By Chris Havel
Special to Event USA
GREEN BAY, Wis. – The relentless Ravens’ defense played fast and furious on a brisk Sunday afternoon at Lambeau Field.

Packers, Hundley regress against Ravens’ defense in 23-0 shutout

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The regressing Packers’ offense played feckless and infuriating.
The result was predictable: Baltimore 23, Green Bay 0.
The moral victory that was the Packers’ stellar defensive play seemed hollow. The fact that Clay Matthews (groin) and Kenny Clark (ankle) were knocked out with injuries made it so.
Today, the questions outnumber the answers in Green Bay.
Brett Hundley’s slow but steady improvement took a big hit. Baltimore’s defense – one of the NFL’s best – owned Hundley from the second he threw an opening-drive interception.
Jimmy Smith nullified the Packers’ best drive of the game with an end zone interception that sent Hundley into a free fall. For the next three hours Hundley resembled a wobbly, punch-drunk boxer trying to hang on for dear life.
Whether Hundley’s confidence was crushed only he knows. There’s no debate that his performance suffered mightily after the crucial early mistake.
It was merely first of five – count ‘em – five turnovers by Green Bay. Hundley threw three interceptions and lost a fumble. Rookie running back Devante Mays played like a rookie with two fumbles in three rushing attempts on the day.
It led Packers head coach Mike McCarthy to bench Mays due to a lack of confidence, which further stifled an already imploding offensive attack.
The Packers hadn’t been shut out since Nov. 19, 2006, when the New England Patriots KO’d both their starter (Brett Favre, elbow) and backup (Aaron Rodgers, ankle) in a 35-0 rout.
Hundley finished 21 of 36 for 239 yards, no touchdowns, three interceptions and a quarterback rating of 43.6. He was sacked six times and harassed constantly.
His inexperience showed in a variety of ways.
He retreated to nowhere in the face of a pass rush, yielding ground like a player down to his final dice roll in Risk.
He took sacks instead of throwing the football away. It was especially true on a busted screen play that he refused to recognize was, well, busted.
McCarthy declared his belief in Hundley after the game. He also said he is sticking with his third-year quarterback going forward.
I take that to mean going forward as in next week’s game. As far as going forward on the field with an emaciated offense?
Good luck with that.
Davante Adams continued to shine on an otherwise drab offensive day. He hauled in eight passes for 126 yards, including a sweet 33-yard catch. Jamaal Williams added four catches for 38 yards, but Randall Cobb and Jordy Nelson combined for just five catches and 58 yards.
Adams was asked if the Packers’ offense is in panic mode.
“We’re not in panic mode, everything is still in front of us,” Adams said. “We’ve got to get a grip of it real quick here. Otherwise, we will be in panic mode.”
Clearly, he didn’t rule out the possibility of more trouble ahead.
Meantime, Joe Flacco and the Ravens’ offense managed to do enough to get the win.
Flacco hit 22 of 28 passes for 183 yards and an interception. He posted a 90.9 quarterback rating highlighted by a 21-yard touchdown throw to Mike Wallace.
It came on the Ravens’ opening drive of the second half and gave Baltimore what seemed like an insurmountable 13-0 lead.
The Ravens finished with six sacks, five turnovers and hope.
“Defense, obviously, was off the charts,” Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said. “That’s about as good as you can play on defense.”
Eric Weddle and Marlon Humphrey also intercepted Hundley, and three Ravens had two sacks each.
“It (don’t) mean anything if we don’t make the playoffs,” pass rusher Terrell Suggs said. “It’s good, but if we don’t get in … you won’t remember them.”
The Packers need to take care of the football.
Otherwise, they don’t have much of a chance given their offensive limitations.
“You have to take care of the football,” McCarthy said. “Offensively that was way too much for us to overcome.”
 

By Chris Havel
Special to Event USA
GREEN BAY, Wis. – Aaron Rodgers smiled.

