STATE OF THE PACKERS – OFFENSE

WHERE DID IT ALL GO WRONG?

A Look Back with an Eye on the Future

It all seemed so innocuous and harmless at the time. Way back in August during what Aaron Rodgers would later describe as a “…meaningless pre-season game…” Jordy Nelson, the Green Bay Packers #1 WR and among the mix of the best receivers in the NFL and Rodgers favorite target went up for a Rodgers throw that was atypical of the NFL reigning MVP. Rodgers arm, accuracy and decision making were on their way to becoming legendary. Rodgers does not throw INT’s. Rodgers does not miss his targets. Rodgers does not get rattled under pressure. Most of all Rodgers does not overthrow his receivers.

But on that fateful day against Pittsburgh Rodgers did just that. His soft toss to Nelson was a play the two have made hundreds of times before in Green Bay. In practice, in games, in the playoffs… Rodgers tosses it up and Nelson somehow contorts his 6’3” form to grab the ball and come down with both feet 3” inbounds twisted as neatly as a Bavarian pretzel. But on that fateful day on that fateful toss, in a portent of things to come Rodgers throw was high and over Nelson’s head. Nelson went up for the ball – and missed. When he came back to earth his knee gave way and crumpled as Nelson came crashing down to the ground.

And with that action in that moment so did the Green Bay Packers circa 2015 fortunes. As kids we all played dominoes. For those that never quite got the hang of the game it was more fun to stand them on end, form an intricate pattern and then just give a little push to the first domino and sit back and watch what happens. For Green Bay Nelson was that first domino. The result was far from a child’s delight as it culminated in a mess when it was all said and done. Nelson became this first domino of the 2015 – 16 season.

As Nelson was seen walking off the field without a limp there was relief among the Packers coaching staff, team, and fans. No one knew exactly how bad it was because it certainly didn’t look that bad. It looked for all the world as if Nelson would be back out in a week, two at the most running under Rodgers’ rainbows. No one knew it at the time but the Packers became much like the Titanic. A massive vessel can take a hit and keep on cruising along unaware of the damage below the fault line. It seems harmless at first but as time progresses and as the ramifications of the damage are felt the ship will sink long before the Captain orders the launch of the lifeboats.

It’s difficult to label a 10 -6 season with a win in the playoffs and a heartbreaker loss to Arizona as a failure. It would be far more accurate to call the 2015-16 season a disappointment based on the perceived talent entering the campaign. The talent was there, the defense improved and all signs pointed to the Packers being among the league’s elite. For 6 short weeks the Packers were right in the mix of the best in the league, and that was being accomplished without Nelson.

Football has been accurately described as the ultimate team game. Apart from a franchise QB no one player should be so inherently valuable that losing him sinks a team’s season. And without knowing it went Nelson went down, so did the season long terms and goals of the Pack.

Replacing Nelson’s position was easy. Replacing Nelson wasn’t. Back came FA James Jones fresh from being cut by the New York Giants. Jones was a valuable addition early on. His 8 TD’s put him among the league leaders. Green Bay cruised to an almost too easy 6 – 0. But the ship was taking on water. The first evidence was against a San Diego squad that closed out the year a dreadful 4 – 12. Yeah, Green Bay eked out a 27 – 20 win but the Charger defense showed that the Packers could be kept close. The Denver Broncos took notice and came into the game well prepared to expand upon what the Chargers had started.  The Broncos found the Packers lacked the speed and size to stretch the field vertically. Randall Cobb, Davante Adams, and James Jones do not possess blazing speed. Neither does Jared Abbrederis. The last guy on the list, Jeff Janis, was an afterthought. Linebackers stayed closer to the line. Corners played the Packer wideouts in straight up man coverage while they crowded the line. The safeties dropped down lower. The congestion of bodies left fewer lanes open. Without Nelson’s speed and size teams rolled the dice they could hang with the Packers WR’s by jamming them in man coverage – and they were correct. As more water poured in the ship began to list and sink noticeably.

And therein began the march towards a mediocre 4 – 6 finish.

Early on Rodgers and Mike McCarthy were singing the praises of 2^nd year man Davante Adams. Tall and rangy and off a good rookie campaign that saw him get more involved in the offense Adams had nothing but promise and potential in front of him. So too did TE Richard Rodgers. Aaron Rodgers said of Richard Rodgers “He has the best hands on the team”. So high on Adams were coach and QB the only place he could go was down. And when Adams went down, he went down hard.

McCarthy and Rodgers as well as almost anyone logically expected Adams to step in and fill Jordy Nelson’s shoes immediately. It is unfair to pin the Pack’s woes completely on Adams. The loss of Nelson was far greater than anyone could have thought at the time. The pressure on Adams to perform was so intense that perhaps it was too much to expect a 2^nd year player to bear. Without Nelson one glaring weakness in what was once thought of as one of the NFL’s elite receiving corps was exposed.

 The Packers WR’s are just simply not fast. Oh, they’re fast enough. But only Jeff Janis had the type of speed to scare a defense and McCarthy kept him on the bench when the offense was on the field. But in special teams situations Janis was rapidly earning comparisons to the Buffalo Bills wunderkind from the Super Bowl years Steve Tasker. Janis was a more than effective gunner and blew up enough punt returners to warrant double and triple coverage. Janis also showed potential with 2 very long kick returns.

