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  • I hate the Packers (FTP!) but there's a great Detroit Lions nugget in this paywall article. Enjoy!!


    Packers GM Brian Gutekunst has the magic touch

    The "complicated fella," Miami Dolphins and others do not. Somehow, the Packers are 6-2. Sunday cast a magnifying glass over NFL GMs... for better and worse. Also inside: Quitting is in vogue.

    Tyler Dunne
    Oct 28, 2024




    Hysteria reaches its apex the week after a soul-crushing postseason defeat. Shock shifts to anger. Questions must be answered. The Green Bay Packers have suffered their share of agonizing defeats and, to an extent, the reaction of Ted Thompson was downright admirable: He never blinked.

    After Colin Kaepernick and the San Francisco 49ers Tasered the Packers defense in the 2012 playoffs, the GM’s constituents (owners, technically) were understandably incensed. That night, Green Bay made the read option resemble a play from a faraway future in which there’s flying cars and vacations on Mars. Accountability was demanded. Changes. NOW. Our comment sections at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel were on fire.


    Down at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala. — just a few days after the 45-31 loss — I caught up with the late-great Packers boss and his stone-cold demeanor was Vintage Ted. He reiterated faith in the coaching staff and cited the team’s resolve through injuries. He promised no big changes were coming, and promptly kept that promise. From 2005 to 2017, the man who was born to scout football players built a perennial contender with such resolute calm and restraint. In hindsight, however, those fans raising Cain weren’t off-base. Football was evolving. The Draft & Develop philosophy was just then becoming outdated. Those Packers needed a jolt of urgency.

    Signing more vets in the offseason and firing under-performing players during the season would’ve led to one more Super Bowl. Maybe two.


    Brian Gutekunst, the team’s GM since 2017, learned the trade from Thompson. He, too, drafted a quarterback when he did not need one — took the bullets — and it paid off. Gutekunst is the first to praise his old boss at the lectern. As he should. Thompson will live forever in Packers lore. But Gutekunst’s actions suggest he has also learned from his mentor’s one mistake. GMs in charge of contending teams must be bold. Week 8 of this 2024 NFL season drew that line in the sand.

    The proactive execs were rewarded.

    The reactive execs (and “complicated fella” de facto GMs) are now scrambling to save their seasons.

    Start with those Packers.


    Last-second wins over the Jacksonville Jaguars typically do not warrant jumping for joy. But given how the first half of this season has unfolded, the Packers should pop in that Eddy J polka cassette. An MCL injury sidelined Love two games. A groin injury shut him down on Sunday. These Packers should be staring down the barrel of 3-6 into an NFC North showdown vs. Detroit. Instead, they’re 6-2. The ground underneath this franchise’s feet did not cave in.

    On the cusp of the season — unhappy with the two QBs drafted in back-to-back years — Gutekunst traded for Malik Willis. And, again, Willis made the plays required to win.

    Gutekunst dumped one under-performing kicker for a veteran that has now drilled game-winners in back-to-back weeks.

    Aaron Jones has not slowed down in Minnesota. But Josh Jacobs has been the upgrade Green Bay needs. He’s on pace for nearly 1,500 rushing yards, currently fourth in the NFL. With one 38-yard scoring burst, we saw why Gutekunst moved on from one of the team’s most popular players. After taking the shotgun handoff, Jacobs clowns rookie cornerback De’Antre Prince with a disrespectful shimmy outside — Prince comically dives in blooper fashion — before then breaking through the arms of linebacker Ventrell Miller to gain the corner. And he’s gone.

    Jacobs is younger and more durable.


    Yes, the Packers have drafted receivers galore the last few years. Matt LaFleur’s offense hums best when rooted in the run game. Jacobs was identified as the man to make things go.

    Safety Xavier McKinney has been worth every penny of his four-year, $67 million contract. He’s up to six interceptions on the season. Quite a departure from the days of the Packers going the entire 2013 season without a safety logging one interception. That group placed false hope into fringe pros like M.D. Jennings (787 snaps), Jerron McMillian (190 snaps) and Sean Richardson (154 snaps). Those Packers of 2011-on lacked bite on defense. Reflecting back, defensive tackle Mike Daniels was blunt to Go Long.

    After Love threw an interception deep in Jags territory, McKinney got the Packers the ball right back.

