Despite being 3-1 the Packers are not your grandfathers Packers, but are more and more becoming the Just Good Enough Packers the Tedders and Ask Vic have come to know, love and defend.
This week Fox Sports reporter Nunzio Ingrassia revealed that Mr. Even Temper Mike McCarthy is getting testy with people (not the Tedders, Ask Vic, Ted Thompson or Mark Murphy), but people who actually watch the actual game and not the game those people think they're watching.
When asked why the Packers are ranked 25th in total yards per game and 27th in passing yards per game (209.8) and with the best quarterback in the league and possibly ever Aaron Rodgers is tied with the man who beat him out for the top draft pick in the 2005 draft, but has been just ordinary since Alex Smith for 2oth in quarterback ratings McCarthy replied, "I don't know why the hell I have to come in here and answer questions about what you think went wrong on offense."
First of all, MIKE, you are paid to come in here and answer questions like the class individual you used to be instead of the Bill Belichick clone with a nasty attitude.
Second, it looks like you don't seem to know the Packers offense and Aaron Rodgers in particular is not up to snuff. When a team has 406 total yards and rush for 147 that team should be able to score more than 23 points.
McCarthy addressed that, “You know, we had 400 yards of offense, so I don’t know why the hell I’ve got to come in here and answer questions about the things you think that went wrong."
I think we get the point MIKE you like how the offense is going or you have no F...ing clue how to fix it. Does that sum it up, MIKE?
I remember you saying you were going to work on the passing game during the two weeks heading up to the Giants game and yet Rodgers completed 23-of-45 passes (51.1%) for 259 yards with 2 TDs and 2 interceptions at Lambeau Field. Not a good day, but evidently good enough for Mr. Mike.
Here's McCarthy's explanation: It seems Jordy Nelson, Davante Adams and Randall Cobb aren't getting the job done, so rookie Trevor Davis and second year guy Ty Montgomery are being worked into the lineup and they are the reason Rodgers can't complete a pass. Talk about being thrown under the proverbial bus.
Rodgers chimed in and felt the youngsters were the problem and not his scattershot passes. “...would have looked a lot better on paper and actually live, as well” if the team (and not him) had made one or two more plays a game."
The 3-1 Packers host the 4-1 Cowboys this week and America's Doubleheader Game of the Week will feature the leading rusher in the league rookie Eliott Ezekiel (109.2 yards per game and 5.0 yards a carry) vs. the top run defense in the league the Green Bay Packers (42.8 and 2.0 per carry). Something's got to give, so tune it America to find who.
NFL Week 6 Cheat Sheet: Peter Schrager's picks
Oh, baby. Am I crazy if I’m taking the Cowboys, here? Am I off my rocker if I think Dak Prescott and Zeke Elliott could be the best rookie tandem to hit the league since Jon Ogden and Ray Lewis suited up for the ’96 Ravens? I might be all of these things, but the Cowboys are playing flawless football. The stage hasn’t been too big for Prescott yet, and even if Lambeau Field is rocking, this kid seems to rise to the occasion when the lights are the brightest. National TV audience. Thom Brennaman and Troy Aikman in the booth. Erin Andrews on the sideline. Aaron Rodgers under center for the Packers. And … I like the ‘Boys. Sorry, Tony Romo … it’s Dak’s world, and we’re all just living in it.
The pick: Cowboys 33, Packers 30
More Cheat Sheet Observations by Kevin Patra:
Green Bay Packers Injuries: RB Eddie Lacy (ankle), CB Damarious Randall (groin), CB Quinten Rollins (groin).
Lacy was limited all week and should play. Running back James Starks sat out all week and was originally listed as questionable, but was ruled out by the Packers on Saturday.
Injury Update: Chris Banjo (hamstring), Sam Shields (concussion), and Jared Cook (ankle) are also out. Lacy, Rollins and Randall are questionable. In addition, T. J. Lang (hip) and J.C. Tretter (back) were limited in practice Thursday and Friday.
Let's look at the worse possible scenario: If Rollins can't play then the cornerbacks will be LaDarius Gunter again playing for Shields and Josh Hawkins playing for Randall and Rollins with Micah Hyde in the slot. If Lacy goes down there are no other running backs on the roster, so Randall Cobb and Ty Montgomery will have to play there. If Lang and Tretter can't play Don Barclay will play center and...there are no other guards on the roster either, so one of the rookie tackles left tackle Jason Spriggs or right tackle Kyle Murphy will have to play out of position. This is definitely a clusterf...k. Thank you Ted Thompson.
Now for the rest of the Cheat Sheet Observations by Patra:
Here is the major question heading into Sunday's showdown at Lambeau Field: Is the Packers' run defense as impressive as it's looked in four games? Green Bay has allowed a minuscule 42.8 rushing yards per game, and 2.0 yards per carry, both best in the NFL (for comparison's sake: last season they allowed 4.5 yards per carry; 26th). The Packers' front seven has been impressive, but do the otherworldly stats have more to do with their opponents? In four games, they've faced the Jaguars (30th in rushing offense), Vikings (32nd), Lions (23rd -- and sans their top rusher) and Giants (27th). On Sunday they face the No. 1 rushing offense in the NFL. The Cowboys boast a road-grading offensive line and rookie tailback Ezekiel Elliott, who leads the NFL with 546 rushing yards. Elliott has been more impressive by the week, displaying patience hitting the hole. If the Packers hold down Zeke, that will be an accomplishment, but don't expect another week of under 50 yards on the ground versus Green Bay.
Aaron Rodgers and the Packers have looked like two totally different offenses from one half to the next. The Packers are getting great blocking and solid support in the run game, but the passing attack continues to raise eyebrows. Rodgers should have plenty of time to find targets against the Cowboys' front seven this week but needs his receivers to find space. Cowboys corner Morris Claiborne has been stellar this season. He should clamp down on Jordy Nelson, which means Randall Cobb could be in for another big day. Cobb hasn't posted back-to-back 100-plus-yard receiving games since Weeks 7 and 8 in 2014.
Say what? Stat of the week: Dak Prescott needs eight more pass attempts to break the record for most throws without an INT to begin a career (Tom Brady, 162).
More Stats of the Week: Rodgers has a quarterback rating of 87.7 (78-of-139-(56.1)-876-9TD-
Now the Big Picture:
In any normal Aaron Rodgers season (prior to game 7 of the 2015 season) the Packers would have a great chance to win this game, but this is not your grandfathers Aaron Rodgers. With a hot rookie quarterback going against backup cornerbacks and a very wounded secondary and the league's leading rusher testing the Packers lofty run defense ranking this game is a recipe for an upset (the Packers are favored for some odd reason except maybe the odds makers are looking at the same game film as McCarthy). With an ordinary Rodgers going against a good Cowboys defense where having over 5 seconds to pass makes absolutely no difference because the receivers either drop the ball, tip the ball, run the wrong route or just don't get open and maybe no running game to take the pressure off this is also a upset in the making.
So I will predict the Packers will lose 24-15 (maybe just 5 Mason Crosby field goals).
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