It has been an interesting three game stretch for the 2014 Green Bay Packers since my last The 53 post. The Packers won on the road over the Miami Dolphins thanks to a 4th quarter comeback engineered by quarterback Aaron Rodgers and followed that up with a blowout win over the Carolina Panthers. Everything was looking good for the Packers as they went on the road to play the New Orleans Saints on Sunday Night Football before their bye week given the fact that the Saints were just 2-4 heading into the game while the Packers were 5-2. The turning point of the game was when Rodgers pulled up gimpy with a hamstring injury. Before that, the Packers and Saints traded offensive blows but with Rodgers hobbled, the Packers ended up losing by 21 points. Unfortunately that sent the Packers into their bye on a sour note.
The bright side is that their bye week gives Rodgers time to let his hamstring heal. Given that the 2014 NFL Trade Deadline came and went without any consequence, I thoughts I would drop the rankings of The 53 and just highlight a few players of note on The 53. Without further adu, here are my thoughts on certain players on The 53 with half of the 2014 regular season in the books for the Packers:
Eddie Lacy (RB): Rodgers missed almost half the season last year in Lacy's impressive rookie season so it seemed like a healthy Rodgers and Lacy would give the Packers their best quarterback/running back combo since Brett Favre and Ahman Green. Oddly so far this season Lacy has been less effective in his second year in the NFL despite the fact that Rodgers has been healthy for the entire first half of the season. Through eight games Lacy has just 428 rushing yards (17th in NFL) on 105 carries (tied for 29th in the NFL) for a 4.1 yard average. Lacy only found the end zone on four carries (tied for 12th in the NFL), which is somewhat surprising given how much he can move the pile in short yardage situations. Juxtapose that with last season when through eight games Lacy had 669 rushing yards on 158 carries for 4.2 yards rushing and four rushing touchdowns. There is no question that Lacy has earned every single one of those 428 yards this season thanks to his punishing running style and the fact that his longest run of the season is just 29 yards. Although Lacy has not put up huge rushing stats this season, on the surface it looks like he has improved catching the ball out the backfield with 209 yards receiving on 21 catches (4th most on team) for a 10 yard average but take that total with a grain of salt because one of Lacy's receptions went for 69 yards and he has yet to catch a touchdown pass from Rodgers. Lacy's biggest improvement has been in pass blocking, which has limited the number of snaps given to backup running backs James Starks and DuJuan Harris as well as fullback John Kuhn since Lacy is no longer subbed out on third downs. Starks has just 193 rushing yards on 44 carries for a 4.4 yard average. I know the Packers want Lacy to be a three-down back but I would like to see Starks get some more touches. Relax fantasy owners, I have Lacy on my fantasy team too but I like the Packers a million times more than my fantasy team, which is why I would like the Packers to keep Lacy fresh by giving Starks some more touches. Plus, I actually think that is a good thing for Lacy and Starks given Lacy's punishing running style and how injury prone Starks has been in college and the NFL. Starks is signed through 2015 and Lacy's rookie contracts runs through 2016. Sharing carries might be the only way Lacy and Starks see another contract with the Packers. If I were in charge, I would aim to get Lacy and Starks between 25 and 30 touches combined per game with Lacy getting 70% of the touches and Starks getting 30% of the touches. For whatever reason the Packers have gotten away from using the screen for the last couples seasons. Whether it is Lacy or Starks, I would make sure to add that back into the game plan for at least a couple plays each game.
Ha Ha Clinton-Dix (S): I support all things Cheesehead sports related, which makes me a Wisconsin Badger fan but Lacy and Ha Ha are trying to retroactively turn me into an Alabama fan. Sure that would make me look like a front runner since they've won three of the last five national championships but I can't underscore how important it is that the Packers got Lacy and Ha Ha in the last two draft. Lacy and Ha Ha not only are two of the younger and more physical players on The 53 but they help fill specific positional needs of The 53 at just the right time. There is no question when everyone is healthy that the Packers view Morgan Burnett as their best safety. The real question is whether Ha Ha or Micah Hyde will cement their place next to Burnett. So far Ha Ha has played more snaps (422) than Hyde (354) this season. Ha Ha currently has the third most total tackles on the team with 43 while Hyde is nipping at his heels with 41 tackles. The difference is on big plays since Ha Ha has a sack, a tackle for a loss, an interception, and a fumble recovery while Hyde's only impact play is a tackle for a loss. Ha Ha wears 21, which is Charles Woodson's old number but Ha Ha actually reminds me more of a blend of Atari Bigby and Nick Collins. I know that seems like a pretty lofty comparison given that Ha Ha is just a rookie but I say that because so far Ha Ha looks like a thumper (Bigby) that can create turnovers (Collins). As a result, I see the floor for Ha Ha as a very rich man's Bigby and his ceiling as a healthy Collins.
Corey Linsley (C): Offensive lineman JC Tretter was nominally named the starter at center after general manager Ted Thompson let former starting center Evan Dietrich-Smith leave via free agency. Tretter was injured before he could even play a single regular season down so the starting center job fell to Linsley, a guy Thompson drafted in the 5th round of the 2014 NFL Draft. Linsley has been a rock in the middle of the offensive line given that that he is the only offensive player to play every snap this season. Its one thing to show up healthy every week, it is quite another to preform well every week too. So far Linsley has graded out as one of the best centers in the NFL according to Pro Football Focus so even if Tretter can return healthy after the bye week, the Packers better stick with Linsley. The center position has been a revolving door for Rodgers since he took over as the starting quarterback from Scott Wells to Jeff Saturday to EDS almost to Tretter and finally Linsley. As crazy as it sounds, even though Linsley is just a rookie, he looks like the best of the bunch so absent injury it looks like the Packers have their starting center settled for the rest of Rodgers's tenure.
