The
Green Bay Packers entered Monday Night Football this
week with a record of 2-2-1, both
needing
and expecting a win against the hapless San Francisco 49ers. San Francisco came
to Lambeau Field with a 1-4 record, and starting a backup quarterback that will
take the helm for the rest of the season. What unfolded over the first 57 minutes
of that game was a nightmare for the Packers and their fans. The 49ers could
not have played a better game. C.J. Beathard, finished the night 16 of 23 for
245 yards and two touchdowns.
Granted,
they turned the ball over twice in that game but that led to only six points for
the Packers. With 2:59 to go in the fourth quarter, the 49ers held a 30-23 lead
at Lambeau Field. The Packers got the ball back, going up against a 49ers team
that had played their best game of the season, and then
Aaron Rodgers ruined
their evening.
Rodgers began that drive by going deep to Davante Adams. By
the end of the catch and run Adams had picked up 38 yards, putting the team on
the 20 yard line. Just after a four-yard completion to Jimmy Graham, the
Packers were facing third and six, following the two-minute warning.
Aaron Rodgers threw yet another perfectly placed pass to
Devante Adams in the end zone, tying the score after the extra point. Greg
Mabin’s coverage of Davante Adams on that touchdown play is exactly how you
teach kids in pee wee football how to cover a pass catcher. It was textbook
coverage, and Mabin couldn’t have done anything more, or anything else to stop
that ball from sailing into Adam’s hands.
Now, it was time for that defense, which had been getting
torched all night, to come up with a stop. It didn’t start out well. Following
the late hit on the kickoff return, the 49ers were set up near midfield. Two
plays later they were in a third down and three when Beathard dropped back to
pass, going deep for the game-winner. On
this play Kevin King had perfect coverage, turned around just in time, and
picked the ball off with 1:07 to go. Needing just three for the win, Rodgers
now had a chance to ruin the 49ers dream night, and be the hero once again for
the Packers.
The drive didn’t start out well. On third and 17, Rodgers
dropped back to pass and was sacked yet
again, forcing a fourth down. An illegal contact penalty on Richard Sherman gave
Aaron Rodgers one more chance. That is about the worst thing that can happen to
a Packers opponent these days. On the next play
Rodgers dropped back to pass, saw the wide open space in front of him and
peeled off 21 yards on a busted play. After a spike of the ball, the Packers were on their 46 with 19
seconds left. The next three plays by the Packers were absolute perfection. 8
yards down the left sideline to Davante Adams and out of bounds to stop the
clock. 19 yards down the right sideline to of all people, a rookie, Eq. St.
Brown, for a first down, an once again, out of bounds to stop the clock. After
a quick snap and throw over Adams head to make sure there would be no time left
after the field goal, Mason Crosby came on and put the game-winner through the uprights. You could not have written at a
better script than that.
Yes, they barely beat a team they should have blown out. But
at the same time, based on how this game unfolded, they should have lost. This
is a bottom line league, and a win is a win, regardless of how it looks. They
do have issues to fix during the bye. Let’s line them up below.
1) First and foremost, Mike Pettine has to find a pass rush
without an all-out blitz. Somebody somewhere on their depth chart at either defensive end
or outside linebacker has got to start getting to the quarterback without a
blitz.
2) Mike Pettine also needs to get this secondary organized.
The talent is there, but they are disorganized at the back end.
3) The friction between
Aaron Rodgers and Mike McCarthy has
got to stop. Between now and the end of this season they need to make peace and
lead this team to victory.
4) They need to get a running game going.
They have three good running backs, and they
need to give them the ball more, specifically Aaron Jones.
After their bye, the
Packers begin the “gauntlet” part of their
schedule, four road games in five weeks against the Rams, Patriots, Seahawks,
and Vikings. We are about to find out who these Packers really are.