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<blockquote data-quote="P@ck66" data-source="post: 120667" data-attributes="member: 212"><p>This kind of says it all, and imo explains why the Packers are struggling. Not the other idea that some posters are floating. </p><p></p><p>But that's why the call them opinions, i guess..on both sides of the argument. </p><p></p><p><span style="color: yellow">Inexperienced line limits the offense </span></p><p><span style="color: yellow"></span></p><p><span style="color: yellow">By Rob Demovsky </span></p><p><span style="color: yellow"><a href="mailto:rdemovsk@greenbaypressgazette.com">rdemovsk@greenbaypressgazette.com</a> </span></p><p><span style="color: yellow"></span></p><p><span style="color: yellow">If the Green Bay Packers' offense doesn't seem very dynamic, it's because first-year coach Mike McCarthy is using only a fraction of his playbook. </span></p><p><span style="color: yellow"></span></p><p><span style="color: yellow"></span></p><p><span style="color: yellow">With so much effort put into helping an offensive line — with three rookie starters — protect Brett Favre, it's taken away much of what was supposed to be a prototypical West Coast passing game. </span></p><p><span style="color: yellow"></span></p><p><span style="color: yellow"></span></p><p><span style="color: yellow">It's the rare play that McCarthy and offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski protect with only the five offensive linemen. Six-man protections often have been the minimum, and there have been plenty of times when they've left tight ends and running backs in to block. </span></p><p><span style="color: yellow"></span></p><p><span style="color: yellow"></span></p><p><span style="color: yellow">"We're not using anywhere near all of the playbook," center Scott Wells said on Thursday. "Right now, we don't have a large variety of plays because they want us to get good at the plays we're using. We want to establish something that we can hang our hat on and something we know we can count on to execute well. Until we get to the point where we can execute certain plays well, they're not going to add anything." </span></p><p><span style="color: yellow"></span></p><p><span style="color: yellow"></span></p><p><span style="color: yellow">It's not simply limited to the passing game. It goes for the running game, too. </span></p><p><span style="color: yellow"></span></p><p><span style="color: yellow"></span></p><p><span style="color: yellow">"We have that power run that (former starting guards) Marco Rivera and Mike Wahle were great at," Wells said. "We have it in the book. We just haven't used it." </span></p><p><span style="color: yellow"></span></p><p><span style="color: yellow"></span></p><p><span style="color: yellow">Instead, McCarthy has stuck to the basic zone-blocking plays that Jagodzinski brought with him from the Atlanta Falcons, where he was the offensive line coach last season. In the zone scheme, there are essentially four basic plays. There is a run to the weak side and a run to the strong side, and on each of those plays, there's an inside option and an outside option. </span></p><p><span style="color: yellow"></span></p><p><span style="color: yellow"></span></p><p><span style="color: yellow">"We're running those, and that's what they want to be the core of our offense," Wells said. "We're really trying to be consistent with those before we expand it." </span></p><p><span style="color: yellow"></span></p><p><span style="color: yellow"></span></p><p><span style="color: yellow">The Packers rank 12th in total offense but 20th in points. Since losing right tackle Mark Tauscher to a groin injury in the Nov. 12 win at Minnesota, the Packers have scored merely 34 points, and that includes a defensive touchdown in the 34-24 loss at Seattle on Nov. 27. </span></p><p><span style="color: yellow"></span></p><p><span style="color: yellow"></span></p><p><span style="color: yellow">The offensive woes are especially evident on first down. The Packers' average gain on first-down plays is 4.33 yards. </span></p><p><span style="color: yellow"></span></p><p><span style="color: yellow"></span></p><p><span style="color: yellow">"Getting 4 yards on first down is a winning deal," Jagodzinski said. "I don't know where we're ranked, but if you're sitting there at second-and-6, you can call whatever you want to call." </span></p><p><span style="color: yellow"></span></p><p><span style="color: yellow"></span></p><p><span style="color: yellow">However, the Packers rank 15th in the NFC in first-down average. Only the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (at 