Rearview Review - Pack Pulled Over by Fuzz

A funny thing happened on the way to week 4. Green Bay got a little flustered behind the wheel, prompting 18 penalties and a loss. The Pack are now 2-1 on the season, while the orange and blue sit atop the black and blue at 3-0. Yes, Chicago is undefeated. Although chagrined, I must tip my cap to those Bears for finding a way to win all 3 of their games so far.

*tips cap. ...is chagrined*

Here is the game in review, tinted green and gold. I'm still playing with the review format, so "bear" with me. Get it? Oi vey. onward!

OFFENSE: The much-hyped battle of the buddies, between Aaron Rodgers and Jay Cutler, turned out exactly as it should have. Cutler was cool, posting 221 yards and a passer rating of 82.5. Rodgers was a bit warmer, slicing through the bears defense for 316 yards and a 92.5 passer rating. Rodgers' numbers would have been much higher, but he threw a pick on a hail mary to end the 1st half, and had a TD pass to TE Jermichael Finley wiped out due to a penalty. Speaking of Jermichael Finley, he again proved to be a Monday night monster, grabbing 9 receptions for 115 yards (12.7 yard average). The offensive line kept the QB clean for the entire game, but was responsible for the lion's share of the penalties, crippling most offensive efforts. As for the wide outs, everyone fought hard for extra yardage and made consistent catches. Rodgers has come to expect no less. I'd give the offensive unit a solid 'A', but excessive penalties are impossible to surmount. Sorry boys: C

DEFENSE: This point has to go to the Bears. Green Bay was in typical, aggressive form but saw too many big plays hindered by penalties. With Al Harris and Atari Bigby still nursing injuries, the Packers have had to implement a patchwork defensive scheme for all 3 games so far. They've played their base 3-4 very sporadically, and have relied heavily on nickle and dime coverage. Charles Woodson again proved to be the glue that occasionally must keep this young D from coming apart at the seams. Green Bay's defense also seemed to relent in the closing minutes of the game, allowing Cutler to lead his Bears into scoring position with ease. In all, rookie mistakes do not help make the grade. C

SPECIAL TEAMS: What can I say here that hasn't been said at almost every post-game presser for the past 3 seasons. The Packers seem to get it together for stretches of 2 or 3 games, and then suddenly lay an egg in the battle of field position. Even though Jordy Nelson did a good job fielding kickoffs, and likewise Tramon Williams with punts, giving up a touchdown to Devin Hester on a late punt is an automatic fail. Get it together guys. F

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WEEK 3 DDS MVP - Aaron Rodgers

It's not much fun to pick an MVP in a loss, but Aaron Rodgers has to be the guy for week 3. Through the air, he was 34/45 for 316 passing yards with 1 TD and 1 INT. Again, the interception came on a hail mary to end the half - an annoying statistical smudge. Rodgers was also the team's 2nd best rusher with 20 yards, posting the Packer's only rushing TD. #12 was directly responsible for all Packer points on Monday night. No Green Bay loss comes for lack of trying on the part of Aaron Rodgers. Tough luck, kid. Better luck next week.

Picture courtesy of NFL.com