Official GameDay Thread Week 3: Packers @ Lions

[channtheman]

3 things. MM for the second week in a row made a bonehead decision before halftime. This week it was to call timeouts before the half. He has done this before, and it rarely (if ever) works. I called out to my family that MM has called timeouts thinking his offense can score in the past and it never works and then he did it, and it nearly cost us a field goal. Just because it didn't hurt us, doesn't make it not a bad call by him.

MM deciding to run from the one yard line. Everyone in our room was saying we better not run. Then we ran and it was a safety.

Finally, Rodgers taking sacks sucks. Rodgers taking sacks when we are in field goal range really sucks. Rodgers had ample time today. He also could have moved out of the pocket to avoid sacks today as well.

Our defense did everything they could today to win. Our offense did everything they could to lose. Sucky game, and perhaps we are an 8-8 team.

[denverYooper]

3 things. MM for the second week in a row made a bonehead decision before halftime. This week it was to call timeouts before the half. He has done this before, and it rarely (if ever) works. I called out to my family that MM has called timeouts thinking his offense can score in the past and it never works and then he did it, and it nearly cost us a field goal. Just because it didn't hurt us, doesn't make it not a bad call by him.

MM deciding to run from the one yard line. Everyone in our room was saying we better not run. Then we ran and it was a safety.

Finally, Rodgers taking sacks sucks. Rodgers taking sacks when we are in field goal range really sucks. Rodgers had ample time today. He also could have moved out of the pocket to avoid sacks today as well.

Our defense did everything they could today to win. Our offense did everything they could to lose. Sucky game, and perhaps we are an 8-8 team.

MM needs to self scout and never call that TO before half when he thinks they *might* get the ball back. It often seems to end in disaster.

[wist43]

The safety... as I said, I didn't watch the game, but I saw that lowlight.

That situation demands a pass b/c of how our OL is built - MM should know that. Especially going against a super-stout, physical DL like Detroits.

Our Offensive Linemen are picked b/c they are good mirror blockers. Supposed to have good feet in pass pro, supposed to work well in the ZBS. None of them is a drive blocker, and none of them can get movement off the snap. They can't get movement against bad defensive lines, let alone an excellent DL like Detroits.

"Know thyself'... MM should know enough about his own players to know that he simply cannot call a run in that situation, b/c it is entirely likely that his RB is going to be met in the backfield, i.e. the end zone.

Stupid play call... coaches not putting their players in position to be successful. Usually that charge is made against dunderdummy - but in this case, MM is guilty. That safety was on him, not the players.

[pbmax]

The safety... as I said, I didn't watch the game, but I saw that lowlight.

That situation demands a pass b/c of how our OL is built - MM should know that. Especially going against a super-stout, physical DL like Detroits.

Our Offensive Linemen are picked b/c they are good mirror blockers. Supposed to have good feet in pass pro, supposed to work well in the ZBS. None of them is a drive blocker, and none of them can get movement off the snap. They can't get movement against bad defensive lines, let alone an excellent DL like Detroits.

"Know thyself'... MM should know enough about his own players to know that he simply cannot call a run in that situation, b/c it is entirely likely that his RB is going to be met in the backfield, i.e. the end zone.

Stupid play call... coaches not putting their players in position to be successful. Usually that charge is made against dunderdummy - but in this case, MM is guilty. That safety was on him, not the players.

Rodgers got blown up and Lang whiffed. That's on the players. Bulaga made his block. Both Bulaga and Bach can run block.

[wist43]

Rodgers got blown up and Lang whiffed. That's on the players. Bulaga made his block. Both Bulaga and Bach can run block.

lol... seriously??

None of those guys is a drive blocker - and no, Buluga can't drive block, Bach can't drive block, Lang can't drive block, and Sitton can't drive block. The Green Bay Packers do not allow run blocking OL on the roster.

They are all student body run blockers, and dancing bear pass blockers. Period.

Our offensive linemen "whiffing" and getting "blown up" is exactly what would be expected in that situation, and that is exactly what we got.

The philosophy is what lands guys like that on our roster, and the play call was idiotic b/c the result we saw was entirely predictable.

[pbmax]

lol... seriously??

None of those guys is a drive blocker - and no, Buluga can't drive block, Bach can't drive block, Lang can't drive block, and Sitton can't drive block. The Green Bay Packers do not allow run blocking OL on the roster.

They are all student body run blockers, and dancing bear pass blockers. Period.

Our offensive linemen "whiffing" and getting "blown up" is exactly what would be expected in that situation, and that is exactly what we got.

The philosophy is what lands guys like that on our roster, and the play call was idiotic b/c the result we saw was entirely predictable.

This is the fundamental problem with your entire oeuvre. You repeated claim one thing and then glom onto any negative result as proof of concept.

Here is a Vine video of the safety. https://twitter.com/TyDunne/status/514073401116598272

No one is being asked to drive block here. There are two other problems, but neither is drive blocking. If Mad is reding it would be lovely to be able to embed Vine videos in the future.

[Joemailman]

This is the fundamental problem with your entire oeuvre. You repeated claim one thing and then glom onto any negative result as proof of concept.

Here is a Vine video of the safety. https://twitter.com/TyDunne/status/514073401116598272

No one is being asked to drive block here. There are two other problems, but neither is drive blocking. If Mad is reding it would be lovely to be able to embed Vine videos in the future.

What was Lang doing on that play? It almost looked like he was looking for someone else to block, and then too late realized he needed to block the linebacker.

[wist43]

This is the fundamental problem with your entire oeuvre. You repeated claim one thing and then glom onto any negative result as proof of concept.

Here is a Vine video of the safety. https://twitter.com/TyDunne/status/514073401116598272

No one is being asked to drive block here. There are two other problems, but neither is drive blocking. If Mad is reding it would be lovely to be able to embed Vine videos in the future.

What needed to be done there, if you have an OL that can drive block - which we don't - and if you're going to call a run, is straight ahead drive block, hat on hat, and move the LOS 1-3 yds; do it again on 2nd down, and you're 3rd down on the 5 yd line.

Either that, or pass it.

What we saw, was MM getting cute with Bulaga blocking down (and whiffing), and Lang jumping out, presumably to kick out, but the ILB closed so fast that he was compromised - the play call takes some development and cooperation from the defense - which of course is a recipe for allowing penetration and risking the safety - which is what happened.

No, we didn't drive block anyone, b/c we don't have any running plays in the playbook that call for drive blocking - why?? Because we don't have any drive blockers, and MM doesn't believe in power running.

MM wants to "influence" defensive players - and to be sure there is a place for that in designing plays; he wants to move the POA along the LOS east/west, and hope the defense overruns the cutback, or doesn't marshall enough at the POA and the RB can simply go wherever the hole might be. MM doesn't design running plays to create specific holes, and he doesn't require that his offensive linemen win battles at the LOS. It's all about positioning, and walling off, and pretty much just trying to get in the way of the defenders.

The ZBS is easy to defend - especially now that they've outlawed that chop block that used to drive Gilbert Brown insane - and rightfully so.

Now, since I didn't see the game - how many running plays had OL pulling, trapping, sweeps?? Did MM simply trot out his vaunted 3 zone plays, and that was it??

[pbmax]

MM needs to self scout and never call that TO before half when he thinks they *might* get the ball back. It often seems to end in disaster.

He admitted it was a risky call and shouldn't have been made, but wasn't very specific about just want was riskier than his normal call in that spot. There was virtually no time left and it was 3rd and 7. If not then, when?