Damarious Randall Comes Up Big: Packers Hold On For 27-20 Win Over Chargers

On one hand it's pretty good to see that when the Green Bay Packers struggle with their pass offense and defense they can still win a game and never trail in it. On the other hand, they weren't slouches either. On a per pass attempt basis, QB Aaron Rodgers's stats were just as good as QB Philip Rivers (though Rivers re-wrote the Chargers' record book on Sunday with new team records for completions, attempts, and yards in a single game) but problems on 3rd downs held them back again. And though the defense struggled a lot, when they needed a big play to close out the game, their rookie CB came up big.

First-round pick Randall makes big play as Packers hold on to beat Chargers http://t.co/oYBHZg5qg7 pic.twitter.com/CzSPc03YXB

— Leader Telegram (@LeaderTelegram) October 19, 2015

I was debating afterwards whether Rivers's pass attempt could have been better, but on replay, it looked like a heck of a pass. He had a tight window at the front of the end zone and he can't throw it high because his receiver is only 5 foot 8. He threw it right where it should have gone but Randall made a great play on the ball.

It was a weird day for the defense. Their troubled run defense shut down the Chargers' ground game even without NT B.J. Raji and SS Morgan Burnett while their fantastic pass rush went missing. The stat line shows 3 sacks and 13 QB pressures, but most of those came late when DC Dom Capers dialed up the blitz as much as he dared. And the Chargers' offensive line had been a wreck for most of the season. Without a pass rush, the Chargers were great at converting on 3rd down (50%) even without a running game and this wasn't the first game the defense has had trouble getting off the field. But they were a surprisingly good bend-but-don't-break defense, which is unusual for them. On the Chargers' last 4 possessions, they ran 38 plays for 209 yards but came away with only 3 points. For as many passing yards as they allowed, to only surrender 20 points is a victory.

Mike McCarthy was asked in the post-game press conference about what happened to RB Eddie Lacy? His answer focused on RB James Starks, who he said deserved some playing time while Lacy's been banged up (though Lacy's not listed on the injury report). Starks proved his coach right and exploded for a big run and his best game in a long while, but keeping Lacy on the bench when the team is lacking play makers (WR Randall Cobb was held to only 2 receptions and he had a big drop) is an odd choice. It worked OK this week since Starks was great and WR Jeff Janis had his first receptions of the season (for big yards) but I'd rather see Lacy play a more prominent role because there's no one else like him on offense.

Getting more from Lacy would also probably help their continued struggles on 3rd down. They were only 3 for 9 on 3rd downs and needed to sustain drives to match what the Chargers are doing. 33% isn't their lowest conversion rate of the season, that came last week against the Rams when they were at 31%, but that hardly makes it better. As much trouble as the defense had getting off the field, the offense struggled to stay on it.

This is probably the best time for their bye week, as they're scheduled to play two currently unbeaten teams on the road to start November (Broncos then Panthers). The injured players can hopefully get better and the coaches can consider some mid-season adjustments.

2015 Preseason Game 3: Packers Lose To Eagles 39-26, Down 25-0 After 1st Quarter

The 1st quarter against the Eagles was as bad as it gets for the Green Bay Packers. It was a complete team meltdown, but mostly it was the defense just not defending:

#Packers starting defense has allowed 242 yards, 17 first downs, 19-22 completions, 25 points (not counting INT TD)

— Zach Kruse (@zachkruse2) August 30, 2015

The special teams started off the game by allowing a 67 yard kickoff return. P Tim Masthay looked terrible early (but better later) and the Eagles had fantastic field position on almost every possession. QB Brett Hundley looked great overall but his first pass attempt led to a shoulder injury for WR Randall Cobb (it might be minor) and his second one turned into a pick-six when TE Richard Rodgers slipped and fell while running his route. And all the penalties, penalties, and more penalties.

And unfortunately this just happens sometimes. Especially early in the season. Last season, the Packers were bad in Week 1 at Seattle, then at home in Week 2 against the Jets, and lastly in Week 3 in Detroit, before Aaron Rodgers told everyone to R-E-L-A-X and they won 13 of their last 16 games.

There was a lot of bad on defense. LB Sam Barrington was abused in coverage, and while he's not my favorite player, he was about average against the pass last season. There was little pass rush and QB Sam Bradford was barely touched in the pocket. The running lanes for the Eagles' running backs were enormous. But the Packers weren't doing anything special in their scheme either; they seemed to be in their standard nickel package the entire time. The Packers' D isn't the best in the NFL and once in a while they're going to have a bad quarter or two. And it was very nice to see LB Clay Matthews, healthy and back on the field.

