Very interesting analysis Al! Thank you for that!
I’ve been thinking the same thing about Heath; we expected to see Toure shine, but Heath has shone much brighter. He seems like he could become a better Lazard—or maybe more like a James Jones.

I’ve been wondering how a close analysis of Rodgers games last year would compare to Love’s this year. I think a game-by-game comparison (both’s first game, second game, etc) would be interesting.

" Musgrave who fakes as if he's blocking and then releases and sits in the hole in front of the dropping linebackers. Easy 10 yard gain. These are the simple yard-gainers that have been absent from the Packers' offense for years."-Jersey Al.

Yup. I'm really excited to see MLF's offense as it was designed. His first season we saw sweeps, running the ball, short passes. We've fully discussed what happened after that year. But with the change at QB we will see a more diverse offense. The Packers have the players to compete and should be a much more ball control type of team.

Al McWAKEUPITSWEDNESDAY! - Thank you!

We’ve seen Love take a little time to get warmed up before getting hot. Maybe it takes the other guys a little time too. Apparently Aaron Jones & AJ Dillon are immune. I’m hoping for a very heavy dose of these two.

One has to think, in a known passing league, with opposing Ds built to stop the pass, Jones & Dillon could run roughshod over the NFL in a more dedicated attack. It sure would take some pass rush heat off of JL. Doesn’t mean we won’t have a lot of passing, only that it should make our passing game better. Easier. More explosive.

WATSON. I’m glad MLF is hiding Watson’s intended use. NFL !!!

MALIK HEATH. He could seriously contend for WR2. UDFA. Hat’s off, Brian Gutekunst.

*It’s a 2 year plan. Anything good that happens Year 1 with Jordan Love at QB1 is a bonus. Once he gets dialed in…

Superb confessions, AL. You are forgiven all your football sins. Let your polluted mind have a clean bill of health today.

Thanks for the play-by-play analysis, that was helpful. The word that comes to mind with the offense this season is "harmony." There is no longer the feeling that the QB is working at cross purposes with the play caller and trying to force things that aren't there. It remains to be seen if the offense will look like this in regular season games, when defenses are throwing everything they have at it, but it sure is promising so far.

I think Samori Toure will be the #4 receiver at least to start the season, but he's got Malik Heath nipping at his heels for sure. I still haven't heard of Heath playing with the #1 offense in practice.

Great work Al. Great example of how first impression vs a deeper look can change what one takes away from watching the game.
I love how GB is going to be able to threaten downfield if the opposing D bunches up to stop 33 and 28. Watson can do it, but now GB has several others capable of going deep too, AND 88 will be able to threaten the deep MIDDLE.
GPG!

Watson, Heath, Reed and look out for them. They are some ballers. Also E Wilson could be a big factor on this team. If he doesn't make team he won't last in PS, guy has real wheels and strength!

So long Hanson. It makes me feel a little better to think he can't make the team this season, yet he'll get healthy and will be starting for the Bears or Jets week one.

Can't wait to watch the game tonight (I hope). Now I know what to look for.

Between the three plays yesterday, and confessions today, I realize I don't know how to watch a football game anymore. I guess I've just been trying to enjoy them.

The Packers O is going to surprise many. The RBs, and the OL, which I believe can be one of the best in the NFL, will gain yards and make manageable 3rd downs. The middle of the field is back on the menu and they have the tools to attack it with AJ, AJD, Musgrave, Watson, Doubs, Reed, and Heath.

What I would like to see is a breakdown of the defense's plays. There has been some excellent pressure. There have also been some gashes into the run D. That must be fixed this season or whatever excitement the O provides exceeding expectations will be a wet blanket on the W-L column.

(Hanson was waived. Maybe Tom is inching closer to C?)

Drive 1:
"2nd and 5 - Play fake, half rollout right, immediate pressure, Love trys to dump it off to Deguara, who recovers after having slipped to the ground. Throw is high, Deguara takes a hit, a dangerous pass. As I wrote in yesterday's "Three Plays...," he should have just thrown it into the ground."
This is one of those teachable moments that he will have in his young career. He needs to learn that sometimes a good play is a non play. When things become a mess throwing the ball away sometimes is the best thing to do.

"3rd and 5 - This shall be known as "The snap."
As much talk as there has been surrounding snapping errors and Myers, i just have to go back to the history of Myers and the Packers. I don't recall many if any snapping errors with Myers in the past. So what is going on now with these snapping errors? The one conclusion I come up with is the combination of Love and Myers. They need to get on the same page. We have a couple of weeks left before week 1.

Drive 2:
"1st and 10 - Straight drop back, Love finds Musgrave who fakes as if he's blocking and then releases and sits in the hole in front of the dropping linebackers. Easy 10 yard gain. These are the simple yard-gainers that have been absent from the Packers' offense for years."
Musgrave will provide this ability. He can turn a simple checkdown or settling down in a zone and turn it into a 5-10+ yard gain.

"-1st and 10 - Shotgun handoff to Dillon with Musgrave coming down the line to block the back side DE. Musgrave does his job, but there's isn't much of a push from Myers and Runyan and the Patriots converge on Dillon, but he still manages to plow forward for 4 yards."
Dillon appears to be running harder/more differently this year. I like it!

Drive 3:
"2nd and 10 - Shotgun deep throw to Doubs, He was originally ruled out of bounds but LaFleur challenges and wins. Doubs has a full step on the DB, but the pass was slightly underthrown (which has been a theme all camp for Love and deep ball)s, but Doubs is a battler. He fights off the DB and flashes some Davante-like "late hands" to pull it in while somehow keeping both feet inbounds. A great catch."
This was a tremendous play by Doubs. First watching it live I didn't think he got his feet in but i did think it was close. Then replay clearly showed him getting both in. Great play.

