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TUESDAY, Sept. 19, 2006, 12:20 p.m.
Favre's errant throws
Brett Favre played well Sunday, but the last two passes of the game were off the mark. On the one hand, it's nothing out of the ordinary for any quarterback to make successive bad throws. Tiger Woods, arguably the greatest athlete in the world, will hit two bad golf shots in a row. But Favre's accuracy isn't what it was. Along with his inability to make big plays out of broken plays, Favre's accuracy is the other part of his game that is waning.
TUESDAY, Sept. 19, 2006, 12:13 p.m.
Did you see Walker's catch?
It was Javon Walker's 24-yard reception over cornerback Ty Law that set up Denver's winning field goal Sunday. The play illustrated Walker's big-play ability and was typical of some of his big plays in Green Bay: The ball was underthrown, he adjusted and got his body in position to win a jump ball.
In a close game like the Packers had Sunday, Walker might have been the difference.
TUESDAY, Sept. 19, 2006, 12:08 p.m.
More on Reggie Bush
It's still hard to believe that the Houston Texans passed on Reggie Bush. He looks like a superstar in the making.
Even though the Packers did a good job of corraling him Sunday, one could make the argument that he was the difference between the two teams.
At wide receiver, the Saints' Joe Horn might have been better at one time, but Donald Driver probably is better now. Running backs Deuce McAllister and Ahman Green have both been premier backs and are coming off season-ending injuries. Brett Favre is an aging quarterback; Drew Brees is coming back from a serious shoulder injury. Both teams have holes across the offensive line.
Defensively, the strength of both teams might be their ends.
Bush gained more than 100 yards and dictated the Packers' defensive alignment on every single play. The Packers had nobody to match him.
But if there was one thing about Bush's play that raised an eyebrow, it was that he took everything to the sideline. To be a great pro, he's going to have to make some tough yards at times, too.
MONDAY, Sept. 18, 2006, 2:26 p.m.
Where's Koren Robinson's head?
Tight end Bubba Franks might have inadvertently grazed an official on his penalty, but he was hardly deserving of it.
On the other hand, Koren Robinson could have been penalized or maybe even ejected for taking a swing at Jason Craft following a kickoff return and resisting an official, who stepped between the two players.
MONDAY, Sept. 18, 2006, 2:21 p.m.
Packers vs. Reggie Bush
The Packers designed their game plan to stop Reggie Bush and they did a good job. It was big plays by other players that won the game for New Orleans. But Bush also drew constant attention, which might have been a factor in the Saints’ win; four-, five- and six-yarded the Packers to death if you count his punt returns; and finished with 109 total yards on 18 touches, a 6.1 average.
Here were the 18 plays:
First Quarter
1) Bush gained six yards on a first down reverse and it might have gone for bigger yardage if cornerback Ahmad Carroll hadn’t stayed home, played off a block and made a sure open-field tackle.
2) Bush was dropped for a one-yard loss on the first play of the Saints’ second series when defensive end Aaron Kampman held the point, played off the block and made the tackle.
3) Bush caught a short pass over the middle in the area left vacant by blitzing linebacker Nick Barnett and turned it into a 12-yard gain on second-and-10. Three plays later, the Saints’ drive ended with an interception.
4) Bush was held to one yard on a second-and-10 run. Defensive end Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila got initial penetration, Carroll forced Bush even wider and linebacker A.J. Hawk bounced off a block to make the tackle.
5) Bush was held to 2 yards on a pass in the left flat on third-and-nine when safety Nick Collins made a sure open field tackle.
Second Quarter
6) Bush was held to no gain on a second-and-four run when he tried to break outside and cornerback Charles Woodson played off a block to push him out of bounds.
7) On third-and-eight, Bush caught a pass in the left flat and turned it into a 10-yard gain. Three plays later, the Saints scored their first touchdown.
8) Bush returned a punt five yards all on his own after Carroll, as the gunner, beat the block and got downfield in a hurry, received some help from Ruvell Martin and forced Bush to the sideline, where Donald Lee shoved him out of bounds.
