Packers Stock Report: Week 8
Ugly. Uninspired. Frustrating. Choose your weapon to describe the Green Bay Packers performance in week eight.
Ugly. Uninspired. Frustrating. Choose your weapon to describe the Green Bay Packers performance in week eight.
5-2 stings after Green Bay laid another egg on Sunday against divisional rival Minnesota Vikings. It couldn’t have been any worse to watch, either. At one point, the Vikings scored 21 straight points. Running back Dalvin Cook scored all four touchdowns and completely torched the Packers defense in route to 226 yards from scrimmage.
This team doesn't have to time sulk. Green Bay will be back out on the field Thursday night to face the team the ended their season last year. The San Francisco 49ers are severely banged up, which will help. However, the Packers need to show more resistance on defense. More specifically, against the run. The blueprint is out, if you impose your will in the run game, this Green Bay team will crumble.
Here is this week’s stock report:
Buy
Aaron Rodgers
At this point in his career, 291 yards and three touchdowns are par for the course. Rodgers played well against Minnesota and was the driving force behind their 22 points. Not to mention, he did it in far from ideal weather conditions. If not for Rodgers, this game would have been over long before the fourth quarter.
Robert Tonyan
Tonyan had his second-best performance of the season against the Vikings. He led all Packers receivers with 79 receiving yards with a long of 45. Green Bay’s top tight end is becoming a staple within the offense and one of their more consistent performers. He gets the ultimate stamp of approval from Rodgers who isn’t afraid to look for Tonyan in dire situations. With eight minutes left in the fourth quarter, it was Tonyan who Rodgers targeted on a crucial fourth-down play in which the officials inexplicably picked up the penalty on what looked like obvious defensive pass interference.
Kamal Martin
Through two games, the rookie inside linebacker has nine tackles after playing in just 17 percent of the snaps. Since returning from injury, Martin is still trying to get integrated into the defense. However, the early returns on the fifth-rounder are pretty good. He’s flashed in the run game and even made a nice read on a screen set up for Adam Thielen.
Sell
Tackling
This isn’t the first time tackling has made the list, and it probably won’t be the last. Tackling has been a concern for this team all season. Cook is too good a running back to be brought down by Green Bay’s half-hearted arm tackles. The defense clearly needs another crash course on bringing down the ball carrier because no team in the NFL has tackling issues like the Packers.
The defensive line
Kenny Clark can’t do it all himself. Collectively, Dean Lowry, Kingsley Keke, and Tyler Lancaster were non-factors against Minnesota. Montravious Adams has flashed this season, but he played only six snaps this week. Why? Who knows. Lowry, Keke, and Lancaster were not nearly good enough in this week, making it clear that Clark needs more help along the interior.
Darnell Savage
A second-year jump doesn’t appear to be on the horizon for Green Bay’s starting safety. The Packers took a risk in trading up to 21 to take Savage in 2019. There were times he looked like a potential playmaker as a rookie, but this year it's been more bad than good. He hasn’t made a play on the ball all season in coverage, and he’s missed multiple tackles that he should have made. Savage needs to turn it around soon, or this draft pick will become more of a head-scratcher than it already is.
Mike Pettine
No one’s seat in Green Bay is hotter than the defensive coordinators. The defense has taken a step back since last season despite returning most of their talent. If he doesn’t get this unit heading in the right direction this Thursday, Pettine could get the ax.
Brandon Carwile is a Packers writer who also enjoys watching and breaking down film. Follow him on Twitter @PackerScribe.
Comments (33)
Lphill
November 04, 2020 at 12:15 pm
FYI a 49 er tested positive the facility is shut down, no way the game goes on tomorrow.
packer132
November 04, 2020 at 12:48 pm
Reports are the Packers are flying out at 4:00 today and game is still on. They won't reschedule the game for just one player on each team testing positive.
Packers1985
November 04, 2020 at 07:12 pm
Looks like 3 more players were placed in the covid/reserve list.
canadapacker
November 04, 2020 at 12:56 pm
Big time sell Preston Smith - no effort - handled easily by tight ends - no effort ( oh I am repeating myself). He needs to seal the end and get some penetration and push their guys back into the play not give up running lanes. Outside linebackers need to be a force and it is not all about the sacks - it is about stopping the run and making tackles for loss and eating up double teams not getting blocked easily.
