Forgettable First Half Dooms Green Bay in Washington

By Eric Goska

In 1951, Detroit became the first team to amass more than 300 yards

and more than 25 points against the Packers in a first half.
Sunday, the Redskins became the latest.

Only one quarterback ever led the Packers to victory under conditions similar to those Green Bay faced at halftime in Washington.

That player has been out of the league for years.

The Redskins came out firing Sunday with one of their best offensive first halves in years. A score on their opening possession produced a lead they never relinquished as they pounded Green Bay 31-17 at FedExField.

The Redskins were looking to take control from the get-go. The team plays better with an early lead as a number of graphics during the television broadcast attested to.

Washington delivered and more. The team scored touchdowns on four of six first-half possessions and built an 18-point advantage at halftime.

In dominating play in the opening two quarters, two numbers stood out for the Redskins: 323 yards and 28 points. That’s more yards (160) and points (17) than the Bears accumulated in their first half hour of play against Green Bay in the opener.

As a Packers fan, one longs to be a dentist in order to remove the bad taste that lingers from those two pathetic first-half showings.

Washington, on the other hand, must have been downright giddy. In five seasons under head coach Jay Gruden, the Redskins had never scored 28 first-half points. Only once had they gained more than 323 yards in the opening two quarters.

The Redskins’ first-half scoring drives measured 75, 79, 98 and 74 yards. Except for the second advance, each touchdown took fewer than 200 seconds (3 minutes, 20 seconds) to materialize.

Translation—the Redskins wasted little time in dissecting Green Bay.

Long-distance plays accounted for more than half of the first-half haul. Vernon Davis (50 yards), Paul Richardson (46) and Jordan Reed (34) stretched the field with receptions. Adrian Peterson ripped off a run of 41.

The Redskins welcomed ineptitude on another front. They accepted three pass interference penalties on Green Bay – Jaire Alexander (22 yards), Tramon Williams (8) and Davon House (7) – on their second touchdown drive.

Figuratively speaking, Washington nearly made the equivalent of a first down every time it touched the ball. The team averaged 9.8 yards per play in the first half. Quarterback Alex Smith earned 21.4 yards with every completion.

Washington displayed balance. It had 109 yards rushing and 214 yards passing in assembling a 28-10 first-half lead.

For Green Bay, it was ugly, but the final result hardly surprising. The team is 1-12 when surrendering 300 or more yards and 25 or more points before intermission.

Fortunately, these stinkers don’t show up often. When they do, reach for the mouthwash.

Green Bay first performed a 300/25 pratfall against the Lions in a 52-35 loss on Thanksgiving Day 1951. Until Sunday, the most recent face-plant had occurred in Nashville where Green Bay was overwhelmed 47-25 by the Titans (351/35) in 2016.

Mike McCarthy endured his first in his inaugural year as Packers head coach in 2006. The Jets beat Green Bay 38-10 after piling up 340 yards and 31 points in the first half.

To Green Bay’s credit, it finally clamped down on Washington. Its defense surrendered just 63 yards and three points in the second half.

The Redskins gained six yards passing in Quarters 3 and 4 combined. That’s the fewest the Packers have allowed after the break since holding the Eagles to minus-1 in 2000.

Green Bay forced Washington to punt on four consecutive possessions while giving up just 31 yards and one first down. That lone chain-mover resulted from a highly questionable roughing the passer call on linebacker Clay Matthews.

But Aaron Rodgers and the offense couldn’t rise to the occasion. Aside from a 15-play, 75-yard touchdown drive at the start of the third quarter, the Packers were held scoreless.

Drops on fourth down by Randall Cobb and third down by Lance Kendricks proved costly. The game effectively ended after cornerback Fabian Moreau ripped the ball from Cobb’s grasp with 5 minutes, 23 seconds remaining. Fellow defensive back Josh Norman recovered.

Someone, please text Matt Flynn. After the Cowboys piled up 332 yards and 26 points in erecting a 26-3 first-half lead in 2013, Flynn coolly led Green Bay to a 37-36 victory. His second-half passer rating that day (136.7) was far better than that of Rodgers (85.3) in Washington.

Better yet, Green Bay could emulate the Bears and Redskins. Both teams came ready to play, something that needs to happen week in and week out in the National Football League.

300/25

The 13 regular-season games in which the Packers surrendered 300 or more yards and 25 or more points in the first half.