9) Bush was held to no gain on a second-and-one play. Defensive end Michael Montgomery strung the play out long enough for Bush to be gang tackled by Hawk, defensive tackle Ryan Pickett and others.
10) Bush returned the final punt of the first half 14 yards before Ben Taylor got under his legs and Abdul Hodge pushed him out of bounds.
Third Quarter
11) On Bush’s first punt return of the second half, which went for seven yards, Carroll held contain and Brady Poppinga made the tackle.
12) On his first gain from scrimmage in the second half, Bush beat Barnett for 23 yards on a flair pass to the left.
13) Bush set up a 47-yard John Carney field goal by coming out of the backfield and catching a six-yard pass on second-and-10 from the Packers’ 35. But Collins made a nice play to push Bush out of bounds.
Fourth Quarter
14) Bush returned a punt 10 yards, but Taylor forced him to cut back and Lee and Abdul Hodge combined on the tackle.
15) Bush caught a swing pass to the left, but it went for only four yards when Collins pushed him out of bounds.
16) On the next play, third-and-six, Bush was flanked out, caught a short pass and ran for the first down four plays before the Saints scored their go-ahead touchdown. Collins was in coverage and the play gained only seven yards, but it allowed the Saints to keep the ball.
17) Bush was dropped for a yard loss when defensive tackle Cullen Jenkins penetrated, forcing the play wide, and Hawk chased him down.
18) On third-and-nine, Bush caught a wide receiver screen, but was stopped for a mere three-yard gain on a good, open-field tackle by Collins. That forced a punt and gave the Packers one last shot at tying the score.
My scorecard shows that the Packers made good defensive or special teams plays on 12 of the 18 snaps. Bush got the best of them on six others. Giving one point for each good play by the Packers, here were their scores: Collins, 4; Carroll, 2 5/6; Hawk, 1 1/3; Kampman, 1; Woodson, 1; Montgomery, ½; Poppinga, ½; Jenkins, ½; and Gbaja-Biamila, 1/3.
Here’s what probably drives coaches nuts. Collins, who made four good plays against Bush, also allowed a 13-yard pass to backup wide receiver Devery Henderson; fell down and allowed a 33-yard pass to slow-footed backup tight end Mark Campbell; and was burned by seventh-round draft pick Marques Colston for a 35-yard touchdown. Collins also got beat by fourth receiver Lance Moore on what might have been another big play in a third-and-six situation in the second half. But Moore dropped the ball.
Carroll, who had two good plays and shared in two others, also was beaten on a 26-yard touchdown pass by Henderson and was penalized for pass interference on the play before Colston’s touchdown.
MONDAY, Sept. 18, 2006, 1:41 p.m.
Five-man front backfires
When the Saints scored their go-ahead touchdown in the second quarter, they converted two short yardage plays into first downs: One on a third-and-one when Aaron Stecker caught a seven-yard pass out of the backfield and the other a fourth-and-one when fullback Corey McIntyre caught a 10-yard pass out of the backfield. On both plays, the Packers were in a five-man defensive line. On the first pass, middle linebacker Nick Barnett couldn't get over to cover Stecker and outside linebacker Brady Poppinga couldn't get over to help. Poppinga was beaten on the second play.
MONDAY, Sept. 18, 2006, 1:39 p.m.
Woodson picks it up
Cornerback Charles Woodson gave up a 10-yard slant to rookie wide receiver Marques Colston, got beat by wide receiver Devery Henderson for what would have been a nice gain if the ball hadn’t been dropped and gave up a 6-yard out to wide receiver Joe Horn, all in the first 19 minutes 15 seconds. Thereafter, Woodson played more physical and much better.
MONDAY, Sept. 18, 2006, 1:38 p.m.
Hurry-up offense
The Packers ran a hurry-up offense with a quick huddle on their third possession of the first half and their sixth possession of the second half. In the first half, they drove 75 yards in eight plays to score on a 36-yard Dave Rayner field goal. In the second half, they marched 80 yards in nine plays and scored on a 4-yard Brett Favre to Robert Ferguson pass. The Packers also used it on their last series.
