Whew! Wow that was fun! I probably lost a year of my life on that last drive by Philadelphia but Tramon Williams saved the day for Packers fans. Here are my postgame thoughts:
1. James Starks. I've been telling my friends ever since that San Francisco game when we ran for 77 yards that Starks was going to be a good one if he stayed healthy. Starks was a potential 2nd round pick by many draft pundits but blew out his knee in his senior season causing him to fall to the 6th round. Starks may run high at times but he does not go down easily and falls forward with his 6'2 frame when he runs. McCarthy has not played Starks as much because of his so called practice habits (he was inactive against the Patriots and Giants). However, after yesterdays 123 yard perfromance, it will be tough for the Packers to not use Starks as the featured back the rest of the playoffs. Starks reads the hole and is much quicker on his cuts, allowing him to have the potential to break some long runs as was evidenced yesterday. It is better than Brandon Jackson dancing in the hole and running into the back of Colledge of Wells every play. If Starks has the ability to stay healthy, he could turn into the featured back for next season and making either Ryan Grant or Brandon Jackson to be the backup. I expect one of the two to be back, but not both. Jackson is an unresticted free agent but a great third down back. Grant will be coming off a devastating ankle injury.
2. Mike McCarthy. Again, I am indifferent about McCarthy after this game. I thought he called a fantastic game. Shaun McDermott's gameplan for the Eagles was clearly to take the deep passing game away. My guess is the Eagles extensively studied that gametape from the New York Giants game where the Packers offense torched the Giants through the deep ball. McCarthy called for the short passing game, which included long scoring drives with dink and dunk passing to the likes of John Kuhn, James Starks, Andrew Quarless, Quinn Johnson, Tom Crabtree, Brandon Jackson, and Donald Driver. The one time the Packers had it open downfield, the players just didn't execute (I will get to that later). McCarthy's clock management at the end was however questionable. If he takes a timeout right after the Packers third down stop, he has roughly 1:50 and one timeout to take the Packers down the field for another score, which in my opinion is better than 1:10 and one timeout. However, the Packers still should have scored had it not been for the drop so that argument really doesn't have much merit. McCarthy however did get too conservative during the fourth quarter, but I don't blame him for riding the hot hand with Starks. Starks did pick up a few big first downs to keep the clock moving, but there was still a lot of time left in the game. McCarthy really hasn't demonstrated that killer instinct except against the Vikings at the dome earlier this season. A perfect example was when it was 24-3, and the Packers ran a play action on 3rd and 1, where Rodgers hit Jennings for the dagger. I am not saying the Packers should have run a vertical route and gone for it all, but a play action may have been effective especially with the linebackers strongly shooting the gaps. The Eagles were only down by eleven, and we all know how fast their offense could strike as was evidenced in the Miracle at the Meadowlands number 2. I had no problem with the 3rd and 10 call with Rodgers to throw the ball. The Eagles brought a good blitz, which you have to give credit for. However, I was not happy with the 3rd and 1 call to John Kuhn. Again, when Kuhn comes in on 3rd and short, have we even not given the ball to him? I don't recall any times. McCarthy needs to become less predictable, but for the most part, I thought he called one of his best games of the season. I just wish he didn't get so conservative in the fourth quarter because it almost cost this team the game.
3. James Jones. Goodbye, and don't let the door hit you on the way out. I am sick of Jones dropping sure touchdowns, which seems like every week. He has almost cost us numerous games this season with him not being able to hold onto or catch the football. He fumbled on the potential gamewinning drive against the Bears, he dropped a touchdown against Jets, Cowboys, and Giants. I usually defended and forgave Jones because he has got so much talent. But now, I am ready to move on when this season is over. Jones is an unresticted free agent and lets face it: If he catches that pass, the Packers go into halftime 21-3. Instead, the Eagles take momentum into halftime, force a fumble, and score a touchdown to make it 14-10. An 18 point defecit turns into 4 with the drop of one pass. Had the Packes ended up losing that game, I would have blamed Jones because that would have been the turning point. I know he caught the touchdown pass, but it seems for every good play, he makes a bad play. I cannot stand that inconsistency from a wide receiver and we have seen too much of it from Jones this season. I am in favor of letting Jones go and drafting a receiver in the first few rounds that can also return kicks. (AKA: Torry Smith from Maryland).
4. Aaron Rodgers. I am so happy we have him as our quarterback. In a game of this magnitude, we all know how Aaron's preceder would have played: he would have been erratic and wild and would try to force thorws downfield that were not there. Aaron took his checkdowns well and made some great plays with this feet to avoid the Eagles pass rush. Rodgers showed that scrambling ability on the 2nd scoring drive when he scrambled away on third down and went safely out of bounds. The next play, Rodgers scrambled ot his right, kept the play alive and found James Jones in the front of the endzone for his second touchdown pass of the game. Rodgers played with poise and came on with a strong scoring drive after his fumble. He threw away from the blitz and hit Driver on 3rd and 5 for a huge first down, when the Eagles had all the momentum. On the next set of downs, Rodgers had lots of time and found Driver over the middle on 3rd and 10 for another clutch first down. Aaron didn't have his best game, but he played very efficiently and gave the Packers a good chance to win.
5. The demon is behind us. No more 4th and 26 Packers fan. No more Michael Vick running all over the Pack at Lambeau in the snow. The Packers finally got revenge and literally killed two birds (or should I say Eagles) with one stone. Now Philadelphia fans can live with Green Akers and his two missed field goals. Although I must say, if Tramon Williams has been stripped when he realized that he was not touched after his interception, that probably would have topped 4th and 26, and would have been replayed on NFL Films the rest of my lifetime.
6. The Secondary. What else can you say about Tramon Williams and Sam Shields in coverage. Woodson was very good against the run and helped the Packers keep LeSean McCoy in check on the ground. Williams proved to everyone yesterday why he should have been a Pro Bowl corner. One play after near perfect coverage by Williams on Riley Cooper on a 3rd and 10 slant with 45 seconds left, Vick went back to Cooper, only to have the 5'10 Williams outleap the 6'3 Cooper and come down with the game-clinching interception. Williams also had great coverage on one of the deep shots the Eagles took- this one to DeSean Jackson. Sam Shields made a great play on the ball in the early 1st quarter on another deep shot and almost came down with the interception when he broke up the pass intended for Jeremy Maclin. Nick Collins also made a great open field tackle on Michael Vick, coming out of nowhere when Vick scrambled all the way to the opposite side of the field. Also props to Charlie Peprah for telling Tramon Williams to get down after he intercepted the pass.
I will have pregame thoughts on Atlanta and the other Divisional games later this week. For these next few days though, I will enjoy the victory. See you later this week.
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