But somehow Janis had not yet gotten himself played up to a point where McCarthy and Rodgers could trust him on the field. It would equally be unfair to anoint Janis as a savior and the answer to all the Packers receiving issues. It was Janis who kept Janis on the bench while he better learned the route trees until injuries against Arizona forced the Pack to put him out with Jones and Jared Abbrederis as they were the only 3 WR’s left on the roster. Everyone else was out with injuries. Gone. Even had the Packers somehow gotten past Arizona they likely would have had to sign one or two practice squadders just to take the field. While Janis had two beyond spectacular plays to end the game his route running earlier left a lot to be desired. Janis has not yet mastered the art of tight, precise routes the likes of which Rodgers expects. So often Rodgers is throwing the ball to an area where his receiver is supposed to be. With Janis too often he wasn’t there.

But what Janis brings to the table cannot be ignored. All along many Packer faithful were clamoring for Janis and Abby to get in there. It isn’t that easy. McCarthy has not won 100 games by accident. And he certainly wasn’t going to rest his fortunes on an unproven 2^nd year guy from a tiny D II school with only a handful of NFL plays under his belt. Instead McCarthy and Rodgers early on tried to force Adams’ square peg into the #1 WR’s hole. It wasn’t a good fit. In retrospect McCarthy may have pushed the envelope too far in getting Adams involved offensively.

When the Detroit Lions upended the Packers in their first meeting Rodgers targeted Adams an incredible 21 times – 11 of which were drops. Adams repeated drops became such a theme that it became a slump. McCarthy tried in vain to weather the storm with Adams but Adams was clearly not up to the task. Randall Cobb’s lack of size and blazing speed showed he is a great complementary slot receiver who, like Abbrederis, works better out of the slot than wide out but he is not anywhere near a true #1 WR. Jones lack of foot speed became evident as the season ground on, making him an unlikely candidate to end up on the Pack’s 53 man roster next year. He was a good, solid fill in but disappeared down the stretch when he couldn’t out run anyone. A WR taken in the draft will not nor should it be a shock to anyone. One name to watch for is Pitt’s Junior WR Tyler Boyd. Boyd has the size and speed and could be a later round steal. Without injuries the Packers are deep at the WR spot. A healthy Nelson and a healthy Ty Montgomery go a long way to curing one of the Pack’s biggest ails. Incoming talent shouldn’t be a surprise. Montgomery was starting to show some flash when he injured an ankle and never returned. Billed as a Randall Cobb type only bigger was an accurate depiction of Montgomery. Having Nelson and Montgomery back will be a huge infusion of talent next year.

Rodgers is not exempt from his role. His numbers harken back to his early days with the Pack. As options began to dwindle Rodgers started to do something he does not ordinarily do. He began to force throws. He began to target individuals. His throws were off target. He overshot his targets badly. He looked antsy in the pocket and held the ball too long. The upshot is while Rodgers numbers were decent for anyone else they were an embarrassment as the Packers were the #25 passing team in the NFL.

As the dominoes started to tumble the rest of the offense was exposed in all its flaws. The offensive line, once thought to be a deep and talented group, was exposed as a thin squad that beyond J.C. Tretter had little depth when injuries hit. At one point 4 of the 5 starters on the O line – David Bahktiari, Corey Linsley, T.J. Lang and Bryan Bulaga were all out opening the way for Tretter, Lane Taylor and Don Barclay. Only Tretter showed the type of talent necessary for a winning football team. Barclay took two giant steps backwards and Taylor will likely have played himself out. It is expected the Packers will draft at least a T and Green Bay also signed practice squadder Mark Rotheram to a futures contract s to trump someone else from signing him away. Rotheram is enormous (6’5”/ 325 lbs) and a project but size, like speed, cannot be taught. The corps is stout when healthy. Beyond Tretter the bench has glaring deficiencies.

There is likely to be some shakeup in the backfield. McCarthy seldom, if ever, uses the media as a bully pulpit. His conversations and criticisms of his players usually stays behind closed doors, so it came as a bombshell when McCarthy confirmed what many have suspected all along. Eddie Lacy is not in good enough football shape to keep playing in his overweight state. Simply put McCarthy all but called Lacey “fat”, and not in proper condition for pro football. McCarthy came out bluntly and said "Eddie Lacy, he's got a lot of work to do. His offseason last year was not good enough, and he never recovered from it. I had a chance to talk to Eddie and that was pretty much the majority of our whole conversation. ... So, he has to get it done because he cannot play at the weight that he played at this year." Lacy’s weight and the effect of his poor conditioning were on display in the playoff game against Arizona when his 61 yard gain looked like a man carrying a piano. Uphill.

For those inclined to use today’s social media world take a gander and see how many of Lacy’s Tweets are about food in some form. Lacy will need a much more professional, disciplined approach to his diet in the offseason because he looked slower than almost anyone would have expected. James Starks is in a contract year and the big knock on Starks is ball security. Yes, Starks has been a good Packer, and yes, he was there in the Super Bowl run and yes, he was a good complement to Lacy’s bull rushes. But his propensity for fumbling is something McCarthy won’t tolerate. Expect a RB to be taken in the middle rounds of the draft this year. One burning question is will John Kuhn be back? At his age (33) and the investment in Aaron Ripkowski as valuable as Kuhn is will the Pack move on? Kuhn is at the one-year-at-a-time contract stage so that is an area worth watching.

