WE’VE SEEN THIS MOVIE BEFORE

Same Old, Same Old as Cards Deck Pack in Blowout

It was a familiar refrain from the same sad song, one that has been played far too many times already this season. The Green Bay Packers went into Arizona with dreams of the #2 seed in the NFC dancing in their heads. When they exited they took their thoroughly kicked backsides and limped quietly out of town the victim of a 38 – 8 thrashing. Don’t kid yourself… the score sounds a lot closer than it really was.

 It was much the same as it has been since the Packers opened 6 – 0. There is no makeup that can be applied to make the ugly eyesore look even presentable. A few of the very grim realities. Injuries continue to mount as Bryan Bulaga went out. Against the Cardinals speedy DB’s the receivers could not get open – again. The playing field looked like a field full of daisy with all the yellow flags tossed. 3^rd down conversions are as frequent as suntans in Green Bay in January. In spite of the drubbing the defense gave the offense a game with which they could win. Once again the offense dropped the ball – literally. And an oldie but goodie was present. Once again drops of passes were an issue. Davante Adams let another one slip right through his fingers as he whiffed on a ball he and only he not only could have caught but should have caught. When Adams finally had a reception of note he got hit with a yellow penalty flag for delay of game when his pointless, immature spike of the ball was ill-timed considering the Packers were behind by 30 some odd points. So angered was Mike McCarthy his lips could be read as he asked in frustration “Why does he do that?” When your season comes down to spiking the ball in celebration for just making a basic catch volumes have been spoken.

Once again the offense went MIA as Aaron Rodgers was off target more times than anyone can remember, his receivers, when they could catch the ball, were caught behind the point where they needed to be for a first down. The battered offensive line substituted their pads and jockstraps for a pair of tights and a matador’s cape as they simply waved and hollered “OLE!” as Rodgers was belted and hammered and sacked 8 times. When McCarthy finally, mercifully yanked Rodgers from the fire backup QB Scott Tolzien was sacked giving the Cardinals a whopping 9 sacks for the day.

Coming into the game Green Bay led the league in fewest giveaways via fumbles or interceptions with 11. Rodgers threw an interception right after Mike Daniels alertly picked off a Carson Palmer attempt at a screen to RB David Johnson. The hits kept on coming as Rodgers fumbled the ball 3 more times on sacks while James Starks and Scott Tolzein each had a fumble giving the Packers, in one game, more than half the turnovers they have committed all season. The most damning indictment was the 28 points given up off those turnovers. While the time of possession was all but even the Cards outgained the Pack by a mark of 381 yards to Greens Bay’s 178.

For a while it looked as if it would be a playoff caliber game. The 1^st quarter ended at 0 – 0. Eddie Lacy was running well. But the passing game continued to fizzle. The Packers horrendous inability to convert 3^rd downs once again reared its ugly head. The Packers converted only 5 of 17 3^rd down attempts, a 29% conversion rate that is below the very bottom of the league. This is an ongoing problem and now with Minnesota pummeling the hapless New York Giants by a count of 49 – 17 the Packers are now tasked with facing a team that has been as hot as the Packers have been cold. While 10 – 5 is hardly anything to sneeze at the miscues, misfires, penalties and offensive ineptitude has gotten very old very fast.

McCarthy and Rodgers have been sporting the company line about improvement and guys playing better and guys showing up but the only guys playing better and showing up are the guys on defense. Daniels gift wrapped a legit scoring chance deep with his pick. Imagine his dismay at having to retrieve his helmet after Rodgers was picked off by S Justin Bethel on a poorly thrown ball. If Rodgers appeared glum after last week’s spotty win over Oakland after this game he may go incognito. Rodgers Motor City Miracle heave aside the Packers have not looked good or complete or even like a playoff caliber team since manhandling the Vikings in what seems to be three full lifetimes ago but was really only 6 very long weeks ago.

The Cardinals opened the scoring after Jeff Janis was flagged for a facemask violation while running down a punt. Palmer to Larry Fitzgerald put the Cards on top 7 – 0 and Arizona never looked back. As it became 10 - 0 on a Chris Catanzaro field Daniels had his pick that placed the ball on the Cardinal 21. All the sundae needed was a cherry but all they got was crushed nuts instead. Rodgers missed James Jones badly on the interception by Bethel and a potential 10 – 7 game became 17 – 0 when Palmer drove the Cards 80 yards in 7 plays culminating in hitting John Brown from 7 yards out with 6 seconds left.

