Week 3 - DO YOUR DAMN JOB!!!!!

Week 3 has arrived with the Packers opening their home schedule against the Detroit Lions after coming off a stinker of a game against a very flawed opponent the North's defending champion Minnesota Vikings.

 

The Packers lost 17-14 and had two chances to either send the game into overtime or win it with formerly All-World quarterback Aaron Rodgers at the helm. However, Mr. Rodgers fumbled the first time and threw the game-ending interception on the other.

Defensively, the Packers held the Vikings to 284 yards, but gave up an 87-yard drive for the eventual winning touchdown after Rodgers and the Packers went for a touchdown on a 3rd-and-2 at the 14 with a pass that was badly off the mark and then instead of kicking the tying field goal went for the first down and was stopped on a 1-yard gain by James Starks off left guard, instead of using our power back Eddie Lacy.

 

Going for it with the tying points in the balance was a mistake if for no other reason than the Packers have trouble gaining a yard or two on the ground usually. Previously in the game the Packers had a 1st-and-Goal at the Vikings 1 and didn't gain a yard on a Lacy run up the middle in the first quarter and with a 2nd-and-1 at the Packers 33 in the third quarter Lacy gained 4 yards off right tackle.

 

There are two things to observe about the Packers defense. First, it seems the Packers defense can't walk and chew gum at the same time. Instead of scheming for the entire Vikings offense Defensive Coordinator Dom Capers schemed only to stop Adrian Peterson, who was coming off a terrible game in Week 1 against the not so Mighty Titans having averaged 1.6 yards on 19 carries for 31 yards. Peterson led the league in rushing last year with 1,485 yards with a 4.5 yard per rush average.

 

Everyone felt Pederson would have a heyday against the Packers defense having averaged 110 yards a game in his previous 16 games since he was rookie in 2007 and in the 12 games against Dom Capers since 2009 Peterson has averaged 115 yards a game at 8.1 yards a carry.

 

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Peterson had topped 100 yards 5 times during those 12 games, including 210 and 199 in 2012, 175 in 2011, 146 in 2013 and 131 in 2010. However, last season Peterson was held to 45 and 67 yards in the two games. Before Peterson left the game with a knee injury he was held to 19 yards on 12 carries (1.6 average).

 

So with his usual tunnel vision Capers spent the entire week scheming how to stop Peterson, instead of worrying about Sam Bradford, who would make his first start as a Viking. As could be predicted Sam Bradford posted a 121.2 quarterback rating completing 22-of-31 passes for 286 yards and 2 touchdowns.

 

To give the Packers defense credit it held the Vikings to just 30 yards rushing, which means the Packers lead the lead in rushing defense, and held Bradford to 4-of-14 on 3rd down conversions and 1-of-2 on fourth down.

 

Second, and this a broken record for me and my local Packer Backers each and every week. The bleeping middle of the Packers defense is wide open to passes. It was wide open in 2009, in 2011, in 2012, in 2013, in 2014, in 2015 and, this shouldn't surprise anyone in 2016.

 

Second in this second is we all cringe when the Packers faced a 2nd or 3rd and long.

 

Against the Vikings in the first quarter facing 3rd-and-8 Bradford throws for 12 against Damarious Randall; 2nd & 3rd-and-10 (incomplete passes); 3rd-and-20 (14 yard pass); 2nd-and-11 (15 yard pass); 3rd-and-15 (11 yard pass); 2nd-and-14 (19 yard pass); 2nd-and-13 (9 yard pass); 2nd-and-12 (10 yard pass); 3rd-and-27 (15 yard pass); 2nd & 3rd-and-11 (incomplete pass & a sack); 4th-and-19 (incomplete pass); 2nd-and-14 (19 yard pass); 2nd-and-11 (15 yard pass).

 

Offensively, for the second week in a row the Packers were out-of-sync. Rodgers had his 15th straight game dating back to the bye in week 7 last year with a quarterback rating of less than 100. He completed 20-of-36 passes for 213 yards with 1 TD and 1 interception for a rating of 70.7. Opening week he had a rating of 95.1.

 

He started last season at 6-0 with ratings of 140.5, 116.9, 138.5, 99.0, 82.8 and 100.7. Remember the big excuse for last year's off season for Rodgers was Jordy Nelson was out, but he was also out during the 6-0 start.

