Packers on pace for most penalties and penalty yards in 70 years

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Bob McGinn

Guest
BY ROB REISCHEL

Disciplined. Orderly. Systematic. Meticulous.

For the last eight seasons — win or lose — one thing was relatively certain with Mike McCarthy’s Green Bay Packers.

They were largely penalty free.

From 2010-’17, Green Bay’s average ranking in fewest penalties and fewest penalty yards was ninth in both.

Today, not only is Green Bay struggling to find a branch of consistency to grab a hold of on both sides of the ball. The 2018 Packers have been among the NFL’s most undisciplined, too.

The Packers are tied for the third most penalties in the league with
43 — or 8.6 per game. The Packers also have the second-most penalty yards in the NFL at 82.6.
Green Bay is on pace for its most penalties per game since the 1948 team averaged 9.67. And the Packers are piling up penalty yards at a clip not seen around Green Bay since the 1947 team averaged 84.9.
“It’s on the players,” Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers said Thursday. “We have to do a better job of limiting those penalties. Offensively, those kill a drive.
“Negative yardage plays — it’s those, sacks, and negative-yardage runs and we’ve got to do a better job of finding a way to keep the sticks moving forward because we’ve been playing behind the sticks in a number of games, especially in the first half when you get third-and-11 pluses, which are very low-conversion plays. So we’ve got to do a better job of the little things and penalties are a part of it.”
McCarthy’s early teams were some of the most undisciplined and penalty-laden groups in the NFL.
Green Bay ranked a respectable 11th in total penalties (90) and eighth in penalty yards (689) in 2006. McCarthy’s next three teams then sunk into the abyss.
From 2007-’09, the Packers’ average rank in penalties was 31st with a whopping 113.7 per year. Green Bay’s average rank in penalty yards was 32nd — dead last — in that stretch with 1,016 per year.
“We’ll fix it,” was McCarthy’s typical refrain.
Amazingly, he did.
During Green Bay’s Super Bowl championship 2010 season, it finished third in the league in fewest penalties (78) and third in fewest penalty yards (617). One year later when the Packers were 15-1, they tied for first in fewest penalties (76) and were second in fewest yards (591).
In six of the last eight seasons, Green Bay ranked in the top-10 in the league in fewest penalties. And five times, the Packers ranked in the top-10 for fewest penalty yards.
This season, the Packers are racking up penalties unlike any Packer team in 70 years.
“We’ve got to get those things corrected,” Packers cornerback Tramon Williams said. “Any time you’re high in numbers in penalties like that, it will affect the game.”
It certainly has.
Green Bay has had more penalties and more penalty yardage than its opponent in four of its five games. And in the Packers’ losses to Washington and Detroit, they’ve averaged 11.5 penalties for 113.5 yards.
“Well, you know, it’s something we’ve harped upon,” Packers outside linebacker Clay Matthews said. “There’s the combative penalties, and there’s — I’m not sure the word you’d use — the mistake penalties. The false starts, the face mask and stuff like that. That we need to eliminate.
“The combative penalties you can live with because you’re out there battling, and those things are going to happen. Like you said, all the (other) ones, we just need to clean them up. I don’t know if there’s really any excuse as to why, whether you want to say we’ve got younger players or new guys playing. I just think stuff has to be cleaned up.
“I don’t think there’s anything that … you can label it to. I think it’s just guys focusing a little bit more and just cleaning up their game.”
Green Bay’s offense has 21 of the 43 penalties, including eight for holding, five false starts and three delay of games.
The defense has been called for 15 penalties, including five roughing the passer violations, three pass interference calls and three facemasks. And special teams has been guilty of seven infractions, including two for illegal blocks, two for holding and two for offside.
Several Green Bay teams over the past quarter century were good enough to overcome sloppy and undisciplined football. The 2018 Packers don’t fall into that category, meaning they need to clean up their act in a hurry.
“Definitely, we’ve got to bring it down on the penalties,” wide receiver Davante Adams said. “Something that Mike talks about is the combative penalties are going to happen because it’s part of the game. But pre-snap and discipline and stuff like that, we have to make sure we get that out because all that does is limit you.”
Right now, the Packers are limiting themselves at a near record pace.

