The morning after each game is a good time to blow off some steam after a big loss or huzzah a big 
win. What do the Packers need to work on? What did they do well? Each game has its share of little victories and little gripes…let’s call it R&R…”Rant” and “Rave”. So here is my take on the game…
Rant:
Where to begin on this one…
- Offense didn’t get into a rhythm, we called this game better than the last time we played Seattle when we thought we would win entirely through the air, but where were our playmakers? Eddie Lacy spent the entire night running East and West and aside from a couple catches, was a non-factor. We knew from our last meeting that relying entirely on the passing game to beat the Seahawks was a recipe for disaster. We needed to bring the thunder on the ground and what we got was more like a fart in the wind.
- The defense looked exactly the same as last season. There was one play in which Clay Matthews AND Julius Peppers met at the quarterback, one play that looked like the “Assault and Peppers” defense that we thought we had and…guess what, play negated by a Brad Jones penalty. Speaking of Brad…
- Brad Jones can’t tackle, he can’t cover, and he can’t even stand by and watch good players make plays without messin’ it up! I expected AJ Hawk to have a good game last night…he was nowhere to be found, which is a clear step up from Jones who stole the show…in a BAD way.
- The defense still can’t tackle. Ha Ha Clinton-Dix was drafted for his range and ball-hawking ways but one liability is his open field tackling and it showed last night. Maybe Brad Jones or Mike Daniels can show him proper tackling technique…oh….wait…
- The defense missed two interceptions. I know one was knocked away but I have NEVER seen an easier floater and we HAVE to have those.
- Mike Daniels…all talk, no tackle.
Rave:
*The audience waits patiently but for the moment, all that meets their senses is the distant screet-screet of crickets and the lonely, hollow moan of the wind through the slats of the abandoned mill…the derelict water wheel creaks and lolls to one side. A tumble-weed skitters by….*
Oh wait! I just thought of something!…Nope lost it…wait!
1. The Packers did not play well as a team but that does not mean there were not some individual performances/plays that were positive. Anybody here upset that the Packers re-signed John Kuhn? Hmmmm? The guy is just a football player, he’s one who does little talking except on the field. Maybe he should take Mike Daniels’ place on D?
2. If Mike McCarthy’s initial report from the medical staff is correct, Brian Bulaga has a knee sprain but it is not a serious or long-term injury. Not that he was playing well (he had a terrible game in 2012 so this was a step up – “RAVE”) but the thought of Derek Sherrod as a starter makes my innards quiver.
3. Getting humiliated gets you angry. The Jets are going down…period. Not that it will in any way make up for last nights gaff of a game, but THEY’RE GOIN’ DOWN!
So those are my rants and raves on the morning after the big game. But what are yours? There was plenty of negative stuff in this game, did you see anything that looked positive moving forward? Let me know in the comments section below…and as always, win or lose, rant or rave…
GO PACK!!!
Such is life, , next game, , packers fan, in heart win o loose
This was SO embarrassing and disappointing.We did not show up.
The one time Peppers and Matthews got to Wilson for a sack it was for nothing with a PI call so where was Capers so called secret plan for these high profile pass rushers? Daniels smash mouth talk was just that “Talk” only time we heard his name called was on a running into kicker penalty! Hawk/Jones Pfffffttttt, enough said there, these two are worthless! Burnett is starting off right where he ended last year just running around like a chicken with its head cut off! I think Capers is a good DC (for teams in the 90’s) he is out dated it is time for fresh idea’s from someone living in the 21 century not the 90’s! He had all summer to prove he can play against these new young high intensity teams but his defensive plans just do not work with these guys! Time to go Dom sorry! And take Hawk and Jones with you! Lets see what Lattimore and Barrington can do it’s a young mans game and you all are old and slow.
Let’s not forget Corey Linsley’s performance last night. He had his one mistaken “snap gaff” but overall, a solid performance from a rookie who was thrown in to the role with little notice. Not only did Rodgers praise his performance after the game but Linsley owned up to his one major mistake. If anyone deserves a “Rave”, it’s him.
Twitter: GPN_JR
That’s a great point Brandon. I was thrilled with how the rookie performed.
