Gruden just seems to like quarterbacks, period. He fellates all of them on the air. I'm amazed he doesn't burn out his salivary glands in a single three-hour game period.
When it comes to the blatant helmet-to-helmet hit on Grant, I have to think Sanders will be hit with a fine this week. Yes, no penalty was called, but the contact was flagrant on replay. I was worried that Grant might have left the field with a concussion, but hopefully he was pulled from the game purely as a precautionary measure. He did return for a couple more plays before leaving for the night, if I remember correctly.
I have nothing to add about Rodgers that hasn't already been said. After a shaky start, his performance was pristine. He throws one of the tightest spirals in the league, with nary a wobble, and there is never a doubt that the pass is going to hit his receiver. It's remarkable to watch. When Favre threw balls into tight coverage, I used to cringe and cover my eyes. When Rodgers does the same thing, I cheer.
I was impressed with Quinn Johnson's performance tonight. Before this game, I had expected him to be cut or traded, but now I'm starting to think that they'll keep the Mack truck around, probably at the expense of Hall. I don't see any way that Kuhn gets traded. He has proven himself to be one of the most versatile players on the team, and he's fast becoming a fan favorite. I was a bit surprised that Johnson wasn't called for holding on that one massive block he threw, but it was fun to see him lay the hammer with his entire body instead of just his arms.
I was pleased to see James Jones step up and make a solid case for an increased role in this offense. I think it's obvious now that if Driver or Jennings go down for any period of time, there will be no significant diminution in our offensive output. Jones made that one touchdown catch look fluid and easy; his hands seem to have improved and his elusiveness is increasing.
Donald Driver demonstrated yet again that he remains one of the slipperiest receivers in the game. He may not be fast, but he is incredibly hard to tackle.
While I know that we can't draw too many firm conclusions from preseason play, it would appear that opposing defenses are going to focus on our other receivers and challenge Jermichael Finley to beat them. There were quite a few plays last night in which no one even bothered to cover him. He was running free out there. On the few plays in which he was bracketed with tight coverage, we saw Driver or Jones wide open. Assuming his line can protect him, I think Aaron Rodgers may have one of the easiest jobs in the history of the league this year: he will have
someone open on every play -- if not a receiver or tight end, at least a back.
Tackling remains an issue with our defense. I saw far too many bad angles and lame attempts at arm tackles last night. TwinkieGorilla remarked in the chat room that a lot of our defenders seemed to think their performances didn't really matter, and I agree. Their tackles were lackadaisical at best. I hope this is a side effect of Dom Capers' insistence on playing a vanilla defense, because if the tackling woes return this season, I am going to be throwing stuff at the TV.
Our run defense continues to remain superb, so I think we're going to see some spectacular aerial attacks against the Packers this year.
Special teams was improved last night, but it would be really nice to see a few more returns stopped inside the 20. I know that is largely a function of hangtime and other factors, but it just seems to me that if the special teams is never going to stop returners before the 25 or 30, the coaches might as well have the kickers and punters shoot for a touchback every time.
I won't say Jason Chery cemented his position on the final roster last night, but I will say that Brett Swain better step up if he doesn't want his status as 5th receiver called into question.
Until last night, I believed that Chris Bryan had the inside track on the punter position. Now I'm not so sure. Tim Masthay was given the opportunity to kick off in the third quarter, and he made the most of it, kicking it 69 yards from the Green Bay 30 to the Indianapolis 1. He was also the holder on all kicks and extra points. Given the premium Mike McCarthy places on versatility, I think Bryan's days in Green Bay are numbered.
Fan favorites Frank Zombo and Sam Shields improved their chances of making the final roster with standout, though hardly spectacular, play. They're both very raw, but they've been taking the preseason seriously (unlike some of our other players), and they're healthy. I think Mike McCarthy will take their availability, potential, and enthusiasm into account when he's making his final cuts.
Donald Lee will be playing in the NFL this year, but I no longer think it will be for the Green Bay Packers. He has done virtually nothing his preseason, while Tom Crabtree, Andrew Quarless, and Spencer Havner have all made aggressive pushes for more playing time. I believe Crabtree will make the roster on the merits of his blocking ability and workmanlike attitude. I think Havner has made himself all but indispensable with his ability to play both sides of the ball. On the other hand, the fact that he's been playing into the fourth quarter could indicate that he's being given every chance possible to show what he has because he's on the bubble. Quarless will not make it past waivers, so I believe he ekes out a roster spot this year based on the potential he has to make a dynamic complement to Finley in years to come.
I am no fan of Atari Bigby and therefore am glad to see Morgan Burnett performing reasonably well. It's possible that Burnett will represent a weakness in the Packers' secondary, but he will surely bring far more to the table than Bigby can hope to do after missing so much time. It will not bother me a bit if Bigby fails to make it off the PUP and ends up on IR.
For the love of God, Mr. Capers, please stop telling our defensive backs to play so far off the receivers and let us see what they can do!
Overall, it was a fun game to watch and I was thoroughly entertained. I am more than hopeful about the forthcoming season, even with the more challenging schedule ahead. For now I will stand by my prediction of 12-4, though I reserve the right to change it after the fourth preseason game.
The Green Bay front office has amassed one of deepest rosters in my memory, with the only significant hole seeming to be the secondary. A lot of current Packers are going to be playing on other teams when opening day comes around. That is a credit to Ted Thompson and his staff of scouts.