Cheesehead TV Matchup: Week Four Offense
By PackerAaron
- Make Off-Tackle Work Against Allen
I know I've spent the last two weeks telling anyone who would listen (which consists of a Jets fan here at work and my 1 year old) that McCarthy needs to start passing on first down to set up the run throughout the game. Coach certainly did not take my advice last week against the Rams and I don't see him listening to me this week. With McCarthy's stubborn insistence on running the ball on first down, he and James Campen simply have to make their off-tackle stretch play work, and they have to run it at Jared Allen as many times as they can.
Allen is no slouch against the run, but obviously he is known as a pass rusher for a reason - he's very, very good at it. In fact, he's great. What he's not great at is playing the run, especially over the course of a game where a team goes at him repeatedly. This is exactly what the Packers have to do - run it at him again and again. Get Donald Lee and whoever the left tackle ends up being to drive him down and out of the hole.
Now of course, that's easier said than done. The combo block needs to be executed much better than it was last week when the Packers could not get out of their own way in the running game. Looking at the play below, you'll see several things. You'll see Daryn Colledge start well with the combo and then completely whiff on the second level. Ditto for Scott Wells as he completely misses the linebacker. You'll see Jordy Nelson assigned (yes, ASSIGNED) to block the backside defensive end. (And he doesn't do a terrible job) I don't know WHAT John Kuhn is doing. (Well, ok, I do, but it's just pathetic.)
But most of all, you'll see Ryan Grant take way too long to recognize that the cutback is open and available. The play is obviously designed to go through the 3 hole with the backside cut as an option, as it is on almost every zone stretch run the Packers use. What we see from Grant is part of what I wrote about earlier this week - he has to stop and gather himself and then hit the cutback lane, where if he simply recognizes that the playside is closing up and goes backside when he gets the ball, he's got a sizable gain. The curious part is - Grant has done it in the past. For whatever reason, this season he seems even more reticent than last year, when he was basically running on one leg, to make that one cut and go.
Whatever the reason, McCarthy needs to figure out a way to run it at Allen - repeatedly. Even if the plays only garner 3 or 4 yards, the Packers need to beat up on Allen early and often. Are they going to take him out of his game? Never. But pounding on him early will get him thinking about the run and wondering when the next double team is coming. If that slows down his rush, even a little bit, it's worth it. Not only that but, as we saw against the Rams, McCarthy can then use that run action to boot Rodgers the opposite way, away from Allen in this case, and try to work something down-field without leaving Rodgers as a sitting duck in the pocket with nothing but Colledge and Barbre to protect the edge.
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Comments (24)
October 02, 2009 at 10:43 am
My game prediction:
Team that drops the most footballs
Loses Monday night
http://PackerHaiku.com
October 02, 2009 at 10:49 am
Aaron, it appeared that the run game improved dramatically in the fourth quarter. Is that a harbinger of things to come? Perhaps it is a matter of getting in synch since we don't have a back that can make things happen on his own. He needs timing with the O-Line, and perhaps it is coming around.
Otherwise, I totally agree that we should run right at Allen. It will tire him out as well.
October 02, 2009 at 10:55 am
Another thing....why is our line being pushed back. That is a huge problem to me! Look at the push on the line. The left side of our line is being pushed back. What the heck! They have to get a push forward. Are our guys too weak?
October 02, 2009 at 11:00 am
Good example.... They always talk about RBs with 'great vision'. .... Grant seems to lack this 'great vision'. He needs to plant & cut sooner. He would have had 5 yards for sure & with a broken tackle, another 3, 4, or more.
It's perplexing why Grant isn't as decisive as in the past.
PackerAaron
October 02, 2009 at 11:18 am
jrarick - the 'pushed back' thing is partly because of the zone blocking. Guys are slanting down playside and getting pushed back. Really wish they'd just start manning up and blowing off the ball...
October 02, 2009 at 11:54 am
Kuhn is pathetic at run blocking. That was one of the funniest scenes I' ve seen this week. However, he's very good at running the football, catching and pass blocking. So he should be used as our 3rd down back, instead of Wynn. We got 3 FBs, so why don't we do this is beyond me.
October 02, 2009 at 11:58 am
The ugliest part of that might be Wells.
Great clip and example, Aaron. Seriously, great.
October 02, 2009 at 12:11 pm
totally agree w/ franklin...totally awesome analysis. We need to get u doing this full-time.
October 02, 2009 at 12:13 pm
That play is just awful. Kuhn looks lost. Wells feel down and Colledge is doing a solid job of blocking the air.
The fact that Grant got one yard on that is amazing.
