The biggest talking point following the Green Bay Packers/Pittsburgh Steelers preseason game will be on the fact that the Packers lost Jordy Nelson for the season to a torn ACL on a non-contact play. There is no question that the way that Green Bay Packers general manager Ted Thompson and head coach Mike McCarthy approach the preseason will be altered based the fact that the Packers lost Nelson for the season in a meaningless game. Here are a few other thoughts on how
the Packers/Steelers preseason game impacted The 53:
Player that
hurt his stock most - Tim Masthay: The Packers signed former Alabama punter Cody Mandell in the off-season to give Masthay some competition. Reports are that Mandell was a pain on and off the field given that he was NOT able to establish a rapport with Crosby as a holder and apparently is quite cocky. Even though Mandell is no longer with the Packers, Masthay's performance against the Steelers is the personification of how he is still too inconsistent to just give him the starting punter job to open the season. Masthay averaged 43.3 yards per punt with a long 56 yard punt against the Steelers. That all sounds good but remember that Masthay had a 29 yard punt too, which is unacceptable in the NFL. Masthay is veering into A.J. Hawk territory where I honestly wonder if he has incriminating pictures of Green Bay Packers president Mark Murphy, Thompson, or McCarthy. Odds are that Masthay will be the punter for the Packers in 2015 because of his familiarity as a holder for Crosby but if Masthay continues to struggle through the rest of the preseason and a quality punter gets cut during final roster cut-downs, I hope Thompson considers adding that punter in place of Masthay.
Player that helped his stock most - Aaron Ripkowski: Given that fullback John Kuhn went to college at Shippensburg University and was on
the practice squad for the Steelers to finish the 2005 NFL season, it is only fitting that we discuss the heir apparent to fullback/core special teamer John Kuhn when the Packers are in Pittsburgh. Ripkowski had two special teams tackles against the Steelers, which will go a long way to convincing Thompson to keep two fullbacks, which seems borderline crazy in 2015. Sure the fullback position seems to be going the way of the dodo but let's not forget that the Packers actually had three fullbacks on The 53 when they won Super Bowl XLV (Korey Hall, Kuhn, and Quinn Johnson). Given that Kuhn is 33 years old while Ripkowski is just 22 years old and signed to a cap-friendly rookie contract, I actually think Ripkowski is more of a lock for The 53 than Kuhn to open the 2015 NFL season.
Position
to watch - Wide Receiver: There is no question that Nelson has been highly productive the last two seasons so his presence will be sorely missed in 2015. For those that don't remember the exact numbers, Nelson caught 85 passes for 1,314 yards and eight touchdowns in 2013. Somehow Nelson bested those marks across the board in 2014 with 98 catches, 1,519 yards, and 13 touchdowns. That is a ton of production to replace but the Packers look stacked with young potential at wide receiver given that if everyone is healthy the Packers have six legitimate candidates for five or six spots on The 53: Randall Cobb (25 years old, 5'10", 192 lbs), Davante Adams (22 years old, 6'1", 215 lbs), Ty Montgomery (22 years old, 6'0", 216 lbs), Jeff Janis (24 years old, 6'3", 219 lbs), Myles White (25 years old, 6'0", 190 lbs), and Jared Abbrederis (24 years old, 6'1" and 195 lbs). I get it that Nelson is the bell-cow of the wide receiver group but if Janis can fulfill all the promise that the Packers saw in him before the 2014 NFL Draft, I see him as a poor man's Nelson for 2015 and Janis is 4th on the depth chart. There is talk that former Packer wide receivers James Jones (New York Giants) and Jarrett Boykin (Carolina Panthers) will NOT make The 53 for their respective teams so the Packers also have the option to bring back one of those guys too if they are NOT confident enough in the six-pack of Cobb, Adams, Montgomery, Janis, White, and Abbrederis.
Final
Note: The Nelson injury might be the tipping point for the Packers. Usually the 3rd NFL preseason game is when the starters play the most but I would be shocked to see quarterback Aaron Rodgers take even one snap in that game. Nelson was NOT the only injury of note from the game, unfortunately the Packers suffered a number of other injuries to players that will be on The 53 in 2015. Rodgers looked to have tweaked his wrist, rookie cornerback Damarious Randall battled dehydration, and both right guard T.J. Lang and quarterback Scott Tolzien suffered concussions. The Steelers looked to have lost starting center Maurkice Pouncey for an extended period of time too with an ankle injury. Injuries are a part of the game but everyone hates to see that happen in preseason games. I am NOT sure the answer is to sit all the starters for the next two games though because I fear that would mean the starters would go into the regular season opener on the road against the Chicago Bears too rusty. I am fine with sitting guys like Rodgers and running back Eddie Lacy but given all the question marks on defense, I hope the Packers give their starters on defense at least some reps in the next two games.
Unless the Packers make any significant roster moves before their next
preseason game at home next Saturday against the Philadelphia Eagles,
check back next Sunday for my review of how the Packers/Eagles preseason
game impacts Building The 53.
Showing posts with label A.J. Hawk. Show all posts
Showing posts with label A.J. Hawk. Show all posts
Monday, August 24, 2015
Monday, January 13, 2014
Building The 53 - Potential Salary Cap Casualties on The 53
As I discussed in my first installment of this seven-part series, Green Bay Packers general manager Ted Thompson projects to have at least $35 million in cap space in 2014. That seems like a ton of money but at least $5 million of that will be spent on rookies drafted in the 2014 NFL Draft. Add in that the Packers have 20 players currently on injured reserve or The 53, (restricted and unrestricted), that are set to become free agents and all of a sudden that is not that much cap space. That means that every dollar under the salary cap must be used very wisely by Packers general manager Ted Thompson. Even if Thompson uses every salary cap dollar wisely, he might still need to create some cap space by cutting or restructuring contracts of players currently on The 53.
I broke down the five worst contracts on The 53. A number of guys off that list are strong candidates of becoming salary cap casualties before the start of the 2014 NFL season. Thompson strongly favors "pay-as-you go" contracts, which would allow him to walk away from some bad decisions he made in the last few years. The most glaring of those bad decisions involves A.J. Hawk and Brad Jones, the two current starting middle linebackers. Unless both guys are willing to take significant pay cuts, Thompson needs to replace both guys before the start of the 2015 NFL season.
I know Jones just finished the first year of the three-year, $11.25 million deal with $3 million guaranteed but I would start by cutting Jones after June 1st. Jones made $2.5 million in 2013 but his cap number jumps to $4 million next season and $4.75 million in 2015. Jones has $2 million guaranteed left on his current deal so if Thompson cuts Jones after June 1st, the Packers would have $2 million in dead salary cap space that they could spread over 2014 and 2015. It would be a rarity for Thompson to cut a guy less than a year after signing him to a three-year extension but given that Jones looks like just another guy on the field, I think it makes sense in this case.
With the plan for how to handle Jones, the next step is to sort out how to phase out Hawk. Let me be the 10,000th person to say that if Hawk was even a late first round pick that he would be celebrated as one of the best linebackers in franchise history. Since Hawk was the 5th pick in the 2005 NFL Draft, expectations overshadowed his accomplishments in his eight seasons in Green Bay.
Although Hawk put up some nice single-season stats in 2013: 118 tackles (2nd highest of his career), 5 sacks (highest of his career), 1 forced fumble (second highest of his career), and 1 interception (tied for highest of his career); it is the general lack of overall big plays that have undermined Hawk's career. Over eight NFL seasons Hawk only has 18.5 sacks, 3 fumble forced fumbles, 5 fumble recoveries, 9 interceptions, and zero defensive touchdowns.
Following the 2010 season Hawk used his leverage after becoming a free agent to get overpaid when Thompson signed Hawk to a ludicrous five-year, $33.75 million contract with $8 million guaranteed. There is no question that Hawk is durable but that is way too much money to pay a ho-hum middle linebacker. Luckily Thompson was able to renegotiated Hawk's deal last off-season, which involved Hawk taking a $7.5 million pay cut so he carries a salary cap charge of $5.1 million with $1.6 million guaranteed each of the next two seasons. If the Packers cut Hawk this off-season it would result in $3.2 million in dead money and only $1.6 million in dead money if the Packers cut Hawk before the 2015 season. Unless Jones and Hawk are willing to take pay cuts I would cut each of them after the June 1st over the next two years, Jones this year and Hawk next year.
Moving from middle linebacker to place kicker. Mason Crosby is coming off his most productive season in the NFL, which means he is a strong candidate for regression next year since many studies have shown that kicking accuracy, good or bad, does not tend to continue year-to-year. Crosby is signed through 2015 but restructured just the 2013 portion of his contract before the season to make it incentive-based. Crosby ultimately earned every dollar he was owed before the restructure. Crosby holds salary cap charges of $3.4 million in 2014 (8th highest in the NFL) and $3.55 million in 2015 (6th highest in the NFL). If the Packers cut Crosby this off-season it would result in $1.2 million in dead money and only $600,000 if the Packers cut Crosby before the 2015 season. I say draft a kicker late in the 2014 NFL Draft and cut Crosby after June 1st, which will give Thompson over $1 million more in cap space that he desperately needs.
Cornerback Tramon Williams is due $9.5 million with $2 million guaranteed in 2014. That is the final year of the four-year, $33 million with $10.9 million guaranteed that Williams signed in November of 2010 when he was in a contract year. Unless the Packers can get Williams to accept a pay cut, he will have the 8th highest average salary of all cornerbacks in the NFL, which is way too rich for Williams. I would be shocked if the Packers kept Williams past 2014 given all of their young depth at cornerback but keeping Williams in 2014 might preclude Thompson from offering cornerback Sam Shields the big money deal he earned this off-season. I would much rather have five years of Shields than one more year of Williams so unless Williams accepts a pay cut, I would treat Williams just like the Packers treated Charles Woodson last off-season.
Given all of the cuts I advised Thompson to make above, make sure to check back tomorrow for my initial thoughts on what Thompson should do in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft.
I broke down the five worst contracts on The 53. A number of guys off that list are strong candidates of becoming salary cap casualties before the start of the 2014 NFL season. Thompson strongly favors "pay-as-you go" contracts, which would allow him to walk away from some bad decisions he made in the last few years. The most glaring of those bad decisions involves A.J. Hawk and Brad Jones, the two current starting middle linebackers. Unless both guys are willing to take significant pay cuts, Thompson needs to replace both guys before the start of the 2015 NFL season.
I know Jones just finished the first year of the three-year, $11.25 million deal with $3 million guaranteed but I would start by cutting Jones after June 1st. Jones made $2.5 million in 2013 but his cap number jumps to $4 million next season and $4.75 million in 2015. Jones has $2 million guaranteed left on his current deal so if Thompson cuts Jones after June 1st, the Packers would have $2 million in dead salary cap space that they could spread over 2014 and 2015. It would be a rarity for Thompson to cut a guy less than a year after signing him to a three-year extension but given that Jones looks like just another guy on the field, I think it makes sense in this case.
With the plan for how to handle Jones, the next step is to sort out how to phase out Hawk. Let me be the 10,000th person to say that if Hawk was even a late first round pick that he would be celebrated as one of the best linebackers in franchise history. Since Hawk was the 5th pick in the 2005 NFL Draft, expectations overshadowed his accomplishments in his eight seasons in Green Bay.
