McPeak’s weekly ‘State of the Green Bay Packers’
By Josh McPeak
As we reflect last Sunday’s Green Bay Packers game against the New Orleans Saints we are unpleasantly left with a very bad taste in our mouth for an extended period of time.
At least the hamstring of the Packers’ heartbeat Aaron Rodgers will have an extra week to heal.
Sunday night was terrible to say the least.
As a fan you stay up late to watch the primetime game only to go to bed disappointed, knowing the hazing will begin when you walk into the office the following morning.
Live Feed
FanSided
The first half was competitive but the Packers left much to be desired. One of the most puzzling things of the first half was the play calling of Mike McCarthy.
On a goal line play that would have seemed like money to dial-up sure handed Jordy Nelson or even Randall Cobb, in came Julius Peppers. The outside linebacker is a superior athlete, don’t get me wrong, but most of those defensive athletes wind up on that side of the ball because they can’t catch.
McCarthy, perhaps channeling his inner Sean Payton, dialed up an onside kick that only ended up giving the Drew Brees–led Saints a short field. This was not the back-breaker of the game, however, as the Saints only netted three points from the drive.
Rodgers drilled a perfect pass into the numbers of Peppers that bounced off of his pads like a bird off of a freshly cleaned window. The drive was one of three impressive first half drives that ended with a field goal.
Dom Capers’ defense decided not to dress up for Halloween but instead arrive to the Superdome as themselves. After giving up 172 yards and over 7 yards per carry to Mark Ingram the Packers snuggled back in nicely as the worst team in the NFL versus the run.
It wasn’t all bad, however. Eddie Lacy continues to be an absolute stud out of the backfield. With the addition of the explosive screen game he put on display, Lacy could be the perfect back to complement Rodgers.
Lacy only carried the ball 13 times for 59 yards but what he did in the passing game was a much welcomed addition. Lacy ended the game with 8 receptions for 123 yards. One reception was an unforgettable 67-yard catch-and-run that saw him nearly drag three defenders into the end zone, but ended up just shy of the goal line.
The Superdome is not an easy place to play and the Packers were up against a team backed all the way into a corner. The Saints exited the locker room in the second half and played like a cornered animal, absolutely thrashing the Packers.
I mentioned in a previous article that when these two teams meet there has been a history of high scoring one-sided affairs. Sunday proved to be no different.
Eddie Lacy runs with the ball during the second half against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. Green Bay won 38-17. Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports photograph
No team in the NFL can play that badly on the defensive side of the ball while turning it over three times and expect it to be anything in the realm of a close game.
Green Bay will enter the bye week at 5-3 sitting in second place behind the luckiest team on the planet, the Detroit Lions.
The week off will serve them well as Aaron Rodgers, Sam Shields, T.J. Lang and Morgan Burnett nurse injuries.
Aaron Rodgers will be just fine. Not everybody throws for 418 yards with 1 touchdown and it’s their worst game of the season. I mean, wow, what a problem to have.
Sunday Night Football will yet again await the Packers as they come off of the bye week. This time they will be in the comforts of Lambeau Field, up against another desperate team backed into a corner under tremendous turmoil.
It will be Bears Week yet again, as the Chicago Bears come to Packers News.