Packers vs Giants: Packer Nation Reviews

TOPHAT · Sep 17, 2007

http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com.../20070916/PKR01/70916035/1057/PKR&located=RSS

Report card shows improved team

Rushing offense – C-

It was a poor effort, but gaining 83 yards after picking up only 46 last week against the Eagles is a major improvement. Rookie Brandon Jackson earned the bulk of the work with 17 carries but he gained only 35 yards. Fellow rookie DeShawn Wynn rushed for two touchdowns (50 yards on 10 carries) including a 38-yarder that iced the game late.

Rushing defense – C+

Derrick Ward proved to be a difficult to handle. He gained 90 yards on 15 attempts, including runs of 19 yards early and a 26-yarder in the third quarter. The Giants probably could have exploited the holes up front even more but they shied away from the running game even though it was a only one-point game heading into the fourth quarter.

Passing offense – A-

Brett Favre (completing 28 of 39 passes for 286 yards and three touchdowns) used possession receiving almost to perfection. He hit eight different receivers with a 46-yarder to James Jones being the only true attempt downfield. Ryan Grant had a nifty move on a screen to set up a touchdown. Korey Hall caught two passes for first downs. The Giants’ linebacking corps struggled to locate the ball.

Passing defense – B

The Giants self-destructed with key penalties by Jeremy Shockey and Amani Toomer. The Packers couldn’t pressure injured Eli Manning but his accuracy was suspect. The Packers were also whistled for several illegal contact and pass interference penalties, but Manning only burned the Packers once with a 26-yard touchdown to Plaxico Burress.

Special teams – B-

It started poorly when Mason Crosby missed a 42-yard field goal attempt and Colin Cole was flagged for holding penalty that wiped out a 46-yard kick return by Tramon Williams before half. But Williams came back with a 42-yard kick-off return to open the third period and Charlie Peprah forced a fumble on a kick-off that was recovered by Tracy White in the fourth quarter that helped knock out the Giants.

Coaching – B

Mike McCarthy improved his road record to 6-3. Initially, it looked like his decision not to blitz Manning and try to get pressure only with the front four was going to backfire, but Manning missed several open receivers that may have been related to his injured shoulder. The offense saw what Dallas did to the Giants last week and exploited the linebacking corps again in a similar fashion.

Overall – B
The Packers opened with back-to-back wins over NFC East opponents and are 2-0 for the first time since 2001. They improved on offense. They limited an offense that put up 35 points on the Cowboys to just 13. Of course, it gets more difficult next week with the high-powered Chargers coming to Lambeau, but it looks like they will be more competitive than in blowout AFC losses last year against the Jets and Patriots.

TOPHAT · Sep 17, 2007

VINTAGE FAVRE: A TRIBUTE

http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com.../20070916/PKR01/70916044/1057/PKR&located=RSS

Today's win simply vintage Favre

Brett Favre walked slowly out of the locker room at Giants Stadium Sunday with a laptop case in one hand and a backpack in the other. Favre had finished off the New York Giants with a 286-yard, three-touchdown masterpiece in the Packers’ 35-13 triumph. He had silenced the Giants’ home-opening crowd of nearly 79,000, with most somber fans heading for the New Jersey turnpike by early in the fourth quarter. Afterward, Favre had accepted a game ball for the 149th victory of his career, an all-time NFL record for quarterbacks.

Favre, who will turn 38 in three weeks, said he doesn’t feel young after games anymore. Yet on the field, he did a great imitation of a 25-year-old in the prime of his career. “During games it doesn’t really bother me,” Favre said of his advancing age. “After the games is when I feel it.” Favre couldn’t have performed much better. He completed 76% of his passes and produced a quarterback rating of 112.4. During one stretch in the second half Favre had 14 straight completions. It was no coincidence that during Favre’s hot second half, the Packers outscored the Giants 28-3. “They had a great game plan,” said Giants cornerback Sam Madison. “It’s Brett Favre, so he is always going to make something happen. You have to know that.”

The Packers generated just 47 rushing yards until DeShawn Wynn’s 38-yard touchdown run with 4 minutes remaining. Who needs an effective running game when Favre is in a zone? “Brett did an excellent job,” said starting left guard Daryn Colledge. “He was on fire. He made it easy for us.” For all of Favre’s success against the Giants, starting right tackle Mark Tauscher wondered if the best is yet to come. “He was definitely sharp and did a lot of great things,” said Tauscher. “He’s going to be that much better if we’re able to run the ball.”

The Giants were hard-pressed to do anything to stop Favre. During his 11-for-11 third quarter, Favre’s longest completion went for 17 yards. Eight throws were for 10 yards or less. “Brett made a lot of plays with his legs,” said Madison. “I thought we had great coverage at times but he just dinked and dunked the ball down the field.” The streak ended when Brandon Jackson dropped a screen pass early in the fourth quarter. No matter. Four plays later Favre fired one of his patented bullets, a 10-yard strike to Donald Driver in the back of the end zone that sealed the victory.

