Best/Worst of Week 17 VS Vikings

[tynimiller]

Apologies, been MIA for a bit due to life/holidays/work and an Iowa hunting trip of late. That said here's the last game's Top 5 and Bottom 5 for both sides of the ball (with minimum 10 snaps):

BEST OFFENSE:
Marcedes Lewis 90.7
Aaron Jones 77.0
Allen Lazard 72.4
Romeo Doubs 72.0
Aaron Rodgers 71.6
*Luke Tenuta 71.7 (7 snaps)

WORST OFFENSE:
Jon Runyan 43.6
Patrick Taylor 50.3
Samori Toure 53.6
Randall Cobb 53.9 (he was oddly bad in blocking...he isn't a beast usually but is very good at being in proper spot)
Josh Myers 54.4

BEST DEFENSE:
Isaiah McDuffie 90.8 (12 snaps)
Kenny Clark 89.9
Rudy Ford 83.1
Tedarrell Slaton 80.2
Jaire Alexander 77.7

WORST DEFENSE:
Jonathan Garvin 31.3 (12 snaps)
Corey Ballentine 39.6 (12 snaps)
Eric Wilson 45.6 (18 snaps)
Justin Hollins 49.2
Darnell Savage 52.0


We need to take a minute and acknowledge just how awesome Slaton did this past week, first game with Lowry out on IR and he and Wyatt both saw their snaps increased and TJ did excellent (Wyatt had a few special plays as well).

 

[PackerDNA]

With Slayton and Wyatt we could end up being a very good shape long term on the D line.

 

[Voyageur]

Rudy Ford is interesting. I think his game gets better as he goes. I have a hunch that if they retain him, he could end up being a decent player in the rotation.

 

[tynimiller]

Rudy Ford is interesting. I think his game gets better as he goes. I have a hunch that if they retain him, he could end up being a decent player in the rotation.

Ford, Nixon and Leavitt have all come in and done what we've asked or even excelled further.

 

[Voyageur]

Ford, Nixon and Leavitt have all come in and done what we've asked or even excelled further.

No doubt, Nixon is a keeper as well. Leavitt has been surprising me. I'd like to see a little more of him, but what I've seen to date, I'd keep him too.

 

[Poppa San]

No doubt, Nixon is a keeper as well. Leavitt has been surprising me. I'd like to see a little more of him, but what I've seen to date, I'd keep him too.

Leavitt was brought in for special teams. As long as he isn't a detriment, anything positive he contributes to the defense is gravy.

 

[Pkrjones]

Ford, Nixon and Leavitt have all come in and done what we've asked or even excelled further.

What about Leavitt is impressive? He allowed the punt block Sunday by near-whiffing on an up-the-middle rush by 5'-11", 207 lb backup safety Metellus. Wrong position, then over-run for an easy block. Fortunately the D stonewalled the Vikes holding them to 3 points from the 1 yd. line.

Partial blame to Bisaccia for the interior lineup on punts: 248lb long snapper & 238lb Deguara got blown-back by interior rush, Leavitt whiffs his block. 238 lb McDuffie was on other side of long snapper. Why worry about playing coverage guys on the line IF you can't even get the punt away?

Metellus Comes Up With Another Huge Punt Block

Minnesota Vikings safety Josh Metellus blocks a punt by Green Bay Packers punter Pat O'Donnell that gives the Vikings the ball at the Packers' one-yard line.

www.vikings.com

 

[tynimiller]

What about Leavitt is impressive? He allowed the punt block Sunday by near-whiffing on an up-the-middle rush by 5'-11", 207 lb backup safety Metellus. Wrong position, then over-run for an easy block. Fortunately the D stonewalled the Vikes holding them to 3 points from the 1 yd. line.

Partial blame to Bisaccia for the interior lineup on punts: 248lb long snapper & 238lb Deguara got blown-back by interior rush, Leavitt whiffs his block. 238 lb McDuffie was on other side of long snapper. Why worry about playing coverage guys on the line IF you can't even get the punt away?

Metellus Comes Up With Another Huge Punt Block

Minnesota Vikings safety Josh Metellus blocks a punt by Green Bay Packers punter Pat O'Donnell that gives the Vikings the ball at the Packers' one-yard line.

www.vikings.com

ONE play doesn't wipe a guys' contribution.

 

[Voyageur]

Leavitt played a few snaps as a safety in the game, and appeared to be in the right place on them. Of course that's a limited observation based on the views shown for TV.

I believe we need more than a handful of plays to judge him. Anyhow, that's my opinion.

