PACK PREVAILS OVER JAGS

Green Bay Keeps Streak Alive with Depleted Roster

 

 

 

Every season brings a new set of faces, new set of opponents and a new set of challenges. For every stat-head and obsessed-with-detail Packer fan answer this question quickly: if you knew that Green Bay would be without the following players – Greg Jennings, Jordy Nelson, Cedric Benson, John Kuhn, Derrick Sherrod, Andrew Quarless, B.J. Raji, Desmond Bishop, D.J. Smith, Charles Woodson and Sam Shields, what kind of a chance would you have given them? The opponent really doesn’t matter because that’s an awful lot of star power sitting on the sidelines. Granted, Raji made the game but the list of those not playing far exceeds the healthy able bodies.

But somehow Green Bay managed to cobble together a lineup and come out with a win. Thankfully the opponent on this day was the woeful Jacksonville Jaguars who made a game effort and hung tough, but the Jags simply do not have the depth or talent the Packers have. As one man goes down, and in some cases it could be two or three men, the next man up is expected to perform. Not simply is he expected to just play, but Green Bay’s coaches fully expect the next man in the rotation to be every bit as effective as the man he is replacing.

The assembly line approach is very similar to the teeth in a great white shark’s mouth. The teeth keep coming up almost on a conveyor belt and as one tooth falls out or is yanked out or knocked out the next tooth pops into place, razor sharp and just as ready to inflict damage as the tooth it is replacing.

Green Bay’s depth is coming into focus at this stage of the season. The ‘next man up’ philosophy is a direct offshoot of the draft and develop approach taken. The Pack doesn’t draft ‘em to cut ‘em, they draft ‘em to prepare ‘em. Every team faces injuries. It was a mere two seasons ago the Packers led the league with 15 players on the IR, yet somehow they managed to grab a Super Bowl win. GM Ted Thompson has shown he knows how to draft well and has hit on far too many keepers to let the Justin Harrell’s of the world make him a draft doofus

Mike McCarthy and his coaching staff have also proven they can prepare them as well. Jennings underwent surgery for an abdominal tear this week after a nagging ‘groin’ injury had limited his time and production. In the NFL’s curious world of describing injuries apparently Jennings’ ‘groin’ injury is doing a Hurricane Sandy imitation as it has suddenly turned north and manifested itself as an abdominal tear. The next man up? Jordy Nelson, who was having a career year as Aaron Rodgers’ go-to-guy in Jennings’ absence.

Only Nelson had a hammy tighten up on him in practice this week. Rather than take a chance the Pack wisely decided to plank Nelson and next up is 2^nd year man Randall Cobb, who is now having the breakout year many thought he would have. So dangerous is Cobb he is a threat every time he touches the ball, whether on a punt, a kickoff, a reception and even out of the backfield. How deep are the Packers? Right behind Cobb is James Jones, he of the wild preseason trade rumors, to fill in just as capably. All Jones has done has been to tie Packer immortal Don Hutson’s record of 3 straight games with 2 or more TD’s, an impressive feat by anyone, let alone the #4 receiver on the team.

To be fair the Jaguars are not exactly feared in most circles and with good reason. They were without the services of their heart and soul RB Maurice Jones-Drew who was sidelined himself with an ankle injury and was seen on crutches along the Jacksonville sidelines. It fell to Rashad Jennings  to fill in for MoJoDee, and his 57 yards on 17 touches was hardly a threat. Jennings did have one scamper for 21 yards, so his 46 yards on 16 touches is in the 2.5 yards/ carry territory. The only other resident in the neighborhood would be the Packers Alex Green who has yet to have any type of explosion from the line. With the exception of a 21 yard gain early in the season Green has been right there with the Jags’ Jennings as he picked up 54 yards on 22 carries, a minuscule 2.5 yards/ carry average.

Unlike the Jags the Pack is not reliant upon Green to carry the offense. McCarthy has made a committed effort to stay with the running game in spite of itself. By running the ball as much as they do Green Bay is forcing the hand of the defense in trying to gain an edge for Rodgers and his play action fakes.

