Heatherthepackgirl
Cheesehead
By TOM SILVERSTEIN
[email protected]
Posted: Jan. 6, 2008
Seattle - The message the Washington Redskins had for the Green Bay Packers after their playoff loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday couldn't have been much clearer if they had posted it on a road sign outside Lambeau Field:
Neither coaches nor players for the Redskins, who played both the Seahawks and the Packers this season, would give the Packers more than a 50-50 chance of winning in their divisional playoff game Saturday against Seattle, and that's because of Seattle's defense.
If there was one thing Washington struggled with all day, it was the speed of the Seahawks' front seven, which is something Green Bay will have to contend with as well.
"I don't know if they're as much aggressive as fast," Washington center Casey Rabach said after the game. "They're fast, no doubt. They're quick side to side. They'll run downhill on you, but I think we've played more physical linebackers. They're a darn good defense."
Washington quarterback Todd Collins experienced the boiler-room pressure of having ends Patrick Kerney and Darryl Tapp and linebackers Julian Peterson, Lofa Tatupu and Leroy Hill in his face and in the passing lanes all day long. Collins was knocked to the ground an astonishing 13 times, and 10 of his passes were broken up.
Kerney, the NFC leader in sacks with 14½, dominated his matchup with rookie right tackle Stephon Heyer, and Peterson, who blitzed from various positions on the field, combined for eight of the hits on Collins. Washington struggled with its snap count and was slow off the ball because of the numbing crowd noise, which Green Bay won't have to face playing at home.
Still, the ability of the Packers to make hay with their stretch running plays or empty backfields on passing downs will be affected by Seattle's quickness.
"It will be a great matchup to see what they (the Packers) do offensively," Washington offensive coordinator Al Saunders said. "(Brett Favre) has the ability to get rid of the ball (quickly). He has some great playmakers. Donald Driver is playing well and the other receivers are playing well, and they're running the ball better at the end of the year, so they've balanced it up a little more, which you need to do against this defense."
Washington came into the game hoping to establish the run against a Seattle defense that had showed some frailties in that area in the second half of the season. But the Seattle defensive linemen kept penetrating gaps and the linebackers shut off running back Clinton Portis anytime he threatened to leak outside.
Four times in the first half, the Seahawks denied Washington when it needed just a yard for a first down, including a sequence in the second quarter in which the Redskins failed on second, third and fourth and 1. The interior of the defensive line, which has been thinned by injuries to tackles Chuck Darby and Marcus Tubbs, wasn't as much of a factor as Tatupu, Hill and Peterson were, blowing up plays at the line of scrimmage.
On passing downs, Peterson moves to defensive end and sometimes picks and chooses where on the line he's going to rush, at times forcing teams to defend him and Kerney on the same side. Tackle Mark Tauscher will have his hands full with Kerney, and both of the Packers' young guards will have to be on the lookout for Peterson.
"You have to help out with Kerney and then all of a sudden you have Peterson, who's a great pass rusher from the second level," Saunders said. "He's one of those unique players that has defensive back speed in a defensive lineman's body and he plays linebacker. They do a great job of zone blitzing and getting their linebackers involved as pass rushers as well as pass defenders. They have such great speed."
Favre's experience in reading defenses will come into play in anticipating the variety of zone blitzes that Seattle uses and in adjusting protection schemes before the snap. Washington had trouble with some of the linebacker blitzes.
"If they (the Packers) know what the protections are going to be, they can slide to the linebackers," Heyer said. "Or they'll have to keep the back in to chip. Guys have to match up."
On defense, the Packers will be facing almost a mirror-image of their own offense. Coach Mike Holmgren utilizes a lot of multiple receiver sets and likes to think his four receivers are better than the four cornerbacks a defense can put on the field.
What Seattle hasn't done well is run. Franchise back Shaun Alexander hasn't had a 100-yard game since Week 3 and has scored just four touchdowns in the regular season.
"They don't scare you," Washington end Phillip Daniels said. "They do a good job managing the game, doing the little things, and that's the whole difference right there. (Alexander) can still hurt you. You still have to concentrate on him; you have to know he's back there."
In general, however, Seattle is going to test the Packers' pass defense.
"They are a pass football team," Washington linebacker London Fletcher said. "I don't think that's a secret. That's what they've done. People think you have to run the ball to be successful. Here they pass it to be successful. It'll be two pass-oriented offenses going against each other. It's really going to come down to whose defense plays better. That's how I see it."
