Preseason Analysis: Packers Defeat Seahawks 27-24

Last week QB Jake Delhomme had a strong TD drive against the Green Bay Packers first-team defense. This week it was QB Matt Hasselbeck who went 11 of 15 for 127 yards and 1 TD. However it wasn't actually their first-team defense since CB Charles Woodson, LB Clay Matthews, and LB Nick Barnett were held out. The only starting linebacker was LB Brandon Chillar, and he really LB Brad Jones should be starting. 

On offense, it's amazing what a difference it makes having both LT Chad Clifton and RT Mark Tauscher back, plus LT Bryan Bulaga rotating at left guard with LG Daryn Colledge. QB Aaron Rodgers could have finished reading a book he had so much time to throw. Rodgers and the first-team offense was in for two possessions, and made it look easy as they marched down the field for two touchdowns. It doesn't mean it will be that easy during the regular season.

I wasn't able to watch the entire game yet, I missed most of the 2nd quarter including the play that got S Derrick Martin ejected, but here's a look at some of the players I noticed on Saturday night:

The Good

TE Jermichael Finley. Every pass he caught went for a 1st down or scored a TD. Rodgers was great again at getting him the ball.

CB Sam Shields. He botched another kick return and this time it was recovered by Seattle. His bad hands as a returner is really clouding his otherwise solid game. I saw him get lost in coverage on at least one play, but he had an INT and made a huge hit on punt coverage. He's up in The Good section because I'm hoping this finally convinced them to take him out as a returner and he can focus on the stuff he's doing well.

LB Frank Zombo. He knocked QB Colt McCoy out of the game last week, and registered their lone sack this week. And he made some big hits in the open field and in pursuit. He looked like a starter playing alongside backups.

RB Brandon Jackson. He accounted for almost the entire yardage on the game winning TD drive. He showed some speed, however he got a lot of help from the backup offensive line, which dominated Seattle's second-team defense.

The Ehh...

QB Matt Flynn. He can hold the ball too long, and he was late on a few throws in addition to taking a couple sacks. However the backup receivers he was throwing to didn't seem to offer much assistance. The offense was able to move the ball with him under center, and during the 2nd quarter he appeared to do it against Seattle's first-team defense. He looks good, for a backup.

S Morgan Burnett and CB Brandon Underwood. I'm lumping them in the same catagory as two players who haven't impressed yet. Both show potential, but are better suited for the bench, at this point. 

Chillar. He's playing outside LB and showing zero pass rush skills. On Hasselbeck's TD pass, Chillar started over the left tackle, but was shoved inside which gave Hasselbeck the room to roll to his left and find WR Deion Branch in that corner of the end zone. Can't he go back to inside LB?

S Will Blackmon and CB Pat Lee. They weren't disastrous but they each took some bad angles in run support and pass coverage. 

The Bad

CB Jarrett Bush. Wow. I'm not sure that I adequately kept track of all the times he messed up with penalties and blown coverage. I doubt he has many fans here, but this game was so bad that it might have been his low point.

The special teams on punt returns and kick returns. Bad once again. As far as the punters go, the Packers only had to punt the ball twice, each player had one attempt, so there wasn't much to see from them.

LT Allen Barbre. He got burned on the sack which led to a fumble. He got beat on at least one more play too. Why did he get moved to left tackle this preseason?

QB Charlie Whitehurst. Considering all the players in the Packers secondary that struggled, for him to 9 of 20 for 73 yards and 1 TD/2 INT is amazingly bad. Only 3.7 yards/attempt? What do the Seahawks see in this guy? Despite the Packers many struggles on Saturday night, Whitehurst was so bad that they managed sneak away with a victory.