There are defeats and then there are defeats that expose a football team. The Green Bay Packers’ 30-16 loss to the Dallas Cowboys was one of the latter.
We all knew this football team had weaknesses, but to one degree or another, we felt those weaknesses could be fixed or improved upon. Now, it certainly doesn’t seem that way. The Packers were dominated by a clearly superior football team on Sunday. Making matters far worse, is they were dominated at home.
In the process, the Green Bay Packers went from borderline contender to pretender.
They are now two games behind the Minnesota Vikings in the division and with the Vikings currently holding the head-to-head tiebreaker, that gap is essentially three games.
Anyway, let’s get on with it.
No Penetration
The formula for the Packers’ defense is pretty simple. Get in the backfield and disrupt. Their pass defense is always better when they get after the quarterback. Their run defense has been so stout because they’ve had so many tackles for loss. Obviously, the defense failed in both aspects on Sunday. The Packers had just one sack and two tackles for loss. So it was of little surprise then that Dak Prescott was able to throw for 247 and three touchdowns with an average of 9.1 per attempt. The same goes for Ezekiel Elliott’s 157 yards and 5.6 yards per carry average. The 191 total yards rushing the Packers gave up might not have been the total that it was if it weren’t for the long runs. There were too many of those and not enough action behind the line of scrimmage.
The Return of Five Wide
One positive thing we noticed on Sunday was the return of the four and five-receiver sets. The Packers used this extensively back in 2011 and then it slowly disappeared. We’re not really sure why, but logic says that if you’re going to carry seven receivers, as the Packers are this season, you might as well use them. So this was a welcome sight and the Packers did have some success with it. The biggest beneficiaries were Ty Montgomery, who also spent a good deal of time in the backfield, and Jeff Janis. Montgomery got 36 snaps and Janis had 32. Montgomery turned in his best game of the season with 10 catches for 98 yards. Considering he did that in 36 snaps, maybe the Packers should find ways to utilize Montgomery more. Janis had just two catches for 14 yards, but considering he had just two catches in all of 2015, that’s a step in the right direction.
Not a Lack of Players, Just a Lack of Playmakers
About those seven receivers… Just because the Packers have them on the roster doesn’t necessarily mean they’re any good. Of the seven, only Randall Cobb and Jordy Nelson currently have decent grades from Pro Football Focus. Cobb has an 80.3, which ranks him 15th at his position. Nelson has a 74.8, which puts him 33rd. Everyone else is in the 50s, with the exception of Montgomery, who has a 49.4. Those are considered poor grades, the lowliest group in the PFF system. Consider that Jordy Nelson has also turned in two duds in a row now and it’s clear that Aaron Rodgers isn’t the only problem with the Packers’ offense.
Packers Getting What They Asked for From Peppers
The one player worth singling out on the Packers’ defense is Julius Peppers. He played just 31 total snaps, with 18 of them coming in passing situations. Peppers notched the Packers’ only sack on the day and also had two hurries, which is a nice return for that snap count. It’s also just what the Packers need from Peppers. Get out there part time and make plays for us. Unfortunately, as we’ve discussed time and again, Peppers is a liability against the run at this point. Teams can run right at him and often do. So while the Packers are certainly getting something positive from Peppers, they should really consider limiting his snaps to only passing situations.
When Has That Ever Worked?
What was the buffooniest move made by Buffoon on Sunday? You must know. It’s the same damn buffoon play that Buffoon has tried to use so many times before only to meet failure. The only difference is now the player is different. Yes, I’m talking about handing the ball off to the fullback in short-yardage situations. It used to be John Kuhn who got blown up for the 1-yard loss and now it’s Aaron Ripkowski. Let me just remind you for the 50th time, Buffoon. You have a power running back in Eddie Lacy. He’s a guy who gained more than half of his yards after contact on Sunday. Feel free to give him the ball in short-yardage situations from now on.
Personally, I believe that Buffoon is insane and deluded about his “abilities” . Hell my wife (who is not a fan of football) watches with me occasionally and even quantifies my objections to Buffoons play calling. She says; I do not really like football that much, but even I WOULD NOT HAVE DONE THAT . . . Then she laughs and looks at me and says; I am so sorry that you have to watch this guy make stupid calls and blow games all of the time . . . Why don’t they FIRE HIM? To this I answer; “that would mean that Thompson or Murphy would have to do their jobs'” She then smiles and laughs and brings me a beer . . . stating that I probably could use it.
