Week Seven Review

The Packers' first consecutive wins came at a price this past Sunday, as they stomped the hapless Rams, but lost their defensive leader for at least a month. We'll get to the game in a bit, but losing Charles Woodson to his second broken collarbone in three seasons is a big deal. Charles plays all over the field on defense, acting at times as a safety, corner, even linebacker in the complicated Dom Capers defense. He's not the kind of player you replace. Charles will be missed for not only his physical abilities, but also his emotional presence. The once reserved d-back has embraced a more vocal leadership role since the Superbowl season, and he is more valuable to the club than any casual observer might think. The training staff will no doubt be smart with his recovery, and all indications point to a fully healed shoulder for the stretch run. The news is not all bad in that the schedule over the next four weeks includes two weaker opponents and a bye week, and the young defensive backs have been playing well lately. A silver lining here might be an opportunity for Charles to provide input from the sideline, which could be the first step in transitioning him to a coaching role. I can't think of anyone on the team now that I'd rather see down the road as a coach. Anyway, here's what I liked and didn't like about the lesson we taught the dainty little Rams on Sunday:

What I Liked:

1. Continued Commitment to the Run: I'll be returning to this topic at length shortly, so I won't spend too much time on it now, but the running game was again more effective than the numbers might indicate. 24 rushing attempts demonstrate a clear commitment to the run, despite the fact that Alex Green only gained 35 yards on 20 attempts. This is not great production by any means, I get that. The fact is, attempts are far more important than yards per carry. The Rams had to respect the fact that we might run, particularly on first and second down. Yes they stopped us nearly every time, but it's because they were keeping seven or eight men around the line of scrimmage to do so. If you can't see how that benefits the passing game and the offense overall, then I have no time for you.

2. Aaron Rodgers: The Packers' terrifying aerial assault is back in full force, and it's thanks in no small part to Aaron Rodgers' return to form. He is once again throwing darts all over the field, looks confident in his decisions and accuracy, and seems to be having fun. Perhaps some pressure was lifted from his shoulders when expectations fell following a rocky 3-3 start, but I really don't care WHY he's playing like this, just that he keeps doing it. Let's not forget that his NINE touchdowns over the past two weeks have come against two very good pass defenses, on the road, without an accompanying interception, and without his number one target. Everything appears to be good in Mr. Rodgers' neighborhood.

3. Randall Cobb: Another week, another reason to be excited about the Cobbler. Eight targets, eight catches, 89 yards, and two touchdowns. Any receiver in the league would take that stat line any week. Literally every time he was targeted, he came down with the ball, including a nifty 40 yard TD grab on an admittedly perfectly thrown ball. He also had his customary 20 yard run from an offset shotgun formation. The sky is the limit for Cobb and he's well on his way to earning a full time starting role.

What I Didn't Like:

1. Jermichael Finley: J-Mike looks lost out there right now, and he was a complete non-factor against the Rams. His confidence is clearly shaken, and I'm not sure how he's going to get it back. I don't think it's time just yet to go to another tight end full time, but the reality is that Tom Crabtree has more touchdowns than Finley through week seven. Of course Crabtree will never be our number one pass catching tight end, but we're getting close to the point where we sit Finley down in favor of DJ Williams or even Andrew Quarless when he's back from injury. Part of me has to wonder if his strained relationship with Aaron Rodgers isn't a bigger factor than I initially thought. Is it possible that he isn't getting as many looks because Rodgers doesn't care to throw the ball in the direction of a player who doesn't act or prepare the way he thinks he should?

2. Run Blocking: As I said before, I think a commitment to the running game is more important than production in terms of yardage, but it sure would be nice to pick up some yards on those first down runs. If you can rely on gaining four or five yards and the majority of your runs, it becomes quite a bit easier to achieve the number of carries you'd like in order to set up the passing game. Not to mention the fact that 3rd and short is a hell of a lot better than third and long. When Rodgers is on, he's able to work around unfavorable down and distances (as evidenced by the Packers 9 for 15 efficiency on third down against the Rams), but nobody wants to rely on 3rd and 9 conversions in the playoffs. Certainly Alex Green deserves some of the blame, since Cedric Benson was running behind the same blocking and producing at a higher level, but my opinion is that the lack of yardage production falls mostly on the offensive line. You've heard it a million times, but running the football is a mindset, and it's one we have yet to fully achieve. I'd love nothing more than to see us impose our will on a defense, run the ball 60% of our snaps, and let Rodgers pick his spots. Remember the days of the Packers sweep with Ahman Green? So do I...

3. Collar Bones: Although Casey Heyward has been playing very well of late with four interceptions in the last three games, nobody is going to confuse him with Charles Woodson. Davon House looked very solid until he was beat badly for a touchdown, but I think his performance was at the very least encouraging. I'm not sure when Sam Shields is coming back from his injury, but the time is now for these young corners to show what they can do. Charles will be missed, there's no doubt about that, but better to lose him during the middle of the season than at the end. He's missed a remarkably low total of two games due to injury in six and a half seasons as a Packer, so don't be surprised to see him back sooner rather than later. Aaron Rodgers described him to today as 'maybe the toughest guy I've ever played with,' and said he'd bet on the low side of the 4-8 week recovery period.

Notes:

- The Packers were working out of the shotgun for almost the entire first half. I wonder if that was a strategy to slow down the Rams pass rush and allow Rodgers to survey the field prior to and during each play.

- The no-huddle offense was a non factor Sunday after being featured heavily against the Texans. It seems to me that the reason for the switch is either a reaction to this weeks match-up, or an attempt to remain unpredictable in play calling.

- Peanut Tillman is so underrated it is ridiculous. He is so much fun to watch and shut down Megatron completely last night.