September 4, 2013 /
Adam Czech
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Adam - ALLGBP.com, Adam Czech, Packers
Eddie Lacy has people excited about the Packers running game. Is it irrational excitement?
Is it just me, or are people irrationally assuming that the Packers will be a better running team this season?
I just got done listening to Bill Simmons’ latest podcast. Simmons and Cousin Sal (Simmons’ sidekick) talked about NFL over/under win totals and highlighted the Packers improved running game as a possible reason for the team’s success this upcoming season. Sal even cited Jonathan Franklin as a reason for his optimism, even though Franklin has looked like a total bust so far.
It’s normal for national media figures to stick to talking points and get a little confused about specific players when doing massive preview shows that cover all 32 NFL teams. But even locally and among Packers fans, the consensus seems to be that the Packers will go from being a horrible running team to at least a decent running team.
Why? What have we seen this preseason that has made us think that? I can’t think of much. Here’s what I have seen, and it’s not pretty:
- The Packers averaged a measly 3.0 yards per carry in the preseason.
- The Packers long rush was a 21-yard scramble by the now departed Vince Young, a quarterback.
- Eddie Lacy, the presumed starter, averaged 2.0 yards per carry.
- Bryan Bulaga, a key to the Packers run blocking up front, is out for the season.
- DuJuan Harris is gone for the year, and Mike McCarthy sounded uncharacteristically depressed when talking about the injury.
- This is still the Packers and McCarthy is still the coach. They’re going to want to pass, pass and pass some more.
Help me out here: What am I missing that others are seeing in predicting great things for the Packers on the ground this season?
Is all of the hope about a better running game centered on Lacy? That’s fair, I suppose. I’m excited about Lacy as well. But Lacy is also already banged up and could be one hit or awkward fall away from joining Harris on injured reserve.
Is all of the hope centered on just how awful the Packers were at running the ball in 2012? It’s not good when you’re leading rusher finishes with 464 yards, like Alex Green did last season.
But if the leading rusher in 2013 totals 625 yards, that’s improvement, but really not that much better.
I’m skeptical that the Packers will suddenly morph into this reliable running team that many in the national media seem to think. I’d love to see it happen, but I’ll believe it when I see it.
Right now, the evidence just isn’t there.
September 2, 2013 /
Adam Czech
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Adam - ALLGBP.com, Adam Czech, Packers, Packers Stock Report
Andy Mulumba was one of many fringe players that ended up making the final Packers roster.
As a fan, this was one of the most difficult Packers preseasons to endure in quite some time.
The Packers got hit hard with injuries (again). The team looked awful in exhibition games (especially on offense). And the quality of play was mostly abysmal (it’ll be a long time before the images of Graham Harrell, Vince Young and B.J. Coleman chucking passes to God knows where leave my mind).
Fortunately, none of that matters now. The regular season is upon us and the horror show of the preseason will be a distant memory if the Packers come out and dropkick the 49ers in week one.
For some guidance on who will be the key players in helping us erase those terrible exhibition season memories, let’s go to the Packers stock report:
Rising
Andrew Quarless
Brandon Bostick
Andy Mulumba
Chris Banjo
Lane Taylor
Jeremy Ross
All of the above players were probably sitting on pins and needles Saturday. Every one of those guys had to scrap to make the team, and now that they finally made it, I’m considering all of them rising. Of course, I’m writing this at 7:30 on Sunday night, meaning Ted Thompson could make a roster move before this publishes and cut one of them. But even if one of them does get axed early, odds are the Packers will rely on at least one of these guys to contribute during the season. Let’s hope the momentum and confidence boost they receive from being in this week’s rising category translates to the playing field.
Johnny Jolly
Jolly fits into the above group as well, but I’m giving him his own slot because his story is that cool. It was nice of the Packers to give Jolly another opportunity to redeem himself, and it was great to see Jolly take advantage of that opportunity and make the team. Initially, this whole thing seemed like the Packers just doing a good deed and helping Jolly get his life back on track. After a few exhibition games, it became apparent that Jolly can still play and fills a need on the defensive line. Next up in the Jolly reclamation project: Eliminating silly penalties.
Steady
Ted Thompson
Once again, Thompson showed on cutdown day that he isn’t afraid to take a chance on young unproven talent that nobody has ever heard of. Five of the players Thompson cut in order to keep all the players in the rising category have already been signed by other teams. That means one of two things: 1) Thompson and his staff have a talented group of guys that nobody has ever heard of who will eventually prove their worth and become well-known, or 2) Thompson made some big mistakes and cut bait on a few players too soon. My money is on the former, but only time will tell. Either way, Thompson stuck to his philosophy and deserves a place in the steady category.
EDIT: Thompson released B.J. Coleman and signed Seneca Wallace after I finished writing the stock report last night. It looks as though Thompson is just throwing things against the wall to see if anything sticks as a backup QB. It’s one of the few times I can think of where Thompson doesn’t appear to have a plan. Is the latest development in the backup QB situation enough to remove Thompson from this week’s steady category? Nope. Every season, fans of all 32 NFL teams get excessively wound up about their backup QB. It’s no different in Green Bay. Sure, it’d be nice to have a “proven” backup (whatever proven means when you’re not good enough to start), but here’s the bottom line: If Rodgers gets hurt, the Packers are screwed. If pretty much any of the 32 starting QBs in the NFL get hurt, their teams are screwed. Yes, Thompson could’ve handled the backup situation better, but in the grand scheme of things, it doesn’t mean all that much.
