Week Two in Review

An emphatic response to a disappointing week one road loss. The offense looked nearly unstoppable once they got into a groove, and there was no shortage of playmakers. The defense looked sharp to start out, although I think a good deal of our early success on that side of the ball was due to ineptitude on the part of Washington. Special teams units went unnoticed, which means they did well enough. Here’s what I liked and didn’t like:

What I Liked:

Aaron Rodgers: Look, I’m not going to include him every week because that would be boring and easy, but how about this guy? Completes over 80 percent of his passes, averages 9.6 yards per passing play, throws four touchdowns to three different receivers, and commits zero turnovers. Again, I won’t pour over his sparkling stat line every week, but I just had to include him again this week so that we (I) don’t start taking him for granted. He’s the best in the league.

Starting Wideout TRIO: So James Jones is back in the mix, proving yet again that the Packers realistically feature three starting wideouts. The guy had over 150 yards receiving IN THE FIRST HALF yesterday, which is ridiculous. He and Rodgers could easily have set records if we weren’t such a classy organization and decided to run up the score like the loathsome Patriots. Cobb and Nelson were back with a combined 194 yards and three touchdowns, no doubt striking fear in the hearts of defensive coordinators around the league. Did you see Jim Haslett’s face from the coach’s booth yesterday? He looked like he was getting a colonoscopy.

Run Blocking: Don't get me wrong, James Starks had himself a very good game and deserves some credit, but my game ball goes to the guards and center for the gaping holes they opened up for Starks to run through. Mike McCarthy has stated many times that the majority of running plays in his offense are designed to gain 4.6 yards. Any back in the league could have averaged that much yardage per play with the way our offensive line was pushing around Washington’s front seven. Again, credit to Starks for his creativity and effort at the second level, but the running game starts with blocking and the O-line blocked their asses off.

What I Didn’t Like:

Pass Rush: Once again, the Packers were unable to generate consistent pressure on the opposing quarterback. Believe me, this is a problem. The defense tallied just one sack and three quarterback hits, the sack coming on a broken play for Washington and from a blitzing corner by the Packers. Griffin was rushed on a decent number of plays, but we had to rush five or six defenders to get that done. Add to that the fact that we held a lead throughout the entire game, knowing the Redskins had to pass, and the lack of pressure becomes even more glaring. I’m starting to think that Thompson just doesn’t have an eye for pass rushing talent. Stay tuned on this one.

Pass Protection: Four sacks are not an outrageous number, but consider this stat (courtesy of the Pollyanna that manages the ESPN NFC North Blog, whose job I should have): Rodgers got the ball out in 2.5 seconds or less on 33 of 46 drop-backs. Translation, Rodgers relied heavily on quick passes (slants, bubble screens, hitches, etc.) in an attempt to limit the defense’s ability to put pressure on him, and yet he still suffered four sacks and six hits. First and goal from the nine yard line on the first drive of the game became third and goal from the 24 as a result of two straight sacks. Credit the coaching staff for adjusting the game plan to limit pressure, but god dammit, protect the fucking quarterback. He IS our team.

Jonathan Franklin: Is this guy really so bad in practice that he couldn’t earn a single snap even after Eddie Lacy was knocked out on the first run of the game? I understand that Starks was playing very well, but how about a screen or a draw or even a blocking assignment just to get the rookie’s feet wet? I have to blame the coaching staff here, especially considering the fact that we led 31-0 halfway through the third quarter. If he’s good enough to suit up for a game, then he’s good enough to play AT LEAST one snap in a blowout victory.

Extra Points:

-         the streak of consecutive games without a 100 yard rusher is over, so now we can get back to discussing stats that actually matter

-          Eddie Lacy suffered a concussion, which could sideline him for next week’s game against the Bengals

-          the Packers’ bye comes in week four this year, which is good in that it gives our ailing d-backs an extra week to recover, and bad in that we won’t have that week of rest later in the season, when it’s more important

-          Mike Daniels was my unsung hero of the game, since he’s barely featured on the stat sheet, but seemed to be involved in a ton of plays near the line of scrimmage