 

[tynimiller]

Leavitt played a few snaps as a safety in the game, and appeared to be in the right place on them. Of course that's a limited observation based on the views shown for TV.

I believe we need more than a handful of plays to judge him. Anyhow, that's my opinion.

I'm purely personally speaking to his role on ST. Any reps he provides on defense is a cherry on top of him.

 

[JKramer64]

I give Leavitt credit for recovering the blocked punt and saving a touchdown. He was knocked flat on his back, but still got up and hustled to pick it up.

 

[Mondio]

I give Leavitt credit for recovering the blocked punt and saving a touchdown. He was knocked flat on his back, but still got up and hustled to pick it up.

I thought the same. He got trucked, but he didn't stay down and made a huge play.

 

[Pkrjones]

I give Leavitt credit for recovering the blocked punt and saving a touchdown. He was knocked flat on his back, but still got up and hustled to pick it up.

OK, I guess we'll all agree to forgive a garbage play as long as he's hustling. Does that mean it's OK for or OL's to give up sacks... as long as they try hard?

 

[tynimiller]

OK, I guess we'll all agree to forgive a garbage play as long as he's hustling. Does that mean it's OK for or OL's to give up sacks... as long as they try hard?

Here's the thing, EVERY single player on the Green Bay roster I'd bet in any two week stretch of two NFL games has a TERRIBLE play. From future HOF Rodgers to the lowly ST only type guys.

Zero person that I've read dismissed or stated it wasn't a mistake or that it was a positive/strong/good rep by him on that play...he finished the rep well but everything up until that was a 100% failure.

 

[Mondio]

OK, I guess we'll all agree to forgive a garbage play as long as he's hustling. Does that mean it's OK for or OL's to give up sacks... as long as they try hard?

I haven't noticed him being garbage all year. Every player can look like it at times. It's not ok to look like garbage and stay garbage. He didn't. he had a garbage play and made up for it on the same play IMO.

 

[Voyageur]

The fact that we see his game going in both directions should tell us that we need to give it time, to see how it all shakes out. The Lord knows we need guys who can play special teams.

 

[Pkrjones]

It's been a long week, already...I can cut him a sliver of a break. THAT play was one of the few frustrating plays of Sunday evening and I'm having a hard time understanding how 3 blockers we're so easily destroyed by 2 rushers. Bisaccia has some teaching to do so that ST doesn't derail another season.

 

[Voyageur]

It's been a long week, already...I can cut him a sliver of a break. THAT play was one of the few frustrating plays of Sunday evening and I'm having a hard time understanding how 3 blockers we're so easily destroyed by 2 rushers. Bisaccia has some teaching to do so that ST doesn't detail another season.

I wonder how much time he's given to work with these guys. My guess is that it's very little. I can hear coaches saying; "This is things you should already know, so get it right." I can just picture someone saying they need coaching on it, and being given their pink slip.

 

[OldSchool101]

Ford, Nixon and Leavitt have all come in and done what we've asked or even excelled further.

Yes.
Leavitt was leading in ST tackles a few weeks ago. He’s had a few mishaps recently (the failed punt fake and blocked punt) but overall he’s a competitor and top 20% ST player.
13 ST tackles

Ford is hot n cold in deep coverage, but uses raw athleticism to overcome some minor deficiencies in experience in this scheme. He’s very aggressive and fast to the ball in short yardage.
He’s only played above 35% Defensive snaps in 8 games
He has 3 INT for 87 yards!

I don’t think I need to elaborate on Nixon. Just a Godsend.

 

[Schultz]

When it happened I actually wished Leavitt ran into the endzone and got tackled for a safety. What a game changing stand by the defense.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

I haven't noticed him being garbage all year. Every player can look like it at times. It's not ok to look like garbage and stay garbage. He didn't. he had a garbage play and made up for it on the same play IMO.

While Leavitt did a nice job preventing a touchdown after the punt was blocked that doesn't make up for his mistake in the first place in my opinion.

 

[Mondio]

It doesn't erase it. That's not what i'm trying to get at, but everyone has plays that look horrible. From the best to the worst. Rodgers made horrible passes in the past. Reggie White missed a few tackles and got caught inside a time or 2. Jordy Nelson dropped a dime or 2 wide open down the seam for a sure TD in huge games. Jaire Alexander lets St. Brown and N'Keal Harry toast him on long passes and then seals the comeback victory with an INT a couple weeks ago.

Guys can get beat and stay down, or they move with some fire and make a play.
Had someone else allowed the block and you saw Levitt get up off the ground and recover the ball like he did, I'd say most would call that excellent hustle and a huge play to prevent a potentially game tone setting play. So, while it doesn't negate the bad play, IMO, he made up for it.

