Thoughtful Thoughts: Bears Game

The perks of beating the Bears being interviewed by Erin 'I Love My Ass' Andrews

 

Contrary to what Ask Vic (Vic Ketchman) from Packers.com says we can enjoy the win, but still realistic that we were lucky to win. So I think I will analyze the game, instead of putting on Vic's rosy glasses and ignore the Packers have serious problems trying to live up to being one of the two Super Bowl teams at the end of the season.

 

Offensively, the Packers scored on five of its seven drives that didn't end the half or the game against the Bears. There was one throw-back series when the Packers defense made its second of three stops on eight drives that left the offense at the two-yard line. The calls were safe, but except for the first play weren't designed to make a first down. Coach Mike McCarthy doesn't take chances, but with punter Tim Masthay and the rest of our un-specials teams not being an asset I would say punting from the end zone is taking a chance.

My last thought on these situations are running off left tackle is never, and I reiterate is NEVER an option for one simple fact. I have probably seen 99% of the McCarthy's games as head coach and that play whether it is ran by Eddie Lacy, Ryan Grant, Ahman Green, Dorsey Levens, Edgar Bennett, MacArthur Lane, John Brockington, Paul Hornung or Clark Hinkle running for McCarthy it works .000001% of the time and when it works it is for one yard at the most, but most of the time it is for negative yardage (like during the ill-fated NFC championship game when the Packers were trying and I have my doubts they were really trying) to run some time off the clock.

 

So I would tell Tom Clements to rip that page out of the playbook, tear it up into tiny pieces, put some chocolate sauce on it and eat it so it can be surrounded by shit in the end, which is what it has always been during the McCarthy era.

 

Otherwise, I think it was a pretty good day on the offensive side of the ball once it got to the second half when Aaron Rodgers, the offensive line and the rest of the starters finally shook off the rust of not playing in the pre-season.

 

Except for Masthay the special teams were fine, especially kickoff returner Ty Montgomery. He is a keeper. So I give six points out of seven.

 

Defensively we are in trouble. Thank goodness Defensive Coordinator Dom Capers listened to me and didn't use the two-man line. One point for him. I also give a point for starting Clay Matthews in the middle. But that is as far as it goes.

 

One problem that was supposed to be worked on during the off-season, OTA's, mini-camp, training camp and the pre-season was stopping the run. That didn't happen. Matt Forte had 105 yards rushing at the half. DISMAL FAILURE.

 

Another problem that seems to only appear once the regular season starts is pass rush. The key to playing Jay Cutler is getting in his face and besides two rather benign sacks early in the game he wasn't pressured until Matthews hit him late on a pass in the third quarter. He was rattled after that and it ended with Cutler making a Cutler mistake that Matthews intercepted at a Cutler crucial time. FAILURE.

 

Side not. It was getting into Cutler's face on the 4th-and-2 from Packers two that caused him to totally overthrow Eddie Royal in the end zone.

 

Coverage. The bane of our existence in the Dom Capers era. First, for some reason Capers has a senior moment every time an opposition tight end lines up. And I think I can state without fear of contradiction every team uses one. Martellus Bennet lit us up the last time we played, so you would think Capers should have known he was going to be thrown to Sunday and surprise, surprise he caught 5 of the 7 passes thrown his way for 55 yards and one touchdown. It seems Matthews finally saw something because his interception was of a pass to Bennett. But overall DISMAL FAILURE.

 

The troubles right cornerback Sam Shields had wasn't Capers' fault. It seems the same problems formerly solid punter Tim Masthay is having seems to have infected Shields. A less than 100% Alshon Jeffery owned him catching five passes for 78 yards. FAILURE.

 

Like I've said earlier Quinten Rollins might have Shields' job by mid-season leaving the Packers with two rookie starting cornerbacks for the stretch run. Let's hope Ted Thompson's evaluation of his top two draft picks are spot on. In this case I might have to join the "Trust in Ted" crowd, but on this subject alone.

 

I would mention LaDarius Gunter, who had a great pre-season showing athletic ability and a nose for the ball, but like almost every other pre-season statistical or playing leader they never see the field during the regular season. Last year it Jarone Elliot, who led the team in sacks and never played on the defense during the season.

 

This year it is Gunter, who was inactive on Sunday, along with wide receivers Myles White (who led the team in catches for the third year in a row, but was cut for James Jones-a move that worked on Sunday. One point for Ted Thompson) and Jeff Janis (the team leader in touchdown passes), but is lucky he isn't asked for a ticket when he comes to work at Lambeau Field on Sundays or when he tries to board the plane for away games since he seldom sees the field on offense during the games.

 

Finally, I mentioned Masthay and I see no indication he is coming out of his slump. He fell apart the last half of last season and it has continued through OTA's, mini-camp, training camp, pre-season and again Sunday. They brought in Cody Mandell to push him, but he was cut after two weeks because he couldn't hold for Mason Crosby. DISMAL FAILURE.

 

I was told by an usually reliable source that former Giants punter Steve Weatherford was in Green Bay last week for a tryout, but I have not found any collaboration for that report.

 

If not Weatherford then somebody else I don't know how much longer we put up with an unreliable punter. Masthay could cost us the game against the Seahawks. I don't think I could survive another loss to the Seahawks on some stupid mistake or brain fart when we should have won. My heart couldn't stand the strain. "This is the big one! Hear that Elizabeth. I'm coming to join you, honey."