BETTER GET BETTER

Pack Looks to Bounce Back against Unbeaten Panthers

 

After absorbing a sound thrashing at the hands of the Denver Broncos last week the Green Bay Packers need to have a good outing against Carolina on Sunday. The need is great and multi-layered. Primarily the Pack needs to prove to themselves they belong among the league’s elite teams. They need to keep their lead on the Minnesota Vikings, a scant game behind them with their first hookup coming in 2 weeks. They need to stay ahead of the Panthers if they are to have any hope whatsoever of gaining home field advantage in the playoffs.

 

First things first. Almost anyone witnessing last week’s debacle, fan or critic, casual observer or NFL

cognoscenti came away from the game sounding much like the patron saint of the Packers Vince Lombardi, whose booming “What the hell is goin’ on out here?” could be heard as the Pack barely mustered any signs of competitiveness in the Mile High Mess. It is no longer a secret or a coincidence or the heebee jeebees that the Packers offense is struggling. Over the past 3 games Aaron Rodgers mastery of the airwaves hasn’t resonated with the same thunder. Denver showed they truly have a top flight defense as the Packers receivers found themselves blanketed wherever they went. Rodgers offensive line was unusually leaky and Rodgers did not have the time to run his usual check downs.

 

Losing Jordy Nelson cannot nor should it be used as an excuse. Davante Adams and Ty Montgomery’s injuries have had a far greater impact and Randall Cobb is showing signs of frustration and irritation at his lack of production. Compounding the felony the running game has also taken a recent powder. Eddie Lacy has been hurt with a sprained ankle. James Jones has filled in well but when the Pack needed the horses to carry them against the Broncs the running game stayed in the barn. One game is a given; anybody can have an off day. Everybody will lose eventually in the NFL. But if the trend continues expect to be treated to a national symphony of what’s wrong with the Packers by the media. The loudest and perhaps most overbearingly annoying loudmouth calling out Aaron Rodgers has been ESPN’s resident moron Skip Useless…BAYless… who has once again been using the bully pulpit to make his moronic point that Rodgers is overrated. One point that can’t be missed is Green Bay has gotten fat at the expense of some very weak teams. Outside of Denver the only team with a winning record is St. Louis at a modest 4 -3. As it stands the loss to Denver doesn’t necessarily derail the Pack’s post season hopes of home field advantage.

 

A loss to Carolina would really ding the Packers and could have potentially far larger consequences.

At 7 – 0 Carolina has also been the beneficiary of a weak schedule and a weaker division. The NFC South looked to have Atlanta and Carolina slugging it out but the plain truth is the Falcons have been getting worse as the season has worn on. The same can be said of Green Bay. Behind a physical, smart defense is Luke Kuechly, Thomas Davis and rising star CB Josh Norman who has supplanted Darrelle Revis and Richard Sherman as the NFL’s best shutdown corner. QB’s are having the lowest success rate against Norman than any other CB, Revis and Sherman included. With 4 picks already – two of the pick 6’s – the intriguing battle will be Rodgers and most likely Cobb against Norman. Given the Pack’s offensive struggles it would be more appropriate to make that Norman against Cobb and Rodgers. In either event it will be the telling point of the game, strength against strength.

 

Making matters worse the pesky Minnesota Vikings aren’t going away. The Vikings have very quietly put together a 5-2 record and their showdown with Green Bay is looming and they will undoubtedly be looking to make their bones at Green Bay’s expense. The Packers are in the midst of their first real test of the season with Denver, Carolina and Minnesota in 3 of their next 4 games. The bye week that was supposed to help the Pack did not have a positive first effect. Carolina has a good lead on Atlanta (6-2) as the Falcons are also in an offensive funk.

