Packers becoming battle tested

The Green Bay Packers may only be 4-4 and by all means could have had a better record at the midpoint of the season. But considering all the turmoil of training camp and the injuries to the defense, and the fact they have played only two teams with losing records at this stage of the season and just took the best team in the league to overtime on the road, I’m not too worried. In fact, I’m kind of excited. This Packers’ team and new quarterback Aaron Rodgers are becoming more battle tested every week. Poor Rodgers, he has to play a first-place schedule in his first year as a starter as opposed to the third-place schedule the Packers played last year. No cream-puffs other than Detroit and Seattle thus far. Six of the the Packers’ eight games have been against opponents with at least a .500 record. To be .500 is not all that bad after that.

No matter what, the first half of the season is a learning process for the Packers and new quarterback Rodgers. For most of the first half of the season the Packers’ defense has been a sieve against the run, the last three games they have improved, but the early damage was done. If the Packers want to look at the game that they really blew in the first half it has to be the Falcon loss. The Packers might have been overconfident going into that game and even though the Falcons are proving to be a pretty good team, it was still a game the Packers should have won.

For his first eight games as as a starter, I couldn’t be happier with the way Rodgers has played and the fact that the Packers have amazingly found a quarterback to lead them for the next ten years hopefully. Rodgers, at age 24, is light-years  ahead of where Brett Favre was when Brett was 24. In this day and age of the NFL, quarterbacks who make mistakes like Favre did in 1992 and 1993 find themselves on the bench. The Packers finished 8-8 both years. I guess Favre couldn’t raise the level of play of Sanjay Beach to Jerry Rice level at that time. Don’t ask me why.

I don’t think the Packers will finish 8-8 this year. I think 10 or 11 wins are more likely. Ten will probably win the division and ten is what the Giants won in the regular season last year. Like the Packers of this year, the Giants started slow and lost tough games to tough opponents. Not only did they rebound, the rebounded by winning it all and now carrying it over to this season. They did it with a 27-year old quarterback. I may be wrong but I don’t think a 39-year old quarterback ever won a Super Bowl, in fact I doubt one ever made it there.

I think the way the Packers played against the Titans was a strong effort. If anything the Packers’ vaunted secondary had one of its worst games. Three dropped interceptions and gave up crucial pass plays to receivers who couldn’t make the Packers’ practice squad. One of those crucial pass plays was a linebacker mistake though when Chris Johnson was left wide open in overtime. That play pretty much won the game for the Titans. Rodgers was the first QB to pass for 300 yards on the Titans and running Ryan Grant had his best game, if not yardage-wise. The Packers should have used Grant much more in my mind as he was gaining huge chunks of yardage at times. After giving him the ball 64 times the previous two games, for some reason head coach Mike McCarthy went away from the run and as usually happens the Packers lose.

I know everybody is gripping right now, but lets see this thing play out. I am not concerned about 4-4, I am excited about the future of this team with the improving Rodgers at quarterback, not only this year but in future years. If Rodgers’ career would have started last year, the Packers might have won the Super Bowl. One thing is absolutely indisputable, Rodgers would not have thrown that lame duck in last year’s NFC Championship game. This year Rodgers is on pace for 10 interceptions while Favre is on pace for 26. I know who I want.

If Rodgers thought the Packers opening night game against the Vikings in Lambeau Field on Monday Night Football was a big deal, he hasn’t played in a big game yet, which in a way he hasn’t. This week’s game against the Vikings in Minnesota is the biggest game of Rodgers life. A loss to the Vikings and dropping to third place in the division could be disastrous, then again in the NFC North this year, who knows? Now I sound like Mr. Kimble. But falling below .500 will put the heat on like we haven’t seen since Mike Sherman’s last year as head coach. I don’t see it happening. Rodgers bounces back, the defense bounces back, Packers 34, Vikings 13.

This entry was posted on Monday, November 3rd, 2008 at 8:15 pm and is filed under Al Davis. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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  • Devil’s Advocate…

    Paul, did you say Jon is invited to come watch a game w/you???

    Matt Hayton…… 7-1 the rest of the way is the answer. Maybe 6-2 if there’s nothing to be gained in the last game, rest the starters, then again I’m not so sure our back-ups can’t beat the Lions. Call’em as I see’em. And, me, I won’t be happy to be wrong, for better or worse. 11-5 was my prediction at the beginning, I’m sticking to it. If they were to somehow make it into the play-offs at your prediction 5-3, 9-7. Why bother………… they wouldn’t last long anyway.

  • RayL

    We could have Greg Olsen instead of “The Real Meal” JH – TG would have been a good move for a couple of years while Finley matured and/or we made TE a priority in the draft. but TT knows best.

  • Larry

    Maybe we would have had a better chance to win big this year if we had only had Gonzales, Moss, Franco, Favre, Allen, Sharpe, and Bettis. But still we would have needed Jon as GM/Coach. Don’t forget Jon played High School and College football. We wouldn’t need Olsen RayL with TG on board. Hey, I just noticed Tramon Williams was a FA too.