Although Hawk put up some nice single-season stats in 2013: 118 tackles (2nd highest of his career), 5 sacks (highest of his career), 1 forced fumble (second highest of his career), and 1 interception (tied for highest of his career); it is the general lack of overall big plays that have undermined Hawk's career. Over eight NFL seasons Hawk only has 18.5 sacks, 3 fumble forced fumbles, 5 fumble recoveries, 9 interceptions, and zero defensive touchdowns.
Following the 2010 season Hawk used his leverage after becoming a free agent to get overpaid when Thompson signed Hawk to a ludicrous five-year, $33.75 million contract with $8 million guaranteed. There is no question that Hawk is durable but that is way too much money to pay a ho-hum middle linebacker. Luckily Thompson was able to renegotiated Hawk's deal last off-season, which involved Hawk taking a $7.5 million pay cut so he carries a salary cap charge of $5.1 million with $1.6 million guaranteed each of the next two seasons. If the Packers cut Hawk this off-season it would result in $3.2 million in dead money and only $1.6 million in dead money if the Packers cut Hawk before the 2015 season. Unless Jones and Hawk are willing to take pay cuts I would cut each of them after the June 1st over the next two years, Jones this year and Hawk next year.
Moving from middle linebacker to place kicker. Mason Crosby is coming off his most productive season in the NFL, which means he is a strong candidate for regression next year since many studies have shown that kicking accuracy, good or bad, does not tend to continue year-to-year. Crosby is signed through 2015 but restructured just the 2013 portion of his contract before the season to make it incentive-based. Crosby ultimately earned every dollar he was owed before the restructure. Crosby holds salary cap charges of $3.4 million in 2014 (8th highest in the NFL) and $3.55 million in 2015 (6th highest in the NFL). If the Packers cut Crosby this off-season it would result in $1.2 million in dead money and only $600,000 if the Packers cut Crosby before the 2015 season. I say draft a kicker late in the 2014 NFL Draft and cut Crosby after June 1st, which will give Thompson over $1 million more in cap space that he desperately needs.
Cornerback Tramon Williams is due $9.5 million with $2 million guaranteed in 2014. That is the final year of the four-year, $33 million with $10.9 million guaranteed that Williams signed in November of 2010 when he was in a contract year. Unless the Packers can get Williams to accept a pay cut, he will have the 8th highest average salary of all cornerbacks in the NFL, which is way too rich for Williams. I would be shocked if the Packers kept Williams past 2014 given all of their young depth at cornerback but keeping Williams in 2014 might preclude Thompson from offering cornerback Sam Shields the big money deal he earned this off-season. I would much rather have five years of Shields than one more year of Williams so unless Williams accepts a pay cut, I would treat Williams just like the Packers treated Charles Woodson last off-season.
Given all of the cuts I advised Thompson to make above, make sure to check back tomorrow for my initial thoughts on what Thompson should do in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft.
Sunday, December 22, 2013
The 53 - Packers lose to Steelers at home but playoff hopes are still alive
Before I get into the 38-31 loss that the Green Bay Packers suffered to the Pittsburgh Steelers at Lambeau Field in Week 16, let's handle the oddity of why I could have called this post The 51 instead of The 53. For the uninitiated, I call this weekly post The 53 because that is the number of players normally on an active NFL roster. I re-rank The 53 for the Packers each week based on each player's relative trade value taking into account age, contract, and their position through the most recent game.
The reason I could have called this post The 51 instead of The 53 is that the day before the Packers hosted the Steelers, Packers general manager Ted Thompson placed tight end Brandon Bostick and defensive lineman Johnny Jolly on injured reserve so the Packers will be without their services for the rest of the season. Thompson normally adds players to The 53 in place of anyone that he puts on injured reserve. Given the Packers had less than 24 hours to fill two spots on The 53, they most likely would have only been able to rely on internal options.
The Packers had nine such internal options: the eight guys on the practice squad and wide receiver Randall Cobb currently on injured reserve designated for return. The Packers currently only have four wide receivers and three tight ends on The 53 so if he was healthy, adding Cobb to The 53 was a no brainer. Given that Thompson did not add Cobb to The 53, it tells me he is a long-shot to play again this season.
The Packers have two wide receivers on the practice squad: Alex Gillett and Tyrone Walker. Based on how well Walker played in the preseason, I would have added Walker to The 53 even if it was just for the Packers/Steelers game. Besides Gillett and Walker the Packers have an offensive center, offensive guard, offensive tackle, and two cornerbacks on the practice squad. None of those positions are a big area of need. As crazy as it sounds, despite being majorly disappointed by recently cut safety Jerron McMillian's play this season, I would have resigned him just to fill The 53 for the Packers/Steelers game. By going with 51 instead of 53, Thompson most likely saved the Packers a little less than $50,000 (rookie minimum deal is $405,000 a year divided by 17 weeks = $23,823.53 a week times two players), which is a pittance in NFL terms when teams are trying to compete for palyoff spots. Trust me, a home playoff game is worth 40 or 50 times what Thompson saved by going with The 51.
Normally the Packers would have seven inactive players since only 46 players can be active for each game. Let's leave the ridiculousness of the 46-man game day roster alone and focus on the fact that the Packers only had 51 guys on the active roster since Thompson did not replace Bostick or Jolly so they only had five inactives against the Steelers: Nate Palmer (LB), Aaron Rodgers (QB), Lane Taylor (G), JC Tretter (C/G), and Jerel Worthy (DL). Here are my updated thoughts on "The 53" following the Packers/Steelers game:
1) Aaron Rodgers (QB, LR 1): A report by ESPN broke before the Packers/Steelers game that quarterback Aaron Rodgers requested Packers head coach Mike McCarthy use certain words to describe his injury when ruling him out for the 7th game in a row due to the broken collarbone he suffered against the Chicago Bears. Apparently Rodgers doesn't want to be perceived as soft since he is following legendary tough-guy quarterback Brett Favre that started every game for the Packers from September 20, 1992 to January 20, 2008. Favre even played half a season with a hairline fracture on the thumb on his throwing hand in 2003. I get that Rodgers is sensitive but just own what is going on. No rationale Packer fan questions your testicular fortitude. Even Favre playing with a broken thumb can be explained by the fact that he was able to wear a splint that protected his broken thumb sufficiently. Sometimes those breaks do not allow you to play with the proper splint (see Claymaker below). I hope this report is overblown because otherwise I've lost a small amount of respect for one of my favorite Cheesehead athletes ever if he is trying to control the message of how his injury is discussed by the head coach of the team that he plays for.
2) Clay Matthews (OLB, LR 2): Claymaker has not been the same player since Week 5 when he suffered a Bennett's fracture on his right thumb in a win over the Detroit Lions at Lambeau Field. Claymaker has only registered 4.5 sack in the 7 games since he injured his thumb, which he re-injured against the Steelers. Sure Claymaker made a couple plays here and there since he returned to the lineup but the Packers have become accustomed to Claymaker making at least an impact play or two a game. In McCarthy's post-game new conference he said Claymaker suffered a similar injury to the one that kept him out four weeks last time so unfortunately I expect him to miss the rest of the season.
4) Eddie Lacy (RB, LR 4): Butterball needlessly sprained his ankle on a throwaway play at the end of the first half against the Atlanta Falcons two weeks ago. The Steelers are lucky that Lacy left the game after he re-injured his left ankle at the end of the third quarter because he was carving up the Steelers on the ground with his power runs to the tune of 15 carries for 88 yards and two touchdowns. Lacy's first touchdown against the Steelers was much more impressive than his second touchdown, unfortunately he was not healthy enough to score a third. Thanks to another impressive rushing performance, Lacy now has the most rushing yards of any rookie running back in franchise history. With Rodgers out roughly half the season there is no question that Lacy has been an absolute life-saver. The question now is whether Lacy will be healthy next week? Based on his post-game comments, at least Lacy sounds somewhat confident that he will play Week 17.
13) Micah Hyde (CB, LR 20): Things looked bleak after the Packers essentially let the Steelers score to go up 38-31 with 1:25 to play. On the ensuing kickoff Hyde mustered a timely 70-yard return to give the Packers great field position. Hyde has done well on punt returns but has yet to do anything of note on kickoff returns until today. Before the season I called for the Packers to try Hyde at safety. Unless the Packers add a safety at the top of the 2014 NFL Draft (a distinct possibility) or actually sign a starting safety in free agency (don't hold your breathe), my guess is that this off-season the coach staff will do everything in their power to morph Hyde into a dual-threat return man that lines up at safety on defense.
17) A.J. Hawk (MLB, LR 19): Cheesehead Chick and I got up early to drive from Chicago, IL to Dayton, OH to spend Christmas with In-Law Cheese. We got to Dayton in time to catch the UD/USC basketball game. Unfortunately UD lost on a three-pointer at the buzzer in overtime. We high-tailed it home after the game to In-Law Cheese's house to catch the Packers/Steelers game on tape dealy. I refer to Hawk as the Business HJ but didn't have the gall to tell Sister-In-Law Cheese that is his nickname when she asked me my thoughts on Hawk so when Hawk makes an impressive play, I am obligated to give him his due. Hawk's athletic interception at the Pittsburgh 45-yard line couldn't be more timely coming at the dying moments of the 3rd quarter with the Packers trailing the Steelers 31-21. Unfortunately the Packers could only muster a field-goal on the ensuing drive that started at the Pittsburgh 23-yard line.
21) Nick Perry (OLB, LR 17): Following Claymaker's injury, it looked like Perry got some more snaps on defense but he failed to register even one tackle. Sure Perry is fighting a nagging foot injury but almost every player in the league is nicked up at this point in the season. Perry's only imprint on the game came with less than two minutes left in the game. The Steelers lined up for a field goal attempt on 4th and 3 at the Green Bay 10-yard line with the game tied at 31. Perry jumped off-sides to give the Steelers a first down. Two plays later the Steelers scored to push the score to 38-31, which turned out to be final score line. When the Packers drafted Perry in the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft they thought they had a perfect compliment to Claymaker. Perry says that he would rather play on the right side, which is where Claymaker normally lines up. With Claymaker most likely out for the rest of the season, let's see whether the Packers give Perry a chance on the right side. Perry has done nothing to earn the right to play on the right side other than getting drafted in the first round, but draft status has a strong correlation to playing time, so look for Perry to take significant snaps on the right side with Claymaker out.