October 02, 2009 at 12:16 pm
Yeah, Colledge did whiff on the second level, but that doesn't seem to impact the play. Three major factors in the breakdown of this play, all of which have been identified:
1. Grant takes one step too many to the left. He was one step too late in seeing the hole on the right. Cost him some significant yardage.
2. Wells and Kuhn basically have mirror images of the same play- run out two yards and spin around; one clockwise, the other counterclockwise. Neither contributed anything to the play. Wells in particular should have put a hat on the MLB who wound up getting in on the play.
3. You say Nelson didn't do a terrible job blocking the backside DE, but he also didn't do a good job. His guy made the tackle. Maybe he wouldn't had Grant made his cut sooner, but Nelson could have helped out more too. I wouldn't give him an F, only a D.
October 02, 2009 at 12:25 pm
It would be nice to see the Pack's "O" get on track lord knows I have enough of them on some fantasy teams, but let's get that "D" revved up and knock that piece of shit Favre right into retirement.. Sorry bitter Jets fan lololol
October 02, 2009 at 12:33 pm
Also, Sitton is really pushed back into Grant. What a mess! They practiced all spring and summer for this. Fire Campen!
PackerAaron
October 02, 2009 at 12:40 pm
bucky - how many WRs do you know that could handle blocking a DE?
October 02, 2009 at 01:04 pm
If Grant makes the cut then Nelson has the DE held up for just enough time. I doubt Hines Ward could have done that much of a better job.
October 02, 2009 at 01:04 pm
There was an article today (i believe by jersey al on the packers lounge)and he noted that up until the fourth quarter when we were running the ball to eat up clock and maintain the lead that we actually passed more than we ran on first down last week. Its an excellent read and a good companion to this article. Somewhat a cheesehead nation point-counterpoint.
October 02, 2009 at 01:05 pm
Another great analysis piece btw Aaron.
October 02, 2009 at 01:59 pm
I agree Nelson had a tough assignment, and I agree that he did a passing (barely) job at it. I also stated that, had Grant made the cut at the right time, Nelson's block may have been enough. But if we're pasing out criticism, I don't think Nelson escapes it just because he's a WR.
October 02, 2009 at 02:44 pm
The way we are talking about this problem is an exact copy of the way we were talking last year at this time. Over the off-season, OTA's and pre-season, nothing was done to upgrade the O line. No that fat lump Preston and four rookies drafted didn't help. This team has a poor O line, there can be no question of that. 12 Sacks in 3 games and a very week running attack is all the evidence you should need.
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MM has got change the running game and passing schemes dramatically for Monday. If not, Monday's game could be very, very ugly.
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By the way, Clifton couldn't practice today. If he can do a walk through tommorrow, he will be a game time decision. Jolly and Raji were held out of practice as well. Don't know about Monday on them yet.
PackerAaron
October 02, 2009 at 03:08 pm
All I know is James Jones gets destroyed if he tries to make the block. ;)
October 02, 2009 at 10:41 pm
Wow. Is it just me or the majority of the blogosphere are Nelson supporters? I can't remember one guy that thinks JJ should be the #3 receiver. BTW, I agree with the majority in this case, even though I want to be the minority most of the time.
October 03, 2009 at 04:47 pm
Let's run a new '09 version of the U-71 formation, declaring TJ Lang as the eligible reciever at the TE position, and laugh our collective asses off as Grant piles on the yardage off tackle, while wearing out the Williams' who will have to track to the outside play after play.
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Once we have established that when we sub in Lang we're just going to run it right behind him (Just like we used to do with Kevin Barry), we start using a two TE set (Finley, Lang) with Finley just being used to help cut Jarred Allen on back-side pursuit, really pissing Jarred off.
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Then when the time is right, and the Vikes are completely pissed off everytime they hear the "Eligible Receiver" announcement over the PA, we run play action with Finley streaking straight up the seam taking advantage of the safeties who will have cheated up hard by then.
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Yes, I'm mostly joking, but it would be quite fun to witness none the less.
October 04, 2009 at 01:52 am
I like the way you think Oppy.
October 04, 2009 at 08:44 pm
Aaron,
The whole "17 runs on first downs versus 11 passes" is deceiving. Seven of those runs came in the fourth quarter, when the Packers were protecting the lead. That's perfectly normal. If you haven't seen it, I wrote about it here:
http://packerslounge.com/2009/10/02/running-with-the-pack/
PackerAaron
October 05, 2009 at 04:48 am
I did see it Al. And I understand your point, but you'll notice I don't mention number-of-attempts. As I said in another post, better teams than the Rams will make the Packers pay when they keep putting themselves in 2nd and 3rd and long.