More Banjo: Pussies of Charlotte

[pittstang5]

A win is a win, so yeah!

But good gracious, this defense just can't get it together. Seemed every Panther drive, the Packer defense looked great on 1st and 2nd down, then clueless on 3rd down. Granted, it wasn't every 3rd down, but geez, way too many times I saw the Panthers convert on 3rd down. 3rd and long, 3rd and short, it didn't matter.

....and the middle of the field was open for the Panthers ALL GOD DAMN DAY!

[Fritz]

I do think that game sealed Joe Barely’s fate. You blow a two-touchdown fourth-quarter lead against one of the worst offenses in the NFL, then let the other team fly down the field with 19 seconds and no timeouts to come within a second of allowing a game-tying FG, you just can’t bring that sour taste in your mouth back next year.

And at this point, does anyone think this defense is suddenly going to shape up these last two weeks?

I don’t think so.

[Fosco33]

It’s clear quay is a pure athlete - but I don’t see him as a communicator/leader. We need a leader at LB and Safety for calls (the qb of the defense).

I’m officially done w/ Jaire. Dudes a headcase.

We need smart (or at least football smart) and athletic people out there.

[red]

so lafleur somehow is blaming the offense for the defense almost giving the game away

https://lombardiave.com/posts/matt-lafleur-throws-packers-offense-under-bus-protect-joe-barry-panthers

time for lafleur to go

[Bretsky]

so lafleur somehow is blaming the offense for the defense almost giving the game away

https://lombardiave.com/posts/matt-lafleur-throws-packers-offense-under-bus-protect-joe-barry-panthers

time for lafleur to go

Can we just say it together

MATT LAFLEUR DOES NOT WANT TO FIRE HIS FRIEND JOE BARRY

[Fritz]

Can we just say it together

MATT LAFLEUR DOES NOT WANT TO FIRE HIS FRIEND JOE BARRY

He's just trying to provide some cover for Joe until the end of the year, when he has to can him, finally.

It's more dignified for Barry this way. And a credit to The Flower.

[bobblehead]

He's just trying to provide some cover for Joe until the end of the year, when he has to can him, finally.

It's more dignified for Barry this way. And a credit to The Flower.

Correct. To all the "we needed to let Fat Mike finish the season" people out there, MiLF is doing exactly that. I was glad we canned fat mike when we did and I wish they would can Barry right now. MiLF is a nicer person than I am.

[ThunderDan]

so lafleur somehow is blaming the offense for the defense almost giving the game away

https://lombardiave.com/posts/matt-lafleur-throws-packers-offense-under-bus-protect-joe-barry-panthers

time for lafleur to go

Just completely baffling. We score on 6 of 9 drives during the game not counting the drive at the end of the first half where we let the clock run out. And it was on the O to pick up the shitty D?

[red]

Just completely baffling. We score on 6 of 9 drives during the game not counting the drive at the end of the first half where we let the clock run out. And it was on the O to pick up the shitty D?

That’s just kicking your offensive players in the nuts to make your d cord feel better about himself

That’s bullshit, and if I’m an offensive player I’m telling my coach to fuck off

[Bretsky]

He's just trying to provide some cover for Joe until the end of the year, when he has to can him, finally.

It's more dignified for Barry this way. And a credit to The Flower.

That is what we thought last year

[Joemailman]

I won't knock LaFleur for not beating a dead reindeer on Christmas Eve. As long as he does what needs to be done after the season.

[run pMc]

Boy the LBs looked lost in coverage against a bad team.
The secondary looked a half second slow as well, not sure if that's Jaire/Stokes being rusty or what. Safeties are meh at best.

The O wasn't flawless but they sure outplayed the D. MLFs comments were baffling... has to be a smokescreen for Barry, who has had a problematic defense for 3 straight weeks. Bryce Young has not looked good this year, except for the HOU game and this one. This was his best game, just like Tommy DeVito and Baker. This defense is supposed to be bend but don't break, and they give up explosive plays all the time...in other words, it's breaking. I will be apoplectic if Barry isn't hired when the season ends. I'm sure he's a nice guy and knows lots about football, but this defense hasn't improved under his tenure, and I don't think the players have developed at all. It looks like they are playing end-of-half prevent defense all the time. This is not a championship defense, not a 'good' one, not even an 'average' one. Deserved or not, Barry has to be the fall guy. At the start of the season Gute made comments about expectations for the defense, and I don't think they are being met. I know Gute can't have Barry fired (MLF controls hiring/firing of coaches) but it's clear there's going to have to be a change this offseason. It would be insanity not to.

