November 24, 2015 /
Adam Czech
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Adam - CheeseheadTV, Uncategorized
The defense learned how to sack a quarterback again,Eddie Lacy re-discovered his power-spin move and the Green Bay Packers figured out a way to get back in the win column with a nice road victory against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.
Yes,a lot of the same problems continued to rear their ugly head on offense,but six sacks and a 100-yard rusher go a long way in masking whatever the Packers are still trying to work through in the passing game.
One thing I don’t understand — maybe some of the better X’s and O’s minds who hang around CheeseheadTV.com can explain it to me — is why the offensive brain trust insists on using Richard Rodgers as a receiver in four-receiver sets. It’s painfully obvious by now that Rodgers is only effective in or near the end zone. He’s too slow to separate in space and not nearly nimble enough to make defenders miss and pick up extra yards after the catch.
Unless there are some blocking assignments better suited to a bigger body that I’m not seeing,Jeff Janis should be taking Rodgers’ spot as the fourth receiver in those sets. Yes,the Packers fans who treat Janis as the Second Coming are annoying,but c’mon. Enough is enough with Rodgers as a wideout. Let’s see what Janis can do.
At the very least,hopefully Ty Montgomery returns soon so he can take Rodgers’ spot in four-wide sets.
Now that I’ve give the Packers coaching staff all the advice they need to help improve their passing game,let’s get to this week’s Packers Stock Report:
Rising
Mike Daniels
Have you ever notice how often Daniels knocks over whomever is trying to block him. If you ever take your eye off the ball when the Packers are on defense,lock in on Daniels once. He doesn’t always make the play,but man,he beats the hell out of the unfortunate soul assigned to tray and stop him.
Datone Jones
We saw Jones line up on the outside on Sunday and the plays came in droves. Staying healthy and consistent has always been Jones’ main challenge. We’ll see if he can continue rising over these final six games.
Clay Matthews
Over and over again,the Packers defensive line would fence in Adrian Peterson and Matthews would swoop in for the tackle. The defense appeared to be working as it was designed to work. The fat dudes up front wreck havoc allowing the linebackers to come in and make plays.
(Note: Some might argue that I should have included Mason Crosby in the rising category. These people have a good point,but I have yet to forgive Crosby for whatever the hell that was at the end of the Lions game.)
Steady
B.J. Raji
For the second week in a row,Raji could be seen caving in an entire side of an offensive line.
James Jones
Jones changed it up a big in going from the sleeveless turtleneck to the hoodie. Whatever fashion statement works for Jones,he should keep doing it.
Sam Shields
How about Shields making an open-field tackle on third down on the opening series? That’s something you never would have seen from Shields early in his career.
Falling
Randall Cobb
There’s not much else to say about Cobb besides the weekly drops needing to end. Now.
Adrian Peterson
Eff this guy.
November 18, 2015 /
Adam Czech
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Adam - CheeseheadTV, Uncategorized
Early in the season,I wrote that Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has a permanent place in the rising category of the weekly Packers Stock Report. Readers of this fine website were to assume Rodgers was a riser every week,until told otherwise.
Well,spoiler alert: Rodgers has lost his permanent spot and winds up in this week’s falling category.
I’m not flabbergasted that the Packers have lost three straight games started by Rodgers. Even though the Packers typically respond well to regular season adversity,it wasn’t out of the realm of possibility that a a prolonged slump could be caused by defensive ineptitude or special teams meltdowns.
But bad quarterback play? Nah,that’s not going to happen. Rodgers is human — he’ll have a bad game here and there — but he won’t struggle over an entire month.
That’s what I thought,anyway. And I guess I thought wrong.
Rodgers’ receivers are having a tough time getting open,and when they do break free,Rodgers has been missing them. The Packers offensive line has sprung a few leaks,but when the line holds up,Rodgers often dances out of the pocket anyway with his eye on the pass rush instead of downfield.
Rodgers’ fundamentals in the pocket are also out of whack. We’re seeing sidearm flings with both feet off the ground instead of strong throws where everything is pointed at the target.