MONDAY, Sept. 18, 2006, 1:34 p.m.
Six dropped balls
Coach Mike McCarthy said the Packers dropped six passes in Sunday's game. Tight end Bubba Franks and running back Ahman Green each had two; wide receiver Greg Jennings had one; and tight end David Martin had one.
Count the six drops as catches and Favre would have completed 37 of 55 passes, 67.3%.
MONDAY, Sept. 18, 2006, 1:31 p.m.
Possible lineup changes
At his Monday press conference, coach Mike McCarthy didn't rule out the possibility of making two starting lineup changes. He said his coaching staff would discuss inserting Ben Taylor at strong-side linebacker ahead of Brady Poppinga and keeping Daryn Colledge in the starting lineup rather than Tony Moll if Jason Spitz returns this week at guard.
Poppinga had another rough day in the passing game in Sunday's loss to New Orleans. He lined up wrong opposite wide receiver Joe Horn in a zone coverage on what turned out to be a 57-yard pass He also dropped what should have been a sure interception. Both of those plays occurred prior to two of the Saints' field goals. On the Saints' go-ahead touchdown drive late in the second quarter, Poppinga also was beaten by fullback Corey McIntyre on a 10-yard pass on fourth-and-one, and couldn't recover in time to help on a seven-yard pass to running back Aaron Stecker, four plays earlier, on a third-and-one play.
Poppinga wasn't the only culprit on Horn's big play. Safety Marquand Manuel was the safety over the top and was too wide of the play. But both the Chicago Bears last week and the Saints Sunday clearly game-planned to take advantage of Poppinga's liabilities in pass coverage.
Nevertheless, defensive coordinator Bob Sanders didn't sound as though he ready to make a change, although he didn't rule it out, either.
Offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski said both Colledge and Moll played just "okay." Colledge also is the backup at left tackle, but he said even last week when he knew he probably was going to start at guard, he was able to take enough snaps at tackle to be ready in an emergency.
Favre's errant throws
Brett Favre played well Sunday, but the last two passes of the game were off the mark. On the one hand, it's nothing out of the ordinary for any quarterback to make successive bad throws. Tiger Woods, arguably the greatest athlete in the world, will hit two bad golf shots in a row. But Favre's accuracy isn't what it was. Along with his inability to make big plays out of broken plays, Favre's accuracy is the other part of his game that is waning.
TUESDAY, Sept. 19, 2006, 12:13 p.m.
Did you see Walker's catch?
It was Javon Walker's 24-yard reception over cornerback Ty Law that set up Denver's winning field goal Sunday. The play illustrated Walker's big-play ability and was typical of some of his big plays in Green Bay: The ball was underthrown, he adjusted and got his body in position to win a jump ball.
In a close game like the Packers had Sunday, Walker might have been the difference.
TUESDAY, Sept. 19, 2006, 12:08 p.m.
More on Reggie Bush
It's still hard to believe that the Houston Texans passed on Reggie Bush. He looks like a superstar in the making.
Even though the Packers did a good job of corraling him Sunday, one could make the argument that he was the difference between the two teams.
At wide receiver, the Saints' Joe Horn might have been better at one time, but Donald Driver probably is better now. Running backs Deuce McAllister and Ahman Green have both been premier backs and are coming off season-ending injuries. Brett Favre is an aging quarterback; Drew Brees is coming back from a serious shoulder injury. Both teams have holes across the offensive line.
Defensively, the strength of both teams might be their ends.
Bush gained more than 100 yards and dictated the Packers' defensive alignment on every single play. The Packers had nobody to match him.
But if there was one thing about Bush's play that raised an eyebrow, it was that he took everything to the sideline. To be a great pro, he's going to have to make some tough yards at times, too.
MONDAY, Sept. 18, 2006, 2:26 p.m.
Where's Koren Robinson's head?
Tight end Bubba Franks might have inadvertently grazed an official on his penalty, but he was hardly deserving of it.
