The Packer Pundit

The 'Other' Packers Show Up
Packers Lose 48-17 before a National Audience
However, they get great practice at returning kick offs
Packer Pundit / Patrick Stuckey

From the opening drive it was obvious that the Packer's that showed up were the fumbling / stumbling ones that got their tails whipped by the Chargers... and not the crisp / scoring machine that likewise... took flight against the Falcons and whipped their butts.

Back to that first opening drive. After hitting Donald Driver down the middle for a 15 yard gain... the Packers found themselves 1st and 10 at the Bengals 40. Brett Favre dropped back to Pass and 'attempted' to dump the ball off to Ahman Green. Instead... the ball fell out of Brett's hands and right into Dexter Jackson's who Rumbled and Stumbled with the Fumbled ball for a 45 yard Touchdown.

On the next series... Favre hit Driver with a bullet that should have been caught... the ball bounced up in the air and resembled something Dick Chenny would have shot (a wounded duck) for an interception. Cincinnati kicked a field goal and before I had half a can of beer down... it was 10-0.

The Pack went three and out on the next series and it was cause for celebration... we get to punt instead of turning it over... Hallelujah! Unfortunately... the packers got called for holding on the play and that combined with Jon Ryan's booming 33 yarder *yawn* gave the Bengals the ball on the Packer's 38. Carson Palmer had no trouble with the Packers rush or the Packers pass coverage. Palmer found Reggie Kelly over the middle for 6 yards. This has been a very vulnerable spot for the Packers all pre-season and they better get it shored up. 17-0 Bengals... time to get another beer... and maybe an alka-seltzer.

After all that it was a bit of a blur... Palmer passed to somebody... somebody else made a big run through our defense as EVERYbody missed tackle after tackle... somebody stopped our runner and somebody pressured Brett into a bad throw... next thing I know it's now 31-0.

Even God Himself couldn't stop the onslaught (game was delayed 40 minutes because of lightning)... word is... God changed the channel after the second quarter! And to think... I gave up watching Dark Angel and Jessica Alba on the Sci-Fi channel for this!

About the only good thing I can say is... we got alot of good practice retruning kick-offs... oh... and thank goodness it's just the pre-season and this one doesn't count!

Tonight's loss was a total team effort as EVERY aspect of the Packers failed and failed miserably. One can only hope the 'Other' Packers show up when the season starts in two weeks versus the Bears.


Related Links -- Todays theme... Embarrassing


Bright lights, big flop in loss to Bengals
By Jason Wilde / madison.com

The third preseason game is traditionally when you find out the most about your team because your starters play the longest of the four exhibitions. What the Packers (1-2), who were coming off a 38-10 win over Atlanta at Lambeau Field last week, found out was exactly what they found out last year: They cannot win when Favre turns the ball over, or when their defense plays horribly. When both happen, it's simply embarrassing. MORE>>





Green deems outing 'OK'
By Jason Wilde / madison.com

All things considered, Ahman Green's return to action could've gone worse. Well, the score couldn't have - Cincinnati Bengals 48, Green Bay Packers 17 - but the Packers running back's first action since he suffered a ruptured quadriceps tendon in his right leg at Minnesota last Oct. 23 was, in his opinion, a decent first step in his return to form. A breakout performance Monday night would have gone a long way toward silencing that criticism, but Green, who played 20 snaps, had to settle for 18 yards on eight carries. He was also the intended receiver on four Brett Favre passes, but none ever got to him. MORE>>





Woodson burned for two TDs
By Jason Wilde / madison.com

Charles Woodson will have to be better than he was Monday night if the Green Bay Packers' sizable investment - $10 million of his $39 million free-agent contract this year - is going to be even remotely worth the cash. Woodson was beaten for two touchdowns during the Packers' rain-delayed 48-17 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals Monday night at Paul Brown Stadium, one by T.J. Houshmandzadeh and one by Tab Perry. Woodson's struggles were part of a thorough meltdown by the Packers' defense, which allowed Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer - in his first game since tearing the ACL in his left knee during a playoff game Jan. 8 - to carve them up for 140 yards and three touchdowns, completing nine of 14 passes for a 136.8 passer rating. Cincinnati finished with 379 total yards. MORE>>





Another Rough Road Loss For Packers
By Mike Spofford / Packers.com

After the Packers split their first two preseason games, the primary question heading into Monday night at Cincinnati was whether they would play like the team that was drubbed in San Diego or the one that routed Atlanta at home. Unfortunately, it looked like San Diego again, only worse. Playing a sloppy game in which they struggled to run the ball, turned it over on their first two possessions, and couldn't get their defense off the field on third down, the Packers were blown out 48-17 by the defending AFC North champion Bengals in front of 65,614 fans at Paul Brown Stadium. MORE>>





A sorry exhibition
Green Bay struggles on both sides of the ball
By Bob McGinn / journalsentinel.com

