Game 1: Packers @ Saints (in Jacksonville) - Sunday, September 12th, 3:25pm

[pacopete4]

Last year the Saints beat the super bowl winning Bucs 38-3 in like week 9.

[SomewhereInTime]

Do you really believe if the starters played a couple quarters of preseason here and there it would have made a difference? Sorry, I don't.

 

I absolutely do. They didn't just sit a couple of veterans all pre-season. It was literally almost every starter and many of the 2nd stringers.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

Rashan Gary has yet to prove he’s worth of the #12 overall pick. Even if he turns out to be a stud by the end of the season, the Packers will have exhausted 3 of his 4 cheap years.

He was one of the guys I actually thought looked good out there. I’ll be interested in see his game score.

He might grade out just fine, but they could have really used a big 3rd (or 4th) down stop from a guy they invested so much in.

 

He seems like a decent guy and his potential is obvious, but when you pick a non-QB with the #12 overall pick, he needs to be an instant starter. I’ve never liked that pick for that reason.

 

LOL Rashan Gary was the LEAST of the team's problems today. This just seems like a sour grapes excuse to rip on a move you didn't like because you are unhappy with the result.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

Terrible game plan and an atrocious performance from Rodgers. That's why they lost. Sure defense wasn't great, but the Saints had short fields all game due to Rodgers' terrible decisions.

 

Really nothing more to it than that.

[Fear The Chorizo]

Terrible game plan and an atrocious performance from Rodgers. That's why they lost. Sure defense wasn't great, but the Saints had short fields all game due to Rodgers' terrible decisions.

 

Really nothing more to it than that.

 

The defense gave up consecutive 15 play td drives in the 1st half to basically play keepaway from Rodgers and also put them in a hole...that hasn't happened in the NFL in like 20 seasons. They set the stage to get away far too soon from the running game, and it looked like passing formations were incredibly vanilla in terms of routes and playcalling because of it - basically the offense looked like a unit that needed alot more reps together going against a defense that played aggressive knowing there was little to no threat of it costing them.

 

Regardless of preseason snaps, they knew their week 1 opponent all offseason long and this was the best they could do in terms of gameplans and playmaking? Embarrassing on all fronts, to be sure.

[nodakfan17]

LOL Rashan Gary was the LEAST of the team's problems today. This just seems like a sour grapes excuse to rip on a move you didn't like because you are unhappy with the result.

You’re right. It probably is. Perhaps I’ve held him to a higher standard the past 2.5 years because I didn’t like the pick. It’s beyond me why you’d hand out a pair of massive FA contracts to edge rushers and then use the #12 pick to draft another edge rusher. Even if he breaks out later this year, they’ll only get him cheap for 1.5 years.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

LOL Rashan Gary was the LEAST of the team's problems today. This just seems like a sour grapes excuse to rip on a move you didn't like because you are unhappy with the result.

You’re right. It probably is. Perhaps I’ve held him to a higher standard the past 2.5 years because I didn’t like the pick. It’s beyond me why you’d hand out a pair of massive FA contracts to edge rushers and then use the #12 pick to draft another edge rusher. Even if he breaks out later this year, they’ll only get him cheap for 1.5 years.

 

You can't have enough good pass rushers in today's NFL.

[pacopete4]

Yes, the depth of a line is sometimes more important than having a stud. Multiple players that can get after the QB is ideal so that you can rotate them through and not notice a drop-off in play. Gary has been trending in the right direction for over a season now. At the end of the day, I don't care where they are selected. We just need to continue to draft and develop good players.

[adambr2]

LOL Rashan Gary was the LEAST of the team's problems today. This just seems like a sour grapes excuse to rip on a move you didn't like because you are unhappy with the result.

You’re right. It probably is. Perhaps I’ve held him to a higher standard the past 2.5 years because I didn’t like the pick. It’s beyond me why you’d hand out a pair of massive FA contracts to edge rushers and then use the #12 pick to draft another edge rusher. Even if he breaks out later this year, they’ll only get him cheap for 1.5 years.

 

You can't have enough good pass rushers in today's NFL.

 

I didn't get the impression that we had any today judging by how clean those pockets were for Jameis.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

 

I didn't get the impression that we had any today judging by how clean those pockets were for Jameis.

