Film Review: Packers Linebackers Can’t Match Speed Of Detroit RBs & TEs
By Brian Carriveau on Oct 04, 2010 with 25 Comments
Taking a look inside the Xs & Os, personnel and schemes after watching video of the Packers 28-26 win over the Detroit Lions on Sunday…
Defense
- The Lions were more than happy to get the ball to running backs and tight ends on screens, dump-offs and underneath routes against a “fire zone” blitz team like the Packers. Basically, the Lions were happy with how their personnel matched up with the Packers linebackers. Brandon Pettigrew, Tony Scheffler, Jahvid Best and Kevin Smith combined for 23 receptions yesterday. They knew their tight ends were bigger (and frequently faster) than the Packers linebackers. They also knew their running backs were by far faster than the Packers linebackers. No matter if they threw to their tight ends or running backs, it was a winning combination.
- For the life of me, I can’t figure out why the Packers didn’t use their dime personnel more on Sunday. I guess it just wasn’t part of the game plan. But when the linebackers (both inside and outside) were far slower than Best, Pettigrew and company, I think it would have been a smarter choice to have the speedier option of a Brandon Underwood or Pat Lee as opposed to the likes of A.J. Hawk, Brady Poppinga, Frank Zombo or Nick Barnett who don’t have near the sideline to sideline speed as their cornerback counterparts.
- Twice on the Lions’ second possession of the game, the Packers used a cross dog blitz with A.J. Hawk and Nick Barnett blitzing up the middle and both outside linebackers (Frank Zombo and Clay Matthews) dropping into coverage. On the second of those two plays, Zombo erred in coverage trying to cover Pettigrew along with Matthews. The result was Scheffler being left wide open on a reception that turned into a first down. From that point onward, Zombo was used considerably less, especially in coverage. Zombo dropped into coverage 9 times the whole game, none after halftime. Poppinga dropped into coverage 12 times, mostly in the second half. Brad Jones dropped into coverage 4 times.
- Clay Matthews is the best linebacker in pass coverage on the team. Unfortunately, he’s also their best pass rusher. On the 9 times Matthews dropped into coverage, the Packers lost their best pass rusher on those plays.
- It was clear the Packers wanted Woodson lined up on Calvin Johnson nearly the entire game. Woodson game into the game as one of the most heavily blitzed cornerbacks in the entire NFL as evidenced by leading the league in quarterback hits and tackles for a loss among players at his position. The Packers didn’t blitz Woodson a single time on Sunday, although the blitzed Jarrett Bush 10 times on passing plays. Bush was far less disciplined than Woodson. Three times Bush blitzed on either runs or passes, failed to break down and missed the tackle in the backfield.
- Woodson missed three tackles on Sunday. I’ve said that Woodson makes two good plays for every bad one, and that held true yesterday. But just imagine if he had made those three tackles in addition to his already team-leading 13.
- The Packers only rushed 6 players twice. On one of those two plays, the Lions ran a tight end screen for a first down. Furthermore, the Packers only used their Psycho personnel once. The Lions also ran a screen on that play.
- Out of the 83 plays I tracked (including penalty plays in which a play was ran), the Packers were in the nickel 68 of those plays. They were in the base defense 13 times.
- Hawk’s facemask penalty should have been negated by a blatant block in back on Barnett.
Offense
- What the Lions offense did to the Packers defense got me thinking about the Packers offense. Outside of Jermichael Finley, the Packers don’t have a consistent receiving threat among their tight ends and running backs on underneath routes quite like the Lions do. Just some food for thought.
- The Packers used ran the rollout bootleg three times on Sunday. The first time Rodgers hit Jermichael Finley for an easy first down. Jonathan Wade learned his lesson and blanketed Finley the second time around to force an incompletion. The third time Finley was covered again, but this time Donald Lee made his way all the way across from the opposite side of the field in the fourth quarter for a huge first down that helped the offense run out the clock.
- The Packers went with only five players in pass protection the entire game with no help from either the tight ends or backs. The result of those two plays? Touchdown passes to Finley and Greg Jennings.
- Korey Hall and Tom Crabtree played huge roles on the Packers’ final possession of the game by opening holes in the ground game to keep the chains moving and control the clock. This is the best Hall has looked as a lead blocker his entire career and may make Quinn Johnson expendable when those players on the PUP list are eligible to come off after Week 6. At this point, I’m sure Ted Thompson would gladly accept a conditional seventh round draft choice in exchange for Johnson.
- On the Packers’ second possession of the game, Brandon Jackson was given the ball on second-and-2. He saw a linebacker fill the hole, hesitated and failed to get the first down. I know a linebacker is in the way, but when you’ve only got two yards to go, it’s time to put down your head and hope for the best.
- Jackson also is at fault for a failed screen pass in the first half by getting mixed in among his lead blockers, Josh Sitton and Mark Tauscher. Rodgers couldn’t even find him in the Land of the Giants.
- By my calculations, it was the first time in three games that the Rodgers threw a run/pass option pass, complete to Finley.
- At first blush, I didn’t think Finley was guilty of his holding call early in the game. Upon watching the replay, while not the most egregious play ever, Finley had his hands outside the framework of his body on the defender’s shoulders. There’s no reason he needed to even have his hands outside the framework because he had perfect positioning.
