Stop The Presses, Packers Win! Packers Win!

We GOT one!  First win without Rodgers this year!!!!!

I know Brett Hundley does not have many starts, but is in his third year!

Los Angeles Rams 2nd Year QB, Jared Goff has his team in first in his division - 7 wins - 2 losses!
Carson Wentz, Eagles 2nd year QB, has his team in first place - 8 wins - 1 loss!
Third string QB, Case Keenum, has the Vikings in first place at 7 wins & 2 losses!

So, it CAN be done!  That means OTHER players MUST pick it up!  AND, coaches!!!

Here is what I always look at first, the drive charts:

Packers Drives
Drive #1 - FG
Drive #2 - Punt
Drive #3 - TD
Drive #4 - Punt
Drive #5 - Punt
Drive #6 - FG
Drive #7 - Punt
Drive #8 - FG
Drive #9 - TD
Drive #10 - Missed FG
Drive # 11- End of Game

So, throw out the last drive, End of Game, that is 10 drives - 6 scoring, 1 missed FG - NOT BAD
Of the scoring drives - missed FG, BAD - come on new long snapper!!  Home town boy! (Mine)
4 Punts, not bad, 2 three and out - NOT GOOD!
No turnovers - always good!

Bears Drives
Drive #1 - Punt
Drive #2 - FG
Drive #3 - Punt
Drive #4 - Fumble
Drive #5 - Punt
Drive #6 - FG
Drive #7 - Punt
Drive #8 - Punt
Drive #9 - TD
Drive #10 - FG
Drive #11- Downs

So, 4 scoring drives out of 11, not bad, but ONLY 1 TD - Good for Packer defense!
5 Punts & 1 turnover  - GREAT for our defense!  BUT,it IS the BErs & a rookie QB!!!

So, as of now in the NFC there are 4 teams at 5 wins 4 losses - Packers, Lions, Cowboys & Falcons
And, 2 teams at 6 wins 3 losses - Seahawks & Panthers!

Some big days - Davonte Adams - 5 receptions - 90 yards - 1 TD
Nick Perry - 3 sacks - 6 tackles
Handley - 18 - 25 & 212 yards & 1 TD AND no turnovers!

Next up Ravens!

Half Way Through The NFL Season, Where Do The Packers Stand?

OK, we are at the midpoint of the season, where is our team?

4 wins & 4 losses

25th in the league in total defense

23rd in the league in total offense

2 games behind the Vikings in our division

1 game out of the wild card race

missing starters for the year - QB-Rodgers, OT-Bulaga

injured reserve(remember, 2 may come back & play)
  Kentrell Brice - S
  Kyle Murphy - OT
  Taybor Pepper - LS
  Aaron Rodgers - QB
  Quinten Rollins - CB
  Jacob Schum - P
  David Talley - LB
  Herb Waters - CB

current injury report
  Ahmad B
just cut our starting tight end - Martellus Bennett (great pick up Ted)

leading rusher - Aaron Jones - 358 yds - 3 TD's - 21st in the league

leading receiver - Devante Adams - 404 yds - 5 TD's - 45th in the league

I could go on, WHAT DO YOU SEE?

I see an average or  below average team.  I see a QB that is struggling.  I see a defense that will not scare anyone.  I see a team struggling for leadership.

I am trying to be realistic!  This is NOT a very good team!

The Bears game is the key to the season!  What direction are we headed?  Stay tuned!

The Packers Are On Vacation, And So Am I!

Well, game 3 without Aaron!

I am with my golf buddies, one a week vacation golfing in Pinehurst, NC!  Just finished Pinehurst #5, and ready to talk Packers!

Did the Packers pass the "smell test?"

No, from the first drive missed field goal, till the end of first half. trouble was brewing!  The first drive was very creative, McCarthy finally show some confidence in Hundley!  But, as usual, the defense was NOT good.

A look at the Detroit drives:
Drive # - Result
1 - TD
2 - missed FG
3 - TD
4 - FG
5 - fumble
6 - FG
7 - TD
8 - FG

LOK AT THAT!  In 8 drives the Packers defense DID NOT force a Punt!  NOT ONCE!

