GoPackGo
05-29-2006, 11:17 PM
Packers Support Group
May 29, 2006
By Tom Silverstein
For Sporting News
A first critical look at the 2006 Packers:
WHAT'S NEW
General manager Ted Thompson and quarterback Brett Favre have one thing in common: They both want to win.
Favre is just more vocal about wanting it to happen now.
It took Favre, 36, months to decide whether he would come back, mostly because he didn't think Thompson had done enough to restock the team for a Super Bowl run. But Favre's desire to play was greater than his concern about the roster.
Thompson would love to compete for a Super Bowl this season, but he still is in the process of building the team for the long haul.
Despite the Packers' fall to 18th in the league in offense last season, Thompson spent most of the offseason building the defense. With the free-agent signings of cornerback Charles Woodson, defensive tackle Ryan Pickett and strong safety Marquand Manuel and the addition of linebacker A.J. Hawk in the first round of the draft, the unit should be competitive.
In building this way, Thompson appears to be saying to Favre: The defense will be there; if you want to win, then manage the offense the way you did when you were a Super Bowl quarterback. Another 29-interception season won't cut it.
To help Favre get back to his old self, Thompson replaced coach Mike Sherman with one of Favre's former quarterbacks coaches, Mike McCarthy, whose passing system will be similar to Mike Holmgren's in hopes of capitalizing on Favre's strengths.
A winning season? It just might be in Favre's hands.
GAME PLAN
Offense: McCarthy and coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski will mix a zone-blocking run scheme with a basic West Coast passing game. It will be a blend of the Broncos' and Seahawks' systems. The running attack will take some time to learn, but the Packers have three tough runners who fit the system and should produce. The linemen will be expected to spread out and block on the run. In the passing game, McCarthy will get the ball to his receivers in stride so they can gain yardage after the catch. The tight end will be a big part of the system, and the backs will be used on screens and checkdowns.
Defense: The coordinator has changed, but the defense largely will be the same as Bob Sanders inherits the job from Jim Bates. Sanders had been Bates' righthand man in Green Bay and Miami and intends to keep the same linebacker-oriented, two-deep concept the team used last year. Sanders' task will be to generate more pressure on quarterbacks and force more turnovers, and he should be able to take more chances because of improved personnel.
SPOTLIGHT PLAYERS
QB Brett Favre: Physically, there's no reason Favre can't continue to put up big numbers. But he must change his mental approach for the team to succeed, and that will be a challenge. Over the past five years, he has taken more and more risks while attempting to make big plays, and that style has led to interceptions -- 67 in the past three seasons.
Favre has kept himself in peak physical condition, and he still can execute play-action rollouts with ease and throw on the run. He doesn't scramble much anymore and doesn't reload as well when pressure takes him out of his throw, but he is not a statue.
Favre will throw a lot of slants and shallow crossing routes to a group of big receivers with average speed. McCarthy wants Favre to trust his receivers to make extra yards after the catch and not feel he has to throw into double coverage downfield.
DEs Aaron Kampman and Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila: The club signed Kampman to a long-term deal, and expectations are high. But Kampman likely won't put up double-digit sacks. His strength is in effort and leadership, and the only way his statistics will pick up is if others around him draw more attention from blockers. Kampman might move inside on third downs to get another pass rusher on the field, but the bulk of quarterback pressure must come from Gbaja-Biamila. He finished with his fewest sacks (eight) last year since becoming a regular in 2001, and he must start beating one-on-one blocks more often.
The secondary: Last year, Bates had to make concessions to the inability of cornerback Ahmad Carroll to cover downfield, and that hurt the team. The system requires the cornerbacks to disrupt routes at the line of scrimmage to give the defensive linemen time to reach the quarterback, and Sanders has two bump-and-run pros in Woodson and Al Harris.
The addition of strong safety Manuel provides free safety Nick Collins with a mentor and relieves him of the responsibility of making sure everyone is lined up correctly. Manuel is an in-the-box safety with below-average coverage skills, but Thompson was willing to accept that weakness because of his strong leadership skills.
The secondary now has four good tacklers who should reduce the number of catch-and-run big plays. Collins is a potential star and should take more chances to get his hands on more passes.
VINNIE IYER'S TAKE
Favre decided to return, but it wasn't for growing pains. The Packers will be in the picture in a weak division but are a long way from contending for a Super Bowl berth. Prediction: 7-9 (second in the NFC North).
FANTASY SOURCE SPIN
Stud: WR Donald Driver. The team is paper thin at wide receiver, but that was the case last season when Driver caught 86 passes for 1,221 yards. The Packers will throw often in '06.
Sleeper: RB Samkon Gado. It's the same story as last season: Ahman Green and Najeh Davenport are injury risks. Whoever is healthy enough to start will be a decent flex back.
Stumbler: QB Brett Favre. He'll be better than he was last season (29 interceptions), but Favre still lacks reliable protection and reliable receivers. He no longer is a fantasy starter.
FALL FORECAST
This is a team that will be better in December than it is in September. It is young and athletic, and the defense will come together at midseason.
But the Packers have an aging quarterback, an unstable offensive line and a paucity of playmakers, and it will take some career years to get the offense back in the top 10. Plus, the unsettled special teams could cost the team a couple of victories.
There will be visible signs that Thompson's rebuilding project is on course, but the only way this team will shock the world is if Favre plays lights out. Otherwise, it will be an uphill fight to .500, let alone a playoff spot.
