Week 15 Review

The Packers have claimed their second straight division championship by continuing their domination of the Chicago Bears. Having won eight of the last nine matchups against Chicago, and a staggering 13 straight division games, the Packers continue to assert their supremacy in the NFC North. These are without a doubt the most important games to win during the regular season, and the current roster and coaching staff have shown a spectacular ability to do so. It’s time now to fight for a first round bye in the playoffs, and we’re in damn good position to get there. We need two wins and one San Fran loss to lock up the number two seed, but I’d rather be a healthy three seed than a banged up two seed. Let’s hope we continue to get healthier, continue to gel as a unit, and continue to win the most important games that we play. Here’s what I liked and didn’t like.

What I Liked:

If you can prove that you predicted James Jones would lead the NFL in TD's by week 15 this year, I will buy you the biggest beer you can find.

James Jones: It’s not just that he had three touchdowns. It’s not just that he leads the NFL in touchdown receptions. It’s not even that impossibly confident strut he broke out after his final score yesterday. For me, it’s the way he’s gone about his business. Take yesterday’s game for example. He scored three times on three completely different routes, from three different positions. He was split out wide right when he torched Hayden with a beautiful out and up route. He was in the slot left when he fought his way in on a crossing route. And he was lined up wide left when he scored on a fade route. James has endured plenty of criticism in his six years in Green Bay, but has never once complained. He has worked to get better, understands the value of each opportunity he gets, and has clearly mastered the offense. He is a shining example of our coaching staff’s ability to develop a young player, and prepare him to be a leader in the NFL. Receivers coach Edgar Bennett, offensive coordinator Tom Clements, and Aaron Rodgers deserve plenty of credit here, but nobody deserves as much praise as the blue collar Jones.

Clay Matthews: My god, what a difference maker this guy is. Undeniable lynchpin to the success of this defense. He had two sacks of his own, but undoubtedly contributed to the sacks recorded by d-linemen Mike Neal and Jerel Worthy. He looked to be playing at about 85% to me, and was even held out on some running downs. Give credit to the medical staff for not rushing him back, and credit to the coaching staff for picking the right times to throw him into the fray. He struck me as somewhat subdued yesterday, which is fine by me. Let him unleash the fucking maniac in the playoffs. I just really wonder what it is that makes him so damn effective at rushing the passer, and why nobody else on our defense can do what he does. Either way it’s great to have him back.

Don Barclay: I’ve said it plenty of times before, but I’m not qualified to analyze the play of an offensive lineman. Like most fans, I’m usually watching the ball, and therefore never watching the guys in the trenches. That being said, going completely unnoticed is about the most ringing endorsement I can give an o-lineman. So congratulations Don Barclay on going up against one of the toughest pass rushers in the history of the NFL, and going completely unnoticed. I gotta believe he graded out positively in yesterday’s game at the ultra-important right tackle position. Depth on the offensive line is absolutely crucial, and we appear to have it.

What I Didn’t Like:

Trick Play: Ok look, I’ve gone on record as being in favor of gadget plays. They’re exciting, can generate points, and give the opposition one more thing to think about. That being said, yesterday’s punt pass struck me as a bit hair-brained. The reality is that the play looked like it would have worked had Jeremy Ross caught the ball, but that’s not the point. We were flagged for holding, but that’s not the point either. The point is that we were up by two scores, receiving the ball, with just eight minutes left. I praised McCarthy a couple weeks ago for knowing when and when not to call an aggressive gadget play, but he sure proved me wrong here. I honestly liked the play, I just hated the timing of it.

Mason Crosby: McCarthy said in his post-game press conference that the Packers are going to stick with Mason Crosby no matter what. Color me confused. The time is now to dump this dude, bring in somebody (ANYBODY!) else, give him two weeks to get his feet wet, and go into the playoffs with a tiny shred of confidence in you kicker. If we lose in the playoffs on a Mason Crosby miss, the decision to keep him around will be second guessed till the cows come home, and I’ll be pissed off for at least a week. Crosby is finished in the NFL, and the sooner we accept that, the better.

Can't have this shit. Can. Not. Have. It.

Aaron Rodgers Taking Hits: It’s one thing if your o-line gets beat for a sack. It’s one thing if a defender hits you up high illegally. It’s another thing entirely when you take an unnecessary and potentially devastating hit reaching for a first down when we’re up by two scores and already in field goal range. Well, field goal range if we had a real kicker. How has he not learned this lesson yet? It seems to me that for a guy as smart as Aaron Rodgers to continue making the same mistake, there must be something else going on. Is he so eager to prove that he’s an athletic quarterback that he’s willing to risk his season to do it? I’m not saying that’s necessarily the case, but how else can you explain his stubbornness when it comes to taking hits on the run?

It feels great to have locked up a spot in the tournament, and it feels even better to have done so at the expense of the Bears. Just think, for just a minute, how shitty it would be to have Jay Cutler as your quarterback. He is the worst. Anyway thank god he plays for the Bears. We’ve now won eight of our last nine, and have somehow managed to stay under the radar while doing it. I guess losing a couple of games early on may not have been the worst thing for this team. We seem to be hitting our stride at the right time, and not one person in the locker room is happy with an NFC North Championship. They all want more, and they know how to get it. You better believe that nobody wants to see Green Bay in the playoffs.

