BEATEN, BUNGLED AND BITTEN

Pack Loses Ugly on Late Fumble as Injury Bug Bites

Well, that was ugly.

In another record setting performance of a game best described as sloppy the Green Bay Packers dropped to 1 – 2 to open the campaign after blowing a huge lead to the Cincinnati Bengals who came back to take the contest 34- 30.

It was an eye-hiding display, perhaps one of the sloppiest jobs since Mike McCarthy arrived on the scene. The lowlights included a return game charitably categorized as ‘shaky’, a comeback from a 14 point deficit to blowing a 16 point advantage – an NFL record by the way -, two – not one but two – fumbles returned by the defenses for touchdowns, a defense that stuffed the run but could not close out when needed, an uncharacteristic out-of-sync game turned in by Aaron Rodgers, more injuries to key personnel, some very questionable decisions made by the coaching staff both before and during the game and a publicly viewed angry confrontation between Rodgers and McCarthy.

If this game was a smorgasbord it will be one that was preceded by a very nasty appetizer, a sumptuous 9 course banquet and followed by a rancid desert. The Pack put up 30 unanswered points largely due to the effectiveness of their defense. They had to – the offense looked as out of step with each other as the US Congress. The defense did their job by forcing 4 turnovers and producing a TD.

Whew.

Lost in the mess of this game was the unexpected brilliance of rookie Jonathon Franklin who filled

in when the equally unexpectedly brilliant James Starks wrenched a knee. But Franklin will be seen less for his first 100+ yard game as a pro and more for the game altering fumble that gave the lead back to the Bengals.

Give the Bengals some credit. They are not a flashy offensive team. The offense consists of 1) QB Andy Dalton 2) A.J. Green, his superb wideout 3) TE Tyler Eifert, a rookie from Notre Dame who will be a mismatch headache for many years and 4) another rookie in RB Giovani Bernard, the cat quick scatback who is harder to catch than a pig wearing a Crisco flak jacket.

The Packers have learned how to stop the run. Once again they held an opponent to under 100 yards rushing. But the facts are the facts. The Pack is the overall leader in the NFL in points scored but is a measly 28^th in points against. Ugh. That is in Jaguar and Raider territory and NFL playoff teams don’t come from this morass.

Playing without Eddie Lacy, John Kuhn and Morgan Burnett wasn’t made any easier when Jermichael Finley, James Starks and Clay Matthews all went out with injuries. McCarthy made several decisions that will invite the second guessers to have a field day when he chose to go with only 2 healthy running backs, a move even Aaron Rodgers semi questioned after the game. When Starks sprained a knee shortly before the first half closed rookie RB Jonathon Franklin was pressed into service.

Franklin had not seen an NFL field yet. All he did in less than one game was to post 103 yards rushing on 13 carries that included a 51 yard gem that materialized when he swung wide, slowed down like a cagey vet and let the play open up in front of him. As the swarming Bengal defense overran the lanes Franklin sharply cut back against the grain, hit a seam and was gone on a 51 yard dash that showed why the Packers took him in the draft. Whatever Franklin was missing in camp was not evident during the game.

Until.

His last carry was one that will haunt the Packers and McCarthy. After Randall Cobb took a Rodgers

3^rd down pass and stretched himself out to grab a key first down late Bengal boss Marvin Lewis threw the red flag to challenge the spot of the ball. The initial play had Cobb getting a nose of the ball over for the first down; after review the refs moved it back several inches forcing a 4^th and inches situation from the Bengal 29.

McCarthy had plenty of time to decide what to do during the timeout as the zebras went under the hood. He uncharacteristically chose to go for it rather than send Mason Crosby out to try a field goal that would have put the Packers up by 6 and the game in the hands of his defense, a defense that had shut down the explosive Green and Dalton combination all day. It would be a decision McCarthy would come to regret.

While the decision to go for it was suspect the play choice was even more curious. Franklin took the ball and attempted to hurdle the mass of humanity in front of him rather than skirt the edge where he’d had so much success previously. At 5’11” and 205 lbs. Franklin isn’t built like a Lacy or Starks-like power back that can push a line backwards.

DE Michael Johnson, Rodgers personal tormentor all day punched a hand in and found the ball and knocked it free from Franklin’s casual carry. DB Terrence Newman grabbed the ball as Rodgers missed a tackle and went the distance to turn a potential 6 point lead into a 4 point deficit.

