PACKERS SHUT OUT JETS, WIN 9-0!
On a blustery day at New Meadowlands Stadium in New Jersey, the Green Bay Packers clawed, scratched, and most importantly, kicked their way to a 9-0 victory over the heavily favored New York Jets. It wasn't pretty, but it was a win. A victory the team desperately needed as they look to pick up steam before heading home, first to face the Cowboys, and then for a much needed bye week. Here's how our guys in green graded out at a glance...
Offense: The phrase "it wasn't pretty" mostly applies here. Yielding no points, the most productive thing the Packers were able to do on offense was account for 28:37 in the time of possession battle. QB Aaron Rodgers was just 15 of 34 attempts for 156 total yards. He failed to throw a TD but kept his decision making in check by not throwing a pick either. Green Bay was a pathetic 2-14 on 3rd down conversion attempts, and only made it into the red-zone once in the entire contest. Anticipating a blitz-heavy game plan from the Jets and their all-or-nothing head coach Rex Ryan, the Packers countered by relying on the run more than they have all season. RB Brandon Jackson gained 55 yards on 15 carries for a 3.7 yard average per rush. Not too shabby. Fullback John Kuhn also powered his way to 21 yards on 8 carries. While Green Bay managed to avoid the big mistake on offense, all the little miscues spelled poor production and, what's worse, no points. Sorry boys, F
Defense: Green Bay really showed up on defense. The Jets were favored in this game in large part due to their dangerous rushing attack. RB's Shonn Greene and LaDainian Tomlinson were averaging over 150 yards per game coming into Sunday's match, but left with just 76 yards between the two of them. In the secondary, the Packers knew they'd have to hustle to make plays, as QB Mark Sanchez has rarely thrown in error this year. Corners Tramon Williams and Charles Woodson each posted hard-earned interceptions, which they had to wrestle away from their targets. In addition, hats off to a rag-tag lineup of newly acquired stop-gap defensemen, including DE Howard Greene, who was acquired off waivers from the Jets mere days before the game. On a short week, almost no practice time, and minimal study time, Greene, and a few others were forced to rely on their wits and skills to keep them relevant and in good position throughout the game. On defense, your goal is to keep the other team out of the end zone. Can't possibly do any better than a shutout. A+
Special Teams: The defense may get the glory for the shutout, but you can't win unless you score more points than the other team. The Packers can thank kicker Mason Crosby for that. His 3 makes on 4 attempts accounted for all 9 of Green Bay's lonely points. His first came from 2o yards out, then 41 and 40. Good show! Punter Tim Masthay had a career game, pinning the Jets deep with every opportunity, and he had a lot of opportunities. All told, Masthay booted 8 kicks, placing 5 of them inside the 20 yard line. The coverage team plastered the Jets, allowing literally 0 punt return yards on 8 punts. Lots of credit should go to coordinator Shawn Slocum, who has had to preach consistency all season, while injuries force him to constantly learn new names and faces in his unit. A+
Total grade is a B+. Obviously, the offense needs to come together. There's been far too much recognition of short-comings, and far too little in the corrections department. It's time to put up or shut up. Meanwhile, the Defense and Special Teams played an excellent, passionate football game without many key starters. Next up is Dallas.
Offense: The phrase "it wasn't pretty" mostly applies here. Yielding no points, the most productive thing the Packers were able to do on offense was account for 28:37 in the time of possession battle. QB Aaron Rodgers was just 15 of 34 attempts for 156 total yards. He failed to throw a TD but kept his decision making in check by not throwing a pick either. Green Bay was a pathetic 2-14 on 3rd down conversion attempts, and only made it into the red-zone once in the entire contest. Anticipating a blitz-heavy game plan from the Jets and their all-or-nothing head coach Rex Ryan, the Packers countered by relying on the run more than they have all season. RB Brandon Jackson gained 55 yards on 15 carries for a 3.7 yard average per rush. Not too shabby. Fullback John Kuhn also powered his way to 21 yards on 8 carries. While Green Bay managed to avoid the big mistake on offense, all the little miscues spelled poor production and, what's worse, no points. Sorry boys, F
Defense: Green Bay really showed up on defense. The Jets were favored in this game in large part due to their dangerous rushing attack. RB's Shonn Greene and LaDainian Tomlinson were averaging over 150 yards per game coming into Sunday's match, but left with just 76 yards between the two of them. In the secondary, the Packers knew they'd have to hustle to make plays, as QB Mark Sanchez has rarely thrown in error this year. Corners Tramon Williams and Charles Woodson each posted hard-earned interceptions, which they had to wrestle away from their targets. In addition, hats off to a rag-tag lineup of newly acquired stop-gap defensemen, including DE Howard Greene, who was acquired off waivers from the Jets mere days before the game. On a short week, almost no practice time, and minimal study time, Greene, and a few others were forced to rely on their wits and skills to keep them relevant and in good position throughout the game. On defense, your goal is to keep the other team out of the end zone. Can't possibly do any better than a shutout. A+
Special Teams: The defense may get the glory for the shutout, but you can't win unless you score more points than the other team. The Packers can thank kicker Mason Crosby for that. His 3 makes on 4 attempts accounted for all 9 of Green Bay's lonely points. His first came from 2o yards out, then 41 and 40. Good show! Punter Tim Masthay had a career game, pinning the Jets deep with every opportunity, and he had a lot of opportunities. All told, Masthay booted 8 kicks, placing 5 of them inside the 20 yard line. The coverage team plastered the Jets, allowing literally 0 punt return yards on 8 punts. Lots of credit should go to coordinator Shawn Slocum, who has had to preach consistency all season, while injuries force him to constantly learn new names and faces in his unit. A+
Total grade is a B+. Obviously, the offense needs to come together. There's been far too much recognition of short-comings, and far too little in the corrections department. It's time to put up or shut up. Meanwhile, the Defense and Special Teams played an excellent, passionate football game without many key starters. Next up is Dallas.
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This week's DDS MVP is an obvious choice. With no other scoring players to choose from, kicker Mason Crosby gets the honors. Aside from scoring the team's only 9 points, his kickoffs kept the Jets at bay for most of the game as well. Good man, Charlie Brown! Honorable mention goes to defensive lineman Cullen Jenkins, who shaved his head in the style of Mr. T from tv's "The A-Team" for the Halloween game. I wonder if he pities Mark Sanchez.
This week's DDS MVP is an obvious choice. With no other scoring players to choose from, kicker Mason Crosby gets the honors. Aside from scoring the team's only 9 points, his kickoffs kept the Jets at bay for most of the game as well. Good man, Charlie Brown! Honorable mention goes to defensive lineman Cullen Jenkins, who shaved his head in the style of Mr. T from tv's "The A-Team" for the Halloween game. I wonder if he pities Mark Sanchez.
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