motife
09-12-2006, 04:37 PM
Rating the Packers vs. Bears: McCarthy flops in debut
Bears control all aspects of game
Posted: Sept. 11, 2006
Bob McGinn
Green Bay - Outmanned. Outplayed. Outcoached.
That should sum up the coaching debut of Mike McCarthy as the Green Bay Packers were humbled by the Chicago Bears, 26-0, Sunday at Lambeau Field.
The deepest penetration by the offense was to the Chicago 35. The defense made Rex Grossman look like the second coming of Sid Luckman. And the special teams were abysmal.
Here is a rating of the Packers, with their 1 to 5 football totals in parentheses:
Receivers (1)
There wasn't much available other than Donald Driver on quick glance routes. He caught seven of the 11 passes thrown to him for 96 yards, including 31 yards after the catch. But Driver also had one of the two dropped passes; David Martin had the other on a bootleg. Greg Jennings was too deep on his route that ended up as Brett Favre's first interception. The rookie would have been shut out had Favre not turned to him on one step and gunned a hitch his way with 25 seconds left. Martin played extensively in double tight-end sets and also played fullback for six snaps. This was just the fifth time in Bubba Franks' 97-game career that no pass was directed toward him. The only reception by a tight end, 25 yards to Donald Lee, might have been at least double that length if he had exhibited more confidence and not felt compelled to cradle the ball on the catch.
Offensive line (1)
With a pair of rookie guards, the Packers don't have a side of the line behind which they feel confident getting a tough yard or two. Also, Chad Clifton doesn't appear to be moving well. He was partially responsible for two sacks and blew a crucial back-side cut block in short yardage. LG Jason Spitz was responsible for two "bad" runs (gains of 1 yard or less in situations other than goal-line and short-yardage), one knockdown and made the mistake of stepping back instead of laterally and causing Favre to trip for a sack. But Spitz also blocked aggressively on the play side for a string of runs. The other rookie, RG Tony Moll, was responsible for one-half sack and 1½ "bad" runs. He played too high against DT Ian Scott on Favre's failed fourth-and-1 sneak that proved critical. Mark Tauscher tried to take the easy way out and was penalized twice for holding DE Adewale Ogunleye, which is out of character for him. Although C Scott Wells was charged with one "bad" run and one hurry, he played better than the others.
Quarterbacks (1)
It's incredible to think that Brett Favre could play an entire game and not advance his team beyond the opponent's 35. On his 32 drop-backs, Favre threw only one or two passes that were reminiscent of the player he once was. McCarthy didn't help Favre with good protection packages, particularly on plays when Favre was dashing out of the pocket. He also was undermined at times by his blockers and receivers. But there were too many instances where Favre was throwing wild passes. He sailed some. He threw wide. And he could have been intercepted four or five times rather than just twice. His second interception, a flier back inside, was just terrible. The Packers had first down at the Chicago 37 with 8½ minutes left. A touchdown would have meant a lot to his teammates and the fans.
Running backs (4)
Compared to the great backs in the league, Ahman Green didn't do much to excite. But given the fact that he's coming off thigh surgery and had barely played in the exhibition season, there was reason for cautious optimism. He ran low behind his pads, tried to finish most of his 20 carries and seemed at home in the zone scheme. Strangely, his 110-yard game contributed almost nothing to the outcome. Forty-eight of the yards came on five attempts out of the shotgun late when the Bears were just trying to storm Favre. Still, it was a positive performance. If FB Vonta Leach keeps blocking as well as he did Sunday, the coaches will have to think twice about starting William Henderson when he returns.
Defensive line (2½)
Aaron Kampman led the unit in snaps (58), tackles (seven) and pressures (five). Matched against long-armed RT Fred Miller, Kampman beat him twice inside. He also helped make RB Thomas Jones miss two protections. Against the run, Kampman shed blocks and found the football. Colin Cole (28) started opposite Ryan Pickett (40) but Cullen Jenkins (21) opened the second half. Despite limited duty, Jenkins saved a TD pass by batting down a pass and broke up a screen. Other than Kampman, he consistently makes more plays than anyone else. The down side was evident on a power play before halftime when LG Ruben Brown shoved him aside and Jones roared up the middle for 10. Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila (53) was double-teamed on most of the first-quarter passes but after that the Bears just let LT John Tait handle him one-on-one. Corey Williams (23) joined Jenkins in the dime and didn't do much. At this point, Kenderick Allen (23) is too erratic. One play he'll be turned or decked and the next play he'll disengage from a block and deliver a heavy hit. Pickett isn't getting to the passer but has been a plus as a run stuffer.
