Deputy Nutz
08-20-2006, 03:12 AM
Well folks the Packers seemed to turn some things around this week. I ripped some of you for giving up on this team after one preseason game, and now I will warn others not to get to confident in this team after the victory in week 2 of the preseason. Several breaks went the Packers way tonight, which was a good thing to see. The Packers are still a bit rough around the edges, and still didn't dominate the running game, and all though the offensive line improved from last week, they still have a long way to go to become a cohesive unit. They allowed Favre to get hit way to often, and also in their own enzone. This team is a work in progress, and it was great to see a drastic improvement from last week.
Winners and Losers can now begin.
Winners
1. Brett Favre, surgically dismantled the much improved Atlanta secondary. Favre had help from Driver, but Favre made throws that no other QB in the league can make, he threw the ball with confidence, and was jamming the ball into spots that knats couldn't fly through. Favre was also up to his old tricks avoiding oncoming rushers and then underhanding the ball to recievers in the flat. He is 36 years old and still moving around and making tacklers miss. His line had its ups and downs, but again Favre played through it and remained confident through out his 2 quarters and his one series in the third quarter. It was nice to see that he refused to let his line play effect the way he threw the football. Favre was even game enough to run down field and give the old college try on Drivers reverse. If it was any other player I would have worried about injury in the preseason.
2. Donald Driver, simply, no one could cover him on Saturday night. He had his way with the Atlanta secondary. No matter the route Driver was there to catch Favre's bullet passes. I am really beginning to believe that Donald Driver is one of the ten best recievers in the NFL. He did all this with hardly breaking a sweat. If this was a regular season game, he would have racked up 12 catches for 200 yards. Driver's only weakness is scoring touchdowns. He isn't an automatic threat while in the red zone, but if he keeps moving the chains, his touchdowns will come, but even so, if he contributes the way he did tonight, the Packers can find someone else to score points. His 7 catches for 91 yards, and 1 rush for 20 yards is going to open some eyes around the league, if they haven't noticed Donald Driver yet, they will soon enough.
3. Greg Jennings, he got hammered going across the middle on a slant pattern, the ball hit his hands and he came down with it, but the hit jarred the ball loose. Other than that drop he had a superb night, with an 85 yard touchdown grab which was amazing that he even caught the ball off the deflection. Jennings will battle Ferguson for the #2 job, but Ferguson had an alright night catching two passes. Ferguson may hold on to the number 2 job. Ferguson most likely is the better blocker and that may win him the job. In reality it doesn't really matter, plays will be called to get Jennings the ball.
4. Najeh Davenport, I thought Davenport ran extremely hard, and more than half his yards came after contact. His goal is to get 4 yards a carry. He didn't accomplush that tonight with only gaining 29 yards on a 11 carries. His yards were tough yards that he was able to create with being physical, which is the type of back the Packers are going to have to rely on until the offensive line gets it together. Davenport also showed his route running ability gettting into the endzone unnoticed to catch Favre's second TD pass. If Ahman comes back healthy, Najeh will still have competition to make this ball club with Arliss Beach having a nice game, and Noah Herron contributing in the running game. Gado also needs to prove that he can fit in the zone system, or he might be traded for a second day draft pick, or a back up safety.
5. Chad Clifton, He is struggling in the running game like the rest of the offensive line, but he has never been a dominating tackle when it comes to run blocking. Clifton is simply a 8 foot wall when it comes to pass blocking. The best defensive ends in the league simply can't get by him. John Abrahams was shut out against the large tackle tonight. Hopefully his knees get better and he is able to practice on a consistent basis.
6. Arliss Beach, he usually picked the right hole and then exploded through it. Beach's 9 carries for 50 yards led the team against the Falcons. Beach did a nice job working with both the ones and the twos tonight, hopefully he will get another look early in the next few preseason games. The jury is still out on his ability to pick up blocking assignments and also catching passes out of the backfield, but he did show a knack for finding open running space.
7. Play calling, was excellent and creative tonight. McCarthy looked out of his league last week, but called a great game tonight. He didn't give up on the run and mixed in a nice variety of short and intermediate passes. It was the first time I saw a legit West Coast offense in a long time. Favre is looking like he might flurish in McCarthy's scheme, and it seems to match what Favre ran under Holmgren. It might be a secret to Favre's success in the preseason so far.
8. Charles Woodson, Late in the second half he got beat on a slant, but up until that point it was the first time a QB completed a pass to his side, or for that matter attempted a pass to his side. He is about as good in man coverage as any corner the Packers have ever had. Hopefully he can stay healthy, trust me I have my fingers crossed everyday for this to happen, hell I might even start praying if it is going to help.