    All while the Packers continue to hit the jackpot on mid-round picks.


    When Evan Williams — a 111th overall selection last spring — departed with a hamstring injury, this was a completely different Packers defense. He’s been a gem. Romeo Doubs was pissed off about something three weeks ago, but this wide receiver and the Packers were always best together. The 132nd overall pick in 2022 had more clutch grabs on Sunday. Love has no qualms giving him a shot in tight 1-on-1 situations. Tucker Kraft, the 78th pick in 2023, is already a top 5 tight end. The scout who saw shades of “Gronk” in the former South Dakota State Jackrabbit should get a promotion. Kraft celebrated National Tight Ends Day in style with this Gronky 67-yarder.


    Gutekunst knew that drafting Love would make him Public Enemy No. 1.

    Aaron Rodgers even worked the surrogates the offseason of 2021 in a failed attempt to get the GM fired.

    But drafting a franchise quarterback was only the start. The best GMs are aggressive in free agency, hit on picks and stay light on their feet with the 53. Other teams that paid their quarterback over the offseason are in total panic mode. The yang to the Packers’ yin has been the Miami Dolphins. Six hours before Gutekunst extended Love at $55 million per year, Dolphins GM Chris Grier re-upped Tua Tagovailoa at $53.1M. Which is fine. We’ve seen how valuable Tua is to Mike McDaniel’s operation this season.


    The problem was having no semblance of a plan in event of injury.

    Tua’s injury history dates back to the dislocated right hip at Tuscaloosa. His concussions were undoubtedly a serious concern through the months of contract negotiations. The Dolphins should’ve known heading into this 2024 season that there was a very good chance they’d need to survive three to five games without their QB1. At some point. A team that went all, all, all in via mega contracts to Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Jalen Ramsey and Bradley Chubb long term was A-OK being one Tua injury away from the Skylar Thompson Experience.

    There were options in March. Joe Flacco signed for $8.7 million in Indianapolis. I love St. Elmo’s cocktail sauce, too, but life in South Beach probably would’ve been a smidge more appealing. Miami should’ve made Flacco an offer he cannot refuse.


    Instead, a failure to invest in an adequate backup just might’ve nuked Miami’s season.

    The offense was dreadful through a Tua-less 1-3 stretch. By the time Tagovailoa returned to action, on Sunday, the Dolphins were already in a must-win predicament. There was no margin for error against the Arizona Cardinals. After a 28-27 loss, they’re now 2-6 with looming road trips to Buffalo and the L.A. Rams.

    This gaffe’s compounded by other gaffes, too.

    Like failing to re-sign Andrew Van Ginkel, who’s been a maniac in the Minnesota Vikings’ defense.



    To the extreme, of course, are those Rodgers-led Jets. The moment everyone boarded a plane west to bend the knee, and beg the QB to join them, the decision was made. Aaron Rodgers would be in charge — not Joe Douglas, not Robert Saleh. He already informed the masses that he’s got what it takes to be a general manager. After holding the Packers hostage from April to July in 2021, Rodgers of course held his infamous airing-of-grievances press conference in which he admonished Gutekunst. It made no sense then. Name to name, he listed off the players the Packers failed to keep… even though he was proving the Packers’ point all along. It was smart for Gutekunst to cut ties with most of those players. A year too early is always better than a year too late.

    The Jets sold their souls, allowed their savior to sign the bones of Randall Cobb (amongst other laughable transactions), Rodgers tore his Achilles in Year 1 and — miraculously — Year 2 has somehow gone even worse. The Jets lost to the New England Patriots on Sunday to drop to 2-6. The same Patriots labeled “soft” by their own head coach. Rodgers has now gone 31 straight games without throwing for 300 yards, inconceivable in a sport rigged in the offense’s favor. He’s gotten his head coach fired. He snookered the Jets into trading for Davante Adams (and his bloated contract). None of it has changed a thing.

    continued..
    "I hope to see the Lions in the Super Bowl before I die"
    My friend Ken L

    Comment


    • Even Adams has been hypnotized by Rodgers’ spell. He’ll regret throwing away this stage of his career.

      Rodgers — the QB and the GM — is the anvil holding this franchise back.

