Pack93z
You retired too? .... Not me. I'm in my prime
I haven't agreed with everything that TT has done and agree with points of article, but also I can give him credit in others.
Any bets if Vandermause gets any interview time or scoops from Thompson.
http://www.packersnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070812/PKR07/708120693/1947
Mike Vandermause column: First-team offense lives down to expectations
By Mike Vandermause
The worst fears about the Green Bay Packers' offense were realized Saturday in their preseason opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
If the brutal performance turned in by the starters was any indication, the Packers could be in for a long year.
Questions abound about who will score this season, who will run the ball and who will catch Brett Favre's passes.
The Packers didn't supply any answers against the Steelers, and in fact, created more doubt about how they will move the ball.
The No. 1 offense went three-and-out on the first four series. It never came close to picking up a first down. It struggled to move beyond the line of scrimmage.
Before the starters were mercifully removed late in the first quarter, their four drives netted the following yardage totals: 3, minus-1, 5 and minus-4. If you don't have a calculator handy, that works out to 12 plays and 3 total yards, for an average gain of 9 inches per play.
Favre completed 2 of 7 passes for 7 yards. When he wasn't being pressured by blitzing Steelers defenders, Favre was struggling to find a receiver that could get open.
Rookie Brandon Jackson did nothing to make Packers fans forget Ahman Green. Jackson rushed three times for 8 yards playing with the starters.
To make matters even worse, the Packers' No. 1 unit was guilty of a fumbled snap and a holding penalty.
It was an alarming display of ineptitude, but the offensive struggles didn't come as a complete shock.
All offseason, General Manager Ted Thompson was quizzed about why he didn't do anything beyond the draft to bolster the offense.
The Packers were one of the worst teams in the NFL in red-zone efficiency last season and ranked in the bottom third of the league in scoring.
So what did the Packers do to address those problems?
Instead of adding any veterans in free agency or the trade market, the Packers allowed their starting running back (Green) and likely starting tight end (David Martin) to sign with other teams.
They were content to draft a running back, a pair of receivers and a tight end, and wait for players already on the roster to improve.
The Packers' passive offseason approach was curious, and the ugly consequences of that strategy were on display for everyone to see against the Steelers.
Based on the solid showing of the defense, the Packers appear to be a team that will have to win a lot of low-scoring games, which isn't an impossible task.
The Baltimore Ravens won a championship with virtually no offensive firepower in 2000, and the Chicago Bears advanced to the Super Bowl last season on the strength of their defense.
No team can be fairly judged on one quarter of preseason football. There is time for players to step out of the back-row shadows into the spotlight.
Jackson finished with 57 rushing yards on 16 carries, and fellow rookie James Jones hauled in six catches for 58 yards. Although those numbers came largely against Steelers' backups, they show there's at least potential for future offensive success.
The regular-season opener is four weeks away, so there's ample opportunity for the Packers to work out the bugs.
But Saturday night provided a snapshot of where the offense stands, and the picture isn't pretty.
Any bets if Vandermause gets any interview time or scoops from Thompson.
http://www.packersnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070812/PKR07/708120693/1947
Mike Vandermause column: First-team offense lives down to expectations
By Mike Vandermause
The worst fears about the Green Bay Packers' offense were realized Saturday in their preseason opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
If the brutal performance turned in by the starters was any indication, the Packers could be in for a long year.
Questions abound about who will score this season, who will run the ball and who will catch Brett Favre's passes.
The Packers didn't supply any answers against the Steelers, and in fact, created more doubt about how they will move the ball.
The No. 1 offense went three-and-out on the first four series. It never came close to picking up a first down. It struggled to move beyond the line of scrimmage.
Before the starters were mercifully removed late in the first quarter, their four drives netted the following yardage totals: 3, minus-1, 5 and minus-4. If you don't have a calculator handy, that works out to 12 plays and 3 total yards, for an average gain of 9 inches per play.
Favre completed 2 of 7 passes for 7 yards. When he wasn't being pressured by blitzing Steelers defenders, Favre was struggling to find a receiver that could get open.
Rookie Brandon Jackson did nothing to make Packers fans forget Ahman Green. Jackson rushed three times for 8 yards playing with the starters.
To make matters even worse, the Packers' No. 1 unit was guilty of a fumbled snap and a holding penalty.
It was an alarming display of ineptitude, but the offensive struggles didn't come as a complete shock.
All offseason, General Manager Ted Thompson was quizzed about why he didn't do anything beyond the draft to bolster the offense.
The Packers were one of the worst teams in the NFL in red-zone efficiency last season and ranked in the bottom third of the league in scoring.
So what did the Packers do to address those problems?
Instead of adding any veterans in free agency or the trade market, the Packers allowed their starting running back (Green) and likely starting tight end (David Martin) to sign with other teams.
They were content to draft a running back, a pair of receivers and a tight end, and wait for players already on the roster to improve.
The Packers' passive offseason approach was curious, and the ugly consequences of that strategy were on display for everyone to see against the Steelers.
Based on the solid showing of the defense, the Packers appear to be a team that will have to win a lot of low-scoring games, which isn't an impossible task.
The Baltimore Ravens won a championship with virtually no offensive firepower in 2000, and the Chicago Bears advanced to the Super Bowl last season on the strength of their defense.
No team can be fairly judged on one quarter of preseason football. There is time for players to step out of the back-row shadows into the spotlight.
Jackson finished with 57 rushing yards on 16 carries, and fellow rookie James Jones hauled in six catches for 58 yards. Although those numbers came largely against Steelers' backups, they show there's at least potential for future offensive success.
The regular-season opener is four weeks away, so there's ample opportunity for the Packers to work out the bugs.
But Saturday night provided a snapshot of where the offense stands, and the picture isn't pretty.