Davante Adams (WR): In two of the last three games Rodgers made a conscious effort to get Adams the ball, including targeting Adams in very important spots. Remember Adams was the target when Rodgers pulled a Dan Marino-esque fake spike and throw in their last minute go-ahead drive on the road against the Dolphins. Usually defense lineman and wide receivers struggle in their rookie seasons but Adams looks very comfortable lining up outside. The Packers continue to use the same hurry up package with three wide receivers, a tight end, and a running back. At the start of the season Jarrett Boykin was the third wide receiver behind Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb in that formation but Adams started to show more and more in practice to supplant Adams as the third option. Adams has played 333 offensive snaps so far this season (66.7%) while Boyikn has only played 139 (27.9%). Through eight games Adams has 263 receiving yards on 24 catches and two touchdowns. Clearly Adams is becoming another one of Thompson's second round wide receiver gems to go along with Greg Jennings, Jordy Nelson, and Randall Cobb. In fact, besides outside linebacker Clay Matthews, no one is poised for more of a breakout in the second half of the season than Adams.
Davon House (CB): When every cornerback on The 53 is healthy the depth chart is Tramon Williams, Sam Shields, House, Casey Hayward, Jarrett Bush, & Demitri Goodson. That doesn't even account for the fact that sometimes Micah Hyde lines up as a slot cornerback instead of as a safety. That gives the Packers six, or seven if you count Hyde, viable NFL cornerbacks. That makes it seem like the Packers are all set at cornerback but Williams, House, and Bush are set to become unrestricted free agents at the end of the season. Just a few weeks ago it looked like House was going to break the bank at the end of the season given that he is the youngest of the three but Williams found the fountain of youth this season and Bush continues to be the captain of special teams so if House continues to play well I could see him pricing himself out of Green Bay because he is NOT worth what Shields got (four-years, $39 million) but will most likely command something close to that in a contract worth at least $6 million a year on the open market. Quick side note on Bush, he played the most special teams snaps (169 or 77.5%) of anyone on The 53 this
season. The only other non-kicker/punter that played more than 50% of
the special teams snaps is safety Sean Richardson (153 plays or 70.2%).
If Richardson can stay healthy, it will be interesting to see if he
leads to the end of Bush's tenure in Green Bay given that Richardson is five and a half years younger than Bush. Back to House, if wants to be paid like a number one or number two cornerback then the Packers should place the franchise tag on him and see if they can get a second or third round pick for his services in a trade. If House is willing to be paid like a number three cornerback (e.g. three or four million per year) then the Packers should lock House up long-term despite having the young trio of Hayward, Hyde, and Goodson behind him.
Sam Barrington (MLB): For all the talk of the two middle linebacker spots not being very important in the 3-4, the Packers are proof that you still need at least slightly above average play. When healthy, which is essentially all the time since Hawk has only missed two games in his nine year NFL career, his spot on the field in the base 3-4 defense is secure mostly because he lines up the defense. I've been one of Hawk's harshest critics for his on-field performance but every time a Packer defender is asked about Hawk they say how important he is to the defense. I've come to accept that Hawk will never produce highlight reel plays that you expect out a player drafted 5th overall but his steady hand is a plus for the defense even though he routinely gets beat by running backs out of the backfield on wheel routes and fails to get home whenever he blitzes. With Hawk lining up the defense and thus occupying one of the two MLB spots in the 3-4, now the Packers need is a disruptive force that can make big plays at the other MLB spot. So far this seems like a review of Hawk but that is all meant as a set-up to Barrington because he is the third guy that the Packers have tried next to Hawk this season. So far Brad Jones played 111 snaps, Jamari Lattimore played 281 snaps, and Barrington played 94 snaps. It looks like Jones is 4th on the depth chart at middle linebacker but it is hard to tell whether Barrington or Lattimore is #2 on the depth chart given that Barrington started the last two games next to Hawk but Lattimore served as the dime linebacker last week. If Barrington struggles, unless the Packers make a radical position change, the only other option they have on The 53 is rookie Carl Bradford. Before you get too excited about Bradford, keep in mind that he is moving from OLB to MLB so I would be shocked if he actually plays MLB this season. Unless Barrington or Bradford show that they can be that disruptive force, the Packers need to rebuild the MLB position this off-season because if Jones plays another defensive snap for the Packers that will be too soon and Lattimore's star has faded lately.
The Packers have a couple important games coming up following their bye: home against the Chicago Bears and the Philadelphia Eagles followed by a road game outside (you read that correctly) against the Minnesota Vikings that I will miss because of the birth of my first child. Those are all a prelude to a potential Super Bowl XLIX preview when the Packers host the New England Patriots.
Showing posts with label Eddie Lacy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Eddie Lacy. Show all posts
Sunday, November 2, 2014
Friday, September 12, 2014
The 53 - Initial Player Rankings for 2014 GBP
Welcome to the 5th and final part of my "season preview". I put season preview in quotes because I wanted to rank The 53
before the Green Bay Packers played the Seattle Seahawks on the road to open their 2014 season so that I was on the record with my initial thoughts about The 53 but work got in the way. As a result, I am going to factor in how the Packers played in their loss to the Seahawks to the rankings but that barely changed my initial thoughts.
Just as a refresher, these rankings take into account age, skill, contract, and positional depth. Going forward, I plan to post updated rankings of The 53 as often as possible. For each iteration of this post I will not only rank the players 1 through 53 but I will write about the players whose rankings change drastically from the previous iteration of the rankings. Without further adu, here are my thoughts on a few players from The 53:
3. Eddie Lacy (RB): I am not sure how many concussions Lacy suffered before he joined the NFL. We know that he suffered (at least) one last year against the Cincinnati Bengals and suffered another this season against the Seahawks. Let me be captain obvious when I say that concussions are no laughing matter. What worries me specifically about Lacy is that his punishing running style is what made me love him so much going into the 2013 NFL Draft but at some point you have to wonder whether the concussions will lead to Lacy changing his running style to run with less authority.
