As I predicted, despite the fact that Aaron Rodgers’ backup Seneca Wallace had a week of practice with the Packers first team, the play-calling for him against the Philadelphia Eagles was conservative and safe, at least as long as he was in the game. Wallace completed all five of his passes before he (supposedly) was pulled due to an injury, but on their first possession when the Packers had a first-and-ten at the Eagles 31 and managed to move backwards on two pass completions, it was clear that the Packers were going to have trouble putting the ball in the end zone.
In came in Scott Tolzien, who was the starting quarterback of the Wisconsin Badgers the year before Russell Wilson appeared, and who save for touchdown passes thrown had similar success on the field as Wilson. Tolzien came into the game with almost zero regular season experience, appearing in only one game in 2011 and not throwing a single pass until now. For someone just off the practice squad and was not expected to play, he didn’t embarrass himself, completing 24 of 39 passes for 280 yards, a touchdown and the predictable two interceptions in a 27-13 defeat.
Wallace may not have committed any turnovers had he stayed in the game, but it was clear that Tolzien was less constrained despite his relative inexperience. Rumor has it that the Packers are in fact considering bringing in Matt Flynn for a workout; considering Tolzien's performance, whether this is a serious consideration or not depends on where Wallace stands.
But what I found most interesting about the game was the interaction--or lack thereof--between Oklahoma native Riley Cooper and his teammates. After his touchdown catches, Cooper was greeted on his way back to the sidelines by his white teammates, and apparently only them. I didn't observe any of his black teammates even give him a "high-five" or a butt slap. What is going on? Last week Tim McManus, who contributed to a blog devoted to the Eagles, found that some of his black teammates have not forgotten the incident of the past summer in which Cooper revealed more of himself than perhaps he wanted to let on. While a few reluctantly expressed "appreciation" for what he brings on the field, their "body language" suggested it goes no farther than that.
Things are much different, however, with coach Chip Kelly and Cooper's white teammates. In fact Cooper calls quarterback Nick Foles "a great friend," and Kelly has been effusive in his praise of the player he calls "the Coop I know." It doesn't matter what he thinks about his black teammates; what really "matters" is how he plays on Sunday. Frankly, anyone who is a "great friend" of the racist Copper is suspect to me; word has it that the NFL Hall of Fame wants Foles' jersey and cleats from his 7-TD game against the Oakland Raiders, who lost to a Giants team just begging to lose, thanks to another awful performance by Terrell Pryor. Maybe a little "premature"? I'm starting to think that maybe I'd like to see the Texan Foles faceplant and take his "great friend" Cooper with him.
Given the fact that Cooper has managed to (quietly) divide the locker room into two camps--those who support him (his white teammates) and those who understandably keep their distance from him (his black teammates), being a "team" means reporting to work every day, keep interpersonal conflict subsumed long enough to do the job. and then go home at night. You don't have to "like" the person you have to share the same side of the field with, but it doesn't mean that it is easy--or should be.
No comments:
Post a Comment