Another exhilirating win, this time in RayJay. It looked like we had the game locked away after the 2nd quarter, but we let them back in, and pulled out another (technically) come from behind win.
Derrick Brooks should have had a pick for a score. He had it in his hands at about the 5 yard line and just duffed it, his second INT drop of the drive. He made up for it late in the game with a pick though.
Greg Jennings first touchdown was a breakdown in the Cover 2 by Tanard Jackson. He has to be responsible for that deep corner route in the Tampa 2, and he wasn’t there on that opening score. Him and Jermaine Phillips ended the game spectacularly though, and Flip ended the game with the Bucs 3rd defensive TD in 4 games.
Everytime I talk shit about Dexter Jackson he responds with a big game, so I think I will continue to call him out for the rest of the year….shhhhhh….good game Djax!
WE DIDN’T CATCH THE DAMNED BALL. That was pretty clearly stated in my pregame thoughts, and I counted at least 6 drops, one of which was handed directly to a Packers player (Michael Clayton with said drop). Clayton also dropped another key pass late in the game. If Steve Dueming wants to know why Michael Clayton doesn’t play, it has nothing to do with a personal vendetta against Clayton by Jon Gruden, its because he ISN’T CATCHING THE DAMNED FOOTBALL, PERIOD. This is unacceptable and is truly going to be the downfall of this team if not corrected soon, as in this week.
I clearly stated in my pregame notes, that Aaron Rodgers had not faced a true road test yet. Well he got his test on Sunday, and failed. We brought the heat at him all day long, and he felt it both physically and mentally. There is talk that he has a dislocated shoulder, and after the last hit he took in the game by Greg White, I’m surprised he doesn’t have a dislocated torso.
The running game was phenomenal. As I stated pregame, I thought Warrick Dunn would be a bigger part of the offense starting with this game, and he was, and just as I had predicted a lot of sweeps and stretch type plays opened up the holes for Ernest Graham to run in the middle later in the game. I love being right!
Brian Griese still scares the shit out of me in crunch time. We were killing this team on the way to an easy route, and the two picks he threw late in the game, one of which was returned for a TD, put them right back in the game. We are overcoming TO’s at this point, and that is a good sign of perseverance; you can not win in this league though turning the ball over 3 times a game.
What a game from the defense. The pass rush was phenomenal, and Gaines Adams and Greg White have to be in the upper echelon of DE tandems in the league at this point. While they accounted for 0 sacks in the game, it was direct results of their playmaking ability that led to numerous poor plays on the Packers end.
I was so happy that Matt Bryant kicked what turned out to be the game winning field goal. I told people in my section, that I had hoped we won 30-0 on 10 Matt Bryant field goals. It was not that huge of a game statistically, but to be able to battle through burying your child on Saturday, and come out and have a great game on Sunday is a testament to the resolve of Bryant.
Every NFL player and coach talks about breaking the season up into 4 quarters. Well we started Q1 with a 3-1 record, and if we can improve upon the mistakes we have been making, we are going to be a very dangerous team.