The biggest talking point following the Green Bay Packers/Pittsburgh Steelers preseason game will be on the fact that the Packers lost Jordy Nelson for the season to a torn ACL on a non-contact play. There is no question that the way that Green Bay Packers general manager Ted Thompson and head coach Mike McCarthy approach the preseason will be altered based the fact that the Packers lost Nelson for the season in a meaningless game. Here are a few other thoughts on how
the Packers/Steelers preseason game impacted The 53:
Player that
hurt his stock most - Tim Masthay: The Packers signed former Alabama punter Cody Mandell in the off-season to give Masthay some competition. Reports are that Mandell was a pain on and off the field given that he was NOT able to establish a rapport with Crosby as a holder and apparently is quite cocky. Even though Mandell is no longer with the Packers, Masthay's performance against the Steelers is the personification of how he is still too inconsistent to just give him the starting punter job to open the season. Masthay averaged 43.3 yards per punt with a long 56 yard punt against the Steelers. That all sounds good but remember that Masthay had a 29 yard punt too, which is unacceptable in the NFL. Masthay is veering into A.J. Hawk territory where I honestly wonder if he has incriminating pictures of Green Bay Packers president Mark Murphy, Thompson, or McCarthy. Odds are that Masthay will be the punter for the Packers in 2015 because of his familiarity as a holder for Crosby but if Masthay continues to struggle through the rest of the preseason and a quality punter gets cut during final roster cut-downs, I hope Thompson considers adding that punter in place of Masthay.
Player that helped his stock most - Aaron Ripkowski: Given that fullback John Kuhn went to college at Shippensburg University and was on
the practice squad for the Steelers to finish the 2005 NFL season, it is only fitting that we discuss the heir apparent to fullback/core special teamer John Kuhn when the Packers are in Pittsburgh. Ripkowski had two special teams tackles against the Steelers, which will go a long way to convincing Thompson to keep two fullbacks, which seems borderline crazy in 2015. Sure the fullback position seems to be going the way of the dodo but let's not forget that the Packers actually had three fullbacks on The 53 when they won Super Bowl XLV (Korey Hall, Kuhn, and Quinn Johnson). Given that Kuhn is 33 years old while Ripkowski is just 22 years old and signed to a cap-friendly rookie contract, I actually think Ripkowski is more of a lock for The 53 than Kuhn to open the 2015 NFL season.
Position
to watch - Wide Receiver: There is no question that Nelson has been highly productive the last two seasons so his presence will be sorely missed in 2015. For those that don't remember the exact numbers, Nelson caught 85 passes for 1,314 yards and eight touchdowns in 2013. Somehow Nelson bested those marks across the board in 2014 with 98 catches, 1,519 yards, and 13 touchdowns. That is a ton of production to replace but the Packers look stacked with young potential at wide receiver given that if everyone is healthy the Packers have six legitimate candidates for five or six spots on The 53: Randall Cobb (25 years old, 5'10", 192 lbs), Davante Adams (22 years old, 6'1", 215 lbs), Ty Montgomery (22 years old, 6'0", 216 lbs), Jeff Janis (24 years old, 6'3", 219 lbs), Myles White (25 years old, 6'0", 190 lbs), and Jared Abbrederis (24 years old, 6'1" and 195 lbs). I get it that Nelson is the bell-cow of the wide receiver group but if Janis can fulfill all the promise that the Packers saw in him before the 2014 NFL Draft, I see him as a poor man's Nelson for 2015 and Janis is 4th on the depth chart. There is talk that former Packer wide receivers James Jones (New York Giants) and Jarrett Boykin (Carolina Panthers) will NOT make The 53 for their respective teams so the Packers also have the option to bring back one of those guys too if they are NOT confident enough in the six-pack of Cobb, Adams, Montgomery, Janis, White, and Abbrederis.
Final
Note: The Nelson injury might be the tipping point for the Packers. Usually the 3rd NFL preseason game is when the starters play the most but I would be shocked to see quarterback Aaron Rodgers take even one snap in that game. Nelson was NOT the only injury of note from the game, unfortunately the Packers suffered a number of other injuries to players that will be on The 53 in 2015. Rodgers looked to have tweaked his wrist, rookie cornerback Damarious Randall battled dehydration, and both right guard T.J. Lang and quarterback Scott Tolzien suffered concussions. The Steelers looked to have lost starting center Maurkice Pouncey for an extended period of time too with an ankle injury. Injuries are a part of the game but everyone hates to see that happen in preseason games. I am NOT sure the answer is to sit all the starters for the next two games though because I fear that would mean the starters would go into the regular season opener on the road against the Chicago Bears too rusty. I am fine with sitting guys like Rodgers and running back Eddie Lacy but given all the question marks on defense, I hope the Packers give their starters on defense at least some reps in the next two games.
Unless the Packers make any significant roster moves before their next
preseason game at home next Saturday against the Philadelphia Eagles,
check back next Sunday for my review of how the Packers/Eagles preseason
game impacts Building The 53.
Showing posts with label Jordy Nelson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jordy Nelson. Show all posts
Monday, August 24, 2015
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.
Monday, September 15, 2014
I Went There - Brewers/Reds & Packers/Jets
I scored tickets for the 2014 Green Bay Packers regular season home opener against the New York Jets. As luck would have it, the Milwaukee Brewers had a home stand that weekend against the Cincinnati Reds too so I thought it made sense to double-dip watching the Brewers on Saturday night at Miller Park and the Packers on Sunday afternoon at Lambeau Field. A Cheesehead double-dip, if you will.
Brewers tickets were actually tough to get for Saturday night not because the Brewers are fighting for a playoff spot but because it was Hank the Dog bobble-head night. Thankfully my buddy Gaber was able to score three tickets together in the upper deck down the first base line. We were late getting into the game so we missed the first pitch. As we made our way to the entrance, people were already leaving the game with their Hank the Dog bobble-heads in hand. Even though we were late, there was still a line to get into the game too because we had to go through metal detectors. Not sure if the metal detectors were Hank the Dog related or something else but that process delayed the first pitch.
In terms of the game itself, there was really nothing of note to report other than a bungled sausage race that saw the Brewers try to get Hank the Dog a victory. Unfortunately for the Brewers, Hank the Dog was overwhelmed so he didn't even run the race. Instead, a Brewer intern had to pick-up Hank the Dog and run him past the line in 6th place. Hank the Dog was about as impressive as the Brewers given that their pitching was sub-par and their offense was non-existent en route to losing 5-1 to the Reds.
After starting the season 27-15, the Brewers have been an average team, at best. Thankfully their pitching has been pretty good because their offense has really struggled following a hot start to the season. With each day, their playoff hopes continue to fade. I am not saying that I've turned the page on the Brewers yet but their inability to score runs is really testing my patience, which is why fans were probably more interested in the bobble head giveaway than the actual game.
After the game Gaber, Uncle Patty, and I headed back to my parent's place to catch-up and set our plan of attack for the main event of the weekend...Packers/Jets at Lambeau. We spent the night catching up about everything from our all-time favorite Milwaukee Wave players to family updates, which meant we only got a couple hours of sleep but still woke up with a hop in our step to start the pilgrimage north.
Sug met us as we were picking up tailgate goodies at the Metro Market. I mention that because for those that have never had the privilege (you read that right), the fun starts in the meat section of the Metro Market in downtown Milwaukee. There are a ton of Mariano's with tasty sausages in Chicago but let's not forget that those fantastic meats got their start at the Metro Market in Milwaukee. It is great walking around the Metro Market with everyone, including the staff, wearing Packers gear. As I've said many times in this space, you really can't go wrong with any of the brat options besides the habanero cheddar. My favorites are either the jalapeno cheddar or the classic beer brat.