Green Bay’s defense rocks Bears’ RBs; Hundley delivers in biggest moments

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This time, it wasn’t triggered by anything the virtuoso did, but rather by what he saw his protégé deliver: A victory.
The pass had scarcely reached Davante Adams’ outstretched hands when a TV camera panned the Packers’ bench. It caught Rodgers’ grin and knowing nod, as if to say, “Told you so.”
Brett Hundley’s 19-yard touchdown pass to Adams with 5:29 to play was the difference in Green Bay’s 23-16 victory over the Bears Sunday at Chicago’s Soldier Field.
It capped an 8-play, 75-yard response after the Bears closed to 16-13 on a Mitchell Trubisky-to-Joshua Bellamy 46-yard touchdown pass earlier in the fourth quarter.
It was Hundley making the big throw at the critical moment and nailing it. The back-shoulder fade route to Adams was a Rodgers’ staple. It seems Hundley has been paying attention.
The look of satisfaction was evident in Rodgers, his teammates and the coaches.
“I thought Brett Hundley played his best game of the year,” Packers head coach Mike McCarty said. “Just (the way he was) handling the different situations, particularly the high pressure there in the fourth quarter.”
Hundley proved the Packers could win without Rodgers. The margin for error is slimmer, but it is still possible.
Last week, it seemed as if a majority of media and fans were quick to criticize Hundley, McCarthy, the scouts and the medical staff.
Perhaps Sunday’s solid showing will shake some sense into the outrageously outraged among us.
Hundley completed 18 of 25 passes for 212 yards, a touchdown and no interceptions in his third NFL start. His confidence and quarterback rating (110.8) both soared.
He took command in the huddle and it showed in the results.
Hundley was asked what led him to be more “take charge” he said, “Just myself … that’s all I can be, that’s all I ever will be and you know I love the guys, I have a lot of respect for them and we just got out there and did our thing. We detailed our work a lot this week and it paid off.”
Hundley also had to deal with a hamstring injury. He was noticeably slow on a second half scramble.
“That’s probably the slowest I’ve ever run in a game,” Hundley said.
Still, he had enough in his arm and legs to beat the Bears (3-6) while outplaying Trubisky.
The Bears’ first-round draft pick completed 21 of 35 passes for 297 yards and a touchdown. His quarterback rating of 97.0 was strong, but Hundley played him to at least a draw.
Most everywhere else, including defense, the Packers were better.
Mike Daniels apparently decided to play a better game than he talked this week. He racked up five tackles and a sack without making a single boneheaded penalty.
With Daniels, the question isn’t whether he can do it. It’s will he without allowing a lack of discipline to derail him?
Davon House had a team-high eight tackles with a sack and two tackles for loss. Nick Perry registered three sacks and appeared to be quicker than in recent weeks.
The Packers’ injury situation remains a problem.
Aaron Jones attempted just three carries for 12 yards before being carted off with an apparent knee injury. Ty Montgomery stepped up to bolt for a 37-yard touchdown early in the second quarter, but shortly thereafter was out with a rib injury.
That left rookie Jamaal Williams to carry the load.
Williams delivered with 20 carries for a workmanlike 67 yards. His 3.3 yards per carry average wasn’t special. What was impressive is that the Bears’ defense knew he was going to run the football and he still pounded out first downs. His long run of the game was just 7 yards, but he was consistent.
The Packers also had no turnovers, only five penalties for 35 yards and they outrushed the Bears 160 to 55.
The Packers (5-4) kept pace with the Vikings (7-2) and Lions (5-4) as all three NFC North teams won Sunday.
Next up for the Packers is the Baltimore Ravens and a chance to get a home victory and a two-game winning streak.
That seems possible thanks to Sunday’s win and a performance by Hundley good enough to make Aaron Rodgers smile.
 

By Chris Havel
Special to Event USA
GREEN BAY, Wis. – For all that comes with losing Aaron Rodgers for an extended time, the Packers’ goal remains in play: They are 1 ½ games behind Minnesota (6-2) for the NFC North Division lead with nine games to play.