23) Matt Flynn (QB, LR 23): I know Flynn will never be Rodgers but subtle things like his first touchdown pass to wide receiver Jarrett Boykin show the differences between Flynn and Rodgers. That throw was supposed to be a back-shoulder throw, which Rodgers completes in his sleep. Instead Flynn threw a front-shoulder throw, which usually results in an interception but luckily Boykin was able to pluck the ball away from the defender much like wide receiver Jordy Nelson did last week against the Dallas Cowboys. Much worse than the front-shoulder throw was how Flynn bungled the final drive. Down 38-31, the Packers faced a first and goal from the 5-yard line with just over 40 seconds to play. McCarthy called a rush for James Starks that got the Packers down to the 1-yard line. It looked like the Packers had plenty of time to get into the end zone but they struggled to get organized so with just over 20 second to play the Packers called another run play that never launched because the entire right side of the offensive line (right guard T.J. Lang and right tackle Don Barclay) moved early for their last penalty of the day as the cherry on top of the team's nine penalties for 90 yards sundae against the Steelers. That resulted in a 10-second run off. Once the ball was spotted, McCarty claims that Flynn could not snap the ball because the umpire was blocking Flynn but my vantage point Flynn did not realize the clock was running. The play in that situation is once the ball is spotted, spike the ball to preserve 7 or 8 seconds on the clock to give yourself two or three chances to throw quick to the end zone. Unfortunately Flynn barely got a play off before time expired and overthrew Boykin for the Packers to lose 38-31. For the day Flynn was 21 for 39 throwing for 232 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 pick-six, and 1 fumble that essentially cost the Packers the game. Flynn is supposedly a "gamer" but let's hope we've seen him play his last game for the Packers this season because they desperately need the precision and poise of Rodgers to beat the Bears to make the playoffs.
26) Josh Boyd (DL, LR 41): After being a healthy scratch for the first part of the season, Boyd is now a regular contributor along the defensive line. Although Boyd hasn't made any real impact plays so far, he is among friends along the defensive line since what looked like a position of strength going into the season has been very underwhelming this season. The defensive line quintet of Jolly, Ryan Pickett, B.J. Raji, and C.J. Wilson are all due to become free agents; I tried to unwind how to deal with pending free agency of the defensive line quintet. Just a few weeks later, I could see the Packers totally reversing course given how underwhelming Raji and Pickett have been over the last month. Wilson has been injured so I give him a slight pass while Jolly's status for next season is up in the air due to a serious neck injury that landed him on injured reserve. The Packers love to error on the side of going young so given that the Packers have the young, cost-effective defensive line quintet of Boyd, Mike Daniels, Datone Jones, and Jerel Worthy; we might be seeing some of the last snaps that Raji and Pickett play for the Packers.
34) Mason Crosby (K, LR 29): The Packers needed the aid of a coach's challenge by McCarthy to credit middle linebacker Jamari Lattimore with a forced fumble that was recovered by cornerback Tramon Williams at the Pittsburgh 3-yard line. Following an unsuccessful drive despite taking over with amazing field position, the Packers settled for a 23-yard field goal attempt. Crosby's attempt was blocked but somehow the Packers got the ball after the Steelers batted the ball forward. The Steelers clearly possessed the ball before they batted it forward but when Steelers head coach Omar Epps, check that Mike Tomlin tried to challenge the play he was told that possession on a play like that is not reviewable. I floated my "Ultimate Challenge" Theory a few weeks ago that teams should have an ultimate challenge on one play of a game. Not sure if Tomlin is on the competition committee but given how the Steelers got hosed on that play, why wouldn't Tomlin support the rule change?
The Packers lost a game they should have at least taken to overtime but for Flynn and the right-side of the offensive line's brain farts down the stretch, which put their playoff hopes on life support. Luckily the Detroit Lions lost on the road to the New York Giants to extinguish their playoff hopes. More importantly the Chicago Bears absolutely imploded on Sunday Night Football on the road against the Philadelphia Eagles losing 54-11 to set-up a winner-take-all game next weekend for the NFC North crown at Soldier Field in Chicago, IL. I've attend every Packers/Bears game at the revamped Soldier Field so I hope to attend this one with Cheesehead Chick. Whether I attend the game in-person or watch on television, let's hope the Packers use some of the tactics that the Eagles employed to blow-out the Bears.
Leading up to the game each weekend the last few weeks it has been the Rodgers collarbone watch. With Cobb eligible to return to The 53, Claymaker re-injuring his thumb, and Lacy re-injuring his ankle; it looks like it is going to be a week of team health watch. In terms of order of importance (most important to least important) my rankings of how much the Packers need each player next week against the Bears are as follows: Rodgers, Matthews, Lacy, and Cobb. What sweet symmetry if Rodgers returns against the team that knocked him out of the lineup a little less than two months ago to lead the Packers over the Bears to win the NFC North and host a home playoff game?
Given the two open spots on The 53, make sure to check back throughout the week for full coverage on how Thompson decides to complete The 53. In the meantime, even those the Eagles and Giants are two of my least favorites fan bases in the world, make sure to spread the Christmas cheer this week with them by thinking them for keeping the Packers in the playoff hunt.
The reason I could have called this post The 51 instead of The 53 is that the day before the Packers hosted the Steelers, Packers general manager Ted Thompson placed tight end Brandon Bostick and defensive lineman Johnny Jolly on injured reserve so the Packers will be without their services for the rest of the season. Thompson normally adds players to The 53 in place of anyone that he puts on injured reserve. Given the Packers had less than 24 hours to fill two spots on The 53, they most likely would have only been able to rely on internal options.
The Packers had nine such internal options: the eight guys on the practice squad and wide receiver Randall Cobb currently on injured reserve designated for return. The Packers currently only have four wide receivers and three tight ends on The 53 so if he was healthy, adding Cobb to The 53 was a no brainer. Given that Thompson did not add Cobb to The 53, it tells me he is a long-shot to play again this season.
The Packers have two wide receivers on the practice squad: Alex Gillett and Tyrone Walker. Based on how well Walker played in the preseason, I would have added Walker to The 53 even if it was just for the Packers/Steelers game. Besides Gillett and Walker the Packers have an offensive center, offensive guard, offensive tackle, and two cornerbacks on the practice squad. None of those positions are a big area of need. As crazy as it sounds, despite being majorly disappointed by recently cut safety Jerron McMillian's play this season, I would have resigned him just to fill The 53 for the Packers/Steelers game. By going with 51 instead of 53, Thompson most likely saved the Packers a little less than $50,000 (rookie minimum deal is $405,000 a year divided by 17 weeks = $23,823.53 a week times two players), which is a pittance in NFL terms when teams are trying to compete for palyoff spots. Trust me, a home playoff game is worth 40 or 50 times what Thompson saved by going with The 51.
Normally the Packers would have seven inactive players since only 46 players can be active for each game. Let's leave the ridiculousness of the 46-man game day roster alone and focus on the fact that the Packers only had 51 guys on the active roster since Thompson did not replace Bostick or Jolly so they only had five inactives against the Steelers: Nate Palmer (LB), Aaron Rodgers (QB), Lane Taylor (G), JC Tretter (C/G), and Jerel Worthy (DL). Here are my updated thoughts on "The 53" following the Packers/Steelers game:
| The 53 |
| 1. Aaron Rodgers (QB, LR 1) 2. Clay Matthews (OLB, LR 2) 3. Jordy Nelson (WR, LR 3) 4. Eddie Lacy (RB, LR 4) 5. Sam Shields (CB, LR 5) 6. T.J. Lang (G, LR 6) 7. Josh Sitton (G, LR 7) 8. James Jones (WR, LR 9) 9. Morgan Burnett (S, LR 8) 10. Evan Dietrich-Smith (C, LR 10) 11. Mike Daniels (DL, LR 13) 12. Tramon Williams (CB, LR 14) 13. Micah Hyde (CB, LR 20) 14. B.J. Raji (DL, LR 11) 15. Don Barclay (T, LR 15) 16. David Bakhtiari (T, LR 12) 17. A.J. Hawk (MLB, LR 19) 18. Jarrett Boykin (WR, LR 16) 19. Brad Jones (MLB, LR 18) 20. Davon House (CB, LR 21) 21. Datone Jones (DL, LR 22) 22. Nick Perry (OLB, LR 17) 23. Matt Flynn (QB, LR 23) 24. James Starks (RB, LR 37) 25. Tim Masthay (P, LR 24) 26. Josh Boyd (DL, LR 41) 27. Andrew Quarless (TE, LR 25) 28. Mike Neal (DL/OLB, LR 26) 29. Jamari Lattimore (LB, LR 30) 30. John Kuhn (FB, LR 33) 31. Ryan Pickett (DL, LR 27) 32. Jarrett Bush (CB, LR 32) 33. Derek Sherrod (T, LR 31) 34. Mason Crosby (K, LR 29) 35. Brett Goode (LS, LR 34) 36. Sean Richardson (S, LR 36) 37. Jerel Worthy (DE, LR 35) 38. Andy Mulamba (LB, LR 46) 39. M.D. Jennings (S, LR 38) 40. Ryan Taylor (TE, LR 40) 41. Scott Tolzien (QB, LR 43) 42. J.C. Tretter (C, LR 42) 43. C.J. Wilson (DL, LR 44) 44. Chris Banjo (S, LR 45) 45. Victor Aiyewa (LB, LR 49) 46. Jake Stoneburner (TE, LR 48) 47. Lane Taylor (G, LR 47) 48. Chris Harper (WR, LR 51) 49. Marshall Newhouse (T, LR 52) 50. Nate Palmer (LB, LR 50) 51. Kahlil Bell (RB, LR 53) |
| IR, Designated for Return |
| 1. Randall Cobb (WR) |
| Injured Reserve |
| 1. Jermichael Finley (TE) 2. Bryan Bulaga (T) 3. Casey Hayward (CB) 4. Johnny Jolly (DL) 5. DuJuan Harris (RB) 6. Jonathan Franklin (RB) 7. Brandon Bostick (TE) 8. Robert Francois (MLB) 9. Greg Van Roten (C/G) 10. Sam Barrington (LB) 11. Myles White (WR) 12. Seneca Wallace (QB) 13. James Nixon (CB) 14. Kevin Dorsey (WR) 15. Sederrik Cunningham (WR) |
| Cut |
| 1. Jeremy Ross (WR, Lions) 2. Jerron McMillian (S, free agent) 3. Michael Hill (RB, Buccaneers) |
2) Clay Matthews (OLB, LR 2): Claymaker has not been the same player since Week 5 when he suffered a Bennett's fracture on his right thumb in a win over the Detroit Lions at Lambeau Field. Claymaker has only registered 4.5 sack in the 7 games since he injured his thumb, which he re-injured against the Steelers. Sure Claymaker made a couple plays here and there since he returned to the lineup but the Packers have become accustomed to Claymaker making at least an impact play or two a game. In McCarthy's post-game new conference he said Claymaker suffered a similar injury to the one that kept him out four weeks last time so unfortunately I expect him to miss the rest of the season.
4) Eddie Lacy (RB, LR 4): Butterball needlessly sprained his ankle on a throwaway play at the end of the first half against the Atlanta Falcons two weeks ago. The Steelers are lucky that Lacy left the game after he re-injured his left ankle at the end of the third quarter because he was carving up the Steelers on the ground with his power runs to the tune of 15 carries for 88 yards and two touchdowns. Lacy's first touchdown against the Steelers was much more impressive than his second touchdown, unfortunately he was not healthy enough to score a third. Thanks to another impressive rushing performance, Lacy now has the most rushing yards of any rookie running back in franchise history. With Rodgers out roughly half the season there is no question that Lacy has been an absolute life-saver. The question now is whether Lacy will be healthy next week? Based on his post-game comments, at least Lacy sounds somewhat confident that he will play Week 17.
