Packers' Defense Must Watch For Bush

[woodbuck27]

Packers' Defense Must Watch For Bush

by Mike Spofford, Packers.com
posted 09/15/2006

With a multi-talented running back like Reggie Bush, the New Orleans Saints are still figuring out where to line up their prized rookie to take full advantage of his remarkable speed, elusiveness and talent.

The answer seems to be everywhere, and the Packers will have to keep an eye on Bush every time he strolls out of the huddle or off the sideline on Sunday at Lambeau Field.

"We'll hand it off to him, we'll split him out, we'll do whatever we can to get him the ball," Saints quarterback Drew Brees said. "He'll return punts as well. Obviously he's a playmaker, and the more he can touch it the more chances there are of big plays."

In New Orleans' 19-14 win over Cleveland last week, Bush had 14 carries, eight receptions and three punt returns for 141 total yards. He didn't score a touchdown and didn't have any huge plays (his longest run was 18 yards and longest reception was 14), but it may be only a matter of time before he breaks a few.

"He's a great athlete, like the Marshall Faulk of our time," said safety Marquand Manuel, referring to the Rams' ultra-weapon who led them to two Super Bowl appearances in a three-year span from 1999-2001. "You just have to prepare for him and be ready for him game-plan wise."

One thing that makes Bush so dangerous with the ball in his hands is his ability to change directions almost instantaneously. In winning the Heisman Trophy last year at USC, Bush at times literally ran circles around defenses trying to corral him.

When he's taking handoffs, the burden is on the defensive front seven to stay disciplined and not over-pursue the play, similar to when facing a passer known to scramble his way out of trouble.

"If you have a quarterback with that type of ability, like (Michael) Vick, it can change your rushes and things like that," defensive end Aaron Kampman said. "With a tailback, you're just more aware of him being of a slasher cutback type of guy. You're just more aware that at any time he can reverse field and pick up positive yards."

No one on the Packers knows that better than rookie safety Tyrone Culver, who made several highlight reels chasing Bush during his 513-all-purpose-yard performance against Fresno St. last year.

Culver said there needs to be more than one defender in position to tackle Bush or the possibility of a big play looms large.

"You're never going to get him one-on-one," he said. "You can't leave anybody on islands and you have to gang-tackle. He breaks tackles, you know that going in. So just be there to help your guys out, don't leave anybody out there by themselves."

That wouldn't be so hard if Bush were all the Saints had on offense, but that's far from the case. This is not the same New Orleans team that went 3-13 last year, including a humbling 52-3 loss to the Packers here.

Brees came over from San Diego to play quarterback, running back Deuce McAllister is recovered from the knee injury he suffered at Lambeau that ended his 2005 season. McAllister had 22 carries for 90 yards last week, and his power running style looks like the perfect complement to Bush's speed and shiftiness.

"It's really only been one game, but if you go through the preseason, they've done a nice job of running downhill with Deuce and getting Reggie on the perimeter," Head Coach Mike McCarthy said.

Throw in Joe Horn, a four-time Pro Bowler and 1,000-yard receiver, and it brings Manuel back to his comparison to those Rams' Super Bowl teams.

"I have no better way to put it ... you have to find out where Marshall Faulk is, but at the same time you still had Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt," Manuel said. "You can't over-emphasize it, but you have to know he's a big part of the offense."

GO PACKERS !

[woodbuck27]

Posted September 16, 2006

Payton: 'I'm where I'm supposed to be'

By Dylan B. Tomlinson
Gannett Wisconsin Newspapers

When Packers General Manager Ted Thompson began his search to find a replacement for Mike Sherman in January, it was a given Sean Payton would be on his short list.


Payton had the perfect pedigree to become a head coach. He had spent two years with the Dallas Cowboys as the assistant head coach to Bill Parcells.


