My Take -> Week 6

Greetings, G-Force.

4-1! The Packers went to Dallas. The Stars were shining big. The Stars were shining bright. Deep in the heart of Texas' football livelihood. And, the biggest Star was shining brightest. Aaron Rodgers. In control. Determined to grab home field throughout the playoffs. Knowing the importance of winning a crucial NFC game against the team that possessed home field throughout last years playoffs. It was absolutely phenomenal drama. A sensational victory. It was the type of game that write historical legends. An instant classic. A fairy tale finish that brought the Packers to Four and Freakin' One.

I'm listening to the Hard Working Americans "We're All In This Together" album. Always enjoy the purity of live music and the way it translates to wax. The album has so much personality. A wide variety of musical flavor. Highly profound bass bombs bouncing through the speakers. "School Day" is a must listen. Fun, happy musical vibes with powerful vocal tones. Love the way that Green Bay's own, Chad Staehly, says hello on the keys in the "We're All In This Together" funkified jam. Much like the Green Bay Packers, this music promotes unification. It promotes love. It promotes togetherness. I'm with ya, HWA. Peace, yo. Keep stompin'. Keep hollerin'.

Here are my quick thoughts over the last week:

* Mike McCarthy. He knew the importance. He was bullish on his offense. Full of confidence. Ready to throw his chips to the middle of the table. It was telling when he said that Dallas couldn't stop his offense. He was right. His 4th & 1 toss to Aaron Jones brought extreme joy to my soul. It was a throwback to the old school Jon Gruden kinda call. The one he used to call for Charlie Garner. Just get the quick kid in space. Let him show his shake.

* Dom Capers. His defense showed vulnerability, yes. But, consider this: the Packers took the Cowboys strongest punch. They did everything they could to throw a dagger. They went to their playmakers. Elliott had 30 touches. Witten was targeted 10 times. Bryant was targeted 8. Dallas knew that they needed the win. Capers defense kept getting to 3rd down. They struggled to get off the field. And, when they stopped on 3rd down, there was either a phantom flag or the Cowboys converted on 4th down. But, in the 2nd half, the Packers needed stops. Here were the Cowboys drives in the 2nd Half: Punt, FG, Interception that was returned for a TD, TD, Fumble. So, in essence, the defense was outscored 10-7 in the 2nd half. It wasn't a masterful performance by the defense, but it was enough to put Aaron Rodgers in position to win. On the road. Against an NFL powerhouse. I'll take that every single time.

* Rodgers high-stepping for a first down on the game winning third down play is a moment that could live on forever. It's the type of moment that could be a defining image of what leads to a Super season.

* Aaron Jones. Decisive. Extraordinary vision. I admit - I was wrong on him. I worried that he might lack the speed to play at a high level. It concerned me. But, he's fast enough. His quickness has shown. And, he knows how to accelerate. His ability to appear as though he was shifting direction without wasted steps or much variance is not something you can coach. It's instinctive. He does a great job selling his run to the outside and then cutting it back. He's showed enough power to step through arm tackles. He's also shown football smarts. Additionally, how about that catch along the sideline? Wow. In mental lock step with Rodgers. And, clearly, Rodgers is comfortable with him.

* In some ways, the injury to Ty might be a blessing. As long as the injury doesn't linger. We have a rotation at RB. Jones and Montgomery should compliment each other well. RIP will eventually see added carries as well. For now, it appears as though the RB position is solidified.

* Mike McCarthy trusted his tackles. And, because of it, we were able to see a glimpse as to how the Packers plan on using Martellus Bennett. Good to see him moved around. Good to see him standing up in the slot and on the outside. Good to see him sealing the edge in the run game as a blocker. When Bakhtiari comes back, I expect to see Bennett utilized as even more of a focal point. His sideline catch was true brilliance. His reception for a 1st down on the final drive was dynamite. I'm still anxious for him to be utilized in the Red Zone. Let's hope he can build upon this performance.

* Lance Kendricks is averaging 15.7 yards per catch this year.

* Lane Taylor. Earning that extension. Balling hard. He's been our best back-up Tackle.

* Way to gut it out, Bulaga. This team is so much better with Bulaga on the field.

* Jahri Evans has been a super FA acquisition.

* Corey Linsley had a couple of really tough moments, but overall, I'll take it.

* Justin McCray really stepped up. He missed the block on the final run play, which led to nothing and forced to call a timeout. Had a made the block, it'd have been an opportunity for Jones to make his way to the 3rd level. That was a bummer, but other than that play, I thought McCray played really admirably.

* Aaron Rodgers. 1 minute drill. WITH AUTHORITY! Amazing to find out that he was calling the plays as well.

* Rodgers to Adams. Book it.

* Adams really showed that karma is a thing. A week after getting sent to the hospital on a cheap shot, he's digging deep to get up and secure a jump ball to earn the victory. Gamer.