4.19 yards per first-down play) are worse. In the AFC, only the New York Jets (4.27) and the Oakland Raiders (3.81) are worse. By comparison, the Philadelphia Eagles lead the NFC with 7.25 yards per play, and the Indianapolis Colts lead the AFC at 6.15. The Carolina Panthers rank right in the middle of the entire NFL, and their average is 5.29, nearly a yard more than the Packers. </span></p><p><span style="color: yellow"></span></p><p><span style="color: yellow"></span></p><p><span style="color: yellow">"The thing we've gotten away from is a lot of our base drop-back pass game because of the emphasis on protection," McCarthy said. "It's affected some of the attempts for the backs. It's affected some of the attempts for the tight ends. That's kind of where we are on offense. When you throw the football, I'm of the opinion it's protection first." </span></p><p><span style="color: yellow"></span></p><p><span style="color: yellow"></span></p><p><span style="color: yellow">The Packers tried to block one-on-one early in the Oct. 22 game at Miami, and Favre got drilled and lost a fumble that led to a touchdown. Jagodzinski and McCarthy quickly adjusted with more protection, and it wasn't a problem the rest of the way. </span></p><p><span style="color: yellow"></span></p><p><span style="color: yellow"></span></p><p><span style="color: yellow">"We could get five (receivers) out every time, but if the ball can't get out and the quarterback keeps getting hit, that's counterproductive," Jagodzinski said. "We make sure he's protected. We go with five-man protection every now and then. We'll go some six-man protection. You start getting him hit around, that's not good for anybody." </span></p><p><span style="color: yellow"></span></p><p><span style="color: yellow"></span></p><p><span style="color: yellow">It also means Favre is running more plays with three-step drops and almost none with seven-step drops, which typically are for deeper routes. </span></p><p><span style="color: yellow"></span></p><p><span style="color: yellow"></span></p><p><span style="color: yellow">"You go back and take more time to throw, obviously you have more time to get open and get deeper," McCarthy said. "That's an area where you'd like to be able to do everything, and we will. Maybe this week. We'll see what happens." </span></p><p><span style="color: yellow"></span></p><p><span style="color: yellow"></span></p><p><span style="color: yellow">The commitment to max protection isn't the only thing limiting the offense of late. Beginning with the Nov. 19 game against New England, when the Packers managed only 120 yards of offense, opposing teams effectively have taken away the Packers' top receiver, Donald Driver. He has caught only eight passes in the last three games combined. </span></p><p><span style="color: yellow"></span></p><p><span style="color: yellow"></span></p><p><span style="color: yellow">What's more is rookie No. 2 receiver Greg Jennings has continued to be limited by the nagging ankle injury he sustained against the Dolphins. Though Jennings missed only one game, he hasn't had a 100-yard receiving game since the injury and hasn't had more than 69 yards receiving in any of his last five outings. Before his injury, he had a pair of 100-yard games and another with 86 yards. </span></p><p><span style="color: yellow"></span></p><p><span style="color: yellow"></span></p><p><span style="color: yellow">"I think he's getting over that nagging thing he had," Jagodzinski said. "We've seen him perform. Hopefully, he can keep being productive for us, and hopefully this week will be the start of something good for him again."</span></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="P@ck66, post: 120667, member: 212"] This kind of says it all, and imo explains why the Packers are struggling. Not the other idea that some posters are floating. But that's why the call them opinions, i guess..on both sides of the argument. [color=yellow]Inexperienced line limits the offense By Rob Demovsky [email]rdemovsk@greenbaypressgazette.com[/email] If the Green Bay Packers' offense doesn't seem very dynamic, it's because first-year coach Mike McCarthy is using only a fraction of his playbook. With so much effort put into helping an offensive line — with three rookie starters — protect Brett Favre, it's taken away much of what was supposed to be a prototypical West Coast passing game. It's the rare play that McCarthy and offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski protect with only the five offensive linemen. Six-man protections often have been the minimum, and there have been plenty of times when they've