Favre was the least impressed person in the crowded room when it came time to discuss his new league record. “I think it is unfair that a quarterback gets labeled with wins and losses,” he said. “I think it is a team effort and last week is a perfect example. I didn’t do nothing last week (in a victory over Philadelphia) and they gave me a win.” But Packers Coach Mike McCarthy knows better. He said winning is the ultimate measure of a quarterback’s success. “If you ask me what’s the biggest record to have, I think he just accomplished it,” McCarthy said. With that, Favre picked up his belongings and headed for the team bus at a very deliberate pace. It’s a long season, and this aging veteran has more records to break and more games to win.

TOPHAT · Sep 17, 2007

THUMBS UP & DOWN

http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com.../20070916/PKR01/70916039/1057/PKR&located=RSS

Insider: Driver gets offense rolling

Thumbs up

The formula for the Packers to be successful on offense is quite simple: Quarterback Brett Favre needs to be accurate and smart in his decision making, and receiver Donald Driver must be the focal point of the passing game. Without much of a running game for the second straight week, that was once again the formula for success in Sunday’s 35-13 win over the New York Giants in East Rutherford, N.J. Trailing 10-7 at halftime, Favre completed his first 14 passes of the second half and by the end of that stretch, the Packers led 21-13. On the second possession of the half, Driver caught an 8-yard slant, a 19-yard cross and a 5-yard out to help set up a 3-yard touchdown pass to tight end Donald Lee. Driver on Sunday caught his first touchdown pass of the season (a 10-yarder from Favre in the fourth quarter) and finished with a team-high eight catches for 73 yards. Though rookie receiver James Jones (four catches for 75 yards) and tight ends Bubba Franks (four catches, 20 yards) and Lee (four catches 35 yards) were steady, the Packers’ offense clearly goes through Driver.

With Driver finding ways to get open, Favre had a field day. A week after posting a passer rating of 58.2 against the Eagles, Favre was far better against the Giants. He completed 29-of-38 passes for 286 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. That equated to a passer rating of 112.4, which was his second highest in his last 28 regular-season games dating back to the 2005 season. Perhaps Favre’s most impressive throw of the season came on the touchdown pass to Driver. Favre waited and waited for Driver to get open and then fired a bullet to the back of the end zone.

Thumbs down

It may be nitpicking, especially considering consider it was another strong performance by the defense, but linebacker A.J. Hawk hasn’t shown up much yet. Maybe Hawk is just a slow starter. Last year, he started his rookie season much the same way. A week after getting pushed around at times by the Philadelphia Eagles, Hawk looked rather ordinary, especially for a guy who was the fifth overall pick in the draft in 2006. Hawk was credited with just four tackles (all of them solos), didn’t get home on any of his blitzes and wasn’t around the ball much. Hawk gave up a 19-yard completion to Giants tight end Jeremy Shockey in the second quarter that helped set up a field goal. Hawk got beat to the outside on the play. He later missed a chance to tackle running back Ahmad Bradshaw, who caught a short crossing route over the middle and gained 11 yards. Hawk also was penalized for illegal contact, which was declined, on Eli Manning’s 26-yard touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress in the second quarter.

Turning point

The Giants looked like they had the Packers on the ropes near the end of the first half but botched a series that let the Packers off the hook. On third-and-4 from the Packers’ 30-yard line with 1:59 remaining in the second quarter, defensive end Aaron Kampman jumped off sides, giving the Giants a free play. Manning threw a short pass to Shockey, who ran for a 14-yard gain and an apparent first down. Shockey inexplicably spiked the ball, but a new rule for 2007 calls for any spiked ball except after a touchdown to draw a 5-yard penalty for delay of game. That offset Kampman’s infraction, forcing the Giants to replay the down. On the next play, Shockey dropped what would have been either a long completion near the goal line or a touchdown, forcing the Giants to settle for a field goal and a 10-7 halftime lead.

Play of the game

For the second straight week, the Packers’ special teams came up big. This time, safety Charlie Peprah caused Bradshaw to fumble a kickoff return in the fourth quarter right after the Packers had taken a 21-13 lead. Linebacker Tracy White, who last week scored a touchdown when he recovered a muffed punt in the end zone, recovered the fumble, setting up another touchdown that iced the game.

Did you notice?

Rookie fullback Korey Hall, the converted linebacker, got his first touches of the season early in the third quarter. Twice on the opening drive of the second half, he caught dump-off passes from Favre that he turned into 10-yard gains.