The third exhibition game, the one moment of semi-truth for any team in the National Football League, couldn't have turned out more abysmally for the Green Bay Packers.With a national cable television audience looking on, the Packers embarrassed themselves in a 48-17 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday night before a crowd of 65,614 at Paul Brown Stadium. "Are the people in Green Bay a little concerned?" one of the dozen NFL scouts in attendance asked at halftime. Well, they'll certainly be up in arms over the next few days with the regular season less than two weeks away and the Packers having failed to even compete despite having eight days between games. Last season, the Packers were blown out in the third exhibition game by New England, 27-3, and went on to finish 4-12. MORE>>





Defense mechanism looking out of sync
By Tom Silverstein / journalsentinel.com

The Green Bay Packers won't often face a quarterback the caliber of Carson Palmer this season, but the way their supposedly revamped secondary played Monday night against Cincinnati, they will make far less talented players look almost as good. The worst part of a night on which the Packers' defense allowed Palmer to produce three touchdowns and a field goal in four series - his first action since blowing out his left knee in the playoffs Jan. 8 - was that free agent veterans Charles Woodson and Marquand Manuel added next to nothing to a secondary that wasn't any good last year. MORE>>





Packers fall to 1-2 in preseason
with 48-17 loss to Bengals
Starters outclassed in Monday night defeat
By Pete Dougherty / greenbaypressgazette.com

The Green Bay Packers' dress rehearsal for the 2006 regular season was nothing short of abominable. First-year coach Mike McCarthy treated his second-to-last preseason game the way almost all NFL teams do: by giving his starters their most extended playing time of training camp. The idea is to can get into a regular-season rhythm in this game, then rest the starters for most of the preseason finale to ensure a healthy start to the regular season. But if this was something of a regular-season simulation, then red flags popped up all over the place, even if the game meant nothing in the standings. The Packers' starters were sloppy, unlucky and outclassed by one of the AFC's best teams. MORE>>





Favre, offense relive nightmare in Cincy
By Rob Demovsky / greenbaypressgazette.com

This was Oct. 30, 2005, all over again. For anyone who doesn't recall that day in Green Bay Packers' history, it wasn't one of the club's finer moments. The only thing missing on Monday night at Paul Brown Stadium was Greg Gall, the loony fan who ran onto the field to snatch the ball out of quarterback Brett Favre's hands in the waning moments of the Packers' 21-14 loss here that came in the midst of their forgettable 4-12 season. At least this one — a 48-17 loss — was only a preseason game. Otherwise, the showing that Brett Favre and the No. 1 offense made in their third — and most important — preseason game was conspicuously similar to the disastrous regular-season showing they put on here 10 months ago. Not unlike Favre's five-interception game here last season, the Packers quarterback's performance was a mix of poor decisions, off-target throws, a lack of consistent protection and plain bad luck. Favre played seven series against the Bengals and went into the third quarter before first-year coach Mike McCarthy had seen enough. MORE>>





Bengals exploit Packers' many weaknesses
By Chris Havel / Green Bay Press Gazette

If total humiliation is a source of motivation, the Green Bay Packers should be motivated into the foreseeable future. In the Packers' worst performance during coach Mike McCarthy's brief tenure, the positives can be counted on one hand, minus the thumb.

*Dave Rayner converted a 30-yard field goal and showed good distance on kickoffs.

*Cullen Jenkins' hustle at defensive tackle locked up a roster spot, and it might have thrust him into a more expanded role.

*Fullback Vonta Leach actually caught a pass out of the backfield.

The referee mercifully stopped the debacle due to inclement weather, with the Cincinnati Bengals trashing the Packers 41-10 with 9 minutes, 9 seconds to play in the fourth quarter. Just the Packers' luck: The bad weather cleared, and the game was completed. While the lightning above Paul Brown Stadium created a dangerous situation, the Packers were a danger only to themselves on Monday night at Cincinnati. The first 3½ quarters of Green Bay's third preseason game bore an unsightly resemblance to all too many of the Packers' 12 losses last season. When Brett Favre wasn't fumbling the football he was forcing it. His interception broke McCarthy's cardinal rule because he threw it late and down the middle. That point of emphasis apparently needs to be re-emphasized. It also is clear that Favre and the offense can't function when faced with a steady diet of third-and-long situations. Favre can't make plays like he once did, the offensive line can't buy him time like it used to, and the running game is finding its legs. Somewhere during the first-half touchdown flurry, the Bengals exposed and exploited the Packers' glaring weaknesses. The offense can't run the ball and the defense can't mount a pass rush. MORE>>









INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING: Green Bay - Herron 8-27, Gado 10-23, Davenport 5-21, Green 8-18, Beach 2-7, Driver 1-3, Favre 2-2. Cincinnati - Dorsey 8-59, Wilson 10-35, R.Johnson 12-35, Palmer 1-11, Wright 1-8, Watson 1-1, Chatman 1-(minus 3).

PASSING: Green Bay - Favre 12-25-1-162, Rodgers 2-6-0-7. Cincinnati - Palmer 9-14-0-140, Wright 7-12-0-65, D.Johnson 1-3-0-28.