left tight ends and running backs in to block. "We're not using anywhere near all of the playbook," center Scott Wells said on Thursday. "Right now, we don't have a large variety of plays because they want us to get good at the plays we're using. We want to establish something that we can hang our hat on and something we know we can count on to execute well. Until we get to the point where we can execute certain plays well, they're not going to add anything." It's not simply limited to the passing game. It goes for the running game, too. "We have that power run that (former starting guards) Marco Rivera and Mike Wahle were great at," Wells said. "We have it in the book. We just haven't used it." Instead, McCarthy has stuck to the basic zone-blocking plays that Jagodzinski brought with him from the Atlanta Falcons, where he was the offensive line coach last season. In the zone scheme, there are essentially four basic plays. There is a run to the weak side and a run to the strong side, and on each of those plays, there's an inside option and an outside option. "We're running those, and that's what they want to be the core of our offense," Wells said. "We're really trying to be consistent with those before we expand it." The Packers rank 12th in total offense but 20th in points. Since losing right tackle Mark Tauscher to a groin injury in the Nov. 12 win at Minnesota, the Packers have scored merely 34 points, and that includes a defensive touchdown in the 34-24 loss at Seattle on Nov. 27. The offensive woes are especially evident on first down. The Packers' average gain on first-down plays is 4.33 yards. "Getting 4 yards on first down is a winning deal," Jagodzinski said. "I don't know where we're ranked, but if you're sitting there at second-and-6, you can call whatever you want to call." However, the Packers rank 15th in the NFC in first-down average. Only the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (at 4.19 yards per first-down play) are worse. In the AFC, only the New York Jets (4.27) and the Oakland Raiders (3.81) are worse. By comparison, the Philadelphia Eagles lead the NFC with 7.25 yards per play, and the Indianapolis Colts lead the AFC at 6.15. The Carolina Panthers rank right in the middle of the entire NFL, and their average is 5.29, nearly a yard more than the Packers. "The thing we've gotten away from is a lot of our base drop-back pass game because of the emphasis on protection," McCarthy said. "It's affected some of the attempts for the backs. It's affected some of the attempts for the tight ends. That's kind of where we are on offense. When you throw the football, I'm of the opinion it's protection first." The Packers tried to block one-on-one early in the Oct. 22 game at Miami, and Favre got drilled and lost a fumble that led to a touchdown. Jagodzinski and McCarthy quickly adjusted with more protection, and it wasn't a problem the rest of the way. "We could get five (receivers) out every time, but if the ball can't get out and the quarterback keeps getting hit, that's counterproductive," Jagodzinski said. "We make sure he's protected. We go with five-man protection every now and then. We'll go some six-man protection. You start getting him hit around, that's not good for anybody." It also means Favre is running more plays with three-step drops and almost none with seven-step drops, which typically are for deeper routes. "You go back and take more time to throw, obviously you have more time to get open and get deeper," McCarthy said. "That's an area where you'd like to be able to do everything, and we will. Maybe this week. We'll see what happens." The commitment to max protection isn't the only thing limiting the offense of late. Beginning with the Nov. 19 game against New England, when the Packers managed only 120 yards of offense, opposing teams effectively have taken away the Packers' top receiver, Donald Driver. He has caught only eight passes in the last three games combined. What's more is rookie No. 2 receiver Greg Jennings has continued to be limited by the nagging ankle injury he sustained against the Dolphins. Though Jennings missed only one game, he hasn't had a 100-yard receiving game since the injury and hasn't had more than 69 yards receiving in any of his last five outings. Before his injury, he had a pair of 100-yard games and another with 86 yards. "I think he's getting over that nagging thing he had," Jagodzinski said. "We've seen him perform. Hopefully, he can keep being productive for us, and hopefully this week will be the start of something good for him again."[/color] [/QUOTE]
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