With a full cooler of beers and brats accompanied by some other tasties, we headed north. We made it up to Green Bay just around noon. We decided to park south of the stadium but not too close because traffic is a nightmare following the game. We had a beautiful day to throw the football and play bags. Thankfully Uncle Patty overcame a pulled muscle on his first throw of the day so we could whip the pigskin and bags around the parking lot as we feasted on brats. Given the issues we had getting into the Brewers game on time, we decided to head into the Packer game a little early so we wouldn't miss kickoff.
Once we got into the stadium, Uncle Patty and I tried to hit-up the new Packer Pro Shop. One of the new Packer Pro Shop oddities is that it is under the Lambeau Field atrium. Unfortunately it seems like almost everyone else in the stadium had the same plan so we bagged it in hopes of getting to our seats in time for kickoff. Our original tickets were split-up two and two, which I traded for four tickets together in the north end zone, opposite the wall of sound.
The Jets kicked off to start the game. In their first snap from center, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers and rookie center Corey Linsley didn't connect, which resulted in a fumble that the Jets recovered. That started the wost quarter of football that I've seen the Packers play at Lambeau in my entire life as the Packers trailed the Jets 21-3 with just over 10 minutes left in the first half.
With how horribly the game started, I decided to walk around the concourse of the stadium to try to calm myself down...trust me, I know I have problems. As I chronicled in my review of the Packers/Eagles game from last season, Eagles fans are the biggest a-holes in the NFL but Jets fans are doing their best to overtake Eagles fans based on how they carried themselves in Lambeau. Instead of taking their good brakes in stride, Jets fans cheered with borderline vitriol, not a good look for such an underwhelming franchise.
The Packers added a pair of field goals (20-yard and 55-yard) via placekicker Mason Crosby to cut the lead to 21-9. The Jets were driving for a touchdown at the end of the first half when Jets quarterback Geno Smith threw a pass up for grabs as he was pressured by Packers defensive lineman Mike Daniels that was intercepted by Packers cornerback Tramon Williams right at the goal line. Given their offensive struggles, I thought the Packers might sit on the ball. Instead, the Packers put together a clinical 97-yard touchdown drive to end the half down just 21-16, which honestly felt like they were winning given how horribly the first 20 minutes of the game went.
At the start of the second half Packers head coach Mike McCarthy had possibly the biggest brain-fart of his tenure in Green Bay, which is a fairly long and illustrious list. The Jets looked to complete a 14-yard pass on 2nd and 8 from their own seven yard line. Somehow the Jets were unable to get organized following that play so they were forced to burn a timeout. Coming out of a full television timeout, which is at least two minutes, McCarthy challenged the play and lost. I get sometimes coaches are forced to throw a challenge flag in the heat of the moment but McCarthy's gaffe was the antithesis of heat of the moment. Everyone in the stadium got a million looks and knew not to challenge the call but somehow McCarthy didn't see these same replays.
Following a couple punts, thankfully the Packers went up 24-21 when Rodgers connected with wide receiver Randall Cobb for a touchdown and a two-point conversion in the end zone right in front of us. Following the two-point conversion, things got chippy. Muhammad Wilkerson, arguably the Jets best defensive player, threw a punch and got ejected. As Wilkerson walked off the field he did his best Hulk Hogan impression, apparently forgetting that he was playing on the road not at home. Those same a-hole Jets fans somehow defended Wilkerson, which tells you all you need to know about them.
At that point I thought the Packers were going to run away with the game but credit the Jets, they tied the game on their next drive thanks to a 52-yard field goal. The Packers responded on the next play from scrimmage with a beautiful catch and run that resulted in an 80-yard touchdown pass from Rodgers to wide receiver Jordy Nelson in the end zone right in front of us to put the Packers up for good.
The rest of the game was fairly ho-hum till the Jets scored what looked to be a game-tying 37-yard touchdown pass right in front of us. On the throw it looked like Williams went for the interception instead of knocking it down. I say "looked to be" because Jets offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg called a timeout before the play. By NFL rule only the head coach coach, which in this case would be Rex "Twinkle Toes" Ryan can call a timeout. In practice it is hard for refs to decipher voices so when they hear a timeout called they always grant it. Apparently Williams and some other Packer defenders heard the timeout as well because it looked like some of them were slow to react at the start of the play.
The Packers were able to stop the Jets following the timeout and run out the clock with their game clinching play...a 15-yard pass to Jordy Nelson on 3rd and 3. That is the kind of aggressive play calling that I would like to see more often from McCarthy given that the Packers have (arguably) the best quarterback in the NFL. Nelson finished the day with 209 receiving yards and a touchdown. If I had to hand out three game balls they would go to Nelson, Rodgers (25 of 42 for 346 yards and 3 touchdowns along with six rushes for 28 yards), and Daniels (5 tackles, 2 tackles for a loss, 2 quarterback hits, and a sack).
There really is nothing better than a Packers win followed by a Chicago Bear loss. The Packers/Jets game was a late afternoon kickoff and the Bears played on the road against the San Francisco on Sunday Night Football. Given how much trouble the 49ers give the Packers and the fact that they were opening their new stadium on Sunday Night Football at The Chaps, I thought it was a slam dunk that the Bears would lose...especially after the Bears collapsed at home last week against the underwhelming Buffalo Bills. We turned off the game at halftime because the Bears were getting beaten badly and their announcers are such homers even when the Bears are losing that we didn't want to listen them whine about losing to the 49ers for the entire 2nd half. Somehow the 49ers imploded and the Bears pulled it out so after two weeks, every team in the NFC North is tied at 1-1.
The Packers head on the road for two big divisional games against the Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears followed by a divisional game on Thursday Night Football against the Minnesota Vikings. If the Packers make any personal moves, check back for my thoughts, otherwise I will have my updated rankings to The 53 following their divisional trifecta.
More importantly, thanks to Gaber, Sug, and Uncle Patty for a great Cheesehead sports weekend, hopefully we can do it again early next fall.
Brewers tickets were actually tough to get for Saturday night not because the Brewers are fighting for a playoff spot but because it was Hank the Dog bobble-head night. Thankfully my buddy Gaber was able to score three tickets together in the upper deck down the first base line. We were late getting into the game so we missed the first pitch. As we made our way to the entrance, people were already leaving the game with their Hank the Dog bobble-heads in hand. Even though we were late, there was still a line to get into the game too because we had to go through metal detectors. Not sure if the metal detectors were Hank the Dog related or something else but that process delayed the first pitch.
In terms of the game itself, there was really nothing of note to report other than a bungled sausage race that saw the Brewers try to get Hank the Dog a victory. Unfortunately for the Brewers, Hank the Dog was overwhelmed so he didn't even run the race. Instead, a Brewer intern had to pick-up Hank the Dog and run him past the line in 6th place. Hank the Dog was about as impressive as the Brewers given that their pitching was sub-par and their offense was non-existent en route to losing 5-1 to the Reds.
After starting the season 27-15, the Brewers have been an average team, at best. Thankfully their pitching has been pretty good because their offense has really struggled following a hot start to the season. With each day, their playoff hopes continue to fade. I am not saying that I've turned the page on the Brewers yet but their inability to score runs is really testing my patience, which is why fans were probably more interested in the bobble head giveaway than the actual game.
