The Arizona Cardinals are currently the top seed in the NFC thanks almost entirely to their defense. Sure their offense doesn't turn the ball over but they also don't score a ton of points either given that they are currently trotting out Ryan Lindley at quarterback after they lost Carson Palmer for the season and Drew Staton until at least the start of the playoffs. Why all the discussion of the the Cardinals you ask? Well after the Green Bay Packers pounded the Atlanta Falcons in the first half on Monday Night Football, their defense struggled in the second half and almost gave the game away. Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones finished the game with 11 catches for 259 yards and a touchdown. Every time Jones caught a pass I was having uncomfortable flashbacks to wide receiver Plaxico Burress (11 catches for 215 receiving yards) torching the Packers in the 2008 (following the 2007 NFL season) NFC Championship Game. Unfortunately for the Falcons, Jones missed the end of the game with an injury, which helped the Packers hold on. If the Packers are going to make a Super Bowl push, they need to clean things up on the defensive side of the ball.
Green Bay Packers general manager Ted Thompson made two moves on the defensive side of The 53 in the last week. Unfortunately I don't think either move neither of which will help prevent another Jones-esque performance though. First, Thompson placed defensive tackle Luther Robinson on injured reserved and replaced Robinson on The 53 with defensive tackle Bruce Gaston. Second, Thompson placed linebacker Jamari Lattimore on injured reserved and replaced Lattimore on The 53 with safety Chris Banjo.
Robinson was an unlikely member of The 53 that made five appearances and registered just 2 tackles. Robinson's most notable play as a member of the Packers came in his first game on The 53 against the Minnesota Vikings on Thursday Night Football when his pressure lead to a hurried throw by Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder that was intercepted and returned for a touchdown by outside linebacker Julius Peppers. I know this will seem like I am asking a ton but the Packers clearly need another 3-4 defensive lineman that can play the run and pass. Given Robinson's lack of playing time despite that glaring need shows he is not in the team's long-term plans.
The Packers started the season with A.J. Hawk and Brad Jones as their middle linebackers. After Jones struggled in the season opener in Seattle, the Packers turned to Lattimore. I honestly thought Lattimore had a chance to become a difference maker in the middle for the Packers because he showed flashes of being the violent presence in the middle that the Packers sorely need. Unfortunately those flashes were surrounded by tons of nondescript, average play. Given that Lattimore is set to become an unrestricted free agent, how well Barrington plays to close out 2014 will have a huge impact on whether the Packers bring back Lattimore next season. No matter what, hopefully Sam Barrington and A.J. Hawk can turn into a formidable tandem at middle linebacker for 2014. Given this is most likely Hawk's last season in Green Bay that will give the Packers a chance to build around Barrington and someone else in 2015 and beyond.
In Gaston, the Packers added a 6'2", 310 pound run stuffing rookie out of Purdue. Gaston was cut by the Cardinals following training camp and spent time with the New England Patriots and Miami Dolphins before he returned to the Cardinals as a member of their 53 before he was was cut and resigned to their practice squad. Thompson rarely signs players that were member of other team's rosters but clearly Gaston was too good to pass. Hopefully some of the Cardinals' defensive mojo will come to Green Bay with Gaston.
Last season Banjo spent the entire season on The 53 mostly because of how thin the Packers were at safety. After the Packers drafted Ha Ha Clinton-Dix in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft and moved cornerback Micah Hyde to safety, all of the sudden that became one of the deepest positions on The 53 with Morgan Burnett, Ha Ha, Hyde, and Sean Richardson in the fold. Given all that depth at safety, Banjo did NOT make The 53 to start the season but was singed to the practice squad where he spent the entire season until he was signed to The 53 earlier today. Banjo was a special teams ace last year when he finished second on the team with 10 special teams tackles. Hopefully that is the only place that Banjo plays this year unless he gets some garbage time snaps on defense with the Packers up big, otherwise that means the Packers suffered a rash of injuries at the safety position.
As I alluded to above, I can't say I am too excited about any of the moves that Thompson made because it basically shuffles the deck at a couple backup spots on defense. I know it is borderline impossible to add a game changer to The 53 in the middle of December but the Banjo move seemed so uninspired. The Packers know what they have in Banjo and he might actually make The 53 in 2015 if Richardson leaves as a free agent so why not give another player a look. The Packers do not yet know what they have in Gaston, which makes that move the most intriguing because if Gaston preforms well, it could spell the end of B.J. Raji's tenure in Green Bay
If Thompson makes any more moves, make sure to check back for my full breakdown in this space.
Showing posts with label Jamari Lattimore. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jamari Lattimore. Show all posts
Sunday, December 14, 2014
Friday, October 3, 2014
The 53 - Packers are 3-2 & Looking Good
It has been a interesting start to the season for the Green Bay Packers. The Packers were absolutely slaughtered 36-16 on the road to open the season against the reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks on Thursday Night Football. Gaber, Sug, Uncle Patty, and I had tickets to the Packers/Jets game, which we thought would be a slam dunk win for the Packers in their home opener. Unfortunately just a few minutes into the second quarter the Packers trailed 21-3. Thankfully the Packers stormed back to win 31-24. I thought their comeback against the Jets would catapult the Packers into a nice winning streak. Unfortunately the Packers looked listless on offense in their first divisional game of the season when they lost 19-7 on the road to the Detroit Lions. Thankfully the Packers redeemed themselves within the division winning consecutive games on the road 38-17 against the Chicago Bears and 42-10 at home against the Minnesota Vikings last night on Thursday Night Football.
The only upshot of Thursday night games are that the teams essentially get a mini-bye and that is truly the only upshot of Thursday night games given that they've all been blowouts so far this season since most of the games involve less than full strength rosters because players are still recovering from the game they played the previous Sunday. The Packers/Vikings game is a great example. The Packers luckily got to face Ponder instead of rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater because Bridgewater sprained his ankle against the Atlanta Falcons in a Sunday late afternoon game so he had less than four days to recover. If the game was played on Sunday instead of Thursday, my guess is that Bridgewater's ankle would have been healthy enough for him to play.
Thanks to two consecutive divisional wins, the Packers are currently on an upswing but let's not get too excited given some of their uneven performances so far this season. Here are my updated thoughts on The 53 with five regular season games in the books:
2) Jordy Nelson (WR, LR 6): Through fives games Nelson has 34 catches on 52 targets for 525 receiving yards and 4 touchdowns. Wide receiver Randall Cobb is the only other player on The 53 with more than 100 yards receiving so far this season (24 catches on 34 targets for 273 receiving yards and 6 touchdowns). Sure Nelson has been targeted on a ton more passes than any other pass catcher on The 53 but his rise in the rankings is based on what he is doing despite facing so many double-teams this season. I ranked Nelson as having the 5th worst contract on The 53 before the season. That was due more to the structure of Nelson's contract and all the depth that I thought the Packers had on The 53 at wide receiver. Although Nelson's production so far this season makes me look somewhat foolish, I am not quire ready to do a 180 on that contract even though Nelson looks like he will post his most productive season yet.