Former Parcells assistants have done well in the NFL. Bill Belichick has won three Super Bowls in New England, Tom Coughlin has done well in Jacksonville and with the New York Giants, and Romeo Crennel is trying to turn around the Cleveland Browns. Outside the NFL ranks, Charlie Weis, another former Parcells assistant, has turned around Notre Dame.


Payton had drawn interest as a head coaching candidate after his first season with the Cowboys. He was offered the Oakland Raiders' head coaching job, but turned it down. He knew there would be more suitors, and was confident enough in his abilities to wait for the right one.


When Payton got the call from Thompson in January, he said he thought he would have been a perfect choice to coach the Packers.


"I said this to Ted and a handful of people when I was there, I've always thought the uniqueness of the tradition there is pretty special," Payton said. "I grew up in Chicago, so I'm familiar with that rivalry and that division. Just having had a chance to see it all and see the tradition and visit with people about it, it's unique and special. It's unique to any other venue in our league, and the tradition is unique to most other organizations."


Thompson refused to get into specifics about why he hired McCarthy over Payton, but had nothing but good things to say about Payton.


"He's an outstanding coach. He's doing a great job in New Orleans," Thompson said. "We have a great coach here. The hiring process always requires a lot of tough decisions."


Payton said he had no bad feelings about not being hired by the Packers.


"I had a great visit there with Ted, and it was first class all the way," Payton said. "I've got a lot of respect for not only the organization, but all of the individuals involved in the process. It was a good process for me to go through."


When the Packers passed on Payton, he had to wait only a few days before another team came calling.


"I accepted the New Orleans job about a week later," Payton said. "It's been a great move for me. I'm very happy with the organization here."


Other than Oakland, which has made eight head coaching changes in the last 17 years, New Orleans had to seem like the second least-desirable of the 10 head coaching openings. Not only had the Saints finished with a 3-13 record, the future of the franchise was in serious doubt as the city recovered from Hurricane Katrina. The Saints didn't play a game in New Orleans last season, splitting their home games between San Antonio, Texas, Baton Rouge, La., and even East Rutherford, N.J.


"I feel like we're starting new here," Payton said. "That was one of the things that scared me about this job, but it was also something that attracted me to it."


One of the first things Payton was able to do as Saints coach was convince quarterback Drew Brees to come to New Orleans.


"He was the only one who looked me in the eye and said, 'You know what? We know you're the guy who is going to lead this team, and we have 100 percent confidence in you,'" Brees said. "That really got my attention."


By adding Brees and running back Reggie Bush with the No. 2 overall pick in the draft, Payton said he knows the Saints are a much better team than they were a year ago.


"It's an exciting time to be here," Payton said. "We're thrilled to win our first game, and we just want to build from there."


As the Saints try to build on a strong showing in Week 1, the Packers are trying to rebound from a devastating loss. Payton said he was disappointed when he wasn't hired by the Packers, but said he thinks everyone may be better off.


"I know Mike well enough that I know he's going to do a great job there," Payton said. "Our careers as coordinators have been somewhat similar, and I know he's a heck of a football coach. I know I'm where I'm supposed to be and I'm sure Mike is where he's supposed to be."

Dylan B. Tomlinson writes for The Post-Crescent of Appleton. E-mail him at dtomlins@ postcrescent.

[woodbuck27]

Speed makes Saints' rookie Bush deadly

By Rob Demovsky / greenbaypressgazette.com

"You have to understand what kind of player he is. His first two steps, his acceleration, he gets out on the edge in a hurry. Just his speed, you've got to be ready for that." -- Tyrone Culver

The Green Bay Packers coaches can stay up all night watching film, but if they want to know what they're up against Sunday when they face New Orleans Saints rookie Reggie Bush, they need only to quiz one of their own players.

Rookie safety Tyrone Culver is believed to be the only player in the Packers' locker room who has lined up face-to-face with Bush, the No. 2 overall pick in April's draft. Culver played against Bush on Nov. 19, when his Fresno State Bulldogs lost to Bush's Southern California Trojans, 50-42, in one of college football's most exciting games last season.

