After last week a lot of people were concerned about the Packers and how poor they looked. Tonight things look a little different. Both the offense and defense looked much improved against the Rams. So, is Jekyll or Hyde the true Packers team this year? I also want to talk about a bubble guy who really made an impression on me in tonight's game.
The first team offense didn't score a touchdown but they were able to move the ball up and down the field on the Rams. Aaron Rodgers looked great other than the missed pass to Jermichael Finley. Finley himself looked very good both catching and with a lot of YAC. Jarrett Boykin made a nice play filling in with the first team offense. I can't remember who tweeted it, but someone said that Rodgers just looked very comfortable throwing to Boykin and I agree. He's not a burner but he just seems to make things happen. David Bakhtiari also continued his solid play at LT, even with the one whiff on Quinn.
The best part about watching the first team play tonight was Eddie Lacy. It's nice to watch a guy run through tackles and make the defense pay a price to bring him down. It always makes me wonder why he fell. After watching him play at Alabama and now with Green Bay, how can people think he doesn't have the desire to win? People say he doesn't love the game enough. It sure doesn't look like that when he's mowing linebackers down. The Lacy #27 will definitely be the next Jersey in the Packerken collection.
The defense definitely looked better today too. St. Louis should have scored with their first string in the game, but they chose to practice their forth down offense instead. Still, the Rams runners were unable to get anything done against the first string Packers D. And when you remember that the defensive backfield was minus Tramon Williams and Casey Heyward you might look at the passing numbers for the Rams a little different. Micah Hyde kept flashing tonight as well. He had a nice punt return and looked great blitzing as a corner.
The real pleasure tonight was getting to watch Johnny Jolly be Johnny Jolly tonight. He was so disruptive in the middle. He just knows when to make plays, deflecting a ball that was intercepted. He also made a play on a tipped ball to keep the Rams out of the end zone and made a Madden-esque spin move to get the ball away from the goal line. Jolly was one of my favorites before and I have to admit that I still have a soft spot for him. It's great to see him back on the field and making plays. He's one of those guys that you can see is "just a football player." I'm happier still to see that he really seems to have his life together. I would bet that he made an NFL roster tonight. I'm just hoping that it happens to be the Packers roster.
Saturday, August 17, 2013
Sunday, August 11, 2013
So, Is the Sky Really Falling?
Hi guys, it's been a while since I wrote anything so I want to apologize for that. It feels good to have the itch and I'm hopeful that I'll have to scratch it often. Now that's out of the way, let's talk about that horrid game from Friday. Was it really that horrible? I don't think so, here's why.
First off, the first offense moved the ball right down the field. Even though he didn't get credit for it, Starks was in on the 4th down and the Packers should have been up 7-0. That was without Nelson and I'll be even more excited to see the offense with Lacy out there. This tells me as long as Aaron Rodgers is healthy this offense will score points. Of course I'm concerned about how the offensive line will keep Rodgers on his feet, but we saw a positive sign on that too. David Bhaktiari was solid at LT. It's been a few years since the Packers had solid at LT. And as much as I like Marshall Newhouse as a person, I'm happy to hear that Don Barclay is getting reps only at RT now and not C and G. I think over time he will prove to be a better T than Newhouse.
Second, I'm not as concerned about the defense (yet) as the rest of the world. I think it's way too early to be that concerned. With the vanilla defense that was saw Friday it's hard to make an accurate assessment. I think the games Saturday against the Rams and in two weeks against the Seahawks will give us a much better idea of where the team sits. These games are designed to look at individual players performances. That means a lot of guys get put on islands that usually wouldn't, especially the cornerbacks. I think training camp is a better barometer this early.
Finally, it's the first preseason game! Need I remind you about the first game of the 2010 preseason? The Packers lost that one too and Jake Delhomme tore the D up. How did that turn out? I'm not trying to claim that the Pack is headed to the Superbowl again, but just the same, you can't predict the season based on one preseason game. Let's all come back off the cliff, there's no need to jump. Now if we haven't seen improvement by the time the last preseason game comes around,then it might be time to get up on a ledge.