Date                      Opponent        Yards     Points     Final

Sept. 23, 2018       Redskins          323         28           GB lost, 17-31

Nov. 13, 2016       Titans               351         35           GB lost, 25-47

Dec. 15, 2013        Cowboys         332         26           GB won, 37-36

Dec. 3, 2006          Jets                  340         31           GB lost, 10-38

Dec. 5, 2004          Eagles              302         35           GB lost, 17-47

Oct. 11, 2004        Titans               310         27           GB lost, 27-48

Sept. 26, 2004       Colts                328         35           GB lost, 31-45

Dec. 16, 1956        Rams                349         35           GB lost, 21-49

Nov. 11, 1956       Bears               319         28           GB lost, 14-38

Nov. 6, 1955         Bears               313         28           GB lost, 31-52

Dec. 5, 1954          49ers                320         28           GB lost, 0-35

Dec. 12, 1953        Rams                335         26           GB lost, 17-33

Nov. 22, 1951       Lions                325         31           GB lost, 35-52

CHOOSE FREE AGENTS FIRST!

OPINION
By Jodi Woodruff
THE WALL ROCKS 

In pro football, teams should choose free agents first, before those who are drafted! Free agents are veteran, seasoned players who have seen sometimes years of pro. background versus a fresh out of college senior - who is young and still needs 2-3 years under his belt before playing the pros!

Baseball uses the minor leagues to work up their players for the pros. Football can do the same, using the CFL, International Leagues, the IFL, and the CIF leagues to groom their soon-to-be star players.

Give Kirk Cousins a few years, and he will be a pro. He "has all the right stuff". He's just too young. That's all. He needs some time to develop and grow into the position of star quarterback - like Kurt Warner, Warren Moon, and Case Keenum did. But, until then - why risk the injury and loss(es) to a young player. It isn't fair to that player. He deserves a chance to grow naturally into his position without the pressure of the NFL limelight on him.

Plus the risk of injury is great when they are young. Plus, how many #1 draft picks have we seen that just haven't "cut it" in the pros? And Heisman Trophy winners. Obviously, it is definitely not that they aren't good enough, because these players clearly are. They just need a few more years in the semi-pros to work out "the kinks" in their programs, and to naturally mature and grow into the position.

Drew Powell, from the Iowa Barnstormers, is an excellent example. Compared to Kurt Warner, Drew was the MVP in the IFL (Indoor Football League) in 2018. His team won the championship for the first time in 19 years. (Kurt Warner did not bring home a title for Iowa during his time with the same team.) I'm much more confident in Drew's ability to do well in the NFL than I am with half the quarterbacks currently in the NFL. They are all pros, to be sure. The top 1 of the 1%. But, they just haven't done their time "in the Leagues" like Drew has.

Another example is the phenomenal Cochise Jones. Cochise is a running back with the Mersin Mustangs—an International League team from Europe. Cochise has broken 2 franchise records and was voted MVP, as a running back, of his League. Now that is what I call a Pro. Football Player. This guy knows what he is doing, and he has "been around the block" already. Plus, he is used to the attention, adoration, and paparazzi already. No "learning curve" required!

The NFL was not meant to be a training ground for college recruits and rookies. It is supposed to be "the pros". We pay to see pro-senior players. And, that is precisely what I want to see! Not kids fresh out of college, but pro-senior players who have "been there, done that" already. That is what I'm paying the big bucks for! The Pros - P-R-O-S!

I already know about Case Keenum, Adam Thielen, and the famous Kurt Warner story. But there are many other senior, gifted players who played undrafted in the Leagues. I did some research on this and the list is long. Here is a sample of it:

Case Keenum, Adam Thielen, Kurt Warner, Warren Moon, Emlen Tunnell, Marion Motley, Drew Pearson, Joe Perry, Dave Grayson, Larry Little, Coy Bacon, Rod Smith, Cornell Green, Lou Groza, London Fletcher, Willie Wood, Donnie Shell, Nate Newton, Cameron Wake, Jeff Saturday, Joe Jacoby, Jason Peters, Brian Waters, Cliff Harris, James Harrison, Malcolm Butler, Wes Welker, Adam Vinatieri, Willie Brown, Antonio Gates, Tony Romo, Danny Amendola, Priest Holmes, Dick Lane, and the famous John Randle.