3 TD's - 3 FG's - 1 missed FG - 1 fumble

THAT IS TERRIBLE!

Packers offense:
Drive # - Result
1 - missed FG
2 - Punt
3 - Punt
4 - FG
5 - Downs
6 - Punt
7 - TD
8 - Downs
9 - TD

3 points the first half!  4 drives - 1 FG
third quarter - NO POINTS
fourth quarter down 20-3, we score 2 TD's - too little - too late!

Final score Detroit 30 - Packers 17!

So, what did we learn in Hundley's third game?

1 - He can lead the team & score.  But, McCarthy must be creative & coach.  Rodgers has had so many scrambles & "Hail Mary's" that have covered up an offense that has no running game.  We do have some promising rookies, but no game changers.

Tight end Bennett has been a bust and is now hurt!  The offensive line was finally back to all the starters, and Bulaga, our right tackle, goes down for the season with an ACL! Cobb has never been the same the last 3 years & Adams is only as good as the QB!

2 - The defense NEEDS help!  NO Pass rush, No inside linebackers.  An aging all-pro at outside linebacker.  A secondary that is hurt AGAIN, and basically NOT very good!

So, what do I see.  A team that is on the verge of a downward spiral.  4 wins & 4 losses.  What must happen?  A win!  And the Bears are next, a game we MUST win!  But, the Bears are a team moving a new direction!  Rookie QB, with a chance to prove himself!  The Packers, a 3rd year QB trying to prove he can lead an NFL team!

A Packer defense with NO real meaning?  A defensive coordinator that has been a head coach & has been a defensive coordinator for a LONG time!  A time for change?

A General Manager that has not had a good 3-4 years! Ted should be on the away out!

Our remaining schedule:
Game 9 - Bears
Game 10 - Ravens
Game 11 - Steelers
Game 12 - Bucs
Game 13 - Browns
Game 14 - Panthers
Game 15 - Vikings
Game 16 - Lions

Right now, realistically, what do you see?

I see - 4 wins & 4 losses

Packers? McCarthy? Ted?  Capers?  PROVE ME WRONG!

Packer Bye Week Is History, Will McCarthy & Hundley Do It?

No excuses, no "It's My Fault", no ..............................

Other teams lose QB's, example Vikings, they lost Bridgewater, they lost Braddford, and they are still dangerous and in first place in the division!

The Eagles Went is in his second year and has his team in first.

The Rams are tied for first with second year Jared Goff!

So, Hundley, in his third year?  NO excuses!

McCarthy, STOP being conservative!  And, how about a little creativity!!!!

Ted Thompson?  WOW!  WE MUST MOVE ON!!  Is Dom Capers that bad or do we have BAD players????  Watching the Steelers last night hold the Lions to 15 points with over 400 yards passing, there are players out there that will play defense!

Like I have said in a previous blog entry, we are finding out what kind of team we are the next few weeks without Aaron Rodgers - so far -  0 wins & 2 losses!

Packers Without Rodgers

0 - 2

Week 8

The First Game After The Rodgers Injury? Uh Oh!

Well, what did we learn?

1 - McCarthy takes the blame!  (This may be a common theme!)

The first half, not bad.  Second half, what a disaster!  Look at the Second have drives!

Packers:

Second Half Drive #1 - 5 plays & Punt (The ONLY drive of the 3rd quarter!)
Second Half Drive #2 - 10 plays & Field Goal
Second Half Drive #3 - 3 plays & Punt
Second Half Drive #4 - 3 plays & interception

3 points in second half!

Saints:

Second Half Drive #1 - 7 plays & TD
Second Half Drive #2 - 10 plays & Field Goal
Second Half Drive #3 - 9 plays & Field Goal
Second Half Drive #4 - 8 plays & TD
Second Half Drive #5 - 7 plays & End of game

20 points in second half

2 - Brett Hundley Stats?

