vince
07-05-2009, 10:20 AM
So far this offseason, the backup QBs are not exactly getting ringing endorsements from the OC or the QB Coach. While the article below speaks to Brohm's problems being related to his slow release as opposed to his slow feet which I've theorized about, it would appear at this point based on the comments below that if Rodgers goes down, so go the hopes of a successful season.
http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20090704/PKR01/307040086/1058
Packers backup QBs show slight improvement
By Rob Demovsky • rdemovsk@greenbaypressgazette.com • July 4, 2009
Joe Philbin thought about it for a moment, perhaps remembering the adage that if you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.
When he finally was ready to answer the question about the progress of the Green Bay Packers’ pair of second-year backup quarterbacks, the offensive coordinator offered this:
“Well, certainly they’re better than they’ve been,” Philbin said a day before the team wrapped up its final offseason workout.
So it goes for Matt Flynn and Brian Brohm, the same duo who waged a training camp battle last summer that was more about who wasn’t as bad as the other.
Flynn, the unheralded seventh-round draft pick from LSU, won the right to backup starter Aaron Rodgers last season.
Brohm, the supposedly ready-made NFL quarterback who some felt would go higher than the second round (No. 56 overall), struggled mightily from the get-go and never really threatened to win the job.
Brohm seemingly did little to enhance his chances of winning the backup job during the offseason workouts this year, but it appears he and Flynn will get equal reps — at least at the start of training camp — until one of them emerges.
“When we made the decision (to make Flynn No. 2) last year, we said nothing was set in stone even (during) last season,” quarterbacks coach Tom Clements said. “As of this point, Matt hasn’t done anything for that to change. They’re both going to get probably equal amount of reps. The preseason games, we haven’t talked about, but I’m sure it will be roughly equal, and we’ll make a decision.”
For Flynn, this offseason was about getting the kind of detailed instruction that he never received at LSU, where he started only one season and where coaching the finer points of quarterbacking amounted to “just drop back and throw,” he said.
So, when Packers coach Mike McCarthy’s quarterback school began in March, Flynn went to work on some of the more technical aspects of the position.
“I never really got the individual work on dropbacks and stuff like that, so it’s been very beneficial to me,” Flynn said. “There’s a lot of technical stuff at this level.”
Flynn said he worked mostly on his footwork and “dropping back faster and staying on balance more.” He said the coaches didn’t change his throwing motion at all.
For Brohm, the work was more complex. He, too, had some technical work to do. The coaches made subtle changes to his delivery designed to speed up his throwing motion.
But his offseason was as much about repairing his psyche as anything else.
When his struggles became apparent in training camp — poor throws, bad decisions, holding the ball too long, to name a few — he quickly lost confidence. His first throw in an NFL game, the preseason opener against Cincinnati, was intercepted, and things never seemed to get any better.
Brohm finished the preseason with a 45.2 passer rating after completing just 19 of 42 throws for 155 yards with no touchdowns and one interception. Flynn’s rating was 100.2, on 27-of-42 passing for 209 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions.
“In high school, I started for three years; in college I started three years, so really I was kind of ‘The Man’ all the way throughout,” Brohm said. “It was kind of a humbling experience in come in and see how well Aaron plays and then struggle a little bit in camp. It definitely humbled me and made me want to strive to keep working and push myself even more.”
He added: “I think anytime you’re at a new level and you struggle a little bit at the beginning — obviously, you want to get off to a good start, and that’s really the biggest confidence booster if somebody gets up there and completes that first pass or you go out there and do something good right away.
“Myself, I went out there and did something negative, throwing an interception, and it kind of steamrolled and was thinking a little bit more before each throw.”
Clements sounded surprised when told Brohm admitted the interception against the Bengals rattled him, because the coach said two other players made mistakes on the play that led to the interception. Still, Clements knows how damaging a lack of confidence can be to a quarterback.
“If you’re not confident, you’re going to have a hard time being successful,” Clements said.
Brohm admitted at the end of training camp last season the game never slowed down for him, and he spent far too much time thinking instead of reacting. Because McCarthy’s quarterback school is in March — and before the draft — neither he nor Flynn got that opportunity last season.
With a full offseason this time around, Brohm believes he has made strides, even if they weren’t readily apparent during the offseason practices that were open to reporters. Brohm still looked uncertain at times and again threw his share of bad balls.