Even Rodgers’ postgame press conference game is off. Instead of adequately addressing questions about why his team just lost to the @#%^&%$ Lions at home,Rodgers made a political statement on Sunday. Hey,good for Rodgers for calling out that idiot “fan,” but could you at least answer the football-related questions before climbing up on your soapbox?
Everything about this Packers team has been weird since the bye week,including the quarterback.
There are seven games left to play,which is plenty of time for things to turn from weird to normal again. And by normal,I mean the Packers start rolling over inferior teams like the Lions again and seizing control of the NFC North.
If that’s going to happen,Rodgers needs to re-claim his permanent spot in the rising category.
On to the Stock Report:
Rising
Justin Perillo
He might look like the aging drummer from an 80s hair metal band you listened to as a kid,but just like Ratt with their 1984 release “Out of the Cellar,” Perillo has brought it recently. When Rodgers needs a to make a play in the middle of the field,he’s not afraid to sling it to one of the oddest looking players in the NFL.
Damarious Randall
I shuddered every time I saw Randall line up in single coverage against Calvin Johnson,but the kid held his own.
Steady
T.J. Lang
Lang has been the most consistent Packers offensive lineman all season and his steady play continued against the Lions.
Falling
Aaron Rodgers
I want to blame Rodgers’ skittishness and disappearing fundamentals on the offensive line’s struggles,but Rodgers has had bad lines before and still managed to more than hold his own. For most of Rodgers career,we saw teams sitting back in a cover-2 shell,scared to death of blitzing. Now,everyone is stacking the box against the Packers and blitzing Rodgers like he’s a rookie 7th-round draft pick making his first NFL start. Nobody is scared of the Packers offense right now,and until Rodgers get back on track,expect that unfortunate trend to continue.
Randall Cobb
Catch. The. Damn. Ball.
Julius Peppers
The Packers haven’t recorded a sack in their last three games. Those games have been against the Broncos,Panthers and Lions,all teams whose offensive lines do not exactly resemble the mid-90s Cowboys. Dom Capers’ blitzes aren’t getting home and Mike Daniels has been the only defensive linemen to get much of a push. Julius Peppers has also dropped off the face of the Earth. Has age finally caught up with ‘ol Julius? Or is he just in a weird rut like the rest of this Packers team?
November 15, 2015 /
Adam Czech
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Adam - CheeseheadTV, Uncategorized
At noon Lambeau Time today,the Green Bay Packers will throttle the Detroit Lions at home for the 25th time in a row.
It will be glorious,as all Packers wins are. Brats will be eaten. Beer will be consumed. “Go Pack Go!” will be chanted. Loudly.
But at the end of the day,it’s a win over the hapless Lions. Packers fans will be happy,but we’ll still be wondering if the problems plaguing this year team truly took a step forward to getting fixed,or if they were fixed temporarily because today’s opponent was the Lions.
Instead of going over five reasons why the Packers will win today,I’m going to examine five things I’d like to see from the Packers today. It’s a given that the Packers will win the game. They’re playing the freaking Lions. Let’s focus instead on moving forward and addressing some the issues that have cropped up recently:
Rhythm,rhythm and more rhythm
I want to see the Packers offense get in a groove and execute the play called as it’s supposed to be executed. That means Aaron Rodgers take his drop,plants his feet,and hits his initial read as the play was drawn up. No dancing around going from read to read. No dodging numerous unblocked rushers. No sandlot,schoolyard stuff. The Packers are very fortunate to have a quarterback who can improvise and make sandlot-style football work,but that can’t be the basis for a consistently successful offense — no matter who the quarterback is. It’s time for the Packers offense to get its timing down and start clicking.
A sack
The Broncos and Panthers offensive lines don’t exactly resemble the Dallas Cowboys’ lines from the early and mid-90s,yet the Packers haven’t recorded a sack for two weeks. The pass rush was a strength for the Packers early this season. It’s time to make it a strength again.
