The Green Bay Packers clinched the NFC North title and advanced one step closer to a first-round bye with a 38-35 win over the New york giants on December 4, 2011. The Packers are now 12-0 and are one of two teams who have fewer than three losses.
Here were some studs and duds from that Week 13 contest during the 2011-12 NFL season.
Donald Driver only had four receptions for 34 yards. However, he had two touchdown receptions that included a seven-yard top-tapper that gave the Packers a 35-27 advantage in the fourth quarter.
Stud: Aaron Rodgers(notes)
Aaron Rodgers had four touchdown passes. The funny part is that this could be his worst performance after 12 games. Rodgers finished 28-of-46 for 369 yards, four touchdowns and one interception. That ended his streak of games with a QB rating of 110. 0 or greater; he finished with a QB rating of 106. 2. At least six of those incompletions were from drops.
I loved seeing Rodgers orchestrate that game-winning drive. That's a fine experience for the Packers and their offense.
Stud: Clay Matthews(notes)
I've noticed that Dom Capers has been using Clay Matthews in pass coverage. Matthews had an interception for the second consecutive game. He scored on a 38-yard return after intercepting a telegraphed pass from Eli Manning(notes) during the second quarter. Matthews also had a sack and an assist on a tackle. I would've liked to see him more active on run defense but that's probably nagging.
Dud: Charlie Peprah(notes)
Charlie Peprah appeared to have been burned on a few occasions. Peprah was getting behind the receivers and aggressively biting on the play action. Victor Cruz(notes), Hakeem Nicks(notes) and Travis Beckum(notes) combined for 15 receptions and 274 yards largely because of Peprah's blown coverages.
Dud: Jermichael Finley(notes)
I remember when the media was praising Jermichael Finley for his great hands. He was considered as the player with the most-reliable hands on the team. His only Achilles heels were his attitude and ability to stay healthy.
Finley has severely regressed since that point. The Packers' receivers supposedly buy Best Buy gift cards for every dropped pass. Finley may need to purchase the entire company at his current rate. He had two more dropped passes. His dropped passes have occurred in critical parts of games and third downs.
Finley did have six receptions for 87 yards and a touchdown. He's still a remarkable matchup problem for any defense. I'm just getting irritated with the drops because I expect much better than that from him.
Summary
The Packers have an opportunistic defense that generates points and field possession with takeaways. With that said, they're too inconsistent to be considered anything better than "Poor. " Every defensive back on that field was getting burned throughout the game. The defense softens up whenever they have a double-digit lead.
I don't know what the solution is. I figured that they would improve during the final two months of the season (playoffs included) and I hope that's still the case. However, Brandon Jacobs(notes) and Ahmad Bradshaw(notes) were gashing the defense all game. They combined for 19 carries and 97 rushing yards. That's disappointing when one considers that the Giants had the NFL's worst run-offense before this contest.
James Starks(notes) was injured for the third consecutive game. Seeing that the Packers' next two games are against out-of-conference opponents and they practically have a first-round bye clinched, I wish they'd just sit him for at least this next game. I liked what I saw from Brandon Saine(notes). I have no worries with a backfield containing Starks, Saine and Alex Green(notes) for 2012-13.
The Packers are becoming too dependent on Aaron Rodgers. They'll need more than that when they're playing the New orleans saints and San francisco 49ers, especially the 49ers in a bad-weather game.
The reality is this: all that matters is their performance in January and February. Anything else is bonus.
GRADES:
Pass Offense: B (Too many drops)
Run Offense: C
Pass Defense: D- (Clay Matthews only reason this wasn't an F)
Run Defense: D+
Special Teams: C
Joshua Huffman grew up in Michigan's Upper Peninsula as a Green Bay Packers and Chicago Cubs enthusiast. His favorite Packer moments include Super Bowl XXXI, XLV, and Al Harris(notes) interception return following Matt Hasselbeck's(notes) "We're gonna score" comments. As a Packers and Cubs fan, he suffered through Steve Bartman and "4th & 26" in a span of three months.
