McCARTHY TAKES CHARGE

Packers’ Boss Benches Lacy, Assumes Play Calling ;

Pack Responds

Mike McCarthy had seen enough. After opening fast just as he wanted at 6 – 0 he watched as his Green Bay Packers skidded through a 2- 4 drought that included embarrassing losses to the Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears. His star running back had apparently blown a mandatory curfew the night before the Motor City Miracle along with a 3^rd string rookie RB. The offense was floundering, the defense was more than doing its job, so – consequences be damned – McCarthy took back full control of his team beginning with RB Eddie Lacy.

McCarthy is not nor ever will be the type pf coach who airs out his players in the media. His is far from Bill Belichick aloof to the media but he never allows a peek inside the inner workings of the Packers. When Lacy was involved in only 5 running plays against Detroit in a game the Packers desperately needed to claw back in the race for the NFC North crown everyone knew something was up. ESPN’s Adam Schefter broke the story that Lacy and fellow RB rookie Alonzo Harris had missed a curfew the night before.

McCarthy didn’t waste any time. He cut Harris the next day, signed rookie RB John Crockett to the 53 man squad from the practice squad and inserted him into the lineup ahead of Lacy, benched Lacy and in general took over. The last move in his arsenal was to take back the play calling from Asst. Offensive Coordinator Tom Clements, a  move that personally hurt McCarthy but was done “…because I felt it was in the best interest of the team” said McCarthy after the Pack corralled the Dallas Cowboys 28 – 7 Sunday. “It (taking the play calling duties back from Clements) hurt me personally but I felt it was something that needed to be done.”

For his part Lacy only offered that he and the boss had “…aired things out in private...” True to form McCarthy gave little insight as to the nature of the conversations he had with Lacy leading up to the matchup with Dallas. Thus far Lacy had been inconsistent while rumors swirled about everything from his weight to his conditioning to his preparedness and commitment. Although Lacy had shown signs of breaking out with back-to-back 100 yard performances his benching not only caught his attention but the attention of every player on the squad.

McCarthy is bold, aggressive coach who has his finger on the pulse of his team. Much like a father who won’t let a son skate by when the kid screws up McCarthy’s brash initiative in taking Lacy to the woodshed and keeping it in house certainly achieved the results he was looking for. While confirming he and Lacy had cleared the air McCarthy further tweaked the Packers bell cow by saying “Whoever (Lacy or underappreciated RB James Starks) has the hot hand is the guy that’s gonna get the ball.” The rest of the team got McCarthy’s less-than-subtle message. Gee – if he’ll bench Eddie Lacy what’ll he do to me?

Message delivered. Message received.

Lacy responded with a 124 yard game rushing and Starks chipped in with 71 yards of his own giving Green Bay their first 200+ yard game rushing this season. It couldn’t have come at a better time. Green Bay had been steadily losing the time of possession battle most of the season but things changed significantly on Sunday with the Pack holding the ball for a whopping 38 minutes to Dallas’ 22 minutes.

McCarthy’s assuming control of the play calling was more about “…flow and rhythm…” as he said afterwards. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers knew he would be in for a deluge from the media looking to milk more out of the play calling switch. “I don’t think it was about the play calling” said Rodgers. “It was about the execution. Today the execution was better.” Rodgers refused to take the bait when the subject of who was calling the plays was brought up again. “I’m not going to get into that. I don’t think it’s important. We won tonight.”

Winning is the ultimate panacea in the NFL. It rights all wrongs and justifies all means. Tom Clements is a longtime assistant under McCarthy and while McCarthy felt awful about relieving Clements of the play calling job he nonetheless did so with the intent on driving his team the way he felt it needed to be driven. Getting lost in the offenses struggles and now the play calling is the fact that the Packers defense is among the hottest in the NFL right now.