Lphill
November 04, 2020 at 01:03 pm
Good point I guess the Smiths only play to the crowd, Gary should start over Preston at this point , I think he’s on the bus out with Pettine.
Coldworld
November 04, 2020 at 01:38 pm
If we signed them to be runstuffers we need our head examined. Symptom of the failure of the plan for this year on D. This is why Pettine has come unstuck.
Leatherhead
November 04, 2020 at 01:06 pm
I would amend the author's statement "If not for Aaron Rodgers...." to read "if not for Aaron Rodgers, and the guys who protected him, and the guys who got open and caught the ball"....the game would have been over earlier. Oh, and the running game, too, which managed 100+ yards without their starter.
We are the third highest scoring team in the league at 31.3 ppg, right behind Seattle and the Chiefs. Over 7 games, we've shown that we can protect our QB most of the time and when we do, we usually score points pretty well. We're an elite passing team
#3 in QB rating
#3 in passing TDs, behind Seattle and KC.
#3 in Adjusted yards/attempt, where sacks, INTs, and TDs are factored in.
That's even though at various times we've been without Adams, Jones, and Lazard. And Bakthiari and Lane Taylor even.
We don't need to add anybody to this offense, but it would be helpful if we could have our entire starting lineup available again.
That's my buy.
Sell: No, I'm not selling Pettine. That's a foolish, knee jerk reaction to some adversity, IMO.
I know it enrages some people when they encounter facts they don't like, but here it is.
Scoring defense: 20th, at 26.7ppg. That's about 3 ppg worse than #12 New England. It's better than Seattle or the Saints.
Run Defense: 15th in yards/game, one spot better than the Bears. Better than the Chiefs. We're 15 yards per game worse than #10 SF.
Our pass defense, however, has been worse. Much worse, and considering that we are built to defend the pass, that's worrisome. We aren't getting pressure and sacks, and we aren't getting turnovers, and we are last in the league in passes defended. We're like 5th worst in the league in opposing QB rating. Granted, we have faced two HOFers but that's still bad.
I'm not sure that's entirely on Pettine. We miss Greene and we miss King. We missed Clark for a couple of games. I don't think it was Pettine's call to replace Martinez with Kirksey.
So that's a hold. Not selling. Even if we lose in SF, we're still in first place in the division and on track to get at least the #3 seed. When that changes, let me know.
Coldworld
November 04, 2020 at 01:43 pm
Leatherhead, I agree on offense. I disagree on D. I accept in season changes rarely improve things, but Tampa and last weekend have me believing Pettine isn’t making best use of what he has and his players aren’t buying in. That’s the one exception to the rule in my view. If he solves it against other good running teams, well I will be very happily wrong. If not, hope of improvement. even if improbable, is worth the gamble.
Packers1985
November 04, 2020 at 02:08 pm
The offense numbers bloated because we played some avg defenses in the first of the season. With the Bucs game the picture changed and teams have clearly figured out the issue of Gb having no weapons outside of Adams, so they are double teaming him and pressuring Arod.
Coming to the Defense there is already an article on some head scratchers from Pettine out there.
PearlyBakerBest
November 04, 2020 at 06:38 pm
The offensive numbers aren’t bloated IMO. We did exactly what we were supposed to do to those teams. Bad teams don’t play bad teams and blow them out.
Fire_Gute
November 04, 2020 at 07:29 pm
The only reason you don't sell Pettine is because there's no buyer. He's like a broken TV at this point, can't give it away and costs to get rid of it. Time to pay the scrapper to pick him up
The rushing yards per game are skewed. Yards per game are lower due to teams having to play catch up during the first few games and teams likely not realizing how awful this run D is. Every single time a team passes the ball they are doing GB a favor, doesn't matter down and distance. Kyle Shanahan has shown the commitment to the run I'll take him and any running back on any team's practice squad vs Pettine all day
baldski
November 04, 2020 at 08:19 pm
You forgot last place in tackling.
Archie
November 05, 2020 at 07:06 am
You sound like those that defended TT/MM forever. It should be apparent to anyone who has watched our defense play this year and last that we are not very good i.e., it is clearly visible to the naked eye. Were our offense on the level of our defense, we would he hard pressed to win any game. And the playoffs are not a guarantee. In fact, IMHO, If we don't win tonight we may not win many more games this year.
btw - too bad we could not have made a deal for Fuller that included a contract extension. Such a deal would have been worth a low #2 pick. It also would have supercharged our offense.