Enough with the injuries
Can we please get a game where at least one Packers starter isn’t shown making the walk back to the locker room with a game-ending injury? Thank you.
Eddie Lacy to do something…anything
In half a season,Lacy has gone from one of the most exciting young players in football to a second-stringer. I don’t expect Lacy to magically come back to life and return to his old self overnight. But perhaps the Packers can help him a bit. Lacy caught at least 35 passes each of his first two seasons. He only has 10 catches in 2015. Get him the ball in space on a few screen passes,or as a safety valve for Rodgers. See if you can get Lacy rumbling forward on a head of steam and running over defensive backs again. Perhaps that will light his fire.
Just win,baby
The Packers haven’t won a football game since Oct. 18. That’s almost an entire month! I don’t care if it’s against the Lions. The Packers need a win. I need to see the Packers win again! Just win,Packers! That’s what we want to see most of all.
November 10, 2015 /
Adam Czech
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Adam - CheeseheadTV, Uncategorized
The Green Bay Packers fourth-quarter comeback against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday was:
A) A sign of hope that the Packers offense is coming back to life
B) Meaningless since the Panthers were sitting back in a prevent defense trying to kill the clock like the Packers typically do once they build a nice lead
C) I have no idea. It was just nice to see the Packers actually put up a fight and come back.
My answer to that question is “C.”
The offense is still in some state of disarray. When Aaron Rodgers & Co. finally got rolling in the fourth quarter,they used a strange combination of screen plays that Carolina had no interest in defending and sandlot-style run-around-and-make-something-happen passes.
It’s not like the Packers designed offensive plays suddenly kicked into gear and began spitting out wide-open receivers. It was all still very disjointed. (And Mike McCarthy has used some form of the term “ass” during a news conference two weeks in a row now.)
The defense finally got aggressive late in the game,but if Cam Newton wasn’t one of the most inaccurate passers in the league,the Panthers would’ve hung 50 on the Packers and that comeback probably never happens.
The first half of this Packers season has been just plain weird. The team has some gigantic flaws (defense,offensive line,playing on the road),underperforming stars (Eddie Lacy,Josh Sitton,Julius Peppers) and major injuries (Jordy Nelson,Sam Shields,Lacy).
Yet the Packers are 6-2 and in prime position to make a run once the real season kicks in after Thanksgiving. Rodgers is on pace for nearly 4,000 yards,38 touchdowns and only six interceptions. Mike Daniels is a monster on the defensive line. Damarious Randall makes his share of rookie mistakes,but also has moments where looks much better than a typical rookie.
Imagine if some of the underperforming players find their groove again. Or the offensive line snaps out out it. Or if the trend of losing at least one starter per week to injury ends.
This season still has great potential to be a very rewarding one. It also has potential to drive all Packers fans insane. Right now we’re being fitted for straight jackets,but it’s not time to lock us in a padded room just yet.
On to this week’s Stock Report:
Rising
James Starks
If Starks keeps this up,he might earn himself a decent free-agent contract this offseason. Not sure if it will be in Green Bay,though…
Damarious Randall
Yeah,Randall gave up the long pass to Devin Fuchness and had the pass interference on Greg Olsen,but both of those plays seemed fluky. Overall,Randall stepped in and covered for Shields just fine.
Mike Daniels
The defensive line has taken a major step backward,but Daniels is still plowing straight ahead. Pay the man,Ted.
Steady
Nobody
This is part of the Packers’ struggles. They need more steady players,more players who are simply doing their jobs and not screwing up. If the offense gets turned around,you’d ideally like to see a bunch of offensive lineman filling up the steady category.
Falling
Josh Sitton
Not sure what’s going on with one of the best guards in the league,but lately Sitton hasn’t looked anything like one of the best guards in the league.
Bryan Bulaga
Bulaga has never been the most nimble of tackles,but he rarely gets bulled back into the backfield. Too often over the last two weeks,Bulaga has ended up in Rodgers’ lap.
Eddie Lacy
It’s looking more and more like a lost season for Lacy. Ugh.
