Gut Reactions: Week 6

Aaron's Gut Reactions to the Packers big victory over the Houston Texans

  • I don't know why it takes a bunch of adversity to bring out the best in McCarthy and company, but I'll take it.
  • Easily the most complete game this team has played all year.
  • You can't say enough about the job the offensive line did tonight. Rodgers had a clean pocket to work from nearly all game long.
  • Nice sack celebrations J.J. Watt. #scoreboard
  • James Jones has been the best receiver on the team, and had another excellent night, but it was great to see Jordy Nelson get back on track
  • Clay Matthews absolutely dominated this game. The Texans just had no answer.
  • Speaking of the Texans, I was absolutely shocked they came out throwing. I thought for sure they would pound the football early.
  • Here's hoping none of the injuries are serious. D.J. Smith's is the most concerning. Yes, Sam Shields has been playing well but 1) I think he'll be ok and 2) they have a bunch of raw but promising talent in the form of Casey Hayward and Davon House (getting healthy at the right time) to step in if he needs to miss a week or two. Nick Perry's injury can be withstood due to the play of Erik Walden and the promising Dezman Moses. Not so at inside linebacker where Brad Jones came in for Smith and looked somewhat lost.
  • I'm glad to see Rodgers "shushing" his "critics" with his play on the field. If he keeps playing like this the "critics" will keep being quiet.
  • All Tom Crabtree does is catch touchdowns in prime time games.
  • How about Alex Green? I said I didn't think the Packers would miss Cedric Benson and they didn't. I've been big on Green since he was drafted. Glad to see him deliver when he finally got his shot. He still needs a bit of work in pass pro, but that aspect of his game is clearly much improved.
  • AJ Hawk is playing out of his mind.
  • Randall Cobb quietly had a hundred yard game.
  • I can not get over how completely discombobulated the Texans' offense seemed. Capers certainly got in Schaub's head. Had him seeing ghosts a bit tonight.
  • Speaking of coaches and coordinators, Wade Philips is one of the best defensive coordinators in the game and Mike McCarthy completely took his defense apart. I know losing Cushing was a huge blow, but the Packers' offense was dictating from the start until the end.
  • Not noted nearly enough by myself and perhaps others: Tim Masthay is a bona fide weapon.
  • So now the 3-3 Packers head to St. Louis to take on the 3-3 Rams who are 3-0 at home. What was the Texans' record coming into tonight? I like our chances.

 

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Comments (48)

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packersplanet's picture

October 14, 2012 at 11:57 pm

I'm thing replacing Jones for Smith may not be a bad thing

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Jack's picture

October 15, 2012 at 12:03 am

Umm... why? I agree Smith has struggled some in pass coverage but he's done work at run-stoping and even some effective blitzing. Hopefully Jones can step up but I don't think he'll be an improvement

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Mike's picture

October 15, 2012 at 12:27 am

Maybe Lattimore instead. I think he's improved greatly and he's easily our best athlete at ILB and maybe the best blizter (after Bishop) as well!

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June's picture

October 15, 2012 at 12:28 am

It is definitely a bad thing.

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DrewTheDraftGuru's picture

October 15, 2012 at 05:02 am

IMO DJ Smith is clearly a step down from Desmond Bishop and Jones is clearly a few steps down from DJ Smith. I think the answer is Robert Francois if we need an ILB. Francois could be the best cover LB on the team.

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Sizzle's picture

October 15, 2012 at 07:55 am

I agree on Francois. Everyone is quick to point out how bad Smith is in coverage, but Hawk is not a whole lot better. Francois would free up Hawk from having to cover and let him stay close to the line of scrimmage.

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djbonney138's picture

October 14, 2012 at 11:58 pm

All I have to say is "YYYYEEESSSS!!!!!!!!"

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JarheadCheesehead's picture

October 14, 2012 at 11:59 pm

Running the football makes it easier to throw the football...remarkable. I'd really like to know what our record is against teams who taunt us with the Discount Double Check is...can't be in their favor.

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Mike's picture

October 15, 2012 at 12:29 am

Well...in big games it's a pretty damn good record. Most memorable is John Abraham in the 2010 SB run. But Watt double dipped and mocked both Aaron and Clay...thus can of whoop @$$ was unleashed!

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Annie's picture

October 15, 2012 at 07:48 am

Watching an angry Packer team play is a joy like no other!

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Kparis99's picture

October 15, 2012 at 07:58 pm

Is Rodgers belt celebration officially called the "discount double check" now?

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Bohj's picture

October 14, 2012 at 11:59 pm

Losing Cushing for the texans would be like losing....... I can't even say it. Jones critics. Sshhhhhhhhhhhhh. Rodgers is average critics. Shhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Hawk critics. Shhhhhhhhhhhhh. This is the NFL. Anyone can be beat. I like green bay with a chip.

