Here is a look back at the game film for the Green Bay Packers’ loss at home to the Minnesota Vikings.
GRADES
A
- Clay Matthews
- Micah Hyde
- James Jones
B
- T.J. Lang
- Richard Rodgers
- Mike Neal
- Mason Crosby
C
- Ha Ha Clinton-Dix
- Aaron Rodgers
- Morgan Burnett
- Damarious Randall
- Quinten Rollins
- Casey Hayward
- Randall Cobb
- Davante Adams
- Andrew Quarless
- Bryan Bulaga
- Lane Taylor
- Corey Linsley
- Julius Peppers
- Nick Perry
- Jake Ryan
D
- Josh Sitton
- Tim Masthay
After reviewing the game film all I see is a Green Bay Slackers loss to the Vikings in Lambeau. The Slackers will be lucky if Kirk Cousins doesn’t walk all over their pathetic defense which has been that way since their title run. They just suck. Period.
CHOKE PACK CHOKE!
Nice Job on the review – hard to watch – skipped to fourth quarter – that was hard to watch too at the end …
I would give Mason Crosby A+ for the save-the-TD, strip-tackle of Patterson…..
Hyde A+ for that amazing INT (which did not create momentum change that announcers mentioned ….)
Gift shouldn’t even be on the list – nothing to rate.
#12 – hard to see him on the C-list – IMO justified, if not just for the “throwing caution to the wind” statement at presser – is that 2 weeks in a row for him there ?
BTW – did anyone see MM’s facial expression and response in the Monday presser when asked about QB1’s statement re: throwing caution ?
I’d be curious to see what your take is ….
typical GB fans saying they handed the game over without realizing MN almost handed them the game. left handed throwing by a right handed qb, kick off fumble with 2 minutes left. Just like Seattle you had your chances and you still pissed it away.
Thanks Shawn. Not to complain because I know you spend a lot of time, however did you purposely leave out the interior D line or just an oversight?
It is beyond me why we put a tight end on Sittons side on several pass downs then leave him alone on longer third downs. It is not as if the TE has to hit Griffen, just make him go around the TE (as was done with some success) giving Sitton a partial step of help.
A lot of times the inside guys rotate so much that it is hardly worth it to give them a grade.
But yeah, I was going to give Raji, Daniels, Guion and Pennel C’s. Just an oversight. Datone Jones would also get a C.
Shawn,
Love the film segments. Best part of Total Packers. I actually bought Game Pass specifically to watch this as it’s the best way to study what is actually going on.
Questions:
* Why no 5 wide sets (very few 4-wide sets) and when they do go 4-wide it’s Richard Rodgers as opposed to Jeff Janis or Jared Abbrederis? Personally, Janis (on paper) presents a better matchup against an outside linebacker then R. Rodgers does, but the lack of seeing either of these two tells me they don’t trust Janis or Abbrederis on any level whatsoever. Janis is 6’3″ and runs a 4.4/40 and for a team struggling to stretch the field not utilizing someone with this type of a skill set is mind numbing.
* Why is John Kuhn in on 3rd Downs? At first I thought it was to help pick up the pass rush on the strong side, but in watching film he’s rarely staying into block but rather going out on routes out of the backfield. I can think of multiple better options to run routes out of the backfield than Kuhn.
* Davante Adams & James Jones are SLOW and defenses know it. James Jones has the ability to run good routes, based on his fundamentals and familiarity with Rodgers, but in straight up man-on-man coverage he couldn’t beat a fan in the stands. Davante Adams just isn’t an outside receiver, he’s not much of a receiver at all, but why hasn’t McCarthy ever considering using him in the slot? Which leads me to my next question…..
* Randall Cobb. Next to Janis, Cobb is the fastest player on the field at all times. He’s a 4.4 runner with a decently quick first step (the best this offense has). Instead of lining him up in the slot where he’s consistently either double teamed or bundled up in the middle of the field via linebackers & safeties — why not move him to the outside and use Adams as the slot? I realize that Cobb isn’t an outside receiver BUT he has the ability to at the very least stretch the field and he can beat man-on-man coverage on the outside better than both Adams and Jones. Especially with how much press coverage this offense sees, I don’t get why this option hasn’t been explored. Cobb NEVER runs go routes or deep routes, EVER! and he’s the fastest player on the field. Moving him to the outside would, at the very least, open up the middle of the field.
