Packers Week - Studs, Duds, and Hat Tips

[Canadian Hog]

There is nothing better than perfect Fall weather complimented with victory Sunday for the Burgundy and Gold! That is exactly what we got today (at least in Canada) as the Commanders gutted out a 23-21 victory vs. a struggling Packers squad. All of a sudden, with a couple wins vs. NFC Central opponents, the Commanders faithful are starting to look at the playoff standings instead of reading mock drafts. From week to week, this is a crazy league. Let's see what the rest of the season brings and if the Commanders can keep riding high. In the meantime, let's get right to this week's studs, duds, and hat tips.

Studs:

1. Terry McLaurin - for much of the season to this point, many of us have complained about the underutilization of Terry McLaurin in Scott Turner's offense. We see other elite receivers in the league get targeted over and over on a weekly basis, yet in Washington, McLaurin isn't even a factor for long stretches in games. That argument could have been made today I suppose, as Terry was targeted just twice in the 1st half. However, by game's end, McLaurin proved yet again why he is so special, as he made impact plays when they mattered most. He hauled in a beautiful 37 yard TD pass going one-on-one against Jaire Alexander to give the Commanders the lead in the 3rd quarter, and the Commanders would not look back. Late in the game with the Commanders attempting to run out the clock, he hauled in a huge 3rd down reception as well, which would keep Aaron Rodgers sitting on the sidelines a little longer as he waited to attempt a game-winning drive. On the day, McLaurin finished with 5 receptions for 73 yards, and defined what it meant to be a clutch player.

2. Defense - there were moments in the first half where Taylor Heinicke single-handedly tried to lose that game for us today. It easily could have went sideways, but once again, the defense held their own and proved that they are certainly the strength of this team at this point in the season. The defensive front played a large role overall in the success of the defensive unit once again. The Packers got nothing going with their run game, and Aaron Rodgers was a shadow of his normal self for a large portion of the day. While we didn't record any sacks, we prevented Aaron Rodgers and company from converting all six of their 3rd down plays, as well as a 4th down attempt. On the day, we held the Pack to 232 total yards and only 194 through the air. Benjamin St. Juste continued to flash today and looks the part of a potential solid cornerback in the NFL. As is always the case in Washington, the question will be if he can maintain consistency moving forward as he continues to develop.

Duds:

1. Scott Turner - I thought we won the game today in spite of Scott Turner. I thought he was especially bad when the game was basically on the line in the 4th quarter. People aren't probably going to make too big a deal of it because we won, but I thought there were some play-calling mistakes that certainly would have been magnified had the Packers found a way to steal the victory. At 20-14 Washington with just under 8 minutes to play and a 1st and goal situation on the GB, 7 yard line, Turner elected to run it with Brian Robinson on 1st down for no gain. He then dialed up a short 5 yard pass to Curtis Samuel, which set up a 3rd and goal from the GB 2 yard line. That is the moment in the game where you try to instill a bit of confidence in an offensive line that has had a pretty difficult start to the season. You tell those guys up front, here is your opportunity - go do what you have proven in the past to do best! Go make a block, annihilate and bully your man, and let whoever is carrying the ball for us cross the goal line and basically seal the game for us. Nope. Instead, Turner puts the ball in Heinicke's hands, and calls a pass that sails incomplete. At the very least, a run attempt (even if stuffed), would've burned 30 or so seconds off the clock - 30 seconds that the Packers coincidentally wouldn't have had at the end of the game when things got a tiny bit tense for us. Let's fast-forward a bit later after the Packers closed the gap to 23-21 and kicked off with 3:26 to play. 4 out of the next 5 plays that Turner would call were passes! I mean, I suppose I give the guy some credit for being ballsy, and it didn't hurt us in the end, but damn, if that isn't playing with fire, I don't know what is!

Hat Tips:

1. Jack Del Rio - the defense has been the primary reason why we have won two consecutive games. Del Rio's unit has played pretty solid football ever since the Detroit game quite honestly. Over the course of the year, he has had to deal with not having Chase Young, losing Phidarian Mathis early on, and the William Jackson debacle. Somehow, the group has held it together and seems to be improving by the week.

2. Tress Way - #5's final punt of the day ideally would have been placed a bit deeper in Green Bay territory before they attempted their game-winning drive. However, Way had three total punts land inside the Green Bay 20 yard line, including one which pinned the Pack back on their 1 yard line.

3. Curtis Samuel - Samuel finished second on the Commanders today in total receiving yards with 53 on 5 catches. He proved to be a nice compliment to Terry McLaurin today with a depleted receiving group and made timely plays throughout the course of the day.

4. Antonio Gibson - I keep joking that Scott Turner needs to stop giving Antonio Gibson the ball because he gets too much production out of him when he is actually used. Antonio finished with 77 total combined yards on Sunday and hauled in a nice TD grab from Heinicke at a much needed point in the game where the Commanders were down 14-3 prior. It was a big momentum booster for the team going into the half.