7. Mike Daniels (DE): Even before the Packers lost defensive tackle B.J. Raji for the season with a torn bicep, Daniels was the leader of the defensive line. That is quire a rise for a guy that was drafted in the 4th round of the 2012 NFL Draft. Although Daniels can play both the run and the pass as a defensive end in the 3-4 despite his short stature, with how little the Packers line-up in the 3-4, I actually see Daniels having the biggest impact as an inside pass rusher in passing situations this season.
11. Randall Cobb (WR): This is a good illustration of how the rankings work. There is no question that Cobb is one of the best players on The 53 but he is only signed through this season, which decreases his trade value. Plus, Cobb plays wide receiver, which is a deep position on The 53. Given Cobb's injury issues, I don't blame the Packers if they have him play out the season before signing him to a contract extension. If the Packers do that, they need to realize if Cobb stays healthy for all of 2014 that he will sign a Jordy Nelson-eque contact (four-years, $39 million with $11.5 million guaranteed).
17. Bryan Bulaga (T): Missed all last season after he tore his ACL in the preseason. Unfortunately Bulaga left the season opener early with another knee injury. Don Barclay started at right tackle in place of the injured Bulaga last season but tore his ACL this preseason so the Packers were forced to turn to Derek Sherrod against the Seahawks. As expected, Sherrod was quite underwhelming in place of Bulaga so it is going to be a daily Bulaga healthy watch leading up to the home opener this Sunday against the New York Jets.
36. Carl Bradford (MLB): Now that Bradford made The 53 by the skin of his teeth, his value shoots up mostly because he was a 4th round pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, thus he has one of the most favorable contract on The 53. Following the 2013 NFL Draft I said the Packers should give Micah Hyde a look at safety but his measurables projected him more as a safety than a cornerback. For some reason the Packers waited a year and now they have a starter at safety in Hyde, just a year later than they should have. The same applies to Bradford, his measurables project him more as a middle linebacker than an outside linebacker. The Packers tried Bradford at outside linebackers all preseason where he struggled. Thankfully the Packers gave Bradford a look at MLB instead of cutting him. Keeping in mind that Bradford is getting an earlier look at middle linebacker due to injury and ineffectiveness of middle linebacker Brad Jones. Hopefully Bradford can show something at middle linebacker because the Packers desperately need an upgrade at that spot.
38. Jeff Janis (WR): At 6'3" and 219 lbs, the Packers look like they found their next Jordy Nelson. No this is not based on race, it is based on body type because both Janis and Nelson are sneaky big. What I mean by that are they are both 6'3" but are never mentioned as physically imposing wide receivers in the NFC North with the likes of Alshon Jeffrey, Calvin Johnson, or Brandon Marshall. Sure all of those other NFC North receivers are bigger guys but the Packers usually target smaller wide receivers so I am glad they took a chance on Janis because his combine and preseason performance, I think the Packers found a gem in Janis.
53. Demetri Goodson (CB): If you applied my thought process just discussed for Bradford to Goodson, you would think that Goodson would not be the last spot on The 53 given that Goodson was a 6th round pick in the 2014 NFL Draft. The difference between Goodson and Bradford is that Goodson is more of an acclaimed basketball player than football player. Plus, Goodson is dealing with the effects of a concussion he suffered in the preseason too so I have low expectations for the Packers getting any real production out of Goodson in 2014.
I am going to the Brewers/Reds game on Saturday night and the Packers/Jets game on Sunday afternoon with Gaber, Sug, and Uncle Patty so make sure to check back next week for my thoughts on the games.
| Review of The 53 |
| Initial Review of the Roster Initial Review of the Practice Squad Five Most Overpaid Five Most Underpaid Initial Rankings of the Roster |
Just as a refresher, these rankings take into account age, skill, contract, and positional depth. Going forward, I plan to post updated rankings of The 53 as often as possible. For each iteration of this post I will not only rank the players 1 through 53 but I will write about the players whose rankings change drastically from the previous iteration of the rankings. Without further adu, here are my thoughts on a few players from The 53:
| The Initial 53 |
| 1. Aaron Rodgers (QB) 2. Clay Matthews (OLB) 3. Eddie Lacy (RB) 4. Sam Shields (CB) 5. Josh Sitton (G) 6. Jordy Nelson (WR) 7. Mike Daniels (DE) 8. T.J. Lang (G) 9. Micah Hyde (S) 10. Julius Peppers (DE/OLB) 11. Randall Cobb (WR) 12. David Bakhtiari (T) 13. Casey Hayward (CB) 14. Ha Ha Clinton-Dix (S) 15. Morgan Burnett (S) 16. Mike Neal (DE/OLB) 17. Bryan Bulaga (T) 18. Tramon Williams (CB) 19. Datone Jones (DE) 20. Davante Adams (WR) 21. Josh Boyd (DT) 22. Richard Rodgers (TE) 23. Tim Masthay (P) 24. Jarett Boykin (WR) 25. A.J. Hawk (MLB) 26. Corey Linsley (C) 27. Nick Perry (OLB) 28. James Starks (RB) 29. John Kuhn (FB) 30. Davon House (CB) 31. Brandon Bostick (TE) 32. Jarrett Bush (CB) 33. Andrew Quarless (TE) 34. Matt Flynn (QB) 35. Mason Crosby (K) 36. Carl Bradford (MLB) 37. Jamari Lattimore (MLB) 38. Jeff Janis (WR) 39. Scott Tolzien (QB) 40. DuJuan Harris (RB) 41. Brett Goode (LS) 42. Letroy Guion (DT) 43. Brad Jones (MLB) 44. Ryan Taylor (TE) 45. Sean Richardson (S) 46. Andy Mulumba (OLB) 47. Mike Pennel (DT) 48. Sam Barrington (OLB) 49. Jayrone Elliott (OLB) 50. Derek Sherrod (T) 51. Lane Taylor (G) 52. Garth Gerhart (C) 53. Demetri Goodson (CB) |
| Injured Reserve - Designated for Return: J.C. Tretter |
| Injured Reserve |
| 1. Don Barclay (T/G/C) 2. B.J. Raji (DT) 3. Jared Abbrederis (WR) 4. Nate Plamer (LB) 5. Khyri Thornton (DT) 6. Aaron Adams (T) |
7. Mike Daniels (DE): Even before the Packers lost defensive tackle B.J. Raji for the season with a torn bicep, Daniels was the leader of the defensive line. That is quire a rise for a guy that was drafted in the 4th round of the 2012 NFL Draft. Although Daniels can play both the run and the pass as a defensive end in the 3-4 despite his short stature, with how little the Packers line-up in the 3-4, I actually see Daniels having the biggest impact as an inside pass rusher in passing situations this season.