9. AJ Hawk, his hit on Shockely was as violent of a hit that I have seen a Packer defender make in a long time, granted he got a personal foul for it, but it was fantastic to see. He simply showed tonight why he was the #5 selection in this years draft, he can flat out dominate games with his aggressive play. He didn't totally dominate the game tonight, but with each preseason game you see the lights go on his head and his natural instincts take over. His pursuit is better than any other linebacker's the Packers have, I expect Hawk will rack up 40 or 50 tackles persuing runners opposite of his playside. His coverage down field was excellent, running stride for stride with the Falcons tight end and then breaking up the pass. He also did a nice job breaking up a pass to a running back, where he seemed to be beat but came out of now where to smack the running back and break up the pass. He is going to be really fun to watch.
10. Ryan Pickett, He knows how to stunt the run up the middle. If teams aim to run the ball against the Packers they better do it by running at KGB and Ben Taylor, because Pickett seems to be stuffing everything up the middle.
11. Tyrone Culver, he gave up the early touchdown by being totally out of position, and almost ended up on the other end of this column. Then Culver demonstrated what good coverage skills can do for a defensive back by keeping to his zone, and then breaking on a late pass down the middle by Vick. Culver made the interception and thwarted the Falcons drive. Culver also seemed to conistently be around the ball whether in coverage or in run support. I give this kid a ton of credit, and if Manuel doesn't play next week, I fully support the Packers starting Culver on opening day.
12. Johnny Jolly, the big guy show a bit of his athletic ability by grabbing the tipped ball at its highest point for the interception and then rumbling over a few Falcons for a couple of extra yards. Jolly is going to have to battle to make the final roster, but at the same time I find it hard to keep him off the team, he was the ability and the size, it is just tough to let a rookie like him go due to the depth of the position, but isn't this a good thing?
Losers
1. Al Harris, hopefully Al is just dogging it in the preseason but if a qb wants to complete a pass against the Packers secondary, he might as well decide to pick on Al Harris. I don't think Al's age has caught up to him, but I do think that his greed is catching up to his performance on the field.
2. Ben Taylor, the second play of the Falcon's first series Taylor broke hard on Vick's play fake was totally out of position as Vick ran by him and Aaron Kampman for a 12 yard gain. Taylor's appears to be either slow footed or just slow in reaction to the play. In all honestly I think he is going to have problems making this team if his play doesn't improve. The Packers do have Poppinga coming off the knee injury, and Tracy White had another decent game.
3. KGB, He is the weak point in defending the run. He might be part of the problem with Ben Taylor. I have said it before, I pitty the outside linebacker that lines up behind KGB. KGB got hammered on the first series. He simply can't hold up against a double team even if it is just a combo or a scrape block. It was nice to see Montgomery play well with the other reserves. Hopefully he can sub for KGB on run downs and allow KGB to use his one pass rushing move only 40 times a game rather than 75. KGB did show good use of his hands dispelling Wyane Gandy and then getting the holding call in his favor.
4. Moll-Tauscher, it was inexcusable for both of them to get beat on their one goalline while double teaming the defensive end on third down. Favre had exactly 1 second to to get rid of the ball, instead he had to avoid the pass rusher, and then dance around to buy enough time to chuck the ball to safety. Tauscher seems to be struggling all around with the switch to the new scheme, and it also seems to be effecting his pass protection. Thats not good when Tony Moll is lined up next to you.
5. Aaron Rodger, the guy is like a trained robot. He goes through his first progression of reads and if no one has gotten open, he either dumps the ball off into the flat, or he takes off running for his life and fumbles the ball off his own leg. To his credit the offensive line did a piss poor job protecting him the minute he stepped onto the field. This game is meant to be played with some instincts, and Rodgers has yet to consistently prove that he has any, other than a brain that has been programed by Jeff Tedford.
6. Junius Coston, I beg any of you that taped the game or used Tevo on the game tonight to go back and watch Jennings 85 yard touchdown catch. Train your eyes on the right tackle, that would be Junius Coston. He misses a pathetic attempt at a cut block, and spikes his head straight into the turf, and then rolls around like a doodle bug. It was the funniest thing I had seen all night. We must have watched that play a half a dozen times. This guy is just plan bad, or maybe it is straight up karma due to his wife's big mouth.
