Roasted Peprah: NY Daily News

[pbmax]

Want a short version of the Packer defensive woes based mainly on the Giants game?

NYDN says its Peprah and run D.

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/giants/clay-matthews-green-bay-packers-defense-a-unit-a-year-ny-giants-exploit-team-weaknesses-lambeau-field-article-1.1005477

[Brandon494]

"I'm new in the starting role," says Peprah, who was drafted and waived by the Giants in 2006. "It took me a couple games to get comfortable.


What is he talking about? He started most of last year when Burnett went down for season, stop making excusing and just play better man.

[red]

i think the big problem has been the dropoff from collins to peprah. collins is an elite player, peprah is average. when charlie had to step in for burnett last year, it really wasn't that much of a dropoff

collins and peprah, just a little worse then collins and burnett

burnett and peprah is way worse then collins and burnett or collins and peprah

did picket play in the giants game this year?

[RashanGary]

Losing Collins killed our pass game and run game. We played a ton of 8 in the box nickle defense. Collins defended the deep part of the field alone.

Now we play super soft coverage to avoid getting beat deep or 2 deep safety a great majority of the time.

2 deep safety = shit run game
1 deep safety with man coverage = destroyed in the pass game


Collins was a superstar. We miss him badly. Nuff said.

[pbmax]

2 deep safety doesn't have to mean killed in run game. But in the nickel, with only 2 d lineman it is harder. I also don't like Raji at Nose as much as Pickett at nose. He gets turned too much. There is no physical reason for the Packers run D to be that bad with 7 in the box.

1 deep safety with Burnett who has some speed is OK with man on the outside. But its a nightmare with no pass rush. The pass rush issue is not Collins.

[George Cumby]

Patler had a comment when Collins was lost that it wasn't trading Collins for Peprah but Collins for Burnett, which I thought was a pretty sound argument at the time.

But things haven't improved and it's a bit discomfitting. So is it Peprah or is it Burnett? Is there a communication problem back there? Or is it all a function of the lack of pass rush?

[pbmax]

Though in no hurry to see McGinn's end of year column, these numbers give some idea of how much Capers think the pass rush has sucked.

-After beginning of season, Capers increased his blitz rate (not zone blitz but blitz as defined by # of pass rushers) to 46.8%. For the year his rate was 42.5% If five are going after the QB, the most common coverage I am aware of is single deep safety (deep middle) and two deep edge players (usually 2 corners bailing or lined up deep but could also be a safety is CB is blitzing). That leaves three in underneath zone coverage.

That rate is up from 33% last year and 27% in 09. He is almost in Gregg Williams territory.

[Harlan Huckleby]

NYDN says its Peprah and run D.
Offensive coordinator in McGinn article today says Tramon Williams is weak link.

[pbmax]

TWill yes, but McGinn identifies Capers base coverage as Cover 4 quarters, which would explain deep corner cushions (they don't fear the WR, they have a responsibility to get deep as well) and twin safeties. One of his sources lays this on Peprah, whom Capers is trying desperately to hide from WR.

Its worth 4.99 this month for the one article alone: http://www.jsonline.com/sports/packers/packers-defense-had-better-step-up-763p0vp-137361578.html

[Joemailman]

I've kind of felt all year that TWill has had problems adjusting to the loss of Nick Collins. Often seemed like he was expecting help that wasn't quite there. It also doesn't seem to me that the corner blitzes have been as effective this year. Lack of a pass rush + weakness at safety = receivers running free in the middle of the field.

[pbmax]

I've kind of felt all year that TWill has had problems adjusting to the loss of Nick Collins. Often seemed like he was expecting help that wasn't quite there. It also doesn't seem to me that the corner blitzes have been as effective this year. Lack of a pass rush + weakness at safety = receivers running free in the middle of the field.

McGinn mentions that Burnett gambles too much and is frequently out of position. It may well be that Collins absence, more than simply either Peprah or Burnett, has caused him to alter the approach.

[Upnorth]

Collins and pash rush. Also the our lolb has played inconsistently and bishop is not covering well when asked (man that is an understatement)

[Bretsky]

McGinn mentions that Burnett gambles too much and is frequently out of position. It may well be that Collins absence, more than simply either Peprah or Burnett, has caused him to alter the approach.

it's all jenkins you stubborn dummmy :)

[denverYooper]

Offensive coordinator in McGinn article today says Tramon Williams is weak link.

Football Outsiders has Shields with the worst success rate. I feel like teams throw at him less, though.

[George Cumby]

McGinn mentions that Burnett gambles too much and is frequently out of position. It may well be that Collins absence, more than simply either Peprah or Burnett, has caused him to alter the approach.

That would explain a lot since playing D is knowing where your help is at and if it isn't there, well, now there's wides running free.

[pbmax]

it's all jenkins you stubborn dummmy :)

It does look like I am losing that argument. But I would say if either Jenkins or Collins had survived intact (or Neal stayed healthy) then the snowball effect isn't as severe.

McGinn lays it on pretty thick in his article, all but calling for Capers head (he notes almost no one else would survive a year like this) but its a matter of personnel as much as scheme. You scheme to personnel like Woodson and then lose two parts that make that scheme go, all the remaining choices are bad.

I might have to side with rand and Justin, they should just trust Peprah and Burnett and run last year's press coverage. Its not like it would be worse. Would it? :lol:

[denverYooper]

It does look like I am losing that argument. But I would say if either Jenkins or Collins had survived intact (or Neal stayed healthy) then the snowball effect isn't as severe.

McGinn lays it on pretty thick in his article, all but calling for Capers head (he notes almost no one else would survive a year like this) but its a matter of personnel as much as scheme. You scheme to personnel like Woodson and then lose two parts that make that scheme go, all the remaining choices are bad.