Culver, a sixth-round draft pick and a backup safety for the Packers, recorded four tackles and one sack in that game. All four of his tackles were of Bush. They came at the end of runs of 65, 35 and 7 yards and at the end of a 43-yard reception.

"You have to understand what kind of player he is," Culver said. "His first two steps, his acceleration, he gets out on the edge in a hurry. Just his speed, you've got to be ready for that."


Bush, last year's Heisman Trophy winner, is arguably the most dynamic rookie to enter the NFL since Michael Vick in 2001 or Randy Moss in 1998.


In the Saints 19-14 victory over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, Bush caught a team-high eight passes for 58 yards. Only three players in the NFL -- Kansas City's Tony Gonzalez, Arizona's Larry Fitzgerald and Indianapolis' Marvin Harrison -- caught more passes in Week 1. Splitting time in the backfield with Deuce McAllister, Bush rushed for 61 yards on 14 carries (a 4.4-yard average). His longest gain was 18 yards and had several near-misses for longer runs.


His combined 119 yards from scrimmage would put him on pace for 1,904 yards. The NFL record for a rookie is 2,212 yards, set by Eric Dickerson in 1983.


Throw in Bush's 22 yards on three punt returns and he had 141 total net yards, which would put him on pace for 2,256 total net yards. The NFL record for a rookie is 2,317, set by Tim Brown in 1988.


Though he's not even a starter -- he's behind McAllister -- Bush already has become the focal point of the Saints' offense. Rookie coach Sean Payton, a former offensive coordinator who calls the plays, has followed USC coach Pete Carroll's blueprint by using Bush in a variety of ways.


Against the Browns, Bush lined up as a traditional halfback, as a running back who went in motion, as a slot receiver and as an outside receiver.


"It's real similar to the way USC used him," Culver said. "He's all over the place. Like when (USC) had LenDale White in the backfield, they'd move (Bush) out. It's the same way with him and McAllister. They're motioning Bush out, shifting him and trying to keep you on your toes."


NFL defensive coordinators will no doubt come up with ways to try to slow down Bush. If the Packers have anything special planned, they're not saying.


"When you install a system, you've got to have it built into your system to take away featured players," Packers coach Mike McCarthy said. "We have that capability."


By moving Bush around, Payton and the Saints are trying to create mismatches like getting a slower, less agile linebacker or safety covering him when he's running a passing route. If the Packers play their base defense against him, any of their three linebackers -- Nick Barnett, A.J. Hawk or Brady Poppinga -- could end up covering Bush. If they go nickel (and replace Poppinga with a cornerback Ahmad Carroll), he could be matched up against either of the two remaining linebackers, a safety or the slot cornerback, which is Charles Woodson.


If Hawk is matched up against Bush, it will be an interesting study in the difference between a player chosen No. 2 in the draft and one chosen fifth, such as Hawk was.


"Once you're with your team, it doesn't matter if you were a free agent, a seventh-round pick or a first-round pick," Hawk said. "That all goes out the door once you get here. You just produce regardless of where he was picked or where I was picked."


In 14 drafts before the one in which Bush and Hawk were taken, the difference between the players chosen in those two spots was negligible in some years and immense in others.


Take, for example, the 2003 draft, when Detroit drafted receiver Charles Rogers at No. 2 and Dallas took cornerback Terrence Newman at No. 5. Rogers was a bust and is out of the league, having been cut by the Lions at the end of training camp this year, and Newman is the on the cusp of being a Pro Bowler. A year earlier, however, the No. 2 pick (Carolina defensive end Julius Peppers) has been a far more productive player than the No. 5 pick (San Diego cornerback Quentin Jammer).


In both the 2000 and 2001 drafts, the No. 5 pick turned out to better than the No. 2. In 2000, Washington took linebacker LaVar Arrington at No. 2, and Baltimore followed three picks later with running back Jamal Lewis. The next year, Arizona took tackle Leonard Davis second, and San Diego drafted running back LaDainian Tomlinson fifth.


