Week 1: Packers @ Saints in Jacksonville GDT

[Leader]

Peter Bukowski -   The Packers played 3WR (11 personnel) on 64% of snaps vs. the Saints when the game was within two scores.

That number of 54% in 2020. Felt like Green Bay got out of their identity early and never found their way.

[CWood21]

5 minutes ago, vegas492 said:

Things GB should consider....

• Insert Kelly somewhere, maybe RT.  Move Jenkins inside.  Turner to LT.  Patrick to RG.  Newman looked lost, putting Patrick at "his" spot should help, and moving Jenkins inside will help stabilize that unit, and he can help Turner.
• Move Barry first to the booth, then to the parking lot.

Now that I'm cleansed, honestly, this was an embarrassing game.  We weren't ready to play.  They really were.  They seemed to know what we were going to do before we did it.  Sometimes you gotta tip your hat to a team, and this is that time.  

And right now, I'm not sure that GB wasn't the worst team in the league on week one.  No where to go but up.

The Packers are better off going through their lumps with Royce Newman at RG.  At best, Kelly holds the position warm this year, but they still need a fix long-term.

[vegas492]

25 minutes ago, CWood21 said:

The Packers are better off going through their lumps with Royce Newman at RG.  At best, Kelly holds the position warm this year, but they still need a fix long-term.

Kelly only needs to hold a position until Bakh comes back.

But yah, we should take our lumps and we will get better inside.

You can't argue against Jenkins at LT.  He held up really well.

But, moving him inside creates stability in two spots, as Patrick goes back to the spot he knows best, RG.  We are better at two spots.  And we have a smart, great guard next to the rookie center to help him out.  We may be better at center with that move.

So if Kelly can hold his own at a tackle, we get better.  At the expense of Newman.

It shouldn't happen now, maybe not even after this coming week.  But if Newman doesn't get his game right after a few games, then it needs to be considered.  

[AlexGreen#20]

Am I the only one who watched Kelly in preseason and thought he really really REALLY sucked?

[Leader]

Just now, AlexGreen#20 said:

Am I the only one who watched Kelly in preseason and thought he really really REALLY sucked?

You mean in his 10-12 day training camp?

[CWood21]

2 minutes ago, vegas492 said:

Kelly only needs to hold a position until Bakh comes back.

But yah, we should take our lumps and we will get better inside.

You can't argue against Jenkins at LT.  He held up really well.

But, moving him inside creates stability in two spots, as Patrick goes back to the spot he knows best, RG.  We are better at two spots.  And we have a smart, great guard next to the rookie center to help him out.  We may be better at center with that move.

So if Kelly can hold his own at a tackle, we get better.  At the expense of Newman.

It shouldn't happen now, maybe not even after this coming week.  But if Newman doesn't get his game right after a few games, then it needs to be considered.  

The question is are the Packers better off with Dennis Kelly at RT or Lucas Patrick at LG?  Honestly, I don't think either of them change the situation.  And that's coming from someone who thinks Patrick is a JAG.  Jenkins future is at RT IMO.  So you've got Bakh and Jenkins as your bookend OTs.  The Packers invested heavily into Josh Myers, so he's your C.  I think the Packers are/were hoping that the guard spots would sort themselves out.  Runyan couldn't capitalize on the opportunity to seize the LG spot, which is why we're going with Patrick.  We're going to take some lumps with Newman, but it's clear he can play.

[vegas492]

2 minutes ago, AlexGreen#20 said:

Am I the only one who watched Kelly in preseason and thought he really really REALLY sucked?

Not a lot of tape on him from pre-season to really say.  

I'm not sure that Nijman wasn't better.

[vegas492]

Just now, CWood21 said:

The question is are the Packers better off with Dennis Kelly at RT or Lucas Patrick at LG?  Honestly, I don't think either of them change the situation.  And that's coming from someone who thinks Patrick is a JAG.  Jenkins future is at RT IMO.  So you've got Bakh and Jenkins as your bookend OTs.  The Packers invested heavily into Josh Myers, so he's your C.  I think the Packers are/were hoping that the guard spots would sort themselves out.  Runyan couldn't capitalize on the opportunity to seize the LG spot, which is why we're going with Patrick.  We're going to take some lumps with Newman, but it's clear he can play.

Patrick is a JAG, but he's a JAG that can play RG and not hurt you.

