Admire Adam Stenavich?

[El Guapo]

There are the Fire LaFleur and Bissacia threads. We need to like somebody. How about Stenavich? I may have started a similar thread years ago when Adam was the Oline coach. It was universally agreed that he excelled in that role and it earned him a promotion. He's now been the OC for three seasons, obviously not calling the plays, but responsible with LaFleur for designing schemes, execution, practices, etc.

It's hard to judge his merits because most of his work is behind the scenes and blends with the work of others, like LaFleur. It would be interesting to get an insider's take on what he has meant to this team as of late, with all of the young guys and injuries.

 

[adambr2]

Nah, demote him back to OL coach. I liked our offensive line much better when he was in charge of it.

 

[Heyjoe4]

Nah, demote him back to OL coach. I liked our offensive line much better when he was in charge of it.

Agreed. He got promoted to a position that really doesn't exist on the Packers, OC. MLF designs and calls the plays.

Yeah put him back with the OL. I mean what does he do as OC? He probably helps MLF prepare the offense for an upcoming game. Maybe he provides input during a game or at halftime.

I don't think MLF is being properly utilized - he is a high-priced OC. He should be looking at all aspects of the team/game as a HC. Maybe that would be too much for him, IDK. So far so good, but there are downsides to having him call the offensive plays. Clock management has suffered. When was the last time the Packers reached a 2-minute warning with all 3 TOs?

This isn't going to change, not with the team playing this well. Certainly nothing wrong with that. I'm very happy about how this season is playing out.

 

[Poppa San]

When was the last time the Packers reached a 2-minute warning with all 3 TOs?

Watch more games. Few teams reach the 2 minute mark with all 3 TOs left. Typically only in blowouts for the 2nd half.

 

[Poppa San]

When was the last time the Packers reached a 2-minute warning with all 3 TOs?

How did that work out for the Bears today?

 

[Heyjoe4]

Watch more games. Few teams reach the 2 minute mark with all 3 TOs left. Typically only in blowouts for the 2nd half.

That's might be a fair point. I don't pay attention to how other teams use their TOs. It just seems the Packers rarely reach the TMW with all three TOs. In general, MLF has had problems with clock management.

It's not a big deal, the team just keeps winning.

 

[Heyjoe4]

How did that work out for the Bears today?

I don't know. How did it work out? Did the Bears burn a 2H TO? Would it have affected the final score?

 

[milani]

That's might be a fair point. I don't pay attention to how other teams use their TOs. It just seems the Packers rarely reach the TMW with all three TOs. In general, MLF has had problems with clock management.

It's not a big deal, the team just keeps winning.

Well, even when Rodgers was around he made it a habit of calling TOs whenever he felt like it.

 

[Heyjoe4]

Well, even when Rodgers was around he made it a habit of calling TOs whenever he felt like it.

Yeah, Rodgers did that a lot now that you mention it. Love is more disciplined, and it seems the TOs come from MLF anyway. It tends to happen after big plays, when the Packers just don't get into and out of the huddle with enough time.

 

[Poppa San]

I don't know. How did it work out? Did the Bears burn a 2H TO? Would it have affected the final score?

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Actually back-to-back TOs gave the Packers defense a chance to catch their breath. After the Bears took theirs I expected one by GB right after the Bears offense showed the formation.

 

[Heyjoe4]

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Actually back-to-back TOs gave the Packers defense a chance to catch their breath. After the Bears took theirs I expected one by GB right after the Bears offense showed the formation.

OK so the Bears took their first TO with 00:27 left. They didn't burn a TO before that. TOs weren't really an issue anyway in this game. My earlier point was that MLF almost always burns a TO before the TMW. Anyway.......

The Packers did take a TO before the 4th down play by the Bears, and after they had lined up.

They defended the play well, although the corners and safeties switched up coverage as the play unfolded. Nixon was not supposed to be on Kmet. But they all played the down very well.