  • Matt Hayton

    Larry…so good to see you’ve decided to cross over to the dark side…but having Jon as GM/Coach is definitely pushing your luck…

    You know that as of late, experts in the college game haven’t had much success in the pros! You had me there, until you went all “Al” on me…You should know by now that we use logic and reason on the dark side and don’t get emotional like, Al, over in MMARTT’s world.

  • Matt Hayton

    DA – Giants went 10-6 and were the #6 seed and won it all last year…not getting your point, unless…

    #1 – You are saying that you don’t have confidence that our QB can go on the road and win a close game in the playoffs.
    #2 – Or that the Defense is a little above average and not a championship caliber Defense, because were ranked #27 against the run and bleed like a siev.
    #3 – Or that our O-Line is average at best and won’t be able to run the ball deep in the playoffs when it matters the most.
    #4 – We lack a leader that this team can rally around & that inspires this team to play with passion and gut out wins when the chips are down.

    Which in that case, we agree, aside from the fact that you think we’ll somehow miraculously go 7-1 to finish the year and be 11-5, while I think we’ll be 7-9 (9-7 is my goal for this team, but don’t think it will happen) for those exact reasons…just wanted to clarify…

  • Matt Hayton

    Pun intended:)

  • Matt Hayton

    Reid – yep that was ’03…and winning that game was the difference between us going to the playoffs or not that year, we finished 10-6…if you remember on the last game of the year, all the vikings needed to do was win against a lowly Cards team on the road becasue they held some ridiculous tie-breaking between the Packers, but instead they choke and lose…but if we had lost that game at the dome, we would’ve been tied and the Queens would’ve went to the playoffs…

    Well here’s hoping AR can follow in his footsteps…wouldn’t surprise me at all if this game is the difference come the end of the year this year, too…

    Back to ’03… that was a good year…same year Favre had the Oakland game after his dad died and AL Harris has that pick six to win the playoff game, and, to be fair…4th and 26th and the “Abominable Interception”

  • Larry

    Well Matt, I don’t go as far as Al but I do appreciate when “Greats” own up to bonehead throws instead of “I was just trying to make a play”. I still am not convinced we could not have matched last years NYG with what we started the season with if we hadn’t had so many damned injuries and the Specials matched last yr. Yeah, you bet I use injuries as an excuse. I haven’t got a clue what our record will be this year, but I’d bet it’ll be better next year. I am getting over the INT frustration of the last several years, however, but I see where thats now a problem for some fans further East.

  • Larry

    Random thought: I feel the jury is still out on Harrell and don’t think the pick was a mistake. Where I do feel a mistake was made was Jackson. He’s been nicked too, but not like JH. If I were anointed by virtue of draft slot like he was I’d be highly insulted if a 7th RND pick trade came in and took my job. That would light a fire under me you couldn’t put out. I realize we’re not knowledgable of all the facts that keeps him behind Grant but in my way of thinking, if we don’t find out more about this situation, I’m close to calling him a bust. Even so I’m pleased overall w/ the way we’re headed.

  • Devil’s Advocate…

    Your right, Matt Hayton. The Giants played .500 ball the last eight weeks. I guess there’s many ways it’s been done, but I’d feel better if the Pack came into the play-offs w/winning ways. The more, the better. All your concerns are reasonable, but I believe they’re on the cusp of winning, which will lead them to start to believe in themselves, that’s when they’ll become dangerous. They’ve still got a few things to clean up, but a fair amount of time to do it in…..

  • RayL

    Larry – I’m not saying we would need Grwg Olswn if we had TG…one or the other would be nice. WHy can’t you admit that if TT had made just a few moves for “Need” we would be a better team? It is so hard to do?

  • Roy Jamison

    I haven’t heard anything about Tauscher’s contract lately. Sounds like he will be given the company gold watch at the end of the season, the traditional thanks for your past efforts, and then the caution to be careful about the fast swinging exit door.

  • TRIP

    Why doesn’t Al respond to hardly any of the good criticisms out there? And mostly only responds to Jon?

  • Reid

    TRIP – Chuck Norris scissor-kicked Al in the throat so he can’t respond for a while.

  • http://Orlando Mark

    There’s a big game this week, a test of preparation and tenacity. AR has to throw over the top to back off the run defense and our LB’s have to do better at filling gaps. It’s a lomg season but time is running out on making the playoffs. I wonder if we have the fire to win we had last year.

  • Reid

    There’s a line in the sand. If we win, we make the playoffs. If we lose, no way.

  • Matt Hayton

    Reid…I still think this team could make the playoffs if we lose to MN, but that would pretty much mean we would have to sweep the Bears in order to get in…I think the easier task is to sweep the Vikes and split with the Bears.

    If we lose another close one though…I think it will probably become a habit real quick… And when you get down to it…nomatter what the reason is, that is the difference between this team and last yeras…we losing all of the close games that we won last year.

    Hope that trend changes on Sunday…but until this team proves otherwise, I think we’ll lose another close one – Vikes 28, Pack 24.