First off, the first offense moved the ball right down the field. Even though he didn't get credit for it, Starks was in on the 4th down and the Packers should have been up 7-0. That was without Nelson and I'll be even more excited to see the offense with Lacy out there. This tells me as long as Aaron Rodgers is healthy this offense will score points. Of course I'm concerned about how the offensive line will keep Rodgers on his feet, but we saw a positive sign on that too. David Bhaktiari was solid at LT. It's been a few years since the Packers had solid at LT. And as much as I like Marshall Newhouse as a person, I'm happy to hear that Don Barclay is getting reps only at RT now and not C and G. I think over time he will prove to be a better T than Newhouse.
Second, I'm not as concerned about the defense (yet) as the rest of the world. I think it's way too early to be that concerned. With the vanilla defense that was saw Friday it's hard to make an accurate assessment. I think the games Saturday against the Rams and in two weeks against the Seahawks will give us a much better idea of where the team sits. These games are designed to look at individual players performances. That means a lot of guys get put on islands that usually wouldn't, especially the cornerbacks. I think training camp is a better barometer this early.
Finally, it's the first preseason game! Need I remind you about the first game of the 2010 preseason? The Packers lost that one too and Jake Delhomme tore the D up. How did that turn out? I'm not trying to claim that the Pack is headed to the Superbowl again, but just the same, you can't predict the season based on one preseason game. Let's all come back off the cliff, there's no need to jump. Now if we haven't seen improvement by the time the last preseason game comes around,then it might be time to get up on a ledge.
Monday, January 28, 2013
Toughness is the Packers Main Offseason Need
Well, another season has ended in bitter heartbroken sadness. I'd love to blame it all on the Fail Mary but that would be a mistake. As good as the Packers are, they still have several issues. And while I think we saw a lot of good come out of this year (Casey Hayward and DuJuan Harris, come on down!), if the team can't figure out how to get back the toughness they showed in their 2010 run to the Super Bowl they will be doomed to repeat the failures of the past two seasons. To be honest, I don't believe that keeping Dom Capers is the answer to a stronger defense in 2013. But I don't see a change coming in the coaching staff, so lets take a look at the three main places the team needs to add toughness most.
1) Offensive Line - This is a line that has been decimated by injuries. I think if the starters can stay healthy they can regain their from of 3 years ago. Brian Bulaga and Derek Sherrod are the future at tackle for the Packers if they can stay healthy and the guards are both very capable players. Center is the main position of need on the line. Jeff Saturday has already announced his retirement and while Evan Deitrich-Smith is a great swing player I don't think he is the answer in the starting lineup. This is a position that must be filled either in free agency or early in the draft.
2) Defensive Line - It was nice to see B J Raji finally start to show the explosiveness that he had as a rookie. It had been missing for a long time. But Ryan Pickett is aging and I think the D Line has missed that tough presence ever since Cullen Jenkins left following the Super Bowl. Jerel Worthy flashed a bit as a specialist in passing situations but the team still needs more of a rock at defensive end Well, that or a more prototypical 3-4 Nose tackle that would allow for Raji to move outside and be his aggressive pass rushing self.
3) Safety - It's been plain to see that the defensive backfield just has not been close to the same since Nick Collins was injured and forced to retire. Charles Woodson did a fair job of trying to replace him but I just don't think he has the size to be a true aggressive run stuffing, hard hitting safety and I don't think Morgan Burnett fits the bill either. And you just can't have a tough D that scares opponents without a guy in the back that's not afraid to announce his presence with authority.
I also think that OLB is a key need for the team. With Nick Perry coming back and entering his second year with the playbook though I don't think this is as urgent. I think this team is still well inside its championship window. I just hope the coaches are open enough to changing their mindsets on how to go about winning it.
