McCarthy said it best, the Packers just got their (Butt’s) kicked.
I had this game down as their first loss when the schedule came out but going into the game last night I figured the way the defense had been playing they could get the win…I was wrong. The defense we all had become accustomed to seeing reared its ugly head again. Casey Hayward should have been a bench-warmer this game not a corner because he couldn’t cover his own butt much less anyone else’s! Not sure about the plan Capers had in place for this game and why he stuck to it but zone was not the answer, he gave Manning plenty of time to throw his knuckle balls to the middle of the field all night and he never changed a thing to stop him. Losing Shields hurts I hope it’s not to serious but standing on the sidelines with his arm in a sling isn’t a good sign, then when Rollins went out this game was pretty much over. Goodman is a good special teams player but he is no corner, Randall was playing on a sore ankle and as I stated about Hayward he was out played the whole game.
The run defense once again failed with Raji making very few plays and raising his hand on each of them like he was actually playing well just made my stomach turn, if you want to celebrate then stop the run all the time not every now and then! Where was the pass rush this game? Manning had all day to throw the ball and as I said, Capers’ game plan for this one made no sense. Denver came to play and they were on Rodgers every play not just half the time, which brings me to the offense.
I know Denver has the best defense in the league right now but where was the O-line last night? They were on vacation from the way it looked, and Aaron didn’t have his best game either. Usually, he will avoid the rush with his legs to extend plays but instead he either took the sack or threw an uncatchable ball, and when he did have time he looked scared to make the tosses he normally makes without hesitation.
As for the receivers, who else is sick of these lackadaisical performances from these guys? The only one who was going full tilt 
was Cobb, Adams was suppose to be the up and coming star of this team but he could not run a route if the map was drawn on his eyelids last night. As for Jones, he has been invisible for the most part lately and R. Rodgers looks lost as well so where did these guys go? This is not the offense we all know and love! Nelson’s loss was huge but come on… he isn’t the reason the other guys are running around lost. I know I will get slammed for this but Lacy need’s to get in the gym and start working out. He has lost his ability to make cuts and hit the hole with speed and power. He said last week he was running with his pads high but it looks to me like he just isn’t running. Whatever the reason, he needs to figure it out or let Harris step in to see what he can do. I am not a Janis or Abbrederis groupie but since these other guys are roaming around in la la land how about seeing what they can do? Maybe just maybe one of them will show some passion to get open. Okay let me get to time management, one game McCarthy uses his timeouts when they’re not needed then like this game he puts them in his pocket to take home, 3rd and 31 with a minute and a half before half and he let Denver run the clock down, Why? Call timeout make them punt just to give your guys a shot to score before half, at times I just have to shake my head and wonder how he can be so right on some days and just the opposite on others but whatever the case he needs to self scout his coaching if they want to get better.
Well it was their first loss and it’s not the end of the world. Now we will see what this team is made of as they have another tough game next week on the road which is even more important because it’s an NFC match up with another undefeated team. How they handle this defeat and bounce back will tell a lot about their identity this year, the bottom line is that Capers needs to apply what he did the first six games and get this defense back on track and Clements needs to figure out what is going on with Rodgers and his receivers or it could get ugly. So let Packer nation know your thoughts in the comments below or on the facebook homepage.
Thanks, Jeff
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I couldn’t have said it any better; you said exactly what I was thinking. You covered all the bases with the facts. Let’s just hope someone on the team either reads this or ‘gets it’ and makes the necessary adjustments. Thanks.
Thank you
I agree 100% with everything you said.. We were out coached and out played last night, it was not an easy game to watch! I don’t even think the pack showed up to the game last night! This is not the team I know and love, I want them back! 😰
I’m as dedicated a Packers fan as you’ll ever meet, and I’ve been a Packers fan for nearly 40 years, but i turned this game off in the middle of the 3rd quarter. Couldn’t stand it. Not taking anything away from the Broncos, they’re a very good team, but the Green and Gold stunk up Mile High field last night, and make no mistake, it was a total team loss.
You Nailed it. Every thought i have Exactly. The only thing i would add..is the offensive play calling was 100% wrong and aweful for the defense denver has. Maybe mcarthy should consider taking back the play calling….and when u cant get ONE Sack against a 40 yr old Statue with No Legs…your defensive calling is No better.
I agree with EVERYTHING you said! The whole team looked like they were asleep, or afraid!
