Packers Stock Report: Winning the Bye Week Edition
Packers WR Jordy Nelson celebrating yet another week in the rising category of the Packers Stock Report.
The Packers went into the bye week 1-2 and so far have accomplished all of their bye-week goals:
- Stay out of prison. No players arrested yet during the bye week. If no Packers end up in jail over the weekend, that gust of wind you’ll feel on Monday morning will be everyone in Packers management exhaling a giant sigh of relief.
- Don’t Tweet stupid things. I haven’t been on Twitter much this week, but I haven’t heard of any Packers accidentally tweeting a naked selfie or using a homophobic slur. Packers management must cringe every time they see a Tweet pop up from one of their players during the bye week.
- Do something really awesome. Technically, this didn’t happen during the bye week, but it deserves another mention. Major kudos to Aaron Rodgers, Clay Matthews and the entire Packers organization for making Cody Monroe’s day.
- Ignore the fans. Why ignore the fans? See the comments section of this post.
- Rest heads and hamstrings. Unless they’re going skydiving or playing pickup soccer games, all the Packers with concussions or hamstring injuries should come back at least one step closer to returning to the field.
- Read the ALLGBP.com Packers Stock Report. Without further ado:
Rising
Jordy Nelson
Remember in Varsity Blues when the QB would knock the other team’s mascot off his horse when throwing the ball away? If Rodgers tried doing something like that, Nelson would probably catch the pass. He’s that good on the sideline.
Clay Matthews
His play on the field was more than enough to move him to the rising category, but after he got hurt, his stock went up even further. Unless Dom Capers schemes an unblocked blitzing defensive back, the Packers pass rush goes bye-bye when Matthews isn’t on the field. Just in case we forget, we’re reminded of how valuable Matthews is to this team every time he goes out with his annual hamstring injury.
Mike Daniels
Daniels’ violent style of play has so far made up for him being undersized. He’s got a sack, three hurries and four defensive stops this season and might be the only defensive lineman capable of bringing a pass rush at this time. Will Daniels continue to impress now that other teams are becoming more aware of his aggression and his strengths?
Steady
Sam Shields
He got burned by A.J. Green on a touchdown Sunday, but that’s going to happen when you’re locked one-on-one with the world’s second best WR most of the day. Earlier in the game, Shields got the best of Green and came up with an interception. After a subpar game against the 49ers, Shields has really come around.
T.J. Lang
I was all set to write a piece about Lang’s lackluster play at the end of last season and in the opener against San Francisco but I just didn’t get around to it. Good thing I didn’t because Lang his picked it up since. He handled all-world defensive tackle Geno Atkins on Sunday and has posted a Pro Football Focus rating of 4.8 and 3.6 in his last two games.
Falling
Nick Perry
A batted down pass against Washington is the only stadout play Perry has made so far. When it was time to step up and get after the QB after Matthews went down Sunday, Perry was nowhere to be found.
David Bakhtiari
A rough, rough game for the rookie on Sunday. He shouldn’t be asked to cut block ever again.
Packers in late game, high-leverage situations
By now we’ve all heard Aaron Rodgers’ statistics in “clutch” situations:
- 5-17 in games decided by four or fewer points
- Only five fourth-quarter comebacks
- Another late-game flop against the Bengals
It’s unfair to pin all of those numbers solely on the quarterback. The performance of other players deserves blame. Mike McCarthy’s playcalling deserves blame. The defense giving up leads deserves blame.
We can argue forever about why the Packers have consistently failed late in close games, but the bottom line is it needs to change. Whether Rodgers, McCarthy, or someone else steps up to change it, I don’t care. Just get it done.
36 Comments On “Packers Stock Report: Winning the Bye Week Edition”
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Great Report!
If Bahk and Perry are falling, I am buying. Both have been performing without showing much flash. Both will find there way back to the rising category and I will be rich!
Nelson has great body control. Who is more valuable he or Cobb. If you count Jones out, he might have a huge game. A great group of receivers.
Crossing my fingers that people get healthy and are ready to get back the Packers winning ways against the Lions.
Not a bad investment strategy, Sven. I won’t be surprised at all if one of those two young players makes significant progress by midseason.
I haven’t heard much about Datone Jones yet this year. Hope the bye week allows him to rest his ankle and come back close to 100%. Need his positive contributions later this year. Also, I hope Perry and Bakhtiari can pick it up and improve from here on out…Any other news on Lacey, Tretter, and Sherrod?
Be patient w/ Jones. It usually takes rookie defensive linemen a while — often a full season — to hit their stride.
Lacy: Never know w/ brain injuries. Cross your fingers.
Tretter: We won’t see him until next season.
Sherrod: Perhaps after week 6 when he can come off the PUP list.
Jones was in with clay Mathews on the sack on Dalton last Sunday, and he made a block on an extra point in the 3rd Quarter, both were very notable plays requiring excellent explosion.