* Jordy Nelson. End zone. Hand in hand.

* Randall Cobb. Total team player. Getting in the mix as a blocker. He's a feisty blocker. Really opened up Bennett for a first down on the final drive.

* Bobsled on, boys.

* Richard Rodgers showing some athleticism on the back shoulder reception.

* We've often heard Mike McCarthy talk about players making the leap from Year 1 to Year 2. I think it plays a role - in large part - due to the fact that the new CBA doesn't allow players to do much hitting in practice. So, the learning curve is longer than it was previously. The Packers 2nd year players are taking huge leaps on the defensive side of the ball. Kenny Clark is living on the oppositions side of the line of scrimmage. Dean Lowry is moving people. And, Blake Martinez looks amped. Martinez has taken his game up multiple notches. He's a completely different dude. He's intense. He's flying through the hole. He's been dominant through 5 games. He's following Kenny Clark's lead and because of it, he's been a difference maker. Clark and Martinez compliment each other well. Clark gets the push, but often doesn't make the tackle. Martinez has trusted Clark's ability to win his 1 on 1 battle and he's followed closely behind and he's often making his tackles without having to fight off blocks.

* Nick Perry was inches from having three sacks. Against most QB's, he would've. But, give credit to Dak Prescott. Guy can play. He muscled through Perry's attempts. Regardless, Perry was active and breaking down plays.

* Clay Matthews. Teammate. Dropping into coverage. Knocking away passes. Forcing 3rd and 8 on a vital 4th Quarter drive as he jarred the pass to Witten loose. The Claymaker finished with 5 tackles, 1 tackle for loss and 1 pass defensed. Great game.

* Injuries can sometimes show your coaches things that they have in players that they didn't know they had. It forces teams to evolve. It can be healthy for a team as long as the injuries aren't season ending. I hope Morgan Burnett's injury doesn't linger. He's the play caller of the defense. But, if he is injured and it opens up the door for Marwin Evans to play more, then I'm eager to see what Evans offers.

* Thought Q Rollins played better in the run game. Stuck his nose into contact. However, he struggles mightily in coverage.

* DAMARIOUS RANDALL WITH THE TD! Game altering play! Hopefully, the play sparks confidence in him. HaHa calls him the most athletic player in the secondary. Need to see that out of him while King and House battle injuries.

* Justin Vogel's 59 yard punt that pinned Dallas back prior to the Randall interception was the field position changing play that the Packers have missed in recent memory. Further, Janis' tackle was fantastic. Monster play.

* Need HaHa to return to form.

* Ahmad Brooks punishes people. He knows one speed and only one speed.

I did a Fanspeak Mock Draft. As is the norm, I'm short on OL knowledge at the college level and I only draft someone if I have watched him play. Here's what I came away with:

Round 1: Tony Brown, CB, Alabama. I wanted Bradley Chubb, OLB, NC State. The auto-draft had me picking 30th. He was selected 26th. So, I went with Brown to help patch up the CB position.
Round 2: Quenton Meeks, CB, Stanford. Ideal length. Turn and run CB. Tough guy.
Round 3a: Chad Thomas, EDGE, []_[]. Thomas disrupts with length. Holds the point of attack. His game should translate really well as an early down 3-4 EDGE player.
Round 3b: Lorenzo Carter, EDGE, Georgia. I am enamored with the way he gets the corner. Has a nose for the strip sack. Has been really active in pursuit of the QB.
Round 4: TJ Edwards, LB, WI. Took him over Steven Parker from OK. Went with the homer pick. Edwards is always around the ball. He looks thicker than he was last year. And, because of it, I feel like he might be a little slower, but he's still always around the ball.
Round 5a: Akrum Wadley, RB, Iowa. Slashy back who falls forward and plays with good balance. One cut runner. His game fits in GB. He's an elusive highlight film runner. Great vision. Finds the open field. Overly productive. Finds the sticks.
Round 5b: Dee Delaney, CB, []_[]. Game hasn't flashed this year like I thought it would. The Coastal Carolina transfer has been more of a project than I projected. Still, he has all of the natural ability that you look for in a perimeter CB. Looks like he has the speed to play, too.
Round 6a: Jake Roh, TE, Boise State. Athletic player. Willing blocker. Can move him around the field. Nose for the end zone.
Round 6b: Cody Thompson, WR, Toledo. NFL size. Highly productive. Gets downfield. Catches the ball and stride and gets downfield. Guy puts points on the board.
Round 6c: Deadrin Senat, DL, South Florida. Battling injuries this year. He moves people off the line. Wins his one-on-one battle. Good athlete for his size.
Round 7a: Kyzir White, S, Dub-V. Active defender. Finds the football. Can cover in the slot or play in center field. Hard hitter. Solid tackler.
Round 7b: Justin Crawford, RB, Dub-V. Enamored with his game. Plays bigger than he looks. So quick. Reminds me of a poor man's Jamal Charles. Not sure how he lasted this far, but he did. I view him as a 5th round prospect. HR hitter who can take it the distance every time he touches the ball.

