We’ve done some reflecting on the Green Bay Packers season-opening 34-28 loss to the San Francisco 49ers and here are five things that bear discussion. And no, we’re not going to bitch about Jerron McMillian anymore. He’s taken plenty of our abuse.
The defensive line is much improved, but Datone Jones was a non-factor.
The Packers defensive line did a tremendous job of stuffing the 49ers ground game on Sunday. San Francisco totaled just 90 yards on the ground and averaged just 2.6 yards per carry. Several guys made plays, including B.J. Raji, Mike Neal and Ryan Pickett. One guy who didn’t make a play was first-round pick Datone Jones. The rookie was nowhere to be found and we mean nowhere. He doesn’t show up on the stat sheet at all and the Packers gave C.J. Wilson the start next to Raji and Pickett. It looks like Jones is going to take some time to develop, if he develops at all.
Where are the defensive playmakers?
Well, they’re on the defensive line and in the form of Clay Matthews, but they aren’t anywhere else. Or at least they weren’t on Sunday. The Packers turned the ball over twice and still managed to stay in the game. Had their defense generated any turnovers, the final score might have been a different story. Instead, no picks and no forced fumbles. Inside linebacker Brad Jones looked like the guy who was going to assume the playmaker role during the preseason, but even though Jones registered 10 tackles, he didn’t look the part. A.J. Hawk, don’t even get me started on that guy. Same old, same old. And the secondary, aside from a couple breakups by Sam Shields, struggled mightily. Right now, it doesn’t look like there’s a turnover-creating ballhawk in this group. People are going to start wondering where Charles Woodson is if this keeps up.
The return game. Ugh.
The Packers don’t want to use Randall Cobb in the return game because they expose him to injury. They didn’t have a choice on Sunday. Jeremy Ross opened the game as the kick and punt returner, but only showed anything on punts. Ross had one punt return for 17 yards and averaged 13.3 on three returns. On kickoffs, Ross was only able to return one kick and that went for just nine yards. This seems like an area the Packers need to address this week.
James Jones. Hello!
James Jones led the NFL in touchdown receptions in 2012. We hope you didn’t start him on your fantasy team yesterday. Jones was targeted just twice. He failed to make both of those catches and reminded us of James Jones, circa 2011. That version of Jones was known more for dropping balls than catching touchdowns. Don’t you realize you’re in a contract year, James?
The Packers failure to run cost them this game.
The gap between the Packers and 49ers isn’t that big. The stats for this game bear that out. Both teams had 23 first downs and averaged 6.6 yards per play. Neither team ran the ball well. The Packers were minus-2 on turnovers, but the 49ers committed six more penalties for 41 more yards. The difference was this — despite not going anywhere on the ground, the 49ers stayed committed to the run. The 49ers rushed 15 more times than the Packers, allowing them to pile up 38:35 in time of possession and keep the Packers defense honest. The Packers had 21:25 in time of possession and didn’t have to worry about the Packers running game at all. As much lip service as Mike McCarthy paid to running the football this offseason, the offensive line looks too atrocious to execute that facet of the offense, even minimally.
Doesn’t seem like too much has changed on D. Still haven’t filled void left by Nick Collins. You’re right about Dante Jones, don’t think I heard his name called all game.
“It looks like Jones is going to take some time to develop, if he develops at all.”
Whoa, whoa. Slow your roll their, buddy. Let’s not go full Justin Harrell on Dante Jones. I’m pretty sure he was busy keeping Kaepernick contained.
I bet you hear is name in the coming weeks.
Sorry, that comment was meant for Monte and not you, Yerry.
Ross shouldve been shot for taking those 2 kickoffs out of the endzone and going nowhere with them
I’ve said it before in regards to McCarthy and I’ll say it again…It doesn’t matter if he had Jim Brown back there, he is completely incapable of committing to the run. Furthermore he panics every time the Packers fall behind and refuses to run.
Even though GB took the lead vs. SF largely thanks to a drive anchored in the running game, McCarthy predictably abandons it after SF marches right back down to reclaim the lead. And here’s the thing…I don’t care who the fuck you are. You could be the 1966 Packers, the 1978 Steelers, I don’t care who..you are still going to be sucking wind in week one in the 4th quarter. THAT is when Eddie Lacy can have impact like he did in the previous drive. He is NOT a guy you want to see lumbering toward you when you’re warn out. AND MCCARTHY SHOULD FUCKING KNOW THIS.
