Packers Vs. Jets - 3 Plays That Make You Go Hmmm
Jersey Al picks out three thought-provoking plays from the Packers' last game.
By JerseyAl
After re-watching the Packers game, here are three plays that made me go hmmm, for various reasons.
Oh boy... It's time for some rough medicine, folks. The Packers' offensive line, who sport two Pro Bowlers, was pure caca on Sunday. Practically the same group as last year (swap Elton Jenkins for Billy Turner). suddenly look like the OL of your kid's Pop Warner team. It's one thing to be overpowered, which did happen on multiple occasions in this game, but the amount of mental mistakes they made are unfathomable. It's like they were drugged - did they break into Rodgers' Ayahuasca stash before the game?
So are here three examples of their incompetence (YES, you MUST watch - do not look away). Honestly there were so many, it was tough to choose, so I decided to pick one from the run blocking, one from pass pro and one from screen blocking.
Note: Thanks to the commenter who suggested I do these as youtube clips. I had been meaning to, but just forgot about it. I made them non-public, so hopefully the NFL won't find them (unless they come here) and make me take them down.
Bad Run Blocking:
This one appears to be on our favorite foil, Royce Newman. I was one who pounded the table for Newman to be moved back to guard in place of Jake Hanson, as Newman seemed to hold his own in that spot last year. Mental errors in pass protection seemed to be his main issue last year, but it appears he is expanding his horizons, bringing those issues to run blocking as well. Everyone on the OL is blocking zone to the right - except for Newman. Did he not get the call? Did he just have brain fart? I don't know what it was, other than ugly.
Bad Pass Protection
I chose this play because it involves our best offensive lineman, All-Pro David Bakhtiari making what can only be called a rookie mistake. This what I meant when I asked if they had all been drugged. You mean to tell me Bakhtiari can't recognize a simple pass rush stunt? He basically never even sees Rankins until he turns around and watches him fall on top of Rodgers. Rodgers took a beating this game, which presented us with his usual array of defeated-looking facial expressions. As always, some of those sacks, hits, etc. could have been avoided if he would just let go of the ball. On this play, Lazard is breaking open at the 3 second mark, but Rodgers holds on and takes the sack to knock them out of field goal range on third down -- Also a rookie mistake.
Bad Screen Blocking
I'll grant you that the game was over at this point -- just before the two minute warning. But if I have three OL giving this kind of effort, I'm sitting at least two of them down for the rest of the game. The screen is actually setup nicely, the Packers have three OL leading (potentially) the play with only two Jets as immediate threats in sight. Runyan rightfully goes after the cornerback abut doesn't even lay a hand on him. But most egregious are Newman and Myers (mostly Myers), who jog out there and watch CJ Mosley run past them unimpeded and clock AJ Dillon. Yuck.
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"Jersey Al" Bracco is the Editor-In-Chief, part owner and wearer of many hats for CheeseheadTV.com and PackersTalk.com. He is also a recovering Mason Crosby truther. Follow Al on twitter at @JerseyalGBP.
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Comments (45)
Swisch
October 18, 2022 at 03:08 pm
When good players go bad in performance, then it's time to look at the leadership.
Coldworld
October 18, 2022 at 06:53 pm
If a group of players regress, I’d love to know how your naysayers would explain that? Individuals may have personal issues, but when whole units regress with similar personnel, please explain why that might be if it’s not coaching related.
croatpackfan
October 19, 2022 at 03:12 am
This is how disjoint team looks like. Players just do work without any joy or passion, they do not care about result and team. Is that silent protest? Strike? That tells you a lot. I suppose some of the players are not involved in that behavior, but large group is. The maim culprits are HC, OC, DC and dark power behind them - Mark Murphy.
Also, it is not helpful that one or maybe few players are privileged.
jannesbjornson
October 19, 2022 at 02:03 pm
Some of these miscues are mapped to players not practicing as a unit during the week and expecting efficient line play. Newman is setting himself up for a pink slip. Seems like Creed Humphrey was the correct call as the supposedly more physical Myers plods along.
lkcsmith
October 18, 2022 at 03:14 pm
In the third screen play, it shows how non-aggressive the O Linemen were. Looks like they were playing "social distancing" blocking.
PeteK
October 18, 2022 at 06:28 pm
Newman looks back at the ball carrier instead of looking to block someone.