 

Carolina is led by MVP candidate Cam Newton who has guided to the Panthers to the top of the NFC

without the luxury of wide receivers. Travis Benjamin went out hampering Newton. TE Greg Olsen has played at a level that can only make the Chicago Bears brass kicking themselves for dumping Olsen when they hired Marc Trestman. Olsen is below New England’s Rob Gronkowski but that gap is closer than some would want to admit. Olsen has been Newton’s bread and butter and has seldom failed to deliver. Ted Ginn Jr. is a capable receiver but has drop issues. RB Jonathon Stewart is an underrated bay bull of a back who has been quietly road grading himself among the league’s most durable and most consistent backs.

 

Mike McCarthy won’t let one loss become a catalyst for collapse nor should he. McCarthy is one of the game’s best game-after-disaster coaches which has helped Green Bay avoid extended losing streaks. Having Rodgers also helps but Rodgers knows he has not performed up to par of late. His usual jovial, aloof persona to the media since Denver has been replaced by a man who frankly looks pissed off. Rodgers is the rarest of breeds that hate failure more than he loves success. He has built a legendary career of shutting up his detractors with the exception of Skip Mindless.

 

The Pack’s woes don’t end on offense. The defense also picked an inopportune time to go AWOL in

Denver. The pass rush that was expected to harass Peyton Manning never got off the plane as Manning was not sacked and was seldom pressured let alone hit. Newton is a huge specimen at 6’5” and 240 lbs. and won’t hesitate to pull the ball down and take off. When he does he is a load to bring down. Green Bay’s linebacker’s will be kept busy as they will be forced to contend with Olsen on crossing patterns and seam routes, Stewart’s blunt thrusts and Newton’s running. Unlike the now dethroned Colin Kaepernick Newton does not look to extend plays as much as he is looking to become another back and gain yards. He sometimes forgets his value to his team and Head Coach Ron Rivera can only hide his eyes and holds his breath as he watches Newton lower his head for a collision with a linebacker. Thus far it has been a formula for success for Carolina and they now find themselves in the driver’s seat in the very watered down NFC.

 

After Carolina and Green Bay only Arizona has shown upper tier caliber of play. While Seattle has come back to 4-4 they are only 3^rd in their division. The Packers flunked their first big test of the season and with Newton Carolina won’t be just a pop quiz. The Panthers will go as far as Newton can carry them. Green Bay will have to counter with Clay Matthews who has injured his ankle last week and his loss would be a crushing blow to the Pack’s defense. Sam Shields got some good news when it was revealed he did not suffer a major injury to his shoulder last week but he will be playing hurt much like Cobb has all year. He and rookie CB Quentin Rollins (neck) have not practiced this week making their availability on Sunday very questionable. Nick Perry has also been out with a bum shoulder/ hand injury and his presence is badly needed. The defensive line also badly needs to shake off the stink and play Newton as they played against Russel Wilson and Kaepernick earlier this year. Containing Newton and limiting the damage he can cause will be the key to the Pack’s defense.

 

Thomas Davis has been nothing short of stellar in his career with Carolina. While neither he nor his

linebacking mate Luke Kuechly don’t do anything spectacular neither has an exploitable hole. The Packers offensive line has some making up to do after last week. It will begin with how well they can protect Rodgers and their ability to plow the road for Lacy.

 

The running game for both teams will dictate the outcome. If Lacy can get going it opens up the passing lanes for Rodgers. Green Bay has been wretched in 3^rd down situations converting less than 1/3 of them in this stagnation of theirs. Getting Lacy heavily involved will help that cause. When Newton runs good things happen for the Panthers especially in front of what will be a delirious home crowd. The Packers have more to prove to themselves than to anyone else. The Panthers have to prove they belong.

 

Another week, another big test. The losing is not what’s the issue. It’s the ability to get up off the mat, dust off and get back in the ring.  And when a pissed off Aaron Rodgers has something to prove it aids Green Bay’s side. It’ll be close but the Pack is simply too good to not play well for too long.

 

 

 

 

  Green Bay  19 

  CAROLINA  27