Fear The Chorizo

If Amari Rodgers used the excuse of a Bear running out of bounds 40 yards away from him leading to him not being able to catch a punt, he'd be rightly roasted. The penalty had zilch to do with him being able to catch the ball or the actual play itself happening, so in my book that counts as something that occurred and they got bailed out by. Perhaps if Green Bay actually had a really solid special teams Rodgers could've fielded that punt and returned it 25+ yards upfield, allowing them to decline that penalty because they did something positive and put the offense in a better position to score. Packers' special teams gave up a 97 yard punt return TD (-6); A 34 yard punt return that set the Bears up at the GB 44 and gifted them field goal range after 1 first down - the Bears scored their 1st 3 points on that drive (-3 in my book). Chicago's 2nd FG at the end of the 1st half was also set up by a 42 yard return (-3 in my book again). A missed FG in my opinion is on the kicker/holder/snapper, primarily the kicker - not an entire special teams unit breakdown like long returns, botched onside kicks/blocked punts, etc. that are more attributable to coaching/scheme problems. You miss a field goal and you don't add points to your tally, but you also don't have the other team running the other way for a TD or turn the ball over deep in your own territory. If you're trying to compare just what happened in terms of scoring plays while special teams were on the field, you miss a huge component of how special teams can influence the game - field position. The Bears had 259 yards on punt and kick returns (8 total, again many opportunities due to short kickoffs and returnable punts) plus they had that kickoff Crosby kicked out of bounds set them up at the 40, while the Packers had just 47 yards on 4 returns despite Chicago kicking/punting 9 times. Even that disparity was leveled out a bit because the Bears' returns were very limited in half #2 due to better punt hang times and deeper kicks - I believe they had like 225 return yards just after the 1st half!

NFC conference record - Packers have 2 loss vs the 3 for Tampa. If final records are the same, very likely GB keeps that tie breaker.

Yeah no. Yesterday's game is worse. The rule that saved a TD is amazing. Missing two field goals and giving up a TD on a punt block is worse than giving up a punt return TD and a bunch of yards. A penalty saved them from a muffed punt inside the 20 that would've kept the Bears in the game, too. They gave up a bunch of yards that frankly led to the Bears being able to score points after picking up 1 or 2 first downs on a drive, plus their own terrible return units gave the offense extremely long fields to work with at the start of the game. We can say Taylor's kickoff run out of bounds didn't hurt the Packers because they moved the ball just past midfield before punting that drive...aside from the fact if he let the ball sail out of bounds the Packers probably score if they start that drive from the 40 instead of their 5 yard line. To me it's not just the points directly given up or failing to capitalize on scoring (missed FGs) - a special teams unit that consistently forces their defense to start drives with short fields and their offense to start drives on long fields in an era where rules just scream for drives after kickoffs to start on the 25 and a 45 yard punt after a 3 and out would give the opponent the ball on their 30 is inexcusable. TD on a punt block or giving up a TD on a punt return is the same trainwreck in my book....the special teams unit was the only reason the Bears wound up within 3 TDs in that game.

Same...when a defense makes him stay in the pocket and actually progress beyond option #1 of a passing play, his size and accuracy limitations show up in a big way and he's inconsistent. He was never going to be the dynamic playmaker with his feet longterm like he was in college because he would get injured, and he can't create as much by dancing in the pocket as Russ Wilson because his hand size limits what he can doing throwing on the run. Against poor defensive scheme that lets his great WR's on the outside win 1 on 1s for fear of him running the ball, he can make plenty of plays. If I'm a d coordinator I play coverage and let him run and get beat up so he's not close to 100 percent down the stretch of a season, and then he's a short pocket qb with a good arm that isn't extremely accurate. He's good, not great...

