Gut Reactions: Week 8
Aaron's Gut Reactions to the Packers' win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.
By PackerAaron
- Well, it sure wasn't pretty but they got it done.
- This looked like a team that had a boatload of starters sidelined with injury.
- I never want to see Aaron Rodgers taken off the field so that Tim Masthay can throw a pass ever again.
- DJ Williams finally gets a look...and drops it.
- The flag on House...I just don't know what the NFL wants him to do. Or how much longer I can watch this "new" NFL...
- Nice game from Brad Jones today. Forced fumble and his first sack of the season.
- After Worthy and Neal left with injuries, nobody up front could get any kind of push on defense.
- Tough day for Rodgers but it sure didn't seem like he had anywhere to go with the ball.
- Randall Cobb - when you need one yard, just get it. Don't dance looking for a big play.
- Did a slant route insult Mike McCarthy's mother at some point?
- I've been a big Alex Green fan but I'm not sure it isn't time to give James Starks another try. Green didn't have many openings, but when he did he missed a bunch of cutback reads, reads that would have given him some big yards.
- With a nod to Yoda, seeing Donald Driver in the endzone, brings warm feelings to my heart.
- Bob McGinn's anon scout was right about Jeff Saturday. He's not getting it done.
- That said, Bryan Bulaga is.
- This is a game Jermichael Finley should have taken over. Instead he disappeared.
- You could tell the Packers missed John Kuhn on third downs, both in pass pro and leaking out of the backfield for the checkdown.
- End of it all, it's a win. Yes, an ugly one, but a win. I'll take it.
- Time to get ready for the Cardinals. If you thought this skeleton crew that represented the Packers passing offense today had trouble moving the ball, just wait until they go up against Arizona's secondary. Hide yo wife and kids...
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Comments (81)
October 28, 2012 at 03:43 pm
Our offensive is the worst in the league at run blocking by far.
October 28, 2012 at 03:48 pm
That bears repeating :-).
October 28, 2012 at 05:30 pm
And have been for going on 8 or 9 years. Ridiculous.
October 28, 2012 at 11:09 pm
Define Insanity - doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a Run Game? How about some innovative new blocking scheme? Oh right, We have James Campen as our coach... Carry on, nothing to see here
October 29, 2012 at 06:29 am
I can't remember the Packers ever drafting a true RB in the first round.
We always get one via FA or trade when they are past their prime or just so/so.
I do think if we had any rb in the top 10 today, they would do just as well on our team.
October 29, 2012 at 01:38 pm
Brent Fullwood and Darrell Thompson. ugh
October 28, 2012 at 03:43 pm
Our offensive line is the worst in the league at run blocking by far.
October 28, 2012 at 03:53 pm
I agree with giving Starks a shot. I know the Packers are not a good run blocking team, but I have not been impressed with Green so far. 1.8 yards per attempt last week and 2.5 this week.
October 29, 2012 at 07:56 am
I agree... I thought the few touches that Starks had were effective. He brings a little bit of a different dimension compared to Green. I personally think both can be effective.
I would like to see Starks more in the 1st and 2nd downs and Green more in the 3rd down type of role. I think Green is a better receiver and is better in the open field where as Starks is better between the tackles. I know Starks has been hurt but I think we need to get him playing more and Green less.
October 28, 2012 at 03:53 pm
Any of you all catch Chris Canty's helmet-to-helmet on Romo?
If yes, can any of you explain to me why that didn't warrant a flag where House's hit did?
October 28, 2012 at 04:26 pm
The rule is called inconsistently.
October 28, 2012 at 03:57 pm
Just curious, who does everyone expect to be our starting center in week 1 next year? Saturday, EDS, or someone not yet on the roster?
October 28, 2012 at 04:02 pm
TT goes C in first round, WR in second.
Unless there's a stud OLB available.
October 28, 2012 at 04:13 pm
Supposedly weak crop at C this upcoming draft, and TT does not reach.
It's either Saturday, EDS, or Sampson Genus... Unless a young FA C opportunity pops up
October 28, 2012 at 04:20 pm
Sampson Genus
Sampson Genus? the guy that's not even on the PS any more?
