Studs and Duds vs The Vikings

[tynimiller]

We played possibly the most mistake included football for 2 Straight Quarters and still battled back to a point where 2 points decided the game. We really just ran out if time. It felt like if we had just 2 more minutes we Win that game. That was very resilient I’m actually Proud of Love. Yes he made a couple bad decisions but he also made like 30 good ones around it. We we very likely a missed FG from going toe to toe with undefeated team.

To extend on this, one stud from this game which I don't think enough discussion is being talked about...

Stud - the mental fortitude to have ZERO quit and take multiple punches to the face and refusing to stay down on the mat. This rarely shows a win in for the game in which it is showcased, but it absolutely can show up in the future.

 

[milani]

Duds - I've seen enough to declare collectively our Front 7 deserve a dud. Honestly, the Vikings middle OL is seemingly a weak point of their team yet they barely allowed any interior push or pressure. We are now four games in and Clark and Gary are playing like a typical decent NFL guy....not ANYWHERE close to what they are and are paid like. I strongly believe this team defensively will NEVER amount to much if these two guys don't start delivering on paid goods.

And I think we had less plays on defense than the Vikings did.

 

[milani]

My biggest bust is that kicker. It got so bad MLF didn't let him try an onside kick. WRs dropping passes. Love rustier than hell.

But we can't just dismiss the fact they came from the dead and made a game of it. Xavier looks like a keeper. We bottled them up some in the second half. Had our crappy kicker made one of those FGs we are having a different conversation.

And the kid had to have known that the Packers cut 2 kickers at the end of preseason who have NFL experience. He should have known they expected a lot.

 

[adambr2]

They should have just kept Joseph. They would have had a known commodity who is going to be far from the best kickers in the NFL but will give you 80-85% with a decent leg. That's fine. That's better than going through this song and dance every single year.

Particularly at special teams, the Packers FO often has smartest man in the room syndrome where they're convinced that their handpicked choice is better than the obvious choice. I imagine that has a lot to do with Bisaccia, who most likely pretty much gets total personnel control at the position. Not that he can't be overruled by MLF or Gute but I imagine they pretty much defer to him and what he wants.

If you're going with a UDFA rookie at the position on a contending team, you damn well better be right.

 

[BrokenArrow]

Even at 28-0 there was an entire half to go. We absolutely could have run the ball. LaFleur stopped running even before it was 28 points.

We were able to close the game to the point where it came down to an onside kick (which the NFL has destroyed, BTW). We barely had time to get the game to that point with around 50 seconds left. If we had run 3 more run plays than we did in the second half, we would not have had time to get to that point.

 

[BrokenArrow]

Every time Hafley went man-to-man, Jefferson and Addison went wild. It’s hard to send extra men when you can’t trust your CBs on the edge.

I imagine losing two of our top 3 CBs had something to do with that.

 

[adambr2]

We were able to close the game to the point where it came down to an onside kick (which the NFL has destroyed, BTW). We barely had time to get the game to that point with around 50 seconds left. If we had run 3 more run plays than we did in the second half, we would not have had time to get to that point.

At this point I don't know why the NFL doesn't just get rid of the onside kick. They clearly don't want it, and it's now become mostly a forgone conclusion instead one of the most exciting plays in football like it used to be.

Just go with the 1 offensive play from your own 20, 15 yards to convert to keep possession.

Maybe make it 20 yards. I'm afraid of it being a terrifying preposition every time I see our defense lined up against it.

 

[OldSchool101]

To extend on this, one stud from this game which I don't think enough discussion is being talked about...

Stud - the mental fortitude to have ZERO quit and take multiple punches to the face and refusing to stay down on the mat. This rarely shows a win in for the game in which it is showcased, but it absolutely can show up in the future.

Amen.
We all witnessed what a gut punch it was getting mauled those first 2 Quarters.
It reminded me of what we did to Dallas. Yet we scratched and clawed back into it. At 22-28 that was anyone’s game so it wasn’t like the Vikings quit. MN scored 3 points in the final 1/2 game. I’d argue MN took their foot off the gas a little 3rd Quarter and it almost cost them.

