Game 13: Bears @ Packers - Sunday, December 12th, 7:25 PM CT

[DuWayne Steurer]

[

I have zero journalism credentials, but I imagine that question is only appropriate in a very small number of circumstances. Losing to your biggest rival after they only passed 3 times is one of them. Tonight’s ST performance is another.

 

I'd also imagine there's a better way to ask it. Based on what I perused from Twitter, he's kind of a blowhard and a stirstick. Asking players (not the management) questions like that isn't a great way to maintain a good working relationship.

[nodakfan17]

Shoutout to the early birds who have to be up in 5 hours.

 

For as poorly as the first half went, they played a great second half.

[homer]

has any GB opponent ever done the Rodgers belt celebration and then won the game?

[Jimbo]

I saw one bright spot for the ST: the penalty that negated the muffed punt, the coverage guy was smart enough to not touch the gunner as he was heading OOB and not touching him while OOB, even raising his hands over head, drawing the foul.

 

The Rodgers look-alike looked more like Rodgers than Rodgers.

[yourout]

I'm still boggled that an NFL team can be this bad at covering kicks.

I honestly didn't think they could get much worse than they'd been the last four or five years but they are.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

My favorite part of that onside kick is that MVS is on the "hands" team.

 

He has zero drops this year

 

That might mean something if he didn't have 20 receptions. Drop is also a pretty generous stat. You could make a case he had one last night in the end zone. And the onside kick that bounced right off his hands...I thought at the end of last season he looked like a good candidate to break out this year, so it has been pretty disappointing to see him mostly do nothing or not suit up.

[PeaveyFury]

I don't understand how you can consistently have special teams that are this bad, year after year, and how they can continue to not figure it out.

 

Not sure if this is a question that was meant to be rhetorical or actually answered, but after an evening to think on it I do have a theory-

 

Both under McCarthy and now MLF, they've made the, IMO, immense blunder of simply promoting an assistant ST coach already on staff to replace a guy that has correctly been identified to be inept as ST coordinator. If the unit was bad under the previous guy, the only reason you'd promote the assistant is familiarity and the 'devil you know' concept. That can only lead to a perpetuation of the previous coordinators' bad habits and crappy ideas, again IMO. Mennenga to Drayton, Stock to Slocum, Slocum to Zook. Nonsense.

 

Related, I'll echo the comments on this being Crosby's last GB year. Not sure if he'll call it a day, which it seems like he might, or if he'll try to rebound elsewhere, but it appears that this is his last dance as well. You can justify a kicker with a $4.7 million cap hit if he performs like he did in 2019 or 2020, but between his huge drop in TB% and accuracy, there's zero way they carry him with that number next year considering their cap situation.

[nodakfan17]

Mason Crosby is 37. He’s scored the 14th most points in NFL history. There’s no shame in retiring or even getting cut at this point. Helluva job, Mason. I hope he can finish this season on a high note.

[Fear The Chorizo]

Yes, I think Crosby is done in GB after this season due to the combo of results and his contract.

 

I also think they need an entirely new staff from outside the building coaching special teams next year - when the annual coaching staff firings commence in January, the Packer front office has to identify the best option for a special teams coach from those staffs to pick from and make some sort of an agreement that as soon as GB's playoff run concludes they will make the change and allow the new coordinator to bring his own assistants in.

 

I'd be an advocate of canning Drayton now or right at the end of the regular season to ensure other ST coaches that the job is very available to them, because honestly I don't see how any perceived shock to the special teams unit by an in-season coaching change could actually make them worse than they already are. Guessing that's not how this goes and we're stuck sitting on pins and needles every time special teams is on the field.

 

The final item that needs to be addressed is they've got to put more of a priority on finding a good punt fielder/returner and a couple gunners/coverage guys to keep on the roster - seems like the Packers have essentially just handed those duties to backup receivers/RB's they are hoping to develop a couple years down the road offensively, and in the NFL those positions should be viewed more as unique skill/starter roles even if it means that's all they can do on an NFL football field.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

Honestly, how much does a return game matter nowadays, especially with as long as Rodgers is on the roster, which, sure, is in doubt for next season. I'd settle for a guy that doesn't drop fair catches. The coverage team is another story. I'm sure they already know they have to bring a kicker in next season, and I get why it probably won't happen right now. It's a hard thing to replace midyear and can quickly result in 3 new kickers in the last few weeks of the season.

[Fear The Chorizo]

Honestly, how much does a return game matter nowadays, especially with as long as Rodgers is on the roster, which, sure, is in doubt for next season. I'd settle for a guy that doesn't drop fair catches. The coverage team is another story. I'm sure they already know they have to bring a kicker in next season, and I get why it probably won't happen right now. It's a hard thing to replace midyear and can quickly result in 3 new kickers in the last few weeks of the season.

 

kickoff returns, sure....but they do need a difference maker returning punts and definitely have to change philosophy with how they build their coverage units.

[CheezWizHed]

We've kept a kicker on the PS all year and protected him each game. I'm guessing there is a reason for that.

 

Welcome to MLF's first post bye win! But the team did seem to be dazed and confused the first half. They looked completely different the second half. Not sure if the coach's struggle to prepare the team during a bye week or ???