Last year, at this time, I would have thought he had a chance. But after rolling shotgun snaps through TC, guess he didn't make much of an effort through the off-season to improve his game.
Shame. Though he was short, he was stout as hell...
October 28, 2012 at 04:21 pm
I know our coaches see these guys day-in and day-out, so I guess they know who is ready and who isn't, but that list doesn't inspire a huge amount of confidence...
October 28, 2012 at 06:37 pm
I looked at the draft web sites last week at centers and it is, reportedly, really weak. A player from Alabama who converted to C this year is the top prospect at Walter football. It is possible that there is not a center this year worthy of a first or second round pick. I can't see TT getting in a bidding war for a top flight C, but he is going to have limited options next spring.
October 28, 2012 at 06:42 pm
Move Lang over.
October 29, 2012 at 03:20 am
EDS. And we'll be fine.
October 29, 2012 at 08:07 am
Van Roten
October 28, 2012 at 04:00 pm
-Not that impressed with Saturday.
-Agreed, Green has issues with vision. I don't know why they don't use him on screens, traps and flat passes. The type of plays that would fit his skill set.
-Starks looked good in limited carries. Is Shannon Sharpe right about Arodge not getting along with certain players? Because I remember Arodge yelling at Starks on the field this preseason. The lst time Starks was seeing playing time.
-Another ugly miss by Crosby.
-Game balls to Brad Jones, James Jones, maybe even DD, Davon House and Dez Moses.
-This team goes into 'lulls' even when they don't have a boatload of injured starters. As we saw against the Giants last year in the playoffs.
-If we make a trade, get a C, not a RB.
October 28, 2012 at 04:07 pm
#12 may not get along with everyone on the team but he's not the one who decides who will be on the field.
October 28, 2012 at 04:10 pm
Is there any team with a backup center worth trading for? I have no idea but if we trade for an up-and-coming player, it may take some time for him to learn the offense. I just don't see TT pulling the trigger there, but I agree that Saturday has struggled a lot at times (and Rodgers will get hurt on one of those lapses if we continue to let the happen)!
October 28, 2012 at 04:00 pm
The one that stood out to me above was the comment about Finley. He couldn't hit water if he fell out of a boat right now. He is a liability in all phases and his blocking has dropped precipitously as well.
October 29, 2012 at 06:12 pm
I think Finley wants to play elsewhere. We should let him.
October 28, 2012 at 04:05 pm
-Oh yeah. Hawk bouncing off that tackle in the open field. That really sucked.
-Finley can't get it done anymore. I don't know if it's the knee, but the dude just doesn't have it anymore. Not worth the money.
-DJ Williams with a huge back breaking drop. Is Quarless ready?
October 28, 2012 at 04:24 pm
Yeah, he really hasn't shown the same flash since that knee injury. I'm loving that two-year contract TT gave him. It still gives Finley a year to turn it around, but if not, we're not on the hook for anything.
October 28, 2012 at 04:06 pm
AARON AGREE WITH ALMOST ALL YOUR COMMENTS JUST TELL US WE HAVE A DUM--- COACH.......
October 28, 2012 at 04:07 pm
Couldnt agree more on the Starks point. I know this guy has been injury prone, and he makes mistakes, but he just seems to have more burst than Green. Hits his lanes harder, seems to have better vision. Im not saying he is the guy, but we have won a Super Bowl with him as the main ball carrier. Might as well give it a shot, because Green's 2.5 yard average or whatever it is will not get the job done.
Rushing attempts are fine to a certain extent, but today it seemed like the Pack was starting on 2nd and 8 or 9 every series. Give Starks a chance.
October 28, 2012 at 04:07 pm
BJAX running up the back of an oLineman.
Whuh ?
October 28, 2012 at 04:12 pm
why does it look like our oLine wears 5 gal buckets, instead of cleats?
they bump around like a stall full of blind horses after hearing a rattlesnake.
October 28, 2012 at 06:12 pm
Lmao, that's a funny visual...