You get better at two spots if you put Jenkins at LG.  And you probably get a little better center play by having Jenkins next to Myers.

The question is this...is moving that inside around better for the offense when you consider Kelly or Nijman at a tackle spot?  I don't know that answer.

But Newman can answer the question this week.  One way or the other.

We knew the o-line was going to be a work in progress while Bakh is out.  Now we need to see the progress.

[CWood21]

3 minutes ago, vegas492 said:

Patrick is a JAG, but he's a JAG that can play RG and not hurt you.

That's a push.  At best, you could argue he was serviceable last year.  But he was clearly the weakpoint in last year's OL.

 

4 minutes ago, vegas492 said:

You get better at two spots if you put Jenkins at LG.  And you probably get a little better center play by having Jenkins next to Myers.

The question is this...is moving that inside around better for the offense when you consider Kelly or Nijman at a tackle spot?  I don't know that answer.

But Newman can answer the question this week.  One way or the other.

We knew the o-line was going to be a work in progress while Bakh is out.  Now we need to see the progress.

The only question I see is how much shuffling does LaFleur want to do with the OL?  The easiest would be to move Jenkins back to LG, and Patrick goes to the bench when Bakh is back.  But if LaFleur (and Gute) feel that Jenkins is our RT, would they slide Jenkins to RT and move Billy Turner inside to guard.  My guess is not.

[vegas492]

25 minutes ago, CWood21 said:

That's a push.  At best, you could argue he was serviceable last year.  But he was clearly the weakpoint in last year's OL.

Well, let's see.  Bakh is one of the best, if not the best LT in the game.  Lindsley was the #1 center in the league.  We know Jenkins is an elite guard.  So, it's either Patrick or Turner as the "weak" link.  Again, Patrick doesn't hurt you inside, and he knows RG in this offense.  He would be a better RG than Newman is right now.  Newman though, has the potential to be much better.  But he has to show a lot of improvement.  (And he can and should.)

The only question I see is how much shuffling does LaFleur want to do with the OL?  The easiest would be to move Jenkins back to LG, and Patrick goes to the bench when Bakh is back.  But if LaFleur (and Gute) feel that Jenkins is our RT, would they slide Jenkins to RT and move Billy Turner inside to guard.  My guess is not.

MLF had no issue doing the shuffle for week one.  New center, new RG, new LT, new LG.  He shuffled for sure.  I've got little doubt that he will do it again if Newman doesn't play better.  But again, and I can't stress this enough,  I think he will.  He's gonna have a rough film session, along with most everyone else who played and coached in the game on Sunday.

Finally here's the Loins DL.  Brockers, who is quite good.  McNeil, higher drafted rookie and Nick Williams.

Collins and Flowers as linebackers along with some guys named Okwara and Anzalone.

If I'm a DC going against the Packers offense, I'm sugaring the DL with bodies to make that new center and interior line think about who is coming and who is dropping.  And I'm showing the A-gap blitz early and often.

Myers and/or Newman is going to be 1:1 with Brockers enough of the time if they show that blitz.

We've got a week and a day to prepare for it.  No doubt we can do it, but it's gonna take a lot of work.

[Rodjahs12]

47 minutes ago, AlexGreen#20 said:

Am I the only one who watched Kelly in preseason and thought he really really REALLY sucked?

I would definitely agree that he made the absolute least out of the little amount of time he had to show why he's been a reliable swing tackle for the last several seasons. I think you almost have to hope that he can still be that guy though with this line in the current shape it's in. We don't have the luxuries we did last year there in this regard.

[CWood21]

50 minutes ago, AlexGreen#20 said:

Am I the only one who watched Kelly in preseason and thought he really really REALLY sucked?

Can't say I watched much of him, but I don't see him as anything more then serviceable.  Don't really see any upside with him playing.

[Spartacus]

I feel crazy but I didn't think the o line was bad......

[Leader]

1 minute ago, Spartacus said:

I feel crazy but I didn't think the o line was bad......

We agree. You are crazy. Come back when you're felling better 

[packfanfb]

2 minutes ago, Spartacus said:

I feel crazy but I didn't think the o line was bad......

It wasn't in pass protection. Not much movement in the run game. Biggest gaffe was Newman's whiff on Jordan on the Rodgers INT, which obviously was one of the biggest plays of the game. Have to hope Newman can limit those in the future.