More Banjo: Conference @ Atlanta

[King Friday]

That's not the difference. The Packers safety play is good enough. The difference is when Nick was playing the Packers had Charles Woodson, Tramon Williams and Sam Shields at CB.

And Matthews was actually making plays.

[bobblehead]

I am OK with Burnett. But need better coverage and pass rush. Also could still use ILB upgrade. Though when healthy, I think the 3 they have could get them by.

Either every DB on the field is wrong about looking for burnett to help or he is late to help way to often. Not sure which it is.

Also, Vince, I would not let go of Guion. He is solid for what we pay and ask of him. I would like to see the Peppers/shields money go to paying a good shutdown corner if one is available. Then every other guy can take a step down the rung and be more effective.

[pbmax]

That's not the difference. The Packers safety play is good enough. The difference is when Nick was playing the Packers had Charles Woodson, Tramon Williams and Sam Shields at CB.

And a pass rush.

[vince]

Either every DB on the field is wrong about looking for burnett to help or he is late to help way to often. Not sure which it is.

Also, Vince, I would not let go of Guion. He is solid for what we pay and ask of him. I would like to see the Peppers/shields money go to paying a good shutdown corner if one is available. Then every other guy can take a step down the rung and be more effective.

Yeah I don't disagree with Guion. And now that I look it up he's under contract for the next two years though he would cost less than $1 mil in dead cap to cut. I assumed he was playing under a 1-year deal and just speculating that Clark and Lowrey can step up so they can save some cap for the shutdown corner they desperately need. Cutting him would save $3 mil and they need that big body inside after letting Pennel go. I probably jumped the gun on him.

If they can come up with a defensive scheme that keeps Burnett in the box and/or singled up on the big pass-catching TE's, he's excellent there. I'm with you as well in saying he's not great as a 2-deep safety.

I'd like to see his $7 mil and Clay's $15.2 mil re-worked along with Shields' $9 mil ($12.125 cap less $3.125 dead money) taken off the books. Peppers' $10.5 comes off.

They'll need to find some more money, as they have over $13 mil in built-in increases for Cobb, Nelson, Bulaga, Daniels and Bakh. Those are likely to eat up the cap increase by themselves.

Lang's $6.2 comes off but Cook probably eats most of that right up.

http://www.spotrac.com/nfl/green-bay-packers/yearly/cap/

[red]

lang was crying on the sideline because he thinks he might have played his last game as a packer

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2017/01/23/t-j-lang-hopes-he-hasnt-played-final-game-with-packers/

what ever happened to TT letting sitton go so he could focus on signing all the other guys? has he done anything yet?

oh, and lang re broke a bone in his foot, he didn

[vince]

lang was crying on the sideline because he thinks he might have played his last game as a packer

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2017/01/23/t-j-lang-hopes-he-hasnt-played-final-game-with-packers/

what ever happened to TT letting sitton go so he could focus on signing all the other guys? has he done anything yet?

oh, and lang re broke a bone in his foot, he didn

He signed Bakh to a long-term deal shortly after...

[Pugger]

Green Bay Packers @packers 9m9 minutes ago

Rodgers: I'm so proud of Jordy (Nelson). It's incredible that he was out there. #GBvsATL

Rodgers: We played a hot team. You've got to give them credit. Matt (Ryan) is playing incredible right now. #GBvsATL

Rodgers: Really proud of these guys. We battled. Had our backs against the wall for 8 weeks straight. Just came up a little short. #GBvsATL



EDIT to add:

Jason Wilde @jasonjwilde 2m2 minutes ago
Rodgers on window closing: "I still feel pretty young, I think I have a number of years left in me (where) I can play at a high level."

If he can play as long as Manning, Favre and Brady he still has 5/6 years left.

[Pugger]

I like Burnett. Our ILB's as they kind of suck; if getting by is what we're looking for we "might" be alright but it would be grand to have one we can say is above average.

Ryan and Martinez are kinda young. They are pretty good at stuffing the run. We can win with them. We need help with edge rushers and at corner.

[Pugger]

And Matthews was actually making plays.

And Clay hasn't been healthy in weeks. I heard he is going to need surgery this offseason.

[Freak Out]

I was kinda pissed that M3 decided to kickoff to start the game this time around. I thought the Packers could have come out and scored early and set the tone.