November 8, 2015 /
Adam Czech
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Adam - CheeseheadTV, Uncategorized
I am going to miss this week’s Packers vs. Panthers game because I will be out in the Minnesota wilderness holding a shotgun,waiting for that elusive 30-point buck to come strolling by.
Deer hunting is a lot like going to a Packers game.
Don’t laugh.
Hey,clean up that coffee that just came spewing out of your nose.
I said stop laughing!
Let me explain:
Hunters invest a lot of time in their craft,hoping that they end up with a few moments of excitement. All that time spent sitting in an uncomfortable tree trying to prevent your fingertips from freezing pays off when a nice buck walks within shooting range,or a doe and a couple fawns spend 20 minutes in front of your stand eating and playing while you watch and wonder if they realize how lucky they are that you only shoot bucks. All that time hunting also pays off when you have fresh venison in the freezer,especially those cheddar snack sticks that cost a fortune to make but taste oh so good.
When you go to Lambeau for a Packers game,you sit in bleachers that are about as (un)comfortable as a tree stand. Actual moments of excitement are few and far between — most of your time is spent sitting through TV time outs,breaks in the action and routine runs up the middle or incomplete passes. But it’s all worth it when Aaron Rodgers connects for a touchdown,Clay Matthews gets a sack and the Packers walk off the field victorious.
You also have to deal with some nonsense when you hunt or go to a Packers game. Buck fever is a real thing. A lot of otherwise normal people get goofy during hunting season. Jealously causes them to try and ruin the hunt for others. Laws are broken in pursuit of that big buck. Safety measures can be forgotten in the heat of the moment.
At Lambeau,you have to deal with 80,000 other people in the same venue that you are. That means long lines for the bathroom or to get a beer. It also means idiots who can’t handle their booze and stick-in-the-mud types who yell at you to sit down during a big third-down play.
Sometimes you wouldn’t mind having 80,000 other people in your deer stand with you to help pass the time. Sometimes you wish you were the only on in Lambeau Field so you could stand up and cheer whenever you wanted,be the first in line to get a beer and not have to miss half of the second quarter waiting to pee.
See,I told you hunting and going to a Packers game were similar!
About today’s game…
Hunting and the Packers also provide a nice escape from reality. I tend to forget about that stack of unpaid bills on my kitchen counter when I’m decked out in blaze orange and watching the sun rise from my deer stand. When the Packers play,I’m completely engrossed in the on-field action for those three hours. I couldn’t care less about what else might be swirling around the team. Those three hours of gametime are meant for football,not the reality TV type of drama that makes up the rest of the NFL week.
Normally,I mock and ridicule the other team in these “5 reasons” posts before getting into a couple of X’s and O’s points about why the Packers will win. I’m not doing that this week because 1) I’d rather write about deer hunting and 2) We all know what the Packers have to do to win.
There really isn’t any additional insight I can provide you. The Packers have to slow down the Panthers power running game,not get eaten alive by Greg Olsen,do a better job of scheming their receivers open against another tough secondary and hope their offensive line returns to its 2014 form. Resurrecting their dormant pass rush after a fast start would also help.
The Packers should also view today’s game the same way I view hunting: as an escape from reality. All week they’ve been asked about why they’re playing so poorly,especially on offense. They’ve dealt with weird stories and old-man “get off my lawn” columns from the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. Rodgers has been reminded over and over again that he only threw for 77 yards against the Broncos. Every armchair QB wearing foam cheese on their head is chiming in with their ideas on how the offense can get back on track.
If the Packers view Sunday’s game as an opportunity to tune all of that nonsense out for three hours,they’ll roll. The Packers have handled regular season adversity really well under Mike McCarthy:
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Sitting at 4-4 and losing twice to the Brett Favre-led Vikings in 2009,Green Bay responded by winning six straight.
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A late-season injury to Rodgers put the Packers behind the 8-ball in 2010. They responded by winning their final two games and,eventually,a Super Bowl.
