My Take -> Week 8

reetings, G-Force.

3-2-1. For a moment, the season had fallen into the darkness. It was an empty feeling abyss. Until a slew of consecutive plays monumentally propelled the Packers —in rocket-like fashion— from a horrendous vibe entering the bye week. The high spirited close to the 4th Quarter temporarily masks the heavy flaws that surround this historically great Franchise. Nonetheless, for now, let’s celebrate victories and soak in the moment as the Packers are squarely in the hunt for a NFC North Division title. I don’t know what the next 5 games will bring, but I have today and with it, I’m going to hope there’s a way for the Packers to carve out 3 victories in the next 5 games.

I sit with Phish’s October 23rd show from Nashville blazing in my ears. I was fortunate to be in attendance. It was “Party Time.”

My quick vibes over the last two weeks:

Mike McCarthy came out with a solid game plan in place. There was disguise, there was motion and there was great variety in both formation and play design. The Packers raced out to a 17-7 lead and all felt right. But, as adjustments occurred the Packers took their foot off of the accelerator. SF took advantage and McCarthy never recovered.

Aaron Rodgers. We can only hope that the last five minutes of the 4th Quarter propels Rodgers into the zone. When Rodgers is in rhythm, he’s the best player in the NFL.

Davante Adams. Smooth. Clutch. Dynamite.

MVS. Kid looks like a player! He needs to get stronger, but he has natural traits that can’t be taught.

ESB. A thrilling grab to get us into FG range. A potentially defining play of the season.

Good to see Jimmy Graham making big plays. We still need to figure out how to get him the ball in the Red Zone.

Aaron Jones showed burst. He looked lethal. And, then, he disappeared.

Jamaal Williams runs hard. He takes second effort to the extreme.

I liked seeing Ty Montgomery getting into the slot and digging his way across the middle of the field. I wish Rodgers would look to him as his primary read in that case.

Kenny Clark continues to play at a Pro Bowl level. He was the lone player in the front 7 to play a full 60 minutes. Dude is a yoked up bright shining diamond!

When will Mike Daniels dominate a game in 2018?

Blake Martinez has been really up and down this year. Makes me wonder if he’s still learning the system and because of it, he’s over thinking. He had a number of bounce back plays in the second half. Hoping he can return to being the definition of consistency.

The defense has missed Jostling Jaire. They feed off of his energy. Have lost a spark of confidence without him.

Brice is an absolute liability in coverage.

Loved seeing Kevin King make the monster play late!! In a game that felt like it was a mandatory win with the pending 5-game stretch on the horizon, it was King who came to save the day.

MASON CROSBY! Way to rebound!

Great play call on the TD to Adams to tie it. MVS wins his 1 on 1 battle and forced the safety to the inside. That left Adams in single coverage on the outside. I dig.

Raven Greene lowering the boom and making his presence felt on special teams!

Thus far, HaHa has been the only player on the defense to consistently force turnovers this year. He has forced 4 in 6 games.

Kyler Fackrell showed up in stealthily positive fashion in the 4th Quarter.

Clay Matthews getting a 4th Quarter third down sack made me smile.

Nick Perry getting his hands up and swatting down balls!

At some point, I want to see Josh Jones coming on the blitz. This team needs a pash rush and Jones seems like he would bring a burst to the QB that we aren’t getting right now.

Aaron Rodgers. Appreciate the brilliance. Gamer when it mattered most.

Where’s the Reggie Gilbert that we saw in the preseason?

Kudos to the fans. It was cold. With the Brewers playing at the same time, there was distraction. But, when the team needed to be uplifted the most, the fans rose to the occasion and made things tough on the young 49ers offense.

In my weekly Fanspeak Packers Mock Draft, I look to solve the Packers pass rushing woes with heavy quantity and a wide variety of pass rushing styles. The Packers need to find a way to get to the QB. This draft would instantly change their fortunes.

Round 1a: Josh Allen, EDGE, Kentucky.
Round 1b: Montez Sweat, EDGE, Mississippi State.
Round 2. Joe Jackson, EDGE, []_[].
Round 3. Mitch Hyatt, OT, Clemson.
Round 4. Kaden Smith, TE, Stanford.
Round 5. Marvell Tell III, S, USC.
Round 6a. Carl Granderson, EDGE, Wyoming.
Round 6b. DeMarcus Christmas, DL, FSU.
Round 7. DeShaun Davis, ILB, Auburn.

