PACKERS LEAVE D.C. WITH TOUGH LOSS IN O.T.
Photo courtesy of NFL.comOne of the many luxuries of living in New York is that there is a bar for every football team. Given that this was an away game in D.C., I felt it only appropriate to take in this game at a Redskins bar in Brooklyn. I'm constantly surprised by the casual fan's lack of understanding of the basic rules of football. Needless to say, there was a lot of whining, followed by an uproarious din every time something went the burgundy's way (which was almost always simply a Green Bay miscue). I'm a good sport, though. I save my taunting for the digital world. But, I digress. On to the details!
While the Packers fell to 3-2 in this contest, it was the list of fallen players that was most alarming. Take a deep breath and find a comfortable chair before reading the following list... Seated? OK.
LB Clay Matthews left sometime in the third quarter after aggravating his left hamstring. His absence was immediately noticed in the lack of pressure on Redskins QB McNabb.
TE Jermichael Finnley left early in the first quarter with a knee and did not return. His presence was surely missed on 3rd down.
TE Donald Lee was pulled early with a shoulder and did not return to action. With both starting tight ends out, the Packers were forced to eliminate many of their offensive packages, as rookie tight ends Andrew Quarless and Tom Crabtree were called onto the field. The packers should consider themselves lucky to have those 2 as special teams starters, or they may not have had options to replace 2 tight ends on their active game day roster.
DE Ryan Pickett went down with an ankle sprain and never returned. This, paired with the loss of Matthews, proved to be quite detrimental to Green Bay's efforts to put pressure on the quarterback.
Derrick Martin sustained a knee injury during the overtime period and his status will be evaluated this week. He was active primarily as a special teamer.
QB Aaron Rodgers suffered a concussion near the end of the game, and Packers.com reports that coach McCarthy would have replaced him with backup Matt Flynn if Green Bay saw the ball again on offense. The concussion was linked to a helmet-to-helmet collision sustained on what would be Green Bay's final offensive play; An interception. The team is already gearing up to start Flynn next week against the Dolphins at Lambeau Field. All of this is of course depending on Rodgers' ability to rebound and successfully pass a battery of tests.
There's your injury report. Add these names to a list including Al Harris, Atari Bigby, Mark Tauscher, Brandon Chillar, Nick Barnett, Ryan Grant, and Morgan Burnett, and it certainly seems like someone is playing a very cruel joke on our boys in green.
A Brief Game Summary
On offense, the Packers once again failed to convert 3rd downs (2-13!) and failed to execute meaningful drives in the entire 2nd half. With tackle Mark Tauscher sitting out, rookie Bryan Bulaga got the start and had some expected hiccups. Once both starting tight ends went down, the pressure was really on Aaron Rodgers to deliver quick balls, which he ultimately failed to do. The one bright spot for the offense was that Brandon Jackson shut up a few nay-sayers by posting over 100 yards rushing. If you were paying attention, you saw Jackson pull some moves that Ryan Grant could never execute. Namely, a second cut after breaking through the line, which resulted in big yards. But considering how productive the ground-game was, the Packers called just 13 running plays total in a game that would have surely benefited from some second half clock-eating, retrospectively. Personally, I think McCarthy's play-calling was suspect down the stretch in this contest. D
On defense, the Packers put together a solid show, holding the Redskins to just 13 points in regulation. Green Bay held Washington to just 5-17 successful third down conversions, and the Skins went 0-1 on 4th down conversions. Considering the ever-expanding injury list, the troops certainly played with moxy, but ultimately it was injuries that left Green Bay too inexperienced to pull out the OT gusto. The Packers are really starting to miss that favorable turnover ratio from last season, posting -2 thus far in 2010. And though they've been stout, holding teams to just 17.8 points/game through week 5, the ultimate stat is wins and losses. B
Special Teams had a much improved performance. After 2 fumbles in week 4's victory over Detroit, Jordy Nelson was steady and reliable. Coach McCarthy said he had faith in Nelson to rebound, which makes his decision to have backup CB Pat Lee field the opening kickoff even more mysterious. Did McCarthy mean to send a message to Nelson? Well, if that message was "you're better than Pat Lee at returning kicks," consider that information communicated. Aside from that aberration, the return game was fine. A Special Teams player of note is Korey Hall, who posted 3 solo tackles. Way to earn that paycheck. A solid B
Since the game was ultimately a loss, the split goes to the lower grade. C+ this week, guys. Fans have yet to see Green Bay play their best game, and that is terrifying considering how few starters the team has left.
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