Tight End is another position expected to be addressed in the draft or free agency. Andrew Quarless was hurt most of the year and while Richard Rodgers had the spectacular catch of Aaron Rodgers Hail Mary against Detroit his development seems to have flattened out. Once McCarthy carried 5 TE’s on the roster. Selecting another in the draft or going after Will Tye (NY Giants), Josh Hill (NO Saints) or Daniel Fells (Arizona) makes sense without breaking the bank. All are currently under $500k and if the price is right it could shore up a sore spot as the Pack currently is without a seam splitter who can block. TE is one area that could benefit from the infusion of veteran talent to coax along Rodgers in his development. The draft prospects at TE are rather thin this year and unless someone jumps off the page at the combine don’t expect a banner crop this year.

McCarthy and GM Ted Thompson may be forced to rethink some of their hard line positions. While free agency is something the Pack typically eschews for the draft and develop approach Rodgers is now at his prime. Maybe there is some consideration to be made for some pickups. Offensive line would not be a bad place to buttress with some known help. Vlad Ducasse (G/ Chicago) and Eric Winston (RT/ Cincinnati) are both experienced, in the 28 – 32 year old range and both are under $1m in a cap hit. The Packers don’t need to go hog wild on a pricey Russell Okung or Cordy Glenn but maybe the leaks that showed this year would be better plugged with some proven talent and turned over more frequently a la New England.

One intriguing possibility is Detroit’s Calvin Johnson signing for a lower cap hit with an incentive laden deal with a contender. A team such as the Packers could benefit from Detroit’s expected fire sale. The Lions have committed $30m in cap space to Megatron and QB Matt Stafford so a possible Julius Peppers-type deal could sound intriguing and fill a hole. On the pricey side Travis Benjamin and his rehabbed knee is available and Cleveland isn’t exactly a powerhouse. Before going too crazy with free agency talk and fanning a fire that does not yet exist it has to be mentioned for every roster spot filled by free agency someone else has to go. A healthy WR group that includes a healthy Nelson and Montgomery and a battle tested Janis makes next year’s Packers looking very deadly. The key is Nelson who, at 30 and coming off a knee injury, must be close to his old form. If not, the Pack could see a repeat of life without him. With the exception of Janis speed is the missing component among the remainder of the Pack’s receiving corps.

We all just learned what happens when injury decimates a position and the lesson was painful. The loss of Nelson has to have come as a stunner to the Packer brass as to how much effect it would have. If Rodgers is to capture another Super Bowl crown it’s something that can’t ever happen again and much like Lacy’s waist line needs to be looked at in a much tougher light. McCarthy is rumored to be ‘fed up’ with Thompson’s penurious ways. While it keeps the salary cap in check McCarthy may lean on the boss to fill some holes with some proven talent as opposed to untested projects.

CARDS GIVE PACKERS FITZ

Rodgers Brilliance Overshadowed by Fitzgerald’s

Magnificence in Playoff Classic

It was a game for the ages.

In an era of disposable playoff games, the meaningless variety with teams that qualified but didn’t really belong (Houston, Washington) the Divisional game matchup between one of the NFL’s best teams, the Arizona Cardinals against one of the most maligned teams the Green Bay Packers will go down into NFL history as an instant classic as Arizona advanced in a thrilling, exhausting, roller coaster, gut wrenching, heart stopping intensely fought overtime 26 – 20 over the incredibly resilient and beaten up Green Bay Packers that leaves one coming up short in superlatives to describe it all. NBC’s Cris Collinsworth said it best at the end when Larry Fitzgerald fell into the end zone in overtime by simply saying “Stop it!” This game had it all – and beyond.

Call it the Ecstasy and the Agony. One minute Aaron Rodgers is hitting his 3^rd Hail Mary of the season and in less than 1 minute of playing time the season is done.

The game in front of a record-setting national TV audience had something for everybody. It featured a 101 yard interception return by Patrick Peterson that was negated by a penalty, an even more spectacular one handed catch by Randall Cobb for 51 yards that didn’t count because of offsetting penalties, the weirdest TD completion ever in a playoff game that went from Carson Palmer’s hand to Damarious Randall’s arm to Michael Floyd yanking it away before Casey Hayward could nab the deflection… and none of this includes that last drive for each team. Aaron Rodgers now can be crowned the NFL’s undisputed Hail Mary king as he hit not one but two spectacular bombs to unknown Jeff Janis… but those spectacular plays were trumped by Larry Fitzgerald’s TWO plays in two -play overtime that featured a do over coin flip. And, for the record, the Packers pushed the Cardinals to the brink without having the services of their top 4 receivers. Jordy Nelson , Davante Adams and Ty Montgomery were all missing with injury and Cobb joined that list after his one handed gem landed him in the hospital. And ask yourself one defining question – is there any other team in the NFL that could lose their top 4 receivers and still push the #2 seed to the brink of elimination?

The Cardinals came in after being blown out in a meaningless final game by the red hot Seattle Seahawks who were blown out in the first half by Carolina and eliminated when their rally fell short. More was read into that outcome by Seattle against ‘Zona than it should have been. The Hawks were fighting for a playoff spot and Arizona was prepping for the rest they’d need for their first game two weeks later. While the Packers were losing the NFC North to Minnesota the Cards were just looking forward to staying healthy and getting some healing time on for the injured players.