I was a little surprised Johnson had Williams roll out to his left. He'd been rolling out right all game. In the end, it didn't matter, Packers won.

 

[Poppa San]

OK so the Bears took their first TO with 00:27 left. They didn't burn a TO before that. TOs weren't really an issue anyway in this game. My earlier point was that MLF almost always burns a TO before the TMW. Anyway.......

The Packers did take a TO before the 4th down play by the Bears, and after they had lined up.

They defended the play well, although the corners and safeties switched up coverage as the play unfolded. Nixon was not supposed to be on Kmet. But they all played the down very well.

I was a little surprised Johnson had Williams roll out to his left. He'd been rolling out right all game. In the end, it didn't matter, Packers won.

Personally I think it was a running play that was defended with the pass being the "oh " option. As you said he'd been rolling right all day so going left may have been the wrinkle.

 

[milani]

Yeah, Rodgers did that a lot now that you mention it. Love is more disciplined, and it seems the TOs come from MLF anyway. It tends to happen after big plays, when the Packers just don't get into and out of the huddle with enough time.

I should not laugh but there were many a time Rodgers used up 2 or 3 TOs in a half with plenty of time left and the camera would show both a confounded and dumbfounded MM or MLF. The look was epic.

 

[Poppa San]

I should not laugh but there were many a time Rodgers used up 2 or 3 TOs in a half with plenty of time left and the camera would show both a confounded and dumbfounded MM or MLF. The look was epic.

I could never figure out calling TO on 4th and 2 or 3 near midfield after trying for the offsides and failing. Then calling the TO before the delay penalty. Several times for what?

 

[Poppa San]

Personally I think it was a running play that was defended with the pass being the "oh " option. As you said he'd been rolling right all day so going left may have been the wrinkle.

Now I'm not so sure as they ran that exact play and burned Philly with it. According to some talking heads on the interwebs.

 

[milani]

Now I'm not so sure as they ran that exact play and burned Philly with it. According to some talking heads on the interwebs.

More room because I believe they were farther away from the end zone last week.

 

[Heyjoe4]

Personally I think it was a running play that was defended with the pass being the "oh " option. As you said he'd been rolling right all day so going left may have been the wrinkle.

Gotta expect the unexpected from Johnson. In spite of his stupid dig on MLF back in January, he's a terrific play caller.

What surprised me on the Nixon pic - I think all of the CBs and Ss were on guys they weren't assigned to. That can certainly happen from inside the 10. Anyway the D played very well on that key down, preventing the Bears from scoring.

I think it was the only time in the game that Williams rolled left. The D was tired but still ready for anything.

 

[milani]

Gotta expect the unexpected from Johnson. In spite of his stupid dig on MLF back in January, he's a terrific play caller.

What surprised me on the Nixon pic - I think all of the CBs and Ss were on guys they weren't assigned to. That can certainly happen from inside the 10. Anyway the D played very well on that key down, preventing the Bears from scoring.

I think it was the only time in the game that Williams rolled left. The D was tired but still ready for anything.

I think if we had possessed the ball longer on 2 of those second half drives we keep our D on the sideline longer and forced the Bears to hurry it up more instead of using a 17 play drive. That is when Williams is more vulnerable.

 

[El Guapo]

What surprised me on the Nixon pic - I think all of the CBs and Ss were on guys they weren't assigned to. That can certainly happen from inside the 10. Anyway the D played very well on that key down, preventing the Bears from scoring.

I think it was the only time in the game that Williams rolled left. The D was tired but still ready for anything.

On his post-game interview, Evan Williams admitted that he should have been covering the TE. Nixon recognized the open receiver and dropped back to cover the more immediate threat. Nixon made a smart football play.

