PaCkFan_n_MD
08-16-2006, 10:54 PM
QB confident protection will get better with more time
By TOM SILVERSTEIN
tsilverstein@journalsentinel.com
Posted: Aug. 16, 2006
Green Bay - All things considered, quarterback Brett Favre would prefer not to get hit five times again Saturday when the Green Bay Packers take on the Atlanta Falcons in exhibition game No. 2.
But get taken out of the game - meaningless as it is in the standings - because he is getting hit too much?
Not really.
"I actually wanted to continue playing and get something going," Favre said of the exhibition opener against San Diego, in which he was sacked twice and knocked down three times in 19 plays from scrimmage. "We finally got a little bit going on that one drive. Unfortunately, we stopped ourselves, but we did get something going."
Favre was referring to his final series, which started on the Packers' 14 and ended on the San Diego 14 after rookie Greg Jennings dropped a fourth-down pass that would have kept the drive going. Favre completed three of five passes for 50 yards, got a 19-yard pass interference penalty on a throw to Donald Driver and barely overthrew an open Driver streaking to the end zone before the fourth-down incompletion.
In his mind, despite the miserable start, there was something to gain from his time on the field. At the very least, it gave him a chance to see how he would react calling signals and making adjustments in a fairly new offense.
"Maybe if we went out another series, we'd continue to improve," Favre said. "So I think that's evidence that given that you participate in game-like activities, you get better and you get a little confidence. And that's what we really need, especially at offensive line."
It's probably good public relations not to trash an offensive line that will be protecting your behind the rest of the season, so it's not surprising he didn't take anyone to task for getting hit so much. He expressed confidence that the line - currently featuring rookie guards - would play better as time wore on and said he liked the ability of newcomers Jason Spitz, Daryn Colledge and Tony Moll.
But as far as offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski is concerned, some of the improvement Favre is hoping for better take place this weekend against an Atlanta defense that has six current or former Pro Bowl players. He's not a fan of what occurred Saturday.
"He's taken more shots, better shots than that," Jagodzinski said. "But I don't like to see him get hit like that. I don't like to see (fourth-stringer Brian) Wrobel get hit like that. You don't want your quarterback getting hit like that. That's not good."
Maybe if the Packers' offensive line is still in disarray come Sept. 10, Favre will be a little less understanding about taking shots from blitzing linebackers. But for now he's taking an "I was a rookie once" approach to the whole thing.
"I hope it gets better," Favre said. "And it will. How much better? I don't know. How quickly? I don't know. Time will tell. The effort is there, and I think that's the first thing you look at. You expect - especially as young as we are - that there will be mistakes. You just don't want to see them over and over again. So we'll see."
Coach Mike McCarthy had the option of pulling Favre out of the game after he was sacked on consecutive plays and hit on the very next one during his second series. Instead, McCarthy went to a double-tight end formation to head off the strong side blitzes.
He also ran the ball three straight times on the next series.
The decision was made to keep Favre in the game because he needed the work as much as the others. In McCarthy's system, many plays and formations are called something different from those in the previous offense and although Favre knows what McCarthy wants, his memory sometimes brings him back to the old offense.
"I think even though you've been in the league so many years, exhibition games are a time to get ready," quarterbacks coach Tom Clements said. "You have to get into a rhythm and the last drive we had a good drive up until the fourth down, when we had the dropped pass. I think it was good for him. You don't want the sacks he took. We have to shore some things up there. He'd rather play than sit on the bench."
Favre did say it would have been a lot easier night if the Packers had been able to run the ball. Gaining 15 yards in seven carries in the first half lends itself to putting a lot of pressure on the quarterback.
"We've got to be better than we were the other day," Favre said. "There wasn't a lot of good out of that game. But it all starts with the run game. I think my frustration was more with that. Just from experience, I know if you can't run the ball, you're going to struggle."
By TOM SILVERSTEIN
tsilverstein@journalsentinel.com
Posted: Aug. 16, 2006
Green Bay - All things considered, quarterback Brett Favre would prefer not to get hit five times again Saturday when the Green Bay Packers take on the Atlanta Falcons in exhibition game No. 2.
But get taken out of the game - meaningless as it is in the standings - because he is getting hit too much?
Not really.
"I actually wanted to continue playing and get something going," Favre said of the exhibition opener against San Diego, in which he was sacked twice and knocked down three times in 19 plays from scrimmage. "We finally got a little bit going on that one drive. Unfortunately, we stopped ourselves, but we did get something going."
Favre was referring to his final series, which started on the Packers' 14 and ended on the San Diego 14 after rookie Greg Jennings dropped a fourth-down pass that would have kept the drive going. Favre completed three of five passes for 50 yards, got a 19-yard pass interference penalty on a throw to Donald Driver and barely overthrew an open Driver streaking to the end zone before the fourth-down incompletion.
In his mind, despite the miserable start, there was something to gain from his time on the field. At the very least, it gave him a chance to see how he would react calling signals and making adjustments in a fairly new offense.
"Maybe if we went out another series, we'd continue to improve," Favre said. "So I think that's evidence that given that you participate in game-like activities, you get better and you get a little confidence. And that's what we really need, especially at offensive line."
It's probably good public relations not to trash an offensive line that will be protecting your behind the rest of the season, so it's not surprising he didn't take anyone to task for getting hit so much. He expressed confidence that the line - currently featuring rookie guards - would play better as time wore on and said he liked the ability of newcomers Jason Spitz, Daryn Colledge and Tony Moll.
But as far as offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski is concerned, some of the improvement Favre is hoping for better take place this weekend against an Atlanta defense that has six current or former Pro Bowl players. He's not a fan of what occurred Saturday.
"He's taken more shots, better shots than that," Jagodzinski said. "But I don't like to see him get hit like that. I don't like to see (fourth-stringer Brian) Wrobel get hit like that. You don't want your quarterback getting hit like that. That's not good."
Maybe if the Packers' offensive line is still in disarray come Sept. 10, Favre will be a little less understanding about taking shots from blitzing linebackers. But for now he's taking an "I was a rookie once" approach to the whole thing.
"I hope it gets better," Favre said. "And it will. How much better? I don't know. How quickly? I don't know. Time will tell. The effort is there, and I think that's the first thing you look at. You expect - especially as young as we are - that there will be mistakes. You just don't want to see them over and over again. So we'll see."
Coach Mike McCarthy had the option of pulling Favre out of the game after he was sacked on consecutive plays and hit on the very next one during his second series. Instead, McCarthy went to a double-tight end formation to head off the strong side blitzes.
He also ran the ball three straight times on the next series.
The decision was made to keep Favre in the game because he needed the work as much as the others. In McCarthy's system, many plays and formations are called something different from those in the previous offense and although Favre knows what McCarthy wants, his memory sometimes brings him back to the old offense.
"I think even though you've been in the league so many years, exhibition games are a time to get ready," quarterbacks coach Tom Clements said. "You have to get into a rhythm and the last drive we had a good drive up until the fourth down, when we had the dropped pass. I think it was good for him. You don't want the sacks he took. We have to shore some things up there. He'd rather play than sit on the bench."
Favre did say it would have been a lot easier night if the Packers had been able to run the ball. Gaining 15 yards in seven carries in the first half lends itself to putting a lot of pressure on the quarterback.
"We've got to be better than we were the other day," Favre said. "There wasn't a lot of good out of that game. But it all starts with the run game. I think my frustration was more with that. Just from experience, I know if you can't run the ball, you're going to struggle."