7. Green Bay's Special Teams, they are god awful. Rodgers can't catch a punt, our punters can't catch the snap in their own enzone, and our return teams as a whole are pathetic. Some serious gains are going to be needed by the time Chicago rolls in.
Well here they all are, remember folks keep a level head throughout the preseason, it will save you on the Miller, Jack Daniels, and the Tums. Feel free to add any of your winners and losers.
Winners and Losers can now begin.
Winners
1. Brett Favre, surgically dismantled the much improved Atlanta secondary. Favre had help from Driver, but Favre made throws that no other QB in the league can make, he threw the ball with confidence, and was jamming the ball into spots that knats couldn't fly through. Favre was also up to his old tricks avoiding oncoming rushers and then underhanding the ball to recievers in the flat. He is 36 years old and still moving around and making tacklers miss. His line had its ups and downs, but again Favre played through it and remained confident through out his 2 quarters and his one series in the third quarter. It was nice to see that he refused to let his line play effect the way he threw the football. Favre was even game enough to run down field and give the old college try on Drivers reverse. If it was any other player I would have worried about injury in the preseason.
2. Donald Driver, simply, no one could cover him on Saturday night. He had his way with the Atlanta secondary. No matter the route Driver was there to catch Favre's bullet passes. I am really beginning to believe that Donald Driver is one of the ten best recievers in the NFL. He did all this with hardly breaking a sweat. If this was a regular season game, he would have racked up 12 catches for 200 yards. Driver's only weakness is scoring touchdowns. He isn't an automatic threat while in the red zone, but if he keeps moving the chains, his touchdowns will come, but even so, if he contributes the way he did tonight, the Packers can find someone else to score points. His 7 catches for 91 yards, and 1 rush for 20 yards is going to open some eyes around the league, if they haven't noticed Donald Driver yet, they will soon enough.
3. Greg Jennings, he got hammered going across the middle on a slant pattern, the ball hit his hands and he came down with it, but the hit jarred the ball loose. Other than that drop he had a superb night, with an 85 yard touchdown grab which was amazing that he even caught the ball off the deflection. Jennings will battle Ferguson for the #2 job, but Ferguson had an alright night catching two passes. Ferguson may hold on to the number 2 job. Ferguson most likely is the better blocker and that may win him the job. In reality it doesn't really matter, plays will be called to get Jennings the ball.
4. Najeh Davenport, I thought Davenport ran extremely hard, and more than half his yards came after contact. His goal is to get 4 yards a carry. He didn't accomplush that tonight with only gaining 29 yards on a 11 carries. His yards were tough yards that he was able to create with being physical, which is the type of back the Packers are going to have to rely on until the offensive line gets it together. Davenport also showed his route running ability gettting into the endzone unnoticed to catch Favre's second TD pass. If Ahman comes back healthy, Najeh will still have competition to make this ball club with Arliss Beach having a nice game, and Noah Herron contributing in the running game. Gado also needs to prove that he can fit in the zone system, or he might be traded for a second day draft pick, or a back up safety.
5. Chad Clifton, He is struggling in the running game like the rest of the offensive line, but he has never been a dominating tackle when it comes to run blocking. Clifton is simply a 8 foot wall when it comes to pass blocking. The best defensive ends in the league simply can't get by him. John Abrahams was shut out against the large tackle tonight. Hopefully his knees get better and he is able to practice on a consistent basis.
6. Arliss Beach, he usually picked the right hole and then exploded through it. Beach's 9 carries for 50 yards led the team against the Falcons. Beach did a nice job working with both the ones and the twos tonight, hopefully he will get another look early in the next few preseason games. The jury is still out on his ability to pick up blocking assignments and also catching passes out of the backfield, but he did show a knack for finding open running space.
7. Play calling, was excellent and creative tonight. McCarthy looked out of his league last week, but called a great game tonight. He didn't give up on the run and mixed in a nice variety of short and intermediate passes. It was the first time I saw a legit West Coast offense in a long time. Favre is looking like he might flurish in McCarthy's scheme, and it seems to match what Favre ran under Holmgren. It might be a secret to Favre's success in the preseason so far.
8. Charles Woodson, Late in the second half he got beat on a slant, but up until that point it was the first time a QB completed a pass to his side, or for that matter attempted a pass to his side. He is about as good in man coverage as any corner the Packers have ever had. Hopefully he can stay healthy, trust me I have my fingers crossed everyday for this to happen, hell I might even start praying if it is going to help.
