September 19, 2013 /
Adam Czech
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Adam - ALLGBP.com, Adam Czech, Packers
Andrew Quarless could play fullback for the Packers on Sunday.
If John Kuhn is out on Sunday when the Packers play the Bengals, it sounds like tight end Andrew Quarless could spend some time in the Packers backfield as a fullback.
Quarless at fullback could very well be a disaster, but it intrigues me.
Back when D.J. Williams was on the team, I always thought he looked better when he lined up as a fullback than he did at tight end. I wonder if I might feel the same about Quarless after Sunday.
Quarless at fullback could give the Packers more options for pre-snap motion or other funky formations. Quarless also might operate better in space than Kuhn if Aaron Rodgers finds him on a dumpoff pass.
Of course, Quarless’s main responsibility will be pass blocking. Can Quarless be trusted to read defenses and identify blitzers like Kuhn can? If he can’t, the Quarless at fullback experiment will end quickly.
If he can pass block, Quarless would provide more versatility on third downs than Kuhn can as the backfield pass blocker. Then again, maybe Mike McCarthy won’t even put him in high-pressure pass-blocking situations.
Can Quarless clear a path for James Starks in the running game? He lined up at fullback after Kuhn got hurt against the Redskins and made a key block that sprung Starks for a 32-yard touchdown. He certainly looked capable on that play.
Sunday’s game probably won’t hinge on Quarless’s play at fullback, but when you’re trying to beat a tough opponent on the road, little things matter. One missed blitz pickup can alter the course of a game. One key block that seals the edge on a sweep can lead to a late-game first down that brings you one step closer to a win.
Quarless as a fullback will be interesting to watch.
September 18, 2013 /
Adam Czech
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Adam - ALLGBP.com, Adam Czech, Packers, Packers Stock Report
Only this end zone pylon slowed down Packers WR James Jones on Sunday.
Anyone else have flashbacks to 2011 as the Packers cruised to an easy win over the Redskins on Sunday?
The lasers from Aaron Rodgers. Jordy, Randall, James and Jermichael making tacklers look like fools after the catch. The defense forcing a couple of turnovers. Sloppy tackling from the Packers defense. Not quite delivering the knockout punch.
Even though many of the players are different, the sentences in the previous paragraph would have summarized a lot of the Packers’ 15 wins during the 2011 season. The Packers aren’t about to rattle off 14 straight wins and repeat their run from 2011, but the overall stock of this team is rising right now.
Let’s take a closer look at exactly why that is:
Rising
James Jones
You could easily put Nelson and Cobb in the rising category as well, but they were risers last week and investors snatched up all the available shares. Investors who bought low on Jones — shutout in the season opener — are cashing in big time after his 11-catch game against Washington. The only thing that stopped Jones on Sunday was a fumble-inducing end zone pylon (hat tip to whomever I stole that joke from on Twitter).
Aaron Rodgers
I hate putting Rodgers in the rising category because it’s just assumed that the best QB in the world belongs in the rising category every week. After a game like the one Rodgers had on Sunday, though, he deserves to have someone physically take the time to type his name in the rising category. Rodgers obviously decided to take a couple of sacks early in the game just to make things a little more challenging for himself. That didn’t even slow him down.
Ryan Pickett
Now Big Grease is swatting down passes while filling gaps and squashing running backs. Nasty.
Steady
Mike Neal
I was a serious doubter about the Mike Neal at LB experiment, but I’m starting to come around. He can move a little better than I thought and he’s tough to get off the edge against the run. Raise your hand if you predicted that Neal would drop into coverage and get an interception sometime this season? Those of you that raised your hands, go sit in the corner and take a timeout for lying.
Mike Daniels
I know what you’re saying: “Daniels over B.J. Raji? Make sure you put yourself in the falling category, Czech.” Watch Daniels on tape if you don’t believe me. He’s active as hell. Daniels might be able to provide the athleticism that the Packers have been missing on the d-line since Cullen Jenkins left. I say “might” because Daniels is small. Let’s see if he remains disruptive once teams watch him on film and realize that they need to take him more seriously.
