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| These Green Bay Chill guts look good, but the Packers don't |
I am one of many (I think) who feel Defensive Coordinator Dom Capers is a majority liability and should be fired today, if not yesterday, last week, last year, two years ago and five years ago the season after the Super Bow. But nobody listens to me.
With that being said who would have thought that the problems the Packers are current experiencing have nothing to do with defense (well not nothing, but more on that in the next post) during the current losing streak (4 of the last 5), but has everything to do with offense, Aaron Rodgers and the receiving corps.
The offense has never been this dysfunctional during the Mike McCarthy era (10 seasons) and it seems he has no clue there is a problem and/or no clue how to fix it. The crap that comes out of his mouth during every press conference is evidence of a man who is living in the same parallel universe the Republicans live in - one of their own reality, but not one that has anything to do with the real world.
During Friday's post-game press conference McCarthy said this, "The reality is we're not that far off. It's attention to the details. Our issues are technique and the discipline in the technique. Quit worrying so much about the plays and win the route or win the play calls. If you look at the way the game was called, we had pretty good balance. ... We had opportunities to be a little more efficient and score a few more points. We got some tough breaks from the officials, but that's part of the game."
Two points on his comments. First he is right if you want to pick nits. The Packers aren't that far off losing the Panthers, Lions and Bears games on the final play. In the past those games would have been wins and the Packers would be 11-1-0. The loss to the Broncos was a butt whipping with Peyton Manning (a mere shadow of his previous self) handing the Packers defense its lunch, but more on that recurring theme later.
The Packers were poised to send the game against the Panthers into overtime, but Rodgers didn't see a wide open Randall Cobb (deja vu, coming off a pick by James Jones) because he got scared. He got scared because the middle of the line (Josh Sitton, Corey Linsley, T. J. Lang) couldn't pass block. Remember these three are considered as some of the best in the NFL. But like everything else about the 2015 offensive they are having off seasons.
The Packers were poised to win the Lions' game on a field goal by the usually reliable Mason Crosby. This time Rodgers rallied the troops and put them in a position to win, but Crosby's kick was totally messed up. I read somewhere that the problem was the ball was placed in a divot, so when Crosby hit the ball he hit it a little high. If that was the case Tim Masthay (who is having a terrible year punting) should have moved either right, left or back a bit. That kick should have been made.
The Packers were poised to win the Bears' game, but with a 1st and goal at the eight all the problems that have plagued the Packer offense showed up. First and 2nd downs nobody open. Third down the line gave Rodgers great protection, but again nobody open at first and when Jones got open a bit Rodgers threw the ball a little behind him, which allowed the defensive back to get his hand on the ball knocking it loose. If he had led him to the sideline it would have been the game-winning touchdown. Fourth down nobody open.
Nobody open. Nobody open. Somebody marginally open. Nobody open. NOBODY GOD DAMN OPEN. This has been the problem all F*CKING season long.
Second, "Quit worrying so much about the plays and win the route or win the play calls." Josh Sitton said a few weeks ago that everyone knows what the Packers are going to run. Back in the day when the immortal Vince Lombardi was coach everyone knew the Packers were going to run the ball with Jim Taylor and Paul Hornung and Lombardi challenged the defenses to stop them.
Well, it might be sacrilegious to say this to the TIT crowd and Vic, but these Packers couldn't wash the jocks of those Packers. The scheme is the thing and the plays are not imaginative and are not designed to get first downs, but instead depending upon YAC (yards after the catch) to get the necessary yardage.
Like I have said before when I played football (ironically it was during the Lombardi years) when we faced a 3rd-and-10 we ran an 11-yard route. When we faced a 3rd-and-7 we ran an eight yard or more route. Get the theme. The catch was the first down the rest was gravy.
I have watched game after game during the losing streak and even before facing a 3rd-and-10 the Packers run a pass in the flat at or near the line of scrimmage. Each time it has failed. The Packers used to run slants, especially with Greg Jennings, and they don't do that any more. The Packers used to throw to their tight ends in the middle of the field and they don't do that any more. The Packers used to have an outlet receiver out of the backfield when the downfield receivers are covered, but they don't do that any more. I wonder why.
I have observed that Rodgers is having trouble making some throws after his shoulder injury, especially deep down the sidelines. He also has had trouble throwing the ball to the correct spot like on that 3rd down pass to Jones against the Bears. He has overthrown or underthrown too many receivers and it has nothing to do with Olivia Munn. He seems to be getting better, but the receivers (drops) and the plays (Tom Clements) aren't helping him at all.
Finally, another broken record moment. THROW THE DAME BALL to Jeff Janis. This man makes plays. This man has speed (down field). This man deserves to be given a role in the offense. He could be Rodgers' new go-to man like Davante Adams was at the end of last season.
Jordy Nelson is not coming back this season. Get over it. The Packers are stuck with James Jones (who has hit the wall the Raiders and Giants thought he would hit when they cut him last summer), Randall Cobb (it seems since his injury he is afraid to get open and get tackled), Davante Adams (who is in a sophomore slump like Corey Linsley) and Janis (who just makes plays).
Ty Montgomery's recovery from his ankle injury isn't going well and he may not be available until the playoffs (if we get there) if even then. So those four are it.
Now as much as people like to hate on tight end Richard Rodgers (I admit he is no Paul Coffman, Mark Chmura or even Bubba Franks), but he has been productive in the red zone and in the middle of the field. So has Justin Perillo. But they haven't been utilized much during the losing streak.
Time for the players to have the players only meeting Chris Collinsworth reported on and Aaron Rodgers said didn't happen and get their end straightened out. I actually don't know why phones (Rodgers supposedly is mad the younger players are playing too many video games. Who knew he was their father?) aren't banned in the meetings. Seems like an easy first step. I really don't think it isn't so much the players don't know the plays, but I do think for some reason they aren't playing hard like Adams cutting his route short after being chipped leading to the Rodgers' interception that led to the Bears first touchdown.
I think this coaching staff has gotten complacent thinking the talent trumps any scheme and hard work. I think a shakeup is needed and that may mean firing McCarthy and the whole kit and kaboodle of a staff (and it seems they are more kaboodle this year). But we have five games to play to salvage this season with the current staff intact since only the Packers don't make mid-season coaching changes.
It is GUT CHECK time for both the players and the coaches and it begins with the Lions. It actually began with the Lions at Lambeau and both have failed miserably over the past month. The season is on the line this week and we'll see if any or all of the current Packers deserve to come back next season. Jobs are on the line. GUT CHECK time indeed.
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