* It’s a fairly simple strategy at this point for opposing defenses. They rush 5-6 and dare Rodgers to beat them over the top with the passing game. The Packer rushing attack isn’t going to win them any games in the postseason unless the passing game opens up first — which is why going to a ground & pound approach against the Vikings was a disaster, killing 8 minutes and coming away with FG’s isn’t going to win you many games. If Green Bay wants to beat AZ, Washington or Seattle — it’s GOT to be through the passing game and they’ll need 25+ points to win on the road. Green Bay MUST come out hot early and control the clock late, it’s the only way they’ll survive.
Thanks for the film. Awesome stuff.
I like your take. You’re saying a lot of the same stuff I’ve been pondering.
Great job Sean.
The Packers did not “give” this game away. They lost it. For every error on the Packer side there were also errors on the Vikings side. Point to the Rodgers pass in the end zone to Xavier and whine about that but it was equalized by the Teddy ill-advised lefty pass. And so on. The mistakes were equal. The better team won.
OK, so now you may want to whine about injuries and Sitton playing out of position and Nelson out and so on. Sure, but the Vikes are missing their top 2 offensive linemen and have been all season. They also stopped the Packer run game missing their top run defender and possibly top overall defensive player in Linval Joseph. Sitton faced an Everson Griffen who is nursing several nagging injuries and was far from at the top of his form. We could go on but suffice it to say the injury factor was equally at play for both teams. The better team won.
It is also noteworthy that the Packers offensive line was holding on most plays. Literally. I saw it again and again. Viking pass rushers mugged with Packer linemen with double handfuls of hjersey and arms wrapped around necks and hands pulling down on arms. Almost none of these were called. There were even outright tackles that were not called by the refs. It was astounding. Teh Vikings still got 5 sacks. One has to wonder how many sacks they would have gotten if they were not almost continuously held or how many penalty yards the Packers would have ended up with if the refs actually made the calls. Also, of course, that fumble that was not called in the first half. It was clearly a fumble and the Viking player had it on the run with no Packers in any position to catch him. This would have been another defensive TD by the Vikes (the 1st of 2). If the refs had been merely objective and competent the end score would have been 30-10 approximately. The better team won.
Clay Matthews an A? Well, maybe you are grading on a curve and the rest of the team was so bad it pushed Matthews all the way up to an A. You know, Clay has really shown what kind of a person he is the last couple weeks. First, a drug abuser and cheater. He can deny the Charlie Sly accusations, all the guilty people do, but it is obvious he did it. I don’t have the space to prove it to you here but he is a liar and a cheat and a drug abuser. Next, he is a terrible sportsman. The fake hand up to Carson Palmer. What a jerk. Then in the Vikings game Mike Harris absolutely blew Clay away. He destroyed him on that block and threw him nearly ten yards downfield like Clay was on roller skates. How did Clay respond to losing a fair battle? He punched Harris repeatedly in the back of the head while Harris was down and faced away from him. The refs called the penalty on Clay, they had no choice, but they actually also should have ejected him from the game. Another ref goof to the Packers advantage. You guys call the Vikings scum. Well, Clay is the real scum. So is Quarless. So is Guion. Rodgers is a petulant whiner. Neal and Peppers are also cheaters and drug abusers. The Vikings are the better team physically, in style of play, in coaching, in sportsmanship, morally,and in citizenship. The better team won.
oh, i see, you could prove it but you won’t…prove to me how AP came back so strong from his injuries?? Different Doc same methods perhaps?? or was it just a great diet…hahaha..they all do it you fool, may as well make it legal….
Killer….Have fun watching the vikes get killed by the Seahawks. I know i will.
Hey Viqueens fan do us a favor. Don’t make up any excuses when your fraudulent franchise gets their ass whipped on Sunday by the Seahawks. Jesus Christ your fanbase are made up of such fucking idiots.
Viqueens are the biggest excuse makers in the world. Trust me I hear it everyday. I just smile and say GOPACKGO. The Vikings aren’t going anywhere one they lose to the Hawks. And if the Packers won and keep winning, Viqueens will never give us credit. That’s how queening work.
Damn auto correct