Playing behind a makeshift offensive line in front of his home crowd, Aaron Rodgers looked every bit the young inexperienced quarterback he is. It wasn’t all Rodgers fault, although he held the ball too long on three of his four sacks and seemed uncertain where to go with the ball at other times, his receivers are having a hard time catching the ball this year. For the second straight game Donald Driver dropped a perfectly thrown ball that hit him right in the hands, this one had six points written all over it. Not to be outdone, tight end Donald Lee dropped a perfectly thrown pass in the end zone after a Charles Woodson interception set up the Packers at the 49ers’ seven. Two plays that could have changed the game.
For the second straight week the Packers running games was a non-factor and on the other side of the ball the defense played well for a quarter but the second the backups come in the flood gates opened for the 49ers. The secondary and defensive line have to be areas of concern due to lack of depth, but nothing like the problems the offensive line faces. If head coach Mike McCarthy and general manager Ted Thompson can’t shore up that unit or find the right combination, it will be a long season for the Packers. I mean really, where is Jason Spitz going to start next week? Running back? Tight end? This is getting ridiculous. Darren Colledge couldn’t block my grandmother.
If the Packers wanted a wake-up call, they got it. The offensive line is horrible, the backup quarterbacks suck and the receivers can’t catch. Seems like the Packers miss Greg Jennings and Ryan Grant more and more each week. Getting those two back will help, but without an offensive line, it won’t be enough.
It is only preseason and by no means is it time to panic. Two more games to work out the kinks. Back to the drawing board after a lesson learned. This is what preseason is for, and judging from the tone of McCarthy’s voice last night, this all-around poor performance will be addressed. However, the Packers will be playing their third game in 13 games on Friday, so unlike most third preseason games, I don’t see this one as being the usual dress rehearsal for the regular season. Any nicked up starters will likely sit out again. I do expect Rodgers to play into the third quarter, however. That is if he isn’t maimed in the first half.
More to come…