      Even when it became clear No. 2 overall pick Zach Wilson was a failure, it never had to be this way. As we wrote at the time, the Jets had one of the best young rosters in the NFL. By handing over roster autonomy to Rodgers, they actively chose to waste the prime years of Sauce Gardner, Garrett Wilson, Quinnen Williams and Breece Hall. At this point, the best hope for this franchise is for owner Woody Johnson to get another ambassador gig. That way, he’ll be distracted. Someone else can make the franchise-altering decisions.



      The best GMs are often unpopular GMs. Rodgers wasn’t alone in his criticism of Gutekunst during that ’21 presser. Several Packers players past loved that he gave them a voice on such a platform. I talked to one prominent starter who felt vindicated. But this should be a cold profession that ruffles feathers. GMs cannot strut down the hallways of a building and bro-hug players because, frankly, the same linebacker you’re getting chummy with one week may be the linebacker you’ve got to cut loose the next. You’re responsible for completely uprooting that player’s life.

      Some owners hand the franchise over to a has-been and suffer the consequences.

      Some owners insert themselves. The Dallas Cowboys’ spiral reached a new low in Santa Clara last night. They did nothing to improve a roster that won 12 games three consecutive seasons.

      But some owners do understand that it’s best to empower GMs… and stay away. Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell have been unencumbered from Day 1. After a 52-14 throttling of the Titans, it’s clear the Detroit Lions are the best team in football. The Washington Commanders’ curse was officially lifted with an improbable Hail Mary win over Chicago. Dan Snyder is a distant memory. Atlanta’s Arthur Blank let Terry Fontenot take a slew of big swings all offseason long. The Falcons are 5-3.

      OK, one quick reality check. Gutekunst’s Packers — like many of those Ted-led teams — have run out of gas in January. They’d never say so publicly. But apathetic performances against San Francisco in the divisional round as a No. 1 seed (in 2021) and Week 18 against Detroit (in 2022) were the final nails in Rodgers’ Packers coffin. The front office and coaching staff judged Rodgers on his play in the games that matter most… and moved on.

      Love was exceptional in a wild-card win at Dallas. Not much the next week in Santa Clara.

      We’ll ultimately judge Gutekunst, the defense, Love and these 2024 Packers on their performance in the playoffs. A win over the Jaguars may seem inconsequential, but these are the games Green Bay lost seasons past. Survive a Love-less stretch and you keep pace in the NFC North, you bide yourself time. They’ll need Love healthy and playing his best by December — like Rodgers that lone Super Bowl run in 2010. Timing is everything. Green Bay has a long way to go, especially with Detroit and Minnesota thinking Super Bowl.

      But get to that point and the Packers won’t worry about sending too many staffers to the Senior Bowl. They’ll be too busy preparing for a NFC title game that week.


      NFL players are giving up

      Anthony Richardson quit on his team because he was out of breath. The Indianapolis Colts quarterback admitted he was tired, and asked for a break.

      Tyrique Stevenson was caught on camera taunting fans — with his back to the snap — on the Commanders’ final Hail Mary. The Bears DB tipped the winner to Noah Brown.

      For a nightcap, Trevon Diggs told a reporter to “talk about deez nuts” after Dallas’ latest loss. Diggs apparently checked his phone in the locker room and stormed out to approach WFAA’s Mike Leslie, who questioned his effort on a play. Half-ass doesn’t do Diggs’ effort on George Kittle’s 43-yarder justice, honestly. This was somewhere between 1/16th and 1/32nd ass.

      Pathetic.

      All of it.


      So, what does this mean? I think this hits on a recurring theme: The modern player is changing. It’s getting exponentially harder for those general managers to find players who’ll sacrifice body and mind three hours every Sunday, players who genuinely love the sport to their bones. That’s why the Lions build has been so impressive. More than any team, they’ve developed this sixth sense. Hell will freeze over before we see a player on the Lions (let alone the quarterback) say he needs a break to catch his breath. If Campbell caught one of his players talking trash to fans before the last play of the game? That player’s seat on the plane would be physically removed and thrown into a dumpster. And Lord help the Lion who goes full “deez nuts.”


      The teams building a roster full of players who are the diametric opposite of what Richardson, Stevenson and Diggs put on display Sunday will win. Because these days, that level of commitment stands out.

      Entitlement is spreading, and today’s NIL world doesn’t help. Teams need to be on guard.

      Hard to choose which incident is most egregious. I’ll vote Richardson.