13) Micah Hyde (CB, LR 20): Things looked bleak after the Packers essentially let the Steelers score to go up 38-31 with 1:25 to play. On the ensuing kickoff Hyde mustered a timely 70-yard return to give the Packers great field position. Hyde has done well on punt returns but has yet to do anything of note on kickoff returns until today. Before the season I called for the Packers to try Hyde at safety. Unless the Packers add a safety at the top of the 2014 NFL Draft (a distinct possibility) or actually sign a starting safety in free agency (don't hold your breathe), my guess is that this off-season the coach staff will do everything in their power to morph Hyde into a dual-threat return man that lines up at safety on defense.
17) A.J. Hawk (MLB, LR 19): Cheesehead Chick and I got up early to drive from Chicago, IL to Dayton, OH to spend Christmas with In-Law Cheese. We got to Dayton in time to catch the UD/USC basketball game. Unfortunately UD lost on a three-pointer at the buzzer in overtime. We high-tailed it home after the game to In-Law Cheese's house to catch the Packers/Steelers game on tape dealy. I refer to Hawk as the Business HJ but didn't have the gall to tell Sister-In-Law Cheese that is his nickname when she asked me my thoughts on Hawk so when Hawk makes an impressive play, I am obligated to give him his due. Hawk's athletic interception at the Pittsburgh 45-yard line couldn't be more timely coming at the dying moments of the 3rd quarter with the Packers trailing the Steelers 31-21. Unfortunately the Packers could only muster a field-goal on the ensuing drive that started at the Pittsburgh 23-yard line.
21) Nick Perry (OLB, LR 17): Following Claymaker's injury, it looked like Perry got some more snaps on defense but he failed to register even one tackle. Sure Perry is fighting a nagging foot injury but almost every player in the league is nicked up at this point in the season. Perry's only imprint on the game came with less than two minutes left in the game. The Steelers lined up for a field goal attempt on 4th and 3 at the Green Bay 10-yard line with the game tied at 31. Perry jumped off-sides to give the Steelers a first down. Two plays later the Steelers scored to push the score to 38-31, which turned out to be final score line. When the Packers drafted Perry in the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft they thought they had a perfect compliment to Claymaker. Perry says that he would rather play on the right side, which is where Claymaker normally lines up. With Claymaker most likely out for the rest of the season, let's see whether the Packers give Perry a chance on the right side. Perry has done nothing to earn the right to play on the right side other than getting drafted in the first round, but draft status has a strong correlation to playing time, so look for Perry to take significant snaps on the right side with Claymaker out.
23) Matt Flynn (QB, LR 23): I know Flynn will never be Rodgers but subtle things like his first touchdown pass to wide receiver Jarrett Boykin show the differences between Flynn and Rodgers. That throw was supposed to be a back-shoulder throw, which Rodgers completes in his sleep. Instead Flynn threw a front-shoulder throw, which usually results in an interception but luckily Boykin was able to pluck the ball away from the defender much like wide receiver Jordy Nelson did last week against the Dallas Cowboys. Much worse than the front-shoulder throw was how Flynn bungled the final drive. Down 38-31, the Packers faced a first and goal from the 5-yard line with just over 40 seconds to play. McCarthy called a rush for James Starks that got the Packers down to the 1-yard line. It looked like the Packers had plenty of time to get into the end zone but they struggled to get organized so with just over 20 second to play the Packers called another run play that never launched because the entire right side of the offensive line (right guard T.J. Lang and right tackle Don Barclay) moved early for their last penalty of the day as the cherry on top of the team's nine penalties for 90 yards sundae against the Steelers. That resulted in a 10-second run off. Once the ball was spotted, McCarty claims that Flynn could not snap the ball because the umpire was blocking Flynn but my vantage point Flynn did not realize the clock was running. The play in that situation is once the ball is spotted, spike the ball to preserve 7 or 8 seconds on the clock to give yourself two or three chances to throw quick to the end zone. Unfortunately Flynn barely got a play off before time expired and overthrew Boykin for the Packers to lose 38-31. For the day Flynn was 21 for 39 throwing for 232 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 pick-six, and 1 fumble that essentially cost the Packers the game. Flynn is supposedly a "gamer" but let's hope we've seen him play his last game for the Packers this season because they desperately need the precision and poise of Rodgers to beat the Bears to make the playoffs.
26) Josh Boyd (DL, LR 41): After being a healthy scratch for the first part of the season, Boyd is now a regular contributor along the defensive line. Although Boyd hasn't made any real impact plays so far, he is among friends along the defensive line since what looked like a position of strength going into the season has been very underwhelming this season. The defensive line quintet of Jolly, Ryan Pickett, B.J. Raji, and C.J. Wilson are all due to become free agents; I tried to unwind how to deal with pending free agency of the defensive line quintet. Just a few weeks later, I could see the Packers totally reversing course given how underwhelming Raji and Pickett have been over the last month. Wilson has been injured so I give him a slight pass while Jolly's status for next season is up in the air due to a serious neck injury that landed him on injured reserve. The Packers love to error on the side of going young so given that the Packers have the young, cost-effective defensive line quintet of Boyd, Mike Daniels, Datone Jones, and Jerel Worthy; we might be seeing some of the last snaps that Raji and Pickett play for the Packers.
34) Mason Crosby (K, LR 29): The Packers needed the aid of a coach's challenge by McCarthy to credit middle linebacker Jamari Lattimore with a forced fumble that was recovered by cornerback Tramon Williams at the Pittsburgh 3-yard line. Following an unsuccessful drive despite taking over with amazing field position, the Packers settled for a 23-yard field goal attempt. Crosby's attempt was blocked but somehow the Packers got the ball after the Steelers batted the ball forward. The Steelers clearly possessed the ball before they batted it forward but when Steelers head coach Omar Epps, check that Mike Tomlin tried to challenge the play he was told that possession on a play like that is not reviewable. I floated my "Ultimate Challenge" Theory a few weeks ago that teams should have an ultimate challenge on one play of a game. Not sure if Tomlin is on the competition committee but given how the Steelers got hosed on that play, why wouldn't Tomlin support the rule change?
The Packers lost a game they should have at least taken to overtime but for Flynn and the right-side of the offensive line's brain farts down the stretch, which put their playoff hopes on life support. Luckily the Detroit Lions lost on the road to the New York Giants to extinguish their playoff hopes. More importantly the Chicago Bears absolutely imploded on Sunday Night Football on the road against the Philadelphia Eagles losing 54-11 to set-up a winner-take-all game next weekend for the NFC North crown at Soldier Field in Chicago, IL. I've attend every Packers/Bears game at the revamped Soldier Field so I hope to attend this one with Cheesehead Chick. Whether I attend the game in-person or watch on television, let's hope the Packers use some of the tactics that the Eagles employed to blow-out the Bears.
Leading up to the game each weekend the last few weeks it has been the Rodgers collarbone watch. With Cobb eligible to return to The 53, Claymaker re-injuring his thumb, and Lacy re-injuring his ankle; it looks like it is going to be a week of team health watch. In terms of order of importance (most important to least important) my rankings of how much the Packers need each player next week against the Bears are as follows: Rodgers, Matthews, Lacy, and Cobb. What sweet symmetry if Rodgers returns against the team that knocked him out of the lineup a little less than two months ago to lead the Packers over the Bears to win the NFC North and host a home playoff game?
Given the two open spots on The 53, make sure to check back throughout the week for full coverage on how Thompson decides to complete The 53. In the meantime, even those the Eagles and Giants are two of my least favorites fan bases in the world, make sure to spread the Christmas cheer this week with them by thinking them for keeping the Packers in the playoff hunt.
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
The 53 - Packers Tie the Vikings at Lambeau Field
The Green Bay Packers lead their all-time series with the Minnesota Vikings 56-49-1 following their win over the Vikings in their last ever visit to The Humpty. The Vikings were 2-8 heading into their corresponding match up with the Packers at Lambeau Field. The inactives for the Packers against the Vikings were:
Don Barclay (T, knee), Chris Harper (WR, healthy scratch), Johnny Jolly
(DL, groin), Nate Palmer (LB, healthy scratch), Nick Perry (LB, foot),
Aaron Rodgers (QB, broken collarbone), and Sam Shields (CB, hamstring).
Quarterback Scott Tolzien scored on a scramble to put the Packers up 7-0 in the first quarter. After that Tolzien was mostly ineffective and was ultimately replaced by Matt Flynn early in the 3rd quarter. The Vikings scored 23 unanswered points to lead 23-7 early in the 4th quarter. Luckily Flynn engineered three scoring drives and the defense finally held the Vikings in check in the 4th quarter to force overtime.
The Packers won the toss and elected to receive to start overtime. Thanks to a long completion from Flynn to wide receiver Jarrett Boykin, the Packers had a first and goal from the seven yard line on their initial drive of overtime. If the Packers scored a touchdown they would have won the game. Unfortunately the Packers could only muster a field goal to go up 26-23. For a great breakdown of whether Packers head coach Mike McCarthy should have gone for it on 4th and goal from the 2-yard line, check out the end of Bill Barnwell's post yesterday for Grantland.com.
The Vikings matched the Packers with a field goal on the ensuing possession to tie the game at 26-26. After trading 3-and-outs, the Packers got the ball back with two minutes left. After picking up a couple first downs, the drive stalled out and the Packers were forced to punt with seven second left in overtime. Ultimately the game ended in a tie, which was the first tie for the Packers since September 20, 1987 against the Denver Broncos at County Stadium.
Even though the Packers were starting a backup quarterback, with their playoff hopes on life support they should beat a Vikings team with a 2-8 record and Christan Ponder as their starting quarterback. Here are my updated rankings of The 53 and thoughts on certain players following the Packers/Vikings tie at Lambeau:
#2) Clay Matthews (OLB, LR 2): After suffering a Bennet's fracture against the Detroit Lions, Matthews missed the next four games and consequently the defense struggled. When Matthews returned against the Eagles he was completely ineffective wearing a club that looked like an illegal weapon. After arguing with the medical staff, Claymaker was able to wear a modified cast the last two weeks that let him use the rest of his fingers. After registering two sacks and two tackles for a loss against the Vikings, it looks like Claymaker is close to finally be his old self. Claymaker's game is predicated on using his hands effectively so I expect to see Matthews to continue to improve as he gets more use of his hands.
#6) Eddie Lacy (RB, LR 7): My affinity for Lacy continues to grow. Lacy had 25 carries for 110 yards and a touchdown to go along with six catches for 48 yards against the Vikings before missing most part of overtime due to an asthma attack. That stat line is impressive for sure but it is the runs like his four yard run on 4th and 1 at the Minnesota 27-yard line when the Packers were trailing 23-13 that show how valuable Lacy is to the team. On that particular play, Lacy was stuffed for a two yard loss that he turned into a four yard gain. If Lacy doesn't pick up that first down, the game is over. Luckily the Packers finally have a physical running back, which they haven't had since Ahman Green left town the first time.