Here were some studs and duds from that Week 13 contest during the 2011-12 NFL season.
Donald Driver only had four receptions for 34 yards. However, he had two touchdown receptions that included a seven-yard top-tapper that gave the Packers a 35-27 advantage in the fourth quarter.
Stud: Aaron Rodgers(notes)
Aaron Rodgers had four touchdown passes. The funny part is that this could be his worst performance after 12 games. Rodgers finished 28-of-46 for 369 yards, four touchdowns and one interception. That ended his streak of games with a QB rating of 110. 0 or greater; he finished with a QB rating of 106. 2. At least six of those incompletions were from drops.
I loved seeing Rodgers orchestrate that game-winning drive. That's a fine experience for the Packers and their offense.
Stud: Clay Matthews(notes)
I've noticed that Dom Capers has been using Clay Matthews in pass coverage. Matthews had an interception for the second consecutive game. He scored on a 38-yard return after intercepting a telegraphed pass from Eli Manning(notes) during the second quarter. Matthews also had a sack and an assist on a tackle. I would've liked to see him more active on run defense but that's probably nagging.
Dud: Charlie Peprah(notes)
Charlie Peprah appeared to have been burned on a few occasions. Peprah was getting behind the receivers and aggressively biting on the play action. Victor Cruz(notes), Hakeem Nicks(notes) and Travis Beckum(notes) combined for 15 receptions and 274 yards largely because of Peprah's blown coverages.
Dud: Jermichael Finley(notes)
I remember when the media was praising Jermichael Finley for his great hands. He was considered as the player with the most-reliable hands on the team. His only Achilles heels were his attitude and ability to stay healthy.
Finley has severely regressed since that point. The Packers' receivers supposedly buy Best Buy gift cards for every dropped pass. Finley may need to purchase the entire company at his current rate. He had two more dropped passes. His dropped passes have occurred in critical parts of games and third downs.
Finley did have six receptions for 87 yards and a touchdown. He's still a remarkable matchup problem for any defense. I'm just getting irritated with the drops because I expect much better than that from him.
Summary
The Packers have an opportunistic defense that generates points and field possession with takeaways. With that said, they're too inconsistent to be considered anything better than "Poor. " Every defensive back on that field was getting burned throughout the game. The defense softens up whenever they have a double-digit lead.
I don't know what the solution is. I figured that they would improve during the final two months of the season (playoffs included) and I hope that's still the case. However, Brandon Jacobs(notes) and Ahmad Bradshaw(notes) were gashing the defense all game. They combined for 19 carries and 97 rushing yards. That's disappointing when one considers that the Giants had the NFL's worst run-offense before this contest.
James Starks(notes) was injured for the third consecutive game. Seeing that the Packers' next two games are against out-of-conference opponents and they practically have a first-round bye clinched, I wish they'd just sit him for at least this next game. I liked what I saw from Brandon Saine(notes). I have no worries with a backfield containing Starks, Saine and Alex Green(notes) for 2012-13.
The Packers are becoming too dependent on Aaron Rodgers. They'll need more than that when they're playing the New orleans saints and San francisco 49ers, especially the 49ers in a bad-weather game.
The reality is this: all that matters is their performance in January and February. Anything else is bonus.
GRADES:
Pass Offense: B (Too many drops)
Run Offense: C
Pass Defense: D- (Clay Matthews only reason this wasn't an F)
Run Defense: D+
Special Teams: C
Joshua Huffman grew up in Michigan's Upper Peninsula as a Green Bay Packers and Chicago Cubs enthusiast. His favorite Packer moments include Super Bowl XXXI, XLV, and Al Harris(notes) interception return following Matt Hasselbeck's(notes) "We're gonna score" comments. As a Packers and Cubs fan, he suffered through Steve Bartman and "4th & 26" in a span of three months.
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