Position Evaluation: Secondary

Cornerback is the position former Head Honcho Ted Thompson (or is he, but more on that later) worked on the most in his final years and the position that was the least improved and the main reason, in addition to Dom Capers, the Packers defense sucked for the last several seasons.

Cornerback has been a major disaster after the loss of Tramon Williams and Sam Shields, despite being filled by three high draft choices. Thompson began to rebuild the unit by drafting Damarious Randall and Quinten Rollins No. 1 and No 2 in 2015 and then Kevin King No. 2 (he was actually Thompson’s top draft pick when he traded out of the 1st round) last season. In addition, he drafted Demetri Goodson No. 6 in 2014.

"Hail Rodgers"

I took last week off because I was busy at work and I really didn't know what to think about the Packers after dismantling the Lions in the 6h must-win in as many weeks. I felt the Lions were only downslide even though the Packers had failed to win the same game last year at Lambeau Field against the Vikings with the North title on the line.

That failure stuck in my mind heading into the game against the Giants as did the other two times Eli Manning faced the Packers at Lambeau in the playoffs and beat Brett Favre the first time and Aaron Rodgers the second.

However, this is a different Packers team facing an older and not better Eli with Aaron Rodgers at the top of his game and the Aaron Rodgers who was mired in a slump when he faced the Vikings last year.

Bye Week: What They're Saying?

This week NFL.com has a list of the Top 10 Deep Threats, so let's take a look at where our favorite buzz cut Packer landed. 1. A.J. Green, (Bengals); 2. DeSean Jackson, (Redskins); 3. Odell Beckham, Jr. (Giants); 4. Allen Robinson (Jaguars); 5. Julio Jones (Falcons); 6. Antonio Brown (Steelers); 7. Alshon Jeffery (Bears); 8. Emmanuel Sanders (Broncos); 9. Amari Cooper (Raiders); 10. Will Fuller (Texans).

Another Maalox Moment

Maalox Moment

I absolutely hate playing wounded teams and especially struggling quarterback, especially now that Defensive Coordinator Dom Capers has survived another week. The Lions are the epitome of dysfunction with both the team in general and quarterback Matt Stafford in particular stuck in a funk. With the last three games as my only yardstick I could be swigging Maalox early and often with a green liquor chaser (last week's desperation shot of choice).

 

Any hope for Capers being fired any time soon or possibly ever has been squashed after Head Coach Mike McCarthy was quoted as saying, "discipline in his approach" is Capers’ best attribute as a coordinator. "I think it says a lot about the man. He believes. He believes in the system. He believes in the players. He believes in the program. We’re very fortunate to have him here, and he’s been an excellent – not only defensive coordinator – but he’s been very good from a head-coaching perspective to bounce things off of." Like maybe asking how to cope when your area of responsibility sucks.

 

Defensive Resurgence

Dom Capers suddenly has answers

Whether it was Mike McCarthy looking over his shoulder last season, a séance with Phil Bengston or Fritz Shurmur or a head injury from a fall down the stairs or a combination of all three Packers Defensive Coordinator Dom Capers has seen the light and for the last four games the Packers defense has been playing the best since the Super Bowl season.

 

Starting with Seattle the Packers defense has been on the whole very solid. Marshawn Lynn was held to 41 yards on 15 carries (2.7 average) and Russell Wilson 19-of-30 for 206 yards with 2 touchdowns and one interception while being sacked twice officially, but the loss was only for one yard so those were actually being caught behind the line of scrimmage when he attempted to scramble. For the game Wilson was their leading rusher with 78 yards on 10 carries.

DRAFT DAY TRADES

The Packers hold the No. 30th draft pick in the first round and my guess is General Manager Ted Thompson will probably trade down to acquire more draft picks than trade up. I have a reason for making that prediction.

 

When the draft opens Thompson has nine picks. The Packers have all seven of their own picks (No. 1-30; No. 2-62; No. 3-94; No. 4-129; No. 5-166; No. 6-205; No. 7-247) and two compensatory picks (No. 6-210 and No. 6-212), which can't be traded, for losing wide receiver James Jones to Oakland and center Evan Diertrick-Smith to Tampa Bay. Defensive end C. J. Wilson to Oakland and offensive tackle Marshall Newhouse to Cincinnati were also free agency losses, but they weren't deemed good enough for compensation).

 

Thompson has been very active on draft day making 27 trades on draft day during his previous 10 drafts. In his first draft he traded down in the third round (No. 89) for two No. 4's (115 and 126). He then traded down again trading the No. 4 (126) for two No. 5's (167 and 175), and a No. 7 (245). He traded down for the third time trading the No. 6 (175) for a No. 6 (195) and a No. 7 (246).

 

In the end he traded away a No. 3-89 (DT Atiyyah Ellison), a No. 4-126 (T Todd Heremans) and a No. 5-175 (DT Anttaj Hawthorne) for a No. 4-115 (S Marviel Underwood), a No. 5-167 (CB Mike Hawkins), a No. 6-195 (WR Craig Bragg), a No. 7-245 (LB Kurt Campbell) and a No. 7-246 (G Will Whitticker). To sum up three draft picks for five.

 

ANALYSIS: None of the five picks Thompson acquired amounted to anything (see Lombardi's Den Draft Redux) while Ellison played six years for seven teams; Heremans was a solid starter for the Eagles for 10 years before signing with the Colts recently; and Hawthorne played two seasons with the Raiders and ended his short career in the Arena League. RESULT: Minus.

 

NFC Championship Post Mortem

I fully agree with the sentiments of Aaron Rodgers. The Packers should be celebrating today after dismantling the Seahawks, but instead coached and stupided their way out of the game. This should hurt for a long, long time.

 



Otto Greule Jr./Getty Images

First, Coach Mike McCarthy should fire the man who calls the plays for the Packer offense. I have said this for years and will continue to stress this point until someone else, anyone else, takes over the offense. I also blame Rodgers for not changing the plays when they were obviously the wrong call for the wrong time in the game.
 

I have two problems (actually I have more, but two big ones and I've had it for a long time) with McCarthy's play calling. First, in the fourth quarter when a first down would have sealed the win when the Packers were leading 19-7 after the strange sit down by Morgan Burnett I said and I quote, "They will run the ball three times and punt." And run and punt they did. I hated to be right, but if I could have gotten someone to bet with me I could have set up my retirement account. No one, but a Packerbacker who has watched his strange play calling over the years, would have said he would take the ball out of the best quarterback in the game and give up. But he does this every time.