Sam's Grading the Pack Week 12: One Bad Loss via One Bad Defense
A last-second field goal. Before we get into the conversation of "What if Aaron Rodgers was playing at quarterbacks?", Brett Hundley had nothing to do with this loss. This offense dropped 28 points on one of the toughest defenses in the NFL. This was strictly on the defense, especially where effort is concerned. Yes, I get that Antonio Brown is one of the greatest receivers of all-time, but Davon House, Josh Hawkins, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, and Kevin King simply gave up on plays throughout the entire game. Never in my life would I think I'd say Damarious Randall gave the most effort out of all the defensive backs. Martavis Bryant was catching open passes with ease. The difference at the end of the game was one field goal, but the difference at the end of the season should be one new defensive coordinator.
OVERALL: C+
Offense: B QB/RB: B+ WR/TE: B OL: C+
Defense: D+ DL: C+ LB: C+ DB: D Special Teams: C+
BEST GRADE: A+: Blake Martinez, MLB
Blake Martinez, man this guy is good. He racked up 15 tackles, one of them a crucial tackle for loss, to stay on pace as one of the leaders in tackels in the entire NFL. He added to his normally good talents with a clutch fumble recovery and an even more clutch interception off of a deflection. It seems like anything that actually goes right on defense starts with Martinez. Ted Thompson actually did well with this pick.
WORST GRADE: F: Davon House and Josh Hawkins, CB
Yes, both of these players absolutely failed. Both players were seen simply giving up on big yardage passing plays. It's already a challenge trying to contain Antonio Brown, but Davon House simply letting Brown blow by him for touchdowns and huge gains (169 Yards and 2 Touchdowns) and Josh Hawkins literally tripping over himself twice and just giving up on a Martavis Bryant touchdown earns them both a failing grade. The secondary is bad, that's common knowledge at this but, but at least TRY.
Honorable Mentions: A: Jamaal Williams, RB; and Davante Adams, WR.
The defense failed what the offense brought to the table. Rookie Jamaal Williams was the entire rushing offense and succeeded putting the team on his back (21 Carries for 66 Yards and a Touchdown), while also being a reliable target for Brett Hundley in the air (4 Catches for 69 Yards and another Touchdown). Davante Adams once again stepped up as the reliable #1 man for Brett Hundley, raking in 5 Receptions (one of them being a fourth-down conversion late in the 4th quarter) for 82 Yards and a key touchdown.
MVP Watch: Once again, Davante Adams proves to be the most valuable player on the roster, and his rising 3.44 GPA defends that. Blake Martinez stands out from the rest of the crowd with his rising 3.35 GPA, much higher than Jordy Nelson (3.08 GPA) in third.
STATS OVERVIEW:
Passing = Hundley: B+ (17/27, 245 Yds, 3 TD, 0 INT; 1 Rush, 6 Yds)
Rushing = J. Williams: A (21 Rush, 66 Yds, 1 TD; 4 Rec, 69 Yds, 1 TD)
Receiving = Nelson: B- (3 Rec, 11 Yds); Adams: A (5 Rec, 82 Yds, 1 TD);
Cobb: B+ (4 Rec, 58 Yds, 1 TD), Rodgers: C (1 Rec, 25 Yds)
Defense = 2 INT (Randall, Martinez), 1 Sacks (Daniels), 1 Fumble Recovery (Martinez)
Question? Comments? Concerns? General Feedback? Who should be considered for the chopping block at this point in the season? Please let me know!
Thank you and God Bless,
Samuel R. Fuller