As a whole, rule changes have really started neutering how important special teams are viewed across the league - teams can get by with non-factor return and coverage units if they have kicking/punting that routinely lead to touchbacks and fair catches. Couple that with a 90%+ FG kicker and a team like Green Bay would be just fine. It's now rare to see a team that has that guy who would never be on an NFL roster if not for how good a job he did as a punt coverage gunner. Those guys weren't developmental projects as backup DBs or WRs, they were veterans whom special teams was their NFL ticket. 10 years ago basically every team had that special team ace. Now the only special teams units that stand out are the bad ones - In today's NFL it's difficult for a team to have a special teams group that consistently helps them win games, but it's very possible to have a unit that consistently hurts them on a weekly basis. The Packers' unit seems so awful because their kickers wind up giving them too many opportunities to actually cover returns. Teams now have no fear bringing out a kickoff 3 yards into the end zone from Crosby, and most of his kicks don't even go that far anymore unless he tries a directional kick line drive to try to get it past the returner instead of booming a high, deep kick 5 yards into the zone that gives the coverage time to be bearing down on the return man. GB's punter routinely outkicks his coverage, and the driving ones on a line are just recipes for long returns. Last night's punt return TD was fielded at the 3 - most times a return man would never even think of fielding that punt assuming it's a touchback. More punt hangtime and shorter punts would actually make their punt coverage palatable. I've given up on them actually having a decent punt return unit because they don't have a competent returner on the roster to drive it. The Packer's biggest flaw is a failure to adjust what they do on special teams to account for a lack of ability on the roster from a kicking/punting standpoint. That's on coaching/coordinators.

kickoff returns, sure....but they do need a difference maker returning punts and definitely have to change philosophy with how they build their coverage units.

Yes, I think Crosby is done in GB after this season due to the combo of results and his contract. I also think they need an entirely new staff from outside the building coaching special teams next year - when the annual coaching staff firings commence in January, the Packer front office has to identify the best option for a special teams coach from those staffs to pick from and make some sort of an agreement that as soon as GB's playoff run concludes they will make the change and allow the new coordinator to bring his own assistants in. I'd be an advocate of canning Drayton now or right at the end of the regular season to ensure other ST coaches that the job is very available to them, because honestly I don't see how any perceived shock to the special teams unit by an in-season coaching change could actually make them worse than they already are. Guessing that's not how this goes and we're stuck sitting on pins and needles every time special teams is on the field. The final item that needs to be addressed is they've got to put more of a priority on finding a good punt fielder/returner and a couple gunners/coverage guys to keep on the roster - seems like the Packers have essentially just handed those duties to backup receivers/RB's they are hoping to develop a couple years down the road offensively, and in the NFL those positions should be viewed more as unique skill/starter roles even if it means that's all they can do on an NFL football field.

He wanted so bad to just come out and say the special teams was horrific and the only reason this wasn't a total blowout.

If I'm a green bay beat writer, I have to ask why Drayton hasn't been fired in the post-game presser

Stokes is rounding into a stud....

Fields running for 1st downs in garbage time in between almost throwing two picks....

I think his rookie season got derailed by bringing Cobb in and burying him on the depth chart...that drastically reduced his role this season on offense. He could still stink up the joint in year 2, but I'm open to giving him a longer look on offense.

I think Davante figured out how to get open against that guy, lol

Punch it in and stick a fork in this wacky game

Wow...just wow Thats a gift penalty, too

I just don't see it with Fields...mainly because of his accuracy, but he needs more seasoning making reads.

+1....churn the clock and get the heck out of this crazy game with a W

The 1st half trickery and quirky scheme that led to a pair of big play bear td's in the 1st half lost the element of surprise...

Ugh...almost a unicorn special teams play...

After a putrid first 20 minutes of offense, Packers could still hang a 50 burger if they want to tonight...

Savage...wrap up!

Packer offense really was doing whatever it wanted since the start of quarter #2....biggest change honestly is the packer kickoff actually went for a touchback

Even bad special teams units have an occasional good return or random stuff on a kickoff coverage....GB's is honestly better off just kicking or punting everything out of bounds and not even trying to field any kicks themselves, even if it sacrifices 20 yards of field position every time. It's a race between special teams and oline injuries that will be the reason this team doesn't have a shot at reaching the super bowl....special teams opening up a pretty big lead right now.

Fire every special teams coach at halftime and then cut just about every core special teams player....like no questions asked, fire them all

Gotta make that sack 91...