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