“I feel a lot more comfortable, especially with the offense,” Brohm said. “I’m thinking less out there but thinking faster, and that’s really what you want. Obviously, I can still play a lot faster. That’s the goal, to be able to make those decisions, make ’em quick, get the ball out of your hand and let the receivers do what they do.”
http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20090704/PKR01/307040086/1058
Packers backup QBs show slight improvement
By Rob Demovsky • rdemovsk@greenbaypressgazette.com • July 4, 2009
Joe Philbin thought about it for a moment, perhaps remembering the adage that if you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.
When he finally was ready to answer the question about the progress of the Green Bay Packers’ pair of second-year backup quarterbacks, the offensive coordinator offered this:
“Well, certainly they’re better than they’ve been,” Philbin said a day before the team wrapped up its final offseason workout.
So it goes for Matt Flynn and Brian Brohm, the same duo who waged a training camp battle last summer that was more about who wasn’t as bad as the other.
Flynn, the unheralded seventh-round draft pick from LSU, won the right to backup starter Aaron Rodgers last season.
Brohm, the supposedly ready-made NFL quarterback who some felt would go higher than the second round (No. 56 overall), struggled mightily from the get-go and never really threatened to win the job.
Brohm seemingly did little to enhance his chances of winning the backup job during the offseason workouts this year, but it appears he and Flynn will get equal reps — at least at the start of training camp — until one of them emerges.
“When we made the decision (to make Flynn No. 2) last year, we said nothing was set in stone even (during) last season,” quarterbacks coach Tom Clements said. “As of this point, Matt hasn’t done anything for that to change. They’re both going to get probably equal amount of reps. The preseason games, we haven’t talked about, but I’m sure it will be roughly equal, and we’ll make a decision.”
For Flynn, this offseason was about getting the kind of detailed instruction that he never received at LSU, where he started only one season and where coaching the finer points of quarterbacking amounted to “just drop back and throw,” he said.
So, when Packers coach Mike McCarthy’s quarterback school began in March, Flynn went to work on some of the more technical aspects of the position.
“I never really got the individual work on dropbacks and stuff like that, so it’s been very beneficial to me,” Flynn said. “There’s a lot of technical stuff at this level.”
Flynn said he worked mostly on his footwork and “dropping back faster and staying on balance more.” He said the coaches didn’t change his throwing motion at all.
For Brohm, the work was more complex. He, too, had some technical work to do. The coaches made subtle changes to his delivery designed to speed up his throwing motion.
But his offseason was as much about repairing his psyche as anything else.
When his struggles became apparent in training camp — poor throws, bad decisions, holding the ball too long, to name a few — he quickly lost confidence. His first throw in an NFL game, the preseason opener against Cincinnati, was intercepted, and things never seemed to get any better.
Brohm finished the preseason with a 45.2 passer rating after completing just 19 of 42 throws for 155 yards with no touchdowns and one interception. Flynn’s rating was 100.2, on 27-of-42 passing for 209 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions.
“In high school, I started for three years; in college I started three years, so really I was kind of ‘The Man’ all the way throughout,” Brohm said. “It was kind of a humbling experience in come in and see how well Aaron plays and then struggle a little bit in camp. It definitely humbled me and made me want to strive to keep working and push myself even more.”
He added: “I think anytime you’re at a new level and you struggle a little bit at the beginning — obviously, you want to get off to a good start, and that’s really the biggest confidence booster if somebody gets up there and completes that first pass or you go out there and do something good right away.
“Myself, I went out there and did something negative, throwing an interception, and it kind of steamrolled and was thinking a little bit more before each throw.”
Clements sounded surprised when told Brohm admitted the interception against the Bengals rattled him, because the coach said two other players made mistakes on the play that led to the interception. Still, Clements knows how damaging a lack of confidence can be to a quarterback.
“If you’re not confident, you’re going to have a hard time being successful,” Clements said.
Brohm admitted at the end of training camp last season the game never slowed down for him, and he spent far too much time thinking instead of reacting. Because McCarthy’s quarterback school is in March — and before the draft — neither he nor Flynn got that opportunity last season.
With a full offseason this time around, Brohm believes he has made strides, even if they weren’t readily apparent during the offseason practices that were open to reporters. Brohm still looked uncertain at times and again threw his share of bad balls.
“I feel a lot more comfortable, especially with the offense,” Brohm said. “I’m thinking less out there but thinking faster, and that’s really what you want. Obviously, I can still play a lot faster. That’s the goal, to be able to make those decisions, make ’em quick, get the ball out of your hand and let the receivers do what they do.”