Injuries, injuries, injuries. Cobb was the worst news, and it didn't look good for CB Micah Hyde either, who was taken off on a cart. RT Bryan Bulaga twisted his ankle, but later in the game, after getting some ice on it, he was sitting on the bench and putting his shoe back on. He didn't look seriously injured. I'm expecting the entire starting offensive line will be ready to play by Week 1, and that'll be a big help.

Hundley played with the first team offense but he only had RB Eddie Lacy for 4 carries, and he only played with two starting offensive lineman. So his performance with much less than the 1st string offense against the Eagles 1st string defense looks even better. I hope he's never needed in 2015 but after the 2013 collarbone debacle, the Packers need a reliable backup, when necessary.

WRs Jeff Janis, Ty Montgomery, and Myles White. They bring different talents to the field, though Montgomery and Janis are similar type deep threats, down the sidelines and in the middle of the field, while White is more of a short yardage menace. I could see the coaches mixing and matching during the season, depending on the match-up and maybe just seeing who has the hot hand.

TE Kennard Backman. He's playing at a thin position, and he finally showed something as a pass receiver. He made a difficult catch behind his body while getting hit, and then turned a short pass into a lunging touchdown reception. He also drew a holding flag, so he's still a rookie and not going to take any serious playing time away from either Quarless or Rodgers, but he's also looking like he'll make the 53-man roster.

RB Rajion Neal. He's had a great camp and starred against the Eagles with a long TD reception, and some hard running behind an offensive line that wasn't giving him much help. I'm not sure they'll keep a fourth running back but he could be back on the practice squad.

So I wouldn't worry too much about the defense but the special teams need a lot of work. Some of that will work itself out after the 53-man roster is set, but some of their problems might not be so easy, such as what to do with Tim Masthay. And the most important thing will be to get everyone healthy.

Packers Cruise In Preseason Opener: 22-11 Over Patriots

During the 1st quarter, when QB Aaron Rodgers was in the game, the Packers couldn't score on multiple red zone opportunities. The backup defense failed to contain on either edge at the start of the 2nd quarter when RB Jonas Gray ran for a 55 yard touchdown and then a two-point conversion. The Packers also failed to convert on either of their two point conversion attempts. I mention these bad plays at the start of this post because other than those problems, the Packers were in control in every other aspect of this game and wasn't even as close as the score might indicate. Also the stats below don't reflect all the penalty yards the Patriots gave up.

A look at the final stats from tonight's #Packers victory: http://t.co/c6xQ2ymih4 #GBvsNE pic.twitter.com/AZNifadJf7

— Green Bay Packers (@packers) August 14, 2015

The backup quarterbacks. After a sloppy performance in the televised practice on Family Night, I was a little down on the backup QBs. But against the Patriots, Scott Tolzien and Brett Hundley each threw a touchdown pass and neither had a turnover. That doesn't sound like a major accomplishment, but these preseason games have featured a lot of bad backup quarterback play over the past couple seasons. That's promising.

The 2015 draft class. 1st round CB Damarious Randall sat out with a groin injury which probably gave more playing time to 2nd round CB Quinten Rollins and undrafted CB LaDarius Gunter, and both of them played like they were ready to start in Week 1. Gunter came away with a nice INT when he stole a bouncing ball right in front of the receiver, while Rollins seemed to be running the receiver's routes for them and missed out on an couple of interceptions in the 2nd quarter. 3rd round WR Ty Montgomery didn't light up the box score as a return man but he looked really comfortable on special teams, and he caught a couple passes too. 4th round LB Jake Ryan had 6 tackles, 1 sack, 2 tackles for losses, and 1 QB hit; he looked like the downfield, hard charging inside LB I've been hoping they would find for the past few seasons.

WR Jeff Janis. He's had some drops in camp and appeared to be on the outside of a roster with too many receivers, then he goes and catches a touchdown. He can be a deep threat with his speed and size (and single coverage) even if he isn't often a target.

The second string defense and second string offensive line. It's always a little deceptive to see the backups beating up on other backups (DE Jayrone Elliott's outside rush doesn't look as fast in the regular season) but they were flying around there and hustling to every play, like a pack of guys battling for a roster spot should look. There were a couple of free rushes to the quarterback and some blown blocking assignments, but mostly held up better than I've come to expect from preseason pass protection.

