Packers vs Eagles: Nov 10

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Chicago defeats Green Bay 27-20 in ‘Battle of Backups’ at Lambeau Field; Rodgers reportedly out three weeks
By CHRIS HAVEL
By the end of the first quarter, Seneca Wallace had Green Bay Packers fans longing for Aaron Rodgers. By the end of the game, Josh McCoun had them longing for Jay Cutler. McCoun, starting in place of the injured Cutler, played the game of his NFL life while leading the Chicago Bears to a 27-20 upset of the Packers on Monday Night Football at Lambeau Field.
On a night when Green Bay’s special teams were truly special, the Packers’ offense was awful and the defense was worse.
At least the offense had an excuse. Rodgers injured his left shoulder during a Shea McClellin sack on the final play of the opening drive. Rodgers reportedly fractured his left clavicle and could miss at least three weeks.
The Bears and first-year head coach Marc Trestman seized their chance. Matt Forte blasted away 24 times for 125 yards and a touchdown while McCoun hit 22 of 41 passes for 272 yards and two touchdowns. The Bears racked up 442 yards in total offense, the most in team history during a victory at Lambeau Field.
“It’d be hard to find a better one than this,” McCoun told reporters afterward. “They’re all special, but this is really neat because it means so much to our team.”
The Bears’ win creates a three-way tie atop the NFC North with Chicago, Detroit and Green Bay all 5-3 at the season’s midpoint. Rodgers’ injury increases the Packers’ challenge in a tight race. Wallace, playing smaller than his 5-foot-11, 205-pound frame, looked like a quarterback who hadn’t taken an NFL snap in two seasons. He completed an ineffectual 11 of 19 passes for 114 yards and an interception. Not even Eddie Lacy’s career night could offset that dismal display. Lacy finished with 150 yards on 22 carries and a touchdown.
Lacy’s 56-yard jaunt to the Bears’ 1-yard line was electric, and James Starks’ 32-yard touchdown run was explosive. It wasn’t enough. Wallace’s rusty right arm posed more of a threat to the Packers’ passing game than the Bears’ secondary. Afterward, Packers head coach Mike McCarthy acknowledged Wallace’s play must improve and predicted it would with a week of practice.
McCarthy got it half-right. Wallace must improve, but I doubt it. If Rodgers’ right arm is a cannon, Wallace’s is a pop-gun. If the Packers are going to survive without Rodgers, their special teams needs to build on its big night (an onside kick recovery, a blocked punt and suffocating coverage) and its defense needs to step up. Rodgers, the NFL’s MVP in 2011, hasn’t missed a game due to injury since Dec. 19, 2010. That streak will end Sunday against Philadelphia at Lambeau Field.
“Aaron’s a huge part of our offense,” McCarthy told reporters. “This is a thing that’s been built over time with Aaron as the centerpiece. I don’t think it’s realistic to put anyone in there and expect him to perform (like Rodgers).”
No one expected Wallace to perform like Rodgers. However, he is expected to play like a competent backup. He didn’t by a long shot. Obviously, the Packers must sign a quarterback either to compete with or back up Wallace. They also must find ways to win without their quarterback virtuoso.
When Rodgers scrambled for 9 yards and took a hit on the game’s first play I thought, “OK, now he’ll be a bit more careful.” When right tackle Don Barclay didn’t sustain his block on McClellin and Rodgers held onto the football too long it contributed to the Packers’ dread “worst case scenario.”
While McCarthy figures out how best to proceed without Rodgers, here are several big-picture suggestions moving forward:

1. Draft a quarterback with talent in the early to mid-rounds once every three or four years. San Francisco did it with Colin Kaepernick, Seattle did it with Russell Wilson and New England did it with Ryan Mallett. Kaepernick and Wilson have since become upper-echelon starters, and Mallett has proven to be more than adequate in Tom Brady’s absence.
2. Develop that guy and prepare him to play within the system, rather than sign a veteran retread in free agency. Praying that Rodgers doesn’t get injured isn’t enough.
3. Don’t answer the phone if it’s a Hattiesburg, Mississippi, number.

Here’s the good news:

1. Rodgers’ injury isn’t season-ending and the season is far from over.
2. The Packers’ running game – much like the Bears’ with Forte – is good enough to win so long as the backup QB is at least competent.
3. The special teams’ play is improving each week, and the defense can only get better when Clay Matthews and Co. return.