Week 12 Review

Good teams win the games they’re supposed to win. Pretty simple. This game could easily have been lost, but the Packers found a way to make crucial plays at crucial times. It’s week 12, and we’ve yet to hit our stride, but 3-0 in the division and 8-4 overall is a pretty darn good spot to be in for a team playing below their potential. We still control our own destiny and continue to work our way towards a healthier roster. The NFL is about getting hot at the right time, and we’re in prime position to do just that. Here’s what I liked and didn’t like.

What I Liked:

Vision, ball skills, assignment execution, this play had it all

Young Defensive Backs: The young defensive backs continue to paint a bright picture for the future of this secondary. You'll never replace a player like Charles Woodson, but these guys are showing that they can make plays. Morgan Burnett was the obvious player of the game, and his two picks were huge plays. McCarthy said his pick in the end zone was 'the turning point in the game,' and his other pick was a beautiful Woodson-esque undercut. Casey Heyward has held opposing QBs to a passer rating of 0.0 when throwing in his direction this year. In other words, he's been playing like Al Harris with hands. Davon House has had some ups and downs, but he is flashing some great coverage ability. I think as he gets more comfortable, he'll be able to make more plays on the ball while in step-for-step coverage. I've yet to be impressed by the safeties McMillian and Jennings.

Running Game: Green and Starks combined for 27 total carries, and averaged 4.8 and 4.4 yards per carry respectively. Starks also recorded our third rushing touchdown on a beautifully blocked toss play that went for 22 yards. In total we had 36 rushing attempts to 35 passing attempts. That kind of balance on offense gets me sexually aroused. No running back on our roster will ever be a dynamic, Adrian Peterson type runner, but they are more than capable of creating balance to facilitate our explosive passing game. The patchwork offensive line deserves a ton of credit for opening up some holes for these guys. Overall it was a solid day for our ground game and hopefully a sign of things to come

Response to Adversity: The Pack was facing all kinds of adversity on Sunday. Going into the game we were down plenty of key starters and were coming off an embarrassing loss to the Giants. During the game we lost another offensive lineman and another wide receiver, leaving both positions precariously thin. Back-ups were once again forced into action and delivered. Were you comfortable watching Don Barclay waddle onto the field? Yeah right you fucking liar. Anyway he played quite well at the extremely important right tackle position, and may have unseated Evan Dietrich-Smith as the primary back-up on the offensive line. We had our backs against the wall coming out of half time with the Vikings threatening inside the ten yard line, and responded like a playoff worthy team. We ain't backing into nothing, this is the NFL, not the Big Ten.

What I Didn't Like:

Tackling: Unacceptable. Un-fucking-acceptable. Every single player on the defense should be embarrassed by the horrific display of tackling they put on yesterday. Don't they know there are children watching these games? It's exactly this kind of ole` bullshit that leads to primadona, soft as marshmallow, fundamentally flawed players taking over this previously badass league. Too many Desean Jacksons, not enough London Fletchers. Teams are only allowed to practice in pads once a week thanks to the league's 'over-react-to-cover-our-ass-before-we-get-sued-for-a-billion-dollars-over-concussions' policy. I think that's a factor, but why is it that teams like the Bears and Ravens and Steelers still tackle with efficiency and ferocity? The coaches can only do so much to encourage sound tackling, and frankly I'd rather not have our best players knocking heads with each other during practice. I think the change here needs to come from the leaders in the locker room. We need to take on a blue-collar mentality on defense that emphasizes tackling over big hits, team over individual, substance over style. Sacks and interceptions are great, but tackling wins you games. I know it sounds cliche, but it's a fact. I'm looking at you Charles Woodson and Ryan Pickett.

Short Yardage Offense: Why is 3rd and 1 so hard for us? We have nobody that can gain one yard when everyone knows we only need one yard. I like John Kuhn as much as the next guy, but he's clearly not the answer in short yardage. Rodgers is not particularly good at the half-yard sneak behind the center, and I don't think our interior offensive line creates much of a push. I hate the fact that we pretty much have to throw in these situations, and it seems like the only reason we run the ball is to prevent the defense from selling out on the pass the next time around. I'm starting to think that some folks on the sideline might prefer 3rd and 5 to 3rd and 1 like I do. That's bad.

A quick note on trick plays, I like them. Rodgers made a poor decision in throwing the ball on he and Cobb’s double pass attempt, which led to an interception that equated to a punt. It was a play that didn’t work. The upside is that we put it on tape. That means opposing coaches and players are now aware of the fact that we can and will run that play. So the play didn’t work, maybe now a safety doesn’t crash down to tackle Cobb on a bubble screen and allows him to pick up a first down. Maybe a linebacker can’t pursue on the backside because he’s concerned about covering a receiver across the field even after the ball’s been handed off. My point is that just because a trick play didn’t work, doesn’t mean it’s all bad. I love that Mike Mac is willing to show some creativity and take a risk here and there. Believe me when I say that he’s considered all the possible outcomes of each trick play, assessed the risk, and put his team in a position to succeed. Rodgers should not have thrown that pass to that receiver, but other than that, the play worked.