After the game Gaber, Uncle Patty, and I headed back to my parent's place to catch-up and set our plan of attack for the main event of the weekend...Packers/Jets at Lambeau. We spent the night catching up about everything from our all-time favorite Milwaukee Wave players to family updates, which meant we only got a couple hours of sleep but still woke up with a hop in our step to start the pilgrimage north.Sug met us as we were picking up tailgate goodies at the Metro Market. I mention that because for those that have never had the privilege (you read that right), the fun starts in the meat section of the Metro Market in downtown Milwaukee. There are a ton of Mariano's with tasty sausages in Chicago but let's not forget that those fantastic meats got their start at the Metro Market in Milwaukee. It is great walking around the Metro Market with everyone, including the staff, wearing Packers gear. As I've said many times in this space, you really can't go wrong with any of the brat options besides the habanero cheddar. My favorites are either the jalapeno cheddar or the classic beer brat.
With a full cooler of beers and brats accompanied by some other tasties, we headed north. We made it up to Green Bay just around noon. We decided to park south of the stadium but not too close because traffic is a nightmare following the game. We had a beautiful day to throw the football and play bags. Thankfully Uncle Patty overcame a pulled muscle on his first throw of the day so we could whip the pigskin and bags around the parking lot as we feasted on brats. Given the issues we had getting into the Brewers game on time, we decided to head into the Packer game a little early so we wouldn't miss kickoff.
Once we got into the stadium, Uncle Patty and I tried to hit-up the new Packer Pro Shop. One of the new Packer Pro Shop oddities is that it is under the Lambeau Field atrium. Unfortunately it seems like almost everyone else in the stadium had the same plan so we bagged it in hopes of getting to our seats in time for kickoff. Our original tickets were split-up two and two, which I traded for four tickets together in the north end zone, opposite the wall of sound.The Jets kicked off to start the game. In their first snap from center, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers and rookie center Corey Linsley didn't connect, which resulted in a fumble that the Jets recovered. That started the wost quarter of football that I've seen the Packers play at Lambeau in my entire life as the Packers trailed the Jets 21-3 with just over 10 minutes left in the first half.
With how horribly the game started, I decided to walk around the concourse of the stadium to try to calm myself down...trust me, I know I have problems. As I chronicled in my review of the Packers/Eagles game from last season, Eagles fans are the biggest a-holes in the NFL but Jets fans are doing their best to overtake Eagles fans based on how they carried themselves in Lambeau. Instead of taking their good brakes in stride, Jets fans cheered with borderline vitriol, not a good look for such an underwhelming franchise.
The Packers added a pair of field goals (20-yard and 55-yard) via placekicker Mason Crosby to cut the lead to 21-9. The Jets were driving for a touchdown at the end of the first half when Jets quarterback Geno Smith threw a pass up for grabs as he was pressured by Packers defensive lineman Mike Daniels that was intercepted by Packers cornerback Tramon Williams right at the goal line. Given their offensive struggles, I thought the Packers might sit on the ball. Instead, the Packers put together a clinical 97-yard touchdown drive to end the half down just 21-16, which honestly felt like they were winning given how horribly the first 20 minutes of the game went.
At the start of the second half Packers head coach Mike McCarthy had possibly the biggest brain-fart of his tenure in Green Bay, which is a fairly long and illustrious list. The Jets looked to complete a 14-yard pass on 2nd and 8 from their own seven yard line. Somehow the Jets were unable to get organized following that play so they were forced to burn a timeout. Coming out of a full television timeout, which is at least two minutes, McCarthy challenged the play and lost. I get sometimes coaches are forced to throw a challenge flag in the heat of the moment but McCarthy's gaffe was the antithesis of heat of the moment. Everyone in the stadium got a million looks and knew not to challenge the call but somehow McCarthy didn't see these same replays.
Following a couple punts, thankfully the Packers went up 24-21 when Rodgers connected with wide receiver Randall Cobb for a touchdown and a two-point conversion in the end zone right in front of us. Following the two-point conversion, things got chippy. Muhammad Wilkerson, arguably the Jets best defensive player, threw a punch and got ejected. As Wilkerson walked off the field he did his best Hulk Hogan impression, apparently forgetting that he was playing on the road not at home. Those same a-hole Jets fans somehow defended Wilkerson, which tells you all you need to know about them.
At that point I thought the Packers were going to run away with the game but credit the Jets, they tied the game on their next drive thanks to a 52-yard field goal. The Packers responded on the next play from scrimmage with a beautiful catch and run that resulted in an 80-yard touchdown pass from Rodgers to wide receiver Jordy Nelson in the end zone right in front of us to put the Packers up for good.
The rest of the game was fairly ho-hum till the Jets scored what looked to be a game-tying 37-yard touchdown pass right in front of us. On the throw it looked like Williams went for the interception instead of knocking it down. I say "looked to be" because Jets offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg called a timeout before the play. By NFL rule only the head coach coach, which in this case would be Rex "Twinkle Toes" Ryan can call a timeout. In practice it is hard for refs to decipher voices so when they hear a timeout called they always grant it. Apparently Williams and some other Packer defenders heard the timeout as well because it looked like some of them were slow to react at the start of the play.
The Packers were able to stop the Jets following the timeout and run out the clock with their game clinching play...a 15-yard pass to Jordy Nelson on 3rd and 3. That is the kind of aggressive play calling that I would like to see more often from McCarthy given that the Packers have (arguably) the best quarterback in the NFL. Nelson finished the day with 209 receiving yards and a touchdown. If I had to hand out three game balls they would go to Nelson, Rodgers (25 of 42 for 346 yards and 3 touchdowns along with six rushes for 28 yards), and Daniels (5 tackles, 2 tackles for a loss, 2 quarterback hits, and a sack).There really is nothing better than a Packers win followed by a Chicago Bear loss. The Packers/Jets game was a late afternoon kickoff and the Bears played on the road against the San Francisco on Sunday Night Football. Given how much trouble the 49ers give the Packers and the fact that they were opening their new stadium on Sunday Night Football at The Chaps, I thought it was a slam dunk that the Bears would lose...especially after the Bears collapsed at home last week against the underwhelming Buffalo Bills. We turned off the game at halftime because the Bears were getting beaten badly and their announcers are such homers even when the Bears are losing that we didn't want to listen them whine about losing to the 49ers for the entire 2nd half. Somehow the 49ers imploded and the Bears pulled it out so after two weeks, every team in the NFC North is tied at 1-1.
The Packers head on the road for two big divisional games against the Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears followed by a divisional game on Thursday Night Football against the Minnesota Vikings. If the Packers make any personal moves, check back for my thoughts, otherwise I will have my updated rankings to The 53 following their divisional trifecta.
More importantly, thanks to Gaber, Sug, and Uncle Patty for a great Cheesehead sports weekend, hopefully we can do it again early next fall.
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
The 53 - Five Worst Contracts for 2014 GBP
Green Bay Packers general manager Ted Thompson finalized the first incarnation of The 53 on Saturday. I say first incarnation because much like last year, just a few days after finalizing The 53, Thompson shook up The 53. Last year Thompson made a change at backup quarterback, this year injuries forced Thompson to make changes at center.
Thompson normally is very deliberate in how he Builds The 53 but injuries have forced Thompson to change his approach over the last few years. In what feels like a flurry of off-season signings, Thompson signed not one but two free agents that played for other NFC North teams last season. Thompson favors the draft and develop method over splashing cash in free agency but with such meager returns from the draft the last few years (2011, 2012, and 2013), Thompson was basically forced to upgrade The 53 via free agency so let's not give him too much credit.
Thompson rolled over roughly $10 million in cap space from last season, which is very important given that he has just under $9 million in cap space right now. Although it looks like the Packers have a fair amount of salary cap room, they will need to use it wisely because they have a number of quality starters* and backups** that are set to become free agents this off-season.
