Bear studs and duds

[OldSchool101]

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Packers offensive playbook!!!

Haha. Irinically we don't even need a pass #2 option when we're punting on 4th down!
In computers software (play calling) you always keep a copy of the current working program before you begin making changes to the code to improve it. In the event you foul up the changes you can always revert back to what was already working.
With computer hardware (players)when we continually have glitches that affect the desired results.. We replace the hardware. Doing the same thing without the desired results is futile.
In Automobiles.. With individual part failure the machine is succeptible to a catastrophic failure unless the part is replaced in a reasonable amount of time
Or we risk inconvenience, injury or death. It's time to recall the failing parts
The status quo isn't working.

 

[Bagadeez04]

People also love to blame play calling without hardly backing it up.

People are making an educated guess. This is an offense that has been perhaps the best in the league, consistently, over the past several years, and they have suddenly regressed into mediocre at best (this season). To say that this is entirely or mostly due to Nelson being out is kind of hard to fathom...particularly given that WR is considered the strongest position on the team.

The only thing that makes sense, to me and many others (who are casual fans not experts), is that MM replacing himself with two unproven coaches as play caller and OC has not worked out...maybe in time they will grow into their roles who knows? Maybe Edgar Bennett is an incredible receivers coach who is missed there. I don't know.

What i do know is the situation is not improving, and this is something that has to be in some way related to coaching. This is the same cast of characters except for Nelson, and they look awful. What else could it be?

 

[Deleted member 6794]

It's not that we're just missing 1 player, it's that we're missing a sensational player who's absence has also exposed his teammates.

There's no denying that Nelson is an elite receiver but missing him shouldn't result in the Packers offense struggling like they have this season.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

Packers offensive playbook!!!

I don't see the play where the QB runs wildly around behind the line of scrimmage searching for an open receiver, just the way they drew it up in the dirt.

 

[TJV]

After Lacy's fumble, he got 7 carries the rest of the game. 7. Yeah, he made a mistake by fumbling, but it's pretty ridiculous that they took out the one element of their offense that was actually working yesterday and scapegoated one guy for a fumble when the entire offense has been sucking for a month.

But that doesn’t tell the whole story. After the Lacy fumble and Bears’ scored, Starks ran the ball for 10 and then 7 yards, caught a pass for 6 yards, ran for 1 and caught a pass for 10. The drive stalled at the Bears 5-yard line. I don't see much to criticize there - it's not as if they didn't get production from Starks. After the Bears scored again, the Packers got the ball with 27 seconds left in the half and didn’t run the ball or pass it to a RB.

Then Lacy started the second half. He ran four times for 21 yards and was spelled (IMO) to rest. Starks ran twice for 11 yards and Lacy came back in. On the last failed drive of the game, Starks caught a pass for 18, ran for 7 and caught a pass for 3. The play calling can be criticized for not running the ball more (make them stop your running game) but I have no problem with sitting Lacy down for a series after a fumble but to make it sound like Starks got a lot more carries after that isn’t accurate.

 

[PackerDNA]

But that doesn’t tell the whole story. After the Lacy fumble and Bears’ scored, Starks ran the ball for 10 and then 7 yards, caught a pass for 6 yards, ran for 1 and caught a pass for 10. The drive stalled at the Bears 5-yard line.
That's a TD if Lang doesn't completely whiff on his block- which he did twice last night.

 

[JBlood]

What i do know is the situation is not improving, and this is something that has to be in some way related to coaching.

McCarthy's play book was 146 pages in 2004 at New Orleans. I imagine it's even greater today. So there's plenty of plays to choose from. Coaches expect the play called will be executed as close to perfection as possible. Good coaches demand it. Obviously, that is not happening the last 5 games. If we had our usual offensive production we'd be 9 and 2 right now even with the middle of the pack defense that has been the standard for the last 5 seasons.

 

[Sky King]

There are no answers , gang. Not this season, not with this team. The wheels have all come off, being exposed is now at full exposure.
This is not a good football team. This team is at a crossroads this off season.

Your bold statement provokes thought. As fans we don't have those answers and obviously the coaching staff doesn't either at this point in time. We as fans do not have anywhere near enough inside information to provide comprehensive answers. However, it will always be a fan's prerogative to ask pertinent questions and to keep looking for the team's staff and players to address them (most truthfully answered by the product that performs on the field of play):

1. How could a high-performance offense quickly become so inept?
2. Will Mike McCarthy be willing to acknowledge when his offensive system has become stale and predictable? If so, how will he react?
   