This has also become a Packer staple of late. Stink the joint out in the first half (see: Detroit/ Dallas/ Oakland), show up in late in the second half and somehow win in spite of yourself. Not Sunday, Not against the talent rich and deep Cardinals. Palmer is developing a killer’s instinct and a surgeon’s touch. The death knell came early in the second half. Knowing Green Bay’s penchant for last second heroics on the Pack’s first possession of the 2^nd half RB James Starks fumbled on the first play and set Arizona up for a 2 play/ 14 yard dash by RB David Johnson to ice the game. The 3^rd quarter wasn’t even a minute old and the game and the Pack’s chances at a bye were over. The next series brought even more futility as Rodgers was pounded, lost the ball and Corey Redding scooped up the late Christmas present and rumbled 36 yards steamrolling Eddie Lacy along the way.

As inconsistent and unreliable as the Packers passing game has been of late it was imperative to establish the run early, But a 31-0 deficit will be a fulcrum to trash intent and try to get something, anything going. Long, clock killing drives only work with a lead. The passing game has now shrunk and been reduced to a dink and dunk, 5 – 7 yard gain at a time offense and although Lacy ran well the time to pound was kicked right in the seat of the pants. Lacy did pick up the Pack’s lone score on the next series, a ‘Big Deal’ TD catch from Rodgers from 28. But the many Packer faithful that had a pilgrimage to the desert to get out of the snow were wishing for a snow blower and a fast cab out of town.

 The rest of the game was little more than pad-the-stats time for ’Zona. As for the Pack it was a glum reinforcement that as f today they aren’t in the consideration of one of the NFL’s elite. As for Arizona they just may be the best team in the NFL. With Carolina finally getting dinged by Atlanta the Cards have all the pieces in all the right places and look to be the team to beat.

The Packers just look beat up. Next up is the NFC North title matchup at home against Minnesota that at first blanch would appear as a dire, must-win contest. But hand on a second… while the winner claims the NFC North the very real possibility is the winner will also face Seattle in the first round of the playoffs while the loser will most likely face Washington. If the objective is getting to the Super Bowl maybe second place isn’t such a bad thing. The Vikings are coming in sky high and are looking to make their bones at the Pack’s expense. Perhaps the Packers can find themselves before it’s too late and get hot. Maybe they can rally in time to right the ship. Maybe every guy shows up for once and for all. Then again the way Green Bay has looked lately maybe they’d be better off to skip the first half altogether, stay warm in the locker room and come out and hope for the best in the second half.

Along with the drops, turnovers, sacks, lack of a consistent running game, receivers not getting open, injuries and penalties it has become a style with which the Packers have become all too familiar. Two things became certain however in the wreckage. The Arizona Cardinals are playoff ready. The Green Bay Packers are not.

SEASON’S GREETINGS

A Christmas Wish List

We’d like to take a moment to thank you, our readers, and wish you all a safe and Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, Feliz Navidad, Joyeux Noel, Season’s Greetings and Happy Holidays.

With that we offer up our Christmas wish list for the Green Bay Packers…

A win on Sunday in sunny Arizona. It is not really necessary as the Pack can still go 1-1 between this week’s contest with Arizona and next week’s showdown with Minnesota and still clinch their 5^th consecutive NFC North crown. But if the Packers can knock off the mighty Cardinals and then the upstart Vikings Green Bay would move right into the coveted 2^nd spot in the NFC and have a much needed bye. As it is the Pack is already assured of a playoff spot somewhere and depending on how the cards fall it is a very real possibility that Green Bay could lay in the next 4 weeks Arizona, Minnesota, Minnesota, and Arizona again. Ugh.

A Coach of the Year Award for Mike McCarthy and his staff. McCarthy has been consistently passed over by the likes of Pete Carroll and Andy Reid but has not been recognized as one of the game’s best and brightest coaches. The job McCarthy and Co. have done this year in guiding the Pack to a 10 – 4 record has been staggering considering the obstacles they have had to overcome. The loss of Jordy Nelson and Ty Montgomery has hurt Aaron Rodgers’ passing game and the big splash plays have been few and far between this year.

Speaking of the receiving corps some new, really sticky gloves would be a most wonderful gift. Davante Adams has had more drops of TD’s than TD’s caught and he is not alone. Adams was expected to pick up the slack in the loss of Nelson but has been a victim of a terrible sophomore slump. His drops have been hard to fathom and harder still for McCarthy and Rodgers to digest.