The Packers had no such luck. After losing the North to Minnesota they flew into DC and mopped the floor with Washington and then headed back to the scene of an embarrassing 38 – 8 blowout the Cards dealt them just 3 weeks earlier. At the time the Pack has aspirations of the #2 seed, a notion the Cardinals quickly and definitively put to bed. Aaron Rodgers was sacked 8 times, the cheesecloth offensive line was missing 3/5 of their starters and the running game stayed AWOL.

All along in advance of the game the Cardinals were publicly dismissing the blowout and saying all the right things about the Packers still being a dangerous team. In modern sports it has become a ritual to talk up your opponent in the press and laugh derisively behind closed doors. Cardinals coach Bruce Arians was heard saying “They (the Packers) are a lot better than a (38 – 8) blowout. They’re too good, and we didn’t get their best shot because they didn’t have their best players.”  ”CB Jerraud Powers was cautioning against overconfidence. “Since we’ve played them, it seems like those guys found it. They look like a completely different team “said Powers. Mike McCarthy stood defiant in the face of the up-and-down season the Packers had by saying “We’re coming in (to Arizona) expecting to win.”

Maybe all three knew more than they were letting on. The Cards figured there would be no blowout this time. They were right. Boy, were they right. Arizona met its’ match in Green Bay as the Packers defense bottled up and throttled the NFL’s top offense while hanging a total of 386 yards on the #5 defense. At no point throughout the contest was there any certainty of the victor. All season long the Packers had been looking for an identity.

Along the way that identity was inconsistent, overrated, erratic, and those were the more flattering terms. At 10 – 6 the Packers had a good season but every talking head is quick to point out the Packers started 6 – 0 and went 4 – 6 the rest of the way. True enough. But the cold reality is since that 6- 0 start the Packers had not played a significant game until week 17. At no time was their playoff life at stake and although the Vikings wrestled the NFC North crown away knowing they were already in the playoffs was a security blanket for Green Bay, a team so beaten up by injury this year that they never lost sight of the big picture.

The Packers gave Arizona everything they could handle and came as close as possible to pulling off the huge upset. In spite of a second straight overtime heartbreaking loss that ended their season in the playoffs this game was as unlike last year’s meltdown against Seattle. But it almost played out the same. Once again a beleaguered Packers squad took the field with far too many injuries at far too many key positions. The offensive line consisted of a back weary Josh Sitton and a whole lot of tape, braces, painkillers and grit. David Bahktiari’s ankle was so heavily taped it looked as if he was playing with a cast on his foot. Sitton’s back, T.J. Lang’s shoulder, Bryan Bulaga and Corey Linsley’s knees would not have been worth $1.67 on the open market collectively. Yet somehow this banged up group rallied and stifled a Cardinal pass rush that dropped Rodgers 8 times previously. The medical misfits from Green Bay held up and held together and held strong yielding just 1 lone sack and 1 interception.

Rodgers pop fly lollipop of a pick was as bad a throw as he has made in some time. It was not his only ugly pick of the game; very early on he hit Patrick Peterson for a 101 yard touchdown. The only problem is Peterson plays for Arizona. The best news was the play was negated by an Arizona penalty, much like the 51 yard falling-over-backward-one-handed over your head grab by Randall Cobb that was taken right form the Odell Beckham Jr. playbook. That catch was also negated by offsetting penalties but the result was a blow from which the Packers could not quite recover. Cobb went out with a chest injury after spitting up blood and as a safety precaution he spent the night in an Arizona hospital.

Carson Palmer was efficient for the Cards but was sloppy with his delivery. Right after Rodgers was picked off by Rashad Johnson Ha Ha Clinton –Dix picked off Palmer on the ensuing series. Palmer later added another INT when, as Arians put it “…he (Palmer) tried to guide the ball...” and Damarious Randall reached over for the thank-you-very-much pick that killed the Cards drive. Green Bay held a 13- 10 lead until Palmer hit Floyd from 9 yards out to posh Arizona into a lead at 17 – 13. Green Bay went 4 and out at the Cardinal 25 all but sealing their fate. The Chris Catanzaro field goal left just 1:55 on the clock and Arizona holding a 20 - 13 lead.

That’s when history was made in plays that will far exceed even the Super Bowl for drama.

Rodgers hit a monster of a 61 yard Hail Mary against Detroit this season already. The odds of hitting another one are roughly the equivalent of being hit by lightning while you are being attacked by a swarm of killer bees standing in the ocean being bitten by a shark. Impossibly, improbably and ridiculously Rodgers always gives the Packers hope and his opponents ulcers.

Rodgers did not fail to disappoint. Starting at his

own 14 Dwight Freeney got the Cards only sack of the game at the Packer 4 yard line. The Packers played without their 4 best relievers when it mattered most. The question begging to be asked is how well Arizona would have fared had Fitzgerald, Floyd, John Brown and Jaron Brown not been available? The uncontrollable fact of injury can never be discounted in the NFL and it hit the Packers hard where it hurt the most. Rodgers was forced out of necessity to lean on Jared Abbrederis and Janis for the majority of the game. For their parts Abbrederis was huge in relief and Janis caught his first TD of his career that counted. A pre-season hero with 5 TD’s in the past 2 years Janis has yet to gain Rodgers trust but the offseason will make both think differently going into next season.

