The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia

The Sunday night debacle sadly was just another chapter for the “Just Good Enough” Packers during the Mark Murphy/Ted Thompson/Mike McCarthy/Dom Capers era. Everything that happened could have predicted and here are the many things that didn’t go right Sunday night.

No. 1: The Packers tend to laid an egg on national TV during the later years of the entirely too long tenure of McCarthy and Capers.

No. 2: The Packers began the game with two key injuries to right tackle Bryan Bulaga and left tackle David Bakhtiari. When Don Barclay went down before the preseason and Bulaga went down during the second preseason game Thompson should have started to look for some experienced help at tackle since former No. 2 pick Jason Spriggs was a disappointment during the preseason and the other tackle on the roster is Kyle Murphy who was active for only 3 games last year. Instead Thompson ignored the situation and when Bakhtiari couldn’t answer the bell against the Falcons Thompson activated an undrafted free agent Adam Pankey and then moved Murphy to left tackle and put guard Justin McCray, who hasn’t played in an NFL game at right tackle.

Then when he brought up Pankey from the practice squad instead of replacing him a tackle Thompson signs guard Darrell Greene. What the HELL is going on?

No. 3: Early in the game Chris Collinsworth made a point about why the offense changed from the first drive where the Packers scored to an incompetent series later. Collinsworth or was it Al Michaels said McCarthy had to protect Aaron Rodgers from Aaron Rodgers because Rodgers wanted to make us of the best player on the offense and that was not good, in the twisted over-thinking mind of Mike McCarthy. So he took Ty Montgomery out and insert rookie Jamaal Williams, who is averaging less than two yards a carry, and began giving the ball to him. Of course, the offense bogged down and lost its rhythm. Usually McCarthy waits until the second half before scuttling the offense, but Sunday night he did it on the second series.

After the game McCarthy said this, “Offensively, I wish we could have played the whole game like the first series, (with) the ability to mix the run and pass and move it.” McCarthy evidently didn’t remember he calls the plays.

No. 4: The Great Nitro Defense lasted just one game. Two things were going on. First, the man of the first week Mike Daniels left the game in the first series and never returned and did safety Kentrell Brice. Both were cleared to play after being listed as questionable coming in. After they left the line didn’t help with the pass rush and the secondary had trouble stopping the runners and the receivers with yards after the catch.

You see the offensive line is not the only position Thompson has short-changed on backups with. He has done the same on the defensive line. There is nobody on the bench that can carry his own water when he has to play because of injury (and the Packers suffer an inordinate amount of injuries every year, so plans should be made accordingly, but NO). Ironically, one of the cuts this week was a veteran defensive lineman Ricky Jean Francios. He was cut to make room for Pankey.

Second, Dom Capers evidently didn’t prepare for the Falcons. Halfway through the first half he benched slot corner Quinten Rollins, moved outside cornerback Damarious Randall to the slot and inserted the previously horrible No. 2 draft pick Kevin King on the outside and began to play the other No. 2 pick safety Josh Jones more with Brice down. Who benches his starters early in the first half? The incompetence on the defensive side shouldn’t be tolerated much longer.

No. 5: More injuries. In addition to Daniels (hamstring) and Brice (groin) going down, Jordy Nelson was lost for most of the game with a quad injury. And in the second half Randall Cobb (shoulder) and Davon House (groin) left the field.

No. 6: Bad tackling continues to be a problem on defense as are the defensive backs taking bad angles. With the Nitro Defense using Morgan Burnett more like an inside linebacker (he plays closer to the line than the actual inside linebackers do) that leaves one less back in coverage (even if the Packers put 10 back in coverage they couldn’t cover my mother in her walker).

Let me give Capers a suggestion. How about devising a new defense called “Cover the Middle”. Maybe he should hit the internet and find some books written by competent defensive coaches. Just a thought.

Finally No. 7. What happened Sunday night had nothing to do with Murphy at left tackle and McCray at right tackle. They actually played well enough. The other issues overshadowed any minor problems they had. Also Clay Matthews had a good game. Other than those three everyone else didn’t, including Davante Adams, who caught 8 of 10 passes for 99 yards and a TD.