After eight games and heading into the bye week, the Green Bay Packers are about what we thought they were (cue the Denny Green soundbite).
- Aaron Rodgers is amazing and does amazing things.
- When Rodgers get hurt, even if it’s just a silly hamstring pull that he plays through, things go to hell in a hurry.
- The defense is better, but still not quite where it needs to be.
- The safety position is better than last year because 1) it couldn’t get much worse, 2) Ha Ha Clinton-Dix has a future and 3) Morgan Burnett looks improved.
- Inside linebacker hasn’t gotten worse, but it’s still no good.
- The injury situation is better, mainly because it couldn’t get much worse than it has been in recent years.
- The defensive line might be the one position that hasn’t lived up to expectations, even though those expectations were modest.
Add all that up and you get a team that’s 5-3 at the bye and on pace for around 11 wins and another division title despite its flaws. That’s about where most reasonable people pegged the Packers to finish.
The bothersome thing about this year’s team is that they’re so hard to read. Different areas of the team, including the coach’s decision making and playcalling, are up and down on a week-to-week basis.
Is that a sign of an inconsistent team that will go on a run once they put it all together? Or is that a sign of team that is good, but not quite good enough?
We’ll find out over the next two months. For now, onto the stock report:
Rising
Randall Cobb
This is about to become Cobb’s theme song after he signs a big contract, hopefully with the Packers. Will he hire a body guard named Virgil to guard against ketchup-wielding fans at Lambeau?
Eddie Lacy
Davante Adams has come along nicely as the Packers’ third receiver. After catching 100-plus yards worth of passes on Sunday, Lacy can stake claim to being the Packers’ fourth receiver.
Josh Sitton
Sitton never has a game where he’s totally worked over. He rarely even has stretches of games where his man gets the best of him. Year in year out, game in game out, Sitton shows up and gets the job done.
Steady
Mason Crosby
Will I always be nervous when Crosby trots out to kick a field goal? Probably, but perhaps it’s time we apply Aaron Rodgers’ advice to Crosby’s kicks and just R-E-L-A-X. He’s been steady as can be so far.
Falling
Michah Hyde
He just doesn’t seem fast enough to be an impact player. You can’t argue with the value the Packers have squeezed out of him as a later-round draft choice, but if injuries in the secondary persist, the Packers will need more from Hyde.
Josh Boyd
All we needed Boyd to do this season was develop into the 2010 version of C.J. Wilson: an unspectacular, but reliable and athletic run-stopper. So far, it hasn’t happened.
Refs
A small part of me died when Davon House was whistled for pass interference because he “cut off the receiver’s route.” By that definition, the very action of playing pass defense is a penalty.
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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“A small part of me died when Davon House was whistled for pass interference because he “cut off the receiver’s route.” By that definition, the very action of playing pass defense is a penalty.”
Amen.
Is that really a rule i.e., you can’t run interference on a receiver’s route i.e., WR is entitled an uncontested path to the ball? That can not be, can it?
Welcome to today’s NFL, where defensive backs are the Washington Generals to the Globetrotter wideouts. Not to mention that the pass was entirely uncatchable, with the ball hitting the ground about 15 yards away.
Having said that, House was truly awful. He’s got a good future, but he sure didn’t show it on Sunday night.
“The defense is better” are you kidding me? There have been two games that there were no punts for the opposing team.
If the defense gets turnovers the Packers can win against a good team, otherwise not.
Middle linebackers are horrible.
Capers is the worst, when is management going to wake up and fire this guy?
As long as they have a winning record(even if it is 8-7-1) the malt liquor drinkers are fine with it. They don’t care about 1 and done in the playoffs. They believe that MM and TT are masterminds because they have an overall winning record. Doesn’t matter that the team they have built will never beat an elite team. As long as they beat crappy to mediocre teams they be happy. Malt liquor does some crazy things to people. Defense is dead last against the run, that’s ok they are doing a little bit better. The go kart package will take a little longer to implement than Dum Capers thought. Probably 3-5 yrs. I would say by about the time Rodgers retires they should have everything in place. Then TT, high on malt liquor, talks Favre into coming out of retirement again.