Once again the D flexed some muscle and hounded backup QB Matt Cassell. In spite of yielding 2 lengthy runs to Dallas’ Darren McFadden the Pack gave up only 1 TD. After McFadden put Dallas into the red zone with a 50 yard blast Sam Shields tipped the next pass in the end zone intended for Dez Bryant and snagged his own deflection for a key turnover. Unheralded RB Robert Turbin came in to briefly provide Dallas with a spark but his touchdown run would be the only points the Cowboys would get on a miserably wet night.

Poor Dez Bryant can’t seem to catch a break or a ball thrown at him in Green Bay. Last year he was at the epicenter of a firestorm when his catch was overturned late in a playoff game that sunk the Cowboys hopes. Last night he bobbled the ball after literally yanking it away from rookie CB Quentin Rollins for a first down. McCarthy’s challenge flag hit the field before the call was completed and upon further review the replay showed Bryant bobble the ball and it made contact with the ground nullifying his apparent first down. Bryant has seen this movie before. He got up shaking his head wondering what part of his soul he’d have to sell to get a catch in Lambeau.

With a solid running game intact for maybe the first time all season Rodgers did not have to seek out a phone booth to morph into a superhero to pull one out. As the Packers were staked to a 14- 0 lead at the half on Rodgers 13 yard p[ass to Starks and a 3 yarder to Starks the ground attack successfully stifled Dallas and any hope they may have had of claiming the crown in the putrid NFC Least. Even at a dreadful 4 – 9 the ‘Boys still have a remote shot of a playoff spot.

After Turbin closed the gap to 14- 7 it looked as if Dallas might get back in the game. Green Bay was held to a 3 and out twice at 14-7 but the defense responded with a double 3 and out of their own to stymie the Cowboys. Starks blew the game wide open with a 30 yard dash when the banged up offensive line opened a hole the likes of which hasn’t been seen since Charlton Heston parted the Red Sea. Starks nimbleness was on display as he found the truck sized hole and simply bolted between the Cowboys safeties into the end zone.

On a night defined by the run it was only fitting that Eddie Lacy close out the scoring. After dragging 5 Cowboys on his back down to the Dallas 1 yard line on a 24 yard run that showed Lacy’s rare combination of speed and brute strength Lacy sealed the game on a 1 yard plow horse TD into the teeth of the Dallas defense. Lacy and Starks took turns celebrating each other’s success on the sidelines and the Packer running game has never looked better this year.

One area of interest in the play calling switch came not in who was making the calls but how quickly the calls were being relayed. Over the past few weeks Rodgers has dwindled the clock down to scant milliseconds before receiving the snap. McCarthy had no one to second guess him and the calls not only were good calls executed well they came in to Rodgers so promptly it helped to reestablish the flow of which McCarthy so reverentially speaks.

Minnesota was upended in the desert against Arizona so now Green Bay is back in the driver’s seat for the NFC North and the playoffs. At this stage of the season style points are out the window in lieu of just get the W any way you can. In the cold weeks ahead opponents facing the Packers knowing Lacy is rolling with Starks is right behind him the running game could very well finally open the airwaves for the Pack to become the aerial force most expected them to be. And as it gets colder standing in the way of a raging bull like Lacy becomes even more unpleasant and much more difficult to stop him.

McCarthy has emphasized “Open fast/ close faster” all season. The Pack opened fast at 6 – 0. After their somnambulant stretch it’s time to start closing faster. Against Dallas they did just that.

For now the win will sustain them until next Sunday when the vastly improved Oakland Raiders are next on the schedule.

A PORTENT OF THINGS TO COME?

Pack Looks to Get Rolling Against Cowboys

After the now famous into eternity throw by Aaron Rodger’s that landed in the hands of TE Richard Rodgers that literally stole a win from the jaws of the Lions last week in the Motor City Miracle Packer fans are higher than the ball that left Rodgers hand on the play with no time left. Even the Packers themselves were giddy; their unabashed celebration that included the coaching staff was a reminder that these are very large men still playing a child’s game.

