Steelers: 37 Packers: 36
By Aaron Nagler on Dec 21, 2009 with 32 Comments
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Aaron Rodgers, Clay Matthews, Jermichael Finley |
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Mason Crosby, Dom Capers, Brandon Chillar |
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Jarrett Bush |
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Filed Under: Good Bad Ugly
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I nominate the fellow named “Dropped Passes” for the ugly…or bad. And I swear McCarthy was playing for a FG when he ran Brandon Jackson on 3rd down right before Crosby’s latest miss.
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Still can’t wrap my brain around the defense on that last play…the whole final drive, really, but the defensive call on the final play does not compute.
The lack of good replacements at CB/S after the Harris/Lee/Blackmon injuries, combined with Mason Crosby sucking at life = a first round exit vs Eagles/Vikes/Cardinals.
Bad luck. This sucks.
I agree Bearmeat. But anything can happen in the playoffs…
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Let’s just get there first.
True – but I am reasonably hopeful that we’ll beat the Seabags next Sunday. With the mess that is the 3 team race in the NFC East, that means they’re in…
Ummm…the Vikings have been **blown out** in two of their last three games and the Cards just struggled to squeak past the Lions.
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Philly looks like the best team in the NFC right now.
Jarrett Bush and Josh Bell are like lumps of coal in your stocking for xmas. I really hate three man rush. Has it ever worked late in a game?
What about Josh Bell??? He should have stayed at Denver… or remained an unwanted free agent….
I would have put Brandon Chillar on the Ugly (2 penalties on a play + poor coverage)… What the f*** were they thinking about when they extended his contract this week (before anybody else)?…
Finally, I think Capers used his psycho defense too much. Apart from the suprise effect, this defense is no longer effective. Did you notice how Big Ben was confortable every time they blitz in the middle after calling a psycho defense?
Josh Bell had good coverage on the final play – esp as he was expecting safety help which never came. Just a great throw and catch. I blame Capers for giving Big Ben all day more than I blame Bell.
With 8 in coverage and only 5 receivers available, why wasn’t there any zone coverage in the end zone to support the man-on-man guys. There should have someone in front of that play. Where the hell was he?
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The biggest problem, however, was the 502 yards passing. Was this an anomily or has the defense been exposed? I hope it was the former.
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Next week is a must game. They’ve got to come out with a vengence and put Seattle away early.
First off, I think Crosby isn’t in the Ugly because it’s inherent, right?
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And second, bearmeat, the fact that it can happen should be enough for the management to take an attitude, and gives fans all the right to fear. However, looking at the circumstances of the game, it’s highly unlikely that it’ll happen, starting with the fact that it’ll be a playoff game, and not an almost meaningless game like this one.
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I doubt Capers and the D will put the fate of another game in the incompetent hands of Ahmad Carroll, I mean, Jarrett Bush.
wow what a great and horrible game, first off mason crsoby needs to go, we would have won that game if that idiot could have made that field goal.
secondly did anyone see if Ryan Pickett played? I didnt see him in there
Third it seemed like the zebras were in the hip pocket of the steelers. That was a gut renching loss but it doesnt put us out of the playoffs, we still have hope that we beat the seahawks and root for a giants loss tonight
Aaron, no he didn’t. http://www.jsonline.com/sports.....61282.html
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He was supposed to play underneath Wallace. That was the design of the play. He blew it.
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I think assignments are easier to correct than plain awful ball skills, but still, it’s bad.
I just loved it when the announcers said that the Pack was getting close to “field goal range.” As long as Crosby is a Packer, they will never be in “field goal range.”
That final drive was a carbon copy flashback to last year’s defense. And overall, the game was a brutal gut punch right up there with the Vikings defeats.
But miscues aside (missed FG, J.Bush, dropped passes) this is a team that is BATTLING! And Aaron Rodgers is being protected (for the most part). If we get into the playoffs we will be dangerous.
This loss might just make us tougher!
Beat. The. Seahawks.
Packers RS – that’s why I watch the tape rather than rely on the meida and coachspeak. Go back and watch the play again. Where the hell is this supposed ‘safety help’? Where is Bigby? He’s not even close to the play. Tony Dungy said the same thing last night – that’s on the safety not getting over to help. Bell played the way he did because he saw he was one-on-one. He just needs to get his head around and that’s his play to make.
The Good should have Jones and Nelson in there, And Jennings was actually catching balls so maybe him too. Strong Safety Bigby usually doesn’t usually play corners so that’s a Capers mistake on Bells one-on-one issue, but Bell played good aginst a great throw and catch. Capers played a weak game again just like he did for the Queens games.
Jarrett. Bush. {sigh} I give up.
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I’m nominating a play for the Good. That Grant draw-play TD was a great playcall, a great run, and had great blocking by Jordy Nelson downfield.
I’m inclined to believe Capers about how Bell was supposed to be underneath. I think it’s a bit of a stretch to say Bell somehow figured out in the middle of the play that a safety was late/nonexisent in coming over. What’s that Belichick says…do your job? Bell’s job was to be underneath.
Can’t believe you didn’t give MM a courtesy “Good”. He had some creative and effective plays going and his offense got 22 points in the 4th quarter. He kept his cool and made smart calls.