#8) B.J. Raji (DL, LR 8): I forgot to mention when breaking down whether to extend Raji what happened to another (former) Packer that turned down a big money deal to ultimately sign for less elsewhere in the end. Going into the 2012 season wide receiver Greg Jennings reportedly turned down a deal worth $11 million a year. After an injury riddle season, Jennings hurt his market value and ultimately signed a five-year, $45 million contract with $18 million guaranteed with the Minnesota Vikings. I get that Raji wants to test the free agent market but I would be surprised if he tops the $8 million a year offer the Packers currently have on the table. Especially when you factor in that Raji is supposed to be the run stuffer for the defense but the run defense has been horrible for the last month. Even when teams are in obvious running situations teams are still able to hand the ball off and shove the ball down the defense's throat. Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson is an all-time great so I am not surprised that he gained 146 yards on 32 carries and scored a touchdown on the ground but allowing backup running back Toby Gerhart (eight carries for 91 yards) to almost eclipse 100-yards is unacceptable. One player does not make an entire rush defense but Raji's case for signing a big money deal this off-season continues to diminish as the Packers run defense continues to struggle.
#16) A.J. Hawk (MLB, LR 16): I am not sure whether I've floated my "ultimate challenge theory" in this space before. The broad strokes are that every game each team gets one challenge on any aspect of any play. Let's say a team thinks the refs made a questionable pass interference call on 3rd and 10 that resulted in a 40-yard gain for the offense. That might be the biggest play of the game but since you cannot challenge pass interference, the play would stand. The head coach of the team on defense could use his "ultimate challenge" to have the refs review whether they made the right call. I know this would end up being controversial but let's take an example from the Packers/Vikings game to illuminate why this would be useful. Hawk clearly grabbed the face mask of Peterson to slow him before knocking the ball loose early in the second quarter with the Vikings trailing 7-3. Every turnover in the NFL is reviewed but when the refs reviewed that play they have to ignore that they missed a blatant face mask penalty. If Minnesota Vikings head coach Leslie Frasier had an "ultimate challenge" he could ask the refs to determine whether Hawk committed a face mask penalty. In this instance the Vikings would have retained possession where Peterson was tackled at the Green Bay 44-yard line. When you add on the face mask penalty, the Vikings would have had a 1st and 10 at the Green Bay 29-yard line instead the Packers getting the ball at their own 45-yard line. Don't tell me this slows the game down too much because each team would only have one opportunity a game. Plus it would add another set of controversies to each game, which the EPSN's of the world would love. Did Frazier use the "ultimate challenge" too early? If Frazier didn't use the challenge and no other play was deemed worthy he would get even more heat. I hope the NFL competition committee just read my thoughts because I see no downside other than highlighting more errors by refs, which we know happens a number of times each game already.
24. Tim Masthay (P, LR 25): The conventional wisdom goes that as the weather gets colder, kickers and punters struggle more. Since the Packers were unable to move the ball on offense for large stretches of the game, the Packers were forced to punt eight times against the Vikings. Masthay averaged 40.8 yards per punt with two of the punts getting downed inside the five-yard line. If Masthay's performance is any indication of how he is going to punt the rest of the season then the Packers are in for a treat. While we are here, one other special teams related note. After Eddie Lacy's touchdown run in the 4th quarter, the Packers trailed 23-13 with 11:42 left to play. Head coach Mike McCarthy decided to go for two points. I still support McCarthy's decision despite the fact that the Packers did not convert. I know that it mean Mason Crosby's field goal with less than a minute to go tied the game at 23 instead of giving the Packers a 24-23 win but McCarthy was actually following the correct decision process. The Packers were struggling on offense and defense at that point so the thinking does that the Packers would have a hard time getting two stops and two scores. Ultimately McCarthy and I were wrong since that is exactly what the Packers did but after McCarthy decided to punt last week against the Giants down 14 points with a little less than nine minutes to play, I like that he was aggressive this time around. Any regular reads of this space know that I am very critical of McCarthy's in-game decision making process so when he makes a correct decision I have to give him his due. Let's not confuse thought process and result.
#29) Matt Flynn (QB, LR 43): For the first time in a long time I got together with my buddies Fernando, Sug, and UP to watch the game at Sug's house. Before the game started Sug asked if quarterback Scott Tolzien was ineffective should head coach Mike McCarthy turn to backup quarterback Matt Flynn. I was firmly in the Tolzien camp. Although Tolzien was cut by the San Francisco 49ers before the start of the season, the Packers have had Tolzien on the practice squad or The 53 since opening day while the Oakland Raiders and Buffalo Bills thought so little of Flynn that they cut him despite having quarterback issues. As it turns out I was wrong. As the late great Jerry Orbach said in Dirty Dancing, "When I'm wrong, I say I'm wrong". Flynn completed 21 of his 36 attempts for 218 yards and a touchdown in relief of Tolzien to keep the Packers in contention to win the NFC North. After Flynn's performance against the Vikings I am not sure how the Raiders and Bills thought so little of Flynn that they cut him but luckily for the Packers they have Flynn on The 53 and absent injury it looks like he is the guy until Rodgers returns.
#31) Scott Tolzien (QB, LR 30): There is no question that Tolzien is a hard worker. There were reports that Tolzien essentially lived at the team facilities for the 49ers last year and the Packers this year. I guess the fact that Tolzien threw for 339 yards against the Giants last week clouded my judgment because Tolzien struggled against the Vikings. Despite rushing for a touchdown to put the Packers up 7-0, Tolzien was merely 7 for 17 throwing for 98 yards before getting pulled early in the 3rd quarter in favor of Flynn. Absent injury I would be shocked if Tolzien saw the field again in 2013 but given his work ethic I would like to see the Packers keep Tolzien on The 53 in 2014 to see if he can develop into a quality backup that can perform in a pinch.
#43) Sean Richardson (S, LR N/A): Last week I gave an in-depth look at their impending free agents. The one aspect I didn't cover was the overall positional depth of The 53. In taking a look over The 53 for the Packers they really only have two glaring needs: tight end and safety. The Packers were hoping that activating safety Sean Richardson from the physically unable to perform list would help fill one of those two voids but it is too early to tell whether Richardson filled one of those voids.
#45) Marshall Newhouse (T, LR 42): Over the last three games Newhouse has surrendered 3 sacks. I presume Barclay will not be able to play on Thanksgiving against the Detroit Lions since he missed the Vikings game so let me reiterate for the 47th time that I think the Packers should give Sherrod a chance at right tackle ahead of Newhouse. Worst case, Sherrod struggles. Best case, Sherrod thrives and the Packers have to decide whether Barclay or Sherrod is their right tackle for the rest of the season once Barclay is healthy.
The NFC North struggled in Week 12. The Chicago Bears lost on the road to the St. Louis Rams and the Detroit Lions lost at home to the lowly Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Through three quarters a tie would have felt like a victory for the Packers but after the fourth quarter and overtime, a tie against the Vikings felt like a loss. Luckily due to the struggles of the Bears and Lions, the Packers only trail each of them by a half game with five games to play.
The Packers have a short week this week since they play the Lions on Thanksgiving. Rookie running back Johnathan Franklin left the game with an apparent concussion and defensive lineman C.J. Wilson suffered what looked like a serious leg injury so I would be surprised to see either of those guys play against the Lions. When you add in that the Packers already had five players inactive against the Vikings due to injury, the Packers could be hard pressed to field a healthy 46-man roster against the Lions. If that's the case, why not make Rodgers the emergency quarterback? That means if Rodgers plays before the fourth quarter, Flynn and Tolzien cannot re-enter the game. I am obviously worried about the long-term ramifications of bringing Rodgers back too early but given the circumstances, the risk might be worth the reward.
If the Packers make any changes to The 53 I will have a full breakdown, otherwise check back after the Packers/Lions game for full coverage.
Quarterback Scott Tolzien scored on a scramble to put the Packers up 7-0 in the first quarter. After that Tolzien was mostly ineffective and was ultimately replaced by Matt Flynn early in the 3rd quarter. The Vikings scored 23 unanswered points to lead 23-7 early in the 4th quarter. Luckily Flynn engineered three scoring drives and the defense finally held the Vikings in check in the 4th quarter to force overtime.
The Packers won the toss and elected to receive to start overtime. Thanks to a long completion from Flynn to wide receiver Jarrett Boykin, the Packers had a first and goal from the seven yard line on their initial drive of overtime. If the Packers scored a touchdown they would have won the game. Unfortunately the Packers could only muster a field goal to go up 26-23. For a great breakdown of whether Packers head coach Mike McCarthy should have gone for it on 4th and goal from the 2-yard line, check out the end of Bill Barnwell's post yesterday for Grantland.com.
The Vikings matched the Packers with a field goal on the ensuing possession to tie the game at 26-26. After trading 3-and-outs, the Packers got the ball back with two minutes left. After picking up a couple first downs, the drive stalled out and the Packers were forced to punt with seven second left in overtime. Ultimately the game ended in a tie, which was the first tie for the Packers since September 20, 1987 against the Denver Broncos at County Stadium.
Even though the Packers were starting a backup quarterback, with their playoff hopes on life support they should beat a Vikings team with a 2-8 record and Christan Ponder as their starting quarterback. Here are my updated rankings of The 53 and thoughts on certain players following the Packers/Vikings tie at Lambeau:
| The 53 |
| 1. Aaron Rodgers (QB, LR 1) 2. Clay Matthews (OLB, LR 2) 3. Jordy Nelson (WR, LR 3) 4. Josh Sitton (G, LR 4) 5. T.J. Lang (G, LR 5) 6. Eddie Lacy (RB, LR 7) 7. James Jones (WR, LR 6) 8. B.J. Raji (DL, LR 8) 9. Morgan Burnett (S, LR 9) 10. Evan Dietrich-Smith (C, LR 10) 11. David Bakhtiari (T, LR 11) 12. Sam Shields (CB, LR 12) 13. Mike Daniels (DL, LR 15) 14. Tramon Williams (CB, LR 13) 15. Brad Jones (MLB, LR 14) 16. A.J. Hawk (MLB, LR 16) 17. Davon House (CB, LR 17) 18. Datone Jones (DL, LR 18) 19. Micah Hyde (CB, LR 19) 20. Don Barclay (T, LR 20) 21. Nick Perry (OLB, LR 22) 22. Jarrett Boykin (WR, LR 24) 23. Jamari Lattimore (LB, LR 23) 24. Tim Masthay (P, LR 25) 25. Jerel Worthy (DE, LR N/A) 26. Mike Neal (DL/OLB, LR 26) 27. Johnny Jolly (DL, LR 27) 28. Ryan Pickett (DL, LR 28) 29. Matt Flynn (QB, LR 43) 30. Andrew Quarless (TE, LR 29) 31. Scott Tolzien (QB, LR 30) 32. Jarrett Bush (CB, LR 31) 33. Mason Crosby (K, LR 32) 34. James Starks (RB, LR 33) 35. Brett Goode (LS, LR 34) 36. John Kuhn (FB, LR 35) 37. Derek Sherrod (T, LR 36) 38. M.D. Jennings (S, LR 37) 39. Jonathan Franklin (RB, LR 38) 40. Brandon Bostick (TE, LR 39) 41. C.J. Wilson (DL, LR 40) 42. Ryan Taylor (TE, LR 41) 43. Sean Richardson (S, LR N/A) 44. Chris Banjo (S, LR 44) 45. Marshall Newhouse (T, LR 42) 46. Andy Mulamba (LB, LR 45) 47. Jerron McMillian (S, LR 46) 48. Myles White (WR, LR 48) 49. Lane Taylor (G, LR 49) 50. Jake Stoneburner (TE, LR 50) 51. Josh Boyd (DL, LR 52) 52. Nate Palmer (LB, LR 47) 53. Chris Harper (WR, LR 51) |
| Physically Unable to Perform |
| 1. JC Tretter (T) |
| IR, Designated for Return |
| 1. Randall Cobb (WR) |
| Injured Reserve |
| 1. Jermichael Finley (TE) 2. Bryan Bulaga (T) 3. Casey Hayward (CB, LR 16) 4. DuJuan Harris (RB) 5. Robert Francois (MLB) 6. Greg Van Roten (C/G) 7. Sam Barrington (LB) 8. Seneca Wallace (QB) 9. James Nixon (CB, LR 53) 10. Kevin Dorsey (WR) 11. Sederrik Cunningham (WR) |
| Cut |
| 1. Jeremy Ross (WR, Lions) 2. Michael Hill (RB, Buccaneers) |
#6) Eddie Lacy (RB, LR 7): My affinity for Lacy continues to grow. Lacy had 25 carries for 110 yards and a touchdown to go along with six catches for 48 yards against the Vikings before missing most part of overtime due to an asthma attack. That stat line is impressive for sure but it is the runs like his four yard run on 4th and 1 at the Minnesota 27-yard line when the Packers were trailing 23-13 that show how valuable Lacy is to the team. On that particular play, Lacy was stuffed for a two yard loss that he turned into a four yard gain. If Lacy doesn't pick up that first down, the game is over. Luckily the Packers finally have a physical running back, which they haven't had since Ahman Green left town the first time.