Falling
Datone Jones
Yes, I’m being harsh on the rookie. It usually takes rookie defensive lineman a while to get going, and it looks like Jones is no exception. In 40 defensive snaps, Jones hasn’t gotten anywhere near the QB. I’ll be patient, but for now, I’m showing Jones some tough love and sticking him in the falling category.
Jeremy Ross
It’s one thing to be inexperienced and make a few mistakes as a young returner. It’s another to be sloooooowwwwww. Ross doesn’t look anywhere near fast enough to be an adequate returner. Maybe he’d be faster if he ran forward instead of sideways.
Brandon Meriweather and Mike Shanahan
First Meriweather used his helmet like a torpedo and gave Eddie Lacy a concussion. Then he reloaded and used his helmet-torpedo on James Starks — only this time Meriweather’s launcher backfired and he ended up knocking himself out. Meriweather is a headhunter and should have been suspended for his hits (neither of which drew a flag, smh). But what about Mike Shanahan’s comments on Meriweather’s headhunting?
“To be honest with you, on the first one it looked like the running back was kind of going downhill, and when Brandon went for the tackle it looked to me like it was perfect and then all of a sudden when [Lacy] ducked his head, I couldn’t tell — I didn’t see the TV copy, I just saw the video — and that’s exactly where the contact was. The second one on the sidelines, that’s what you’re supposed to do. That’s a legal hit,”
Fines don’t work on millionaires. Suspensions might sting a little, but not that much. The blows to the head won’t stop until players and coaches hold each other accountable. Judging by Shanahan’s comments, we’re a long way away from that happening.
September 16, 2013 /
Adam Czech
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Adam - ALLGBP.com, Adam Czech, Packers
Ryan “Big Grease” Pickett has anchored the Packers defensive line through the first two weeks.
The big three — and I literally mean the B-I-G three — on the Packers defensive line have come to play through the season’s first two games.
Packers = soft? It looks like B.J. Raji, Ryan Pickett and Johnny Jolly have taken it upon themselves to change that equation.
The trio, which weighs a combined 1,000 pounds, played a key role in containing Colin Kaepernick’s running and shutting down Frank Gore in week one. On Sunday against the Redskins, they collapsed the pocket in the first half, allowing blitzers to get in Robert Griffin III’s face.
Pickett even swatted a pass and Raji was wagging his finger after a couple stuffs at the line.
All three players are free agents after this season. It’s an easy talking point to say that players are better in their contract years, but I don’t necessarily buy that theory (that talking point has been proven false, for fantasy football purposes, anyway).
Pickett is a prideful leader who wants to prove he still belongs. Jolly knows he’s beyond lucky to have another shot at both life and the NFL. Raji is an uber-talented player who can be unblockable in stretches.
Whatever the reason, all three are playing great and it seems like they’re energy is giving the entire defense a boost. I’m really looking forward to what this defense can do when Morgan Burnett and Casey Hayward return and take advantage of what the Big Three are doing up front.
Sure, it’d be nice to get more of a pass rush out of the Packers’ defensive line, but if the Big Three can keep can keep winning their one-on-one matchups, it should free up others to get after the QB while keeping the run defense strong.
Another player to watch: Datone Jones.
The rookie has been invisible the first two weeks. Not sure if his ankle is still bothering him or if he’s just going through the typical struggles of a rookie defensive lineman. Either way, if he manages to come around and provide a little pass rush, this d-line could go from solid to downright dangerous in a hurry.
I know it’s early. But through two games, we can’t call this Packers defense soft (a little lost in the secondary at times, maybe, but not soft). A big reason for that is the play of Pickett, Raji and Jolly.
If Jones can get up to speed and maybe make the Big Three into the Big Four, watch out.
September 12, 2013 /
Adam Czech
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Adam - ALLGBP.com, Adam Czech, Packers, Packers Stock Report
Randall Cobb showed toughness by fighting for this touchdown.
When you think of tough football players — whether they play for the Packers or not — you probably think of Mike Singletary and his stare, Ray Nitschske and his scowl or Ronnie Lott lopping off part of his finger so he could keep playing.
You probably don’t think of too many wide receivers, especially modern-day receivers with their diva-like tendencies. There’s a couple of Packers wide receivers that are the exception to that rule, though, and should be on any list of tough guys in today’s NFL.
