Green and Bold: Like It or Not, It's Brett Hundley's Time

Packers quarterback Brett Hundley has spent the last three years training for one thing and one thing only: to be able to step into the starting quarterback position should anything keep Aaron Rodgers from fulfilling that role. 

Imagine, for a moment, that you have worked at a company for three years when the employee just above you—your department head—has to take an unexpected leave of absence. 

You perform essentially the same job functions as this employee, but you hold less responsibility and you earn a lower salary. You don't work with other department heads nor with upper management; the more senior employee, to whom you report, does that. 

So now your company has to replace this worker. Within the organization, it's clear that you're the person best suited for the job.

You have trained under this department head, and you feel you can demonstrably perform all the same tasks required of him, though you bring a different level of experience to the position.

You are already a member of this company, which has invested in you, and even though there might be outside candidates who have different skills or can bring more senior-level leadership to the role, no one knows the inner workings of the organization like you do. 

Clearly, you would expect to be asked to step into this role, and most of your coworkers would expect you to, as well, as would any reasonable outside person to whom the situation was explained.

If the company brought in another candidate to fill this position, it would be seen as inefficient and ill-advised, given your intimate knowledge of the organization—not to mention a slap in the face to you. 

You can see where this is going. 

Packers quarterback Brett Hundley has spent the last three years training for one thing and one thing only: to be able to step into the starting quarterback position should anything keep Aaron Rodgers from fulfilling that role. 

He has attended head coach Mike McCarthy's offseason quarterback school. 

He has been in the same quarterback room as Rodgers, scouting opponents and internalizing the playbook. 

He has had a front-row seat to study the preparation and playing style of one of the best ever at the position. 

And now it's his turn to put all that together on the field. 

“I’ve been preparing for this moment for a long time now,” Hundley said at the podium on Sunday after stepping in to replace an injured Rodgers. 

We all saw how it went. Hundley completed 54.5 percent of his passes, totaling 157 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions in the 23-10 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. 

It's crucial to remember a few things, however, before analyzing that stat line—one, Hundley was executing an offensive game plan not designed for him; two, Hundley works with the scout team, not the first-team offense, during the week; three, Green Bay suffered three losses along the offensive line which made Hundley's task enormously difficult. 

But, obviously, the performance gave some viewers and analysts alike pause, sparking discussions along the entire spectrum from the Packers should bring in a young quarterback for depth to the Packers should bring in a street veteran to start in place of Hundley. 

How does McCarthy feel about that latter idea? 

If you saw his press conference on Monday, you have an idea. Hint: he's not happy

"It's a quarterback room that has structure and has a philosophy behind the development of it," McCarthy said in his presser as he tried to make it clear that Hundley is the No. 1 moving forward. 

Apparently, that wasn't clear enough, as a reporter followed up with a question about possibly bringing in veteran quarterback Colin Kaepernick.

"Did you just listen to the question I just answered?" McCarthy, clearly heated, responded. "I've got three years invested in Brett Hundley, two years invested in Joe Callahan, the quarterback room is exactly where it needs to be, okay?"

Okay, coach. 

Be it Kaepernick, Scott Tolzien, Tony Romo...it doesn't matter. No outsider has trained for this moment inside the system more than Hundley. And, finally, this week he is training as the first-string quarterback, with the first-team offense, with a game plan tailored to his strengths, with the playbook sectioned off for him. 

(The Packers did sign free-agent quarterback Jerod Evans to the practice squad on Tuesday.)

Putting aside all the other variables, such as offensive line health or pass-catcher execution, for a moment, this custom preparation is crucial. 

Athletically, Hundley can do a lot of what Rodgers can do. Most will remember how similar their NFL Combine results are:

Rodgers: 4.73-second 40-yard dash; 7.38-second three-cone drill; 34.5-inch vertical jump;  9-foot, 2-inch broad jump.

Hundley: 4.63-second 40-yard dash; 6.93-second three-cone drill; 36-inch vertical jump; 10-foot broad jump.

We saw that raw athleticism on display in Sunday's loss to the Vikings. 

Here's Hundley rolling out to his right on a scramble drill and finding Davante Adams outside the numbers, h/t Justis Mosqueda

Hmm, where have we seen this before?

And here, on the very next play, is Hundley, under pressure, scrambling left and throwing across his body to find Adams on the sideline:

Let's be clear; Hundley is not Aaron Rodgers. The Packers can keep a lot of the same looks in their game plan, but quite a bit of the playbook needs to be left on the cutting room floor.