If his ankle is still on the mend, I cant wait to see what he can do when fully healthy.
Jones had no stats in the game. Only play was the block xtra pt. No tackles, no assist tackles, nothing. Doesn’t mean I’m down on him just stating facts.
http://www.warriorforum.com/warrior-special-offers-forum/795483-more-page-one-rankings-then-any-other-service-any-forum-must-read-my-clients-reviews.html#post8124829
Jordy-hope we get him another extension soon, actually of all the Wr-he is one I want the most (i know Cobb should be but some how Jordy is probably the most clutch of our big 3).QB combacks is to me one of few misguided numbers because, while a QB should get credit for running the offense when you comeback, he cant always be held accountable for not bringing them back–for instance look at this last week-he got the comeback, but has no control over the fumble by a rookie rb. Rodgers did his job, put players in position to move, ran the offense effectively time wise,ect. Now if a QB, has to keep taking TO’s, throws obvious interceptions or wrong routes ect or BAD passes then hold him accountable.
Just a quick note on our receivers, Nelson and Cobb have combined for more receptions, More yards, and an equal number of touch downs as B. Marshall and C. Johnson combined. I hope they can keep it up.
What’s even better is that all three top receivers are good blockers too. They work together and get YAC.
Jordy is big, fast, with excellent hands and solid route-running ability. That makes him a legit #1 receiver and a guy you would want to build your receiving corps around. Cobb, despite all of his obvious talent, does not quite have the size to be a true #1. Cobb without Jordy is less of a good thing than Jordy without Cobb. But best of all is both of them together.
I noticed we have not heard a peep from Minnesota and Greg Jennings. How is he doing vis-a-vis Jordy and Cobb (a rhetorical statement)…
He’s doing next to nothing! No TD’s, only a couple receptions a game and not much yardage. I picked him late in my fantasy draft and just dropped him for a better D/ST matchup. I can always pick him up again later but w/ Ponder/Cassell throwing to him don’t count on it!
To truly cement his legacy as one of the greatest quarterbacks in the NFL history Rodgers must earn a few 4th quarter comeback victories. We all know we can put up points and slaughter other teams when he’s hot. But, when we’re down and he’s forced to press down the field packer nation almost “knows” we’re going to end up on the short end of the stick. He’s capable, he and McCarthy just need to figure out how to get that accomplished.
On the flip-side, if our defense can somehow move up a few grades he may never get that opportunity. In my mind a scenario like would be all the more fitting. A hard-nosed, can’t score against defense coupled with a lights out, fast-paced offense. There’s your modern day Packer legacy.
“To truly cement his legacy as one of the greatest quarterbacks in the NFL history Rodgers must earn a few 4th quarter comeback victories”
There’s a lot of flash in that, but it seems that most measure QBs by SB wins. Hopefully he can get another one or two before he hangs it up. With one, he’ll be regarded as one of the standout QBs of his time. With 2-3 under his belt, he’ll be regarded as an all-time great.
“Flash”…I disagree. A QB pedigree is partially valued by his performance under pressure. There’s no better gauge than bringing your team back from behind late in a game. Wins in big games – underdog away, Super Bowls, etc. – are certainly up there. But in my opinion those are team and staff-centered.
Coming from behind is a real-time, gut-check scenario. Rodgers would indeed be the man if he can find a way to get a few under his belt.
As an avid fan though, I am 100% with you on the Super Bowls. We need at least 2 more with him at the helm.
There’s no greater pressure than performing in the biggest game ever. The SB… Coming from behind is pressure too, but it doesn’t compare to the SB.
Dan Marino, he never won one but is considered to be one of the best ever.
Nick Perry
“A batted down pass against Washington is the only stadout play Perry has made so far. When it was time to step up and get after the QB after Matthews went down Sunday, Perry was nowhere to be found.”
I watched every play on coaches tape of Perry and for the largest part…his opponents don’t even break a sweat in dealing with him.
PS…To that special someone
Three weeks in and the crow is in the slow cooker 🙂
I’m not worried, and besides, you should be hoping you’re wrong, shouldn’t you?
Hoping to be wrong for the good of the Packers is a given but reality is reality and Perry isn’t getting it done.
Aaron Rodgers had a great response to his fourth quarter blunders – “I have had plenty of game winning drives in the third quarter”. He said that like two years ago or something. Can’t remember.
That being said, I don’t like the whole blaming it on the rest of the team mantra. I understand that there have been a lot fourth quarter drives by Rodgers that were deflated because of the performance of another player but that’s the beauty of it. Just about every fourth quarter comeback ever is something that has historically been inexplicable.
Eli Manning is a terrible quarterback. I have always believed that and always will. The only reason he has ever looked good on paper is because of the dominating run game he had the privilege of working with for so long. Now that that’s gone, look at him now.