The impact was deflating and demoralizing. Rodgers marshaled the troops back down to the Bengal 25 only to have his 4^th down pass batted down by none other than the Bengals Michael Johnson.

The mistakes, lack of focus and commitment to each play was largely lacking. When the Packers offense did find their stride it was in short, staccato hiccups and not the machine that has chewed up yardage and defenders. There is nothing wrong with the Packers running game. The passing game is the Packers’ strength. In this game that strength was not as daunting.

Rodgers threw 2 picks for the day, something he hasn’t done since ’10. So coolly efficient has Rodgers become that the days of the ol’ gunslinger have become as distant as the Packer sweep. Brett Favre was as capable of throwing 6 picks as he was 6 TD’s. But a pedestrian QB rating in the 60’s? For Rodgers?

That’s another matter altogether. Rodgers first interception came when James Jones failed to run a

slant route, a route the Packers use to bludgeon defenses. When Jones cut his route off Rodgers threw the ball where he expected Jones to be but directly into the hands of a wide eyed Terrence Newman. CB Leon Hall maintained superb body position and angle to steal one away from Cobb later. Both Cobb and Jones acknowledged their shortcomings; Jones later took the blame for hanging Rodgers out to dry by getting creative when he did not need to and Cobb said he did not do enough to make sure the pass would not be intercepted.

The Bengals were hardly a model of efficiency. The Dalton Gang looked sharp on their opening drive moving 90 yards in 5 ½ minutes tom open the scoring. Return man Jeremy Ross added to his unimpressive resume of return gaffes by butterfingering the ensuing kick that gave the ball right back to the Bengals on the 2. There was no Bungle in the Bengals as they quickly pounced upon the gaffe to open a 14 point lead early.

But it was the defense that got the Packers into the game. After the early handicap the Packer defense forced Cincy to kick the ball timer and again. Mason Crosby hit all his field goal attempts and it wasn’t until Clay Matthews flying strip of the ball that safety M.D. Jennings took back to the house that the Pack had a touchdown to show for their efforts. Matthews was a clear force in the game until he exited after pulling the same hamstring that planked him numerous times in the past. The absence of Matthews hurt the Packers in the 3^rd period when Dalton was able to drive the Bengals to 2 scores.

30 unanswered points should be more than enough to demoralize a team and put them away. But the Bengals kept coming back in the second half. Dalton found Green for a TD strike to begin the Bengals comeback then later hit Marvin Jones for a TD and all of a sudden the Bengals were in the thick of things. The Bengals refused to fold under pressure and their superb front four continued to apply pressure on Rodgers all day.

While the line has become far more adept at opening lanes for the Packer backs (this is a true anomaly – Green Bay has posted consecutive 100+ yard outings by a back since the days of Clark Hinkle) their protection of Rodgers, rather their glaring lack of protection of Rodgers, is something that needs to be addressed during the bye week.

The bye week, while early, may be coming at an opportune moment. Jermichael Finley took a

vicious blow to the head from S George Iloka and was staggering as he was led off the field. While the league has emphasized penalizing players for head high hits the fact remains the Packers have suffered an inordinate amount of injuries stemming from such acts. Finley figured to play a large role in the Packers game plan and his absence was sorely felt. TE Andrew Quarless dropped the first ball his way and the TE positions was never able to take advantage of the speed mismatch against the slower Bengal LB’s after Finley departed.

One moment that may play out repeatedly over the down time was that of a furious Aaron Rodgers visibly tearing into McCarthy. B.J. Raji was seen leading Rodgers away and after getting an earful from his star QB McCarthy fired right back. While Rodgers and McCarthy will never be mistaken for coach killer Jay Cutler and Lovie Smith it was an unsettling sight to witness the Packers squabbling among themselves. No doubt the national media will take this ball and run with it, especially considering the oncoming bye week. Afterwards both Rodgers and McCarthy refused to publicly divulge what was said and, to their credit, each essentially said the same thing about the other man being “…passionate and competitive and things are said in the heat of the moment…”

Rodgers seemed particularly irked by what appeared to be erratic play calling and package substitutions by McCarthy in the red zone. “It’s hard to get a rhythm with guys coming in and out” said Rodgers afterwards, and his visible frustration after a short running attempt was stuffed at the goal line was the first shot across the bow.

