Mike Pettine's Defence

pacmaniac

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It is amazing how most of our playoff losses the last 2 decades involve some crazy play (4th and 26, Manning's halftime hail mary, Fitzgerald wide open for 75 yards) or some crazy performance (giving up 51 points, Kaepernick rushing for almost 200 yards, The Collapse, Matt Ryan throwing for 400 yards, SF rushing for 300 yards).

What will it be next year? We will probably play Dallas, they will score a TD in the final seconds to pull within one, and instead of kicking the XP to go to OT, McCarthy goes for 2 and wins the game!
 
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XPack

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Again, I still don't really see the difference.

Stabbed to death or shot, you're still dead.

Run all over or passed all over, you still lost.
Make Garopollo throw and we'll have a chance. He's not that good and throws INT which will change complexion on game. Giving them run option is like inviting them to feast.
 

mradtke66

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Has anyone gotten all-22 analysis of the game yet? It still looked to my eye, that yeah, we got beat, but we a reasonable plan of attack. Lots of base, bear-front within base, and we've got MLF saying that they played an 8 man box most of the game. This should is the blueprint for taking away the run and forcing the other team to pass.

It didn't work. Why? Are the 49ers just better? Did one or more players have a bad game? If so, who?

I want to blame Martinez, but at least one lineman or one of the Smiths need to also have lost on each play to give up such huge lanes. And if your front 5 is getting beat that badly, I don't know how you scheme past that.

My gut is that it was a combination of Adams being a disappointment and Lancaster being physically limited. A little bit of hindsight, but it makes sense how to run on the Packers:

  1. Run away from Clark. He's good, so go wide.
  2. The rest of the line isn't that scary. They're fine and do things well, but none of them are that fast enough to disrupt a wide zone run. Again, go wide to neutralize them.
  3. Have you tackle and TE double the end/edge player.
  4. Count on Martinez ******** up or getting to the hole late.
  5. With the double team kickout block executed, have the tackle leave the double team and look for work downfield.
 

PackAttack12

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Damn. I could be reading way too much into this, but Pettine very well could be toast. LaFleur in his presser today when asked it Pettine will be retained:

https://www.espn.com/espn/now?nowId=21-41090643-4

Could mean nothing. But that isn't exactly a ringing endorsement for the incumbent.

My honest opinion? If it were up to LaFleur, he'd choose his own guy. But this is going to be a "group decision" between he, Murphy, and Gute.
 

pacmaniac

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Damn. I could be reading way too much into this, but Pettine very well could be toast. LaFleur in his presser today when asked it Pettine will be retained:

https://www.espn.com/espn/now?nowId=21-41090643-4

Could mean nothing. But that isn't exactly a ringing endorsement for the incumbent.

My honest opinion? If it were up to LaFleur, he'd choose his own guy. But this is going to be a "group decision" between he, Murphy, and Gute.

If Pettine goes, I just hope they don't seemingly pick a guy at random who has nothing impressive on his resume like they did with Mennenga.
 

Mondio

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Damn. I could be reading way too much into this, but Pettine very well could be toast. LaFleur in his presser today when asked it Pettine will be retained:

https://www.espn.com/espn/now?nowId=21-41090643-4

Could mean nothing. But that isn't exactly a ringing endorsement for the incumbent.

My honest opinion? If it were up to LaFleur, he'd choose his own guy. But this is going to be a "group decision" between he, Murphy, and Gute.
Hard to tell, he's never been one to try and hide stuff just give an honest thoughts I think. I do think right now he is in an "assess" mode and decisions will come later. So right now your guess is as good as mine.
 

swhitset

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Damn. I could be reading way too much into this, but Pettine very well could be toast. LaFleur in his presser today when asked it Pettine will be retained:

https://www.espn.com/espn/now?nowId=21-41090643-4

Could mean nothing. But that isn't exactly a ringing endorsement for the incumbent.

My honest opinion? If it were up to LaFleur, he'd choose his own guy. But this is going to be a "group decision" between he, Murphy, and Gute.
Another interesting part of that quote... is that he would meet with Murphy and a decision would be made. He did not mention Gutenkunst.
 

Mondio

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Another interesting part of that quote... is that he would meet with Murphy and a decision would be made. He did not mention Gutenkunst.
He did say "we", I just assumed I am Goot was part of the we.
 

rmontro

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MLF probably knows he doesn't have unlimited good will. He didn't really improve from McCarthy's offense, other than running the ball more. Getting embarrassed in these big playoff games isn't a good look. He's also probably aware that McCarthy hung on to Capers too long.
 

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Has anyone gotten all-22 analysis of the game yet? It still looked to my eye, that yeah, we got beat, but we a reasonable plan of attack. Lots of base, bear-front within base, and we've got MLF saying that they played an 8 man box most of the game. This should is the blueprint for taking away the run and forcing the other team to pass.

It didn't work. Why? Are the 49ers just better? Did one or more players have a bad game? If so, who?
This is a obviously just my little old opinion. We saw a 20-something ranked 2018 Defense add 2 great pass rushers and 2 good safeties that improved our PASS D. But we really did nothing to improve our run D and we almost took a 1/2 step backwards. I’m not saying that to take a poke at our staff, I’m just making an observation.