9) Julius Peppers (DE/OLB, LR 10): There is no question that Pepper is the player that I wrote the most about in the off-season given how rare it is for Packers general manager Ted Thompson to sign free agents, let along free agents in their mid-30's. So far, Peppers has lived up to the hype. Peppers' mere presence on the field has loomed large because that has caused teams to have to focus on a pass rusher other than Clay Matthews, which freed up other defenders to make plays despite the fact that Peppers hasn't put up huge numbers: 15 tackles, 2 tackles for a loss, 1.5 sacks, 1 interception that was returned for a touchdown, 1 forced fumble, and 1 fumble recovered. Peppers showed athleticism on most of his pick-six against the Vikings. I say most of the pick-six because Peppers had an underwhelming Lambeau Leap. That might not be Peppers' last Lambeau Leap because the lack of big plays from the tight end position combined with the fact that Peppers is 6'6" makes me think we will see him at tight end in the red zone this season.
21) Jamari Lattimore (MLB, LR 37): Despite playing sparingly in the season opener, Lattimore played extensively in the next four games and is currently tied for 3rd on the defense with 28 tackles. I wonder how excited we should get about that stat though because it seems like middle linebackers in 3-4 defenses essentially fall into 80 or 90 tackles a season. Based on how Lattimore played the last few games, he looks like a better option at middle linebacker than Brad Jones but that isn't saying much. Lattimore is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season but that does NOT mean that the Packers should break the bank for Lattimore given that the Packers have foolishly handed out extensions to middle linebackers in the past. That's right, I'm looking at you A.J. Hawk and Brad Jones.
27) Mason Crosby (K, LR 35): So far Crosby is 5 of 6 on field goal attempts and a perfect 15 of 15 on extra points. Thankfully Crosby got a miss out of the way in garbage time on the road against the Chicago Bears when it was clear that the Packers were going to win. Avid readers of this blog know I think it is waste of cap space to spend anything over the league minimum on a place kicker. The one thing that cuts against that thinking is how well Crosby performed this year from over 50 yards. Sure it is a small sample size given that Crosby is only 2 for 2 from over 50 yards but it is nice to see him making lengthy kicks given that he was always supposed to have a big leg but he has been very erratic from long distance so far in his NFL career. It will be interesting to see if Crosby can continue to kick well from distance as the season wears on because that would actually provide more than replacement value at the kicker position because not only does it put points on the board but it prevents the opposition from taking over near midfield on misses.
29) Andrew Quarless (TE, LR 33): Man do the Packers miss tight end Jermichael Finley. So far this season Quarless has just 10 catches on 13 targets for 96 receiving yards and a touchdown. Sadly that is the most in each major category of any tight end on The 53. In fact the only other tight end with on The 53 with even a catch is rookie Richard Rodgers with two catches on four targets for 54 yards and no touchdowns. The Packers traditionally get much more production out of the tight end position but they also usually have much more talent at the position too. Sure some of their lack of production at the tight end position is due to the fact that Brandon Bostick has been less than 100% for the entire season but even if Bostick gets healthy soon the trio of Bostick, Quarless, and Rodgers combined brings less to the table this season for the Packers than a healthy Finely gave them last season. In fact, I could see a healthy Finley signed to a reasonable, long-term contract as high as #2 on my rankings of The 53. Sadly that does not seem likely so the Packers need to get more from their current trio of tight ends.
41) Scott Tolzien (QB, LR 39): I don't get why Thompson keeps Tolzien on The 53 if he is going to be inactive each week. I know those 46 gameday spots are precious but I would plan for nightmare scenarios with the active roster, which is why I think it is better to have three quarterbacks active on the remote chance the starer and backup gets hurt instead of keeping nine linebackers active.
Following their mini-bye, the Packers head out on the road next week to play the Miami Dolphins. If Thompson makes any moves between now and next Saturday, check back in this space for my detailed thoughts. If not, do your best to enjoy your second non-Packer NFL weekend in the first five weeks of the 2014 NFL season.
The only upshot of Thursday night games are that the teams essentially get a mini-bye and that is truly the only upshot of Thursday night games given that they've all been blowouts so far this season since most of the games involve less than full strength rosters because players are still recovering from the game they played the previous Sunday. The Packers/Vikings game is a great example. The Packers luckily got to face Ponder instead of rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater because Bridgewater sprained his ankle against the Atlanta Falcons in a Sunday late afternoon game so he had less than four days to recover. If the game was played on Sunday instead of Thursday, my guess is that Bridgewater's ankle would have been healthy enough for him to play.
Thanks to two consecutive divisional wins, the Packers are currently on an upswing but let's not get too excited given some of their uneven performances so far this season. Here are my updated thoughts on The 53 with five regular season games in the books:
| The 53 2.0 for 2014 |
| 1. Aaron Rodgers (QB, LR 1) 2. Jordy Nelson (WR, LR 6) 3. Clay Matthews (OLB, LR 2) 4. Josh Sitton (G, LR 5) 5. Sam Shields (CB, LR 4) 6. T.J. Lang (G, LR 8) 7. Micah Hyde (S, LR 9) 8. Mike Daniels (DE, LR 7) 9. Julius Peppers (DE/OLB, LR 10) 10. Randall Cobb (WR, LR 11) 11. David Bakhtiari (T, LR 12) 12. Eddie Lacy (RB, LR 3) 13. Morgan Burnett (S, LR 15) 14. Bryan Bulaga (T, LR 17) 15. Ha Ha Clinton-Dix (S, LR 14) 16. Tramon Williams (CB, LR 18) 17. Davante Adams (WR, LR 20) 18. A.J. Hawk (MLB, LR 25) 19. Datone Jones (DE, LR 19) 20. Corey Linsley (C, LR 26) 21. Jamari Lattimore (MLB, LR 37) 22. Josh Boyd (DT, LR 21) 23. Mike Neal (DE/OLB, LR 16) 24. Casey Hayward (CB, LR 13) 25. Tim Masthay (P, LR 23) 26. Davon House (CB, LR 30) 27. Mason Crosby (K, LR 35) 28. Letroy Guion (DT, LR 42) 29. Andrew Quarless (TE, LR 33) 30. Brett Goode (LS, LR 41) 31. Nick Perry (OLB, LR 27) 32. James Starks (RB, LR 28) 33. John Kuhn (FB, LR 29) 34. Sean Richardson (S, LR 45) 35. Richard Rodgers (TE, LR 22) 36. Jarett Boykin (WR, LR 24) 37. Jarrett Bush (CB, LR 32) 38. Matt Flynn (QB, LR 34) 39. Jeff Janis (WR, LR 38) 40. Brandon Bostick (TE, LR 31) 41. Scott Tolzien (QB, LR 39) 42. DuJuan Harris (RB, LR 40) 43. Brad Jones (MLB, LR 43) 44. Sam Barrington (OLB, LR 48) 45. Mike Pennel (DT, LR 47) 46. Luther Robinson (DL, LR N/A) 47. Ryan Taylor (TE, LR 44) 48. Jayrone Elliott (OLB, LR 49) 49. Carl Bradford (MLB, LR 36) 50. Derek Sherrod (T, LR 50) 51. Lane Taylor (G, LR 51) 52. Garth Gerhart (C, LR 52) 53. Demetri Goodson (CB, LR 53) |
| Injured Reserve - Designated for Return: J.C. Tretter |
| Injured Reserve |
| 1. Don Barclay (T/G/C, LR 1) 2. B.J. Raji (DT, LR 2) 3. Jared Abbrederis (WR, LR 3) 4. Andy Mulumba (OLB, LR N/A) 5. Nate Plamer (LB, LR 4) 6. Khyri Thornton (DT, LR 5) 7. Aaron Adams (T, LR 6) |
9) Julius Peppers (DE/OLB, LR 10): There is no question that Pepper is the player that I wrote the most about in the off-season given how rare it is for Packers general manager Ted Thompson to sign free agents, let along free agents in their mid-30's. So far, Peppers has lived up to the hype. Peppers' mere presence on the field has loomed large because that has caused teams to have to focus on a pass rusher other than Clay Matthews, which freed up other defenders to make plays despite the fact that Peppers hasn't put up huge numbers: 15 tackles, 2 tackles for a loss, 1.5 sacks, 1 interception that was returned for a touchdown, 1 forced fumble, and 1 fumble recovered. Peppers showed athleticism on most of his pick-six against the Vikings. I say most of the pick-six because Peppers had an underwhelming Lambeau Leap. That might not be Peppers' last Lambeau Leap because the lack of big plays from the tight end position combined with the fact that Peppers is 6'6" makes me think we will see him at tight end in the red zone this season.
