ESPN INSIDER REQUEST

[TennesseePackerBacker]

ESPN did an insider on the Packers and I haven't had mine renewed in years. Anyone with Insider mind posting the article?

Link (http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/insider/columns/story?columnist=green_jeremy&id=3399084&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab2pos1&action=login&appRedirect=http%3a%2f%2finsider.espn.go.com%2fnfl %2finsider%2fcolumns%2fstory%3fcolumnist%3dgreen_j eremy%26id%3d3399084%26lpos%3dspotlight%26lid%3dta b2pos1)

[motife]

http://assets.espn.go.com/photo/2008/0305/nfl_g_rodgers_400.jpg
Aaron Rodgers will finally take over for Brett Favre in 2008.

For the first time in 18 years, Brett Favre isn't going to be under center in Green Bay. Now, the short-term success of the Packers' entire franchise is on first-time starter Aaron Rodgers' shoulders. He will never be Favre, but he doesn't have to be because he has a plethora of talent around him and a coach who will tweak the West Coast offense to cater to Rodgers' strengths.

Head coach Mike McCarthy's West Coast offense is a great system for an unproven quarterback, like Rodgers, to develop in. Inexperienced quarterbacks tend to hold on to the football too long, but because this system is based on mostly three-step and five-step drops, Rodgers should be able to get rid of the ball quicker. He performed well in this system against Dallas last season. He did a good job of dropping back, getting rid of the ball and taking what the Cowboys gave him. But, the Packers' offense needs to add the deep ball to its West Coast system. Rodgers' ability to connect on the deep ball is going to play a large role in Green Bay's offensive success this season.
One thing that made the Packers' West Coast offense under Favre a little different was the element of the big play via the deep ball. Favre was able to scramble and let his receivers get downfield. Rodgers is not nearly as athletic or mobile, but McCarthy must call for some deep balls in order to keep the defense honest. If not, defenses will start bringing their safeties closer to the line of scrimmage, which would make it more difficult to run a traditional West Coast system because it is more difficult to connect on slants, curls and outs.

Stretching the field will also not allow opposing defenses to put eight men in the box to stop RB Ryan Grant and pressure Rodgers. Even though the Packers have one of the best offensive lines in the NFL with tackles Chad Clifton and Mark Tauscher and the inside trio of Jason Spitz, Scott Wells and Daryn Colledge, they are used to blocking versus six- and seven-man fronts and not protecting against blitz pressure. When you can connect on a few vertical plays off the blitz, it makes the defense a little more passive and makes the defensive coordinator think twice about trying to rattle the cage of an unproven quarterback.

Week 1 will be a huge test for Rodgers and the Packers' offense. He has to be physically and mentally tough during his first start because the NFL is a copycat league and if he is challenged early on, he could struggle this season. The Packers don't need to recreate the wheel as it pertains to the offense, but a little deep ball will go a long way toward keeping this offense on track in 2008.

[vince]

Thanks for posting Motife.

This is just uninformed...

Favre was able to scramble and let his receivers get downfield. Rodgers is not nearly as athletic or mobile...

[MJZiggy]

That's what I was thinking too. In the Dallas game, I was actually surprised at how well Rodgers was able to get out of the pocket and get rid of the ball when he had to.

[TennesseePackerBacker]

Thanks, I figured it was longer than that though, lol, just one more paragraph after the espn preview

[Charles Woodson]

Thanks for posting Motife.

This is just uninformed...

Favre was able to scramble and let his receivers get downfield. Rodgers is not nearly as athletic or mobile...

Yea i read that and imideatly stopped... I mean after talking about the dallas game so much, they should have realized how well Rodgers moved in the pocket

[Lurker64]

Not to mention that I would hope there are very few athletes in professional sports that are athletically inferior to players at the same position that are fourteen years their senior.

[BF4MVP]

I figured it was longer than that
THATS WHAT SHE SAID

Sorry, I had to :lol:

[Noodle]

The words "Favre" and "scramble" have had no reason to hook up for at least the past five years or so. This kind of thing drives me crazy.

What Favre did brilliantly, really about as well as I've ever seen it done in the NFL, is make the little moves to avoid a sack and buy some time for a throw down field. A shimmy, a duck, a side-step, maybe a little sprint out, these were the tools of his trade.

No way Rodgers will have these same tools, but, as others have pointed out, his scrambling ability may be his best defense against 8-in-the-box pressure. I like his chances.

[BallHawk]

I figured it was longer than that
THATS WHAT SHE SAID

The idea of those jokes are to compliment you, not degrade you. :wink:

[Anti-Polar Bear]

"Even though the Packers have one of the best offensive lines in the NFL...inside trio of Jason Spitz, Scott Wells and Daryn Colledge..."

WTF? Spitz is average at best, Wells is injury-prone and Colledge just plain suck.

