My Take -> Week 5

Greetings, G-Force.

2-1-1. With uncertainty lingering and expectations at a significantly lower than anticipated level, the Packers defense rose to the occasion in a relentlessly attacking fashion. Thus, a week after thwarting the ‘queens defense for 27 points in Minnesota, the Lambeau Field Stage proved to be far too grand for the Bills rookie QB, Josh Allen.

It was an unfamiliar style of victory for the Packers. The defense dominated. The offense lacked both substance and execution. The crowd showed up without intensity. Still, without the customary offensive flash, the Packers destroyed a feisty Bills team. Kudos to Mike Pettine.

Feeling chill, I listen to Bob Marley. Focusing on hits such as “Mellow Mood” and “Lively Up Yourself” - both of which feel relevant to me right now.

Here are my quick vibes over the last week:

An aggressive Mike McCarthy is a good Mike McCarthy. On Sunday, McCarthy lacked all killer instinct. He was conservative. It almost feels like he’s so jaded by his experiences with Hundley and Kizer that he’s forgotten how to call a game with a 2-time MVP as his QB. 3rd and 11 draws and 3rd and long WR screens are now the norm. With Hundley or Kizer, sure, that’s fine. But with Rodgers, you have to let it rip!

Throughout his career, Rodgers has been among the most accurate QB’s in the history of the game. Thus far, to start the 2018 season, Rodgers hasn’t displayed the pin point accuracy that we’ve come to expect. Clearly, he needs practice. I’m hoping that his knee continues to improve and therefore, he should be able to increase his workload throughout the week. Rodgers’ mobility has improved tremendously. He’s been a warrior. He's showed guts. He’s showed toughness. He just hasn’t been as accurate as he has normally been.

Aaron Jones has superstar potential. He needs to be utilized. Hell, he even stepped up in pass protection!

Pettine mixed up his blitzes in a big way and the results were glorious! He came to Allen’s blindside and out witted the rookie QB for 60 minutes. Allen never felt comfortable. The pressure was too intense. The blitz was coming from everywhere and the Bills were unable to identify where the rush was coming from.

Davante Adams is a lethal weapon. He’s brimming with confidence. He wants to set the example for these young WR’s.

It was good to see Jimmy Graham scoring his first TD of the season.

G-Mo is a legit #2 WR. He is quick out of his breaks. He never gives up on plays. He’s mentally in tune with Rodgers.

The Bills scored ZERO points.

Loved seeing Ty streaking down the sidelines. McCarthy has to go into the play design shed and draft ways to get Jones and Ty on the field at the same time.

Jimmy Graham needs to continue to be involved in the offense. He’s a match-up nightmare. I like when he’s lined up on the perimeter. The holding penalty that he drew will be constant, if he’s targeted along the sideline.

It’s hard to interpret because it’s so uncharacteristic of our unique franchise, but for 60 minutes, Pettine graphed a defense that the Bills couldn’t decode.

I want to be a massive MVS fan. I love his size-speed combo. It's not often that you see someone who is 6-4, 205 and runs a 4.37. It's rare to find some with that physique who can play both in the slot and the perimeter. I love how fluid he moves. I like the way he carries himself. We haven’t had a tall, fast deep threat since Javon Walker in 2004. I am hopeful that MVS can still grow into that role. At this stage, McCarthy has to play to his young WR’s strengths. MVS isn’t strong enough to get off of a jam. He needs to be more physical and learn how to fight off jams at the line of scrimmage. When he gets a free release, he’s a tough cover. The 38-yard completion to MVS is the type of play that should be targeted 2-3 times per game. Right now, MVS has limited routes in his tree that he can dominate. The go-route is one in which he is a tough cover. You can’t teach speed. MVS has it. As the rest of his game is being refined, he needs to be utilized in a fashion that will get him a free release. I’d like to see him in motion. I’d like to see him in a stacked WR formation. Without a free release, at this stage, it’ll be difficult for MVS to get open.

Very well done, Byron Bell. Hard fought performance by the big guy.

The Packers are 2-1-1 and Aaron Rodgers has been mostly mediocre. Rodgers is also regaining his mobility. With that, I hold onto belief that this team has some high quality offensive football in front of them.

Bulaga and Bakhtiari balled out at Tackle. Best yet, they’re teammates. Bulaga was a gamer. All guts. In clear pain. At times, he didn’t appear to be able to get off the ground on his own power, but each time, Bakhtiari was there to lend a helping hand and what appeared to be a pep talk that was likely full of encouragement. A week after the Buffalo DL wrecked the MN offense, Bakhtiari and Bulaga were masterful in pass protection.

