Much More To Come…

Well put, DDD. If Aaron Rodgers wants this to be HIS team, HE needs to play better and lead this team to a “signature” win. If HE plays better, and wins some big games, then he will have the clout to get in the face of some of some of his teammates. Until then, he’s just another one of the underachievers.

There has been a change in Rodgers over the past two games. I couldn’t put my finger on it. So late this afternoon I decided to go back and watch his play management. Something came out of that little exercise that I hadn’t seen in earlier games. He is not calling many audibles. When he’s in the gun he is not directing players or changing the assignment calls. And rarely when under center is he doing anything but carrying out the called play. I have to believe this is by design.
____
In both the Queen and Buc game the enemy rushed 4 about 70% of the time and rarely 5. The Packers were keeping 7 in to block almost always. So, with GB putting 3 receivers out and the enemy with 7 defenders the O to D ratio was 2+:1 almost always. Could be coverage is having something to do with AR’s slow reaction.
_____
Add this to the patterns above. MM in a presser said: “Our plan was to attack the secondary, they beat us. If we played again today, I’d do the same thing again.”
____
The combination of events above tells me this. MM had Jennings and Driver going deep all the time and the third receiver was the checkdown and was covered most of the time.
_____
And worst of all he would do it again. I wish I had more elevation to be able to see the full field of play to confirm my guess but it was the best I could do with the TV shots.

“Add this to the patterns above. MM in a presser said: “Our plan was to attack the secondary, they beat us. If we played again today, I’d do the same thing again.”

Of course he would do the same thing again. And we would lose again. That’s why they suck. Just like he tells his team to cut back on penalties after every game. That’s why EVERYONE is questioning his coaching ability and play calling.

I gotta give it to you. You are usually on both of their nuts. But to call them out is big of you; you are rather objective…… a little too objective often times.

I’m a supporter of Rodgers, but you cannot say he played well on Sunday. He played like crap.

Normally a good QB playing a crappy game can be written off as a one-off; that shit happens from time to time. But I’m not seeing it this way. H’e actually started to regress as a QB.

He looks to be learning some bad habits that the coaching staff is either unable or unwilling to correct. Amazingly enough, after all the criticism from the past few weeks about him holding the ball too long, he is holding it even longer. Against the worst team in the league.

At the end of the day, while I think Rodgers deserves his share of the blame for the Packers’ performance Sunday and the previous 8 weeks, I still have to focus on the coaching staff. Their job is to put the players on the field in the best position to win games. And they have not done that. Moreover, they have destroyed whatever measure of confidence that the team had coming out of training camp, and lasting through the Bears’ game. After week one, this team had a swagger that is completely gone. Some might be ok with that, but I think to win consistently in this league, you have to play with a certain attitude that you expect to make plays, that you expect to wear the other team down, and that you expect to win. Now they simply hope to win.

I don’t see it turning around this season. Why? I look back to last season. After the Packers beat the Colts, they were 4-3 and had just beaten one of the best teams in the league. I think they justifiably had a bit of a swagger then. But then they found ways to lose winnable games against the Titans and the Vikings (both good teams last season), and the confidence was gone. It’s happening again this year. As Bedard tweeted, this game should have been wrapped up by halftime. And they would have won this game by three touchdowns if they never threw the ball once after going up 21-14. Instead, the coaching staff called the only possible game they could have lost, calling for 40+ dropbacks in gusty winds against a defense we were gashing for 5+ yards a carry. But instead of constantly handing of to Ryan Grant and Ahman Green, the coaches put Rodgers back to pass behind a line that hasn’t blocked anyone all season. For no goddamn reason.

So yes, blame Aaron Rodgers for his crappy game, and note that Rodgers is not progressing like you would like a QB to progress at this point in the season. But note also why he’s getting worse. He’s playing for a coach who simply doesn’t know how to win football games and develop the talent on the club.

I’m starting to think Judas had more self-discipline than I thought if MM couldn’t ruin him. Oh wait, I got overweening ego confused with self-discipline. At any rate, maybe the best thing these guys can do for now is coach each other and themselves. At least they know (I really do think) that they are sucking right now.

Speaking of extensions, MM & TT haven’t exactly burned up the league since they got theirs.

This time I just cannot contradict you Aaron. Fact is, for a team to be better than the other, the playmakers need to play big, not just solid. And they haven’t even be solid…

Whilst I agree that its a team problem, I wouldn’t tar DD with the same brush as everyone else. If only he could throw to himself.