      A+ for honesty, but it’s insane that Richardson admitted he needed to tap out. He’s the former fourth overall pick. He’s the face of the organization. We can go ahead and add the Indianapolis Colts to the lump of teams going nowhere fast. Richardson completed 10 of 32 passes in a loss to Houston. At least Tim Tebow didn’t quit on his teammates. And, hey, remember Adonai Mitchell? After Chris Ballard selected Mitchell in the second round, he made a point to pepper this website with expletives. Ballard didn’t like the fact that scouts around the NFL offered a blunt analysis of the Texas wide receiver.

      Through eight games, here’s Mitchell’s stat line: 11 catches, 118 yards, zero touchdowns.

      On a behind-the-scenes video, with a “Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!” the GM also claimed, “We got the best f--kin’ rusher in the draft!” after taking Laiatu Latu 15th overall. On Sunday, Latu finished with zero tackles on 31 snaps. He has two sacks (with brutal PFF grades vs. the run) through eight games total. Maybe the Colts should reassess how they acquire talent.


      No Huddle

      Right when you think Nick Sirianni and the Philadelphia Eagles may be on the cusp of anarchy, they win three in a row to get to 5-2. This 37-17 win in Cincinnati was a flashback to their 2022 Super Bowl run — they straight-up bullied the Bengals at the line of scrimmage. Saquon Barkley eclipsed 100 yards again, the defense held Cincy backs Chase Brown and Zack Moss to 2.5 yards per carry and quarterback Jalen Hurts was efficient (16 of 20 for 236 yards, TD).

      Don’t care what the stats say, Caleb Williams looked like the answer in Chicago’s loss. Deep into the fourth quarter, he led drives of 84 and 62 yards with accuracy and guts. His 27-yard completion to D.J. Moore — absorbing a hard shot from linebacker Bobby Wagner — was the sort of throw nobody’s seen from a Bears QB in ages. Of course, that first drive ended with one of the truly worst play calls we’ll ever see at the 1-yard line: a handoff to a backup center. A call that hints at the problem in Chicago: Coaching. In a division with Ben Johnson, Kevin O’Connell and Matt LaFleur, the rookie Williams may be forced to play with one hand tied behind his back.

      Many lampooned scouts for having the nerve to mention Patrick Mahomes’ name in the same breath as Jayden Daniels. After this 18-15 win for the ages, it’s not sounding so crazy. One week after injuring his rib, Daniels threw for 326 yards and ran for 52. Washington has its quarterback.

      Who separates in the NFC West? San Francisco, Arizona and Seattle are all 4-4, but I’d put money on those 3-4 Rams. The return of Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua, as evident on Thursday night, is a game-changer for the entire conference.

      The Buffalo Bills inflicted a world of hurt on those Seahawks in the Pacific Northwest, 31-10. Rookie Keon Coleman generated millions of clicks all offseason for his fun-loving personality. But this evening, we saw why Brandon Beane said the Florida State wideout has “dog” in him. He Moss’d 6-foot-4 cornerback Tariq Woolen in the end zone on third and goal for one touchdown and tapped the cornerback on the helmet. He also pancaked defenders as a blocker. Coleman shoved Woolen to the turf and pointed at him on one play, then drove Josh Jobe into the bench on another. Not exactly the filth seen in Dallas, Chicago and Indy. A rookie toying with opponents to this extreme is a sure sign that a complicated game is starting to slow down.

      Nothing brings an NFL franchise hope like a date with the 2024 Carolina Panthers. This time, rookie Bo Nix was a cross between John Elway and Peyton Manning in completing 28 of 37 passes for 284 yards with three touchdowns and no picks. Eleven different Broncos caught a pass. Denver is now 5-3 and all three of their losses have been by one score. Next up: Trips to Baltimore and Kansas City. Sean Payton’s crew can prove its for real with a win in either game.


      © 2024 Tyler Dunne
      ​​
      "I hope to see the Lions in the Super Bowl before I die"
      My friend Ken L

      Comment


      • "That’s why the Lions build has been so impressive. More than any team, they’ve developed this sixth sense. Hell will freeze over before we see a player on the Lions (let alone the quarterback) say he needs a break to catch his breath. If Campbell caught one of his players talking trash to fans before the last play of the game? That player’s seat on the plane would be physically removed and thrown into a dumpster. And Lord help the Lion who goes full “deez nuts.”