JerseyAl
October 18, 2022 at 06:30 pm
And Meyers looks like a basketball player trying not to foul.
Coldworld
October 18, 2022 at 03:25 pm
Dysfunctional in week 7. PFF’s odd worship of Bakh aside—he’s decent at this point but not great, they were all bad at times. That’s a group issue as much as an individual one. There’s clearly some coaching issues that need addressing. Of course it would help not to have an offensive plan perfectly calculated to maximize pressure.
At this point I don’t see what we have to lose by letting Nijman learn in the job at RT and moving Jenkins inside. Play Tom as a 6th OL maybe too on occasion. He’s got the athleticism and foot speed to be a great blocking TE.
Swisch
October 18, 2022 at 05:44 pm
It seems silly to ask Jenkins to play tackle before he is fully recovered from his injury to the point of regaining almost all of his prior athleticism.
It also seems unfair to Jenkins as an endangerment to his career to ask him to unduly stretch his physical responsibilities right now with the added risk of injury.
It may be that Jenkins would be well within reason and his rights to be sitting out right now; if he is generous enough to return somewhat early, let's fully appreciate him rather than unnecessarily pushing him to go too far too fast.
***
It also seems silly to not have a place for Nijman on the offensive line, a waste to have him on the sidelines. He's one of our best, and getting better, so get him on the field.
***
So, Coldworld, I'm writing largely, perhaps even totally, in agreement with you, including this last point that the offensive line needs to develop a group identity through consistent work as a unit.
If they were good last year, perhaps even a top unit in the NFL, it seems there should be a way to correct our blocking very soon.
Especially if a lot of the mistakes on the offensive line are mental lapses, or occasional omissions of effort, then it's time for the coaches to rally the troops and impart to them both identity and focus.
barutanseijin
October 18, 2022 at 03:44 pm
WTF Myers. Maybe put Jenkins at center and let him rethink his effort on the bench. Nijman to RT.
There were many plays that ended with OL standing and looking around.
PeteK
October 18, 2022 at 06:50 pm
All of this with only 4 linemen rushing and no blitzing. We made them look like the Fearsome Foursome.
jannesbjornson
October 19, 2022 at 02:07 pm
They cannot figure out a 4-3 defense. Conversely, the Pack should convert to a hybrid 4-3 defense
lebowski
October 18, 2022 at 09:31 pm
Hell, as good as Zach Tom looked at tackle his best position might be center. Let him start a game, and could still get Jenkins at guard and Nijman at tackle.
PackEyedOptimist
October 19, 2022 at 03:58 am
I made the same comment yesterday: Jenkins at center and Myers at RG, where I think both could excel. Bak and Runyon stay, and put Nijman at RT. It is a good lineup that will improve each game.
LambeauPlain
October 18, 2022 at 03:45 pm
Well Al, I expect some dandy "Hmmms" from you this week and you did not disappoint.
The OL was supposedly a team strength...perhaps the greatest strength. The Jets pass rushers did not just beat them physically...they got in their heads...winning through intimidation.
At Halftime, Saleh told the team to keep punching the Packers in the mouth. They were going to fold. Put the Packers in deep water and they will find they cannot swim. Wow...nailed it. The Packer are soft and his best friend Matt cannot adjust to adversity.
TarynsEyes
October 18, 2022 at 04:16 pm
“The OL was supposedly a team strength...perhaps the greatest strength.”
The two heralded players were coming back from injuries, and the rest were and still are subjected to near a 'names in a hat' draw as to who plays where and when, is not the fabric of a strong unit. The failure of the Offense is still in the finger pointing stage. Is it the OL, or Is it the receivers? Is it this, this, this or this? There is however, an issue best described by Rodney Dangerfield.
https://youtu.be/cqCYEVkWo-A?t=114
splitpea1
October 18, 2022 at 03:49 pm
Speaking of protection issues, what about the blocked punt? The only bits of information I could find is Leavitt saying the Jets showed them something they weren't ready for, and Will Parks (the guy who ran it in) saying he "saw something" beforehand and took it to his own ST coordinator, who in turn came up with a play to exploit it. How's that for making adjustments on the fly?
No clips of Jenkins' struggles? The Packers coaching staff needs to stop fiddling around around with this experiment and get Jenkins back at LG, and maybe Runyan at right--and the Newman problem disappears.