Of course the mountain was enormous. Of course the odds were hugely against anything happening. With Green bay having only 55 seconds left facing 4^th and 20 and down by 7 from their own 4 yard line all the Cards needed was a stop, a knockdown, a missed pass and it’s over. But we’re talking Aaron Rodgers here, and the Cards knew it. As Rodgers rolled out deep in his own end zone he did not look at the sideline for the reliable James Jones or the other way at Abbrederis. Not Aaron Rodgers. He heaved the ball some 60 yards on the fly and hit Janis for a monster Hail Mary gain and crucial first down. 30 seconds ran off the clock and of course Green Bay gets hit with an illegal formation play as Aaron Rodgers tried to catch Arizona off guard but he caught his own Richard Rodgers instead. The 5 yard penalty did not carry a 10 second runoff. After Arizona called timeout Rodgers missed on his next pass leaving 5 seconds and 41 yards from a potential game tying play.

Heroes come and go in the NFL. Legends are made by the moment and how a man plays in it. Rodgers has an impressive body of work. His Hail Mary two plays earlier notwithstanding it should have been far too much to ask him to do it again. But we’re talking Aaron Rodgers here. 5 seconds and 41 yards? As Arizona came with the pressure Rodgers expected he rolled not to his right as he had done in Detroit as the Cardinals expected but to his left. He never really set up and threw the ball flat footed just before he was hit.

At the other end was Janis, the kid who had been waiting all year for just a shot. Janis has made his bones on special teams and has been like an annoying kid brother with his fellow Packer receivers just trying for a shot. Here is Janis, the 2^nd year player from Division II Saginaw St. going up against one of the NFL’s very best CB’s in Peterson. And for the 3^rd time in a season, the second time in 3 plays lightning struck as Janis leapt above and over – OVER! – Peterson to garb the most improbable of catches.  Mason Crosby’s kick sent the sky high Packers roaring into overtime.

As the script is being written it looks to be series of random events colliding and crashing into each other arbitrarily. For all the world it looked as if the Cards were going to be victims to a Packer team that played as sound a game against a superior opponent as they had all year. But fate always intervenes. When referee Clete Blakeman flipped the coin, the coin Rodgers called “tails” it never flipped. Not once. It just kind of shot off his thumb he couldn’t reproduce if he tried. Never mind that in the rule book there is nothing that says a coin has to flip Blakeman nonetheless immediately grabbed the gaffe and flipped it again as Rodgers said afterwards “to avoid the embarrassment (of a do-over)…” Rodgers was somewhat annoyed that he did not get to re-call the flip and it came up heads – Cardinal ball.

Fate in all its’ cruelty finds heroes where it finds heroes. Rodgers has become a folk legend but the Cardinals are not bereft of candidates. Larry Fitzgerald has been a superior player both on and off the field throughout his career. He is well respected and has earned every yard he has every gained. Perhaps it is fitting that it was Fitzgerald who flew the highest when the Cardinals needed it the most.

As Palmer somehow eluded a furious Packer pass rush he threw back across his body and found Fitz wide open and all alone. His 75 yard catch and run was the set up for his 5 yard shovel pass that puts Arizona in the NFC finals against Carolina.

For Green Bay and their faithful the only disappointment can be in the outcome. Mike McCarthy and the coaching staff designed a wonderful game plan especially on defense. Vaunted Arizona rookie RB David Johnson got no traction and the defense kept the Cards in regulation to a very winnable 20 points. The Packers were a valiant, proud group that played one of the NFL’s best teams hard to the final whistle and beyond. There are no scapegoats to be sought nor should any be found. With the emergence of Abbrederis and Janis how good can the Packers be with a full complement of receivers next season? The experience gained will in all likelihood render James Jones expendable. The possibilities with Rodgers and a lineup of Nelson, Cobb, Adams, Montgomery, Abbrederis and Janis indicate that – barring injury – the future is still very bright. The gains made by the Packer defense this year and knowing  Sam Barrington will be back in the middle along with a much improved and now veteran Jake Ryan may make LB Nick Perry and a new contract expendable as well.

It is far too early to speculate. Green Bay played a magnificent game, and a game they could have easily won. Arizona was forced to go to a much higher level than they ever had and showed they are worthy contenders for the Super Bowl crown. Unlike last year this loss does not have quite the same bitter taste. The 2015 -16 Green Bay Packers did not lose this playoff game… they merely were outscored.

It is only a state that leaves one wanting more. We can’t wait for next season to begin.

DEAL THE CARDS

Packers Look for Redemption in Desert;

 

Face Cards Saturday Night 

 

The best thing that could have happened to the Green Bay Packers the last time the faced the Arizona Cardinals was to get pasted 38 – 8. The Cards showed their hand early and often. Arizona is a fast, furious lot that sports the #5 defense and #1 offense. They are smart, heady, well- disciplined and well coached. And they are fast. Very fast.

The Packers got a first-hand up close and personal view of just how fast the Cards are on both sides of the ball. But the best thing going into this matchup is while the Packers have seen the Cardinals at their very best the Cards have not seen Green Bay at their collective best either. Realistically no one has. One game against Washington isn’t a large enough sample size to suddenly declare the Packers elite. Far from it.

Green Bay comes in knowing what they will have to do to adjust to Arizona’s speed and talent. Perhaps the biggest advantage they have is Arizona possessing a mindset that has them thinking the Pack is a pushover and it’s on to the NFC Championship.