21) Jamari Lattimore (MLB, LR 37): Despite playing sparingly in the season opener, Lattimore played extensively in the next four games and is currently tied for 3rd on the defense with 28 tackles. I wonder how excited we should get about that stat though because it seems like middle linebackers in 3-4 defenses essentially fall into 80 or 90 tackles a season. Based on how Lattimore played the last few games, he looks like a better option at middle linebacker than Brad Jones but that isn't saying much. Lattimore is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season but that does NOT mean that the Packers should break the bank for Lattimore given that the Packers have foolishly handed out extensions to middle linebackers in the past. That's right, I'm looking at you A.J. Hawk and Brad Jones.
27) Mason Crosby (K, LR 35): So far Crosby is 5 of 6 on field goal attempts and a perfect 15 of 15 on extra points. Thankfully Crosby got a miss out of the way in garbage time on the road against the Chicago Bears when it was clear that the Packers were going to win. Avid readers of this blog know I think it is waste of cap space to spend anything over the league minimum on a place kicker. The one thing that cuts against that thinking is how well Crosby performed this year from over 50 yards. Sure it is a small sample size given that Crosby is only 2 for 2 from over 50 yards but it is nice to see him making lengthy kicks given that he was always supposed to have a big leg but he has been very erratic from long distance so far in his NFL career. It will be interesting to see if Crosby can continue to kick well from distance as the season wears on because that would actually provide more than replacement value at the kicker position because not only does it put points on the board but it prevents the opposition from taking over near midfield on misses.
29) Andrew Quarless (TE, LR 33): Man do the Packers miss tight end Jermichael Finley. So far this season Quarless has just 10 catches on 13 targets for 96 receiving yards and a touchdown. Sadly that is the most in each major category of any tight end on The 53. In fact the only other tight end with on The 53 with even a catch is rookie Richard Rodgers with two catches on four targets for 54 yards and no touchdowns. The Packers traditionally get much more production out of the tight end position but they also usually have much more talent at the position too. Sure some of their lack of production at the tight end position is due to the fact that Brandon Bostick has been less than 100% for the entire season but even if Bostick gets healthy soon the trio of Bostick, Quarless, and Rodgers combined brings less to the table this season for the Packers than a healthy Finely gave them last season. In fact, I could see a healthy Finley signed to a reasonable, long-term contract as high as #2 on my rankings of The 53. Sadly that does not seem likely so the Packers need to get more from their current trio of tight ends.
41) Scott Tolzien (QB, LR 39): I don't get why Thompson keeps Tolzien on The 53 if he is going to be inactive each week. I know those 46 gameday spots are precious but I would plan for nightmare scenarios with the active roster, which is why I think it is better to have three quarterbacks active on the remote chance the starer and backup gets hurt instead of keeping nine linebackers active.
Following their mini-bye, the Packers head out on the road next week to play the Miami Dolphins. If Thompson makes any moves between now and next Saturday, check back in this space for my detailed thoughts. If not, do your best to enjoy your second non-Packer NFL weekend in the first five weeks of the 2014 NFL season.
Thursday, January 9, 2014
Building The 53 - How to Handle 2014 RFA's on The 53
The Green Bay Packers have three restricted free agents currently on The 53: Chris Banjo (S), M.D. Jennings (S), and Jamari Lattimore (LB). Banjo is a restricted exclusive rights free agent while Jennings and Lattimore are standard restricted free agents. That means the Packers can deal with Banjo differently than Jennings and Lattimore so the Packers can retain Banjo in 2014 for roughly what he was paid in 2013 without any other team being able to sign him. Given that Banjo earned a little more than $400,000 in 2013, even if he gets $50,000 raise, the Packers should tender Banjo so they have him on a non-guaranteed one-year contract for less than $500,000 in 2014.
Moving onto Jennings and Lattimore. The Packers could tender them a one-year deal at various levels or offer them a long-term contract. NFL teams usually tender one-year deals to restricted free agents to get them on the cheap for one more season before deciding whether to lock them up long-term since they become unrestricted free agents after their one-year restricted free agent deals expire.
three levels of restricted free agents: $2.879 million for 1st round compensation, $2.023 million for 2nd round compensation, and $1.323 million for original draft round compensation. If a player that was tendered a one-year, $2.879 million contract is offered a long-term deal by another team, the tendering team has the option to match that long-term deal. If the tendering team does not match the long-term deal offered by another team, they get the other team's first round draft pick as compensation for losing that player. Some NFL agents think that the restricted free agent system is rigged because players rarely change teams. What happened last season for the Packers lends credence to that theory.
Last off-season the Packers rolled the dice by tendering a couple of starters lower than first round tenders. The Packers tendered center Evan Dietrich-Smith a one-year, $1.323 million deal and cornerback Sam Shields a one-year, $2.023 million deal. Since EDS was an undrafted free agent, if another team signed EDS to a long-term deal and the Packers did not match that deal, the Packers would have lost their starting center for no compensation. At least with Shields, if another team signed Shields to a long-term deal and the Packers did not match that deal, the Packers would have gotten a second round pick as compensation. As EDS and Shields showed on the field this year, they would have been great players to pluck from the Packers. Both are among the 13 unrestricted free agents currently on The 53 that I will discuss how to handle tomorrow.
With all of that as background, let's actually talk about Jennings and Lattimore. Being a borderline starter and a quality special teams contributor seems like the ceiling for both players. I am more of a fan of Lattimore than Jennings but I am not sure either are worth paying upwards of $1 million in 2014 for their services so I would not tender either player. I would approach both about accepting a one-year veteran minimum contract with an eye towards locking up Lattimore long-term, especially if the Packers decide to cut one of their two starting middle linebackers in 2013, A.J. Hawk or Brad Jones, before 2014.