#8) B.J. Raji (DL, LR 8): I forgot to mention when breaking down whether to extend Raji what happened to another (former) Packer that turned down a big money deal to ultimately sign for less elsewhere in the end. Going into the 2012 season wide receiver Greg Jennings reportedly turned down a deal worth $11 million a year. After an injury riddle season, Jennings hurt his market value and ultimately signed a five-year, $45 million contract with $18 million guaranteed with the Minnesota Vikings. I get that Raji wants to test the free agent market but I would be surprised if he tops the $8 million a year offer the Packers currently have on the table. Especially when you factor in that Raji is supposed to be the run stuffer for the defense but the run defense has been horrible for the last month. Even when teams are in obvious running situations teams are still able to hand the ball off and shove the ball down the defense's throat. Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson is an all-time great so I am not surprised that he gained 146 yards on 32 carries and scored a touchdown on the ground but allowing backup running back Toby Gerhart (eight carries for 91 yards) to almost eclipse 100-yards is unacceptable. One player does not make an entire rush defense but Raji's case for signing a big money deal this off-season continues to diminish as the Packers run defense continues to struggle.
#16) A.J. Hawk (MLB, LR 16): I am not sure whether I've floated my "ultimate challenge theory" in this space before. The broad strokes are that every game each team gets one challenge on any aspect of any play. Let's say a team thinks the refs made a questionable pass interference call on 3rd and 10 that resulted in a 40-yard gain for the offense. That might be the biggest play of the game but since you cannot challenge pass interference, the play would stand. The head coach of the team on defense could use his "ultimate challenge" to have the refs review whether they made the right call. I know this would end up being controversial but let's take an example from the Packers/Vikings game to illuminate why this would be useful. Hawk clearly grabbed the face mask of Peterson to slow him before knocking the ball loose early in the second quarter with the Vikings trailing 7-3. Every turnover in the NFL is reviewed but when the refs reviewed that play they have to ignore that they missed a blatant face mask penalty. If Minnesota Vikings head coach Leslie Frasier had an "ultimate challenge" he could ask the refs to determine whether Hawk committed a face mask penalty. In this instance the Vikings would have retained possession where Peterson was tackled at the Green Bay 44-yard line. When you add on the face mask penalty, the Vikings would have had a 1st and 10 at the Green Bay 29-yard line instead the Packers getting the ball at their own 45-yard line. Don't tell me this slows the game down too much because each team would only have one opportunity a game. Plus it would add another set of controversies to each game, which the EPSN's of the world would love. Did Frazier use the "ultimate challenge" too early? If Frazier didn't use the challenge and no other play was deemed worthy he would get even more heat. I hope the NFL competition committee just read my thoughts because I see no downside other than highlighting more errors by refs, which we know happens a number of times each game already.
24. Tim Masthay (P, LR 25): The conventional wisdom goes that as the weather gets colder, kickers and punters struggle more. Since the Packers were unable to move the ball on offense for large stretches of the game, the Packers were forced to punt eight times against the Vikings. Masthay averaged 40.8 yards per punt with two of the punts getting downed inside the five-yard line. If Masthay's performance is any indication of how he is going to punt the rest of the season then the Packers are in for a treat. While we are here, one other special teams related note. After Eddie Lacy's touchdown run in the 4th quarter, the Packers trailed 23-13 with 11:42 left to play. Head coach Mike McCarthy decided to go for two points. I still support McCarthy's decision despite the fact that the Packers did not convert. I know that it mean Mason Crosby's field goal with less than a minute to go tied the game at 23 instead of giving the Packers a 24-23 win but McCarthy was actually following the correct decision process. The Packers were struggling on offense and defense at that point so the thinking does that the Packers would have a hard time getting two stops and two scores. Ultimately McCarthy and I were wrong since that is exactly what the Packers did but after McCarthy decided to punt last week against the Giants down 14 points with a little less than nine minutes to play, I like that he was aggressive this time around. Any regular reads of this space know that I am very critical of McCarthy's in-game decision making process so when he makes a correct decision I have to give him his due. Let's not confuse thought process and result.
#29) Matt Flynn (QB, LR 43): For the first time in a long time I got together with my buddies Fernando, Sug, and UP to watch the game at Sug's house. Before the game started Sug asked if quarterback Scott Tolzien was ineffective should head coach Mike McCarthy turn to backup quarterback Matt Flynn. I was firmly in the Tolzien camp. Although Tolzien was cut by the San Francisco 49ers before the start of the season, the Packers have had Tolzien on the practice squad or The 53 since opening day while the Oakland Raiders and Buffalo Bills thought so little of Flynn that they cut him despite having quarterback issues. As it turns out I was wrong. As the late great Jerry Orbach said in Dirty Dancing, "When I'm wrong, I say I'm wrong". Flynn completed 21 of his 36 attempts for 218 yards and a touchdown in relief of Tolzien to keep the Packers in contention to win the NFC North. After Flynn's performance against the Vikings I am not sure how the Raiders and Bills thought so little of Flynn that they cut him but luckily for the Packers they have Flynn on The 53 and absent injury it looks like he is the guy until Rodgers returns.
#31) Scott Tolzien (QB, LR 30): There is no question that Tolzien is a hard worker. There were reports that Tolzien essentially lived at the team facilities for the 49ers last year and the Packers this year. I guess the fact that Tolzien threw for 339 yards against the Giants last week clouded my judgment because Tolzien struggled against the Vikings. Despite rushing for a touchdown to put the Packers up 7-0, Tolzien was merely 7 for 17 throwing for 98 yards before getting pulled early in the 3rd quarter in favor of Flynn. Absent injury I would be shocked if Tolzien saw the field again in 2013 but given his work ethic I would like to see the Packers keep Tolzien on The 53 in 2014 to see if he can develop into a quality backup that can perform in a pinch.
#43) Sean Richardson (S, LR N/A): Last week I gave an in-depth look at their impending free agents. The one aspect I didn't cover was the overall positional depth of The 53. In taking a look over The 53 for the Packers they really only have two glaring needs: tight end and safety. The Packers were hoping that activating safety Sean Richardson from the physically unable to perform list would help fill one of those two voids but it is too early to tell whether Richardson filled one of those voids.
#45) Marshall Newhouse (T, LR 42): Over the last three games Newhouse has surrendered 3 sacks. I presume Barclay will not be able to play on Thanksgiving against the Detroit Lions since he missed the Vikings game so let me reiterate for the 47th time that I think the Packers should give Sherrod a chance at right tackle ahead of Newhouse. Worst case, Sherrod struggles. Best case, Sherrod thrives and the Packers have to decide whether Barclay or Sherrod is their right tackle for the rest of the season once Barclay is healthy.
The NFC North struggled in Week 12. The Chicago Bears lost on the road to the St. Louis Rams and the Detroit Lions lost at home to the lowly Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Through three quarters a tie would have felt like a victory for the Packers but after the fourth quarter and overtime, a tie against the Vikings felt like a loss. Luckily due to the struggles of the Bears and Lions, the Packers only trail each of them by a half game with five games to play.
The Packers have a short week this week since they play the Lions on Thanksgiving. Rookie running back Johnathan Franklin left the game with an apparent concussion and defensive lineman C.J. Wilson suffered what looked like a serious leg injury so I would be surprised to see either of those guys play against the Lions. When you add in that the Packers already had five players inactive against the Vikings due to injury, the Packers could be hard pressed to field a healthy 46-man roster against the Lions. If that's the case, why not make Rodgers the emergency quarterback? That means if Rodgers plays before the fourth quarter, Flynn and Tolzien cannot re-enter the game. I am obviously worried about the long-term ramifications of bringing Rodgers back too early but given the circumstances, the risk might be worth the reward.
If the Packers make any changes to The 53 I will have a full breakdown, otherwise check back after the Packers/Lions game for full coverage.
Monday, October 21, 2013
The 53 - Packers beat Browns at home
It is always great to see a game at Lambeau Field. My last trip to Lambeau I saw the Green Bay Packers beat the Minnesota Vikings in the playoffs in a fairly ho-hum game before the Packers lost to the San Francisco 49ers on the road to end their 2012 season.
My first trip to Lambeau this season to see the Packers take on the Cleveland Browns with cousin Joe (pictured later), Fernando (orange hat to the right), and Uncle Patty (middle on the right) felt pretty similar to the Packers/Vikings playoff game. Sure the crowd was into it but the game felt fairly ho-hum after the Packers scored two early touchdowns against the Browns. I know I sound like a jerk calling any game at Lambeau Field ho-hum so let me clarify, I mean the game itself NOT the experience because trust me there is no better place to see a sporting event in North America than Lambeau Field. Finely's horrific injury in the fourth quarter cast a pall over the rest of the game as the Packers went on to beat the Browns comfortably.
After losing outside linebacker Clay Matthews to a thumb injury against the Lions and wide receiver Randall Cobb to a broken leg against the Ravens, Finley's spinal cord injury means that for the 3rd consecutive week the Packers won but lost a huge contributor to The 53. With all the injuries to The 53, the Packers could barely field a healthy active 46-man gameday roster. The following seven guys were inactive against the Browns due to various aliments: Casey Hayward (CB, hamstring), Brad Jones (MLB, hamstring), James Jones (WR, knee), Clay Matthews (OLB, thumb), Nick Perry (OLB, foot), James Starks (RB, knee), and Ryan Taylor (TE, knee). That means the Packers had no healthy scratches for the first time (I think) in the 2013 season.
