It's great the Packers were able to stop the losing streak against Eli Manning and the Giants last night. The offensive line played great not allowing the high priced Giant defensive line to get near Aaron Rodgers and that was the key to the victory.
Eddie Lacy was running great behind the line until he got hurt and Randall Cobb and Davante Adams had a great game early as did Rodgers on the first drive. The Packers defense had a good night against a quarterback that has played well against the Packers.
I predicted a close score because of the well documented second half swoon of both the offense and defense. However, something happened last night that changed that situation.
The Packers and Rodgers opened the game with a 16-play 75-yard drive to take a 7-0 lead. During the drive Rodgers completed 5-of-8 passes for 41 yards and a 2-yard touchdown pass to Nelson. Lacy rushed 4 times for 13 yards with Aaron Ripkowski picking up a first down with a 1-yard run, Rodgers picking up 11 yards on a scramble two plays before the TD pass and Ty Montgomery and Randall Cobb each rushing once after being lined up in the backfield.
Cobb was thrown 3 passes and caught all 3 for 32 yards, Nelson was thrown 3 passes and caught 2 for 9 yards. Davante Adams and Richie Rodgers were thrown a pass each and didn't catch either.
The next drive at the end of the first quarter started at the Packers 8. This time the drive emphasized Lacy starting with runs of 12 and 11 yards. Rodgers then completed 2 passes of 6 to Rodgers and 17 to Adams. After an incomplete pass to Nelson Rodgers completed 2 passes to Cobb for 8 and 13 yards. Lacy then ran for 4 yards before Rodgers threw his first bad pass on a screen to the right to James Starks at the Giants 21. He then threw a 21-yard TD pass to Cobb, but it was called back on a motion penalty. His next pass went off Nelson's hands and was intercepted.
On the drive Rodgers completed 4-of-7 passes for 44 yards and an interception. It would have been 5-of-7 for 65 yards and a TD and a 14-0 lead.
At this point the Packers offense is cooking. Rodgers was 9-of-15 for 85 yards with a TD and an interception. He should have been 10-of-15 for 106 yards and 2 TDs.
After a holding penalty derailed the first possession in the second quarter (Rodgers was 0-for-3 on passes to Nelson, Cobb and Cobb with an 11-yard pass to Adams wiped out by the penalty).
The next possession the Packers offense went back to work driving 80 yards on 5 plays using the no huddle for the first time in the game.
Lacy started off with runs of 31 and 6 yards and Starks gained 5. Rodgers then hit Adams for 9 yards before throwing a 29-yard TD to Adams.
At this point the Packers are leading 14-3 and should have 21-3. Rodgers was 11-of-20 for 123 yards with 2 TDs and an interception. Could have been 12-of-20 for 144 yards and 3 TDs. The only bad stats were his continued bad completion percentage (55.0% or 60.0%) and an interception that was partially his fault for throwing a high ball.
Nelson had caught 2 of 6 passes for 9 yards, a TD and an interception; Cobb caught 5 of 7 for 53 yards; Adams caught 3 of 4 passes for 55 yards and a TD; Richie Rodgers was 1 for 2 for 6 yards; and Starks 0 for 1. Lacy had 50 yards rushing on 6 carries and Starks was 1 for 5 yards.
At that point Coach Mike McCarthy evidently thought it was the second half because he slowed down the offense on purpose because he wanted other people to get involved, according to Erin Andrews. Why would he do that? Why fix something that is working and isn't broken? All it did was ground the offense for the rest of the game.
The rest of the game Rodgers completed 12-of-25 passes for 136 yards and an interception. Lacy ran the ball 5 more times for 31 yards. Cobb caught 4-of-4 passes for 55 yards; Adams 2-of-4 passes for 30 yards; Nelson caught 2-of-7 passes for 29 yards; and Rodgers was thrown 4 passes and caught none.
The Packers had 3 more possessions in the first half. The first with 5:02 remaining started on the Packers 14 and ended 5 plays later with Rodgers throwing an interception. The second was with 1:51 remaining starting on the Packers 25 and ending three incomplete passes later with a punt. The last was with 1:15 left after Kyle Fackrell caused a fumble on the Giants 31. It ended with a field goal after Adams was called for offensive pass interference.
The second half when McCarthy normally shuts down the offense went like this. Third quarter: 3 plays for 5 yards and a punt. 3 plays for 2 yards and a punt. Fourth quarter: 9 plays 65 yards and a field goal. 13 plays 73 yards and a field goal. 6 plays 10 yards at the end of the game.
I must say this on that last drive. It started with 2:54 remaining on Green Bay 35 with the Packers holding a 7-point lead after the Giants had driven 63 yards on 10 plays to score their only TD.
Normally McCarthy would run 3 times to the outside and punt leaving the game in doubt. This time he ran Starks over right end for -3 yards. Rodgers throws to Starks for 2 yards, but Starks fumbles and it's recovered for another yard. Now its 3rd-and-10. Instead of running again Rodgers throws to Cobb on the right sideline for 13 yards to seal the game. KUDOS to McCarthy for changing his MO.
If you think I'm the only one noticing how bad McCarthy calls a game look at what Rob Demovsky of ESPN had to say in an article titled, "Packers' offense thrills, then gets predictable in win."
"The Green Bay Packers coach opened Sunday night's game against the New York Giants by giving his quarterback a different personnel package on just about every play. From three receivers to two tight ends to multiple players in the backfield, the result was a 16-play drive that saw every skill position player except Jared Abbrederis take at least a snap and ended with a spectacular diving touchdown catch by Jordy Nelson.
The predictable offense that McCarthy had used for most of this season's first three games was gone in a single, thrilling series. Then it wasn't.
For reasons unknown, McCarthy went back to using mostly the same personnel group -- three receivers (Nelson, Randall Cobb and Davante Adams), plus a tight end (usually Richard Rodgers) and a running back (Eddie Lacy until he injured his left ankle, then James Starks). Then, predictably, the offense stalled and looked much like the unit that came into the game ranked 29th in total yards and 29th in passing yards per game.
You could argue that Aaron Rodgers and the offense did what needed to be done for a 23-16 victory over the Giants. But for a team coming off its bye week against a squad coming off a short week from a Monday night game in Minneapolis, it wouldn't have been unreasonable to expect a more impressive showing, especially on offense.
The only points the Packers (3-1) managed in the second half came on three field goals. That might not cut it the next time out, when the upstart Dallas Cowboys come to townon Sunday.
Rodgers threw two interceptions in a game for the first time in nearly a year. Both picks came in the first half. Both ended up in the hands of Giants cornerback Janoris Jenkins.
What's more, Rodgers completed barely more than half of his passes. He was 23-of-45 for 259 yards, with two touchdowns and two interceptions.
Some of the offensive flexibility was compromised when Lacy hurt his left ankle in the third quarter. It ruined what could have been a big day for the Packers running back. He had 81 yards on 11 carries when he hobbled off.
McCarthy showed flashes of offensive variety in the second half; fullback Aaron Ripkowski even had a 13-yard gain in the fourth quarter on a play with an extra offensive lineman (Jason Spriggs) on the field.
But it is only more puzzling that the coach doesn't use more variety on a regular basis.
Perhaps the best thing you could say about the Packers' offense is it was able to run out the clock and secure a victory, thanks in large part to Cobb's ninth catch (he finished with 108 yards) just before the two-minute warning."
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