Saints Game - 12 for 25 for 87 yards & 0 TD's
Vikings Game - 18 for 33 for 157 yards & 1 TD & 3 interceptions

3 - Packer Defense - see #2 & Saints drives

4 - Aaron Jones may be our running back

5 - Can the Packers get healthy after a BYE week?

6 - Did we miss Morgan Burnett & is he our BEST defensive player?

7 - Nelson, Adams, Cobb, Bennett, Kendricks - can we get the ball to our receivers?

8 - When will we win our next game?  Lions - Bears - Ravens - Steelers - Bucs - Browns
                                                                        Panthers - Vikings - Lions????

Packer Fans, We Get A Chance To LookInto The Future!

What will the Packers look like when Aaron Rodgers finally DOES retire? For the next few weeks, maybe the rest of the season, we will get the opportunity to see..............

1 - What kind of starting quarterback is Brett Huntley?

2 - What kind of head coach is Mike McCarthy?

3 - Can the Packer Defense win football games?

4 - Will Ted Thompson EVERY retire?

5 - And, will people visit Green Bay to see Titletown Plaza, or the Packers?

#1 - We have seen a small piece of the work Brett Hundley the quarterback.  Pre-season, not bad, not great!  Finishing last week, nothing special.  Interviews this week, talks the talk.  Arm strength, the "eye" test? At 6'3"and 226 pounds - HE PASSES!  What will the final grade depend on?

A win, NO MATTER WHAT the statistics show!

Composure?  When something bad happens, watch his body language!

Turnovers???????

#2 - OK!  Pretend you are a head football coach in the NFL!  And, for your career you have Brett Favre & Aaron Rodgers as your QB!  So, chances are, you will look good!!!!!  We had a small taste of this at other times, remember 2013?

Rodgers, has the Packers at 5 wins & 2 losses into week 8, he breaks collar bone!  The Pack goes 2-5-1 without Rodgers, So, at 7-7-1, Rodgers comes back, win last game & sneak into playoffs!  What will McCarthy's team do?

#3 - Packers defense!  Wow!  Start at corner! We are still searching! House has been a bust!  Randall is a mental case!  Rollins is on the Injured Reserve. King, coming off a concussion. Burnett, out for another game.  So, will Drew Brees tear this defense to pieces?

#4 - Ted Thompson? Retire? Please!

#5 - What will the the NFL look like in ten years?  Looks like the NFL wants the casual fan. a fan that likes to shop, eat, drink beer, and watch an occasional play or two, than get out of their seat and get another beer!  Oh, yes, go to the Pro Shop, spend $300 on their favorite team.  Stay in the $500 a night hotel.  Talegate for 10 hours, play drinking games in the parking lot?  Oh, that's right, there is a football game!

Are you ready Packer Fans?????

The NFL - Time For This Packer Fan To Pontificate!

As a life long football fan and a senior citizen, I have time to think - dangerous!  The place we will start is the 1950's - a simpler time!  Black & white TV, Ike as President, and NFL Football - let's look at the 1959 Standings!

The NFL was 40 years old in 1959!

I was just starting to follow football!  I had a chance to see football on Sunday afternoons, that's it!  That is what we all had - 12 teams!!!  

Today we have 32 teams!!! - That is 32 teams - 53 active roster & 10 on the practice squad!  Not counting the PUP list & the IR list, that is 2,016 players.  

 The Packer Roster, 36 players! Here they are:

So, in 1959, with 12 teams & 36 players, there were 432 players in the NFL!

The teams had 36 players!!!  Many played BOTH ways!  There we no long snappers, punters, kickers, they were the REGULAR players!  Wide Receivers punted, linemen kicked! 

The NFL Championship Game:

NFL Championship Game[edit]

Baltimore 31, NY Giants 16 at Memorial Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland, December 27, 1959

They played 12 games & 1 playoff game for the championship! Now, the season is 16 games and maybe 4 playoff games!  Season ends in February!

So, fewer teams, fewer players, fewer games, and now?  Is bigger ALWAYS better?  Let the analysis continue!