Things that made Quin mad:
First half play
That first half was probably the worst football I’ve seen the Packers play on both sides of the ball in a very long time, even including the recent Atlanta games. It’s the fact that it was the Bengals, a team that has failed to score a touchdown in its first two games. I stated in an article before this game that if the Bengals can do two things; have AJ Green takeover the game and create a turnover, they can upset the Packers. Much like Julio Jones with the Falcons, Green did take over the game in the first half especially when they did the foolish thing of putting him in single coverage with rookie Kevin King. They also got a pick-six off a horrible throw and decision by Aaron Rodgers. No one on the Packers played well in that first half and they almost seemed surprised at how well the Bengals attacked out of the gate.
Offensive Line
The Packers offensive line is in complete shambles. The man who’s been suffering the most has been Aaron Rodgers. Again, it seems like every snap Rodgers is being chased, knocked-down and sacked by defenders. Throughout the game, the Bengals had six sacks. Also, this shambling corpse of an offensive line isn’t good for the run game which goes back to suffering Aaron Rodgers. Ty Montgomery only had 35 yards rushing and in most cases, that won’t lead to a victory.
Hands
Dropped passes were a huge issue Sunday. It was really a problem throughout the entire game even during their comeback. It doesn’t make Rodgers’ life any easier especially when he’s being chased around constantly by defenders. The receivers need to do their jobs and make the big catches from these difficult throws Aaron Rodgers is making.
Things that made Quin happy:
Receivers Receiving
Jordy Nelson had two touchdowns, Davante Adams tallied 60 yards but Geronimo Allison looked like a star. He had 122 yards receiving and huge catches during Green Bay’s comeback, including the big 72-yarder in overtime. He was truly the second biggest part of that comeback behind Rodgers and if Rodgers can get Allison more involved in that offense, they won’t look like what they played like in the first half. It was also a positive thing to see with the absence of Randall Cobb and the lack of production from Martellus Bennett.
Second half defense
That first half defense played like they were in the wrong sport but they came back in brilliant fashion in the second half. They only allowed a field goal, which was reasonable. They truly made big stops at important moments in the game, especially late in the fourth quarter and that first drive in overtime. Rookie Josh Jones played a phenomenal game and barring injury, he’ll be a big name in the NFL soon. The stats speak for it, as he recorded 11 tackles and two sacks. Besides being left alone with AJ Green which really isn’t his fault since he is a rookie, Kevin King also had an impressive game.
Overtime Play
Finally, the Packers win a game in overtime and it is Rodgers’ first victory beyond regulation. It was scary after they didn’t win the coin toss because every Packer fan has seen the defense blow it time after time but they actually forced Andy Dalton and friends to punt. From there, Rodgers took over, masterfully forced confusion in the defense with the offsides and threw a beautiful deep pass to Allison
. Everything about that was epic, dramatic, exciting and beautiful to see. That’s how a great football team overcomes the odds and win. That’s how the most talented quarterback of all time leads that comeback.