I was happy to see that Tony Brown was active. I like his persona, his speed and his physicality. He didn’t perform as well as I’d hoped as a gunner, but I like him as a young prospect.

If Brown is who I hope he can become and if King can be healthy, the Packers will be rich at CB for the foreseeable future. Additionally, it'll be interesting to follow how the Breeland situation plays out.

The Packers are a much better team with Randall Cobb on the field.

How is it possible for Kendricks to see so many snaps? He can’t be depended on as a receiving option. Tonyan needs a shot. Tonyan moves well, showed solid hands and was a good blocker in the preseason.

Congrats to Jostling Jaire on his first career interception. Kid moves like he’s good juju in his ears.

I think that part of the 12/MM “hug it out discussion” was that 12 wants more Jones in his life.

JJ is a hard worker. Midwest mentality. I dig.

Outside of his silly 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalty, Blake Martinez was dynamite.

Kyler Fackrell. WOW! What a way to finish a game!

HaHa with a forcefully stallion style interception!

Kenny Clark is a tremendous football player.

The Packers need more from Mile Daniels.

In all, the defense had 7 sacks and forced three turnovers. Oh, and the defense didn’t give up a point.

In past years, the Packers might’ve lost a game in which the offense was sluggish. Mike Pettine was having none of that. His defense won the game.

Walking out of Lambeau Field was oddly somber. The Packers had just shutout the Bills. If the season were to have ended today, the Packers would hold a wild card playoff berth. Yet, still, the Packers Faithful half heartedly limped out of America’s most storied NFL theater. It’s important to remember that the NFL is a week-to-week league and the “Just Win, baby” mentality has never been so dear. Survive the week and get onto the next. The Packers didn’t just survive, they held another NFL team pointless. That’s joyful.

In Green Bay, we are used to seeing highly potent, proficient offenses. The victory over the Bills was certainly not that type of performance. Rodgers was grumpy, frustrated, and highly inaccurate. McCarthy was confident that the Packers could run the ball and he pounded away early. Had he stuck with Aaron Jones as his primary back, he’d likely have been rewarded with a 25-carry, 125-yard performance. Instead, McCarthy continues to feel the need to be politically correct as he shares snaps across the entire slate of RB’s.

Defense should be celebrated, too. Defensive wins are often uglier to the eye, but they count just the same. And, when the defense is rising up and carrying the responsibility, it’s the fans job to elevate and to make Lambeau Field an even more difficult place for the opposition to play. Instead, I can’t recall a 3rd down when more than 10% of the Stadium was off of their ass and on their feet.

Fret not. The offense has plenty of talent. We have to continue to gel and utilize our players properly. Aaron Jones will eventually see more than half of the teams snaps. We have to remember that our OL had played zero snaps together before the start of the regular season. Rodgers seems to be getting healthier. There are good times around the bend for the Packers offense.

The Packers really need the queens to lose at Philly this week. It’d cancel out the bad loss to Washington as both teams would’ve lost their NFC EAST game. Between the MN @ PHI game and the GB @ DET game, we will remember Week 5 in December. This is a vital early October week for football.

An NFL Season is not a sprint, it’s a marathon. At any given moment, a teams fortunes can change. A win is a win in this league. No matter how poorly one phase of the game may have played. Consider this: beat Detroit and SF. Go to 4-1-1. Rodgers gets healthy with the bye week that follows. The 5 weeks following the bye is a really tough stretch, but if Rodgers is fully fit, anything is possible.

When thinking about the 2019 Packers mock draft, I’m fairly connvinced that I want either Noah Fant (Iowa) or Kaden Smith (Stanford) at TE. I also want either Brian Burns (FSU) or Joe Jackson ([]_[]) at EDGE. In a perfect world, the Packers could get both. That’s why - for my eye - this Saturday, the FSU v []_[] game at 1:30 MST is a must watch. At this stage, my knowledge of players at DL/S isn’t as deep as I’d like, so when the players I was familiar with went off the board, I was left empty handed at those positions. Reminder: I only draft those that I’ve watched. My weekly fanspeak mock draft:

Round 1a: Brian Burns, EDGE, FSU.
Round 1b: Andre Dillard, OT, Washington State.
Round 2: Joe Jackson, EDGE, []_[].
Round 3: Kaden Smith, TE, Stanford.
Round 4: Shaquille Quarterman, ILB, []_[].
Round 5: Will Grier, QB, Dub-V.
Round 6a: Jonathan Ledbetter, EDGE, Georgia.
Round 6b: Collin Johnson, WR, Texas.
Round 7: Jordan Miller, CB, Washington.