Two years ago I dealt with the five worst and five best contract together. Since these posts get long, I decided to split them up last year into the five worst and the five best contracts on The 53. I am going to follow that same approach again this year. Today let's look at the five worst contracts on The 53:
5. Jordy Nelson (WR, $5.9 million, 5th highest cap charge on The 53): Going into this season the top three wide receivers on The 53: Nelson, Randall Cobb, and Jarrett Boykin were set to become free agents. There is no question that Nelson is the most accomplished of the three but he is also the oldest. Thompson signed Nelson to a four-year, $39 million extension with $11.5 million guarnateed on the eve of training camp, which is much richer than the four-year, $14 million contract with $5 million guaranteed that was set to expire at the end of the 2014 season. Nelson's cap number actually goes down next season to $4.6 but then jumps up for the following three years: $8.8 million in 2016, $11.5 million in 2017, and $12.5 million in 2018. Sure the cap is set to go up in 2015 or 2016 but that does not justify back-loading this deal as much as Thompson did. Given Cobb's injury issues, if he signs an extension with the Packers I would expect that it will be slightly less expensive than Nelson's recent extension but probably only a few million less. Boykin is the tougher call given that Thompson drafted three wide receivers in the 2014 NFL Draft that are borderline locks for The 53 in 2015. Unless Boykin takes a below market deal for a player of his caliber (e.g. only averages $2 million a year with very little guaranteed), I see him play playing elsewhere in 2015. Nelson has just the 16th highest wide receiver salary in the NFL this season, which makes his contract look reasonable this season so I hope you realize that this is more of a commentary on the structure of the deal as well as the depth that the Packers have at wide receiver as opposed to a shot at Nelson.
4. Derek Sherrod (OT, $2.1 million salary, 16th highest cap charge on The 53): When the Packers lost backup offensive lineman Don Barclay for the season it meant that Sherrod became the backup at left and right tackle. When right tackle Bryan Bulaga went down with a knee injury in the regular season opener on the road against the Seattle Seahawks, the Packers were forced to play Sherrod and he struggled mightily. I know that Seattle is arguably the toughest stadium to play in and the Seahawks are the defending Super Bowl champs but Thompson certainly expected more out of Sherrod when he drafted him with the 32nd pick in the 2011 NFL Draft. Unfortunately it looks like Sherrod is the second coming of Marshall Newhouse instead of Chad Clifton, which makes the long-term diagnosis on Bulaga's knee injury very important. Thankfully Thompson can let Sherrod leave via free agency after this season while the rest of the guys on this list are signed past this season.
3. Morgan Burnett (S, $4.8 million salary, 9th highest cap charge on The 53): Oh how the mighty have fallen. I was a total Burnett supporter going into 2013. In fact I liked Burnett so much that I actually had his four-year, $24.75 million contract extension with $8.25 million guaranteed that he signed before the 2014 season ranked as the 4th best contract on The 53 last season. This might be a bit of an over reaction to one bad season since Burnett and the rest of the safeties on The 53 last year struggled but now the Packers have two much more cost-effective options at safety in Micah Hyde (moved from cornerback to safety this off-season) and rookie Ha Ha Clinton-Dix (my reasonable draft crush from the 2014 NFL Draft). Given that Burnett is just 25 years old, I don't see Thompson cutting Burnett after this season unless Ha Ha and Hyde are absolute studs while Burnett completely struggles again this year but I wonder whether it will trigger a A.J. Hawk-esque pay cut down the road for Burnett if he wants to stay in Green Bay through the end of his contract that currently expires after the 2017 season.
2. Mason Crosby (K, $3.4 million salary, 15th highest cap charge on The 53): Before the 2011 season Thompson signed Crosby to a five-years, $14.75 million contract with $3 million guaranteed. Last season Crosby agreed to forgo guaranteed money with the option to earn the money back via performance bonuses because of how close he was to getting cut. Crosby put together arguably his best season in Green Bay but let's not forget that there have been a number of studies that show there is no year-over-year correlation between kicker performance. Thus a Top 5 kicker aka 2013 Crosby is just as likely to be a bottom five kicker aka 2012 Crosby. Right now Crosby is the 4th highest paid kicker in the NFL and sadly has regression written all over him for this season. If I were Thompson, next off-season I would draft a kicker late or sign an undrafted rookie free agent to create a kicking competition in training camp. If Crosby is out-kicked by the other kicker, the Packers would only have $600,000 in dead money if they cut him but would be able to save over $2 million in salary at the kicker position given that Crosby is owed $3.5 million in 2015 because a rookie kicker would make around $500,000. As you can tell, I hope 2014 is Crosby's last season kicking for the Packers.
1. Brad Jones (MLB, $3.9 million salary, 10th highest cap charge on The 53): I had Jones pegged for the worst contract on The 53 even before he was the single worst defender on the field against the Seattle Seahawks in the regular season opener. Last year I thought Jones only had the 4th worst contract on The 53 but Jones is now clearly in a race to the bottom with each passing day the three-year, $11.75 million contract that Thompson gave Jones continues to look worse and worse. Just to add insult to the salary cap, the Packers are paying middle linebacker Jamari Lattimore $1.4 million in 2014 to backup Jones. This off-season Lattimore is an unrestricted free agent. I don't see Lattimore breaking the bank this off-season but will mostly likely command enough that Thompson will have to choose whether Jones deserves a spot on The 53 or should make way for a Lattimore extension. I clearly favor Lattimore or even rookie Carl Bradford in 2015 over Jones. If Thompson doubles down on stupid by keeping Jones around for 2015, it will most likely be at the expense of Lattimore.
A special thanks to Sportrac for their detailed NFL salary numbers, which made this post possible. With the bad contracts out of the way, make sure to check tomorrow for my look at the five best contracts on The 53.
Footnotes:
* = Bryan Bulaga (OT), Randall Cobb (WR), John Kuhn (FB), B.J. Raji (DT), and Tramon Williams (CB).
** = Don Barclay (OT), Jarrett Boykin (WR), Jarett Bush (CB), Matt Flynn (QB), Letroy Guion (DT), DuJuan Harris (RB), Davon House (CB), Jamari Lattimore (MLB), Sean Richardson (S), Derek Sherrod (OT), Ryan Taylor (TE), and Scott Tolzien (QB).
| 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 |
Thompson rolled over roughly $10 million in cap space from last season, which is very important given that he has just under $9 million in cap space right now. Although it looks like the Packers have a fair amount of salary cap room, they will need to use it wisely because they have a number of quality starters* and backups** that are set to become free agents this off-season.
Two years ago I dealt with the five worst and five best contract together. Since these posts get long, I decided to split them up last year into the five worst and the five best contracts on The 53. I am going to follow that same approach again this year. Today let's look at the five worst contracts on The 53:
5. Jordy Nelson (WR, $5.9 million, 5th highest cap charge on The 53): Going into this season the top three wide receivers on The 53: Nelson, Randall Cobb, and Jarrett Boykin were set to become free agents. There is no question that Nelson is the most accomplished of the three but he is also the oldest. Thompson signed Nelson to a four-year, $39 million extension with $11.5 million guarnateed on the eve of training camp, which is much richer than the four-year, $14 million contract with $5 million guaranteed that was set to expire at the end of the 2014 season. Nelson's cap number actually goes down next season to $4.6 but then jumps up for the following three years: $8.8 million in 2016, $11.5 million in 2017, and $12.5 million in 2018. Sure the cap is set to go up in 2015 or 2016 but that does not justify back-loading this deal as much as Thompson did. Given Cobb's injury issues, if he signs an extension with the Packers I would expect that it will be slightly less expensive than Nelson's recent extension but probably only a few million less. Boykin is the tougher call given that Thompson drafted three wide receivers in the 2014 NFL Draft that are borderline locks for The 53 in 2015. Unless Boykin takes a below market deal for a player of his caliber (e.g. only averages $2 million a year with very little guaranteed), I see him play playing elsewhere in 2015. Nelson has just the 16th highest wide receiver salary in the NFL this season, which makes his contract look reasonable this season so I hope you realize that this is more of a commentary on the structure of the deal as well as the depth that the Packers have at wide receiver as opposed to a shot at Nelson.
