Lombardi Hit and Miss On Packers Offense
By Aaron Nagler on Jul 07, 2009 with 15 Comments
Mike Lombardi has a look at the Packers offense today over at the Post. It’s a decent take that suffers from comparisons to what Lombardi seems to think will be a Favre-controlled Vikings offense. (Is there a need for national outlets to include Favre in as many Packers stories as they can? Silly me. Traffic rules.)
Lombardi is spot on in his appraisals of Rodgers and what should be an improved overall game for the second year starter, and he correctly labels Grant’s 2008 as the classic ‘get paid’ year, intimating that Grant was more worried about his money than his game last offseason.
Mike also does a good job of laying out McCarthy’s strengths as an offensive architect. It’s something that you didn’t hear so much of last season as the losses piled up, but it’s true that McCarthy remains one of the best offensive minds in football, one that can attack defenses in myriad ways without resorting to stale formulas.
Where Lombardi’s take breaks down is in his assessment of Ryan Grant as the key to the offense being ‘great’ as opposed to ‘very good’. It’s true that a healthy and focused Grant will make a big difference heading into 2009, and I fully expect to see him breaking more than a few of the big runs that were sorely missing from the offense last season.
But he is not ‘the key’ to the offense.
That would be Aaron Rodgers.
(Finally, Greg Bedard and I agree on something)
McCarthy’s offense, as it is currently designed, does not require a top-flight back. It just needs someone who can be serviceable and can help move the chains. There’s no special gameplan that gets the ball in Grant’s hands in space, there’s no set of specific running plays that work best for Grant’s particular skill set the way Sherman designed his running game around Ahman Green. McCarthy’s system is efficient in the way any half-way decent back can make it go.
Now, that back needs to be studied and needs to be able to play at a certain level, obviously. But there’s a reason Thompson was able to pluck Grant off the Giants’ roster for a single late round pick. And there’s a reason Thompson has generally shied away from backs on the first day of the draft, Brandon Jackson being the lone exception, who you could almost say is proving why Thompson does so. I like Jackson and think he looked better than Grant during his limited playing time last season, but you can’t call him anything other than a dissapointment as a second round pick, especially when you see what the Bears own second rounder Matt Forte is doing.
Fans get excited about Lumpkin showing in preseason or breaking a 19 yard run in Week Two the same way they got excited about Jackson showing in preseason his rookie year or the way they got excited by the few screen passes Grant caught early in 2007. These could be any decent back – fans keep hoping they are seeing the beginnings of a ‘special’ back. I’m sorry, but there isn’t one on the roster, and it’s the biggest reason I was against caving in to Grant’s demands last off season.
I have no doubt that Bedard’s assertion that ‘certain people in the Packers organization wanted Grant to play’no matter how well Jackson and company played, stems from Thompson and his wanting to validate his giving Grant the deal he did. It’s one of the few real head-scratchers for me when it comes to Thompson’s tenure (the other big one being the punting fiasco last year, though there are several smaller ones as well, like the pressing need to keep Danny Lansanah, the signing of Matt O’Dwyer, etc)
As I’ve stated over and over, for as much lip service as McCarthy gives to the running game, he knows it’s second fiddle to the passing game in the NFL. Look no further than the participants in last years Super Bowl. The Steelers were a horrible running team. The Cardinals? Dead last in the NFL. No, the running game is a good tool to have, especially in the 4th quarter when you have a lead. But it’s a passing league. In fact, a national pundit with a long history working in several front offices around the league just last week wrote an excellent column on this very subject. Who you ask?
None other than Mike Lombardi.
So yes, Grant will be better this year, but he’s not the key to the Packers fielding one of the best offenses in the league. That distinction belongs to Aaron Rodgers.
Filed Under: Mike Lombardi • Packer Offense
I think the biggest problem with the Packers running backs is that they are all basically the same guy. Similar body types, similar running styles. Jackson will never unseat Grant if they do all the exact same things and Grant has more experience.
