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