James Jones
With Randall Cobb and Jordy Nelson battling injuries this preseason, Jones filled the void and looked like he’s ready for a repeat performance of his breakout 2012 campaign. Jones averaged over 14 yards per catch in the preseason — second only to Jermichael Finley among Packers with at least two catches — and hauled in a 50-yarder in the first exhibition contest. More importantly, I’m ready for the return of Jones’ trademark sleeveless turtleneck under his jersey. Once Jones busts out the sleeveless turtleneck, you know things are about to get serious.
Falling
The 31 NFL teams that aren’t the Green Bay Packers
I’ll save any negativity until the regular season starts and we have something meaningful to be negative about regarding the Packers. For now, it’s nothing but positivity. Real football is about to start. The Packers will be on my TV on Sundays. The team should once again be among the handful of teams that has a shot at winning it all. Why dampen all that joy and cheer by putting a Packers player in the falling category before the season’s first game? Go Pack go!
September 1, 2013 /
Adam Czech
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Adam - ALLGBP.com, Adam Czech, Packers, Surviving Sunday
Surviving Sundays with no Packers Football
Well, Packers fans, since the 2013 NFL season starts next Sunday, this is the last Surviving Sunday of the year.
NFL football games that actually matter will be keeping us occupied for the next 20 weeks or so, and there won’t be a need for 800-word posts wrapping up the news of the week and mixing in my ramblings about pro wrestling, video games, concussions, the media or whatever other tangent I like to go off on.
As always, thanks for reading. Hopefully the next Surviving Sunday isn’t published until Feb. 9, 2014, the Sunday after the Packers win Super Bowl XLVIII.
Roster cuts
All of the Packers roster cuts are in and there were a few surprises: 1) Vince Young is gone. I thought his ability to run and at least have a chance to make a play every now and then would save him, but I thought wrong. Now who’s going to back up Aaron Rodgers? Your guess is as good as mine. 2. Tyrone Walker didn’t make the team. I suppose that’s not really too big of a surprise, but he had a nice camp and I liked what I saw. Alex Green getting cut wasn’t much of a surprise. Starks has more pop than Green and is just a better back. You can’t play the injury card on Starks when comparing the two, either, because Green has injury issues of his own.
Tramon is back
Tramon Williams returned in Thursday’s preseason finale and had an interception on the Chiefs’ first pass. I’m not worried at all about Williams’ pass coverage. Sure, he gets beat more often than he did in 2010, but the good far outweighs the bad when Williams drops back in coverage. What I need to see from Williams is toughness. The 49ers will look at film of the 2012 Packers this week, see Williams retreat when a run comes his way, and start licking their chops. Williams needs to be a tougher tackler this season. Plain and simple.
Kuuuuuuuhn!
Remember when we all thought John Kuhn might get cut? Turns out his job in the Packers’ backfield might be the safest of all the running backs not named Eddie Lacy. Jonathan Franklin — drafted to possibly play a role on third down — has flopped so far. Worst of all, he looks totally lost as a pass-blocker and likely won’t see the field until he improves. Once again, Kuhn will be the Packers go-to back on third down passing situations. Now, all we need to do is get our hands on a Packers playbook and remove the page that contains the Kuhn fullback dive in short yardage situations.
Crosby doesn’t get cut, his paycheck does
Mason Crosby won’t be buying the bar a round any time in the near future. The Packers K took a pay cut and now has an incentive-based contract, further upping the pressure he faces heading into the season. Pressure on Crosby is a good thing, in my opinion. The Packers didn’t really have anyone else to bring in and push Crosby when he struggled in 2012, and who knows if the viable alternatives will be gone again if Crosby struggles early this season. A little financial pressure might be the best kind of pressure to apply.
Concussion lawsuit settled
The NFL will pay $765 million to 4,500 former players over 20 years to settle concussion litigation. For a league that is projected to rake in $10 billion just this season, that sounds like a clear victory for The Shield. Don’t get me wrong, $765 million is a lot of money. But when you consider the PR nightmare and the potential for other problems that comes with having concussions and lawsuit news overshadowing the actual game, it’s chump change. Here’s hoping the lives of former players suffering from concussion-related problems are improved in some way by the money they will be receiving from the settlement. And here’s hoping the NFL continues its recent push of taking head injuries more seriously.
Packers awful preseason
The Packers scored just 37 points this preseason and looked helpless on offense when Rodgers wasn’t in the game. My wife asked me if I was worried about the 49ers game because of how awful the Packers looked in exhibition games. I said no, I wasn’t worried because of how the Packers played in preseason, but I was worried because the 49ers are a damn good football team. I’m also a little worried about the Packers’ depth. It’s a team that’s already beat up and has had to tap into its reserve players before the season has even started. If David Bakhtiari goes down, then what? If Morgan Burnett’s hamstring injury is serious, then what? If one of Lacy’s several past injuries flares up, are we ready for Alex Green and James Starks again? Who in the hell plays center in Evan Dietrich-Smith gets hurt?
Season prediction
I’m burying my Packers season prediction at the bottom of this post because it likely will be wrong, anyway. I’ll explain my reasoning in a future post, but for now, here it is: 10-6, NFC North champs, divisional round playoff loss.
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