The sight of the Packers jumping on Rodgers the catcher and Rodgers the passer was in stark contrast to the egg the Pack had laid against Detroit for the first 2 ½ quarters. A play such as the one pulled off by Green Bay last week also required some fairly inept coaching on the Detroit sidelines. On a play with only 6 seconds left the Pack was forced into a now infamous college iconic Cal-style attempt to lateral their way into an all but impossible victory. Of course the Lions knew it as it was from the Packers 26. Even Aaron Rodgers can’t throw one that far.

And of course the Lions being the Lions committed a penalty when Devin Taylor’s hand touched/grazed/ brushed, grabbed/ yanked Rodgers face mask the flags hit the field almost faster than Referee Carl Cheffers announced the facemask penalty. Detroit followers will argue endlessly it was not a penalty. Packer followers will swear Taylor almost tore Rodgers head off. Those among the Packers followers that listen will have little sympathy as the Pack went through their own tiny bit of misfortune on the other side of the coin against Seattle a few years back. Fail Mary: meet the Motor City Miracle.

If Jim Caldwell wasn’t on the hot seat for Detroit’s miserable showing thus far he will be after this game. Give Caldwell credit for accepting the blame. “We thought they were going to run another lateral type play” said Caldwell in the stunned silence in the bowels of Ford Field. That explains why the Lions rushed only 3, dropped 5 but inexplicably had 3 other players in a great spot to watch the play but not defend it. Roll the tape. Watch as the ball leaves Rodgers rocket thrower. On its ascension you’ll spot the Lions best pass rusher Ziggy Ansah stationed about the Lion 40 yard line along the sideline watching the ball go up. There was another Lion opposite him on the far sideline and one more in the middle. They had the best seat in the house to see it settle into Richard Rodgers outstretched hands. Oops.

A play such as the one pulled off by the Pack is a tremendous amount of makeup for an otherwise ugly blemish of a performance. Green Bay was sluggish, lethargic and barely breathing as Detroit cruised to a 20 – 0 lead with just under 7 minutes left in the 3^rd quarter. Yes, the Packers showed grit and yes the Packers did not quit. But the sad truth is the Packers waited until the 3^rd quarter to get off the bus.

This underscores the funk the Pack has been in since the loss to Denver. The Packers are 2 – 4 since opening at 6 – 0 and with the exception of a sound win over Minnesota they have struggled. The defense has played better than expected but the offense has lagged far behind. What was expected to be an offensive juggernaut has been reduced to a drop laden group of receivers, more fumbles than McCarthy can stomach and the injuries began to stack up like cords of wood in anticipation of another Green Bay winter. The Pack lost to Chicago and Detroit and looked uninspired in the process. Add in the ever present rumors of players being less than dedicated and that effectively describes the tail spinning Pack’s fortunes.

Mike McCarthy is a far better coach than he will ever be credited. After posting back to back 100 yard games Eddie Lacy was reduced to a 5 play/ 4 yard output and spent the majority of the game squarely in McCarthy’s dog house. Another shocker was fresh off the practice squad RB John Crockett led Green Bay’s paltry rushing with 22 yards. Crockett was signed from the practice squad barely 3 hours before kickoff and that was roughly 30 minutes past the time 3^rd string RB Alonso Harris was cut.

Give McCarthy credit for being a more approachable Bill Belichick. As ESPN broke the news that Lacy and Harris had both blown a mandatory curfew the night before, McCarthy gave the press nothing afterwards. “It (Lacy’s benching and Harris’ release) was a football decision.” Little else was offered as an explanation other than the reinforcement that as a policy McCarthy does not discuss personnel decisions, strategy or anything remotely on the inside.

There had been some talk among the Packers in the most generic sense of players not prepping or being 100% committed. No names were mentioned but there were also whispers about Lacy’s work ethic, his weight and his underwhelming start to the season. McCarthy was not pleased and the only thing he offered about Lacy was “Did not have a good week.”