4. Derek Sherrod (OT, $2.1 million salary, 16th highest cap charge on The 53): When the Packers lost backup offensive lineman Don Barclay for the season it meant that Sherrod became the backup at left and right tackle. When right tackle Bryan Bulaga went down with a knee injury in the regular season opener on the road against the Seattle Seahawks, the Packers were forced to play Sherrod and he struggled mightily. I know that Seattle is arguably the toughest stadium to play in and the Seahawks are the defending Super Bowl champs but Thompson certainly expected more out of Sherrod when he drafted him with the 32nd pick in the 2011 NFL Draft. Unfortunately it looks like Sherrod is the second coming of Marshall Newhouse instead of Chad Clifton, which makes the long-term diagnosis on Bulaga's knee injury very important. Thankfully Thompson can let Sherrod leave via free agency after this season while the rest of the guys on this list are signed past this season.
3. Morgan Burnett (S, $4.8 million salary, 9th highest cap charge on The 53): Oh how the mighty have fallen. I was a total Burnett supporter going into 2013. In fact I liked Burnett so much that I actually had his four-year, $24.75 million contract extension with $8.25 million guaranteed that he signed before the 2014 season ranked as the 4th best contract on The 53 last season. This might be a bit of an over reaction to one bad season since Burnett and the rest of the safeties on The 53 last year struggled but now the Packers have two much more cost-effective options at safety in Micah Hyde (moved from cornerback to safety this off-season) and rookie Ha Ha Clinton-Dix (my reasonable draft crush from the 2014 NFL Draft). Given that Burnett is just 25 years old, I don't see Thompson cutting Burnett after this season unless Ha Ha and Hyde are absolute studs while Burnett completely struggles again this year but I wonder whether it will trigger a A.J. Hawk-esque pay cut down the road for Burnett if he wants to stay in Green Bay through the end of his contract that currently expires after the 2017 season.
2. Mason Crosby (K, $3.4 million salary, 15th highest cap charge on The 53): Before the 2011 season Thompson signed Crosby to a five-years, $14.75 million contract with $3 million guaranteed. Last season Crosby agreed to forgo guaranteed money with the option to earn the money back via performance bonuses because of how close he was to getting cut. Crosby put together arguably his best season in Green Bay but let's not forget that there have been a number of studies that show there is no year-over-year correlation between kicker performance. Thus a Top 5 kicker aka 2013 Crosby is just as likely to be a bottom five kicker aka 2012 Crosby. Right now Crosby is the 4th highest paid kicker in the NFL and sadly has regression written all over him for this season. If I were Thompson, next off-season I would draft a kicker late or sign an undrafted rookie free agent to create a kicking competition in training camp. If Crosby is out-kicked by the other kicker, the Packers would only have $600,000 in dead money if they cut him but would be able to save over $2 million in salary at the kicker position given that Crosby is owed $3.5 million in 2015 because a rookie kicker would make around $500,000. As you can tell, I hope 2014 is Crosby's last season kicking for the Packers.
1. Brad Jones (MLB, $3.9 million salary, 10th highest cap charge on The 53): I had Jones pegged for the worst contract on The 53 even before he was the single worst defender on the field against the Seattle Seahawks in the regular season opener. Last year I thought Jones only had the 4th worst contract on The 53 but Jones is now clearly in a race to the bottom with each passing day the three-year, $11.75 million contract that Thompson gave Jones continues to look worse and worse. Just to add insult to the salary cap, the Packers are paying middle linebacker Jamari Lattimore $1.4 million in 2014 to backup Jones. This off-season Lattimore is an unrestricted free agent. I don't see Lattimore breaking the bank this off-season but will mostly likely command enough that Thompson will have to choose whether Jones deserves a spot on The 53 or should make way for a Lattimore extension. I clearly favor Lattimore or even rookie Carl Bradford in 2015 over Jones. If Thompson doubles down on stupid by keeping Jones around for 2015, it will most likely be at the expense of Lattimore.
A special thanks to Sportrac for their detailed NFL salary numbers, which made this post possible. With the bad contracts out of the way, make sure to check tomorrow for my look at the five best contracts on The 53.
Footnotes:
* = Bryan Bulaga (OT), Randall Cobb (WR), John Kuhn (FB), B.J. Raji (DT), and Tramon Williams (CB).
** = Don Barclay (OT), Jarrett Boykin (WR), Jarett Bush (CB), Matt Flynn (QB), Letroy Guion (DT), DuJuan Harris (RB), Davon House (CB), Jamari Lattimore (MLB), Sean Richardson (S), Derek Sherrod (OT), Ryan Taylor (TE), and Scott Tolzien (QB).
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.
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
The 53 - Packers miracle road win over Cowboys
The Green Bay Packers knew they had to win in order to stay in the playoff hunt with a record of 6-6-1eading into their Week 15 game on the road against the Dallas Cowboys. If the playoffs implications did not add enough drama to the Packers/Cowboys game for me personally, the fact that it was most likely the last Packer game my buddy Uncle Patty (aka Dirty Nasty) was going to watch with Sug and me in Chicago before he moves to Texas for a new job only increased my pregame nerves. We watched the Packers/Cowboys at Sug's place, where I used to live as well, so we've seen many memorable games there over the last seven years. Little did I know the Packers/Cowboys game was going to be the most memorable of them all.
After the first half the Packers trailed the Cowboys 26-3 and the three points came on a 57-yard field goal from Packer place kicker Mason Croby so it looked like our last game together was going to be a bust. I made a few comments ingest at halftime that luckily Packers head coach Mike McCarthy makes great in-game adjustments. Things were looking so bleak I even asked Sug and Uncle Patty whether the Packers should replace quarterback Matt Flynn with backup Scott Tolzien despite the fact that Flynn proved me wrong marching the Packers back to a tie against the Minnesota Vikings when Tolzien was ineffective.
Instead the Packers scored five consecutive touchdowns in the second half to put together the most improbable regular season comebacks in franchise history to win 37-36. By the end of the game we were drinking whiskey on the rocks and celebrating like we were three guys on The 53 for the Packers that helped beat the Cowboys.
I have a hard time remembering a single good play for the Packers from the first half other than Crosby's field goal but there are at least a dozen from the second half that I will remember for the rest of my life. Instead of doing my traditional post about the game with updated player rankings with comments, I thought I would rank the 10 best plays from the second half in reverse order by their impact on the final result:
Honorable Mention - Crosby's 57-yard field goal: As I discussed above, the Packers trailed 26-3 going into halftime and their only points came courtesy of Crosby's foot so it does NOT qualify for the Top 10 plays of the second half since Crosby made the kick in the first half. Thanks to that make, Crosby continues his stellar season now converting 30 of his 34 attempts. Besides missing two kicks against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lambeau Field in a loss, Crosby has been consistent all season making important kicks almost every game. In college Crosby kicked for the University of Colorado but has struggled when the weather gets colder so the next two weeks will determine whether Crosby kicks for the Packers next year since he will have to kick in frigid conditions at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, WI against the Pittsburgh Steelers and Soldier Field in Chicago, IL against the Chicago Bears.