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I’m curious what it’d take for you to ever give him a good. Would he have to run on the field and run it himself?
I thought overall Jordy played solid ball, but definitely could have missed something. And, I know you can’t base your rating on one hit, but that hit Atari Bigby had was a monster. It happened at the perfect time.
Put anyone that couldn’t catch the ball on the bad or ugly list too. How many dropped passes did we see this game and this season ? They need to get that fixed or we will be one and done in the playoffs.
Yes, we lost, and pretty much due to problems that have been consistently criticized ‘all season’ on this blog and so hardly need repeating (even though I disagree with those who think complaining somehow makes you less than a true fan- yada, yada). The worst part for the Pack was it handed the Vikes the Division.
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But I have to say, that was one exciting shoot out, knock down, drag out game that makes watching football so much fun.
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As for this game, it really didn’t cause me to loose any less hope as the playoffs approach. The Packer players, on the most part, as a team, never gave up or quit right down to the last second. They did make multiple mistakes (penalties, penalties, missed coverage, field goal, etc.,) but it always looked like they were doing everything they could to win… e.g. they were maxing out all the talent they had… it may not be enough to win in the playoffs but it at least looks like they will go down fighting hard as a team …. and that attitude alone is sometimes enough to steal the victory (they just have to get the Offense and Defense to have a good game during the SAME game).
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When I see the Saints loose to Dallas, Vikes to Panthers and AZ almost to Detroit… I know there is hope.
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And after all, it is Christmas ! (and the Packer are heavily favored in their next battle!)… but not even Christmas is enough for me to put MM on the good list as someone suggested..lol
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Merry Christmas!
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DD and Packers RS – the Problem the Packers are going to have with potent passing teams is obvious. Woodson and Tramon can at least earn a “draw” with the best WR’s in the league. Collins is great and Bigby is ok. My worries start when teams go to 5 wide on us. THEN the injuries to our CB’s start to show. Bell and Bush are hopeless. Between them, and Crosby – I have very little hope we can beat AZ/MIN/NO/PHI at their place in the playoffs. I only hope Capers can adjust….
“Packers RS – that’s why I watch the tape rather than rely on the meida and coachspeak. Go back and watch the play again. Where the hell is this supposed ’safety help’? Where is Bigby? He’s not even close to the play. Tony Dungy said the same thing last night – that’s on the safety not getting over to help. Bell played the way he did because he saw he was one-on-one. He just needs to get his head around and that’s his play to make.”
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The fact that Bigby wasn’t there doesn’t change the fact that he was supposed to play underneat, and he didn’t. That he blew his assignent, and that if he hadn’t, the ball wasn’t completed.
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Two wrongs doesn’t make one right.
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I do think that Bigby also blew it, because Bell was the weak link, and should’ve get help all the way. But still, horrible play by Bell, that can’t be changed.
PackersRS – we’ll agree to disagree here – Bell played the situation as best he could. He plays underneath, with no safety help, Ben lobs it over his head for a much easier TD.
Kickers holder Question – Wouldn’t it make sense for a right footed kicker to have a left handed holder? I’m right handed and would probably screw up 90% of those hold and sets if I was catching and placing that ball primarily with my left hand.
O-Line should be in the good. They gave up some hits and pressures early, but they settled down and only gave up the one sack on the busted screen play.
Aaron, please clarify something. Are you suggesting that Capers was lying, and he did NOT call for Bell to play underneath with safety help over the top?
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Or are you suggesting that Capers DID make that call, but Bell took it upon himself to make an adjustment to play back when Bigby didn’t show up?
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I think Capers DID make the call and Bigby didn’t show up. I contend that Bell still should have let the WR go by him somewhere around the goal line. If he does that, a QB dropping that pass over the top from 25+ yards away is a tough, tough, throw.
Ruppert: “are you suggesting that Capers DID make that call, but Bell took it upon himself to make an adjustment to play back when Bigby didn’t show up?”
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Yes – though it’s much more complicated than that, as I’m sure you are aware.
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Capers is trying to protect his starting Safety from criticism – which I completely understand. The guy was on the same side as Bush AND Bell – I mean, who do you NOT try to help in that situation? Just hate the call all around and I REALLY hate that they had Woodson in the middle playing some pseudo-safety role. He needs to be locked up out on the edge.
Packsmack – I actually had Scott Wells in for Finley. Probably should have left it at that – he and Rodgers did an amazing job setting the protection all day long.
Okay. Fair enough. I can’t blame Bell too much just because he DID have good coverage, and it really took a perfect pass and perfect catch to score.
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I just find so many things on that last play to be mind boggling. Matthews in coverage? Woodson just wandering around? I mean, we basically had one guy in the left-hand 1/3 of the end zone…Bell. Huh? I don’t even mind that we didn’t blitz everybody, but if you’re NOT going to do that, you almost literally need to put 7 or 8 guys scattered around the end zone. Just so bizarre.
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We should really focus our hate on Mason Crosby.
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In this morning’s Journal, Butler sez that Bell should have been inside on that play so he could force the receiver toward Bigby. Seems reasonable, and would explain why Bigby seems too far away from the play.
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Not seeing Crosby’s upside here. Dallas signed Suisham for a second tour. Not that it matters at this point, but maybe they would have taken Crosby, who isn’t as bad as Folk.