Almost Perfect

The game against the Raiders at Lambeau Field was almost a perfect outing. If you take away a play here or there and the injury to second string quarterback Brett Hundley the Packers played well both offensively and defensively.

 

First and utmost Brett Hundley is the real deal. When he gets healthy, if he does, (remember Ty Montgomery had an ankle injury and never recovered after the second hurting), will demand a pretty penny next year when Thompson trades him. He has to. Unless Hundley is going to push Aaron Rodgers out as the starter like Rodgers did it wouldn't be fair to have him sit. Favre was closer to retirement (hahahaha) than Rodgers is.

Seconds Before Hundley Got Hit By A Mack Truck

Second and utmost the injury to Hundley will only reinforce the attitude to hold out the starters from the preseason, especially Rodgers. We will have to wait to see if Rodgers plays next week at San Francisco.

 

Third and utmost the starting offensive line (L-R: David Bakhtiari, Josh Sitton, J.C. Tretter, T.J. Lang, Bryan Bulaga) opened holes for Eddie Lacy, who carried the ball 9 times for 45 yards on the opening offensive series of the game. His 1-yard touchdown wasn't much to write home about despite what the homers on the Packers broadcast said. He barely got over when he leaped over Lang.

 

He Leaps He SCOOOOORRRRES!!!!!!!!!!!

Lacy had a good game with gains of 20, 6, 5 twice, 4 twice plus the 1-yard leap and two runs over left tackle and up the middle for no gain.

 

Second String Line

James Starks and the second string line (L-R: Jason Spriggs, Lane Taylor, Don Barclay, Josh Walker, Kyle Murphy) played the second series and except for his first run of 24 yards over right tackle the rest of the drive was a disaster as far as rushing and Hundley was concerned. Starks for 0 over right guard, -2 left guard and 5 left end.

 



Davante Adams Best Catch

On Hundley's best pass was a 31-yard completion to Davante Adams, but it was also his last because he was rolled up from behind by Khalil Mack and left the game after hurting the same ankle that had him sitting out the last two weeks. Hundley was 5-of-7 for 67 yards.

 

RAIDER OFFENSIVE NOTES: Josh Walker moved inside to right guard after having a rather uneven game against the Browns at right tackle. In the fourth quarter he moved back to right tackle when newly signed center Kyle Steuck came in at right guard. He is a big man 6-5, 328 (second biggest behind Mike Pennel), but he plays like a big powder puff in space and is better suited for guard.

 

Don Barclay (67) May Have Found His Position

In related news Don Barclay has been playing center exclusively the first two games and it seems James Campen is preparing to live without starting center Corey Linsley and grooming the tackle as the backup to J.C. Tretter. Barclay played better against the Raiders than he did against the Browns.

 

Spriggs continues to play well at left tackle and Murphy returning from a concussion played well at right tackle. Behind the second string line the Packers had 100 yards rushing on 31 rushes (3.2 ave.). The second unit also gave up 3 sacks for 20 yards.

 

John Crockett

The battle for the third running back is intense. John Crockett has 12 rushes for 43 yards (3.6 average) and 1 touchdown, including 6-for-26. Brandon Burks has 13 rushes for 59 yards (4.5).

 

Brandon Burks

Against the Raiders Crockett went 6-for-26 and a beautiful 10-yard touchdown run. While Burks went 4-for-14, but he had one run for 15 yards and 3 runs for 0, 0 and -1. Burks has run well overall, but he needs to do more to beat out Crockett.

 

On the other hand, the fullback battle is not going well. Aaron Ripkowski is not having a good camp as a fullback and Alstevis Squirewell isn't better. Neither have blocked well in games or in practice. Ripkowski however is a demon on special teams.

 

The return of Jordy Nelson although only in the pregame warm up is about the only good news about the wide outs. Randall Cobb and Davante Adams started, but only three balls were thrown their way. Cobb was a decoy and Adams was thrown all three passes catching two. His first was the ill-fated 31 yard completion down the right sideline ala Jordy. His other was for 6. Geronimo Allison caught 1 pass for 18 yards, Ty Montgomery caught 1 of 5 for 7 and Jared Abbrederis 1 for 3. Herb Waters was thrown 1 pass and didn't catch it.

 

Defensively the Packers didn't have much a pass rush. Once again Clay Matthews and Julius Peppers sat out leaving Nick Perry and Datone Jones as the starters. Micah Hyde again started for Morgan Burnett, who after being a healthy scratch last week (NOT) has not practiced or played with a reported back injury.

 

RAIDER DEFENSIVE NOTES: The broadcasters praised Damarious Randall, but for the second straight week he gave up a long gain down the sideline. This time is for 20 yards and he looked clueless trying to figure out where the ball was. Later in the game Josh Hawkins had a similar play on the opposite side of the field for 18 yards. Both players redeemed themselves with an interception.

 

Carl Bradford had another good game in relief of Blake Martinez. Sam Barrington started, but Joe Thomas continues to play the majority of the game with Jake Ryan out with an injury. Barrington had 1 tackle for a loss. Bradford and Martinez both has 2 solo and 2 assisted tackles. Thomas had 2 solo tackles with one for a loss.

 

Kentrell Brice and Carl Bradford

Safety Marwin Evans was the leading tackler with 4 solo and 1 assisted. He was always near the ball in the fourth quarter. Safety Kentrell Brice had 3 tackles and leads the team after two games with 9.

 

Outside linebackers Perry, Jones, Lerentee McCray, Kyle Fackrell, Jayrone Elliott, and Reggie Gilbert all had uneventful games with a combined 5 solo tackles and 4 assisted.

 

Special teams giveth and taketh away again. Trevor Davis didn't have a pass thrown his way on offense, but he returned 2 punts, 1 for 21 yards, and had a 26-yard kickoff return.

 

On the flip side Tim Masthay had a punt blocked for a touchdown. It wasn't his fault. Peter Mortell again won the punting battle with 2 for a net average of 58.0 with 1 inside the 20 and a long of 58. Masthay had 3 for a net of 28.0 with 1 inside the 20 and a long of 51. Mortell had a terrible week during the practice, but again proved he is a gamer. This battle might be interesting since Mortell has survived the second week without being cut unlike last year with Masthay's competition.

 

The Packers will now play the last two exhibition games on the road in San Francisco and Kansas City and won't return to Lambeau until the third game of the season against the Lions. So in closing enjoy this.