PACKERS DO THEIR IMPRESSION OF A PANCAKE, COME OUT FLAT
One week removed from one of the most historic games in this young SMYFFL season, the Packers and their coaches looked to come out against the Redskins and get a little revenge for last weeks loss to the Dolphins. The Packers again found themselves facing a one dimensional team. Just as the Packers ran all their plays to one player, the Redskins ran ALL their plays to one player, via handoffs, reverses or passes. What transpired caught both, the coaches, the parents and even the referees off guard.
The game started out as normal, with the Packers taking a while to hit their stride and allowing a long TD run against them. The entire game, the Packers seemed to be just going through the motions. Everyone was flat, besides a few flashy interceptions, nobody seemed to play like they wanted to win. Finally, after a series or two, the Packers got things going. Curtis stepped in to help out Alex at QB and to give the Redskins a different look at QB. Jalen �Mr. Versatility� Barnes also stepped in to help out at QB. It was the defense however that seemed to let down the team this week, as the Packers� flag grabbing was at an all-time worst. With Chance Bikowski serving a one game academic suspension, the team looked to Curtis �Rocket� Dockett for a little assistance on defense. And he helped out in a big way with one of the prettiest defensive plays of the season. Curtis bit on a handoff and momentarily got out of position. However, he recovered well and was able to get back and tip the pass. As he was falling to the ground, Curtis managed to haul the pass in for the Packers� first of four interceptions. Nathan �smiley� Corsey had another big day for the Packers as he not only had an interception on defense, but also had a TD catch, a completed pass and 4 flag pulls. Vincent �flag man� Brunson added two interceptions of his own and showed just why he is the teams� defensive safety. �Vincent has always made great plays for us either saving a touchdown or intercepting passes. The one thing we�ve had to work on with him is being in the right place at the right time. I think Vincent could have 10 interceptions by now if we could get him to stay back on the deep throws. But each week, he is getting better and better and is finding that when he�s in the right position, big plays are much easier�, said Coach Craig.
�If you look at our stats from this weekend�s game, you�d think we blew the team we were playing away. But in fact, what the stats don�t show is that we played with NO HEART. I had kids coming off the field crying, not high-fiving coaches when they came off the field, just a lot of pouting. I don�t know if we were still upset about the Dolphins game, but I think we came out with the feeling like no matter how good we play, we find a way to lose�, said Coach Chris. Indeed, the coaching staff thought things were going great. Evan �Mr. Improvement� Aragon and Aaron �The Bus� Garcia both grabbed flags from the Redskins� star player like it was nothing. We had guys stepping up and playing positions they don�t play all the time. Jalen and Curtis both stepped up at QB and Evan filled in at RB. But no matter what the Packers did, they couldn�t overcome their mistakes. Every player who played QB threw passes that were just �jump balls�. There were no sharp passes, just soft tosses, which allowed the Redskins two key interceptions. And on defense, players were constantly caught out of position and being lazy when going for flags. �We�re such a better team than what we showed out there today�, said Coach Kelly. �We were on the field physically, but not emotionally. We are such a better team than the Redskins, but we allow one player to beat us instead of our 10 players going out there and shutting him down. It just goes to show you have to play with heart AND skill�, she added.
The Packers need to find away to recapture that swagger they had in the early part of the season. They must get back to basics with their route running, and their QB�s need to take control and lead the team. Look for the Packers to have a VERY intense practice this week as they prepare for the 49�ers. This will be the biggest game of the season for the Packers. This game will show what they are made of. With standout player Nathan Corsey out this week due to vacation, the other 9 players MUST step up and play a part. Otherwise, the team will find themselves with a losing record for the first time this season.