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Rodgers most certainly (over)hyped Watkins.
Yes, Gute is the one who signed him. I was more referring to how Rodgers tends to talk-up receivers who are JAGs: Ruvell Martin, Jake Kumerow, Jared Abbredaris (somewhat), past-his-prime Randall Cobb, and now Watkins.LombardiTime wrote: ↑07 Nov 2022 13:27Rodgers most certainly (over)hyped Watkins.Crazylegs Starks wrote: ↑07 Nov 2022 12:38Proving once again that Rodgers would make a horrible scout/GM
But Rodgers did not sign Watkins, Gutekunst did.
Furthermore, upon signing him, Gutekunst declared “I think, obviously, Sammy’s had a pretty good history in this league ..He’s got some juice still left in him, I think.”
This after Watkins caught just 27 passes for 394 yards with one touchdown in 2021.
There is one personal principally responsible for Sammy Watkins playing wider receiver for the Packers in 2022 and that is the GM not the QB.
I think I can understand what AR is feeling. He is trying to connect with a set of WRs that are below average at best. One guy he trusts is on IR and the other is really a #3. The high WR pick can't stay on the field and the other was carted off to the locker room ( any news on him?). The FA we brought in is hurt all the time and doesn't know the playbook. We haven't had a lot of stability on the OL so AR is running for his life a lot. Inexplicably we couldn't run against the Lions and then Jones gets hurt.
I don't have a problem with this. I think there is a good chance AR might be trying to boost up the confidence of these players. Isn't that what a leader does? I noticed in the 4th quarter after we scored our last TD Rodgers walked over to his you receivers on the bench to talk to them, probably discussing what they'll so when they get the ball back.Crazylegs Starks wrote: ↑07 Nov 2022 13:40Yes, Gute is the one who signed him. I was more referring to how Rodgers tends to talk-up receivers who are JAGs: Ruvell Martin, Jake Kumerow, Jared Abbredaris (somewhat), past-his-prime Randall Cobb, and now Watkins.LombardiTime wrote: ↑07 Nov 2022 13:27Rodgers most certainly (over)hyped Watkins.Crazylegs Starks wrote: ↑07 Nov 2022 12:38Proving once again that Rodgers would make a horrible scout/GM
But Rodgers did not sign Watkins, Gutekunst did.
Furthermore, upon signing him, Gutekunst declared “I think, obviously, Sammy’s had a pretty good history in this league ..He’s got some juice still left in him, I think.”
This after Watkins caught just 27 passes for 394 yards with one touchdown in 2021.
There is one personal principally responsible for Sammy Watkins playing wider receiver for the Packers in 2022 and that is the GM not the QB.
I agree. Unless there is some legitimate reason for his absence that is unknown to the public, I cannot defend him missing those preseason workouts.dsr wrote: ↑07 Nov 2022 10:17But having taken the money, he should at least have been willing to work for it. Blowing off all the pre-season workouts and then complaining that his rookies don't know what to do? Doesn't he think it might help with team chemistry as well as specific QB-receiver chemistry, if the supposed team leader had turned up to lead the team?Captain_Ben wrote: ↑07 Nov 2022 10:15I don't even think most of the blame should go on Rodgers. He took the contract that would result in him getting paid as much money as possible at the time. Just like 99% of other people in the workforce do every time they take a position. I'm not going to blame him for that. I'm going to blame the guy who offered him the contract, knowing (or not???) how starved for talent this offense was, going into the season. You and Wally had it right. And Lupe. Just terrible drafting and decision making by BG. He should be fired for the way he's handled this.
That is an interesting observation, and an accurate one. I never understood why AR would talk those types of guys up. I always thought it sent the wrong message to the front office. The FO would probably hear him make statements like that and believe that we had sufficient talent to win. Possibly he now recognizes that this was a mistake and is taking things to the opposite extreme....? Don't know, just speculating (obviously).Crazylegs Starks wrote: ↑07 Nov 2022 13:40Yes, Gute is the one who signed him. I was more referring to how Rodgers tends to talk-up receivers who are JAGs: Ruvell Martin, Jake Kumerow, Jared Abbredaris (somewhat), past-his-prime Randall Cobb, and now Watkins.LombardiTime wrote: ↑07 Nov 2022 13:27Rodgers most certainly (over)hyped Watkins.Crazylegs Starks wrote: ↑07 Nov 2022 12:38Proving once again that Rodgers would make a horrible scout/GM
But Rodgers did not sign Watkins, Gutekunst did.
