Saints studs n duds

[Pokerbrat2000]

I'll piggyback on top of this. What a fantastic move by Gutekunst, that many questioned at the time.

Cox has really improved (not shocking since he should have been a Day2 draft pick) and is doing better than Smith has done over the same time span. We shed $2M in salary cap for next season and everyone seems to be happier. Gutekunst is a stud.

No big surprise that Preston Smith's stats are down with the Steelers. While he is playing in his preferred defense (3-4), he is averaging 14 fewer snaps per game with the Steelers. This season, he averaged 34 snaps per game (9 games) with the Packers, he is down to averaging just 20 snaps per game (7 games) with the Steelers.

 

[Voyageur]

I'll piggyback on top of this. What a fantastic move by Gutekunst, that many questioned at the time.

Cox has really improved (not shocking since he should have been a Day2 draft pick) and is doing better than Smith has done over the same time span. We shed $2M in salary cap for next season and everyone seems to be happier. Gutekunst is a stud.

Can't argue with anything you said. I remember how a lot of people were asking why the Packers kept him around early in the season, saying Cox was wasting a roster spot that we could have filled with a talented player. I keep thinking of that old adage; "Oh ye, of little faith." It seems to ring true here.

Good coaches see most of it, and learn which buttons to push with each player, to get the best they can out of them. Gute has surprised me as a GM to be honest. I wasn't all that certain he'd be a good judge of horse flesh, but he is one of the best. It shows up constantly on the roster. Even the unpopular move to bring in Josh Jacobs, and let Aaron Jones walk was a superb decision. Josh is perfect for the system that the Packers run. He's an early game workhorse, who can expose the weaknesses on the opposition's defense.

It's possible that next year, Cox will be starting on the outside for the Packers. It's not a given yet, but he has shown improvement game by game.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

Can't argue with anything you said. I remember how a lot of people were asking why the Packers kept him around early in the season, saying Cox was wasting a roster spot that we could have filled with a talented player. I keep thinking of that old adage; "Oh ye, of little faith." It seems to ring true here.

Good coaches see most of it, and learn which buttons to push with each player, to get the best they can out of them. Gute has surprised me as a GM to be honest. I wasn't all that certain he'd be a good judge of horse flesh, but he is one of the best. It shows up constantly on the roster. Even the unpopular move to bring in Josh Jacobs, and let Aaron Jones walk was a superb decision. Josh is perfect for the system that the Packers run. He's an early game workhorse, who can expose the weaknesses on the opposition's defense.

It's possible that next year, Cox will be starting on the outside for the Packers. It's not a given yet, but he has shown improvement game by game.

I was super excited when the Packers signed Cox as an UDFA in 2023. I feared that he would get poached off of our PS. Fortunately he wasn't and now we all are starting to see what he can do and the potential that he has. The kid has a ton of physical talent to play at a high level. Interesting and a bit depressing, to watch his growth, as an UDFA VS the growth of 2023 1st round pick Van Ness.

 

[Voyageur]

I was super excited when the Packers signed Cox as an UDFA in 2023. I feared that he would get poached off of our PS. Fortunately he wasn't and now we all are starting to see what he can do and the potential that he has. The kid has a ton of physical talent to play at a high level. Interesting and a bit depressing, to watch his growth, as an UDFA VS the growth of 2023 1st round pick Van Ness.

I'm not down on Van Ness. In the Packers defensive schemes, both Van Ness and Gary will suffer when it comes to stats, because their primary job is to keep runners from getting outside, where they can make huge plays. They need to turn them in, or force them to the sideline, so the speedier DBs can come up and make the tackles. Early in the season, both were having problems with that, but over the last few games, they've been doing a great job in holding the corner. This is one of those things that you never see in stats, but rest assured, the coaches see it on film, because it lets the rest of the team do their jobs.

It's hard to see this watching a game on TV. But rest assured, the coaches see it during the week, on film, and push for these guys to maintain that outside integrity.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

I'm not down on Van Ness. In the Packers defensive schemes, both Van Ness and Gary will suffer when it comes to stats, because their primary job is to keep runners from getting outside, where they can make huge plays. They need to turn them in, or force them to the sideline, so the speedier DBs can come up and make the tackles. Early in the season, both were having problems with that, but over the last few games, they've been doing a great job in holding the corner. This is one of those things that you never see in stats, but rest assured, the coaches see it on film, because it lets the rest of the team do their jobs.

It's hard to see this watching a game on TV. But rest assured, the coaches see it during the week, on film, and push for these guys to maintain that outside integrity.