“If the defense gets turnovers the Packers can win against a good team, otherwise not.”
Ditto for every other team’s defense.
Turnovers are a bonus that a defense cannot expect weekly.It must be able to play to a level that at least resembles decent against even the best offenses.The Packers defense,without the bonus of turnover(s) play way below the level of decent vs offenses of good status and just above decent vs bad offenses.
When I looked at the Packers schedule prior to the season I predicted that the Packers would go 12-4 or 11-5 providing the team did not sustain any serious injuries to key players, e.g. Rodgers. I expected them to lose at Seattle and N.O. and then possible loss to Detroit on the road and possibly a home loss to either Carolina or Philly. At the time, I didn’t know that Carolina would fall as far as they have. Well, the Packers have 3 road losses over the 1st 8 games. For the second half our most challenging game is Philly at home. New England is another big challenge, but their defense is not that good and I think that the Packers should be able to beat Brady at home. Philly has the type of offenst that can gash the Packers defense as we have seen with N.O. this past Sunday, but their QB is not as good as Brees or Rodgers. The remaining 6 games are winnable and if we get Shields, Burnett and Lang back after the bye our team will be virtually back to full strength with 5 home games in the next 8. Assuming Rodgers hammy is better we should be good to go at least 6-2 over the second half of the season and likely 7-1. Where that leaves us in seeding for the playoffs, it’s too early to tell. What I do know is that if our defense can’t do a better job of stopping the run we will have another short playoff run. The teams that we can expect to face; Seattle, SF, NO, Dallas, Philly all have strong running games. Our defense has to get better and get off the field. We’ll know pretty quick after the bye if the run defense is improving since we face Chicago and their ground game which gashed us pretty good in Chicago even though we won the game. Until then RELAX and enjoy the bye week. Thanks, Since ’61
Are you using a ouija board to project Packer wins? It more likely that New England comes to town and Wilfork shuts down our run game, Gronkowski breaks 20 tackles and Belichick outcoaches McCarthy.
But given that our schedule includes a bunch of very average teams, you may see your prediction come true because we do tend to play well against weak teams.
Obviously, I am not as optimistic. I am hoping that 10-6 earns us a playoff spot so that I can at least hold it over Bears and Vikings fans.
Belichick will school MM in coaching every time hands down. MM wouldn’t make a pimple on his azz…
We’ll see when they play later this year. I haven’t seen Belechick win anything since 2004, plus he’s a cheater plus he is a below .500 coach without Brady. I don’t want him near my team. He is supposed to be a defensive genius and his defense has been torched in recent seasons. Thanks, Since ’61
I can’t stand Belechick, but the man can coach and make adjustments like no other. MM can’t make any on the fly adjustments. I hope we win too. If we do it won’t be because of our brilliant coaching.
Belichick hasn’t won a Superbowl in ten years and he’s just awesome, yet everyone wants to kick out McCarthy because he hasn’t won the Superbowl in the past THREE years.
Makes sense?
