Greg C. said:
It would be nice to have Bates again, but I don't think he would come back after his disappointment about not getting the head coaching job. The Packers even bought out the last year of his contract. It would just be too weird.
As for Sanders, I'm not sure. As a fan, I don't feel qualified to make the call on him. But McCarthy will have to take a long look. No matter how I look at this defense, I think the talent has been upgraded, yet they are worse than last year. McCarthy has to at least consider canning Sanders. If a good, experienced DC becomes available, or a hot-shot positions coach from another team is ready to make the move up to DC, McCarthy would be justified in dumping Sanders.
Sanders had a full year to get to know the personnel in Green Bay, and he had coached under Bates for several years. He should've learned more by now than what he's shown. Then again, if Thompson can find a couple of decent safeties and another pass rusher or two, maybe the defense can turn the corner, even with Sanders at the helm.
I believe the personnel on defense has absolutely gotten better. For whatever reason the schemes Sanders is asking them to operate in just doesn't fit.
What is bothersome is that during the week of practice everyone seems satisfied with the preparation but on game day the execution is not there.
This may be radical thinking but looking at the personnel we have I wonder if it wouldn't be wise to consider a 3-4 defensive guru out there and picking up a truck or trailor like this Brady from Michigan for the nose.
We have the LB's that can get after the QB and two quality cover corners. It's just a thought and maybe a stupid idea because it is a significant change but the idea is to fit the scheme around the strengths of the personnel we have.
I think what Sanders is attempting to do is solid conceptually and has obvioulsy worked for Bates in the past but does not appear, for whatever reason, to play to the strengths of the guys out there trying to execute it.
Regardless, the personnel on the DL has got to improve. I know they talk about this area as a strength but I only see that in depth. Do we have four guys out there that are a load for any offensive line? No.
It's great we can interchange players and give guys a rest but if that doesn't equate to fresh personnel that can get at the QB what difference does it make?
I see little sense in looking behind the line until we know we have guys there that can win the battle at the line of scrimmage. We seemed to have regressed as of late to very inconsistant pressure on the qb and sacks are down.
This has been our dimise since Tausher went down and we are not going to dominate the line on the offensive side of the ball.
Just when we need the DL to step it up and keep us in the game and hope Brett and the boys can put enough points up to win they start to sputter.
It all starts on the line and I can understand why we are struggling more now on offense with Tausher out but cannot see why the DL play and QB pressures has dropped so badly.
The only thing I can see is the last three teams we played are pretty good football teams and our guys down there just aren't at the level we need them to be.
