Morning Buzz: Major loss for Lions
Welcome to your Morning Buzz, a roundup of news and views regarding the Green Bay Packers from around the web and here at PackersNews.com. Grab a cup of coffee, read all you can and get ready for your day.
First up, be sure to check out Bob McGinn’s scouting report on the Detroit Lions. Everything you need to know about the Packers’ next opponent, complete with quotes from personnel people throughout the league.
Speaking of the Lions, they announced Wednesday morning they are putting running back Ameer Abdullah on injured reserve. Abdullah leads the Lions with 101 yards rushing on 18 carries but left Sunday's 16-15 loss to the Tennessee Titans after a 24-yard run late in the first half. Theo Riddick inherits the Lions' No. 1 running back role, with rookie seventh-round pick Dwayne Washington the backup.
You can also hear my chat with Tori Petry, who covers the team for DetroitLions.com, as we take a look at Sunday’s matchup on my podcast.
McGinn’s Rating the Packers went up early Tuesday morning, looking at how each Packers player performed in Sunday night’s game against the Vikings and, well, things weren’t pretty.
None of the receivers fared particularly well, including Davante Adams :
Adams was a non-factor with three catches in seven targets for 26. He fumbled for the first time in his career, dropped a 44-yard TD, let Terence Newman cut him off on a lazy slant route that probably should have been intercepted and was flagged for offensive pass interference with a ridiculous shove of Waynes. Adams turned Waynes in circles with a nifty double move and take-off route, but because Adams runs 4.55 and Waynes runs 4.26 there was little separation by the time the ball arrived.
Eric Baranczyk's and Pete Dougherty’s film review led with a look at the struggles of the two-time league MVP quarterback.
Rodgers often looked uncomfortable in the pocket and bolted instead of getting the ball out. His mechanics occasionally slipped and he threw more off his back foot. Where at his MVP best he might miss one throw a game, he missed at least several Sunday night. And on occasion, he seemed locked onto a receiver or tried a more difficult completion when it appeared simpler throws were available elsewhere
Eric Goska has a statistical look at the Packers’ offensive problems in Minnesota on Sunday night, including this gem:
Historically, the Packers (like most teams) do not fare well when their quarterback is required to throw 10 or more times in the fourth quarter.
Rodgers was 7-for-13 for 100 yards and the interception in the final 15 minutes. His passer rating during that quarter was 47.0.
It was the 35th time Rodgers attempted 10 or more passes in a fourth quarter. The team’s record when he does so is a meager 7-28 (.200) and that includes two games before he became the starter.
Ty Montgomery, appearing on our Clubhouse Live show Monday night in Appleton, wants Packers fans to chill.
The Detroit Free Press’ Dave Birkett points out that Carl Cheffers, who is slated to ref the Lions-Packers game in Lambeau on Sunday, is the same referee who called the facemask penalty in Detroit last year that led to Aaron Rodgers’ Hail Mary.
Mike Freeman leads his weekly 10 Point Stance for Bleacher Report with “What’s Wrong With Aaron Rodgers?” Freeman ponders whether the problem truly lies with Rodgers or whether it's the talent he has to work with on the Packers' offense.
Adam Schien is ready to put a fork in the Chicago Bears after only two weeks, calling them the second worst team in the NFL. “They look like an expansion team.”