Sorting through all the changes to The 53 that Green Bay Packers general manager Ted Thompson made between their loss on the road to the Bengals to drop to 1-2 and their win over the Browns to improve their record to 4-2 is pretty complicated. You will notice that I added some sections to the table below to help keep straight all the roster moves and injuries that have happened so far this season. I will cover how Thompson added Chris Harper (WR), James Nixon (CB), Jake Stoneburner (TE), and Myles White (WR) to The 53 in their player descriptions below. Here are my updated rankings and thoughts on certain players following the Packers/Browns game:
13. Jermichael Finley (TE, LR 5): It feels crass to move Finley down to 13 from 5 after being carted off the field on a stretcher with a horrific spinal cord injury but there is a chance that was Finley's last game in the NFL so 13 might even been too high since The 53 is my look at the trade value of every member of The 53. Let's not forget that Finley suffered a concussion against the Cincinnati Bengals a few weeks ago. Following that incident Finley's son said that he did not want him to play football anymore so I can only imagine his entire family's reaction to his most recent injury.
15. Eddie Lacy (RB, LR 20): The Packers have a bruising running back for the first time since running back Ahman Green left town the first time. I was fine with the Packers taking Lacy in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft so I thought they stole him in the second round. Sure bruising running back's careers like Lacy's can be short because of their running style but seeing a punishing runner in Green Bay sure is a nice sight. I was bummed not to be able to get a Lacy kid's XL jersey at the game. Normally I buy my jersey from the smaller Packer Pro Shop outside Mama Cheese's secretary's seats but they were not selling any Lacy jerseys there for some reason. Now I have a few weeks to decide whether to go with Lacy or stick with wearing a t-shirt for the rest of this season.
17. A.J. Hawk (MLB, LR 25): As a native of Ohio, I think my cousin (pictured to the left in the top hat to the Lambeau Tuxedo) is obliged to like Hawk aka The Business H.J. because Hawk went to Ohio State. With how well Hawk played the last few weeks, he is quickly trying to distance himself from the Business H.J. nickname. My only question is why has this taken so long? Usually players do not evolve in the 8th season in the NFL, all of a sudden Business H.J. has turned into at least Naughty H.J. and possibly more. I guess better late than never. Quick side note on the Browns, following the game my cousin Joe was convinced with a competent quarterback the Browns would have made it a game. I don't deny that the Browns have a good defense but I am not sure that they are just a quarterback away from contending. The one thing that I am sure of is that Brandon Weeden is not a good quarterback but I am not sure that is the only piece missing from their roster. Oh and just to add insult to injury, Weeden is older than Rodgers despite the fact that this is his second season in the NFL (played five years of minor league baseball) while Rodgers is in his 9th year in the NFL.
31. Jarrett Boykin (WR, LR 37): With wide receiver James Jones most likely out at least one more week and wide receiver Randall Cobb out until at least mid-December, the Packers went from having arguably the most potent trio of wide receivers in the NFL to having Jordy Nelson and some unproven commodities. As I've mentioned in the past, I have an off-the-field reason to like Boykin because he went to Virginia Tech where my sister-in-law is getting her Ph.D. After Boykin eclipsed 100 yards receiving and scored a touchdown, now I have an on-the-field reason to like him. The next few weeks will be interesting to see if the Packers found another diamond in the rough in Boykin or if his performance against the Browns was just a one game aberration.
42. Jerron McMillian (S, LR 30): I gave McMillian the Defensive Trojan Boner of the Week Award against the Ravens and went so far as to say McMillian will be buried on the depth chart behind safety Chris Banjo. Keep in mind that at one point in training camp Banjo was literally the 90th man signed to the roster and now he is on The 53 getting significant playing time. Things have gotten so bad for McMillian that I could actually see the Packers activating safety Sean Richardson from the physically unable to perform list in place of McMillian as opposed to Banjo despite the fact that the Packers used a 4th round pick on McMillian in the 2012 NFL Draft and Banjo went undrafted in the same draft.
48. Chris Harper (WR): There was quite a string of moves to get Harper on The 53. After the Seattle Seahawks picked Harper in the 4th round of the 2013 NFL they cut him before the start of the season. The San Francisco 49ers claimed Harper off waivers but he never actually made 46-man gameday roster. Meanwhile, the Packers signed running back Michael Hill to The 53 from the practice squad to fill the spot created by cutting wide receiver/kicker returner Jeremy Ross. After being on The 53 the last two weeks, Thompson cut Hill because they needed a roster spot when they claimed Harper off waivers from the 49ers. Although Harper didn't have a catch in against the Browns, look for him to serve a bigger role in the coming weeks as he actually learns the offense.
50. Myles White (WR): As I said in my advice for how to fill the open spot on The 53 after Thompson cut Jeremy Ross, if the Packers were going to add a wide receiver to The 53 I thought they should have signed wide receiver Tyronne Walker to The 53. Apparently the Packers like White more than Walker though because although Walker is now on the practice squad, White is ahead of him on The 53 to fill the spot created by placing wide receiver Randall Cobb on injured reserve - designated for return after Cobb suffered a gruesome leg injury against the Ravens. White has some big shoes to fill because the loss of Cobb is arguable the biggest loss to The 53 besides Rodgers and Matthews.
52. Jake Stoneburner (TE): After a lackluster end to his collegiate career at Ohio State due to some off the field issues, Stoneburner had a nice training camp to actually push for a roster spot on The 53. The Packers kept Stoneburner on the practice squad and signed him to The 53 to fill the spot created by placing guard/center Greg Van Roten on injured reserve after he suffered a broken foot in practice. Luckily Stoneburner has been around the team all season on the practice squad so look for him to play meaningful snaps following Finely's injury.
53. James Nixon (CB): After an up and down preseason the Packers decided to sign Nixon to the practice squad and promoted him to The 53 to fill the spot created by placing linebacker Robert Francois on injured reserve after Francois suffered a torn achilles tendon against the Lions. The Packers have so much depth on their roster at cornerback that I am shocked that Nixon is still on The 53 so look for his stay on The 53 to come to an end soon.
Check back next Monday because I am attending my second Packer game in a row, this time I get to see the last Packers/Vikings game in the Humpty with Gaber, Nick, and Sug.
After losing outside linebacker Clay Matthews to a thumb injury against the Lions and wide receiver Randall Cobb to a broken leg against the Ravens, Finley's spinal cord injury means that for the 3rd consecutive week the Packers won but lost a huge contributor to The 53. With all the injuries to The 53, the Packers could barely field a healthy active 46-man gameday roster. The following seven guys were inactive against the Browns due to various aliments: Casey Hayward (CB, hamstring), Brad Jones (MLB, hamstring), James Jones (WR, knee), Clay Matthews (OLB, thumb), Nick Perry (OLB, foot), James Starks (RB, knee), and Ryan Taylor (TE, knee). That means the Packers had no healthy scratches for the first time (I think) in the 2013 season.
Sorting through all the changes to The 53 that Green Bay Packers general manager Ted Thompson made between their loss on the road to the Bengals to drop to 1-2 and their win over the Browns to improve their record to 4-2 is pretty complicated. You will notice that I added some sections to the table below to help keep straight all the roster moves and injuries that have happened so far this season. I will cover how Thompson added Chris Harper (WR), James Nixon (CB), Jake Stoneburner (TE), and Myles White (WR) to The 53 in their player descriptions below. Here are my updated rankings and thoughts on certain players following the Packers/Browns game:
| The 53 |
| 1. Aaron Rodgers (QB, LR 1) 2. Clay Matthews (OLB, LR 2) 3. Morgan Burnett (S, LR 4) 4. Jordy Nelson (WR, LR 7) 5. Sam Shields (CB, LR 8) 6. Josh Sitton (G, LR 11) 7. B.J. Raji (DL, LR 6) 8. T.J. Lang (G, LR 10) 9. James Jones (WR, LR 9) 10. Tramon Williams (CB, LR 12) 11. David Bakhtiari (T, LR 13) 12. Evan Dietrich-Smith (C, LR 14) 13. Jermichael Finley (TE, LR 5) 14. Brad Jones (MLB, LR 15) 15. Eddie Lacy (RB, LR 20) 16. Nick Perry (OLB, LR 16) 17. A.J. Hawk (MLB, LR 25) 18. Casey Hayward (CB, LR 17) 19. Datone Jones (DL, LR 18) 20. Don Barclay (T, LR 22) 21. Micah Hyde (CB, LR 23) 22. Mike Daniels (DL, LR 27) 23. Tim Masthay (P, LR 19) 24. Davon House (CB, LR 38) 25. Johnny Jolly (DL, LR 24) 26. Ryan Pickett (DL, LR 21) 27. Jamari Lattimore (LB, LR 46) 28. Mason Crosby (K, LR 31) 29. Mike Neal (DL/OLB, LR 32) 30. Jarrett Bush (CB, LR 35) 31. Jarrett Boykin (WR, LR 37) 32. M.D. Jennings (S, LR 26) 33. Brett Goode (LS, LR 34) 34. James Starks (RB, LR 28) 35. Chris Banjo (S, LR 40) 36. C.J. Wilson (DL, LR 29) 37. Jonathan Franklin (RB, LR 33) 38. Andrew Quarless (TE, LR 41) 39. Marshall Newhouse (T, LR 43) 40. Andy Mulamba (LB, LR 47) 41. John Kuhn (FB, LR 42) 42. Jerron McMillian (S, LR 30) 43. Ryan Taylor (TE, LR 36) 44. Sam Barrington (LB, LR 48) 45. Seneca Wallace (QB, LR 45) 46. Nate Palmer (LB, LR 50) 47. Brandon Bostick (TE, LR 49) 48. Chris Harper (WR) 49. Josh Boyd (DL, LR 51) 50. Myles White (WR) 51. Lane Taylor (G, LR 52) 52. Jake Stoneburner (TE) 53. James Nixon (CB) |
| Physically Unable to Perform |
| 1. Jerel Worthy (DE) 2. Derek Sherrod (T) 3. JC Tretter (T) 4. Sean Richardson (S) |
| IR, Designated for Return |
| 1. Randall Cobb (WR) |
| Injured Reserve |
| 1. Bryan Bulaga (T) 2. DuJuan Harris (RB) 3. Robert Francois (MLB) 4. Greg Van Roten (C/G) 5. Kevin Dorsey (WR) 6. Sederrik Cunningham (WR) |
| Cut |
| 1. Jeremy Ross (WR, Lions) 2. Michael Hill (RB, FA) |
15. Eddie Lacy (RB, LR 20): The Packers have a bruising running back for the first time since running back Ahman Green left town the first time. I was fine with the Packers taking Lacy in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft so I thought they stole him in the second round. Sure bruising running back's careers like Lacy's can be short because of their running style but seeing a punishing runner in Green Bay sure is a nice sight. I was bummed not to be able to get a Lacy kid's XL jersey at the game. Normally I buy my jersey from the smaller Packer Pro Shop outside Mama Cheese's secretary's seats but they were not selling any Lacy jerseys there for some reason. Now I have a few weeks to decide whether to go with Lacy or stick with wearing a t-shirt for the rest of this season.
