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<blockquote data-quote="HardRightEdge" data-source="post: 588848"><p>To expand on those points, there are three particular issues I'd lay at the feet of Capers regardless of his involvement in personnel decisions.</p><p></p><p>1) His benchmark stat, as has been quoted at least once per year over the last several seasons, is the spread between the Packers' offensive passer rating and his defenses' passer-rating-against. Given the offensive number Rodgers consistently provides on one side of the equation, Capers has chosen a low bar to hurdle, which is disappointing to start with. As a predictor of winning, it smacks of being a convenient bit of data mining.</p><p></p><p>By Capers measure, the 2011 defense was very good, with a 10th. ranked 80.6 passer rating against. Unfortunately, that passer rating was padded with the 31 interceptions. Here are less favorable stats:</p><p></p><p>- dead last in the league in pass yards surrendered with 4,796 yards; that was an NFL record at the time and might still be</p><p>- dead last in the league in +20 yard pass plays</p><p>- 27th in sacks with 29</p><p>- 27th in TDs surrendered with 29</p><p>- 26th in 3rd. down conversions against at 42.6%</p><p></p><p>If that's not bad enough, the Packers were defending teams regularly playing from behind, thereby being forced to throw the ball. A team should defend a lot better than that dismal performance when it knows what's coming!</p><p></p><p>It was an undisciplined, poor tackling, route jumping, ball-hawking defense which was at high risk of failure on a day when the opposing QB was not throwing them the ball.</p><p></p><p>2) As for the "is it the coaching or the talent?" question, the history and circumstances of up-and-down tackling is one key aspect that points to the coaching. It seems to have become an annual ritual in recent years where the defense goes through a multi-game stretch of poor tackling, McCarthy's patience wears thin, he makes public statements about it being a key failure, and a pickup in the motors, the second efforts and the pursuit soon follows.</p><p></p><p>That's clearly not a talent issue. The head coach should not have nag the guys in the press to execute the basics of the job. The DC should have that covered, and get it covered before it starts looking like a habit.</p><p></p><p>3) Then there's the complexity issue. As I pointed out in the preseason, the "less scheme" proclamation was widely misinterpreted. It became quickly evident that it was going to be a "more scheme, less filling" approach, i.e., yet more permutations of the defense but less per player (for some players, that is) via situational rotations. I think we've seen every possible defensive alignment and call known to the modern game this season short of a rush 8 jailbreak.</p><p></p><p>This approach is at odds with the constant refreshing of the roster with young players. There's a point at which a unit gets over-guru-ed with the young players getting taken down the rabbit hole. Then it takes 3 years to figure out if they can be decent NFL players!</p><p></p><p>As far as Capers involvement in personnel decisions, I'd point to his proclamation in the 2013 offseason that the defense needed more length followed by the Datone Jones pick, and his proclamation in the 2014 offseason that a defense needs to be built around at least 3 playmakers, followed by the Peppers signing (a two-fer with length and play making). I don't believe Thompson and the scouting staff are working in a vacuum.</p><p></p><p>A final point...if it was McCarthy who initiated moving Matthews to the middle in nickel in an effort to back up his promise that the defense would be better in CAPITAL LETTERS, then that should be the final straw.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="HardRightEdge, post: 588848"] To expand on those points, there are three particular issues I'd lay at the feet of Capers regardless of his involvement in personnel decisions. 1) His benchmark stat, as has been quoted at least once per year over the last several seasons, is the spread between the Packers' offensive passer rating and his defenses' passer-rating-against. Given the offensive number Rodgers consistently provides on one side of the equation, Capers has chosen a low bar to hurdle, which is disappointing to start with. As a predictor of winning, it smacks of being a convenient bit of data mining. By Capers measure, the 2011 defense was very good, with a 10th. ranked 80.6 passer rating against. Unfortunately, that passer rating was padded with the 31 interceptions. Here are less favorable stats: - dead last in the league in pass yards surrendered with 4,796 yards; that was an NFL record at the time and might still be - dead last in the league in +20 yard pass plays - 27th in sacks with 29 - 27th in TDs surrendered with 29 - 26th in 3rd. down conversions against at 42.6% If that's not bad enough, the Packers were defending teams regularly playing from behind, thereby being forced to throw the ball. A team should defend a lot better than that dismal performance when it knows what's coming! It was an undisciplined, poor tackling, route jumping, ball-hawking defense which was at high risk of failure on a day when the opposing QB was not throwing them the ball. 2) As for the "is it the coaching or the talent?" question, the history and circumstances of up-and-down tackling is one key aspect that points to the coaching. It seems to have become an annual ritual in recent years where the defense goes through a multi-game stretch of poor tackling, McCarthy's patience wears thin, he makes public statements about it being a key failure, and a pickup in the motors, the second efforts and the pursuit soon follows. That's clearly not a talent issue. The head coach should not have nag the guys in the press to execute the basics of the job. The DC should have that covered, and get it covered before it starts looking like a habit. 3) Then there's the complexity issue. As I pointed out in the preseason, the "less scheme" proclamation was widely misinterpreted. It became quickly evident that it was going to be a "more scheme, less filling" approach, i.e., yet more permutations of the defense but less per player (for some players, that is) via situational rotations. I think we've seen every possible defensive alignment and call known to the modern game this season short of a rush 8 jailbreak. This approach is at odds with the constant refreshing of the roster with young players. There's a point at which a unit gets over-guru-ed with the young players getting taken down the rabbit hole. Then it takes 3 years to figure out if they can be decent NFL players! As far as Capers involvement in personnel decisions, I'd point to his proclamation in the 2013 offseason that the defense needed more length followed by the Datone Jones pick, and his proclamation in the 2014 offseason that a defense needs to be built around at least 3 playmakers, followed by the Peppers signing (a two-fer with length and play making). I don't believe Thompson and the scouting staff are working in a vacuum. A final point...if it was McCarthy who initiated moving Matthews to the middle in nickel in an effort to back up his promise that the defense would be better in CAPITAL LETTERS, then that should be the final straw. [/QUOTE]
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