Maxie the Taxi
08-02-2008, 09:46 AM
A good article at Packers.com:
http://www.packers.com/news/stories/2008/08/01/2/
A different look
One variation of the nickel defense the Packers have employed on occasion uses three defensive linemen and three linebackers in front of the five defensive backs (instead of the customary four down linemen and two linebackers).
The defense tried it for a few snaps on Friday, with Brady Poppinga as the third linebacker lining up in a pass-rush position on the outside. Poppinga was a defensive end in college at BYU (accumulating 20 sacks and 39 tackles for loss), so he has the pass-rush skills. And with Brandon Chillar brought in to compete with Poppinga for a starting role and add significant depth to the linebacking corps, another potential benefit could be giving Poppinga more opportunities to get after the quarterback with this particular alignment.
"Brady Poppinga is definitely a pass-rush threat," McCarthy said. "We have tinkered with that in the past. That's something that Brady has been successful at in his college career and it's something that we like to tap into in different personnel groups."
McCarthy said he likes the variation on the nickel package because it challenges offenses' protection schemes, but whether or not it would be used in the regular season would depend on game-planning and match-ups in a given week.
Also, an update on some welcome (in my opinion) rule changes:
New rules
Referee Bill Carollo and members of his crew are on the practice field through the weekend and the Family Night scrimmage to help get themselves tuned up and to explain a handful of rules changes to the players.
The officials will meet with the players on Saturday night, but they had a Q & A session with local media to go over the rules changes on Friday. Some of the highlights, in addition to the new helmet speaker allowed on defense now, are:
--Elimination of the "force-out" rule. Receivers must now get both feet in bounds for a pass to be ruled complete, regardless of whether a defender hits or pushes them out of bounds. Officials have the discretion, not subject to replay review, to rule a pass complete if a receiver is "held up and carried" out of bounds.
--Elimination of the 5-yard facemask penalty. Previously called "incidental" facemask fouls, considered inadvertent and minor contact with a facemask, will no longer be flagged. Only the 15-yard variety, which constitutes grabbing and twisting the facemask, will now be enforced.
--Field goals, not previously reviewable by instant replay, are now subject to review unless they cross the endline above the top of the uprights.
--Teams winning the coin toss can defer their choice to the second half, similar to the college rule.
Carollo also noted that officials will be making unsportsmanlike conduct toward other players, among other things, a point of emphasis this year. As an example, he mentioned a play during Friday's morning practice in which Rodgers scrambled out of bounds to pick up the first down and flipped the ball at linebacker A.J. Hawk upon retreating to the huddle.
In a real game against an actual opponent, that type of act would draw a 15-yard penalty, Carollo said.
It's about time for the coin toss rule. The incidential facemask was always an irritation. And the force-out debacle will no longer be an issue.
http://www.packers.com/news/stories/2008/08/01/2/
A different look
One variation of the nickel defense the Packers have employed on occasion uses three defensive linemen and three linebackers in front of the five defensive backs (instead of the customary four down linemen and two linebackers).
The defense tried it for a few snaps on Friday, with Brady Poppinga as the third linebacker lining up in a pass-rush position on the outside. Poppinga was a defensive end in college at BYU (accumulating 20 sacks and 39 tackles for loss), so he has the pass-rush skills. And with Brandon Chillar brought in to compete with Poppinga for a starting role and add significant depth to the linebacking corps, another potential benefit could be giving Poppinga more opportunities to get after the quarterback with this particular alignment.
"Brady Poppinga is definitely a pass-rush threat," McCarthy said. "We have tinkered with that in the past. That's something that Brady has been successful at in his college career and it's something that we like to tap into in different personnel groups."
McCarthy said he likes the variation on the nickel package because it challenges offenses' protection schemes, but whether or not it would be used in the regular season would depend on game-planning and match-ups in a given week.
Also, an update on some welcome (in my opinion) rule changes:
New rules
Referee Bill Carollo and members of his crew are on the practice field through the weekend and the Family Night scrimmage to help get themselves tuned up and to explain a handful of rules changes to the players.
The officials will meet with the players on Saturday night, but they had a Q & A session with local media to go over the rules changes on Friday. Some of the highlights, in addition to the new helmet speaker allowed on defense now, are:
--Elimination of the "force-out" rule. Receivers must now get both feet in bounds for a pass to be ruled complete, regardless of whether a defender hits or pushes them out of bounds. Officials have the discretion, not subject to replay review, to rule a pass complete if a receiver is "held up and carried" out of bounds.
--Elimination of the 5-yard facemask penalty. Previously called "incidental" facemask fouls, considered inadvertent and minor contact with a facemask, will no longer be flagged. Only the 15-yard variety, which constitutes grabbing and twisting the facemask, will now be enforced.
--Field goals, not previously reviewable by instant replay, are now subject to review unless they cross the endline above the top of the uprights.
--Teams winning the coin toss can defer their choice to the second half, similar to the college rule.
Carollo also noted that officials will be making unsportsmanlike conduct toward other players, among other things, a point of emphasis this year. As an example, he mentioned a play during Friday's morning practice in which Rodgers scrambled out of bounds to pick up the first down and flipped the ball at linebacker A.J. Hawk upon retreating to the huddle.
In a real game against an actual opponent, that type of act would draw a 15-yard penalty, Carollo said.
It's about time for the coin toss rule. The incidential facemask was always an irritation. And the force-out debacle will no longer be an issue.