A STUDY IN CONTRASTS

Pack Travels to Minny for a Must Win Showdown

After opening the season at 6 – 0 and holding a commanding lead in the NFC North as well as being among the best in football who would have seen this Sunday’s game against the upstart Minnesota Vikings would be the first big game of the season? Denver and Carolina were both undefeated as well when they flattened the Pack but Minnesota has been quietly, steadily improving under the leadership of Mike Zimmer and have put together an impressive start to the season. The Packers are in total freefall after being unceremoniously dumped by the Detroit Lions, a team who they have beaten every season since 1991. At home.

Last week’s loss hasn’t crippled the Packers but it certainly has made the road to the playoffs much dicier. Minnesota has been finding ways to win and is piecing together a team that is young and hungry and has just enough veteran leadership that they can no longer be taken lightly. Right now the Packers are struggling to pick up the pieces. How has such a good team with such a good start suddenly and inexplicably fallen so far so fast?

The answers are subtle and a myriad of reasons. There isn’t a single element or quick answer to explain the Pack’s recent slump. For the record it has been over 30 days since their last win. Detroit’s win was difficult to stomach. Everyone, Lions fans included, kept expecting the Packers – the real Packers – to show up and put the Motor City Kitties in their place. It never materialized. Waiting for the Packers to show up became another chapter in “Waiting for Godot”.

What is a real headscratcher is how both sides of the ball, offense and defense, could suddenly and simultaneously go AWOL. The special teams aren’t exempt either. Last week’s surrender of a 104 yard kickoff return by the Lion’s Abdullah Ameer to open the second half was a kill shot that put the Pack behind the eight ball and Mason Crosby’s wounded duck kick at the gun to try to pull out a miracle was a thing of ugly.

The loss of Eddie Lacy has had greater implications than at first expected. James Starks has done well in his absence but Starks is a compliment back, not a feature back. Starks can hit the hole and explode through it but lacks Lacy’s lower the shoulder and lower the boom thunder that causes the smaller DB’s to cringe knowing the collision is coming. Lacy hasn’t seen the field since Denver and is having a subpar campaign. In resuscitating an old theme harkening back the year before Lacy was drafted teams and defenses no longer fear the running game of the Packers. Without Lacy to take the load off Aaron Rodgers the running game has been a sort of, kind of running game. More yardage has been gained via the screen pass that the rush. Without their bell cow the Packers have tried to utilize the running game to try to keep defenses honest.

It hasn’t worked.

Defenses are now challenging the very strength of the Packers and that’s in the passing game. Detroit’s brazen “I dare ya to throw!” approach last week paid huge dividends. Without Lacy Rodgers has been pressing more and in some cases forcing the ball. Rodgers is a great player but right now he needs to take some of his own advice and R-E-L-A-X. By abandoning any type of run defense Carolina and Detroit have been stacking the box and playing flat out man coverage against the Packers wideouts while the blitz has been effective in hurrying Rodgers.

For their part none of the WR’s have stepped up in this slump to lead the way. Randall Cobb has been drawing the most attention and has struggled to finds the holes in the D. The loss of Jordy Nelson is now evoednt. Losing Cobb and his ability to gain yardage in the open field has been crippling. It was clear last week Mike McCarthy, Tom Clements and Rodgers were hell bent on getting Davante Adams into a larger role. Rodgers opened by throwing to Adams on the first 3 plays offensively and kept up the aerial attempt to involve Adams. Throwing to a single receiver 21 times (out of a staggering 61 attempts) Adams responded with a dud of a performance only catching 10 of them for a puny 79 yards. He didn’t help his case with 2 key drops as well as the drop of an attempted 2 point attempt after Green Bay closed on Detroit late.

Unable to shake the tight coverages the Pack’s pass catching group has begun to press and start begging for the refs to call pass interference. Adams’ pleading of his case last week led to a stupid unsportsmanlike conduct penalty that killed a drive. James Jones has been persona non grata in this stretch and isn’t even an afterthought. How much rookie Ty Montgomery’s absence has been is anyone’s guess. In theory no rookie should be missed so greatly but Montgomery had been becoming a WR upon whom Rodgers could depend in the clutch. Jared Abbrederis had his moments last week until he was blasted on a long catch and run and now has a rib injury that will keep him out of the lineup for a while. TE Andrew Quarless is not yet off the IR/designated to return list and his loss is being felt as well.