 

Gary and Z Smith got some pressure. P Smith was nonexistent.

[sixtolezcano16]

Terrible game plan and an atrocious performance from Rodgers. That's why they lost. Sure defense wasn't great, but the Saints had short fields all game due to Rodgers' terrible decisions.

 

Really nothing more to it than that.

 

Nothing more than that? You must have missed the first half. The defense was horrendous. 7-8 yards on almost every run. Receivers running open in the middle of the field, with our bend and break zone defense. With 2 scoring drives > 7 minutes each, they were the ones who put the offensive in a hole following the first quarter. It didn’t help with a rusty and desperate Rodgers and a weak Offensive line. It was over after the 2 INTs. The defense never seems to improve in any season. Need new scouts or a new GM/ President.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

Terrible game plan and an atrocious performance from Rodgers. That's why they lost. Sure defense wasn't great, but the Saints had short fields all game due to Rodgers' terrible decisions.

 

Really nothing more to it than that.

 

Nothing more than that? You must have missed the first half. The defense was horrendous. 7-8 yards on almost every run. Receivers running open in the middle of the field, with our bend and break zone defense. With 2 scoring drives > 7 minutes each, they were the ones who put the offensive in a hole following the first quarter. It didn’t help with a rusty and desperate Rodgers and a weak Offensive line. It was over after the 2 INTs. The defense never seems to improve in any season. Need new scouts or a new GM/ President.

 

Joe Barry was a curious hire all along, and looks like a terrible one now. Defense looked exactly the same as it did last year. My expectations were very low to begin with I guess.

[PinaMadness]

[yourout]

While I fully expected a slow start and kind of a stinker of a game this wildly exceeded my expectations.

They will get things straightened eventually and baring major injury's will get to the playoffs and then flame out spectacularly with another defensive collapse.

[CheezWizHed]

Do you really believe if the starters played a couple quarters of preseason here and there it would have made a difference? Sorry, I don't.

 

Enough to win the game? Maybe, maybe not. I'd be happy with having it look like the team has actually played together before, is more assignment sure, and quicker to the ball. And yes, I expect getting a few drives in preseason will help do that.

[Fear The Chorizo]

 

I didn't get the impression that we had any today judging by how clean those pockets were for Jameis.

 

Gary and Z Smith got some pressure. P Smith was nonexistent.

 

Its also really tough to get consistent pressure on a qb when they spend the entire game ramming the ball down their throat running it.

 

Saints have a good offensive line and a great running back, so its not like every opponent should be able to dictate the line of scrimmage as much as what we saw in today's game.....but the good running teams are going to be a problem for the Packers until they prove otherwise. Also, they gave up too many qb scramble plays to extend drives.

 

Finally, King cannot be starting on the defense anymore - he is getting picked on constantly. Get Stokes on the field more, can't be worse...

[PinaMadness]

 

I didn't get the impression that we had any today judging by how clean those pockets were for Jameis.

 

Gary and Z Smith got some pressure. P Smith was nonexistent.

 

Its also really tough to get consistent pressure on a qb when they spend the entire game ramming the ball down their throat running it.

 

Saints have a good offensive line and a great running back, so its not like every opponent should be able to dictate the line of scrimmage as much as what we saw in today's game.....but the good running teams are going to be a problem for the Packers until they prove otherwise. Also, they gave up too many qb scramble plays to extend drives.

 

Finally, King cannot be starting on the defense anymore - he is getting picked on constantly. Get Stokes on the field more, can't be worse...

I would rather the rookie get burned like King does just for the learning experience than King himself. He's a lost cause who should've been let go to worsen somebody else's secondary. He's a perfect example of why you don't sign bad players just because you can get them on the cheap.

[superfly]

Never been so motivated. Hungry. One last ride. Etc.

 

Good god.

[LouisEly]

The inner circle HOF franchise icon QB more or less quit on his team before the season even began. This result really shouldn't be surprising looking back in hindsight.

That's what I wondered - if a guy doesn't want to be there, how much effort is he going to put in?

[OldSchoolSnapper]

Some of these takes are most likely going to age very poorly. I can't stand Rodgers, and I think there's a good chance the Packers regress from last season, but there's no chance in hell they're as bad as they looked today. I missed the game, but yikes.