Read this week’s stock report to learn more:
Rising
Jordy Nelson
Randall Cobb
When we talk about the Packers being a tougher, more physical team, I think most of us probably mean that the defense needs to hit harder and the offensive line needs to start pushing people around to get the run game going. We probably don’t put wide receivers into the toughness equation, but we should. Both Nelson and Cobb are coming off injuries and absorbed some wicked hits on Sunday. The kept getting up for more. They completely sold out on every single play and did whatever they could possibly do to punch back at the 49ers defense — the big bully on the block. Cobb and Nelson might not play a position defined by toughness, but they both proved on Sunday that they’re two of the toughest players on the Packers roster.
Ryan Pickett
According to Pro Football Focus, Pickett has three stops on Sunday — solo tackles that resulted in an offensive failure. Frank Gore didn’t have the space he’s used to against the Packers and Big Grease is one of the reasons why. The soon-to-be 34 year old looked as good as he ever has, absorbing double teams, winning the battle when single-blocked, and causing chaos inside.
Steady
Tim Masthay
Ging matched all-world punter Andy Lee punt for punt and even took over kickoff duties. More importantly, Masthay is fearless! He made one tackle on a kick return and nearly had another. I wonder if he can play safety?
Mike Neal
I thought the Neal-as-outside linebacker experiment would be a massive failure, but so far, so good. He’s an anchor on the edge against the run and even got after Colin Kaepernick a few times in the pass rush. He’s nowhere near an adequate complement to Matthews yet, but if he keeps making progress, who knows…
Davon House
It wasn’t Jarrett Bush who shined on special teams Sunday, it was House. Splitting double teams, making three tackles, drawing a penalty. House was everywhere on the special teams unit. We’ll see if that earns him any more playing time on defense. Sam Shields looked shaky on Sunday.
Falling
Jerron McMillian
M.D. Jennings
Besides the final score, the most frustrating thing about Sunday’s loss was watching the Packers’ receivers get drilled after they made a catch while the 49ers’ receivers never had to fear at all about taking a shot. There were a few passes that floated over the middle where it looked like the stage was set for a safety to deliver a shot, but it never happened. McMillian and Jennings looked too slow to the ball and too tentative to be starting safeties in the NFL.
Clay Matthews late hit on Kaepernick
Dumb. Just plain dumb. If you want to be a tough guy and spark your team, lay the wood on somebody when they’re actually in bounds. Then flex your muscles and chest bump your teammates. A late hit in that situation does nothing but negate a big stop from your defense.
September 9, 2013 /
Adam Czech
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Adam - ALLGBP.com, Adam Czech, Packers
Don’t worry, coach McCarthy. I think you made the right decision to accept that second quarter penalty against the 49ers (I might be the only one to think that, though).
A lot of bad things happened after Mike McCarthy decided to accept a penalty and eschew a fourth-and-one situation near the goal line during the second quarter of the Packers’ loss to the 49ers on Sunday.
The decision gave the 49ers another crack at converting on third down — six yards away from the first down marker. Chaos ensued:
- Colin Kapernick was forced out of bounds two yards short of the first-down
- Clay Matthews launched himself at Kaepernick and drilled him after he stepped out of bounds, drawing a 15-yard penalty
- Joe Staley went after Matthews, earning a 15-yard penalty himself
- Matthews appeared to throw a punch at Staley and is lucky he didn’t get ejected
- A bunch of other players got involved and had a mini Royal Rumble
- The refs screwed up the offsetting penalty calls and wrongly replayed third down
- The 49ers took advantage of the extra opportunity and scored a touchdown
Whew. Got all that? Life would have been so much easier if McCarthy just declined the original penalty and made Jim Harbaugh decide to go for it or kick a field goal on fourth-and-one, right?
In hindsight, probably. But we don’t judge on hindsight around here. I agreed with McCarthy’s decision to accept the penalty and push the 49ers back, even if it meant giving them another crack at converting on third down.
In all likelihood, Harbaugh probably would’ve went for it on fourth-and-one anyway. And in all likelihood, the 49ers probably would have converted. McCarthy knows this — he’d seen the 49ers offensive line bully his defenders and their passing attack baffle his defensive backs for nearly 10 quarters at that point. He also knew that Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Greg Roman have a handful of playcalls that the Packers just aren’t ready for (see the third-and-four pass to Vernon Davis late in the fourth quarter for exhibit A).