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In 2012,the Packers followed up Fail Mary with a win over the Saints. After losing to the Colts,the Packers were 2-3 and responded by throttling the Texans on the road,prompting Rodgers’ famous “Shhhhhh” line during the postgame interview.
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The Packers needed a win in the season’s final game to make the 2013 playoffs and they got it.
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The Saints pounded the Packers 44-23 before the bye week in 2014. When the Packers returned,they went 7-1 and earned a first-round playoff bye.
Today’s game will tell us a lot about what kind of team the 2015 Packers are. I think we’re going to find out that they’ll be just fine.
November 3, 2015 /
Adam Czech
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Adam - CheeseheadTV, Uncategorized
In the eyes of many Green Bay Packers fans,each regular season game isn’t so much a game,but a weekly check-up on the team’s readiness to win another Super Bowl.
Most fanbases embrace the week-to-week nature of the NFL simply because they have no other choice. Every win is a step in the right direction and provides further hope that maybe,just maybe,this year is their year. Every loss is another reminder that their team isn’t among the league’s elite and a win is needed the following week in order to not fall too far off track.
That type of thinking doesn’t apply to the Packers. Most cheeseheads view the regular season as a formality. The Packers will win between 10-13 games. There will be many memorable moments and a few forgettable ones along the way. Watching the team will be a whole lot of fun. Etc.,etc.
But really,most fans ask,how does each week’s performance impact the Packers readiness to compete in January?
Beating the Bears in the season opener was nice,but man,the defense looked rough. The Packers FINALLY beat the Seahawks in week 2,but those injuries are bad news long term. Beating up on the Chiefs was fun in week 3,but if the Packers let a team hang around like that in January,we could see another playoff meltdown.
It was cool to see the defense play so well in week 4 against the 49ers,but only 17 points from the offense? That won’t fly in the playoffs. The Rams in week 5 proved to be a better team than we thought,but what’s up with the offense? And dominating Nick Foles on defense doesn’t make us feel any better about the defense holding up in the postseason. Phillip freaking Rivers threw for 500 yards on the Packers. OH GOD HERE WE GO AGAIN!
The corpse of Peyton Manning dominated the Packers and Rodgers threw for less than 100 yards? SEE,I TOLD YOU ALL THOSE FLAWS FROM THE EARLIER GAMES WOULD EVENTUALLY CATCH UP TO THE PACKERS. NOW WE GOTTA FIX A BUNCH OF STUFF IF WE WANT TO WIN THE SUPER BOWL.
That’s life as a Packers fan and I wouldn’t have it any other way. We’re spoiled. Some folks like to use the “spoiled” label as a negative. To me,it’s nothing but a positive and it’s something we should relish as long as it lasts.
The NFL season is a long journey. Most fanbases have no idea where that journey is going to end up. Packers fans know the general vicinity of where their journey will conclude. The main question is,does their team have what it takes to go that extra mile and reach the destination it desperately wants to get to?
Despite Sunday night’s debacle,I think this team still has what it takes. But it sure did add a few bumps on the journey.
Onto this week’s Packers Stock Report:
Rising
Datone Jones
Nobody is going to confuse Jones for J.J. Watt,but Jones has quietly become a reliable member of this defensive line. Now he just needs to avoid the nagging injury that has plagued him throughout his career.
Mason Crosby
Crosby was the only Packers player (besides maybe Randall Cobb) who seemed excited to be playing football on Sunday night. He actually showed a little emotion and *gasp* smiled after he made a 56-yard field goal. Every other Packers player had the body language of an old steer who knew he was on his way to be made into steaks and hamburgers.
Steady
Clay Matthews
I take back what I said about Crosby being the only player to show any type of excitement on Sunday. Matthews looked fired up. He always does. And hats off to Matthews for giving it a go after injuring his ankle. Nobody would have blamed him if he said the hell with it and went back to the locker room early so he didn’t have to watch that mess.
Falling
Casey Hayward
It was obvious that Peyton Manning singled out Hayward to pick on early and often. It worked,as Hayward was helpless again Demaryius Thomas on the outside.
