(by Ross Jacobs)
The Packers won this game 20 to 7, and just a few days later they made a massive trade for Micah Parsons, so feelings in Green Bay are sky high at the moment…but if I was a Packer fan, I would be scared to death after watching this game.
Yes, the Packers won big and even led 20-0 at one point, but context is everything. Green Bay played the entire first two series of the game with their starting offense and defense minus Jordan Love and a couple of injured players…and the Seahawks countered with, not the backups, but the guys that were soon to be cut…and against players that a week later are not on any NFL roster, the Packers could barely move the ball save for the occasional Malik Willis scramble. The offensive line was not getting movement. The receivers (Doubs and their shiny new toy Golden) were not separating. The defense did not look remotely dominant against UFL talent. It was not pretty.
Jordan Love has missed most of the preseason and camp with an injured thumb, and several of his receivers have missed time as well and are questionable for Week 1. They haven’t had time together, have no chemistry built up, and the offensive line looks mediocre. This offense very well might struggle for a hefty chunk of the season, and it’s possible they never get things going. You can add Parsons to the defense all you want. I’m not at all convinced he alone suddenly makes this team a Superbowl contender. I smell a letdown season coming, and if this team is around .500 for the third time in four years after acquiring a megastar edge rusher, there could be a lot of questions and a lot of hot seats at the end of the year.
For the Seahawks, there’s not much to be gleaned here. They barely played anyone of note. I will say even their scrubs looked fired up and well-coached. They fought despite being severely outmatched in talent. If the starters and backups play with that same energy and coordination, Seattle is going to surprise a lot of people, as we’ve been saying since the spring.
Player Notes…
-- Matthew Golden…we were skeptical from the beginning. A small, average-looking receiver that had two big games at the end of his college career against surprised defenses that weren’t prepared for him because he was a nobody at the time. Isaiah Bond got hurt and Texas had to funnel things through Golden, and he had a couple of nice games getting lost in coverage. Except if you watch the Georgia tape, Golden was getting schemed open early and then Georgia adjusted coverage to him in the 2nd half and basically shut him out. When you watch him on the field, obviously he’s fairly fast, but that 4.2 40-time from the combine absolutely does not show up.
And yet the Packers ignored all the warning signs as all the experts crowed about Golden being the best receiver in the class and said he would be drafted ahead of Tetairoa McMillan…
Now here we are on the doorstep of the season and Golden looks mediocre on the field and the reports from the coaches (per Chalk Talk) are anything but glowing. I think they are starting to figure out what we’ve known for months…Matthew Golden is fool’s gold. His one 39 yard catch here will be held up as proof of his greatness, but he wasn’t remotely open, a backup corner was running stride for stride with him and the ball should never have been thrown, but it was short and as the corner turned his head to look, Golden slid behind him and in front of him and caught it. If the ball was thrown better or the corner was better, that throw is never completed.
I can’t wait to watch McMillan go for 90+ catches and over 1000 yards as the only good receiver on Carolina while Golden flounders away. And all the analysts that tried to sell that nonsense will conveniently forget it. We’ll still talk about what a great scout Steve Smith is and how he’s always right.
-- Josh Jacobs was only in for one carry (Why? What is the point of getting him a single carry?) and the first back in for him was Chris Brooks who proceeded to look like he was running up a hill trying to pull a semi behind him. I don’t get it. He can be a great blocker all he wants. The guy is beyond useless as a runner or receiver. This is Benny Snell with the Steelers all over again.
Emmanuel Wilson looks a million times better and proves it every time he’s on the field, but Matt LaFleur has his head…somewhere…
-- LaFleur got a ton of accolades for winning 13 games each of his first three seasons, but ever since Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams left, they have not come close to repeating that. And now with all the bewildering personnel decisions, it’s just a matter of time until people realize it and start questioning the Boy Wonder.
-- Don’t get your hopes up for Jalen Milroe displacing Sam Darnold anytime soon. He’s a million miles away from starting an NFL game. He looks exactly like his comp from the draft early in his career…and the guy that started on the other side of the field, Malik Willis. Very athletic, cannon arm…no instincts or accuracy. He’s got a long, long way to go if he’s even going to make it.
-- Pour one out for one of my hopefuls, Ricky White. He was always going to have to make a name for himself on special teams and work his way up the receiving ladder because of his lack of natural athleticism, but apparently he wasn’t standing out enough in that department despite being a special teams demon in college. White still has some raw skills, so I don’t want to completely slam the door shut, but his odds just went from very long to “Walter White will see the error of his ways and reform” long.
-- George Holani didn’t play here, a sign that he had made the team already ahead of rookie Damien Martinez, who inexplicably had many analysts claim he was going to push Walker and Charbonnet. Well deserved from Holani. He’s not great, but he gives good effort and gets the job done.
-- And a nice job from Cody White securing a roster spot by almost single-handedly producing Seattle’s lone score in this game. He came in at the end of the game and caught three balls on a single drive to get them in position and score. He’s not a hidden superstar or anything, but he’s big with decent speed, good body control, and very good hands, your classic possession receiver.
