TOPackerFan
Cheesehead
Rookie middle linebacker Abdul Hodge was in the right place at the right time and scored a 29-yard touchdown on a fumble recovery Monday night. But that was about all he contributed in the Packers' 34-24 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
Shaun Alexander carried 40 times and gained 201 yards rushing against the Packers. It marked only the fifth time since the NFL started keeping statistics in 1932 that a player rushed for 200 or more yards against the Packers.
Know how many tackles Hodge had on Alexander's 40 carries?
He had one solo tackle on a five-yard gain in the first quarter. He also had an assist on another five-yard gain in the first quarter and on a seven-yard gain in the second quarter when he recovered late after being driven back by second-year center Chris Spencer. On Alexander's 21 carries in the second half, Hodge didn't have a single tackle.
How bad is that? A running back carries 40 times and the middle linebacker doesn't have a single tackle, even an assist, within five yards of the line of scrimmage.
Early in training camp, Hodge, a third-round draft pick, opened some eyes by appearing to be what coaches call "a downhill player." But he was playing back on his heels all night against the Seahawks and hardly ever attacked the line of scrimmage.
On Seattle's first scoring drive, Alexander fumbled on a first down run. There might be nothing more elusive in a football game than a loose ball, but it was sitting there for either Hodge or fellow rookie linebacker A.J. Hawk to cover up and neither reacted quickly enough. That might not have been graded as a negative play on their part, but it was a lost opportunity.
On that same drive, Hodge appeared to be fooled and at fault for a 10-yard pass in the flat to fullback Mack Strong that produced a first down. Hodge also ran into nickel back Patrick Dendy and knocked him off course on a 12-yard completion to wide receiver D.J. Hackett. Hodge also was lucky that Strong didn't convert another catch into a first down on the play before Josh Brown's first field goal. Hodge got lost in coverage, but Strong dropped the ball.
On back-to-back runs by Alexander in the second quarter that produced gains of 21 and 7 yards, Hodge was driven back by Spencer and couldn't get off the blocks to even get in Alexander's way.
On an eight-yard gain by Alexander just before the Seahawks kicked their fourth field goal of the first half, Spencer mauled Hodge again.
Hodge got lucky again on the Seahawks' first series of the second half. Tight end Jeramy Stevens beat him by more than two steps down the middle and would have gained at least 30 yards if safety Marquand Manuel hadn't stayed over the top and separated him from the ball with a vicious hit.
On Seattle's first scoring drive of the second half, Alexander cut back to the right and gained 13 yards behind right tackle Tom Ashworth's block on defensive end Aaron Kampman. But, again, Hodge was blocked 10 yards down field by Spencer and was completely out of the play.
When the Seahawks drove 77 yards for thei go-ahead touchdown, Alexander broke back-to-back runs of 15 and 16 yards. On the first, Ashworth put Kampman on the ground and Spencer put defensive tackle Ryan Pickett on the ground, but Hodge also overran the play. On the next play, Hodge missed a tackle or he could have held Alexander to just seven yards. On that same series, on a second-and-five play from the Packers' 11, Hodge missed another tackle on Alexander. What should have been a one-yard gain turned into a seven-yard gain. The Seahawks scored a play later and Hodge was the defender when Stevens caught the pass for a successful two-point conversion.
Stevens also caught Seattle's final touchdown pass behind Hodge. Stevens got Hodge to turn wrong and then beat him to the back of the end zone.
It was one game and only the first major test of Hodge's career, but he might have made veteran middle linebacker Nick Barnett millions on a new contract.
As a footnote, coach Mike McCarthy said Monday afternoon that Barnett probably would be listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the New York Jets. Barnett sat out the Seattle game with a broken hand.
Shaun Alexander carried 40 times and gained 201 yards rushing against the Packers. It marked only the fifth time since the NFL started keeping statistics in 1932 that a player rushed for 200 or more yards against the Packers.
Know how many tackles Hodge had on Alexander's 40 carries?
He had one solo tackle on a five-yard gain in the first quarter. He also had an assist on another five-yard gain in the first quarter and on a seven-yard gain in the second quarter when he recovered late after being driven back by second-year center Chris Spencer. On Alexander's 21 carries in the second half, Hodge didn't have a single tackle.
How bad is that? A running back carries 40 times and the middle linebacker doesn't have a single tackle, even an assist, within five yards of the line of scrimmage.
Early in training camp, Hodge, a third-round draft pick, opened some eyes by appearing to be what coaches call "a downhill player." But he was playing back on his heels all night against the Seahawks and hardly ever attacked the line of scrimmage.
On Seattle's first scoring drive, Alexander fumbled on a first down run. There might be nothing more elusive in a football game than a loose ball, but it was sitting there for either Hodge or fellow rookie linebacker A.J. Hawk to cover up and neither reacted quickly enough. That might not have been graded as a negative play on their part, but it was a lost opportunity.
On that same drive, Hodge appeared to be fooled and at fault for a 10-yard pass in the flat to fullback Mack Strong that produced a first down. Hodge also ran into nickel back Patrick Dendy and knocked him off course on a 12-yard completion to wide receiver D.J. Hackett. Hodge also was lucky that Strong didn't convert another catch into a first down on the play before Josh Brown's first field goal. Hodge got lost in coverage, but Strong dropped the ball.
On back-to-back runs by Alexander in the second quarter that produced gains of 21 and 7 yards, Hodge was driven back by Spencer and couldn't get off the blocks to even get in Alexander's way.
On an eight-yard gain by Alexander just before the Seahawks kicked their fourth field goal of the first half, Spencer mauled Hodge again.
Hodge got lucky again on the Seahawks' first series of the second half. Tight end Jeramy Stevens beat him by more than two steps down the middle and would have gained at least 30 yards if safety Marquand Manuel hadn't stayed over the top and separated him from the ball with a vicious hit.
On Seattle's first scoring drive of the second half, Alexander cut back to the right and gained 13 yards behind right tackle Tom Ashworth's block on defensive end Aaron Kampman. But, again, Hodge was blocked 10 yards down field by Spencer and was completely out of the play.
When the Seahawks drove 77 yards for thei go-ahead touchdown, Alexander broke back-to-back runs of 15 and 16 yards. On the first, Ashworth put Kampman on the ground and Spencer put defensive tackle Ryan Pickett on the ground, but Hodge also overran the play. On the next play, Hodge missed a tackle or he could have held Alexander to just seven yards. On that same series, on a second-and-five play from the Packers' 11, Hodge missed another tackle on Alexander. What should have been a one-yard gain turned into a seven-yard gain. The Seahawks scored a play later and Hodge was the defender when Stevens caught the pass for a successful two-point conversion.
Stevens also caught Seattle's final touchdown pass behind Hodge. Stevens got Hodge to turn wrong and then beat him to the back of the end zone.
It was one game and only the first major test of Hodge's career, but he might have made veteran middle linebacker Nick Barnett millions on a new contract.
As a footnote, coach Mike McCarthy said Monday afternoon that Barnett probably would be listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the New York Jets. Barnett sat out the Seattle game with a broken hand.