Razer – a Quija board would be too complicated and is unreliable. I look at the schedule and then the opposing QB. This season, except maybe for Brees and Brady the Packers have the advantage with Rodgers. Even Brady and Brees are equals at best. MM and Rodgers offense has been averaging 29 point per game since 2009, therefore I expect between 5-7 trips to the red zone each game. This is in spite of alleged bad play calls by MM. Even in the N.O. game we had 7 trips to the red zone. Our defense needs to play really bad to lose. Then I look at where the game will be played. We know Seattle and N.O. are difficult places for any team to win. Then I look at opposing OLs and DLs. We know that the Lions DL is very good and gives the Packers a tough time for example. We also know that the Packers OL is good at best and sometimes only average, as in N.O. Therefore the Packers OL against a good DL on the road is going to be a problem game. By the same token the Packers DL against a good OL like Seattle’s or SF’s is also going to be a problem. Over the next 8 games this season the Packers have the advantage at QB in every game even Brady since they are playing at home. I expect them to have problems with the Eagles because the Eagles have a good OL and ground game and their DL is improving. Other home games against Chicago, Detroit and Atlanta should be victories. Road games against Buffalo, the Viqueens and Tampa should be layups. I am sticking with my original 12-4 prediction for the Pack. Go Pack Go! Thanks, Since ’61
I am seeing trouble with New England, Philly, Buffalo and Detroit. All of these teams have the ability to either outscore us, make us one dimensional or outcoach us. Given our defense and O-line, I would not be surprised with 1-3 against these opponents. The only hope is the Rodgers factor – which has been the difference these last years. We need 8 great games out of the guy until we bow out in the first round against a west coast power team.
Not BUF and DET. Not PHI either. Just NE can outscore us.
Not with this defense. If you realistically project how the Packers have played the first half against quality opponents, 4-4 is reasonable. A 9-7 record won’t get a wild card. It’s up to the Lions being the Lions in the 2nd half and finding a way to go 2-6 and gifting another NFC North title to the Packers for this team to make the playoffs.
I also think it’s possible that we finish 4-4 over the remaining 8 weeks, although I’m hoping for at least 5-3. However this ends up, I cannot imagine that the Packers could do any better than one-and-done in the playoffs, if by some chance the team makes it that far. Our defense is just not good enough and our o-line & running game will not stand up to the top teams in the conference. I hope I’m wrong. Go Pack!
Savage – who are the quality opponents besides Philly and the Cheatriots. Detroit on the road, outdoors!? Bears, Bills, Bucs,VI queens, & Falcons should be layups. At least 6-2 for the Pack. Thanks, Since ’61
In all, the Packers second half schedule isn’t all that daunting and the toughest games are at Lambeau. I could see a 4-4 finish over the next 8 games, but I think they’re more likely to win 5 or even 6.
This is a good time for a bye week.
Dobber – I agree. I’m expecting 6-2. Thanks, Since ’61
Chances for a WC berth are rather dim. So to make the playoffs we must win the division. We currently trail the Lions by 1.5 games. We need to be at least within 0.5 games of Lions going into finale. They are coming outdoors to play at Lambeau so that should be a great advantage. However, we must stay within 0.5 games for it to matter. 10-6 looks possible for GB. If DET comes into final game w 11 wins, it could by sayanorra for the cheeseheads. So I would not assume a playoff berth is in the bag yet.
Great points 61. But I don’t see how the run D is going to be better…
Bearmeat – I don’t see the run D improving either. But we usually average 30+ plus points at home and we have 5 gaems home out of the final 8. Our D does play a little better at home. The Eagles game is a concern, but I am not too concerned about the Patriots because we should score big against their defense. On the road we have the Viqueens, Bills and Bucs. I don’t think any of them have a strong run game, maybe Buffalo. Either way they don’t have the QB or the offensive firepower to keep up with Rodgers. Unless we have major injuries or the defense completely collapses over the second half of the season we should go 6-2 or better against this schedule. The playoffs will be another story where our defense will be exposed again but who knows. Go Pack Go! Thanks, Since ’61
Bearmeat, so sorry you can’t see but the good news is I can see. The run D is going to get much better the 2nd half and you know why? I’ll tell you why. Mike Pennel that’s why. Pennel has just got his feet barely wet this first half but he’s getting better and better. He just needs more reps and Capers hates to play young guys like this. If he does play him Pennel will reward him and the run defense handsomely. Capers needs to trust Pennel like he trusts his hair piece on a windy day.
I hope you’re right TT – but Pennel is a rook. And an UDFA at that. Anything he produces is a bonus.
Great points BUT the defense has not proven it CAN get off the field. Two games in half a season without an opposing team’s punt.
