More On The Shutout Against The Lions

by Brandon on Oct 20, 2009 12:00 PM CDT in News Comment 12 comments

Green Bay's Clay Matthews, top, sacks Detroit Lions' Dante Culpepper during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps)

3 months ago: Green Bay's Clay Matthews, top, sacks Detroit Lions' Dante Culpepper during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps)

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Please tell me that LB Clay Matthews is never coming off field again. From the Press-Gazette:

Matthews played every snap at right outside linebacker for the first time on Sunday and turned in a performance worthy of a player taken 26th overall in the draft.

Yes! Every time I saw LB Brady Poppinga playing at right OLB I wondered why. I didn't notice him on Sunday, except on special teams, but I wasn't exactly taking a roster count on every play either. Big thanks to Rob Demovsky for confirming it. Not that I think Matthews was personally responsible for the shutout, but he's clearly outplayed Poppinga.

Also ILB Nick Barnett played on every defensive snap, to the detriment of ILB A.J. Hawk. But that might be a good thing. From the Press-Gazette:

On the 19-yarder in the second quarter, FB Jerome Felton’s lead block picked off buck ILB A.J. Hawk too easily and several players made technique errors against the draw...

With Capers employing a nickel defense on 39 of 48 snaps (81.3 percent) against Scott Linehan’s three-wide offense, Hawk played only nine snaps and didn’t register a tackle.

I earlier blamed Matthews for the penalty that brought back the opening 99 yard TD return, but apparently G Evan Dietrich-Smith really was to blame. From the Press-Gazette:

Rookie OL Evan Dietrich-Smith might have gotten away grabbing around DE Copeland Bryan’s left shoulder, but officials had no choice but to wipe away WR Jordy Nelson’s 99-yard TD on the opening kickoff once Dietrich-Smith threw Bryan to the ground.

I like FB John Kuhn, but I don't think he's a good lead blocker. They were better last season when FB Korey Hall started. As the running game is struggling again this season, lots of fingers are being pointed, and it's time to point them at Kuhn. Remember when the Packers started getting some good running plays in the 4th quarter? From the Press-Gazette:

FB Quinn Johnson punctuated his NFL debut with a devastating pancake block on one running play and a decent lead on RB Ryan Grant’s 22-yard gain in the fourth quarter...

With Johnson on the field, the Packers ran 17 times for 72 yards (4.2 average), compared to 10 for 24 (2.4) without him.

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Comments

I knew it

Q is a beast, without stats I guessed Q was in the entire 4th quarter when Grant had 70% of his yards.

Just power run with that dude. Lombardi style. Set up 4 or 5 run plays that we PERFECT and run them over and over behind Q. Our O-Line needs some confidence, and simplifying plays helps.

Brady has handled the Matthews scenario extremely well, great teammate. Even confirmed that Matthews should start ahead of him. He is right and a class act.

As many have said, Hawk is done. Get Bishop in the base defense, rotate Chillar.

by Acme on Oct 20, 2009 12:43 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I'm right there with you...

…if you check the thread leading up to this game, you’d know that I was super excited about Quinn getting some game time. Sutton looked sharp in the preseason, but Quinn was blowing open the running lanes for the kid.

I’m not sure if Hawk is done, I’d love to see the coaches give him a shot at OLB. Maybe he can contribute more there. With Kampman in his contract year, it wouldn’t hurt to look at Hawk on the outside.

by StephanL on Oct 20, 2009 4:24 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Bishop

I think next year you’ll see Bishop starting… Chillar is a FA, and I am not sure he will be back. He wants to start and hasnt been given a chance to start here, like Bishop. Bishop will still be here next year or be a RFA, so he’ll come alot cheaper too. Chillar has been a good player for us, but I don’t think we can guarentee him a starting job like he wants. Bishop is a little unhappy right now, but is a TEAM player, so won’t say anything to make waves. He will get his shot next year for sure!!! He just needs to be assignment sure then he’ll be the beast we all think he can be.

by Strohman on Oct 20, 2009 1:24 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Hawk & Kampman

I believe that both are just struggling with the 3-4 defense. I think the comment is correct in moving Hawk back to OLB and Kampman to a down lineman. Everybody always said he was too small but yet is one of the leaders in sacks over the last cople of years. And Hawk was talked about a great deal when he played OLB. Bishop sometimes seems to play out of control but I believe the Packers could use that as an advantage especially on blitz formations.

by Ding57 on Oct 20, 2009 5:08 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Anyone read that load of dreck by Dahlberg?

I just read this load of crap written by Tim(?) Dahlberg of the AP about what should happen when Favre comes to Lambeau. He says we should give him a standing “O”! What a load of crap!! Is this guy based in Minnesota or what. I like the big “4” waffle. I also saw on Cheesehead TV a suggestion of complete silence. I don’t know how many Viqueer fans would be in the stands but if there aren’t very many and Favre came out and didn’t hear anything, I think that would be awesome. Not a peep. Maybe we could hand out flyers at the gates to be totally silent, and whatever music get’s played when the opposing team comes out, cut that off too. I hope the put Aaron Kampman in a 3 point stance, and I hope AJ Hawk breaks Favre’s leg in 3 places! I hate the Viqueers and that idiot defensive lineman that ran wild over Colledge; if he was on fire, I wouldn’t cross the street to piss on him to put it out!

by biggun33 on Oct 20, 2009 5:24 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Not to worry

take a kid fishing, it's good for the soul. not only yours, but the child's as well !

by whanabarf on Oct 20, 2009 6:15 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

you couldn’t piss that high anyway

take a kid fishing, it's good for the soul. not only yours, but the child's as well !

by whanabarf on Oct 20, 2009 6:16 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

i'll be the first

troll/insult FAIL

by PackaCracka on Oct 20, 2009 7:15 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I have seen the "total silence" articles before,

But I don’t think they are going to work. It seems too many people are angry at what he did (look at me, I call him “The Traitor”).

My guess is Packers fans are going to boo him as loud as they can, even if they are told to be silent. And I think this would be due to the “anger” factor.

What do you think will happen?

Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy, and taste good with ketchup!

by Vermont Cubs Fan on Oct 20, 2009 7:59 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs