OldSchoolSnapper

Quality of opponent really doesn't mean much to me in baseball. The game can be so random at times that I take any and all wins I can get. We've seen numerous "good" Brewers teams go on horrible skids where the toilets of the league beat them up. All these wins count the same in getting to the magic number. I still have this sinking feeling about this weekend's series, but even if they go 0-4 it's just another reason why you need to beat up Miami and KC when you get the chance.

The secondary has a big "what if" in King and Jones but I'd say most of it isn't "what if," but rather "these guys are clearly not good players." Even if they grab a "top" corner tonight, there is no assurance that he is good, can contribute right away, or that he or someone else won't get hurt. Regardless of what happens tonight secondary is not going to be a strength on this team. It's a thin group and a masterful draft may alleviate the problems but it is going to be a group that gets exposed several times this season. It doesn't mean they can't be successful but they will be constantly game planning on how to mask its problems. Getting a better rush going is probably the group's best friend and where they are focusing their energy. Zero interceptions from the safety position is inexcusable. The INT is the single most influential play in the NFL, they cannot go far with that kind of production. When this defense goes up against Goff, Brady, Wentz, etc., can they keep them under 30 points? It's not much to ask but in GB it apparently is. If yes, they have a chance to do anything.

Daniels AND Clark graded out as excellent (Yes, excellent) d-linemen last year. I suppose the above assumption does require assuming that Wilkerson rebounds somewhat under Pettine, but I don't think that's crazy. Then the word excellent is getting thrown around too casually. An excellent lineman stops the run and consistently gets pressure on the QB. Daniels and Clark were really good against the run, but they are not pass rushers. Clark has potential to do that. But my comment was really more about the position group as a whole being excellent. I just don't see the ceiling being excellent, but who knows. Daniels and Clark are championship quality players. They aren't guys you need to replace to win a title. As interior DL go, they're pretty good. Their primary job isn't pass rushing, but they both definitely can rush the passer. Clark's jump from Year 1 to Year 2 showed that if he continues progressing he has a chance to be one of the best. Those two and Martinez are the best players on the defense right now all things considered and the only three I would keep if you asked me to blow it up and start over. They're dead last on this list of concerns. Lowry is mediocre and a guy most teams would have given up on by now, but Ted Thompson lets guys like that stick around for 8 years. Matthews and Perry get hurt too often and disappear for games at a time, but they're still valuable and can play on a good defense. The rest of the group is pretty awful. It's a bunch of mediocre or worse players that fans stick by because they're "our guys." Why anyone cared about Burnett leaving blew my mind. That guy never made impact plays; the production out of both S positions has been unacceptable for quite some time now. The secondary is so devoid of talent, it is the primary reason I'm forecasting a bad season. This is a passing league and the Packers just re-signed House, a guy who graded around 50 and people are sort of happy about it. He can't run at all anymore. The hope is that a pass rush helps out back there, but at some point you need some talent and they don't have it. They were totally unprepared for losing Sam Shields and this has been one of the worst 3 secondaries in the league since then. Again, the love affair fans have with King is mysterious to me. The book is completely out on him. Graded poorly then got hurt. We have no idea what he is.

So then why talk about them at all? Lmao. If I'd come in here saying I loved Pettine and they're going to be 13-3 you wouldn't be so bothered by it. I don't get what the controversy is. I don't think they're going to be good and it's because they don't stack up with the best teams defensively. I think they're the same one-man show they've been for years. Is that not allowed? I think the odds are on my side here.

Expecting a defense that's been terrible for years to be terrible again with mostly the same players is a realistic expectation. That makes you a realist. Packers fans don't live in reality. They never have. You aren't allowed to point out even very obvious holes on the team. Pretending that my view of the defense and management isn't warranted is laughable. You act like I'm the only guy saying this stuff.

I never get this. I never will. Pointing out weaknesses and critizing the management of the team is not glass half full or grumpy. It's being a realist.

I'm open to the possibility that Capers was a dinosaur and maybe this guy is the answer. But I think it's unlikely and hope my gut feeling is wrong. Gute and Pettine may fix things but I do not expect them to do it with one off-season and Thompson's dumpster fire.

Yeah because it's totally unrealistic to think that a defensive coordinator in his first year with a roster that's 90% inherited won't save the day overnight. I'm out of the conversation where people can't honestly assess the teams shortcomings. People have always been the worst at this when it comes to the Packers. They haven't played good defense for YEARS. Is it more reasonable to think the defense is going to be good or that it most likely won't be great?

Daniels AND Clark graded out as excellent (Yes, excellent) d-linemen last year. I suppose the above assumption does require assuming that Wilkerson rebounds somewhat under Pettine, but I don't think that's crazy. They graded as high quality, not elite, which I assume you meant instead of excellent. Beside the point as interior DL is the defense's smallest problem. They have no edge rushing and zero playmakers in the secondary. The strength of their defense is easily negated because your QB has 7 seconds to throw into peewee pass coverage.