May 29, 2006
By Tom Silverstein
For Sporting News
A first critical look at the 2006 Packers:
WHAT'S NEW
General manager Ted Thompson and quarterback Brett Favre have one thing in common: They both want to win.
Favre is just more vocal about wanting it to happen now.
It took Favre, 36, months to decide whether he would come back, mostly because he didn't think Thompson had done enough to restock the team for a Super Bowl run. But Favre's desire to play was greater than his concern about the roster.
Thompson would love to compete for a Super Bowl this season, but he still is in the process of building the team for the long haul.
Despite the Packers' fall to 18th in the league in offense last season, Thompson spent most of the offseason building the defense. With the free-agent signings of cornerback Charles Woodson, defensive tackle Ryan Pickett and strong safety Marquand Manuel and the addition of linebacker A.J. Hawk in the first round of the draft, the unit should be competitive.
In building this way, Thompson appears to be saying to Favre: The defense will be there; if you want to win, then manage the offense the way you did when you were a Super Bowl quarterback. Another 29-interception season won't cut it.
To help Favre get back to his old self, Thompson replaced coach Mike Sherman with one of Favre's former quarterbacks coaches, Mike McCarthy, whose passing system will be similar to Mike Holmgren's in hopes of capitalizing on Favre's strengths.
A winning season? It just might be in Favre's hands.
GAME PLAN
Offense: McCarthy and coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski will mix a zone-blocking run scheme with a basic West Coast passing game. It will be a blend of the Broncos' and Seahawks' systems. The running attack will take some time to learn, but the Packers have three tough runners who fit the system and should produce. The linemen will be expected to spread out and block on the run. In the passing game, McCarthy will get the ball to his receivers in stride so they can gain yardage after the catch. The tight end will be a big part of the system, and the backs will be used on screens and checkdowns.
Defense: The coordinator has changed, but the defense largely will be the same as Bob Sanders inherits the job from Jim Bates. Sanders had been Bates' righthand man in Green Bay and Miami and intends to keep the same linebacker-oriented, two-deep concept the team used last year. Sanders' task will be to generate more pressure on quarterbacks and force more turnovers, and he should be able to take more chances because of improved personnel.
SPOTLIGHT PLAYERS
QB Brett Favre: Physically, there's no reason Favre can't continue to put up big numbers. But he must change his mental approach for the team to succeed, and that will be a challenge. Over the past five years, he has taken more and more risks while attempting to make big plays, and that style has led to interceptions -- 67 in the past three seasons.
Favre has kept himself in peak physical condition, and he still can execute play-action rollouts with ease and throw on the run. He doesn't scramble much anymore and doesn't reload as well when pressure takes him out of his throw, but he is not a statue.
Favre will throw a lot of slants and shallow crossing routes to a group of big receivers with average speed. McCarthy wants Favre to trust his receivers to make extra yards after the catch and not feel he has to throw into double coverage downfield.
DEs Aaron Kampman and Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila: The club signed Kampman to a long-term deal, and expectations are high. But Kampman likely won't put up double-digit sacks. His strength is in effort and leadership, and the only way his statistics will pick up is if others around him draw more attention from blockers. Kampman might move inside on third downs to get another pass rusher on the field, but the bulk of quarterback pressure must come from Gbaja-Biamila. He finished with his fewest sacks (eight) last year since becoming a regular in 2001, and he must start beating one-on-one blocks more often.
The secondary: Last year, Bates had to make concessions to the inability of cornerback Ahmad Carroll to cover downfield, and that hurt the team. The system requires the cornerbacks to disrupt routes at the line of scrimmage to give the defensive linemen time to reach the quarterback, and Sanders has two bump-and-run pros in Woodson and Al Harris.
The addition of strong safety Manuel provides free safety Nick Collins with a mentor and relieves him of the responsibility of making sure everyone is lined up correctly. Manuel is an in-the-box safety with below-average coverage skills, but Thompson was willing to accept that weakness because of his strong leadership skills.
The secondary now has four good tacklers who should reduce the number of catch-and-run big plays. Collins is a potential star and should take more chances to get his hands on more passes.
VINNIE IYER'S TAKE
Favre decided to return, but it wasn't for growing pains. The Packers will be in the picture in a weak division but are a long way from contending for a Super Bowl berth. Prediction: 7-9 (second in the NFC North).
FANTASY SOURCE SPIN
Stud: WR Donald Driver. The team is paper thin at wide receiver, but that was the case last season when Driver caught 86 passes for 1,221 yards. The Packers will throw often in '06.
Sleeper: RB Samkon Gado. It's the same story as last season: Ahman Green and Najeh Davenport are injury risks. Whoever is healthy enough to start will be a decent flex back.
Stumbler: QB Brett Favre. He'll be better than he was last season (29 interceptions), but Favre still lacks reliable protection and reliable receivers. He no longer is a fantasy starter.
FALL FORECAST
This is a team that will be better in December than it is in September. It is young and athletic, and the defense will come together at midseason.
But the Packers have an aging quarterback, an unstable offensive line and a paucity of playmakers, and it will take some career years to get the offense back in the top 10. Plus, the unsettled special teams could cost the team a couple of victories.
There will be visible signs that Thompson's rebuilding project is on course, but the only way this team will shock the world is if Favre plays lights out. Otherwise, it will be an uphill fight to .500, let alone a playoff spot.