Wow! What a come back and a much needed win!
Rants
The reality of this game is that the Lions out played the Pack and, for most of the game with the exception of a few plays, the offense played another sub-par game. One thing which surfaced this game that’s been missing is Aaron Rodgers legs. He finally started breaking out of the pocket and instead of throwing the ball away or just running out of bounds, he started going for yards and as it turned out he was the leading rusher this game with a TD to boot.
I’m not gonna speculate the reason why McCarthy benched Lacy once again after two straight games of 100+ yards but it was Starks who got the start and most of the carries, obviously something happened this week which got him demoted to back up! Crockett, who was brought up hours before the game from the practice squad, had more yards than Lacy and Starks when he entered the game late in the second half. Stark’s was lucky on a fumble in the red zone which went into the endzone and Randall Cobb happened to be in the right spot to recover for a TD but that still doesn’t negate the fact he coughed up the ball. I am going to enjoy this win like the rest of Packernation but I’m also going to call a horse a horse and this offense is far from championship caliber at this time. McCarthy had better make the necessary changes to get them on track going down the stretch because they can’t rely on luck to win. Hopefully the long week until they face the Cowboys will give the players time to heal and also put a better game plan together. I personally think Bennett needs to be demoted back as WR coach they need him there and he is in no way a good OC. Clements should take back over so basically it will be the same as last season when they were a championship caliber offense. Just because of a few bad plays by a couple players McCarthy felt the need to make drastic changes in the coaching staff. If you watch the offensive game plan it is predictable and unimaginative so maybe a new or should I say old look needs to be implemented.
Raves
On a positive note this game proved that the young guys who had to step in for injured vets were able to step up (with the exception of the right side played by Barclay and Lane who were awful) but as it has been for most of this year the defense kept this team in the game long enough for Rodgers to pull a miracle out of his hat and win the it. With D. Randall out Q. Rollins got his first start and played well. Janis and Abbrederis also got more reps this game with Abby catching an 18 yard completion but coming up short on a 3rd and 20 play. He looked better than Adams so hopefully he gets more time in the remainder of this season. Janis was targeted on a bomb early but was tripped up or I believe he makes the catch for a big play. Crockett came into the game on his first carry got 16 yards which seemed to spark the offense and from then on they played with a new intensity. As I said the young guys played well and hopefully continues for the remainder of the season.
Well it was a win Packernation so we can feel good for the next week about our beloved team making a run for the play offs and beyond but let us know your thoughts on the game below or on the face book homepage.
Thanks,
Jeff
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Vanilla offense, same game plan every week, no imagination or deception on offense…..5 weeks and no change …crapolla
Lacy was benched for missing curfew the night before the game, and Harris was released for the same reason. Lacy’s coach said he’s 20lbs over his stated weight. On one hand, Eddie is a level headed person who can brush off mistakes and move on quickly. On the other hand, he doesn’t take the game or the Green Bay Packers seriously enough for me. He’s not playing with energy this year. His decisions are slow, and his acceleration has been missing. Starks gives us the best chance to win, with his running game and pass catching and running on screens and check downs.
I’m happy as can be to see Crockett getting some playing time. Only wish we’d have kept Rajion Neal too, and both instead of Harris. Crockett was brought up from the PS 3 hours prior to game time, and led all RBs for yards with 22 on 5 carries. He proved that quickness and energy are more effective than power backs behind a poorly run blocking line. He made 1 mistake, falling down as he got the ball as he was trying to do too much, but he’ll learn from that. My depth chart right now would be Starks, Crockett, and Lacy for those reasons.
If we’re calling horses what they are, we have to stop blaming Clements and Bennett for the offensive problems. They’re stuck with McCarthy’s conservative game plans and plays. Nothing will change in that regard until McCarthy steps back from the offense and allows them full control, and that will never happen. McCarthy is a micro manager, and that’s rarely a good thing.
Our receivers are doing well enough, other than the dropped balls. The refs are allowing DBs to manhandle them down field. DBs will continue to play us that way until the refs begin to call legitimate penalties. (For the record, I think the no call on Abbre at the end was the correct call.)
We prove week after week (other than the Broncos game) that we can move the ball and score points when needed. The problem is that we don’t put our foot on the gas until we’re in do or die situations. We’re starting games slowly, and going 3 and out throughout the middle of every game. This is what separates Belichick from McCarthy. Belichick puts his foot on the gas, makes in game adjustments every series, and never takes his foot off the gas. McCarthy calls game plans down to his opponents and sticks with them when they’re not working, which gives opponents hope, momentum, and a good chance to win games against a better team. McCarthy doesn’t admit mistakes, insists on a certain run/pass ratio, and doesn’t make in game adjustments until half time or the final minutes. He needs to understand the strengths and weaknesses of his team better, and play to their strengths – all game long.
Crosby’s missed FG could have been the difference in this game. This is his 2nd game where he’s missed huge opportunities. Masthay has a few good punts, and then a 30 yarder – no excuse for those shanks at this level. Kickoff/punt coverage was decent. Returns were nothing special. ST remains a work in progress.
Kudos again to Capers. He gave up some yards, but kept enough pressure on Stafford to keep them off the score board. Kudos to the D for playing a sound game overall. My only real criticism of the D is that they’re not generating turnovers – which is the biggest factor for every game.
I think Abbre showed why he’s not the answer on offense. He allowed the defender to use the sideline against him, and didn’t create separation to cause the PI to be called or have a chance at a play on the ball. If that route is run 1 yard further in bounds, he easily rolls out and comes back for the under thrown pass. I still prefer Adams on the field over Abbre at this point. Janis got some playing time and was a non-factor. The bright spot in the passing game was by far Richard Rodgers, who had 7 catches for around 100 yards prior to the Hail Mary. He looked like he was running precise routes with more speed than previously – that must continue. Will be interesting to see how Quarless is used with Richard making plays. Neither of them block well.
Barclay is not NFL talent since his injury. Tretter made a mistake, but overall looked good again and better in the run game and pass game than Linsley. Was it Walker who subbed in for Bakhtiari? Whoever it was, they did a fine job. The right side of the line remains a weakness, even with Bulaga. Sitton and Lang are often called one of the best OT combos in the NFL, yet they continue to have big penalties or give up sacks at the worst times.
Rodgers looked like a different QB in the 2nd half. He made good decisions, his passes were more accurate, and he ran effectively when the opportunities were there. If he builds from this, we’re back to the offense that we should have been all year long.
Overall, I think we have the talent to win every game. I question whether we can win games against anyone with McCarthy at the helm, unless he admits mistakes and makes some drastic changes in the way manages games. At some point, going off a single SB win 6 years ago shouldn’t be enough guarantee job security. Almost a shame that we won this game, as now he won’t be held accountable again for a terrible 1st half. Almost. 😉 Go Pack go!