Again, Rodgers needs to step up. Unless I’m mistaken, when he has gone to ‘checkdown’ his running backs don’t seem to catch the ball. I think we’re on 24 drops in 32 quarters. Still don’t know how James Jones gets the ‘good’ category when it was Rodgers that placed a pass on the button and Jones only had to run straigt ahead to score 74 yds. When the team needed clutch from Jones on the first play of the final series he started by, stay with me folks, dropping the ball on a substantial gain. Then Rodgers scrammbled for a long 1st down run and conversion only to, stay with me folks, get it called back because of holding. Rodgers 2nd interception should have never been thrown into that coverage to Jennings, but it did bounce off his chest/shoulderpad. Elite receivers catch that ball, don’t they?

Again, Rodgers doesn’t get a free pass, but how many drops are ok? How often can a QB be in obnoxious down-and-distance and expected to convert? Just so I understand, we’re not asking Rodgers to play good or even great, we EXPECT him to be superb on a weekly basis to compensate for poor play elsewhere? Sounds more then fair. Why isn’t he elite every snap (sarcasm)?

Not giving a free pass, just laughing a bit at the intensity and direction of the pitchfork/torch crowd.

Ruppert, you’re stating the obvious based on weekly performance and lack of preparation. But it’s utterly idiotic, bitter and without merit to state,

“I like Aaron Rodgers, but I am getting the feeling that he thinks he is far better than he actually is.”

Be critical of his game, that’s more than fair, but making a statement like this is pure unadulturated shit.

Of course I don’t have all the data to make a complete analysis. I didn’t realize that wasn’t allowed. I’ll try to do better.

I get your point, CSS. But I don’t think it’s totally out of the realm of possibility to make a statement about overconfidence based on a couple things that you DON’T need game tape to back up. I’m talking about McCarthy–specifically the protection scheme and to a lesser extent the playcalling. There is no reason this team, with the “quality” of it’s O line, should not have extra bodies to pass block EVERY SINGLE DROPBACK. Due to the obvious lack of talent of this line, we should be throwing about 1 deep ball every half, and throwing 15 passes to that running back (who chips the DE) a game. But no…McCarthy won’t even consider it. I think that is basis enough to back up the assertion of overconfidence on his part. And it’s pretty clear to me that Rodgers is following orders, hence making him just as culpable. This O needs to play within the confines of what it is capable of doing.

Good discussion above…

More effort should have been prepared getting a team setup that could support a new inexperienced QB. I don’t believe the team was ready for the change.

Everybody wanted the decision to replace AR with Favre to work so bad that the expectations for Rodgers were unrealistic. He is not Favre… maybe in the future but not now. Reasonable folks knew what lay ahead.., yada, yada – old story.

I believe Rodgers holds the ball to long but perhaps with experience that will get better. And he will not last in the NFL running the ball even though he has some talent at it or playing crouching tiger behind a weak OL. Throw it away or give a top receiver a chance to make a play (forget the stats- they only protect TT and MM). But he cannot make an excuse about the cards he was dealt. That’s just the way it is.

Overall, I still believe TT is the primary cause of the current situation and MM is on his coat tail.

CSS, the point of my humble analysis was to point out that other things are happening that cannot be written off to slow release, poor check down, etc. Other things are also involved and they have as much impact on AR’s play as his personal skills. Maybe I shold have made that clearer.

“Good discussion above…

More effort should have been prepared getting a team setup that could support a new inexperienced QB. I don’t believe the team was ready for the change.

Everybody wanted the decision to replace AR with Favre to work so bad that the expectations for Rodgers were unrealistic. He is not Favre… maybe in the future but not now. Reasonable folks knew what lay ahead.., yada, yada – old story.

I believe Rodgers holds the ball to long but perhaps with experience that will get better. And he will not last in the NFL running the ball even though he has some talent at it or playing crouching tiger behind a weak OL. Throw it away or give a top receiver a chance to make a play (forget the stats- they only protect TT and MM). But he cannot make an excuse about the cards he was dealt. That’s just the way it is.

Overall, I still believe TT is the primary cause of the current situation and MM is on his coat tail.”

Agree 100% with what you said. I mean, when you can skip the broken record, you actually make a very sound argument!