11. Randall Cobb (WR): This is a good illustration of how the rankings work. There is no question that Cobb is one of the best players on The 53 but he is only signed through this season, which decreases his trade value. Plus, Cobb plays wide receiver, which is a deep position on The 53. Given Cobb's injury issues, I don't blame the Packers if they have him play out the season before signing him to a contract extension. If the Packers do that, they need to realize if Cobb stays healthy for all of 2014 that he will sign a Jordy Nelson-eque contact (four-years, $39 million with $11.5 million guaranteed).
17. Bryan Bulaga (T): Missed all last season after he tore his ACL in the preseason. Unfortunately Bulaga left the season opener early with another knee injury. Don Barclay started at right tackle in place of the injured Bulaga last season but tore his ACL this preseason so the Packers were forced to turn to Derek Sherrod against the Seahawks. As expected, Sherrod was quite underwhelming in place of Bulaga so it is going to be a daily Bulaga healthy watch leading up to the home opener this Sunday against the New York Jets.
36. Carl Bradford (MLB): Now that Bradford made The 53 by the skin of his teeth, his value shoots up mostly because he was a 4th round pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, thus he has one of the most favorable contract on The 53. Following the 2013 NFL Draft I said the Packers should give Micah Hyde a look at safety but his measurables projected him more as a safety than a cornerback. For some reason the Packers waited a year and now they have a starter at safety in Hyde, just a year later than they should have. The same applies to Bradford, his measurables project him more as a middle linebacker than an outside linebacker. The Packers tried Bradford at outside linebackers all preseason where he struggled. Thankfully the Packers gave Bradford a look at MLB instead of cutting him. Keeping in mind that Bradford is getting an earlier look at middle linebacker due to injury and ineffectiveness of middle linebacker Brad Jones. Hopefully Bradford can show something at middle linebacker because the Packers desperately need an upgrade at that spot.
38. Jeff Janis (WR): At 6'3" and 219 lbs, the Packers look like they found their next Jordy Nelson. No this is not based on race, it is based on body type because both Janis and Nelson are sneaky big. What I mean by that are they are both 6'3" but are never mentioned as physically imposing wide receivers in the NFC North with the likes of Alshon Jeffrey, Calvin Johnson, or Brandon Marshall. Sure all of those other NFC North receivers are bigger guys but the Packers usually target smaller wide receivers so I am glad they took a chance on Janis because his combine and preseason performance, I think the Packers found a gem in Janis.
53. Demetri Goodson (CB): If you applied my thought process just discussed for Bradford to Goodson, you would think that Goodson would not be the last spot on The 53 given that Goodson was a 6th round pick in the 2014 NFL Draft. The difference between Goodson and Bradford is that Goodson is more of an acclaimed basketball player than football player. Plus, Goodson is dealing with the effects of a concussion he suffered in the preseason too so I have low expectations for the Packers getting any real production out of Goodson in 2014.
I am going to the Brewers/Reds game on Saturday night and the Packers/Jets game on Sunday afternoon with Gaber, Sug, and Uncle Patty so make sure to check back next week for my thoughts on the games.
Monday, December 30, 2013
The 53 - Packers beat Bears to win the NFC North
+to+win+NFC+North.jpg)
The Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears met for the 188th time on Sunday, which is the most of any two teams in NFL history. That will continue to be a renewing NFL record unless the NFL makes radical changes to divisional alignment or scheduling. The official NFL game preview was cut before we knew whether Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers was going to play. As it turns out, we knew by Thursday that the Packers were finally going have the services of Rodgers against the Bears for the first time since Week 9 when Rodgers was injured against the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football at Lambeau Field.The Packers were 5-2 before they lost Rodgers to a broken collarbone and went 2-5-1 using the services of three other quarterbacks (Seneca Wallace, Scot Tolzien, and Matt Flynn) in place of Rodgers. Somehow the Packers played just well enough to make their Week 17 game against the Bears at Soldier Field in Chicago meaningful. The winner of the game would win the NFC North, get the 4th seed in the NFC playoffs, and hosts a home playoff game next weekend. Here were the inactives for the Packers against the Bears: Chris Harper (WR, healthy scratch), Brad Jones (MLB, ankle), Clay Matthews (OLB, broken thumb), Jumal Rolle (CB, healthy scratch), Lane Taylor (G, healthy scratch), JC Tretter (G/C, healthy scratch), and C.J. Wilson (DE, healthy scratch).
As we we all know by now, the Packers beat the Bears in dramatic fashion. The person that likely suffered the most from the loss, besides the one Bears fan that plays for the Wisconsin Badgers football team, is Bears quarterback Jay Cutler. For his career, Cutler is now 1-9 (1-8 with the Bears & 0-1 with the Broncos) against the Packers. Both Cutler and their geriatric but possibly better backup quarterback Josh McCown are both set to become free agents this year. The sensible approach is the re-sign McCown to a short-term deal and draft a developmental quarterback in the 2014 NFL Draft. As a Packer fan that lives in Chicago, I hope the Bears resign Cutler so that even if he wins a couple games against the Packers over the next few years he will take up a ton of cap space while driving the entire city of Chicago nuts with his horrible body language that accompanies each of his interceptions.