This week – it’s the Rams. In LA. The Rams enter as a heavily favored undefeated team that walks like they’re Champions. They’re well coached and have dynamic playmakers all over the field. They expect to win. However, the Packers are coming off a bye. A bye that has led the Packers to finally be healthy. It also allowed for Mike McCarthy to do some soul searching. McCarthy went as far as self scouting to see how he could improve his ball club. Historically, McCarthy's teams have risen to the occasion when it's mattered most. This game will have a playoff atmosphere to it. I expect the Packers to be prepared. After all, over the next 5 games, it's mandatory for the Packers to win at least 2 of them, but in reality, the Packers need to win 3 as I'm not absolutely positive that this team is capable of running the table against the Cardinals, Falcons, Bears, Jets and Lions. 10-5-1 would get the Packers to the playoffs. There's even a possibility that 9-6-1 gets the Packers to the playoffs this year. But, the magic number is 10 wins. And, the race to 10 has a steep task in front of it -- over the next 5 weeks -- kicking it off with a date against the Rams.

Jared Goff is playing with immense confidence. With Brandin Cooks and Robert Woods, he has two WR’s that can beat you deep. The Rams will look to get both of them streaking down the field to expose Brice’s deep ball limitations. The Packers catch a break with Cooper Kupp likely missing the game. The Rams OL isn’t littered with big names, but they win the line of scrimmage. They often create massive holes that Todd Gurley can walk behind. Many times, Gurley has a head of steam and he’s 3-5 yards down field before he’s touched. Gurley’s power and physicality leads him to rarely get brought down by the first defender and thus, Gurley often gives the Rams 2nd and short. Sean McVay, the Rams coach, also does a fantastic job of getting Gurley involved in the passing game. McVay keeps the opposition guessing. McVay is a mastermind of creativity. In my opinion, McVay and Shanahan are the most creative offensive minds in the game. We saw what Shanahan did to the Packers defense with limited offensive weapons. Just wait to see how much misdirection and how many jet sweeps McVay throws at the Packers with high-level talent. He’ll look to get Gurley at least 5 receptions this weekend and he’ll force the Packers to tackle in the open field. Malcolm Brown is a talented back-up at RB.

Defensively, the Rams are as brute up front as anyone in the league. Aaron Donald is the premier defender in the game. Suh can still play. He dominates when he is motivated. Michael Brockers is a physical specimen who can win with both speed and power. Mark Barron is a speed demon at ILB. He can cover and he’s often given space to roam behind that massive LA front. The Rams secondary is banged up. Marcus Peters will be playing and so will John Johnson, Lamarcus Joyner and Sammy Swagga. I’m stoked that Sammy is back in the league. He was always a favorite of mine. Peters is a superstar on the other side. But, their depth is limited. So, the Packers would be wise to spread the Rams out and to attack.

The Packers can control the clock and the game by utilizing a combination of quick passes and the run game. The combination would also keep the defense honest when it came time to call play-action.

The Rams shouldn’t have an answer for Jimmy Graham. I fully expect Graham to have a big game.

As a huge underdog, look for Rodgers to find his rhythm early. Playing with a carefree spirit and a playoff intensity, Rodgers finds an open Davante Adams streaking down the sideline. The Packers find the end zone early.

The Rams are able to move the ball, but they have to settle for three. On two occasions.

Without forcing turnovers, it’ll be tough for the Packers to win. Good thing that I’m in the minority here, but for me, the jury is still out on Jared Goff. I think that he can be forced into turnovers. I believe that the Packers pick Goff off on two occasions this weekend.

The Packers quick passing game – much like the 2nd half of the Bears game – limits the Rams pass rush. Aaron Jones gets loose. There’s a bolt of confidence inside the Packers huddle.

Brace yourself. This one will be fast and furious. It’s Crosby with the game winner and once, again, there’s belief inside the fandom of the Green Bay Packers!

Packers 38.
Rams 37.

Go Pack Go!

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