 

As others said, ST was stunningly bad, but at least Crosby's FG/XP kicks were clean. Malik Taylor has no reason to be on this team. Rodgers had a couple nice returns buried in the fact that he can't seem to cleanly field the ball. That is at least the second time the ball glanced off his facemask this year - concentrations issues? And punt and kickoff coverage??? oy vey

 

Our offensive line is now down to 1 starting guard (not sure if that would be Runyan or Newman) and 4 backups. Missing Bak, Jenkins, Myers and Turner, yet they keep getting it done. Not sure I want to see that line in the playoffs though...

 

Nice to see Deguara looking faster and more comfortable in the offense. That lessons the loss of Tonyan.

 

Rasul Douglas - Wow. That is all.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

The injuries to the OL will become apparent the instant we play Tampa. I've already adjusted my expectations based on how decimated that unit is. I still think if we hadn't lost DBhak last year, we'd have won the NFCCG.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

The injuries to the OL will become apparent the instant we play Tampa. I've already adjusted my expectations based on how decimated that unit is. I still think if we hadn't lost DBhak last year, we'd have won the NFCCG.

 

I'm still hoping Bahktiari makes it back this year and is effective. He'd be a huge addition, especially at this point. Then it would be whether Kelly or Yosh is the better alternative at RT, assuming Turner is out long-term.

[PeaveyFury]

There's a realistic chance they'll have both Bakh and Myers back by the playoffs, which would be monumental for their possible success.

[CheezWizHed]

I'm hoping Turner can return. He is probably the lowest performer of the 4 starters that are out and I'm guessing he gets cut for cap reasons next year. But still would be nice to have him back. Yosh has been pretty solid honestly...save for a couple plays last night. Would be interesting to see him on the RT side.

 

Losing Jenkins was a blow just because I felt that Newman has been very inconsistent (hello Newman!) and it would be a big step up to push him to be a backup for now. But a Bak-Runyan-Myers-Newman-Turner OL should be pretty strong for the playoffs. Hopefully we see Bak back soon to get back in game shape.

[homer]

Surprisingly, that was not the worst special teams performance of the season.

 

 

#Vikings Week 6 narrowly tops it.

- 2 missed FG

- punt blocked for TD

- fumble on punt return (recovered by MIN)

 

At the end of the day, some of the boneheaded stuff didn't matter (Taylor catching the kickoff and running out of bounds, Rodgers muff that was nullified by penalty).

 

Speaking of the Rodgers muffed punt, the Bears snapped the ball well after the play clock hit zero. So they can whine about that call all they want but they should have had a delay of game anyway.

[PeaveyFury]

I only had 'punt blocked for TD' left on my Ineptitudes of Special Teams Bingo card last night....

[PeaveyFury]

But the team did seem to be dazed and confused the first half. They looked completely different the second half. Not sure if the coach's struggle to prepare the team during a bye week or ???

 

Monday morning hot take of my own- Rodgers practiced Friday for the first time in two weeks. I think that at this point in his career, he needs a little bit more of a lead-up to get warmed up on timing, etc. early in games. We obviously witnessed the same thing in week 1 after doing nothing at game speed all preseason, so I wonder if they needed the 1st quarter to get back into it....

[worm81]

Kevin King played zero snaps on defense, but he did play special teams. Any correlation?

[Underachiever]

I only had 'punt blocked for TD' left on my Ineptitudes of Special Teams Bingo card last night....

Come on, you didn't have "block in the back on the return" or another penalty on that bingo card?

 

Hard to believe that ST did not have a single penalty last night. So...progress?

[DuWayne Steurer]

for all the good gute has done.... he has to adjust the paradigm with ST. can't just keep promoting assistants that run the same hot trash.

 

gute or lafleur. someone. someone has to account for the supreme suckitude of the ST play and make a change.

[Outlander]

I only had 'punt blocked for TD' left on my Ineptitudes of Special Teams Bingo card last night....

Come on, you didn't have "block in the back on the return" or another penalty on that bingo card?

 

Hard to believe that ST did not have a single penalty last night. So...progress?

Right, would think block in the back and missed FG would be almost the free space of a Special Team Bingo card but nothing yesterday.

[Joseph Zarr]

My favorite part of that onside kick is that MVS is on the "hands" team.

 

He has zero drops this year

 

That ball took a wicked bounce for sure. BUT, the way the ST unit as a whole is trending those are the bounces they are going to get. It would appear the best option there would have been to lay off the uncatchable ball and see how it played toward the sideline. BUT, really, when it rains...it pours. And the 2021 ST unit is proof of this.

[SoCalBrewfan]

I honestly am starting to wonder whether the blame for ST should go beyond the special teams coach. I mean, it's essentially a constant over the last few years, with different special teams coaches, and I start to think there is some impact of roster construction and preparation that goes beyond who the latest disposable coordinator might be. Dedicated return guys sure seem to be an afterthought. Are roster spots going to dedicated ST players, are they prioritized in late draft picks and UDFAs? I thought Oren Burks was on the team mostly for ST, but I wonder whether some of the guys are on those units as developmental pieces at their main position rather than having any particular ST value.