#10) Williams INT Overturned (2:32 mark): With the Packers trailing 29-24, the Cowboys got the ball back with just over 12 minutes to play. On a 2nd and 5 from their own 25-yard line it looked like Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo's pass was picked off by Williams. Every turnover is reviewed by the head referee. Ultimately the refs overturned the call. Uncle Patty made a very astute comment saying that if that play happened in Green Bay the call most likely stands as an interception because refs are human so although they don't want to admit it, they might let the crowd impact their thought process ever so slightly. I initially thought that was a crazy notion but the more I think about it, the more I think Uncle Patty is correct and that the refs incorrectly overturned the called. Unfortunately the Cowboys moved the ball down the field once that drive got a second life and wide receiver Dez Bryant caught an impressive touchdown to put the Cowboys up 36-24 with just under eight minutes to play. What a swing, if the Williams interception stood the Packers most likely would have taken the lead, instead the Packers trailed the Cowboys by 12 points following that drive with just under 8 minutes to play.
#9) Nelson's One-Handed Catch (1:48 mark): Cheesehead Chick's first Packer jersey was wide receiver Donald Driver's home jersey. With Driver retired, I had to get her a jersey of a current Packer so I decided to get her wide receiver Jordy Nelson's home jersey. One-handed catches like White Lighting made against the Cowboys is just the tip of the iceberg of why that decision was a no-brainier.
#8) Quarless's TD Catch: The Packers lost tight end Jermichael Finley for the season and possibly his career Week 7 against the Cleveland Browns due to a horrific spinal cord injury, which made Andrew Quarless the nominal starter at tight end. Quarless has been fairly ho-hum all season until last week when he had a breakout performance with six catches for 66 yards and a touchdown for the Packers in their win over the Atlanta Falcons. With the Packers down 29-10, Quarless caught a 3-yard touchdown from Flynn to pull the Packers within 12 points. In one of the more random coincidences of the season, Quarless finished with the same exact stat line two weeks in a row against the Falcons and Cowboys: six catches for 66 yards and a touchdown.
#7) Starks's TD Catch: Rookie running back Eddie Lacy was out of the game when the Packers faced a 2nd and 11 at the Cowboy 11-yard line down 29-17. I hate to take anything away from running back James Starks but I think I could have scored on the screen pass to Starks given how well the offensive line blocked on that play. That play allowed the Packers to cut their lead to five points at 29-24 with 13 minutes to play.
#6) Jones's TD Catch (3:53 mark): There are very few players that quarterback Aaron Rodgers publicly called for general manager Ted Thompson to re-sign but Jones is one of those, which puts him in rarefied air. The knock on Jones throughout his career is that he has shaky hands but that has not been the case the last two seasons. Three plays at totally different points in the game by Jones were particularly impressive: his pregame catch, his first-half catch, and his second-half touchdown catch. There is a perception around the NFL that Rodgers makes his wide receiver but that perception might be changing given how well guys like Nelson, Jones, and Jarrett Boykin have performed for backup quarterbacks Flynn and Tolzien. Timing could not be more perfect for Jones because he is scheduled to become a free agent this off-season. Given that Jones is 29-years old, this will most likely be his last big payday so I expect to see him playing elsewhere in 2014 unless he takes a hometown discount.
#5) Lacy's TD Run: The Packers trailed 36-31 with the ball on first down from the Cowboy 1-yard line with 1:34 remaining in the game. The Packers lined up in a wishbone formation with defensive lineman B.J. Raji and Mike Daniels in the backfield to block for Lacy. There was no question that Lacy was going at some point. The real question was whether Lacy would score on first down or take a few attempts, which would force the Cowboys to use a timeout. With the Packers up 37-36, going for two was a no brainer. I would rather see a run play called instead of a pass play by McCarthy on the two-point conversion. If you don't believe me, since 2001 the two-point success rate via a passing play is just 44 % and while the success rate via a running play is 57 %. Let's not forget the guy that scored the touchdown either. Lacy is a freaking bowling ball that can carry defensive lineman two yards, which makes McCarthy's decision to call a pass that fell incomplete even more confounding. Luckily that decision did not matter thanks to the next play.
#4) Williams Acrobatic INT: With the Cowboys facing a 2nd and 1 on their own 29-yard line with 1:24 minutes remaining, Romo dropped back to pass and found Williams instead of his wide receiver. Originally the pass was called incomplete on the field but Williams immediately got up signaling for the Packers to challenge. Since the play occurred with less than two minutes in a half, only the booth can review the play. It looked like the booth was slow to buzz down so McCarthy took a timeout to give the refs more time. Get ready to read something that I unfortunately can only write a couple times a season. The decision to call a timeout by McCarthy was a smart in-game move because he actually thought on his feet. If we are being honest it is much more likely that McCarthy got advise from someone on his headset...see, I can still take a dig at McCarthy even when I am giving him a compliment. The refs gave the Packers the timeout back because the booth initiated the review just before the next play was run by the Cowboys. More importantly they overturned the ruling on the field so Williams sealed the victory for the Packers to them in the playoff hunt. I only ranked Williams's game ending interception as the 4th best play of the second-half, which shows you how crazy the second half was for the Packers.
#3) Nelson's TD Catch: By now we all know the Packers started the second half down down 26-3. After a nice drive thanks to a huge run by Lacy that I haven't covered yet, the Packers faced a 3rd and 3 from the Cowboy 13-yard line. When the ball left Flynn's hand, it looked like he threw a jump ball that gave Nelson a chance to make a play. Worst case scenario it is an interception and best case scenario it is a touchdown but most likely the pass falls incomplete. If the ball fell incomplete, the Packers would have settled for a field goal to make the score 26-6. Instead, Nelson plucked the ball away from the defender to pull the Packers within 16 points at 26-10. I can't understate how impressive of a play that was by Nelson. Again just another one of the 10,000 reason it made sense to get Cheesehead Chick a Nelson jersey.
#2) Shields's Athletic INT: Let me set the stage, the Packers were down 36-31 with just under three minutes to play and one timeout. The Cowboys faced a 2nd and 6 from their own 35-yard line. Instead of sticking with a run, which is what was called, Romo checked to a pass. Packers outside linebacker Clay Matthews got a free shot at Romo because of the blocking scheme called. Luckily Matthews missed Romo but hurried him enough to force a bad pass that was intercepted by cornerback Sam Shields. I've been on the fence about whether the Packers should break the bank for Shields given all the young depth they have at cornerback. Plays like the one just described are why the Packers ultimately have to back up the Brinks truck and pay Shields but make sure there are some strings attached because the Packers lucked out that somehow Shields did not get a penalty for throwing the ball into the stands following that play. That play reminded me of when Packers quarterback Seneca Wallace (since place on injured reserve) checked out of a run to a pass on Monday Night Football against the Chicago Bears shortly after he took over for injured quarterback Aaron Rodgers. I mention that play for two reasons. One, it feels like a lifetime ago that Rodgers was actually healthy and playing for the Packers. Two, you better be darn sure that you have the right defensive look if you are going to check from a run to a pass. Sure the Packers had nine in the box with no safety help over the top but I always judge those decisions on what I want the other team to do in that situation. The Cowboys were gaining 7.5 yards a carry so I would much rather see them throw than run given that an incomplete pass would stop the clock. Never in a million years did I think that play could result in an interception by Shields.
#1) Lacy's 60-yard run: The first play from scrimmage in the second half gave the Packers life they desperately needed given their struggles in the first half. Avid readers of this space know that I am critical of how much the Packers are paying fullback John Kuhn. If you watch this play again, you'll see a huge down field block by Kuhntang that turned Lacy's modest run into a game-changer. Heading into the 2013 NFL Draft I had a huge football crush on Lacy. With 141 rushing yards against the Cowboys, Lacy eclipsed 1,000 for the season to confirm my football love for Lacy. Given Lacy's injury history and physical running style he might have a short NFL career but there is no doubt that every time he touches the ball it will be fun to watch. Lacy's 60-yard spark plug run thanks to a big assist form Kuhntang is the most impressive on his NFL resume.