The Packers and Bears played 186 times in the regular season, the Bears lead the series 92-88-6 but the Packers won nine of their last 11 games against Bears, including six in a row before losing to the Bears earlier this season at Lambeau. Soldier Field is turning into Lambeau Field South given that the Packers are now 23-19-0 all-time at Soldier Field winning their last four and five of the last six.
Despite playing 186 times in the regular season, the Packers and Bears only met twice in the playoff, both times in Chicago. The Bears won the first game 33–14 in 1941 at Wrigley Field. The Packers won the second game 21-14 at Soldier Field in the NFC Championship Game en route to winning Super Bowl XLV.
Their win over the Bears gave the Packers their 3rd consecutive NFC North title and fifth consecutive playoff appearance. The Packers are now 7-1 in regular season finales against Bears since 1934, wining their last five, with their most notable win in that streak being their 10-3 win at Lambeau in 2010 to start their run toward winning Super Bowl XLV. It is not just the Bears that have struggled against the Packers in regular season finales. The Packers won 18 of their last 20 regular season finales, including seven of their last eight against NFC North foes with their only lose coming in a meaningless game on the road against the Minnesota Vikings in 2012 that was quickly remedied by a playoff win the following week over the Vikings at Lambeau Field.
I am often critical of in-game decisions my Packers head coach McCarthy but give him, check that Rodgers credit, for being very impressive at the end of the regular season. The Packers are now 18-6 in regular season in December/January since 2009, which only trails the Patriots (21-4) and the Chargers (19-6). Taking a slightly longer timeline, McCarthy has a winning divisional record in all eight seasons in charge of the Packers. The Bill Belichick coached New England Patriots are the only other team in the NFL to match the Packers.
Without further adu, here are my updated player rankings following the Packers/Bears game:
| The 53 |
| 1. Aaron Rodgers (QB, LR 1) 2. Clay Matthews (OLB, LR 2) 3. Randall Cobb (WR, LR N/A) 4. Jordy Nelson (WR, LR 3) 5. Eddie Lacy (RB, LR 4) 6. Sam Shields (CB, LR 5) 7. Josh Sitton (G, LR 7) 8. T.J. Lang (G, LR 6) 9. James Jones (WR, LR 8) 10. Tramon Williams (CB, LR 12) 11. David Bakhtiari (T, LR 16) 12. Evan Dietrich-Smith (C, LR 10) 13. Morgan Burnett (S, LR 9) 14. Mike Daniels (DL, LR 11) 15. Micah Hyde (CB, LR 13) 16. B.J. Raji (DL, LR 14) 17. Jarrett Boykin (WR, LR 18) 18. Don Barclay (T, LR 15) 19. A.J. Hawk (MLB, LR 17) 20. James Starks (RB, LR 24) 21. Brad Jones (MLB, LR 19) 22. Datone Jones (DL, LR 21) 23. Nick Perry (OLB, LR 22) 24. Davon House (CB, LR 20) 25. Tim Masthay (P, LR 25) 26. Ryan Pickett (DL, LR 31) 27. Andrew Quarless (TE, LR 27) 28. John Kuhn (FB, LR 30) 29. Josh Boyd (DL, LR 26) 30. Mason Crosby (K, LR 34) 31. Mike Neal (DL/OLB, LR 28) 32. Jamari Lattimore (LB, LR 29) 33. Jarrett Bush (CB, LR 32) 34. Derek Sherrod (T, LR 33) 35. Jerel Worthy (DE, LR 37) 36. Sean Richardson (S, LR 36) 37. Brett Goode (LS, LR 35) 38. Andy Mulamba (LB, LR 38) 39. Matt Flynn (QB, LR 23) 40. M.D. Jennings (S, LR 39) 41. Ryan Taylor (TE, LR 40) 42. J.C. Tretter (C, LR 42) 43. C.J. Wilson (DL, LR 43) 44. Chris Banjo (S, LR 44) 45. Scott Tolzien (QB, LR 41) 46. Victor Aiyewa (LB, LR 45) 47. Jake Stoneburner (TE, LR 46) 48. Nate Palmer (LB, LR 50) 49. Lane Taylor (G, LR 47) 50. Chris Harper (WR, LR 48) 51. Marshall Newhouse (T, LR 49) 52. Kahlil Bell (RB, LR 51) 53. Jumal Rolle (CB, LR N/A) |
| 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) |
3) Randall Cobb (WR, LR N/A): After breaking his leg on the road against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 6, the Packers placed Cobb on IR designated for return so he could have been added to The 53 for the Packers/Cowboys game. Unfortunately Cobb was still not healthy enough to play against the Cowboys or in the Packers/Steelers game. That meant that Cobb ultimately missed 10 games before the Packers activated him from the IR designated for return to The 53 yesterday. The Packers clearly benefited from having Cobb back in the lineup considering he caught two balls that both resulted in touchdowns. Although the second touchdown is the one that Packers fans will be talking about for many years to come, Cobb's first touchdown catch on 3rd and 4 at the Bears 7-yard line with 7 and half minutes left in the 3rd quarter down 14-13 is something the Packers been missing with Cobb out. Wide receivers James Jones and Nelson do a great job working outside while Cobb thrives in the slot. Often people say take this with a grain of salt but in this instance don't take this with a grain of salt, I think if Cobb was out this week the Packers would not have beaten the Bears.
5) Eddie Lacy (RB, LR 4): Another week, another gutty (no pun intended) performance by Lacy playing with a heavily taped sprained ankle: 21 carries for 66 yards and 1 touchdown to go along with 2 catches for 15 yards. Although that stat line does not seem that impressive given the fact that the Bears have the worst rush defense in the NFL, it is Lacy's mere presence on the field alone that gives the Packers a legitimate running threat, which opens up a number of options in the passing game. I've said many times that I am not a fan of running draws out of the shotgun but runs like Lacy's touchdown run against the Bears show that sometimes it is in fact an effective play call since it allows a patient running back like Lacy time to bounce a run outside instead of getting tackled for no gain. Lacy's touchdown run pulled the Packers within two points with just under 12 minutes to play in the game. At the time I was fine with McCarthy kicking the extra point to make it 28-27 but upon further reflection today, I think McCarthy should have gone for two in that situation to try to tie the game. Assuming McCarthy went for two, I would have run Lacy up the middle on that attempt instead of calling a passing play like McCarthy did when he actually went for two in the dying moments of the game. There is no question that Lacy had the best rookie season for a Packer that I can remember, which is why I thought he got snubbed not getting invited to the Pro Bowl.
