Every coach after every preseason game will say his team has work to do. Things to “clean up”. This Packer team, with Saturday night’s performance, will keep the coaches busy Sunday and Monday.
Especially Special Teams coaches and the offensive and defensive line coaches.
Packer fans who watched the Texans return a punt 43 yards in the first quarter had a sinking feeling in their stomachs. This feeling has been in Packer fan’s intestines for so many years it feels like an ulcer eating away at our championship dreams. All Packer fans would cherish being able to say after a game, “Boy, the Special Teams played well”. While we long for a game changing play leading to a win, “cleaning up” long returns by the coverage teams, and fumbles and poor blocking by the Kickoff Team would ease our collective pain. Saturday’s performance left us reaching for the Tums.
When your offense is scripted for the run game to set up the pass, you better have some offensive linemen that can win their assignments. While this O-line group was recently touted as “the deepest” LaFleur has coached, they failed to impress in their 2021 debut. The Packers second team, although it often included Josh Meyers in the first half, could not establish even a semblance of a run game. On passing downs the pocket was collapsing quickly, contributing to Jordan Love’s fumble.
The defense allowed holes in the running game which combined with a poor night for Josh Jackson in the secondary, allowed the Texans to lead at half time. While the score was 13-7 at half, the Texans had multiple scoring chances that they did not convert, allowing the Pack to keep the score close.
Jordan Love looked brilliant for one drive, but could not sustain other drives. Hopeful fans were happy to see the young QB’s accurate arm. Playing with a receiver group that did not include any starters, Love was accurate when given time to throw. He did not attempt a scramble. The receivers who did play had some nice catches, the most spectacular by Devin Funchess, a one handed diving grab. In the second half there were nice plays by Packer players but no drive that strung enough plays together to score. Reggie Begelton made a nice grab over the middle with a defender who clubbed his hands as he caught it.
This first game was a learning game for young players. The Packers played to improve. The Texans played to win. Let’s hope learning turns into winning before the regular season starts.
24 Comments
Yawn….Pre-Season. No pre-season stats on the backs of football cards. No pre-season championship either. Unless the Vikings win then there is a banner.
Nice breakdown Paul.
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Although i don’t know if that series by Love was brilliant, it was nonetheless very good, especially compared to the rest of his body of work.
During that series if memory serves he went 6/6 and 89 yards. With Funchess off target circus catch.
Which means, for the rest of his playing time, he went 6/11 and 33 yards (not accounting for negative yardage). Not exactly lighting things up.
BUT….Love showed poise and he didn’t have happy dancing feet (See Hundley). Nor did he try to clone his playing style after Rodgers. He mostly stayed in the pocket under control and most importantly, it didn’t look like the moment was to big for him, he looked like he belonged.
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BTW, just for the record….Everyone says Funchess made a one hand catch…ummm,no….he held the ball up with his right hand, then quickly secured it with his right and left hand.
Still was a damn fantastic catch, but…a one handed catch, is a one handed catch.
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One last thing about Love, he didn’t look great the whole half, but with the starting O line, receivers and rb’s, it may be a different story.
So he deserves some slack there.
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Benkert deserves much the same praise, as he came out poised in the second half firing bullets until the fumble. Can’t wait to see more of him.
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This is the first time as long as i can remember, where i watched a complete pre-season game. Hell…i can’t remember when i’ve made it to halftime. Probably back in mid 2000’s or so.
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Any word from anyone on why Stokes was pulled after the 2nd series?
I mean…injured?…or is he fully trained now?
They rested 30 players. That tells me they wanted to get a long look at who will be in the last spots on the 53 man roster. I guess they are comfortable “testing” Stokes with Rodgers throwing to Adams with Stokes trying to cover?
That sounds like a practice drill.
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I think your right. Actual live game experience isn’t needed to develop players. They can do that in camp and practice.
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Why would Keke, ESB, Winfree, Martin, Barnes, Campbell, King, Dillon need live game action?
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I wasn’t thinking.
Don’t really know the reason why Stokes didn’t play more. I would think the best and fastest way for Stokes to get up to speed would be to keep covering Adams in camp, with #12 tossing the ball around. Still, I would think that Stokes should have played more live reps in an actual game against an opponent. Couldn’t find any report on if he tweaked something.
Seems like they wanted a long look at Ento and Jackson on the field together in the first half as the CB pair.
You’re probably right, after all they were praising Ento since mini camp. As for Jackson, I think the clock is winding down. They have tried him at different positions in the secondary and special teams. He hasn’t stood out in any of them.
Can we put fictional story teller Princess Tommy to rest?
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Can we expose the clown show he repeats on a daily basis?
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Lets hear from the clown himself and his (lies) fictional made up narratives he repeat’s like a skipped record. Then we’ll examine the actual truth.
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Tom M July 1, 2021
When tinker bell goes 4/11/54 in the 4th quarter of the NFCC game. That’s on the [self proclaimed GOAT].
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Tom M July 1, 2021
One of you three stooges mentioned Patrick Mahomes. Patrick Mahomes didn’t go on Pat McAfee and [proclaim himself] the GOAT. [Aaron Rodgers did.]
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Lets recap…..Tommy said Rodgers proclaimed himself the GOAT..Hmmm…interesting.