To be fair McCarthy, like Rodgers, has had better games. Perhaps lost is the steady consistency both have demonstrated over the years that the thought of them not being on the same page and the sight of a public quarrel is cause for concern. On game time decision that is certain to draw criticism was McCarthy’s choice to play with only 2 healthy running backs, and invitation to disaster. While Franklin showed the explosive flash for which he was drafted he nonetheless was at the eye of the hurricane on the backbreaking fumble that gave the Bengals the lead. Even Rodgers questioned the boss’ decision to play with only 2 backs. And given Starks own history of injuries in retrospect the decision was rife for disaster.

Given time both will return to their own ways. Of a bigger concern to McCarthy than his QB has to

be the suddenly awful decision making made by return man Jeremy Ross. Going back to last year Ross famously fumbled a punt against San Francisco in the playoffs that let them back into the game and jumpstarted the Niners to a momentum changing win. Ross has not run with authority and put the Pack behind the 8 ball when a hesitant return against the same 49ers in the opener put the Pack on the 9 to start the drive.

This game was just as ugly for Ross. After Dalton opened the game with a scoring drive Ross immediately misplayed the kickoff and Cincinnati recovered on the 2 to go up 14 – before the Packers even touched the ball.

Later Ross was even shakier when with one foot in bounds and the other out of bounds he fielded a wobbling kickoff that just barely went out of bounds at the 1. Had Ross even touched the ball in that scenario it should have drawn a penalty and there was surprising little mention of the sanity of Ross’ allowing such a shaky play to develop. McCarthy may have to entirely rethink the return game. The decision to go with Ross over camp sensation Antoine Walker as the 5^th WR is being challenged. Will this open the door for CB Micah Hyde or even Franklin? McCarthy simply cannot afford to have Ross give away any more points and at this point Ross cannot be trusted to get the job done.

In the bye week this Packer team must look at itself in the mirror. Rodgers and McCarthy will mend their fences quickly. Mending the ailing and infirmed may be more daunting. Lacy, S Morgan Burnett and missing FB John Kuhn are all expected back as is Finley.  Starks and Matthews now have 2 weeks to heal.

Healing the body is one thing. But the mental aspect of what a game like this can do to a team will test the resolve of everyone from the coaches on down. Easily the Packers could be 3 – 0. The offense can put points up. The offensive line has to cut down on the hurries, hits, pressures, knockdowns and sacks of Rodgers and Dom Capers has to cut down on the scoring as well as tightening the pass defense. Burnett has been a far greater hole in the secondary than most realize. The safety spot has suddenly become a very weak area and opponents are now firing at will, daring the Packers to make a play. Jerron MacMillian has played so poorly he has been benched in favor of rookie UDFA Chris Banjo. Burnett’s return is sorely needed and should greatly improve the position immediately.

 

As the Packers enter the divisional play part of the season they are already 2 games behind unbeaten Chicago and have to extricate themselves from the early hole they have dug. Detroit continues to be their own worst enemy while Minnesota has yet to post a win. Green Bay has to do more than hope for a back door trip into the playoffs. The bye week is here, and while early not a moment too soon.

WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE

Pack Looks to Keep Rolling in Cincy

Fresh off an impressive beast down of the Washington Redskins the Green Bay Packers hit the road this week to take on the Dalton Gang in Cincinnati against the Bengals. Aaron Rodgers and the now high flying Packers offense lock horns with Andy Dalton who has a fairly impressive set of weapons at his disposal. The key to this game will be in the defenses abilities to match up with the opposing offense.

One thing that will allow Dom Capers and the Packer D to breathe easier is the fact they will not be facing a read option running quarterback this week. Dalton has the lateral movement of the Statue of Liberty and his infrequent runs are for his life and not by design. The Bengals do not depend on Dalton to run them out of trouble; the offense is geared around ball control and keeping the rock away from the other team.

This is a defense strategy many teams will choose as Rodgers is playing like a man on fire.

His only blemish on the year is hardly his fault; a pass intended for TE Jermichael Finley bounced off his hands and Finley tipped it to a defender giving Rodgers his lone INT for the season. Finley is showing early signs of finally blossoming and becoming the star the Packers believed he could be when he was drafted.