McCarthy also knows the numbers the 49ers have put up against the Packers lately. Check this post for the rundown. It ain’t pretty. After looking at those numbers and considering everything else, would you feel confident about the Packers ability to stop the 49ers from gaining one yard? I wouldn’t. I also would have elected to push the 49ers back another five yards to make them convert a third-and-six instead.
Kaepernick ended up about two yards short of the first down before Matthews stupidly lit him up out of bounds. Could you make an argument that if Harbaugh would have went for it on fourth-and-one that he’d also go for it on fourth-and-two? I don’t think so. One extra yard is a lot in that situation. I think Harbaugh would’ve taken the field goal.
I might be in the minority — and what happened after the decision certainly was a disaster for the Packers — but if we’re not unfairly using hindsight to judge McCarthy’s decision, I think he did the right thing in accepting the penalty.
If you’re going to be upset at McCarthy about anything surrounding that series of events, be upset that — like the officials — he didn’t know the rule about not replaying the down after offsetting deadball personal fouls. A head coach (or someone on his staff) should know the rules inside and out, and let the officials know when they are making a mistake like the one made on Sunday.
September 9, 2013 /
Adam Czech
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Adam - ALLGBP.com, Adam Czech, Packers
Colin Kaepernick has matched Aaron Rodgers in two 49ers’ wins over the Packers.
I’m still trying to figure out how I feel about the Packers loss to the 49ers on Sunday.
Yes, it was a nice effort from the Packers. A lot of things didn’t go their way and they hung in until the end.
At the same time, I still have no doubt that the 49ers are the better team. Zip. Zero. Nadda. The 49ers are bigger, stronger, tougher and just plain better.
Doesn’t matter how hard the Packers scrapped to hang with them Sunday, why should I feel good when the 49ers continue to steamroll my favorite team?
Take a look at these numbers and try not to immediately dive out your window:
In their last 3 games against the Packers, the 49ers have:
- Averaged 483 total yards
- 200 rushing yards
- 5.5 yards per rush
- 284 passing yards
- Completed 67 percent of their passes
- Averaged 35 points.
In games not against the Packers over that same period, the 49ers have:
- Averaged 372 total yards
- 155 rushing yards
- 4.6 yards per rush
- 213 passing yards
- Completed 63 percent of their passes
- Averaged 25 points.
Yup. The 49ers own the Packers.
The 49ers have beat the Packers with Alex Smith — a game-managing pocket passer — and Colin Kaepernick, a mobile up-and-comer with a cannon for an arm and the ability to run the read-option.
Jim Harbaugh consistently outschemes Mike McCarthy and Dom Capers — coming up with unique formations, unscouted looks and clutch playcalls in key parts of the game that make the Packers look completely befuddled.
Name one position group where the Packers have consistently outplayed the 49ers in the three games? Outside linebacker because of Clay Matthews…maybe? That’s about it.
You’d think the Packers would easily outperform the 49ers at quarterback and wide receiver, but Kaepernick and Smith have matched Rodgers blow for blow and Anquan Boldin single-handedly kept pace with the Packers wideouts on Sunday.
Yes, the Packers have been in all three games, but it’s tough to get blown out when Rodgers is your quarterback. As long as No. 12 is back there, the Packers will be in it, even if they’re getting dominated in every facet of the game like they do against the 49ers. I suppose that’s one thing to feel good about.
A lot of people are saying that the Packers and 49ers could meet again in January. God, I hope not. Give me the Giants, Seachickens, Falcons, Vikings, the ’86 Bears, ’72 Dolphins, or whoever. I’m done watching that machine from the West Coast whip the Packers in almost every facet of the game.
I don’t mean to sound so negative. Really, I think the Packers will once again be great this season and in the mix to win it all. That hasn’t changed after Sunday. I just don’t want to deal with the 49ers again. At all.
Deep down, I want to beat my chest and yell, “Bring on the 49ers one more time in January!” But my brain tells me that that wouldn’t be a good idea.
Instead, I’ll cross my fingers that someone else beats the 49ers before the Packers have to deal with them again. Or that Harbaugh spontaneously combusts.