Rodgers may be the best in the game at play action and is rapidly approaching the Bronco’s John Elway as one of the best ever at selling a play fake. While Green Bay at times looked sluggish and lethargic their offense proved by efficiently effective. Rodgers had an off day, but only measured by Aaron Rodgers’ own standards. While going 22 for 35 and 186 yards it was not the lights out day expected of Rodgers. The good news is the Packers did not need a lights out performance from Rodgers. He distributed the ball and managed his side of the clock just fine. Even though the Jags came in with an ugly 1 -6 record they still get paid to play football and saw a chance against a depleted Packer lineup.

Jags QB Blaine Gabbert has a fine day in going 27 of 49 for 1 TD. Gabbert looked comfortable in driving the Jags and in the time of possession battle Jacksonville edged Green Bay 30:48 to 29:12 in possession time. This is a stat the Packers would prefer goes unnoticed. The best defense for a team against Green Bay is an offense that can control the ball, the clock, their emotions and finish drives with scores. When teams try to play a shootout with the Pack they don’t have the weapons Rodgers has. But a team that can keep Rodgers on the bench does itself a huge favor and takes the pressure off the defense.

Gabbert gave the Jags an early lead when he moved them 46 yards in 7 plays that set up K Josh Scobee’s 38 yard field goal. As the young Gabbert found out quickly swapping FG’s for TD’s with Rodgers is not a wise move. Rodgers countered Gabbert’s drive with a 9 play 69 yard drive the ended when Rodgers rolled out, extended the play and found Cobb in the back of the end zone to retake the lead, a lead they would hold for the rest of the game.

It wasn’t too far in the past that the Packers Special Teams were under a very bright light of scrutiny and well-earned criticism. With the 3 key players in the kicking game now locked up after LS Brett Goode signed a 3 year extension to complement K Mason Crosby and P Tim Masthay the Packers can now do more on ST. So confident in his special teams abilities McCarthy went from a FG formation to a fake that saw Masthay make a toss that was hardly Rodgers-esque, a Billy Kilmer wounded duck that fell woefully short of its target. With a win there should be a lot of good natured ribbing in them film room when this dud shows up again. If there is a concern among the Special Teams it has to be on K Mason Crosby hitting a knuckleball kick for the 3^rd straight game. The ball almost looks as if it is coming flat off Crosby’s leg with virtually no spin. It is something Crosby and ST Coach Shawn Slocum will no doubt address as the Bye week looms.

But the real story on ST was 2^nd year man CB Davon House, who snuck through to block a punt by the Jags’ Bryan Anger.  Anger quickly turned to Rage when the block dribbled back towards the Jags end zone, and a couple of Oakland Raider fumblerooski attempts at the ball ended when rookie Packer LB Dezman Moses led the Pack to the Promised Land by falling on the ball for a TD. The score gave the Pack a lead of 14 – 3, and while the Jags were game competitors behind Gabbert it was a lead the Pack never relinquished.

As there is in almost every Green Bay game there was a moment of great concern when Rodgers was sacked at his own 13 and fumbled the ball to the Jags with just over a minute left in the 2^nd quarter. After looking like the Packer D was going to keep the young Jags out of the end zone Jaguar Head Coach Mike Mularkey called for an old tackle eligible play and Gabbert dropped a soft pass into the arms of T Guy Whimper that cut the Pack’s lead to 14 – 12 after the Jags missed a potential game-tying 2 pt. conversion.

After an uneventful 3^rd quarter the Packers took stock of the situation. Once again they found themselves in the uncomfortable position of letting a vastly inferior opponent hang around and keep it close. With the images of the meltdown in Indy and debacle in Seattle replayed in their collective minds the Packers finally put the game away when Rodgers found the forgotten man in the wide receivers troupe when he hit the ageless vet Donald Driver early in the 4^th quarter for a 4 yard TD that sealed the deal. Both teams swapped field goals late to give the Pack a well-earned 24-15 victory.

The critics will call this game a weak effort and poor showing against a weak opponent. After a season in which they overwhelmed their opponents week after week a simple W is not good enough to quiet the masses. But to have so many quality and key players not even dressed for this game and still come away with that win is an impressive showing.