Wow! That is quite an impressive list of names. Equally impressive is how many great quarterbacks have come from that rank. You think it can't be done? Well, it is already happening all the time. And - they are proven stars that win games and Super Bowls! That is what is incredible and amazing about it all.

For the safety of the younger players, I would prefer to see veteran, seasoned players in the NFL! Players that have played the semi-pros or other pros for at least a year if not more. (3 would be my preference.) In conclusion, it would be nice if the NFL would hire Free Agents First!

TUESDAY TIDBITS: Lugging the Leather

By TJ Troup

Another terrific week of Pro Football and today's Tuesday Tidbits the topic is running the ball for 100 yards. When the Atlanta Falcons don't have a 100 yard rusher they wins 36% of the time. When they do, they win 71% of the time!

Sunday was a classic example as Tevin Coleman gained 107 yards in the victory over Carolina. This was not the first time a Falcon has gained over 100 against the Panthers; in fact Atlanta's record when having a 100 yard rusher against them is a sterling 11-3!

Next, we are headed out West for the confrontation between San Francisco and Detroit. Now that we have eight divisions there are teams that just don't play as often as they use to. Once upon a time (no, this is not a bedtime story) there was a consistently hard-fought rivalry between Detroit and San Francisco (1950 through 1966).

The 49ers have had many outstanding runners; in fact some Hall of Fame runners thus the title "Lugging the Leather". When the Niners don't have a 100-yard rusher against Detroit their record is 24-25-1, but when they do—a dominating 14-3 record including Matt Breida's powerhouse performance Sunday afternoon in the California sunshine. See ya next week.

Green Bay's High Five Not Enough

By Eric Goska

The Fan broadcasts from the Green Bay Distillery

prior to each Packers home game.

Had Mason Crosby made history, the Packers would have defeated the Vikings.

Had Daniel Carlson not come down with a rare case of errancy, Green Bay would have lost to Minnesota.

Field goal kicking took center stage at Lambeau Field Sunday afternoon. Missed kicks by both players proved costly as Green Bay and Minnesota were forced to settle for a 29-29 tie.

Kickers are unique. For the short amount of time they spend on the field, they often have an inordinate say in the outcome of a game.

Crosby and Carlson had chances to deliver in the clutch. Both missed wide of the mark.

Crosby, of course, is a veteran. Now in his 12th season with the Packers, he’s the team’s all-time leading scorer with 1,368 points.

Carlson, his counterpart on the Vikings, is a rookie with but one field goal on his professional resume. Minnesota thought highly enough of the former Auburn Tiger to draft him in the fifth round of the 2018 draft.

Crosby had the busier day. The 34-year-old attempted six field goals, connecting on his first five which measured 37, 40, 31, 48 and 36 yards.

Carlson had the rougher go of it. The 23-year-old failed to split the uprights in three attempts from 48, 49 and 35 yards away.

Crosby’s chance at history – and the Packers’ chance at victory – came with three seconds left. Cash in on a 52-yarder and the foot-wielding specialist walks off with a sixth field goal – a team record for a single game – and the Packers prevailed 32-29.

The veteran appeared to do just that. From long snapper Hunter Bradley to holder J.K. Scott to the toe of Crosby, the ball was sent sailing over the crossbar.

But a timeout by Minnesota just before that sequence began rendered the play null and void. Green Bay had to try again.

This time, Crosby sent his kick wide left. It was an unfortunate ending to what had been a sterling performance.

Crosby’s miss ushered in overtime. Green Bay got one possession in the extra period and did not come close enough to summon Crosby for a seventh time.

The extra 10 minutes did provide Carlson with two shots at victory. Both times he missed wide right, first from 49 yards and then from 35 yards as time expired.

Add in his failed second-quarter attempt and Carlson finished 0-for-3. The Vikings released the rookie the following day.

That Green Bay didn’t lose to Minnesota is somewhat remarkable. Raise your hand if you recall the last time a kicker endured an oh-fer day (minimum three attempts) against the Packers.

In the last 40 years, just three players had been snake bitten to such an extent. The most recent was Steve Christie of the Giants who failed on all three of his attempts in New York’s 14-7 win over Green Bay on Oct. 3, 2004.

The other two: Eddie Murray (0-for-4) on Sept. 30, 1990 and Neil O’Donoghue (0-for-3) on Sept. 16, 1979.