Well said. They look Ed about as flat the 1st quarter that I’ve seen in awhile. The offense line not been that great as of late. This week will be interesting.
I totally agree! The way they played last night I was wondering who the heck was wearing our jersey’s. As for Lacy he has to do something, he went from being a freight train to a smart car. Aaron has been playing worse and worse with every passing week it seems like he has something going on other then his game (seems the fire he usually has is not there lately) . As a Packer fan (my whole life) this game was embarrassing to say the least. I live in Colorado and all week I heard fans of the broncos say “the broncos don’t stand a chance” but I also read through a local news station the broncos figured this was not a “big game” and already had to stacked as a win for them. This game was a let down for packer backers but hopefully as Mike wrote someone gets to see this and makes the adjustments to our team we love and gets us back on track!
Capers time has come and left him find a new defenseive coach . Where is that OL sleeping Rogers is getting killed every week. I see 2 more loses at least!!
That’s exactly what I was thinking during the game while I was yelling @ the tv the same time I’ve always wondered why we don’t give Janis & aberdairs a chance…I understand about practice relating to real action but some people get better the other way around “training on the job like” Rodgers hasn’t been the same since loosing his security blanket Nelson… do you ever wonder how the Patriots do it? Because everyone is accountable for his duties don’t do nothing but your job hayword is not a corner he’s taking space it’s like that guy driving less than the speed limit on the passing lane…
Coaching Staff needs to go. Players have tuned them out and game plans are stale on O and D.
Oh my gosh!! I read this article thinking Coach McCarthy had written it !! Phew!!
Just a fan, not an expert but geez, where was Aaron’s pocket this week? He didn’t have two seconds. I agree with Shauna (and Aaron last night) that the Packers were out coached and out played last night. Only good thing was the kitten in my lap.
What will it take to remove Capers? We need to replace him badly.
This outcome shouldn’t have surprised any Packers fans.
Rodgers was 0-4 last year vs top 5 Ds on the road, and all were with a healthy Jordy Nelson.
So please stop blaming the O-line and receivers for Rodgers’ shortcomings. He never plays well on the road vs good Ds. The offensive pass problems are squarely Rodgers’ fault – poor decisions and poor execution. Teams with worse WRs and O-lines move the ball much better against good Ds than us. For crying out loud, the Browns almost beat this team. Rodgers missed Richard Rodgers twice when he had a step on defenders, and then quit throwing to him. He missed a wide open Cobb by a country mile on what could have been a TD after his defender fell down. He also had 7+ seconds to throw on many plays and either delivered inaccurate passes or didn’t even try to give his receivers a chance for a catch. He had one of the worst cases of happy feet that I’ve ever seen with ample time to find a receiver. The Broncos got 3 sacks (not bad, but not exactly what I’d expect from the best D in the NFL either), and he had several plays which he was pressured – but that happens every game.
I’ve been saying for years that our O-line is very overrated as run blockers, and every good D front 7 exploits them. Lacy is too slow to hit holes when they’re there, constantly running into the backs of his blockers rather than making a cut to where players aren’t, and then he stands there waiting for the D to collapse on him. That’s nothing new for Lacy. Starks is much quicker and makes plays on his own, but was playing injured and it showed. We had 2 quicker RBs in the preseason (Rajion Neal and Crockett) who could make a huge difference in this type of game, but Ted Thompson and/or Mike McCarthy cut them both in favor of another thumper who isn’t getting on the field anyway (Harris). Mind boggling decisions from Thompson and McCarthy.
Our front 7, I’d swear Brad Jones was back on the field wearing #51 (Nate Palmer). Palmer was solely or partially responsible for almost every big run and pass play by the Broncos. He couldn’t get to the edge fast enough, and was out of position or ran into a blocker on every play in the middle. I about lost it when McCarthy gave him a high 5 on the sideline after a play where he just stood there and watched Raji make a tackle for no gain. Where was Elliott in this game? Did he play? Where was Peppers? Where was Daniels? Raji, Neal, and Matthews were the only ones of the front 7 who came to play. When Matthews got hurt, it appeared that everyone else stopped playing.
