Rolled by the Giants. Again.

So the good news is this, the Packers still control their own destiny on the road to the playoffs. Win out from here and we win the division. The bad news is that we just got our asses kicked by the Giants again. Does this team have our number or what? For a quarterback that hadn't thrown a touchdown pass in three weeks, Eli Manning sure looked like a Superbowl MVP last night. Our piece-meal offensive line couldn't block a god damn thing, McCarthy's play-calling was as bad as it's ever been, and Rodgers was running for his life all night. It was a tough game to watch, so let’s hope we got that out of our system for the year. Gonna be tough to find something I liked this week.

What I Liked:

1. Casey Heyward: The rookie looked good again this week. He almost had a big pick on what was a nice third down break-up anyway. It's a tough match-up to go against the Giants, and even though we gave up a ton of points, Heyward did his part. It almost seems like teams are already avoiding him, and he's just 11 games into his career. It's good.

2. Medical Decisions: It's a reach, but hear me out. Matthews, Woodson, Jennings, Shields and more were held out of the game, even though at least Matthews and Jennings were medically cleared to play. I was happy to see the medical and coaching staffs not continue to make the mistake of rushing guys back from injuries. It's never good to lose a game, but this was one we could afford to lose. There is no reason to bring important players back too early when you're not playing a must-win game. Not playing in this embarrassing excuse for a game gave these guys another week to get healthy, which goes a long way.

3. Randall Cobb: Just cuz I like him.

Stop it Randall you handsome devil. He's probably reading books to orphans with cancer.

What I Didn't Like:

1. Offensive Play-Calling: I hated it. It's easy to be an arm-chair play caller, but McCarthy was awful all night. First off, why would he send a struggling kicker out to attempt a 55+ yarder in the notoriously-tough-to-kick-in Meadowlands when all we needed was four fucking inches for a first down? Was he giving Crosby a chance to get back on track? Does he not trust his offense to gain four inches? And what's with the weird bubble screens on third and long? I understand that play worked for a touchdown a couple weeks ago, but where's the creativity we hear so much about? And you'd think you might give some help to your left tackle who's getting crushed play after play after play. If your quarterback doesn't even have time to set his feet, you have to make adjustments. I understand that you're down by a million, but you gotta keep a defensive line like this honest. We just saw what happens when they get to pin their ears back.

2. Pass Blocking: About those defensive linemen, we barely slowed them down. Newhouse got smoked and Rodgers never got comfortable. It's troubling that the guy that wasn't forced to change positions following the Bulaga injury was the one who struggled the most. Everyone has a bad night, but we were clearly outmatched at the line of scrimmage. If this doesn't get better, we'll have no chance of reaching another Superbowl. Does anyone know if Derrick Sherrod has any chance of returning this year?

3. Ball Security: Rodgers threw another pick and gave up a fumble at a crucial moment in the game. When he fumbled near the end of the first half, it was still a game. Had we gotten six or even three there, we could have carried that momentum into the second half to make a legitimate run at the game. Instead, Rodgers fumbled following a blindside hit courtesy of Marshall Newhouse, and the Giants got a touchdown of their own. I understand that he was under a ton of pressure, and even the most sure-handed quarterbacks fumble every now and then, but Rodgers has to take better care of the ball.

This game was one of the least important games remaining this year. It’s clear that McCarthy and staff treated it as such. We could have gone all out by bringing back key players who have barely been cleared to play, but we kept an eye to the future instead. I know it’s a short season and if we miss the playoffs by one game, this will be the game we look back on. That being said, I like what the staff did in allowing important players another week to get to 100% before they’re thrown back into the fray.

Quick note, whats-his-face on packersnews.com has written two strikingly similar articles to the last two I wrote. I’m not comparing myself to a professional, I’m just saying that I did not plagiarize anything, and everything written on this blog is my original thoughts only.

True Grit

Winning division games is tough, no matter what. Winning games without key starters is tough, no matter what. Coming from behind on the road is tough, no matter what. So color my team tough.

The Packers overcame the odds to beat a game Detroit squad that hasn’t much cared for us in recent matchups. Missing Clay Matthews, Charles Woodson, Desmond Bishop, Greg Jennings, Bryan Bulaga and more, Green Bay rode the ‘next man up’ to an important come from behind win. Rodgers had another off day, posting a paltry QBR of 35.5, but did just enough to drag his team to within a half game of first place in the NFC north, pending tonight’s battle of the backups in San Fran.

Here’s what I liked and didn’t like:

What I liked:

1.       The Next Man Up: You hear so much talk of the ‘next man up’ philosophy in the NFL today, it becomes almost nauseating, but it’s hackneyed for a reason. With the injury rate as astronomical as it is (owing to the ever-increasing speed and strength of the players), if you can’t win with back-ups, then you’ve got no chance. Depth is as crucial a factor as any. So give Ted Thompson another well-deserved pat on the back for this one. Evan Dietrich-Smith went unnoticed (meaning he did his job as an offensive lineman against a tough front four in Detroit), and TJ Lang was successful in his shift from left guard to right tackle in the absence of Bryan Bulaga. Dezman Moses was impactful in replacing Clay Matthews, recording a sack and a huge forced fumble. Our safeties and corners did just fine in relief of Charles Woodson. It’s shades of 2010, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

A little redemption for the Doctor.