Though Crosby didn’t come through with a record sixth field goal, he became the first Packers player to kick five in three different games. He had that many in a 22-9 win over the Lions in 2013 and the same number in a 30-13 victory in Minnesota in 2015.

Chris Jacke (twice) and Ryan Longwell (once) are the only other Packers to have kicked five in a game.

Crosby also joins Paul Hornung and Chester Marcol as the only Packers to have attempted six field goals in one game. Hornung was the first in 1960. Marcol (five times) was the busiest.

Last season Crosby’s run of 10 consecutive seasons with 100 or more points came to an end as the Packers struggled to a 7-9 record. Crosby and Jason Elam (12 straight) are the only two players in NFL history to have earned 100 or more points in each of their first 10 seasons.

If Green Bay’s game against the Vikings is any indication, Crosby will again surpass 100 this season. That’s good news for the Packers who tend to do better when they keep their kicker swinging for the uprights.

Extra points

The Packers are 41-1-1 in games in which they score four or more field goals.

Mason Crosby has scored more points against the Vikings (193) than he has against the Bears (172) or the Lions (161).

High Fives

Packers who have kicked five field goals in one game.

Kicker                        Opponent        Date                      Result

Mason Crosby            Vikings             Sept. 16, 2018       tie, 29-29

Mason Crosby             Vikings             Nov. 22, 2015       won, 30-13

Mason Crosby             Lions                Oct. 6, 2013          won, 22-9

Ryan Longwell             Cardinals          Sept. 24, 2000       won, 29-3

Chris Jacke                  49ers                Oct. 14, 1996        won, 23-20

Chris Jacke                  Raiders             Nov. 11, 1990       won, 29-16

Oh-Fers

Players who attempted at least three field goals in a game against the Packers and failed on each attempt.

Kicker                         FG       Team               Date                      Result

Daniel Carlson              0-3       Vikings             Sept. 16, 2018       tie, 29-29

Steve Christie               0-3       Giants               Oct. 3, 2004          won, 14-7

Eddie Murray               0-4       Lions                Sept. 30, 1990       lost, 21-24

Neil O’Donoghue         0-3       Buccaneers       Sept. 16, 1979       won, 21-10

Chris Bahr                    0-4       Bengals            Sept. 26, 1976       won, 28-7

Pete Gogolak               0-3       Giants               Sept. 19, 1971       won, 42-40

Tommy Davis               0-4       49ers                Sept. 28, 1969       lost, 7-14

Tommy Davis               0-3       49ers                Nov. 19, 1967       lost, 0-13

Fred Cox                     0-3       Vikings             Nov. 10, 1963       lost, 7-28

George Blanda             0-3       Bears               Sept. 28, 1958       won, 34-20

George Blanda             0-3       Bears               Sept. 28, 1952       won, 24-14

Bob Waterfield             0-3       Rams                Oct. 21, 1951        won, 28-0

Bill Dudley                    0-4       Lions                Oct. 30, 1949        lost, 14-16

Nick Scollard               0-3       Bulldogs           Oct. 7, 1949          lost, 0-19

George Blanda             0-3       Bears               Sept. 25, 1949       won, 17-0

Dutch Clark                  0-3       Lions                Nov. 25, 1934       lost, 0-3

Saquon Barkley's 14 Receptions Set New Giant Mark

LOOKING BACK
By John Turney

Barkley's first reception of the night. There would be 13 more.

Saquon Barkley's Sunday Night debut ended in a loss for the Giants but it ended with him holding the single-game record for most receptions in the history of the franchise. He snagged 14 passes for 80 yards bettering Tiki Barber's standard of 13, set in 2000.

Here is a screenshot of the 2018 Giants Media Guide—

Here is a screenshot of the NFLGSIS stat sheet—

We don't suggest how significant it is given the low total of 80 yards and the loss, but as they say records are kept to be broken and when it happens we try to report it.

Which Defensive Linemen Are Going to Advance to Semi-Final List?

LOOKING AHEAD
By John Turney

The Pro Football Hall of Fame released its preliminary list for the Class of 2019. The defensive linemen on the list were La’Roi Glover, Russell Maryland, Leslie O’Neal, Simeon Rice, Richard Seymour, Neil Smith, Bryant Young.