While I am not completely down on LVN, I don't think that to date, he has provided the Packers with what you expect out of a 2nd year first round pick. I also agree with you that there is more to a player than just a sack or big play. However, I have watched LVN on a number of run and pass plays, most of the time he is getting dominated by one offensive lineman. I have seen him appear to beat a block, only to be escorted outside by the lineman, away from where the ball is.

I hope he continues to progress, but as of today, he isn't playing at the level you expect from a guy selected 13th in the 2023 draft. All one has to do is look at many of the players selected after him, to know that the Packers could have done better with that pick.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

Some nice milestones for the Packers in that dominant win over the Saints.

Packers Made NFL History With Monday's Win

The Green Bay Packers earned an impressive 34-0 victory over the New Orleans Saints in Week 16. Monday night's victory punched the Packers'

www.thecoldwire.com

 

[Poppa San]

Agreed on Watson. He's too fragile to be used in exposed plays like that. Also, two things on Stokes. His reaction times have gotten horrible, and he made a lot of hip drop tackles in the past. That's a no-no, since it was outlawed. He just doesn't seem to have the upper body wrap strength, for getting guys to the ground.

For someone to call him out after he was credited with 3 solo tackles plus an assist which led or tied all the DBs on the team, this is just crazy talk.

 

[Voyageur]

For someone to call him out after he was credited with 3 solo tackles plus an assist which led or tied all the DBs on the team, this is just crazy talk.

Stokes did have an excellent game against the Saints. Here's the top 5 PFF ratings both offense and defense. He has been relatively stable against the pass, but his run PFF is pretty bad. It doesn't show in these stats, but it's what it is. He's in the bottom 20% of the CBs in the league. I believe he's allowed 3 TDs this year, in man coverage, and I don't think any of them came against a #1 on a team, but not positive.

Top 5 offense​

1. RB Josh Jacobs: 90.4

2. RB Emanuel Wilson: 80.9

3. RT Zach Tom: 76.6

4. WR Jayden Reed: 73.1

5. RB Chris Brooks: 73.0

Jacobs forced four missed tackles, produced two runs over 10 yards, gained five first downs or touchdowns and caught all four of his targets out of the backfield. Wilson had one run over 10 yards and two broken tackles. Tom didn't allow a pressure over 28 pass-blocking snaps and was the team's high-rated run blocker. Reed caught three passes, including a contested catch, and averaged over 3.0 yards per route run. Brooks forced four missed tackles on only six carries, caught one pass and earned a terrific pass-blocking grade.

Top 5 defense​

1. DE Rashan Gary: 90.6

2. DE Brenton Cox: 88.7

3. S Zayne Anderson: 85.2

4. LB Edgerrin Cooper: 81.2

5. CB Eric Stokes: 80.6

 

[gopkrs]

For someone to call him out after he was credited with 3 solo tackles plus an assist which led or tied all the DBs on the team, this is just crazy talk.

So we'll see how he does next game. I only remember him barely hanging on to someone on our L side. Should have been an easy tackle but the guy was getting away and would have except help finally came. And another that just really looked iffy. So we'll see. He looks kinda shy to me on the tackling and shedding a blocker.

 

[milani]

Stokes did have an excellent game against the Saints. Here's the top 5 PFF ratings both offense and defense. He has been relatively stable against the pass, but his run PFF is pretty bad. It doesn't show in these stats, but it's what it is. He's in the bottom 20% of the CBs in the league. I believe he's allowed 3 TDs this year, in man coverage, and I don't think any of them came against a #1 on a team, but not positive.

Top 5 offense​

1. RB Josh Jacobs: 90.4

2. RB Emanuel Wilson: 80.9

3. RT Zach Tom: 76.6

4. WR Jayden Reed: 73.1

5. RB Chris Brooks: 73.0

Jacobs forced four missed tackles, produced two runs over 10 yards, gained five first downs or touchdowns and caught all four of his targets out of the backfield. Wilson had one run over 10 yards and two broken tackles. Tom didn't allow a pressure over 28 pass-blocking snaps and was the team's high-rated run blocker. Reed caught three passes, including a contested catch, and averaged over 3.0 yards per route run. Brooks forced four missed tackles on only six carries, caught one pass and earned a terrific pass-blocking grade.

Top 5 defense​

1. DE Rashan Gary: 90.6

2. DE Brenton Cox: 88.7

3. S Zayne Anderson: 85.2

4. LB Edgerrin Cooper: 81.2

5. CB Eric Stokes: 80.6

At this point we have 11 wins and should finish with at least 12. Pretty good for the youngest team in the league. After Rodgers and Co. departed if you would have said we would be in the postseason the first years going forward you would have made book. It is just unfortunate that this team of all decades is in the same division with the 2 best teams in the conference. I guess it would be worse if we had to be in the AFC West the last 6 seasons with Mahommes and Andy Reid staring us down.