Nate Palmer
I never thought I would miss A.J. Hawk,but Palmer made me miss A.J. Hawk on Sunday. Oooof,he was terrible. Dom Capers has his work cut for him in trying to come up with schemes that mask Palmer’s obvious and easily exploitable flaws.
Eddie Lacy
It’s not like Lacy has gaping holes to run through,but he looks like a completely lost player compared to his first two seasons. Even when he does break off a few runs,they too often end in fumbles or near-fumbles. I miss the days of Lacy trucking over poor saps who dared to get in front of him once he broke through the line.
November 2, 2015 /
Adam Czech
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Adam - CheeseheadTV, Uncategorized
Sticking to his tried and true principles of drafting and developing,Packers general manager Ted Thompson once again eschewed outside free agency and rewarded two players that have come up through the Packers system with fat new contracts this offseason.
Rumors were swirliing that WR Randall Cobb was as good as gone when he signed a 4 year,$40 million deal right before free agency opened in the spring. Tackle Bryan Bulaga inked a 5 year,$33.75 million deal to stay in Green Bay as well.
Through seven games,neither player has lived up to their new contracts.
It’d be silly to suggest that the Packers threw their money down the toilet on either deal when they’re only seven games old. But if the Packers are going to get rolling again on offense,their two big re-signees need to start playing up to those deals.
So far,Cobb hasn’t taken the reigns of the No. 1 receiver slot followig the injury to Jordy Nelson. Cobb rarely beats his man in one-on-one matchups. Most of his production has come when Rodgers breaks the pocket on sandlot sytle plays,or where Cobb makes a great catch despite being blanketed by a defender.
Bulaga,always susceptible to injury,has missed three games with a bad knee and hasn’t looked very nimble when he’s played. Don’t get me wrong: Bulaga is much better than having Don Barclay out there,but it’s safe to say the right tackle hasn’t lived up to expectations yet this season.
We can talk about the Packers’ scheme. We can talk about their defensive issues and all the injuries. But many of the Packers recent struggles can be cured if Cobb and Bulaga play better.
Thompson’s philosophy depends on young players earning that big second contract,then having those players perform up to that contract. Through seven games,it’s safe to say Cobb and Bulaga haven’t done that.
Health could help Cobb and Bulaga turn things around. Even though he was rarely open against the Broncos,Cobb seemed aggressive with the ball and less protective of his sore shoulder. Bulaga’s only a little over a month removed from knee surgery,so perhaps time will boost his mobility.
Or maybe we’re seeing two good to very good players just going through a rough stretch. It happens,regardless of when a contract extension is signed.
Whatever the case may be,the Packers need Cobb and Bulaga to play better.
November 1, 2015 /
Adam Czech
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Adam - CheeseheadTV, Uncategorized
A lot of people are getting on Peyton Manning for being over the hill. “It’s sad seeing what Manning has become,” they say. “It’s time for him to hang it up,” others quip.
I say that’s nonsense. Manning should play until he’s eligible for the Senior Olympics. Watching Manning play NFL quarterback today is like watching me playing NFL quarterback,minus the beer belly (I also have a Midwestern accent,not a Southern drawl). It’s a crazy amount of fun.
Manning sort of stumbles backwards after taking the snap. You actually worry that he’s going to break a hip if he has to go into anything more than a three-step drop.
When he finally plants to throw,he puts his entire body into it. I can remember when I was little kid,I tried and tried and tried over and over again to throw a tennis ball over the roof of our house. I put every single once of energy and strength into each attempt until finally I did it.
That’s what Manning does on every throw. He winds up and loads up like he’s going to throw an end-of-half Hail Mary 65 yards downfield,but he’s really just trying to get enough air under the ball for a 9-yard curl route.
When’s the last time you saw Manning throw a perfect spiral? It’s been at least 20 games. His passes look like shanked punts.
All of that said,Manning is still an effective quarterback. That’s why he’s still so much fun to watch. His targets end up catching a fair amount of those shanked punts that leave his right hand.