 

[adambr2]

Wanted to point out that if Narveson makes 1 of 2 field goals, we are down 6 instead of 9 on Minnesota's last drive where they went for it inside the 5 on 4th down. Had they only been up 6, there's 100% chance that they would have kicked the FG to go up 9 and be up 2 scores rather than risking the 4th down, and the game would have ended the exact same way.

So making 1 of 2 FGs would not have changed the outcome of the game.

 

[Krabs]

Studs:
Reed, he killed it again. 8 catches for 141 yards and a TD. Dudes a consistent playmaker.
McKinney, he got his 4th INT on the season setting a new Packer record.
Quay, I'm going to give him a little love this week. He had a nice sack and led the team in tackles. He seemed to be more involved and not so lost.
Inbetween: I felt the need to add a new category this week due to the craziness of this game.
Love, very rough start and one very questionable throw in the 2nd half. Clearly, he was shaking off the rust in this game. Very inconsistent with his throws. 2nd half he played much better and almost passed for 400 yards. There is no question that he has the tools. He needs to clean up his accuracy and make better decisions. It will come.
Wick, he too has to clean up the drops. He had chances at some big plays. One hit him in the chest that could have been a TD. Sure, tough catch, but doable. He still had two touchdowns and some big plays.
Same with Tucker Kraft here. Great TD run and an overall good game. Then he goes and makes a costly fumble.
Nixon, nice strip sack. Gave up a TD to Jefferson. Tough ask for him to defend him. He was right there, but never located the ball.
Duds:
Narv Dawg, he didn't eat at all in this game. In fact, he is in the doghouse.
Hafley, for supposedly being aggressive, the Packers have blitzed the least amount in the league. Only in the 2nd half when they needed to did Hafley bring the dogs on. Darnold had no pressure on him in the first half and just picked the defense apart. Different DC and the same story.
Are my eyes deceiving me or is Rashan Gary virtually doing nothing? He is listed for four tackles but doesn't seem to be the disruptive force we were hoping for.

This game was a roller coaster of good place backed up by bad plays. Consistently inconsistent as they say. I think there is little doubt this team is talented. Give them time and they will start gelling. The only panic button I'm getting ready to press is on Narv Dawg. Otherwise, they just need to clean it all up. It starts with Love making better throws and not making the receivers have to make tough catches, even on the short yardage throws.

 

[Pugger]

They should have just kept Joseph. They would have had a known commodity who is going to be far from the best kickers in the NFL but will give you 80-85% with a decent leg. That's fine. That's better than going through this song and dance every single year.

Particularly at special teams, the Packers FO often has smartest man in the room syndrome where they're convinced that their handpicked choice is better than the obvious choice. I imagine that has a lot to do with Bisaccia, who most likely pretty much gets total personnel control at the position. Not that he can't be overruled by MLF or Gute but I imagine they pretty much defer to him and what he wants.

If you're going with a UDFA rookie at the position on a contending team, you damn well better be right.

Where is Joseph now?

 

[adambr2]

Where is Joseph now?

Giants

 

[OldSchool101]

After relooking at that 1st Love INT. The ball was actually right on target to Doubs but Musgrave had sat down in a hole right in its path. He obviously thought it was directed at him and high jumped and barely tipped it. It then hit Doubs and deflected into the air perfectly in stride to the MN Defender.

Thats 2 weeks in a row that happened for MN. Although last week it was their DL that tipped a pass right into the stride of a LB. Almost identical except GB did it to ourselves.

That type of stuff happens to every QB on occasion. However that was the 1 INT where I don’t fault Love. The other 2 were his fault. Although 1 was a perfectly played Defense where he was covering Kraft up the seam and dropped off at the perfect time. The throw was actually near perfect.

