I Must Have Been Watching a Different Game

The win over the Philadelphia Eagles was nice and some of the young guys played well as did a few of the older bubble players, but putting aside the glowing reports from the “Kiss Ass” local media and the “Homer” TV and radio network casters I saw some troubling things to worry about.

First and foremost shoddy tackling by the starters. Clay Matthews missing a sack he used to make in his sleep that led to a long TD completion was very troubling. The Claymaker hasn’t been the Claymaker for several seasons and that play makes me feel queasy.

One columnist this summer suggested it might be better if Matthews was cut because he isn’t living up to his contract. I thought at the time it was a plausible since “Ted Terrific” got rid of the greatest Packer of recent times Brett Favre as well as letting All-Pros Marco Rivera, Greg Jennings, Josh Sitton, T.J. Lang among others walk signaling that there is no loyalty coming from the Front Office and no one is safe from the “Cutmaster” just ask any guard and punter.

On the play Matthews broke up the middle and Carson Wentz easily ducked him and threw a 38-yard TD pass that including a missed tackle by top draft pick Kevin King followed by a missed tackle by No. 2 pick from last year Quinten Rollins. Three missed tackles on one play. In total the Packers had only 2 quarterback hurries all night. Living in a Trump world the only thing to say is, “SAD”.

Before Matthews missed tackle Morgan Burnett whiffed on one that allowed many YAC's (yards after the catch). Later in the first half Kentrell Brice and Joe Thomas all missed sure tackles mostly by trying to hand tackle or going too high and getting pushed off.

I’m from a small town in the Heartland and like Al Bundy played high school football. My coach Vern “Pappy” Pollock, who passed away very recently -  God Rest His Soul – taught us many lessons on and off the field, and one of his lessons, which he drummed into us daily, was how to tackle and how not to. He said take on the runner straight on with open arms starting at the waist before dragging your arms down his legs until he trips up. Now that is a sure tackle.

Evidently Dom Capers teaches to reach – which would drive Vince Lombardi crazy – from the stomach up where a stiff arm can push him off, which happened Thursday night. If the Packers were taught well they would tackle well. Football is a simple game like Vince Lombardi taught, you master the fundamentals and you win the matchups and the games.

However, missed tackles are a hallmark of a Dom Capers defense, so it seems those lessons have been learned well by old and new alike. The Packers defense is not good enough to miss tackles for loss or minimal gains. This is not a good omen for the upcoming season since Head Coach Mike McCarthy defended Capers as one of the best defensive coaches in the game.

Staying with the defense another Achilles Heel is pressure on the quarterback and the Packers managed just one sack all evening even against the third and fourth strings, despite what the TV announcers were saying about how Dom Capers dials up innovative ways to get to the quarterback.

It seems Capers was continually dialing wrong numbers. The only sack came on the first series when Nick Perry sacked Wentz two plays after he seemed to sack him, but was called for off-sides.

Brice then missed a shoulder tackle instead of using his arms on the play that LaDarius Gunter recovered a fumble. Brice later left the game with a dislocated finger.

Leaving receivers wide open is a second hallmark of a Dom Capers defense and that was also evident against the Eagles.

The good part of the defensive performance was four turnovers, 2 interceptions (Joe Thomas and an incredible one by Marwin Evans) and two fumbles (Gunter, who forced and recovered one, and Christian Ringo recovering one forced by Blake Martinez late in the game).

The other good part was the bend and not break performance holding the Eagles to 9 points. I would rather have a dominating defense that didn’t bend, but we won’t have one until McCarthy is gone because he will not fire Capers.

Offensively wasn’t a good night. We won’t know how the No. 1 offense will be until the season opener. It seems Aaron Rodgers and maybe not Jordy Nelson will not play in the preseason. Rodgers might as well move into Favre’s “superstar” locker room because he is too good to play with the rest of the team in preseason games.

The offense has a new right guard in Jahri Evans and 2 new tight ends in Martellus Bennet and Lance Kendricks that needs to build chemistry with the “Greatest One”, but according to the TV announcers he doesn’t need to play with them he just has to think about playing with his teammates to build that chemistry.