October 28, 2012 at 04:16 pm
That was the ugliest 2-score win I've seen in a while.
October 28, 2012 at 04:33 pm
I liked the creativity of the fake punt...ugly result- but - hey...now you force opponents coordinator to think a bit....and think about matchups.... with that said...maybe easier to teach Rodgers to punt than..... still, liked the nerve of it- a truly uniqe event in the NFL
tundravision
October 28, 2012 at 04:38 pm
Seems to me that the Packers were playing against a pretty banged-up Jaguar secondary that was already in the bottom quarter in the NFL. If James Jones, Jermichael Finley, and Randall Cobb can't give Aaron Rodgers places to throw against that kind of secondary, we'd better think twice about letting Greg Jennings go.
October 28, 2012 at 04:46 pm
Did you forget Jordy was out today too? Either player changes this game dramatically, but this game just showed Jones and Cobb aren't #1 talent yet.
October 28, 2012 at 05:26 pm
'Xactly
October 28, 2012 at 07:07 pm
And this is what I don't get about all the folks who are really high on Jones. Dude is what, 28 now? He's playing really well this year, but he still looks like a #3 to me, not just a #3 for the Packers. If it is Jones v. Cobb next year for #2, I know who I am pulling for.
October 28, 2012 at 07:25 pm
I really thought Jones was going to be HUGE today. All our guys seemed to have a hard time getting open. No way we can get rid of Jennings. Cobb, Finley and Jones had the opportunity to get to the next level today and couldn't do it.
October 28, 2012 at 04:41 pm
So lucky MJD was sidelined or we'd be looking at a loss. Ineffective gameplan paired with very little heart by the Packers offense.
Stinks the bears squeaked on out too.
October 28, 2012 at 04:46 pm
Bulaga is getting it done? Am I reading that right? He's been mediocre at best and down right terrible at worst this year.
October 28, 2012 at 05:11 pm
Yup ditto for Lang and rest of O.L.
October 28, 2012 at 08:11 pm
That run by green where he tripped for a loss was because bulaga was blown 3 yards backwards.
October 28, 2012 at 04:47 pm
You have to expect some level of problems when you've lost some top players in Jennings, Nelson, Woodson, etc.
October 28, 2012 at 04:59 pm
McCarthy should be ashamed of himself after today. His play calling is atrocious.
October 28, 2012 at 05:27 pm
Rodgers doesn't throw the slant well. Never has. His best throw is the deep out and the 7/9 routes. BF's bread and butter was the slant.
Different QB. Different Playcalling.
When does Benson get back?
October 29, 2012 at 12:45 am
Rodgers throw a MEAN slant. The guy can laser that route.
October 29, 2012 at 04:49 am
This is just not true. Aaron Rodgers is one of the most prolific passers against the blitz specifically because of his ability to hit the slant on his hot routes
October 28, 2012 at 05:39 pm
Anyone else hear about Packers pursuing a trade for Stephen Jackson?
October 28, 2012 at 06:27 pm
Who is Stephen Jackson? What team?
October 28, 2012 at 07:09 pm
No, but that would be cool. Who is the bait? Finley?
October 28, 2012 at 05:58 pm
Green, Grant, Brandon Jackson, Benson, Nance, Kuhn, Starks, etc. a collection of mediocre backs behind a group of less than adequate run blockers has resulted in a mighty poor running attacks the past few years.
Hard to believe with how well the Pack throws the ball that it can't even manage a mediocre running game.
October 31, 2012 at 03:16 am
Different schemes, different running backs, different lineman, and still the same result: running backs running into the backs of their o-line man while missing other openings.
At some point one has to wonder whether this isn't a coaching issue.
October 28, 2012 at 06:17 pm
Whew.
That bye week can't get here soon enough.
How is a defensive player to get an offensive player on the ground in the House instance? This game is getting so vagitized tha it really isn't the game I grew up loving. Pretty sad, and at times, pretty hard to watch.
