Game-Planning vs. Play-Calling

In last week's podcast, I warned against second-guessing offensive  play-calling because we don't know the process of what a coach and his staff go through during the week leading up to a game. They break down tendencies, look at the match-ups and try to devise the best game plan they can that can take advantage of the other team's weaknesses.

Well.

While it was nice to see the Packers line it up and hit the Bears in the mouth in the first half on Sunday night, most Packer fans are incensed  with what they perceive as conservative play-calling in the second half by Coach McCarthy. And I'll admit, some of the calls had me scratching my head. But when the Bears went almost exclusively to their Cover-2 defense in the second half, the Packers should have been able to take advantage by pounding the football. McCarthy's reasoning here is sound. What is less sound is his seeming unwillingness to adapt once it was shown that, for whatever reason, his team just couldn't get it done on the ground in the second half. The shotgun spread formation did not make it's appearance until it was too late. Again, I understand the reasoning for wanting to stick with the run. But the spread formation got you to 4-0. Why abandon what got you to that record? I realize Jennings was banged up and Jones was sat for his awful fumbles, but you're trying to win a game, aren't you?  Was McCarthy scared to put the game in Favre's hands after the horrific interception? I should hope not. McCarthy needs to realize, this offense will only go as far as Favre can take them, no matter how well they end up being able to run the ball.

It will be interesting to see how the Packers attack the Redskins this week, a team that is playing as well as anyone on the defensive side of the ball and that shut down a high-octane Detroit passing game last week.

 

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