The Packers are going to need Lacy to have better weeks the rest of the way. Davante Adams had a big TD reception in the comeback last week and he also has to decrease the drops and increase the catches. Randall Cobb has been hampered more by Jordy Nelson’s absence due to injury than anyone else. Rodgers, the tight end, had a career day with 146 yards and 2 TD snags. Rookie Ty Montgomery had shown flash and promise but he hasn’t been active since the Clinton administration or so it seems.

The Packers have negotiated the bumpiest part of their schedule in unconvincing fashion but still find themselves in the driver’s seat. By winning out they capture the NFC North crown. Minnesota has the same record as Green Bay but with the Pack holding a win over the Vikings the season finale in Green Bay with the Vikes could be a showdown that has divisional and playoff implications.

This week the Packers host the floundering Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys are fresh off a barely watchable win over the vanilla Washington Redskins on Monday night. Thanks to DeSean Jackson’s idiotic attempt to outrun the entire Cowboy squad. The play resulted in a fumble upon which Dallas capitalized. Jackson sort of made up for his gaffe with a TD reception with little time left but the Cowboys pulled one out of the fire on a nifty returner by their blazer with the NFL’s best name Lucky Whitehead blew through the Skins feeble attempt to corral him. QB Matt Cassel moved the ball enough for very reliable K Dan Bailey to win it at the buzzer.

Dallas will need more than a Lucky Whitehead on Sunday. The Cowboys are the least blitzing team in the NFL but DC Rod Marinelli unleashed the hounds on Washington QB Kirk Cousins last week and the intensity of the rush rattled Cousins to the point he could barely hit the ground with his passes. His big play to Jackson at the end was the lone play that stood out in a game that was as more boringly and sloppily played than your local high school’s game on any Friday night.

With Greg Hardy, rookie Randy Gregory and LB Sean Lee the Cowboys have a solid D. Solid but hardly great. The Cowboys record of 4-8 is due in large part to the loss of QB Tony Romo. Without Romo Cassel has been unable to put enough points on the board to challenge for the horrendous joke of a division in the NFC East. In spite of their total ineptitude with their W over the Skins Dallas is only 1 game back of the divisional leads New York, Philadelphia and Washington all of whom are tied at a hefty 5 – 7.

Now Dallas comes in on a short week to chilly Lambeau Field to face the Packers who are coming off a much needed 10 day break. The offensive line is beaten op and every member of the starting 5 save Josh Sitton have gone out at one time or another for extended periods. The Packers can find their mojo and the high from the unexpected win can give them a boost but they will have to improve on the field and cut down on the mistakes to jump back in the mix of the league’s elite.

Six short weeks ago the possibility of multiple teams going undefeated was very real. But reality bites and bites hard. The lofty Patriots have been decimated by injury and have lost, as has Denver and Cincinnati leaving the Carolina Panthers and their milksop NFC south foes looking to offer little resistance. With every passing week the Panthers keep defying the odds by winning but it is inviting a loss at a far more critical time.

For Dallas they have more problems than Romo’s absence. Dez Bryant has been less than subtle to Cassel about getting him the ball. Jerry Jones has called out Jason Garett’s play calling in public. Dallas’ running game has been a shadow of what it was before jettisoning DeMarco Murray to the Eagles. If the ‘Boys try to storm Rodgers as they did Cousins it could be disastrous for them, especially if Green Bay’s WR’s can catch the ball.

For Green Bay the only question is simple. Was last week’s end the kick start they needed or was it just makeup on a blemish? Was it a fluke or are the Packers ready to flex some muscle?

After Sunday the results should speak for themselves.

 GREEN BAY 26

          Dallas  16 

                                                                                                                                           

 

 

 

RODGERS OVER AND OUT

Motor City Miracle Heave by Rodgers to Rodgers

Saves Uneven W for Pack

George Carlin once did a great routine regarding the difference between baseball and football. Baseball was, in his lilting voice, a timeless, carefree pastime that could be played in any amount of time. But when describing football his firm, stern voice depicted a militaristic march in a tightly measured unit of time that did not, would not and could not exceed 60 minutes… unless it went to sudden death.

