If you’re looking for a capsule of the Jaguars’ 1-6 start, look no further.
The team that invested a third-round pick in punter Bryan Anger allowed a blocked punt for a touchdown yesterday, even though the Packers only had 10 men on the field.
According to Rob Demovsky of the Green Bay Press-Gazette, the Packers were short because rookie Jarrett Boykin apparently failed to take his place.
That didn’t stop Davon House from coming clean through the Jags protection and blocking the punt, which bounced around and was eventually recovered by Dezman Moses in the end zone for the score that made it 14-3 in the second quarter.
House said several Jags even pointed him out, but no one bothered blocking him.
“They called it out, so I don’t know if they just blocked it wrong or what,” House said. “But I came scot-free. No one touched me at all. When I motioned in, they said something and they pointed at me, and I still came in free.”
Several Packers on the punt return team said they didn’t realize they were short-handed.
“Is that right?” Moses asked. “Well, we got it done anyway.”
The Packers have continued to make plays on special teams under coach Shawn Slocum, with a fake field goal for a touchdown against the Bears, a fake punt for a first down conversion against the Saints and an onside kick recovery against the Rams.
They missed a fake field goal pass Sunday, and kicker Mason Crosby pinged a 32-yard field goal off the upright (his first miss inside 50 yards this year), but otherwise the special teams unit has been solid.
“Special teams has been the lead dog all year,” Packers coach Mike McCarthy said. “They set the tempo with the blocked punt. Shawn Slocum and the special teams, our focus was to put pressure on their punt protection, and I thought the execution of Davon House on the block was excellent.”
So good, that he didn’t even need all his help.