Sunday, December 16, 2007

End of 1st half: Packers 17 - Rams 14

This is one of those games where you shake your head. The Pack takes the opening kickoff back 43 yards on a nice return by Koren Robinson. The Pack then comes out on the opening drive, moves with authority down the field, and scores on a 2-yard run by Ryan Grant. They hold the Rams to three and out on their opening series. The Pack have another drive going when on a short pass to Ryan Grant the ball is dislodged before he has a chance to put it away, the Rams recover and go on to score on a Bulger to Holt TD pass. Score is 7-7 when it would likely have been 14-0. The Pack then engineers a drive resulting in a 5-yard TD pass from Brett to Donald Lee. 14-7 Packers. The Rams then get a drive going, allowing Steven Jackson to break free on a 3rd and two and run for a 46-yard touchdown. Score 14-14. Robinson takes the ball back 89 yards on the ensuing kickoff, breaking several tackles before running out of gas around the 20 yard line or so. That return was shortened to 66 yards, however, with a blocking in the back penalty on Tramon Williams. The Pack had to settle for a 44-yard field goal by Mason Crosby to make the score 17-14. The Packers had Bulger throwing from his own endzone on third down. Unfortunately, he connected over Charles Woodson for 40-some yards. Fortunately, he was eventually intercepted by Atari Bigby off a deflected reception by a wide open receiver with about 40 seconds remaining in the half. A couple nice completions to Greg Jennings and the Pack had the ball down to about the 30-yard with 23 seconds left and both of their time outs. Unfortunately, Brett decided to throw an ill-advised pass into double coverage and was picked off. The Rams took a knee. End of half. Packers 17 - Rams 14.

The Packers are letting the Rams off the hook. The Packers have one sack so far against a makeshift offensive line. And that same offensive line is creating seams for Steven Jackson, whom the Packers are having difficulty tackling. Combine this humdrum defensive effort by the Pack with a couple turnovers and the Pack are keeping the Rams in this game. The Pack needs to come out and dominate in the third quarter to put this game out of reach. If it's close in the fourth quarter, well, let's not even go there. Especially when it shouldn't come to that against this team.