SnoTap Packer Classroom: Philadelphia v. Green Bay

We give grades to the different aspects of the Packers game from Sunday or Monday.  Am I too critical sometimes? Yes.  Am I also too nice sometimes? Yes.   I do not have a teaching degree in case you were wondering. 

A-Game
Datone Jones - Best game as a Packer so far having two sacks in the game including one where Nick Foles was out of the pocket and Jones found a way to chase him down. Datone has shown glimpses of being a solid rotational defensive player and maybe this is the first game in him making strides into being a player that can be out there for almost every play.

Jarrett Boykin - I honestly thought we had seen the last Boykin when Aaron Rodgers went down and James Jones came back from injury. But Boykin stepped up to the plate with another big performance. He looked in his own element. I do not know how many fourth or fifth wide receiver can do that. Even when Randall Cobb comes back, Boykin deserves some snaps whether it be in the slot or the outside. The Packers have four competent wide receivers.

B-Game
Scott Tolzien - He did a great job for being thrown into action with completely no readiness at all. Seneca Wallace had been with the team at least when he came in last week. This time Tolzien came off the practice roster six days ago and made the most of it. I had to downgrade it to a B given his interception in the endzone. He threw for 280 yards and seemed to have a good relationship with the wide receivers on the team. I only expect better against a weak New York Giants defense next week.

A.J. Hawk - Felt like Hawk had a nice bounce-back game after struggling a bit against Chicago. He made some plays in the backfield and it appeared like Hawk was in every running play. Now, LeSean McCoy still had a pretty good game yet it is tough to blame all of the faults of the defense on one player. I cannot thrust all of that on Hawk. He played well enough to deserve this grade.

T.J. Lang - One of the things that people cannot understand unless they play the game (Hate this statement, but work with me) and it is moving offensive line position. It is truly hard to do because your assignments are different and things definitely can in the run game with Green Bay's system. Lang did a masterful job filling in for the injured Evan Dietrich-Smith by snapping the ball with ease and taking command of the line.

Brandon Bostick - A part of me feels like this is only the beginning for Bostick. He is a player many people feel like could do big things for the Packers in the immediate future and the Newberry College product looked good on Sunday. He caught the lone touchdown pass for the Packers. He only had three targets, but he caught them all for 42 yards. I would expect him to be more involved with the offense next week. He did more this game than Andrew Quarless has done since Jermichael Finley's injury.

C-Game
The use of James Starks - I am a little confused by this one by Mike McCarthy. He mentioned Green Bay would use Starks more than just a touchdown vulture. Starks put together two good performances as the change of pace back gaining 57 and 40 yards with a touchdown in both games. Starks only had four carries on five years this week. Maybe it just did not work out with Tolzien at quarterback, but Starks is a decent pass catcher. If anything, I would rather have him running screen routes versus Eddie Lacy, but I might be in the minority.

Tramon Williams - Everyone is starting to get out the pitchforks for Tramon Williams. As people know from this blog, I tend to play PR for the struggling Packers. I will say I think Tramon is having an inconsistent year. I do not think he is washed up, but I do think he is hurt by not having better safety play more than most guys. Let's also remember if not for Morgan Burnett running into him, he at least knocks the DeSean Jackson touchdown pass down or picks it off.  Let's also remember he recovered the fumble on Foles to give Green Bay a chance.

D-Game
Seneca Wallace - There is not much to say with this one as Wallace left the game with a groin injury after the first drive of the game. I will say that I am disappointed in not being able to see what Wallace could have done with the full week of practice. Odds are the Packers could have been much worse than they were, the same position or won the game. No one really knows. With rumors of Matt Flynn signing with the team, Wallace could be heading to the Injured Reserve.

Injuries - We already addressed Wallace's injury above, but Green Bay's injury bug came back to bite them. Casey Hayward had another issue with his hamstring. Johnny Jolly had a quad injury. Dietrich-Smith had a knee injury. While Lang played well on Sunday, EDS would be the biggest loss for this Packers team if he were out a significant period of time.

F-Game
Marshall Newhouse - I hate to keep banging on one player, but Newhouse's new nickname should be 'Swinging Gate.'  After Dietrich-Smith went down, pressure from the right side starting to build like it did last week against Chicago when Newhouse came in for Lang. I have no idea what's happened to Newhouse and I am starting to wonder if Derek Sherrod should be the option if EDS cannot go on Sunday because the other option is a disaster.

Mike Carey's officiating crew - Pretty terrible all day. They missed countless pass interference calls as well as a few facemasks from the Packers. The second challenge was tough, but he missed it with Jordy Nelson. He caught that football, but Carey did not have enough balls to reverse the an almost too close-to-call decision in a mere five football minutes. Hopefully, Carey will not been seen again.

M.D. Jennings, Morgan Burnett & all the safeties - Just a dumpster fire. They lose balls in the sun. They get beat on a simple playaction out route. They collide with their own players. Safety is officially a worry and a concern for Green Bay.   Miss you Nick Collins.

-Charlie.