1) Offensive Line - This is a line that has been decimated by injuries. I think if the starters can stay healthy they can regain their from of 3 years ago. Brian Bulaga and Derek Sherrod are the future at tackle for the Packers if they can stay healthy and the guards are both very capable players. Center is the main position of need on the line. Jeff Saturday has already announced his retirement and while Evan Deitrich-Smith is a great swing player I don't think he is the answer in the starting lineup. This is a position that must be filled either in free agency or early in the draft.
2) Defensive Line - It was nice to see B J Raji finally start to show the explosiveness that he had as a rookie. It had been missing for a long time. But Ryan Pickett is aging and I think the D Line has missed that tough presence ever since Cullen Jenkins left following the Super Bowl. Jerel Worthy flashed a bit as a specialist in passing situations but the team still needs more of a rock at defensive end Well, that or a more prototypical 3-4 Nose tackle that would allow for Raji to move outside and be his aggressive pass rushing self.
3) Safety - It's been plain to see that the defensive backfield just has not been close to the same since Nick Collins was injured and forced to retire. Charles Woodson did a fair job of trying to replace him but I just don't think he has the size to be a true aggressive run stuffing, hard hitting safety and I don't think Morgan Burnett fits the bill either. And you just can't have a tough D that scares opponents without a guy in the back that's not afraid to announce his presence with authority.
I also think that OLB is a key need for the team. With Nick Perry coming back and entering his second year with the playbook though I don't think this is as urgent. I think this team is still well inside its championship window. I just hope the coaches are open enough to changing their mindsets on how to go about winning it.
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
The One Where I Vow to Not Watch Another NFL Game
First things first. I'm not even going to talk about the play. You all know what happened. So, I said some things after last nights game. They involved profanity. A lot of it. I said I was done with the NFL. People thought I was joking or that I would "come to my senses" and be watching come Sunday. Well, I won't be. The NFL has showed that it doesn't care and so I'm showing that I don't care either.
I had issues sleeping, still angry over the whole thing. When I woke up this morning I still had a headache, but I had calmed down a bit. I realized that nothing would change last night but the NFL would at least apologize (ala the GB/Minny game a few years back) and it's a lot easier to handle mistakes when an honest apology is given. I also assumed that this would bring us closer to getting the real refs back.
I figured I could handle just watching GB games and boycotting the rest until the refs were back and football was football.
Instead we got the following statement:
It will be weird having my Sundays free. I already have some ideas on how to spend them though. I'm taking applications for a nice Premier League team to root on. I have a beautiful guitar my aunt left me several years ago (RIP Aunt Sally) that I promised myself I would learn to play. I also have two kids that don't get enough of their father's time thanks to his obsession with a certain oblong piece of pigskin.
In closing, I just wanted to say thank you to the Packers and their fans for a lot of great years. I hope you guys still make the playoffs. I hope you win it all. I hope that when the NFL changes its attitude and I come back to the sport that you'll have me back as a fan.
Sincerely,
Ken Leibee
I had issues sleeping, still angry over the whole thing. When I woke up this morning I still had a headache, but I had calmed down a bit. I realized that nothing would change last night but the NFL would at least apologize (ala the GB/Minny game a few years back) and it's a lot easier to handle mistakes when an honest apology is given. I also assumed that this would bring us closer to getting the real refs back.
I figured I could handle just watching GB games and boycotting the rest until the refs were back and football was football.
Instead we got the following statement:
In Monday's game between the Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks, Seattle faced a 4th-and-10 from the Green Bay 24 with eight seconds remaining in the game.This insults me. Nowhere do I see a "Sorry fans, we screwed the pooch on that one" all I see is "We don't care, people will still pay to see games and buy jerseys and eventually forget this one!" This lack of integrity is appalling to me. It just shows that the NFL is all about the bottom line, they are no longer concerned with the quality of their product or the safety of the players of the game. Will that change when the real refs come back? No it won't They'll still fine players for short socks or red undershirts when the team color is white all while not holding themselves accountable. Until the NFL can show me that they care about the product and the people more than the bottom line, I'm done.
Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson threw a pass into the end zone. Several players, including Seattle wide receiver Golden Tate and Green Bay safety M.D. Jennings, jumped into the air in an attempt to catch the ball.
While the ball is in the air, Tate can be seen shoving Green Bay cornerback Sam Shields to the ground. This should have been a penalty for offensive pass interference, which would have ended the game. It was not called and is not reviewable in instant replay.
When the players hit the ground in the end zone, the officials determined that both Tate and Jennings had possession of the ball. Under the rule for simultaneous catch, the ball belongs to Tate, the offensive player. The result of the play was a touchdown.
Replay Official Howard Slavin stopped the game for an instant replay review. The aspects of the play that were reviewable included if the ball hit the ground and who had possession of the ball. In the end zone, a ruling of a simultaneous catch is reviewable. That is not the case in the field of play, only in the end zone.
Referee Wayne Elliott determined that no indisputable visual evidence existed to overturn the call on the field, and as a result, the on-field ruling of touchdown stood. The NFL Officiating Department reviewed the video today and supports the decision not to overturn the on-field ruling following the instant replay review.
The result of the game is final.
It will be weird having my Sundays free. I already have some ideas on how to spend them though. I'm taking applications for a nice Premier League team to root on. I have a beautiful guitar my aunt left me several years ago (RIP Aunt Sally) that I promised myself I would learn to play. I also have two kids that don't get enough of their father's time thanks to his obsession with a certain oblong piece of pigskin.
In closing, I just wanted to say thank you to the Packers and their fans for a lot of great years. I hope you guys still make the playoffs. I hope you win it all. I hope that when the NFL changes its attitude and I come back to the sport that you'll have me back as a fan.
Sincerely,
Ken Leibee
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Training Camp is Here! Did the Defense Come to Play?
It's finally here! Training camp has started and with it come changes on defense. Charles Woodson has been playing safety in the base defense in camp. I would have thought this was just a gimmick but he's also attending the safety position meetings. Now he's still playing the slot in the nickel and dime, so he'll still be playing CB most of the time. I love this change to the base defense though as it allows the team to keep Woodson roving the defense and also get a more athletic corner on the field in the base defense.
The big question though is who is that corner? Sam Shields seems to have fallen off the face of the earth. He had tackling issues all last year and it seems to have carried over into camp. Jarrett Bush started camp with the ones at CB opposite Tramon Williams. I'm suppressing a shudder. Bush has always been a great special teams player. It's where he earns his money and it's why I think he's an important part of the team. But he's struggled with his back to the ball on defense for a long time. He has improved over time, just not to the level that I'd like to see in a starting corner.
The Packers have spent 2 higher round picks on the position over the past two years, drafting Davon House in the 4th round last year and Casey Hayward in the 2nd this year. House is a very talented but raw corner. Hayward didn't put up the speed or explosion combine numbers of a pure athlete, but according to reports (thank you MJS) he's been the best CB in camp so far. A high school QB in Georgia, Hayward seems to be picking up the playbook quickly and many of the WRs are commenting about how instinctual he is at reading routes.
I don't think it's possible for the defense to regress this year. I've heard a lot of good things about a number of the other rookies in camp. Nick Perry making plays already from his OLB position rushing the passer. I also love hearing that he cut weight to be more explosive in coverage. Jerel Worthy seems to be doing well so far too, showing some fire on the D Line.
Can you believe it? We're less than 2 weeks away from exhibition football!
The big question though is who is that corner? Sam Shields seems to have fallen off the face of the earth. He had tackling issues all last year and it seems to have carried over into camp. Jarrett Bush started camp with the ones at CB opposite Tramon Williams. I'm suppressing a shudder. Bush has always been a great special teams player. It's where he earns his money and it's why I think he's an important part of the team. But he's struggled with his back to the ball on defense for a long time. He has improved over time, just not to the level that I'd like to see in a starting corner.
