Let the Games Begin

The start of the season is now upon us with the hated Seattle Seahawks coming to Lambeau Field for the doubleheader game on FOX on Sunday.

In the latest NFL Power Rankings on NFL.com the Seahawks are rated No. 1 and the Packers No. 4. I guess that is about right with the Seahawks ahead of the Packers, but I think the pickers aren’t thinking enough about the Packers defense being a liability and the Packers should be a bit lower.

Two ex-Packers will be making a return visit with punter Jon Ryan making his fourth visit to the “Shrine” having been on the losing side in each of the previous three games in 2009, 2015 and last year during the six-game “Run the Table” winning streak that got the Packers into the playoffs.

Former No. 2 pick Eddie Lacy will be making his first trip to Lambeau Field as the enemy and he will be the starting running back with Thomas Rawls having injury concerns. Mr. Lacy seems to be in some state of confusion about what the Lambeau Leap is with this statement.

“You know, honestly, I’ve been thinking about that for the past two days,” Lacy said. “Part of me wants to, but I don’t want to get pushed down. I really don’t know how the crowd will react to that. Maybe I could find like a small patch of Seahawks fans and do it there.”

He doesn’t know how the crowd would react to him trying to make the “Leap”. Really????? Let me inform Mr. Lacy that the “Lambeau Leap” is a Packers thing and not a touchdown thing. Does that settle the issue Mr. Lacy? Packer Backers don’t take kindly to a member of the other team “Leaping” into the stands. Again does that settle the issue Mr. Lacy?

The Packers and the Seahawks have played 20 times since the Seahawks entered the league in 1976. Packers lead the series 10-7 during the regular season and 2-1 during the playoffs. The Packers have won the last two at home, 27-17 in 2015 and 38-10 last year. Before that the Seahawks had won three in a row at their home field, including the collapse in the playoffs in 2014.

Comparing the two teams. On paper the Seahawks are the better team. Russell Wilson can keep up with Aaron Rodgers. Eddie Lacy verses Ty Montgomery is I don’t know. That could be the key of the game. If Lacy is his old self he will get better as the game progresses wearing down a suspect Packers defense and keeping the ball out of Rodgers’ hands.

The key to the Packers offense is playing together. Once again the starters had very few snaps during the four preseason games, so chemistry issues may crop up. Bryan Bulaga (ankle) returned to practice on a limited basis, so it seems the offensive line will be intact. The key here is the right side. Is Bulaga 100%? How will new right guard Jahri Evans play for an extended period of time? Is Corey Linsley fully back from his injury plagued 2015-16 seasons? That is the key.

At the skill positions the Packers have the edge. Wide receivers Jordy Nelson, Davante Adams and Randall Cobb are special if Adams doesn’t  have a relapse and Cobb stays healthy. Martellus Bennett, Lance Kendricks, and Richie Rodgers are a good set of tight ends as there is in the league. Has Aaron Rodgers played with them enough to develop a chemistry? That is the key here.

The key elephant in the room and thusly the key to the game is how much pressure the Packers can put on Wilson because the Seattle defense is good and they do bring the heat and stop the run.

If the Packers have to play coverage the game will be a rout. Can Clay Matthews, Nick Perry, Ahmad Brooks, Chris Odom, and Mike Daniels bring the heat something they didn’t do, except for Brooks and Odom because they weren’t on the team, in the preseason. If the pass rush is not there the season will be a long one.

The injuries during the preseason were mainly on the defensive side. Matthews (groin) and Perry (ankle) were out and this week they both returned to full participation. Davon House missed the entire preseason with a hamstring and was also a full participant. The other two injuries were to reserves Montravius Adams (foot) and Kevin King (groin). King has been a major disappointment after being the Packers top draft pick.

When Matthews was playing in a preseason game he wasn’t the Claymaker and I fear he will be a non-factor this year. If Brooks can’t pick up the slack and if Perry turns out to be a one-year wonder then the Packers are in trouble.

The defense will be the difference during the season. The Packers offense can keep up with most teams, at least in the first half, before Mike McCarthy goes into his shutdown mode in the second half. The Packers defense, on the other hand, is and has been a liability since 2010. If the defense plays well in the first half, and that is a big if, the second half will be a disaster as it always is because Dom Capers makes no adjustments at the half and the opposition offense always does. It happens week in and week out. Combine that with the offense shutting down and it is a recipe for disaster.

So it will come down to pass rush by the Packers and the running game of the Seahawks. If the Seahawks can control the ball and keep the Packers offense off the field and the Packers defense on the field then the Packers lose.

If the Packers offense is in sync and the defense can pressure Wilson and get off the field the Packers win. It’s as easy as that.

However, I haven’t seen the No. 1 offense and defense enough to answer those questions. So I will be watching with the rest of you on Sunday to see how this season goes. This is a great first game to determine where the Packers really are and not where the rosy glasses local media think they are.

I would like to say I know the Packers after four preseason games, but under McCarthy the starters hardly play, so we don’t get to get a feel about the team under the real games begin. So I don’t know what to think about this game and will not make an up-my-ass prediction this week.

Roster Updates:

The admittance by Ted Thompson that the “Great Drafter” and the “Great Cheap Talent Evaluator” is a myth continued with the release of drafted defensive tackle Christian Ringo in favor of former 49er Quinton Dial just like trading Jayrone Elliott and bringing in Chris Odom from the Falcons earlier. More on that later. Ringo was claimed off waivers by the Bengals.

The Packers also waived fullback Joe Kerridge, who everyone from the Packers coaching staff and the kiss ass local media loved last year, off injured reserve with an injury settlement. I guess he wasn’t loved that much.

Other roster doings around the league with ex-Packers saw former Ted “Draft Guru” Thompson No. 1 pick Datone Jones being released from the Vikings with an injury settlement. That move left the Vikings without a former Packer for the first time in a long time.

In addition wide receiver Dez Stewart, who spent 5 weeks on the practice squad in 2016, was also released by the Lions with an injury settlement.

On the plus side kicker Giorgio Tavecchio, who spent training camp with the Packers in 2013, was re-signed by the Raiders to their practice squad after the trouble they’ve been having with Sebastian Janikowski.

Also the Jaguars signed guard Josh Walker, who was with the Packers for three seasons being on the practice squad in 2014, then a backup for 13 games in 2015 before being waived with an injury settlement last season. He was then picked up by the Texans for their practice squad and then activated for 4 games and active for 3.