I don’t care what his QB rating is or how great Denver’s defense is,you don’t go 6-0 with an incompetent scrub at QB.
Manning is like Eddie Harris, the crafty veteran pitcher in Major League who was over-the-hill but did whatever he could to get by,including putting snot on the ball and drinking Jobu’s rum.
Somehow Harris made it work and he helped his team win the pennant. Somehow Manning is making it work and he’s helped his team start 6-0.
Never stop,Peyton Manning. You’re an inspiration to Uncle Rico’s everywhere.
Here are 5 reasons why the Packers will beat the Broncos under the lights at Mile High:
On the mend
All signs point to the return of Davante Adams,Morgan Burnett and B.J. Raji,as well as a closer-to-100-percent Eddie Lacy and Randall Cobb. If the injured players do return and the wounded ones have regained more health,it’s a case of the rich Packers getting richer.
QB advantage
I’m not on the “Peyton Manning is done” bandwagon like so many others,but he’s clearly not as good Aaron Rodgers. That’s the X-factor in so many of these games,isn’t it? The Packers have the better quarterback,so the Packers end up winning. Even if Rodgers has an off game or an average game,he never throws those back-breaking interceptions or does anything that puts the Packers behind the 8-ball too far.
Lesson learned?
The Packers allowed 500 yards passing in nearly losing to Philip Rivers and the Chargers in week 6. Rivers’ arm might not be what it used to be,but the veteran made presnap adjustments,picked out matchups he liked,then dissected the Packers bland pass coverage looks. Manning has made a career out of doing the exact same thing and that’s what he’ll try and do tonight. Hopefully Dom Capers and his crew learned their lesson against Rivers and will have a few counters to Manning’s presnap moves. Hopefully.
Frustrated Manning
Not only is Manning frustrated by his own physical limitations as he approached 40 years old,he also seems irked at Gary Kubiak’s new offensive system. With the exception of a few games at the end of last season,Manning thrived under John Fox and offensive coordinate Adam Gase. Under Kubiak,Manning doesn’t seem to have as much control at the line and everything appears to move slower.
Dick Rodgers
Call me crazy,but I think Richard Rodgers ends up being the X-factor on offense. Rodgers has come close to breaking out lately. He dropped an easy touchdown pass against the Rams and narrowly missed hauling in a long sideline pass (his foot ended up just out of bounds) against the Chargers. While the rest of the world focuses on the return of Adams,how much Lacy weighs,and whether Cobb can find an opening,I think Rodgers busts out for a couple big catches.
What if Uncle Rico has one more shining moment left in him? Here’s how the Broncos could come out the victors tonight:
Do what Rivers did
As I’ve mentioned earlier in this post,Rivers had his way with Capers and the Packers before the snap. He set up matchups he liked then took advantage of them. That’s literally what Manning has done his entire career,even before his arm turned into a noodle. He’ll try and do the same tonight,and if Capers isn’t ready with some adjustments,Manning could turn the clock back to 2003.
October 27, 2015 /
Adam Czech
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Adam - CheeseheadTV, Uncategorized
It’s been nice watching the Green Bay Packers beat up on the likes of the Bears,Chiefs and Chargers so far this season. But things are about to get much more interesting over the next month.
Three of the next four Packers games are against contending teams,two of which are currently undefeated. If the Packers come through this upcoming month-long stretch undefeated,it’s safe to say we have a really special team on our hands. If they go 3-1,that’s still really good. Even 2-2 wouldn’t shake my confidence in this squad.
