17 Points vs. 18 Penalties

Packers beat themselves with penalties while Bears pick their nose and watch.

If you've ever heard the phrase "to beat yourself at your own game", the Packers/Bears game last night was the best example of this  the NFL has ever seen. If you watched it you might feel as I do, that the first half was played by a different team than the sloppy undisciplined group that came out on the field for the second half. What happened?!? I have no idea, but I can tell you that the Bears didn't beat the Packers. The Packers beat themselves. They didn't shoot themselves in the foot once either. No, they did it 18 times. As a fan it was painful and disappointing to watch. TWO turnovers and a sweet Jermichael Finley touchdown were called back because of penalties against the Pack. It's one thing for rookies to botch things up in their first couple games, but the veterans on the offensive line made several costly blunders as well. Tauscher got two in a row all by himself. Add to that the over 180 penalty yards, that we gave away, and you begin to wonder who's side the Pack was really on. To round out the tragedy there was the dropped ball in the end zone by Quarless, the rookie from Penn State, a blocked field goal by Peppers, and a weird challenge by McCarthy that kind of ruined our chances for a comeback. It felt hauntingly like the beginning of last season, except Rodgers is (thankfully) staying on his feet and getting rid of the ball when he has to. Which brings me to the good news. (Yes, surprisingly there is good news!)

I am not panicking...yet. The first half of the game was pretty awesome. I thought Green Bay played well on both sides of the line. There were a couple of holding calls against the offense, but in some cases I think it's better to take the 5 yards than to have your QB run over by a guy that weighs as much as a tractor. And I like that they were protecting Rodgers at all cost, because when AR has time, he gets things done.

Aaron Rodgers runs and leaps for a touchdown!

Look how well he did last night! One interception on a Hail Mary is pretty much all you can hold against AR in last nights game. And those kinds of balls are thrown with the expectation that they will either end with a touchdown or a turnover. He extended plays. The one where he bounced around in the pocket like a marble in a pinball machine was really something. He had a couple good runs, one for a 1st down, one for a photo worthy flying leap into the end zone to score a TD (see picture for details). He found a way to connect with Jackson (who got nowhere running the ball) on short passes. I think it was really important to get Jackson in the game, and to allow him to make positive plays (whether they be passes or runs). He's in a tough spot with Grant out, and he needs to build his confidence, and his experience, both of which I think he did last night. People argue with me that Jackson isn't that good. But I think he is. He just needs a chance to prove it. AR had some great throws. And when I say great, I mean like spot on. I have a feeling that most of those throws were within a quarter inch of where he wanted them to be. Greg Jennings made a smooth catch for a touchdown. The passes to Finley and Driver were equally flawless. Best of all, Rodgers made some great decisions with the football. Although the game in general was a disaster, it is clear that Aaron Rodgers has learned from his mistakes of last year. Over anything else he may have achieved in the off season, it is that fact that makes him a good quarterback and a threat to every defense in the NFL.  He is making adjustments at the line of scrimmage when he sees what the defense is up to. He stays in the pocket when he should, scrambles when he can, and gets the ball out of his hands when he has to. Bravo #12. Bravo.

The Bears when Kuhn hunting and failed.

Over all I thought the Packers defense was solid, minus the penalties of course. They got one interception that counted, two that didn't. The Nick Collins grab was rad even though it got called back. The Bears had to double (and one time triple) cover Mathews, so he's obviously playing well and still scaring the Shennanagans out of the offense. There were a couple cool blitz's by Woodson who was all over the field making plays. Zombo did good (except for the holding call. Grrrrrrr).
I am almost done, but I couldn't end without mentioning how AWESOME John Kuhn played last night! In the post game show one of the commentators said it "apparently took the entire Bears defense to stop Kuhn." and that pretty much sums it up. He gave 110% on every play and did a fantastic job. He might not be a Ryan Grant, but I think he'll be (along with Jackson) enough of a threat to keep the defense guessing.

The penalties killed the Pack. There was so much good in the game, but all of it has been overshadowed by the 18 penalties (most for the Pack in one game since 1943), the MCCarthy mismanagement of the time, and the loss to division rivals. I guarantee that's all the folks at the NFL Network will be discussing. I think I will avoid ESPN for a couple days.
The Packers need to put their heads down, and focus on execution of plays. I can't imagine how difficult it must be to not hold onto someone when they are going to catch a ball and score a touchdown, or not grab the shirt of the linebacker about to sneak past my right side. But the Pack needs to. They have to see their tendencies, break the habits, stay in control and and still make plays.
My advice to them about this game would be the same as my advice to myself: Let it go. They are a better team than they played in that game. It's a long season, and there is much more ahead. They'll buckle down, and get it done..

All drawings by J. Smith