  • Larry

    RayL, I’m saying he has. Woodson, Bigby, Williams, Chillar, not Franco, Allen, or Gonzales, who would break the bank. Its a question of degree. WASH tried it, OAK tried it, MINN tried it, DAL tried it, it doesn’t work. Wolf did it with Jones and Reggie and it worked, but thats the exception. How are you going to keep every other position together if you spend all your cap on one or two? Where would the cap come from for Arod, (2) replacement OTs, keeping Driver and the other (4) wides, and a RB? Think about 53 not 1 or 2, the NFL system is designed to prevent wholesale spending; its called Parity (which I admit I hate) but thats the way it is. A lot of people on this post called for Allen, Franco, TG, hell I don’t know probably a half dozen others too, but one guy maybe two aren’t a team. The ball still bounces crazy, it gets real cold in GB, the refs call penalties, and players get injured. One thing I do know is that if you spend all your money and it doesn’t work you end up selling off those big investments just to pay your top picks in a rebuilding draft or three.

  • http://www.packernet.com admin

    Packers 41, Vikings 10. Sorry. I’m running out of juice…

  • Reid

    Matt – I agree.

  • Pete H

    Larry, I think the whole point that Matt is trying to make is that most of us were not calling for all of the big names to be signed, but if you look at the championship teams since the free agency era began, virtually all of them had free agency help. You talk about injuries, and yes they happen. but that is exactly why there need to be some additions of people who you know what you will get. They don’t always need to be a Tony Gonzalez…can’t believe he still gets brought up….Jared Allen etc. I do trust TT in the handling of big names so far…way too overpriced too often. I wil say though that he ha seemed to set himself up for failure in the event that injuries happen. Tramon Williams has played well, and learned alot during his time starting, but he helped cost this team 2 games…potentially. The whole point being that every time there is an injury it can’t be filled by someone with great ability who just has to learn. yuo just end up with too many out there learning…and in the process losing. injuries are going to happen every year. To be ultimately successful, there need to be some, just some, backups who you know can play some…and you know what they bring. As for this Sunday, I can’t predict this team right now. I could just as easily see them running rough shot over those Sallies as I could see AP breaking his own record. This team needs identity

  • Devil’s Advocate…

    Anyone know why they only activate 45 players for the game??? The other eight still get full paychecks, right. What’s the advantage then???

    I say to your F/A arguement. If a good one becomes available, it’ll cost you alot. When a decent one comes along, still has to be in a spot you have a need in. And if you get one, your going to have to give up someone, maybe a good player. The rosters are pretty small now.

  • iccyfan

    Pete – I’m not diagreein’ with you; just didn’t see any Seth Joyner’s or Keith Jackson’s on the 2008 Free Agent list. Here’s a position by position list of last offseason’s free agents, including who they signed with and salary data. Most of the FA QB’s, even the “untested” ones (ie – Quinn Gray), signed for around $2.5M – $3M. I can’t imagine that TT doesn’t scour the list and determine where folks fit in at what price…

    http://www.walterfootball.com/freeagents.php

  • Larry

    That darned GM (cant even find out his name) from WASH sure got the better of TT again. DeAngelo Hall! We sure could have used this prior ProBowler to back up Woodson and Harris. Tightwad!

  • Roy Jamison

    DeAngelo is just another of the Pacman Jones mode. Selfish and over-rated.

  • Roy Jamison

    I missed this short article when it came out and will leave it for others in the same boat:
    There was a time, when the Packers were dominating the National Football League in the mid-1990s, general manager Ron Wolf and coach Mike Holmgren were viewed as an ideal combination. They were viewed as a template for organizational success. Now we learn Wolf primarily blames Holmgren for the Packers’ loss to the Broncos in Super Bowl XXXII. Wolf said Holmgren was “pig-headed” in failing to adjust to the protection schemes to account for the Broncos’ blitzes. In Wolf’s view, Holmgren was aware of what needed to be done but didn’t do it because he arrogantly believed in his own approach. Former Packers safety LeRoy Butler said Holmgren was more interested in “showing off” than making a simple fix that would have made a difference in the game.
    (As I remember the only show off was the Bronco running back Terrell Davis)

  • Reid

    “…dominating the NFL in the mid-1990′s”? I remember a Super Bowl win and a Super Bowl loss and a lot of losses in Dallas. Dominating? I dare to disagree with the term “dominating”.

  • Devil’s Advocate…

    I wonder if TT was looking a year ahead at the draft last year. If they get a 2nd for Favre, got a second for Corey Williams and they have their own 2nd plus their own 1st rounder, that should allow them to pick about 4 of the top 60 palyers available. They could package for a high draft pick or load up on players if it’s a deep draft…..

    No one knows why they only dress 45 of the 53 players???

  • Devil’s Advocate…

    Watch them start the Fab 5 this weekend, but then again I thought they’d play the 2-5 defense against the Colts also…………………

  • RayL

    Larry – This moron was gonna pay BF 20

  • Larry

    DA, when what you said sinks in re 2009 its very possible. However, turning a neg into a pos, you might call it long range planning and I’ve never faulted that in personal or business life.

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