Photo Credit: Evan Siegle, packers.com
The Green Bay Packers put together an impressive effort to rally from behind to defeat the New York Jets in overtime, especially considering the number of injuries on defense. For the first time all season, the rookie wide receivers played like starters, and displayed good chemistry with Aaron Rodgers allowing him to have one of his best passing performances in ages. Rodgers looked ten years younger, and he was also a real weapon when running.
Still, it was an effort almost entirely undone by an issue that has plagued the team all season: Special teams. Jets’ return man Andre Roberts had a 99-yard kick return for a touchdown, and another 51-yard return that set New York up in field goal range, allowing them to force overtime. Compounding those issues, Packer rookie J’Mon Moore fumbled a kickoff return, and veteran defensive back Tramon Williams muffed a punt on a play that demanded a fair catch. None of this is new, and the special teams unit lead by Ron Zook, has been awful for the entirety of his tenure. As much as the team needed to move on from Mike McCarthy, it is entirely possible that with average special teams play, the Packers would have made the playoffs. There is no reason that Ron Zook should still be drawing a paycheck from the Green Bay Packers.
Don’t believe me?
Detroit Lions defeat Green Bay Packers 31-23
In this game, a 10-yard penalty on Josh Jones wiped out a 64-yard kickoff return by Ty Montgomery. The Packers also suffered a 15-yard roughing the kicker penalty on a PAT, two offsides penalties on kickoffs including on an onside kick, a 10-yard block in the back penalty from Josh Jackson on a punt and a muffed punt by Kevin King that led directly to a Detroit touchdown. Mason Crosby also missed four field goals and an extra point.
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All in all, in a one-score game special teams play cost the team 94 yards in penalties, a turnover and 13 points. It was an unmitigated disaster in a game they surely should have won.
Los Angeles Rams defeat Green Bay Packers, 29-27
The special teams unit was pretty clean in terms of penalties, but with an excellent chance to rally and claim a late lead, Ty Montgomery made the unwise decision to return a Rams’ kickoff out of the end zone instead of taking a knee. That is a bad idea in any scenario, but even more so here as the Packers simply had to move into field goal range, and had over two minutes to do it.
Montgomery fumbled the ball away, sealing the win for the Rams, and ultimately sealing his fate as he was released shortly thereafter.
Seattle Seahawks defeat Green Bay Packers, 27-24
A penalty on Korey Toomer wiped out a 53-yard kick return by Trevor Davis. Tack on another 10-yard block in the back later in the game, and the Packers lost 83 yards to special teams play. Mason Crosby also missed a 47-yard field goal which looks huge in retrospect. Crosby was 10 of 14 from 40-49 yards on the season.
Minnesota Vikings defeat Green Bay Packers, 24-17
J’Mon Moore was hit with an illegal touching penalty on a punt, but the big blows were a muffed punt by Tramon Williams, which gave the ball to the Vikings at the Packer 15-yard line, and an offsides penalty on Jamaal Williams on a late onside kick attempt.
A Vikings’ third quarter touchdown was also set up by a 20-yard punt return on a 43-yard punt by JK Scott which included a five-yard illegal formation penalty. The Vikings would take over deep in Packer territory as a result.
Arizona Cardinals defeat Green Bay Packers, 20-17
Mason Crosby missed a game-tying field goal with three seconds left, continuing a disastrous season for the veteran kicker. Robert Tonyan chipped in with a special teams holding penalty, burying the team inside their own 10.
Chicago Bears defeat Green Bay Packers, 24-17
The Packers punted with nine minutes left in the fourth quarter, and Bears’ running back Tarik Cohen took JK Scott’s 39-yard punt back 44 yards, setting up a Cody Parkey field goal, and giving Chicago a two-score lead. Josh Jackson also muffed a punt, and on the desperation onside kick near the end of the game, Jaire Alexander jumped offsides. The Packers failed to execute an onside kick by committing this penalty three times on the season.
This list doesn’t even include a potential game-killing roughing penalty against Robert Tonyan against New England, or a score of other minor penalties. It’s nice that the Packers might finish off the season with a few wins, and it’s a positive development that they are making changes, but loyalty to Ron Zook is one of the primary reasons this team is not in the playoffs. He should have been relieved of his duties years ago, and is as good as gone after next Sunday.
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