Quote Originally Posted by Smidgeon View Post
I watched the game late last night.
My thoughts on the game:

1. It looked like Jones got away with a minor OPI on Detroit's first TD.
2. On the second punt, Janis's speed was evident. That boy can fly. Too bad he can't catch.
3. The first half did not look like a good game for Aaron Jones, Blake Martinez, or Kenny Clark. Of course, they could've been playing fine, but none of them jumped off the screen like they've been doing all year. Only Martinez started flashing in the second half, but still subpar vs prior games.
4. Back to back non calls of obvious DPIs against Slay after the fumble. Those were both terrible. I qualify that by imagining if the situations were reversed (i.e. GB defending). If I saw Randall doing that, I'd've been furious he caused us those penalties.
5. Stafford was pinpoint tonight. It was a very accurate night for him. He completed so many passes in really tight coverage.
5. When Hundley started throwing the ball down the field, he made some good passes. Too bad the D couldn't help him.

And to those who are complaining about the tire fire on defense, the only thing missing is pass rush. It's vastly superior than the years when the Packers couldn't even stop Fritz's grandma from running wild (God rest her soul). Maybe Capers isn't the answer. I don't know, but I suspect people are just tired of the devil they know and assume the devil they don't know will be better. The run defense is more consistent, the defensive backs are young and improving (Randall has been consistent since his benching, King flashes enough to think he's Big Time, Jones just needs seasoning).

I suspect next week the offense will be even better. The last time Rodgers was out for an extended period, the Packers didn't win for five weeks. They went from 5-2 to 5-6-1. This time they don't have their backup out for the season after one series, they're third string is still on the bench, and they don't have to go to a retread (yet) to show an offense that can move the ball. They just need consistency which requires experience to build.

The biggest disappointment to me was the absence of Aaron Jones. Can he not run it against a stacked box at all? Monty did more than him, but Monty has demonstrated he is not as skilled in space. Maybe timing of opportunities.
I, too, see the same thing you do on defense. Our run D is decent, our coverage is much better than last year, but our pass rush is hopeless. The best outside pass rusher we have is Matthews and he only comes to play a couple of times a game. Perry has shown next to nothing rushing, although he is a good run defender. Fackrell's number is never called. Brooks may have been the best edge rusher, but he's only played a couple of games after having very little injury history.

I'm not even seeing a push from the inside. Last year, Jones, Pepper, and Daniels got some inside rush and pushed the pocket a little allowing Perry and Matthews to pick up sacks. This year, Daniels, Clark, and Lowry get very little push although they play the run well.

I suspect that the lack of inside pressure is the biggest difference in our pass rush.