Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Packers Preseason Grades For 2013 | Ticket King Green Bay

Packers Preseason Grades 2013
In their first preseason game, the Packers could not have played any worse, losing 17-0 to the Arizona Cardinals at home. Game two on the road in St. Louis, went much, much, better. The Packers played much better across the board on Saturday. They tackled better, they ran the ball better, and they protected the quarterback much better. As for game three, we saw just a few minutes of Rodgers, and it seemed that Graham Harrell was auditioning for his job once again.

Packers Preseason Grades 

Aaron Rodgers: A. Another week, another great performance by the best player in football. Nothing to see here. Move along. In fact, Aaron barely saw action in game three.

Graham Harrell: C If the Packers had a better option for the backup quarterback position, they would use it. By the time of this posting, we find that Harrell is out. They would like B.J. Coleman to be the backup, but he may not be game ready yet. So we’re going to see Vince Young as the number two.

Vince Young: C. Young played okay, in game two, completing 5 of 9 passes for 26 yards. I think at the end of the day it would be a matter of how well Harrell played. Seeing that Harrell played his way out of the Packers organization, and Young managed to show some of his mobility in game three, I might have to move this grade up to a C+.

B.J. Coleman: A-. Coleman made the most of his playing time this game, completing 8 of 13 passes for 86 yards and a touchdown. He at least game himself an opportunity to make the final roster. But now he needs an even better performance in the next game.

Eddie Lacy: A-. Eddie Lacy was as good as advertised on Saturday, getting most of the carries the first few drives. He found holes, pushed the pile, and moved the chains very well. The Packers may have finally found the answer at running back.

Jermichael Finley: A+. Finley played like a man possessed in this game, catching five passes for 78 yards including a big one early in the second quarter. One question though Jermichael, why can’t you play like that every week?

Micah Hyde: B+. I thought Hyde would be nothing more than depth his rookie season. So far, he has been playing his way up the Packers depth chart, and could be see some decent playing time early on this season. 

Johnny Jolly: B+. Oh my goodness. The stage couldn’t be set up any better right now. If Johnny Jolly makes the 53 man roster, and it looks like he might, wouldn’t that be something? Add in the fact that if he not only makes the roster, but gives the Packers defense what it sorely needs up front, and is an integral part of a Super Bowl run, you have the makings of a movie script for the ages. Jolly performed well against the run in game three.  We're hoping he makes the cut.

Thursday, August 8, 2013

Packers Now Have Read Option Quarterback Vince Young | Defense Looks To Improve



Vince Young Packers Back Up
In a bizarre, head scratching, and completely unexplainable move, Packers General Manager Ted Thompson signed highly scrutinized over the years, free-agent quarterback Vince Young. This move is the sort of move that Ted Thompson has never made and comes with nothing but a big fat “huh?” However, if you think about it, good old “CIA” Ted did it again.

The read option has quickly become a fad league wide. Many teams such as San Francisco, Seattle, Washington, and Philadelphia are using it as a base concept of their offense. Personally I have never been a big fan of the read option in the NFL, and I do believe it will die out eventually as brilliant defensive minds figure out how to adjust to it. One of those defensive minds, regardless of what you all think, is Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers. The Packers defense has been embarrassing against the run the last couple of years, and back in January, they were torched by San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick via the read option.

When he was at Texas (for one remarkable and historic season,) Vince Young ran the read option better than any quarterback ever has, college or pro. His 467 yards, five touchdowns to no turnovers performance in the 2006 Rose Bowl is considered to be the greatest individual performance in a college football game in history. Now granted, Young didn’t become the quarterback he was projected to be in the NFL, but he does have experience, winning experience, posting a 30-17 record as a starter. However, I do not believe he is here to compete for a backup job, but rather for something else.

Teaching The Packer Defense How To Crush The Read Option

 

A big part of the reason as to why the Packers can’t defend the read option is because they have nobody to practice it against. It’s one thing to put a running back in the shotgun during drills in practice and have him pretend to be a quarterback, it’s another to have a real quarterback back there who knows how to run the read option, and that is exactly what Vince Young can do. Think about it from this angle. The Packers secondary has been one of the leagues best on almost a yearly basis for two decades now. Why is that? Well, for the last 20 years, they have had an elite passer to practice against. First “he whose name will never be spoken,” then second Aaron Rodgers. Now I can’t be 100% certain this is why Thompson signed Young, however, I do believe it is, at the least, the biggest reason.