Bruce Arians is far too good a coach to let that happen. No doubt his defense will get an earful of just how dangerous #12 is for the Packers. Aaron Rodgers struck early and often against Washington and afterwards had the look he hasn’t had in a couple months. “Huge” is how Rodgers described the win in D.C. “We really needed that to get our mojo and our confidence back.” Now Rodgers and the offense have to come up with a way to hang with one of the NFC’s big dogs. But it would defy credibility to suggest the Packers look like a bna fide Super Bowl contender based on their performance against a barely above .500 Redskins squad. Call it batting practice for the next step in trying to hang with the big dogs of the NFC.

The Packers couldn’t come close to hanging with the big dogs in their previous meeting or even come close to stopping them. The Cardinal pass rush was relentless dropping Aaron Rodgers 8 times and Scott Tolzien one more for a grand tally of 9 sacks is one outing. Ouch. At the time the right side of the line T. J. Lang and Bryan Bulaga were out with injuries and their fill ins Don Barclay and Lane Taylor were overwhelmed. When David Bahktiari went out so did any semblance of protection. McCarthy attempted to address the issue by moving All Pro LG Josh Sitton to LT and Taylor into the LG slot but the Vikings beat that combination. That area of concern was addressed against Washington when McCarthy moved Sitton back to his natural slot at guard and inserted J.C. Tretter at the valued LT spot. Tretter has filled many roles in Green Bay along the line at C and G but was a tackle in college. Tretter started rough but passed the test as the line was able to settle down after surrendering a safety and gave Rodgers enough time to find an open man.

McCarthy’s offense is predicated on winning the one-on-one matchups especially in the trenches. Seeing the futility of that as the backups proved less than reliable McCarthy held the backs on passing downs for added protection and it was a moved that helped give Rodgers the time he needed. The Packers know how good the rush in Arizona is. The sacks and turnovers from the sacks directly led to 28 points, 14 of which were on sacks and fumble recoveries returned for TD’s. Eliminating sacks and turnovers is the biggest key for the Pack to have a shot at downing the Cards. Conversely the Cardinals have no idea what the Packers look like at their best, and frankly neither do the Packers. If the game against Washington is any indicator the offense looked better than it has since the 6^th game if the season. The Pack now knows what they will see and what they will have to do to slow down the rush and stop the bleeding along the line.

The Packers may be without the services of WR Davante Adams who injured his knee last week. While not torn his sprain/ strain of the knee ligaments may keep him out of action which, in turn, would open the door for Jared Abbrederis. Abby had a drop early but Rodgers came back to him on a 2 point conversion and hit Abbrederis on a slant to convert. Earning Rodgers’ trust is difficult; Rodgers has publicly lobbied for more playing time for Abbrederis by stating “He knows how to get open”. Randall Cobb was used out of the backfield and contributed in round 1 in DC. James Jones also had a few big catches that jump started the Packer offense. One position not heavily involved was tight end. Neither Richard Rodgers nor Andrew Quarless have factored into them outcome but they’ll be needed in Arizona

One player who did have a big footprint on the game was Eddie Lacy. The Packers will need him to bulldoze his way through the line tom open up the passing lanes. Last time the depleted line hindered the running game and the turnovers all but eliminated the running game altogether as Rodgers had to try to throw the Pack back in the game. Starks was unimpressive as well and he will need to hang on to the ball if Green Bay is to have a shot. The Packers fortunes will be directly tied to the offensive line and their collective ability to protect Rodgers and open up running lanes.

The Cardinals are a strong, fast, defensive team. The turnovers led directly and indirectly to 28 of their 38 points. It would be a safe bet to say they can’t count on that type of production… it is simply unrealistic and for the Pack’s sake it has to be an anomaly. Green Bay can counter the expected fury with a few screen passes. If Arizona can get caught it could be a weapon that helps to diffuse the rush. Both Calais Campbell and Frostee Rucker are capable of taking over a game and together they have bolstered a line that has become formidable. Head coach and newly minted NFL wunderkind Bruce Arians is wary of the Packers in advance of Saturday night. He is also keenly observant of the 28 points ‘Zona nabbed off the Packers miscues. “The ball has to bounce your way,” Arians said. “I don’t really think we dominated them in any form or fashion, other than we got a couple of good fumbles and picked them up and scored with them” Arians said. “They’re too good, and we didn’t get their best shot because they didn’t have their best players.”

With the Pack playing without Bahktiari and Bulaga it kicked off a feeding frenzy that set the Cards on their way to a rout. The NFL being what it is a repeat of the blowout is highly unlikely and the Cardinals are taking nothing for granted. Cornerback Jerraud Powers echoed his coach’s sentiments. “When we were facing them during that time, I think they were trying to find their identity or find something that worked,” Powers said. “They were kind of in flux offensively. Since we’ve played them, it seems like those guys found it. They look like a completely different team.” The Cards D will have to do without S Tyrann Mathieu but will still have one of the best CB’s in the business with Patrick Peterson.

The Cardinal offense finished 1^st overall and with good merit. Carson Palmer has been reborn in the desert and has a full arsenal of weapons at his disposal. WR Larry Fitzgerald is playing as well as he has at any point in his illustrious career only now he is joined by Michael Floyd and speedsters John Brown and Jaron Brown. CB Sam Shields has yet to clear the new concussion protocol and his status won’t be known until game time.

One area that the Cards hold an advantage over almost anyone is at the running back position. Rookie David Johnson has exploded onto the scene and has taken over for the equally fast Chris Johnson who, after a monster start, ended up on the IR list. Far from unprepared for such a devastating blowing the Cards turned to the unheralded rookie. Out went Chris Johnson. Enter David Johnson. When Chris Johnson went out he had tallied 814 rushing yards, When David Johnson came in he posted 581 and if that’s not enough Andre Ellington chipped in with 289 yards.