Sad very sad
Packer fans should be use to this type of play by now. We have a very average O-line that gets beat all too often. We should have been able to run over the Saints but had to shelve the running game and become our typical one dimension. If you can’t do it against poor defenses, how can we expect success against Detroit, Seattle and the other decent teams with good D-lines? Marginal secondaries are playing like Super Bowl champs against us because they are simply dropping into coverage. No mystery here.
Last in run defense against Drew Brees and Ingram. Ingram has had little real success since coming into the league but our D-line turns him into O.J. Simpson. I don’t care what packages you have, you need to have two stud run stuffers to play any version of a 3-4. We are flush with edge rushers but don’t have a single body to stop teams from ramming it down our throats. I am not going to blame Capers on this front. We don’t have much big body talent – period.
Ted Thompson has loaded this team with 4-7th round and UDFA big bodies and we are consistently being beat in the trenches. Look forward to some more wins against the lower ranked teams and a early exit in the playoffs, if we even make it. We can hope that Aaron Rodgers can overcome our finesse play.
Bingo… Nothing like having the best qb in the league and having a poor O-line to protect him. TT should give Sherrod 3-4 more years to develop and trade a couple first round picks to get Marshall Newhouse back. Maybe Tony Mandarich can come out of retirement to help out too.
With either apologies or a nod to Chris Rock, AR wouldn’t come out and say that what Favre did in reaction to TT not getting him the pieces for another championship run was right, but he understands.
We are a middle of the pack team – once we all accept that maybe we can change it. It begins with a new GM and a new HC.
Now I am convinced you are Cow. A new GM and head coach? Seriously? You are a moron.
Because losing TJ Lang and Rodgers being pseudo-immobilized by a hamstring injury don’t matter at all.
T.J. Lang is a 4th round guard who pretty much plays that way. Rodgers looked fine running in a late TD. The offense played one half of ball and sputtered in the red zone and on 3rd down conversions. New Orleans gave us the run and played the pass and we didn’t produce. Even our top receiver got shutdown. We have a finesse team that couldn’t keep up to another finesse team.
True, TJ Lang isn’t an all-pro, but he’s still much better than Lane Bryant or Taylor or whomever it was that got chucked in there when he went down.
It’s not so bad that Lane Bryant got chucked in there, it’s that the N.O. backup D-linemen so easily chucked him back out. Honestly, Taylor didn’t look like a player at all. The failed 4th and 1 was a flat out embarrassment. He was baaaaaad….
Yep, we are soft…….
What’s the excuse for the other 80-100 games over the past 5 or so years GB has played with substandard O-line play?
Campen’s coaching and middling talent.
Let’s face the facts: Big T, Archie, and Cow aren’t true Packers fans. We know this because they are so much happier when Green Bay loses. A loss allows them to get on here and spew the same vitriol about the same subjects we’ve all read 100s of times before. That’s what truly makes them happy, until their mothers call them away from the basement computers for supper.
Ingram chopped off somebody’s head? I missed that. Otherwise I agree 100%. 🙂
Saw a stat on ESPN that showed the Packers were 0-3 when scoring less than 27 points. Wow! What a message from the defense to the offense.
“Look boys, all you have to do is score at least 4 TD’s every game. We’ll take care of the rest”.
Adam, you usually write credible stuff, but when you say the defense is better, but not quite where it needs to be, I was scratching my head. Do you really think that vaulting from DFL in run defense to 26th in the league is where it needs to be?
Last rant. The title of MM’s coaching memoirs:
Fouling The Bed – How To Come Up Small In Big Games.
The defense is better than last season. That’ll become apparent once again when Shields and Burnett get back on the field. What happened on Sunday wasn’t good, but that’s what Brees does at home. The Packers aren’t the first team he’s trashed and it won’t be the last.
The secondary is much better and the pass rush is better but the defense as a whole isn’t any better when facing top foes, and that’s when it counts.