Ready or not – and I think he’s ready – Brett Hundley’s time is now for Packers

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They can still capture the NFC North title.
The most important game is tonight’s against Detroit.
Whatever this Monday Night Football match-up lacks in star power with Rodgers’ absence, it makes up for in importance.
Whoever wins tonight’s 7:30 game at Lambeau Field immediately positions itself as the Vikings’ top challenger.
The Packers (4-3) and the Lions (3-4) may be perceived as teams going in different directions. Yes, Detroit lost in disappointing fashion at home against Pittsburgh, but the Lions do have the most accomplished quarterback in the division.
They also have lost three straight games.
Do the Lions lose a fourth? Few teams reach the NFL’s postseason with a four-game losing streak on their resume.
The Packers are home underdogs not merely because of Rodgers’ absence. It is also due to Matthew Stafford’s presence. Stafford drove the Lions’ offense up and down Ford Field against the Steelers’ defense last Sunday night, but it fizzled horribly in the red zone, going 0-for-5 in a 20-15 loss.
The Packers’ defense can’t count on its bend-but-don’t-break mentality against the Lions. Just because it worked for Pittsburgh doesn’t mean the Packers will do likewise.
The Lions’ defense also is better than advertised, especially with its ability to force turnovers thanks in large degree to a hard-hitting secondary.
So what are the Packers to do?
** Clay Matthews has to be moved to middle linebacker if not full-time at least on what appear to be passing situations. Matthews has proven he can generate pass rush from the inside. It also allows the Packers to utilize young pass rushers such as Kyler Fackrell and perhaps Vince Biegel.
Any help in the pass rush would be greatly welcomed.
Perhaps Biegel can do just that.
** Morgan Burnett seems to be overlooked until he’s injured. Then the back of defensive coordinator Dom Capers’ unit seems to fall apart.
Ha Ha Clinton-Dix has either been lost without Burnett or dealing with injuries. Between the bye and Burnett’s return it’s likely that Clinton-Dix’s game should be on the rise.
** Kenny Clark, Dean Lowry, Mike Daniels and Quinton Dial have been very good. Capers must rely on his defensive front more than he has in the past. Sometimes too many sub-packages cause defensive linemen to lose rhythm.
That Packers’ defensive line group needs to be cut loose.
It will be interesting to see what Montravius Adams, the Packers’ third-round pick from Auburn, brings to the party.
Adams is an imposing specimen who looks entirely different in former Packers player B.J. Raji’s jersey number 90.
Adams and Biegel give the Packers not one but two new options in the pass rush. They also come from different angles – Adams inside and Biegel outside.
** Aaron Jones should be the running back on early downs and downs that aren’t obvious passing situations. Ty Montgomery should be the running back on obvious passing downs.
There, that’s not too complicated.
** The Packers will be better offensively merely because of the line’s presumed return to health. This unit absorbed an obscene number of injuries. At some point it’s not an excuse, it’s just the fact.
Brett Hundley will benefit the most.
Once he gets comfortable he’ll be playing better than the naysayers suspect. He’s worked too long, and too hard, to let this opportunity slip through his fingers.
Hundley’s early adversity isn’t without reasons.
The prospects in Minnesota were ugly before he stepped into the huddle. Losing Rodgers took the wind out of the Packers’ sails. The Vikings’ strong defense drowned them.
Hundley will benefit from the bye week and the full week of practice. There should be better communication between McCarthy and Hundley, and a more obvious game plan should present itself against the Lions.
Hundley needs to relax and let the game come to him.
He also needs to trust in his teammates as much as he trusts in himself and his coaches.
That takes time to develop. Playing in live action hastens it.
** The Packers need to grab hold of reachable, attainable goals.
A victory against the Lions, a division opponent with a top-level quarterback and title aspirations, would be a great start.
The margin for error is a lot slimmer without Rodgers.
That doesn’t mean it’s impossible to win. The Packers have too much invested in their 53-man roster – not 52-man roster – to toss it in with nine games to go.
There was a time not so long ago when the Packers’ 4-3 win-loss record to start a season and MNF match-up against Detroit would be considered a tremendous opportunity.
That hasn’t changed.
This game is going to come down to a Mason Crosby field goal attempt. If he drills it, Packers win, 23-21. Otherwise it’ll be a “close-but-not-quite” narrow loss, with scant room for “moral victories” and the like.
My prediction: It’s up, and it’s good …
 

By Chris Havel
Special to Event USA
GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Packers’ greatest challenge coming out of the bye week is simple: Next series up.