[Fritz]

I'm pretty confident Barely is gone after the season. It's just been too much, and when you read the players' comments, it's clear that though they're toeing the company line, they're barely doing so - so it would be suicide for The Flower to bring Joe back.

I do think we should call Joe Barely's defense a "bend over, then break" defense.

[Joemailman]

Best/worst PFF Grades:

Top 5 offense

1. RB Aaron Jones: 81.4
2. WR Bo Melton: 79.1
3. QB Jordan Love: 77.4
4. WR Romeo Doubs: 71.5
5. WR Dontayvion Wicks: 68.3

Jones produced five runs of at least 10 yards and 100 yards after first contact while forcing six missed tackles and creating eight first downs. Melton made four catches — gaining three first downs, including one on third down — on just 14 routes run. He made a contested catch and also ran once for seven yards. Love hit two passes over 20 yards, didn’t have a turnover-worthy play and was once again very good from clean pockets. Doubs caught four of five targets, made two contested catches, forced two missed tackles and had a perfect 158.3 passer rating when targeted. He was dinged by a fumble. Wicks caught both of his targets for 29 yards and a touchdown over 13 routes.

Top 5 defense

1. DL Karl Brooks: 80.0
2. OLB Lukas Van Ness: 71.1
3. OLB Preston Smith: 70.3
4. DL Colby Wooden: 67.8
5. S Jonathan Owens: 65.4

Brooks delivered two pressures, including a quarterback hit, over 17 total snaps. Van Ness had two quarterback hits and a run stop. Smith led the team with five pressures, including two sacks and two quarterback hits. Wooden had an assisted tackle and received a solid run grade on eight snaps. Owens was tied for the team lead with three stops, and he was in on six tackles without a miss.

Bottom 5 offense

1. WR Samori Toure: 38.2
2. LT Rasheed Walker: 40.6
3. C Josh Myers: 41.3
4. RG Sean Rhyan: 44.8
5. RT Zach Tom: 46.6

Toure dropped a pass and didn’t catch either of his targets over just six passing snaps. Walker gave up a pressure, had a penalty and received the lowest run-blocking grade of the offensive line. Myers gave up a sack and struggled in the run game. Rhyan played half the snaps at right guard and received poor grades in the run game. Tom gave up two pressures and wasn’t effective in the run game.

Bottom 5 defense

1. DL Devonte Wyatt: 40.2
2. S Anthony Johnson Jr.: 40.7
3. LB Isaiah McDuffie: 43.3
4. CB Keisean Nixon: 51.4
5. OLB Rashan Gary: 55.9

Wyatt missed a tackle and committed two penalties. Johnson gave up three catches in coverage, missed three tackles and had a 15-yard penalty. McDuffie gave up three catches, including a 30-yarder, and committed a penalty. Nixon allowed four catches on four targets, including three catches for first downs and two over 20 yards. Gary had three pressures, including two hits, but he also missed a tackle and earned a poor run defense grade (likely as a result of losing the edge on a touchdown run).

Special teams

Sunday’s win was the Packers’ second-lowest graded game on special teams in 2023. Josiah Deguara missed a tackle, Lukas Van Ness committed a drive-extending penalty on special teams and Anders Carlson missed an extra point after a high snap. Daniel Whelan had a net punting average of 47.5. Keisean Nixon had a 38-yard kickoff return but averaged just 3.0 yards across two punt returns.

Quarterback

Jordan Love: 77.4 Love was under pressure on just five of 30 dropbacks, and he was excellent from clean pockets, averaging 8.2 yards per attempt with an adjusted completion percentage of almost 80.0 and a passer rating of 116.6. He hit on two of five passes over 20 yards, took just one sack and didn’t have a play deemed turnover worthy. Packers receivers dropped three of his passes.

[bobblehead]

I said it was time to let Walker play an entire game, now I regret it. My impression was that he had a bad game, but I was waiting on the rankings to be sure (same for Wyatt who played his worst game of the year from my standpoint). I didn't focus on the game like normal. I'll probably rewatch it this week just to pay better attention. Nice to see Brooks bounce back. Love just looks like the real deal. Here comes cap hell again.