Make sure to check back tomorrow when I give my advice to Thompson for how to handle the 13 unrestricted free agents currently on The 53.
Moving onto Jennings and Lattimore. The Packers could tender them a one-year deal at various levels or offer them a long-term contract. NFL teams usually tender one-year deals to restricted free agents to get them on the cheap for one more season before deciding whether to lock them up long-term since they become unrestricted free agents after their one-year restricted free agent deals expire.
three levels of restricted free agents: $2.879 million for 1st round compensation, $2.023 million for 2nd round compensation, and $1.323 million for original draft round compensation. If a player that was tendered a one-year, $2.879 million contract is offered a long-term deal by another team, the tendering team has the option to match that long-term deal. If the tendering team does not match the long-term deal offered by another team, they get the other team's first round draft pick as compensation for losing that player. Some NFL agents think that the restricted free agent system is rigged because players rarely change teams. What happened last season for the Packers lends credence to that theory.
Last off-season the Packers rolled the dice by tendering a couple of starters lower than first round tenders. The Packers tendered center Evan Dietrich-Smith a one-year, $1.323 million deal and cornerback Sam Shields a one-year, $2.023 million deal. Since EDS was an undrafted free agent, if another team signed EDS to a long-term deal and the Packers did not match that deal, the Packers would have lost their starting center for no compensation. At least with Shields, if another team signed Shields to a long-term deal and the Packers did not match that deal, the Packers would have gotten a second round pick as compensation. As EDS and Shields showed on the field this year, they would have been great players to pluck from the Packers. Both are among the 13 unrestricted free agents currently on The 53 that I will discuss how to handle tomorrow.
With all of that as background, let's actually talk about Jennings and Lattimore. Being a borderline starter and a quality special teams contributor seems like the ceiling for both players. I am more of a fan of Lattimore than Jennings but I am not sure either are worth paying upwards of $1 million in 2014 for their services so I would not tender either player. I would approach both about accepting a one-year veteran minimum contract with an eye towards locking up Lattimore long-term, especially if the Packers decide to cut one of their two starting middle linebackers in 2013, A.J. Hawk or Brad Jones, before 2014.
Make sure to check back tomorrow when I give my advice to Thompson for how to handle the 13 unrestricted free agents currently on The 53.
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
The 53 - Packers lose to Bears at Lambeau Field on MNF
The Green Bay Packers were favored by 11 points over the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football at Lambeau Field mostly because the Bears were without their starting quarterback Jay Cutler due to a groin injury. Coming to the game the Bears were a mere 2-10 without Cutler under center since 2010, unfortunately the Packers lost their starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers for the game and most likely longer on a sack by defensive end Shea McClellin on their first offensive series of the game. That meant both teams were without their starting quarterbacks for essentially the entire game so fans were treated to Seneca Wallace v. Josh McCown instead of Rodgers v. Cutler.
Some quick stats on the longest rivalry in NFL history. Heading into the game the Bears lead the all-time series 92-88-6 but the Packers have won their last six meetings. including winning the NFC Championship Game in Chicago en route to winning Super Bowl XLV. This was the 11th time the teams met on Monday Night Football with each team previously winning five times.
The inactives for the Packers against the Bears were: Josh Boyd (DE, healthy scratch), Jermichael Finley (TE, spinal injury), Chris Harper (WR, healthy scratch), Clay Matthews (OLB, thumb), James Nixon (CB, healthy scratch), Nick Perry (OLB, foot), and C.J. Wilson (DE, healthy scratch). Besides losing Rodgers, the Packers also lost starting right guard T.J. Lang to a concussion so they were forced to move starting right tackle Don Barclay to right guard and backup tackle Marshall Newhouse to right tackle.
With their first home divisional loss since 2009 the Packers snapped their 10-game home winning streak, which was the 3rd longest active streak in the NFL, in their loss to the Bears in at Lambeau Field for the first time since 2007. Here are my thoughts on the game along with my updated rankings to The 53:
#1) Aaron Rodgers (QB, LR 1): I actually wanted the Packers to consider drafting McClellin in the 2012 NFL Draft when the Bears took him 19th overall. With McClellin off the board, the Packers added outside linebacker Nick Perry with the 28th pick. So far McClellin and Perry have been mild disappointments in the NFL but McClellin sure made a name for himself against the Packers. Losing your quarterback is usually a big loss but in the case of Rodgers it is even more pronounced because he has absolutely owned the Bears going 9-2 against while completing 68.1% of his passes en route to throwing for 19 touchdowns and 8 interceptions. It looks like Rodgers will be out at least a few weeks so they will be paying him a ton of money to rehab because according to ESPN's Darren Rovell, the Packers owe Rodgers $40 million over the next 245 days, which is $163,26.30 per day.
#7) Eddie Lacy (RB, LR 12): I wanted the Packers to draft Lacy in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft so when Lacy fell into their lap after they traded back in the second round I was almost positive that if I bought a jersey this season it was going to be a Lacy jersey. Lacy amassed the most rushing yards of any running back in October so it should come as no surprise that Lacy was named the NFL offensive rookie of the month for October. With Rodgers out, Lacy had his best performance of the season carrying the ball 22 times for 150 yards and a touchdown. I talked about unsuccessfully buying a Lacy jersey in my review of attending the Packers/Browns game. There is a good chance that I am going to the Packers/Eagles game next weekend with Sug. If I go to the game, I will 100% be wearing a Lacy jersey.
#21) Datone Jones (DL, LR 23): The Packers finally got some production out of their rookie defensive end with his first ever sack in the NFL against the Bears. What was particularly impressive about the sack by Jones is that the Packers dropped him into coverage to spy Bears quarterback Josh McCown. Thanks to good coverage by the secondary, which was a rarity against the Bears, Jones was able to spy and close on McCown to register a spy sack. The Packers were expecting more plays like that spy sack out of Jones when they drafted him in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft. Unfortunately that was the only sack of the game for the Packers, which shows you how much they miss the pass rush tandem of outside linebackers Clay Matthews and Nick Perry. After holding the Browns and Vikings without a 20-yard gain on offense for consecutive weeks for the first time since the mid-1990's, the Packers gave up a number of big plays to the Bears' offense. Despite being without Matthews and Perry, defensive coordinator Dom Capers still should have been able to put together a game plan to contain McCown. Unfortunately the lack of consistent pass rush meant that McCown had all day to pick apart the Packer secondary.
#24) Jamari Lattimore (LB, LR 26): With A.J. Hawk and Brad Jones the starters at middle linebacker heading into training camp, I thought Desmond Bishop and Terrell Manning would win the backup middle linebacker spots. Instead the Packers kept middle linebackers Robert Francois (currently on injured reserve) and Lattimore ahead of Bishop and Manning. So far Lattimore has shown that he deserves a spot on The 53. Lattimore registered a blocked punt and recovered an onside kick against the Bears so at the very least he gives the Packers a core special teams player. Add in that Lattimore played well at middle linebacker in the base 3-4 defense when Jones was out with a hamstring injury and I can see Lattimore being a quality starting middle linebacker in the NFL down the road. Speaking of middle linebackers, it is worth noting that last night the Packers faced a Bears defense sans Brian Urlacher for the first time since 1999.