Rarescope
October 18, 2022 at 04:17 pm
"Note: Thanks to the commenter who suggested I do these as youtube clips. I had been meaning to, but just forgot about it. I made them non-public, so hopefully the NFL won't find them (unless they come here) and make me take them down."
My pleasure Al, I was wondering if you saw my comment when I noticed the youtube clips. I've seen other sports writers use them (here?) and on APC so hopefully it's not an issue. Now on to the article and the glory of slowed down, paused, and over-analyzed plays :D
ricky
October 18, 2022 at 04:22 pm
I'll repeat what I wrote elsewhere. It seems the move of Stenavich from OL coach to OC, leaving Butkus as the OL coach has made the OL worse, and has made the offense worse. A double whammy. What to do? Reshuffle the OL and hope for the best. Or, if it's just money, pay Stenavich more to become OL coach again, and hopefully we'll see the team turn it around. It seems that Butkus is the equalivant of promoting Drayton to ST's coach. That OL group could get Rodgers seriously hurt at some point.
Rarescope
October 18, 2022 at 04:44 pm
Might as well do some shuffling now, it's not like they can play much worse.
SteelyPhil
October 18, 2022 at 06:14 pm
I 100% agree. I don't think people are talking enough about the impact of the coaching shakeup during the offseason. The Packers, Broncos, and Bears are all complete disasters offensively...maybe Hackett, Stenavich, and Butkus were actually in their ideal roles last year? The OL without its two best players last year was leagues better than we are right now with Jenkins and Bakh back.
Pay assistants more rather than doing this hopeless promotion track for coaches.
Tundraboy
October 19, 2022 at 12:11 am
Butkus=Trojan Horse? Gift from the Bears?
PearlyBakerBest
October 18, 2022 at 04:32 pm
Makes me wonder when the next dysfunctional article is going to come out. These plays and feeling around them seems just the same.
Rarescope
October 18, 2022 at 04:42 pm
Ooof, not much blaming any of these plays on ACL recovery periods other than maybe just being straight up rusty on Bak's part. Sad part is he's already had a few warm up, get back in the groove games switching out w/ Nijman. This looks like it's the first snap he's played.
And that last play - I can see highschoolers giving up but man, these guys are paid buko bucks to go out there and put on a good show. I hope they are starting and ending every day playing these lackluster clips at 1265 Lombardi Ave in the Oline room. Something needs to be done to get the metaphorical fire burning over there.
jannesbjornson
October 19, 2022 at 02:16 pm
The offense seems to be in random plays selection mode, experimenting instead of attacking, mano-a-mano. A few of these players have shown they have regressed. Replace them.
canadapacker
October 18, 2022 at 04:46 pm
Unlike the Steelers that lost most of their Oline due to retirement - Unlike LA Rams who lost players - we are actually supposedly better with BAK and Jenkins back and supposedly another year of play by the previous years draft class - WHAT IS UP with the coaching and preseason training ?
jurp
October 18, 2022 at 04:56 pm
It all rests on the HC, unless Murphy is in charge of the assistant coaches, too?
Coldworld
October 18, 2022 at 07:03 pm
It does. The issues are too widespread, too numerous and too fundamental to be rooted below that.
TarynsEyes
October 18, 2022 at 05:27 pm
I would offer this to MLF to ponder.
'The thing about doing nothing, is you don't know when you're finished.' Plum Island by Nelson DeMille
Coldworld
October 18, 2022 at 07:08 pm
“Doing something costs something. Doing nothing costs something. And, quite often, doing nothing costs a lot more!”
Ben Feldman.
The other issue, as Ben Franklin warned, Is that “the problem with doing nothing is not knowing when you're finished.”
TarynsEyes
October 18, 2022 at 08:19 pm
I didn't know BF wrote that, and now I do.
SteelyPhil
October 18, 2022 at 06:03 pm
Hail Mary here, but can Adam Stenavich get his old job back? Every single starter along the O-line is someone who has played meaningful snaps since at least last year, and they look like high schoolers compared to how they were a season ago (and they weren't exactly world-beaters last year). This is WITH Bakhtiari and Jenkins back in the lineup!
An under-the-radar aspect of this is the coaching shakeup over the offseason. Now look at how the Packers under MLF, the Broncos under Hackett, and the Bears with Getsy are doing offensively. Maybe the whole assistant-to-coordinator-to-head-coach career track often leads to disastrous results?