I made it pretty clear what I expect. 8-9 wins and terrible defense. You're all over the place. Your most recent forecast called for a season similar to the 4-12 season they had with a healthy Favre. In a previous post you call for 9 wins at most. That's as clear as mud. Sorry I can sift through all of your hyperbole. Looks like I struck a nerve critizing the precious Packers. In my first post, I said 8-9 wins. Someone said rebuilding with Rodgers is silly, to which I replied that it isn't, and brought up 2005. I didn't say and never said that they'd win 4 games. You put that in my mouth. Then I repeated that they'd win 8-9 games. Try reading instead of just reacting. Not sure why it's so far fetched that the Packers might be bad. They won more than 10 games once in five years. There's plenty of evidence they are a mediocre team held up by one player.

I made it pretty clear what I expect. 8-9 wins and terrible defense.

It's lazy nonsense to say that in hindsight. Going into that season they were projected to cakewalk their division again. It wasn't until week 1 when they put up 3 on the Lions that people thought there might be a problem. They had released their two guards, but besides that it was mostly the same guys they'd been successful with for a few years. This supposesly great roster look pretty horrendous last year when one guy went down. I'm not saying there aren't some good players, I'm saying there is too much junk, fans overrate marginal players, and fans also NEVER account for regression. The team has put too much burden on #12 for too long and now it's catching up. Gute may fix it but it won't be a one season job. And that's why I think we're in for an ugly transitional year and McCarthy's last.

Except it's not. I believe Rodgers is better than Favre but a Favre-led team did go 4-12 once. This coming season reminds me a lot of that one. Brought in some old guys, team was much worse than they thought, and they basically blew it up the next season. With Rodgers, the "rebuild" can be fast. A season or two. But I am not optimistic at all about this squad. The defense will be horrible again and the offense is obviously better with Rodgers. But this is a one man show. I wouldn't read too much into Williams numbers last year. He played half a year in a way better defense alongside a stud corner. None of that applies here. Check out his metrics in Cleveland. Not very good. One of the more annoying things is that the fans seem to thing King proved he can play. He didn't show a thing, really. He graded out at 50 on PFF and got hurt. That guy is as big a wild card as anyone.

He was smart not to trade them for less than what he thought they were worth. I'm guessing he would have traded one or two of those guys in a minute if he got the return he wanted. Still would. You could say that about literally any player at any time.

Agreed. I don't necessarily think the Packers are in a rebuild, but they are in drastic need of a restock, as last year proved that their depth at some positions (QB, TE, CB, WR and OLB) is among the worst in the league. When you have players that have proven to be injury-prone as your starters at those position, it is absolutely imperative that you have strong depth available. That's why it wouldn't surprise me to see the #14 pick parlayed into a lower 1st rounder along with an additional 1st or a 2nd. IMO, the Packers really need to be in a rebuild, but they are in denial and instead making desperation heaves hoping to catch lightning in a bottle. Besides Adams, Rodgers and maybe one of the RBs, the rest of the roster pretty garbage. You have a few guys who can play as always, but this roster is a mess and it's Ted Thompson's fault. Jimmy Graham screams declining vet, and Tramon Williams as anything besides a 4th corner at this point is kind of a joke. I don't think Damarious Randall was anything above mediocre but to trade him for the worst QB in the league when you have NOTHING at CB...What are they doing? I hope I'm wrong but I think this season it's going to blow up in their face. They were bad last year but had the Rodgers excuse. I don't see them winning more than 9 games, possibly fewer, and I think Gute fires McCarthy and brings in his own guy, which he probably wants to do now but can't.

Keeping all those bats doesn't look so dumb anymore.

Interesting stat I hadn't noticed: In the last five games Brewers starting pitchers have a 2.63 ERA (8 ER in 27.1 innings) with 17 strikeouts. The flipside is that they're only going about 5 1/3 on average, but it's encouraging.

It was looking a bit soggy and not super difficult to penetrate.

For God's sake. Bed time.

3rd straight blown save.

Martinez starting and Cain and Yelich hurt....Braun with day off because he has bad numbers vs CM.......pretty predictable. I know this was the trash lineup but they're still squandering opportunities to score. They've got 7 hits and 3 walks, it was reasonable to expect them to do something last inning.

This is as much on the offense as it is CC. If Suter gives you this start you need to score some runs, especially last inning when you had 2 on with no outs and got 2 guys in scoring position before the end of the inning. I blame the offense before I expect Suter and the pen to hold a 1-0 game. That said, we can still win this one. I can't believe it, but we can.

The hate on Villar is also dumb. Would people rather Sogard play all the time?

Yes, we've established that wasn't a good thing for him to do.

Nah, hes pretty awful. I was really hoping he wasn't going to be on the team coming into this year. You can't come into a situation like that, and walk a score in on 4 straight pitches. It was just as pathetic when Holland did it last night. A relievers only purpose is to normally get through 1 or 2 batters, which he obviously can't do He's thrown pretty well this season so far. He came on with 2 guys on and the game is tied. The walks are inexcusable but this board is ready to cut his head off with every bad pitch. There's nobody else on the team that draws the kind of vitriol he does, and with him, it's as if people want him to fail.