Hundley isn't going to be stretching the field. The priority is going to be moving the sticks while limiting opportunities for turnovers. Think: backfield screens, quick slants, double outs—and given Hundley's athleticism, some bootlegs from time to time. The Packers are also a team that practices scramble drills, which is something Hundley will be able to keep doing without many changes. 

But here's the thing. For the Packers to have success down the stretch, Hundley doesn't have to be Aaron Rodgers. Has Rodgers' sheer talent and determination glossed over a lot of the Packers' problems this year? Of course. 

Yet, if you've been watching closely, you know that McCarthy's and Edgar Bennett's scheme and playcalling have been getting the job done. Rodgers has been executing near-perfectly, but he can't take all the credit. 

This is an effective offense run by smart people loaded with talented weapons. (Incidentally, how fortuitous that the Packers discovered just two weeks ago they have enough talent in the backfield with Aaron Jones and Ty Montgomery for a legitimate 1-2 punch? They're going to need that now.)

The offensive minds at work here don't need to throw away the entire blueprint. It needs a few adjustments, to be sure. But for the last three years, the Packers have been molding a player who has innate talent and physical gifts, but didn't play in a pro-style offense in college, into an NFL signal-caller. 

Under Rodgers, this offense takes its best form. Under Hundley, it could very well be enough to go 5-5 through the remainder of the season and contend for a wild card with a 9-7 record.

The 5-1 Philadelphia Eagles look good. The 4-2 Carolina Panthers are doing well. But no one is running away with the NFC right now.

In some ways, if the Packers were forced to choose a year where 9-7 might be enough, 2017 might be it. 

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Comments (52)

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Lphill's picture

October 18, 2017 at 06:05 am

Nobody should be better prepared for this than Hundley, this is what he has been waiting for , this is his time to shine plus it could mean a big payday for him next season ,no excuses right now 3 years in the system is more than other backups have had . Plus guys named Brett do well in Green Bay.

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croatpackfan's picture

October 18, 2017 at 08:40 am

I hope that he will not follow the path of his namesake when it comes to INT.

Other will be just fine!

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dobber's picture

October 18, 2017 at 08:53 am

If he shows the moxie and the grit that the other Brett showed, we can all tolerate a few INTs...

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Anthraxx's picture

October 19, 2017 at 06:22 am

And at the end of day 17 we will wonder if AR must take his spot back for the playoffs or if we should leave BH finish his excellent job.

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RCPackerFan's picture

October 18, 2017 at 06:39 am

Great Article Michelle!

I have a lot of faith in Hundley. Going back to his final year at UCLA, I thought he would have been no worse then a 2nd round draft pick. Then all of a sudden the Packers trade up for him in the 5th round.

Now is the time for Hundley to show why he should have been a 2nd round pick or higher.
Hundley has all the tools. As shown in those video's. He can make all the throws and has very good knowledge of the offense. He has a very strong arm, has great mobility. The only thing that he is lacking is experience.

Something to keep in mind is that Hundley still has all the weapons. He still has Nelson, Adams, Cobb, Allison, Bennett, Kendricks, Rodgers, Montgomery, Jones... He will now have practice time to work with those guys. Get a better feel for timing. He also still has McCarthy, who has a week to come up with a game plan to work with Hundley.

Honestly my biggest concern is the OL. They are simply a mess... Without their OL they will struggle to run the ball which puts more pressure on Hundley. And this week going up against a high powered offense will not make it any easier for Hundley.

But don't be surprised if Hundley plays really well, but also makes some mistakes along the way.

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croatpackfan's picture

October 18, 2017 at 08:46 am

Mostly, I agree with you.

Yes, this is perfect article from Michelle. Thank you!

I have only one concern regarding Brett. That concern is related with how he reads the defense... One of the biggest advantage over many others QBs Aaron posses is his almost perfect recognition what D scheme is in front of him, for every snap. I think that might be some problems with Brett...

But otherwise, I think he should be ready for his showtime!

I can not wait for Sunday.

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RCPackerFan's picture

October 18, 2017 at 09:01 am

yeah, I agree with you about the reading the defense. That is the inexperienced part that we just don't know about.

I also think we will see the Saint stack the box to stop the run and force Hundley to try and beat them.

