GREEN BAY PACKERS 2021: GAME #1
Vs. SAINTS in Jacksonville, September 12, 3:25 Packer (Central) Time
The Green Bay Packers, for whom I have been rooting and avidly following for half a century (although I am a native Californian), have an excellent chance of at least making it to the Super Bowl this year, if not winning it. They are terrifically talented, stacked with studs, and packed with potential. They seem to have the drive, the fire, the focus, and the hunger to do it—IOW, they have the “eye of the tiger.”
I will write a little about their first game soon after it occurs or maybe even a little bit throughout the game, during the much-despised (by me, anyway) commercials.
Due to Climate Change/Hurricane Ida, N’awlins is busted, and so won’t be the site of this matchup. The Saints, as the nominal home team, chose Jacksonville, Florida (the home of Lynyrd Skynyrd) as the replacement venue.
My prediction, made on 9/9/2021: Green Bay 30, N’awlins 23
Saturday 9/11: As sort of a side note, I read this on my phone last night (the comments on the right are mine):
I know what the writer was trying to say: something like “Rashan Gary shouldn’t really be considered a backup,” but that’s not what he or she wrote. Is it too much to ask that articles published on “Apple News” (or whatever the articles you see in the iPhone’s “News” app are called) be written by people adept with the English language? If Johnny can’t write, should his work be published?
On another side note, there’s only one truly negative thing about this game, from my perspective: It seems as if Za’Darius Smith will not be available. He’s one of my favorite players on the team (which means he’s one of my favorite players in the NFL, because my view of the Packers is the same as Bucky Dent’s view of the New York Yankees, namely, to paraphrase him, “There’s the Green Bay Packers, and then there’s everybody else”). “Z” is a player who reminds me of Charles Woodson, LeRoy Butler, and Reggie White: You’re always expecting him to do something spectacular. He changes the “balance of power” and the mojo of the team just by being out there on the field. But, I do believe Rashan Gary and Preston Smith (the other half of the “Cough Drops”) will pick up the slack.
Note that the “Firsts” listed below are for the Packers. I don’t really care what the Saints do, except that they fumble, throw interceptions, lose yardage, and allow touchdowns as much as possible.
Just about ready for kickoff. As far as I can tell, there are no Crocodiles or Jagulars on the field, or in the stands.
Here’s my minimal report on the game, in chronological order:
The Packers won the toss and elected to defer (kick off).
FIRST SPECIAL TEAMS TACKLE: Don’t know; missed the opening kickoff due to Lions/49ers game running long
FIRST PASS PLAY: Rodgers to Adams, 4 yards
FIRST RUNNING PLAY: Jones, -1
FIRST 1st DOWN: Rodgers to MVS
FIRST TACKLE (BY THE DEFENSE, NOT SPECIAL TEAMS): Campbell
Near the end of the first quarter, the Packers don’t look sharp on either side of the ball, and it is 10-0 Saints.
Predictably, they wanted to go to MVS on 3rd-and-long, and PI could have been called, but wasn’t. MVS wasn’t in the same zip code as the pass, due to him falling down or being pushed or pulled down. 47-yard punt by Bojorquez.
Half-time, 17-3 Saints.
Bad score, but Packers have the momentum after moving the ball well with one minute left at the end of the first half. And they get the ball first in the second half. An additional advantage is the defense will have a good chance to get rested, get reset, and hopefully make some adjustments.
The last pass from Rodgers to Adams was a masterpiece. Great pass, maybe even better catch. How Rodgers threaded the needle and Adams was able to see the ball come through the hands of the defender and catch it were near-miraculous. Rodgers and Adams are telepathic and Rodgers completely trusts Adams.
Za’Darius Smith did end up being active for the game, but I haven’t really noticed him too much yet. The guy on defense who has been noticeable (just from a superficial viewing) is Rashan Gary.
Robert Tonyan dropped 0 passes last year; he dropped the first one thrown to him this year (today), and has no catches through the first half.
SECOND HALF:
Deguarra injured; he was injured in the first game last year, too (it turned out to be a concussion, and he might be able to play the next game).
Except for that spectacular pass to Adams earlier, Rodgers’ accuracy has not been good today. This is the first time he’s had two interceptions in one game since … when?
24-3 Saints
FIRST KICKOFF RETURN: Hill
Za’Darius Smith just made a picture-perfect knockdown of Winston, which apparently led to an interception by Savage, but a terrible call was made against Smith, nullifying the interception. Z didn’t lead with his head, nor did he hit Winston in the head. Bad call. It would be really frustrating if the game wasn’t already out of hand. Z said “2 + 2 = 4,” but the ref said “No, 2 + 2 = 3” and slapped him with a ruler.
FIRST POINTS SCORED: Crosby
FIRST TACKLE FOR LOSS: Gary
FIRST PUNT RETURN: Amari Rodgers
Amari Rodgers caught his first NFL pass, not from Aaron Rodgers, but from Jordan Love. Candle Rob (aka Randall Cobb) also caught his first pass of the season from Love rather than his good buddy.
The final score was 38-3. So the second half was even worse than the first, the Saints shutting out the Packers 21-0. Winning ugly is OK, but losing this ugly is just plain oogly—or, as my old friend Eddie J. Nelson would have put it, “9 times uglier than a bug of butts.”
Thus, there is no joy in Cheeseville tonight—the mighty Packers limburgered up the joint.
I hope that this is the worst the Packers play all year. In fact, I hope this is by far the worst game the Packers play this year. This sorry affair was like a battle of the bands between Lynyrd Skynyrd (Saints) and the Troggs (Packers). Except the Troggs played with more spirit (and esprit de corps) than the Packers did in this game.
I can only wonder if some personnel changes (as in different starters at some positions) will take place before the next game on Monday the 20th against the Detroit Lions.
The good news is, with the talent the Packers have on their team and on their coaching staff, there is only one direction the Packers can go from here.