As is his wont McCarthy took a chance on his players be ready to step up and answer the bell. In sitting so many key players McCarthy made a bold statement to challenge the other guys on the roster to step up and perform. He got superb performances from the suddenly playing-with-a-purpose A.J. Hawk who has been nothing short of reborn since he shed his locks. Brad Jones did not just fill in for D.J. Smith he was 2^nd on the team in tackles behind S Morgan Burnett. Even rookie WR Jarrett Boykin was targeted by Rodgers and he came thru with his first catch. The ‘back from the beyond’ moment came when forgotten RB James Starks came in and had 1 catch for 9 yards and 1 run for 8 yards as well as 1 dropped pass. Hmmmm… two touches/ 17 yards? Might there be another shuffling in the Packer backfield? Alex Green is hearing footsteps.

The key for any team is to beat the teams you are supposed to beat. Not only did the Packers beat the Jags, they have now won 3 in a row, let some key players get healthy and go up against a faltering Arizona team right before the bye week.

Just who will or won’t play will make for a fun Packer parlor game this week. But Mike McCarthy isn’t gambling or even taking chances with his team. He is getting results from every man from Rodgers right down to the 53^rd man and expects to get those results.

That’s how a good team becomes great and gains momentum heading to the key part of the schedule against their NFC North divisional foes.



PACKERS LOOK TO KEEP ROLLING

Jacksonville Looks to Be Respectable

 

Parity is upon us. Parity, the grand altruistic vision of the late Pete Rozelle is here at last. In Rozelle’s view parity meant all teams were equal and on any given Sunday everybody had a chance. Much like socialism, parity is a flawed concept. Yes, parity is indeed upon us. But far from the talent balancing view Rozelle once held.

Parity is a cute term for mediocrity.

In week 6 of this NFL season ‘parity’ was the kiss of death. In the AFC only 2 – TWO! – teams had a winning record and they were Houston and Baltimore. The entire AFC East was tied for first at 3 – 3. In an age where we reward kids with trophies for merely playing the game the gold standard has slipped mightily in an effort to not hurt feelings or leave anyone out.

Case is point the Packers next opponent in the Jacksonville Jaguars. How can a team that drafts so consistently high draft so consistently poor? The Jags are consistently near the bottom and usually in the top 10 of the draft. Yes, they have an ace in Maurice Jones-Drew, but MoJoDee will not be playing against the Packers. He has a foot injury that has kept him out of practice, and in the cloak-and-dagger world of NFL-speak the Jaguar brass has revealed little, if anything, about Jones-Drew’s injury status. The Jags also have first round pick Blaine Gabbert at QB who was the 10^th pick and 3rd QB taken 2 years ago. So highly did the Jags think of Gabbert they traded their 1^st and 2^nd round picks to grab him. Has he been worth it? The results have yet to show on the field.

The Jags are a less than impressive 1 – 6 entering their matchup with the Packers. Their draft picks have not lived up to expectations and even Jones-Drew isn’t enough to keep them from being wretched. Many in and out of the media believe Gabbert was a huge stretch at #10, and there has been precious little around him to support him. The line is porous, Gabbert has a sore shoulder and the Jags 1^st pick last year WR Justin Blackmon has done nothing to date.

With that in mind the Packers clearly have to avoid the mental letdown that has plagued them this year. On paper the Pack is clearly and easily the better team. And as this goofy season has already shown and in the immortal words of Jim Mora that doesn’t mean diddly-poo. The Packers mailed in a weak first half performance against a Seattle team that hung around long enough to literally steal a W away from Green Bay, and after dominating the Colts 2 weeks later they mailed in the second half to a team playing on raw emotion in the wake of their coach, Chuck Pagano, being hospitalized for leukemia.

So what’s to fear in Jacksonville?

Plenty. And not much really.

It will all depend on the Packers and only the Packers. In this game the only team that can beat Green Bay is themselves. Their habit of keeping weaker te4ams in the game and playing down to the level of their opponents has been consistently maddening. If the Jags are to have any shot at bring the Pack down it will be because Green Bay mailed it in to a game they expect and by all rights should win.

