Run Defense Sloppy

Pack_One

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http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/app ... NTCAROUSEL

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The Packers’ offensive line came back from last week’s disaster at San Francisco with a solid performance against Denver on Friday night.



The Packers gave quarterback Aaron Rodgers ample time to throw most of the time against the Broncos, who didn’t blitz the Packers like the 49ers did in sacking Rodgers four times in one half last week. Rodgers played the first half and the first series of the third quarter and was sacked only once and finished with an excellent passer rating of 118.4.

The Packers played without center Scott Wells (trunk) and lost right guard Josh Sitton to a knee injury late in the first quarter, but Jason Spitz was sound in place of Wells, and Tony Moll held up well at right guard in place of Sitton. Dependable right tackle Mark Tauscher gave up the Packers’ only sack, to defensive end Elvis Dumervil, who beat Tauscher cleanly off the corner for an 8-yard loss on the final play of the first quarter. Dumervil ranked sixth in the NFL in sacks last season with 12½.

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The Packers miss injured defensive tackle Ryan Pickett and have to be concerned about their interior run defense only two weeks before the start of the regular season.

Denver’s starters, who played only the first half, gashed the Packers repeatedly with their well-schooled version of the zone run-blocking scheme. The Broncos’ rushed for 98 yards on |29 carries in the first half, controlled the line of scrimmage and scored on all three of their first-half possessions.

Pickett is on the physically-unable-to-perform list and hasn’t practiced in training camp because of a hamstring injury. The Packers expect him back for the regular-season opener, but he’ll be rusty and not in top condition early in the season. Justin Harrell’s lower-back injury that has him out indefinitely and maybe for the season only adds to the deficiencies.

Colin Cole, Johnny Jolly and undersized end-tackle Cullen Jenkins got most of the work at defensive tackle in the first half, though Daniel Muir and Alfred Malone also got some work in the rotation on early downs. Starting halfback Selvin Young averaged 7.0 yards on six carries, including a 21-yard gain on the Broncos’ second play, and backup Andre Hall averaged 5.9 on seven carries, including an |18-yard gain through the gut of the Packers’ defense that opened when Jolly was dropped by an effective cut block.

Rodgers watch
Rodgers played the first half and first series of the third quarter and completed 82 percent of his passes (18-for-22) for 193 yards.

Did you notice?

Backup tight end Tory Humphrey got his share of snaps early in the game and had a 35-yard catch and run on the game’s first play from scrimmage. The Packers like Humphrey’s talent but he missed the last 1½ seasons because of injuries and last week’s game because of a sore Achilles tendon.


There must be something to the thin mountain air in Denver. In the first half, the Packers and Broncos combined for six kickoffs in the first half — three each by the Packers’ Mason Crosby and Denver’s Matt Prater — and all were touchbacks. Mason’s kickoff to start the second half was |2 yards into the end zone but returned by Glenn Martinez for 23 yards.
 

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