All of a sudden the palace to football that Cowboys owner Jerry Jones built is starting to look like Lambeau Field South given that the Packers won Super Bowl XLV over the Pittsburgh Steelers a few years ago and pulled off one of the most improbable regular season comebacks in NFL history in Jerry's Dome over the weekend. Just like Sug, UP, and I did sans all the drinks and going to a sausage-fest video game bar post-game, the Packers celebrated their improbable win in the locker room. Despite the fact that I just cherry-picked the 10 best highlights, do yourself a favor and watch the full game highlights of the Packers/Cowboys one more time.
In even better news, since the Detroit Lions lost at home to the Baltimore Ravens on Monday Night Football, the Packers now control their playoff destiny. If the Packers beat the Steelers at home next week and the Bears on the road the follow week, they will win the NFC North and host a home playoff game for the third year in a row. For the seventh agonizing week in a row we have to play the waiting game to find out whether Rodgers is medically cleared to play. Even if Rodgers is not cleared to play this weekend, I hope to see a healthy Rodgers under center for a relevant NFL game this season.
I will miss having Uncle Patty in Chicago for sure but what a way to go out. This weekend I am traveling to Dayton, OH with Cheesehead Chick to celebrate Christmas with In-Law Cheese. We are going to see the University of Dayton play USC in basketball in the early afternoon on Sunday at UD Arena. After the game we have to high-tail it to the nearest TV, most likely BW3's, to catch the Packers/Steelers game in the afternoon. I hope to see a Flyers win followed by a Packers win. Either way, make sure to check back in this space for my extended pre-Christmas thoughts on the Flyers/Trojans and Packers/Steelers games.
After the first half the Packers trailed the Cowboys 26-3 and the three points came on a 57-yard field goal from Packer place kicker Mason Croby so it looked like our last game together was going to be a bust. I made a few comments ingest at halftime that luckily Packers head coach Mike McCarthy makes great in-game adjustments. Things were looking so bleak I even asked Sug and Uncle Patty whether the Packers should replace quarterback Matt Flynn with backup Scott Tolzien despite the fact that Flynn proved me wrong marching the Packers back to a tie against the Minnesota Vikings when Tolzien was ineffective.
Instead the Packers scored five consecutive touchdowns in the second half to put together the most improbable regular season comebacks in franchise history to win 37-36. By the end of the game we were drinking whiskey on the rocks and celebrating like we were three guys on The 53 for the Packers that helped beat the Cowboys.
I have a hard time remembering a single good play for the Packers from the first half other than Crosby's field goal but there are at least a dozen from the second half that I will remember for the rest of my life. Instead of doing my traditional post about the game with updated player rankings with comments, I thought I would rank the 10 best plays from the second half in reverse order by their impact on the final result:
Honorable Mention - Crosby's 57-yard field goal: As I discussed above, the Packers trailed 26-3 going into halftime and their only points came courtesy of Crosby's foot so it does NOT qualify for the Top 10 plays of the second half since Crosby made the kick in the first half. Thanks to that make, Crosby continues his stellar season now converting 30 of his 34 attempts. Besides missing two kicks against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lambeau Field in a loss, Crosby has been consistent all season making important kicks almost every game. In college Crosby kicked for the University of Colorado but has struggled when the weather gets colder so the next two weeks will determine whether Crosby kicks for the Packers next year since he will have to kick in frigid conditions at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, WI against the Pittsburgh Steelers and Soldier Field in Chicago, IL against the Chicago Bears.
| 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 12) 6. T.J. Lang (G, LR 6) 7. Josh Sitton (G, LR 8) 8. Morgan Burnett (S, LR 7) 9. James Jones (WR, LR 10) 10. Evan Dietrich-Smith (C, LR 9) 11. B.J. Raji (DL, LR 5) 12. David Bakhtiari (T, LR 11) 13. Mike Daniels (DL, LR 13) 14. Tramon Williams (CB, LR 14) 15. Don Barclay (T, LR 15) 16. Jarrett Boykin (WR, LR 22) 17. Nick Perry (OLB, LR 16) 18. Brad Jones (MLB, LR 17) 19. A.J. Hawk (MLB, LR 18) 20. Micah Hyde (CB, LR 20) 21. Davon House (CB, LR 19) 22. Datone Jones (DL, LR 21) 23. Matt Flynn (QB, LR 29) 24. Tim Masthay (P, LR 23) 25. Andrew Quarless (TE, LR 34) 26. Mike Neal (DL/OLB, LR 24) 27. Johnny Jolly (DL, LR 25) 28. Ryan Pickett (DL, LR 27) 29. Mason Crosby (K, LR 28) 30. Jamari Lattimore (LB, LR 30) 31. Derek Sherrod (T, LR 31) 32. Jarrett Bush (CB, LR 32) 33. John Kuhn (FB, LR 40) 34. Brett Goode (LS, LR 33) 35. Jerel Worthy (DE, LR 26) 36. Sean Richardson (S, LR 36) 37. James Starks (RB, LR 35) 38. M.D. Jennings (S, LR 38) 39. Brandon Bostick (TE, LR 39) 40. Ryan Taylor (TE, LR 41) 41. Josh Boyd (DL, LR 42) 42. J.C. Tretter (C, LR N/A) 43. Scott Tolzien (QB, LR 37) 44. C.J. Wilson (DL, LR 43) 45. Chris Banjo (S, LR 44) 46. Andy Mulamba (LB, LR 45) 47. Lane Taylor (G, LR 47) 48. Jake Stoneburner (TE, LR 48) 49. Victor Aiyewa (LB, LR 49) 50. Nate Palmer (LB, LR 51) 51. Chris Harper (WR, LR 52) 52. Marshall Newhouse (T, LR 50) 53. 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, LR 16) 4. DuJuan Harris (RB) 5. Jonathan Franklin (RB) 6. Robert Francois (MLB) 7. Greg Van Roten (C/G) 8. Sam Barrington (LB) 9. Myles White (WR, LR 46) 10. Seneca Wallace (QB) 11. James Nixon (CB, LR 53) 12. Kevin Dorsey (WR) 13. Sederrik Cunningham (WR) |
| Cut |
| 1. Jeremy Ross (WR, Lions) 2. Jerron McMillian (S, free agent) 3. Michael Hill (RB, Buccaneers) |
#9) Nelson's One-Handed Catch (1:48 mark): Cheesehead Chick's first Packer jersey was wide receiver Donald Driver's home jersey. With Driver retired, I had to get her a jersey of a current Packer so I decided to get her wide receiver Jordy Nelson's home jersey. One-handed catches like White Lighting made against the Cowboys is just the tip of the iceberg of why that decision was a no-brainier.
#8) Quarless's TD Catch: The Packers lost tight end Jermichael Finley for the season and possibly his career Week 7 against the Cleveland Browns due to a horrific spinal cord injury, which made Andrew Quarless the nominal starter at tight end. Quarless has been fairly ho-hum all season until last week when he had a breakout performance with six catches for 66 yards and a touchdown for the Packers in their win over the Atlanta Falcons. With the Packers down 29-10, Quarless caught a 3-yard touchdown from Flynn to pull the Packers within 12 points. In one of the more random coincidences of the season, Quarless finished with the same exact stat line two weeks in a row against the Falcons and Cowboys: six catches for 66 yards and a touchdown.