Football is tightly measured game. Unless there is a tie it always ends after 60 minutes. Typically the Green bay Packers keep their fans around for the full 60 minutes. No matter what the Pack makes you watch for 60. Full. Minutes. No matter what, no matter the opponent.

But last night it was not overtime and it was not 60 minutes either. It was 60 minutes PLUS one play. One glorious, outrageous, ridiculous, heart stopping, mind numbing exhilarating play that salvaged a much needed win despite a horrible effort by the Pack in the first half.

It will become legend. It will be played over and over and over again. It will probably be ESPN’s “Play of the Year” and will live on into the future long after Aaron Rodgers and his golden right arm has retired. Rodgers desperation 61 yard (officially) Hail Mary, a pass that travelled at least 70 yards in the air and was so high it came down with snow was caught by the 6’4” Richard Rodgers who tracked the ball and outleapt 5 Detroit Lions to corral the toss that finally secured a 27 – 23 win in front of a stunned nation.

The Hail Mary was set up by what will be a much discussed facemask penalty against the Lions Devin Taylor with no time left on the clock. As Green Bay lined up with 6 seconds left and no time outs deep in their own territory Rodgers tossed it to his left to James Jones who in turn lateralled to Richard Rodgers who then hit Aaron Rodgers well behind everyone else. With no lateral option Rodgers took off but Taylor’s desperate grab saw his thumb and forefinger get enough of Rodgers grill to draw two flags.

Detroit fans will scream endlessly it was no foul. The NFL’s guru of officiating Dean Blandino thinks otherwise. “Whenever there is contact with an opponent’s facemask and head that play will draw a flag every time” Blandino said. The penalty itself is not reviewable and it gave the Packers one last shot, a shot Rodgers made with the pass of his life. The ball was launched from the Packer 39 and went at least 3 yards into the end zone making the straight line distance close to 70 yards… and that is without counting the height of the heave. The NFL has to be giddy along with television execs. The last 3 games played in the NFL – all national TV affairs (Denver/ New England Sunday, Baltimore/ Cleveland Monday night and Green Bay Detroit) – all ended on a spectacular walk off score each more improbable than the one before it.

Denver started the highlight reel montage with an overtime run by C.J. Anderson to put the first ding on the Patriots’ unbeaten season. The ante was upped the next night as Cleveland attempted an end of game field goal to put away Baltimore. The kick was blocked and Will Hill ran the length of the field to give Baltimore the W and then there was this, the Motor City Miracle, an instant NFL classic.

There is always a “but” when it comes to Green Bay football of late. Once the euphoria and giddiness of the miracle victory washes away the truth is the Packers offense was as Rodgers said and McCarthy concurred “…terrible…” in the first half. For the record the Lions took a 17 – 0 lead into the half and extended the lead to 20 – 0 with just under 22 minutes to go before the Packers began their improbable march to a much needed win. How important was the win? Had Green Bay lost this game, and they certainly looked for 60 mutes as if that was the case, the Packers chances to make the playoffs would have dropped to 66%. The win turned that number on its head and now the Packers are at a statistical 92% to make the playoffs.

“Statistics are for losers” an emphatic McCarthy said after the game. Some tell a story that can’t be avoided. Eddie Lacy had an awful outing and found a place in McCarthy’s doghouse and on the bench. McCarthy tends to speak in staccato bursts of half sentences and declarations and when he was asked why freshly signed from the practice squad RB John Crockett was in and Lacy wasn’t McCarthy brusquely responded by saying about his bell cow in Lacy “Didn’t have a very good week.” According to NFL Network Lacy and RB Alonso Harris had both violated curfew the night before the game and McCarthy blew his stack. Harris was released, Crockett was signed, Lacy was benched and Green Bay has brought in former Bronco RB Montee Ball for a workout.

