I think this game was a good example of the adage: the difference between how you play and how you are
capable of playing, is coaching.
Because they showed they are capable of far more than the disaster that unfolded in the first half. To sleep walk like that out of the gate to open the season, to look so disjointed and predictable and soft, to have so little energy is inexcusable and a direct reflection of McCarthy. It's his job to set the tone for the team and he failed. It took Rodgers' heroics to galvanize them and get everyone playing on their toes.
Thoughts:
- I'm not celebrating yet because if AR has a fully torn ACL, they have to shut him down for the season. I hope it's an MCL sprain, and I remember some years ago Logan Mankins played a full season and playoffs with a partially torn ACL so even that's possible, but still holding my breath on this injury.
- Bob McGinn wrote in one of his roster previews that a scout told him he'd have cut Justin McCray after the Pitt exhibition game, and boy you can see why. I can't remember the last time we were that bad at OG. Will Whittiker maybe in 2005? if I'm Gute I get Jahari Evans in there for a workout this week. It's out of the frying pan and into the fire with that Vikings interior coming to town next week, and if AR does play they can't have McCray getting rag-dolled around like that.
- Mark mentioned Gute trading for Lev Bell - if they get even mildly good news on AR and he can give it a go the rest of the way, it's really worth looking at that trade. If the O is going to be based on quick throws, timing, and running the ball, can you think of a better available player to pick up all that slack? It's what he's made to do. Teams eventually are going to squat on those under routes - MN never has a problem with that - so a proven dynamic playmaker, plus Aaron Jones who also has a lot of burst, can really make a difference in how we'll need to play going forward with a gimpy Rodgers.
- As others have said, I'm cautiously optimistic on the D. There are personnel issues that cannot be fixed this season - CMIII is just not a dynamic player (he got thrown to the ground a couple times), Blake Martinez is just too slow of foot and slow to diagnose to be impactful at ILB, pass rush overall was anemic. At the same time, I thought the secondary was pretty solid - no big gaping coverage issues. I thought guys looked more disciplined overall. I thought they got into their pre-snap positions quickly instead of the patented Capers Confusion. Reggie Gilbert made one of the heads up plays of the game when he picked up Cohen on a wheel route in the red zone at the end of the game, which held the Bears to a FG. That is an easy TD and a great call by them, Gilbert just made a smart football play and that reflects good coaching IMO.