Some more field time for Jared Abbrederis. In the wake of Adams’ maddening inconsistency Abby has been a quietly effective late season bloomer. No less an authority than Rodgers himself said in his post-game comments after a 30 – 20 win over Oakland “He (Abbrederis) knows how to get open. He needs to be on the field more.” When Rodgers talks, people listen. Look for offensive coordinator Edgar Bennett and McCarthy to find a place for a guy who can get open and catch the ball.

A Jenny Craig membership for RB Eddie Lacy. Lacy has proven to be a late season runner who gets stronger as the season grinds on. But Lacy has been benched and found himself in McCarthy’s doghouse for blowing a mandatory curfew while there have been questions raised about his weight and preparedness. James Starks has been terrific in relief save his penchant for fumbling. Without Starks to pick up the slack it would cause one to shudder to think where the Pack would have been without him.

Some much needed patience for the Packer faithful. Green Bay’s fans and world wide support system have become spoiled by success over the past 25 years. Essentially there have been just 2 hall of fame QB’s, 2 Super Bowls and the Pack is currently owning the North… but that doesn’t seem to be good enough. The Patriots have set such a ridiculous standard that compared to Brady and Belichick what the Packers do pales in comparison. But so does the rest of the NFL. “Only” 2 Super Bowls? Teams like Detroit and San Diego would sell a kidney for just one – and Detroit has never even been to the Super Bowl. Undue expectation can only breed disappointment.

A special place in NFL Films highlight package of Aaron Rodgers 61 yard rainbow that has become known as the Motor City Miracle. Doing all the math that covers length, distance and height Rodgers toss to end the game in Detroit to Richard Rodgers is estimated to have travelled 101 yards… and was dead on the money. Admit it – you never get tired of watching this play and could make it a mandatory watch daily until next year. And to top it all off Rodgers has just been featured in a trick shot video with the NBA’s Chris Paul that is nothing short of mind blowing. To see this video click this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfM0_ngx0zU

Some appreciation for the masterful job Ted Thompson and his staff have done. This year’s draft yielded no less than 4 players in the first 4 rounds who have made direct contributions. CB’s Damarious Randall and Quentin Rollins will help to make the secondary formidable in then years to come while WR Montgomery who went on the IR last week was already showing promise before injuring his ankle. ILB Jake Ryan tends to overplay at times but is the type that always seems to be around the ball and does so in a furious fashion and check his stats – he is consistently among the team leaders in tackles per game. He’ll be a stud in the very near future. 5^th round QB Brett Hundley is being groomed and 7^th rd. DL Christian Ringo was signed to a raise while on the practice squad indicating the brass has future hopes for him. The job done by the scouting staff to ensure the viability of the team into the future has been stellar.

Some snow on the field. The vast majority of the east coast and even into the Midwest has had unseasonable warm, wet weather and football in Green Bay just isn’t the same until the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field becomes frozen. Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.

A spot in the Pro Bowl for Julius Peppers. Since being deemed expendable by the Chicago Bears 2 seasons ago Peppers has added stability and some sage play at the OLB slot. Peppers has been literally reborn being moved from a hand in the dirt DE to a more mobile OLB where his immense physical talents can be best utilized. His strip sacks and ability to drop into coverage may extend his run in Green Bay longer than the 3 year deal he inked last year.

Someone to step up inside so that Clay Matthews can move back to his natural OLB spot. Mike Neal has had a very good season while Nick Perry has been less than expected for a former 1^st rounder. In his contract year Perry may get some feelers but not at the big bucks he would have hoped. Ryan looks to have the speed and mentality for the role but not yet the discipline. Give him time and it will be there. But another LB yielding draft would be a good expectation.

A better health care plan for the offensive line. At one point this year 4 of the 5 starters were all out with injuries leaving only Pro Bowl G Josh Sitton in the same spot. J.C. Tretter has filled in admirably for C Corey Linsley while Don Barclay has seen more of the field than he thought he would. When healthy the line is as good a line as there is in the NFL and getting them right for the end of season into the playoffs push would help Lacy and Rodgers immensely.