I’m new here but are you Cow42 from Cheesehead TV?
lol. No – Archie is angrier than Cow… and not nearly as obnoxious/pessimistic.
I think he is Bearmeat. Just my professional opinion.
They didn’t lose just because Brees has the SINGLE BEST GAME RECORDS AGAINST ONE TEAM–THE PACKERS–they won because Packers couldn’t stop any phase of the Saints offense or block any of their defense!
Or, Oops, I laid another giant egg!
It’s kind of funny how fickle Packer Nation can be… every team’s fans, really. We all know that no team is likely to run the table and never lose. We all knew that if N.O. got their ducks in a row on the fast track of the dome, things could get rough. Nevertheless, lose one game and Dom Capers, Mike McCarthy and Ted Thompson suddenly morph back into Adolph Hitler, Genghis Khan and Lucifer. And all of their supporters are clearly brainwashed minions.
I agree that this loss sucked. They all do. Hey, it happens, even with teams that go on to win the Superbowl.
Two days ago, everything was upbeat. Persistent bashers were nowhere to be found. Some of them even piped up and began to say things that were a little optimistic. But the “hell in a handbasket crowd” is never dead. They’re just waiting for the next loss.
A little context and perspective might help to even out the highs and lows. As the title of this article suggests, no team dramatically changes its stripes over night. Only fans do that.
It’s not about wins and losses, it’s about the quality of play. Packers were an embarrassment in teh 2nd 1/2 Sunday night. And it started with the play calling in the early stages.
Dude, yes I am calling you dude!! The quality of play slipped because Rodgers went from 100% to 50% in a single play. Certainly any person with some common sense can understand this. You don’t think Denver would look a little different if Manning was playing on one leg? I do.
Does Rodgers play on Defense?
The defense, while still not great, is not built to win 10-9 games (as if that was even possible in Goodell’s NFL), but to win 38-35 games. When we can’t score 38… that becomes a problem.
Pay attention. He was talking about the 2nd half. It all went to shit when Rodgers hurt his hammy. That’s why we lost. Capers had the same game plan as he did against the Bears. Give up the run and force them to pass. Problem was they could do both and Rodgers couldn’t score due to injury. I really don’t understand why everyone is upset about this loss. You lose the best qb in football of course chances are you are going to lose the game.
It went to shit in the first half when the Packers failed to punch in the TDs. Against a team with a bottom feeding defense and a top offense, and the Saints defense is worse than the Packers, the offense of the Packers should have had the lead by eight points when they stopped the Saints on 4th down early in the second half.
Being a team game then sometimes one unit has to pick up the other. Look at the Miami game. They are a really good defensive team with a lesser (though underrated) offense. Well the defense did the job and gave the offense a chance. Against NO it was the offense’s turn and they self-destructed every time deep in Saint territory.
If anyone has noticed the Packers have lost three road games and they are all to teams that are notorious for being very below average on the road yet just being extremely dominant at home. Look around the rest of the NFC and you will see about two road wins against good teams. Dallas winning in Seattle, the most impressive and the only other one I see is SF going to Dallas and winning. Now I could add in Washing in Dallas, but I am only considering playoff teams.
DEFENSE FORGOT TO TACKLE because Rodgers got injured? C’MON MAN–Sunday nite’s defensive display was an absolute embarrassment. You think Mike Holmgren would’ve tolerated that? Did you not see Rob Ryan on sidelines raising hell over missed assignments to his defense–Capers is sitting in luxury box half a mile above the field–has NO FEEL for the on field results or attitude of his defense. I’d prefer to see the Packers challenge every year, but NOT taking that next step up is what McCarthy and Thompson seem to be content with. The Green Bay Buffalo Bills of new century–we can compete, but never get to the Big Dance. I’d say that’s epitome of mediocrity.
“It’s not about wins and losses, it’s about the quality of play”. What an amazing statement. After nearly 40 years of cheering for Packers wins, to just now find out it was never about that. From now on we can just be happy if the quality of play is up to Archie’s standard.
