When Brett Favre retired, Mike McCarthy made it clear that Aaron Rodgers would be running basically the same offense that Favre had run the past three seasons. A tweak or two here and there, but basically, the same.
Today, when asked how much smaller the playbook would be if Matt Flynn had to start on Sunday, McCarthy replied:
We haven’t really operated on a very high volume all year, so that’s something coming out of the offseason. I think it’s important as a coaching staff to challenge yourself. I’ve dealt with very high-volume offensive game plans in the past. Over the long haul, I think it creates more opportunity for mental errors. I don’t think we have a volume issue as far as the size of our playbook for any of the quarterbacks to run. The percentage of that, the week will probably answer that question better.
He is one hundred percent correct, of course, about the potential for mental errors when opening up the playbook. One need look no further than Rodgers blowing the read at the end of the game yesterday, when he failed to find his hot read, Finley, for what would have been a sizable gain. But with the struggles of the offense to run the ball, and the struggles of the defense to stop opponents from running the ball and putting points on the board, the rewards far outweigh the risks in my opinion.
Rodgers looked shaky yesterday, but I would remind all the Chicken Littles of the world that the only time Favre beat Monte Kiffin’s defense down in Tampa was in 2003 when Sherman was coach and the Packers had three running backs averaging over five yards a carry. Other than that game, Favre looked much like Rodgers did yesterday every time he went down to Florida.
McCarthy has a good, young quarterback who will make mistakes from time to time. But he simply has to give him the freedom to make some plays, especially since his team can’t generate more than 30 yards on the ground on any given Sunday. Rodgers is the Packers’ best chance at putting points on the board, but he can’t do it if the opposing defenses know all four or five looks it’s going to see week to week.
Rainman said in September 29th, 2008 at 5:26 pm
Dave said in September 29th, 2008 at 6:03 pm
ctpack said in September 30th, 2008 at 6:54 pm