RT Don Barclay. He'll probably be given some slack for playing in his first game in over a year after a serious knee injury, but he was beaten badly on a couple plays. They have some good options (Taylor and Tretter) for the backup jobs on the inside, but Barclay's their best option as a backup tackle. LT Jeremy Vujnovich played better on the other side but he isn't obviously a better option at this time.

TE Andrew Quarless. He too probably deserves a break after a terrible past few weeks off the field, but he got off to a terrible start as the starting TE. He cut a route short of a 1st down on a 3rd down reception and then got blown up on his run blocking assignment when they went for it on 4th down. He also had a drop pass on the next drive. It took a while for TE Richard Rodgers to find the field, I didn't see him until after TE Justin Perillo got into the game, so Quarless should be the starter (depending on if he gets suspended to start the season).

RBs John Crockett and Alonzo Harris. They each scored a touchdown and they give the Packers a couple more running backs to think about. They were also facing a bunch of backups.  which included a keystone cops moment when on Harris's touchdown run, three Pats defenders ran into each other instead of tackling Harris.

It's just a preseason game, but there was very little bad to come out of it. No injuries and a really good showing from the 2015 draft class. Another preseason road trip is coming up to Pittsburgh on Sunday August 23rd.

Notes From Packers' 34-14 Win Over the Chiefs

Some notes from the Packers' 34-14, preseason-ending win tonight over the Chiefs:

Matt Flynn and Scott Tolzein. Wrapping up their competition for the backup QB spot, Flynn and Tolzein both played well in this easy W, completing 7/15 passes for 102 yards and 12/18 for 139, respectively. 

LaDarius Perkins. Since Eddie Lacy didn't play this evening, it was inevitable that somebody else would steal his spotlight, with that someone eventually proving to be Perkins, who collected a team-high 45 rushing yards on 8 carries.

Jeff Janis and Davante Adams. Also stepping up to fill-in the spots vacated by the not-playing starters today were young WRs Janis and Adams, who each collected TD catches to end the contest early.

Packers Preseason: Beat Rams 21-7 in St. Louis

The headliners were the two starting QBs. It was the first preseason action for Aaron Rodgers, and the first time Sam Bradford played in a game since last October, when he tore his ACL. Rodgers looked great, but the offensive line gave him a time to throw and he made it look easy.

The biggest play of the game was made by the rookie, in his first preseason NFL game:

Find out what Davante Adams calls his speedy rookie teammate Jeff Janis: http://t.co/YVSHdCw25I #GBvsSTL pic.twitter.com/IPjtR5xcUd
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) August 17, 2014

Janis and WR Davante Adams stood out and took the lead in the battle for the No. 4 and 5 WR spot. Adams was always going to make the final roster, but he could still slip down the depth chart if he struggles in the final two preseason games.

On offense and defense, the first team players still look like the opening week starters. There are only two positions that still could change:

Tight end. TE Brandon Bostick was their lone reported injury, which was unfortunate because he probably had the best game among the top three TEs. Rookie Richard Rodgers wasn't even targeted and he didn't look good blocking. Andrew Quarless had a big gain at the end of the 1st quarter on a busted coverage, but he also committed offensive pass interference on a 4th quarter pass attempt. If Bostick can bounce back quickly, he's probably in the lead to start.

FS HaHa Clinton-Dix. On a 41 yard completion to Rams' WR Brian Quick near the start of the 2nd quarter, CB Sam Shields went underneath in coverage expecting safety help. Instead, Clinton-Dix didn't go for the ball or the tackle, and Quick ran right around him on his way to an extra 20 yards. It wasn't a great day for safeties, TE Lance Kendricks beat Micah Hyde for a touchdown later on the same drive, but Clinton-Dix isn't ready to start.

Speaking of 1st round picks, I expect him to start, but I still haven't seen much from DE Datone Jones. I don't know what to expect from him.

Matt Flynn vs. Scott Tolzien. Tolzien is the one who's making quick decisions and getting the ball out his hand. Flynn is the one throwing short, dump-off passes (Janis's TD pass was almost entirely yards after the catch) and he's holding the ball too long. But Tolzien's drives don't lead to touchdowns, though a Tolzien TD pass to WR Myles White was waived off because of a penalty on rookie C Corey Lindsay. Meanwhile, Flynn is more likely to lead them to points. They'll still need the final two preseason games to sort out who should be the backup, but I don't know who's in the lead.