Some respect for the job defensive coordinator Dom Capers has done. Blending in youth with the veterans and watching the defense become the unit that has carried the Packers this year was not on anyone’s agenda but it has most certainly been the case. While the offense has struggled at times the defense has kept the Packers in most games. McCarthy nailed it when he said of the 4 losses there was a clear loss to Denver but in the other 3 it came down to a last possession affair. Not bad, Dom.

And if we’re not being too greedy a nice, tidy 5 game winning streak starting Sunday. As McCarthy has said “Stats are for losers. I’m tired of the negativity. We’re 10 – 4 and in the playoffs.” Hear, hear coach. Five games, starting Sunday in Arizona. Do the math.

That being said we still have to make our pick for Sunday’s big matchup. In our preseason picks issue we stated Green Bay would finish 11 – 5. At 10 – 4 now the Pack is on the track we expected them to be. The track has gone through some very unexpected stations along the way but it is arriving just about where we thought. As much as we would love to take the Pack Sunday, the Cardinals are the team to beat this year, the Carolina Panthers and their perfect record considered. Carson Palmer is playing at an ultra-high level and the Cards WR’s – Larry Fitzgerald, John Brown and Michael Floyd will be, as Rodgers and McCarthy said a good test. Add in the sudden star RB David Johnson and the Cards deck is stacked. Losing S Tyrann Mathieu will hurt but CB Patrick Peterson has cut the field in half and along the way has surpassed Darrelle Revis and Richard Sherman. The defense is fast and physical and ‘Zona may be the most balanced team on both sides of the ball this year.

It should make the rematch in the playoffs that mush tastier.

Green Bay 19  

ARIZONA 29

RAIDERS OF THE LOST CARR

Defense, Special Teams Carry Packers to Win in Oakland

Just about the time the offense started getting sluggish (again) the defense started getting hot (again) for the Green Bay Packers. While the final score read Green Bay 30 to the Raiders 20 it perhaps should have read Packers defense 14/ Packers offense 16/ Raiders 20.

Once again the defense turned in a good performance in spite of giving up serious yardage to the blossoming rookie WR Amari Cooper. Cooper is on track to be named the NFL’s rookie of the year but Green Bay has their own nominee in CB Damarious Randall who had a pick 6 to give the Packers a 14 – 0 lead.

The offense looked as sloppy as their consistent deluge that soaked the field for both teams. A 30 – 20 win against a team that, as QB Aaron Rodgers said “…has won a few games against some good teams.” The early take on the subliminal message is “We won but we were lucky and not so good in the process.” Once again the Packers offense struggled to find the end zone, pick up key 3^rd downs, run the ball effectively, hang on to the ball and catch the ball. It has been a familiar theme for this star crossed season that without Jordy Nelson has had no deep threat to open up the underneath routes.

Receivers are still struggling to get separation at the line. In the slop the Packers ground game ground to a halt. A week after putting up 124 yards on the ground Eddie Lacy struggled to find traction against the Raiders. Oakland head coach Jack Del Rio is a former defensive player and his teams reflect that approach. Sensing the Packers would rely on their improving screen game Del Rio kept his LB’s in closer, a move designed to challenge the Packers passing game. The move paid dividends for the young Raiders as Lacy exited with only 23 yards on 11 carries with his longest being 8 yards.

Mike McCarthy has resumed calling the play and seeing Lacy struggle McCarthy went to James Starks in the hopes Starks would fare better with his slashing cuts to Lacy’s bull rushes. But Starks’ 51 yards were negated by a costly fumble that earned him a seat on the bench. McCarthy resorted to running FB John Kuhn 3 times and even had WR Randall Cobb in the backfield and ran him from a tailback slot. Cobb picked up 40 yards but the Packers running game lacked the thunder and lightning they showed last week.

Even Rodgers wasn’t above reproach. He had one of his worst picks in recent memory when a Packer drive was killed when Rodgers threw an ill-advised pick late. After the defense rose up to smother the Raiders in the 4^th quarter Green Bay’s defense choked off the Raiders last gasp from their own 22. Mason Crosby goosed the lead to 30 – 20 and the ready-for-the-playoffs defense sacked Raider QB David Carr on 3^rd down and held on 4^th down turning the ball over to Rodgers, who, in turn, turned the ball right back when he missed Jeff Janis badly and David Amerson was the beneficiary of Rodgers largess. When asked about the pick after the game Rodgers said “I was trying to get it to Wood and I underthrew it a little bit,” Rodgers wisecracked referring to Raiders safety Charles Woodson, who was also in on the play.