Green Bay opened flatter than an open week-old bottle of beer. The defense played nobly and McCarthy showed some moxie by inserting rookie LB Jake Ryan into the starting lineup. Both Jared Abbrederis and Jeff Janis also saw playing time and although they didn’t connect Rodgers took a few shots deep to the speedy Janis. But the Pack was sluggish, lethargic and so outplayed a furious John Kuhn was seen in a rant at his offensive mates on the bench.

Ironically it was touchdown that landed Green Bay’s other back on the bench along with Lacy. In the 3^rd quarter after driving the Pack to the Lions 8 James Starks took the handoff and promptly fumbled the ball forward. An alert Randall Cobb jumped on it to give the Packers an ugly TD. At this point style points are out the window and as McCarthy said – “Stats are for losers.” Catching a small break had this play occurred on 4^th down the forward fumble would not have been allowed. No matter how ugly it was 7 points were recorded and gave the Packers the first beat in a heart many had considered this team was lacking.

After kicking off on the Lions first play after the Pack scored Julius Peppers beat his man on an outside rush, grabbed Lion QB Matthew Stafford’s hand and forced a fumble that was pounced upon by rookie Jake Ryan. The Packers fortunes began to turn when Rodgers targeted and found the much maligned and widely criticized Davante Adams over the middle on a skinny post route. Adams did not drop the ball and the Packers heartbeat grew louder.

The Lions extended their lead to 23 – 14 on a Matt Prater field goal.

Who knows what causes momentum swings? How does a team so thoroughly whipped in one half can suddenly find the mojo it had been missing for over a month? It’s difficult to label the Lions effort as a collapse; Green Bay made their own breaks and took advantage of every one.

It helps when one their best player suddenly catches fire. Aaron Rodgers capped an 11 play drive with a 17 yard sprint to the end zone to make a game of it. The drive was extended when Rodgers hit Randall Cobb on a sideline sprint on 4^th down to keep the Pack’s hopes alive. The drive looked like a drive associated with the Packers and the score had momentum clearly on the Pack’s side. The Packers turned the ball over to the defense with just over 3 minutes left and a full complement of time outs.

Once again the Packers forced another 3^rd and long situation. Yet once again the defense allowed a 3^rd and 12 pass by Stafford to TJ Jones for 29 yards up the middle and the Detroit faithful was delirious. Green Bay burnt all of its timeouts along the way and the Lions were able to squeeze the clock down to 23 seconds before giving Rodgers and co. one last shot.

Over the years Packer Nation and the rest of the NFL has grown accustomed to Rodgers leading Green Bay to bog wins. Even the most diehard fans had this one buttoned up in despair. But 23 seconds plus one play is all a plyer like Rodgers needs. On his first two throws the Lions countered with solid defense. They had the Packers out the door and their first sweep of Green Bay in two decades in their pockets. The cheering was already in place as Rodgers was tossed like a rag doll to the turf with the Lions the apparent victors.

Until.

Taylor’s body language gave it all away. As soon as Rodgers hit the turf Taylor’s head and eyes went skyward as his arms flapped in helpless frustration with himself for the gaffe. Not one but two flags hit the turf and the call by referee Carl Sheffers was almost immediate.

In order for the Packers to pull off the play of the year Detroit had to put out as poor a defense as imaginable. The Lions aided the packers by rushing only 3 and thankfully kept 2 men outside thinking the Packers were going to attempt another multi-lateral play. They also kept their best player – and tallest player – Calvin Johnson on the bench and not in the middle of the bomb’s target. Davante Adams had already begun to box out his man and as the Lions aided the Packers’ cause by playing behind the Pack’s receivers and leaving Richard Rodgers alone to set up for the grand finale.