Linebackers (2)
Brady Poppinga was overmatched by pedestrian TE Desmond Clark, who beat him five times for 77 yards. Coverage is the hardest part of the game for a linebacker and there's no guarantee that Poppinga has the athleticism or body type to become proficient in it. He looks about as raw as raw can be. Poppinga always plays hard and is pretty good at the point of attack. But he was the one at fault on Jones' longest run (17 yards) by getting hooked and on another play he was gored to the turf by a tight end. A.J. Hawk played every snap alongside Nick Barnett but made no impact until he generated 1½ pressures blitzing in the second half.
Secondary (1)
The Packers were in the perfect coverage ("quarters") to stop a deep post route off a play-action fake. If you're Marquand Manuel, you just forget about the run and stay deep. Instead, Manuel squatted and then his marginal speed was exploited by Bernard Berrian on a 49-yard TD. He was better against the run. The other safety, Nick Collins, continues to play too hesitantly. It's a big reason why he never makes any plays. Muhsin Muhammad proved to be too big and powerful for Charles Woodson and too fast across the field for Al Harris.
Kickers (one-half)
Jon Ryan was a keen disappointment. His six punts averaged 45 yards (gross), 24.3 (net) and 3.85 seconds (hang time). His first attempt was so short that it ended up rolling 13 yards. Dave Rayner didn't exactly erase memories of Ryan Longwell with a 53-yard try that sailed wide left by 10 to 15 yards.
Special teams (one-half)
Devin Hester's 84-yard touchdown return came on a punt with respectable hang time (4.34). That's just inept coverage. Noah Herron broke a tackle, took another hit, wrapped a second arm around the ball and then was stripped for a lost fumble. Samkon Gado shows no more instinct on kickoff returns than from scrimmage, and Robert Ferguson might be too far removed from returning kicks to be good at it again.
Overall (1)
Bears control all aspects of game
Posted: Sept. 11, 2006
Bob McGinn
Green Bay - Outmanned. Outplayed. Outcoached.
That should sum up the coaching debut of Mike McCarthy as the Green Bay Packers were humbled by the Chicago Bears, 26-0, Sunday at Lambeau Field.
The deepest penetration by the offense was to the Chicago 35. The defense made Rex Grossman look like the second coming of Sid Luckman. And the special teams were abysmal.
Here is a rating of the Packers, with their 1 to 5 football totals in parentheses:
Receivers (1)
There wasn't much available other than Donald Driver on quick glance routes. He caught seven of the 11 passes thrown to him for 96 yards, including 31 yards after the catch. But Driver also had one of the two dropped passes; David Martin had the other on a bootleg. Greg Jennings was too deep on his route that ended up as Brett Favre's first interception. The rookie would have been shut out had Favre not turned to him on one step and gunned a hitch his way with 25 seconds left. Martin played extensively in double tight-end sets and also played fullback for six snaps. This was just the fifth time in Bubba Franks' 97-game career that no pass was directed toward him. The only reception by a tight end, 25 yards to Donald Lee, might have been at least double that length if he had exhibited more confidence and not felt compelled to cradle the ball on the catch.
Offensive line (1)
With a pair of rookie guards, the Packers don't have a side of the line behind which they feel confident getting a tough yard or two. Also, Chad Clifton doesn't appear to be moving well. He was partially responsible for two sacks and blew a crucial back-side cut block in short yardage. LG Jason Spitz was responsible for two "bad" runs (gains of 1 yard or less in situations other than goal-line and short-yardage), one knockdown and made the mistake of stepping back instead of laterally and causing Favre to trip for a sack. But Spitz also blocked aggressively on the play side for a string of runs. The other rookie, RG Tony Moll, was responsible for one-half sack and 1½ "bad" runs. He played too high against DT Ian Scott on Favre's failed fourth-and-1 sneak that proved critical. Mark Tauscher tried to take the easy way out and was penalized twice for holding DE Adewale Ogunleye, which is out of character for him. Although C Scott Wells was charged with one "bad" run and one hurry, he played better than the others.