The message and lessons from the earlier embarrassments of the year should provide Head Coach Mike McCarthy with more than enough fuel to light under his troops’ backsides.  The Pack easily handled the Rams last week yet somehow the Rams kept the game at a respectable 30-20. Suffice it to say the Jags aren’t the Rams, and they’re not even close. A collection of castoffs and young players comprise the J-ville lineup. In place of MoJoDee the Jags will hand the ball to Rashad Jennings. Jennings enters the game with 90 yards rushing and a puny 2.6 yards/ rush average. It will be up to Green Bay’s front line to keep that stat intact. Beyond Jennings unless someone jumps into a phone booth the Jaguar running game is one the Packers must respect but not fear. They will have to play like it. It would be correct to dismiss the Jaguar running attack but it would also be a huge mistake. If McCarthy is worth his salt as a head coach – and he is – he will be pounding it into his player’s skulls just how dangerous a team like Jacksonville can be. He will have his players believing that they are but one key game from being Super Bowl contenders.

If he doesn’t the Pack just might take an apathetic approach. This is an interesting matchup for Green Bay as the injury bug has settled in once again a la 2010. DT B.J. Raji is still nursing a sore ankle he rolled two weeks ago and if the Pack can live without him they just might do that. Greg Jennings has been stifled with what has been called a ‘groin injury’; now that groin injury has been labeled an abdominal tear that will require Jennings to undergo surgery sometime this week. This will keep Jennings out of play until at least November and the hope is to have him return around Thanksgiving.

And Sir Charles, the Packers defensive senior member Charles Woodson has broken his collarbone, and this time it is the one he did not injure in the Super Bowl 2 years ago. At first it was considered a minor break if any such thing exists but a closer look reveals he will be out at least 6 weeks. With Desmond Bishop and D.J. Smith already on the shelf this is hardly great news. But the loss may not be as impactful as it appears on paper.

Yes, Woodson is one of the stalwarts for the Packer D, but his role has significantly changed since Nick Collins was forced into retirement and rookie S Jerrel MacMillian has been banged up. But as MacMillian and fellow rookie S Sean Richardson get healthy rookie CB Casey Hayward has elevated his play to the point he is forcing his way onto the field and into games. All Hayward has done is to be tied for the NFL lead in interceptions with 4, and CB Davon House may finally get some reps as his shoulder injury from the preseason may be well enough for him to play. House will be strapped into a harness that is similar to the one used by Tramon Williams last year and the Packers can use this game to give a lot of new guys some valuable playing time.

The offense has not been immune to injuries. RB Cedric Benson is still out with a similar injury to Jones-Drew and while Alex Green has been running the ball he is not making anyone forget Ryan Grant, or even James Starks. WR Jordy Nelson has emerged as Aaron Rodgers primary target and James Jones is tied for the NFL lead with 7 TD’s this year. Randall Cobb is enjoying a breakout year and he and Jones will need to keep it up because Nelson tweaked a hamstring in the cool Wisconsin air in practice this week. Perhaps the aging stalwart of the Packers Donald Driver sees more time, and it is not beyond question that rookie WR Jarrett Boykin also gets some reps.

Realistically the only player that causes any fear on defense for Rodgers is the Jags LB Paul Posluszny. Posluszny came from Buffalo via free agency and has to be wondering what the hell kind of mistake he made. The Packer game plan will revolve around keeping Posluzny away from Rodgers. If the offensive line can protect Rodgers he could have another huge day. Rodgers is on a streak right now, and as Rodgers goes so go the Packers. He is leading the NFL in passing once again and any talk of Rodgers being a one-season-wonder has quickly been dispelled. If Rodgers is not the best QB in the NFL right now he is right there in the mix of whoever else would be added to the discussion. With 9 TD’s in his last 2 games Rodgers is on fire. Keeping that fire burning against a weaker opponent is but one key.

Green Bay has to approach this game from the point of coming out fast, moving the offense and putting points up early. The biggest mistake the Pack could make is to turn the ball over, play casual and expect to turn it on when they need it. That is as foolish a way to play as exists. But Green Bay has grown accustomed to being feared and being able to score and win almost at will. They have to avoid both a letdown and looking ahead.