Furthermore, upon signing him, Gutekunst declared “I think, obviously, Sammy’s had a pretty good history in this league ..He’s got some juice still left in him, I think.”
This after Watkins caught just 27 passes for 394 yards with one touchdown in 2021.
There is one personal principally responsible for Sammy Watkins playing wider receiver for the Packers in 2022 and that is the GM not the QB.
surely they wouldnt be relying on 12 to do their whole job for them. They certainly ignore his opinions often enough. As for those scrubs, i think those are guys that Rodgers just likes to be around, and thats hugely important for him. He wants to spend the weeks with his buddies. Hes talked about it often. I remember during the McCarthy era he would talk about missing the locker room connections with the older guys in his early years, and how the new guys just like video games. I think having a buddy to tell campfire stories to is more important to 12 than having a quality playerCaptain_Ben wrote: ↑07 Nov 2022 14:44That is an interesting observation, and an accurate one. I never understood why AR would talk those types of guys up. I always thought it sent the wrong message to the front office. The FO would probably hear him make statements like that and believe that we had sufficient talent to win. Possibly he now recognizes that this was a mistake and is taking things to the opposite extreme....? Don't know, just speculating (obviously).Crazylegs Starks wrote: ↑07 Nov 2022 13:40Yes, Gute is the one who signed him. I was more referring to how Rodgers tends to talk-up receivers who are JAGs: Ruvell Martin, Jake Kumerow, Jared Abbredaris (somewhat), past-his-prime Randall Cobb, and now Watkins.LombardiTime wrote: ↑07 Nov 2022 13:27
Rodgers most certainly (over)hyped Watkins.
But Rodgers did not sign Watkins, Gutekunst did.
Furthermore, upon signing him, Gutekunst declared “I think, obviously, Sammy’s had a pretty good history in this league ..He’s got some juice still left in him, I think.”
This after Watkins caught just 27 passes for 394 yards with one touchdown in 2021.
There is one personal principally responsible for Sammy Watkins playing wider receiver for the Packers in 2022 and that is the GM not the QB.
There is no explanation for this. He appears to look at him, from a reasonably clean pocket, then he steps left into the collapsing pocket and throws it out if bounds. Could have thrown the ball for a probable TD, but chose not to.
Several plays like that each week. Add the deep throw to Toure. If Rodgers is on schedule with that throw (or at least not too shallow) it’s easily a TD.
Idk that this is MLF's fault. This is how we've always responded. That's why I wanted more actual criminals and young players on the team. We need more of Quay Walker's energy against that Buffalo PS player on the sideline.flapackfan wrote: ↑07 Nov 2022 07:32The execution on interception #1 was bad! The biggest issue was the play, especially factoring in the down and distance! I have lost confidence in ML's leadership and decision making. This team gets punched in the face, and instead of fighting back, they look stunned, with no response.
Well whatever his reasoning was, I think it worked against us. The first example that I can remember, really, was Cobb. Cobb, at his best, was a very solid #2 WR. The way that AR spoke of him circa 2012 could have led many to believe that he was a legit #1 in the making. He obviously was not then, and ultimately proved not to be when he was forced into the role later in his career. I think Aaron has some legitimate gripes about the way his teams have been managed/coached. But his cryptic and passive messaging through interviews and media have bit us in the ass too IMO.Drj820 wrote: ↑07 Nov 2022 14:53surely they wouldnt be relying on 12 to do their whole job for them. They certainly ignore his opinions often enough. As for those scrubs, i think those are guys that Rodgers just likes to be around, and thats hugely important for him. He wants to spend the weeks with his buddies. Hes talked about it often. I remember during the McCarthy era he would talk about missing the locker room connections with the older guys in his early years, and how the new guys just like video games. I think having a buddy to tell campfire stories to is more important to 12 than having a quality playerCaptain_Ben wrote: ↑07 Nov 2022 14:44That is an interesting observation, and an accurate one. I never understood why AR would talk those types of guys up. I always thought it sent the wrong message to the front office. The FO would probably hear him make statements like that and believe that we had sufficient talent to win. Possibly he now recognizes that this was a mistake and is taking things to the opposite extreme....? Don't know, just speculating (obviously).Crazylegs Starks wrote: ↑07 Nov 2022 13:40
Yes, Gute is the one who signed him. I was more referring to how Rodgers tends to talk-up receivers who are JAGs: Ruvell Martin, Jake Kumerow, Jared Abbredaris (somewhat), past-his-prime Randall Cobb, and now Watkins.
https://packerswire.usatoday.com/2022/1 ... -to-lions/p against a one-win Detroit Lions team with an abysmal defense, the Green Bay Packers had the opportunity to get back in the win column in an effort to salvage this season. However, what we saw was yet another disappointing performance as the Packers fell to 3-6 and hit rock bottom.