#26) Mason Crosby (K, LR 29): Avid readers of this space know that I am often critical of Crosby and head coach Mike McCarthy. I am critical of Crosby because he has been so inconsistent the last two years. Crosby was named NFC special teams player of the month for October. Unfortunately I think that means we have some big misses coming up soon because Crosby has been almost perfect in 2013 so he will have to regress to the mean at some point. For how inconsistent Crosby was as a place kicker in 2011 and 2012, he has always struck a great onside kick, which I actually think is a repeatable skill. I am often critical of McCarthy's decision making process so let me be the first to give him credit for calling the perfect onside kick that Crosby executed it perfectly. Even if the Packers did NOT recover the onside kick, I actually still would have complimented McCarthy and Crosby because I thought they both followed the right process.
#34) Andrew Quarless (TE, LR 35): The Packers sorely miss tight end Jermichael Finley. Case and point, the ball that Quarless bobbled but I think ultimately caught on the sideline for a first down was ruled incomplete on the field on a critical 3rd down in the first half. Don't get me wrong, Quarless should have cleanly caught the pass but even with Finley's shaky hands he makes that catch in his sleep. Leaving that aside, I still think McCarthy should have challenged the ruling on the field so despite all the praise I gave McCarthy in my recap of Crosby, that is somewhat mitigated by his decision not to challenge the ruling on Quarless's catch.
#45) Seneca Wallace (QB, LR 45): The Packers decided to sign Wallace as their backup quarterback at the end of training camp instead of keeping Vince Young or Graham Harrell because Wallace is supposed to be a veteran that can perform in a pinch. Wallace is one of only three players along with Kuhn and Pickett on The 53 that played on The 53 of another team. There is no other team in the NFL with more than 40 players that fit that bill. Unfortunately Kuhn and Pickett have had a much better tenure than Wallace so far after he went 11 for 19 throwing for 114 yards and 1 interception in place of Rodgers. Although those numbers look decent, I can;'t remember Wallace throwing a ball more than 15 yards down field against the Bears. Plus Wallace's interception came when he checked out of a run to a pass on a 3rd down play. The pass was tipped and intercepted by Bears defensive end Julius Peppers. When the Packers cut wide receiver Jeremy Ross it opened a spot on The 53. One of the ways I suggested the Packers should fill that spot on The 53 was to trade for former Packer quarterback Matt Flynn while he was still playing for the Oakland Raiders. The Raiders subsequently cut Flynn and the Packers decided not to add Flynn to The 53. Ultimately Flynn signed with the Buffalo Bills but was just released. Before we kick Wallace to the curb, let's not forget that Flynn struggled when he first filled in after Rodgers suffered a concussion on the road against the Lions in 2010. Flynn went 15 for 26 throwing for 177 yards and 1 interception in relief of Rodgers against the Lions before he played the game of his life in the 2011 NFL regular season finale against the Lions going 31 for 44 throwing for 480 yard, six touchdowns and 1 interception at Lambeau Field. Assuming Rodgers is out for an extended period of time, I would not only sign Tolzien off the practice squad in place of cornerback James Nixon but I would claim Flynn off waivers in place of tight end Jake Stoneburner to add two new quarterbacks to The 53.
#53) James Nixon (CB, LR 53): I know I've beaten the backup quarterback position to death already but one thing I did not mention is that practice squad quarterback Scott Tolzien recently got a huge raise to stay on the 8-man practice squad. I am not sure why the Packers didn't just add Tolzien to The 53 instead of keeping cornerback James Nixon on The 53. I know it is easy to say that now given the fact that the Packers lost Rodgers for the game and possibly longer but even if Rodgers was healthy is a 7th cornerback back really more valuable than a 3rd quarterback? Either way, I hope Nixon enjoyed his stay on The 53 because he is getting cut sooner rather than later.
As you can tell I would be shocked if the Packers did not make a move to The 53 to cover themselves in case Rodgers did in fact break his collarbone. I would be equally shocked if Rodgers was able to play next week against the Philadelphia Eagles at home. Either way, make sure to check back next Monday for my review of the Packers/Eagles because I plan to attend the game in-person with Sug and his family. If the Packers make any other changes to The 53 before the Packers/Eagles game I will have the full breakdown in this space. Let's hope the Packers receive some good news today on the Rodgers injury because if not, the Packers are in danger of missing the playoffs.
Some quick stats on the longest rivalry in NFL history. Heading into the game the Bears lead the all-time series 92-88-6 but the Packers have won their last six meetings. including winning the NFC Championship Game in Chicago en route to winning Super Bowl XLV. This was the 11th time the teams met on Monday Night Football with each team previously winning five times.
The inactives for the Packers against the Bears were: Josh Boyd (DE, healthy scratch), Jermichael Finley (TE, spinal injury), Chris Harper (WR, healthy scratch), Clay Matthews (OLB, thumb), James Nixon (CB, healthy scratch), Nick Perry (OLB, foot), and C.J. Wilson (DE, healthy scratch). Besides losing Rodgers, the Packers also lost starting right guard T.J. Lang to a concussion so they were forced to move starting right tackle Don Barclay to right guard and backup tackle Marshall Newhouse to right tackle.