Finley has had celebrated maturity issues since arriving in Green Bay. At first he was a petulant man child and when his demands for seeing more throws became more public a frosty relationship developed between him and the guy delivering the mail in Rodgers. Aaron Rodgers is hardly exempt from Finley’s maturity process; Rodgers has been slighted at almost every level in his career and has famously had a chip on his shoulder that can resemble a lumber yard. When Finley went to the press to decry the Packers QB Rodgers responded by almost eliminating Finley from the offense altogether.

But things have a funny way of working out. Rodgers and Finley sat down out of the glare of the public eye and hacked out their differences in private like men and not two schoolyard children. While the rest of the world is not privy to the exchange between them it has been evident that whatever issues that once existed are in the past.

Finley has had a long history of drops, especially at key junctures in the game. Those drops drove Rodgers’ confidence in his Tight End into the toilet and Rodgers looked to Finley only as a last resort. Finley, to his credit, began to get that he had as large a role in the fallout as Rodgers. Whining to the press is no way to curry favor from Arod.

Finley began to shut up. And, in the process, grow up.

Starting last year Finley publicly put the blame for his drops on himself. He promised to

donate $100 to charity for every drop he had and slowly began to produce consistently. Finley is a freak of an athlete; essentially he is a wide receiver in a tight end’s body. The size differential mismatch potential against opposing DB’s was what Mike McCarthy had envisioned for the big fella. Finley has the speed to run away from linebackers and the size to outmuscle cornerbacks. All along Finley has had the tools. But using his size and athleticism to his advantage has been a painstaking process.

In the past Finley’s drop he had in the opener against San Francisco would have drawn an icy stare from Rodgers and a spot on Exile Island where he would be treated like a leper. This year Rodgers went right up to Finley on the sideline and said “Don’t worry about it big fella… I’m coming right back to you.”

And Rodgers did just that. On the next play the Packer offense ran from scrimmage Rodgers targeted Finley who held onto the ball. That tiny act of confidence has been huge for Finley and his psyche. Rodgers has been lights out already in the early part of the year and Finley shows all the signs of finally having that monster breakout year so eagerly anticipated.

“He’s reading coverages much better now” said Rodgers. “The game is slowing down for him and he’s getting open quicker and understanding his routes much better and running them cleaner.” The term ‘cleaner’ has become a part of the Packer lexicon in the McCarthy administration. Cleaner simply means precise, exact, defined. Follow the play as it is written, get to the open area quickly and with authority and Rodgers will take care of the rest.

In the moments of improvisation Finley is showing he can also adjust on the fly. Witness his

aerial snag of a touchdown last week against the ‘Skins. From the red zone Rodgers took the shotgun snap, rolled to his right and waited for the play to develop. As Finley broke left he saw the designed play was now in free form. Finley made the adjustment by tracking back to Rodgers and caught Rodgers’ attention as he maneuvered back to the right. In the middle of the vastly overmatched defenders Rodgers threw a Joe Montana-esque air ball that caught Finley at the top of his leap a good 12 feet or so from the ground. The poor sap covering Finley went eyeball to bellybutton as Finley’s 6’5” frame and reach made defending him only possible with a ladder and a 10 foot pole.

The inclusion of Finley into the offense along with the Big 3 of Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb and James Jones makes defending the Packer attack daunting.

And as if that wasn’t enough forgotten man RB James Starks had his “Oh yeah??? Well get a load of THIS…” game last week by exploding thru a tough Redskin defense for 132 yards and a TD. Rookie RB Eddie Lacy has not yet been cleared after sustaining a concussion last week so Starks gets the nod to start. The run game will be a key element as the Bengals have stout run defense led by DE Geno Atkins and a linebacking corps headed by Rey Maluaga and James Harrison. While the Bengals have a good front 7 they are susceptible deep and over the middle as their safety and corner play can sometimes get very shaky. CB Leon Hall has moments where he looks like a second skin on a wideout but in the next breath couldn’t cover a bed with a blanket.

Former 1^st rounder S Taylor Mays is an athletic freak who looks for the big hit and yet can

trip over his own feet and has a maddening habit of turning the wrong way or worse turning his back to the ball in coverage. In order for Rodgers to be successful two very important things are going to have to happen.

The Packers must continue to be able to run the ball. Running the ball keeps the clock and the chains moving and keeps the defense off the field. Secondarily giving Rodgers enough time to throw is paramount. While Rodgers has been sacked 6 times already (currently on the same pace as last year’s butt-ugly 51 sacks) there is a huge difference. The sacks have not yet been game changers. The young offensive line shows signs of improving every game and will be tested against the Bengal pass rush.

