Green Bay Packers Week 12: Studs & Duds

The Green Bay Packers season may have come to an end Sunday night against the Minnesota Vikings with a rather uninspiring performance. Here’s a look at who I thought played well and who did not in Week 12:

Studs:

Davante Adams

Adams showed all the skills that have made him into a truly elite wide receiver. He consistently got open against Xavier Rhodes and showed great ability to run after the catch. Adams forced a huge pass interference call in the first half, and would have had another touchdown if Aaron Rodgers made an accurate pass late in the fourth quarter.

Kenny Clark

Clark continues his push to a Pro Bowl, and is making a colossal impact despite facing constant double teams. He disrupts the run game, and is starting to make a huge impact in the pass game, including a holding call and a sack. Clark is the pillar this defense will be built around for the foreseeable future.

Jaire Alexander

Alexander is having an amazing rookie season. He continues to be disruptive against the run and has shown the potential to be a lockdown corner. Brian Gutekunst’s first draft pick is looking like an absolute beast.

Equanimeous St. Brown

ESB had a really nice game despite being forced into action. Having a 6’5” wide receiver with 4.4 speed is certainly nice, but St. Brown is demonstrating an ability to block in the run game and developing trust with Aaron Rodgers. At only 21 years old ESB has a very bright future in the NFL.

Duds:

Tramon Williams

Williams did not play well. Admittedly he was put in several difficult situations. He was forced to move down from safety and play some cornerback, and he was forced into punt return duty when Trevor Davis got hurt. However, he didn’t do a particularly good job at any position, and put the final nail in the Packers’ coffin when he muffed the punt return.

Aaron Rodgers

Rodgers looked really good on the third and fourth drive and good for most of the last drive (minus the last two throws). However, the rest of the game was incredibly mediocre. Rodgers is still one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL (and really in NFL history), but several bad habits and coaching are leading him to some underwhelming play.

Mike McCarthy

I still think the Mike McCarthy era in Green Bay is going to be remembered fondly. However, it has reached its end (some would argue that happened a couple seasons ago). McCarthy’s decision to not go for it on 4th and 4 in the first half, and to go for it on 4th and 1 in the second half will be discussed a lot, but poor time out management and deciding to onside kick were equally as egregious.

We may not be interested in watching, but Green Bay does have to finish the season out. While the playoffs seem an impossibility, there is still a slim chance if they win out. More important than wins and losses is the experience and development of the young players on the roster.