Just like he should know the rules of the game. I celebrated when I saw the 2nd flag come in on Clay’s stupid play and he should have (or SOMEONE should have) known the rule and been celebrating too while telling the ref how to do his job. Totally unacceptable. Seriously…how does an entire coaching staff not know the rules?
This is an embarrassment and this one game is all on McCarthy.
It’s not about committing to it during the game. Any idiot can see guys like TJ Lang and Dietrich-Smith getting pushed three yards back into the backfield on every run play.
MM & TT need to commit to the run during the offseason and bring in lineman who can actually run block.
^ This as well.
I did not know it was MM job to cover #81 and #85.
*worn out
For years there’s been calls for Capers’ head, for Slocum’s head, for Campen’s head, but year after year the Packers secondary essentially says to an opposing OC and QB ‘here’s the middle of the field, from hash mark to hash mark and from 10 yards beyond the line of scrimmage to the end zone. This is our gift to you, your playpen, where you can do whatever you’d like and we’ll chase you all the way to the end zone’.
Whatever the cause, whether it’s TT’s thinking that he can turn UDFA’s into All-Pro’s, or Capers cluelessness, or the position coach who can’t teach fundamental coverage and ball skills, it’s getting awfully tiring watching the Packers get eaten alive there season after season.
Seriously Wolfie? Not only do you react like a child when someone posts anything contrary to your opinion, now you’re trying to banish the comments all together? Keep impressing us with your long winded comments that hold no substance other than the fact that you own a thesaurus. I look forward to your “professional” response.
There it is folks, a mature, well thought out rebuttal by a real writer.
Best coordinator in the NFL? Has had a lot of success, especially in the playoffs? Other than the Super Bowl run this defense has taken a complete dump in the playoffs every year. Surely you’re being sarcastic..
Really? Wow you sure got me good.
Enough.
I’ve sat back and watched over the last several months as your head has grown in lockstep with the couple of disjointed manifestos, disguised as ‘articles’, that you’ve ‘written’ that Monty has been desperate enough to post here.
Give it a rest already. Favre is going to have his number retired, this team is good but not great, no one cares about your scary-weird sexual fantasies/preferences and everyone you disagree with or disagrees with you isn’t out to get you or your enemy.
Real writers? I’ve refrained from critiquing your ‘writing style’ to this point, but since you had to bring it up, let me go on the record – pedantic, verbose, rambling and over-wrought. Sesquipedalianism is not a reflection of command of the language – most often it is a form of obscurantism that seeks ‘by using logomachinations to divert discussion to the establishment of the opponent’s comprehension of the vocabulary’. It’s a manifestation of insecurity that underscores a disbelief in the strength of one’s argument or position and is an offshoot of intellectualism, which in and of itself is an overcompensating behavior.
Real fans? You mean the ones who believe what our eyes see, what our intellect processes and what we discern and decide in our own personal moments of truth that allow us the ability to separate reality from delusion, or maybe in simpler terms, displace fond recollections of what once was with the acceptance that it no longer is? Day by day the numbers of people jumping your shit grows – perhaps it’s time you stand down until you can learn how to play nice.
Pricks like you that inhabit blogs and have the temerity and the pompous self-righteousness to tell others how to think, and then stand as self-appointed arbiters of allowable speech declare open season on themselves.
All that aside, to address the thesis of your rebuttal, if Capers is the BEST coordinator in the NFL, why does the defense suck so bad year after year and keep getting lit up for record-breaking numbers and consistently have their ass handed to them when the kimchi is deepest and the opposing troops are most fierce? See, where I come from we refer to the guys that win and carry the day as the best of anything they endeavor to do. I guess in your pantheon of judgment, being middling or worse (kind of like how you write) is being ‘the best’ at something. Or being a REAL whatever.
Now, hit me back with another one of those rambling, over-wrought replies that wanders all over the place as you search in desperation for the words to express whatever addled thoughts inhabit your mind.
And as to your ‘drink liquid Drano’ rejoinder – save it. It’s not that good and it sure as hell isn’t funny.
One last thing – just remember as you get flamed again and again and again – you started this shit.
Thank you! Savage, you are awesome.
Wow. You are a grade A idiot.
“Go find something underneath your sink and drink it!!” <—-ouch
Now we’re getting it. Talent means everything!