And yes, we need to add a stud DT to play next to K Clark. Either a major trade or next year;'s top pick, even if we have to trade up to get the guy we want.
And finally, Pettine does not seem to be able to make it happen. Time to move on.
PhantomII
November 05, 2020 at 07:18 pm
You can look at stats all you want but they don't tell the whole story. The eye test says this. Look at the picture Nov. 1, gut reaction post from the Vikings game. Look at the Packers players eyes where they are looking and #55 turned around and K.Clark turned around #51 looking at #54 on our team and #54 looking at Thielen blocking/holding Savage while Cook is running around Thielen and no Defender is even looking at Cook. I would call this by the results a typical Defensive play during that sad game. It's the bad news bears football defense. The offense when healthy is very good when executing. Might as well see if Gray can coach this "D" at this point. We have 8 games to clean up a lot of defensive sloppiness. There is enough talent there but it is not being utilized properly. Safeties not put in areas they are best suited for and P. Smith in coverage. Poor DL rotation of personnel and odd alignments for down and distance. Almost never blitzing?
ricky
November 04, 2020 at 01:34 pm
Using the word "talent" when writing about the Packers defense is only OK if you preface that word with "lack of".
Pettine is not the only problem; ignoring ILB and DL for years has been an ongoing. Apparently the new GM has decided to take the "long view", and keep the franchise competitive, rather than going all in and trying to grasp that SB ring while their franchise QB is asked to do too much again. The other question being, why is this team so mentally and physically soft by NFL standards? Who on the defense does the other team fear? No one. For years.
Lphill
November 04, 2020 at 02:21 pm
They feared Clay coming off the edge .
Point-Packer
November 04, 2020 at 08:54 pm
Like a decade ago.
Coldworld
November 04, 2020 at 01:36 pm
Your comment on the snap counts for the DL are a buy. Incomprehensible to me at least.
Roadrunner23
November 04, 2020 at 01:43 pm
I’m not for firing your DC at mid-season when you are in 1st place and in the playoff hunt.
However; if the Packers crap the bed and get run over by SF on Thursday, the Packers may be forced to make a drastic move to shake up this underachieving Defense.
Savage has been brutal, the Smiths and Gary are doing next to nothing, the D line is a joke WTF?
Defense: get your head a out of your azz and start f***ing lighting some guys up. Pussies!
There, now I feel better.
Lphill
November 04, 2020 at 02:22 pm
Its about time Nostra !
Roadrunner23
November 04, 2020 at 06:43 pm
Haha youbetcha
PackersWinning
November 04, 2020 at 03:00 pm
Did Gary get cut? I’ve said he’d never produce in the NFL when his selection was announced. Yes he looks good in shorts and is freakishly fast for a big man.....just doesn’t know how or care to play football. NO production for how much$$?
JohnnyLogan
November 04, 2020 at 09:09 pm
You won't get anyone here to agree that Gary isn't on his way to All-Pro some time soon. Gary is a big guy who runs fast. Not much else. There are dozens of guys like him the league. Hell, Garvin is better. Maybe Pettine picked him because he knew P. Smith only had one good year in him. How Preston has deteriorated so quickly is baffling, but he and Gary provide nothing, no pass rush, can't stop the run, and when they're dropped into coverage, which they should never be, they're 280 lb. Scarecrows standing in the middle of the field, unable to move in any direction. Gute has drafted incredibly poorly so far, but the Gary pick at #12, after he had just signed two pass rushers for big money, is still his worst.
PackersWinning
November 04, 2020 at 03:03 pm
Nobody in scouting lost their job over Savage and Gary? Packers rotting from the inside out.
Fire_Gute
November 04, 2020 at 07:51 pm
People like to give credit for Gute during the 2018 into 2 1st round picks. Well he spend a 3 ones, a 3,2 4th rounds picks and a 6th round pick on Jaire, Gary and Savage. Would have rather had Jaire at 14 and had the extra picks, although watching Gute pick after round 2 is painful
PackersWinning
November 04, 2020 at 03:21 pm
P.S. self-scout non-existent or so poorly performed it would me...same for in game adjustments. I agree with Rex Ryan....the defence sucks right now. Oh...6th highest D payroll in the league. Rotting from within.
jeremyjjbrown
November 04, 2020 at 06:17 pm
The Packers clearly do not practice tackling. They haven't practiced it regularly since before Capers was DC. The Packers don't care about tackling and don't care much about the most important tackling , ILB.