Our favorite defensive end on the list is not one of the edge rushers, it's Richard Seymour. He was an end when the Patriots were in a 3-4 scheme and when they went to a four-man line he was a tackle, usually a three-technique (a position he once told us was his favorite. These days he would be called a "defensive interior" player. But what he did was not different than what Howie Long did or what JJ Watt does now (though less than earlier in his career) and to a much lesser degree Elvin Bethea.

So whether you call him an end or tackle or interior player, he was a force versus the run and in nickel situations, he could rush well from the inside. Also of note, only Seymour and Ty Law have any serious chance at the Hall of Fame, precious few for a team that won three Super Bowl rings for a team that was known for an excellent defense.

Here is a compilation of his scouting reports coming out of college. Pretty much right on the money by Joel Buchsbaum, Gil Brandt, and Ourlads.

In recent years the HOF voting committee has been very kind to edge rushers and maybe that changes this year. We expect Seymour to be on the Final 25 for sure and also we are predicting he will be on the Final 15 as well. We shall see.

O'Neal was a classic edge rusher, he was usually a 4-3 defensive end but he did spend some time as a 3-4 OLBer. He was never All-Pro but was Second-team All-Pro three times and went to six Pro Bowls. When his stuffs are added to his sacks, he totaled over 200, which is a good number for an edge rusher. He had a shot at being on the Semi-Final list of 25.

Neil Smith was a good run defending defensive end, he could get after the passer too. Smith grabbed a pair of Super Bowl rings with the Broncos and like Richard Seymour could get his hands on passes and kicks with 51 passes defensed and 5 blocked kicks. Certainly a very solid player, we are not sure people remember how good he was. We don't expect to see him make the Final 25.

Simeon Rice was a top-flight pass rusher but not known as a good run stuffer. He gets kudos from Warren Sapp as being HOF-worthy, but from few else. he has a chance to make the Final 25 but little chance to advance beyond that, in our view.

La'Roi Glover led the NFL in sacks in 2000 (kind of) and was a fine 3-technique in New Orleans and also played some nose tackle with Dallas in 2005. He was a two-time All-Pro and went to six Pro Bowls. He had 83.5 sacks and 52.5 run/pass stuffs and 16 forced fumbles. We don't see him making the final 25.

 Bryant Young is one of those players who didn't get as many All-Pro honors as he deserved. He was a two-time First-team All-Pro and a four-time Pro Bowler. He ended his career with 89.5 sacks and 76 run/pass stuffs for a total of 165.5 "stacks" (sacks plus stuffs).

 As a comparison, here are Warren Sapp's career stats (he had 162 "stacks"). He was All-Pro and a Pro Bowler in 2001 and 2002 and we are not sure why—other than team success and the fact that there were not others who had better seasons. But you can see that Young's stats, other than the "honors" match up well to Sapp's. Not quite the pass rusher that Sapp was, but more solid versus the run.

Maryland is on the prelim list and we are not sure why. He was mostly a shade tackle (nose) in a 4-3 defense, a run plugger who usually came out of the game in passing situations so guys like Jim Jeffcoat and Leon Lett could come in and get after the passer. He had a slid career but not one you'd expect from a #1 overall pick. He did make one Pro Bowl (in 1993) and likey should have gone in 1997 and he snagged three Super Bowl rings. Again, a nice career, but Hall of Fame? No.

TUESDAY TIDBITS: A Review of Week One

By TJ Troup

As always, a fascinating opening week in the NFL, and with 16 games there should be some compelling drama/interesting games. Have not done this in the past, so for this year on Tuesday will review some historical/statistical aspect of the weekend. My research almost always deals in winning and losing. When a team returns an interception for a touchdown they win about 79% of the time. When a team has a 100-yard rusher and the opponent does not the team with the 100-yard rusher wins 77% of the time. This covers data from 1934 to the present, and was sent to the distinguished Mr. Steve Sabol years ago.

So what happens when a team has both? A 100 yard rusher, and an interception returned for a score; what is the win%? Steve Sabol and I sure enjoyed have titles put on the work done, and my respect for former great football writers gave me the title of APOCALYPTIC HORSEMEN—for the above achievement. Last night both the Rams and Jets had a 100 yard rusher and an interception return for a score, and they both won. Historically the win percentage is 91%, and usually does not happen often during a season (usually less than 10 times). See ya next week.