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NickPerry's picture

October 18, 2017 at 06:51 am

I'm really torn here because I ALWAYS want the Packers to win. Each year when the Packers season end I get a little depressed and then once the SB is over I go through a bit of football withdrawal.

Maybe this is the wrong attitude to take but I don't want the Packers to make the Playoffs at 9-7. I want Hundley to do well because that means more trade value for him. But I just don't want to "Sneak In" to the Playoffs and even win a game perhaps but lose precious positions in the draft order.

The Packers have a lot of needs on this team. OLB is probably the biggest need. Even if Biegel comes back and has 10 sacks they need help at the position. They need to replace Jordy Nelson, not get rid of him but they need a Big/Fast WR on this team. They could use another CB or two and definitely need help on the O-Line.

IF Ted Thompson, John Dorsey, or whoever is the Packers GM next season was to have a top 15 pick in each round. IF they were able to get a reasonably high pick for Hundley, AND all the Comp Picks they currently have, the Packers could REALLY set themselves up well for Rodgers remaining years here.

My hope is the Thompson hangs it up because frankly he hasn't shown me much his last several drafts. Jones in 2013. Thornton and Bradford in 2014. Randall and Rollins in 2015. Spriggs and Frackrell in 2016. Just with those examples the Packers have missed on two 1st rounders, two 2nd rounders, two 3rd rounders, and a 4th round pick. THOSE players should be the players who are starting right now for the Packers and leading them every week. 3 of those 7 aren't even Packers anymore and the others wouldn't be missed if they did leave. Lets not forget many of them still around or have now left weren't all that either. We "Sneaked In" when Rodgers came back in 2013 and lost in the 1st round, I don't want THAT again. Not at the expense of 7, 8, 9 draft spots.

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RCPackerFan's picture

October 18, 2017 at 07:14 am

I brought it up yesterday. What will be better for the Packers in the long run? For them to not do well get higher draft picks, or for them to do really well with Hundley and be able to trade him for high draft picks?

I prefer doing really well, having Hundley showing off his talents and getting multiple high picks for him.

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Savage57's picture

October 18, 2017 at 08:29 am

If Hundley does well this season, he's not going anywhere.

You have QB1, who's had two season-impacting injuries in the last 4 seasons and is showing some degree of vulnerability.

Hundley plays well, he's playing out his contract with the Packers. No way in hell they take the trade for picks gamble and find themselves in the same position they were in in 2013 by trading away a viable back-up.

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dobber's picture

October 18, 2017 at 08:49 am

If Hundley plays well enough to get this team to 9 wins, and shows field presence, athleticism and arm talent, you have to deal him. The return will be far too high to pass up for a year of security and a comp pick that won't be comparable to his value. Packers have a bucket of extra picks likely coming for a 2018 draft that looks rich at QB, and one of them will be earmarked for the next Brett Hundley (unless he implodes or gets hurt before he can show anything).

Some have argued: what if he plays so well that he makes #12 look expendable? I don't think he can play that well. TT has already shown that he's willing to mistreat a legend within his vision for the team, but I don't think he does it again. There's a couple years difference between Rodgers and where Favre was, Rodgers is still at the top of his game...Favre was not. Still, if Hundley plays well enough to initiate that conversation, getting a kid on a rookie contract that you can likely extend early for much less than #12 demands could be very tempting...and what could you get in trade for #12 (preferably to an AFC team)?

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croatpackfan's picture

October 18, 2017 at 08:56 am

Not willing to relinquish Aaron Rodgers. No matter how good Brett Hundley is. He is not, and I'm sure he will be not at the same level as Aaron.

I accept that I might be wrong and that Brett Hundley may show excellence. Well, than that would be tough decission.

I think this conversation is to much premature. Lets see first how much we will be able to enjoy in Brett Hundley game...

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RCPackerFan's picture

October 18, 2017 at 09:03 am

I agree with you Dobber.

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croatpackfan's picture

October 18, 2017 at 08:51 am

I strongly disagree with you...

I think they will not be able to keep Hundley if he will play very good. Because he will be out of contract and got some serious money elsewhere or he will be traded by Packers while they still controling his contract...

There is no win-win situation for Packers. Brett Hundley wants to be starter in NFL, not back up. And that is why Packers have some serious chances to reach 10 wins this season!