Foptwaddle.
What has gotten me into the skeptics’ boat is the unchanging formula I’ve seen every year this management team has been in place:
Cobble together an O-line from whatever players can be scraped up in the low rounds and in UFA.
Run a 3-4 defense that has not been able to stop any good offense, save for Caper’s very first year.
It is the same exact style of team every year. The rest of the NFL has played against this unchanging Packers formula for nearly 100 games. This Packers formula has been SOLVED. The team has gotten worse each year over the past 3-4 seasons.
When what you are doing no longer works, that markes the time to do things differently.
If winning a Superbowl four years ago and compiling a 40-19-1 record while reaching the playoffs in every year since then fits your definition of “no longer working,” then you will never do anything BUT make changes. And that would be very, very dumb.
Even if you don’t count the Superbowl year, are you REALLY saying that 40-19-1 with three straight playoff appearances in as many years proves that their “formula has been solved?” You don’t think that’s a teensy bit of an over-reaction? How good did you expect them to be??
If your goal is a record over 0.500 then your goal is achieved.
For people with the goal of reaching the SB, the goal is not achieved. GB is not a SB caliber team this season nor have they been for the past three years. The good teams beat them reliably.
MARPAG–ALERT! ALERT! Have YOU not noticed? This Packers team has beaten ONE WINNING TEAM IN 8 GAMES!!! WAKE UP, this is NOT a measure of success for a team that has invested money and draft picks for 4 YEARS NOW TO FIX THIS DEFENSE. And a BIG PART of the failure is the SAME FLAWS FOR 4 YEARS–an O-line that can’t run or pass block against better defenses and a D-line that CAN’T FUNDAMENTALLY TACKLE or play defense to level of a playoff contender! Don’t take my word for it–their own record PROVES IT. To say I’m disappointed with the HC, DC, and GM is an UNDERSTATEMENT–Aaron Rodgers is in his prime–ONE serious injury can make him just another great QB who never gets that SB opportunity again–not because of HIS drop off, but like those teams in Favre’s latter years–just not good enough.
ALERT! ALERT! Writing EVERY other WORD in CAPS does not MAKE your POINT more VALID. The PACKERS have WON 40 of their LAST 60 GAMES… your SILLY display of RIGHTEOUS indigNATION notwithstanding!!!!!!!!!
GET a CLUE! You are HOLDING the PACKERS to a RIDICULOUS and UNACHIEVABLE STANDARD that no OTHER team in the NFL has EVER accomplished in THE entire HISTORY OF THE LEAGUE!!!!!!!!!!!!
B.S.–look at the MOST important of those games–3 CONSECUTIVE LOSSES to Niners, including two consecutive playoff games; they haven’t beaten the Giants in a playoff game since Lombardi’s teams and Drew Brees currently has the NFL RECORD for single best combined career performances against ONE team–the Green Bay Packers. The Buffalo Bills were very successful too in their time–UNDERACHIEVERS who never won the big game despite numerous playoffs and 4 SB appearances. Aaron Rodgers is not getting younger and the Packers’ window of opportunity with him as QB is slowly closing every season of disappointment. So, ya’ think this team can go to SB playing like this? Peyton Manning or Brady would TORCH this defense if they even made it through NFC championship against Niners, Hawks or possibly Cardinals. I’m holding the Packers to a standard that ANY coach in league would–EXECUTE, TACKLE, EFFORT–you don’t see these guys making the big hits, they never even follow though on tackles–too many arm tackles-zero wrap ups unless by committee ’cause they sure aren’t very good one on one–just ask AP and the Vikings. They’ve had tackling problems on this team since the 2010 season–McCarthy called’em out in ’10, again in ’11, ’12 and again last season–even to the point he said in camp this year–they WOULD tackle better. Opening night against the Hawks–McCarthy’s halftime comment to sideline reporter–we must tackle better! What did he say Sunday–we have TACKLE the damn ball carrier! I’d say 5 years with same ole’ problems should’ve sent the DC packing long before now. Can you spell mediocre? That’s what they are gonna become known as. That’s not Packers football.