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woodson4president's picture

October 15, 2012 at 12:04 am

Thats my boy Casey Hayyyyy! My best friends a cowboys fan n Hayward crushing Claibornes 0 picks this year with his 3! #NiceDraftPack

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BrianD's picture

October 15, 2012 at 12:09 am

Casey looked like the best corner on the team tonight. He's got great instincts. At least he's allowed to play close coverage with receivers. Seeing Tramon 3 yards behind his receiver every play got old tonight (not that it's his fault: might be the scheme but still)

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Bohj's picture

October 15, 2012 at 12:38 am

Give tramon a break. Single covering Johnson is like single covering megatron. It can't be done. And yet tramon did a pretty decent job given his assignment.

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RC Packer Fan's picture

October 15, 2012 at 08:07 am

Hayward looks like he could be getting his own island soon.

He has tremendous ball skills. Every week, I am more and more impressed.

How good can he be? I think within 2 years he potentially could earn a pro bowl spot. He has been glued to the receivers and just has the awarness to find the ball. Looking forward to seeing how he developes.

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NoWayJose's picture

October 15, 2012 at 12:04 am

Cobb was a stud tonight. Kept working on pass plays to get open for crucial conversions.

When the receivers win and the I line holds up , this team is still unstoppable.

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June's picture

October 15, 2012 at 12:30 am

Add Jennings back into the mix too..I can't wait

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woodson4president's picture

October 15, 2012 at 12:06 am

Oh yeah and yes AJ is playing "out of his mind" i agree!!

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Point Packer's picture

October 15, 2012 at 12:06 am

Tim Masthay is the best and most consistent punter I have ever had the pleasure to watch. Period. It is ridiculous how good that guy is.

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JDub's picture

October 15, 2012 at 01:04 am

I agree with this 100%. I can't remember ever seeing someone who can kick it as far and is so good at dropping it on the 10 yard line from anywhere on the field. Just amazing. So amazing. And he does it ever kick. Been a lot of bad punters in Green Bay. Is truly fun to watch a great one!

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Mojo's picture

October 15, 2012 at 12:10 am

D.J. Smiths injury look by far the worst. Have no idea about Saine and Shields. At least Perry was riding the bike afterwards.

Great win. Kicked their asses at home. Loved J.J. Watt at Wisconsin, but his theatrics quickly became annoying. Especially with his team getting it handed to them.

ARod, Nelson, Cobb and Jones not just good on the Good, Bad and Ugly list but great.

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Mike's picture

October 15, 2012 at 12:31 am

I think Perry and Shields will be fine. Perry looked to be joking around and Shields' was just a funky leg whip. Good thing House seems pretty healthy and Hayward has impressed though!

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Idiot Fan's picture

October 15, 2012 at 01:04 am

We're hitting the easiest part of our schedule, so hopefully Smith (and others) aren't out for the year and we'll have a chance to weather the storm.

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FITZCORE 1252'S EVO's picture

October 15, 2012 at 12:45 am

That folks was a "complete" team victory. Great to watch... No reason we don't rattle off a few in a row from here.

DJ's injury didn't look good, that's gonna hurt. He's not perfect, but he's born to play the position.

Officially not a Watt fan any longer. Didn't know he was so douchey.

This team needs to play with that level of intensity/swagger. The Rams will be ready to play.

6-3 three weeks from now. Book it.

GBP 4 LIFE

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Mojo's picture

October 15, 2012 at 12:54 am

Let's see Rodgers had six TD passes, no INT's over 300 passing yards but "only" a 133 passer rating. Thought for sure he'd be in the 150's.

And who would have thought we'd see Harrell in mop up duty. Great win.

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jbovegas73's picture

October 15, 2012 at 02:19 am

Yeah, but I would have liked to see Harrell throw the ball a couple of times ... Just to see if he can.

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buckyor's picture

October 15, 2012 at 08:05 am

At least he was able to hand it off successfully.

Baby steps.

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erikgj's picture

October 15, 2012 at 02:00 am

AJ Hawk has played great this whole season and looked very good tonight. Good guy playing well has helped the packers in need at the position.

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DrewTheDraftGuru's picture

October 15, 2012 at 05:04 am

This was a good win for the Packers, but it's getting overblown a bit. Houston was missing Cushing and they were clearly still learning to cope with the loss. Also, this would have been a much closer game had Houston not self-destructed with 3rd and 4th down penalties that kept giving us 1st downs and adding points on the board. I want to see this offense dominate when the opponent's defense isn't helping them out.

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WisconsInExile's picture

October 15, 2012 at 06:51 am

I think it's fair to say that the Texan defense melted down specifically because the Packers offense was having its way with them. In McCarthy parlance, it was poor "adversity play" on their part.

