TJV
Lifelong Packers Fanatic
- Joined
- Feb 22, 2011
- Messages
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Now that the dust has settled and I've taken several deep breaths and 'counted to 10' 967 times, here's my impression of the opening game. This is based upon what I saw and McGinn's analysis - a must read for serious Packers fans IMO. http://www.jsonline.com/sports/pack...properly-against-49ers-ve6qa4t-169272666.html
On offense, one of the few pleasant surprises for me was the play of Newhouse and that's a big positive going forward if he can keep it up. Lang played OK and a big bad surprise was Bulaga wasn't his normal good self. Saturday gave up pressures inside and that's not good. Rodgers had an off day for him. His usual pin-point accuracy just wasn't there. Unlike many, I liked the play call on 3rd and 1 to go for it all to Jordy, but when the safety didn't bite on play-action Rodgers should have checked it down or tried to run for the first down. Even so, that pass was 'just off'. And he should have slid at the end of the first half to keep the clock running and if he had there probably wouldn't have been the momentum gaining 63-yarder. McGinn points out the INT occurred on one of the 5 plays (of 68) when Rodgers was under center. I wouldn't put too much into that but it is interesting IMO. One mostly overlooked effect of the replacement refs is the delay in placing the ball and starting the play clock: that lessens the advantage of the no-huddle or muddle-huddle the Packers are going to use a lot this season. And I just have to mention this: Any Packers fan advocating for the trading or waiving of Rodgers blatantly displays his/her bias against Thompson and probably unrealistic love for Favre. Rodgers won't replicate his awesome numbers from last season but he's not the problem. He's THE strength of the offense.
Benson got as much as there was to get IMO. The 9ers are good enough not to have to sell out to get pressure so the Packers' OL lack of ability to drive block in the running was highlighted. That game is exhibit one IMO why the OL is much more important than the running back in the run game. The Packers once held the great Barry Sanders to minus one yard rushing in a playoff game and it wasn't because Barry was hurt or wasn't trying: Even great RBs need some help. Jones and Cobb were the only WRs I saw make anyone miss. He had a good game but he couldn't separate from DBs deep. Driver wouldn't have played except for Jennings' departure at the end of the game. Nelson played 65 snaps, Jennings 63, and Jones 58 while Cobb played 35 snaps, most lining up in the backfield. That may have been because Green didn't play as the third down back but they've certainly found something for Cobb even when Green is back. It's obvious to me Cobb's snaps have to increase and if that means someone else has to watch the ball go over the end line on KORs, that's fine with me.
I was disappointed before the game to hear Mike Daniels was inactive. Except for Raji's pressure (McGinn says he was less active in the second half perhaps because of his ankle) the DL group was mostly invisible. This short week won't help regarding Raji, Pickett and others who are nicked up. McGinn calls LT Staley the 9ers best OL and Matthews handled him. Those who posted Bishop wouldn't be missed may want to watch DJ Smith's missed tackles and poor play again. Of course Bishop, last season's top tackler and "bad ***" will be missed. AJ Hawk played OK. IMO some are so prejudiced against him they highlight his bad plays more than others. Perry did a few things well IMO - he got pressure on one of Clay's sacks so Smith couldn't go to his right. Neither Perry or Hawk should be called upon to cover a WR BTW and when they can't, I blame the scheme, not the players.
Tramon didn't play as well as I'd hoped and Bush should be a reserve DB with Shields starting at CB opposite Williams, with Hayward first off the bench until House is ready. Shields willingness to tackle was a very good sign and earns him the starting spot IMO. Even if he never shows the toughness Bush does, he can cover and that's job 1. Toward the end of TC, I favored McMillian over MD Jennings and it took a missed tackle and a boneheaded play by Jennings for them to make the change. I hope it's permanent. I know McMillian will play like a rookie at times but he's more talented than Jennings and may as well get his feet wet now. Burnett missed a couple of tackles.
Some here think Capers should be fired immediately. One poster posted that Capers gets all the blame for poor performance but none of the credit for turnovers. Looking at Capers' history in Green Bay renders that a biased and/or foolish point of view IMO. Before the season Wilde reported that Capers, when asked about this D, said something like 'It'll be better in December', or as the season proceeds. Woodson, who isn't shy about expressing negative feelings said after the game "...we're going to be a good defense, trust me." It looked to me like their pass rush is indeed improved and that's important going forward. The most concerning thing was the confusion and blown assignments in the secondary. Until MD Jennings played himself out of the game, there wasn't a rookie in the D backfield so there was no excuse for that. Look, Capers isn't going anywhere at least until the end of the season. If the D doesn't play better, if receivers continue to run free in the D backfield on occasion, if they're in the bottom half of the league in scoring at the end of the season, he should be asked to resign. What I hope and expect is the D will indeed be getting better as the season progresses and by December, at the latest, that will be obvious.
The positives: Matthews was as good as or better than ever - IMO his best spot is ROLB - and their pressure was improved from last year. And that occurred against a run-first team. Cobb obviously: He needs to get more snaps on offense and I'd restrict him on STs to just PR. Newhouse: If he continues to play like that he'll be good enough at LT, but another big test is coming up Thursday of course. Shields was another positive IMO. He improved upon the biggest knock on him. Until Hayward gains enough experience or House gets healthy enough to approximate his play before his got injured, the starting CB spot should be Shields' IMO.