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That said, Grant was injured for part of last year and still played when he probably should have been on the bench. As you state above and I’ve believed for some time, Grant got extra playing time because of his contract.
you’re both wrong, it’s the O-line. outside of a hobbled chad clifton, name 1 player on our line who has been consistently solid…
I still think Wynn has the ability to be special, if he ever goes through puberty.
Another issue is the Zone Blocking Scheme. I hate it, but I do think they’re getting away from it.
MM says he wants “bigger, stronger” type guys on the right side. So that means we’ve got more ZBS “quicker, athletic” type guys on the left side, with guys who are more like brawlers on the right side. Should be interesting to see.
I do think Grant will bounce back.
Jayme, you really think Grant and BJax are the same kind of back? I think BJax has the potential to be much more explosive than Grant.
I’m praying for more Jackson this year, and not just on 3rd down. If MM had been “convinced” to use Grant much more, the fact that Grant got the heavy work last year (and thrilled no one) might open it up for another RB this year. In our system, with Rodgers at the helm, we need just a guy who can get 3-4 yds at the right time. Our improved OL should be a bigger help/
mark – If you go and read Lombardi’s post you’ll note that I point out in the comments the o-line as a major factor that was missing from his analysis.
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That said, the Steelers won the Super Bowl with a truly sub-standard offensive line.
Rodgers is the key much more so than any member of his line.
Keith, I really do feel that they are the same kinds of back. Yes, there are some differences, but they are relatively interchangeable as far as the role that they play. Neither is really a scat back and neither is really a big power back.
Have to agree whole heartedly. It’s a passing league which is exactly why Grant is not key to GB’s offense. Grant’s numbers in 2008 were 18 receptions for a paltry 116 yards. A long ways from the days of A. Green or D. Levens.
If Jackson or Wynn can prove to be more productive catching passes than Grant, they’ll play more. It’s sad that GB looks like a HS team running the screen-pass. Everytime I see them set-up to try & run a screen I just hope the pass isn’t picked off.
Jayme – not sure I agree on Grant/Jackson being the same type. Grant is much more of a power runner. The reason he grabbed the starting job in the first place is because he was able to see the cutback lane, make the one cut necessary and then hit the hole with power. Jackson just never did that his rookie year. He’s seeing the hole better now and is running with power – I agree with Keith. Jackson has the potential to be much more of an explosive runner.
This is the make or break year for Jackson. I really believe in his ability and hope he takes advantage of any opportunity that he gets.
I’m going to side with Mike on this one. Grant is the key from taking this offense from Good to Great. Last year they were good, but you can’t be great unless you run the ball.
We all know running the ball makes passing the ball all that better. Perhaps our okay running last year is why we gave up so many 4th Q leads (and the defense) but if we hold onto the ball all of a sudden we win 2 or 3 more games and make the playoffs. Running allows you to open up more passes, something that would take this offense from good to GREAT.
Pitt was in the SB because of defense not offense, Ari was in because of their D and passing O, but how often does that really happen?? Not much if you look at past SB champions. Dead last in the league in rushing has NEVER made a super bowl befor last year. There is a reason.
There’s PLENTY of other NFL writers who have more acumen and incisive thoughts than Mike Lombardi.
Aaron, you are more spot on than Mike Lombardi.
He rarely adds insights that I/we haven’t pondered.
The backs will be a key if the Packers ever try to put the Screen Pass back into their play book. Jackson seem to be much better at that than Grant is. Aaron you are right, it will be Rogers who will either be blamed or celebrated at the end of this season.
Graham – You can pretty much throw out NFL history now. The rules are just so different. There is a paradigm shift going on in the NFL and we are witnessing it first hand.
This will be Grant’s first full camp. Shoot, its only his second with the Packers, and he missed some with the Giants because of a coffee table or something like that. Heres to hoping he gets the timing down. Hey, how about the fact that Clifton doesn’t practice? Think that plays into it?