Special Teams
- Following the blocked field goal against the Bears, Bryan Bulaga and Josh Sitton switched positions with Sitton now at left guard and Bulaga at right tackle.
- Take Mason Crosby’s first touchback of the year with a grain of salt. It came after a 5-yard penalty on the previous extra point and enforced on the kickoff.
- Derrick Martin was the unsung hero on special teams this week for my money in both coverage and blocking.
Filed Under: Featured • Film Review
Speaking of Martin – Now with Burnett out we’re not likely to see him on special teams the next two weeks because he’ll be the starting safety until Bigby gets back. That hurts on D (b/c Martin sucks as a safety) and on Special teams…
On a side note – injuries are inevitable in the NFL. Why TT didn’t go out and get some dependable (not expensive) free agent vets this year or last year is beyond me. The Packers needed more depth, (See Wolf, Ron circa 1996) and TT didn’t answer the bell. Shocking.
Wow. Which vets would you have liked him to sign?
How much should he have paid them?
Did they want to play in green bay?
this isn’t madden, this is the REAL NFL.
Bearmeat is probably not a professional, so the demand for specifics is a bit unfair. Can you show that there was truly no one available? In any case, the point that TT has left the Packers thin in spots remains.
Legit comment. Although TT has had a fairly good draft strategy and luck over the years he has failed to supplement the way the consistently good teams (Colts, Pats, etc etc) do with over looked/ “over the hill” free agents. When TT does decided to pull the trigger, 90% the results are good. Chillar and Woodson have both turned out to be good players and Anthony Smith would have been good last year also if they hadn’t become impatient. Similar to the criticisms of Brandon Jackson, he needs to not only think clearly and carefully, he must loose that hesitation and act decisively if the Pack hopes to get over the hump.
PS Fans are payed to memorize the stats/contract histories/playing condition of every FA in the league. That’s what general managers are payed to do.
And who would you have cut to free up space for them? We’ve already cut guys with decent potential.
How about Quinn Johnson? And hasn’t Burnett’s injury just freed up a spot?
He was saying that TT should have brought in veterans at the beginning of the year so that we would have depth now. Back then we were all fretting about the six players that we cut who wound up playing for other teams. If we were going to bring in some vets as backups, that number certainly would have been higher.
I’m sorry, WHAT? We had 2 capable starting SS. Both got injuried.
Furthermore, Grant had NEVER missed a game. NEVER.
This is ludicrous.
I wouldn’t automatically anoint Martin as the starting safety. That may be the case, but not a given. Peprah is listed ahead of him on the depth chart.
I like what I saw out of Peprah this preseason, I can see the Pack leading his way so that Martin can continue on special teams.
I think Peprah’s solid. “Not spectacular,” but he can get the job done.
You mention that the Hawk facemask penalty should have been negated by a block in the back, but I would go one further, it should have been negated by the fact that he didn’t grab and pull the facemask. His hand did brush the facemask, but just brushed, and didn’t grab or pull.
The reason you didn’t see more dime is…………
we were already so depserate in the nickle that we had bush on the field.
Do you really want to replace a starting caliber player for someone that couldn’t beat out bush for the nickle spot?
When it’s third-and-long, yes.
“The Packers went with only five players in pass protection the entire game with no help from either the tight ends or backs. The result of those two plays? Touchdown passes to Finley and Greg Jennings.”
Confused by this. Did you mean say they only went with 5-man pass protection twice?
Yes. I probably could have worded that a little better.
If I take my blinding Packer fan glasses off, and be honest, this team is no better than last years team, maybe worse.
Same issues on defense this year, trouble with QBs that can throw the ball, get real, a second string QB for the Lions had 331 yards passing.
Our run defense is slightly off, worse than last year. Special teams just as bad as last year, maybe a little better.
Offensively A-rod looks to be the real deal, better pocket presence and making great throws, but without a run game our offense is not as strong as last years.
With injuries mounting up, the Pack as whole is not as good as last years squad, but the one interesting thing that is happening this year, nobody in the NFC looks as good as they did last year.
Totally agree with everything you said Zub, I warned of this, but all everyone said was SB. First of all we gotta think winning the north, and that don’t look to good right now!
FYI
http://www.nationalfootballpos.....rotto.html
In Ted we trust.
In case there is a misunderstanding, that link is to serve as proof that Ted can/did realize a mistake and cut ties early. Not intended to be a knock on the man.
I sure do wish he’d place a call to Buffalo or Carolina though…
Agreed. What I would emphasize is that TT didn’t panic. Meredith was a 5th round developmental tackle and rightly placed on the PS. When Buffalo came knocking the Packers didn’t get carried away to match contractually.
Part of the fan base was up in arms, turns out he was right this time.
THE SKY IS FALLING!! THE SKY IS FALLING!!
I find it quite amusing that every time there is an injury someone is posting a diatribe against TT for not signing more guys at that particular position during the off-season. OK, so far TT should have added another starting caliber QB, RB, OT, DE, OLB, MLB, S, and CB on a team were almost every player he cut was added to the 53 somewhere else. Are the Packers a playoff caliber team or the Browns?
A M E N Jeremy. We are a playoff team with or without Grant…with or without Burnett…with or without Harris…with or without Cliffy or Tauscher. TT has built a good roster and every team is going to go thru injury issues (again, New Orleans just promoted DuhShawn Wynne to it’s active roster).