The negatives: Everything else.
On offense, one of the few pleasant surprises for me was the play of Newhouse and that's a big positive going forward if he can keep it up. Lang played OK and a big bad surprise was Bulaga wasn't his normal good self. Saturday gave up pressures inside and that's not good. Rodgers had an off day for him. His usual pin-point accuracy just wasn't there. Unlike many, I liked the play call on 3rd and 1 to go for it all to Jordy, but when the safety didn't bite on play-action Rodgers should have checked it down or tried to run for the first down. Even so, that pass was 'just off'. And he should have slid at the end of the first half to keep the clock running and if he had there probably wouldn't have been the momentum gaining 63-yarder. McGinn points out the INT occurred on one of the 5 plays (of 68) when Rodgers was under center. I wouldn't put too much into that but it is interesting IMO. One mostly overlooked effect of the replacement refs is the delay in placing the ball and starting the play clock: that lessens the advantage of the no-huddle or muddle-huddle the Packers are going to use a lot this season. And I just have to mention this: Any Packers fan advocating for the trading or waiving of Rodgers blatantly displays his/her bias against Thompson and probably unrealistic love for Favre. Rodgers won't replicate his awesome numbers from last season but he's not the problem. He's THE strength of the offense.
Benson got as much as there was to get IMO. The 9ers are good enough not to have to sell out to get pressure so the Packers' OL lack of ability to drive block in the running was highlighted. That game is exhibit one IMO why the OL is much more important than the running back in the run game. The Packers once held the great Barry Sanders to minus one yard rushing in a playoff game and it wasn't because Barry was hurt or wasn't trying: Even great RBs need some help. Jones and Cobb were the only WRs I saw make anyone miss. He had a good game but he couldn't separate from DBs deep. Driver wouldn't have played except for Jennings' departure at the end of the game. Nelson played 65 snaps, Jennings 63, and Jones 58 while Cobb played 35 snaps, most lining up in the backfield. That may have been because Green didn't play as the third down back but they've certainly found something for Cobb even when Green is back. It's obvious to me Cobb's snaps have to increase and if that means someone else has to watch the ball go over the end line on KORs, that's fine with me.
I was disappointed before the game to hear Mike Daniels was inactive. Except for Raji's pressure (McGinn says he was less active in the second half perhaps because of his ankle) the DL group was mostly invisible. This short week won't help regarding Raji, Pickett and others who are nicked up. McGinn calls LT Staley the 9ers best OL and Matthews handled him. Those who posted Bishop wouldn't be missed may want to watch DJ Smith's missed tackles and poor play again. Of course Bishop, last season's top tackler and "bad ***" will be missed. AJ Hawk played OK. IMO some are so prejudiced against him they highlight his bad plays more than others. Perry did a few things well IMO - he got pressure on one of Clay's sacks so Smith couldn't go to his right. Neither Perry or Hawk should be called upon to cover a WR BTW and when they can't, I blame the scheme, not the players.
Tramon didn't play as well as I'd hoped and Bush should be a reserve DB with Shields starting at CB opposite Williams, with Hayward first off the bench until House is ready. Shields willingness to tackle was a very good sign and earns him the starting spot IMO. Even if he never shows the toughness Bush does, he can cover and that's job 1. Toward the end of TC, I favored McMillian over MD Jennings and it took a missed tackle and a boneheaded play by Jennings for them to make the change. I hope it's permanent. I know McMillian will play like a rookie at times but he's more talented than Jennings and may as well get his feet wet now. Burnett missed a couple of tackles.
Some here think Capers should be fired immediately. One poster posted that Capers gets all the blame for poor performance but none of the credit for turnovers. Looking at Capers' history in Green Bay renders that a biased and/or foolish point of view IMO. Before the season Wilde reported that Capers, when asked about this D, said something like 'It'll be better in December', or as the season proceeds. Woodson, who isn't shy about expressing negative feelings said after the game "...we're going to be a good defense, trust me." It looked to me like their pass rush is indeed improved and that's important going forward. The most concerning thing was the confusion and blown assignments in the secondary. Until MD Jennings played himself out of the game, there wasn't a rookie in the D backfield so there was no excuse for that. Look, Capers isn't going anywhere at least until the end of the season. If the D doesn't play better, if receivers continue to run free in the D backfield on occasion, if they're in the bottom half of the league in scoring at the end of the season, he should be asked to resign. What I hope and expect is the D will indeed be getting better as the season progresses and by December, at the latest, that will be obvious.
The positives: Matthews was as good as or better than ever - IMO his best spot is ROLB - and their pressure was improved from last year. And that occurred against a run-first team. Cobb obviously: He needs to get more snaps on offense and I'd restrict him on STs to just PR. Newhouse: If he continues to play like that he'll be good enough at LT, but another big test is coming up Thursday of course. Shields was another positive IMO. He improved upon the biggest knock on him. Until Hayward gains enough experience or House gets healthy enough to approximate his play before his got injured, the starting CB spot should be Shields' IMO.
The negatives: Everything else.