 

After the bye the Packers went 4-10 (1-1 in the playoffs) and not so coincidently his ratings were 69.7, 96.6, 83.9, 86.9, 62.4, 96.2, 99.5, 68.8, 66.2, 80.8, 92.7 and in the playoffs, 93.5 and 77.9. In addition he hasn't thrown for 300 or more in 11 straight games.

 

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Just to show some historical perspective between 2009 and 2014 Rodgers started 88 regular season games with 33 under 100 and in 11 playoff games with 5 under 100.

 

Once again Rodgers and the first string offense played only 17 snaps during the preseason and that was with Josh Sitton at left guard and Jordy Nelson sitting out the entire preseason.

 

Rodgers two years ago told us to "relax" after another rough start and the offense rebounded. Last year he didn't say "relax" and the offense never rebounded and except for a Hail Mary to the forgotten Richie Rodgers the Packers would have missed the playoffs and would have lost twice to the lowly Lions.

 

This is now a 15 games slump and it shows no sign of being broken. Wednesday the pressure seemed to be getting to Rodgers as he was reported being "edgy and at least slightly irritated".  

 

Rodgers was asked about his footwork and fundamentals and he said in a snarky fashion, "I feel pretty good about my fundamentals. I'm a two-time USA All-Fundamentals teams. First team. I have the helmets at the house. True story." What the f--k does that have to do with anything in September of 2016. He sounded like a politician avoiding the question.

 

He added this instead of smiling and saying, "RE----LAX", "You guys have a job to do, so do your job. Make your opinions and scrutinize, but we're not worried about your opinions. And we're not going back having sleepless nights worried about what you guys are saying about our offense. Because you guys don't know what plays we're running, you don't know where the execution is, you don't know where the flaws in the execution lie."

 

Fair enough Donald J. Rodgers. It's always the media. The media lines up on the field and scores just 14 points. The media throws passes that so far off-target it would take 6'8" Harold Carmichael to catch them. The media fumbles the ball with the game on the line. The media throws an interception with the game on the line.

 

About the media not knowing where the flaws in the execution lie, well, it seems Rodgers doesn't either since he can't seem to fix them.

 

So how about this Aaron J. Trump, "DO YOUR DAMN JOB!!!!" Prove you are the best quarterback in the history of the game and not a fading Super-Star. It's all on your shoulders and sadly it seems the job might be too big for you. "SO, SHUT UP AND JUST PLAY BALL."

 



UPDATE: Clay Matthews, Morgan Burnett and Sam Shields are out. Letroy Guion and Datone Jones are doubtful, but are probably out, too.

 

That means with Mike Pennel and Demetri Goodson still on suspension and five others injured the defense is down seven players. To solve this issue Thompson brought up undrafted rookie free agent defensive tackle Brian Price to replace running back Jhurell Presley, who was cut.

 

That moves leave the defensive roster with some interesting totals. The defensive line will have at defensive tackle Mike Daniels, rookie Kenny Clark, second year Christian Ringo and undrafted free agent Price with rookie Dean Lowry at defensive end for a total of five. I would say this is a disaster waiting to happen, but Dom Capers uses only a two-man line, so forget it.

 

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At outside linebacker that leaves Julius Peppers, who plays less than one third of the time, Nick Perry, who is an injury waiting to happen, rookie Kyler Fackrell and second year Jayrone Elliot, who never plays. This is a disaster waiting to happen.

 

At inside linebacker there is second year Jake Ryan, rookie Blake Martinez and second year Joe Thomas. This is a disaster.

 

At cornerback there is second year Damarious Randall, Quinten Rollins and LaDarius Gunter and undrafted rookie free agent Josh Hawkins. At safety there is third year Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and Chris Banjo along with undrafted rookie free agents Kentrell Brice and Marwin Evans.

 

This has to be the youngest defense in the NFL. How in the hell can the Packers be a Super Bowl contender with a roster built for three years down the road.

 

On offense the Packers have only three running backs on the roster, Eddie Lacy, who plays every other quarter, James Starks, who also plays every other quarter, and fullback Aaron Ripkowski, who never plays. This is also a disaster waiting to happen.

 

The rest of the offense was summed by Rodgers "flaws in execution". The Packers are 2 games into the season and the offense can't execute. Sad state of affairs.

 

Predictions: CBS Sports (4 pick Lions, 4 pick Packers); SB Nation: Packers 27-21; NFL.com: Green Bay 20-17; USA Today: 5 pick Packers; S.I.com: Green Bay 28-24. A summary of all the predictors say 92% pick the Packers. My pick: Green Bay 31-21.