I agree with you Savage. You make a very good point. As the game wore on, it astonished me how we frequently left Boldin uncovered over the middle in Frisco’s mid-range passing game. But we have to wonder (at least a little) if it might have been different on Sunday had we had those two injured DBs available.
Agreed. I was yelling at the TV: fucking chuck him at the line of scrimmage! Why would you let him consistently get a free release? He’s the only freaking guy that’s doing damage. Put a safety over the top of just him. Something!
Phenomenal moral victory. I wonder how RG3 will do next week now that the rust is off? He doesn’t seem to want to run much yet but Capers is probably already dialing up the same gameplan he had for SF so he’ll probably lead the league in passing yardage by week 3
(1) Datone Jones
Essentially, he’s a second round pick. Plus, I think the Packers are pretty duplicitous when it comes to injuries — he’s likely still feeling that ankle.
(2) Defensive playmakers
There are none. They’re playing in a complicated defense they don’t really understand — I really don’t think they know how to “acquire” a player when he comes into their zone, or area of responsibility. Plus, it’s a soft “pylon” or “prevent” defense that seems content to wait for an errant pass. Absent a turnover, they’re giving up a touchdown.
(3) Return game.
With a young team, the youngest players are on special teams. So it’s going to be a complete clusterfuck. TAKE THE FREE 20 YARDS!
(4) James Jones
Too much adulation last year. Maybe he’s coming back to his career averages.
(5) Failure to Run
The oLine plays the run game “upright” — you can’t develop leverage from your strong leg muscles or back muscles when you’re standing straight up. Snap after snap, the defensive player is lower than our linemen. I’ve heard a lot about great backs make a line better, but is that what happened in Denver? in Houston? wasn’t Arian Foster undrafted? Now we have a great back and he gains 41 yards. Either we don’t have the personnel for the scheme, or we haven’t adapted the scheme to the personnel.
So Clay Matthews isn’t a playmaker?
Sorry, I was mainly thinking about the secondary and the way the try to play zone.
Regarding Matthews, I always look at him and think: what if he played Hawk’s position? He’d be zooming in on blitzes, tackles-for-loss, running down plays (instead of trailing them, like Hawk…)
Wolf,
Normally I agree with you. But as a team builder in the business world it’s pretty common sense and it applies here. Right people on the bus (TT) right people in the right seats (MM or DC) so in this instance you can’t have your cake and eat it too. It’s either the players, or the coaches. No excuses, change the scheme to fit the shitty players (DBS/lbs/linemen) (some people suck at managing people, and are better served getting their hands dirty and vice versa) or draft fucking better players (hire/draft/sign better people). It really is that simple.
You can’t commit to the run so much that you never get a first down. Especially when you’re playing against the #1 run defense in the league. Sometimes I do not understand you, Monty.
San Fran scores to retake the lead in the 4th Quarter, we abandon the run. At the 8 no less. Noone can justify that to me, I dont give a fuck if your Vince Lombardi emailing me from the dead to stick up for MM. Just add it to the list of meat heads mistakes. Look at the Washington game last night for guidance. Washington was down like 23 points in the fourth and they practically ran it every play on the first TD possession that started their (failed) comeback
Capers career stats are actually pretty fucking sad. I say we won 2010 DESPITE him, not because of him. Look at the yardage we have given up in the playoffs the last 3 seasons and tell me again how much you love Capers.
I disagree about the Oline. Watching the game again on tape really confirmed my original feelings that the Oline had done fairly well considering its lack of time together and the new peices that are in place.
They went against the best Dline in football. I think if this offense stays healthy they will be running the ball successfully by week 6. Of course that is no guarantee that meathead will run it.
the return game cost us badly in field position. those who are the return men need to make good decisions. nothing wrong with a knee and the 20, particularly when we started inside the 20 multiple times. that, I believe, is kick return 101 stuff. I would settle for “even” with KR, not a liability or an asset. I think we are better on punt return.
I dont understand, capers is the best coordinator but in the divisional round they made absolutely zero adjustments. Then sunday the 9ers had two weapons, davis and boldin and yet the defense continually got ass-raped by those two with again, zero adjustments
By the way, capers was the coordinator last year when gabbert and skelton threw for 300 yards in consecutive weeks against the packers, not exactly something the best coordinator in the league should have on his resume
NOW finally I have people on my side. I said CAPERS was a bad hire from the get-go.And he has proven me right year after year.He can’t coach and M.M. can’t call plays!!!!