        ---------------------------------LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, this~~~~~~~~~~~~
        Last edited by DanO; October 29, 2024, 07:41 AM.
        GO LIONS "24" !!

        Comment


        • For what it's worth, Adams was wasting the rest of his career (for a value of "wasted," I suppose, as the dude made bank) in Oakland as it was.

          As far as Richardson goes, he stepped out for one fucking play after running around like a mad man for about twenty seconds and taking a pretty rough bump after being tackled. It's hardly the first or only time that a player had to hit the sidelines because they were momentarily gassed. Fuck, position players do it all the goddamn time. Pundits just aren't used to seeing a QB need to do it.
          Last edited by chemiclord; October 29, 2024, 07:36 AM.

          Comment


          • So the Ravens reportedly picking up Dionte Johnson and a 6th in exchange for a 5th. That's fire sale prices (granted, Johnson is a bit of squeaky wheel).

            Go get Clowney, Brad.

            Comment


            • And the Colts benching Richardson for Flacco.


              The Colts are benching 2023 first-round draft pick Anthony Richardson and turning to veteran Joe Flacco as their starting QB, sources tell ESPN.

              Comment


              • Dear NFL teams:
                Don’t draft Alex Orji with the #3 overall pick because of his athleticism upside. Oof… Anthony Richardson… Trey Lance…

                All of these high draft pick QBs benched early after a few starts… you know who is my pick to have the best career of the high draft QBs to be on the bench? Michael Penix Jr. … Patience will be rewarded as he will learn from Cousins for a while. It’s the smart long term move for the Falcons.
                AAL 2023 - Alim McNeill

                Comment


                • Originally posted by Cody_Russell View Post
                  Dear NFL teams:
                  Don’t draft Alex Orji with the #3 overall pick because of his athleticism upside. Oof… Anthony Richardson… Trey Lance…

                  All of these high draft pick QBs benched early after a few starts… you know who is my pick to have the best career of the high draft QBs to be on the bench? Michael Penix Jr. … Patience will be rewarded as he will learn from Cousins for a while. It’s the smart long term move for the Falcons.
                  Looking at how good the Vikings are with Darnold I'm afraid to see them will look like with McCarthy.
                  GO LIONS "24" !!

                  Comment


                  • Originally posted by DanO View Post

                    Looking at how good the Vikings are with Darnold I'm afraid to see them will look like with McCarthy.
                    Probably not much better than Darnold, if at all. It's actually pretty rare for a young QB to step into the huddle and outperform your typical decent veteran.

                    Comment


                    • Darnold is entering that age range where veterans take off. He is 27 and has started 63 games. He didn't look great in Carolina or NYJ but that can be understandable. He has taken enough pro reps now that he has seen everything and now he has an excellent coach playing for a good organization. A lot of these busts at QB, their main crime is being too young and inexperienced and are placed on bad teams. Because of the rookie salary cap, these quarterbacks are getting drafted much higher than they should be because the salary is disposable. A guy like Richardson in the old days before the rookie scale would not be drafted so high because he was a project. You were much more discerning about giving a big contract to a project.

                      Odds are McCarthy wouldn't be an improvement over a 27 year old Darnold because unlike Darnold, he hasn't seen much. He has the tools but they didn't ask him to do a lot of passing at Michigan. But he is in a much better position than Richardson. But he's just starting the journey like McCarthy.

                      Last edited by froot loops; October 30, 2024, 08:20 AM.

                      Comment


                      • Originally posted by chemiclord View Post

                        Probably not much better than Darnold, if at all. It's actually pretty rare for a young QB to step into the huddle and outperform your typical decent veteran.
                        I was talking more over a year or two.
                        GO LIONS "24" !!

                        Comment


                        • Probably still not much better, unless McCarthy is unusually talented or an unusually fast learner.

                          Comment


                          • Yep, McCarthy is really young but he has a great coach in McConnell. I really like that coach.

                            Comment


                            • FB_IMG_1730684896801.jpg
                              #birdsarentreal

                              Comment


                              • I think it's only a matter of time until the NFL institutes a rule that any player who has a concussion must wear the guardian cap during all games the remainder of the season.
                                "Yeah, we just... we don't want them to go. So that's our motivation."
                                Dan Campbell at Green Bay, January 8, 2023.​

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