The Bengals’ Andy Dalton has a fair amount of weapons on his side. Dalton lacks the arm strength to challenge defenses deep but is a very accurate short range passer. More of a West Coast offense the Bengals will look to find A.J. Green, the superb WR who always manages to find open territory and rookie TE Tyler Eifert who is growing into a starters spot. RB Ben Jarvus Green – Ellis has seen his minutes and touches wane as rookie speed back Giovanni Bernard gains more of head coach Marvin Lewis’ confidence. Bernard exploded last week against the suddenly declining Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday night for 2 touchdowns. He’ll be a back that B.J. Raji and Johnny Jolly will have to bottle up if the Packers look to throttle the Bengals.

Dalton has the tools on his side. Rodgers has more. And Rodgers is Rodgers. That alone is enough to give the Packers the advantage in this one. It might be close at the half but the Pack pulls away and heads into the bye week looking to get the ailing – Lacy and S Morgan Burnett – healthy when they resume in the divisional matchups.

 

 

 

 

 

 

  Cincinnati  13   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

     GREEN BAY 30  

SKINNED!

Pack Pounds RG3 and the ‘Skins on a Record Day

It was never that close.

The Green Bay Packers mopped the floor with the visiting Washington Redskins on Sunday by a final count of 38- 20, a score that gives the thought that he ‘Skins gave a valiant performance.

They did not.

Aaron Rodgers and the powerful Packer offense found every seam, every hole, and every mismatch as they stampeded over Robert Griffin III en route to team and NFL records. Playing in the very noisy, very loud new and improved by some 7,000 odd more seats in the South End Zone madhouse known as Lambeau Field Rodgers and the Packers gave their rabid hometown supporters much to cheer for the entire game.

For the day Rodgers tied the all-time Packers record of 480 yards in one game, a record he shares with former

backup Matt Flynn. Rookie RB Eddie Lacy went out with a concussion after his first run of 190 yards when Brandon Merriweather delivered a knockout blow with the top of his helmet to Lacy’s jaw. Lacy left with a concussion and turned the reins over to relegated-to-backup-status James Starks, who came in and hung 132 yards rushing that included a nifty 32 jaunt for a TD, the first Packer runner to gain over 100 yards in 3 years. And, in a bit or irony, Starks sent the same Merriweather out of the game when Merriweather attempted another crown of the helmet leading tackle only to have the sturdy Starks stun him in his tracks. As Merriweather lowered

his head Starks lowered his shoulder and lowered the boom. Merriweather left the game a victim less of Starks brute strength than of his own recklessness. While Merriweather’s hit on Lacy did not draw a flag it will most certainly come under review and in addition to the headache Merriweather received and the hands, make that the shoulder of Starks he can expect his wallet to be hit as hard as well. The league may find itself a tad red-faced explaining why, after an off season that included a point of emphasis on penalizing runners who lead with the crown of the helmet, no flag was thrown on the play.

As far as records go it is the first time in Packer and NFL history that a team had a QB throw for over 400 yards and a RB go over 125 yards rushing. Rodgers and Starks have now accomplished what Starr and Taylor and Hornung or Favre and Levens and Green could not. The game is one for the books and the Redskins still have yet to have their team show up for a first half yet at this early juncture of the season.

One thing about this year’s Pack is the sense of team they seem to share, Greg Jennings excluded. Last week James Jones was the forgotten man in the attack. By contrast the Dolphins Mike Wallace loudly took to the press to whine about his sparse targets and yet Jones said afterwards “It’s a long season. I’ll get my looks. With the offense we have just because I didn’t get any (looks against San Francisco) doesn’t mean anything.”

How right he was.

Jones became Rodgers’ favorite target on the day racking up a career high 178 yards on 11 catches. His

attempt to lay out and score was thwarted when the ball squirted from his hand on contact bouncing of the pylon and giving Washington a temporary stay of execution. At the time the score was 31 – 0 and had Jones scored it would have made the halftime count 38 – 0.

Mike Shanahan has to be losing his mind. His ‘Skins have failed to show up for a first half yet this year. After spotting Washington a 7 – 0 lead last week the Eagles essentially did exactly what the Packers did in running over, under, around and through the defenseless Skins in the first half.