RECEIVING: Green Bay - Driver 4-72, Jennings 3-40, Gado 2-19, Franks 2-16, Leach 2-7, Gardner 1-15. Cincinnati - Houshmandzadeh 5-96, Watson 3-19, Perry 2-29, Washington 2-18, McNeal 1-28, Brazell 1-25, Henry 1-9, Kelly 1-6, Chatman 1-3.

MISSED FIELD GOALS: None.

BUTT KICKINGS: Packers 1 / Bengals None

A - 65,614.

HOW THEY SCORED
FIRST QUARTER
CINCINNATI: Dexter Jackson, 29-yard fumble return (Shayne Graham kick), 13 minutes 29 seconds left. How they scored: On second and 7 at the Bengals' 43, Brett Favre attempted to throw a swing pass to Ahman Green. With S Dexter Jackson blitzing, Favre dropped the ball as he started to release it. Jackson scooped it up and returned from the Green Bay 45 to the 31, where he fumbled without being hit. Jackson picked it up again and ran down the sidelines to the end zone. Bengals 7, Packers 0.

CINCINNATI: Graham, 38-yard field goal, 8:29 left. How they scored: Favre threw to Bubba Franks down the middle on third and 15 and FS Madieu Williams made the interception, returning it 29 yards to the GB 23. The drive: Four plays, 3 yards, 1:26 time of possession. Bengals 10, Packers 0.

CINCINNATI: Reggie Kelly, 6-yard pass from Carson Palmer (Graham kick), 3:23 left. How they scored: Jon Ryan got off a 33-yard punt with 3.03 seconds of hang time. On second and 8, Palmer saw the right side wide open and took it for an 11-yard scramble to the 13. From there, Johnson plowed twice for 7 and then Palmer found Kelly open in the middle for the score. The drive: Seven plays, 38 yards, 4:15. Bengals 17, Packers 0.

SECOND QUARTER
CINCINNATI: T.J. Houshmandzadeh, 33-yard pass from Palmer (Graham kick), 8:37 left. How they scored: Palmer hit Houshmandzadeh for 9 when Charles Woodson missed a tackle. On third and 11, Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila dropped off on a zone blitz and missed the tackle, enabling Kelly to turn a 6-yard reception into a gain of 14. Johnson ran right for 11, then carried twice for 10. On third and 12, Cullen Jenkins knocked down Palmer but he still got the pass away to Houshmandzadeh for 14. On the next play, Houshmandzadeh ran a short sideline route against Woodson about 5 yards downfield. Woodson missed the tackle. The receiver cavorted the final 20 yards to the end zone. The drive: 13 plays, 90 yards, 5:36. Bengals 24, Packers 0.

CINCINNATI: Tab Perry, 15-yard pass from Palmer (Graham kick), 4:16 left. How they scored: Under pressure, Palmer lobbed a pass to Houshmandzadeh about 15 yards downfield and over the head of Woodson. It turned into a gain of 28. On third and 7, Houshmandzadeh beat Nick Collins outside for a 12-yard completion. On third and 10, Perry faked outside and beat Woodson to the post for the score. The drive: Seven plays, 65 yards, 3:25. Bengals 31, Packers 0.

GREEN BAY: Donald Driver, 17-yard pass from Favre (Dave Rayner kick), 1:07 left. How they scored: Coach Mike McCarthy went for it on fourth and 10 and Driver turned a 14-yard catch across the middle into a 35-yard gain. On third and 6, Favre sprinted left as Driver ran a corner route against rookie CB Johnathan Joseph. He made a diving catch in the left corner for the score. The drive: Nine plays, 73 yards, 3:09. Bengals 31, Packers 7.

CINCINNATI: Graham, 34-yard field goal, 0:02 left. How they scored: The Packers failed on an onside kick. Watson beat Barnett for 13 on third and 1. The drive: Six plays, 24 yards, 1:05. Bengals 34, Packers 7.

THIRD QUARTER
GREEN BAY: Rayner, 30-yard field goal, 5:57 left. How they scored: The Packers' No. 1 offense was opposed by the Bengals' No. 2 defense. Favre hit Rod Gardner for 15. Samkon Gado caught an 11-yard pass. The drive: 15 plays, 69 yards, 4:21. Bengals 34, Packers 10.

CINCINNATI: Bennie Brazell, 25-yard pass from Anthony Wright (Graham kick), 0:57 left. How they scored: Brazell beat Mike Hawkins on a deep post pattern for the score. The drive: Seven plays, 67 yards, 2:04. Bengals 41, Packers 10.

FOURTH QUARTER
GREEN BAY: Gado, 2-yard run (Rayner kick), 7:36 left. How they scored: Cornerback Patrick Body was penalized 50 yards for pass interference, setting up the touchdown. The drive: Eight plays, 71 yards, 4:45. Bengals 41, Packers 17.

CINCINNATI: Reggie McNeal, 28-yard pass from Doug Johnson (Graham kick), 2:35 left. How they scored: On fourth and 4, McNeal caught a pass 4-yards downfield. Safety Tra Boger rushed up but fanned on the tackle and McNeal raced into the end zone. The drive: Nine plays, 73 yards, 5:01. Bengals 48, Packers 17.