"1st and 10 - Fake handoff, Love drops back, is looking deep downfield, doesn't see what he wants, takes off for 13 yards and gets late hit after a slide by a Patriots DL. Zach Tom and Runyan immediately come to his defense and get after the Patriot. Minor skirmish ensues."
This was a play that I felt the best about all night. Love takes the late hit, he gets up and talks a little trash and his OL come in and defend him. This to me was the moment that said Love is ready to take over.

"2nd and 5 - Love in shotgun, fake handoff to Dillon who is alert enough to fall on a blitzing DB, giving Love time to throw a beauty of a pass to Jayden Reed for a touchdown. Great play by all three of those players. However, there was also a unheralded assist from Christian Watson. His chip on the blitzing DB is the reason the DB went to the ground in the first place, allowing Dillon to just fall on him and keep him there."
This was a hell of a throw and a great play by Reed. As you pointed out huge assists from Watson and Dillon giving Love the time. Reed gives the offense something they haven't had in a long time. A true playmaking slot player who has the speed to burn. But he plays much bigger then a typical slot WR.

"Overall, Love wasn't perfect"
Something I think Packer fans need to accept is Love isn't and won't ever be perfect. Rodgers wasn't perfect. No QB is perfect. So we need to understand that perfection is not obtainable. But that being said something I have noticed is Love seems to settle in as the games go on. Sounds like practices have been similar. Once he settles in he makes some pretty damn good throws.

"Release the Kracken!"
Exactly what I think is going to happen. I'm expecting this entire offense to be unleashed in Chicago.

"Who's # 4?"
If Wicks wouldn't have gotten hurt I felt he was our number 4. But right now I do believe Heath will be the 4th. He has that goon mentality and he attacks the ball when its in the air.
I think they end up keeping 7 WR's on the 53. I think they have made it to hard on the team to not keep them.

I’m inclined to believe Doubs’ take on that catch when he says that if it had been any further ahead, he wouldn’t have been able to stay in bounds. Watching it, I agree. Doubs cited the throw as perfect. That could be just sticking up for his QB, but I think he’s right. An easier but incomplete catch isn’t a better result. Love put it where it had to be and where the defender was unable to do more than break it up at worst.

Al saying "it may not be great but it won't be terrible." Well, yeah. It may not be great. But it WILL be better than the schlock and drama we say last year. This is a straight up better team, top to bottom, than the one we trotted out there last year. And yes, I am including the QB. Rodgers was balls last year. He didn't want to be here, he was hurt, he pouted, he blame shifted. Good riddance.

After seeing what we have this training camp, I am convinced Love will be GOOD this year. Not GREAT necessarily, but good. And I do think (although don't know yet) that he will start to be GREAT in year 2.

I think we're going to win the division.

The TD throw to Reed was a special type of throw. Love showed his arm strength and accuracy. His physical abilities are what make him a 1st round draft pick. The thing about Love is he has all the physical tools, strong arm to make any play and can run the ball as needed. The mental aspect will be the final determination on how well he succeeds or fails in the NFL. I don’t believe we’ve seen nearly enough to pass judgement.

I also think we might see more mistakes in the first half vs the 2nd half of the year for two reasons. 1. Love needs to learn from his mistakes. He has to learn to throw the ball away and not into risky situations, especially those plays that don’t have much to gain from, like the play to TE. Yes, he has had plenty of camp experience to learn from mistakes, but it is different when you have multiple DC planning for you with all live tackling and different schemes vs the same defense and players day in and day out. 2. Love needs to develop confidence and connection with the rookies and even 2nd year players.

Fingers crossed he will develop the mental part of his game to equal his physical abilities.

What to say, Al?

I just thought this thought - you obviously got very good vacation and regenerated your "batteries" 120%.

This week 2 excellent pieces, that let us little to add, except to agree with you.

What is interesting lately is that all the Packers critics in the main football media (baring few from ESPN) change the Love is bust to at least he might be better than good.

That tells me Jordan surprised all of them. But, as always, Jordan Love can play at HOF level, if he will not have support of his team mates, he will not be able to achieve anything.

My hopes are that Packers, as unit will be very good this year.

Go Pack Go!

Great recap Al, thanks for your hard work. They are going to have to be a grind it out offense. It will be important to minimize turnovers, which we can be pretty sure will be higher than they have been. That will be the biggest issue IMHO. Let's hope the kicker has things figured out do points aren't left off the board when the drives stall.

Jet WR Randall Cobb speaking to the WR group on Hard Knocks… he summarizes the Packers QB issues for the previous 5+ years: “I was just talkin to an (upset) 12 er 8…. If he don’t trust you, he ain’t throwing you the ball.”

I Love the positive direction GB is heading!

GPG!

Id like to see them scrap the "snap it for a free play" nonsense. I dont care how many times Rodgers turned it into a big play. This type of trick requires the refs to see what you see and when they dont you end up with an interception like the 2014 NFC Championship Game or the turnover vs the Patriots. Please eliminate the gimmicks. Only snap it when the qb says to snap it.

Love the title puns

Very fine installment this week Al. My fav:

"These are the simple yard-gainers that have been absent from the Packers' offense for years.".

Looking forward to a lot of that and the Kraken.

Doubs made a great catch, with great foot placement but that was a badly run route by Doubs. Hopefully the growing pains that come with inexperienced QB's and WR's dont hurt us too much this year.

I think Carlson will be fine. I’m sure he’s going to have some growing pains, … in the meantime it will be nice to see a kicker that has enough leg to put kickoffs out of the end zone.
No KO returns = less injuries and less good field position.