The Packers have spent 2 higher round picks on the position over the past two years, drafting Davon House in the 4th round last year and Casey Hayward in the 2nd this year. House is a very talented but raw corner. Hayward didn't put up the speed or explosion combine numbers of a pure athlete, but according to reports (thank you MJS) he's been the best CB in camp so far. A high school QB in Georgia, Hayward seems to be picking up the playbook quickly and many of the WRs are commenting about how instinctual he is at reading routes.
I don't think it's possible for the defense to regress this year. I've heard a lot of good things about a number of the other rookies in camp. Nick Perry making plays already from his OLB position rushing the passer. I also love hearing that he cut weight to be more explosive in coverage. Jerel Worthy seems to be doing well so far too, showing some fire on the D Line.
Can you believe it? We're less than 2 weeks away from exhibition football!
Friday, April 27, 2012
Look for the Packers to be Active in Trade Talks Today
Well, Round 1 of the NFL Draft is over and I could not be happier. I think Nick Perry is a perfect fit at OLB opposite Clay Matthews. I never thought he would last to the Packers at 28. When he was there at 20, I started begging aloud for the Packers to move up to get him. I'm not as worried about the weight as it seems others are. I expect Perry to rush pretty much every down with Matthews being more versatile and playing in coverage from time to time.
On to Day Two and rounds 2 and 3. The Packers still have 11 picks to make. Four of those are frozen in place (Compensatory picks cannot be traded) two each in the 4th and 7th rounds. That leaves seven picks that Ted Thompson can use to move around and grab players they have targeted. The main reason I expect to see the Packers move up in rounds to grab the players they think fill the holes that remain is that there aren't really 11 holes left to fill. I think it would be silly to draft 12 guys this year knowing that 3 or 4 or 5 probably won't make the team.
That said, I also think the holes that remain are glaring holes and it's important they get filled by players that can have an impact this season. Nick Perry is a great start to help the D but they still need to fill the holes at end and safety. I don't think fans will be happy if the team goes into the season with Charlie Peprah starting in the defensive backfield. Center is another key position that I think the Packers need to address this season.
My guess is the Packers end up making a total of 8 picks in this draft. That means either they use the extras to move up or they end up trading them for picks next year.
On to Day Two and rounds 2 and 3. The Packers still have 11 picks to make. Four of those are frozen in place (Compensatory picks cannot be traded) two each in the 4th and 7th rounds. That leaves seven picks that Ted Thompson can use to move around and grab players they have targeted. The main reason I expect to see the Packers move up in rounds to grab the players they think fill the holes that remain is that there aren't really 11 holes left to fill. I think it would be silly to draft 12 guys this year knowing that 3 or 4 or 5 probably won't make the team.
That said, I also think the holes that remain are glaring holes and it's important they get filled by players that can have an impact this season. Nick Perry is a great start to help the D but they still need to fill the holes at end and safety. I don't think fans will be happy if the team goes into the season with Charlie Peprah starting in the defensive backfield. Center is another key position that I think the Packers need to address this season.
My guess is the Packers end up making a total of 8 picks in this draft. That means either they use the extras to move up or they end up trading them for picks next year.
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
It's the most wonderful time of the year!
That's right folks, it's draft time! This really is like Christmas for me. I can't wait to see what holes get filled in the draft and I get excited to learn about all the new Packers. And it's especially fun when I know how many needs the team has this year. With it being official now that Nick Collins won't be in the defensive backfield any more I count 5 major needs for the Packers.
The most glaring need I see is at OLB. Clay Matthews has had zero help pressuring the QB since Cullen Jenkins left. Pass rush can help the defense on so many levels that I see it as the primary need even with the losses of Scott Wells, Chad Clifton and Collins. My close personal friend Matt Miller of Bleacher Report fame says the Packers will try to address this in the first round with Boise St OLB Shea McClellin. I think this would be a great fit. He's not a name that's been heard a lot but many think he's one of the top few edge rushers in the draft.