6) Sam Shields (CB, LR 5): A little over a month ago I broke down how Packers general manager Ted Thompson should approach their impending restricted and unrestricted free agents this off-season. At that time I thought Sheilds was a long-shot to return to the Packers but my opinion has dramatically changed. Part of the reason why I thought Sheilds would not be on The 53 for the Packers in 2014 is the fact that the Packers have a number of young, talented cornerbacks on The 53 for the next few years on cheap, combined with the fact that Shields is going to demand a very large contract. At the risk of pricing Shields out Green Bay, let's not forget that he holds the distinction of coming up with a game ending interception in two of the most dramatic Packers/Bears games of all-time: 2010 NFC Champion Game & last night. I know this sounds like me being more of a fan than thinking like a general manager but at some point you need to pay players that make big plays, especially when those guys are just entering their prime like Shields is given that he just turned 26-years old. There is no question Shields is the best cornerback on The 53 right now. The real question is whether Thompson can fit a five-year, $50 million contract with at least half of that deal guaranteed into the salary cap for 2014 and beyond to keep Shields on The 53 for the Packers long-term.
8) T.J. Lang (G, LR 6): Apparently McCarthy had to be talked into going for it by his offensive line on the first of three 4th down conversions by the Packers on their final drive Just to set the stage, the Packers trailed the Bears 28-27 where they faced a 4th and 1 from their own 22-yard line with 4:41 to play and only one timeout left. Had the Packers not picked up the first down, the game would have essentially been over. I've said many times that one prism that I look through when dissecting coaching decisions is what an educated fan of the other team would not want a head coach to do. In that instance, I am sure that Bears fans would rather that the Packers punt instead of going for it. The Packers ultimately picked up the first down on a one-yard run by fullback John Kuhn but I guarantee you that a smart Bears fan, I know that seems like a non sequitur, would rather the Packers punted in that situation.
10) Tramon Williams (CB, LR 12): A gang tackle of Bears wide receiver Alshon Jeffrey by Williams and Business HJ results in a fumble that was recovered by safety Morgan Burnett. As Burnett scampered tried to return the fumble for a touchdown, he pitched the ball to cornerback Sam Shields. Ultimately Shields was tackled after running a few more yards. That is the kind of group defensive play that we came to expect the last few years from the Packers but have not seen so far this season. The lack of big plays partially falls at the feet of the safties since they went the entire season without an interception for the first time since the 1950's. Fortunately against the Bears, the defense picked a good time to harken back to their play the last few years. Taking into account the fact that the Packers need to keep Shields long-term, I see the Packers doing everything possible to get Williams to take a pay cut next season. If Williams will not take a pay cut, as crazy as it sounds, I could see the Packers actually keeping Williams instead of cutting him like Thompson cut cornerback/safety Charles Woodson last off-season.
17) Jarrett Boykin (WR, LR 18): How many times is a ball clearly not a fumble or a pass clearly dropped but a player still picks up the ball and runs with it acting as if they have a live ball? Luckily Boykin with a little help from Rodgers and the sideline realized it was actually a live ball so he scooper it up and ran in for a touchdown. There is a lot that happened on that play so let's break it down piece-by-piece. The Packers faced a 1st and 10 on the Bears' 17-yard line down 7-3 with just over three and a half minutes left in the first half. Bears defensive end Julius Peppers knocked the ball out of Rodgers' hand. In real time it looked like Rodgers' arm might be going forward, which I presume is why Bears linebacker James Anderson didn't scoop up the ball and run. If Anderson did, the Bears would have been up 14-3. Instead Boykin recovered the fumble and ran it in for a touchdown to give the Packers a 10-7 lead. Boykin's post-game comments gave some interesting insight into what is actually happening on the field during an NFL game. Even though the fans in the stadium were screaming and the entire Packers' sideline was telling Boykin to pick up the ball, he said that the only thing he could hear was Rodgers telling him to pickup the ball and run. The emergence of Boykin as a legitimate NFL wide receiver is simultaneously a good and bad thing. It is a good thing because I could see him starting for a handful of teams in the NFL so that is a nice, cheap commodity to have on The 53 as a 3rd or 4th wide receiver. It is a bad thing because I could see the Packers letting wide receiver James Jones leave via free agency because they have to extend wide receivers Randall Cobb and Jordy Nelson in the next year so having a cost-effective third wide receiver makes more sense than having three expensive wide receivers.
20) James Starks (RB, LR 24): Besides the injury to Rodgers, I will remember 2013 as the season that the Packers started being able to run for first downs on 3rd and 1 again for the first time in what felt like a decade. Whether it be fullback John Kuhn, Lacy, or Starks; it seems like the Packers finally have the physically backs on The 53 to pick up their every tricky one yard. Case and point, Starks' 41-yard run against the Bears. I would prefer the Packers use Lacy as opposed to Kuhn or Starks but the fact that we are even discussing the Packers picking up first downs on the ground is amazing. Starks is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent following this season. When healthy, Lacy is clearly the bell cow at running back. The Packers have two running backs currently on injured reserve in Jonathan Franklin and DuJuan Harris that are under contract for at least next season so they will most likely be on The 53 in 2014. I would be shocked if the Packers drafted a running back after drafting Lacy and Franklin in the 2013 NFL Draft. Since Kuhn and Starks are both set to be free agents after the season, it will be interesting to see if both return in 2014. Usually the Packers keep four or five backs on The 53. Given Kuhn's versatility in being able to play special teams and serve as a great blocking back, I see the Packers keeping Kuhn and then deciding whether they want Starks as a 4th running back on The 53 in 2014.