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dobber's picture

October 18, 2017 at 10:33 am

The win-win is that Hundley plays well enough to get the Packers to the playoffs and either plays well there, or hands off to #12. Then he nets the Packers a bonus of picks in the 2018 draft in trade. I think that's your win-win. (or he plays so well that the Packers deal #12 for a bunch of picks that rebuild the top of the roster and plays well enough in the future that we don't regret the deal).

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RCPackerFan's picture

October 18, 2017 at 07:20 am

'My hope is the Thompson hangs it up because frankly he hasn't shown me much his last several drafts. Jones in 2013. Thornton and Bradford in 2014. Randall and Rollins in 2015. Spriggs and Frackrell in 2016'

You can say that Thompson has had misses. All GM's do. But if you want to talk about the misses you also have to talk about the hits as well.

2013 - Lacy, Bakhtiari, Tretter, Hyde were hits.
2014 - Clinton-Dix, Davante Adams, Linsley
2015 - Montgomery? Hundley? Ripkowski
2016 - Clark, Martinez, Lowry
2017 - King, Josh Jones, Aaron Jones all have flashed.

Thompson hasn't been perfect. No GM has been, but lets at least give credit when credit is due.

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Razer's picture

October 18, 2017 at 09:51 am

Sorry RCPackerFan but, despite the inflation, the draft hit list is pretty meager. If the player is good, you tend to resign them. Lacy and Tretter didn't even qualify for an offer. Clinton Dix - 4 years in and he still keeps disappearing for long stretches. Ripkowski - really. Lowry - the guy who is most likely to be in the big pile of guys washed up on any given play.

Given that we usually have at least 8 picks a year, the list of total misses or below average is substantial. I go back to my earlier comment that this defensive rebuild has been going on for 5-6 years and we are still waiting for results.

Add to this our decision to not participate in serious FA talent recruitment over the last decade and you have a team that only has Rodgers as the difference. TT has a poor batting average - period.

Despite this, I still believe that Brett Hundley will do a good job and if we get healthy we can be a 500 club.

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dobber's picture

October 18, 2017 at 10:35 am

Let's see...Tretter: injury prone (I hate that term, but even I'M using it here), plays C, already have a starting-quality C on a rookie contract. Hmmm.

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Razer's picture

October 18, 2017 at 11:01 am

Not sure what your point is - relevant to this discussion.

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dobber's picture

October 18, 2017 at 12:20 pm

You bring up Tretter not getting an offer...the guy couldn't stay healthy (he's hurt right now), they had no place for him to play and what if you make him a token offer and he accepts it? You're paying a backup starter money? Or you back out and it looks bad as you try to negotiate other deals. I have no problem with them choosing not to offer on Tretter. Someone else did and they'll get a nice comp pick in return. That ain't too shabby...not a fail at all.

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Razer's picture

October 18, 2017 at 12:46 pm

I actually have little problem with Tretter considering that he was a late rounder. Still, Tretter and many draftees are not around to help this team. So if you are building through the draft and all these average guys are leaving - what good are they? The thread talked about giving credit. Unless we are talking about credit due for giving a guy their first job, I don't see the overall score being all that great.

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RCPackerFan's picture

October 18, 2017 at 01:13 pm

Lacy chose to sign with Seattle. Sure the Packers could have offered him more, but they did offer him the same as Seattle. They chose to go in a different direction.

Tretter chose to take a bigger payday in Cleveland. They had their starter in Linsley, so they weren't going to pay starter money for a backup.

Clinton-Dix was a pro bowl player last year, and was the first player the Packers picked up the 5th year option on.

Ripkowski has been a valuable player and was a 6th round pick.

Lowry has been a good player for the defense.

The whole point I was bringing up is that there were hits as well as misses. If we are going to pile on Thompson we should at least give him credit when its due.

Free agency is a whole other topic. I'm simply just talking about the draft.

I think Hundley will surprise some people. He lacks the experience and will make mistakes. It may take him a few games to adjust to the speed of the game. But tons of young guys have come into the league and played really well. Dak last year was a good example.
An interesting fact too. Dak and Brett were only 12 picks apart (seperate drafts) but Dak was picked 135th overall and Brett was 147.

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Thegreatreynoldo's picture

October 18, 2017 at 07:19 am

Hundley throws the ball pretty well when he can drive it. His arm strength is good. Not so sure about his touch and deep balls. We've never really seen Hundley play against #1s or against a defense that isn't playing vanilla. Can he make the reads and make the progressions quickly enough?