With their first home divisional loss since 2009 the Packers snapped their 10-game home winning streak, which was the 3rd longest active streak in the NFL, in their loss to the Bears in at Lambeau Field for the first time since 2007. Here are my thoughts on the game along with my updated rankings to The 53:
| The 53 |
| 1. Aaron Rodgers (QB, LR 1) 2. Clay Matthews (OLB, LR 2) 3. Morgan Burnett (S, LR 3) 4. Jordy Nelson (WR, LR 4) 5. Josh Sitton (G, LR 5) 6. B.J. Raji (DL, LR 6) 7. Eddie Lacy (RB, LR 12) 8. James Jones (WR, LR 9) 9. T.J. Lang (G, LR 8) 10. Sam Shields (CB, LR 7) 11. David Bakhtiari (T, LR 11) 12. Evan Dietrich-Smith (C, LR 13) 13. Brad Jones (MLB, LR 15) 14. Tramon Williams (CB, LR 10) 15. Mike Daniels (DL, LR 16) 16. Jermichael Finley (TE, LR 14) 17. A.J. Hawk (MLB, LR 17) 18. Micah Hyde (CB, LR 18) 19. Casey Hayward (CB, LR 19) 20. Don Barclay (T, LR 21) 21. Datone Jones (DL, LR 23) 22. Nick Perry (OLB, LR 20) 23. Tim Masthay (P, LR 22) 24. Jamari Lattimore (LB, LR 26) 25. Davon House (CB, LR 24) 26. Mason Crosby (K, LR 29) 27. Ryan Pickett (DL, LR 25) 28. Jarrett Boykin (WR, LR 28) 29. Johnny Jolly (DL, LR 27) 30. Mike Neal (DL/OLB, LR 30) 31. Jarrett Bush (CB, LR 31) 32. James Starks (RB, LR 32) 33. M.D. Jennings (S, LR 33) 34. Andrew Quarless (TE, LR 35) 35. Marshall Newhouse (T, LR 39) 36. Brett Goode (LS, LR 34) 37. Ryan Taylor (TE, LR 43) 38. Chris Banjo (S, LR 36) 39. C.J. Wilson (DL, LR 37) 40. Andy Mulamba (LB, LR 40) 41. Jerron McMillian (S, LR 42) 42. Jonathan Franklin (RB, LR 38) 43. John Kuhn (FB, LR 41) 44. Sam Barrington (LB, LR 44) 45. Seneca Wallace (QB, LR 45) 46. Nate Palmer (LB, LR 46) 47. Myles White (WR, LR 48) 48. Brandon Bostick (TE, LR 47) 49. Lane Taylor (G, LR 49) 50. Jake Stoneburner (TE, LR 51) 51. Chris Harper (WR, LR 50) 52. Josh Boyd (DL, LR 52) 53. James Nixon (CB, LR 53) |
| 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) |
#7) Eddie Lacy (RB, LR 12): I wanted the Packers to draft Lacy in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft so when Lacy fell into their lap after they traded back in the second round I was almost positive that if I bought a jersey this season it was going to be a Lacy jersey. Lacy amassed the most rushing yards of any running back in October so it should come as no surprise that Lacy was named the NFL offensive rookie of the month for October. With Rodgers out, Lacy had his best performance of the season carrying the ball 22 times for 150 yards and a touchdown. I talked about unsuccessfully buying a Lacy jersey in my review of attending the Packers/Browns game. There is a good chance that I am going to the Packers/Eagles game next weekend with Sug. If I go to the game, I will 100% be wearing a Lacy jersey.
#21) Datone Jones (DL, LR 23): The Packers finally got some production out of their rookie defensive end with his first ever sack in the NFL against the Bears. What was particularly impressive about the sack by Jones is that the Packers dropped him into coverage to spy Bears quarterback Josh McCown. Thanks to good coverage by the secondary, which was a rarity against the Bears, Jones was able to spy and close on McCown to register a spy sack. The Packers were expecting more plays like that spy sack out of Jones when they drafted him in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft. Unfortunately that was the only sack of the game for the Packers, which shows you how much they miss the pass rush tandem of outside linebackers Clay Matthews and Nick Perry. After holding the Browns and Vikings without a 20-yard gain on offense for consecutive weeks for the first time since the mid-1990's, the Packers gave up a number of big plays to the Bears' offense. Despite being without Matthews and Perry, defensive coordinator Dom Capers still should have been able to put together a game plan to contain McCown. Unfortunately the lack of consistent pass rush meant that McCown had all day to pick apart the Packer secondary.
#24) Jamari Lattimore (LB, LR 26): With A.J. Hawk and Brad Jones the starters at middle linebacker heading into training camp, I thought Desmond Bishop and Terrell Manning would win the backup middle linebacker spots. Instead the Packers kept middle linebackers Robert Francois (currently on injured reserve) and Lattimore ahead of Bishop and Manning. So far Lattimore has shown that he deserves a spot on The 53. Lattimore registered a blocked punt and recovered an onside kick against the Bears so at the very least he gives the Packers a core special teams player. Add in that Lattimore played well at middle linebacker in the base 3-4 defense when Jones was out with a hamstring injury and I can see Lattimore being a quality starting middle linebacker in the NFL down the road. Speaking of middle linebackers, it is worth noting that last night the Packers faced a Bears defense sans Brian Urlacher for the first time since 1999.
#26) Mason Crosby (K, LR 29): Avid readers of this space know that I am often critical of Crosby and head coach Mike McCarthy. I am critical of Crosby because he has been so inconsistent the last two years. Crosby was named NFC special teams player of the month for October. Unfortunately I think that means we have some big misses coming up soon because Crosby has been almost perfect in 2013 so he will have to regress to the mean at some point. For how inconsistent Crosby was as a place kicker in 2011 and 2012, he has always struck a great onside kick, which I actually think is a repeatable skill. I am often critical of McCarthy's decision making process so let me be the first to give him credit for calling the perfect onside kick that Crosby executed it perfectly. Even if the Packers did NOT recover the onside kick, I actually still would have complimented McCarthy and Crosby because I thought they both followed the right process.
#34) Andrew Quarless (TE, LR 35): The Packers sorely miss tight end Jermichael Finley. Case and point, the ball that Quarless bobbled but I think ultimately caught on the sideline for a first down was ruled incomplete on the field on a critical 3rd down in the first half. Don't get me wrong, Quarless should have cleanly caught the pass but even with Finley's shaky hands he makes that catch in his sleep. Leaving that aside, I still think McCarthy should have challenged the ruling on the field so despite all the praise I gave McCarthy in my recap of Crosby, that is somewhat mitigated by his decision not to challenge the ruling on Quarless's catch.
#45) Seneca Wallace (QB, LR 45): The Packers decided to sign Wallace as their backup quarterback at the end of training camp instead of keeping Vince Young or Graham Harrell because Wallace is supposed to be a veteran that can perform in a pinch. Wallace is one of only three players along with Kuhn and Pickett on The 53 that played on The 53 of another team. There is no other team in the NFL with more than 40 players that fit that bill. Unfortunately Kuhn and Pickett have had a much better tenure than Wallace so far after he went 11 for 19 throwing for 114 yards and 1 interception in place of Rodgers. Although those numbers look decent, I can;'t remember Wallace throwing a ball more than 15 yards down field against the Bears. Plus Wallace's interception came when he checked out of a run to a pass on a 3rd down play. The pass was tipped and intercepted by Bears defensive end Julius Peppers. When the Packers cut wide receiver Jeremy Ross it opened a spot on The 53. One of the ways I suggested the Packers should fill that spot on The 53 was to trade for former Packer quarterback Matt Flynn while he was still playing for the Oakland Raiders. The Raiders subsequently cut Flynn and the Packers decided not to add Flynn to The 53. Ultimately Flynn signed with the Buffalo Bills but was just released. Before we kick Wallace to the curb, let's not forget that Flynn struggled when he first filled in after Rodgers suffered a concussion on the road against the Lions in 2010. Flynn went 15 for 26 throwing for 177 yards and 1 interception in relief of Rodgers against the Lions before he played the game of his life in the 2011 NFL regular season finale against the Lions going 31 for 44 throwing for 480 yard, six touchdowns and 1 interception at Lambeau Field. Assuming Rodgers is out for an extended period of time, I would not only sign Tolzien off the practice squad in place of cornerback James Nixon but I would claim Flynn off waivers in place of tight end Jake Stoneburner to add two new quarterbacks to The 53.
#53) James Nixon (CB, LR 53): I know I've beaten the backup quarterback position to death already but one thing I did not mention is that practice squad quarterback Scott Tolzien recently got a huge raise to stay on the 8-man practice squad. I am not sure why the Packers didn't just add Tolzien to The 53 instead of keeping cornerback James Nixon on The 53. I know it is easy to say that now given the fact that the Packers lost Rodgers for the game and possibly longer but even if Rodgers was healthy is a 7th cornerback back really more valuable than a 3rd quarterback? Either way, I hope Nixon enjoyed his stay on The 53 because he is getting cut sooner rather than later.
