This was a great game for several reasons:
We have started slow and we’re 3-0! Just now we’re rounding into shape: Daniels was bad, then so-so, now unblockable; Perry bad, better, unblockable; Hayward mediocre in 2 games now almost had 2 INTs and did a nice job in coverage, loved his TFL on Kelce and his aggression breaking up a 3rd and 3 slant on the first drive, which set the tone, didn’t see him with anything less than good coverage. Shields has had 2nd stud game after a stinker in Chi. But, on that 3rd and 17( 2:31, 3Q), he and Hyde went to cover Kelce in flat and Maclin came across middle untouched. I think Shields should have followed him across the field. The one strange thing was CM3 was in the deep right third covering someone w/ Hayward. CM3 maybe should have been in middle deep zone to help cover Maclin. But even so, I think Shields should have been trailing Maclin.
Special Teams was great! One mishap on 56 yard KOR. Rip got DTeamed [Rip needs to get off that DT faster, but he was on injury report]. To the right of the hole created by Rip’s DT, Malumba failed to cheat left a bit into Rip’s lane; Ryan and Thomas cheated to left to compensate for Malumba’s supposed cheating left and the result was 2 KC blockers walling of Mulumba, Thomas and Ryan and stacking them up like firewood. To the left of Rip’s hole Dix was pancaked and buried, creating that massive hole. Given that hole and 4 guys on each side being effectively eliminated holding Davis to 56 yards was a great reaction by Crosby and the right side. Zook compensated by switching the left wall of 24, 21, 22, 55, 47 to the right side. And in 2nd half Hyde played in place of Dix.
Zook was playing w/ about a third of his #1 special teams players missing or hobbled and they only had one STs gaff against a team like KC [Maybe 2, Mastay was probably supposed to kick his last punt OOB ]. Zook should get STs coach of the week award.
Aaron Rodgers is still not fully at the top of his game, he missed the TD to Cobb, should have had 1 pick and almost another. Also, Aaron Rodgers is not 100% in sink w/ the combo of receivers he’s had to work with due to injuries and youth.
I hate to repeat that blowhard Gruden: but the amount of memorable plays by supposed scrubs and rookies was amazing: Banjo almost getting an INT and I didn’t see one gaff in his play [Hyde and Dix were S on long pass to Macklin]; Elliot another great sack; nice plays by Palmer, Thomas, Randall, Rollins, Barclay, Monty, Harris, Ripkowski [Blew Branch up in the whole on Lacy’s 9 yard run at end of 3rd Q], Pennell and Ryan stacked up Charles [on 1st and G at end of 3rd Q], Janis did a nice job positioning his CB to get in the way of Branch, who was trying to cover Cobb on last TD.
Randall and Rollins both played great games. Randall’s IC call was legit, but borderline, a good CB needs to push right to the edge of the rules and maybe beyond as subtly as possible and the long pass to Maclin was BS OPI. Not sure how the refs saw his subtle IC and missed an obvious OPI. Rollins flashed several times and on last 2 point conversion attempt, Smith wanted Kelce in right flat and it was Rollins that had the coverage, so Smith threw inside taking all pressure off the OSK.
Ryan came in at 3:00 3Q. Ryan got hurt on the kickoff at 12:10 4Q and it looked like nothing; this is not good! On D, he played RILB and on the next play but hobbled toward his assignment, then he either pulled himself or was yanked.
Remember the discussion about CM3’s taking care of #1? LOL. I think he was sardonically responding, kinda like the way Aaron Rodgers does, about some comments made about his lack of commitment coming off the field in Champ game and Demovsky didn’t get Clay’s dead pan humor [or he did and misrepresented his comments]. CM3 would have had 3rd sack [for 1 yard loss] if Packers had declined a holding call on Raji at 3:03 3Q.
Ripkowski split wide in left slot on 1st play of 4th Q.
Lacy: what an effort; how does a guy with a bum ankle do that? Did anyone else notice it looked like Lacy’s helmet shrunk while playing, it looked like his head was stuffed in the helmet, as if he needed his ears cut off w/ Vaseline slathered to slide that helmet on?
