You know what I hate more than a loss? A win that feels like a loss. Winning doesn’t come easy in the NFL and so expecting anything more than a victory when your team takes the field is setting yourself up for disappointment. I didn’t expect the Packers to cover the spread…and they didn’t. They did win though. They did lead through most of the game as well…and that’s with the offense playing poorly. Heck that’s even with a third of our starters on offense AND defense out. That’s nothing to overlook when facing another NFL team.
When that sort of thing happens you know there are a few good performances to write about. With that in mind I bring you this week’s nominees for MVP of the Week.
LB Brad Jones. Jones was a write in candidate for Dud of the Week last week, well something tells me I won’t get too many write-ins for him this week. Jones had a very strong first half getting a sack and forcing a game changing fumble. He was also solid in coverage once again this week. He was also stronger than A.J. Hawk was in the running game. In the end he had 10 tackles 7 solo and one for a loss. Could have had more for losses, but overall a very good day for this third string ILB.
S Morgan Burnett. I’ve been down on Burnett, but I also hoped that he would step up with Charles Woodson out. I think he did. First things first, there weren’t any major breakdowns in coverage and that I credit to Burnett. It’s also impressive considering how many first and second year players (with minimal experience) were out there. Then you have Burnett’s ability to blitz. Haven’t seen that before but it was actually pretty good. He still struggled a bit in coverage for my taste, but all in all one of the better performances of the day. If he can continue this kind of performance he could actually put together a very solid year.
WR James Jones. Jones led the team in receptions today and yards. He also had the longest play of the game for the Packers with a 31 yard strike. More striking to me was that the offense just seemed to move better when Jones was targeted than anyone else. Jones isn’t a #1 receiver, but he is productive….better than that though is the fact that he has found some consistency.
CB Davon House. Nothing too much to write about for his coverage abilities. He gave up some catches and prevented some too. He’s still looking reliable enough as a cornerback and should develop into a pleasant find for the Packers. What lands him here is his special teams play. Blocking that punt changed the game and allowed the Packers to carry the lead for most of the game.