Position Evaluation: Running Backs, Fullbacks and Tight Ends Oh My

Running Backs and Tight Ends were the two positions besides cornerbacks Ted Thompson worked on last year. He drafted three running backs in the fourth, fifth and seventh rounds and signed five tight ends, one unrestricted free agent, three street free agents and one undrafted free agent and hit big at running back and crapped out at tight end. The best you could hope from Ted Thompson since 2010 was 50 percent.

FROM THE SUBLIME TO THE RIDICULOUS, PART 32

(Alabamian you know why)

SUBLIME

Right Tackle Mark Tauscher and place kicker Ryan Longwell are the newest members of the Packers Hall of Fame.

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.

The Packers Have More Problems Than Losing Aaron Rodgers

Head Coach Mike McCarthy has won a Super Bowl, but not lately, in fact it has been 7 years since the Packers Brain Trust has led the greatest team in football history to the Promised Land with the greatest quarterback in the league at the helm.

Since then the Packers have been to the playoffs every season, but have been bounced out in their first game (even after going 15-1 in 2011) twice (2011, 2013), in the second game twice (2012, 2015) and in the conference title game twice (2014, 2016). The playoff record for Thompson and McCarthy since 2010 is 5 wins and 6 losses. Not a good record with the greatest quarterback in the league.

No Respect, No Respect

Aaron Jones, remember that name, he might be a trivia question one day. He is the modern day version of the great standup comedian Rodney Dangerfield and the second coming of Jeff Janis because he doesn’t get any respect from Head Coach Mike McCarthy, Offensive Coordinator Edger Bennett (yes, he is the OC) and Running Back Coach Ben Sirmans.

Despite being voted the NFL “Offensive Rookie of the Week” after rushing for a season-high 125 yards on 19 carries for an average of 6.6 yards a carry and scoring a touchdown while also catching one pass for 9 yards, the Packers seems to be pushing Ty Montgomery back from 5 broken ribs just 17 days ago to return this week and reclaim his starting job against the Vikings.

The Great, The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

The Great

Aaron Rodgers:

What can you say about a player who almost single-handedly put this team on his shoulders, including Sunday with a 9-play, 75-yard drive in 62 seconds to beat the Cowboys in Dallas.

Rodgers: “I just focused on my breathing on the sidelines and try to calm myself and remind the guys about some little things. The first play of that 2-minute was a conversation we had coming out of halftime actually about the leverage and coverage style in that 55, 2-man coverage and what kind of route we thought we could get in that situation.”

The most amazing thing about the drive was it wasn’t supposed to be for the win, but only for the tie to send it into overtime.

Rodgers: “I was thinking touchdown. We had time. We had a time out. The key to a good 2-minute drive is the 1st play. You have to get some positive yards. We had a good concept front side and kind of alert backside, which actually set up the entire final sequence, hit Davante on a back shoulder to start the whole drive. That ultimately sets up the winning pass, because he’s playing high shoulder first play we go back shoulder. He’s playing lower shoulder on the last play. We go over the top with a high throw.”

Things Are Changing in the North

The Packers dominating the Bears was just the beginning of a week of change for the four teams of the former NFC Central Division, now called the NFC North.

The Bears $45 million man Mike Glennon has been benched after the former Buc turned the ball over 4 times to the punchless Packers defense, including two absolutely terrible overthrown interceptions. Glennon spent his first 4 seasons with the Bucs having started 18 of his first 19 games, but the past two years he has been a backup appearing in only 2 games.

13 Steps Forward, 5 Steps Back And John Fox

The win over da Bears proved 2 things the Packers are better than da Bears and Mike McCarthy is better than John Fox. Beyond that everything else that came out of the game is pure speculation.

The Packers offense, despite the offensive line shuffling once again, and the loss of Ty Montgomery, Jamaal Williams and Davante Adams, continued to produce. Aaron Rodgers was great with 4 touchdown passes and no interceptions, despite having his 300-yard game streak broken, and the game plan allowed him to be sacked only twice.

The Offense Was Another Matter

The offense was “terrible” according to Aaron Rodgers in the first half last week and the second half “got a little bit going”. I agree with that for the most part.

My Thoughts on the final 53 plus 10

Breaking down the 2017 Green Bay Packers the best I can say is the Packers will not contend for a Super Bowl for the seventh straight year.

The Packers have two legitimate All-Pros in quarterback Aaron Rodgers and wide receiver Jordy Nelson. They three more possible Pro Bowlers in left tackle David Bakhtiari, tight end Martellus Bennet and free safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix with maybe defensive lineman Mike Daniels (in Dom Capers’ two-man line there is not much for a lineman to do that take up space).

Draft Day Three Was Offensive

After drafting two defensive backs and a defensive tackle in the second and third rounds Ted Thompson started the last day of the draft by drafting an outside linebacker before turning to the offense with the last 5 picks.