Running back Ryan Grant, who was acquired from the Giants in a trade on Sept. 1, got his first action from scrimmage and looked good on a screen pass in the second quarter. He made a spin move near the left sideline that caused Giants cornerback Corey Webster to miss a tackle, and Grant turned it into a 21-yard gain.

TOPHAT · Sep 17, 2007

UPDATED

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TOPHAT · Sep 17, 2007

REFLECTIONS & ANALYSIS

http://packerfansunited.blogspot.com/2007/09/pack-vs-giants-recap.html

A few reflections

Brett looked great, and it looked like he was having a lot of fun both on the field and on the sideline. He might be gaining confidence in some of the kids around him. And that's a very good thing. In addition to becoming the winningest (is that a word?) QB of all time, he is now only 4 TD passes away from setting the all time TD pass record. And, oh yeah, his teammates gave him the game ball.

The offensive line...still needs dramatic improvement. Better than last week, but still not anywhere close to creating a sufficient running game. Pass protection was better, but on the other hand, the Giants defensive line was patchwork...which also makes the line's inability to generate a rushing game disappointing. Although they did go from 47 yards rushing last week to 83 today...yeah, you're right, it still sucks. And even that figure is misleading because Wynn's TD run accounted for 38 of the 83...so, yeah, sucky.

Speaking of Wynn, his two TD runs -- one for 6 and and the other for 38 -- both demonstrated the Packers picked him. They may have gotten a diamond in the rough. His "issues" caused him to drop to the 7th round where the Packers decided to take a shot on him. After missing a lot of training camp with injury, he's only now actually getting back into playing form. If he continues to work hard, he could wind up being a key factor in the Pack's backfield this year. He has speed, he can cut with the best of them, and he has power. The jury is still out, but you have to like these little flashes you see.

Special teams continues to make a difference. And Tracey White is really excelling in this area. So is returner Tramon Williams, who had a couple nice returns today, including a 42-yarder.

Charles Woodson missed more than a handful of tackles today. It reminds one of what we saw out of him early in the season last year. He has to do a better job. Pride and experience indicate he will.

The Giants helped the Packers a great deal today. Not only with the turnovers, but with several key penalties that stopped their own drives or kept Packers drives going. That's part of the game too.

TOPHAT · Sep 17, 2007

GOOD AND BAD PLAYERS

http://www.mytvisonfire.com/packersnation/?p=2368

Packers at Giants Game Review
Posted on September 16, 2007

Key Players in Victory

Brett Favre had a great game. He completed over 75% of hid passes, gained almost 300 yards, and had three touchdowns. Brett Favre was the MVP of this game. He seemed to do nothing wrong. His one interception was not at all his fault. Brett Favre showed in this game that he still has it. I would also like to congratulate him on becoming the all time leader for wins for a QB.

James Jones and Donald Driver had good games. While they didn’t have outstanding game they did a good job in helping the Packers move the ball down the field. If Driver and Jones wouldn’t have stepped up in the second half the Packers would have lost the game.

Deshawn Wynn had a really good game for the amount of plays that he received. Today Wynn showed the Packers the potential that he possesses. I think Wynn showed that he could be a good RB in this league.
Tracy White made a huge impact once again on special teams. Once again Tracy White recovered another special teams fumble. His fumble recovery helped put the nail in the coffin.

Players that didn’t help in the victory

Charles Woodson and Al Harris both had bad games. Al Harris had trouble covering Plaxico Burress the entire game. Charles Woodson had a lot of trouble tackling this game. They will both have to play better or our team will be in trouble.

The Packers Defensive Line generated little to no pressure during the first half. This allowed Eli Manning to pass the ball so well. While they put more pressure on in the second half they will have to do a lot better if we hope to win next week against the Chargers.

Why the Packers Won

Brett Favre exploited the Giants poor secondary. We moved the ball so well in the second half that we couldn’t be stopped. We threw for almost 300 yards and 3 TDs. We knew their pass defense was their weakness and we exploited it. Hopefully our passing attack can be as productive as it was today.

While the defense bent it didn’t break. The Packers defense gave up quite a few yards, and the Giants moved the ball well, but when they reached the red zone our defense stalled them and forced them to kick field goals. The defense could have easily gave up the TD but they stood tough and stopped the Giants when it mattered.
Things that need to be improved

In order to win next week against the Chargers the Packers offense, defense, and special teams all need to play their best. In the first week the defense and special teams played lights out. This week the Packer’s offense and special teams played really well. Just think how the Packers will look if all three sides of the ball play well at the same time. Hopefully next week all three aspects of the team will play well together. We will need them to if we want to win.