The Packers defense is following a familiar theme of bend but don’t break. While they are still prone to surrendering yards and a few big plays the unmistakable fact is they have been keeping points off the board. The Packer D gave up 18 points to Washington marking the 8^th time in the past 9 outings they have kept an opponent under 20 points. One area that will catch Arians eye is the sack leaders last week were not Clay Matthews or Julius Peppers but Nick Perry (2.5 sacks ) and Mike Neal (2 sacks). The Packers will undoubtedly look to hurry and harass Palmer and force some throws. As Seattle demonstrated in the regular season finale the Cardinals, while formidable, are beatable.

Mike McCarthy has been very vocal in the week leading up to the big game. “Obviously, it was a one-sided game when we were out there a few weeks ago, so we’re focused on the things that we obviously didn’t do a very good job in and we’ve had a chance to apply that, not only to this game, but to the last couple games we’ve played in.” For the Packers to accomplish the task it will require a near perfect performance. The turnovers don’t have to be cut down they will need to be eliminated altogether for Green Bay to move on. If the line can open some holes and Lacy and Starks can establish a ground game it could make for a very memorable playoff game. A Packer win could potentially set up a rematch of last year’s NFC Championship game if Green Bay and Seattle come out upset winners. The reality is more than just wishful thinking. McCarthy was bluntly on point when he added “We’re no underdog going to Arizona,” McCarthy told reporters on Monday. “I don’t care what people think or how we’re picked or things like that. We’re going out there to win, and we expect to win.”

On paper the clear favorite is Arizona. They have the talent, the stats and record to back it up. On the other side Green Bay has a wealth of playoff experience. Don’t expect a blowout but there will be excitement and it could very well be a wild finish. Will last week’s beatdown of Washington catapult the Pack? While we’re not expecting it could very well happen if Arizona is caught looking past the Packers.

  Green Bay  29 

  ARIZONA  31   

 

TICK… TICK… TICK… BOOM!!

Packers Explode for 35; Smash Skins to Advance

BOOM!!!

The bomb finally went off. In their second largest offensive output of the season the Green Bay Packers are moving on to the Divisional Round against Arizona after they overcame an 11 point deficit and blew up the season for the Washington Redskins 35 – 18 in sloppy, rainy D.C.

For too many weeks now the Packers offense had been the subject for analysis, criticism, derision and confusion as to what’s wrong with it. On Sunday night the offense most thought the Packers would have showed up in the 2nd quarter as the Packers outscored Washington 35 – 7 over the last 3 quarters. The offensive explosion had been many weeks in coming and rather than another dud this bomb finally went off and the Skins paid for then privilege of bearing witness.

At first it looked as if the malaise plaguing the Pack would put a period at the end of the sentence to punctuate the placid end to the year. The Packers had an injury list as long as the line at a great Brat stand. LT David Bahktiari was missing and Mike McCarthy’s decision to move All Pro Josh Sitton back his natural LG slot and replace him at LT with J.C. Tretter paid enormous dividends. Last week Sitton was game but overmatched at LT and Lane Taylor struggled at the guard position. The move turned out perfectly as Tretter, a former tackle in college not only held the line he played well. Not perfect but well enough to keep Aaron Rodgers upright and off his back. McCarthy also made adjustments in the protection packages by keeping the backs in longer to help out on the left side, a move that did wonders for Aaron Rodgers’ psyche.

But the start was anything but smooth. Tretter was shaky early as he was beaten outside and Rodgers was dropped in the end zone for a safety to give the Skins a thin 2 – 0 lead. It took time for Tretter to find his rhythm but when he did the Pack got moving. The Skins threatened to put the Pack away fast but once again arrogance, cockiness, brashness or just plain stupidity entered the showboating mind of Washington’s DeSean Jackson. As Jackson took a Kirk Cousins pass and headed to the end zone he nonchalantly stepped inside the pylon with his left foot but kept the ball in his right hand. Ha Ha Clinton- Dix’s desperation lunge shoved Jackson out and the officials at first ruled it a touchdown.

But upon review the replay showed Jackson’s foot never came down in bounds nor did the ball cross the plane of the goal line. This is the same DeSean Jackson who famously spiked the ball at the 1 yard line as an Eagle in his rookie year and after encouraging the crowd on Monday night against Dallas this year took a punt, ran right, doubled back to his left and was dropped after giving away almost 25 yards going backwards – and he fumbled the ball. With the embarrassing showboating and hotheaded antics of Jackson and the Bengal’s Vontaze Burfict and Adam ‘Pac Man’ Jones the lessons are lost on the immature and self-centered. At one time when Jordy Nelson was drafted ahead of DeSean Jackson many Packer fans were up in arms. Jackson has talent but it comes with the maturity level of a petulant teenager. For whatever reason Jackson does not do enough to simply do his job and has shown that quality repeatedly throughout his career.

There are no coincidences in some bold facts. The choice of Nelson over Jackson has proven to be the greater long term investment and Nelson is a model team player while Jackson is obsessed with the DeSean Jackson promotion machine. In the embarrassingly ugly AFC battle between Pittsburgh and Cincinnati Burfict looked as if he was out to intentionally hut some of the Steelers. He succeeded in separating Ben Roethlisberger’s shoulder and also succeeded in separating WR Antonio Brown form his senses. The head high hit drew two flags and when Jones shoved Steeler assistant coach Joey Porter he too drew a flag, all of which occurred with under a minute left. Added to together Jackson’s hot dogging stunt, Burfict’s almost criminal act and Jones inability to control his temper all 3 will now have an entire off season to contemplate their actions. No doubt Burfict, Porter and Jones will all get a call onto Roger Goodell’s carpet and all should be a lot lighter in the wallet.