2.       Young Defensive Backs: It can hardly get much better than that. Sure we gave up 20 points, but it was against the league’s number one passing offense. Casey Heyward continued to make waves, picking off another pass to bring his season total to five. He was also in tight coverage against Titus Young Sr. in the end zone early on, forcing Detroit to settle for a field goal. This kid sure seems to be the real deal. M.D. Jennings showed great concentration in picking off a tipped pass, and returning it 72 yards for a crucial score. Although Morgan Burnett did give up the big touchdown to Megatron, he was in position to pick it off, and most likely should have. It’s a sign of good things to come in my opinion. Its looks like we may be positioned to field a strong secondary for many years to come.

3.       Randall Cobb: Can you tell I’m excited about this guy? All he does is produce every single week. He’s got six touchdowns in his last four games, including the go-ahead score yesterday. The guy Aaron Rodgers described as ‘Ted Thompson’s best draft pick’ is showing us what all the fuss is about. He is the quintessential spark plug that does seemingly everything right. He’s exactly the kind of guy you want on your team as a fan, player, or coach. If he keeps playing at this high of a level, he’ll be considered among the elite receivers in the league. And he’s twenty-fucking-two years old.

What I didn’t like:

1.       Ball Security: Rodgers did not look himself yesterday in throwing a pick and putting the ball on the ground for what easily could have been another turnover. I understand that everyone has an off day, but those are exactly the kind of mistakes that cost you games, and end your season in the playoffs. I’d have a hard time believing Rodgers graded out positive for yesterday’s game. The only reason we were able to overcome those mistakes was that we generated three turnovers of our own. You can’t count on that kind of defensive production every week, you’ve got to take better care of the ball.

2.       Penalties: Nine penalties for 80 yards. That is unacceptable. The homer in me wants to say that the officiating squad seemed to favor the Lions, but it really doesn’t matter either way. We had more than a couple first downs wiped out by holding penalties. Those mistakes are drive killers that take points off the board. It’s on coach McCarthy to clean up these mistakes as we head down the final stretch of the regular season.

3.       Mason Crosby: Holy shit this is bad. McCarthy made a point of saying that he’s sticking with Crosby, but nobody wants a game to come down to a high pressure kick right now. His confidence is clearly shaken, and even a jovial Greg Jennings couldn’t cheer him up yesterday. He may have saved his career by barely making a 39-yarder to put the Packers up by four late in the game. The problem here is clearly mental, as he is missing kicks to the left and right. If it were a physical hitch, you think he’d have fixed it by now, or would at least be missing in the same spots.

Overall a great win for a banged-up squad that may be getting some stars back next week when they travel to the Meadowlands. While it was one of the uglier wins so far this year, it showed that we can win with our backs against the wall. You are who your record says you are, and right now we’re poised to take control of the division.

A quick note, how sweet was that touchdown to Jermichael Finley? Yea it was good for him to finally get another touchdown, and hopefully he’ll continue to improve, but I’m more referring to the design of the play. McCarthy sent the right guard and tackle out to the flat along with a back to simulate a screen. The wideouts ran clear out routes so there’d be no d-backs in the middle of the field, and the linebackers took the bait hook line and sinker. Finley was left all alone and recorded his first TD since week one. Now we know what Mike McCarthy was doing during the bye week. 

We Need Clay

The news is less than great. McCarthy told reporters that Clay would be out for 'at least a couple of weeks,' which is not a resounding endorsement for the health of our best defensive player. Hamstring injuries are notoriously tough to overcome, often becoming season long monsters that won't relent until the offseason. Just ask Clay Matthews, who's explosive abilities were severely limited last season due to the very same hamstring he's dealing with now.

Football is wonderful for many reasons, not the least of which being the fact that it is truly the ultimate team sport. No one star can succeed on his own, all eleven players on the field must work in unison, and one player failing to execute his task (no matter what the task) can lead to failure on any given play. That being said, there are individual players that are absolutely crucial to the success of their team. I would argue that the Packers employ two such players, Aaron Rodgers and Clay Matthews. You could argue that other players on the team fit into this category (Charles Woodson, Josh Sitton, Tramon Williams, etc.), but I don't think you can argue against the lynch-pin importance of Aaron and Clay.

Does the team have a chance at succeeding without either of these players? Of course. The possibility of a Superbowl cannot be mathematically eliminated until it is, well, mathematically eliminated. However, reaching the pinnacle of proffessional football would be damn near impossible without the help of these two stars. The importance of Aaron Rodgers is obvious and warrants no discussion, but let's take a look at why I think Clay is nearly as indispensible.

Why was our defense so horrible last year? Well, for many reasons, but the biggest factor was our anemic pass rush. We lost an inside force in Cullen Jenkins, Clay Matthews wasn't himself, and nobody else filled the void. If you cannot rush the passer, even Mark Sanchez can tear your defense apart. No matter how good your secondary is (and I happen to think we have a pretty darn good one), they simply cannot cover forever. Sacking the quarterback is an unquantifiable skill, in other words, just being fast and strong is not enough to be a pass rusher. Furthermore there are two types of pass rushers, inside rushers, and outside rushers (of course there are more ways to break down rushing the quarterback, but these two categories encompass any and all players blitzing on any play), which require different skills, again beyond the obvious physical requirements. You saw what happens last year when you have neither.