You need to also give credit to our defense, which stopped the league's most prolific running back cold in his tracks--without Raji. There's nothing to not like in this win except the injuries. The only question remaining is: will they do it again next week?

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keeley2's picture

October 15, 2012 at 07:11 am

Another phantom pass interference call on Shields - wondering who he pissed off at referee headquarters to get this kind of treatment?

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Evan's picture

October 15, 2012 at 07:26 am

That one was legit.

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NoWayJose's picture

October 15, 2012 at 10:11 am

I thought it was questionable, borderline at best. Looked like the WR fell down and Sam tripped over him in the end.

They COULD have called holding on him, but not PI.

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Evan's picture

October 15, 2012 at 10:22 am

I think we're talking about different plays.

I'm talking about the deep throw to the end zone where Shields got beat and grabbed the guy from behind.

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CSS's picture

October 15, 2012 at 10:29 am

I saw Sheilds reaching, but I didn't see anything that either altered or impeded the receivers route. The only thing that made it borderline was the lack of a turned head from the defender. If he turned his head the call goes from questionable to terrible.

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Evan's picture

October 15, 2012 at 07:27 am

The hit that took out DJ Smith: bush league, illegal or totally fine?

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Beep's picture

October 15, 2012 at 07:38 am

On the verge of illegal. As the announcers said last night, the league is starting to keep an eye on those plays. I wouldn't be suprised if the OT from the Texans hears from the league on that one.

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Beep's picture

October 15, 2012 at 07:52 am

Refreshing that all 3 sides of the ball showed up last night. Capers guys finally seized some opportunistic plays on D, and AR12 with a huge game to silence the critics.

Also, it won't show up on the stat sheet after one of Houston's numerous dumb drive-extending penalties, but Crosby hit a nice 39yd FG to build up a little confidence.

Gotta play to this level next week and destroy the Rams next week, we're out of give away games this year to still be playing down to the opponent.

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denniseckersley's picture

October 15, 2012 at 12:37 pm

We did surrender a (pretty meaningless) blocked punt, so I don't know if we can say special teams "showed up".

Cobb had some good returns though and the return coverage was very good.

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Tommyboy's picture

October 15, 2012 at 08:03 am

James Jones is looking great. Mike Neal has often been getting a greater push than B.J. Raji. What's next, a pick-six by Jarrett Bush?

Also, Tim Masthay is all-pro. You're right Nagler, he's been getting no love from anyone. I'm not sure why as the guy continually punts the ball "brilliantly" (one of your favorite words, AN).

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Ruppert's picture

October 15, 2012 at 08:25 am

This was just what the doctor ordered. A Rod had that swagger last night that he gets in dome games a lot of the time. That's what he didn't have last week.

And I'm as big of a Badgers/Packers co-fan as their is, but JJ Watt: You're an idiot.

Woe be to he who mocks the belt.

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T's picture

October 15, 2012 at 08:49 am

I love the new position the Packers created for Woodson and name fits.

The ODB (Outside Defensive Back) (Old Dirty Bastard)

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Jer's picture

October 15, 2012 at 09:00 am

Does it seems like McCarthy has Wade Philips' number? IIRC the Packers basically got Philips fired from the Cowboys after destroying them on MNF a couple years back.

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bryce's picture

October 15, 2012 at 09:20 am

"AJ Hawk is playing out of his mind." That's what I was thinking, when he stuffed Foster on that goal line play, whoa.

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PackersRS's picture

October 15, 2012 at 09:27 am

BOOOM!

The Packers exploded and so did my mind. Who is this guy #50 playing ILB? That's not Hawk. Getting to the hole in a hurry, wasting little motion, AND STOPPING THE BALLCARRIER IN THE SPOT????

1 - Matthews
2 - James Jones
3 - A.J. Hawk

The 3 best Packers this season.

Rodgers actually audibled INTO runs this game. MVP game, first time this year he made those throws that separates him from everybody else. Just a beautiful game.

This needs to be said. We would probably win the game anyway. And it's amazing that it wasn't us this time (despite the drops). But the Texans autodestructed themselves.

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Idiot Fan's picture

October 15, 2012 at 09:31 am

I thought Trent Dilfer made a good point talking after the game when he said that it wasn't necessarily game planning that killed the Texans - it wasn't like receivers were running free and wide open. They lost to players making plays. I think our offense is highly dependent on our receivers making plays. Early in the year the receivers have just been so-so; last night they were amazing.

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AndrewInAtlanta's picture

October 15, 2012 at 09:51 am

The Packers looked great and A-Nag used "discombobulated" in his gut reactions. What else is there to say? GO PACK!

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