So many moving parts in predicting future wins. Is Bakh and/or Taylor coming back? Ditto for House, King and Burnett? Will we even have 5 OL ready to suit up against NO? Bulaga might or might not clear concussion protocol in time for NO. If he does, he is probably playing at 80% due to his high ankle sprain. Who else gets injured going forward?

We could win 0 to 6 more games. Most likely 2, maybe 3.

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RCPackerFan's picture

October 18, 2017 at 07:26 am

We also haven't really seen Hundley play with all of our best players either. We have only seen Hundley playing in preseason and that has mostly been with backups.

I really like Hundley and think he will be fine. But like you mentioned, the real question is who will he have around him. The OL is a mess. The secondary has questions.
We could lose every game and have absolutely nothing to do with Hundley's play.
Of course Hundley could play well enough to mask some of those issues as well. We will find out soon enough.

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NickPerry's picture

October 18, 2017 at 07:58 am

...What exactly has Hundley showed you the last few years except his rookie year in the preseason? I WANT him to do well but frankly he hasn't shown anything much since the 2015 preseason. I understand he was injured during the preseason in 2016, but he's come nowhere close to doing what he did 3 years ago. It's really to bad too because this will be his audition for 31 other teams and he's playing behind a O-Line that's probably worse than the starting O-Line of the Badgers.

The Packers have 2 starters still standing, Evans and Lindsey. Lindsey hasn't been sharp this season at all and Evans has done okay but he's about 65% of what he was in New Orleans. All I can say is I'm glad this game is at Lambeau because at least they have a chance.

A lot will be revealed about a lot of coaches and the other 52 players not named Aaron Rodgers these next 8 to 10 weeks.

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RCPackerFan's picture

October 18, 2017 at 08:14 am

Watching Hundley in college, showed me the talent he had. He showed during his rookie year in the preseason that he has the skills. Yes, he hasn't played in Green Bay during the regular season. Thats the inexperienced part, but he has the skills and the knowledge of the offense to do well. We don't know how well he will do. But I see the skills, and now he will have a week to prepare as the startera. He came in last week and made some great throws during the game. But he was put in a no win situation. Going up against one of the best defenses in the league, in their place which is very loud, and playing with backup OL.

The OL is my greatest concern. But we have seen McCarthy game plan around that prior to this week. And the Saints don't have a top defense.

I don't expect Hundley to throw for 400+ yards and 4+ TD's this week. But I think he will be fine.

To be fair about the coaches. If they are without Rodgers, 3/5ths of their OL, both starting CB's and already without another CB and Safety again, what does that reveal about the coaches? That they can't coach a 2nd string team to victory?

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Thegreatreynoldo's picture

October 19, 2017 at 01:15 am

"We also haven't really seen Hundley play with all of our best players either."

Game, set and match, RC! Your reply is both true and unanswerable. I expect that at some point Hundley will be playing with Bakh and Bulaga, and probably Taylor, all available, even if it might not be until after the bye.

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RCPackerFan's picture

October 19, 2017 at 06:56 am

I would expect those guys to miss this week. Maybe we get one of the OT's back. Both were limited in practice this week.

If they can't play, this game will be on McCarthy to have his best play called game.

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stockholder's picture

October 18, 2017 at 07:36 am

Please, Why even keep mentioning, Kaepernick, Scott Tolzien, Tony Romo.. I'd much rather see TTs draft picks. It's a gauge that asks, does he still know what he's doing? Hundley had time to learn. A-rod was lost without Nelson. So that is where Hundley must go first. Nelson and Cobb are money. Until Bennet, Adams and Monty show consistency. Move that ball around! I'm sure MM has a great plan for Hundley. Win or lose, The game should be fun to watch with Hundley. But as the saying goes, GOOD Defense wins games. It makes champions. I'm looking at the defense giving Hundley good field position. The rest is up to Hundley.

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dobber's picture

October 18, 2017 at 08:41 am

The only reason to mention Tolzien is in the context of...remember when Tolzien played for Rodgers and threw for a bunch of yards and some really ugly interceptions? I bet Hundley could to that...

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Razer's picture

October 18, 2017 at 08:03 am

Hundley is as ready as anyone could be. The million dollar question: will his O-line give him time and room?

If the O-line can open up for the run game, Hundley will have a chance to work with favorable down and distance. This should be possible against NO. Beyond our QB's performance the game will be won or lost on defense. Can we handle Drew Brees? It is why they play the game.

