More Banjo - Packers vs. Panthers

[Fritz]

A bad day.

Love's INT was ridiculously stupid. Two receiver route, heavy play action and he throws it into triple coverage. Otherwise he played decently well.

Offensive line really struggles to block the run game consistently, usually when you start the game popping off a few runs something is working and consistently is easy to build. The offensive line is a key fundamental flaw of this offense which overall was atrocious today. They don't set the pocket with any consistency either in the pass game, bumping them all around really doesn't help matters, but the two run throughs were on Morgan, both pressures were from space so there wasn't a line call pre-snap.

Golden is going to be really good, and Doubs is turning into a true #1 receiver with limited ceiling I think he makes the most out of it, but there hasn't been a true veteran in that group and for years and I think that stunts the development of the younger guys, too many slips on the home field, a veteran would point out specific techniques to use. Veterans help with kids learning little things quickly. Its really good to have Watson back because he truly is a deep threat.

Losing Kraft for the year is not great for this offense because he was Love's true safety valve.

Jacobs isn't healthy and it truly sucks because he makes plays all over the field and defenses have to account for him, but our run blocking was much better last year than what is currently being provided. Philly is going to bring 4 or 5 from all over the field next week and if the offensive line can't figure it out Love is going to be under constant pressure and he doesn't handle it well.

The linebacker play was pretty poor today along with several bad plays from the safeties fitting the box. Offensive linemen were getting up to the second level quickly and locking on to linebackers. That's not exactly the Linebackers fault but Walker struggles to read and react off of zone and when offensive linemen can get to the second level he is going to struggle. I didn't think Cooper played to level he is capable of in the run game against Carolina. The Packers pretty much ignored the defensive line in a really good DT draft. Instead they drafted two receivers in the first 3 rounds and Savion Williams is so darn raw. Packers have to protect their second level players better, I know Wyatt is banged up, and Van Ness is out and that impacts the defensive line play.

Gary struggled today, didn't get off blocks in either the run game or pass game. Micah Parson was just about invisible today accept one tackle for a loss and zero pressures. If Parsons isn't getting home right now nobody else will get pressure, seemed like they singled Parsons on most plays, but the key was how quick the Panthers got the ball out, which makes sense against the Packers heavy zone coverage.

With all that said about the defense, they only gave up 16 points, the Packers should win the majority of games and all of their home games only giving up 16 points, but they were tasked with holding them on the last series and could not in either the pass game or the run game.

The kicking game isn't a guarantee anymore and that was very apparent in the game against Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and now in the loss against Carolina. The miss field goal doesn't have much to excuse it was inside 40 yards, the snap was a bit off but it look like McManus couldn't play the wind for shit.

To me, this is an excellent post. Breaks down the crucial issues this team had yesterday and have to address going forward if they want to get anywhere this year.

What a shitty, disappointing loss.

[Joemailman]

I didn't see the game as I was driving back from a family getaway. So I have to ask.

How the F'ck do we only score 13 points but not put all day ????

Were in the redzone 5 times. Only 1 TD. 2 FG's. 1 lost fumble. 1 failed 4th down (probably should have kicked field goal), 1 missed field goal from just outside the red zone.

[bobblehead]

Disgusted. Was this team looking past the Panthers for next week against the Eagles? There's no way this Packers team, at home, should have lost. SMH. Absolutely disgusted!

Eagles are gonna run for over 200 yards next week.

It was a sandwich letdown game. Played emotional primetime game against Rodgers that we won and next week we play a primetime game against the team that beat us twice last year and ended our season. When you have the youngest roster in the league this is what happens. I sort of realized it last second and took +13.5 hoping we would win by 10 but realizing it wasn't going to be a game where we played our best.

The best professional sports bettors all recognize the emotional ups and downs of NFL teams. That is how they beat the public. Yes, we are much better than Carolina in a vacuum, but the game isn't played in a vacuum.

[bobblehead]

Simple answer...team is just not that good.

Except that isn't really he answer. Its the lazy answer, not the simple one.

[oldbutnotdeadyet]

Except that isn't really he answer. Its the lazy answer, not the simple one.

Maybe lazy answer, definitely simple answer. I may have agreed after the Browns loss, but not now.

[oldbutnotdeadyet]

Were in the redzone 5 times. Only 1 TD. 2 FG's. 1 lost fumble. 1 failed 4th down (probably should have kicked field goal), 1 missed field goal from just outside the red zone.

Yup, redzone (poor) production was decisive.

