Different Quarterback Same Result

I went into the game against the Saints with no expectations. Aaron Rodgers wasn’t even at Lambeau Field, but master play caller Mike McCarthy and his play chart was and the grand dame of defensive coordinators was still sitting up in the clouds directing the Packers defense and with those 3 strikes against him the new “Great White Hope” of the Packers didn’t have a chance.

Brett Hundley made his first start and with the help of rookie running back Aaron Jones took the opening kickoff and drove 75 yards on 5 plays with Jones going the final 46 to give the Packers the lead 7-0.

During the drive Jones went 15 yards on the 1st play, 3 yards on the 3rd play, after the 4th play (an incompletion) was wiped out by a penalty Jones went 6 yards on the 5th play and 46 yards to the end zone on the 6th play. That was 73 yards on four rushes. Hundley went 0-for-1 officially and 0-2 otherwise.

After an interception by Damarious Randall in the end zone Hundley took over at the 20 and went 3-and-out despite Jones rushing for 6 yards on the 1st play and 3 yards on the second. 3rd-and-1 failed on an incomplete pass to Davante Adams designed for 1 yard.

After an interception by Davon House Hundley took over at the Packers 6. At this point McCarthy replaces Jones, who had rushed 6 times for 81 yards, with Ty Montgomery, who rushed for 5 yards off right tackle, 4 yards up the middle and then facing 3rd-and-1 from the Packers 15 – and remember this play – McCarthy in his infinite wisdom as the best play caller in the history of the NFL called the one play that 99.9% of the time fails, but a play he calls over and over again in key moments, a swee[ to Montgomery over left end, which resulted in -3 yards forcing a punt from the 12.

The Saints take over at their own 47. Remember the Saints on their 1st possession drove 55 yards on 12 plays with 3 1st downs before being intercepted in the end zone and on their 2nd drove 44 yards on 4 plays with 1 1st down before being intercepted. The Saints continued to manhandle the Packers defense by driving 53 yards on 7 plays with 3 1st downs before scoring on a 12-yard touchdown pass to tie the score.

At this point the 1 good thing McCarthy did in the game was to end his misguided belief Jones couldn’t or shouldn’t be the full-time running back. The week before McCarthy started Montgomery (after Jones had rushed for a season-high 125 yards on 19 carries against the Cowboys, which was the same thing McCarthy did in the season opener when he started Montgomery with Jamaal Williams and Devante Mays behind him while leaving Jones inactive after leading the team in rushing by a larger margin, including yards per carry, in the preseason) and with Montgomery and Jones playing alternating series neither player did well with Montgomery rushing 10 times for 28 yards (2.8) and Jones 13 times for 41 yards (3.2).

Jones started the remainder of the game at running back and Montgomery was shifted to a slot receiver. Even when Jones wasn’t in the backfield it was Randall Cobb who took his place. Let’s hope McCarthy doesn’t change his mind during the bye week and go back to his misguided policy.

Jones finished the game running the ball 11 more times for 50 yards, including 2 plays that will raise their ugly heads in a key moment later in the game. He finished with 131 yards, a new season and career high, on 17 carries for an average of 7.7 per carry. If you take away the 46-yard TD run Jones still averaged 5.3 a carry, which any running back will take.

Brett Hundley did some good things. His pocket presence was good and he showed an ability to make plays with his feet like Aaron Rodgers does. However, for the second week in a row his passing stats were anemic completing 12-of-25 passes for 87 yards with no touchdowns and 1 interception for a quarterback rating of 39.9. That was an improvement from 39.6 of his 1st extensive outing (18-of-33 for 157 yards with 1 TD and 3 interceptions), which I bet Larry McCarren will grab upon to find his silver linings of this game.

The post game analysis said Jordy Nelson and Davante Adams didn’t help him by winning 50-50 balls. However, the game plan was designed, I’m guessing, to not let him loose on long balls. He threw a few and his last play and pass was intercepted when he overthrew Marty Bennett and Cobb down the middle.

The Packers led at the half 14-7, but the defense in the second half was its usual ineffective self giving up a touchdown, two field goals and a touchdown on the 1st 4 drives of the second half. The last Saints drive was to kneel down to run out the clock.

The opening drive was 59 yards on 7 plays for a touchdown. The 2nd drive went 84 yards on 10 plays for a field goal, the 3rd drive went 60 yards on 9 plays for a field goal to take the lead and the 4th went 41 yards on 8 plays for a touchdown to clinch the win.

Beside the usual, leaving the middle completely open all game or setting up in a formation that leaves the outside unprotected another thing happened on the final drive that makes me wonder how senile Dom Capers is. Facing 3rd-and-goal from the 1 everybody in the broadcast booth, the stands and me and the Packer Backers knew Drew Brees was going to sneak the ball, but Dom Capers didn’t.

So with Brees in the middle Capers sets up a defense that leaves the middle uncovered with no linebacker to stop the inevitable leap over center or slap the ball out of Brees hand when he tries to stretch it over the goal line. Brees did that and scored. My grandmother could have scored and she died 21 years ago.

Now back to the 99.9% plays. The Saints kick a field goal and Packers are losing 19-17 with 10:21 remaining in the game. Trevor Davis returns the kickoff to the Packers 45, but Jamaal Williams is called for holding setting the Packers back to their own 10. Big difference.

The Packers are on the far left hash mark, so, of course, the great play caller calls the 99.9% failure play to the left as always and Jones is pushed out of bounds after a 3-yard gain. Facing 2nd-and-7 the greatest play caller calls the same play to the same side from the same left hash mark and Jones loses 2 yards setting up 3rd-and-9 at the 11.

So what would the most greatest play caller of all time call needing 9 yards, of course, he calls a play to Marty Bennett to the short side again for 5 yards hoping the old sledge foot tight end could gain the other 4 yards on yards after the catch. NOT. The punt sets up the Saints at their own 45 and they drive in for the clincher.

I may never have played in the NFL or college for that matter, but me and Al Bundy played high school football and while I don’t know who Al’s coach was mine was a Hall of Fame coach and he always said, “if you need 9 yards you run a 9-yard pattern, so when you catch the ball you have the 1st down (without the YAC).” I added that last part because YAC wasn’t a phrase back then. In fact, I was part of that play when we needed a key 1st down on a 3rd-and-10 I ran a 10-yard pattern and was tackled immediately after catching the ball. 1st down accomplished not 4 yards short.

I thought everyone knew that, but it seems nobody in the NFL remembers that rule, especially in Green Bay.

The Packers now have a week off to try to get Hundley ready for the Lions on Monday Night Football. I hope McCarthy reads up on some fundamental football plays, but I doubt it since he is “the greatest”.

The Packers have a week off to try to get the defense…..forget it as long as Dom Capers is defensive coordinator we’re doomed until Aaron Rodgers is able to play again.