Initially Washington’s D looked to be up to the task. Brian Orakpo and Ryan Kerrigan got to Rodgers early with a couple of sacks but the offensive line tightened up from that point. RT Don Barclay was victimized by Kerrigan’s bull rush but settled in after that. He and rookie LT David Bahktiari gave Rodgers more than enough time to find more than enough open receivers. The menacing Orakpo was seen screaming at his mates on the sidelines in a futile attempt to stem the Packers push.

The run/ pass balance Mike McCarthy has been looking for paid huge dividends. With Starks finally flashing the form that held him in such high regard early in his career Starks reestablished himself in the backfield after a camp that McCarthy called “The best camp he [Starks] has had since he’s been here.” At one point Starks was considered largely on the bubble to even make the team after the Pack drafted Lacy and Jonathon Franklin. But when Lacy went down Starks took full advantage.

By showing the slashing, bruising running style he possesses Starks found seams, lanes and holes and looked like the thoroughbred that led the Pack rushing attack to the Super Bowl in ’10. Starks hit the holes with vision and deciveness and in the process opened up the airwaves for Rodgers to work his magic. And the more yardage he gained the more the Skins were forced to counter by dropping an extra safety down to try to corral him.

But in the pick your poison game the Packers want to play when Rodgers looked up and saw that the Skins

were playing a one high safety D after Merriweather went out the air was raining footballs. Jones was not the only beneficiary of Rodgers’ strikes. Randall Cobb also had a career best 9 catches and 128 yards with a TD while Jordy Nelson “only” had 66 yards – but 2 TD’s. Jermichael Finley was a mismatch nightmare by grabbing 6 balls and a ridiculously easy TD when Rodgers played go up and get it with the big fella over the top of a much shorter DB.

Overlooked in the blowout will be the Packers defense. On paper the stat lines will lie and say that the Packers gave up too many yards and were soft.

Poppycock.

The defense was swarming in the first half and kept RG3 looking very docile as they closed off the running lanes he exploited so deftly in his rookie campaign last year. CB Davon House blitzed the edge to sack RG3 and the suddenly reborn Mike Neal, the hybrid DE/OLB, had his first INT of his career. Last year’s rushing sensation Alfred Morris was bottled up and throttled and could not find the time or the space to contribute. Although his stat line shows 107 yards, 1 TD and an 8.2 yards/carry average Morris was largely average and inconsequential in this one.

Washington’s points came long after the Packers had pulled out of the station. After a 31 – 0 halftime lead it became obvious that protecting the lead and his players was paramount on McCarthy’s mind. After the season opening defeat at the hands of the 49ers in a game that Packers know they could have won the Pack found their stride. Seattle put the wood to SF and thoroughly beat on and beat up the Niners on Sunday night 29 – 3. In the early polls the Packers look to be right in the mix with the big dogs of the NFC while Seattle will undoubtedly jump high in the latest power rankings.

Rodgers is back already on another MVP track. His consistency has been almost unparalleled. Week after

week he goes out and gets the job done, doesn’t turn the ball over and in his regime the Packers have seldom been out of a game. That kind of consistency draws attention. Witness the hapless Redskins, one of whom turned to the bench on Sunday with his arms outstretched, palms to the sky whose very body language said “What do you want us to do?”

With Starks pounding the ground there was little the Skins could do. The running game only makes Rodgers that much more dangerous. When Rodgers first caught Merriweather inching towards the line early in the contest he hit Cobb in full flight over the middle on a slant, and Cobb took it the rest of the way unmolested. This was right after Cobb took a swing pass and stepped ever so gingerly out of bounds at the 17 negating that touchdown.

The defense won’t look as good on paper as they actually did on the field. RG3 ended up with over 300 yards passing, but they came at a time when all the Redskins could do was to throw, throw and throw some more. The Skins had to all but abandon their desire to run the ball in a vain attempt to get back into the game. Washington has not showed up at all in the first half this year; last week the Eagles moved the ball at will and now the Packers took the page from Chip Kelly’s book and did the same. If Mike Shanahan and Co. can’t stop the surge the Skins’ goose may be cooked by Thanksgiving.