This week - it's the 'queens. In Minnesota. A win and the Packers grab a 2-game lead over the hated 'queens. Notably, Minnesota would also fall to 1-2 in the Division. The Packers would move to 2-0 in the Division. This is a big game. A must win for Minnesota. A chance for the Packers to toss a heavy blow at the 'queens as the weather starts to turn.

Even with the injuries, the 'queens have weapons on offense. Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs are as underrated of a WR duo as their is in the NFL. Thielen is a Pro Bowl quality WR. Diggs is inconsistent, but when he's full focused and healthy, he's an elite level WR. Both run solid routes and can get deep down the field. Kyle Rudolph is among the best TE's in the NFL. Jerick McKinnon is a gifted receiving RB and when he's responsible for carrying the bulk of the load, he follows his lead blocker with excellence. Latavius Murray is talented, but has yet to make his impact in Minnesota. I expect Case Keenum to start. Bradford didn't look healthy. Keenum has played very well for Minnesota. He can connect on all routes. He isn't turnover prone. He can roll-out. He throws a nice deep ball. He was a good signing. The 'queens revamped their OL. Thus far, their Tackles have played better than I expected them to play. Riley Reiff has been more physical in Minnesota than he was in Detroit. Mike Remmers has trouble sustaining blocks, but he usually wins the initial jab. Nick Easton and Joe Berger have been solid plug and plays at Guard. Neither of them intimidate, but they do a good job throwing their weight around. Pat Elflein has been an anchor for the 'queens at Center.

The 'queens have as much continuity as anyone on the defensive side of the ball. And, they're healthy. They're disruptive and they force turnovers. When the Minnesota defense isn't forcing turnovers, the 'queens aren't winning. Danielle Hunter and Everson Griffen get off the ball with lightning like quickness. They're great at guessing the snap count. They're also vulnerable to jumping offsides on the hard count, which can lead to free plays. Brian Robison is a hard working rotational DE at this stage of his career. Linval Joseph is a fierce presence in the middle of the field. Tom Johnson is active at DT, but he can be moved. Anthony Barr and Eric Kendricks are absolute studs at LB. Both are looking for a big play every snap. At CB, Xavier Rhodes continue to be a shut down CB. But, outside of him, the 'queens CB's can be beaten. Trae Waynes is a grabber. He doesn't get his head turned. Terence Newman can no longer run and can be beaten over the top. Mackensie Alexander lacks toughness. He can be abused. Outside of Seattle, Minnesota might have the best safety combination in football with Andrew Sendejo and Harrison Smith.

You can't let Marcus Sherels beat you on special teams. It'll be up to Janis to shut him down on punt returns. It's interesting to note that while the Packers don't typically look to return kickoffs that reach the end zone, the 'queens almost always return kickoffs. They're looking for a big play on special teams. Look for the Packers to take a knee nearly every time, while the 'queens attempt to shorten the field.

This is Minnesota's Super Bowl. They can't afford to start off 3-3. They're healthy on the defensive side of the ball and they know they need this win. Look for the 'queens to come out swinging. They attack Rodgers with a multitude of blitzes. Look for Kendricks to come on delayed blitzes. Look for Harrison Smith to read plays and come on highly strategic blitzes as he creeps towards the line of scrimmage. The Packers combat the 'queens strategy by putting Jordy in the slot. Expect to see more of GERONIMO on the field as well this week. Minnesota doesn't have the CB depth to cover the Packers. I don't envision empty sets per se, but you might see some 4 WR formations with a back. And, you could possibly see 4 WR's and a TE in which Rodgers motions Cobb into the backfield as a blocker. I envision GERONIMO getting over the top for a big play. Davante, too.

Minnesota is going to try and eat clock. Utilizing a strategy similar to Dallas last week. They'll take the play clock down. They'll get Rudolph involved. They'll hit the Packers with a variety of slants and crossing routes to Thielen and Diggs. Then, they'll try to beat the Packers over the top on play action to both Diggs and Thielen. Minnesota feels like they win on the outside if they can protect Keenum. I think the Packers Defensive front wins the battle.

Expect Nick Perry to plow through Riley Reiff for a sack.

Expect Clay to outwork Remmers for a sack.

Expect Mike Daniels and Kenny Clark to win the interior of the line of scrimmage.

Look for Josh Jones to play an integral role in slowing McKinnon. Man-to-Man.

GERONIMO is my surprise player of the game.

Packers 23.
'queens 20.

Go Pack Go!

Talkin' S-Mac.
talkins-mac.blogspot.com