9. AJ Hawk, his hit on Shockely was as violent of a hit that I have seen a Packer defender make in a long time, granted he got a personal foul for it, but it was fantastic to see. He simply showed tonight why he was the #5 selection in this years draft, he can flat out dominate games with his aggressive play. He didn't totally dominate the game tonight, but with each preseason game you see the lights go on his head and his natural instincts take over. His pursuit is better than any other linebacker's the Packers have, I expect Hawk will rack up 40 or 50 tackles persuing runners opposite of his playside. His coverage down field was excellent, running stride for stride with the Falcons tight end and then breaking up the pass. He also did a nice job breaking up a pass to a running back, where he seemed to be beat but came out of now where to smack the running back and break up the pass. He is going to be really fun to watch.
10. Ryan Pickett, He knows how to stunt the run up the middle. If teams aim to run the ball against the Packers they better do it by running at KGB and Ben Taylor, because Pickett seems to be stuffing everything up the middle.
11. Tyrone Culver, he gave up the early touchdown by being totally out of position, and almost ended up on the other end of this column. Then Culver demonstrated what good coverage skills can do for a defensive back by keeping to his zone, and then breaking on a late pass down the middle by Vick. Culver made the interception and thwarted the Falcons drive. Culver also seemed to conistently be around the ball whether in coverage or in run support. I give this kid a ton of credit, and if Manuel doesn't play next week, I fully support the Packers starting Culver on opening day.
12. Johnny Jolly, the big guy show a bit of his athletic ability by grabbing the tipped ball at its highest point for the interception and then rumbling over a few Falcons for a couple of extra yards. Jolly is going to have to battle to make the final roster, but at the same time I find it hard to keep him off the team, he was the ability and the size, it is just tough to let a rookie like him go due to the depth of the position, but isn't this a good thing?
Losers
1. Al Harris, hopefully Al is just dogging it in the preseason but if a qb wants to complete a pass against the Packers secondary, he might as well decide to pick on Al Harris. I don't think Al's age has caught up to him, but I do think that his greed is catching up to his performance on the field.
2. Ben Taylor, the second play of the Falcon's first series Taylor broke hard on Vick's play fake was totally out of position as Vick ran by him and Aaron Kampman for a 12 yard gain. Taylor's appears to be either slow footed or just slow in reaction to the play. In all honestly I think he is going to have problems making this team if his play doesn't improve. The Packers do have Poppinga coming off the knee injury, and Tracy White had another decent game.
3. KGB, He is the weak point in defending the run. He might be part of the problem with Ben Taylor. I have said it before, I pitty the outside linebacker that lines up behind KGB. KGB got hammered on the first series. He simply can't hold up against a double team even if it is just a combo or a scrape block. It was nice to see Montgomery play well with the other reserves. Hopefully he can sub for KGB on run downs and allow KGB to use his one pass rushing move only 40 times a game rather than 75. KGB did show good use of his hands dispelling Wyane Gandy and then getting the holding call in his favor.
4. Moll-Tauscher, it was inexcusable for both of them to get beat on their one goalline while double teaming the defensive end on third down. Favre had exactly 1 second to to get rid of the ball, instead he had to avoid the pass rusher, and then dance around to buy enough time to chuck the ball to safety. Tauscher seems to be struggling all around with the switch to the new scheme, and it also seems to be effecting his pass protection. Thats not good when Tony Moll is lined up next to you.
5. Aaron Rodger, the guy is like a trained robot. He goes through his first progression of reads and if no one has gotten open, he either dumps the ball off into the flat, or he takes off running for his life and fumbles the ball off his own leg. To his credit the offensive line did a piss poor job protecting him the minute he stepped onto the field. This game is meant to be played with some instincts, and Rodgers has yet to consistently prove that he has any, other than a brain that has been programed by Jeff Tedford.
6. Junius Coston, I beg any of you that taped the game or used Tevo on the game tonight to go back and watch Jennings 85 yard touchdown catch. Train your eyes on the right tackle, that would be Junius Coston. He misses a pathetic attempt at a cut block, and spikes his head straight into the turf, and then rolls around like a doodle bug. It was the funniest thing I had seen all night. We must have watched that play a half a dozen times. This guy is just plan bad, or maybe it is straight up karma due to his wife's big mouth.
7. Green Bay's Special Teams, they are god awful. Rodgers can't catch a punt, our punters can't catch the snap in their own enzone, and our return teams as a whole are pathetic. Some serious gains are going to be needed by the time Chicago rolls in.
Well here they all are, remember folks keep a level head throughout the preseason, it will save you on the Miller, Jack Daniels, and the Tums. Feel free to add any of your winners and losers.