The Packers dont have "one of the best offensive lines in the NFL." Thanks to Ted Thompson. In the year 4-12, Teddy let Wahle go because he wanted to fuck Klemm. At draft time he refused to draft Logan Mankins because he wanted to fuck Whitticker. The Packer ol hasnt been good since Mike Wahle left town.

[BallHawk]

While I won't go to the extremes of Tank (obviously) ESPN just pulls facts out of their ass. Spitz, Wells, and Colledge as a top trio? Please. Wells is the only one that would start on half the teams in the NFL and that's arguable. Maybe they'll "gel" this year and get it together, but that was the creed last year.

[Brandon494]

"Even though the Packers have one of the best offensive lines in the NFL...inside trio of Jason Spitz, Scott Wells and Daryn Colledge..."

WTF? Spitz is average at best, Wells is injury-prone and Colledge just plain suck.

The Packers dont have "one of the best offensive lines in the NFL." Thanks to Ted Thompson. In the year 4-12, Teddy let Wahle go because he wanted to fuck Klemm. At draft time he refused to draft Logan Mankins because he wanted to fuck Whitticker. The Packer ol hasnt been good since Mike Wahle left town.

Yea thanks to TT, give me a break. :roll:

[Patler]

Wells is injury-prone a

Injury prone?

He played in all 16 games in 2005, and started 10 of them.
In 2006 he played 1115 of 1117 offensive snaps, more than any other player.
In 2007 he missed 2 games.

Yup, the guy sure is injury-prone.

[mission]

In 2006 he played 1115 of 1117 offensive snaps

i dont have much to compare that to, but at first glance, that seems like an unbelievable stat! wow!

injury prone! :lol:

[Anti-Polar Bear]

Wells is injury-prone a

Injury prone?

He played in all 16 games in 2005, and started 10 of them.
In 2006 he played 1115 of 1117 offensive snaps, more than any other player.
In 2007 he missed 2 games.

Yup, the guy sure is injury-prone.

Wells' a Sherman draft pick. I didnt want to say he's average (which he is; but now that you have forced me to say it, I gonna defend Sherman with this: average is good enough for a 7th rd pick who plays center). :)

[Lurker64]

Wells' a Sherman draft pick. I didnt want to say he's average (which he is; but now that you have forced me to say it, I gonna defend Sherman with this: average is good enough for a 7th rd pick who plays center). :)

Regardless of who drafted him, where he was drafted, or how good a player he is, you have to admit that he is not injury prone.

[The Leaper]

No way Rodgers will have these same tools, but, as others have pointed out, his scrambling ability may be his best defense against 8-in-the-box pressure. I like his chances.

I'm guessing there won't be many 8-in-the-box looks against Green Bay in 2008. Rodgers isn't some inexperienced young QB...he's been around the block a little and has loads of receiving weapons. Any defense looking to stuff the box is going to get torched downfield.

Where Rodgers mobility will come into play will be when we spread the field with 4 or 5 receivers and defenses are forced to cover the entire field. Opposing DLs will be forced to CONTAIN Rodgers rather than just pin back their ears and go after the QB in those situations...because if Rodgers gets past the DL, he will grab 10 yard gainers in bulk against a spread coverage. Think back to Culpepper a few years ago against us and how he murdered us with his feet on 3rd downs.

[CaliforniaCheez]

The optimist in me says that Aaron is a little bit unknown and he may experience some "beginner's luck" early in the season. Defenses don't know enough to find a weakness.

Pehaps after a third of the season a team may try something that works against him and teams will seek to capitalize upon it. Rodgers and the coaches will have to adjust.

If the little light bulb clicked on a for him last year it should be glowing brighter this season. I just worry about some criminal covered in purple slime will cheap shot him.

A few blowout wins will give Brohm some experience as well.

[sharpe1027]

Rodgers is not nearly as athletic or mobile, but McCarthy must call for some deep balls in order to keep the defense honest. If not, defenses will start bringing their safeties closer to the line of scrimmage, which would make it more difficult to run a traditional West Coast system because it is more difficult to connect on slants, curls and outs.

Even though the Packers have one of the best offensive lines in the NFL with tackles Chad Clifton and Mark Tauscher and the inside trio of Jason Spitz, Scott Wells and Daryn Colledge,

they are used to blocking versus six- and seven-man fronts and not protecting against blitz pressure.

He has to be physically and mentally tough during his first start because the NFL is a copycat league and if he is challenged early on, he could struggle this season.

If this is representative of their content, I am glad I do not pay for ESPN insider.

What does that last statement about the first game of the season even mean? If he struggles in the first game but is able to correct for it in the second game is that somehow worse than if he has a good first game, but struggles in the second game? I don't understand the logic.

[Tony Oday]

ESPN is terrible unless you are a coastal team or the Cowboys