If he’s not gone by the end of this season they will not win another SB with AR… It’s a cryin shame! I like a lot if their players .. Hate the coordinator. Get a young up and comer not someone stuck on his ways, not will to adapt to the players he is given.
Heres the thing, and I hate to make everyone sad, but think about this: We have had, or have, 2 consecutive Hall Of Fame QB’s and we are looking at winning only 2 Super Bowls with them over a period of 20 years. How many other franchises would have loved to have had the chance to have Favre and Rodgers back to back? What would they have done with that talent? Montana and Young won what? 4 Superbowls?
Some day we may look back at our love affair of a good team (aka Bills in the 90’s) but a team that was never good enough to win it all. And while we are suffering through mediocre QB’s again like the rest of the league does, what will we say about the wasted years of Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers? What will history say? To bad they didnt play for the Redskins? Or the Jets? Think what those markets would have done with the kind of QB talent we have had.
On another note, didnt we have Rodgers already at this point in Favres career? So where is the replacement for Rodgers? Are we seriously going to keep bringing in guys like Flynn and Coleman? God help us if Rodgers suffered a serious neck or head injury. Or blew out his achilles.
I’m going off memory here. I’ll be close, so don’t jump all over me if I’m not exact. Favre played in GB until he was like 37. Rodgers was 2nd string for three years. Rodgers just turned 30, or is about to. We’ve got some time yet
Haha I find it funny MM is still defending his acceptance of the penalty on the 9ers 2nd scoring drive. According to him his discussion with the boy upstairs, after looking at the replays, showed that it looked like Gore made the 1st, if not he was only inches short.
Ok, well im watching this shit on TV. Im not in some booth and I dont have 5 other guys looking at it with me. This shows how fucking incompetent this coaching staff is: I noticed as well, based upon Gores progress and the replays that Gore seemed to get the first down, if not he was really close. However, after the spot of the ball I realized he had been marked almost 3/4 of a yard short. Noone seemed to notice or care. So apparently MM decided to do the Refs job for them and give the 9ers an extra yard and then make his decision based upon his own allowance. Nice job Meathhead. You truly are the fuckhead of this organization. Just keep explaining your idiocracy away..week after week..year after year…all the Packer coolaid drinkers will continue to buy it till its 2017 and Rodgers is retired or on another team…
Rebelgb, I am not taking you seriously so don’t take it that way.
I would just like to remind you that Mike McCarthy has a ring on his finger. That ring is what you get for WINNING A SUPER BOWL.
It was only 3 years ago, not lets say, 15 years ago like Mike Shanahan, or 9 years ago like Bill Belichick.
If being an idiot wins you Super Bowls, then every coach should practice being idiotic.
Your rants make no sense.
Aaron Rodgers, and Mike McCarthy, could have two rings right now if A-Rodge hadn’t played like shit against the Giants in 2011.
In fact, McCarthy could actually have 3 rings right now if both A-Rodge and Brent hadn’t puked against the Giants.
Thanks. Carry on.
Any body ever consider that Dom is getting a little tired of trying to coach up avg. talent (Clay excluded) and he might have one foot out the door mentally? I mean, you’ve all had jobs where when things start to tank be it service or product or management disagreements, you start to look elsewhere or become complacent. Look, Dom admitted in today’s paper to calling the right plays by asking two guys to cover Boldin but they failed to execute. Why? TALENT PEOPLE…TALENT.
Ted has gotten worse and worse since Dorsey and Schneider left his side…don’t you all see that?
Too early to tell. You aren’t supposed to judge a draft until like 3 years later.
“Sesquipedalianism”…… Savage, sometimes I agree with your arguments, that being said, you do realize your being the very definition of sesquipedalianism to stifle any & all intellectual/non-intellectual arguments……. I had to look it up myself because no one uses that word & it’s unlikely you can even pronounce it. My own intellect wonders when one needs that much overkill if it is nothing more than gross overcompensation & an inability to say more with less words. It’s a paper tiger! Conventional wisdom….”Less is more, more is less.” Now, Capers is completely overrated, he didn’t confuse a QB with 8 NFL starts & surely won’t get it done with Brady, Manning(s), Brees, etc.