Skinny Posts: Packers rookies go wild
Skinny Posts is my look for the stories beneath the box score while watching preseason game tape
Seahawks vs. Packers
Nate Burleson: He started over D.J. Hackett and broke a terrible Nick Collins tackle for a 55-yard gain. It was surprising to see Marquand Manuel catch Burleson from behind. Not sure what to think about Burleson starting; I will watch to see if Hackett starts this week.
Brandon Jackson: I wanted to watch this game solely because of Jackson (13-54-1). He had a great night, largely because the Green Bay offensive line dominated. If you close your eyes, you can almost see Ahman Green. Jackson did his damage inside the tackles and ran over a few people. No matter when Vernand Morency is healthy, Jackson will play in the red zone. Jackson got the ball twice in a row from the seven, using good vision to score.
His pass blocking was also solid, a problem for him early in camp. One weakness: He was targeted a handful of times, including on an 11-yard screen pass, but dropped two others. All in all, this was among the biggest efforts for any fantasy player this preseason. It should earn him the primary back role.
James Jones: Jones (4-58-2) needs to save some plays for the regular season. He had six targets to Greg Jennings' one. Jones had an amazing leaping 32-yard catch on the sidelines - best catch I've seen in the preseason. He caught two touchdowns, one while scooping up a low throw, the other using his speed after the catch. I have a bet that Jones will out-score both Jennings and Craig Davis this season. So far, so good. Rich Gannon pointed out that Jones works the middle of the field very well.
Packers offense: Their offensive line is maturing and had a great night. The offense used a ton of different formations, rarely just going with 2 WRs. They had two tight ends and only one wideout occasionally, with either Donald Driver or James Jones as the lone man outside. They went three and four wide often. Brandon Jackson lined up as a wideout a few times.
Comments
Thanks Gregg. Great info on Brandon Jackson and James Jones. Is Brandon Jackson a guy who can mature into an every down back, or do you think he'll share the ball in the future? What specifically does James Jones do well?
Posted by: Anonymous | August 22, 2007 06:49 PM