While Jackson’s actions won’t warrant a fine the Packers just may want to cut him in on the post season money. After Jackson’s lazy brilliance the Packer defense rose to stuff the Skins and keep the game at a very manageable 5 – 0. The greater benefit was the momentum gained by the defenses excellent goal line stand. Talented players like Jackson and Burfict and Jones will never quite understand why they are bounced from team to team. They are as much a babysitting nightmare as they are violent. Teams that will tolerate their boneheaded play will also have to bear the weight of the consequences when – not if – the next selfish “Hey look at me!” moment flares up and it typically keeps teams like the Bengals and Skins from advancing. Not as long as someone is gullible enough to keep signing them to enormous contracts they get the full package that comes with their talent.

How very different this game could have been had Jackson simply done his job completely. All it took was a reach, a lunge, a dive, a shift of hands and the Skins go up 9 – 0 and have all the momentum. Instead Washington settled for a 5 – 0 lead and after Kirk Cousins hit TE Jordan Reed on a seam route the missed extra point had Washington up 11 – 0. The Skins were winning, yes, but were not exactly dominating in the process.

Momentum is a very fickle and funny character. When McCarthy’s challenge of Jackson’s TD was overturned just keeping Washington to a field goal was a major victory for the defense. Somehow even Reed’s TD didn’t seem so imposing. While the Packers looked to be continuing the doldrums of the last 10 games, something strange and wonderful happened.

The real Packers showed up. It was at that point Rodgers, Eddie Lacy, James Starks and the offense finally shook the overbearing overcoat of futility they had been wearing for far too long. The offense finally showed up en masse. Rodgers, Lacy, Starks, Cobb, Adams, Jones and the retooled offensive line finally did what many had expected the Packers to do all season.

The wind was a factor and the Pack had the wind at their backs in the 2^nd and 4^th quarter. Tretter and Sitton plugged the leaks that permeated the offensive line on the left side in last week’s loss to Minnesota.  Rodgers started clicking with his receivers. Lacy began to pound inside. James Starks held on to the ball and was elusive outside. Mike McCarthy got creative and ran Randall Cobb out of the backfield. As the Skins tried to get a substitution Rodgers caught them with too many men on the field and after improvising and finding a place to set up he nailed Cobb between the numbers for the Pack’s opening score.

The defense never left. If anything the defense has been playing so well it has gone unnoticed. Only once in the final 7 games had the Packers defense allowed more than 20 points. Mike Neal made the first big splash defensive play on the Skins next series when he had a strip sack and fumble recovery at the Packer 46. The old Packers would have jumped on the mistake and made the opponent pay dearly for it. After missing in action since early October the offense finally made a team pay for its mistakes.

8 plays and 30 yards later Mason Crosby closed the gap to 11 – 10. It can be argued that the ensuing 3-and-out turned the momentum of the game. Once upon a time the Packers moved the ball literally at will. They used every man on the field, Rodgers spread the ball around and the hurry up offense had the defense panting in exhaustion. McCarthy began to add his backs in protection packages and Tretter more than held his own. The most welcome sight was seeing Davante Adams snag a 20 yard sideline toss a la Jordy Nelson to keep the drive alive. When Rodgers hit Adams in stride in the left corner of the end zone near with only 28 seconds left in the 2^nd half it was reminiscent of the days when Rodgers did what he pleased.

Washington opened the 3^rd quarter in style and threatened to make a game of it. Captain Kirk engineered a 5 minute drive that ended with Cousins faking the entire defense on a pass play and running it up the gut to give the Skins the last lead they would have at 18 – 17. The old Packers would have responded immediately. And just like in the old days Rodgers marched them right back down the field. Mixing short to medium passes Lacy finally broke free. His run of 11 yards for a first down was followed by a 30 yard jolt to the 4. James Starks came in a promptly swept into the end zone to give the Pack a lead they wouldn’t surrender.

The defense rose again with another 3 and out. And again the offense punched the ticket to extend the lead. After opening the game with 3 punts in the first 3 series Green Bay scored on 6 on their next 7 drives. The Redskins looked overwhelmed and the pressure of their first playoffs in ages caused them to crack. Green Bay looked solid on both sides of the ball and the defense once again mixed big hits, sacks, turnovers and huge stops to shift the momentum. Clay Matthews ran wild and Julius Peppers was playing with his hand in the dirt at DE.

Now the Packers get to visit the scene of the crime back in the desert heat when they travel to face Arizona on Saturday night. The last time the Packers got schooled by a count of 38 -8 and the Cards had all the answers. If anything could be taken away from the game that could be viewed as a positive it is the Packers saw just how fast and how good Arizona really is.

But the Cardinals have not seen this from the Packers. If Green Bay can match the speed and the tempo of the Cards, if the defense can get a few stops and if the offense can continue to build on what they started in Washington in the first round it could be a fun ride.

For now the Packers will bask in their “Packs is Back!” moment. That moment ends on Tuesday when it’s back to work and on to face the #2 seed Cardinals.