In 1998, both picks flamed out when San Diego took quarterback Ryan Leaf at No. 2 and Chicago grabbed running back Curtis Enis at No. 5. In 1992, it was much the same, when Indianapolis took linebacker Quentin Coryatt with the second pick and the Packers got cornerback Terrell Buckley at No. 5.

Yikes !

[woodbuck27]

Posted September 16, 2006

Point-counterpoint 2: Will Reggie Bush be successful this year?


Point by Ricardo Arguello, The Post-Crescent

Reggie Bush is a superstar. Now.


He has the commercials. He has the moves. He has the big contract. He has the high-wattage smile.


He is the new 'it' guy for the NFL. He's more than just statistics, but he has that too, with 141 combined yards in New Orleans' 19-14 win over Cleveland last week. Simply put, he's a threat to score from anywhere on the field. There are only a handful of players of his caliber in the NFL, and none are rookies.


He's got No. 1 running back ability and if he wanted too, he could be a top-flight receiver as well. Plus, he gives the Saints instant field position with his return prowess.


Against the Browns, Bush touched the ball 25 times. He was electric and expect those numbers to at least stay at that level or increase in the coming weeks. He'll finish the season with a line similar to 900 yards rushing, 800 receiving and a whole lot of touchdowns, some coming on returns too. That is a heckuva season for anybody. Marshall Faulk-lite anybody?


You can't compare him to Barry Sanders because Sanders was a pure runner. You can't compare him with Eric Dickerson, because Dickerson was limited as a receiver. And you can't compare him to Jim Brown, because, well, Jim Brown is 70 years old. But seriously, you really can't compare anybody to Jim Brown. He was the best, hands down. But you can compare him to stars of today. And stars of different sports, too. When Michael Vick entered the league, many touted him as the Michael Jordan of football.


Well, he wasn't. To this point, he's not even Harold Minor (Baby Jordan). That title should go to Bush, the savior of the struggling New Orleans franchise and a superstar today and for years to come.


Counterpoint by Dan Kohn, The Post-Crescent

There is no question in my mind that Reggie Bush is going to be a superstar in the NFL. Just, not this year.


There may have been a chance had he entered the season as the Saints' featured back. But because he is sharing duties with Deuce McAllister, Bush won't get the chance to take off into stardom.


McAllister is the Saints' all-time career leading rusher and led the team with 1,074 yards rushing and nine touchdowns in 2004.


He was well on that pace last season before suffering a knee injury and missing the final 11 games.


Even this preseason, although Bush got more carries and yards, McAllister still led the team with 6.8 yards per carry.


Let's face it. Bush just won't get enough carries. Plus he has to deal with the fact that it is rare that a rookie running back burst onto the scene and tear up opposing defenses.


Barry Sanders did it in 1989 with over 1,400 yards rushing in 15 games.


But he didn't have to share the load with another back as good as McAllister.


Eric Dickerson also did it his first year in 1983, rushing for 1,808 yards. But again, he didn't have to share too many carries.


Others such as Emmitt Smith were good, but not great their first year. Smith rushed for 11 touchdowns his rookie season in 1990 but failed to gain 1,000 yards rushing.


Even the great Jim Brown did not rush for 1,000 yards his first season, something he failed to do just one other time in his nine-year Hall of Fame career.


Bush is going to be a talent, no question. But he will have to bide his time.

[Kiwon]

Too much Bush hype for me. He's still a rookie playing in his second pro game. If the defense plays smart they will do well against him.

The press had Michael Vick as one of the future greats, but he has never lived up to the billing. Athletic talent alone doesn't ensure that one will become a great player.

[Kiwon]

Woodbuck, I see that you started 13 new Packer threads tonight. Have you ever considered beginning your own news service? :wink: