woodbuck27
08-24-2007, 03:31 PM
http://www.packersnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070824/PKR07/708240690/1947
Posted August 24, 2007
Mike Woods column: Running game goes nowhere fast
By Mike Woods
Now, if the Packers were tuning up for the Grey Cup or the Arena Bowl, then Thursday's organized practice session against Jacksonville would have been uplifting.
They threw the ball all over the yard in the first half, and reasonably well at that, as Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers combined for 201 yards on 19-of-27 attempts and a 91.7 rating.
It was the kind of performance that would have forced the Edmonton Eskimos to stand up and take notice.
Unfortunately, the Packers are card-carrying members of that more popular league, the NFL, where running the football is a requirement for success.
If you're a believer the third preseason game is the most important dress rehearsal, then the Packers' running game was caught with its pants down during a 21-13 preseason loss to the Jaguars.
The Packers attempted only nine runs and totaled 10 yards, for an unacceptable 1.1-yard average per tote after the first two quarters, the time when the field was monopolized by the first-teamers.
"We did not run the ball very well at all,'' said Packers coach Mike McCarthy, author of the obvious.
"We need to do a better job there.''
Rookie Brandon Jackson, the Packers' designated rainmaker by virtue of injury to Vernand Morency, was no more effective than Green Bay legend Paul Ott Caruth. He finished the first 30 minutes with 10 yards on eight tries, with a long, ah, run of 9 feet.
To lay the blame entirely at his feet would be misguided. He wasn't given the opportunity to work up a lather. Not once in the first half was he given the ball on consecutive plays, a decision made by McCarthy.
On the Packers' first scoring drive of the second quarter, Jackson got the ball on the first play, then watched as Favre threw the ball the next nine plays.
On the Packers' next scoring drive, it was Jackson for 1 yard, seven straight passes down to the Jaguars' 1, then Jackson finished.
This was not a balanced offense; it was one-dimensional.
"We definitely had more pass plays called, and a couple of the runs we checked to pass,'' center Scott Wells said.
"So, we took a lot of shots in the passing game, and it paid off for us. We had a lot of large completions that generated a lot of positive yards in the passing games.
"But, I think the coaches will definitely want us to be more two-dimensional and have more of a running attack. You need to average 2, 3 and 5 yards a carry, at least.''
It was a curious decision not to even make an honest attempt to establish the run, as McCarthy often has said one of his goals is to get his team to start faster.
If he has any hope of this group avoiding a fourth consecutive 1-4 beginning — and keep in mind, the Eagles, Giants, Chargers, Vikings and Bears are first out of the gate —
a 3-to-1 pass-to-run ratio, as was the case in the first half, is not going to get it done.
If you believe it doesn't matter, let's put this in perspective.
Of the 12 teams that made the playoffs last year, all averaged at least 102 rushing yards a game, and 10 of 12 averaged at least 110 yards an outing. This is not some kind of aberration; it's a fact.
The Packers finished Thursday's game with 81 yards, but 59 came in the fourth quarter, when the benchwarmers took center stage.
You can take solace in the knowledge that this didn't mean a thing.
You can reason that when Morency returns, things will improve. You can appreciate that Favre, rookie receiver James Jones and the passing game look regular-season ready, and Donald Driver's foot injury does not appear to be serious.
You can feel good that the defense continues to look promising.
But if the Packers hope to improve on their eight wins of a year ago, if they are to get where they hope to go, then the running game is going to have to hit the ground running when the regular season opens in two weeks.
In that respect, time is running short.
Mike Woods writes for The Post-Crescent of Appleton. E-mail him at mwoods@postcrescent.com
Comment woodbuck27:
Now. . .is anyone really surprized? You didn't have to be Nostradomus to see this coming months ago, before and after the draft.
Funny that Ted Thompson missed it.
Posted August 24, 2007
Mike Woods column: Running game goes nowhere fast
By Mike Woods
Now, if the Packers were tuning up for the Grey Cup or the Arena Bowl, then Thursday's organized practice session against Jacksonville would have been uplifting.
They threw the ball all over the yard in the first half, and reasonably well at that, as Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers combined for 201 yards on 19-of-27 attempts and a 91.7 rating.
It was the kind of performance that would have forced the Edmonton Eskimos to stand up and take notice.
Unfortunately, the Packers are card-carrying members of that more popular league, the NFL, where running the football is a requirement for success.
If you're a believer the third preseason game is the most important dress rehearsal, then the Packers' running game was caught with its pants down during a 21-13 preseason loss to the Jaguars.
The Packers attempted only nine runs and totaled 10 yards, for an unacceptable 1.1-yard average per tote after the first two quarters, the time when the field was monopolized by the first-teamers.
"We did not run the ball very well at all,'' said Packers coach Mike McCarthy, author of the obvious.
"We need to do a better job there.''
Rookie Brandon Jackson, the Packers' designated rainmaker by virtue of injury to Vernand Morency, was no more effective than Green Bay legend Paul Ott Caruth. He finished the first 30 minutes with 10 yards on eight tries, with a long, ah, run of 9 feet.
To lay the blame entirely at his feet would be misguided. He wasn't given the opportunity to work up a lather. Not once in the first half was he given the ball on consecutive plays, a decision made by McCarthy.
On the Packers' first scoring drive of the second quarter, Jackson got the ball on the first play, then watched as Favre threw the ball the next nine plays.
On the Packers' next scoring drive, it was Jackson for 1 yard, seven straight passes down to the Jaguars' 1, then Jackson finished.
This was not a balanced offense; it was one-dimensional.
"We definitely had more pass plays called, and a couple of the runs we checked to pass,'' center Scott Wells said.
"So, we took a lot of shots in the passing game, and it paid off for us. We had a lot of large completions that generated a lot of positive yards in the passing games.
"But, I think the coaches will definitely want us to be more two-dimensional and have more of a running attack. You need to average 2, 3 and 5 yards a carry, at least.''
It was a curious decision not to even make an honest attempt to establish the run, as McCarthy often has said one of his goals is to get his team to start faster.
If he has any hope of this group avoiding a fourth consecutive 1-4 beginning — and keep in mind, the Eagles, Giants, Chargers, Vikings and Bears are first out of the gate —
a 3-to-1 pass-to-run ratio, as was the case in the first half, is not going to get it done.
If you believe it doesn't matter, let's put this in perspective.
Of the 12 teams that made the playoffs last year, all averaged at least 102 rushing yards a game, and 10 of 12 averaged at least 110 yards an outing. This is not some kind of aberration; it's a fact.
The Packers finished Thursday's game with 81 yards, but 59 came in the fourth quarter, when the benchwarmers took center stage.
You can take solace in the knowledge that this didn't mean a thing.
You can reason that when Morency returns, things will improve. You can appreciate that Favre, rookie receiver James Jones and the passing game look regular-season ready, and Donald Driver's foot injury does not appear to be serious.
You can feel good that the defense continues to look promising.
But if the Packers hope to improve on their eight wins of a year ago, if they are to get where they hope to go, then the running game is going to have to hit the ground running when the regular season opens in two weeks.
In that respect, time is running short.
Mike Woods writes for The Post-Crescent of Appleton. E-mail him at mwoods@postcrescent.com
Comment woodbuck27:
Now. . .is anyone really surprized? You didn't have to be Nostradomus to see this coming months ago, before and after the draft.
Funny that Ted Thompson missed it.