The NFL changes week-to-week,but that doesn’t’t stop those of us in the blogosphere from peering out into the future a bit. Let’s look into the Packers future right now and see the different types of challenges they’ll be facing over their next four games.
at Denver Broncos,7:30 p.m.,Sunday,Nov. 1
The same thing worries me about the Broncos that worried me about the Chargers: Presnap defensive looks. Philip Rivers knew what Dom Capers was doing early in the play clock and was able to adjust accordingly. Manning will try and do the same,so Capers better do a better of disguising his calls presnap,or at least building in an adjustment or two once Manning makes his presnap reads.
at Carolina Panthers,noon,Sunday,Nov. 8
I will be in a deer stand during this game,so my main worry is 1) not shooting myself in the foot and 2) the Packers getting run over. The Packers will be coming off consecutive games against wily old veteran quarterbacks looking to pick Green Bay apart in the passing game. Carolina will likely use its power running game to take a completely different approach,topped off by Cam Newton doing some power running of his own.
Detroit Lions,noon,Sunday,Nov. 15
The only thing that worries me about the Lions is whether the Packers will win by seven touchdowns or eight.
at Minnesota Vikings,noon,Sunday,Nov. 22
The Vikings roster isn’t loaded with top-tier talent,but it’s stacked with consistently solid players who play consistently. So far this season,Mike Zimmer’s team hasn’t gotten too high or too low. Plus the Vikings are young and naïve enough to think that they can beat the big,bad Packers at home in what amounts to Minnesota’s Super Bowl every season. Of the four games listed here,this one against Minnesota might very well be the biggest one. You don’t want to give the young Vikings any kind of hope that they can sneak up on Green Bay for the division.
So,what’s your prediction for this stretch? I’m calling 3-1: win at Denver,win at Carolina,win at home over Detroit,lose to the Vikings in Minnesota. Get ready for drooling Vikings fans on social media making cringe-worthy homophobic jokes.
October 25, 2015 /
Adam Czech
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Adam - CheeseheadTV, Uncategorized
The Green Bay Packers bye week ends on Monday. Once the players return to work,they’ll continue their march toward a perfect season and another Super Bowl title.
If I bet you that the Packers would go 19-0,would you take me up on it? You should,because the Packers probably aren’t going 19-0.
But as long as we’re talking betting,let’s take a look at five Packers over/under props I came up with for the second half of the season. Let me know which way you’d wager in the comments,and feel free to come up with some over/under props of your own.
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The Packers will win over/under (o/u) 6 1/2 of their final 10 games. If the Packers go over,it’d mean they’d finish 13-3 at worst. Call me crazy,but I’m taking the over. As long as the injury rush is over,this team should actually get better down the stretch. Sure,the schedule gets tougher,but my money is still on the Packers.
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Eddie Lacy will receive o/u 57 percent of the Packers rushing attempts in the last 10 games. Lacy’s 246 carries in 2014 accounted for almost 57 percent of Green Bay’s carries. So far,Lacy has 67 carries,about 44 percent of Green Bay’s total. I say Lacy’s ankle heals up,the weather gets cold,and ‘ol Phat Eddie hits the over on this one.
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Randall Cobb will be o/u 61 catches the rest of the season. Cobb caught 91 passes in 2014. He needs 61 grabs over the last 10 games to match that total. With a bum shoulder and extra attention thrown his way since Jordy Nelson’s been out,I’m betting the under here.
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Datone Jones record o/u 3 ½ sacks in the last 10 games. Jones’ career high for sacks was 3 ½ in his rookie season. He has one this season,so recording more than 3 ½ would get him his career high. I say he goes over and plays a key role on this team down the stretch.
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A total of o/u 2 ½ starters will suffer significant injuries the rest of the season. This might be the most important over/under of them all. By significant injury,I’m saying missing three games or more. I’m going to guess the under just because the football gods can’t hate the Packers that much,can they?
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Bonus over/under: I will have to pay o/u $250 per ticket to attend the Thanksgiving night game against the Bears. The wife and I are heading to Lambeau on Thanksgiving to honor Favre and watch the Packers maul the Bears. I’m hoping secondary market ticket prices come down,because right now they are ridiculously high. As I type this,the lowest price seat,before fees,runs $271 a pop. I’m a cheap SOB and will do whatever it takes to save a few bucks. But am I fighting a losing battle in this case? Will I just have to pony up a mortgage payment to go to this game and apologize to my financial advisor later?
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