GBP 4 LIFE
October 28, 2012 at 06:20 pm
Seems like we're rushing LB-bodies at full-sized offensive linemen -- usually with the offense having a man advantage. Even if we blitz, it's likely a LB -- so the 60-75 pound advantage of an offensive man still remains a decided mismatch.
Is it any surprise most any pedestrian QB has a career day against us ??
October 28, 2012 at 08:33 pm
A 3-4 team rushing its linebackers? The hell you say.
October 28, 2012 at 08:53 pm
Well, we're not really a 3-4 -- more of a nickel, with two DL and two LBs on the line.
I don't see much in the way of disruption or QB pressure.
As the game changes in favor of passing, maybe the defense needs to change as well: different personnel, different groupings, different coaching.
But don't let any of this take anything away from my appreciation of your glib reply!
October 28, 2012 at 10:03 pm
Normally this is totally true of course. Today however I noticed a lot more 4 down lineman than I can remember seeing since we went to the 3-4. That is until Worthy and Neal got hurt
October 28, 2012 at 06:58 pm
Rams RB.
October 28, 2012 at 07:02 pm
Green is a 3rd down back,Starks needs to be given the start,Finley is a total waste and proved it..again.
October 28, 2012 at 07:10 pm
Heading to Lambeau next week. I'm calling McCarthy tomorrow. With all of the injuries piling up he might need a running back or a receiver or something. My seats are o.k. but it would be cool to be standing on the sidelines.
October 28, 2012 at 07:16 pm
How stupid was Finley's shark fin dance after that catch? And he does it after dropping yet another pass that hit him in the hands.
I've defended and rooted for the guy through thick and thin. But the act is getting old. Stfu and play football.
October 28, 2012 at 08:11 pm
"How stupid was Finley’s shark fin dance after that catch?"
I thought it was incredibly stupid.
It was some mega-combo celebration more akin to a game winning play: you had your basic shin-drag/scuff-toe, then the "fin," the run down-field, followed by the overly theatrical first down indication. I wouldn't have been surprised if he got flagged for unsportsman-like conduct.
I felt embarrassed.
It seemed much more "me-first" than anything team-oriented.
And this guy, a fifth year player.
October 28, 2012 at 11:04 pm
Exactly
October 28, 2012 at 07:18 pm
Two disturbing trends this year. A lot of people rightly mentioned the horrible running game. But on the other side, the defense has a very anemic pass rush. A scout said to McGinn prior to this game that if the Packers didn't sniff 8 sacks this game somethings wrong. Well somethings wrong. Even when they blitz they rarely get home.
Outside of the win, I can't think of anything positive from this game. The Packers look very beatable. Apt this game was played near Halloween as they went through this game looking like zombies.
October 28, 2012 at 09:06 pm
Any word on when Perry comes back, or is this another "Mike Neal" scenario, where the team's gonna keep telling us he's day to day for weeks, then we find out the injury is "significant?"
Wouldn't mind seeing a little Dez Moses in there.
October 28, 2012 at 09:12 pm
You mean the anemic pass rush that leads the nfl in sacks?
October 28, 2012 at 11:03 pm
I would be easier on the pass rush this game..Perry, Worthy, Neal were all hurt at some point in this game.
October 28, 2012 at 07:39 pm
After reading all the comments here, I'm even more bummed out that we lost. Oh wait...
October 28, 2012 at 08:16 pm
Houses block with a Moses recovery was sick! Nice combo.