The Packers defense showed its’ playoff worthiness early. On the Raiders 2^nd possession Micah Hyde grabbed an errant Carr toss and took it down the Oakland’s 2 yard line. An unsportsmanlike penalty for the over exuberant celebration by the D led by Ha Ha Clinton Dix set the ball back to the Raider 17. FB John Kuhn blasted into the end zone form the 5 to open the scoring. On the next possession the defense almost broke the backs and hearts of a young team clearly ascending. Damarious Randall jumped a route on a wild toss and was off to the races extending the Packers lead to 14 – 0 in front of a shocked partisan crowd.

Derek Carr is going to be a very good NFL QB someday. He displayed the type of amnesia a superior QB needs to possess to be successful in the NFL. The Ra9ders kept chipping away with field goals to narrow the gap. It was Carr’s poise that put them back in the game just before the half.

After Rodgers drove the Pack into Raider territory Starks picked up 11 yards around left end but coughed up the ball. With only 1:30 left in the half Carr drove the Raiders to the end zone in 4 plays hitting FB Marcel Reese for 29 yards, then TE Michal Rivera for 14 yards and scrambling for 19 yards with 25 seconds in the half. Carr closed the half with a bullet to Amari Cooper.

The Carr and Cooper show wasn’t done with its run. Mason Crosby hit a FG to move Green Bay up 17 – 13 by there was Carr once again hitting Cooper on another strike, this time for 26 yards. With the catch Cooper eclipsed the 1,000 yard mark and he shows no signs of a fluke. The TD gave Oakland its’ only lead at 20 – 17, a lead that would last just over a minute. With the offense still looking to get going Jeff Janis took the ensuing kickoff 47 yards to set Rodgers up nicely. Rodgers did not play well overall for the game but on this drive he was vintage Rodgers.

Seldom used but effective WR Jared Abbrederis had a 15 yard catch and James Jones suddenly reemerged form purgatory to snag 2 consecutive throws, the last one a sweet 30 yard catch and run for the score that would push Green Bay over the top and Oakland over the edge. The defense stiffened and stifled the Raiders the rest of the way as Green Bay clinched a playoff berth with the win and the Giants loss in a literal slugfest to the Carolina Panthers.

The Packers were plagued again by the drops that have been existent all year. Davante Adams dropped a sure TD and Janis let one squirt through his fingers. If anyone caught Rodgers eye with his play it was Abbrederis who had a quietly solid game. “He can get open,” Rodgers said of Abbrederis. “He’s a good route runner. He needs to be on the field more.” For his part offensive coordinator Edgar Bennett chipped in about Abbrederis “He's earning it,” Bennett said. “He's going to get more opportunities.” Rodgers was more pointed in what appeared to be a testy exchange with the media after the game. Rodgers can be acerbically blunt in his assessment of the Packers and while he doesn’t mince words or play games he clearly knows his team is not playing as well as he thinks it should be playing.

Rodgers’ body language and blunt answers are an indication that he, too, is frustrated by the offensive inconsistencies this year. The first question asked by the media was if he felt good about what the offense had done in the game, a question that drew an icy “no” as a response with no elaboration necessary. When pressed on the topic Rodgers took on the air of a player who had just lost a big game. “We weren't very effective. We had less than 300 yards and had a terrible first half" said Rodgers.

For the unevenness of the Pack’s play Rodgers said “We just don't really have a clear-cut direction. We got into some stuff with John (Kuhn) in there and four receivers, but we were too inconsistent." For his part McCarthy did not share his star QB’s views. “We won the game,” McCarthy said. “We’re at 10 wins, and that’s what we came out here to do.” McCarthy also made it clear his concern is for the Green Bay Packers team, not the Green Bay Packers offense. The loss of Jordy Nelson was not lost on former Packer Charles Woodson either. Woodson no doubt had much to say to his mates in approaching the Packers.

“It’s really predicated on what you could do running the ball,” Woodson said. “…we did a great job stopping the run. They didn’t really have that. I thought our defensive backs did a great job covering their receivers. Is it a different offense without Jordy? He is that one guy that can really stretch the field.”

Given the negative and relentless hammering of his team McCarthy ended his press conference by saying "We're right where I want to be," an agitated McCarthy said. "We're right where we need to be. The style points, you can flush that. I'm sick and tired of talking about the negativities. We've won 10 games. We lost three games on the last play of the game and Denver beat us. That's the overview of our season, and we've got a chance to win 11 next week."