You are VERY right about Linsley, Brandon. He should have made the RAVE list. The one snap gaff was all…and this kid is a solid character guy…no excuses and no nonsense. I think the offensive line did just enough in this game. And against the reigning champs…just enough should get the job done.
Come on gang,this is just one game. Frankly, I’m glad we saw some of our short comings now, while there is still time to fix them. We knew it was gong to be tough to go to Seattle and win. They are a very good football team. Give the “D” a chance to really gel before passing judgment. I still think we can be a top 10 defense. My biggest rant is the problem we have at offensive tackle. Derrick Sharrod is not the player Ted Thompson thought he was getting when he drafted him in the first round. Something needs to be done to shore up the tackle spot right away. I really think the Packers will be fine after watching the film and making some much needed changes. Thanks for letting me vent and GO PACK GOOOOO!!!!! (G)
the hardest challange is to win in seattle. the broncos ( #1 offense ) scored 8points…. we doubled that in their home and our plays wasnt as good as it can be. so i think we just have to focus on plays and we will be good enough :p
not giving up of course its only game 1,BUT if thats how we play against the superbowl champs we have a lot of work to do.
why did we not test Sherman,go deep,throw the ball away instead of getting sacked,run the hurry up offense,play tough defense,tackle,hold on to interceptions…
positive side we escaped with no serious injuries,Lacey did I mention Lacey
WE PLAYED AVERAGE WHICH IS NOT NEARLY GOOD ENOUGH
I Was Very Disappointed In The Way The Offense And Defense Played. I Don’t Want To See Them Come From Behind Again Just To Get In The Playoffs And Lose. They Do That Every Year. I Know It Was Just The First Game Of The Year, But Every Game Counts. Get You Act Together Before It’s Too Late.
I think Lacy is still a beast. We were just playing a ridiculously defensively good team. Even though we lost by 20 I would challenge the Bears, Lions and Vikes to do any better. Yeah I think Dom is also a thing of the past. We need to get someone more in the now a days scheme of the NFL offenses. I was telling everyone last night in my blog that one loss on the season is ok with me :). Seattle just fueled the packs fire!
Packers fans got exactly what we wanted, starting the season at the SB Champs’ house to see where we stand. Now we know. We still have a long ways to go to compete with the NFC West top teams.
I’m not disappointed. I’m embarrassed and angry that we could be torn apart by trick plays without making adjustments on defense – and that we didn’t even attempt to exploit Seahawks’ defensive weaknesses. We played to their strengths on both sides of the ball all game long. We’ve had a very long time to prepare for this game, and failed to take the game to the Seahawks at any level. They didn’t just beat us, they made us look bad. If that was due to Seattle being so much better, I could live with it. I don’t believe that’s true. I think it was due to our coaches failing to give us the best chance to win against a good team.
On offense, they have Harvin, Wilson, and Beast Mode. We shut down Wilson fairly well, but allowed Harvin and Lynch to run all over us. Their game plan shouldn’t have come as a surprise to our coaches, but apparently it did.
Seattle’s weaknesses on D are short passes over the middle, straight up the gut with fast hitting run plays, and misdirection to throw off their aggression. The Raiders tore them up by exploiting their weaknesses early and often in the last preseason game. Apparently our coaches didn’t watch that film, or any film from last year. We rarely challenged them over the middle, and were successful every time we did. 90% of our run plays were delayed hand-offs with the RBs flat footed and standing still. No i-formations or single back quick hits up the middle. Rodgers was constantly in shotgun, giving the ball to flat footed RBs in an offset i for obvious runs. He should have been under center much more often to keep their D guessing. If there was a single misdirection play by us, I don’t remember it. Give your running game a chance by allowing the RBs to hit the line with a head of steam, as Lynch and Harvin did repeatedly. Lacy was running East/West because he had nowhere to go by the time he got the ball. That’s play calling, and not Lacy’s and Starks’ fault. Might as well put Rodgers on the bench and snap directly to the RB. The few plays that Lacy and Starks made were completely because of their own ability rather than good play calls. Our run game played to Seattle’s strength and paid the price for it.
