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.