I disagree with them on all of that.
Fire_Gute
November 04, 2020 at 09:11 pm
Sell Gute. Not one single issue from last year addressed.
Sell Jamal Williams as a RB 1. He's fun to watch, probably a great guy, but he's shown he's a high end number 2 at best. Does a lot of things well, does not excel at any one thing.
Sell ESB. Didn't get the hype last year, absolutely no idea what anyone sees anymore.
Can't even sell the run D, no buyer on planet earth.
Sell the NFL not moving this game. No idea why every other team can get a game moved for their benefit, but GB can't catch a break
Point-Packer
November 04, 2020 at 09:43 pm
Sell: Gute. He is not that good at his job. Was a strange hire when he got the gig, makes less sense now. Minus Jaire, 2018 draft is a bust. 2019 draft the jury is still out, but its not trending in the right direction given neither Gary or Savage look to have taken a year two jump. And don't show me one Gary highlight and then tell me he is improving. He's a mess against the run. 2020 draft we'll have no idea about for years, which is why its a complete and utter disaster for a team with SB aspirations this year.
Sell: Pettine. If I see one more 3rd and 6 where every CB is nine yards off the LOS, I'm going to toss my TV off the deck. Similarly, I think GB should do more three man rushes where all three rushing lineman are struggling to get within five yards of the QB and give the opposing teams QB a Seinfeld episode to find a WR.
Sell: Preston Smith. If he still plays for GB? I'm not sure, haven't seen him in weeks.
Sell: GB's approach to the WR position. Want to win - go look at who Tom Brady will be throwing to this next week in TB. If I were Rodgers, I'd be pissed as all hell at this point in my career. Remember when GB last had studs at WR? Super Bowl and then 15-1 - which should have been another SB if Mike McCarthy could make any sort of in game adjustment. He couldn't and still can't.
Buy: Mike McCarthy in Dallas. Nothing makes me happier than watching him tank that franchise.
JohnnyLogan
November 04, 2020 at 10:59 pm
Brady has had great defenses because every year Belichick would fill holes with FAs or trade draft picks. Thompson and Gute have given Rodgers Capers and Pettine and the only time Thompson brought in a truly recognizable great player on D, Woodson, it was because he came cheap and no one wanted him. Lombardi's teams are remembered for Starr, Hornung, and Taylor, but it was the Defense; Nitschke, Adderly, Wood, Willie Davis, Hog Hanner, Robinson... it was the D that won all those championships. And the two since Lombardi were because of two Hall of Famers, Reggie, and Woodson. Pittsburg gave up a 1st, 5th, and 6th for Minka Fitzpatrick, drafted Watt because we didn't, and now has one of the best defenses in the league. Bears gave up a ton for Khalil Mack and drafted great LBs, and as a result have a great defense. What they don't have is Rodgers. If our GM's would have the guts to trade for legit big-time defensive talent, that along with Rodgers would make the Pack a SB contender every year, instead of playoff contender every year, which is what we are.
Archie
November 05, 2020 at 07:14 am
"....Buy: Mike McCarthy in Dallas. Nothing makes me happier than watching him tank that franchise...."
How true. We finally get some positive mileage from TT choosing him over Sean Payton. He has single-handedly turned Dallas into GB sans Aaron Rodgers.
Point-Packer
November 05, 2020 at 08:25 am
The funny thing is is that McCarthy is doing all the things he did wrong in Green Bay once again in Dallas. Hiring his underachieving buddies to coaching positions (Mike Nolan). Nolan has no business in today's NFL. Mike McCarthy - sign him up! Thinking he is using some sort of sophisticated metrics, when he is simply quoting common sense: "if you win for division games, statistically your odds of making the playoffs improve." Ok, thanks Mike. Losing the locker room. And thinking he is some kind of creative play caller, when using offensive trends that go back a decades (Zeke as wildcat). Remember when he had former college QB Randall Cobb at the wildcat and the most creative he got with it was to have Randall run left or run right, for three yards (maybe more than that once). Mental mistakes all over the place. Classic Mike McCarthy led team.
PatrickGB
November 05, 2020 at 10:45 am
We lost two games. It’s still better than expected. I buy the Packers to make the playoffs.