This week - it’s the Lions. In Detroit. In a game that carries a lot of importance. It’d be comforting to get off to a 2-0-1 start in the Division. In order for the Packers to earn a victory, Pettine’s unit will have to, once again, elevate to the occasion. The Packers defense will have to win the early downs. It’ll be vital for the Packers defense to force the Lions into 3rd and long situations. If so, Stafford is prone to make a mistake.

The Lions offense has tried to change their identity. Yes, Stanford’s arm is still their greatest weapon, but they’ve attempted to become more physical in the run game. They’ve brought in Kerryon Johnson and Legarrette Blount to pound away. Johnson also has a shifty texture to his game. They’ve added Luke Willson to help them become a better blocking front. They’ll be without long-time Packer star, TJ Lang, but they still have a well constructed OL that wins with power, but can be beaten with quickness on both the edge and on the inside. However, as they’re revamping the organizational structure, they know that - for today - they’re best way to win is via Stafford’s lethal right arm. Golden Tate, Marvin Jones and Kenny Golladay are dangerous targets who are sure to present problems for the Packers secondary. Theo Riddick is a nightmare to cover out of the backfield.

Defensively, the Lions will be without Ziggy Ansah. Ansah is a superstar and that’s a major loss for the Lions. It’s tough to reconstruct your defense. It’s tougher to do it without your best defender. Without him, the Lions DL hasn’t been able to consistently generate pressure. Kerry Hyder can apply pressure from the inside as a high octane performer. Sylvester Williams and Da’Shawn Hand are really good football players, but they’re both learning new roles and haven’t gotten off to the type of start to the year that one would expect. Jarrad Davis is a stud at ILB. I love his game, especially in run support. Christian Jones and Devon Kennard are both active defenders with severe limitations. Neither can cover Jimmy Graham. In the secondary, the Lions have a couple of legitimate playmakers. Darius Slay is among the best CB’s in the NFL. Quandre Diggs is a tough nosed Safety who will likely be playing one week after breaking his hand. Glover Quin seems to play better every time I watch him. Nevin Lawson needs to be attacked. He is a physical, undersized CB who is quick to grab. The Packers can draw penalties on Lawson if they hit him with a double move. Jalen Tabor must be targeted as well. If MVS can get a free release against Tabor or Lawson, a big play will follow. Neither can run with MVS. I imagine that Slay will follow Adams all day.

***Quick side note - with Ziggy Ansah in the last year of his contract, don't be surprised if he's in Green Bay next year. Gutekunst will be aggressive in rebuilding his pass rush. Ansah would fill the need. I don't envision the Lions franchising him. I also don't envision the Lions making a significant push to sign him.***

Last week - Zeke Elliot had 240 total yards against DET. Matt Breida had 159 in Week 2 against DET. Crowell and Powell combined for 167 total yards in Week 1 against DET. You’re up, Aaron Jones. Give the guy 20 carries. You’ll get 100 yards.

On two occasions, the Packers have given Aaron Jones significant carries. Once, Jones went 17 carries for 131 yards against NO. The other time, Jones went 19 carries for 125 yards against Dallas. It’s time to free Aaron Jones. Feed him!

The Packers do run Jones early. The run opens up the pass. Marcedes Lewis gets his first catch down the seam off of play action.

If Allison and Adams are limited, look for MVS to play on the outside and ESB in the slot. Moore will also see perimeter snaps. Look for ESB to grab a catch out of the slot on a crossing route.

The offense will have a different feel to it. Look for some jumbo 2 or 3 TE packages with Rodgers in command at the line of scrimmage. Under center.

We might even see Tonyan this week.

Defensively, Mike Daniels has a really big game.

When the Packers have won in Detroit in recent years, the defense has forced crucial turnovers. Look for TMon to grab his first pick of the year.

It’s going to be a nail biting, somewhat frustrating game as the Packers occasionally fail to get off the field in 3rd down.

In the end, Rodgers executes! He hits Graham for the game winner.

Packers 27
Lions 23

Go Pack Go!

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