On the other hand, Koren Robinson could have been penalized or maybe even ejected for taking a swing at Jason Craft following a kickoff return and resisting an official, who stepped between the two players.
MONDAY, Sept. 18, 2006, 2:21 p.m.
Packers vs. Reggie Bush
The Packers designed their game plan to stop Reggie Bush and they did a good job. It was big plays by other players that won the game for New Orleans. But Bush also drew constant attention, which might have been a factor in the Saints’ win; four-, five- and six-yarded the Packers to death if you count his punt returns; and finished with 109 total yards on 18 touches, a 6.1 average.
Here were the 18 plays:
First Quarter
1) Bush gained six yards on a first down reverse and it might have gone for bigger yardage if cornerback Ahmad Carroll hadn’t stayed home, played off a block and made a sure open-field tackle.
2) Bush was dropped for a one-yard loss on the first play of the Saints’ second series when defensive end Aaron Kampman held the point, played off the block and made the tackle.
3) Bush caught a short pass over the middle in the area left vacant by blitzing linebacker Nick Barnett and turned it into a 12-yard gain on second-and-10. Three plays later, the Saints’ drive ended with an interception.
4) Bush was held to one yard on a second-and-10 run. Defensive end Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila got initial penetration, Carroll forced Bush even wider and linebacker A.J. Hawk bounced off a block to make the tackle.
5) Bush was held to 2 yards on a pass in the left flat on third-and-nine when safety Nick Collins made a sure open field tackle.
Second Quarter
6) Bush was held to no gain on a second-and-four run when he tried to break outside and cornerback Charles Woodson played off a block to push him out of bounds.
7) On third-and-eight, Bush caught a pass in the left flat and turned it into a 10-yard gain. Three plays later, the Saints scored their first touchdown.
8) Bush returned a punt five yards all on his own after Carroll, as the gunner, beat the block and got downfield in a hurry, received some help from Ruvell Martin and forced Bush to the sideline, where Donald Lee shoved him out of bounds.
9) Bush was held to no gain on a second-and-one play. Defensive end Michael Montgomery strung the play out long enough for Bush to be gang tackled by Hawk, defensive tackle Ryan Pickett and others.
10) Bush returned the final punt of the first half 14 yards before Ben Taylor got under his legs and Abdul Hodge pushed him out of bounds.
Third Quarter
11) On Bush’s first punt return of the second half, which went for seven yards, Carroll held contain and Brady Poppinga made the tackle.
12) On his first gain from scrimmage in the second half, Bush beat Barnett for 23 yards on a flair pass to the left.
13) Bush set up a 47-yard John Carney field goal by coming out of the backfield and catching a six-yard pass on second-and-10 from the Packers’ 35. But Collins made a nice play to push Bush out of bounds.
Fourth Quarter
14) Bush returned a punt 10 yards, but Taylor forced him to cut back and Lee and Abdul Hodge combined on the tackle.
15) Bush caught a swing pass to the left, but it went for only four yards when Collins pushed him out of bounds.
16) On the next play, third-and-six, Bush was flanked out, caught a short pass and ran for the first down four plays before the Saints scored their go-ahead touchdown. Collins was in coverage and the play gained only seven yards, but it allowed the Saints to keep the ball.
17) Bush was dropped for a yard loss when defensive tackle Cullen Jenkins penetrated, forcing the play wide, and Hawk chased him down.
18) On third-and-nine, Bush caught a wide receiver screen, but was stopped for a mere three-yard gain on a good, open-field tackle by Collins. That forced a punt and gave the Packers one last shot at tying the score.
My scorecard shows that the Packers made good defensive or special teams plays on 12 of the 18 snaps. Bush got the best of them on six others. Giving one point for each good play by the Packers, here were their scores: Collins, 4; Carroll, 2 5/6; Hawk, 1 1/3; Kampman, 1; Woodson, 1; Montgomery, ½; Poppinga, ½; Jenkins, ½; and Gbaja-Biamila, 1/3.