So getting to the Super Bowl four consecutive times makes the Bills underachievers?! If you’re only going to satisfied by a SB win EVERY year you’re going to be sorely disappointed.
Yup, and that’s exactly what they are – sorely disappointed, always. They thrive on it. They get off on bitching. It’s their whole reason for being here. And that’s literally true. What team did they ever cheer for that was so totally invincible and awesome as they think the Packers ought to be? Every team in the history of the world would disappoint them, and it will always be that way.
Alrighty, then. Have fun with that.
I’d call that UNDERACHIEVING, wouldn’t you? And that was with a team that is better than this Green Bay team, with a coach that is likely better than McCarthy is. You think Packers fans would sit still while McCarthy lost 4 STRAIGHT times? NO, and Thompson, Murphy would be making drastic changes after that second loss, especially with a defense playing as poorly as this one has for 4 years now.
The “not beating a team with a winning record” thing has become the new mantra of the anti-TT & MM trolls. Don’t be creepy Rob Lowe a/k/a Big T & Archie.
Bubba, YOU can have your own opinion, but YOU are not entitled to your own FACTS! Facts are this team has beaten the Dolphins–a team that is far better statistically on defense than GB is. The other 4 victories are against losing teams-heck, 31 other teams are BETTER than the Packers are on defense. I’d consider the run defense to be a more accurate measure of this defense, if they can’t stop a good run game, it only makes the secondary more susceptible to play action. No matter if Shields and Burnett are on the field with starting secondary-this defense is highly vulnerable in pass defense in the middle of the field.
So to bring up an unpleasant truth about this team amounts to trolling? Don’t blame the messenger.
From the start of the season and like the play of the Packers,my outlook of the team varies,especially so for the defense,since even I can be somewhat swayed to false beliefs via a couple of ooh and aah moments which enable kool-aid drinkers to think even the cliff dive the defense seems willing to self inflict is only the distance of the height of a standard street curb.
The offense should be able to endure such falls off a curb,not a cliff, for the most part,but that support is a very thin rope as witnessed via a slightly injured Rodgers and some buffoonery from McCarthy and his playbook.
Careful, buffoonery borders on assclownness.
Like the ‘red’ lines of our President…borders/lines are imaginary and redrawn as warranted by those who declare things to be such. 🙂
I was told not so long ago to keep the politics out of here so now I am asking you to do the same. Bearmeat doesn’t like it.
This wasn’t meant as a political statement,just a comical analogy about invisible lines of any that can’t stand true to one….But I will refrain if need be. 🙂
I know it was Taryn. I said something similar and got my head torn off by BearMeat. Just paying it forward I guess.
“Torn off” huh? If I remember correctly, you said something about Obamacare and I politely asked you to keep the politics off a football site. Last I checked, that’s not “tearing” someone’s head off. That’s courtesy.
It’s not the the almighty “I” don’t like it TedTomsin – it’s that politics aren’t the central focus of this forum. If you want to argue politics, go to FNC or MSNBC and nerd out.
But most of us are here for our Packer fix and not to argue the merits of policy XY or Z
Here’s the thing: MM wanted to get better at pass rush. It’s better. Not
world beating, but better. But in order to do this in the offseason, he
said, “We’re going to get faster and lighter on the D line” I thought to myself: “Uh-oh. We simply don’t have the ILBs to shed blocks if the DTs can’t keep the OL off of them. Sure enough, the DTs (especially with Raji hurt), can’t keep blockers off the ILBs, and the result is a pathetic run defense.
The pass D is better, but we can’t stop the run. I don’t see any possible
way this will get better with the current personnel, apart from getting a HUGE lead right off the bat to keep the opponent in throw, throw, throw mode. That’s simply not going to happen against the better teams in the NFL.
