woodbuck27
08-07-2006, 12:03 AM
They're off and running - Plan to rush ball is in motion
By BOB McGINN
bmcginn@journalsentinel.com
Posted: Aug. 5, 2006
Green Bay - If first impressions mean anything, new coach Mike McCarthy meant what he said when he pledged that the Green Bay Packers would make a genuine commitment to the running game this season.
With 62,701 fans at Lambeau Field on Saturday night for the intrasquad scrimmage, McCarthy opened by calling runs on the first six - count 'em - six plays.
The results were mixed, to be sure, but that wasn't the point. McCarthy's basic message seemed to be that in order to do anything in 2006 the Packers will have to run the ball far more effectively than they did during Mike Sherman's disastrous final campaign.
As running play followed running play, Lambeau's music maestro rather humorously punched up the Bruce Springsteen anthem "Born to Run."
"Running the football is a four-quarter journey," McCarthy said. "Not very often in this league do you come out and just start ripping people in the run game. I didn't look at it at all as the run game struggled."
In 14 plays of live tackling in normal down-and-distance, the No. 1 offense rushed on eight plays and passed on six, always working against the No. 2 defense. The runs gained 22 yards and the passes gained 64.
Later, in an eight-play drive in a 2-minute situation with the No. 1 offense on the field, Brett Favre passed on the first seven snaps before Samkon Gado plowed 10 yards for a touchdown on a stretch play off left tackle.
Thus, the No. 1 offense rushed nine times for 32 yards, an average of 3.6 yards. The Packers probably can live with that but undoubtedly want much more.
It was the first legitimate look at the new zone style running attack. Gone are the days of pulling linemen, toss plays and misdirection. The new offensive coordinator, Jeff Jagodzinski, favors stretch play after stretch play after stretch play.
"We're doing the same things over and over and over," McCarthy said. "We change the face of it, giving it a little window dressing. I thought we got off to a solid start."
One of the beauties of the zone scheme, according to Jagodzinski, is the minimum number of carries that result in lost yardage. Despite the struggles in the early going, the No. 1 offense never had a negative carry.
In order, the rushes were worth 7, 1, 1, 0, 4, 3, 4, 2 and 10 yards. With Ahman Green (thigh) and Najeh Davenport (calf) sidelined, Gado started and had six of the carries with the No. 1 offense for 21 yards. His backup, Noah Herron, had the other three carries for 11 yards.
Green was one of four starters on offense not in uniform. Rookie Greg Jennings replaced split end Robert Ferguson, who was absent for what McCarthy described as a personal family matter; David Martin started at tight end for Bubba Franks (knee); and Junius Coston started at left tackle for Chad Clifton (knee).
The approximately 90-play scrimmage, including 53 with the No. 1 and No. 2 offenses on the field, opened on a depressing note for the offense. After Gado ran left for 7 yards, he was held to 1 yard on both second and third downs. McCarthy went for it on fourth down and again Gado was stacked up, this time for no gain.
When the No. 1 offense tried again, a motion penalty put them into a first-and-15 hole. Still, McCarthy chose to run on the first two plays.
Only then did Favre come off his handing-off mode and actually attempted a pass. It was incomplete to Martin on a crossing route.
Starting a third time from the 25, McCarthy began mixing plays and the result was a 75-yard drive capped by Favre's 4-yard touchdown pass to Donald Driver against cornerback Jerron Wishom.
Favre, who finished 9 of 13 for 119 yards, drove the starters 75 yards in eight plays of 2-minute offense for the touchdown by Gado. He followed a sustained block by guard Daryn Colledge against Kenny Peterson.
The No. 2 offense, quarterbacked by Aaron Rodgers, gained 99 yards in 22 plays of normal down-and-distance situations and then 28 yards in nine plays of 2-minute. Rodgers finished 11 of 23 for 92 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
"Brett's reached the point in camp where the balls are spitting out of his hand," McCarthy said. "They both really threw the ball very well and made good decisions. Aaron played with a lot of urgency. I'm excited about him."
Rodgers' first two series failed to generate a first down, but the second-year quarterback didn't get much help. Dropped passes by wide receiver Chris Francies and tight end Donald Lee waylaid Rodgers' early efforts.
Matched against the No. 1 defense, the backups showed some spunk on their third possession by converting three fourth downs in a row. The third was a 5-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Marc Boerigter with Ahmad Carroll in coverage on fourth and 4.
On the eight carries by the No. 2 offense against the No. 1 defense, the gains were 2, 17, 4, 4, 3, 3, 1 and 1 for a total of 35 yards.
Herron, who ran with purpose and quickness, had 27 yards in six of the carries.
Rodgers generated two first downs in the 2-minute situation, then another on fourth and 6 when cornerback Therrian Fontenot was penalized for pass interference.
But, on the next play, Rodgers threw off line on a long seam route for Ruvell Martin and safety Marviel Underwood intercepted.
The defense would have had several sacks, but the quarterbacks were off-limits and referee Bill Carollo didn't whistle any plays dead. On a second and 9, Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila actually did knock the ball out of Favre's hands after beating Coston around the corner.
