Post Game Thread : Packers hold off Lions 34-27

[PackerShrine]

I'm not going to beat up MM for the second half. They had four drives - the first was promising but got killed by a Bulaga holding penalty and resulted in a FG, the last iced the game. In between were two punts - the first of those drives started out well on the ground, and ended on a Cobb dropped pass that would have been good for a first. The second, fine, you can ding MM for being conservative, but that drive started when AR drove the ball into Trevor Davis' chest for what would have been a nice gain but he dropped it. Then MM went conservative.

Put that second half on Dom Capers and the secondary. Detroit had drives of 12 plays and 10 plays to get back into it, and threw the ball completely at will. Zone, man, mixed - didn't matter, Stafford knew exactly what was coming.

Otherwise the most important throw of the game was Aaron to Jordy for Jordy's second TD. That's the kind of throw and catch that was missing last year, and right out of the 2014 playbook. Great route and throw, hopefully the kind that gives both players some good confidence.

Now it looks as if you're making excuses, like you are justifying the garbage football strategy in the 2nd half.
Yes the up the middle passes the Lions put on our hapless defence was relentless, but why not stick with the original offensive plan/strategy? Why completely abandon what was working for the offense which was an air attack.

BOOOO

 

[rpiotr01]

Now it looks as if you're making excuses, like you are justifying the garbage football strategy in the 2nd half.
Yes the up the middle passes the Lions put on our hapless defence was relentless, but why not stick with the original offensive plan/strategy? Why completely abandon what was working for the offense which was an air attack.

BOOOO

Well first of all I actually DO think it's good strategy when you're up 21pts at home to run the ball a little more, shorten the game and expect your defense to hold up its end of the deal. Lacy was averaging close to 6ypc and we're not supposed to feed him? (fat Lacy pun intended)

Second, they were still trying to throw the ball. Those times Aaron Rodgers had to pull the ball down and scramble weren't for his physical fitness, it's because the WR weren't getting open the same way they were in the first half. Plus big drops by Davis and Cobb as I mentioned above.

I just can't believe after the defensive sh!t show we saw starting with the end of the first half, we're sitting here talking about the offense. We're lucky the Lions didn't start slinging it earlier in the game and insisted on trying to run, they may have actually won.

 

[Packfan35]

Rodgers - Great day. Great touch. Spread the ball in the first half.
Nelson - Looked a lot better.
Lacy - Ran hard when given the football.
The O-Line - Kept the QB clean and opened holes to run.
The Front 7 - Shut down the run and got pressure (until they started to get gassed). Stepped up big time with the absence of Matthews/Jones/Guion.
Schum - His effort to corral that errant snap and get it away was huge. Of course, the defense proceeded to give it away.


The Cornerbacks - Abused all day. Again.
Second Half Play Calling - I would prefer to have kept passing all over them across the middle. Though I do know that a Bulaga penalty killed a very promising drive.
Me - Stop building lineups with Jared Cook, you idiot.

 

[Budman]

I just can't believe after the defensive sh!t show we saw starting with the end of the first half, we're sitting here talking about the offense. We're lucky the Lions didn't start slinging it earlier in the game and insisted on trying to run, they may have actually won.

You're not kidding. Lions are probably wishing they would have came out guns a blazin'. Injuries on the defensive side are starting to take their toll. Bye week is much needed but it's gonna be touch and go after that.

 

[Budman]

The Cornerbacks - Abused all day. Again.

Hope it doesn't become a trend as that group was touted as one of the strongest on the defense. Injuries play into it but I'm afraid that we're gonna see teams attack the weakness.

 

[realitybytes]

Otherwise the most important throw of the game was Aaron to Jordy for Jordy's second TD. That's the kind of throw and catch that was missing last year, and right out of the 2014 playbook. Great route and throw, hopefully the kind that gives both players some good confidence.

that was nice, but i thought the earlier pass to jordy going across the middle was even more important. that has been a big missing element in our offense too. think of how many times we saw jordy streaking across the field, snatching a pass in stride and taking it for a nice long ride.

http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-game-...-Nelson-makes-a-49-yard-catch-over-the-middle

 

[57packer]

I'll wait until I can see the game logs - not sure where to find one for this game - but this was such a weird game. The Packers only had 4 possessions in the 2nd half and I'm not sure the run/pass ratio was any different than for the game as a whole, especially if you consider the kneel downs.

I specifically remember the 3rd drive, I think, where they started the drive with a pass only to have Davis drop a perfect throw. Maybe if he catches that ball we have a longer drive that leads to another score and kinda changes the feel of the game.

A win is a win, but I just don't have a good feel for this team. If the secondary was doing it's job, this is a team where you could say they can just win with defense, but that's just not the case right now. If they can shore up the secondary, this team could win a lot of 23-17 type ballgames.

 

[Pugger]

I'm not going to beat up MM for the second half. They had four drives - the first was promising but got killed by a Bulaga holding penalty and resulted in a FG, the last iced the game. In between were two punts - the first of those drives started out well on the ground, and ended on a Cobb dropped pass that would have been good for a first. The second, fine, you can ding MM for being conservative, but that drive started when AR drove the ball into Trevor Davis' chest for what would have been a nice gain but he dropped it. Then MM went conservative.

Put that second half on Dom Capers and the secondary. Detroit had drives of 12 plays and 10 plays to get back into it, and threw the ball completely at will. Zone, man, mixed - didn't matter, Stafford knew exactly what was coming.

Otherwise the most important throw of the game was Aaron to Jordy for Jordy's second TD. That's the kind of throw and catch that was missing last year, and right out of the 2014 playbook. Great route and throw, hopefully the kind that gives both players some good confidence.

You do realize our defense was extremely shorthanded yesterday, right? No Guion, Clay, D. Jones, Sam Shields or Morgan Burnett. That is a lot of veteran experience, especially in the secondary, missing and Detroit took full advantage. Stafford was throwing the ball all over the place but still lost. I suspect they'd trade all those yards for the W.

Another reason MM went conservative on offense was losing Cook and Rip to injuries. Eddie ran great as did Nelson. Rodgers looked like his old self. I'm more concerned about Cook than I am about the defense.

 

[rpiotr01]

You do realize our defense was extremely shorthanded yesterday, right? No Guion, Clay, D. Jones, Sam Shields or Morgan Burnett. That is a lot of veteran experience, especially in the secondary, missing and Detroit took full advantage. Stafford was throwing the ball all over the place but still lost. I suspect they'd trade all those yards for the W.

Another reason MM went conservative on offense was losing Cook and Rip to injuries. Eddie ran great as did Nelson. Rodgers looked like his old self. I'm more concerned about Cook than I am about the defense.

I get your point about the vets missing on D. At one point I think we had Clark, Lowry, Fackrell, Elliot, Ryan, Thomas and Martinez as the front 7, which is both scary and kind of amazing at the same time. We missed those players dearly in pass rush, but the problems on the back end were due to players with more experience, not the rookies up front. I want to re-watch but my sense is that Randall and Hyde had particularly rough games, and DC just couldn't find something that consistently slowed Stafford down (and for the record, tip of the cap to Stafford, he was fantastic).

 

[Terranimal]

I'll counter on Defense. Remember pre season? MM kept the starters off the field and played these guys to give them experience.

Maybe when it comes to Corners TT should stick with undrafted and street FAs. Both Shields and former TW pro bowlers were aquired that way, while these high draft pickedguys struggled.

A lot of defensive woes in 2nd half fall directly on Capers. He's no Fritz that's for sure.