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| Welcome to the Show, Kid! Greg Jennings and Randal Cobb celebrate NFL touchdown #1 |
Wow.
A single word is all it takes to describe it.
Wow.
And, it will be uttered a lot in Green Bay this year.
Wow.
Randall Cobb, the Packers second pick in the draft has arrived. In a single game Cobb has managed to draw this single word about his performance. And Cobb clearly already has that intangible ‘wow’ factor to his game.
In his first ever NFL game Cobb looked nothing like a green rookie but more like a gold bearer as all did was score 2 touchdowns and tie an NFL record in the process helping the Packers to a shootout 42 – 34 win over the equally offensively gifted New Orleans Saints. In a game that was wildly entertaining Cobb turned out to be the main attraction and has taken the early lead in the Rookie of the Year Award, and a star is born.
Listed as #5 on the depth chart of receivers Cobb saw action but was not expected to have to contribute immediately as the Pack is loaded at WR. Greg Jennings and Donald Driver hold down the # 1 and 2 slot and Jordy Nelson is pushing Driver hard at #3. James Jones may have felt his throat tighten however when Cobb had his first “Wow!” moment.
When Green Bay drafted Cobb it was another, at the time, somewhat puzzling move in adding a receiver to a team that didn’t appear to need yet another receiver. It is the equivalent of drafting a QB during the Brett Favre era whose stock plummeted on draft day and sitting him on the bench for 3 years as an understudy, and then watching Aaron Rodgers blossom into a Super Bowl MVP. Cobb is a receiver, yes, but he is also so much more.
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| Up, up and away!! Super Rookie Randall Cobb scores! |
He saw the field for the first time right away. Late in the first quarter with the Packers already up early, Cobb snagged a crossing route flip from ARod, turned on the jets and turned on the Packer faithful. His ankle breaking move on Saints S Malcolm Jenkins put Jenkins right on his face and the Saints charter out of Green Bay had to be delayed as Jenkins is still searching for his jockstrap. Cobb lined up in the slot and showed and electrifying burst as Jenkins waved futilely as Cobb blew past him, grabbing nothing but air. Upon seeing the end zone Cobb launched himself with his first NFL touchdown and a rather shaky Lambeau leap afterwards. But Cobb was not done.
When the Packers selected Jordy Nelson with one of their 3 2nd round picks 3 years ago over DeSean Jackson, a far flashier player than Nelson, many critics have pointed out what the Pack COULD have had in Jackson – a game changing receiver and return man who can change a game on his own. The Packers return game has been the ugly redheaded stepchild of this glittering array of talent, and GM Ted Thompson went shopping in the offseason. He didn’t just find a bargain; he got a steal when Cobb was available still at the end of round 2. Mr. Cobb, here’s your ticket to Green Bay.
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| James Starks plows ahead |
An emphasis was placed again on special teams, and the Saints Darren Sproles weaved his way thru the Packers coverage for a TD that brought the Saints back from near extinction, igniting their own potent offense . An ignored block in the back on Jarrett Bush helped Sproles cause immensely and Tim Masthay’s booming rocket of a punt outkicked his coverage, but the fact is special teams coach Shawn Slocum will have his hands full in addressing the coverage unit. Cobb’s catch put the Pack up 21 – 7 and Sproles stroll closed the gap to 21 – 17. The Packers have never seemed to enjoy prosperity; somehow these games always seem to see a momentum shift and turn a blowout into a shootout. After James Starks reopened the gap to 28 – 17 at the half the Saints opened the 2nd half with a sustained drive the culminated in a John Kasay field goal that cut the lead to 8.
It would be very easy to chastise the Packers defense in this game for giving up so many points. It would also be very unfair as the Saints have almost as many weapons as the Packers. Almost. Green Bay showed a stunning arsenal and Jermichael Finley’s return cannot be understated. But there are some noticeable chinks in the Pack’s D already. The right side of the line was continually exploited and Mike Neal’s return cannot happen fast enough. Eric Walden was targeted by Saints QB Drew Brees repeatedly and A.J. Hawk was caught in 1 on 1 coverage with Saints rookie RB Mark Ingram, a battle he would and will continue to lose. The Saints are a damn good offensive team and they will hang a big number on anyone. Credit the Pack D for two enormous 4th down stuffs that saved the bacon for the entire team.
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| Walled in. Eric Walden brings down Saints QB Drew Brees |
But Walden’s sack of Brees came at a time when the Packers needed it the most. With Clay Matthews being bottled up Walden flushed Brees from his comfort zone and yanked him to the turf at time when Brees was sitting back and picking the Packers apart with his precision like throws. Dom Capers will have to address the right side of the Packers D, especially on the run, if the Pack wants to repeat. When Tramon Williams exited with what looked to be an apparent painful injury the sense of foreboding took over.
Enter Randall Cobb.
Taking the ball in the back of the end zone as he had all night long, Cobb came blazing out looking for a lane. One could only imagine the guttural screams coming from Slocum and Head Coach Mike McCarthy as they watched the rookie make what appeared to be a monumental rookie mistake. Just down the thing kid!
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| Off to the races. Cobb says "Seeya!" |
With a full head of steam Cobb took the first impact from the Saints Leigh Torrance, did a complete roll off him and righted himself with is free hand and it was off to the races as he went untouched 108 yards to the end zone, tying an NFL record for the longest kickoff return in the process. The only player close enough to tackle Cobb was teammate Jarrett Bush who threw the exhausted rookie to the ground as Lambeau rightfully exploded and the rest of the Pack piled on jubilantly.
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| Packers D bending but not breaking as the game ends |
A game ending goal line snuff of the Saints Ingram gave Green Bay the W and the advantage in impact rookies.
In one game Cobb has arrived. It has been 11 years since a Packer hauled the mail the whole way on a kickoff for a TD, the last man to do it was Allan Rossum in 2000. There would be no Lambeau Leap this time for Cobb. He lay on the field completely spent. Not to worry, there are going to be plenty more for him in the future.
Wow.
In one game Randall Cobb has punched his ticket to stardom. Randall, welcome to Titletown. We’ve been waiting for you.
Wow.
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