I re-watched that decisive play several times after hearing that podcast and noticed the following:
- Colston Loveland #84 goes in motion from (offensive) left to right, causing Cooper, Williams, and McKinney to all shift towards the motion
- McKinney is responsible for covering the WR, Loveland, and stays with him
- Valentine stays put to cover Olamide Zaccheaus #14
- Quay Walker appears to have the responsibility of covering the RB, D'Andre Swift #4, from the LB position
- When Cooper shifts with the motion, he also appears to cover the RB but may have been the spy on Caleb Williams. It's hard to tell because of how he reacts after the snap
- Evan Williams is responsible for covering Cole Kmet #85, who is lined up tight with the left tackle
- Nixon is the farthest defender to the (offensive) right. He is lined up over WR DJ Moore #2
- There is no safety help because Evans is on Kmet and McKinney is on Loveland
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- When the ball is snapped, TE Loveland continues the motion to the right side of the endzone, taking McKinney out of the play
- WR Zaccheaus fails miserably at trying to block Engbare at the line, but Valentine stays on WR Zaccheaus to ensure he doesn't leak out
- Evan Williams gets caught up in traffic and mistakenly covers RB Swift instead of TE Kmet
- Cooper and Walker cover RB Swift as well, with Cooper maybe the spy on the QB. Cooper does turn towards the QB to deter a scramble
- Nixon, lined up on the 10yd line, mirrors WR Moore as he runs behind the line to the left. Moore gave Caleb Williams a second receiving target in addition to Swift.
*****THIS IS WHERE IT GETS GOOD*****
- As Nixon crosses mid-field, he sees Kmet cross in front of him. At this point, Kmet is wide open and Caleb Williams sees it. The QB has three receiving targets (Swift shallow, Moore should be in intermediate but slows down, and Kmet deep) plus the option to run for the 1st down.
- RB Swift is covered by three Packers, so the option is eliminated
- WR Moore doesn't try to block, doesn't try hard to get open, or do anything. He is a waste of a football player so the option is eliminated
- QB Williams had no chance of scrambling because he was 6yds behind the line of scrimmage with Cooper coming at him
- TE Kmet is the only option and he is wide open
- However, when Nixon sees TE Kmet cross in front of him he broke off his coverage to cover Kmet
- The QB inexplicably held the ball for a long second before floating it to the middle of the endzone. This gave Nixon just enough time to drop back 15yds for the INT. He dropped from the 10yd line to the middle of the endzone.
- Had the QB thrown the ball immediately when he saw Kmet, or even thrown it to the back of the endzone, Nixon likely would not have had the opportunity to pick off the pass.

That was a boneheaded mistake by Evan Williams, but an equally elite play by Nixon to see the wide-open player and make the smart decision to cover the biggest threat.

 

[gopkrs]

As it turned out, Williams made it impossible for Caleb to run it in. Certainly heads up for Nixon to take the TE. Or he would have been all alone.

 

[Heyjoe4]

As it turned out, Williams made it impossible for Caleb to run it in. Certainly heads up for Nixon to take the TE. Or he would have been all alone.

Williams had been rolling to his right all game. The Packers weren't fooled by the left turn and blocked him from running into the EZ. Nixon makes his share of truly dumb plays, usually penalties, but he was all over this play, to his credit.

 

[El Guapo]

Williams had been rolling to his right all game. The Packers weren't fooled by the left turn and blocked him from running into the EZ. Nixon makes his share of truly dumb plays, usually penalties, but he was all over this play, to his credit.

One of the podcasts said that the Bears ran the same play against the Eagles, with Kmet scoring a TD. Good job of Nixon (hopefully) remembering what he saw in film study and diagnosing the play.

 

[milani]

One of the podcasts said that the Bears ran the same play against the Eagles, with Kmet scoring a TD. Good job of Nixon (hopefully) remembering what he saw in film study and diagnosing the play.

In the Eagle game I believe the Bears were already in the lead and the line of scrimmage was farther away from the end zone which allowed for more space.
In addition to that, in the Eagle game it was not 4th down. So even with an overthrow or a throw away they can still kick a FG. In GB, it was do or die. They died.