I have mixed emotions over the Green Bay Packers 17-14 loss to Minnesota on Sunday at the new U.S. Bank Stadium.
Before the season I predicted that this would be one of the Packers 5 regular season losses. Then in the final minutes of the game when the Packers took over on offense, I told my son, Scott, Aaron Rodgers would throw an interception that would cost him them the game.
I nailed both.
My son said he wasn’t going to watch the games with me anymore because I was a jinx. I thought of myself as more of a genius (sarcastic).
It would have been better if Rodgers didn’t throw an interception and the Packers won and the heck with my predictions. But it is what it is.
Watching the Packers at the end of last season and the beginning of this season, all I could think of was the famous ‘Who are these guys?” line from the movie ‘Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.”
So here are my thoughts on how to answer that.
OFFENSE
RECEIVERS – Jordy Nelson will eventually become the threat that he has been, just give the guy some time. He is coming off a major injury. Randall Cobb proved last year that between the dropsies and his inability to get yards after the catch (YAC) he can’t function effectively without Nelson. I look for him to get better now that Nelson is back.
Anyone who knows me knows I CAN’T STAND DAVANTE ADAMS. He has shown me next to nothing in his first two years, yet he is one of Aaron Rodgers’ favorite receivers despite the fact he’s getting worse, not better. Which makes me question A-Rod’s thought process (more on that later).
Not being a big Badger fan – I do cheer for them and I bleed red because that’s the color of my blood – so I am objective when I talk about Jared Abbrederis.
He is smart, knows how to run routes and has good hands – none of which Adams possesses. So why doesn’t he play more? Because he is not in Rodgers’ good graces. You tell me. His only negative is you ask WHEN will he get injured, not IF he will.
Ty Montgomery is supposed to be a bigger version of Cobb, yet he was invisible last night. I feel Montgomery and Abbrederis are BOTH better than Adams, but they are not a second-round pick.
Speedy Trevor Davis is coming off an injury and speedy/strong Jeff Janis has a club on one hand, which would leave him as trustworthy as Adams is with two hands, but they aren’t in the picture just yet because of the injuries.
Bottom line is this group is overrated. Not terrible, just overrated.
RUNNING GAME
It all starts with the offensive line which can’t run block against a good defensive line. They are better defending against the pass, but then you saw Rodgers running for his life last night.
I have never been a David Bakhtiari fan, but he is a good left tackle – just not worth the contract he signed. I feel the Packers have two good young centers in J.C. Tretter and Corey Lindsey, with the former being able to move to left guard where the great Lane Taylor is playing.
I feel T.J. Lang must be signed because of his leadership ability as well as his football skills, but Ted Thompson stuck it to Josh Sitton because he didn’t agree with some stupid decisions, so Lang better be careful.
Bryan Bulaga’s better days are behind him, but he is playable, and in Jason Spriggs and Kyle Murphy the Pack have people who can eventually fill in for him.
As for the backfield, I am not a fan of either of the running backs. I hope Eddy Lacy has a fine year, but he looks no thinner than he was last year and can’t gain a yard if his life depended on it. Sometimes good running backs have to open their own holes.
As for James Starks – why is he on this team and what does he add except for a some key fumbles.
QUARTERBACK
Aaron Rodgers – It all starts with the Packers QB. Something is wrong. Talk all you want about him being the Packers best player, but he needs to step up and play like it.
The fumbles Sunday night were terrible, but rare, and he moves around quite well. He still can make the miraculous throw, but it’s the easy ones he’s missing on and with some of his receivers they are limited when it comes to helping him out with great catches.
I think his biggest weakness is falling in love with receivers who can’t catch the ball. If he doesn’t trust you, you don’t play even if you are better than his favorites.
DEFENSE
I would never felt like I would say this, but if the Packers are going deep into the post-season this year it will be because of the defense.
It was very disappointing that the young defensive backs were taken to school by the Vikings 1-man wide receiver corps (Stefon Diggs), but the bottom line is Green Bay allowed 17 points – PERIOD. If this defense allows 17 points per game, they should win many games.
With Letroy Guion, Clay Matthews, Sam Shields and Morgan Burnett banged up, that’s a lot of injured experience, so they need to make it back quickly.
I like the young linebackers and Nick Perry and Datone Jones have played well and Julius Peppers stepped up and made a couple big plays.
I just hope it doesn’t come to this – the defense carrying the load – because this is not Denver.
IT DIDN’T WORK, MIKE
Coach Mike McCarthy talked about we’re only two games into the season and it takes awhile for the offense to get in step. But what this is, is the Packers exhibition season because everyone sat on the sidelines this spring wrapped in bubble wrap.
So now the offense is suffering and upcoming the schedule of Detroit, New York Giants, Dallas and Chicago doesn’t look that easy to me.
Playing at home will enable the Packers to play their ‘speed-up’ offense and that seems to get their offense going.
Let’s hope it works.