From the Aug. 6, 2006 editions of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
GO PACKERS ! KEEP THE FAITH !
By BOB McGINN
bmcginn@journalsentinel.com
Posted: Aug. 5, 2006
Green Bay - If first impressions mean anything, new coach Mike McCarthy meant what he said when he pledged that the Green Bay Packers would make a genuine commitment to the running game this season.
With 62,701 fans at Lambeau Field on Saturday night for the intrasquad scrimmage, McCarthy opened by calling runs on the first six - count 'em - six plays.
The results were mixed, to be sure, but that wasn't the point. McCarthy's basic message seemed to be that in order to do anything in 2006 the Packers will have to run the ball far more effectively than they did during Mike Sherman's disastrous final campaign.
As running play followed running play, Lambeau's music maestro rather humorously punched up the Bruce Springsteen anthem "Born to Run."
"Running the football is a four-quarter journey," McCarthy said. "Not very often in this league do you come out and just start ripping people in the run game. I didn't look at it at all as the run game struggled."
In 14 plays of live tackling in normal down-and-distance, the No. 1 offense rushed on eight plays and passed on six, always working against the No. 2 defense. The runs gained 22 yards and the passes gained 64.
Later, in an eight-play drive in a 2-minute situation with the No. 1 offense on the field, Brett Favre passed on the first seven snaps before Samkon Gado plowed 10 yards for a touchdown on a stretch play off left tackle.
Thus, the No. 1 offense rushed nine times for 32 yards, an average of 3.6 yards. The Packers probably can live with that but undoubtedly want much more.
It was the first legitimate look at the new zone style running attack. Gone are the days of pulling linemen, toss plays and misdirection. The new offensive coordinator, Jeff Jagodzinski, favors stretch play after stretch play after stretch play.
"We're doing the same things over and over and over," McCarthy said. "We change the face of it, giving it a little window dressing. I thought we got off to a solid start."
One of the beauties of the zone scheme, according to Jagodzinski, is the minimum number of carries that result in lost yardage. Despite the struggles in the early going, the No. 1 offense never had a negative carry.
In order, the rushes were worth 7, 1, 1, 0, 4, 3, 4, 2 and 10 yards. With Ahman Green (thigh) and Najeh Davenport (calf) sidelined, Gado started and had six of the carries with the No. 1 offense for 21 yards. His backup, Noah Herron, had the other three carries for 11 yards.
Green was one of four starters on offense not in uniform. Rookie Greg Jennings replaced split end Robert Ferguson, who was absent for what McCarthy described as a personal family matter; David Martin started at tight end for Bubba Franks (knee); and Junius Coston started at left tackle for Chad Clifton (knee).
The approximately 90-play scrimmage, including 53 with the No. 1 and No. 2 offenses on the field, opened on a depressing note for the offense. After Gado ran left for 7 yards, he was held to 1 yard on both second and third downs. McCarthy went for it on fourth down and again Gado was stacked up, this time for no gain.
When the No. 1 offense tried again, a motion penalty put them into a first-and-15 hole. Still, McCarthy chose to run on the first two plays.
Only then did Favre come off his handing-off mode and actually attempted a pass. It was incomplete to Martin on a crossing route.
Starting a third time from the 25, McCarthy began mixing plays and the result was a 75-yard drive capped by Favre's 4-yard touchdown pass to Donald Driver against cornerback Jerron Wishom.
Favre, who finished 9 of 13 for 119 yards, drove the starters 75 yards in eight plays of 2-minute offense for the touchdown by Gado. He followed a sustained block by guard Daryn Colledge against Kenny Peterson.
The No. 2 offense, quarterbacked by Aaron Rodgers, gained 99 yards in 22 plays of normal down-and-distance situations and then 28 yards in nine plays of 2-minute. Rodgers finished 11 of 23 for 92 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
"Brett's reached the point in camp where the balls are spitting out of his hand," McCarthy said. "They both really threw the ball very well and made good decisions. Aaron played with a lot of urgency. I'm excited about him."
Rodgers' first two series failed to generate a first down, but the second-year quarterback didn't get much help. Dropped passes by wide receiver Chris Francies and tight end Donald Lee waylaid Rodgers' early efforts.
Matched against the No. 1 defense, the backups showed some spunk on their third possession by converting three fourth downs in a row. The third was a 5-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Marc Boerigter with Ahmad Carroll in coverage on fourth and 4.
On the eight carries by the No. 2 offense against the No. 1 defense, the gains were 2, 17, 4, 4, 3, 3, 1 and 1 for a total of 35 yards.
Herron, who ran with purpose and quickness, had 27 yards in six of the carries.
Rodgers generated two first downs in the 2-minute situation, then another on fourth and 6 when cornerback Therrian Fontenot was penalized for pass interference.
But, on the next play, Rodgers threw off line on a long seam route for Ruvell Martin and safety Marviel Underwood intercepted.
The defense would have had several sacks, but the quarterbacks were off-limits and referee Bill Carollo didn't whistle any plays dead. On a second and 9, Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila actually did knock the ball out of Favre's hands after beating Coston around the corner.
From the Aug. 6, 2006 editions of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
GO PACKERS ! KEEP THE FAITH !