And DDD, I think what CSS ois trying to say (not that he needs me to translate or something) is that it’s one thing to call a player complacent. It’s another thing to say he’s ego is too inflated, which is what I understanded you implied…

The NFP article you posted… I agree with it to some extent… But he says that the players aren’t buying into the program… That part I have to disagree with… I think it’s more that the program itself doesn’t fit the players we have… We just don’t have a decent enough OL and a good enough running game to sustain a deep passing attack all the time. We don’t have enough pass rush to just send 4 most of the time, being those the same 4…

It’s funny how “fans” somehow feel qualified to demonize a team & specific players on that team while viewing games on their 25″ RCAs from their ratty couches as the MT beer cans pile-up on the floor……. Then to make matters even worse, these same “fans” go to all the “illustrious” blogs & media rags to find out how they should think ……. You ‘fans’ have it all figured out………… I doubt it.

For the record, I also believe that Favre is a jerk. I don’t need a signed affidavit from Favre admitting that he is a jerk. I have drawn that conclusion based upon his own conduct and words.
—
It is within the relm of possibility that Favre is the most humble and nicest guy in the world and he just *acts* like a jerk.
—
So is it unreasonable for me to believe that he is a jerk based upon his words and conduct?
—
If not, then why is it unreasonable for me to draw conclusions about Rodgers based upon HIS words and conduct?

Woody – bullshit. When players are with the media, that is their chance to convey whatever it is they want to convey for mass consumption. It’s not on the fan to ‘have a cup of coffee’ with the player (which is just an asinine argument, btw). If players don’t want to take advantage of the platforms they are given, that’s on them – not the fans.

First of all, what’s up with the attack?? Play on words, sarcasm…
-
So, DDD, the reason you feel Rodgers is egocentric, as opposed to complacent, is because???? What are those words and actions that clearly proves he’s egocentric?
-
But you want to be sarcastic… I’ll be frank. Comparing Rodgers, who stood while fans booed him his first game as a starter, who stayed 3 years as a backup, who endured the flipflops of Favre, with that same Favre, who retired and unretired so he could skip offseason, who flipped the bird to his fans and went to the biggest rival (one of), is ludicrous, to not say ill intentioned.
-
Take a pause before concluding that Rodgers is full of himself because he said he should play the same way. Because last time I checked, this was not your homepage: http://www.tmz.com/ How’s that for a far-fetched comparison???

Woody – clearly, you are not familiar with my past battles with DDD. Needless to say, I “provide a platform for him” (which I don’t – Blogger does) because his observations are always intelligent and astute, weather I agree with them or not.

Interesting analysis by the Press Gazette:

“— The Bucs’ press coverage all but took away the quick-hitters and three-step drops after Rodgers hit WR Greg Jennings for option slants of 11 and 6 on the first two drives. It also made receivers work harder to get open at times, and with the mounting protection issues up front, downfield routes sometimes didn’t clear fast enough for Rodgers to get the ball out. At other times, the Cover-2 shell created a bracket effect, such as on the second interception — a post that went through Jennings’ hands at the 4. Bucs CB Aqib Talib, matched up with Jennings much of the day, was playing under coverage with S Corey Lynch picking up the deep route about 10 yards downfield. Lynch played it better than expected, but Rodgers’ perfect throw still gave the Packers a chance. Jennings just dropped it.”

Defenses are scheming to force the Packers to intemediate routes that take a bit longer to develop, taking away the slant and quick hitter hoping they get the sack.

Also, as posted before, it was ill advised for Rodgers to throw that ball into the coverage leading to his 2nd interception, but the ball hit Jennings in the pads and was more than catchable.

Woody – “To devote an entire blog on this subject matter is far from being even-keeled when discussing the NFL”
-
Where is it written that all discussion regarding the NFL must be ‘even-keeled’? Emotional reactions are EXACTLY what blogs are all about. This aint the Wall Street Journal…

Let’s see – this is a blog oriented to fan commnetary. Some who contribute seem to feel “fans” shouldn’t comment unless they are in sync with his position. And if not, we should know enough to shut up until he approves of your position.
_____
Fans can say what ever the hell they want! The fans pay for the team top to bottom. TV revenue – FANS, Gate Receipts – FANS, Geer – FANS, Packer Stock – FANS! We, as fans, have every right to express our views no mater what you think. We might be right, we might be wrong, but we can and will express them.
____
To summarize, argue your position against those you deem incorrect. Don’t ridicule because you think no other view is acceptable because (God forbid) we are only fans.

“If he is going to be a franchise player he can’t use his patented “crouch down” in the face of an on coming rush technique. You know what he is not doing while he is crouched down in a stupid yoga pose, looking straight at his linemen’s crotches? He is not going through his progressions and identifying open receivers. ”
An interesting theory. Someone should ask him about it.