That said. There’s only so many resources you can afford and I believe the mini-rebuild was going to take a primarily “2 year” plan to build the team. In the meantime, this year was just a bonus as we probably never expected to be fighting for a #1 seed week 17.
Our needs align near perfect with the strength of the 2020 draft and I’m not sure its an accident. I’m beginning to think this was the plan all along. That also makes our recent reluctance to participate in trades make more sense. It’s a gamble remaining patient as a GM, but it’s very wise for a team FO to “wear well” verses pulling a Chicago Bears philosophy of mortgaging the future. This creates a lack of Long-term sustainability and is seen through their porpoising effect like a roller coaster.

I’ll be happily watching Chicago nervously sit on their hands day 1 draft. Other than a possible compensatory selection, Chicago currently has just 2 draft selections in the top 130 players, none of them before pick #43.
 
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Southside

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Pettine is as good as gone. One rumored replacement candidate is Jim Leonard from Wisconsin. Hope they don't steal him from the Badgers.
 

mradtke66

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But we really did nothing to improve our run D and we almost took a 1/2 step backwards. I’m not saying that to take a poke at our staff, I’m just making an observation.

I'm willing to agree with that, at in least in part. I do find myself wondering where/why we took a step back.

I think most (all?) of us agree that ILB was a weakness and we did more or less nothing to improve the position. That's also not a dig--only so many resources each year and I feel they did very well addressing most of our holes.

We cut Jenkins, but our run defense improved last year without him in the line up. Clark is still great and honestly still ascending. No problem there. Lowry is a poor-man's Kampman and while not a playmaker, not the kind of guy who (generally) makes mistakes. I think where we're hurting here (as I previously said) is Adams being a disappointment and Lancaster not improving. I do wonder if Lancaster is just a 2-Down, run plugging NT. If his role is the snap-eater between the 20s, he'd be worth continuing to bring back. If we want him at 3/5T in base, it might be time to move on from him.

So I guess we're back to wanting that big but long 3/5T. Damn you Mike Neal and Datone Jones for not being able to fill the role you were perfectly physically suited for. And of course some better linebackers. What does the FA class look like--I'm told the draft class is weak.
 

Mondio

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I'm willing to agree with that, at in least in part. I do find myself wondering where/why we took a step back.

I think most (all?) of us agree that ILB was a weakness and we did more or less nothing to improve the position. That's also not a dig--only so many resources each year and I feel they did very well addressing most of our holes.

We cut Jenkins, but our run defense improved last year without him in the line up. Clark is still great and honestly still ascending. No problem there. Lowry is a poor-man's Kampman and while not a playmaker, not the kind of guy who (generally) makes mistakes. I think where we're hurting here (as I previously said) is Adams being a disappointment and Lancaster not improving. I do wonder if Lancaster is just a 2-Down, run plugging NT. If his role is the snap-eater between the 20s, he'd be worth continuing to bring back. If we want him at 3/5T in base, it might be time to move on from him.

So I guess we're back to wanting that big but long 3/5T. Damn you Mike Neal and Datone Jones for not being able to fill the role you were perfectly physically suited for. And of course some better linebackers. What does the FA class look like--I'm told the draft class is weak.
Lancaster is fine for rotation, but didn't improve upon last year. I think the increased snaps made him go backwards a bit. Like you said, Lowry was good much of the year at what he does. I didn't specifically watch him the last game. Clark is a stud. I did notice a few big runs and Adams was just being walked away from the hole completely. and nobody was back there to fill gaps until they hit the secondary and that's never a good sign over and over again. We were out there with Goodson and Martinez at the same time, to stop the run and couldn't come close to getting it done.
 

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Packers, right now, appear to have 2 certifiably GREAT players on defense in Za'Darius Smith and Kenny Clark, two potentially great playerers in Jaire Alexander and Savage, and two very good playeres in Amos and Preston.

On the dline the team has one great player in Clark, and really needs to upgrade everywhere else.

At linebacker, the team has the Smiths and that's it. The needs at ILB are very real for this team.

At CB, Alexander is great, the best corner on the team will be 37 next year, and King is far too up-and-down to be reliable. The team probably needs to sign at least one proven corner or else pray that Alexander & Williams can stay healthy all year.

Team seems pretty set at safety.

Basically, the defensive personnel is improved because of free-agent signings and Savage, but the defense still lacks good players at many positions. Hopefully Gary can play dline?
 

mradtke66

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Hopefully Gary can play dline?

As a true lineman in a 3-4, he'd be a waste and we'd might wreck him.

If nothing else, he'd be a very good run defender at either OLB in base. If he's to the TE side, his job is basically the same as a 4-3 SOLB: string out the play, destroy the TE. If he's to the weak side, maintain leverage and contain.

If he grows into the pass rusher we all hope he is, you put him at one of the OLB positions and/or rotate through a combination of Smith/Smith/Gary and when you get to Dime situations, put all three of them out there, probably with Z as the rover/pretend 3-technique. Let's let Gary get good at one thing before we try to make him okay at several.
 

pacmaniac

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Pettine sounds like a guy who is sometimes able to put together a good game plan that opponents have difficulty figuring out. But if his initial game plan sucks, he is unable to make in-game adjustments.
 

Calvin

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Anytime you have to make it know about a public meeting, starting to feel like Capers
 

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