Aaron Rodgers-centric team must change from “pass first” to “1st down” first

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The Packers (4-3) should look no further than the first down stick to see their future. That goes for the offense and the defense in a season that has been turned upside down by injuries, culminating with Aaron Rodgers’ broken collarbone.
All of the preconceived goals: The NFC North Division title, a first-round bye and a spot in the NFC Divisional playoffs, with a rematch vs. Atlanta – or whomever – the NFC Championship.
The time for resetting the bar is past.
That was one of the purposes of the bye week.
Now it’s time to determine how to best proceed.
Here’s a to-do list:
** Aaron Jones must be established as the lead running back. That means he gets 75-percent of the rushing attempts in the foreseeable future.
Where would the Packers be without Jones? My guess is 3-4.
I doubt they defeat the Cowboys in Dallas without Jones’ 100 yards-plus breakout performance. Less time should be spent on how to utilize Ty Montgomery – the unseated incumbent – and more on how to feature perhaps the most explosive weapon in a suddenly depleted arsenal.
Jones should be given every chance to use his running skills to become the preferred way to move the football. Whether head coach Mike McCarthy elects to do that with base personnel – two wide receivers, a tight end, a fullback and Jones – or some other variation is up to him.
What matters is that Jones’ success becomes a team goal. When he plays well, the Packers have a chance to compete.
Montgomery’s reduced role seems clear: He is the back who spells Jones in the first three quarters, enters the game to attack a specific favorable match-up, and is used to run the clock with a lead in the final six minutes of a game.
The sooner that happens the better it is for the team.
** Clay Matthews should be moved to inside linebacker. Pair him next to Blake Martinez, rather than opposite Nick Perry, and the linebackers become more explosive and dangerous.
Is there a better chance to get to the opposing quarterback with Jake Ryan or Kyler Fackrell/Vince Biegel on the field? The answer is obvious, but only if Fackrell develops or Biegel emerges as a legitimate pass-rush threat.
Ahmad Brooks’ comeback from concussion and back problems is significant. Brooks is a proven pass rusher and Matthews’ move to the middle also could pave a way for him to play more.
Either way, the Packers’ defense is better with Matthews in the middle, especially with Martinez’s development. Suddenly, what not so long ago was a weakness isn’t anymore.
** The double-tight end formation needs to become a staple. That is unless McCarthy elects to go with more triple-tight end formations.
Either way, the lame-duck Martellus Bennett, the under-used Lance Kendricks and the afterthought Richard Rodgers need to be on the field more.
That should be obvious to everyone from Brett Hundley, who benefits by their presense, to the running backs and the offensive line, who do likewise.
Does the offense still run through the receivers? Yes.
The difference is that the running game and short- to intermediate passing game must set up the perimeter passing attack. It’s going to be Jones, Montgomery, Bennett, Kendricks and co. who must light the fuse for Jordy Nelson, Davante Adams and Randall Cobb.
** Brett Hundley needs to take Rodgers’ advice and R-E-L-A-X. It’s easier said than done, but Hundley’s advantage is that he’s been here for three-plus seasons. If McCarthy didn’t believe in him by now, he’d have been long gone.
He’s diminishing his edge if he acts like it’s his first day on the job. This isn’t about replacing Rodgers – which is impossible – it’s about giving the other 52 players a chance to compete.
If he does that more often than not, the Packers will win games and Rodgers’ return will be relevant.

By Chris Havel
Special to Event USA
GREEN BAY, Wis. – In the NFL, the “bend-but-don’t-break” philosophy is a risky way of doing business.