I was hopeful Sunday the packers could do enough to offset the buffoons play calling and time management skills.with Rodgers playing as bad as he did tho the outcome was inevitable.
Buffoon and TT “The Frugal GM” have created this whole mess, either by inaction, poor player procurement, poor player utilization, a total lack of player assessment from game film. Poor play calling, poor schemes, poor personnel groupings, playing favorites and continuing to call the same stupid uneventful lackluster plays week in and week out. Not to mention, allowing Rodgers his “tic’s” (coaches are supposed to nip QB 1’s “quirks” in the bud when they first start showing) because A. Rodgers is now fraught with quirks. This has been brought on because Rodgers at too many points in the past 4 to 5 years was carrying this team on his back . . . Waaaaay too much pressure for an already pressure filled position. It was bound to happen sooner or later. Just a fucking shame it ever had to happen, but with those two fools Rodgers had no choice . . . and now this is where he sits. All that you have to do is read the blogs, news articles and watch the games. MM and TT are fucking clueless! This cluster fuck actually happened during the 2010 SB. MM and D. Capers started to shit the bed early and often in the second half. Why? because those fucks make little to no adjustments at halftime compared to the other coaches. This shit has been going on since MM has been the Head Coach. Remember you cannot polish a turd. How many times have teams come back on us? How may poor game time management and clock management issues have happened? And quite often correct? If we can see it . . . how do you think some of the players feel about it! Fuck!
Great comments, MMTTDCSuck. I cannot improve. When that slant-pass bounced
off Adams’ stone-hands my wife says, “where’s Janis?” It’s getting almost
laughable now.
You are correct TED HAWTHORNE! I have made an effort to not allow this buffoonery to raise my blood pressure, inhibit the rest of my day, or otherwise ruin any peace of mind that existed prior to the carnival show . . . I still am human however! and therefore feel compelled to rant about this side show that is unraveling in front of us. Thursday should be real interesting . . .
Let me add this Ted and MMTTSUCK…
Although i’m repeating, i’ll once again bring up the fact that there is a reason that GM’s and head coaches don’t stay in the same position for 10 years or more. They get stale, burnt out. especially when you have Rodgers getting you to the playoffs every year in a weak Division, thereby enjoying job security.
Once again…only the very elite of GM’s and HC’s stay at the same job over a decade. do either of those two qualify as elite….because they won 1 Super Bowl? Hell, Trent Dilfer won a Super Bowl, is he then elite? He was absolutely horrible.
Now, only if we could pull Mark Murphy back from the food truck across the street, we could explain that to him.
Exactly. The shelf life max is 9-10 years and then the current regimes message gets stale. Players don’t give a shit anymore no matter who you are or what you have won at that point.
You have said everything that is true. They have ridden on the coat tails of A.Rodgers AND Favre. At least Favre saw what was going on and found a way to get to a team that at least tries to put out a winning product.
Oh and as I am almost certain that you both saw, Janis got two looks and two catches with . . . no drops! hmmmm.
Since when have the Packers ever been consistently successful converting in short yardage situations? Now i know the talking heads last week were showering the 0 line with praise against the Giants. The same Giants who are last in the league in sacks.
Eddie Lacy has been stuffed at the line plenty of times over the years and 3 or 4 times yesterday, so has Starks. I don’t have a problem with Ripkowski running on short yardage. I have a problem with a 0 line not being able to push forward or slide block for a 1 yard gain, which happens too often. Gaining a yard or 2 is more on the 0 line than the back.
Posted: Oct 13, 2016
Tom Clements: ‘I don’t think we’re far away’
Maybe McCarthy’s right, Clements is to fucking stupid to call plays.
They will pass at will on Thursday night.
The answer will be posted on Friday
Happy days are here again
No promises on how long it lasts.
Smiling Cheeseheads Unite
Miss analysis from Shawn.
Packers have HOF QB and nothing else. Ted Thompson sucks major ASS, his drafts never produce Studs, only projects & Busts. McSlob is just a TT bootlicker who would wipe teds ass if he needs it. Ask yourself if we Fire McCarthy who the F%$K would want him????? I’ll tell you, ZERO!!
Alfred E Newman Murphy, will do NOTHING, that’s a FKG JOKE at President
You can put Lipstick on a Pig, its still a Pig!!! Thompson will do what he does best “shuffle practice squad”. Trade deadline coming up, what a joke for Packer Nation that is. If there’s one team should be working phones feverishly it packers, but alas we have The Cadaver Thompson, he’ll be busy doing needlepoint