September 5, 2013 /
Adam Czech
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Adam - ALLGBP.com, Adam Czech, Packers
The 49ers still are tougher than the Packers…for now.
The San Francisco 49ers beat the hell out of the Green Bay Packers last season. Twice.
In week one, the 49ers ran for 186 yards and averaged almost six yards per carry. Alex Smith had only six incomplete passes and routinely hit wide open receivers hanging out in the middle of the field, unafraid of being laid out by Packers defenders.
In the divisional round of the playoffs, things got even uglier. Colin Kaepernick ran for 181 yards and threw for 263 more. When Kaepernick took off, he made Packers’ defenders look like lead-footed, lifeless zombies in a scene from The Walking Dead.
All of that damage was easy for even the average viewer to see while watching from his or her couch. If you broke down the film after the game and paid attention to what was happening in the trenches, things got even uglier for the Packers.
The 49ers offensive line operated like a machine — a modern, deadly, ruthless machine that was sent to Earth specifically to blow Packers defenders off the line of scrimmage, seal off the edges and create giant spaces for guys like Frank Gore and Kaepernick to gallop through.
When compared to the Packers offensive line, the 49ers wrecking crew was on a completely different level. The Packers allowed 20 quarterback hurries in the two games and never established the run. Green Bay’s front five always seemed to be flailing as yet another San Francisco defender broke through and set his sights on Aaron Rodgers.
The middle of the field — where both toughness and athleticism have a chance to shine — was also heavily tilted in the 49ers favor. Navarro Bowman and Patrick Willis, the 49ers two middle linebackers, combined for 30 tackles, a key interception and a sack.
In the week 1 loss, Alex Smith consistently found open receivers in the middle of the field while Kapernick simply ran by, through and around whoever happened to be manning the middle for the Packers in the playoffs.
A.J. Hawk totaled 22 tackles, but were any of them impact plays?
The 49ers left little doubt last season that they were tougher than the Packers. With the two teams set to meet again this Sunday, have the tables turned at all?
You’d have to look hard for anybody besides those who work at 1265 Lombardi Ave. to tell you that the Packers are now the tougher of the two teams. Not only do the 49ers have most of their tough guys coming back, the Packers are already down a few players from their tough guy column.
Starting left tackle Bryan Bulaga is out for the season. David Bakhtiari is replacing Bulaga and looks promising as a pass blocker, but likely won’t be blowing any 49ers defensive lineman off the ball while run blocking.
DuJuan Harris ran like a rolling ball of butcher knives at the end of last season and brought some semblance of toughness to the running game. He’s also out for the season (although Eddie Lacy, Harris’s replacement, has a shot at being a tough runner himself).
Might there be a few new(ish) faces on both of the Packers lines to up the toughness level a few notches? Depends if you think Don Barclay and Evan Dietrich-Smith — both undrafted and both smallish — fit the bill. On defense, first-round pick Datone Jones has been slowed by an ankle injury. We’ll see if Johnny Jolly’s display of toughness carries over into meaningful snaps when the games count.
The previous 576 words were a long and depressing way of saying that, as of now — before any real games have been played — the answer to the question posed in the headline is a definite “no.” The 49ers are still tougher than the Packers.
But the key phrase in that previous paragraph is “as of now.” It’s a long season, folks. It’s easy to toss out labels and make broad assumptions before any real snaps have taken place. Four weeks from now, many of the labels pasted on teams will be proven untrue. Bold preseason declarations will be forgotten.
Remember the 2010 Packers? They didn’t look all that tough as the calendar turned to December. Then all of the sudden they grinded out a late-season win over the Bears to reach the playoffs, developed a decent running game with James Starks, grinded out playoff wins in Philadelphia and Chicago, and won the Super Bowl.
Toughness can build over the course of the season. Sometimes, toughness built over 16 games pays off more in the end than entering the season as the biggest bully on the block.
Am I just trying to put on a happy face as I resign myself to the fact that the Packers are going to get pushed around and lose again to the 49ers on Sunday? Maybe.
But I do believe the Packers will be tougher than they were last season. Will they ultimately end up being tougher than the 49ers when January rolls around? That’s a tall task, but one that I believe the Packers are up for.
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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