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Since'61's picture

October 18, 2017 at 08:26 am

Hundley has prepared and he has the physical tools and several weapons on offense. All of this is true. However, I doubt if he has reached the point where the game has slowed down for him yet just because he has not played very much. Our patchwork OL will not help him in this regard. He needs time to work through his progressions.

I'm sure that MM and the staff are aware of this and will take steps to mitigate Hundley's learning curve. However, nothing can slow the game down for him except taking live snaps and eventually adjusting to the speed of NFL play. It make take him a few games if we're lucky or it could take the rest of the season.

Remember that we were 6-10 with Rodgers in 2008, his first season as a starter, after he studied the system for 3 seasons. If we're accepting that Hundley is not Rodgers where does that leave him for the next 10 games on the schedule? Thanks, Since '61

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dobber's picture

October 18, 2017 at 08:51 am

This is where the coaching staff has to help him out. They'll try to run the ball, yes, but defenses will probably stack the line and they can't put him in 2nd and 8s and 3rd and 7s all day. That only works for #12 because he's #12. They've got to get him manageable down and distance by winning early downs.

They need to make better use of their peripheral pieces. I think we see more Lance Kendricks and maybe even some Davante Mays for the power element. Don't be surprised if #83 starts seeing the field a little more, too, if only in gimmick packages to set up jet sweeps and the like. #7 liked throwing to him in the preseason and you can't ignore where he has chemistry.

They also have to simplify the reads for Hundley for a couple weeks until they know just what exactly he can do. I think they'll roll him out and cut the field in half for him sometimes so he doesn't have to play the whole field. I think you'll see more 3-step drops for him, but defenses will likely try to take that away at least early on. He's going to have to be able to throw downfield, at least a little, but unless they're going to put #11 and #83 on the field and say "go long" I don't think it will be bombs away.

Hundley needs to be smart. He might want to go out and play with reckless abandon, but the coaches need to tell him that he needs to get down (or out of bounds) when he's running. He's got to unload the ball rather than taking hits. There's nothing behind him on the depth chart and he needs to stay upright.

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mrj007's picture

October 18, 2017 at 09:14 am

And this is why I suspect McCarthy is so upset. He knows Rodgers has covered up his coaching deficiencies for years and is about to be exposed. I would be pissed too if I were him. Coaches don't make the players who they are, it's the other way around. McCarthy always says the Packers will play better, but how can they when backups are playing? Those guys are back ups for a reason.

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Since'61's picture

October 18, 2017 at 11:23 am

Dobber - your point about getting Janis involved is a good one. They should get Allison and Trevor Davis in for a few plays as well. Hundley probably has better chemistry working with the #2 team receivers than he does with the #1s.
I would never take Jordy or Adams out of the game but a few plays on one or two series throwing to the guys he is familiar with may help Hundley out a bit. With Bennett dropping passes I agree completely about throwing more to Kendricks.
If there is one advantage to Hundley playing it is that the Saints don't have much tape on him. That could help Hundley out during his first few games.
Especially if we can keep the defense off balance with some solid running plays early in the game. I would feel much better about Hundley and the ground game if I knew that our OL was solid. This is tough for Hundley to be starting out with a battered and tattered OL. Thanks, Since '61

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TarynsEyes's picture

October 18, 2017 at 08:30 am

If Hundley has truly learned behind Rodgers and the infamous QB school of McCarthy, he better play around any Oline issues, to a much more positive than negative, instead of allowing them as excuses by some fans here.
Just because the top totem pole position is vacated it doesn't always mean he actually deserves or is the best for the job, because other company headhunters would have made an offer for him. Perhaps he's just a short term fill and his skill set is talked up.

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dobber's picture

October 18, 2017 at 09:13 am

All good points. Some of us are talking up Hundley, but I have my fingers crossed when I do it...

In Edit:

"Just because the top totem pole position is vacated it doesn't always mean he actually deserves or is the best for the job..."

We should remember this when TT walks...

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mrj007's picture

October 18, 2017 at 09:06 am

I like the encouragement factor in the article. But like every Wednesday there are way more questions than answers about what kind of team will take the field on Sunday. At this moment the Packers are still screwed, but I feel better after reading about some of the theories explaining why they may not be.

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Gianich's picture

October 18, 2017 at 09:29 am

Not worried about Hudley. I'm Worried about the 3 Johnny Backups trying to pass protect for him. Hope he can survive.