 

For my money, they thought they could sleepwalk through the Saints "backup QB" playing a misplaced home game because they are the mighty Packers with the MVP and lots of shiny offensive weapons. Meanwhile Winston was on a mission to prove he belongs in the league. Atrocious game but probably a badly needed wake-up call to put all this Last Dance nonsense to the side and remember that they're not just handed a seat in the NFCCG.

[SeaBass]

Some of these takes are most likely going to age very poorly. I can't stand Rodgers, and I think there's a good chance the Packers regress from last season, but there's no chance in hell they're as bad as they looked today. I missed the game, but yikes.

 

For my money, they thought they could sleepwalk through the Saints "backup QB" playing a misplaced home game because they are the mighty Packers with the MVP and lots of shiny offensive weapons. Meanwhile Winston was on a mission to prove he belongs in the league. Atrocious game but probably a badly needed wake-up call to put all this Last Dance nonsense to the side and remember that they're not just handed a seat in the NFCCG.

I think you nailed it. If anything probably one of the biggest failures was the offensive line w/o Bakhtiari. Couldn't get the run game going, didn't really pass protect all that great either.

[sveumrules]

Yeah, for as terrible as they looked they are still pretty solid favorites, 538 has NFC North Division Odds after week one at...

 

46% GB | 31% MIN | 18% CHI | 6% DET

 

Football Outsiders preseason odds were...

 

56.0% GB | 25.8% MIN | 11.3% CHI | 6.9% DET

 

As long as Rodgers is healthy its still the Packers division to lose.

[PeaveyFury]

Quick thoughts:

 

- If you had been told that one QB would throw for 5TDs/0 Ints and the other would be 0TD/2INT, there's not a single person in the world outside of Winston's mom (and maybe not even her) that wouldn't have assumed that Rodgers had the first line. Yech.

- Pretty dismal failure throughout the coaching staff and players. I can only assume that Crosby and the new punters got 'game balls' today, as they actually did their job. Everyone else? Meh.

- Fumble aside, I thought Love looked good on his drives. NO let up some, but not a ton, and I thought he made a few nice throws

- We'll never know if the difference between no starters in preseason was the difference between what we saw and a close game, or whether it would have made it 38-7 instead. Much debate coming on that point this week, I'd expect.

- I personally am not panicking, though 'concerned' probably describes my feelings (and I can only assume 'dumpster fire' describes the feeling on twitter/sports radio locally right now). That was either our one-a-season clunker that just happened to be in the opener against a decent team, or a giant indicator of problems to come. Not sure which yet, but fortunately the Lions at home should be either a good thing to get us back on track or to give us an indication that the problems are real.

- Is it possible that a DC can go on the hot seat after one game? I'm big on the 'preseason tells you nothing about scheme/team results' train, but that game certainly did absolutely zip to squash concern about his shaky resume to begin with. The defense appeared to have the same flaws it always does- can't stop the run, can't defend running QBs, and Kevin King being asked to do more than he should and unsurprisingly messing it up. Not great.

 

All in all, a mess of a game. The team can win fine if the offense clicks like last year even if the defense is merely the same. If that was indicative of possible offensive decline, then wow are we in for a rough couple of years.

[nodakfan17]

CBS Sports uses a headline ‘Packers Bench Aaron Rodgers for Jordan Love.’ Respectfully, he was not benched. That’s just a way to generate cheap clicks. MLF made the right call to protect Rodgers and fight another day.

 

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/packers-bench-aaron-rodgers-for-jordan-love-as-jameis-winston-torches-green-bay-in-week-1/

[PeaveyFury]

CBS Sports uses a headline ‘Packers Bench Aaron Rodgers for Jordan Love.’ Respectfully, he was not benched. That’s just a way to generate cheap clicks. MLF made the right call to protect Rodgers and fight another day.

 

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/packers-bench-aaron-rodgers-for-jordan-love-as-jameis-winston-torches-green-bay-in-week-1/

 

That's either overt and blatant clickbait/fanning flames or incompetent 'journalism' by someone who wrote a story based off a boxscore/recap rather than actually watching the game. Anyone watching 100% understands why Love came into the game, and it isn't anything close to the narrative that guy is trying to push....