Remember last week when I said that, despite the Packers’ domination of Buffalo, we still had to temper our excitement a bit because it was a preseason game?
Yeah, screw that.
Get excited, folks. Get really excited.
Because if there’s one overlining theme from Friday night’s 44-37 road win over the defending NFC champion-Arizona Cardinals, it’s this: the Green Bay Packers are ready to rock. And the rest of the NFL better take notice.
Again, get excited.
Get excited about an offense that scored 38 first-half points. It would have been 41 if Ruvell Martin hadn’t been holding in place of Matt Flynn as Martin’s botched hold led to a missed 29-yard field goal from Mason Crosby. In 12 preseason possessions, the starters have put points on the board 10 times. There’s no reason to believe the offense can’t be every bit as lethal as those in New England, New Orleans or Indianapolis.
Get excited about an offensive line that is making amends for a shoddy 2008 season. The group finally has five set starters and is already building chemistry. Aaron Rodgers hasn’t been touched and the running backs are getting nice, clean lanes to run through. It wasn’t like there wasn’t talent at the position. It was just that head coach Mike McCarthy juggled the group far too much for the talent to ever settle in.
Get excited – no, make that really, really, over-the-moon excited – about Rodgers. The guy just continues to show that he’s ready to take his place amongst the elite QBs in the league right now. He’s not Brees, Brady, Manning or Big Ben (I hate typing his last name, so I just won’t) yet. But if you were going to pick a guy from outside that group to build around for the next decade, how many names would you legitimately pick ahead of Rodgers? By my count, none.
In roughly a full game’s worth of action in the preseason, Rodgers numbers are: 27-of-38, 458 yards, six touchdowns and no interceptions. That makes for a quarterback rating of 151.1. He only threw five incomplete passes against the Cards. Rodgers again proved Friday night that if a play isn’t there, he’s content on just throwing it out of the endzone and living to fight another down. Up until last season, I didn’t even think QBs could do that. I thought they had to idiotically force the ball into double or triple coverage and have the drive be destroyed as a result of an interception.
Screw you, Judas.
Get excited about the targets Rodgers has, particularly the “secondary” targets. Everyone knows how good Greg Jennings and Donald Driver (who is having a tremendous preseason, by the way) are. But how many outsiders really knew how good players like James Jones, Jordy Nelson and Jermichael Finley were? Well, with a combined 10 catches for 166 yards and three touchdowns Friday, that group is showing everyone that if you don’t know, you better learn quick. They’ll kill you if you don’t.
Get excited about players like Tyrell Sutton. Despite idiots like me not even mentioning him in the race for the third running back spot, Sutton has proved that, in the NFL, all a guy really needs is a chance. Sutton had 106 combined yards (rushing, receiving and kick returns) Friday and, in my mind, has become a lock to make the 53-man roster. He’s earned it. And that’s what makes sports great.
Get excited about the fact that we no longer have to wonder if the defense is still in the dark on learning the 3-4 scheme. When you hold a high-powered offense like Arizona’s – yes, Anquan Boldin and Steve Breaston were out, but all the other major players were there – to just 10 points in the first half, it’s fair to say they know it.
That’s not to say things will always go smoothly or even that they did Friday night – the defense screwed up on stopping a couple of run plays and had quite a bit of trouble with Larry Fitzgerald (wait – so does everyone else) – but at least we already know this thing won’t end in disaster.
And you want to know why I feel confident in saying that?
Charles Woodson, that’s why.
With two sacks, three forced fumbles and a fumble recovery against the Cards, Woodson is showing that this scheme is perfect for him because it lets him showcase both his intelligence and athleticism – a lethal combo, indeed. At a point when many probably thought his career would be over, Woodson is flourishing.
Get excited about the speed and depth throughout the defense. Players like Anthony Smith, Jarius Wynn and, yes, cornerback/safety/bain of my existence Jarrett Bush all came up big at various points Friday. Some of the backups/third stringers did get torched by Matt “Beer Bongs and Chunky Gals” Leinart to the tune of 360 yards, this is true. But the Cardinals kept some starters in until as late as the start of the fourth quarter. And besides, a lot of the guys who really got torched will be back stocking shelves at your local Home Depot within about a week and a half.
Get excited about a near-total lack of injuries. Jennings is fine, despite the misleading headlines on ESPN, and outside of a few minor nicks and bruises, the team is pretty much intact, as far as we know. A far cry from last season.
And maybe, that’s the biggest reason for excitement, that last season was just that – last season.
This season is just around the corner.
And oh what a season it should be.
-Chris Lempesis
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