5. Ron Rivera - Rivera has taken a lot of heat this season from Commanders fans and media, and rightly so. With a reeling Packers team coming into town on Sunday, there were many people who were likely thinking that the Commanders would accommodate Green Bay and do what they traditionally do - roll over, play dead, and allow the opponent to get things fixed at the expense of Washington. Credit to Rivera for keeping this team together at 1-4, and credit to him as well for not allowing his team to be a doormat today.

6. Taylor Heinicke - that first half performance was about as bad a display of quarterbacking as you will find in the NFL. However, on Sunday, we saw Taylor Heinicke display once again what we all love about him - fight, determination, and a never-say-die attitude. He made some exciting plays when it mattered most and gutted out a victory. Ultimately, he is not a QB you want to hitch your wagon to long-term, but it was nice to see the Taylor Heinicke legend continue to grow.

That's it for this week. Do you agree? Disagree? Who did we miss?

Let us know your thoughts. In the meantime, let's see if the Commanders can pull off the trifecta and win 3 in a row in Indy!

 

[Boone]

Well done CH!

 

[Kel Varnsen]

Canadian Hog I appreciate you doing this. I was traveling today and didn’t get to watch any of the game and the NFL Network on XM didn’t have much to play on this game since overall there wasn’t much going on for a lot of the game. So these details give me a pretty good picture of what actually happened since stats don’t tell the whole story.

 

[Knightingale]

I'd debate putting the Defense in the Studs category, as they gave away those three PI calls late that gave GB the touchdown that made the game closer than it maybe should have been and set us up for a frantic last couple of minutes.
And Green Bay have been offensively inept for a good few games now.
But they DID do the job. I'd probably have shunted them to the hat tip section.

Everything else I can't argue with.

 

[burgold]

Refs deserve a dud, too.
They were awful yesterday to both teams.

 

[Bulldog]

That's one reason I like Taylor as a situational quarterback when we don't have a bona fide elite starter. With him on the field trying to make plays, the team doesn't give up and roll over.

A team with limited talent has to take on that junk yard dog mentality.

Wentz is too willing to take drive killing sacks and refuses at times to simply throw the ball away. He also has no ability to gain 2 or 3 yards on his own to get a first down in crunch time.

Even Brady at 45 can still get a yard or two.

While it may seem premature to say this Wentz to me is already on the physical downside of his career at 29. Those knee and achilles injuries he had robbed him of his athleticism and he's simply not good enough fundamentally in the pocket to read defense and take on the role of a cerebral passer who can avoid the killer negative plays.

He and Andy Dalton look a lot alike to me. If you watched any of the Saints game, Dalton threw a beautiful 55 yard TD pass in the first quarter but then went though a series of downs where he misread coverages and threw killer picks that sealed the Saints fate against the Cardinals.

He finished with what, 4 touchdown passes and 3 interceptions with 2 pick sixes?

You can't win with that type of decisionmaking and play at the qb position.

Heinicke threw the early pick-six but then didn't turn the ball over again, no fumbles - no killer sacks, etc.

 

[Boone]

I'd debate putting the Defense in the Studs category, as they gave away those three PI calls late that gave GB the touchdown that made the game closer than it maybe should have been and set us up for a frantic last couple of minutes.
And Green Bay have been offensively inept for a good few games now.
But they DID do the job. I'd probably have shunted them to the hat tip section.

Everything else I can't argue with.

Brother - the D didn’t allow a single 3rd or 4th down conversion. No one has done that to Aaron Rodgers - ever.

 

[Bulldog]

Even though Heinicke didn't run the ball as much as perhaps the Packers expected, the fact we had a quarterback out there that is a legitimate threat on the ground causes the defense to have to account for that and that creates other openings to exploit.

That initial hesitation on handoffs in my mind caused GB to be a half step to step slow in reactions on several running plays Washington was able to execute for good yardage.

Defenses have figured out that Wentz is not a threat as a playmaker and if pressured doesn't have the quick release to get the ball out to burn them.

 

[Chris]

I don’t know what the long-term solution at QB will be but it won’t involve Carson Wentz.

 

[Bulldog]

Wentz will never learn to just throw the ball away. He's either taking the drive killing sack or throwing the ball into coverage for the INT.

Football each week despite all the technology and new offenses, etc. still comes down to what it came down to 30 years ago - TURNOVERS.

For a team like Washington that has middling talent, it's imperative that the club either stays even with or bests opponents in the turnover ratio to stay in and win football games.

The Chiefs can lose the turnover battle and still win on the strength of Mahomes' arm, we aren't that lucky.

It's a bit surprising to me that a defensive coach like Ron would tie his future to a quarterback that takes so many negative plays.

 

[burgold]

Brother - the D didn’t allow a single 3rd or 4th down conversion. No one has done that to Aaron Rodgers - ever.

Yeah. I love complaining about the D. They more than did their job yesterday.

 

[Boone]

It's a bit surprising to me that a defensive coach like Ron would tie his future to a quarterback that takes so many negative plays.

I know Rivera *claims* Wentz was his choice. I suspect it was his 'choice' after hearing the owner say 'Go get Carson Wentz'. That's just how Snyder operates. And when the guy signing your checks and whom you rely on for a continued gig in year 3 of mediocrity, you probably do what he asks.