[pbmax]

Morgan had a poor game relative to previous efforts this week. The Panthers D line manhandled him at times in the interior. It got better in the second half but like the rest of the team this group can have a huge variance. I wouldn't have bet on it but Rhyan replacing Banks didn't help. Rhyan got manhandled too. Gute has got some issues to fix here and corner.

Love has to get past his instinct to go deep into triple coverage. It worked once, maybe twice but cost the team big with a completely unnecessary INT. He obviously adjusted to throwing too deep on his long throws and was short on several of them this week. He needs to avoid the deep middle until they get that figured out.

The short pass game worked for a drive but didn't seem to be a focus for significant chunks of the game.

McManus probably needs to be demoted at this point.

Turnovers, missed FG and red zone inaction can't be tolerated at the rate the Packers Offense produces them. The offense does not seem to have a plan, its like a collection of disjointed plays except for one half every third game.

The Defense held on pretty well even though the Panthers were prepared to go with short passing. The Run D was a larger problem when Colby Wooden was injured and missed the second half.

Penalties hurt them again. Nixon can approach Grabby McSmurf at times. I think refs are watching him though, for some reason, as a number of his calls have been for pretty mundane contact. Whatever technique he is using needs to be changed up for a while. But I even though they could have played better, and stayed more disciplined against Young's scrambles, its hard to fault a defense for yielding 16 points.

Evan Willians missed two tackles in coverage that were bad plays. Bullard had a back all alone at the goal line and whiffed in an incredible way. Seriously, it should be on a training film. The back had a TON of room to maneuver (like two gaps worth) but Bullard didn't even slow him down.

[pbmax]

They don't set the pocket with any consistency either in the pass game, bumping them all around really doesn't help matters, but the two run throughs were on Morgan, both pressures were from space so there wasn't a line call pre-snap.

I hope there is a breakdown of those pass pros this week. That is not the first time a team has gotten a free rusher through that right side A gap and I would love to know what they are exploiting. The second one looked like they split the line slide, sliding right with Jenkins and Morgan sliding right, but that leaves Jacobs to block the ILB which isn't unusual.

But each time Jacobs was on the wrong side of the center and had to cross him to get there. And he's not a good blocking back, Wilson and Brooks are much better.

[Joemailman]

Jeremy Fowler
@JFowlerESPN

Testing confirmed a torn ACL for Packers TE Tucker Kraft, per source.

So 10 months until the start of next season. Watson made it back in just under 10 months.

[mgordo]

Jeremy Fowler
@JFowlerESPN

Testing confirmed a torn ACL for Packers TE Tucker Kraft, per source.

So 10 months until the start of next season. Watson made it back in just under 10 months.

So purely from a contracts perspective how does this effect value for the Pack giving him an extension early and getting a little discount? He was on pace for leading all TEs. Maybe they can extend him now. The guy lives in GB year round and trains daily. Huge blow but could benefit the team long term. Now we get to see if Musgrave can live up to his draft status.

[Fritz]

I was thinking that this is the opportunity for Musgrave to step up and show what he can do. It'll change the playcalling, obviously, as Musgrave can't hold a candle to Kraft as far as blocking, but can he pick up some slack as a tight end going over the middle and beating linebackers?

Us the force, Luke.

[MadtownPacker]

I do like that Musgrave didn’t fall down on that big play he had. That’s improvement.. right?

[Joemailman]

GREEN BAY – After playing through knee pain for the past month, Green Bay Packers cornerback Nate Hobbs is expected to miss at least the next two games with a sprained MCL, a source told PackersNews.

Hobbs' injury is not to the same knee he had surgically repaired for a torn meniscus in training camp, the source said. Hobbs missed Week 1 recovering from knee surgery but started the next five games. His latest knee pain started during the Packers’ tie in Dallas during Week 4. The Packers initially believed Hobbs had a small cyst on his knee, the source said, but MRI results Nov. 3 revealed the small tear.

A grade 1 injury is a mild sprain and will not require surgery, the source said. The MRI revealed a tear on the same day tight end Tucker Kraft was confirmed to have torn his ACL against the Panthers, ending his season.

[Joemailman]

The Green Bay Packers released LB Kristian Welch. General Manager Brian Gutekunst announced the transaction Monday.

Welch, a sixth-year player out of the University of Iowa, spent the regular season on the Packers' practice squad before being signed to the active roster on Saturday.

Wonder if they're clearing a roster spot to sign/acquire a CB due to Hobbs' injury.

[QBME]

I was thinking that this is the opportunity for Musgrave to step up and show what he can do. It'll change the playcalling, obviously, as Musgrave can't hold a candle to Kraft as far as blocking, but can he pick up some slack as a tight end going over the middle and beating linebackers?

Us the force, Luke.

Amen