As you can tell I would be shocked if the Packers did not make a move to The 53 to cover themselves in case Rodgers did in fact break his collarbone. I would be equally shocked if Rodgers was able to play next week against the Philadelphia Eagles at home. Either way, make sure to check back next Monday for my review of the Packers/Eagles because I plan to attend the game in-person with Sug and his family. If the Packers make any other changes to The 53 before the Packers/Eagles game I will have the full breakdown in this space. Let's hope the Packers receive some good news today on the Rodgers injury because if not, the Packers are in danger of missing the playoffs.
Thursday, September 1, 2011
2011 Preseason Week 4 - Packers/Chiefs Review
With the fourth and final preseason game in the books, here are the big picture takeaways from the Packers/Chiefs game:
#1) Player that hurt his stock most: With wide receivers Greg Jennings, Donald Driver, Jordy Nelson, James Jones, and Randall Cobb guaranteed roster spots there is a slim chance that the Packers keep a 6th wide receiver. When Shaky Smithson fumbled a punt against the Chiefs, he guaranteed that he would not be the 6th wide receiver. The only other wide receivers with a slight chance to make the 53-man roster are Tori Gurley and Chastin West. Both Gurley and West showed great potential throughout the preseason so look for the Packers to try to sign both players to their 8-man practice squad if they are not claimed by another team.
#2) Player that helped his stock most: As I said last week in my quick thoughts about the Packers/Colts game, the backup outside linebacker spots are completely up for grabs. After 1.5 sacks, a forced fumble, and a pick-six against the Chiefs it is no longer a question of whether Vic So'oto makes the team. The real question is how many outside linebackers the Packers keep. Matthews, Walden, and Zombo (assuming he is not placed on IR) are guaranteed roster spots. After how well So'oto played the last few weeks he deserves to be the 4th outside linebacker. If the Packers decide to keep five outside linebackers, it will be a battle between Brad Jones and Jamari Lattimore for the final outside linebacker spot. That means with Matthews, Walden, Zombo, So'oto, Jones, and Lattimore all ahead of Ricky Elmore on the depth chart he would be lucky to make the practice squad at this point.
#3) Position to watch: The Packers have a plethora of talented players at a number of positions (running back, fullback, wide receiver, tight end, outside linebacker, cornerback, and safety). Unfortunately that is not the case for the interior part of their line. Starters T.J. Lang (LG), Scott Wells (C), and Josh Sitton (RG) did pretty well throughout the preseason. Unfortunately if any of the interior lineman are lost for an extended period of time, things look bleak. The Packers have to decide between keeping two of the following four guys: Evan Dietrich-Smith, Nick McDonald, Caleb Schlauderaff, and Ray Dominguez. All of those guys have proven that they are replaceable so if the right guys are waived, the Packers could fill their interior line spots with players currently not with the organization while the younger guys (McDonald, Schlauderaff, and Dominguez) have a chance to make the practice squad if they are cut.
#4) Injury: Luckily rookie 4th round draft pick Devon House was the only player injured against the Chiefs, the extent of the injury is unknown.
Final Note: The Packers sat most of their veterans while the Chiefs played their veterans for most of the game. I am glad the Packers got through the preseason without suffering any major injuries but since the lockout took away precious practice time, I can't blame the Chiefs for playing their starters deeper into the game. That is really a win-win for the Packers too because it allowed the Packers backups to play against the Chiefs starters.
Green Bay Packers general manager Ted Thompson has some very tough decisions to make by Saturday night when he needs to cut the roster to 53 players. Check back Sunday morning for my initial player rankings counting from 53 down to 1 for the opening day 53-man roster for the 2011 Green Bay Packers.
For my previous "Quick Thoughts" on the 2011 preseason for the Packers, check out:
- Preseason Week 1 Packers/Browns Review
- Preseason Week 2 Packers/Cardinals Review
- Lambeau Field Expansion
- Preseason Week 3 Packers/Colts Review
#1) Player that hurt his stock most: With wide receivers Greg Jennings, Donald Driver, Jordy Nelson, James Jones, and Randall Cobb guaranteed roster spots there is a slim chance that the Packers keep a 6th wide receiver. When Shaky Smithson fumbled a punt against the Chiefs, he guaranteed that he would not be the 6th wide receiver. The only other wide receivers with a slight chance to make the 53-man roster are Tori Gurley and Chastin West. Both Gurley and West showed great potential throughout the preseason so look for the Packers to try to sign both players to their 8-man practice squad if they are not claimed by another team.
#2) Player that helped his stock most: As I said last week in my quick thoughts about the Packers/Colts game, the backup outside linebacker spots are completely up for grabs. After 1.5 sacks, a forced fumble, and a pick-six against the Chiefs it is no longer a question of whether Vic So'oto makes the team. The real question is how many outside linebackers the Packers keep. Matthews, Walden, and Zombo (assuming he is not placed on IR) are guaranteed roster spots. After how well So'oto played the last few weeks he deserves to be the 4th outside linebacker. If the Packers decide to keep five outside linebackers, it will be a battle between Brad Jones and Jamari Lattimore for the final outside linebacker spot. That means with Matthews, Walden, Zombo, So'oto, Jones, and Lattimore all ahead of Ricky Elmore on the depth chart he would be lucky to make the practice squad at this point.
#3) Position to watch: The Packers have a plethora of talented players at a number of positions (running back, fullback, wide receiver, tight end, outside linebacker, cornerback, and safety). Unfortunately that is not the case for the interior part of their line. Starters T.J. Lang (LG), Scott Wells (C), and Josh Sitton (RG) did pretty well throughout the preseason. Unfortunately if any of the interior lineman are lost for an extended period of time, things look bleak. The Packers have to decide between keeping two of the following four guys: Evan Dietrich-Smith, Nick McDonald, Caleb Schlauderaff, and Ray Dominguez. All of those guys have proven that they are replaceable so if the right guys are waived, the Packers could fill their interior line spots with players currently not with the organization while the younger guys (McDonald, Schlauderaff, and Dominguez) have a chance to make the practice squad if they are cut.
#4) Injury: Luckily rookie 4th round draft pick Devon House was the only player injured against the Chiefs, the extent of the injury is unknown.
Final Note: The Packers sat most of their veterans while the Chiefs played their veterans for most of the game. I am glad the Packers got through the preseason without suffering any major injuries but since the lockout took away precious practice time, I can't blame the Chiefs for playing their starters deeper into the game. That is really a win-win for the Packers too because it allowed the Packers backups to play against the Chiefs starters.
Green Bay Packers general manager Ted Thompson has some very tough decisions to make by Saturday night when he needs to cut the roster to 53 players. Check back Sunday morning for my initial player rankings counting from 53 down to 1 for the opening day 53-man roster for the 2011 Green Bay Packers.