#7) Starks's TD Catch: Rookie running back Eddie Lacy was out of the game when the Packers faced a 2nd and 11 at the Cowboy 11-yard line down 29-17. I hate to take anything away from running back James Starks but I think I could have scored on the screen pass to Starks given how well the offensive line blocked on that play. That play allowed the Packers to cut their lead to five points at 29-24 with 13 minutes to play.
#6) Jones's TD Catch (3:53 mark): There are very few players that quarterback Aaron Rodgers publicly called for general manager Ted Thompson to re-sign but Jones is one of those, which puts him in rarefied air. The knock on Jones throughout his career is that he has shaky hands but that has not been the case the last two seasons. Three plays at totally different points in the game by Jones were particularly impressive: his pregame catch, his first-half catch, and his second-half touchdown catch. There is a perception around the NFL that Rodgers makes his wide receiver but that perception might be changing given how well guys like Nelson, Jones, and Jarrett Boykin have performed for backup quarterbacks Flynn and Tolzien. Timing could not be more perfect for Jones because he is scheduled to become a free agent this off-season. Given that Jones is 29-years old, this will most likely be his last big payday so I expect to see him playing elsewhere in 2014 unless he takes a hometown discount.
#5) Lacy's TD Run: The Packers trailed 36-31 with the ball on first down from the Cowboy 1-yard line with 1:34 remaining in the game. The Packers lined up in a wishbone formation with defensive lineman B.J. Raji and Mike Daniels in the backfield to block for Lacy. There was no question that Lacy was going at some point. The real question was whether Lacy would score on first down or take a few attempts, which would force the Cowboys to use a timeout. With the Packers up 37-36, going for two was a no brainer. I would rather see a run play called instead of a pass play by McCarthy on the two-point conversion. If you don't believe me, since 2001 the two-point success rate via a passing play is just 44 % and while the success rate via a running play is 57 %. Let's not forget the guy that scored the touchdown either. Lacy is a freaking bowling ball that can carry defensive lineman two yards, which makes McCarthy's decision to call a pass that fell incomplete even more confounding. Luckily that decision did not matter thanks to the next play.
#4) Williams Acrobatic INT: With the Cowboys facing a 2nd and 1 on their own 29-yard line with 1:24 minutes remaining, Romo dropped back to pass and found Williams instead of his wide receiver. Originally the pass was called incomplete on the field but Williams immediately got up signaling for the Packers to challenge. Since the play occurred with less than two minutes in a half, only the booth can review the play. It looked like the booth was slow to buzz down so McCarthy took a timeout to give the refs more time. Get ready to read something that I unfortunately can only write a couple times a season. The decision to call a timeout by McCarthy was a smart in-game move because he actually thought on his feet. If we are being honest it is much more likely that McCarthy got advise from someone on his headset...see, I can still take a dig at McCarthy even when I am giving him a compliment. The refs gave the Packers the timeout back because the booth initiated the review just before the next play was run by the Cowboys. More importantly they overturned the ruling on the field so Williams sealed the victory for the Packers to them in the playoff hunt. I only ranked Williams's game ending interception as the 4th best play of the second-half, which shows you how crazy the second half was for the Packers.
#3) Nelson's TD Catch: By now we all know the Packers started the second half down down 26-3. After a nice drive thanks to a huge run by Lacy that I haven't covered yet, the Packers faced a 3rd and 3 from the Cowboy 13-yard line. When the ball left Flynn's hand, it looked like he threw a jump ball that gave Nelson a chance to make a play. Worst case scenario it is an interception and best case scenario it is a touchdown but most likely the pass falls incomplete. If the ball fell incomplete, the Packers would have settled for a field goal to make the score 26-6. Instead, Nelson plucked the ball away from the defender to pull the Packers within 16 points at 26-10. I can't understate how impressive of a play that was by Nelson. Again just another one of the 10,000 reason it made sense to get Cheesehead Chick a Nelson jersey.
#2) Shields's Athletic INT: Let me set the stage, the Packers were down 36-31 with just under three minutes to play and one timeout. The Cowboys faced a 2nd and 6 from their own 35-yard line. Instead of sticking with a run, which is what was called, Romo checked to a pass. Packers outside linebacker Clay Matthews got a free shot at Romo because of the blocking scheme called. Luckily Matthews missed Romo but hurried him enough to force a bad pass that was intercepted by cornerback Sam Shields. I've been on the fence about whether the Packers should break the bank for Shields given all the young depth they have at cornerback. Plays like the one just described are why the Packers ultimately have to back up the Brinks truck and pay Shields but make sure there are some strings attached because the Packers lucked out that somehow Shields did not get a penalty for throwing the ball into the stands following that play. That play reminded me of when Packers quarterback Seneca Wallace (since place on injured reserve) checked out of a run to a pass on Monday Night Football against the Chicago Bears shortly after he took over for injured quarterback Aaron Rodgers. I mention that play for two reasons. One, it feels like a lifetime ago that Rodgers was actually healthy and playing for the Packers. Two, you better be darn sure that you have the right defensive look if you are going to check from a run to a pass. Sure the Packers had nine in the box with no safety help over the top but I always judge those decisions on what I want the other team to do in that situation. The Cowboys were gaining 7.5 yards a carry so I would much rather see them throw than run given that an incomplete pass would stop the clock. Never in a million years did I think that play could result in an interception by Shields.
#1) Lacy's 60-yard run: The first play from scrimmage in the second half gave the Packers life they desperately needed given their struggles in the first half. Avid readers of this space know that I am critical of how much the Packers are paying fullback John Kuhn. If you watch this play again, you'll see a huge down field block by Kuhntang that turned Lacy's modest run into a game-changer. Heading into the 2013 NFL Draft I had a huge football crush on Lacy. With 141 rushing yards against the Cowboys, Lacy eclipsed 1,000 for the season to confirm my football love for Lacy. Given Lacy's injury history and physical running style he might have a short NFL career but there is no doubt that every time he touches the ball it will be fun to watch. Lacy's 60-yard spark plug run thanks to a big assist form Kuhntang is the most impressive on his NFL resume.
All of a sudden the palace to football that Cowboys owner Jerry Jones built is starting to look like Lambeau Field South given that the Packers won Super Bowl XLV over the Pittsburgh Steelers a few years ago and pulled off one of the most improbable regular season comebacks in NFL history in Jerry's Dome over the weekend. Just like Sug, UP, and I did sans all the drinks and going to a sausage-fest video game bar post-game, the Packers celebrated their improbable win in the locker room. Despite the fact that I just cherry-picked the 10 best highlights, do yourself a favor and watch the full game highlights of the Packers/Cowboys one more time.
In even better news, since the Detroit Lions lost at home to the Baltimore Ravens on Monday Night Football, the Packers now control their playoff destiny. If the Packers beat the Steelers at home next week and the Bears on the road the follow week, they will win the NFC North and host a home playoff game for the third year in a row. For the seventh agonizing week in a row we have to play the waiting game to find out whether Rodgers is medically cleared to play. Even if Rodgers is not cleared to play this weekend, I hope to see a healthy Rodgers under center for a relevant NFL game this season.
I will miss having Uncle Patty in Chicago for sure but what a way to go out. This weekend I am traveling to Dayton, OH with Cheesehead Chick to celebrate Christmas with In-Law Cheese. We are going to see the University of Dayton play USC in basketball in the early afternoon on Sunday at UD Arena. After the game we have to high-tail it to the nearest TV, most likely BW3's, to catch the Packers/Steelers game in the afternoon. I hope to see a Flyers win followed by a Packers win. Either way, make sure to check back in this space for my extended pre-Christmas thoughts on the Flyers/Trojans and Packers/Steelers games.
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