If parity is correct then the Jags have a shot. Yes, Virginia, parity exists. And the Jags do have a shot. A very slim shot. A long shot. Vegas bookies won’t want to touch this one unless the Packers have to give up 20+ points. The margin between the two teams is that far. But the Jaguars are, at last check, still professional football players with pride that would like nothing more than to sully the record of a true playoff contender.

Parity, schmarity. Even with parity Jacksonville is mediocre at best. The Packers are not. In order for Green Bay to keep on track and make hay of the Vikings loss to Tampa Bay they must beat the teams they are supposed to beat. The Packers are on a roll and will stay that way. In the end, long after the outcome has been decided it will get sloppy. Until that happens Green Bay runs over a game Jacksonville team that is several drafts away from even being respectable.

 

 

 

 

  GREEN BAY   37  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  Jacksonville  10  



PACK RIPS RAMS

Green Bay moves over .500 and Claw Back in Playoff Hunt

Holy shades of 2010 Batman! The 2012 season is starting to eerily morph into the Packers magical mystery tour that was the ’10 campaign that ended in a Super Bowl win. Tons of injuries early on. Losing games they should have won. A middling start. And a sudden gelling.

It doesn’t sound as implausible as it seems. The Packers have been the NFL’s star-crossed team in the early stages of 2012 with all sorts of chicanery conspiring against them. Now, after the Pack put away the up and coming St. Louis Rams it was discovered that CB and defensive leader Charles Woodson has joined the ranks of the wounded with a broken collarbone, and it does not appear to be as bad as the other collarbone he cracked in XLV.

The Packers start has been rocky as they brought a 3-3 record into the Dome against the Rams. After a complete dismantling of the mighty Texans last week the Packers finally started looking and playing like the team many thought they would be. Having failed to put back to back wins together this season Green Bay now is above .500 for the first time this year thanks to a 30-20 win over St. Louis, a score that is much closer than the game actually was.

In a unique twist the Pack wore the home green in the Rams playground as the Rams home unis have already been stashed and stowed, packed away for the NFL’s annual dog-and-pony show across the pond in London next week. The Rams did not want to have any tears or repairs or worse so they opted for the white look.

A white flag would have been more appropriate.

The real Aaron Rodgers has rejoined the Packers and he has looked every bit like the NFL’s reigning MVP in the process. With 9 TD’s in his last 2 games Rodgers has jumped to the top of the heap of QB’s. Against the Rams he was all but perfect in going 30 for 37 for 342 yards, 3 TD’s and most importantly zero picks. Rodgers now has the Packer offense playing an uptempo game that is difficult for other teams to counter.

Uptempo is but one facet of a suddenly rejuvenated offense. Ball control and clock management have become the benchmark of the Packers. After the Rams opened a 3-0 lead Rodgers stormed right back as the Packers took another lead in at the half of 10 -6. K Mason Crosby missed a very long attempt at the end of the half with another knuckleball but the Packers controlled the first half that Rodgers highlighted with precision and another TD toss to his new favorite target Jordy Nelson. Mike McCarthy knew his team missed a few shots to turn this game into a laugher, and the Pack is perilously aware of how tenuous even a big halftime lead can be. So are the other teams in the NFL. Rams head coach Jeff Fisher was hoping for a quick 3 and out to open the 3^rd quarter, get the ball, drive it down and either close the gap or snatch the lead.

What he got instead was a balanced attack by the Packers that saw them march 80 yards in 12 plays in a drive that consumed almost 7 minutes and ended when Rodgers hit Randall Cobb for a 5 yard TD. In opening a 17 – 6 lead the Rams looked like a balloon at the end of a party, still with just enough air to be upright but certainly deflated to the point of resignation to their fate. After Mason Crosby hit a 23 yarder to end the Pack’s drive early in the 4^th, the annoying habit of keeping a lesser opponent sniffing around came back on the Pack. Ram QB led a Packer-like hurry up charge back down the field quickly as Ram RB Steven Jackson found the end zone on a 6 yard run. The drive was highlighted by QB Sam Bradford’s connection to rookie WR Chris Givens, he of the staggering 28.1 yards/ reception, for yet another long gainer. With the Rams hanging around at a 20 – 13 deficit they found new life.