17. A.J. Hawk (MLB, LR 25): As a native of Ohio, I think my cousin (pictured to the left in the top hat to the Lambeau Tuxedo) is obliged to like Hawk aka The Business H.J. because Hawk went to Ohio State. With how well Hawk played the last few weeks, he is quickly trying to distance himself from the Business H.J. nickname. My only question is why has this taken so long? Usually players do not evolve in the 8th season in the NFL, all of a sudden Business H.J. has turned into at least Naughty H.J. and possibly more. I guess better late than never. Quick side note on the Browns, following the game my cousin Joe was convinced with a competent quarterback the Browns would have made it a game. I don't deny that the Browns have a good defense but I am not sure that they are just a quarterback away from contending. The one thing that I am sure of is that Brandon Weeden is not a good quarterback but I am not sure that is the only piece missing from their roster. Oh and just to add insult to injury, Weeden is older than Rodgers despite the fact that this is his second season in the NFL (played five years of minor league baseball) while Rodgers is in his 9th year in the NFL.31. Jarrett Boykin (WR, LR 37): With wide receiver James Jones most likely out at least one more week and wide receiver Randall Cobb out until at least mid-December, the Packers went from having arguably the most potent trio of wide receivers in the NFL to having Jordy Nelson and some unproven commodities. As I've mentioned in the past, I have an off-the-field reason to like Boykin because he went to Virginia Tech where my sister-in-law is getting her Ph.D. After Boykin eclipsed 100 yards receiving and scored a touchdown, now I have an on-the-field reason to like him. The next few weeks will be interesting to see if the Packers found another diamond in the rough in Boykin or if his performance against the Browns was just a one game aberration.
42. Jerron McMillian (S, LR 30): I gave McMillian the Defensive Trojan Boner of the Week Award against the Ravens and went so far as to say McMillian will be buried on the depth chart behind safety Chris Banjo. Keep in mind that at one point in training camp Banjo was literally the 90th man signed to the roster and now he is on The 53 getting significant playing time. Things have gotten so bad for McMillian that I could actually see the Packers activating safety Sean Richardson from the physically unable to perform list in place of McMillian as opposed to Banjo despite the fact that the Packers used a 4th round pick on McMillian in the 2012 NFL Draft and Banjo went undrafted in the same draft.
48. Chris Harper (WR): There was quite a string of moves to get Harper on The 53. After the Seattle Seahawks picked Harper in the 4th round of the 2013 NFL they cut him before the start of the season. The San Francisco 49ers claimed Harper off waivers but he never actually made 46-man gameday roster. Meanwhile, the Packers signed running back Michael Hill to The 53 from the practice squad to fill the spot created by cutting wide receiver/kicker returner Jeremy Ross. After being on The 53 the last two weeks, Thompson cut Hill because they needed a roster spot when they claimed Harper off waivers from the 49ers. Although Harper didn't have a catch in against the Browns, look for him to serve a bigger role in the coming weeks as he actually learns the offense.
50. Myles White (WR): As I said in my advice for how to fill the open spot on The 53 after Thompson cut Jeremy Ross, if the Packers were going to add a wide receiver to The 53 I thought they should have signed wide receiver Tyronne Walker to The 53. Apparently the Packers like White more than Walker though because although Walker is now on the practice squad, White is ahead of him on The 53 to fill the spot created by placing wide receiver Randall Cobb on injured reserve - designated for return after Cobb suffered a gruesome leg injury against the Ravens. White has some big shoes to fill because the loss of Cobb is arguable the biggest loss to The 53 besides Rodgers and Matthews.
52. Jake Stoneburner (TE): After a lackluster end to his collegiate career at Ohio State due to some off the field issues, Stoneburner had a nice training camp to actually push for a roster spot on The 53. The Packers kept Stoneburner on the practice squad and signed him to The 53 to fill the spot created by placing guard/center Greg Van Roten on injured reserve after he suffered a broken foot in practice. Luckily Stoneburner has been around the team all season on the practice squad so look for him to play meaningful snaps following Finely's injury.
53. James Nixon (CB): After an up and down preseason the Packers decided to sign Nixon to the practice squad and promoted him to The 53 to fill the spot created by placing linebacker Robert Francois on injured reserve after Francois suffered a torn achilles tendon against the Lions. The Packers have so much depth on their roster at cornerback that I am shocked that Nixon is still on The 53 so look for his stay on The 53 to come to an end soon.
Check back next Monday because I am attending my second Packer game in a row, this time I get to see the last Packers/Vikings game in the Humpty with Gaber, Nick, and Sug.
Monday, October 14, 2013
The 53 - Packers beat Ravens on the road
I located what I think is the only sports bar in Santiago, Chile that shows NFL game(s). I put the "s" in parenthesis because I was unable to get a straight answer from the bar whether they will in
fact play all the games or just the "national game". I say "national game" because when Cheesehead Chick and I tried to watch the Packers/Lions game at a bar in Rio de Janerio, Brazil we were only able
to watch the the Colts/Seahawks games since ESPN only shows one non-SNF or MNF game a week instead of the full slate.
Instead of rolling the dice that I wouldn't even get to see the Packers/Ravens game, I made the smart decision to go on a winery tour of Conchay y Toro aka the MillerCoors of
wineries in Chile with Cheesehead Chick. I had the best of both worlds because I was able to get wifi at certain times to
stay apprised of the game.
Inactives for the Packers against the Ravens were: Josh Boyd (DE, healthy scratch), Jarrett Bush (CB, hamstring), Casey Hayward (CB, hamstring), Brad Jones (MLB, hamstring), Clay Matthews (LB, thumb), James Starks (RB, knee), and Greg Van Roten (C/G, foot).
Going into the game Ravens head coach John Harbaugh
was 10-0 against the NFC at home and the Ravens had not been beaten by an
NFC team at home since 2006 (won 13 in a row) while Packers head coach
Mike McCarthy was merely 7-8 against AFC teams on the road. The Packers not
only broke the aforementioned streaks but they are now 4-1 "all-time" against the
Ravens.
A lackluster first half performance that saw the Packers leading the Ravens 6-0 was compounded by some very serious injuries. Wide receivers Randall Cobb (knee) and James Jones (shin) both were injured in the first half and did not return to the game. Cobb's injury occurred on what looked like like a borderline questionable tackle by rookie safety Matt Elam while Jones was hurt blocking on a run play. Cobb's injury looked much worse and will most likely keep him out an extended period of time. Besides the wide receiver injuries, outside linebacker Nick Perry played well with a sack that lead to a forced fumble but suffered a foot injury and the severity is unknown.
Although injuries will cloud the win for the second week in a row, the Packers had a number of positive individual performances against the Ravens. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers had what most quarterbacks would consider a very good game going 17 for 32 throwing for 315 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception that stat line almost looks average on paper given how well Rodgers has played the last few years.
The Packers got another impressive performance by rookie running back Eddie Lacy. After rushing for 99 yards last week against the Lions, Lacy ran for 123 yards on 20 carries against the Ravens. Rounding out the impressive offensive performances was wide receiver Jordy Nelson with four catches for 113 yards and a touchdown.
The defense looked good against the Ravens despite missing two starting linebackers: outside linebacker Clay Matthews and middle linebacker Brad Jones. The Business H.J. aka A.J. Hawk had 10 tackles, five tackles for a loss, and three sacks. Yes, you read that last sentence correctly, Business H.J. had arguably his most productive game as a member of the Packers. Rookie cornerback Micah Hyde was productive on defense as well with 7 tackles, 1 for a loss and 1 sack.
Moving to special teams. Not only was Hyde impressive on defense but more importantly he averaged just under 14 yards a return on his five punt returns against the Ravens, which is helpful given that the Packers might be without Cobb for an extended period of time. If Hyde can be an effective punter returner that will soften the blow of losing Cobb slightly. Punter Tim Masthay boomed some punts but unfortunately with special teams maven Jarrett Bush out the coverage of those punts was lackluster. Place kicker Mason Crosby made four of his five field goals attempts so he is no longer perfect on the season but still went a long way towards helping the Packers notch a much needed road victory over the Ravens.
A lackluster first half performance that saw the Packers leading the Ravens 6-0 was compounded by some very serious injuries. Wide receivers Randall Cobb (knee) and James Jones (shin) both were injured in the first half and did not return to the game. Cobb's injury occurred on what looked like like a borderline questionable tackle by rookie safety Matt Elam while Jones was hurt blocking on a run play. Cobb's injury looked much worse and will most likely keep him out an extended period of time. Besides the wide receiver injuries, outside linebacker Nick Perry played well with a sack that lead to a forced fumble but suffered a foot injury and the severity is unknown.
Although injuries will cloud the win for the second week in a row, the Packers had a number of positive individual performances against the Ravens. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers had what most quarterbacks would consider a very good game going 17 for 32 throwing for 315 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception that stat line almost looks average on paper given how well Rodgers has played the last few years.
The Packers got another impressive performance by rookie running back Eddie Lacy. After rushing for 99 yards last week against the Lions, Lacy ran for 123 yards on 20 carries against the Ravens. Rounding out the impressive offensive performances was wide receiver Jordy Nelson with four catches for 113 yards and a touchdown.
The defense looked good against the Ravens despite missing two starting linebackers: outside linebacker Clay Matthews and middle linebacker Brad Jones. The Business H.J. aka A.J. Hawk had 10 tackles, five tackles for a loss, and three sacks. Yes, you read that last sentence correctly, Business H.J. had arguably his most productive game as a member of the Packers. Rookie cornerback Micah Hyde was productive on defense as well with 7 tackles, 1 for a loss and 1 sack.
Moving to special teams. Not only was Hyde impressive on defense but more importantly he averaged just under 14 yards a return on his five punt returns against the Ravens, which is helpful given that the Packers might be without Cobb for an extended period of time. If Hyde can be an effective punter returner that will soften the blow of losing Cobb slightly. Punter Tim Masthay boomed some punts but unfortunately with special teams maven Jarrett Bush out the coverage of those punts was lackluster. Place kicker Mason Crosby made four of his five field goals attempts so he is no longer perfect on the season but still went a long way towards helping the Packers notch a much needed road victory over the Ravens.
Since the Packers won, I thought I would have some fun with highlighting some of the bonehead plays by various Packers from the game so I will hand out an offensive, defensive, and special team Trojan Boner of the Week Award. The winner on offense is tight end Jermichael Finley. After Finley picked up 52 yards on a third and three with less than two minutes in the game he went out of bounds to stop the clock. Lacy ran out the clock so he bailed out Finley but those kind of mental mistakes are inexcusable from a player of Finley's caliber.
The winner on defense is safety Jerron McMillian for two consecutive plays. First McMillian let wide receiver Tandon Doss break free for a 63 yard gain on 4th and 21. The play had flashes of 4th and 26 against the Eagles in the playoffs from a decade ago as McMillian let Doss get behind him and slipped as he turned to chase Doss. If that wasn't bad enough, McMillian gave up a touchdown catch to tight end Dallas Clark on the next play. Given how bad McMillian has been in coverage, safety Chris Banjo will most likely be the primary backup safety ahead of McMillian going forward.
Finally the "winner" on special teams and a strong candidate for the Trojan Boner of the Year Award is fullback John Kuhn. The Packers blocked a punt but it went across the line of scrimmage. Kuhn unsuccessfully tried to the field the punt, which was then recovered by the Ravens for a fresh set of downs. Kuhn has long been considered a special teams maven but last week Kuhn didn't see a single snap on offense so there is no room for special teams gaffes like that.
Sorry for the non-traditional posts the last two weeks but traveling around South America has severely hampered my ability to post my usual updated player rankings and comments following each game. Don't worry, next week I am going to the Packers/Browns game at Lambeau Field so check back for my usual post with updated player rankings.
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