Saints, Brees shake off sluggish start as New Orleans scores 26-17 victory

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Sooner or later something’s got to give.
Last week it was Aaron Rodgers’ right collarbone. This week it was the Green Bay defense.
The Packers’ 26-17 loss to New Orleans on an overcast Sunday at Lambeau Field was particularly discouraging.
When your rookie running back dashes 46 yards for an opening-drive touchdown run, and your defense snags not one but two errant passes from a future Hall of Fame quarterback that represents a tremendous chance to win.
When opportunity knocked, the Packers didn’t answer.
Brett Hundley and the offense couldn’t build on a fourth quarter lead, and the defense couldn’t protect it.
Life used to be so much simpler.
If Green Bay needed a late rally Rodgers and friends were apt to pull them out of the fire. Rodgers would run for a first down and connect with Jordy Nelson for another. Then, he’d launch a bullet to Davante Adams for the game-winner.
Everybody went home happy.
Against the Saints, the back-up quarterback and the defense were asked to do the heavy lifting. What they got was a hernia. While not entirely debilitating it was incredibly aggravating.
The Packers didn’t fail miserably, to be sure, but they failed nonetheless.
Packers head coach Mike McCarthy accepted the blame.
Apparently having “the best Wednesday practice” of the season doesn’t always translate into a win on Sunday.
McCarthy’s willingness to take the heat was an attempt to support Hundley by saying, “If I would’ve done my job, our quarterback could’ve done his.”
I couldn’t agree more.
McCarthy could’ve stuck with Aaron Jones and the running game, or he could’ve taken more deep shots, or he could’ve tried some shenanigans such as a trick play to jump-start his team.
He did none of those things.
The game’s defining drive occurred late in the third quarter and spilled into the fourth.
The Packers drove the football to the New Orleans’ 28-yard line. They had done so by running the football effectively, something they hadn’t done through the air.

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Sooner or later something’s got to give.
On first down, Hundley directed a pass in Ty Montgomery’s direction, but couldn’t connect. On second down, Montgomery took a handoff, lowered his helmet and gained zero yards.
On third down, Hundley attempted a pass to Adams that fell harmlessly incomplete.
Mason Crosby trotted onto the field and connected for a 46-yard field goal to put the Packers up 17-16 with 14:50 to play.
After that it was all New Orleans.
Drew Brees led the Saints to 10 points to close out the game.
Brees hit on 27 of 38 passes for 331 yards and the 500th touchdown pass of his illustrious career. His 84.4 quarterback rating was approximately double Hundley’s 39.9 mark.
The Packers managed to sack Brees once all day. They successfully defended just three of his 38 pass attempts, with two of those being interceptions. Other than the early turnovers they forced, the Packers’ defense offered minimal resistance.
Blake Martinez flew around for 16 tackles and Ha Ha Clinton-Dix added eight. It was likely good enough to KO a fair amount of NFL offenses, but not nearly good enough against the Saints.
The discouraging part is that it could’ve been.
Jones rushed 17 times for 131 yards and the touchdown. Montgomery managed just six yards in four carries.
So why was Montgomery on the field during the key drive?
Hundley completed just 12 of 25 passes for 87 yards and an interception. He was pressured constantly but sacked just once. He failed to push the ball downfield on numerous plays.
So why was Hundley passing on two of three downs with a chance to put the Packers up 21-16?
The Packers’ vaunted receiving corps combined for six catches and 54 yards on 15 targets. That’s not good enough to win in college, let alone the NFL.
Montgomery caught one pass for 9 yards on just two targets. Why wouldn’t McCarthy throw it more to Montgomery, especially when that’s the former receiver’s best skill?
Meantime, the Saints’ Ted Ginn Jr. hauled in seven receptions for 141 yards on seven targets. Running back Alvin Kamara caught five for 50 while his backfield mate, Mark Ingram, punished the Packers’ defense throughout.
Now, the Packers (4-3) have a bye week to figure out how best to proceed.
They still have everything in front of them: A possible NFC North title or perhaps a wild-card berth if they can figure it out soon enough to stay competitive in a wide-open NFC.
If they can’t I’ll make this prediction: It’s going to be an especially long, cold winter in Green Bay.