Rodgers would have none of it. Suddenly playing like the player he truly is Rodgers was masterful in orchestrating another drive of 80 yards that ended when he hit Cobb for a beautiful 39 yard throw for the TD that pulled the Pack away from the Rams for once and for all. When the Packers are hitting on all cylinders they are tough to match throw for throw, score for score. Rodgers and the Packer offense simply apply too much pressure with their play and that pressure resulted in another interception by super rookie CB Casey Hayward. As Bradford underthrew WR Brandon Gibson Hayward calmly stepped in front of Wilson and latched onto the ball for his 4^th INT of the year, his 3^rd in the last 2 games. Hayward’s rapid progression will make the loss of Woodson easier on the coaches to digest.

While the Packers lost 2 yards in the next 4 downs Crosby connected on another kick, giving him 3 for the day, to put the game away and far out of the reach of the Rams. A meaningless TD throw from Bradford to TE Austin Pettis closed the books on the game and the Packers now look ahead to what has been considered the ‘soft’ part of the schedule as they head to the bye week in 2 more weeks.

Mike McCarthy has become the NFL’s Master of Deception. After Rodgers hit Nelson in the first quarter McCarthy ordered up a surprise onside kick that the Packers recovered after Jarrett Bush laid a tremendous whack on the Rams Tremaine Johnson. For those scoring at home that is now a successful surprise onside kick to go with a successful surprise punt snap directly to FB John Kuhn to go with a successful fake FG that P Tim Masthay converted with a deft shovel pass to TE Tom Crabtree for a TD. It wasn’t all that long ago the Packer Special Teams were the ugly red-headed stepchild of the Packers attack. Not any more; teams no longer have the luxury of sitting back for any ‘routine’ kick.

Clay Matthews added another sack to stay among the top 2 in the NFL with his 8^th sack of the year. DT B.J. Raji missed the game with an ankle sprain but the Packers did not completely miss him. Between vet Ryan Pickett and rookies Jerel Worthy and Mike Daniels the Packer line held Jackson and Ram rookie RB Darryl Richardson to combined 93 yards on 20 attempts. DE Mike Neal has returned from his suspension but he left the game early with yet another unspecified injury begging the question can Neal stay healthy enough to contribute regularly? If the Packers can continue their recent play until they reach the bye week they may just keep Raji out as well as ailing WR Greg Jennings to get them as healthy as possible for the tough divisional portion of the schedule that will follow the off week. The time off will also come at a time when Woodson can rest his injury and return for what promises to be the meat of the Packers schedule as they face their divisonal foes 5 times.

Jacksonville is next on the Packers slate and while nothing should be taken for granted it is imperative that McCarthy keeps the focus on winning them one at a time. Green Bay has lost its ability to fritter a game away and in order to become a true playoff team they must put away the teams they should beat along the way. As long as Rodgers is on the field, controlling the clock it keeps the Packers right where they want to be.

Part of the new approach is the trust McCarthy has in his defense and their ability to protect a lead. While the numbers say the Packer’s scoring is down and they are not the big play team they were a season ago it is a fact that they do not need to outscore teams anymore. They can dictate the pace of the game and impose their collective will upon a game in all 3 phases of the game – offense, defense, and special teams. The defense has a confidence that grows every week. A work in progress the collective efforts of the defense are already showing results. Turnovers are down but again, the Pack doesn’t need to rely on the turnover to stop teams. They are more than capable of just plain stopping teams on their own and in their own right.

Against the Rams the Packers were the superior team by far. As they return home they are a far superior team to Jacksonville. They just have to play that way and keep winning along the way. It was a formula that served them well in 2010, and it is a formula that is taking shape in 2012.

PACK LOOKS FOR MOMENTUM

Green Bay Seeks First Back-to-Back Wins of Season

 

 In the world of “What have you done for me lately” The Green Bay Packers get back into action against the St. Louis Rams on Sunday. The massacre of Houston is over and now the Packers have to put that behind them and start to string a few games of a similar nature together.