You also exploit the number 1 most penalized team in 2013 for defensive holding and pass interference by challenging them down field. We threw 4 passes over 10 yards in the first 3 quarters, and 1 resulted in a 40 yard PI penalty. That’s on Mike McCarthy’s predictable and overly conservative play calling. Our passing game also played to Seattle’s strength, short passes to the outside. Not a single pass was thrown against Sherman. When you take 1/3 of the field out of your game plan, it makes the defense’s job much easier.
Brad Jones continues to be a liability at ILB, and Hawk wasn’t much better. Time to get Barrington some playing time to develop. He can’t possibly perform worse than Jones.
Aside from the penalties, look at how many times on 2nd or 3rd and short that our ILBs were lined up 7 yards off the line of scrimmage against a run first offense, resulting in tackles after the 1st down marker. The LBs in a 3-4 are expected to make the plays. So line them up where they can! Ridiculous to expect them to read plays and react fast enough to make a play when that far off the line. You beat run plays with penetration, and you can’t penetrate from 5-7 yards off the line. Is that players incorrectly using audibles or Dom’s schemes? I don’t know, but it has to stop if we’re to beat run first teams such as the Seahawks and 49ers. The Vikings must be licking their chops – again.
Matthews may have had his worst game as a Packer, constantly taking himself out of plays. Peppers was also beaten repeatedly on misdirection. Guion showed why he was released by MN, he was manhandled all day by his opponents. Datone and Daniels were non-factors all game long vs the run and the pass. None of our front 3 could get off blocks. We were sucked into misdirection plays all game long and never adjusted.
I’ve got to hand it to Bevell. He saw us biting on misdirection, and successfully stuck to it. We’re taught in grade school ball to maintain your gaps on D. That didn’t happen yesterday by anyone at any position on our front 7, and occasionally D-backs, and it was exploited every time Seattle needed a play. The bulk of their successful run and pass plays came from misdirection. Those are trick plays, which should never work in the NFL for disciplined defensive players.
By half time I was looking to see which direction their offense started, and then looked to the other side to see the real play developing – when the cameras weren’t also sucked in. It was easy to see. Too bad our coaches and players didn’t do the same. Capers would have had a perfect view from his perch above. So was he awake? Blind? Unable to comprehend what he was seeing?
Good teams take advantage of their opportunities. Seattle held onto their INT. They exploited our tentative run game by overpowering our O-line. They exploited our overly aggressive defense all game long. They exploited our weakness at RT. They dominated field position with good special teams play.
On the other hand, the Packers dropped an early INT. They didn’t expose the weakness of the Seahawks in the passing game (until their final drive – imagine how differently the game could have been had we done that all along). Jordy dropped a pass that hit him in the hands and turning into an INT (tough catch, but one he should have made). We gave away 1st downs at least twice on 3rd down penalties after we’d stopped Seattle and once on a punt. We didn’t make tackles in the back field when we had the chances.
The blame has to start and end with Mike McCarthy. His play calling was terrible and overly conservative. He calls big games not to make mistakes, rather than to aggressively challenge the opponents. He’s repeatedly backed Capers. He didn’t have his team ready to play. He didn’t exploit Seattle weaknesses. He didn’t adjust his game plan until the game was out of reach. Even after a 40 yard penalty, he didn’t challenge Seattle down field again. Either hire an OC that you’re comfortable with to do the job including calling offensive plays, or it’s time for a new Head Coach.
Our pass rush provided some pressure. Wilson was contained for the most part. I didn’t expect double digit sacks in this game as Wilson is too good to take them. Wilson proved ineffective when contained and the game was put on his arm. We had just enough pressure to keep him from being sharp. Peppers chased him down from behind for a trip which avoided a big play. I’d expect to win most games where the opposing QB is held to 200 yards and 2 TDS. Our D-backs played soundly in the passing game for the most part. But that’s the only good things I saw on D.
I know most Packers fans are eternal optimists who support their coaches through thick and thin. I’m not one of those. Lombardi would have a dozen titles with the talent on our team over the last 15 years. We have 2. I’ve been calling for Capers to go since 2010. Now I’ve added Mike McCarthy to the list. Until we get a Head Coach who can recognize and correct the problems on our defense, as well as call big games or allow his Offensive Coordinator to do so as part of his job, I don’t see the Packers turning this around.
My 2 wishes for this game were to play well on both sides of the ball, and come away healthy. I didn’t get either of them.