But even McCarthy is concerned behind closed doors. James Jones may have inadvertently opened the locker room door to the public when he shared McCarthy’s talk to the team at halftime. "Chewed us out," Jones said. It was a small quote that spoke volumes.

The next two games will give a true indication of where this team is headed. Next they head to Arizona to face the high flying Cardinals and close out at home against Minnesota. With a playoff spot now secured the Packers face the very real possibility of the next four games being Arizona, Minnesota, Minnesota, Arizona. McCarthy isn’t all that interested in how his team looks now, as long as it finds a way to keep winning. The defense, for its part, is doing its part.

Offense? It’s your turn.

CALIFORNIA HERE WE COME

Packers Head West to Face Vastly Improved Raiders Squad

The weather forecast has predicted a cold front and a ton of snow to move in through the Midwest. No one knows cold and snow better than those in and around Green Bay, Wisconsin. The best solution to beat the wintery white stuff? Pack your bags and head south… or west.

The Green Bay Packers will be doing the latter over the next two games with a Christmas holiday in between. Before they head west to sunny and warm Arizona to face the snarly and red hot Cardinals the first leg of their western swing will land them right in the heart of the Black Hole in Oakland to face the Raiders.

Oakland has been a very quiet and pleasant surprise. They are importing pieces and finally drafting well now that Al Davis and his proclivity for speed burning but suspect wide receivers has gone on to torment Pete Rozelle in the afterlife. The sincerest form of flattery is imitation and for years the Raiders have been a model of inconsistency. The Raiders haven’t been a threat realistically since the 80’s while the Green Bay faithful has grown so accustomed to success that anything short of a Super Bowl win is a huge disappointment. Since Ron Wolf went out on a huge limb and traded a 1st round pick to Atlanta for a 2^nd round QB named Brett Favre the Packers have enjoyed an extended run of winning and playoffs and now with Aaron Rodgers having replaced Favre the Pack has 2 Super Bowl wins in that time frame.

There will be critics among Packer fans and the media that will eagerly offer up ONLY two Super Bowl wins and one loss. Winning breeds the expectation of winning the big one every year. The consistency of winning erases the memory of the dark days of the Packers franchise in the 70’s and 80’s. Most Packer fans would like to jump from the Packers second Super Bowl W under Vince Lombardi against Al Davis’ Raiders and into the 90’s forgetting altogether the disappointment that comes year after year. Green Bay’s followers have become somewhat spoiled and jaded in just how hard winning in the NFL really is.

 

Just ask the Raiders. The last time they won a Super Bowl they weren’t even in Oakland. The Los Angeles Raiders won in ’84 with a blowout against the Washington Redskins. Since then the Raiders moved back to Oakland, have appeared in 8 playoffs since the 80’s and their last playoff ended with a spanking by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2002 Super Bowl  by a count of 48 – 21. Since then the well in Oakland has literally run dry and the Raiders, once one of the most feared teams in the NFL were reduced to a laughingstock. And now they’re talking about moving back to LA and abandoning the Black Hole altogether.

But the Raiders have learned from their past and taken a page from the successful teams in the NFL. While other teams have protected their draft picks like a mother bear protects her cubs the Raiders have been all over the map with what can be called art best a questionable draft strategy. Nothing exemplifies the futility of the post 80’s Raiders better than the choice of taking Jamarcus Russell with the first overall pick in ’07 draft and following that gem up with the head scratching pick of Darius Heyward-Bey in ’09. In that period of time Davis let his drooling desire for fast first/ talent second question marks litter the board. Wide Receivers with speed to burn like Johnnie Lee Higgins, Arman Shields, Chaz Schillens, Louis Murphy, Jacoby Ford, Denarius Moore, David Ausberry and Juron Criner have all come… and gone. Among then only Heyward- Bey (Pittsburgh)and Denarious Moore (Buffalo) are still around. While Hayward-Bey has developed into a decent complementary player with the Steelers having Antonio Brown and Martavis Bryant in front of him has given him an opportunity to catch some balls he couldn’t when he was the Raiders top pick.