Big three back?: Wideouts Randall Cobb and Geronimo Allison both practiced Thursday and could play Monday night. Cobb has missed the last two games with a hamstring injury, while Allison was knocked out in Week 4 with a concussion.
“I don’t know for sure how they feel,” Adams said after practice. “They look good, they were moving a lot better than they were previously. I definitely hope that they’re out there.”

Bracing for the worst: Rodgers, who suffered a left knee injury in Week 1, wore a large, bulky brace in Weeks 2-4. Rodgers switched to a lighter brace last week, but suffered a setback against Detroit when he was hit on the first drive of the game by linebacker Christian Jones.
Rodgers said Thursday he might have to return to a bigger brace this week.
“I hope not,” Rodgers said. “The goal would be to wear the same brace I wore last week, but I have a lot of faith in our training staff and we’re going to put the brace we feel is most safe and allowing me to do exactly what I’m able to do on Monday.”

Secondary getting healthy: Green Bay’s defensive backfield could return to full strength against San Francisco.
Jaire Alexander (groin) and Jermaine Whitehead (back), who each missed last week’s game in Detroit, both returned to practice. Bashaud Breeland, who was signed Sept. 25 but hasn’t played due to a hamstring injury, also practiced and could be ready to face the 49ers.
“There’s a lot of potential in that room,” Adams said. “Obviously everybody has to play better. I’ll continue to push them like they push me. So it’s definitely looking up as we move forward.”

Jones-ing for more snaps: Safety Josh Jones, a second round draft choice in 2017, has been a non-factor this season.
Jones was inactive the first three games, didn’t play from scrimmage against Buffalo and played just four snaps last week at Detroit.
On Monday, Jones told the Appleton Post-Crescent: “I just want to be out there more. That’s what I’m here for. You ain’t going to (draft) a player in the second round to not contribute to the team. I mean, am I right or am I wrong?”
Jones had a rough rookie season while playing both linebacker and safety. He suffered an ankle injury late in training camp and was passed on the depth chart by both Kentrell Brice and Jermaine Whitehead.
“Just like anything when you leave the door open for opportunity and guys like Whitehead and K.B. jump through it, you have to recognize that, too,” McCarthy said. “It’s never really just about one player, it’s about creating opportunities for all your players. And draft status doesn’t equate to game-day opportunities or responsibilities each and every week.
“Josh, he’s a battler, I really like the things he’s doing on special teams, and I know Ron (Zook) is excited about giving him more opportunities and he needs to just keep battling because just like anything, his chance to play again will be there. We’ve just got to make sure he’s ready, and that goes for everybody that is not playing as much as they’d like to play. You need everybody

“So I like the fact that Josh Jones is pissed off that he’s not playing because if he wasn’t, then I’d be concerned. The fact that he’s hungry and wants to get out there, I think that shows you something about him.”
R-E-S-P-E-C-T: When Richard Sherman was playing cornerback in Seattle, Rodgers and Green Bay’s offense did all it could to avoid him. In his seven years with the Seahawks (2011-’17), Sherman was a four-time Pro Bowler, led the NFL in interceptions in 2013 and was named All-Pro three times.
Sherman tore his Achilles with Seattle last year, then signed a three-year, $39 million deal with the 49ers in March. Sherman isn’t the same, dominant player that Rodgers & Co. once hid from. But the Packers still have enormous respect for him.
“He’s one of the top corners of all time,” Rodgers said. “I mean, his instincts and his intelligence on the field is unmatched. His ability to read route concepts and break on the ball, he’s got incredible ball skills – still. You know, he’s a special guy, and he has been for his entire career. When he was in Seattle, when that defense was rolling, you had to be really smart if you were throwing the ball his way.
“I mean, when he’s on the field, you have to be smart throwing the ball his way. That’s just the type of player he is. I mean, he’s like I said, he’s a super-intelligent guy, he’s got incredible football instincts and he can still impact the game in a number of different ways.”

Back to school: The Packers typically practice on Wednesdays. Because Green Bay plays Monday night, though, McCarthy kept his team off the practice field Wednesday and had them in the classroom instead.
Green Bay’s first practice of the week came Thursday.
“I feel good about what we accomplished (Wednesday),” McCarthy said. “I mean, I think like every team in the league your medical report drives a lot of your decisions on how you train your football team at this particular junction. So let’s not forget we play a Monday night game. But I felt good about what we were able to accomplish in the classroom and giving the guys a chance to get their bodies back.”




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