October 28, 2012 at 08:46 pm
The defense played.....vanilla. Too much passive zone. The only reliable target the Jaguars had was Shorts and they did very little to take him away. The last couple of games Capers has been moving Matthews around like the queen on a chessboard. Today he had him rush from the edge entirely too much. With that being said a little reality check here. The defense, for all intents and purposes, held Jacksonville to 3 FGs....9 points. While the TD by the Jags counts against the defense the offense put them in a terrible position and they nearly held tough. The abysmal performance goes to the offense today. Minus a blocked punt for a score the offense only put up 17 points against a horrific Jacksonville defense. Is there one All-Pro caliber defender on this Jacksonville team? In their 3 loses this season the opposing defenses have at least 1 All-Pro defender (Willis, Bowman, Rogers, Smith from San Fran, the entire secondary of Seattle, Freeny from Indy). Name me one guy on the Jacksonville defense. As is the case each and every time with McCarthy/Rodgers impatience gets the best of them. The Jags spent a lot of time in 2 high looks and we very rarely used any routes to control the under coverage of the defense. Rodgers held the ball too long looking to push the ball vertical again and he paid the price. Does it hurt to lose your #1 and #2 receivers? Yes.....BUT make no mistake about it....a true WCO is designed for plug-in play. That is...it's not designed to feature one player. As the master of the offense, Bill Walsh, said, the offense is built for efficiency, not a talent showcase. Great talent can increase the potency of the WCO. Teams with lesser talent on the field than the one the Packers had today have been able to generate more efficiency than what was shown today. This is concerning. Gone was the 3 step drop quick game of slants and and speed outs. Gone was the stick route and stick-nod companion. Perhaps he was playing it safe. However, if McCarthy and company come in to next week with a plan to push the ball vertical and only vertical against 2 high looks the Packers will lose. This isn't about the running game. The Packers didn't tear it up against the Texans and Rams and moved the ball at will, granted vs. different schemes. While the running game is important to improve, it was not the main culprit in today's poor offensive performance. Make no mistake about it....this about Rodgers and McCarthy and the impatience they display all too often when running this offense.
October 28, 2012 at 09:09 pm
Agreed. I also don't feel MM gets his team ready to play 60 minutes. It's something that's followed him the whole time he's been here.
And why are they holding Starks out?
Today the offense hung the defense out to dry, repeatedly.
Fortunately, we were able to win, but I don't feel good about what happened.
October 29, 2012 at 01:44 pm
I have a whole slew of "whys" for McCarthy. Why has the tight end been virtually eliminated from the game plan. Why aim the running game at it's weakest point play after play. Why are all the receivers so deep with no outlet for Rodgers.
November 01, 2012 at 07:35 pm
I wouldn't be surprised if Starks were having some real protection issues. This would keep him off the field. If I recall correctly, his protection was not that great; how much worse is it today given his long layoff from injury?
October 28, 2012 at 09:11 pm
Here's another thing I don't understand. You have coaching knowledge, so perhaps you can shed some light.
Why are they trying to jam Green up the middle? Dude obviously doesn't have the vision to see the holes opening up side to side.
Not only that, he slips and falls more than any RB I've ever seen.
Anyway, why don't we see more screens, traps, draws and swing passes in the flat? This dude can be like magic in the open field, so why are we pounding him into the pile for 1.8 and a cloud of dust?
October 28, 2012 at 09:19 pm
"Make no mistake about it… this about Rodgers and McCarthy and the impatience they display all too often when running this offense."
Impatience? I'm thinking stubbornness.
October 28, 2012 at 09:31 pm
McCarthy believes that the faster you score, the more scoring attempts you will get in a game. And there is a facile truth to it. However, the faster you go three and out, the more three and outs you can have in a game. I wish someone would point this out to him.
October 29, 2012 at 01:38 pm
Agreed. I don't understand the game planning. I don't understand why the tight ends have virtually disappeared from that plan. I don't understand running the ball at your weakest point constantly. What the hell is going on?
October 28, 2012 at 09:24 pm
does mike neal get hurt every game?! dear god!
October 29, 2012 at 11:47 am
"You are not sure how long you can watch this new NFL?? HA! What else are you going to watch, the NBA??"
Sincerely,
Roger Goodell
October 29, 2012 at 01:09 pm
Did we win? Consider that no team is sky-high for every game. Perhaps they should be, but it just doesn't happen. What concerns me is the bigger picture. The Packer offensive line has historically been up and down in spite of having above average talent. Just when you think they can't block, they follow it up by a good game. Any player can individually have a bad day, but the mystery is that the whole unit takes games off. I have to blame Campen, especially when he doesn't have Philbin to help. These guys obviously, don't have a high enough level of accountibility.