3. Could friendship trump performance when it comes to McCarthy retaining coaches in whose areas of direct responsibility a constant struggle exists to achieve even mediocrity?
   
4. Is Aaron Rodger's dramatic drop-off in effectiveness the result of physical injury, burnout, poor attitude, poor decision-making, lack of confidence, ineffective coaching or all of the above and maybe some others fans have not even considered? How can the reigning MVP go from the penthouse to the outhouse in less than a full season?
   
5. What about any other players whose overall performances have similarly been in sharp decline since this season began?
6. What causes McCarthy, his staff, and his QB to repeatedly invest their unwavering support in a disappointing performer like Adams despite his apparent failure to reciprocate? If Adams turns-out to be a "mistake" how long will it be before Ted Thompson and company are willing to admit that mistake and move on appropriately?
   
7. Conversely, what causes them to turn an indifferent eye to the repeated flashes that have been displayed by another player, Jeff Janis, who has delivered several explosive plays this season despite having rather limited opportunities to do so? He looks far more ready to contribute than the guy who is purported to be the more ready of the two.
   
8. What is the proper balance that needs to be struck between a pure draft & develop philosophy and the complementary signing of just a limited number of free-agents to positions of need (not having been addressed via the draft or by the re-signing of their own players)?
9. Does this team have an institutional bias against running the ball even when it is working? If so, why?
   
10. Has the normal shelf-life of this GM and his coaching staff drawn much closer to its inevitable end than we may have thought entering this season?

 

[PackerDNA]

All great points, Sky King. There have been tons of great points and ideas here.
I'd focus on #'s 8 and 10. #8 has and will continue to be discussed at length. But #10 has been coming up in my mind lately. This is TT's 11th season here, MM's 10th. That's a long time in football years, and I believe both will need to step outside of their comfort zones this off season, or this decline will continue. Maybe things are getting stale, and maybe they'll be unable to adjust.

 

[Carl]

People are making an educated guess. This is an offense that has been perhaps the best in the league, consistently, over the past several years, and they have suddenly regressed into mediocre at best (this season). To say that this is entirely or mostly due to Nelson being out is kind of hard to fathom...particularly given that WR is considered the strongest position on the team.

The only thing that makes sense, to me and many others (who are casual fans not experts), is that MM replacing himself with two unproven coaches as play caller and OC has not worked out...maybe in time they will grow into their roles who knows? Maybe Edgar Bennett is an incredible receivers coach who is missed there. I don't know.

What i do know is the situation is not improving, and this is something that has to be in some way related to coaching. This is the same cast of characters except for Nelson, and they look awful. What else could it be?

Just yesterday all these mistakes I posted about earlier:

Two drives ended with a turnover. One with a dropped pass that would have put them in FG range. One with a hold and then bad snap that puts them out of FG range. One that's a TD if the officials didn't make a terrible call and stop the play.

On the 2nd to last play, Cobb is one on one with a LB and doesn't get open. On the final play, Adams doesn't do a thing but stand there and the protection breaks down.

None of those are on a play call and certainly played a huge role.

 

[Chicocheese]

I'm sorry but Lacy isn't a dud. His fumble was very unfortunate BUT the ball was wet, slick, and the defenders hand just happen to punch the ball out.

Lacy should have been utilized on at least 1 play in the final minute.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

I'm sorry but Lacy isn't a dud. His fumble was very unfortunate BUT the ball was wet, slick, and the defenders hand just happen to punch the ball out.

Lacy should have been utilized on at least 1 play in the final minute.

I agree that Lacy wasn't a dud because of the fumble but on that play he carried the ball way too recklessly.

 

[grampi]

I may be mistaken but after Adams' drop in the second quarter on 3rd and long that cost us a momentum moving first down (amongst many) i believe they kept him out a few series and had Janis in his spot. And as stated Rodgers did not know he existed because well lets just say it is his trust issues with his receivers. That whole trust thing is b.s to me it is Rodgers not looking in the mirror and taking any of the blame, merely just pointing fingers at everyone else. I am starting to wonder if the players are not only tuning MM out but also AR. How many times have we seen Rodgers throw a horrible ball and blame the receiver, not only for not changing their routes but also on the little quick hits he has been throwing in the dirt lately.

I've been noticing AR's accuracy seems to be gone. I wonder if his shoulder injury is effecting his throws? I don't know why else his passes would be so far off the mark so often...he USED to be one of the most, if not THE most accurate passer in the league...

