Packers gave up two turnovers against the Saints. The Graham Harrell fumble and the Aaron Rodgers interception and they still won.
You might think this game wasn't pretty, but when you include the turnovers, the blatant miss calls by the referee's, the Packers did something yesterday they haven't done under Mike McCarthy before ... won a game after losing the turnover battle. (I'm basing that off what McCarthy said as my source)

B.J. RajiI had to run and hug Tramon because he really saved me. I kind of put us in a bad position there getting that personal foul. But, that’s why it’s also a team game, and my teammates stepped up for me, and I’d do the same thing.

Why is it so difficult to just own up and say "I put us" instead of "I kind of put us"
in a bad position? There is no KIND OF about it, you did! This soft sense of accountability is kind of annoying.

Ok, so I had to work and missed the game but watched the highlights. I found a d/l of the game though so I'm going to watch it tonight. Anything "nice" and/or outside the obvious I should be watching out for?

Rios39;219299Zone is a bad system to play against elite qbs.

I would modify that statement.. a zone defense behind a weak pass rush is vulnerable and a elite QB is going to find the soft spots in the zones. The Packers issues in zone were exposed to a greater emphasis because we were not effective up front in the pass rush. The Saints line deserves the credit there.. they were stoning most of it physically. Matthews and others on more than one occasion were getting man handled.

A zone defense can be very effective if properly run with good disciplined and communication.

We are lacking one or the other at times in this defense.. this can be seen, for example, when Williams right before the snap calls out a change in the coverage, however completely missed and leaving a guy coming across the middle all alone.

There were many times, to me, that guys were out of position leaving gaping holes in the short zones. Whose fault is hard to tell because we don't know the coverage responsibilities, but that can't happen and expect success.

My opinion, is Capers, when facing a team with good tight end talent shifts to zone to try and protect the backers from ending up in singled up coverage. In the second half they adjusted out of it some and played a blend. Even then, we seen guys dragging the middle and finding success.. so it was not all scheme. The Saints have the talent to move the ball.. they did.

Another factor I think is Capers and company wanted to see how the game was going to be called in terms of contact down field.. to me, there was still a good amount of contact being allowed. It will be interesting to see how other crews call it.. and how the Packers react.

Summary from pre-game comments in another thread, the offense will hit is stride because of the enforcement of the rules.. and the defense will revert. We are a man team on defense.. that is what we do and do well. Especially with young players sprinkled in at Safety.. yes even Morgan is still young, I think zone might be a work in process during the regular season, but they need to employ it and work on it, because come playoff time, it may be needed. That is of course if we make the Playoffs.

zombieslayer;219282Fact - every time Dom Capers calls the 3-man rush, an angel falls down from Heaven.

Awesome!!! Well done.

On that note, I lost my voice in that game last night. We were 18 rows up from the corner of the end zone where the officials failed to throw a flag for offensive PI on the Colston TD in the 1st Quarter. Screamed boo as loud and as long as humanly possible, along with everyone else in the stands, and from there, it was on.

Those officials sucked, entirely. Piss poor calls through the entire game. Tripplet has called some really bad games for us historically. Yesterday was no different.

When the third try on the NO FG went wide left, it was a thing of beauty. Providence, the Green Bay Packers and the football gods won.

TwinkieGorilla;219322Ok, so I had to work and missed the game but watched the highlights. I found a d/l of the game though so I'm going to watch it tonight. Anything "nice" and/or outside the obvious I should be watching out for?

You know what Twinkie, check out Benson's runs. He is so, so very close to busting some wide open. He could have easily went over 100 yds if he had. Also, look at the Jordy reception they overruled on replay. Unbelievable. Might want to check their DL for holding, cuz none of the officials did...

Somehow, we still won. What a battle. Like we were fighting both NO and the NFL Officials. Two on one and we still beat them.

Enjoy.

nerdmann;219187The problem once again, was on the OFFENSE.

Philbin's absence?

It's a relief that the Packers came out on top here. So many things went against them to make me not believe they were going to win this one.

- Another blatant OPI missed in the endzone. I know its not called a lot, but C'MON MAN!
- Blown review (great challenge) on the 3rd down catch by Graham.
- Rodgers getting poked in the eye.

-leading to an immediate fumble by Harrell.

-led to a scoring drive for the Saints, right? (its all a blur)
- Blown call on the kick return fumble.

Odds were slowly stacking against the Packers, but they prevailed.

Positives
-James Jones had an AMAZING game and that is nice to see after the mistake(s) made in the Bears game.
-Randall Cobb continues to show versatility on the offense. Loved that little halfback screen play.
-Jermichael Finley actually caught multiple passes.
-Cedric Benson continues to do work.
-We didn't field the Bears offensive line this game.
-Another ballsy special teams call!

Negatives
-Play calling on defense.
Can't count how many times the Packers had the Saints in 3rd and (longer than 5) and the Saints converted on it. I think at one point in the game it was mentioned that Drew Brees had completed 9 of 13 3rd down conversions. That is just totally unacceptable. There is a reason you had the Saints at 3rd and long and then you rush three and play a soft zone. I just don't get it...

Enjoy this win fellas!

wish I could have seen more of the game.
had a minor family emergency coupled with the need to take my mother into my sister's place for a few days.


Turned the game on with a few minutes left until half.

I did get to see a little more than half of the game but what I did see was in a living room full of people who were only partially paying attention.
Makes it more difficult to follow the intricacies of the game.

Then had to leave with about 5 minutes to go.

Finley and James Jones were GREAT in this game. With all the "hating" on them, they deserve props when they perform like this.

Oh....and the defense, as was stated i believe by G-Force, gave up WAY too many 3rd and long completions. Holding a team on 1st and 2nd down doesn't matter much if you constantly let them off the hook.

dfosterf;219216Fuck that zone.
We are Wisconsinites.
Any Minnesota resident will be more than happy to tell you that we can't handle complicated shit.
Hat on a hat. Fuck zone.

Especially when it's accompanied by 3 hats on 5 hats.

I hate the GD 3-man rush.

Cheesey;219396Finley and James Jones were GREAT in this game. With all the "hating" on them, they deserve props when they perform like this.

Oh....and the defense, as was stated i believe by G-Force, gave up WAY too many 3rd and long completions. Holding a team on 1st and 2nd down doesn't matter much if you constantly let them off the hook.

It seemed like they played more aggressive on 1st and 2nd down and less aggressive on third down. Any problems I've seen on D this year have been either play calling or miscommunications in zone base.