To be fair Griffin is coming back after major knee reconstructive surgery, and to be cruel defenses will now hunt

him down like a wounded animal. Taking the run away from RG3 takes a huge element out of his game. The Packer defense moved RG3 around in the pocket, never allowing him to find a rhythm or tempo. Ryan Pickett batted a ball down at the line and the sight of Griffin’s helmet rolling across the turf after being sandwiched made for a lasting image of what was to be a very long day and longer flight back home for Washington. RG3 still looks as if he has rust all over his game, and his preseason declarations of “Don’t worry about me; I’ll be ready” are ringing hollow. As the NFL has become less about preparation for the season and more about looking at the imports, keeping the stars from injury, and the almighty dollar Washington has taken on the look of a team that is going to try to wing it and find their game in the game.

For Rodgers and the Packers the game is right there. “I didn’t think it was my best game” said Rodgers afterwards. Randall Cobb chipped in by saying “We can play better. We know we can play better.”

That particular notion is frightening. If the Packers can follow through it will be a fun ride for Packer Nation.

SKINS GAME

Pack Look To Bounce Back Against RG3 and Skins

It isn’t desperation time.

It isn’t anywhere near close to desperation time.

Yes, the Packers opened with a loss on the road to San Fran and now look to balance the sheet as the same 0-1 Washington Redskins enter Lambeau Field for the Pack’s home opener. Even 0 -2 isn’t impossible.

But 0 – 2 going into Cincinnati to face the Bengals leading up to a much earlier than normal bye week is not what the Packers want to do. 0 – 3? Yes – it could happen as all 3 aforementioned teams have the same goose egg and need the bounce back game.

Call it homerism but of the 3 only the Packers truly acquitted themselves

in losing to the Niners. SF is largely regarded as the best in the NFC. Colin Kaepernick is a guy Packer fans will love to hate for many years. Give the devil his due. Loudmouth coach Jim Harbaugh did something very right for the franchise in benching former #1 overall QB Alex Smith – a guy who was playing his best ball of his career at the time – in favor of Kaepernick. Smith had an injury that opened the door and Kaepernick slipped thru and bolted it shut. Once perceived as a novelty, a ‘new-age’ read option run-for-your-life mad dasher/ scrambler/ runner Kaepernick showed he is the genuine article in his 412 passing yards dismantling of the Packers secondary en route tom a shootout 34- 28 win.

Now the Pack has to bounce back another ‘new-age’ read option run-for-your-life mad dasher/ scrambler/ runner in the ‘Skins Robert Griffin III. RG3 famously blew out a knee last year after injuring it in the regular season and having it crumple under him in the playoffs. After major knee reconstructive surgery RG3 played his first game last week against the high octane Philadelphia Eagles and looked for all the world like a man who has played a down of football in almost a year.

It’s only because he really hasn’t.

Mike Shanahan may get the dunce cap for not protecting the franchise

last year but Shanny took no chances in preseason. He kept the red jersey on RG3 in camp and didn’t play him in the preseason not wanting to expose him to another injury. But in the process Griffin came out last week and led the Skins to a 33 – 7 deficit looking nothing like the QB who struck fear into the hearts of defenses around the league. The fact that the game finished 33 – 27 is no indication of the blowout it really was. Washington was kept off the field as Philly rang up 53 first half plays. Their run to the line and snap the ball approach caught Washington’s defense almost flat footed, and only a controversial ‘it was or it wasn’t lateral from Michael Vick that was batted down and run back gave Washington any notion of being able to score.

Griffin was shaky with a lot of rust in the first half. While the Skins and RG3 played a much more solid second half the gap was too great to close. WR Leonard Hankerson is becoming one of Griffin’s favorite targets and the huge deficit kept Washington from getting RB Alfred Morris into the action. And now Griffin and Co. try to get even in the Packers home opener.

The new South End addition to Lambeau Field is now complete and the

Packers are looking for some 12^th man action to keep the pressure on

RG3. The Pack’s offense was a curious case study of extremes last week. 4 long scoring drives that showed crisp execution and athleticism; Jordy Nelson’s corkscrew-twisting/ toe dragging layout catch along the sidelines will be on the NFL highlight reel all year – wrapped in with 5 3-and-outs. Clearly Mike McCarthy and Aaron Rodgers aren’t pleased with that figure.

In order for the Packers to be successful Rodgers said “We (the offense) have to do a better job of keep our defense off the field.” Additionally rookie RB Eddie Lacy has to keep the rock in his hands. MM was torqued when Lacy fumbled early on and immediately went to James Starks in exiling Lacy to the back of the bus. Lacy has shown burst and explosiveness but hasn’t quite yet adjusted to the millisecond speed of the NFL. But he looks to be a quick study. He was far more reliable in the second half and was a key element in the drive he ended with a 2 yard leap over the line that was his first TD as a pro.