There is an appropriate adage that goes “You’re never as bad as you think when you get blown out and you’re never as good you feel when you knock someone else’s block off”. After mopping the floor with the up and coming Texans the Pack now must keep it up. Their season, to date, has been an up-and-down journey between the sublime and the ridiculous. Putting back to back performances together has not happened. Yet.

The Packers rebounded nicely by cleaning the Bears’ clock the week after the 49ers opened the season with a statement by spanking the Pack. Then came The Disaster. The Fail Mary. The Game Winning Interception in Seattle. Then a narrow win over a game Saints squad, followed up by one terrific and one terrible half against Indy. Finally, a .500 record and a feeling of wellness after Green Bay came, saw, and conquered Houston in their home pasture.

Packer fans will be forgiven if they are looking at this week with a skeptical eye. The up and down swings have put the Pack in some jeopardy. There have been opportunities missed and bad breaks. In the middle of the maelstrom, cooler than the can of beer in the bottom of the fridge has been Head Coach Mike McCarthy. After the infuriating finale in Seattle it took everything McCarthy had to keep his composure. Few other coaches would have been able to keep it together facing the media after the replacement refs robbed the Packers of a win. Think Rex Ryan would have gone quietly into the good night? The college guys – Greg Schiano or Jim or John Harbaugh? How about Jim Schwartz? As volatile a personality as the Lions boss is he would likely have chased the offending ref down and punched his lights out. McCarthy handled the entire situation with class and restraint.

The mantra of the Packers and the voice of reason throughout every high and every low has been that of Mike McCarthy. Sure, he was pissed after the Seattle game. But he held it in check. Sure, he was disappointed in his team when they blew a 21 – 3 lead in Indy. But the outside world will never know what he said behind closed doors. And this is the same McCarthy who said after the Houston game, and the Seattle game and the Indy game the same thing…”We‘ve got to put this one behind us and focus on next week’s opponent.”

Few coaches have as intuitive a feel for their team’s pulse. McCarthy acts professionally and expects from his squad. The task at hand is to not get outside of the white lines and play games that aren’t even scheduled yet. McCarthy needs to put his stamp on his team now and both he and the players know it. After opening the season at 3 – 3 it is hardly a record that is impressive or even where the Packers themselves thought they should be. Never mind the “…we SHOULD be 5 – 1 but the _______...” yapping that has surrounded this year’s Packers. They are 3 wins and 3 losses because they have not played up to their ability level, and everyone knows it.

Before anointing the Packers the Packers need to prove they can play like the Packers and not just for one game. The excuses now sound lame even to them. The Pack can be forgiven for expecting it to be easy; after all they rolled up a 15-1 record last year. But up until the Texans game the Packers had been a shocking 2-4 for their last 6 games including last year’s playoff thrashing by the Giants. If they were expecting this year to be easy or easily repeatable they were sadly mistaken. Reality has a way of delivering a cold, hard slap to the face and ego.

Last week the Packers played as complete a game as they have since maybe their Super Bowl run. McCarthy saw that other teams were daring his Packers to throw on them by challenging the receivers at the line. San Francisco did it. The Seahawks did it. The Colts did it. And McCarthy made the adjustment.

By going up tempo and using motion and multiple sets the Packers not only kept the Texans guessing they found ways to get their receivers free at the line. As other teams have adjusted to the Packers so has McCarthy adjusted to other teams.

Against the Rams the mistake would be for the Packers to think they have a week off and a guaranteed win. There is little doubt that McCarthy has a bullwhip in his hand a la Vince Lombardi this week reminding the boys they haven’t done anything – yet. Beating Houston was a step, a good step, but only a step in the right direction. The real challenge is duplicating the effort. If any coach in the league can match up with McCarthy it is the Rams Jeff Fisher. Fisher is a coach who has a shining resume with QB’s with the lone exception of Vince Young. By going to the Rams Fisher felt he had his franchise QB in place with Sam Bradford and is staring to assemble the pieces around him. Hem is not there yet but he won’t have the Rams roll over and play dead for the Packers either.