I don’t think that works. Ever since Jordy suffered his knee injury during the preseason McCarthy stopped playing Rodgers and Nelson during the games “that don’t count”. I think there are 2 things the preseason does for a team. No. 2 is gives the non-starters a chance to make the team. However, No. 1 it gives the starters a chance to get their rhythm down and this is where McCarthy is wrong. The starters need to play and that included Rodgers, who I think is still the starting quarterback.

The passing game was passable. DeAngelo Yancey had a great catch for 46 yards catching 3 of 4 passes for 67 total yards. Max McCaffrey caught 3 of 7 passes for 60 yards with a long of 32. Davante Adams had a nice catch. Michael Clark had a nice catch. However, except for Adams those guys are not going to be playing much.

Bennett was only thrown to once and Kendricks was thrown to not at all. Rodgers needs to play with those guys against “live” competition, but that is not going to happen until September 10 at 3:25 p.m. when the Seahawks invade Lambeau Field.

The players who played a lot on the offense are players who will not be playing during the season. The starting offensive line needs to get its rhythm and the running backs need to run. The only players who get a good amount of time on the field are the receivers, except for Jordy.

We need to know if Ty Montgomery is a full-time three down back or not. He had 3 carries. That is a question that needs to be answered. The running game was horrible with 14 carries for 18 yards after taking out the scrambles by the quarterbacks. “SAD”.

Overall the offensive line gave up 5 equal opportunity sacks, 2 on Brett Hundley, 2 on Joe Callahan and 1 on Taysom Hill. Callahan is not a starting quarterback, but he makes thing happen. Hill I like what I saw. Hundley is not the second coming of Matt Hasselback, Mark Brunell, Matt Flynn or even Doug Pederson for that matter. He looked good his rookie season, but hasn’t since then. “TT” won’t get much if he trades him.

All in all it was a good game to win. The Packers need to win and win often in the preseason. They won’t if history is any indication. Rodgers needs to play. He won’t if history is any indication. The defense needs to tackle and it won’t if the Eagles game is any indication. The defense needs to put pressure on the quarterback and it won’t if the Eagles game is any indication.

I’m looking forward to the Redskins game to see if the running back picks up, if Rodgers plays a quarter with the first stringers, if the pass rush picks up, if the tackling is…..tackling.

One more thing the TV announcers said as a thing of pride in their “kiss ass” praise of “TT”. The color guy said 60% of the current Packers roster was taken in the sixth or seventh round of the draft or are undrafted free agents.

Actually the percentage is 57.7% (close enough for TV guys) with 10 being drafted in the sixth and seventh rounds, 34 being signed as undrafted free agents by “TT” and another 7 being undrafted free agents by other teams picked up by “TT” as a street free agent and 1 other (WR Colby Pearson) who was invited to the Bears rookie camp, but not signed.

I will say this and say it no uncertain terms, NO team wins the Super Bowl with 57.7% of their roster being either in the bottom two rounds of the draft (11.1%) or undrafted free agents (46.7%). NO team, NO way, NO how.

What the Ted Thompson Era will be remembered for is a blown opportunity of having two of the greatest quarterbacks in the history of the game and NOT putting a great team around them. With those two great leaders and players the Thompson Years beginning his 13th season at the helm has ONE and ONLY ONE Super Bowl appearance and ONE SUPER BOWL win.

Since “TT” took over in 2005 the New Patriots have been to the Super Bowl 4 times winning 2, the Seahawks went 3 times winning 1, the Giants went 2 times (beating the Packer both times) winning 2 and the Colts, Broncos and Steelers 2 times winning 1.

Besides Tom Brady with the Patriots none of the other teams had a better quarterback than Favre and Rodgers (including stat stuffer Peyton Manning , who went 4 times (2 with the Colts and 2 with the Broncos winning 1 with each team).

Timidity, penny-pinching, and arrogance best sums up the Thompson Era. Another General Manager in the mold of Vince Lombardi and Ron Wolf would have brought in the final pieces to win NOW and not continue to build for future with the cheapest players he could find.

So to you Mark Murphy and the “Tedders” I will say it one last time, “SAD”.