Progress Reports:
As the season is one game away from the midway point and being as I just finished a long evening of parent-teacher conferences, I thought that it was time for a Packer edition of player performance evaluations. With my mid season Packer report card just a week away from being released, I decided to highlight two of my “favorite” players for their poor performances thus far in the season. (I am sure no one will be shocked) Both of these players will be brought into my office for a stern discussion about their poor play.
Players that need a conference:
Martellus Bennett:
In last weeks article I mentioned that Martellus Bennett’s retirement announcement was a feeble attempt to distract Packer fans from his lackluster play. I said that it was selfish of him to announce his retirement before the midpoint of the season and I questioned what kind of effort he would put forth for the rest of the season.
The question still remains Martellus: What kind of effort will you put forth when and if the Packers fall out of postseason contention? Will you still give everything you have to the organization, or would it be better to just cut you now so you can collect your guaranteed money and go on your way? Aside: (The Packers gain more financially by Bennett retiring and forfeiting 4.2 of the 6.2 million dollar signing bonus that he received)
Ha Ha Clinton-Dix:
Ha Ha Clinton-Dix performance this year has been laughable. He has consistently seemed to be giving receivers plenty of space to operate and has been hesitant to provide impact hits and attack the football. His coverage has been an issue and he has seemed to have brought a lack of intensity and a low level of energy to the field this season. With his contract coming up after next season, questions are beginning to surface about whether Clinton-Dix will be a part of the Packers long-term plans. There have been rumblings that he has been playing through an injury this season which begs the question of whether he has decided to play it safe this year and wait to give a full-fledged effort until his contract year next season.
My question to Ha Ha Clinton-Dix would be: What makes you such an indispensable member of the Green Bay Packers defense, and will we ever see that aggressive and hard hitting ball hawking safety ever again?
My hope is that enough people within the organization, the media, the locker room, and the fan base have been calling out and challenging both Bennett and Clinton-Dix on a regular basis, and that they will respond to the criticism by finishing the season strong.
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David Michalski is a recent college graduate from Princeton New Jersey who has been a life long Green Bay Packers fan. Like the great Vince Lombardi, he values God, family, and the Green Bay Packers in that order. You can follow him on twitter at @kilbas27dave
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