As for the backups on offense, I already mentioned Janis, but elsewhere on offense RB DuJuan Harris fumbled away the only turnover in the game, which will put some pressure on him for the remainder of the preseason. OT Derek Sherrod struggled in pass protection on at least three occasions after a good game against the Titans. He's still the biggest lineman on the roster, and I don't expect them to give up yet on their former 1st round pick, but he's not ready to step in and start if needed.

As for the backups on defense, former 1st round LB Nick Perry is definitely on the second team now that LB Julius Peppers is on the roster, but the entire second team front seven looked good. I wasn't ready to jump on the NT Mike Pennel bandwagon last week, the guy couldn't get on the field at Arizona State in college, but he did look good again this week. His biggest problem is that I'm not sure whether the Packers intend to keep two nose tackles.

It was a sack-fest for undrafted LBs Jayrone Elliott and Adrian Hubbard, but they were rushing against a sieve of a left tackle for the Rams. They both showed speed around the edges, but it's not clear they're faster than either backup LB Nate Palmer or Andy Mulumba. A three sack performance (Elliott) would usually be enough for any player to earn a roster spot, however, Elliott will have to keep it up to prove this game was no fluke.

Next Man Up: Jeff Janis Might Be Their Third Best Receiver

As the Packers opened training camp, most everyone was expecting that their No. 3 WR would be Jarrett Boykin (who's had an average camp) and their No. 4 would be 2nd round pick Davante Adams, but he's dropping passes in practice and muffed two punts in the first preseason game. Even the young veterans (Chris Harper, Kevin Dorsey and Myles White) who I expected to be a step ahead of the rookies are dropping passes, Harper dropped a two-point conversion at Tennessee, and they all better improve quickly or they'll be released before the end of the month.

An amazing athlete who has a strong grasp of the playbook can pretty much guarantee a roster spot at nearly every position, but a receiver or running back who can't hold onto the ball has almost no chance of a long-term future. It often turns out that the player who actually shows good hands during training camp is the receiver who ends up earning the last receiver's spot.

MM on rookie WR Jeff Janis: He's made a play every day he's been out there. Still waiting to get him cleared to play vs. St. Louis.
— Rob Demovsky (@RobDemovsky) August 12, 2014

The one droptastic exception has been their 7th round pick WR Jeff Janis. A case of the shingles kept him out of their first preseason game, but if he's learned the offense, he might find himself as the No. 4 wide receiver because he's hanging onto the ball. I doubt he has a chance of moving ahead of Boykin, but he might start outplaying him very soon if this keeps up.

Assuming he's cleared to play, the player I'll be most interested in watching in their next preseason game is Janis.

Five Key Things To Watch In Camp: Number 5 - WR Depth

Training camp is starting next weekend and the players will start reporting for camp later this week, so I'm counting down in reverse order the five key things to watch this year in training camp. The good news is that the Packers start the season in pretty good shape having made some key changes during the offseason, but there's always some question marks that will need to be addressed.

Re-setting the #Packers' depth chart on offense: http://t.co/z48h8c0HF2
— Rob Demovsky (@RobDemovsky) June 30, 2014

The top three wide receivers are set (Nelson, Cobb, and Boykin) and there are six other receivers competing for three to four roster spots (probably two of them on the practice squad). The numbers four and five receivers shouldn't expect to play a major role, but injuries have knocked out the starters for significant time in each of the last two seasons (Nelson and Jennings in 2012, Cobb in 2013) so it's possible one of them will be asked play an expanded role in the offense for a few weeks. Having depth at the receiver position is so important in Mike McCarthy's offense that it elevates this competition to a key one.

Also, one of the backups could be the next kick and/or punt returner. The top two return men are DB Micah Hyde and WR Randall Cobb, but it's possible that both of them are excluded from return duties if they are both starters.

Davante Adams should have the edge on everyone else because of his recent selection in the 2nd round, but as Rob Demovsky mentioned in the above link, Adams had some trouble holding onto the ball in OTAs. Though he has been known as a sure handed receiver in the past. The odds of him not actually making the roster are practically zero, but he's not going to be the number four receiver if he's dropping passes during preseason games. We'll have to watch how he performs in those early games.

Myles White. After the big three, White is next in seniority, having played on 125 snaps and targeted for passes 12 times. It's not much of a resume, but having that experience can be a big advantage. He looked pretty good in training camp last year (with a couple of drops, unfortunately) but it didn't prevent his release.

Jared Abbrederis and Jeff Janis. Having both been recent draft picks helps their case for a roster spot, but its even that they're both healthy and looked good in OTAs. I'm sure the team wouldn't mind if Janis had a strong camp, but if he's too impressive they might have trouble sneaking him onto the practice squad.