Further, the OL should be better at run blocking this year compared to last. The personnel has improved at C and RT. The other three are a year better because none of them are old yet. Pass blocking is better, but run blocking isn’t. Why?
I’d bet GB still wins the division because of ARod and the improved turnover ability due to pass rush and better coverage in the back end.
I’m not surprised at the pathetic run D. But, barring any huge (unforseeable) improvement from Pennel, Boyd, Lattimore and Barrington, this is NOT a super bowl winning roster. It’s just not.
Sigh.
So – who’s fault is it? I think it’s TT’s fault for not upgrading ILB and DT in forever. I think it’s MMs fault for not recognizing that the smaller/faster thing works for teams like Seattle and SF because they have studs in the middle of the LB corps. We don’t.
I think it’s not our favorite whipping boy’s fault (Capers). He has a bag of mixed goods. You can’t make chicken salad from chicken S#!T. And I think it’s the not player’s faults either. They are who they are. That goes for the DTs, ILBs and ARod. He’s not God. He can’t do it all himself.
I agree.
I disagree with both of you–FUNDAMENTAL FOOTBALL means BLOCKING and TACKLING, PERIOD. No matter what you say–this O-line CAN’T run or pass block against better defenses–just NAME ONE they’ve run against this year! They STILL can’t TACKLE properly–McCarthy said it at halftime against the HAWKS, he said it again Sunday!! THAT’S ON DOM CAPERS–he’s NOT getting execution from his players and NOT DEMANDING IT EITHER!!! They’ve BEATEN ONE WINNING TEAM in 8 GAMES! You can’t say this is even acceptable with all the money, draft picks invested in this defense!! Offense can compete–DEFENSE CAN’T KEEP’EM IN THE GAME AGAINST BETTER OPPONENTS! THAT is on McCarthy and Capers for LACK OF EXECUTION!!
More caps, please.
BTW, position coaches teach technique, not coordinators or the head coach.
The HC and DC responsibility is to see TECHNIQUE and SCHEME executed! Football is BLOCKING and TACKLING–the Packers can’t do this very well and haven’t for 4 consecutive years now. Do you know how many draft picks and players have been signed to FIX this defense in 4 years? Over 40+ players signed by Thompson–that’s enough players to COMPLETELY REMAKE this defense 4 TIMES over–you gonna keep drinking that green and gold koolaide and be satisfied? NOT ME, I’ve seen QB’s come and go in blink of an eye since Lombardi’s dynasty. Majkowski, remember that name? Starter one day, injured and never the same player again. Mark Brunell was never the same player for Jaguars after a knee injury and never a quality starter again. Sit back and watch Pack fritter away another season of frustration while Aaron Rodgers career gets shorter with each game. Vic Ketchman will tell you–a GM and team president’s PRIMARY job is put a team on the field that keeps the turnstiles moving–championships are icing on top of the financial cake. Being satisfied with a winning team ain’t enough, getting stuck in that thinking seems to be what Thompson is satisfied with.
If there was no AROD, TT/MM would be long gone.
In fairness – almost every coach and GMs pair without an elite QB end up in that bucket within 5 years.
GB bet heavily that Datone and Daniels would develop into good 3-4 ends (i.e. good against the run and as rushers), who could slide inside and be interior pass rushers (with Peppers rotating inside sometimes) in a 2-4-5 scheme. Problem is that Datone and Daniels aren’t that good against the run (Boyd replaces Datone on run downs). They figured they would fix either ILB or safety (but not both) with the 1st round draft pick. TT swung and missed (at least for this year) on getting defensive help with the 3rd, 4th, and 6th Rd. draft choices. Guion is getting better and might become adequate, and Pennel might develop as the season progresses. No one developed so far at ILB (i.e. Lattimore and Barrington did not make a 2nd year jump). The pass rush generally has been a bit better. Neal has been quiet. The D might get a bit better than it has been, but it needs the defensive line to develop (Datone, Pennel, Daniels, and, to a lesser extent, Guion).