 

[OldSchool101]

To extend on this, one stud from this game which I don't think enough discussion is being talked about...

Stud - the mental fortitude to have ZERO quit and take multiple punches to the face and refusing to stay down on the mat. This rarely shows a win in for the game in which it is showcased, but it absolutely can show up in the future.

I wholeheartedly agree.

The way you lose is almost as important as the way you win. MN had smart coaching and so far they are accustomed to playing with a lead. Let’s see how THEY do when they get behind several scores. It’s coming

I think to seasons in the past. Occasionally you can have a bad record, but that Win Loss record is not fully representative of how you played. If a team is 4-6 but all 6 losses are by 5 points or less, it can be better than a 6-4 team who lost 3 games by 3 scores etc. and won the others by the skin of their teeth.

 

[lambeaulambo]

Studs - Reed, X man, Wicks in garbage time.

Duds - Entire team first half. You cant make that half up it was so bad.

Where is buggar bill when you need a kicker. Cheers to a brighter week next week.

 

[gopkrs]

At this point I don't know why the NFL doesn't just get rid of the onside kick. They clearly don't want it, and it's now become mostly a forgone conclusion instead one of the most exciting plays in football like it used to be.

Just go with the 1 offensive play from your own 20, 15 yards to convert to keep possession.

Maybe make it 20 yards. I'm afraid of it being a terrifying preposition every time I see our defense lined up against it.

Why don't they like it?

 

[adambr2]

Why don't they like it?

Onside kick? Injury risk, probably.

 

[OldSchool101]

Wanted to point out that if Narveson makes 1 of 2 field goals, we are down 6 instead of 9 on Minnesota's last drive where they went for it inside the 5 on 4th down. Had they only been up 6, there's 100% chance that they would have kicked the FG to go up 9 and be up 2 scores rather than risking the 4th down, and the game would have ended the exact same way.

So making 1 of 2 FGs would not have changed the outcome of the game.

So McDuffie needed to hold on to that INT. We would’ve had the ball midfield in pretty much 4 down territory and we would’ve had the ability to run all we wanted down 0-7. But you are correct, the entire complexity of the game changes on 1 play. Make that INT and even stall or get a 4th n short near the MN40 pretty tempting to just punch it up the gut for a 1st down.

 

[adambr2]

So McDuffie needed to hold on to that INT

Yes. I totally forgot about that with all the chaos that happened after. That was brutal. Might have changed the entire flow and momentum of the game if he makes the play.

 

[Sunshinepacker]

Studs - Second half Jordan Love was an absolute stud (see duds for first half)
Zach Tom (we should just rename Studs and Duds to Zach Tom and Friends and Duds)
Jayden Reed - turning into one of the best slot receivers in the NFL and a top receiver overall
Rasheed Walker (only the pass blocking though, his run blocking is atrocious)
Xavier McKinney - worth every penny

Duds - First half Jordan Love (just shaking the rust off)
Quay Walker - Great at tackling guys 7 yards downfield on the rare occasion he beats his block
Rashan Gary - I gave him the benefit of the doubt for the first two games that they were concerned about rushing QBs but he's just been bad so far
Kenny Clark - this guy used to be as good as Vita Vea (he's only two years older than Vea though so maybe he gets it back)
The pass rush in general, I'm not overly down on the corners because the Packers were without two starters, so I feel like it's kicking an injured puppy to comment on backups getting beat by a good passing game

 

[milani]

Wanted to point out that if Narveson makes 1 of 2 field goals, we are down 6 instead of 9 on Minnesota's last drive where they went for it inside the 5 on 4th down. Had they only been up 6, there's 100% chance that they would have kicked the FG to go up 9 and be up 2 scores rather than risking the 4th down, and the game would have ended the exact same way.

So making 1 of 2 FGs would not have changed the outcome of the game.

And possibly the play calling on that Viking drive is different.

