Week 6: Packers vs. Texans

AR to critics: "Shhhhhh".

We did it! We won! And Rodgers got six, count 'em six touchdowns (tying Matt Flynn's record from last year.)! Our offense is back! Wheew. I knew they had it in them!
The defense had a pretty good game too. My only concerns there are the multiple injuries we sustained and the difficulty we had holding Houston on third down. But really, the defense really showed up and had a great game! And the back up guys really did a spectacular job.  But let me start at the beginning.
First of all, I thought the play-calling was great on McCarthy's part. I also thought Rodgers had a good game.  He seemed a little fired up, who knows why, but it was really exciting to see some life in the offense. He missed a few throws, but he wasn't intercepted. That one pass to Jordy in the end zone looked like a bullet, and the offensive line did a nice job. Saturday, Lang, all the front guys really gave Rodgers time to get the ball down field. It was a beautiful thing to see. I thought the backs Green and Kuhn did a nice job blocking up front as well (something I think McCarthy should do more often), and Green had a few 9 yard runs that were nice to see. He was able to keep the pass/run balance in check, which is exactly what we needed to get those big plays down the field. It was exciting to see James Starks back on the field too, even if it was limited.

I'm still not liking Jermichael Finley's play. He is dropping too many balls, and being too much of a diva outside the locker room (complaining about not being targeted enough etc.) and I don't like it. He is the only person on offense right now I have a bad feeling about. And those instincts are ones I trust. I don't think he is the right personality for the Packers, and I don't think we should keep him next year. Cobb had a great game. I am glad to see him making good decisions on punt returns, and making plays on offense. I think he's settled down a little since last year, and he appears to be becoming a true professional. Jordy had a great game, and pulled in some great passes, and James Jones had an outstanding catch for a TD (one handed and around the defensive player!) and a nice grab on the sideline too. I can't say enough about how much he has improved this year. The last couple years I've not liked his inconsistency and lack of dependability, but he's had a complete turn around this year, and I really think this could be his break out year. I hope so! Even Tom Crabtree got a TD! It was a great play call, and I am glad he got to see some action other than blocking. Over all the offense was just great. Sure the Texans had a ton of penalties that helped us out, but even if you don't count those, the offense still had a much better game than last week, especially protecting Rodgers.

AJ Hawk bringing the pressure!

Onto the defense. They started out strong,and finished strong, with just a slight decrease in the middle due to injuries. I know they had to adjust because Raji was out, so Pickett moved to nose tackle, and then they shifted other guys around, and so taking that into consideration, I am actually really pleased with the level of play. I would have liked to see a little stronger pass rush, but it was still pretty great. Three sacks on Schaub was great. I loved the one that A.J. Hawk got!
I think Tramon Williams did a good job considering he was matched up with Andre Johnson. And all the guys that had to fill in, McMillian, Hayward, Bush, made some great plays on the ball. Hayward really showed up. They just really did a nice job. The whole team did.
They came together as a team and found their motivation I guess, and not a moment too soon. I'm not sure what happened last week in practice, and will probably never know, but who cares?!? They really got it together and played like I knew they could!!! And what did I say last week? If they just did that, they were sure to win! And they did! Hooray!
In the post-game interview Michelle Tafoya asked Rodgers what he had to say to all the critics after coming up with such a big win. His answer? "Shhhhhh." I was laughing so hard! Good one ARod! Just another reason why I think he's such a great QB, he is hilarious! On a more serious note, I'm glad he's not worried about the team. And I'm glad that he seems to have not been too worried about it last week when I was freaking out (a little) either. That's the true sign of a leader.
Anyway, it was a wonderful Sunday of football (finally) and a wonderful game, and for the first time this season I feel like the Pack is truly back!