When Al Davis passed away in 2011 his son Mark took control of the team and the younger Davis now has a team that is on the rise and does its’ homework on draft day. Rather than follow in his father’s footsteps the astute Davis went looking for a knowledgeable football man and found him in Green Bay when he hired Reggie McKenzie to become the Raiders GM, a de facto title that never carried much weight when Big Al was running the show. McKenzie has brought some of the same disciplines he learned under Ted Thompson with him and has begun the same process in Oakland. Following Thompson’s lead in Green bay McKenzie has locked up core players like Marcel Reece, Sebastian Janikowski and Taiwan Jones in their final contract year before they hit the free agent market.

McKenzie has also learned the art of drafting well. After seeing Thompson hit home runs with 2^nd round picks with players like Jordy Nelson and Greg Jennings and Randall Cobb the Raiders began to leave behind Davis’ lust for speed without talent players in the first round of the draft. The top 3 picks in the 2014 draft saw the Raiders tab LB Kahlil Mack, QB Derek Carr and G Gabe Jackson in the first 3 rounds and each has become a part of a team moving up. RB Latavius Murray was a 6^th round pick in ’13 and he now lugs the mail. And they have spent wisely on free agents, the signing of WR Michael Crabtree the best example when McKenzie landed him after failing to sign the Packers Randall Cobb or Philly’s Jeremy Maclin who has since become Kansas City’s go-to guy.

There are still the blazers the Raiders will seek. They moved up last year to not get just the fastest WR but the best and Amari Cooper has lived up to his billing. Cooper is right in the middle of the mix for rookie of the year honors and deservedly so. Cooper has posted 62 catches good for 962 yards and has been everything Oakland could have hoped for and more. Slowly, steadily and consistently Oakland has begun to build a solid team that manages its salary cap, protects its draft picks, rewards those players when the time and in general plays for now while building for the future. It worked in Green Bay and now McKenzie wants to make it work in Oakland… or Los Angeles.

Thus far the season has been a pleasant surprise. The Raiders have improved to 6 – 7 and are shooting for .500. While it won’t get then a playoff spot it will certainly mean teams can no longer see the Raiders on their schedule and chalk up another easy W. Oakland slapped the New York Jets around and last week showed some bite when they roared back from a 12 – 0 halftime deficit to upend the Denver Broncos 15 – 12 as Mack had a monster day sacking Denver QB Brock Oseweiler 5 times.

Mack’s monster day has gotten the Packers attention.  T Bryan Bulaga will see much of Mack and said “I think he has everything, to be honest with you,” said Bulaga. “He’s got a little bit of everything. He’s a strong guy … if you watch how he got most of his sacks against Denver, he’s a strong dude. You’ve got to be ready for everything because he’s got good speed as well. He shows a little bit of everything.”

Green Bay will have to have Eddie Lacy continue his bull rushes to keep Mack honest. Lacy rebounded well from his benching by being named the NFL’s FedEx Ground Player of the Week after his 124 yard/ 1 TD effort last week against Dallas. Lacy combined with James Starks to help the Pack post a 200+ yard game on the ground. The passing game still has some work to do.

Richard Rodgers had a breakout game against Detroit in the Motor City Miracle and has steadily become one of Aaron Rodgers favorite targets. Davante Adams has seen his playing time diminish as WR Jared Abbrederis has been seen more frequently. The drops have become a very larger issue for Mike McCarthy and this is not the time of the season for McCarthy to allow Adams the luxury of trying to play his way out of it.

Much was made of McCarthy taking back the play calling duties from Tom Clements last week. If nothing else McCarthy was far more direct in his calls and the Packers were able to run and uptempo style they prefer without bumping up against the play clock as frequently. McCarthy seems to have a knack for knowing what his team can do and staying a few steps ahead at the same time. Expect Lacy and Starks to continue to test the mettle of the Raiders early.

QB Derek Carr has had a fine season but is still prone to turning the ball over. As Carr grows so will the Raiders fortunes who seem to have finally found their franchise QB of the future. Carr will be tasked with trying to find weaknesses in a Packers defense that has simply been playing some pretty darn good football of late. The D is once again near the top in points allowed and sacks. The defense will have to get by without the services of Sam Shields who was injured against Dallas. Making the blow a tad easier to digest has been the play of rookies Damarious Randall and Quentin Rollins, both of whom are expected to have much larger roles this week.

The Packers are looking to reestablish themselves after a 6 game stretch of uneven play. Oakland is a good test and as an early Christmas present the Pack will give their followers a nice early gift.

 

 

 

  GREEN BAY 29  

 

 

 

 

   


  Oakland 17