 

[milani]

Studs:
Reed, he killed it again. 8 catches for 141 yards and a TD. Dudes a consistent playmaker.
McKinney, he got his 4th INT on the season setting a new Packer record.
Quay, I'm going to give him a little love this week. He had a nice sack and led the team in tackles. He seemed to be more involved and not so lost.
Inbetween: I felt the need to add a new category this week due to the craziness of this game.
Love, very rough start and one very questionable throw in the 2nd half. Clearly, he was shaking off the rust in this game. Very inconsistent with his throws. 2nd half he played much better and almost passed for 400 yards. There is no question that he has the tools. He needs to clean up his accuracy and make better decisions. It will come.
Wick, he too has to clean up the drops. He had chances at some big plays. One hit him in the chest that could have been a TD. Sure, tough catch, but doable. He still had two touchdowns and some big plays.
Same with Tucker Kraft here. Great TD run and an overall good game. Then he goes and makes a costly fumble.
Nixon, nice strip sack. Gave up a TD to Jefferson. Tough ask for him to defend him. He was right there, but never located the ball.
Duds:
Narv Dawg, he didn't eat at all in this game. In fact, he is in the doghouse.
Hafley, for supposedly being aggressive, the Packers have blitzed the least amount in the league. Only in the 2nd half when they needed to did Hafley bring the dogs on. Darnold had no pressure on him in the first half and just picked the defense apart. Different DC and the same story.
Are my eyes deceiving me or is Rashan Gary virtually doing nothing? He is listed for four tackles but doesn't seem to be the disruptive force we were hoping for.

This game was a roller coaster of good place backed up by bad plays. Consistently inconsistent as they say. I think there is little doubt this team is talented. Give them time and they will start gelling. The only panic button I'm getting ready to press is on Narv Dawg. Otherwise, they just need to clean it all up. It starts with Love making better throws and not making the receivers have to make tough catches, even on the short yardage throws.

I tend to think our team is still too young as a whole. Each mental and physical mistake is due to the combined inexperience of the team, particularly on offense. On defense Alexander may have made a small difference, maybe enough to stop one score or make a play. He did last week. McKinney has made 4 INTs this season. Gary has been AWOL, while Clark has been up and down.

 

[chemist]

I could write all day about Duds and even a few studs… but I’m ready for a new kicker ….. again

It would be mice and helpful if they allowed a 12th man on the field for FGs who could advise the kicker much like a caddy in golf who advises the golfer on distance, wind speed, etc and depeding on the golfers typical ball flight suggests a target to aim at to ensure a successful outcome.

 

[OldSchool101]

It would be mice and helpful if they allowed a 12th man on the field for FGs who could advise the kicker much like a caddy in golf who advises the golfer on distance, wind speed, etc and depeding on the golfers typical ball flight suggests a target to aim at to ensure a successful outcome.

Thats awesome! I’d want Rodney Dangerfield prime as my Caddy.
Maybe add a little entertainment to the miss. Then he could act out an entire “miss FG” drama performance

 

[chemist]

It would be mice and helpful if they allowed a 12th man on the field for FGs who could advise the kicker much like a caddy in golf who advises the golfer on distance, wind speed, etc and depeding on the golfers typical ball flight suggests a target to aim at to ensure a successful outcome.

Thats awesome! I’d want Rodney Dangerfield prime as my Caddy.
Maybe add a little entertainment to the miss. Then he could act out an entire “miss FG” drama performance

Seriously narveson is a one leval upgrade from last year. At least he makes all the XPs. Carlson was terrible on FGs and XPs.
What we need is a reliable money guy who will make the kicks at a level commesurate with the top 10 kickers in the league. I thought joseph was going to be their choice. He spent the whole preseason with GB so he was familiar with everyone. Bringing in a new guy, a rookie no less involves a lot of adjustments not only on the field but outside of football too, finding a place to live for himself and family developing relationships and friendships with other players etc. Theres alot of extras to deal with. Why management decided to go down the same parh as last year, ie developing a rookie is beyond me.