Speaking of the Super Bowl, the 8-7-1 Packers need to re-group because they host the 12-4 San Francisco 49ers in the playoffs next week. The 49ers are 0-2 at Lambeau Field in the playoffs and the Packers are 8-4 in NFL Wild Card games. In terms of more recent head-to-head comparisons, after the Packers dominated the 49ers for a very long-time winning eight straight, the series shifted in favor of the 49ers the last few years with the 49ers winning three consecutive games including the regular season openers the last two years (2012 & 2013) and the playoffs last year.
I do not expect a ton of turnover to The 53 this week but if there are any changes, check back for full coverage. Otherwise make sure to check back early next week for my extended thoughts on the Packers/49ers playoff game.
Friday, December 27, 2013
The 53 - 2013 Pro Bowl Thoughts
The NFL is implementing some changes for the Pro Bowl this year in hopes of somehow keeping an irrelevant game relevant. Instead of naming AFC and NFC teams, there were pools of players picked irrespective of conference. From the pools of players picked, Jerry Rice and Deion Sanders will select the teams that play in the Pro
Bowl. I am sure that ESPN loves the idea of having Rice and Sanders pick the teams because it will allow them to fill hours of airtime dissecting their meaningless draft decisions.
I hope this slight change in the Pro Bowl format serves as a bridge to a radical way to replace the Pro Bowl all together. I like the idea of recognizing the best players in the NFL and I like idea of having captain choose teams but I hate the actual game itself so here is my plan for making the Pro Bowl relevant again. Instead of using former NFL greats, make the two players that finish with the most votes the captains. Since the NFL is apparently pushing to improve player safety, instead of picking teams for a joke of a game that the Pro Bowl has become, I say pick teams for an all-day skills competition.
Sure we can have a quarterback challenge and other quasi on the field competitions but I am much more interested in the off-the-field stuff. I know each of the competitions will not get as good of television ratings as the Pro Bowl but I have solution to fill that void. The easiest off-the-field competition is an eating content that involves all the offensive and defensive lineman. Since we know the NFL loves to push any advertising it can, they can call it the BW3's Wing Eating Competition. While we are getting branding in the mix, how about an EA Sports Madden video game competition? As the Real World/Road Rules Challenge has shown us, adult spelling competitions always provide high comedy so let's add in the Dictionary.com Spelling Bee. I am sure there are ten more that we could come up with but you get the point.
I am not an advertising genius but the NFL might even be able to make more money off the Pro Bowl Skills Competition presented by Miller Lite than the actual Pro Bowl game itself currently makes depending on how much the NFL charges the advertisers for each competition. Leaving money aside for a moment, the NFL can use the downtime during the competitions to tell the back stories of the players involved in the Pro Bowl Skills Competition presented by Miller Lite, which will help them increase interest with women by making these freakish athletes seem more like regular human beings. Unfortunately since this idea makes too much sense I am sure NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell will never let it see the light of day.
With my Pro Bowl Skills Competition presented by Miller Lite idea out of the way, let's take a look at the actual 2013 Pro Bowl from a Cheesehead sports perspective. The Green Bay Packers were one of five NFL teams without a player selected to the Pro Bowl. The other four teams without a Pro Bowler are the Atlanta Falcons, Jacksonville Jaguars, New York Giants, and New York Jets. That marks the first time since 2005 that the Packers did not have a single player named to the Pro Bowl.
The Packers did have eight players named as Pro Bowl alternates: John Kuhn (FB), Eddie Lacy (RB), Clay Matthews (OLB), Jordy Nelson (WR), Aaron Rodgers (QB), Sam Shields (CB), Josh Sitton (G), and Tramon Williams (CB). Here are my thoughts on the three biggest Packer Pro Bowl snubs, in reverse order:
#3) Josh Sitton (LG): There were six offensive guards selected to the Pro Bowl ahead of Sitton: Jahri Evans (Saints), Ben Grubbs (Saints), Mike Iupati (49ers), Logan Mankins (Patriots), Louis Vasquez (Broncos), and Marshal Yanda (Ravens). I am fine with Iupati, Mankins, and Yanda making it ahead of Sitton. I am even fine with either Evans or Grubbs making the Pro Bowl at guard but not both given that the New Orleans Saints offensive line was not that dominate this season. I presume giving Vasquez the nod is just a tip of the cap to the Denver Bronco offensive line given that the Broncos had one of the most potent offenses in NFL history this season. In terms of Sitton's case for the Pro Bowl, not only did he seamlessly transition from right guard to left guard but he lined up next to rookie offensive tackle David Bakhtiari and blocked for a backup quarterback for almost half the regular season. Accurately comparing offensive lineman is more of an art that a science but given all that I just discussed, it would have been nice to see Sitton named to the Pro Bowl this season.
#2) Jordy Nelson (WR): There were eight wide receivers selected to the Pro Bowl ahead of Nelson: Antonio Brown (Steelers), Dez Bryant (Cowboys), Josh Gordon, (Browns), A.J. Green (Bengals), Andre Johnson (Texans), Calvin Johnson (Lions), Brandon Marshall (Bears), and Demaryius Thomas (Broncos). I honestly think if Nelson was more flashy, he would get more recognition because he made a number of highlight reel catches like his touchdown catch that helped spark the comeback against the Dallas Cowboys. Given how much the Texans have struggled this season, I probably would have given Nelson the nod over Johnson.
#1) Eddie Lacy (RB): There were the six running backs selected to the Pro Bowl ahead of Lacy: Jamaal Charles (Chiefs), Matt Forte (Bears), Frank Gore (49ers), Marshawn Lynch (Seahawks), LeSean McCoy (Eagles), and Adrian Peterson (Vikings). If I was starting a franchise tomorrow and could have any of the aforementioned group, I would have a hard time choosing between McCoy and Peterson. After that, it would be a tough choice between Lacy and Lynch when you factor in that Lynch is four years older than Lacy. I am biased in my love for Lacy so I would probably take Lacy ahead of Lynch but that is a very tough call. Oddly I am fine with Lacy getting snubbed by the Pro Bowl if that helps him win NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year because I actually think that is a more important benchmark in a player's career given what a joke the Pro Bowl has become.
