Offense:
Quarterbacks: B-. After this game, national media and casual fans alike have finally noticed something about which I have skewered Aaron Rodgers all year: holding the ball too long. Against a furious Minnesota pass rush, Rodgers consistently showed why he still has a lot of growing up to do by sitting in the pocket long enough to get through three reads and then take a sack. Quarterbacks have won Super Bowls despite holding the ball too long (see Ben Roethlisberger) but it is not the surest way to the postseason. The Packers could have drawn crucial first blood in this game had it not been for A Rod’s fumble in Minnesota territory on the first drive; the importance of that failure to capitalize cannot be overstated. Rodgers other turnover was equally costly as it came at the Minnesota 23 with the score knotted at 7. Pundits gave Rodgers a lot of credit after this game but he only led the team to one late touchdown and couldn’t convert the subsequent, extremely important two-point conversion. Not the performance I expected from Aaron on such a big stage, even with the unbearable pressure.
Running Backs: C+. What’s it going to take to get Ryan Grant going? Eleven carries? Really? No, he’s not running the ball very well (averaging less than four yards a carry). But he’s been victimized by lack of use and offensive penalties. The coaches should resolve to get him at least one touch every three downs, because god knows if we pass the ball every down it’s only a matter of time before Rodgers goes down and can’t get up. Grant got stronger as this game went on and despite the Vikings vaunted run defense he averaged almost five yards a carry (not to mention he had 50 yards through the air- significant against the Vikings constant pressure). If Brandon Jackson is able to come back after the bye that should take some pressure off Grant, as DeShawn Wynn cannot be counted on two do much more than pick up the blitz. The fullbacks weren’t a factor in this game, unless you count Kuhn’s failure to get into the end zone on the Vikings “goal line stand” (more on that later).
Wide Receivers: C. Oy. The receivers were only responsible for 197 of Rodgers 384 passing yards. Granted Jermichael Finley had a monster game, but that’s no excuse for Greg Jennings failing to show up for the second time in three games. Should be a big moment when Driver breaks the Packers all-time receptions record against Detroit (at home no less) but he would have had it this week had he caught the two incomplete balls thrown to him. So far, the wide receivers have nine drops through four games- a pace that would give the receivers alone more drops this season than everyone on the team had all last year. That cannot continue after the bye and the coaches will hopefully get everyone on the same page.
Tight Ends: B. To paraphrase Charles Dickens, “It was the best of tight ends, it was the worst of tight ends.” First, Jermichael Finley creates a 62-yard catch and run for the Pack’s first score en route to 128 yard receiving game, then Donald Lee drops one of the easiest touchdowns he will ever see on fourth and goal, one that would have brought the Packers within one score late in the 3rd quarter. Fantastic, then pitiful… sounds a lot like the story of the up-and-down season here at the quarter pole. Perhaps this game will signal a fuller shift to Finley as an every-down player, as his capacity for big plays led to 99 of his 128 yards coming on two plays. All I could think of when Lee dropped that ball was what my friend Mano (a hardcore Dolphins fan) had told me when we acquired Lee as a free agent after his stint with Miami: “He’s terrible. Just wait… it’s only a matter of time.”
Offensive Line: F. I’ve decided to discard any grade lower than F for the rest of the season, as there must be an absolute failing grade or I will find a way to give this unit a lower one every week. If you’ll recall, two weeks ago I gave the O-line an “F-” for its performance against the Bengals. This week was even worse than that one, and I now have little faith in this team’s ability to contend for a championship. I do not care that Clifton was out again. I do not care that shifted fill-in LT Darren Colledge was injured during this game. The line needs to perform better or Rodgers will get hurt. Period. I honestly don’t think anyone on the line or on the coaching staff comprehends just how helpless this offense would be without Rodgers. We already have no running game (for which the line should take its share of blame); we cannot afford to lose the passing game as well. The fact that Rodgers was able to throw for almost 400 yards while suffering eight sacks and nine hits is staggering- and might be an indication that he played better than I thought. That being said, there’s no way to adequately evaluate him because of the amount of time he spends on the turf; and Jared Allen or no Jared Allen no offensive line should perform like the Packers’ did on Monday night.
Defense:
Defensive Line: D+. The line did a great job shutting down Adrian Peterson. Just one problem… it forgot about Brett Favre. Either that, or this front three is simply impotent. Cullen Jenkins was injured twice during this game but fought through the pain, and he was rewarded with an absolute stonewalling at the hands of an experienced Vikings offensive line. Guards McKinney and Hutchinson shored up the pocket and gave Favre about 90 seconds to throw on every play. No matter what the scheme, pressure starts up front, and no sacks in this game is unfathomable, especially given the dominance of Minnesota’s front four. The difference in this game was that one defense attacked while the other defended, and the more aggressive team on that side of the ball won.