[red]

As Datone Jones noted, Ryan's quick release was a major factor in the Packers' failing to apply pressure: "The ball was out too fast. They took the rush completely out of the game. Ball was thrown over our heads in 1.5, 2 seconds." Furthermore, the Packers were victimized repeatedly by blitzing corners, either from out wide or in the slot.

what a novel idea PB, getting the ball out quick

[pbmax]

what a novel idea PB, getting the ball out quick

And if that is what they are doing (and they weren't all that fast) you would think a well designed and executed defense could clog up the short zones.

[pbmax]

Bob McGinn's Rating the Packers piece: http://www.jsonline.com/story/sports...cons/96982038/

Falcons coach Dan Quinn went away from his base Cover 3 scheme to challenge the Packers with extensive man-to-man.

When healthy against anything less than top flight competition, Rodgers, pass protection and great receivers will extract a dear price from an opponent making this choice. The Falcons were not top flight competition so you KNEW what choice McCarthy would make. However, with backups at key position (RB, new Guard, new TE, and OL injuries during game) sometimes these elements can be compromised as was the case late in the season with blitz pickup. Pressure made the WR injuries play a bigger role. Mistakes ensured a first half shutout.

So once again, in a playoff game against a good foe, a game plan centered on one type of attack that was foiled failed to deliver enough to win. As bad as the defense was, the offense is just as much of a concern to me. If the game does not open as he planned, McCarthy doesn't have a plan C. They make adjustments, but because they are limited to just the stuff practiced all week, they won't fix a major miscalculation.

This is still the theme of the last 5 years, since the 49ers figured this out. Against man coverage, McCarthy's offense will struggle if you can compromise pass protection at all. Cover 2 guy Rod Marinelli finally figured this out in the second half of the Dallas game.

On Spriggs and Taylor

Lang was replaced by Jason Spriggs, who played 25 snaps at right guard and the last five at right tackle. The later the season went, the worse the rookie from Indiana played. His scorecard included two pressures and 1 ½ “bad” runs. He’s too weak to sustain in the run game and is an easy mark to get walked back in protection. On a line that became synchronized in its movement, Spriggs gets into awkward positions and gaps are created. He’s turning defenders loose way too often. He has a long, long way to go. It was telling that when Lane Taylor went out for good after 18 plays because of what he said was a sprained knee, line coach James Campen waved in Don Barclay instead of Spriggs. In 50 snaps, Barclay’s longest stint since Game 9, he didn’t yield a pressure or “bad” run. He sat square, displayed veteran savvy and had a fine combo block on a successful 2-point conversion.

[Deputy Nutz]

Packer Report @PackerReport 27s27 seconds ago
Talked to shields. Still having symptoms but wants to play again.

Tom Silverstein @TomSilverstein 4m4 minutes ago
Sam Shields at the game. Said he's still having concussion symptoms but feels much better. Said he hasn't given up on playing.

That is because the cops took away his weed.

[pbmax]

There was no reason for Rodgers to look or play tired. People have the flu bug all the time and nobody even talks about it.

Bob would make a terrible diagnostician. He assumes that Jordy faded because of the ribs, fails to note Nelson had the same flu as Rodgers and "miss from 44 yards" Crosby.

Rodgers conversed with and seemingly complained to referee Bill Vinovich throughout the game. It probably irritated the Falcons’ defenders, who might have been even more eager to thwart him as a result. Super Bowl berths are hard to achieve with a franchise quarterback playing well below par.

As a cold-weather team, the Packers need a big back with durability.

Sometimes I wonder if Bob remembers 1991 through 2000.

Guion is a thrasher who can’t get off the line of scrimmage anymore. His nine seasons are catching up to him.

If true, that is worrying considering prior to this year he might have been the second best interior power pass rusher.

The best player on defense either was Clay Matthews (57) or Daniels. Certainly, more should be expected from a player of Matthews’ caliber. He had an excellent first half, registering three knockdowns and one hurry, but was shut out in the second half. Dom Capers, who blitzed 29.3%, used Matthews six times in his stand-up “rover” role.

Matthews first half/second half would be consistent with someone still injured even thought he injury report doesn't make it seem like much (full participation)