0-1 and the sky is falling

[Tony Oday]

OK not really. You guys do remember that the Pack could easily have lost to the Saints last year in the opener. The rest of the division played third rate teams and we took the number 2 seed and lost by a touchdown.

QB: AR didnt play perfect but he did play good enough that we should have won. Dropped balls again killed drives and Nelson didnt get the flag on a deep route and JJ got mugged a couple of times no call shit happens

RB: Wasnt expecting much from Benson against the number 1 rush defense. This team is not built to run we are built to pass

WR: Overreaction is Driver is done. I dont remember him on the field. Nelson and Jennings were spied by the safties opening up Cobb who had a great day and seemed to catch everything.

TE: Ah Finley, sweet catch for a TD knowing he was going to get tagged and a bonehead drop to kill a drive. Finley needs to step it up or step aside.

OL: Did not do terrible against a great pass rush but didnt open holes for running backs.

DL: Looked decent didnt get gashed on runs too bad and got some preasure

LB: Smith took bad angles and took chances, Hawk didnt take chances but still had the 5 yard tackles. CMIII is a star amongst stars, Perry didnt look terrible.

CB: Terrible. Just terrible. We had preasure but really cmon these guys are not good in zones they look like they are running around just guessing

S: Look at the CBs, took bad angles and forgot to cover WR not good.


In the end we lost to the second best team in the NFC and have a tough game against the Bears. Time to get after Cutler and mess up the bears!

[Smidgeon]

A couple things that I was thinking of while watching the game last night:

1) If Fangio comes directly from Capers' coaching tree, how on earth is the 49ers defense that much better than the Packers? Scheme nuances? Players? Philosophy? That was ugly and one sided.

2) The game didn't come down to the Packers offense versus the 49ers defense. It came down to the 49ers offense versus the Packers defense. And the 49ers didn't make mistakes while the Packers did.

3) I know it all evens out in the end with the Packers having one of (if not the) easiest schedules based on last year's records, but I've concluded it's decidedly unfair that the Pack opened against the 49ers and the rest of the NFC North opened against bottom dwellers from last year (Colts, Jags, Rams)--teams that won fewer games combined than the 49ers. It's probably sour grapes, but that gives the other three teams a chance to win and get some momentum going while the Pack had to be perfect out of the gate. There's a legitimate chance that if they opened against the Colts or Jags or Rams instead, they might have been more oiled by facing the 49ers later.

4) I'm starting to think that all games with replacement refs need asterisks. No, I'm definitely not saying the refs cost the Pack the game. What I am saying is that games are often decided by a small number of big plays. Considering how many missed calls and wrong calls they had on big plays, who knows how it would have played out if they'd been consistent and accurate all the way through? I'm not bemoaning the loss. The 49ers played a great game and the Pack didn't. I just realized the impact of the refs is such that you don't know for sure--either way--if the correct calls would have changed the swing of things.

5) Maybe this is self-revisionist history, but in the first quarter, I remember realizing that I had internal subconscious qualms about the assumption that the Packers offense wouldn't miss a beat going into this season. Now, I'm not going to say "I knew it all along" because there's still a full season to play. But people have been saying for a while that Rodgers can't duplicate a perfect season. It's expected for there to be some regression on offense, but I also expect the defense to get better so it balances better. I still think the offense will still be very good. Just not as sure about "great" quite yet.

6) Not worried about the run offense. Not unless that happens every week.

7) Can this please be the last time I see Bush or Doctor Jennings start? I want to see me some Shields and McMillian. I have no idea why McMillian didn't start this game. I think he's been better since day 1.

So yeah. Those are my thoughts.

[Smidgeon]

OK not really. You guys do remember that the Pack could easily have lost to the Saints last year in the opener. The rest of the division played third rate teams and we took the number 2 seed and lost by a touchdown.

QB: AR didnt play perfect but he did play good enough that we should have won. Dropped balls again killed drives and Nelson didnt get the flag on a deep route and JJ got mugged a couple of times no call shit happens

RB: Wasnt expecting much from Benson against the number 1 rush defense. This team is not built to run we are built to pass

WR: Overreaction is Driver is done. I dont remember him on the field. Nelson and Jennings were spied by the safties opening up Cobb who had a great day and seemed to catch everything.

TE: Ah Finley, sweet catch for a TD knowing he was going to get tagged and a bonehead drop to kill a drive. Finley needs to step it up or step aside.

OL: Did not do terrible against a great pass rush but didnt open holes for running backs.

DL: Looked decent didnt get gashed on runs too bad and got some preasure

LB: Smith took bad angles and took chances, Hawk didnt take chances but still had the 5 yard tackles. CMIII is a star amongst stars, Perry didnt look terrible.

CB: Terrible. Just terrible. We had preasure but really cmon these guys are not good in zones they look like they are running around just guessing

S: Look at the CBs, took bad angles and forgot to cover WR not good.


In the end we lost to the second best team in the NFC and have a tough game against the Bears. Time to get after Cutler and mess up the bears!

P.S. I think this was a good summary and fair judgment.

[hoosier]

I don't see how anyone can call SF the second best team in the NFC right now. For the time being, the Packers are out of sync on offense (as they have been for the most part since Jennings went down last December against Oakland) and their defense has yet to gel. But there is plenty of time for those things to come around.

[Tony Oday]

Going into the season I think the 9ers are regarded as the second best team in the NFC which is what I was refering too.

[Pugger]

I think SF is one of the best teams in the NFC right now. I do not think the bares are as good as what we saw yesterday. If ya gotta have a stinker this is the time to have a stinker. I'd rather play my best ball in December and January rather than early September.

[mmmdk]

31 teams do not win the SB every season; so the sky's not falling - but expect more goddamnit!

You'll find find more badasses in a pussy club than among the Packers' trench guys! The DL is at its lowest talent level in decades. OL depth is thinner than thinned paint. The secondary is clueless. AR and his weapons are the Green Bay Packers plus a star punter!

[pittstang5]

3) I know it all evens out in the end with the Packers having one of (if not the) easiest schedules based on last year's records, but I've concluded it's decidedly unfair that the Pack opened against the 49ers and the rest of the NFC North opened against bottom dwellers from last year (Colts, Jags, Rams)--teams that won fewer games combined than the 49ers. It's probably sour grapes, but that gives the other three teams a chance to win and get some momentum going while the Pack had to be perfect out of the gate. There's a legitimate chance that if they opened against the Colts or Jags or Rams instead, they might have been more oiled by facing the 49ers later.

Funny - when the schedule came out, that was my immediate reaction - that the Packers could be in a hole to start the season. Granted it's one game, but momentum or lack there of kills.

[Pugger]

Of course it may be a blessing in disguise that we had to play the 9ers so soon so we can see where we stand and what we have to do if we lost like we did. There is a decent chance we'll find ourselves 0-2 by the end of Thursday night with 11 days to fix our issues before we face Seattle.