McCarthy responds to Rodgers' critique of game plan.

[woodbuck27]

McCarthy responds to Rodgers' critique of game plan.

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy said he and quarterback Aaron Rodgers are on the same page, one day after Rodgers offered a polite but pointed public critique of the team's game plan in the wake of Sunday's narrow victory over the Detroit Lions.

Clearly, Rodgers prefers some pages of the playbook to others.

also fr. Mike McCarthy:

McCarthy said turnovers -- including two interceptions by Rodgers -- made Sunday's game a strange one for the offense. The Packers ran only 40 offensive plays, and their time of possession was only 22:23.

"I think anytime that happens, right there, that's out of balance for us from the beginning," McCarthy said. "We want to be 70, 75 plays in the ballgame, and we were just a little over half of that. I'm sure everybody was wanting more opportunities."

And McCarthy was far more concerned about his team's four turnovers and 3-for-7 effort on third-down conversions than he was about the Packers somehow getting away from their offensive identity.

"Our identity hasn't changed," McCarthy said. "We're a multiple offense. We have the ability to get in and out of a number of different personnel groups. We spend a lot of time trying to stress out our opponent from a personnel standpoint, formations included, and at the end of the day we're about the fundamentals of football. That's what I focus on."


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http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d81b10771/article/mccarthy-responds-to-rodgers-critique-of-game-plan-?module=HP_headlines

GO PACKERS!

[Fritz]

i think the turnover ratio is the single biggest difference from last year.

[pbmax]

And McCarthy has a valid point. You run just over half your typical number of offensive plays and there will be a few things you don't get to. Especially when the last drive, and six minutes of your TOP are spent running the clock down.

[mraynrand]

A multiple offense gets divided by multiple interceptions.

[Smidgeon]

i think the turnover ratio is the single biggest difference from last year.

Yeah. Where are all the INTs this year?

[Patler]

i think the turnover ratio is the single biggest difference from last year.

Yeah. Where are all the INTs this year?

A couple have been negated by penalties, one was overturned on replay, a couple were simply dropped and a couple more have been just off players' fingertips, They have been in position to make a lot of interceptions that for one reason or another they didn't get. Last year they came up with a high percentage of their opportunities, this year they have missed.

[packerbacker1234]

i think the turnover ratio is the single biggest difference from last year.

Yeah. Where are all the INTs this year?

A couple have been negated by penalties, one was overturned on replay, a couple were simply dropped and a couple more have been just off players' fingertips, They have been in position to make a lot of interceptions that for one reason or another they didn't get. Last year they came up with a high percentage of their opportunities, this year they have missed.

*cough*

It also doesn't help that the offense is turning the ball over significantly more than it was last year.

We had 30 picks last year, which is about 1.9 a game. So far this year we have 5, which is 1.25 a game. However, we absolutely tore apart the really bad teams. As an example we had what, 4 or 5 picks against cutler week 1? We also had 3 or so against him last game but two got wiped due to penalties, and another woodson simply dropped.

We're still in position and making plays from what I have seen, but we're shooting ourselves in the foot with penalties negating turnovers.

Outside of that, Rodgers has 5 picks through 4 games, versus 7 picks all of last year.

So while us causing turnovers is only "slightly" down percentage wise, AR is on pace to throw 20 picks this year, which is WAY up from last season.

[channtheman]

i think the turnover ratio is the single biggest difference from last year.

But that can be a good thing. If you can turn the ball over and still win, you are in good shape. Last year, since we turned it over so few times, it was nearly impossible for us to win a game where we did turn it over.

[Patler]

So while us causing turnovers is only "slightly" down percentage wise, AR is on pace to throw 20 picks this year, which is WAY up from last season.

I don't expect Rodgers to have 20 this year, but I also don't expect him to have as few as last year, and didn't expect it from the start of the season.

One of the off-season comments by MM was that he wanted Rodgers to take a few more chances with his throws this year. He said it might lead to a few more interceptions, but he felt there were a lot of big plays possibilities that were passed up last year.

[denverYooper]

I've been thinking about a few thing in regards surrounding this exchange between coach and QB.

1.) We sometimes complain about McCarthy taking the foot off of the gas, but on Sunday they went downfield to Jennings looking for the home run and got it picked off twice. The first INT was on a deja-vu-do-over after they'd marched 50 yards and were in FG range. The second was on first down when Det was creeping back in. Sometimes it seems like the players themselves are the ones who take the foot off of the gas when they're playing with a lead. Passes get less crisp, the running game bogs down, hands get stony, Special Teams blows up, etc.

2.) What's up with Jennings not taking advantage of single coverage on those deep throws down the middle? 2 times in 2 weeks may not a trend make but he's been a bit off or at least not on the same page as Rodgers. Is it him, Rodgers, both?