Kevin Dorsey, Alex Gillett, and Chris Harper. They all have some experience with the Packers, but they've all been released at least once in their NFL careers. Harper might be struggling with a hamstring injury which is a huge set-back for him. Since they're in camp, they have a chance, but they're currently long-shots.

Which receiver or two emerges as the key backups this season will be something to watch this preseason.

Packers Depth Chart: Wide Receiver

At this time of year, it's not surprising to see as many as ten wide receivers on the Green Bay Packers roster. What is surprising is that they selected three wide receivers in one draft. It didn't used to be uncommon for GM Ted Thompson to draft wide receivers (from 2005-2008, the Packers selected two wide receivers in each year's draft, and also used a 2nd or 3rd round pick on one). However, in the five drafts from 2009-2013, only one wide receiver was selected with a high pick (Randall Cobb) and three overall.

In recent years, the Packers have filled out their wide receiver depth with young veterans or rookie free agents. WR Jarrett Boykin has been a success story but there are at least a dozen other players who didn't work out. The Packers have lost a lot of experience at the position over the past two years (Jennings, Driver, Jones) so it makes sense that they'd want to add some quality in addition to quantity this year.

Roster locks: Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb, Jarrett Boykin, Davante Adams. I'd like to see one more solid season from Boykin before anyone talks about a long-term extension, but he should be a very good No. 3 wide receiver. I won't know if Adams is ready to contribute in 2014 until I see him in a preseason game.

The Packers are probably going to keep six wide receivers, one more on the active roster and another on the practice squad, so the final six players are fighting for just those two spots.

Myles White. He lined up on 125 offensive plays last season which makes him the number five WR last season in terms of snap count. He had a strong 2013 preseason, except he had trouble holding onto the ball, which is a sure fire way to get released. Luckily for him, he was signed to the practice squad at the start of the 2013 season and promoted to the active roster in October after Cobb was hurt. If he can bulk up without losing any quickness (and avoid dropping passes) he could be a roster surprise. However, he's probably not eligible for the practice squad (ESPN.com says he played in 7 games last season and players with over six career active games are ineligible). He's going to have to prove he's worthy of a spot on the 53 man roster, and he might lose his spot to another receiver who's still eligible for the practice squad.

Kevin Dorsey and Alex Gillett. If Cobb hadn't been injured, and Jeremy Ross hadn't earned his release, neither player might have stuck around/returned after the last preseason game. I'm not expecting either of them to stick next season.

Chris Harper. He was a 4th round pick by the Seahawks in 2013, but he's been released twice since then. He only played on two offensive snaps for the Packers last season, but he played a lot on special teams, which makes me believe he's a great athlete but not much of a receiver. I don't think the Packers would have drafted either of the following two players if they really liked Harper.

Jared Abbrederis and Jeff Janis. I really want Abbrederis to succeed, so I hope he wins the No. 5 spot, but he'll be battling a similar player (White) who already has a year of NFL experience under his belt. Janis seems like an obvious choice for the practice squad; an amazing athlete with speed and size who could play offensive and defensive roles on the scout team.

Former #Badger Jared Abbrederis is wearing No. 84 for the 13-time World Champion Green Bay Packers. pic.twitter.com/bRGsohIDzp
— On Wisconsin Badgers (@wiscybadgers) May 17, 2014

Packers sign WR draftee Jeff Janis; cut CB James Nixon

The Green Bay Packers have signed WR draftee Jeff Janis and cut CB James Nixon, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel's Tyler Dunne reports. 

Janis, a seventh-round pick out of Division II's Saginaw Valley State, was dominant last season, catching 83 passes for an impressive 1,572 yards.

As of now, the details of his first pro contract have not been released, although, in my opinion, just hearing that a solid prospect like him is signed is good enough. 

As for the announcement on James Nixon, it's nothing too surprising, as Nixon has never been much of a well-known name. He signed onto the Pack's practice squad back in September 2012, not appearing in a regular season game until last year, when he appeared in three contests (Weeks 6, 7, and 8; all Packers wins) before going down in November with meniscus cartilage damage.

In those three weeks, Nixon surprisingly didn't record a single tackle, likely making the decision to cut him pretty easy. As you all probably already know, Green Bay just drafted another young CB in Baylor's Demetri Goodson, so keeping a banged up guy like Nixon around in 2014 wouldn't make much sense, even if he does have some potential.