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Razor's picture

October 18, 2017 at 09:34 am

Well let's see if Mike can adapt the offense to give BH a chance.

Or will it be "stick to the plan - do your job - next man up - score more than the other team" blah, blah, blah.

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4thand1's picture

October 18, 2017 at 04:21 pm

MM has said already he takes part of the blame against the queens. He said he has to change things up for BH.

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TJ Coon's picture

October 18, 2017 at 09:37 am

10 years of having the best QB in the NFL and 1 superbowl??? Think about having to never waste a high draft pick on a QB. Think about never having to reach for a running back in the first round. You don't need to. Not when your QB is Aaron Rodgers. Think about all the other teams who don't have a franchise QB and the amount of time and energy that is spent on draft picks and free agency. Think about all the coaching staffs out there spending huge amounts of time and energy developing their future franchise QB.(hopefully) Then you have TT and Mike who have had the luxury of not having to worry about any of this for the last 10 years. With all of the free time saved they no doubt should have built a better team by now. I dont see it, what a waste. I'm thinking their train may be leaving that station soon enough.

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Razer's picture

October 18, 2017 at 10:27 am

Interesting perspective. And, I agree with the punchline ...they no doubt should have built a better team by now... at least as it pertains to the acquisition of talent.

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Matt Gonzales's picture

October 18, 2017 at 10:28 am

I think the game plan for the next couple weeks will be similar to what it was last year when the offense finally got out of its funk. Lots of quick rhythm passes, shallow slants, and wishbone RPO's, along with a heavy run dosage. Get the kid comfortable and confident while giving the OL as much help as you can. The Bazooka might even make a comeback unless they're worried about Hundley's durability.

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sonomaca's picture

October 18, 2017 at 01:21 pm

The knock on Hundley is that he can’t throw to his left. Never throws it wide enough. Saw it in preseason. Saw it versus Minnesota. It’s the throw scouts and GM’s watch most closely at combine. QB’s who can’t do it don’t last long. It’s a throw which depends on a combination of arm talent and footwork.

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billybobton's picture

October 18, 2017 at 01:27 pm

I am not sure anyone needs to comment on anything in the article.....you said it all

a legitimate 1 - 2 punch .... at running back

where most people who watch do not believe we have either a 1 or a 2 much less both

but time will tell won't it, lucky you are not in vegas

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Roadrunner23's picture

October 18, 2017 at 02:37 pm

Hundley is a fine young talent and a nice kid, it's a shame he's getting the keys to an Offense that has a battered Offensive Line, no running game to speak of, a high paid Tight End that has been under-performing and a Defense that can't get off the field on Third down.
That being said, short passes, jet sweeps, QB moving pockets, a steady diet of Ripkowski up the middle and Jones at RB (Montgomery has not impressed, broken ribs or not) maybe even put Randall Cobb behind center for a few plays just for Ships & giggles. With expectations lower that they have been in years it's time to have some creative and fun play calling and develop the young talent.

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Lphill's picture

October 18, 2017 at 04:18 pm

It's Hundley's stage now , he has everything to win and everything to lose if he flops. Let's give him a chance and some support.

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4thand1's picture

October 18, 2017 at 04:27 pm

So many teams have been so wrong drafting QB's. Take em too high, not picking soon enough. I'll bet you a lot of Ram fans were screaming bust last year with Goff. When the Packers picked Hundley where they did, a lot of so called draft experts said it was a steal.

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Ustabeayooper's picture

October 18, 2017 at 04:41 pm

The Packers may become a better team thru this situation. Players may play with a bit more sense of urgency knowing that Rodgers is not there. MM and TT will never get credit for the Packers success. Hundley was drafted for this situation. If they can get to the playoffs with Matt Flynn, the sure can do it with Hundley. This isn't the 1960's when we had Zeke Bradkowski as our backup. No team has top flight. backup QB's Most backups are failed starters. MM is right to roll with the guys he has.

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al bundy's picture

October 20, 2017 at 09:51 pm

First, I do not want to p off you packer fans. My take and it's worth all of two cents, he was 5th round for a reason. Many many scouts evaluated him and only Ted bit
It's his show now, let's see who was right.

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dobber's picture

October 21, 2017 at 06:59 am

It's hard to be really "wrong" on a 5th round pick.

Now, it might be wrong believing he's as good as a first round pick...

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