 

[Voyageur]

It doesn't erase it. That's not what i'm trying to get at, but everyone has plays that look horrible. From the best to the worst. Rodgers made horrible passes in the past. Reggie White missed a few tackles and got caught inside a time or 2. Jordy Nelson dropped a dime or 2 wide open down the seam for a sure TD in huge games. Jaire Alexander lets St. Brown and N'Keal Harry toast him on long passes and then seals the comeback victory with an INT a couple weeks ago.

Guys can get beat and stay down, or they move with some fire and make a play.
Had someone else allowed the block and you saw Levitt get up off the ground and recover the ball like he did, I'd say most would call that excellent hustle and a huge play to prevent a potentially game tone setting play. So, while it doesn't negate the bad play, IMO, he made up for it.

This is probably the reality of players lower on the roster. They obviously have some talent, but it may not be enough, or not channeled enough, for them to actually end up with a win at the end of the day.

A great man told me something about football one evening, at a gathering of football players and coaches. I've always remembered it. It's pretty much the story of everything we do in life. I believe it. I'm paraphrasing here because it's been a long time, and I can't remember the exact words.

"You don't win every play on a football field. You lose a lot of them. That's why you play the game. To win more of them than you lose. As a player, your job is to win more of the individual plays than the guy across from you. The plays that move the ball down the field, and give you positive yardage, are those when the right combination of players on your team with their individual battle with the guy across from them to make it happen. If you go into a game thinking you can win every one of those battles, you're a fool. Nobody can. If you go in believing you can't win more than the guy across from you, you're also a fool, unless you have a plan in your mind, based on the hard work you do in practice, that tells you there are ways you can beat that guy over there often enough to help your team. If you can't find that inside yourself, tell the coach. They'll find someone else who will at least give it all they have to make that happen. At the end of the day, you'll know inside yourself how well you did. Will the positive plays you had exceed those where you were beaten. Did those positive plays happen because you were lucky, or did they come from the hard work you've put in practicing, and getting your body in condition to make those plays? Coaches can judge you based on film, but only to a degree. They can't tell how much heart you have to play the game. That is something you find inside yourself. I can't imagine anyone who can play the game well, who hasn't faced the dilemma of how much they want that win during a game. Even if you're down so far that you can't possibly win, you need to reach inside, and bring out the best you have on the next play."

I think he summed up the game of football very well. It's why I learned to cut myself slack at things I do, and why I'm not ready to throw someone under the bus for making a mistake. When they learn from that mistake, and step up to handle the next challenge properly, that has to matter.

 

[milani]

Apologies, been MIA for a bit due to life/holidays/work and an Iowa hunting trip of late. That said here's the last game's Top 5 and Bottom 5 for both sides of the ball (with minimum 10 snaps):

BEST OFFENSE:
Marcedes Lewis 90.7
Aaron Jones 77.0
Allen Lazard 72.4
Romeo Doubs 72.0
Aaron Rodgers 71.6
*Luke Tenuta 71.7 (7 snaps)

WORST OFFENSE:
Jon Runyan 43.6
Patrick Taylor 50.3
Samori Toure 53.6
Randall Cobb 53.9 (he was oddly bad in blocking...he isn't a beast usually but is very good at being in proper spot)
Josh Myers 54.4

BEST DEFENSE:
Isaiah McDuffie 90.8 (12 snaps)
Kenny Clark 89.9
Rudy Ford 83.1
Tedarrell Slaton 80.2
Jaire Alexander 77.7

WORST DEFENSE:
Jonathan Garvin 31.3 (12 snaps)
Corey Ballentine 39.6 (12 snaps)
Eric Wilson 45.6 (18 snaps)
Justin Hollins 49.2
Darnell Savage 52.0


We need to take a minute and acknowledge just how awesome Slaton did this past week, first game with Lowry out on IR and he and Wyatt both saw their snaps increased and TJ did excellent (Wyatt had a few special plays as well).

Is Runyan having a rough year? What could be his year to date composite?

 

[tynimiller]

Is Runyan having a rough year? What could be his year to date composite?

Again take PFF grades all with whatever size grain of salt you desire...but here is his three year breakdown so far:

2020 Overall 54.0 PassBlk 45.5 RunBlk 55.8 (161 snaps)
2021 Overall 64.6 Passblk 72.0 RunBlk 57.4 (1,109 snaps)
2022 Overall 63.6 PassBlk 79.5 RunBlk 53.9 (991 snaps)