Green Bay Packers Mid-Season Report

With five wins and three losses, the season is at the half-way point for the Green Bay Packers.  There have been many positives and negatives with this team.  Let’s take a closer look… Biggest Surprise of the Year. Gold – James Jones.  Jones said his goal for 2012 was a Pro Bowl invitation.  He currently leads the league in touchdowns receptions with seven.  He has been the target of 57 passes and he does not have one drop.  Just think…he was trade-bait heading into the season. Silver – A.J. Hawk.  As another candidate to be traded or at least be benched in 2012, Hawk is having one of the better years of his career. Bronze – Jermichael Finley.  Not even the biggest haters thought Finley would be this average. Runner-up – Casey Hayward.  Showed sparks in training camp and now looks like a legitimate NFL starter. Most Disappointing Player. Gold – Jermichael Finley.  Both on and off the field, Finley disappoints.  Finley has 28 catches for 265 yards and a boatload of drops.  Finley’s playing time is decreasing. Silver – Nick Perry.  The potential is there for the first round pick, but clearly he is being beaten out by his counterparts, including Erik Walden. Bronze – Jeff Saturday. The free agent veteran is no Scott Wells. Hopefully his decline does not get steeper as the season goes on. Most Disappointing Coach. Tom Clements – After having the third ranked offense in 2011, the team has taken a step back in 2012.  The Packers averaged a whopping 35 points per game in 2011.  How is a team with the same kind of talent (if not more) averaging just 26 points per game 2012?  I think Aaron Rodgers and Mike McCarthy miss having Joe Philbin around. Dom Capers – After the loss to the Indianapolis Colts , many were putting Capers on the chopping block. Worst Play of the Year. This one is a toss-up.  And they both occurred in last Sunday’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. A.J. Hawk missed a relatively easy tackle in the flat that resulted in a 15 yard gain for the Jaguars.  The replay of this attempted tackle is as hilarious as it is painful. Tim Masthay being put on the field by Mike McCarthy and Shawn Slocum to execute a fake field goal on 4th and 8.  When you have the best quarterback on the planet why give it to your Punter to make the pass? Most Underutilized Player. Randall Cobb.  Things are picking up steam for Cobb, who has three touchdowns in the last couple of games.  Cobb needs to be used like Percy Harvin.  Put him in at running back.  Put him in a quarterback.  Throw him the screen pass.  Try the end-around.  It is scary what Cobb will eventually become for this team. Most Over-utilized Player. Alex Green.  Coach McCarthy should be commended for sticking with the run during the last two wins against the St. Louis Rams and Jacksonville Jaguars. With that, Green has received way too many chances to actually do something with the football.  His average yards per run as a starter this year is 2.1 yards and he continues to trip over himself.  His playing time is set to go down starting this Sunday. Most Over-utilized Term.  Gold – “Juice”.  From Coach McCarthy to QB Aaron Rodgers, the team constantly brings up the need for juice.  In terms of getting to the opposing quarterback, it is working.  In terms of A.J. Hawk, it is working. Silver – “Chemistry”.  Jermichael Finley has openly stated on more than one occasion that he and his quarterback do not have chemistry, even blaming Rodgers for not trying to garner it.  Finley says the two had a conversation and now they officially have chemistry.  The problem here is these two guys may just not like each other. Pro Bowl Watch. In – Clay Matthews, Aaron Rodgers, and Tim Masthay. On the Bubble – Jordy Nelson and Ryan Pickett. Worth Mentioning – James Jones, Randall Cobb, Tramon Williams, B.J. Raji, Morgan Burnett, T.J. Lang, and Casey Hayward. Packers Rookie of the Year in the First Half of the Year. Gold – Casey Hayward. He is ranked second in the NFL with four interceptions.  With Davon House and Sam Shields limited this season with injuries, Hayward has been a surprise savior. Silver – Jerron McMillian.  The player who has not cut his hair in over seven years has an incredibly bright future in Green Bay. Bronze – Dezman Moses.  The undrafted linebacker out of Tulane is not exactly piling up statistics, but he is certainly doing everything a coach could ask for. Most Important Game of the Second Half of the Year. Arizona Cardinals.  Why?  Because a loss to an inferior team at home would be devastating heading into the bye week and the very challenging second half schedule.  The Cardinals are ranked 31st in total offense and have allowed 35 sacks to their quarterbacks.  With that, they have the sixth-ranked defense and are tied with the Packers for most sacks in the NFL.  The Packers need to boost their momentum and come out of the game in good health.  A game such as the New York Giants is certainly huge, but a win there would be a “nice-to-have”. Most Important Offensive Player in the Second Half. Gold – Aaron Rodgers.  As he showed in 2011, he not only carries the offense but when needed he helps cover for a poor defense. Silver – Jordy Nelson.  The passing game has shown that they can move forward without Jermichael Finley and even Greg Jennings, but when Jordy Nelson is not playing like a Pro Bowler or is injured the offense has sputtered.  The first month of the season and the poor showing against the Jacksonville Jaguars are prime examples. Bronze – Marshall Newhouse.  In one way or another, all five offensive lineman have been a factor this season.  Newhouse has been solid and needs to continue his blind side protection. Most Important Defensive Player in the Second Half. Gold – Morgan Burnett.  With Charles Woodson out, the veteran needs to play like a Pro Bowler and be the fill-in leader of the secondary. Silver – Clay Matthews.  Time for a new contract. Bronze – A.J. Hawk.  More injuries bring more pressure on Hawk. Runner-Up – Tramon Williams.  The starting cornerback has been one of the most volatile players on the team and he needs to show more consistency – especially when he is going up against a top NFL receiver. Overall Most Important Limb in the Second Half. Gold – Mason Crosby’s leg.  There is little doubt that a game in the near future will come down to a Mason Crosby field goal.  No pressure. Silver – Aaron Rodgers’ hose.  Entire societies rely on the golden arm of the league MVP. Follow @PackersTakes