Green Bay Packers host N.Y. Jets and tries to take a step forward
Ouch, that Green Bay Packers loss to Seattle still really hurts bad.
Burnt and tattered, we must go on to the New York Jets.
Looking back at Packers pre-season, game two was when the first unit came out showing they rank. In judging them at that, let’s say they sailed along with the “hurry-up” offense or now called the “no-huddle” offense, just like it was mid-season.
Green Bay Packers running back Eddie Lacy. Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
The defense held pretty well, but needs to put it all together yet. Preseason game three showed us the same, with the first string able to drive into the red zone, and end zone, with Eddie Lacy pounding the ball through holes that aren’t even considered by most. Aaron Rodgers was sharp as a laser-blade, as usual.
Then came Kansas City.
These comparisons are made for the first units, since much of pre-season’s 90 players are cut down to 53 for the season, the starting players give us the best idea of how well a team is going to play.
The KC defense was better in 2013, but the Green Bay offense took control, and it was apparent the passing game had good timing. That timing was disturbed by Seattle, ruling the line of scrimmage as that game went on. The Green Bay defense continued improving overall, with the D-backfield coming into its own.
Yet, after Kansas City, it seemed as if Green Bay beat a good team. It wasn’t until the second half of the season opener, that Seattle had rattled the Packers into one of the worst losses in memory.
No need to dig up a dead horse here, but the Packers were not ready for this team. As much as they may have prepared their best, the second half was an abomination.
An interesting point was made during the week. The Packers, did start well against the champions, then progressively were outmatched.
Mike McCarthy
Raymond T. Rivard photograph
Mike McCarthy does coach well, and intensely, along with a complexity that requires timing among players. Continuity was missing right from the first snap of the game, on both offense and defense.
One play looked fantastic, then the next seemed sloppy, and out of rhythm. In fact, Seattle’s number one defense did their job well, and can be given credit for getting to and winning the Super Bowl. By the fourth quarter, the Packers offense seemed out of it, almost as if they gave up.
Mike McCarthy’s teams always seem to bounce back into the swing of things following a victory.
And losing the first two of a new season is almost unheard of in McCarthy’s tenure. With the Jets pounding down the Raiders in game one, they must be high as a kite in their new season, but then again, it’s the Raiders, ranked dead last again this season.
This young Packers team must have seen a rough week, in their coaches’ eyes. His comments in post game interviews were aimed at the basics. These guys are professionals, and it’s expected they complete tackles, wrapping up the player, not jogging to him waiting for them to come to be tackled.
The talent is too good, check that, far too good to be wasted in lack of execution. In a lucky break, Eddie Lacy overcame a concussion this week and will be ready.
The Jets are ranked first against the run, giving only 25 yards on 15 carries last week. New York also ran for 212 yards, and combined for 402 total pass and rushing yards, in a comfortable victory over Oakland. One game does not make a season, but if anything, it’s a confidence builder that should forewarn Green Bay not to take this team for granted.
It’s a good thing the Seahawk game is over. No more pressure to show the world how the Packers could keep up with the best.
But did they forget pre-season is over? Things sure played out as if they did. But let’s move on, the distraction of World Champions competing against our guys is over, for now. We might meet again, and that timing, continuity, and sense of purpose might just be in order the next time.
There are 15 games to win. It’s time to go out and have fun, as the Jets come to town. It’s not going to come with a pat on the back, as we all have been reading the news, as summer turns to fall.
McCarthy will not allow giving up. That is a mockery of his worth, and he must have boiled over the past week with the team in private surroundings.
As this season rolls in, practice is over. The time has come to come together as a team. So what if one game is lost? The season is still young, and the Jets are a prime example of up and coming.
These Packers must and will show them how beyond up and coming plays out. The, ouch, bumps and bruises are healing and it’s time to make that timing, wrap that ball carrier, and run for daylight. This new defensive backfield is ready for the challenge. No longer can they just stay in coverage, they must be thinking of making the break on the ball and coming up with the interception.
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Each play is like a guy looking for a job. They want a job and make it a good job. The employer is not going to come to them, they must go to the job and grab it. The ball is not going to fall into their hands. Anticipation is the word to keep in mind.
These are the differences between a middle of the road player and the great ones. What happened to the Packers backfield that pulled off a couple balls nearly every game? Did it leave with Charles Woodson?
Then we see the linebackers and D-line come to life. Along with the likes of team favorite, the one and only Clay Matthews, who shows how disturbed he can be in seeing teams gain yardage, somebody needs to jump on his bandwagon.
Stopping opposing offenses in their tracks might be the only way to calm Clay down. How about all 10 of them getting the Matthews attitude? The disturbance Aaron Rodgers saw in Seattle is a lesson for this Green Bay defense. Run in and run them down. Nothing can be accomplished when the man with the ball is worried about getting clobbered more than gaining yards, or where his players are open.
It’s time to pull out all the stops in Green Bay. It’s time for the Packers to roll.