[email protected]
Posted: Jan. 6, 2008
Seattle - The message the Washington Redskins had for the Green Bay Packers after their playoff loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday couldn't have been much clearer if they had posted it on a road sign outside Lambeau Field:
Neither coaches nor players for the Redskins, who played both the Seahawks and the Packers this season, would give the Packers more than a 50-50 chance of winning in their divisional playoff game Saturday against Seattle, and that's because of Seattle's defense.
If there was one thing Washington struggled with all day, it was the speed of the Seahawks' front seven, which is something Green Bay will have to contend with as well.
"I don't know if they're as much aggressive as fast," Washington center Casey Rabach said after the game. "They're fast, no doubt. They're quick side to side. They'll run downhill on you, but I think we've played more physical linebackers. They're a darn good defense."
Washington quarterback Todd Collins experienced the boiler-room pressure of having ends Patrick Kerney and Darryl Tapp and linebackers Julian Peterson, Lofa Tatupu and Leroy Hill in his face and in the passing lanes all day long. Collins was knocked to the ground an astonishing 13 times, and 10 of his passes were broken up.
Kerney, the NFC leader in sacks with 14½, dominated his matchup with rookie right tackle Stephon Heyer, and Peterson, who blitzed from various positions on the field, combined for eight of the hits on Collins. Washington struggled with its snap count and was slow off the ball because of the numbing crowd noise, which Green Bay won't have to face playing at home.
Still, the ability of the Packers to make hay with their stretch running plays or empty backfields on passing downs will be affected by Seattle's quickness.
"It will be a great matchup to see what they (the Packers) do offensively," Washington offensive coordinator Al Saunders said. "(Brett Favre) has the ability to get rid of the ball (quickly). He has some great playmakers. Donald Driver is playing well and the other receivers are playing well, and they're running the ball better at the end of the year, so they've balanced it up a little more, which you need to do against this defense."
Washington came into the game hoping to establish the run against a Seattle defense that had showed some frailties in that area in the second half of the season. But the Seattle defensive linemen kept penetrating gaps and the linebackers shut off running back Clinton Portis anytime he threatened to leak outside.
Four times in the first half, the Seahawks denied Washington when it needed just a yard for a first down, including a sequence in the second quarter in which the Redskins failed on second, third and fourth and 1. The interior of the defensive line, which has been thinned by injuries to tackles Chuck Darby and Marcus Tubbs, wasn't as much of a factor as Tatupu, Hill and Peterson were, blowing up plays at the line of scrimmage.
On passing downs, Peterson moves to defensive end and sometimes picks and chooses where on the line he's going to rush, at times forcing teams to defend him and Kerney on the same side. Tackle Mark Tauscher will have his hands full with Kerney, and both of the Packers' young guards will have to be on the lookout for Peterson.
"You have to help out with Kerney and then all of a sudden you have Peterson, who's a great pass rusher from the second level," Saunders said. "He's one of those unique players that has defensive back speed in a defensive lineman's body and he plays linebacker. They do a great job of zone blitzing and getting their linebackers involved as pass rushers as well as pass defenders. They have such great speed."
Favre's experience in reading defenses will come into play in anticipating the variety of zone blitzes that Seattle uses and in adjusting protection schemes before the snap. Washington had trouble with some of the linebacker blitzes.
"If they (the Packers) know what the protections are going to be, they can slide to the linebackers," Heyer said. "Or they'll have to keep the back in to chip. Guys have to match up."
On defense, the Packers will be facing almost a mirror-image of their own offense. Coach Mike Holmgren utilizes a lot of multiple receiver sets and likes to think his four receivers are better than the four cornerbacks a defense can put on the field.
What Seattle hasn't done well is run. Franchise back Shaun Alexander hasn't had a 100-yard game since Week 3 and has scored just four touchdowns in the regular season.
"They don't scare you," Washington end Phillip Daniels said. "They do a good job managing the game, doing the little things, and that's the whole difference right there. (Alexander) can still hurt you. You still have to concentrate on him; you have to know he's back there."
In general, however, Seattle is going to test the Packers' pass defense.
"They are a pass football team," Washington linebacker London Fletcher said. "I don't think that's a secret. That's what they've done. People think you have to run the ball to be successful. Here they pass it to be successful. It'll be two pass-oriented offenses going against each other. It's really going to come down to whose defense plays better. That's how I see it."