I'm not going to defend Newman's play and Jenkins' versatility may be more limited than we thought, but for EVERY player to have regressed at the same time has to be a coaching thing. Butkus needs to do his damn job.
LeotisHarris
October 18, 2022 at 06:03 pm
If only we had the luxury of saying "just burn the tape" and move on from this one. Upon further review, it keeps getting worse. That was an exceptional olé by Myers on the screen, though, very sweet feet to not make the block or trip.
Meanwhile, Riverboat Ron sits in DC wishing he'd never entered Daniel Snyder's House of Horrors. If only he had the luxury of facing an opponent as rudderless as his own Commodes. Could there be a matchup on the horizon that will give him a brief respite from his torment?
PeteK
October 18, 2022 at 06:42 pm
Sadly, a loss next week and our blogs will be liken to Cure and Smith lyrics. Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now. : (
Rebecca
October 18, 2022 at 07:16 pm
Have a cookie! 😄 well written.
SinceLombardi
October 19, 2022 at 09:31 am
As sad as it may sound, the Washington game may be an early season battle for draft positioning. Yuk
PhantomII
October 18, 2022 at 10:10 pm
Our new punter also took at least 3-steps before getting his punt blocked for a score. Guys, that's high school stuff. Catch step-punt....1 STEP. Good gravy. I'm convinced the only way to fix these mistakes are sprints....a lot of them.
jannesbjornson
October 19, 2022 at 02:20 pm
His slow delivery was noted by the Fans during the pre-season. The Jets shot the gap just like they did throughout the game attacking the Pack's right flank.
Since'61
October 18, 2022 at 11:07 pm
Al I applaud you for having the fortitude to limit your clips to just 3 plays because there were dozens in this game. This game was the worst performance by an OL that I have seen in a long time. Maybe the worst that I have ever seen by a Packers OL.
The Packers were fortunate that neither Rodgers or the RBs were injured in this game. They all took some big hits because the defense had free runs at them on nearly every play. Rodgers was pummeled the worst of all. If the OL continues to play like this it's only a matter of time before our QB and/or our RBs will be injured.
The problem is that it's not just our OL that is playing poorly. For whatever reason our defense has failed to show up for the second half in the last 2 games. The defense allowed 17 points to the giants in the second half and 17 to the Jets in the second half not counting the 7 points off the blocked punt. This game had coaching failures at every level.
The Packers need to come out with some fire and play a full 60 minutes against Washington. This should be a game where the OL and the DL can get back on track and win in the trenches. We'll see. Thanks, Since '61
PhantomII
October 19, 2022 at 06:02 am
When your offense sucks...and does not eat the clock....Your Defense is on the field a lot more and them getting off the field only to watch the offense give it right back is pretty disheartening. We won against teams missing major pieces or worse teams. We could be 0-6 easily. Not replacing Adams with a Starter was a major Mistake.
Not fielding your best OL players (Nijman) is stupid. When we get past stupid we may get some traction...Then we can make a game plan featuring our only weapon (Jones) and use him in the run and pass game more. Then we will be past stupid and heading into common sense.
croatpackfan
October 19, 2022 at 07:32 am
Phantomill, I do not agree with your idea. I'm all for finding in what your players are good at and make game plan that suits them to their stregth.
Overuse of any player brings injuries and you become predictable. Huge help for opposing DC. Or OC.
Since'61
October 19, 2022 at 03:00 pm
PhantomII - your point would be valid except for the fact that the Packers are currently 4th in the league in Time of Possession. They are averaging 32 minutes of TOP per game. So the defense has not been on the field more than the offense.
The problem with TOP is that it is often a misleading stat. While 32 minutes of TOP per game is a solid number it shows that the Packers offense has been inefficient in terms of the number of points they have scored.
Yes the offense needs to improve and that begins with the OL but the defense needs to make stops whenever it is that the offense gets its act together no matter how much time they spend on the field. Thanks, Since '61
PhantomII
October 19, 2022 at 09:25 pm
A 3 n out or two turns that logic into a story of half truth. When I watch GB games I see a bunch of them. They get tired. We don't have the Baltimore Ravens Defense with Ray Lewis and Ed Reed willing their side into winning with pick sixes and force fumbles.....But it sure would be nice.
Since'61
October 19, 2022 at 03:00 pm
Double post.
SinceLombardi
October 19, 2022 at 09:26 am
Billy Turner played with attitude. The OL misses that. Perhaps the coaching change hurt too.