Just when the Packers looked vulnerable in the first half
they came out in the 2nd half and executed well enough
to put up a 28-7 victory over the panthers in
Carolina.
Anything can happen on the road in the NFL, just ask the
Indianapolis colts
who got pounded in
New England 44-13. (How many of you lost big points in your
office pool!) Sure the packers got a couple breaks in the second half,
but in these days of parity in the NFL breaks or turn-overs are very
important part of any teams success. The Packers used turnovers
to score three touchdowns in the second half.
The Offense
The Green Bay Packers offense churned out 383 yards, with only 75
coming on the ground. Through the air,
Brett Favre shrugged off a couple
of early interceptions to finish 25-39 for 308 yards and 3 touchdowns.
The Packer offense was NOT at it's best , but you can credit the
Carolina defense for that. Still the Packers made plays when they needed
them.
Ahman Green only averaged 2.8 yards a carry, but was very effective
in the passing game.
Green caught 6 passes for 75 yards, one was for 18
yards on a 3rd and 19. Regaurdless of the low average per carry,
Green
still lowered the shoulder for anyone who crossed his path. He ran
with his normal punishing style that allowed the Packers to control the
clock for 35 minutes compared to 25 for the Panthers.
The Packers scored their first touchdown on a 12-Yard lazer from
Favre to
Bill Schroeder with 12:20 left in the third quarter.
Favre looked off
Bubba Franks, and then threw to
Schroeder in the
back off the end-zone, for an acrobatic catch. (I've said all along that
Bill Schroeder is the go-to guy in this receiving corps!) After a 2nd
Steve Smith fumble,
Favre hit Corey Bradford on an out pattern, in which
Bradford showed great moves in slipping a tackle for a 21-Yard gain. Then
on 3rd and 19,
Green caught a screen and rambled for 18 yards to make it
a forth and one. After a timeout,
Favre gave it to Green over right
tackle, and the best short yardage back in the league gained 6 yards.
Favre then hit
Bubba Franks for a six yard score to give the Packers
a 21-7 lead with 8:30 left in the third quarter. The Packers capped the
scoring after forcing Carolina to punt on the first play of the fourth
quarter.
Favre got to work, throwing a strike to
Bubba Franks who ran
through Jarrod Cooper, and a host of other defenders to gain 16-Yards.
After completions of 13 yards to Green, and 11 yards to
Schroeder,
Favre
threw a bullet on a slant to Bradford for a 5-yard touchdown. This was
the final nail in the coffin for Carolina.
The Defense
There is not much to talk about on the defensive side. The Packers were less
than stellar in this, the third game of the season. Yes, the Packers were
missing the fire that Nate Wayne gives this unit, but they still managed to
hold the Panther offense to 169 total yards. The defense took the Pantner
running game, and shut it down allowing only 36 yards. Vonnie Holliday
is showing he is a force to be reckoned with! He was blowing people
up all over the place, as the Packers are now moving him inside more. This
allows the four best pash rushers to get on the field. With Rookie
quarterback Chris Weike manning the Carolina offense, Ed Donatell chose not
to blitz as much as he normally would. This was the biggest disappointment
of the game. Although the defense gave up only 169 total yards, I was
concerned about the pass rush of our front four. They managed only
three sacks, all of which came after the game was decided and the defensive
line had their ears pinned back.
Still the Packers managed to pull of the victory without hitting on all
cylinders. Starting the season 3-0 is good for the Packers confidence,
as they now face a much siffer test in the division favorite
Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Look for Ed Donatell to bring the blitz a little
more this week, in trying to force Brad Johnson into a few turnovers.
If the Packers produce some sort of pass rush, the Packers should be able
to take care of business down in Tampa. That's the way I saw it.... BigE
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