Another disappointing end to another disappointing season for the Green Bay Packers, who were dropped by the San Francisco 49ers 45-31 in a divisional playoff game.
The long hangover has begun.
The Packers were outmuscled
Although they were outplayed in every aspect of the game, much of the blame for Saturday’s loss belongs on the defense. The 49ers simply pushed the Packers around. They outmuscled them and they were far more physical. It isn’t the first time this has happened either. The Packers defense was dominated by teams with great offensive lines this season. Minnesota would fall into the same category as San Francisco. The Packers defense is A.J. Hawk — looks alright on paper, but gets totally brushed aside when anyone with any power lays a hand on him. The Packers defense is finesse. They can’t compete with physical teams.
Everyone was wrong about the offensive line
How about the Packers offensive line? Facing one of the toughest defenses in the NFL and two top-notch pass rushers, they only gave up one sack. A lot of people suggested if the line could keep Aaron Rodgers vertical, the Packers would win going away. Most of those people doubted it would happen. Well, unfortunately they were wrong on both counts. The Packers didn’t lose the game because of their offensive line, though.
Sam Shields > Tramon Williams
Remember when Tramon went to the Pro Bowl a couple seasons ago? Remember when he looked like he was a shutdown corner? That seems like forever ago, doesn’t it? There were times this season and on Saturday when Williams looked like he didn’t even deserve to be the dime back. Meanwhile, Shields continued to play well. In our minds, he became the Packers No. 1 corner this season. If Williams continues to play his brand of inconsistent, disinterested football, we’d be surprised if Casey Hayward doesn’t take his spot in the starting lineup.
What happened to the chip on Aaron Rodgers’ shoulder?
Aaron Rodgers used to like to stick it to people when he felt disrespected. He used to like to prove people wrong. That Aaron Rodgers actually showed up against Houston this season. Everyone was down on the Packers about their slow start. The Texans were undefeated. Rodgers came out and fired six touchdowns and the Packers won handily. That’s the last time we saw the vengeant Aaron Rodgers this season. You might have figured that guy would show up against the team that passed him over with the No. 1 pick all those years ago. At the time, he said he would one day make the 49ers pay. Saturday was not that day. Rodgers was 26-of-36 for 256 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Not really setting the world on fire in front of the hometown crowd.
And once again…
Mike McCarthy gets outcoached. This is nothing new in the playoffs. It happened in the 2007 NFC Championship game. It happened against the Giants last year. It happened on Sunday. The Packers had no answer for anything the 49ers did. They didn’t make appropriate adjustments. The Packers just looked unprepared for what was going on around them. That comes down to coaching.
It’s going to be an interesting offseason… Finley, Hawk, Woodson, Driver, Jennings, Capers could all be gone…
GET AJ HAWK OUT OF TOWN
“The Packers were outmuscled”
Ayup.
“Everyone was wrong about the offensive line”
I think our offense line did a great job. Now, if they have played like that all season things might have been different.
“Sam Shields > Tramon Williams”
I got two words for you. Nick Collins.
“What happened to the chip on Aaron Rodgers’ shoulder?”
I dunno. Good question. I expected a bigger game from. By his standards he was just okay.
“Mike McCarthy gets outcoached.”
I’d like to think Don Capers got out coached by Greg Roman. McCarthy did his job, at least on the offensive side of the ball.
But the buck has gotta stop somewhere. McCarthy has to take responsibility for both sides of the ball.
I need to remind everyone that the Packers won 19 in a row a couple years ago, so not much has to change. Dom Capers got us to where we are, not MM as our defense won our championship in 2010.
“Iltarion is queer as a 2 dollar bill”. That may be true, but it still doesn’t discount the fact that AJ Hawk is the key to our defense. We need more D linemen to free him up to make tackles.
“I can suck a golfball through a garden hose”. Again, it’s true, but atleast having Ross back on punts kept Randall Cobb healthy.
“I live in the past as I remind everyone that the Packers once won 19 straight games, and Iltarion is a complete queef”. Very true, but we need to sign Jennings and Finley – I can’t get enough of his commercials without a shirt.
“I once jerked off 12 times in my mom’s basement with an Ambercrombie & Fitch catalog”. A fabrication! it was 13 times and the cover of the ocean’s 11 DVD.
The Iltarion imitator cracks me up. Funny shit!
Homophobes are cool and funny.
I think the chip on Rodgers is there but McCarthy thought they were the 96 packers and decided to run the ball for the first half never allowing Rodgers to get a rhythm. By the 2nd half when they allowed him to throw the def had a fork in them and the game was more or less over.
Did the Rodgers throw even one bomb? I don’t remember if he did, but it used to be several every game…
Oh, and what about that muff by the packers early in the game when they were up by 7 and gave the niners an easy tie. Why the fuck would anyone try to fair catch a ball inside the 10 yd line? Stupid, stupid, stupid!! To me, that was the turning point in the game…
One final thought, what once was a great offense, with many passing plays on first and second down, has turned into, not that much unlike the offense of Forrest Gregg (run, run, pass, punt). This needs to change, or the coach needs to be changed, something different needs to happen.
He wasn’t fair catching it. I believe he was going to try to return it. But yeah, that was the moment everyone who said “don’t but Cobb back there” should have been afraid of. And it hurt us…badly.
Monty…Simply because Rodgers was only sacked once, does not mean the O line played well. The O line got pushed back all game. How many times was Rodgers hit? hurried? Had to thrown to soon?………Saying they had only 1 sack as proof the O line played well, is foolish.
The Packers don’t tackle well.
IMO, this is coaching.
Hawk is one of the worst, but TWilliams, Burnett, Shields, Jones, Jennings exhibit poor technique — trying to tackle high, without taking out, or wrapping up, the legs. So many times this leads to a runner churning for extra yards, extra first downs, and a score — and it also wears out the defense.
Are they afraid of injury? a la Collins or Woodson?
Are they ceding yards, thinking they’ll eventually get an interception?
Even the defensive line tends to stand up a runner, instead of putting him on the ground — maybe in hopes the whistle is blown?
In addition to bad technique, I’ve seen the defense stand around when it looks like a play is contained — I’ve seen these same plays pushed for extra yards when the opponent’s oLine comes to help. I’ve seen that much more than the Packer’s D swarming to a standstill, and pushing the pile back.
I’ve read in the summer, that they can’t risk tackling in training camp, for fear of injury. I guess I have a different mindset: you can’t risk NOT tackling, for fear of not doing it well during the season.