Quarterbacks (1)
It's incredible to think that Brett Favre could play an entire game and not advance his team beyond the opponent's 35. On his 32 drop-backs, Favre threw only one or two passes that were reminiscent of the player he once was. McCarthy didn't help Favre with good protection packages, particularly on plays when Favre was dashing out of the pocket. He also was undermined at times by his blockers and receivers. But there were too many instances where Favre was throwing wild passes. He sailed some. He threw wide. And he could have been intercepted four or five times rather than just twice. His second interception, a flier back inside, was just terrible. The Packers had first down at the Chicago 37 with 8½ minutes left. A touchdown would have meant a lot to his teammates and the fans.
Running backs (4)
Compared to the great backs in the league, Ahman Green didn't do much to excite. But given the fact that he's coming off thigh surgery and had barely played in the exhibition season, there was reason for cautious optimism. He ran low behind his pads, tried to finish most of his 20 carries and seemed at home in the zone scheme. Strangely, his 110-yard game contributed almost nothing to the outcome. Forty-eight of the yards came on five attempts out of the shotgun late when the Bears were just trying to storm Favre. Still, it was a positive performance. If FB Vonta Leach keeps blocking as well as he did Sunday, the coaches will have to think twice about starting William Henderson when he returns.
Defensive line (2½)
Aaron Kampman led the unit in snaps (58), tackles (seven) and pressures (five). Matched against long-armed RT Fred Miller, Kampman beat him twice inside. He also helped make RB Thomas Jones miss two protections. Against the run, Kampman shed blocks and found the football. Colin Cole (28) started opposite Ryan Pickett (40) but Cullen Jenkins (21) opened the second half. Despite limited duty, Jenkins saved a TD pass by batting down a pass and broke up a screen. Other than Kampman, he consistently makes more plays than anyone else. The down side was evident on a power play before halftime when LG Ruben Brown shoved him aside and Jones roared up the middle for 10. Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila (53) was double-teamed on most of the first-quarter passes but after that the Bears just let LT John Tait handle him one-on-one. Corey Williams (23) joined Jenkins in the dime and didn't do much. At this point, Kenderick Allen (23) is too erratic. One play he'll be turned or decked and the next play he'll disengage from a block and deliver a heavy hit. Pickett isn't getting to the passer but has been a plus as a run stuffer.
Linebackers (2)
Brady Poppinga was overmatched by pedestrian TE Desmond Clark, who beat him five times for 77 yards. Coverage is the hardest part of the game for a linebacker and there's no guarantee that Poppinga has the athleticism or body type to become proficient in it. He looks about as raw as raw can be. Poppinga always plays hard and is pretty good at the point of attack. But he was the one at fault on Jones' longest run (17 yards) by getting hooked and on another play he was gored to the turf by a tight end. A.J. Hawk played every snap alongside Nick Barnett but made no impact until he generated 1½ pressures blitzing in the second half.
Secondary (1)
The Packers were in the perfect coverage ("quarters") to stop a deep post route off a play-action fake. If you're Marquand Manuel, you just forget about the run and stay deep. Instead, Manuel squatted and then his marginal speed was exploited by Bernard Berrian on a 49-yard TD. He was better against the run. The other safety, Nick Collins, continues to play too hesitantly. It's a big reason why he never makes any plays. Muhsin Muhammad proved to be too big and powerful for Charles Woodson and too fast across the field for Al Harris.
Kickers (one-half)
Jon Ryan was a keen disappointment. His six punts averaged 45 yards (gross), 24.3 (net) and 3.85 seconds (hang time). His first attempt was so short that it ended up rolling 13 yards. Dave Rayner didn't exactly erase memories of Ryan Longwell with a 53-yard try that sailed wide left by 10 to 15 yards.
Special teams (one-half)
Devin Hester's 84-yard touchdown return came on a punt with respectable hang time (4.34). That's just inept coverage. Noah Herron broke a tackle, took another hit, wrapped a second arm around the ball and then was stripped for a lost fumble. Samkon Gado shows no more instinct on kickoff returns than from scrimmage, and Robert Ferguson might be too far removed from returning kicks to be good at it again.
Overall (1)