Let's hope no one on The 53 for the Packers can compete in the 2013 Pro Bowl because they are preparing to play in Super Bowl XLVIII. Their first step towards that goal is beating the Chicago Bears in the winner-take-all battle for the NFC North title. No matter the outcome of the game, make sure to check back early next week for my full thoughts on the Packers/Bears game.
I hope this slight change in the Pro Bowl format serves as a bridge to a radical way to replace the Pro Bowl all together. I like the idea of recognizing the best players in the NFL and I like idea of having captain choose teams but I hate the actual game itself so here is my plan for making the Pro Bowl relevant again. Instead of using former NFL greats, make the two players that finish with the most votes the captains. Since the NFL is apparently pushing to improve player safety, instead of picking teams for a joke of a game that the Pro Bowl has become, I say pick teams for an all-day skills competition.
Sure we can have a quarterback challenge and other quasi on the field competitions but I am much more interested in the off-the-field stuff. I know each of the competitions will not get as good of television ratings as the Pro Bowl but I have solution to fill that void. The easiest off-the-field competition is an eating content that involves all the offensive and defensive lineman. Since we know the NFL loves to push any advertising it can, they can call it the BW3's Wing Eating Competition. While we are getting branding in the mix, how about an EA Sports Madden video game competition? As the Real World/Road Rules Challenge has shown us, adult spelling competitions always provide high comedy so let's add in the Dictionary.com Spelling Bee. I am sure there are ten more that we could come up with but you get the point.
I am not an advertising genius but the NFL might even be able to make more money off the Pro Bowl Skills Competition presented by Miller Lite than the actual Pro Bowl game itself currently makes depending on how much the NFL charges the advertisers for each competition. Leaving money aside for a moment, the NFL can use the downtime during the competitions to tell the back stories of the players involved in the Pro Bowl Skills Competition presented by Miller Lite, which will help them increase interest with women by making these freakish athletes seem more like regular human beings. Unfortunately since this idea makes too much sense I am sure NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell will never let it see the light of day.
With my Pro Bowl Skills Competition presented by Miller Lite idea out of the way, let's take a look at the actual 2013 Pro Bowl from a Cheesehead sports perspective. The Green Bay Packers were one of five NFL teams without a player selected to the Pro Bowl. The other four teams without a Pro Bowler are the Atlanta Falcons, Jacksonville Jaguars, New York Giants, and New York Jets. That marks the first time since 2005 that the Packers did not have a single player named to the Pro Bowl.
The Packers did have eight players named as Pro Bowl alternates: John Kuhn (FB), Eddie Lacy (RB), Clay Matthews (OLB), Jordy Nelson (WR), Aaron Rodgers (QB), Sam Shields (CB), Josh Sitton (G), and Tramon Williams (CB). Here are my thoughts on the three biggest Packer Pro Bowl snubs, in reverse order:
#3) Josh Sitton (LG): There were six offensive guards selected to the Pro Bowl ahead of Sitton: Jahri Evans (Saints), Ben Grubbs (Saints), Mike Iupati (49ers), Logan Mankins (Patriots), Louis Vasquez (Broncos), and Marshal Yanda (Ravens). I am fine with Iupati, Mankins, and Yanda making it ahead of Sitton. I am even fine with either Evans or Grubbs making the Pro Bowl at guard but not both given that the New Orleans Saints offensive line was not that dominate this season. I presume giving Vasquez the nod is just a tip of the cap to the Denver Bronco offensive line given that the Broncos had one of the most potent offenses in NFL history this season. In terms of Sitton's case for the Pro Bowl, not only did he seamlessly transition from right guard to left guard but he lined up next to rookie offensive tackle David Bakhtiari and blocked for a backup quarterback for almost half the regular season. Accurately comparing offensive lineman is more of an art that a science but given all that I just discussed, it would have been nice to see Sitton named to the Pro Bowl this season.
#2) Jordy Nelson (WR): There were eight wide receivers selected to the Pro Bowl ahead of Nelson: Antonio Brown (Steelers), Dez Bryant (Cowboys), Josh Gordon, (Browns), A.J. Green (Bengals), Andre Johnson (Texans), Calvin Johnson (Lions), Brandon Marshall (Bears), and Demaryius Thomas (Broncos). I honestly think if Nelson was more flashy, he would get more recognition because he made a number of highlight reel catches like his touchdown catch that helped spark the comeback against the Dallas Cowboys. Given how much the Texans have struggled this season, I probably would have given Nelson the nod over Johnson.
#1) Eddie Lacy (RB): There were the six running backs selected to the Pro Bowl ahead of Lacy: Jamaal Charles (Chiefs), Matt Forte (Bears), Frank Gore (49ers), Marshawn Lynch (Seahawks), LeSean McCoy (Eagles), and Adrian Peterson (Vikings). If I was starting a franchise tomorrow and could have any of the aforementioned group, I would have a hard time choosing between McCoy and Peterson. After that, it would be a tough choice between Lacy and Lynch when you factor in that Lynch is four years older than Lacy. I am biased in my love for Lacy so I would probably take Lacy ahead of Lynch but that is a very tough call. Oddly I am fine with Lacy getting snubbed by the Pro Bowl if that helps him win NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year because I actually think that is a more important benchmark in a player's career given what a joke the Pro Bowl has become.
Let's hope no one on The 53 for the Packers can compete in the 2013 Pro Bowl because they are preparing to play in Super Bowl XLVIII. Their first step towards that goal is beating the Chicago Bears in the winner-take-all battle for the NFC North title. No matter the outcome of the game, make sure to check back early next week for my full thoughts on the Packers/Bears game.
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.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)