McCarthy has decided to go with Alex Green as his feature back. Green’s 65 yards rushing were enough to keep Houston honest. Aaron Rodgers went back to distributing the ball around again. The offensive line did a far better job in protection. On defense the Packers showed a glimpse of what they may ultimately become. Even without Desmond Bishop, B.J. Raji and D.J. Smith the Pack went to a Pack mentality and got after Matt Schaub. That is something they’ll need to do to Rams QB Sam Bradford. Bradford has nowhere near the arsenal that Schaub had, but then again neither did Seattle of Indianapolis. The defensive line did a superb job against the Texans vaunted running game, bottling up All Pro RB Arian Foster and keeping him to 40 yards.

The Pack attacked from all angles, a strategy that not only worked but let the defense as a whole flourish. They will need to find more creative ways to hurry Bradford and not let him get comfortable or into a rhythm. Smith was lost when he tore his ACL and he’ll be out for the season. Now it will be up to a committee of Brad Jones, Jamari Lattimore and possibly even Frank Zombo to fill the spot Smith filled when Bishop went down, who filled the spot when now departed Nick Barnett went down. Zombo has been on the PUP list all year and is due to come off this week. Will he play? McCarthy is remaining mum on the subject has only said “You’ll see on Sunday.”

The Rams big back is still Steven Jackson and now the Pack has to face a similar version of Adrian Peterson in Jackson. Big, bruising, and fast Jackson has lost a step but is still capable of blowing a game wide open for the Rams. Rookie RB Daryl Richardson provides a good complement to Jackson in the Rams running game. Raji may be back but if the line can be held by Jerel Worthy, Ryan Pickett, C.J. Wilson and Mike Neal as well as they did last week then Raji may not even be needed. The Packers dodged a bullet after Nick Perry went down after twisting his knee in slipshod sod the Texans call a field. Perry only strained his knee and should be fine. CB Sam Shields also had a shin injury and Shields may want to get back on the field fast.

Rookie CB Casey Hayward had a monster night with 2 picks and an impressive swat covering Andre Johnson. McCarthy has said of Hayward “…he’s hard to ignore. If he keeps it up, he could earn some playing time.” McCarthy has not leaned on rookies to play but Hayward may force his hand. Hayward’s gliding strides look effortless and while he does not possess the speed Shields has he has a nose for the ball that is like a tracking device. Instinct, the big intangible, is written all over Hayward and his feel for the spot may earn him much playing time this weekend. 2^nd year CB Davon House who banged up a shoulder in preseason may also finally get on the field. Beyond the dinged up diminutive Danny Amendola the Rams have little by way of targets for Bradford. Rookie Chris Givens has a whopping 28.1 yards/ catch avg. but Bradford is still looking for a go-to guy and running for his life along the way. One key for the Packers defense is to eliminate the big pass play. The Rams have a way to go yet on offense but they can be tough at home in the Dome. The Rams secret weapon is their kicker Greg “The Leg” Zuerline who is already draw rave reviews for his monstrous boots. He even tried a 69 yarder that missed earlier this year that had the distance but not the line.

The Rams are coming off a defense dominated 17 - 3 win over the surprising Arizona Cardinals last week. The Cards have been a smoke and mirrors outfit all year as both QB’s (John Skelton and Kevin Kolb) have starting and injury time. The Cards have arguably the worst offensive line in the NFL and the Rams feasted on them last week. The Ram defense is led by DE Chris Long and MLB James Lauranitis, both high motor guys who get to the ball quickly. Keeping them and DE Robert Quinn away from Rodgers is the task the Pack’s Offensive Line has this week. The game in the trenches should be fun to watch.  Newly acquired Free Agent Courtland Finnegan adds a menacing element to the DB’s but the rest of the Rams defense has their hands full. If Green Bay brings their ‘A’ game, and plays it in both halves, it will overwhelm the young Rams. Now that Rodgers, Nelson, Cobb and Jones have found their mojo, if Jermichael Finley can join the party it will be a combination that will be tough for anyone to beat let alone a young team still finding its identity in the Rams.

In the process it will reestablish Green Bay, and Mike McCarthy can put this one behind him and start focusing on Jacksonville next.

 

 

 

 

    GREEN BAY 37   

 

 

 

 

        St. Louis  13