Jermichael Finley had another ball clang off his hands as he tipped it to

a 49er defender that will count not as a drop for him but an INT for Rodgers. Last year the chill that would have met Finley from Arod for that type of play would have made winter in Green Bay seem like a tropical island by comparison. But that was then. Both players are showing maturity as Rodgers told Finley to shake it off and Rodgers came right back to him on the next series. Finley ultimately gained a measure of redemption when he scored a TD.

The defensive lines and linebacking corps for both teams have a ring of familiarity around them. Green Bay has B.J. Raji and Clay Matthews while Washington counters with Ryan Kerrigan and Brian Orakpo. Both Kerrigan and Orakpo were injured last year crippling the Skins defense. Young Packer tackles David Bahktiari and Don Barclay passed the test against San Francisco but both young will find there are no off days and cakewalks in the NFL. The Packer offensive line did a pretty good job against the Niners and the B & B boys need to continue their arc upward. All Pro LG Josh Sitton was flagged 3 times last week, twice for holding and once for hands to the face, but was also playing with a bad back. “It was probably the long plane ride to SF” said Sitton later. “It took me a while to get it loose.” When asked if his back had anything to do with his play Sitton said “No, I don’t think so” but the tape says differently. A healthy Sitton means a healthier Rodgers. Sitton reported that by the middle of the week his back was much better.

But if the Packers are to have any hope they must have a far better

performance from one of the perceived strengths of the team going into the year. The Packer CB’s were tortured all day by Vernon Davis and Anquan Boldin and never found an answer in their coverages which could only be described as very soft and very shaky. S Jerron MacMillian was also torched and the Packers missed the stabilizing force of Morgan Burnett who is still bothered by a hamstring. Burnett looks to be a game day decision with his injury. Having a healthy Burnett back there, along with a healthy Casey Hayward cannot be understated.

Hayward has shown a nose for the ball and plays like a savvy vet. His injury forced Dom Capers to insert rookie Micah Hyde into the game frequently. Knowing full well Kaepernick and Harbaugh would try to target the rookie Capers countered by moving Hyde all over the field in various packages and coverages. While it prevented the 49ers form isolating the rookie the way Kaepernick was throwing the ball it was irrelevant as to where any Packer CB was. No one in the secondary was immune from criticism and that may light a fire under their collective keisters.

Containing Griffin is s repeat of containing Kaepernick. RG3 is more

likely to yank it down and take off and taking advantage of his tremendous athletic ability. DE Datone Jones saw limited reps last week in base packages but will in all likelihood see more this week. Jones’ high ankle sprain seems to be behind him as Jones said earlier this week “Man, give me a basketball and I’ll dunk it.” But that won’t happen. The Packers need to keep pressure on Griffin and also to force more pressured throws. Kaepernick was kept in check and was moved by the Packer pass rush, but the hurries and knockdowns were harder to come by. Expect more blitzing, especially if the Pack can establish outside containment. The Packers will test Griffin to see how well he and his braced knee respond.

For the Packers secondary to have a better game as a group they simply need to play better and win their individual battles, a black eye in the film room this week. But much of their success will depend on how well the pass rush can force Griffin and whether the vastly improved run defense can bottle up Alfred Morris.

The offense will have a much better balance this week and will cut down radically on the 3 and outs. The embarrassing time of possession stat last week – SF’s 3:30 to the Packers 29:30 – is another reflection of the 5 3-and-outs, penalties and gaffes. They’ll get cut down as well. Randall Cobb joined Nelson in a big game last week, but look for James Jones to get his share of targets this week also. One other area of concern has been return man Jeremy Ross’ deer in the headlights approach to kickoffs. Ross froze for a moment 4 yards deep and then was brought down at the Packer 9, a mental error he won’t be able too many more times and still draw a check from the offices at Oneida Ave. Cobb may see more time as a return man, and if Hyde may even get a shot at returns if Hayward can take some pressure off him. Rookie RB Jonathon Franklin is also an option and he, too, may get a chance.

The game should feature points going up at a good clip. But while Green Bay gets their ship righted Washington has to gulp hard as they open the season 0-2.

  Washington   17 

  GREEN BAY  34