Whether win or lose, we will be going Behind the Numbers with the stats and figures that you need to know about from the Packers’ performance.
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9
Before this game took place, I wrote about how it was a prime get-right game for the Packers’ offense, given that this Lions’ defense is the worst in the NFL statistically. I also ended that same article by saying that if the Packers struggle, then there really is no hope for them to turn things around. Unfortunately, the latter took place.
The Lions dared Aaron Rodgers to throw the ball – which tells us a lot about the state of this offense – and did a very good job of bottling up the run game, holding Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon to 59 rushing yards on 20 carries. The passing game was able to find success, totaling nearly 300 yards, but once again, Green Bay failed to find the end zone, in large part because of Rodgers throwing three interceptions. In what has been a mediocre season for Rodgers, this was by far his worst performance.
4
What in the heck were those final four plays by Rodgers? With two timeouts and roughly 50 seconds left, the Packers were just 17 yards away from winning the game. However, Rodgers was playing like they needed 45 yards and were down to 10 seconds. Two passes went flying out of bounds, nowhere near being caught. One was deflected, and on fourth down, the ball landed in some open grass, again, nowhere near being caught.
It looked like a lot of throwing the ball up and hoping something good happens, which brings us to a much larger issue in that the offense seems to be straying further away from some of Matt LaFleur’s core principles. With Rodgers not playing well and receivers who have not been able to win regularly, there were a lot of five-wide sets against Detroit. There is also the constant battle of motion vs. no motion. Playing under center vs. shotgun. Rodgers wants up-tempo, while LaFleur wants to huddle. LaFleur also wants play-action, bunch sets, and a balanced run-pass mix.
LaFleur and Rodgers trying to blend what each of them likes to do is nothing new, but with the team losing, the offense is straying away from what has worked in the past. Ultimately, this offense isn’t going to get fixed until those issues get sorted out.
25
On top of not executing, the Packers also continue to be their own worst enemy. Against the Lions, the Packers were flagged eight times, which brings their total to 25 penalties over the last three games. Green Bay’s 56 penalties on the season are the sixth most in the NFL. The margin of error is so small for this team that trying to overcome this many penalties each week feels like a nearly impossible task at the moment.
15
Credit to the Green Bay defense for their performance. Admittedly, I was a bit nervous about this matchup beforehand. The Lions were averaging over 35 points per game at home and had an effective ground game coupled with a passing game that liked to push the ball downfield – which is a bad combination for this Packers’ defense. However, Green Bay held up well, holding the Lions to just 3.8 yards per rush, while Jared Goff threw for only 137 yards, along with an interception. Overall, the Lions were 6-of13 on third and fourth downs as well.
8
As of now, the Packers hold the eighth overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft, and they are likely going to be moving up in the coming weeks. Green Bay’s next three games are against Dallas, Tennessee, and Philadelphia, who have a combined five losses. The Packers are staring 3-9 right in the face.
As I wrote recently, some high draft picks will help, but overall, it’s hard to see this team getting back to being a Super Bowl contender without drastic changes to how the offense is being run. There is minimal cap space again for Green Bay, which means outside of their draft picks, this team will look somewhat similar in 2023. The other alternative is Rodgers either retiring or working out a trade, which would likely send Green Bay into a rebuild. An infusion of some young talent would be great, but the issues the Packers have right now go beyond the personnel – there is already a lot of talent on this team; they shouldn’t have three wins.
9
To make matters worse, at one point, there were nine Packers players who left due to an injury. Jon Runyan and Robert Tonyan would both return, as would David Bakhtiari late in the game, but we will see what his status is this week. Aaron Jones has the potential to play against Dallas, while Christian Watson is not in concussion protocol and was held out for precautionary reasons. Romeo Doubs will be out for 4-6 weeks with a high ankle sprain, and Krys Barnes is in concussion protocol. In a huge blow to this team, Rashan Gary suffered a torn ACL, while LaFleur is concerned about Eric Stokes’ status moving forward.