TOPHAT · Sep 17, 2007

CONCERN: AWFUL ZBS BLOCKING

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=662833

Running game stalls again. Wynn's big gain can't hide poor play

The committee approach isn't really getting it done and at some point the Green Bay Packers are going to pay dearly for their inability to run the football. They got away with it for a second straight week, grinding out 83 yards in 29 carries (2.9 average) in a 35-13 victory over the New York Giants Sunday at Giants Stadium. Were it not for DeShawn Wynn's 38-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter, when the Giants' defense had all but packed it in for the night, the Packers would have averaged a mere 1.6 yards per carry "There was a little improvement," offensive coordinator Joe Philbin said. "But we're not where we need to be at all running the ball."

The line had to take blame for some of that. Twice, the Giants' ends shot through the line and dropped the backs for big losses. Wynn was dumped for a 5-yard loss by end Osi Unmeniyora, who blew past tackle Chad Clifton, and Jackson was dumped for a 3-yard loss by Michael Strahan. Former offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski used to say that there never should be lost yardage in a zone running system, so when it happens twice it's a big problem. "We gave up way too much penetration," Philbin said. "We had guys in the backfield. A couple times it happened. It was a little shocking, to be honest with you. We have to go back and study that because it was happening way too much."

Wynn's performance certainly opened the door for him to become a bigger part of the offense. He finished with 50 yards in 10 carries and his ability to bounce off the pile and to the outside got him open for the touchdown run. Wynn also showed power and cutting ability on his other touchdown run, taking a draw out of the shotgun formation and making a hard cut at the 8 before making a beeline for the end zone. Jackson has not shown the same ability as Wynn to escape the pile and too often he gets stopped or short gains. He finished with 17 carries for 35 yards and didn't have a run longer than 8 yards. The coaches got a glimpse of ex-Giant Ryan Grantand they liked what they saw. Grant caught a screen in the second quarter, spun off a defender and ran for a 21-yard gain, setting up Wynn's touchdown run. Still, the lack of a reliable lead back remains a problem, and with Vernand Morency out indefinitely with knee soreness the job is up for grabs.

Obi1 · Sep 17, 2007

Re: CONCERN: AWFUL ZBS BLOCKING

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=662833

Running game stalls again. Wynn's big gain can't hide poor play

The committee approach isn't really getting it done and at some point the Green Bay Packers are going to pay dearly for their inability to run the football. They got away with it for a second straight week, grinding out 83 yards in 29 carries (2.9 average) in a 35-13 victory over the New York Giants Sunday at Giants Stadium. Were it not for DeShawn Wynn's 38-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter, when the Giants' defense had all but packed it in for the night, the Packers would have averaged a mere 1.6 yards per carry "There was a little improvement," offensive coordinator Joe Philbin said. "But we're not where we need to be at all running the ball."

The line had to take blame for some of that. Twice, the Giants' ends shot through the line and dropped the backs for big losses. Wynn was dumped for a 5-yard loss by end Osi Unmeniyora, who blew past tackle Chad Clifton, and Jackson was dumped for a 3-yard loss by Michael Strahan. Former offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski used to say that there never should be lost yardage in a zone running system, so when it happens twice it's a big problem. "We gave up way too much penetration," Philbin said. "We had guys in the backfield. A couple times it happened. It was a little shocking, to be honest with you. We have to go back and study that because it was happening way too much."

Wynn's performance certainly opened the door for him to become a bigger part of the offense. He finished with 50 yards in 10 carries and his ability to bounce off the pile and to the outside got him open for the touchdown run. Wynn also showed power and cutting ability on his other touchdown run, taking a draw out of the shotgun formation and making a hard cut at the 8 before making a beeline for the end zone. Jackson has not shown the same ability as Wynn to escape the pile and too often he gets stopped or short gains. He finished with 17 carries for 35 yards and didn't have a run longer than 8 yards. The coaches got a glimpse of ex-Giant Ryan Grantand they liked what they saw. Grant caught a screen in the second quarter, spun off a defender and ran for a 21-yard gain, setting up Wynn's touchdown run. Still, the lack of a reliable lead back remains a problem, and with Vernand Morency out indefinitely with knee soreness the job is up for grabs.

The other point that I'd like to touch on was the fact that the play calling until the 2nd touchdown was predictable.

1st down was a run EVERY time. When the Packers scored and moved the ball successfully was when Favre started passing on 1st down. THAT seem to open up the running game a little more.

THIS packer offense reminds me of the early Holmgren offense which had JUST enough of a running game and the short, quick passing game, which did most of the damage and scoring.

TOPHAT · Sep 17, 2007

GAME PICS

http://www.jsonline.com

http://www.packers.com

http://www.madison.com/tct/sports/packers/245080

...Favre's milestone? Beyond overcoming Ted Thompson's uninspiring rebuilding blue print, precluding the offense, and the lack of skill position options, especially at running back, Favre's milestone, like Thome's 500th, was measurable: 149. Sunday's convincing 35-13 victory over the New York Giants (an oxymoron) was career win No. 149 for Favre.