 

[burgold]

It's a bit surprising to me that a defensive coach like Ron would tie his future to a quarterback that takes so many negative plays.

Remember, he is "Riverboat Ron." Part of his nature is in the belief in the importance of the big play, the killer play, and going for it. Ron doesn't want Martyball. Scott Turner surely doesn't want Martyball and probably told Ron his offense wasn't flying because the long ball and big called big play isn't there with Heinicke. Almost all of Heinicke's "big" plays have to come off script when he scrambles to create a defensive breakdown. Anyway, I think Ron is a bit more in the "No risk it. No biscuit" camp than the three yards and a pile of dust camp.

I think Carson became Ron's choice after trade talks with San Francisco went nowhere, Wilson didn't happen, and the other options looked dim. Washington thought it had a great time that was only missing a QB. I think that's really what the front office and coaching staff convinced themselves. They thought if they had a trigger man who could complete the long balls that Heinicke couldn't and make the defense play honest all across the field then they'd be set and ready to explode.

 

[Bulldog]

After all of the missteps with Dwayne Haskins, the public issues with Alex Smith returning, and then Fitzpatrick, etc. you would figure Ron would want to make the next decision on a quarterback to color his term as head coach and team president.

If that is not the case, then I have less respect for him.

But in an organization with this kind of track record you never really know the truth until all parties have separated and 2-3 years later someone writes a memoir or editorial describing the craziness.

 

[burgold]

Heinicke threw the early pick-six but then didn't turn the ball over again, no fumbles - no killer sacks, etc.

In fairness, Heinicke was responsible for another pick six and a fumble returned for a touchdown that the refs bailed us out on due to flags away from the play.

 

[Boone]

Except that there is this strong tradition in the NFL of keeping your mouth shut. There are very few instances of 'tell all' accounts, blockbuster interviews, etc... when it comes to head coaches and GMs in the NFL. Even when there literally is hate involved, guys like Mike Shanahan mostly remain in vault mode and refrain from throwing serious shade or revealing intimate details that might damage other top tier folks. The NFL is a dysfunctional corrupt mess, but it is built on loyalty and cronyism that is consistently a priority to an almost unbelievable degree. Outing of others at the top of the NFL is an unforgiveable treasonous sin.

 

[Kel Varnsen]

I know Rivera *claims* Wentz was his choice. I suspect it was his 'choice' after hearing the owner say 'Go get Carson Wentz'. That's just how Snyder operates. And when the guy signing your checks and whom you rely on for a continued gig in year 3 of mediocrity, you probably do what he asks.

You all covered it pretty well on the pod in the off-season. Picking a QB this off-season was almost like a Sophie’s Choice. There just wasn’t a good outcome and it was very much a roll of the dice and hope you don’t crap out. (Ok. I’m done with the colloquialisms.) Wentz clearly has not worked out and I doubt any of the other choices would have based on what they have done this year. It doesn’t matter if it was Snyder, Rivera, Marty, or Scott, it fits the pattern of finding a veteran and hoping for the best while watching the worst happen.

 

[Bulldog]

The comps on the Commanders is only going to get worse when Leonsis buys the Nationals. He will keep Rizzo and give them money to spend on scouts and the infrastructure the Lerners passed on investing in and they will be back at 90 wins and contending before the Commanders make any real progress.

 

[SirClintonPortis]

Remember, he is "Riverboat Ron." Part of his nature is in the belief in the importance of the big play, the killer play, and going for it. Ron doesn't want Martyball. Scott Turner surely doesn't want Martyball and probably told Ron his offense wasn't flying because the long ball and big called big play isn't there with Heinicke. Almost all of Heinicke's "big" plays have to come off script when he scrambles to create a defensive breakdown. Anyway, I think Ron is a bit more in the "No risk it. No biscuit" camp than the three yards and a pile of dust camp.

I think Carson became Ron's choice after trade talks with San Francisco went nowhere, Wilson didn't happen, and the other options looked dim. Washington thought it had a great time that was only missing a QB. I think that's really what the front office and coaching staff convinced themselves. They thought if they had a trigger man who could complete the long balls that Heinicke couldn't and make the defense play honest all across the field then they'd be set and ready to explode.

Ron needs to be a very dumb monkey to not see Wentz's poor footwork, eyework, etc on film, especially the very first game on the job here, where Wentz basically did lose the game to Haskins. Also, the media has already "shaded" Carson Wentz regarding his lack of leadership. Such relinquishment of censorship does not happen without management or ownership approval(Philly and Indy).
The insanity is especially evident since Ron has seen Phillip Rivers in action.

 

[burgold]

Yeah, but Jackonsville was an interesting game. He started out hot. Then cooled off and when the game became interesting became hot again. Remember, the first two drives were touchdowns. Then we sort of coasted (for way too long), and then when the game was threatened, he got his act together. It was also his very first game in the system and Scott's first game with him. You would have hoped everything would improve from that game. Instead, that game was his highlight.