Defensive End is a position that saw a huge drop off last year with the loss of Cullen Jenkins. Mike Neal was hurt again and has not lived up to the hype. Now he'll miss the first 4 games of the season and it means the line needs even more help. BJ Raji and Ryan Pickett can't do it all themselves. I think DE needs to be addressed within the first 3 rounds of the draft.
The Packers signed Jeff Saturday to replace Scott Wells at center this season. I think it was a great signing but Saturday is 36 (and will be 37 before the season starts) so I think he's at best a 2 year solution. I'd love a guy like Peter Konz but there's no way he's around when the Packers pick in the 2nd round. Ben Jones from Georgia is a possibility in round 2. It could also be a position that the team tries to fill later with someone they think might develop well.
Safety is another position that I think the Packers have an obvious need at. Morgan Burnett showed signed of being a solid safety in the NFL. He played well last season despite having to wear a club for several games. But he can't do it alone and Charlie Peprah isn't any help. If Mark Barron somehow manages to fall to 28 I think he has to be the pick in the first round. Beyond Barron I don't know of a difference maker at the position so I don't see it being an early pick.
The last real need I see for the Packers is QB. Yeah, I said it. I know Aaron Rodgers it the QB of now and the future but losing Matt Flynn will hurt more than people realize. Having a quality back up is very important in the NFL (see the Colts last year). I'm not sold on Graham Harrell. Maybe it's my fear of Texas Tech QBs but I just cannot get comfortable with the idea with Harrell being the guy to take over if Rodgers gets hurt. Ted Thompson and Mike McCarthy have always been fond of drafting QBs late and developing them. I'm sure this will continue.
Of course with 12 picks in the draft this year we'll see a number of picks other places. And I just can't wait.
The most glaring need I see is at OLB. Clay Matthews has had zero help pressuring the QB since Cullen Jenkins left. Pass rush can help the defense on so many levels that I see it as the primary need even with the losses of Scott Wells, Chad Clifton and Collins. My close personal friend Matt Miller of Bleacher Report fame says the Packers will try to address this in the first round with Boise St OLB Shea McClellin. I think this would be a great fit. He's not a name that's been heard a lot but many think he's one of the top few edge rushers in the draft.
Defensive End is a position that saw a huge drop off last year with the loss of Cullen Jenkins. Mike Neal was hurt again and has not lived up to the hype. Now he'll miss the first 4 games of the season and it means the line needs even more help. BJ Raji and Ryan Pickett can't do it all themselves. I think DE needs to be addressed within the first 3 rounds of the draft.
The Packers signed Jeff Saturday to replace Scott Wells at center this season. I think it was a great signing but Saturday is 36 (and will be 37 before the season starts) so I think he's at best a 2 year solution. I'd love a guy like Peter Konz but there's no way he's around when the Packers pick in the 2nd round. Ben Jones from Georgia is a possibility in round 2. It could also be a position that the team tries to fill later with someone they think might develop well.
Safety is another position that I think the Packers have an obvious need at. Morgan Burnett showed signed of being a solid safety in the NFL. He played well last season despite having to wear a club for several games. But he can't do it alone and Charlie Peprah isn't any help. If Mark Barron somehow manages to fall to 28 I think he has to be the pick in the first round. Beyond Barron I don't know of a difference maker at the position so I don't see it being an early pick.
The last real need I see for the Packers is QB. Yeah, I said it. I know Aaron Rodgers it the QB of now and the future but losing Matt Flynn will hurt more than people realize. Having a quality back up is very important in the NFL (see the Colts last year). I'm not sold on Graham Harrell. Maybe it's my fear of Texas Tech QBs but I just cannot get comfortable with the idea with Harrell being the guy to take over if Rodgers gets hurt. Ted Thompson and Mike McCarthy have always been fond of drafting QBs late and developing them. I'm sure this will continue.
Of course with 12 picks in the draft this year we'll see a number of picks other places. And I just can't wait.
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