 

[grampi]

I still have a hard time believing that Nelson's absence is the cause of the O's poor play...Nelson being gone isn't causing AR's passes to be so far off the mark...Nelson being gone isn't causing all of the dropped passes...Nelson being gone isn't causing the poor O-line play...certainly he's missed, but to say his absence is causing this hideous offense I think is a bit far fetched...

 

[Packerlifer]

I agree that Lacy wasn't a dud because of the fumble but on that play he carried the ball way too recklessly.

And he was showboating on his td run and nearly negated the touchdown. McCarthy pointedly said he was holding the ball away from his body on the fumble and you don't hold a football that way. I think they sat him to adjust his attitude.

 

[adambr2]

And he was showboating on his td run and nearly negated the touchdown. McCarthy pointedly said he was holding the ball away from his body on the fumble and you don't hold a football that way. I think they sat him to adjust his attitude.

If that's the attitude they had toward Lacy there is no reason for Adams to be getting snaps over Montgomery next week if healthy or even Janis.

 

[Packerlifer]

http://www.packersnews.com/story/sp...arthy-feels-refs-blew-jones-penalty/76450336/

 

[easyk83]

Are you going to pick and choose which 10 to take away. If you take away all the incompletions and drops then yeah I'm sure things would have been much better.

Obviously I can't, but if winning is the objective then stick with what works. If you can't beat them with finesse beat them with power and we were beating them with power. A hard punishing run game might have broken them by the 4th quarter. 25+ carries from Lacy will do a number on most defenses.

 

[easyk83]

If that's the attitude they had toward Lacy there is no reason for Adams to be getting snaps over Montgomery next week if healthy or even Janis.

The trouble is that they need someone on the boundary and neither Cobb or Montgomery are any good out there. I would, however, take a bunch of his snaps and give them to Janis. Even if he's just running a bunch of streaks deep posts and hitches if nothing else he'll occupy someone. They need to scheme Janis open in space, with a few yards to get going. Potentially one play like that and it could be 7 from anywhere on the field.

 

[easyk83]

I think you tell Adams that he's special and you still love him but that he's getting demoted. That he can either flop and give up or fight like hell to regain the team's trust, and I would give him every opportunity to do so.

 

[Carl]

http://www.packersnews.com/story/sp...arthy-feels-refs-blew-jones-penalty/76450336/

That was an awful call.

 

[Daryl Muellenberg]

And he was showboating on his td run and nearly negated the touchdown. McCarthy pointedly said he was holding the ball away from his body on the fumble and you don't hold a football that way. I think they sat him to adjust his attitude.

How would that negate the touchdown? I believe in this case the defense has the option of taking the 15 yard penalty on the PAT or the ensuing kickoff, but it doesn't negate the touchdown.

 

[NelsonsLongCatch]

People are making an educated guess. This is an offense that has been perhaps the best in the league, consistently, over the past several years, and they have suddenly regressed into mediocre at best (this season). To say that this is entirely or mostly due to Nelson being out is kind of hard to fathom...particularly given that WR is considered the strongest position on the team.

The only thing that makes sense, to me and many others (who are casual fans not experts), is that MM replacing himself with two unproven coaches as play caller and OC has not worked out...maybe in time they will grow into their roles who knows? Maybe Edgar Bennett is an incredible receivers coach who is missed there. I don't know.

What i do know is the situation is not improving, and this is something that has to be in some way related to coaching. This is the same cast of characters except for Nelson, and they look awful. What else could it be?

I agree with you. In 2014, the Packers had the #1 scoring offense in the league at 30.4 points per game: http://espn.go.com/nfl/statistics/team/_/stat/total/sort/totalPointsPerGame/year/2014

In 2015, the Packers are averaging 23.8 points per game: http://espn.go.com/nfl/statistics/team/_/stat/total/sort/totalPointsPerGame

Nelson is a great receiver, but I don't think his absence is worth a full touchdown per game. Something else needs to be awry.

 

[Mondio]

How would that negate the touchdown? I believe in this case the defense has the option of taking the 15 yard penalty on the PAT or the ensuing kickoff, but it doesn't negate the touchdown.

If that football crossed the goal line, it wasn't by much. If he flips it early, no touchdown. I don't know who recovered it, if it went out of bounds or what afterwards, but they called it a TD after review, so I never paid attention.

 

[PackerDNA]

Nelson isn't the whole problem; I know I never said so, and don't recall anyone else making that claim. But his absence is big part of the problems.