PHOTO: USA Today
🦨🤮STINKER IN THE SUN — SANS ATTACK & DEFENSELESS, PACK IS NOT BACK, AS A.R. & FRIENDS FTA FOR OPENER👎🏽 — Winston, Saints Romp 38-3!
By Paul Wickham Schmidt
Courtside Sports Exclusive
September 13, 2010
Reigning NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers vs the Brees-less New Orleans Saints was supposed to be one of the prime-time “marquee matchups” of a generally exciting NFL opening slate. Someone forgot to tell A.R., sporting a new look — “retro-70’s” beard, scraggly hairdo, and head scarf — and his buddies in green and gold that there was a game on.
After a tumultuous off-season, featuring threats to sit out the 2021 campaign, Rodgers looked every bit like a guy who would rather be: 1) chatting with Erin Andrews, 2) strumming a six string for State Farm, 3) hosting Jeopardy, 4) chilling on the beach with latest gal pal Shailene Woodley, or 5) doing almost anything else not involving a football. After throwing only five interceptions last season, he threw two key interceptions, one in the red zone the other setting up a Saints’ score. His miserable 36.3 QB rating probably was generous.
The rest of his buddies from the NFC North followed AR’s lead, acting as though they were on vacation in Jacksonville, where the Saints’ “home game” was played because of hurricane damage in New Orleans. The receivers got no separation. The line didn’t block. The runners couldn’t run. The defense let the Saints have their way, en route to 322 total yards total offense.
The only reason the Saints didn’t pile up even more yards was because they were efficient on offense and defense and didn’t have to. But, on Sunday, this looked like a Packer “D” that could have 600 yards laid on them. Easily!
The Pack coaching staff, including new defensive “wizard” Joe Barry, looked like shell-shocked zombies. And, the “strategy” of resting all all the starters for the entire preseason played out every bit as dumb and ill-advised as it appeared to many pundits.
Lest anyone think that “relief is on the horizon,” the Pack’s “QB of the future,” Jordan Love looked like a “permanent work in progress” as he completed five of seven passes, but fumbled in the red zone in his unimpressive NFL debut against the Saint’s “mop-up defense.” The only “bright spot” for the “visitors” was the tens of thousands of loyal “Packer-backers” in the stands who waited in vain for their guys to show up.
By contrast, Drew Brees’s replacement, Jameis Winston, a “refugee from Tampa Bay” who hadn’t started a game in more than a year looked worthy of being “the successor” in New Orleans. He was 14-20-148-0 with an astounding five TD passes against the hapless Pack secondary (thought be one of their “strengths” going into the season) and earning a Brees-like QB rating of 136. In a flip with the usually reliable Rodgers, Winston threw “smart passes” and avoided interceptions — the “Achilles heel” that ended his tenure with the Bucs.
The final score of 38-3 wasn’t indicative of how one-sided this game really was. Sure, it’s only one game. But, beyond “they couldn’t play any worse,” I didn’t see a lot to build on here! This team bore no resemblance to the group that was basically one play away from a possible Super Bowl last year.
Perhaps, as many assume, AR is merely “playing out the string” in Green Bay, with visions of signing elsewhere next year. But, despite clear Hall of Fame stats, the lack of leadership, enthusiasm, and effort by AR in this one might well give other teams pause as to whether he can do a “Tom Brady” in a different uniform.
So, since he decided to come back to the Pack for this season, I think AR would do well to play like he cares, even if it’s only to set up a deal for next year. And, the Pack might want to take a closer look at Love, who has yet to show that he can translate a sterling college career into “upper echelon” NFL QB performance.
Next week it’s the Detroit Lions in Green Bay. Normally, that’s good news for the Pack who have beaten the Lions the last four times at Lambeau. This is a “new-look” Lions team with Jarod Goff replacing Matthew Stafford at QB. While losing their opener at San Francisco, Detroit showed some energy and enthusiasm in closing a 28-point third quarter deficit to a 41-33 final. Although throwing a key interception, Goff looked much better than AR in the opener.
AR and the Pack need to shake off the sleep walk. Otherwise, it’s going to be a long, stormy season in Green Bay. The kind that will make you lose hair, rather than grow it!
PWS
09-13-21