As for our secondary, Burnett was back and was a non factor. HHCD was also a non factor, and even when playing 20 yards deep at the goal line, couldn’t move to the ball quick enough to prevent a TD run. I stated my concerns at the beginning of the season for moving Hayward to the outside. It potentially creates 2 problems if he can’t cover on the outside and his replacement in the slot can’t do the job either. And that’s what we saw yesterday. When you have 1 weakness, the S can help that position. When you have 2 weaknesses, good QBs will exploit them all game long. Hyde can’t play the slot, can’t cover crossing routes and can’t tackle RBs and TEs – and Hayward cannot cover a #1 WR. Hayward is our best slot corner. So we lost our best ball hawk in the slot and had a hole on the outside too. Capers should have switched Hayward and Hyde when Shields and Rollins went down and had HHCD help on the outside, but once again Capers shows no ability to adjust. When things aren’t working, try something different!
And speaking of coaching problems, the Packers brought Raji out on every 2nd and long and 3rd and medium play. And the Broncos ran up the middle for big gains consistently when they did. So much for McCarthy giving up play calling to concentrate more on other aspects of the game. He was out coached all game long.
We have several more games this year where I expect the outcome to be roughly the same – Rodgers will struggle and our D will have to carry us, or we’ll lose. The Panthers, Vikings (twice), and Cardinals all have stout Ds and are potential losses. That’s a concern with MN playing well and only a game back. We may not win the division, let alone get home field advantage in the playoffs. Then again, we could start clicking on offense and run the table. And this is why we play the games! Go Pack go!
Could not believe capers opened the game playing prevent zone defence. .it was like he thought we had a 35 point lead to start the game.. it was like we started the game planning out a loss. .and green bay did nothing to get Rodgers outside of the pocket no bootlegs no effort…just dance in the pocket for ten seconds while the wide outs are running 5 yard routes..after that they are playing back yard football. .no planned route after 5 yards. .wtf is going on. .get your shit together. .
I have been a packer fan since I was born and that game sucked. The team didn’t show up and the broncos did plan and simple. It was a hard game Rogers couldn’t find any one and the defense couldn’t stop the broncos. Now we just need to focus on the next game and show up.
Your article is spot on! glad you mentioned the lack of calling timeout in the first half. I was yelling at the tv for them to call it.
Jeff, like many others who commented, I thought I wrote your comments. Every single comment you made was EXACTLY what I was thinking. Our secondary still stinks and has for several years now. The only additional comment I would make concerns your question as to why Mike did not use a timeout when it was 3rd and 31 before the second half. I thought the same thing and then it occurred to me that he was probably afraid to because Manning would most likely toss one over the middle for 32 yards. I know that thought crossed my mind. I’ll bet it was on his as well. Our continual inability to get off the field on third down, no matter what the yardage, continues to kill this team (see comment on our secondary above).
Sorry Jeff, forgot to mention this: I laughed at your comment about Raji. Every time he raised his hand in victory, I screamed at the TV and said “quit the damned celebrating and get back in there and do it again. This game is far from over and one good play here and there ain’t gonna cut it!”
I agree with ALL you said! And screamed MOST of it during the game! I will add one more thing that has been bothering me several weeks. Having to use a time-out when the play clock has ran down. We did this AT HOME too! I think this is a horrible habit that needs to be addressed. I was pretty prepared for this to happen, they seem to NEVER be prepared after a bye week! They ALWAYS look sluggish and way off. Maybe something needs to be addressed about the routine on a bye week. I’m starting to dread the game after the bye EVERY year! Common Pack! Get it together… you are better than this. GO PACK GO!!!
Look at Rodgers career against good defenses on the road, its TERRIBLE. He plays scared for some reason, I can’t quite figure it out. Even in the past when they’ve been pretty healthy, he just doesn’t play well. It’s not all on him but if he wants to be in Brady’s class, he has to learn to have some good games on the road. The defense was pathetic again, it’s scarey when the fans seem to be smarter than the D coordinator, but everyone in the city of Green Bay knew Heyward couldn’t cover D Thomas even before the game started. He’s a nickel corner, never plays the edge and there he was trying to cover D Thomas. what a joke.
I feel real sorry for Carolina on Sunday!
My thoughts are, we have seen that this seasons Packers are not going anywhere. They got blown out by a mediocre Offense. I had no issue with Capers scheme, but the players have to execute, and as we all saw the D basically stood around watching. As for the receivers, other than Cobb, WTF? And.honestly down two scores and catch a high floating kick 8 yards deep in the end zone – you do not try to run that out. Then when the O comes on backed up to their own, what was it the 12 yard line the play is to pass? Really? Denver brought huge pressure right up the middle on every play, so the offense adjusted to run sweeps, wideouts roll outs, right? Not, the offensive scheme was a joke.