An outstanding outside pass rusher is not enough on his own. The quarterback can simply step up in the pocket (since nobody will be in his face) and deliver an accurate ball. A great inside pass rusher is not enough on his own, since the quarterback can roll to one side of the field or another to buy time, and again deliver an accurate throw. Clay Matthews was consistently double and triple teamed last year, as he had already proven himself to be a premier outside pass rusher, and indeed the team's only effective pass rusher. He was effective considering the circumstances (extra blockers, nagging injury, no help), but could not do enough to disrupt opposing offenses.

This year had been a different story. Ted Thompson brought in defensive help at every level, and the Packers were getting pressure from multiple players not named Matthews. At this point in the season, 13 different players have recorded a sack, eight have multiple sacks, and the list includes two defensive backs, three middle linebackers, four outside linebackers, and four defensive linemen. What is the result of such a diverse and effective pass rush? The star pass rusher (Clay Matthews) has been able to record nine sacks on his own, already surpassing his total from last year.

The numbers sure paint a rosy picture of the Packers' pass rush this year, but the problem is this: no other player on the team has more than two sacks. Which means that although we are getting after opposing qb's much better than last year, and sacks are coming from all over the field, there is still no complementary elite pass rusher. Clay is still the heart and soul of our pass rush, and second place is simply not on the same level. Our offense is not clicking like it was last year, the league seems to have figured out our offense (a little bit, I mean, we're still the Green Bay Fucking Packers), and points have been harder to come by. If we lose Matthews for an extended period of time, or he is hobbled like he was last year, we are in serious trouble. As much as I believe in my team, I do not believe that we can win a Superbowl without an effective Clay Matthews. Of all the injuries we've dealt with so far this year, this one is by far the most critical.

At this point it looks like Matthews could be back as early as week 11, when we face the Giants in the Meadowlands. We'll need him for that contest, but we'll need him even more if we make the playoffs. I'm REALLY hoping our coaching and medical staffs do not rush him back into action prematurely (as they did with Jordy Nelson, with unfortunate results), because if he reaggravates the injury and is done for the year, I believe the team will be as well. I'd much rather see us lose two games in November than one game in January because we can't get after the quarterback.

This was kind of a rambling post, but fuck off, it's a bye week.

Injuries Piling Up...

The list of players being held out of practice contains some marquee names. Greg Jennings, Charles Woodson, Sam Shields, Nick Perry, Jordy Nelson, John Kuhn, Jerel Worthy and Mike Neal were all sitting out of practice today. None of these players are likely to play on Sunday, though one or two may be up. One doesn’t need to look any further than our clunker of a performance at home against the pathetic Jaguars to see that the team is indeed missing these players.

I think all too often we are spoiled by the recent success our team has enjoyed, and tend to think that we can overcome most any injury that comes our way. Randall Cobb has done a fantastic job in relief of Greg Jennings, but the passing game clearly struggled when we lost Jordy Nelson as well. Yes we’ve got great depth at receiver, but losing top level talent is going to make you worse, no matter who your backups are. John Kuhn is an absolute expert in our offense, and although he’s not necessarily a dynamic player, he can be counted on to execute his assignment darn near every play. Arizona has contended this year thanks to a strong defense, and points may very well be hard to come by on Sunday. This will not be a cakewalk for Rodgers and company.

The news gets worse from there, as our defense is missing its unquestioned leader and six total starters (including Desmond Bishop and D.J. Smith who are both on injured reserve). Yes Arizona will be starting John freaking Skelton at quarterback, but he’ll be facing a watered down version of Dom Capers’ defense. Backups will be forced to the forefront this week, and they’ll need to deliver in what I am anticipating will be a low scoring affair.

The bright side of these injuries is that some young players have stepped up and delivered when given the opportunity. The obvious examples here are defensive backs Morgan Burnett and Casey Heyward. These two are flying all over the field, making tackles, breaking up passes, picking off passes, even rushing the passer. I’m reminded of the potential that Nick Collins showed as a youngster that eventually turned into bona fide Pro Bowl talent. Another youngster still flying under the radar is undrafted rookie free agent Dezman Moses. He must be showing the coaches something in practice because he is not only a consistent special teams contributor, but he has also been getting quite a few snaps at outside linebacker. Let’s hope these young guns have another week of plays left in them, because the Cardinals are not the kind of team you want to lose to.

We’ve got the bye week coming on the heels of this week’s matchup, and nobody wants to spend two full weeks thinking about a loss to the struggling Cardinals. I expect the Cards to play with emotion early on, as they’re no doubt pissed off after losing four straight games. It will be extremely important for the offense to break their pattern of slow starts in order to kill that emotion as quickly as possible. The last thing we need is a fired up underdog gaining confidence early on. This week will be a tougher test than most people seem to think, and the schedule only gets tougher from here.