Linebackers: D. I almost gave this group a failing grade. For a collection of players thought to be the most talented and deepest on the roster, the linebacking corps sure didn’t perform against the Vikings. Clay Matthews’ strip and touchdown notwithstanding, the ’backers were horrible. No sacks, one QB hit (Kampman on Favre- that must have been sweet) and two tackles for a loss. I’m perfectly willing to admit that Derrick Martin’s incompetence in the defensive backfield may have made it easier for Favre to find his receivers downfield, but if the front seven does its job he doesn’t have nearly as many opportunities as he did. The man was nearly 40 years old (and is now) and holds the NFL record for career interceptions… make him run even a little bit and good things are sure to happen.
Cornerbacks: C+. I’m honestly surprised the corners didn’t come away with a pick in this game. I figured Charles Woodson and Al Harris would be gunning for their old teammate’s passes every time the ball left his golden right arm. Maybe they were, but they showed a remarkable reluctance to jump routes or play the ball in the air. Woodson seemingly had an interception in his own endzone on one second quarter throw, but was flagged for pass interference. The call was questionable, to say the least, but even a pick there would not have excused a general ineffectiveness on the part of the cornerbacks. Brett Favre completed over 75% of his passes to eight different receivers. Tramon Williams looked really bad in this game. Though the corners only gave up one of Favre’s touchdowns (Nick Barnett was responsible for the Shiancoe TD and Derrick Martin for Berrian’s) they were abused up and down the field.
Safeties: F. Atari Bigby needs to get healthy. Now. Maybe Bigby really is the Bob Sanders of this defense, as some have suggested. He played in the Bears game (in which the Packers harassed Jay Cutler), got injured, and ever since the defense has looked abominable. Nick Collins still isn’t playing like a man in a contract year, but he shouldn’t have to make up for a complete lack of pressure and an ineffective SS like Derrick Martin. How bad does that Tony Moll trade look now that the offensive line is banged-up and anemic and Derrick Martin got eviscerated in his first start? I don’t care that Moll hasn’t started a game; Ravens GM Ozzie Newsome must feel like he made the deal of the century. And he may have.
Special Teams:
Kicking: B. Mason Crosby made an ultimately unnecessary garbage time field goal and kicked two extra points. Fine by me. I’m less worried about him now that see the team’s other weaknesses are worse than I thought.
Punting: B-. Jeremy Kapinos gave up 43 yards on just two punt returns, but that’s not entirely his fault. He kicked the ball at least 50 yards each time, which is a plus. Again, punting is not the biggest issue on this team- not by a longshot.
Return & Coverage Units: C. Penalties. Penalties, penalties, penalties. Two more holds on kickoff returns this week negated two 26-yard returns by Jordy Nelson. Nelson looks ready to assume return duties with Will Blackmon out, but he can’t be held responsible for poor blocking. In other news, here’s hoping Blackmon gets healthy after his horrific injury, but I’m guessing that this trip to injured reserve will be his last with the Packers. As for coverage, I mentioned the two long punt returns but Harvin was severly limited on kickoffs. On a special teams sidenote, Sidney Rice is much, much better at catching onside kicks than actual passes.
Coaching:
Offense: C. There must be blocking schemes by which Jared Allen can be contained. Max protects, screens, anything to prevent the man from notching 4.5 sacks. The offense now looks timid because of the line’s struggles and once that feeling creeps in it is tough to exorcise. I can’t fault the coaches too much for Lee’s goal line drop or Rodgers failure to throw the gosh darn ball, but I hope they focus on the passing game’s glaring weaknesses during the bye week. Oh, and, again, please give Ryan Grant more touches.
Defense: D. Dom Capers is smart. This is undeniable. So, what explains his inability to crack the Vikings offensive line? He has one of the best pass rushers in the league in Aaron Kampman (even if he is playing out of position and dropping into coverage 1/3rd of the time) and arguably the best corner tandem in the league. This combination should be enough to prevent Favre from amassing a gaudy 135.3 QB rating against his old team but apparently it was not. Let’s hope the game plan doesn’t remain solely “stop Adrian Peterson” on November 1st in Lambeau.
Special Teams: B-. Slocum needs to coach all, and I mean all of the penalties out of his players. The special teams units have yet to give up any game-breaking plays so far this season, but they have yet to consistently prove themselves either. Without the myriad holding calls and other miscues this facet of the Packers could be the team’s best, and that’s all in the coaching.
Overall Grade: C-.
The final score doesn’t adequately describe how unfortunate the Pack’s pregame preparation was for this rivalry to end all rivalries. The offense and defense both played uninspired ball and collapsed after halftime. A win would have given the Packers a tie for first place in the division and set the tone for a no-nonsense campaign the rest of the way. Now the only solace comes in the form of a bye week to get healthy and hopeful cakewalks against the Lions and Browns thereafter. After those two contests, the Packers get another shot to lay into these Vikings and assert authority in the NFC North. In the meantime, copious film study of this game should be required for every team in the league as an example of what not to do when everyone in America is watching.
Thank you for wading through my negative opinions about the most hyped game in recent memory. After the circus packs up its tents and the world goes back to the way it was before the highest-rated cable telecast ever, I invite you to come back for my thoughts on what will hopefully be an easy win over the Lions on October 18th. In the meantime, I encourage every Packer fan out there to enjoy the bye and put this epic failure far from your minds.
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