As the receivers can’t get open Rodgers has been holding the ball longer and the protection is breaking down. What has hurt in this stretch has been Rodgers’ legendary ability to get the ball off in under 2 seconds has also taken a powder. Without the quick hitters Rodgers has been forced to create more time with his legs and at the same time run for his life. Injuries are a fact in the NFL and it was revealed earlier this week Rodgers has had a sore throwing shoulder as a result of the plethora of knockdowns and sacks and hits and hurries. The collective mix of circumstance has put the Pack now behind Minnesota in the chase for the NFC North crown.

In spite of the recent losing streak Green Bay still effectively controls their own destiny. The loss to the Lions also added a loss in the divisional game column that could prove to be huge as Minnesota has none. With the Chicago Bears suddenly finding their game they can no longer be looked at as a pushover and a walk making the race that much more interesting. Even with the loss to Detroit if Green Bay can right the ship starting this week they can put themselves right back in command of the division.

Minnesota was a mess when Mike Zimmer was hired away from Cincinnati. Zimmer is a no-nonsense/ no BS type who has turned the Vikings fortunes around completely. QB Teddy Bridgewater is starting to find his groove. WR Cordarelle Patterson may not be around much longer. The former first rounder pick Patterson’s greatest impact is as a kick returner but has impressed anyone at the WR slot, Zimmer especially. Teddy B has looked elsewhere to throw the ball and has found rookie Stefan Diggs and the two are developing great chemistry. Last year it was former Packer Charles Johnson. Bridgewater has shown maturity and has taken to Zimmer’s approach eagerly. His sophomore season has not had the uncertainty many 2^nd year players have and now he is spearheading the Vikings attempt to take the North.

As much as the offense has struggled in Green Bay the abrupt lack of a pass rush in Green Bay has been equally as troubling. After posting 23 sacks in the first 6 games The Pack’s D has not had one since. The Packers are still looking to find the right combination in the inside linebacker position with Clay Matthews. Jake Ryan has shown promise but as a rookie he hasn’t quite earned the coaches trust enough to become full time. The injuries – Sam Shields (shoulder), Quentin Rollins (thigh), Nick Perry (hand/ shoulder) have hurt the Pack’s pass defense. Someone needs to step up. Rookie Damarious Randall has made some clutch stops in his early career and has become a reliable component of the D.

The Packers are faced with the daunting task of ending their losing skid but having to face a hot divisional opponent to stop the schneid. Adrian Peterson has come back with a vengeance and is running through, around, and over defenders along the way. Peterson’s presence has certainly helped to take the load off Bridgewater and gives the Vikes a formidable attack. Stopping Peterson may be out of the question. It will take a Herculean, Seattle type of preparation and execution to even think about stopping Peterson. If the Packers’ defense can at least limit the damage done by AP they’ll have a fighting chance.

This is the time of year when the contenders start distancing themselves from the pretenders. The Packers had been widely regarded as the cream of the NFC crop. One month later they’re struggling to find solid ground. The Vikings were the sexy pick as one of the most improved and they have lived up to that expectation. It will be a classic study of contrasts… the upstarts vs. the established. Old vs. new. Lacy vs. Peterson. McCarthy vs. Zimmer. Bridgewater vs. Rodgers. In one game the Packers can reestablish their cause… but it won’t be easy. They’ll have to do it in front of a hostile crowd in Minnesota and will have to re-find what had been working for them. Minnesota has to prove they can hang with one of the perennial big dogs of the NFC.

I

t may be a bit early but there is no mistaking the importance of the game to both squads. The winner has the inside track to the NFC crown and a potential bye. The loser will be most likely looking at a Wild Card entry into the playoffs. It will be a close, back and forth old-school black and blue division slugfest. It will be the first ‘must-win’ game for the Packers and for Minnesota it is the first real challenge to their bid to become one of the contenders. The only question left to be answered will be who will be standing when the bell finally rings?

It will make for must see can’t miss TV.

 

 

 

    GREEN BAY  24   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  Minnesota  20