I might have to side with rand and Justin, they should just trust Peprah and Burnett and run last year's press coverage. Its not like it would be worse. Would it? :lol:

Didn't they run press coverage against the Falcons this year after they got in the hole?

[bobblehead]

nonsense....we have the 10th ranked passer rating defense and the best overall passer differential rating. We are a mortal lock.

[denverYooper]

TWill yes, but McGinn identifies Capers base coverage as Cover 4 quarters, which would explain deep corner cushions (they don't fear the WR, they have a responsibility to get deep as well) and twin safeties. One of his sources lays this on Peprah, whom Capers is trying desperately to hide from WR.

Its worth 4.99 this month for the one article alone: http://www.jsonline.com/sports/packers/packers-defense-had-better-step-up-763p0vp-137361578.html

The article seems to indicate that there is a real lack of cohesion (or heart?) in the defense, too, making any personnel and scheme issues much worse.

[pbmax]

Didn't they run press coverage against the Falcons this year after they got in the hole?

Its still in use, just less than last year. I don't remember what game Justin and I were arguing about it, but some games feature more of it than others. Its pick your poison and sometimes Capers ends up with Peprah esposed in coverage and sometimes he backs off and plays the CBs deep, which neither Shields or Williams seem to be doing particularly well.

[pbmax]

nonsense....we have the 10th ranked passer rating defense and the best overall passer differential rating. We are a mortal lock.

All very true and if the game goes according to form, it should be a 10 point win. But its nice to have a backup plan.

[pbmax]

The article seems to indicate that there is a real lack of cohesion (or heart?) in the defense, too, making any personnel and scheme issues much worse.

I think that is Woodson for the most part. He gets to freelance and that can open a lot of holes. The other part, according to the article, would seem to be freelancing by Burnett.

[Harlan Huckleby]

I don't think there is a weak link or links to be identified. The whole unit is misfiring, which just magnifies shortcomings. Lack of gang tackling shows defense has lost confidence. It will be interesting to see if they can flip a switch for playoffs.

[denverYooper]

I don't think there is a weak link or links to be identified. The whole unit is misfiring, which just magnifies shortcomings. Lack of gang tackling shows defense has lost confidence. It will be interesting to see if they can flip a switch for playoffs.

The Patriots defense looked like it flipped a switch last night.

It could have just been the pretty simple O on Denver's part, though.

[Joemailman]

The Patriots defense looked like it flipped a switch last night.

It could have just been the pretty simple O on Denver's part, though.

Yup.

[denverYooper]

FO indicates that Green Bay's defense plays better when the score gets close. From their NFC Preview (http://www.footballoutsiders.com/game-previews/2012/nfc-divisional-round-preview):



Green Bay ranked 30th in defensive DVOA in the fourth quarter, but a lot of that is playing prevent defenses with big leads. The Packers' defensive DVOA was 36.5% in the fourth quarter with a lead of more than a touchdown, but 11.5% in the fourth quarter when the score was within a touchdown.


11.5 is not great but there is an indication that they slack off quite a bit with big leads (which they've often had).

[MJZiggy]

Yup.

Maybe God just thought Tebow was stealing the limelight.

[pbmax]

The Patriots defense looked like it flipped a switch last night.

It could have just been the pretty simple O on Denver's part, though.

I was surprised how bad he was at running a more traditional option action. I wonder if that was new or if Belicheck saw on film that he hesitated to take it into the DE/OLB gap and had them shade to the pitch.

[denverYooper]

I was surprised how bad he was at running a more traditional option action. I wonder if that was new or if Belicheck saw on film that he hesitated to take it into the DE/OLB gap and had them shade to the pitch.

Alfred Williams, who does a local radio show now, suggested that in the first game Hoody just instructed his players to disregard any part of the option equation and just go straight for Tebow all the time. Looked like more of the same last night.

[mraynrand]

Williams fell off due to the shoulder. He didn't want anything to do with contact. Who can blame him? Guy was wearing a brace and that shit hurts like hell and limits flexibility. Shields dropped off, and then scheme dropped him off more. He is a cover jam corner and playing off totally exposes his lousy tackling. So you have two corners who can't or won't tackle and can't play their best coverage. Then Collins is gone. Then Burnett breaks his hand. Do you think Burnett and Williams were playing through their injuries for yuks? It's because the drop off to Bush and Lee is catastrophic. Add in the Woodson can no longer cover even a decent TE, and you've got problems in your seondary. A secondary that is filled with people who were great at jamming, but who can no longer play press coverage, no pass rush, and you have shit for pass coverage. Oh, and Peprah is back there. He is below JAG. But fire Capers - that'll fix it.

[HarveyWallbangers]

Patler had a comment when Collins was lost that it wasn't trading Collins for Peprah but Collins for Burnett, which I thought was a pretty sound argument at the time.

But things haven't improved and it's a bit discomfitting. So is it Peprah or is it Burnett? Is there a communication problem back there? Or is it all a function of the lack of pass rush?

That's assuming Peprah played as well as last year. He hasn't. It's like trading Collins and Peprah playing his best for Burnett and Peprah playing less than his best.

[mraynrand]

Packers had better hope to God they can pass protect, because they are going to have to outscore the Giants. They will need at least 35, probably 42 to win. I will be surprised if we even see the Giants in third down and more than 3 all day.

[bobblehead]

I don't understand....we had the better passer rating differential.

[Freak Out]

Packers had better hope to God they can pass protect, because they are going to have to outscore the Giants. They will need at least 35, probably 42 to win. I will be surprised if we even see the Giants in third down and more than 3 all day.

They had them in 3rd down all day but couldn't stop them when it counted.