Here’s what probably drives coaches nuts. Collins, who made four good plays against Bush, also allowed a 13-yard pass to backup wide receiver Devery Henderson; fell down and allowed a 33-yard pass to slow-footed backup tight end Mark Campbell; and was burned by seventh-round draft pick Marques Colston for a 35-yard touchdown. Collins also got beat by fourth receiver Lance Moore on what might have been another big play in a third-and-six situation in the second half. But Moore dropped the ball.
Carroll, who had two good plays and shared in two others, also was beaten on a 26-yard touchdown pass by Henderson and was penalized for pass interference on the play before Colston’s touchdown.
MONDAY, Sept. 18, 2006, 1:41 p.m.
Five-man front backfires
When the Saints scored their go-ahead touchdown in the second quarter, they converted two short yardage plays into first downs: One on a third-and-one when Aaron Stecker caught a seven-yard pass out of the backfield and the other a fourth-and-one when fullback Corey McIntyre caught a 10-yard pass out of the backfield. On both plays, the Packers were in a five-man defensive line. On the first pass, middle linebacker Nick Barnett couldn't get over to cover Stecker and outside linebacker Brady Poppinga couldn't get over to help. Poppinga was beaten on the second play.
MONDAY, Sept. 18, 2006, 1:39 p.m.
Woodson picks it up
Cornerback Charles Woodson gave up a 10-yard slant to rookie wide receiver Marques Colston, got beat by wide receiver Devery Henderson for what would have been a nice gain if the ball hadn’t been dropped and gave up a 6-yard out to wide receiver Joe Horn, all in the first 19 minutes 15 seconds. Thereafter, Woodson played more physical and much better.
MONDAY, Sept. 18, 2006, 1:38 p.m.
Hurry-up offense
The Packers ran a hurry-up offense with a quick huddle on their third possession of the first half and their sixth possession of the second half. In the first half, they drove 75 yards in eight plays to score on a 36-yard Dave Rayner field goal. In the second half, they marched 80 yards in nine plays and scored on a 4-yard Brett Favre to Robert Ferguson pass. The Packers also used it on their last series.
MONDAY, Sept. 18, 2006, 1:34 p.m.
Six dropped balls
Coach Mike McCarthy said the Packers dropped six passes in Sunday's game. Tight end Bubba Franks and running back Ahman Green each had two; wide receiver Greg Jennings had one; and tight end David Martin had one.
Count the six drops as catches and Favre would have completed 37 of 55 passes, 67.3%.
MONDAY, Sept. 18, 2006, 1:31 p.m.
Possible lineup changes
At his Monday press conference, coach Mike McCarthy didn't rule out the possibility of making two starting lineup changes. He said his coaching staff would discuss inserting Ben Taylor at strong-side linebacker ahead of Brady Poppinga and keeping Daryn Colledge in the starting lineup rather than Tony Moll if Jason Spitz returns this week at guard.
Poppinga had another rough day in the passing game in Sunday's loss to New Orleans. He lined up wrong opposite wide receiver Joe Horn in a zone coverage on what turned out to be a 57-yard pass He also dropped what should have been a sure interception. Both of those plays occurred prior to two of the Saints' field goals. On the Saints' go-ahead touchdown drive late in the second quarter, Poppinga also was beaten by fullback Corey McIntyre on a 10-yard pass on fourth-and-one, and couldn't recover in time to help on a seven-yard pass to running back Aaron Stecker, four plays earlier, on a third-and-one play.
Poppinga wasn't the only culprit on Horn's big play. Safety Marquand Manuel was the safety over the top and was too wide of the play. But both the Chicago Bears last week and the Saints Sunday clearly game-planned to take advantage of Poppinga's liabilities in pass coverage.
Nevertheless, defensive coordinator Bob Sanders didn't sound as though he ready to make a change, although he didn't rule it out, either.
Offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski said both Colledge and Moll played just "okay." Colledge also is the backup at left tackle, but he said even last week when he knew he probably was going to start at guard, he was able to take enough snaps at tackle to be ready in an emergency.
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