“Greatest play I’ve ever seen since I’ve been here” said a drained McCarthy. Rodgers was so out of breath he could barely speak afterwards. Green Bay can now enjoy a 10 day break to heal and enjoy the win. They have a ton of work to do to keep their ship in the right direction. The Pack is not out of the woods yet and still far from it. Lacy’s issues need to be worked out. The offensive linemen – 4 of the starting 5 were out collectively at one point – and the passing game needs to re-establish itself. A play like this can be the catalyst they have been seeking. They’ll take the win…but… It’s only one game.

But it was one helluva finish to that game.

LION IN WAIT

Pack Looks for Revenge Against Improved Lions in Detroit

After opening the season with such promise at 6 – 0 the Green Bay Packers are in danger of becoming only the 3^rd team to post such a start and not make the playoffs. The losses to the equally undefeated Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers are understandable given the strength of each team but the Pack got dumped by not only the Detroit Lions but last week blew a golden opportunity to a flawless Jay Cutler who (*gulp*) outplayed Aaron Rodgers. Yes, the Pack managed to squeeze in a convincing victory against the first place Minnesota Vikings but dropping 2 out of 3 to divisional rivals doesn’t help the cause.

Now going into Detroit the fact is although the Packers have a firm hold on a Wild Card playoff position at 7-4 and are a game ahead of 6-5 Seattle another loss to the Lions could very well torpedo their post season aspirations. More disturbing than the losses to the Lions and Bears is how they lost both games by such narrow margins. On the night Brett Favre officially had his number retired and with Packer legend Bart Starr in attendance Green Bay dropped the ball from the Bears 8 yard line with 4 downs and less than a minute left in a 17- 13 loss. Giving Aaron Rodgers 4 shots from the 8 with the game on the line used to be a no brainer. Not anymore.

In their previous encounter the Lions finally overcame their 2 decade long drought in Lambeau Field when K Mason Crosby booted one of the ugliest kicks in NFL history as they were dumped 18 – 16. Now Green Bay travels to Detroit to face the Lions in yet another attempt to right the ship. Both Mike McCarthy and Aaron Rodgers looked and sounded irritated and frustrated by the sloppy play offensively after last week’s loss to Da Bears. Both men are too professional to get into a public calling out but the inalienable conclusion is the Packers receivers this year are killing the Packers and Rodgers.

No one had to use the name Davante Adams when the subject of drops came up. Rodgers threw a very uncharacteristic interception against the Bears last week and looked like Jay Cutler in the process. His throw was true and clean and straight into the hands of Tracy Porter. It was Adams’ route and afterwards both Rodgers and McCarthy used very generic terms. But McCarthy did not mince words either.

When asked about Adams’ route on Rodgers pick the Pack’s boss was bluntly succinct. “It’s a basic route,” he said. “It didn’t look like it was a very good route [by Adams]. [Adams] Didn’t have a very good day today. The consistency we’re getting in certain areas needs to pick up.” The specific areas are Adams’ route running and his drops. Rodgers tried to deflect some attention away for the 2^nd year wideout by saying “I’m obviously going to have to make sure my preparation is as high as it’s ever been because we need to get on the same page, the passing game,” Rodgers said. “We’re just on different pages. When you miss throws, when I’m throwing at a certain depth, when receivers are running at certain depth — we’re obviously on different pages.”

For the press it sounds good but the tone is unmistakable. Rodgers reference to ramping up his preparation means every receiver is going to have some extra time in the film room and on the practice field. Adams simply is not where Rodgers expects him to be and it has been a consistent flaw thus far. Randall Cobb has also had a few drops of his own and has had a hard time breaking free of coverage as have the Packers receivers as group. McCarthy is looking less patient each week and he and GM Ted Thompson went so far as to import some street free agent wide receivers for a look during the week leading up to Detroit.

