TT is not doing a good job lately with finding the complete talent needed to have a top notch D.
Seattle’s defense had nothing to do with a bad snap. They just played better than the darling of the Media. Denver wasn’t hungry enough to play out of their minds. The game stunk up my tv set. I turned it off after the interception after half time. The Broncos owe their fans an apology for lack of effort.
Lattimore’s grade is too low, since you grade on a curve. When a back-up plays as well as the starter, that an above average contribution to the team. IMO Lattimore for several games played better than the starter. B- grade.
Seattle maintained consistent pressure on Manning even on plays where they did not get a sack or QB hit, so they could jump the short routes since the vertical routes didn’t have time to develop, even if the noodle-armed Manning could have executed deeper passes. Seattle’s players looked fast and all of them regardless of position looked like they liked to hit. So that’s what a defense is supposed to look like. Since 61 is spot on about attitude about GB.
No, the Seattle D had nothing to do with the bad snap, but that was only 2 points. What does that have to do with Seattle D dominating Denver the rest of the game? The Seattle D line dominated Denver O line. Denver couldn’t run the ball and manning had pressure on him and his receivers where blanketed all day
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