For my previous "Quick Thoughts" on the 2011 preseason for the Packers, check out:
- Preseason Week 1 Packers/Browns Review
- Preseason Week 2 Packers/Cardinals Review
- Lambeau Field Expansion
- Preseason Week 3 Packers/Colts Review
Friday, August 26, 2011
2011 Preseason Week 3 - Packers/Colts Review
Hopefully you didn't turn off the Packers/Colts game with only a few minutes left. If you did, the 3rd stringers for the Packers lead by quarterback Graham Harrell erased an eight point deficit with less than four minutes remaining, thanks in large part to personal fouls by Colts defensive back Chip Vaughn on consecutive plays. Speaking of consecutive play, Graham Harrell and tight end Ryan Taylor hooked up on 4th and goal as well as the ensuing two-point conversion to tie the game with 35 seconds remaining.
Instead of kicking it deep, Packers head coach Mike McCarty dialed up an onside kick that the Packers recovered. Harrell quickly moved the Packers into field goal range and Mason Crosby made a 50-yard kick as time expired to give the Packers a 24-21 win over the Colts. It is only a preseason game so the Packers winning doesn't really matter, but it was nice to see the resolve shown by the 3rd stringers. What matters more are some of the big picture takeaways from the Packers/Colts game:
#1) Players that hurt his stock most: Some veterans really struggled (i.e. left tackle Chad Clifton and right guard Josh Sitton) but their starting spots are virtually guaranteed as long as they are healthy. At this point most of the roster spots are already set but guys on the bubble like Pat Lee (CB), Ricky Elmore (OLB), and Brandon Underwood (S) didn't do enough to secure a spot on the opening day 53-man roster.
#2) Players that helped his stock most: The backup outside linebacker spots are completely up for grabs. Undrafted rookie free agents Jamari Lattimore and Vic So'oto continued to out perform Ricky Elmore a 6th round draft pick from the 2011 NFL Draft. All three players are college defensive ends that the Packers converted to rush outside linebackers in their base 3-4 defensive set. Despite Elmore being an absolute sack machine in college, it was Lattimore and So'oto who both came up with sacks against the Colts.
#3) Position to watch: Coming into the game the starters at left guard (T.J. Lang over Derek Sherrod) and right outside linebacker (Erik Walden over Frank Zombo and Brad Jones) were already decided so there were not really any starting position battles to watch besides running back. When the Packers opened their 2011 campaign it looked like Ryan Grant was going to be the starting running back with James Starks getting a ton of touches as well. Starks continued to play well throughout the preseason and all of a sudden there is a fierce competition for the starting running back spot. Grant renegotiated the last year of his contract (took $1 million less but it is fully guaranteed if he is on the opening day roster) so he is virtually guaranteed a roster spot but will have to perform well throughout the rest of the preseason to open the season as the starting running back. Usually starters do not play very much in Week 4 of the preseason but look for the Packers to give Grant and Starks some touches to help determine the opening day starter.
#4) Injuries: Jermichael Finley sprained his ankle and Jordy Nelson bruised his knee, the severity of the injuries is unknown. Despite the quality depth the Packers have at wide receiver and tight end, they cannot afford to lose either for an extended period of time.
Final Note: The success of the no-huddle offense for the Packers continues to be a hot topic. Coaches calling offensive plays from the sideline is a relatively new thing in the NFL. Some people point to the fact that offenses are becoming "sophisticated" but it really means that there are more plays in the playbook now than even a decade ago. When you break down NFL offenses they are really not that complicated. On running plays there is a blocking scheme that usually gives a running back a few options of where to run. On passing plays there are nine basic routes a receiver can run. Obviously when you mix and match personnel you get a ton of permutations in the offensive playbook but sometimes sticking to the 10 plays that work best, like they do in a no-huddle offense, allows the offense to move the ball really well.
For my previous "Quick Thoughts" on the 2011 preseason for the Packers, check out:
- Preseason Week 1 Packers/Browns Review
- Preseason Week 2 Packers/Cardinals Review
- Lambeau Field Expansion
Instead of kicking it deep, Packers head coach Mike McCarty dialed up an onside kick that the Packers recovered. Harrell quickly moved the Packers into field goal range and Mason Crosby made a 50-yard kick as time expired to give the Packers a 24-21 win over the Colts. It is only a preseason game so the Packers winning doesn't really matter, but it was nice to see the resolve shown by the 3rd stringers. What matters more are some of the big picture takeaways from the Packers/Colts game:
#1) Players that hurt his stock most: Some veterans really struggled (i.e. left tackle Chad Clifton and right guard Josh Sitton) but their starting spots are virtually guaranteed as long as they are healthy. At this point most of the roster spots are already set but guys on the bubble like Pat Lee (CB), Ricky Elmore (OLB), and Brandon Underwood (S) didn't do enough to secure a spot on the opening day 53-man roster.
#2) Players that helped his stock most: The backup outside linebacker spots are completely up for grabs. Undrafted rookie free agents Jamari Lattimore and Vic So'oto continued to out perform Ricky Elmore a 6th round draft pick from the 2011 NFL Draft. All three players are college defensive ends that the Packers converted to rush outside linebackers in their base 3-4 defensive set. Despite Elmore being an absolute sack machine in college, it was Lattimore and So'oto who both came up with sacks against the Colts.
#3) Position to watch: Coming into the game the starters at left guard (T.J. Lang over Derek Sherrod) and right outside linebacker (Erik Walden over Frank Zombo and Brad Jones) were already decided so there were not really any starting position battles to watch besides running back. When the Packers opened their 2011 campaign it looked like Ryan Grant was going to be the starting running back with James Starks getting a ton of touches as well. Starks continued to play well throughout the preseason and all of a sudden there is a fierce competition for the starting running back spot. Grant renegotiated the last year of his contract (took $1 million less but it is fully guaranteed if he is on the opening day roster) so he is virtually guaranteed a roster spot but will have to perform well throughout the rest of the preseason to open the season as the starting running back. Usually starters do not play very much in Week 4 of the preseason but look for the Packers to give Grant and Starks some touches to help determine the opening day starter.
#4) Injuries: Jermichael Finley sprained his ankle and Jordy Nelson bruised his knee, the severity of the injuries is unknown. Despite the quality depth the Packers have at wide receiver and tight end, they cannot afford to lose either for an extended period of time.
Final Note: The success of the no-huddle offense for the Packers continues to be a hot topic. Coaches calling offensive plays from the sideline is a relatively new thing in the NFL. Some people point to the fact that offenses are becoming "sophisticated" but it really means that there are more plays in the playbook now than even a decade ago. When you break down NFL offenses they are really not that complicated. On running plays there is a blocking scheme that usually gives a running back a few options of where to run. On passing plays there are nine basic routes a receiver can run. Obviously when you mix and match personnel you get a ton of permutations in the offensive playbook but sometimes sticking to the 10 plays that work best, like they do in a no-huddle offense, allows the offense to move the ball really well.
For my previous "Quick Thoughts" on the 2011 preseason for the Packers, check out:
- Preseason Week 1 Packers/Browns Review
- Preseason Week 2 Packers/Cardinals Review
- Lambeau Field Expansion
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