It is not for a lack of attempts for Adams. He set a new NFL low against Detroit when he was targeted 21 times and caught just 10 for 79 yards and that trend has continued. In Green Bay’s last 2 losses to Detroit and Chicago, Adams has had 32 targets. He's caught just 12 of them for 93 yards. That's 2.91 yards per target. Even worse is a 37.4% completion rate. And were still talking about the NFL’s reigning MVP in Rodgers.

How much longer Adams can survive before McCarthy yanks him is anyone’s guess. Jared Abbrederis is coming back from a rib/ chest injury and hopes to be ready. Jeff Janis has continued to show flash when he touches the ball and he may get a shot. As Vince Lombardi once said to a young player he was cutting “Son, I can get anybody off the street to drop the ball and for a helluva lot less than what I’m paying you.” Adams may be on the shortest leash of all and Janis just may see some real playing time. Earlier this week Mike McCarthy said about Rookie Ty Montgomery “Ty is not making progress [with his ankle injury]” which only further depletes the Pack’s receiving corps.

Adams wasn’t alone against Chicago with the dropsies. On that fated goal line disaster James Jones dropped a TD pass on 3^rd down but in a loss misery does not love company, it only exacerbates the issue. Eddie Lacy had his first back-to-back 100 yard effort of his career these past 2 weeks but also earned some time on the pine for what McCarthy described as “Carelessness with the ball.” Lacy had a fumble that led to Chicago’s ultimate game winning TD and was very sloppy as he crossed the goal line when he nonchalantly flipped the ball away after scoring.

Going into the season, a season of such high hope and promise hardly anyone would have expected the Packers would be flourishing on defense and struggling on offense this late in the season. All of which is a shame as the defense, after 2 sub-par performances against Denver and Carolina, has been the backbone of the team. The defense has surrendered only 48 points in the last 3 games for an average of 13 points and has a 1- 2 record to show for their effort.

Detroit has since reeled off a small winning streak of their own going from the cellar of the NFL after upsetting the Pack and another W puts them right into the thick of a congested Wild Card conglomeration that would take an MIT professor several discourses to unravel if the Lions were somehow able to sweep the Pack this year. During that streak Detroit has found help for Calvin Johnson and Matthew Stafford. Abdullah Ameer has been handling more of the load rushing the ball and the Lions have had key contributions from Theo Riddick who along with Golden Tate has helped take the full load off Megatron.

On paper this game is easy… the Packers win by a big margin. But that’s only on paper. Losing 2 of their last 3 to Detroit and Chicago but smoking Minnesota shows clearly just how risky life is in the NFL these days. Green Bay has an outside shot at the NFC North crown but will need help to get there. Losing to the Lions all but ensures there will not be a 5^th consecutive crown.

For the moment the Packers are going to have to put away pride and ego and stick to just putting away the Lions. Lacy will be back and should be a load. His absence against Detroit was felt although James Starks has been very reliable coming off the bench. If Lacy can get rolling the Pack can get going. There will be no 7 men in the box without repercussions this time. Detroit stormed Rodgers with pressure and blitzes and the Packers had no ground game to counter and it was an illustration of futility in the passing game. This time they’ll be better prepared.

It sounds trite and smacks of homerism but McCarthy is right in his assessment of how close the Packers are. It is not about who calls the plays. It comes down to the most fundamental elements of the game – blocking, tackling, running, passing, and catching. When the Packers D improved it wasn’t because of a change of personnel. The D as a group began to tackle and cover better and played their positions. If Green bay’s D can hold the Lions under 20 again it goes in the Packers’ favor.

Aaron Rodgers is wounded and ticked off. Adams has said he wants to get back out there to show he can get the job done. It will take more than words. There will be no lack of preparation this week, not with Rodgers demanding more. If Adams doesn’t show up there’s a good chance someone will take his spot. With Dallas and Oakland next the Packers close out against Arizona and Minnesota.

Every streak begins with one win. Green Bay will begin their streak while they end Detroit’s and leave little doubt in the process.

  GREEN BAY 29 




  Detroit 16