Either Tommy’s lying and making things up, or everyone else has it all wrong.
Lets take a look…….
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Rodgers on the McAfee show…..
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“Pat, I don’t spend a lot of time in those conversations in general,” Rodgers said. “… There’s way too many people labeled the GOAT, or this guy’s the GOAT of this, this guy’s the GOAT of that. It used to be, greatest of all-time is one person. But now because there’s way too many GOATs, I think you have to break it out into specific categories.”
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“When it comes to those … with most people I’m probably in that conversation,” Rodgers said.”
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Interesting…so what Rodgers [actually] said was that, he’s probably in the conversation’
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Gee….i guess that’s the same thing as proclaiming yourself the GOAT in Tommies eyes….Right Princess?
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Now keep in mind, we can’t call out Princess Tommy and ask him to show us proof for things he says…OMG nooo!
He doesn’t like that!!…lol
Because….he cant!!
:)
Dude get a job. You have way too much time on your hands. Pathetic.
Piffle, you point does stand that Rodgers did not proclaim himself the GOAT. In this instance, the fumes from Rodgers’s panties that you so vigorously sniff did not cloud your mind.
However.
The point remains that he does proclaim he is in the conversation for it. Which is utterly ridiculous. He is not in the same stratosphere with people like Joe Montana and Tom Brady or about 15 other QBs (Unitas, Bradshaw, Manning, Marino, Elway, Favre, Staubach, Young, Kelly, Moon, Warner, Namath, Wilson, Fouts, Graham, Baugh, Tarkenton to name a few who are better than Rodgers). He’s like Brees (or Big Ben) as per overall accomplishments and stats and Super Bowl victories but with a lot more selfishness and divisiveness than Brees. Brees and Rodgers are good QBs but no one in their right mind would bring them up during a GOAT conversation. And yet… Rodgers does!
Essentially, Rodgers saying “with most people I’m probably in that conversation,” is pretty much as silly and arrogant as just plain saying he is the GOAT.
Splitting hairs, Piffle!
Of course it stands Tommie….i wrote it
Killer August 17, 2021
Piffle, you point does stand that Rodgers did not proclaim himself the GOAT.
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Stay in school kids.
Your post lost all credibility by including Namath. Kirk cousins is a better quarterback than Namath….
Is it just me or does killer and Princess Tommy have about the same amount of contempt towards Rodgers.
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Hmmm…
Our offensive line depth is a horror show.
I don’t get to caught up in the 1st pre-season contest, especially when the team didn’t play it’s best 30 players on the roster. But, Pauls’ article titled “Packers have work to do” is an understatement.
There was about a dozen players or so from that list of 30 who damn well need some pre-season game snaps.
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I know they kept a couple off for injury, but were the rest of them injured?
I heard ESB was held out for injury….shocking right?
Ya, when it comes to ESB, nothing shocks me. I know it was only one pre-season game but, Funchess looks ready to ball.
Ben Milward
Sternberger and Dillon looked good as well
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Dillon had 1 run for 1 yard, and 1 catch for 4 yards.
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That is some damn strong kool aid.
It would be nice when you post, that the post actually pops up, instead of taking hours and hours to show up.
It’s happening to you too? Seems it’s been happening for a couple of weeks now.
“Was that really Oren Burks?”
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“It’s only a single preseason game, but what we saw out of him on Saturday did not at all resemble the player we’ve seen over the last three seasons.
If (and it’s still a big if) Burks really manages to make a turnaround and live up to his draft status, it would be a huge boon for this Packers defense and linebacking corps.” – anonymous
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(4th year leap?)
I’ve never seen anything like it. Packer fans seeking that 3rd 4th and 5th year leap from what seems like, endless Packer players.
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These thoughts, brought to you by the good folks at Kool-aid Inc.
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Perspective people……Holy shit
This game was all about Jordan Love and we all have reason for optimism. There were times he looked like a 22 year old QB that hadn’t played in 18 months. Others where his first round skill set was evident. What impressed me the most was his ability to stand tall in the pocket under a very shaky OL. Never once did he take off and run. The play that impressed me the most was on a play after the TD drive. You could see him reading the defense from right to left, the pocket collapsing, and with a DE with his hand on his shoulder pad. Love threw the ball to either Taylor or a RB on the left sideline for minimal gain. Love could have just as easily took off and ran. That’s what you want to see from your young QB. We know he can make all the throws. But can he read a defense and go thru his progressions? Does he take off and run the moment his first or second read isn’t there? It was an important first step to being the starter in 2022. Just for shits and giggles I looked up Tim Boyle’s debut in Detroit. He was a blistering 8/15 for a scorching 38 yards. It’s amazing what a complete offseason and a few first team reps can do for a talented and gifted young QB like Jordan Love. Of course, many of the clueless ladies here were calling Love a bust this time last year because he didn’t beat out Tim Boyle. Demanding why isn’t he as good as Justin Herbert? It’s called draft and develop and it’s what the good teams do. Even at QB. Love’s develop underway to take over for assistant GM Aaron Rodgers just as soon as he looses another playoff game.
I want to reply but i’m in the middle of a game and i don’t want to looses another one.