Adaptability of coaches helps Favre and offense

tromadz

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Packersnews.com:

More protection sparks pass attack

By Rob Demovsky
[email protected]

Though every offensive game plan is different, the Green Bay Packers may have to at least consider using the same type of ultra conservative passing game that was so successful in Sunday's win over the Detroit Lions.

Coach Mike McCarthy and offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski used a variety of six-, seven- and even eight-man protections, and the result was the Packers' most efficient passing attack of the season. Brett Favre never came close to throwing an interception, was not sacked, completed 69.4 percent of his passes and threw for 340 yards and three touchdowns.

By using multiple tight end formations and keeping the tight ends in to block longer than usual, it limited Favre's opportunities to throw deeper down the field but also eliminated some of the risky throws he made the first two weeks when he was under heavy pressure.

"We had the ability to protect with seven but still get five (receivers) out," Jagodzinski said on Monday. "You're protecting with seven guys, but if their (blocking) assignment doesn't come, you still have the ability to get five out. That's the way we went."

It was almost a must after the trouble the Packers had protecting Favre the first two games, when he was sacked a combined five times and hit 14 times. Also, it was a way to help rookie guards Daryn Colledge and Tony Moll against Lions' Pro Bowl defensive tackle Shaun Rogers.

"You've got to help those guys out a little bit," Jagodzinski said. "To put those guys on their own would be so negligent. You don't put your guys in a position like that. You've got to put them in a position to succeed."

To be sure, the Packers still used their share of multiple-receiver sets. They opened the game with No. 3 receiver Robert Ferguson on the field in place of a tight end, and Favre completed a play-action pass to Donald Driver for a 7-yard gain.

However, on at least 17 of their 63 offensive plays, they had multiple tight ends on the field, many times to help with pass protection.

"I think it helps," Colledge said. "It builds confidence. It gives you a chance to eliminate guys that are going to be big-time players like a Rogers. It gives you a chance to lean on those guys and wear them down."

McCarthy and Jagodzinski also put Favre in the shotgun as much or more than they had in the first two games as a way to help with protection.

Not only did the Lions fail to sack Favre, they weren't credited with a quarterback hit, a new category on the official game stats this season. Part of that was due to the multitude of quick throws and short drops Favre took.

Perhaps it wasn't a coincidence that Driver had his least productive game of the season with only three catches for 20 yards, but Jagodzinski said that type of game plan shouldn't limit what Favre can do.

"You still have the ability to get five guys out," Jagodzinski said. "You have to be able to mix it up. It's not just one protection. It's one of maybe five or six we carry into the game."



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We discussed this after the game, and it looks like other people are taking note of it as well. The pass protection was good due to extra blockers. This didn't happen in 2005(worse line too) and we all saw Favre get laid out multiple times. After 2 games of 'suspect' pass blocking, the coaches are helping the line out, and giving Favre time to do his thing. I like it.

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Hopefully in 2-3 weeks we can slowly start taking off the 'training wheels' and see what the young kids on the o-line can do!

this makes me like Jags a bit more!
 

yooperfan

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This is encouraging.
It shows that our young inexperienced coaching staff is adapting to the weaknesses and needs on offense.
Now if only someone could figure out how to help our porous secondary we would really be moving in the right direction.
 

Zombieslayer

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let's keep the training wheels on as long as we need them though. I'd rather see Favre play three more years (including this one).

Good article. Hats off to MM and our OC. Now if they could only figure out how to get the DBs to communicate with each other, we'd be a much better team.
 
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tromadz

tromadz

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YERCELL said:
Man. How can you guys read all of these articles? It's overkill for me.

Its being a fan, for me.

I cut myself shaving yesterday, and I bled green and gold.
 
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tromadz

tromadz

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I'm like the little kid who 'fake shaves' with his daddy in the bathroom to feel all grown up.
 

warhawk

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Reading the articles and comments of the coaches provides insight on what is really going on out there and explains why the results are what they are in both the outcome of the game and in specific situations.

I, for one, want to know how and why. We all see the results of any given play, good or bad, but I like to know how and why the results are what they are.

I mean my dog watches the games with me. I know he sees 22 guys running around out there but has no clue what is happening. Kind of like some of my friends with a six pack under their belts by halftime.

Thye have fun and enjoy the experience and that's great. Many fans don't CARE to know the finer points of what is going on and others get satisfaction by understanding how certain plays turn out the way they do why the outcome is whatever it is.

Neither can be considered a better or worse fan. We are, after it's said and done, all CHEESEHEADS.
 

majikman

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The thing that concerns me is that if the Packers don't develop a running game pretty soon, the opposing Defensive coaches are going to get wise and double cover the receivers.

Then it will be pretty hard to move the ball through the air and the coaches will have to get damn creative to make anything happen.
 
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tromadz

tromadz

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majikman said:
The thing that concerns me is that if the Packers don't develop a running game pretty soon, the opposing Defensive coaches are going to get wise and double cover the receivers.

I agree to a certain extent. But last year we had no run game and only 1 WR, and Favre-to-Driver still was an insane combo that did good things.

This year we have Jennings (with fergy and krob helping out occasionally).

We also have been using screens and short passes to substitute for the run it seems at times.

I believe 46% of our plays in week 3 were run plays. Thats not bad at all. The results werent great(no doubt) but the consistency is good.

But I agree, we need to step up the run game. Hopefully the kids improve on that aspect soon, like they did with pass protection.
 

digsthepack

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Let them double the WRs. I believe we will see a whole lot more short passes on 1st downs to RBs, WRs and TEs until the running game sorts itself out. Use some of the WRs to pull the LBs and safeties back and exploit the voids with the short pass.
 

warhawk

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tromadz said:
majikman said:
The thing that concerns me is that if the Packers don't develop a running game pretty soon, the opposing Defensive coaches are going to get wise and double cover the receivers.

I agree to a certain extent. But last year we had no run game and only 1 WR, and Favre-to-Driver still was an insane combo that did good things.

This year we have Jennings (with fergy and krob helping out occasionally).

We also have been using screens and short passes to substitute for the run it seems at times.

I believe 46% of our plays in week 3 were run plays. Thats not bad at all. The results werent great(no doubt) but the consistency is good.

But I agree, we need to step up the run game. Hopefully the kids improve on that aspect soon, like they did with pass protection.

As I have mentioned in other threads it's not like the teams we have played are patsys against the run. The Saints, for example, stoned one of the best running games in the NFL and everybody else they have played.

Philly isn't bad against the run but not in the same catagory of the teams we've played so far so we will find out if we are really just a bad running team or if the teams we've played so far have had a lot to do with it.

I expect to see improvement in the running game but realistically there will be some teams we play that isn't giving anything to anybody on the ground.

Our goal should be to run the ball against anybody but this will take a lot of work and PT with the young guys and new system.
 

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