Furthermore, the Packers are still in first place. It just doesn’t feel like it.

Packers vs Bears: Nov 4

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Green Bay rolls past Minnesota 44-31 while controlling clock, inept Vikings
By CHRIS HAVEL
The Green Bay Packers led by three touchdowns with about 10 minutes to play when a TV camera panned the Minnesota Vikings sideline before settling on a tight shot of Adrian Peterson. The Vikings’ running back gazed at the Metrodome scoreboard with a quizzical expression as if to say, “When did the second half start?”
By then it was over.
The rest was just details, including ex-Packers receiver Greg Jennings whispering sweet nothings in Aaron Rodgers’ ear after the game, followed by Jennings’ post-game dodge of the media. Way to stay classy after a forgettable one-catch night. The Packers rolled to a 44-31 victory over Minnesota in dominating fashion Sunday night at Mall of America Field. The Vikings ran just three plays in the third quarter of a disastrous game in which the Vikings’ offense had the football less than 20 minutes and ran 43 plays.
Meantime, Rodgers and the allegedly depleted Packers’ offense kept moving the chains by converting an astounding 13 of 18 third down attempts. Rodgers completed 10 of 10 passes on third down.
“We’ve got a great team, very well-coached,” Rodgers said. “Guys are ready to play. It was loud in here. It was a tough environment, but guys stepped up.”
Clearly, Rodgers didn’t miss Jennings. In fact, he rarely missed any of his current receivers, completing 24 of 29 passes for 285 yards and a pair of touchdowns to Jordy Nelson.
“I wasn’t going to let this team beat us,” Rodgers said. “A lot was on my shoulders.”
With Randall Cobb, James Jones and Jermichael Finley sidelined with injuries, Rodgers turned to Nelson, who had seven catches for 123 yards including a 76-yard touchdown that was a thing of beauty. Rodgers hit Nelson on a skinny post out of the slot. With Vikings’ linebacker Chad Greenway was a half-step too slow Rodgers whistled the ball past Greenway’s ear hole and into Nelson’s soft hands.
“I think this is really shaping up to be one of Aaron’s best years,” Packers head coach Mike McCarthy said. “Aaron’s had a lot of challenges Monday through Saturday that don’t show up on the stat sheet, just trying to get on the same page with younger players and trusting the game plan.”
Rodgers’ leadership is beyond reproach, but that didn’t stop Jennings from being critical of the Packers’ quarterback this offseason. Today, Jennings looks even more foolish than he sounded. He could’ve stayed in Green Bay but he opted for a more lucrative signing bonus in Minnesota. For him to suggest he left merely to open up opportunities for Cobb, Jones and Nelson is ridiculous. Truth be told, Jennings might be the Packers’ No. 4 receiver if he were still in Green Bay.
At any rate, Jennings is yesterday’s news, and as Rodgers has said, the Packers are focused on what’s ahead. The Packers’ run game is hitting its stride. The left side of the line opened running lanes for Eddie Lacy (29 carries for 94 yards) and James Starks (seven for 57). Both backs scored on touchdown runs, with Lacy blasting in from 1 yard out and Starks cruising on a 25-yard burst through the Vikings’ lackluster defense. Vikings’ defense end Jared Allen, who didn’t register a sack against Green Bay’s rookie left tackle, David Bahktiari, sounded disgusted.
“When the heck is the last time the Green Bay Packers rushed for 200 yards on somebody?” he said. “If that’s not a punch in the gut and a wake-up to people, something needs to be.”
The Packers (5-2) continue to hold their place atop the NFC North despite missing seven starters, including three key weapons in the passing game and their top pass rusher, Clay Matthews. No matter against the woeful Vikings (1-6) and Christian Ponder, who was the third different quarterback to start in as many weeks.
Minnesota’s only hurrah was Cordarrelle Patterson’s 109-yard kick return for a touchdown to open the game. Kick and punt coverage continue to be problematic for the Packers, although special teams did rebound with Micah Hyde’s 93-yard punt return for a touchdown.
The Packers have won 15 of 16 games against the NFC North, with Chicago (4-3) up next on Monday Night Football at Lambeau Field. The Packers’ Sunday night victory was the first game in a five-game stretch before Thanksgiving in which Green Bay should be favored every week. After Chicago, they host Philadelphia and travel to New York to play the Giants before coming home against Minnesota.
It is an opportunity the depleted (wink, wink) Packers are eager to tackle.