HarveysWBs

And just like that, the Packers control their own destiny again. Thanks, Matthew Stafford! Please don’t get traded back to the NFC North. You love the Cali life too much anyway…

When Jordan Love turned his season around last year, it happened at about the same time he started taking the check down throws. In late November last year, after the Packers won two straight to pull out of their dive and head into their narrative-shifting win over KC, Tom Clements said: ”We might have a play that’s designed to go downfield, but if you don’t get the defense that’s best for that type of play, you have to be ready to check it down. Maybe early in the year he kind of held on to the ball al title longer and maybe didn’t check it down at times. But he’s done that more recently, and it’s paid dividends” This year, unlike last year, he isn’t necessarily holding the ball and getting sacks, he is forcing the ball places it shouldn’t go, and his interceptions are way up. Currently, he’s tied with Mahomes for the most interceptions in the league despite only playing five games, while Rodgers and Purdy each have thrown seven picks. Since Purdy and the 49ers have been discussed elsewhere, I’ll add that I would still much rather have Love at his present deal than Purdy on the Mr. Irrelevant deal, because I think Love has shown that he can make very rare throws. Purdy isn’t the arm talent Love is (and thank goodness—1st round picks should give you that kind of an advantage over guys taken in the last round). The key is going to be getting Love to play just a little more in the confines of the scheme and what the defense gives. Bottom line, Love has done it before, and if he decides to start doing it again consistently, they’ll be a very complete team. Sky is the limit, especially with competent kicking.

Can’t hurt, provided the pecking order is very clear, and it seems LaFleur was unequivocal today that Saleh is going to remain on the offensive side—Hafley can rest easy. I like it. If Jordan Love gets a three-month masterclass in how to read defenses even better, that could be quite useful indeed.

I’m struggling with how I feel about this. On the one hand, I’m relieved that there seems very little chance that he will go on and win a title after he left. It seems incontrovertible now that the Packers did what they had to do, chose correctly in moving on, and that they are in a much better position than they would be with a 40+ year old Rodgers playing his way or the highway under center. I like very much that my team seems to have got this right. But I didn’t want him to be a joke, either. I know some of that is his own doing because of his persona and off-field *waves at everything*, but now with Saleh fired and Adams acquired, it all just feels so desperate. I didn’t want to watch a ride off into the sunset, (since it wasn’t going to come with us—yeah, this is selfish, but I’m a fan of the Packers first and foremost), but I wanted his last ride to have a little more dignity than this nevertheless. This is less of a ride and more of a slinking away amidst a rainstorm and a hail of tomatoes and cabbage.

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before, but I think the Jets might be in a bit of trouble this year.

The run Mahomes just made down the sideline was a great play by a great player, of course, but it seems like the kind of play that I’d think more QBs could take advantage of. He seemed to kind of pull up as he heads to the sideline, so of course the linebacker has to be thinking he’s just going out so I’m not going to lay him out. But Mahomes does a sidestep and keeps going upfield, while the linebacker is on ice skates and doesn’t get a finger on him. The league asks defenders to walk such a fine line these days. What are you supposed to do there?

Yup. We’ve already blown a game against Minny, let’s keep them within arm’s reach.

Hafley called a great game. I still think our defensive line needs personnel work to be better against the run, but we’re probably squeezing just about everything we can out of everyone else. I’m more encouraged every week.

Glad we pulled that out. Just win baby.

Can’t be easy

McManus isn’t great from this distance. Need five to ten more…

Thanks for letting us keep a TO, what a gift.

Not like he had bad coverage. Stroud finally escaped pressure and made a great throw. It happens. No matter what happens now, defense did all you can ask.

Yeah, just let them through. A TD or first down on this play is survivable. Can’t bleed clock.

This one is going to be on Jordan, with Nixon a special mention in the post mortem.

If the penalty is for block in the back, and one never makes contact with a player’s back, then I don’t care how fast a guy is running. You can’t penalize a guy for running fast and making a ref’s job difficult. They’re paid to get it right.

Not a great call. Thanks zebes

I don’t mind the defense jawing a bit at all. They are doing their job today. Best phase so far, and it’s not terribly close. Love the energy.

*sigh* long TD drive would have about done it. Time for another gut check quarter I guess.

I hate that audible. Too much team speed from this defense to go wide on short yardage. C’mon guys.

Once again, demonstrating that we remain the youngest team in football. Time to grow up.

The horror, the horror…

He has one. 500 rushing yards and one rushing TD. Pretty wild.

Lot of credit to Ryans and the Houston front seven containing the run with a lot of backups in the game. You have to think part of the game plan today was that we expected to be having a little more success on the ground.

That’s step one. Nice job pass rush.