But even HE had the comeback ability. I’ve seen him struggle all game and then just suddenly come back and make an inexplicable play that either blows your mind or at the very least gives his team a chance to win.
Tim Tebow also comes to mind, but I’ll leave it at that. You get the point.
My point is, is that it’s something you are born with, not taught. It’s something that require’s you to have the gift for. Regardless of the adversity and the lack of performance of his teammates, Rodgers has to show that he can come through in a late game comeback. I would still take him over any other QB in the league, but no excuses, he just needs to find that ability in him and just do it.
The absolute one time Rodgers came through was the first game of the 2009 season.
http://www.beloitdailynews.com/sports/blog/aaron-rodgers-un-clutch/article_5b679792-25ef-11e3-9de3-0019bb2963f4.html
I read that article, and you completely missed my point. I never said that it was or wasn’t his fault, I merely am stating that being able to win in the clutch can’t really be explained on paper, it has to be a gift. Regardless of whether or not something happens on the field that is completely out his control, he has to come through.
The one time Rodgers came thru was when he won the SB!
What is wrong with Skydiving. I heard its good for the hamstrings.
Lang played hurt for much of last year. IMO, he got a bad rap unnecessarily.
An unblockable Capers blitz. That’s hysterical.
I take the critism of Rodger lacking 4th quarter comebacks with a big grain of salt. C’mon. Look at his qb rating, isn’t he best all-time? his record, how he takes care of the ball, and the pathetic running game and leaky o-lines he’s had! I can recall a few games where he did get them into position for the game winning field goal only to have it missed, or where he brought them back only to have the defense and/or special teams give the game right back. Turn those few games around and the record all of a sudden looks a lot better. We’re debating is he great or all-time best great. Does anyone remember Randy Wright, Scott hunter, jerry tagge, David Whitehurst, Jim del Gaizo, Frank Patrick,…etc., or even john hadl, Lynn Dickey or don majikowski? Some of these guys were ok, some pretty good, some were god awful. My point is we’re witnessing something rare. Appreciate what we have, a great quarterback becoming an all time great!
John Elway was the comeback kid. His response to a question about 4th qtr comebacks was. I’d rather be way ahead and not have to make comebacks. If Aaron is putting up 30 points a game the Pack should be winning going away, not making comebacks.
Still it is reasonable criticism of Rogers…that the team has low success rate in late game comebacks. It reflects high pressure, and intense execution decisions. We know you can’t blame all on QB. We know other players make mistakes (Franklin Fumble). We know defense or ST sometimes gives up big play, and the effort is unsuccessful. Still, the QB is the leader, is the most important single person on that field…and still, like it or not, gets to take credit, or blame depending on the team’s execution. The late game comeback is pretty interesting stat. It isn’t the most important stat. But a very interesting stat.
You’re right its meaningful stat, but it is just one stat in a whole bunch. Part of Elway’s or Favre’s greatness was their ability to lead the comeback. But look at Favre, who some think the greatest of all time. He made a lot of really awful mistakes and lost a lot of games by doing so. I would guess that both Favre and elway couldn’t come close to Rodgers in any stat regarding turning the ball over, which is really critical if you want to win. Yet both are in the discussion of greatest of all time. Rodgers wins differently. Can’t look at one stat in a vacuum. A lot of the greats don’t measure up in a particular stat, it doesn’t make them less great.
A lot of late 4th qtr. comebacks are won by field goals. last year wouldn’t have been a good year to add to your game stats when your kicker is missing as much as hitting & your coach knows this & has to keep trying to get the ball closer. the pack won a SB & went 15-1, so they had to maybe win the game in the 3rd qtr. Also some games are won by the defense holding the other team from scoring making a comeback unnecessary. which QB in the league would you trade Rodgers for?
I wouldn’t trade Rodgers for any other quarterback. Only p. Manning and Brady are as good, and both of them are much older.
Put a decent Oline in front of Rodgers, he’ll be unstoppable in crunch time, or anytime
“5-17 in games decided by four or fewer points”
Okay, last time, let me introduce everyone to the concept of spin.
By saying he’s 5-17 in games decided by four or fewer points, which is technically true apparently, some are saying he’s “not clutch”, and it’s a weakness.
Yet, this is also true:
Rodgers is 53-29 in regular season games as a starter.
Therefore, we can also state that AARON RODGERS HAS ONLY LOST 12 GAMES IN HIS CAREER BY MORE THAN 4 POINTS.
That’s an OBJECTIVE FACT, while people saying Rodgers’ “isn’t clutch” is a SUBJECTIVE OPINION based on incomplete analysis of factual data (5-17 in games determined by 4 points or less.)
I’m through on this subject. Unfortunately, a good number of people will claim I’m a Rodgers apologist/homer.. Not true. I just know how to see through the media bullshit and data manipulation.
Poor defense has a lot to do with failed come backs. You give up a lead & expect Rogers to bail you out.