3.) All of that said, Rodgers is outstanding when he absolutely needs to be. Clutch, Lights out, whatever -- making great quick decisions, moving the chains, not taking big risks. At the end of the Chicago game, before James Jones fumbled, I felt that #12 was in full control of that moment, that he relished it, to some extent. And on Sunday again, the same. When they absolutely needed the chains moving at the end of the game he was on, as was the rest of the offense. I am starting to feel very comfortable with the ball in his hands when the game is on the line.

[HarveyWallbangers]

Four games is a small sample size. And I think the interceptions are overrated. He struggled against Philly. He didn't throw a pick against Buffalo. He was stellar against Chicago, but had an interception on a Hail Mary. I don't fault him for the second interception against Detroit. Are you kidding me? Greg Jennings one on one deep with an average corner. I'll take that every time it's available. Otherwise, he was good against Detroit. So, he had one ordinary game, one solid game, one great game, and one bad throw in a game in which he was good otherwise. Let's not forget that he also has 10 TDs and the Packers are the highest scoring team in the NFC. And Rodgers has the most TDs by a QB in the NFC and only trails Peyton Manning's 11 TDs in the entire league.

[Pugger]

I don't think there is much to this "story". Rodgers was clearly frustrated with his and the offenses performance against the loins. I think the press is making a mountain out of a mole hill here.

[mraynrand]

I don't think there is much to this "story". Rodgers was clearly frustrated with his and the offenses performance against the loins. I think the press is making a mountain out of a mole hill here.

It's not much of a mountain at that.

[mraynrand]

Four games is a small sample size. And I think the interceptions are overrated. He struggled against Philly. He didn't throw a pick against Buffalo. He was stellar against Chicago, but had an interception on a Hail Mary. I don't fault him for the second interception against Detroit. Are you kidding me? Greg Jennings one on one deep with an average corner. I'll take that every time it's available. Otherwise, he was good against Detroit. So, he had one ordinary game, one solid game, one great game, and one bad throw in a game in which he was good otherwise. Let's not forget that he also has 10 TDs and the Packers are the highest scoring team in the NFC. And Rodgers has the most TDs by a QB in the NFC and only trails Peyton Manning's 11 TDs in the entire league.

Nothing to see here folks, walk on by. Never let stats and sanity derail a good gossip thread....

[MichiganPackerFan]

...
Outside of that, Rodgers has 5 picks through 4 games, versus 7 picks all of last year...

One was on an end of half hail mary

edit: Whoops - harv already pointed this out :oops:

[ThunderDan]

...
Outside of that, Rodgers has 5 picks through 4 games, versus 7 picks all of last year...

One was on an end of half hail mary

ARod has lost "it". Time for the Flynn era to begin.

[pbmax]

I don't fault him for the second interception against Detroit. Are you kidding me? Greg Jennings one on one deep with an average corner. I'll take that every time it's available.
Except it was good coverage and the opening was deep since Jennings had half a step. The throw (and the idea according to Rodgers and McGinn) was to the back shoulder, but the CB was in better position for it and played it better. It won't bother me as long as they get on the same page for that throw.

[pbmax]

And interceptions are not overrated. They cost possession, field position and scoring opportunities. Forget the old saw that its like a punt. Not all interceptions travel 40 yards past the LOS with no return. And it is the rare team that punts on 1st or second down; unlike a punt, it is a lost opportunity, not simply playing the odds.

Teams that break down games by overall yardage give a -40 to -45 yards for a INT. And since McCarthy has talked about this before in special team terms, I would bet he does as well.

If you have bad special teams play, offensive turnovers, penalties and struggle to get off the field on 3rd down defensively, you are going to leave a lot of teams in the game for no reason. It makes for a shootout because you are careless.

[Fritz]

I saw the same thing on the Jennings intercept, PB. Jennings had a half step and I thought the throw was going to be over his shoulder so he could reach out and grab it. The corner had good position for a back shoulder throw.

I dunno. I don't like the new gambling, but then again Arod's hit some bombs, it seems. So maybe I'm overreacting. I just don't like the turnovers.

Speaking of, what the hell happened to Jordy Nelson? The ball squirted out of his arms like a puppy out of a bitch.

Try B Jack back there. Try Pat Lee - give the guy something to do, for crying out loud.

And did James Jones even get one ball thrown to him on Sunday?

[rbaloha1]

Its time to fully trust AR and start doing more run and shoot stuff.

[mmmdk]

Its time to fully trust AR and start doing more run and shoot stuff.

No doubt now that the Packer offense needs to carry this team for the rest of the season. Players play I've heard and coaches coach...plus coach McCarthy calls the plays; the pressure has never been higher for McCarthy to make the right calls - a lot of right calls.

Can't sit on those 1-2-3 point leads no more; spread'em out, run & shoot. Be a smarter McCarthy... :roll:

NB - Packers also needs to overcome own ST play, not just Packers hit or miss, miss & miss defense.

[Packers4Glory]

Keep in mind one of the INTs Rodgers threw was a hail mary at the half. I don't count that BS as it didn't make one bit of difference either way other than we didn't get a lucky cheap score.