Refs suck: The spot on 4th and 17 was not only wrong...BUT STILL NOT A 1st DOWN and those jackwagons didn’t measure, sometimes it’s about the TV ratings. The long pass to Maclin against Damarious was OPI; Randall had perfect inside position and Maclin grabbed him and used DR’s body as leverage to push off inside. Monty on his PI call, okay yes by rule that was a penalty but it’s never called and it wasn’t called against KC at 4:34 3Q when someone took out Hyde trying to cover Kelce. And of course the Dix PF was 100% BS (even Maclin congratulated Dix on the hit). Oh and I believe Cam over Hochuli. Refs need to understand that they are no more significant to the game, than a goal post or a 28 yard marker.
I think Monty only pretended he didn’t know the route on his TD; otherwise how would Aaron Rodgers know exactly where to put the ball on that arrow route. Or did that little throat cut at the knee gesture tell Monty the route [I don’t think so]. Monty on the momentum Touchback, what freakin’ poise for a rookie and training by Zook.
What a job by Joe Thomas-this guy has never played against a starting NFL OL or RB and didn't practice w/ his mates for 3 weeks, he probably didn't get 1 rep in Dallas. Did some good and bad things; but the bad things showed INSTINCTS! By Midseason, he'll be as good and maybe better than Barrington was. Here’s his 3 maybe 4 missed tackles:
On (9:56, 4Q) 1st goal at 4; On handoff to Charles, he brilliantly avoids center, slides right and into the hole and contacts Charles on other side of LOS. He goes low and has Charles by ankles, but there was no pursuit and couldn't hold on. The only DLman was Gaston and he got pushed into endzone.
At 14:10, 3Q, 3rd and 13, JT dropped in his zone and helped cover a WR on an inside route; when the dump off went to Kelce, he immediately broke, took a great angle, exploded w/ perfect text book tackle for zero gain, but bounced off the guy 40 pounds heavier. It was 3rd down and JT knew he just needed to slow Kelce, who was 13 yards from 1st down.
At 11:08 3Q, 3rd and 27, Covered Kelce tight down the middle, so Smith dumped the ball off to Charles. JT broke off as soon as he saw dump off to Charles and charged to make tackle at open field tackle for a 3 yard gain and he just missed him...Charles is Good.
On last Charles TD, JT exhausted, got pancaked by Guard and still reached out to grab Charles’ foot, I wouldn’t count this as a missed tackle, some would.
The guy can hit, just ask Datone! On 1st and 10 everyone expecting pass he avoided Kelce, broke down and made a textbook hard tackle on got Charles (:56, 2Q), who may have gone a long way if JT was blocked or tackle missed. On 3rd and 4, 4:46 2Q, a swing pass JT is blitzing, Smith throws pass to D’A Thomas in [Packer’s] right flat. JT spins away from Grubbs and as he releases his jersey snaps back to his body and pursues, the Canadian guard then tries to and misses JT, who is ready to make tackle behind LOS; but CM3 made TFL -7. He had a STs tackle on Davis after GB FG and played 23 snaps on STs, 2nd only to Jayrone.
Barclay is an ascending player; he gave up no sacks. NO SACKS [McGuin wrongly credited him w/ a ½ sack], NO HITS. He had one facemask penalty declined by KC and I had him for 3 pressures [McGuin 2 and PFF had 5]. The wet track helps the OLman; but because Lambeau has great drainage, Barclay was assisted only slightly v. Houston. And Houston’s 8 game sack streak [against Ryan Harris; Derek Newton; DJ Fluker; Marcus Gilbert; Khalif Barnes; Bobbie Massie; Louis Vasquez; Menelik Watson] was broken by Barclay.
Peppers didn’t have his greatest game. But he was active, played all over the line, got some D-Teams, did some dirty work and dropped in coverage and still had 3 pressures.
Originally Posted by: Barfarn